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Slipstream wrote:Trust us old 'uns! Way back when WD covered other company's ranges,it was a magazine worth reading!
Figures were cheap and cheerful.I've still got a good force of dark elves built around Menil Manhides Dark Elves,a lot
better than the latest version.
When you ordered by post(no net back then)you got a personal reply from the head honchos who packed your
orders!
Then there was [see forum posting rules] and Thrud the Barbarian comic strips.
Back then GW were a great company,they really were!
Then they went inhouse and that is when the rot set in...

Ah... The old Mengil's in the hard plastic case. Used to have a bunch of them in my Dark Elf army, but to be honest they weren't my favorite Citadel Dark Elves though. But, oh did I dearly love the old Marauder Dark Elves. Traded my army of them off a few years back, though... Sometimes regret that one!

WD used to be a very, very different beastie, that's for sure! Runequest articles. Ads for *other* companies. D&D stuff. 'Twas nice. Some of the figures from that era, I miss, but some's, well, meh now to be honest. Still, back in the day it was hand's down the most innovate stuff on the market. And, to be honest, GW really has opened up the market and allowed the amazing diversity of companies out there today to find room to exist. For those who weren't around back in the day, there weren't nearly the amazingly high quality options we have now...

Vale,

JohnS

Slipstream wrote:Then there was [see forum posting rules] and Thrud the Barbarian comic strips.

I've actually got the GW comic compiled from the old Thrudd strips and one of the Thrudd miniatures. Been thinking about putting it up on ebay...................

[rose colored goggles]

Ah...the good old days....

When WD was written by hobbyists (and not salesmen) and had interesting articles on the background, as well as rules for new units, and instructions and examples of how to scratch build units for your use in your armies. Oh, deodorant hover tank with a plastic spoon canopy...how I miss you.

When a horde army was made up of 40 miniatures.

When the Imperium had Robots.

When Space Marine Dreadnoughts came in blisters. Hell...when ALL Dreadnoughts (before they were known as Wraithlords and Killa Kans) came in blisters packs.

When Eldar Harlequins could take Land Raiders and the Imperial Guard had Land Speeders and Jump Packs.

When a miniature that was based coated, washed, and dry brushed stood an actual chance of winning a Golden Demon.

When a Terminator Squad had to roll for random upgrades, and you prayed that you got the Reflector Field, the Conversion Field, AND the Displacer Field since you got to roll ALL THREE saving throws to avoid a wound.

When the Space Marines had Military Police and a Chapter called the Rainbow Warriors.

When there was no "Specialist Games" and Epic Space Marine (previously known as The Horus Heresy) and Space Hulk were actively supported in WD, with Battle Reports, new Units and Rules, and new Missions.

When the Space Marine Thunderhawk looked like a flying castle with a big turreted gun on top and the Eldar Wave Serpent looked like a boat that pushed a force field template ahead of it.

When Space Marines could bring Anti-Plant Grenades. And Photon Grenades were not the property of the Tau, but something that Space Marines could bring to fry the eyes/brains of an enemy unit...and they were ruthlessly effective against Genestealers. This was back when you could actually THROW the Grenade in the Shooting Phase.

When you could buy a miniature of the Primarch Leman Russ and his wolf brothers, Freki and Geri...in a blister pack.

When Tyranid Warriors looked like an experiment with turkeys gone horribly wrong...which sadly came out at about the same time as the miniature for Eldrad Ulthran, which is still in production and costs 3x as much as it used to.

Sigh.

don_mondo wrote:

Slipstream wrote:Then there was [see forum posting rules] and Thrud the Barbarian comic strips.

I've actually got the GW comic compiled from the old Thrudd strips and one of the Thrudd miniatures. Been thinking about putting it up on ebay...................

You know Thrud's still around, right?

http://www.thrudthebarbarian.com/

Vale,

JohnS

No, I didn't! Now I've got another webcomic to read.

No GW stores in lil old Oirland back when I started, I bought my first ever boxed set (Blood Claws) from a Virgin Megastore for 20 punts iirc.

Was a nightmare to collect back then, being a teen cash was tight, computer games always fought for your pocket money and independant stockists were hit and miss for what you were looking for.

I remember opening by BCs in the car and being so exited and then realising they were metal and plastic and my vast amounts of airfix glue just wasnt going to cut it.

I also armed them with the might las pistol and combat axes. No rule book hurt them!

My first ever game was against my bro using 10 unpainted marines, 10 orks, a metal dread and the cut out ork dread from the 2nd ed boxed set.
He won when he took out my dread with a missile launcher and I had no way of taking down his dread.

Such happy, innocent times.

I have a piece of historical joy that puts everything in the thread to shame, though sadly I was born later in the year when it was published.

The April 1975 issue of Europa, a continental wargaming fanzine, produced from handwritten letters/maps and put together on a typewriter, has been made available as a PDF online.

Among the many articles about Diplomacy variants and all kinds of historical wargames, and part 2 of an Introduction to Dungeon Mastering article written by Gary Gygax in the early days of the game, are a couple of mentions of the newborn Games Workshop, which had a market stall prior to their actual storefront. This including a brief mention of their intent to put on some sort of “Games Day” in the near future. Also capsule summaries/reviews of their new publication Owl and Weasel, which preceded White Dwarf.

http://www.whiningkentpigs.com/DW/oldzines/europa6-8.pdf

Reference page 7 of the 136 page PDF:

OWL AND WEASEL (Ian Livingstone, Games Workshop, 15 Bolingbroke Rd, London W 14, UK) (offset typed, reduced, ½ A4, 8 pages) (1/10p, multiply with numbers of issues you will get; ad postage)
1 (Feb) introductory issue. 2 (Mar) Formula One variant, zine reviews, Toy fair report, “Alexander” (AH) review, crossword, puzzles, help column. – If there is an April issue, I didn’t see it yet. –Not much up to now, but it might be worth to grow up with them. (April-issue: cf below! (sorry!)

GAMES WORKSHOP (address as above): Ian wrote: We also sell games across a market stall in London and make up ancient games in wood. We have also been getting involved in doing work for inventors and are now in a position to offer advice on and, indeed, take charge of the whole process of games production on a small scale, from designing/making up prototypes to printing and finishing. We are also planning a ‘Games-Day’ somewhere in London (probably Aug/Sep). All we need at the moment is a rough idea of how many people would be interested. It would be an ‘all-games’ event.” (Enquiries are welcome, but a stamped, addressed envelope or Int Reply Coupon are essential for replies).

don_mondo wrote:No, I didn't! Now I've got another webcomic to read.

Not a webcomic, I'm afraid... Just the site Carl Crichton (sic) set up to sell his post-WD Thrud Comics. Brilliant stuff that Thrud!

Vale,

JohnS