Shadow War: Armageddon General Discussion

[djmothra]

The rest of the factions pdf can be downloaded for free from GW website.

 

[Kitcar]

Oh well, another game it would be futile to collect, sold out. Saves me bucks.

 

[The Castle]

I'm going to be heading to a non GW store to have a look at the rule books later today. I'll try to remember to report back later.

 

[Ned Noodle]

I just don't get the hype surrounding this box set, I get the hype for the system it's self, it's all good, but this box set it lacklustre, overpriced nonsense. Your just paying to have it now, soon enough the rules will be free(if you don't already know most of them anyway). The models are old and chances are you already have them or don't want to play them anyway. The dice, templates and counters aren't exactly rocking horse s**t. So the only real draw of this boxes contents is the lovely terrain.
My view is wait and wax the whole £80 on the terrain sets when they are released.

 

[The Duke]

There is now a Shadow War category and a General Discussion area. We can break it up later once we decide on the specific areas and get some discussion going. There's also a Vault category for Shadow War to post any documents for it.

Thanks @Malo !!

The rest of the factions pdf can be downloaded for free from GW website.

See below

Also this:

A link to Online PDF for rules for all the initial release kill-teams in the game.

https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/ShadowWar/SWA_Killteams_ENG.pdf

Your welcome.

 

[The Duke]

I just don't get the hype surrounding this box set, I get the hype for the system it's self, it's all good, but this box set it lacklustre, overpriced nonsense. Your just paying to have it now, soon enough the rules will be free(if you don't already know most of them anyway). The models are old and chances are you already have them or don't want to play them anyway. The dice, templates and counters aren't exactly rocking horse s**t. So the only real draw of this boxes contents is the lovely terrain.
My view is wait and wax the whole £80 on the terrain sets when they are released.

I'm with you on this one @Ned Noodle

 

[cardyfreak]

I just don't get the hype surrounding this box set, I get the hype for the system it's self, it's all good, but this box set it lacklustre, overpriced nonsense. Your just paying to have it now, soon enough the rules will be free(if you don't already know most of them anyway). The models are old and chances are you already have them or don't want to play them anyway. The dice, templates and counters aren't exactly rocking horse s**t. So the only real draw of this boxes contents is the lovely terrain.
My view is wait and wax the whole £80 on the terrain sets when they are released.

I don't think it's the content people are excited about as much as it is what the box represents.
GW returning to the old 2nd ed rules is something many never thought would happen. The way GW was going it looked like they were gonna disassociate themselves entirely from Necromunda like it was some ugly ginger step child they didn't want to talk about anymore.
Then we hear Specialist Games is being refounded, that Necromunda is being revisited, and now they are producing a game so similar it might as well be called Necromunda. That's a lot to be excited about I'd say.

I'm disappointed they limited the initial run but I strongly suspect this will become a persisitantly available game. I still see these efforts by GW as hesitant toes in the water regarding expanding on their core games. Under Kirby none of this would be happening but Rowntree seems keen to take the company back to its roots a little and cater for more than just rich kids. Since the reissues of Space Hulk there's been a little more willingness to try new things- sure the assassin game was a little underwhelming but but the 30k games were met really positively by the gaming community, not least because it meant plastic 30k marines but because it represented a good change in GW's sales strategy. There was now persistent boxed games available to buy rather than the 'limited stock' shenanigans of Space Hulk et al.

Now again, although they've made this game limited, I think it represents an even bigger gamble on GW's behalf: a rollback to a system long thought obselte, one only kept alive in dark corners of the Internet like ours and other 2nd Ed enthusiasts. This brings it over to a whole new generation and if the thing is a success it could mean good things for the future of any Necromunda release.

Consider Blood Bowl for example. It was present in stores, receives not only resin Forgeworld figures, but relatively affordable boxed sets of plastic teams. Perhaps the success of a game using Necro rules might convince them to go in a little harder with the Necromunda reissue, possibly even expanding the SW:A scope to include gangs of indigenous fighters that can be made up with Necromunda gangs?

That's all just wishful thinking, but it would be nice to think the bean counters at gw would be looking at the sales figures for this game and thinking of other ways to capitalise on the clear call from the community that they are ready for another great 40k skirmish game to adorn their table tops.

