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Tried doing a search but was not able to find something relevant to this. If there is one could someone point me in the right direction. Ok, simple question guys.

Do you guys feel it is worth it to subscribe to it? Why or why not?

Hasn't been worth it for over six years. They've been getting better as of late, but it's still like 90% noise and 10% content. I get them for free from my FLGS and enjoy that just fine, but if I was putting out 5-9 bucks an issue for it I'd be unhappy.

I enjoy them. Almost every issue this past year has had something I have used later on. Either new rules for terrain in fantasy, new units for 40k or the paint conversion sheet.

I would say that if you're really in a tight spot with hobby money then don't subscribe. But if you got a little cash burning a hole in the pocket and don't excpect it to be the most in-depth look at the GW part of the Hobby, but more a casual overview of what is going on and then a batrep, well then go for it. I certainly enjoy it during morning coffee the weekend it arrives.


cheers

Oh, it's time for this thread again?

Can't the mods sticky this one this time to save time in the future?

Current issue is a lot less than 10% content, imo.

For those people considering a subscription at this point, GW will be releasing a Hobbit game this winter. There will likely be less content devoted to 40k and Fantasy.

 CT GAMER wrote:
Oh, it's time for this thread again?

Can't the mods sticky this one this time to save time in the future?

Until GW decide to make it worth reading, by including articles with actual journalistic content, I think it's only fair to warn new users on the forum what an absolute bag of gak and waste of good tree pulp it is.

I guess it's fine if you haven't read an issue before 310 or so, and therefore don't know what you are missing, but otherwise you would be better spent saving your money and using the internet to read about GW stuff instead.

If you want a general wargaming magazine try Wargames Illustrated (which featured historical wargaming), or 'Ravage' magazine, which covers sci-fi/fantasy games generally, and which actually has articles with content beyond "even though I don't collect Fantasy Beastmen, the new Gorgon was so amazing that I just had to buy 7 of them".

 spaceelf wrote:
For those people considering a subscription at this point, GW will be releasing a Hobbit game this winter. There will likely be less content devoted to 40k and Fantasy.

This.

I stopped buying WD (except for the odd must have issue, flyer rules etc) when LOTR came out and the back 1/3 of an already expensive magazine was now upside down and full of gak I couldn't give a feth about. The new Hobbit game releases will have a similar effect again, making WD dead boring for (most) 40k readers for the next 6 months or so...

Although, I don't think it can ever be as bad again as that re. LoTR coverage

great.. I wondered if this pic would still be around, from the now long-dead Golden Throne website

 Pacific wrote:

 CT GAMER wrote:
Oh, it's time for this thread again?

Can't the mods sticky this one this time to save time in the future?

Until GW decide to make it worth reading, by including articles with actual journalistic content, I think it's only fair to warn new users on the forum what an absolute bag of gak and waste of good tree pulp it is.

And how would a stickied thread be any less effective then posting the same things over and over?

If your really looking for content for money you could try subscribing to miniwargaming.com, I believe their about the same price. Plus you get access to their tutorial videos as part of that.

My issues with it are:

1. Studio army lists. They only write army lists that feature whatever the flavor of the month is that they are trying to sell. Beyond that one new unit, the rest of the list is a joke that looks like my 5 year old threw together. Also, if a unit doesn't have an up to date studio model, or no model at all, then it isn't included.

2. Modelling content. At one point there used to be helpful advice that wasn't aimed at selling you an overpriced razor saw or spray gun. I have a few columns from years ago where they showed you how to make DIY terrain and even how to convert models using things that GW doesn't make.

 CT GAMER wrote:

 Pacific wrote:

 CT GAMER wrote:
Oh, it's time for this thread again?

Can't the mods sticky this one this time to save time in the future?

Until GW decide to make it worth reading, by including articles with actual journalistic content, I think it's only fair to warn new users on the forum what an absolute bag of gak and waste of good tree pulp it is.

And how would a stickied thread be any less effective then posting the same things over and over?

I've heard a couple of the mods mention that statistically stickied threads get far more hits than regular threads, and that people don't seem to see them!

I couldn't have told you what the stickies were before writing this thread for instance! Although I do know that one of the other forums has a 'WD feedback thread' so perhaps something like that would be an idea?

Threads like these are part of the great circle of life that Dakka Dakka sustains. I've yet to read the September issue, but the August issue was okay, it had Blanchitsu in it. Looking forward to the September issue though, Dark Vengeance galore! And one step closer to finishing the image on the spines!

I think WD is worth the price. It isn't full of great content, but I don't buy it to read great content. I buy it for an extra hobby related kick, some neat new pictures and I like reading the battle reports. I wish more people played battles like they do in the battle reports.

Also re LotR: When they added LotR content, they added pages. 40K and WHFB lost nothing. Besides, those games are ultimately just the ugly step-sisters. LotR and WotR are superior game systems.

 Kaldor wrote:


Also re LotR: When they added LotR content, they added pages. 40K and WHFB lost nothing. Besides, those games are ultimately just the ugly step-sisters. LotR and WotR are superior game systems.

I think you may be mis-remembering there Kaldor! Or it might possibly be me, damn you I will have to try and fish out an old copy and take a look!

And.. really content I think has to be the most important thing when buying a magazine..

I didn't think the LotR content was so bad when it first started years ago, and I never played LotR. There were some good articles, loved the one where they made the mines of moria.

The only LotR article I even remember was when they made Helms Deep. That was interesting.

As far as it being a "superior" game, I think sales statistics might disagree, but then not everyone who plays the main games have tried out LotR. I know I haven't but that is for many reasons that need not be discussed here.

