Building my Khorne Bezerker Army Part I

Hey there Chaos fanatics! How's it hanging? I'm doing just fine- a bit busy with work, Warhammer, and all that other fun stuff. As I had promised previously, I was going to begin to show off my latest hobby mission, the Khornate World Eaters army for 40K.

I discussed earlier as to why I wanted to try my hand with the followers of the blood god, and I'd like to elaborate. I wanted an army that functioned quite differently than my Plague Marines. The Death Guard are solid at firefights while also being tough in close combat. With World Eaters, I'd have to rely most extensively on close combat. They are also different from my Chaos Daemons- the Daemons are close combat, but they can deep strike in fairly close and go from there. As for my Dark Eldar, well... they have a ton of speed to get up the battlefield. Thus, Khorne Bezerkers represent a far different challenge: they must get to close combat, but they have no fancy tricks in getting there. In this new edition where transports are fragile and there's overwatch when charging, a Khorne Bezerker force is actually quite a challenge, one that I am looking forward to getting to grips with.

Then, there's the look, which is, again, quite different from what I'm used to. I loved the Plague Marines because of the startling imagery- rotting, bloated marines looking all kinds of nasty. When GW released the metal box (2003/4-ish? I forget) I didn't care for the look- I liked the metal from 3rd, but that was a heck of a way to build the army. I decided instead to use the plastic as a base and went wild from there. I'll save it for a different article, but suffice to say I did a ton of conversions, putty work, and more. For this Khorne army, I love the plastics. They have such a range of motion, cool helms, and great, heavy looking chain weapons. Thus, I didn't' have to convert nearly as heavily as I did with the Plague Marines.

However, being a Chaos fan and a long time converter, I simply can't NOT convert or kit bash ANY, now can I? Of course I did some work in this regard. As I assembled the Bezerkers I mixed and matched a ton of parts from other kits. I've been collecting all things Chaos for so long, that I have a ton of useful bits. I used parts from Khorne Bezerkers (natch), Chaos Space Marines, the ye olde mutation sprue (I still love that sprue), Old Fantasy Chaos Warriors, Possessed, Spawn, and more. I decided to give many of them axes (chainaxes* or not- doesn't matter- Khorne Marines should have huge damn axes!!). I used fantasy axes to accomplish this, sometimes using the whole arm (patchwork armor taken from fallen warriors and welded together), or I just cut off the hands and swapped. I also used a few fantasy helms, just to shake things up. I used Possessed bits to make some of the Bezerkers stand out (I am working on dedicated Possessed, which will obviously be much more mutated).

Putting it all together, I have been very pleased with the results thus far. The Bezerkers look solid- they have motion, big ass axes, a bit of variation... Yep, I'm very, very happy. They look vicious, as the followers of the blood god should. I feel that (thus far) I have captured the Khorne look, as distinctively as I captured the Nurgle look.

So, you have been looking at pictures of my first squad. The squad has a Champion and two plasma pistols. They also have a Rhino to bring them to the fight. In a future article, I'll discuss my approach to the vehicles (why do they have those doors? Haha- a long story for another time). I'll also delve into my painting techniques (it was tough to get that type of red- I was being very picky). I will post again with shots from my second squad, as well as others as I finish them.

Hope you've enjoyed- comments and criticisms are welcome. Until next time, my friends...

*Note: I think Khorne Bezerkers should have big blades and axes. This whole chainaxe is an upgrade  thing sucks- each individual model may purchase? That's like saying some Plague Marines get Plague Knives, but other don't have to- what the? Whoa- that sucks for converters/modelers- plus, there aren't that many chainaxes in the box. How about this, all my Bezerkers buy it, or none do? No half measures- would that satisfy WYSIWIG?

Movie Review (In Brief): Lincoln

Hey there Chaos fans! I know I've been away for a bit, but its because I've had a lot going on... I need a vacation! Haha! Anyways, I'll be posting this week with some pics from my emerging Khorne Bezerker force, and maybe a book review (I'm nearly done with Deliverance Lost too). However, I have a movie review for you, so without further ado:

It may or may not be a secret to longtime readers of this blog, but I am a history nut (that's what my wife calls me, at any rate). I love United States history, and I have admired Lincoln for sure. The truth is, I have been dying to see this movie, but I was also afraid. The cast sounded top notch (Lewis? Jones? Straithirn? What a cast!), and I was hoping that this movie would be smart and powerful, but I was afraid because Spielberg was the man behind the camera. At one point, Spielberg would have been a no brainer- giving us Indiana Jones trilogy, Saving Private Ryan, Schindler's List, Close Encounters, and of course, Jaws. However, he has been on a bit of a rough patch in the 21st century- I mean, he nearly ruined Indy with Crystal Skull, for heaven's sake! The war machines of War of the Worlds were fantastic, but the human element was all over the map (the audience I saw it with cheered- yes cheered- when Dakota Fanning was taken by the martians- that's how annoying she was). Minority Report was just OK, and AI was just a mess. Yes, so I had reason to fear with this- which Spielberg was going to show up?

