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Welcome to a very
special edition of the Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning monthly
newsletter. This is our 33rd issue and none before have been as jam-packed with
exciting news and important information as this one. Believe us when we say
that this is the newsletter you have been waiting for! Set aside any work you
are doing and quit any games you may be playing. Let the dog walk himself and
send the kids to bed early (so what if it’s only the middle of the afternoon,
they are young and need their sleep!). You are definitely going to want to
spend some uninterrupted quality time reading this newsletter from top to
bottom!
This Month’s Newsletter Headlines
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WAR’s Launch Date Announced – September 18th Declared a Day a
Reckoning!
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Subscription Pricing Revealed
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Pack Art Unveiled
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Pre-Order Program Begins
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EA Mythic is Once Again Mythic Entertainment
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E3 Coverage – Best PC Game of the Show!
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Digging into Dungeons, and so much more!
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Today, Mythic
Entertainment declared Thursday, September 18th, 2008 to be a
Day of Reckoning! On September 18th, the North American, European and Oceanic
servers will officially go live and the worldwide WAAAGH! will begin.
Mark the date on your calendar and prepare to call in sick to work; there are
Public Quests™ to complete, guilds to be formed, Tome of Knowledge entries to
unlock, fortresses to siege and capital cities to sack. It is going to be one
glorious day!
Read the
official press release.
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Breaking news
- the subscription pricing for WAR was announced today. Players
looking forward to journeying into a world of perpetual conflict for non-stop
RvR action will have several subscription options to choose from:
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Monthly Subscription: $14.99 USD
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3-Month Subscription: $41.97 ($13.99 per month)
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6-Month Subscription: $77.94 ($12.99 per month)
Pre-Paid Game Time™
Cards will be available at many game retailers. Stay tuned for more information
about prepaid cards in the August newsletter.
Read the
official press release.
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We
are thrilled to unveil the artwork for WAR’s North American packaging.

For our box art, we wanted to capture the epic potential of RvR and we believe
that fantasy artist Daren Bader (http://www.darenbader.com/)
really nailed it. This illustration depicts a massive battle between the armies
of Order and Destruction outside the gates of Altdorf. Although the packaging
focuses on the confrontation between a Warrior Priest of the Empire and a
Chosen of Chaos, many of the game’s other careers can be found in the
surrounding melee as seen in the full painting.

Our special thanks to
Daren for creating an amazing work of art. Clearly inspired by 25 years of Warhammer
imagery, this painting is a worthy addition to the Games Workshop gallery and a
fantastic depiction of the Age of Reckoning.
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Now you can prepare for the coming war
by pre-ordering Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning to receive some
great added benefits. You’ll have the chance to gear up with special items and
experience the glory of Realm vs. Realm™ combat before the rest of the raw
recruits even set foot in the game world. Pick up the special pre-order box (or
order online) and reserve your copy of WAR today!
Read the
official press release.
Collector’s Edition
pre-order update: All units of the Collector’s Edition have been
pre-sold in North America. As expected, demand was strong and the Collector’s
Edition moved quickly. However, you can still get into the game early and
receive some great bonus items by pre-ordering the regular edition of WAR!
This pre-order
information is valid for North America only. Pre-order offer may vary by
retailer. See your local game retailer for details.
Visit
www.warhammeronline.com/preorder
for more information.
WAR Pre-Order Benefits include:
Open Beta Access
Be one of the first players to experience the glory of battle and the thrill of
WAR! The Open Beta will immerse you in a world of perpetual conflict
and give you a taste of the epic Realm vs. Realm battles yet to come.
Live Game Head Start
Begin your adventures in the Age of Reckoning before the raw recruits arrive!
As a pre-order customer, you’ll get access to the live servers before the game
officially launches to help lead your Realm to victory.
Universal Fighting System™ Battle Deck
The Emperor Karl Franz and Tchar’zanek, dread Champion of Tzeentch, go
head-to-head in this exclusive collectible card game deck from Fantasy Flight
Games. (Universal Fighting System Battle Decks are available in a limited
supply from select retailers.)

