General's Handbook 2026-27

Cardinal Rules

• Always be polite and respectful.
• Always tell the truth and never cheat.

Principles

• Arrive on time with all of the things you need to play the game.
• Give your opponent the chance to examine your dice rolls before picking up the dice.
• Make a respectful gesture to your opponent before and after the game, such as offering a handshake, wishing them good luck, etc.
• Avoid using language your opponent might find offensive.
• Ask your opponent’s permission if you wish to use unpainted models or substitute models.
• Ask permission before touching any of your opponent’s miniatures.
• Offer your opponent a chance to examine your army roster before the battle starts.
• Remind your opponent about rules they may have forgotten to use or that they have used incorrectly, especially when doing so is to your opponent’s advantage rather than your own.
• Never deliberately waste time during a game.
• Avoid distracting an opponent when they are trying to concentrate, and be careful to respect their personal space.
• Answer any questions your opponent has about your army and the rules that apply to your army.
• Never complain about your bad luck or your opponent’s good luck.
• Measure moves and distances carefully and accurately.
• Never fix the outcome of a game.

1. Pick your Armies

Each player picks an army using the rules in Army Composition 2026-27 (Advanced Rules).

2. Determine the Battleplan

One player rolls a dice to determine which battleplan table to use. On a 1-3, use battleplan table 1. On a 4-6, use battleplan table 2. The other player then rolls a dice to determine the battleplan. Alternatively, feel free to pick the battleplan you wish to play.

Battleplan Table 1

D6 - Battleplan

1 - Into the Fire

2 - Bloodstained Coasts

3 - Avalanche of Ash

4 - Caverns of Slaughter

5 - What’s Yours is Ours

6 - Hidden Under Ash-clouds

Battleplan Table 2

D6 - Battleplan

1 Warped Ruins

2 Curse of the Gnaw

3 Seize the Embers

4 Treacherous Ground

5 Escape From the Coast

6 Power of the Realms

3. Set Up The Battlefield

Attacker and Defender

The players roll off. The winner chooses which player is the attacker and which is the defender.

Objectives and Terrain

This battlepack contains 6 special objectives called Aqshian objectives: 2 Sun Seekers objectives, 2 Golden Lions objectives, 1 Heldenhain objective and 1 Scions of the Comet objective. The objective itself is the 40mm- diameter circle located in the centre, while the surrounding area extending 3" from the objective is the control zone. To contest an Aqshian objective, a unit must be within the control zone of that objective.

Some battleplans will use more than 1 of the same type of Aqshian objective. For example, they could include 2 Sun Seekers objectives and/or 2 Golden Lions objectives. In these battleplans, the rules refer to 2 of the same type of objective as a pair or paired. When a rule requires a player to control a pair of objectives, the player has to control both objectives in that pair. When a player has to pick ‘a pair of objectives’, they can only pick a single pair of Aqshian objectives of the same type.

The defender sets up Aqshian objectives in the locations indicated on the battlefield map. The objectives must be those indicated on the battlefield map; for example, if the map shows a Heldenhain objective, the Heldenhain objective must be set up in that location.

Then, the defender sets up terrain features. We recommend 4 small and 4 medium terrain features. Each terrain feature must be set up more than 3" from the battlefield edge, more than 3" from all objectives and more than 6" from all other terrain features. Alternatively, the battlefield can be set up as shown on the corresponding battlefield terrain layout map while maintaining the distance restrictions between the battlefield edge, objectives and other terrain features as detailed above.

Territory

After objectives and terrain features have been set up, the attacker picks which territory is their territory. The other territory is the defender’s territory. The players then resolve the deployment phase. The attacker begins deployment (Core Rules, 10.0).

Battle Length

Battles that use this battlepack last for 5 battle rounds.

Glorious Victory

Each battleplan will describe how to score victory points. At the end of the battle, if one player has at least 5 victory points more than their opponent, they win a major victory. If one player has fewer than 5 victory points more than their opponent, they win a minor victory. If the players are tied on victory points, the player who completed the most battle tactics wins a minor victory. If the players are tied on victory points and completed the same number of battle tactics, the battle is a draw.

Battle Tactics

If you are using this battlepack, you must pick battle tactics cards from this battlepack to add to your army roster during army composition.

At the start of the battle, you must reveal your choice of battle tactics cards to your opponent. If the battle tactics cards instruct you to pick something, you must tell your opponent what you have picked and vice versa.

Crusade Types

To launch an Aqshian Crusade, pick 1 of the following crusade types:

Crusade Type - Number of Games - Length

Ash Road Foray - 3 - 1 day

Firestorm Offensive - 5 - 2 days

Domination March - 12 - Ongoing campaign

Mapping the Warpath

Next, pick 1 of the pre-made Aqshian Crusades from the table below. Alternatively, if you’re feeling adventurous, you can mix and match battleplans to forge your own narrative.

