Sons of Cadia is the name of the next expansion for Warhammer 40,000: Sanctus Reach and it introduces for the first time a new faction to the game. It’s the Astra Militarum, also known as the Imperial Guard, the largest army in the 41st millenium.
Castellan Stein leads his forces on Alaric Prime in an effort to put an end to Grukk Face-Rippa’s rampage in the Sanctus Reach system. His men, all proud sons of Cadia, are ready for the ultimate sacrifice in the name of the Emperor. Cadians are exceptional soldiers: their entire society is militarized and everyone receives military training. For thousands of years Cadia has been an important recruitment center for the Astra Militarum.
Today we’ll look at some of those proud Cadian units, starting with the infantry.
Guardsmen
Guardsmen are the common soldiers of the Imperium of Man, they number beyond count and fight for the Imperium across the galaxy. Hailing from a million different worlds the Guardsmen of the Astra Militarum are the biggest army the galaxy has ever seen. Many regiments are known far and wide but none are more renowned or feared as the mighty soldiers from the fortress world of Cadia, where every man and woman is trained from birth in the way of warfare.
Role on the battlefield: Guardsmen serve as the backbone of every Astra Militarum army. They can be used to create a solid wall of weapons fire to stop an enemy attack or lead the charge to storm the enemy defences. They are cheap and expendable and you can have a lot of them. Numbers do matter!
Special skills: Veterans can gain access to grenades and better equipment like camo gear and carapace armour.
Weapons: The standard Lasgun is accurate, with a long range and is good at penetrating armour at any distance, it however suffers from a low power rating and an inability to use different ammo types. Its rate of fire makes it perfect against massed infantry.
The Grenade launcher is a short to medium range anti-infantry weapon that specializes in breaking enemy morale, it has an unpredictable and inaccurate AoE and it is advisable to use it carefully when fired close to friendly forces. It can be upgraded to use different grenade types.
The Plasma gun is a high powered rifle that is equally effective against infantry and armoured opponents, it has a good range and a high rate of fire but it suffers from low, unpredictable accuracy and cannot use different ammo types. Use with caution when firing past friendly forces.
The Flamer is a more reliable AoE anti-infantry weapon, with good damage and high shock effect; its only weakness is its limited range and versatility.
Strengths / Weaknesses: Guardsmen are strong in numbers, cheap to field and able to stack up more ranged attacks per turn than other forces, they are especially good against enemies that bring massed infantry forces. They are weak against most attacks and will need a solid piece of cover to survive in a firefight, they are particularly vulnerable in melee. Single shot weapons will be ineffective against their sheer numbers.
Ogryn/Bullgryn
Ogryn are a breed of abhuman that have grown to exceptional size. Being naturally suited to combat, the rules around mutations were relaxed so that they could serve in the Astra Militarum. Stubborn as a mule and as tough as a Space Marine, their lack of intelligence is made up for by their ability to crush anything in their way.
Role on the battlefield: Ogryn will serve as your damage soakers, protecting the men behind them. They are best placed at the front and excel in close range combat.
Special skills: Veterans can gain access to different ammo types and better equipment, they can gain the stubborn trait which makes them resistant to morale damage.
Weapons: The Ripper Gun is a short to medium range, rapid fire weapon that can be upgraded to use different ammo types. The Grenadier Gauntlet can fire grenades at short to medium range and can be upgraded to use different grenade types.
Strengths / Weaknesses: Ogryn are one of the few Astra Militarum units that can fight in melee, their Zone of Control will be vital to stop the enemy engaging your other more vulnerable forces in melee. Range and poor accuracy are their only weaknesses.
Tempestus Scion
Tempestus Scions are the special forces of the Astra Militarum, they are highly trained and gain access to some of the best equipment the Imperium has to offer. In the hands of a skilled commander these specialists are a mighty weapon.
Role on the battlefield: Scions take the role of heavy weapon specialists, they’ll be able take down even the toughest of opponents, so pick your targets carefully.
Special skills: Veterans can gain access to grenades and better equipment like the Rosarius, a personal energy shield.
