In another dimension lost within The Warp is a place where it is still 1987 so fuckyeahtimeforroguetrader!
Phil S, Steve B and myself played Warhammer 40,000 Rogue Trader yesterday (Friday 19th), 1987 style. The scenario was The Battle of Farm from the original book, the rules were original book and the original book only, with no later amendments, no errata and using the frankly bizarre rules for template weapon deviation. Phil tried to grow a mullet especially for the game but only started seriously thinking about it late afternoon on Friday so it wasn't particularly noticeable. I want a FRANKIE SAYS... t-shirt for next time we play.
Anyway, via Astropath relay, witch machines and the efforts of the servo-tortoise have some photointel of hostilities upon Rynn's World, trying not to notice that the calibration of the optical sights appear to be slightly off possibly as a result of violent re-entry into realspace from the warp. Our chief Jokaero techie has accordingly been punished by applied use of the porta-rack. Inquisitor Obi-Wan Sherlock Clouseau has extracted a full confession and mea culpa from the alien concerned apologising for this heretical incompetence.
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Overview of the famous battlefield showing the titular ruined farm, the L-shaped orchard and Bultha's Rise complete with it's power generator which is a shower gel bottle sprayed-up by Phil for the game.
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Battle-Brothers Tarquin and Tobermory on sentry duty. Isn't it amazing how Rynn's World agricultural buildings look nothing at all like ruined Norman churches?
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Battle-Brother Tarquin looking a bit newer than 1987 if we are brutally honest.
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The Finger of Mork! Thrugg Bullneck tells his "Troopers" (they must be dismounted cavalry...) where to go. This happened to be across open ground towards some hiding Space Marines but obviously NOBODY REALLY KNEW WHAT THE SCENARIO FROM TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO IN A BOOK WE ALL OWN AND HAVE READ THOUSANDS OF TIMES WAS REALLY ABOUT so how was Phil to know?
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Commander Pedro Cantor holds an impromptu team meeting about whether it is chapter policy to allow Battle-Brothers to paint KIL KIL KIL and smiley faces upon their Power Armour. (For the record, it is apparently).
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Space Orks of Charadon attempt to infiltrate through The Orchard. With 2" visibility in woodland NOBODY REALLY KNOWS THEY ARE THERE just like those Orks DON'T KNOW THEMARINES ARE THERE.
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Orks. Orchard. This is, I think, from game 2 whereby I controlled the Marines and Phil the Orks. Steve was Marine Commander in game 1. The third player was THE GAMESMASTER BECAUSE IN THE EXCITING WORLD OF 1987 YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE ONE.
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Last, aerial photography from an Orgus Flyer high above the battlefield. Cantor takes advantage of the incredible lethality of Bolt Pistols at close range (seriously, +2 to hit at under 8", S4, -1 Save) to close in and engage the greenskins.
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More about the game later. We were pleasantly surprised, suspecting that casting eyes used to modern games back upon the old blue book would show us a clunky, slow-moving system but actually for smaller-sized games it's nigh on perfect and as a toolbox of funky stuff to build a scenario around it's without peer. We are going to play it again, but next time we aren't going to be using the mix of figures from last time. Next time we are going proper 1987 Battle At The Farm. With these beauties...
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The scenario isn't massively balanced but might have been a bit easier for the Orks had it not taken us nearly two games to realise that Space Marines only have T3 under these rules...
I have noticed though that the followup "Skirmish on Rynn's World" from WD94 doesn't give the devastating Bolt Pistols to the Space Marines and gives all of the Orks crack and frag grenades which massively changes the balance of power at close quarters so presumably Rick Priestley decided something had to be done about it.
Phil S, Steve B and myself played Warhammer 40,000 Rogue Trader yesterday (Friday 19th), 1987 style. The scenario was The Battle of Farm from the original book, the rules were original book and the original book only, with no later amendments, no errata and using the frankly bizarre rules for template weapon deviation. Phil tried to grow a mullet especially for the game but only started seriously thinking about it late afternoon on Friday so it wasn't particularly noticeable. I want a FRANKIE SAYS... t-shirt for next time we play.
Anyway, via Astropath relay, witch machines and the efforts of the servo-tortoise have some photointel of hostilities upon Rynn's World, trying not to notice that the calibration of the optical sights appear to be slightly off possibly as a result of violent re-entry into realspace from the warp. Our chief Jokaero techie has accordingly been punished by applied use of the porta-rack. Inquisitor Obi-Wan Sherlock Clouseau has extracted a full confession and mea culpa from the alien concerned apologising for this heretical incompetence.
Overview of the famous battlefield showing the titular ruined farm, the L-shaped orchard and Bultha's Rise complete with it's power generator which is a shower gel bottle sprayed-up by Phil for the game.
Battle-Brothers Tarquin and Tobermory on sentry duty. Isn't it amazing how Rynn's World agricultural buildings look nothing at all like ruined Norman churches?
Battle-Brother Tarquin looking a bit newer than 1987 if we are brutally honest.
The Finger of Mork! Thrugg Bullneck tells his "Troopers" (they must be dismounted cavalry...) where to go. This happened to be across open ground towards some hiding Space Marines but obviously NOBODY REALLY KNEW WHAT THE SCENARIO FROM TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO IN A BOOK WE ALL OWN AND HAVE READ THOUSANDS OF TIMES WAS REALLY ABOUT so how was Phil to know?
Commander Pedro Cantor holds an impromptu team meeting about whether it is chapter policy to allow Battle-Brothers to paint KIL KIL KIL and smiley faces upon their Power Armour. (For the record, it is apparently).
Space Orks of Charadon attempt to infiltrate through The Orchard. With 2" visibility in woodland NOBODY REALLY KNOWS THEY ARE THERE just like those Orks DON'T KNOW THEMARINES ARE THERE.
Orks. Orchard. This is, I think, from game 2 whereby I controlled the Marines and Phil the Orks. Steve was Marine Commander in game 1. The third player was THE GAMESMASTER BECAUSE IN THE EXCITING WORLD OF 1987 YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE ONE.
Last, aerial photography from an Orgus Flyer high above the battlefield. Cantor takes advantage of the incredible lethality of Bolt Pistols at close range (seriously, +2 to hit at under 8", S4, -1 Save) to close in and engage the greenskins.
-
More about the game later. We were pleasantly surprised, suspecting that casting eyes used to modern games back upon the old blue book would show us a clunky, slow-moving system but actually for smaller-sized games it's nigh on perfect and as a toolbox of funky stuff to build a scenario around it's without peer. We are going to play it again, but next time we aren't going to be using the mix of figures from last time. Next time we are going proper 1987 Battle At The Farm. With these beauties...
The scenario isn't massively balanced but might have been a bit easier for the Orks had it not taken us nearly two games to realise that Space Marines only have T3 under these rules...
I have noticed though that the followup "Skirmish on Rynn's World" from WD94 doesn't give the devastating Bolt Pistols to the Space Marines and gives all of the Orks crack and frag grenades which massively changes the balance of power at close quarters so presumably Rick Priestley decided something had to be done about it.
