The 9th Age

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The 9th Age is a community project created in response to the Skub (a fairly major understatement) that came about from End Times and Age of Sigmar in Warhammer Fantasy.

The project seeks to be a natural evolution of 8th Edition with balanced rules for every Warhammer model, and lore that reflects the army while being changed enough to avoid copyright issues. The team has a lawyer on retainer in case Games Workshop decides to sue, athough the wisdom of them doing so would be poor since it only serves to sell their models for them.

The game is in a constant state of production, with dedicated rules creation and balance being an ongoing effort that sees every army tweaked when a new faction is added to bets to ensure mimimum power creep or overpowering.

Lore is being carefully written to represent each faction at various points in Warhammer history, so any version of the lore you prefer is represented. In addition, all lore is presented as an account so fans can disregard anything they dislike and count their own favored interpretation.

Core Rules Changes

Click "Expand" so see the complete list of core rule changes

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• Anytime part of a model has a separate profile or is otherwise unique such as Crew for War Machines, it is referred to as a "Model Part".
• The final Rank in a Unit can have empty spaces as long as it is aligned with the other Ranks.
• If two effects happen simultaneously, the player who's turn it is must choose first. Players who have multiple simultaneous effects choose what order they happen in. For example, rules that take place at the start of the Magic Phase.
• An ordinary D6 may be used as a Scatter Dice. 1 and 6 are Hits, and any other result is an arrow pointing the direction the 1 side is facing.
• Models are grouped into Height based on what type of model they are. Small is Infantry, War Beasts, Swarms, and War Machines. Medium is Cavalry, Monstrous Infantry, Monstrous Cavalry, and Chariots. Large models are specifically designated as Large Target in their rules.
• Line of Sight is anything in a model's front arc not behind Obscuring Terrain or a model that is larger than both target and the observing model. For example a Small model can see a Large model even if there is a Medium model between them, but a Small model cannot see another Small model if a Medium or Large model is between them. Models in the same Unit do not block each other, regardless of their sizes.
• Models can move within 1/2 inch of anything, but must still try to end their turn at least more than 1 inch from all other models not in Close Combat with them and all Impassible Terrain. In circumstances where there is no option or a rule allows it then models may come within a shorter distance to friendly Units or terrain, but base contact between enemies can only occur if a Charge put them into Close Combat.
• Models with 0 Toughness take a Wound on a 2+.
• When multiple Leadership values are available for the same Unit, players may choose which to use for a test.
• Number modifiers are applied in the following order: first, borrowed modifiers such as Inspiring Presence or modifiers set to a certain value as a result of something such as a failed Fear Test. Second, multiplications such as halved or doubled stats, fractions always rounded up unless otherwise indicated. Finally, addition or subtraction such as gaining a +1 or -3.
• Some models have decimal point values. This is rounded up when determining the total point value of a Unit. Some upgrades have two values listed. The first is the upgrade cost on a Lord, the second on a Hero.
• Core Units can only be duplicated a maximum of four times. Heroes can be a maximum of 50% of your army points, with a maximum of three of the same model. Lords can be a maximum of 35% of your army points, with a maximum of three of the same model.
• Some armies have rules which allow a model normally in one category to be taken in another, in which case they still count as duplicates from their original category but count their points as their new category. For example if a rule enables you to take Special category chariots as Core, you can still only have a maximum of three chariot Units but the Core chariots count towards your Core points while the Special ones count towards your Special points.
• All armies must have a minimum of four Units, regardless of points level. Characters do not count towards the minimum, and all War Machine models you field only count as a single Unit towards this minimum.
• Models or upgrades marked "Once Per Army" may only be taken once per army. Models or upgrades marked "One Of A Kind" can only be taken once per army unless playing at the Grand Army (4000+ points) size at which point they can be taken twice per army.
• Optional rules for a game type where magic items and upgrades are kept secret until used and revealed.
• Rules for generic battlefields and deployment positions determined by dicerolls if desired. One of these is Flank Attack, where one player has a longer deployment zone on the sides while the other player has a longer deployment zone in the middle.
• Rules for secondary objectives which award additional Victory Points. These are Hold the Ground (control the middle of the battlefield), Breakthrough (control the other side of the board), and Secure Target (both players mark a point on the board and both players try to control both points).
• Players decide at the start of the battle which one of them chooses which deployment zone they begin the game in. The other player is the one who actually deploys first. Players take turns deploying at least one Unit (but as many as they want on that same turn) until all of their models (barring those with special deployment rules such as Ambushing) have been placed. All War Machines and all solo Characters are deployed at once as if a single Unit. The player who finishes deploying first decides if they want to go first or second, and both players roll a D6 with the player who finished first adding the number their opponent's then undeployed Units to their roll. The player with the higher result goes first if the player who finished deploying first wanted to, or second if they wanted to go second. If a tie, the player who took longer to deploy chooses who goes first and second.
• Stand And Shoot can be used as a Charge Reaction even if the Charging Unit is outside their maximum range.
• Units Charge at the lowest Movement score in that Unit.
• If a Unit redirects a Charge at a second Unit due to the first one fleeing and the second Unit also flees, it may then choose to continue Charging either of the two Units but must choose which before rolling to do so.
• If a Unit Charges, it turns the orientation where the maximum number of models in that Unit were in that arc. For example, if an enemy Unit is Charging from the flank of your Unit but most of their models are in your Units Front Arc rather than the side they were Charging from, they orient themselves to fight face to face rather than attacking from the flank.
• When a Charge is successful, the Unit that is Charging moves into parallel base contact. If this is impossible due to Terrain or other Units, the Unit which is Charged moves to make this possible with the Charger moving the most and the Chargee moving the least possible. If the Chargee is already in Close Combat from a previous turn then it cannot move and the Charge fails. If multiple Chargers engage the same Chargee on the same turn, Units are pivoted so the most models are in base contact with the Chargee moving the least.
• Units that Charge a Fleeing Unit may make a post-combat pivot if they pass a Leadership Test.
• Enemy Units not currently in Close Combat cannot block a Charge to a different Unit by causing a situation where the Units cannot come into base contact with each other. Models are moved until the two Units are in base contact, with the Chargee and blocking Unit moving as little as possible. The exception is if Line of Sight is blocked to the would-be Chargee due to model size of the Unit between them.
• Units that have been reduced to >25% of their size since the battle began must make a Leadership test at a 50% penalty, rounded up, or Flee.
• A Unit that flees through an enemy Unit or Dangerous Terrain must take a Dangerous Terrain (3) test.
• Units can move backwards or strafe at half their Movement.
• Models may Pivot by being turned in any direction so long as the center of the Unit remains in the same place.
• When wheeling during Movement, no model can move/March further than its possible total allowed distance (so if a Unit Wheels around terrain and as a whole the Unit only moves its allowed 8 inches except for one model at the end which due to the angles technically would be moving 10 inches, then that move is illegal and cannot be made). If a Swift Reform is involved, distance is measured after said reform.

