Age of Sigmar Value Added Boxes: Overview and Review

If you are just starting an Age of Sigmar army, or you want to expand your existing collection you may have considered buying a chunk of miniatures at a discounted price. Games Workshop comes at the rescue with Start Collecting sets, that are a group of miniatures belonging to an army combined together at a discounted price.

This is an overview of all Age of Sigmar value added boxes, previously called Start Collecting and now available in the new format called Vanguard.

Aside from the Start Collecting/Vanguard sets, Games Workshop occasionally produces limited edition sets, around a theme (like the recent Broken Realms campaign or with the new Regiments of Renown), an edition (like the recent Dominion box set for AoS 3.0 launch) or for Christmas (the famous battleforces). Since those are limited editions, whose availability can be from few minutes to few weeks, they are not considered here.

However, the value of each one can greatly vary from box to box; hence this article will try to explain which represent a good value and which are a hard pass.

Note that the new format for Age of Sigmar is called Vanguard box, similar to the rebranding in 40K to Combat Patrol. They represent a more expensive box but with the aim to provide more miniatures, and a solid base to reach easily your first 1000 points to have a small game of AoS.

At the end of the article, we will also have a summary page with all existing boxes.

Table overview of value added boxes: Explanation of table

In the table below you can see all of the different value added boxes for Age of Sigmar. It will give you the perfect overview of cost, savings, points values and a direct link to a shop where (based on your location) you can actually get the box much cheaper.

In the table you can see the following information:

• Box: name of the box. The link will be to my review/overview of that specific box.
• Buy box: if you like this tool, feel free to buy one of the boxes via the link provided here. I will get a small commission (no extra cost for you) if you buy something after you click a link.
• Review: provides a link to our review of the box
• Faction: the army/faction the box belongs to.
• Alliance: Which of the four Grand Alliances the faction belongs to.
• Price: the price in £ if you buy the box at the normal retail price (GW price).
• Price Ind.: The price in £ if you were to buy the individual units from the box separately (at GW price). Note that sometimes this is an approximation (when the box includes incomplete units or models that you can only get via the value added box).
• Discount: The discount in price if you compare the price of the box with buying each unit individually (with GW prices).
• Models: the number of models in the box
• Inc.: the number of models that do not make a complete unit (with the latest pitched battle profiles as reference).
• Alter.: quite a lot of units in the boxes can be equipped in different ways. This can either change the point value slightly for the unit or even make a completely different type of unit. This is the number of alternative builds in the box.
• Points: the points values if you build the units in the box like pictured on the front of the box.
• PpP: this is price per point (in this case the Pound per Point). It represents how much value each box contains, as higher values mean you need less purchases to get to 2000 points.

Chaos Age of Sigmar Value Added Boxes

Vanguard: Beasts of Chaos

This is a good starting place for a Beasts of Chaos army. It contains a hero you will need (the Great Bray-shaman), 2 battleline options and 2 conditional battleline. The only regret is that the hero is not the brand-new Beastlord, but otherwise it’s a great set.

The Ungors can be assembled as the melee Ungors (although they can be given a ranged profile) or the shooting Ungor Raiders. The Gors and the Bestigors represent the infantry and the elite infantry respectively, with the Bestigors even scarier with the new battletome.

The Dragon Ogors are a good unit even without the support of a Dragon Ogor Shaggoth that makes them battleline and they have some really powerful attacks.

Compared with the old Start Collecting, the absence of a monster is greatly replaced by the Dragon Ogors and the Gors, but being a horde army, you will need plenty of these units. But not so many Great Bray-Shamans, so it’s up to you if the discount allows for duplicate heroes or not.

