Tuesday 10 November 2015

Grudge Vs Hate - A 2nd edition Warhammer 40k battle report


For me, this hobby mostly consists in modelling toy soldiers and sharing it via blogging and forums and all and meeting nice people online is definitely one of the good parts. The best part of it all though is getting to meet those people for real. Yeah, like in the other real life, the one without a keyboard and all and with handshakes and drinks instead !
Well thanksto the Oldhammer groups on facebook (both french and English speaking) I was finally able to get to play with Goulven a proud defender of the 2nd edition of warhammer 40k (along his gaming partner Pestilus). For once I didn't have to go to Canada or England to get a game !

Being renowned for his Squat army and being the poor "chaotic-to-the-core" soul that I am, the choice of armies was very simple we just needed to agree on a given number of points.
I managed to come up with a 2000 points list using everything I had painted so far (and for which I had painted the terminators.

Facing the squats

The table was set in advance and looked suitably oldschool with the grass everywhere with great details and scenic elements like the windmill and the watch tower.

Like always Battle started before the first bullet was even shot...



Like taking a classy pose while whistling was going to impress the black heart of renegades like mine...

Facing the chaos renegades
Squats had prepared a whole welcome party to celebrate my renegades' first game ever ! Fireworks and booze seemed to be on the menu...



For good measures I had to show I had not come to make sandwiches but for some proper evil doing and slaughter...

Presenting my babies while singing a jolly tune

And thus started the first turn. I have to admit I hadn't played this edition since 1998 (kept playing it a while after the release of 3rd ed as I didn't like the simplifications back then). Getting into it was slightly odd though as some habits started to come back but unfortunately not all of them. 2nd edition is very peculiar and requires a totally different attitude than the later editions...
Oh and I should probably have read my army list and army books a little better...



I took the first turn and started to move everyone forward and start shooting on what I could.  A couple of squats got removed and it seems they took this with far less cool than you'd expect. 

One of those rare occasions when you're happy your opponent rolls a double 6
Saddened or maybe just frustrated by the loss of their 2 comrades, they decided to flee (making squats flee is a pleasure I don't tire of).


My terminators tried to shoot but their rather poor positionning didn't allow them to do much...


Then my Sorceror tried to open the psychic phase...


... only to see my opponent grin all he could (I could actually see froth at the sides of his mouth...).


Depending on where you were born and how you were raised the first word that will come to you in such an occasion will change but for me it ws a loud and clear "PUTAIN ! " Followed by a loud and slighly less clear "ARGGGL" when I rolled a 1 to see my psyker was dead before doing anything in the game, my first turn had proven deadlier for me than for my opponent. A great start.


A sense of menace started to arise on the other side of the table when the giant dreadnought moved forward, it was slow but looked as determined as a machine can look and the only funny prospect was seeing the trike shot earlier losing control and aimog for the forest...


The bikes accompanied by the living ancestor and followed by a predator seemed to target the chaos androids (played as Noisemarines for the occasion).


Which the evil robots didn't seem to care much about...


Meanwhile, the triles with multimeltas had decided to feast upon termintaors...


The thudd gun got  the occsion to remind everyone of how inaccurate and fun it was....


The toll was becoming heavy on the chaotic side though... I was gently being  reminded how violent this edition could be...


But hope or whatever drives 10000 years old evil hearts was still there along with a clean line of sight between the gigantic squat dreadnought and the smaller but nastier Chaotic one and its plasma cannon (max power) ...


After getting shot and grilled with flamers the turn before, the androids returned fire with a dozen of sustainable fire dice... only to shoot 2 bikes down...


The bikes laughed at that poor attempt and drove by the androids (leaving them for the predator). The living ancestor bravely chosing to avoid using any psychic power in the vicinity of the androids though(remember they were using noisemarines rules)


Willing to prove ol' timers can still do the job, the living ancestor got through the tunnel he had created the turn before. When he arrived the remaining terminators could barely contain their joy to hot an old thing like him...


In the meantime, somewhere else, a predator tried to fire...

