Age of Sigmar/Tactics

Hello, this is the general Tactica dump for the Age of Sigmar armies, units and rules. Please consider that we are transitioning to the 3rd edition. Some reworking is required

Basics

AOS is a very different beast compared to that which it replaces, Warhammer Fantasy Battles. AOS is streamlined, faster, and easier to get into. Just don't mention the dark early days of rage, pain and suffering.

All games consist of multiple (usually two) Armies, playing out the narrative given in a Battleplan.

Each unit in an army will have a Warscroll describing its own abilities and special rules. Additional abilities are given for grouping certain units which are usually found in Battletomes. As of AOS 3E, variable unit sizes have been scrapped and now every unit only has one set model count - however, you instead have the option to Reinforce a unit, allowing you to buy two or three units and consolidate them into one bigger blob.

A Battleplan will state which set of Battle Rules to use in addition to setup, objectives, victory conditions and any special rules.

There are various Play Types each with their own style (tournament, narrative, league etc) and set of Battleplans.

Battle Rules are simply the Core Rules with additional restrictions.

Priority Targets & Prime Hunters

Introduced in the March 2022 Battleslate are the Priority Target and Prime Hunters keywords. The former tends to be assigned to certain high-wound units, though not all setpiece characters. (e.g. Mega-Gargants, Be'lakor, Morathi, Pink Horrors) Each of these targets also has a number of VP they give the enemy should they kill it, incentivizing you to focus on those particular enemies.

Following onto this is the Prime Hunters rule. Unlike the previous rule, this is assigned to entire armies and gives you an additional VP if you kill a Priority Target. The armies with this keyword are as follows:

• Sylvaneth
• Gloomspite Gitz
• Orruk Warclans (If they focus on Bonesplittaz, not for any other factions or for a Great Waaagh)
• Hedonites of Slaanesh
• Skaven
• Nighthaunt
• Ossiarch Bonereapers

Core Rules

Either downloadable or in the Core Book.

Battalions

Seeing as how 40k managed to finally make a way for specialized detachments using its more stratified roles, it now fell upon GW to rein in their more free-rein child where everything was pretty much either troops or monsters. As per usual, all units in your army must share a faction keyword or be unaligned.

Leaders is a wide category, but Sub-commanders, aka 9> Wounds heroes, can count as Leaders depending on the Battalion.

Note that, even if a Behemoth or War Machine count as Battleline under certain conditions, they still won't count as Battleline for Battalions.

Warlord Battalion

Likely the one you'll use for infantry-heavy armies. You'll be relying more on HQs here, which is going to mean you'll also be relying more upon Commands.

• Mandatory Units: 1 Leader, 2 Leaders with less than 10 wounds, 1 unit without the Leader, Artillery, or Monster role
  • Optional Units: +1 Leader, +1-3 Leaders with less than 10 wounds, +1 unit without the Leader, Artillery, or Monster role
• Restrictions: All units must be from the same faction.
• Benefits
  • Strategists: Once per game, you can gain an additional Command Point during your hero phase. With all the heroes you have, you'll need as many CP as you can get your mitts on.
  • Magnificent: Your army gets an additional enhancement.

Battle Regiment Battalion

Probably the most common and powerful type of detachment, striking a good balance between reasonable requirements and options unless someone skews their list towards a more specialist role.

• Mandatory Units: 1 Leader, 2 units without the Leader, Artillery, or Monster role
  • Optional Units: +1-2 Leaders with less than 10 wounds, +1-3 unit without the Leader, Artillery, or Monster role, +1 Behemoth/Artillery
• Restrictions: All units must be from the same faction.
• Benefits
  • Unified: Your entire battalion has to be set up at the same time. Can prove to be an inconvenience if your opponent isn't also using this, as they can build around your deployment.

Grand Battery Battalion

Pretty much here for when you need to add in some additional artillery. Considering that there are no Battleline Artillery units, do not expect this to your lone detachment unless you plan on losing.

• Mandatory Units: 1 Sub-commander, 2 Artillery
  • Optional Units: +1 Artillery
• Restrictions: All units must be from the same faction.
• Benefits
  • Slayers: Once per game, you can have a unit use the All-Out Attack or Unleash Hell commands without a leader issuing it or spending CP.