Weapons: The Hot-Shot Lasgun shares the characteristics of the standard Lasgun but has more Power and Armour Penetration. The Hot-Shot Vollygun fires more shots than a Hot-Shot Lasgun but has a shorter range.
The Plasma Pistol shares the characteristics of the Plasma Gun but with much shorter range, however it gains the 360 degree reaction fire arc that all pistols share. The Power Sword is a high power melee weapon that is equally good against any opponent. The Meltagun is a high power, short to medium range anti-tank weapon, it has extremely good Armour Penetration but it’s single shot is ineffective against massed infantry units.
Strengths / Weaknesses: A full Strength squad of Scions has some of the highest damage potential of units in the game, however they are a glass cannon, they’ll need protection to fulfil their mission.
We’ll be back next week with more units to showcase, so stay tuned!
The Red Waaagh seems unstoppable: Grukk Face-Rippa and his orks rampage through the Sanctus Reach system and planet after planet fall to the greenskins. Billions die, and there doesn’t seem to be an end to the xenos offensive.
It is on the planet of Alaric Prime that Castellan Jakren Stein mounts his last stand. This proud son of Cadia knows that there will be no retreat, no surrender. It’ll be victory or death.
The men and women he leads are exceptional individuals, forged in the flames of war and ready for the ultimate sacrifice. They are brave soldiers, utterly loyal and fierce, and will obey any order without hesitation. They know that it’s only their bravery and valour that protect the light from the darkness. They are the first, last and often only line of defense of the Imperium. They are the Astra Militarum!
Warhammer 40,000: Sanctus Reach is back with a new DLC! In Sons of Cadia you’ll play as the mighty Astra Militarum, also known as the Imperial Guard.
Lead many new units in an epic story-based campaign and relive the heroic defense of Alaric Prime!
With a brand-new faction, almost 30 new units, a new terrain type, a new campaign, and a new abilities progression system, Sons of Cadia is an essential expansion to Warhammer 40,000: Sanctus Reach.
We will reveal more of Sons of Cadia in the coming weeks. The DLC is now in beta, so feel free to sign up and give us a hand with bug squashing. Remember that to be part of the beta you need to own the base game Warhammer 40,000: Sanctus Reach!
We are extremely excited. We have big plans for the series, and the Astra Militarum is but the first faction being added to the series. The universe of Warhammer 40,000 is huge, you can expect us to keep expanding our game system. But for now please keep checking this page! We’ll show you more as we draw closer to release!
Last but not least, don’t miss today’s stream! Agrippa Maxentius is going to lead the Space Wolves (or maybe the Orks?) on the grim battlefields of the 41st millenium. You can be sure it’ll be a carnage (with him in charge it always is). Live on Twitch at 4.30 pm CEST!
Sanctus Reach - Interview & sneak peek on what's next!
The guys from Wargamer.com interviewed Straylight Entertainment, the studio which brought Warhammer 40,000: Sanctus Reach to life! The interview is quite long and contains lots of interesting tidbits on what went on behind the scenes during development.
But that’s not all… We have something to show you, something coming from the next expansion. I bet you’re all eager to see what it is - read the interview, you’ll find it at the bottom of this article!
Q: Your game reminds me, in terms of look and feel, of the DOS games I played in the 1990s that got me into Warhammer 40K as a teenager: Epic 40,000: Final Liberation and Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate. What, if any, inspiration did you take from these games in making Sanctus Reach?
A: Both Final liberation and Chaos Gate were influences for us growing up. It's been a long time since we played them so their influence was more of a distant memory of the feelings we got while playing them rather than anything very specific.
Q: Have members of your team spent time with the tabletop Warhammer 40K game? If so, how has that influenced the way you designed Sanctus Reach? If not, what did you take as source material for your game – how did you make a game that felt like the tabletop experience?
A: Yes we have all played tabletop 40k, many days spent with 2nd and 3rd editions. Growing up there was nothing else that captured our imaginations so completely and for such a length of time as the 40k setting. We don't play anymore but we are still invested through the fantastic books and social media fan sites.
From the start we were clear that there were aspects of the hobby that we could never recreate with a video game. The hours of preparation painting your army and building your lists were often more fun than the game and of course the social aspect is something that only really works for a tabletop game.