Who said squats can shoot ?
And the living ancestor decided to cast a force dome on the bikes while the terminators were crippled by the curse of the machine god... They wouldn't have their childish fun now...


As soon as the living ancestor released the bikes from the protection of the force dome the dreadnought and the marines decided to do a good ol'fashioned clothesline on the trike and bike passing nearby 


One of the vehicles miserably ending in the chaos squats (killing some in the process) and the other one ending in its own colleagues to my greatest joy !


Meanwhile, the predator was still super focused on killing some of the androids...



With the squats deep into my rear, there wasn't much to do... even the dreadnought who had proven tobe a very useful asset had been damaged and had a ticking clock (in the form of a roll each turn to see if he would explode) above him...


Then the predator tried to shoot with his plasma cannon and I decided to pull out my strategic card which made it explode like a ripe plasma fruit. That's 2nd ed for you, just one card...


In a weird combo of bravery and stupidity, the thudd gun fired on the remaiing chaotics who were surrounded by squats from everywhere. Killin most of them...


At the end of the game only one chaotic man was standing, the chaos lord himself, with 2 wounds left but still under the curse of the machine god. He was doomed to be executed by the power axe of the earth guard. Honour (or whatever the chaotic equivalent is) was safe; I had not been totally wiped off the table though.

I'm still standing !
The last turn saw the explosion of the dreadnought and with it the only hope I had to keep my objective so the perspective of saving anything turned into ash...

What can I say about this game ?

1) It was tremendously fun and exciting and though I clearly wasn't prepared for it, it really reminded me of the good old days of my teenhood.

2) I had forgotten how drastically different this edition was in many aspects (I'm still plagued by reflexes I got in the later editions).

3) The use of strategic cards, missions and psychic phase make this edition utterly unbalanced but extremely dynamic like in the action movies of the same period.

4) I realised during the third turn I had actually bought a Bloodthirster (300 points in a 2000 list) but has forgotten to take the model with me. Even if I had taken the model I wouldn't have been able to summon it as I had not taken the means to do so in my army... My bad, my opponent felt sorry and gave me a model to use and decided to ignore the rules but on the third turn it was way to late to summon such a beast... Worst thing is actually that I didn't get to take a cool pic of the whole painted army including him.

5) Goulven and his Girlfriend were excellent hosts who not only provided fun but ale and nice cakes so a round of applause to them (even got a nic epresent in the form of a marine scout)!


I'm really looking forward to play some more 2nd edition really. I do prefer games with scenarios and a good dose of Roleplay like I can do with Rogue trader but from time to time a good battle for fun where you throw armies oine against the other with loads of silly events like in 80's or early 90's movies is just too good to ignore.

That's all for now, I'm super happy to have had my renegades out and starting now, i'll have to focus on my painting schedule to finish a few things that have been in the way for too long and that can't wait anymore now.


41 comments:

  1. I dont have much fondness for 2nd edition, but that game does look like it was fun. The psychic powers in that edition were completely daft and I had forgotten how often vehicles tended to drive around out of control.

    The table is a little retro with all the green, but its much nicer than most of the tables that were doing the rounds at the time. Those Demonscape buildings are very nice.

    Great report Asslessman!

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    1. I know what you mean and the games I favour are actually closer to those you do like yourself but once in a while a good non sense with explosions and all around is fun too, 2nd ed is great for that and it just doesn't scratch the same itch.
      Psychic phase, strategic cards and many rules are daft indeed but it's on the good side of silly for me.
      The green table is indeed retro but Goulven was looking for a proper 2nd ed look which he managed perefctly and the scenery is indeed excellent.

      Cheers ;)

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    2. I couldnt play second ed over and over, tournament style, but once in a while it would definitely entertain I reckon, Psychic Phase, Strategy Cards, the works. I have plenty of room for "silly" in my games really.

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    3. In a real competitive way I woudln't go anywhere near the table honestly, especially with that ruleset but for stupid shameless fun, I have to admit it still does it.

