Nice, expensive, get the old rules, maybe?

A short roundup of different reviews. Old Space Hulk players are easily overwhelmed with nostalgia when they see the new DWOK rules. But is it worth the money: the 100 GBP/165USD?

Inevitably, Bell of Lost Souls, GW’s freelance salesmen, think so. Five Star rating.

“Its got 50 of the most anticipated and high quality minis GW has put out in years. It has fast paced gameplay that is both exciting and cinematic. It has rules that are completely approachable by both veterans and youngsters who are just taking thier first steps into the Grimdark universe of Warhammer 40,000. It makes a perfect purchase either yourself or as a gift. What more could you ask for in a single product? It’s a home run!”

Editors Adamharry and Bigred said in their video that the game was excellent as an introduction for youngsters, but it was not as balanced as 40K. If you want to see a sales pitch, check the vid.

Alex Lucard from Diehard Gamefan unboxed the game and was very pleased with the quality of the miniatures. “The first of five sprues from Deathwatch: Overkill. Notice the high level of detail on each piece. GW didn’t cut corners simply because this was a board game.” Assembly is simple.

“Now from looking at these, you can tell assembly is easier than the usual sets you buy from GW or your local brick and mortar gaming store. These are NOT snap together pieces like with Space Hulk or Dark Vengeance, but they are somewhere inbetween that and your usual boxed sets. So assembly is easy and quick, but you don’t have the ability to make your own poses and switch out weapons. You get one option for each character, like with any GW boxed set.

Tabletop Gaming News is also impressed by the quality:

The material is the same plastic that Games Workshop is known for. I’ve always liked their plastic, as it’s easy to cut and shape, glues together very easily, and there’s almost never any mold lines. You can see a couple close-up shots there, and the details is what you’d expect as well. High quality sculpts all around.

Is is worth the money? In reply to Tabletop Gaming News, somebody commented:

As stated already, $165USD seems like it’s high for competing in the world of board games. And even them making one mini that could be used as a House Delaque ganger with an autogun for Necromunda isn’t enough to get me to want to drop that kind of cash on this.
Freelance journalist and independent blogger Owen Duffy was critical.

Deathwatch Overkill is a board game from Games Workshop, and it costs £100.

Take a moment. Let that figure sink in, and allow your initial gut reaction to subside. If you have to, go and get a dishcloth and wipe up the coffee you’ve just sprayed across your monitor.

(…)

Space Hulk inspired a level of devotion (…) On first inspection, there are plenty of similarities. Like Space Hulk, the game sees its human protagonists horribly outnumbered by their alien adversaries. (…) They’re gleefully, unrepentantly over-powered, and it’s common to see a marine bogged down in a five-on-one fight not only surviving, but cutting down swathes of enemies before they even have a chance to take a swing at him. It’s like watching Muhammad Ali at the height of his powers fighting an entire bar full of mediocre pub-brawlers (…) 

In fact, in a lot of ways, controlling the Tyranids feels like playing the antagonistic overlord in a dungeon-crawl adventure game like Descent or HeroQuest, and Deathwatch Overkill often seems like a combination of those games and full-on Warhammer 40,000. The results can be incredibly cinematic, and Deathwatch is built around big, dramatic moments. (…)

Deathwatch Overkill packs a hell of a lot of plastic (…) some gorgeous, detailed, characterful figures (…) the idea of paying £2 per miniature and getting a standalone game as an added bonus might be an appealing one (…)

If you’re a die-hard 40K fan, immersed in the lore of the game’s dark and gritty universe, then this game may well be worth its hefty price tag. This isn’t a Warhammer blog, though, and for more general-interest gamers, there just isn’t enough here to justify a three-figure splurge, especially when £65 buys you a copy of Star Wars: Imperial Assault.
I can recommend to read his full thorough review, see link above.

Old Space Hulk?

Old Space Hulk is still available to some extent, check this Spacehulk Barsoom site. However GW Legal has been hunting:

“20110810 – Have quietly been adding/deleting/updating links for quite some time (again :-). Am designing my own, custom tile images to use in resurrecting the inventory pages (had taken down the pages ’cause I was tired of being harassed by GW’s Legal Department every time someone new took over — even after actually performing all requested changes by previous individuals that were in charge of their IP Enforcement group. Seems that every new person in that position has a different take on where the line is actually drawn on what is acceptable use and what is not).”
Full old rules, free: here. Tiles: the originals are hard to find, but you can replace them with for instance these from Wargame Vault, I think. Players who feel nostalgic and want to try the game with some old 40K miniatures can thus play it for just 8 dollar. The rules are OK, remember? So why pay a treasure?