[AOS] preview des règles de la 4ème édition

Rule Changes: What You Need to Know
The fourth edition brings with it a host of changes designed to enhance gameplay and strategy. Here's what players can expect:

Warscroll Overhaul: All warscrolls have been updated, rendering previous battletomes obsolete. However, Games Workshop has promised free PDFs for each faction to ensure players can transition smoothly.

Uniform Weapon Range: The range of all weapons is now standardized to 3 inches, affecting how engagements and battles are planned.

Morale Replaced: The traditional morale system has been removed, introducing a new "control" stat similar to the mechanics in Warhammer 40K, adding depth to battlefield command and control.

Magic System Revamp: Players choose a single spell lore at the beginning of the game, granting access to all spells within that lore, streamlining the magic phase and strategic decisions.

Abilities Focus: Every action is now considered an ability, providing clarity and uniformity in how various effects and powers are applied.

Double Turn Limitation: Opting for a double turn prevents scoring battle tactics. This rule aims to balance the tactical advantage of consecutive turns with strategic objective control.

Universal Rules Introduction: To streamline gameplay and understanding of warscrolls, universal rules cover common elements like banners, musicians, champions, flying units, and ethereal beings.

Interactivity increased cast spell or even change during opponent turn (maybe it's time for alternate activation?)

Impactfull terrain Improved terrain rules for a bigger impact in the game

Streamlined Army Building (i don't know what that mean...)

More reactive command system (i guess it's the same thing allowing to cast a spell or charge during ennemy turn)

Underdog mechanics supposed to grant nail biting finish to our games ^^

GHB : will be in the launch box.

Path to Glory focused on characters and units progression

Warhammer Age of Sigmar – What Are Modular Rules and What Do They Mean for You?

Put simply, the game is divided into Core Rules and Advanced Rules. The Core Rules are quick to learn, and cover moving, fighting, shooting, unit coherency, and everything else you need to know to play a simple battle from start to finish with objectives and terrain. The Advanced Rules cover Commands, Terrain, Magic, Army Composition, Command Models, and Battle Tactics. As any experienced player will tell you, these are all vital for in-depth, tactical games of Warhammer Age of Sigmar, so what makes them modular?



“Rules have been structured in a modular manner,” says Ben, the Product Developer for the game. “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.”

“Modularity is born from the idea that Warhammer Age of Sigmar is much more than just a game,” continues Matt, the man in charge of the rules. “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.”



This system means that everything outside the Core Rules is designed to be plug-and-play – which has serious implications for the future of the game. Those familiar with the General’s Handbooks will know that each season has focused on a unique spin, from the Predators and Prey of Ghur – which centred monsters and those hunting them – to the devastating Primal Magic channelled by Andtorian Locuses in the current season. The new modular structure provides a clean and clear way of implementing such things in future.

“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,” explains Matt.

So, how will modularity impact this? “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.”

There are also other benefits, as Matt explains: “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 for this system is huge, and it helps clearly delineate certain aspects of the rules for both beginners and experienced players, creating clear steps to follow when teaching the game. The team has plenty of ideas on how this might shake things up in the future, and you’ll see from the start of the new edition how it works in practice. Tomorrow, we’ll be back with a look at one of the most exciting and unique aspects of Warhammer Age of Sigmar, the tactical twist known as the priority roll.

Today, it’s time to tackle one of the signature aspects of Warhammer Age of Sigmar, the priority roll.


The player who finishes setting their army up first gets to choose who takes the first turn. This feeds into a strategic element of list building – another part of the game which has undergone changes for the new edition – because it may affect the composition of your army.*

At the start of every battle round after the first, players make a priority roll and the winner decides who takes the first turn. If it’s a tie, the player who took the first turn in the previous battle round decides who goes first in the current battle round. Sometimes, this means a canny player can take two turns in a row – often referred to as a “double turn” – which offers a substantial tactical advantage.



Those of you who have played other Warhammer tabletop games may find this a little odd initially, but it is crucial to understanding the ebb and flow of Warhammer Age of Sigmar. The decision is rich with tactical depth, and opens up a wide range of options for both forward planning and counterplay – the latter of which have been considerably expanded in the upcoming edition.