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    4. Second edition is perfect for mindless; wacky fun! I like it because it doesn't take itself too seriously! Find memories of a happy time!!

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  2. Ahh, that's the stuff, a hearty dose of mayhem courtesy of 2nd ed :D it's the sport of kings, provided they are the mad type that talk to fig trees and make their horses members of Parliament.

    Great stuff!

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    1. I think your description is spot on. Level headed and quiet people might prefer a RT game while some others might prefer later editions for misterious reasons but for those who want to feel like Wrestling with a predator and Terry Hogan in a pool of Pepsi, then 2nd ed had its arms wide open !

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  3. He dared to put an Imperial knight (you called giant dreadnought) on a 2000 points list ???!!!

    This guy is a crook !!!! His victory hasn't any kind of glory !!!

    I'll try to avenge you next time I'll play against him ! ;)

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    1. He dared that and so much more...
      Good thing is , now I have a clear idea of what I want and need for this army to work better in 2nd ed. MWAHAHA !

      Go on and feast upon his cadaver !

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  4. Great report and great pictures. Seems like it all went chaotic :) Nice to see lovely models taking some actions, I'm also quite fond of the retro look of the table. And those squats are lovely tiny bastards :)

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    1. Sometimes the recipe for a great afternoon is just a bunch of good models on a cool table with a cool guy on the other side of the table !

      thanks

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  5. Figures on the table - great! Dice were rolled - perfect. Snacks and drinks available - awesome!

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    1. Sounds like the recipe for a great afternoon to me too !

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  6. Hi Dude, Nice report for a nice game at the great Goulven place ! We're nearly neighbor (south of Lyon) let me paint my table in green and we'll do some 2nd éd 40k, or you'll teach me Rte !

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    1. With pleasure ! you can join me on FB on the oldhammer groups or on the Oldhammer forum, it would be a pleasure, and even if your table is not green I'll be more than happy to have a game ;)

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  7. Good fun! I sympathise with the bloodthirster problem, they messed up summoning daemons in 2nd. Last 2nd ed chaotic game I played I had a possessed predator (so good) but my opponent pointed out it was illegal because I didn't have a champion dedicated to just one of the gods. "Does it really matter", I said, apparently it did. Thats the down side of playing non-narrative with a pick up game down the club.

    Any way your game looks awesome above, if you are going to continue playing 2nd ed get yourself a predator, a 2nd ed chaos one can be picked up pretty cheap.

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    1. I actually bought the model back in the day and converted it to look like the one in the rulebook ^^
      Goulven was fairplay and was ready to let me play the demon without if I had noone with the appropriate mark. I'll try and make things a bit more properly next time though. the invocation point system is daft to be honest but I' sure some people came up with good alternative systems.

      Cheers !

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  8. Too bad chum, great looking game though and so long as you've had a good time you should be pleased.
    I'm sure there are a ton of followers who would love a game here in the new world next time you make the voyage.

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    1. In all honesty, my main issue was not being able to get a picture of the whole crew, for the rest, it didn't matter to me at all !
      I'd love to get more games on your side but this will unfortunately have to wait for longer than I'd want...

      Cheers buddy ;)

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  9. Nice one JB, looks like loads of fun! I love that table, it's so retro that I am sure I grew a zit just looking at it ��

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    1. Well tell that to Goulven, he'd be delighted to know about the boner he gave you ;)
      It was a great pleasure meeting him and getting to game in such conditions, couldn't ask for more really. Good models for good laughs.

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  10. Looks like a a great game. 2nd edition is where I came into 40k, so I have a lot of fond memories of playing it (or a sort of version of it) on the floor of my dorm room. I loved the thudd gun template so much that I got a thudd gun!

    I like that Squat super dread/Knight. Where did it come from? Did Goulven make it?

