Hey all, today I have the pleasure of previewing the first US major of the 2019 Warhammer Age of Sigmar season, the Las Vegas Open or LVO, which is coming up this weekend (8-10 February). Scott and his team are again putting on a 8 round! 120+ player ITC event in the heart of Las Vegas at Bally’s Casino. The LVO is the showpiece event for Frontline Gaming and the ITC (Independent Tournament Circuit).
In today’s post, I cover the pack and all its unique features. Later this week, I’ll have all the lists and another exciting announcement from the team behind the Best Coast Pairings app. If you want a blast from the past, you can check out my coverage from LVO 2018 here.
And, as always, check out Dark Fantastic Mills for great 3D printed terrain perfect for wargaming. Its super versatile and light so worldwide shipping is inexpensive. Use the “aos shorts” discount code for a further 10% off the already decent prices.
LVO 2019 – Age of Sigmar
The Las Vegas Open 2019 is running a truly unique format for competitive Warhammer Age of Sigmar – eight rounds over three days, with the last three rounds only being contested by the top eight players! Read the full pack for more information, otherwise I’ll take you through the key points below.
The Age of Sigmar tournament is 2,000 points and General’s Handbook 2018. Realms, Realmscape features, Realm Artefacts and Realm Spells are all in play.
Not only is there the two-day individual championships. but there is also a 1 day, three round doubles event for Age of Sigmar too! You can find all the details for the Doubles here.
LVO 2019 – Battleplans
The battleplans in play at LVO 2019 are:
- Round 1: Total Commitment in Shyish
- Round 2: Border War in Aqshy
- Round 3: Duality of Death in Ulgu
- Round 4: Better Part of Valour in Chamon
- Round 5: Shifting Objectives in Ghyran
The final three rounds will only be contested between the top 8 players. Battleplans and realm rules will be announced
LVO 2019 – Realm Rules
The LVO team have pre-selected the realm features in play, or possibly in play, for each round. The full realm rules pack is here, but the three shortlisted realmscape feature from which one will be randomly selected for each realm on the day are.
Round 1: Shyish – Death
- Barren Moorland: This realmscape feature has no effect on the battle.
- Haunted Realm: Terrain features have the Sinister scenery rule (pg 235), in addition to any other scenery rules that they have
- Eternal War: Add 1 to the Bravery characteristic of all units.
Round 2: Aqshy – Fire
- Scorched Landscape: This realmscape feature has no effect on the battle.
- Clouds of Smoke and Steam: A model cannot see another model if a straight line drawn from the centre of its base to the centre of the other model’s base passes across a terrain feature other than open ground and/or hills.
- Every Step a League: If a run roll is 6+, or a charge roll is 10+, then you can either say that the unit will not run or charge after all, or you can move the unit but it suffers D3 mortal wounds immediately after the move is completed.
Round 3: Ulgu – Shadow
- Shrouded Lands: This realmscape feature has no effect on the battle.
- Darkly Shaded: The maximum range of attacks or spells is 18″.
- Shadow Realm: At the start of your hero phase, pick one friendly unit that has all of its models within 6″ of any edge of the battlefield. You can remove that unit from the battlefield, and then set it up more than 9″ from any enemy units, and with all models within 6″ of a different edge of the battlefield. Then roll a dice for each model you moved; on a 1 the model being rolled for becomes lost in the shadows and is slain.
Round 4: Chamon – Metal
- Metallic Hinterlands: This realmscape feature has no effect on the battle.
- Iron Trees: Worsen the Rend characteristic of a weapon by 1 (to a minimum of ‘-’) if the target has cover from a Citadel Wood or Sylvaneth Wyldwood.
- Irresistible Force: If a casting roll is a double, after re-rolls but before modifiers are applied (changing a die is a modification), it is successful (even if the roll is less than the casting value of the spell being attempted) and the spell cannot be unbound. After the effects of the spell have been carried out, each unit within 3″ of the caster suffers 1 mortal wound.
Round 5: Ghyran – Life
- Verdant Landscape: This realmscape feature has no effect on the battle.
- Lifesprings: Before the battle begins, each player picks a HERO from their army. Add 1 to the Wounds characteristic of the heroes that are picked.
