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Can You Mix Warhammer Armies? A Comprehensive Guide

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Yes, absolutely! The ability to mix Warhammer armies depends heavily on which game system you’re referring to (Warhammer 40,000 or Warhammer: Age of Sigmar) and the specific rules edition. Generally, both systems allow for some degree of army mixing, but with clear restrictions to maintain balance and thematic coherence. Think of it like a gourmet chef – you can combine ingredients, but you need to know which ones work well together to create a delicious dish, not a culinary disaster! Let’s dive into the specifics, and remember to check out GamesLearningSociety.org for more insights into the strategic depth of gaming!

Warhammer 40,000: Allies and Detachments

In Warhammer 40,000, army mixing is primarily achieved through the use of Detachments. A Detachment is a specific organizational unit of models from a particular faction. You can include multiple Detachments in your army, potentially drawing units from different factions, but there are rules and limitations:

Battle-forged Armies: To gain the benefits of being “Battle-forged” (which grants you access to powerful army-wide abilities and stratagems), your entire army must share at least one keyword (other than “Imperium,” “Chaos,” “Aeldari,” or “Ynnari”). This means you can, for example, include Space Marines and Astra Militarum in the same army because they both share the “Imperium” keyword. However, relying solely on these broad keywords will often prevent you from accessing the specific army rules for individual factions.
Strategic Considerations: While it’s tempting to throw together every powerful unit from different factions, remember that your army’s effectiveness relies on synergy. Mixing factions may dilute your ability to use powerful faction-specific Stratagems or army-wide abilities. Therefore, careful planning and a deep understanding of each faction’s strengths and weaknesses are crucial.
Detachments and Command Points: Each Detachment has a Command Point cost associated with it. Detachments are how armies are built in 9th and 10th edition 40k. Starting with the 9th edition, most armies are built from a Patrol, Battalion, or Brigade detachment (for smaller to larger armies, respectively), as those detachments give you Command Points to use on Strategems during the game. Detachments let you bring in specific kinds of units, such as Troops, Elites, HQ, and Heavy Support, in the most organized way possible.
Imperial Knights and Agents of the Imperium: These units have special rules that allow them to be included in Imperium armies without breaking Battle-forged status. Imperial Knights in the Freeblades rule in 10th edition allows up to one Titanic Knight or up to three Armiger Knights to join any other Imperium army. These are great for providing support from powerful units. Agents of the Imperium are unique units that can also be included, offering useful utility.
Chaos Knights and Daemons: Similar to Imperial Knights, Chaos Knights and Daemons can be allied with Chaos Space Marines. These offer heavy firepower and hordes of melee fighters. Chaos armies have even more options to choose from, because you can choose to play mono-faction, or mix and match units in interesting ways.

Warhammer: Age of Sigmar: Allegiance and Allies

In Warhammer: Age of Sigmar, mixing armies is handled through the Allegiance and Allies systems.

Allegiance: When building your army, you choose an Allegiance, which dictates the core faction your army belongs to. This Allegiance grants you specific battle traits, command abilities, and enhancements. Generally, it’s best to focus on a single Allegiance to maximize these benefits.
Allies: You can include units from other factions as Allies. The number of points you can allocate to Allies depends on the total size of your army. This allows you to supplement your core force with units that cover its weaknesses or enhance its strengths.
Grand Alliances: Age of Sigmar factions are divided into four Grand Alliances: Order, Chaos, Death, and Destruction. While you can’t mix units from opposing Grand Alliances (e.g., you can’t have Order and Chaos units in the same army), you can freely mix factions within the same Grand Alliance, subject to the Allies rules.
Cities of Sigmar: This faction is a special case, as it allows you to mix and match units from various Order factions within certain restrictions. This gives you incredible flexibility in army composition, allowing you to create highly customized forces.

Key Considerations for Mixing Armies

No matter which Warhammer system you’re playing, here are some key things to keep in mind when considering mixing armies:

Synergy: Choose units that complement each other and address your army’s weaknesses. Don’t just pick the most powerful units; think about how they’ll work together on the battlefield.
Command Points/Resources: Mixing factions can often limit your access to specific faction Stratagems or Command Abilities. Make sure you have enough resources to effectively utilize your army’s key units.
Thematic Coherence: While not strictly required, a thematically coherent army is often more enjoyable to play and easier to understand for your opponent. Consider how the different factions in your army might interact with each other in the game’s setting.
Rulebook is King: Always refer to the latest edition of the rulebook and any relevant FAQs or Errata. Rules change frequently, and it’s essential to stay up-to-date to ensure your army is legal and effective.

