Movie Revews 2 for 1: Gravity and Machete Kills

Hey there Chaos disciples! Old Man Chaos is back again with another posting. Don't worry, I've been doing my modeling like a good 40K fanatic, and I am looking forward to showing my new stuff as soon as its done. In any event, I managed to see 2 movies this past week. One was a sequel that I have been looking forward to, and the other is a sci-fi movie that's been getting a lot of buzz. Did they live up to expectations, or did they crash and burn? Let us take a look, as I briefly review them:

Machete Kills

When I saw the Grindhouse double feature several years back, I was excited to see what Tarantino and Rodriguez had to offer, as I am a fan of both their work. Ultimately, I was disappointed by Death Proof- its not a bad movie, and has a great car chase scene in the 2nd half of the movie, but I just didn't care for it overall- certainly the weakest from Tarantino's incredibly strong filmography. On the other hand, I really enjoyed Planet Terror- a zombie movie filled with good natured cliches, good scares, and some cool special effects. Plus, it had knockout performances from Josh Brolin, Rose McGowan, Michael Beihn and Jeff Fahey, and I love the "missing reel". Hahaha. But, the best part of the whole enterprise was the "mock teasers", including one for a character called Machete. Now, I was all over that- what a great concept, and a well set up trailer. When Rodriguez said he was going to make a real movie from it, I was thrilled. When my brother and I saw Machete, it certainly had flaws, but I loved it. The action was over the top but bloody, the acting was top notch (Cheech Marin versus Tom Savini- I'm there), and there were political overtones (obvious, but there in an interesting, in your face way) and some clever political commentary. Of course, there was Danny Trejo himself, giving it his all as this insane character. I loved this movie, flaws and all.

So, that brings us to Machete Kills. I was excited for this, and the casting seemed to confirm that this would be something special. And then... I saw the damn thing. This movie was a train wreck, pure and simple. I know that Rodriguez wanted to "defy expectations", but this... was just the wrong way to do it. The humor was absolutely STUPID (President Rathcock. Seriously- Rathcock- that was the cleverest name they could come up with). The action beats were weak and uninteresting. The characters are totally wasted, with threads being brought up and then forgotten about when convenient (and I am furious over what they did to Tom Savini. When I heard he was coming back, I wanted Machete to get revenge on Osiris, but that ain't what we got. At all). An overly complicated plot that was nowhere near as political OR clever as the original. Finally, the movie veered off into sci-fi (yes, you read that right)- but as it veered off there, it began to play as an AUSTIN POWERS SPOOF!! Yes- it felt like a riff on Austin Powers. WTF?!?! Basically, this sucked. Big time. Rarely have I been so disappointed in a movie.

The only redeeming value was the actors. It was clear to me that these guys and gals were giving it all they had. Mel Gibson makes for a good bad guy (forget whatever you think of him personally), he never goes too far over the top, and his eyes show that he absolutely believes in his mad scheme. Demian Bechir on the other hand is perfectly over the top for his warlord with a split personality. Michelle Rodriguez is back as She, and does a great job, as before. Sofia Vegara is also a good foil for the stoic Machete. Then there is Danny Trejo, who IS this character, and he wants this to be great- but I could see it in his eyes- he knew that this script sucked. He gave his all but he knew the truth- nothing he could do would save this movie.

Ultimately, this was bad. It felt like Scary Movie was trying to spoof Austin Powers. That is NOT what Machete is about. I'm giving this a half mark of chaos (and the half was only earned by the actors who tried their damnedest to make this work). Ugh. At least I'll always have the first Machete. Now, perhaps, someone will make a drinking game for this move to make it bearable (but I don't drink, so...). Its a damn shame.

Gravity

This will be a shorter review, because it doesn't have the baggage of Machete for me. Basically, this is a sci-fi movie (kind of) in the best possible way. On the surface, it is about a space mission that goes wrong, but it is much more than that. Its about surviving in a hostile world/universe, in which just about everything can kill you.
A space shuttle and crew is repairing the Hubble Telescope. They are headed up by Kowalsky (George Clooney) and Stone (Sandra Bullock). In the midst of the repair, debris suddenly hurtles its way toward them, doing catastrophic damage to the shuttle. Now, Kowalsky and Stone are on their own- floating in space, desperate to survive in the vacuum of space.

