Tabletop Gaming: Final Part

So what does the future hold for tabletop gaming? I'll take some guesses and share some thoughts today on the final blog in my series.

It's obvious to say that new systems will come and go, in a variety of genres with plenty of great art, fantastic miniatures and ideas. We can also expect for there to be a new round of licenses from the console and PC publishers. MMO's are very popular and it makes sense to translate a world that has already been created into a videogame. Game Workshop already has a Warhammer MMO out and a 40k one is on the horizon. Blizzard might or might not have a StarCraft version to compete when that happens. If and when Rackham has a videogame based on Ragnarok the world should take notice. Will Sony finally wise up and license AT-43 in favor of another Killzone? Both are made by the French after all. Look at the systems by smaller companies, HORDES or WarMachine by Privateer Press is perfect for an MMO, a RTS or even adventure game. The possibilities are endless with the various IP. Plus the casual and intermediate systems, the collectable card games and board games like Talisman are being turned into Xbox Live and Sony Home games. Of course this is a two way road and we can expect to see tabletop companies license the more popular videogames and at the very least make a board game or collectable card game out of them. The cultures are starting to find things in common and we can expect a lot of back and forth influence.

An example of a merging of several cultures comes out in an old game called "Dust" by Paolo Parente. Dust is an alternate-Earth WWII game, a system that predates most of the other AE WWII titles I mentioned. The world of Dust established in several comic books with limited-edition 12" figures and models being offered for the game system. This is bringing in elements of toy and figure collectors, people that like Maschinen Krieger or Zero Metal Defense, plus tabletop gamers, comic book fans and exclusivity junkies. Some more information about Dust can be found on their old site. Perhaps this is an example of a person using the medium to get his art across or a person that sees the potential for synergy. Either way Paolo was ahead of his time but we can expect collaborations like this more in the future. Look at McFarlane's WoW figures for proof of this.

The designs featured in tabletop games will continue to influence videogame design. Did you really think that the designers behind God of War (or Gears of War for that matter) came up with the material all on their own? Movies, television, literature and tabletop games are all influencing factors here. The more you study art and design from the various systems the more you will see the influence and draw parallels between the tabletop and video game. The more savvy game designers get about tabletop systems, the more likely they are to begin to incorporate that design into their games. The influence to both the industry and culture has been around since the days of Zork and Zelda.

As for tabletop games themselves we can expect to see a few changes over the years. Judging by what Rackham and Fantasy Flight Games is currently doing and what Games Workshop has already done we can draw out the future. We'll see systems designed for ease of use as well as to attract new players. These hybrid systems will feature pre-painted minis some with clix-style bases and cards to keep track of stats. The cards will also be played as a stand-alone game. Collaborations between tabletop publishers and big game publishers, like Milton Bradley will start up again, these board games will be easy to play and act as an introduction to the hobby.

We should also expect to see a renaissance within the culture. The book industry feared that small press and desktop publishing would mean an end to the market. Yet book sales have never been bigger. Hollywood feared that VHD and DVD would kill the cinema, yet people still come out in record numbers to see summer blockbusters. By the same virtue the tabletop systems have not been replaced by videogames. If anything the latest round of MMO's have made people more aware of the tabletop (or analog if you prefer) counterparts. Small independent studios pop up every year with fantastic sculptors, a diversity of genres and watertight gaming systems. This forces the bigger companies to step up. A diversity of systems from new and old publishers should be expected along with a boost in quality. Perhaps Games Workshop will rethink out-of-print systems and modernize them, or at the very least license them for videogames. With the abundance of highly-talented sculptors, and those using computer modeling, advances in miniatures, terrain and accessories will happen sooner rather than later. This will include changes in paints and manufacturing which will mean for higher-quality products for reasonable prices. This will extend to pre-painted and traditional miniatures for beginning and advanced hobbyists as well as new board game designs.

The future is looking bright my friends. Tabletop systems are here to stay and they will only continue to improve and amaze. I really hope you are considering getting into the hobby or at the very least keeping tabs on these systems so that one day when you overhear some kids snickering about how Warhammer is biting WarCraft you too can set them straight. Be tolerant of your analog cousins that roll dice and move miniatures rather than right-click and deploy a group. After all, we are all gamers of one format or another.

I had fun writing this series and now look forward to returning to my regular videogame blogs tomorrow. I'll be sure to drop a link or two on tabletop games down the road. Until then take care and be sure to leave a comment or a thumbs up!

Tabletop Gaming: Part 17

Welcome back friends, I hope you had a great weekend. Today brings us one step closer to the end of this series. Let's start by saying that if you are interested in getting into the hobby then you are not alone. Beginning players will never be far from a community.

Even a Specialist Game like Blood Bowl still attracts new players from all over the world. Even if GW is slow in updating the system and players, there are fans updating the rules and making variations on the system. Blood Bowl Central is a repository for all sorts of info. When partnered up with the sites like Blood Bowl.net, the BB library and the NAF (Blood Bowl Federation) then you never are far from a game. Plus you'll find that other companies really dig the fantasy football format. Heresy Miniatures makes characters for a Blood Bowl contemporary known as Deathball. Impact Miniatures makes odds and ends for BB games plus sells bundle packs of non-GW minis. So if you are seriously considering getting into the hobby, there will always be a community willing to support you and your system! With that said let's take a look at these companies I missed.

