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Which Old World army builder should you use?
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There is no single best army builder for Warhammer: The Old World. It depends on what you need. Old World Builder is a free, open-source site that players like for its clean screens, rules index and quick updates, though some report it can let restricted picks through and lists live in the browser. New Recruit covers many games, is strong on legality checks, syncs to an account, works offline and runs tournaments, but many find its interface dated and it has no rules text. Old World Rankings' Battle Builder validates live and submits to events, and was in beta with an account required as of September 2026. Spreadsheets still work if you want full control. Order of Battle, this app, is free with no account. It flags composition while you build and then turns the list into Play at the table. Its Old World side is in beta and has no cloud sync.
Open The Old World lists| Order of Battle | Old World Builder | New Recruit | OWR Battle Builder | Spreadsheet | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free | Free (optional sub) | Free in beta | Free |
| Account | No | No | Optional | Required | No |
| Lists stored | This browser | This browser | Cloud or local | Cloud | File |
| Composition checks | Yes | Partial (reported) | Yes | Yes | Manual |
| Rules text | Army rules in Play | Yes, index | No | Yes, inline | No |
| At the table | Play: wounds, magic, phases, VP | Play mode | Roster view | — | No |
| Tournaments | No | No | Yes | Event submission | No |
| Also builds AoS | Yes | No | Yes | No | n/a |
Checked 29 October 2026 from each tool's site and player comments.
vs New Recruit · vs Old World Builder
Is there an official Old World app?
As far as we know, Games Workshop doesn't make its own list-building app for The Old World.
Which checks legality best?
Players most often name New Recruit; OWR Battle Builder also validates live.
Can I use two builders?
Yes. Many players sketch in one and check in another.
Free Old World builder · How to use Order of Battle · How to build a list · Composition caps · Play at the table · Rules · Rules in plain words · Tutorials · Factions · Why Order of Battle · FAQ