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.

so me and a friend played a few games of 3ed edition of 40k. i was thinking if it would be possible to house rule in 30k stuff. because it was fun and refreshing to play a older system of 40k. like i had a blast with the roaming sentrys for one of the games. like playing a MGS 40k game. sneaking up the board and under a time crunch.

One thing about 3rd was the simplification. It was a rebound from the complexities of 2nd. Are you OK with the host of melee options from HH being condensed down to “power weapon” “extra hand weapon” or “power fist” I exaggerate a little, but not a huge amount.

While 3rd and HH are both based on the same core mechanical version of 40k, they are on opposite ends of the despign spectrum philosophy. Mostly compatible yes, But what direction do you go? Shave off the fancy HH rules, or bloat up the trim of 3rd?


Mechanically a lot of rules look the same, but are not. Rapid Fire vs. Assault on guns is one example. The names have stayed the same, but the power relation between them has changed significantly over the years. This may require some tweaking on units. Transports/tanks as well. Statblocks mostly the same, but how they function shifts dramatically.

Importing scenarios like the sentery one into HH should be easy. But getting the balance right on all the units is a non-trivial act.

Yes I worry 3rd might not have the design space for meaningful distinction between Marine units.

You might find more success going the other direction, start with HH and drop what you don't need (probably reactions, rites of war...)

 Nevelon wrote:
One thing about 3rd was the simplification. It was a rebound from the complexities of 2nd. Are you OK with the host of melee options from HH being condensed down to “power weapon” “extra hand weapon” or “power fist” I exaggerate a little, but not a huge amount.

While 3rd and HH are both based on the same core mechanical version of 40k, they are on opposite ends of the despign spectrum philosophy. Mostly compatible yes, But what direction do you go? Shave off the fancy HH rules, or bloat up the trim of 3rd?


Mechanically a lot of rules look the same, but are not. Rapid Fire vs. Assault on guns is one example. The names have stayed the same, but the power relation between them has changed significantly over the years. This may require some tweaking on units. Transports/tanks as well. Statblocks mostly the same, but how they function shifts dramatically.

Importing scenarios like the sentery one into HH should be easy. But getting the balance right on all the units is a non-trivial act.

I don't really care about trying to make each power weapon different. Power fist and chain fist have a reason to be different. Thunder hammers also.

But I don't care for the difference between a power sword and a power maul. Just make them all the same and call it done.

The power weapon differences make a lot more sense if you have a Mechanicum opponent (Ordo Reductor maybe?) that uses Thallax.
Or it did in original edition at least.
Sword ignored their armour but wounds them on a 5+, the maul still ignored their armour but wounded on a 4+.

Apart from that, the fluff on how power weapons work always made me wonder why there would be any difference in their effectiveness for any given shape.
>coughlightningclawscoughcough<

 SirDonlad wrote:
The power weapon differences make a lot more sense if you have a Mechanicum opponent (Ordo Reductor maybe?) that uses Thallax.
Or it did in original edition at least.
Sword ignored their armour but wounds them on a 5+, the maul still ignored their armour but wounded on a 4+.

Apart from that, the fluff on how power weapons work always made me wonder why there would be any difference in their effectiveness for any given shape.
>coughlightningclawscoughcough<

i guess your right in that regard. i have not faced ad mech or solar aux because its just been space marines all the time. i kind of just want to simplify it instead of trying to remember all the different stuff. i think power weapons used to just ignore armour till 6th or 7th. i cant remember right now. i never played 1st or 2nd.

My group are currently working through making a 4th Edition version of the Horus Heresy, but we are also trying to lean towards the older lore as well in regards to what is available and what isn't (Plasma weapons being less stable for example)

 LordSolar wrote:
My group are currently working through making a 4th Edition version of the Horus Heresy, but we are also trying to lean towards the older lore as well in regards to what is available and what isn't (Plasma weapons being less stable for example)

that sounds cool. let me know how that goes. like i just feel like HH needs to get down to 40ks best of Rules sets. 3rd 4th and 5th. i dont need 100 different flavors of bolt gun. we dont need reactions. like what exactly makes HH2.0 a exclusively heresy system. what makes Heresy heresy. is it just the narative side.

 LordSolar wrote:
My group are currently working through making a 4th Edition version of the Horus Heresy, but we are also trying to lean towards the older lore as well in regards to what is available and what isn't (Plasma weapons being less stable for example)

If you end up with a version of that typed up, do post it here it sounds right up my alley.

 YodhrinsForge wrote:

 LordSolar wrote:
My group are currently working through making a 4th Edition version of the Horus Heresy, but we are also trying to lean towards the older lore as well in regards to what is available and what isn't (Plasma weapons being less stable for example)

If you end up with a version of that typed up, do post it here it sounds right up my alley.

same, i would like to see how it looks.

You can of course play the models with multiple rules systems.

For skirmish e.g. Shadow War 30k. For smaller battles also check out e.g. Xenos Rampant (without any Xenos..) or One page rules/One page 40k.