• Faction: Beasts of Chaos
• Miniatures: 1 Great Bray-Shaman, 3 Dragon Ogors, 10 Bestigors, 10 Gors, 10 Ungor/Ungor Raiders
• Points: 500+
• Price: £85
• How much do you save?: £31

Start Collecting! Khorne Bloodbound Goreblade Warband

This box is half of the original Starter Set for Age of Sigmar that pitted Khorne against the Stormcast Eternals. As all starter sets it’s good value for money, but it contains mono-pose units with no interchangeable weapons. Blood Warriors and Bloodreavers in particular have much better options in their stand-alone boxes that in this box set (or in the new Vanguard box). The Blood Warriors new minimum size unit is now 10 making this only half unit and illegal in matched play.

At the same time, this is the only box where you can find all hero options contained in it (and the Khorgorath). Some of these heroes like Bloodsecrator and Bloodstoker are good options for any Khorne list, especially those focussed on the mortal side.

The Mighty Lord of Khorne can also be played as Korghos Khul, one of the original antagonist in the first version of Age of Sigmar.

If you are starting a Khorne mortal army this is a good starting point as there are 3 heroes, 1 elite unit and 2 more battleline units, but remember you will need to integrate with more boxes to obtain the missing options.

• Faction: Blades of Khorne
• Miniatures: 1 Mighty Lord of Khorne, 1 Bloodsecrator, 1 Bloodstoker, 1 Khorgorath, 5 Blood Warriors, 10 Bloodreavers.
• Points: 700+
• Price: £57.5
• How much do you save?: tricky as most units in this box are available only in this box. Blood Warriors and Bloodreavers are monopose and without the weapon options or command group available in their separate boxes.

Review of Start Collecting Khorne Bloodbound

Vanguard: Blades of Khorne

 Khorne’s Vanguard box in a certain way is an evolved version of the Start Collecting, with multi-part kits for both Blood Warriors and Bloodreavers. However, the Start Collecting is still the only place where to find some of those miniatures (see above).

On top of the considerations above, this Vanguard box contains an always useful Slaughterpriest and half of the Mighty Skullcrusher box (but enough to do a single unit of 3 models). Overall a good starting point that can be complemented with the Start Collecting to add some more heroes to the collection.

• Faction: Blades of Khorne
• Miniatures: 1 Slaughterpriest, 10 Bloodreavers, 10 Blood Warriors and 3 Mighty Skullcrushers.
• Points: 600+
• Price: £85
• How much do you save?: £43.5

Bonus – Combat Patrol: Chaos Daemons

While advertised as a Warhammer 40,000 combat patrol box, this box is absolutely fine for Age of Sigmar as it contains all valid profiles of Khorne daemons, in particular since the Start Collecting: Daemons of Khorne has been retired.

If you need to expand the daemonic aspect of Khorne armies, here you can found a Bloodmaster, 3 Bloodcrushers, 10 Flesh Hounds (2 units) and 20 Bloodletters (2 units).

Vanguard: Hedonites of Slaanesh

Slaanesh’ Vanguard box replaces the previous Start Collecting box removing all daemons from the set in place of the brand new mortal kits recently released.

The box contains a hero: the Shardspeaker of Skaanesh. The Slaangor Fiendbloods represent the more bulky and elite units, still not resistant, but can punch hard. This unit can also be used in a Beasts of Chaos army.

The Blissbarb Archers and their Homonculus represent Slaanesh on-foot archery range, while the Slickblade Seekers represent the light mortal cavalry that can alternatively be assembled as an ranged cavalry (Blissbarb Seekers).

• Faction: Hedonites of Slaanesh
• Miniatures: 1 Shardspeaker of Slaanesh, 3 Slaangor Fiendbloods, 10 Blissbarb Archers and 5 Slickblade Seekers/Blissbarb Seekers.
• Points: 600+
• Price: £85
• How much do you save?: £41.5

Vanguard: Disciples of Tzeentch

This Vanguard box, that replaces the previous Start Collecting exclusive to Daemons, nicely merge the mortal and daemonic side of the Disciples of Tzeentch.

The leader is a Magister on Disc of Tzeentch, a valuable leader for mortals, with the new rules almost a must-take.

