How many of us are joining Old World?

[Dolmot]

It depends...

My time spent on the wargaming hobby as a whole has been practically zero since 2020 for many reasons. The break from fantasy gaming has been much longer, with less than five games of random old editions played since 2008 or so. I had some issues with the 7th edition and so many issues with the 8th edition that I didn't even buy it in any form. Age of Sigmar was literally designed as a direct insult. I won't spend any more time on that story right now but the end result was kind of obvious.

Anyway, after almost ten years in a completely blank state in that whole area (not even pissed off, just blank like it didn't even exist), I got mildly curious about the Old World rumours. I didn't have any particular expectations regarding the system, but just bringing back the actual setting and miniatures sounded definitely better than nothing. It took many years to materialise but here we are now.

Fast forward to spring 2024...well, maybe I simply wanted to buy the cool toys I couldn't when I was 16? Trying to relive one's youth with slightly more income, filling the gaps in the collection or whatever. I was awake when the made to order waves happened. I got the wyvern, the trolls and whatnot. (To be honest, I never quit buying classic or classic-style greenskins whenever I happened to spot an irresistible deal.) Thereafter I've even got some nostalgic Empire stuff, despite not having an Empire army nor any concrete plans to build one. I've also acquired greenskin stuff from elsewhere, spending in total far too much in comparison to my actual productivity which is still zero. Nevertheless, maybe some kind of interest is in there, after all.

I still don't have the new rules. I don't even know anything about the new rules. I don't have any particular interest in getting them either, although I don't turn that idea completely down. Anyway, I just enjoy the fact that the setting is supported and active again. If something comes out of it - a game of any edition, a painted unit, anything, it's already a success. There was a lot of fun stuff in there and I hope to rediscover at least something from it all. Let's see.

[Kitsune]

No, playing Midgard (and Oathmark before that) instead, albeit with a mix of models from all places and generally set in the Old World

Played WFB again for a number of 6th ed games circa 21-23 and it’s too clunky, slow and the setup/pack up takes forever. Doesn’t help that it’s completely played out, so my interest in the engine waned again.

Then Old World dropped and added a tonne of rules on top of the existing rules, so killed any interest completely.

Ranked fantasy is a real favourite, but other systems are doing it better right now.

[Daeothar]

I've recently completed collecting a complete 4th/5th ed Wood Elf army. But that's my dream army from back in the day and has been a long time coming.

I only ever played 40K and 40K adjacent games (until I moved away from playing GW games altogether) and never played WHFB in the first place. My mate and I started collecting some fantasy armies just when WHFB got the axe and we never even considered AoS.

So for me the Old World not a nostalgia trip, even though I did hope it would be a way to finally get into WHFB. But then I realized that I could just as well play one of the older editions (I did collect the rules books all the way from 1st to 8th).

We tried Ehrewon, but my mate hated the system (which probably has nothing to do with the fact that I beat him every time we played it ), so that's a shelf warming book as well.

I suspect that when I do get to play with my Night Goblin, Warriors of Chaos and Wood Elf armies, it'll be through One Page Rules, which also did wonders for our unused 40K armies...

[McYellowbelly]

Im not a fan of the new models, bar the odd one or two, but purely for painting.
The cathay stuff does nothing for me, I'd rather use my Aly Morrison samurai!

[armchairgeneral]

I recently bought a few secondhand painted chaos warriors because I liked the look of them and thought they might work as black Numenoreans for my Middle-Earth games. When they came I quickly realised they were way too big. After some surfing I quickly found them to be GW chaos warriors from their Old World game. I like the look of the chaos army though more the rank and file than the larger monsters and chariots.

Never played WFB. I have done WAB a fair bit in the past. I don't really need another period but had been musing about giving the Old World a go. I noticed in my local Warhammer shop the rules are a considerable weighty tome and presumably you have to get the army specific book as well? I expect what will stop me is I don't know anyone who games it and my gaming friends don't seem interested. This thread seems to indicate a lot of cynicism from veteran gamers who gamed with WFB from early days for which Old World is the latest iteration?

I know the GW prices seem a lot but the sales of their figures are the only thing that pays for their chain of shops and the staff who man them and run games and teach newcomers the required painting and modelling skills for free which could potentially be transferred to historical and other non-GW games - i.e. GW is the Airfix of my generation  I appreciate though if you are just buying the figures and not partaking of these support services you are paying for something you are not getting.

