Oathmark Battles of the Lost Age: Our Impressions of the New Edition
Oathmark Battles of the Lost Age: Our Impressions of the New Edition
Oathmark: Second Edition – Battles of the Lost Age does not feel like a game trying to reinvent itself. That is probably its biggest strength. The original Oathmark already had a clear identity: straightforward fantasy mass battles, ranked units, mixed-race armies, and a kingdom-building system that let players create their own realms rather than choose from rigid predetermined factions. The new edition asks a more useful question: how can Oathmark become more of the game it was always trying to be? The answer is to put kingdom building closer to the centre of the experience, expand campaign play, give races more personality, make magic more impactful, integrate material that previously lived in supplements, add new unit types, and balance the game using years of player feedback — all without replacing the core activation and combat systems that players already know. Our first impression is very positive. This feels like Oathmark being completed rather than replaced. Browse rulebooks, infantry, cavalry, characters, and fantasy army-building options in our Oathmark collection at Tistaminis.
Our Short Verdict
Oathmark Second Edition looks like a substantial improvement without sacrificing the reasons people liked the first edition. The battle rules remain familiar, but kingdoms and campaigns are now more central. Undead are integrated into the core game, races have more differentiation, magic is stronger, scenarios are expanded, and several older rules have been cleaned up or rebalanced.
For existing players, this looks more like an upgrade than a reset. For new players, this is the best version of Oathmark to start with.
Oathmark Second Edition at a Glance
Core Battle System9/10
Still simple, tactical, and recognizably Oathmark.
Kingdom Building9.5/10
Now feels much closer to the actual heart of the game.
Campaign Play9/10
More integrated and more meaningful.
Faction Identity8.5/10
Races have more distinguishing features.
New Player Entry9/10
Strong rules foundation without excessive complexity.
Existing Player Transition9/10
Core system and existing collections remain highly relevant.
Overall: 9/10
Second Edition looks like the version of Oathmark most likely to convert players who liked the concept of the original but wanted more depth around kingdoms, factions, heroes, campaigns, and army identity.
What Is Oathmark: Battles of the Lost Age?
Oathmark is a fantasy rank-and-flank mass-battle wargame designed by Joseph A. McCullough, also known for Frostgrave, Stargrave, and The Silver Bayonet. Players command regiments of fantasy soldiers rather than a handful of independent skirmishers. Armies can include Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Goblins, Orcs, Undead, cavalry, monsters, magic users, heroes, artillery, and chariots. But the defining feature is not the unit roster — it is the kingdom system. Rather than choosing a faction and being restricted to its units, players create realms made up of territories, and those territories determine what can be recruited.
Oathmark’s Big Idea
You are not just writing an army list. You are deciding what kind of kingdom could realistically produce that army.
Second Edition Is Evolution, Not Reinvention
McCullough has said there is considerably more that remains the same between the two editions than changes. The core activation and combat systems remain familiar — unit activations, formations, ranked movement, combat resolution, unit positioning, and battlefield manoeuvre are all still recognizable. You are not relearning an entirely different fantasy wargame. You are learning how familiar Oathmark systems now interact with a larger and better-integrated game.
CHANGE #1 Kingdom Building Is Now the Centre of the Game
This may be the most important shift even though it is not technically a combat rule. First Edition sometimes felt like a battle game with a kingdom campaign attached. Second Edition flips the emphasis: this is a game about fantasy kingdoms whose wars are resolved through mass battles. Army construction now begins with questions like “who lives in my kingdom, which territories do I control, and which races are allied?” — and the army becomes the physical expression of that realm. Kingdoms develop from battle to battle, gaining territories, recruiting new troops, and potentially losing what they have fought to build. That gives individual games much greater meaning.
This Is the Right Direction
Many games have ranked infantry and cavalry. Very few make the political and geographic structure behind your army a major part of army creation.
CHANGE #2 Races Have More Personality
One criticism of the original edition was that some races could feel mechanically closer together than their fantasy identities suggested. Second Edition adds additional racial rules intended to create stronger differentiation — stronger enough that mixed kingdoms become more interesting because the choice of a Dwarf settlement inside a Human kingdom actually changes battlefield options rather than just aesthetics. Your main Human army may have mobility and flexible infantry; you recruit Dwarves specifically because you want a durable regiment holding the centre. The kingdom choice produces the battlefield choice. That is exactly what the army-building system should accomplish.
CHANGE #3 Magic Has Been Strengthened
Spellcasters are intended to be more useful and magic more impactful than in the original rules. Fantasy mass battle should feel magical — and taking a wizard should feel meaningfully different from purchasing another infantry block. Better magic creates more interesting decisions around character selection, battlefield positioning, army themes, and counterplay. This is one of the areas we are most interested to see develop as players spend more time with the edition.
CHANGE #4 Undead Are Integrated Into the Core Game
In First Edition, expanded Undead content came through Oathbreakers. Second Edition brings Undead armies into the main rules ecosystem: new players need fewer books, Undead feel like a core fantasy option, rules can be balanced alongside the rest of the game, and campaign integration is cleaner. For a fantasy mass-battle game, skeletons and other Undead units feel fundamental enough that the main edition is the right place for them.
