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So, I don’t log in to the forums very often anymore. However when I do, I always see a thread asking what your favorite edition is and why? It gets me wondering why more people just don’t stick with the edition they enjoy? So, if there was an event hosted that featured your favorite older edition of 40k, would you go play?

This leads to my next question of: How hard would it be to organize a day to play and enjoy that edition? Personally, I’d much rather play 3rd through 5th, and within reason I wouldn’t mind traveling to play in an event that featured one of those editions.

4th edition was the best of a bad bunch, but it was really no better than 8th, with its weird abstracted line of sight rules and no pre measuring.

The only thing I miss from older editions are blast templates, things like the vindicator just don't feel the same with random hits.

I wouldn't go. I remember some of those editions fondly, but I do not remember how to play, and the idea of figuring out how to build and play an army for a single event doesn't sound like something I'd be into.

Only for Rogue Trader or 2nd Ed.

And only narrative event, nothing competitive.

Well, first off, I find games using older editions tend to be much more of a pain to organise. Just because *I* prefer 5th, it doesn't mean that everyone (or even anyone) at my gaming club will.

Also, whilst 5th would probably work okay, the other edition I'd like to play again would be 7th (just so I could use the wonderful Corsair codex again). However, it seems like playing it would necessitate specifying dozens of house-rules, so that the game doesn't devolve into Invisible Titans or some other joy of that ruleset.

In terms of an event, I rarely attend events at the best of times, though if one took place fairly close by I could see myself attending.

Older editions may have some core rules that were better than 8e (no superheavies, facings, templates, one FOC/no vehicle squadrons...) but the Codexes weren't better written or better edited so you still get spam-the-OP-gun-syndrome and unplayable Codexes.

I'd be happy to attend events with 6/7 because I know those editions. Other editions would depend on how much time I get to learn the rules/how forgiving they are for errors.

Peer pressure makes that a 'No' for me.
There just aren't enough players ACTIVELY playing older editions. To the point that when a new edition drops, I try my best to "forget" as much as possible from all prior editions.

It just doesn't make sense to have multiple editions rattling around in my brain-hole when not enough players are around to reinforce my knowledge of those older editions' mechanics.

So if a local store hosted an older edition event, I would pass
But, if the event was very popular and got tons of players involved, to the point that they dropped the current edition and it spread to other local communities and beyond, to the point that even here on Dakka you'd see thread discussing that particular edition on a daily basis, then I might switch back to that older edition
But it's just far too inconvenient otherwise

-

I really enjoyed 5th edition but then I remember Valkyrie/Vendetta spam, IG tank camps, Long Fang/JotWW spam, Matt Ward Knights, carnifexes being rubbish, Eldar being rubbish and suddenly I don't want to play competitive 5th edition.

Early 7th edition I could get behind before they went mad with the power creep.

I absolutely would, but it would have to be in the right spirit - narrative with a no-stress format. If anyone is attending the event, it's pretty logical they'd be up to speed on playing that edition. I don't see a bunch of people struggling - fumbling around in the dark.

I don't know that you'd find enough motivated people to attend an event like this, but I have no issue playing 2nd edition against a buddy of mine - we both have a love of the old style games.

I might play 5th, if it were going to be any it would probably be that. I'd see little value in playing 3rd, I'd only play 4th editon with/against certain armies so probably not a tournament style event but perhaps an arranged game.

Absolutely would not bother with 6th or 7th, hard pass.

 Fifty wrote:

And only narrative event, nothing competitive.

Whatever the edition, what he said.

I've never particularly enjoyed the tourney/competitive scene aspect of miniature gaming. Some game systems/editions much less so than others.
And I enjoy that aspect even less here in 2019 than before.
So, as I was unlikely to attend a tourney/competitive event back in the days of x edition, and my attitude towards the tourney scenes has actually worsened....


As for my favorite editions? I still have all my books for those. It'd take a bit of effort to dig them out of storage, but it could be done. Then I'd need about a week to brush up on the rules.
So if there were any interest I'd be game for a non-competitive event.

