AoS - 3rd AoS News Thread

[Sception]

A couple bits of potentially relevant AoS news in the past week:

Warhammer Age of Sigmar Miniature of the Decade – The winners - Warhammer Community

Who took the top spot?

www.warhammer-community.com

The fan-voted top ten minis of 10 years of AoS went up on warcom. Unfortunately my personal pick, Katakros, didn't make the cut, but two more recent undead centerpiece models did - the new Prince Vhordrai at number 4, and Big Ush taking the prize at #1.

..............

Announcing the World Championships of Warhammer Preview Live! 2025 - Warhammer Community

Prepare yourself for a host of reveals.

www.warhammer-community.com

Next GW preview show announced for Friday Nov 7 / Saturday Nov 8, time zone depending. On the fantasy side we're expecting announcements for both Old World and AoS, though only AoS is reasonably likely to have an undead announcment, and even then most likely only a battletome and pity hero for OBR, and even that we might not get since I think three other battletomes are expected beforehand, including a more substantial Nurgle update.

I probably won't be staying up to watch this day of, but fingers crossed I'll wake up to something unexpected the next day.

 

[The Sun King]

Must admit that I am super hyped about the rumoured Nurgle release!!!

 

[Sception]

I have mixed feelings about it myself. On the one hand, the new warhammer quest stuff looks pretty cool. Absolutely no shade towards the sculptors, I love the models we've seen so far, lots of personality, none of that kind of soulless feeling that's been dragging down 30k/40k models lately.

On the other hand, it doesn't look very 'Age of Sigmary' to me. Honestly, most of the recent AoS minis - from the Soulblight releases to the Chaos Dwarves to the new version of Warhammer Quest - are like this. These are models I would have been ecstatic to see released for Old World, but that have me scratching my head a bit as AoS releases.

I'm not really sure what the vision is for the game exactly, and it doesn't help that, aside from Spearhead which I really do think is fantastic, 4e in general has kind of fallen flat with me.

I care a lot more about AoS as a setting and a story, I'm more invested in its characters and factions, but Old World is far more exciting to me as a game, and after the similarly uninspired new edition launches for Middle Earth and 30k, Old World might be the only version of warhammer that currently has any sort of positive energy to it.

 

[Unas the slayer]

The fan-voted top ten minis of 10 years of AoS went up on warcom.

some votes let me puzzled, but hey.

 

[Raven Torrid]

some votes let me puzzled, but hey.

I voted for Be'lakor but can't really argue with Ushoran winning either.
Archaon, which is 3rd wouldn't be in my top 20...also don't think Allariele deserves top 10.
Light of Eltharion and Harbinger of Decay would be in my top 5 for sure.

 

[Disciple of Nagash]

Ah interesting, as looking through the top 10, there's quite a few models which I agree with. Ushoran for sure, and also really like Harbringer of Decay, Kroak, Vizzik and I actually do quite like Allariele - Vhordrai is of course stunning. I think I like these as I see quite a grandiose reimagining of these characters.

Whereas I find Archaon well sculpted but not very inspiring and contrary to you Raven Torrid Be'lakor is good, but I don't think deserves that spot - his design just feels relatively repetitive of daemon princes through the ages but on a larger scale!

Sception - I'm curious that you feel some of the recent AoS sculpts don't feel thematically in the world, as for example to me the new Chaos Dwarves feel quite high fantasy compared to the decades old models, with some very weird and wonderful creations! Do yo think perhaps they are trying to develop models that suit both systems (AoS and TOW)...even though they have been so precious about keeping them separated?

 

[Sception]

Honestly, I don't know where they're at thematically or aesthetically with AoS these days. I like almost all of the releases individually, but I often find myself feeling like different releases rarely feel like they belong in the same universe, let alone aos specifically.

That said, there's been some rumor mongoring over the last few days that might manage to pull my interest back and help me get over my current AoS malaise:

Gooood Evening, the storyteller has returned.

In the distant realm of Shyish, legions beyond counting are being committed to the production lines — nay, verily, in numbers most prodigious!

They say the decapitation strike remains the most efficacious stratagem in all Warhammer lore, and Katakros has gained newfound insight into this art — perchance you have witnessed the Ossiarch Ruststalker?

Do you recall the tale of Katakros' own demise?

Were you to possess a formidable Ossiarchstrike Chariot, every difficulty would find its solution! Indeed — let that golden Chariot be rendered grander and more magnificent!

Why, pray tell, do so many in the Mortal Realms resort to the use of firearms? 'Tis most vexing! Had our warriors but the gift of a third eye, these wretched gunslingers would pose no threat!

