Rynn’s World Farm: Rogue Trader Revisited

[Whirlwind]

Please see here for a re-fight of Rynn’s World Farm – the sample scenario from Rogue Trader, the original edition of Warhammer 40000, featuring a patrol of Orks battling a contingent of Crimson Fists Space Marines, this time done in 6mm with Vanguard miniatures.

[willz]

A wonderful iconic game, this is the first 40k game I ever played.
Thank you for evoking long past games and fond memories.

[Deleted User]

I am fully behind this 6mm skirmish game. I’ve never played Rogue Trader, starting in 3rd ed, from what I hear it was similar to Necromunda?

11:2 result is pretty one sided. That trail of dead orks towards the woods was pretty bad.

[Mike]

Not really. At least not what I remember. Like WFB 3RD Edition it was a toolbox. Rules for EVERYTHING. IIRC you could design your own vehicles as they had points costs for movement, armour, crew capacity, weapon points etc.

It felt at the time more like a skirmish game between small crews or gangs with the Space Marines being like the fuzz and turning up and ruining the fun.

I am currently bidding on a copy and hopefully in 2 hours will be the proud owner once again.

No skills or experience points or anything like that.

[Whirlwind]

Mike wrote:

Not really. At least not what I remember. Like WFB 3RD Edition it was a toolbox. Rules for EVERYTHING. IIRC you could design your own vehicles as they had points costs for movement, armour, crew capacity, weapon points etc.

Yes, exactly right.

Mike wrote:

It felt at the time more like a skirmish game between small crews or gangs with the Space Marines being like the fuzz and turning up and ruining the fun. I am currently bidding on a copy and hopefully in 2 hours will be the proud owner once again.

Good luck! And yes, that was the spirit of Rogue Trader originally – but by the time of the first compendium coming out, the new direction was being set

[Whirlwind]

@Willz – you are very welcome.

@Thomaston:

Deleted User wrote:

11:2 result is pretty one sided. That trail of dead orks towards the woods was pretty bad.

Yes, partly my bad tactics (as the Orks); hopefully the notes explained why. On top of that, the Marines are better at shooting, have better armour and should be in better cover for most of the battle, so it isn’t an easy one for the Orks to win!

[Mike]

Woop, I won!

Now to spend 3 months looking at figures.

😀

[Tony S]

Lovely trip down the nostalgia lane!   I never actually picked those rules up, but I remember being really enthralled with that cover art.  Still inspiring!  My brother and I used to play WFB 2nd or 3rd edition a lot as young lads.  Battle of Ork’s Drift if I’m not mistaken.

Lovely idea to use those new 6mm figures.   Gives me some ideas, perhaps use them with Renegade Scout as I don’t own Rogue Trader.

 

[ian pillay]

Beautiful. RT still has pride of place on my book shelf. It’s a great read even after all these years. I like to scenario generator – Christmas pudding world governor and some other completely random things. I think it was a blend of role play and table top battles that made it quirky by todays rules. Great fun, thanks for sharing.

Tally-Ho! Check out my blog at…..
http://steelcitywargaming.wordpress.com/

[Spurious]

The Orks pretty much always get the worst of it in that scenario; they’re a good amount of points lower than the marines even before the defensive terrain advantage. I think a recommended fix is add something like a dreadnought for the Orks or a couple of buggies?

[Whirlwind]

Thanks Spurious, no doubt you are right.

I think what is interesting in retrospect (considering how 40K evolved) is how little the original designers cared about much apart from game feel and setting richness and adaptability and how that showed in that starter scenario.

[Sane Max]

Whirlwind wrote:

I think what is interesting in retrospect (considering how 40K involved) is how little the original designers cared about much apart from game feel and setting richness and adaptability and how that showed in that starter scenario.

agreed – people are very quick to slag off GW and 40k, with reason – but the fluff, such a rich layered history. Cheesey, derivative – but unique and worth people throwing them some money to this day. I went into GW last week – the first time this decade and only the third time this millennium I think – and bought something, as much for nostalgia as so I could use it in a game 🙂

The actual game – 40k – is a chore to play, and I never do anymore – But the Lore, so good.

And first and to a degree second edition were never meant to be balanced – at least I hope not – they were meant to be fun for scraps between roleplayed characters. Bring Back Hoverboards, that’s what I say.

[Kitfox]

I played that scenario many times, 40K was (in my opinion of course) much better as a small, skirmish game with a sense of humour and gloriously weird scenarios.   I still can’t look at a game of 40K at a club or convention without secretly wishing someone would randomly bung an Ambull onto the table or have the infamous Abdul Goldberg make a guest appearance.

The Battle at the Farm instilled in me a love of playing the underdog as we desperately tried to beat those rock hard marines with those plucky (but useless) orks…probably explained why I ended up with an (often defeated) Imperial Guard force in Rogue Trader!

Death to all fanatics!

[Author]

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