Warhammer: The Old World continues to expand its library of Arcane Journals, and this time the spotlight falls on Frydaal the Chainmaker and the burning of Westerland. In this review I look at the lore, the gorgeous maps, the Path to Glory rules, and the slightly awkward subject of rebasing your Marauders (again).

What is The Razing of Westerland?

The Razing of Westerland is the latest Arcane Journal for Warhammer: The Old World. Focusing on Chaos Marauders and their invasion of the Empire’s northern coast. Inside it you’ll find:

• Narrative background for Frydaal the Chainmaker and her hordes
• Regional history and battles across Westerland
• New rules and army options for Chaos Marauders
• A Path to Glory style campaign system for The Old World

It is aimed at players who want more story and flavour for their Chaos forces, as well as groups looking to run a linked campaign.

Lore, Art and Maps: The Real Highlight

The strongest part of this book is the lore section. The narrative around the Doom of Hollun, the defence of Oostwald and the grinding campaigns across the coast is well written and drenched with atmosphere.

For me the real stars are the maps. The book features sweeping invasion maps that show how the forces move across Norsca and Westerland. Giving you an immediate sense of geography and make it much easier to imagine your own battles in the same locations.

Path to Glory: Fun, But Not Deep

The Razing of Westerland includes a Path to Glory campaign framework for The Old World. But this is essentially an escalation league system:

• Players start with a smaller army and grow it by a set amount between games
• Units can gain experience and veteran abilities
• There are simple rewards for winning battles and completing objectives

It works, and it is easy to run. This is a good thing if you want to get a campaign up and running at a club without scaring people off with bookkeeping.

However, if you are used to the more detailed Path to Glory in Age of Sigmar or Crusade in 40K, this version will feel quite light. There is not much in the way of:

• Purchasing or managing units as a resource
• Long term injuries or scars
• Branching narrative choices
• Detailed faction specific upgrades

It does the job, but it could have been much more. I would have liked to see a proper Old World campaign system where you are forced to make choices about what you buy and how your army changes over time.

Marauder Base Size Changes: The Awkward Bit

We need to talk about bases.

The new Chaos Marauder kits are larger and this has forced Games Workshop to push their base size up to 30mm. From a visual standpoint this makes sense.

The problem is for players who already rebased their classic 20mm square Marauders to 25mm for The Old World launch. Being told that those same models should now be on 30mm is frustrating. It means:

• More time spent rebasing
• More money on new bases or adaptors
• Units no longer matching the rest of the army if you decide not to change them

None of this ruins the game, but it does leave a sour taste.

Rules Content for Marauders

Beyond the campaign system and base sizes, the book adds flavourful touches for Chaos players:

• Focus on different Marauder cults and their favoured gods
• Themed options and abilities that lean into those identities

It is not a huge competitive shake-up, but it does give Chaos armies more character.

Who is This Book For?

You will get the most value from The Razing of Westerland if:

• You love Old World lore and want more detail on the northern invasions
• You enjoy campaign play and want a simple escalation framework
• You collect Chaos Marauders and want more story and flavour for them
• You like using maps and specific locations to build your own scenarios

You may be disappointed if:

• You only care about matched play balance updates
• You are looking for a deep, crunchy narrative system on the level of AoS Path to Glory or 40K Crusade

Final Thoughts

The Razing of Westerland is a strong addition to Warhammer: The Old World if you value narrative and presentation. It is a book that makes you want to set up campaigns and run raids on named villages.

On the other hand, the Path to Glory rules are more of a tidy escalation league than a full narrative engine and the Marauder base size change feels like another hurdle for existing players.

If you are here for story and inspiration, it is well worth picking up. If you’re hoping for heavy campaign mechanics you might want to take a closer look before committing.