I don't want to say too much more, as I feel this movie should be experienced by yourself and without me blabbing. The special effects are quite frankly, stunning, as is the cinematography (if this doesn't win Oscars in the technical categories, it'll be a crime and a half). You FEEL like you are in space, every step of the way- it looks so vast, that man is just a spec in its darkness. It's amazing. But, the story is compelling too. While it is a primal survival tale, its also a meditation on how people cope, how they survive in a bleak world/universe. Space is beautiful, but oh so deadly- how can we survive in this place? But, more importantly, how can we conquer our fears? Kowalsky and Stone represent two views on this, and it is fascinating to watch this "debate" play out over the movie.

You need to see this movie in 3D Imax if at all possible. This is a movie that these formats are made for. It is well worth the extra ticket price- and this is from a guy that usually hates 3D. The movie is just a sight to behold, and you need to see it on the biggest screen possible.

I give it 4 out of 4 marks of chaos.  My wife and I both loved it, and the images will stick with you long after the movie ends.

Some New World Eater Stuff

Hey there everybody! Welcome back to the latest edition of Chaos Corner. I have been a bit busy at work, but I think I'll be back a bit more often now, as the hustle is starting to ease up a bit. Further, I have been doing some more gaming at my local store. I have played 3 times within the past 5 weeks- not too bad.

So, a couple of weeks ago I was playing against a Noise Marine force in what was one of the most brutal games I have ever played- neither of us had any men left, believe it or not! Holy cow- I know now never to underestimate Emperor's Children (at least, if you are playing Khorne- my Plague Marines would have an easier time with T5 and FNP, but the Bezerkers HAD to get in close).

So, after that match up, someone I had played previously threw down the gauntlet- I had defeated him last time, and he wanted a rematch, but this time at 2500 points. I actually wasn't sure if I actually have that much for Khorne Bezerkers (it turns out I do). But, I decided early on that I would try to use Khorne Daemon allies as well.

Of course, nothing motivates modeling quite as much as the prospect of a good upcoming game. I decided to do another Maulerfiend. I felt that it was certainly fluffy- close combat monsters rushing toward the enemy lines, with Khorne Bezerkers running right behind them? Oh yeah... that's what I'm talking about!

The only trick was this: I had to finish it within two weeks! I do not like to play with unpainted minis- I think the battle becomes that much more exciting and interesting when both forces are painted up- its dynamic and makes it all that much more fun. Further, this only motivates me to convert and paint my stuff, which makes the entire hobby that much stronger for me (I enjoy both the modeling and the playing, even if I don't play as often as I'd like).

With that less than 2 week deadline in mind, I had to work fast. I unboxed the Maulerfiend that very night and began putting it together. I worked on it late into the night- gluing some, then playing Grand Theft Auto V while it dried, then hit pause and continued to work on the model. I was laboring on it into the wee hours of the night, then again in the morning.

While assembling, I knew that I wanted it to look like the previous one, but also different at the same time. First, I used the other set of rear legs than I did with the previous one, thus giving him a different stance. It is unfortunate that you can't pose the Maulerfiend quite that much- he stands on 3 legs and the 4th claw is open- I love the model, but I wish there was more variety in posing.

So, I had to do some add on conversions. First off, I decided to show what this thing was capable of doing- killing and destroying everything in its path. So, I put 2 poor Imperial Guardsmen with my Maulerfiend. One is being literally crushed underfoot. Ewww-- gooey. The other poor soul is being eaten by the Maulerfiend- the Ectoplasam mouth was perfect to put the victim in. I used zombie and skellaton parts to add some gore.

