Advanced Space Crusade - Redux (and some Space Hulk)

[Slave to Darkness]

With the board games Doomsday Countdown and Fireteam (http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/368871-new-warhammer-boxed-games-for-2021/) due to be released and my recent decision to get back into Rogue Trader by starting Squats and Chaos Squats, I have been thinking a lot about the 'gateway' boxsets available when I had hair and didn't have debts. I am sure Im not the only one whos first taste of battle was playing Space Crusade (also the most played game on my Amiga :wub: ). Soon after that I found a copy of Space Hulk in W H Smiths on clearance and spent most of the day winding my Mother up to the point her only options were to push me into oncoming traffic or just buy me the game to shut me up (I'm still here, so guess what she chose to do?) and not long after that I got a copy of Tyranid Attack  for my birthday.  

 

Over the years I also dabbled in Advanced Space Crusade (pretty much Tyranid Attack 1st edition, used the same board sections but the rules were more complicated), Ultra Marines (used the Space Hulk floorplans but had Marine scouts fighting each other), Space Fleet, Space Marine/Adeptus Titanicus, Trolls in the Pantry and Oi Dats my Leg!!! amongst other less memorable offerings by GW. 

Even now I still have many fond memories of these games, and want to bring back a little bit of that nostalga from my childhood, and maybe do the same for the other Frater here as well, so I was thinking about recreating one of those oldschool goldies with the newer sculpts and scratch built boards. I did run this idea by Lame Beard who pointed out someone else here on B&C has already tried this with Space Crusade, and the thought of recreating all those sections of Space Hulk floorplans does give me nightmares ngl, so I have decided to turn my hand tooooooo... Drum roll please......

 

Well Advanced Space Crusade / Tyranid Attack, board and minis first rules later. I only used this art because it kicks ass and is superior to the TA artwork. 

This will be a slow burn project to work on between my 1st edition Squat armies and my current edition stuff so I can keep things fresh and mix it up a little during lockdown.  For the minis I will be using the current GW stuff with a few tweaks to get the old vibe, poofy sleeves and bad hair for the scouts, Nids I am not too sure about, I may try hacking up and re-sculpting the heads so they have the same look as the old ones. Genestealers, Hybrids and Terminators I wont bother, the Current Stealers I have no issue with and the Hybrids and Terminators used the old Space Hulk sculpts that were frankly a load of rubbish, the current incarnations will be fine. 

 

Board wise I will use thick card for the base and polystyrene for the fleshy bits, mainly because Im broke and I already have everything I need laying about already (seriously, I cant get from my sofa to my sink without tripping over a stack of flat packed boxes or a pile of crap I have collected 'just in case').  The only thing I need to change really is increase the size of each board slightly as bases have gotten bigger over the years, Tyranid Attack had rules in WD for Dreadnoughts and the grid on the board was marked out for 25mm bases and the current minis will have no chance of squeezing up a hive ships... nostril.  Ngl its gonna be fun making the interior of a 'Nid ship, not something you see every day. 

 

Another good thing about Advanced Space Crusade was the WD rules for using Orks or Imperial Guard instead of Scouts, handy as I have these already, so hopefully I should get a lot of use out of this board when I finish it. 

 

 

 

 

Also just for funsies I have decided on a mini diorama as well based on the Space Hulk Deathwing story, I'm gonna convert up Two Heads Talking, Lame Bear, Slippery Weasel, Leaky Toilet and the rest of the boys, both in and out of Terminator armour. No particular reason why, just really loved the story as a kid. 

 

[Kierdale]

I can't wait to see this!

I have the ASC rules and there are some interesting things in there (I like that you can be `in cover` by positioning yourself halfway across two squares, and get a cover bonus so long as your enemy cannot see both squares. A nice little rule, that).

 

Actually, I remade Ultramarines and often play it with my son.

I can send you the files (rules, cards, tokens, etc.) if you like?

 

Inspired by Lost Patrol's hex-placement, I started making a game with hexes, based on `Ambush at the Gnarion Reef` (from Saga of the Beast). Space Wolves vs Death Skulls Orks in a Rokk.

[lhg033]

This was slightly before my time in the hobby but I do have, probably languishing somewhere in a box in the loft at my parents house, several of those tyranid warriors. If I remember correctly they have an exposed organ look under the ribcage. The metal versions had a different look though, with plates at the front - definately a bit of room for artistic license on these.

 

Looking forward to seeing what you do with this.

[StraightSilver]

The stand out thing in Advanced Space Crusade for me was the "sphincter" doors, and the fact that the ship and associated missions were all about taking out major organs.

I'm not sure if I am excited to see the sphincter doors in glorious 3D.....  

[Slave to Darkness]

Oh yeah the doors, I never thought about those lol. Thats gonna be fun. 

 

@Kierdale, yeah chief that would be great thanks. 

[K0rtmer]

Fantastic idea. Planning to get through the better part of my Space Crusade boxed set this year, I'll be sure to follow this.

[Slave to Darkness]

My neighbour threw out a massive binbag full of inch and a half thick styrene sheets, naturally as soon as I saw that I realised I am looking at most of the materials needed for this project. A friend has also seen someone throw out some yesterday as well, he is gonna go grab that later. Looks like I will be doing this project for next to nothing. Later on I will see if I have any sheets of thick card big enough for the Hiveship floor tiles. 

[Slave to Darkness]

Aaaaand many months later I remembered I was gonna do this, over the past 12 months I have moved, had to get new place sorted and all that adult crap so I have not had a lot of time for this. Just located the Advanced Space Crusade issues of WD buried in my hard drive and I am looking at the alternate army lists to work out a to do list (I think I am sorted for Guard, just need to figure out how many Nid/Stealers, Ork and Power Armoured marines Im gonna need. May do the Marines as Scythes of the Emperor or whatever they were called, they have ties to some of the old artwork and they did get monched by Nids so I think thats the natural choice. 

 

No doubt Ill update this in another 6 months to a year lol.  

[Naryn]

Looking forward to the next update! Life has a habit of getting in the way of grand hobby plans, but that just makes the end result even more satisfying.

[Slave to Darkness]

Tbh Im sick of grey Guardsmen in Gasmasks and grey Space Vikings, I cant wait to get stuck in with other colours and crack on with the board, Ill just remember to keep poly cement and superglue away from the styrene sheets this time :lol: