Three Cheers for White Dwarf magazine!

[Chris Copeland]

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that I am probably in a minority on this forum: I am a big fan of White Dwarf magazine. I love it! I look forward to it each and every month. Once I get it I scour it for information about my favorite games and armies. I devour the beautiful pictures. I read and re-read the fake battle reports. I LOVE it.

There are better written magazines. WD has had it's editorial ups and downs. There are better places to peer into the future of our hobby and pictures that certainly look as good as the ones published in WD.

That being said, White Dwarf is a beautifully distilled dose of this hobby that gets delivered to my stoop every month. Even though I don't believe the battle reports they put forth I LOVE reading them... they read like games I'd love to play in: pristine affairs with loads of different unit types doing interesting things an no one arguing rules.

The how to paint and how to model articles are well written more often than not. I dig reading about playing the Lord of the Rings game (which no one seems to play around here)...

Lastly, it seems that the guys and gals writing it seem to really love GW games... not just because it's their job, either. Jervis seems to be EXACTLY the kind of cat I'd like to get in a game with. I especially enjoy when Rick Priestly writes a guest piece... almost as much as I like when John Blanche does!

So, here's to White Dwarf! Often maligned and dismissed... frequently an object of ridicule amongst the hardest of the hard core gamers... I love that magazine, warts and all. Hip-hip horray for White Dwarf! Peace. Copeland

7/8/10 edited for spelling error...

[Melissia]

I might have liked White Dwarf better if Sisters had more presence in it than merely 3 or 4 issues out of two decades of monthly issues.

[Cossack]

I agree that it's a great hobby magazing.

$10 is a bit steep for me...I only buy the ones that interest me (generally if it has orks in it!)

[Chris Copeland]

It's less than $6 an issue with a two year subscription... not a bad deal!

Melissia is right: some armies just never seem to get any treatment... I can't remember the last time I saw an article about Sisters, Necrons, Dark Eldar, or Gray Knights...

Like I said, I love the magazine, warts and all...

[Lucidum]

Despite it being horrifically overpriced, focusing on an uneven division of the three main game lines, and largely focusing on only one or two forces without much on the other races, and now lacking fun stuff like konversion korner or Chapter Approved or General's Compendium, I still read the damn thing >w< I still enjoy the gaming and hobby articles, although I hardly ever read battle reports anymore, not quite sure why.

[Melissia]

Oh, I read it.

I just don't buy it. I'm not paying GW to advertise its own products.

[DarkAngelHopeful]

I like White Dwarf as well. I have a subscription and I look forward to it every month. I've been having it sent to me here in Afghanistan as well. lol

[Sister Rosette Soulknyt]

Well i buy every copy, even if its only about WFB, and never shows any love or respect for my SoB army GW shame on you by the way.
That said i still enjoy the painting side of things shown, some battles even though they only concentrate on new releases, and ofcourse there favourite armies in 40K.

But over all i miss the older things, like Conversion corner, and other articles...bring back Thrud GW
its not that much dearer to any other magazine around here, you get your girlie mags, fashion mags and every other mag for the same prise.

[BuFFo]

Do people really feel the need to pay 10$ for a monthly advertising rag? Seriously?

I am glad some of you enjoy the catalog, but I do not. I don't need to spend money to be constantly reminded to buy what I already own.

And Lord of the Rings. Ugh.....

[LadasN]

I too love White Dwarf! My mom even bought me a year's subscription along with the WD himself this year at christmas. I love the painting and modelling/terrain articles when they show up! Great help with projects and inspiration.

[chromedog]

I read the odd issue.
I haven't personally bought one with my own money in four years though.

I'd rather read Military Modeller or Fine Scale modeller for 'hobby' articles and WHFB and Lotr have less than zero interest holding ability for me.

I liked it when it actually was a gaming magazine. Now it's a glorified catalog with "buy this now" taglines.

[Aldramelech]

Do people really feel the need to pay 10$ for a monthly advertising rag? Seriously?

I am glad some of you enjoy the catalog, but I do not. I don't need to spend money to be constantly reminded to buy what I already own.

And Lord of the Rings. Ugh.....

