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Author Topic: Best edition of 40K?  (Read 9076 times)

Offline eilif

  • Scatterbrained Genius
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    • Chicago Skirmish Wargames
Re: Best edition of 40K?
« Reply #15 on: January 17, 2014, 05:16:35 PM »
I'd actually say that the current edition is the best.  I think it's a logical and tweaked version of the system that was introduced in 3rd edition.  It plays a bit quicker than the previous edition and makes a bit more sense in certain areas.  That said, I still think that 40k in general is not a great ruleset, but I find the current to be the best of the batch.

I know alot of folks will say 2nd edition. Like many, it was my first version of 40k I went back to it a year ago to play it again and see what I had missed.  I found a reasonably good small skirmish engine that was being used to run battles over the platoon level.  It was slow, clunky and far too detailed for anything bigger than a couple of squads per-side.   Rolling scatter for every single jumping marine, sustained fire dice, insane wargear, a magic system that was essentially it's own game, etc, etc, need I go on?

On the other hand, I think the mechanics found their ideal match in Necromunda, a game whose scope matches the complexity of 2nd edition perfectly.

Offline obsidian3d

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    • o2media
Re: Best edition of 40K?
« Reply #16 on: January 17, 2014, 05:24:17 PM »
I started with 4th, but played more 5th. I bought the latest box set for the models, and a year and a half later I've still not played it. It might be good, but none of my friends play it, and I'm not interested in making new friends. :P
obsidian3d
www.o2media.ca

Offline Solins

  • Assistant
  • Posts: 45
Re: Best edition of 40K?
« Reply #17 on: January 17, 2014, 05:39:32 PM »
I learn English with rogue trader.

I have played all 40k editions and a lot of side GW game.

First RT was the only one available so it was the best. But It became heavy and unbalanced.

The second edition was very fun and in french so we enjoyed it a lot.
The system is a bit old and too many sub systems slow the game.

Third was fast to play, but too many thing was missing, especially overwatch and random (yes I play chaos). I only play it because it was the only one played.

Fourth was better, an beta version IMHO

I do not play five a lot.

Six is IMHO the more effective and balanced (the rules not the codex).
It's certainly a very good game, perhaps too many little rules to retain.


But all of this is bullshit  ;)

Good rules do not make good edition. It's the codex.

This point is very important, for this reason I prefer second edition.
Second edition is not perfect, you can abuse the army lists.

But since third edition, everything goes bigger and bigger.
Keeping the spirit of an army is the best way to loose and I don't like it.

My two cents.

Offline Rhelyk

  • Librarian
  • Posts: 141
Re: Best edition of 40K?
« Reply #18 on: January 18, 2014, 03:52:31 AM »
The answer is clearly and completely 3rd edition. All other opinions are wrong, misguided or outright lies ;)

Joking aside, the most fun I ever had was late 3rd/early 4th. My area was fairly competative with lots of official tournaments and very active open game nights. Wednesdays and saturdays you could show up at any point in the day and were garaunteed to find a game of warhammer IF you could snag an open table (sometimes a big IF). My local FLGS consistently ran 20+ person RTTs and people regularly came in from as far as Las Vegas (about 230 miles/370km from here) to participate. Most people knew the codexes (ALL the codexes) and rules inside & out and were current on latest errata. GW was still officially and completely supported both for independent RTTs as well as GW ran Grand Tournaments (yes, GW themselves actually ran tourneys back then!). GW produced most of the figures you needed but there was still ample room for conversions and customs (and GW still actually had Bitz and Mail Order Trollz you could chat up about conversions!). The rules weren't any more balanced than they are now, but they were balanced enough and games were just simply fun and well suited to randomly walking up to strangers and asking them to play. Army Composition points helped keep down the cheese a bit (a bit), the Dreaded Pub Quiz was always a hit, and you got to meet and play people you'd never otherwise say hello to.

I didn't like every opponent, I didn't like every army, I didn't like every game I played, but I'd trade everything I have and more to go back to that time. GW's official stance may be "dice off for it", and that level of play may not appeal to all, but trust me when I say there is nothing so fun as a game where both players are completely on the same page, completely involved in the outcome (because money and tourney points and pride are riding on every die roll) and completely understanding of the rules without having to look them up or argue about who's rule supercedes what and can just play. Everybody had fully painted armies (often beautifully painted) because that's simply how things were to play. 5th was absolutely horrid both from rules and devolvement of the community. 6th makes me want to stab puppies and kick kittens in front of freight trains, there's so many holes and more importanlty there's so much more emphasis on these supermonsters and supercharacters and supertanks that just annihilate whatever they attack with seemingly nothing to encourage fluffy armies or good modeleling. Most tournaments don't even require the 3 color minimum anymore. There's so much less tactical play now, it's all done in picking your army.

Other games have gotten so much better, other figures are now just as good, other settings are just as robust and yet Warhammer just keeps deliberatly changing further and further and further from what I loved about it. I just wish I could convince others to go back to old editions too, but everyone just wants to do 6th because they're garaunteed games at the local FLGS or they play other games entirely and have completely abandoned GW. Maybe it was just that perfect storm of community+rules+that time of my life, but warhammer just doesn't hold the magic now that it did from 2000-2004ish.
« Last Edit: January 18, 2014, 03:54:20 AM by Rhelyk »

Offline pixelgeek

  • Scatterbrained Genius
  • Posts: 2026
    • Zac's Gaming Blog
Re: Best edition of 40K?
« Reply #19 on: January 18, 2014, 04:15:24 AM »
3rd edition was the perfect combination of price and miniature supply. Lots of figs. None too expensive and manageable armies.

