Games Workshop sale on Steam: Any Good TBS there?

[FarAway Sooner]

So the Midweek Madness sale on Steam is for Games Workshop, and it's a whole bunch of Warhammer stuff that's between 10% off (Battlefleet:  Gothic Armada) and 90% off (Space Hulk).

I'm not a fan of RTS games--the frantic clicking, crisis control, and getting blindsided by stuff I never noticed has always reminded me too much of my day job.  Any good TBS games out there, and/or games for those who like a very deliberate, contemplative gaming session?

I've played some of the Blood Bowl games in the past and found them moderately enjoyable, but the other TBS titles I see (e.g., Warhammer: Quest) get crappy reviews or don't seem interesting.  Before I turn my nose up altogether at these offerings, I thought I'd see if those of you who are far more into the WH universes than I am might have an opinion?

Thanks!

[Nefaro]

If you want something turn-based in the Warhammer-verse, then go with the classic which uses the same engine as Soldiers At War:

http://www.gog.com/game/warhammer_40000_chaos_gate

Squad-based space marine pew pew.   ^-^



There is also Space Hulk: Ascension but the gameplay didn't seem as dynamic to me as the old X-Com style missions in Chaos Gate.

[PipFromSlitherine]

http://store.steampowered.com/app/312370  might be of interest then.

Armageddon is a Panzer Corps style TBS, deal on at the moment for game plus a variety of DLCs, plus soundtrack and some extra units.

Cheers

Pip

[JasonPratt]

Both Space Hulk and SH: Ascension are good turn based games. They include some overlapping mission material, but they play somewhat differently. SH is a direct port of the tabletop mechanics; SH:A is a rejiggering of the mechanics to take more advantage of computer capabilities. This led to some debatable choices, admittedly, such as an oppressive fog of war on the map.


I can second Armageddon if you like Panzer General-based gameplay. There are definitely some differences and expansions to the basic PG experience, but some peculiar rule implementations, too (like how air power works, which is insane -- or was back when I was last playing it.)


I'm a big fan of the first Blood Bowl adaptation -- you should get the "Chaos Edition" for access to all the teams, otherwise no different than the "Legendary Edition" including in patchwork so far as I know. I own but haven't played BB2 yet. Be aware that a few UI bugs remain, and that the AI while generally competent as an opponent doesn't understand how to best use some specialist teams (like the various Elves). Some people think the AI cheats on dice rolls; but that has never been my experience.


Mordheim: City of the Damned is a straight Warhammer game (not 40K space orcs etc.), dripping with atmosphere and party management. It hasn't been in full release long, and continues to be debugged, but it's a very playable game if you're at all interested in the dark fantasy gothic Lovecraftian vibe.


Regicide is, on one level, a straight chess game with 40K skins (Space Marines vs Orks); but it features a much more tactical mode, including in the campaign, reminding me of small scale squad 40K tabletop battles with a special house rule where various figures were given movement capabilities like chess pieces -- including instant kill advances where a "chess move" can be played. It's one of the most overtly gorey games from GW, though, so if you don't want to see a bunch of ork stomachs on the ground...


I haven't played 40K Deathwatch yet, but some people here like it a lot. In effect it's a somewhat simplified but more flexible version of Space Hulk, designed originally for tablet/phone systems. There is some lightly moderate squad management, and one neat feature is how the Marines you've chosen for your team interact with one another on the missions.

[Nefaro]

I haven't played 40K Deathwatch yet, but some people here like it a lot. In effect it's a somewhat simplified but more flexible version of Space Hulk, designed originally for tablet/phone systems. There is some lightly moderate squad management, and one neat feature is how the Marines you've chosen for your team interact with one another on the missions.

That one is based on the same developer's Warhammer Quest system.  Which is a port of the old tabletop Warhammer Fantasy dungeon delving RPG-lite. 

I didn't get the impression that Deathwatch has the same randomness though.  As in the missions are canned instead of having different random map tiles and encounters being "drawn" to fill each one out.  Anyone confirm?

[Jarhead0331]

I haven't played 40K Deathwatch yet, but some people here like it a lot. In effect it's a somewhat simplified but more flexible version of Space Hulk, designed originally for tablet/phone systems. There is some lightly moderate squad management, and one neat feature is how the Marines you've chosen for your team interact with one another on the missions.

That one is based on the same developer's Warhammer Quest system.  Which is a port of the old tabletop Warhammer Fantasy dungeon delving RPG-lite. 

I didn't get the impression that Deathwatch has the same randomness though.  As in the missions are canned instead of having different random map tiles and encounters being "drawn" to fill each one out.  Anyone confirm?

The iOS version was great. The pc version is a lazy, poorly executed port. Stay away from it.

The missions in the game are not random or dynamic, but they are good nevertheless.

[Nefaro]

I haven't played 40K Deathwatch yet, but some people here like it a lot. In effect it's a somewhat simplified but more flexible version of Space Hulk, designed originally for tablet/phone systems. There is some lightly moderate squad management, and one neat feature is how the Marines you've chosen for your team interact with one another on the missions.

That one is based on the same developer's Warhammer Quest system.  Which is a port of the old tabletop Warhammer Fantasy dungeon delving RPG-lite. 

I didn't get the impression that Deathwatch has the same randomness though.  As in the missions are canned instead of having different random map tiles and encounters being "drawn" to fill each one out.  Anyone confirm?

The iOS version was great. The pc version is a lazy, poorly executed port. Stay away from it.

The missions in the game are not random or dynamic, but they are good nevertheless.

Thanks JH.

I actually picked up Templar Battleforce over the holiday sale.  That one seems to have a better rep, but I've not tried it yet.

[FarAway Sooner]

Thanks, guys!  That is very helpful.  Still on the fence about whether to buy any of these (only 20% of my current Steam Inventory is unplayed, what's the harm in boosting that number to 42%?), but your input really helps me to triangulate on a lot of the WH reviews on Steam (all of those reviews either love it or hate it--not much in-between).