The Nintendo Switch version of Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Champions brings the fun of collectible card games to your big screen (or small screen), but does that make it better?

Warhammer AOS: Champions is a collectible card game that allows two people to choose their favorite Warhammer alliance and strategically build a deck that will allow them to dominate any would-be challengers. The digital version does the same, while allowing players to scan their physical cards to help them build a deck. You can also earn and buy booster packs though the game itself, but the ability to bring your physical collection into the video game lets existing players go digital with no extra cost. Unfortunately there are no stores around me that sell the physical cards, so I’m not sure what the process is like for the Switch edition of the game.

Some actions have flashy effects.

How does it play?

A deck consists of four champions that each have individual blessings available, once the champion completes a “quest.” Each champion’s quest is different, involving playing certain types of cards or abilities in order to unlock a “heroic act” that serves as a powerful ability. This ability can heal the player, damage their opponent, or provide a helpful trait. These allow players to build their decks in a way that complements their unique playstyle.

The Switch edition of the game has two basic modes of play: docked and undocked. When the system is undocked, the game essentially plays like the mobile version of the game, which was my favorite way to play the game. The ability to dock your Switch allows you to play the game on your television, but you are then forced to play with the joycons or a pro controller, and this proves to be an extremely cumbersome way to navigate the game.

While playing the game docked, I ran across situations where I had to figure out what buttons to use by trial and error, because there were no prompts on the screen to let me know what I was supposed to do. There are even screens that tell you to tap or swipe, which is impossible while you are docked. When you are playing the game docked, you can tell that there was little thought put into how to make the game work with a controller.

Some cards can only be played by certain types of champions.

One Account for All the Versions

The game has you sign into a Warhammer AOS: Champions account, which allows you to share your progress and collection among all your devices. This is useful if you play the game on mobile because you’re able to watch ads to earn cards in the game. This option is not available on the Switch, so people who are playing solely on that platform are at a disadvantage when trying to add cards to their collection.

Since this is a free-to-play game, I keep wondering who this version of the game is for. It must be someone who doesn’t have a smartphone or tablet but has a Nintendo Switch. The only other option is that you’re playing this version of the game in order to conserve your device’s battery power. I could see the target audience being kids, but my 8-year-old has had an iPod Touch for the past couple of years – and before that, she used my iPad to play games.

Don’t get me wrong, I think this game is extremely good. The overall gameplay is solid, and I am hooked on it to the point where I’m looking to buy whole sets of cards online, since I can add them to my digital collection. The digital presentation isn’t quite as flashy or charming as something like Hearthstone, but I think the music and art are a great match for the Warhammer universe.

If you want to see the Switch version of the game in action, Paige and I check it out here. Since the game is free to play, you should definitely download it on your phone or PC and give it a try. The single player mode serves as a great way to learn the rules and get a good amount of cards to start customizing your personal decks.