The Mortal Realms are on the cusp of change – the Seraphon have returned with renewed vitality, and Sigmar’s Dawnbringer Crusades now forge their way into the dark to reclaim lands lost to the forces of Chaos, carrying the blazing torch of civilisation with them.
Bearing Sigmar’s light is no easy task, and those attempting to claim a foothold in Ghur face resistance from savage beasts, ambitious rivals, and even the land itself.
We have emerged from the claustrophobic tunnels of Gallet into the icy tundras of Andtor, where sorcery runs rampant. In this inhospitable waste, frozen landmasses crack and reform, revealing locuses of amber magic to harness, realmgates to seize, and resources to harvest.
This harsh land is the setting for the next season of Warhammer Age of Sigmar competitive play, which runs for an entire year.
This is an important change in format, as it means the new season is double the length of previous ones. This book will be the go-to matched play resource for twice and long – all the way through to summer next year. You can still look forward to quarterly balance updates, to ensure that the metagame remains as balanced as possible.
The General’s Handbook Pitched Battles 2023-24 concentrates on the wizards who seek to profit from the primeval magic that suffuses Andtor, as well as those who hunt them down by using nullstone artefacts to weather their empowered and unbridled spellcasting.
In this battlepack, your WIZARD HEROES with a Wounds characteristic of 9 or less, and who are not Unique, gain the ANDTORIAN LOCUS keyword. Each round, the player with the second turn can pick one HERO to take advantage of the swelling magic in Andtor with Optimal Focus. If they’re an ANDTORIAN LOCUS, they can cast and unbind an extra spell that round – otherwise, they gain a free command point for issuing commands.
Players may also harness the Primal Magic of Andtor, earning special dice which can be used to boost for casting, unbinding, and dispelling rolls. Wizards be warned, however – taming the feral magic of Ghur comes with the risk of a primal miscast.*
An ANDTORIAN LOCUS can also cast from the Lore of Primal Frost instead of picking a spell from their usual selection. Such wizards might ensorcel their comrades’ weapons with biting Hoarfrost, completely changing their To Hit, To Wound, or Rend characteristic until your next hero phase.
Armies without any spellcasters can take Nullstone Adornments to weather the hazardous sorcery of Andtor. The Hand-carved Nullstone Icon is one such enhancement, allowing heroes to unbind spells or dispel an endless spell, with a chance of unbinding another each time they succeed.y
On top of this, there are 12 brand new battleplans and everything else** you’d expect from a General’s Handbook, providing you with a whole year’s worth of content for competitive play. As with previous General’s Handbooks, you’ll also find the core rules and up-to-date profiles for universal endless spells.
Regiments of Renown
Four new Regiments of Renown, each with a brand new hero, are also coming soon. These were first previewed at Warhammer Fest 2023, and like the previous Regiment of Renown boxes, each collection fits into a core battalion that allows them to be taken in any Grand Alliance army other than their “home” faction, even if they break the allied points threshold.***
The blazing Fyreslayers of Fjori’s Flamebearers are led by the Grimehold Exhile Fjori, a survivor of a destroyed Magmahold who stokes his fellow Fyreslayers into action through fanatical fervour. Alongside Fjori fight 10 Vulkite Berzerkers, five Hearthguard Berzerkers, and five Auric Hearthguard, who hurl themselves into combat to uphold their ancient martial traditions.
From a diseased shroud of fog emerge Phlugoth’s Shudderhood. Under the miserable direction of the eponymous Harbinger of Decay, this band of despondent warriors comprises five Putrid Blightkings leaking vile filth from corrupted protrusions, and a pair of Pusgoyle Blightlords.
Caught in the enrapturing delusion propagated by their bestial vampires rulers, the Flesh-eater Courts believe themselves part of an elaborate world of royal courts and knightly vows. Jerrion’s Delegation ride out under the behest of the Marrowscroll Herald Jerrion, whose diplomatic gifts are nothing but bloody flesh and bone. He is accompanied by 20 slavering Crypt Ghouls, three soaring bat-winged Crypt Flayers, and three repugnant Crypt Horrors.
Braggit’s Bottle-snatchaz are a rambunctious mob of squigs and gitz under the loose command of Braggit, a Rabble-Rowza with an enchanted skull that boosts his volume. Braggit bursts out with 10 bouncing Squig Hoppers, a Squig Herd containing two Squig Herders and 10 Squigs, and a gathering of five wise grots known as the Gobbapalooza.
The General’s Handbook - Pitched Battles 2023-24, all four Regiments of Renown above, and Harbingers, the first book in the Dawnbringer narrative series, will all be available to pre-order soon.
* We'll look at Primal Magic in an upcoming Metawatch on the General’s Handbook.
** You’ll also find four command traits for your Andtorian Locus, two new core battalions, six new grand strategies, and eight new battle tactics.
*** So, for example, Fjori’s Flamebearers Regiment of Renown can join any ORDER army, but not a FYRESLAYER army. Of course, all the units in this box can be used in a Fyreslayers army without needing to use the Allies rules.