The rest of the box however is pure gold with 2 battlelines and 2 conditional battlelines you will have plenty of opportunities to use most of the content of this box.

The mortals have Kairic Acolytes, improved since the 2nd edition, and the Tzaangors, now hitting harder.

The daemons, always useful to summon in case you don’t want to use them from the beginning, are a unit of Flamers and one of Screamers. Flamers have been the undiscussed protagonists of Tzeentch armies for a while now.

There are no alternative profiles and, aside some weapon options available for Tzaangors, they are all pretty straightforward. Still, with 27 miniatures and 5 units, this box is good value, and you could even consider buying a second box.

• Faction: Disciples of Tzeentch
• Miniatures: 1 Magister on Disc of Tzeentch, 10 Tzaangors, 10 Kairic Acolytes, 3 Flamers, 3 Screamers.
• Points: 700+
• Price: £85
• How much do you save?: £43.5

Vanguard: Skaven

The new Vanguard box for Skaven replaces the old Start Collecting that was more oriented on the Clans Pestilens side of the army.

This one contains a Grey Seer as a leader, 3 Stormfiends that are always useful in a Skaven army, 20 Clanrats that represent the main battleline and an artillery piece.

The Warp Lightning Cannon, that is a Skryre unit, can be assembled also as a Plagueclaw Catapult, that belongs to the Pestilens, while everything else is Masterclan.

This box represents a good saving if you are starting a Skaven army, as you will need many Clanrats to form the backbone of your army and Stormfiends are always good fighters. But you may not need many Grey Seers for repeating purchases of this box, considering also you get a free Grey Seer if you decide to assemble the Screaming Bell as a Plague Furnace (a different kit staple of this army).

• Faction: Skaven
• Miniatures: 1 Grey Seer, 20 Clanrats, 1 Warp Lightning Cannon/Plagueclaw Catapult, 3 Stormfiends
• Points: 700+
• Price: £85
• How much do you save?: £23.5

Vanguard: Slaves to Darkness

The Vanguard box replaced the recent Start Collecting box, adding the long awaited updated sprues that allows to change weapon options and add the command group with standard bearer and musician.

The Chaos Lord is a staple of Slaves to Darkness armies so having one is always useful given also his decent survivability.

The Chaos Chariot is an interesting piece that can be assembled alternatively as a Gorebeast Chariot. Both have some abilities that allow to distinguish them. Each can be taken as a unit of 1 or as a unit of 3, with the Chaos Chariot counting as battleline.

The Chaos Warriors updated sprues now allow all possible weapon loadouts available in their warscroll. While there has been a bit of cleaning (now it’s just murderous weapons or halberds), it allows also for customization of the different parts. Chaos Warriors are currently a good anvil unit so you can never have enough.

The Chaos Knights updated sprue allows them a command group with the musician that really helps their charge rolls. They have only one weapon profile now (except the unit champion that has 3), but they are extremely damaging especially on a charge.

Both Chaos Knights and Chaos Warriors are battleline for this army. In conclusion this is a good set, a great replacement of the previous one and an excellent starting point for a Slaves to Darkness army. Even buying the second box would not be a sin.

• Faction: Slaves to Darkness
• Miniatures: 1 Chaos Lord, 1 Chaos Chariot or Gorebeast Chariot, 5 Chaos Knights, 10 Chaos Warriors.
• Points: 600+
• Price: £85
• How much do you save?: £34

Vanguard: Maggotkin of Nurgle

This box is the first Vanguard box released for Age of Sigmar and replaces the previous Start Collecting Daemons of Nurgle.

It contains some really good options to any Nurgle army despite mixing mortals with demons. Plaguebearers are a solid option both as summons and as battleline, Spoilpox Scrivener is always a valid hero and the Pusgoyles represent now the fastest Nurgle unit.

The Pusgoyle set allows to build alternatively a single Lord of Afflictions, since the sprue is for 2 models you would normally be left with a spare Pusgoyle, but since AoS 3.0, there’s now a point cost for single model-units (cannot be reinforced, while the 2 models version could be).

Overall, it’s a good starting point with a decent number of miniatures representing roughly a third of your army.

• Faction: Maggotkin of Nurgle
• Miniatures: 1 Spoilpox Scrivener, 2 Pusgoyle Blightlords/ Lord of Afflictions, 5 Putrid Blightkings, 10 Plaguebearers of Nurgle
• Points: 700+
• Price: £85
• How much do you save?: £38.5

---

Order Age of Sigmar Value Added Boxes

Vanguard: Daughters of Khaine

The Start Collecting of this faction was not available for long before being replaced by the Vanguard box (you can probably still find it on third party retailers and it contains good value thanks to the centrepiece and its multiple assembly options).

The Vanguard box maintains the same trend of allowing extreme customization by providing units with multiple profiles. The Witch Aelves, long-time backbone of this army and battleline, can also be assembled as Sisters of Slaughter, while the snake ladies can be assembles as the Blood Stalkers archers (depicted in the box) or as the melee oriented Blood Sisters.

The third unit in the box has also an alternative assembly option, but for a different army: the Dark Riders from Cities of Sigmar. Apart from that, they are not the most exciting unit in this box. Same goes for the Melusai Ironscale, the hero included in this box.

One box is probably a good starting point for this army, but that should be enough.

• Faction: Daughters of Khaine
• Miniatures: 1 Melusai Ironscale, 10 Witch Aelves/Sisters of Slaughter, 5 Doomfire Warlocks, 5 Melusai Blood Stalkers/Blood Sisters.
• Points: 500+
• Price: £85
• How much do you save?: £33

Vanguard: Fyreslayers

The Fyreslayers Vanguard box replaces the pre-existing Start Collecting set with the big loss of the Magmadroth, now available separately. The value of this new box is arguable, but as it’s the only place where to start a Fyreslayers army with a discount, therefore still maintaining some value.

The main hero now is a Battlesmith, a totem and a good option for a leader. Probably not good enough to justify two of these boxes, but the decision comes from how many Vulkite you need.

The other elite unit in the box can be assembled either as Hearthguard Berzerker or Auric Hearthguard, doubling the versatility of this sprue.

The Vulkite Berzerkers are the traditional battleline for Fyreslayers, so you may need few to fill your list, although other units can fill the same role given the right general.

• Faction: Fyreslayers
• Miniatures: 1 Battlesmith, 5 Hearguard Berzerkers / Auric Hearthguard, 20 Vulkite Berzerkers.
• Points: 600+
• Price: £85
• How much do you save?: £38

Vanguard: Idoneth Deepkin

The Idoneth army is composed of only a handful of kits, therefore it is only natural to see the most relevant appear in a box of this type.

The Akhelian Allopex, together with the Leviadon is the most iconic monster of the army, who wouldn’t want a shark ridden by aelves? In an Idoneth army an Allopex has various uses and is an extremely popular option.

The eel-riding unit can be assembled as a more defensive Ishlaen Guard or a more offensive Morrsarr Guard. Whichever you choose they are both valid choices.

Namarti Thralls are one of Idoneth’s battleline and can really see some use opportunely accompanied and buffed.

The real reason why you should not consider buying more than a box is the hero option that makes up almost the entire discount. A Soulscryer alone may find place in one of your lists but definitely there is no place for two of them today.

• Faction: Idoneth Deepkin
• Miniatures: 1 Isharann Soulscryer, 1 Akhelian Allopex, 3 Akhelian Ishlaen/Morrsarr Guard, 10 Namarti Thralls.
• Points: 600+
• Price: £85
• How much do you save?: £28

Vanguard: Kharadron Overlords

This box replaces the previous Start Collecting box and adds some interesting choices, starting from the Admiral that is a good hero choice, to the Arkanaut Frigate that is the biggest boat available to the sky dwarves.

