New Age Of Sigmar Book & Stormcast Now On Pre-Order
July 11, 2015 by brennon
Games Workshop are continuing their relentless march against the tides of Chaos with a week of pre-orders focused on the Stormcast Eternals. As well as the Liberators they have the new Lord-Celestant. Oh, and there is a new Age of Sigmar Book out too alongside a Limited Edition version too...
The Books
First off we have the books that are coming out. This Age of Sigmar Book is packed with a variety of scenarios for playing your games as well as oodles of fluff and background for the new world of Warhammer. It might not be to everyone's taste but I quite like the cover art at least!
"...the book contains the first part of the ongoing narrative: The Realmgate Wars. Scenarios, rules and backgrounds for setting your games within the realms, as the Stormcast Eternals and the forces of Chaos fight bitterly over control of the realmgates! Choose your faction and dive into the world of Warhammer Age of Sigmar now!"
Hopefully towards the end of next week we'll learn more about what is between its pages and how it matches against the free rules that already exist. There is also a Limited Edition version of the book if folks are interesting in diving in even further.
The Models
Model-wise I'm a happy bunny as they're adding to my faction of choice for the Age of Sigmar, the Stormcast Eternals. As we mentioned above they have the new Liberators with a collection of different weapons including swords instead of Hammers.
They also get the epic (in my opinion anyway) Lord-Celestant that I am already planning to paint up like Tyrael from Diablo. I just need to actually get reasonably good at using some green stuff for the hood. I might get a mate to do it instead...
The...Shakers?
If you're REALLY into Age of Sigmar they have also got some bits and bobs for you too. Not only are there two Dice Shakers for Khorne and the Stormcast but a Combat Gauge. I don't really get the point of the Combat Gauge to be honest but if you like having everything then it's there. The dice are nice though...
There have also been whispers of what else is down the pipeline. The Prosecutors (winged chaps) are getting a kit complete with spears and there are some bow armed Liberators coming too.
Will you be getting any of this new stuff?
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tha gauge, isn’t that just “this is one inch” “this is two inches” and “this is three inches”?
Seems so, just like the ones for other games but 3 times the price and with a thong that will get in the way.
Most of the rest seems very much for the completionists
And new model is a marmite one if you like the look it does what it does if not then its not
winning anyone over.
@brennon I like the tyreal idea but the ‘halo’ will need removing and I would probably just head swap for a wood elf scout head depending on size. Not for me though too much of polishing a turd process
The new Lord-Celestant looks pretty cool, I especially like his cape with all those small hammers.
But what the hell is a combat gauge? I guessing, some kind of very expensive measuring device.
From accessories I don’t see point of having gauge over normal ruler or tape measure but dice shakers might have they use.
GW are idiots .. there i said it … release a game thats not playable out of the box, make it look like some weird starter set for young gamers .. and then keep the insane pricing on the miniatures. Whats the target demographic for this brain fart GW? That fan subbed interview is seeming more and more like a legit by the minute.
I wouldn’t pay £30 for 5 models I don’t like either @hatamoto . In fact I wouldn’t even want minis I don’t like if they were free. 🙂
Either? I dont mind the minis actually, theres some nice stuff in that starter
Sorry if I got the wrong end of the stick @hatamoto . Your comment about the starter box came across as you not liking anything about it.
Well, the game is as playable out of the box as it is ever going to be (unless you believe the fans who are still holding out hope for some kind of official balancing system).
Congratulations Mantic, btw
Looking at the images from the GW home page for the new book, it seems that the Stormcast have a liking for really, really big crossbows that certainly look like they could bring down monsters or punch holes in chaos armour. I have already seem some humorous sort describe them as ‘crossbolters’ over on Lady Atia’s twitter feed, and to be fair their chunky design and the way the Stomcast hold them is slightly reminiscent of the Astartes and their favourite firearm. While it could be argued that as weapons they are a bit on the silly side, and that the user’s shoulder pads would intersect with the bow strings in the pictures shown, I still like them.
Lots of games use movement gauges. I’ve seen them for FoW and Warmahordes in particular. Other games like SAGA and XWing use stick templates. It’s the same theory. If your typically only measuring certain specific distances (1, 2, and 3 inches in this case) its a bit quicker to whip out the gauge. This one is a pit pricey but if you don’t want the fancy metal one you can make your own easy enough.
