Games Workshop has revealed the fourth edition Age of Sigmar command points system, ahead of the game’s launch later this year. A Warhammer Community article reveals how players will gain command points, and the ten commands that you can spend those points on.
One key change for AoS 4th edition is that “command points are a tightly controlled resource”. There will no longer be any Warscroll abilities, Command Traits, or Enhancements that allow you to generate additional command points during a round.
Age of Sigmar armies that have previously enjoyed a bounty of command points (or equivalent), like the Ossiarch Bonereapers, will receive “powerful new mechanics to compensate”, according to the Warhammer Community post, but GW hasn’t yet revealed what they are.
At the start of each battle round, players gain command points as follows:
| Who? | Command points |
| Each player | 4 |
| Player with the fewest victory points (underdog) | 1 |
| Player with the fewest Auxiliary units | 1 |
These command points must be spent during the battle round that players receive them, and cannot be carried on from one round to the next.
Games Workshop has also revealed ten commands, some familiar, some brand new, for you to spend your precious CP on:
| Command | Timing | CP | Who uses it | Effect |
| All-Out Attack | Reaction: You declared an attack | 1 | Your attacking unit | +1 to hit with those attacks |
| All-Out Defense | Reaction: Opponent declared an attack | 1 | Your unit being attacked | +1 to save this phase |
| At the Double | Reaction: You declared a run ability | 1 | Your unit that’s running | Don’t make a run roll, instead add 6” to its move characteristic |
| Forward to Victory | Reaction: You declared a charge | 1 | Your charging unit | You may re-roll the charge roll |
| Rally | End of any Hero Phase | 1 | Your unit not in combat | Roll six D6. Each 4+ generates a ‘rally point’ that can heal a model, or return a slain model (providing you have enough points to fully heal it) |
| Redeploy | End of the enemy movement phase | 1 | Your unit not in combat | Each model may move up to D6”, which cannot pass through or end in combat range of an enemy. |
| Covering fire | End of the enemy shooting phase | 1 | Your unit not in combat | Shoot with the unit at the closest visible enemy, with a -1 to hit penalty |
| Counter-charge | End of the enemy charge phase | 2 | Your unit not in combat | That unit can charge as if it were your charge phase |
| Magical intervention | End of the enemy hero phase | 1 | Your wizard or priest | That unit can use a spell or prayer, with a -1 penalty to the casting or chanting roll |
| Power through | End of any turn | 1 | A friendly unit that charged this turn, that is in combat with an enemy unit with a lower Health characteristic. | Inflict D3 mortal damage on the enemy; then, your unit makes a full move. It can pass through enemies it is already engaged with, and doesn’t have to end the move in combat. |
The reaction commands are used after an action is declared, but before it’s resolved. This means that you must use Forward to Victory before you determine whether or not a unit’s charge is successful – an important bit of timing.
The WarCom article also provides an example of a passive ability on a warscroll that piggybacks off one of these commands. The Stormstrike Chariot has a passive ‘Celestial Blaze’ ability that means, when it uses the Power Through command, it inflicts an extra D3 mortal damage and can move an additional D6” – suggesting it will be a very effective hit and run combatant.
Revising the command point system to make it more reactive was one of the Age of Sigmar rules changes Games Workshop announced not long after it revealed the edition. Will it be enough to assuage my cynicism about the Age of Sigmar double turn? That remains to be seen, but everyone at team Wargamer is keeping a close eye on Age of Sigmar news. You can follow Wargamer on Google News to get all the latest news as we have it.