Back in 2017, Games Workshop reprinted the original edition of Warhammer 40,000 for the 30th anniversary of the game, only available at Warhammer World in Nottingham. It was very limited, but soon fans will get a second chance to collect it because, at the bottom of a recent preview of new releases, Games Workshop announced that a reprinted first edition Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader rulebook will be available via print-on-demand, and orders will be open between October 14 and October 23. No price has been announced yet, and copies will be mailed out “within 180 days of the ordering window closing”.
The first edition of Warhammer 40,000 released in 1987, was very different from the current lore and was much like a tabletop roleplaying game in addition to a wargame. There was even an assumption that a third player would take the part of a “gamesmaster” who interpreted the rules, presented the scenario, and took the part of any independent forces on the battlefield. Battles involved smaller armies, often at a squad level, with very few minis available. The setting was also vastly different, with the lore being almost unrecognizable at times, including the Primarch Leman Russ being a high-ranking Space Marine, and much sillier elements being present.
The name Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader was reused in 2009 for a tabletop game and that is serving as the basis of Owlcat’s new CRPG releasing on December 7.