The Skyfarers can be assembled as Skywardens or Endrinriggers, each with their own set of weapon options to choose from. And the Arkanaut Company is the classic battleline option.

Basically all you need to start a Kharadron army is right here, and at a good price. The question is how many would you want of this box, and the answer will really vary depending on how rich you want your collection to be. We would say that one is enough to start and you can re-evaluate at a later stage.

• Faction: Kharadron Overlords
• Miniatures: 1 Arkanaut Admiral, 1 Arkanaut Frigate, 3 Endrinriggers/Skywardens, 10 Arkanaut Company.
• Points: 600+
• Price: £85
• How much do you save?: £56.5

Vanguard: Lumineth Realm-lords

For the Lumineth Realm-lords this is the official first starter set and uses the new Vanguard box.

It contains an interesting hero caster like the Scinari Cathallar, able to greatly hamper units with low bravery.

The rest of the box represents the martial side of the Lumineth (called Vanari) with their best units in full display. The Sentinels are not as strong in the latest battletome (2022) but still a really good shooting unit that will see presence in competitive matches.

The Wardens represent your chaff (screening units to interpose between your most precious units and the enemy) and they are great in this role. Wardens are battleline in Lumineth armies, and for every unit of them, you can take a unit of Sentinels as battleline.

The Bladelords are the elite infantry and they have greatly improved in the latest battletome, allowing them more gameplay. For every Scinari in your army, you can take a Bladelord unit as battleline.

Overall, this is an excellent box to start a generic Lumineth army, they even complement each other as the box contains 1 Leader and 3 battleline options if all taken together. As there are different temples and themes in the army, you may want to specialise in the future or just mix and match. Whichever direction you go, the martial side of the army is always useful and having a wizard can be convenient.

• Faction: Lumineth Realm-lords
• Miniatures: 1 Scinari Cathallar, 5 Vanari Bladelords, 10 Vanarai Auralan Wardens, 10 Vanari Auralan Sentinels.
• Points: 500+
• Price: £85
• How much do you save?: £46.5

Vanguard: Seraphon

Seraphon used to have a Start Collecting for Seraphon mostly concentrated on the old Saurus kits, and one for Skinks. Now both have been replaced with the new Vanguard box that makes the best out of the brand-new sculpts both of the Saurus Warriors and of the Kroxigors.

The Saurus Warriors are one of your main battleline and, unless you point have on Skinks, one of which you will need a fair bit. The Kroxigor can become battleline but in general they are your elite Saurus force and they can even be assembled in two different types (the Kroxigor Warspawned being the other).

The centrepiece of this box however is the giant T-Rex or Carnosaur that can be mounted either by a Scar-Veteran or an Oldblood, both being great leaders on top of a Monster. And if you feel like be tempted by Azyr energies and you need a wizard, the kit can even be assembled as a Skink Oracle on Troglodon.

Only for the different assembly options, this box represents great value, but the units inside are also extremely appealing and you get some of the newest kits in town. Multi-buy of quality.

• Faction: Seraphon
• Miniatures: 1 Saurus Oldblood on Carnosaur (alternatively Saurus Scar-Veteran on Carnosaur or Skink Oracle on Troglodon), 3 Kroxigors (alternatively 3 Kroxigor Warspawned), 10 Saurus Warriors
• Points: 600+
• Price: £85
• How much do you save?: £45

Start Collecting! Stormcast Eternals Thunderstrike Brotherhood

The Thunderstrike Brotherhood is the Stormcast Eternals half of the original starter set for Age of Sigmar that depicted the golden boys against the forces of Khorne.

The Lord-Celestant on Dracoth was originally Vandus Hammerhand, one of the protagonists of the Realm Wars and you can use either warscroll for the same miniature.

