Back from vacation. Stay tuned

The Great Hollow Is Beautiful, Brutal, and Breaking Nightreign Players Elden Ring Nightreign’s Great Hollow map frustrates players with deadly chasms, confusing vertical routes, and brutal navigation despite its striking design. I've spent the last week doing something I never thought I'd do in Elden Ring: Nightreign—standing at the edge of a cliff, squinting at the minimap, and whispering, 'Please don't be a death pit.' That's the Great Hollow experience, folks. The Forsaken Hollows DLC has been out for a month and a half now, and while the two new Nightfarers and the new bosses are landing pretty well, the new Shifting Earth map is getting dragged through the mud on Steam. And honestly? I get it. It's Not Technically a New Map, But It Sure Feels Like One The Great Hollow is a Shifting Earth event, so it may or may not show up when you're running a DLC boss. You might get the default map or one of four other Shifting Earths instead. But unlike those other events, which usually transform one part of the map, the Great Hollow basically swaps out the entire area. No central castle. No ravine down the middle. No southern lake or northern cliffs. Instead, you get a giant crystal that looks like it crash-landed and split the land into broken cliffs and multiple vertical levels. There are ruins full of enemies, plus churches, forts, and mines scattered around. The in-game map has multiple layers, and you have to use spirit springs carefully to fall down and shoot back up. It's a lot. The center crystal also holds a major party buff that can be clutch for the final boss. To get it, you need to find and break several smaller colored crystals around the map. Their locations change every attempt. So you can't just memorize one route and call it a day. Why Everyone Is So Frustrated Routing in Nightreign is usually a quick mental exercise. You fly in, pop the map open, and plan a path that gets your team a few extra flasks, a mine for a smithing stone, and a steady line of boss fights so you can collect runes and level up. In the Great Hollow, that plan goes out the window. There are too many vertical levels, too many map layers, and too many 'wait, can I jump down here?' moments. Add the crystal hunt on top, and you have a recipe for confusion. But the worst part? The giant, gaping chasm running through the middle of the map. The chasm grins at you. It knows what you're about to do. Nightreign famously has no fall damage. It encourages sprinting, leaping off ledges, and climbing cliffs. That's part of why it feels so different from Elden Ring. Over the last year, a lot of us have trained ourselves to run and jump without hesitation. Usually, that's fine. The Crater Shifting Earth has a lava pit, but it's easy to avoid. The Great Hollow, though, has a death pit that is annoyingly hard to see. You look over a ledge, think you're good, and then—whoops—you're falling to your death. And the death fall behavior makes it worse. If an enemy kills you, you spawn back at the last Grace you tapped, and your runes are either dropped nearby or picked up by an enemy. If you fall, Nightreign seems to randomly drop you somewhere along a ledge near your death point. That could be above, below, or across from where you jumped. But your runes stay back on the ledge where you started. So you can spawn far away, with your runes behind you across a death pit, and no easy route back. It's the kind of thing that makes you put the controller down and stare at the wall for a minute. The Steam Reviews Are Not Happy The numbers tell the story. While Elden Ring: Nightreign itself has mostly positive reviews, Forsaken Hollows is sitting at Mostly Negative for the last 30 days. Only 30% of 1,347 recent reviews are positive. A lot of them are about the map. One review says: 'The new map is poorly designed, overly difficult and boring. Takes forever to traverse... boss battle tower is a damage-sponge time-wasting chore.' Another says: 'The characters and bosses are great but the new map is absolutely horrible and is ruining the experience of the game as a whole.' A third: 'Love the bosses and new classes but the new map is just trash. There was zero NEED to add gaps in the map to kill YOU. You might as well add fall damage to the game.' I also saw a positive review that summed it up perfectly: 'The new map is [expletive] terrible but everything's so good.' Is It a Skill Issue, or a Design Issue? Not everyone hates the Great Hollow. A recent Reddit thread about the Steam reviews said, 'The more I play, the more I feel like it was fantastically designed.' The replies were divided. Some players acknowledge the flaws but love the challenge. Others call it a skill issue. And honestly, I see both sides. The map is beautiful and unique. It demands a different gameplay flow and much better team coordination so you don't all end up separated and confused. But it's also hard to learn, and the only way to learn is to fail a lot. After 100+ hours in Nightreign, I'm not having the best time trying to learn new bosses, two new characters, and a new map all at once. Though, to be fair, that's kind of the FromSoftware experience. What Works What Hurts Gorgeous crystal wasteland aesthetic Multi-level routing chaos Crystal buff is a cool risk-reward idea Random crystal locations Encourages tight team coordination Hidden death pits New bosses and Nightfarers are great Fall death spawn/Rune loss feels unfair What Could Fix It? I don't think FromSoftware needs to delete the map. But a few changes would go a long way. First, fix where the game places you after a fall. If I die in a chasm, don't strand me on a random ledge with my runes across the void. Second, add a little more clarity to the minimap so I can see levels and death pits before I leap. Third, maybe make the colored crystals show up on the map after day one, so the crystal hunt feels less like a YouTube memory test. That's not dumbing it down; that's respecting my time. The Great Hollow is a beautiful bully. It's thematically cool, visually striking, and genuinely rewarding when a team clicks. But right now, it's also a freaking chore, and the Steam reviews are trying to send a message. I'm hoping a 2026 patch smooths out the rough edges. Until then, I'll be over here, practicing, falling, and muttering, 'Please don't be a death pit.' If the current state of the Great Hollow has you holding off on picking up Nightreign, or waiting to see whether a future patch makes the DLC worth the asking price, it helps to know when that price actually moves. FromSoftware releases and their expansions go on sale at fairly predictable intervals, but the discounts themselves are rarely advertised in advance, and bundle pricing between the base game and expansions can shift overnight without any fanfare. Rather than refreshing storefront pages every few days on the off chance, [this price tracking tool]( does the watching for you. DealNest monitors listings across major retailers and notifies you the moment something you're eyeing drops to a price you'd actually pay — which means you can spend your evenings practicing the new Nightfarers instead of babysitting a checkout page. https://dealnesthq.com

