Initial Impressions: 6th Edition

Hey there Chaos fans! Woo Boy! We do live in exciting times for 40K, don't we? New models, new paints, and a brand spanking new rule book- 6th Edition is here. The book is huge- a might tome indeed. It is a whopping 432 pages long. Though it is $75, my wife who works in the publishing biz, says that 75 isn't outrageous for a book this size in today's market. She would know. Flipping through the book at a glance, you can see that this book has everything. There's a ton of model pics, amazing artwork, gate fold pics/art, the rules, the storyline, appendices, and a ton more. The book is simply crammed with stuff.

The Mighty Tome

Now, I have only fully read from basic rules through to the 6 Eternal War missions- I can read the fluff parts at my own pace. I really wanted to get to the gaming rules first. It will take several read-throughs to take in the whole thing. However, I can tell you that the game is going to be a bit more complicated, but not cumbersome. Basically, the structure of play is the same, but there are a few tweeks, options, rules, etc. that make the game more complex than 5th (I remember people complaining that 4th/5th made it too simple). I won't say it harkens back to earlier editions, but it certainly adds depth to things. Without having played yet mind you, I think the game is going to be fun, and the player will have to think a bit more carefully about things. There is also going to be a bit more randomness- not so much that the game is just a matter of dice rolls- no. There is a ton of strategy and tactics to be used (more than before). However, there will be moments when you may try a desperate move, which is a dice roll and bam! Either you succeed in something crazy/brave/daring, or you fail miserably, ashamed and exposed to danger. I think it will make for some rather wild moments, dramatic, intense and fun.

Yes, I'm weak... I caved and bought it. Wanna make something out of it?

As I said, this will take several read-throughs (and practice games) to get everything, but here are some of the things that first jumped out at me that are of big importance:

1) 2D6 charge length: at first glance, I know people will dislike this, I welcome it. I think this is going to make for some exciting charges. Some charges will fail, others will be 12"- a huge, desperate charge. I think it reflects the chatoic nature of war. Sometimes they can charge straight in, other times the explosions and such will stop them. I think it'll be a great game mechanic. It will frustrate sometimes, but be exhilirating at other times. (Fleet allows you to re-roll this).

2) Overwatch/Snap Fire: again, another mechanic that makes realistic sense- If I'm being charged at from 6" away, I'll probably try to open fire, to stop 'em from getting to me. Shooting at BS1 (6) is a perfect way to represent this. I think this will make CC a bit more challenging, but in no way will it prevent CC (as some doomsayers have whined). It will just make it more realistic and more desperate.

3) Allies: certainly, this is GW's way to get people to buy more models. Their very text suggests reasons why Imperial Guard might work with Ork mercinaries... Yes, they want you to buy. However, long time players already have a ton of models. This is a nice way to incorporate them into games. I'm looking at this and saying "Yes! I can do a Plague Marine army with Chaos Daemons!" or "I can use a Traitor Guard army with a detachment of Plague Marines"... I don't know how this will impact "army balances", however this looks like it can be fun, and certainly good for storylines and such. This is no longer relegated to just an Apocalypse thing.

Wonderful artwork throughout

 4) Universal Special Rules: Many of the rules here have been tweaked, some are the same, and their are a ton of new ones. I can already see where the new Chaos Codex may be headed here... things like "Concussive", "Fleshbane", "Fear" and more... intriguing. Fearless is more like what it was in earlier editions. FNP has gone from 4 to 5+, but I'm OK with that. And wait till you see what flying monstrous creatures are capable of.

5) Challenges/Look Out Sir/ Focused Fire: here's some smaller, additional rules that will make things a bit more complex, but also making the game more strategic. With Challenge, your squad leader actually matters beyond simply a higher leadership. Look Out Sir takes a "heroic" idea straight out of war story sacrifices. Focused Fire allows you to fire at those outside of cover, meaning ypu have a greater chance at kiling the enemy without a ton of cover saves.

6) The Eternal War Missions: 5th edition sucked when it game to missions, with only 3 types; so limiting. 6th gives you 6 missions, with primary and secondary objectives. There's enough variety here, which is a vast improvement over 5th. I can't wait to try The Relic mission, which sounds alot like "Capture the Flag" from video games. There are other scenarios/missions later in the book, though I haven't gotten to them yet.

7) Vehicles/Flyers: On the one hand, vehicles are in danger because of hull points. However, I have not read anywhere in the book (again, I need more read-throughs) that "2 stunned = wrecked" as some had suggested. The hull points issue may mean that vehicles can be killed off a bit more easily. Yet, tanks can move 12", and then move an additional 6" for Flat Out (no shooting at all). That should help get tanks behind some obscuring cover. As for Fast Skimmers- oooohhh boy! My Dark Eldar are going to be very happy, I think. Finally, Flyers do indeed add some complication, as they are treated far, far differently from skimmers (flight modes, vector attacks, etc.). However, I am interested to try it with my Dark Eldar Razorwing... it may turn out to be something that shakes up the game a bit more. 

I'll stop at 7, as that is Nurgle's number... There's a ton of other stuff, but these seven are the big ones for me at the moment. I am really looking forward to trying out these new rules. Just reading it got me excited about trying out new ideas and seeing how they'll play out. I've read elsewhere that people were apprehensive about 6th, they didn't want to change from 5th, or they want a complete and total change to be in line with other tabletop games. They are entitled to their views, though I don't share them. As of now, I think that 6th is going to be really, really good. It changes the game just enough to make it interesting and different, without changing it so much that it would be unrecognizable. I'm content so far, and I can't wait to play my first game of 6th. Should I play as my old Plague Marines? The Dark Eldar? Chaos Daemons? Should I use allies right away, or save that for a later occassion?

I'll post again after I have read more of the massive tome... Still to come is the Dark Millennium fluff and the Campaigns/Scenarios section, plus the Psykers appendix. Until next time...

