So how does everyone feel about Age of Sigmar?

[Acid_Nine]

42 minutes ago, Grdaat said:

They did, aside from snippets throughout the army and core books you had several novels that expanded on the lives of ordinary citizens. 

Yea, I feel AoS would be serviced by more of these small snippets... and maps. I don’t want every corner of the realms covered like in WHFB, but I want some coverage of areas that the story takes place. I love Scourge of Fate, but I just couldn’t imagine where the final battles were taking place for the life of me, or the layout of the kingdom.  A map of areas like the Brimstone peninsula or of Ymetrica are always really fun, but I think some sense of scale would be needed too. They could even be massive scales, just to show how expansive these places are.

[Gorthor21]

I think given time AoS will have a more fleshed out image for life in most of the innerlands of the various realms like we got with the Empire and Ulthuan.  
A lot of the little pieces the released with  malign portents and most if not all the black library novels released in the last few years have really been trying to make an effort to create a tangible setting like they had with the olde world.   Even chaos cultures and the deepkin have been really fleshed out and I’m certain as long as the newer generation of AoS authors who picked up where Reynolds left off continue on his tangent then we will certainly have a much mor concrete setting for the everyday man in the mortal realms.  
I feel like with the old army books it isn’t really the job of the battletomes to get into that much detail and more the job of the novels and rpgs.

[dragonstout]

I've noticed that nearly everyone says that AOS is simpler, rules-wise, than 40k, but it's not super clear to me why.  What are the main ways that AOS is simpler than 40k?  Wound rolls not using strength vs toughness (which seems pretty minor), and...?

[Saturmorn Carvilli]

1 hour ago, dragonstout said:

I've noticed that nearly everyone says that AOS is simpler, rules-wise, than 40k, but it's not super clear to me why.  What are the main ways that AOS is simpler than 40k?  Wound rolls not using strength vs toughness (which seems pretty minor), and...?

Here's a short list of some of things that make AoS a simpler/more elegant game than 40k.

 

• Points and buying models/wargear: In 40k you have the ability to purchase (not counting Power Level which is typically not used in PUGs) per man beyond the minimum squad size for most non-vehicle/monster units.  Additionally, most units also have a selection wargear that cost additional points.  List building in general in 40k requires far more accounting.  Most of the time in AoS, you drop the zero from points and not change a thing.
• Detachments: 40k has a whole host of Force Organization Charts with Detachments each dictating the type of units you take.  Additionally, taking more detachments alters the number of Command Points (8th ed was more, 9th ed is less).
• More Types of Unit:  40k has Troops, Fast Attack, Elites, Heavy Support, Flyers, Lords of War and HQs compared to AoS's Heroes/Leaders, Battleline, Behemoths and Others (I think that's everything).  Point is there are few more unit types in 40k.
• Command Points and Stratagems:  40k has several times the number of Command Points available for a 2000pt army to manage before and during a game.  As mentioned, CP can even be spent on Stratagems giving units special ability very close to what Battalions often can do in AoS (not that close, but enough to mention).  Additionally, 40k's general pool of a Stratagems is typically more than what any given AoS army even has to spend CP on during a game, and there are at 3-5 times that number of stratagems available per faction.
• Determining To Wound Target Number:  In AoS this is a static number depending on the unit.  In 40k, this is a variable determine by the difference between Strength and Toughness.
• Factions and Subfactions: 40k just has more of them.  There are more active Codices than Battletomes and most 40k factions are often going to have more subfactions (like space marine chapters, Tyranid Hivefleets and Eldar Craftworlds) than any of the AoS factions I have seen.
• Terrain Effects: As of 9th edition, 40k now has more involved terrain rules for a game where I would say terrain and terrain density is more important since 40k is largely assumed to be mostly ranged with few units have more than 10 individuals in them.
• Model Positioning: As of 9th, 40k models have to placed with similar care as they do in AoS with 2" coherency.  But more than 6 models have to be careful to stay within 2 other models.  Granted, AoS tends to have more wholly within effects, but 40k also has a few themselves in addition to good number of within effect auras.
• More Datasheets:  It isn't a secret that a lot of AoS/40k's rules are actually baked into the unit rules.  And 40k has loads more units dramatically increasing the complication of the game.

Again that is just a quick short list of the things that stand out to me not thinking too deep about it.  Sure, some AoS factions can have a meta resource or mini-game attached to a faction (Aether Gold/Quartz or Destiny Dice, Etc.), but that isn't universal to all factions.  I also want to say that I think that 40k is largely needlessly complicated and not really that complex of a game.  I much prefer AoS's approach as I find much of 40k's mechanics often feel like a busy box with lots of switches, dials and buttons that don't really do that much save maybe give the illusion of complexity.

I definitely don't think there is anything wrong with simple mechanics.  Chess, Go and number very hard to master games aren't really that complicated relying on how the player manipulates the mechanics as a matter of skill compared to knowing more mechanics being counted as skill (again, personal opinion) which I often find with GW games.

Edited August 7, 2020 by Saturmorn Carvilli

[Scurvydog]

On 8/7/2020 at 10:32 PM, Saturmorn Carvilli said:

Here's a short list of some of things that make AoS a simpler/more elegant game than 40k.

All good points, despite the lack of attention these days due to the inferior 40k app, the AoS app has been a real treat, with 40k having to flip through several books and using Battlescribe to even make a a simple armylist. Don't get me started on marines and weapon options, where you will have to cross reference the unique chapters with the general marine table, to figure out what a weapon loadout costs. In AoS having access to the app with all warscrolls for free and with Azyr you can set up your own and opponents army lists for super quick reference that is just so much better. If the AoS app gets what they mention for 40k, with new books having codes to unlock in the app, that will be glorious.

There is a few really nice things in 40k now with 9th, that I hope a poential 3rd edition of AoS will adopt.

1. Going first is decided by roll of and nothing else. The lowest drops getting to dictate the start is a horrible system and pushes generic, spammy lists which can squeeze in as much as possible in battalions. Why should I always go last if I decide to bring a friendly stormcast list with all kinds of models and units? Seems completely unnecessary.

2. The double turn. I must admit after playing some 40k again, I really do like not having to deal with the double turn. Getting a double turn in round 2 or 3 very often settles the game, especially combined with the previous point, having a KO list be low drop, force the opponent to do nothing while they sit in a corner turn 1, then drop down gunz blazing and potentially getting to do it again with a double turn is just no fun and has no counter play at all.

3. The AoS meta is in a rough place and being pushed by a lot of NPE (negative play experiences) lately. Some new books like Tzeentch is completely dominating everything and shutting down any counter play. Shooting and Mortal wound spamming has lopsided a game balanced around melee, where the you go/i go combat phase did create some semblance of balance, this is not the case for shooting and magic. If this is not kept in check, AoS will really suffer, for example all armies who rely on support heroes are in big trouble right now, due to how easy they are to single out and remove with shooting and magic. This could be solved by better look out sir rules, but something needs to happen at least.