In Praise of Warhammer 40,000 and Games Workshop

And now, for something completely different...

A recent topic on Dakka Dakka encouraged members to defy the current negativity about Games Workshop and Warhammer 40,000 and share what's good about it.

This got me thinking. I'm someone who deliberately chose not to continue playing 40k with the advent of 7th edition, as I just couldn't see shelling out another $180 ($80 rulebook and two new $50 army books) to keep my hand in a game I don't really play anymore.

However, I have many fond memories of 40k. It was my first and only wargame for many years, and I would likely not be a wargamer today if not for it's early influence. I know for a fact that several other folks in my game club found their way to wargaming through a similar path blazed by 40k.

So, what are the good points of 40k? Does the "Games Workshop Hobby" have anything to recommend it? From the point of view of someone who has ditched 40k, I'd like to remind us of five broad ways in which 40k and Games Workshop are actually quite good.

1. The Universe
The background of the Warhammer 40,000 universe is very wide -- but not very deep. It is repeatedly presented in rulebooks and supplements as being to broad to even hope to describe. In various timelines, entire centuries of the 40k timeline are described with simple phrases or one-line notations. This vagueness and lack of definition is seen by some to be a bad thing, but it's actually one of the ways that 40k keeps being such a fun sandbox in which folks can do their own thing.

By contrast, the Battletech universe (my personal favorite gaming universe) is much more thoroughly and richly developed, with more detail and consistency, and a historical timeline that progresses. However, this richness leaves much less room for creating one's on niche. Technology and factions are fairly nailed down, aliens aren't part of the equation, and the borders of that universe are pretty well circumscribed.

The boundaries 40k universe, however, are much less defined, and there's room for the creative player to incorporate just about anything. A look at 40k fiction demonstrates this. The universe is so vast that it encompasses the gritty Gaunts Ghosts, the slapstick parody of Caiaphas Cain, and the latest offering of Space Marine bolter-porn.

2. The Models
It has never been true -- as the company so often states -- that Games Workshop is definitively "the best" maker of model soldiers. However, they have always been near the top. Like any company, they have some stinkers, and their style is definitely not to everyone's taste. However, it's hard to deny that they put out a lot of great models with a regularity that's hard to beat.

Just last week, Josh showed us a kit of wood elves on stags, which I had to admit were really gorgeous models! Also, their multipart kits offer more variety and customizability that almost any other product out there (with a notable few exceptions, none of which are made by companies that come anywhere near GW's output).

3. The Production Values
The presentation of Games Workshop products and printed materials has always been very slick and extremely pretty. Say what you will about White Dwarf magazine, but it has always one of the best looking hobby magazines you could have by the toilet. Those same production values have been present in GW gaming books, box art and promotional materials going back many years.

Folks will argue style versus substance, but there is something really nice about a really good-looking wargames book. GW has dominated in this field for years, and it's only in the last decade that other gaming companies have truly started to catch up. Starting with Privateer Press and continuing on into products like Tomorrow's War and Kings of War, we can finally say that rule publishers have realized that gamers appreciate superlative production values.

4. Long-Term Value
Games Workshop miniatures have a value that extends beyond the original purchase in a way that exceeds most other wargames miniatures. This makes it financially easier for GW players to switch armies -- they simply sell off their existing army at 30% or 40% of its original retail value and then re-invest in another force.

This innate value has created an enormous, thriving second-hand market where it is not difficult for the thrifty newbie to enter a GW game for a decent discount. To be clear, that lower price is often still more expensive than other games. However, it is still a good discount, and the decades-long history of GW means that older versions of models are often available at an even lower price point. I have funded quite a bit of my own gaming hobby by buying and reselling used GW miniatures over the years.

5. Ubiquity
This last facet is perhaps the most important. Games Workshop is still -- in many areas -- the "only game in town" insofar as miniatures wargaming is concerned. That means that each overpriced model kit has an extra surprise packaged inside: a built-in community of gamers. That's a feature that should not be underestimated. 