Thankfully, there was nothing to fear here, as old Spielberg showed up and simply told a story. It is not a simple story by any stretch, but it was simply told, without schmaltz, fancy tech, or explosive action, or trickery. No, this story didn't need any of that- it just needed someone with courage to do the story justice, allowing it to develop at its own pace, and using the actors to their fullest. And thankfully, Spielberg and company did just that with "Lincoln". In fact, the movie is beautiful, elegant, meaningful, and even occasionally  humorous, while the acting is top notch all around.

The true success of the movie is its choice of scope. The movie is wise to focus in on one fight that Lincoln had to go through during the last days of the Civil War- a wider biopic would have diluted the proceedings. Just about everyone knows Lincoln as the the young "rail splitter", the Illinois lawyer, the "Great Emancipator" and as the president who put the Union back together; he is also tragically known as the first president to be assassinated. His whole life could be fodder for a movie, and I'm sure the temptation to do a sweeping biopic of his life would be there for any filmmaker. Instead of looking at Lincoln's whole life or even his actions in the four year Civil War, the movie focuses in on one particular legislative battle- the passage of the 13th Amendment, which would officially abolish slavery forever in all the United States. However bloody the Civil War was, it was this debate which would really decide the fate of the nation.

In history classes, students learn the basic cause of the Civil War is the conflict about slavery. This is both true but also misleading. The Civil War had many, many causes, with slavery as the underlying root. For some, the Civil War was a conflict between two different cultures (Industrial North versus Agrarian South), for others it was about the power of federal government as opposed to the states. For others still, it was seen as a war for "southern independence", while Northers felt the South had committed treason. Ultimately, not everyone was fighting over slavery, indeed at one point early in the conflict Lincoln had even gone so far as to say: "If I could save the Union without freeing any slaves, I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves, I would do it, and if I could do it by freeing some and leaving others alone, I would also do that." That doesn't sound like the scourge of slavery, does it?

But, time changes things. Lincoln's views had evolved over the course of the war, and by the start of the movie (the last few moths of the war) he has come to see slavery for what it truly is: a cancer, a malignant growth that is killing our country- it has split us apart, and is anathema to our values as a republic. Lincoln can't "win" the Civil War unless slavery is destroyed. Bringing the union back together without ending slavery will only delay the inevitable- slavery again infecting our country and ruining/degrading our notions of freedom. With that in mind, Lincoln wants to create the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which would ban slavery officially and forever in all the states, and he wants the House of Representatives to pass it BEFORE the war is over, as Lincoln knows that once the war is over and the southern states re-admitted, it will be virtually impossible to pass the amendment.

But even here, with all Northerners in Congress and a lot of anger with the South, Lincoln still faces stiff opposition. There are many in the Congress that don't support the amendment. There's Copperhead Democrats, who oppose everything Lincoln does. There's conservative Republicans who don't want to change things too much- they just want win the war and that's all. Then there's the Radical Republicans, led by Thadeus Stevens, who feel that the 13th Amendment doesn't go far enough- they want total racial equality immediately, and they think that Lincoln's is just a half measure. There's also congressmen who are racists, and there are some too scared to make such a change, or are more worried about being re-elected than doing the right thing. Basically, getting the required 2/3 vote to Amend the Constitution should be impossible.

The movie focuses on Lincoln's efforts to get the needed votes. The movie shows Lincoln making impassioned speeches, telling stories, using his personal charm to get the congressmen to vote yes. But, when those personal moves don't fly, Lincoln resorts to rather "questionable" tactics- including dolling out patronage jobs, bribes, lying to Congress, and even something that is basically blackmail. You know- just the usual horse trading and "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours" mentality that has always been present in our democratic republic. And it is thrilling to watch. Watching Lincoln (and his supporters, and his opponents, by the way) use every trick in the book is astonishing to see. The cajoling, threats, arm twisting, and near begging makes for great cinema as presented here- with so much at stake, you want Lincoln to pull it through, and every wavering Congressman matters. It is suspenseful, and it is a sign of a great movie that can make something so edge of your seat-worthy even though you already know the ending. Spielberg should get a ton of credit for letting the story develop naturally- there's no flashy editing, no rabbit pulled out of the hat tricks- he just lets the story breathe, and the tension increases as the drama winds its way toward the final voting date. You must admire the skill on display here, as so many movies might go in for the quick rush or the "Hollywood ending".

