Digital Apocalypse

Games Workshop have, as it getting to be the norm now, released their most recent publication, Apocalypse as a digital book for the iPad, a snip at £44.99.

The greatest heroes of the age lead battalions of troops and tanks against the foe. Super-heavy war machines dominate the conflict like gods of battle as bombardments rain from the skies. This is war on a whole new level.
Apocalypse is a new way of playing games of Warhammer 40,000. Allowing you to field as many miniatures as you like, in any combination. There really are no limits to what you can do

FIGHTING AN APOCALYPSE BATTLE: The rules for setting up and playing games of Apocalypse; new Apocalypse missions and strategic assets; new rules such as Divine Intervention, and Sons of the Primarch; world ending Unnatural disasters; and advice on how to field all your miniatures in one gigantic collection.
APOCALYPSE FORMATIONS: Details of more than 100 devastating formations that feature the most powerful military assets of the 41st Millennium. With 11 distinct classes of formation, you can take your choice from the C’tan-powered Tesseract Vault to an entire Battle Company of Space Marines!

MINIATURES SHOWCASE: Sumptuous photographs of super-heavy vehicles, gargantuan armies and heroic commanders to inspire your own collection.
WAR ZONE: ARMAGEDDON: Details one of the most monumental campaigns of the 41st Millennium, with unique special rules, formations and missions.
Peppered throughout the book is a host of additional background information to further inspire you.

I really like the idea of digital rules and though some baulk at the price, remember when buying any book you are not paying for the physical costs of printing etc, you are paying for the effort that went into writing the thing. So digital or paper the costs are for the authors, illustrators, photographers (oh and a decent cut for the publisher).

Digital Codex: Eldar

How to Paint Citadel Miniatures: Eldar

There is also the useful guide on painting your new Eldar.

The deadly skimmers, skilled Aspect Warriors and valiant Guardians of the Eldar craftworlds fight a constant battle for the survival of their very species. In this Army Workshop, the talented Studio army painters demonstrate how to paint a varied selection of Eldar miniatures using the Citadel paint range. Example miniatures featured in this extensive painting guide include the Wraithknight, a Storm Guardian, and the mighty Prince Yriel of Craftworld Iyanden.

Get How to Paint Citadel Miniatures: Eldar in the iBookstore.

Codex Eldar

Following the release of the new Eldar miniatures there are now some very nice digital Eldar books for your iPad.

Codex: Eldar is your comprehensive guide to wielding the deadly warhosts of the Craftworld Eldar upon the battlefields of the 41st Millennium. This volume details the craftworlds of the Eldar, and the different types of army they field. The Eldar embody excellence in the arts of war, from their psychic might to their deadly aircraft, and their ranks contain specialists in dealing every kind of death. This digital codex includes lavish full colour artwork, an interactive miniatures gallery, handy quick-links for special rules and weapons, and will always be up to date with the latest FAQs.

Update: Get the new version Codex: Craftworlds Enhanced Edition

Warhammer Civil War

Throughout the Warhammer world, war rages eternal. Yet the most deadly and bitter conflicts are not wars of conquest against exotic foes, but the clash of brother versus brother!

This Warhammer supplement contains inspirational and evocative background about some of the Warhammer world’s most bloody civil wars. In addition, there are full rules for playing your own games pitting two collections of the same army against one another. Included are individual tables for every single race in Warhammer, allowing you to generate unique battles and victory conditions every time you play.

GW have released their Warhammer Civil War as an iBook.

Battle Missions: Death Worlds

One of the issue with playing with supplements is the sheer number you sometimes need to carry. The advantage of an iPad version is that you can have a fair few with you, but only need to carry the iPad.

So I think the idea of a digital Battle Missions: Death Worlds is a good one.

The Emperor’s realm encompasses a million worlds, each with its own potential dangers. Yet certain of these planets are so deadly that they are classified as death worlds. From man-eating flora and fauna to deadly poisonous atmospheres and many stranger things besides, on a death world it’s not just the enemy that your warriors have to worry about!

This Warhammer 40,000 supplement contains information on the deadly planets known as death worlds, as well as full rules for playing games with your collections across these unique battlefields. In addition, a comprehensive modeling and painting guide is included, full of easy to follow tricks and tips and suggestions for creating your own death world terrain.

Another advantage is that unlike a physical book you can leave it “open” at the right page, without needing to bend back the covers.

Battle Missions: Death Worlds

Pre-Order Digital Codex Grey Knights

Update: Get the new version of Codex: Grey Knights Enhanced Edition

Digital Codex Grey Knights

The next digital release from Games Workshop is Codex Grey Knights.

The Grey Knights are the most mysterious of all the Imperium’s many organisations. Few outside the upper echelons of the Inquisition hold any knowledge of the Chapter’s founding, and even these most trusted of men are denied the full truth. For ten thousand years the Grey Knights have stood between the Imperium and the Daemons of the Warp. An incorruptible army of genetically engineered warriors, they are armed and armoured with the finest wargear Mankind can supply, for no others in the Emperor’s service have so dire a task as they.

This digital codex includes interactive miniatures galleries, lavish full colour artwork, and full rules for fielding an army of Grey Knights on the battlefield.

Talisman on the Tablet

Games Workshop have released an iOS version of Talisman.

The legend begins with a single-player series of adventures designed to invite both veterans and newcomers to explore the land of Talisman. While multiplayer gameplay will be available in upcoming expansions, Talisman Prologue focuses on creating narrative depth through its single-player campaigns. The story unfolds as the player rolls dice to move around the outer, middle, and inner regions of the board. Each space will require the player to draw a card or resolve a special effect, leading your hero to encounter monsters, discover friendly followers, and gather treasure.

It’s a pity that it is a single player game, as the real fun with Talisman is that it was for multiple players. There are no AI players either. However at £2.99 this is nice and cheap and certainly good value for money.

Get Talisman in the App Store.

Airfix Magazine on the iPad

You may have noticed that Airfix have a new magazine out for nearly a year now with the first issue published in November 2010. Those of you who are old enough will remember that there was an Airfix magazine that ran from 1960 until 1993.

The current magazine, Airfix Model World does cover all types of plastic modelling, but does have a focus on aviation, as that is the biggest share of the plastic kit market. So less useful for those of us interested in using plastic kits for gaming, as we’re more likely to be using tanks and AFVs. However it does have articles on tanks and armoured vehicles, it also takes the time to review a range of kits and publish news, and does cover military vehicles in these areas too.

You can either subscribe, though I did notice it was also available as an e-magazine on the iPad. The advantage of the iPad version is that you don’t need to get every issue and can get the issue which is useful to you. Though unlike going to WHSmiths you can’t flick through the issue to check! One advantage of the electronic version is that it us much easier to store than the paper copy and you can get hold of back issues much more easily. You can find out what was in which back issues from this web page.
So for example in the March 2011 issue is the following article

Military Build – Tiger Ausf.E Ian Grainger, inspired from watching an old war movie, decided to spend one afternoon over a weekend building Germany’s fearsome main battle tank.

Whilst the August 2011 issue has this article on the Cromwell tank.

Battle and Build – World Exclusive! Cromwell Mk.IV Daniel Taylor outlines the history of the Cromwell tank, and its notorious battle at Villers-Bocage against the German Tiger. Armour fans will be inspired to build Airfix’s newly tooled Cromwell. Brian O’Donoghue reports.