Call me crazy: I have the game - Intial Impressions / review

[LochNESS]

Yes, quite a few people will call me crazy as I already have the Age of Sigmar starterset. And I must say I'm rather pleased with my purchase as it is better than I had anticipated. Therefore I thought you might be interested in my impressions. I've included links here to my blog as they are rather long reads (or really long reads) but if you are slightly interested and want a fairly reasonable impression (at least that's how I'd see myself) take a look.

Granted, I just love plastic crack (I also bough a second hand Ogre Kingdoms army today...) but still it's pretty good.

You can read my initial impressions here as I've tried to be as 'objective' as possible. As I've said here the rules are not perfect but they are not bad either.

Besides: when you add these rules to a narrative based gameplay game variant such as the Dungeons and Dragons adventure boardgames or the Descent: Journeys in the Dark games. You have a pretty good game in your hand.... And based on my impressions from both the Age of Sigmar starter set and the previews of the new hard cover book coming next week, I'm guessing I am right with my predictions. In that case: I'm sold...

Just my 5 cents though...

[Aerendar Valandil]

Im see the reactions on the game are very varied, from angry players literally burning their armies to old grummblers who had stacked their armies away for years but now bring them to light for a try.

http://tomstoysoldiers.blogspot.co.uk/2 ... ports.html
http://scatterbrainedwargamer.blogspot. ... igmar.html
http://stevosminisoldiers.blogspot.co.u ... mpire.html

(From Lead Adventure - http://www.lead-adventure.de/index.php)

[John Rainbow]

Thanks for all the links guys. It's good to see some reports from people actually playing the game rather than just reading and making comments on what they think it it like.

[Kimahri]

I played the missions in the starter box last night with a friend. Have to say that this game is definitely a lot easier to grasp than anything else i have tried. So I can understand when people complain about it "being a game for kids" as it is very easy to get to playing quickly. But I do have to say that 12 year old me would not have had the patience to put together all of those models, or have done it with near enough prescision that was needed.

I dont see this as a game for children, but more of a gateway game into 40k. AoS introduces the fundamentals of wargaming and gets you hooked with that first taste.

Personally I like the lore in AoS and the direction they are taking it, and eagerly await new releases.

[John Rainbow]

I dont see this as a game for children, but more of a gateway game into 40k. AoS introduces the fundamentals of wargaming and gets you hooked with that first taste.

I think you've hit the nail on the head here.

[Prince of Spires]

I dont see this as a game for children, but more of a gateway game into 40k. AoS introduces the fundamentals of wargaming and gets you hooked with that first taste.

I think you've hit the nail on the head here.

In that case, how do you rate the chance of GW releasing 40k rules for fantasy models? Find and replace any reference to space marine with chaos warrior / sigmarine and make a few tweeks to make it fit in fantasy and you can use 40k rules with fantasy models.

Could work / be the plan?

Rod

[John Rainbow]

I dont see this as a game for children, but more of a gateway game into 40k. AoS introduces the fundamentals of wargaming and gets you hooked with that first taste.

I think you've hit the nail on the head here.

In that case, how do you rate the chance of GW releasing 40k rules for fantasy models? Find and replace any reference to space marine with chaos warrior / sigmarine and make a few tweeks to make it fit in fantasy and you can use 40k rules with fantasy models.

Could work / be the plan?

Rod

Or just translating the rules to 40k? They're so simple they could also cover a 40k skirmish game with little/no changes.

[KillerK]

I've tried this product and I lost a chunk of my life I will never recover. I tried playing with my kids (8 and 9 years old), as the game is idiotically simple. unfortunately they also played WFB with me a few times, so mid game I was informed that this game is stupid and they don't want to play any further.

I tried playing it twice, once because we taught we played it wrong, so we had another, and we did, but unfortunately playing by the rules was only worse, so we decided we need to find some thing else to play.

[Eirik]

I don't think it's crazy to say it's a good game. the main complaint is that it's simply not Warhammer anymore, not that it's bad.

[Shannar, Sealord]

I don't think it's crazy to say it's a good game. the main complaint is that it's simply not Warhammer anymore, not that it's bad.

That's my main complaint as well. but honestly it just doesn't stand up to the competition. If it didn't have GW written on the cover no one would look at it twice.

I'm not saying it's awful, just that there are more interesting games at a lower price. While AoS does sort of lower the entry cost for playing, it sure as heck doesn't look like the models are going to be any more affordable.

[KillerK]

I don't think it's crazy to say it's a good game. the main complaint is that it's simply not Warhammer anymore, not that it's bad.

That's my main complaint as well. but honestly it just doesn't stand up to the competition. If it didn't have GW written on the cover no one would look at it twice.

I'm not saying it's awful, just that there are more interesting games at a lower price. While AoS does sort of lower the entry cost for playing, it sure as heck doesn't look like the models are going to be any more affordable.

Dudes did you play according to the rules? Cannons can shoot characters no matter where they are on the table, including through buildings, obelisks and such.
Units can shoot while engaged in combat, not only that they can also shoot at the unit that is fighting them, and then have a swing in combat.
There is no point of fielding anything but you most elite units as they cost the same as your lesser units.
O did I mention cannons shoot twice.
A goblin hits and wounds a slave, chaos lords, dragon or anything else just the same as it would fight another goblin.
Malekith, Nagash and the lot is worth less then 4 ogers, but is equal to 14 goblins or slaves.
You can charge through buildings, obelisks and such.
The list goes on and on and on.

[Grenic]

Dudes did you play according to the rules? Cannons can shoot characters no matter where they are on the table, including through buildings, obelisks and such.
Units can shoot while engaged in combat, not only that they can also shoot at the unit that is fighting them, and then have a swing in combat.

According to the Picking Targets rule:

In order to attack an enemy unit, an enemy model from that unit must be in range of the attacking weapon (i.e. within the maximum distance, in inches, of the Range listed for the weapon making the attack), and visible to the attacker (if unsure, stoop down and get a look from behind the attacking model to see if the target is visible)

So, if the war machine model can’t see the character, it can’t be used to shoot it.

However, there are certain models that can shoot models not visible to it, like the Empire Mortar (1 D3 attack, 2+ To Hit, 3+ To Wound, -1 Rend). But I'm not sure why you would bother with small units as it can score D6 on units with 11-19 models and 2D6 for more 20 or more models.

[KillerK]

try hiding Nagash behind a building, the thing is you only need a bit of a model, and if there is, BOOM!!!, a cannon ball to the forehead.