EVERY EDITION of WARHAMMER 40k in 16 minutes!

I'm always yammering on about different editions of 40k, but what were the ACTUAL differences? When was Warhammer's Red Period? When did the grimdark start? Who was Mat Ward anyway?

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All imagery © Games Workshop 1983-2021 unless where noted.

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[MrPooleish]

The reason 40K is getting so dark and muted is because they used all the color in 2nd Edition and no one's changed the toner yet.

[ecyor]

The "competitive 40k is the only kind of 40k" thing has always been weirdly prevalent. I recall one time some friends ran a pretty loose casual game to give me a try (basically a three way deathmatch), and we decided to use one of the standard game modes but ignore the deployment zone rules in order to fit three armies on one board. This other guy hanging out with us in the store, bless his heart, just couldn't wrap his head around it.
"Wait, that's not how the deployment rules work."
"We know, we're just house ruling it for this game."
"No, but the rulebook says that you-"
"Yes, we know this isn't how it's done in the rulebook, it's okay, we've all agreed to ignore this specific rule for this specific game."
(Visible confusion)

[rorylyons]

Hi Ian, I am a dodgy old bloke in his sixties and not at all into playing 40k ( Tricorne hats and muskets are more my thing), however I do find the lore fascinating. I just wanted to drop you a quick note to say how much I enjoy your video's and to tell you what a great narrating/story telling voice you have. If you are unhappy in your present employment you should really consider a career in narrating audio books, I have listened to many of these and have to say your voice is much better than a lot of voice's that I have heard. Anyway as I said thanks very much for putting out some great video's, I would really like to send you a few quid but being a pensioner and yadda yadda moan groan etc. Anyway keep up the great work, all the best Rory.

[Powaup]

3rd edition is where I came into the world of 40k. The artwork from that era has aged exceptionally well

[TheKsalad]

I was a 5th Edition kid, but my first foray into 40k was a 3rd Edition rulebook given to me by a local wizard, I knew 3rd edition rules better than I do the current ruleset! I'd love to actually play a few games of 3rd edition

[lunarman]

One of the things that never seems to get mentioned about old 40K is the introduction in 1st edition of the Battle Manual, (which streamlined a lot of the rules of 1st edition that were previously in supplements, like a first-draft proto-2nd edition) and Vehicle Manual (which was a completely bonkers vehicle rules update, with vehicle silhouettes and a giant transparent plastic crosshair template you positioned over them on the bit you wanted to hit). These were very much my era, and were (for me and my mates, anyway) a really huge deal.

[blakej]

I think the change in tone over the years, from whimsical and somewhat cartoony to super-dooper serious, is because the creators grew up with this stuff as a hobby, whereas people these days have grown up with this as a way of life. Consequently, since this is so important to peoples' egos now, they want it to be taken seriously and not seen as 'playing with toys on a table'.

[gabrielwalton]

Still got all the Battle for Macragge stuff when I was a wee lad, I repainted it all a few years back and most of it is still used! The crashed shuttle terrain is great terrain 👌

[ahg]

I started Playing in 1996. I felt that the change over to 3rd, was less Grim Dark. it was less about the Fluff of the game and more about the game play itself that lead to that feeling. The simpler game felt like you had urgency and dire consequences, it felt more like just a game

[TheRabbitman]

3rd Edition player here, Dark Eldar from day 1 with my best mate at the time being obsessed with the Craftworld Eldar from the White Dwarf feature (although the yellow and blue cover art being confused for a LEGO magazine on the school bus annoyed him no end)

Great video as ever Ian, interesting to get some context for the changes and editions that I wasn't actively playing

[rnut]

In case anyone is wondering WHY they stopped listing author names on their books... just mention the name 'Matt Ward' in basically any hobby community and watch the ensuing firestorm.

[Delveintohobby]

I love hobby/fandom history like this, be it wargaming or speedrunning or strange internet happenings. Even better when it's about a game I love!

[jack-a-lopium]

Everybody forgets that Games Workshop had an audio/record division for a while... some bangers on there: Realm of Chaos by Bolt Thrower, and whatever the album by D-Rok was called... 😆😅🙃

[egziverpendlebury]

I started playing in 4th ED, and im still very confused about when vehicles stopped having armour and started being monstrous creatures

[anotherzingbo]

The first White Dwarf on display in this video is the first one I ever bought, issue 116, from August 1989. Ah, the memories. 🙂

In some ways the shift from 1st to 2nd edition wasn't particularly sudden or abrupt. The game's rules were getting changed quite regularly via White Dwarf in its early days and prior to the release of 2nd edition the Battle Manual and the Vehicle Manual replaced almost all of the rules that were in the Rogue Trader rulebook and 2nd edition was clearly inspired by those books. Consolidating the chaotic collection of books, compilations and White Dwarf articles that comprised the 40k ruleset at the end of 1st edition into one big accessible box set was a major step forward though.

[Davidmoire]

This is a really good channel, very good review of the lore and the older creative ideas of Games Workshop. Glad I subscribed.

[AntonPNym]

Great retrospective; got my start in Rogue Trader with the tan-plastic Beakie Marine boxes, but to date the bulk of my playing was with 3rd edition Tau. I have fond memories of the Eye of Terror world-wide campaign.

[flowerknight]

the flush of nostalgia and childhood excitement that I got when Battle for Macragge came on the screen is indescribable

[FunkyNige]

I must've by pure fluke started playing just after the 2nd edition came out - two memories of things that looking back were a bit 'odd' to me even back then:
1) not all the models in the rulebook were released, so I saw the assassin, thought they looked good, sent Dad off to a GW store and they sold him a psyker as "it didn't have much weaponry, just like an assassin"
2) the painting guide I had was maybe from an old edition as the Blood Angels were terracotta with a [something] orange wash. I was the kid with the brown Blood Angels...!

[keepcalmandre-roll]

Love this video, was like a walk down memory lane. Got into the hobby at the end of Rogue Trader era, got out at 3rd the back in again at 5th edition.