Agreed. (twice in a month, I need help)

[eldargal]

My brothers and I share a subscription, we used to have several but it has declined over the years. I still enjoy looking through it, though. It has a lot of potential to be a superb hobby magazine (like it used to be) and I hope the Spearhead issue is a sign that GW are trying to restore that.

[Col.Gravis]

I would'nt be in the hobby if it wer'nt for WD, but the fact is it's just not as good as it used to be- and as a result I only buy it maybe once or twice a year instead of every month.

The Battlereports used to be far more descriptive but also fun compared to today's, just look at Glaviers Creek, Sanctuary 101, the Armageddon Mega Battle and compare it to todays offerings.

The Hobby articles have made a return recently, but the quality and the number are still nothing on those of the past, many of them insist on tackling a single new box (okay) and then spend one or two pages just showing all the parts on the sprue - unneeded.

I can't remember the last one which featured a great hobbyist's army rather then one of the studio's.

We used to get regular contributions from noteable hobbyist's and GW personalities like 'Stillmania' - as much as I respect Jervis his Standard Bearer articles are fairly pants, more of a soapbox then useful things.

Yep, it's 50% at least advertising for the latest new toy.

There has been a loss in quality, it has improved more recently but it's never been the same since Fat Bloke left (taking his bacon butties with him :( ), and of course it is aimed at those who are getting into the hobby, nothing wrong with that per se, but it does explain why many veterans are disgruntled.

[Mike X]

The only issue of White Dwarf I've ever read/bought is the Spearhead issue. I like Spearhead, but I can tell from the rest of the magazine that aside from the expansion, it's mostly useless, so I won't be buying any in the future unless they do something like that again.

[Chris Copeland]

Do people really feel the need to pay 10$ for a monthly advertising rag? Seriously?

I am glad some of you enjoy the catalog, but I do not. I don't need to spend money to be constantly reminded to buy what I already own.

And Lord of the Rings. Ugh.....

Well, a 24 issue subscription goes for $140... that comes out to $5.80 per issue... I'd throw out there that just about any mag devoted to a niche hobby will cost that or more...

Also, I get the objections to White Dwarf... I do: fake battle reports, catalogue-esque, uneven treatment of product lines... I get it.

I'm just focusing on the things that I dig about it:

the battle reports are fun to read as they present battles I WISH I'd see,
the painting & modeling articles are good,
I like Jervis' soapbox,
I love how distilled a dose of the GW hobby it gives me,
I like reading about LoTR as I'd like to play the game,
There are some genuinely good articles from time to time,
pretty pictures,
New Stuff like Spearhead


So, anyhoo... I did say from the jump that I know that not everyone is a fan of White Dwarf... I'm with EldarGirl in hoping that the Spearhead issue signified a new direction for how GW puts stuff out... it would certainly make GW more nimble if they could release stuff for armies between codexes...


Cheers. Chris

[Hyperion]

I remember a time when WD was about how you could make stuff not what you should buy. Although I haven't bought a copy for years I do still occasionally glance at them and it looks to be improving somewhat. At least the studio armies are reapproaching the standard that used to be 'eavy metal; I have seen some shockingly badly painted armies in there in recent years. For that matter, what's with the mould lines showing on studio vehicles... it's almost as if they don't want to scare the children away by suggesting how much effort can be put in to this hobby. How patronising is that?

[Chris Copeland]

I remember a time when WD was about how you could make stuff not what you should buy.

Hyperion, there are still plenty of articles about building stuff! The modeling and painting articles are pretty good...

[Ulf]

Well, a 24 issue subscription goes for $140... that comes out to $5.80 per issue... I'd throw out there that just about any mag devoted to a niche hobby will cost that or more...


That math only works if you really buy every issue. If you buy only every second issue or even less (like I do), the subscription costs more money.

[MC Tic Tac]

I remember the days of when they had the Tale of 4 Gamers (and none of them where magazine staff), and VOUCHERS!!!!!!!! And sales in store............

[DoctorEvil]

Let's face it, when it comes to WD there are two camps.....

The first is the fans of the magazine and the optimistic. They like WD and think the good outweighs the bad. They think WD has value.

The second camp is the disenchanted former fans and the pessimistic. They don't like WD and think the bad outweighs the good. They see minimal value in WD. I'm in the 2nd camp.

No matter what arguement, facts, examples, etc.....the 1st camp make, you are NOT going to convince the 2nd camp. Let's just agree to disagree.

