Retroreview E2 - Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay

A Marxist Allegory

What is Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay? To the untrained eye it may appear a roleplaying game in the Old World. Nothing could be closer to the truth but look deeper. Within that truth is a hidden allegory. Coded within the pages of our favourite disaster simulator is pure Marxist propaganda.

For those who seize the means of character generation and define their own destiny; WHFRP is a chance to explore with choice and freedom a world of deprivation and horror. Never play with those kinds of entitled bourgeois gamers. Let the dice decide your fate and witness the full horrors of class based society and dead end careers.

Unlike Dungeons and Dragons wherein the gentrification of the adventuring class is laid bare; WHFRP doesn't shy away from placing the noble Elf scholar alongside the diseased and mutated Gong farmer. Whilst Call of Cthulhu allows players to slowly unfold the creeping horror around them; WHFRP considers such mind warping terrors mere background noise. Just like Capitalism. 

Our heroes assemble...

If you are lucky your career roll may throw up something with prospects like Rat Catcher or Pit Fighter. Oh the lucky git who starts with ranged weaponry in the form of a decent sling and rats for sustenance. Should that Rat Catcher survive the perils of the world to advance then a strong constitution, weapon skills and a eye for deadly traps will reflect their journey. Given the chance, a promising future as a Grave Robber for you and your Small yet vicious dog can be yours.

Unfortunately you rolled Scholar. You'll die within five minutes after being assaulted by a gang of rats, some drunk at the tavern will nick your 5D6 gold crowns and if you somehow live long enough for your knowledge of plants to be useful... the only career prospects involved customer service or going into increasingly dangerous places.

Maybe Jim will roll bet... oh great. He rolled a fucking Hypnotist. Of course he did. We are so screwed.

A Game, An experience

So what wonderful things will we be doing? Maybe when we've found a wizard to apprentice one of our number we can hurl fireballs? I mean we'd have to find a way to carry sulphur without stinking first. At this stage we also have a general Labourer following us around because that's what Emma rolled. I only mention our Labourer friend because some guy at the Tavern nicked my Gold Crowns; now Bob the Labourer is lording it over us with his packed lunch, prick.

Anyway there are rumours of strange goings on at the mill. We are wholly unqualified to investigate. We are wholly unqualified to do anything so we try anyway. A evening of asking around and I've misplaced my quill, some guy in the tavern has nicked the Hypnotist's silver charm and the packed lunch has been eaten. We are also led to believe strange lights inhabit the mill at midnight. It can't be any more dangerous than being in town.

To get to the mill without being seen we send the Labourer up a wall with a rope. The Labourer is by far our most skilled companion with the legendary 'scale sheer surfaces'. The Labourer should also have 'Consume Alcohol' but Emma never revealed how badly she rolled in character generation. Our drunk Labourer falls into the Reik and is never seen again. The splash alerts the lone Footpad standing guard, who proceeds to slit the throat of Jim's hypnotist whilst I leg it. Adventure Success! 1/3 survival rate!

In Summary

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay is one of the finest games ever written. Forget heroics, forget grand schemes and grander conspiracies. Grab some friends, grab some dice and spend an evening bouncing from one pathetic disaster to the next. Should you survive long enough to make a second session who knows what tragedy awaits? Fucking brilliant.

Rating

A resounding D4 Pots and Pans, D6 x 100 Pins, 3D6 small knives and D6 reels of coloured ribbon.

Praetogryns

A wonderful friend was having a clear out and kindly sent me some Warhammer Ogres. Seizing the opportunity I sliced the bodies up, added some plasticard spacers, abbreviated the bellies and threw some Ogryn bitz at what remained. 

That was ages ago. I now have two weeks away from my hobby space. Fortunately these were in a handy box along with my sculpting tools. Time for the 42nd Desert Grox to get their auxiliary support finished.

An Interview with Danie Ware

Once again I have had the privilege of interviewing one of the talented writers published by Black Library. Most exciting of all a talented writer exploring my all time favourite part of the Warhammer 40,000 universe; The Adepta Sororitas. 

Join me as I delve into the mind of veteran gamer, experienced writer and first woman to write for the Adepta Sororitas since their first appearance back in Rogue Trader. The immense badass Danie Ware...

As a veteran gamer and someone used to clanking around a battlefield in metal; how do you use this experience in your writing? When we read about the Sisters of Battle striding across the battlefield are we reading about your own exploits?

Yes and no – it doesn’t really translate directly, but it does come across in a more visceral sense. If you’ve ever been in the middle of a re-enactment battle, it’s all clatter and shout and noise and dust, and getting pushed off your feet, and its all about the speed of your reactions and how fast you can react to incoming blows. Sometimes it’s pure instinct, you don’t even see them.

For the Sisters, though, I fell back on the years I spent in the Cadets, running around with an old .303, and then in the TA while I was at Uni. That’s the experience that has really come across in writing Augusta and her squad, and the thing that has stood me in good stead. I know what that’s like, what the commands are and how you react to them. Funny how these youthful experiences have come in so useful, so much later in my life!

We first had the privilege of reading your work with Black Library in the short story ‘Mercy’ and ‘The Bloodied Rose’ Novella. How does it feel to explore the Adepta Sororitas further in the upcoming ‘Wreck and Ruin’? 

I’ve had a huge amount fun writing all the fighting and the singing and the stomping confrontations – so in Wreck and Ruin, I wanted to take Augusta and her squad in a new direction, and let them face something a little more subtle and complex. The story tears Augusta between her strict code of discipline, and defying that discipline to do what she feels is right. 

I don’t want to say any more without giving away major spoilers, but it’s less of a dungeonbash and more of a tale of wit and wariness, and of working out who the bad guys really are.

Previously the Sisters of Battle have been explored by James Swallow and the tales of Sister Miriya. Did these books serve as a foundation for your characterisation of the Sisterhood? Was there anything you set out to alter and update?

Absolutely, James’s books have been chapter and verse, to coin an appropriate phrase. I’d read them both anyway, but when I started research for Augusta properly, I went though them like they were ‘A’ level texts, literally line by line with a highlighter pen, making extensive notes about background, terminology, phaseology, everything I could think of. There are places where I’ve taken Sororitas combat-tactics, lessons or prayers verbatim from things that James had already written – and I’ve felt that the continuity has been important.

Because of the Cadet/TA experiences, mentioned above, the thing I changed was the focus on squad, rather than on individual. James’s books are very much about Miriya and Verity, and I wanted to use traditional military tactics to emphasise the squad’s discipline and manoeuvring, their interdependence and their combat-cohesion. Augusta, obviously, stays front and centre, but I likewise wanted to make sure that each of the other Sisters was a character in her own right. (I might have had ‘Aliens; in my head, at this point). This is why I chose to take a different Order – to make the stronger military structure a feature of The Bloody Rose.

The last choice was to make Augusta older – she’s in her mid-to late forties, and (I hope) that her age and experience come across in her character, in how she operates in the field, and in how she treats the rest of her squad. And I rather like the idea that The Sisters of Battle can be all ages, as long as they’re competent enough to survive!

What part of writing for Black Library has bought you the most joy or excitement?

Having been a war/gamer for much of my life, its been a lot fun getting to do my hobby professionally – and any author gets a wonderful kick out of seeing their books really happen, seeing their characters come to life for cover art and audio book. 

The thing that’s really struck me, though, has been the feeling of community. The Black Library Weekender was very different to any other SFF book Con I have ever been to, because it had real, dedicated fans – and they’re deeply passionate about the hobby, about the mythology and the fiction, and about everything that goes with them. It was a real treat to feel like a part of that big family, and that feeling has spilled out into my Social Media streams, and it remains very strong.

As an experienced writer and veteran of the hobby, what would you like to change or add to the Warhammer 40,000 universe?

STOP THE RIDICULOUS BLOODY BOOB ARMOUR!!! I know it’s all silly, and I know the boob armour isn’t really any sillier than anything else, and I know that it sells figures... but it’s one of those things that really bugs me. I’ve worn full armour, I’ve seen ladies of curve in full armour, and no woman has two huge and prominent half-globes stuck on her chest...

Seriously, though, I’m very glad to see more women in the hobby – more lady gamers, lady wargamers, lady painters and modellers. I’ve flown the flag for lady geeks since I first started playing D&D in 1988, since I first wore armour on the Vike battlefield in the early 90s, and I’m very happy to encourage more women to come and find out what it’s all about!

Bio:

Danie Ware is a single working Mum with long-held interests in role-playing, re-enactment, vinyl art toys and personal fitness. She went to an all-boys' public school, gained an English degree from UEA, and spent most of her twenties clobbering her friends with an assortment of steel cutlery. These days, she juggles writing books and raising a teenager with working for Forbidden Planet (London) Ltd. In those rare times when she's not writing, working, or on manoeuvres with her son, she usually falls over exhausted.

Danie is the author of the critically acclaimed Ecko series, published by Titan Books and Children of Artifice, an urban fairy story, published by Fox Spirit Books. She writes Sisters of Battle for the Black Library, and Judge Anderson for Rebellion Publishing, and she has had short stories published in numerous anthologies. She lives in Carshalton, south London, with her son and two cats. You can find her online at danieware.com or @danacea.

An Interview with Gav Thorpe

Last year I had the good fortune to interview the one and only Gav Thorpe. A legend within Games Workshop and wider gaming circles. It was originally published on Table-Top Test and now re-posted here.

Gav Thorpe

What has been the most rewarding part of building such strong foundations for the stories and games we currently enjoy through Games Workshop?

I think it is that idea of legacy. Aside from taking satisfaction from individual bits of background I created or expanded, there’s a sense of being part of this ongoing venture. These days a lot of folks coming into the hobby will only know me as a Black Library author, but when they talk about some cool piece of lore I helped develop, or build an army based on something I’ve written, it’s nice to know that those ideas are still inspiring fans the way I was inspired by what came before (and what’s still being written).

And then you get something like the Ynnari, where an idea that was almost throwaway at the time gets picked up by the writers and turned into this whole big thing! Back in the mists of time, it was things like the ‘quiescent perils of the C’tan’ mentioned in the Codex Imperialis book that inspired the team to develop a huge chunk of history and a new race; it’s gratifying to think that my words continue to do the same to for the current crop of writers and developers.

You are well known for a commitment to representing all fans. Have you faced any barriers or opposition when dusting the narrative cobwebs from the Black Library shelves?

I don’t think there’s opposition from within GW itself, but there are barriers when trying to evolve ideas that have been three decades in the making. Given a blank sheet, ideas about trans-humanism could be explored very differently, form Space Marines to the Adeptus Mechanicus to portrayal of gender and body modification in the Aeldari. There’s not so much an overt barrier to overcome, simple the same weight of legacy I mentioned in the first answer.

How do you personally approach the concept of ‘canon’ and narrative consistency in Games Workshop literature and games?

There is no canon. The closest to such a thing is the latest iteration of codexes, rule books and battle tomes. These contained established ‘facts’ about the universes and their history. Facts that are true at that moment, but possibly weren’t before or will be after. I tend towards the expansive, inclusive approach in which something remains true in the universe until explicitly contradicted or ruled out. Something referenced in a battle report piece of colour text back in White Dwarf 231? Yep, that’s true to a given value of truth even now. But there’s been so much written over that time we cannot expect anyone to be entirely consistent with every line of text ever written.

When I was writing the Legacy of Caliban series, and Christian Dunn was also working on Dark Angels, we tried to compile a list of current company commanders. That was okay. But then once we started looking into what had been said about when Azreal took over as Chapter Master, or the histories of other characters, anomalies appeared. Did we go with what was in his codex description, or Forge World’s Siege of Vraks material? In those instances it goes back to whether it’s a codex or not, and how recent was it written.

And personal preference… Everyone had an ideas of how certain things should or shouldn’t work. There’s bits of background that we gloss over because they would ruin a story, or don’t gel with our personal view. And that’s fine. Other than some current ‘facts’ the universes are defined by individual interpretation. Some of us are privileged enough that we get to write stories and books, but if we considered them definitive in any way we’d paint ourselves into a corner pretty quickly. Guy Haley’s recently written books about the Blood Angels and the Tyranids, so does that rule out anyone ever writing about or collecting Blood Angels in the Dark Imperium timeline that doesn’t adhere exactly to what he’s written? Of course not. There has to be room for players and writers and painters and modelers to create what they want, without constantly looking over their shoulders or second-guessing what might come in the future.

If nothing else, the sheet output of material these days makes the idea of anything but a loose framework of facts unmanageable – much like the Imperium itself!

Both Warhammer 40,000 and Age of Sigmar have undergone some profound changes in recent years. If you could make one significant addition to either game right now, what would it be?

