Space Crusade was certainly my gateway into 40k in the early 90's. I don't have many stories of playing in except one is vividly burned into my memory; I was playing the Eldar Attack expansion with my dad, I was in control of the Aliens, he had the Eldar. It was an a-typical mission setup involving 3 tiles in line. As I recall the primary objective was simply that the Eldar player had to reach and exit via a Webway Gate. A gauntlet-run essentially. As my Dad's Eldar progressed through the first 2 tiles they encountered very little resistance from the aliens. Setting up the conditions for the aliens to swamp the Eldar in the final tile and creating an unwinnable bloodbath - because I was a 13yr old prick and thought that would be a fun game. So my Dad enters the last tile, I smugly lay down a sea of Blips almost covering the entire corridor between his models and the Webway Gate. He sits there, looks at his cards, does some mental calculations... I forget the combination of cards he played but in a double-bounding leap, utilising a single clear tile space in the middle of the board, his Exarch reaches the Webway and escapes, meeting the win conditions for the Eldar. I was dumbfounded. I remember protesting that the rest of his squad would die, he just smiled and shrugged. Essentially I'd pulled a dirty waac move and still got stomped, it was if nothing else a powerful lesson in humility and not being 'that guy' which probably came along at just the right time in my life...
This is an incredible moral tale, and I have a similar confession! I did the same as GM in Advanced Heroquest, piling Skaven warriors up in the final tiles and clogging everything up. Everyone got rightly upset with 12 year old me and I’d like to think my resulting regret made me a better gamer! Thanks for sharing!
Awesome story! I also played Space Crusade with my parents, on holiday as a 13 year old. I remember a game where the last marine alive was my mum's captain, surrounded on all sides by my Chaos hordes. Even though I threw everything at him, he fought his way out and completed the mission. My mum later told me she had a nightmare that night about being that Space Marine, having to fight for her life! She was really emotionally involved in the game. As a kid, I was very proud of having such cool parents. Thanks for this video, it brought back some very fond memories.
Finally, TH-cam recommends quality content to me. Fascinating stuff. I think 40k's imminent move into 'boarding actions' will see Space Crusade reimagined definitively.
I think you’re right. There’s definitely a fun move back into the space hulks going on, I’ve really liked the new KT boxes. I hope it leads to a new Space Hulk/Crusade or even a Hulk themed WHQ! Thanks for the comment, really appreciate it!
I think there might be some legal issues between GW and MB - shared rights and whatnot - that might not make that possible. GW do seem to have (FINALLY) cottoned on to the fact that - while 40k tabletop is their premium game - there is a market for more self-contained games within that universe that might serve as gateways to it - because it's not too long ago that they seemed VERY resistant to that idea - I was once escorted from a GW shop for having the gall to bring in my old copy of Space Hulk for people to try out (not kidding) Now they've come full circle on that and reissued (and keep reissuing after saying they wouldn't) Space Hulk - and brought back Necromunda and Bloodbowl - Epic seems to be the next old property on the list - so who knows?
Started my 40k journey with the Amiga version of Space Crusade way back in the day, and I didn't think there was anything you could tell me about the game that I didn't already know - but that story about Steve Baker picking up the phone was incredible. The balls on that man, to not just say "hang on, I'll transfer you to head office"! Once upon a time answering the phone could give you job offers rather than spam callers, I suppose.
That’s ace! Along with HQ it was key to me getting started, though I never made it the GW Studio! That must have been great fun, any memorable stories?
I had it in Italian in the 90s thanks to my eldest brother (11 years older than me…). I loved everything of this game, I bought all the expansion… and I bought an English version few years ago to play it with my German friends now that I live in bremen… and on top of everything… I printed it in 3d and after 35/40 years I am actually painting it all!!! Gosh… I just wrote to my brother to thank him after all this time 😂 thanks for bringing me back to that time 😊
I remember reading the Galaxy Quest manual (German edition) when I was a kid: Robots? Stun weapons? Looking at Genstealer figures and Spacemarines with bolters and thinking to myself: Riiiight.... 🤣
Loved this one. As an American, the only bit of Space Crusade I own (and likely ever will) is White Dwarf #134. A couple things I thought I'd add (and I haven't checked the other comments so someone may have already beat me to it): Chaos Androids were also produced at 6mm scale for Epic/Space Marine along with the Dreadnought. I have a bunch of them, although, to be honest I have no idea what their rules are like. But they definitely exist! The first Space Marine novel, from Ian Watson and published in 1993, creatively titled, 'Space Marine' featured marines infiltrating a Tyranid hive ship, much like in Advanced Space Crusade or Tyranid Attack. As an aside, one of the marines was originally from Necromunda and his name was 'Biff'. Seriously. They even meet a Zoat! The earliest 40K novels were WILD. But I have to think they stuck in the Hive Ship scenes because of the game.
Oh wow, great catch! Now that you mention them I actually remember those little android minis for Epic! Interesting point about Watson’s Space Marine book, I’m not surprised they included some synergies with the game. If you’ve not seen it I actually go into Watson’s Inquisitor book a bit in my recent video on the Emperor’s Tarot as he wrote the first appearance of it in 40k lore!
A fantastic video on my all-time favourite board game (and I own hundreds of them). It was the game that introduced me to Warhammer 40k in the early 90's, which would become my favourite hobby of all time in the years to come and all the way up to today. My well-used copy has literally travelled with me around the world, first bought in Portugal and now residing with me and my family in New Zealand. Here I've bought a couple of other copies of the game so I can restore one to full condition, while also retaining my original (and its two expansions) in my well-loved state that brings back so many fond memories of home and youth. Now I get to play it with my wife and daughter, and it has helped me introduce my girls to this amazing world as well, so in a way, it has all come full circle. Really informative and well researched video. Nice to see the old Space Crusade get some well-deserved love.
I foolishly got rid of my original copy in a big purge many years ago, have picked up bits and bins again over the years. The restoration copy is a great idea, and I love that you’ve kept your original and still play it with family, that’s so great. Thats the true legacy of Space Crusade right there!
Fantastic video! I remember first seeing Space Crusade at primary school when someone brought it in on the last day of term, and it blew my tiny mind. Off down the 40k rabbit hole I went! And you're absolutely right about that cover artwork - it brought the whole idea to life and fired up the imagination.
Those last days of term were amazing, every kid bringing in some random classic game to play all day! Don’t think any of the kids in my class were cool enough to bring SC, you got lucky there!
Another cracking video. enjoyed this, as a suggestion for games to look at I'd vote for Block Mania or the Judge Dredd RPG, both are GW games after all!
Space Crusade was my gateway into the warhammer 40k universe, it will always have a fond place in my heart💖. Never played the old Space Hulk but did play the numerous video games🎮, awesome👌🏻👍🏻‼️☺️
The Mission Dreadnought stuff sometimes turns up in cheap(ish) auctions for some of the components at a time. I’ve been back and forth on trying to ‘build’ a set that way rather than drop big numbers on a complete one
That was such a cool walk down memory lane. I know what you mean about space crusade being something inside 😂 I had the Eldar attack expansion and this last year I've finally plucked up the courage to paint that Eldar war host. Top video 👍 and Merry Christmas.
Thank you, glad you liked it! Oh wow, I'm jealous of that Eldar Attack you've got, but that's great about getting them to the painting table - that's how they fulfil their gaming destiny! Merry Christmas!
I don't care about 40k, but I was gifted some old figures from them and I got some cheap fireteam minis, all of which I plan to use with Space Crusade and/or Heroscape (yes, I recently bought a vintage copy of that recently too, after the campaign failed). I figure the money I am not sinking into an expensive hobby like 40k just will get spent on stuff like this and we play most weeks on twitch live! ;) (Friday: Space Crusade, Saturday: HeroQuest)
Like you I was young while it was being played by my dad and my uncle..my dad was in his early 20s..I was obsessed with it and i blagged the box from him after afew years odd when he was bored with it..I have been a wargaming fan since..all that's left of my set is a chaos warrior with no backpack because my mum chucked the set away when I was out..saying it was old and tatty 😭..she didn't understand.. I horde boxes like that now...including that lost patrol you have in the background there ha. I would love a remake of this..I can't buy a box for £300+ myself because I have my own children to feed and get into warhammer board games now ha.
Thanks for another video. I never owned this game in the 80s but my friends had a copy. I bought a copy with mission Dreadnaught 5 years ago and have played 3 campaigns with my 2 sons, both who play Euro board games and of course GW and MB/Hasbro Games.
Necrons appeared again before the 3rd ed rulebook. It was still 2nd ed when the first sculpts were released with rules in WD. However they had a cheeky cameo in the digganob expansion for gorkamorka. A necron skull apearing in a pile of scrap. Plus the not quite yet revealed to be giant necron pyramids the diggas hang around in.
Well that was the first video Iv seen if yours. And it was honestly amazing. I remember playing heroquest, and then space crusade on the amiga. The dreadnought was terrifying. I remember my friend telling me he used to have nightmares about it hahaha.
