Age of Sigmar Rumor Roundup

[Austin Becht]

All I'll say about the rules is...interesting. I like how simple they are, and that will certainly help with getting into the game...but the lack of complexity and tactics kind of annoys me. It looks like it will work well for all levels of play, from small skirmishes to massed battles, but then one could have said the same for 40k by just looking at its rules, and not the various armies and units...

I think GW have hit the nail on the head here in creating an easily accessible game, with simple rules and a low entry point, and I feel that will help attract a lot of customers that might not have otherwise entered Fantasy, or the GW side of the hobby for that matter. And the similarity in aesthetics between Age of Sigmar and 40k will also help drag Sigmar players into 40k, and vice versa. The problems I see are: a) perhaps the rules are too simple, and b) they have alienated the entire current WHFB community. Those two things might hurt them, but otherwise I think this might be a great new game from them, though no proper successor to WHFB.

[Chronowraith]

Sounds like utter dog sh1t to me. I'll reserve final judgement until I've given it a try for myself, but I'm pretty sure I'm done. I think this will alienate a lot of existing Warhammer players. GW are obviously gambling on picking up a lot more, because they clearly aren't bothered about the existing market.

Keep in mind that most rumors indicate that Age of Sigmar is just the intro set of the intro sets. Remember in previous versions you'd have the small rulebook and then the tiny pamphlet? The tiny pamphlet that wouldn't even explain statlines and would simply say, "roll X dice when fighting with this model, any that roll 5+ hit"? Age of Sigmar is that pamphlet magnified. Most of the rumors point to an expansion of rules later down the line.

I'm very curious how this release works and ties into future releases. I'm concerned with a lot of the over simplified mechanisms in the rules snippets I've seen such as units not costing points, the stats of "I need this to hit, this to save, etc." I'm also concerned with what appears, on the surface at least, to be some really atrocious backstory. Most of this it seems will end up waiting for later releases.

So I'd hold off casting any opinion because of Age of Sigmar. If you like the miniatures inside, pick it up. Otherwise, just wait it out. If it doesn't get better, move on. If the latter is the case then he next time I'm in the UK I'll gladly bring my army along for a game of proper Warhammer Fantasy.

[Cap'nSmurfs]

As to complexity, we'll have to see what the Warscrolls for various units look like in the next few months. The decision seems to be to go for a very basic set of rules - suitable for learning in like a half an hour intro session - and then adding in layers with new units and their attendant Warscrolls. That's my hunch, anyway.

[Austin Becht]

As to complexity, we'll have to see what the Warscrolls for various units look like in the next few months. The decision seems to be to go for a very basic set of rules - suitable for learning in like a half an hour intro session - and then adding in layers with new units and their attendant Warscrolls. That's my hunch, anyway.

Yeah I feel the same way. If you were to take out some of the more "complex" rules in LoTR, shorten the sentences, and simplify the language, you could probably fit all its rules on 10 or less pages, maybe even 5 or less. I mean I could probably write out all the rules for LoTR right here. And a lot of LoTR's complexity comes from its more special rules, such as magic, and monster attacks and such, which could just as easily be considered a unit's rules as much as a game mechanic, and could have easily been produced on the unit's profile and not be included as a core rule. So the size of the rules is not indicative of the complexity of the gameplay. Perhaps the various warscrolls will bring in the complexity we all desire, much as the various units, and their rules, do for LoTR.

[Erik Setzer]

Destruction: Orruks, Grots, Ogors, and ravening beasts beyond count

Okay, you know what, GW? Your whole legal department can [censored for the children]. They are ORCS and GOBLINS and OGRES. You can't just change names to some weird spelling and pronunciation just to try to copyright or trademark them. Those names sound utterly stupid and I'll continue to call them what they really are.

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It doesn't sound very different to me, except being able to shoot and charge in the same turn.

