Spearhead is the fast, tactically deep, and incredibly moreish new game mode coming to Warhammer Age of Sigmar. We’ve covered what the game is, how Spearhead boxes are balanced, and how your army rules and warscrolls will work. Now it’s time to delve into how you’ll score battle tactics and issue commands in Spearhead games, and unveil some of the twists you’ll need to contend with to secure victory.
Battle Tactics and Commands
Scoring in Spearhead is simple. At the end of their turn, a player scores one victory point for holding an objective, one for holding two or more objectives, one for holding more objectives than their opponent, and one for each battle tactic scored. Because Spearhead doesn’t use any Advanced Rules modules – including the Battle Tactics or Commands modules – you’ll instead use a unique deck of battle tactic cards.
Each player gets a deck of 12 cards, and at the start of each battle round, you’ll draw three battle tactic cards. At the start of each subsequent battle round, you can discard any number of cards face-up before drawing back up to three – with one important distinction we’ll get to later.
Every card gives you the choice between scoring a battle tactic or using a powerful command. This turns each card into a delectable tactical choice – will you use a command that can help you score objectives, enhance your forces, and put your opponent to the sword? Or will you attempt to secure victory by completing a battle tactic instead?
You can score all three battle tactics in your hand in a single turn – but as soon as you use the command or score the tactic, that card is discarded.
For example, Take the Flanks will reward you with victory points if you rush out to seize the board edges… but the same card offers the Redeploy command, which lets you reposition one of your units in response to your opponent’s manoeuvring. Will you score Take the Flanks at the end of your turn, or hold onto your card so you can Redeploy in the coming enemy Movement phase?
Some battle tactics require you to claim specific objectives on the Spearhead board, each of which are named after the godbeasts of the Mortal Realms. You might be set up to snare the Dracothion Dais this turn or the next… but if your opponent has a shooting unit lined up, maybe holding on to the card for the Go to Ground command is the better choice?
Do you want to Raid your opponent’s territory or keep that Rend-reducing Steel Defence in your pocket? Hold Ground, or Rise to the Challenge? Every hand of three cards presents you with a platter of devious choices.
With only twelve cards in the deck, you’ll be able to quickly learn your options, and soon you’ll be able to anticipate your opponent's moves and learn when to hold onto an all-important command. What’s more, the abilities and battle tactics will quickly familiarise you with concepts you can find in full Warhammer Age of Sigmar games, and will be instantly recognisable to veterans.
Twists and Underdogs
The priority roll and underdog mechanics are both alive and well in Spearhead, adding more tactical layers to the game. Because Spearhead is a game of hard-fought, nail-biting battles with tense finishes, Seizing the Initiative from a priority roll comes with a sting in the tail – you won’t be able to draw any battle tactic cards unless you are the underdog, and the difference in victory points is five points or greater.
At the start of every battle round, you will also determine which player is the underdog – the person who is behind on victory points. Then, you’ll draw a twist card that will impact the battle in some way, providing a bonus for the underdog. There are two decks of six twist cards each, themed around the Aqshy and Ghyran sides of the Spearhead battlefield board.
The verdant battlefields of Ghyran are filled with Grasping Vines that can ensnare your units, reducing their manoeuvrability – the bane of cavalry-heavy Spearheads. On other rounds, hard-bitten warriors can attempt to Take the Land back from their assailants and score extra victory points by securing terrain features.
Those who fight in Aqshy will need to be wary of Khorne’s presence in the Realm, as the Blood God’s influence can encourage even the staunchest servants of Order to Let the Blood Flow. Fighting in the Realm of Fire can also mean contending with blazing elements and battlefields Wreathed in Smoke that obscure visibility.
Each set of six twists ensures that battles are ever-changing tactical conundrums, requiring you to adapt around shifting battlefield conditions that help and hinder different Spearheads, depending on their composition. Thinking on your feet and responding to the ebb and flow of battle is paramount, and this means that the Spreadhead games you play on your coffee table at home will offer the same kind of tactical depth, heroic turnarounds, and epic moments as full-sized games of Warhammer Age of Sigmar.
We’ll have plenty more Spearhead coverage over the coming weeks, but tomorrow we’re going to find out what narrative players can expect from the entirely revamped Path to Glory mode, which features in the Core Book for Warhammer Age of Sigmar.