I’m not really concerned with additions – that’s like the world-building thing I’ve just been talking about. I like exploring themes within the context of the universes, which comes down to creating characters and story lines that enable that.

Although, thinking about it, between my Phoenix Lords novels and where I’m going with Rise of the Ynnari, I am using the fiction to flesh out the events of the Fall and the War in Heaven. As an Eldar fan that’s immensely satisfying.

What advice would you give to upcoming writers looking to add their exciting ideas to the Warhammer 40,000 or Age of Sigmar worlds?

Concentrate on the story first. I get some folks that talk about how they want to delve into this obscure piece of background, or write about a character that they feel hasn’t got enough attention from twenty years ago. That’s cool, but that seems to me more like an exercise in world building rather than storytelling. If that’s your thing, keep an eye out for openings in the GW narrative team, not BL submissions windows!

As much as it appeals on personal level to flesh out this piece of universe for yourself, what really stands the test of time is a good story. That has to be point A and B and C, and if you can do it whilst creating your own Chapter of Space Marines, or delving into some obscure timeline reference about the Halo Star, or re-imagining the adventures of Obi-Wan Sherlock Clouseau then go for it.

Plunderbolt - Making a Thunderbolt fighter

Since the launch of Forgeworld I have longed to own the amazing Imperial Navy aircraft they produce. Whilst entirely reasonable for huge chunks of resin; the prices have always been beyond my means. Fortunately I had some generous relatives and purchased a Valkyrie kit for my birthday.

Fuselage

This was the make or break stage for the whole model. Get the proportions wrong here and the end result could be disastrous. There was a lot of seconding guessing myself and balancing components precariously. Eventually a solution presented itself.

The twin tails of the Valkyrie formed the sides with the top of the Valkyrie becoming the top rear of the fuselage. The inserts that would have attached to the inside edges of the tails became the bottom sections of the rear fuselage.

At this point the fuselage had taken on a beautiful taper. I also had a straight line running the length of the model from which to build put from. Brilliant. All that was left for this phase of the build was adding a plasticard strip to the bottom of the structure.

Wings

The Valkyrie provides a sturdy pair of wings and jet engines. To begin I attached the engines to the wings. The engines are tapered on one side due to how they sit on the parent kit; it was crucial at this point to fix the wings on the centre line and not be distracted by the flat surface. As the front of the Plunderbolt will be heavily built up I elected to have the detail side of the jets downwards where they could be admired.

As to the positioning of the wings I played around until the proportions looked right. As there wasn't a specific plan here you could say I was... winging it.

Nose

I had intended to save time by adjusting the front of the tail sections. After a few failed attempts I figured it was best to put in the work and do the job properly. Quick application of a hobby saw removed the front from which I took measurements to guide the drafting process.

I'd love to say the drafting process was all my own work. It was based heavily on the designs in a papercraft Thunderbolt pattern I had studied beforehand.

At this stage I neglected to fill the gap in the turbine casing. An oversight I came to regret later.

Engine Casing

To get the iconic look of the Thunderbolt I needed to build up from this base. No point going with sleek and speedy when you can make it a celebration of Brutalist principles. 

This process required several different layers, each building on the previous and tapering up over the fuselage. Key features of the design include the chunky cabling over each engine and the vents either side of the cockpit.

The Plunderbolt started to look really nice as the engine casing took shape. Due to slight variations it was necessary to tailor each side rather than making one template for both. On some models this isn't an issue but I wanted smooth transitions between sections. It was worth the extra effort. The image above shows the gaps in the turbine casing I had neglected to cover and still hadn't noticed at this stage.

Fuselage revisited

It was time to taper. A fine balance between raising the height of the fuselage to fit the iconic cabling each side... and not completely obscuring the pilot's forward view. I made a habit of placing the canopy on the cockpit regularly to get a feel for the overall proportions.

Greebling

My golden rule for terrain making is 'texture, texture, texture'. When making a model like this we need a fancier term: Greeble. Essentially sticking stuff on a boring shape to make it look cooler.

The key additions were the forward guns, side vents, cabling, a few rivets and probably 100 indents on the panels to match the fixings on the wings. I also took the time to fill a few gaps and cover a few mistakes with milliput.

What next?