Adiken makes a system called Nin-Gonost and even offers a self-conatined set with paints and miniatures. The system is progressive, with cards and templates to help you keep track of stats. The miniatures are okay but there's a reason I didn't post this self-contained system earlier. At one convention the people demoing the game were pretty rude to my brothers and I, so I didn't want to give them any free publicity here.

Give Amazon Fantasy a visit if you want to spice up the tabletop. This company has NSFW nekkid chicks and guns. Something that appeals to every man, especially that super-man Smashbro! The parent company, Amazon Miniatures makes ninjas, kung-fu fighters and historical minis as well.

FANS OF ANIME PAY ATTENTION! Anima is a very ambitious project. Edge Entertainment out of Spain is publishing and handling the RPG version, Cipher Studios LLC is creating the miniatures for the tabletop version (Anima Tactics) and Fantasy Flight Games is handling the collectible card game. I'm telling you they have their bases covered! The system is like a breath of fresh air. The designs are very much inspired by manga and anime, not western artists trying to copy a style, but actual Japanese art! Moreover the influence is not solely Japanese, but also Chinese and Korean as well! Visit the site and you'll see work reminiscent of the Magna Carta designs by Hyung Tae Kim.

Assassin Miniatures is a little company that makes original figures. They believe in the integrity of their work and only produce one run of each figure, so once they're out that's that.

Avatars of War is a one-man operation. Felix Paniagua is a sculptor for Privateer Press, on the side he makes some amazing figures. His elf, orc, goblin and dwarf "Avatars of War" could easily be heroes in Warhammer Fantasy Battle.

Cold War Miniatures makes minis for Stargate, yeah from the sci-fi TV series based on the movie. They also make some keen zombies. Keep the zombies in mind for a system I'll mention a few lines down.

Crystal Caste makes all sorts of goodies. Known mostly for their metallic and crystal dice, they also offer the miscellaneous things for the gamer, such as bags and tokens. They also make pre-painted minis in a variety of genres, from fantasy to western.

Dark Age is a system based on a hybrid of ideas. Magic versus science and swords versus guns. Their skirmish game is very straightforward and tight. Their miniatures are very macabre, featuring designs by the great Brom.

The name says it all. Discount Mini is the store you want to visit if you decide to pick up any of the minis or systems that I've been talking about these past few weeks.

Dragonblood Miniatures makes a handful of miniatures. Their work is made with the painter and collector in mind. People working on dioramas should give them a visit.

DragonRune Miniatures hasn't had a web update in years. Their miniatures are good but nothing spectacular. Felix Paniagua sculpted some of their minis years ago. Their small boxed sets are good for people looking for unique characters. Check their Komodons if you are playing characters for sea battles.

Dwarf Tales is a very small group (I think it's one or two Polish sculptors) that specializes in very nice dwarf figures. They have a keen eye for detail and make the types of designs that you wish Games Workshop would adopt (or buyout) into Warhammer. Like other small studios they don't work very fast but each release is highly anticipated.

Fantasy Flight Games licenses and publishes a number of systems. This includes board and card games for Warcraft, Marvel Super Heroes, Doom and Anima. Their biggest contribution and innovation to the world of tabletop gaming is in the game Descent. This game is a self-contained system using nice miniature sclupts, with easy-to-read cards and templates. The moveable tiles help it play like a board game more like a complex skirmish system. Fantasy Flight also makes expansion packs for Descent so it never becomes boring.

Fenryll is a French company that produces some quality minis. They make a version of just about every fantasy creature that's ever been written about. While not in the same league as Rackham, their miniatures are still good. Be sure to check out their buildings, chaos and dragon figures.

Freebooter Miniatures is a hodge-podge of different sculptors producing minis mostly for collectors and painters. Aly McVey has contributed some original work with them. Their minis are slightly larger than the 28mm standard but it's all-good considering the originality of the designs. Plus they have some of the best female sculpts around. Give them a look.

Gamezone Miniatures is small Spanish company whose crude website beguiles the quality of their work. Pound-for-pound these guys produce minis (especially horses and other mounts) that rival Rackham's. The detail is amazing and the design a perfect balance (or the bastard child) between Rackham and Games Workshop. These guys have a solid future but if their company were to partner up with Corvus Belli, makers of Infinity, then they'd be a powerful rival to the Rackham and GW.

Griffin Miniatures makes a handful of minis in the fantasy and sci fi realm. They are influenced by a variety of systems and companies. Their Harbinger figures and Alien Encounter figs are nice. The upcoming Cravid minis look very much like the Invid characters from the old Robotech cartoons. If you are thinking about getting into the hobby as a painter be sure to check them out.

Hell Dorado is an up-and-coming French skirmish system. I can't read much French but gathering from what the web translators say this skirmish game looks like conquistadors versus demons. The hook here being that there might be an animated short accompanying the launch of this system. Fans of Dark Age might want to check it when it gets translated into English.

Magister Militum should have been mentioned way back when I was talking about historical wargames. The sell rules for various systems and make a slew of miniatures as well. These people have a great distinction however. Traditional historical Chinese minis are published by other studios, but nobody has the A-Z of Chinese Fantasy characters that they make. This is a must-visit page for people that want unique minis.

