Rogue Trader Reprint: A Long, Long Time Coming

 Hi!

Just a quick update today as I'm pretty busy but I thought I'd post my thoughts on the Rogue Trader reprint.

So as of typing, the book still hasn't arrived and reading around the internet, this seems to be quite a common occurrence in the UK with stock arriving recently in the US but with the book being printed in China, it appears that we'll be waiting a while yet for copies to appear.

In GW's defence, they did say it could take up to 180 days or 6 months but it does feel like this has turned into a bit of a cash grab before the release of the Old World fantasy battle stuff.

I'm willing to wait a wee bit to get hold of my copy but I must admit that I'm getting to the point where I may cancel my order as I am actively moving away from GW games and delving further into my collection of old indie stuff, especially as there has been some comment from folks who did get their copy that have mentioned its not the best quality wise with photos being described as being a bit on the dark side.

I suspect that is due to the fact that GW had to scan a copy of the original so its never going to be perfect but it sounds like they could have tweaked the images a wee bit to clear them up. I'll no doubt hum and hah about it for the rest of the week but I'm edging closer to just moving onto something else and the refunded pennies could be better used for something else that will get regular play...

We shall see if there's any update this week and I'll make the decision on Saturday and possibly dedicate the saved cash to a small indie company that needs it more than the behemoth.

In the meantime, All the best!

STOP PRESS: Rogue Trader Rulebook Available to Order!

 Hi!

Just a quick update this evening with the news that the classic Rogue Trader rulebook is being made available as a print on demand title via GW's website for a limited period!

Interestingly, the book doesn't seem to show up in their new releases but can be found by searching Rogue Trader and HERES A LINK to the page. It's £40 for a hardback edition which is actually pretty decent value, especially as it comes with free postage.

It does say that the book will be shipped within six months but its a great opportunity to get a shiny new copy of a book that regularly sells in excess of £80 for increasingly tatty and falling apart old editions!

I plan on placing an order (the first one I've ever made direct from GW, despite being a gamer for 30 years now!) and will be using it for a full on Rogue Trader campaign once it eventually arrives.

I also plan on painting up a few odds and ends to give me some small forces to play with.

Hopefully it won't take a full six months to get a copy but it gives me a bit of breathing room to crack on with some painting.

In the meantime, All the best!

Inktober 2023: Papercraft RPG Characters Days 9-14

 Hi!

Here's the next updates to my ongoing Inktober challenge:

Day 9: Bounce

I must admit I was initially at a loss with what to do for day 9's prompt but settled on a pair of bouncing pugilistic Kangaroos to act as somewhat different fighters than the more usual fare one see's in fantasy encounters.

Day 10: Fortune

Day 10 saw the addition of a pair of fortune tellers to add interest and cryptic pronouncements to encounters.

Day 11: Wander

Day 11's Wander set my back a bit too as I had already done a bunch of wandering adventurer types so I ended up going for some wandering bards who will entertain with music and song, before robbing you blind.

Day 12: Spicy 

Day 12's Spicy prompt saw meheading more into sci-fi territory and creating a pair of spice addicted crazies with added tech implants and respirators spewing out spice smoke.

Day 14: Rise

As I already had a pair of zombies, I decided to portray a duo of sketchy necromancers, off to raid the local cemetery and raise a horde of skeletal minions.

 

The Inktober challenge has been really fun, and at times quite difficult to get going but I feel that as I approach the half way point, I seem to be getting into the swing of things and my next addition will be a big guy! 

In other news, GW has announced that they have a print on demand offer going on their website for a reprinted Rogue Trader rulebook which is rather exciting (and about time too!). Hopefully we'll see more offerings like it going forward as there's a huge market for old school GW books and it would be awesome to see their other books of the era getting reprinted too but more on that tomorrow!

I've got a few days left at work and then I've got some much needed holidays and I plan on delving into some much needed hobby time before I head back to work and the madness of Christmas so fingers crossed, I'll be posting daily updates of a bit of a project I've been pondering for a while now.

In the meantime, All the best!

Rummaging the Collection: Evil Cultists

 Hi!

