The video game Darktide has a complex and sometimes confusing progression system with multiple currencies (ordo dockets, ordo ingots, plasteel, diamantine, and aquilas) and multiple vendors for upgrades and cosmetics. In contrast, Darktide: The Miniatures Game has a much simpler progression system – players choose two equipment cards and two class-specific upgrade cards, with a straightforward mechanism for earning and storing new cards between missions. The miniatures game captures the fast-paced feel of the video game through streamlined rules based on Kill Team, with simplified enemy AI and movement that feels “FPS-slippery.” While the miniatures game lacks the variety of enemies and hordes from the video game, its mission structure includes built-in checkpoints that make it easy to play in shorter sessions. The author considers the miniatures game worthwhile despite its price point, mainly because its accessibility means it actually gets played, unlike some more complex board games.

Analysis of Warhammer 40K: Darktide and Its Miniatures Counterpart

Video Game: Darktide

Core Gameplay

• First-person shooter/melee combat game set in the Warhammer 40K universe
• Cooperative gameplay with up to four players battling through hordes of enemies
• Set in the hive city of Tertium, where players fight against Chaos-corrupted forces
• Developed by Fatshark, known for the Vermintide series

Progression System (Criticized for Complexity)

• Multiple currencies and resources:
  • Ordo dockets: Earned from missions, used for upgrades and essential gear
  • Ordo ingots: Earned from weekly challenges, used for special gear
  • Plasteel and diamantine: Crafting resources
  • Aquilas: Premium currency purchased with real money
  • Penance points: Earned from completing specific challenges
• Multiple vendors with different functions:
  • Hadron Omega-7-7 at the Shrine of the Omnissiah (upgrades)
  • Peddler 138/143 at the Armory Exchange (essential gear)
  • Sire Melk’s Requisitorium (special gear)
  • Sister Hestia Prine at the Shrine Penitentax (cosmetics)
  • Mara Vinci at the Commissary (cosmetics)
  • Commodore Alice Hallowette at Commodore’s Vestures (premium cosmetics)
• Character progression elements:
  • Trust levels that unlock talent points
  • Individual weapon masteries for each weapon type
  • Blessing points for enhancing weapons

Development History

• Launched in a state many players felt was incomplete
• Continuous updates focused on tweaking progression systems
• Missing features like solo play mode

Miniatures Game: Darktide

Core Gameplay

• Cooperative tabletop game based on the video game’s setting
• Rules based on a simplified version of Kill Team (which is itself a streamlined version of Warhammer 40K)
• Fast-paced gameplay with simplified enemy AI
• Missions are broken into three smaller rounds, functioning as “checkpoints”

Progression System (Praised for Simplicity)

• Players choose:
  • Two cards from the shared equipment deck
  • Two cards from their class-specific upgrade deck
• In campaign mode:
  • Players draw cards based on performance in the previous mission
  • Selected cards go into a personal “store”
  • Players can swap cards between missions within the two-card limit per category
• The system is simple enough to photograph and recreate in future sessions

Character Options

• Four playable classes matching the video game:
  • Psyker
  • Ogryn
  • Veteran
  • Zealot
• Uses existing Games Workshop miniatures rather than new sculpts

Game Design Elements

• Enemy movement and attacks designed to feel “FPS-slippery”
• Absence of attacks of opportunity or restrictions on shooting in close combat
• Enemies cannot parry attacks, simulating their suicidal charging behavior from the video game
• Simplified enemy AI using if-then statements in priority order
• Fewer enemies compared to the video game
• Limited enemy types (missing pox hounds, ragers, bursters, plague ogryns, etc.)
• Includes solo play mode (unlike the video game)

Value Proposition

• Priced at approximately AUD 145
• Considered worthwhile by the author despite the price
• Less valuable for those who already own Warhammer Quest: Blackstone Fortress (which shares many miniatures)
• Offers accessibility and quick gameplay compared to more complex board games

Comparison and Analysis

Design Philosophy Differences

• Video game emphasizes long-term progression and the “games as service” model.
• Miniatures game focuses on pick-up-and-play accessibility and session-based enjoyment.t