Magnificent Egos makers of the world's biggest miniature rarely update their company page. At least they update their blog more often.

Maidenhead Miniatures is another NSFW amazon-themed company. Smashbro's amazon army will be quite impressive when he picks up the various chariot riders Maidenhead makes.

Mega Miniatures is a distributor for smaller mini makers. This means that you can often find any hero or monster that you're looking for plus all sorts of accessories and models to spruce up the table.

MSB Toys shares something in common with Magister Militum. They make fine resin minis of Chinese mythology including the classic Journey to the West characters. Be sure to check the totemic warriors from the Aazac range.

Pinnacle Ent. Group publishes a number of RPG games, possibly their most famous is Dead Lands. All of the games use the Savage Worlds system. I'm not going to open up the can of worms that is tabletop RPG games but I will plug 50 Fathoms because the mix of pirates, sea monsters and Cthulhu-like creatures makes for some pretty sweet miniatures.

I'm not even sure if Plaster Obsessions is still around or if their webpage is the only thing live. They make some inexpensive models of castles and towers to use for siege games and whatnot.

Pig Iron Productions makes some power-armor minis and tanks that are rough but stylish. They don't belong with any system so are perfect for collectors or people looking for unique models to shore up a modern or 40k scenario.

Of course I've been going on and on about games and paints and scenery but have yet to tell you a crucial bit of info. Most of these games require dice. Gale Force Nine and Crystal Caste make dice, but Q-Workshop specializes in dice. Don't be a rookie and actually get yourself some pimp dice for your games.

RAFM has been in business for years. They make a broad range of historical minis as well as those for fantasy and the Call of Cthulhu.

Reaper is a big name around these parts. They make great miniatures by the bucketful. If you can imagine the hero or monster then chances are they've made a mini for it. This goes for ass-kicking robots as well. Best of all their sculpts are clean and can slide right into any other companies system with ease.

Sabertooth Games is owned by Games Workshop and makes collectable card games. Aside from GW content, they hold popular licenses including Street Fighter, King of Fighters, Samurai Showdown and Soulcalibur. Best of all these cards have universal stats so if you want to play between Capcom, SNK and Namco characters (like an analog version of MUGEN) then you can!

Shadowforge is out of Australia. They make mostly women for various genres, lots of gratuitous boobs on their page... I know where Smashbro is going now... anyhow their minis are okay and they got lots of love for inventing Blood Bowl teams. Give them a visit if your army needs a few women characters.

Twilight Games is a standout company. PAY ATTENTION. They make a little game, scratch that, they make a KICK ASS GAME, titled ZOMBIES!!! It's slowly getting under the skins of my brothers and soon it will get under the skins of my friends... mark my words! The game is straightforward, survive a swarm of zombies. The expansion packs take you to the mall, a military base and college. It's the usual stuff for the genre but plenty of fun at a get-together.

Victory Force makes a number of soldiers for WWII. However they should get a visit for their Shirow-ish JC Figures, Victorybots that remind me of Project Grizzly , and Jon-Roh-ish New War minis.

Wyrd Miniatures is a small company that only makes a few minis. However their community is a melting pot of styles, be sure to go through their various contests to see some amazing entries.

Zombiesmith makes zombie miniatures, enough for a good sized mob. If your tabletop game needs taking over, he's the man, err, zombie to see.

There are some great pages with news and info for all your hobby needs. Miniature Wargaming, Tabletop Gaming News and the Miniatures Page are possibly the three biggest and most frequently updated sites. They let you know all the important release dates as well as drop tips, reviews and previews from the big and small companies.

That just about does it for the month and this series. I hope you found something to pique your interest and perhaps have a little more respect and understanding of the tabletop gaming community. Tomorrow I'll wrap everything up and try to figure out where the industry is headed. Be sure to come back!

Tabletop Gaming: Part 16

Today we talk about the most important part of the hobby. The assembly and painting of the miniatures themselves. It's almost shameful how many people play the games but never take that extra step in painting their models. Two pewter squads in a skirmish is a sad sight to behold. So don't become a lamer and learn the basics now! Hot Lead covers many of these basics so give them a visit. The good Dr. Faust runs the gamut of questions regarding paints and techniques. There are tons of useful links at Miniature Painting.net so be sure to give them a visit as well.

There are also professional painters online that offer tips and sell painted miniatures. Fantastic painter Arjay hasn't updated his website in forever, that's not to say his art has faded with time. The same thing can be said about the Italians at Beltane studios or the Brits at Broken Blade. Be sure to peruse their galleries and be awed. The Jenova Project also hasn't been updated in forever but their forum is alive and well.

Chest of Colors is one of the best painting sites I've ever visited. One of the artists, Benathal, custom built and painted a Legio Custodes squad which are as good if not better than those put together by the best at Games Workshop. Zinnfiziert has a blog where he posts current projects, be sure to check it out. Witchhunter's site is just as keen and he posts plenty of pics from current and past projects. The Lone Brushman also has some great tutorials and a kick-ass gallery. Urb's World hasn't been updated in a while but his painting is solid, be sure to check him out too.