So, if the director is the first ace in the hole in this movie, choosing the right focus and allowing the events to play themselves out, the second ace is the acting. Indeed, every single actor brings their A game to this movie, and it boosts the whole proceeding from "great" to "awe-inspiring". First and foremost is Daniel Day Lewis as Lincoln. This performance is the closest we'll get to seeing Lincoln in motion, which is the highest praise I can give. Lewis' performance isn't caricature or impression- Lewis is doing his all to inhabit Lincoln, to make him a three dimensional human being- both a genius and a flawed human being, a fully rounded person that you feel that you know personally. Lewis makes Lincoln a hero, but not superman- he has great vision, but he makes mistakes. He is prone to depression (who wouldn't be if they were going through what Lincoln was going through). He loves to tell stories and jokes (often they have a point, but other times he's trying to cheer others or himself up). He loses his temper on more than one occasion. And Lewis gives everything he has to make it feel like Lincoln himself. If the concept of "Oscar worthy" matters to you, his performance IS of that level, and then some. He finds the perfect balance in that his Lincoln is the center of attention, but he never falls into the traps of scene-chewing or upstaging the other actors.

The whole cast is amazing. Each actor has, like Lewis, given their all to inhabit their character rather than simply act. Tommy Lee Jones gets the best laughs, but also the most complexity (besides Lincoln) as Thaddeus Stevens, a cranky Radical Republican who ironically holds the key for Lincoln's victory. Jones' portrayal allows us to see a bitter, cynical man who wants to do the right thing, but also can't help but rub people's faces in his own superiority- a brilliant politician, but also an ass. David Straitharin is William Seward, Lincoln's upright and straight laced Secretary of State who must get his hands dirty in Lincoln's stead to get the bill passed. Sally Field really makes us feel for Mary Todd Lincoln, who has great mental and personal troubles of her own, and lays them at her husband's door at the most difficult of moments. James Spader gets some great laughs as a "political operative" brought in to "change" the minds of some congressmen- his four letter word upon seeing Lincoln for the first time is a riot. Lee Pace provides the opposing views in the form of congressman Wood, a New York Democrat that vehemently fights against the Amendment. There's others, to be sure, as the whole cast is worthy, and all add to the incredible whole.

I'm going to stop here, as this is supposed to be a brief review. In summation, if you like history, you owe it to yourself to see this movie, which shines a provocative light on a great man and a great conflict. If you enjoy movies, you should see this, as it is really 1st rate film making (its great that we got Lincoln and Argo in one year). I give it 4 out of 4 Marks of Chaos.

Until next time...

The Shape of Things To Come

Hey there everybody! Welcome back to another edition of Chaos Corner. As I discussed in my last post, I have been busy modeling. Busy indeed. And, as promised, I wanted to give you a bit of a sneak preview of my latest labor of love. So, let us look at... The Shape of Things To Come <cue dramatic music>

Yes, I have decided to do a Khorne Bezerker army. Look, the Plague Marines will always be my true love, and in fact, thanks to the new Codex, I will be adding some things to my Death Guard army in the next few months (I need to get stuff for Christmas and all... hehe!). However, I really wanted to branch out and do something TOTALLY different, Chaos wise.

The Plague Marines represent a mixed type of army. They are great at mid-range fire fights, and they are immovable in close combat (toughness, FNP, etc), though they are a bit slow (I 3). I have a ton of armor for them (Defilers, a Land Raider, Vindicators, etc) too. I also have daemons, Blight Drones, and even a Titan. I have played the army for years, for the past few editions. One day, I promise to post pics of the ENTIRE army.

In any event, I wanted to try something different. To date, I have never had an entirely close combat force. No Nids or Blood Angels or anything like that. Playing a Khorne army would force me to play in a different way than I ever have before- it will be a challenge to run this army. It is also a very different paint style than I'm used to. The models look very different from either Plague Marines or even regular Chaos Marines. The models running give them a dynamic look, and the weapons are odd looking, compared to other Chaos Marines. Everything about this army is a bit different for me. I decided to do this army in August- before the codex came out. I put a bunch together before I became ill. AS I recovered, I put more together, and I've been slowly painting them.

I had done one unit of Khorne Bezerkers years earlier, for my brother's Black Legion (which I inherited). I tried to use a similar scheme, but a my painting is a bit more sophisticated now, plus using the new GW paints to match the old is a challenge too. It has come together very well now, and I am very happy with the look (the dark red, evocative of dried, old blood, rather than the bright red that is often used- too bright for my tastes). I will discuss my painting techniques in a future post, as this is meant to be an introduction of sorts.

