How AoS: Realms of Ruin Is Reviving the RTS Genre: The Lore, The Tabletop, And Sean Bean

As he walks me through Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin, principal designer Sandro Sammarco says, “We don’t want to reinvent the wheel.” However, it appears as though he has. Even though I’m not an expert in RTS games, this one is unlike any other I’ve ever played. Realms of Ruin is a role-playing game (RTS) at its best, from the fluid battle animations to the AAA quality, voice-acted cutscenes and the fierce PvP action inspired by the tabletop game. This is the spirit of a genre reforged, much like the Stormcast protagonists who stalk through Ghur, and a lot of its power comes from the characters who give it life.

Many people think the real-time strategy game (RTS) genre may be very boring, emphasizing planet-spanning campaigns and tactical skirmishes over deep character development and compelling story moments. The same might be said of Games Workshop’s Age of Sigmar poster boys, the Stormcast Eternals. When I first saw the legion of angels, I thought they were uninteresting because they were mostly faceless and dressed in the same armor. The fact that Realms of Ruin offers each Stormcast a unique personality, motive, and identity—and that the game is mostly played on their shoulders—may be its finest accomplishment.

Sammarco remarks, “They could all be like an army of walking Captain Picards.” They could play endlessly as Patrick Stewart, but it would get old quickly. And the legend—which holds that they are unique individuals—doesn’t reflect who they really are.


Thus, we made an effort to include a variety of accents. There’s something Sean Bean-esque about the Vanguard Hunters. As Stormcasts go, they’re tough and ready. It feels like a perfect match because they are these ferocious scouts who basically use lightning-fast hit-and-run tactics and are all about their frantic attacks.

In the campaign’s cutscenes, the accents were clearly audible. Although the graphics seem nice, the images are made much more vivid by the voices. The environment and story captivated me from the start, more so than any previous RTS I had played. Realms of Ruin, as described by Sammarco, is “a bit of a character study” that delves into the concept of heroism and villainy. It’s more than I could have imagined from a Warhammer game, and it immediately appeals to people who don’t usually think of the genre as stuffy or dull. Realms of Ruin surpasses other games in the genre because to its plot and cutscenes, despite the absurdity of being so enthused about them.

Sammarco says, “I really enjoyed creating this story because it allows you to see them as characters as well as people.” “They’re not just mindless hacking and slashing suits of armor.” That affects not only the Stormcast but all of our characters in the narrative. They are developed and totally realized.


Sammarco always returns to the lore, be it about the people, their skills, or the Orruks I was destroying. Games Workshop most frequently intervened in this stage of production, ensuring that units matched their counterparts on the tabletop and ability names matched descriptions found in other media. The IP encompasses video games, novels, tabletop, and much more, so everything must work together to create a cohesive universe.

Sammarco reveals to me the breadth of Games Workshop’s scrutiny, stating that the firm inquires about hundreds of details regarding each gaming mechanic, such as “Is this accurate in terms of lore? Is this the Sigmar Age? Would someone talk, behave, fight, act, or make decisions in this way? Does this skill you’re using align with our capabilities, or does it require a change?'”

Even while having a corporation involved in the game may have been constraining, Sammarco believes it made his job much easier. He also expressed gratitude to Games Workshop for their development support, saying it “kept us on the straight and narrow for authenticity.”




Four armies will be playable upon release, with Realms of Ruin taking place solely in the Realm of Ghur. So far, only the Stormcast and Orruks have been made public. Sammarco won’t divulge any more information, although he does warn me that Ghur might not be what you would have expected. Although the burned wastelands on the levels I saw in the preview were appropriate for the Orruks who live there, the full game will have more biomes to explore.

The multiplayer is what will keep you playing, even while the story may entice you with its well-done graphics and regional accents (many Stormcast are obviously from the north of Azyr). The PvP mode felt easy to understand and familiar because of its parallels to the tabletop game. My first match was an extremely narrow comeback that concluded with just eight victory points in my favor. This was obviously a deliberate decision, and it functions admirably.

“We aimed to ensure that the multiplayer experience is as seamless as possible while retaining the richness that comes from opposing armies,” adds Sammarco. We also wanted to get right to the action, so you’re battling almost right away, seizing targets, and squabbling over territory. That kind of seems like the tabletop game where you usually have to fight to claim the area and accomplish objectives.


Although I used a mouse and keyboard to play, Realms of Ruin also seems to have an innovative gamepad setup. I’m curious to learn more about the system’s conscious avoidance of “slavishly recreating” a mouse and keyboard when I play the game again. I’m not sure what the developer could have done to make the seamless transition from clicks and key presses to the streamlined interface of a DualSense or Elite, but this seems like a challenging genre to play on a pad.

Realms of Ruin is aiming for full crossplay, meaning you can utilize any input on any device. This is something Sammarco and his crew are working on. Xbox version of M&K? Yes. a PC controller? You are who you are. This game appears to be trying to be both kind and entertaining at the same time, and it may succeed in doing so. You’ll be drawn into the Age of Sigmar universe by its rough Yorkshire accent, and the thrilling multiplayer will have you engaged in combat in Ghur for many hours. Realms of Ruin may be the ideal starting point for those who are new to both worlds, even if you have never played an RTS before and don’t know your battles from your hammers.