How Many Factions Are in Age of Sigmar?
Age of Sigmar currently has 25 playable factions, organised into four Grand Alliances: Order, Chaos, Death, and Destruction. Each faction has its own battletome (army book), unique units, and distinct playstyle. Whether you want disciplined celestial warriors, ravenous undead hordes, cunning greenskins, or corrupted daemon worshippers, there is a faction designed for you.
This guide covers every Age of Sigmar faction with a brief overview, playstyle summary, and difficulty rating to help you choose your first — or next — army.
Grand Alliance: Order
The Grand Alliance of Order represents the forces fighting to restore civilisation across the Mortal Realms. These armies range from divine lightning warriors to ancient lizard guardians and vengeful aelven cults. Order factions tend to be well-rounded, with strong synergies and reliable mechanics.
Stormcast Eternals
Stormcast Eternals are the poster faction of Age of Sigmar — immortal warriors reforged by Sigmar himself from the souls of fallen heroes. They are heavily armoured, strike from the heavens via lightning, and serve as the Mortal Realms’ greatest defenders. Each time a Stormcast dies, they are reforged, though each reforging costs them a piece of their humanity.
Playstyle: Elite, durable army with strong shooting and melee options. Excellent deep-strike mechanics via lightning-strike deployment.
Difficulty: Beginner — Stormcast are forgiving and straightforward, making them ideal for new players.
Cities of Sigmar
Cities of Sigmar represents the mortal human civilisations defending the free cities of the Mortal Realms. This army combines human soldiers, duardin artillery, and aelven auxiliaries into a diverse, combined-arms force. They fight with discipline, gunpowder, and grim determination rather than divine power.
Playstyle: Combined arms with ranged firepower, solid infantry blocks, and war machines. Flexible and customisable with many unit options.
Difficulty: Intermediate — managing multiple unit types and synergies requires experience.
Fyreslayers
Fyreslayers are duardin berserkers who embed fragments of their god Grimnir’s ur-gold into their flesh, granting them supernatural toughness and fury. They fight almost naked, trusting in their rune-enhanced bodies rather than armour. Every battle is a quest to reclaim more ur-gold and restore their shattered deity.
Playstyle: Aggressive melee army with exceptional durability through ward saves and rune buffs. Short-ranged but incredibly tough.
Difficulty: Beginner — straightforward “run forward and fight” gameplay with forgiving durability.
Kharadron Overlords
Kharadron Overlords are sky-dwelling duardin who rejected the old gods in favour of science, commerce, and airship technology. They cruise above the Mortal Realms in magnificent aether-gold powered ships, fighting with ranged weaponry and boarding actions. Their society runs on the Kharadron Code — a constitution governing all aspects of life.
Playstyle: Highly mobile shooting army built around airships. Excellent ranged damage but fragile in melee. Movement and positioning are critical.
Difficulty: Intermediate — requires careful positioning and understanding of transport mechanics.
Lumineth Realm-Lords
Lumineth Realm-Lords are the high aelves of the Mortal Realms — refined, arrogant, and devastatingly skilled. They bond with the elemental spirits of Hysh, the Realm of Light, gaining power over wind, mountain, river, and zenith. They seek aelementiri — perfect harmony between mind, body, and soul.
Playstyle: Versatile army combining powerful magic, precise shooting, and strong defensive infantry. Reward careful planning and positioning.
Difficulty: Advanced — many overlapping mechanics and positioning requirements demand experience.
Idoneth Deepkin
Idoneth Deepkin are mysterious aelves who dwell beneath the oceans of the Mortal Realms. Cursed with withering souls, they raid surface civilisations to steal the spirit-essence of other races to sustain themselves. They bring the ocean with them to battle, fighting in an ethereal tide that crashes across the battlefield.
Playstyle: Fast, aggressive army built around a unique tide mechanic that changes bonuses each battle round. Strong cavalry and melee focus with hit-and-run tactics.
