27 April 2024
Blog
Apr
22
Age of Sigmar 4th Edition: Everything You Need To Know
As anticipation mounts among Warhammer Age of Sigmar enthusiasts, details about the upcoming 4th edition have begun to surface, igniting excitement and speculation within the community. From revamped rulesets to innovative gameplay mechanics, the latest instalment promises to redefine the landscape of tabletop warfare in the Mortal Realms. In this comprehensive overview, we delve into all the information currently available, offering an exclusive glimpse into the evolution of this beloved game system.
Warhammer Age of Sigmar: 4th Edition Trailer
Let's begin with a look at the fantastic Warhammer Age of Sigmar: 4th Edition cinematic trailer!
This trailer really sets the scene for the new edition, whilst also revealing the two factions that will be in the starter box - Stormcast Eternals and Skaven - along with hints at some of the new miniatures we can expect to see.
Battletomes in Warhammer Age of Sigmar: 4th Edition
After nearly a decade of service, Warhammer Age of Sigmar is undergoing its first comprehensive rewrite of the rules for its 4th edition.
This milestone is cause for celebration, as it signifies not change for the sake of it, but a thoughtful reimagining aimed at enhancing the overall experience. While the framework remains familiar, the upcoming revisions introduce smart refinements that promise to elevate gameplay.
Every Warscroll is undergoing a transformation. The development team has meticulously evaluated each profile across all factions to ensure a balanced comparison - considering factors like the relative strength of a grot versus a mortal human or a saurus against an orruk.
During this process, Warscroll design has evolved, along with the information presented on them. Certain attributes have been renamed for clarity, such as 'Wounds' becoming 'Health'. Additionally, miniatures can now engage in melee combat if they are within a 3” range of opponents, streamlining pile-ins and combat resolution. Contesting an objective now requires a model to be within 3” of a 40mm objective marker.
Universal Special Rules are being introduced, streamlined for easy recall. Battleshock mechanics are being removed, replaced by meaningful Command Abilities available each round, with clear and simple sequencing. However, utilizing these abilities will require managing a strict Command Point economy.
Every action within the game is now defined as an ability, covering movement, combat, shooting, spellcasting, and unique actions found on Warscrolls. These abilities follow a clear sequence, delineated into a Declare step and an Effect step, with timing clearly indicated through color-coding and symbols.
The new ruleset adopts a modular approach, with core rules supported by additional plug-and-play elements for advanced play. Players can opt to exclude Magic or incorporate new Battlepacks and General’s Handbooks for added complexity.
However, with such fundamental changes, previous rules and rulebooks are being replaced. Existing Battletomes will be retired upon the release of the new edition, but every Faction will receive a complimentary downloadable Faction Pack.
These Faction Packs offer a competitive and satisfying starting point, containing army rules, subfaction rules, enhancements like spell lores, and all Warscroll cards for both Spearhead and regular Warhammer Age of Sigmar. Eventually, these Faction Packs will be succeeded by revamped Battletomes for each faction as the edition progresses.
Modular Rules in Warhammer Age of Sigmar: 4th Edition
Warhammer Age of Sigmar 4th Edition boasting a fresh overhaul of the core rules that refine and tweak the world’s premier fantasy miniatures game to perfection. While we've touched on the idea of modular rules as part of these changes, let's delve deeper into what exactly this entails.
Essentially, the game is now structured into Core Rules and Advanced Rules. The Core Rules are designed for swift comprehension, covering basics like movement, combat, shooting, unit cohesion, and all the essentials for a straightforward battle with objectives and terrain. On the other hand, the Advanced Rules delve into Commands, Terrain, Magic, Army Composition, Command Models, and Battle Tactics - elements crucial for strategic depth in Warhammer Age of Sigmar. But what makes them modular?
According to Ben, the Product Developer for the game, "Rules have been structured in a modular manner. This means that you can learn and play games with the Core Rules, and then when you need them you can go on to learn the Advanced Rules. You can even just leave them out completely if you want - though some battlepacks will require them. It’s all part of making the game that existing players love more accessible to newer players."