Bonus In-Game Items
Equip your characters for their journey to the frontlines with these helpful
bonus items:
Pre-order customers will receive:

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Rittenbach’s
Portable Camp
Rest your weary soul and heal your wounds between battles.
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Plus, order from Best Buy and also receive:

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Champion’s
Sapphire Band
Enhance your stats and cast “Touch of Frost,” increasing your chance of doing
additional elemental damage with each hit. (Usable in PvE combat only.)
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Order from GameStop
or
EB Games and also receive:

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Sentinel’s
Amber Band
Enhance your stats and cast “Touch of Earth,” increasing your chance of doing
additional corporeal damage with each hit. (Usable in PvE combat only.)
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Purchase the pre-release pack from
Target* and also receive:

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Vindicator’s
Ruby Band
Enhance your stats and cast “Touch of Flame,” increasing your chance of doing
additional elemental damage with each hit. (Usable in PvE combat only.)
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$5
OFF COUPON
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Save your hard
earned gold with a $5 coupon good towards the purchase of Warhammer Online: Age
of Reckoning.
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Order from Amazon.com**, Circuit City,
Direct2Drive**,
EAStore.com**,
EB Canada, Fry’s,
FutureShop, GameCrazy, GoGamer.com, and
WalMart.com*** and also receive:

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Guardian’s
Iolite Band
Enhance your stats and cast “Touch of Spirit,” increasing your chance of doing
additional spiritual damage with each hit. (Usable in PvE combat only.)
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* Target pre-release
boxes will be in stores in early August. Purchase of the pre-release box does
not reserve a copy of the game at launch but does provide access to the
pre-order bonuses. Offer does not include the UFS Battle Deck.
** Amazon.com,
EAStore.com, Direct2Drive and GameStop.com pre-order customers will receive
codes via email. Offer does not include the UFS Battle Deck.
*** Walmart.com pre-order
customers will receive their in-game bonus items with the final product at
launch. Pre-order offer does not include access to the Open Beta, Head Start,
or the UFS Battle Deck.
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Earlier this month, studio GM, Mark
Jacobs, announced that EA Mythic was changing its name and is once again known
as Mythic Entertainment. Here is an excerpt from his interview with MMORPG.com:
“We are going back to Mythic Entertainment,” said Mark Jacobs,
the VP and General Manager of EA Mythic. “I’ve always been a believer of
separate branding,” he continued, going on to cite a number of successful
companies like Disney and GE that operate subsidiary companies under separate
and distinct brands.
“I think that this is a wonderful example of how things at EA
are changing,” he continued, “both John (Riccitiello, CEO of EA) and Frank
(Gibeau, EA) have spoken multiple times about city states, more freedom, that
sort of thing and I think this is an obvious example.”
While we are still an EA studio with the resources of the entire
company at our disposal, we are reclaiming our identity as the studio that
created Dark Age of Camelot™ and pioneered the Realm vs. Realm
experience.
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Three weeks ago, WAR returned to LA for E3 after skipping
last year, and what a show we had! Mark, Jeff, Paul, Josh, Destin, Adam, and
Bruce worked their tails off demoing the game and giving interviews. In the
end, it all paid off as WAR walked away with numerous Best of Show
Awards and some amazing coverage. Below is just a sampling of the stories from
the show:
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Join your friends in discovering whether or not the peasants’
outlandish claims of monstrous rats scurrying about the Altdorf Sewers are
true, fight alongside your Realm’s bravest in facing murder incarnate at the
Bastion Stair, or aid in the effort to rescue the Everqueen in the Lost
Vale. These are just a few of the several dungeons in Warhammer Online
for mid-to-high level players to enjoy.
Dungeons come in three varieties: Realm-instanced, group-instanced and
warband-instanced. Survive the challenges and epic boss fights found inside to
earn the most coveted of weapons, armors and loot.
Introducing Gunbad

