The Forbidden Power expansion has come and gone for Age of Sigmar and we have to ask, compared to Malign Sorcery, was it worth it?
I am still waiting on the FAQ, but I am going to compare Forbidden Power to last year’s expansion as well. Malign Sorcery is the most recent expansion which also happens to be 15 dollars cheaper.
I am not going to go into the Malign Sorcery rules you can see those here and here if you’re curious. I want to compare the overall plastic you get. In Malign you got a whopping 13 Endless Spells with warscroll cards and an 88-page booklet. In Forbidden Power, you get 4 Endless Spell and a scenery piece, a single page of tokens, some warscroll cards, and an 88-page booklet.
Let’s break this down a little bit:
Models:
You get way more usable models in Malign Sorcery than you do in Forbidden Power that seemed a little bit more unique from one another. Let’s be honest the models in Forbidden Power look like the Endless Spells that should have been given to Legions of Nagash, and a Stormcast Eternals Scenery piece that they instead decided to box up with this year’s expansion.
Frankly, charging more for this expansion with less models is kind of a slap in the face, though I will admit the models are cool. They are just so similar in looks that it should be called Legions of Nagash Spells with Scenery Ball. Now I will give Forbidden Power props for more intricate models than Malign Sorcery in that the level of detail on these spells and scenery is far greater than those of Malign Sorcery, but it hardly justifies a $15 price increase.
Warscroll Cards:
Malign Sorcery you received a warscroll card for every endless spell plus a warscroll card for the already released (and sold separately) Balewind Vortex. This is a great way to include an already released endless spell with updated rules and a convenient card. While in the Forbidden Power you receive a warscroll card for all the pieces in the box (5 pieces) and then an additional 5 for the new modular terrain GW just released.
This feels silly, I mean sure thanks for the extra warscroll cards, but it just seems like an advertisement for the new terrain. Instead of adding those cards in here knock the price down 5 bucks and just include the cards in the terrain kits you can choose to buy or not buy.
Tokens and Rulebook:
Both rulebooks are 88 pages and contain fluff getting the setting to where we sit now painting guides, and some pitched battles. What Malign Sorcery has that Forbidden Power does not is all sorts of additional rules for the various realms. This was a great way to make it feel like an actual expansion as you needed the book to see what additional spells, artifacts, and realm scape features you have access to.
Forbidden Power has none of that. In fact, there are only three things it has that Malign Sorcery doesn’t have. The first is a couple of Mercenary Companies that happen to be in the new general’s handbook as well, the second is rules for the Legion of Grief and Defenders of Lethis, and third is a campaign setting.
Frankly, there is really no reason to bring the Forbidden Power book with you to pick up games, while most games will need a copy of Malign Sorcery. The fluff in Forbidden Power though is much better I will give it that. Plus the tokens are nice if you are playing the campaign or one of the new armies in the book.
New Endless Spell and Scenery Rules:
This box has 4 Endless Spells and 1 Piece of Scenery, if you haven’t seen the rules here is a brief overview of them and their point costs.
Lauchon the Soulseeker: 60 Points. Casting value of 6, set up wholly within 12” of the caster it can then make a 12” move (18” if realm of death). When it makes a move, you can pick a friendly unit that has all its models within 3” of this model to move with it making sure they are set up more than 9” away from the enemy. After the move is completed one model from that unit is slain.
Soulscream Bridge: 80 Points. Casting value of 6, place the first model wholly within 6” of the caster and then the second wholly within 12” (24” if realm of death) of the first. At the start of your movement phase, friendly units wholly within 6” of this model can teleport across to be set up wholly within 6” of the second as long as they are more than 9” from enemy models. This counts as their move. This models also subtracts 1 from Bravery of non Death units within 6” of it.
Horrorghasts: 60 Points. Casting value of 6”, set up the model wholly within 12” of the caster. It is a predatory spell and can move 9” (12” in the realm of death). Subtract 1 from the Bravery of all units within 12” of this model, or subtract 2 from their bravery if they are within 6”.
Shards of Valagharr: 40 Points. Casting value of 5, place the first model wholly within 6” (12” if realm of death) of the caster and the second wholly within 12” of the first. At the start of the movement, phase draw a 1mm line between the closest parts of these two models bases and any unit it passes over halves their movement. In addition, subtract 1 from their hit rolls. At the start of the battle round after determining who has first turn the players roll off and the winner can remove 1 of the shards and place it anywhere within 12” of the other one.
Penumbral Engine: Costs 100 Points (counts as ally). You place it right before the start of the first battle round and roll a dice. On a 1-3 you can re roll save rolls of 1 for any units wholly within 12” of the model, on a 4-6 you receive 1 extra command point if there are any friendly heroes within 12”. At the start of each battleround after the first roll a dice on a 1-4 nothing happens, on a 5-6 you switch what it is doing.
The real winner here is Lauchon the Soulseeker as you can make a 12” move with your troops and then an additional regular move with them greatly increasing their threat range. (hasn’t been FAQ’d yet) The Horroghast is decent in a bravery bomb list but besides that is not worth the points, same with all the other models. What’s weird is even the shards are done separately from the predatory spell phase making them a little more unreliable as well. (maybe changed in the FAQ as well?)
Final take:
Frankly, I don’t see any reason this set should be 90 dollars. You’re basically getting one awesome spell and the rest is going to sit on your bench. You could use the Penumbral Engine for some fun matches where it sits in the center of a board of something but for 100 points, I am not convinced you should take it. (jury is still out though I want to try it with a gun line)
If you are playing Nighthaunt’s though this set is a must buy as the Legion of Grief is basically GW’s way of bringing them into the fold of Legions of Nagash. Really though this set should be in the $70-75 like last year’s set and it would be a much easier pill to swallow. Overall if you’re not using Lauchon or playing Nighthaunts you don’t need this box….. Fluff is cool though so there is that…
Editor’s note: This set seems to fit in with GW’s pricing formula of a single terrain piece being around $35, along with a rules supplement of $30ish and endless spells at $35. Which when you break it down like that, seems to make more sense. Perhaps Malign Sorcery was more of a value than any of us suspected back in 2018?
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