Fantasy Friday is where we zoom in on the kinds of miniatures that thrive in small, character-driven battles, and the latest Conquest First Blood warbands fit that lens perfectly. These are not sprawling regiments or rank-and-flank blocks. They are tight, personality-heavy fantasy forces designed to feel distinct the moment they hit the table.
Para Bellum’s expanding First Blood range continues to carve out a space between high fantasy spectacle and grounded battlefield grit. The new warbands reinforce that tone with dynamic heroes, elite infantry, and creatures that feel purpose-built for skirmish play rather than scaled-down army leftovers.
TL;DR
New Conquest First Blood warbands bring elite, compact fantasy forces to skirmish scale
Strong faction identity through armor design, creature anatomy, and character sculpts
Ideal for narrative campaigns, painters, and small-table competitive play
These releases stand out because they feel composed as warbands first, not as trimmed-down army boxes.
One of the defining strengths of the First Blood line has always been sculpt cohesion. Armor silhouettes, weapon proportions, and creature designs reinforce faction identity without relying on oversized gimmicks. The new warbands continue that approach, presenting units that look like they belong together even before paint ties them into a unified scheme.
The character models in particular carry a strong heroic fantasy presence. Leaders are posed mid-command or mid-strike, not static and ornamental. Cloaks sweep outward, polearms are angled forward, and shields feel functional rather than decorative. There is a deliberate sense of motion in these sculpts that reads beautifully at skirmish scale, where every model matters.
Creature elements also play a big role. Whether it’s hulking brutes, disciplined heavy infantry, or more exotic faction-specific beings, anatomy and armor are exaggerated just enough to read clearly at arm’s length without drifting into cartoon territory. That balance is tricky. Too subtle, and models blur together on a 3x3 table. Too extreme, and they start to feel disconnected from the setting’s tone. These warbands stay comfortably in the middle.
An interesting trend here is how modern fantasy skirmish lines are leaning back toward grounded menace instead of exaggerated high-fantasy flamboyance. The detailing is rich, but not baroque for its own sake. Painters get layered armor plates, textured cloth, and clear focal points without drowning in micro-detail.
Why This Matters for Skirmish Gamers
Skirmish gaming thrives on identity. In a 5 to 15 model force, every sculpt carries narrative weight. These warbands are clearly built with that in mind. Each miniature feels like a named character even when it represents a generic role.
For narrative players, this opens up campaign play naturally. A warband leader can develop scars, trophies, or swapped weapons over time. Elite infantry can become recurring rivals. Because the model count is manageable, hobbyists are more likely to personalize each figure rather than batch paint them.
Painters benefit too. The mix of armor, cloth, and creature elements invites varied techniques: edge highlighting on plate, glazing on cloaks, weathering on shields. These are models that reward careful attention without requiring display-level marathon sessions.
Flexible systems like Gangfight and other skirmish rulesets can incorporate warbands like these without heavy modification. Their strong visual roles translate easily into archetypes such as commander, brute, elite guard, or specialist. The emphasis remains on atmosphere and table presence rather than rigid faction mechanics.
Ultimately, these new Conquest First Blood warbands reinforce something many skirmish gamers already know: fantasy feels most personal when it is small-scale. When every sword stroke and shield wall matters, sculpt quality and thematic clarity carry the experience. These releases lean into that philosophy with confidence.
Para Bellum Games has unveiled a new wave of Conquest pre-orders that spans three very different factions, led by Hubris, a towering Founder's Exclusive character for the Spires. Alongside this limited centerpiece miniature, the update introduces the Shikigami for the Yoroni and the unsettling Morrowen for the Weaver Courts. For players who favor fast, small-unit systems like Gangfight, these releases highlight how strongly character-driven sculpts and distinct faction identities continue to influence skirmish-scale gaming.
TL;DR
What: A limited Hubris Founder's Exclusive plus new Yoroni and Weaver Courts units
When: Available now as pre-orders, with Hubris limited to a single production run
Why it matters: High-impact character sculpts and flexible unit roles that translate well to skirmish play
The headline release is Hubris, a 35mm Founder's Exclusive miniature sculpted by Michael Kontraros. Representing a Lineage Highborne of the Spires, Hubris is designed to lead Avatara and Sentinels, or to operate alongside a Leonine Avatara. The kit includes alternate head and weapon options, giving hobbyists meaningful choice without overcomplicating assembly.
