With the latest Battlescroll bedded in after a month of play, it's time to unpack all the changes and how they have affected the state of play in Andtor, the icy realm that is the focus of the General’s Handbook: Pitched Battles 2023-24.
Matt from the Warhammer Studio chatted with Warhammer TV presenter Nick about what competitive play in Warhammer Age of Sigmar looks like right now.
Overall the changes are positive, as factions continue to get pulled close to that ideal 45-55% win rate, which is the target for the Warhammer Studio. The servants of Nagash are still at the top of a pile of blood and bones, with the Ossiarch Bonereapers harvesting a hefty tithe.
The changes from the previous Battlescroll have had the desired effect on the Soulblight Gravelords. With the second highest number of games played after Seraphon (by just four!) they are currently sitting at a 55% win rate, which is at the top end of the sweet spot. The Hedonites of Slaanesh are also back within the target zone, thanks to some key points changes to Blissbarb Archers and both variants of their mortal Seekers.
Skaven, Maggotkin of Nurgle, and Stormcast Eternals were all given new battle tactics and some points changes to great effect, while Idoneth Deepkin and Slaves to Darkness received points changes that have also seen them trend favourably in the last month.
Other factions are still having their performance monitored, especially those on the lower end of the win rate chart like Nighthaunt, Fyreslayers, and Ironjawz. It isn’t just factions that are being analysed either, as the Warhammer Studio keeps a close eye on how people are using Endless Spells.
Currently Malevolent Maelstrom is the most aggressive of the predatory Endless Spells, with a 58% win rate for armies that included it.
With spellcasting at the core of the current General’s Handbook, inclusion rates of artefacts like Arcane Tome are also under scrutiny. Spells such as Hoarfrost and Merciless Blizzard are featuring heavily in competitive play, but are within expected limits – especially after the previous tweak to Merciless Blizzard.
The Armies of Renown from Dawnbringers: Book II – Reign of the Brute are starting to enter into the meta, and those in The Long Hunt will follow shortly. The Studio already have some adjustments in mind to stop some shenanigans here and there.
The Warhammer Studio has its hands on the many levers that can be pulled to tweak the balance of the game, as and when the data they receive informs their decisions.
Watch the video in full to hear Matt’s in-depth explanations on all the data, and keep checking out Warhammer Community – or sign up to the newsletter – for the latest rules downloads, updates, and Metawatch commentary.