I live in the US, and I've had Space Crusade for less than a year. I love it, but I wish that there had been a US version. I wonder if, similar to HeroQuest, there would have been changes to the rules to make it more cooperative or US exclusive expansions.
Space Crusade was a great game, I used to play it with my brothers (advantage of a large family). We had just about the whole gamut of GW boardgames except Advanced Space Crusade, those boards! Would love to hear your opinion of Advanced HeroQuest, my favourite of games around that time if you've ever played it. Edit: forgot to say love the channel!
It’s fantastic how many families SC managed to get to the gaming table. I liked AHQ a fair bit, but I think I was seduced by the shinnier newer WHQ quite quickly! It’s definitely a great game though, one I’d love to revisit at some point
@@jordansorcery They were absolutely a great introduction with rules easy to understand. I'm just getting back into TTRPG 20+ years after my last foray.
Welcome back to the fold! There’s even more amazing stuff out there these days, even the updates of classics like WFRP are awesome. What have you been getting back in to?
@@jordansorcery been looking around to decide. Was gonna get really into DnD but now considering pathfinder, as really into fantasy but also sci-fi so possibly 40k again, but the only thing that's holding me back on 40k is cost etc.
You know I was looking at the new plastic Deredeo Dreadnought and I thought to myself, that looks like the chaos Dreadnought from space crusade reimagined if you look at its chest and think that the front head. And now if I ever get one from this game I’m gonna run it as that model and no one can stop me. Or as a Helbrute lol
It began with Space Crusade for me also. 20 years later I picked up Space Hulk 3rd ed and started reading a lot of the novels. When 9th ed 40K came out I jumped right in building on the armies I knew from those two boardgames. Wargaming is now a big part of my life, I paint models almost every day and play 1-2 games a week.
I had Space Crusade, which I picked up in my early 20's, and played it to death with my brothers and mates. After completing most of the missions in the main campaign, I bought Mission Dreadnought. (Both the game and expansion were last played at ony of my mates' houses - who I fell out with - and never got them back.) A few years later when I was married, I managed to get another copy of Space Crusade (I think it was on offer for £20 at a B&M store.) Played this for a bit and painted the miniatures. When I was moving house, some of my games were temporarily stored in my parent's loft. When we were eventually settled in our new house, I went to retrieve my games and found that some of them had mysteriously disappeared... Space Crusade, Heroquest, Axis & Allies and Dragonlance. They been taken by my older brother and sold at a car boot sale! (minus some of the instructions and minis which I still had)😞
That was really great video, thanks. I bought this back in the day, with the Dreadnought expansion, but alas not the Eldar one. I had 40K but never got into that, but this got all my group intrigued, especially with the ongoing campaign. I stupidly gave my copies away, but I hope somebody does a re-release like the recent Heroquest one.
“…the perennial favorite - the genestealer.” That sounds like the kind of thing a genestealer would say. Kidding aside, I remember seeing these games & articles, but never had the chance to play them. The plastic scouts with the ludicrously oversized heavy bolters & that chaos dreadnought are the two things I remember most vividly.
We. Wait. THOSE Genestealers are just a great bunch of lads! I always thought those scouts must have the worst shoulder pain, their pauldrons are even bigger than their bolters!
here here! great video, exactly my sentiments and I would happily be that guy who starts the online groundswell, the clamour to get this reissued! Keep up the great vids
Great video. I still have the space crusade Marines as well as a complete advanced space crusade, the tyranid plastic is looking a bit worse for wear now.
Space Crusade 'forgotten'???? Pretty much every kid I knew had a copy of this game in the early 90s...... Also, the Eldar Attack miniatures were probably my favourite plastics of all time. These day, almost all my GW miniatures are consigned to drawers and cupboards... however those 10 Eldar still stand proudly on top of random cans of deodorant and hairspray, bottles of essential oils, tubs of talc, ect....
If I remember correctly there was a weird rule in Advanced Space Crusade where you would react to the other players actions and it could end up in a huge loop where me and my friend just got stuck reacting to each other over and over, I got rid quickly.
My first induction into fantasy gaming. I went from space crusade to the add on dreadnought factory to the tyranids and scouts, to games workshop. I found games workshop became and expensive re-release of rules and figures, so from there I spent many a Friday in my local game shop "Spirt games" buying board games and collecting MtG cards. Very good memories. Thank you for reminding me of the good times. I still have the figures as I couldn't part with "Ed209, the Alien auto cannons and the Androids". I'm so glad I am no longer alone in how these figures were seen by a younger "us"
You chose some great minis to keep hold of! I love those dreadnoughts, wish I’d held on to mine! Thanks for sharing, I agree it’s lovely to be reminded by the community of all those great gaming memories and games!
I got the tyranids and scouts after reading those White Dwarf issues... Ended up playing Tyranids in 40k just because I was young and had a load of those models. I still have a soft spot in my heart for Scouts though....
I happen to still own my copy of Space Crusade, given I believe it's one of the best board games ever made. I got it decades ago in the mid-1990's. I first learned about it from my brothers, given that one of them got Hero Quest in 1990, and I quickly learned about the other games in the range. When I discovered that the local toy shop was selling the core game for $19AU, I thought, this would be a perfect opportunity for me to get a copy. So I got it for a Christmas present. I also got the Mission Dreadnought expansion that year, given it was $9AU. Now that the games cost a pretty penny to get nowadays, I'm glad that I kept them. I then discovered that there was a second expansion, Eldar Attack, that never arrived in Australia. Being a completest, I later purchased the expansion on eBay. It might have cost $150AU, but it was worth it to complete the set. My copy of Space Crusade is a true treasure. And especially since I later got copies of Hero Quest, and Battle Masters, the other two games in the MB/GW trilogy of board games, for cheap at local charity shops. I pride myself for having the complete set. And it all started with Space Crusade, a long time ago.
You've done well to keep hold of them all this time - I was not as sensible! Amazing to have the complete set though, hope they still make it to the table every now and again!
Great video! When I was a kid I got the Dreadnought expansion for Christmas... not the base game, just the expansion lol. It didn't matter, the power of my imagination was enough to enjoy playing with all those minis. I got into w40k a bit in high school (2nd edition) and have loosely followed it since, so Space Crusade made at least one fan of the hobby!
Thank you. The classic curse of a well meaning but unobservant family member! At least it was the one that included the amazing dreadnought though, I’m not surprised that could entertain on its own, totally awesome mini that!
German here: I remember the cencored version, but we never took those details serious, if a Space Marine with a Minigun entered a room with Space Orks, we faithfully uncencored it, there usualy was lots of blood involved, and gore, with, you know, arms & legs flying around, heads popping, guts spilling outside, the fun stuff! The Emperor protects, with a little help from lots of 20 - 40mm low explosive rounds... 😏 PS: The tv-commercials from all 3 MB/GW games were cool, but if I would've to choose, the best one would be HERO QUEST, than SPACE CRUSADE, and last but not least, BATTLE MASTERS. Back then commercials were done so cool. 😎
Ha, you can always trust kids to imagine the fun gory stuff! And totally agree, all 3 TV commercials were great fun; would love to see a modern equivalent for GW releases!
Jordan, I love your videos. Are you familiar with Herocults and Spacego? I've done a worrying amount of research into Herocults. Nowhere near as much as you clearly put into your videos, but definitely so much more than it honestly deserves. I fully recreated it in Tabletop Simulator. To this day I don't know why. I like to think I might be among the foremost English-speaking experts on this hidden gem. No, not gem. That's too fancy. Hidden rock. There we go. Just saying, if you ever need a consultant on the subject... I'm here.
I think the dreadnaughts in Sapce Crusade are cooler than any designs they came up with afterwards. The standard big blocky square tank design has its place but I didn't deserve to become the default.
I do like the current sarcophagus guys, but yeah I think you’re right - the SC ones are so much fun, it’s a real shame they disappeared. Imagine if one of them has walked out of the shadows in Blackstone Fortress, what a moment!
I love Space Crusade. if only I had been able to get a copy from europe back in the day. thankfully a kindly seller on BGG got me one for a song (and also hooked me up with your EU exclusive heroquest packs and an original 1989 copy of the game you guys got before we in the US got ours!). yes it has some downsides, my four boards are warped and the clips don't hold as well as you'd hope. some of the rule are a bit vague (shoot in the face? move diagonally through things? what is a devastator? etc) but it sure beats buying all that 40k stuff today IF you can find an inexpensive copy (ebay charges absurd prices). alas while I got the very great eldar attack expansion, mission dreadnought eluded me and I am NOT paying $200+ for it (even a used copy without the box). but speaking of 40k stuff, they had a half off sale after Christmas at B&N and I was able to get a stack of fireteam sets for a song, which I think I will paint and use for SC (couldn't bring myself to alter these pristine minis from 1990!)
Mission: Dreadnought goes for some big numbers these days sadly! I think that’s a great idea though, there’s some brilliant and appropriate minis in the recent kits!