Matt, another of the Games Workshop creators responsible for the rules, expands on this concept: "Modularity is born from the idea that Warhammer Age of Sigmar is much more than just a game. It’s essentially a platform that supports many types of games. People play Warhammer Age of Sigmar as a narrative experience, a competitive tournament game, at sizes ranging from huge mega battles with hundreds of miniatures to smaller format games like Spearhead, and everything in between. With modular rules, you only need to read the rules necessary to play the type of game you want. To play Spearhead, all you need to read is the Core Rules, and no Advanced Rules. Everything else is covered in the Spearhead battlepack, the Warscroll cards, and the unique cards that Spearhead uses."
The beauty of this system lies in its plug-and-play nature. Anything beyond the Core Rules is optional and seamlessly integrated - paving the way for exciting possibilities in the game's future. Previous General’s Handbooks have introduced unique themes, such as the Predators and Prey of Ghur or the Primal Magic of Andtor, but this modular structure facilitates smoother implementation of such concepts.
Matt illustrates this with an example: "The current General’s Handbook is set in Andtor and focused on magic. It’s one of my favourite seasons, but in practice, it ends up being a little bit awkward for newer players because the rules are split between Primal Magic rules at the beginning of the book, and the standard magic rules they interact with deep in the core rules at the back of the book. In the future, we could simply replace the magic module entirely with a ‘Magic of Andtor’ module, as an example. This could seamlessly integrate thematic modifications to the magic rules for that battlepack, without resorting to extensive Core Rules errata or layers of extra rules on top."
Matt also goes on to explain other benefits: “Say, for example, we find out during the course of a season of Matched Play that the economy of Command points isn’t quite right for competitive play. We don’t need to issue an errata online; instead, we could have a new General’s Handbook with a new Command Module that is both thematically resonant and helps evolve the internal balance. If we want to bring that Advanced Rule module back in the future, we can.”
The potential ramifications of this system are immense, providing clear guidance for both novices and veterans alike. The Age of Sigmar design team seems to be brimming with ideas on how this approach will shape the game's evolution, and players will witness its implementation right from the onset of the new edition.
How the Priority Roll is Changing in Warhammer Age of Sigmar: 4th Edition
The player who completes their army setup first gains the privilege of choosing who takes the initial turn, adding a strategic layer to army composition - an aspect of the game that has undergone revisions in the new edition.
In subsequent battle rounds, players engage in a priority roll, with the winner determining the order of turns. In the event of a tie, the player who initiated the first turn in the preceding round retains the decision-making power for the current round. This setup occasionally allows for a savvy player to execute consecutive turns - a tactical manoeuvre commonly referred to as a "double turn" - granting a substantial advantage on the battlefield.
While veterans of other Warhammer tabletop games might initially find this system peculiar, it is pivotal for grasping the rhythm of Warhammer Age of Sigmar battles. The decision holds strategic depth, offering a myriad of options for both proactive planning and reactive counterplay - a facet that has expanded significantly in the forthcoming edition.
This mechanic persists in the new edition, albeit with a finely calibrated balance between risk and reward. In matched play battlepacks, opting for a double turn necessitates forgoing the opportunity to select a battle tactic for the turn, introducing a compelling element of trade-off. While still formidable, the decision is no longer a straightforward one.
Matt, the Lead Games Developer for Warhammer Age of Sigmar, emphasises the dynamic nature of the priority roll and the potential for unexpected outcomes, underscoring the game's essence of adapting to uncertainty: “I think the priority roll and the potential for a double turn can create really cool and dynamic outcomes where you can’t predict the flow of a game. You can’t count out each players’ moves as simply as a straightforward you-go-then-I-go. It’s a wonderful possibility space.”
