Trench Crusade: Carcass Front, First Look and Why I Preordered It

Disclosure: I preordered this with my own money. Nobody sent it to me. There are no affiliate links in this post. How I review

Short version: Trench Crusade: Carcass Front is a boxed starter set with two new plastic warbands, a campaign book and some terrain, and I preordered it because the sculpts are an absolute joy to behold. To be clear, this is a first look, not a review. I haven’t assembled, painted or played it, so you won’t get opinions on how it plays.

Why I preordered it

The sculpts are incredible- that’s most of the reason, and I’m not going to dress it up. I’m also excited to play it, and I play Trench Crusade with a regular opponent, so another pair of warbands is easy to justify.

It’s also the one with the pilgrims and the crab people. Fair warning on that: “crab people” is my nickname for the Heretic Naval Raiders. The official write-ups describe them as “deep sea diver-coded” and as cruel predators that stalk the shores, and none of them say anything about crabs.

Judge the sculpts for yourself.

What’s in the box

Pulled from the publisher’s announcement and several retailer listings (sources at the bottom):

Miniatures	16 unpainted plastic models, up to two assembly options each
Warbands	Procession of the Sacred Affliction (9 models) and Heretic Naval Raiders (7 models), both built at 700 ducats
Campaign book	96 pages of rules, lore and art, including expanded rules for both warbands
Campaigns	The Path to Leviathan (2-player narrative) and a map-based campaign for 2 to 8 players
Terrain	Two pieces of scatter terrain, abandoned sea mines and tank traps, with rules
Extras	Introductory rules, record sheets, a premium A2 poster map, and per retailer listings, dice and rulers

The Procession of the Sacred Affliction are the leper-pilgrims. The announcement describes them as zealous, hard to kill, and dragging millstones on their backs. They’re the numbers-and-melee warband. The Naval Raiders are the opposite- fewer models, more mobility and infiltration, and a lot of blasphemy-inscribed bullets.

Price and release

• Price: $129.99 USD at announcement, £99.99 and €119.99 in the UK and EU. Retailers discount and mark up, so shop around.
• Release: It was announced for late July 2026, then pushed to an August 31 street date. Distribution has been rocky since, especially in the US, and some retailers were still waiting on stock into October. If you’re ordering through a local store, ask them what they’ve actually received.

Is it a good starter set?

On paper, yes. I can’t tell you how it plays, but the contents answer the usual newcomer questions. You get two complete, ready-to-play warbands in one box, so two people can start without buying anything else. Introductory rules are included. The two warbands play differently, which makes for a more interesting first game than two mirrored forces. And the narrative campaign gives you a reason to keep playing after the first scenario.

The caveats are fair. The models are unpainted and need assembling, and the retail price is not small. If you only want one faction, half the box isn’t for you. Those are real costs, but they don’t change the main point: two people can start from one box with an opponent ready to go.

Verdict

There isn’t one yet, and I’d rather say so than fake it. What I can say is that the sculpts are the reason I preordered, I’m excited to play it, and the box contents look like a sensible way into the game. A real review has to wait until it’s built, painted and on the table.

My rating: 5 out of 5, for the aesthetic. If assembly turns out fiddly, I’ll adjust the score.

Sources

• Trench Crusade, “The Carcass Front Awaits” (March 2026 announcement)
• Trench Crusade, model reveal (April 2026), warband rosters and scatter terrain
• Wargamer, Carcass Front box set coverage
• GamingTrend, starter set announcement
• Brückenkopf-Online, The Carcass Front
• North Star Military Figures listing and Vault Games listing (contents, delay notes)
• Trench Crusade, “New dates for Carcass Front” and Wargame Portal delay updates