A very Warhammer Christmas
It doesn’t just have to be video games you play over Christmas and the new year, with options ranging from Dungeons & Dragons to Warhammer.
2023 has been just as good a year for tabletop games as it has for video games, with a huge amount of hype surrounding the new Disney card game Lorcana and increasing interest in all the classic brands and several new ones.
While the tables at my local Dungeons & Dragons club now glow with OLED devices, the real draw of tabletop gaming remains interacting with physical objects and real people. Only with games and systems far more interesting than a game of Monopoly or Risk with the family.
As we inch closer to the end of the year, I’ve taken a look at some of the season’s standout titles, that would work as Christmas present for both veteran gamers and newcomers.
Marvel: Crisis Protocol Core Set
While Disney execs may be worrying about the long-term future of the MCU, that’s unlikely to cause problems for Crisis Protocol or any other tabletop project. In Marvel’s Crisis Protocol, players command intricately designed miniatures of iconic characters. With its splendid craftsmanship and engrossing gameplay, this set promises adrenaline-fueled skirmishes that will captivate both Marvel enthusiasts and board game aficionados. It’s already riding a huge wave of popularity, as it’s now being played constantly at every gaming café I know of.
Available now: £99.99
Horizon Forbidden West: Seeds Of Rebellion
Steamforged are the absolute masters of taking video game IP, with their complex digital landscapes and detailed lore, and converting them into a tangible and exhilarating board experience. Their new Horizon Forbidden West adaptation proved to be a riveting tabletop experience when I played a preview in Manchester last month.
With its impeccable art and components, that echo the video game’s art style and ambiance, this board game iteration is essential for fans and still entertaining for those uninitiated in Aloy’s world. Although you won’t be able to get your hands on it till 2025, you can give the Kickstarter as a gift and watch those stretch goals tumble.
Pre-order now: £Dependant on pledge level
Lorcana has had a very successful start (Picture: Ravensburger)
Disney Lorcana – Rise Of The Floodborn and Disney 100 Rise Of The Floodborn gift set
I’ve never seen another tabletop IP become so successful so quickly, as has happened to Lorcana. It marries Disney’s narrative prowess with the thrill of trading, collecting, and playing with cards. The latest addition, Rise Of The Floodborn, introduces over 200 new cards, essentially doubling the existing card pool for deck building and gameplay.
There’s no amount of eggnog and mince pies that will get Santa to bring you the Disney 100 Collector’s Set, unless you’re prepared to wait outside a Disney store in a massive queue at 4am. These sliver boxes include six stunning foil alternate art cards from Disney Lorcana: The First Chapter and Rise Of The Floodborn. They’re illustrated by actual Disney animators and are only available as part of this limited collector’s set, which has driven fans wild.
This rapid growth shows the foundation is firmly in place for Lorcana to go card to card with competing games such as Magic: The Gathering and Pokémon, which have been around for much longer. Lorcana is not only engaging and heart-warming but also increasingly complex, while remaining accessible to its younger audience.
Available now: £49.99
Ticket To Ride: Legacy – Legends Of The West
Sometimes seen as the mince pie of the tabletop gaming world, Ticket To Ride can be a bit dry but it’s also welcomingly familiar and has a little bit of spice. With this sub-series, the franchise introduces an evolving narrative, as players build train lines across the United States in a new 12-game campaign.
Set in the Wild West, you’re challenged not just strategically but also with decisions that weave unique tales. The first games, as you get going, are quite short, and you’ll probably spend more time unpacking the contents of the box, but as the campaign progresses the games lengthen while still managing to be accessible and exciting for younger players. A refreshing take on a classic, it’s time to manifest your tabletop destiny.
Available Now: £99.99
Magic: The Gathering – Doctor Who
There’s not much that’s scared me more in life than seeing Jon Pertwee in Day of the Daleks as a child. Tapping straight into that strong vein of Dr Who Christmas nostalgia, Magic: The Gathering has released the ultimate Christmas crossover for the 60th anniversary of the show and the 30th anniversary of Magic.
