Here you’ll find all the information that we know on Age of Sigmar Second Edition / Soul Wars / AoS 2.0 as and when it breaks. Games Workshop has promised lots of information on Warhammer Community, Warhammer Live and its social media platforms over the coming weeks. I’ll do my best to collate it all in one, easy to find place here. So expect to see all the coverage, news, rules and models as and when we have them.
Still playing catch-up in writing everything down given the deluge of information in the middle of June. I sat down with the Core Book and Malign Sorcery and recorded a preview video on Matched Play. I focused on all the new information which has not been previously previewed.
Age of Sigmar Second Edition / AoS 2.0
Age of Sigmar second edition, the Soul Wars, available for pre-order on June 16th and in stores June 30th.
Summary of what we know so far
- Availability of rules – No changes to worry about
- Core rules and unit warscrolls still available to download for free. The rules will be larger than 4 pages as Games Workshop are cleaning up and integrating some of the rules which have been siting in FAQs.
- All existing battletomes will work. The last four battletomes have been drafted with a consistent set of guidelines based on the future direction of the game (note the previous debates about the “who goes first” roll and the move to “wholly within”)
- Existing armies are staying – If you have an army in Age of Sigmar now, you can play it in Age of Sigmar Second Edition. Every unit will be in the new game.
- New starter set – Stormcast v Nighthaunt starter set
- Warhammer Age of SIgmar Core Book
- 52 push-fit Citadel Miniatures – Stormcast Sacrosanct Chamber and Nighthaunt
- Battle of Glymmsforge booklet – narrative and painting guides
- Core rules booklet – 18 pages of core rules for Second Edition
- Start Here booklet – if you are new to Age of Sigmar
- 13 Warscroll cards – now in a new and more user friendly landscape format
- 12 six-sided dicre
- 12″ range ruler
- Assembly guide
- Stormcast Eternals decal sheet
- The first chapter of Black Library’s Soul Wars by Josh Reynolds
- Picking your general
- now you nominate your general on set-up
- if slain, you pick another model from your army to become your new general and select a command trait for that new general.
- Command abilities and points – a whole new approach to command abilities to give more freedom and choice to players
- Every hero can use their command abilities, not just the general
- Three new command abilities for use by every army
- New realm-specific command abilities too
- To use command abilities, you must spend command points.
- You gain one command point per turn and you’ll get an additional point at the beginning of the game per warscroll battalion used.
- You gain one command point for every 50 points of your army not spent on units.
- Certain allegiance abilities will give extra command points.
- Turn Priority – a tweak to the priority roll
- If the priority roll is a draw between players, then the player that went first in the previous battle round wins the roll.
- 16% less chance of getting a double turn.
- New Terrain Rules
- a new terrain table for Mysterious Landscapes – the edge has been taken off a lot of the effects.
- new dice to use to roll up those terrain features at the start of the game and remind you throughout
- Magic – A massive overhaul to how magic works
- New spell lores for each of the Mortal Realms that can be accessed by all the races.
- Unbinding range is now 30″
- The default spells of Mystic Shield and Arcane Bolt are now weaker to encourage more use of unique spells.
- Malign Sorcery – Endless Spells remain on the table.
- 13 Endless Spells in a box
- Endless Spells have a points cost
- Summoning
- Summoning no longer costs reinforcement points
- Is instead based on “earning” faction-specific resources during games that can then be used on summoning units, as per Maggotkin etc.
- Shooting – some tweaks for balance and to address some players’ cognitive dissonance at shooting in combat
- No shooting out of combat.
- Confirmed can shoot in combat.
- Look Out, Sir! Heroes are -1 to hit from missile weapons if they are within 3″ of one of their units.
- Measuring and piling in – some really great little changes for cleaner play
- measure base to base now (not model to model)
- a standard base size chart will be available for download on release
- you can still pile in with a model even if that model is in base contact with an enemy (as long as you stay in base contact with that model)
- Combat
- you can’t choose not to attack with a unit in combat anymore (this used to be a tactic in some combats where you face an enemy that does mortal wounds to you if you attack them)
- New items and artefacts for all armies
- Every army can now select from a set of common realm-specific artefacts tables.