I've been sorting my collection and finally taking the bits and bobs I've had in storage boxes for over a decade out, giving them a dust off and getting them into my cabinet.

I must admit that I was quite surprised by just how much stuff I had in the boxes, especially as I've currently just worked through the top tray of them. Sadly quite a bit was broken or chipped which will need repairing but I'll persevere and get them all back into usable condition but I suppose it shouldn't be too much of a surprise as they've been stored in foam trays now for the best part of a decade and survived four house moves!

Some of the stuff is new and others were painted up over the course of the lockdowns but I'm really happy to get them all together again and looking at the cultists, I realise that they're made up of miniatures from ten different manufacturers which may be a record for me.

Cultist Squad

I've got GW, North Star, Modiphius, Wizards of the Coast (Chainmail and pre-painted plastic), 4A Miniatures, Mantic Games, Heartbreaker, Waddingtons, Gormiti and some bits of Scotia Grendel! 

Mutant Squad

I had been thinking to myself that I didn't have much of any one force but just by rummaging my collection I seem to have discovered that I actually have quite a few bits and bobs that can tie into a surprisingly cohesive force, despite having been painted at different times and in different styles.

With this in mind, I'll be sorting out the rest of my collection in the coming weeks and trying to get everything photographed and repaired as needed (the Nepharite has had to get his Azogar blade glued back on after I foolishly dropped him but in my defence he weighs an absolute ton!) and will see what other odds and ends I have that can be worked into a usable force for anything from Rogue Trader to Planet 28.

Cultist Leaders

I must admit that I've never really been any good at sticking to one miniature range as I see so many brilliant miniatures that fit into whatever project I am working on at the time and its been a real pleasure to dig into the boxes and recover all those figures I've painted and put them to use again.

Massive Mutie

One of the first things I did when I pulled them all out and realised I had so many was to play an Imperial vs Cultist and evil allies game and the villains came out on top with the massive mutie eating a squad of Dark Angel space marines and the rest swarming the Imperial gunline which actually surprised me but it was brilliant fun none the less and no doubt the forces of the Inquisition will be back to seek vengeance upon the unclean forces of evil!

Looking at my unpainted stuff, I have a stack of Siege of the Citadel stuff to paint which will give me enough baddies for a decent sized Dark Legion army which will provide me with more than enough to round out the force and I may yet add some more bits like Zombies and human cultist reinforcements as well as the odd character or two...

As surprising as it was to find that my rather random collecting has in fact resulted in a nice little warband has been most pleasing and I look forward to sharing the rest of the collection and looking back at my painted stuff has inspired me to work on forgotten projects too which has been an added bonus.

I seem to be coming out of a hobby slump and the realisation that I had a lot more awesome figures painted than I remember has been a real boon and hopefully I'll be able to share more over the coming week but until then, All the best!

Rogue Trader Reprint Available Again!

 Hi!

Just a quick post this evening as I've spotted that Games Workshop has reprinted the classic Rogue Trader rulebook which is excellent news as getting a second hand copy of the original will set folks back over £100 on Ebay these days and the shiny new hardback is available at Warhammer World for £40.

While this is great, the problem is that it is only available in Warhammer World and cannot be ordered online. You cannot phone them up and order one. You cannot get it through Games Workshop stores. You can only get a copy if you actually go to Nottingham, into Warhammer World and buy it direct. 

While I can understand the idea of a store exclusive, I cannot help but wonder why Games Workshop don't make it more readily available to buy to those who aren't willing or able to travel all the way to Warhammer World to pick up a copy themselves. I'm fairly sure that if they put it up on their online store, even as a limited time deal, they'd sell thousands of copies.

As much as I'd love a copy, I cannot see myself travelling all the way from Dundee to Nottingham just to get one. If anyone is in that neck of the woods though, please feel free to give me a shout and I'd be more than happy to pay for book and postage.

All the best!

New Year Gaming!

 Hi!

I've already covered my interest in working my way through the Rangers of Shadowdeep core rulebook and campaign over the course of the next while but I'm also pondering some other games both old and new for a bit of a spin.