[Chris Copeland]

Let's face it, when it comes to WD there are two camps.....

The first is the fans of the magazine and the optimistic. They like WD and think the good outweighs the bad. They think WD has value.

The second camp is the disenchanted former fans and the pessimistic. They don't like WD and think the bad outweighs the good. They see minimal value in WD. I'm in the 2nd camp.

No matter what arguement, facts, examples, etc.....the 1st camp make, you are NOT going to convince the 2nd camp. Let's just agree to disagree.

Sometimes that is the best we can do in this life, Doc. Cheers...

[Col.Gravis]

I'm just focusing on the things that I dig about it:

the battle reports are fun to read as they present battles I WISH I'd see,
the painting & modeling articles are good,
I like Jervis' soapbox,
I love how distilled a dose of the GW hobby it gives me,
I like reading about LoTR as I'd like to play the game,
There are some genuinely good articles from time to time,
pretty pictures,
New Stuff like Spearhead


Cheers. Chris

Completely fair enough, if they appeal to you thats great - and I would add even at what I'd consider the current standard no matter how much the likes of me moans there won't be big changes as WD does still sell to those it best caters for. It's just for a certain crowd pretty pictures, soapbox's with little actual new content (whether we agree with the points raised or not), unimaginitive painting & modelling articles, lower quality battle reports and new rules such as Spearhead which will no doubt be available for free from GW's download section at a later date just does'nt do it, the price is'nt an issue the quality of the content is.


Hyperion, there are still plenty of articles about building stuff! The modeling and painting articles are pretty good...

I think what Hyperion might have meant was more focused on proper conversions and scratchbuilds (e.g. can you imagine the WD of today including plans to scratch build something like a Baneblade or how Fat Bloke built his Ork Dreadnoughts with absolutely no Ork Dreadnought bits in them) and less on the modelling content you do see which is more about putting together the contents of a single, newly released boxset, with perhaps occasion extra bits from similar box sets.

[BuFFo]

The thing is, everything people find good about the magazine; the conversions, the painting, the battle reports, etc... can all be found online, free and legal.

There is no need to spend 10 bucks ona mag to give me a two page instructions on how to paint clothing when I can do a search for "How to paint 40k Clothing" and get 20 different articles on the subject, which are mostly deeper than the WD article.

I honestly, truly, see no value in WD anymore. It is just an antiquated idea from the 80's/90's, and with the advent of the internet, has no unique value anymore.

Even IF WD started to post articles about how to convert a bar of soap into a Land Raider, I can already find that online, and I probably already found it 8 years ago.

[Melissia]

I think what Hyperion might have meant was more focused on proper conversions and scratchbuilds (e.g. can you imagine the WD of today including plans to scratch build something like a Baneblade or how Fat Bloke built his Ork Dreadnoughts with absolutely no Ork Dreadnought bits in them) and less on the modelling content you do see which is more about putting together the contents of a single, newly released boxset, with perhaps occasion extra bits from similar box sets.

Indeed. Today if I want to find something like that, I go to an Ork forum, as GW doesn't do that kind of scratchbuilding anymore. You don't really see, for example, an Ork battlewagon constructed completely out of plasticard and a few details.

[Kelbor hal]

Ah, you gotta love WD. Sure, it's not as good as it could be...or good at all really, but you have to take some solace from the fact that even in todays society we can let some overexcited write an overpriced magazine without being riduculed. I honestly don't know if I should love it or hate it :D.

~ Hal

[Gotthammer]

I buy maybe two or three issues a year, only when there's something I need in it. That's been: Stompa issue with the custom Stompa rules (now in IA8) and Galadhrim list (yay woodland creature horsey men!), the Spearhead issue, and some others for LotR rules (notice a trend here?). I also really liked some of the detailed interviews they did around the release of 5th with Rick Priestly and co about the history of 40k. And somehow I ended up with three copies of the AoBR issue - I think they gave them away free at some point or something :confused:
I never buy for painting or 'modeling', as I dislike the 'eavy Metal way and they (as previously mentioned) don't include any detailed instructions for any of the cool customs they do show.

