Greetings, warriors of Order and Destruction!

By now you've no doubt seen the big news about our fast-approaching feature update, aptly named Heavy Metal. The event, the introduction of two new careers, and our first major patches will include a multitude of exciting improvements to Warhammer Online. Most notably, the addition of the Knight of the Blazing Sun and the Black Guard will change the landscape of the battlefield. Now both armies have serious "heavy metal" on their sides.

While much of the attention of the past several weeks has been focused on the arrival of WAR's new careers, there's a lot more to look forward to in upcoming patches, and in this newsletter we’re glad to offer you a sneak peek of some of these other highly anticipated features. Many of these have been added because YOU asked for them, and we here at Mythic take player feedback very seriously. We’re able to give you this advance look only with the caveat that we are still working on these items, and we are not going to release any features until we are completely happy with them.

A hotly requested addition is slated for an upcoming patch: item linking! With this feature you can drag an item into your chat window and send a link to friends and guildmates. By clicking on the link, other players can view your item's stats and drool at the awesome power of your loot!

If you're an explorer and adventurer at heart, be on the lookout for new lairs that will be making their debut. If you're the terror of the battlefield and want to show off your accomplishments in the Realm war, you could have a statue of your likeness erected in the capital city to honor your achievements. Only the top RvR players will get them, so it's no small feat, but just think of the glory of having your statue be a landmark for all to gaze upon in wonderment!

More performance optimizations, scenario tweaks and improvements, immersive sound effects and animations, exciting new quests, and fun new Tome of Knowledge unlocks are all on deck for our upcoming versions. We are also including a multitude of bug fixes for minor but pesky issues.

We're excited about the upcoming launch of Heavy Metal, of two new careers, and of our first major patch and we hope you are too! We think these updates have something for everyone, whether you're a PvE adventurer, an RvR warrior, or both. We've only covered a few highlights here - there's even more to come, so keep an eye on the Warhammer Herald for more updates soon!

The clash of blades ringing on steel armor heralds the start of Heavy Metal, the new live event and game update for Warhammer Online.

The event is now underway, and players from the rival armies of Order and Destruction are racing to complete their daily tasks. Those who do will be rewarded for their loyalty and skill with early access to the fearsome Black Guard and the noble Knight of the Blazing Sun.

The rewards of service are many. In addition to being among the first to have access to the new careers, players can also earn exclusive trophies, titles and special cloaks that will no longer be available when the event ends. You can view these rewards by opening your Tome of Knowledge to the Live Events page for Heavy Metal. Below is a look at the artwork for these unique items:

Trophies

Harbinger's Signet	Herald's Signet

Cloaks

Harbinger's Cloak	Herald's Cloak

Have you been keeping up with your daily events? Would you like to know what's coming up? To help you prepare, here's a sneak peek at two of the upcoming daily events:

Ready for some more good news? With the holiday's fast approaching, we know that players might need to take some time off to spend with their families. In order to accommodate holiday schedules, we'll be revealing the final five daily events all at once, and you'll have five days to complete them in any order you wish.

We hope you're enjoying the Heavy Metal live event, but remember, this is just the prelude to our first feature update. There's plenty more to come, and the next updates brings a lot of great features to WAR that you've been asking for.

Until then, see you on the battlefield!

Read More About Heavy Metal >>

Read the Heavy Metal Grab Bag >>

A SPECIAL HEAVY METAL ANTHEM

“So it came to pass that the Black Guard did battle with the Knight of the Blazing Sun…”

An event as huge as the launch of the Black Guard and the Knight of the Blazing Sun deserves more than just words – it demands an ANTHEM. So our very own Jeff Hickman (Executive Producer and Heavy Metal Deity) headed into the studio with Brad Derrick and the rest of The Hamtouchers with one goal in mind:

Now go forth, crank it up to 11 and get ready for the Black Guard and the Knight of the Blazing Sun by rocking out to “Flames of Steel”.

Flames of Steel >>

Mythic Entertainment and The Black Library are pleased to announce the second book in the Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning novel series, DARK STORM GATHERING.

In a war-torn land, human and Elf adventurers are forced for form an uneasy alliance with the armies of the Empire to repel the forces of Chaos. The grim march of Tchar’zanek, Champion of the fell powers of Chaos, is underway. Across the Empire of Man, the toll from plague and mutation continues to grow, and hope begins to fade. Only the intervention of the High Elves offers respite, but they are beset by foes of their own, the murderous Dark Elves. When the prospect of treachery behind Imperial lines looms, four heroes – Archmage, White Lion, Witch Hunter and Knight of the Blazing Sun – must work together to uncover the corruption before all is lost.