Speaking as a backer of Prodos' "Aliens vs Predator" Skirmish game (and the utter shit-show that was the Kickstarter Campaign - which took the better part of *6 years* before all of us backers actually got what we pledged for), I for one am glad that nothing came of their supposed Space Crusade "reboot" - it would have been yet another KS catastrophe and a black mark against the game's reputation, of that I am certain... honestly, given how reasonably ok Hasbro's reboot of "Hero Quest" has been, I'd be far more favourable of them giving 'Space Crusade' a new, non-GW influenced spin.
Oh wow, I didn’t realise they’d done that kind of dodgy stuff too, that’s a shame. I liked the look of some of the minis for it (still tempted by those centurion guns!), but was never sold on it - sounds like a lucky escape!
I just obtained an awesome copy of SC a couple of months ago and have been eagerly awaiting something like this. Between this and your WHQ videos, you are quickly shooting to one of my favorite channels, thank you for all of the hard work you put into these videos.
Yes, finally a deep dive on Starquest. Okay, fine, Space Crusade 😉. This was my first contact with the 40K universe in the early 90s and my recent restoration project led me to coming back to Warhammer in earnest. One note on the german version: As you say, the texts were all completely rewritten to tone down the violence, as much as possible. The art on the other hand, was not. This led to some unforgettable combinations, like on one of the upgrade cards. The text stated, that you can equip your lasers (bolters) with electro shockers, to „pacify your robotic opponents“ and make more damage in melee. The picture still showed an Ork getting shanked by a bayonet 🥳🤪
I recently got the Finnish translated version of Space Crusade, and though not as radically changed as StarQuest was, there are some strange translation and localization desicions taken in it. The Emperor of Mankind has been changed to the Emperor of Space, and the aliens and Forces of Chaos are renamed Clones, and are said to be the offspring of Morkar. But the weirdest and worst changes were made to the weapons, the Space Marines and the Dreadnought. The Space Marines, or Universe Warriors as they were translated to had the names of their Chapters changed. Not translated to Finnish, just changed for no reason. So the Ultramarines are the Sky Terminators, the Imperial Fists are the Space Judges, and the Blood Angels were changed to... Blood Angels. I guess the translation team had a favourite. Some weapon names were changed to nonsensical ones too. Bolters, Plasma Guns, Missile Launchers and Power Fists remained unchanged, but the Power Sword and Power Axe were changed to the Death Sword and Doom Axe. Those are fine enough, but the Assault Cannon, again, for some stupid reason, was named the Panzerfaust. A Panzerfaust is a rocket launcher, and notable, not a rotary assault cannon. But the poor Dreadnought... it suffered the same fate as the Space Marine names, and it's name was not translated, just changed. It is now called... the Destructor! Which really doesn't have the same vibe as flipping over a token and shouting out DREADNAWT!
Those are some wild changes, wonder if the translation team had to meet some specific brief, or if they just didn't like the English names! Not gonna lie though, Sky Terminators, is a pretty cool name for a chapter, or a band!
I was lucky in that I experienced both HeroQuest and SpaceCrusade through my cousins. My eldest brother was into GW games at that point and suggested my parent's buy me SpaceCrusade as a joint Xmas/birthday present. Luckier still, I had both of my brothers and a family friend willing to play the campaign with me. I still remember that time we used the expansion which included the tarantula weapon for the marines and my brother used it to block my genestealer in a room, as my maximum damage would never defeat the tarantula's armour.... happy days :)
I wouldn't claim another game is as iconic or influential *or* more representative of pop culture influences as Space Crusade, but I don't understand why (like Space Crusade) there's soooo little chatter, reflection, nostalgia for the original "Supremacy". I don't even think there's more than one TH-cam video about the original game. I still own my copy and no one is interested in playing. Not even for nostalgia sake. LOL #sosadnotmad ...I wish I had a copy of Space Crusade.
Space Crusade and Heroquest, were a huge entry point into the GW hobby, and i still have both and the expansions, and my 11 year old and 7 year old sons are also now loving playing them both
I remember holding the Eldar attack box in my hands at the local tabletop game shop and finding out it was just an expansion I wanted to get Space Crusade, but it was sold out and no longer available. I ended up buying the Aliens boardgame instead, which I didn't regret. But the yearning for Space Crusade that I'd missed by just a year or so finally got to me so I bought Space Hulk and Tyranid Attack and though I played them I got the most out of it using the minis for 40K games. I did have Space Crusade on the Amiga though, so I did get to play it.
That sounds epic! I really miss those kinds of wild inventive games with friends - house rules and smashing games together to make something else. I think I’ll need to find some time to do that kind of thing again this year!
That TV ad reminds me of those 80's-inspired 40K ai art generations going around on TH-cam. I would love to see something like this (especially a David Lynch version i.e. Dune)
Great video Jordan, not sure why but SC popped up in my consciousness the other day and I'd been feeling the heady tug of nostalgia. Nice to see someone has created a video. I had the base set and the two expansion packs and, man, did we play that game - sometimes consuming entire bank holiday weekends with it in a somewhat altered reality state in the 90s/2000s. Its serious usage was reflected in many of the push-fit weapons losing their plugs, broken off arms, the thin plastic control panels getting cracked and the cardboard doors separating but my gosh was it super fun. I ended up donating it to a mate who had kids although he did suggest returning it to me just before the covids hit (and says it's pretty much unused by them) so I might see if I can take him up on it now. I wonder what's happened to all the original moulds (if that's the right term), artwork and such like. Surely now's the time for a reissue, I see there's a Space Crusade set going for £300 on ebay!
They did a great job didn't they - it felt infinitely replayable at the time! Lovely that you at least gave it the chance to have a new life with a new generation, even if it didn't appeal to them in the end! And yeah, any way to get hold of a copy these days that's not at those wild ebay prices is worth a go!
Excellent video! I have fond memories of playing Space Crusade as a child. I'm being pedantic here but I believe the necrons had a limited release in 2nd ed 40k through white drawf. The model you show is a freebie that came with the magazine (and I still have somewhere)
Thank you! You’re totally right about the Necron, my timeline was a little out - the White Dwarf army list came out in Feb ‘98 and 3rd edition released in October ‘98 with the dangerous xenos page. Somehow those sneaky Necrons got behind me!
2nd ed 40k is still the best ruleset imo. And yes, there was a necron on white dwarf. I still have it, as well as all the space crusade/mission dreadnought/eldar attack minatures.
Wow space crusade is a blast from the past absolute quality game and probs like everyone else my introduction to 40k. think I was about 5 or 6 when my dad bought me this for Christmas, i spent countless hours staring at that grey board n cardboard doors. I seem to remember some kind of mounted weapon team n other add on packs we got from virgin megastore but that might of been for Warhammer n I just used them with SC. I had the game for the Amiga but I can't really remember it that well. Thanks for a bringing back some great memories, cracking video😃
I’m glad you enjoyed the video, and that it brought back some good memories! Speaking of which, you mentioning Virgin Megastore just gave me a vivid flashback to their RPG department and glass cabinet full of Ral Partha minis! Cheers mate!
Interesting video, will be checking out more of your content. We played heroquest and the kids from down the road had Space Crusade. played a few times but I cant remember being too keen on it. would love to play it now though. Have just seen prices on ebay (yikes!) Recently got battlemasters again so thats cool, and I'm working on an undead and dinosaur army to add to that
The retro market is wild at the moment, loads of stuff I’d love to get my hands on but everyone seems to have the same idea! I’d like to see Battle Masters in the flesh again one day, I remember being wowed by its scale when I first saw it!
Somehow, this game did have a limited US release. I remember tracking down clearance copies at Kaybee Toys and Toys R Us in the early '90s. Kaybee was mostly a closeout store by then, but Toys R Us was still a major retailer back then.
Oh wow, I wonder if it was a specialist import, or just made its way as a general release in the US later than in Europe. I couldn't find any specifics about the international release, but the consensus was that it didn't make it to the US. At the very least it seems to have been far more limited than the HeroQuest release a few years earlier
My intro to 40k without even knowing it was playing space crusade on my amiga 500 like 25 years ago. Still never played it physically but it introduced me to 40k and space hulk.
Fantastic video, this game certainly kick started my love of 40K…… particularly that genestealer ambush card, still painting and playing with genestealers and other Tyranids to this day. One slight correction is that Necrons got their first mention before the third edition rulebook in a couple of issues of White Dwarf. You even got a free metal Necron warrior on the front of one of the issues. There were ludicrously overpowered rules for a Necron raiding force, in which the basic Necron warrior was equivalent in power to a Space Marine terminator, these were very fun and very narrative rules! So Necrons got their first rules at the tail end of second edition, but they didn’t get a full range and the proper Codex treatment until third edition.
Space Crusade was really funny. We later bought Advanced Space Crusade and it was awesome to invade living space ships and destroy their body organs :) The blips was always exciting
Advanced Space Crusade had some really neat ideas and expandability, and I totally agree - the concept of invading the biofleets is great! - but I just couldn't get on with that board!
