Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Warcry Starter Set
Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Warcry Starter Set Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
A Warcry Battle
Warcry is a miniatures skirmish game played between two or more players. Each game of Warcry is referred to as a battle. The steps involved in fighting a battle are summarised below.
1. Warbands are Picked — Each player picks a faction, and then they pick fighters from that faction to make up their warband. There are many different factions to choose from and hundreds of different fighters, each with their own unique strengths. Picking the right combination is crucial for victory!
2. Battleplans are Drawn — Every battle is fought according to a battleplan. This determines the battlefield terrain, the deployment of the warbands, the victory condition the warbands must achieve to win, and any twists in play, such as treacherous weather or wild magic!
3. The Battle is Fought — A battle consists of a series of battle rounds in which players take it in turns to activate fighters from their warband. Once you are familiar with the rules, a battle can be played in under 1 hour.
4. The Victor is Determined — When the battle ends, one player will be crowned the victor!
Core Rules
The following rules explain how to play a game of Warcry, taking you through every step of fighting a brutal battle within the blood-soaked depths of the Gnarlwood.
Fighters and Warbands
In a Warcry battle, each player controls a group of Citadel Miniatures referred to as fighters. Collectively, all the fighters one player controls are referred to as a warband, and in a battle, players' warbands are pitched against each other. Most Citadel Miniatures are mounted upon a base; a miniature's base is treated as part of the fighter.
Friendly and Enemy Fighters
A player considers all fighters in their warband to be friendly fighters and all fighters in other warbands to be enemy fighters. Likewise, a fighter considers all other fighters in their warband to be friendly fighters, and all fighters in other warbands to be enemy fighters. If a rule for an action or ability performed by a fighter refers to 'other friendly fighters', it means fighters from that fighter's warband, excluding itself.
Fighter Profiles
Each fighter has a profile, which details their characteristics (their Move, Toughness and Wounds), the weapons they are armed with, and the runemarks they have. A fighter profile shows, for each weapon:
- Faction runemark
- Move characteristic
- Toughness characteristic
- Wounds characteristic
- Points value
- Fighter's first weapon, with Range, Attacks, Strength and Damage characteristics
- Range characteristic
- Attacks characteristic
- Strength characteristic
- Damage characteristic
- Fighter's second weapon
- Runemarks
Runemarks
Many rules in Warcry refer to symbols known as runemarks. You can find runemarks in many places; for example, each fighter has a faction runemark on their profile to indicate which faction they belong to, and up to 3 other runemarks to determine the abilities they can use and any other rules that apply to them. A full list of the different runemarks can be found in the Runemarks Reference section below.
The Battlefield
Warcry battles are fought upon a battlefield. This can be any flat surface upon which the fighters can stand. Warcry battlefield mats are 30" in length and 22" in width, and the rules are designed to work especially well with these dimensions, but any flat surface roughly 30" by 22" will be suitable.
The battlefield will be populated with one or more terrain features. If a rule refers to the battlefield floor, this includes only the flat surface the battle is played upon and not the terrain features. For example, if a rule requires a treasure token to be placed on the battlefield floor, it cannot be placed on a terrain feature. If a rule refers simply to the battlefield, this includes both the battlefield floor and the terrain features.
Tools of War
In order to fight a Warcry battle, you will need some six-sided dice and a ruler or tape measure marked with inches (").
Measuring Distances
Distances in Warcry are measured in inches ("), between the closest points of the bases of the fighters you are measuring to and from. If a rule requires something to be within a certain range of something else, they are considered to be within if the distance between them is equal to or less than the specified distance. If a rule requires a fighter to be wholly within, every part of that fighter's base must be within range.
Usually, measuring distances will take into account both the vertical and horizontal distance between two models, but in some cases a rule might specify to measure the horizontal distance or the vertical distance only. You can measure distances whenever you wish.
Dice
Warcry uses regular six-sided dice (sometimes abbreviated to D6). Some rules refer to 2D6, 3D6 and so on – in such cases, roll that many dice and add the results together. If a rule requires you to roll a D3, roll a regular six-sided dice and halve the total, rounding up. If a rule requires a dice roll of, for example, 3 or more, this is often abbreviated to 3+.
D66
Some rules will ask a player to roll a D66. To do so, roll a six-sided dice twice. The first roll determines the ten, and the second roll determines the unit. For example, if you rolled a 3 followed by a 5, the D66 roll would be 35.
Roll-offs
Sometimes a rule may require the players to make a roll-off. When this is the case, each player rolls a dice, and whoever rolls highest wins the roll-off. If there is a tie for the highest roll, make the roll-off again.
Re-rolls
Some rules allow you to re-roll a dice roll (for example, when making a hit roll), which means you get to roll some or all of the dice again. The rule that allows the re-roll will specify exactly how many of the dice can be re-rolled. A dice roll can never be re-rolled more than once.
Sequencing
In most cases, rules will be resolved one at a time. However, from time to time, rules may appear to come into play at the same time and it may be unclear as to which is resolved first. If this occurs in the combat phase, the player whose turn it is to activate a fighter chooses the order in which the rules are resolved; in other phases, the player with the initiative chooses. In any other case, the players roll off and the winner chooses.
The Warbands
Before fighting a battle, each player needs to pick their warband. To do so, they must first pick a faction for their warband. A list of the different factions and their runemarks can be found in the Faction Runemarks section below. Then, they must pick the fighters they wish to include in their warband whilst following these restrictions:
- The warband must include at least 3 fighters and no more than 15 fighters.