The uphill struggle Necromunda always faced was that it was difficult to generate more sales in other GW lines because the gangs didn't transpose over to 40k, and 40k armies didn't transpose to it. SW:A seems to have resolved that issue, giving GW more leeway to potential make more SW:A specific models. If the newest edition of 40k reaches back to 2nd ed for some of its inspiration, and with the 'three ways to play' thing making its way over to 40k, it may inspire people to collect more esoteric and fluffy armies/war bands, with easily available PDF downloads for these niche groups of miniatures that now work across two, or even three of GW's games- 40k, SW:A, and Necro. For example, I could see plastic kits for Redemptionists selling like hot cakes- used as inquisitors or grey knights or whatever in 40k, as redemptionists proper or cultists if some other description in 40k, SW:A, and of course in Necro. Thatsbsomething they never achieved, but now might actually be possible!

TL; DR,
While this game isn't as earth shattering in terms of content as some would like, the return of the rule set could be interpreted as a positive omen for things to come...

 

[Azzabat]

Don't forget as well that Blood Bowl had a very large, very visible International base with regular tournaments. So it's understandable they went for BB in a big way, whereas 'Munda is more of an unknown market. They probably wanted to avoid another Dreadfleet debacle.

 

[The Duke]

I don't think it's the content people are excited about as much as it is what the box represents.
GW returning to the old 2nd ed rules is something many never thought would happen. The way GW was going it looked like they were gonna disassociate themselves entirely from Necromunda like it was some ugly ginger step child they didn't want to talk about anymore.
Then we hear Specialist Games is being refounded, that Necromunda is being revisited, and now they are producing a game so similar it might as well be called Necromunda. That's a lot to be excited about I'd say.
I'm disappointed they limited the initial run but I strongly suspect this will become a persisitantly available game. I still see these efforts by GW as hesitant toes in the water regarding expanding on their core games. Under Kirby none of this would be happening but Rowntree seems keen to take the company back to its roots a little and cater for more than just rich kids. Since the reissues of Space Hulk there's been a little more willingness to try new things- sure the assassin game was a little underwhelming but but the 30k games were met really positively by the gaming community, not least because it meant plastic 30k marines but because it represented a good change in GW's sales strategy. There was now persistent boxed games available to buy rather than the 'limited stock' shenanigans of Space Hulk et al.
Now again, although they've made this game limited, I think it represents an even bigger gamble on GW's behalf: a rollback to a system long thought obselte, one only kept alive in dark corners of the Internet like ours and other 2nd Ed enthusiasts. This brings it over to a whole new generation and if the thing is a success it could mean good things for the future of any Necromunda release.
Consider Blood Bowl for example. It was present in stores, receives not only resin Forgeworld figures, but relatively affordable boxed sets of plastic teams. Perhaps the success of a game using Necro rules might convince them to go in a little harder with the Necromunda reissue, possibly even expanding the SW:A scope to include gangs of indigenous fighters that can be made up with Necromunda gangs?
That's all just wishful thinking, but it would be nice to think the bean counters at gw would be looking at the sales figures for this game and thinking of other ways to capitalise on the clear call from the community that they are ready for another great 40k skirmish game to adorn their table tops.
The uphill struggle Necromunda always faced was that it was difficult to generate more sales in other GW lines because the gangs didn't transpose over to 40k, and 40k armies didn't transpose to it. SW:A seems to have resolved that issue, giving GW more leeway to potential make more SW:A specific models. If the newest edition of 40k reaches back to 2nd ed for some of its inspiration, and with the 'three ways to play' thing making its way over to 40k, it may inspire people to collect more esoteric and fluffy armies/war bands, with easily available PDF downloads for these niche groups of miniatures that now work across two, or even three of GW's games- 40k, SW:A, and Necro. For example, I could see plastic kits for Redemptionists selling like hot cakes- used as inquisitors or grey knights or whatever in 40k, as redemptionists proper or cultists if some other description in 40k, SW:A, and of course in Necro. Thatsbsomething they never achieved, but now might actually be possible!

TL; DR,
While this game isn't as earth shattering in terms of content as some would like, the return of the rule set could be interpreted as a positive omen for things to come...

I really hope that all of this is true, I always wanted an Eldar Warlock / Ranger Outcast Corsairs Killteam.... and would love to field a unit if Adepta Sororitas Inquisimunda styleee!!