If they include more things like Spearhead / Nightspinner, quality fiction (remember that - proper stories in WD), detailed conversion guides and the like I'd certainly buy more. Jervis' ramblings are often a good read, but something I could get through while I'm getting my stuff rung up.


I also miss the super detailed battle reports, I find the new ones often hard to follow, vague and unilluminating. I like that there were only one or two small pics and walls of text as the generals explained their thoughts and reasoning behind their moves, got into detail about kills and how it worked or didn't.
One of my favourites was a Space Marine 2nd ed game, marines vs orks, where the opening blurb was how th emarine guy forgot he was meant to do it that day and put his list together on the bus on his way in, then proceeded to stomp the orks into oblivion. He said at the end of the game that he'd lost more marines in a game of 40k (he lost around half a dozen stands of guys I think), and I could follow his battle plan and why, with the aid of luck, he won. I can also remember specific bits of his list and the game, including that he took a Reaver battlegroup, and on his first turn wiped out an entire Ork clan group with a tactical company. I last read this somewhere in the region of 14-15 years ago.

Don't remember much about the report I read a few weeks ago though. I think the Planetstrike report was the best one I read recently, lost of blurb and a good analysis of who what why where.


TL;DR - less pictures & more words will get my $$$

[CitizenZero]

Let's face it, when it comes to WD there are two camps.....

The first is the fans of the magazine and the optimistic. They like WD and think the good outweighs the bad. They think WD has value.

The second camp is the disenchanted former fans and the pessimistic. They don't like WD and think the bad outweighs the good. They see minimal value in WD. I'm in the 2nd camp.

No matter what arguement, facts, examples, etc.....the 1st camp make, you are NOT going to convince the 2nd camp. Let's just agree to disagree.This is a pretty fair assessment, but in OP'S defense, he wasn't trying to convince anybody. In fact, it was the fabled "second camp" which initially began to try and gain converts in this thread.

[Cossack]

The current White Dwarf WD366 has "A Tale of Four Gamers" on page 17....with a reference to look it up on the website. But it's not there.

So I called Customer Service and they verified that, yep, it ain't there and might take a few weeks.

Let's call that being part of a small hobby mag....

[RocketRollRebel]

I used to buy WD every month for a couple of years but I haven't even picked one up in the past 7 months. I started to give up when I found my self getting excited for it and then reading only a couple articles (standard bearer is a guilty pleasure of mine:p) and then it goes in the stack with the other that my girl friend would love to toss out!

Their campaign articles are pretty cool and I always like reading though those. Bat reps aren't bad and they keep them pretty interesting (BoLS ones are better tho). But yeah I really don't miss it all that much.

As has been said before the internet is an even better hobby resource and is free.

[Carpenocturn]

While I do appreciate White Dwarf as a way to reach hobbyists and fans, I do not appreciate the gradual reduction in hobby relateds sections and community focus.
The games directory in the back should be online and does not need to be in every issue.
Very few different armies are featured in battle reports
The battle reports themselves have become simplified to the point of disinterest (IMO)
Too much advertising through out
etc

My pet hate is Lord of the Rings. Remove it entirely I say!

[HsojVvad]

I do not like WD. I use to get every issue but I stoped buying them about 4 years ago. The quality of WD has gone down hill big time. I buy a WD mag and 10 minutes I am done. Ironically, I spend most times in the LotR section and since it has gone down to almost nothing I stopped getting WD. Now LotR has gone up in content abit, but I can't be bothered with WD.

As someone else said before, why should I pay for GW advertising? It's not even a hobby magazine. Well when I use to collect them, it wasn't a hobby magzine at all, but an advertising book. So I gave up on paying $10 for an advertising book, with no gaming content at all.

So now I don't care for it. I have the forums here for everything I need. NO need for a WD issues now.

[BDub]

oh, i read it.

I just don't buy it. I'm not paying gw to advertise its own products.

ding!

[RocketRollRebel]

My pet hate is Lord of the Rings. Remove it entirely I say!

Yeah... I've tried reading the LoTR articles with an open mind but it just does not interest me at all and I hated when half the issue was LoTR stuff.

[Hyperion]

Hyperion, there are still plenty of articles about building stuff! The modeling and painting articles are pretty good...

I suppose there is at that... but my rose tinted specs say everything was better 15 years ago and I'm sticking with that :rolleyes:

[Lane]

The Albino Stuntie has been improving over the last couple years but has a long way to go.