Liberators? I thought I was perusing a Thunderhammer/stormshield terminator squad.
What does it say about me that I’d field them as a terminator squad over the real terminator squad any day.
£25 for the dice shakers!!!!! (plastic cup)
Hows this for an alternative http://www.amazon.co.uk/Small-Drinking-Horn-Stand-Reenactment/dp/B00G97I3QQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1436609401&sr=8-2&keywords=viking+drinking+horn.
I usually use one of these to drink from at rock festivals but I believe it would suit the purpose.
I admit the dice shakers aren’t exactly cheap, but the Khorne one really is nicely designed, it resembles a Japanese Inro, which is basically what the samurai used to keep their money and trinkets it, which was attached to their obi (basically the sash around their waist) . It’s a really fun object in itself and beyond the dice shaking aspect I can think of a few other fun uses for it. Consider me sold.
Should say the Stormcast shaker also is fashioned after an Inro, it is in my opinion not as successful at the Khorne one, perhaps that’s because of the lack of skulls!
£30 for 5 Pride Marines !?
LOL. At least you get options but still…
They really don’t learn, do they…
Pride marines? I really hope that this is not using a homosexual reference as a slur.
It wouldn’t be the first time.
@wesadie1969 I think you’d have to be homophobic yourself to interpret that as a slur, but, you know, I’m not crass enough to accuse internet strangers of such things.
Did you really just “He who smelt it dealt it” on homophobia?
no @erastus, I suggested someone who sees a reference to a flamboyant, eccentric, bombastic costume parade – that includes people dressed up in bright gold and angel wings – as an automatic insult (thus something negative), rather than analogous ‘aestheticism’ inappropriate for the miniature, might actually be the one with “homophobic” issues, if there must be one.
And yet when your intentions are (apparently) misinterpreted you go on the offensive, rather clarifying what you meant? Me thinks the lady doth protest too much 😉
sigh.
lol $100 for those 5 marines in NZ money – that’s close to the same price as most other games box sets. $65 for a piece of string and tin is hilarious! And I thought the Hobbit models had priced me out of GW 🙁
Prices are bad enough in the UK, I really feel for you guys in NZ and Aus, GW really does bleed you guys dry.
£120 for 20 models , I can almost get two 1000pt bolt action army’s for that. And I would enjoy playing bolt action more. No doubt I will get my skaven out to give the new rules a go but no chance are GW getting there hands on more of my money!!!
Age of MEH…
Well I do like the Lord-Celestant and looking at the weapon options for the Stormcast Eternal I do think you get a number of build options. In comparison to WH40K Terminators (roughly same size) you get the option to build different weapons combos with the Stormcast Eternals, which you don’t get with the Terminators. And the extra cost is £2. I say you actually get a bit more value from the Stormcast Eternals box than from a box of Terminators.
I know a lot of people are disappointed with AoS because of their love for WHFB, but all the negative comments on everything AoS is getting tiresome to hear. Your position in the matter is clear. I don’t however think it’s going to change much no matter how negative you are about AoS.
Based on a comparison with the Terminators, I would say that the Stormcast Eternals are pretty good value for money. Of it could be argued that GW:s prices are generally higher than other companies, but that’s an argument that is valid for all their models and not a ‘fault’ of AoS.
My humble wish is that all those people being negative to all things AoS, based on feeling let down by GW because WHFB is dead, please hold back your anger. I am truly sorry that the part of the hobby you found to be fun has come to an end. But please, don’t try to make my part of the hobby that I find fun turned into something negative.
+1 to this. Some of the comments about AoS and GW in the gaming community have been negative, some I’ve seen have been unnecessarily derogatory. It’s just a game, games are meant to be played for fun, and no game is perfect. If you don’t like the game, walk away, play another game. Don’t spoil it for those who do like it.
@kommissar like what you like, don’t get offended when someone says something negative about it.
In my view comments have been justifiably negative but if it works for you then that’s what matters. Your view should not be coloured by others opinions
Yeah, if you don’t like the game just walk away and play another game. If it’s not to your tastes move on! It’s not like people have spent the last 25 years investing in a game and the narrative to have it all shattered and ditched. It’s not like people have invested literally thousands of pounds of their money into a hobby to be told, you know what, we don’t want you anymore and we don’t want to support your system. Yeah, people who complain about feeling betrayed after giving their support to a company for decades only to hear that GW doesn’t care about them, they’re not the “target audience”.
