Welcome to Warhammer Online's November newsletter! The holidays are almost here and that means that it's once again time for the Dwarf New Year's festival – Keg End. Get ready for all the beer, boasting, and fireworks that you can handle. Next month also brings WAR Patch 1.3.3!

Read on for details of these stories and more as the battle rages on in Issue 49 of the WAR newsletter!

In This Newsletter...

We love the smell of 1.3.3 in the morning.  This simmering brew of bug fixes, balance changes and new features is expected to be ready for consumption soon after the Thanksgiving weekend (aka: Very Soon ™).  Just imagine, soon we’ll all be able to sit back and enjoy the fruits of the Underdog System complete with a WAR Report chaser. No more haggling with flight masters upon log in, no more being at the mercy of horse speed; just the sweet, sweet knowledge of where the hottest action is at all times and the ability to get there as quickly as possible (Yes wet naps have been handed out to the entire developer team to combat excessive salivation caused by this addition). 

But wait, there’s more: 1.3.3 revs up our environments with the addition of bloom and HDR lighting and heralds the triumphant return of Keg End this December, complete with boasting, toasting and fireworks. Expect more details as the event draws near.

Highlights:

• The WAR Report – The WAR Report window will give players a snapshot of the action taking place throughout the world.  The window will give you not only a list of current events, but a means to teleport to the closest warcamp, chapter hub or flight master!  This instant action teleport will be available every 8 hours.

• The Underdog System –This system is intended to aid the Underdog faction on a given server. Underdogs will essentially be granted a ramping RvR handicap that makes it easier for an under-populated realm to take objectives and cap zones. This system is tied directly to city captures and does not last forever - It will decay over time if not used.  In other words: Underdogs get out on the battlefield and start smacking some skulls together, the time of your revenge is at hand!
  
  


• Keg’s End – Fireworks and ale.  What more needs to be said? 
  
  


• Bloom & HDR – The game client now allows users to enable Post Processing effects to heighten the visual experience of WAR. This will add bloom and HDR (High Dynamic Range) lighting to the game world.  Users will experience a visually harmonious and enhanced feel in the game world through these two rendering techniques.

Cheers, Beers, and Jeers in Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning

Get into the holiday spirit with WAR’s next live event - the Dwarf New Year’s festival of Keg End.

Running from December 16th through to the 4th of January, Keg End is a festive extravaganza packed with great new items, monsters, events, and challenges for all players to master. Keg End is filled with the things Dwarfs like best - Beer, Boasting, and things that explode.

Whether you’re letting off fireworks as you charge into RvR or searching for beers on a pub crawl, there’s plenty to do for Order and Destruction alike. Search out the Legendary Golden Stein to benefit from its damage boosting aura of Frothy Goodness, or compete with your friends to partake in the best bit of bragging the Warhammer World has ever seen.

Keg End will, once again, have you /boast-ing at your adversaries. Make sure you set it to a macro because there are rewards to be gained if you do it just right. You can also grab a free beer and /toast your comrades in arms to receive special unlocks.

Keg End is here, with the mud and the blood and the beer!

Read more about Keg End >> 

Game Update 1.3.2 – Path of Conquest

Exciting changes came to WAR in game version 1.3.2 – Path of Conquest! Two major enhancements to the Tier 4 campaign highlight this update:

Tier 4 Campaign Changes

• A new Keep difficulty system ensures that the rewards for a Keep siege scale with the number of attackers and defenders.


• The removal of Fortress battles from the campaign guarantees more action in the capital cities, and more chances to get the game’s best rewards.

Other Key Features

• Dramatic client and server performance improvements.


• An Apprenticeship system that lets low-Rank characters adventure with high-Rank friends.


• New global chat channels for getting advice and coordinating Realm war strategies.


• A New User Journey that makes it easier than ever for new players to enter the fray.

WAR Endless Free Trial & Streaming Client

We’ve lifted the 10-day restriction on our Free Trial! Now you can enjoy the trial experience and New User Journey for as long as you like!

In addition, we've introduced a new streaming version of theWAR Trial, so new users can get into the action faster than ever before!