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    1. I cam eto the hobby a little before it got released so it's one of the editions I've lived with from its beginning till its end. Looking back, I understand why I was so fond of it and though I favour other kinds of games now, the kind you get with this edition are still very enjoyable and I'm looking forward to play more to be honest.
      The squat super dread is a resin kit that looks really great :
      http://www.ebay.fr/itm/141814577278

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  11. That was great! I believe you got that right, 2nd Ed had lots of pros and cons, but I believe it works nice for small battles or even skirmishes with narrative component, which is how I played it in recent times. The game looks superb, it looks like you had fun, and that's all you can ask from this! Nice!

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    1. Well for skirmish I'll tend to prefer RT because you have more stats to use for RPG purposes and your have a vast selection of creatures and profiles plus the stat tool and the scenario generator. for mass combat (which is not exactly my cup of tea, I'd go for later editions and 2nd ed for me really is the best when you want to make small armies and very cinematic effects and movie twists.
      I'd play Rambo 1 with RT but I'd play Rambo 3 with 2nd ed for example !

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  12. Yeah! What a nice treat seeing this report, Mr. ALMan!! Beautiful looking figs, wonderful table, very nice scenery pieces and those terrific classic templates, and a Squat victory!! Oh, so good. I hear the shouts and roars from The Squat Liberation Army behind me. Weeks of celebration to follow...Thanks for this and hearty applause to both of you!

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    1. It's true those templates, counters and cards have a charm of their own don't they ?
      The squats deserved their victory I have to say though more blood could have been shed... I guess it's only the promise of a future vengeance !

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  13. Excellent report JB! It is so good to see when community members get together for a rousing game.

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    1. My thought exactly, this hobby can too rapidly become like touching oneself so using the opportunity to meet nex people and have fun is just brilliant !

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    2. Haha yes! When you put it so eloquently I wholeheartedly agree!

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  14. I like the posing shots of you guys at the start, very....unique :D

    I'm not a fan of cards playing an important role in games. Detracts too much from the aesthetic & skill of playing.

    But anyway, you look like you had fun, and that's all that matters in the end. It's always satisfying to finally play with minis that you've taken a lot of time and effort to paint up isn't it. It's kinda like the final phase of their initiation into proper playing pieces.

    Thanks for the report JB :)

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    1. I agree it's a shame to put time/energy/money in having armies or warbands and to stop before using them ! I'm not a fan of cards either but I reckon for this game they do make your life so much easier, you nearly don't have to open the book which is good too. It's clearly not the same pleasure as RT but it's tremendous stupide fun nonetheless !

      Cheers buddy !

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    2. I tend to disagree around the card thing; battles and battlefields are full of surprises and unexpected incidents that neither general could prepare for and I think cards represent this fog of war very nicely. The skill here for a general is to adapt, improvise and overcome... Adjusting his battle plan to accommodate the ever shifting battle space! No plan ever survives contact..... It's why military academies across the globe sculpt their officers to be able to adjust rapidly to changing circumstances!

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  15. Looks like great fun. Funny bit that intro of the players' photo. Not actually hyped up e-sports quality but it will do. ;)

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    1. We both knew we wanted to impress the other before the game. The battle actually started a fex days before with insidious messages and intimidation ;)

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  16. JB! This is a top battle report mate! It looks like everyone had a really good time! I'm glad you've found a second edition player nearby!! If you enjoyed it then maybe you'd fancy a second edition battle with and the missus at Oldhammer Day next year!!

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    1. Well, providing I could attend, it would be a very good idea indeed !
      Thanks mate !

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  17. Hello,

    Nice report... and as you wish to carry on with second edition, the F.R.A.I.S.I.E.R** can help you...

    You can contact us there fraisier.ra chez gmail.com.

    See you soon

    Wolfeyes, CTECENPTAMSBACPQM* du FRAISIER**

    *: Conseiller Technique En Codex Et Nouveautés Pas Trop Abusé Mais Sans Branlée A Chaque Partie Quand Même
    **: Fédération Rhone Alpes des Irréductibles Stratèges Impliqués Exclusivement dans les Reliques

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  18. Oh, des joueurs francophones en V2!

    Belle partie, ça fait plaisir

    ReplyDelete

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