Saturday 16 December 2017

Middlehammer Nostalgia

Yep, a whopping 72 pages
You have no doubt heard of Warhammer (even though it's now dead). Possibly you are also familiar with Oldhammer - an appreciation of the older versions of the game, usually from the 1980's. But what if you were a fan of the not quite as old versions, from the 1990's onwards? Well, fear not, because now there's Middlehammer, for fans of the game from fourth edition onwards, roughly the 20 odd years from 1992 to the End Times. There is a facebook page for all your nostalgic needs.

Nostalgia has struck me recently. Well, it is 25 years since I started with this game! Up in the loft to bring down the xmas decorations, I came across a box full of old White Dwarf magazines. Leafing through them, I was transported back to those first days in the hobby, hesitantly clipping off hundreds of single-pose goblins and elves and fumbling through a first few games on the kitchen table. No internet back in those days to hold your hand! I was hooked and collected High Elves, some Undead and later a few dwarfs. For some reason I never really appreciated the orcs and goblins. I must have taken the hobby very seriously back in the day, as they always seemed a bit comical, a bit silly to me. But looking through the old magazines now, I can see why they were so popular.

Happy Smiley Greenskins
Do not adjust your monitor, things really were that lurid in the early (middle) days. And orcs did really look that happy. You can understand my original hesitation, as a fan of all things grim and realistic. But perhaps you can also forgive me my nostalgia, if you can see the simple charm of these figures. From the same issue (no 159 from March 1993), the next few pictures from a battle report give a flavour of the articles that had me hooked in those early hobby days.

Green horde on a green battlefield

Three or four kilos of a full metal army

The battle rages on, I loved these articles
Finally, a look at another page spread, chosen at random. A lovely bit of John Blanche art on the left, and a classic Mark Gibbons black and white illustration on the right. And. So. Many. Words. There might have been just 70 pages in an issue, but each page was crammed with reading material. To read an issue cover to cover would take hours. Ah, happy days. 

Words. Lots of them.
Legal Disclaimer: All these images are from White Dwarf magazine, copyright Games Workshop. I do not have permission to publish them, but do so as an enthusiastic fan of those golden, middle days.

12 comments:

Michal DwarfCrypt said...

Ah, my golden and nostalgia times too :)

Endtransmission said...

My golden era as well. Those single pose plastic goblins were lethal if you put your hand into a box full of them...

Paul said...

Strange how I’ve seen these even though my first issue was 183! We’re the two armies reprinted in the Orcs and Gonlins army book?

Stuart Bannister said...

I remember reading that battle report over and over again, partly because it featured two stunning metal armies showcasing the new miniatures, but also so I could pick up some tips to help me win with my own orcs and goblins. The crown of command was a must!!

Andrew said...

I loved that battle report! I even attempted to make that dwarf standard bearer (unsuccessfully).

Steve Williams said...

The 90s were probably my golden age despite starting in the 80s. I was 15 in 1990, but had little money, so had to content myself with reading through WD again and again. That particular issue was a favourite. May have to scour eBay later...

demi_morgana said...

Aaaaah, great post - let me know if you ever visit Poland, I owe you a beer for that!
I was also dragged into the hobby ~20 years ago, straight into 5th edition WFB.
Must admit recently nostalgy also hit me, so I started collecting oldie army books from back days.
What Mark Gibbons was doing - was and still is mindfuckingblowing!

Thanks again, mate!

Nord said...

Looks like I am not the only one with nostalgia. It's good to look back on those golden days, whenever they were for you. Mark Gibbons illustrations in the Undead book - I must have stared at those for hours - pity the models were so goofy! I have got a couple of old figures here that I will get some paint on soon, in the new year......

marjedi said...

These are the models that got me into Warhammer and wargaming. They are certainly charming as heck, and I love the bright colors that was the rage back then.

benvoliothefirst said...

Yep! To all the above!

J.V.Z said...

Love this battle report from the Orc and Goblin armies book. I am trying to build armies to reenact the battle in the future :)

Maurice Mickelwhite said...

Oh yeah, Middle Hammer is def when I w as in. I still like it - it’s kind of in between the chaos of the Oldhammer and the Corporate era :)

I prefer those Orcs too. Never a fan of the redesign they gave them and how the moved into what they are today, looks wise.

Ah, remembering my old 90s Night Goblin army now!

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