Topic: Halflings, Oldhammer and different editions.

[Odin Morgrimmsson]

I've been working on a Halfling armybook on and off for probably about a decade, updating the rules for each edition. With WHFB no longer being updated it seems sensible to produce a final "definitive" version of it. But which edition's rules should I use? Initially it seemed logical to use 8th Ed. rules as they're the most recent... but are they the best? Are they the most commonly played? Please share with me your thoughts and opinions!

[ZeroTwentythree]

No difinitive answer/edition, really. For your own sake, I'd just stick with what you most enjoy or are most likely to play.

[Zygmund]

I think I can see three eras of Warhammer commonly played: The Ninth Age, the 8th ed, and Oldhammer.

The Ninth Age is a competitive scene, where people are concerned with the rules and balance. You would need to make the Halfling book competitively interesting, and you would need to give Halflings a game role different from all the other armies, if you want them to use it.

The 8th ed is perhaps mostly concerned with keeping the Old World alive and enjoying GW models in that setting. I would think there are 8th ed players who would eagerly welcome a concice Halfling book. Then again many 8th ed players may not have any Halfling models, and might not have the time/money/interest to buy them.

Oldhammer has a combination of nostalgia, appreciation of older figures, appreciation for the relaxed spirit of the rules, and of course the Old World setting. They are usually people who will go for editions which did have Halflings represented, so will already have access to some Halfling rules, and likely models too. Maybe they are the ones who would like to have the concise rules for a Halfling army. Problem is, you have 3rd to 6th editions, and each plays a different one.

-Z

[Odin Morgrimmsson]

Thanks for the replies guys!

I'd already ruled out T9A: I tried to follow it and to contribute for a while but (unusually for something community led) I find it totally soulless and while I'm sure the rules are tight, they're also uniformly dull.

I'm tending towards using 8th: As you say Zygmund it seems the likliest to attract the "keep the world alive" types and the rules are relatively good (not quite as good as 6th, though it does have some advantages over 6th).

[Gankom]

I was going to suggest 8th as well. Mostly because it's essentially a 'finished' edition. So there's no worries about updates, or people who want to use the next edition of stuff, etc. Plus with all the army books down you can balance it nicely.

[Warlord]

8th edition does not have a Bretonnian, Skaven or Beastmen book.

[Padre]

Skaven still win a lot, though, as their 7th ed book was so overpowered.

[The Black Knight]

Yeah, Bretonninas have it pretty rough though. A lot of stuff seems overpriced/underpowered. Depends on how you play though, with easy-going lists it's much more viable.

I like 6th, although I think 7th was a tighter ruleset overall. Let down by the later army books of course. It's a shame that using 6th you can't bring any of the later stuff. This throws me off a bit, I don't like not being able to use figures I've built/painted.

[Padre]

Brets work just fine in the 'right sort' of campaign.

[ZeroTwentythree]

I like 6th, although I think 7th was a tighter ruleset overall. Let down by the later army books of course.

That's my feeling, too. I think that if players show restraint with DE, WE, and Skaven, 7th is still pretty good. The daemon book is sadly unplayable, though. MInd you, I had a daemon army since 3rd ed. RoC and was excited for the 7th ed book. When it came out, I tried putting some reasonable lists together but could never bring myself to actually put them on the table. And I never played an enjoyable game against a DoC army. The book was literally that far out of step with the rest of the armies (and that's saying something...)

If someone said, "hey lets play a campaign/league/whatever using any edition you choose" I'd pick 7th ed. with a few house rules. (We always had house rules in the old days of 3rd ed. Somehow that concept disappeared when "officialdom" and tournaments started gaining ground in later editions.)

[Finlay]

I'd be interested in seeing 6th or 8th edition halfling books, seeing as I have literally £400 of unpainted halflings from a kickstarter that I need some motivation to paint up!

I too am put off trying 7th because some of the books are so out of kilter with the others.

Is there a current fan made halfling book for any editions anyone used?

[Midaski]

There's always rufus' list from our Empire Campaign - that may well be what I use next Fantasy Bash 

[Padre]

I use the list from the Tilea Campaign 'Treachery and Greed' by Rufus for my halflings in the campaign. His lists were added to and tweaked from campaign to campaign.

[GamesPoet]

If I recall, there was an "Oldhammer" halfmen list that came out at the time of the 1st halfmen kickstarter.

[Odin Morgrimmsson]

Finlay, my book isn't finished yet but I'd happily send you a draft version to get some feedback if you're interested?

I have decided to go with 8th. Ed as the basis for my rules, but I might at a later date include an appendix with rules for different editions.

Alternatively, the Warhammer Armies Project has a full Halfling army book for 8th which you could take a look at. Personally, I'm not a fan: the background is copy/paste from a variety of sources with no/very little editting so it contradicts itself in some places and repeats itself unnecessarily in others. The list itself has some slightly odd rules but I'll let you make your own mind up.

[Shadow_Zero]

How is the Halfling book from Warhammer Armies Project? (see also http://warhammer-empire.com/theforum/index.php?topic=52628.0 )

[brr-icy]

6th. Gaining a lot of popularity over 8th