Like an Ikea cabinet I was left with a few spare bits and bobs once the build was finished. Largest being a troop hold. Pulling out the blue stuff I took a quick mould of the turbines and set to work...

What could I be up to? None other than that lifty boi the Arvus Lighter... or in this case the 'Cheapass Lighter.'

Stay tuned for updates.

Yes, it does happen

I guess this relates to my previous post. I will get back to hobby content but this is important. 

It does happen

If you haven't seen inappropriate behaviour in Games Workshop stores, gaming stores or conventions that doesn't mean it never happens. It does happen.

It happened today

I was in a Warhammer store in London. Not my local which is a lovely place. There I was happily browsing whilst some kids were playing a game and some guys were painting. 

One of the grown men at the painting table makes a joke about girlfriends and wives. The other guys (including a staff member) laugh and don't challenge this behaviour.

NOT ON MY WATCH

I turned slowly around. Looked him in the face. Then asked 'Could you be any more misogynistic '

He apologised immediately and looked sheepish. I carried on browsing and the store was silent until I went to make my purchase. 

The bar to making sure women don't feel unwelcome was so fukken low. This guy still failed to clear it. Keeping that kind of joke to your private spaces is trivial. 

It happens 

If you don't take my word for it then you are part of the problem. If you don't see anything wrong in his comments you are part of the problem. If you would have laughed along or left his comments unchallenged you are part of the problem. Fix the problem. 

Last stand of the Old Guard

The Trouble with Grognards

We owe a huge amount to the pioneers of our hobby. Unfortunately our heroes aren't perfect. Society has progressed overall, yet there are still many battles to be won, especially in arenas straight white men have historically held dominance.

Games Workshop has taken huge steps to increase representation in the last few years. This is somewhat unique in the industry as a whole but we are gaining ground in the fight for hobby equality. I still have trouble with some traders ignoring me entirely at conventions whilst happily engaging any nearby man. Suffice to say my money doesn't go to those companies.

A Legacy of Ignorance

Veterans of Games Workshop have gone on to accomplish some amazing things. Perry Miniatures produces excellent historical figures, Warlord has dominated 28mm Historical gaming and Mantic has an amazing catalogue for fantasy fans.

Being well known and successful veterans does not mean a diverse and representative team. Having good intentions doesn't mean a largely male, pale and stale design team will make the best decisions.

Warlord is pretty bad in this respect. The Black Powder rulebook is full of uncontested, jovial references to British Imperialism sometimes straying into overt racism. Bolt Action has the tendency to gloss over some aspects of WW2 when marketing their model range. The reported unwillingness of senior staff to acknowledge these issues is disappointing.

Perhaps the worst example was found in promotional material for the 'Shield Wall' expansion to 'Hail Ceaser'. Rulebooks and new releases are usually accompanied by a promotional miniature or diorama. In this case a Viking theme was chosen as shown below...

Yeah. The promotional model for 'Shield Wall' was a sexual assault joke. Attitudes towards non-male wargamers are already hostile or dismissive. Industry leaders depicting women as commodities is both irresponsible and breathtakingly ignorant.

Warlord did respond positively to complaints about this model. It was withdrawn and a new promotional model released. It seems the message sunk in and they have been improving their attitude since.

Fighting for our Fantasy

Ian Livingstone is a legend in the gaming industry. His influence on the games we enjoy today is undeniable. It is no surprise that he can be found at events, conventions and seminars sharing his wisdom and experience. Unfortunately this experience is of a limited perspective.

Attendees at a recent event reported the following observations from an Ian Livingstone lecture...

'Just seen Ian Livingstone stand in front of a room full of early-career gamedevs & deny that gaming has a reputation for toxicity, blame "the media" for that reputation and say in 40 years he's never heard of any sexual harassment cases.'

'He backtracked a minute later. Identifying it as a larger problem not specific to the games industry.'

'His slides included both lip service to "We should hire more women" and a photo of him leching at a model dressed as Lara Croft with the slogan "It's a Tough Job!"

'...and a photo of Miss Wisconsin 1980 for literally no reason'

This is someone respected in the industry. This is someone who has shaped the games we have today. This is someone serving as inspiration and guide to new talent. This is someone reinforcing the sexist and ignorant attitudes that plague the hobby without robust challenge.

We owe a great deal to the Old Guard but they need to open up to the experiences of a more diverse audience or fuck the fuck off.