What’s more, it’s here to stay in the new edition – but the balance between risk and reward has become much more finely tuned. Now, in matched play battlepacks, when you choose to take a double turn, you give up your opportunity to pick a battle tactic for the turn.* It’s still an incredibly powerful option – but the decision is now far from a foregone conclusion.

“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”, explains Matt, the Lead Games Developer for Warhammer Age of Sigmar. “You can’t count out each players’ moves as simply as a straightforward you-go-then-I-go. It’s a wonderful possibility space.”

“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,” Matt continues. “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?”

According to Ben – the Product Developer on Warhammer Age of Sigmar – top-level players will spend a lot of time considering when to give the double turn away, and when to capitalise on it.

“A player can pass on the opportunity to take a double turn, knowing that they’re set up in such a way that it won’t really impact them. This gives them the chance to take a double turn later on, and really capitalise on it – that’s the mark of a great player.”

When new players first learn about the double turn, it often raises a few eyebrows, but it’s well-loved by the community at large.

“I often ask competitive players, playtesters, and influencers the same questions,” says Matt. “What they’d add to the game, what they’d change about it, and what they’d remove from it. By far, the number one answer to the last question is this: ‘not the double turn!’ Our players are fiercely loyal to this concept, to the point it’s become a bit of a rallying call!”

We’ll soon be able to share more details on other changes that will inform your tactics and strategies, from command points and scoring to the new Underdog mechanic. But the headline news is that the priority roll is here to stay – get practising your forward planning!

* On which we’ll have more to say… later!

How Building Your Army Has Changed in #NewAoS


We’ve already given you a taste of what’s changing in the new edition of Warhammer Age of Sigmar, dug into what modular rules mean for you, and talked a little about the knife-edge decision-making behind the priority roll. Today, it’s time to examine army composition.

AoS ArmyComp Apr2 Image1

In the current edition, armies require at least one Leader unit and a minimum of three Battleline units (or two for 1,000-point games), along with other restrictions on Behemoths, reinforcements, and so on. You can slot your units into various battalions that confer bonuses – such as the ever-popular Battle Regiment, which allows you to deploy up to nine units all at once. As the player who finishes setting up first is rewarded with the option to take the first turn, you have to balance low “drops” with list-building flexibility, creating tension between picking exactly what you want and seizing the first-turn tactical advantage.

The new edition maintains these incentives of risk and reward, but takes a new route to emphasise flavour and flexibility. An army now comprises one or more regiments. Every army must have at least one regiment – and can only take a maximum of five.

Each regiment is led by a single HERO, and can include up to three other units – or four, if it’s your general’s regiment. These regiments represent the retinues, warbands, and chosen warriors who will accompany a leader into battle, so every HERO lists which units they can include in their regiment, as part of their battle profile.

In the case of the Lumineth Realm-lords, for instance, a Vanari Bannerblade can include any VANARI units in their regiment, while an Alarith Stonemage can be accompanied by their signature ALARITH units – along with Vanari Auralan Wardens, who form the common core of many Lumineth forces. Unique faction leaders like Archmage Teclis can often be accompanied by any units from their faction. In rare cases, some powerful heroes can even include other HERO units in their regiment, for example the Mighty Lord of Khorne, who can be accompanied into battle by GORECHOSEN heroes.

This tends to result in armies that are much more thematic, with each HERO accompanied by the kinds of troops you’d expect to see at their sides.



Every unit within a regiment deploys together as a single drop. You can reinforce most non-Unique units with more than one model, and while there is no longer any limit on the number of units you can reinforce, you may no longer double-reinforce units.

Otherwise, the restrictions of the current edition are gone.

“Battlefield roles, such as Battleline, Behemoths, or Artillery are a thing of the past,” explains Product Developer Ben. “Once you’ve got a HERO as your general, you have a ton of flexibility in how you build your roster. If you want to build a list that’s just a single hero and a swarm of Doomwheels zooming around and causing havoc, we won’t stop you! But it will have an impact on the game because anything that isn’t in a regiment has to be an auxiliary unit.”

Auxiliary units offer a way to pick additional units from your faction, outside the confines of a regiment. There are no limits on how many auxiliaries you can take, but there’s still a cost – each Auxiliary unit is deployed one at a time (as a single ‘drop’) and the player with the fewest auxiliaries on their roster gets one extra command point at the start of each battle round. These are a crucial resource in the new edition, and scarcer than before.*



“Command points are a scarce resource in this edition. There isn’t a single warscroll or faction ability in the game that gives you additional points”, explains Matt, highlighting the value of sticking to your regiments. “We’ve tried to keep army composition as open as possible to reflect the diverse array of forces found in the Mortal Realms, implementing soft incentives to push for armies that are thematic and maintain a healthy mix of units and heroes.”

