Games Workshop has given the first preview of the new Warhammer The Old World rules, ahead of the game’s launch early in 2024. An article posted on the Warhammer Community website on Monday reveals the turn sequence for the game, breaks down the new Strategy phase, and gives hints at other parts of the rules.
We still don’t know the Warhammer: The Old World release date, though Games Workshop has confirmed it will be one of the first releases in 2024. GW gave some top-level information about Warhammer The Old World rules in a development diary in July 2023, but this is the first time we’ve had an in-depth breakdown.
Here’s what we know about the Warhammer the Old World rules so far:
Warhammer: the Old World Turn Sequence
Games of Warhammer: The Old World will be split into several rounds, with each player taking one turn during a round. A player’s turn is “broken down into four main phases: the Strategy Phase, the Movement Phase, the Shooting Phase, and the Combat Phase”, and “each Phase is broken down into four steps called Sub-phases”.
| Phase | What happens |
| Strategy Phase | Units use special abilities and makes special tests; wizards attempt to conjure enchantments and hexes; attempt to rally fleeing units. |
| Movement Phase | Declare charges and reactions, move charging units, compulsory movement, remaining moves and Conveyance spells |
| Shooting Phase | Shoot with missile weapons, war machines, and Wizards attempt to cast Magic Missile and Magical Vortex spells |
| Combat Phase | Units fight, Wizards attempt to use Assailment spells; units that lose combat may be driven back, or become broken and flee. |
Warhammer The Old World: Strategy Phase
The Strategy Phase is a new addition to Warhammer: The Old World. It’s broken into four sub-phases; Start of Turn, Command, Conjuration, and Rally Fleeing Troops. Here’s what happens in each sub-phase:
Monday’s article explains that the ‘Start of Turn’ sub-phase is used to resolve things like Stupidity tests for Stone trolls, or the ability of Night Goblin Fanatics to pop out of units of other goblins.
The preview also gives an example of a Character’s special rule. The Falcon-horn of Fredemund allows a Bretonnian Lord to force nearby enemy units to take Leadership tests, losing the ability to fly until the Bretonnian’s next Start of Turn phase if they fail.
Warhammer the Old World Magic
In Warhammer the Old World, magic isn’t resolved in its own phase like it was in earlier editions of Warhammer. Instead, wizards are able to use their magical abilities at different points throughout the turn sequence, depending on what kind of magic they are using:
| Phase | Spells |
| Strategy Phase | Hexes and Enchantments |
| Movement Phase | Conveyance |
| Shooting Phase | Magic Missile and Magical Vortex |
| Combat Phase | Assailment |
The Warhammer Community article from Monday reveals the Tomb King’s Enchantment spell Djaf’s Incantation of Cursed Blades. If cast, it allows friendly Nehekharan Undead within the caster’s Command Range to re-roll natural To-Hit rolls of one.
It has a casting value of 7+, though the article doesn’t reveal what this means; we’re guessing a 2D6 roll with a modifier based on the caster’s Wizard level.
Warhammer the Old World Morale
While Monday’s article doesn’t go into much detail about morale rules, it does discuss them in passing, even stating that the Warhammer: The Old World morale rules have more complexity than previous editions of Warhammer.
The first place this is evident is in melee combat: “units that have lost combat may be driven back, or become broken or flee”. This means that as well as buckling under the pressure of an enemy charge, a unit that loses combat might cede some ground, being pushed back from the battleline.
The article also explains how fleeing units can rally. Fleeing units take a Rally test at the end of the Strategy phase, rolling 2D6 and comparing it with their Leadership value. If they pass the test they’re allowed “a free reform move” – failure will see them make a compulsory flee move during the Movement phase.
Heavily damaged units will find it harder to Rally: “if your unit is under half strength, it gets a -1 modifier to its Leadership when attempting to Rally.” Units under 25% of their starting strength need to roll a natural double one to pass their Rally check.
If you’re an old Warhammer Fantasy player intrigued by these new rules, or someone who discovered the setting via Total War: Warhammer III, check out our guide to the Warhammer The Old World factions to learn what degree of support your favorite army will receive when The Old World launches in 2024.
Source: Wargamer
