Role-playing Rants: Why I can't wait to read the Age of Sigmar RPG

I'm still in the camp for AoS haters. I think that the Age of Sigmar is boring, uninspiring and generally a crappy legacy for the venerable Warhammer Fantasy. That's why I can't wait to read the upcoming role-playing game, set in this universe.

I know that Age of Sigmar has come a long way, since its premiere in 2015. New models, new rules and new books from the Black Library are definetly helping in the developement of this setting. For me however, AoS still lacks that one thing, which could it actually make it interesting and worth checking out – the everyday factor. What I mean by that, is that I don't want to constantly read about Stormcast Eternals battling generic Khornate dudes in crimson armour, or Aelfs (sigh) duking it out with servants of Nurgle. I want to know how everyday life looks in this universe. I want to know how people live their lives in every one of the kingdoms that comprise the world of this game. I want to know what they're eating, what are their favorite drinks, how does the judical system work in every one of the "planes", and many other, mundane things, that help in creating a relatable and fascinating world.

Can you do this for me, game?

Warhammer Fantasy put huge emphasis on day to day lives of its people, and not just the Imperials. Hundreds of stories described everyday struggles of humans, elves, dwarves and more, and that, more then the huge and epic battles, made this world feel alive to me. WFRP made particulary good job in that department by offering titles like the "Old World Armoury" and "Shades of the Empire". The legendary "Gotrek & Felix" saga taught me a lot about day-to-day lives of Karl Franz's subjects, and even lesser known titles did a great job for bringing the Old World to life. I personally feel that the Age of Sigmar lacks this "mortal" part of its world, and by extensions, feels less interesting and relatable.

This is where the AoS RPG comes into play. Cubicle 7 announced that they will release this title, sometime next year, after the premiere of the 4th edition of WFRP. When I first heard about this, I laughed. I was thinking: how in the hell can anyone make a game about a bunch of golden dudes, beating a bunch of red dudes, interesting. Then it dawned on me, that this is actually the one chance that Age of Sigmar has, to show itself in a more positive way to people like me. People who still remember Warhammer Fantasy with fondness, who still play WFRP and older editions of Fantasy Battle tabletop game. Who can't wait for Total War: Warhammer 2 and the sequel to Warhammer Quest (even if it'll take place during the End Times).

Newer generations of players don't have a problem with the Age of Sigmar, and I understand that, just like I understand people who jumped into this system, being tired of playing the poorly written 8th edition or just wanting something new. Some of us, however, still can't get over the fact that WFB is gone and are a tad bitter about that whole deal with the Mortal Realms and Ground Marines. I must admit that I'm slowly trying to change my view on AoS. I've discovered a fantastic group on Facebook, called the "The Dark Age of Sigmar", which is full of great looking models, made in a dark and gritty style, much more in the spirit of the old Warhammer world. There is also the "City of Secrets" by Nick Horth, which shows the world through mortal eyes, rather then a pair, belonging to one of Sigmar's chosen. I've heard that it is very good and I plan to read it, when I'll get a chance to do so.

I think AoS might have a potential to become a complex, intriguing setting, going beyond the "only war" aspect, which is currently its main selling appeal. I'm not beyond admitting that something, which started off badly, can become a thing of beauty and who knows - if Cubicle 7 will do their job right, I might start collecting a small force of Stormcasts one day. Of course they'd be very grim and dark, since the spit and polish look of most of them is extremly boring to me. For that, however, I need to sink my teeth into the meat of this world, and so far the meat is very thin and not that tasty. Come on Cubicle 7, send a big, fat steak my way. I want to taste the full flavor of the Age of Sigmar, and the upcoming RPG might just help me with that.

I'll skip the face-bashing dessert, tough

Until next time!

Xathrodox86