All units in this box are mono-pose and with no available weapon swaps, but the main problem in this box comes from the 3 Retributors since a valid unit would be formed by 5 models. Sure, you could buy 2 of these boxes but there’s really no incentive despite the low cost and the high number of points you could field from a single box.

Stormcast Eternals suffer from a huge number of warscrolls, heroes in particular, and a constant update of the range. This set comes from the first wave, Age of Sigmar 3.0 released the fifth wave of Stormcast making most of the units here outdated for style and some for rules.

The impossibility to change loadout for all 3 units in the box means that their use strongly depends from the current set of rules. In Age of Sigmar 3.0 Prosecutors with Paired Celestial Warhammers are an interesting option, Liberators with weapon and shield (after a much-simplified warscroll) still a valid battleline and the Lord-Relictor an evergreen hero.

• Faction: Stormcast Eternals
• Miniatures: 1 Lord-Celestant on Dracoth, 1 Lord-Relictor, 3 Retributors, 3 Prosecutors with Celestial Hammers, 10 Liberators.
• Points: 900+
• Price: £57.5
• How much do you save?: tricky, the Lord-Relictor is available only in this set, the Lord-Celestant in this set is unique to this box but another is available from half of the Dracothian Guard set, the Retributors are not a complete unit and the rest are mono-pose with no weapon options.

Review of Start Collecting Thunderstrike Brotherhood

Vanguard: Sylvaneth

The Vanaguard: Sylvaneth box replaces the pre-existing Start Collecting box. It solves the problem of the Dryads sprue coming in a odd number (not enough for 2 full units) and provides new options and so much variety this box could be a multi-buy, even considering the foot hero.

The Branchwych has its ups and downs, being a single caster foot hero, however having one is always useful. The Treelord has 3 assembly options, 2 of which are leaders Treelord Ancient and Spirit of Durthu, and all three are Behemoths and Monsters. Our preference goes on the Treelord Ancient, but having 2 boxes you could have space for a second option, like a simple Treelord.

The Kurnoth Hunters are an extremely versatile kit with 3 warscrolls profiles: those armed with Greatbows are the best archers available in the army, the Greatswords are balanced hitters and the Scythes are there for their high rend and range. Whichever way you go, you will need more.

Finally the Tree-Revenants can be assembled also as Spite-Revenants. The first are battlelines, the others can be, so either way they are useful tools.

• Faction: Sylvaneth
• Miniatures: 1 Branchwych, 1 Treelord/Treelord Ancient/Spirit of Durthu, 3 Kurnoth Hunters with Greatbows/Greatswords/Scythes, 5 Tree-Revanants/Spite-Revenants.
• Points: 700+
• Price: £85
• How much do you save?: £39.5

---

Death Age of Sigmar Value Added Boxes

Start Collecting! Flesh-Eater Courts

This box could also be called “an army in a box”. Basically, everything except 2 warscrolls (3 including the Warhammer Underworlds warband) can be extracted from this box.

The question is not if you need this box, but how many do you need as this is a mandatory purchase for any Flesh-Eater Courts player.

The big centrepiece can be assembled with or without the Abhorrant Ghoul King (in that case can be assembled on foot) and as a Royal Terrorgheist or the more popular Royal Zombie Dragon. It is also used in a Soulblight Gravelords army as a Vampire Lord on Zombie Dragon.

The 3 Knights can be assembled either as Crypt Horrors or as Crypt Flayers. The leader of the unit can also be assembled as a Courtier (Crypt Haunter or Crypt Infernal), leaving 2 Knights to be integrated with another set to become a viable unit. If you are curious with 3 sets you can have 2 complete units and 3 leaders.

Even the Crypt Ghouls have an extra assembly option: a unit leader can become a Crypt Ghast Courtier (on a 32mm base).

However you want to assemble the different sets, you will have enough material here by purchasing multiple boxes.