So we aimed for a streamlined experience which still retained the feel of the tabletop game.
One of the advantages of playing and knowing the rules was that we were able to create game systems that did not copy the tabletop rules but still felt right with sensible outcomes.
Its actually quite funny how we all have our different play styles in the office. Alex is very aggressive and pushes his units out quickly. Kim is more defensive and likes taking her time. Mark's favourite unit is the flashgitz for the pure dakka they pump out, Alex likes levelled up Blood Claws whilst Kim's favourite unit is actually Rustgob with his ability to spam gretchen for free and stun powerful units with his melee. Gordon's favourite is the new rune priest Njal Stormcaller with his AOE anti tank ability
Q: I love the art style in Sanctus Reach – it looks more like an intense tabletop experience and less like you’re trying to make a movie out of what is admittedly daft source material. Tell me about how you designed the look of the game, and why you decided to do it that way.
A: At the start we spent a lot of time watching Duncan Rhode's painting videos on Warhammer tv, we really wanted our texturing workflow to resemble how miniatures are painted and that developed into a process that is fast but still follows many of the same rules as painting.
As a small team we are always looking for new ways to speed up game art production and as is the case with many games it is the limitations you face that have the biggest influence on the art style.
So keeping in mind the limitations of time, the engine, game type and our capacity we set out to do something achievable but with a determination to produce it at the highest possible quality.
Q: Strategy wise, what appealed to you about the Warhammer 40,000 universe?
A: There is a great variety of unit roles in 40k which opens up the strategic options, there are not many settings where hand to hand combat is viable along side heavy weapons. The units and weapons have a lot of personality to them which is great to work with.
We've recently added the Armoured Sentinel, a fast attack anti-armour sniper for the Astra Militarum, which is a completely new role in the game and should be a lot of fun to play with!
Q: What were the hardest design decisions you had to make while creating the game?
A: The hardest decisions are always when you have to cut something or when we cant give the players a feature they really want due to time or technical constraints.
The early design decisions about the combat systems and rules were tricky as we had to look quite far forward to make sure all our future plans would fit into the base systems. For example we cut the Scouts and the Kommandos because although their role was important we felt that lots of other units could perform that function.
Q: How do you feel about the response to the game since its release? And about the release of the Weirdboy DLC?
A: We are really happy with the response to the game and first DLC. We have a smart player base who give great feedback and also make sure we know about it if we get something wrong.
The weirdboy DLC was a little tricky as we were also adding lots of new features and fixing bugs for the base game. Now we have addressed lots of the issues we feel we have a great platform to push ahead with new content.
Q: Do you have plans for the future, whether its new material for Sanctus Reach or another game set in this universe?
A: Our short term plans are to complete the Sanctus Reach story with Astra Militarum and other armies from that setting - and showcase them in appropriate campaigns from the story.
We can't say too much about our plans beyond that but we would love to continue expanding the base game into new campaign settings.
Thanks for the questions and interest in our game.
Cheers,
The Straylight team.
Gordon Harper
Kim Hughes
Mark Pilkington
Alex Harper
And now we’ll deliver what we promised! Are you ready? Can I have a drumroll please?
(Please note that these images are Work in progress and don't represent final models)
As you can imagine, the new expansion will focus on the Astra Militarum, also known as the Imperial Guard! These stalwart defenders of mankind will fight to the death and to the last soldier to defend the Imperium of Man.
The expansion is currently in development and we need some brave volunteers willing to serve the Emperor by helping us test it. Feedback from fans will be really useful so don’t hesitate and apply to the beta here. Initially we would really like your thoughts on Skirmish and PBEM using the Astra Militarum to help us balance the new campaign.
We’ll reveal more of the upcoming expansion in the coming weeks - stay tuned!
Skulls for the Skull Throne - Njal Stormcaller!
Warhammer 40,000: Sanctus Reach will be at 25% off for the duration of the Skulls for the Skull Throne promo!
For this special occasion we have decided to release a new hero for the Space Wolves faction: Njal Stormcaller, a powerful psyker, also known as Tempest that Walks.
