Topic: Anyone Buying Age of Sigmar Models/Playing the Game?

[Gal'rgae Neverborne]

This topic has been inactive for nearly 4 years now, but I think it's worth keep the continuity here as I want to talk about my original point.

I've bought a daemon army, the boxes are labeled Age of Sigmar, but i've never played AOS and don't know the most basic rules, so i don't think I count (directly at least).

So 3.5 years later, has AoS got any of you to buy new modes?
 

[Lord of Winter and War]

This topic has been inactive for nearly 4 years now, but I think it's worth keep the continuity here as I want to talk about my original point.

I've bought a daemon army, the boxes are labeled Age of Sigmar, but i've never played AOS and don't know the most basic rules, so i don't think I count (directly at least).

So 3.5 years later, has AoS got any of you to buy new modes?

AoS is the primary game I play.  It's a better designed, and enjoyable game than 40k.

[Wyddr]

With each new range, the get me closer to buying some. I'm still waiting, though.

I actually was pricing rulebooks the other day, so they're definitely doing something right.

[Gal'rgae Neverborne]

AoS is the primary game I play.  It's a better designed, and enjoyable game than 40k.

Why is that?

[Irisado]

This topic has been inactive for nearly 4 years now, but I think it's worth keep the continuity here as I want to talk about my original point.

The forum rules disagree, so topic split.  Please avoid raising old topics in future.

Regarding the questions that you pose.  Age of Sigmar has some very impressive models, particularly some of the Elf models that have been released lately.  I don't buy any of the new models myself because I just use my old Vampire Counts army on square bases, but I can definitely see the attraction of the new models for players who don't have a collection of models from Warhammer.

As for the game, it offers superior balance to 40K, based on the reports that I have made and my own, admittedly limited, experience.

[Lord of Winter and War]

AoS is the primary game I play.  It's a better designed, and enjoyable game than 40k.

Why is that?

There is a lot of factions, to be honest. Both in how the rules are managed, and the rules themselves.

The release of rules and points costs has been done exceedingly well. All the warscrolls for all units are available for free, and all the points costs, Grand Alliance allegiance traits, and missions are all available in one yearly updated book. So, in order to play, and keep playing AoS, you only need to buy one $30 book a year. The Generals Handbook, is also actually a good book to have, unlike Chapter Approved, which I don't see why it exists.

The rules themselves are pretty well balanced. Gameplay is smooth, games are short, but take strategy to play. The Generals Handbook missions are well designed for all armies. If any units are a bit crazy, they'll be addressed in the next generals handbook.

One of the biggest issues I have with 40k, is the detachment system, and how you can sort of take the best of everything and there is no drawbacks. That doesn't exist in AoS. If you want Allegence rules for a faction, you stick with just that faction (with a small amount of allied points avalible). Allies are limited for each faction based on theme.

The battletomes are fairly well balanced with forces running mixed Grand Alliance, or a small subfaction without a book. The only factions which don't compete, are those with only two or three units (like Thunderscorn), as they have too limited a model pool to choos from.

Every game of AoS I play is a blast, and every game I loose, I can see how I could won with just different tactical choices, or a certain unit swap. In AoS, is not a game of 'rock paper sissors' like 40k is, and tends to be.

[Gal'rgae Neverborne]

This topic has been inactive for nearly 4 years now, but I think it's worth keep the continuity here as I want to talk about my original point.

The forum rules disagree, so topic split.  Please avoid raising old topics in future.

I disagree with this decision, I think it would have been more beneficial to the 40k online community if I had be consulted with, but I don't have the admin rights so I guess I loose.

While reading the rules as written this may technically be correct, i don't think my idea was against the rules as intended and the spirit of 40KOL. I feel the then and now to anyone who views this post and make comments and i think some of continuity has been lost, but alas the decision has been made and that's the last I'll say on the matter. 

Back on topic since how technically own 2 AoS armies - Deamons (Mostly Khorne) and some Brettonians about 2200 points in old money. Any advice? assuming i can find someone else who wants to play?

G

[Irisado]

For future reference if you have issues with a moderation decision, you either need to use the report to moderator button or post a topic in Suggestions, Questions, and Comments.

My advice is that shifting the goalposts of the discussion topic is not beneficial to you.  The original 2015 topic was about whether Age of Sigmar was achieving its objectives, which then shifted to another topic about whether anyone was actually buying the models (another reason why it was split incidentally), and now it seems to have turned into a question about asking for advice on two armies for you to play.