- All fighters in the warband must have the runemark of the faction that was picked for the warband (with the exception of allies, thralls and monsters – see the Allies, Thralls and Monsters section below).
- The first fighter included in the warband must have the Hero runemark. This fighter is the leader of the warband.
- No more than 3 fighters with the Hero runemark can be included in the warband (including the leader).
- The combined points values of all the fighters in the warband cannot exceed 1000. This is called the points limit for the battle.
Battle Groups
Battle groups are small groups of fighters that are set up together at the start of the battle. Each warband is divided into three battle groups: the Dagger, the Shield and the Hammer.
The defender divides their warband into battle groups first, followed by the attacker.
When a player divides their warband into battle groups, their fighters must be spread amongst the battle groups as evenly as possible. For example, if their warband had 10 fighters, two of their battle groups would need to have 3 fighters and the other would need to have 4 fighters.
The Attacker and the Defender
Once both players have picked their warbands, they roll off and the winner picks which player is the attacker and which player is the defender.
The Battleplan
Every Warcry battle is played according to a battleplan. The battleplan consists of 4 parts: the terrain map, the deployment map, the victory condition and the twist. In a standard battle, these 4 parts are generated by drawing battleplan cards.
Battleplan Cards
The players organise the battleplan cards into the following 4 decks and give each deck a shuffle:
- TERRAIN DECK
- DEPLOYMENT DECK
- VICTORY DECK
- TWIST DECK
Then, 1 card is drawn from each deck and placed face up. These 4 cards form the battleplan of the battle.
Setting Up the Battle
Once the battleplan has been generated, follow these steps to set up the battle:
Step 1 – The Terrain Step. Players set up the terrain features as shown on the terrain card.
Alternative Terrain Rules. If players do not have a set of battleplan cards or wish to use different terrain features from their collection, the following rules can be used to set up the battlefield terrain instead:
- One of the players sets up the terrain features on the battlefield in any arrangement they desire.
- There must be at least 2 terrain features in each quarter of the battlefield.
- Terrain is set up before any other battleplan cards are drawn.
Step 2 – The Deployment Step. The starting positions of fighters are determined by the deployment map. On every deployment map, there are 2 sets of 3 symbols: Dagger, Shield and Hammer. One set is in red; the other is in blue. These symbols are referred to as deployment points.
The deployment map also features an orientation mark, as does the terrain map. The deployment map is orientated the same way as the terrain map. When using the alternative terrain rules, the player who did not set up the terrain chooses how the deployment map orientates with the battlefield.
Once the deployment map has been orientated, the players roll off and the winner chooses who will be red and who will be blue.
Next, the attacker sets up their Dagger, followed by the defender. Then, the players set up their Shields in the same order, and finally their Hammers in the same order.
Each time a battle group is set up, all fighters from that battle group must be set up wholly within 3" horizontally of the corresponding deployment point of their colour. Fighters must be set up on the battlefield floor or a platform.
Reserve Battle Groups. If a deployment point for a battle group is labelled 'RND2' or 'RND3', this indicates the battle group is in reserve and will arrive mid-battle. Do not set up the fighters from reserve battle groups on the battlefield before the battle begins; instead, place them to one side.
Some deployment maps have reserve deployment points that are situated off the battlefield. In these cases, there will be a deployment line next to that deployment point. Deployment lines mark either the length of half a battlefield edge or the length of a whole battlefield edge. If a deployment point has a deployment line, fighters from that battle group must be set up wholly within 3" horizontally of the marked portion of the battlefield edge.
If it is ever impossible to set up all the fighters from a reserve battle group (for example, due to the positions of enemy fighters), each fighter from that battle group must be set up one at a time, as close as possible to their deployment point (if it is on the battlefield map) or deployment line.
Step 3 – The Victory Condition Step. The victory condition details what the players must do to win the battle and how long the battle will last. If the victory condition instructs players to do things before the battle begins, such as place objective markers or treasure tokens, those things are done in this step.
Step 4 – The Twist Step. The twist has a special rule that applies to the battle. If the twist instructs players to do things before the battle begins, those things are done in this step.
The Battle Begins
Once these 4 steps have been followed, the battle can begin!
Fighting the Battle
A Warcry battle is fought in a series of rounds referred to as battle rounds, each of which is split into three phases: the initiative phase, the reserve phase and the combat phase. Once all phases have finished, a new battle round begins. The victory condition will dictate after which battle round the battle ends and the winner is decided.
Battle Round Sequence
- Initiative Phase. Players determine who has the initiative during the battle round, and then they decide how to use their wild dice.
- Reserve Phase. In battle rounds after the first, reserve fighters may arrive on the battlefield.
- Combat Phase. Players take it in turns to activate a fighter in their warband.
Initiative Phase
At the start of the initiative phase, each player rolls 6 dice. These dice are the initiative dice. After rolling, each player counts how many singles they have. A single is a dice with a score that does not match the score on any other dice in that player's roll.
The player with the most singles has the initiative. In the case of a tie, the players roll off and the winner has the initiative.
The remaining dice are referred to as ability dice, and can be used to perform abilities in the combat phase. If 2 of your ability dice have the same score, it is referred to as a [double]. If 3 of your ability dice have the same score, it is referred to as a [triple]. Finally, if 4 or more of your ability dice have the same score, it is referred to as a [quad].
At the start of each battle round, any remaining singles and ability dice from the previous battle round are discarded.
Example Initiative Phase. It is the start of the second battle round. Both players begin the initiative phase by rolling their 6 initiative dice. Player A has two singles, a [double] with a value of 3, and a [double] with a value of 5. Player B has one single, a [double] with a value of 4, and a [triple] with a value of 6.
