Last year, the highly anticipated Warhammer Age of Sigmar Soulbound exploded onto the RPG scene, allowing games masters to run games set within the Mortal Realms of the Age of Sigmar universe. Soulbound set out to be accessible and strip a lot of the bloat seen traditionally in tabletop roleplaying games to deliver a slick system that perfectly captured the flavour of Age of Sigmar.

One thing that people have been excitedly looking forward to however is the Soulbound Starter Set as a way of introducing players into this new system in an easily digestible way. The wait is over however, and the Warhammer Age of Sigmar Soulbound Starter Set is very nearly out in the wild, and we have been lucky enough to receive a copy a little early from Cubicle 7 to unbox and review!

So head to the nearest Realm Gate, gather your party and prepare to venture to the Mortal Realms!

If you would rather watch this unboxing in video format then you are in luck, as it is live over on YouTube and can be found just below!

Warhammer Age of Sigmar Soulbound Unboxing and Review

The Warhammer Soulbound Starter Set is a hefty box absolutely jam-packed with everything you could possibly need to start your adventure in the Mortal Realms!

If you have picked up the Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th edition Starter Set also from Cubicle 7 then you will know what to expect here, as this follows very much the same format.

First in the box is a set of 8 red dice bearing the symbol of Aqshy, these are a really nice touch and I want to get my hands on more dice to represent each of the realms now!

We also get a sheet of tokens to use to represent Mettle, Soulfire and Doom along with 3 reference sheets covering the rules for tests, combat and spellcasting along with a gatefold introduction to the universe of Warhammer Age of Sigmar, which is a nice primer for anyone who is perhaps new to the background and wants to learn more.

Also in the box is a great map showing the Great Parch of Aqshy on one side and the City of Brightspear on the other, acting as a great physical handout to use in your games. Nothing helps players visualise a location like a detailed map, and I love that both have been included in this box.

In a similar way to the Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay Starter Set, the box also includes a set of 5 premade character sheets in a gorgeous gatefold format with full profiles on the interior, character summary on the front and full artwork on the reverse. These are a brilliant touch that really help you to visualise the character you will be playing and capture their motivations and goals when running them through the adventure.

It’s also worth noting that even the box itself has a use, making double duty as a dice tray and GM screen! The inside lid has a nice summary of any rules references that might come up during the adventure while the lower box has the map of Aqshy on the interior!

So on to the books contained in the box! First up we have Faltering Light, the main adventure in the set that acts as a way of learning how to play games of Soulbound within the framework of a prewritten adventure. You really don’t need any prep as a GM here, as the book takes you through each concept step by step, slowing introducing tests, combat and spells as the story progresses, with everything you could possibly need being contained in this box!

If the thought of running a roleplaying game has ever made you feel a little overwhelmed, then Faltering Light is expertly crafted to make this an easy and enjoyable experience making sure you are not spending hours doing “homework” to get the game ready, but instead the ability to crack the box open with some friends and jump straight into the adventure itself!

Even if you have the full Soulbound rulebook, I would highly recommend Faltering Light as your first adventure as it really does do an excellent job of teaching you how to play while also delivering a great story with some twists and turns!

As each rule is introduced, the adventure highlights it clearly in a separate boxed out section that spells out exactly what the GM or players need to do. Combined with the included reference sheets it makes things really easy to pick up, and acts as a brilliant primer for people who want to progress to the full Soulbound rulebook.

The back of the book even has full listings of the various allies and enemies you will face during the adventure, and another summery sheet detailing weapon, armour and environmental traits along with conditions and their effects!

At 48 pages long this gives you a decent sized adventure to play though, and will double as a rules reference as you progress to crafting your own adventures!

Also included in the box is the Brightspear City Guide. This really impressed me in that it is essentially a full 64 page supplement detailing the city of Brightspear. If this had been available as a stand along product I’d have picked this up, but the fact it is included within the Starter Set makes this an outstanding addition!

Capturing what normal life looks like in the Mortal Realms is something that Soulbound has been able to share with us, and in this sourcebook we get a comprehensive and detailed guide detailing the history of the city, the inhabitants and full background to every point of interest within the city itself. This acts as great inspiration for how to frame your adventures and give them some real Age of Sigmar flavour, arming the GM with a full toolbox to describe the sights and sounds of Brightspear and the locations your party might explore within it.

We also get a full section with 8 adventure ideas that can be spun into the Faltering Light story or used as the basis of your own homebrew adventures. These include Rumours, Dears and Threats to frame the adventures along with full details on the party’s objectives and goals and the resolutions depending on what path they take. These are expanded with stats for the various adversaries they will face on these adventures ensuring that even if the players do not yet have the full Soulbound book they will be able to take on a range of different encounters.

Summary

Cubicle 7 have done an amazing job creating a Starter Set that not only teaches a group how to play the game, but also frame it within an exciting adventure and bundle it together with supplemental material and resources that deserve a place in any Soulbound player’s collection.

Design and artwork is excellent as ever, really capturing the feel of the Age of Sigmar universe and you can tell the designers share the passion we all have for the world and the races within it.

With an RRP of £22.99 this is an absolute must buy for anyone with an interest in the hobby and makes it easier than ever to get into tabletop roleplaying games. With lockdowns starting to ease, and the concept of being able to play games with friends again a very real possibility I feel that every fan of Age of Sigmar should 100% give Soulbound a try, and at a price point lower than many model kits I think this box is an absolute steal!

Warhammer Age of Sigmar Soulbound Starter Set is currently on preorder for £22.99 and is released very soon! If you would like to support the site, then why not order through our affiliate Element Games and save yourself 10% too!

If you are into Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, then make sure to check out our review of the latest book, Death on the Reik!

Cubicle 7 provided Sprues & Brews a copy of the Soulbound Starter Set for review purposes

Published by Matt Crowther

View all posts by Matt Crowther