I will post more of my Khorne Bezerkers as I get them done. A special shout out to my friend Pete, who gave me a TON of Chaos bits, which, when combined with mine, became more than enough to make this Khorne Army. Don't get me wrong, I plan on playing a ton with all of my "regular" armies- Dark Eldar, Daemons, and naturally Plague Marines. However, I am very excited to paint the rest of my Khorne Army and get it onto the tabletop.





Hope you like the pics- I have a few more pics below too, so enjoy. Until next time...

Book Review: Know No Fear

Hey there Chaos fans! I hope all is well in your neck of the woods. I've been doing plenty of modeling work (more on that in an upcoming post), as well as a bit of reading. In fact, I just completed Know No Fear by Dan Abnett. So, was it a hit or miss for the most prolific of the Black Library writers? Let's take a look...

I had bought this book when it first came out several months ago, and I was very excited to read it. The Battle of Calth is one of those legendary events in the Warhammer 40K mythos, and I could not wait to see how it would be expanded upon as a Horus Heresy book. Furthermore, First Heretic (by Aaron Dembski-Bowden) did a great job of setting up the Word Bearers and what events led to the Battle of Calth, so Know No Fear was the sequel or continuation, which was exciting. However, I had a huge stack of books, so I had originally decided to wait until I had time to read it and enjoy. Then, I became ill, and my reading was thrown off for months as a result. Slowly, as I was able to read again, I read The Emperor's Gift and Treacheries of the Space Marines. Now, I'm back to full capacity, and I decided to finally read this one.

Now, Dan Abnett is worshiped by some, and reviled by others. As for me, I think he's really, really good, but he does write clunkers. I absolutely loved the Eisenhorn Trilogy, but thought that the Raevnor Trilogy was lackluster. Prospero Burns was solid (if offbeat). I was anxious to see where Know No Fear would fall on the Abnett spectrum. Making it more complicated, this book would be following the lead of First Heretic, which is simply one of the best Horus Heresy books yet- could it possibly compare?

The answer is- absolutely!! Know No Fear is a fantastic read- it has it all, so many ideas, so many action beats, great characters, and it concludes some Heresy threads while continuing others (John Grammaticus, for example). It has suspense, a bit of humor, a great sense of scope, and relentless pacing.

The set up is this (no spoliers, as any 40K fan knows the basics about the "Muster at Calth"): Warmaster Horus has ordered that the Ultramarines link up with the Word Bearers on the Ultramar world of Calth and unite their forces to crusade against nearby Orks. Of course, the Ultramarines and Word Bearers don't quite get along, but the Ultramarine Primarch, Roubute Guilliman (well written by Abnett) figures this is just Horus' way of getting the two legions on the same page. Little does Guilliman know that Lorgar, Primarch of the Word Bearers, has embraced the gods of Chaos, converted Horus to the same gods,  and is planning to tear the galaxy asunder. However, for that to be achieved, Lorgar needs to decimate the Ultramarines, and the gathering on Calth becomes the method to betray and destroy the Ultramarines.

The book is expertly placed, with the opening chapters reading like a thriller- you know bad stuff is about to go down, and it's great at making it suspenseful. Once the Word Bearers make their move, it becomes hugely tragic- the scale of the destruction is vast, and the Ultramarines are so slow to react, since they don't even know what's happening. The second half of the book deals with how Guilliman and his legion try to fight back- the battles evoke everything from Lord of the Rings sieges to a Star Trek: First Contact style spacewalk battle (wait till you read it- and that cover... wow!). Even if Guilliman can triumph, what will be left of Calth? And the galaxy itself?

Though the Ultramarines are the heroes, if you've read First Heretic, you know that it's much more complicated than that. What the Ultramarines did on Monarchia (under the Emperor's orders) to the Word Bearers- is it really all that different to what the Word Bearers want to do to Calth? Abnett plays that very cleverly- he does a great job of comparing and contrasting Lorgar and Guilliman. One writes constantly about "faith", while the other writes about "strategy". Both are more than simply warriors; they are philosophers, father figures to their legions, etc. They are also the sons of the most powerful, if seemingly flawed, man in the galaxy- a difficult legacy for both Primarchs to live up to- Guilliman tries to be prefect, while Lorgar has given up. There are a ton of comparisons to make, and by doing so Abnett really goes beyond simple "good" and "evil". Does "an eye for an eye" make the galaxy go blind? The Horus Heresy has become even more complex, and that's a good thing.

