As many Warhammer hobbyists will know, games design legend Jervis Johnson has played a major part in the evolution of Warhammer over the years. Now, as Jervis takes a bow after his long and illustrious career, White Dwarf has taken the opportunity for a reminiscent look back at some of the much-loved games and articles of yesteryear – many of which Jervis himself was involved in. Issue 466 really is White Dwarf at its nostalgic finest, so let’s take a peek inside and discover why.
The J Files
Jervis’ classic column, the J Files, returns from the distant past for his final issue. This article series was the first of its kind in White Dwarf to discuss the philosophy of the Warhammer hobby itself rather than to provide new rules or offer specific advice, as Jervis himself first explained.
With a career spanning 38 years in the Warhammer Studio, it’s fair to say that Jervis has been, seen, done, and written about it all. In this issue’s special edition of J Files, Jervis dispenses his hard-earned wisdom for one last, glorious time.
Temporal Distort
Another old favourite returns in the form of Temporal Distort – the ultimate nostalgic throwback to popular articles of yesteryear. This article focuses on a selection of the best Battle Reports that Jervis has fought in over the decades, facing off against his regular rivals such as Adrian Wood, Paul Sawyer and, of course, his arch-nemesis Andy Chambers.
As any regular reader of White Dwarf will tell you, Jervis’ record in Battle Reports epitomises the ‘games designer’s curse’ more than anyone else in the history of Warhammer. He can write awesome rules, sure, but can he win games? Very, VERY rarely, and often through no fault of his own. Lady Luck can be a cruel mistress, but she’s always seemed to have it in for poor old Jervis!
Worlds of Warhammer
This month, Phil Kelly’s regular column focuses on the career of Jervis Johnson – after all, who better to write about the man himself than his former protégé and fellow legend of the Warhammer studio? If you’ve ever wanted to read about Jervis’ storied history and discover how he’s been behind the development of pretty much every game to emerge from the studio over the years, make sure you give Phil’s inspiring tribute a read.
If you’re ready to take a reminiscent journey through White Dwarf’s past, make sure you pre-order Issue 466 now (for readers in the UK and Europe), from this weekend (for readers in North America), or from the 31st of July (for readers in Japan).