I would think that all of those who adore this game and still have it (and I am fascinated by it) would be able to get 3d scans made of the pieces (which could be turned into 3D printable models), high quality photos of the chipboard elements, and PDFs of the rulebooks and missionbooks pulled together to preserve this important piece of gaming history.
Great video. I always wanted Space Crusade board game and my folks never got them. When space crusade came to to the Amiga, I was able buy it. Still have the game and box.
Chaos Androids also appeared in Epic/Space Marine.... but most people remember them from SC because it included a tiny backstory for them. I had SC, but just the core set. I admit that it didnt hold my interest for long. I had been a huge fan of Space Hulk, and SC felt a bit too 'fast play' for what I was used to and the rules and theme lacked the depth of Space Hulk, while the boards felt more restrictive. Plus, revealing the missile launcher Chaos Marine in turn one was almost a guaranteed kill. I am however possibly the worlds biggest fan of ASC. I picked up old copies of Space Hulk and swapped these in for the ASC board tiles, which mostly killed the exploration elements of the game but made it both more interesting and cleaner to play. To this day, its still one of my top three GW games and I believe it had potential to be better than Space Hulk as a system. The ability to both shoot from the hip and aimed fire, throw grenades, place charges, dive behind cover..... I still have the rules and my own additions around here somewhere.
@@jordansorcery I was lucky enough to sit down with him for a chat and ASC came up. He expressed a number of regrets about the system and things that he would have done differently. I got the impression that he felt that it was trying to do too much, and he compared it with Space Hulk which is a very tight rules set... but that flexibility has always been something that I like most about the game.
Yeah that’s fascinating as I’d say the same as you. The optionality in ASC is a real strength and like many GW games it’s rough in some places but so much more than the sum of its parts. I guess the perspective of a designer is just so different, we’re all our own worst critics!
When I read this I though 'wtf, Androids in Space Marine/Epic'???' So I went to pull out my collection of Space Marine/Epic company and detachment cards (I have every one of them except the Tyranids) And yes, there it was. A detachment of chaos androids.
I prefer this over Heroquest, even though I am more of a fantasy guy. The game is called Starquest where I live. I really like that it is a coop/versus hybrid. Wish I had the expansions. But never seen them in stores and they are very expensive now.
It’s really nice isn’t it, definitely has a similar vibe. I actually talk a little about Kev Walker in my Mighty Empires video as he painted the territory tiles for that game - a very different style to his comic art though!
Space crusade was my entry point to the world of 40k. 29 years later and I'm still going strong. And as for the re release idea. I'd never heard of it and frankly I'm glad the idea of sexy marines in space fell flat on its face.
It’s amazing how many lifelong gamers it’s responsible for! I’d thankfully avoided the dodgy Prodos stuff until recently too, and am equally glad they didn’t stick around!
Hi Jordan, Thanks for putting together this video. It's GREAT! As you say, Space Crusade does not get as much coverage as HeroQuest. I wanted Space Crusade to capture the tension and action of contemporary sci-fi movies. It needed to be its own game rather than a re-working of HeroQuest. Your video does a great job of highlighting the differences. I am so glad you enjoyed this game. The greatest reward for me as a game designer is hearing from people who have loved playing my games. Keep making your videos. They’re fantastic!
I'm really glad you enjoyed the video, and that it was reasonably accurate! I've a lot of love for both HQ and Space Crusade and I'm very grateful you made them. Happy, I've been able to bring a little more of their stories to light for some folk too! I'm actually working on a Battle Masters video too so if you ever fancy chatting about your terrific work I'd love to hear more!
I loved the game; I had the Amiga version of it too; and Space Hulk; loved them both. Like many it got me into Space marines and for a long time at least partly into Warhammer 40k.
Yeh space Crusade was awesome, and would make a great short term tv series with Henry Cavill. introducing people to the 40k universe like it did for us.
Although coming by this game today is a tall order, it has been recreated in TableTop Simulator, so you can play it that way. Lots of original art and newer pieces are included, and the models for the minis and tokens look quite authentic.
Yeah it sort of intuitively feels wrong, but when looking it at from the perspective of HQ simplified/containerised D&D and SC did similar for Space Hulk it makes a little more sense. Sort of “How can we make Space Hulk for kids!” I guess. Couldn’t agree more about RT, Priestley was definitely gazing beyond the void when he manifested that tome!
I think there are some things it improved on from HQ, and the 40k flavouring likely appeals more to some, but I'd probably put HQ ahead of it too. In my humble opinion though, Warhammer Quest stepped past both of them!
Such wonderful memories! I still own my (near mint) copy of "Star Quest" - as we called it here in Italy -. I've spent soooo many hours of play and fun with it. Good job and excellent quality video, grazie mille!
Space Crusade was certainly my gateway into 40k in the early 90's. I don't have many stories of playing in except one is vividly burned into my memory; I was playing the Eldar Attack expansion with my dad, I was in control of the Aliens, he had the Eldar. It was an a-typical mission setup involving 3 tiles in line. As I recall the primary objective was simply that the Eldar player had to reach and exit via a Webway Gate. A gauntlet-run essentially. As my Dad's Eldar progressed through the first 2 tiles they encountered very little resistance from the aliens. Setting up the conditions for the aliens to swamp the Eldar in the final tile and creating an unwinnable bloodbath - because I was a 13yr old prick and thought that would be a fun game.
So my Dad enters the last tile, I smugly lay down a sea of Blips almost covering the entire corridor between his models and the Webway Gate. He sits there, looks at his cards, does some mental calculations... I forget the combination of cards he played but in a double-bounding leap, utilising a single clear tile space in the middle of the board, his Exarch reaches the Webway and escapes, meeting the win conditions for the Eldar. I was dumbfounded. I remember protesting that the rest of his squad would die, he just smiled and shrugged.
Essentially I'd pulled a dirty waac move and still got stomped, it was if nothing else a powerful lesson in humility and not being 'that guy' which probably came along at just the right time in my life...
This is an incredible moral tale, and I have a similar confession! I did the same as GM in Advanced Heroquest, piling Skaven warriors up in the final tiles and clogging everything up. Everyone got rightly upset with 12 year old me and I’d like to think my resulting regret made me a better gamer! Thanks for sharing!
Awesome story! I also played Space Crusade with my parents, on holiday as a 13 year old. I remember a game where the last marine alive was my mum's captain, surrounded on all sides by my Chaos hordes. Even though I threw everything at him, he fought his way out and completed the mission. My mum later told me she had a nightmare that night about being that Space Marine, having to fight for her life! She was really emotionally involved in the game. As a kid, I was very proud of having such cool parents.
Thanks for this video, it brought back some very fond memories.
Finally, TH-cam recommends quality content to me. Fascinating stuff. I think 40k's imminent move into 'boarding actions' will see Space Crusade reimagined definitively.
I think you’re right. There’s definitely a fun move back into the space hulks going on, I’ve really liked the new KT boxes. I hope it leads to a new Space Hulk/Crusade or even a Hulk themed WHQ! Thanks for the comment, really appreciate it!
I hope so. I loved that game
I have a copy of the original. I’d love to see it reboot.
I think there might be some legal issues between GW and MB - shared rights and whatnot - that might not make that possible.
GW do seem to have (FINALLY) cottoned on to the fact that - while 40k tabletop is their premium game - there is a market for more self-contained games within that universe that might serve as gateways to it - because it's not too long ago that they seemed VERY resistant to that idea - I was once escorted from a GW shop for having the gall to bring in my old copy of Space Hulk for people to try out (not kidding)
Now they've come full circle on that and reissued (and keep reissuing after saying they wouldn't) Space Hulk - and brought back Necromunda and Bloodbowl - Epic seems to be the next old property on the list - so who knows?
You’re absolutely correct.
The real space crusade is in our hearts. ❤
Impossible to get it out again without the help of an experienced tech-priest
Started my 40k journey with the Amiga version of Space Crusade way back in the day, and I didn't think there was anything you could tell me about the game that I didn't already know - but that story about Steve Baker picking up the phone was incredible. The balls on that man, to not just say "hang on, I'll transfer you to head office"! Once upon a time answering the phone could give you job offers rather than spam callers, I suppose.
Incredible to think how many current gamers owe their hobby to that one phone call!
Sure it was bugged ...Dnaught could only be destroyed by closing the door on it !
Space Crusade was my gateway, leading to a job in the GW Studio in the LotR era. Best time of my life.
That’s ace! Along with HQ it was key to me getting started, though I never made it the GW Studio! That must have been great fun, any memorable stories?
That is really cool. W40K was one of the reasons I got in to tech.
I had it in Italian in the 90s thanks to my eldest brother (11 years older than me…). I loved everything of this game, I bought all the expansion… and I bought an English version few years ago to play it with my German friends now that I live in bremen… and on top of everything… I printed it in 3d and after 35/40 years I am actually painting it all!!! Gosh… I just wrote to my brother to thank him after all this time 😂 thanks for bringing me back to that time 😊
I'm happy to bring back a little nostalgia. What a great journey though, seems like Space Crusade has been with you throughout life!
