UNBOXING: Conquest: City States Warband 2026 - Para Bellum Games

Hail Mighty Readers and Followers of the Luck Gods Math Rocks, 

Here is the second video in a series from us in regard to the unboxing of various soldiers from Para Bellum Games Conquest: First Blood.  We're excited to share it with you and hope that you'll enjoy it.  

In addition to this we're also linking Interviews and Unboxings that we have done in conjunction with this setting so you can easily locate it all.  

Interview with Game Creators

Unboxing: Persenia the Gorgon

Unboxing City States Warband 2026

Unboxing Alternate Jarl

All the best,

ThunderMouser

NEWS: Pre-orders for the Old Dominion and Sorcerer Kings - Para Bellum Games

Hail Mighty Readers and Followers of the Luck Gods Math Rocks, 

With us getting excited for the forthcoming release from Para Bellum Games Conquest: First Blood, City States Terataur, we wanted to share what was coming next month for Old Dominion as well as the Sorcerer Kings.  All of which are set to be released on 22nd October 2026 but available for pre-order now, here's what is to come:

To learn more about the Old Dominion click here.

To learn more about the Sorcerer Kings click here.

Old Dominion: Tainted Heralds - 

Some of the greatest Heroes and Saints of the Dominion, collectively known as Heralds, were not buried in the grand mausoleums and sepulchers of their predecessors. Their treated remains were encased in stone and metal, becoming ornate statues that provided comfort and solace to their followers long after death. Hazlia’s Fall innervated their remains, but for centuries they remained trapped in the protective casings. Only an incredibly high concentration of Hazlia’s Dark Power can grant these forms mobility, coursing through their skeletal limbs as dark flame to move their heavy structures while softening the metal. On the battlefield, once exposed to enough power, their blows are unstoppable, their flesh impervious, and their effectiveness uncontested.

Old Dominion: Fallen Angels -

The Fallen Pantheon was not composed only of divinities. Countless angels, seraphs, cherubs, thorns, powers, and principalities were incarnated to serve their will and needs. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of these were destroyed during the Fall, but a few proved more resilient. Individually named and revered, their shrines and statues became loci of power and belief, allowing them to retain a toehold in the Prime Domain after the Theomachy that culled the Pantheon immediately following the Fall. Awakened by the rituals of the ever faithful or commanded by their Fallen Divinities their heavy bodies can soar through the heavens, their memories of flight strong enough to overcome the laws of the world as they Herald the arrival of their Gods in a torrent of bloodshed and murder.

Sorcerer Kings: Eternal Destroyers - 

There are those Eternals that see perfection as the ultimate goal of all Creation. Since they are perfect, why can’t all of Creation be? They have taken upon themselves the heavy burden imposed by their perfection: removing all imperfection from the Domains so that Creation might not be sullied by their presence while making room for more of those things and creatures that they deem worthy. Over untold millennia of open conflict with everything they have become formidable warriors by necessity, as inferior creatures, unable to understand their own inequity, often resist their merciful destruction. Coupled with their incredible resilience and ability to restore themselves, they make unstoppable foes on the battlefield.

Sorcerer Kings: Eternal Ikons - 

There are few creatures as difficult to deal with as the Eternals of the Earth Domain. Possessed of an unfathomable conviction of their own perfection, these powerful elementals cannot be forced or cajoled, their innate arrogance makes them incredibly resistant to this type of overt manipulation. Their ego, though, does make them susceptible to flattery and subterfuge, allowing powerful sorcerers to lay traps for them to willingly blunder into. They are commonly used as guardians and protectors of key structures or locations simply so their summoner doesn’t have to deal with their insufferable nature. When gainsaid, insulted, or god forbid, their perfect forms are damaged, they become infuriated, drawing on the very strength of the earth to renew their form and crush their foes.

Sorcerer Kings 2026 Starter: One Player Starter Set

Having unlocked the Elemental Domains of Primordial Balance, the sorcerous cabal that caused Hazlia’s Fall fled the destruction of Capitas across a chain of volcanic islands they raised. Forced, ultimately, to raise an entire continent from the very seafloor, the people they saved would see their Kings turn the new, barren and desolate lands into flourishing realms. Today, the Elemental Courts of Erme, Who moves the Oceans, Dyelin, Pyre of Gods and Men, Hormus, Who Lays Mountains Low, and Alessa, Weaver of Winds and Fates, thrive side by side their reflections in the Elemental Domains – while their Enclaves remain locked in a constant pursuit of knowledge, artistry, military and, above all, sorcerous might to support their masters’ purpose: absolute control over the Elements, so that they can preserve and rule Balance’s Domain – the world.

