EA announced a week or two ago that Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning would have local Australasian servers which means that lag frustrated locals will have a smoother ride while they get their MMO on. Now they have confirmed that NZ will be getting the a collectors edition of the game.

It contains both bonus items in the form of an art book and a graphic novel but also in game content, I can only assume that this content will be available to be found by people that don’t pre-order. There will also be a Beta which you will be granted access to with the pre-order.

Full list of collectors edition items after the break.

This Collector’s Edition of EA Mythic’s massively-multiplayer online role-playing game will be packed with bonus in-game content and unique collectibles unavailable elsewhere, including an exclusive Games Workshop miniature.
A limited number of the Collector’s Edition will be available in New Zealand and those who pre-order the product will receive additional exclusives including:
         Access to Open Beta
         Special early access to the live game
         Bonus in-game items:
        RITTENBACH’S PORTABLE CAMP: Rest your weary soul and heal your wounds between battles
        SENTINEL’S AMBER BAND: Enhance your stats and cast “Touch of Earth,” increasing your chance of doing additional corporeal damage with each hit (Usable in PvE combat only)

“Collecting has been a part of the Warhammer hobby experience for 25 years, and this special Collector’s Edition continues the tradition with exclusive offerings, including an official Games Workshop miniature,” said Mark Jacobs, VP and General Manager, EA Mythic. “We are bringing the quintessential elements of Warhammer – tabletop miniatures, incredible fantasy art, and delightfully grim fiction – along with exciting in-game bonus content, together in what is sure to be one of the premier Collector’s Editions of all time.”
The WAR Collector’s Edition with an RRP of $169.99 is available NOW for pre-order at local retailers.
The WAR Collector’s Edition will include:

EXCLUSIVE Games Workshop Miniature – Grumlok and Gazbag
From the Age of Reckoning to your tabletop battle! Based on original characters from the MMORPG and designed by Games Workshop specifically for the Collector’s Edition, this official Warhammer metal miniature depicts the Greenskin warboss, GRUMLOK, and his shaman, GAZBAG, in rich detail. WAAAGH!

Original Graphic Novel – prelude to war
The forces of Order and Destruction collide under the red Chaos moon! Commissioned exclusively for the Collector’s Edition, PRELUDE TO WAR is a full-color, 128-page hardcover graphic novel that sets the stage for the start of the game. Written by acclaimed Games Workshop writer Graham McNeill, the oversized book is richly illustrated by Chad Hardin, Joe Abraham, Rahsan Ekedal, Tony Parker, and Kevin Hopgood. Each of the graphic novel’s six chapters tells a unique story about the armies in the game, and together they detail the events leading up to the Age of Reckoning:

ART BOOK - THE ART OF WARHAMMER ONLINE
A stunning collection of art that gave birth to the Age of Reckoning! THE ART OF WARHAMMER ONLINE is a 224-page hardcover collection of original art from the game. Each of the glossy, full-color pages showcases the talented work of our concept artists and offers a glimpse at a world in the making.

Bonus In-Game Item - The Grindmonger Trilogy
This is one Warhammer self-help book that is definitely worth the read. Readers of the Grindmonger Trilogy earn experience at 110% of normal levels for a limited time. The book can be read 3 times before losing its arcane powers. (+10% XP modifier for 60 minutes, 3 uses, 90 minute reuse timer.)

Bonus In-Game Content – Quests, Rewards, and Titles New adventures and just rewards await players on the battlefields of WAR! Purchasers of the Collector’s Edition will begin their adventures in the Age of Reckoning with twelve (12) bonus quests awaiting them in their Tome of Knowledge. Each quest offers an exciting in-game reward, as well as a character title, to those that complete the challenges before them.

Bonus In-Game Content – Character Heads
Stand out in a crowd with a look unlike anyone else’s! The WAR Collector’s Edition includes twelve (12) bonus heads for additional character customization options. Each race gets a truly unique look (with male and female versions) that is sure to turn heads on the battlefields and be the envy of everyone in the army.