The Blacktoof shall return — yet how distant lies that future? That, my friends, remains a secret veiled in shadow!

For the Tithe of Bones!

Remember, rumours are rumours, have a great day!

This from Boole on the TGA forums, a not altogether unreliable rumour source. Obviously deliberately cryptic. I don't personally put a lot of stock in it, but people on tga are interpreting this as:

1. new arkhan model on a chariot (golden chariot/blacktoof)
2. new smaller stalker guys (ruststalker)
3. three eyed archers/ranged units

Of course, there's no saying whether any of this means anything at all or if it's all just smoke. Still, there may be a bit more reason to pay attention to friday's preview than I had previously given it credit for.

 

[Unas the slayer]

I voted for Be'lakor but can't really argue with Ushoran winning either.
Archaon, which is 3rd wouldn't be in my top 20...also don't think Allariele deserves top 10.
Light of Eltharion and Harbinger of Decay would be in my top 5 for sure.

Yep, i'm in your same boat and I don't argue with Ushoran winning... while Archaon is among the ones that left me kinda meh. Lord Kroak is much better, and i even like Awlrach more than Archaon!

 

[Sception]

I'm not a big fan of kroak myself. A bit too busy imo. I much prefer the newer generic slaan.

While I agree that Archaon and Allariele aren't too much to my taste, and I wouldn't put them in the top 10 AoS models right now, when they were released they were big impressive models that very much set the tone for early AoS, even if iirc Archaon was technically an end times model. Granted, by that standard I would have included Nagash, but regardless I can't really begrudge their inclusion at all even if they wouldn't be on my own list.

 

[Unas the slayer]

I'm not a big fan of kroak myself. A bit too busy imo. I much prefer the newer generic slaan.

Fair enough, i like that one too

 

[Oppenheimer]

I have mixed feelings about it myself. On the one hand, the new warhammer quest stuff looks pretty cool. Absolutely no shade towards the sculptors, I love the models we've seen so far, lots of personality, none of that kind of soulless feeling that's been dragging down 30k/40k models lately.

On the other hand, it doesn't look very 'Age of Sigmary' to me. Honestly, most of the recent AoS minis - from the Soulblight releases to the Chaos Dwarves to the new version of Warhammer Quest - are like this. These are models I would have been ecstatic to see released for Old World, but that have me scratching my head a bit as AoS releases.

I'm not really sure what the vision is for the game exactly, and it doesn't help that, aside from Spearhead which I really do think is fantastic, 4e in general has kind of fallen flat with me.

I care a lot more about AoS as a setting and a story, I'm more invested in its characters and factions, but Old World is far more exciting to me as a game, and after the similarly uninspired new edition launches for Middle Earth and 30k, Old World might be the only version of warhammer that currently has any sort of positive energy to it.

I completely agree that the Warhammer Quest models all look like The Old World. It really seems to be like that was the plan and then management saw some decrease in ToW sales numbers and changed the plan at the last minute and shoe horned them in to AoS instead. I would have loved some classic ToW models in that setting as a homage to the original Warhammer Quest. Bretonnians love questing! Such a huge disappointment for me. I can head canon it but it's not quite the same.

 

[Sception]

no, i dont thunk there's been any decrease in tow sales or management shift from tow to aos. if anything it's maybe the opposite - tow's relative success pushing gw to try to make aos look more like old world...

though even then, gw has a massive procuction runtime, they don't & cant turn on a dime, and i'm not sure enough time has passed sunce tow's surprising success for any real corporate ractions to it to have filtered all the way to product releases.

i certainly don't think this version of warhammer quest was ever intended to be set in the old world. there's a very hard division in gw these days between normal studio properties and specialist games properties. afaik, warhammer quest is in the former category and old world is the latter.

Unless i have that wrong, or something else changes, then there's no more chance of old world warhammer quest than there would be for old world underworlds or war cry. or aos blood bowl for that matter.

 

[Sception]

Preview show tonight at 7:30 pm est. AoS will be there, and major reveals are expected, but primarily for Nurgle. I don't think undead announcements are expected - OBR are the only undead faction that haven't received their 4e book yet, but as far as I'm aware they're expected to be the last book in 4e, with three others still expected to come before them, so the likelihood of OBR at this show is fairly low. However, there are some rumors of a more significant OBR release wave to come in 4e, including some sort of skirmishing mini stalker infantry, a three eyed ranged infantry unit, and some sort of chariot - possibly a new model for Arkhan. Still just rumors though, nothing at all concrete, and personally I'm still only expecting another pity hero for 4e. So yeah, imo Grand Alliance: Death is unlikely to show up at this show, but there's maybe a bit more reason to hope for new undead in the mortal realms than there is for the Old World. Either way, we'll see soon enough.