I cannot give a general overview of Brettonians or their Age of Sigmar equivalent, as I've never faced them in Age of Sigmar, but so far as a general overview about playing the game with Daemons is concerned, Khorne plays largely as you would expect.  You need to get into close combat and just chew through your opponents as fast as possible.  Khorne Daemons are very skilled at doing this.  If you are looking for army list suggestions and/or more detailed and specific help, this is not the right topic for that and you would be better off starting a new and more specific thread.  This topic remains okay for general advice and suggestions about playing the game.

I hope that helps .

[Lord of Winter and War]

If you're serious about playing Age of Sigmar, then you'll need a copy of the Generals Handbook. It is where you'll find the points for all the units, grand alliance allegiance abilites (you can always use those instead of buying a specific battletome and using those), and it contains all the missions.

Like any game, you need to pay missions to get the most out of it. If all you play is line up your armies until last man standing, you'll never enjoy the game, or any game.

Daemons have some good variety of units. All the ones Khorne has are solid, so you're in luck. Bloodletters are phenomenal, but only in large squads. You'll want to run 20-30 man units as your battleline, and they'll threaten any unit in the game.

Skull cannons are also a great unit, as they are your only source of shooting,and are a great unit to try and snipe support characters with.

The one thing about the army, is that it's not terribly durable. You'll hit hard, but you can't take a punch. You'll need to carefully consider your order of units you pick in the assault phase, as you might loose units before they can attack.

It's also not a particularly fast army. Not allow either, but it's easy for the bloodthirster to get out ahead, isolated and killed. Keep it screened until you have a good chance to strike.

Also, seriously consider picking up the mortal Bloodsecrator it's an amazing force multiplier for all Khorne units.


The bretonian units I don't know much about. Them, tomb kings, and a host of other older models have been phased out of the game, so I've not played much attention to them.

You can still use them though, and they have updated rules and points here.

New and Updated FAQs, Forge World Warscrolls, and Compendium PDFs - Warhammer

You're totally welcome to keep using them, but keep in mind they'll never be updated in the future and you'll not be able to buy new models. I'd strongly consider finding ways to convert them so you can use them in existing warscrolls. Maybe as part of Free People's.

I'd also make sure you read the rules, and print out the warscrolls off the GW store (or use the AOS app), and learn what your dudes can do.

I can't help you much in finding opponents, but if your local gaming store has a Facebook page, you can always reach out on there.

[Irisado]

Killersquid has given you a great overview there and allow me to second and especially highlight two points that he has made. 

First, I have tried playing Age of Sigmar just using the free warscrolls off GW's website.  While they are a handy introduction to the game, the lack of missions and other material leads to a rather hollow experience, so I would definitely recommend getting the General's Handbook if you are intending to play regularly.  I would certainly pick up a copy myself if I could find the time to play often enough and find a regular opponent.

Second, Bloodletters are fantastic.  They absolutely destroyed every single Vampire Counts (now essentially Death) unit that I could throw at them when I played.  It's the sheer amount of attacks that a large unit can put out and how devastating they are collectively.  They're not overly durable, but if they destroy all the opposition before it can counter attack, then it's not something to be overly concerned about.

[Lord of Winter and War]

Bloodletters are beslubbering terrifying in a mob. If they strike first, whatever they are attacking dies. Especially if there is a Bloodsecrator nearby. I always keep a couple of units I know can cleave through hordes in my list, just for units like that. Screen, let the bloodletters charge and kill the screen and then counter-attack. I've had my Ghoul King on Terrogiest kill twenty of the bastards in one combat once, but if he wasn't fighting first, he'd be a pincushion full of helblades lol.

AoS is huge in needing to plan ahead, as everything can die really quickly.

[magenb]

Good, bad or indifferent does not matter if no one is playing. Check out the community in your area, is there one? Is it full of win at all cost tourney players? Check that first before putting coin on the table.

When it comes to GW games, who you play with is more important, gw is terrible at balancing games, there is always something that just causes problems. If you use in with a good group, people will avoid it, or warn you to bring your cheese list first.

[Wyddr]

Good, bad or indifferent does not matter if no one is playing. Check out the community in your area, is there one? Is it full of win at all cost tourney players? Check that first before putting coin on the table.