The only time I buy WD these days is if there are new rules in it, or if it happens to have pics of models I haven't yet seen, or unique paint jobs etc. Which is sad that pretty pictures are the main reason I ever buy the magazine, which isn't even every month.

If it had actual articles that were worth a damn, I'd buy it more often. Instead the only tacticas and articles are used to push the flavor of the month products.

On a related topic, does anyone know if GW will start enforcing that ridiculous rule again about not converting other GW models with LotR parts?

It depends what you're wanting from it.
I just cancelled my subscription - there are so few hobby articles now, and what there are is just reinforcing Paint The Games Workshop Way, and don't offer me anything. It's one glorified catalogue, and you can see that stuff online.

I've said this before: I used to LOVE White Dwarf, it had variety and interest. I remember BEGGING my brother to lend me £1.20 so I could buy it (he didn't). Today, it's not worth the paper it's printed on.

I wouldn't have minded playing LotR, but when the movies were still fresh I didn't have a job and my dad wasn't about to pay GW prices...that was back then, too, before they had risen to the ridiculous heights they are now. Considering that it's more expensive now than it's ever been to start, and it's been years since the movies and my interest has waned quite a bit (still like Tolkien, just don't give a crap about the game anymore), you can forget about it.

Still got the AoBR release issue kicking about. I might compare that one and the Dark Vengeance issue to see how much it's gone downhill even in the last few years.

 Howard A Treesong wrote:
On a related topic, does anyone know if GW will start enforcing that ridiculous rule again about not converting other GW models with LotR parts?

The reason for that rule is the same reason that LotR is in a different scale. New Line didn't want the LotR to have any crossover with GW's current lines, they wanted the models to exist more or less in a vacuum. That vacuum is a major point in the contract, hence the rule about outside pieces.

Clearly no one can stop you from doing whatever you want with the models, but I wouldn't be surprised to see GW stores enforcing such rules.

If there was interchangeability with WFB, I'd actually buy some of the LotR models. As it stands, I won't.

 Flashman wrote:
Still got the AoBR release issue kicking about. I might compare that one and the Dark Vengeance issue to see how much it's gone downhill even in the last few years.

Please do. It'd be really interesting to contrast and compare, especially with an in-depth analysis report. I approve

I think the release issues are pretty dull, even when 3rd ed was released it was a glorified advert. You have to look at the support in magazines that comes after. Of course back then they were doing Chapter Approved which was pretty good.

Interesting new development in the News & Rumours section now about this very topic...

No one reads stickies.

Fewer people read White Dwarf.

 Flashman wrote:
Still got the AoBR release issue kicking about. I might compare that one and the Dark Vengeance issue to see how much it's gone downhill even in the last few years.

Interestingly enough, I Was flicking through an old WD the other day and it happened to be that very issue. The biggest difference I noticed between the two starter sets is about £25...

OK, here's a brief flick through WD345, the release issue for Assault on Black Reach, highlighting the kind of articles you won't find in this month's edition (which I have read). What's particularly depressing is that WD345 is far from the so called "WD Golden Period", yet even four years ago it was still just about worth a read...

So here are the two issues side by side. Can you spot the subtle difference between GW 2008 and GW 2012?





In the 2008 edition, we do of course have the obligatory AoBR battle report. Note that this battle report has maps and is not played on a Realm of Battles gameboard (which had yet to be released). This month's battle report is not a battle report at all. It's two people telling you about a game they played with pictures of the miniatures from Dark Vengeance.



Hooray! A stage by stage painting guide for some of the AoBR models, namely the Tactical Squad, Terminators, Ork Boyz and Ork Nobz. Fast forward to 2012 and you have no painting guides at all, just some pictures of one or two alternative colour schemes from studio member's armies.



One of my favourite series of articles, A Tale of Four Gamers, although even if in 2008 it had become a bit cynical i.e. Two of the gamers just happen to be producing armies using AoBR miniatures.



Scenario suggestions! Yes, this kind of thing was still appearing fairly recently (e.g. the Scramble scenario back in June's Flier issue). However, the article below is not tied to a particular release and is just a fun suggestion of something different to do in your Warhammer games. Certainly, nothing of its ilk in appears in this month's issue.



And lastly, we have the regrettably long extinct Painting Masterclass. Now you can count the number of Masterclasses I attempted on the fingers of one hand belonging to a Tau, but they always gave me ideas of different techniques to try. Recent painting guides (since the release of the new paint range) had become very perscriptive and dull, but now even these have disappered.



A few other things worth noting... in the 2008 edition you have a mini preview of the new Warriors of Chaos book to be released two months hence with sneak previews of the new mounted Chaos Lord and plastic Marauder Horsemen. And of course, you have the Next Month back page showing lots of new Space Marine minis (Drop Pods, Thunderfire Cannon, Sicarius, Sternguard, Vanguard and Sergeant Telios).

As noted at the beginning of this mini Retro Review, 2008 was by no means WD at its very best and even then, people were thinking that the magazine had long ceased to be interesting. It's actually staggering how much worse it has become, even in the last 12 months. There is literally no hobby or gaming content AT ALL in this month's issue. There is a laughable Modelling Workshop show a few painted Space Marines in different poses and a few pictures of armies belonging to GW staff members, but that's it. It is an utterly souless publication

 kronk wrote:
No one reads stickies.

Fewer people read White Dwarf.

If a mod posted "This subject has a stickied thread" (even linked) and closed it then people could choose to read the stickied thread or not.

Regardless it seems like it would be one less thread to monitor.