EDIT: as expected, nothing for undead. But what we did so looks pretty good, so I'm not complaining.

 

[kondor44]

Just read the GW newsletter and, my God, what a sculpts they have prepared for Nurgle- worshipping poor bastards..
Two things caught my eyes:

Imagine a conversion of mounted necromancer with that rotten horsey...


Such a decomposing addition to a zombie block will definitely make such unit pop.

All in all, great sculpts, as only could be expected from modern GW.
Nurglings around the world, AoS or ToW are certainly giggling with delight.

 

[Unas the slayer]

View attachment 69602
Imagine a conversion of mounted necromancer with that rotten horsey...

so decaying...

 

[Raven Torrid]

GW just announced four new AoS Battleforces, and one of them is Soulblight Gravelords/Vampire Counts:

View attachment 64875

I already have 10 Blood Knights but I will have to justify to myself getting 10 more.

Vhordrai is in there and I really like the model but it's bloody expensive on it's own so I wouldn't want to pass on this since those battleforces are usually great value.

Also, the Skaven one looks really good...

The Battleforces are up for preorder next Saturday! Prepare your wallets...

 

[Velmates]

Wow. Prince Vhordrai + 10 Blood Knights + 3 Bats for € 200, instead of € 310 if bought on their own. I should have waited with my purchase earlier this fall (now I have no need for that many bats and knights)...

 

[Disciple of Nagash]

I've ordered the Battleforce! Prince Vhordrai will soon be mine! Although the official one on GW website sold out fast - but luckily a third party website still had some for pre-order...why didn't think to go their first when they are always much cheaper!

I much prefer the newer generic slaan

Had a quick look....and yeah the new slaan looks beautiful. But that said I still love the Kroak model, it is very busy but I think befitting the crazy old frog

Archaon was technically an end times model. Granted, by that standard I would have included Nagash, but regardless I can't really begrudge their inclusion at all even if they wouldn't be on my own list.

I didn't realise this...and I most definitely do begrudge this as I love the Nagash model! I remember being so excited when it came out - might not be obvious but I've always been a Nagash fanboy so if the Archaon model was allowed to be included, Big Bone Daddy should definitely be allowed!

Imagine a conversion of mounted necromancer with that rotten horsey...

Hmm, not sure on this one myself. I do like a good conversion, but it looks quite nurgely. Prove me wrong though!

 

[Unas the slayer]

.and I most definitely do begrudge this as I love the Nagash model!

Nagash' absence is quite offensive, but on the other hand "we" won with Ushoran... so it's still good.

 

[kondor44]

Prove me wrong though!

Is that a challenge?

 

[Sception]

Get the lowdown on 500 Worlds: Titus in the first White Dwarf of 2026

Here’s what’s happening in issue 520.

www.warhammer-community.com

Next white dwarf will nclude variant rule set for the new Warhammer Quest to run it with Flesh Eater Court heroes on a deluded holy quest instead of the normal protagonists. Sounds fun and funny, though sadly Darkwater is significantly out of my price range for a box with no undead models in it. Still a cool thing to exist.

 

[Oppenheimer]

I know what you mean about Warhammer quest. I feel like Cursed City was significantly cheaper wasn't it?

 

[Sception]

yup, significantly up from cursed city. I mean, it is years later, & the game board looks a lot nicer, & one would hope the game play is better designed, so it's not unexpected for it to cost more.

Similar high production value multi-session rpg campaign style boardgames w/ high quality hard plastic minis are priced similarly. Frosthaven for example has the same msrp I think, in US dollars anyway, though that's probably a better game & certainly jas more stuff in the box. Regardles, I'm not saying Darkwater costs too much in general.

It just costs too much for me

 

[Oppenheimer]

I watched Always Board Never Boring's YouTube channel and it and it looks a bit disappointing. The main issue I see is that the characters all have exactly the same attack profile. No more specialized dice for attacking either, it's all D6s again. It actually seems like a step down from Cursed City based solely on his review.

 

[Sception]

Celebrate store anniversaries in 2026 with an Aeldari Autarch and a Vampire Lord

Here are this year’s anniversary miniatures.

www.warhammer-community.com

Yet another Infantry Vampire Lord store anniversary model this year:

I would complain since there have been so many of these, but I really can't since it looks great. Basically an updated dismounted version of the old vampire lord on zombie dragon. I'll definitely be picking this up when my local store has its anniversary this year.

Looks like it would make a great model for Old World too, at least for Blood Dragon fans, though as usual for AoS heroes scale & posing might make it difficult to rank up.