Magic Changes

Click "Expand" so see the summary of magic changes

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• Spells are grouped into Paths (Lores by another name) and each Path has six spells. Wizards roll a dice for each Wizard Level they have (some Wizards can take additional spells beyond their level), and knows a spell of the dice result. No numbered spell in your army can be known more than once. Signature spells, marked with a 0, can be learned by any and all of your Wizards by using one of their spell slots. If you roll a duplicate spell for any Wizard, you may instead specifically choose a spell that has not yet been taken. If all spells are already selected for that Path, only Signature spells may be taken with additional spell slots being lost.
• Wizards who are Level 1 or 2 are called "Apprentice Wizards" and add +1 to both Casting and Dispel rolls. Level 3 and 4 are Wizard Masters, who add +2 to Casting and Dispel rolls. All total casting or Dispel modifiers cannot exceed +3 unless a rule otherwise indicates or the spell is cast with Overwhelming Power.
• Augments only target friendly Units. Auras are spells that affect all models the spell specifies within a radius. Damage spells can only be cast on enemies not currently in Close Combat. Direct spells can only be used in the caster's Front Arc. Focused spells only affect individual models or Model Parts. Hexes only target enemy Units. Ground spells use templates. Permanent spells remain until the end of the game unless the spell indicates otherwise.
• Spells that use a line to figure out who is affected apply to all enemies under the line, and the line counts as a template.
• Vortex spells begin at the caster and move a D6 roll multiplied by the spell range value towards the chosen target location. Once the spell reaches the chosen destination it is removed from play and the spell ends.
• If a spell is cast on a Unit which then breaks into smaller Units, the spell continues affecting all models part of the original Unit when the spell was cast. Models that later join an affected Unit are not affected by the spell. If any model affected by the same spell Dispels it, all affected models have the spell Dispelled. If the original caster of the spell dies, the spell is removed as if it had been automatically dispelled in the next Dispel Phase.
• Winds of Magic is now "Magic Flux".
• No player may ever use more than 12 Magic Dice in the same turn. No player may ever gain more than 2 Magic Dice per turn outside of Magic Flux. No player may use more than 5 dice to cast any spell.
• To Channel Power Dice, roll D6 and add 1 for every non-Fleeing model with the Channel special rule. If the result is seven or more, add one extra Power Dice.
• Both players can attempt to Dispel Remains In Play spells during either player's Magic Phase, with the player who's turn it is currently not having the first chance. Remains In Play spells have to have been in play since the preceding Magic Phase before they can be dispelled. The Wizard who cast a spell can instantly Dispel it, while opposing players must use a Dispel roll. Dispel rolls are made using the same dice pool used to cast spells.
• Spells that affect Attributes must have which ones selected declared before casting.
• Wizards affected by Lost Focus cannot add bonus modifiers to their magic. They still suffer negative effects and modifiers.
• Spells automatically fail on a casting roll using a single power dice that results in a result of 1 or 2.
• Any magic roll with two or more natural 6 rolls is an Overwhelming Power result, which adds the total number of dice used to cast the spell and a D3 result to the result.
• No Miscast occurs if the enemy Dispels a spell during the casting.
• Miscasts are resolved by rolling 2D6 and consulting a table. All hits caused by a Miscast are Magic Attacks resolved at a Strength equal the total power dice used to cast the spell +2 with Armor Piercing (1). The Wizard who cast the spell cannot make saves of any kind against the damage, and the player's Dice Pool has a number of dice equal to the amount used to cast the spell removed.
• Dimensional Cascade on the Miscast Table is now Breach In The Veil, which has a 50% chance to kill the Wizard if four Power Dice were used in the spell, and instantly does if five Power Dice were used.
• Calamitous Detonation is now Catastrophic Detonation.
• Detonation is now Witch Fire, which deals one hit per Magic Dice used in the spell against the entire Unit, with no more than one (but not necessarily any) hitting the Wizard.
• Magical Feedback is now Sorcerous Backlash.
• Power Drain is now Amnesia, which reduces the Wizard Level by 2 instead of D3.
• Bound Spells cannot receive a modifier from Overwhelming Power.
• Bound Spells cannot suffer a Miscast. Magic Dice equal to those used in the spell are removed from the controlling player's Dice Pool instead, and if four or more were used that Bound Spell is lost for the rest of the game. Dispel attempts against the use of a Bound Spell have +1 to the Dispel roll of the other player, exceeding the normal modifier limit.