Ben, the Product Developer, notes that seasoned players dedicate considerable thought to when to relinquish or exploit the double turn, showcasing strategic prowess: “Initially, the double turn might seem like an obvious advantage – but it’s important to consider that many defensive abilities last until your next turn. This means the player who goes second will often still have their buffs and defensive spells up and running. The primary skill expression in Warhammer Age of Sigmar is making the best tactical choice in the face of uncertainty. This is not chess. You have to react to things you can’t be certain of. The double turn is a very powerful expression of this. You have situations in a turn where you just don’t know if your opponent will be able to go twice – maybe they have the positioning to take advantage of that double turn, so you need to position yourself correctly in response… but then, what if they don’t win the priority roll?”
Despite initial scepticism from newcomers, the double turn enjoys widespread acclaim within the community. Matt highlights its enduring popularity, illustrating its significance as a defining feature of the game.
As further details regarding changes impacting tactics and strategies, such as command points and the new Underdog mechanic, emerge, one thing remains certain - the priority roll remains a cornerstone of the game, urging players to hone their foresight and planning skills.
Army Composition in Warhammer Age of Sigmar: 4th Edition
In the current (3rd) edition of Warhammer Age of Sigmar, assembling armies involves specific criteria: at least one Leader unit and a minimum of three Battleline units (or two for smaller 1,000-point games), alongside constraints on Behemoths, reinforcements, and more. Players can organise units into various battalions, each offering distinct bonuses. For example, the widely favoured Battle Regiment enables deployment of up to nine units simultaneously. Given that the player who finishes setup first earns the option to take the initial turn, players must strike a balance between minimal "drops" and list-building versatility, creating tension between selecting desired units and seizing the tactical advantage of going first.
Warhammer Age of Sigmar 4th edition retains these risk-reward dynamics while introducing a fresh approach to emphasise flavour and adaptability. Armies now consist of one or more regiments, with each regiment led by a single HERO and accommodating up to three additional units - four if it's the general's regiment. Regiments represent the retinues, warbands, and warriors accompanying a leader into battle, with each HERO specifying which units can join their regiment within their battle profile.
For example, a Vanari Bannerblade of the Lumineth Realm-lords can include any VANARI units in their regiment, while an Alarith Stonemage can be accompanied by ALARITH units and Vanari Auralan Wardens. This regimental approach fosters thematic armies, aligning with the units expected to accompany each HERO.
In this system, all units within a regiment deploy together as a single drop. While most non-Unique units can be reinforced with additional models, the previous edition's restrictions no longer apply. Battlefield roles such as Battleline and Behemoths are obsolete. Instead, once a HERO is designated as the general, players enjoy significant flexibility in roster construction, allowing for diverse compositions, including unconventional choices like a lone hero accompanied by a swarm of Doomwheels.
Auxiliary units provide an avenue for selecting additional faction units beyond regimental confines, albeit with constraints. While there's no limit on the number of auxiliaries, each auxiliary unit deploys individually as a single drop. Additionally, the player with the fewest auxiliaries on their roster gains an extra command point at the start of each battle round—a valuable resource in the new edition.
Command points are now a precious commodity, with no warscroll or faction ability providing additional points. This scarcity emphasizes the importance of adhering to regiments. Moreover, players select battle formations, now called subfactions, based on an army's fighting style rather than specific lore, encouraging customisation and thematic cohesion.
In summary, the new edition's army composition mechanics prioritise thematic coherence while offering players greater flexibility in building their forces, all while introducing strategic depth through resource management and tactical decision-making.
Warscrolls in Warhammer Age of Sigmar: 4th Edition
The warscroll has been a cornerstone of Warhammer Age of Sigmar since its inception, evolving with each edition while remaining one of the game's most iconic elements.
In the new 4th edition, warscrolls undergo another transformation, aligning with the modularity of the rules. Every action a unit can perform is now categorised as an ability, clearly labelled, colour-coded, and symbol-coded to indicate the phase of the game each ability applies to.
This systematic approach serves as the linchpin of the game, with even fundamental actions like movement and combat listed as shared abilities in the core rulebook. Each warscroll retains at least one unique ability, defining the unit's battlefield role.
