I'm convinced Combat Patrol is coming to Age of Sigmar thanks to this new Warhammer set

A new box set format called 'Spearhead' has been revealed for Warhammer: Age of Sigmar, and it's got me thinking. What if this is the fantasy equivalent to 40K's Combat Patrol? And what if a new way to play based on Combat Patrol comes with it?

OK, so I'll admit it's a leap. There's no indication that this Warhammer: Age of Sigmar Spearhead pack is anything more than it claims to be, after all – an easy and cost-effective way to start your collection, not unlike the Warhammer Vanguard series.

Except there is an indication. More than one, in fact. If I had to guess, I'd say this is the start of something big. 

Destination: Accessible

Spearhead: Stormcast Eternals was announced via Warhammer Community as "a balanced fighting force out of the box – and a way to add a powerful leader or some valuable reinforcements to your roster." Alongside Yndrasta the Celestial Spear (who was hard to find if you missed the Dominion box set or didn't want to shell out for a Thunderstrike Command Group), it contains a unit of Vanquishers, three Annihilators, a Knight-Vexillor to carry your standard into battle, and a Stormstrike Chariot pulled by some Gryph-Chargers. In other words? Beyond the addition of a named character, it doesn't stand out much from Age of Sigmar (AoS) Vanguard boxes.

But a couple of things about this reveal make me do a double-take. To start with, the aforementioned Vanguard kits don't offer "a balanced fighting force out of the box." Instead, they rarely equal more than 750 points (1,000 is needed for standard AoS games) and can't be used as an army in themselves. They don't claim to, either.

What's more, I checked on the official Warscroll army builder tool and found that Spearhead: Stormcast Eternals won't get you a 1,000-point army either. So how are you supposed to use it "out of the box" without adding to your roster?

The simple answer? This is launching ahead of a new, as-yet unannounced format. 

I say that because the same thing happened with Warhammer 40,000 a few years ago. Back in 2020, Combat Patrol packs were unveiled as an "army in a box" that would replace Warhammer's Start Collecting sets… but they came in under the usual points cost for a game of 40K. Fast-forward and we learned that these kits were actually intended for use in 10th Edition's Combat Patrol system. This offered a cheaper, more accessible route into the hobby, and I strongly suspect the same will be true here. 

On patrol

It makes sense. Rather than saddling new players with the overwhelming prospect of building and painting a 1,000-point army (along with all that entails), you can grab a premade force which is already balanced against everything else in the range and compatible with its own, more beginner-friendly game type. Judging by Combat Patrol's track record, this variant will also end up being called Age of Sigmar: Spearhead.

This brings me to my second point – the fact that more Spearhead boxes are on the way for other factions. The same announcement post explains how "we’re reliably informed that plenty of other factions from across the Mortal Realms will be getting their own Spearhead boxes in due course." Why would you create a new format to go alongside Vanguard? Wouldn't that be redundant? And if it was a simple name change… well, why bother in the first place? It's not like 'Spearhead' is an original, copyrightable term.

With that in mind, I'm becoming steadily more convinced that Spearhead is AoS' answer to Combat Patrol. Which is fine by me, to be honest. As someone who's always struggling for time and finds the thought of putting together a full, 'proper' army intimidating, this alternative appeals to me. A lot. I don't need to faff with balancing army lists or points costs, have less models to paint, and can get all that I need to play in a single pack.

We'll have to wait and see if this comes about, of course – it could simply be a coincidence, or me adding two and two to get five. Still, it shouldn't be a long wait either way. If there is going to be a new edition of AoS this year, it's likely to arrive in the first half of 2024 – and an announcement for Age of Sigmar's spin on Combat Patrol would probably come with it.

For recommendations on what to play next, take a look at our guide to the best board games, these essential board games for adults, and must-have board games for 2 players.