 

[Jacob Dryearth]

I don't think it's the content people are excited about as much as it is what the box represents.
GW returning to the old 2nd ed rules is something many never thought would happen. The way GW was going it looked like they were gonna disassociate themselves entirely from Necromunda like it was some ugly ginger step child they didn't want to talk about anymore.
Then we hear Specialist Games is being refounded, that Necromunda is being revisited, and now they are producing a game so similar it might as well be called Necromunda. That's a lot to be excited about I'd say.
I'm disappointed they limited the initial run but I strongly suspect this will become a persisitantly available game. I still see these efforts by GW as hesitant toes in the water regarding expanding on their core games. Under Kirby none of this would be happening but Rowntree seems keen to take the company back to its roots a little and cater for more than just rich kids. Since the reissues of Space Hulk there's been a little more willingness to try new things- sure the assassin game was a little underwhelming but but the 30k games were met really positively by the gaming community, not least because it meant plastic 30k marines but because it represented a good change in GW's sales strategy. There was now persistent boxed games available to buy rather than the 'limited stock' shenanigans of Space Hulk et al.
Now again, although they've made this game limited, I think it represents an even bigger gamble on GW's behalf: a rollback to a system long thought obselte, one only kept alive in dark corners of the Internet like ours and other 2nd Ed enthusiasts. This brings it over to a whole new generation and if the thing is a success it could mean good things for the future of any Necromunda release.
Consider Blood Bowl for example. It was present in stores, receives not only resin Forgeworld figures, but relatively affordable boxed sets of plastic teams. Perhaps the success of a game using Necro rules might convince them to go in a little harder with the Necromunda reissue, possibly even expanding the SW:A scope to include gangs of indigenous fighters that can be made up with Necromunda gangs?
That's all just wishful thinking, but it would be nice to think the bean counters at gw would be looking at the sales figures for this game and thinking of other ways to capitalise on the clear call from the community that they are ready for another great 40k skirmish game to adorn their table tops.
The uphill struggle Necromunda always faced was that it was difficult to generate more sales in other GW lines because the gangs didn't transpose over to 40k, and 40k armies didn't transpose to it. SW:A seems to have resolved that issue, giving GW more leeway to potential make more SW:A specific models. If the newest edition of 40k reaches back to 2nd ed for some of its inspiration, and with the 'three ways to play' thing making its way over to 40k, it may inspire people to collect more esoteric and fluffy armies/war bands, with easily available PDF downloads for these niche groups of miniatures that now work across two, or even three of GW's games- 40k, SW:A, and Necro. For example, I could see plastic kits for Redemptionists selling like hot cakes- used as inquisitors or grey knights or whatever in 40k, as redemptionists proper or cultists if some other description in 40k, SW:A, and of course in Necro. Thatsbsomething they never achieved, but now might actually be possible!

TL; DR,
While this game isn't as earth shattering in terms of content as some would like, the return of the rule set could be interpreted as a positive omen for things to come...

Well said. Although, I've heard some rumbling that this release was botched. Reports that GW store managers not knowing it was "while supplies last" until Friday. My local manager said he'd love to sell it to me, but can't. That's not the rollout people expected after the trade shows and marketing, people thought this would be a new permanent boxed game.

I worry for the future of a game this limited, sure the rules will be release in PDF, but since most gamers under 30 aren't going to own artillery dice how will they play if it's limited edition?

So here's to hoping they sort this out and make this as available as Blood Bowl.

 

[Ned Noodle]

I'm in total agreement with you @cardyfreak, I'm loving the way GW is going about things now, ther recent boxed game spam has been something I've wanted to see for a long time, especially this latest release. Everything about shadow wars is great and I completely get the hype surrounding this new venture into skirmish gaming, it's just for me personally this boxed set doesn't offer anything new and I suspect this to be true of most people already enjoying skirmish gaming. My only gripe is with the box set, which admittedly is for selfish reasons.
I do really like the whole concept behind shadow wars, all inclusive factions, low entry point and simplified rules will help bring fresh blood into campaign skirmish gaming and may even channel people into necromunda(for real), inquisimunda, gorkamorka and mordhiem, breeding the next generation of hobbyist enjoying the same basic core system that we all know and love and that makes necromunda one of the best campaign skirmish miniatures games ever realised.
I wish this game every success as it can only be good for a community such as this one.

 

[Howks]

part of a conversation from instagram I was involved in..

I'm neither malev or warboards... this jus croppped up later in the convo

 

[NoobLord]

Well if that is all true then I'll be able to get the rules for free, scratch build terrain, and buy one box of infantry and save myself a pile of cash. My wallet thanks you GW!

 

[Howks]

Well if that is all true then I'll be able to get the rules for free, scratch build terrain, and buy one box of infantry and save myself a pile of cash. My wallet thanks you GW!

The rules coming out for free.. not so sure on. They may hold back on that now due to popularity but if it does happen, I'm not expecting it to be anytime within the next 2 weeks anyway...

