Erik Setzer
08-20-2015, 08:40 AM
Setup: A guy walks into his local Games Workshop, sees Age of Sigmar, and strikes up a coversation with the manager about it. (C = Customer, M = Manager)
C: Age of Sigmar, eh? What's this about, then?
M: It's Games Workshop's new game of fantasy battles.
C: New? Wasn't there already one? I remember playing computer games for Warhammer, that was a fantasy setting.
M: Well, Warhammer Fantasy Battles seemed to have run its course, and the modern gamer enjoys a game that they can tailor more to their liking. Warhammer was gracefully ended and Age of Sigmar has taken its place.
C: Gracefully ended? What does that mean?
M: Chaos swept over the world, there were massive battles, it was truly the End Times, and the world ended in a cataclysmic explosion.
C: Wow. So it's all gone?
M: Not really. Age of Sigmar is the remnants of that setting, reborn like a phoenix rising from the ashes, but with a lot of new to it. Sigmar - he's basically the top good-guy god - survived the end of the world and found some friends and was introduced to a bunch of realms where people similar to the ones he knew lived. It's hard to simplify the background, but there are eight mortal realms, one for each form of magic, and there's a Chaos realm, there are people on each realm, fighting against Chaos and sometimes against each other. Chaos found the realms and smashed through them, but Sigmar built an army of elite magical warriors and is now pushing Chaos back. And that's where we enter the story, in a time of struggle and resistance, battle and betrayal.
What Do I Need?
C: Okay. So say I want to get into it. What do I need?
M: Dice, figures, and a ruler are all you really need to get started. All the rules for armies are online, as well as the basic rules. You can also buy the starter box, which gives you two armies, ruler, and some dice, the rules for the game, as well as a book giving you the story on the setting and the rules for units. All this stuff you see here. [M motions to AoS display.] If you have a friend who wants to play, you can split the cost of the box and divide the two armies.
The Rules
C: That little flyer there is the rules? Those are quick-start rules, then? There's a bigger rulebook?
M: No, that's it. The game's been boiled down to some rather simple rules, that allow for fast, cinematic battles. If you want more complexity, that's provided by the rules for individual units or models, called "warscrolls." Most of them have special rules that you'll want to pay attention to when you use them in battle.
C: I've heard that there's no points values in the game, nothing on army composition. Is that right?
M: Yes, that's right. You select armies as you set up the game. You and your opponent take turns setting up "warscrolls," determining what you want to use from your collection. You can counter an opponent's unit with a unit of your own to match it, if you want. You can find your own balance in the game, or even make up a scenario with your friends and fight it out, where one side might be hopelessly outnumbered. Imagine reenacting 300 but in a fantasy setting. Probably with fewer models, too, unless you have a parking lot to play in.
C: But what's to stop my opponent from placing the nastiest stuff he has on the table?
M: Well, we sell this wonderful book for Age of Sigmar. It contains an expanded background, rules for all of the newer units, and some scenarios you can play to change up the victory conditions. If all else fails, the book also works wonderfully for bludgeoning sense into your opponent. (Please note that Games Workshop does not condone the use of violence for social readjustment.)
Starting an Army
C: Alright, I'm interested. Say I want an army and don't want to get the starter box. How much are we talking here? I don't have a large budget to work with.
M: You can play as small or as big of a game as you want. If you have limited funds, you can start with a smaller force and add onto it as time goes on, playing games that match the size of your force.
C: That's good to know. So basic army, what would I want?
M: It really depends on the army you want to build. There are no limitations and you can mix factions, so any model you like can be used in an army. Restricting yourself to a particular faction or theme might help your army look less random, but it's your choice. I'd recommend a unit box or two and a hero clampack to get started. If you're looking into some of the older armies, you can pick up a battalion box and a hero, and you'll be set with multiple units, a hero to lead them, maybe a chariot or cannon or bolt thrower to provide support. It'll give you a good core to build off of.
C: Cool, I'll check out the boxes on the shelves then.
M: We also have a lot of webstore-exclusive models you might want to check out. You can use the terminal to order them and have them delivered here at no extra charge.
C: Thanks! I'll start planning my army now.
M: Don't forget to bring them back in when you're done so you can get started playing!
To explain the above... I was thinking about what I'd have to do if I'd tried for the job of local GW store manager. How would I sell Age of Sigmar to people? And then I figured, what the heck, let's write down this hypothetical conversation with a customer, and present it to people so they might find some inspiration themselves in how to discuss the game with someone they're trying to convert.