All the best,

ThunderMouser

UNBOXING: Conquest: First Blood: City States: Persenia the Gorgon - Para Bellum Games

Hail Mighty Readers and Followers of the Luck Gods Math Rocks, 

We return with an unboxing of the wonderous miniature from Para Bellum Games, Persenia The Gorgon, a hero for the City States faction.  We just love getting to show you things from our own personal collection, so you can make informed decisions about what you want to add to your own forces, or as miniatures for a fab TTRPG.  

Interview with Game Creators

Unboxing: Persenia the Gorgon

Unboxing City States Warband 2026

Unboxing Alternate Jarl

We hope you enjoy our video and if there's something that you'd like to see please let us know.

All the best,

ThunderMouser

NEW ARMY: Para Bellum Games Conquest: First Blood: City States - Totally Pawsome

Just to prove that we're putting our money where our mouth is, here's the evidence that we have picked up our beginner force for Para Bellum Games Conquest: First Blood Army.  In the picture you can see that we have our Warband, our Reinforcements and of course Persenia the Gorgon.  This means that our forces to date are:

Leaders:

Persenia the Gorgon (Aristarch)

1x Andromarchos

1x Aristarch

Troops

• 8x Thorakites (with 2 Leaders), Dual Kit Option Available
• 2x Companion Cavalry
• 4x Agema, Dual Kit Option Available
• 4x Selinoi, Dual Kit Option Available
• 4x Sacred Band
• 1x Minotaur Thyrean, Dual Kit Option Available

We're not sure where we are going after these but after a good read of the rules we'll make our choices.  We do however really want the Terataur Prime mini out at the end of September.

Of course we'll shortly be doing an unboxing of each of these and hopefully a video of construction for each and with luck, painting tips.  We hope you'll join us for this new journey.

All the best,

ThunderMouser

NEWS: New Artisan Miniature for City States and New Army for The Hundred Kingdoms - Para Bellum Games

Para Bellum Games have let us know about some new mini's coming to their Conquest worlds for players.  First off is the mega exciting Terataur Prime, for the City States (well we had to announce this one first as we're going to be fielding a City States Army.)  As well as a brand new Hundred Kingdoms Orders Starter (both of which are coming towards the end of September 2026.)  Here is whats happening in Para Bellum Game's own words:

Terataur Prime:

At the center of the Terataur program stand the Terataur primes, possessing not only the unstoppable mechanical might of the Terataurs, but a fully human mind.When the mortal form of a commander or decorated hero is injured beyond even the ability of the City States chirurgeons to recover, they are given a choice: a hero’s death or the promise of external glory. The few brave, or foolish, souls who agree undergo a fiendishly complex surgery. Through the divine power of phlogiston, their conscious mind is ablated layer by layer onto thin metal sheets. The techne of the City States Theurgists allows them to reconstitute the mind, or those parts that have survived transcription, by layering these sheets with incredibly complex clockwork and crystal arrays, creating a copy of the mind that came before. 

Distant and other, these incredible artifacts are then fitted into the bespoke form of a Terataur, granting 

it a power and resilience it never possessed in life, a true and unstoppable fusion of metal, techne, will 

and phlogiston. 

As an Artisan Series release, the Terataur Prime is sculpted in Conquet’s premium resin tier, making it an amazing model for painting as well; as play, and a striking new addition to a collectors shelf or on the tabletop. First Blood fans will enjoy rules that make this play as either a Populist Hero or Scholae 

Masterwork unit, each with their own strategic advantage, and disadvantage to create a challenge both 

for the gamer using this, and their opponent! 

Look for the City States Artisan Series Terratur Prime coming in September to your LGS and on the Para Bellum E-Shop (not there at the time of writing this article but should be there shortly).