Maximizing Your Gaming Dollar The The Chaos Way: Ur-Ghuls

Welcome back to this abode most accursed. It is I, you maestro of Chaos! Your epitome of evil! I'm back with another edition of Corners of Chaos. As I posted previously, I have been working on several projects- it keeps me engaged in my modeling, but it also means that I finish stuff slower, since my attention continuously shifts around. However, I have finished my latest project... the Ur-Ghuls!

Now, this post is another in a series of articles in the "Maximizing Your Gaming Dollar The Chaos Way". As longtime lurkers know, I love Warhammer 40K- the game, the mythology, and the painting/modeling aspect. However, I can readily admit that GW, as a company, sometimes goes too far. Now, I don't begrudge them a profit, as many posters do. They seem to think that GW owes all players something- no. They are a company. They want to make money. When a video game company charges $60 a game- well, some are worth it and others aren't. No one seriously suggests that XBox games should be only $39.99- and if they don't drop we'll boycott. Ridiculous. GW wants profit, just like any other business.

Yes, GW wants to make money... that's why they are a business

With that in mind, I "understand" why the new rulebook will be $75. I'm not thrilled with the price tag, but, I know I'll buy it, as I love the game and am fairly certain that it will be good to shake up the rules and keep the game fresh. It is the "cost of doing business", and I understand that I'm in a hobby that does cost money. I'm willing to pay for the quality of the product.

On the other hand, there are things that I simply believe are way too overpriced. When that happens, I find a cost effective way to make my own whatever-it-is. As a Chaos player, I do conversions already; thus, I am always looking for more effective ways to make models that are otherwise too costly/not worth it. Case in point is the Ur-Ghuls. Now, these critters are part of the Court of the Archon. They are monsters or hunters if you will. They simply chase down their prey at the behest of the Archon. A Dark Eldar lord can bring up to five of these horrors with him. The model itself is nice- matching the description quite well. However.... the price! Wow! $16!! That's as much dough as the Archon model itself. Now, I don't mind paying that for a leader/ single model, but when you can have 5 of these creatures- that adds up to an astonishing $80!! That's way too much money for something that is essentially a small bodyguard. Like I said, I'd buy 1 or 2... but 5? No freakin' way!

It's a nice model, but... not worth $16.00, so let's try the Chaos Way!

So, I did what all good Chaos players know how to do. I looked for inspiration elsewhere. I had, a while ago, bought Vampire Counts Crypt Ghouls. I had initially planned to use them for my Nurgle forces. However, that project got lost in the myriad of other things I was working on, and I had left the box in my basement, forgotten. Then, of course, I found it again... I had already seen some guys on BoLS working on a similar conversion. So, why not?

The Court of the Archon

The truth is, I did nothing to them with putty or anything. They're my Ur-Ghuls, so if I want them to have two eyes, so what? They are the Crypt Ghouls right out of the box, except for the round bases. Presto. Painting-wise, I started with a coat of Incubi Darkness (one of my favorite new colors). Then, I used a wash of Drakenhof Nightshade (love the new paints, but the names will take me some time to adjust to). Once dried, I layered various blues and greys, with the results you can see. I used Etherium Blue Dry to highlight, and Praxeti White for the bones. The fingernails/teeth were Tallarn Sand. Finally, to tie them into the Court of the Archon, I painted their small loincloths with the old Scab Red and then Nuln Oil (just as I had on the Court). I also applied Nuln Oil to the joints/crevasses of the Ur-Ghuls, which quickly game them more depth.

I did the cloth the same as the other servants of the Court

 So, to recap: if I bought the finecast Ur-Ghuls, I'd spend $80 on 5. The Chaos way, using the Crypt Ghouls, I spent $24.75 for 10... $2.48. Now, I only used 5, with bits left over for future projects. If you want to say only 5, then that translates into $4.95. Still, a third of the price of one finecast model!! You can't go wrong...

Notice the Nuln Oil shading

The result is just fine, in my opinion. They look close enough to the "real" Ur-Ghul, and cost far less. Plus, they are hardly "centerpiece" models to begin with- try the Incubi or something if you want to have that effect. Why spend $16 on one Ur-Ghul when you can get 10 for just a few bucks more.

I will find out if the Court of the Archon is an effective option soon enough...

Anyways, that's all for now. I'll be back later on when I finish more stuff. I am also hoping to review both of Nolan's Batman films (to get ready for The Dark Knight Rises) and continue my Star Trek movie reviews. Until next time...

Just Completed: The Mandrakes

Hey there Chaos people! I'm back with a painting update. I have been a busy guy, currently working on several projects at once. Now, this keeps me excited and energized, but it also means that I have a lot of stuff that is being worked on, but not finished. I have my super-duper big secret project, but I've decided to wait on that until I've cleared the rest of the stuff I currently have on my work table. Then, I have  other top secret projects going too, in fact these next few photos reveal hints of them (just look carefully).

With the new 6th edition coming upon us, and hopefully a new, improved, and awesome Chaos Codex following thereafter, it is exciting times for 40K players and the Chaos Corner. I can't wait to get my hands on the new rules and Chaos goodies. However, I still have a ton of Dark Eldar models to complete. So, before the new Chaos book is unleashed, I decided to really go after the Dark Eldar. I may not finish every sing one (who can really finish an army, after all? My friend Pete says that there is a Warhammer myth/ability- one cannot die if they have models they're working on, so I should be good for quite a while).

In any case, I have just completed a set of 5 Mandrakes. Now, of all the finecast I bought these past few months, these were of the poorest quality. The rest of my finecast purchases have pleased me with their sharp looks and excellent model-ability. They just go together so much better than the metals. However, the Mandrakes I got (an initial batch, as I bought them when they first came out as finecast. They were warped, damaged, their slotters either broke or were hopelessly deformed. I think finecast is a good product overall, but these Mandrakes were exhibit "A" for the problems of finecast.

I had been so discouraged after putting them together that I simply put them away and forgot about them. I have painted a ton in the meantime. Then, I recently saw the Mandrakes in my army tray, and I said to myself- "If you're going to make more headway on the Dark Eldar, these should be tackled".

