The new flier rules are nice enough but the battle report is uninteresting, as is the rest of the magazine's content. A 5.
The new flier rules are nice enough but the battle report is uninteresting, as is the rest of the magazine's content. A 5.
Maybe its to make things more achievable? The incredibly high level of painting was off putting for quite a lot of people tbh. 'I could never paint that' was heard a lot.Originally Posted by 75hastings69
It's certainly important to include a range of skills in their painting guides. If all they ever did was 'Eavy Metal Masterclasses, then yeah, that would put people off, which would really suck. But I don't personally think it's any better at all to only ever have beginner-level painting guides.
Personally, I've been painting for something like 23 years and I'm never going to win any Golden Demon awards, but I'm reasonably capable. I'd still like to be better though, and the Masterclasses used to teach me at least one new trick each time - so I was only improving very, very slowly but I was improving, which felt good. The new painting guides: "Paint it blue! Shade it dark blue! Layer it light blue!" Yeah, OK, I mean, I'm kinda beyond that stage now. And I don't mind painting guides of that level being in the magazine, in fact it needs to be there, so long as that's not all there is.
Plus there usually was a mixture between the two extremes: Sometimes there was a 'eavy Metal Masterclass, next issue maybe how to use Washes (when they were released IIRC) and some basics, or how to paint specific models etc... Maybe the Masterclasses will return soon, I'd appreciate it!
Look upon us and Despair, for we are the End, the Decay of all things, the horror of rot and the blessing of plague.
While I wanted more paint guides, and like the idea behind the new format, is it me or do they suck? The standard in them is really low, and we seem to get the same colours every month - for metal / blue / red we did the base, then the wash, then the highlight, just the same as we showed you last month using the same colours, just the close-up is of a different model.
I'd also be tempted by a bomber or the plastic O&G characters, but the absence of price tells me that it won't be cheap... (plus that the £8 for plastic characters must be going up)
A poor 3 from me.
What this guy said, really.
The content of this issue is, in most senses, only really notable for being worse than the last two months’. That’s quite an achievement. One thing that did strike me though, which ties into what my learned colleague writes above, is that you could almost get the paranoid impression that the WD editorial staff are deliberately trolling this tiny section of warseer.
Month on month we ask for more fluff fiction and so this month they’re like, ‘deal – here’s half a magazine of Robin’s war story’. Now, credit where it’s due, I did want more stories but why deliver them like this? This would be perfect if you just took the text, printed it in fancy font on a parchement-style text box (or a blue stone one if you want to get 1990s old skool) and put it either side of a battle report. We all remember battle reports, right? Likewise, we ask for simpler painting guides, so we get those but no ‘eavy metal. We ask for bat-reps, so we get 5 poor ones in one issue. I dread to think what’s going to happen next month – we’ve asked for more designer’s notes so here’s to 16 pages of Matt Ward on how cool Ultramarines are, interspersed with pictures of his grinning face.
Instead of shallow, half-assed attempts at what we want, why not just go all the way and do it properly? I still maintain that this wouldn't take much more time or resources than the godawful mess they're producing now.
A '1' from me, was tempted to give it a '2', cos new rules is new rules, but then I thought that the rest of the mag is so bad, even the bommer/talon codex entries can't save it.
It wouldn't have been too difficult to take the idea of The Battle of Cardrim and expand it into a series of very worthwhile articles.
Overview of the campaign including maps and in-character reports etc. - hell, have Jurg-whatsit Khan explaining how he lost so many Techmarines in a 'Commander's Codex...' style narrative (woo, Chaos Gate reference).
Have a 'how to build an airfield' article. The studio used to have an Ork airfield table. Easy tie-in with Forgeword stuff.
Cool converted character(s) (c'mon, the basic Black Reach Captain?) - Khan, Tarekh, and the Red Baron are obvious candidates for mini- conversion/painting features. Add background.
Battle report.
Cut-away diagrams/technical specifications for the various flyers.
New scenario(s). Sure, Scramble is great and all (so long as you don't play Tyranids, Chaos Marines, Daemons, or Dark Eldar), but could easily be simpler/more interesting. Easy tie-in with 'how to build an airfield'. Possible conversion article/ideas for various races' pilot models.