Vanguard Battalion

The bare-bones battalion, only granting you one leader and some troops. Pretty much your choice for beginner and low-point games.

• Mandatory Units: 1 Leader with less than 10 wounds, 1 unit without the Leader, Artillery, or Monster role
  • Optional Units: +1-2 units without the Leader, Artillery, or Monster role
• Restrictions: All units must be from the same faction.
• Benefits
  • Swift: Once per game, you can have a unit use the At the Double or Forward to Victory commands without a leader issuing it or spending CP.

Linebreaker Battalion

The monster-focused detachment. Building an army based entirely around monsters and vehicles can make for a hard-hitting and survivable force, but it will usually lack in other areas, such as board control which can be difficult with a smaller number of units and a lack of screening units will hurt you, especially if your Heavy Support units cannot FLY.

• Mandatory Units: 1 Leader, 1 Behemoths without the Leader role
  • Optional Units: +1-2 Behemoths without the Leader role
• Restrictions: All units must be from the same faction.
• Benefits
  • Expert: Once per game, you can have a unit use the All-Out Offense or All-Out Defense commands without a leader issuing it or spending CP.

Command Entourage Battalion

The HQ-focused battalion, making this the most niche option. It's definitely not something to be considered for a full army, but if you need to throw in some additional leaders and couldn't them in elsewhere.

• Mandatory Units: 1 Leader, 2 Sub-commanders
  • Optional Units: +1 Sub-commander
• Restrictions: All units must be from the same faction.
• Benefits Select from the following:
  • Strategists: Once per game, you can gain an additional Command Point during your hero phase. With all the heroes you have, you'll need as many CP as you can get your mitts on.
  • Magnificent: Your army gets an additional enhancement.

Hunters of the Heartlands

The battalion for ensuring you don't get stomped to death by monsters or otherwise bullied by monsters.

• Mandatory Units: 2 Troops
  • Optional Units: +1 Troop
• Benefits Your units are immune against enemy monsterous rampages, units in this battalion cannot be picked as the target of a monstrous rampage.

Alpha-Beast Pack

A little nifty pre-move battalion to get your monsters just a tad closer to the enemy.

• Mandatory Units: 2 Monsters
  • Optional Units: +1 Monster
• Benefits After enemies are set up but before the battle begins, you can make a normal move of D6" with each unit in this battalion.

Thondia Book

Monstrous Kill-Pack

A cool battalion focused on ganging up on other monsters.

• Mandatory Units: 2 Monsters
  • Optional Units: +1 Monster
• Benefits Once per game at the end of the charge phase, allows all the monsters in this battalion to carry out the Titanic Duel monstrous action, and blocks your other monsters not in this battalion from using the Titanic Duel monstrous rampage.

Incarnate Masters of Ghur

Dialling up your Incarnate to 11 by protecting it and gives you one drop capabilities.

• Mandatory Units: 1 Incarnate, 1 Commander, 1 Troops.
  • Optional Units: +2 Troops
• Benefits The incarnate must be bonded with the commander in this battalion, while any of the others units in this battalion are alive the Incarnate cannot revert back to it's Wild Form. Also turns this battalion into a one-drop.

Enhancements

So in battletomes you have a vast array of traits, spells, and other deals. In an attempt to rein that shit in, you're now limited to being able to pick one of each table for your army (by default), and you can pick up options from the CRB as well.

<tabs> <tab name="Command Traits"> Seeing as these were only given to generals, there's not much way to double-dip anyways. As with before, if your army has a subfaction with a command trait, then your general automatically takes it.

1. Battle-lust: Re-roll all run and charge rolls.
2. Skilled Leader: While your general's on the field, you gain an additional CP on a 5+.
3. High Priest: You can re-roll prayer rolls. Considering how swingy prayers are, you'll probably be picking this even if you have other Priest traits.
4. Heroic Stature: +1 wound.
5. Master of Magic: Your general can re-roll one casting, unbinding, or dispel roll. It's harder to have wizards be boned, so you aren't very necessary.

</tab> <tab name="Artefacts"> Again, these are usually given to one hero (not always the general). Double-dipping is reserved for certain detachments. As with before, if your army has a subfaction with an artefact, then your have to take it before being allowed to take any others.

