What is Age of Sigmar

A fantasy Warhammer about heroes, monsters, magic and battles over objectives.

Age of Sigmar is a game where you control an army in the fantasy world of the Mortal Realms. On the table, you move units, cast spells, shoot, charge and fight in melee. At first glance, it may look like a game mainly about killing enemy models. In reality, however, AoS is mainly about who plays the map better, who controls objectives correctly, who prepares attacks better and who can use their army’s abilities at the right moment.

This is especially important for a beginner. If you start playing AoS in a “I run forward and try to smash everything” style, you will probably lose even with an army that looks stronger on paper. But if you understand when to hold an objective, when to retreat, when to push and when to prepare a charge one turn later, the game will start to make a lot of sense.

What is the goal of the game

The goal is not just to kill your opponent’s army. The goal is to win the scenario.

Most Age of Sigmar games are decided by points. You gain them mainly by holding objectives and, depending on the type of game, also by completing other tasks or battle tactics. This means it’s not enough to just win fights. You need to be in the right place at the right time. A unit that survives on an objective can be more important than a unit that kills more models but stands outside the action.

• objective control decides most games,
• a well-timed charge helps you take the center or push the opponent back,
• magic and abilities often prepare a situation that pays off a phase or a turn later,
• even small losses can be a problem if they happen to a unit holding an important part of the table.

What you need for your first game

How the whole game works in one sentence

You move units to gain points, and all other actions should support that.

How to read a warscroll

A warscroll is the most important card in the game. It tells you what a unit can do and when it uses it.

In the 4th edition, the warscroll is significantly more important than before, because a large part of the game is built around abilities with precise timing. This means you are not just learning numbers. You are learning what the unit does on the table, in which phase it does it and why you actually have it in your army.

How to read a weapon profile

Just as important as the warscroll is understanding what weapons actually do.

AoS may seem simple, but good decision-making often depends on whether you understand weapons. It’s not enough to know that “this unit hits hard.” You need to know how many attacks it has, how reliably it hits, how reliably it wounds, how it penetrates armor and what special effects it has.

How abilities work

The new AoS is heavily built around abilities and their correct timing.

This is one of the most important things a beginner must understand. Many actions in the game today are built as abilities. That means the game is not just “now I move, now I fight.” Instead, it often works with a structure of ability, reaction and precise resolution.

Once you understand this rhythm, you will start to understand warscrolls, commands and why timing is so important much better. Many beginners make mistakes precisely because they can read the ability text, but don’t know when to activate it correctly.

Turn structure in Age of Sigmar

In the 4th edition, the turn has a clear structure. And you really need to internalize it.

It is important that individual phases are not isolated islands. Each of them prepares the next one. The Hero Phase often prepares buffs or debuffs. Movement opens up objectives and angles. Shooting and magic weaken the target. Charge determines who gets where. Combat decides key engagements. End of Turn then often seals who actually controls the map and who scores points.

Start of Turn – the beginning of the turn is more important than it seems

This is often where the direction of your entire turn is decided.

At the start of the turn, you decide what you want to achieve this round. In some game formats or battleplans, this is where you choose your battle tactic. Already here, you should know whether you are pushing hard into the center, trying to push the opponent off an objective, or just need to score safely without giving your opponent a good counterattack.

Good players at the start of a turn don’t ask “what can my army do.” They ask: “What exactly do I need to achieve right now?” That is a huge difference.

Hero Phase – spells, prayers, buffs and preparation for the whole turn

The Hero Phase is not an addition. It is the engine of the entire turn.

This is where abilities are often activated that determine how strong the rest of your turn will be. You can improve your durability, strengthen your attack, shift pressure to a certain part of the table, damage the opponent before the main action or disrupt their plan.

• you cast spells,
• you use important warscroll abilities,
• you prepare pressure on an objective or a specific unit,
• you often set up the entire turn before you even move.

Beginners often make the mistake here of quickly “rushing through” the Hero Phase because they want to start moving models. But this is exactly where you often decide whether your charge unit goes forward with support or without it. Whether a unit on an objective will hold or not. Whether the opponent’s hammer remains dangerous or if you weaken it before the engagement.

