Today we’re going to be taking a look at how to actually play the new Age of Sigmar: Skirmish Warbands, and if they’re really worth their value.
With the new skirmish book out the battle is moving to the Realm of Death in the city of Shadespire! Having read through the book it has the look and feel of Mordhiem, but adds in a little bit of Descent (from Fantasy Flight Games) for warband management. The scenarios are all interesting, unique, and different with new challenges and win conditions.
That being said GW could write a ton of stuff for this (how about new scenarios and campaigns in the White Dwarf!) and even add some more advanced rules down the road.
Speaking of campaign, they recommended starting a campaign with 25 renowned but this is too small. You must have 3 models with one of them a hero, which most heroes are 20-25 renown. This severely limits what models you can take (especially Destruction & Death) so I would suggest starting with 35 points and moving on from there. That being said let’s take a look at the new Skirmish Warband sets that GW is offering for $65 each.
Khorne Bloodbound Frenzied Wartribe:
- Exalted Deathbringer: 16 renown
- 5 Skullreapers or Wrathmongers: 7 renown each
- 3 Blood Warriors: 4 renown each
- Total 63 Renown
Not bad as the Skullreapers and Wrathmongers are $57 and the Exalted Deathbringer is $30 new…. That being said you get far more choices for cheaper by getting the Khorne Brotherhood side of the Age of Sigmar Starter Set. That gives you 3 different heroes to choose from (Mighty Lord of Khorne, Bloodsecrator, Bloodstoker) and 3 different units (5 Blood Warriors, 20 Bloodreavers, and 1 Khorgorath) for about the same price if not cheaper.
Flesh Eater Courts Nightfeast Hunters:
- 2 Crypt Horrors or Crypt Flayers or Vargheists: 11 renown each
- 1 Crypt Infernal Courtier: 28 renown
- 20 Crypt Ghouls: 2 renown each
- Total 90 Renown
This one is pretty good in that you get a ton of crypt ghouls (always needed for Flesh Eater Courts) a pretty strong hero with the Crypt Infernal Courtier, and then 2 beefy Crypt Horrors (or the other variations). So for getting into the game I would say this is a pretty solid first buy that can then be bulked up by purchasing the getting started Flesh Eater Courts set down the road.
Ironjawz Weirdnob Warband:
- 5 Orruk Brutes: 7 renown each
- 5 Ardboys: 4 renown each
- 1 Weirdnob Shamen: 24 renown
- Total 79 Renown
This is another interesting set and one I can get behind. The Weirdnob Shamen gives you some magic to start the campaign with and your Brutes and Boys are tough enough to take on anything. Plus on top of that this also adds on very nicely to the start collecting IronJawz boxed set. Plus the models you get for the price is not bad either with the Brutes are $50 new, and the shaman is $33 alone worth the cost.
Stormcast Eternals Hammerstrike Brethren:
- 2 Retributors: 8 renown each
- 3 Liberators: 4 renown each
- 1 Knight Questor: 20 renown
- 3 Prosecutors: 8 renown each
- Total 72 Renown
This is another one you should pass on because it has everything you get with the Age of Sigmar Starter Set but less. The only thing this box has that the starter set doesn’t is the Knight Questor which is pretty cheap on ebay. Going with the Age of Sigmar Starter Set you get the same amount of Prosecutors, 10 Liberators instead of just 3, 3 Retributors instead of 2, a Lord Relictor, and a Lord Celestant on Dracoth. You can get all that for cheaper than the skirmish box off of ebay. Note: you cannot use the Lord Celestant on Dracoth in the skirmish rules.
So there you have it my thoughts on the skirmish starter boxes, I like the Ironjawz and Flesheater Courts but am not a fan of the Khorne Bloodborne or Stormcast Eternals one. It is too bad they didn’t change it up a bit and offer a skirmish box of one of the other Order and Chaos armies that could be expanded on with a start collecting box down the road.
My thoughts on the skirmish game itself is that it is a great way to get a little mini campaign going with some of your friends that could be finished in a night or two. But even more so then Age of Sigmar I think you need a lot of terrain to fight over and block line of sight. This is especially true with the small model count, on a 4 x 4 board.
Also I hope they add more “campaigns” to the game and maybe even an injury and exploration chart…. That could just be the Mordhiem player in me though.
More on Age of Sigmar
About the Author: Travis Perkins