Some sites are dedicated to a specific company or line of miniatures. Brushthralls is a very active painting crew that create articles for Privateer Press. Of course their tips and techniques can be used on any miniature. The Daemonic Legion is a gathering place for fans of Chaos from Warhammer Fantasy Battle. Hive Fleet Moloch is dedicated to the Tyranid from Warhammer 40k.

Agis is a great site about painting and modeling. The webmaster Agis Neugebauer, goes to the trouble of writing details for the models and back story for systems you might not be familiar with. Be sure to check his painted HeroClix figures. Yes, they are already pre-painted, but if you go over the details again you can really bring characters like the Avengers to life.

Even though I've been hard on the Japanese these past few blogs there is hope for them yet! Qiao-Zhong is Chinese but lives in Japan and living proof that the Asians can produce very talented mini artisans. Check out the custom versions of the Emperor, pre-heresy Fulgrim, Jenetia Krole and pre-heresy Ahriman. They are amazing!

Of course most painters shouldn't mess with the French. If you are a young woman reading this series then please don't be discouraged by the lack of female names. Many of the best miniature painters and sculptors are women. Award-winners like Angela Imrie, Nathalia Melnik and Victoria Lamb prove that the hobby is not gender-specific. Plus even Mike McVey is humbled by the artistic ability of his wife Aly. So guys and girls, pick up a brush and see what you can do!

One of the best sites for everything mini is Cool Mini or Not. Like a hot or not, it's a place where you can vote on minis, enter competitions and keep and eye on auctions. Mini Painters.com is also a keen site that reports the happenings in the community.

So what about the supplies themselves? Brushes, drills and glues can be picked up at most hobby stores. Of course if you are budget minded this is a tough hobby to last long in. The word of the day is acrylic. The majority of miniatures are painted with acrylics because they are water-based, mix, cover well and dry quickly. All of the big companies mix their own paints and sell them in crack-like quantities. Citadel Paints, Rackham Color and Privateer Press' P3 Colors are designed with the miniature gamer in mind. This is not to say there is anything wrong with the paints from big companies like Tamiya, Testors and Vallejo. People that have been in the hobby a long time will have paints from many different companies and readily mix their own colors in spare bottles. Since the paints are water-based, most can be diluted and mixed without fear of separation or blotching. But what if you really need to stretch your dollar for the hobby?

Apple Barrel is possibly the best-kept-secret in miniature painting. Plaid is a hobby company that makes a variety of products, but their acrylic paints are sold in larger bottles than most and are also inexpensive. Best of all you can find these paints at places like Michael's and Wal-Mart. Remember them if you're thinking of painting minis as a hobby rather than getting into the gaming aspect.

If you are building a large model or scenery for a game then it makes no sense to use up the thimble-sized acrylics. Instead swing by the Home Depot and look for their "oops paint." These are colors mixed by the gallon for special orders and either the person doesn't like the color or they never return to pick them up. Rather than throw the paints away the Home Depot sells them on the cheap. You can paint table-sized dioramas with these paints or ask them to mix up your own colors for cheaper than buying gallons of acrylic. This same paint could just as easily be used to repaint a room or prep a wall for graffiti. As for the paint brushes and tools like x-acto knives and clippers, just shop around. A set of paint brushes can be picked up for under $5 online. If you go to school then check with the art department and see if there are any stores in the neighborhood that give student discounts. Shop around and save the money for miniatures.

That does it for today. I hope there are enough links to get you interested in actually picking up some minis and paints. Tune in next week to learn about companies that I missed and systems you might want to check out.

Tabletop Gaming: Part 11

You've probably had your fill of swords and sorcery, am I right? You might even be jonesin' for a system built around giant robots or battles in space. Well then today is your lucky day! Today we look at robots, spaceships and the tabletop systems that bring them to life.

The grandaddy of robot miniature systems is Battletech, created by FASA. I had gotten heavy into the tabletop gaming culture around when Battletech first came out, over 20 years ago. The system was probably better known for stealing the designs of early Macross anime, something eventually settled out of court. The game was fun and easy to play and you can still find models and rules for the system under the "classic" label. Battletech was eventually replaced by the more popular MechWarrior series, now owned by WizKids.

If you are not a fan of the pre-painted Clix designs there is a more traditional system called Combat Assault Vehicles (CAV) by Reaper Miniatures. Cav has a similar look and feel to MechWarrior. Both systems allow other vehicles to join in the combat, including tanks and bombers. However fans of fast and light anime designs like 5 Star Stories or Macross might not like these games. Heavy mechs still dominate the miniatures scene, probably because they are easier to cast. The closest you'll come to a middleweight / Virtua-On / Gundam-scale robots are in a third system known as Heavy Gear by Dream Pod 9 (DP9). These designs are very fluid, each of the factions adds something unique to the table. DP9 also publishes miniatures that are very much in the vein of Gundman for their Jovian Chronicles RPG. The Jovian Chronicles are the space opera version of Heavy Gear.

As long as we are in space then it's time to finally introduce space-based miniature combat! Of course the most popular IP has a game, I would be talking about Star Wars Starship Battles by Wizards of the Coast.