- You choose the realm that your army is from at the list-writing stage
- There are 84 artefacts available (each of the seven realms has 6 magical weapons and 6 trinkets, artefacts, or pieces of armour).
- Other impacts of the realms – even more benefits for choosing a realm to play your games in
- realm-specific command abilities
- Landscape features of the realms which impact game play
- realm-specific spell lores
- impact on warscrolls – some warscrolls and spells are better in certain realms
Each of these points is covered in more detail below, or in the dedicated pages here:
The Soul Wars Boxed Set
So we have now had announced the excellent Soul Wars box set. The box includes:
- Warhammer Age of SIgmar Core Book – 320 pages of full cover hardback
- 52 push-fit Citadel Miniatures – Stormcast Sacrosanct Chamber and Nighthaunt
- Battle of Glymmsforge booklet – 32 pages of narrative
- Core rules booklet – 18 pages of core rules for Second Edition
- Start Here booklet – if you are new to Age of Sigmar
- 13 Warscroll cards – now in a new and more user friendly landscape format
- 12 six-sided dicre
- 12″ range ruler
- Assembly guide
- Stormcast Eternals decal sheet
- The first chapter of Black Library’s Soul Wars by Josh Reynolds
The Core Book
The Core Book contains lore, art and rules. It is available in the starter set and separately.
- Almost 200 pages of lore recapping the Mortal Realms so far, adding detail to the existing timeline and covering Nagash’s recent Necroquake.
- guides for each of the Realms – maps, timelines, art, introductions to the citizens of the realms
- guides to each of the factions and Grand Alliances
- essential core rules
- rules to expand your games
- Realm of Battle rules that let you set your games in the mystical landscapes of the Mortal Realms.
- An Open War Battleplan generator that makes choosing which battleplan you play easy, and some basic rules for multiplayer games.
- A guide to all sorts of narrative play games, from desperate sieges to brutal subterranean warfare, and some inspiration for your own campaigns.
- Six matched play battleplans, as well as Battle Strategies – a new way to score your games that rewards quick-thinking and flexibility.
The Sacrosanct Chamber Box Set Contents
The Nighthaunt Box Set Contents
The Warscroll Cards
13 new format warscroll cards that mean you no longer need to squint to read the warscroll card.
Turn Priority
If the priority roll is a draw between players, then the player that went first in the previous battle round wins the roll. Therefore, there is a 16% less chance of getting a double turn.
Persistent spells will also interact with the turn sequence in a way that gives a benefit to going second in each battle round (i.e. giving up the opportunity of a double turn).
Picking your general
Now you select your general on set-up. If your general is slain, pick another model from your army to be your new general. If that model is also a HERO then you can select a command trait for that new general.
Command abilities and command points
There are some significant changes to the use of command abilities with the new command points system. Every hero can use their command abilities, not just the general, but in order to use them you must spend command points.
How do you earn command points?
- You gain one command point per turn and you’ll get an additional point at the beginning of the game per warscroll battalion used.
- You also gain 1 command point for every 50 points you do not spend on units in your army. There is currently a question mark as to whether points spend on battalions and reinforcement points count for this purpose. NB: the 1895 points amount – currently you couldn’t have an army list with 1895 points as all points end in a rounded ten.
There are also three new command abilities for use by every army:
- Inspiring Presence – lasts just for a single battleshock phase (but can be used in your opponent’s phase)
- At the Double – run rolls treated as a 6 for units in range
- Forward to Victory – re-roll charge rolls for units in range
There are also new realm-specific command abilities depending on the realm you are fighting in.
Increased freedom as your choice of general will no longer affect your army build. From a narrative perspective, this is a good change. Why wouldn’t Morathi or Alarielle be the general of any force that they are in?
I’d expect that in matched play you can only use command points to access different command abilities, rather than use the same command ability several times (especially given the comments in the Maggotkin of Nurgle Faction Focus).
The new command points are also accompanied by new custom dice from Games Workshop.