Movement Phase – the most important phase of the entire game

Movement in AoS is not just moving models. It is working with the map.

This is where you decide who will be on objectives, who will be safe, who opens a charge, who stays out of danger and who is prepared for the next turn. Beginners often feel that combat is the most important part. In reality, combat often just finishes what you prepared during movement.

Strong movement means you force your opponent to react. Weak movement means you are just waiting to see what they allow you to do. And that is a huge difference in AoS.

Terrain, cover and working with the table

Good use of the table makes an average player much better.

Terrain in AoS is not just decoration. It helps you hide important units, redirect the opponent’s attack, divide the table into safe and dangerous areas and keep control of the game’s tempo. If you stand in the wrong place, you may look aggressive, but in reality you are just giving your opponent better targets.

• cover helps you survive opponent pressure,
• proper terrain makes your movement safer,
• narrow corridors and blocking terrain pieces can slow down enemy hammer units,
• if you work well with the table, you don’t have to solve every situation through combat.

Shooting Phase – shooting is not everything, but it matters

Shooting in AoS is often not the main way to win the game. But it very often sets up the winning situation.

Good shooting weakens a unit before a charge, removes a support model, opens an objective, or forces the opponent to reposition. And even in armies that rely mainly on melee, shooting can be the difference between a bad and an excellent turn.

A beginner should think about shooting mainly like this:

• which target blocks my plan for this turn the most,
• what I need to weaken before the charge,
• where removing a few models will change objective control,
• whether I am shooting just “because I can” instead of making an important impact.

Charge Phase – the moment when pressure becomes an actual engagement

Charge gets you into melee. But not every charge is a good charge.

In the charge phase, it is decided whether your planned aggressive action actually turns into contact. You roll 2D6 and must reach the enemy. On paper it sounds simple. In practice, however, charge is one of the most important decision-making phases in the entire game.

But not every charge is the right one. Sometimes it is better to wait. Sometimes it is better to just hold the objective and force the opponent to come to you. Sometimes it is better to charge not to try to kill something, but to get into the right position and lock the opponent’s unit into an unfavorable situation.

Combat Phase – the most important fighting in the game

In AoS you do not fight with all units at once. In combat, you alternate.

This is one of the most important things a beginner must truly remember. The Combat Phase is not one big simultaneous brawl resolved all at once. Players alternate activating units that will fight. The order of these activations often decides the entire engagement.

This means that in AoS, fights are often not won only by the stronger unit, but also by the player who better evaluates the activation order. Sometimes you need to activate the unit that is in the greatest danger first. Other times you want to strike first where it prevents the opponent from hitting back at full strength.

How an attack works step by step

This is the absolute foundation of resolving both combat and shooting.

At first glance it is simple. But in real gameplay, what matters is how reliably your unit generates attacks, how much Rend it has against armored targets, how much Damage it deals through, and whether it is better suited against hordes, elites or monsters.

3" combat range and why model positioning matters

In the new edition, melee has a longer reach than many players expect.

This is great for beginners because melee becomes clearer and more fluid. At the same time, model positioning is still extremely important. A properly positioned unit gets more models into combat, holds space better, blocks the opponent more effectively and is harder to bypass.

• proper positioning increases the number of models that actually get to attack,
• it helps hold an objective even during combat,
• it improves control of the space around the engagement,
• it can make movement and further charges harder for the opponent.

Objectives and the value of Control

This is one of the most important aspects of the entire new edition.

Control determines how well your unit holds an objective. This means that two units in the same place may not have the same ability to actually control it. This is where many games are decided. A unit can be strong in combat but weak at holding points. Another may be less deadly but extremely important for the scenario.

A beginner must quickly get used to thinking not only about “what kills,” but also “what actually holds the objective.” This is absolutely crucial for AoS.

End of Turn – the end of the turn is not just a formality

At the end of the turn, it often becomes clear who really won it.