Offline fitterpete

  • Mad Scientist
  • Posts: 691
  • Maryland, U.S.A.
Re: Best edition of 40K?
« Reply #20 on: January 18, 2014, 04:22:25 AM »
Did the OP say there would be a lot of different opinions? lol
2nd for games of 50-80 models and 6th for anything bigger.
Hated 3rd and 4th so much I stopped playing and sold everything.Then had to rebuy/build for 5th and 6th.

2nd was a blast but all the modifiers,different dice for armor pen/wounds,datasheets for vehicles etc make it a slow game for large armiesAnd HtH takes forever..So its harder to learn IMO.Plus it was written back in the day and there are some big ???? in the rules with little or no errata.But if you know Necromunda you have a headstart.

6th is faster to play with bigger armies. The big thing that slows down the learning curve are the special rules.Special rules for troops, weapons, vehicles,armies,flyers,missions, EVERYTHING.
we just play and if we forget a special rule...oh well ..we will remember it next time,maybe.

Our group is pretty laid back non comp players in 40k.We consider it a beer and pretzels game and laugh at all the teethgnashing the comp guys type on the interwebs.Now fantasy battle is another matter.The guys are all tourney junkies and used to(until 8th ed) travel a good bit for tourneys.

Offline FATROC

  • Scientist
  • Posts: 470
Re: Best edition of 40K?
« Reply #21 on: January 18, 2014, 05:48:55 AM »
I started with third edition, and it is still my favorite.  :-*  I can't stand the whole "if you get out of a vehicle that moved you can't assault." After twenty years in the military, all I can say to that is "Really?!?"  :o

Offline Papa Spanky

  • Scientist
  • Posts: 475
    • Geek in the Basement
Re: Best edition of 40K?
« Reply #22 on: January 18, 2014, 05:52:23 AM »
I started in second edition and it was a blast... for Necromunda. It was too fiddly for big armies. Third was a great balance and had tons of errata, introduced kill teams, the vehicle creator, the creature creator, cityfight, feral orks, ect. I wasnt a big fan of fourth and only read fifth, but I liked how the vehicle rules read. Which begs the question: why not use what you like the best from all editions? I know you orignally stated you wanted to use one, but they all seem to be out and available on the intrawebs in one form or another. Try them and see what YOU like, and customize as needed. Thats the best part about using older rules editions, you are not trying to keep up with the latest meta army or tournement play rules and can make it your game.

Offline grant

  • Galactic Brain
  • Posts: 4167
Re: Best edition of 40K?
« Reply #23 on: January 18, 2014, 06:03:39 AM »
Second edition. Pure fun, zero competitiveness.

I had an Ork and an Eldar army. My Orks were zany; the Shokk Attack Gun was played in every single game, and never - not once - hurt the enemy. Only missed or hit my own guys. Still... took it every single game!

Even my Eldar had an element of simplicity and fun.

I will fully confess to missing those days as they were my favourite of gaming - of all time!
It’s a beautiful thing, the destruction of words - Orwell, 1984

Offline grant

  • Galactic Brain
  • Posts: 4167
Re: Best edition of 40K?
« Reply #24 on: January 18, 2014, 06:38:39 AM »
Also: why wasn't this done as a poll?  ;)

Offline The Eponymous M

  • Schoolboy
  • Posts: 9
Re: Best edition of 40K?
« Reply #25 on: January 18, 2014, 07:02:36 AM »
Second Edition.

Simple enough to still play in a few hours but flexible enough to take house rules and not break the basic mechanics.

Currently trying to convert some of the newer models and armies to work with that edition and, when the stars are right (or when I finally get a few evenings to myself) I may turn my notes into useable Great Crusade/Horus Heresy lists!

Offline Dr. The Viking

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Re: Best edition of 40K?
« Reply #26 on: January 18, 2014, 07:28:16 AM »
There's a place that deals with earlier versions. The eastern fringe forum.  ;)
My Empire - where everything I ever did is collected:

http://www.c0wabunga.com

Offline King Tiger

  • Scientist
  • Posts: 497
  • the levels of derp are astounding.
Re: Best edition of 40K?
« Reply #27 on: January 18, 2014, 07:43:41 AM »
Something is very wrong if you think 6th is complicated, it's made for players with the mental capacity of a Budgerigar.

2nd was easily the best, I know allot of people moan it wasn't balanced, but it was a ruleset for playing with toys, did you really expect it to be?

But 3rd is my favourite, because that was when I had the most fun, that was when as a kid everything was innocent, that was my love of 40k, the rest are bad memories.

Offline janner

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Re: Best edition of 40K?
« Reply #28 on: January 18, 2014, 07:50:14 AM »
The latest edition is the best for what I want, ie large, Great Crusade-era games. Although I think the previous D weapon rules were better for this period. Killing Primarchs so easily is a little dull.

I'm looking forward to playing 2nd Edition again some time as well :)

Offline Suber

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  • Posts: 2313
Re: Best edition of 40K?
« Reply #29 on: January 18, 2014, 10:45:40 AM »
I'm afraid I cannnot tell much more. 2nd ed is, as it has been told, not balanced at all, but the mindset required for this game is 'who cares, I'm here to have some fun' with no further ambitions. If you come from the Necromunda settings, you might feel comfortable with that then. It can become quite a messy game if you begin to add special characters, gear cards, psychic powers, strategy cards and that stuff, but the core game itself is quite reasonable for depicting this kind of skirmishes, you will get the dynamics pretty soon; there is always time to get it difficult. You will have characterful armies with different options and strong settings with narrative component. 2nd ed is what I am currently playing and it keeps te spirits for me.

 

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