So, I began to think about color schemes. My old, old, old metal Mandrakes looked like this (bottom right corner of the pic):

My painting has come a long way since 2001

So, I wanted to pay homage to my old scheme, while also reflecting my current scheme. That, and I love the new background of the Mandrakes as beings of cold shadow, "unlight given life". With that as my inspiration, I decided to make the skin of the Mandrakes black (used Abbadon Black) and off-white hair as contrast (Longbeard dry).

Too bad that Khorne Bezerker can't see in the shadows- he is being stalked!

The flames and runes I decided to do with Khorne Red, followed by a wash of Charrbourg Crimson. Then, I used Wazdakka Red and Kindleflame as highlights for their flames. It is fire, but a cold, icy fire; totally unnatural Balefire. Looking at their bodies, the black and red go with the rest of my Dark Eldar, but in a nasty, unreal way.

"Mandrakes exist both in reality and a cursed otherworld..."

Their cloaks I painted Macharius Standard Grey, which was then washed in Nuln Oil. I followed that with a few highlights of Stormvermin Fur. Thus, the cloaks look dingy, dirty grey. Yes, the Codex describes their cloaks as being the skin of those that betrayed the Mandrakes, but I figure, after going in and out of shadows for so long, the flesh has long since degraded, taking on the aspect of shadows themselves.

"...to fight them is to fight living shadow"

Finally, basing the Mandrakes I decided to go a different route- I used Astrogranite Texture and again Longbeard Dry as the highlight. Why the change? I wanted to show that the Mandrakes had drained all color from their surroundings- sucking it dry. The base rim I did Steel Legion Drab in order to keep them tied into my DE base scheme somehow.

The warped blades add to the unreality of the models

But, what of the warped weapons, you ask? I left them that way. I decided that I would use the finecast problem to my advantage. Since these things are coming through shadows and all, it would be fitting if they AND their weapons seemed to be here but not here all at the same time- flickering in and out of the light/reality. So, the bent/warped weapons actually give them that appearance. I used Khorne Red again for the handles, and did a very light Necron Compound over the black blades, again aiding the appearance of a shadow becoming real.

So, that's about it for the Mandrakes. I have never used them before, so I'll let you know if they are effective. I'll be back soon with another posting of stuff that I am completing. Until next time...

Movie Review: Prometheus

Hey there Chaos fans. I know its been a while since I posted, but frankly, it's been a bit busy here in the Eye of Terror, with the forces of Chaos building mighty war machines and making sacrifices to the gods and... OK. Well, I've been busy doing work, family, and house-related stuff. On the 40K front I am working on some more Wyches and a few other surprises that I won't get into just now. However, I have also gotten a chance to see Prometheus. So, is it a grand return to the Alien universe? Or is it just a continual slide into mediocre sequels? Let's take a look...

You knew right off the bat that this movie would be unique since Ridley Scott was coming back to direct. He directed the original, groundbreaking Alien, so if anyone could/should do a sequel, its him. But, as a director, he is very, very hit or miss. When he hits, its huge- Alien, Blade Runner, Legend, and Gladiator redefined their respective genres, changing the very discourse of movie-making. Others have been solid, entertaining movies but not at all revolutionary, such as American Gangster and Hannibal. Others still have been misfires- I look at the director's cut of Kingdom of Heaven, and I see the potential but it doesn't quite work. Then, there are the absolute failures- Robin Hood, G.I. Jane, 1492, and Black Hawk Down (yes, I view it as a failure). Now, some might say that this "inconsistency" make Scott a bad director- I say that's what makes him a modern great- you never quite know what you'll get from him, but you know that he has and does continue to push boundaries.

First thing first- this is NOT Alien. While it IS a prequel, it is not 100% connected either. It is indeed the same universe, and the "Space Jockey" is prominent, it simply isn't like Alien in terms of horror, tension, nor as a movie structure. It is quite different and unique, for good and ill. Ultimately, Alien was a slasher movie- the Alien could have been Leatherface or Michael Myers chasing down people... We have this unknowable thing that seems to exist just to kill. Now, of course, its a xenomorph and it implants in people and all that- but, at the end of the day, it is stalking people and killing them, a good, old-fashioned slasher movie.  Its a great piece of sci-fi, but at its heart it is a genre blending of sci-fi and slasher-horror, which is simply a brilliant conceit, and of course it is handled so well, with no moments of being meta or self-referential.  And for the record, Aliens, equally good as a movie, is simply a Romero zombie movie, but now with Aliens. Check it out- the "marines" have guns, but there's just too many Aliens, so they hunker down and barricade themselves in for protection- and you know how well that works out in zombie movies. Cameron did a great job on Aliens- he understood the genre-blending, and took it to the next logical step. (The rest of the Alien franchise doesn't exist to me- sorry). But that begs the question- what is Prometheus, then?

On the face of it, it is not really a horror movie at all. It is more sci-fi than either of the other two. The movie asks serious sci-fi questions: was the human race created by another race? What is our purpose in the universe? Can we control our own destiny? Does a "higher power" care about us, as children or kindred? Now, nearly every sci-fi venture has tried at least a cursory look at these questions at some point or another- Star Trek, The Outer Limits, The Twilight Zone, Battlestar Galactica (yes, both series), and more have all looked at these questions. Usually, the answers are either totally ambiguous or positively re-affirming- Kirk doesn't find God in STV, but believes he exists, for example. Now, this is where the "horror" comes in: there may be no solid answers, and those answers that are there are not in the least bit positive. Indeed, one can interpret the events of Prometheus as quite damning- we were created, but... our "creators" don't care for us, and indeed may well hate our very existence.

I don't want to hit too many spoilers at this point, because I think that all sci-fans should see this in theaters- love it or hate it (and there's arguments for both) it deserves to be seen and critiqued. So, let me boil down the basic plot outline, give a few pros and cons, and then my rating. Then, I'll delve into some spoilers, if you wish to have a look.