Player A has the initiative, and so now chooses how to use their wild dice. They currently have one wild dice, and choose to spend it to turn their [double] 5 into a [triple] 5, placing the wild dice next to their two 5's, with the matching value face-up. Now it's Player B's turn. In the last battle round, they chose not to spend their wild dice, and so now have two wild dice. They spend their first wild dice to turn their [triple] 6 into a [quad] 6 – the best score possible! They spend their second wild dice to add another single.
Player A and Player B now have an equal number of singles, so there is a chance that Player B will seize the initiative. The players roll off and Player B's gambit pays off – they win the initiative and choose to take the first turn in the combat phase.
Wild Dice
After the initiative has been determined, each player receives 1 extra dice known as a wild dice. A wild dice can be used during the initiative phase to add to either a player's singles or ability dice.
The player with the initiative first declares how they will use each of their wild dice, followed by the player who does not have the initiative.
Wild dice can be used in the following ways:
- A wild dice can be used to add 1 to the number of singles the player has. In this case, it does not matter what the score of the wild dice is. Any number of wild dice can be used in this way and are discarded at the end of the battle round.
- A wild dice can be used to turn 1 of your singles into an ability dice [double], to improve a [double] to a [triple], or to improve a [triple] to a [quad]. In this case, the score of the wild dice is set to match the score of the single or ability dice it is paired with. You cannot add multiple wild dice to the same single or same ability dice (e.g. you cannot turn a [double] into a [quad]). Wild dice that are used in this way and that remain at the end of the battle round are discarded in the same manner as your other ability dice.
- A wild dice can be saved to be used in a later battle round. If you choose to do so, place it to one side. In the next battle round, you can use that wild dice in addition to the one you gain in that battle round. Wild dice can be saved multiple times, and you can save multiple wild dice at once (for example, you could save up all your wild dice until the final battle round and then use them all at once!).
Seizing the Initiative. Once both players have declared how they will use their wild dice in the battle round, count the number of singles each player has once more. If the player without the initiative now has more singles than the player with the initiative, they now have the initiative instead. If the number of singles each player has is now tied (and was not previously), the players roll off and the winner has the initiative.
Reserve Phase
The reserve phase comes into play in battle rounds after the first. During the reserve phase, fighters in reserve battle groups may be set up on the battlefield. The deployment map will indicate which reserve battle groups come into play and in which battle round: 'RND2' indicates that the specified battle group will arrive in the reserve phase of the second battle round, and 'RND3' indicates it will arrive in the reserve phase of the third battle round.
Starting with the player with the initiative, players set up the fighters from the battle groups that are coming into play in that battle round wholly within 3" horizontally of their deployment point.
Combat Phase
In the combat phase, the players take it in turns to activate a fighter. The player with the initiative picks which player takes the first turn.
When it is a player's turn, they can activate 1 fighter in their warband. This is referred to as that fighter's activation. The player must pick a fighter to activate if they can, but cannot pick a fighter that has already been activated in that phase. If the player cannot pick a fighter (for example, if all their fighters have already been activated in that phase), they must pass. Then their opponent can activate a fighter or pass. Keep on taking turns to activate fighters until both players pass consecutively.
Actions
When a player activates a fighter, that fighter makes 2 actions chosen by the player from the list below. The player carries out the first action before deciding on the second. The fighter can make the same action twice in a row if the player wishes (for example, a move action followed by a move action).
- MOVE
- ATTACK
- DISENGAGE
- WAIT
Bonus Actions. Certain rules may allow for a fighter to make a bonus action. For example the 'Rampage' ability allows a fighter to make a bonus move action and then a bonus attack action.
A fighter can make any number of bonus actions in addition to their 2 actions.
Abilities
In addition to their 2 actions, a fighter can use 1 ability. An ability can be used before the fighter's 2 actions, or after either their first or second action. Abilities are explained in the Abilities section below.
Reactions
Lastly, fighters can make reactions during an enemy fighter's activation, such as countering an attack or ducking for cover. Reactions are explained in the Reactions section below.
Ending the Battle
The victory condition will dictate after which battle round the battle ends and which player is declared the winner. When the battle ends, if neither player has achieved the victory condition, the battle is a draw and neither player wins.
Move Actions
Fighters can move across the battlefield by making a move action. Every fighter has a Move characteristic, shown on their profile, which determines the number of inches a fighter can move in total in a single move action.
When a fighter makes a move action, there are 4 ways in which they can move: move normally, jump, climb and fly. A fighter can move in any combination of these ways as part of a single move action, so long as the total distance in inches moved does not exceed the fighter's Move characteristic.
As a fighter moves across the battlefield, they can pivot freely so long as at the end of the move action no part of the fighter is further from its starting position than a number of inches equal to its Move characteristic.
There are general limitations a fighter must adhere to when making a move action:
- A fighter cannot move through other fighters.
- A fighter cannot move through any part of a terrain feature.
- No part of a fighter can move over the battlefield edge.
- A fighter cannot start a move action if they are within 1" of any enemy fighters. They must make a disengage action instead if they wish to move away.
Moving Normally
During a move action, a fighter can move normally whenever the centre of their base is on the battlefield floor or on a platform. When a fighter moves normally, the centre of their base must remain on the battlefield floor or a platform at all times, unless they are moving over low terrain.
Jumping
During a move action, a fighter can jump. If they do so, the fighter moves in a straight line horizontally through the air, and can move any distance vertically downwards through the air.
