Is this handbook the most eagerly anticipated release in the history of Warhammer? Warhammer: Age of Sigmar has just entered version 1.1, come see!
If you play W:AOS, you now have more ways to play, if you don’t, well this might be the book to bring you in. This venerable tome has points costs for everything, including the war host battalions. This is a preview copy that’s been doing the rounds at stores. We’re not going to go into page-by-page breakdown, that’s been done ad nauseam elsewhere.
One thing to know about this book is that it’s not going to replace all the other supplements that are out there, you still need your battle tomes or your W:AOS App or the downloaded warscrolls from GW’s site.
Nothings been removed either folks, you can still play with all the classic models from Fantasy too.
This is a soft cover book, packed to the gills with content and some really great artwork and layouts. One thing veterans might remember is a Triumph & Treachery section which works much like it did in Warhammer: Fantasy. You could make secret allegiances and stab people in the back. It was pretty neat.
Open Play: What some have come to know and loathe about Warhammer. You bring your models, put on the table, do your scenarios or whatever you deem fit and have fun. The consensus on the internet, the bastion of unassailable knowledge which it is, says that’s not what most of us want to do.
They’ve also introduced multi-player games, which is more along the lines of siege castle and helping forge a narrative.
There are a few narrative games as well, which are more thematic. For instance, you bring this army, based on these guidelines, and then do battle. Or someone brings a Behemoth and fights it against an entire army (the battle plan gives the Behemoth special rules of course) and see if I can survive. Not as free style as Open play. There are ton of narrative models. This is something fun to do and I think it’s really cool. Rescue guys, break out, tons of narrative things, it’s really dope.
Can you say GODZILLA comes to the tabletop? Sure you can…
There’s also a Path to Glory Campaign, you create a warband, do battle, get bonuses. This isn’t matched play, but you could use the Matched Play points and combine it with the path to Glory Campaign.
Matched Play: This brings balance to the force. I think this is the Warhammer most of us have been waiting for. I, for one, appreciate the response from Games Workshop in bringing this style back.
Pitched Battles; this is essentially Warhammer with a force org chart; to borrow from Warhammer: 40k. There are three different types of games, each with it’s own types of tables and terrain features with good guidelines. There’s also some caveats because Sigmar is SO wide-open you can get some ridiculous combo’s. They did their due diligence in bringing some balance. with…
The rule of 1’s:
- Each spell can be attempted once per turn;
- A to-hit, to wound, or save of 1 always fails;
- Extra attacks don’t generate more attacks.
Those are some solid baselines if you ask me!
Each unit has a battlefield roll too now (just like in 40k), if your model fulfills two roles he takes up two slots, for instance,
Note: if the minimum squad size is 5 and the box you get has 3 models in it you still pay the minimum price, so, you gotta buy another box. Sorry.
Triumphs allow you to roll on a table if your opponent has more points than you do. It’s a solid table. There’s a note about house rules which comments about measuring form the model or the base. I prefer to measure from the bases, totally a thing thanks to this note, but you know with certain models have a range for their weapons I can also see why you’d want to measure from the model.
Then of course there’s a big section with all the points for all the models.
Also in the book are Allegiance abilities, which are essentially the opposite of allies because it rewards you taking just one faction, order, chaos, death, or destruction (or say all Ironjaws within description for instance). IF you’re army is say All Stormcast Eternal and Order then you have to pick one or the other. But there may be some dope benefits to doing so in the points area or in future supplements.
I like the command traits tables, it let’s you either roll or just pick one, to best fit your particular general, which I really like.
All-in-all this is a great book with a ton of content and I’m really excited for the future of Warhammer. If you’re looking for the full scoop check out the video below folks!
General’s Compendium First Look Age of Sigmar
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About the Author: Rob Baer
Rob Baer
Job Title: Managing Editor
Founded Spikey Bits in 2009
Socials: Rob Baer on Facebook and @catdaddymbg on X
About Rob Baer: Founder, Publisher, & Managing Editor of Spikey Bits, the leading tabletop gaming news website focused on the hobby side of wargaming and miniatures.
Rob also co-founded and currently hosts the Long War Podcast, which has over 350 episodes and focuses on tabletop miniatures gaming, specializing in Warhammer 40k. and spent six years writing for Bell of Lost Souls.
Every year, along with his co-hosts, he helps host the Long War 40k Doubles Tournament at Adepticon and the Long War 40k Doubles at Las Vegas Open, which attracts over 350 players from around the world.
Rob has won many Warhammer 40k Tournaments over the years, including multiple first-place finishes in Warhammer 40k Grand Tournaments over the years and even winning 1st place at the Adepticon 40k Team Tournament.
With over 30 years of experience in retail and distribution, Rob knows all the products and exactly which ones are the best. As a member of GAMA (Game Manufacturers Association), he advocates for gaming stores and manufacturers in these difficult times, always looking for the next big thing to feature for the miniatures hobby, helping everyone to provide the value consumers want.
While he’s played every edition of Warhammer 40k and Warhammer Fantasy (since 5th Edition) and has been hobbying on miniatures since the 1980s, Titans of all sizes will always be his favorite! It’s even rumored that his hobby vault rivals the Solemnance Galleries, containing rulebooks filled with lore from editions long past, ancient packs of black-bordered Magic Cards, and models made of both pewter and resin.