1. Amulet of Destiny: 6+ Ward save.
2. Vial of Manticore Venom: One of the bearer's melee weapons add +1 to wound rolls. Mostly worth it on a 5+ or 4+.
3. Arcane Tome: The bearer becomes a wizard, capable of only casting the base spells. However, if the bearer's already a wizard, then they can cast another spell each turn. Yeah, that second one's the one you want more.
4. Seed of Rebirth: The bearer can re-roll heroic recovery rolls.

</tab> <tab name="Spell Lore"> Each wizard now knows only ONE additional spell from any of the available lores (meaning this and the battletome usually). Curious how this will work for folks like Teclis who know every spell in their lores Named characters follow their rules instead.

1. Flaming Sword: Casts on 4+. One melee weapon adds +1 to damage until your next hero phase, which matters more for a wizard meant to be up-close and personal.
   • Alternate Take: Combine this with the Arcane Tome which makes any unit a Wizard and you can pull off some silly shit, like a Gatebreaker Mega-Gargant with a flaming flail.
2. Levitate: Casts on 8+. One friendly unit within 18" can fly until your next hero phase.
3. Ghost Mist: Casts on 6+. Pick a setpiece within 18" of the caster. A unit within 3" of this setpiece and with models that have less than 10 wounds are now counted as being hidden from units outside it.

</tab> <tab name="Prayer Scripture"> Same as wizards, each priest now knows an additional prayer from what's available.

1. Guidance: Casts on 5+. Gain 1 CP in case you really need it.
2. Heal: Casts on 3+. One friendly model within 12" heals d3 wounds. Ultimately only worth it on heroes and other single-model units as this will be near-meaningless for Stormcast and other multi-wound troops and totally wasted on average goons, Ogors like units might like it.
3. Curse: Casts on 4+. Pick an enemy unit within 9" of the priest, now any attacks that roll a 6 to hit this unit now deal a mortal wound on top of anything else that procs.

</tab> <tab name="Triumphs"> A new development, Triumphs are once per game buffs you can trigger for a turn where the points total for your army is less than that of your opponent. If you ever get to pick another Triumph, you can totally double-dip from one you already used.

1. Bloodthirsty: Once per game you can re-roll one charge roll for a unit. Mostly for when you seriously need that one unit stuck in.
2. Inspired: Once per game when a unit is chosen to shoot or fight, you can use this to add +1 to their wound rolls.
3. Indomitable: Once per game you can outright declare that one unit automatically passes battleshock and loses no models.

</tab> </tabs>

Grand Strategies

These are chosen as part of your army, at the end of the battle you may score additional victory points if you achieve these goals. All of these require the units to be from your starting army.

• Beast Master - Have any Monsters remaining on the table.
• Dominating Presence - Have more units remaining on the table then your enemy.
• Hold the Line - Have any Battleline units remaining on the table.
• Pillars of Belief - Have any Priests remaining on the table.
• Predator's Domain - Control more terrain features then your enemy.
• Prized Sorcery - Have any Wizards remaining on the table.
• Sever the Head - Have no enemy Hero's remaining on the table.
• Vendetta - Have your General alive on the table, and your enemy's General must be dead.

Thondia Book

• Lord of Incarnate - Have any Incarnate left on the table and not in their Wild Form.
• Rulers of Mysteries - Control more terrain features with a "Thondia Mysterious Terrain" scenery rule then your opponent.
• Monstrous Presence - Have more Monsters remaining on the table then your opponent.
• Pillars of Magic and Believe - Have any Wizards or Priests left on the table.

Battle Rounds

After the first initial round where either yourself or the Opponent takes the first turn subsequent rounds are randomized on who will take the initiative for that new battle phase. How it is randomize is by both players roll a dice each and the highest one can pick to start the next round or let the opponent start, so in other words you have a 50/50 chance of going first again if are lucky enough so a good general will always keep that in mind when positioning units on the board for those 'just in case' situations.