When a fighter jumps, count the horizontal distance moved towards the number of inches that fighter can move in total in that move action as normal, but do not count the distance moved vertically downwards. However, if the fighter moves 2" or more vertically downwards when jumping, they suffer impact damage at the end of that move action.
If a fighter finishes their move action still in the air, immediately move them vertically downwards until a part of their base is either on or touching part of a terrain feature or the battlefield floor. If the fighter moves 2" or more vertically downwards in this manner, they suffer impact damage.
Climbing
During a move action, if a fighter is touching a part of a terrain feature that is an obstacle, they can begin to climb. While climbing, a fighter can move vertically up or down through the air as well as horizontally, but they must stay within ½" of the obstacle they are climbing at all times. Once a fighter begins to climb, they are said to be climbing until the centre of their base is on the battlefield floor or a platform, or until they jump or fly. A fighter can finish a move action while climbing, but if they are still climbing when their activation ends, they fall.
Fighters with the Mount runemark cannot climb, with the exception of climbing stairs.
Flying
Fighters with the Fly runemark can fly during a move action. If they do so, the fighter can move through the air vertically and horizontally. Count the horizontal distance moved towards the number of inches that fighter can move in total in that move action as normal, but do not count the distance moved vertically. Flying effectively allows a fighter to pass over terrain features and other fighters.
Once a fighter begins to fly, they are said to be flying until the centre of their base is on the battlefield floor or a platform. A fighter cannot end a move action flying.
Falling
There are a few situations that can cause a fighter to fall.
Firstly, if a fighter finishes a move action with the centre of their base not on the battlefield floor or a platform, and they are not climbing, that fighter falls.
Secondly, if a fighter is still climbing when their activation ends, they fall.
Lastly, fighters may fall as a result of being attacked near the edge of a platform.
If a fighter falls, the opposing player picks a point on a platform or the battlefield floor that is within 2" horizontally of the fighter that has fallen and that is vertically lower than the fighter that has fallen. The fallen fighter is then placed with the centre of their base on that point.
The player cannot pick a point that would cause the fallen fighter to be placed on or through another fighter or through a terrain feature. If it is impossible not to do so, and the centre of the base of the fallen fighter is on a platform, they remain where they are. If the centre of the base of the fallen fighter is not on a platform, they are immediately taken down instead.
If the fallen fighter is now 2" or more vertically lower than their location before they fell, they suffer impact damage.
Impact Damage
If a fighter suffers impact damage, roll a dice. On a 1, allocate 3 damage points to that fighter. On a 2-3, allocate 1 damage point to that fighter. On a 4+, nothing happens.
Disallowed Moves
If a fighter's move causes them to break any of the limitations of move actions, it is referred to as a disallowed move. For example, if a fighter jumped and the vertical distance moved downwards caused them to pass through another fighter, this would be a disallowed move.
Fighters cannot make disallowed moves. If one occurs during a move action, place the fighter making the move action back at their starting position and choose a new direction for them to move.
Remember – as players are allowed to pre-measure any distances, you can plan your move action ahead to make sure it is not a disallowed move.
Attack Actions
Every fighter has 1 or more weapons detailed on their profile, which they use to make attack actions. Each weapon has 4 characteristics: Range, Attacks, Strength and Damage.
When a fighter makes an attack action, the characteristics of the attack action are determined by the weapon being used for that attack action (for example, the Strength characteristic of an attack action matches the Strength characteristic of the weapon being used).
To make an attack action with a fighter, follow these steps:
1. Pick a Weapon and Target
Pick 1 of the fighter's weapons to be used and pick 1 visible enemy fighter within range to be the target of the attack action.
If there are any enemy fighters within 1" of the attacking fighter, one of those enemy fighters must be picked to be the target. If there are no enemy fighters within 1" of the attacking fighter, you can pick any enemy fighter to be the target as long as they are within range of the weapon being used.
Lastly, missile attack actions (see below) cannot be made against enemy fighters that are within 1" of another fighter from the attacking fighter's warband – the risk of hitting your ally is too great!
Range. The range of an attack action is a number of inches equal to the Range characteristic of the weapon being used. For example, if the weapon being used has a Range characteristic of 3, an enemy fighter within 3" of the attacking fighter could be targeted by that attack action.
The Range characteristic of some weapons includes a minimum range and a maximum range. This means the attack action cannot target fighters that are within a certain range of the attacking fighter. For example, if the weapon being used has a Range characteristic of 6-20, the attack action can target a fighter within 20" but not if that fighter is within 6".
Melee Attack Actions vs Missile Attack Actions. There are 2 types of attack actions: melee attack actions and missile attack actions. The attack action's type is determined by the Range characteristic of the weapon being used. A melee attack action is an attack action made with a weapon that has a Range characteristic of 3 or less. A missile attack action is an attack action made with a weapon that has a Range characteristic greater than 3. If the weapon has both a minimum and maximum range, the maximum range is considered to be the Range characteristic when determining if it is a melee attack action or a missile attack action.
2. Roll to Hit
Roll a number of dice equal to the Attacks characteristic of the weapon being used. Each of these dice rolls is referred to as a hit roll.
