by Calvin Rarie

Goodbye Gallet, Hello Andtor!

At long last, we’ve got a breath of fresh, albeit freezing air in the room! Winter has come and it’s looking like it’s going to be a wild one, and thank god because I am SICK of Galletian Champions.

There’s so much to unpack in Andtor–realm rules, enhancements, grand strategies, battle tactics, battleplans and battalions–that I could go on forever, but to keep it brief while I’m rolling around like a Craic addict in all this new info, let’s get into my Top Ten hot takes in no particular order!

GOING SECOND MATTERS

If you read our wishlist article, the one major thing I wanted from the new GHB were unique ways in which to make going second matter–and you know what? GW DELIVERED! Essentially all of these battleplans now have some form of going second mattering, and each feels unique and fresh in ways we haven’t seen before. I feel like GW spent an immense effort in writing up these missions, and I’m very excited to explore them. On that note, get fucked Twists and Turns.

UNBINDING WITH PRIMAL MAGIC

Hooboy is this going to be the big one here. Given that there are whole armies that don’t get to cast spells, having primal dice exclusively benefit just casting would be a big feel bad. So instead, now you can unbind with Primal Dice too! No one is ready for a Mega Gargant with a Hand-carved Nullstone Icon using primal dice to unbind people’s spells. The math almost always works in favor of the unbinder too, so we’re going to see a lot of really awesome magic duels in the near future.

Also fun fact, Teclis can’t use Primal dice because his casting values can’t be modified. Get bent, nerd.

THE WEIRD SUBFACTIONS ALL OF A SUDDEN MATTER

Bloodgullet? Hell yeah. Badsnatchers? Why not! Thanks to the power of Hoarfrost and some sweet updated endless spells, now you have a reason to take the weird artefacts and command traits and subfactions that you wouldn’t play with otherwise!

BIG WAAAGH IS BACK ON THE MENU

Check out those easy battle tactics! Big Waaagh is going to be a tactic scoring MACHINE this season.

SONS OF BEHEMAT GOT BETTER

At long last, mostly scorable tactics! What’s that, Bosses of the Stomp now give Magnificent and Unified? Sons got points drops across the board? IT’S TIME TO KICK THE SHIT OUT OF THE STUNTIES.

BONESPLITTERZ GOT LITERALLY NOTHING AND IT PISSES ME OFF

No new tactics, no points drops, stone fucking nothing. Just legends the faction at this point, GW, and let me grieve.

NEW COHERENCY MEANS BIG MODEL UNITS GOT WAY BETTER

Crypt Horrors six across? Glutton Screens? Ultra-exciting. Does nothing for units like Vulkite Berserkers but hey, this removes dumb stuff like having to figure out a flower petal formation to get all your Gore-Gruntas into combat.

GITZ GOT HIT WITH A NERF NUKE

Man even Troggs got batted. The entire army more or less got points increases alongside nerfs to Squigs, who can’t snipe people with Squigs Gone Wild anymore (which is a good thing, in my opinion). I know several players have seen their lists go up minimum 100 points. Will Gitz continue to perform? Only time will tell.

SOULBLIGHT GRAVELORDS ARE STILL THE TOP DOG

Despite points increases on just about everything of relevance AND a nerf to how gravesites work, I expect huge Zombie hordes to still run rampant over the meta. Just how rampant remains to be seen, but I don’t think it will be at the same level as it was before.

LUMINETH NO LONGER HAS A HELON CRUTCH AND WILL HAVE TO PLAY SOMETHING ELSE

Losing extra shots in Helon means now LRL players will have to innovate and change things up. This is a good thing, as there are many good pieces in the army just begging to be taken in new combinations.

I mean, for fuck’s sake, Dawnriders with Hoarfrost? Yes, please!

Credit for the cover image to Games Workshop

If you’d like to help us continue with our work, we’d love to have your support. We’re the Age of Sigmar specialists, publishing regular AOS articles, including Patron-only posts on that platform. Please click here to join us on Patreon.