The incoming second edition of Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Warcry will rebalance every faction in a new compendium, Games Workshop revealed on July 25. GW explains the rebalance is one of three core changes to the new edition in a Warhammer Community post, and it claims the new edition “builds upon the existing game rather than rewriting it from scratch”. Warcry’s second edition will kick off with a new boxed starter set, Heart of Ghur, which is available for pre-order from July 30.
Heart of Ghur introduces the plague-ridden Rotmire Creed and the heated Horns of Hashut, and GW says these new warbands “have been designed with the new edition of the game in mind”. However, anyone still attached to their first-edition warbands won’t be left out – over 40 warbands and 800 fighter profiles will be rebalanced in the Warcry Compendium. According to GW, this “will be available to pre-order shortly after the Heart of Ghur box is released”.
Another major change introduced in Heart of Ghur is the new Reactions rules. “A Reaction lets your fighters interrupt an opponent’s turn by spending one of their actions early”, says GW. GW showcases the Counter reaction on Warhammer Community, which allows a fighter to deal damage to their assailant any time the attacker misses or rolls a one on a hit roll.
Last but not least, new campaign rules for Warcry have been revealed. These allow you to set up encampments to explore Heart of Ghur’s setting, the twisted forests of Gnarlwood. “Encampments give your warbands unique benefits,” says GW, “but the hostile nature of the Gnarlwood means that you’ll have to build a new one before long.” The Warhammer Community post also explains Warcry’s quests will require fewer battles to complete in second edition.
The most recent Warcry announcement from GW also includes a ‘how to play’ video for fresh-faced players, and this also teases some details of the new edition. It confirms all fighters will be able to take cover or strike down a disengaging enemy as universal reactions, and different warbands will have unique reactions to use. The Rotmire Creed can deal extra damage if an opponent lands a critical hit, while the Horns of Hashut can hit (and disadvantage) anyone who moves too close.
Other changes appear to include swapping Warcry’s destiny levels for renown levels, allowing you to perform extra reactions instead of rerolling dice.
It’s not clear from the Warhammer Community post how much Heart of Ghur is going to cost, but several other sources have suggested prices. Spikey Bits claims the set will cost $230, while Bell of Lost Souls estimates a price tag of $235 (or £140 for the Brits). YouTuber Always Strikes Back also claims the box will cost £140, but they guess the American box will cost $220.
For more Age of Sigmar goodness, be sure to check out our armies guide. Or, if you’re after something digital, how about our guide to the best Warhammer fantasy videogames?