Next, you will need to determine which of the dice have missed, which have scored a hit and which have scored a critical hit. To do so, compare the Strength characteristic of the weapon being used with the Toughness characteristic of the target fighter and consult the table below:
| Strength vs Toughness | Miss | Hit | Critical Hit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strength is greater than Toughness | 1-2 | 3-5 | 6 |
| Strength is equal to Toughness | 1-3 | 4-5 | 6 |
| Strength is lower than Toughness | 1-4 | 5 | 6 |
3. Total Damage
The Damage characteristic of a weapon has 2 values (divided by a '/'). These determine how many damage points are allocated to the enemy fighter targeted by that attack action. For each hit, allocate a number of damage points equal to the first value of the Damage characteristic. For each critical hit, allocate a number of damage points equal to the second value of the Damage characteristic.
For example, if a weapon with a Damage characteristic of 1/3 is being used and the attack action scores 2 hits, 1 critical hit and 1 miss, the total number of damage points allocated to the target fighter of that attack action would be 5 (1+1+3+0).
Allocating Damage. Once the damage of an attack action has been determined, the damage is allocated to the target fighter. Fighters can also have damage points allocated to them in other ways such as falling from height. Damage is allocated as follows:
- Damage points are allocated one at a time.
- If the number of damage points allocated to a fighter equals its Wounds characteristic, that fighter is taken down. Remove that fighter from the battlefield.
- A taken down fighter takes no further part in the battle – they cannot be activated, cannot make actions and cannot use abilities.
- When a fighter is taken down, any leftover damage points from the attack action are discarded.
Disengage Actions
If a fighter is within 1" of an enemy fighter, they can make a disengage action to move away. When a fighter makes a disengage action, that fighter can move normally up to 3" in any direction, but they must finish the action more than 1" away from all enemy fighters. If this is impossible, the fighter cannot use the disengage action and must use another action instead.
Disengage Actions vs Move Actions. Although a fighter moves as part of a disengage action, it is not considered to be a move action in any way. This means any abilities or rules that interact specifically with move actions do not interact with disengage actions. In addition, a fighter cannot jump, climb or fly as part of a disengage action.
Wait Actions
A wait action can be used in two ways. If a fighter makes the wait action as their last action in their activation, their activation ends. The wait action is used in this manner simply when the fighter has nothing else to do (for example, if they are not in range to attack and do not wish to move).
Alternatively, if a fighter uses the wait action as their first action in their activation, the fighter is said to be waiting. Place a wait token by the fighter to indicate they are waiting. If a fighter makes a wait action in this manner, their activation ends, but that fighter can be activated once more later in that combat phase. When that fighter is activated for the second time, they can only make 1 action in that activation.
Wait Actions and Abilities. If a fighter activates for a second time in the combat phase as a result of a wait action, they can use 1 ability in their second activation even if an ability was used the first time they activated. The ability can be used before or after the fighter's action. When a rule or ability refers to 'this fighter's activation', it means the fighter's current activation.
Abilities
Every fighter has access to one or more abilities as determined by the runemarks on their profile. A fighter can use 1 ability during their activation if the player activating that fighter has sufficient ability dice. The ability can be used either before the first action or after the first or second actions made by that fighter.
Each faction has a set of unique abilities. There are also 5 universal abilities that fighters from any warband can use (see below). Each ability requires either a [double], a [triple] or a [quad] in order to be used (see the Initiative Phase section above).
Once a fighter has used an ability, discard the ability dice used for that ability. You can use a [triple] for an ability that requires a [double], or a [quad] for an ability that requires a [triple] or [double], but if you do so, all of those ability dice are discarded.
Ability Values. If a rule refers to the value of an ability, this refers to the score shown on the ability dice used for that ability. For example, if a player has a [double] consisting of 2 ability dice with the score of '5' shown on each ability dice, the value of that ability is 5.
Runemarks. Many abilities can only be used by fighters with certain runemarks. If this is the case, the runemarks will be shown to the left of the ability on the ability table. For example, the 'Inspiring Presence' ability (see below) can only be used by fighters with the Hero runemark. The runemarks a fighter has can be found on their profile.
Universal Abilities
- [Double] Rush: Add 1 to the Move characteristic of this fighter until the end of their activation.
- [Double] Onslaught: Add 1 to the Attacks characteristic of melee attack actions made by this fighter until the end of their activation.
- [Triple] Respite: A fighter cannot use this ability if they are within 1" of any enemy fighters. Remove a number of damage points allocated to this fighter equal to the value of this ability.
- [Triple] Inspiring Presence: Pick a visible friendly fighter within 6" of this fighter that has not activated yet this battle round. You can activate that fighter immediately after this fighter's activation ends.
- [Quad] Rampage: This fighter can make a bonus move action. Then, they can make a bonus attack action.
Reactions
Reactions are things a fighter can do during an enemy fighter's activation. There are 3 universal reactions that can be made by any fighter, as shown below. In addition, a fighter's runemarks may grant them access to other reactions.
Each reaction states when the fighter can make the reaction. This is also the point when the fighter's player must declare that the fighter will make the reaction. For a fighter to be able to make a reaction, at least one of the following must be true:
- The fighter has not activated yet in the battle round.
- The fighter has activated but they are waiting.
No more than 1 reaction can be made for each action an enemy fighter makes. Each time a fighter makes a reaction, they forfeit one of their actions in that battle round. If a fighter has not yet activated in a battle round, they can make up to 2 reactions. If they make 1 reaction, when they later activate in that battle round, they can make only 1 action and cannot use the wait action to begin waiting. If they make 2 reactions, they are treated as a fighter that has already activated and cannot be picked to activate in that battle round.
If a fighter is waiting, they can make a reaction, but doing so means that they cannot be picked to activate a second time later in that battle round.
