Age of Sigmar 3: The Search For Sigmar

One whiff of a revised system, and I'm pulled right back into the mortal realms

Let's play Age of Sigmar!

Despite a cabinet filled with fantasy miniatures (and many of them on round bases too), it's been four years since I last played Age of Sigmar (excluding that worlds-colliding mashup when Age of Sigmar met 40k).

But the hobby world is abuzz with Age of Sigmar 3.0, and the new models some of the best I've seen for them. Encouraged at the prospect of fighting ErgonJon's new Kruleboys, I dusted off my Beasts of Chaos for a scrap

Beasts of Chaos - Allherd

Having a number of Age of Sigmar armies that are almost ready, I had some choices to make and elected on the Beasts of Chaos, since I've got lots of them and I like the big monsters.

According to those who know, Beastmen are more of a finesse army than a punchy one (contrary to appearances). They don't generate much killing power, but they can move like the clappers all over the battlefield, so I'm keen to take them on.

The list was mostly limited to what I had painted (I left the Chimera at home, in case it was too overpowered at this scale) - a couple of characters, a couple of monsters and lots and lots of Gor. I also added an Endless Spell - the Wildfire Taurus. Not because it seems a good choice (it's a big monster than depends on me rolling a 7 to summon it), but it's too nice to leave on the bench.

Battle Regiment

• Beastlord (General)
  Paired Man-ripper Axes
  Warlord: Apex Predator
  Relic: Volcanic Axe
• Great Bray-Shaman (Leader)
  Fetish Staff
  Mystic Shield, Arcana Bolt, Devolve
• 20 x Gors (Troops-Battleline)
  Foe-render, Two Gor Blades, Banner, Brayhorn 
• 20 x Gors (Troops-Battleline)
  Foe-render, Two Gor Blades, Banner, Brayhorn
• 10 x Gors (Troops-Battleline)
  Foe-render, Gor Blades & Beastshields, Banner, Brayhorn
• Cockatrice (Troops)
  Petrifying Gaze, Sword-like Talons, Vicious Beak
• Razorgors (Troops)
  Large Tusks and Hooves
• Ghorgon (Behemoth)
  Butchering Blades, Huge Slavering Maw
• Wildfire Taurus (Endless Spell)
• Herdstone (Scenery)

Total Points: 975 pts

Orruk Warclans - Kruleboyz - Big Yellers

ErgonJon's Kruleboyz are mostly from the starter box, so basic units of Gutrippaz and Hobgrots (orcs and goblins to you). A trio of characters, including one riding a fearsome beast, and some ranged power in the form of crossbows and the feared monster-hunting killbow.

Battle Regiment

• Killaboss on Great Gnashtoof (General)
  Command Traits: Supa Sneaky
  Artefacts of Power: Amulet of Destiny
  Mount Traits: Smelly ’Un
• Killaboss with Stab-Grot (Leader)
• Swampcalla Shaman and Pot-grot (Leader)
• 10 x Gutrippaz (Troops-Battleline)
• 3 x Man-skewer Boltboyz (Troops-Battleline)
• 1 x Beast-skewer Killbow (Artillery)
• 10 x Hobgrot Slittaz (Troops)
• 10 x Hobgrot Slittaz (Troops)

Total Points: 975 pts

Mission and Deployment

We're playing the Matched Play game Frontal Assault. Classic Dawn of War deployment with three objectives running through the centre. At the end of your turn, you score one point for holding one objective, one point for holding two or more, and one point for holding more than your opponent (sound familiar?)

There are also 'battle tactics' (think Secondary Objectives) that you pick from a list at the start of each turn (and cannot pick the same one again). You get two points for scoring these.

Finally, at the start of the game, each side picks a 'grand strategy', which is worth a further 3 points for achieving it at the conclusion.

• The Kruleboyz Grand Strategy was Hold the Line (keep at least one battleline unit - Gutrippaz and Boltboyz - alive)
• The Beasts of Chaos Grand Strategy was Sever the Head (kill all the leaders)

The Kruleboyz set up with one mob of Hobgrots on the left flank - who immediately move forward, thanks to their ambushing ability. The three Boltboyz take up shooting positions from behind the stone walls of the ruined village.

The main strength is in the centre, with the big mob of Gutrippaz, screened by another pack of Hobgrots and with a Killaboss on each flank, one on foot and one on a Great Gnashtoof. Skulking at the back are the Killbow and the Swampcalla Shaman.

I place everything around my central Herdstone: big herd of Gor at the front, with a smaller one behind (for sacrificing to the dark powers). The Beastlord and Bray-Shaman supervising, and the Ghorgon and Cockatrice hiding behind a heap of rocks (they've heard rumours about this Killbow contraption)

The Razorgor is the only threat on my left flank, and I place another herd of twenty Gors into ambush (seems both sides can ambush!), ready to appear in my first turn.