Difficulty: Intermediate — the tide mechanic requires planning several turns ahead.
Daughters of Khaine
Daughters of Khaine are fanatical aelven warrior-priestesses devoted to Morathi and the worship of Khaine, the aelven god of murder. They fight in a blood-fuelled frenzy, growing more powerful as they spill blood on the battlefield. Their ranks include lithe witch aelves, monstrous Melusai, and soaring Khinerai.
Playstyle: Glass cannon melee army that grows stronger as the battle progresses through blood rites. High damage output but fragile — must strike first or die.
Difficulty: Intermediate — timing your charges and managing blood rites requires practice.
Seraphon
Seraphon are ancient lizardmen guided by the Slann Starmasters — immensely powerful toad-like wizards who remember the world before Chaos. Their armies include disciplined Saurus warriors, cunning Skink skirmishers, and massive dinosaur monsters. They fight according to the Great Plan — a cosmic design to defeat Chaos.
Playstyle: Versatile army that can be built as a magic-heavy Slann force, a monster-mash dinosaur army, or a swarm of Skink skirmishers. Excellent summoning mechanics.
Difficulty: Intermediate — the sheer variety of viable builds can be overwhelming, but individual playstyles are manageable.
Sylvaneth
Sylvaneth are the tree-spirits of Alarielle the Everqueen, living embodiments of the Realm of Life. From graceful Dryads to towering Treelords, they fight to protect the natural world from corruption. They can teleport between Wyldwoods — magical forests that sprout across the battlefield.
Playstyle: Defensive and teleportation-heavy army that controls terrain through Wyldwood placement. Strong in prolonged battles where their forest network grows.
Difficulty: Intermediate — Wyldwood placement and teleportation mechanics require experience to use effectively.
Grand Alliance: Chaos
The Grand Alliance of Chaos encompasses the forces devoted to the four Dark Gods and other agents of ruin. These armies thrive on corruption, mutation, and the destruction of civilisation. Chaos factions range from disciplined warrior hordes to gibbering daemon swarms.
Blades of Khorne
Blades of Khorne serve the Blood God — the Chaos God of war, rage, and slaughter. They believe that all combat glorifies Khorne, whether blood is spilled by friend or foe. Their armies combine mortal Bloodbound warriors with daemonic Bloodletters in a tide of relentless aggression.
Playstyle: Pure melee aggression with Blood Tithe mechanics that reward combat. The more killing that happens (on both sides), the more powerful abilities you unlock. Anti-magic faction that hates wizards.
Difficulty: Beginner — charge forward and fight is a simple and effective strategy.
Disciples of Tzeentch
Disciples of Tzeentch serve the Architect of Fate — the Chaos God of magic, change, and manipulation. Their armies combine mortal Arcanite cultists with shimmering daemonic Horrors in a sorcery-heavy force. They wield more magic than any other Chaos faction, layering spells and fate dice to control the flow of battle.
Playstyle: Magic-dominant army with Fate Dice mechanics that let you predetermine key dice rolls. Excellent ranged mortal wound output through spells. Relatively fragile in melee.
Difficulty: Advanced — managing Fate Dice and multiple casters requires careful planning.
Hedonites of Slaanesh
Hedonites of Slaanesh worship the Dark Prince — the Chaos God of excess, pleasure, and pain. They are blisteringly fast, fighting in an ecstatic frenzy that blurs the line between agony and rapture. Their armies include sinuous Daemonettes, debauched mortal Sybarites, and serpentine Slaangor.
Playstyle: Extremely fast melee army with depravity mechanics that generate summoning points when your units deal or take damage. High speed, high damage, low durability.
Difficulty: Intermediate — fast but fragile, requiring good judgement about when to commit to charges.
Maggotkin of Nurgle
Maggotkin of Nurgle serve the Plague God — the Chaos God of disease, decay, and despair. They are extraordinarily tough, shrugging off wounds that would kill other warriors, and they spread debilitating plagues across the battlefield. Their repulsive appearance belies a jolly, almost friendly demeanour — Grandfather Nurgle loves all his children.
