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I am starting a couple AoS armies (Death and Chaos or maybe a combination of both) and I was curious about whether I needed Battletomes to play or have a "proper" army.

 Tactical_Spam wrote:
I am starting a couple AoS armies (Death and Chaos or maybe a combination of both) and I was curious about whether I needed Battletomes to play or have a "proper" army.

No. Just take what is on the GW website and just download the war scrolls there. You don't need Battetomes. They just add to it but are not a must.

Davor wrote:

 Tactical_Spam wrote:
I am starting a couple AoS armies (Death and Chaos or maybe a combination of both) and I was curious about whether I needed Battletomes to play or have a "proper" army.

No. Just take what is on the GW website and just download the war scrolls there. You don't need Battetomes. They just add to it but are not a must.

But let's say i have Empire Handgunners or a Great Cannon in my Chaos force because Chaos lacks ranged units. Would that still be a Chaos force?

 Tactical_Spam wrote:

Davor wrote:

 Tactical_Spam wrote:
I am starting a couple AoS armies (Death and Chaos or maybe a combination of both) and I was curious about whether I needed Battletomes to play or have a "proper" army.

No. Just take what is on the GW website and just download the war scrolls there. You don't need Battetomes. They just add to it but are not a must.

But let's say i have Empire Handgunners or a Great Cannon in my Chaos force because Chaos lacks ranged units. Would that still be a Chaos force?

Nope you will lose the grand alliance chaos going by the general's handbook. If you need range chaos can take skaven ranged weapon teams/cannons and daemons with ease. You are free to do so but you lose a major benefit for mixing grand alliances.

 shinros wrote:

 Tactical_Spam wrote:

Davor wrote:

 Tactical_Spam wrote:
I am starting a couple AoS armies (Death and Chaos or maybe a combination of both) and I was curious about whether I needed Battletomes to play or have a "proper" army.

No. Just take what is on the GW website and just download the war scrolls there. You don't need Battetomes. They just add to it but are not a must.

But let's say i have Empire Handgunners or a Great Cannon in my Chaos force because Chaos lacks ranged units. Would that still be a Chaos force?

Nope you will lose the grand alliance chaos going by the general's handbook. If you need range chaos can take skaven ranged weapon teams/cannons and daemons with ease. You are free to do so but you lose a major benefit for mixing grand alliances.

What is that major benefit?

So if you declare a grand alliance allegiance, you get access to a battle trait (there's one each for the four) that's a global effect of varied potency, a general trait (random roll or pick - I like them because unlike 40k warlord traits they're not so massive, so rolling is fine if you want to have a bit of variety), and one free magic item (and more - one for each battalion you take).

If you narrow down even further, some subfactions unlocked additional battleline units, but I'm unclear if they'd still get the grand alliance benefits if they did that or not (and Sylvaneth even have their own traits, items, and spells, and the Bonesplitters will too).

Longstrider wrote:
So if you declare a grand alliance allegiance, you get access to a battle trait (there's one each for the four) that's a global effect of varied potency, a general trait (random roll or pick - I like them because unlike 40k warlord traits they're not so massive, so rolling is fine if you want to have a bit of variety), and one free magic item (and more - one for each battalion you take).

If you narrow down even further, some subfactions unlocked additional battleline units, but I'm unclear if they'd still get the grand alliance benefits if they did that or not (and Sylvaneth even have their own traits, items, and spells, and the Bonesplitters will too).

Now is this information in a book that I just haven't noticed yet?

 Tactical_Spam wrote:

Longstrider wrote:
So if you declare a grand alliance allegiance, you get access to a battle trait (there's one each for the four) that's a global effect of varied potency, a general trait (random roll or pick - I like them because unlike 40k warlord traits they're not so massive, so rolling is fine if you want to have a bit of variety), and one free magic item (and more - one for each battalion you take).

If you narrow down even further, some subfactions unlocked additional battleline units, but I'm unclear if they'd still get the grand alliance benefits if they did that or not (and Sylvaneth even have their own traits, items, and spells, and the Bonesplitters will too).

Now is this information in a book that I just haven't noticed yet?

It isn't released yet, so far all he's said is in the upcoming General's Handbook (released next week if IRRC) which gives you three different ways to play, the one he's describing is the matched play (pretty much competitive with points system).