Lurking in the far
northwest of the Badlands, the fetid depths of Gunbad lie in wait for
inquisitive adventurers such as you. Those brave (or foolish?) enough to enter
its dank depths will discover a land quite unlike the surface worlds.
Once a Morkain place of power, for a thousand years Gunbad has
been home to a strange breed of greenskin. The mushroom-crazed forces of the
Night Goblins- furtive maniacs clad in black and flecked with spit- gibber and
scurry in the darkness. Alone in the gloom, their unhinged minds have fashioned
all manner of madness, from teetering Goblin cities to pulsating squigs of
nightmarish proportions.
Now
change has come to the timeless depths. The Age of Reckoning has forced the
armies of Order and Destruction to plunge headlong into the reeking dark. The
greenskins seek to break the unruly Night Goblins to their brutish will,
beating their brains out until they see sense and join the Waaagh! The
Dwarfs meanwhile have a more desperate mission. Gunbad is the sole source of
brightstone- a key component of the mighty Doomstriker Weapons. They must claim
this precious ore and destroy a potential ally to the WAAAGH. Still,
the prospect of spattering goblin brains whilst underground has cheered more
than one Oathbearer, despite the grim tales of the Night Goblin’s insane
strength.
Gunbad Mechanics
Gunbad
is an open world instanced dungeon. This means all Order players have access to
one version of the dungeon, while all Destruction players have access to
another.
Gunbad contains three themed wings, each with three PQs and an
instanced wing boss. You’ll need to gain enough influence from the PQs to
access the wing boss. You’ll also need to be in a group. As all the monsters in
Gunbad are at least champion level, don’t expect to solo this Dungeon!
Gunbad
is best suited to players between levels 22 and 30. Each wing has a different
ideal level range so you can progress through the content in a natural manner.
The West Wing is level 22-23, the East Wing is level 24-25 and the South Wing
is for levels 26-29.
Once you’ve completed
all the wings and taken down each of the wing bosses, you can face the final
challenge of Gunbad: the mighty Squig Boss, Ard Ta Feed. Mutated by years of
exposure to Morkain power (and the tainted flesh of mushroom gobbling Goblins)
Ard Ta Feed is a two-headed nightmare of teeth, claws and vomit.
Multiple Quests will take you into Gunbad, as will the desire
for some of the delicious items that can be gained from the PQs and bosses.
There are also several unique titles to be unlocked and some hidden puzzles for
explorers to collect.
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Unless you’ve been
living under a rock, you’ve probably heard the rumblings that the long-awaited
Guild Beta has begun! Over 10,000 guilds applied, and those selected are now
experiencing the game’s most expansive beta phase yet. Selected guilds have
joined thousands of new testers as we enter this phase of beta. Guild members
had the chance to test WAR’s recently added Guild and Heraldry
features, as well as Public Quests, new dungeons, Scenarios, user interface
updates and more including:
- All three pairings open through Tier 2
- Race-specific player mounts (yes, we said mounts!)
- A total of twenty careers including:
- The highly anticipated
High Elf White Lion!
- The triumphant return of the Chaos Magus—
with a slew of new abilities!
Select testers were
invited to join us for a special event: An all-out assault of the two Capital
Cities! For the first time ever players engaged in the forsaken streets of The
Inevitable City and the epic scenario of The Undercroft. The tides shifted and
the forces of Order found themselves defending the last light of the empire as
Destruction sat poised to bring the city down in ruin as they razed the last
bulwark of Altdorf to the ground. Focusing on various areas of the game, our
testers have been invaluable to us as we near launch. This phase of beta has
been our most successful yet, and it’s only getting better as we move forward!
Beta Quotes from the players:
“I've been playing some classes that I haven’t played yet... guys, every class
I play is GREAT FUN. I'm going to have a helluva time figuring out what will be
my "main" when the game goes live.”
- Level 4 Archmage
“The High Elf architecture is amazing. The armor for my Swordmaster looks just
like the tabletop version, which greatly helped with immersion.” - Level 21
Swordmaster
“I LOVE SCENARIOS! The fact that you can get exp. from doing them is huge. PVP
in any MMO is what I and a lot of my friends play for!” - Level 8 Sorcerer
“My first public quest. I had no idea what I ran into beyond what I've read
about public quests. I was able to join in immediately, got an idea of what I
was supposed to be doing, and followed it along. Was amazingly fun.” - Level 3
Swordmaster
“I absolutely love the terrain in this scenario. The use of strategic
knockbacks can be very deadly with the terrain.”
- Level 21 Chosen
Check out the latest
News from the Front: Aegis of the
Oathbearers!
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Episode 7: Howling Gorge
and Gromril Crossing
by Brian Wheeler, Lead RvR Design
In this episode of
Scenarios 101 we continue with Greenskin vs. Dwarf Scenarios that can be found
in Tier 4. Howling Gorge features a bomb run, or WAR football as
tagged by the beta testers. Gromril Crossing features a tug-of-war mechanic
between capture locations on the map.
Read
more from Scenarios 101 >>
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Rune Priest
Dwarf runes bind and
hold magic, solidifying and stabilizing the power through the knowledge and
craftsmanship practiced by Rune Priests through the centuries. A skilled Rune
Priest can tap into this rune-etched power to call forth all manner of
spectacular effects, from restoring life to his allies to calling down wrath
and doom upon his foes. Dwarf runes are repositories of raw power, harnessed to
a specific purpose by generations of skilled and focused runecarvers. A Rune
Priest is adept at not only invoking these runic powers, but also at engraving
runes on his allies' equipment, granting them abilities far beyond their normal
grasp. A true master Rune Priest can even call forth the power of mighty Master
Runes, carving them into the very earth itself as an anchor for their
tremendous energies.
Rune Priest Career
Masteries
Path Of Grungni
A master of this path focuses on powerful and direct effects, learning to both
restore his allies and smite his enemies with equal skill. The path of Grungni
is for those who prefer to focus on a single target at a time, be they friend
or foe, and unleash powerful effects upon them.
Path Of Valaya
An arguably more subtle mastery, the path of Valaya is focused on effects which
continue to linger after they've been invoked. A master of this path prefers to
stick to tested, tried, and true slow-and-steady abilities, whether he's
building up his allies' strength until they become unstoppable, or whether he's
grinding his enemies down with inevitable and unescapable doom.
Path Of Grimnir
This path is concerned with runes which affect large, sweeping areas as they
unleash their innate power. A specialist in this path is an expert at changing
the ebb and tide of combat by either bolstering his allies' entire front line,
or by sending vast swaths of crushing power across the enemy masses.
Squig Herder
Goblins aren't exactly
known for their fortitude or strength, so the clever Squig Herder uses a pack
of squigs to do the hard work for him while he stands safely away and unleashes
a rain of deadly arrows. Through a combination of poking, prodding, yelling,
and throwing raw meat, a Squig Herder has managed to...well...not exactly
"tame" a pack of squigs, but certainly get them to at least run when he stabs
them. The Squig Herder has the means to deal with any combat situation through
the wide array of squigs at his disposal - and sometimes, they are quite
literally at his disposal, as his pets have an unsettling habit of being eaten
or exploding.
Squig Herder Career Masteries
Path of Big Shootin'
A specialist in this path is more than happy to stand far, far back from the
fight and let his squig pets distract the enemies while he peppers them with
arrows from a safe distance. Those who dismiss Goblins for their small stature
quickly learn not to underestimate the Squig Herder's powerful bow and keen
aim, and many an enemy's final dying thought has been that perhaps they
should've paid more attention to the Goblin than the squig.
Path of Quick Shootin'
A clever master of this path uses the Goblins' inherent tendancies towards
twitching and running in his favor, and has learned to quickly snap off bow
shots while moving.around. While he pays for this mobility at the cost of
range, as he can't shoot as far without taking the time to stop and brace his
bow, the speed and flexibility that he gains ensures that he can always stay
out of harm's reach.
Path of Stabbin'
Some goblins are simply more bloodthirsty than others, and a master of this
path prefers to use his bow simply as a means to weaken and hinder his enemy,
allowing him to move in and dispatch them quickly with his crude yet brutal
spear. Fighting side-by-side with his squig pets, the Squig Herder who selects
this path is always gleeful to find himself in the middle of a messy fight.
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| Named NPCs
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Dwarf
- Garagrim Ironfist
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Greenskin
- Grudgemaker
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High
Elf - Caradryan Ryman
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Dark
Elf - Executioner Tullaris
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| Nurgle
NPCs
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Chaos
Nurgle Apothecary
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Chaos
Nurgle Maurader
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Chaos
Nurgle Zealot 1
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Chaos
Nurgle Zealot 2
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| Trainers,
Bankers, Merchants and more
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Dark Elf Armor Merchant
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Dark Elf
Banker
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Dark Elf
Bar Server
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Dark Elf
Bartender
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Dark Elf Beastmaster
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Dark Elf Merchant
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High Elf
Banker
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Dark Elf
Items Merchant
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High Elf Items Merchant
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High Elf Merchant
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High Elf
Waiter
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High Elf
Merchant
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Dark Elf Trainer
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High Elf
Trainer
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High Elf
Bartender
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Warhammer Online
Podcasts are now available on iTunes! Subscribe today!

