Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Were there any differences between the different space hulk boxed sets that were released?

Different sculpts over the years.

I think the graphics on the tiles changed at some point.

I'm sure that there were changes between my original set + the Deathwing expansion & later ones concerning the inclusion/exclusion of Librarians/Hybrids/psykers.

Twas a long time ago, but if memory serves the first edition had rules to include tactical marines, orks, eldar. Not sure if they were part of the core game, expansions or white dwarf articles.

First edition differs ruleswise a bit from the second edition, which got all sorts of weird expansions like psychic cards and so on. Floppy cardboard, retro miniatures fit for their time. This era also saw the concurrent 40k races statted into the game, nowadays to be found in a document called Space Hulk Bible.

In 2009 the third edition hit, being the modern version and again streamlining some parts and unifying the package. Nice and sturdy cardboard, quality miniatures. The 2012 box, or fourth edition, was basically the same as the previous box except it had a few tiles more (boarding torpedo etc.) and like three more missions. Ruleswise identical, if memory serves.

The paradigm changes are basically:

First: simple core, brutal gameplay.
Second: simple core, a truckload of additional details and disjointed mechanics. This tended to happen with all games of the time.
Third: back to basics, modernify a bit. Brutal, but less unforgiving.
Fourth: eeeh, no real change.

I think there were some differences between Third and Forth printings. Not nearly enough to seek out 4th printing as I believe is largely just a couple of extra missions added. There might (empathize MIGHT) and been a slight rules change dealing with diagonal movement/LoS or something to that effect, but I don't know if that is true or just something I am misremembering from years back. Basically 3rd and 4th are the same.

Extra boarding torpedo tiles and missions added between 3rd and 4th IIRC.

Were the sculpts all the same?

Also worthy of note:

What's described above as 2nd ed, the Marines in Question were the Deathwatch. Not 100% sure, but it may have even been the birth of the Death Wing. Modelwise, these were terrible, so them being Deathwing in the fluff was more of a suggestion on how to paint them. Still, the fluff was pretty awesome.

During this edition, there was also Space Crusade, which took place aboard a Tyranid bio-ship.

The 2009 release switched it up with Blood Angels, In this release, the marines were high quality enough that you could actually tell by the sculpt that they were BA. They may actually have printed this up as a kill team, allowing people to field the load out in the box.

The expansion for that edition- Overkill- if I'm not mistaken, was the debut of the Deathwatch; kill team Cassius is still available, both as a box of models AND a downloadable unit.
This box was one of the best boxes GW ever released, and I kick myself once/ week EVERY week for not getting one.

I would love to see a re-release of the classic Deathwing edition with actual Deathwing models- Reprint the original fluff in modern quality, but give the box the models it always should have had.

I don't play Space Marines, but I like being able to have small detachments available for Imperial Soup. I have my Spacehulk Blood Angels and my Tooth and Claw Space Wolves. I actually like the Deathwing more than either of the other two, and would gladly buy another box of Spacehulk if it included them.

I play both Tyranids and GSC, so you can really never go wrong with Genestealers. I like using the bespoke Spacehulk stealers in my Cult to differentiate between GSC purestrains and Tyranid stealers.

I wrote fluff for a tyranid hive fleet noted for its greater reliance on it's vanguard organisms; this fleet values Genestealers who have been reclaimed. In that army, I use the Spachulk stealers as squad leaders.

Bespoke Spacehulk stealers are also sweet for Kill Team.

Space crusade was also pretty much on a space hulk against primarily ork and chaos opponents. Advanced Space Crusade was released with the original (horrible) scout models and was against tyranids.

Someone above has Deathwatch and Deathwing seriously confused. Deathwatch the Marine faction and Deathwatch the game have zero to do with Space Hulk.

First edition Space Hulk had some pretty crude minis and basic rules, and was expanded on by supplements like Deathwing, Genestealer, and the Campaigns book. There was a lot of WD material as well.

Despite the nostalgia people feel for those supplements, I feel they were vastly overrated. The Deathwing psychic rules were horribly overpowered and unbalanced. The main feature of Genestealer was both sides with ranged weapons. Equally horrible in execution; it destroyed the beautiful balance between ranged but slow Marines vs. fast but melee only Stealers. It made the game into just a die-rolling overwatch fest - I step out, and if I survive your overwatch, I instead blow you away with my big gun....BOOOORRRRINGG!