 

[The Duke]

part of a conversation from instagram I was involved in.. View attachment 11278

I'm neither malev or warboards... this jus croppped up later in the convo

Great stuff!, I'll be saving my pennies for the wicked-ace terrain sets then!

 

[MusingWarboss]

I just don't get the hype surrounding this box set, I get the hype for the system it's self, it's all good, but this box set it lacklustre, overpriced nonsense. Your just paying to have it now, soon enough the rules will be free(if you don't already know most of them anyway). The models are old and chances are you already have them or don't want to play them anyway. The dice, templates and counters aren't exactly rocking horse s**t. So the only real draw of this boxes contents is the lovely terrain.
My view is wait and wax the whole £80 on the terrain sets when they are released.

I suspect a lot of people may have bought sets for discount scenery anyway. I do get the hype, it's not the golden return of Necromunda that many wanted for sure but it is a return to a style and ruleset that many thought GW had long abandoned. I have a suspicion now that 40k 8th may well be heading back to the days of 2nd and this product was intended to test the waters and to encourage thinking for skirmish games too. It may well be that it is deliberately limited because they never intended it to compete against 40k proper. Which it kinda does a bit. If 8th arrives in the last quarter of 2017 as some have predicted then it's of no surprise that a game like SW:A would be essentially a stop gap measure until it arrives.

Any new Necromunda may well use the core of the current (8th Edition) rules as a base rather than sticking with classic 1995 'munda.

Well said. Although, I've heard some rumbling that this release was botched. Reports that GW store managers not knowing it was "while supplies last" until Friday. My local manager said he'd love to sell it to me, but can't. That's not the rollout people expected after the trade shows and marketing, people thought this would be a new permanent boxed game.

I worry for the future of a game this limited, sure the rules will be release in PDF, but since most gamers under 30 aren't going to own artillery dice how will they play if it's limited edition?

So here's to hoping they sort this out and make this as available as Blood Bowl.

I would say this release has been botched, if only because they left out the crucial information about it's availability! I don't want to be too harsh on GW and I don't subscribe to conspiracy theories about them deliberately holding back a stock run to cause a shortage to increase demand. It seems pretty plain that they never intended this to be a product that has longevity on its side.

I have to say though that I find a PDF a poor substitute for a boxed game - or even a printed rulebook. Like most wargamers I like the tactile physical nature of the models and books, if I wanted electronic then computer games offer a better fix for that. In fact I could play Borderlands right now and get quite a bit of Necromunda type computery action.

I just find PDFs a bit inconvenient for non-linear usage, having to scroll back and forth looking for things and needing a device with power all the time. Books are king for me in that regard!!

Also, as you say... dice. Not just dice though, the whole experience of having the boxed game. I can't download the scenery to accompany the PDF so unless someone already has a copy and you join them on theirs its a bit of a weak response.

I also don't like the marketing ploy of saying, just buy all the scenery separately. If that was the case, they should have just released it and included a link to the rule PDF in the box and on the website and dispense with the pretense that this was a fully fledged product. Any case, it's going to cost a whole lot more to do that than but the boxed set. They already make discount army bundles masquerading as games and release the bits separately so why not release the SW:A as a scenery discount bundle which has an actual game included? I fear it's because its rules are far too playable and its very expandible meaning as hinted above, it could suck players away from 40k proper. I mean, its an actual game system not just a few one-off scenarios and game tiles.

 

[Flamekebab]

I have a suspicion now that 40k 8th may well be heading back to the days of 2nd and this product was intended to test the waters and to encourage thinking for skirmish games too. It may well be that it is deliberately limited because they never intended it to compete against 40k proper.

I spoke to the manager at my local on Friday and by the sounds of it you're spot on that it's deliberately supposed to be different from 8th edition 40K. This fills the niche of complex gameplay but with units that will fit right into 40K (the weapon options they have in Shadow War are the same as they have in 40K, I'm told).

 

[AndeeT]

I am starting to think that;

SW;A box set = chum

we = sharks

GW = The fat dood with greasy hair and a bottle of champagne in hand standing on the 60 foot yacht.


...just a thought

 

[Miskatonic]

Ugh, it's SUPER frustrating having part of the rules but not being able to read the full rulebook. I was busy over the weekend and my local GW store isn't open Monday or Tuesday. While there are a few pages that have been scanned -- http://imgur.com/a/7FVNg -- I'm still hoping for the rest. I'd gladly pay a few bucks for an official PDF or an app like they did with Stormcloud Attack.

 

[Krenie]

This is just crazy - What other company out there frustrates their customer base with such regularity that is still in business? Bummed about not being able to get a copy.