He has proven to be of unparalleled ability both as an Astartes warrior and a formidable psyker without peer. The barbarian tribes of Fenris believe that the most powerful Sky Warriors can bend the savage elements themselves to their will. Njal Stormcaller is the living proof of that belief! The skies are his to command, and he takes fierce delight in summoning ice-toothed blizzards and howling gales with which to scatter and destroy those in his path.
Njal Stormcaller is now available for free as part of the latest update!
http://store.steampowered.com/sale/skulls/
Don't miss our special streams for this event! Live on https://www.twitch.tv/slitherinegroup
July 21st at 10 am EDT / 3 pm BST / 4 pm CEST - Armageddon
July 21st at 11 am EDT / 4 pm BST / 5 pm CEST - Armageddon - Da Orks
July 22nd at 11 am EDT / 4 pm BST / 5 pm CEST - Sanctus Reach
July 23rd at 11 am EDT / 4 pm BST / 5 pm CEST - Sanctus Reach - Legacy of the Weirdboy
The Greenskins strike! Legacy of the Weirdboy is out!
Legacy of the Weirdboy, the first DLC for Warhammer 40,000: Sanctus Reach, is out!
Test your mettle by leading the Orks of Big Redd da Warphead, a vicious weirdboy. His goal is to shatter the Imperium’s forces by striking at the Isle of Dominus and building a tellyporta which will submerge the Sacred Mountain with an enormous horde of Greenskins.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGU5KFvWn-I
With several new units, a brand new campaign in which you’ll play as the Orks, new features such as an entire set of new skills for the Orks, Legacy of the Weirdboy is a must-have.
The new campaign is what any Greenskin fan would love! Lead them in a truly brutal fashion: swarm your enemies with tons of boyz looking for a fun brawl, and overcome them with a ridiculous amount of dakka. And should that fail, you can always resort to Big Redd’s powers…
Legacy of the Weirdboy is but the first of our planned DLCs for Sanctus Reach. We always knew we wanted to add more factions to the base game, and it has never been a secret. Right now Straylight are working hard on adding a brand new faction to the game. It’s the first and last line of defence of the Imperium, the brave army of Mankind. We’re talking of the Astra Militarum!
So be on the lookout and stay tuned, we’ve only just begun! And don’t be afraid to give us your feedback on Legacy of the Weirdboy on the forum. We’re looking forward to reading your impressions!
We finally have a release date for the first DLC of Warhammer 40,000: Sanctus Reach! We are talking of course of Legacy of the Weirdboy, and it will be released on July 6th!
Legacy of the Weirdboy puts you in the shoes (do orks even wear shoes?) of Big Redd da Warphead, a powerful weirdboy determined to crush the Imperium's defences on Alaric Prime.
We will be running an exclusive preview stream today, at 11 am EST / 4 pm BST / 5 pm CEST on our Twitch channel! Don't miss this chance for a first look at the new campaign and the new units! Straylight Studio will be there to answer all your questions.
Exclusive first look at Legacy of the Weirdboy on Twitch!
This Thursday we have something special for you on Twitch: we’ll be running an exclusive preview stream of the upcoming DLC for Warhammer 40,000: Sanctus Reach, Legacy of the Weirdboy!
Agrippa Maxentius will be impersonating Big Redd da Warphead and command his boyz in the single player campaign. Don’t miss this opportunity to have a peek at the first DLC for Sanctus Reach! The developers from Straylight Studio will be there to answer all your questions.
We’ll be waiting for you on https://www.twitch.tv/slitherinegroup at 11 am EST / 4 pm BST / 5 pm CEST!
Some time ago we ran a contest to see who would make the best custom map for Sanctus Reach. We received many great submissions but the winner was Vince. The prize? A pack of amazing Space Wolves miniatures, hand painted by a great artist, Paolo Paglianti! He sent us updates on how the painting was going, and we posted them periodically on the forum. Now the Wolves are ready to be sent to the winner. Let us know what you think of them :)
997.M41
Brothers,
the task is completed! Here you can see the Space Wolf Detachment ready to be sent by drop-pod to the Slitherine's WH Contest Winner. They are looking forward to purging some xenos in proper hand to hand combat!