Aeronautica Imperialis mention? Possible new rules for Necrons/Stormtalon.
I'm no marketing expert, but I doubt that any of that would be less sucessful at selling the new flyers than just screaming 'Buy it, damn you!' on every other page. And then there might be a reason for people to go back to this issue in the future (I still go back to 3rd/early 4th ed. era issues reasonably frequently, but none of the issues within the last few years).
I made a Genestealer Cult! --- 2nd edition Tyranid army!
Mat Ward Fact #27- His super power is invulnerability, his only weakness being an allergy to Halflings.
Guild up and join the Mat Ward Defence League!
This is the only time I've ever regretted buying WD. And that includes the Giant issue! I really felt there was no attempt to balance between the systems, and the proportion of the mag that was adverts seems to have grown (not sure if that is true - it feels like it)
Something about it felt a bit off and I felt like I was beingt taken for granted by GW. Maybe they were let down by a lack of material to put in it, and so struggled to gloss over this. If they started taking freelance submissions again, they might not have this problem!
voted 4 due to nice pics of the flyers, however very little content no battle report or tactics. Also getting annoyed with the new style paint by numbers painting articles. Its just dumded everything down to beginner level.
Is anyone learning anything from the 'painting guides' other than what paints GW want you to buy? 'Base coat, then wash, then layer, then high light', that's the same for every paint guide in this issue. How about some NMMs or glass effects? Maybe show us how to apply static grass, or use snow effects? Turning the page sideways just lets you fill the page with half the contents of a regular one. Hope the next issue has some decent 6th edition content...
For what it's worth, they were advertising for an entirely new set of staff a few months ago. This could be a transition issue, hence the problems.
The Collect Call of the CthulhuI will keep this in mind in case I ever want to be a Necron bride.
Damien 1427's Broad Collection of Tat - My attempt at actually painting things.
I don't understand (much) why people are complaining. Or maybe it's just me.
When I recieved this issue, I almost wet myself. Just look at those Flyers! Amazing!
But let me give you a more detailed evaluation of this month's issue:
Cover: Nice picture. What is it, what will it do?
A couple of pages with pictures of flying machines. So finally the long awaited summer/autumn of flyers is upon us. I only hope there are some rules to go with the models. And not only stats of those models, but how flyers work in the game.
Orcs&Goblins, they are green and menacing. I wonder what they will get/do here.
Did anyone notice that the New Release-section has changed somewhat? I mean, there are a couple of Fantasy models out, but they only appear near the end.
But first we get the Stormtalon; they could publish either one of those pictures, not both. Although I like the double spread with views from alle sides. But instead of a picture of the sprue, why didn't they do a content, like they did with other kits long ago (or did they stop these?).
Then we get about the same for the Ork Bomber. But because you can build 3 types of bomber, 3 different lay outs are justified. Though the double-spread of the Burna-bommer wasn't needed. Same comment about the sprues as with the Stormtalon.
Necron Scythe, just one picture was neede with maybe a detail shot of the different weapon lay-out. And again the sprues.
How to paint a Stormtalon Ultramarine-style. Some things might be handy, but experienced painters don't need it.
At the end of that section, and at the end of all those paint-sections, they list again all the paints used, not once, but twice. Just as if you couldn't tick the paints in the list, you can do so in a sort of order-form.
Normally I don't read much fluff, but the Battle of Cardrim was a nice read. Maybe because I don't read that much fluff it was a nice read. This alone took me longer to finish an issue for a long time. And because I was already interested in the Ork flyer, the pictures of the AoBR-set were inspiring to maybe start an Ork army (Heaven forbit). As I also need some Space Marines... well, first see what my wallet thinks about it.
The pictures of the armies involved in the story were a little redundant. They could do with more building/converting.
And another Battle Mission. First we get the book. Now we get extra missions in WD. When will we get a new updated book? Nice, but it's not that needed. And with a quick view at the back, they could have put it in next month's issue.
As usual you get some pictures and advertisements all over the issue. Sometimes nice to watch, but most of the time a waste of spece (and trees).
The army project could do with more and less. As I said above, more building/converting, less painting and paints.
