Second Edition Saturday - Introduction and Rogue Trader Marines

For all you old guys who remember Rogue Trader, check your pace-makers, cause this is going to be a wild ride down memory lane!

If you're like me you like old stuff, old GW stuff.  I am not a big fan of the old models as much as I am the fluff and the books.  Not that the old models are without their charm, I just like the newer ones better as a personal preference.  Kinda like cars, If you had a choice between a 1974 Dodge Charger, a 1982 Chevette, or a 2011 Charger, what would you choose?  Well, the 1974 Charger is cool, but it takes a lot of special parts and care etc...the 1982 Chevette would probably get you there, but not as much style as a 2011 Charger.  So, bottom line, I like looking at them, I wouldn't mind painting one, I would not use it in my force unless I "had" to, and I definitely would not go out of my way to buy them.  SO, no, I don't hate old minis, I just want the newer ones.

I wasn't actually around for Rogue Trader.  I was old enough, I just wasn't "here".  I had bought a few Space Marines, when they came 3 to a blister, and thought that they would make good "bad guys" to fight against my plastic army men.  (If I only knew what was to come...)  It wasn't until 3rd edition that I actually picked up a book, and started to realize that I could play a game with these guys too! 

So, because I like history,  (Particularly ancient history, but that is another post.)  This is a start of a regular series, where Digital Waaagh will be featuring old art, or fluff from Rogue Trader or 2nd or 3rd Editions.  And, as an added bonus, if I am not feeling lazy at the moment, how to use those old units in your 5th ed games!  (With opponents permission.)
"So, why is it called 'Second Edition Saturday' then?" you may be asking.  Well, because simply put, Old Rogue Trader, 2nd Edition, and 3rd Edition Saturday doesn't roll off the tongue as well.  I suppose I could call it "Old Stuff Saturday" but, that could imply that it is more than old 40k stuff.  I don't think you want me posting pics of months old food left in the back of the fridge to liquidate in a bag that is leaking blackish brown liquid, and smells like a fetid rotting corpse dipped in moldy Italian dressing.  (Yes, I cleaned my fridge lately, and there was something that Papa Nurgle would be proud of like that in there.)  So, with that in mind, and because it is my series of articles, the name Second Edition Saturdays stays.

This picture is from Rogue Trader it was the different chapter options of Space Marines at the time.  Note: that GW did not highlight Ultramarines (They were not predominate), but instead put the "Rainbow Warriors"  on this page, Ultramarines were around, they just weren't the beloved brand recoginition that they are now.  I noticed that the "studio army" at the time in the pictures of "games" were Crimson Fists.

So, I know there are many jokes about the Rainbow Warriors, but instead, lets focus on the different helmet markings.  I like the "Field Police".  (Aren't those arbites now?)  And speaking of the helmets, this is where the term "beakie" comes into play because the majority of the Space Marine models had "beak" style helmets.  They look like robot bird-men from space.  But, that is not the best (worst) of what Rogue Trader had to offer...more to come!

Take a look at the Flesh Tearers?  Aren't they a Chaos marines?  (Chaos was not around yet. Not until a bit towards the end of 2nd ed.  And much more of a "real" presence in 3rd. - ed.)
So, take a look and try not to drool on your monitor too much over these.

The second two pictures are of our beloved Emperor.  In the Golden Throne on Terra.  If you look closely, you can see the caption states the Emperor's Palace.



So, the interesting thing about these are the fact you can still get some of the old models from GW for Marines.  Here! 

That's it for this week, join us next Saturday for our in-depth Squat expos'e!  (I don't really want to talk about Squats, but we'll see.  Perhaps I can go over some of the "Space Monsters" that you could play against...)