Is Warhammer too expensive? Part 3- Playing OOP games

Before I begin on part 3, a quick note: Part 3 is going to focus on Games Workshop games still, specifically games no longer made by the company. I'm going to take a look at why these games are still worth your time!

Out of Production Games and you

Out of Production (OOP) games are those which are no longer supported by the company that produced them. No new models are being made for them, no rules updates, no new codex to buy. So you might think that they aren't worth playing.

Warmaster- a 10mm scale game made by Games Workshop in the 2000s

It can be a hard sell. Everyone you know is playing something with current rules, there are no new models to get excited about and you may not have even heard of them before. But OOP games aren't dead- they have just found a new life, a life beyond Games Workshop.

The Positives

Let's take a look at why you may enjoy an OOP game in 2021:

• No constant rules updates- no keeping up with the new edition, or buying a book every 2 years. If you enjoy your games with slow release cycles, an OOP game could be perfect. Many are using rules hardly changed in 20 years- but that can be a good thing!
• Setting- many of Games Workshops OOP games explore the current settings of their games in a different way. 
• Rules- some of these OOP games have beloved rules sets. Just because they are old, doesn't mean they are bad. Some games are surprisingly modern in design when you take a look at them.
• Community- these games have a group of players who are dedicated to the game. From fan committees updating the game, to just keeping people playing them. You may be worried about gatekeeping, but you may be surprised; most are going to be welcoming as they want to expand the group playing the game!
• Price- with a bit of creativity, you can often play these games for less than a current game (partly helped by the easy access of the rules for these games, which are easily findable with a quick Google).

The Negatives

It wouldn't be fair to leave out some of the negatives. Like all games, it won't be for everyone, and isn't necessarily the option for you.

• No constant Rules updates- not everyone will like this. Some people, especially those who like a shifting meta and play competitively, may be frustrated by the static element to these games.
• Rules- not all of these games are going to be to everyone's tastes. Some of them aren't always streamlined. The good news is, they're free to look at and try, so no need to waste money on something you don't like!
• Availability of models and players- models is less of an issue than it once was thanks to 3d printing. Some games, such as Warmaster, seem to be having a bit of a renaissance thanks to the availability of 3d printed armies. Players is a matter of where you live. You can't guarantee there will be players. Sometimes, you might need to take the plunge and convince others to give a game a try.

For all of these, I'll take a look at how easy it is to get started with a playable force, what the game is, and how much it will cost (approximately)

Warmaster

Warmaster is set in the Warhammer Fantasy Old World- or the world that was to you AOS players. It is played in 10mm, and uses square bases, so is designed as a massed army game. A lot of the game revolves around commanders giving orders, and the movement of the players' armies. Some people are going to enjoy this, others not so much. You can also use the rules for historical gaming, making this a very flexible ruleset to pick up and learn.

Having played the Lord of the Rings spin off, using the same rules, Warmaster is a very solid game, and was preferred by many to the 28mm rules at the time.

This was just £50 back in 2005!

So what about playing it today? First of all, you're going to want to go to Warmaster Revolution to find the rules for the game. This is a community revised edition, where a few of the rules have been refined using the later historical rules set. For models, if you have access to a 3D printer, it will be as easy as looking around- there are plenty of stl files out there. Some are very high quality, being tiny 10mm reproductions of classic Warhammer Fantasy miniatures.

If you don't have a 3D printer, you will find companies that print them for reasonable prices, or have a look on sites such as Etsy. Excellent Miniatures is worth a mention, holding licences to print some of the better quality Warmaster miniatures sculpts. a 1000 point army will cost somewhere in the region of £75-125, depending on the faction, giving you a sizeable force of 10mm models.

Epic: Armageddon

If sci-fi is more your scene, then this OOP game will see you playing 40k at a 6mm scale. Epic: Armageddon (also called Epic or Epic 40k) is focussed on large, army sized conflicts- without the focus on individual characters or powerful single units like in regular 40k.

The Classic 90s GW paintscheme

The Ruleset feels surprisingly modern in many ways- with a you-go-I-go activation system, and a small stat line, it isn't difficult to understand how a game of Epic works (Note: there are several editions of the game floating around, I'm specifically referring to 'Armageddon', but there are fans of other editions). 

Prices are going to vary wildly depending on army, and how you build it. You could even use Games Workshop's current Adeptus Titanicus/ Aeronautica Imperealis models if you wanted (the scaling is roughly the same- not noticeably different). Otherwise, models can be found on ebay- even still on the sprue, 3D printing is an option, especially for Imperial vehicles, and there are one or two companies which produce 6mm miniatures of 40k-like armies which would look great. For a 2000 point force, you may be able to put one together for £50-100, but the horde factions are going to be pushing that price.

Mordheim

Mordheim is a beloved skirmish game, which Warcry for some has still not filled the void left by its discontinuation. This is definitely a game for those who are interested in the narrative side of gaming, and keeping track of a warband through a campaign system- seeing models progress, gain skills, or, die forever. 

Mordheim is not a simple system. It isn't particularly streamlined either- this is not a streamlined game like Warcry. You're investing in a Mordheim for something which is a little more 'realistic', and to play in the gritty setting which the game has.

To get into Mordheim, go and pick up 1 box of fantasy miniatures, and you'll have enough to build your warband. If you want, you can still pick up some of the older miniatures from Games Workshop (especially for the Empire/Undead/Skaven aesthetic/warbands). For £10-30 you can get playing Mordheim!

Gorkamorka

You want to play a skirmish game in the 40k universe, but Kill Team and Necromunda has too much choice? Try Gorkamorka, a game where you play as Orks, or humans that think they're Orks.

Gorkamorka isn't going to be for everyone- the rules, while not extremely complicated- are similar to Mordheim in showing their age when compared to some of the more streamlined modern systems. If you like Orks though, and a Mad Max style, vehicle combat in the desert, Gorkamorka could be some good fun with like minded friends. With the new releases for Orks in 40k, your options for different looking warbands and vehicles have increased too.

The new Squighogs could be used as proxy Muties, or Warbikes for example!

To get started in Gorkamorka, a box of Ork boys and a truck for around the £50 mark will be enough to get started- and kitbashing is strongly recommended here!

Inquisitor (Inq28)

The last OOP I'm looking at is Inquisitor- or more accurately Inq28. The original Inquisitor used 54mm scale miniatures, and is therefore a little awkward to play as originally intended, unless you hunt down those original miniatures 2nd hand. Instead, the more common way to play is known as Inq28- tweaking the rules to use the same scale as 40k. Inq28 isn't just a game- it's also a sub-genre of hobby too- trying to build small Inquisitorial warbands (or similar) in a gritty, dark style (often overlapping with what is known as Blanchitsu).

You can even get a 28mm scale of Artemis, originally an Inquisitor model

Inquisitor is not exactly a 'wargame' though- it is more like a wargame-rpg hybrid. The rules are reasonably complicated, but when you start thinking of it more as an rpg, it isn't anymore difficult to learn than D&D, for example.

Due to this mix, Inquisitor needs very few models- a single box, or a character or too will be enough- meaning you can start Inq28 for around £10-30 quite easily. Inquistor is all about the story- so don't expect to find any form of competitive gaming here!