Thanks to Games Workshop for sending us these rules and the Skaventide box set for review. Over the coming weeks, we will be having experts provide insight into how they are building and running lists with each faction in Age of Sigmar. For this overview, we’re looking at what stands out for each faction, how much has changed, and how we might approach some key challenges on the tabletop.
If you’re returning to Age of Sigmar then you’ll know these as Endless Spells. These still are called Endless Spells but fall under “manifestations” in the advanced rules on how they interact and work on the tabletop. Introduced during second edition these have been some of the most-changed warscrolls across and during editions. In the past you would purchase one (or multiple) separately to include in your army at either a very small, or substantial, points cost.
Taking Endless Spells
How do you access them? You pick a manifestation lore for your army to know, if you have any wizards or priests that can summon them. If you have multiple manifestation lores to choose from then you only get one!
As far as generic “anyone can take them” manifestations there are only endless spells, which is to say you need a wizard to conjure them. There aren’t any for priests and where applicable those factions (Fryesalyers, Blades of Khorne, etc) will have their own in their faction packs.
I both like and dislike this direction. On one hand it means we’ll be seeing manifestations in just about every game which is cool but on the other for armies that just don’t have them at all like Kharadron Overlords it can easily feel like you’re just playing down with less stuff on the table and available to you. They can be targeted by attacks, sure, but that’s also damage that has to go into something free instead of killing enemy units that cost points. How they’re laid out is just frustrating too. Maybe this was done so that part of it can be errata’d more easily in the future? But you have the section of endless spells, the casting value and how they’re set up all together and then have to flip through the entire faction pack or pages later to get to the warscrolls for them. The warscrolls don’t have the casting/answer values listed or how to set them up either despite having large amounts of empty space.
Basics of Manifestations
There are some universal rules that effect all manifestations and are important to know. These are under section 7 of Magic found in the Advanced Rules. Only one wizard or priest can attempt to summon the same manifestation once per turn. That means that a multi-cast wizard/priest can potentially summon multiple, different, manifestations. They are strictly not units with the following exceptions:
- If they have a movement value of 0 (displayed as ‘-‘ on its warscroll) they are only treated as units during the charge and combat phases. Enemy units can shoot them, charge them, and fight them but do not count them as a unit for purposes of setting up units meaning you can teleport/deepstrike right next to them and do not have to retreat from them.
- If they have a movement value greater than 0 then they count as a unit for movement, setting up, combat ranges, being in combat, and charges.
- If they have a shooting or melee weapon can (of course) use the Shoot and Fight core abilities.
- They can be chosen as enemy units for the purposes of abilities but are not effected by any abilities that do not require choosing a target.
- Models can move through them but cannot end on top of them. If it has a move over 0 then enemies still cannot move within 3″ because it counts as an enemy unit for movement, but they will be able to pile in through them if there’s space to fully move through them.
So they’re not units, except for most of the time when they are units. I feel like it would have been shorter to list when they don’t count as units, but perhaps this future proofs them a bit? We had to read through this a few times and check on it multiple times during games, and then still got it wrong a couple times. It’ll take getting used to what you can and cannot do with/near them. Very importantly: they do not contest objectives. Ever.
If you want to get rid of a manifestation there three ways:
- Banishment – A friendly wizard or priest within 30″ rolls 2D6 to beat the Banishment value on the warscroll. This is not always the same as the casting value, so be mindful and always check! It also does not stop that wizard or priest from casting or chanting, they get to do it as an extra action.
- Kill It – They all have health and a save, and most often a ward, so simply attack them. For any manifestations that have multiple pieces you only have to kill one and the whole thing goes away.
- Kill the Wizard/Priest – Removing the wizard or priest that summoned the manifestation also removes the manifestation from the table. If you have multiple you’ll want to make sure you’re keeping track through your game!
Lore Choices
So you’ve got a wizard, what are your options?
Krondspine
That’s right, the Krondspine. It’s here and it’s free to take. If you do then you don’t get any other manifestations so it’s really putting all your free eggs into one basket. This is the highest cast of any of the basic manifestations needing an 8+where the rest sit at 6+or 7+ casting values. It has a banishment value of 8+ but when it would be banished instead of being immediately removed suffers six damage instead, a rare ability that some manifestations have. It has twelve wounds, a 10″ move, and 4+ save with a very solid six attacks dealing three damage each.