Battle Tactics

• Broken Ranks - When you reveal this battle tactic, pick 1 Battleline unit from your opponent’s starting army on the battlefield. You complete this battle tactic if that unit is destroyed during this turn. If that unit is destroyed by an attack made by a friendly MONSTER or an ability of a friendly MONSTER, score 1 additional victory point.
  • Before picking this tactic try to ensure that your chosen battleline unit is sufficiently weakened. Can be used later in the game if you've been focusing on the more elite, non-battleline units thus far
• Conquer - When you reveal this battle tactic, pick 1 objective marker on the battlefield that your opponent controls. You complete this battle tactic if you control that objective marker at the end of this turn.
  • Best saved until you're sure you can take an objective, or when you've run out of better options
• Slay the Warlord - You complete this battle tactic if the model chosen to be your opponent’s general is slain during this turn. If that model was destroyed by a friendly MONSTER or an ability of a friendly MONSTER, score 1 additional victory point.
  • Generally saved until later in the game when you have eliminated your opponents main forces. To counter this tactic try to keep your general out of harms way or protected with a bodyguard unit
• Ferocious Advance - When you reveal this battle tactic, pick 3 different units from your starting army on the battlefield. You complete this battle tactic if all of the units you picked run in the following movement phase and finish that run within 3″ of each other. If all 3 of those units are MONSTERS, score 1 additional victory point.
  • Best used early in the game. A good deployment can really help with this tactic
• Bring it Down! - When you reveal this battle tactic, pick 1 enemy MONSTER on the battlefield. You complete this battle tactic if that unit is destroyed during this turn. If that enemy MONSTER was destroyed by an attack made by a friendly MONSTER or an ability off a friendly MONSTER, score 1 additional victory point.
  • Like Slay the Warlord, best saved until you have a clear opportunity to kill a monster. The only counter to this is to not take any monsters
• Aggressive Expansion - When you reveal this battle tactic, pick 2 objective markers on the battlefield that are not wholly within your territory. You complete this battle tactic if you control both objective markers at the end of this turn.
  • Due to the wording of this it can often be used in the first round for battle plans where the objectives are on the boundary of your territory
• Monstrous Takeover - When you reveal this battle tactic, pick 1 MONSTER from your starting army on the battlefield. You complete this battle tactic if that MONSTER is contesting an objective marker that you control at the end of this turn, and that objective marker is not contested by an enemy MONSTER.
  • Another tactic that can be used in the first round if you deploy a monster on an objective that is in your own territory. Also worth noting that you don't have to capture the objective, just be contesting it
• Savage Spearhead - You complete this battle tactic if there are 2 or more units from your starting army wholly within your opponent’s territory at the end of this turn. If 2 or more of those units are MONSTERS, score 1 additional victory point.
  • Great if you have a deep strike or teleport option. Often used late in the game when your opponent has left his rear flank open

Thondia Book
Has a special rule which allows you to score 2 Battle Tactics' worth of points if certain conditions are met.

• Savaged Ranks - Pick 1 enemy battleline and kill it, if you killed it with a Krondspine Incarnate using any of it's abilities or attacks it scores the Battle Tactic twice instead of once.
• Thondia Conquer - Pick 1 terrain feature controlled by your enemy and has the "Thondia Mysterious Terrain" scenery rule, and take it over by the end of your turn.
• Destroy the Bonded - Kill the enemy Hero that is bonded to an Incarnate, Score the Battle Tactic twice if you destroy the Hero with an Incarnate.
• Predatory Advance - Pick 3 different units from your starting army, you have to run with all 3 units and they have to finish their movement within 3" of each other. If 1 of them is a Krondspine Incarnate and 1 is the Hero bound to it you score the Battle Tactic twice instead of once.
• Abolish It! - Pick an enemy Krondspine Incarnate and abolish it by the end of the turn, if it was abolished by a friendly Incarnate you score the Battle Tactic twice instead of once.
• Monstrous Dominance - You have to have 2 or more friendly Monsters then your enemy remaining at the end of the turn, if 1 or more of these friendly Monsters are an Incarnate you score this Battle Tactic twice instead of once.
• Amber Spearhead - Have more units in your enemy's territory then your enemy, score this Battle Tactice twice if one of these units is a Krondspine Incarnate.

Phases

The game is split into multiple phases, like Fantasy, but these splits are a bit different. Also take note that modifiers are now applied AFTER re-rolls are made.

