Behind the Scenes of Sylvania: The Cursed County Cover

How to make a nightmare inviting? Legendary artist Alessandro Boer rose up to the challenge to illustrate the cover for Sylvania: The Cursed County for Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay. Today, he shares his experience bringing the Cursed County to reality:

Working on the cover for the upcoming Sylvania book was a true honour. One of the things I have always appreciated most about collaborating with the Cubicle 7 development team is the openness and trust they give to their artists. That level of creative freedom is incredibly motivating, and it constantly pushes me to give my absolute best.

From the very beginning, I wanted this cover to capture the same sense of fear and fascination I used to feel while flipping through the old Warhammer Army Books, while still embracing the unique identity of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay. Sylvania needed to feel horrifying, mysterious, and tragically beautiful all at once.

Early in development, we decided it would be fascinating to portray Sylvania through the eyes of travellers — almost like a cursed travel guide into one of the most infamous regions of the Old World. Once we had that idea, the next question became obvious: who could possibly guide players through such a nightmare?

We quickly realised this was the perfect opportunity to introduce something long-awaited in Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay: a Vampire Hunter. Paired with a Sigmarite Priest, they immediately felt like the ideal protagonists for this descent into darkness.

We spent some time exploring what kind of horror they might first encounter upon entering Sylvania. Initially, we considered a more traditional undead ambush hidden within the woods, but eventually, we wanted something more grounded and disturbingly believable. And what could feel more plausible in Sylvania than stumbling upon a mass grave on the road to Castle Drakenhof, only to witness the dead rising from the earth itself?

That idea instantly felt right.

I wanted the forest itself to feel alive and hostile, almost as though the trees were becoming claws ready to close around the travellers. The zombies emerge both from the ground and from the darkness between the trees, shown in as much grotesque variety as possible to reinforce the feeling that Sylvania itself is corrupted beyond salvation.

To fully communicate the terror awaiting players within these books, we realised the heroes themselves needed to feel vulnerable and overwhelmed. The Vampire Hunter was designed to embody determination and resolve, standing firm before the undead threat, while the Priest represents fear held at bay only through faith in Sigmar.

At that point, the scene needed a spark of hope — something capable of pushing back against the oppressive darkness. The manifestation of Sigmar’s divine power became the perfect answer. While the Vampire Hunter prepares to confront the undead head-on, the Priest calls upon Sigmar’s protection, unleashing the light of the Twin-Tailed Comet across the scene and illuminating the nightmare surrounding them.

The contrast between light and shadow became one of the key elements of the entire piece. Darkness needed to dominate the composition while still allowing the image to remain readable and visually engaging. Colour choices were equally important: the sickly green glow of Morrslieb spreads across the landscape almost like a stain infecting everything it touches, balanced by the blazing yellow light of the Twin-Tailed Comet violently cutting through the dark.

Designing the characters themselves was also one of the most enjoyable parts of the process. I love filling characters with narrative details that help tell their story at a glance.

The Sigmarite Priest is actually the same character who will represent the Priest career in the upcoming Core Book. I have always loved the idea of creating continuity between the pieces I work on, helping the world feel more connected and believable.

The Vampire Hunter, however, became a particularly special character to design. Every detail was carefully considered, starting with the hat itself. Initially, the idea was to give her the classic tall Witch Hunter hat, but we wanted something even more distinctive and memorable. Then I remembered one of Victor Saltzpyre’s hats from Vermintide, and suddenly the direction became crystal clear: a large bicorne adorned with feathers, a Sigmarite badge, and roses of Morr, symbolising the blessing of both gods.

From there, the details kept growing naturally: shields bearing the heraldry of Sylvania, charms and relics hanging from her equipment, and even a vampire skull stripped of all its teeth and wrapped in garlic crowns — trophies from countless battles against the undead. I wanted every element to suggest the story of someone who had spent years preparing to survive the horrors of the night.

In many ways, this cover became a love letter to everything I have always adored about Warhammer Fantasy: terror, faith, decay, heroism, and the fragile hope that survives even in a world consumed by darkness.

If this image can make someone feel even a fraction of the fascination and dread I experienced as a fan opening those books for the first time, then I believe we achieved exactly what we set out to create.