Hundred Kingdom The Orders One Player Starter Set:

Para Bellum Wargames, developer and publisher of the fantasy Regimental Miniature Wargame 

“Conquest: The Last Argument of Kings” and updated Skirmish system “Conquest: First Blood,” 

announces the Hundred Kingdoms One Player Starter - The Orders, a complete Orders-themed army ready for either gameplay system. These new items will be released on September 25, 2026. 

This one-player starter delivers a fully playable First Blood army and a strong foundation for TLAOK, including the new dual-kit St. Lazarus regiments, the new Order of the Sword Priory Commander, an Order of the Sealed Temple Cavalry Set, and a dual-kit Order of the Sword/Militia infantry set. Also included are quick start guides for First Blood II and TLAOK II , assembly instructions, a Path of Conquest guide, twelve 16mm dice, a 2D Terrain Set, an Ea Paper Map, and all necessary Command Cards, bases and stands. 

Leading the force is the Order of the Sword Priory Commander, a peerless swordsman who steadies his 

Brothers Militant in the thick of battle. He’s joined by the Penitents and Martyrs of St. Lazarus, a dual kit pairing an unbreakable defensive wall with a reckless, morale-breaking vanguard, and the Order of the Sword infantry, whose Silubaster-veined arms make them among the most feared infantry in the game.  These are brand new units to the Hundred Kingdom forces that further build the Orders sub-faction. 

The Hundred Kingdoms field good troops in great numbers, backed by cavalry second to none and a 

flexibility that keeps opponents guessing. From disciplined infantry lines to thundering charges to shrewd combined-arms tactics. Learn more at  para-bellum.com/the-hundred-kingdoms . 

The Hundred Kingdoms One Player Starter - The Orders is available for preorder now, with release on 

September 25,2026, at your favorite FLGS and the Para Bellum E-Shop (Not there at time of writing this article but should be up shortly.)

Now I don't know about you, but we're pretty excited for both of these releases and unfortunately for us, both of these boxes are going to be must purchases.  So whilst we were initially looking at a secondary army of W’adrhŭn, this Hundred Kingdom force is looking very likely to overtake it, especially when paired with the fabulous Trebuchet.

All the best,

ThunderMouser

STARTING A NEW GAME: Picking our First Warband for Conquest: First Blood - Totally Pawsome

There comes a time when you are the newbie in any hobby, so rather than try to give advice based on what others have said or our own experiences with other miniature games, we've decided to jump in at the deep end and purchase our first Warband forPara Bellum Games Conquest II: First Blood.  

Now as you've probably guessed the first option is to see which one speaks to you.  Having spent a hell of a lot of time going through each army, falling in love with them all, I narrowed it down to two that I really wanted to start with.  These two choices were:

The City States:

While the rest of the world crumbled under the might of the Fall, the City States were flourishing, picking through the greatest secrets of the old Dominion and delving into the secrets of archemy and divinity. Today, they are the greatest repositories of knowledge and the inheritors of the glory that was once the Humanity’s Dominion. At least that is what the Locutors of the City States would have one believe. While the City States were founded on the highest principles of philosophy, ethics and education available to mankind, the vision of their founder was tarnished soon after its birth. Today, the City States stand split among the Demagogue, Militarist and Academic Councils, wielding their glorious heritage and advanced technology to challenge each other; and any who might threaten them for supremacy.

The W’adrhŭn:

Orcs on Dinosaurs! Enough said… 

On a more serious note, the W’adrhun were created by the Spires when they tired of spawning their armies and sought instead to breed them. Driven by their own sense of superiority and perfectionism, initial failures led the Spires to create the Primes: W’adrhun bodies powerful and perfect enough that they could be animated by the Primordial Aspects of War, Death, Famine and Conquest. Prematurely unleashed upon the Dweghom during the Fall, Conquest, the living goddess of the W’adrhun orchestrated their escape and survival even as her siblings each perished in the conflagration. Bred for war and baptized in the flames of battle, the W’adrhun have nonetheless struggled to find their own path in the world, seeking to shape their own culture away from the overwhelming influence of their own tailored creation. 

And by the closest of margins the winners were The City States, purely because, I've been painting a ton of Orc figures recently for Warhammer 40K and I wanted something a little different.  I will be doing a W’adrhŭn Army, but that's on the back shelf for now.

So now that I've picked where I'm going where do I start?  Well, thankfully Para Bellum Games has that in hand.  I'm going with the Warband, the best place to start with some mini's to get going with.