Click Image to Watch Podcast
Mark Jacobs’ recent
announcement regarding capital cities has spawned quite a few questions, so we
sat down with our RvR Team Lead, Jeff Skalski, to get more details. Jeff
explains in detail how the RvR campaign now works, with the addition of six
massive fortresses that serve as gateways to the capital cities of Order and
Destruction. This is more involved than you may have thought, so listen
closely.
Bonus Concept Art - RvR Fortresses
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Chaos Fortress
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Dark Elf Fortress
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Dwarf Fortress
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Empire Fortress
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Greenskin
Fortress
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High Elf Fortress
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Join Creative Director, Paul Barnett,
and his trusty video phone for a truly unique look at the making of WAR.
This month, Paul travels to LA to visit our local studio and drops by G4 to
tape a segment of XPlay. During the few days he was actually in the office, he
sat in on a lengthy design discussion and captured it on film for your viewing
pleasure.
View
the Video Blog >>
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The team is hard at
work preparing for Open Beta! Don’t waste any time, sign up now to take part in
one of the largest beta tests ever for an MMORPG. More than 700,000 players
have registered so far, but we are always looking for new recruits. Sharpen
your sword, unleash your inner mutation, and prepare to meet your destiny on
the battlefields of Warhammer Online.
Sign up for the WAR Beta at:
betacenter.eamythic.com
WAR is coming! Are you
ready?
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There are a million
stories in the Age of Reckoning just waiting to be told. What
is your tale?

