Like a lot of you when Games Workshop announced the Sanctus Reach: Stormclaw box would be a limited edition item I scrambled for a copy and managed to score one from my local game store. (My apologies to anyone who was trampled in the process).

Instead of immediately hawking it on eBay I thought I would show off the contents of what might be Games Workshops' finest box set.

First Impressions

First off, the box is gorgeous! The art on the front catches the eye and conveys the gritty, grim dark look and feel of the 41st Millennium. On the back we have pictures of all the models assembled and painted and a clear list of exactly what the box contains. Speaking of the box, it’s a nice thick card stock that doesn’t bend or flex making it feel sturdy without being overly heavy. This will be my new bits/sprue box from here on out!

My God It’s Full of Plastic!

This box is packed full of plastic sprues. As I’m sure you’ve all heard by now these aren't some cheap press fit models, these are the full sprues complete with all the extra options and bits – which is significant because both Orks and Space Wolves have tons of extra decorative bits! They also include instructions on how to assemble everything in case looking at all these sprues makes your eyes cross.

Let’s take a look at the two main characters: Krom Dragongaze and Grukk Face-Rippa!

KROM!!!!

Wow, that is one busy sprue! Krom is made up of a lot of little segments, each with an amazing amount of detail packed onto them. I appreciate this for two reasons:

1. It’s far easier to paint all these details and nooks and crannies (I don’t care if no one will ever see it, I’ll know it’s not painted!) when the model is disassembled to such a fine degree.

2. This is a conversion dream! GW has explicitly said they designed this model to be customized and it shows. The axe is a simple hand swap, so is the head, the other arm requires a single straight cut to swap out the weapon, and the posing of the arms is easy to change as well. Giving ol’Krom a power sword and storm shield will be a simple task for even the least experienced hobbyist.

I Ain’t Dead Yet!

So we all thought Grukk was dead, turns out so did the Ork. But he’s back. Whatever. A lot of people are comparing him to the Warboss from the old Assault on Black Reach starter set for 5th Ed. That is a little unfair to poor Grukk.

1. Grukk looks a lot bigger than the AoBR Warboss. This is seriously one hefty model!

2. It feels like there is a lot more detail in this model.

3. He has his own attack Squig! (Which I pricked myself on, watch out for the fangs!)

4. Again, he should be an easy conversion for anyone not liking his default load out.

The Book

I know a lot of people picked up Stormclaw just so they could get their hands on the mini-rule book. If you’re familiar with the 6th Ed. rule book then this will be no surprise, it’s a complete set of the rules with color pictures, diagrams, and an excellent reference and index in the back. Look! It’s even the same size as the 6th Ed. mini rule book. Just like the full sized hardcover edition of the rules, it’s well laid out and beautiful to look at.

(I highly recommend laminating the front and back cover and spiral binding it, it makes it much easier to use and it holds up to abuse much better!)

The Campaign Supplement

The supplement itself is a full color, full sized booklet done in the same style as the rule book – That is to say it look beautiful! The thick cover and pages will hold up to plenty of wear and tear too. Inside you get a bit of fluff on why the Space Wolves are fighting the Orks, three missions with unique rules and set-up, and *GASP* the full rules to use your forces. That’s right boys and girls, no need for a codex because this supplement has character and units stats AND points so you can just take these models and plunk them into your regular army list as its own formation, no extra codex needed.

Oh that’s right, did I mention they each have their own unique formation? The Wolves get some nice bonuses like furious charge and some nifty shooting tricks. It’s all well and good, but not overly game changing. The Orks on the other hand get the absolutely terrifying ability to re-roll all their various checks AND can deep strike their entire formation turn one. That’s right, everything gets to deep strike. I can see this being a popular tactic for Ork players to include this formation and deep striking these units as a distraction while the rest of their army works their way up the board.

So overall the Stormclaw box is beautiful, well-constructed, and contains a mind boggling amount of plastic for the price you pay. The models included look grand and have lots of options. On top of all that the box has a great mini rule book, a small campaign, and even has all the rules and information you need to seamlessly add these factions to your existing games by way of formations.

Conclusion

If you can get your hands on one of these boxes I highly encourage it. From top to bottom this is an excellent set and is an excellent price. Beginners and veterans interested in Orks and Space Wolves will not be disappointed.

Casey Roberts

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