"Space Marine Adventures: Labyrinth of the Necrons" Topic

Games Workshop announced an introductory game called Space Marine Adventures: Labyrinth of the Necrons at the New York Toy Fair over the weekend. Like the Battle for Vedros set, this game is targeted more toward new-comers to the hobby.

"Space Marine Adventures allows 1-4 players to join forces and attempt to break into a Necron labyrinth. Choose your hero and use each character's unique skills to battle various deadly hazards, not least of which are the Necron guardians themselves. The easy-build nature of the kits and intuitive game make it suitable for players aged 8 and over – good for anything from family games nights to a quick adventure for a regular gaming club. While this set is a great introduction to the 41st Millennium, each Space Marine in the set is also a unique and dynamic sculpt, making them great additions to an existing collection, too."

The Space Marines miniatures are from the Japanese Hero Figurine sets, and they include some of the more common Space Marine chapters – Ultramarines (blue), Space Wolves (grey), Salamanders (green), Blood Angels (red), and Imperial Fists (yellow).

The Necron figures are cardboard and the game looks to be fairly simple. However, based on a close examination of the picture, one can make out "Do Not Open" on three packs of cards. Might this indicate a more complicated campaign approach, or even a legacy-style game mechanic?

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Those Necron figures are amazing if they are cardboard.

The word is that those miniatures were added for effect – and NOT part of the boxed game…. I should have mentioned that!

Here is a components picture:

Are they Primaris Marines or regular Space Marines? The pics are a bit distorted so I can't tell.

Seems like a half-hearted attempt to squeeze some money out of the casual board-gamer market and maybe a younger crowd? Blah…. really should include minis for the baddies. disappointing, mainly because something like this could be VERY VERY GOOD for everybody involved if done right: a 40K version of Warhammer-Quest marketed to a larger audience (remember 'Space Crusade?)…or even something like a 40K version of 'ShadeSpire'… Turn up the quality, adjust the price tag down just a little bit, and make tons of money on volume of sales along with a strong new product and industry presence… It feels like they keep dipping their toes in, but continue to produce half-ass money grabs while focusing on revamping their existing 'buckets o minis' systems. Wasted opportunity probably: which is a shame, because GW has the pockets to do it right. Feels like the 'new blood' is pitching ideas and the marketing harpies can't let go of certain practices. I am curious what sort of mechanics the game will use, however.

Yes I agree that the Necrons should have been models instead of tokens – would have been a much better introduction for the younger ones with only slightly greater cost.

The Marines are old-Marines, the picture is indeed distorted as I constrained to 5x7. The rumor is that the Marines are from a Japanese release that sold single Space Marines from a blind-purchase box, and was not previously released in the USA. Above is the picture with regular aspect.