Trench Crusade? Maybe — but probably with Bretonnians
We had one of those very relatable hobby chats recently: a new game appears on the horizon, the models look tempting, the ideas start flowing… and then reality hits us with the classic combo of too many projects already in the queue and a mountain of unpainted miniatures.
This time the topic was Trench Crusade.
Wilini spotted that a starter set is apparently on the way, which of course immediately put the game on our radar. First impressions, though, were mixed. The starter box itself did not really click for him yet, so the plan is to wait and see what else the range has to offer before getting too excited.
That said, there were still a few things that definitely stood out. The factions and models that caught Wilini’s eye the most were:
- Court of the Seven Headed Serpent
- Black Grail
- Heretics
- and especially the Artillery Witch, which got an immediate seal of approval as a fantastic sculpt
One thing we genuinely like as a concept is the fact that STLs exist, and that the game seems friendly to people who either print at home or buy printed models. That kind of openness is always interesting from a hobby perspective, especially when people want to test a system without fully committing to a whole official range right away.
At the same time… we also know ourselves.
We already have StarCraft in the queue, and on top of that there is the eternal problem of having way too many miniatures waiting to be assembled and painted. So the enthusiasm is there, but the urge to start yet another full collecting project is, for now, very much under control.
And that is where the conversation got fun.
Instead of buying or printing a whole new force, Michał threw out a very sensible idea: why not just try Trench Crusade rules using existing models? More specifically, why not put Bretonnians on the table and see how the system feels with a suitably grim, war-torn interpretation?
Honestly, that sounds exactly like the sort of experiment we enjoy.
There is something very appealing in taking models we already own, dropping them into a darker alternate setting, and just seeing whether the rules create good stories on the tabletop. It also neatly solves the biggest issue: no new pile of shame. Michał was very clear on that front — he is not planning to buy any more miniatures for this, and he is not planning to print any either.
And really, that might be the healthiest possible approach.
So where did we land? Not on a full dive into Trench Crusade as a brand-new collecting project — at least not yet. But as a ruleset to test with existing fantasy models, especially Bretonnians, it suddenly sounds much more realistic.
By the end of the chat, Wilini was on board with giving that a try.
So for now the verdict is:
Trench Crusade miniatures? Maybe later.
Trench Crusade with old Warhammer models we already have? Yeah, we can try that.
And honestly, we love this kind of hobby energy — curious, slightly chaotic, but still grounded enough not to immediately launch another army project by accident.
If we do get a test game going with Bretonnians standing in, we will definitely come back with impressions.