Age of Sigmar or The Old World: which fantasy game should you start?
Game facts checked 29 October 2026.
If you must choose blind, start with Age of Sigmar and a Spearhead box. The rules are free, and a game needs one boxed army per player plus a board and cards. Choose The Old World if you want large regiments, and accept that you buy a rulebook and an army list book, which holds your army's rules, as well as the models.
If people near you already play one of the two, choose that one. A local opponent matters more than any rules difference.
The two games side by side
| Question | Age of Sigmar | The Old World |
|---|---|---|
| Setting | The Mortal Realms | The Old World |
| How it plays | Squads of individual models. Models fight when within 3 inches of an enemy. | Built to simulate large regiments meeting in combat. A turn has four phases: Strategy, Movement, Shooting and Combat. |
| Quick format | Spearhead: one box per side, a 30 by 22.4 inch board, about an hour | Battle March: armies of 400 to 750 points, the limit on an army's size |
| Rules you buy | None for a first game. The app is free. | The rulebook and an army list book. Updates and corrections are free downloads. |
| Paints in the box | The Introductory Set has a brush and six paints | Battle March army boxes come unpainted, some assembly required |
What a first purchase costs
Worked from our live prices.
- Age of Sigmar, small: the Introductory Set at £34.76 (in stock) holds two forces, a mat, dice and paints.
- Age of Sigmar, Spearhead: a box such as Khainite Shadow Coven (in stock) plus the Sand and Bone gaming pack (sold out at the moment) comes to £109.81. Your opponent brings the other force.
- The Old World, Battle March: the Wood Elf Realms box (in stock), the rulebook (sold out at the moment) and Forces of Fantasy (sold out at the moment) come to £118.43, with the models unpainted. Your opponent brings a second army.
Our Old World shopping list explains why those two books are on it.
How to decide
- Find out which game your nearest club or friend plays. Borrowing a few models for an evening is a cheap way to test either game.
- Think about what you want on the table. Squads of individual models and quick skirmishes point to Age of Sigmar. Blocks of troops moving as regiments, with cavalry on the flanks, point to The Old World.
- Count what you will spend before the first game. Age of Sigmar needs no book. The Old World needs two.
- Pick one first. Buying both at once splits your painting time and can leave two half-finished armies.
Common questions
Is Warhammer: The Old World the same as Warhammer Fantasy Battle?
Not quite. Games Workshop describes The Old World as a new game designed from the ground up, inspired by several popular editions of Warhammer Fantasy Battle.
Is The Old World still being supported?
Games Workshop is still supporting it. It announced new Battle March boxes and released an updated rulebook in July 2026, and published designers' notes for The Old World on 23 October 2026.
Which is easier to learn, Age of Sigmar or The Old World?
Spearhead is the smaller climb. The rules are free, a force is one box and a game takes about an hour. The Old World asks you to buy two books before the first game.
Age of Sigmar rules: Warhammer Community (Games Workshop's news site), 27 March 2024 and 1 May 2024. The Old World: Warhammer Community, 30 October 2023, 17 July 2026 and 23 October 2026. Prices and stock: this shop.