Don’t miss the latest on how the magic will work in Warhammer the Old World alongside some new rules that have been revealed!
They mentioned the release date will be Early 2024. However, as they said before, not everything will be new (or even in plastic). If you want to see more on the Warhammer The Old World launch line-up, you can check that out here.
This is the third real look at the rules we’ve gotten, so it’s nice to have an idea of how the game will play! For now, though, it’s time to start pouring over the rules and see if they are shaping up the way you dreamed of!
Plus, in Warhammer the Old World, ALL 8th Edition Fantasy armies would be playable! So now we will truly see plastic, resin, and metal minis on the same tabletop when the game is finally released!
In case you missed the major Warhammer Old World announcements since 2019, we’ve included them here:
- GW Announces Warhammer Fantasy Returning (sort of)
- Warhammer Old World Release Date Details & Starter Set
- Fantasy Bears! More Kislev Previews For Warhammer Old World
- Bretonnians, Tomb Kings, Orcs & More Confirmed in Warhammer Old World!
- Warhammer The Old World: Everything We Know So Far
- First Look At New Warhammer The Old World Rules
How Magic Works in Warhammer The Old World & Rules Revealed!
The new rules for how magic worlds in The Old World comes from Warhammer Community.
The four-phase structure of Warhammer: The Old World is perhaps the biggest break with the previous instalment of Warhammer Fantasy Battles – not least because there’s now no set Magic phase. But that doesn’t mean the arcane arts take a back seat; if anything, magic is even more prevalent as it’s cast during every phase of the game.
We’ve heard about the magic phase going away, and now you can cast spells throughout the game. While the magic phase is a fan favorite, casting throughout the game might give you more complexity.
Warhammer: The Old World is set at a time before the Colleges of Magic were established. Imperial Wizards were still very much around and tapping into the eight winds, but the study of magic had yet to be so formalised in human lands.
That’s not to say that there aren’t lores – there are eight in the core rulebook alone, each representing a particular approach to the study of magic: Battle Magic, Dark Magic, Daemonology, Elementalism, High Magic, Illusion, Necromancy, and Waaagh! Magic. Most mages will have access to two or more of these, selecting one Lore at the start of each battle.
It’s good to know there will be a bunch of lores of magic back in the game, and you will have to pick between them. Some armies like Orcs will probably just want to take the one made specifically for it.
Each Lore has seven spells, with one being a signature spell that’s always available to its adherents. Every magic user has a level running from one to four – the higher the level, the more puissant the wizard, and the more spells they know at the start of the game.
That means there will be 56 spells in just the core rulebook! Plenty to sink your teeth into for casting spells all over the place. It’s also good to know they are keeping the caster level, and you can even spend more points to get higher levels.
Spell Types
There are six types of spell: Enchantment and Hex (Strategy phase), Conveyance (Movement phase), Magic Missile and Magical Vortex (Shooting phase), and Assailment (Combat phase). These are cast in the appropriate phase, so units can end up Enchanted or Hexed from the outset of your turn, magically moved when it’s time to charge, and blasted with arcane power when the rest of the shooting happens.
Each conjuration has a casting value appropriate to how complex it is, and spells are cast on 2d6, adding the skill level of the caster. It’s a quicker system than the previously used Winds of Magic cards or pools of dice – leaving the tactical decisions of what to cast and when.
Well, it seems if you know a spell for each phase, you can use 2D6 plus your caster level to cast them in the corresponding phases. The dice pool for casting is super fun, but this should make things faster and easier for people who have never played the old Fantasy editions.
Magic Rules Warhammer The Old World: Miscasting & Dispelling
Magic is still very much a duel between opposing wizards. It’s still perfectly possible to Miscast should you roll a double 1, or to achieve a Perfect Invocation on a double 6.
It’s great to see them keeping this! Your mage can still blow up and destroy your units (or anything close by). Or, you can perfectly cast a spell but not be able to cast anymore that turn.
What’s more, every spellcaster can attempt to dispel their opponents’ conjurations – provided they’re within 18” as first and second-level casters, or 24” at levels three and four. Roll 2D6 and add your level to the roll – if you beat the casting roll, the target spell is cancelled. A double 6 counts as an Unbinding, dispelling no matter the casting roll, but should you roll a double 1, you’ve been Outclassed in the Art – and you must roll on the Miscast Table…
What’s more, both Casting and Dispel rolls can be further modified by the wealth of magic items available to Wizards, and by a number of special rules. It’s a real battle of arcane wits out there.