In several pre-historic cave paintings, the same painting of a large being (godlike) is shown pointing to 5 stars- each cave painting is separated over distance and thousands of years- the scientists investigating, Elizabeth Shaw and her boyfriend Charlie Holloway believe that aliens (Shaw calls them engineers) must be responsible for this, and perhaps they hold the answers of humanity's origins. Although it is not shown, the scientists convince the wealthy Peter Weyland that they can find these beings (imagine the director of 1492 doing a riff on Columbus asking Isabella for cash to find a new route to Asia). Weyalnd builds the state of the art Prometheus space vessel to bring the group of scientists to the source of these paintings. After 2 years in cryo-sleep, the crew finds LV-223, they land and begin to explore. They find ruins, dead "engineers", and of course... something terrible. Something that is so unpredictable, lethal, and terrifying that even the "engineers" had reason to fear. The crew must then fight for their lives- not only from without but also from within as several crew members begin to act on shadowy motives. Can they uncover the secrets of the "engineers"? Can they escape with their lives? Will their discovery threaten all of Earth?

The Good:

The movie has great ideas, no doubt there. As I mentioned above, it is asking big questions, and the answers that are given or hinted at are not at all re-assuring. Indeed, this is existential horror- all of our lives are insignificant, as nothing, in a hostile universe. At best a mistake, at worst- a crime to be expunged. Hehe- a bit of 40K Gothic horror right there, I think. I appreciated the darkness of the movie. There seems to be little hope by the end- for the crew, for us as individuals, and for us as a race. The lessons of the movie are bleak, and not all questions have clear answers, and faith may not be enough. I don't mind my movies being this murky, and as Scott has proved with Alien and Blade Runner, bleakness can be effective. It certainly is here. If Alien's tag line was "In space, no one can hear you scream", Promethus' could be: "Don't even bother screaming; the universe doesn't care".

The main actors all do a great job with their roles. Noomi Rapace is solid as Elizabeth Shaw. She is not in any way like Ripley- she's a scientist who has deep religious sentiments and is hopeful that she may be on the way to finding a wonderful, spiritual truth for mankind. Of course, it turns into a decent into hell, and she does a great job of showing the spiritual and physical strain this journey hits her with. If her warm and compassionate character is the yin, Michael Fassbender's David is the cold, calculating and truly inhuman yang. David is the requisite android on board, who is supposed to advance the mission- however, he has several agendas all his own, and he pursues them without any real moral compunction. He is neither good or evil- he is amoral, and Fassbender knocks it out of the park- just as he did when playing Magneto in X-Men First Class. The main cast is rounded out by Charlize Theron, Idris Elba, and Logan Marshall-Green. All three do a fine job, though Fassbender and Rapace are the highlights.

The special effects and the score are both absolutely top notch. Scott has outdone himself visually here- and we're talking about the director who did Alien, Blade Runner and Gladiator here- all of which have stirring images and camera-work. Scott does an amazing job of making us feel as if we are seeing a real alien planet landscape- it is so striking, so otherworldly, and yet something we can relate to. Of course, then there's the "engineers'"... uh... dwelling (don't want to give too much away here), which is equally stunning. The designs of Geiger are felt here in these dark, labyrinthine corridors. Finally, the ship Prometheus itself is a wonderful ship inside and out- hearkening to the Nostromo but being far sleeker (and smaller). The movie is visually stunning. The score is great too- while Alien was minimalist (appropriately so), Prometheus' score is bombastic- fitting, considering what these scientists are looking for (and what they find).

The Bad:

The actual script/dialogue could use some work, as far as the secondary characters go. They are quite annoying and distracting from the high-minded dialogue of Fassbender et al. Some of the lines just fall flat, and the actors saying them just aren't convincing. There were certain bits of banter that just pulled me out of it- I was surprised at that from Scott. Then, there's the actions of several of these guys that don't make sense. I mean downright stupid- such as the Captain leaving things unattended at a critical point. Now, I cant tell if that is poor scripting, or if Scott is being so cynical about humanity that they are selfish and constantly mess up (which, if you read the movie that way, may certainly be the case).

Second is the pacing. Now look, I'm the guy who has sat through all three LotR movies in a row. I love movies that are given time to breathe and explore. I also love quick action too. Prometheus tries to do both, and suffers from this several times. The action scenes go by so quick, and then there's longer stretches in between that are occasionally too slow as compared to the rest of the movie. This makes the movie a bit haphazard. It needed to be one or the other- not both. Some characters, like Captain Janek, are good characters, but they don't get enough time to be built up (which hurts when Janek pieces a clue together, without the audience even knowing he knew to ask the question to begin with).  Finally, big questions are asked, themes hinted at, but they fall quickly by the wayside in a rush of action, and then decompression. Intentional? Challenging? A mistake? I don't know if this can be remedied by a "director's cut" or what, but the pacing is off, no doubt about it.

The ending- now, I don't mean the end of the story of the Prometheus. It's after that. Something happens- something is thrown in at the last minute to firmly tie Alien and Prometheus together- and it was handled poorly. Indeed, it was almost insulting. It was so unnecessary- it was almost as if Scott was told by the studio- you had better put this in so people will KNOW it is an Alien prequel. Let me put it this way- it could have been an after the credits wink wink to the audience... for a crappy B-movie. It should NOT be here, and it ruined the power of the ending a strong sci-fi movie.

So, I can't get into more without spoilers, so it is here that I bid you adieu, unless you want to read a few spoilers, which I place below... As for the movie, I give it three out of four Marks of Chaos. It's a thought provoking movie, with great effects, strong main characters, and solid suspense. Its not fantastic though, due to some pacing issues and some questionable dialog and actions that don't seem to fit in with the rest of the movie- making for an occasional jarring experience. Perhaps a director's cut can alleviate this? Regardless, if you are a sci-fi fan, you owe it to yourself to see this- even if you come away not liking it, it will cause some thought and discussion, which so many movies can't be bothered with on ANY level. I think the movie succeeds, but even if you view it as failure, it tries hard to push the boundaries of what s sci-fi/horror film can be.

