Decades of Dwarf: classic white dwarf review videos

Fimm McCool

Fimm McCool

Member
I have started a look at White Dwarf magazine on my YouTube channel, comparing two editions ten years apart. For the first in the series we are travelling to October 1983 and 1993 respectively. Perhaps more of a general overview in the differences between the publications for this one, more in depth videos to follow in subsequent months.

https://youtu.be/5EdLaFiWOEU
 

Zhu Bajie

Member
Re: Decades of Dwarf

Fimm McCool":2sdplmf8 said:
I have started a look at White Dwarf magazine on my YouTube channel, comparing two editions ten years apart. For the first in the series we are travelling to October 1983 and 1993 respectively. Perhaps more of a general overview in the differences between the publications for this one, more in depth videos to follow in subsequent months.

https://youtu.be/NzjLwrqZmCw
Click to expand...

Sounds interesting, but I just get a 'video is private' message. :cry:
 

Zhu Bajie

Member
Re: Decades of Dwarf

Thank you! This link works for me:

https://youtu.be/5EdLaFiWOEU

It's a very interesting video, I liked your observations and personal asides.

One of the things that struck me by the comparison of the two issues was Tony Acklands Broo advert - all hand drawn, with loads of individual characters - every Broo unique, compared to the photo-reproduction of the brightly coloured, cookie cutter monopose plastic Space Marines. Also interesting that sci-fi dominated both issues, be it 40k or Traveller.
 
AranaszarSzuur

AranaszarSzuur

Member
Re: Decades of Dwarf

lol for some reason I completely forgot you're Oakbound Studios because I expected you to look like your avatar XD .
 

Sir Steve

Member
Re: Decades of Dwarf

Subscribed. Will have a look later. Sounds like great project

Sent from my moto g(30) using Tapatalk
 

Zhu Bajie

Member
Re: Decades of Dwarf

Content usable at the table vs. product shots.
Artistic qualities of fantasy maps vs. low-effort batrep maps.

Looks like another win for the 80s. :grin:
 
Sleepysod

Sleepysod

Member
Re: Decades of Dwarf

I enjoy these videos - but my favourite bit is actually being reminded of the excellent artwork on early (pre-100) WDs ;)
 

Zhu Bajie

Member
Re: Decades of Dwarf

Sleepysod":1mk3ju8y said:
I enjoy these videos - but my favourite bit is actually being reminded of the excellent artwork on early (pre-100) WDs ;)
Click to expand...

Amazing work by non other than John Blanche on the Naked Orc, and Tony Ackland on the original Cold One. So much more atmospheric and gritty than the cheesy over the top 90s stuff the video started with.

Fimm - WD53 is Warhammer 1st edition (not 2nd), and although it had a roleplaying supplement as part of the set, it is a wargame, as Joe Devers huge Minas Tirith scenario quite nicely illustrates - note the letters for Toughness - always a giveaway it's 1st Ed. Also I think the numbers on the Allies list are typos - the Umpires Briefing on P.13 gives 110 Allies vs. 259 sauron troops, using a 1:100 figure scale for troops.
 
Fimm McCool

Fimm McCool

Member
Re: Decades of Dwarf

Zhu Bajie":2r1tttu4 said:
Fimm - WD52 is Warhammer 1st edition (not 2nd), and although it had a roleplaying supplement as part of the rules, it was a wargame, as Joe Devers huge Minas Tirith scenario quite nicely illustrates.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the correction I get the release dates of the first two editions confused. I know it's a 'wargame' (in that it's miniatures on the table) but it was very much intended as a way of doing RPG combat in a physical way and is written/reads as more of an RPG format than a wargame format. Small units, little in the way of manoeuvres or big battlefield aspects, lots of focus on individual characters, scenarios and storyline. The fact that it could be used to do big battles meant that the future editions swung more towards mass combat wargame, hence the creation of WFRP to service the 'other side' of the coin.
 

Zhu Bajie

Member
Re: Decades of Dwarf

Fimm McCool":22965re7 said:
Thanks for the correction I get the release dates of the first two editions confused. I know it's a 'wargame' (in that it's miniatures on the table) but it was very much intended as a way of doing RPG combat in a physical way and is written/reads as more of an RPG format than a wargame format.
Click to expand...

I beg to differ, by page 8 of WFB1 Book 1 Tabletop Battles, we're into rules for units wheeling, turning, interpenetration and changing frontage. It talks about units of 5-50 figures, which isn't really skirmish level RPG stuff, it doesn't read like D&D or Runequest and is structured more like traditional wargaming like WRG Ancients than say, AD&D1e.

The Forces of Fantasy expansion is basically just army lists, with the Book of Batallions showing example armies with multiple batallions of 100s of figures. And as I said in the edit above - Devers massive Minas Tirith battle (and Thistlewood in WD45) kind of illustrates how WFB1e was played as a mass battle wargame, not a 1 player 1 character RPG type game.

The split from WFB to WFRP happened during WFB2, and WFRP was initially very much just a supplement to WFB2 (as the Web of Edlaw in the Good Games Guide shows), but became it's own thing in development due to the influx of the ex-TSR UK mob.
 
Fimm McCool

Fimm McCool

Member
Re: Decades of Dwarf

Another (controversial? :grin: ) review of vintage White Dwarfs. This month- June 1984 and June 1994 with some entertaining content including the Golden Demon winners from 1994 and a conversion masterclass with Mike McVey.

https://youtu.be/2UoYS908SS8
 
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