Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I played a bit when it came out and liked the mechanics but
Didn't like the lack of list building/unit customization etc.
It was hard for me to see the game being adopted but I love what
GW is doing with the getting started boxes and new models.
Curious how the game has evolved, what's good, what's bad. Is it strategic? Is it tactical? How does a game work with armies/lists now? Other thoughts?

A lot of people use www.scrollbuilder.com to build lists now. Most comp systems seem to base things around grand alliances, but I don't think anyone minds taking units from wherever you want.

The game is definitely strategic and tactical, possibly in some different ways to the old rank and file system. There's a lot to think about around synergies, setting up for a double turn (or setting up to be able to withstand a double turn), order of combats and I'd say especially using the fleeing mechanic.

Everything good about the game comes out best in scenario play, which is what AoS was meant for. Battle line can be okay but is bland and can turn into a grind.

I'd say again scenarios are necessary and I'd recommend starting small and building. Trying to put in 100+ models a side like an old fantasy game and doing battle line in your first games could be a slog.

There are still lingering ambiguities in the rules but the spirit of AoS is about agreeing with your opponent about how you want to play.

I'd recommend checking out Heelan Hammer and Facehammer podcasts. They are both event organizers and attend a lot of the UK scene's AoS events and talk a lot about "competitive" AoS.

Wasn't a fan of Miniwargaming's early AoS videos as all they ever did was battle line and it was boring, but they've started doing scenarios now and I think it shows off the game much better. Here's their last one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FOUA0-amks

Also recommend Guerrilla Miniature Games on Youtube.

There are about a half dozen comp systems out now. When you ask, you'll get a different list of what people use.

There's scrollbuilder (sdk), clash comp, ppc, and azyr that i hear about all the time.

Azyr's online builder is www.louisvillewargaming.com/AzyrBuilder.aspx

There is a lot more to the game than the detractors give it credit for, but the main obstacle is that

A) there is no universal ruleset that everyone uses, and people like to play whatever is "official" but AOS is splintered into various factions that play different flavors. To me thats great but to the community at large that seems to be awful.

B) pick up games require you to know what type of rules you want to use, and people seem to hate this (ties in to point A)

Scenarios are definitely the strength of the system and doing the default battleline crap is horrid in my opinion because thats where you see everyone just slam into each other in the middle of the table.

This is not new to AOS though. This exact same complaint was with us in 8th edition as well, with the mega blob units slapping bellies in the center of the table after steadfast was introduced, and a lot of this stems from people's reluctance over the past 20 years to deviate from anything other than battle line scenarios.

If you don't play comp systems then there is still no real list building other then figuring out counters to your opponents units during setup. If you have a problem of not playing with points, but don't want to play with a comp system you can go by Wounds count. My group goes by box size. We usually take 2 small/clam packs, 3-5 medium and 1-2 large boxes.

Campaign books are what make the game imo. Choose a scenario, figure out sides, go at it. The scenarios change your tactics and the way you approach the game. You can also opt for a Time of War which puts new rules for the whole game into play. These usually favor a certain faction and are based on some aspect of what ever Realm you want to play in.

Sadly, it looks like Tomb Kings have been mostly removed. First big casualty of the change over from WFB to AoS.

GW have released a number of "army" and campaign books in the past nine months, also some new units for Sigmarines, Chaos and Fyre Slayer dwarves.

They have started to revise the legacy armies. Some of these are being repackaged, and Lizard Men have become Seraphon with an AoS army book. Others are being withdrawn. Tomb Kings have gone. Some people suspect that Brettonians will be next.

Essentially, if you liked AoS eight months ago, there is nothing to change your mind.

What's good: The new minis, the round bases, the new game pace.

What's bad: the lore, the writing, the illustrations.

There's a lot of tactical thinking with movement, longer term strategy and synergy now, as well as back up plans for synergy failing or changing units. Yeah, no battle line, always scenario, add mystical terrain eventually if you like. Your first close combat should show you the differences between old blocks of troops and surrounding in AoS.

raoiley wrote:
I played a bit when it came out and liked the mechanics but
Didn't like the lack of list building/unit customization etc.
It was hard for me to see the game being adopted but I love what
GW is doing with the getting started boxes and new models.
Curious how the game has evolved, what's good, what's bad. Is it strategic? Is it tactical? How does a game work with armies/lists now? Other thoughts?

We used comp points for a few games and then back to vanilla AoS. We prefer it. Only houserule is measuring from the base (as everything is now on round bases anyway).

Last day we played we added scenery rules back in. This had a big impact on deployment choices. Leave a wizard back a few inches for +1 casting or deploy further forward and hope for early damage spells.
We'll be using them all the time now. To save time we have stated what scenery does what rather than rolling each time. We haven't used any of the Realm/Time of... rules yet.

Always play scenarios.
GW should have released the 'Deathmatch' Battleplan independently of the four page rulebook. This would have solved some misconceptions.

Start small. The Collecting! sets are solid. Work up from there.

If you like list building then www.scrollbuilder.com is great!