I like the final look of the bases: they give a sense of unity between the different warriors: the bigger base for the Captain elevates him on the battlefield, and togheter with the red cape clearly identifies him as the head of the force.
GW did a magnificent work with the wolfes: they are full of small details, like some metal plaque or mechanism hidden under the fur: a testimony of past fights, patches of the wounded.
let me know what you think of this chapter :)
(Paglianti@gmail.com)
Legacy of the Weirdboy - The new Campaign
Legacy of the Weirdboy will add several new units to the game, and a brand new campaign in which you’ll play as the Orks.
You will command Big Redd da Warphead and his boyz in an effort to crush the Space Wolves on the Isle of Dominus. Big Redd is a vicious weirdboy and he commands the respect of a large greenskin host. They will stop at nothing: they will keep attacking, looting, killing and plundering, and most importantly seeking a nice big tough fight. Luckily for them, the Space Wolves intend to provide them with one.
The new missions reflect the Orkish psyche and goals: they will have to loot, plunder, attack in strength and with brutality. We really wanted to make this campaign different and give it a unique orkish flavour. We also wanted to add new and different Victory Conditions so that there would be more variety. Another area in which the game has been improved is unit skills: the Orks have also been given tons of new abilities, which they can gain when they level up throughout the campaign. Each of them is distinctly orkish and screams Gork and Mork!
Today we’ll give you guys a sneak-peek on the new unique missions. They are of course separated by many Skirmish battles helping to showcase Ork strengths and abilities.
Orks Landing marks the beginning of the campaign. It’s an extremely fun and intense scenario. Big Redd’s orks will have to capture the landing zone. When you capture Victory Points you’ll have more troops teleported on your position, while the Space Wolves reinforce the zone with Drop Pods. Both factions will build up in a tense escalation, and what started as a small engagement will end up as a massive battle.
The Lootas is a retrieval mission: the Orks need to gather resources to build a Tellyporta, and will attempt to grab what they can from a scrapyard. They need to go grab Loot from specific parts of the map and bring it back to their Loot pile, and a larger force of Space Wolves will attempt to stop them. This makes for a fun and unique map in which mobility will be vital.
Into the Maelstrom is a seek and destroy mission. The Orks want to take some extremely important promethium Power Cores. The problem is that they are being carried in Rhinos, and escorted by a large force of Space Wolves. Big Redd’s lads need to destroy those rhinos, grab the power cores, and bring them back to their base. They also need to prevent the Space Wolves from delivering them to the extraction point. It’s basically our own version of a Capture the Flag scenario (only, with multiple “flags”). It’s a unique scenario in Sanctus Reach, and the game has never offered anything similar before.
Cutting the Wolf’s Throat is the epic conclusion of the campaign. I don’t want to give away too many spoilers, but it will be a massive fight, which will decide the fate of the Isle of Dominus. Get ready for the slaughter, it’s going to get messy!
Between the unique scenarios and plenty of skirmish battles you’ll carryover your orks throughout a long campaign which will test your mettle and strategic ability. With new units, new victory conditions, new abilities, new heroes and a lot more dakka, Legacy of the Weirdboy is a must-have for all Sanctus Reach players!
Among Space Wolves, fighting in close quarters with the enemy is often considered the most satisfying and honourable way of combat. The revving of chainswords, the smell of blood and the brutality of these deadly brawls is what most warriors of the Vlka Fernryka seek after.
However, there are those among the chapter who can’t deny the utility of unleashing devastating salvos of fire on the enemy positions, covering the advance of their bolder brothers. As such, the Long Fangs are extensively trained on the use of fire support weapons such as the heavy bolter, tearing foes apart from long range with accurate bursts or stopping on their tracks an enemy assault with a wall of mass reactive shells.
Whenever an opponent enters the Long Fangs’ targeting reticules, it’s but certain it will soon be turned into a bloody mist before being able even to react. This new addition of Legacy of the Weirdboy adds a lot of firepower to the Space Wolves. The Long Fangs are eager to meet any enemy of the Imperium in battle… and then shred it to pieces!