[Ockius]

Me and a friend got the rules and some army list books (I was pretty irritated at the price of those and the fact so many had to be bought to play - they make it look like a good deal that you have loads of army lists in one book, but really you are being forced to buy a really big book with army lists in it that you don't need. I have Empire and Orcs and Goblins, which would mean buying both massive army list books! Plus probably the £16ish expansion book with extra rules).

Anyway, rant over. We have played a game and enjoyed it!

We both have mostly been repainting old models, as well as non-GW figures, but have also spent a little on the re-released Old World stuff.

[Aethelflaeda was framed]

I know the GW prices seem a lot but the sales of their figures are the only thing that pays for their chain of shops and the staff who man them and run games and teach newcomers the required painting and modelling skills for free which could potentially be transferred to historical and other non-GW games - i.e. GW is the Airfix of my generation  I appreciate though if you are just buying the figures and not partaking of these support services you are paying for something you are not getting.

A slightly redeeming consideration, but the reality is that you can learn all the skills you need via forums here and YouTube for nothing. The shops (like any influencer) will not steer you to perfectly good, non-GW products as alternativesso you end up spending extra money learning how to use only their expensive paints and tools. even basic paint mixing requires learning new specialized jargon, as if pthalo-green, Burnt Sienna, Raw Umber, and Yellow Ochre had not worked for at least a couple of centuries.

As for cultivating youngsters and newbies, I watched a GW store toss a youngster out on his ear for putting a few non-GW figures (painted) out as part of his army.  No, they don’t get credit in my book any more than the local crack dealer gets for handing a kid his first rock for free.

[armchairgeneral]

A slightly redeeming consideration, but the reality is that you can learn all the skills you need via forums here and YouTube for nothing. The shops (like any influencer) will not steer you to perfectly good, non-GW products as alternativesso you end up spending extra money learning how to use only their expensive paints and tools. even basic paint mixing requires learning new specialized jargon, as if pthalo-green, Burnt Sienna, Raw Umber, and Yellow Ochre had not worked for at least a couple of centuries.

As for cultivating youngsters and newbies, I watched a GW store toss a youngster out on his ear for putting a few non-GW figures (painted) out as part of his army.  No, they don’t get credit in my book any more than the local crack dealer gets for handing a kid his first rock for free.

I know you can teach yourself modelling but for some to find yourself with a box of sprues can be daunting without someone to chat to give encouragement where to start. Accepted this encouragement will probably be directed towards buying more GW stuff. I just know quite a few historical gamers who say GW (despite all their faults) got them into hobby.

Anyway this discussion ought to have a thread of its own so apologies to all for going a bit off topic.

[sir_shvantselot]

Funnily enough, I played a game the other day of Warhammer in the
Old World for the first time. My last experience was Warhammer seventh edition in about 2012. Was a bit fiddly but reminded me pretty much of my old experiences. I rebased my chaos over the last year but not got round to painting it. Got rinsed by Khemri. Have a game lined up with someone who has a painted chaos army and I’ve realised I have enough orcs and goblins painted to have a great match up visually. But will need to rebase a lot of it. Which I don’t mind actually. Big bases are more fun. And the reality is that though I have played a few miniature diagnostic games like Age of Magic and, frankly Kings of War, rather than squeezing those ores and goblins into something they weren’t really designed for which has no flavour. I might as well use them for Warhammer! I have a massive empire Army I don’t think I can be bothered to re-base which is about 25% painted. I have about a third of a beastman army and might top that up when that gets released soon. Cathay is loosely tempting but I don’t want to have to remortgage my house! Especially for what will be a fourth or fifth army in a system I will be playing about three times a year maximum. For a laugh here’s my rebased chaos:

[Battle Brush Sigur]

I'm very curious about TOW, mainly what GW do with it (and the Cathay release is another very interesting step there, possibly going in the direction they always intended with that product. Very early on in their previews and such they mentioned Cathay and high-magic Kislev, which did not go down well, for obvious reasons).

Personally, I'm not really interested in playing it. It seems a bit heavy on special rules. But I'm always on the lookout for fantasy mass battle rules. Just looked at Impetus earlier, but Fantasy Impetus doesn't seem to be much of a thing beyond Fantasy Basic Impetus. Naturally, Midgard would be tempting. Same with Hobgoblin.

The thing about TOW for me is mainly that Warhammer is always Warhammer. 5th edition I find the most appealing; i'm also very interested in Warhammer Renaissance.

