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Just a thread to reminisce

Back when I started playing (early 90's) GW use to have awesome deals etc for a valued customer (free stuff discounts etc). One I remember was when space wolves came out (I don't remember edition but was still the old rhino model) got an exclusive offer for $25 got a bit box.... (I bought 4) got like hundreds of metal bits (include alot of squat bits, dragons, unicorns, blood claw shoulder pads, legion of the damned bits, gak tonne of chaos bits etc literally hundreds of other bits), was great (gather extra bits they had but was a good offer). I still use the bits today.

I took like 10-15 years or so off the game/games (fantasy/40k).

I came back like beginning of last year (Thanks to miniwargaming.... watched some of their batreps...awesome, got me back into it). Got my models out of storage and was striping re-painting. Since then I have spent maybe between $100 - $400 a month every month on models I want. I occasionally get cards in boxes that say "the trolls may add in something extra next time order" never had it happen but. Never had anything of late like I remember??? Not that I need free stuff (if I hit email me on stuff I do get it early, like I needed SoB Heavy bolters/Immolators and whenever came in I was able to order earlier before went out of stock) but nothing like remember.

What is you best memory of GW?

That kind of stuff is definitely ancient history. GW rarely had really good sales for the US customers (they did occasionally have decent ones in the UK from what I have read).

Even in the 90's deals were few and far between. When the big IG launch came, they had a deal - buy three boxed tanks and get a single blister for free (Something like $120-140 worth of tank kits for a free $9.00 blister etc.).

I have plenty of great memories of GW as a company - their attitude, the games etc. The 90's were great but the past year or two they've definitely been heading back in that direction with a few serious flaws though.

My first ever game, which was a squad of 10 Necron Warriors vs 5 space marines and a dreadnought. Managed to blow the dread apart in the second turn and corner the marines before the turns were up. Got me hooked on Necrons.

Then I got immediately un-hooked when I saw the price of a battle force.

 Elbows wrote:
That kind of stuff is definitely ancient history. GW rarely had really good sales for the US customers (they did occasionally have decent ones in the UK from what I have read).

Even in the 90's deals were few and far between. When the big IG launch came, they had a deal - buy three boxed tanks and get a single blister for free (Something like $120-140 worth of tank kits for a free $9.00 blister etc.).

I have plenty of great memories of GW as a company - their attitude, the games etc. The 90's were great but the past year or two they've definitely been heading back in that direction with a few serious flaws though.

I can't say to the US or the UK but I remember before they changed the rhino over to the new one in AUS was like 2 old SW battle forces for the price of one.

Actually in regards to now days I think the death masque box set was and awesome deal (I bought 2 in Aus and had to order 1 french one in Canada through a mate when stock run out) cause was a mad deal


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 MechaEmperor7000 wrote:
My first ever game, which was a squad of 10 Necron Warriors vs 5 space marines and a dreadnought. Managed to blow the dread apart in the second turn and corner the marines before the turns were up. Got me hooked on Necrons.

Then I got immediately un-hooked when I saw the price of a battle force.

Dependent on what willing to spend I suppose on a hobby, but its all relative.

However, I love that you had fun playing. Ebay is a godsend can get models half the price (sometimes) if don't want to buy direct. Honestly, I do prefer to buy from GW, but personal preference.

The price of the battle force was a shock to me because at the time I was 12. My monthly allowance was 20 bucks, yugioh packs were 4 bucks a piece, and lego sets rarely exceeded 60 for a decent one. So you can imagine the kind of shock I was in when I was told that a battle force of 20 infantry and 3 destroyers ran up 120, before taxes.

At and around the release of 5th edition Codex: Space Marines.

The game looked immensely promising, things were good and looking to be balanced.

Of course ,then Space Wolves came along...

My gaming group bought Rogue Trader and we played the Battle at the Farm.

Cheers,

CB

The best memory I have was with the release of Realms of Chaos: Slaves to Darkness. The CSM army lists were just so inspired, caught my imagination and never let go.

When Lost and the Damned first came out, it was a rather popular army around here. One of the more popular gamers converted up a Tzeentchian mutant horde but hadn't gotten around to painting it, so he reserved a day at the LGS for an army paint-day where we all got to paint up parts of his army while there was food, prize drawings, etc. It was a fun memory because it was a very collaborative event, and in a way his army hecame everyone's army.

 MagicJuggler wrote:
When Lost and the Damned first came out, it was a rather popular army around here. One of the more popular gamers converted up a Tzeentchian mutant horde but hadn't gotten around to painting it, so he reserved a day at the LGS for an army paint-day where we all got to paint up parts of his army while there was food, prize drawings, etc. It was a fun memory because it was a very collaborative event, and in a way his army hecame everyone's army.

That actually reminds me of another time.