I have to admit that if I didn't have access to the great group of indie gamers, I'd probably still be shelling out GW bucks. As much as it would hurt my wallet, I know that it'd be easy to find someone to play against. For those for whom the experience of playing games with other people is a vital part of wargaming, the ubiquity and built-in community of Games Workshop games is a very tangible benefit and likely one worth paying for.

So there you have it, the 40k recipe has a lot going for it. It's not my favorite flavor anymore, but theres more than enough quality ingredients for me to completely understand why many do partake. As for why I'm not ordering from the GW menu anymore, just take a look at the mouthwatering buffet that is the rest of this this blog.

So what do you love about Games Workshop or 40k? Let me know in the comments below!

-- Karl, Chicago Skirmish Wargames club member

Quake and Mourn Campaign: Session 1 Report

Last week we kicked off our summer Song of Blades & Heroes campaign. As before, this takes place in the lands of Qaarra, though we've advanced the narrative to create a palpable sense of doom and gloom over the lands. Here's the roster of participants so far.

• Josh: The Wild Druids of Vitu Daru, a woodland warband with lots of animals and treefolk 
• Pat: The Scourge of Longrieve, a union of evil raiders 
• Mattias: The Tainted Thegn and his Dire Men, a group of mounted barbarian horsemen 
•  Mike M: Orc marauders, a ferocious orc warband 
• Tim: Tharks of the Wyl'st Horde, a group of Burroughsian six-limbed giant green men. Origins unknown ... are they from the red planet? 
• Karl: Deepwoods Vengers, Wood elves on a campaign
• Terrence: The Unnamed, a dishonored black orc war party

Before each battle, players rolled on a chart below to determine the location and the scenario played. Players also had the option to choose their own scenario and location. We're really trying to avoid the classic "kill-em-all" default scenario with this campaign. A few battle reports might be forthcoming, but for now, here's a summary of the night's events:

The Scourge of Longrieve vs. Orc Marauders
Location: Longrieve Home
Scenario: The Reaping of Longrieve (custom scenario)

The Scourge of Longrieve made their campaign debut in a custom scenario that pitted the raiders against a disorganized but numerically superior group of orcs.

The scenario deployment required both warbands to deploy their figures relatively far apart, which made it difficult for either side to muster effective assaults.

After a grueling early game, the dark warriors of Longrieve overwhelmed the orcs and marched off into the wilderness.
Victory: The Scourge of Longrieve (Pat)

Wild Druids of Vitu Daru vs. Tharks of the Wyl'st Horde
Location: Arboria of Vitu Daru
Scenario: Attack on Vitu Daru (custom)
In their home territory, the Wild Druids of Vitu Daru were set upon by the Tharks in a custom scenario created by Josh.

The Druids were attempting to complete a ritual deep in the dense, tangled woodlands of Vitu Daru. The Tharks, of course, would have none of that!

Ultimately, though, the druids drove off the Tharks. Though defeated, the Tharks, still managed to find a hoard of 25 gold after the battle, and the Druids reclaimed an ancient watchtower on the border of their lands.
Victory: Wild Druids of Vitu Daru


Tharks of the Wyl'st Horde vs. The Deep Woods Vengers

Location: Brionbock Dale
Scenario: Take the High Ground
The Tharks swiftly sent a large portion of their force up onto the hill, while below Karl's Wood Elves struggled to ascend. After having two of their number slaughtered by the Tharks, the Elves fled in shame. 

