Space Hulk 1st Edition (1989)

This is the box set that started it all.  You will find it difficult to play any games without owning this box set.  It contains the basic rule book, which was superseded by subsequent releases and the Campaigns book.  It has the full set of counters, tiles and miniatures that are required to play.  Without this box, we would not be playing the game!

Importance: Mandatory

This expansion set is mandatory if you wish to play the full Space Hulk game.  It introduces new personnel, weapons, rules, forces, features, floor tiles and six missions.  There are two slight downers; the very ordinary solo rules and the weak rules for using Librarians.

Many of the White Dwarf articles listed below are contained in the Deathwing rules, so if you have this set - you won't need the magazine articles.

Importance: Mandatory

This expansion set is mandatory if you wish to play the full Space Hulk game.  It introduces Hybrid Genestealers and their models, full rules for Librarians, detailed rules for using the Psychic Attack Card deck, new weapons, new forces, new blips, floor tiles and two missions.  This is a more useful expansion than Deathwing, although it plays better when used in conjunction with Deathwing.

Some of the missions in the White Dwarf articles assume that you know how to use the psychic rules contained in Genestealer.  Get it and learn them!

Importance: Mandatory

Campaigns (1991)

This book is a summary of many White Dwarf articles.  If you own this, you won't need to purchase the articles as the information is duplicated. As such, it should be a mandatory purchase for any true Space Hulk fan.

It contains four campaigns, rules for using Traitor Space Marines, rules for Power Armour Marines along with other new weapons, missions and rules.

Included at the rear of the book are some colourful cut-outs which prove very useful during game play.  This book is a must have addition to your collection.

Importance: Mandatory

White Dwarf 114 (June, 1989)

This edition contains the rules for using Pitfalls in Space Hulk. It also contains a single mission called Pifall featuring the Blood Angels. This mission is designed to follow on from the original six missions of 1st Edition.

Everything in here is included in Deathwing and the Campaigns book. It is only worth buying if you don't own them.

Importance: Low

White Dwarf 115 (July, 1989)

This edition contains the rules for using Command Units.  It introduces Captains and Librarians, along with many of the new Deathwing weapons.  It also contains a single mission called Delaying Action featuring the Ultramarines.

It has some Plasma Grenade and Crack Grenade counters as well as bulkhead and the new four-way room tile from Deathwing included as cut-outs.

Everything in here is included in Deathwing and the Campaigns book.  It is mainly worth buying if you don't own these.

Importance: Medium

White Dwarf 117 (September, 1989)

This edition contains the rules for using Terminator Close Assault Weapons.

Everything in here is included in Deathwing. It is only worth buying if you don't own Deathwing.

Importance: Low

White Dwarf 120 (December, 1989)

This edition contains the rules for Space Marines in Power Armour. It also contains a single mission called Denzark's Hammer featuring Power Armoured Space Marines using 1st Edition rules.

It has some over-sized Frag Grenade counters and the special cross board section piece from Deathwing included as cut-outs. The rules for Terminus are included (they were left out of the Campaigns book).

Nearly everything in here is included in the Campaigns book. It is mainly worth buying if you don't own the Campaigns book.

Importance: Medium

White Dwarf 121 (January, 1990)

This edition contains the rules for Traitor Terminators. It also contains a single mission called Contract Revoked featuring Chaos and Imperial Terminators using 1st Edition rules.

Everything in here is included in the Campaigns book. It is only worth buying if you don't own the Campaigns book.

Importance: Low

White Dwarf 122 (February, 1990)

This edition contains the second part of the Traitor Terminator rules from WD121.

Everything in here is included in the Campaigns book. It is only worth buying if you don't own the Campaigns book.

Importance: Low

White Dwarf 133 (January, 1991)

This edition contains the first part of the Genestealer campaign with three missions using 1st Edition rules.

Everything in here is included in the Campaigns book. It is only worth buying if you don't own the Campaigns book.

Importance: Low

White Dwarf 135 (March, 1991)

This edition contains the second part of the Genestealer campaign from WD133 with three missions using 1st Edition rules.

