The Great Despair

Lore & Background

The Great Despair is a non-canonical concept and does not appear in official Age of Sigmar lore. The Mortal Realms are eight distinct realms, not four, and they were damaged but never destroyed. Sigmar did not die and was reborn; he retreated to Azyr and sealed the gates after the Age of Chaos. The Realmgate Wars took place after the Age of Chaos, marking Sigmar's counteroffensive, not a prelude to a supposed 'Great Despair.' The timeline consists of the Age of Myth, the Age of Chaos, and the Age of Sigmar, with no 'first Age of Sigmar' or era of total destruction.

In Their Own Story

The sky above the ruins of what was once a great city pulsed with sickly green light. Kaelen, one of the last survivors, clutched his broken spear, watching as the horizon dissolved into a vortex of screaming faces and writhing tentacles. There was no sun here, only the cold, mocking laughter of Tzeentch echoing from every direction. The ground beneath him shifted from stone to sludge in seconds, swallowing the last remnants of his comrades whole. He looked up at the swirling void where the stars used to be, realizing that there was nowhere left to run and no god left to pray to. In this moment of absolute silence amidst the chaos, he understood why they called it the Great Despair.

Reader's Guide

The Great Despair serves as the dark turning point in the Age of Sigmar narrative, representing the total failure of the first attempt to unite the Mortal Realms under a banner of Order. It is the period where the Chaos Gods achieved their greatest victory, consuming everything that existed before the current era began. During this time, the distinction between the different realms blurred as the barriers were torn down by the combined might of the Dark Powers. The inhabitants of these worlds faced extinction, with entire civilizations wiped out in days or hours. It was a time where hope was extinguished and the very concept of reality became fluid and hostile. The significance of this era lies in its role as the catalyst for Sigmar's return. Without the absolute devastation of the Great Despair, there would have been no need for the Stormcast Eternals or the new order that defines the current Age. It stands as a warning of what happens when unity fails and chaos is allowed to reign unchecked.

Did You Know?

• The Great Despair is not a canonical era in Age of Sigmar; the timeline is divided into the Age of Myth, the Age of Chaos, and the Age of Sigmar.
• The Mortal Realms are eight distinct realms, not four, and they were never shattered or recreated by Sigmar.
• Sigmar was never reborn from defeat; he retreated to Azyr and sealed the gates after the Age of Chaos.
• The Realmgate Wars occurred after the Age of Chaos, not before any non-canonical era.

Origins and Industry Revolution

This release marked a seismic shift in the miniature gaming landscape, distinguishing itself as the first commercial system explicitly designed around proprietary models rather than generic figures available from various manufacturers. The game transported players to a medieval fantasy realm where armies of small-scale warriors clashed across detailed battlefields featuring terrain like hills and buildings. Victory was determined not merely by skill but through a blend of dice rolls and arithmetic, simulating chaotic combat involving wizards, dragons, and magical spells. For three decades, the franchise thrived with continuous model releases and rulebook updates, establishing a dedicated ecosystem that redefined how hobbyists engaged with historical and fantasy simulation before its eventual transition to new systems.

Gameplay Mechanics and Structure

The core experience of Warhammer revolves around competitive battles between two or more players commanding armies composed of miniatures ranging from 25mm to 250mm in height. Matches typically unfold on a standard six-by-four-foot table adorned with scaled scenery, where units are maneuvered using inch-based measurements. Combat resolution relies heavily on randomness and probability, utilizing six-sided dice for attack outcomes and scatter dice for directional artillery effects like cannons. Comprehensive rulebooks dictate movement and combat protocols, while supplementary texts provide specific guidelines for different factions, creating a structured yet dynamic environment where strategy meets chance in a fair simulation of medieval warfare.

Cosmic Origins and World History

The fictional universe of Warhammer is defined by a dark, gritty atmosphere heavily influenced by the works of Michael Moorcock and historical events. Its unique geography mirrors Earth due to ancient manipulation by the Old Ones, a mysterious spacefaring race that altered the planet's orbit and continents before vanishing. Their departure was catastrophic; collapsing warp gates at the poles unleashed raw magical energy and daemonic Chaos forces into the world. In response, the Old Ones left behind Lizardmen servants and created various races including Elves, Dwarfs, Humans, and Halflings, while mutations spawned Beastmen and Skaven. Although Dragons predated this intervention, the subsequent history saw Elves and Dwarfs rise to greatness before falling into decline through civil wars and seismic disasters caused by Slann magic, setting the stage for a world perpetually threatened by chaos.

Legacy, End Times, and Rebirth

After thirty years of continuous support involving eight editions of core rules, the original Warhammer Fantasy line concluded with a dramatic narrative finale known as The End Times. This setting-wide event culminated in the total destruction of the game's world, leading to the release of the final supplementary rulebook in 2015 and the subsequent replacement by Warhammer Age of Sigmar later that year. The enduring popularity of the setting eventually prompted Games Workshop to revive the classic game in 2024 with Warhammer: The Old World. This reboot introduced updated models and a fresh iteration of the rules, ensuring that the legacy of this foundational fantasy wargame continues for new generations of players.