As per usual, Ash over on Guerrilla Miniature Games has got me picking up new rules in the form of The Silver Bayonet and Scrappers. Both are Osprey Games and I'd initially ignored them as they just didn't seem to be my cup of tea but having watched a couple of battle reports, I'm actually intrigued enough to pick up a copy of each to try out!

With Silver Bayonet, I plan on using my Flintloque/Deadloque collection to play games with as I must admit that I'm quite looking forward to giving it a try out! As for Scrappers, I think I'm going to rummage my leadpile and see what I've got and also use the opportunity to try to get some games of Star Mogul in too.

I also got a super cheap copy of Supersystem 2nd edition which I'm contemplating sculpting some supers and villains for in my own style.

I also think I'll try out the rules for a quick skirmish game featuring Inquisitor Fisher and some foes as I've heard really good things about the system and it's based on the old White Wolf Trinity Battleground game which was great fun.

I'm also contemplating putting together a couple of articles about Rogue Trader and the basics of putting together a small force and the basics of character building and how to get the best of the rules from my own somewhat limited experience.

Finally, I'm finding myself somewhat tempted to try something completely different.

I left the hobby when 40k moved from 2nd edition to 3rd as it was so simplified and I never played it but I recently got to thinking that I love Epic 40k because it took a granular, somewhat clunky system and streamlined it right down to allow for a quick playing but still enjoyable system. What if 3rd/4th edition 40k is similar?

I doubt I'll do much with it in the near future but I may pick up the core rulebook and the odd codex if I can find them cheaply enough and instead of the £100+ for Rogue Trader and 2nd edition, the later rulesets seem to be pretty cheap at about a tenner for the core rules. I'll need to delve into it a bit but I do wonder if I can put together a 250-300 point combat patrol sort of force and see how things go.

This is very much something I'll be putting on the back-burner for the foreseeable but it may be a nice long term aim for the year to end up with a little force thats a step up from my usual skirmish warband.

We shall see what I actually manage in the next month or two so watch this space!

All the best!

Rogue Trader in 2022

Hi!

Just a quick post today. I managed to play my first game of 2022! 

I went for Rogue Trader and used my Orks and Inquisitorial Agents and it was utterly fantastic to get a game played after quite a few months. Instead of going for any sort of scenario I just went for a straight up battle which saw the Orks getting a bit of a beating from the forces of the Imperium. 

While the rules are a bit clunky and slow compared to more modern rulesets, Rogue Trader is such fun to play I always enjoy playing small skirmishes with a couple of squads and the odd character a side. I suspect that larger games with lots of characters and vehicles would slow things down massively.

The highlight of the game was my Ork warboss killing two Space Marines in close combat and almost breaking through the Imperial line before his small force got shredded and the lone Kommando sneaking within bolt pistol range of Inquisitor Fisher and managing to wound her before Glitterberry the Eldar shot him down with a burst of Shuriken Catapult fire.

I really need to paint up more Orky boyz as they need some decent sized mobs to soak up fire and still have enough bodies to pile into combat and want to add some more characters to my collection to give me more options for my games. 

For my Imperial forces, I want to get my ships crew up to a couple of full strength squads as they get squished in literally every single game they've been in as there just aren't enough of them!

I've got quite a few assorted odds and ends lying around that will need painting up for both forces over the coming months but I also have some Eldar in the works which should give me enough to use in small skirmishes using Rogue Trader and Planet 28!

In other news, my copy of Rangers of Shadowdeep has arrived and I got a copy of Supersystem on the cheap too which I'm keen to give a try at some point too. I've also been working on getting a couple of Worm Cultists finished for my Somewhere on the Border project and will share photos once they arrive. 

I've also got some more bases ordered up so I'll be able to get stuff based and painted in the coming weeks too which is handy.

Hopefully I'll get chance to play the first scenario for Rangers of Shadowdeep this month once I've got the odds and ends finished but will be posting the odd battle report for some other games and will be posting whatever random bits and bobs I manage to paint in the meantime. 

In the meantime, All the best!

Rogue Trader Meets Necromunda With a Bit of Inquisitor!

 Hi!

