With the new edition of Warhammer Age of Sigmar now available to play, Matt from the Warhammer Studio has joined Lewis on Metawatch to talk about the most popular form of game: Casual Matched Play.
While many people associate Matched Play with competitive events such as the US Open in Tacoma, the most popular form is what we refer to as Casual Matched Play: two gamers getting together at home, a local club, or gaming store to face off on the battlefield.
Matched Play gives everyone a shared language and set of conventions to make it easy to arrange a game with minimal effort, where both players can have clear expectations of what they are getting into.
Spearhead is the perfect entry point for Casual Matched Play in the new edition. This fast new game mode leaves less to worry about the nuances of list building. But for those ready to step up to the next level, army construction is your opportunity for a wide range of skill expression. It’s possible for two people to take very different approaches – one who hones their roster over dozens of games and researches the very best competitive lists, the other who just picks one of each of their favourite units.
This fast new game mode leaves less to worry about, outside of when and where you’re playing. Fewer game aids are required, with no objective tokens, and standardised terrain. Spearhead levels the playing field even further, and with no need to learn a large roster of units and their abilities, you can quickly brush up on yours and your opponent’s forces. The Battle Tactic and Twist cards add plenty to think about in the moment.
For those who want to jump into full games of Matched Play at 2,000 points with fine-tuned lists, everything you need to to play is in Skaventide. The Battle Plans and Battle Tactics of the first General’s Handbook will even be available on the new Warhammer Age of Sigmar app for free for the whole year.
Tournament data and tournament play is often the focus of the conversation on Metawatch, but they’re not the be-all and end-all of the Warhammer tabletop experience – they’re often the clearest sources of data and feedback for the Warhammer Studio to use in balancing the game in a way that benefits everyone.
Legends miniatures aren’t suitable for tournament play. In Casual Matched Play, however, they are positively encouraged! Due to their limited availability, Warhammer Legends are restricted in competitive events to maintain a fair playing field – but we very much encourage their use in Casual Matched Play. From a Studio perspective, Warhammer Legends should be considered legal in all Casual Matched Play games throughout the entire edition, whether they be games with your friends or at your local club.
Metawatch will return to the 41st Millennium in two weeks’ time, for the first look at results since the most recent update shook things up.