Penned by Black Library writer, Chris Wraight, DARK STORM GATHERING will be available in all major bookstores and from the Black Library website in Spring 2009. Stay tuned for more information and exclusive preview selections from the novel! Visit The Black Library at www.blacklibrary.com.

Episode 9: Reikland Factory

Welcome, folks, to another episode of Scenarios 101! With the special Heavy Metal live event under way, we’re giving you some in-depth strategy for the Reikland Factory Scenario! This scenario will only be available for a limited time during the event, but will be back in the future.

Reikland Factory

Reikland Factory is an 18 vs. 18 Scenario based on the Reikland zone. During the Heavy Metal live event, players from all levels will be able to join this Scenario in their own brackets.

Reikland Factory features both indoor and outdoor terrain with a heavy industrial influence…well, as industrial as the Empire can get. The middle of the zone has a large building called the Steam Tank Plant which has several entry points: from ground level, above, and below. The various ways into the Steam Tank Plant and the various levels upon which you can fight while inside the building ensure fast and varied gameplay! There are also three outside capture locations in this Scenario: The Warehouse, The Landing, and the Machine Shop. These locations are relatively open and easy to assault.

First things first. Capturing the Steam Tank Plant is not a guaranteed road to victory in this Scenario. It’s very tempting to capture this location and hole up inside, but if you do that and allow the other team to capture the other locations, you will lose. Capturing all three of the outer area locations will net you more points over time than the SteamTank Plant alone. A smart team will capture the Steam Tank Plant PLUS one of the other three capture locations. Be warned though, holding more than one capture location in this Scenario will be a challenge, given the size of this map!

During the Heavy Metal Event, various treats will be scattered throughout the zone in this Scenario, including exploding barrels, meat pies, hunting missions and collection quests. Make sure you scour the entire Reikland Factory zone to find these special event rewards because after the event, they will be gone!

That’s it for this episode of Scenarios 101! Next time we move to the final Scenarios in High elf vs. Dark elf…I promise!

Until next time…BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD!

As the Knight of the Blazing Sun and the Black Guard prepare for battle, we are pleased to treat you to a special dose of original WAR fiction from two of The Black Library's most favored authors, Nathan Long and Mike Lee.

Nathan Long, author of the Blackhearts series and the latest Gotrek and Felix novels, introduces us to the Knight of the Blazing Sun in THE SWORD IS FORGED. He tells the story of Regina Seibolt and her initiation into the Order of the Blazing Sun in the service of the warrior goddess, Myrmidia.

CRUEL AS ICE, COLD AS STEEL, from Mike Lee, author of the Malus Darkblade novels), follows the adventures of Rathann Darkmoon, a highborn Dark Elf warrior and aspirant to Malekith’s Black Guard.

We are pleased to present the first chapters of these exciting new stories inspired by WAR in this month’s newsletter. We’ll roll out the remaining chapters on the WAR Herald over the next two weeks in preparation for the oncoming Tank rush!

THE SWORD IS FORGED

By Nathan Long

As she rode her new horse through the streets of Carroburg, Regina realized that living in the chapterhouse had sheltered her. She had heard tales of the terrible plague that had swept through the Empire, and the panic that had followed it, but she hadn't seen it. It was worse than she could have imagined.

The stench of death was everywhere, and priests of Morr in beak-like masks trudged through the town, piling the dead on carts, while black smoke rose over the rooftops from mass pyres burning on the banks of the river. On every street red Xs were painted on the doors of houses, indicating that plague was present. Other houses had wards scrawled on them - Sigmar's Hammer or Shallya's Dove - in hopes that they would keep the sickness away. Except for the priests, the streets were deserted, the townsfolk apparently hiding in their houses.

Read the First Chapter of THE SWORD IS FORGED >>

CRUEL AS ICE, COLD AS STEEL

By Mike Lee

They came for Rathann in the hour of the wolf, when the twin moons were low on the horizon and his small tower room was plunged into deep shadow. He had been asleep for barely an hour, sunk in exhausted slumber, when the sound of splintering wood split the silence in the small antechamber beyond.

The attackers were swift and highly skilled. Rathann’s only slave, a scarred human male that slept on the floor just beyond the doorway, slowed them for barely a moment. A startled shout echoed from the darkness, cut short by the thudding of heavy blows and the brittle crunch of bone, and then Rathann heard the soft whisper of footsteps racing through the darkness towards his bedchamber.

Read the First Chapter of
CRUEL AS ICE, COLD AS STEEL >>

Knight of the Blazing Sun

Path of Conquest

Knights who choose the Path of Conquest will become experts at pushing the battle line forward. Their battlefield commands focus on bolstering the fighting strength of their allies to take advantage of their opponents’ weaknesses. Knights focused on Conquest traditionally forego the use of a sword and shield in favor of the more offensively oriented great sword.

