Apocalypse - A Preview

Hey guys, I am Learn2Eel, and today I want to quickly touch on the impending Apocalypse release with a bit of a contrast of opinions. I feel that this is going to be a great release and I really hope Games Workshop move heaven and earth to support this rules supplement. I hope you enjoy this short article!

Since its' original release all the way back in 2007, Apocalypse has very much been the dominion of fun above all else; entire armies obliterated before they can so much as move, collections decimated by ten foot tall resin toys, and all other manner of craziness. Apocalypse embraces the crazy aspect of the hobby, with an "anything goes" vibe to both the rule-set and the games themselves. Taking "you die" vortex grenades, allying Grey Knights with Chaos Daemons, or hell, Tyranids allied with something that isn't another hive fleet; anything and everything you want to do is right there at your fingertips! With games of truly apocalyptic (sorry) sizes where the mantra of fun above all else is the name of the gun, there is a lot of whacky action and craziness that typically requires a day of play to finish. Proxying galore, house rules by the dozen, and a laughably delicious care-free attitude; if you aren't ready to accommodate for at least one of these, then Apocalypse simply isn't for you.

And this, of course, is where the type of gamer you are can heavily influence your enjoyment with Apocalypse. If you aren't prepared for crazy battles where the victor can be decided on turn one due to the sheer number of titan or army-destroying weaponry available, then you are playing the wrong game. Apocalypse is not designed with a competitive view-point in mind, where the "balance" comes from the pursuit of fun to the exclusion of all else. This understandably is a turn off to a lot of gamers of all kinds, as not only do they want to engage in an incredibly long and large game - creating lots of logistical issues - where much of their army can be destroyed in one turn and deny them any chance of victory, but also because the sheer scope of the rules allows a lot of imbalances. Ask anyone who has played against a Tyranid Hierophant Bio-Titan with Warp Field treated as a 3+ invulnerable save and you might begin to understand what I mean about rules inequalities.

Personally, I appreciate all kinds of gaming; whether you play in a tight competitive fashion or with a more lenient approach to enjoyment, I think there is room for any type of game. Really, Apocalypse and tournaments are literally the opposite ends of the spectrum; the former is focused on whacky rules with less tactical requirements, while the latter incorporates strategy and tactics far more heavily. Each offers a different type of game that appeals to their own wide audience, and it is for this reason that I feel that neither should be forced out of the game. Often I have seen opinions favouring one more heavily than the other, and I just bring myself back to that famous line; "why not both?" Enjoy what you want, and when you want to.

For the slaughter!

But back to Apocalypse specifically, as I went off on a little tangent there; I really like the direction Games Workshop is taking so far in 6th Edition Warhammer 40000, with greater emphasis on themed armies and variety of unit choices. Apocalypse offers something different entirely, but I nonetheless appreciate the fine work at hand here; the zaniness of the original book seems to have been preserved and perhaps even - outrageously - bested, with random charts that can see entire table sections removed from play. Psychic storms that crumble the foundations of the planet itself, orbital bombardments that scorch the earth and leave it a desolate and hot wasteland, all at the behest of tidal waves of aliens and super humans led by peerless warlords. I can't wait to see how the new Apocalypse book compares to the original, and what new ingenuity Games Workshop has in store for us.


This was a rather petite article that I decided would make for a nice little prelude to the Apocalypse release. I hope you enjoyed it, and I am excited to hear your thoughts on the coming release!