Trench Crusade has taken the miniature wargaming community by storm, exceeding its Kickstarter target of $66,666 by millions of dollars. With over $3,330,000 in funding, it’s safe to say people are eagerly anticipating the retail release of the grimdark skirmishing game’s miniatures. But what is Trench Crusade? And why is the Warhammer 40K community frothing at the mouth for it?
The game focuses on a gothic alternate universe in which a Gate to Hell was opened by the Ultimate Heresy of the Templars in the year 1099, changing the course of history. With lore that fuses reality with gruesome fiction, Trench Crusade constructs a harsh world full of tireless battles, plagues, and turmoil. The world is steeped in religious themes, beginning with the Crusades and marching on toward the 20th century. For players, the game picks up during a reimagined World War I, where the forces of Heaven and Hell rage against each other in the continued war to retake the Holy City of Jerusalem as humanity vies for the favor of Heaven.
Much like Warhammer 40K, Trench Crusade leans on religious doctrine and the fight against heresy to inform its grimdark world. But rather than taking on space as its setting, the wargame grounds itself in the Great War, interweaving Crusader iconography with that of trench warfare.
Players have six lore-rich faction options to choose from on the sides of the Faithful and the Heretic. Faithful factions include the Principality of New Antioch, the Iron Sultanate, and the Trench Pilgrims, while the Heretic factions include the Heretic Legion, the Cult of the Black Grail, and the Court of the Seven-Headed Serpent. Chaos fans can get their monster fix fighting among the Heretic ranks, serving Satan and Beelzebub as they endeavor to destroy humanity. Fans of the Imperium of Man can ally themselves with the Faithful, using the power of the divine and physical fortitude to beat back the armies of Hell.
The game is incredibly approachable, using a simple 2d6 system to determine successes and failures in gameplay. In addition, all you need to get started is a small warband – no need to put together a whole 2000 point army to play! In this way, Trench Crusade runs a lot more similar to Kill Team or Warcry. The rulebook is free to download and has already been released on the official website. Not only that, but Trench Crusade actually encourages you to use proxy minis. So if you find a 40K or Age of Sigmar faction that fits the aesthetic you’re looking for, you can get started playing Trench Crusade.
If you want the complete experience, pre-orders for official Trench Crusade miniatures have gone live on our website, so be sure to secure your warband before we run out. As of writing this, we have minis from the Principality of New Antioch up for pre-order with more on the way, so you can get your Sniper Priests and Prussian army delivered on release day. This incredible world has something for everyone, whether you like monsters or prefer to align yourself with the ranks of men. The mass appeal of Trench Crusade is undeniable, and you absolutely won’t want to miss further releases.