 Grimskul wrote:

 Tactical_Spam wrote:

Longstrider wrote:
So if you declare a grand alliance allegiance, you get access to a battle trait (there's one each for the four) that's a global effect of varied potency, a general trait (random roll or pick - I like them because unlike 40k warlord traits they're not so massive, so rolling is fine if you want to have a bit of variety), and one free magic item (and more - one for each battalion you take).

If you narrow down even further, some subfactions unlocked additional battleline units, but I'm unclear if they'd still get the grand alliance benefits if they did that or not (and Sylvaneth even have their own traits, items, and spells, and the Bonesplitters will too).

Now is this information in a book that I just haven't noticed yet?

It isn't released yet, so far all he's said is in the upcoming General's Handbook (released next week if IRRC) which gives you three different ways to play, the one he's describing is the matched play (pretty much competitive with points system).

I felt like I missed the leak where y'all got all the info early, but thanks for clarifying. I will have to pick that up when it comes out.

No you can do straight from app

 VeteranNoob wrote:
No you can do straight from app

That's even better than getting the book.

And just as an FYI the traits etc are just one way of playing. You can also do narrative or open play where you can mix and match to your heart's content.

Err, right. So the Handbook (which releases on the 23rd) has the rules for matched play, with points and all, and a few ideas for simple campaigns, and a system for generating random small warbands for linked games.

The Matched Play section has the points costs for everything, and the Allegiance traits (global battle trait, general traits, and arteifacts) for the four major Grand Alliances.

Of course, if you're doing narrative play if you and your friend want to try out the Allegiance bonuses, nothing's stopping you.

At the moment, only if you're planning to play Bonespilterz or Sylvaneth is the Battletome a must (for matched play). Moving forward all new battletomes will be a must too, but none of the pre-Sylvaneth ones are because they don't include traits, artefacts or lores.

 Bottle wrote:
At the moment, only if you're planning to play Bonespilterz or Sylvaneth is the Battletome a must (for matched play). Moving forward all new battletomes will be a must too, but none of the pre-Sylvaneth ones are because they don't include traits, artefacts or lores.

Good point for bringing that up. Thanks.

I hadn't even considered that Battletomes would be required after a certain release.
I've been caught up in the GHB and was considering expanding.

 Bottle wrote:
At the moment, only if you're planning to play Bonespilterz or Sylvaneth is the Battletome a must (for matched play). Moving forward all new battletomes will be a must too, but none of the pre-Sylvaneth ones are because they don't include traits, artefacts or lores.

Battletomes stiil wont be required. Its just that the new ones contain extra benefits just like the old ones did. A definate want, but most certainly not a must,

It'll be a definite want/must for competitions/tournaments.

Open play, casual matched play and narratives not so much.

Of course we don't know if GW will surprise us with something on the app either...

You can already buy a Sylvaneth pack in the app with just the battalions, lores, artefacts and traits but it is like 20 quid - might as well get a beautiful book crammed with fluff too in my opinion.

Ah, did not see that...carry on then.

Although saying that, whilst £20 seems way too expensive to me, the app purchases do have good sales from time to time. I imagine this year's Black Friday might be a great time to pick the rules up for cheap :-)

For me though, the book seems so much better value. Everyone loves a nice big shiney book.

I wonder if GW will put the points value on all the digital warscrolls after the GHB gets released.

 ClassicCarraway wrote:
I wonder if GW will put the points value on all the digital warscrolls after the GHB gets released.

That is what I was hoping for. I think I asked this but was told not to hold my breath or something like that.

I for one hope they don't put them on the warscrolls or in the battletomes. The best thing about AoS in the first year was constant updates to points values and being able to point everything together at once. As soon as it becomes locked down onto paper that becomes harder to do.

At least with the GHB the whole thing can be released and updated every year. But if the points values exist in scattered publications that becomes impossible once more.

 Bottle wrote:
I for one hope they don't put them on the warscrolls or in the battletomes. The best thing about AoS in the first year was constant updates to points values and being able to point everything together at once. As soon as it becomes locked down onto paper that becomes harder to do.

At least with the GHB the whole thing can be released and updated every year. But if the points values exist in scattered publications that becomes impossible once more.

concur, points could change fairly often. best to keep that off hard copy