I win the roll-off and, with bestial cunning, decide to let the Kruleboyz have priority.

Turn 1 - Kruleboyz

Not much for the Kruleboyz to shoot at, given their limited range (and me hiding behind things!), but they can make a play for the objectives, so they choose Seize the Centre as their battle tactic.

The entire line steams forward: Hobgrot Slittaz in the sacrificial role up front, backed by the Gutrippaz and Killaboss on Great Gnashtoof. On the right flank is the Killaboss on foot, and behind the whole mob is the Swampcalla Shaman, and the hapless orruks dragging the Beast-skewer Killbow.

The Boltboyz hang back in the village, their man-skewers resting on the stone wall.

And on the far left flank, the second unit of Hobgrot Slittaz has stolen a march (they're good at doing this) and leaped ahead on the left objective.

So no killing done, but maximum objective points and the battle tactic secured - very cunnin'!

Mission VPs: 3
Battle Tactic: Seize the Centre (2)

Kruleboyz 5 : 0 Beasts of Chaos

Turn 1 - Beasts of Chaos

Wasting no time, my Beastlord immediately sacrifices one of the Gors onto the Herdstone (this helps me rack up Primordial points, to summon monsters at a later stage). Speaking of summoning, my Bray-Shaman attempts to call up the Wildfire Taurus, but no luck.

Pressing ahead, my Ghorgon begins to make his way around the rock (it's a long way to go - maybe I shouldn't have hidden him so well) and the Cockatrice flies directly over it to secure the right objective.

All I have on the left objective is the Razorgor, so he gamely trots over to threaten the Hobgrots there.

My big herd of Gor advance towards the centre (they can advance and charge), and I'm thinking the Killaboss on Great Gnashtoof could be a plum target.

On the other side of the field, enough of the Kruleboyz have advanced to allow me to bring in my second big unit of Gors from ambush - if they make their charge (rerollable). I could chop up the Shaman and Killbow before it's had a chance to shoot.

I actually have a shooting attack - it's the Cockatrice's baleful stare! I remember this as being wholly underwhelming, so it's a pleasant surprise (to one of us, at least) when he hits the Killaboss on foot, and inflicts six mortal wounds! Only the sacrifice of the Pot-Grot keeps this Killaboss on his feet. 

I actually start to feel a bit bad about removing all of ErgonJon's toys in one turn, but I needn't have worried. The ambushing Gors fail their charge and the other unit that charges into the Killaboss on Great Gnashtoof only manage to scratch a few wounds off him.

I also manage to draw the Gutrippaz into the melee (with a 3" engagement range, it was inevitable), so my Gors are already down to half-strength.

So I end the turn with a single objective in my control, and having failed my battle tactic (to destroy a unit in the enemy deployment zone - I was relying on the ambush for that).

Mission VPs: 1
Battle Tactic: Break Their Spirit (-)

Kruleboyz 5 : 1 Beasts of Chaos

Turn 2 - Beasts of Chaos

But Age of Sigmar being the fickle beast that it is - I win the priority roll for next turn!

I immediately feed another Gor to the Herdstone (I get to kill D3 a turn, but there's a disappointing reluctance for the victims to come forward) and then move forward the jaws of my trap to complete all the charges I failed last turn!

The ambushing Gors continue to sneak up on the Killbow and Swampcalla Shaman. The Cockatrice leaves the right objective (but, due to the AoS rules, I still hold that one until someone comes to take it off me) and makes to finish off the Killaboss (who has healed two wounds with a Heroic Recovery action in the hero phase - it's quite interactive even when your opponent has priority).

The Bray-Shaman hangs back and fails to summon the Wildfire Taurus (again!) but the Beastlord and Ghorgon both dash forward to join the struggle for the centre. I have also buffed the Beastlord with the heroic action Their Finest Hour (giving him a one-off +1 to wound and save).

Over on the left objective, the Razorgor realises its not going to defeat the Hobgrots by itself, so leaves to menace the Boltboyz.

Both the Beastlord and Ghorgon make it into combat - although neither moved far enough to take on the real threat, the Killaboss (in AoS you don't need to declare a specific target).

The ambushing Gors do hit the Killbow and Swampcaller Shaman, while the Cockatrice hits the Killaboss on foot. The Razorgor makes the charge into the Boltboyz, but they use the command ability Unleash Hell to overwatch him to death.

I get to pick who fights first, and then we alternate, so it's not going to be a pushover, even though I charged. I begin with the Ghorgon, just to see what he can do - quite a lot, it turns out, as he sweeps aside the entire Hobgrot mob before he even gets a chance to eat one!

The Gutrippaz attempt to kill the Beastlord, and have a good try at it, leaving him on just one wound. He retaliates by cutting down half their number.

