I've been on a Black Library tear lately. I find myself drawn to stories that give more detail and background about the villains in the 40K universe. i want to know about their motivations. I want to see that they are more than cardboard characters who curse and rage at the world and only serve to show how awesome and righteous the "good guys" are in the story.
This isn't a book review post. I'm not going to talk about the plots in any of the books. I want to talk about the villains.
I just finished Blood Pact by the best Black Library author, Dan Abnett. It's the first book in Abnett's new story arc about Kommisar Ibrahim Gaunt and his Ghosts. Interestingly enough, I found the latest installment to be boring. The book is really a deadly game of hide-and-seek with a tinge of intrigue thrown in. Forget the intrigue. Anytime a person is revealed to be a bad guy - BLAM! Oh ho, that character is working for his own purposes - BLAM!
I wished the Blood Pact could be "fleshed" out more. I wanted to know more about their command structure, their training, how they are chosen, and what life is like serving the Arch Enemy. I know they are an elite squad and the equivalent of the Ghosts.
The story was over before their background story. I urge Abnett to forsake the Imperium and write a story about the "other side". He created and added to the 40K universe with his Sabbat World series. He can and could do the same for villains.
Okay, I'm about 100 pages into the Omnibus. Thus far the Word Bearers scream and shout and kill. Standard Chaos Space Marine modus operandi. I'm hoping I learn more about their motivations that goes beyond screaming, shouting and killing.
Marduk, the Dark Alcolyte, is boring. I like the Dreadnought, the Warmonger. A philosophical dreadnought? Sign me up!
There's another 700+ pages left in the omnibus so we'll see how things develop.
This book started s-l-o-w-l-y. I have 200+ pages left and it's the best part of the book. Wanna know why? The bad guys!
The bad guys just broke out of that big, prison mountain beneath the palace or near the palace or whatever, I don't know. The Crusader Host - the champions of the various legions. Who do they lock up because Horus went bad? The 1000 Son guy, the 3 Worldeaters (they're crazy and I'd lock them up out of principal too), the Sons of Horus, the Emperor's Children and the guy with the Primarch that begins with M and isn't Magnus.
The most interesting of these gents is the 1000 Sons. He's called a warrior-scholar. How cool is that? The escape wouldn't succeed without him. He uses what the miliary would call the "indirect method" to get things done. The raw power of the Worldeaters is important too, but this 1000 Sons character is just great. If a new Chaos SM book is out, I may have to get a look at these guys because of this one character.
I know they are all likely to die horrible deaths. Here is to hoping they look cool doing stuff while dying.
Until next time...
Hey, look, FOW-content on the blog!
I've been waiting for this issue of Wargames Illustrated to arrive and it finally did. Naturally I snapped a few pics. I listened to a recent WWPD episode and Steve mentioned the Normandy building photos being posted paparazzi-style. I'm not sure if he was referencing this blog, but hey, I like paparazzi-style and I don't have a photo studio so here's more pics!
Click to View
I've been thoroughly enjoying myself re-acquainting myself with the world of Diablo this past week. My friend's DH and my Barbarian completed Act I Normal last night. It was an enjoyable Boss Fight versus the Butcher (have nice screenshots) and a good conclusion to Act I. The cut-screen is one of the best done by Blizzard and I'll definitely watch it again before I play next.
But that's not what this post is about. I've been lurking on the Diablo 3 forums for awhile, more out of amusement than trying to glean any useful information about Barbarian tactics. The amount of pettiness and vitriol is shocking. I realize I don't fit the typical age / maturity demographic of the typical poster on these forums. I realize that 90% of lurkers don't post on any forums. I realize this little sermon I'm posting won't do anything to reduce the amount of trolls on that forum, the FOW forum, or any forum.
Still, I want to get my two cents in on this little slice of the Internets.
It's been 12+ years. The wait was long. It was worth it...and I've been playing Diablo 2.5 for a couple of weeks now.
More tank posts in the future...
ROEN911 has done it again with a very nice rendition of an SU-100.
This time he has previewed the box art for Iron Front Liberation 1944.
Direct link to the full sized picture here.
WI 296 fell on the doorstep today. I think it was actually on time this month. Usually, there's a one to two week lag.
Anyway, the FOW content in this issue deals with creating a Tank Destroyer company and painting up the M18 Hellcat and M36 Jackson. Not my cup of tea.
If you recall a few months back during the release of Version 3, John-Paul gave a video presentation and hinted that a new building would be released every month. Well, I think we'll be seeing this promise come to fruition in the summer.
I'm hoping they'll add to the Russian houses in the coming months.
The back page of this issue will focus on The Devil's Charge.
It's the July issue and I'll assume that DC will be released in August - the month when EW Barbarossa was supposed to happen until it was bumped back to 2013. Here's what I think, we're going to get all 3 Battle of the Bulge books this year. BGG was released in April. DC is going to happen in August. If we follow the natural progression of a 4-month gap, then the 3rd and final Bulge book will be in December to time it with Bastogne? Just a guess.
I hope EW Russia was pulled so BF could take more time to playtest the rules (hahahahaha) or to allow production of the new models. Hopefully some of the new models will be plastic (BT-7, cough, cough).
Anyway, enjoy the sneak peak.
BTW, the re-up subscription ad in the magazine brought back the boxes (Panzer Kanone, Wittman, Churchill Squadron, etc).
Many of you may have noticed a lack of AAR's and modeling. Let's just say that my wargaming time has been drastically reduced with family commitments. I haven't heard from my regular opponent in over 3 months, so I'm not sure if he's become very busy or he's just tired of beating me over the head and wants a different opponent.
Right now it's difficult for me to venture out to the LGS or the monthly gaming day at the Knights of Columbus Hall. I do, however, have a very nice garage where two tables can be set up easily to run games. If I can't go to the players, I'll invite them over for a game, or bribe them with BBQ and drinks.
If I was going to have people over, I needed more than food and drink. I needed terrain.
Enter, the Postman delivering this today in a tube box.
After a recommendation from the WWPD forum, I purchased a green-brown mat from the terrainguy. The mat is canvas based and rubber coated.
As you can see in the next picture...
...it unrolls with very little creases even after being rolled around a PCP pipe and shipped in a long box. The flocking is embedded in the rubber and for the most part I didn't feel any of the flocking coming off. There were a few small particles, but that's to be expected.
A close up of the mat.
I have another order coming soon. I'm excited to see how everything will look when it all comes together!
Wargames Illustrated #295 arrived at the door step today. Participants returning from the LW Nationals at Adepticon posted about Org Charts for the Panzer Brigades that went East.
I snapped a few pics of the two Panzer Brigade Org Charts in the magazine.
This week I received an e-mail from my buddy Carlos of Sentinel Miniature Painting. As you can see, he's swamped in Sherman tanks. Now, if I was completely twisted, I'd threaten Carlos with a new BG&G army and have him do more Shermans! Actually, these vehicles are from the Death on the Plains deal Battlefront put out when Stalin's Europe was released.
Anyway, here's a sneak preview of what will be hitting the table soon. Carlos needs to replicate the aerial markings on the rest of the vehicles, decals and drybrush.
Here's part of the M5's for the Rota Platoon.
They are looking great, Carlos!