I think the biggest slap in the face is the cost of that none renewable resource that goes into gaming. Money can be made, models can be bought, but time is a non renewable. No matter how much we want to, everyone’s clocks are ticking, there is no escaping it, we have a limited time on this earth. So say I collect an empire army, takes an average of 30mins to paint a model to gaming standard. That’s 10 hours for a unit of 20. Then realise some people have armies that consist of tens of thousands of points. That is literally a portion of the persons life they have dedicated to games workshop and supporting their business. There is no wonder they’re upset, and they have a damn right to be. I’m sick of people saying “it’s just a game”, it’s such a BS statement if you are any kind of hobbyist. It’s never been “just a game”, it’s a whole lifestyle, a whole circle of friends, a community. To be told after 30 years of building communities, making friends, gaming tables, playing campaigns, etc that it is “just a game”…….seriously, how can you say that without knowing you are insulting a great deal if people.
I’m not saying things didn’t need to change, but the utter and complete upheaval that GW has performed by destroying the old world and releasing this travesty of a rules system with no regard for their community….it’s completely disgusting. They must have spent about a week writing and testing those rules…..it looks like something a group of 12 ear old would ce up with in an afternoon to give order to playing with plastic army men.
Sounds like you are having trouble keeping AoS in a positive light, and thats no ones fault but your own tbh. And stop trying to control others opinions, THAT wont work.
I’m glad you love the model that literally SHOOTS HAMMERS OUT OF HIS CLOAK.
I’m not even joking. Look up his Warscroll. You can even see them on the model.
I mean. I’m not going mad am I?
Everytime I did that ability, id play U can’t touch this. Now its got a theme tune, its awesome.
It’s a shame you can’t buy the dice without the pointless shaker, but the minis are just beautiful.
£45 for the book. Happy “Free Rules Day” everyone. More cocktail-napkin tween nonsense, I’m guessing.
The rules in the book will be available for free. You’re paying for fluff and scenarios.
@erastus 4 pages of dodgy rules lmao.
i wish people would stop saying they’re “free rules”: it’s Orwellian though technically correct. And it’s not semantics. When someone hears “free rules” for a WARGAME it’s implied it’s a substantial wargame ruleset – not a 4 page leaflet so badly written it leaves people scared and confused (if I climb up a wall that’s 1” tall, and climb down it, do I lose 2” of movement, or 1”?).
Spartan Games currently give away 120 page + rulebook online. Mantic is like 20+ pages.
What you really mean is “GW have given a way a FOUR page set of rules, akin to a quick-play set of rules” which avoids misleading people into thinking GW have released actual substantial gaming rules, seeing as this is a Wargame (although, it really isn’t, it’s basically a kid’s game or some bastard card game).
When GW release the 40K rules for free online then you can claim GW are giving away the rules for free. Please.
What I mean @poosh is that the rules to use each unit in the game are a free download. I’m neither defending or condemning the quality of the rules, just making sure the facts are straight. People can make their own mind up what they think of the rules.
By each unit what you really mean is all the old units that it has already been confirmed are being chucked under the proverbial bus, just making sure the facts are straight. Have a feeling all those new units that actually represent the new universe armies and will continue to get support will need a fat pricey rulebook to go with ’em.
@plaguetide if you go to the page for each of the new units on the GW website, there’s a link to a PDFs for their rules. That includes the new stuff that went on preorder today.
In the age of unending war there is only…..Sigmar Maarheens!
So instead of skulls everywhere we get hammers everywhere? 😉
@hatamoto you are entirely correct that keeping a game in a positive light is up to me. My wish is that I would be able to click on a forum post, article or similar about AoS and read mostly relevant critic and/or positive things. As it stands that’s almost not possible, so of course I can choose to not click and read.
I am, however, afraid you misunderstood me in the other respect. I have no interest to control others opinions. Both you and everyone else is entitled to them. I did however ask and also make a wish that those negative comments be used when called for. It is my opinion, that the point has been reached where the negative comments keep coming even though it isn’t necessarily called for, such as the price issue.
