Warhammer: Age of Sigmar – The Rise & Fall of Anvalor

Set in the Age of Sigmar, six playable Factions and three enemies clash in Aqshy, the Realm of Fire!

The Factions of Anvilgard, Hammerhal Aqsha, and The City of Brimstone have put their quarrels aside to build the stronghold of Anvalor, a strategic location on The Great Parch. But each Faction wants to claim it for themselves, and the Faction that succeeds will significantly strengthen their influence in all the Mortal Realms.

Try to not help too much

There are two primary ways to gain influence in the game: defeating enemies and purchasing City Buildings. Each of these options, while often providing great rewards, also comes at the cost of being equally advantageous to your opponents.

Defeating enemies will reward you with influence equal to that enemy’s strength, but it is risky. Nearby units of other players must help you in battle—but unfortunately, you must also help them.

Purchasing a City Building gives you influence immediately, but the buildings’ abilities can be utilized by all players.

Solo to 4

As the game begins, up to 4 players will choose a Faction. They will also select an Aspect from one of their Faction’s 4 options. One enemy, and one of 4 difficulty levels for that enemy, is also chosen. For example, in a 2-player game, one player might select The Hammers of Sigmar Faction with the Reborn in Honour Aspect, while the other player chooses The Dispossessed Faction with the Ancestral Grudge Aspect. The enemy might be Gulgaz Stoneklaw Gutstompas (Orruks), with LETZ KILL ’EM! (difficulty 2). A new game using the same factions and enemy, but switching out the Aspects and difficulty, will play out very differently.

The solo game is played with the same rules as the multiplayer game but has its own unique challenges for the player to take on. There is constant pressure to fend off the enemy’s relentless attacks, trying to build up Anvalor without the help of any other Factions.

Reverse deck-building

Each Faction is unique and offers different abilities to choose from at the start of the game, adding even more interesting twists to the gameplay. Players start with a deck of tiles, which can be played to accomplish various goals, or used as currency to pay the cost of playing other tiles. These options seem clear and simple at first glance, but subsequent playthroughs reveal the much more strategic and complex implications of each move.

Assault!

As soon as a City Building has been purchased, enemies start to gather. Players choose where enemies appear, so strategy is important—the most tactical position is often the least obvious.

The game proceeds quickly around the table, with each player taking a single, short action on their turn. When a turn ends with 3 enemies on the same side, an Assault will begin, interrupting the normal gameplay until it is completed. Sometimes, all enemies are defeated immediately, causing minimal damage. In other cases, the enemies might tear through many city blocks, killing defenders and causing greater, if not catastrophic, damage. The way each Assault resolves is variable, as it is ultimately up to the players to decide how to defend the city.

Survival is already tough when attempting to fortify the disputed city of Anvalor, with enemies attacking from all sides, battling for influence. Raising buildings may be easy, but dominating the region? That takes a real commander to do.

Pick up your copy of Warhammer: Age of Sigmar – The Rise & Fall of Anvalor at your Friendly Local Game Store (FLGS) April 2019.