The Problem with Age of Sigmar
And why it will never be taken seriously
Age of Sigmar has an identity problem. The game itself boasts of having a simplistic rule set and “empty your box” army building. But it also demands to be taken seriously, with complex rules regarding movement, modifiers, and objective control.
By failing to make an actual decision about what sort of game they want it to be, Games Workshop have left AoS in an awkward space: more simplistic than Fantasy and yet not as tactical or ‘hardcore’ as 40K.
Every year fans are calling for better army balance, more clearly defined rules and the removal of the random turn order (more on that later). What Games Workshop decides to give us is a pile of narrative and casual game rules, and a faction that completely changes the base rules of the game.
Any claim that AoS is a serious tabletop game falls away when you understand the implications of random turn order. The intention is clear. Changing priority reflects the ebb and flow of a real battle. Instead it comes across as a cheap mechanic intended to make games more dramatic for the sake of drama. The possibility of a player being able to act twice in a row allows for what could have been a close game, to turn into a complete rout. Going first in the game is often more about gently manoeuvring and getting off a couple of buffs. Going second instead gives the opportunity to destroy your opponent with the chance of shooting twice before combat begins.
The second fundamental problem with AoS is the over-saturation of teleportation and deep strike abilities. Some factions, such as Kharadron Overlords and Nighthaunt, can move their units around the table with reckless abandon for no risk. That, in addition to a game type where capturing your opponent’s objective wins you the game, can leave a bad taste in one’s mouth after losing a coin flip to decide a two hour long battle.
The final issue with AoS I will talk about here is the lacklustre attempt at balancing new armies. Before you bring out your pitchforks and tell me that playtesting takes time and volunteers, trust me I know. But there are many incredibly broken combinations and rulings that can be realised just by reading the codex. It staggers me that many of these things even found their way into the design conversation, let alone the finished book.
Ossiarch Bone Reapers and Flesh Eater Courts are two prime examples of incredibly powerful armies which received no noticeable attempt at balancing them. The even more surprising decision that rears its head now is that Lumineth Realm-lords are allowed to break the core rules of the game. Traditionally the combat phase has been a case of “I go — you go” starting with the player who has priority. But our new Elvish overlords throw that in the bin, retaining the “always strike first” from the Old World. I fully expect the competitive scene (when it restarts) to be jam packed with Lumineth armies, crushing any melee focused opposition.
In conclusion, AoS is a shallow game of light strategy, marred with rules that make no sense or simply inhibit the players’ ability to have fun. Games Workshop are currently more inclined to use AoS as a way of getting casual players interested in the game, before pushing them along into the more carefully built world of 40K. With the announcement of the return of the Old World, it’s clear that Games Workshop have given up on making AoS a competitive game and no doubt they are losing traction to systems such as Warlords of Erehwon.
