"What exactly is Oldhammer?" Topic

I have seen the phrase Oldhammer bandied about for some time but really I am not sure what it directly applies to or if that Oldhammer is specifically one thing. Is is just folks playing earlier editions of Warhammer Fantasy regardless if it is 7th, 6th, 5th, 4th. etc? Or is it a specific edition of the rules, something else? Please I need education on this matter.

It's a catch all for playing earlier editions. Why throw the baby out with the bathwater, there are numerous older eds plenty are happy to keep playing.

The Old Hammer trading site on Facebook defines it as pre- 2000.

It is going back to 2nd & 3rd Edition of Warhammer.

So around 15-20 years ago.

Yes, it is specifically 2nd or 3rd edition Warhammer.

I agree with Mithmee and Cyrus. It properly refers to 2nd or 3rd edition (and I guess 1st if anyone still plays that).

However, a number of folks have started using it to refer to any prior edition of Warhammer. To those persons, it probably includes even 8th Edition, now that Age of Sigmar has arrived.

I think the 2nd/3rd definition is correct because the folks who started the "Oldhammer" movement and made the term popular were consciously reacting against 8th Edition. The idea is to get back to the old school way of playing Warhammer, before the min/max uber-tournament mindset, and also to dust off the classic, characterful GW sculpts. So lumping in every prior edition of Warhammer would be contrary to the idea behind the "Oldhammer" concept.

As well as the use of old rules, its the use of old figures – mostly from the "Golden Era" of the late 1980's.

I believe 4th and 5th are usually referred to as
"Hero Hammer".

5th was the basis for Warhammer Ancient Battles.

But without magic the HeroHammer aspect isn't quite as pronounced in WAB :)

Ok I have pretty much all I need to run 6th or 7th WEB, but how would I get the 3rd or older editions? They would have to rare pricy at this point or are free pdfs available?

I will also add that I thought 2nd and 3rd were a bit clunky and it could take hours just to create an army list. Still I started with second edition and loved those old games. I agree that 5th was Hero Hammer but the Warhammer Ancient Rules are some of my favorite rules for doing battles set in classical and even Medieval times.

6th was where I felt GW had fixed their own problems and returned balance to the game although I know of many who strongly disagree.

I just wish they would re-release those early sculpts. Though I don't think it will happen, I wonder if it might be a smart marketing decision? Seems there are awful lot of nostalgic gamers out there who would give their right arm for some of the old figures. Ah yes, the power of wishful thinking…

…and it could take hours just to create an army list.

But that was most of the fun!

Seems there are awful lot of nostalgic gamers out there who would give their right arm for some of the old figures.

Take heart- their scorn for you and your "nostalgia" *might* be outstripped by their greed. But really, eBay is your friend, and would almost certainly be cheaper, anyway.

I liked WAB and 5th ed WHFB. I still have my Bretonnian and Lizardmen armies, plus some Dogs of War from that era.

Never bought the magic supplement for it.

I bought rulebooks 6th and 7th ed, but never played them.

Maybe we can call them NewHammer?

McWong has got it pretty much right in my opinion. Try to define it more and you end up with several different definitions that suit some people and not others. If I had to select a single edition, though, I would say it refers especially to third edition.

For me personally, it means playing 3rd edition and some 4th edition. But bizarrely I have just started a big project in 15mm, so no collecting old miniatures for me. I have small forces of Empire and Skaven/Chaos in GW figures, but I find it is the old rules and old issues of White Dwarf that I like the most and capture the feeling of what Oldhammer is about.

And let's not forget the joy of Rogue Trader!

If you are patient enough, you will be able to find all the books on eBay at a good price. I didn't pay over the odds for any of mine. The exception is the Realms of Chaos books and some of the more obscure publications. But the core books you should be able to find okay.