The command points system in Age of Sigmar can be a bit confusing, especially with the latest changes in Age of Sigmar 4.0. This guide is for beginners who want to learn what Commands are and how they work, but it’s also useful for veterans to refresh their memory and in the end we list the changes from the previous version.
A note on rules in Age of Sigmar 4.0: In this and other articles, we take an in-depth look at how Age of Sigmar 4.0 is played. In doing this, we often refer to the Core Rules of the game. Those rules are available as a free download from the Age of Sigmar website here.
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How Commands in Age of Sigmar 4.0 work:
Commands in Age of Sigmar 4.0 (previously called Command Abilities) are particular abilities that require to spend one or more command points to be used. There is an entire section in the Advanced Core Rules where they are explained (Commands, immediately after Core Rules).
At a high level Commands behave this way:
- Any ability with a command point cost is a command. You need to spend that many points to issue the command.
- Each player receives 4 command points at the start of the round. Unused command points at the end of the round are lost.
- The underdog gets an extra command point each battle round.
- Each unit can only use 1 command per phase.
- Each command can only be used once per phase.
- Each command has a specific timing in which it can be used. Normally the active player does all his abilities at the end of a phase followed by their opponent. Some commands are reactions so they interrupt the traditional sequence.
How to get command points in Age of Sigmar 4.0
You can get command points in several different ways:
- At the start of the battle round each player receives 4 command points.
- The underdog (the player with less victory points at the start of the battle round) receives an extra command point that round.
- The army with less Auxiliary units receives 1 command point each battle round
- An army with 50 points or less than the limit determined for that battle, for example 1950 or less with a point limit of 2000, it receives an extra command point in the first battle round.
- There are some abilities spread across warscrolls and faction abilities which allow to use a command for free or to a second unit, but they are really rare.
What are the generic commands every army faction can use?
The following is a list of Commands available in each phase:
- Hero Phase
- Rally: pick a unit not in combat. Roll 6 dice, for each 4+ you obtain 1 rally point which can be used to heal a model or resurrect a slain model whose Health characteristic is equal to the rally points being used.
- Magical Intervention: only in the enemy hero phase, allows a wizard or priest to use a Spell or Prayer with a malus of -1 to the casting or chanting roll.
- Movement Phase
- Redeploy: only in the enemy movement phase, pick a unit not in combat to perform a D6″ move.
- At the Double: used as a reaction when declaring a Run ability, allows to add 6″ to the movement of the unit who is running without rolling the D6.
- Shooting Phase
- Covering Fire: only in the enemy shooting phase, allows a unit not in combat to shoot the nearest visible unit with a malus of -1 to hit.
- Charge Phase
- Counter-Charge: only in the enemy charge phase, it costs 2 command points and allows a unit not in combat to charge as if it was their turn.
- Forward to Victory: used as a reaction when declaring a Charge ability, allows to re-roll the Charge roll.
- Attacking and defensive commands
- All-out Attack: used as a reaction when declaring an Attack ability, that attack obtains a +1 bonus to the hit roll of all non-Companion weapons. Works both in the Shooting and Combat phase.
- All-out Defence: used as a reaction when a unit is targeted by an enemy Attack ability, it adds +1 to the save roll for the rest of the phase. Works both in the Shooting and Combat phase.
- End of Turn
- Power Through: a unit which charged that turn and is in combat with a unit with a lower Health characteristic can inflict D3 mortal damage to the latter and perform a move that allows to reposition next to any previously engaged unit or outside combat but not within combat range of units which were not already in combat with them.
What changed from Age of Sigmar 3.0?
- Command abilities are now simply commands.
- Commands can cost more than 1 command point.
- Command points are much rarer and the only certain way to have them is the 4 assigned each battle round.
- Some commands are used as reactions, and there’s more things to perform in the opponent turn.
- There is no more issuer and receiver unit, just the unit that uses the ability. There’s also no more range, and no need for heroes, champions or totems to be within a certain distance.
- They were not commands, but Heroic Actions and Monstrous Charges are gone. There are some rampages, but they are just abilities with that keyword.