I don't want to give too much away- the battles are so vivid, and the strategies developed by the Ultramarines (the practical and the theoretical) are so well done by the author. The game of 40K really comes to life in these pages, and the drama of these two legions fighting one another makes it a great story. My only complaints are that there are too many characters to keep track of (especially at first), and that some threads are kept hanging (though, like John Grammaticus, there are threads that will pop up in future books). That said, I can't recommend this book enough. Just know that you SHOULD read First Heretic beforehand, otherwise you're only getting half of a great one-two punch. I give this book 4 out of 4 Marks of Chaos. If you are a Heresy fan, an Ultramarine or Word Bearer (or just Chaos) fan, you must read this book, its that simple.

Movie Reviews In Brief: Argo and Silent Hill 2

Well, well, well... look who's here: my fellow Chaotic brethren! Welcome to another edition of the Chaos Corner! I just bought the newest White Dwarf, and it continues the changes that have been put in place with the last issue. It's really solid, though it has more fantasy than 40K (to be expected, but I'm only a 40K player). There's a few painting and conversion articles, a section about terrain, two interviews with Black Library authors, and a lot more. All they have to do is have some small fluff/fiction, and it'll be perfect.

Anyways, I haven't had a chance to go to the movies, due to my illness. The last movie I saw was The Dark Knight Rises. I will review that after I get it on Blu Ray, as I was getting sick when I saw it, and I was just too tired to do the review. Besides, seeing it on Blu before review will give me a chance to really dissect the themes, as well as it's flaws. At any rate, I've only just now been able to go back to the movies again (though I missed some good ones like Looper). So, I've seen 2 movies now: Argo and Silent Hill 2. I'm going to briefly review both. One is excellent, the other... hehe, not so much.

So let's take a look:

Argo

I saw this one with my wife. I have never been a big fan of Ben Affleck (he was the bomb in Phantoms... ;-). His performances have ranged from just OK to truly, truly awful (Pearl Harbor, anyone?). However, his acting and direction of The Town was just great- a solid, suspenseful crime drama. Well, he's back with Argo, which takes place during the Iranian Hostage Crisis. The movie is based on an actual event, and the movie only takes a few "artistic liberties" with the events, which is even more amazing. Basically, a few Americans escaped the Iranians who attacked the US embassy, but their still stuck in Tehran. If they are discovered, they will be executed as spies. With the clock ticking, one CIA operative comes up with a plan: he's going to disguise himself as a Hollywood producer, go in with fake papers, get the Americans and pass them off as his movie crew, and then escape. To make it convincing, he enlists Hollywood guys to really sell a fake movie to the press, the "science fiction epic-- Argo".

Sound far fetched? Haha! That's the point- its a scheme that's just crazy enough to work. It is a true story. The CIA actually did this, in 1980. This isn't Hollywood- this is an intersection of entertainment and real life. That's what makes this story so fascinating. Even better, Affleck does a great job of making this a thrilling, energized, suspenseful, and even humorous movie. The movie simply sizzles every second- the stakes are high, and you can't help but be on the edge of your seat- can they pull of this crazy rescue? Affleck makes sure that the tension is ever-present, but he's not afraid to let the absurdity of the plan shine through- the humor that occurs as these guys put together this fake movie is just great. Alan Arkin, as a Hollywood mogul, in particular, is a blast ("Argo fuck yourself" is something I now say, its such a great line).

Since this is a review in brief, I don't want to give it all away. I will say that the movie works on so many levels, it is a bit of a wonder. There's a lot of Oscar talk about this movie (IF that's important to you), but its easy to see why. This is an great suspense/thriller, but with a sense of humor AND it is historically "accurate"- it mixes together such disparate parts and makes them into a hugely effective combination, and you can't get better than that. I give it 4 out of 4 Marks of Chaos.

Silent Hill 2: Revelations

I have played Silent Hill games before (The videogame Silent Hill 2 is one of my favorite games of all time- this movie is NOT based on it though). I have also seen the first Silent Hill movie. That movie is perhaps the best video game adaptation ever put to film (not saying much when you see movie like Doom and Super Mario Brothers as the competition). That movie was a solid horror movie in its own right, but it happened to be based on the game. The images were right out of the game, as were its themes of religious persecution and hysteria. The actors all did a great job, and the effects were top notch.  Best of all, the movie had some scares, and it had a foreboding and nightmare like quality. It was even occasionally unsettling. It had flaws, but it was an entertaining horror movie.

