About Epic

	About Epic

Index
Epic in general Epic Space Marine / Titan Legion Epic 40k Epic Escarmouches

When I speak about Epic in the Laītus Prime Tribune pages, I speak about the game system concept created by Games Workshop.
Within this context, Epic is the adaptation of the Warhammer 40k skirmishes on the scale of pitched battles. OK, if you don't know what is Warhammer 40k you need more data...
Warhammer 40k is a futuristic wargame with figurines : it is a question of pushing figurines on a game table. The size of the 40k figurines and the rules itselves restrict the battles to little skirmishes where only some squads and vehicules can be involved.

With the release of Epic, pitched battles were possible. In Epic, a infantry figurine represent 3 to 5 Warhammer 40k figurines, this allows to live titanic confrontations.
All began with Adeptus Titanicus where huge Titans were fighting during the Horus Heresy. Titans are gigantic war engines which are used by the human Imperial forces to survive in a hostile galaxy populated by aggressive races. Horus, one the Emperor's lieutenants, betraied the Imperium and tried to get the power for himself. Adeptus Titanicus relates the battles opposing the Imperial Titans to the Rebel Titans. This game system won a great success and GW decided to bring out some extensions including new Titans from other races of the Warhammer 40k universe and even infantry and other vehicles. This was Space Marine, the first edition.
Then came Space Marine, the second edition. Adaptus Titanicus was working better with titans and new rules were needed to manage infantry. The second edition of Space Marine then came out and was enriched by many adds on concerning all the races of Warhammer 40k (up to the terrible Tyranids). Titan Legion was the most important of these adds on, improving the game system and adding two new titans : the awful human Imperator and Ork Mega-Gargants.
SM/TL was growing old and GW released a new version of its game system : Epic 40k. This controversial version had to be closer to Warhammer 40k. Rules were simplified to allow faster and more tactical battles. Many players didn't like these changes and have decided to keep playing SM/TL, some of them have even created their own third edition of Space Marine called NetEpic!

The Laītus Prime Tribune includes many articles for SM/TL although the game is not being supported anymore by Games Workshop. Many players have decided to boycott Epic 40k which is really different from SM/TL. Personally, I think that the SM/TL and Epic 40k are two different games and Epic 40k can't be really considered as a new version of SM/TL.
In SM/TL, armies are composed by company cards, support cards and special cards.

Company cards are the skeleton of the army, the support cards represent single detachments reinforcing the companies. Special cards are mostly important characters (Chapter Masters, Big Bosses, etc...), huge war engines (Titans) or elite detachments (Exarchs).

The basic unit is SM/TL is the squad/vehicle. Many special rules enrich the rules and allow to personalize each kind of unit but this slow down the game.
If I don't play SM/TL anymore, I will keep updating/creating articles about this game.

The objective of the Epic 40k authors was to make Epic as tactical as possible. To do so, rules have been made in order to use a minimum of special rules : thanks to some basic characteristics, it has been possible to personalize the different units without complicating the game.

The basic unit of Epic 40k is the detachment, the infantry unit or vehicle has lost all its SM/TL importance, it is the entire detachement which is important and not a single figurine. Of course Epic 40k has lost a part of the SM/TL charm but the game is faster and far more tactical which is not bad.

Compared to SM/TL, Epic 40k seems to be subtler but it lacks sometimes of personality when you are a second edition veteran.
Despite all the critics (which are not always false) against Epic 40k, this game became my reference and the Laītus Prime Tribune consecrates many articles to it.

Epic Escarmouches is my own game system based on the SM/TL and Epic 40k. My goal was to make battles in less than 2 hours on little battlefields.

Escarmouches uses mainly single Epic infantry figurines. The size of the figurines allow to play on very little surface areas. Using the rules of Epic allow to play fast so don't wait for very precise rules like in Warhammer 40k.

Epic Escarmouches rules and army lists are in test for the moment and are updated regularly. If you want to try them, I would be very happy to know your comments.