It was just when the 4th ed Tyranid codex was released, and the local GW store (yes, an actual GW store) held an auction for the remaining "old" products, starting from 1 dollar for everything. I remember I asked my dad if I could borrow some money for it and he told me to go hog wild. I tried bidding on everything I could and ended up walking home with Old One Eye, 10 Plague Marines, and a Defiler I think (it was here that Papa Nurgle sank his rotting tooth into me) for about 40 bucks, which is nothing short of amazing. Note that a lot more stuff went during that time, but they either came up really high (my rule was 1/2 of the price or bust) or I wasn't interested. I had chaos marines and tyranids already so I was really only aiming for those two, and I wasn't aware that you could convert loyalist stuff into chaos (At the time I thought they were completely different kits).

My best GW related memory is when I got my copy of 2nd edition Space Hulk from ebay. Although I still love 2nd edition, it's not my favorite edition anymore. But, getting it is still my best memory, because it was my first GW game. This was in 1999. I had played 1st edition before, but wanted to get the current edition at the time. They were only available used for the most part, and were going for between $120 and $200 on ebay, and many were not complete. I just happened to check ebay one evening about 2 minutes after someone had listed a nearly complete copy of 2nd edition (only missing 1 termie flamer), and they listed it as Buy It Now for $68.00 and free shipping. I couldn't click the buy it now button fast enough. I ended up buying a brand new single termie flamer model from my FLGS for about $7 to complete the set.

Nowadays, I prefer 1st and 4th edition rules (I have copies of 1st, 2nd, and 4th), but I'll always love my 2nd edition Space Hulk because it was the first one I bought, and because I still love the terminator models from that edition.

Playing CSM vs Dark Angels Sabotage missions with my brother. Every game was different!

Also one game we had with a horde of genestealers vs a bunch of Catachans on a board full of jungle. Sadly the IG got steamrolled, but it was so exciting having these predators rushing through the jungle against an army of Rambo(!)

Before they had a new landraider model, mail order offered a kit comprised of basically two predators with bits for dual sponsors with twin linked lascannons... Still waiting for mine to be shipped over as it remains built and painted in a box at my brother's but i promptly with the release of the actual landraideI built a crusader and relegated the existing conversion to custom vehicle...then gw got rid of custom vehicles...
Yeah.
Good times.
As fondly recalled as buying the Imperial Agents book hardcover for my bday only to see eighth completely forget it. Completely. Forgotten...
Yeah.
Fondness.

3rd edition chaoter approved VDR. Then 4th editiin kill teams.

Both were all about kitbashing. VDR was extremely overpriced if you tried to remake official vehicles with it but we saw that as the price you pay for bringing scratchbuilt awesome vehicles and superheavies.

4th ed killteam was basically a fully terrained board game and you could bring all sorts of crazy characters the the field against enemy basic troops in 3man units(even called mooks).

That and the terrain you used to get in starter boxes: 3rd was some little 1-story ruins and the old plastic trees. 4th was the downed aquilla lander, and laser fences along with some tyranid spore nodes. The closest "play out of the box" value to those 2 was Renegade, gangs of commoragh and shadows of armeggedon are both very close as well.

'Ye olden days of... Herohammer!

... What? It was kinda fun when everyone was on the same page.

 Kommissar Kel wrote:
3rd edition chaoter approved VDR. Then 4th editiin kill teams.

Both were all about kitbashing. VDR was extremely overpriced if you tried to remake official vehicles with it but we saw that as the price you pay for bringing scratchbuilt awesome vehicles and superheavies.

4th ed killteam was basically a fully terrained board game and you could bring all sorts of crazy characters the the field against enemy basic troops in 3man units(even called mooks).

That and the terrain you used to get in starter boxes: 3rd was some little 1-story ruins and the old plastic trees. 4th was the downed aquilla lander, and laser fences along with some tyranid spore nodes. The closest "play out of the box" value to those 2 was Renegade, gangs of commoragh and shadows of armeggedon are both very close as well.

Remember Creature Feature? That was a fun one too. Especially anything made with the "Immobile" trait.

Online bitz service, hands down. I used to spend 50-100 bucks a month online with GW, almost all bitz.

I remember buying entire sprues of troops from starter sets through their bitz store, as well as Epic 40k models years after its being pulled from stores. Like for instance, enough bitz separately to assemble an entire metal Reaver Titan with multiple weapon options.

 AegisGrimm wrote:
Online bitz service, hands down. I used to spend 50-100 bucks a month online with GW, almost all bitz.

I remember buying entire sprues of troops from starter sets through their bitz store, as well as Epic 40k models years after its being pulled from stores. Like for instance, enough bitz separately to assemble an entire metal Reaver Titan with multiple weapon options.

Online bitz was amazing and saved me a ton of money regardless of how much I was spending at the time. It was a converters dream!