Where the hell did this awesome channel pop up from?!
I can tell, I am REALLY gonna enjoy this channel. 🥰
Ha, thanks for the support! Hope I can keep the fun stuff coming with a few ideas I’ve got for next year
Thank you for these videos. Always very interesting and well put together. Frankly I'm amazed your subscriber count isn't a few digits longer.
That's lovely of you to say, I'm glad you're enjoying them!
I remember reading the Galaxy Quest manual (German edition) when I was a kid: Robots? Stun weapons? Looking at Genstealer figures and Spacemarines with bolters and thinking to myself: Riiiight.... 🤣
yes, non lethal-weapons like the Hologram-projektor, but in the original graphics of the rulebook is shown how gretchins are torn apart by explosions.
Loved this one. As an American, the only bit of Space Crusade I own (and likely ever will) is White Dwarf #134. A couple things I thought I'd add (and I haven't checked the other comments so someone may have already beat me to it): Chaos Androids were also produced at 6mm scale for Epic/Space Marine along with the Dreadnought. I have a bunch of them, although, to be honest I have no idea what their rules are like. But they definitely exist! The first Space Marine novel, from Ian Watson and published in 1993, creatively titled, 'Space Marine' featured marines infiltrating a Tyranid hive ship, much like in Advanced Space Crusade or Tyranid Attack. As an aside, one of the marines was originally from Necromunda and his name was 'Biff'. Seriously. They even meet a Zoat! The earliest 40K novels were WILD. But I have to think they stuck in the Hive Ship scenes because of the game.
Oh wow, great catch! Now that you mention them I actually remember those little android minis for Epic! Interesting point about Watson’s Space Marine book, I’m not surprised they included some synergies with the game. If you’ve not seen it I actually go into Watson’s Inquisitor book a bit in my recent video on the Emperor’s Tarot as he wrote the first appearance of it in 40k lore!
A fantastic video on my all-time favourite board game (and I own hundreds of them). It was the game that introduced me to Warhammer 40k in the early 90's, which would become my favourite hobby of all time in the years to come and all the way up to today.
My well-used copy has literally travelled with me around the world, first bought in Portugal and now residing with me and my family in New Zealand. Here I've bought a couple of other copies of the game so I can restore one to full condition, while also retaining my original (and its two expansions) in my well-loved state that brings back so many fond memories of home and youth. Now I get to play it with my wife and daughter, and it has helped me introduce my girls to this amazing world as well, so in a way, it has all come full circle.
Really informative and well researched video. Nice to see the old Space Crusade get some well-deserved love.
I foolishly got rid of my original copy in a big purge many years ago, have picked up bits and bins again over the years. The restoration copy is a great idea, and I love that you’ve kept your original and still play it with family, that’s so great. Thats the true legacy of Space Crusade right there!
That's awesome!
my pre eagle-eye action-man still has his best fren, buckeroo and all the load out- 😊
buckeroo's spring is broken- 😔
Fantastic video! I remember first seeing Space Crusade at primary school when someone brought it in on the last day of term, and it blew my tiny mind. Off down the 40k rabbit hole I went! And you're absolutely right about that cover artwork - it brought the whole idea to life and fired up the imagination.
Those last days of term were amazing, every kid bringing in some random classic game to play all day! Don’t think any of the kids in my class were cool enough to bring SC, you got lucky there!
Another cracking video. enjoyed this, as a suggestion for games to look at I'd vote for Block Mania or the Judge Dredd RPG, both are GW games after all!
A couple of excellent suggestions! I definitely want to get round to some of the less-recognisably-GW GW releases like these at some point!
Space Crusade was my gateway into the warhammer 40k universe, it will always have a fond place in my heart💖. Never played the old Space Hulk but did play the numerous video games🎮, awesome👌🏻👍🏻‼️☺️
Thank you for this wonderful stroll down memory lane!!! Your absolute love of this game is apparent throughout this video. ; )
Thanks for the comment, I’m glad I was able to get the passion across!
I have space crusade and the eldar expansion since childhood sometimes i go on ebay and look at the dreadnaught expansion....
The Mission Dreadnought stuff sometimes turns up in cheap(ish) auctions for some of the components at a time. I’ve been back and forth on trying to ‘build’ a set that way rather than drop big numbers on a complete one
That was such a cool walk down memory lane. I know what you mean about space crusade being something inside 😂 I had the Eldar attack expansion and this last year I've finally plucked up the courage to paint that Eldar war host.
Top video 👍 and Merry Christmas.
Thank you, glad you liked it! Oh wow, I'm jealous of that Eldar Attack you've got, but that's great about getting them to the painting table - that's how they fulfil their gaming destiny! Merry Christmas!
I don't care about 40k, but I was gifted some old figures from them and I got some cheap fireteam minis, all of which I plan to use with Space Crusade and/or Heroscape (yes, I recently bought a vintage copy of that recently too, after the campaign failed). I figure the money I am not sinking into an expensive hobby like 40k just will get spent on stuff like this and we play most weeks on twitch live! ;) (Friday: Space Crusade, Saturday: HeroQuest)
Like you I was young while it was being played by my dad and my uncle..my dad was in his early 20s..I was obsessed with it and i blagged the box from him after afew years odd when he was bored with it..I have been a wargaming fan since..all that's left of my set is a chaos warrior with no backpack because my mum chucked the set away when I was out..saying it was old and tatty 😭..she didn't understand.. I horde boxes like that now...including that lost patrol you have in the background there ha. I would love a remake of this..I can't buy a box for £300+ myself because I have my own children to feed and get into warhammer board games now ha.
Thanks for another video. I never owned this game in the 80s but my friends had a copy. I bought a copy with mission Dreadnaught 5 years ago and have played 3 campaigns with my 2 sons, both who play Euro board games and of course GW and MB/Hasbro Games.
my battle-master horses , are just geting lead elf's = for old world . is this a sin ??? or good that they get to play in a game ???
Necrons appeared again before the 3rd ed rulebook. It was still 2nd ed when the first sculpts were released with rules in WD. However they had a cheeky cameo in the digganob expansion for gorkamorka. A necron skull apearing in a pile of scrap. Plus the not quite yet revealed to be giant necron pyramids the diggas hang around in.
Well that was the first video Iv seen if yours. And it was honestly amazing. I remember playing heroquest, and then space crusade on the amiga. The dreadnought was terrifying. I remember my friend telling me he used to have nightmares about it hahaha.
I live in the US, and I've had Space Crusade for less than a year. I love it, but I wish that there had been a US version. I wonder if, similar to HeroQuest, there would have been changes to the rules to make it more cooperative or US exclusive expansions.
Fimir, in the lore do have to reproduce with human women. So yeah, they are pretty good analogue for Genestealers.
Good point! And they’re both the creepy ones no one else would talk to in their respective social groups too!
Space Crusade was a great game, I used to play it with my brothers (advantage of a large family). We had just about the whole gamut of GW boardgames except Advanced Space Crusade, those boards!
Would love to hear your opinion of Advanced HeroQuest, my favourite of games around that time if you've ever played it.
Edit: forgot to say love the channel!
It’s fantastic how many families SC managed to get to the gaming table. I liked AHQ a fair bit, but I think I was seduced by the shinnier newer WHQ quite quickly! It’s definitely a great game though, one I’d love to revisit at some point
AHQ looks amazing until you actually play it - the monsters 'choke' spell is SO op it simply ruins parties as soon as a monster with it is rolled....
I still own the original Space Crusade plus both Eldar Attack and Mission Dreadnought. Played all the missions and it was great fun.
I had Heroquest, Space Crusade (my introduction to 40k), Tyranid Attack and Space Hulk as well as the expansions and a few others of the same type.
A classic range there, a great introduction to GW!
@@jordansorcery They were absolutely a great introduction with rules easy to understand. I'm just getting back into TTRPG 20+ years after my last foray.
Welcome back to the fold! There’s even more amazing stuff out there these days, even the updates of classics like WFRP are awesome. What have you been getting back in to?
@@jordansorcery been looking around to decide. Was gonna get really into DnD but now considering pathfinder, as really into fantasy but also sci-fi so possibly 40k again, but the only thing that's holding me back on 40k is cost etc.
You know I was looking at the new plastic Deredeo Dreadnought and I thought to myself, that looks like the chaos Dreadnought from space crusade reimagined if you look at its chest and think that the front head. And now if I ever get one from this game I’m gonna run it as that model and no one can stop me. Or as a Helbrute lol
That ending!
"The real treasure are the friends you made along the way""🤣
And every word was true!
It began with Space Crusade for me also. 20 years later I picked up Space Hulk 3rd ed and started reading a lot of the novels. When 9th ed 40K came out I jumped right in building on the armies I knew from those two boardgames. Wargaming is now a big part of my life, I paint models almost every day and play 1-2 games a week.