The painting articles are generally useful for beginner to moderate painters. Modeling articles are fairly basic.
What's lacking is the more advanced things. Anybody remember how the old 'Eavy Metal section would showcase stunning models and give quick descriptions on how a special effect was created. How they would do an article on a cool army with lots of conversions and show where things cam from, even if not GW bits.

When was the last time we saw an article that encouraged scratch building? I have copies of WD with templates for making Demolishers, Whirlwinds, Spartans & Sabers, even Baneblades.

When was the last time we saw an article on sculpting?

[Torcano]

Hyperion, there are still plenty of articles about building stuff! The modeling and painting articles are pretty good...

Yes, building GW products (out of the box). He meant building things from scratch (no profit for GW, so thats gone). This encompasses everything now, even terrain. And any 'conversions' are usually only swapping heads from the same kit.

Personally, I hate the thing. I can't resist buying it every month hoping its half as good as I remember it. Almost every single month I am disappointed.

Its like its made by people who *think* about playing but don't actually play themselves. The armies in BRs are usually inane, with all the most awful units from the codices.

And worst of all I can't stand that its core audience is PURELY 13 year olds who have never played. I remember being so much more interested as a young'n by the cool articles, Chapter Approved, cool lore, etc.

Take the WH 8th issue. I expected a rundown of rules changes and expected impact, advice on adapting your army, and perhaps details about *why* rules were changed.

We get (this is what it felt like, anyways):

"Warhammer is a FANTASTIC game of EPIC Battles and SWORDS and MAGIC YOU'LL LOVE IT!"
"This new edition is now full of CARNAGE, BLOODSHED, and WARRRRRRR"
"We made your BIG BLOCKS OF TROOPS more GRUESOME!!! CUZ they are SCARRRRYYYY""

It makes me want to puke, I feel like they are amateur used-car salesmen trying to convince me with childish and ineffective canned lines.

[HsojVvad]

The Albino Stuntie has been improving over the last couple years but has a long way to go.

The painting articles are generally useful for beginner to moderate painters. Modeling articles are fairly basic.
What's lacking is the more advanced things. Anybody remember how the old 'Eavy Metal section would showcase stunning models and give quick descriptions on how a special effect was created. How they would do an article on a cool army with lots of conversions and show where things cam from, even if not GW bits.

When was the last time we saw an article that encouraged scratch building? I have copies of WD with templates for making Demolishers, Whirlwinds, Spartans & Sabers, even Baneblades.

When was the last time we saw an article on sculpting?

Another reason I do not buy WD is because of this. All WD reminds me of is that GW is a coporartion that is out to make money and thats it. They don't care for the veterans or people who have been in it and supported GW for years and years.

All WD is buy this, or buy that, or if it's a conversion, buy this and that.

There is nothing in there that you can do without spending money on GW products. Yes they are there to make money, but it's not aimed at me. It's aimed at new people or young kids. So since I am not in their people that WD is aiming for, I don't bother with it.

I find it funny GW has my name on their computer, and all the stuff I buy from the stores and not other cheaper places they should be sending me WD for free. They know where I live, They know I don't buy from them so much. Wouldn't you think giveing me a free WD everymonth would want me to go back to GW and buy from their store?

Why in the world would I want to buy an advertising magazine from then when I have no intererest. What ever interest I do have is slowly slipping away, and I will just keep with what I have now.

[jumai]

This thread reminds me of those news stories about marketing companies that pay folks to infiltrate forum communities and then recommend their products. The OP reads like a radio advert, and the product name is repeated continuously, and also bolded and underlined. Is that normal?

*tinfoil hat*

[Chris Copeland]

Nope. I'm just a regular guy. I often underline titles of periodicals because it is proper English to do so. I'm a school teacher. Also, I'm hiding nothing: I post under my real name instead of an alias and openly note the town I live in (mainly to meet other gamers in the area).

I just wanted to say something nice about the magazine I dig... and I know it is much maligned... heck, even I pointed out that the Battle Reports are clearly fake.

Cheers... Copeland

[HsojVvad]

He likes WD, I don't like WD. It dosn't mean we are wrong or right, that we have a difference of opnion. Nothing wrong with saying what you like.

Cheers.