Games Workshop has unveiled Age of Sigmar Freeguild Fusiliers models for the upcoming Cities of Sigmar army range refresh. Previewed on the Warhammer Community website on Monday, this squad of mortal soldiers marches to war in the Age of Sigmar armed with pavise shields and honking great guns, no doubt sparking jealousy among Horus Heresy and 40k players waiting for a plastic Space Marine breacher kit.
The Fusiliers have been revealed less than a fortnight after Games Workshop showed off the new Cities of Sigmar launch box, which will give the army a new battletome and new models including an incredible manticore-riding special character. The Cities will be the final Age of Sigmar army to get a new army book for the game’s current edition, unless there’s a very big secret up GW’s sleeve.
According to the Warhammer Community post, “Freeguild Fusiliers fortify their position with their pavises”. Apparently this will work “just like the Fusil-Major on Ogor Warhulk“, which was revealed on June 19. If the Fusil-Major doesn’t move for a turn it can adopt a ‘fortified position’, allowing it to ignore negative penalties to armor saves against ranged attacks – presumably the Fusiliers work the same way.
The article adds that the Fusiliers “fire salvo after salvo into enemy ranks, reloading with mechanical efficiency”. That might just be flavor, or it might indicate that they’ll gain additional ranged attacks as long as they’re fortified.
The unit also comes with a Blackpowder Squire who, once per game, can go on a “resupply run”, granting the unit re-rolls on its ranged attack rolls. Not quite as cute as the powder monkey mascot of the Freeguild Handgunners, but less disturbing than the Sisters of Battle Armorium Cherub.
The Cities of Sigmar range has been the home of many classic kits from the Warhammer Old World that survived the End Times and made it to the Age of Sigmar, and the Fusiliers join an existing survivor unit, the Freeguild Handgunners – or Empire Handgunners, as older fans will know them.
Though they have a distinctly Age of Sigmar style, the Fusiliers would actually do passable service as the classic Dogs of War Unit Braganza’s Besiegers. You’ll have to wait for the fan-made Warhammer Armies Project to re-upload its old army lists if you want to give that a try and don’t already have the old rules.