I first got into a few months after starting high school in 2000. Nostalgia surely plays a part in my indelible fondness for that era of the hobby, but to be fair, a lot of long-time fans seem to look back on the early 2000’s with particular affection. The ruleset was tight but thematic, and the narrative fluff surrounding it struck a fun balance between grim and silly.
Though many incredible designers, sculptors, writers, and artists were responsible for this golden age, all of them plied their craft under the leadership of ‘40k Overfiend’ Andy Chambers. So when a PR email landed in my inbox announcing the re-release of , a relatively obscure tabletop game Chambers co-designed some years after his departure from -makers Games Workshop, I was IMMEDIATELY interested. Taking place in a ye-olde English city that feels like if Terry Pratchett wrote , sees two to five players compete to accumulate the most favour from their dark god.
The way they do so is by robbing citizens, murdering guards, and completing randomly drawn ‘Dark Deed’ quest cards. Naturally, the more of these acts that get committed by each player, the higher the degree of suspicion that befalls them from the local authorities. The challenge lies in keeping these elements in balance while increasing your power and versatility through the stealing of loot, all while messing with your rivals through strategic deployment of devious plots.
It is with abject delight that I tell you this now, is a blast. We’.