You can’t have magic without dispelling! Now, you just need to be in range (depending on your level), and you can attempt to dispel anything. Just keep in mind that wizard levels are going to be huge now, as it’s always 2D6 vs 2D6 and adding your level.
So, a level 1 wizard will have a tough time in the game. However, you can miscast now while dispelling, which could lead to a lot more wizards blowing up!
If a player finds themselves unable to attempt a Wizardly dispel, they may make one Fated Dispel per turn – an unmodified 2D6 attempt. To offset this, certain units (notably Dwarfs) have an innate resistance to magic, making it harder for enemy wizards to cast spells upon them successfully. Yet even Dwarfs have some recourse to the arcane – Runesmiths are perfectly capable of making dispel attempts.
Now, even if you don’t have any mages, you still get an attempt to dispel. Which is nice if you don’t have a ton of mages, but why wouldn’t you?
Bretonnian Handmaiden Rules
Let’s take a closer look at one of the first spellslingers to be released next year – the Bretonnian Handmaiden of the Lady. From the lowliest first-level Damsel to the mightiest Prophetess, these formidable priestesses of the Lady of the Lake may pick from three spell lores: naturalistic Elementalism, tricksy Illusion, or Battle Magic for when a direct approach is best.
We saw the new miniature, and just like older fantasy, there will be plenty of options to upgrade your singular characters! You can go all the way and make her a Prophetess (which also lets you spend more on magic items) or go a little cheaper and get a mage.
As you can see, she comes with plenty of options – take her as a lowly first-level conjurer or a mighty fourth-level arch-mage! She can also be mounted on a Warhorse, a Bretonnian Warhorse, a Royal Pegasus, or a Unicorn.
She’s at her best when she’s joined by a unit, as her aura confers Magical Attacks and Magic Resistance (-2) to the brave men and women she leads, and her Shield of the Lady ability allows her to seek sanctuary in the back rank where she can cast her spells untroubled by the aggression of the foe.
It looks like rules will all confer to units now, making her quite strong! However, a Unicorn is always excellent and she can also join units of Knights.
New Magic Spells Rules For Warhammer The Old World
As a Battle Magic user, her signature spell is Hammerhand, an Assailment cast in combat to add considerable threat to the charge of the noble knights who flank her. Elementalists can Storm Call an enemy unit, slowing them and dulling their wits to soften them up for a charge, while Illusionists may cast a Glittering Robe on their allies, making them harder to hit in combat. No Knights of the Realm should leave the keep without a Damsel in tow.
Hammerhand is pretty strong, as it will average 4 Strength 4 hits with AP-2. However, Glittering Globe not only gives minus one to hit, it also dispels any other enhancements on the unit.
So if the enemy wizards have debuffed the caster or their squad, this will take it off.
In summary, though the Magic system may be simplified from editions past, it retains its tactical depth – your spells can still change the course of the game, but they’re more blended into the action, leading to a smoother experience. What’s more, because the ranges have been cut short both for spells and dispels, canny generals have to put a lot more thought into where they station their Wizards and how they’re used, both in casting their own spells and countering enemy magic.
We’re not sure if we like the casting dice pool going away, but overall, from the looks of it, there are some pretty cool things you can do with all the new spells!
All the Latest Warhammer Rules & Model Rumors
What do you think about all the new Warhammer The Old World rules so far like these for Magic?
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About the Author: Travis Pasch
Travis Pasch
Job Title: Head Writer & Editor
Socials: @paschbass
About Travis Pasch: Travis has been a Warhammer 40k hobbyist since the 1990s, playing the game since Third Edition. Through extensive traveling, he’s seen a lot of the miniatures hobby from across the world, giving him a unique perspective on the latest gaming topics and trends.
Travis’s brother even owns a commission painting studio, where he’s picked up a lot of good advice and techniques for painting Warhammer and tabletop miniatures over the years, as well. Travis joined the Spikey Bits team in 2019 and has been the lead writer since 2020.
Currently, he’s working on converting all his 40k Adeptus Mechanicus models and becoming a true tech enjoyer, complete with both sad and happy robot noises!