I think that covers what a new player would ask about the game. I might have missed something, if anyone thinks of something, feel free to suggest it. I might expand this as more comes to mind. (I already noticed I forgot notes on the modeling possibilities. D'oh.)
C: Age of Sigmar, eh? What's this about, then?
M: It's Games Workshop's new game of fantasy battles.
C: New? Wasn't there already one? I remember playing computer games for Warhammer, that was a fantasy setting.
M: Well, Warhammer Fantasy Battles seemed to have run its course, and the modern gamer enjoys a game that they can tailor more to their liking. Warhammer was gracefully ended and Age of Sigmar has taken its place.
C: Gracefully ended? What does that mean?
M: Chaos swept over the world, there were massive battles, it was truly the End Times, and the world ended in a cataclysmic explosion.
C: Wow. So it's all gone?
M: Not really. Age of Sigmar is the remnants of that setting, reborn like a phoenix rising from the ashes, but with a lot of new to it. Sigmar - he's basically the top good-guy god - survived the end of the world and found some friends and was introduced to a bunch of realms where people similar to the ones he knew lived. It's hard to simplify the background, but there are eight mortal realms, one for each form of magic, and there's a Chaos realm, there are people on each realm, fighting against Chaos and sometimes against each other. Chaos found the realms and smashed through them, but Sigmar built an army of elite magical warriors and is now pushing Chaos back. And that's where we enter the story, in a time of struggle and resistance, battle and betrayal.
What Do I Need?
C: Okay. So say I want to get into it. What do I need?
M: Dice, figures, and a ruler are all you really need to get started. All the rules for armies are online, as well as the basic rules. You can also buy the starter box, which gives you two armies, ruler, and some dice, the rules for the game, as well as a book giving you the story on the setting and the rules for units. All this stuff you see here. [M motions to AoS display.] If you have a friend who wants to play, you can split the cost of the box and divide the two armies.
The Rules
C: That little flyer there is the rules? Those are quick-start rules, then? There's a bigger rulebook?
M: No, that's it. The game's been boiled down to some rather simple rules, that allow for fast, cinematic battles. If you want more complexity, that's provided by the rules for individual units or models, called "warscrolls." Most of them have special rules that you'll want to pay attention to when you use them in battle.
C: I've heard that there's no points values in the game, nothing on army composition. Is that right?
M: Yes, that's right. You select armies as you set up the game. You and your opponent take turns setting up "warscrolls," determining what you want to use from your collection. You can counter an opponent's unit with a unit of your own to match it, if you want. You can find your own balance in the game, or even make up a scenario with your friends and fight it out, where one side might be hopelessly outnumbered. Imagine reenacting 300 but in a fantasy setting. Probably with fewer models, too, unless you have a parking lot to play in.
C: But what's to stop my opponent from placing the nastiest stuff he has on the table?
M: Well, we sell this wonderful book for Age of Sigmar. It contains an expanded background, rules for all of the newer units, and some scenarios you can play to change up the victory conditions. If all else fails, the book also works wonderfully for bludgeoning sense into your opponent. (Please note that Games Workshop does not condone the use of violence for social readjustment.)
Starting an Army
C: Alright, I'm interested. Say I want an army and don't want to get the starter box. How much are we talking here? I don't have a large budget to work with.
M: You can play as small or as big of a game as you want. If you have limited funds, you can start with a smaller force and add onto it as time goes on, playing games that match the size of your force.
C: That's good to know. So basic army, what would I want?
M: It really depends on the army you want to build. There are no limitations and you can mix factions, so any model you like can be used in an army. Restricting yourself to a particular faction or theme might help your army look less random, but it's your choice. I'd recommend a unit box or two and a hero clampack to get started. If you're looking into some of the older armies, you can pick up a battalion box and a hero, and you'll be set with multiple units, a hero to lead them, maybe a chariot or cannon or bolt thrower to provide support. It'll give you a good core to build off of.
C: Cool, I'll check out the boxes on the shelves then.
M: We also have a lot of webstore-exclusive models you might want to check out. You can use the terminal to order them and have them delivered here at no extra charge.
C: Thanks! I'll start planning my army now.
M: Don't forget to bring them back in when you're done so you can get started playing!
To explain the above... I was thinking about what I'd have to do if I'd tried for the job of local GW store manager. How would I sell Age of Sigmar to people? And then I figured, what the heck, let's write down this hypothetical conversation with a customer, and present it to people so they might find some inspiration themselves in how to discuss the game with someone they're trying to convert.
I think that covers what a new player would ask about the game. I might have missed something, if anyone thinks of something, feel free to suggest it. I might expand this as more comes to mind. (I already noticed I forgot notes on the modeling possibilities. D'oh.)