CHANGE #5 Legendary Heroes Add Narrative Personality
Second Edition introduces Legendary Heroes — named rulers, famous generals, campaign protagonists — giving players another way to connect individual characters to the larger story of a kingdom. Rank-and-flank games can make individual characters feel visually lost inside large armies, so having a Legendary Hero gives those regiments someone worth following without turning Oathmark into a hero-centric skirmish game. The army is still about regiments; the hero simply makes the realm memorable.
CHANGE #6 Chariots Join the Unit Options
Chariots create an additional unit silhouette and expand army-building beyond the familiar infantry, archer, cavalry, and monster combinations. They fit naturally into ancient-themed Human kingdoms, Elven forces, Goblin armies, and custom fantasy cultures. Because Oathmark is miniature-flexible, players can choose models that match the specific visual identity of their realm.
CHANGE #7 Scenarios, Monsters, and Artillery Revisited
Second Edition expands the scenario selection, giving different unit types different tactical value across objectives — a cavalry-heavy army may excel at one scenario and struggle in another, preventing list building from collapsing into one universal answer. Monsters have received balance attention intended to make them feel powerful and memorable rather than perfectly predictable. Artillery has also been revisited, including removal of the older Champion Die interaction — fitting the wider philosophy of keeping mechanics that create interesting decisions and removing unnecessary friction.
Miniature Agnosticism Is Still One of Oathmark’s Biggest Advantages
Oathmark has an official miniature range from North Star Military Figures, but the game remains friendly to players who already own fantasy collections — existing Human infantry, Dwarf regiments, Elf archers, Goblin hordes, Undead models, historical miniatures adapted to fantasy, and third-party models all work. This makes Oathmark an excellent system for mixed collections that no longer have a natural home elsewhere.
Before Buying a New Army
Look at what fantasy miniatures you already own. You may already have most of your first Oathmark kingdom.
North Star’s official plastic boxes are particularly useful because they contain large numbers of infantry designed specifically for regiment building — excellent for large units, conversion projects, and mixed kingdoms. Browse the Oathmark miniature range at Tistaminis.
Painting and Modelling Notes
Because Oathmark is regiment-based, visual cohesion across a unit matters more than making every miniature completely unique. Focus on strong unit colours, readable shields, consistent basing, and repeated heraldry for the rank and file — then spend additional time on heroes, wizards, monsters, and standards. Batch painting works extremely well: prime the entire unit, paint one colour across every model, move to the next colour, apply washes together, highlight only the most visible surfaces, and finish bases as a group. The reward is the visual impact of the entire formation, not one miniature. Browse our miniature paint collection for paints, washes, Speedpaints, metallics, and army-painting supplies. Oathmark does not require a dense skirmish-style table — forests, hills, ruins, fields, and roads work well, but ranked units need room to manoeuvre. Explore our tabletop terrain collection.
Who Should Start Oathmark Second Edition?
| Player Type | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| New Fantasy Wargamer | Excellent — clean mass-battle foundation |
| Old Warhammer Fantasy / Old World Player | Excellent — existing armies may transfer easily |
| Historical Wargamer | Excellent — familiar regimental structure and miniature flexibility |
| Narrative Campaign Player | Excellent |
| Mixed Miniature Collector | Excellent |
| Player Wanting a Large Tournament Scene | Mixed — community depends heavily on region |
| Player Who Loves Very Detailed Unit Rules | Mixed — Oathmark deliberately stays cleaner |
Oathmark vs the Competition
| System | Emphasis | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Oathmark | Kingdom creation, mixed armies, campaigns, world-building | Narrative players, mixed collections, custom realms |
| Kings of War | Fast competitive battles, defined factions, tournament support | Players who want faction identity and organized play |
| Warhammer: The Old World | Highly detailed faction identity, granular army construction, Warhammer lore | Deep faction specialists, returning Warhammer players |
If your main question is “which faction is strongest?” other systems may feel more familiar. If your question is “what kind of kingdom do I want to create?” Oathmark is doing something more unusual.
Should First-Edition Players Upgrade?
Yes, assuming you intend to keep playing Oathmark. The new edition is not a cosmetic reprint — you gain revised kingdom rules, expanded campaign integration, stronger racial identities, improved magic, integrated Undead, Legendary Heroes, chariots, expanded scenarios, monster adjustments, artillery changes, and years of accumulated balance feedback. At the same time, you are not throwing away what you learned from First Edition. Some older material like Battlesworn and Oathbreakers may still contain useful campaign ideas, but Second Edition is designed to be a broader standalone foundation. For a completely new player, start with the Second Edition core book rather than trying to reconstruct the old rules across multiple publications.
The Best Time to Start Oathmark Is Probably Now
The rules have just been consolidated and expanded, the older system’s lessons have been incorporated, and you are entering at the beginning of the new edition. The digital PDF is already available; Osprey lists September 15, 2026 for the physical North American hardback.