[Elbows]

I will say, I watch the Warhammer Renaissance community and the hobby level and attitude is superb.  Some gorgeous battle reports on YouTube, and stunning armies, etc.  Hobby level is very high.  Lots of painting live streams with various YouTubers, etc.

[Mr. White]

I’m not familiar with Warhammer Renaissance. Is this the fan made “9th edition” or closer to the Oldhammer movement?

[Elbows]

Nah, it's a fan version of 4th/5th/6th with a bit of 3rd from what I can gather.  It's effectively "Warhammer Fantasy from the 90's".

I never played those editions, but it's very "oldhammer', people painting up entire armies in 90's fashion, etc.  It's a nostalgia nuclear weapon some of the quality of the stuff people are doing.

[Aerendar Valandil]

I was a slow starter in the early nineties, but I have been painting slowly since. My faithful high elves have seen battle in editions from 5th until te present dat, including ToW, Warhammer Renaissance, Armies Project, the 9th Age (although that was only once or twice), SAGA, Song of Blades and Heroes, Oathmark, OPR, and even Kings of War oce before di decided that was not my game. And yes, we are now into ToW, aside to an occasiona OPR or WAP-battle.

I love the Cathay box, but it's to much. I still have my DoW and High Elves to finish, aside from the ccasional ohistorcal project.

So yes, I'm in. Although I have my issues with both the return of ToW/GW and the returning players (and about GW, but they're not new).

ToW has, like all official editions, serious problems (although it's still fun). Th great part is that players return. But I seriously do not understand why people make themselves so dependent of a commercial party. 9th age was there. WAP was there. Armoes project was there. At least the latter two are superior gameswise than any edition, all three have/had a substantial following, were much better balanced, models were well available on the second hand market, there were third party models and the last few years print options galore. Often for relatively cheap.

And still they only return when the Holy GW returns with resonable, but certainlu not the best system, which (although it remains fun) serious problems concerning balance, the use of infantry blocks, some onfathomable rules (linehammer) and more. Did the fanmade projects not have those, yes, but at least they tried to solve them. 'yes, but it isn't real warhammer'. Yeah right. GW ripped out crucial factions like lizards, skaven and darkelves and hardly any complaints. It chagned the base sizes.

And in mass the gans  throw themselves on expensive, outdated  plastic figs of mediocre quality (I'm an elf player, but the platsic multipart bows and spears did not only not age well, they were disappointing when they came out) , and if not, suffering from scalecreep, insteqd of buying figs, often cheaper, from nice hand-made third parties, or printing them cheaply from comparable 3D-software.

Yeah, I play, and I hev great fun. With all these fans whom I really not understand....     

[Battle Brush Sigur]

Nah, it's a fan version of 4th/5th/6th with a bit of 3rd from what I can gather.  It's effectively "Warhammer Fantasy from the 90's".

I never played those editions, but it's very "oldhammer', people painting up entire armies in 90's fashion, etc.  It's a nostalgia nuclear weapon some of the quality of the stuff people are doing.

Yup, feels like it's got nice people around it. Personally I'm not fussed about video battle reports or youtubers being attached to it (usually that's more of a red flag, if anything ), but I'd like to give the rules a go some time.

As far as I understood, the rules are mainly based on 6th/7th with some fun bits from 3rd/4th/5th added, with army lists based on 4th/5th, but entirely reworked, magic system seems to be from 4th. Maybe I can give it a go some time. Shame they're so adamant about only having them online on bloody Facebook; that makes it harder for the more sensible of us to get their hands on that.



I was at the year's first wargames show ('round here) a few weeks ago, and they had a TOW table, which is where I ended up the most time spending actually. It's a weird beast, that (on several levels). Obviously it heavily feeds on Nostalgia, which is a problematic thing and all too cozy, it comes with the baggage of having GW attached to it. From experience we all know that rules sets are good once GW loses interest in them and dedicated fans take over. Just the other night I talked to a friend about Warhammer, and he said, that as a game it never was any good, compared to what else is around. Which probably isn't untrue. Problem is that we got all that nostalgia dripping out of our oh-so-easy-to-milk pores. Not saying the TOW is bad, it's just Warhammer. And Warhammer will be Warhammer (same with 40k), and GW will be GW. If one is cool with that, a lovely time can be had.

@Aerendar Valandil: Aye, you're doing it right then. Somehow my 40k figures saw more action in various rules sets than my Dark Elves did. But it is the way to use one's collection. I actually also like the pictures of the upcoming Cathay figures. No idea how they fit into Warhams, but they got the big lantern balloon! Dragons look cool too.