Read more about WAR Patch 1.3.2 >>

Game Update 1.3.2 – New User Journey

Patch1.3.2 brought a set of features and initiatives, dubbed as ‘New User Journey’ around the office, that were designed to benefit new players, returning players, and existing players. The goal was to make the game accessible and more inviting to players new or old in an effort to bolster the population and improve the game experience all around.  

One of the first things we did was take a look at the first Tier for the game and made it more welcoming and rewarding for new players, as well as old players bringing up new characters.  To this end, we’ve done the following: All new players start in Empire and Chaos based on their Realm affiliation; the content, flow, and rewards have been improved and streamlined; additional visual tutorials and starter guilds to promote Realm camaraderie.



There are also a number of improvements that extend beyond Tier 1 that are included in the ‘New User Journey’.  Included among them are being able to see active Public Quests dynamically on the map, global chat channels for advice and the Realm war, as well as a recap of recent changes to the game upon initial login. 

Read more about WAR's New User Journey >>

“We couldn’t be more excited to officially bring Warhammer Online and our intense Realm vs. Realm combat to Mac gamers"said Jeff Hickman, Executive Producer of Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. “We welcome Mac users to experience the thrill of WAR and take up arms with their PC brethren."

Read More About WAR on the Mac >>

Mythic Entertainment and The Black Library are pleased to bring you Forged By Chaos, the third book in the Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning novel series.

The Forces of Destruction wage war upon the civilized lands and the Raven Host is poised to march upon the Empire in an unstoppable tide. To ensure victory against the Order of the Griffon, the power of the Winds of Chaos must be fully unleashed. But to work such awesome magic, the marauder Kormak must dare the Bastion Stair, portal to the Realm of Khorne, and defy the Blood God’s wrath. The warriors of the Raven Host are not the only ones with an interest in harnessing Chaos. Treacherous Dark Elves and brutish Orcs would each seize the power for themselves, while a desperate Imperial army races to deny all of their foes the dread might of Chaos.

Penned by Black Library writer, C.L. Werner, Forged by Chaoswill be available in all major bookstores and from the Games Workshop website this November. For more information, visit The Black Library at www.blacklibrary.com

*NEW* Massive Pairings Poster – Slayer vs Black Orc

The next Massive Pairing poster is here! Measuring a massive 39”x56”, this over-sized poster features the Dwarf Slayer and the greenskin Black Orc. Make sure to pick this one up to put up right next to the Empire/Chaos Giant poster! This special offering is available in very limited quantities, so order now and receive an in-game item code for a Skaven Skin Cloak while supplies last!!*

WAR IS HERE! ARE YOU PROPERLY DRESSED?

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!

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

THE ART OF WARHAMMER ONLINE art book andWARHAMMER 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.

Purchases of either the WAR artbook or graphic novel will include a card with an in-game item code for a Skaven Skin Cloak while supplies last!!* 

Visit the Mythic Store!

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 this month that you may have missed:

Jeff Skalski - WAR Producer's Letter >>

Jeff Hickman - Executive Producer's Letter >>

Dev Diary - John Cox (Combating Hackers) >>

Introducing the WAR Endless Trial! >>

2010 MMO Calendar Now On Sale! >>

New Warhammer Card Game From Fantasy Flight Games!

Warhammer Fantasy has been in existence for over two decades. Now, Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce theWarhammer: Invasion LCG! Taking place in the war-torn setting of Warhammer Fantasy, players muster their forces, collect vast resources, venture out on perilous – but rewarding – quests, build and develop their kingdom, and lead massive sieges against heavily fortified foes. Designed by Eric M. Lang, award-winning designer of the Call of Cthulhu and A Game of Thrones card games, Warhammer Invasion puts you in charge of an empire seeking to rule all the lands.

Warhammer: Invasion LCG is the card game that pits two players side by side to develop their kingdoms and lay waste to their foes. Each side is comprised of either the forces of Order (Dwarfs, High Elves, and Empire) or the forces of Destruction (Orcs, Chaos, and Dark Elves). Warhammer Invasion gives you a chance to forge the realm the way you always dreamt of. Combine forces of Order however you wish, or forge dark alliances with the powers of Destruction, the choice is yours! Each side must balance their desire for dominance with their struggle for supplies. Every unit brought forth can contribute to your attacking force, your ability to bring in new cards, or to your overall resources. In this desperate battle for glory, how can you afford not to have any of these three?