Really? Go read the leaked rules. There's pretty much no similarity to Warhammer. If you think there is, you clearly haven't ever played Warhammer.

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Keep in mind that most rumors indicate that Age of Sigmar is just the intro set of the intro sets. Remember in previous versions you'd have the small rulebook and then the tiny pamphlet? The tiny pamphlet that wouldn't even explain statlines and would simply say, "roll X dice when fighting with this model, any that roll 5+ hit"? Age of Sigmar is that pamphlet magnified. Most of the rumors point to an expansion of rules later down the line.

Rumors also claimed state troops in the boxed set.

As opposed to rumors, rumors, and more rumors, we've got emails and stuff circulating from GW using as a selling point for Age of Sigmar that the full rules are just four pages. They're not saying "starter rules" or anything like that. Age of Sigmar is the name of the game, and the rules are four pages.

[Chronowraith]

Okay, you know what, GW? Your whole legal department can [censored for the children]. They are ORCS and GOBLINS and OGRES. You can't just change names to some weird spelling and pronunciation just to try to copyright or trademark them. Those names sound utterly stupid and I'll continue to call them what they really are.

To be fair, they've been called Grots in Fantasy for a long time too. Goblin was simply the original name. I've played since the late 80s and I remember players referring to goblins as grots quite frequently. Nonetheless, I agree with the overall point you are trying to make her. Changing the name of them doesn't really protect your IP any more than if I were to start up a company, grab the Apple logo, recolor is purple, and call my company "Gibbertyfitz".

As opposed to rumors, rumors, and more rumors, we've got emails and stuff circulating from GW using as a selling point for Age of Sigmar that the full rules are just four pages. They're not saying "starter rules" or anything like that. Age of Sigmar is the name of the game, and the rules are four pages.

The question is simple. Is Age of Sigmar just a box set that is used to capture people and introduce them to the new setting or is it the complete box set. Of course there is a GW circular saying, "this is all you need". Do you think it would be a great selling point if they said, "Well this is a starter with over simplified rules. The real rules come out in a month"? Yeah, not so much.

I'm simply trying to add some sanity to people rushing around saying, "this is the end of Warhammer!" Unless you know GWs full release plan for Warhammer, in which case please enlighten all of us, we don't know if these are the full final rules or not as all of the rumor mongers, including the more reliable ones, most indicated that full rules would come after the initial box set.

You rail on GW and accuse them of shady business practices and poor decision making skills but at the same time your willing to take their marketing propaganda at face value? At least be consistent with your paranoia.

Until GW comes out and says, "This is it folks" I'll sit back patiently and watch. I have other games to play and a ton of miniatures to assemble and paint. I've got time to wait.

[40kGamer]

I don't think GW are too bothered with existing players and the huge armies they already own. This is an attempt to get new players into WFB, who will be buying more than just a few new models. It's got me interested.

THe sad truth is they only care about you until you are a customer then crickets....

[Mr Mystery]

Interesting.

Intrigued to see what these Heroic Commands are, and if indeed this is one of several takes.

[silashand]

not much of that appeals

None of it to me. Changing names so they can copyright new names for orcs, goblins and elves? The more I hear about AoS the less I like what I hear and the more likely I am to give it a pass. Seems like the morons in charge didn't learn a damn thing about how they managed to kill the system that started them as a company. It really is looking like they just threw this new garbage over the fence hoping it would stick.

[Wildeybeast]

Agreed. The more I hear, the less I like it. The silly names, the back of a *** packet rules, the loss of ranked up units, the new aesthetic. I'm not running around saying Warhammer is dead, because I will quite happily keep playing 8th ed with my existing armies and rules. But any attempts by GW to claim this is Warhammer 2.0 and has some sort of connection with the game we all knew and loved are looking laughable.

If it works and brings in a load of new players for them, then Job done and fair play. But I'm willing to bet this will cost them a large chunk of the existing fanbase, so it has to work or Warhammer really will be dead and gone.