The Future

 Just over a month ago, I was perusing a 40k Facebook page dedicated to Primaris Space Marines and noticed a comment where someone had recommended to a frustrated player that he should try out Grimdark Future by One Page Rules.  This one random comment that I could have easily missed has changed everything for me.  Although it has been around since 2014, I had never heard of One Page Rules (OPR), or their Grimdark Future (GDF) ruleset, but I was definitely intrigued, and have spent the last month gobbling up everything I can about it.  I’ve watched literally dozens of battle reports, read through months' worth of posts on multiple Facebook sites and Reddit subforums dedicated to it.  I’ve joined the optional Patreon subscription to support its further development (only $5 per month, and can stop whenever I wish), and have access to the dedicated Discord server that supports it.  

So, what do you get with GDF that you don’t get with 40k?  A lot of things, actually, but the biggest draw for me is that you still get a tactically challenging game, but without any of the needless complexity that adds no real value to the experience.  It is not hyperbole when I say that you can introduce anyone to GDF, regardless of experience level in tabletop miniature games, and within 10 minutes have a real game going.  What other advantages does GDF offer over 40k?  The list is too long to provide here, but here is a link to a separate document where I capture the details on everything GDF has to offer. 

I can’t overemphasize how liberating it is to finally have a ruleset that gives me exactly what I want out of the hobby.  I can honestly say with confidence that I know I could invite an old gaming buddy over to the house - someone who hasn’t played a game in decades - and we could easily set-up and complete a decent-sized game in part of an afternoon.  That’s something I can handle.  That’s something that I can appreciate.  And I’m free to use the models and units that I like best - the ones with the most engaging lore, and that are the most aesthetically pleasing to me, without much worrying about whether they’re optimized enough to compete.  And isn’t that what drew most of us to the hobby in the first place, playing with the models that we love?

With the decision to dedicate my hobby time to GDF, I’ve spent some time (it doesn’t take much) translating my 40k units into their GDF equivalents.  What you’ll see described in the other blog posts on this site are the results.  They’re still my Grey Knights, the Brotherhood of Grand Master Voldus, the 'Wardmakers,' but now displayed with each unit’s GDF stats, weapons, and special rules.