SPEED FREEKS

Pity the Ork. Once one of Games Workshop’s core races, they’ve been rather ignored in Warhammer 40,000 over the last few years in favour of newer, sexier factions. Well, no more. Speed Freeks is both a new game and the start of the company’s renewed plans for the greenskins. It brings the Orks and their love of ramshackle, Mad Max-style vehicles back to the table top in a big way.

This is something new for the 40K universe: essentially a racing game, albeit with axes and machine guns. Players control one of two “speedmobs” (made up of three warbikers and a larger vehicle, either the Kustom Boosta-blasta or the Shokkjump Dragsta) who compete over various scenarios, from straight-up races to attack missions and more traditional scraps. The emphasis is on fast, kinetic encounters with the vehicles modified by “speshual gubbinz” like boosters, spike droppers and grippy tyrez – sorry, tyres.

The miniatures are typically great – the warbikes are older kits, but still look good (and, not coincidentally, make a solid starting force for a 40K Ork army). They are, however, a little trickier than usual to build, requiring a fair bit of additional knife-work and painting in stages to get good results. It’s nothing that will put off skilled hobbyists, but may be a little daunting for beginners – a shame, as the game itself is fast, fun and very easy to get to grips with. Will Salmon