Despite the shift to unit abilities, the structure of a new warscroll remains largely consistent with previous iterations. The unit title and characteristic emblem remain unchanged, with four main stats: Move, Health (formerly Wounds), Save, and Control (replacing Bravery), measuring a unit's ability to hold objectives.
Weapon attributes, while subtly adjusted, operate similarly to before. For melee weapons, key attributes include Attacks, Hit, Wound, Rend, and Damage, all meticulously rebalanced to align with each unit's lore and role on the battlefield. For instance, Liberators boast the Mortal ability, converting unmodified 6s to hit into critical hits.
While missile weapons retain a Range attribute, the ability for every model to engage in melee within a 3” range streamlines combat resolution and pile-ins.
Redesigned abilities are denoted by distinct colours and symbols, making them easily recognisable. For example, the Stalwart Defenders ability of Liberators, marked in purple as an End of Turn ability with a circle symbol, aids in controlling objectives.
Complex warscrolls, like those of powerful entities such as Nagash, condense essential information into a single card. Nagash's warscroll showcases decisive abilities across multiple phases, from passive buffs like the Staff of Power to game-changing abilities like Supreme Lord of the Undead. His signature spell, Invocation of Nagash, offers versatility, while Hand of Dust demonstrates unique monster abilities featured on warscrolls. Universal special rules like WIZARD, FLY, and WARD are standardised in the core rules and appear in the keyword bar.
In summary, warscrolls in the new edition of Warhammer Age of Sigmar embody a blend of familiarity and innovation, presenting essential unit information in a streamlined format while accommodating the diverse array of abilities and interactions crucial for strategic gameplay.
Commands and Reactions in Warhammer Age of Sigmar: 4th Edition
In Warhammer Age of Sigmar, alongside warscrolls and the priority roll, issuing commands for units to react in your opponent’s turn stands as a pivotal feature. These commands undergo a significant overhaul in the new edition through the Commands rules module.
Command Points
Command points are now a tightly controlled resource. Each player begins the battle round with four command points to expend throughout that round - there are 10 commands available. Any unused command points at the end of the battle round are forfeited, preventing hoarding.
Moreover, the Army Composition module may impact your CP economy: starting with fewer auxiliary units than your opponent earns you an extra CP per battle round. Additionally, the underdog, defined as the player with fewer victory points at the round's start, gains one additional point each round, ensuring closely contested games.
Command points are an invaluable resource as there are no means in the game to generate additional points. Units and factions reliant on extra CP, like the disciplined Ossiarch Bonereapers, can anticipate potent new mechanics to offset this change.
Furthermore, the restrictions on who can issue commands are abolished. This clarity retains the challenging decision of when to use core offensive and defensive abilities.
Reactions
In the new edition, commands, including reactions, are categorised as abilities, each with clear timings indicating the phase of use. All commands are conveniently located in the Command module, streamlining accessibility.
Of the 10 commands available, four are reaction abilities, activated after declaring an ability but before its resolution, enhancing its effect.
All-out Attack and All-out Defence, familiar from previous editions, now serve as reactions following an Attack ability declaration, enhancing the offensive or defensive capabilities of the chosen unit.
At The Double and Forward To Victory allow troops to manoeuvre strategically in the Movement and Charge phases, ensuring they reach their intended destinations.
New Commands
The remaining six commands are new or revamped, serving as reactive responses. These commands are employed at the end of their respective phases after the active player completes all actions, enabling a counter-play strategy to adapt to the changing battlefield.
Rally offers a flexible means of healing or replenishing models within units, with improved scaling to prevent excessively favourable outcomes.
Redeploy returns, albeit with a restriction requiring activation after the opponent completes all unit movements.
Covering Fire replaces the beloved Unleash Hell, enabling shooting units to exert pressure during the charge phase.
Counter-charge allows for brutal interceptions at the cost of two command points, particularly benefiting cavalry units or those triggering charge-related abilities.