Warband:

1x Aristarch

4x Thorakites / Agema (Leader)

4x Selinoi / Satyroi

4x Sacred Band

1x Companion Cavalry

3D Terrain (includes 2 pieces at random from a series of 6 structures)

Pack of 6 Dice

Measuring Tool

First Blood Quick Start Guide

License Card.

Reinforcements (Available 28th August 2026)

After I have that done, my next purchase is going to be the Reinforcement box which looks like this and breaks down as:

1x Andromachos Miniature

4x Thorakites with Leader (Dual Kit Option Available)

4x Agema (Dual Kit Option Available)

x4 Companion Cavalry

x4 Command Cards

2 sets of 3D punch out Terrain (randomly assorted)

x1 License Card.

Leader:  Persenia the Gorgon (Aristarch) (Released 28th August 2026)

x1 Resin Miniature

x1 Infantry Base and Stand

x1 Command Card

x1 License Card.

So thats my current purchase list, however the way I'm going to do it is buy one, then get it done, then the second and finally finish the third before I start adding other bits.

Obviously currently we're just going to order the Warband (as the others aren't out yet.)  But its a good solid start to entering into the Conquest Hobby without a massive layout as each part is designed to build upon what has gone before to a greater whole.  (Which is something I think is a great way to go as anyone you play with a warband will have an equally balanced force, and likewise with each addition)

This also means that you get to game and learn how your forces work best so you know which strategy you can employ for each part of your boxset without having to absorb too much too soon, or worrying about having to buy x so you can do y only to learn small parts of the game without getting the full experience.  Likewise you don't end up with a ridiculous sized army to paint with nothing done.

On  the whole I am getting pretty excited to start and looking forward to getting on with it, so I'm going to be scheduling box openings, painting tips etc as I go along.  I'm not an expert, I'm not an award winner, I'm all about painting them to the best of my ability and getting them on the table to play with. 

The only thing that I'm going to critique for this that stops this from being my ultimate force is rather than utilising human cavalry, what would have made it epic would have been Centaurs in Greek Armour.  Likewise, for the future, I'd also love to have Harpies for zipping about the board as this set does engage deeply into the whole mythos (with us having Satyrs and also Minotaurs.)

So join us for the journey (and hopefully its going to be legendary), and we hope that we'll inspire you too, to pick up a set and give this game a go.

All the best,

ThunderMouser

LATEST NEWS: Special Characters for your Warband in Conquest: First Blood and Gen Con 2026 - Para Bellum Games

In this latest news from Para Bellum Games they've released as PDF for Characters that you can use in your army Warband for Conquest: First Blood that can be used in all types of play right up to competition.  The new characters currently available in this document are:

Included are the following Legendary Characters:

King Fredrik (Hundred Kingdoms)

Erich Schur (Hundred Kingdoms)

Ragodosh the Stone Faced King (Dweghom)

Nagenyua (W’adrhŭn)

Persenia the Gorgon (City States)

Murakame Wako (Yoroni)

Skypiercer Yindak (Sorcerer Kings)

The Alchemist (Spires)

Faithbearer Reginleif (Nords)

Andronicus the Firebringer (Old Dominion)

Oberon, Consort of Summer (Weaver Courts)

The only thing that you can't do with them is purchase upgrades as they already come with their own special rules.

To read the full release please go here, where you can also Download it for free.  

BREAKING NEWS:  Para Bellum Games Conquest at Gen Con Reveals:

Para Bellum Wargames, the developer and publisher of the fantasy Regimental Miniature Wargame “Conquest: The Last Argument of Kings” and updated Skirmish system “Conquest: First Blood” releases a raft of new items!

GenCon will be the debut of three items in booth 3031!

The new Yoroni Oni Monstrous Cavalry brings a new look to the tables. These are cavalry units, sized in a new way that dominates the play. The perfect fusion of honor, power and ruthless force, an Oni Kishin bears different ritual weapons: unleashing the brutal impact of them with their ceremonial Yari as Raiu, the Storm; or as Kiba, Fang Horsemen, bearing an Odachi, symbolizing their hunger for challenge and glory. Demon brutes on equally ferocious “horses” makes this a must have item for Yoroni players. Look for the Raiu and Kishin on July 30th at GenCon and your favorite FLGS.