Then, just to add some more gravy, I put a Khorne Bezerker on the neck, as if riding the massive daemon engine. I used chains from the Dark Eldar (the Chaos chains weren't long enough). I then added a head and arm from the Forsaken from Fantasy, just to set him apart from other Bezerkers (and add a bit more variation from what was going to be a really large red model). Finally, I decided not to do lasher tendrils, and opted for magma cutters instead.

Once assembled and spray painted (thanks to my long night session, I was able to spray it in less than 14 hours).  Now, to paint it. Once again, I wanted it to be similar yet different enough from the first. I made the red just a bit darker by not going as heavy on the P3 red ink. The rest was pretty much standard on how I did the last one (various brasses for the metals, blue for the warp energy, and lots of brighter red for the splashes of blood).

I managed to finish it just in time for the game. It was great to take to the field with a new beast, freshly painted. My plan was to run both Maulerfiends forward, and watch them wreck havoc. Only... that didn't happen. The one Maulerfiend was destroyed in the first turn of Black Templar shooting. I was so sad about it. Alas, such is the plans of mice and men and bezerkers...

The rest of the battle was insane. Khorne would be pleased, as the blood was flowing in all directions. I was very annoyed by the Stern Guard that dropped in by my lines with their "various" ammo types. My Bezerkers did cull them, but only after a fierce fight. My 2nd Maulerfiend got up to the enemy Land Raider, but only took a hull point out of it. The tank then left the assault, so that an Ironclad dread could take the Maulerfiend out. My Heldrakes came in blazing, and seriously wrecked the majority of my opponents troops, but his Stalker did take determined shots at the 'drakes. Yet, my Land Raider couldn't hit the broad side of a barn.

My Bloodletters were utterly shot up by the Stormtalon, as there were no real troops available for them to assault, and they were kind of left out there hanging. Meanwhile my Bloodcrushers did cut a bloody swath through a squad of Templars. Now, no objectives were claimed (not enough troops or contested). It came down to a final battle between Kharn and a Chapter Master that had an annoying shield relic thing (3+ In Sv I believe it was). Kharn did damage, but he failed a few Aura of Corruption saves and... he died. When the die roll ended the game, it was 3 to 1 (he had gotten all 3 minors, while I had gotten linebraker).

I know I didn't just give a great battle report, but I just wanted to give an overview. Overall, it was a vicious match, and a bit of great back and forth, just the way I like it. My opponent was quite sportsman-like, and we had a lot of laughs as the die gods mocked both of us throughout the game. We both had a blast, and that is what its all about.

This week coming up I'm going up against Tau at 2000 points (I have never played a full on game with their new book). I know my opponent is going to take a Riptide (I saw his army as he saw mine while we were fighting other opponents)... any advice for this humble Khorne Bezerker?

Until next time...

A brief diatribe on Codex: Space Marines and Codex: Chaos Space Marines

Hello once again, my friendly neighborhood chaos worshipers! Sorry that I have been away for so long- work has been really busy, and I have hardly had time to sit and paint, let alone write on the blog. It didn't help that Grand Theft Auto 5 came out and sucked up what little remained of my free time. Oh boy. At any rate, I felt moved to write on the blog today about two intertwining issues- the newly minted Codex: Space Marines and naturally, the ongoing "issues" with the Chaos Codex.

Could this be the real appearance of The Emperor of Mankind?

The new Space Marine Codex is an amazing book. It is not exaggeration to say that this is an incredible looking book. It is so well put together, great art, great fluff- fantastic, as a matter of fact. The best thing about this Codex is that they back away from it being "Ultramarines plus some other guys" and they really broaden it to "All Space Marines". They focus on the original loyalists, with each having their own section, as well as some great bits about the successor chapters. You really feel the weight of millennia of history, with great deeds and enormous sacrifice from all the chapters of the Adeptus Astartes. The entire presentation of the book is just beautiful and awe-inspiring- this is the new high water mark that all other future books will be held up to.

The Emperor used Brock's DNA as the basis of the Primarchs. That makes a lot of sense, actually.

