Transitioning to full Age of Sigmar rules

The good news first: Spearhead and full-size Age of Sigmar use the same core rules. Everything you've learned about turns, phases and dice still applies. What changes is mostly around the game — how armies are built, which battleplans you use, and how many extra options you have to keep track of.

What stays exactly the same

• The turn structure. Battle rounds, the priority roll from the second round on, and the phases from hero phase to end of turn — see How a turn works.
• Attacking. Hit, wound, save, then damage against Health.
• Control scores. Add up the Control of your contesting models; the higher control score takes control.
• Combat order. Strike-first and Strike-last work the same.

What's new at 1,000 points

1. 01

   Change 1

   Command points instead of card commands

   In Spearhead, your commands came from battle tactic cards. Full-size games use command points: each player gets 4 at the start of every battle round, the underdog gets 1 more, and so does whoever has fewer auxiliary units. You spend them on core commands like Rally and Counter-charge, and anything unspent is lost at the end of the round.

2. 02

   Change 2

   Objectives are contested within 3"

   In Spearhead a model had to stand on an objective to contest it. In full-size games, models contest any objective within their combat range (3"), so you can hold one from a short distance away.

3. 03

   Change 3

   Who goes first in round 1

   In Spearhead the attacker chose who went first. In full-size games, whoever finishes deploying first picks who goes first, and deployment works in drops (see below).

4. 04

   Change 4

   You build the army

   Instead of a fixed box, you build a roster to a points limit, organised into regiments — a Hero plus the units they lead. Units outside a regiment are auxiliary units. The expansion guide walks through this.

5. 05

   Change 5

   Full-game warscrolls

   Your units use their full-game warscrolls, which can differ from the Spearhead versions. Re-read them before your first game — don't assume anything carried over.

6. 06

   Change 6

   Army-wide choices

   You pick a battle formation, give your heroes enhancements, and choose lores for any Wizards or Priests. Each is a small rule, but together they're the biggest new thing to remember mid-game.

7. 07

   Change 7

   Different battleplans and scoring

   Spearhead's twist cards and its battle tactic deck stay in Spearhead. Full-size games use a battleplan from a battlepack. The free rules include one, Border War: it lasts 4 battle rounds, scores objectives its own way, and uses the six universal battle tactics.

8. 08

   Change 8

   Bigger toolbox, more to track

   Manifestations, reinforced units, faction terrain and Regiments of Renown can all appear. You don't need all of them — but your opponent might have them, so it helps to know the names.

The Border War battlefield

Border War splits the battlefield along its length: the attacker's territory on one side of the border, the defender's on the other. There are 4 objectives: 1 in each territory and 2 on the border itself.

Deployment works in 'drops'

In full-size games, players take turns setting up. Setting up a whole regiment at once counts as a single drop, while an auxiliary unit is a drop on its own. Fewer drops can mean you finish deploying first, and that can matter for who goes first — see deployment in the glossary.

Next: Your first 1,000-point game.