The Killaboss on Great Gnashtoof cuts through the last of the Gors who were attacking him.

Over in the backlines, I split my attacks and slaughter the Killbow and Swampcalla Shaman (and Pot-Grot!), one of which I'd nominated for my battle tactic of Broken Ranks, so that's good.

And inevitably, the Killboss fell beneath the talons of the Cockatrice.

I seem to have done some good work here, and scored some points on the board, but now I have to face the retaliation.

Mission VPs: 3
Battle Tactic: Broken Ranks (2)

Kruleboyz 5 : 6 Beasts of Chaos

Turn 2 - Kruleboyz

It's retaliation for the surviving Kruleboyz. The remaining mob of Hobgrots stay on the left objective, the Boltboyz dash from one wall to another, and everything in the centre pushes forward.

And pushes forward very effectively. The remaining Gutrippaz cut down the Beastlord and wound the Ghorgon so critically that the Killaboss is able to charge in and kill the behemoth!

The centre is back in the Kruleboyz's hands, and I've lost my two biggest hitters.

Mission VPs: 3
Battle Tactic: Conquer (2)

Kruleboyz 10 : 6 Beasts of Chaos

Turn 3 - Beasts of Chaos

Ever one for the dramatic entrance, I finally manage to summon the Wildfire Taurus. It charges straight through the Killaboss, but on the roll of a 1, fails to inflict any mortal wounds on him.

Ta-da!

A slightly more useful summoning is to use all my Primordial points to bring in another pack of Gor (I was saving up for a Chimera, but I'm getting desperate here).

I'm hoping the Gor can push the Hobgrots off the left objective and get me back in the game. They make their charge, but their horns aren't sharp enough and both sides just slap each other around. At least I outnumber the objective sufficiently to claim it.

So I do claim my mission points, and also my battle tactic (for securing the Cocktrice's objective), but I'm very short on units.

Mission VPs: 3
Battle Tactic: Conquer (2)

Kruleboyz 10 : 11 Beasts of Chaos

Turn 3 - Kruleboyz

In the hero phase, I still get to control the Wildfire Taurus - he dashes through the Killaboss again, and I roll another 1, doing no damage!

The Killaboss responds by slaughtering the last unit of Gors I had to screen the herdstone, and the last Gutrippaz chase down the Cockatrice.

On the left flank, the Boltboyz and Hobgrots cut down the newly-arrived Gors. All the objectives are now in ErgonJon's control and I'm left with a Bray-Shaman and an Endless Spell that doesn't seem to want to get started!

Mission VPs: 3
Battle Tactic: Broken Ranks (2)

Kruleboyz 15 : 11 Beasts of Chaos

Turn 4

It's a brief fourth turn - the Wildfire Taurus finally inflicts a mortal wound upon the Killaboss, who promptly shrugs the damage! There's some narrative about him being coated in fire-retardent swamp mud here.

And in the Kruleboyz turn, he charges into the Bray-Shaman, impaling him onto his own Herdstone.

As the Wildfire Taurus gambols freely away, we call the battle there.

Mission VPs: 3

Battle Tactic: Break Their Spirit (2)

Kruleboyz 20 : 11 Beasts of Chaos

...

Kruleboyz Grand Strategy: Hold the Line (3)

Beasts of Chaos Grand Strategy: Sever the Head (-)

Kruleboyz 23 : 11 Beasts of Chaos

Victory to the Kruleboyz!

Back in the Locker Realm

Well, that turned into a right hiding! I thought I was doing okay there, but the Kruleboyz sheer killing power (their poison attacks kick out mortal wounds, which can be devastating) and the inability of that Killaboss to die, made a swift end of me.

I really liked watching the Kruleboyz in action. They've got some fantastic new sculpts, a great twists on Warhammer greenskins, and lots of toys to play with. If I didn't already have many armies, I'd be sorely tempted.

Which is not to denigrate my Beasts of Chaos - I had a great time sending waves of Gor to their deaths, and the big monsters were lovely to smash into things (though they burned too brightly and briefly). I'll have no qualms about bringing a Chimera next time.

The Wildfire Taurus wasn't a good choice (as I suspected), as it uses up too many points for a game of this scale. But I do like the summoning mechanic of the Herdstone. I'll have to bring some Ungor next time for cheap sacrifices, and see if I can rack up enough points for something dramatic.

As for Age of Sigmar 3 - I really like it. I recognise a lot of the knockabout fun from previous editions, but the battle tactics and command actions have added an additional layer of tactics, without bogging down the game. Certainly, the ability to do actions and react to your opponent felt like you had more involvement in every turn.

I've got some more armies to paint up to scratch! Maybe we'll actually get to finish our Age of Sigmar campaign!