What was the best edition of 40K in your opinion?

[Brother Glacius]

I had such high hopes for 9th. I thought it was going to be a great edition to end my collection on...but sadly, they kind of buggered it up in my opinion. Just far too many things to try to get a handle on. I mean I do like that you don't have to use everything, but come on, most players are going to want to. I find that I'm really fuzzy on older editions of 40K. I started with rogue trader, and loved 2nd edition when it came out, but the power creep was quite bad in that edition. I'm really not sure after that was the various pros and cons were. Since its pretty quiet here on the board, I thought I'd toss this out to see if anyone has a good recollection of earlier editions and one that would hit that sweet spot of fun to play, but not being overly complicated.

[Justjokin]

Take me back to 5th! I want True Grit for my Custom Space Marine Chapter. Also, no psychic phase.  

Edit: Shoot, was that 4th?

[scottshoemaker]

Rogue Trader.  Turning radius ratio for vehicles. 
 

no wait, that sucked.

[scottshoemaker]

Rogue Trader: with Ere we go & Freebootas ork books.

best ork rules ever, as long as you liked endless random tables

[Brother Glacius]

wikipedia

So after reading this, it is really odd. I remember getting most of those box sets...but I don't recall playing much. Apparently I get more joy out of owning 40K than I do playing 40K. Seems a tremendous shame actually. At one point I did get far enough to field a painted army for OFCC, and those were my necrons. I also recall using a C'Tan in that list, so it had to be at least 5th? or67th edition? I kind of remember that monsters had wounds and vehicles had AV and could be one-shotted, which I never thought was very fair. That being said, the rules were simpler than 9th edition and the myriad of auras and cards and abilities that just overwhelm me. I have these wonderful models and I'd really like to do something with them than just own them.

[Andrewgeddon]

I played an absurd amount of 5th edition and always look back fondly on those days. Rules were fairly streamlined, though there were a few codices that were pretty unbalanced. Still, those days were a blast!

[Brother Glacius]

Honestly, I've been looking on OPR's Grimdark ruleset. I remember I was pretty excited during 8th edition 40K because of some of the streamlining they did. So I was all in on 9th until I got confused reading my first codex. Just so much going on. Ugh. 

I also got excited by the newest edition of HH until their freaking books landed on my desk. Seriously GW, you don't need to create a freaking tome. Man do I miss the nice small codices from 3rd edition.

[Andrewgeddon]

I like OPR, though I couldn't tell you how balanced it is (but what mini game is balanced?). Certainly seems like a good alternative, I know I've seen on Mindtaker's Discord that some people are playing it.

[Romans832]

5th Edition

[andozane]

Never Forget

[lamejosh]

@andozane I have a soft spot for 3rd through 4th cause of that book.  Played CSM, earlier with a biker demon bomb - later to the infamous lash sorcerer.  CSM at this time was limited mostly to imagination and was all about kitbashing.  The Lords in 3rd had a thousand combinations!  This is all closer to home after Jump Pack Lords/Sorcs (and Lightning Claws) got lost in the new codex.

I do miss the vehicle rules for older editions.  I think taking armor values out for toughness is fine, but I loved the added tables for glancing and penetrating hits.  They made vehicles feel distinct.  While I've enjoyed 9th, I don't really love the rules "bloat" but at this point I don't mind just getting tabled in complete surprise to a new thing anymore.

 

[dalmer]

Almost all of my gameplay was in 3rd edition.  Friendly and tournament. 

I came back when 7th was around, I think just before it hit 8th.  I can't recall.  All I know is that there were datacards and objective cards and lots of different ways to score and I think I got in three games before I lost my nerve.

[Torg]

I probably had the most fun playing RT-compendium era (HARLEQUINS!)... although I probably played more 4th or 5th... got out for a bit and thought 9th would be good - I dove back into it a few years ago when it came out - but it just gets so bloated so quickly over the last few editions its hard to enjoy it anymore. I haven't played 40k for about a year and a half by now - so maybe it got better again somehow?  

I would think the next edition will drop in a year ... maybe I will take another look in 10th ed.

-d

[Brother Glacius]

I'm sort of over it. I like the models and all, but the cost is just too much. I've spent hundreds this edition on books alone. So once my collection is complete, I'm out. That being said, I really want to play with my models, so either an earlier edition is going to work for me, or OPR.