• Hero Phase: Here's where your wizards can do wizardy shit and heroes do leadery shit. Its also worth noting that many other abilities can also take effect or expire during this phase.
  • Spell Casting - Every wizard can cast at least one spell per turn dependent on their warscroll. Each spell has a casting cost which you must roll or beat with 2d6. Each spell can only be attempted to be cast once per phase (regardless of whether it's successful or not). Wizard's usually have at least one spell on their warscroll, plus they know the following:
    • Arcane Bolt - Cast on a 5+. At the start of a phase this turn, One enemy unit within 12" takes 1 Mortal (Read: Unsaveable) wound, 1d3 if they are within 3".
    • Mystic Shield - Cast on a 5+. A friendly unit within 12" of the caster adds 1 to save rolls until your next hero phase.
      • Miscasting - Rolling snake eyes (two 1s) inflicts d3 mortal wounds to the wizard, automatically counts as a fail and bars the wizard from casting anymore for the phase. Simply put, RE-ROLL THAT SHIT when you can.
  • Unbinding - If you have a wizard within 30" of another wizard that's casting, you can roll 2d6 to cancel it. All you need to do is beat the casting roll by rolling an equal amount of dice (2d6), which can be laughably impossible if the other guy managed to roll really high; both sides apply modifiers before comparing.
  • Prayers - 3E has decided to pay some more attention to priests. now they can invoke prayers dependent on their warscroll. Like spells, prayers can only be used once a turn and each prayer has you rolling a d6 to cast a prayer. Priests have access to whatever is on their warscroll as well as the following:
    • Bless - Cast on a 4+. One unit wholly within 12" of the priest gains a 6+ ward save.
    • Smite - Cast on a 2+. One enemy Priest within 48" of your priest eats a mortal wound, upped to d3 mortal wounds if you rolled a 6+ on the casting roll.
      • Divine Wrath - As with wizards, you also have a miscast. On a natural 1, your priest eats a mortal wound and can't pray any more for the phase. It's way easier than spells, but it's also a lot less likely to fuck you over.
  • Command Abilities - These are abilities that Heroes AND UNIT LEADERS can use in the Hero Phase (unless said otherwise) that give buffs that cannot be stopped. They cost 1 command point each, which you start the battle turn with 1 for each battalion warscroll plus, if you bought it for 50 points, one an additional CP. You also gain 1 point at the start of each of your hero phases (including the first turn) Each of them can only target a unit wholly within 12" of a Hero or within 18" of your general or a unit with the Totem keyword. You can use as many different Command Abilities you want as many times as you want - or the same one multiple times a turn (unless otherwise specified) - as long as you have the command points to do. Some models have Command abilities that they can only use if they are the general so plan accordingly. Everyone has the following, which affect a single unit for a single phase:
    • Rally - Pick one unit in the hero phase that is more than 3" away from any enemy units. Roll a D6 for each model in the unit that has been removed from play. For each unmodified roll of 6, bring a model back with full wounds. Do I hear fully-reviving Kurnoth Hunters or Stormfiends..? Yes. Yes I do. Rise up, dead man!
    • All-out Attack - One unit can add 1 to hits during combat or shooting phase.
    • All-out Defense - One unit can add 1 to saves during combat or shoting phase.
    • At the Double - One unit within range chosen to run treats the run roll as a 6. No more fishing for the six first and then deciding to use this, so be careful!
    • Forward to Victory - One unit within range can reroll a charge.
    • Inspiring Presence - One unit within range can ignore battleshock.
    • Unleash Hell - One unit within range can fire on a charging enemy unit within 6", but suffer a -1 penalty to hit them.
    • Redeploy - One unit within range can move d6" after an enemy approaches but doesn't charge them.
  • Heroic Actions - Introduced in AoS 3E, these are new actions that each hero can be triggered at the start of the phase. All of these are focused on supplementing a hero that triggers them, especially if that hero's getting in the thick of it.
    • Heroic Leadership - Pick a hero and roll a d6, adding +2 if your general is dead. On a 4+, you gain a CP you can use to make that hero use on a command action for that phase. Pretty much emergency CP calls here, as it's not quite as baked-in as 40k.
    • Heroic Willpower - Pick a hero that isn't a wizard. During the enemy's hero phase you can let this hero dispel an enemy spell, but during your hero phase you can make this hero unbind an endless spell. Helpful to at least grant a minor measure of anti-magic for your Khorneboys and giants.
