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Hello fellow wargamers! I have noticed some rather harsh (borderline hate speech if you ask me) criticism of GW's rule sets around here lately. You might have noticed this too. To take a break from the negativity and inspire some positive thoughts and feelings for a change, I thought it would be quite nice to have a thread discussing your favorite rule sets from our favorite company. Despite what has been argued in some of the threads around recently, I truly think GW makes some of the most engaging, and downright best wargame rules. Now I don't mean to turn this into a rant, but I find it disheartening when I hear people (who obviously have an agenda) chastise and bemoan the rules of games like 40k and WFB, and almost always do so without making any real solid or compelling arguments. It's tiresome and overall I feel it only brings about negativity within our community as a whole. If you are a seasoned wargamer you probably feel the same way as I do.

But moving on. Like I said I thought it would be fun to do the opposite for once and discuss our favorite GW games/rules, and importantly why we like those rule sets. I'll start. My favorite GW game of all time is Epic: Armageddon. I think it represents the scale of the battles perfectly in its rules. I haven't had a single gaming session that wasn't simultaneously fast paced and flavorful, all the while also being tactically and strategically satisfying. Small rules mechanics like the "blast marker" system affect the game in fundamental ways. Oh, and the turn sequence/unit activation process gives the game a very chess-like, "back and forth" flow. I would strongly recommend this game to anyone who enjoys massive, tactically engaging battles. Note that the game is much smaller scaled than 40k, in terms of miniatures.

My agenda: to have unambiguous rules that allow me to play with my MAN DOLLIES from the 41st millenium.

With that being said, I've no experience with any ruleset produced by GW beyond 40k 5th and 6th, and WHFB 7th and 8th.

Necromunda. I've always liked 2nd editions shooting/H2H rules the most and the campaign system was great. And it's a great way to stay in shape.

KirbyFan wrote:
Hello fellow wargamers! I have noticed some rather harsh (borderline hate speech if you ask me) criticism of GW's rule sets around here lately. You might have noticed this too. To take a break from the negativity and inspire some positive thoughts and feelings for a change, I thought it would be quite nice to have a thread discussing your favorite rule sets from our favorite company. Despite what has been argued in some of the threads around recently, I truly think GW makes some of the most engaging, and downright best wargame rules. Now I don't mean to turn this into a rant, but I find it disheartening when I hear people (who obviously have an agenda) chastise and bemoan the rules of games like 40k and WFB, and almost always do so without making any real solid or compelling arguments. It's tiresome and overall I feel it only brings about negativity within our community as a whole. If you are a seasoned wargamer you probably feel the same way as I do.

But moving on. Like I said I thought it would be fun to do the opposite for once and discuss our favorite GW games/rules, and importantly why we like those rule sets. I'll start. My favorite GW game of all time is Epic: Armageddon. I think it represents the scale of the battles perfectly in its rules. I haven't had a single gaming session that wasn't simultaneously fast paced and flavorful, all the while also being tactically and strategically satisfying. Small rules mechanics like the "blast marker" system affect the game in fundamental ways. Oh, and the turn sequence/unit activation process gives the game a very chess-like, "back and forth" flow. I would strongly recommend this game to anyone who enjoys massive, tactically engaging battles. Note that the game is much smaller scaled than 40k, in terms of miniatures.

So people that criticize GW rules have an "obvious agenda" and criticize them "without making any real solid or compelling arguments"?

Just out of curiosity, what other miniature wargames other than GW's have you experienced before declaring them the "best wargame rules"?

But just to keep on topic, my favourite GW rule sets have been 6th ed WHFB, Necromunda and BFG.

2nd edition Warhammer in 1984.

Its all downhill from there...

I loved 5th edition 40k to be honest. I also love the Necromunda / Mordheim rulestes. They may not be perfectly balanced, but they're fun to play.

KirbyFan wrote:
If you are a seasoned wargamer you probably feel the same way as I do.

Way to blow smoke up your own ass and denigrate the opinion of anyone who disagrees all in one sentence!

Enjoyed necromunda, 4th ed fantasy battle, 2nd ed 40k. These days, I'm afraid it's dust tactics that floats my boat! Guess that makes me an unseasoned wargamer!