Unfortunately, Silent Hill 2 has none of those things going for it, really. I saw this with my brother yesterday (he's a die-hard fan of the games), and I was very disappointed. I wanted to like this movie, and there were MOMENTS where I thought it was going to get its act together, but it never quite did. Basically, in my mind, it seemed as if the creative team LOVE the games, but didn't know what to do with it. They didn't know how to make a movie out of the games. It is basically the plot of the 3rd game, with several key differences. However, the core problems were the poor writing and lack of tension.



The movie lacks all the things that made the first one good (or indeed, anything that makes for a horror movie). There is no sense of dread, fear, or horror. The movie lacks any tension whatsoever. The script is filled with bad dialogue and double talk about cults that really go nowhere (and don't make much sense). However, the chief sin is that you're never afraid for the characters- you never feel like any of the characters are in danger. You simply can't have a horror movie where there is no sense of threat to the heroes. In this movie, that just never happens- the suspense is never built up. If you fail to have that, the movie must fail, and this one does.

It does have a few things going for it, though, which only made the disappointment worse. The creature effects were still top notch. There were some unsettling glimpses at these hell spawn (the spider made out of child doll parts was a particular standout, while Pyramid Head still is great looking) but again, without tension, the creatures just don't scare. The actors TRY to do their job, with the actress playing Heather, in particular trying her best, but the script and direction manage to ruin her conviction. Solid actors like Sean Bean, Malcolm McDowell, and Carrie Ann Moss are wasted, relegated to cameos, and again saddled with bad lines.

Again, if the movie had scares, a lot could be forgiven. Since this is a horror movie, the fact that there are no scares, no dread, no tension... well, that makes this movie a failure. Its a shame, as the first one was good, and there was potential here for a solid sequel. Unfortunately, the filmmakers squandered all those positives, making a mess and, quite probably, killing the franchise. Silent Hill could have been an anthology series, but now, if there is a sequel, it will be of the Direct to DVD bargain bin. That is a real shame. I give this 1 and a half out of four Marks of Chaos.

So, if you want to see a great movie, see Argo, as you won't be disappointed. As for Silent Hill 2- if you MUST see it, wait till DVD or Netflix. My brother liked it, but even he as a huge fan of the series could see it's flaws.

Until next time everybody!!

Book Review: Treacheries of the Space Marines

Welcome back to another edition of Chaos Corner. Old Man Chaos is back in action! Ready to rumble! Er... Yes, well then. I am posting another entry, this time its a book review. I just finished Treacheries of the Space Marines, edited by Christian Dunn. So, was this a strong anthology of Chaos stories, or was it a lackluster attempt to cash-in on the Chaos codex? Let's take a look then, shall we?

 Anthologies are difficult to rate and review, in my opinion. I have the opinion that anthologies are *usually* a mixed bag. Unless they are short stories by the same author, the stories of the average anthology tend to rate from fair to poor, with many different styles, voices, strengths and weaknesses, etc. Treacheries of the Space Marines certainly suffers from that. The works contained here run the spectrum: some are great little reads, while others are totally lacking. To facilitate a review, I'll briefly give my thoughts on each short story:

The Masters, Bidding: The author has a very strange, stilted style of writing, but that only seemed to set the mood of this piece, which sees 4 Chaos Marines attempting to "bid" for a boon from an Iron Warriors lord. It's an unusual story, with each Marine telling stories of the long war. There's no final twist at the end or anything, just a solid story of ego, power, and betrayal. The best part of the read though is the author's description of an Emperor's Children champion. The rendering of this character is so weird, creepy, and actually unsettling, that the reader can't help but be fascinated. I'd love to see the author do more with the Emperor's Children in the future.

Carrion Anthem: As a Nurgle fan, I was hoping for more from this Guard versus Plague Marine tale. The story was written in an easy style, but the plot was downright bizarre. In fact, the premise of a song destroying people sounds more like a Slaneesh device than a Nurgle one. That made me disappointed with the tale, as it didn't feel like Typhus at all. The final charge of the Guard commander at the end was nicely done, but the story overall was weak and didn't seem to "get" Nurgle's ways.

Liberator: This may have been the most unexpected surprise in the whole book. It is a great story about how a group of Marines, fighting a long, bloody war against the Tyranids end up becoming slowly embittered by neglectful superiors and an ungrateful populace. Once that happens, their slide toward Chaos is unavoidable. This neat tale shows how current Marines can go bad, and how a single sergeant can become a warlord of Chaos, bringing death to a dozen worlds. I really liked this one.

The Long War: This is solid "bolter porn", with no frills or anything special. It is the story of Warsmith Ironclaw and his warband, attacking a fortress held by Guardsmen. There's big explosions and all, but there's little else. Yes, the author tries to show how time has passed for the Iron Warriors so differently from everybody else, but again, nothing special is done with it. Enjoyable, but forgettable.

