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Wargame Rules / Sci-Fi
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Displaying Reviews: 1 - 1
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The perfect Introduction to the 40K Universe!
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Reviewed by Antar Howarth (info@totalmodel.com) November 17, 2004
Back in August (2004), Games Workshop released the much anticipated 4th edition of the Warhammer 40k rules. Unlike previous releases, however, the new hardback rule book was sold alone - not as a part of a boxed set complete with the usual figures and scenery. GW claimed that this was because the rules (reviewed elsewhere) were aimed at existing/experienced 40k gamers. Newcomers to the hobby, they said, would be treated to an all new starter set called Battle for Macragge.
This is it!
I must confess that when I first heard about Battle for Macragge I was a little suspicious. There was a lot of talk in the wind about a "simplified rule book" and new figures "which won't be available anywhere else". Call me Mr Cynical but such phrases are often intoned only when it becomes apparent that the objects in question will never sell anyway. What better way to clear the shelf marked "experimental" than by bundling everything into a shiny box and calling it a starter set.
Of course, I'm only telling you all this because I now know that I was completely wrong!
The set contains 10 plastic Space Marine figures and 24 Tyranids - a mixture of Genestealers, Termagents and Spore Mines. As previously stated, the Marines in BfM are of a new design. Unlike standard figures, which are constructed from several parts all of which must be glued together, the new Marines consist of a single body moulding. The only separate components are the backpack and weapons. Each of these has a "plug" moulded on the back and is attached to the main body simply by pushing it into to the corresponding recess. No glue is required and so it takes only a matter of seconds to construct each Marine. Better still, these new figures are very nicely detailed - comparable to the standard Marines - and a far cry from the very first "push together" plastics that were released along with the 2nd edition of 40k some years ago.
The set also contains a special character figure. This is Lieutenant Varras who plays a key role in most of the game's scenarios. He is shown carrying a geneseed canister which - sadly - makes him look not unlike a physio ready to sprint on to the football pitch with his bottles of isotonic hoo-haa and magic sponge!
I digress.
As well as figures the box contains a nice selection of scenery. Much of the action in the game takes place around the wreckage of a crashed transport ship. Most fans will recognise this immediately as the Aquila lander which is sold as a resin kit by Forge World. Sadly, no amount of filing and gluing will resurrect the ship inside the Battle for Macragge set. All you get are 5 fairly large sections of wreckage which are half buried in the ground. There is also a small selection of Tyranid Hive Nodes and Infestation Markers, plus a few odds and ends for conducting the Macragge scenarios. Again, like the figures, the scenery is very well done. The crashed ship, in particular, is a cracker.
The remaining contents of the box include dice, templates and the ubiquitous range rules. There is also a scaled down version of the new 40k rule book. When I first heard about this I assumed it would be a thin interpretation of the most basic rules. Far from it. The scaled down version is just that. It contains the first 86 pages of the official hardback rule book but reduced to half the physical size. In other words, you get all the core rules but none of the background material or modelling tips. Strangely, this makes it far more user friendly than the "proper" rule book which, because it shares the dimensions of a weighty encyclopedia, can be a little unwieldy!
Perhaps the best thing about the Battle for Macragge is the slim scenario book. Here I believe GW have done a grand job. This set is aimed at newcomers and the only way it will ever capture their imagination is if it leads them, very carefully by the hand, through the basic concepts of the game. That's exactly what it does. The first scenario has Lieutenant Varras trying to escape from one edge of the battlefield to the other. The only enemies are a number of Tyranid Spore Mines which float around in random directions. The spores cannot shoot at Varras but will explode if they come into contact with him. If the character makes all the right moves, therefore, he will surely live to fight another day. This is exactly what he does - most of the time - which is good because in the very next scenario a bunch of Space Marines turn up to rescue him. Unfortunately, (cough-cough) the well-armed soldiers of the Emperor cannot shoot for fear of attracting more enemies. As luck would have it, however, one Marine is armed with a flamethrower, which hardly makes any noise, so everyone had best gather behind him as he leads the way...
And so it goes on - step by patient step. OK, so it's a bit simple and contrived, but contrived in just the right way to make the experience easily palatable and fun. That's the whole point. The designers have put a lot of work into the structure of the scenarios with the result that the learning curve is just right. Newcomers to the game will revel as things unfold, secure in the knowledge that they will never be overwhelmed by stats and rules, and at the same time carried along as each scenario gathers pace.
If you're thinking of buying a present for a youngster who's showing an increasing interest in all things Games Workshop - this is it. Terrific.
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39
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43
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