It’s a manifestation hunter. Whenever it destroys an enemy manifestation it heals six damage and can make 3D6″ charges against enemy manifestations. Now with that large base and combat ranges being 3″ you could easily use that to sling it into an enemy unit standing just a little too close to a manifestation. That helps since it has to set up more than 9″ from enemy units. Overall it’s much simpler than it’s ever been and is still a solid choice for a manifestation lore but I think most players will just pick one of the others that have more spells available.
Forbidden Power
Shards of Valaghar – a two piecer that doesn’t move but one part can teleport and set up within 9″ of the other part during your movement phase, giving it a sort-of movement but for the purposes of “counting as a unit” above it doesn’t move. Enemies can’t be set up within 6″ and if they start a Move ability within 6″ cannot use Fly either.
Soulscream Bridge – another two parter. A unit wholly within 6″ is picked up and placed back down wholly within 6″ of the other part, more than 9″ from enemies. A nice way to get slow moving units around the table but also placed right they can teleport back through and doesn’t count as a retreat if they started in combat range. Units set up can’t move after but can still charge so the best use case is to help low movement units with ranged weapons get into range or nab objectives.
Horrorghast – moves 8″ with a 10″ ranged attack that’s purpose-built to kill infantry, if it kills any models in a unit with that shot then it also can’t receive orders until the end of the turn. Hitting on a 2+ makes it a prime candidate for the Covering Fire order to try and turn off some orders before getting charged.
Lauchon the Soulseeker – this guy moves 12″ and has a meaty ten wounds. A friendly wizard infantry hero can be ferried when it moves and set back up more than 3″ from enemies, suffering a point of mortal damage as a tax. There aren’t many infantry wizards that you want to fling into combat so it’s likely being used as a get-out-of-dodge piece with one wound suffered being much more palatable than death.
Norman: In our testing this is one of my favorite lores, specifically for Nurgle. It gives traditionally slow armies a way to get around the table easier and the Shards of Valaghar can equalize the playing field when you’re playing against faster armies you want to zone out.
Morbid Conjuration
Purple Sun of Shysh – it moves 8″ and inflicts mortal damage to units it passes over. Similar to the Krondspine it suffers six damage instead of being removed from a Banishment. The best part though is enemies subtract 1 from save rolls while within combat range of it. So you move it and charge it alongside some of your other units to help remove units from the board.
Suffocating Gravetide – Moves 12″ dealing some mortal damage to unit it passes over, one dice per model in that enemy unit going off on a 5+ making it much better against hordes than single model untits. Solid in combat throwing out 8 attacks going to damage two when it charges with easy hit and wound rolls.
Malevolent Maelstrom – a ticking time bomb! It gets a “maelstrom point” each time it is set up, a model is slain within 12″, and a spell is cast within 12″. When it has six of these points at the end of a turn every unit within 9″ (even friendly!) takes mortal damage on a 2+ equal to the roll (which is a D6 so could spike big). This one is harder to use unless you have some very tanky units that you can afford to take some damage on and would hurt your opponent more than you. It does move 8″ so if you can be careful with placement you might be able to detonate it deeper in enemy lines (especially if you have shooting units) to try and take out enemy support heroes.
Soulsnare Shackles – each of its three parts picks an enemy unit within 3″ and rolls a D3; on a 2+ it suffers that much mort damage and also subtracts that many inches from its move characteristic for the rest of the turn. That’s only removing two or three inches of movement at a given time and will do nothing 1/3 of the time. It’s free and there’s other good spells in this lore so there’s no harm in having it but might be hard to justify casting over another spell.
Bair: I really think this will be the most common lore. Purple Sun, as it often has been, is just great to have. Not being banish-able from a single roll means you’ll get to use it for at least one important combat phase before being picked up.
Norman: Gotta agree with Bair here. If you ever looked at your warscrolls and thought “damn this would be really good with another pip of AP” the Purple Sun solves that problem. I disagree on the Shackles though. The ability to shove them up the board and block movement with their base (though not their combat range because they don’t have one) while also debuffing movement can wreak havoc with your opponent’s plans.