New Terrain Rules
New terrain rules for Mysterious Landscapes – as you will see the less have been changed from 3″ to 1″ and both Deadly and Mystical will have less of a destructive impact on your plans. While Damned terrain is now less of a boon (especially for units that used to generate special abilities on a 6+).
Magic: Casting and Unbinding
You can now unbind at 30″, rather than 18″.
In order to encourage diversity of army selection and playstyle, the default spells of Arcane Bolt and Mystic Shield have been toned down.
Magic: new Magic Lores for the Realms
Instead, there is now a whole Lore of Magic’s worth of spells for almost every realm (7 spells for each of 7 realms), “depending on where your battle is taking place“. All of these spells are available to any wizard fighting in that realm.
It has always been part of the core rules that you select a realm for the battle to take place in before every game, but we don’t often see that in matched play. It will be interesting to see the matched play reception to this spells, especially given the (on paper and highly preliminary) strength of the spell previewed – Banishment. Just imagine picking up a key enemy unit and moving it within range of your key combat unit or throwing it into the corner of a board so it can’t secure an objective or support your enemy’s forces.
Hyish – Realm of Light
Chamon: Curse of Rust
I hope we see the return of the great Warhammer Magic Cards set. The art on the back alone were enough to keep my copies.
Endless Spells
So here is what we know about Endless Spells now.
- Endless Spells can be either:
- predatory spells that indiscriminately roam around the battlefield and attacking what they move over; or
- for instance, Purple Sun, Ravenak’s Gnashing Jaws and Burning Head.
- “utility” spells that give cover, allow you to heal units or may benefit your whole army.
- for instance, the Prismatic Pallisade crystal wall in the picture below which creates a wall that you cannot shoot through.
- predatory spells that indiscriminately roam around the battlefield and attacking what they move over; or
- Be careful, your opponent might take control of your predatory Endless Spell and send it back at you.
- Endless Spells are a consequence of Nagash’s work in Shyish during Malign Portents.
- Endless Spells are cast like normal spells but stay on the tabletop and are depicted with a model.
- Endless Spells cost points to cast – 20-40 points a spell.
- If the spell is not unbound, then the Endless Spell can be unbound in later turns if a wizard gives up its usual spell in order to try and remove the Endless Spell.
- Endless Spells interact with the battleround priority
- “Endless spells are moved at the start of each battle round after determining who gets the first turn, with players taking it in turns to pick a spell to move, starting with the player that has the second turn that round. You’ll be able to move any Endless Spell with this move, not just the ones you control, representing their wild and untameable nature. Summon a Suffocating Gravetide and you might find yourself needing to volunteer to take the second turn in a round to stop your opponent from sending it crashing into your own units! Suddenly, always shooting for a double turn can become a very dangerous prospect indeed…“
- Endless Spells also interact with the realm that the battle is played in – for instance Burning Head is better in Aqshy and the Aethervoid Pendulum is better in Ulgu.
- The Balewind Vortex has been completely overhauled.
- There are 13 Endless Spells sold in one box.
- We have seen the warscrolls for two endless spells – Purple Sun and Umbral Spellportal
Shyish – Realm of Death
- Purple Sun of Shyish
- Suffocating Gravetide
Ulgu – Realm of Shadow
Also Aethervoid Pendulum – which always moves in a straight line and dishes out mortal wounds.
Geminids of Uhl-Gysh
A two-part sell that deals mortal wounds and de-buffs targets.
Ghur – Realm of Beasts
Ghyran – Realm of Life
- Emerald Lifeswarm as new endless spell created from the energies of corrupted life – heals your own forces.
Chamon – Realm of Metal
- New Endless Spell, Chronomantic Cogs
Realm Unknown So Far – Quicksilver Swords
Summoning
Right, a big change here, but one foreshadowed by the Maggotkin and Legions of Nagash books. Summoning units to the table now no longer cost reinforcement points (always a mechanic which seemed to cause some consternation in the last edition). Instead, factions earn resources to spend on summoning by particular themed in-game events – bloodshed, spreading plague, mastering magic, and other thematic goals, for instance the corruption points in Maggotkin of Nurgle.
