Let's Play: Rogue Trader

 

I don’t think it's controversial to say that Warhammer 40k is not in the best of places as a game. Terrible rules, terrible game balance and very high prices all combine to make this, the 9^th edition of the game, a really sub par experience, for me at least.

Since this is the 9^th edition of the game, there are plenty of previous versions to pick from. All you need is a few old rule books, and some like minded friends to play with.

In 1987 Games Workshop released its first edition, Warhammer 40,000 Rogue Trader, or Rogue Trader for short. The game itself is remarkably similar, in the core game rules if nothing else, to the game we have now. Where it differs is essentially in the scale. Rogue Trader was designed as a Skirmish RPG, and the scale and rules reflect this. While it has its flaws; poorly written and organised rules being most notable (the rules for movement are found in 3 different places), and the less said about the vehicle rules as written, the better, it is essentially a game with a lot of soul.

The most significant difference is how the game is ‘meant’ to be played, and the rule book is quite explicit in laying this out. Rogue Trader is meant to have 3 participants. 2 players, and a Games master. The missions are intended to have asymmetric objectives, with each side being given a mission brief by the GM, who in addition to serving the role as an arbiter if there is a rules disagreement, also controls everything that isn’t one of the players forces, be it flora, fauna, or any recklessly unmarked minefields. While ‘competitive’ play is referenced, and there are army lists of a sort, these are mostly guidelines. The missions are not meant to be balanced in the traditional sense, instead they are meant to be a fun experience for all involved.

My memories of Rogue Trader are quite fond, and while I did play a quite a few games before 2^nd edition was released in late 1993 and quickly discarded it in favour of the ‘newer and better’ system, looking back, Rogue Trader is by far, the much more charming game, both in the presentation of the main rulebook, and in the way it encourages you to use your imagination in inventing your own missions, units and vehicles.

This is a fairly long winded way of saying that I’m putting the playing of the current iteration of 40k on the back burner for now, and instead I’m going to go back to the beginning, as it were, and play 40k, as it was in 1987. Just 2 Boxed sets, some blisters. No vehicles, no expensive terrain and a lot of kit bashing, trash bashing and scratch building.

The First Boxed set released was RTB01. These are the classic beakies, or as released ‘Imperial Space Marines’. As plastic miniatures they are very hard to find in mint condition, the majority of the ones you will find need work, a LOT of work. I’ve also picked up what amounts to a complete terminator boxed set, with a few extras. The Terminators weren't released at launch, players had to wait well over a year for RT rules as Space Hulk, where they made their first appearance, had not been released yet

I am also fortunate enough to have received a gift of some 3D printed dreadnoughts, a Contemptor, Deredeo and Furibundus (I have no idea which is which) from a good friend of mine

Along side this was RTB02, or ‘Space Ork Raiders’ a completely metal kit with 17 miniatures. Some trawling through eBay has given me the opportunity to pick up a few more than were in the original boxed set, together with a later release, a space ork buggy.

And finally we have a couple of the original plastic Imperial guard (or imperial Army as per the Rogue Trader book) miniatures, in the not greatest condition.

I’ve got a lot of work ahead of me, and a whole battlefield to build if I want to play through Battle at the farm from the Rogue Trader rulebook, and then Skirmish on Rynns world from WD94, but more about that next time