Each pre-made crusade tells a different story, as summarised in the ‘Synopsis’ column. The ‘Battleplans’ column tells you which battleplans from the General’s Handbook 2026-27 battlepack each crusade uses and the order in which to play them. A battleplan’s number can be found at the top of its card.

Crusade Name - Crusade Type - Synopsis - Battleplans

The Heartblood Offensive - Ash Road Foray - Raiders from afar descend upon the frontier strongpoints of the Heartblood Sea. - 2,5, 11

The Long March - Ash Road Foray - An army is forced to traverse the hostile and fire-blasted wilds of the Parch to reach a safe haven. - 3, 4, 10

Seizure of the Everblaze Pass - Ash Road Foray - Forces battle for control of a vital realmgate in order to secure a route to the heart of the Great Parch - 1, 6, 12

The Scorched Coast Landings - Firestorm Offensive - A fleet lands on the coast of the Gnaw and heads deep inland to seize a realmgate and destroy their foes. - 2,5, 7, 6, 12

Godsworn Delve - Firestorm Offensive - An army pillages a long-buried Stormvault before fleeing to the coast with their cargo of precious treasures. - 3, 4, 9, 5, 11

Shield of Aqshy - Firestorm Offensive - Reinforcements rush into Agshy to help secure the front lines and prevent disaster. - 1, 6, 8, 4, 10

The Harrying of the Parch - Domination March - A great army rampages across the Great Parch, subduing its rivals and seizing control of the lands. - 1-12

Joint Crusades

Occasionally, crusading armies with a common cause might form temporary alliances or fractious coalitions. Joint Crusades are events for teams with an equal number of players whose armies are fighting alongside one another on an Aqshian Crusade.

Before starting a Joint Crusade, the event organiser picks a number of Aqshian Crusades of the same type equal to the number of players in a team divided by 2, rounding up. For instance, if there were 5 players in each team, they would pick 3 crusades. The same crusade can be picked more than once. The event organiser then numbers the crusades they picked (see ‘Preparing for Battle’). Battles will be fought using the battleplans in those Aqshian Crusades.

Rounds

A Joint Crusade comprises a number of rounds. We recommend 3 rounds for a 1-day event and 5 rounds for a 2-day event.

In each round, the teams are drawn against each other (either randomly or by using a format such as the Swiss system) and each player in a team is paired with a player in the team they are drawn against. The ‘Pairing Armies’ section contains an example method for pairing players.

Preparing For Battle

In the first round, the first two players from each team to be paired play the first battleplan in Aqshian Crusade 1, the next two play the first battleplan in Aqshian Crusade 2, and so on.

In the second round, the first two players from each team to be paired play the second battleplan in Aqshian Crusade 1, the next two play the second battleplan in Aqshian Crusade 2, and so on.

Repeat this sequence for each round. If there are more rounds than battleplans in an Aqshian Crusade, cycle through the battleplans in that crusade again from the beginning.

Pairing Armies

During a Joint Crusade, you will find that some players’ armies are better suited to certain battleplans than others. Your team must work together to ensure the right armies are fighting the right battles. To decide which armies will be fighting on which battleplan, follow these steps at the start of each round. We recommend writing the names of each army on your team on separate cards to create a hand of cards to use in this process.

1.  Each team secretly picks 1 of the armies in their hand to be the guarding army for that battleplan. The guarding armies are then revealed simultaneously.

2.  Each team presents 2 of their non-guarding armies to be prospective invading armies against the opposing team’s guarding army.

3.  Each team picks 1 of the opposing team’s invading armies to be paired with their guarding army, revealing their choices simultaneously. The army that was not picked is returned to their team’s hand.

4.  Repeat steps 1-3 until each team is left with either 1 or 2 unpaired armies in their hand.

• If each team has 2 unpaired armies left, follow step 1, then each team’s guarding army is automatically paired with the opposing team’s remaining army.
• If each team has 1 unpaired army left, those armies are automatically paired.

Glorious Alliance

At the end of each round, add up the victory points earned by all players on your team. The team with the highest total wins the round!

Core

• Warhammer Age of Sigmar Core Book
• General’s Handbook 2026-27
• Warhammer Age of Sigmar Faction Packs
• Battle Profiles & Rules Updates
• Battletome publications, excluding Warhammer Legends rules

Battletomes

Throughout this edition of Warhammer Age of Sigmar, we will be releasing battletomes for each faction. Battletomes contain additional and/or updated faction rules, which include battle traits, battle formations and enhancements. When a battletome is released, it will supersede the rules set out in the Faction Pack for that faction.

Digital Updates

We sometimes release digital updates on warhammer-community.com. When we do, we will say whether that rules set is legal for use and, if so, in which types of battlepacks it can be used.