It’s a testament to how much character and theme they managed to cram into that SC box - it definitely made a lasting impression!
I had Space Crusade, which I picked up in my early 20's, and played it to death with my brothers and mates. After completing most of the missions in the main campaign, I bought Mission Dreadnought. (Both the game and expansion were last played at ony of my mates' houses - who I fell out with - and never got them back.)
A few years later when I was married, I managed to get another copy of Space Crusade (I think it was on offer for £20 at a B&M store.) Played this for a bit and painted the miniatures. When I was moving house, some of my games were temporarily stored in my parent's loft.
When we were eventually settled in our new house, I went to retrieve my games and found that some of them had mysteriously disappeared... Space Crusade, Heroquest, Axis & Allies and Dragonlance. They been taken by my older brother and sold at a car boot sale! (minus some of the instructions and minis which I still had)😞
I would get it for the cover art only. Awesome game, one of my favorites! Fun, not too complicated and again much fun
That was really great video, thanks. I bought this back in the day, with the Dreadnought expansion, but alas not the Eldar one. I had 40K but never got into that, but this got all my group intrigued, especially with the ongoing campaign. I stupidly gave my copies away, but I hope somebody does a re-release like the recent Heroquest one.
I made the same mistake and got rid of my copy, and I couldn’t agree more - a quality re-release would be amazing!
“…the perennial favorite - the genestealer.” That sounds like the kind of thing a genestealer would say.
Kidding aside, I remember seeing these games & articles, but never had the chance to play them. The plastic scouts with the ludicrously oversized heavy bolters & that chaos dreadnought are the two things I remember most vividly.
We. Wait. THOSE Genestealers are just a great bunch of lads!
I always thought those scouts must have the worst shoulder pain, their pauldrons are even bigger than their bolters!
Space Crusade……best 40k game I have ever played. Yeah I said it. Simple, fun and leaves just enough for wanting more…..
I can respect this! It’s absolutely one of my top 40k game experiences, still love it!
I agree!
here here! great video, exactly my sentiments and I would happily be that guy who starts the online groundswell, the clamour to get this reissued! Keep up the great vids
Great video. I still have the space crusade Marines as well as a complete advanced space crusade, the tyranid plastic is looking a bit worse for wear now.
Some classic minis in that ASC box!
Space Crusade 'forgotten'????
Pretty much every kid I knew had a copy of this game in the early 90s......
Also, the Eldar Attack miniatures were probably my favourite plastics of all time. These day, almost all my GW miniatures are consigned to drawers and cupboards... however those 10 Eldar still stand proudly on top of random cans of deodorant and hairspray, bottles of essential oils, tubs of talc, ect....
Those Eldar were something special!
If I remember correctly there was a weird rule in Advanced Space Crusade where you would react to the other players actions and it could end up in a huge loop where me and my friend just got stuck reacting to each other over and over, I got rid quickly.
Haha, that sounds like a wild oversight!
My first induction into fantasy gaming. I went from space crusade to the add on dreadnought factory to the tyranids and scouts, to games workshop. I found games workshop became and expensive re-release of rules and figures, so from there I spent many a Friday in my local game shop "Spirt games" buying board games and collecting MtG cards. Very good memories. Thank you for reminding me of the good times. I still have the figures as I couldn't part with "Ed209, the Alien auto cannons and the Androids". I'm so glad I am no longer alone in how these figures were seen by a younger "us"
You chose some great minis to keep hold of! I love those dreadnoughts, wish I’d held on to mine! Thanks for sharing, I agree it’s lovely to be reminded by the community of all those great gaming memories and games!
I got the tyranids and scouts after reading those White Dwarf issues... Ended up playing Tyranids in 40k just because I was young and had a load of those models. I still have a soft spot in my heart for Scouts though....
I happen to still own my copy of Space Crusade, given I believe it's one of the best board games ever made. I got it decades ago in the mid-1990's. I first learned about it from my brothers, given that one of them got Hero Quest in 1990, and I quickly learned about the other games in the range.
When I discovered that the local toy shop was selling the core game for $19AU, I thought, this would be a perfect opportunity for me to get a copy. So I got it for a Christmas present. I also got the Mission Dreadnought expansion that year, given it was $9AU. Now that the games cost a pretty penny to get nowadays, I'm glad that I kept them.
I then discovered that there was a second expansion, Eldar Attack, that never arrived in Australia. Being a completest, I later purchased the expansion on eBay. It might have cost $150AU, but it was worth it to complete the set.
My copy of Space Crusade is a true treasure. And especially since I later got copies of Hero Quest, and Battle Masters, the other two games in the MB/GW trilogy of board games, for cheap at local charity shops. I pride myself for having the complete set. And it all started with Space Crusade, a long time ago.
You've done well to keep hold of them all this time - I was not as sensible! Amazing to have the complete set though, hope they still make it to the table every now and again!
Necrons actually first debut in 2nd edition very limited force though
Great video! When I was a kid I got the Dreadnought expansion for Christmas... not the base game, just the expansion lol. It didn't matter, the power of my imagination was enough to enjoy playing with all those minis. I got into w40k a bit in high school (2nd edition) and have loosely followed it since, so Space Crusade made at least one fan of the hobby!
Thank you. The classic curse of a well meaning but unobservant family member! At least it was the one that included the amazing dreadnought though, I’m not surprised that could entertain on its own, totally awesome mini that!
German here: I remember the cencored version, but we never took those details serious, if a Space Marine with a Minigun entered a room with Space Orks, we faithfully uncencored it, there usualy was lots of blood involved, and gore, with, you know, arms & legs flying around, heads popping, guts spilling outside, the fun stuff!
The Emperor protects, with a little help from lots of 20 - 40mm low explosive rounds... 😏
PS: The tv-commercials from all 3 MB/GW games were cool, but if I would've to choose, the best one would be HERO QUEST, than SPACE CRUSADE, and last but not least, BATTLE MASTERS.
Back then commercials were done so cool. 😎
Ha, you can always trust kids to imagine the fun gory stuff! And totally agree, all 3 TV commercials were great fun; would love to see a modern equivalent for GW releases!
Jordan, I love your videos.
Are you familiar with Herocults and Spacego? I've done a worrying amount of research into Herocults. Nowhere near as much as you clearly put into your videos, but definitely so much more than it honestly deserves. I fully recreated it in Tabletop Simulator. To this day I don't know why.
I like to think I might be among the foremost English-speaking experts on this hidden gem. No, not gem. That's too fancy.
Hidden rock. There we go.
Just saying, if you ever need a consultant on the subject... I'm here.
You’ve gotten me intrigued by these beautiful monstrosities once again! Feels like I need to give them a go now!
Always be suspicious if Prodos is involved in anything.
I think the dreadnaughts in Sapce Crusade are cooler than any designs they came up with afterwards. The standard big blocky square tank design has its place but I didn't deserve to become the default.
I do like the current sarcophagus guys, but yeah I think you’re right - the SC ones are so much fun, it’s a real shame they disappeared. Imagine if one of them has walked out of the shadows in Blackstone Fortress, what a moment!
I love Space Crusade. if only I had been able to get a copy from europe back in the day. thankfully a kindly seller on BGG got me one for a song (and also hooked me up with your EU exclusive heroquest packs and an original 1989 copy of the game you guys got before we in the US got ours!). yes it has some downsides, my four boards are warped and the clips don't hold as well as you'd hope. some of the rule are a bit vague (shoot in the face? move diagonally through things? what is a devastator? etc) but it sure beats buying all that 40k stuff today IF you can find an inexpensive copy (ebay charges absurd prices). alas while I got the very great eldar attack expansion, mission dreadnought eluded me and I am NOT paying $200+ for it (even a used copy without the box). but speaking of 40k stuff, they had a half off sale after Christmas at B&N and I was able to get a stack of fireteam sets for a song, which I think I will paint and use for SC (couldn't bring myself to alter these pristine minis from 1990!)
Mission: Dreadnought goes for some big numbers these days sadly! I think that’s a great idea though, there’s some brilliant and appropriate minis in the recent kits!
Speaking as a backer of Prodos' "Aliens vs Predator" Skirmish game (and the utter shit-show that was the Kickstarter Campaign - which took the better part of *6 years* before all of us backers actually got what we pledged for), I for one am glad that nothing came of their supposed Space Crusade "reboot" - it would have been yet another KS catastrophe and a black mark against the game's reputation, of that I am certain... honestly, given how reasonably ok Hasbro's reboot of "Hero Quest" has been, I'd be far more favourable of them giving 'Space Crusade' a new, non-GW influenced spin.
Oh wow, I didn’t realise they’d done that kind of dodgy stuff too, that’s a shame. I liked the look of some of the minis for it (still tempted by those centurion guns!), but was never sold on it - sounds like a lucky escape!