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I think my best memory was discovering the blisterpacks as a kid in the RT era. Went to a local model shop where I would purchase 1/72 ww2 figs and models and they had just started a new section for fantasy minigames. I was captivated by the metal figs and all the details as there was nothing else like it at the time. They were pricey (somethings never change) but seemed to be so much better than anything else out there. I would pour over my Rouge trader book trying to figure out how to blend all of the details into my figs.

The best memory I have was with the release of Realms of Chaos: Slaves to Darkness. The CSM army lists were just so inspired, caught my imagination and never let go.

That one is up there for me as well. I haven't seen one of those books in years so I don't know if they still hold up, but for the time they were pretty special.

My favorite memory is opening the second edition boxed set. GW's first real 40K set. We had been playing Rogue Trader (at least as well as anyone COULD play RT lol), and one of my friends had Space Marine (epic 40k). One day we went to the hobby shop in our town that sold GW stuff. It was a model shop that relied largely on RC and model cars, but it had a half wall of GW stuff. We wee there for Epic stuff, but on that particular day we saw the 40K set with 2 Tac squads, 20 Orks, 40 Gretchin, the cardstock Ork Dreadnaught and all that cardstock scenery and lost our minds.

Convinced my mom to get it for me and disapeared into my room with it like Gollum with his ring. I wish there was video of me opening that box because it would probably be hillarious to see. I recall opening it like a treasure hunter who was about to open a vault that represented the culmination of his life's work. That was a Friday night. I didn't come out of my room until late Sunday. Read all three beautiful books in that set cover to cover. Assembled the models and even played through the missions solo so that it would be easier for me to teach my friends.

Throwing smoke bombs to funnel genestealers into my massed assault cannons.

My guard annoying the crap out people with guard speeders doing pop up attacks with plasma cannon.

Watching some dude move a battle wagon full of guys literally hanging on, cheering him on as they got to my line with only a few falling off.

Some guy directing robots at me with pre written commands.

 blinks711 wrote:

 AegisGrimm wrote:
Online bitz service, hands down. I used to spend 50-100 bucks a month online with GW, almost all bitz.

I remember buying entire sprues of troops from starter sets through their bitz store, as well as Epic 40k models years after its being pulled from stores. Like for instance, enough bitz separately to assemble an entire metal Reaver Titan with multiple weapon options.

Online bitz was amazing and saved me a ton of money regardless of how much I was spending at the time. It was a converters dream!

Remember those black Gobbo Articles with custom models and a link to the bitz so you could make one yourself? Those were fun.

Hanging outside the GW while my dad bought the metal minis I was too young to, I did pop in the shop beforehand and point to what I wanted.

I was about 12 at the time, a very long time ago!

Btw, you had to be 16 or over to buy metal minis at the time. Or thereabout

Prior to the online bitz store, you could get a big book (released annually I think) which included every part of every model they made at the time. You could call them up on the phone, talk to a human, and give them a list of bits you wanted. I remember doing this a couple times in the late 90's. It was amazing.

I miss the auctions at GW stores. When I started around 3rd edition, my local store was in a mall. From time to time during the auction, staff would have the customers bellow WAAAGH! And if we got security to show up, they tossed free blister packs to the crowd. (The stores lease didn't include a sound clause, so the manager at the time got a kick out of annoying mall security)

Before I knew what all the units were and looked up all the rumors online. Back when I could flip through blisters and see something new, not know what it was, and maybe buy it just because it looked cool.

When I walk into the shop and grab my mail order because my local hobby store was out, then I walk out again angry that I could have got the item 20% off from the amazing hobby shop that has 10 tables you don't need to book, a toilet, allows you to eat you own food, sells cheap snacks and has room and tables for D&D, Mtg, ect... Man I love that store... screw gw!

During the Warhammer Fantasy Storm of Chaos they had these Chaos spawn conversion kits that you could buy. Made them god specific and such.

Well I waited to long to pull the trigger and they were off the site so I emailed them and the customer service rep told me that such a product never existed.

Then there was the first time I ever went to Games Day in Baltimore and one of the GW minions told me non-citadel paints didn't really work on GW miniatures.

Those two memories give me a bit of a chuckle even today. Ah the good ol days.

Best memory of GW? Getting the brand new Citadel Colour set for Christmas. My Airfix and Humbro! enamels had opened for the last time once I saw the beautiful, vibrant colours. I ruined my best brush by trying to wash it out in turps though.

Before the hobby really took off in the USA circa 3rd ed. When it was a decidedly British hobby/community which didn't take itself too seriously.

 gwarsh41 wrote:
Before I knew what all the units were and looked up all the rumors online. Back when I could flip through blisters and see something new, not know what it was, and maybe buy it just because it looked cool.

^This! I really appreciated my minis so much more when I didn't have the internet to answer all of my questions. It was always fun to wait for the newest issue of WD for new releases and pore over it looking for every tillte detail and piece of fluff.