I have been reading White Dwarf magazine for over 14 years now and I am finding that more and more older readers are no longer buying or reading it because of a lack of content in later years. I have been thinking the same thing myself although when you have every issue for the past 14 years its hard to just stop. So I thought I would have a close look at 8 issues spreading the 14 years and with 2 years between each. I have started with a Feb issue as by that time we have passed the whole christmas buildup and come-down.
14 Years of White Dwarf
Year: 1999
Issue: 230
Cover: Head and shoulders of a Chaos Space Marine Terminator. Not the best art but a fun picture.
Freebie: Weapons Reference Card Sheet
Price: £3.50
Content:
- We start out with a two page contents overview.
- 5 Pages of news and rumours, this even includes pictures and info about upcoming armies, we also have job adverts for within the company and a list of new releases.
- 2 Pages about the new Skaven Clanrats, a lot like we see these days showing sprues and images of the new models but we also have a little feature about an impressive Screaming Bell boat that somebody had built with a picture and a little bit of info on what he used to make it.
- 6 Pages about collecting a Skaven army, talking about themes, what units are best to start with and a sample list with a picture of the sample army. It then goes into more detail about the specific units in the army and why we should include them and then a small painting guide on one way to paint a clanrat.
- 2 Page spread of a Skaven army in all its glory and in action.
- 4 Pages of a players guide about how he collected his lovely looking Skaven army including bits of his own fluff.
- 2 Page spread of his Skaven army in all its glory and in action.
- 2 Pages on how this player paints his clanrats.
- 4 Page comdey article by Mike Walker on how to deal with Skaven with your own army.
- 2 Page advert of the new Warlord and Slave models but we also get some original fluff 'a day in the life of a slave'.
- 4 Page tournament tactica and list building advice by the Skaven player featured earlier.
- 3 Page comic about Skaven.
- 5 Pages about the new units out in that months Chaos Space Marine Codex release, even including full rules from certain units from the Codex!
- 2 Page spread of a Chaos Marine army in action with some more fluff.
- 2 Page advert for the new Codex.
- 2 Pages of fluff, info and pictures of the 4 Greater Daemons.
- 1 Page Citadel Journal advert.
- 10 Pages of that years Golden Daemon winners with pictures.
- 1 Page career page.
- 2 Page store locator.
- 4 Pages of new store opening info including money off vouchers and get one free vouchers for those new stores. Also info on the events these stores will be doing.
- 2 Page 'Army of the Month', a Skaven army from Reading.
- 1 Page BA Honour Guard advert.
- 7 Page Chapter Approved with full rules for Necrons and Scenario to use them in!.
- 1 Page Q+A.
- 1 Page of rules for using Cult Terminators.
- 4 Pages about the a new Dogs of War unit including full rules to use them in your games.
- 2 Pages about converting a metal Bloodthirster.
- 1 Page Inferno advert.
- 1 Page Dark Eldar Grotesque tactica.
- 2 Page Mailbox.
- 1 Page GW HQ advert.
- 18 Page Bat Rep.
- 12 Pages of Mail Order.
Thoughts:
You are getting a lot of good content, various tacticas, brand new rules for fantasy and 40K units for free! including a whole army. They even show you rules from the Chaos Space Marine Codex which they try to avoid doing now in case you go and play a game before buying the Codex. There are some original fluff pieces and the Mail Order section was a must really as it was before the Internet had taken off for them.
Year: 2001 [Feb]
Issue: 254
Cover: Great picture of a Hive Tyrant and loads of smaller Nids.
Freebie: None
Price: 3.50
Content:
- 1 Page of contents.
- 2 Pages of rumours.
- 4 Pages of the new models out that month and the prices.
- 1 Page Warhammer World advert.
- 7 Pages of mixed fluff and talk about the new Nid Codex.
- 2 Page advert for Codexes.
- 6 Pages of talk about why they went the way they did with new Nids, a lot about why they added biomorphs.
- 2 Page Black Library advert.
- 6 Pages of fluff, rules and a scenario for Dwarfs.
- 2 Page advert for a GW sale[!!]
- 2 Page advert for tanks.
- Amazing 6 page piece of Nid fluff, one of the best ive read.
- 2 Page events advert.
- 5 page stores overview.
- Conflict tournament advert.
- 6 Page index astrates article about Dark Angels.
- 2 Page terrain making guide.
- 2 Page gaming club network news.
- 4 Page Mike Walker aticle about selecting Troops in Fantasy.
- 4 Page interview and showcase of artist Alex Boyd.
- 20 Pages of results and armies from that years Grand Tournament.
- 2 Page specialist games adverts.
- 3 Page tactica on Skirmishers in Fantasy.
- 17 Page Batrep with fluff.
- 11 Pages of Mail Order.
Thoughts:
Whilst still having good content including some great original fluff it doesnt seem to have the value of content of issue 230. I do like that they explained why they did certain things with a new codex and we still got some new rules/scenarios and got a really nice grand tournament overview.
Year: 2003
Issue: 278
Cover: Picture from Eomer taken from the Lord of the Rings films.
Freebie: None
Price: 3.50
Content:
- 1 Page of contents.
- 1 Page editorial.
- 4 Pages of news.
- 2 Page photo of a Tomb King army in Tomb King terrain.
- 2 Pages of new TK Models.
- 2 Page Tomb King painting guide.
- 6 Page Tomb King Tactica.
- 4 Page TK terrain making guide.
- 2 Page Eavy Metal TK workshop.
- 2 Page Tomb King advert.
- 4 Pages of somebodys Speed Freek army.
- 2 Page look at various Battle Bunkers.
- 2 Pages on somebodys Empire army.
- 2 Pages specialist games news.
- 4 Page Blood Bowl grand tournament review.
- 4 Page Daemonhunter preview.
- 4 Page store locator.
- 6 Page ongoing series about collecting a Chaos army with only £30 a month.
- 2 Page Conflict Tournament review and advert for the next one.
- 2 Page Tank painting workshop.
- 4 Pages of rules for a Chaos Warband skirmish game.
- 2 Pages of somebodys Nid army.
- 2 Pages about Manchesters Games Day battle.
- 2 Page Black Library advert.
- 4 Pages about Fabius Bile with some original fluff.
- 2 Pages of Pics and fluff about Night Lords.
- 18 Page BatRep with fluff.
- 20 Page Lord of the Rings section [which we had at the time of the movies] which has a BatRep, painting guides and army collecting guides.
Thoughts:
About on the same level as Issue 254 to be honest although you are getting a little less fluff and a few less new rules to use but the Warband Skirmish game is nice as was the piece on Fabius Bile. Plus advice on building an army from a small budget each month? heaven forbid!
Year: 2005
Issue: 302
Cover: A great picture of an Ogre Tyrant and some normal Ogres attacking.
Freebie: None
Price: £4.00
Content:
Year: 2007
Issue: 326
Cover: A picture of a Warrior of Gondor, not great in my opinion.
Freebie: Golden Daemon Winners Booklet.
Price: 4.00
Content:
Year: 2009
Issue: 350
Cover: Fantastic picture of a Lizardmen force.
Freebie: None
Price: £4.50 [which they made really, realy small at the bottom near the barcode]
Content:
Year: 2011
Issue: 374
Cover: Decent Pictire of a Blood Angels Marine.
Freebie: None
Price: 4.50
Content:
Year: 2013
Issue: No more issue numbers.
Cover: Pictures of new Dragon Ogres. Also a totally new style, glossy cover and the magazine is a different size and shape.
Freebie: None
Price: £5.50
Content: