So, this game has received a lot of mixed attention since it's release, so I figure I'll break it down so people can have a look at what they are getting into by purchasing the box set, and maybe even help you make a decision as to if this is the game for you!
Miniatures:
As usual GW has produced some of the best looking miniatures in the biz. The game comes with 47 highly detailed miniatures for two Age of Sigmar Factions. Khorne Bloodbound, and the Stormcast Eternals. Each faction gets some rank and file soldiers, a few elites units, a general and an army standard bearer. Although this is a starter set, these are not the snap fit models you are used to seeing in a GW starter kit, and though they aren't the most difficult to assemble, they will take a bit more skill than most starter sets. However, the boxed set is well worth the price in miniatures alone.
The rules:
The starter comes with a 4 page fold out for the rules. They are printed on nice, heavy duty card stock, and should hold up for a while. However, you really aren't paying for these since the rules can also be found online for free. Here is where things get hairy for some gamers. This is a very rules light game. Games are intended to be played more as a narrative rather than a balanced and competitive game as the old editions of Warhammer. There are no points for the models, just warscrolls, which give you all the rules you need for each unique unit. These are located in the book, which I'll discuss later. One of the major failings of the older Warhammer Fantasy Battles games was the barrier to entry, games weren't really played at low point levels, meaning that you needed to spend hundreds of dollars collecting models and rules, not including the time investment of painting them. With Age of Sigmar, you can buy any box of models, download the rules from the GW site and be ready to play. The additional rules (warscrolls) for your unit come in the box. So, even this starter kit isn't, strictly speaking, required to play. However, it is a good value, as it gives you two complete armies, and all rules, measuring sticks, and dice you need to play.
The Book:
The book contains a brief overview of the world that Age of Sigmar takes place in, discussing it's history, the factions that exist in the mortal realms, and the realms themselves. It also includes a few Scenarios which can be used with the models in the box, which represent Sigmar launching his invasion to retake the mortal realms from the servants of Chaos. The book also includes all of the warscrolls (rules) for every miniature included in the box. Most of these can also be downloaded for free from the Games Workshop website, but the box does contain about four models that are currently exclusive to the starter, and so their warscrolls are not available online.
The Fluff (story):
The Bloodbound are the servants of Khorne a Chaos god who represents war and slaughter. Not a nice guy... He and the other Chaos gods long ago chased Sigmar out of the Mortal Realms, and destroyed his alliances, sending his various allies into exile with him, or driving them into hiding. The Stormcast Eternals are immortal warriors who fight on behalf of Sigmar the god of order. They are reforged from mortal heroes and seek vengeance against the gods of chaos for their atrocities. Sigmar has spent many years forging this new army in complete secrecy, with one goal, to chase the Chaos gods and their minions out of the mortal realms once and for all. This boxed set allows you to replay the initial assault of the Stormcast Eternals on the Mortal Realms where they attempt to retake a beach head that can be used to take the war to Chaos.
Pros:
Here is where my opinion machine is going to go into overdrive. Age of Sigmar contains NO points system. Players may, and are encouraged to, use whatever models they want from their collections. This means that if you have inspiration for a specifically themed army, you can play that army. There are literally no rules keeping you from using whatever units you want. Games are intended to tell stories. Though the rules do include rules to help balance the game in the case that one army greatly outnumbers another army, it is largely left up to the players to determine what kind of battle they would like to fight.
The models are beautiful. I've always been an order player myself, and I love the look of the Stormcast army. But, I have even been thinking of painting up the Chaos units that came in my starter, just because I love how detailed they are. Normally, I'd just trade these away for more of my favorite faction, and I may yet, but it will be a difficult parting if I do.
Four pages of rules plus warscrolls.
Not only are all of these rules free of charge, but they are all brief, and easy to reference. As an adult with children, and not a ton of time to devote to playing, I love that I will never feel like I'm loosing games just because my opponent knows the rules better than me. Disagreements about the rules will no longer require thumbing through a tome of 400++ pages for an hour, just to figure out how a single operation should be handled.
Player Control:
Since the rules are so simple, it seems like an easy thing to create your own scenarios and special characters and their own special rules, you no longer need to think about what point cost would be fair, you just need to let your opponent see what you've come up with and if they agree to it, your are good to go.
Cons:
No Point Cost:
This makes seriously competitive play a difficult thing indeed. Points have always been wonky, and sometimes things were over costed or under costed, resulting in a game that was very much about figuring out what was the best value for the points cost and what synergized well for the points, and making an army around that. This style of play is gone from Age of Sigmar, and though I won't miss it, I do understand why many gamers do.
Rules Light:
As much as I love the 4 pages of core rules with warscroll add ons, this leads to a style of game which requires less specialized knowledge to play. Though it does make the game easier for new players, and people who can't play often, it does mean that hardcore fans of the game miss out on some of the joy of finding ways to make the rules work for their specific army. Some also claim that it removes some of the complex strategy of the game. I'm not sure if this is true or not as of yet, I'm still getting used to the game, but I can see where this would bother people. However, with the rules light system, I do feel that it leaves the game open to be what ever you and your opponent want it to be, it would be easy enough to add more complicated movement rules into the game for instance.
Final Thoughts:
Warhammer Age of Sigmar is a hobbyists game. By which I mean that if you are playing miniature battle games because you like to paint beautiful models, and play story based games with your friends over a beer and pizza, this is the game for you! However, if you want an ultra competitive game with tight rules, that can be played in a tournament and at the end of the day you can feel like the person who won was the person with the greatest grasp on strategy, the rules, and tactics, well, you may just want to look elsewhere.
I for one love the game, and it's rules-light, flexible approach to narrative wargaming. 5 Stars all around!
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Top reviews from the United States
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Top reviews from other countries
Victor
Amazing High quality models & Easy to play rules!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 29, 2016
Dr. DWK
Great Value Way to Start Collecting
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 10, 2017Calum Greenfield
The rules are concise and easy to follow
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 21, 2017rob56
2016 and 17 Reviews for a 2019 item.
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Five Stars
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