Universal Reactions
- Counter: A fighter can make this reaction after they are targeted by a melee attack action but before the hit rolls are made. For each hit roll from that attack action that misses, allocate 1 damage point to the attacking fighter. For each hit roll of 1, allocate 2 damage points to the attacking fighter instead.
- Take Cover: A fighter that is in cover can make this reaction after they are targeted by a missile attack action but before the hit rolls are made. After the hit rolls have been made, roll a dice for each critical hit. On a 4+, that critical hit becomes a hit instead. Fighters with the Mount runemark cannot make this reaction.
- Strike Them Down: A fighter can make this reaction when a visible enemy fighter within 1" of them makes a disengage action but before that fighter moves away. Roll a dice. On a 4+, allocate D6 damage points to that enemy fighter.
Terrain
In every Warcry battle, there will be 1 or more terrain features. Fighters can interact with terrain features in numerous ways when making move actions. This section introduces the other interactions fighters can have with terrain features, and also describes the different types of terrain features.
It is important to note that a terrain feature can be made up of multiple types of terrain as detailed in this section. For example, in the case of a ruined building, its walls would be obstacles, the upper floors would be platforms, it might have a door built into it, and any debris around it would be low terrain.
Terrain features are commonly made up of: obstacles, platforms, deadly terrain, unscalable terrain, stairs and archways.
Obstacles
The most common type of terrain is an obstacle. An obstacle is any part of a terrain feature that prevents a fighter from moving horizontally and that extends vertically 1" or more from the battlefield floor or the platform upon which it is placed. A wall is an example of an obstacle.
Low Terrain
Any part of a terrain feature that extends vertically less than 1" from the battlefield floor or the platform upon which it is placed is known as low terrain. When a fighter moves normally, they can move without penalty over low terrain. This means that any vertical distance moved while moving over such a part of a terrain feature does not count against the total number of inches fighters can move in that move action. In addition, low terrain is treated as part of the battlefield floor or the platform upon which it is placed.
Platforms
Another common type of terrain feature is a platform. A platform is a horizontally flat surface on a terrain feature with a surface area larger than 1" by 1".
Falling Off Terrain. When a fighter within ½" of the edge of an open platform (i.e. an edge that is not enclosed by an obstacle, such as a wall) is targeted by an attack action, their controlling player must take a falling test for them after the attack action has been resolved.
To take a falling test for a fighter, roll a dice. On a 1, the fighter falls. This rule does not affect fighters with the Fly runemark.
Deadly Terrain
Spiked walls and fences, including those made from jutting rib bones, are deadly terrain. Deadly terrain is treated as an obstacle, but when a fighter begins to climb it, allocate D6 damage points to that fighter first. In addition, when a fighter is placed after falling, if they are placed within 1" of any deadly terrain, allocate D6 damage points to that fighter.
Unscalable Terrain
Another type of terrain is unscalable terrain. The following parts of terrain features are unscalable terrain:
- Statues
- Braziers
- Tree branches and foliage
- Fountains
Unscalable terrain is treated as an obstacle with the following exception: fighters cannot climb or move on unscalable terrain. If a fighter ends an action on unscalable terrain, they first suffer impact damage and then they fall.
Stairs and Ladders
Stairs and ladders are treated as obstacles, with the following exceptions:
- Fighters that finish their activation climbing stairs or ladders do not fall and can remain part way up (if it is not possible to physically place the fighter in their current location, make a note of where they are).
- When an attack action targets an enemy fighter that has ended their activation climbing stairs or ladders, the target fighter must take a falling test after the attack action has been resolved.
- Fighters with the Mount runemark can climb stairs.
Archways and Doors
A terrain feature may have archways or doors.
As part of a move action, if a fighter comes into contact with an archway or a door, that fighter can move normally through it even if the model or its base is too large to physically fit through (or it is blocked completely, as in the case of a closed door). This is an exception to the rule that states that a fighter cannot move through any part of a terrain feature.
To move through an archway or a door, first measure the distance in a straight line through the horizontal centre of the archway or door. If the fighter has sufficient movement to pass through the archway or door and be placed on the other side, they can move through it.
When fighters move through archways and doors, all other movement rules must still be followed (for example, they cannot move through another fighter).
Restrictions. Fighters with any of the following runemarks cannot move through archways: Monster, Mount. Fighters with any of the following runemarks cannot move through closed doors: Monster, Mount, Beast.
Bespoke Terrain. If you have any unique terrain features in your collection, discuss with your opponent before the battle begins what parts of the terrain feature are obstacles, platforms, unscalable, etc.
Cover
Obstacles and platforms can provide protection to fighters from attacks. When a fighter is targeted by an attack action, players must first determine if they are in cover. If a fighter is in cover, add 1 to their Toughness characteristic for the duration of that attack action.
Obstacles. To determine if a target fighter is in cover due to any obstacles, draw an imaginary line between the closest points on each fighter's base (for rules purposes, the line is considered to be 1mm wide). If the line passes through an obstacle, the target fighter is in cover.
If the fighters are more than 1" away from each other, do not count parts of obstacles within ½" of the fighter making the attack action (this represents fighters that have weapons with a longer range being able to aim around corners, through gaps in nearby terrain, and so on).
Note that the line drawn must pass through an obstacle and not simply over it.
Platforms. When a fighter on a platform is targeted by an attack action, they are in cover if the fighter making the attack action is 2" or more vertically below the target fighter.
Objectives and Treasure Tokens
Some victory conditions require the players to place 1 or more objectives and/or treasure tokens.