One Ring edition (so perhaps you could call it 4th?) LOTR.

Blood bowl.

KirbyFan wrote:
Hello fellow wargamers! I have noticed some rather harsh (borderline hate speech if you ask me) criticism of GW's rule sets around here lately. You might have noticed this too. To take a break from the negativity and inspire some positive thoughts and feelings for a change, I thought it would be quite nice to have a thread discussing your favorite rule sets from our favorite company. Despite what has been argued in some of the threads around recently, I truly think GW makes some of the most engaging, and downright best wargame rules. Now I don't mean to turn this into a rant, but I find it disheartening when I hear people (who obviously have an agenda) chastise and bemoan the rules of games like 40k and WFB, and almost always do so without making any real solid or compelling arguments. It's tiresome and overall I feel it only brings about negativity within our community as a whole. If you are a seasoned wargamer you probably feel the same way as I do.

No as a seasoned wargamer I just started playing game were the company care about the rules and the models, thats almost any other company that does rules and models. But, I love how whole threads point out what is wrong with GW games, but are never really soild are compelling argument. But, GW great becouse me and a small group of friend can play a game of it is a compelling argument .

Anyways Epic was to last in house rule set that was any good, if fact great. Now, how they dropped it for a crappy game system becouse the crap one sold better, dispite making good money off Epic, shows how much they care about the players. Then the other game called Blood Bowl, who had a unpaid group of writers and a whole world of playtester, yes the BBRC listened to the players and you know changed thing to make then work better, all at no cost to GW but the hosting of the Blood Bowl PDF. So how does GW think them, by not putting there names in the final edtion of Blood Bowl they spent years working on. But, yeah Epic and Blood Bowl 2 of GW best game with soild rules, guess were they are now.

 Eggs wrote:
These days, I'm afraid it's dust tactics that floats my boat! Guess that makes me an unseasoned wargamer!

I wouldn't say that. It just makes you an off-topic poster.

I've only played 5th ed WH40K and 7th and 8th ed WHFB, and out of those I gotta go with 7th ed Fantasy. I miss my Bretonnians some times.

Blood Bowl.

Lord of The Rings. Morheim and 8th when it comes to fantasy. I do enjoy 40k, but due to me seldom having enough time to play enough games.
But if I had to choose between all those Id say LOTR

It would have to be either blood bowl or LOTOW ( which use a variation of the LOTR and necromunda/mordheim rule set)

Aeronautica Imperialis. More strategic depth than 40k in under 20 pages of rules, and gameplay that actually captures the fluff of the 40k universe. Too bad GW decided it was more profitable to promote their garbage games and ignore the good ones.

KirbyFan wrote:
I have noticed some rather harsh (borderline hate speech if you ask me) criticism of GW's rule sets around here lately.

Hate speech......are you serious? My face is reddened by the force of my palm.

KirbyFan wrote:
I don't mean to turn this into a rant, but I find it disheartening when I hear people (who obviously have an agenda) chastise and bemoan the rules of games like 40k and WFB, and almost always do so without making any real solid or compelling arguments.

Do you even read these topics? Agenda? Chastise and bemoan? This isn't some sort of anti-GW movement, it's criticism of a companies rules due to opinion and belief that the rules are inferior to previous editions, or other companies in the same market.

KirbyFan wrote:
If you are a seasoned wargamer you probably feel the same way as I do.

Ah, no true Scotsman. Please, just stop. You've embarrassed yourself with the other statements but were reaching critical levels of fail here.

I've been playing and collecting for just over 7 years (half my life) really up until a few months ago, it's been GW games. I used to enjoy 40k but it's really gotten to a stage were I'm just not having fun with it any more, especially with 6th edition. I played LOTR for sometime, which I did find some enjoyment from.

3/10 got me to reply. Troll harder.

Guys, with a username like his would you honestly believe that there's no "agenda" in this thread? I mean i don't want to call people trolls but if it acts like one and is named like one...