Still there? OK. I don't want to go into every single thing, but I want to hit the big points/spoilers:

1- One Engineer created mankind. That is the implication of the opening scene. Now, was this directed by the engineers as a whole? Or... was he a rouge? Did he kick start human life on his own accord? If so, that would give a new meaning to the title Prometheus. So, was mankind a planned event? Or the act of a renegade? Or was it an experiment not meant to get this far? Which leads us to...

2- Why are the engineers now hostile to humanity? They seem to be mad at humanity, and its apparent that the "black mutagen" was meant to wipe us out. Is it to erase the mistake? Or has  humanity grown too powerful and/or wicked? Or weak, if it comes to that. Of course, the "black mutagen" was too much for the engineers to handle, and the engineers on LV-223 are wiped out. Now, why other engineers on other planets didn't act against Earth, I'm not sure, yet. So, the "mutagen" is a bio-weapon, as Captain Janek suggests (how he comes to this conclusion, I'm not sure- as I cited earlier- he just come out of the blue with this- he needed more screen time).

3-  One of the themes seems to be that man is wicked/imperfect/sinful. While Shaw is a good person, the same can't be said for... Weyland himself. He is hiding on board. He wants to meet the engineers, thinking they might cure him / give him the boon of immortality. Now, he is not a "nice" man- he has been instructing David to lie to the crew, and is only looking to benefit himself. However, Weyland himself is a creator too- he created David. He has "created", but has not taught David anything of morality, respect, compassion. Weyland has rejected this responsibility- he uses David, and that's all. Oh, and Vickers is an android too. The evidence is right there all the time. She may or may not know it, but she is. Look closely for those clues.

4- As for David, he is amoral. The things he does puts everyone at risk, as he seeks answers to what is happening on the planet. Ostensibly, he is doing Weyland's bidding. However, I think its more complicated than that. David simply wants to be his own being. Interestingly, Holloway wonders to David about how Weyland is seeking his maker while ignoring that which Weyland himself has created. Later, David says that all children want to see their parents dead. If one is looking to judge humanity, just look at their works. If David is an example of man's work, you can see how the Engineers might judge humanity as lacking. Indeed, what does David tell the cryogenically frozen engineer when he is reawakened? That brings me to the last point...

5- The only living engineer becomes very hostile, attacks the humans, and then begins to prep the ship to fly- apparently for Earth. Did the engineer not know what happened while he was in stasis? Was there a malfunction, or was it that there was no engineer left alive to wake him? As for David, I suspect he tells him that the humans have invaded (duh- they are standing right in front of him) and killed his brethren, which leads him to attack. To stop the ship from heading to Earth with the "black mutagen",  Captain Janek heroically flies the Prometheus into the ship, wrecking both- one of the most thrilling moments in the movie. However, Shaw knows there are other Engineers out there... and she still wants to know WHY things are like this with the Engineers.

Now, this all adds up to a bleak tale, in which humanity is weak and sinful, and the Engineers seem to be quite hostile toward us- whether we were created by accident or not. I haven't even touched on Shaw being "impregnated"...My views you have read, but I have seen other views- people have plenty of theories on all of this, touching on things I haven't even considered yet. Some have a more positive take on the events here, though I look at them as an existential crisis. That is what I like about the movie- there's lots of angles you can look at the movie from. I really need to see this again, so I can dissect it further...

Anyways, that's my 2 cents. Until next time...

History Of A Gaming Table Part I

Hey there Chaos fanatics! Old man chaos is back in (somewhat) fine form today with a story about my own gaming table- a story of inspiration, vision, hard work, teamwork, and a lot of fun.

In May 2005, my friend Pete and I went to Games Day in Baltimore. There, we saw some great, great stuff. Besides all the great models and really cool people and games, I was intrigued by the battle tables. Now, up to this point, I had a green gaming mat, and Pete had made a great desert table, but that's it. As I looked around at Games Day I saw all kinds of terrain. Then, I saw something that I fell in love with as a gamer...

I saw an urban war zone, complete with roads, overpasses and very large buildings. When I inquired, the guys there said the buildings were provided by Gale Force Nine. As I looked at the beauty of that table, the gears began to turn in my head. That evening, back in the hotel, Pete and I began to bounce plans back and forth, and Pete whipped out his graph paper and began drawing... We thought of all kinds of crazy things we could never do (removable roads with sewers underneath, for example). Finally, we came up with a reasonable plan for it. It would be huge, have a bisecting road in the middle and have 3 roads going across the width of the table. There would be 8 (!) city blocks in which to put buildings, rubble, and whole armies. It would be a masterpiece.

In June, we began to build this dream table. Pete selected the heaviest, best wood to build a sturdy, heavy table (he has a tendency to over-engineer). We also bought white card to make the sidewalk sections. I called up Gale Force Nine and asked for several buildings. They said that they don't just make them like that- but I begged and they relented. They buildings were pricey, but oh so worth it. It was Pete, Joe, my brother, and another friend Brian building this in my basement in the heat of June. Just so you know, my basement has a boiler that emits a heat of like a billion degrees, so you could well imagine.

We had some laughs in that heat. Pete hammered everything into place. Joe decided to stop working and play with my vintage Scorpinok base from Transformers- since then he has been obsessed with it. Brian came to the house not realizing he was going to be pressed into service... I can still see him and my brother cutting little lines into the white card to denote the slabs for the sidewalks. I remember pouring a ton of Gorilla Glue and then putting the hab-blocks into place.

Then, when it was built, I began the painting process. At this point it was just me- this was now up to me to complete. I used paints from Home Depot to paint this huge table. I painted the roads black with yellow hash lines. I painted the hab-blocks dark grey, and then stippled lighter greys on top, to give it a textured effect. I also painted a ton of terrain pieces from Armorcast (at this point, there was really nothing from GW).

