Warhammer Age of Sigmar Fourth Edition is coming. Games Workshop's fantasy tactical miniatures game has been a respectable staple of the publisher's output, sitting alongside the dark sci-fi world of Warhammer 40,000 and the more grounded fantasy of Warhammer The Old World. Now, it is due for a refresh.
The Warhammer Age of Sigmar Fourth Edition Announcement
In an official Warhammer-Community post, Games Workshop went into further detail on Warhammer Age of Sigmar Fourth Edition. The game's core rules and systems will be completely rewritten, build upon the decade's worth of storytelling, and introduce an entirely new game mode.
In addition, Warhammer Age of Sigmar Fourth Edition will introduce a new story chapter in the battle for the Mortal Realms. This new chapter focuses on the ratlike Skaven. While they have remained in the margins, this faction has put into motion their grand scheme – the Vermindoom.
This scheme has caused rents in reality to the fetid sub-realm of Blight City to spread across the Mortal Realms. To make matters worse, the Great Horned Rat has struck a deal with Archaon, allowing him to ascend as a full fifth member of the Chaos Pantheon.
Needless to say, the forces of Order have their work cut out for them. The Stormcast Eternals are now charged with quelling a continent-sized infection of Skaven. It is a task so daunting they have been forced to call upon the Ruination Chamber: the most grizzled group of heroes whose deeds go as far back as the Soul Wars.
The post continues to restate that Warhammer Age of Sigmar Fourth Edition will be a complete rebuild. This is the first time the rules have been rewritten since the first edition in 2015. The new rules will focus on streamlining, accessibility, and modularity with no sacrifices to depth.
In a way, this design ethos is similar to one sported by Warhammer 40,000 10th Edition. Aptly described in the tagline, "simplified, but not simple."
This will mean the new edition will rework and update the warscrolls and army rules for every single faction in the game. As a result, each faction in Warhammer Age of Sigmar Fourth Edition will receive a free downloadable faction pack at launch. This will contain all the rules needed to play for every unit in the army.
As for that new game mode, it is called Spearhead. It plays in an hour or less using the contents of each faction's Spearhead and Vanguard boxes. It's designed to bring in new players as well as deliver a fun, balanced experience.
Of course, these are just the start of the changes promised in Warhammer Age of Sigmar Fourth Edition. Further details, including release dates of new rulebooks and battletomes, will be forthcoming.