Cards include Davros and a selection of older and more recent Doctors, all the way back to the original, William Hartnel. Each Doctor is given classic and special variant TARDIS showcase cards, which depict the characters of the show with special stylised art deco artwork inside of a beautiful blue TARDIS frame.
Available Now: Doctor Who Commander Deck – £37.95
Fake Lego or not it’s pretty cool (Picture: Mattel)
Pokémon Trading Card Game MEGA Pokémon Motion Charizard
Not for the faint hearted, but a breeze for anyone who’s about to start putting together an epic scale army in Warhammer, this highly detailed and poseable brick-built Charizard includes 1,663 plastic pieces. It’s a shame Lego don’t have the Pokémon licence, but this is the next best thing and the fact that it’s a moving, animatronic designs is very cool.
With flowing lava and flapping wings, I can’t think of a better Christmas dinner table centrepiece. But it’s so complex you’ll probably still be working on it in the new year. But, hey, that’s great value, for its rather hefty price tag.
Available Now Motion Charizard: £166.99
You’re gonna need a lot of paint (Picture: Games Workshop)
Warhammer Da Red Gobbo’s Surprise and Legions Imperialis: The Horus Heresy
Embrace the spirit of festering festivity with this greedy Red Gobbo mini. He’s poised to deliver not just candy canes but an explosive surprise down the chimney of his favoured denizens of the Warhammer world. I love these small-scale dioramas that arrive each year and every Warhammer painter looks forward to tackling these on their painting table as the nights get longer.
If this little guy isn’t small enough for you to get your magnifying glass out, then how about the task of painting a whole epic scale army, when the long-awaited Legions Imperialis set drops on your doorstep in the new year. I’d suggest this is the way Warhammer was always meant to be played, as you can squeeze a smorgasbord of death and destruction onto any tabletop when things are this small – from Space Marines to Titans and heavy tanks. Although getting a 3,000 point army might set you back over £500.
While my favourites, the Eldar, haven’t got a look in with this big box it’s your chance to play the Space Marines you’ve been avoiding since 1998. The Horus Heresy with the Legions Imperialis includes two armies split between the Legiones Astartes and Solar Auxilia, with scores of infantry, squadrons of armoured vehicles, and even a pair of Warhound Titans.
Red Gobbo: £25.00
Legions Imperialis: The Horus Heresy: £120.00
Not a very merry looking Christmas (Picture: Free League)
The One Ring RPG: Tales From the Lone-Lands
During the 1980s there wasn’t a Christmas that didn’t involve a foray for me and the family into the Middle-Earth Role-Playing game (MERP). Now, a lot like South London, the Lone-lands of The One Ring are a desolate landscape of dilapidated roads and dreary hills. Old castles and inns with an evil look are spotted about, as the hand of the Dark Lord pushes further into the soil and psyche of mankind.
This dreadful setting contains six new adventures for The One Ring, now the official tabletop role-playing game based on the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. Set in the year 2965 of the Third Age, these scenarios can be played individually or as part of a larger campaign.
I especially enjoyed the scenarios that saw the Hobbits take to the sea aboard The Seawing. Surrounded by sailors, they navigate storms and vengeful spirits, sailing towards The Ilse of the Mother and its steep cliffs.
Release date 31st December: £31.99
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Dungeons & Dragons – The Deck of Many Things
Who isn’t forced to embrace chaos at Christmas? The Dungeons & Dragons multiverse is nothing if not wacky these days and The Deck of Many Things just adds to the anarchy, with magical items whose effects are as spectacular as they are unpredictable. This box is a must for any D&D adventurer’s Christmas pile, with a new 192-page source book that includes advice, adventure locations, and new monsters for Dungeon Masters.
There’s also new character options, magic items, and organisations for adventurers, all inspired by the accompanying Deck of Many Things. This 22-card deck includes lavishly illustrated cards allowing you to build the perfect deck for your campaign and is ideal for low-level parties and newcomers to customise over Christmas.
Available for pre-order: £99.99
It doesn’t just have to be video games you play over Christmas and the new year, with options ranging from Dungeons & Dragons to Warhammer.