Since getting the Assault on Black Reach set, most of my effort has been involved in painting the miniatures. This was because I didn’t want to straight out assemble some of them without painting some of the individual pieces first. Pieces like the heads of the Ork Deffkopta pilots for example I could see being a pain to paint once assembled as it’d be awkward to get in at them.
So as a result, I’d not really been focusing on playing the game until the miniatures I’d judged as really needing painted prior to assembly were done. Realistically this just meant the Marine Tactical Squad and the Deffkoptas. Now granted there’s still some details on the Deffkoptas I’m meaning to go back to, but the main bits have been done for now. So now I’m starting to move my focus towards playing the game and to this end I’ve started going through the rulebook.
Its truely quite daunting just reading the rulebook. You’re bombarded with the various types of checks and die rolls you must perform during the game, whether its combat, morale or traversing different types of terrain. There’s the undeniable feeling that you’ve just jumped headlong into the deep end of a very, very deep pool.
Fortunately the Quick Start guide works to try and soften the blow. Filled with lots of nice photographs it carries instructions for small starter games to help ease you into the game, starting with a basic game with just the Ork boyz versus the Space Marine Tactical Squad on a flat battlefield, just running right at one another. It keeps things a lot more straightforward, and means there’s only a couple of weapon types (the marines for example largely have bolters, although there is the Rocket Launcher and Sergeant’s power sword in there as well).
This’ll definitely be my first move. Although I’ve previously played a few Warhammer games and I’ve got other units I’ve bought, and a ruined building it makes sense to slowly incorporate them into games one at a time, allowing me the time to properly look up rules as they’re needed, which will probably be a lot more practical than trying to just read the rulebook cold.
And this is an area that got me thinking. When I was younger, I used to play Space Crusade all the time, which was a much-simplified version of the game, using proper game boards and the like to help make some aspects of the game (measuring distances for example) easier. Likewise the recently re-released Space Hulk seems to me as a nice bridge between the simplified Space Crusade, and the open, complex world of full 40K games. I can’t help but wonder if there might be a market for these more specialised versions of the Warhammer games, especially given the detail and complexity of the main game could . As I say, I’ve got very fond memories of playing Space Crusade with friends, and Space Hulk has been hugely popular even with established gamers of the main game, thanks (from what I can gather) to its faster-paced gameplay (in addition to the general quality of the new set).
I’d definitely also like to see more of the Black Reach style sets as well, perhaps focusing on other armies. Again, Black Reach has been hugely successful even with established collectors due to its large number of highly detailed miniatures. Similar sets could spotlight different armies or troop types, and perhaps encourage people’s friends to buy the sets, and combine them to create larger games.
Another thing I’d possibly suggest is that Games Workshop release the version of the rulebook included in the set separately. I lost mine at one point, and when I checked for a replacement I realised my only option was to buy the full rulebook. Its a beautiful-looking hardbacked book, however its also £35, and as someone just starting out, the idea of £35 just for the rulebook seems quite a lot and could be a bit off-putting. Releasing the Black Reach version (fewer pages with backstory etc, smaller pages and paperback) as a cheap alternative could be quite a nice option, with the hardcover remaining a collector’s item. Just a thought.
I’m certainly looking forward to getting started properly with Black Reach next week. And from a painting point of view its certainly going to keep me busy for a good while to come. I’m looking forward to finally getting my head around the game mechanics and rules and it’ll be nice to finally play a few games with the miniatures I’ve been spending the last while painting.
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