The closest contemporary from a television series would be Babylon 5, A Call to Arms by Mongoose Publishing. Both systems feature pre-painted minis and designs from their respective universes. Unfortunately the Star Wars models are not to-scale and you will see small fighters near the same scale as a Star Destroyer. The Babylon 5 ships seem to be evenly scaled. I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't remind you that Games Workshop had a similar system years ago called Battlefleet Gothic set in their Warhammer 40,000 universe.

Small company Monday Knight Productions also has an outer space system called Galactic Knight for which they also sell miniatures. People interested in finding what other miniatures-based systems there are for outer space can check with Starship Combat News. Of course what good are the outer-space battles without some decent terrain and scenery? There is a producer for just about anything you would need. From mini asteroids and planets to terrain maps set in outer space. As with any other game I've shown you it's all about using your imagination and having some fun!

That wraps it up for today. Tomorrow I'll (finally) start talking about historical wargaming. Be sure to come back!

Tabletop Gaming: Part 4

Welcome back friends. Today I pull no punches, I'll give you the reasons why I have grown to hate the dealings of Games Workshop. Don't get me wrong, Games Workshop is still good at what they do... but used to be so much better at it! GW was the crown jewel of tabletop wargaming, they did it all from concept to finished product. They founded Citadel Miniatures, one of the best miniature studios in the world. Complete with a line of paints and tools for consumers. Under the watchful eye of John Blanche, think of him as the Alan Moore of GW, both Citadel and White Dwarf had more than enough art and design to keep them going into the next century.

The artisans as GW and Citadel proved to be superior to any other studio at the time. From the late 80's to mid 90's their miniatures were leagues ahead of the competition. Not to take anything away from the rest of the world but the best miniatures were coming from overseas and the best painters from England. Growing up, my brothers and I were into many things including manga and anime, but when we looked at how the Japanese painted their models it seemed like crap compared to the Brits. Even to this day we still agree that Europe produces the best model painters. Yes Japan has some great hobby kits, garage kits and amazing models based on girls, guns and robots... but relatively speaking they can't paint worth a spit. Compare this to the legacy that Citadel created. 25 years later many original sculpts are still in production. Japanese models from that long ago are bought for the sake of nostalgia. Many of the new Citadel models are absolutely amazing but they seem to lack something, a soul perhaps.

A contemporary studio, Ral Partha, created fantastic miniatures for years but didn't put much effort into gaming systems or the community, Ral Partha closed in 2000 but recently reopened with many of the same miniatures and systems, lord knows how long they will stay in business this time. GW had White Dwarf magazine to push the community, they would promote contests at local and even international hobby stores. Fans got a sense that GW believed in the systems as much as the they did. The canon of Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 are based on the outcomes of games. If the editors wanted to know what should happen to a certain kingdom or planet then they would stage elaborate tournaments to determine it. Fans from around the world would be invited to participate and submit their own battle reports and outcomes from local hobby tournaments. The Eye of Terror is one such worldwide campaign. Writers and artists would then use the outcomes of the games to write novels, create scenarios and update rulebooks. It was the community involvement that made Games Workshop great.

Games Workshop used to crank out gaming systems and venture into new ideas when nobody else would. GW had even tried bringing in casual gamers by partnering up with Milton Bradley to produce simpler versions of their games in the USA. Games like Heroquest and Space Crusade featured Citadel miniatures cast in plastic along with moveable board pieces. The games spawned sequels but were eventually killed. You'd think that Warhammer and 40k are the only systems the company has ever made, but look at this list of rare and out-of print games to see what I lament. Many of these games tied directly into their universe and even influenced future systems. Space Hulk, for example, introduced Terminator Marines and Genestealers (the first wave of Tyranid) into 40k.

In another example, Adeptus Titanicus begat the Epic games of 40k. The scale of the miniatures was changed so that humans were now around 6 millimeters tall. This was done for two reasons, the first so that fans of 40k that couldn't afford an entire squad in 25mm could now buy legions for a fraction of the price. The second reason was to introduce giant robots into the world of 40k. These "Titans" were not flashy and sleek like Japanese robots, like everything else in 40k they were brutish, cruel machine gods that could snuff out the life on planets with their arsenals. The titans would evolve and become crucial to the history of 40k. Although the system has not been discontinued it had been downgraded. The same thing happened to Warmaster, the WH equivalent to Epic.

GW killed many titles because they wanted to streamline production, they wanted to focus on the biggest money-makers. The games they discontinued were not bad, many were award winners and fan favorites... just not cash cows. Talisman was one of them, and Man O' War was another. Talisman (now scheduled for a relaunch!) was a fast paced board game that pitted fantasy characters against each other in a quest to recover a magical amulet. Each player had special moves and could pick up additional weapons or magic along the way. My brothers and I enjoyed quick games of Talisman and the few expansions that came out for it. Man O' War was WH miniature combat with ships.

These ships were miniscule, they predate the scale used in Epic and Warmaster. The game was memorable for its ease of use and diversity of ships. All of the Warhammer races were represented and dozens of fantastic models, some with floating islands, submarines or blimps. There were even expansions to this game as well but sadly it was cut as well. The games that GW didn't outright discontinue it put into a shallow grave known better as Specialist Games. While Specialists Games keep a handful of systems alive, GW does not go out of their way to contribute many new things. There is a passionate essay about what it means to the community, I hope you take the time to read it. Perhaps the most famous GW release destined for a Specialist future was Blood Bowl.