I just obtained an awesome copy of SC a couple of months ago and have been eagerly awaiting something like this. Between this and your WHQ videos, you are quickly shooting to one of my favorite channels, thank you for all of the hard work you put into these videos.
That’s really nice of you to say, thanks for watching them! Hopefully, some of the topics I’m working on are just as interesting!
@@jordansorcery sometimes you come for the content and stay for the personality; you are such a case, good sir!
You’re too kind!
Yes, finally a deep dive on Starquest. Okay, fine, Space Crusade 😉. This was my first contact with the 40K universe in the early 90s and my recent restoration project led me to coming back to Warhammer in earnest. One note on the german version: As you say, the texts were all completely rewritten to tone down the violence, as much as possible. The art on the other hand, was not. This led to some unforgettable combinations, like on one of the upgrade cards. The text stated, that you can equip your lasers (bolters) with electro shockers, to „pacify your robotic opponents“ and make more damage in melee. The picture still showed an Ork getting shanked by a bayonet 🥳🤪
That sounds like a magnificent oversight! It certainly sounds like even with the changes StarQuest was still a good time!
Just came across your video. Excellent production very well done like a documentary style! Can't believe you haven't more subscribers. Subbed!
Thank you, that’s very nice of you to say! I’m still pretty new around here so I’m hoping word will spread!
I recently got the Finnish translated version of Space Crusade, and though not as radically changed as StarQuest was, there are some strange translation and localization desicions taken in it. The Emperor of Mankind has been changed to the Emperor of Space, and the aliens and Forces of Chaos are renamed Clones, and are said to be the offspring of Morkar. But the weirdest and worst changes were made to the weapons, the Space Marines and the Dreadnought.
The Space Marines, or Universe Warriors as they were translated to had the names of their Chapters changed. Not translated to Finnish, just changed for no reason. So the Ultramarines are the Sky Terminators, the Imperial Fists are the Space Judges, and the Blood Angels were changed to... Blood Angels. I guess the translation team had a favourite.
Some weapon names were changed to nonsensical ones too. Bolters, Plasma Guns, Missile Launchers and Power Fists remained unchanged, but the Power Sword and Power Axe were changed to the Death Sword and Doom Axe. Those are fine enough, but the Assault Cannon, again, for some stupid reason, was named the Panzerfaust. A Panzerfaust is a rocket launcher, and notable, not a rotary assault cannon.
But the poor Dreadnought... it suffered the same fate as the Space Marine names, and it's name was not translated, just changed.
It is now called... the Destructor! Which really doesn't have the same vibe as flipping over a token and shouting out DREADNAWT!
Those are some wild changes, wonder if the translation team had to meet some specific brief, or if they just didn't like the English names! Not gonna lie though, Sky Terminators, is a pretty cool name for a chapter, or a band!
I was lucky in that I experienced both HeroQuest and SpaceCrusade through my cousins. My eldest brother was into GW games at that point and suggested my parent's buy me SpaceCrusade as a joint Xmas/birthday present. Luckier still, I had both of my brothers and a family friend willing to play the campaign with me.
I still remember that time we used the expansion which included the tarantula weapon for the marines and my brother used it to block my genestealer in a room, as my maximum damage would never defeat the tarantula's armour.... happy days :)
Absolutely perfect games to tear open on Christmas Day! Sounds like your brother was playing to win! Fantastic use of circumstance - I love it!
I wouldn't claim another game is as iconic or influential *or* more representative of pop culture influences as Space Crusade, but I don't understand why (like Space Crusade) there's soooo little chatter, reflection, nostalgia for the original "Supremacy". I don't even think there's more than one TH-cam video about the original game. I still own my copy and no one is interested in playing. Not even for nostalgia sake. LOL #sosadnotmad ...I wish I had a copy of Space Crusade.
I’ve actually never played Supremacy, but it looks interesting! It is strange what gets remembered and how some games fall through the cracks though
Space Crusade and Heroquest, were a huge entry point into the GW hobby, and i still have both and the expansions, and my 11 year old and 7 year old sons are also now loving playing them both
That's awesome, I love how these games have been passed on between generations. Absolute classics!
I remember holding the Eldar attack box in my hands at the local tabletop game shop and finding out it was just an expansion I wanted to get Space Crusade, but it was sold out and no longer available.
I ended up buying the Aliens boardgame instead, which I didn't regret. But the yearning for Space Crusade that I'd missed by just a year or so finally got to me so I bought Space Hulk and Tyranid Attack and though I played them I got the most out of it using the minis for 40K games.
I did have Space Crusade on the Amiga though, so I did get to play it.
Oh brutal, so close yet so far! Glad you at least got the virtual experience though!
This is a great video - research editing, everything! Good luck with the channel
Thank you, really appreciate this! I’m glad you enjoyed the video
Me and two friends at the time had space crusade. We used to put the three boards together to create 'mega crusade'. Not sure how we got that to work
That sounds epic! I really miss those kinds of wild inventive games with friends - house rules and smashing games together to make something else. I think I’ll need to find some time to do that kind of thing again this year!
That TV ad reminds me of those 80's-inspired 40K ai art generations going around on TH-cam. I would love to see something like this (especially a David Lynch version i.e. Dune)
David Lynch’s 40K would be something special!
Great video Jordan, not sure why but SC popped up in my consciousness the other day and I'd been feeling the heady tug of nostalgia. Nice to see someone has created a video.
I had the base set and the two expansion packs and, man, did we play that game - sometimes consuming entire bank holiday weekends with it in a somewhat altered reality state in the 90s/2000s.
Its serious usage was reflected in many of the push-fit weapons losing their plugs, broken off arms, the thin plastic control panels getting cracked and the cardboard doors separating but my gosh was it super fun.
I ended up donating it to a mate who had kids although he did suggest returning it to me just before the covids hit (and says it's pretty much unused by them) so I might see if I can take him up on it now.
I wonder what's happened to all the original moulds (if that's the right term), artwork and such like.
Surely now's the time for a reissue, I see there's a Space Crusade set going for £300 on ebay!
They did a great job didn't they - it felt infinitely replayable at the time! Lovely that you at least gave it the chance to have a new life with a new generation, even if it didn't appeal to them in the end! And yeah, any way to get hold of a copy these days that's not at those wild ebay prices is worth a go!
Interesting to see 40k's history! Great vid!
Thank you!
Excellent video! I have fond memories of playing Space Crusade as a child. I'm being pedantic here but I believe the necrons had a limited release in 2nd ed 40k through white drawf. The model you show is a freebie that came with the magazine (and I still have somewhere)
Thank you! You’re totally right about the Necron, my timeline was a little out - the White Dwarf army list came out in Feb ‘98 and 3rd edition released in October ‘98 with the dangerous xenos page. Somehow those sneaky Necrons got behind me!
2nd ed 40k is still the best ruleset imo. And yes, there was a necron on white dwarf. I still have it, as well as all the space crusade/mission dreadnought/eldar attack minatures.
Wow space crusade is a blast from the past absolute quality game and probs like everyone else my introduction to 40k. think I was about 5 or 6 when my dad bought me this for Christmas, i spent countless hours staring at that grey board n cardboard doors. I seem to remember some kind of mounted weapon team n other add on packs we got from virgin megastore but that might of been for Warhammer n I just used them with SC. I had the game for the Amiga but I can't really remember it that well. Thanks for a bringing back some great memories, cracking video😃
I’m glad you enjoyed the video, and that it brought back some good memories! Speaking of which, you mentioning Virgin Megastore just gave me a vivid flashback to their RPG department and glass cabinet full of Ral Partha minis! Cheers mate!
Interesting video, will be checking out more of your content. We played heroquest and the kids from down the road had Space Crusade. played a few times but I cant remember being too keen on it. would love to play it now though. Have just seen prices on ebay (yikes!) Recently got battlemasters again so thats cool, and I'm working on an undead and dinosaur army to add to that
The retro market is wild at the moment, loads of stuff I’d love to get my hands on but everyone seems to have the same idea! I’d like to see Battle Masters in the flesh again one day, I remember being wowed by its scale when I first saw it!
After ALL these years, I hadn't realised that both Space Crusade and Space Hulk were Rogue Trader era 40K. So much we whitebeards took for granted!
It feels odd doesn’t it, like they’re from a more ‘civilised age’, but they’re both from that lawless time of wild lore!
6:08 As an old fart who bought 'WH40K Rogue Trader' in 1989, I very much prefer MK6 Corvus. Beakies all the way !
I do love those beakies, but I’m quite partial to the MK3 iron lads myself!
Somehow, this game did have a limited US release. I remember tracking down clearance copies at Kaybee Toys and Toys R Us in the early '90s. Kaybee was mostly a closeout store by then, but Toys R Us was still a major retailer back then.
Oh wow, I wonder if it was a specialist import, or just made its way as a general release in the US later than in Europe. I couldn't find any specifics about the international release, but the consensus was that it didn't make it to the US. At the very least it seems to have been far more limited than the HeroQuest release a few years earlier
My intro to 40k without even knowing it was playing space crusade on my amiga 500 like 25 years ago. Still never played it physically but it introduced me to 40k and space hulk.