• Faction: Flesh-Eater Courts
• Miniatures: 1 Abhorrant Ghoul King on Royal Terrorgheist/Zombie Dragon, 3 Crypt Horrors/Crypt Flayers, 10 Ghouls.
• Points: 500+
• Price: £65
• How much do you save?: £20.5

Start Collecting Flesh-Eater Courts Review

Vanguard: Nighthaunt

Nighthaunt first discounted box since the release of Soul Wars starter set in Age of Sigmar 2.0, follows the Vanguard format.

The hero is an interesting melee option like the Knight of Shrouds accompanied by a unit of Spirit Hosts that can work as bodyguards increasing the survivability of any hero in the army.

The Chainrasp Horde are the main battleline of this army, and they thrive in hordes. While technically the minim amount required for a unit is 10, a unit of 20 (reinforced once) works really well. You can even different battlelines, but Chainrasps are always useful and cheap.

The last unit was the anvil of this army for a long time: the Grimghast Reapers, and even after the latest battletome they keep the same role. At least they are a valid alternative.

The savings on this box are good, even considering you may not be interested in a second or more Knight of Shrouds, being a useful hero you may be able to swap or sell in the second hand market and keep the advantage of the discounted units in this box that are all extremely useful.

The purchase of a single box is also highly recommended to start this army.

• Faction: Nighthaunt
• Miniatures: 1 Knight of Shrouds, 3 Spirit Hosts, 20 Chainrasp Horde, 10 Grimghast Reapers
• Points: 600+
• Price: £85
• How much do you save?: £26

Vanguard: Ossiarch Bonereapers

Ossiarch Bonereapers first discounted box is a great starting point with both battlelines and essential units: the Mortek Guard and the Kavalos Deathriders. Mortek Guard have a minimum size units of 10, so this box contains either 2 units or a reinforced unit, great to make that impenetrable wall of bone constructs around your objectives.

The big guy is the Gothizzar Harvester, a giant construct able to resurrect or heal nearby units when other Ossiarch units are depleted around it. Basically you have a 50% chance to resurrect any slain Mortek Guard making the two a viable couple for holding objectives.

Finally the hero is a Mortisan Soulreaper, a melee based wizard with some damaging attacks whose usefulness you’ll need to consider carefully as part of the box discount is absorbed by this hero.

In general, this is a great first box and if you can find a use for the hero, it may be worth even a second box.

• Faction: Ossiarch Bonereapers
• Miniatures: 1 Mortisan Soulreaper, 1 Gothizzar Harvester, 5 Kavalos Deathriders, 20 Mortek Guard
• Points: 800+
• Price: £85
• How much do you save?: £44

Vanguard: Soulblight Gravelords

Soulblight Gravelords vanguard box replaces the previous skeleton-oriented Start Collecting and is the last one of a long list of value added boxes available for this army. In particular here we have 3 brand-new re-sculpts that replaced older kits.

This set contains a Vampire Lord, a staple of Soulblight armies, able to buff basic units like the Skeletons included in this box.

The Skeletons are the only pure battleline in this box, and their minimum size unit is 10, meaning that you can either assemble 2 units of 10, or a reinforced unit. The new skeleton models with a single weapon profile makes so much easier choosing how to assemble them.

The other two options in this set are both conditional battlelines and let’s start from the Blood Knights, another recent and long-awaited re-sculpt. They are a splendid model and in combat they can be extremely damaging especially after a charge. As all vampires, including the Vargheists, can heal back after attacking.

The Vargheists are the vampires that lost control over their hunger and are now savage beasts. They are not as damaging as Blood Knights but they can fly and can be set-up from reserve. Their kit is also used in Flesh-Eater Courts to assemble various heroes and units.

Overall this is a great first box to start the collection, but does not have much re-buy value.