Hi all, I saw this kickstarter and I though some of you may be interested on it. I'm not affiliated with the brand, and honestly I have too many open projects right now so I'm not going to enter. But just for anyone who may be appealed: [image: 1790330156668-3636b6d1-dcfb-4333-a636-8e942d8edbf7-image.jpeg] [image: 1790330164169-26c40a7f-ed3b-43d6-a197-86bcb012967a-image.jpeg] [image: 1790330168611-576391e4-82f8-4d7a-98bc-03b0148f2572-image.jpeg] [image: 1790330173581-bae439b2-9b60-4b38-8159-1487df60ef0a-image.jpeg] [image: 1790330178928-54358995-4ab1-409f-8efa-1b109b05784e-image.jpeg] [image: 1790330183784-331b8d3f-fb6f-4fd2-9c04-d9cb4f791f44-image.jpeg] [image: 1790330189064-a8523765-34df-4f5e-b6a1-a618f4c73f1b-image.jpeg] [image: 1790330199451-de496a44-d43d-49d3-803d-ada1f154f93b-image.jpeg] [image: 1790330207195-a95cfbed-ca56-44a3-9a0f-48dc2323c1a1-image.jpeg] [image: 1790330213385-8d1621ee-85cf-4593-88f5-edf68ca24f39-image.jpeg] Here it goes the link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cesarosconquistadors/cesaros-conquistadors/ (seen in Reddit via MonkOk257)

I've been working on one (more details to follow) but I wonder why it never caught on like it did in say D&D?