Playstyle: Extremely durable attrition army that grinds opponents down through disease mechanics and sheer survivability. Slow but nearly unkillable. Reward patient play.
Difficulty: Beginner — high durability forgives mistakes, and the gameplan of “walk forward and don’t die” is straightforward.
Skaven
Skaven are a vast civilisation of ratmen who infest tunnels beneath the Mortal Realms. They combine overwhelming numbers, insane war machines, and warpstone-fuelled sorcery in chaotic, unreliable, but devastatingly powerful armies. They are treacherous, cowardly, and brilliant in equal measure.
Playstyle: Horde army with unreliable but potentially devastating war machines and magic. High-risk, high-reward mechanics where your own weapons might explode. Overwhelming numbers and flexible playstyles.
Difficulty: Intermediate — managing large model counts and unreliable mechanics requires experience, but the army is forgiving due to expendable units.
Slaves to Darkness
Slaves to Darkness represent the mortal followers of Chaos Undivided — warriors who worship all four Dark Gods or seek to rise above them entirely. Led by mighty Chaos Lords and towering Varanguard knights, they are the most versatile Chaos faction, combining elements of all four gods.
Playstyle: Flexible, well-rounded army that can be themed around any Chaos God or played as Undivided. Strong elite infantry and cavalry with good monster options. The most balanced Chaos faction.
Difficulty: Beginner — versatile and forgiving, with multiple viable playstyles that suit different preferences.
Grand Alliance: Death
The Grand Alliance of Death encompasses the undead legions that serve Nagash, the God of Death. These armies raise the fallen to fight again, overwhelm with relentless hordes, or command disciplined bone constructs. Death factions share a talent for returning slain models to the fight.
Flesh-Eater Courts
Flesh-Eater Courts are kingdoms of delusional ghouls who believe themselves to be noble knights and courtiers. In reality, they are cannibalistic monsters ruled by Abhorrant Ghoul Kings — vampires driven insane by a powerful delusion. They see rotting caves as grand castles and human flesh as fine banquets.
Playstyle: Monster-heavy melee army with powerful summoning abilities. Abhorrant kings on Terrorgheists and Zombie Dragons provide devastating centrepiece models. Strong regeneration mechanics.
Difficulty: Intermediate — managing summoning and knowing when to commit your expensive monsters requires practice.
Nighthaunt
Nighthaunt are an army of ghosts, spectres, and wraiths — the tormented dead condemned to an eternity of suffering by Nagash. Each Nighthaunt is cursed with a punishment that mirrors their mortal sins. They pass through walls, ignore mortal defences, and strike terror into the living.
Playstyle: Ethereal army whose units ignore modifiers to their save rolls, so high-Rend weapons hurt them less than usual. Wave assault mechanics reward bringing units back from the dead. Strong in prolonged attrition battles.
Difficulty: Beginner — consistent invulnerable saves make them predictable and forgiving. Simple but effective “drown them in ghosts” strategy.
Ossiarch Bonereapers
Ossiarch Bonereapers are Nagash’s masterwork — artificial undead constructs crafted from the bones of the dead and animated by multiple souls fused together. They are not mindless zombies but disciplined, intelligent warriors who form the elite legions of Death. They demand a tithe of bones from mortal civilisations — pay or be harvested.
Playstyle: Elite, durable army with a unique resource (Relentless Discipline points), generated each battle round by your heroes and spent on extra abilities. Strong melee infantry with excellent staying power.
Difficulty: Intermediate — managing Relentless Discipline points alongside your normal command points requires a different approach to the game.
Soulblight Gravelords
Soulblight Gravelords are the vampire lords of the Mortal Realms and their shambling undead legions. Powerful vampiric heroes lead vast hordes of Zombies and Skeletons, raising more with every enemy they slay. The army blends elite vampire characters with expendable, endlessly regenerating undead hordes.