It took a full summer, but when all was said and done- the table and accompanying terrain came out wonderfully. Truly this is the biggest single project I had ever undertaken, with all of my friends lending their considerable might to it (except Joe, who is STILL playing with Scorpinok). The table was exactly what I wanted it to be- a table large enough for a huge city battle that could fit like 4 armies on it. It inspired Pete to build his own huge lava table (which is breathtakingly intricate and detailed).

We played some great games there. We played our "Gryphone IV Campaign" on that table (which my brother won with his Imperial Guard, by the way). The table has seen Plague Marines, Traitor Guard, Daemons, Imperial Guard, Ultramarines, Black Templars, Eldar, Tyranids, and Orks fight there. I bought new pieces of terrain for it as time went on (some from others, but certainly the GW Cityfight stuff were welcome additions). Good times at that table. Good times.

But, like all gaming sagas, this one must come to an end. It turns out that there were some problems with my table, or rather, my table's location. My basement was always too cramped to play in comfortably to begin with. It is an unfinished basement, and quite dusty (no matter how much I clean). The basement is also used for storage, thus cramping it further. And then there is the boiler- or as Pete calls it, the "gateway to hell". It is old and throws off so much damn heat that playing down there in the summer was next to impossible.

Finally, when my wife moved in last year, she needed to put her stuff down there too... As we cleaned and threw out old basement stuff we realized that the table was taking up too much room, and that it was always a hassle to play down there. So, we decided that the table would have to go. It took a lot of soul searching on my part, but I knew that this would be the right decision. So, I asked my friend Joe (STILL playing with Scorpinok) if he could take the table... He just bought a new house, and the table would fit comfortably in his garage. So, a few weeks ago Pete and Joe showed up and hauled away my table. A bittersweet end- I don't have my table, but at least my friend Joe has it which means I'll get to see it anytime I want...

But, this whole ordeal has left me with two questions:

First, I still want a gaming table of some kind, even if it is less opulent. But what should I do? I like the GW Realms of Battle- it is storage-able, but quite pricey. Pete suggested that I get two thin boards and paint them. It'll be cheap enough, and if they are lightweight I can store them (unlike my table, which weighed a ton). I'm not sure what I'll do... but I do know that, one day, I will have a gaming table once again...

Second... where the hell is Scorpinok? What the... I think Joe took both the table and Scorpinok with him... Damn him!! How did he pull that sleight of hand?! Now I have to find a way to get it back from him (I told you that he was obsessed with it!!).

Until next time Chaos fans!

Book Review (In Brief): Battle of the Fang

Hey there Chaos fans! It's been two weeks since I've posted (I've been a bit busy, but that's how it goes), but now I've got another one for you. I just finished Battle of the Fang by Chris Wright, so I thought I'd give you a brief review:

I had just finished reading Prospero Burns by Dan Abnett, and I really liked it. No, it wasn't quite what I was expecting, but I prefer it when Abnett does the unexpected (Legion, Eisenhorn) as opposed to when he's predictable (Titanicus, Ravenor). After reading that saga of the Space Wolves war against the Thousand Sons, I decided to "finish" the trilogy by reading Battle of the Fang, which takes place only 1,000 years after the events of the Heresy (as opposed to being in the 41st millennium).

The book is really, really good. An action packed book that shows how things are going to go from here on out in the "Long War". The Thousand Sons are splintered, with some of the sorcerers still backing Magnus, while the other half has been banished for following Ahriman. Magnus has been plotting for a long time to attack The Fang, the Space Wolves' fortress on Fenris. The Thousand Sons want to destroy it, just as the Wolves ravaged Prospero during the Heresy. Of course, Magnus would not be the chosen of Tzeentch if he didn't have another, more secret motive than just simple revenge...

The Great Wolf now leading the Chapter, Ironhelm, has become obsessed with chasing down the remnants of the Thousand Sons. Following clues to Magnus' whereabouts, Ironhelm takes the vast majority of the Space Wolves with him to chase down a lead, and leaves only the 12th company, led by Greyloc, to protect the Fang. Of course, this was Magnus' plan all along; once Ironhelm is off on the proverbial wild goose chase, the Thousand Sons lay siege to the Fang, with Greyloc desperately defending the fortress with his handful of marines and normal Fenrisians.

The balance of the book is the siege itself. I mean it as a compliment that it reminded me of the sieges of The Lord of the Rings. Greyloc is surrounded and outnumbered, and must rely on cunning to hold the enemy back as long as possible. There are upsets for both sides, and the battle ebbs and flows as an epic showdown should. There are some great bits: the escape of a single Wolf ship, that leaves Fenris to find and warn Ironhelm; the waking of the Dreadnoughts (Bjorn is awesome), the collapsing of the entryways into the Fang, and more. But the height, of course, comes when Magnus himself is "summoned" to Fenris (he is a Daemon now, after all), and all hell breaks loose.

As I said, its action packed, and the author does a great job of contrasting the Wolves with their corrupt and soulless opponents. I also enjoyed the paths of two human soldiers, father and daughter no less, and the parallel paths they take in the course of the battle. Several marines are developed (Helfist and Redpelt stand out), as does the Wolf Priest Wyrmblade. I do wish that the author had developed Greyloc a bit more- he is a heroic figure, but he gets lost in the action at points, and gets overshadowed by Bjorn and Wyrmblade, which is too bad. I also wish that the author had developed Magnus and his two lieutnants (Temekh and Aphael) just a bit more, but that's just me wanting to give the bad guys their due.

The best part of the book? Well, I don't want to give it away, but I do want to discuss it, so here's what I'll do. I'll rate the book now 3 1/2 out of 4 marks of Chaos. If you've read the other two (A Thousand Sons and Prospero Burns) you really owe it to yourself to read this- they really do tie together quite nicely. If you've already read it and want to stick around, I'll briefly look at the ending, which may be one of  the strongest (and yet ambiguous) endings in the Black Library...