After the fighting, the Tharks discovered a corpse with 15 gold pieces. The wily Elves came across a caravan and shrewdly bargained their way into 20 gold.
Victory: Tharks of the Wyl'st Horde (Tim)


Deep Woods Vengers vs. The Unnamed Orcs
Location: The Scrying Stones
Scenario: Defend the Find
The Deep Woods Vengers were ranging though the Scrying Stones when they came across the Unnamed Orcs setting up camp in one of the abandoned Scrying Temples. Both sides quickly girded for battle. Karl's flying elvish queen was responsible for two gruesome kills -- including a hero, who luckily recovered after the battle -- that broke the orcs before they were able to concentrate their forces. After the battle, the fleeing orc force became lost, and the Elves discovered a magic well in the scrying stones in which they found a charmstone.
Victory: Deep Woods Vengers (Karl)

The Scourge of Longrieve vs. the Tainted Thegn's Dire Men

Scenario: Song of the Ancients (modified)
Location:  Tallenwood Forest
Pat's raiders were attempting to protect a necromancer while he conducted a ritual atop a heathen altar. The battle quickly went against Mattias's dire horsemen, and he wisely quit the field on turn 2 to avoid any further casualties.

Luckily, both of his wounded horsemen returned to the warband. After the battle, the Dire Men met with more misfortune as they came across a trap, which dazed one member of the warband. The Scourge of Longrieve, on the other hand, had a stroke of good luck, stumbling into a haunted forest and recruiting a ghoul to join their warband.
Victory: The Scourge of Longrieve (Pat)

Tharks of the Wyl'st Horde vs. Unnamed Orcs

Location: Sunderstone Badlands
Scenario: Defend the Watchtower
Still on a rampage of conquest, the Tharks attacked a watchtower controlled by the Unnamed Orcs. The Unnamed improved their standing by routing the Tharks off the table. The Unnamed Orcs found yet another watchtower in the wilderlands after the battle. Yep, sometimes that random exploration chart is a fickle mistress. The Tharks found a keg of beer with which to celebrate their battle prowess.
Victory: Tharks


Victory Records

• The Druids of Vitu Daru (Josh)  1-0 
• The Scourge of Longrieve (Pat) 2-0 
• The Tainted Theon and his Dire Men (Mattias) 0-1 
• Orc Marauders (Mike M.) 0-2 
• Tharks of the Wyl'st Horde (Tim) 1-2
• Deep Woods Vengers (Karl) 1-1 
• The Unnamed Orcs (Terrence) 1-1

 We're off to a great start with lots of flavorful war bands and a great bunch of players. Stay tuned for a summer of chaos and adventure in the Qaarra!

-- Karl, Chicago Skirmish Wargames club member

Quake and Mourn Campaign: Raid on the Arboria of Vitu Daru

(Editor's note: We played the first session of our new fantasy campaign this week, with 7 players in attendance at Games Plus. We played at least 8 individual games and will try to produce battle reports on most of them.)

In the first game, my Wild Druids of Vitu Daru were performing a ritual using the Scrying Stones to try and pinpoint the source of the land's blight. The Tharks of the Wyl'st Horde (Tim's warband) mustered to raid the forest and stop the druidic ritual!

This scenario had a six-turn limit. The druids had to protect the Scrying Stones! At least one of the three human druids on the battlefield had to stay within medium range of the Scrying Stones for the duration of the game in order to complete the ritual.

Due to the effects of the ritual, druid warband members within long range of the Scrying Stones get +1 to their Combat rolls. The druids started in a circle one near the dais in the center of the forest.

Tim's attackers had to kill the heathens or force them far enough back from the scrying stone so that the ritual was interrupted. The Tharks started within long range of any board edge.

Wes Wyl, one of Tim's more fearsome creations, led the charge astride a HUGE Thoat mount. The rest of the Tharks, lead by J'en Jexxs the Mighty, were not far behind.

 
Summer and Winter, the brave two-headed wolves, met the huge beast in combat, but were destroyed.

Using their natural powers, the treekin sent their roots burrowing up through the ground to entangle their enemies, while the druids tried to land killing blows.

Finally, summoning a rage from deep within himself, Ursun Fur-Walker felled the great beast.

The battle was furious and chaotic. The Tharks of the Wyl'st almost managed to overrun the Druid's defenses, but even as Tharks and druids slaughtered each other in the forest, Arborius the druid managed to complete the ritual.

