sketchesofpayne
10-02-2009, 09:50 AM
I always see a lot of discussion on boards about making changes to armies or rules in 40k. Many of them deviate to the point of wanting to fundamentally change the game. Sometimes this is veteran players wanting to return to the "good ol' days" of rouge trader (when the game honestly had more in common with the old D&D). Others are those who want to remold 40k into their personal ideal tabletop wargame.
The game has had a bit of a different feel after the release of Dawn of War. Indeed, I wasn't sold on many of the concepts of the universe until I saw them brought to life on the computer screen. The large range of plastic models has altered the scale and variety of the armies seen as well.
I just wanted to take a moment and discuss the hallmarks of Warhammer 40,000 as they stand today.
Full-detail miniatures and three dimensional terrain.
I've played games with cardboard punch-outs on a flat map. While enjoyable they do not bring the battle to life like having a fully painted 3D diorama of the battle.
Little or no record keeping.
Eventually I found the record keeping of other games tiresome. Keeping track of modifiers, hit points, armor damage, altitude, status effects, spell duration, initiative order, hit locations, and on and on. 40k had great appeal to me in that you don't even need pen and paper during play. At most you'll have a die or a token to mark wounds or vehicle status. This keeps the action going so the game never gets bogged down in details.
Relatively short play time (usually 1.5-2 hours for a game).
There are some games I love, but never play, simply because they take too long. Unless you have a place to leave them out, you'll never finish a game. That or a few hours into it you've had enough and want to do something else. 40k has a very workable playtime compared to a lot of games I've played.
Scalability.
From a 500 point skirmish to a 10,000 point apocalypse match, 40k can be played on nearly any scale. Throw in Battlefleet Gothic and Epic and you can wage a galaxy-wide campaign.
Variety of army composition.
Every army in 40k has different options for force composition. Not all will be capable of tournament play, but are usually viable in a casual environment. You can tweak your force to be stand-and-shoot, in-your-face melee, outmaneuvering, overwhelming horde, elite strike force, hammer-and-anvil, ambushers, or even a sampler box. Trying out all these different variations keeps the game fresh and interesting.
Heroes and epic narrative.
An army's soul is seen in its leader. Even pick-up games create an impromptu narrative. Rivalries, slim-to-none odds, and brutal battles come to life in each game. Without the "why" and the "who" behind the battle you might as well be playing chess.
There are my thoughts. Anything to add or expound upon?
The game has had a bit of a different feel after the release of Dawn of War. Indeed, I wasn't sold on many of the concepts of the universe until I saw them brought to life on the computer screen. The large range of plastic models has altered the scale and variety of the armies seen as well.
I just wanted to take a moment and discuss the hallmarks of Warhammer 40,000 as they stand today.
Full-detail miniatures and three dimensional terrain.
I've played games with cardboard punch-outs on a flat map. While enjoyable they do not bring the battle to life like having a fully painted 3D diorama of the battle.
Little or no record keeping.
Eventually I found the record keeping of other games tiresome. Keeping track of modifiers, hit points, armor damage, altitude, status effects, spell duration, initiative order, hit locations, and on and on. 40k had great appeal to me in that you don't even need pen and paper during play. At most you'll have a die or a token to mark wounds or vehicle status. This keeps the action going so the game never gets bogged down in details.
Relatively short play time (usually 1.5-2 hours for a game).
There are some games I love, but never play, simply because they take too long. Unless you have a place to leave them out, you'll never finish a game. That or a few hours into it you've had enough and want to do something else. 40k has a very workable playtime compared to a lot of games I've played.
Scalability.
From a 500 point skirmish to a 10,000 point apocalypse match, 40k can be played on nearly any scale. Throw in Battlefleet Gothic and Epic and you can wage a galaxy-wide campaign.
Variety of army composition.
Every army in 40k has different options for force composition. Not all will be capable of tournament play, but are usually viable in a casual environment. You can tweak your force to be stand-and-shoot, in-your-face melee, outmaneuvering, overwhelming horde, elite strike force, hammer-and-anvil, ambushers, or even a sampler box. Trying out all these different variations keeps the game fresh and interesting.
Heroes and epic narrative.
An army's soul is seen in its leader. Even pick-up games create an impromptu narrative. Rivalries, slim-to-none odds, and brutal battles come to life in each game. Without the "why" and the "who" behind the battle you might as well be playing chess.
There are my thoughts. Anything to add or expound upon?