Battlescrolls

Battlescrolls are rules updates that focus on balancing the game meta more actively. Sometimes they are simply useful summaries of corrections that also appear in the relevant errata documents. At other times, they appear as sets of entirely new rules that, while not compulsory, are highly recommended for use in Matched Play battles. The rules in battlescrolls will always be used at official Warhammer Age of Sigmar events.

Errata

Periodically, we release errata documents for our publications that correct any errors. These include things like outright mistakes, rules that didn’t quite work the way we intended them to, and rules that have had an unforeseen and undesirable impact on the game meta. The errata documents are considered to be part of the publications that they are correcting, so we don’t list them separately here.

Season Rules 2026-27

When fighting battles using the General’s Handbook 2026-27 battlepack, both players can use the following abilities:

1.0 Battle Tactics Overview

During a battle, each player can score extra victory points by completing battle tactics from a battle tactics card. You can pick up to 2 battle tactics cards for your army during army composition, and the battle tactics cards you pick must be marked on your army roster.

Before deployment, you must tell your opponent which battle tactics cards you have picked for your army.

Each battle tactics card has 3 battle tactics: 1 Affray battle tactic, 1 Strike battle tactic and 1 Domination battle tactic. You must complete the Affray battle tactic on that card before you can complete the Strike battle tactic on that card. Similarly, you must complete the Strike battle tactic on that card before you can complete the Domination battle tactic on that card.

You can complete 1 battle tactic on each of your battle tactics cards at the end of each of your turns, unless specified otherwise on that battle tactics card. If, at the end of your turn, you have met the conditions for completing a battle tactic and you can complete it, you must complete it.

2.0 Seizing the Initiative

If the player who went second in the previous battle round wins the priority roll and chooses to go first, unless their opponent is leading by 11 or more victory points, it is called seizing the initiative.

When a player seizes the initiative, their opponent always counts as the underdog until that opponent seizes the initiative.

A player who seizes the initiative cannot complete any battle tactics in that turn.

3.0 Completing Battle Tactics

If, at the end of your turn, you have completed a battle tactic as described above, you score the number of victory points shown for that battle tactic.

Battle Tactics Card 1 - Blazing Onslaught

At the start of the battle, after using all Deployment Phase abilities but before determining which player will take the first turn, your opponent must pick 1 non-FACTION TERRAIN terrain feature within their territory to be their hideout. The hideout cannot be removed from the battlefield at any point during the battle.

Battle Tactics Card 2 - Siege of Ashes

Battle Tactics Card 3 - Flanking Firestorm

Battle Tactics Card 4 - Smokescreen

Battle Tactics Card 5 - Burning for Vengeance

At the start of the battle, after using all Deployment Phase abilities but before determining which player will take the first turn, pick an enemy HERO on the battlefield or in reserve to be the fugitive for the rest of the battle.

Battle Tactics Card 6 - Legend of the Parch

Overview

The battleplan maps show the player territories and the locations where terrain and objectives should be placed on the battlefield.

Player Territories

Each battleplan map shows two territories: one red (Attacker’s Territory) and one blue (Defender’s Territory).

Objectives Locations

The locations of Aqshian objectives are indicated on the battleplan maps by the following icons.

Sun Seekers

Golden Lions

Heldenhain

Scions of the Comet

Each icon represents the Aqshian objective including its control zone. Where an objective icon is shown on the map, you must place the corresponding objective marker on the battlefield centred on the location of the objective icon shown on the map. For example, where the map shows a Heldenhain objective icon, place a Heldenhain objective on the battlefield in that location.

Terrain Locations

The terrain location icons show where terrain features should be set up and what type of terrain should be placed in each terrain location. The following key shows which terrain features correspond to which icons:

Battlefield Key

1. Cleansing Aqualith (M Place of Power)

2. Domicile Shell (S Obstacle)

3. Nexus Syphon (S Place of Power)

4. Wyldwood (M Obscuring Terrain)

5. Guardian Idol (S Obstacle)

6. Sun Seekers Objective (Aqshian Objective)

Into the Fire

Battleplan 1 (Table 1)

Twist

Both players’ armies have the ‘Secure the Gateway’ ability. While you are the underdog, your army has the ‘Determined Defenders’ ability.

Each player scores victory points at the end of each of their turns as follows:

• Score 3 victory points if you control at least 1 objective.
• Score 3 victory points if you control 2 or more objectives.
• Score 4 victory points if you control more objectives than your opponent.

Bloodstained Coasts

Battleplan 2 (Table 1)

Twist

From the second battle round onwards, both players can use the following abilities:

Each player scores victory points at the end of each of their turns as follows:

• Score 3 victory points if you control at least 1 objective.
• Score 3 victory points if you control 2 or more objectives.
• In the first battle round, score 4 victory points if you control more objectives than your opponent.
• From the second battle round onwards, score 4 victory points if you control an objective that was controlled by your opponent at the start of the turn.