Blood Bowl was fantasy football set in the Warhammer universe. I shouldn't have to tell you, it should be obvious, but there would be no Mutant League Football if not for Blood Bowl. Mutant League was a big hit on the consoles and developed a strong fanbase because of its violent and humorous take on American Football. Players fought, used weapons and magic, bribed refs and killed one another. These things were lifted from Blood Bowl in one way or another. Blood Bowl was way more over the top, characters would hide weapons in the pitch (including chainsaws), blow up rival team dugouts and sneak machines like the Deathroller onto the field. A proper Blood Bowl videogame would absolutely kill, compared to the wannabe Chaos League. At least Cyanide studios got the actual Blood Bowl license last year. Keep your fingers crossed and we might see Blood Bowl on the consoles soon.

I used to have a blog where I put down my frustrations with the videogame industry, sadly it is five or six blogs over the limit of what I can recover at 1UP. Many of the things I said apply to other industries. The bigger a studio gets, the more likely they are to begin cutting corners. Games Workshop has become like Disney or Capcom. Where the ideas and art once flowed they have now been replaced with business models. Formulaic sequels and tired rehashes have squashed fresh development. This type of micromanagement is good for short-term profits but ultimately hurts the long-term. Greed is good but competition is better. Even when GW was only competing against themselves, the standard was high. Systems had to be nothing short of perfect, especially to warrant the investment of hobbyists. Plus different systems appealed to different gamers. Those that wanted nothing to do with 40k were drawn to the scale of the titans. Those that didn't like WH Fantasy Battle could raise hell in Blood Bowl. It's the new gamers that are important to the survival of the community, the wider the selection the better.

Through shrewd business deals, and many dropped systems, GW has gotten rich, they made enough money on their systems to license the Lord of the Rings and turn it into a tabletop game. The community was not in dire need of a new fantasy tabletop game but GW was eager to cash in on the hype. Should we expect a Harry Potter tabletop game next? Killing perfectly good systems in favor of new licenses makes sense only to those in power, the MBA's. They fail to realize that ideas mold the market, not the other way around. Licensing a hot property is good for the short-term gain. What happens when the license falls out of favor? What other products do they have to offer?

It is sad to compare GW then versus GW now. They have become too shrewd, I dare say cutthroat in business. Overseas retailers used to be treated with respect, now the "mom and pop" hobby stores have to guarantee shelf space and hard pushes on product if they are expected to receive shipment. More than that GW is pushing their retail stores on the community, especially if they want exclusives. My local hobby store is four minutes away, the second major one is 15 minutes away. The nearest GW hobby center is a half hour drive away... not bad considering this is the city, but kids in the outskirts are out of luck. Online retailers can still carry GW product but now they are being asked to remove GW images from their web pages. Who the heck purchases miniatures without seeing what they are getting?

This is where the hubris comes into account. Just because Games Workshop had been on top for so long did not guarantee that they would never fall, that Citadel would have a miniature rival and Warhammer would get serious competition. This goes for their tabletop systems but also for their videogames as well. The lack of quality GW videogame translations is not entirely the fault of the developers. Games Workshop "vigorously" protects their IP. This means that they turn down a lot of offers to make videogames out of their property. They want a lot of directorial input and final approval on many of the licenses. While this helps ensure faithful translations, it also micromanages developers into hell. The majority of videogames based on GW titles have been mediocre at best. Dawn of War, Fire Warrior and Mark of Chaos are the present exceptions. The legend is that Blizzard tried to get the license for Warhammer Fantasy Battle a long time ago but got snubbed. Looking at the licensing requirements they decided to invent their own universes for WarCraft and StarCraft instead. True or not it makes a lot of sense, but the world may never know the truth...

The most damaging thing I've heard about GW has nothing to do with the business. There are rumors that some of the artists and senior members at GW Headquarters are racist. I've met some staffers and long-time artists working for them and can't say there is any truth to that. Still, I have read that some freelance artists have dealt with hard slurs coming from the inside, making working there quite tense, especially for people of multicultural backgrounds. I doubt this is the way the company runs as a whole. This may be a case of a few making the entire company look bad. According to the training manual, this type of discrimination is not tolerated. Hopefully these things turn out to be untrue.

So where does my loyalty go? Do I stick with the company that let many great systems slip through their fingers? Do I turn to the dark side and embrace World of Warcraft? On principle I can not and will not fold. I know people that used to work at Blizzard. Many of the things EA has being accused of had happened at Blizzard as well. That is why I come down so hard on the company and their fans. WarCraft, WoW and StarCraft fans can put a sock in it, be they friend or brother. Like any game system it comes down to community, if GW fans weren't such good people then I would probably have stopped playing a long time ago. There are still people dedicated to the preservation of tabletop gaming, of Blood Bowl and the various classic games. They are the ones bringing in new members with their painting and modeling clinics, with their web pages and blogs. For keeping the game alive and reminding people about the history. This is why I remain, I owe the community.

