Stormcast Eternals

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Lore & Background

The Stormcast Eternals originate from Azyr, the Realm of Heaven, where Sigmar rules over a domain characterized by bright skies and celestial bodies. These warriors were created specifically to combat the forces of chaos following the destruction of the "World That Was" during the End Times. The Mortal Realms, including Azyr, are interconnected by magical portals known as Realmgates, which allow for travel and conflict between diverse landscapes ranging from the wild beasts of Ghur to the volcanic fires of Aqshy. While the game features factions like the Flesh-Eater Courts and Nighthaunt serving Nagash in Shyish, the Stormcast serve as the direct counter-force in this cosmic struggle. Their existence is defined by their role within the Grand Alliance system, where they operate with a common goal to protect the realms, even if internal agendas occasionally clash.

In Their Own Story

In June 2021, the third edition of Age of Sigmar was released following the Broken Realms campaign series, which drastically altered the status quo of the setting. This era introduced an overhaul of the Battalion system and objectives alongside a new Path to Glory narrative campaign. Prior to this, in July 2024, the fourth edition arrived following the Dawnbringer Crusade campaign taking place in Aqshy, the Realm of Fire. During these conflicts, the Stormcast Eternals faced evolving threats within a setting defined by eight distinct winds of magic. The narrative shifted as the game moved away from early editions that used number-based balancing and absurd rules—such as re-rolls for players with impressive mustaches or pretending to ride imaginary horses—to more serious mechanics involving endless spells and refined summoning systems introduced in 2018.

Reader's Guide

Players command Stormcast Eternals using a ruleset designed to be easy to learn but hard to master, featuring simple basic actions like moving, charging, shooting, fighting, and casting spells determined by dice rolls. Advanced mechanics are found in unit-specific "Warscrolls" available for free via the Games Workshop website or app. In early editions starting in 2015, armies were built from multiple factions within a Grand Alliance without specific point values, relying instead on model counts where a side with one-third more models could choose a "sudden death" win condition. Later editions shifted to building mostly from individual factions with limited allies. The game emphasizes narrative play, encouraging story-driven scenarios and the recreation of battles from lore rather than pure competition.

Did You Know?

• The initial 2015 release of Age of Sigmar did not include point values for individual units, instead balancing games by model count.
• The second edition released in 2018 introduced reinforcement points for summoning and similar effects, along with endless spells.
• The fourth edition released in July 2024 saw the retirement of the Beastmen faction, while the Bonesplitterz were merged into the Orruk Warclans battletome.
• The game is set in the Mortal Realms, which were formed from the remnants of the "World That Was" destroyed during the End Times.

Origins and Evolution

The Stormcast Eternals appear in Age of Sigmar, a miniature wargame produced by Games Workshop that replaced Warhammer Fantasy Battle with its first edition in 2015. This new game simulates battles on flat surfaces like dining tables or floors decorated with terrain models. The initial release notably lacked point values for individual units, using model counts to balance games and introducing mechanics where summoning new units required dedication of reinforcement points similar to spellcasting. By the second edition in 2018, following the Malign Portents event, the game overhauled this system by eliminating reinforcement points and introducing endless spells. The third edition in June 2021 followed the Broken Realms campaign, while the fourth edition released in July 2024 after the Dawnbringer Crusade saw the retirement of the Beastmen and Bonesplitterz factions.

The Realm of Azyr

Azyr is the Realm of Heaven within the Mortal Realms, characterized by its bright skies and celestial bodies. It is ruled by Sigmar and serves as the home for the Stormcast Eternals, who are elite warriors forged from the souls of the worthy to combat chaos. This realm stands in contrast to others like Ghur (Realm of Beasts), Aqshy (Realm of Fire), or Shyish (Realm of Death). The realms are connected by magical portals called Realmgates, facilitating travel and conflict across the universe. The setting draws heavily on fantasy themes inspired by J. R. R. Tolkien and Michael Moorcock, featuring a mix of human and fantasy creature armies fighting with medieval weaponry and magic.

Gameplay Mechanics and Philosophy

Gameplay involves players taking turns to move, charge, shoot, fight, and cast spells, with outcomes determined by dice rolls. The initial 2015 release included absurd rules such as "Pride of the Reiksguard," which allowed re-rolls if a player had a bigger mustache than their opponent, or mechanics requiring players to scream warcries or keep straight faces against laughter attempts. Escapist Magazine noted these could be exploited by buying novelty mustaches. The second edition in 2018 removed these elements and overhauled the summoning system. By the third edition in June 2021, the game introduced a new Path to Glory narrative campaign and an overhaul of the Battalion system. The fourth edition in July 2024 continued these evolutions following the Dawnbringer Crusade.

Hobby Culture and Collecting

A large part of Age of Sigmar is dedicated to the hobby of collecting, assembling, and painting miniature figurines. Players use these models on flat surfaces decorated with materials representing buildings and terrain. The game's fantasy theme is heavily inspired by the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien and Michael Moorcock, featuring warriors that are a mixture of humans and creatures like elves, dwarves, and orks. The Stormcast Eternals fit into this world where armies fight with medieval-era weaponry and cast magical spells. While early editions had unique balancing methods, the core hobby remains centered on building and painting these figures to simulate battles across the diverse realms of Azyr, Ghur, Aqshy, Ghyran, Shyish, Ulgu, Hysh, and Chamon.