At the end of a turn or round, various effects are resolved according to the battleplan, warscrolls and other rules. This is often where it is confirmed who holds objectives, who completed their plan and who only appeared aggressive but actually gained nothing.

Beginners sometimes mentally stop after the Combat Phase. That is a mistake. In AoS, the state at the end of the turn is often more important than the course of a single engagement.

Battle tactics and why they matter

In matched play, battle tactics are a huge part of winning.

Battle tactics are secondary objectives that you typically choose at the start of your turn and that grant additional victory points when completed. For a beginner, it is important to understand that this is not just a “bonus.” In reality, they very often decide the entire game.

This means that a good AoS player does not just think about “where to send the hammer.” They also think about how movement, combat and objective control will simultaneously fulfill a battle tactic. This makes the game much more about planning than raw army strength.

Double turn – a powerful tool, but not automatically the right choice

Two turns in a row can be a huge advantage. But sometimes also a trap.

One of the classic mechanics in AoS is the ability to take two turns in a row. This can be very strong, because you gain tempo, pressure and a chance to finish off a weakened part of your opponent’s army. However, it is not always the right choice. If it causes you to lose scoring opportunities or exposes you unnecessarily, it can cost you the game.

A beginner should learn not to ask only “can I take a double turn?”, but mainly “what will it actually give me and what am I sacrificing?”.

How to think about unit roles

Not every unit should do everything. A good army works as a whole.

How to play your first game step by step

This is the practical part. Exactly what a beginner wants to read before stepping up to the table for the first time.

1. Before the game

Prepare smaller armies. Don’t bring everything you own to your first game. Ideally, have a few clearly understandable units so you learn the rules and not complex combinations. Prepare your warscrolls and write down one simple role for each unit.

2. Deployment

Deployment is not a formality. Tactics start here. Think about which part of your army will hold your home objective, where you want to apply pressure and what you need to hide. You don’t need to place everything as far forward as possible. Sometimes it’s better to have space to react and counterattack.

3. First turn – don’t panic and don’t run forward without a plan

In the first turn, the goal is often not to immediately destroy your opponent. The goal is to position correctly, prepare objectives, apply reasonable pressure and not leave yourself unnecessarily exposed. Whoever exposes themselves too much in the first turn often gives the opponent an ideal second turn.

4. Hero Phase

Clarify what exactly you want to gain from your abilities and spells. Don’t activate things just because you “can use them.” Activate them because they support a specific plan for the turn.

5. Movement

Move with purpose. Each unit should know whether it is holding, pushing, supporting or threatening. You don’t need to push everything forward. Sometimes the best move looks less impressive, but gives you better scoring.

6. Shooting

Shoot at targets that change the situation. Weaken a unit on an objective, remove a support model, set up a charge or reduce the control of an enemy unit. Don’t shoot just because something is in range.

7. Charge

Charge with a plan. If you go into combat, you should know why. Do you want to take an objective? Kill support? Lock an opponent’s unit? Push them out of the center? These are the right reasons. “Because the dice allowed it” is not a valid reason.

8. Combat

Carefully choose the order of activations. Which of your units must strike first? Where can you most disrupt the opponent’s counterattack? What is more important — killing more or holding position?

9. End of Turn

At the end of the turn, don’t just ask “how much did I kill.” Ask:

• Who holds the objectives?
• Who scored points?
• Which of my units is now unnecessarily exposed?
• What did I open up for my opponent’s next turn?
• What was really important this turn?

How to think during your own turn

A strong turn is not a sum of random actions. It is one connected plan.

Most common beginner mistakes

Glossary for beginners

This section is exactly for when you read the rules and want to understand them in a human way.

What to focus on in your first few games

You don’t need to know everything immediately. But you must learn the right fundamentals.

• reading warscrolls and truly understanding unit roles,
• seeing objectives as the center of the game, not as an addition,
• planning the turn from Start of Turn to End of Turn,
• properly using the Hero Phase and not skipping it mentally,
• not thinking only about what you kill, but also what you hold,
• learning activation order in Combat,
• after each game, summarizing what decided the result.

What to remember as the absolute basics