Here we go again! A new season has dropped! People are already getting games in with and will be deciding which armies it will suit (or not) the best. I’m going to try and avoid that.
Not because those impressions are worthless (they aren’t). The early reactions can identify real strengths and weaknesses. But they rarely tell the full story.
The real problem with reviewing a General’s Handbook on the week of release week is that we lack data and we don’t know how reliable the future data will be.
That is perhaps especially true for the 2026–27 handbook. Only because it may be harder to evaluate the GHB by win rate alone may be one of the most difficult GHBs yet to evaluate using raw win rate alone.
The introduction of the Rage Mechanic may introduce additional swing, which may require deeper analysis.
So rather than declaring instant winners and losers, I’ll do what I always try to do. First, review the early impressions, and then, once there’s enough GT data, I’ll start plugging in some numbers:
– Battleplan usage
– Battleplan win rates
– Battle tactic usage
– Battle tactic win rates
– Tournament pack adoption
First Impressions – More Depth, More Complexity
My first reaction after reading the new handbook was straightforward:
My old brain can’t seem to cope with this level of complexity at first glance.
But this complexity isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as it can create better tactical depth and skill expression. But Age of Sigmar 4th Edition launched in a relatively clean, and what was intended to be a streamlined state. This GHB feels like a step back towards heavier rules overhead.
Players are now going to be asked to track their Fury levels and Rage Dice on top of the usual admin of an Age of Sigmar game and their own army mechanics. That is a lot.
Several players I’ve spoken to described the same experience: after their first read-through, they felt interested but slightly overwhelmed. One comment in particular stuck with me as it echoed my own thoughts:
“Maybe I’m getting old, but this feels like a lot to keep track of.”
I think many players will feel the same initially. But, will the extra complexity will be worth it?
Lore and Presentation
It would be bad if I did not mention the presentation of the GHB, because as always GW have done a great job.
The Aqshy setting feels fleshed out and with the locations of Embergard, the Adamantine Chain and others, you have a believable (if that can be applied to fantasy) setting for a campaign with multiple fronts.
For competitive players this may not matter much, but for everyone else the added flavour and world building is always a welcome bonus.
Are we getting hints of the end of the Mortal Realms here before 5th Edition rebuilds the world again?
Aqshian Crusades
The Aqshian Crusades are basically pre-built mission packs for RTTs, GTs and longer running campaigns. They’re curated battleplan sets with some thematic flavour layered on top.
But will TOs uses them? Some will no doubt embrace the pre-built packs initially, while others will continue curating their own.
I’ll be tracking that out of interest through the stats where I can.
Fury and Rage Dice
The headline mechanic of the Aqshy season is Fury and Rage Dice. As the battle progresses, armies generate Rage Dice that can be spent offensively or defensively.
After reading the rules, I’m less worried about pure randomness than I initially was. In practice, Rage is another resource management system. They function as a damage amplifier and a way to protect your troops. Spending the dice aggressively can swing combat, but banking them for reducing future damage may prove equally powerful.
My main concern is over who benefits the most, combat armies already built to dominate in melee will gain more value from Rage than armies that prefer pressure or precision I think. If that is the case then we could see games coming down to midboard fighting which brings us to…
Battleplans – Welcome to the Midboard
The battleplans are always the most important part of the handbook, and it would seem that the early feedback suggests that there’s a shift towards controlling the centre of the board as many objective layouts reward controlling the middle of the table.
An overlooked factor in this GHB may be that several battleplans now directly interact with terrain pieces in ways that previous seasons rarely did.
Previous GHBs had allowed scoring through mobility and objective trading, whereas this GHB could be down to who wins the centre. This could favour armies with tough infantry that are able to create a strong board presence. Armies that prefer precision strikes may struggle a bit more.
But as with every GHB, not all the Battleplans are created equal, some look excellent while some will see very little play at all (Some have already been given nicknames).
Hidden Under Ash-Clouds, for example, fundamentally alters movement, deployment and visibility, which could create very different win conditions for shooting, magic and melee armies.
Battle Tactics – Skill Expression or List Tax?
The new battle tactics look to be well thought out this season. Previous seasons often included tactics that felt too passive and that you could achieve without thinking too hard.
That may not be the case now as many have said the tactics feel a lot more deliberate and that lists may now need to be written with achieving the tactics you choose in mind. Some tactics may appear to be broadly achievable while others will reward access to specific tools such as ranged damage, magic or movement tricks.
This raises a question though, are the tactics testing player skill or simply rewarding armies that naturally tick more boxes during list building?
Initial Verdict
This has the potential to be one of the most tactical General’s Handbooks in recent memory. Strong competitive players will likely enjoy the increased decision making and complexity while casual players may find a steep learning curve with the additional bookkeeping.
The Stats
Battleplan Usage
Coming soon.
Battleplan Win Rates
Coming soon.
Tactic Usage
Coming soon.
Tactic Win Rates
Coming soon.
Pre-Built GT Pack Adoption
Coming soon.
