Warhammer 40K: Warpforge Review (MacOS, PC, Android, & iOS)

For some reason, Warhammer 40K: Warpforge hasn’t quite hit the market the way you might expect any game in the Warhammer 40K franchise to. Perhaps it’s the developer and publisher Everguild letting their guard down on the marketing, with not quite as many retailers hyping the game up. But the minimal chatter about the game isn’t at all any indication that it’s a waste of time to sink precious hours into. In fact, I might as well go as far as to say that it’s a pretty fun game with easy-to-learn and hard-to-master gameplay. 

You might have already played the game during its soft launch phase from as early as October 19, 2023. Gamers have been testing the waters ever since, with mostly positive feedback on the card battler. However, the true test is on the full release, which has just rolled out on October 3, 2024. As a result, you now have a full-package product to bite into and experience the gory joy Everguild has in store for you. But only after diving into our Warhammer 40K: Warpforge review, which delves deeper into everything there is to love (or not) about the new game.

Let the Skirmishes Begin

Warhammer 40K: Warpforge is a free-to-play digital collectible card game. So, it’s merely an expansion of the Warhammer 40K universe from the novels to the miniature wargames to video games, which now include a digital card battler. Leading the charge on development is Everguild. You may know them from their work developing the card battler The Horus Heresy: Legions. Their experience developing the card battler in the Horus Heresy universe, which is actually the setting for the origin story of Warhammer 40K, has evidently impacted their new title. You can spot the foundation The Horus Heresy: Legions’ gameplay has set for Warhammer 40K: Warpforge, allowing Everguild to build on an already tried-and-tested system. 

Yet Warhammer 40K: Warpforge’s gameplay in its entirety doesn’t break the mold in the card-battling genre. Instead, it relies on genre tropes and adds an extra layer of heavy Warhammer 40K lore to make fans feel at home. Indeed, the distinct factor here is the Warhammer 40K universe Warpforge is based on. It takes to the 41st millennium in the adventures of the Empire against the rampant deadly species of known space. In the game, you’ll find plenty of familiar factions across the Warhammer 40K video game series, from the Space Marines to the Orks. Each faction is represented by digital cards, which you collect and strive to build a competitive deck. Thereafter, you’ll take your chosen factions to battle against other players in pretty agile, pretty brutal skirmishes.

Pick Your Poison

Now, the factions only include the major species from the Warhammer 40K universe. However, more factions will be added over time. The goal is to have all of the factions present in the franchise featured in the digital card game. For now, though, you can pick from the Ultramarines, Goff Orks, Sautekh Necrons, Black Legion, Saim-Hann Aeldari, Leviathan Tyranids, and newly added Astra Militarium. Of course, some pretty cool factions are missing, like the Tau, Nicassar, Adeptus Mechanicus, and more, but we expect them to be added over time.

Each faction has a unique play style, firepower, and tactic, meaning each faction will give you access to a trick or two up its sleeve. The idea is to find the faction that marries well with your play style and start to upgrade to reach higher-ranking levels. With the Imperium in danger, it’s up to you to lead an army charge that restores glory to the Empire. Will you answer the call and defend the Emperor? Or, more elating, switch to the dark sides of the corrupted forces of the Chaos or the myriad Xenos races. Either way, distinct play styles await you as you strive to claim victory. 

Lead the Charge to Victory

Also, for each faction, you’ll have a commander. Each captain has unique characteristics. The goal is to defeat the commander of the opposing team to scoop up the crown. Now, the commanders have cards, each having its own distinct abilities. The trick is to find the best synergies with your other Troops and Warlords cards to win. It also means that you need to shield your commander as best as possible. This can oftentimes lead to expending most, if not all, of your energy cost. So, can you defeat your opponent’s troops before they are able to knock out your commander?

As you can imagine, Warhammer 40K: Warpforge does have its fair share of strategy. Especially when you consider that not all factions are created equal. There are complaints, too, about new factions having balance issues. Apparently, the developer is aiming for the new factions to sell. In any case, Warhammer 40K: Warpforge may be easy for any newcomer or veteran to learn. However, it’s definitely a hard game to master. Often, you’ll veer on the edge of losing to your opponent. Thus, keeping you on the edge of your seat often always. On the flip side, skirmishes are quick, and you’ll be in and out in under a few minutes of battle. 

Tools at Your Disposal

With each move, you can either make a ranged or melee attack. However, the attack you choose will result in sustaining a certain level of damage. So, you have to consider the damage points you stand to sustain in comparison to the attack power you might inflict. This adds an extra layer of strategy to the game. You’re not just assessing the cards you have but also the opponents. Granted, this is a fairly standard implementation in most card games, which is where the varied factions come in. At times, you’ll face aerial factions, for instance, which calls for a ranged response that may not always turn the tide in your favor. 

Ultimately, though, Warhammer 40K: Warpforge will probably be appreciated the most by fans of the Warhammer 40K franchise. See, the factions carry deep lore and characteristics that fans will likely be better placed to identify with and thus use to their advantage during skirmishes. You can utilize the unique characteristics of each faction to your favor when you have more knowledge of all their tricks. Moreover, the dripping gore and grimdark aesthetic of the cards and the backdrop make for the perfect means to swim in Warhammer 40K. Everguild has perfectly nailed the grimdark universe of the franchise with neat detail and charm. 

Climb the Ladder

Perhaps the area that may desensitize gamers is the monetization system. Warhammer 40K: Warpforge is a free-to-play game, and thus, you should expect to put in a lot of grind to unlock more powerful cards or cash in actual cash. Granted, unlocking new cards is doable, and it’s possible to play the game without ever spending actual money. However, you may need to stick to your chosen faction for a while to upgrade it to a competitive level. Especially since each faction has its own currency. So, the more you play with a certain faction, the more you can upgrade it and unlock new cards. It can become frustrating, though, if you want to experiment with all the factions and have to endure upgrading them one at a time. 

While still on the upgrade system, there are other ways to unlock perks. There are pink crystals you can earn by ticking off daily battles and completing the tutorial, which is pretty handy, I might add. Thereafter, you can cash them in to strengthen your deck without having to buy booster packs. There are other currencies. For instance, you have Gold, the premium currency, which you can buy with real money or grind your way to a considerable amount. Thereafter, you can exchange Gold for booster packs, cosmetics, or other currencies. However, you might want to be careful about the booster packs, as buying them can be expensive. On the other hand, booster packs can be scarce, making you choose between them and similarly stingy battle rewards and other rare goodies. 

What About Multiplayer?

Well, Warhammer 40K: Warpforge hasn’t quite picked up steam as you might expect it to. Even after spending nearly a year in Early Access, there still is an arguably small community playing the game. This means that matchmaking times can be rather long. Also, without a strong community, it’s very easy for the developers to abandon the project. But we’ve got a pretty solid game here. It’d be a shame for its momentum to die down too quickly. 

Verdict

Overall, Warhammer 40K: Warpforge is a pretty fun game that any card-battling fan will enjoy. It has a decent amount of variety in the factions and Warlords you can play. Moreover, you enjoy impressive Warhammer 40K universe backdrops and aesthetics, with all the gore and grimdark signature art style of the franchise. As such, fans of Warhammer 40K will definitely feel at home here. The only gripe would be some balancing issues with the factions. Plus, a rather slow uptake by the gaming community, both of which can easily change over the coming months.