This month, a
Lieutenant Commander of the Shining Guard in Saphery shares with us the
challenges he faces getting his troops to "play nice" with the Dwarfs. Can the
two supposed allies work together to stop the intruding forces of the Dark
Elves?
Read
This Month's Beta Journal Entry >>
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WAR is coming!
Are you properly dressed?
Do you feel like your WARdrobe
is lacking?
Well, not any more!**
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Visit the
EA Mythic Store!
** Offer valid for U.S.
residents only
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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.
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Dark
Elf Sorceress
by G. Panella
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Night of the Inquisition
by E. Bilgen
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Greenskin
Relations
by J. Lally
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Karl Franz
by P. Ramos
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Combustion
by C. Coates
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Dungheap Philosophy
by H. Brimage
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Zerstörung
by F. Teuscher
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Saqueo Orco
by Yuster
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Cultiste
by Elhebore
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Welcome to the WAR
Grab Bag, where our friendly neighborhood community team answers the most
pressing, the most popular, and the most interesting questions from fans. Keep
those questions coming, as we’re eager to hear what you have to say!
Check
out this month’s Grab Bag >>
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"My hope for the game
is that we create something that is a lot of fun to play, that brings people
together, which provides a world to escape to from our own hectic lives from
time to time."
Developer
Profile >>
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"My ultimate hope is
that when folks sit down and play the Elf pairing, either as a Dark Elf or as a
High Elf, that the island of Ulthuan comes to life for them, and that the
cultures of the two opposing factions, locked in a civil war that has lasted
thousands of years, are as real as any in our own world."
Developer
Profile >>
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As we announce our last
group of beta entry winners, we’d like to thank everyone that registered to
participate in the WAR Closed Beta. Those of you lucky enough to get
in provided some outstanding constructive feedback that truly helped shape the
game. If you didn’t get into the Closed Beta, we hope to see you in the Open
Beta and live game.
July Winners:
| C. Clark/North America |
A. Ramsden/Europe |
| D. Tinker/North America |
G. Peters/Europe |
| J. Maughan/North America |
P. Gerold/Europe |
| J. O'Desky/North America |
N. Range/Europe |
| K. Walker/North America |
J. Morgan/Europe |
| D. Cooper/North America |
C. Besson/Europe |
| M. Crain/North America |
A. Munoz/Europe |
| S. Benz/North America |
J. Moreno/Europe |
| T. Schiller/North America |
L. Thorn/Australia |
| D. Taylor/Australia |
I. Vujcich/New Zealand |
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This month, decorate
your desktop with more images of WAR.
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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.
WAR
Down Under

Aus-WAR is a website for the Australian/Oceanic Warhammer Online: Age of
Reckoning Community to talk about Guilds, groups, grudges and all
things WAR! It’s a place for players of the same time zone to recruit
and join together, as well as discuss the latest server news on the Oceanic
side of things! As the game launches, the site will adapt to feature individual
forums for each server, and will provide a home for the Australian/Oceanic WAR
Community! Check them out at
http://aus-war.com
Squig Creature Creator
Contest Winners:
Favorite:

Chaos Chicken Squig
Runners up:
Horned Squig
Spiny
Squig
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