Bonus In-Game Items for WAR!

Included in the first print run are two very rare in-game items forWarhammer Online: Age of Reckoning.

	Though no longer usable to divine the future,Rivenstaff's Deck of Eightstill possess an unpredictable enchantment that can boost a random character stat for a period of time at the expense of another.
	Have fun hurling theBottomless Bowl of Custard at your fellow players.

To learn more about the new Warhammer card game, visit theWarhammer: Invasion website.

Here's a taste of two awesome new ways to enjoy the Dragon Age: Origins universe, before the game is released: The secondDragon Age: Origins prequel novel - Dragon Age: The Callingand the Dragon Age Tabletop RPG!

The Next Prequel Novel for Dragon Age: Origins!

Dragon Age: The Calling

Having reclaimed the throne, King Maric finally allows the legendary Grey Wardens to return to Ferelden after two hundred years of exile. When they come, however, they bring dire news: one of their own has escaped into the Deep Roads and aligned himself with their ancient enemy, the monstrous darkspawn. The Grey Wardens need Maric’s help to find him. He reluctantly agrees to lead them into the passages he traveled through years before, chasing after a deadly secret that will threaten to destroy not only the Grey Wardens, but also the Kingdom above.

Read More about Dragon Age: The Calling >>

Calling All Tabletop Heroes: Play the Dragon Age Pen and Paper RPG!

Brought to you by Green Ronin, the company that created A Song of Ice and Fire Roleplaying and Mutants and Mastermindscomes a journey into a world of violence, lust and betrayal.

Dragon Age is a tabletop roleplaying game of dark fantasy adventure based on BioWare’s™ video game. Designed by award-winning author Chris Pramas (Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, Freeport), the Dragon Age Pen and Paper RPG features an all-new game system that's both easy to learn and exciting to play, the perfect portal to tabletop roleplaying. Based on the highly anticipated Dragon Age: Origins computer game, Pramas has brought all the rich fantasy world created by BioWare to the tabletop.

So gather your friends, grab some dice, and get ready to enter a world of heroes and villains, of knights and darkspawn, of gods and demons… the world of Dragon Age!

The Dragon Age RPG will be available in hobby game stores, as well as bookstores like Barnes & Noble and Borders this September. You’ll also be able to buy it online from the Green Ronin Online Store, Amazon.com, and similar outlets.

Read More about the Dragon Age RPG >>

Ultima Online: Stygian Abyss

Ultima Online: Stygian Abyss™, the 8th expansion to UltimaOnline, has been released, introducing the new playable Gargoyle race! Players can find expansive new areas to explore, including Ter Mur, the Gargoyle homeland, and the Stygian Abyss – the largest dungeon area ever introduced to Ultima Online.

Available via digital download only, Ultima Online: Stygian Abyssrevolves around the introduction of the playable Gargoyle race. Players will also find expansive new areas to explore, including Ter Mur, the Gargoyle homeland, and the Stygian Abyss – the largest dungeon area ever introduced to Ultima Online. This sprawling dungeon will contain new boss monsters of unparalleled difficulty, including the Medusa, Primeval Lich, and the Stygian Dragon, as well as Player vs. Player zones where adventurers will be turned against one another.

Ultima Online: Stygian Abyss is be available via UOGamesCodes.com and the EA STORE™:

• Stygian Abyss Expansion: $29.99


• Stygian Abyss Expansion & 30-Day game-time: $39.99

Read More Ultima Online: Stygian Abyss >>

Dark Age of Camelot: Darkness Rising™ andLabyrinth of the Minotaur™, the fourth and fifth retail expansions to the epic fantasy MMORPGDark Age of Camelot, are now available at no charge to all subscribers.

Current subscribers will receive the expansions as part of an automatic update to their existing game client. For players that are new to Dark Age of Camelot, or for those interested in returning to the world, they can download the new 14-day free trial which now features all five retail expansions, includingDarkness Rising and Labyrinth of the Minotaur.

In addition, seasoned veterans of Dark Age of Camelot can now return to Midgard, Hibernia and Albion and play free for a limited time. The Come Back To Camelot campaign allows former players with closed accounts for 90 days or more receive 10 days of game-time free when they update and reactivate their account.

Download the Free 14-Day Trial >>