On top of your regiments, you’ll also be picking your subfaction. These are now called battle formations, which have been refocused around the fighting style of an army rather than their specific background. This invites players to mix and match a battle formation with their favourite colour scheme and any unique heroes they like.

Other important aspects of army building are also sticking around, including Artefacts of Power and Heroic Traits – which used to be known as Command Traits** – as well as Spell Lores, Prayer Lores, and the shiny new Manifestation Lores… which we’ll have details on later.

* We’ll be writing about commands and how you receive command points at a later date.

** Heroic Traits replace Command Traits – operating in a similar manner, except for the fact that they can be given to any hero, not just your general.

The warscroll has been a mainstay of Warhammer Age of Sigmar since the first days of first edition. They’ve evolved with each edition, but they’re still one of the most recognisable parts of the game.

Things have changed once again for the new edition – and these changes tie into the new modularity of the rules. Everything a unit can do is now an ability, and these are clearly labelled, colour-coded, and symbol-coded to demonstrate exactly which phase of the game each ability is used in.

This system is the key that unlocks the whole game – even basic, universal actions such as moving and fighting are now shared abilities listed in the core rulebook,* while every warscroll has at least one ability unique to them, which help define each unit’s battlefield role.

What’s on a Warscroll?



Despite this change to unit abilities, the information contained on a new warscroll is actually mostly very similar to previous iterations. The unit title, for instance, remains entirely the same, while the characteristic emblem still contains four stats:

Move, which is unchanged
Health, which is the current Wounds stat changed for sense purposes**
Save, which is unchanged
Control, which replaces Bravery and functions as a measure of how able a unit is to hold Objectives. A unit’s Control Score is the sum of this characteristic from all models in the unit contesting an objective
Likewise, the keywords banner at the bottom remains the same – though important gameplay keywords have been moved onto their own line at the top for easy reference.

Weapons have seen a few subtle changes, but they still function in more or less the same way. In melee, five key attributes function as before: Attacks, Hit, Wound, Rend, and Damage – though they’ve all been carefully rebalanced for the new edition to better reflect each unit’s miniatures, lore, and battlefield role.

Liberators hit hard for basic troops, especially given their Crit (Mortal) ability – one of seven universal weapon abilities. It has a simple effect: an unmodified 6 to hit counts as a Critical Hit, and this ability turns Critical Hits into Mortal Damage.

However, while missile weapons still have a Range – albeit generally reduced – every model can now fight within a 3” combat range in melee. It’s a simple change, but one that will streamline pile-ins and combat resolution.

Finally, there are the redesigned abilities. Our Liberators have a fairly easy one – Stalwart Defenders, which helps them control your closest Objectives. It’s purple, which marks it out as an End of Turn ability, while the circle symbol makes it a Control ability. Passive ensures that it happens automatically. Each phase and ability type has its own colour and symbol, making it incredibly easy to see when you use them.



But that’s a fairly simple warscroll. How does a complex one look? Say, one belonging to a god…




Even though it belongs to the literal god of Death, Nagash’s warscroll (like everyone else’s) fits on one side of a card. He has several decisive abilities, which affect the game in three separate phases. The Staff of Power is a passive buff which greatly improves his spellcasting power during the Hero Phase, while Supreme Lord of the Undead is an incredibly powerful once-per-battle ability that can turn the tide of a conflict.

His signature spell is Invocation of Nagash, a flexible conjuration that can restore models, shield them from incoming damage, or deal damage to the opposition. Finally, Hand of Dust may be used in your turn or your opponent’s. This is an example of a new-look rampage – the vast majority of monsters now have a unique ability called out on their warscroll. You’ll notice that various universal special rules, such as WIZARD, FLY, and WARD appear in the keyword bar, and have been standardised in the core rules.

As you’d imagine, there’s a huge scope of warscrolls which sit between humble soldiers and literal gods, but they all fit into the same space and they all function exactly the same. We’ll have more on Warhammer Age of Sigmar next week.