By entering, posting in, reading, browsing, glancing at, or even contemplating the Dogs of War Tavern Marketplace (hereafter “THE CONTRACT BOARD”), the user (“YOU,” “THE TRADER,” “THE FOOLHARDY PARTICIPANT”) hereby agrees to the following binding, irrevocable, ironclad, parchment-bound terms, without limitation, reservation, protestation, or muttered complaint: SECTION I — NATURE OF THE CONTRACT BOARD THE CONTRACT BOARD is provided as a casual community venue for private, non-commercial exchange of hobby-related goods, including but not limited to: miniatures, kits, bits, books, sprues, relics of unknown providence, and objects of questionable resin integrity. THE CONTRACT BOARD is not: an auction house, a trading post sanctioned by any sovereign power, a Tilean mercantile guild, nor legally recognized by any authority outside this forum (including but not limited to: courts, magistrates, inquisitions, witch hunters, or Paymasters’ Unions). THE CONTRACT BOARD operates under the ancient principle of CAVEAT EMPTOR (“buyer beware”) and its equally beloved sibling CAVEAT VENDITOR (“seller beware”), and occasionally, CAVEAT IDIOTA (“everyone beware”). SECTION II — LIABILITY WAIVERS The Dogs of War Tavern, its administrators, moderators, staff, agents, familiars, summoned spirits, forum software, banner icons, favicon, and personified coins assume no responsibility whatsoever for: the accuracy of any listing, the condition of any item, postal mishaps, customs seizures, paint adhesion failures, mismolded lead, warped resin, missing pikes, fraudulent Paymasters, or buyers who mysteriously disappear into the Border Princes. YOU acknowledge that all trades are private transactions between consenting hobbyists and that the forum has zero legal obligation to intervene, mediate, investigate, arbitrate, or retrieve goods lost to fate, folly, or the postal service. Any claim arising from a transaction in THE CONTRACT BOARD shall be directed solely at the other party involved and not at the Dogs of War Tavern, which expressly disclaims: liability, warranties, guarantees, assurances, promises, oaths, or pinky swears. SECTION III — USER CONDUCT REQUIREMENTS By posting in THE CONTRACT BOARD, YOU agree to: Represent items honestly and accurately, to the best of your non-professional, non-expert, wholly amateur ability. Communicate in good faith, without deception, delay, vanishing spells, or mysterious “change of heart” messages. Refrain from: price gouging, brigandry, bait-and-switch tactics, privateering, and any activity prohibited by basic human decency. Complete transactions promptly, unless mutually agreed otherwise in writing, on parchment, blood contract, or PM. SECTION IV — FORBIDDEN GOODS & CONDUCT The following are strictly prohibited: Stolen items (even if looted in a just and glorious tabletop battle). Counterfeit or recast miniatures without disclosure. Real weapons, real armor, or anything capable of actual bodily harm. Illegal goods in any jurisdiction, plane of reality, or Warhammer edition. Attempts to weaponize PayPal disputes. Summoning daemons into negotiations. Violators may be: banned, booted, banished, or sentenced to the Paymaster’s Ledger of Shame. SECTION V — INDEMNIFICATION (THE IMPORTANT PART) YOU agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the Dogs of War Tavern and its associated mercenary captains from: * claims, losses, disputes, misunderstandings, bad trades, bad paint jobs, melted sprues, bent spears, missing shields, or any consequence arising from YOUR participation in THE MARKET. In plain language: If something goes wrong — it’s on YOU, not us. SECTION VI — ACCEPTANCE By posting in THE CONTRACT BOARD, YOU affirm that: You have read, acknowledged, understood, misunderstood, skimmed, or ignored these terms. You assume full responsibility for your actions. You accept that this Marketplace operates on goodwill, honesty, and the time-honored tradition of “Don’t Be A Jerk.” IN SUMMARY This is a community-run swap-shop. We provide the space — you handle the deals. Act honorably, trade fairly, and may your packages always arrive uncrushed. “By trading here, you acknowledge that you do so voluntarily, soberly, and without coercion — which honestly puts you ahead of most mercenaries.”

