First Impressions of a Seventh Edition

Seventh Edition Warhammer is now out. This is the edition that will fill an important gap for years to come. Namely, the gap between sixth edition and eighth edition.

So, what is it all about? Sixth edition re-wrote fifth by basically just adding the 80-page Direwolf FAQ that was current at the time into the ruleset. Edited for clarity you might say. Some new rules were added into sixth, but these were very silly and rendered the game barely playable until being officially dumped by GW via a FAQ. Fifth edition itself rewrote the risible fourth edition into something you could actually use to play a game.

How good is seventh edition? "Too early to tell" but early signs are very, very good.

The book has been written with care and with clarity. This starts with the layout of the book. The information has been re-ordered so that the rules take you from set-up through to the end of a typical game (minus magic). It sounds obvious and it is - now that GW have done it. Hopefully it will make the game more accessible to new players.

Alessio Cavatore is to be congratulated for crafting what is the most clear and complete set of rules Warhammer has ever received.

It's a narrow road to walk, writing a new edition for a venerable game like Warhammer. Too many changes risk alienating the player base. Too few changes, and people will ask why you bothered with a new edition at all.

Changes and additions appear throughout the rules, each time seamlessly integrated into the existing rules, and fully explained. Magic has been tidied up and the Eight Lores of Magic have been re-written to give players a real choice between them, instead of just picking Heavens or Life all the time.

Alessio has succeeded by making subtle, powerful changes to the rules that will have a real impact on the tabletop. New tactics will be carved out over the next 1-2 years, rewarding those prepared to be flexible.