Skaven in the Spotlight
Laser rats, demons, lizardmen, and petulant undead pirates make beautiful battlefield music in Warhammer: The Age of Sigmar, thundering back into the spotlight with the release of its new 4th edition.
Games Workshop might catch more attention for its dystopian Sci-fi slaughter fest Warhammer 40,000, but its fantasy version is just as flush with creative factions, immersive lore, and units upon units to throw onto battlefields big and small in search of victory.
Whether you’ve been collecting skulls for Khorne’s skull throne for years or are looking for a new miniatures wargame to dive into, read on to see how this classic has been refreshed for a more modern battlefield.
What is Warhammer – Age of Sigmar?
At its crux, Warhammer: Age of Sigmar is a miniatures wargame planted in a massive fantasy setting. When you play, you’ll assemble a force based on army points for the battle at hand, splay out terrain across the table, and proceed to bash your partner into the ground or decimate them with magical spells. There’s nuance to be had, from objectives to grand campaigns to multiplayer matches mixing factions in a messy, hilarious conflagration, but at its core, Warhammer is exactly what its name implies: a war.
Waging these battles requires units, and in Warhammer, these units belong to various factions, from the aforementioned Skaven laser rats to cannon-blasting dwarves. As you might guess, each faction is wildly different, going beyond blades and bows to include magic, dragons, and monstrous mammoths. Age of Sigmar’s 4th edition leans into the Skaven, with two starter sets featuring the wily rats (along with the Stormcast, essentially superhuman divine beings), but updated rules and sets are on their way for the massive cast, and cover existing armies from earlier editions, so take your pick and get to building, painting, and playing.
Once at the table, you’ll choose a mission, lay out objectives, and array your forces. Play in Age of Sigmar 4th Edition is a streamlined i-go, you-go, divided amongst several phases. The active player will get to use abilities and move their troops, then the other, followed by alternating shooting actions, combat, and so on. At each turn’s end, there’s a quick bit of clean-up, and away things go again. This might not sound like much, but 4th Edition clears out a lot of finicky timing from earlier editions, keeping games moving and preventing ‘gotcha’ moments that lead to unsatisfying experiences.
Combat communes with Warhammer’s dice-chucking energy, though simply barreling in without regard for innate abilities, spells, and force composition will see your much-loved troops become demon fodder. Nevertheless, Warhammer gives luck a chance, and the narratives that arise from spectacular rolls fit right into the over-the-top world.
This is the game’s core, a bloody dance around objectives made enticing with an unmatched plethora of units, heroes, and abilities. You’ll likely spend at least a couple of hours in any normal sized match, though the new Spearhead mode (detailed below) can trim that time. That you’ll spend those minutes burning the enemy with your dragons or thrusting your zombie hordes into horrified human defenses makes it easy to enjoy.
The Path to Glory Campaign System
If all you’ve ever heard about Warhammer is its head-to-head matches, one-and-done takedowns, then take a second and dig into Path to Glory.
The term ‘narrative campaign’ is a bit loaded, but in Warhammer parlance, we’re talking a grand adventure with a slew of players. Each one begins their quest
as a fledgling warlord, building up their faction and forces over a series of missions. Units gain ranks, unlocking new abilities, and in Age of Sigmar’s 4th edition, your warlord can take the field themselves, where they’ll promptly get eaten by your opponent’s ogre.
A real twist, that.
Other Twists with a capital T will happen too, offering narrative-based changes to the battlefield in line with the story you and your friends have woven with your adventures. Over time, you’ll write an epic together, with you and your friends building up legends of a hero’s mighty defense or a devastating counter attack to restore a loved land to its rightful owner. Warhammer has always fostered emergent narrative, and the Path to Glory mode is your way to skip the meta for a more vibrant game.
These updates are included in the core rulebooks found within the starter sets listed below, letting you jump right into a Path to Glory campaign so your buddies can bear witness to the slow, crushing rise of the Skaven hordes.
All hail the Horned Rat.
Your First Fantasy Warhammer Set
Age of Sigmar 4th Edition launches with several starter sets, each one getting a different recommendation depending on your situation.
If you want a taste of Warhammer at a friendly price point, the Age of Sigmar Introductory Set offers 25 minis (a bunch of Skaven against a Stormcast quintet) and everything you need to paint and play. It’s a taster, and a great gift for someone new or a lapsed player curious about the new edition. There’s plenty of fun in here, but it’s called the introductory set for a reason: you’ll probably want more.
Thankfully, more isn’t hard to find, with the Age of Sigmar Starter Set giving you and your partner 37 units and a swath of extra stuff, like player aids, a double-sided play mat, and rulers to get you into bigger matches fast. This is the one I’d recommend to anyone wanting to dig into Warhammer, as the price point hits the right target for what you’re getting. You’ll also have enough to play with to make an easy decision about growing your Warhammer collection, and if not, Warhammer sets are easy to pass along or resell.
Just note that neither this starter set nor the next come with paints, which is a side skill important for bringing your forces to tournament play. Going with gray is just fine among friends, though, so don’t let the need for painting give you pause.
If you’re a Warhammer veteran or don’t believe in getting into a game without the absolute best, the Skaventide or Ultimate Starter Sets offer great value and a compelling force to play with (c’mon, who doesn’t like laying waste with a Ratling Warpblaster?). They’re more expensive and packed with gameplay, so if you’re confident you’ll want to field some big fantasy armies, either of these sets is the way to go.
Games Workshop has also made it easier for newbies to dive in with these starter sets, as all feature push-fit miniatures. That means you’ll be able to build your army without needing plastic glue, though you’ll find ad hoc models, like Krethusa the Cronseer, require the usual miniature-building tools. You can find these all over the place, or go with the official version. Regardless, don’t let this second half of the Warhammer hobby deter you: it’s not hard to build a mini, and you might find (as I do) that slopping some paint on a figure is a meditative way to close out a workday.
Spearhead Mode Speeds Things Up
With Age of Sigmar’s 4th edition, Games Workshop introduces Spearhead mode. Similar to Warhammer 40,000’s Combat Patrol offerings, Spearhead gives players a chance to grab battle-ready boxes and send small forces into tight, tactical combat. Unlike the core Age of Sigmar game, Spearhead introduces units that can return to the battlefield as reinforcements, or only emerge near the game’s end, packed with power for a game-swinging ambush.
Every Spearhead match lasts four rounds, and you’ll find abilities like magic simplified from their full Age of Sigmar counterparts. A Twist deck, much like in the Path to Glory campaign mentioned above, adds unique spins to every round too, forcing both sides to be fleet-footed in their close quarters tactics. It’s
a measure of chaos emblematic of a real battle between fantasy factions, in a world flush with wild magic, powerful heroes, and slobbering beasts.
And, gosh darn it, this is fast, furious fun.
The larger starter sets listed here all include Spearhead rules and cards in their boxes, but you can give it a shot with the slimmer Fire and Jade Gaming Pack, which includes terrain, rules, and accessories so you can give Spearhead a shot with your existing armies.
All told, Spearhead is a great add-on to your Warhammer: Age of Sigmar repertoire, letting you get your favorite forces to the table without committing to a longer match. Its smaller ruleset makes it easier for newbies to pick up, while old hats can find fresh ways to play within the smaller battlefield.
The Neverending Story . . . of War
Warhammer’s fantasy setting has been around for a long time, growing and changing with every release. Games Workshop continues that trend with Age of Sigmar 4th Edition, and with a bevy of starter set options, now’s a great time to embrace your inner rat and get to blasting.