Well I've been back to work for a week and it's been fantastic but also fantastically busy which has left me exhausted when I get home and in no fit state to deal with any hobbying but I've spent a bit of time looking at the possibility of combining Rogue Trader, Necromunda and Inquisitor into a game that I'm thinking about trying to play.

It sounds a bit mental but I'm thinking of incorporating some elements from each, essentially the core game of Rogue Trader, the combat style of Necromunda and the D100 dice shenanigans of Inquisitor.

I'm not sure how it will work out but I'm hoping to get the characters and scenario written up over the coming days and try and play the game this weekend. 

To be honest, I'm not quite sure where the idea has come from but I'm keen on trying to see how different elements of each game work together. It may work perfectly well or be an unmitigated disaster but it will be interesting to see how it goes as Inquisitor Fisher and co are pitted against their old foes, the Orks as the followers of the possibly deceased Uruk the Unruly seek vengeance upon the forces of the Imperium. 

I suspect it will involve at most a half dozen figures a side and will be a heavily scenario driven but we shall see how it turns out and I hope to post some ramblings about the process as I get things put together so watch this space and until then, All the best!

Lockdown 2.0 Project Log Day 87: Bodging Rulesets

Hi!

I've got a load of figures midway through painting and sculpt just needing a coat of paint so I decided to have a look at some of my other rulebooks to see what I've got and what I can use to play some skirmishes.

Warzone

Warzone 1st edition is a great start for conversion into a small scale skirmish game as it has alternating activation, plenty of existing profiles which can be used and a good amount of customisation possibilities for characters to boot.

I've tried out a game using counters earlier in the year and think that I shall be using this ruleset for my first test as I'm reasonably confident of how to play it, despite only playing a single game in about 20 years! 

With the use of the Dark Legion gifts or the Art of the Brotherhood, I can easily introduce psykers, espers and all manner of interesting elements too.

While it doesn't have a custom force maker, it is a really great set of rules that allow you to play small skirmishes with shoot and scoot tactics, diving for cover and all manner of elements that lend themselves to a really dynamic game which I think could be perfect for my own small character based and scenario driven games.

Void 1.1

Void 1.1 is also a skirmish game at heart, although aimed at slightly larger scale than Warzone. It usually has a few squads backed up by a character or two and the odd small vehicle. 

It's also an alternating activation system and like Warzone, each model has a number of actions that can be carried out in whatever order they want making it a bit more dynamic than GW's games of yore. 

I plan on having a bash with a small force using Void once I have enough stuff painted as its more suited to a platoon level game than a single squad a side.

Again although it doesn't have a custom force generator, it does have a good variety of model profiles that can easily be bodged into whatever character one likes and I look forward to getting a game or two in using the rules!

Vor The Maelstrom/No Limits

Vor is a totally customisable game and uses action points rather than the two previous games that have a number of activations per model. Its spiritual successor, No Limits is a generic ruleset that uses the same mechanics but has refined force generation and I've played it a fair few times but not for about ten years or so.

It's a bit crunchier in style than Void or Warzone but I have fond memories of the rules and it will make a really interesting small skirmish game with only a few small modifications, such as giving characters more wounds and action points and having each activating separately.

Worthy of note, the terrain rules for Vor are really fun that allow you to roll all manner of interesting terrain and unexpected events (some of which are really destructive!) and can add a random and interesting element to games without bogging things down.

We Can Be Heroes

We Can be Heroes is a pulp style game that features bands of dashing heroes, dastardly villains and sidekicks, minions and whatnot. 

I've had the rules for ages but never tried them out and am keen to have a go of using them as the basis for a skirmish or two on the frontier. 

Having glanced through the rules, they seem to be fairly straightforward and well explained and could be just the thing for a fun character driven game.

I particularly like the fact that heroes act heroically and are able to do more than the sidekicks who in turn can do more than the lowly henchmen and feel that the system could lend itself to a really entertaining mini campaign but I need to re-read the rules and try them out a time or two before posting a battle report using them to make sure I get things right.

Aertherverse

Aetherverse came out in the early 2000's if memory serves right and I picked up a copy having read a few battle reports back in the day and it's languished on my shelves ever since.

