A brand-new General’s Handbook is now available for pre-order, and with it comes a sea of changes to terrain rules, battle tactics, magic systems, and mission structure—all steeped in the lush, lethal setting of Ghyran.
To help players digest this seasonal overhaul, the Warhammer community’s competitive mainstays over at Season of War—Jordan Duncan, Ridge Hanna, and Fabien Barbusse—break down what these updates mean for the battlefield.
Major Rules Changes: Terrain, Magic, and Commands
This season introduces the most sweeping core rules adjustments in years. Terrain is now central to the flow of battle, with Obscuring Terrain fully hiding non-Monster, non-Fly units whose models are entirely within 1″ of it—provided they’re not in combat. Conversely, ranged attacks made from such terrain now suffer halved range. Cover itself has been streamlined: it now depends on whether a straight line can be drawn from base to base, making positioning clearer and faster to resolve.
The new Places of Power rules bring thematic flair and strategic choice. A Hero within 3″ can activate one per turn, choosing between three effects: healing all units nearby, making a terrain piece Obscuring for the rest of the game, or granting Unbind to a non-Wizard. These are small decisions with large impacts, especially in close games.
Magic has also seen refinement. Manifestations now have universal profiles (6+ save, 4+ to hit), clarifying their power and making them easier to deal with. Banishing has been expanded, and Magical Intervention lets your Wizards and Priests act in the enemy phase—at a casting penalty.
On the prayer side, Sacred Rites are a welcome improvement. Priests can now generate ritual points more reliably without wasting a prayer attempt, and the new chanting mechanic is safer and more rewarding overall.
Reworked Commands: Risk vs. Reward
One of the most impactful changes involves core command abilities. All-out Attack and All-out Defence now come with drawbacks, forcing players to think before popping them every turn. This encourages tactical restraint rather than autopilot defense stacking.
Jordan notes, “This is a big deal. Warhammer is about calculated risks—now these commands are part of that calculus, not just free value every time.”
New Battleplans: Strategic Depth and Thematic Objectives
This season’s battleplans tie closely to Ghyran’s lore, featuring Ghyranite Objectives with distinct names and symbols. These aren’t just aesthetic—they’re often linked to specific effects or scoring bonuses in certain missions. While the max number of objectives is now six (down from eight), their placement is more diverse and nuanced.
Each mission caps primary scoring at 10 points per round, with a total of 50 available. Add 30 from tactics, and you now have a clear 80-point ceiling, which should help balance game length and tension. The underdog mechanic also returns with a vengeance—offering movement bonuses, buffs, and even scoring swings based on who’s behind on objectives.
Some standout battleplans:
- Paths of the Fey forces fast movement and creative deployment, with units re-entering the board mid-game. Fabien calls it “one of the most unique missions yet.”
- Noxious Nexus features a lopsided layout that makes aggression vs. endurance a major strategic dilemma. Jordan sees it as “a real pacing challenge.”
- Passing Seasons reintroduces diagonal deployments and features huge potential for underdog bonuses, rewarding clever army positioning over raw power.
Tactical Cards: Locked, Loaded, and List-Built
Perhaps the most dramatic change this season is to battle tactics. Instead of choosing them turn by turn, players select a set during list building, and must attempt them in order. This removes the issue of forgetting tactics mid-game, but dramatically raises the stakes on initial choices. Gone are the days of guaranteed 5-point gimmies—if your list can’t reliably pull off a tactic, it could cost you the game.
Ridge explains, “These changes punish lazy list-building. You’ve got to plan around both how you’ll score your own cards and how you’ll deny your opponent’s.”
Here are a few key tactics from the new packs:
- Wrathful Cycles: A flexible, defensive option that offers underdog bonuses and recovery after a double turn—great for cautious generals.
- Scouting Force: A high-reward pick for fast-moving lists that like to stretch the field. Jordan says it “forces opponents into mistakes by pulling them out of position.”
- Intercept and Recover: A more matchup-dependent card, but potent in the right hands. Ridge warns: “It has a downside—double turning can cost you a tactic.”
Final Thoughts
This season of Age of Sigmar is all about smart positioning, careful planning, and deep synergy between your army list and the mission pack. From terrain visibility changes to locked-in battle tactics, every choice matters more. With tighter scoring, harder objectives, and a dynamic battlefield driven by Ghyran’s wild power, mastery will take more than muscle—it’ll take foresight.
The General’s Handbook 2025-26 is up for pre-order now. Whether you’re looking to refine your game for competitive events or just shake up your local matches, now’s the perfect time to get stuck in
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