A worthy introduction nonetheless, and a perfect stepping stone to Space Hulk!
Fantastic video, this game certainly kick started my love of 40K…… particularly that genestealer ambush card, still painting and playing with genestealers and other Tyranids to this day.
One slight correction is that Necrons got their first mention before the third edition rulebook in a couple of issues of White Dwarf. You even got a free metal Necron warrior on the front of one of the issues. There were ludicrously overpowered rules for a Necron raiding force, in which the basic Necron warrior was equivalent in power to a Space Marine terminator, these were very fun and very narrative rules! So Necrons got their first rules at the tail end of second edition, but they didn’t get a full range and the proper Codex treatment until third edition.
You are quite right!
Space Crusade was really funny. We later bought Advanced Space Crusade and it was awesome to invade living space ships and destroy their body organs :) The blips was always exciting
Advanced Space Crusade had some really neat ideas and expandability, and I totally agree - the concept of invading the biofleets is great! - but I just couldn't get on with that board!
I would think that all of those who adore this game and still have it (and I am fascinated by it) would be able to get 3d scans made of the pieces (which could be turned into 3D printable models), high quality photos of the chipboard elements, and PDFs of the rulebooks and missionbooks pulled together to preserve this important piece of gaming history.
Indeed one would! I’ve seen the books are online, but the rest I’ve not encountered
Great video. I always wanted Space Crusade board game and my folks never got them. When space crusade came to to the Amiga, I was able buy it. Still have the game and box.
You’ve done well to keep that! Do you still have the Amiga to fire it up on?
Chaos Androids also appeared in Epic/Space Marine.... but most people remember them from SC because it included a tiny backstory for them. I had SC, but just the core set. I admit that it didnt hold my interest for long. I had been a huge fan of Space Hulk, and SC felt a bit too 'fast play' for what I was used to and the rules and theme lacked the depth of Space Hulk, while the boards felt more restrictive. Plus, revealing the missile launcher Chaos Marine in turn one was almost a guaranteed kill. I am however possibly the worlds biggest fan of ASC. I picked up old copies of Space Hulk and swapped these in for the ASC board tiles, which mostly killed the exploration elements of the game but made it both more interesting and cleaner to play. To this day, its still one of my top three GW games and I believe it had potential to be better than Space Hulk as a system. The ability to both shoot from the hip and aimed fire, throw grenades, place charges, dive behind cover..... I still have the rules and my own additions around here somewhere.
Jervis Johnson did some great work with both Advanced Space Crusade and Advanced Heroquest, he definitely built those games to last!
@@jordansorcery I was lucky enough to sit down with him for a chat and ASC came up. He expressed a number of regrets about the system and things that he would have done differently. I got the impression that he felt that it was trying to do too much, and he compared it with Space Hulk which is a very tight rules set... but that flexibility has always been something that I like most about the game.
Yeah that’s fascinating as I’d say the same as you. The optionality in ASC is a real strength and like many GW games it’s rough in some places but so much more than the sum of its parts. I guess the perspective of a designer is just so different, we’re all our own worst critics!
When I read this I though 'wtf, Androids in Space Marine/Epic'???'
So I went to pull out my collection of Space Marine/Epic company and detachment cards (I have every one of them except the Tyranids)
And yes, there it was. A detachment of chaos androids.
German here, our version was.....different, but I kinda have the exact same memories as you.... Thanx for the great vid!
It certainly sounds like a different take on 40k lore! Thanks for watching!
I prefer this over Heroquest, even though I am more of a fantasy guy. The game is called Starquest where I live. I really like that it is a coop/versus hybrid. Wish I had the expansions. But never seen them in stores and they are very expensive now.
The prices are unreal these days, sadly. Though there's the occasional bargin out there every now and again!
Honestly "Space Marine Adventures" Line of board games are now the spiritual successor of Space crusade in my eyes.
I think that’s a good shout, they definitely have that same kid-friendly pick up & play vibe
The black and white art always struck me as being Kev Walker, who did art for 2000AD and GW around this time
It’s really nice isn’t it, definitely has a similar vibe. I actually talk a little about Kev Walker in my Mighty Empires video as he painted the territory tiles for that game - a very different style to his comic art though!
Space crusade was my entry point to the world of 40k. 29 years later and I'm still going strong.
And as for the re release idea. I'd never heard of it and frankly I'm glad the idea of sexy marines in space fell flat on its face.
It’s amazing how many lifelong gamers it’s responsible for! I’d thankfully avoided the dodgy Prodos stuff until recently too, and am equally glad they didn’t stick around!
The best thing about HeroQuest is StarQuest! Love both, but StarQuest/Space Crusade has always been my favourite!
It’s a brilliant game!
Forgeworld makes a Horus Heresy era Dreadnought variant the Dredaro that is clearly influenced by the SpaceCrusade Dread.
I was only recently introduced to this, what a lad it is! Fantastic unit.
Hi Jordan, Thanks for putting together this video. It's GREAT! As you say, Space Crusade does not get as much coverage as HeroQuest. I wanted Space Crusade to capture the tension and action of contemporary sci-fi movies. It needed to be its own game rather than a re-working of HeroQuest. Your video does a great job of highlighting the differences. I am so glad you enjoyed this game. The greatest reward for me as a game designer is hearing from people who have loved playing my games. Keep making your videos. They’re fantastic!
I'm really glad you enjoyed the video, and that it was reasonably accurate! I've a lot of love for both HQ and Space Crusade and I'm very grateful you made them. Happy, I've been able to bring a little more of their stories to light for some folk too!
I'm actually working on a Battle Masters video too so if you ever fancy chatting about your terrific work I'd love to hear more!
I loved the game; I had the Amiga version of it too; and Space Hulk; loved them both. Like many it got me into Space marines and for a long time at least partly into Warhammer 40k.
It was a compelling recruiter for the Imperium!
Yeh space Crusade was awesome, and would make a great short term tv series with Henry Cavill. introducing people to the 40k universe like it did for us.
I would watch that!
Advanced Space Crusade looks a lot like a later game I have Tyranid Attack. Edit : Covered. Awesome!
GW never missed an opportunity to reuse assets, though I can’t blame them! Plus it means more great games for us!
damn i love your history videos, thanks for those shots of nostalgia
I had completely forgotten about battle masters !
I've played both games since my childhood. Space Crusade is better than Hero Quest. I will die on this hill.
Controversial stuff! I love them both so I can’t pick a favourite… because Warhammer Quest is best!
If I had the time and the means, I would create a Hiveship interior to use with WH40ks new Boarding Patrol variant.
That’s a fun idea! I think there’s definitely a great setting there, but I don’t think they nailed the visuals in the ASC attempt
first time viewer... ello...
instantly i thought wow this guy looks like a magical badger thats taken on a human form!!!
Please keep my secret
Although coming by this game today is a tall order, it has been recreated in TableTop Simulator, so you can play it that way. Lots of original art and newer pieces are included, and the models for the minis and tokens look quite authentic.
I took a brief look at this during my research, it seems like they did a great job!
The C64 version was great, the one problem was how slowly the computer took its turn. On larger maps with many enemies it could take over 5 minutes.
One thing I do not miss in video games is the loading screens - I've lost entire days to those things!
Good video. Me, my little brother, and my friends still play Space Crusade fairly often :)
Thank you! That’s ace, I couldn’t get my brothers to play it with me even once over the past 25 years so I’m jealous!
I'll wait for a "History of Necromunda" video with much anticipation :)
It’s a topic in the Patreon vote right now, but Mordheim currently has the edge!
(though I’ll no doubt get round to it eventually in any case!)
Nice to watch a documentary-quality history of the game. Thank you!
Thank you for commenting, really glad you enjoyed it!
My first 40k game. If the Amiga demo on a magazine imported into a US Commodore shop counts.
It counts for me! Some of those early video game adaptations did a terrific job of replicating the feel of the board game!
weird to learn this came after space hulk. in my head it was the other way around. loved both, anyway. RT was like a magic book from another universe
Yeah it sort of intuitively feels wrong, but when looking it at from the perspective of HQ simplified/containerised D&D and SC did similar for Space Hulk it makes a little more sense. Sort of “How can we make Space Hulk for kids!” I guess. Couldn’t agree more about RT, Priestley was definitely gazing beyond the void when he manifested that tome!
I always felt like this game was just massively inferior to Heroquest. I still own it, but I never enjoyed it.
I think there are some things it improved on from HQ, and the 40k flavouring likely appeals more to some, but I'd probably put HQ ahead of it too. In my humble opinion though, Warhammer Quest stepped past both of them!
Such wonderful memories! I still own my (near mint) copy of "Star Quest" - as we called it here in Italy -. I've spent soooo many hours of play and fun with it. Good job and excellent quality video, grazie mille!
Well done to keep it at all let alone near mint, I’m a bit jealous! Glad you enjoyed the video!