Player Experience

• Video game creates depth through complex systems and continuous upgrades
• Miniatures game creates depth through tactical decisions within a simplified framework

Accessibility

• Video game requires significant time investment to understand systemThe s
• Miniatures game allows for easy entry and exit, accommodating changing player groups

Gameplay Fidelity

• Both capture the core cooperative experience of fighting Chaos forces
• Miniatures game sacrifices enemy variety and quantity for playability
• Video game creates a more authentic horde-fighting experience

Value of Simplicity

• The miniatures game demonstrates that the core Darktide experience doesn’t require complex progression.
• Suggests that the video game’s systems may be unnecessarily complicated

Business Models

• Video game uses complex progression to encourage continued engagement
• Miniatures game relies on upfront purchase price and potential expansion sales

Warhammer 40,000: A Review

Warhammer 40,000 (often abbreviated as 40k) is Games Workshop’s flagship tabletop wargame set in a dystopian science fiction universe of the 41st Millennium. Since its introduction in 1987, it has evolved into one of the most popular miniature war games worldwide.

Setting and Lore

The game’s “grimdark” setting is perhaps its most distinctive feature. In the 41st Millennium, humanity has spread across the galaxy as the Imperium of Man, a totalitarian regime ruled by the near-dead God-Emperor on his Golden Throne. The universe is unrelentingly hostile, with the forces of Chaos, alien threats, and internal strife creating a setting where “there is only war.”

The lore is exceptionally rich and deep, having been developed over decades through rulebooks, novels, video games, and other media. The tagline “In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war” perfectly encapsulates the setting’s tone.

Gameplay

At its core, Warhammer 40k is a strategic wargame where players build armies of miniatures, typically aiming for 2,000 points worth of units. The game offers several play styles:

• Matched Play: Competitive play with balanced armies
• Open Play: Casual games with fewer restrictions
• Narrative Play: Story-driven scenarios (including Crusade campaigns)

Games are typically played on a 6’x4′ table with terrain, using rulers for movement and dice for determining outcomes. The rules cover movement, shooting, close combat, psychic powers, and morale.

Factions

The game features a diverse range of factions broadly divided into three allegiances:

1. Forces of the Imperium include Space Marines (the poster boys of the game, with various chapters like Ultramarines and Blood Angels), Astra Militarum (human soldiers), and Adepta Sororitas (Sisters of Battle).
2. Forces of Chaos: Traitor Space Marines who fell to the Chaos Gods (Nurgle, Khorne, Slaanesh, and Tzeentch), as well as Chaos Daemons.
3. Xenos: Non-human races including the all-consuming Tyranids, the undying mechanical Necrons, and the brutal Orks, among others.

Each faction has its own playstyle, aesthetics, and backstory, providing tremendous variety.

The Hobby Aspect

Warhammer 40k is as much a hobby as it is a game. Players typically:

• Collect and assemble plastic miniatures
• Paint their armies to create unique forces
• Build and paint terrain
• Create narratives for their forces

This hobby aspect is an integral part of the experience, with many participants enjoying the modeling and painting as much as (or more than) the actual gameplay.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Vibrant and detailed universe
• Visually spectacular when played with painted miniatures
• Multiple ways to enjoy the hobby (collecting, painting, gaming)
• Regular updates and new releases keep the game fresh
• Supportive community and organized play

Cons:

• Significant financial investment required
• Time-intensive hobby (building and painting)
• Rules complexity can be overwhelming for newcomers
• Frequent edition changes can invalidate older rulebooks
• Perceived balance issues between factions

Conclusion

Warhammer 40,000 is more than just a tabletop game; it’s a hobby ecosystem that offers multiple avenues of enjoyment. The combination of strategic gameplay, rich lore, and creative expression through modeling and painting creates an experience that has captivated fans for decades.

Whether you’re drawn to the grim narrative, the tactical challenges, or the artistic aspects of the hobby, Warhammer 40k offers something for almost everyone willing to invest the time and resources. Despite its complexity and cost, the game continues to thrive and evolve, cementing its place as one of the most influential tabletop war games ever created.

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