I still owe GW respect, they helped give me a radical childhood. While kids were talking about the X-Men and Power Rangers, my brothers and I were growing up with Dragon Ball and 40k. You'd be hard pressed to find a better mix of violence and science fiction. The art of GW inspires us to this day, without a doubt they continue to inspire the various RPG games as well. I am still a fan of GW, always have been, always will. At the same time I've learned to broaden my horizons and take their business dealings with a grain of salt. Over the past few years have been building tabs on their contemporaries.

Next week I'll begin dropping links to the various tabletop gaming companies and miniature manufacturers. I'll be sure to point out systems in different genres and for different levels of participants (from casual to hardcore) so there should be something for everyone. I will begin with the company that didn't fire a warning shot across the bow of Games Workshop, they fired through the hull! Stick around, the best is yet to come!

Tabletop Gaming: Part 3

Welcome back peeps. Today we learn about the best in British science fiction. If I were to ask you about science fiction from around the world you'd know names and numbers. The US has given birth to a good chunk of the genre, heck in movies alone we dominate the field. Star Wars, Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, Stargate, Firefly, Aliens and Predator... Japan is almost defined by science fiction, Godzilla, Gundam, Macross, Ultraman, Giant Robo, Appleseed and Ghost in the Shell. When you ask people about British sci fi, sadly Dr. Who is the only thing that comes to mind (okay, maybe Red Dwarf too).

There is one British export that is worth its weight in gold. Warhammer 40,000 (40k for short) is among the best science fiction stories ever written. Luckily for us it is also a game. If you're not familiar with the game then where do I begin? Imagine trying to explain the Star Wars Trilogy to someone that has never seen it. How do you talk about the Force, Darth Vader and the Emperor? Where do you bring in Luke Skywalker and Ben Keobi? The best bet would be to explain the universe as it happened (beginning with episode IV). So that's what I'll try to do.

40k is not set in the continuity of WH. It is the far future and humans managed to get to the farthest reaches of space using the Warp. The Warp is sort of like a series of semi-sentient, turbulent, interconnected wormholes. Although humans can navigate the Warp via enormous starships, the pull of Chaos sometimes corrupts the stream and millions are lost forever in the hyper-space tempests. At the same time humanity is splintered into warring nations and struggling to survive, causing those on the farthest planets to lose contact with Earth. The Emperor of Mankind is from Terra (Earth).

There is a great summary on Wikipedia. He was born with extraordinary powers, he is tall, very strong and super-intelligent and to top if off he is the most powerful psychic force that has ever existed. Professor X and Jean Grey from the Marvel universe and Neo from the Matrix do not even compare. The Emperor unites humanity and begins what can only be described as a renaissance. He sets about to reestablish contact with the lost human colonies and spread civilization throughout the rest of the galaxy. In order to protect humanity from aliens he creates the strongest fighting force Terra has ever known. Using his own genetic material as a template he creates the Primarchs, the founding fathers of what would become the Space Marines.

The forces of Chaos sensed what the Emperor was up to. When the Primarchs left Terra (in incubation chambers) they forced the ships to become lost in the Warp and be scattered across the galaxy. The Emperor went on several crusades to recover his sons and with them create the chapters of the Space Marines. Eventually his legions go forth and conquer in the name of Terra. Humanity is set to continue for a millennia thanks to the contributions of the Emperor.

From his Golden Throne on Terra, the Emperor is able to harness his powers and create wormholes to send his troops anywhere through the cosmos. Even the most powerful psychers can only last a few moments on the throne before they shrivel up and die. The Emperor was able to to do this without breaking a sweat and beam his light, like a beacon, to the furthest reaches of space and guide wayward starships home. All of his legions were loyal to Terra. Humanity had expanded during his reign further than it had in ten thousand years. That was until the forces of chaos began to seduce a good number of his legions and Primarchs, including the Emperor's favorite son and warmaster Horus. Pictured here are the Emperor, Sanguinus the founder of the Blood Angels who was born with wings (and remained loyal) and the traitor Horus.

The seductive powers of chaos proved too hard to resist. Those smitten by temptation slowly begin their transformation until the most powerful primarchs become demon princes, like Fulgrim the founder of the Emperors Children.

About half of the Emperor's legions secretly turned to service of the dark gods and rebeled against him when his forces were stretched thin. The time is known as the Horus Heresy. The results of which were tragic and everlasting.

British science fiction design is unique compared to the rest of the world. In Japan science fiction design is clean and tight. Robots are sleek, their weapons seamless and technology superior to anything out there. In the USA, science fiction is a little more tangible thanks to the work of studios like Industrial Light and Magic. The designs and science featured in USA television and movies are a little easier to believe. The Brits are unlike either countries with their approach. British design can be either crude by comparison, case in point the Dalek's in Dr. Who, or ahead of their time, think Gerry Anderson's designs for the Thunderbirds and Space 1999.

The design that goes into 40k is unlike anything you've seen before. Everything from robots, to starships, weapons and armor are very Gothic (as in architecture, not pasty-faced emo crap), almost Baroque. The faces of the gigantic ships and enormous titan robots are adorned with sharp columns and flying buttresses (stop laughing Smashbro!). The largest of the vehicles and space stations look like cathedrals, where the Space Marines converge, receive their litanies and prepare for battle. The process of becoming a marine is very religious. At each step they are tested and purified of chaos, the armor that each marine receives and the weapons themselves are treated like holy relics. Some of these weapons and craft are indeed ancient.