So, If you want no spoilers, stop reading now...

3...


2...


1...

Well, OK, if you're still here, you want to know about that ending then. Here's the crux of the plot and the climax: while Magnus wants to conquer the Fang for the sake of revenge, he is also seeking to destroy something else. Wyrmblade has been working on something called "The Tempering", which could shift the balance of power in the universe once and for all. The gene-seed of Russ is strong, but unstable. It does lead some of the Space Wolves to fall into animal fury permanently (one flaw), and it cannot really be replicated on those outside of Fenris (the second flaw). Wyrmblade's plan is to "temper" the gene-seed- keeping its strengths while limiting the flaws. Wyrmblade's vision is of many, many Space Wolf successor chapters, each with this new and improved gene-seed. Wyrmblade says that they could make so many Wolves, that they could surround the Eye of Terror and traitor marines could never again leave it. The Space Wolves would truly be the protectors of a new, stronger Imperium.

This is what Magnus is really attacking the Fang for. Obviously Tzeentch and the other gods of Chaos would not want the Space Wolves to become so great in number that they can actually carry out Wyrmblade's plan, so Magnus goes to destroy "The Tempering" and all who know about it. Magnus tells Temekh that this is not about revenge, but about preventing a "possible future" (how Tzeentchian). That is what the siege is really about... stopping the Wolves from reaching their "true potential". Ultimately, Magnus is successful- he kills Wyrmblade and destroys all the materials and experiments regarding "The Tempering", and it is made clear that this was the last chance the Wolves would have to try this. Thus, even though the Thousand Sons lose the battle (with the return of Ironhelm's companies), they won the war by denying the Wolves a better future.

However, in true Tzeentchian fashion, that may not be a victory at all... Why, you say? Think about it this way... Only the Emperor knew how to do the gene-seed thing (and even his results were far from perfect); who is to say that "The Tempering" would have been successful? Several characters called Wyrmblade's experiments "an abomination". What if... what if it appeared to work and was carried out on the scale Wyrmblade intended? Would the Wolves have run riot across the galaxy? Or what if it appeared to work only to develop mutations later on, say nine thousand years hence? The Space Wolves could have been ruined... So, did the destruction of "The Tempering" really hurt the Wolves, or did it force them to remain true to themselves?

Thinking about it that way- I can't be sure if this is a win for Chaos or a win for the Imperium... And that's great about the book- being that it is only the 32nd millennium, the events of the Heresy are still "fresh". The book sets the stage for an ambiguous, dark future, full of war and stalemate, without hope or change, of squandered potential.

Did the good guys win or the bad guys? Neither. It is simply war, with no winners...

Movie Review: The Avengers

Hey there folks! I'm back, as promised, with a review of The Avengers. Let me say right off the bat that, without a doubt, this is indeed the best of the Marvel Comics movies- by a mile. The movie has a ton going for it- action, special effects, and, most importantly, character interactions that are spot on. That said, I do have a few issues with the movie- not that I believe any movie has to be "perfect" (a subjective term if there ever was one); however, there are a few issues here that should be discussed. Mindless gushing isn't the same as a solid look at this movie- which clearly deserves a strong look. So- away we go:

The Good:

First off, the movie is something of a miracle. Who would have believed that there would have ever been a comic book movie with a team of superheroes- with the premise that they had movies before and would have movies afterward? Not even Watchmen (a one-off) could claim this. Indeed, it is fantastic that they managed this feat- these movies have been like reading the books- a crossover, in fact. Each independent movie ties into The Avengers- in both large and small ways. We see the Cosmic Cube's power in Captain America. We see the villain, Loki, get his start in Thor. We see why Hulk is an exile in The Incredible Hulk. We see the formation of the Avengers Initiative in Iron Man (which also served to establish "the rules" of this Marvel Universe). Then, taking these threads- they  weave together into the tapestry of The Avengers- the climax of this particular crossover. As a result, The Avengers has accomplished something that no other comic movie ever has- taking several individuals' stories and bringing them into a single, larger (and coherent) movie. This is more historic than the box office haul that The Avengers has had, truth be told. I still am in awe that they managed to do it, and do it so well.



Secondly, you must hand it to both Joss Whedon and the people who cast these actors in their respective roles- for they have done so much to make this movie (and Marvel movies in general) a success. It is plain to see that each actor has come to the table ready to give it their all- each has brought so much already (in their individual movies) that it is amazing that no one shirks or falters here. You know it is bad when I can't say there was a weak link in the "Big 6"... all were great. Robert Downey Jr, after "phoning in" his performance in Iron Man 2, is perfection here- a blend of brilliance, cockiness, arrogance, and heart. Chris Hemmsworth is great as Thor- a bit more humble, but still a god nevertheless. Chris Evans is simply amazing as Captain America- he plainly shows that he is a man out of "his time", but he shows Cap's strengths- he adapts quickly, trying to come up to speed. He also plays Cap as strong, wise, and an urbane leader- there's no "golly gee" moment that makes him look like a fool for being patriotic or from being in the 1940s. Mark Ruffalo does a great job as Banner- he's a bit more accepting of what he has become, and I think there's a difference when his Hulk just "comes on" as opposed to when he "wills it" to- great ideas there- and Ruffalo makes sure that Banner is a human being above all else (don't get me wrong, I thought Edward Norton did just fine too, but Ruffalo beats him because the overall movie is better). Rounding out is Scarlett Johanson as Black Widow, giving her more depth this time out, and Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye- this guy is pissed, but he never lets that control his actions- he is so focused in the final battle despite what he suffers in the movie that you root for him, but you are also intimidated by him. Of course, there's also the supporting crew- Samuel L. Jackson finally gets to be Nick Fury (even his secrets have secrets, a neat twist), and Clark Gregg gets his moments as Colson.