Standard Bearer. You know, in olden times standard bearers were not only a rallying point for a regiment, but also the focus point of enemy shooting, as it represented a point where the most soldiers would be. I wonder what JJ wanted himself to be? Probably the first, but to me he would be the first to get hit.
Finally we get the rules/stats for the new flyers. Although it could do withh less pictures.
Armies on Parade is a nice initiative, but should be more expanded.
Hey, I almost forgot that we were getting some Fantasy as well. So it's 2 characters. I wasn't expecting that. (ironic)
Same comment about painting/paints.
As I always immediately upon recieving an issue I remove the stores and other stuff at the back, I forgot about the Guard-mansion and how to build it. Don't need it, don't like it, threw it away (as with the rest of the stores and events).
Thats was the end of ti. So how about a number? There were good things (Flyers, story, rules/stats) and there were bad things (too many pictures, no sprue lay-out, painting/paints), IMO the good came on top. I would pick up this issue again and browse through it. It's somewhere between 6 and 7. Giving it the benefit of the doubt, it's got to be a 7. Now I only hope my arguments above will satisfy anyone who disagrees with me.
Results in the past are no guarantee for the future.
I’m only stating my opinion, it’s not fact.
Maybe they just want to replace the current lot with a new bunch of 'yes' men who will do exactly as they're told without rocking the boat.
Or maybe they're taking a 'new broom sweeps clean' approach - I hope so, as I really want WD to be good again.
War does not determine who is right - only who is left (Bertrand Russell).
War is a continuation of politics by other means (Karl von Clausewitz)
Or, as Wintermute might say, "Its just another example of cost cutting by GW."
At this point it should be a challenge to find somebody less qualified, so I'm not sure how much money they can save.
EmperorNorton's Overabundance of Projects Log
2012
Minis bought: 363 - - - - - Minis painted: 373
2013
Minis bought: 407 - - - - - Minis painted: 66
It's probably not the matter of lowering wages but reducing the time it takes to make each issue. I suspect the staff are also responsible for other things in the studio.
For those that hope WD will get better, I wouldn't hold my breath. I wouldn't be surprised if there was no more WD in two years, three tops.
It's a pretty poor White Dwarf for anyone not interested in the new flyers as it's absolutely dominated by them. I realise that part of the aim of the White Dwarf is to sell the new models, but at the same time they need to give people reason to actually buy the White Dwarf first! Aside from my views on the Stormtalon's appearance, the rules for it aren't that interesting, and don't really add anything to the Space Marine force other than a largely unnecessary flyer.
I think the Standard Bearer article is about the most worthwhile part of this particular issue, and even then it's nothing that interesting.
For Ork 40k players its a great issue, and to a lesser extent the Orc Fantasy players, but otherwise it's an issue well worth skipping. The Necron flyer is nice, but the Necron players already have the rules so they don't need so much wasted space in the issue. There are also a ton of mistakes throughout, the one that stands out the most is the savage orc character painting guide which has an incorrect image for one of the stages, and the lack of prices for the new kits seems a big oversight as even if the prices are going to go up surely the new kits are unaffected?
That's true, afterall them floors aint gonna sweep themselves.
War does not determine who is right - only who is left (Bertrand Russell).
War is a continuation of politics by other means (Karl von Clausewitz)
Have to agree with the majority opinion here - good to see new rules, more content etc., but there's still far too much padding and the issue still felt lacking somehow. The "new releases" section now sort of just bleeds into the rest of the magazine and the absence of prices makes that section totally useless ("yes, we'd figured out that there were new aircraft from the cover and the hundreds of photos of them inside, thanks"). The painting guides are getting very tedious and repetitive. And how many photos of the Storm Talon can you fit into one magazine?
I get a feeling that the comparative lack of adverts for other products is a less an indication of GW listening to criticism and feedback and more because the price hikes are imminent. Expect ads galore next month I'd bet.
Ultimately, GW have still failed to grasp the concept that the magazine will automatically sell products and (and here's the kicker) without having to continually advertise them explicitly.
After thinking about it, I cancelled my WD subscription.
I know its only 3 quid a month, but I could use that on some paint, or put it towards a mini, instead of picking up a fairly lackluster magazine.
Now watch as next month's issue turns out to be the most awesome thing ever printed on paper.
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