When it comes to GW games, who you play with is more important, gw is terrible at balancing games, there is always something that just causes problems. If you use in with a good group, people will avoid it, or warn you to bring your cheese list first.

100% agreed. I have a good (if small) group, but no one is really interested in AoS except me. If someone else started an army, I'd start playing tomorrow.

[Gal'rgae Neverborne]

Good, bad or indifferent does not matter if no one is playing. Check out the community in your area, is there one? Is it full of win at all cost tourney players? Check that first before putting coin on the table.

When it comes to GW games, who you play with is more important, gw is terrible at balancing games, there is always something that just causes problems. If you use in with a good group, people will avoid it, or warn you to bring your cheese list first.

There are no players of AoS in my group, even if i would to drive 50 miles in any direction AoS would be 5th, 6th, 7th. Behind 40k, X-wing, Bolt Action, shade spire, Zombiecide,  card game etc etc etc.

It brings me on to something I ask in every GW i go into, it always starts with me asking them how AoS is selling, they tell me it's selling amazingly outselling 40k and an AoS model is the shops biggest seller. I respond by saying I don't think i've ever even seen anyone play it (in a club/live). They say that the a club a few towns play have deiced to only play AoS or lots of it. On an occasion the club the store member mentioned I was affiliated with and i knew AoS to be a minority hobby, if played at all, and I challenged the store member who then lost their composure and side-stepped the issue. 

When I go into a non-GW store and ask them about AoS they always say that it hardly sells.

I can think of 3 possibilities; 1 is that staff are told to say that AoS sells really well to make it so. 2 GW is hugely generational, I'm 34 now i've been playing GW since 1997. Then most of the hobbyist that were my age now played WHFB and my generation played 40k, maybe the younger market is playing AoS. 3. Perhaps my experience is tarnished as an i happen to only be going into the few clubs that don't play AoS.

I also don't think GW are bad at balancing their games. GW is a lot of things stupid and incompetent are not them. The games rule set is intentionally unbalanced to drive sales. Everyone wants the most effective units so by changing what that is every few years GW has a way to keep selling old models buy simply changing a few digits around. Of course they don't want us to keep using the same models for years.     

G

[Lord of Winter and War]

I'm not going to get into conspiracy talk about intentionally unbalanced games, I don't think it's worth getting sucked into.

For a player base, it all depends on where you are, and if there are any champions of the hobby in the area promoting it. Before I moved, I started an AoS scene in my town, and we went from 0 players to 8 over the course of 5 months. And no one there played 40k. It was a big bolt action/ test of honour crew.

In my new town, there is a solid crew of a few dozen AoS players in the area.

I'm sure there are plenty of places that people just haven't started AoS yet. It's hard to get a new game going, as folks need to learn a new game and build and paint new armies. It's a lot of work.

If no one promotes the game, no one will play it.  Same with any game. Takes some work to build a scene where none already is. There are tons of other games I'd love to play, and it's come down to which I want to commit my time too.

I have no idea how AOS is doing. I doubt it's out selling 40k, but it's not dead in the water either. It's still a young game too.

[Looshkin]

I have no idea how AOS is doing. I doubt it's out selling 40k, but it's not dead in the water either. It's still a young game too.

I can only speak anecdotally, but at my local GW, whilst sales of 40k always seem to be thriving, AoS is certainly no slouch. As far as games being played though...AoS is kicking the arse of 40k. Seems there is always a game going on.

Again, it could just be that I go in on the 1 day of the week when AoS is being played, but it happens very frequently and I normally go into the store a few times each month and it's always the same.

[Lorizael]

So 3.5 years later, has AoS got any of you to buy new modes?

AoS will be 3 years old this summer.

And hell yeah! I've bought around 6,000 points of Stormcast, a 2000 point mixed Order army, 2,000 points of Fyreslayers. I've expanded my Dispossessed, and my 8th Ed. Wood Elves have become two seperate armies of Wanderers and Sylvaneth.

I have no idea how AOS is doing. I doubt it's out selling 40k, but it's not dead in the water either. It's still a young game too.

It will unlikely ever get close to selling the same as 40K, but we do know that AoS figures for the first 6 months were higher than for Warhammer for the previous 3 years.
Also, GW measure recruitment and the sales of the core, starter box as very important indicators. In the UK, the AoS and 40K starter boxes have been selling almost equally. Which is a big deal.