I've been wargaming for about 25 years.
I've played most of the systems GW have put out in that time.
Of all the systems, my favourite is probably Mordheim.
Honourable mention goes to Epic:Armageddon and Battlefleet Gothic.

Non GW, either Malifaux or Urban War.

There's plenty of great GW games:

Space Hulk 1st edition - the best edition of Space Hulk ever. I remember the first time playing through the whole campaign in the early 90's while my brother and I listened to Metallica. One of my best gaming experiences of all time. Future editions were nice, but pretty watered down and made much easier.

Warmaster - fantastic, fantastic. Sadly abandoned by GW, but thankfully reincarnated in spirit through Warlord's Hail Caesar/Pike & Shotte/Black Powder.

Adeptus Titanicus - titan battles yes please!

Warhammer 6th circa 2004 (after release of the General's Compendium) - best edition of Warhammer ever.

Titan Legions (Epic 2nd edition)

Was easier to follow than Spacemarine but still had the really cool titan damage tables (that they got shot of in Epic 40k)

Haha "hate speech" are you actually honestly serious right now OP?

On topic: Space Hulk 1st edition. And the campaign/turf rules for Mordheim and Necromunda (just not the actual combat).

Necromunda. A nice ruleset that has had a few key updates to improve it.

Haven't had the chance to play more than a couple of games, but it's a dream of mine to someday participate in a full campaign.

Bloodbowl.

No. 1: Necromunda.
Mostly because of the campaign element, although with a few house rules thrown in the ruleset works well enough and is fairly balanced.

No. 2: 40K 3rd/4th.
A lot less cluttered than the current ruleset, and alot faster than 2nd (although I had great fun with that as well).

No. 3: BFG
Just cause it was so darn cool!

That being said, this list is mostly the result of me being a total scifi geek.
I played WHFB a few times and found the rules better balanced and more challenging than its 40K counterpart.

 Eldarain wrote:
Necromunda. I've always liked 2nd editions shooting/H2H rules the most and the campaign system was great. And it's a great way to stay in shape.

good one


Automatically Appended Next Post:
But no really--

The best and funnest game released by GW was indeed

Epic

And i dont mean the crap released by Andy Chambers, I mean the game that came in the boxset that had the new Dark Angels dark green color scheme on it and it had those cool detatchement cards that were made out of thick cardboard. Remember? It had a ton of land raiders and rhinos and marines. Those games were AWESOME!!!
My buddies and I played that game so much, we just loved the idea of giving our units orders and the sweeping look of our battles. We eventually brought in the Eldar and Chaos into our games and there was SOOOO much stuff in White Dwarf EVERY month that was fun to add to our games....Man the good old days....

Mordheim, Necromunda, Warhammer Quest.

My hidden agenda - playing games that I actually like that is available at a price I think reasonable.

Which leaves out pretty much every current GW game....

The Auld Grump - because a person that calls himself Kirby Fan obviously has no agenda of his own.

Space Hulk first edition.

 ExNoctemNacimur wrote:
One Ring edition (so perhaps you could call it 4th?) LOTR.

When can I start worshipping you as the wisest creature on dakka?

Necromunda

KirbyFan wrote:
Now I don't mean to turn this into a rant, but I find it disheartening when I hear people (who obviously have an agenda) chastise and bemoan the rules of games like 40k and WFB, and almost always do so without making any real solid or compelling arguments. It's tiresome and overall I feel it only brings about negativity within our community as a whole. If you are a seasoned wargamer you probably feel the same way as I do.

"I don't mean to turn it into a rant, but I am now immediately going to do just that. Anyone who disagrees with me obviously has an agenda, and is not as unbiased as me, username Kirbyfan".

Seriously, this is flat out trolltastic.

That being said, I don't have a favorite GW ruleset - in experience they are all sort of poor, with Space Hulk probably being the best - I do have some specific rules I like a great deal.

In a previous version of Codex: Orks, Gretchin could, I believe, act as a living shield for Boyz. Any shooting attacks that crossed a Grot unit would have casualties taken from the grots instead of the target unit.

Additionally, Grots could be tossed into a minefield to remove it.

Those were awesome. Also very fond of the Shock Attack Gun rules.