Path of Vigilance

The Path of Vigilance focuses on building a strong defense to cripple opponents and protect allies. Knights choosing this mastery have a variety of commands that will increase their defensive prowess as well as those of nearby allies. This allows them to dig in and hold against almost any assault. Masters of the Path of Vigilance generally choose a stout shield and broadsword combination when defending their allies.

Path of Glory

Knights mastering the Path of Glory excel at inspiring troops to ever greater feats of courage. As such, these Knights can be found almost anywhere on the battlefield leading by example and are a welcome addition to both defensive and offensive maneuvers. Glory can be found regardless of arms and armor, and as such Knights of this mastery can be found wielding either a great sword or sword and shield combination.

Read more about the Knight of the Blazing Sun >>

Black Guard

Path of Malice

Following the path of Malice means mastering ones rage and molding it into a powerful weapon. The Black Guard who embrace Malice are capable of unleashing powerful attacks fueled by their Hatred. Frequently seen on the front lines, these Black Guard traditionally wield powerful halberds which allow them to cleave through steel and flesh alike.

Path of Loathing

The Path of Loathing is one of disdain for others, and embracing the belief that none can defeat you on the field of battle. As such, Blackguard of this mastery become unconquerable obstacles that even the most potent of offense will break against. Those who embrace Loathing prefer to work with a tall shield and a strong sword so they can relish in the ringing sound of futile blows falling on hardened steel.

Path of Anguish

Those who master the Path of Anguish master pain itself. This allows the Black Guard to shrug off even the most potent of magical attacks that would normally pierce their finely crafted armor. Masters of Anguish are traditionally chosen to server as the Witch King’s personal executioners seeking out and destroying the arcane powers that would wish to strike their liege down.

Read more about the Black Guard >>

Countless hours have gone into the music that you have grown to love while traveling across the battlefields of WAR, and now you can take this music with you wherever you go! Over the next few months, we’ll be featuring tracks from the original soundtrack for you to download and enjoy.

This month, download the anthems of the Empire and the twisted, disturbed sounds of Chaos, and immerse yourself in the music of WAR no matter where you are!

Chaos

Embracing Pestilence

The Bird God Wakes

Empire

A Eulogy For Hope

Something Twisted This Way Comes

This month, PC Gamer Magazine is celebrating the Age of Reckoning with a special issue devoted entirely to all things WAR.

PC Gamer’s Ultimate Guide to WAR, which hits newsstands this month, has everything a member of Order or Destruction could want. Inside are 20 pages of brilliant concept art, new tips and character profiles from the dev team, a huge excerpt from the Prima Official Game Guide, and an exclusive in-game item code for Rivenstaff's Deck of Eight.

Rivenstaff’s Deck of Eight This magical deck of Tarot cards was once used for soothsaying by the famous Seer, Justus Rivenstaff. Though no longer usable to divine the future, these ancient cards still possess an unpredictable enchantment that can boost a random character stat for a period of time at the expense of another.

In addition, there are all-new interviews with The Hickman, Paul Barnett, Adam Gershowitz, Jeff Skalski, Brian Wheeler, Dan Enright, Mike Stone and Carrie Gouskos, as well an intro from Mark Jacobs himself!

The Ultimate Guide to WAR is a must-have for anyone looking for an edge on the battlefield. Remember, the special issue can be found on newsstands across the US – you won’t receive it in the mail if you’re a PC Gamer subscriber, so be sure to pick it up!

Get the exclusive Age of Wreckoning Map for Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3!

For you real-time strategy fans, our friends on the Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 team have created a special multi-player map exclusively available to Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning players (check your game box for details).

The Age of Wreckoning is a 4-player volcanic island map shaped in the form of the eight-pointed Chaos star. Each starting location has two naval ore nodes within reach, and two more just outside. The compass points of the Chaos symbol have a land node and an oil derrick that act as the only land resources on the map. These resource points are practically guaranteed to be an early point of contention due to their location between each starting point.

The center of this volcano houses a Veteran Academy, which causes all new units to emerge with a 125% damage bonus. The land attack routes are sparse and narrow, so aside from early games rush on tech structures, you can expect most of the conflict to be at sea. Stealthy subs and long-range naval bombardment will be the keys to victory on this map.

Watch the map overview >>

This month's podcast features Gabe Amatangelo talking about a few of WAR's PvE dungeons and the awsome adventures they have in store for you.

View the Dungeons Podcast >>

Join Creative Director, Paul Barnett, and his trusty video phone for a truly unique look at the ongoing development of WAR. This month, Paul Journeys to Moscow to sample the vodka and share WAR with his adoring Russian fans.

