More previews for the General's Handbook 2019, including an interesting way to play smaller games? .... Interesting.
via the Warhammer Community
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With the General’s Handbook 2019 available for pre-order this weekend, we’re exploring what this essential guide for gaming means for YOU all throughout this week. Yesterday, we looked at mercenary companies, while today, we’re looking at a new way to play that’s fast, fun, tactical, and playable with a much smaller army – Meeting Engagements.
Meeting Engagements
Meeting Engagements are designed for matched play, but form a flexible system that’s rewarding to use whatever style of play you like. If you’re looking for a quick format for your open play battles, it’ll fit in nicely, while the new game mechanics are really effective at depicting the clash of two patrols ahead of their main armies.
How They Work
Meeting Engagements work just like a normal game of Warhammer Age of Sigmar, with key changes to army selection, deployment and battleplans.
Army Selection
Meeting Engagement forces are small, highly focused and generally based around the core Battleline units of your army. A Meeting Engagement army must be 1000 points, and consists of three main elements – each of which contains at least 1 unit.
- The Spearhead: An advance force made up of 0-1 Leaders, 0-2 Battleline units, and 0-2 other units
- The Main Body: The primary element of your force, which includes 1-2 Leaders, 1+ Battleline units, 0-1 Behemoths and any number of other units
- The Rearguard: A reserve force that arrives last, and includes 0-1 Leaders, 0-1 Behemoths, 0-2 Artillery, 0-2 Battleline units, and 0-2 other units
Additionally, some unit restrictions apply…
- Your army may include no more than 2 units from the same warscroll (unless they’re part of a Warscroll Battalion).
- Units in the spearhead can only be taken at their minimum size. One Battleline unit in the main body and any number of Battleline units in the rearguard can be taken at up to double their minimum size.
- You may only include one Warscroll Battalion.
- You may only include one allied unit.
- You may only include one endless spell.
In practice, this means that Meeting Engagement armies are pretty lean – rather than depending on a single, deadly unit or unstoppable Behemoth, you’ll need to pick your units carefully, using all of them in tandem to claim victory. Additionally, how you divide your forces is a key tactical choice. Do you front-load your force with a deadly spearhead to claim an early advantage or do you risk focusing your strength in the rearguard, taking advantage of deadly options like Artillery?
Deployment & Battleplans
Above, we’ve talked about the spearhead, main body and rearguard, but how do they actually work in game?
In every Meeting Engagement battleplan, both forces start with their spearhead on the board. As battle rages on, the rest of the army arrives – generally speaking, your main body will be deployed at the end of your first turn, and your rearguard at the end of your second turn. In some cases, your forces will all arrive in roughly the same place, while in other battleplans, they may well all appear on different parts of the board. As with army selection, a balanced force is key here to ensure you don’t get caught out too far away from a vital objective…
Meeting Engagement games are played on a smaller area – we’ve suggested a battlefield of 30-36” by 40-48″! This makes it easy to squeeze into a smaller play area, like a coffee table. What’s more, if you’re a club gamer, you’ll be able to fit more folks in for your tournaments!
Try It Yourself!
You won’t have long to wait until you can give Meeting Engagement a try yourself! Next month, on Sunday the 21st of July, we’ll be running the first official Meeting Engagement event ever right here at Warhammer World. This one-day event allows you to try this awesome new way to play and prove your masterful generalship. Held the day after the Warhammer Age of Sigmar Open Day, it’s the perfect way to round off a weekend of previews, insights and gaming in the Mortal Realms!
Tickets will go on sale on the 1st of July, while tickets for the Warhammer Age of Sigmar Open Day are available right now.
We think Meeting Engagements are going to become a staple of the rapidly growing Warhammer Age of Sigmar Tournament scene, offering organisers short on time and space a great format for a one-day event, a perfect opportunity for new players to dip their toes into matched play and a new tactical challenge for veteran generals. Let us know if you’ll be playing Meeting Engagements on the Warhammer Age of Sigmar Facebook page, and check back for more General’s Handbook 2019 previews soon. Meanwhile, if you’re looking to kick off a Meeting Engagement army, a Start Collecting! set is the perfect way to begin!