For older books with summoning mechanics, the new summoning abilities will e rolled into their army’s new allegiance abilities, which will be found in the General’s Handbook 2018.
The Hosts of Slaanesh, for example, revel in suffering and pain, both given and received, so they generate points when their Heroes deal or receive wounds which do not slay their target. Meanwhile, the Seraphon generate points by performing rituals with their Slann Starmasters and Saurus Astrolith Bearers.
Shooting
Shooting while in combat has been a bugbear for some. Now the shooting rules have been tweaked so that if you are “in combat” (enemies within 3″) then you can only shoot at enemy units within 3″. However, you can still fire into combats, say if you are across the other side of the board.
This change opens a range of possibilities for “tagging” shooting units to tie them up in combat with fast and disposable units. Look out for units that can set-up 9″ away (or closer).
Look Out, Sir!
In the first edition of Age of Sigmar we have seen the difficult balance between encouraging synergistic heroes that support your army against shooting armies which are able to take out those characters early and at distance. So Games Workshop’s solution is to introduce the Look Out, Sir! rule (a name borrowed from Warhammer Fantasy but that works differently) in order to tweak that balance.
Now heroes are -1 to hit with missile weapons if they are within 3″ of one of their own units. Note that they are still as vulnerable as ever to magic missiles and other ranged attacks.
Players will need to consider if they target the hero or the unit, and also think carefully about casualty removal from both shooting and combat.
Measuring and piling in
Games Workshop have made a number of changes to make for cleaner play, especially in tournaments and events.
- measure base to base now (not model to model)
- a standard base size chart will be available for download on release
- you can still pile in with a model even if that model is in base contact with an enemy (as long as you stay in base contact with that model)
- you can’t choose not to attack with a unit in combat anymore
All new artefacts from the Realms
With the new edition come new artefacts. There will be 84 artefacts available for every faction to choose from, depending on the realm that you select for your army. You select a realm at the list-writing stage. Each of the seven realms has 6 magical weapons and 6 trinkets, artefacts, or pieces of armour.
Aqshy – Realm of Fire
Ulgu – Realm of Shadow
Ghyran – Realm of Life
Hysh – Realm of Light
Shyish – Realm of Death
Realm Unknown So Far
Choosing a realm to fight in
There are now even more benefits for selecting the realm that you will fight your battle in. How you choose the realm is up to players and tournament and event organisers. You may see entire tournaments fought in a particular realm, or certain tables, or just certain rounds.
- realm-specific command abilities (covered above)
- landscape features of the realms which impact game play
- realm-specific spell lores (covered above)
- impact on warscrolls – some warscrolls and spells are better in certain realms (covered above)
Realmscape Features
Realmscape Features – a random in-game effect that’ll often have a significant impact on how your game will go. Flaming Missiles from Aqshy, for example, will help your ranged troops enormously, while in Ghur, Primal Violence can result in a double combat phase! There are six features for each realm, for a total of 42.
One Realmscape feature for Ghur that has been mentioned on the Stormcast podcast is that both sides get a free monster that roams independently around the battlefield.
How will the new edition impact particular factions?
With changes to the fundamental core rules, we can expect a significant change in the number and balance of factions that we see being brought to events. In this section, I’ll give the highlights for each faction from the Warhammer Community Faction Focus series as well as some thoughts and commentary on how builds will be effected.
Stormcast Eternals
- For now, check out the dedicated Sacrosanct Chamber page. I’ll add more details here about the rest of the Stormcast Eternals, when we have them.
Nighthaunt
- For now, check out the dedicated Nighthaunt page.
Everchosen and Slaves to Darkness
- Archaon, Varanguard and Chaos Warshrine much cheaper
- Archaon’s warscroll will receive small changes (maybe -2 rend finally?)
- Archaon’s command ability (which allows other heroes to use theirs) will be tweaked but still have the essence and power it does now.
Ironjawz
- Gordrakk and Maw-krushas will cost fewer points
- Ardboyz cheaper.
Fyreslayers
- Another faction with a lot of hero options that can benefit from command ability changes.