Everything in here is included in the Campaigns book. It is only worth buying if you don't own the Campaigns book.

Importance: Low

White Dwarf 137 (May, 1991)

This edition contains a four mission campaign called The Last Stand featuring the Blood Angels using 1st Edition rules.

Everything in here is included in the Campaigns book. It is only worth buying if you don't own the Campaigns book.

Importance: Low

White Dwarf 138 (June, 1991)

This edition contains a six mission campaign called Necromunda featuring the Ultramarines using 1st Edition rules.

Included inside are Autofire counters along with some Lift board sections.

Everything in here is included in the Campaigns book. It is only worth buying if you don't own the Campaigns book.

Importance: Low

White Dwarf 142 (October, 1991)

This edition contains a Question and Answer section that mostly relates to the Psychic rules in Genestealer. Other topics are also covered.

The Answers clear up all of the confusing aspects that the initial rules created. They also make minor changes to the original rules for better game play.

If you are not too fussed about technical aspects of the rules, then this is not a magazine that you have to get. Rules lawyers (like me) will find it invaluable.

Importance: High

White Dwarf 144 (December, 1991)

This edition contains part two of the Question and Answer section that was started in WD142.

The only really new rule clarification is allowing turn and fire actions, which is important.

If you are not too fussed about technical aspects of the rules, then this is not a magazine that you have to get. Rules lawyers (like me) will find it invaluable.

Importance: High

White Dwarf 147 (March, 1992)

This edition contains a five mission campaign called Wolf Lair featuring the Space Wolves using 1st Edition rules.

Four new board sections are included as cut-outs. There are also new rules and counters for barricades, along with dummy pitfall counters.

This is an extremely worthwhile magazine to obtain. With all of the new stuff that it offers, you can really expand your games.

Importance: Very High

White Dwarf 149 (May, 1992)

This edition contains a six mission campaign called Strike Deep featuring the Ultramarines using 1st Edition rules.

Three new board sections are included as cut-outs. There are also new rules and counters for the Proximity Plasma Grenades, along with other counters representing new features. Note that you need the new board pieces introduced in WD147 to set up the missions.

This is an extremely worthwhile magazine to obtain. With all of the new stuff that it offers, you can really expand your games.

Importance: Very High

White Dwarf 158 (February, 1993)

This edition contains a three mission campaign called Return to Kalidus featuring the Space Wolves using 1st Edition rules.

This is a worthwhile magazine to obtain if you are only seeking extra new missions.

Importance: Medium

The Citadel Journal 1 (1994)

This edition contains rules for playing Space Hulk with an unknown map for the Marine player.  The map is only revealed as the Marine player moves his forces around.  The Genestealer player is not affected and must act as a GM.  Also included is a single mission using these rules called Supply Lines.

There are holes everywhere in these rules, they are very vague with respect to describing every situation that could happen.  Furthermore, they are not designed for use with extended forces beyond the official game.  I've played these rules once and never liked them.  They are  very messy and slow the game down - that's why they are alternative rules and optional.  However, they do provide a different twist to the game.

Importance: Medium

The Citadel Journal 2 (1994)

This edition contains rules for playing Space Hulk with Harlequins.  The rules are very good and flow smoothly with only minor fixes required.

There are also four new missions featuring Harlequins against Genestealers.  Included inside the cover of the magazine are the coloured cut-out tokens for defensive stance and the solo marker.

Importance: Very High

The Citadel Journal 3 (1994)

This edition contains a four mission campaign called The Silent Voyager featuring Space Wolves against the Emperor's Children Chaos forces.  The Chaos forces start play as blips, which is different, but acceptable.  Note, the magazine had page layout editing problems, so you have to read the pages in different orders to make sense.

I never liked mission one, thinking that it was pointless.  Some of the victory conditions in other missions can also be confusing when you consider accidental damage by moving Vortices.  Overall, the missions are not too bad though.

Importance: Medium

The Citadel Journal 5 (1994)

This edition contains rules for using Eldar Aspect Warriors, Farseers, Wraithguard and Warlocks.  I'm not a fan of the Eldar, I don't think much of them, so I have a negative bias to these rules.  While they seem well thought out, they do have holes in them that need fixing.