Index only 8th edition, sure. Other than that, hell naw

(Interests from greatest to least)

7th: Eldar Corsair / Wraith Knight reasons
5th: Dark Eldar SC reasons
3rd: Chaos Interest

Not many people would be into playing older editions, so an event would be slim. Depends how long you invest in talking to people in your group, weeding out all the nopes and maybes. It probably wouldn't be the edition you want. It's really tempting for me cause of Corsairs, I've been playing 7th about once a month with friends but open to other editions for sentimental reasons or interests. If your group is bored / not happy with 8th then you might have a chance, but if its popular I would let it go.

Would love to play a game/tournament of 5th again w/my daemon codex. I still have it. Good times...

'What do you mean I can't use my Riptide?!?'

**edit**

I would love to, and I still have my old Codexes and Edition BRBs. Keep in mind though that it would Squat several current lists. Knights for instance, didn't exist before 6th. Admech for another, may have a FW index but may otherwise cannot be used either.

It could even be an entertaining thought experiment, using the old editions to fit some of my current lists. No Titans, but my Tigersharks might just be usable...

I think one of the biggest drawbacks is that you likely won't have the FAQs for those editions. Luckily for me, I have all the FAQS for every codex made since 3rd edition printed off in binders. Hording has some benefits.

Fifty wrote:Only for Rogue Trader or 2nd Ed.

And only narrative event, nothing competitive.

Ditto on everything above.

 Tyranid Horde wrote:
I really enjoyed 5th edition but then I remember Valkyrie/Vendetta spam, IG tank camps, Long Fang/JotWW spam, Matt Ward Knights, carnifexes being rubbish, Eldar being rubbish and suddenly I don't want to play competitive 5th edition.

Competitive 5e either needs to be run with the pre 5e books and some minimal price matching (50pt rhinos, matching heavy weapons, no extra freebie grenades, etc) or else with very heavily edited versions of the later books.

Not really. I prefer the evolution over the rest.

Only one I might give a chance is 2nd Edition, but that's mostly out of nostalgia.

A lot of people saying they prefer older editions may be looking at things through rose-tinted glasses but I think the real reason people don't play editions they prefer over the current one is simply due to numbers. You don't find many people playing older editions of most games, and you certainly don't where 40k is concerned.

Whichever old edition I wanted to play I'd probably not want it to be hyper-competitive, but then I think 8th is pretty decent if you're not trying toi play it as a hyper-competitive tournament game, so I'm not sure there'd be much point. there's also the hassle of having to remember the old rules and not get them mixed up with different old rules form other editions.

As above, stick with the edition that's easiest to get games, presumably the current one in most areas

Yes, its called HH aka 7th Ed

The Oldhammer community has been running Bring Out Your Lead for several years now, so it can be done. 1st, 2nd and 3rd edition Warhammer, 1st and 2nd edition 40k, old versions of Epic, whatever someone fancies.

Those old versions have more of a draw because they're detailed narrative sets; no-one's exploiting dodgy edge cases like Wolf Guard with two heavy weapons, bike-riding, terminator armour-wearing polymorphing Assassins and there's a GM to smooth things along and run the scenario.

I'd honestly be interested in playing the earlier editions (1-3rd) to try out the ridiculously broken and overpowered builds.

Yep. Regularly attended 2nd and 4th edition nights at the FLGS throughout 7th edition. Enjoyed it quite a bit and saw a few faces I hadn't seen in years (and a lot of Black Templar armies.)

A note about how to organize: most people don't have access to old rulebooks. It's important to secure a few copies for community use and offer some kind of support for listbuilding.

The differences in how you approach building a list between editions are significant, more than a few people were driven off because of them. Talking through the best lists for the models you have with experienced players helps.

Another issue that came up was flyers and whether we would have rules to support them. People want to use their shiny new models. We did eventually create house rules for Flyers that some people could use by mutual agreement, but never quite got the balance right. They tended to survive all game every game, it's important to remember nothing about 7th edition translates well into previous editions. You have to consider intentionally nerfing them if they are allowed.

Another thing to be sensitive about is dust. Some players are pulling armies off shelves they haven't played in years, it becomes an issue when there's 20 of them in a room. We had a lot of sneezing and a couple people had to go home because of allergies. It's a good idea to give people a gentle reminder to brush some of this off at home.

I would not go play.

I'd play in a 2nd Ed or BBB army list only 3rd ed event, but only for nostalgia's sake.

Yes, to learn about and experience older editions.

Most probably not to play, maybe just to watch. I don't even remember how the 7th is played anymore and I would complain about all the nonsense there was.