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I just bought two Aos starter sets off Amazon.com for a savings of over 50 bucks a pop. I haven't taken them out of the shrink wrap yet. It was a hell of a deal, so I couldn't resist.

I want to add to the sets, but I have a few questions.

Do the rules come with the models? For example, if I get the Khorne Bloodbound expansion and the Archaon Everchosen, do the rules for those models come in the box, or do I need to buy books for the rules?

Are those models any good in game? Archaon strikes me as a model that will make it difficult to get opponents to play me, but that is just from how bad a** he looks. I have no idea about his rules.

And as I am going for a chaos army, what books (if any) should I get (rules only)?

I'm kind of bored with 40k right now, so I am excited to get into AoS.

Any advice you guys can give me to help me get started will be greatly appreciated.

And I apologize if there is already a thread on this, Feel free to post me some links if that has already been covered.

Thanks!

If I remember, all of the AoS boxes will come with rules for the unit.

Good news about model rules, they are all FREE!! You can go online to the GW website and find the rules for all models and factions there, including the AoS core rules. You can also get the AoS app which has the rules as well. If you want you can get the books with the warscrolls printed on them, but they are not necessary except for some Scenarios. Note the huge Chaos book that just came out doesn't have any Scenarios.

As far as viability goes, all models are viable. There are no bad models due to the nature of how AoS plays. IF you play tournys your opinion probably differs on that aspect of the game.

Haven't played Archaon but his stat lines and rules are crazy. He would be fun to play against with any of the big name models like Nagash.

Other fun note: There is nothing that keeps you from mixing in other units from other armys. Maybe you have a Slaaneshi warband that captured some Elves and are forcing them to fight for them. Or you have some Dwarfs that have been turned to Chaos and support Tzeentch warriors. You can make a fun story for your army as you expand it.

Rules for individual units are freely available, included in books, in the building instruction pamphlets included with most models, on the free 'Age of Sigmar' android and iphone app, and available in pdf form on GW's website store - each AoS model's individual page includes a link to at least one version of that unit's rules. Additionally, as new units are released, the white dwarf magazine for that week typically prints the rules as well.

The books typically include unit rules which are available elsewhere, but also fluff explaining the narrative role of the unit in the setting, game scenarios, and formation rules - extra rules for fielding particular units in combination. Formation rules are typically not freely available otherwise.

Archaon is definitely a 'special occasions' kind of model, mostly a display piece and not something for regular gaming. Something to get after you've already got a solid army going, for use in big games. He's very strong in the game, and lives up to his fluff. One of very few individual models in the game that can go toe to toe with Nagash, the setting's literal god of death, though even then you'd be well served to not send him into that fight alone.


As for books to pick up, I'd start with the new Grand Alliance of Chaos battletome, a large paperback book reprinting almost all of the unit rules for all of the chaos factions. Granted, again, those unit rules are freely available online, but it's nice to have them in one place, the book includes fluff snippets for all the various chaos subfactions to get your imagination going, and the book also includes a number of formations (the rules of which, again, are not otherwise freely available), which might guide your collection choices.

The two starter boxes should be a good starting point, but yeah, the next thing I'd get is that big chaos book, and I'd look at some of the bloodborne formations in the book to decide what to get next. After that, if it were me, I'd pick up some khorne daemon stuff, because I like the idea of mixing mortal and daemonic followers of a single god in an army, but you might prefer to branch out in other ways.

 LemanRuse wrote:
I just bought two Aos starter sets off Amazon.com for a savings of over 50 bucks a pop. I haven't taken them out of the shrink wrap yet. It was a hell of a deal, so I couldn't resist.

Welcome.

 LemanRuse wrote:
I want to add to the sets, but I have a few questions.

Adding is getting easier than ever. There are the Start Collecting box sets and now you can put whatever you want into an army. It seems to be common that people do stick to Order, Chaos, Death or Destruction for thematic value.
Note: Stuff is slowly being rebased/repackaged and often cheaper than before (especially at FLGS discount). So I'm holding out on Skaven until that happens, for example.

 LemanRuse wrote:
Do the rules come with the models? For example, if I get the Khorne Bloodbound expansion and the Archaon Everchosen, do the rules for those models come in the box, or do I need to buy books for the rules?

Usually, but if they don't you can download them for free. Also, download the free app that has it all (plus additional microtransaction battleplans etc).

 LemanRuse wrote:
Are those models any good in game? Archaon strikes me as a model that will make it difficult to get opponents to play me, but that is just from how bad a** he looks. I have no idea about his rules.

Any unit can be good now. This has lead to people digging out units that would never have been used before. Look for synergies and what kind of force you want. Archaon, as mentioned above, is a beast. For gameplay he'd best be saved for games where you both have large heroes, or perhaps you'd take less on your side and play to the scenario.

Always play scenarios.

 LemanRuse wrote:
And as I am going for a chaos army, what books (if any) should I get (rules only)?

You don't need any. For visual reference and reading upon the throne the new Chaos warscroll collection would be useful. The campaign books are a solid source of scenarios too.

 LemanRuse wrote:
I'm kind of bored with 40k right now, so I am excited to get into AoS.

It's different. Personally, our group now spends more time playing AoS. We can get more games in during the same amount of time. More relaxed.

 LemanRuse wrote:
And I apologize if there is already a thread on this, Feel free to post me some links if that has already been covered.

 LemanRuse wrote:
Thanks!

No problem/