Looking back on WD Battle Reports

I came across an older article today and thought I'd resurrect the discussion which was so eloquently laid out by the author (neverness).  I'd urge people to go and have a look through his post as it really does describe exactly how I have felt about battle reports in White Dwarf over the years!

The absolute low point of battle reports was in the accursed Warhammer Visions publication doorstop which genuinely almost brought me to tears.  It was the epitome of everything I hated about GWs attitude towards big fat money sacks (their customers as we're known again now).  In this £8 advertising supplement, the 'Battle Report' was a two page spread with some really dull one line comments.  It may as well have just been a Codex 'flavour' pic.

Looking back on the battle report heritage of GW, it's hard to see how they fell so far.  But my question is whether or not they have recovered from this face plant.  My conclusion is... sort of.

Battle reports began to interest me again since WD was brought back in its monthly format - which is also the first time I re-subscribed to the magazine after cancelling in disgust at the Visions / WD Weekly shitfest. .  While not exactly a radical reinvention of the magazine, it did at least return with some of the content which I used to enjoy even if it still contains a lot of rampant marketing junk.

The battle reports are still very new army-centric and rarely feature themed armies or any which have not received a new codex since the latest edition dropped.  I can forgive them that though as they've at least started to return to form.  The content is more engaging again, but as neverness wrote in his blog post, tactical planning, execution and review is still very thin on the ground and is often guided purely by one new character combo or new unit's 'time to shine'.

What I will say for the new battle reports is that while they were gone (DAMN YOU VISIONS!), the player community filled the gap by expanding the available content across the net.  GW seems to have realised that they're nothing without the community.  People who build enthusiasm and additional spin-off content on the net.

GW are running to catch up now that they have at last re-engaged their community and I think that's a good thing as the magazine battle reports are now being held to higher standards with player content some times outshining the dry GW coverage of new releases.  The rigorous battering that new armies and rules get on the net is forcing GW to be more insightful in their articles as they know that a few pictures and one-liners just doesn't cut the mustard any more!

Lastly I'd like to share my favourite ever battle report with you.  If you've not read it, go back and take a peek, it's worth the read!

White Dwarf 351... Assault on Fort Wrath battle report.

I must have re-read this battle report a hundred times!  It's an absolutely huge Apocalypse battle, which also being fought across several smaller tables - each had their own theme and mission objectives which then tied in together on the main table.

The fact that the players had individual objectives led to some hilarious antics as one of the Ork warlords had to 'accidentally' take out a rival whilst Phil Kelly's Warboss is ordered to 'Kill something big' and subsequently punches out a Warhound titan before being turned into red (green?) mist by the whole Imperial Battleline!

It makes me cry with laughter whenever I read it.  Also, the fact that there are so many Stompas (11 I think), really gives it an epic feel!

Thanks go to neverness for inspiring this random post!  His 'not-squat' drawing is great and makes me want him to revisit his fanzine vision in web format! :)