But I do want to stress that if you or anyone else still want to voice a negative opinion feel free to do so. To ask someone and to wish for something makes it volunteery for the other to either follow the wish or not.
So who decides when they are called for? Must be the thought police .. and theres no trolling going on regarding AoDS, trust me. Theres negativity and even constructive negativity from concerned warhammer fans.
I actually agree with you here @hatamoto … to a degree. People should be free to express their opinions. By the same token, people should have the ability to say what they think of the opinions of others. We should be able to say “I don’t agree with what you’ve said” because without that there is no room for discussion and we’re all just talking to ourselves. People don’t have a right to say what can and cannot be posted here, except of course the owners of the site. We just have to be careful that disagreeing with someone is not misinterpreted as questioning their right to have that opinion in the first place.
But thats not saying what they think of others opinions, thats straight out saying “i dont want you to post negativity” .. but yeah i agree you should be allowed to have opinions on opinions, but dont be a t*at about it.
Problem is, some are twats about their opinions because they can make faceless profiles, then post offensively without fear of repercussions. Example would be the two profiles that were made just to slag off my mini in my article series. Not saying everyone does it, far from it in fact! But some do really push buttons that they wouldn’t in person because they would simply get a smack in the kisser.
What is called for and what is not is of course a matter of opinion, and that is where we all will have different views. I guess no one decides that.
Well @hatamoto I do believe you in that there is no trolling going on and that there is constructive negative opinion. Some which I agree with, some which I don’t. Some that I think lack objectivity and some that is more balanced. But then again, I only represent one opinion.
I’ve read a lot of well formulated critic, but I’ve also read a lot of negativity which I at least find to be unnecessary. However, in the end it’s up to everyone single one of us to express what we want and choose how we express it.
I for one is tired of hearing unbalanced critic of AoS. I am looking forward to sitting down and painting some of my Liberators and also ordering the upcoming AoS book.
Sounds good, id probably be sitting down with a starter as well if i had trusted GW to put in healthy and serious support for it. I thought the free mini in WD and rumoured free rules was an indication they had this going in the right direction and then it mostly seems downhill from there, imo.
I’m sorry to hear that your expectations were not met. It is always sad when our fun is affected negatively. I don’t know if you have a lot invested in WHFB, but if you are one of the guys that do, I truly can understand your disappointment.
I hope that one year down the line that GW will give serious support for AoS. But as you say, that can not be trusted.
Well I hope you, @hatamoto, have some other game that catches your interest and that you can have some good hobby time with.
And i hope you can enjoy it too without allowing yourself to be influenced and affected by opinions you really dont want to agree with.
The way you are clearly allowing your opinion to be influenced by those who like what the see so far right? 😉
Lol. Just lol.
Im not sure i follow @warzan. I havent tried to value anyone elses opinion on AoS against my own, i think ive been fairly consistent there. I also havent asked anyone to please stop posting positive comments on AoS because otherwise it will start affecting my opinion.
As someone who stays away from GW products I must say the models are awesome. My geek nerve is signaling that this may be a time to get into this. The problem I have is with price. I have a feeling that the skirmish concept is a bait and switch. From my perspective GW milks their customers (maybe, maybe not). The models are great and the game may be fun but I don’t see a scenario where GW won’t impose up scaled games through some change in the rules. If the small to mid sized game continue to work well I may become a GW customer. I’m waiting to see how this plays out though. As for the GW bashing…. some can tone it down but there’s a reason people are compelled to post when they feel insulted as a savvy consumer of wargames.
I really have hard time to imagine why AoS should fare better than Fantasy did.
The rules so far wont drag anyone in who wasn’t interested before and they are doubtless lacking and undefined, the minis are still … well minis. Round bases wont do the cut. And you still need a ton of models to play it yeah the prices as well…
The real thing that is happening is hype and excitement, but in the end I felt that my excitement was wasted.
I guess AoS will do a bit better than WHF. But not because its a better game.
Well I got my Lord-Celestant on Draycott built tonight, and that is a beautiful mini. If the new Lord-Celestant and those multi-weapon choice Liberators are as well made, then we are in for a treat of nice minis 🙂
I was very excited for AoS for a while there. Sadly it has proved to be very disappointing.
