We're going to be delving deeper into the world of Wild West Exodus over the next few months but as a starter our very own Broadside had a little bit of a run down for each faction!

Warrior Nation

The Warrior Nation are a faction defending earth from the Dark Councils manipulation. They are lead by some really intensive melee monsters, better known as Geronimo and Sitting Bull who are the Bosses of the faction so far. These Warriors can harness the spirit of animals and as a warrior matures he learns the aspects of different beasts allowing him to metamorphosis some or all of his body into  the animal itself!

The theme of this faction is very much close combat orientated with the added bonus of the short ranged bow that can loose spirit arrows that can pass through terrain itself, so don't be expecting to be able to hide in a safe place from these deadly warriors. Some of the Braves ride to battle with the aid of Energy Beasts that also pack a hefty punch, or should I say kick like a mule? These guys are looking to close the gap quickly and take your scalp, but will probably take a large chunk of your face away too.

One of the most intimidating beasts in the Warrior Nation faction has to be the Great Elk. This horny beast will definitely ruin your day if you let him flank you and come up the rear, as he is the size of a large tank and equipped with a bad attitude to say the least! The Warrior Nation is not all close combat and short ranged bows though as they have plundered wagon mounted weapons from fighting with the other factions. The weapons at present on the Fire Bringer include a HUGE cannon, gatling guns and a massive bow that fires three massive flaming spirit bolts with each action point with the modest range of 18". The auto include models for me has to go to Stone Fist and Running Foot. Not only have they got two huge Energy Beast mounted Howitzers, but the added utility to fire smoke grenades in order to protect your warrior braves is a huge bonus when you need to get them up the table and in your enemies face.

Outlaws

The Outlaws certainly have a lot of tools on their belt, as you may expect from a bunch of misfits and criminals that rob their way through life. Billy the Kid and Jesse James are the Bosses of this faction, so bad attitude and a disregard for human rights are clearly the name of the day. This is a faction for the "Jack of all Trades". They can run at you with a wealth of Hired Hands led by the brutish Jake "Smiley" Williamson or they can force you to engage by picking out your posse with a few well aimed shots from their snipers. Being a force with such versatility, they are really going to be a thorn in peoples side when fighting against them, as it will make people plan for everything and make games a whole lot more interesting and exciting! I can see a lot of Iron Horses, Blackjacks and Heavy Support vehicles making their way onto the table top with the Outlaws as the thoughts of a rapid hit and run force adds so much character and a possible cinematic edge, it will be hard to ignore.

Union

Well the Union Army was renown for it's use of firepower so it would stand to good reason that these were the shooters favourite faction of choice. With characters like General Grant and Abe Lincoln offering a lot of buffs to fire support and courage (extra shots, improvements to marksmanship, extra movement and automatic passes on courage tests!!) the awesome weapons mounted on the Rolling Thunder and the Locust, it is going to take a determined enemy to make these guys fix bayonets. The Union troops also wear decent armour so these are going to be a frustrating force to whittle down and I look forward to pitting my wits against the disciplined ranks, just keep away from their power seventeen, range 30" guns. How? I hear you ask, well I am thinking something along the lines of cookies and diplomatic negotiations but other than that, I am all out of ideas!

Lawmen

If you like the play style of a typical Dwarven army then you will love the Lawmen! These guys are lead by non-other than the Earps!! Oh and a few robot cops, so good luck trying to talk your way out of a speeding fine using binary or hexadecimal. The lawmen are tough as old boots and equipped with a willingness to succeed in order to keep the peace, or do they have an alternative reason? The lawmen specialise in supporting each other with defensive bonuses so, whilst not the fastest of factions, they will get you in the end and the last place you want to be sitting/swinging is in the rear of the Heavy Support known as the Judgement!!! This faction was not achieved during the Kickstarter campaign, so updates will be seen during the regular monthly release of miniatures in a similar way to Corvus Belli' Infinity releases.

Enlightened

These guys are where it all started, Dr Carpathian and his ability to raise the dead with the use of RJ-1027 technology. If you think this is bad though check out Eiffel and his spider mount!! This is one seriously mucked up family of engineers that need a visit by Jeremy Kyle in my opinion. This faction concerns itself with toys that are very squishy and very loud when they explode due to the self destruction mechanisms they contain. Not only will they influence your movement around the field of battle as you try and keep out of the way of their Zombiebombs, they also have characters with weapons that can blast you short distances around the board, so be really careful if you have a sniper hiding on a roof. He will find himself standing in the middle of a field all confused a moment later mark my words. You also have the ability to add some serious muscle to your posse with the aid of Creation 7 and 13, these hulks have some serious firepower, a buzz saw and a power drill. No wonder these hulking zombies cause fear. So If you like to self destruct whilst laughing at the enemy, then this faction is seriously for you.

Holy Order

These soldiers of God are going to be marching out to save humanity next year at August's GenCon. They will be few in number but very well trained soldiers who can really dish out pain to the enemy but also absorb a lot of damage too with their thick set armour. However, not all of the Holy Order have gained the right to wear the blessed armour of the veteran soldiers that they serve with. Until this day, the Hired Hands act like ninjas in training, hoping that one day their efforts will be seen and rewarded. The Holy Order would rather die in combat than live in the shame and shadow of the Dark Council and as such they dedicate their lives to the servitude of their Order. I wonder what the Holy order know that we do not? You will all be happy to learn that there will be concept art being displayed in the very near future for these folks!

There are also a selection of other factions on the way including the Confederate Rebellion, El Ejercito Dorado and The Watchers so keep an eye out for those!

There is also a Two Player Starter Set you can get your hands on if you and a mate want to give this game a go.

In the mean time what faction has you interested and if you have any questions for me drop them in the comments below and I will be happy to answer them!

Mike Ironclad

If you would like to write for Beasts of War then please get in contact with me at [email protected]!