Avalanche of Ash

Battleplan 3 (Table 1)

Twist

If you are the underdog, you must use the following ability:

Each player scores victory points at the end of each of their turns as follows:

• Score 3 victory points if you control at least 1 objective.
• Score 3 victory points if you control 2 or more objectives.
• Score 4 victory points if you control more objectives than your opponent.
• Score 3 victory points if there is no more than 1 objective on the battlefield and you control a non-FACTION TERRAIN terrain feature within enemy territory.
• Score 7 victory points if there are no objectives on the battlefield and you control more non-FACTION TERRAIN terrain features than your opponent.

Caverns of Slaughter

Battleplan 4 (Table 1)

Twist

If you are the underdog, you can use the ‘Shifting Passages’ ability. Both players can use the ‘Navigate the Tunnels’ ability.

Each player scores victory points at the end of each of their turns as follows:

• Score 3 victory points if you control at least 1 objective.
• Score 3 victory points if you control 2 or more objectives.
• Score 4 victory points if you control any pairs of objectives.

What's Yours is Ours

Battleplan 5 (Table 1)

Twist

While the battle round number is odd, the pair of Golden Lions objectives is the coveted pair of objectives.

While the battle round number is even, the pair of Sun Seekers objectives is the coveted pair of objectives.

If you are the underdog, you can use the following ability:

Each player scores victory points at the end of each of their turns as follows:

• Score 3 victory points if you control at least 1 objective.
• Score 3 victory points if you control the coveted pair of objectives.
• Score 4 victory points if you control more objectives than your opponent.

Hidden Under Ash-Clouds

Battleplan 6 (Table 1)

Twist

At the start of each battle round, the underdog must pick whether or not the ash‑clouds are low-lying. If there is no underdog, the ash-clouds are low-lying.

The following passive ability applies this battle:

Each player scores victory points at the end of each of their turns as follows:

• Score 3 victory points if you control at least 1 objective.
• Score 3 victory points if you control 2 or more objectives.
• Score 4 victory points if you control more objectives than your opponent.

Warped Ruins

Battleplan 7 (Table 2)

Each non-FACTION TERRAIN terrain feature must be set up within 12" of at least 1 other non-FACTION TERRAIN terrain feature.

Twist

If you are the underdog, you must use the following ability:

Each player scores victory points at the end of each of their turns as follows:

• Score 3 victory points if you control at least 1 objective.
• Score 3 victory points if you control any pairs of objectives.
• Score 4 victory points if you control more objectives than your opponent.

Curse of the Gnaw

Battleplan 8 (Table 2)

Twist

At the start of the battle, the instability level is 1. Each time either player uses the ‘Activate Place of Power’ ability, add 1 to the instability level, to a maximum of 6.

After deciding who will take the first turn, the underdog can use the following ability:

Each player scores victory points at the end of each of their turns as follows:

• Score 3 victory points if you control the Golden Lions objective.
• Score 3 victory points if you control the Sun Seekers objective.
• Score 4 victory points if you control more objectives than your opponent.

Seize the Embers

Battleplan 9 (Table 2)

Twist

Both players can use the following abilities:

Each player scores victory points at the end of each of their turns as follows:

• Score 3 victory points if you control at least 1 objective.
• In the first battle round, score 3 victory points if you control 2 or more objectives.
• From the second battle round onwards, score 3 victory points if you used the ‘Back to Base Camp’ ability this turn.
• Score 4 victory points if you control more objectives than your opponent.

Treacherous Ground

Battleplan 10 (Table 2)

Twist

At the start of the battle, all objectives are stable.

Both players must use the ‘Tread Carefully’ ability. Then, from the second battle round onwards, if you are the underdog, you can use the ‘Violent Tremor’ ability.

Each player scores victory points at the end of each of their turns as follows:

• Score 3 victory points if you control at least 1 stable objective.
• Score 3 victory points if you control 2 or more stable objectives.
• Score 4 victory points if you control more stable objectives than your opponent.

Escape From the Coast

Battleplan 11 (Table 2)

Twist

If you are the underdog, you can use the following ability:

Each player scores victory points at the end of each of their turns as follows:

• Score 3 victory points if you control at least 1 objective.
• Score 3 victory points if you control 2 or more objectives.
• Score 4 victory points if you control more objectives than your opponent.

Power of the Realms

Battleplan 12 (Table 2)

Twist

At the start of the battle, the Sun Seekers objective is the primary objective and the other objectives are secondary objectives.

If you are the underdog, you can use the following ability:

Each player scores victory points at the end of each of their turns as follows:

• Score 3 victory points if you control the primary objective.
• Score 3 victory points if you control 2 or more secondary objectives.
• Score 4 victory points if you control more objectives than your opponent.