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Datacards from the very first edition of space marine.

Space Marine (1989)

Players

2–3

Best: 2

Playing time

120–120 min

Age

12+

6.84

Average rating

543

Ratings

3.15/5

Weight

#6014

BGG rank

Outside top 5,000

Designer:Jervis Johnson, Graeme Davis

Artist:Gary Chalk, Martin McKenna, Richard Wright, Dave Andrews, Bob Naismith, Bill Sedgwick, Jes Goodwin, Adrian Smith, Paul Bonner, Jim Burns, Russ Nicholson, Tony Hough, Wayne England, Kevin Walker, Stephen Tappin, Colin Howard, Gary Harrod, Mark Craven

Publisher:Games Workshop Ltd.

Average rating, ratings count, weight and rank are sourced from BoardGameGeek (BGG).

Game DNA

Strategy7.0

Luck7.0

Interaction5.0

Complexity6.3

Theme6.0

This game's strategy, luck, interaction, complexity and theme.

Science FictionWargameMiniaturesVariable Player PowersSimultaneous Action SelectionDice Rolling

Overview

Space Marine is a miniatures wargame set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. This game, in both its first and second editions, was the flagship of Games Workshop Ltd.'s 'Epic' range of miniatures games, with a nominal scale of 6 mm. These editions were replaced by Warhammer Epic 40,000, which used the same scale but had all-new mechanics. Both of these editions were sold as boxed sets which contained rules, scenery and enough miniatures for two armies. First edition subtitled Epic Battles in the Age of Heresy was set in a much earlier time period than Warhammer 40,000. It featured Space Marines versus Space Marines in a civil war. The game could be combined with the previous published Adeptus Titanicus which featured Titans, giant mecha, in the same 6 mm scale. Ork and Eldar models were also released, with rules for them in the Codex Titanicus expansion.

Second edition was subtitled Epic Conflict in the War Torn Universe of the 41st Millennium and brought the setting into the standard era of Warhammer 40,000. It was radically revised but still fundamentally the same system, unlike later editions. This edition included Orks, Eldar and Titans in the base rules. Supplements greatly expanded these factions, along with some new ones.

First Edition expansions and compatible games:

Adeptus Titanicus (1988) - also a stand alone game. Codex Titanicus

Second Edition expansions and compatible games:

Armies of the Imperium: Space Marines and Imperial Guard (1991) Renegades: Eldar and Chaos Armies for Space Marine (1992) Ork and Squat Warlords (1992) Space Marine Battles (1993) Titan Legions (1994) - also a standalone game. Hive War:Tyranids (1995)

Later Editions of the Epic system:

Warhammer Epic 40,000 - 3rd Edition (1998) Epic Armageddon - 4th Edition (2004) NetEpic - unofficial continuation of 2nd Edition (1997) Heresy - unofficial rules in same scale and setting, designed to be a grittier wargame.

(Other fan-made variants of the various editions also exist, but not all have their own entry in BoardGameGeek.)