Mixing Warhammer armies can be a rewarding experience, allowing you to create unique and powerful forces. By understanding the rules and carefully considering your unit choices, you can build an army that is both competitive and fun to play.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Can I mix Space Marines from different Chapters in Warhammer 40,000?

Yes, you can, but you will lose access to some specific chapter tactics and stratagems. Each Space Marine Chapter (e.g., Ultramarines, Blood Angels, Space Wolves) has unique rules. If you mix Chapters in the same Detachment, you generally won’t be able to use those specific Chapter-based abilities.

2. Can I use Age of Sigmar models in Warhammer 40,000?

Only Chaos units can easily be used across both systems, but with limitations. You can use Age of Sigmar models in Warhammer 40,000 if you choose to play one of the Chaos factions, since they share the same Chaos deities in both games. However, you cannot use Warhammer 40,000 models within Age of Sigmar, as bolt guns and power armour haven’t quite reached the Mortal Realms yet.

3. How do Imperial Knights work with other Imperium armies?

Imperial Knights have a special rule called Freeblades that allows up to one Titanic Knight or up to three Armiger Knights to join any other Imperium army; they can’t be made the army Warlord or given any Enhancements, but they also don’t interfere with the faction’s army benefits.

4. Can I have multiple factions in one army Warhammer 40k?

Note that it’s quite rare to pick allies in most game modes – it’s assumed that your force will be drawn from a single faction. However, if you want to play larger games representing the combined forces of, say, an Imperial Indomitus Crusade fleet, you absolutely can in a casual setting.

5. Can you mix regiments in Warhammer 40K?

Yes, you can mix Astra Militarum regiments, which are created from multiple different regiments at some point in the past and now function as a single combat group.

6. What is the most powerful (OP) faction in Warhammer 40K?

The perceived “most OP” faction often fluctuates with each new edition of the rules and codex releases. Currently, Tyranids are considered among the strongest due to their powerful units, adaptive abilities, and ability to swarm the enemy.

7. Can Imperial Knights be female?

Yes, Imperial Knights can be female. The lore includes examples of female Knights, and there are no restrictions on gender for pilots of these war machines.

8. What are the rules for Super-Heavy Walkers like Knights?

Super-Heavy Walker means that all TITANIC Knights can Fall Back and Charge (and remember they get Fall Back and Shoot just from being TITANIC), and can also move over non-VEHICLE/MONSTER units.

9. Can Armigers be Freeblades?

Yes, Armiger Helverins are a long-ranged Lords of War choice that can provide vital fire support to your Imperial Knights army – or be taken as a wandering Freeblade squadron for other Imperium forces.

10. Which Warhammer game is more popular, 40K or Age of Sigmar?

Warhammer 40,000 is generally considered more popular due to its well-established lore and gothic science fiction setting. It has also spawned a larger number of video game adaptations.

11. Should I play Age of Sigmar or 40K?

If you prefer streamlined gameplay and a high fantasy setting, Age of Sigmar may be more accessible for beginners. However, if you’re drawn to a darker, science fiction setting and don’t mind a steeper learning curve, Warhammer 40K could be the game for you.

12. How big is a typical 40k army?

A standard Warhammer 40,000 army is usually around 2000 points and is played on a 6′ × 4′ playing area. However, smaller games like Kill Team and Combat Patrol are also popular and require fewer models and a smaller playing area.

13. Can any unit be a Warlord in 40k?

In fact, your Warlord can be any kind of model, not just a unit with the HQ battlefield role. Your Warlord “must be a model with the Character keyword… and cannot be a model with the Fortifications Battlefield Role.”

14. Can you combine Chaos Knights with Chaos Space Marines?

Yes, Chaos Space Marines can be combined with Daemons and Chaos Knights in interesting ways. This allows for highly customizable and powerful armies.

15. What’s the most important thing to consider when mixing armies?

Synergy is key. Don’t just pick the most powerful units; think about how they’ll work together on the battlefield, how well they synergize. A well-coordinated, thematically coherent army will almost always perform better than a mishmash of random units.