Magical Intervention permits casting spells or prayers in the opponent's turn, providing potent counterplay options. Note the significant changes to prayers in this edition.
Power Through, activated at the end of any turn, allows rampaging monsters and chariots to smash through infantry or cavalry, creating new positioning opportunities.
Expect further abilities in the game to interact with these commands or trigger intriguing effects, enhancing tactical depth and strategic variety. For instance, Stormstrike Chariots can synergize with the Celestial Blaze passive to augment the Power Through command, dealing additional mortal damage and granting enhanced movement to their gryph-chargers.
Battle Traits and Formations in Warhammer Age of Sigmar: 4th Edition
In the new 4th edition of Warhammer Age of Sigmar, the method of army construction undergoes significant changes, impacting various aspects of the game, including the priority roll and command point economy. Let's now explore the primary rules governing your army: Battle Traits and Battle Formations.
Battle Traits
Battle Traits encompass a range of pervasive abilities unique to your army. While some may resonate with existing army rules, they have been refined and standardised to integrate seamlessly with the new ability system. For instance, the Stormcast Eternals feature four distinct Battle Trait abilities applicable to the entire army. Although heroic actions are no more, remnants of their concepts endure, with "Their Finest Hour" continuing to enhance a Stormcast Eternals unit for a turn.
Scions of the Storm makes a return, allowing you to deploy your radiant warriors into battle via bolts of lightning. This ability now applies universally to all Stormcast Eternal armies, eliminating the need to choose between it and the territorial dominance of the Stormkeeps. Paired with the deployment ability The Celestial Realm, this movement phase ability enables you to position your units in High Azyr before the battle commences.
Certain Battle Trait abilities may function as commands with an associated cost, such as Heavens-sent, a potent once-per-battle ability capable of resurrecting a destroyed unit at half-strength, ready to resume its service to Sigmar on the battlefield.
Battle Formations
When constructing your army, you will also select a Battle Formation. These formations, akin to the subfactions of yore, epitomize the battle tactics of a specific force. However, they are no longer tethered to particular colour schemes or geographical locations, fostering player creativity and encouraging the crafting of unique armies.
Each Faction Pack - decks of cards released alongside the new edition - contains four Battle Formations, enabling players to embrace particular strategies and explore new army options from the outset. For instance, the Thunderhead Host prioritizes unit diversity from various Chambers, empowering Warrior Chamber units in combat when within 12” of a unit from a different Chamber, thanks to its Synchronised Strikes passive ability.
In the Lightning Echelon, warriors and heroes of the Extremis Chamber, such as the Stormdrake Guard and Dracothian Guard, engage in battle. Their Oncoming Storm ability grants one unit per turn the "Strikes-first" effect in combat on a roll of 3+, showcasing the flexibility and versatility inherent across Factions. Stay tuned for more insights into Faction Focuses next month, where we'll delve deeper into their capabilities.
Combat Mechanics in Warhammer Age of Sigmar: 4th Edition
Warhammer Age of Sigmar revolves around the visceral clashes between mighty heroes, monstrous beasts, and seasoned warriors forged in the crucible of countless conflicts. At the heart of this dynamic lies close-quarters combat, a cornerstone of the game, now enhanced in the new edition to evoke a greater sense of epic confrontation.
Combat in the Age of Sigmar
With the revised command mechanics introducing potent tools like Counter-charge and Power Through, and every miniature now possessing a 3” combat range, the Combat Phase has undergone significant refinements. These changes yield smoother and more immersive combat experiences.
The process of combat will feel familiar to seasoned players, with units charging into combat and engaging in battle. However, these interactions now function as abilities with distinct declaration and resolution steps, offering clearer order of operations. Gone are the subphases like 'start of phase' or 'end of phase', replaced by a streamlined approach where players utilize abilities in any order during each phase.