    • Their Finest Hour - Pick a hero, they get +1 to all wound rolls and to their saves, ideal for taking on big menaces. Because of how powerful this is, you can only use this once for each hero.
    • Heroic Recovery - Pick a hero that is more than 3" away from an enemy and roll 2d6; if this roll is below or equal to the hero's Bravery, you heal 1d3 wounds. For big heroes like the centerpiece ones and monsters, this isn't going to really do much but it'll equal to hiding behind a corner and regenerating if you get like two turns to patch yourself up.
• Movement Phase - Each unit still has a movement range described in their profile/warscroll, which they can walk. Running adds d6 to that result (but can't shoot or charge afterwards) and can't move within 3" of an enemy unit. Flying units can move within 3" of enemies as they ignore intervening models and terrain but cannot end within 3".
• Shooting Phase
  • Pick a unit to shoot.
  • Roll to-hit, which means seeing if you roll over your chosen weapon's To-Hit score on a d6. This isn't modified based on any armor or other factors, meaning that if you have a weapon that hits on a 3+, ANYTHING will get hit. Unit positioning and cover should be taken into consideration during this phase after turn 1 or during setup.
  • Roll to-wound, which means using a d6 to roll over the chosen weapon's To-Wound Score. People complain about there being no modifiers to the roll due to how tough a creature is now, don't worry about that as it is reflected by how many wounds each model has in a unit now.
  • Roll to save, which are now all covered in one stat. After all hit and wound rolls are resolved then armor saves needs to be taken. Roll as normal then apply modifiers such as rending, cover saves etc. and see if you passed or failed the roll.
• Charge Phase - For each unit within 12" of the enemy, roll 2d6 and if you can get a model with 1/2" of another unit with that roll, you can charge that unit. Means if you have 2 targets in range, you can pick which one you hit, positioning is key for successful charges.
  • Monstrous Rampages - So AoS 3.0 looks to establish the forces of Destruction as the central adversaries of this edition. Destruction means lots of big, scary monsters so all those Monster units have new actions to use after the charge phase. Each of these can only be used once per phase, so it'll be more inconvenient on a monster-heavy army like the Avengorii Soulblights or the Sons of Behemat.
    • Roar - Pick an enemy within 3" of your monster and roll a d6; on a 3+, this unit can't use issue or receive commands for the following combat phase. Especially the one to pick you you're planning to hit a unit hiding next to a hero.
    • Stomp - Pick a non-Monster enemy unit within 3" and roll a d6; on a 2+ this unit eats d3 MWs right off the bat, which especially bites for small and medium-sized gangs like Stormcast and Slaves.
    • Titanic Duel - Pick an enemy Monster unit within 3". Your monster now gets +1 to hit theirs for the following combat phase, and you might well need it.
    • Smash to Rubble - Find some defensible terrain or an enemy setpiece within 3" and roll a d6; on a 2+, that setpiece is now useless, unable to be hidden in and no longer able to benefit your enemy.
• Attack Phase - Combat phase. Now this is where things are a little different. For hitting and wounding it is the same thing as shooting however the main differences is which unit shall you pick to attack first. So if it is your turn you pick 1 unit in a combat, they attack, then your opponent picks 1 unit in combat, they attack, and you continue until all units attack. You have to be tactical if you have multiple combats as you have to try and maximise the amount of attacks your guys get before your opponent maximises his. Also two other differences is that 1) each weapon has a range (normally 1") so you actually have to pay attention to the positioning of your guys. And 2) your units can only use the selected weapons they have equipped on them (monsters can bite and swipe in the same attack) so read the units warscroll first and decide what they are going to have BEFORE the game starts but generally the model would show what they are wielding anyway.
• Battleshock Phase - This is the panic phase. Any unit who lost models during ANY phases has to test Bravery on d6, adding 1 for every model that has slain from the unit during that turn. Failing this test means a model leaves for each degree it fails by. An example would be a basic unit of 10 model count Blood reavers with a bravery of 5 suffers (no upgrades for example sake) 3 casualties and made a Battle shock roll which ended up being an 4. Now you add the amount suffered in the combat phase(3) and add it to the roll you just made during the bravery phase(4) which equals to a total of (7). Compare this to the bravery profile (5) and you failed by 2 so the result is two more models running away leaving 5 left out of the original 10.