Aetherwrought Machineries
Chronomantic Cogs – a non-moving piece that gives you one of two effects if you have a wizard within 3″ to activate, either increasing or decreasing the flow of time. Increasing time gives nearby friendly units re-roll charges and decreasing subtracts one from hit rolls for attacks targeting friendly wizards near the cogs. The increase-time ability is great, cast this guy out before needing to make a bunch of charges and really help guarantee they get in but the decreasing side is….strange that it only effects wizards. If you have a bunch of wizards close together or big targets like Lords of Change or Teclis it makes more sense to cast and use that ability.
Quicksilver Swords – this guy simply moves 8″ before charging to make twelve damage-one attacks with Crit (Mortal) ignoring all wards. Ignoring wards is great and has enough attacks to scare things like rockguts or hearthguard berzererkers who typically rely on wards to stay alive.
Aethervoid Pendulum – despite having a move of 8″ it cannot charge or Fight (and doesn’t have a weapon anyway) but instead moves in a straight line alone the tip of the pendulum. Up to three units it passes across roll a D6; each 2+ deals that much mortal damage to the unit. With most manifestations relying on real-attacks it’s nice to have one that can swing around deal mortal damage. Place it in a position to make it difficult to be avoided (like near an objective) otherwise it’ll get stepped around.
Primal Energy
Burning Head – this is a fun one, it has a 10″ shooting attack and solid melee profile with extra rend into War Machines but every time it uses a Shoot ability (so shooting or using Covering Fire) it also suffers a point of damage that can’t be ignored. At six wounds with a 6+ save and ward it’s not long for the world so deal as much damage as you can before it’s snuffed out!
Emerald Lifeswarm – a real classic endless spell. If it somehow makes it to the end of a turn (starting with five wounds with 6+ save and ward is rough) it Heals (3). It also gives Heal (3) to a friendly unit in your movement phase. Healing does not bring models back to your unit so keep it flying around monsters or otherwise larger wound pools to get the most from it.
Ravenak’s Gnashing Jaws – another one that only suffers 6 damage when it would normally be banished. With an incredibly random move of 3D6″ it might cross the table or just sort of stagger forwards before trying to charge in. When it does charge it rolls ten dice dealing mortal damage on 5+ before swinging with ten attacks at damage two. Far less impressive when it doesn’t charge though so set it up and get charging!
Twilit Sorceries
Umbral Spellportal – a two-parter that lets one friendly wizard to cast one spell through it using the other part set up further down the board for visibility and range; but your opponent can also attempt to Unbind that spell if they’re in range of the Spellportal. But it also gives +1 to the casting value making it harder to cast. Also you can’t fling other manifestations through it, it’s purely for non-summon spells only.
Geminids of Uhl-Gysh – a two-part spell that moves but has to stay near each other. Since it moves it’ll have to charge enemies to make use of its ability: enemy units in combat range cannot use commands. Very simply but very effective! Turning off All Out Attack and All Out Defence is nice but turning off Power Through can be game-changingly good; which might mean that they take a beating in the combat phase but that’s fine, that’s attacks not going into your units in the same fight!
Prismatic Palisade – the anti-shooting wall of light we all know and love. Units can’t be targeted by shooting attacks while it’s in the way and cannot itself be shot at either. It’s just too bright! Strangely, like forests, this is only line of sight for shooting attacks. Any other ability and even spells can see through it, and see it, very clearly. That feels a bit strange but just how it is!
Casting Spells and Taking Names
It is so important to remember that while some of these attacks or damage profiles might not sound incredible you have to remember that you don’t pay points for them. They are free attacks and a pool of free wounds to have, be in the way, and force your opponent to try and do something about them.
I am most interested to see what armies end up taking which lores most often and if generic lores become the go-to for any armies that have their own faction-specific lore. Stormcast Eternals I think are probably the strongest contender for choosing a generic lore over their own while Daughters of Khaine have some very solid manifestations that they might not want to give up! Is there a specific lore you’re eyeing up already?
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