Balancing the Yoroni brutality with beauty, we bring forth the Sorcerer Kings Marid Artisan Series. Two different models, the Apsara and Shaytan, are stunning models for painting or playing. These are the expansion into the Water forces, enigmatic and reclusive, they are, however, not immune to the powers and efforts of the Water Sorcerers in enlisting their aid. When they arrive onto the battlefield, they seldom do so alone, suddenly appearing with their entire court to deal a decisive blow, enhanced by their spellcasting ability. This is an Artisan Series, which for Conquest indicates a resin model that has had exquisite sculpting, making the most of the full artistry that the original concept art launched. Available July 30th at GenCon and at FLGS worldwide.

And our GenCon Con Exclusive for summer fun is “Traveling Gillbury”! Part of our Murderous Fish Gnome army, this maintains their irreverent looks and comes with a fun “MFG” scenario game for additional play value. Fans can also use any of these in any casual game as an alternate model just for fun! The Traveling Gillbury makes sure gamers are not alone anymore as they play in the dirty world of Ea and head for the end of the round! Available during GenCon only at Booth 3031, and our E-Shop for that week. And only for that week.

More news as we get it,

ThunderMouser

LATEST NEWS: Conquest: FIrst Blood: How to pick your Army - Para Bellum Games

OK, you've been seeing the name Para Bellum Games and know that they have two fab games out that use the same miniatures, Conquest: Last Argument of Kings and Conquest: First Blood but you have no idea where to start.  Well you've come to the right post to direct you to the right place.  Our blog friends, Jacob and Joel Rasmussen (who we had the pleasure to interview a few weeks ago.), have created a guide on where to start.  You can read it here.

If you want a brief overview of how to play, you can catch up with Leo in the video below:

More news as we get it,

ThunderMouser

INTERVIEW: Conquest and Conquest: First Blood Creators: Joel and Jacob Rasmussen - Para Bellum Games

Jacob (L) & Joel (R) Rasmussen

We love the opportunity to talk to people within the TTRPG community, and one of the interviews we're really proud of this year is this one with Para Bellum Games Jacob and Joel Rasmussen, designers of Conquest: The Last Argument of Kings and Conquest: First Blood.  Getting to delve into their past, their straight forward approach to gaming being easy to learn and where their love for TTRPG's all began...

Totally Pawsome:  As a creator for the Conquest games, what inspired you to design it and what do you feel it brings to a table that will have people falling in love with the setting?

Jacob:  Our goal with the new First Blood was to create a system with simple yet very flavorful and immersive rules. You can truly feel each clash as a struggle between two warriors which makes for some very heroic and memorable moments!

Joel:  For the new First Blood, a goal established early on was creating an experience that was truly unique yet familiar to the rank-and-flank version of Conquest. We asked ourselves: “how can we experiment and differentiate while maintaining the essence of the prior versions”? We feel that we landed on quite the sweet spot, incorporating some essentials such as rolling low=good and same statlines, while adding new innovations such as a dice comparative combat system and hidden card based deployment.

We also place a high value on variety, theming, and differentiation when writing statlines and armies. When you look at a miniature and read their lore, that should translate to how they play on the tabletop. The naming of abilities and addition of unique special rules act as a gateway to the full background and setting of Conquest. If a player reads a cool name or effect, they will be inclined to read more about the lore to get a better understanding of their faction and the world of Eä.

TP:  What would you say is the best selling point of your Wargames?

Jacob:  Something we are both very pleased with is that First Blood is a very approachable game, simple to learn yet hard to master, the best sort of game for all sorts of players. As players battle it out, they will slowly find ways to improve and get more out of each Warrior on the battlefield. (but none of these tricks/optimizations learned come at the expense of the experience!) It is truly magical when a competitive player can battle it out against a laid back opponent where both can walk away satisfied.

TP:  With so many Heroes and species within what was your favourite to design, play and why?  (This could be multiple answers.)

Joel:  I feel that the City States turned out very well. Translating a faction that relies on order, discipline, and the formation of soldiers into a skirmish game is no easy task. Having the choice of maintaining the strategy that you set at the start of the round which benefits your disciplined Hoplites  versus breaking formation that abandons the set gameplan which benefits your auxiliary troops such as Minotaurs is great fun. 