[PourSpelur]

On 8/24/2022 at 5:02 PM, scottshoemaker said:

Rogue Trader: with Ere we go & Freebootas ork books.

best ork rules ever, as long as you liked endless random tables

I really did.

Not having them anymore makes Orks feel less...Orky. I get that it wasn't everyone's cup of tea but I always felt that they were half the fun. Kinda want to do a smaller 2nd ed game now and see how it feels. Just to see how much nostalgia has tinted those memories.

[andozane]

On 8/26/2022 at 9:36 PM, PourSpelur said:

Not having them anymore makes Orks feel less...Orky. I get that it wasn't everyone's cup of tea but I always felt that they were half the fun. Kinda want to do a smaller 2nd ed game now and see how it feels. Just to see how much nostalgia has tinted those memories.

I've been wanting to do some 2nd ed lately....just "collected" all the 2nd ed codexes from various means.  Those books were some of the best.

 

[ninefinger]

10th.

Cant wait for all the new changes and the wailing and gnashing of teeth from the grognards.  It'll be glorious.

[Brother Glacius]

Gw won't turn back the clock. All editions going forward will probably be in the same vein as 9th. Too much bloat.

[Tao Tsê-Mung]

Every 40k Ed Complaint Summed:

"I don't actually play this edition but I wish it was like that time I didn't have to think and my deathball won every game for me no matter how little I paid attention. Except for that one rule that made for a reasonable counter. That was waaay too simple, it should have been much more complicated to beat my fanboy list. But now people have to actually develop a strategy and interact with something other than their domestic beer/weed pipe. Change is hard! It should be waaay more simple, like just buying/printing grey plastic, forgetting half the rules, and still win. Challenges suck! That's what every one of my opponents must be looking to do with four hours of their free time right?"

The game has always been a complicated fantasy historical tactics game of chance, Settlers of Catan exists for a reason too . . .

[Salty Monkey]

any edition that gets me out of the house to play games with friends is a good edition

[Justjokin]

Something started to go wrong somewhere right around here:   🙂

 

 

For real though, this wasn't even my worst loss of OFCC 2013. That was to a Khorn player with 6 models, a book, and some weird tokens I didn't know anything about.

A great day all in all, I earned my "OFCC Experience" achievement by wining 2, losing 2, and tying 1. Game 5 was against another Tau player. Can't remember your name, but 'what up, yo!'. GG to all!

[Justjokin]

Also, hey @andozane! Looking through @Blustorm's old pics and saw 2 pictures together that caught Noah, you, and I!   Thanks, Blustorm!

This was Sixth, I think, if so it made me feel 😞 . I swear I'm not hijacking!  🙂

[Brother Glacius]

20 hours ago, Tao Tsê-Mung said:

Every 40k Ed Complaint Summed:

"I don't actually play this edition but I wish it was like that time I didn't have to think and my deathball won every game for me no matter how little I paid attention. Except for that one rule that made for a reasonable counter. That was waaay too simple, it should have been much more complicated to beat my fanboy list. But now people have to actually develop a strategy and interact with something other than their domestic beer/weed pipe. Change is hard! It should be waaay more simple, like just buying/printing grey plastic, forgetting half the rules, and still win. Challenges suck! That's what every one of my opponents must be looking to do with four hours of their free time right?"

The game has always been a complicated fantasy historical tactics game of chance, Settlers of Catan exists for a reason too . . .

Which is exactly what no one here said at all, but thanks for trying to lump it all together. You dropped your GW pompoms.

[Brother Glacius]

And to be clear, I'm not anti-GW. God knows I own enough of their stuff. I simply didn't like the direction they have been taking the rules. Way too many rerolls, complicated and convoluted systems. I literally was trying to read the Imperial Knight codex thinking it would be a simple army...but there are four different ways to play apparently and then honor points and something else. Maybe its just the way its presented, but it isn't very clear to me. I do want a simpler gaming experience. I love the units and creativity of 40K...but the rule system is just too bloated for my current tastes.

[Gorgosaurusrex]

I think 7th ed was the best edition. My group recently started playing 7th again and we haven't had this much fun with 40k in years!

 

7th ed Maelstrom Missions are a ton of fun and we get to play with things like blast templates and vehicle armor values again. 7th ed formations can get a little silly but as long as nobody is trying to be a beardy git then we have a good time.