Wait a sec, why is that?

After the Horus Heresy there was pretty much a stop to the progress the Emperor begat. This includes the advances in science and weaponry. Humanity almost fell back into the "dark ages" and would have if not for those loyal to the Emperor himself. They insisted that the Space Marines continue their crusades to rid the galaxy of chaos but with smaller numbers than ever before. What was sickening to humanity were the powers of chaos. The primarchs seduced by chaos became demons, their legion became corrupt shadows of their former selves. One of the armies that fell the furthest were the Thousand Sons, their pre-heresy armor had an Egyptian motif. When they turned to chaos their armor sealed and trapped their immortal souls within. Making this not only one of the most unique armies in 40k but also one of the best modeled and painted. Check out these pre and post heresy figures.

The pull of chaos was so great that it not only turned man against man, but it also twisted machines into abominations.

Tanks were covered with the dead and damned, even once venerable robots with Space Marine heroes as their brain and heart, the Dreadnought, would be twisted into spider-monsters called Defilers.

The Forge Worlds that created most of the technology were sequestered by the Inquisition and signed a treaty to show their allegiance to the Emperor. The Forge Worlds, including the home base on Mars are almost completely autonomous of the Empire, the factories are run by the Adeptus Mechanicus who worship the Machine God rather than the Emperor. These Forge Worlds do not crank out new weapons as quickly as they once did. This is because the factories that were not destroyed lost most of their technology in the wars. Surviving armor and designs are revered and taken care of by Tech Marines.

The final battle against Horus happened in outer-space, aboard the warship of Horus. The fight was so intense that space and time warped around Horus and the Emperor himself. While their physical bodies fought, their psychic selves battled and even their souls combated on infinite planes of reality. Growing up reading this my brothers and I were amazed at the battle, this is a level of combat that Son Goku or Superman could never reach. In the end, or should I say the beginning of 40k, the Emperor defeated Horus. But his body was shattered and on the verge of death. So the Emperor ordered that he be placed on his Golden Throne, where he would be connected to machinery and kept on the brink of death for all time. His remaining psychic power would remain there and forever seal the portal to Terra, preventing the chaos energies or rogue armies from invading again. Sadly this would be the end for a god that walked among men.

The aliens of 40k are mirrored from the Warhammer world. The Elves are called Eldar, the Orcs are Orks and the Tomb Kings are actually robotic skeletons, the remains of an ancient race called the Necrons. There aren't future version of Skaven or Lizardmen however, as much as I wish there were. There are new challenges however in the voracious Tyranid, an alien species that devours and then assimilates everything they come across. Then there are the Tau (C'tan), a young but very advanced alien group whose design and technology can be considered the closest to Japanese mecha.

The Space Marines are not alone in these battles. While they are genetically engineered super-soldiers (complete with extra organs), their ranks have been steadily decreasing over the years. The Imperial Guard are as close to our concept of traditional soldiers as you will find. While they are not as big as their Marine counterparts, the Imperial Guard have access to the largest artillery. There is also an all-female wing of troops known as the Sisters of Battle, they work for the ecclesiarchy and hunt down heretics and rogue psychers. There are also Demonhunters that purge the cosmos of the chaos and alien influence. On rare occasion the human forces have been known to side with the Eldar, like the elite "Harlequins" below.

For the most part humanity is left up to its own devices. There are far more enemies than allies for humanity as 40Kk is explained in Penny Arcade. For the gamers that don't want to play a large-scale battle with either WH or 40k they have options. WH has a small skirmish game called Mordheim and 40k has one called Necromunda. Both games are set in the bleak places of their respective universes. Mordheim in a town of sin and debauchery that gets struck by a twin-tailed comet. In the remains of the city there are battles between the various races of WH with no more than a handful of characters at a time. In Necromunda the skirmish battles are between futuristic gangs vying for power in the "hive," or mega cities of densely populated planets. Both games allow for unique scenarios that would be too difficult to accomplish in WH or 40k.

So let's look at the big picture again. Step back and study how all the races wage war, what do these games look like? For reference check out Warhammer 40,000, Dawn of War. Fans of WarCraft often become fans of Blizzard's science fiction series StarCraft... I bet you see what I'm getting at. Warhammer is to WarCraft what Warhammer 40k is to StarCraft. It's kind of hard to explain it to videogamers that aren't familiar with tabletop systems. For example read the first paragraph on how Tycho has to explain the 40K MMO to Gabe. Heck, during the hype of StarCraft, Wizards of the Coast was looking at licensing a miniatures-based game for them. Hmm, shall we compare the StarCraft models to 40k ones?

Above are some 40K minis including Space Marines, Space Marines in Terminator armor and Sisters of Battle. Below those from StarCraft.

How about some Tyranid aliens?

And those whatchamacallits from StarCraft.

Maybe some Tau, Necron and Kroot aliens?

Yeah right...

Too bad Games Workshop had nothing but crappy videogame licenses up until now or else the world would be very different. There is more for you tomorrow, including the reasons why I hate Games Workshop almost as much as I love them!