Playstyle: Hero-hammer army where powerful vampiric characters lead expendable undead hordes. Strong summoning and regeneration mechanics that bring destroyed units back to full strength.
Difficulty: Intermediate — managing your heroes’ positioning while controlling a large horde requires good tactical awareness.
Grand Alliance: Destruction
The Grand Alliance of Destruction includes the savage, primal forces that fight for the sheer joy of it — or because they are too hungry to stop. These armies favour brute force, overwhelming aggression, and straightforward gameplay.
Ironjawz and Kruleboyz
Orruks are the greenskin hordes of the Mortal Realms — savage, brutal, and living for nothing but the next fight. In Fourth Edition the old Orruk Warclans book is split into two armies: the armoured Ironjawz, who charge headlong into the thickest fighting, and the swamp-dwelling Kruleboyz, who fight dirty with poison and traps. Bonesplitterz are now in Legends.
Playstyle: Ironjawz are an elite, fast, aggressive melee army. Kruleboyz are cunning, with shooting, debuffs and dirty tricks. Each is a separate faction with its own battletome.
Difficulty: Beginner — simple, aggressive gameplay that rewards getting stuck in. Ironjawz in particular are very beginner-friendly.
Gloomspite Gitz
Gloomspite Gitz are a chaotic horde of grots (goblins), troggoths (trolls), and spiders united under the Bad Moon — a malevolent celestial body that drives them to war. They are unpredictable, cowardly, and surprisingly dangerous in numbers. Their army combines swarm tactics with unreliable but devastating mechanics.
Playstyle: Horde army with randomised mechanics tied to the Bad Moon’s movement across the battlefield. High-risk, high-reward gameplay with lots of unpredictable fun. Can be built as a grot swarm, troggoth monster army, or spider-riding cavalry force.
Difficulty: Advanced — the Bad Moon mechanic adds unpredictability, and managing large hordes of fragile grots requires skill.
Ogor Mawtribes
Ogor Mawtribes are massive, perpetually hungry ogres who roam the Mortal Realms devouring everything in their path. They worship the Gulping God and believe eating is a sacred act. Their armies combine hulking Gutbusters on foot with Beastclaw Raiders mounted on massive ice-age beasts.
Playstyle: Low model-count, high-damage army with strong cavalry and monster options. Beastclaw Raiders are extremely fast for their size. The army hits incredibly hard but has limited objective play due to low model count.
Difficulty: Beginner — low model count means less to build, paint, and manage. Simple gameplay of smashing things with big ogres is intuitive.
Sons of Behemat
Sons of Behemat are an army composed entirely of Mega-Gargants — colossal giants that tower over every other model in the game. A typical army consists of just 3-5 models, each one a massive centrepiece. They stomp, smash, and hurl debris at anything in their path. They are the ultimate low model-count army.
Playstyle: Ultra-elite army of 3-5 massive models. Each Gargant is a one-model army with huge wounds, devastating attacks, and the ability to control objectives through sheer size. Simple to play but challenging to master due to minimal margin for error.
Difficulty: Beginner to paint and play (3-5 models), but Advanced to master competitively (losing one model is losing 20-33% of your army).
Choosing Your First Age of Sigmar Faction
Selecting your first Age of Sigmar faction is one of the most important decisions you will make in the hobby. Here are the key factors to consider:
- Aesthetic appeal — You will spend dozens of hours building and painting these models. Choose an army you love the look of above all else.
- Playstyle preference — Do you want to rush forward and fight (Khorne, Ironjawz), outshoot the enemy (Kharadron, Cities), control the game with magic (Tzeentch, Lumineth), or outlast them (Nurgle, Ossiarch)?
- Budget — Horde armies like Skaven and Gloomspite Gitz cost more due to high model counts. Elite armies like Sons of Behemat and Ogors need fewer boxes.
- Painting comfort — Some armies are easier to paint (Stormcast, Nighthaunt) while others demand more skill (Lumineth, Seraphon).