Throne of Lies: This story from Aaron Dembski Boden has been around as an audio book, now its been printed. A strong entry for the Night Lords, this story sees Talos looking to claim a relic that might galvanize his Legion (if such a thing is possible). There's a bit of intrigue, and assassin, and the relic itself will raise some eyebrows, IF you haven't read the Night Lords trilogy already ('cause then you'd already know what happens).

Bitter End: This was a fun, breezy tale featuring the Red Corsairs and their impresario, Huron Blackheart. Again, this is "bolter porn", but a good read. I may have to check out The Gildar Rift, written by the same author, and also features the Red Corsairs, as I did like this short tale.

We Are One: While this premise is interesting, following an Inquisitor as he fights the nefarious Alpha Legion over the course of a century, the execution of it is lacking, as the writing is choppy and the action is disjointed. The final twist is also interesting, but I'm not quite sure how the Alpha Legion actually pulled it off- was it a clone? A plant? Copious amounts of plastic surgery? I'm confused, and that's not a way to end a short story.

Torturer's Thirst: This story had a similar problem- great premise, lackluster execution. This story sees a Flesh Tearer's' Chaplain taken prisoner by Chaos forces. The Chaos Lord plans to interrogate the Chaplain for vital battle plans, while the Chaplain vows to resist and escape. What could have been a great battle of wits between Torturer and Prisoner ends rather abruptly, and the result just wasn't interesting. Perhaps the weakest entry.

Vox Dominus:  I am familiar with Marduk, Kol Badar, and the warriors of the 34th Word Bearers, having read the first book of the Dark Apostle Trilogy. Unfortunately, I haven't read the other two (I should rectify that, as I enjoyed the first). This story sees Marduk scheming against another Apostle and a Lord of the Death Guard, Nargalax. The Death Guard were really nicely handled here, and I wouldn't mind seeing Anthony Reynolds tackle a Death Guard centric book, as he really seems to "get" what the followers of Nurgle are. The action was great, and seeing Marduk plot was fun. The ending, however, was ambiguous. I can't be sure if this is in between one of the other books, or is it going to kick off another round of Word Bearers books? Yep- I'll have to get to those last two sooner
or later.

Rating an anthology is tough- as you have now seen, some of the stories were great, others were fairly poor. Average that together, and I'd say you'd get 2 1/2 Marks of Chaos out of 4. If you're a die hard Chaos fan (like me) then it is worth checking out. If not, I'd say skip it in favor of better works. For my own part, I have just begun Abnett's Know No Fear, which I have heard is phenomenal (it's good so far). I would have read it sooner, but I've been backlogged in my reading since my illness. I'll be sure to review it when I'm finished.

Until next time, my friends...

The Plague Zombie Dilemma and other debates

Hey there Chaos fans, hope you are all doing well! Old man Chaos is back for a quick update. Now, I normally don't wade into the controversies surrounding 40K on the web. I love modelling, the fluff, the excitement of waiting for new codecies and models, and naturally playing a good game of 40K with friends. I enjoy the hobby, and I think my blog reflects my enjoyment, as I look to share that with others. I've said before, if something on my blog makes players and enthusiasts smile, or inspire them to do a modelling project, that's all I can ask for.

Just added these for fun...

Unfortunately, there's some rough aspects to our hobby. If you were to look on say Bell of Lost Souls, or DakkaDakka, you'll see a ton of griping about several issues. Now, there's a difference between some honest concerns and out and out whining. I'd like to take a look at just a few of these:

First, the recent Plague Zombie controversy. There has been a lot of arguments over how many zombies can be fielded in a unit- the wording is "slightly unclear"- is buying more zombies an "option"? As I read it, I felt that you could buy more zombies, but that they couldn't have guns or buy marks or anything like that. However, others felt that buying more zombies was an option, and therefore couldn't be done based on that reading of the rules. While I could see their point, it seemed pretty obvious that 10 zombies was not a zombie horde- if GW was really limiting it to 10 per squad, no one would bother to take them, and surely that was not GW's intent.

And it certainly wasn't. GW issued an FAQ this weekend, clarifying the issue by stating that you can purchase more zombies but no other options. Nurgle fans rejoiced- so many of us Death Guard players have wanted to use our Plague Zombies again in regular games, and now we can, free and clear (I have like 70+ zombie models myself, and I plan on making more now). But, there could be no time for rejoicing, as the haters started complaining that zombies were "overpowered", and now GW made them unfair. Now, having played a game with the zombies last week, I can tell you that they are certainly killable. With a +6 save, there's a great chance that they won't get Feel No Pain from shooting. Yes, they are a pain in close combat, but since 6th is more shooting anyways, that should be OK. In other words, the Plague Zombies can be tough, but they can be dealt with. In my last game, the Grey Knights killed a whole 30-zombie squad, and they broke squad coherency of another squad at a critical moment. Yes, Virginia, the Plague Zombies are quite re-killable. So why the complaints? It just brings people down needlessly.

