Box Value Talk: Cathay Battalion vs Khemri and Bretonnia Starters
Box Value Talk: Cathay Battalion vs Khemri and Bretonnia Starters
Sometimes hobby chat quickly turns into calculator mode, and this was definitely one of those moments. We were comparing the value of some Warhammer: The Old World boxes and trying to figure out what actually gives the best entry point in terms of points, contents, and price.
Cathay Battalion: a lot of army for the money
Michał pointed out that the Cathay Battalion cost 520 PLN and gives more than 1000 points. That immediately sounds like a pretty strong buy if someone just wants to get a solid chunk of army on the table without going all-in on a bigger starter.
For The Old World, getting over 1000 points from one box at that price is hard to ignore. It feels like exactly the kind of purchase that makes us start mentally building lists before the plastic even arrives.
Khemri and Bretonnia: no battalions, only bigger starters
As Staś reminded us, Khemri and Bretonnia do not have battalion boxes in this context. Instead, they get starter sets that come with more than just miniatures:
- rulebook
- dice
- blast/templates accessories
- and the rest of the starter-style extras
So while they are more expensive, they are also aiming at a different kind of purchase: not just adding units, but giving a more complete start to the game.
According to Staś, those sets are supposedly really good, and the Tomb Kings of Khemri starter sits at around 1250 points.
The Tomb Kings starter price
The specific Khemri starter we discussed was listed at 850 PLN. At first glance that is a lot more than the Cathay Battalion, but there is an important detail here: the rulebook alone is around 200 PLN.
That changes the perspective a bit.
If someone needs the book and the gaming accessories anyway, the starter starts making a lot more sense. If someone already has the rules and just wants raw army value, then the Cathay Battalion looks very tempting.
Our takeaway
This was one of those classic hobby conclusions where the answer is basically: it depends what you need.
- If we want the most straightforward army-in-a-box value, the Cathay Battalion at 520 PLN for 1000+ points sounds excellent.
- If we want a fuller entry set with the rulebook and gaming extras included, then the Khemri or likely Bretonnia starters make a lot of sense despite the higher price.
- The Tomb Kings starter at 1250 points for 850 PLN looks much better once we remember that part of that price is covering the core book and accessories.
It is always nice when a quick price check turns into a proper hobby value discussion. Honestly, this is a big part of the fun before any army purchase: comparing boxes, counting points, and convincing ourselves that yes, this is definitely a sensible idea.