- “With command abilities like Inspiring Presence, as well as At The Double and Forward to Victory, Heroes like your Doomseekers and Grimwrath Berzerkers won’t just be deadly close combat units – you’ll also be able to use them to enhance the rest of your army with commands.“
- “An Auric Runeson on Magmadroth’s Furious Onslaught – which lets Fyreslayers roll 3 dice when they charge, discarding the lowest roll – with an Auric Runefather on foot’s Lodge Leader ability – which lets Fyreslayers pile in up to 5″ – is ideal for getting a large unit of Fyreslayers into position and effectively surrounding an enemy target.”
Hosts of Slaanesh
- Slaanesh is confirmed to be entrapped between the realms of Ulgu and Hysh.
- Some tweaks to the General’s Handbook 2017 allegiance abilities – Invaders host.
- Combine command abilities
- New rules coming for marks – the Chaos Lord on Manticore is given as an example.
- New summoning mechanics. Hosts of Slaanesh revel in pain so generate points when their heroes deal or receive wounds which do not slay their target.
- “Using the new Depravity Points system, you’ll be able to bring anything from Daemonettes to a Keeper of Secrets onto the tabletop WITHOUT spending reinforcement points. Generating Depravity Points is very thematic– you’ll score one for every wound your Heroes inflict on a foe without killing them, or every non-fatal wound they receive in return – representing how the servants of the Dark Prince draw power from suffering and cruelty. They’re not the only faction to be receiving summoning changes, either…“
Maggotkin of Nurgle
- Buffing characters even more durable thanks to Look Out, Sir!
- Seven unique command abilities
- “Take a Lord of Afflictions to speed up a unit of Pusgoyle Blightlordswith the Spearhead of Contagion ability. At the same time, use a Lord of Blights and his Plague of Flies to make that unit harder to hit. Finally, give every model in the unit (and nearby units) an extra attack with The Glottkin’s Lords of Nurgle ability.“
Blades of Khorne
- Again, command abilities possibilities
- “Start by taking a Chaos Lord on Manticore, Aspiring Deathbringer of your choice, a Lord of Khorne on Juggernaut and a massive unit of Chaos Warriors with the Mark of Khorne. With the Aspiring Deathbringer giving every member in the unit an extra attack from Slaughter Incarnate, the Lord of Khorne on Juggernaut giving them +1 to wound from Blood Stampede, and the Chaos Lord on Manticore allowing them re-roll charge rolls, wound rolls and battleshock tests with Iron-willed Overlord, they’ll be a nigh-unstoppable force!“
Disciples of Tzeentch
- New summoning rules coming.
Daughters of Khaine
- No main news (unsurprising given that Daughters was one of the books designed with AoS 2 in mind)
- We did get to see two artefacts for the Realm of Ulgu though – still unclear if this are available in matched play games.
Legions of Nagash
- Biggest impact is the freedom to use the Endless Legions command ability available to the Grand Host and the Legions without paying reinforcement points.
- Nighthaunt units will now be more easily usable in Legions of Nagash forces.
- Unless a rule of one applies, you can use the same command ability multiple times.
Sylvaneth
- Point reductions for Kurnoth Hunters and Spirits of Durthu.
- Both Alarielle and Branchwraiths benefit from the new summoning rules allowing models to be brought on without paying reinforcement costs.
- The Branchwraith’s Roused To Wrath spell has been modified.
- Alarielle’s Soul Amphorae have also changed. It is now a once-per-game ability but you will get a free unit.
Skaven
- Several units have points changes.
- Thanquol and Boneripper have now dropped in points to “comfortably” fit under 400 points.
- Skaven summoning
- Dreaded Thirteenth Spell changing enemies into clanrats
- Screaming Bell can now give you a free Verminlord on a roll of a double 6.
Flesh-eater Courts
- Get a significant benefit from the removal of reinforcement points – able to grow units quickly by using the supporting heroes (whether adding to existing units or creating new units).
- The command abilities now work once per Ghoul King (every King will come with a free unit). Just make sure you have enough command points to activate the abilities.