But, what of the rules? A pretty book is nice and all, but its nothing if it doesn't have the rule set to make it worthwhile. Again, I have never been a WAAC player, but I have always wanted to be "competitive". Again, the Codex is really good here as well- a Space Marine army is quite formidable. Any Space Marine list could be worthy- they are not overpowered, but will certainly provide a challenge- basically, it is a very balanced book, with strengths and weaknesses. Best of all, the book has a ton of options. First, you must designate what chapter you are (or successor from), which automatically gives you special abilities. Now, all the major chapters are represented, and in a clever way. Plus, you can ally with another chapter of Space Marines! The new units are quite solid- the Centurions are tough (in either form), while the Hunter/Stalker will come in handy with all the flyers running around nowadays. Basically, this book is a really good book- you can make the Space Marine army of your dreams here.

"Now... how do we destroy the Space Marines..."?

There are some problems here though for those that will oppose the Space Marines. I have already seen articles online with people using loopholes with the allies rule ("So an Iron Hands librarian joins a Raven Guard unit and thereby they all gain everybody else's abilities..." ugh. Can a Khorne Lord join a Plague Marine unit and thus he gets a bump in toughness and they get Rage... come now. Let's be real). My other big concern is people who don't paint their models. It will be very difficult to tell which grey marine represents which chapter, and shenanigans will ensue. Even worse, I bet many players will not WANT to paint their Space Marines, so that would lock them in as "Ultramarines"... thus we may get armies that are painted generic black, and each game they will "represent" someone different- this game it's white scars, next game its black templars... Again, that's like saying my Plague Marines are going to be Thousand Sons... we Chaos players have NEVER really been keen to do that, for the most part. For Chaos traitors, we are awfully loyal to our legions.

Overall, I think the Space Marine Codex is phenomenal. While there is some opportunity for mischief (and modeling laziness), the book is a fantastic book. The highest praise I can give is that it makes me want to dust off my Ultramarines (which I haven't done in a long time). It won't be next week though, as I am scheduled to go up against a vast Black Templar force with my insane Khorne Bezerkers. After that, perhaps.

Now, what about the continued rumblings about the current Chaos Codex? If you have read this site before you know my views- this book is NOT broken. It has quite a few weaknesses, but it is viable, and I say this as both a Plague Marine player (easy and tough) and a Khorne player (much, much trickier, to the point where I have had people look at me incredulously- "A Bezerker army? Are you crazy?! That doesn't work anymore..."). The book does work. We Chaos lunatics always want more (and why shouldn't we, damn it!).

However, in light of the Codex Space Marine release, I can certainly see where people are coming from. I just read another post HERE that shows how the Chaos book could be tweaked using what was done in the SM book as a guide (no, he does not suggest taking "Raven Guard" and substituting Night Lords instead). He makes several valid arguments and suggestions, so check that out if you feel so inclined. Again, I think our book is viable, but I can't quite argue against these ideas either. Just something to ruminate on.

Well, that's my two cents. I'll try to put up a battle report from next week's game when it happens. I am also nearing completion on some Chaos Cultists and a few more surprises. I promise that it won't be a month till my next post.

Until next time...

Is Chaos In a State Of...Chaos? Looking At 6th Edition Chaos a Year In...

Hey there Chaos worshipers great and small, haughty and humble. Old Man Chaos here with a bit of an "op-ed" piece, as it were. I recently read an interesting article on Bell of Lost Souls and a bit more emotional, but no less interesting article on Spikey Bits regarding the state of Chaos Space Marines in the 6th edition. Both have come to the same conclusion- that 6th Chaos is a wreck- it doesn't have the versatility, lacks legion character/rules, and ultimately looks like its standing still compared to the newer 6th books (even though Chaos is ONLY one year old at this point). I can see where they are coming from, but I am not sure that their alarm is entirely justified... at the moment. I'd like to take a look at these issues for a moment.