A sense of newfound purpose filled the druid's soul. The warband now has a sense of direction. After dispatching the Tharks, they set off on a quest across Qaarra to repair the blight and return natural order to the chaotic lands.

This was a fun scenario, and it provided a great narrative jumping-off point for my  but I think it still needs some tweaking. The +1 to combat should be limited to just the area inside the circle. I also think the attackers should start a little farther away from the dais in the center to give the defenders a little more time to set up a defensive plan.

Stay tuned for more battle reports from our first campaign session!

-- Josh, Chicago Skirmish Wargames club member

DIY Miniatures Case

My various fantasy minis have, for some time, been stored in various less-than-ideal containers. Earlier this month, I finally made a case for them.

The method is similar to most of the cases I've built in the past. It starts with a a Plano 1401 Protector 4 Pistol case. The stock case comes with two sheets of eggshell foam and a flat sheet on the top. I used sheets of pluck foam leftover from previous projects. After plucking out the compartments to the desired shape, I glued two of the pluck sheets together with contact cement, then added a base of thick EVA foam (the same stuff that Sabol uses) to make a deep tray. Note the custom-plucked compartments -- these are for the various unusual miniatures in my collection, and it's one of the best parts of making your own miniatures case.

Here's how it looks when it's almost finished. I still need to trim the EVA base.

And here it is with the minis inside.

And here's the whole package in the pistol case.

I've done a rather in-depth DIY of these kind of cases over at DakkaDakka, but my process has changed and refined over the years, so at some point I'll make an updated and revised version for the blog. It's nothing groundbreaking, but it is a hardshell miniature storage system that's just as protective at half the price (or less) of an equivalent soft-bag Sabol or Portable Warfare system.

It feels good to get these done. Now I can move on to a couple more projects, namely Josh's cemetery on a hill terrain piece and Tim's crashed helicopter.

-- Karl, Chicago Skirmish Wargames club member

The Wild Druids of Vitu Daru

Here is my warband for our upcoming Song of Blades & Heroes campaign. I painted most of these guys toward the end of last year and have been slowly adding to the warband ever since.

The Arboria of Vitu Daru is the oldest forest in all of Qaarra, and it is protected by an ancient sect of powerful druids. Though most members abhor violence, they will stop at nothing to protect their woods.

As the darkness fell over Qaarra, the trees began to wither and die. The Vitu Darunian Druids consulted the ancient Scrying Stones at the glade in the center of their lands, and decided that something must be done.

They left the woodlands to uncover the truth behind the darkness, and stop it at all costs.

Arborius is the ancient and powerful leader of the Druids. His age-old powers grant him control over nearby flora. Whenever Arborius appears, the mysterious Tree of Fate will be nearby. Some say that the druid is but a branch of that ancient tree.

Florifera the Wild has been studying under Arborius since she was a child. Her Tree-kin constructs are never far behind her.

You wouldn't like Florifera when she gets angry...

Ursun Fur Walker was a warrior from across the Western Seas. He was shipwrecked 15 years ago near Port Windspiel, and the druids nursed him back to health. He found that he enjoyed the calm of the forest. He trained two wolves, Summer, and Winter, to help protect the druids. As thanks, he was given a mystical bear pelt. Now he is ready to pick up his rusted axe to defend his new family.

Ursun's fur protects him from more than the cold winters...

Check back for photos of these guys in action when our summer campaign gets underway.

-- Josh, Chicago Skirmish Wargames club member

Barbed Wire from Plastic Army Men Playsets

I picked up barbed wire stands a couple months ago at a game store auction. They're from a plastic army men kit similar to what you might find in the toy section of your typical drugstore. They were half-finished, with two pieces glued to 16 large tongue depressors, with sand on the base.

I'd been meaning to create something similar with some fencing I had, but this project was already halfway done and I probably spent less than $5 to complete these barbed wire strips.

I sprayed them heavily with Krylon Fusion Camo Flat Black, which bonds to soft plastics. Then it was a simple matter of dark and light brown drybrushing on the sand, dark metallic gunmetal dry brush on the fences and a bit of rusty orange (it came out looking brown, but whatever…), followed by a matte spray.

