Returning to Rynn's World

16 April 2026

Description of a Warhammer 40,000 tabletop 3rd edition campaign printed in White Dwarf 235.

The Rogue Trader rulebook included a scenario called Battle at the Farm and this was followed up by a sequel in 1987's White Dwarf 94. They were set on the same planet, Rynn's World.

Twelve years later the scenarios inspired two articles in White Dwarf 235. The issue coincided with the release of 3rd edition's Codex Orks.

Adie Wood's face when he's forced to use the studio Ork army instead of his own. Waaargh!

WD235 included a free copy of Codex Assassins

Bloodied Fist

Andy Chambers wrote six pages of lore and prose covering the Ork invasion of the Imperium's Loki sector. The article also included a five part campaign using missions from the 3rd edition rulebook.

Planet	Mission	Narrative	Attacker
Badlanding	Bunker Assault	The fall of Krugerport...	Orks
	Patrol	The attack on the filtration plant...	Random
	Strongpoint Attack	The attack on the comm tower...	Orks
Rynn's World	Breakout	The long road to New Rynn City...	Space Marines
	Meatgrinder	The battle of Jadeberry Hill...	Orks

This is a good demonstration of how to combine standard missions into a broader narrative structure.

Chambers provided "historically accurate" Ork force lists for the Badlanding battles.

First Blood

...and so it was that the rotund figure of the editor of this fine publication swaggered into the games developers' offices. "Do us an Orky battle report." he at once demanded.
-Jervis Johnson, White Dwarf 235

First Blood: Mission

The magazine included a new mission called First Blood designed by Andy Chambers, Gav Thorpe and Jervis Johnson.

This is a historical mission based on the Crimson Fists 4th Company's attacks on the Ork-held planet known as Badlanding...

Special Rules

Random game length +1 extra turn; Reserves; Victory Points; Night Fight.

Set-up

Dice-off for deployment zone
Dice-off for deploying one unit first
All other units enter via Reserves

Victory Conditions

Victory Points
+100 per controlled board quarter at end of game
Units that can control board quarters: units over half strength; mobile vehicles; not independent character

First Blood: Battle Report

Jervis Johnson provided commentary on the battle report.

My only request was that I didn't have to play in it...
-Jervis Johnson, White Dwarf 235

Simon Shuker's Crimson Fist Space Marines and Adrian Wood's Orks fought the 2000 point battle report. Waaagh! Grimjaw won the deployment roll and elected for corner deployment leaving the long board edge for Crimson Fist Force Barbarus.

Most units entered the game using the randomised reserves rules. The game lasted 7 turns due to the random game length rule being applied by the mission.

Thrugg Bullneck & Commander Cantor

This was neither the first nor the last time Games Workshop drew inspiration from the Battle at the Farm scenario.

The Ork antagonist Thrugg Bullneck made an appearance as a Bad Moon Warboss in a 2nd edition battle report in White Dwarf 200 where he fought Abaddon the Despoiler.

In 2008's White Dwarf 339 Phill Kelly authored a 7 part campaign for 4th edition including battles using the Apocalypse supplement. Crimson Fist commander Pedro "Kantor" received a miniature in the same year.

Campaign diagram — Disaster on Rynn's World, WD339

6th edition's Planetstrike supplement included a diorama based on the war.

Warhammer Community published a thirty-five-year anniversary scenario for 9th edition in 2022. It even required a games master.