- Seeds of Hope: If a battleshock roll is an unmodified 1, then no models from the unit will flee. In addition, heal all wounds that are currently allocated to that unit.
Ghur – Beasts
- Savage Hinterlands: This realmscape feature has no effect on the battle.
- Hungering Animus: At the start of your hero phase, roll a dice. On a 6+, pick a point anywhere on the battlefield. Roll a dice for each unit within 6″ of that point. On a 4+ the unit being rolled for suffers 1 mortal wound. On a 6+ it suffers D3 mortal wounds instead.
- Reckless Aggression: Any unit that is within 12″ of an enemy unit at the start of their charge phase suffers 1 mortal wound unless they finish that charge phase within 3″ of an enemy model. In addition, you can re-roll hit rolls of 1 for units that have made a charge move in the same turn.
Hysh – Light
- Gleaming Vista: This realmscape feature has no effect on the battle.
- Dazzling Glow: Subtract 1 from hit rolls made for attacks that target units that are in cover.
- Speed of Light:At the start of your movement phase, roll a dice. On a 6+, you can pick a friendly unit. Remove that unit from the battlefield, and then set up it anywhere on the battlefield that is more than 9″ from any enemy models. This counts as that unit’s move for that movement phase.
LVO 2019 Scoring System
The scoring system in place is:
- Major Win – 12 points
- Minor Win – 9 points
- Draw – 6 points
- Minor Loss – 3 points
- Major Loss – 0 points
- Hidden Objective – 3 points
LVO 2019 – Hidden Agendas
After both armies have set up, but before battle begins, each player secretly selects one of the twelve hidden objectives. Each hidden objective can only be selected once in the event. Once you complete your hidden agenda, you reveal it to your opponent.
SECRET MISSION: You can complete this Hidden Agenda in any battleshock phase if a friendly Hero is wholly within enemy territory, within 1″ of the edge of the battle field, and more than 12″ from friendly territory. You can remove that Hero from play to immediately complete this Hidden Agenda.
ANCIENT HEIRLOOMS: You complete this Hidden Agenda if any friendly Heroes with an artifact of power are on the battlefield at the end of the battle.
TERRIFY: You immediately complete this Hidden Agenda if an enemy unit is destroyed as a result of failing a battleshock test.
INVADE: You complete this Hidden Agenda if a friendly unit with 3 or more models is wholly within your opponent’s territory at the end of the battle.
SEIZE: You complete this Hidden Agenda if you control more objectives than your opponent at the end of the battle (this Hidden Agenda cannot be completed if there are no objectives).
DEFEND: You complete this Hidden Agenda if there are no enemy units wholly within your territory at the end of the battle.
SLAY: You complete this Hidden Agenda if the Hero with the highest points value from your opponent’s starting army has been slain at the end of the battle. If 2 or more Heroes are eligible, slay any of them.
CONSERVE: You complete this Hidden Agenda if at least one-third of the units from your starting army (rounding up) have not been destroyed and are on the battlefield at the end of the battle.
ATTRITION: You complete this Hidden Agenda if at least two-thirds of the units from your opponent’s starting army (rounding up) have been destroyed and/or are not on the battlefield at the end of the battle.
LINEBREAKER: You complete this Hidden Agenda if all of the Battleline units from your opponent’s starting army have been destroyed at the end of the battle, and at least 1 friendly Battleline unit is on the battlefield at the end of the battle.
CENTER GROUND: You complete this Hidden Agenda if you control the objective closest to the center of the battlefield at the end of the battle. If more than 1 objective is eligible, control at least half of them (rounding up). Count Heroes as 10 models when determining control of an objective for this Hidden Agenda.
SACRIFICE: You complete this Hidden Agenda immediately if the Hero with the highest points value from your starting army and that is not your general is slain by an attack made by an enemy Hero or Monster.
I’m really excited to see how this pack plays out over the weekend and can’t wait for the final 8 showdown on the Sunday.
As I said at the beginning, I’ll have further posts up this week with all the lists and some exciting news from Best Coast Pairings.
Haven’t they already chosen realm rules?
They chose the realms in force, and 3 of the 6 realmscape features. Before each round, they will randomly determine which 1 of the 3 chosen realmscape features will be in play. Hope that’s clearer.