As with previous Founder's Exclusives, Hubris is limited to 990 numbered copies worldwide. Once that run is gone, it will not be reissued. That scarcity matters less for gameplay access and more for collectors and painters who value unique centerpiece characters that won’t appear on every table.
From a lore perspective, Hubris embodies one of the Spires’ core themes: arrogance taken to its logical extreme. The background ties the character to ancient “dragon hunter” Avatara husks—monuments to overconfidence repurposed as punishment tools by elder Lineages. It’s a rare case where the narrative weight of a character is immediately readable in the sculpt itself, rather than requiring deep rules knowledge.
The pre-orders also include the Shikigami for the Yoroni. These smaller, energetic spirits serve as a cost-effective screening unit, designed to absorb pressure while enabling elite Yoroni elements to maneuver into position. Visually, the models lean into folkloric whimsy, with masked faces and exaggerated movement that set them apart from more conventional infantry designs.
Rounding out the wave are the Morrowen for the Weaver Courts. Shunned for their insectoid minds, these entities function as a resilient anvil unit, holding enemies in place while the rest of the force closes in. Their unsettling aesthetic reinforces the Weaver Courts’ reputation for uncanny, otherworldly designs that challenge painters to step outside traditional fantasy palettes.
What This Means at Skirmish Scale
At skirmish scale, Hubris reads as a natural leader or elite solo model—perfect for narrative play, character-driven scenarios, or as a visual focal point for smaller warbands. The limited nature of the sculpt also makes it attractive for hobbyists who enjoy fielding truly distinctive characters.
The Shikigami and Morrowen, meanwhile, translate cleanly into flexible systems. Screening units and durable anchors are universal roles in skirmish gaming, and both kits offer strong visual identity without being locked to mass-battle assumptions. Painters and kitbashers, in particular, will find plenty of room to experiment with color, texture, and alternative basing.
Taken together, this pre-order wave reinforces Conquest’s strength as a miniature line: even outside its native ruleset, the models remain highly usable, characterful, and table-ready.
Para Bellum Wargames has unveiled The Nepenthe Campaign, a massive narrative event that gives Conquest: The Last Argument of Kings players the power to influence the ongoing lore of Eä. But there’s more here than a global story—this set is a treasure trove for skirmish fans, especially anyone building custom Chronicle warbands for Gangfight.
TL;DR
The Nepenthe Campaign adds map-based global play to Conquest, letting players’ results shape official lore. It also includes diverse miniatures perfect for Gangfight conversions.
Participate in a living campaign for Conquest and First Blood
Each faction’s victories alter the world map and unlock new lore
Fantastic source of models for custom Gangfight: Chronicle warbands
Conquest Meets Global Storytelling
The Nepenthe Campaign is a community-driven event where every recorded battle influences the story’s outcome. Players log their games on Para Bellum’s official website, with the combined results determining the shifting control of regions across Eä’s Nepenthe frontier.
Each faction earns new narrative chapters, world events, and lore entries—turning this into a truly living campaign. Para Bellum is encouraging players from both The Last Argument of Kings and First Blood to join, with updates rolling out weekly.
For skirmish enthusiasts, this release also doubles as a model goldmine. Conquest’s hard plastic kits are highly modular, with detailed human, alien, and monstrous designs that slot beautifully into Gangfight’s Chronicle setting—a world where steampunk relics, mutated knights, and ancient horrors collide.
Chronicle Crossover Potential
If you’re building forces for Gangfight: Chronicle, The Nepenthe Campaign packs a wealth of creative potential. The heavily armored Dweghom and Spire biomancers make perfect Leaders or Specialists, while Nords and Hundred Kingdoms infantry can easily form balanced warbands straight from the box. With just one or two Conquest sprues, you can assemble multiple Chronicle gangs—each with their own unique aesthetic and lore roots tied to Eä.
Conquest models fit naturally into the broader Gangfight system, whether you’re creating elite explorer teams, demonic cults, or rogue knights. Their tall scale (38mm) also allows for cinematic conversions and character-level storytelling—exactly what Chronicle is all about.