View the Video Blog >>

SPECIAL LIMITED TIME OFFER!
GRAPHIC NOVEL AND ART BOOK AVAILABLE IN LIMITED QUANTITIES!

THE ART OF WARHAMMER ONLINE art book and WARHAMMER ONLINE: PRELUDE TO WAR graphic novel, previously available only in the WAR Collector's Edition are now available at the Mythic Store in extremely limited quantities. Get one while you still can! Visit the Mythic Store before they are gone.

WAR IS HERE! ARE YOU PROPERLY DRESSED?

NEW AT THE MYTHIC STORE - WAVES OF WAR Ver. 2!

The next evolution of the Waves of WAR is here, featuring the WAR skull with the waves pouring forth from behind it. Get them now while they're still here!

Now you can show the world that you are ready for WAR with exclusive merchandise available only at the Mythic Store.* Supplies are limited so order now and start your WAR collection today!

HOLIDAY STORE SPECIAL – GET A SKAVEN SKIN CLOAK!

As a special treat, all WAR purchases from now till the new year will also include a Skaven Skin Cloak code while supplies last!!*

Visit the Mythic Store!

* Offer valid for North American residents only

Victory by B. Schwartz	Sass the Witchhunter by C. Bourassa>	Squig Herder by M. Richins

Earn a Skaven Skin Cloak!

Feeling creative? We know we have some talented fans out there and now is the time for you to demonstrate your skills. Send us your WAR-inspired art and we’ll showcase the best submissions in upcoming newsletters. Plus, featured artists will receive a code for a Skaven Skin Cloak!

Visit the Fan Art Gallery >>

Submit your artwork >>

The Herald is the place to go for the most up-to-date news regarding your favorite game and ours– Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning! Our Community Team works hard to keep the community informed of the latest updates, patch notes, news, and more. Here’s some news from November that you may have missed:

Dev Diary - Reikland Factory >>

Free Character Transfers >>

2009 MMO Calendar >>

Public Test Server >>

This Month, decorate your desktop with more images of WAR

Account Center

Customer Support

Server Status

Realm War

Heavy Metal
Live Event
Nov. 18 - Dec.1

NY Comic Con
Feb. 6 - 8

Stay tuned for more information about our upcoming 2009 show schedule!

Official Game Site

Games Workshop's
Warhammer.com

Black Library

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Now you can join hundreds of thousands of mighty heroes on the battlefields of WAR for 30 or 60 days of relentless RvR combat without the use of a credit card.

60-day Game Time cards are currently available at Gamestop and Amazon. Collect all eight in the limited-run set.

For instructions to redeem a prepaid Game Time card
click here

You truly are in an "Age of Reckoning," with your Realm on the brink of annihilation, when you enter into the world of Warhammer Online. It's a massive confrontation of Order vs. Destruction and it could take decades to decipher every keep and castle, trainer and traitor…if you didn't have a clever game guide--or two--to reveal the infinite Warhammer Online secrets!

That's right: Prima has two books with everything you need to conquere Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning launch. First, the Game Guide spans more than 250 pages, filled with class guides for all 20 careers. From maximizing healing and damage with a High Elf Archmage to deploying the perfect pet as a Goblin Squig Herder, you can master the strategies of your chosen career in record time. Plus, detailed maps for every zone, RvR tips for besting the most ruthless scenarios and battlefields, insight into the mysteries of Crafting, Guild rewards, and more!

The second book, the official Warhammer Online Atlas, expands upon the Game Guide with close to 200 pages of highly detailed maps, quest points, and tactics for hardcore gamers. Whether you want to find the hotspots in your current zone or zoom in on the terrain for an upcoming skirmish, the Atlas maps give you access to enough info to make the Emperor's royal cartographer proud.
The Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning Official Game Guide, Warhammer Online Atlas as well as all bundles and downloadable eGuides are available for purchase.

Adventurer's Handbook

For more information, please visit prima games

The guide is currently
available at Amazon

Each month we’ll be shining the spotlight on WAR fan sites that exemplify what we consider to be the best in WAR community spirit.

Hammer Wiki is a great place to go for all WAR info! Check out their wiki for information on everything from titles to Scenarios and more!

Ideazon is pleased to announce the Warhammer Online Keyset for Zboard™! Dive into WAR and experience this epic story with the most powerful weapon available for your PC!

WAR Zboard:

WAR Fragmat:

The Warhammer Online
Keyset delivers:

An Intuitive layout for lightning fast reflexes in battle

16 dedicated keys for commonly used chat, group and social commands

12 popular single-press emote keys including Shout, Brandish, Mad and Laugh

Jaw dropping official game graphics

BONUS: Receive an exclusive in-game item with the purchase of the WAR Zboard!

Kemmler's Arthritic Hand

Available Now! For more information visit www.ideazon.com/war