Army Tactics

Generally, people play using the points system introduced in the Generals Handbook. This limits you to choosing your army from either a single faction (plus optionally some allies from a restricted set) or one of the Grand Alliances (Order, Chaos, Death or Destruction). By choosing a faction that has a Battletome you'll receive additional bonuses. The official Warscroll Builder can be an easy and effective way of building a roster.

Technically, nothing in the core rules limit your model choices and thus can field anything from any army alongside each other. While this can create interesting thematics, such as oldschool Morathi armies using Dark Elves and Daemons or Chaos Magic Sigmarines, if you play this way you should expect players to be grizzled sex pests, and prepare to fight fire with fire (if you know what I mean). Early editions of AOS played entirely this way until points were added to give the illusion of balance.

Anyone with old WHFB minis that aren't listed in any of the factions find them in Legends. Whilst anyone wanting to play AOS rules that have been superseded by newer editions should mosey on down to the Old section. Neither of these will be valid in either tournaments or many local groups.

In the table below, Factions with Battletomes are listed on a row above the unloved factions. Factions in italics either don't have a battletome or do not have the correct units to field a full army.

Age of Sigmar Tactics Articles
General Tactics	Tactics Realm Of Battle Malign Sorcery Path to Glory Skirmish
Order	Cities of Sigmar Daughters of Khaine Fyreslayers Idoneth Deepkin Kharadron Overlords Lumineth Realm-Lords Seraphon Stormcast Eternals Sylvaneth
Chaos	Beasts Of Chaos Blades of Khorne Disciples of Tzeentch Hedonites of Slaanesh Maggotkin of Nurgle Skaven Slaves to Darkness
Death	Flesh-Eater Courts Nighthaunt Ossiarch Bonereapers Soulblight Gravelords
Destruction	Gloomspite Gitz Ogor Mawtribes Orruk Warclans Sons of Behemat
Others	Monstrous Arcanum Legends Old Rules

General Rule sources

You'll need a battletome for your faction(s).

Core rules: here.

Matched play rules, battleplans and expansions: General's Handbook 2021, plus the battleplans from the Core Book.

Supplement all the above with any Errata and Designers' Commentary from the FAQs.

Play Types

The various GW books outline different ways of playing, often in an attempt to mix things up and get people playing something other than Matched Play.

Open Play

Core Book and General's Handbook 2020

Play with whatever models you want. Go nuts. Have fun.

Narrative Play

Core Book and General's Handbook 2021

Play using restrictions generated by fluff and optionally narrated by a GM.

Specific narrative play books include

• Realmgate Wars: Quest for Ghal Maraz
• Realmgate Wars: Balance Of Power

Matched Play

Core Book and General's Handbook 2021

Also known as tournament rules. Make sure you have all the latest rules and FAQs to hand and be ready to defend every move you make (I'll be watching you).

Matched Play: Meeting Engagements

General's Handbook 2021

A different way to play 1000pts.

Matched Play: Coalition Of Death

Generals Handbook 2020

2 vs 2 games of 1000points per player.

Skirmish

White Dwarf Jan 2019/Feb 2019

You know how Kill Team took the smaller units from 40k and wrote an awesome new set of rules around them? Well this is the same, except GW didn't make any effort. Points are divided by 10 and every model is now a unit. Updated set of rules for AoS 2.0 published in White Dwarf Jan 2019 and Feb 2019. Most other rules remain the same. Expect some stuff to be just broken (Branchwych!).

Technically, this should be good for introducing noobs to AOS. However, just make sure you explain it's missing all the really cool stuff as you point them to the warscoll for Nagash.

Season Of War: Firestorm

Still usable in tournaments, apparently.

Path To Glory

An on-going campaign using a subset of the AOS minis, with a self-set goal depending on which armies are used.

Realm Of Battle

As per the Core Book, battles may be fought in a Realm. This a set of additional rules providing additional benefits, penalties and often spells. They are not restricted to any particular game mode, so can be used in Open, Narrative, or Matched Play games. They have been rewritten in GHB2020, and are listed as mandatory for matched play.

See Realm Of Battle.