Even though they are all identical, it's a nice useful bit of terrain for any of the sci-fi or post-apoc games we play, and with 16 of them, I can surround just about any large bit of terrain I have.

-- Karl, Chicago Skirmish Wargames club member

Swatting Bugs on Talumbach's World: An ITEN Game Report

After months of painting and gaming various fantasy games, Josh and I cleansed our palates last week with a nice game of In the Emperor's Name, the small-scale sci-fi ruleset designed for (but not limited to) skirmish gaming in the Warhammer 40,000 universe.

As we have been gaming lately in our own homebrew sci-fi universe, we decided to set the game on Talumbach's World, a mostly unexplored forested planet. Here's the capsule Josh came up with for the scenario:

Long ago, Talumbach's World was colonized by Talumbach Enterprises as a mining resource. The corporation allowed the Terran Federation to house a small military base in return for tax credits. One year later, both colony and military base were deserted. Records were sealed, and the planet was declared dangerous, uninhabitable, and off-limits by the Terran frontier government. Years passed,  and the forest took back the land.

More recently, a trade ship crash-landed on the planet's surface carrying valuable data cores about the disposition and movement of Subathi Empire forces in the system. Moving quickly, the Subathi dispatched an extraction team to infiltrate the planet and secure the data cores.

Here's the battlefield at the beginning of the game, with the crashed spaceship located near the abandoned military base. 

Josh's Subathi troopers (actually Tau) were joined by some Kroot warriors for this expedition. Here they are at their jumping-off point.

I know you're all wondering what army I put on the table to threaten Josh's advance. Maybe you guessed it from the scenario or the teaser photo up top. The truth is, Talumbach's World, at least this abandoned firebase, is infested with xenomorphs! Here's what's lurking in the ruins, waiting to feast on Subathi flesh...

The big guy in the center is from Kryomek, and the smaller xenos are from Reviresco.

The weird bug critter is from Grenadier, alongside a Reviresco "homphage" figure.

Oh boy! Aliens everywhere!

We came up with some fun movement rules for the xenomorphs. Small groups could forfeit their activation for one turn in order to re-appear the next turn inside any terrain piece on the battlefield. Leaders were required to use this terrain-to-terrain movement, and this special rule really heightened the tension on the battlefield and kept Josh on his toes.

Here's his cautious advance.

I maneuvered my xenos so they were sort of encircling the crash site, ready to pounce as soon as the Subathi troops got close. They were custom-built from the ITEN rulebook to be close combat monsters. 

Finally, Josh's guys were close enough that I sprang the trap, sending my xenos rushing in from all sides to slaughter his forces.

Close combat in ITEN is fairly simple: roll to hit, then the target rolls his/her Grit stat to avoid dying. My guys had no problem whatsoever scoring hits (they are close combat monsters, after all) but Josh's Grit rolls were frustratingly successful. I was planning to kill two or three of his guys for every one of mine, but the dice were in his favor, and my guys bore the brunt of the assault.

At this point in the game, we got a bit loopy. Josh had a wad of Silly Putty at the table (he uses it to mask off areas for airbrushing), so on a whim we decided to put together some gruesome battlefield effects for the dying xenos. Anyone who's ever seen Aliens knows that these guys spray giblets everywhere when they die. Here are the best shots of the carnage on Talumbach's World.

Yep, guts everywhere. I killed some of his guys, but not enough. The orange Silly Putty puddles soon outnumbered the remaining xeno warriors. Ultimately Josh was able to secure the data cores and fight his way back to the evac site. In retrospect we agreed that perhaps I should have had more xenomorphs to really make his life miserable out there. But then again, we might have run out of orange Silly Putty!

What a mess! 

Next week we'll play the first session of our summer fantasy campaign, so stay tuned for more CSW game reports!

-- Patrick, Chicago Skirmish Wargames club member