Objectives and treasure tokens are treated as part of the battlefield floor or the platform they are placed upon, meaning fighters can move over them and stand upon them. In addition, when measuring distances to and from objectives and treasure tokens, always measure to and from the centre of the marker or token. These rules also apply to all other markers and tokens that players are asked to place on a specific point on the battlefield.
Controlling Objectives
A player gains control of an objective if, at the end of a battle round, they have more friendly fighters within 3" of it than there are enemy fighters within 3" of it. Once a player gains control of an objective, it remains under their control until another player gains control of it.
Carrying Treasure
If at any point during a move action a fighter moves within 1" of a treasure token, the fighter can pick up that treasure. Remove the token from the battlefield. That fighter is now carrying that treasure. A fighter cannot pick up treasure if they are already carrying treasure. Fighters with the Monster runemark or Beast runemark cannot carry treasure.
If a fighter begins a move action carrying treasure, subtract 2 from their Move characteristic for that move action (to a minimum of 3) and they cannot fly during that move action. In addition, fighters cannot make disengage actions while carrying treasure.
Dropping Treasure
A fighter carrying treasure can use an action to drop the treasure. If a fighter carrying treasure is taken down, they automatically drop the treasure before the fighter's model is removed from play. In both cases, the player controlling that fighter picks a point on a platform or the battlefield floor that is within 1" horizontally of the fighter, visible to the fighter, and either vertically level to or any distance vertically lower than the fighter, and places the treasure token there.
Other Tokens
Other tokens might be used to help players keep track of the battle. For example, players might use damage tokens to track the damage points allocated to a fighter. If these tokens are placed upon the battlefield, they do not interact with the battle in any way.
The token types used in Warcry include: activation tokens, spent action tokens, wait tokens, battlegroup tokens, objective markers, treasure tokens, special tokens, and damage tokens.
Allies, Thralls and Monsters
This section details 3 special types of fighter that you can include in your warband when picking your warband for battle. For players new to Warcry, we recommend you fight a few battles first before using the rules in this section.
Allies
Allies are powerful fighters from other factions that can be included in your warband.
You can include any fighter with the Hero runemark or the Ally runemark in your warband as an ally if they meet the following criteria:
- Their faction runemark is different to the one chosen for your warband.
- Their faction runemark belongs to the same Grand Alliance (see the Faction Runemarks section below) as your warband's faction runemark.
You can include up to 2 allies in your warband. In addition, if the ally has the Hero runemark, they also count towards your limit of 3 fighters with the Hero runemark.
An ally cannot be the leader of your warband, so if your warband includes any allies with the Hero runemark, you must include at least 1 other fighter with the Hero runemark and who is not an ally to be the leader.
Allies and Abilities. Allies can use any abilities their runemarks grant them access to, including their faction's abilities.
Thralls
Thralls are beasts and other creatures a warband can bind to do their bidding. You can include any fighter with the Thrall runemark in your warband as a thrall if their faction runemark belongs to the same Grand Alliance (see the Faction Runemarks section below) as your warband's faction runemark.
You can include up to 3 thralls in your warband.
Thralls and Abilities. Thralls can use any abilities their runemarks grant them access to, including their faction's abilities.
Monsters
Monsters are gargantuan creatures that rampage across the battlefield.
You can include 1 fighter with the Monster runemark in your warband as a monster if their faction runemark belongs to the same Grand Alliance (see the Faction Runemarks section below) as your warband's faction runemark.
Monsters have special rules that apply to them in battle:
Damage Tables. Monster profiles often have characteristics marked '*' and a corresponding damage table. The value of these characteristics is based on the number of wounds currently allocated to that monster, as shown on its damage table.
Battle Groups. If your warband includes a monster, when dividing the fighters into battle groups, the monster is placed into 1 of the battle groups by itself and the remaining fighters in the warband are spread amongst the other 2 battle groups as evenly as possible.
Deployment. Because of their greater size, when monsters are set up during deployment, they only need to be placed within 3" of their deployment point instead of wholly within 3".
Activating Monsters. A monster is activated 3 times in a battle round instead of only once. However, each time it is activated, it can make only 1 action instead of 2. Each time a monster is activated, it can use 1 ability before or after its action.
If a monster makes a wait action, its activation immediately ends; the monster cannot use a wait action to begin waiting. In addition, monsters cannot make reactions.
Move Actions with Monsters. A monster can climb and jump like any other fighter. However, if at the end of a move action its base is not wholly on a platform or the battlefield floor, it falls. When a monster falls, any part of the monster's base can be placed on the point picked by your opponent instead of just the centre.
Monsters and Abilities. If any monsters are in play, all fighters except the monsters themselves and fighters with the Beast runemark can use the monster-hunting abilities shown below.
Monsters themselves each have their own ability table and cannot use universal abilities. In addition, monsters can use the monster abilities shown below.
Monster-Hunting Abilities
- [Double] Binding Ropes: Pick an enemy monster within 1" of this fighter and roll a number of dice equal to the value of this ability. For each 4+, subtract 1 from the Move characteristic of that monster (to a minimum of 3) until the end of the battle.
- [Triple] Go for the Eyes: If the next attack action made by this fighter this activation that targets an enemy monster scores any critical hits, subtract 1 from the Attacks characteristic (to a minimum of 1) of attack actions made by that monster until the end of the battle.
- [Quad] Taunt: Pick a visible enemy monster within 6" of this fighter and roll a number of dice equal to the value of this ability. If a 4+ is rolled on any of the dice, then until the end of the battle round or until this fighter is taken down, attack actions made by that monster must target this fighter.