Automatically Appended Next Post:
The second edition had new, better minis, but many feel was a regression rules-wise - key elements were changed. The time limit to force the Marine player to take his turn quickly was removed, and there were special weapon dice. Command points that let the Marine do limited extra actions, even in the Stealer turn, were also gone. It has its fans, but many consider this the poorest, and least desirable version of game.

Third introduced new minis again, that were gorgeous, but are totally Blood Angels on the Marine side, and monopose. The rules were returned to similar to first, with a few tweaks.

Fourth was largely a reprint of the third. Minis and rules the same, but a few cardboard components were added for a new mission included. Compared to the first edition, something else to note is the later editions got relatively little other support beyond the box game release.

 totalfailure wrote:
Someone above has Deathwatch and Deathwing seriously confused. Deathwatch the Marine faction and Deathwatch the game have zero to do with Space Hulk.

First edition Space Hulk had some pretty crude minis and basic rules, and was expanded on by supplements like Deathwing, Genestealer, and the Campaigns book. There was a lot of WD material as well.

Despite the nostalgia people feel for those supplements, I feel they were vastly overrated. The Deathwing psychic rules were horribly overpowered and unbalanced. The main feature of Genestealer was both sides with ranged weapons. Equally horrible in execution; it destroyed the beautiful balance between ranged but slow Marines vs. fast but melee only Stealers. It made the game into just a die-rolling overwatch fest - I step out, and if I survive your overwatch, I instead blow you away with my big gun....BOOOORRRRINGG!



Automatically Appended Next Post:
The second edition had new, better minis, but many feel was a regression rules-wise - key elements were changed. The time limit to force the Marine player to take his turn quickly was removed, and there were special weapon dice. Command points that let the Marine do limited extra actions, even in the Stealer turn, were also gone. It has its fans, but many consider this the poorest, and least desirable version of game.

Third introduced new minis again, that were gorgeous, but are totally Blood Angels on the Marine side, and monopose. The rules were returned to similar to first, with a few tweaks.

Fourth was largely a reprint of the third. Minis and rules the same, but a few cardboard components were added for a new mission included. Compared to the first edition, something else to note is the later editions got relatively little other support beyond the box game release.

Yeah, I forgot about Space Crusade vs Advance Space Crusade. Also forgot the Deathwing was an expansion, and yeah, the psychic powers were MAAAD. Also, it seems I made a mistake when I assumed Deathwatch: Overkill was a Spacehulk Expansion- I guess it was just an independent stand alone game? It certainly was Kill Team Cassius vs GSC; since classic Spacehulk got an expansion that included Hybrids, when I saw that Overkill was a box of Marines vs Hybrids and Friends, I assumed.

My bad. On the plus side, thanks for the walk down memory lane.

The Deathwatch board game was similar in that it featured basically Marines vs. Stealers in confined quarters, but the game mechanics had nothing in common with any version of Space Hulk. Overall, Deathwatch: Overkill was standalone game that was its own thing and game system. And was, I feel, pretty mediocre other than the models.

It is kind of sad that other than a mission here or there, the later versions of Space Hulk did not receive any serious support from GW. Then again, given that I didn’t think the first edition expansions were really that good, it’s not surprising. The expansions radically changed the game, and I feel not for the better. The game system just doesn’t work that well when both sides have shooting as their primary mode of attack.

I also feel like in some ways, Blackstone ended up being everything I wanted out of Spacehulk?

Like GW's next Spacehulk could be a Blackstone expansion? Maybe even just a series of WD articles that get reprinted in the Annual?

And Advanced Space Crusade eventually became Tyranid Attack, which was the first GW thing I ever bought.

And the sculpts changed quite a bit.

1st Ed:

2nd Ed:

3rd Ed:


The art style on the tiles changes quite a bit, but the tiles themselves did not. 3rd Ed tiles, whilst twice as thick as 1st/2nd Ed tiles, are still 100% compatible with the earlier designs. Same dimensions and connection points.

I remember well the first edition Terminators. All dark blue plastic, all identical except for the one piece cover that converted a storm bolter into a flamer, and the silly banner pole. They distinguished sergeants and the two five man squads with a mix of red, gray, and black slotta bases if you didn’t paint them.

 H.B.M.C. wrote:
And Advanced Space Crusade eventually became Tyranid Attack, which was the first GW thing I ever bought.

And the sculpts changed quite a bit.

Informative! Thank you.

Did the Tyranid side change much through the editions?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Hulk

2nd edition had genestealer blips with a value of 0 (false readings / dummy blips - 3

3rd had blips value 1 - 3. Third added a broodlord.