It's a generic skirmish game that is scaleable which is good and allows you to create whatever force you like and the battle reports I read of it made it look rather fun. There's also a small scale skirmish version called Aetherverse Upheaval which is specifically aimed towards small warband style games.

Sadly my knowledge of the actual mechanics are vague as I've not really done anything with it since picking it up but I aim to dust off my copy and have a bash!

Rogue Trader

Ah Rogue Trader! The original sandpit sort of game where anything is possible. 

It's a really retro system now which isn't going to result in a dynamic fast moving sort of gaming experience like some of the other rulesets I've mentioned but I don't feel I can skip it, if for no other reason than it's retro charms. 

I've used it for sci-fi and fantasy games in the past and it's always resulted in a good game and if memory serves, it's campaign system would be fun to use for seeing how my various warbands cope between games!

I doubt I'd be using the robot programming rules and random equipment rolls or some of the other esoteric stuff from the game but one of the charms of Rogue Trader is the fact that you can pretty much pick and choose or bodge stuff and it is flexible enough to work.

Fantastic Worlds

Fantastic Worlds is another Pulp themed game, this time aimed specifically at retro sci-fi and I picked it up at the same time as We Can Be Heroes. It uses an archtype system that looks interesting and I really want to have a go at playing a game or two with it, especially as it really focuses on character and story.

Interestingly, the game has hit locations that can effect how a model activates which looks like it could be fun and decidedly cinematic but the rules are a bit dense if memory serves correct so I suspect I'll need to give it a few read throughs and games before I get it correct.

I think Fantastic Worlds will be one to try once I've got into the swing of playing different game systems and ramp up the number of games I can play a week but it's definitely one I want to try!

Laserburn

Laserburn is the granddaddy of Warhammer 40k and I've got a copy lying around that I picked up some time ago, had a flick through and put down again.

It's typed layout really put me off back then and although I'm curious to see how it goes, it's a game I'm a bit cautious about trying. However it's been compared to Inquisitor so it could be an interesting game to try out if I can summon up the courage to brave the layout.

Like many of the other games I've mentioned, I suspect that once I get the hang of the mechanics and get a game or two under my belt, it may end up being rather fun (and may result in the appearance of the Red Redemption too!)

I'd love to hear of other folks experience with the rules so if you've actually played it, please feel free to drop a comment!

Rogue Planet

Rogue Planet is a game I've heard fantastic things about but when I bought the download was a little underwhelmed due to the slightly weird mechanics. Saying that, I've not actually played a game using it so I'm keen to give it a bash as it feels like it might be akin to Planet 28 which was great fun.

It's aimed at a science fantasy setting which is just my cup of tea and I'm going to see if I can find any battle reports from the interwebs to get an idea of just how it's played.

Chaos on Cronos

Chaos on Cronos is another pulp sci-fi game that uses the Herosystem which is in turn inspired by the old Trinity Battleground game by White Wolf (a ruleset that's well worth a peek in its own right!)

I've got quite a few of the themed games using the system such as Chaos in Carpathia and the Supersystem rules but haven't actually tried them out. They feature individuals backed up by groups of supporting troops and I think it could make for a fun game that leans heavily on characters doing awesome stuff while the supporting troops get slaughtered like all good movie extras.

I must admit that I've not looked at the book for over a decade now so it's high time I remedied it and gave it a bash!

Star Mogul

Star Mogul is a great little game that relies not just on killing one's enemies but also recovering salvage and with a little bit of work would make for a great basis for the likes of competing Mechanicus teams or mercs on the frontier or pretty much whatever you fancy.

The rules are good and the campaign system is excellent but I'll need to paint a few more miniatures for each of my warbands to make the most of the game.

The flexibility of creating your salvage companies is really good too as you can specialise in combat, recovery or any number of other skillsets that give each of the teams a real sense of personality and it will be fun to play again after over 15 years!

Nuclear Renaissance

Nuclear Renaissance is by Curtis Fell of Ramshackle Games and is a more post apocalyptic sort of game featuring a more Gorkamorka sort of gaming experience with small warbands hurtling around in bodged vehicles and shooting each other up. It's writing style is quite fun and is aimed towards having fun rather than super serious grimdark which is a big plus for me. 

