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Blast from the past! 2nd edition Blood Angels take the stage


knife&fork

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Seeing as we have a lot of older players in our club that fondly remeber 2nd ed 40k it's about time for some old-school 40k action!

http://i.imgur.com/w7Xzh8d.jpg?1

For those of you who entered the hobby at a later stage (or weren't born yet), let me tell you a bit about how the game worked back then.

The 2nd ed that came out in 1993 was a simplification and streamlined overhaul of the first 40k rule set, aka rogue trader. Rogue trader 40k started out as a roleplaying/skirmish hybrid which lost much of the random table rolling and RP elements over the years.

With 2nd ed the game started to look a lot more like what we have today but it was still very much a skirmish game. Most armies had a single or few vehicles. A marine army at 1500 pts rarely broke 40 models total.

http://i.imgur.com/g1L6Uix.jpg

The 2nd ed rules allow for a lot of tactical depth compared to 3rd and onwards. It's a very detailed rule set where most of the complexity is found in the base rules. (As opposed to the current rules that are simpler with more abstractions while the depth is in large parts added in the form of various universal special rules) This results in more control over the battlefield at the expense of extra bookkeeping. Close combat for instance is fought on a model to model basis rather than unit to unit.

Shooting was extremely deadly with longer range on most weapons and multiple wounds are common. The multi melta we know and love today was even nastier back in those days; 24" range, S8, 4" blast and 2D12 wounds!

Everything also had a movement stat and you use to hit and save modifiers like in WHFB. Oh, plus lots and lots of cardboard.... (GW must really have hated trees back then? tongue.png )

http://i.imgur.com/cQxl7s3.jpg?1

I'll touch on more of these quirks and differences in the upcoming battle report.

Anyway, this Sunday it's time to relive the olden golden days with battle against the grate enemy, the vile servants of Chaos.

Blood Angels, 2nd edition, 1500 pts

Techmarine (force commander)

servo arm

33 pts

Veteran Assault Squad (10 man)

jump packs, blind grenades, 2 plasma guns, 2 plasma pistols and 7 chainswords.

Refractor field and powerglove for the sergeant

455 pts

Assault Squad (10 man)

jump packs. blind grenades, 2 flamers, 7 chainswords

veteran sergeant with bionic leg

420 pts

Terminator squad (5 man)

assault cannon, 2 chainfists

sergeant with power sword

360 pts

Dreadnought

Multimelta

Lightning claw + heavy flamer

autolauncher with blind grenades

222 pts

1500 pt total

(for those wondering; 'blind' are grenades that produce LoS blocking clouds of smoke.)

If nothing else, this is definitely a blast from the past, knife&fork, I love it! Man I wish I hadn't given away everything from that box set. :( My last push-fit Marines from it went to my little brothers one Christmas because they wanted to learn to paint so bad.

 

Look forward to the battle report!

This is really neat!  I was still pooping my pants when 2nd came out and I only entered during late 3rd.  I've always wondered how 2nd edition games played out, especially with BAngels, so I'm looking forward to a batrep.

 

EDIT: Wow, 455 points for an assault squad.  Out of curiosity, why so many upgrades on the assault squads?

EDIT: Wow, 455 points for an assault squad. Out of curiosity, why so many upgrades on the assault squads?

Good question!

In this edition the base squads are quite expensive and the upgrades generally less so, except in the case of heavy weapons. They also bring a lot of utility compared to just buying more marines.

The veteran assault squad starts at 330 pts! 380 with jump packs. A plasma pistol (which can be used in close combat, by the way) on the other hand only costs 5 pts, plasma guns are 8 pts.

Since all marines with vet stats have WS and BS 5 you get a lot of bang for your buck.

Another difference in 2nd is that special and heavy weapons are free to split fire, with some restrictions, allowing for a more realistic target priority. This means that in a regular tac squad your las-cannon marine is free to shoot at the battle wagon or dreadnought while the other marines in the same unit mow down grots with their bolters.

It also makes devastator squads with mixed weapons useful as you can fire at up to 5 different targets under the right circumstances.

Oh, and every model with a grenade can throw it in the shooting phase. No arbitrary "1 grenade per unit" limit. smile.png

Heh, I never thought to look at the points costs in the Angels of Death codex I bought a few months ago.  That's pretty neat how squads could split fire.  It definitely would make me consider using tactical squads and devastators.  That BS5 plasma assault veteran squad is scary.

 

I also find it hilarious a techmarine is only a measly 33 points!  I suppose he's going to be dready's little bro keeping that multi melta pumping the pain.

Heh, I never thought to look at the points costs in the Angels of Death codex I bought a few months ago.  That's pretty neat how squads could split fire.  It definitely would make me consider using tactical squads and devastators.  That BS5 plasma assault veteran squad is scary.

 

I also find it hilarious a techmarine is only a measly 33 points!  I suppose he's going to be dready's little bro keeping that multi melta pumping the pain.

 

Actually I made a mistake there, he's 43 pts with the servo arm.

 

The techmarine is mandatory for taking any vehicle or support weapon, other than rhinos. He does have a repair rule similar to his modern equivalent, but he can also take over for crew that has been killed or left a vehicle. (a predator for instance have 3 space marine crew with bolt pistols)

That servo arm will also function as a second crewman if needed, funky!

 

Are we going to get to see some ancient funky models?

 

A few yes, but mostly the 2nd ed sculpts I already use. At least in the first game.

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