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Hey all, I am just getting started with Age of Sigmar after several years of playing 40k. This is due to the new edition coming out, and me finding a pretty sweet lot of Stormcast Eternals on eBay recently. I have a few general questions I wanted to ask, as well as ways to optimize my collection (as of right now I plan to stay purely Stormcast rather than branching into other armies as I have with 40k; my storage space simply won't permit me to do anything else).

So, my general questions:
1) What do I need besides my models to play AoS these days? I kind of assume it's like 40k in that I need the BRB and the appropriate Battletome for my army, but is there anything else I need to pick up?

2) I realize that Stormcast Eternals are going to get one of the first battletomes of the new edition (alongside Orruks); is there anywhere to find the army rules in the interrim, or are most players just expected to have the previous battletome and use that until the new one comes out? If that is the case, I'll probably wait until the new one comes out in order to save money and not buy a book that's going to be obsolete in a month or two. I probably won't actually play any AoS games until then anyways.

3) How does the game compare to 40k in terms of gameplay? Do skills and tactics from 40k translate well to AoS, or am I going to be starting from scratch?

4) What points level is typical for tournament play in AoS? I ask because that's what I would usually try to play at in casual games as well, as even if I'm using non-competitive units I would at least have about the right number of them and could learn with that.

5) A little more specific here, but in general are Stormcast Eternals considered pretty good as an army, or are they one of the weaker ones? Also, are they a fairly balanced army with a lot of good unit choices, or is there a huge disparity in power levels and usefulness between units (basically, how is the internal balance of the army?)?

Before I go into specific questions, here's what I've got coming in that big lot of models (they should arrive here next week):
Stormcast half of the new Dominion box
15 Liberators with hammers and shields
Lord Celestant on Dracoth
Lord Relictor (I think that's what he's called; the banner guy from the very first AoS starter set)
10 Sequitors (not sure which weapons they have)
3 Castigators
1 Lord Arcanum on Gryph-charger
1 Knight Vexillor NIB
1 Lord Castellant NIB
1 box of Vanguard Raptors NIB
1 box of Gryph-Hounds NIB
1 box of Paladins NIB
1 box of Evocators NIB
Putting all that into Battlescribe I came up with a total of >3500 points, which seems like a pretty good start to a collection. My questions are:

6) Which of these units, if any, are strong? Do I have a good collection here, or is this only going to be good for casual play?

7) How should I build the NIB stuff? The Paladins box, for example, apparently builds three different but similar units; which one is best? Which banner option should I give the Vexillor? What weapons should I give these guys? Or do these things even matter for a noob?

8) Although I have no immediate plans to do so, I eventually will be looking to expand. What units would be good additions to this? Or is it too early to tell before the new Stormcast book comes out? My idea was that I might pick up the now-OOP Start Collecting Stormcast Vanguard box to add some cavalry and ranged firepower (and because I love the guys on Gryph-chargers!), but is that a good plan?

Sorry if I come across as needy or helpless, but I really do want to get off to a good start with AoS and make the most of my first models (hence the "how should I build it?" questions). We don't have a huge scene for it locally (40k is much more popular around here), but there are players, so I should be able to scare up a game once in a while.

1.
You also could do with the General's Handbook. It's a bit like Chapter Approved for 40k, but sort of more relevant. It has this year's missions and points adjustments as well as some other things.

2.
New Battletome is slated for next month, so yes I would wait. All the datasheets (warscrolls) for Sigmar units are downloadable from the GW website. Just go to the store page for any unit and find the download. That won't give you army wide rules, but might keep you going for a month. Plus there are of course other places to find the rules...

3.
In many ways its very similar. There are some big differences, but most of the concepts will feel very familiar. The biggest change in my opinion is that shooting is a much smaller part of the game, and where it does come in the ranges are generally much shorter. This makes movement more important, and means you are unlikely to lose half your army turn 1. There are always exceptions to these things, but I crazy good 48"+ gun line just isn't something you generally need to worry about in AoS.

4.
2k is the standard full size game.

5.
At the moment, SCE are a bit below average with a couple of very specific builds that raise that to somewhat competitive. But this is likely to change when their new book comes out. So I wouldnt worry about it too much.

6.
Strongest units there imo are the Evocators, and the Raptors with Longstrike crossbow. Sequitors can be very killy when you stack buffs on them. Honestly though with the new book coming going into specifics here is not going to be too helpful. You have a good wide selection of stuff, I'm sure you'll be able to make something reasonable as a starting point.

7.
As above, anything I tell you now might not apply in a month. Right now I'd say build Retributors for the Paladins, staffs for the Evocators. It doesn't matter hugely unless you're aiming to be more competitive though.

8.
Right now, the Vanguard stuff is generally the weaker part of the army. With the exception of the Raptors. But once again, could change next month. If I was buying for now, I'd get more Raptors if you want to go for a build spamming them, and or more Evocators.

1: battletome and general handbook will be essential if you　play matched play. While the brick has matched play rules　it's with less secondaries and grand stratagems and only 3 scenarios　vs 12. Would't recommend the brick　if you don't play path to glory(aos version of crusade).

2: battletome comes to preorder next month. Wait, focus on painting what you　have, avoid investing too much as rules can and likely will change quite a bit. App has current warscrolls.

3: Fairly similar but even seemingly similar things like hold 1/2/more for objectives work very differently due to scoring end of turn. Double turn is of course big difference. Also how combat isn't chargers first. You can shoot yourself to foot　by charging in too much. Also things are riskier especially now in new edition with lot less rerolls(and no generic reroll command ability!), no way to do automatic charges without modifiers. Without modifiers double 1 always fails.

4: 2k

5: weak ones but of course it's random lottery how new book does. They suffer from big bases, lack of rend and mw overspamming.

Internal balance leans heavily to shooting. Melee options weak.

But of course new codex makes prediction hard how it's in about 1.5 months or so

6: sequitors, Lord arcanum, raptois, evocators been good. Castigators junk. Liberators can work on stormkeep subfaction(found in broken realm morathi book. Aos version of psychic awakening).

Others are can be useful or bad, depends on list.

7: i would hold if possible until new book but for paladins current go to is　retributors(take special weapon), raptoirs long range sniper.

8: currently: more raptors. Another sequitor if you don't go for liberator heavy stormkeep. But again would wait for book

(generally i would avoid old models for now in case gw makes newer models with same role significantly better)

Thanks for the advice! I actually picked up the BRB and the General's Handbook the other day, so now I just need to wait for the minis to get here (should get here Wednesday-ish). Having time to wait before the Battletome comes out should give me time to figure out how I want to paint these models; right now I'm actually thinking of making them a fantasy version of my Dark Angels from 40k. Especially since the Sequitors and Evocators even have robes over their armor!

Beyond them being the face of AoS, there is a reason Stormcast were, endearingly or not, called Sigmarines by some people. Big ol armored lads n ladies, some with pretty robes.

The GHB2021 is honestly just fantastic. It's a great resource, really impressed with what GW did with it.