What We Are Still Watching
Second Edition Is Very New
The PDF released in late August 2026. Any claims about fully solved meta or perfect campaign balance would be premature. There are four things we want more table time with before reaching firm conclusions: long-term campaign balance (any territory-based system risks successful kingdoms snowballing), Legendary Hero power relative to regiments, whether monster changes feel thematic or frustrating at the table, and which racial combinations prove most efficient once more players explore the system.
Our Recommended Starting Path
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Get the Second Edition rulebook — learn how kingdom and battlefield systems connect |
| 2 | Choose a core race — Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Goblins, Orcs, or Undead all provide strong starting identities |
| 3 | Build two or three regiments — do not immediately buy a gigantic army |
| 4 | Add a character — a commander or wizard gives the army personality |
| 5 | Play small battles — learn movement, activation, combat, and formation |
| 6 | Build the kingdom — once you understand the battlefield, start expanding territories and mixed-race options |
| 7 | Grow from actual games — add cavalry, monsters, artillery, chariots, or additional races based on what the army needs |
Build Your Oathmark Kingdom
Browse the full Oathmark collection at Tistaminis for the new Second Edition rules, plastic infantry, cavalry, characters, monsters, and other fantasy army-building options. Get your regiments ready for battle with our miniature paints and hobby supplies, or build your kingdom’s battlefield with our tabletop terrain. Browse our latest tabletop releases as new Oathmark products arrive for Second Edition. Ships from Canada.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Oathmark: Second Edition – Battles of the Lost Age?
The revised and expanded 2026 edition of Joseph A. McCullough’s fantasy mass-battle wargame. It keeps the recognizable core battle mechanics while expanding kingdom building, campaigns, races, magic, scenarios, unit types, and other rules.
Is Second Edition completely different from First Edition?
No. The core activation and combat systems remain familiar. Second Edition is best understood as a substantial revision and expansion rather than a complete redesign.
What changed in Oathmark Second Edition?
Major changes include greater emphasis on kingdom building, expanded campaign integration, stronger racial identity, improved magic, integrated Undead forces, Legendary Heroes, chariots, additional scenarios, monster adjustments, artillery changes, and various balance revisions.
Can I still use my old Oathmark army?
Yes. Existing fantasy collections remain highly relevant because the core game is still regiment-based and the army system has not been replaced.
Can I use non-Oathmark miniatures?
Oathmark is very friendly to mixed fantasy collections. The official North Star range is excellent, but many players use existing fantasy miniatures to represent the units in their kingdoms.
Are Undead in the Second Edition core rules?
Yes. Undead material that previously depended more heavily on the Oathbreakers expansion has been integrated into the broader Second Edition system.
Does Second Edition still have kingdom building?
Yes. Kingdom building is now even more central to the game. Territories determine recruitment options and kingdoms can develop or lose territory through campaign play.
Is Oathmark good for beginners?
Yes. The battle system is relatively straightforward for a rank-and-flank game, while the kingdom system adds depth gradually as players become more comfortable.
Is Oathmark good for campaigns?
Campaign play is one of Oathmark’s biggest strengths, especially in Second Edition where kingdoms and territorial development are presented as a central part of the overall game.
Is Oathmark like Warhammer Fantasy or The Old World?
It shares the rank-and-flank format, but Oathmark uses a cleaner rules structure and focuses more on creating custom kingdoms and mixed-race armies rather than playing a specific established faction.
Is Oathmark similar to Kings of War?
Both are streamlined fantasy mass-battle systems, but Kings of War emphasizes defined factions and competitive battlefield efficiency while Oathmark places much more emphasis on kingdom creation, mixed forces, and campaign development.
When does Oathmark Second Edition release?
The digital PDF edition released in late August 2026. Osprey lists September 15, 2026 for the physical hardback in North America.
Should existing Oathmark players upgrade?
We think so. Second Edition adds enough new kingdom, campaign, race, magic, scenario, unit, and balance content to justify the update while keeping the battle system familiar.
Where can I buy Oathmark in Canada?
Browse Oathmark rulebooks, plastic infantry, cavalry, characters, monsters, paints, and hobby supplies in our Oathmark collection at Tistaminis. Ships from Canada.
Final Verdict: Has Second Edition Improved Oathmark?
Yes. Our impression is that Second Edition understands exactly what Oathmark needed. It did not need a completely new combat system — the original activation and battle mechanics were already one of the game’s strengths. What Oathmark needed was a stronger reason for those battles to matter. Second Edition provides that by putting the kingdom closer to the centre: your army comes from somewhere, the settlements in your realm affect who can fight for you, victories can expand those options, and defeats can take them away. Races have more personality. Wizards matter more. Undead are easier to include. Legendary Heroes provide focal characters. Chariots broaden army construction. More scenarios create different tactical problems. And all of this happens without telling existing players that the army they already built is suddenly obsolete.
There will be things that need more testing — campaign snowballing, optimal racial combinations, and whether monster changes feel right at the table are all questions that need more games to answer. But the fundamental direction is right. Oathmark is leaning harder into the part of its identity that no other major fantasy rank-and-flank game reproduces in quite the same way. You are not simply choosing an army. You are building a kingdom. And now the rules are much more interested in making that kingdom matter.