Model-wise, I grown to have mixed feelings. While they are all well-sculpted, the Sigmar Marines don’t do anything for me. I do like some of the new Chaos stuff though. Wouldn’t mind getting my hands on a few of those models just to paint.
Price is typical GW…you know what you’re getting into. If I were thinking about collecting an army it would probably piss me off a little. But if I’m just collecting a few models that I like it doesn’t bother me as much.
Accessories are insanely over-priced, but you don’t NEED them to play. So I find it to be a moot point.
The rules are still the game-breaker for me. No love or thought put into them at all from what I’ve seen. Their whole “It’s just meant to be fun!” tag-line sounds less like a genuine belief and more like an excuse to be lazy.
My biggest gripe is by far the lack of any sort of guidance for force composition. It does’t need to be a point system necessarily, but there needs to be something put in place to create two reasonably balanced forced. Without one the game will ultimately have no real staying power.
I was initially very excited by the AoS starter set – the minis are lovely and 75 quid for 40+ minis is great value. I personally feel that for several years now GW have charged well over the odds for the majority of their products, so I had hoped that by starting a-new, they would address the pricing as well and make the AoS products a bit more affordable for those of us who have a limited budget to spend. The majority of people who have defected from GW over the years appear to have done so because of the pricing, so I had thought that maybe GW would use this re-start to try and reconcile with some of its ex fan-base – i.e. release a great game and keep their prices a bit lower and attract people back into the game. But alas, now I start to see the pricing on the subsequent releases I must admit to being very deflated again. It seems this is not the case and the excellent price of the starter set was a one-of designed to draw people into the game. Its a pity bacause, like it or not, price does have a big bearing on how many people get involved with a game. Personally, I feel that if GW were to keep their prices a bit lower they would attract more gamers and that would benefit them and their loyal gamers in the long term. But by sticking to an inflated pricing structure they are actually doing themselves, AoS and the loyal fans a big injustice. I’m sorry if some of you construe this as being overly negative or anti-GW. Its not intended as such – its just me offering my own opinion after watching the whole thing over the last while :o)
I actually find the price complain to be more a symptom of what I feel is the bigger issue, their approach to rules. If you think about it while inflated prices are jarring, if you really love to play the game, you will still try to support it even if it means only buying a new box every other week as opposed to every week. But if you no longer find enjoyment in playing the game because you dislike the rules you will drop it and find something else to play. While most ex-players I know often bring up the price as well in their list of complaints, their disdain for the rules ALWAYS comes up.
I know GW is in the business of selling minis (no need to hammer that point across again Warren 🙂 ) but in order to sell minis you have to have a rule set people want to actually play. If you really like a rule set you may be a bitter about the prices but ultimately you will fork over your cash, albeit in a more restrained matter. But if you hate the rules then it is a lot easier to vent your frustration about the price as you weren’t going to want to buy the model anyway.
Ah, but when you hate the rules then won’t that mean you remain fairly oblivious to something and not pay it any heed, negative or positive?! I actually like the AoS rules and would have given them a go had I decided to invest in the new system. I can say the same for 40K. I grew up with it and i enjoy the rules. But the thing that put me off 40K was the prices and the obvious way GW ripped off their fans – e.g.18 quid for one bog standard mini – how on earth do you justify that?! Many ex GW folk grew tired of that over time – its hard to keep loving something when you can see its constantly taking the mick re. money. Yes they are a profit making company, but theres a difference in making profit and openly fleecing your customers. Yes some people will save up their pennies and buy what they need eventually. But some will end up loosing heart, loosing interest and moving on to something relatively comparable but which offers a cheaper alternative. Which is why I’m disappointed in GW because i thought they had finally woken up to that and were going to make an attempt to kiss and make up with such folks.
Absolutely agree, was hoping for a smart restart
The starter set was, figuratively speaking, crack in a playground. “Oh, look. I can afford this game! Free rules and everything.” So some folks, sadly, bought the starter and have now found, through this release, that the game has the same sticker shock as the rest of GW’s products. Sad.
SIGMARINES. MAKE HASTE TO SUPPORT YOUR BROTHERS!
£60 FOR SIX models.
What a LOW barrier of entry lol. They literally can’t stop f*cking up.
*£50