Kharadron Overlords
- The introduction of the Sacrosanct Chamber will allow Kharadron Overlords access to magic via the allies allocation
- Points drops for Gunhauler (now 160), Frigates and Ironclads.
Seraphon
- As with the other factions, Seraphon now also have “free” summoning. Rather than spending points, you now spend Celestial Conjuration points.
- Celestial Conjuration points are earned by a Slann general performing a ritual rather than cast a spell. You get bonus points for having a Slann as a your general and having a Saurus Astrolith Bearer.
Free Peoples
- points reduction for Greatswords, Demigryphs and Steam Tanks.
- new command trait “Battle-Tested Veteran” that allows the general to generate extra command points.
Beasts of Chaos
- Point reductions for Bullgors, Cygor and Dragon Ogres
- Great Bray-Shamans have lost the Savage Dominion spell and instead received a new spell called Devolve
Beastclaw Raiders
- significant points reductions across the board, including Firebelly, Thundertusks and Stonehorns and battalions
Dispossessed
- points reductions for Longbeards, Ironbreakers and Irondrakes
- Ironbreakers are now Battleline in a Dispossessed army
Grots
- points reductions for allies of grots, including troggoths. Aleguzzler Gargants are now just 160 points.
Bonesplitterz
- no mention of anything unique to Bonesplitterz in the Faction Focus
Gutbusters
- points reduction for Ironguts, Grot Scraplauncher, Ironblaster, plus Maneaters (which are still an ally choice).
Aelves
- Darkling Covens – keep existing allegiance abilities. Points drops for Executioners and Black Guard.
- Wanderers – keep General’s Handbook allegiance abilities.
- Swifthawk Agents – points drop for Shadow Warriors
- Order Draconis – Dragonlord Host Battalion is now significantly cheaper.
- Order Serpentis – nearly everything in the faction has had a points reduction. You can take Idoneth Deepkin as allies.
- Phoenix Temple – no points cost to return Flame Phoenix to the table
- Lion Rangers – no news
- Shadowblades – no news (artefact already revealed in a previous article)
- Eldritch Council – no news
- Scourge Privateers – lower points for several units and the Realm Reavers warscroll battalion.
Idoneth Deepkin
- Nothing unique as they were already written for the new edition.
Warhammer Age of Sigmar Accessories
With a new edition, come new accessories:
- range ruler and dice in the starter set
- new metal combat gauge – no lanyard hole this time
- new objective markers – previewed at Warhammer Fest and great for making scenery as well
- new dice for tracking wounds (designed not to roll around), terrain, command points, and status dice (which units have charged, ran, have Mystic Shield etc)
More coverage of Age of Sigmar Second Edition
Check out all the coverage on Age of Sigmar Second Edition / AoS 2.0 here:
- AgeofSigmar.com
- Soul Wars announcement
- The War for Souls
- Warhammer Community
- Essential Guide to the New Edition
- Your Intro to the Mortal Realms
- Warhammer Fest Live Blog
- Your Questions Answered
- Turn Priority
- Command Abilities and Command Points
- Look Out, Sir!
- Magic: Casting and Unbinding
- Endless Spells
- Summoning, For Free!
- Shooting in Combat
- Artefacts of the Realms
- Battling in the Realms
- Measuring and Piling In
- Soul Wars announcement
- The War for Souls
- Warhammer Community Faction Focus series
- Nighthaunt
- Stormcast Eternals
- Everchosen and Slaves to Darkness
- Ironjawz
- Fyreslayers
- Hosts of Slaanesh
- Maggotkin of Nurgle
- Blades of Khorne
- Disciples of Tzeentch
- Daughters of Khaine
- Legions of Nagash
- Sylvaneth
- Skaven
- Flesh-eater Courts
- Kharadron Overlords
- Seraphon
- Free Peoples
- Beasts of Chaos
- Beastclaw Raiders
- Dispossessed
- Grots
- Bonesplitterz
- Nighthaunt Part 2
- Stormcast Sacrosanct Chamber Part 2
- Gutbusters
- Aelves
- Idoneth Deepkin
- The wider Age of Sigmar community