Malign Sorcery

Malign Sorcery is an optional expansion for Age Of Sigmar which introduces Endless Spells - persistent spells with models that can be used by wizards in any army.

Other rules introduced, such as realm specific spells and additional play types and battleplans have been replaced as of GHB2020.

See Malign Sorcery.

Mercenary Companies

A flash in the pan, Mercenary Companies was a GHB2019 addition, but then dropped for GHB2020.

Dogs of War in Age of Sigmar but not really. For starters, the units offered are not unique models at all but instead existing units cherry-picked from their respective faction. On one hand, it opened up to some interesting combinations in army building which could end up being either hilariously bad or hilariously good. On the other hand, you'd be spending your starting command point on these guys and the whole concept of it can easily become a narrative clusterfuck. Probably why it was dropped.

See Mercenary Companies if you still want to play using them.

Terrain

Terrain rules have recently been simplified, and you should be looking at the Generals Handbook. However, many people don't bother with any of these rules and just consider all scenery as obstacles to move over/around.

Most generic terrain rolls off the following list, which you roll for before the game begins.

1. Damned: Suckers within 3" can opt to take d3 Mortal Wounds in exchange for adding +1 to all hit rolls until the next Hero Phase. Mobs can especially benefit from this since the damage won't mean so much to them and they get more guaranteed hits.
2. Arcane: Wizards within 3" of this piece add +1 to all casting and unbinding rules. The use is pretty obvious.
3. Inspiring: All within 3" add +1 Bravery. While wasted on Duardin and Stormcasts, this can mean the difference between a pack of Orruks holding on or breaking for the hills.
4. Mystical: Now here's a wildcard. All units within 3" have to roll d6; on a 1, the unit becomes stupefied and can't do shit until your next Hero Phase, but on any other result, you can re-roll wound rolls.
5. Sinister: The units within 3" now trigger fear (Inflict -1 Bravery against any other enemies) until your next Hero Phase. Pretty much your go-to for deleting mobs with the fist of a spiteful god.
6. this list is out of date... there are more rules than this.

Whereas most of the official scenery kits are restricted to a single effect:

• Arcane Ruins: Use Arcane rules.

• Azyrite Ruin: None.

• Baleful Realmgate: A unit within 6" of the gate and 6" of a friendly wizard can teleport to another gate instead of moving.

• Barbed Venomgorse: Consists of exactly 3 Barbed Venomgorse models. Use Deadly rules.

• Citadel Wood: Blocks line of sight. If you are Sylvaneth you can use these as Sylvaneth Wyldwoods.

• Dragonfate Dais: Use Damned rules.

• Magewrath Throne: It's a giant command throne. If your general is within 3" and the enemy general isn't then +1 command points in your hero phase

• Numinous Occulum: Use Mystical rules.

• Ophidian Archway: Use Sinister rules.

• Shardwrack Spines: Consists of 2-5 Shardwrack Spine models. Use Deadly rules.

• Sigmarite Mausoleum: A catch all for everything you can get in the Mausoleum kit. Counts as a garrison for up to 30 wounds worth of models. And counts as a Legions Of Nagash gravesite.

• Walls and Fences: This is pretty stupidly obvious. No specific rules.

• Warscryer Citadel: Counts as a garrison for up to 30 wounds worth of models plus a flying monster if you've built it right. Once inside Heroes inside can roll a dice and on 2+ get one command point in your hero phase and Heroes can unbind one spell per turn, whilst Wizards get an additional unbind.

Age of Sigmar Tactics Articles
General Tactics	Tactics Realm Of Battle Malign Sorcery Path to Glory Skirmish
Order	Cities of Sigmar Daughters of Khaine Fyreslayers Idoneth Deepkin Kharadron Overlords Lumineth Realm-Lords Seraphon Stormcast Eternals Sylvaneth
Chaos	Beasts Of Chaos Blades of Khorne Disciples of Tzeentch Hedonites of Slaanesh Maggotkin of Nurgle Skaven Slaves to Darkness
Death	Flesh-Eater Courts Nighthaunt Ossiarch Bonereapers Soulblight Gravelords
Destruction	Gloomspite Gitz Ogor Mawtribes Orruk Warclans Sons of Behemat
Others	Monstrous Arcanum Legends Old Rules