Warhammer 40,000 vs Warhammer Age of Sigmar: What’s the Difference?

Miniatures and Models

There are fantastically detailed and diverse miniatures to choose from in both games and there is even a little bit of crossover between them. You cannot use any of the Warhammer 40,000 models in Age of Sigmar, however if you play as Chaos, you can use some Chaos models in both AOS and 40k. There are no guns in AOS, at least not as we know in 40k!

Both games are enjoyed the most with a beautifully painted army and there is so much variety of armies and colour schemes that you can really let your imagination run wild and create whatever you want. Another popular customisation with model building is ‘kitbashing’. This is simply using pieces from two or more different kits to create one finished model. You may prefer the head from kit A but the sword from kit B and the legs from kit C. That’s fine, put them all together and see what happens!

Games Workshop also produces all of its own paints and modelling tools and there are lots of tutorials on how to get the best out of these and really bring your miniatures to life. All of the paints, brushes and tools produced by GW are applicable to both AOS and 40k and so you don’t need any special tools for a certain game system.

With AOS being the ‘newer’ of the two games, they have always had the top quality, plastic models, however 40k had some old metal models which had not had a refresh in a long time. Games Workshop is slowly making its way through them all though and updating them to gorgeous new minis. Newer releases are often push fit without the need for glueing which is great for beginners to get playing quicker (and not worry when they stick the wrong bit to the wrong place!).

Gameplay and Rules

The core gameplay on these tabletop stalwarts is very similar and revolves around 5 Battle Rounds in which each player has a turn and the turn consists of different phases. Once you learn the order of the phases, games run very smoothly. If you are looking for quicker games with fast paced action then AOS is probably your best bet. It is geared towards creating a compact experience of action, allowing you to play more games in a day! Whereas 40k has far more in depth tactical decisions and extended rules creating a much more immersive experience, but ultimately a long one.

If you see yourself as a budding commander, ready to face all the tactical nuances that your opponent will throw at you, whilst simultaneously creating and executing your own master battle plan as the battlefield changes around you, then 40k is probably the game for you; as long as you have a few hours to spare!

Each of the games have different styles of play within them, including Open play, Matched play and Narrative play. Open play is just a great free for all, Matched play is very much how it sounds, matched army points costs and an even playing field (as much as is possible) and Narrative play is where you create your own backstories and lore for your armies and play custom missions on custom battlefields and make the experience truly custom to you.

We alluded to Matched play making sure armies are even on points and points are how you select the size of your game and the models in your army for each battle. Each model is given its own unique points cost depending on its skills and prowess in battle. A small, 500 point game will use a much smaller battlefield than an all out apocalypse of 3,000 points. It is also worth considering the game size when choosing your army, if you are playing a 500 point game then it’s probably not a good idea to bring a model which costs 400 points. That doesn’t leave you much room for anything else and I’m pretty sure I know what your opponent will aim all their guns at in turn 1!

Both games revolve around players rolling dice to decide the outcomes of their various actions. It also helps to determine the turns for the game, with players in 40k rolling dice to see who has the first turn and they then alternate throughout the remainder of the game. AOS works slightly differently where players will roll off at the beginning of each round to see who goes first that round. This means that a player could take two turns consecutively and the AOS community seems quite against this mechanic as it allows someone to take a massive swing in game momentum and is often cited as being an unfair gameplay attribute.

All of the specific rules for each game are found in their core rulebooks and then faction specific rules are found in the Codexes (40k) or Battletomes (AOS). These in depth books contain the lore behind the faction, some short stories, painting guides and army showcases, the rules and points costs and some beautiful artwork.

Community and Culture

The Age of Sigmar community is relatively small compared to the 40k community but that could be because it is only a few years old, unlike the dinosaur that is 40k! Both games have a strong community, with plenty of casual and competitive players all over the world. The competitive scene is much bigger for 40k, but again this could be just due to it being far more established.

If you want to get a feel for what your local community is like then maybe head to your local Warhammer store or find a local tabletop gaming club. This could be really important for new players deciding on which game to buy. If you want to play against other people then knowing what the largest community is in your area will certainly help you get along. The Warhammer stores are also a great place to get all the latest news and tips from the store managers and they are usually happy to play practice games to introduce you to the systems. It’s a fantastic place to learn and has a great community of inclusivity. It is also a great place to have a look through the models and decide which ones you like the most!

There are large events every year, including the pinnacle of Warhammer shows, WarhammerFest in the UK. This massive event showcases all the new and upcoming models, rules, changes to the game and enhancements. It is always highly anticipated each year and is a great way to meet like minded people over the course of a jam packed Warhammer weekend!

Which Game to Choose?

The ultimate question, which game do I choose? Well, that really is up to you and your preferences. Again, head to a store and try some games, look at the beautiful array of models painted and prepared for battle. Speak to people locally that play and try reading some of the Black Library, Games Workshops own series of fantasy novels surrounding the games.

Perhaps you enjoy the futuristic feel of 40k or maybe you prefer the fantasy, Lord of the Rings-esque feel of Age of Sigmar. You can really immerse yourself in both games and there is no limit to where your imagination can take you. There is deep and storied lore behind both games but it is also left open for you to forge your own narrative and play the game how you want to play it. The larger community benefits 40k as it is always easy to find someone to have a game with. AOS is constantly growing though and you could be the first person to really kick it off in your area.

Warhammer is a fantastic hobby, regardless of which game you choose. From assembling and painting your models, right through to epic tabletop battles and keeping tallies of how many enemies your valiant warriors have slain in battle, it is a hugely in depth hobby which you can immerse yourself in, if that’s what you want to do of course! It can be whatever you want it to be and you can create your own story.