I've owned nearly every edition of Warhammer at some point or another. But the original White Box 1st edition was the
one that never synchronized with my finances, availability, and/or my
interest in wargaming (dont you just hate those hobby droughts). At long last, much like the Dark Crystal, the
Great Conjunction is upon me. Just today, I have received a beautiful
copy. The box is reasonably intact, and all the booklets are in very
good condition. Also, the box contains not only the 3 booklets it
should have, but also 3 booklets from the Forces of Fantasy expansion,
and another booklet of armies called the Book of Battalions. Basically
everything I could ever need for 1st edition gaming. I might hunt for
some old White Dwarf magazines in the future though.
So its official... this blog is now an Oldhammer
blog. And I am aligning myself to the codes of conduct of an ancient and venerable institution. The
Invisible Fraternity, the Brotherhood of Worldwide Gaming Grognards. Our manifesto: to grumble a lot, roll dice often and sneer at new fangled rules sets. So,
fellow soldiers of the Old Guard, I have come to say... after many years
I am ready for a new campaign to extend, once again, the limits of
glory!
Whats that mean for this blog? I will be
skewing my purchases towards old lead from the 80s. Marauder, Citadel,
Ral Partha, Grenadier, etc... These will fill the ranks of lead I
already have. And of course my rules are here, a perfect fit as you will see for my Dwarven Lost Kingdom Reclamation Project.
Highlights as to why Im using 1st edition: Use any figures, rules for
fighting in dungeons, dwarf and gnome army lists, scenario driven games,
character hero progression for a hybrid blend of rpg/wargaming, and
even stats for Balrog (yeah, not a bloodthirster... Balrog, deal with
it, Tolkien estate!) Some pics to celebrate and some words to accompany
them below.
Beautiful old school charm, box is in great condition considering it was "made in 1982"
And look at all the goodies that were in it!
Booklet 1, the main rulebook
Simple artwork, simple rules, a lot less of those pesky special rules.
Fighting in dungeons
Booklet 2 is for magic
Look at that art! Look at it!
Those spells sure look a lot like D&D, dont it?
Booklet 3 is for characters
Wierd to see how close rpgs and miniature wargaming was back then. And will be again, for me!
Encounter tables! Again, its D&D, but Warhammer.
Booklet 1 of Forces of Fantasy expansion
And its all about army lists, very open and simple army construction
Theres a list for my stunted ones...
And for my gnomes, too!
Dark Elves, checking in!
Next booklet is for advanced rules
Tabletop terrain generator with possible hidden monster lairs
Booklet 3 of the Forces of Fantasy expansion is magical spells, weapons, treasure
And monsters! Here is the dreaded Balrog.
Rune weapons, and a guide to actually paint them on your minis. Ooh, lookout, Death Runes!
Another nice illustration, every bit as evocative as the old school AD&D portfolio
Finally, the Book of Battalions, which has famous game industry people with their army lists.
I like the Reality Quotient stat for each army... "For example Bryan Ansell is 100% real - and consequently dangerous." and yet poor Mr Rick Priestly is a meager 25%, John Blanche 50% The Perry twins make 11% combined! Mr John Stallard (current head honcho of Warlord Games) is at a respectable 85%. Richard Halliwell (of Space Hulk fame, for me) is 0%? Cmon, that man is a legend!
Next post incoming... painted Lead Adventure Ratnik Dwarves!
I remember it well fantastic to see it again. All hail the Orcs
ReplyDelete"All hail the Orcs" Soon, my friend, the orcs will make their appearance on my blog. They wont tolerate the dwarf invaders.
DeleteSoooooo envious right now. That looks awesome!
ReplyDeleteThank you, sir. Very nice blog and great title for one. Fantastic grit on those metallic monstrosities!
DeleteLast year I had the chance to buy both the original Whitebox Warhammer and Forces of Fantasy box sets... and decided not too. It was also only $100 for each box. A steal! Fantastic that you have become a curator of classic Warhammer, the D&D of Great Britain! From one Old School gamer and miniature painter to another, I salute you!
ReplyDeleteWatch ebay patiently, you can find some good deals for 1st ed. I got both white box and forces of fantasy for $60 USD. And a salute right back at ya, buddy!
DeleteFantastic Mar ...you just don't know the memories that are flooding into my 41 year old memory banks :)
ReplyDeleteI'll be keeping a close eye on any posts or updates...great blog and a genuine gratitude for posting all this...each page photo fills me with that original sense of wonder I had when I first laid my eyes on them. I found them in a small corner shop in Cork City when I was on family holidays. I can still remember seeing the box and dreaming what kind of game lay inside. I remember initially being mystified when the box only contained the three black books (I was expecting a board of some type) but the disappointment didn't last long as the world of table top battles and rpg revealed itself to me...
Thanks again for evoking these memories and keep up the good work :)
John
I now want to find a copy myself and play the Ziggurat of Doom!!! What have you started :)
DeleteAh, the wonder of 80's wargaming nostalgia. Breath it in... literally! I smell the old paper of these Warhammer booklets when I read them. Reminds me of 5th grade in the 80s, writing Dio and Black Sabbath on my textbook covers in class, waiting for lunchtime when I was the GM for Car Wars, or whatever TSR mini-game my dad bought me. Then came the revelation and the revolution in my young gaming life... Warhammer.
DeleteOh, and good luck, I hope you find a good copy.
Cheers,
Mar