@Willmark you are truly a soldier of fortune: you fight with whatever you've got, and let the dice decide your fate! Let's see how it goes, tomorrow is the big day

Hi, Since getting the classic miniatures today is both quite expensive and very difficult, I'm thinking about to custom Imperial units for a proper Dogs of War. And also I got a threat reasonable concern from my wife regarding the huge amount of grey miniatures, so reusing models seems smart, at least until I paint the rest! My current project for the Empire includes assigning the coat of arms and colours of the swiss cantons, one to each, so each unit represents one of them. For the Elite infantry (we are still talking about the Empire here) I thought about the Reiksguard on foot, painted with the colours of the Swiss Guard of the Pope. This also fits as bodyguard of the Archi-lector... Well, now DoW. I've been playing the whole summer (since I came back to the game) and some of the battles I played them with DoW. But as I do not have the proper models I either borrowed the models or proxied with Empire units. And it worked quite well, if you allow me. So now I need to think how to convert units from Empire to DoW. We'll need: Pikes! so far I can still using lances... I have some old imperial lancers that ahve broken lances, so I can repair them longer than they were. Easy to fix. Crossbows!: I got enough bits from the State Troops of the Empire to build models with crossbows. The basic tilean crossbowmen do not need shields nor anything fancy. Duellists! the Free Companies are quite the men for the job! I know they will look as "germanic" as the rest of the army, missing the "tilean" touch... which is part of the beauty! Heavy cavalry: The Knightly Orders of the Empire going rogue and serving the best paymaster sounds relatable to me. The miniatures are perfect. Light Cavalry: Now this is where the problems begin. I would rather using Kislevite ungors, as they are archers on horse. Another option may be bretonnian mounted yeomen? Cannons: The empire have them covered! Ogres and Dwarfs and Haflings: these can be reused from OgreBulls/Ironguts, basic Dwarfs with CC weapons or crossbows (of course, crossbows!) Paymaster's bodyguard: Now this is a pain in the ass! Because the common sense tells me to use either Greatswords or Reiksguard... but both are using Longswords! And the Bodyguards use Halberds... I have a little obsession with WYSIWYG. And the imperial Halberds feel not Elite enough for the job. For the mounts of the Characters: horses o pegasi, not a problem! I plan to magnetize some bretonnian pegasi for this matter. And for the Paymaster... I though about making a chess to put UNDER him (in 20mm square or 25x50mm for the horse-mounted version), so it is clear for everyone WHO is the paymaster... and if he gets captured the victor can attach the paychest to their unit. What do you guys think??

Summary of the first round Opponent: Oscar Humenberger Faction: Beastmen Brayherds (Wild Herd) Country: Austria VP: 3750/476 BP: 20/20 Tournament army list of Oscar Humenberger (OsboanvonderLauffen), 2000 pts 160 - Bray-Shaman, Wizard Level 2, Daemonology, Spelleater Axe, Lore Familiar 65 - Bray-Shaman, Wizard Level 1, Daemonology 65 - Bray-Shaman, Wizard Level 1, Primal Magic 255 - Great Bray-Shaman, Wizard Level 4, Elementalism, Blood of the Shadowgave, Earthing Rod, Ruby Ring of Ruin 335 - Great Bray-Shaman, Gnarled Hide, Slug-skin, General, Wizard Level 3, Daemonology, The Black Maul, Full Plate Chaos Armour 118 - Wargor, Great Weapon, Heavy Armour, Battle Standard Bearer, Monster Hunter's Tapestry, Charmed Shield 443 - 53 Gor Herds, Additional Hand Weapon, True-horn, Great Weapon, Scourge of the Burdened, Standard Bearer, Magic Standard, Vitriolic Totem, Musician 169 - 21 Primal Warherds, Ambushers [10x Gor, Additional Hand Weapon] [11x Ungor, Throwing Spear, Foe-render, Great Weapon, Standard Bearer] 80 - 15 Ungor Herds, Shortbow, Musician 50 - 10 Ungor Herds, Shortbow, Roaming Warbands 50 - 10 Ungor Herds, Shortbow, Roaming Warbands 55 - 5 Harpies 55 - 5 Harpies 100 - Herdstone

This is the company’s library — a place where captains keep their ledgers, scribes store their parchments, and old campaign wisdom sleeps under dust. Here you’ll find army lists, lore, tactical notes, and the written record of mercenary commanders past and present. Share your strategies, regimental backgrounds, battle reports, and any documents worth preserving for future sellswords. If it belongs in a ledger, a tome, or an old campaign diary, it belongs in the Regimental Archives.