• Faction: Soulblight Gravelords
• Miniatures: 1 Vampire Lord, 3 Vargheists, 5 Blood Knights, 20 Deathrattle Skeletons
• Points: 600+
• Price: £85
• How much do you save?: £49

---

Destruction Age of Sigmar Value Added Boxes

Vanguard: Gloomspite Gitz

Gloomspite Gitz are a mob of different races, extremely unpredictable but fun to play. The grots (or keyword Moonclan) comprise the biggest chunk of the army of which the Loonboss represent one of the melee leaders and the Grots the main Gloomspite battleline. The Moonclan Stabbas represent the melee side, but they can also be assembled as Shootas for some ranged support.

The squigs are another component of which the Squig Hoppers constitutes the main battleline. Alternatively, the valiant knights, can also be assembled as the more robust Boingrot Bounders, also a battleline (conditional).

The Troggoths, in the meanwhile, are the bulking monsters and the Rockgut are one of their battleline options.

So, this box contains a representation of 3 of the 4 parts of the Gloomspite (Spiderfang being the fourth, and Gitmob recently resurrected with the Snarlfang representing a fifth) and it needs to be evaluated in this context. As a mixed army this can be an interesting start but not that synergistic. You would need to integrate with other units to get the most out of the units inside.

If you are interested instead only on one of the four components of the army, this box fails to attract any attention. Overall, this can be a fun project but not a great place to start a Gitz army unless it’s a mixed one taking advantage of the new battletome.

• Faction: Gloomspite Gitz
• Miniatures: 1 Loonboss, a unit of 10 Squig Hoppers that can alternatively be assembled as 2 units of 5 Boingrot Bounders, a unit of 20 Moonclan Stabbas (or alternatively Shootas), 3 Rockgut Troggoths.
• Points: 500+
• Price: £85
• How much do you save?: £27.5

Vanguard: Ogor Mawtribes

The Vanguard box for Ogor Mawtribes replaces the previous Start Collecting for Beastclaw Raiders, fully integrating the two sides of the army. If you are now interested only on the Everwinter side of the army, this box does not represent anymore a good deal as the main hero is gone.

However it contains a plethora of minimum size units, including a unit of 4 Leadbelchers and a unit of 6 Gluttons, both accompanied by their Gnoblars.

The Mournfang Riders are in a unit of 2 and they are a good threat to your opponent, while the last unit is an artillery piece with 2 assembly options: the Ironblaster, which can also be built as a Gnoblar Scraplauncher.

It completes the list the hero, the Tyrant, still a valid option for your army.

• Faction: Ogor Mawtribes
• Miniatures: 1 Tyrant, 1 Ironblaster/Gnoblar Scraplauncher, 4 Leadbelchers, 6 Gluttons, 4 Gnoblars, 2 Mournfang Riders
• Points: 800+
• Price: £85
• How much do you save?: £39.75

Vanguard: Orruk Warclans

The new Vanguard box for Orruk Warclans replaces the Kruleboyz Boss Krew set (itself part of the Dominion introductory set) and the Ironjawz Start Collecting. This new box contains two heroes (one melee and one support), a generic battleline (Gutrippaz), a conditional battleline in a Kruleboyz subfaction and an artillery piece (Beast-skewer Killbow).

While advertised as an Orruk Warclans box, it is completely centred on Kruleboyz, the most recent of the factions inside. As such, it is a great starting point for this army, especially if you have missed the Dominion set or you are not interested in splitting the starter set with the other half being Stormcast Eternals.

It is also the only way to obtain this version of the Killaboss and the Murknob. It could be also an interesting set for a generic Big Waaagh! army considering there are 2 shooting units and a battleline.

• Faction: Orruk Warclans
• Miniatures: 1 Killaboss on Great Gnashtoof, 1 Murknob with Belcha-banna, a unit of 1 Beast-skewer Killbow, a unit of 3 Man-skewer Boltboyz and a unit of 10 Gutrippaz.
• Points: 500+
• Price: £85
• How much do you save?: tricky as 2 units are not available elsewhere

Other great resources

• Age of Sigmar Hub
• Age of Sigmar Faction Overview
• Age of Sigmar Beginners Guide