AoS: Embrace The Open War Cards
Add some spice to your tabletop with the new Open War Cards for Age of Sigmar!
Warhammer: Age of Sigmar is going on it’s third year and the latest General’s Handbook 2017 has been a great addition to the game. But that’s not the only exciting thing coming out this week from Games Workshop, the AoS Open War cards are on the way and they are totally worth using.
There are a couple of really key things that we liked about the Open War deck(s). The first thing to note is that there are 5 different decks inside the pack, Deployment, Objective, Twist, Ruse & Sudden Death. Each one has their own backing so it’s easy to tell which is which. We’ve been using the 40k versions for a couple of weeks now and we’re excited to get to use their AoS Counter-Parts for our games now.
Open, Narrative, & Matched Play Compatible
Just because the cards are called “Open War” doesn’t mean they are strictly designed for Open play only. No, these cards can be used for each and every game type in Games Workshop’s “Three Ways to Play” system. It really just depends on how “randomized” you want your game play experience to be. Starting with the Deployment (12 cards) & Objective (12 cards) decks you’re already looking at 144 different games to play. Using them in Narrative Play actually more of a stretch than Open or Matched Play in my opinion. Narrative requires more mental gymnastics to fit the random deployment and objective in your narrative – but it can be done. Matched play boils down to draw two cards and go. Open play does require you to add-up your total wounds per side to determine if you need to draw a Ruse or Sudden Death card. As far as the Twist goes – you can use them as well, but that just adds more “random” effects.
I even think that Tournaments could use this deck to generate the games. Think about it, you only need one set and perhaps a projector to get the word out for each table. Alternatively, you could use a deck for each table…but that would mean each table and each round would different. If that’s the type of tournament you’re trying to run, that’s a great way to do it! I think as a player, I’d rather know that these are the 12 possible objectives and 12 possible deployments, but each round should be the same for all players, especially for very large events. But the key here is that they all do work.
Perfect for PUGs
If you’re heading to the local gaming store and you want a way to play against any opponent with any sized games, the Open War cards are ideal for this. You can show up with a 2k list and if someone only has a 1k list, you can still play a game against each other. Just follow the instructions and you’ll be able to play. The Twists, Ruse and Sudden Death decks really do help balance-out “un-even” match-ups. They can lead to some really interesting situations as the player with the larger force has to play even smarter because they might not know the win condition for the smaller force! Personally, I’d go over all the options before I draw them randomly so that the “gotcha” moment doesn’t happen. If I know one of your possible win conditions is to kill my hero with the highest wounds, then maybe I’ll play a bit more conservative with that hero.
Leave the Book at Home
With the Open War cards, you can leave the book missions at home. Unless you enjoy dragging around the extra weight, you shouldn’t need the book if you’re using these decks. It’s a small thing, but when you’re looking for ways to lighten your load of things to bring/remember to bring to the game store these cards are a life saver.
Doing some quick math, if you’re using each set of decks in your games, you’ll have over 62,000 variations on games with this deck! If variety is the spice of life then this set is letting the spice flow… Plus, you should feel free to combine these games with missions from the new General’s Handbook 2017 for even more game types. Just remember that the next time someone says they are tired of the same game – they clearly aren’t trying hard enough to change things up.
The Open War cards are a great pick-up for AoS as they can really open up your options and allow you to experiment with different games and styles of play. Ideally, they should push you to try different things and stretch yourself tactically. For me, that’s what keeps the game interesting. Or if you’re looking for a good “training” option for an upcoming tournament, at least give the deployments and objective decks a try – who knows when those might show up on the tabletop for the main event!
Warhammer Age Of Sigmar: Open War Cards $15
A simple, quick and fun way to set up games of Warhammer Age Of Sigmar, Open War cards take all the indecision and doubt away and let you get on with your gaming. A deck of 48 cards split into 5 types, they help you determine the deployment, objectives and special rules for Open Play games. Included:
Subscribe to our newsletter!Get Tabletop, RPG & Pop Culture news delivered directly to your inbox.By subscribing you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.– 12 x Deployment cards – 12 player deployments;
– 12 x Objectives cards – 12 objectives for winning the game;
– 12 x Twist cards – 12 special rules that can be used to add a special factor to the game, such as battle frenzies, lashing rain, and fighting in the dead of night;
– 6 x Ruse cards – 6 cards that can be used to glean an advantage, such as ambushing or digging in – used to counter an opponent’s larger army;
– 6 x Sudden Death cards – 6 cards that provide different ways to win if you are significantly outnumbered – if your enemy outnumbers you, you get a secret advantage to use as you wish!If you use every type of card, that’s over 60,000 combinations – a huge amount of variety! The cards are presented with an instruction booklet, and feature artwork on the reverse.
Are you ready for Open War? What do you think of these cards? For $15, you can’t beat it!