For a complete guide to getting started with Age of Sigmar, visit our Age of Sigmar hub page.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many factions are in Age of Sigmar?
Age of Sigmar has 25 playable factions spread across four Grand Alliances: Order (9 factions), Chaos (7 factions), Death (4 factions), and Destruction (5 factions). Each faction has its own battletome and unique mechanics.
What is the best Age of Sigmar faction for beginners?
The best Age of Sigmar factions for beginners are Stormcast Eternals, Slaves to Darkness, Maggotkin of Nurgle, and Ironjawz. These armies have straightforward mechanics, forgiving durability, and simple gameplans that let new players focus on learning the core rules.
What is the most competitive Age of Sigmar faction?
The most competitive Age of Sigmar faction changes with each balance update and edition. Historically strong factions include Daughters of Khaine, Lumineth Realm-Lords, Ossiarch Bonereapers, and Hedonites of Slaanesh. Check current tournament results for the latest meta information, as Games Workshop actively balances the game through regular updates.
What is the cheapest Age of Sigmar army to collect?
The cheapest Age of Sigmar armies to collect are Sons of Behemat (3-5 models total), Ogor Mawtribes (20-30 models for a full army), and Stormcast Eternals (frequently available in starter sets at heavy discounts). Horde armies like Skaven and Gloomspite Gitz are the most expensive due to high model counts.
Can you mix factions in Age of Sigmar?
Mostly no. In Fourth Edition your army is built from a single faction, and the main way to bring outside units is a Regiment of Renown where your faction is allowed one. Ironjawz and Kruleboyz are now separate armies, though some factions are mixed by design: Cities of Sigmar includes duardin and aelven units alongside human troops.
What is the difference between Age of Sigmar and Warhammer 40k?
Age of Sigmar is a fantasy wargame set in the Mortal Realms, featuring swords, sorcery, and mythical creatures. Warhammer 40k is a science fiction wargame set in a dystopian far future with guns, tanks, and aliens. They use different rules systems and model ranges, though both are made by Games Workshop and share some design philosophy.
What races are in Age of Sigmar?
Age of Sigmar has humans, aelves (elves), duardin (dwarves), the reptilian Seraphon, the tree-spirit Sylvaneth, orruks (orcs), grots, troggoths, ogors and gargants. It also has the ratmen Skaven, daemons and Chaos-worshipping mortals, and many undead: vampires, ghosts, ghouls and bone constructs. Most factions are built around one of these peoples, though Cities of Sigmar mixes humans, aelves and duardin.
What is the newest Age of Sigmar faction?
Helsmiths of Hashut is one of the newest. It was added to Grand Alliance Chaos in 2025, bringing the Chaos dwarfs back as a full army. Fourth Edition also changed the roster: Orruk Warclans split into separate Ironjawz and Kruleboyz armies, and Beasts of Chaos and Bonesplitterz moved to Legends.
Are Orruk Warclans still one army in Age of Sigmar?
No. In Fourth Edition, Orruk Warclans was split into two separate factions, Ironjawz and Kruleboyz, each with its own battletome. Bonesplitterz moved to Legends, so they are no longer supported in matched play. Ironjawz remain the elite armoured brawlers, while Kruleboyz are the cunning swamp orruks.
Which Age of Sigmar factions have knights?
Several do. Stormcast Eternals have Knight-ranked heroes and Dracothian Guard cavalry. Cities of Sigmar field Freeguild Cavaliers, and Slaves to Darkness have Chaos Knights and the elite Varanguard. Soulblight Gravelords ride as Blood Knights, while the deluded ghouls of the Flesh-eater Courts see themselves as noble knights of a grand court.
What does Sigmarite mean in Age of Sigmar?
The word has two meanings. Sigmarite is the metal Stormcast Eternals’ armour and weapons are forged from, made from the remains of the world-that-was. The term is also used for followers of Sigmar, the God-King whose faith binds the free cities of the Mortal Realms together.