I backed the Kickstarter for the original box game but sadly sold much of the figures and vehicles during my Uni clearout but did keep the rules and the supplement. 

It's a good fun game to play and I suspect it would be a great way of representing vehicle combat in a scenario too and it also has the notorious Giggles Clan who will be making more of an appearance in my future games too as they are rather fun!

Now the list above isn't by any means all the rulesets I mean to try out this year as I've got at least a dozen others in my collection that really deserve a try out but these will be my initial objectives to play along with more games of Song of Blasters and Planet 28 (as well as Brutal Quest when it arrives!).

If anyone has any experience with any of these rulesets or can suggest a good battle report to read or watch, please feel free to drop a comment or link but in the meantime, All the best!

Lockdown 2.0 Day 35: Down the Warzone Rabbit Hole and Orks!

 Hi!

Despite myself I seem to be getting increasingly hopeful for the rerelease of Warzone by Res Nova and have spent quite a bit of time re-reading my old 1st edition rulebooks.

It's possibly a bit daft as there's no website, no art, not even a tentative release date but despite all that, having watched several videos of the games designers and the folks of Res Nova I'm finding more and more elements of what they are hoping to do just what I'd hope it to be.

There is something pleasingly retro about the feel of Warzone with it's Megacorporate powers, small forces of over the top units and characters who were capable of wading through entire armies with one hand tied behind their back. 

Having re-perused the original rules, I was struck by how good a skirmish game it is, troops can fling themselves onto the ground to gain cover from incoming fire, the three action system allows for all manner of interesting tactics and each force has a noticeably different style of play. 

Coupled with a really fascinating setting that is both sci-fi, fantastic and pleasingly recognisable, being it is our solar system but largely either terraformed or at least colonised by the megacorps. Each planet has a different theme to it, be it Mars and it's arid deserts, Venus's lush jungles, Mercury's subterranean labyrinths or even Earth's irradiated wastelands, it's a setting that really lends itself to playing small, narrative scenarios, campaigns and an immersive sort of game that I've been really looking for.

Despite coming out in the mid 90's, Warzone feels like a love letter to the action movies of the 80's with corporate greed and shenanigans dialled up to 11, shoulder pads that can take out an eye and horrors from another dimension seeking to invade our reality. 

Yes there are similarities with the Mutant Chronicles universe and 40k but having picked up the book for the first time in years I'm absolutely hooked on the struggle for supremacy between the Megacorps and the Dark Legion, the Brotherhoods enigmatic manoeuvres and the heroes and villains duking it out across the solar system. 

Is the new endeavour for Warzone going to be able to keep the essence of everything that was awesome about the original and update it for a 21st century audience, and more importantly will it be a success following the curse of Warzone? I really, really hope it is and am finding myself really rooting for it! Certainly it seems to be trying to appeal to fans of the original from what I've read thus far and I am super excited to see how things develop over the coming months.

If it gets a release this year, I will absolutely be picking up a copy, if for no other reason than to get the figures that will allow me to play the original but hopefully the new rules will be just what I'm looking for too, especially as they are supposed to feature a couple of squads a side, a 3'x3' board and can be played in about an hour. If this pans out, it would allow me to play a mini campaign in an afternoon and that is exciting! 

The only downside to all this Warzone enthusiasm is that I don't have any of the figures to paint at the moment apart from a single Wolfbane. I'm thinking I may have to proxy up a couple of units and play out a game of 1st edition to see if it's as good as I remember it being.

But enough of my Warzone enthusing! There's only a whisper of what it's going to be like yet! I've got some Orks to look at:

Ork Boyz

Some of these are from my last Lockdown Project but have been rebased onto the lipped bases I've settled on using and I've added a new Boy and a Grot to bulk out the numbers a bit. I've got a fair few more old and new Orks still awaiting a coat of paint and will keep plugging away at them (I'm not sure I can cope with painting all the mono pose Gretchen but we shall see how I get on!). 

Tomorrow should see some more scenic gubbins painted and I may have a couple more odds and ends done but we shall have to see how things go.

In the meantime, All the best!