The Combat Phase distinguishes itself from others with the activation of units to use FIGHT abilities, alternating between players starting with the active player. Alongside familiar mechanics like All-out Attack and All-out Defence, this phase remains a strategic endeavour. Additionally, models can perform pile-in moves as part of the FIGHT ability, ensuring dynamic engagements and tactical manoeuvring on the battlefield.
Fighting
While combat resolution remains similar, several key changes enhance the experience. Unmodified rolls of 6 now trigger critical hits, unlocking various new effects, while mortal wounds have been rebranded as mortal damage. Rend values have been universally reduced, and save stacking is largely a thing of the past, with modifications capped at +1.
Damage allocation sees an overhaul, with damage points now assigned to the unit as a whole rather than individual models, streamlining gameplay and preventing confusion. Units are removed once the accumulated damage equals their Health characteristic, maintaining coherence and clarity during gameplay.
Unit Roles
To differentiate between various warriors, unit roles have been further defined based on weapon and warscroll abilities. For instance, Stormcast Eternals Vindictors boast Anti-charge and Hold the Shield Wall, enhancing their combat effectiveness and strategic versatility.
Monstrous infantry like Kroxigor wield devastating Anti-Infantry and Brutal Blows abilities, excelling at cleaving through hordes of enemies with ferocious efficiency.
Coherency Range
The concept of coherency, representing unit cohesion, now operates with a ½” range, ensuring models remain within proximity of each other. Larger units must maintain coherency with multiple comrades, while certain units have extended coherency ranges noted on their warscrolls. Coherency is measured horizontally, disregarding height differences.
Retreating
With the removal of Battleshock, Retreat emerges as a tactical manoeuvring executed during the Movement Phase, enabling units to disengage from combat at the cost of D3 mortal damage. Certain cunning units may exploit special abilities to retreat without consequence, adding depth to strategic engagements.
Wizards and Priests in Warhammer Age of Sigmar: 4th Edition
In Warhammer Age of Sigmar, the battlegrounds are graced by the presence of gods and their avatars, who join mortal worshippers in the fray. Meanwhile, sorcerers harness the arcane energies of the realms to weave potent spells and prayers, shaping the course of battle.
Casting and Unbinding Magic
Spellcasting dynamics have evolved in the new edition, offering greater flexibility and strategic depth. Each spellcaster, identified by the WIZARD keyword, possesses a power level denoted by a number in brackets, determining their spellcasting capabilities per phase. Spell lores are now chosen during army construction, allowing every sorcerer to attempt casting spells from the selected lore. Additionally, restrictions on casting the same spell multiple times per turn have been introduced, with miscasts occurring on double 1 casting rolls.
Unbinding serves as a vital aspect of spellcasting counterplay, particularly with the introduction of Magical Intervention. Wizards can now attempt to unbind spells multiple times per phase, albeit limited to once per casting roll.
Chanting Prayers
Prayers have undergone significant enhancement, emerging as potent tools distinct from spells. PRIESTS, marked by their associated keyword and power level, can invoke prayers alongside their spellcasting counterparts. However, instead of casting rolls, prayers involve chanting rolls, accumulating ritual points over successive turns to unleash powerful miracles. The risk of failure adds tension, with a roll of 1 resulting in a loss of ritual points. Notably, prayers cannot be unbound, demanding strategic targeting of enemy priests.
Manifestation Lore
Endless spells and invocations, integral to battles, are now governed by manifestation lores chosen during army construction. This grants access to a range of arcane manifestations that can be summoned during battle. Wizards and priests alike can attempt to banish these arcane forms, introducing diverse tactical interactions on the battlefield.
That's all the information we've been able to collect so far, but keep checking back as any and all newly revealed info will be added to this article on a regular bases as we get closer to the release of Warhammer Age of Sigmar 4th edition!
And in the meantime, if you can't wait to get started with the game, why not grab a Spearhead or Vanguard box for your favourite Age of Sigmar faction here, all of which we expect to be playable as standalone forces in 4th edition's new Spearhead game mode.
All information sourced from Warhammer Community.