The second controversy lately is the whole Allies issue. Frankly, I love the idea of Allies. The idea that I can now use my Death Guard and Nurgle Daemons is great. I can also use my Forgeworld Traitor Guardsmen with the Plague Marines too. I think that Eldar and Dark Eldar grudgingly teaming up is fun, even though I will never buy any Eldar myself. I think it is great that a Space Marine player can now use Imperial Guard, or Sisters of Battle, or even Grey Knights as Allies.




However, some players are using Allies simply to make killer lists. Bell of Lost Souls recently ran an article suggesting the strength of allying Grey Knights with Necron air units. Now, I find it hard to believe that Grey Knights would EVER ally with Necrons. A corrupt Inquisitor? Sure. An Imperial Guard force that has been fooled, or corrupted? Yes. But Grey Knights? Yes, the Codex suggests that there might (might) be some connection in terms of tech that they have shared- but really, this sounds like a stretch. It just stinks of putting these two together simply to win and not because of the armies stories or even a campaign plot. It is a list built to win and that's it. I can't imagine seeing both forces on the same side on the table, either fluff wise or even just the look of the army. It just feels... wrong.

Unless... the person does a good job of MAKING their forces look like a cohesive whole. There's few things worse than facing an army that looks like a bunch of random colors on the same models (unless your a Noise Marine player). I've seen people pay Space Marines in messy colors at random- no coherency, as if a child painted them with crayons. My Death Guard and Traitor Guard share certain characteristics that make it clear, beyond all doubt, that they are on the same force, both in terms of colors and modeling techniques (conversions, etc.). Now, if the GK/Necron player took the time to make these guys go together somehow, then I could accept it. Otherwise, you're just throwing random models together. Even Tyranids should be allowed to Ally, IF the player shows that their ally has been taken over by the Genestealers (would be awesome to see). In other words, IF you are going to do WEIRD alliances, then take the time to make it look good, rather than just a WAAC list.

Which brings me to controversy three- Tournaments and Win At All Costs (WAAC). I have played tournies before. I've had wins and losses. I've played fun, jovial opponents, tough but fair opponents, fluff-minded opponents. I faced one guy that rolled and picked up his dice so damn fast that I swear to this day that he cheated. I had another guy actually STEAL my templates (and had the nerve to claim they were his). Once, I played against a new player at a store, when one of the regs came in to give the guy pointers- and ended up playing the game FOR him (even rolling the guy's dice). Ugh.

I enjoy the game. I have had times where I've been totally relaxed, and I've had times of being waaaaayyy too serious. That's OK, as it happens to us all. We all like to win, and there's nothing wrong with that. However, the worst thing that can happen is that we become so obsessed with Tournaments and WAAC that it kills our enjoyment. Warhammer 40K is more than just about winning. It's about creating your own army (modeling, painting, etc); its also about cool story-lines, epic confrontations, Apoclyptic warfare, campaigns, and much more. If we focus too much on WAAC, then we lose sight of the other parts of the hobby which are so much more important than winning.

That's why here at Chaos Corner I have never posted an army list. I have never sought to discuss all the ways to win with whatever flavor of the month army. I have had articles about painting, terrain making, battle reports, Black Library book reviews and speculating on future releases. You will never see me write a blog posting about making a "killer list". When I play, I like to try new combos: will I play my next game with Zombies? Or will I try 7 man Plague Marine squads? A Lord and a Sorcerer or a Lord and a Daemon Prince? Should I go all cultists? Man heavy or more mechanized? Should I buy that new Heldrake? The possibilities are wide and varied, and I want to try them all- not just build one "killer list" and that's it. That's not the type of player I am.

This has been a longer blog than I thought, but that's OK- I needed to get this off my chest so that I can then take a breath and get back to the hobby that I love so much. I know not everyone will agree with me, and that's OK too. Feel free to leave posts at the bottom if you'd like, agree or disagree. For my own part, I will continue to post the same kinds of posts that I have been (hobby articles, book and movie reviews), plus maybe a few surprises. I would love to get a campaign going with my friends again (after the holidays, perhaps) and bring you updates on that. I may also try my hand at writing some short stories based on 40K and posting them here.

At any rate, I hope you'll continue to check out Chaos Corner for some fun stuff. Until next time...