As I said, the casting would be nothing without the script and direction from Joss Whedon. It is apparent that he "gets" these guys- and he has little interest in just blowing stuff up for the heck of it. He wants to show these superheroes bouncing off each other- fighting, arguing, distrusting, then finally saving each others' bacon, and then working as a team to protect the world. Each character acts "as they should"- at no point did I say "No! Cap would never do that"... Each character is pitch perfect, and that may be this movie's greatest strength- the chemistry between these guys is fantastic, and each gets their chance to shine, and then they help the rest of the cast shine too. Their attitudes, mannerisms, their line delivery- it made the thought that these 6 superheroes are together seem totally believable. And Whendon should get the credit for a huge chunk of that- another director would have emphasized the spectacle over the characters, and that didn't happen here, which raises the movie from great to fantastic.

Third, there's the action. In the age of fast cuts, slow motion, CGI, and all the other issues, many action movies seem to suffer from ADD- look at Transformers for proof of that. So many movies move so damn quick camera-wise, that you get no sense of the logistics regarding the fights or carnage. There's no clear picture of what is happening or what is at stake. In The Avengers, Whedon isn't afraid to calmly show the action without it being overwhelming. You clearly follow what's happening, and boy, the fighting in this movie is stupendous. The secret is, again, the action plays second fiddle to the characters. Throughout the several fight scenes, the movie is squarely on the heroes, you care about them and you see it through them. The movie never seeks to drown them (or the audience) out, which only makes the whole stronger.


Finally, I'd be remiss to mention the other secret weapon of The Avengers- Tom Hiddleston's Loki. He has it the hardest here. Now, most comic book movies, the villain doesn't come back. Yes, there's Magneto, but he's not strictly "the villain". Yes, there's Lex Luthor, but he plays second fiddle in Superman 2 (and the less said about 4 and Returns, the better). See, the good villains usually die, never to return, so in the sequel, there's a new villain. Here, Loki is the main baddie, as he was in Thor. And truthfully, his "villainy" is less developed by Whedon than the heroes are (more on that below). But Hiddleston makes the most of it, imbuing his Loki with a sense of "Paradise Lost"- he has fallen from grace- so far, in fact, that he sells himself in order to make Earth (and by extension, Thor) suffer. If Loki can't serve in Asgard, he will reign on Earth. But even then, he can't do it alone, and he seems to have made a Faustian deal to bring an evil alien army to help him conquer Earth. Loki is, for all his power, pathetic and sad- no longer the second son of Odin, but instead, a dim and perverted reflection of his former majesty. Hiddleston gets that, and makes Loki lash out in rage because of it- fantastic acting, and I hope that we can see more of him.

The Bad:

The film is terrific, don't get me wrong. It is, simply put, the strongest Marvel movie to date, and is one of the best comic movies, period. That said, there are some problems here- and they are not minor quibbles, like "I wish the soundtrack was better" (which I thought was fine, by the way) or "Gee- I wish Cap's costume was a bit more like his movie" or some crap- no. These are legitimate concerns and critiques, not nitpicking. So, let's look:

First, the movie is, at times, like a run-away freight train. It moves incredibly fast. Now, that in itself isn't bad- however, certain scenes become choppy. The movie ends up feeling a bit disjointed at times, which makes one wish they would just breathe for a second. It jumps from character to character, scene to scene so damn fast, that it feels like it is about to break under the strain, though it doesn't. But it comes close to collapsing under its weight, which makes viewing it problematic at times.

Second, as I said earlier, the villains of the piece, Loki and the alien Chitari, are not that well developed. The only reason Loki fares so well is that Hiddleston gives it his all, with looks and quirks which show the turmoil he is feeling- but it is not explicitly stated. We know based on his performance what Loki wants, but the surface reason is "he wants to conquer". The "Faustian deal" angle and the "revenge on Thor" factor are more implied than a vibrant part of the movie, which hurts overall. Equally, the Chitari are never more than just alien marauders- they are not developed, lack motivation, and are, ultimately, easily disposable. They exist to be punching bags, and that is it. They are not explained beyond that. Do they have a grudge against Earth? Do they seek war for its own sake? Is it about honor? How did they fall in with Loki? Or the mysterious evil at the end credits? It's too bad, as the look of them is pretty cool en masse, but they are never anything more than low level baddies that the heroes get to punch.

Third, the humor itself is sometimes over the top. Yes, the movie needs a sense of humor, and most of it is tonally perfect. However, there are elements that, while humorous now, will be looked at with disdain later. I guarantee it. When Hulk beats Loki like a rag doll, people laughed and exploded with cheers. I KNOW that, one day, people will say it was too far over the top, almost cartoonish. There are several bits like that- and I feel it dragged the movie down a bit.

Finally, there is no larger theme here. For this, I blame Nolan. He has spoiled us, with his Batman movies being about more than just a comic book movie or an action movie. The Nolan films have reflected our fears about terrorism, how far we go to fight it, and if, by gazing into the abyss, the abyss gazes also, just to name a few. Now, most movies don't do that (let alone comic movies), but the modern Batman films have done that so well, that I think comic movies CAN act as Sci-Fi, in terms of making you ask questions about real life through these fantastic characters. Now, of the Marvel Universe movies, only Captain America approached that, by asking "in war, just what makes a man a hero". With Avengers, there seems to be no larger theme or idea. The only thing this movie wants to do is get these guys together and have a good time with it. Perhaps the second Avengers will play with a larger theme than that- and IF Thanos is the baddie, I could see just that happening.

Bottom Line:

I loved this movie. It is, beyond all doubt, the best Marvel Universe movie. Great characterization, amazing action sequences, big and little moments, you name it. It is also one of the best comic movies too (though I think Nolan's Batmans have been untouchable- not because they are perfect, but because they go beyond the simple "man in a mask" approach and accomplish something much bigger). For sheer entertainment, you can't beat The Avengers. But the movie also has a heart- it is not cynical, or just mindless action. For those reasons, it earns a 4 out of 4 Marks of Chaos.

Until next we meet....