Monster Abilities
- [Double] Monstrous Reach: Until the end of this monster's activation, do not count the vertical distance when measuring the range for attack actions made by this monster.
- [Triple] Drag and Maul: Pick a visible enemy fighter within 6" of this monster. Remove that fighter from the battlefield and set them up within 1" of this monster. Then, roll a number of dice equal to the value of this ability. For each 4+, allocate 3 damage points to that fighter.
- [Quad] Demolishing Rampage: Pick a terrain feature within 1" of this monster. In an order of your choice, place each objective, treasure token and fighter that is on that terrain feature, and on any other terrain feature that is on that terrain feature, on the battlefield floor in a location of your choice as close as possible horizontally to its current location. Then, in an order of your choice, each fighter placed on the battlefield in this manner suffers impact damage. Then, remove the terrain feature(s).
Example Battleplans
Two ready-to-play deployment maps and victory conditions are included below, each with its own labelled deployment map showing Dagger, Shield and Hammer deployment points for both players (with reserve battle groups marked 'RND2' where applicable).
Ley Lines
Victory Condition. Ley lines of power criss-cross this region. Siphon their energies before your rivals can.
Before the battle, 5 objectives are placed on the battlefield floor as shown on the deployment map.
During the battle, objectives are either dormant or awakened. At the start of the battle, only the central objective is awakened; the rest are dormant. At the start of each combat phase, the player who does not have the initiative can pick 1 dormant objective to become awakened. At the end of each battle round, each player scores 1 victory point for each awakened objective they control.
The battle ends after 4 battle rounds. When the battle ends, the player with the most victory points wins the battle.
Reaper
Victory Condition. Long have you waited to deliver vengeance upon this foe. Strike fast, and leave none standing.
At the end of each battle round, each player totals the points values of enemy fighters taken down in that battle round. The result is their blood tally. If one player has a higher blood tally, that player scores 1 victory point.
The battle ends after 4 battle rounds. When the battle ends, the player with the most victory points wins the battle.
Runemarks Reference
Below is a list of the main runemarks used in Warcry. These symbols appear on fighter cards, and they govern which weapons and abilities each warrior can use in battle. They are also found on battleplan cards, where they denote the specific environmental and strategic context of each combat encounter.
Fighters: Agile, Beast, Berserker, Brute, Bulwark, Champion, Sentience, Destroyer, Elite, Fly, Icon Bearer, Hero, Minion, Mystic, Scout, Trapper, Warrior, Monster, Mount, Thrall, Ally, Ferocious, Frenzied, Priest, Terrifying.
Characteristics: Attacks, Damage, Move, Range, Strength, Toughness, Wounds.
Weapons: Blast, Axe, Reach Weapon, Claws, Club, Dagger, Fangs, Ranged Weapon, Scythe, Spear, Mace, Sword, Unarmed, Hook, Bident.
Battleplan Cards: Terrain, Deployment, Victory, Twist, Orientation, Matched Play.
Treasure: Creature, Orrery, Realmstone, Potions, Skull, Supplies, Totem, Weapons.
Deployment: Dagger, Hammer, Shield.
Twists: Climate Environment, Fate, Magical Phenomena, Psychology.
Faction Runemarks
When you pick your warband, you must first pick a faction. Below is a list of all the factions currently in Warcry. Each fighter in Warcry belongs to one of these factions, as denoted by the faction runemark on their profile.
Grand Alliances
Every faction and fighter in Warcry belongs to one of the four Grand Alliances: Order, Chaos, Death and Destruction. The faction runemarks below are grouped by the Grand Alliance to which they belong. The Grand Alliance of a faction determines which fighters can be included as allies, thralls and monsters (see the Allies, Thralls and Monsters section above) in warbands from that faction.
Grand Alliance Order
Order, Daughters of Khaine, Idoneth Deepkin, Khainite Shadowstalkers, Kharadron Overlords, Lumineth Realm-lords, Fyreslayers, Seraphon, Sylvaneth, Stormcast Eternals Sacrosanct Chamber, Stormcast Eternals Warrior Chamber, Stormcast Eternals Vanguard Auxiliary Chamber, Thunderstrike Stormcasts, Cities of Sigmar.
Cities of Sigmar – City Runemarks: Tempest's Eye, The Living City, The Phoenicium, Anvilgard, Hammerhal, Greywater Fastness, Hallowheart.
Cities of Sigmar warbands work slightly differently to other warbands. When you pick a Cities of Sigmar warband, you must also choose the city from which they hail. For more information on City runemarks, see the Warcry Compendium.
Grand Alliance Chaos
Chaos, Beasts of Chaos, Blades of Khorne: Daemons, Blades of Khorne: Bloodbound, Disciples of Tzeentch: Daemons, Disciples of Tzeentch: Arcanites, Maggotkin of Nurgle: Daemons, Maggotkin of Nurgle: Rotbringers, Hedonites of Slaanesh: Daemons, Hedonites of Slaanesh: Sybarites, Skaven, Slaves to Darkness, Iron Golem, Untamed Beasts, Corvus Cabal, Cypher Lords, The Unmade, Splintered Fang, Scions of the Flame, Spire Tyrants, Tarantulos Brood, Darkoath Savagers, Horns of Hashut, Rotmire Creed, Chaos Legionnaires.
Grand Alliance Death
Death, Flesh-eater Courts, Soulblight Gravelords, Nighthaunt, Ossiarch Bonereapers.
Grand Alliance Destruction
Destruction, Bonesplitterz, Gloomspite Gitz, Ogor Mawtribes, Kruleboyz, Ironjawz.