However, the most annoying aspect is that no attempt to create any type of force list has been included.  How are players meant to know the relative worth of any of these Eldar without knowing how many points they cost?  This alone suggests that there was minimal play-testing for these rules and that they were published to meet a deadline.  Having said that, they still offer Eldar players a good basis on which to improve and are useful from that perspective, so it's a worthwhile article to read or own.

Importance: High

The Citadel Journal 7 (1994)

This edition contains alternative, 'fun' rules for experimental test weapons.  The Designer's Cut from Richard Halliwell (Hail the maker!) is very light-hearted and not to be taken as official or even seriously!  I don't like the new weapons on offer, but they were fun to try.

Four new missions are included, although these need fixes to play as they were designed around the new weapons with specific goals for using them.

The rules are a little silly but the missions can be useful.

Importance: Low

Conquest Missions (1993)

This book is a collection of the missions used from 1991, 1992 and 1993 for the Conquest Tournament.  Conquest is a tournament that is held during the Easter break in Melbourne, Australia.

Some of the missions are bad, others deviate from the official rules slightly.  However, some of them are good, which makes the book worthwhile to own.

Note, this is not an official Games Workshop publication and there is no way that you will be able to buy it unless you attended Conquest back in 1993 (like I did).  It's a very rare and unofficial book.

Importance: Low

White Dwarf 197 (May, 1996)

This edition contains a three mission campaign called Defilement of Honour featuring the Blood Angels using 2nd Edition rules.

Five new Air Duct counters are included as pop-outs.

This is worth getting for the new variations that the Air Ducts offer.

You can play the campaign with 1st Edition rules.

Importance: High

White Dwarf 199 (July, 1996)

This edition contains a three mission campaign called Bringer of Sorrow featuring the Dark Angels using 2nd Edition rules.

Five new corridor sections are included as pop-outs.

This is worth getting for the new board pieces, the more board pieces, the better!

You can play the campaign with 1st Edition rules.

Importance: High

White Dwarf 200 (August, 1996)

This edition contains a three mission campaign called Fangs of Fenris featuring the Space Wolves using 2nd Edition rules.

The rules give the Terminators 5 APs each, which is stupid. Also included are pathetic rules for the Assault Cannon and Chain Fist. Play the missions using the 1st Edition rules not the garbage that is offered with 2nd Edition.

This is a worthwhile magazine to obtain if you are seeking extra new missions.

Importance: Medium

White Dwarf 201 (September, 1996)

This edition contains a three mission campaign called Duty and Honour featuring the Ultramarines using 2nd Edition rules.

A new board section called the Gantry Room is included as a pop-out section.

This is worth getting for the new board piece, the more board pieces, the better!

You can play the campaign with 1st Edition rules.

Importance: High

White Dwarf 203 (November, 1996)

This edition contains a five mission campaign called The Fate of the Sword of Halcyon featuring the Blood Angels using 2nd Edition rules.

This is a worthwhile magazine to obtain if you are seeking extra new missions.

You can play the campaign with 1st Edition rules.

Importance: Medium

The Citadel Journal 25 (1998)

This edition contains rules for using Imperial Guard in Space Hulk with the 2nd Edition rules. It also contains a three mission campaign.

There are holes everywhere in these rules, they are basically crap. However, with some major fixes and some converting to 1st Edition, they provide a basis for something that could be good.

Importance: Medium

The Citadel Journal 28 (1998)

This edition contains rules for introducing all of the Deathwing special weapons into the 2nd Edition rules. It also contains a new mission.

This is an example of the pathetic situation that 2nd Edition created when the already excellent rules for these weapons (as presented in Deathwing) had to be re-written. At least it offers one more mission.

Importance: Medium

The Citadel Journal 34 (1999)

This edition contains rules for introducing a campaign system into Space Hulk.  Force lists are given for Space Marines, Imperial Guard and Genestealers.

The rules are terrible.  The article is not worth having - so don't waste any money to try and buy it at inflated prices.  It is the worst article about Space Hulk that I have so far seen in print.

Importance: Very Low