Jacob:  The Yoroni are an obvious choice when discussing fun, as each Warrior is of brutish stature (worth about 4x that of a normal warrior) they all are extremely noteworthy and unique. From their Unique Activation system to all of their fun flavor rules (Yes, the Sumo-like Kami Ayakashi can body slam Enemies), each individual Warrior truly brings something new to the table.

TP:  Where do you see the Conquest world developing to and can you tell us anything about future products?

Joel:  We would love to implement even more variety in how our players can interact with our games and setting. Official support for slow-grow league play, narrative map-based campaign systems, multiplayer battles, and anything else that we can add to the Conquest experience. For what shiny new miniatures are in the pipeline, all we can say is to tune into our Happy Hour streaming events for the first glimpses into what is currently in the works.

TP:  When you designed your world what were the key things you wanted to include and why?

Joel:  Our home lies in the dungeons of game design, such lore questions are better answered by Leo Stavros, as the world of Conquest is his brainchild. Para-Bellum does offer an incredibly beautiful and insightful lore book which covers factions not yet adapted into playable armies. I would recommend looking there if you want to see what the future may hold!

TP:  Who do you think would love to play your Wargames and why?

Jacob:  We like to think there is something in First Blood for everyone, but the players that will be most fulfilled playing First Blood are those looking for replayability, on-your-toes strategy, and memorable experiences. First Blood’s Dynamic Scenario system along with hidden deployment truly makes no two games quite the same. 

TP:  Where do you see your TTRPG writing career taking you in 5 years?

Joel: There are a plethora of new factions and mysteries to yet explore in the world of Conquest. There are also possibilities of even more ways to use your miniature collection, such as dungeon crawling games and siege battles. At Para-Bellum there are even more esoteric ideas and endeavors that are pondered that I cannot discuss here! 

TP:  If budget was not a problem and you had an infinite fund to call upon, what do you think you'd like to develop and bring to the fore?

Jacob:  This is a difficult one to pin down, there of course are many ideas that are kicked around and some are definitely more “realistic” than others but we feel that we can't share too much here as no one truly knows what the future holds…

Joel:  I see room for innovation by incorporating more digital aspects into miniature games, merging video game and tabletop game experiences together. Touch screen battlefields that interface with miniatures, dynamic apps that track ability cooldowns; the possibilities are endless!

TP:  Who do you admire in the Independent TTRPG writing space and why?

Joel:  We have to pay respects to the giants that exist in this space for their legacy and for onboarding new players into the wider world of tabletop gaming. With that being said, we are always appreciative of companies and individuals that truly try to do their own thing that offers game mechanics and experiences seen nowhere else in our sphere.

Jacob:  With how big the once-niche hobby of tabletop gaming has grown, it is a bright future where many individual designers and small teams are creating some truly unique experiences for all to have. We greatly appreciate when we see things that are genuinely new appear in the market, as their success pushes everyone else to grow and create better games for us all to enjoy.

TP:  What got you into TTRPG's in the first place?

Joel: We come from a very nerdy little area of the American midwest in Wisconsin, with a strong tabletop gaming community that stretches back decades. We are right by some of the largest miniature and tabletop gaming conventions, and also only a 20 minute drive to the town where Dungeons and Dragons was created. It was only a matter of time before we would get sucked in!

I love the blend of artistry, strategy, and creativity that miniature gaming consists of. There is something I find so satisfying about pushing your little dudes around the table that you built and painted yourself that you cannot find in any other hobby.

Jacob: When we set our first foot into our local hobby shop, it was love at first sight. The tactile experience of building/painting minis, rich fictional worlds to explore, AND fun games to play with your friends? The multi-faceted nature of TTRPGs is what makes it the vastly growing success that it is; no matter your mood, the individual, or your time to spare there is always some way to engage with it. As we become more and more attached to our technology, it really is no wonder so many people are picking it up!

Here are the links to other relevant articles:

Interview with Game Creators

Unboxing: Persenia the Gorgon

Unboxing City States Warband 2026

Unboxing Alternate Jarl

For those going to UKGE 2026, please visit the Para Bellum Games area on Conquest Avenue (3-462) for a chance to learn how to play the games, discuss history and pick up some fab miniatures.

All the best,

ThunderMouser