1) Representing the Legions- We all love our legions. Its true- these are the ideas, the attitudes, the
visuals, etc. that made us fall for Chaos in the first place. I know so many of us dream of going back to the 3.5 book- which had so much character, imagination, flair, and so much content for those who wished to dedicate themselves entirely to a single legion. While times have changed, I believe that you could still pull it off for the most part. Have the Iron Warriors take allies from Imperial Guard- Leman Russ / Basilisks (traitor guardsmen or whatever for the troops). Word Bearers should team up heavily with Chaos Daemons (or the other way around?). The cult Marines are what they are (more on that later), but can be done. Alpha Legion SHOULD run cultist heavy (that is their nature, no?). The only ones I have a hard time seeing done "right" is Night Lords- not enough jump packs and bikes no matter what. It is my opinion that you could run your legion fairly close to the fluff- it's not perfect but way better than it was.

2) The book should be called Chaos Cultists instead- I for one see nothing wrong with the cultists. They are very cheap but not terrible at all- give them a mark to make them a bit tougher / fulfill the role you want them to. Sometimes power armor ISN'T enough or the correct application in a situation- a group of 25 cultists behind cover and going to ground can be just as survivable as power armor in some cases. It is a numbers game, and cultists are good at that. Further, the idea of cultists and traitors and mutants fit in perfectly with the fluff. Indeed, most of the books and such depict the actual Chaos Space Marine forces as being quite small- instead they have a ton of traitors and mutants and daemons. The recent Blood of Asaheim shows this incredibly well. Eisenhorn and Ravenor didn't fight a ton of Chaos Marines- they fought lower-level traitors and heretics, only rarely was a Chaos Marine involved. Since the old legions have broken into war bands and all that, I think any Chaos incursion would heavily feature cultists. Now, I don't want to play a cultist only army, but the option is there for you to have no cultists or a ton of cultists. That they are effective at holding backfield objectives and this is just fine for game purposes.

3) Just How Many Heldrakes? Now, most people would agree that the Heldrake is the book's one best/most powerful unit. Many opponents actually have a virulent dislike for it, and woe be the person that takes 3 of them (or 4 with the Black Legion supplement)! Now, I have only ever taken one in any game I have played (except against my brother- once). I have one for my Plague Marines and 2 for my Bezerkers, I was originally thinking that the second Khorne one would be for larger games or Apocalypse. But, some factors have recently changed my mind on this score. First, this summer I have met opponents who spammed a ton (I don't count troop choices as spamming, as they ARE the core of the army. If I take 6 troop choices of 5 Khorne Bezerkers each what do you want from me- I'm playing a World Eater army for goodness sakes!).

 I played one guy this summer (in a 1000 point game I believe) who fielded 8 Land Speeders for his Dark Angels (whatever the LS variants are for Dark Angels), with his librarian casting on them. The guy wrecked me, as I had little to counter such prodigious and mobile fire power. At the end of the game he admitted to me that this army list, while powerful, wasn't fun for HIM to play, since all he's doing is moving out of my range, shooting, moving out of my range, etc. He was a nice guy and sportsmanlike player, but he spammed, knew it, and basically said "my list sucks, though it got me the win". How many players have I seen taking 3 Land Raiders ("Marines take Land Raiders. Its fluffy. Deal with it"). Cron Air, anyone? A billion crisis suits and Riptides? Players take strong units- then why is there such anger for someone who takes 2 Heldrakes? With all of this, my thinking on Heldrakes is evolving further, since the Space Marines will have 2 brutal anti-air tanks (more on that later). Perhaps I'll want to take 2 Heldrakes for insurance purposes.-could you blame me, if I know I'll be seeing Stalkers/Hunters? Or perhaps... none?!

4) Is The Maulerfiend...Worth It?  Well, this has been an interesting one for me. I love the
Maulerfiend (it is perfectly suited for the World Eaters). However, it does get targeted... a friggin ton. Indeed, I have not actually seen it be effective, since it always gets shot to pieces. With Armor Value 12 and 3 hull points, it is just begging to be shot and glanced to death. I almost stopped taking it, since it rarely got to a target! However, last week I played against someone else (also using the Dark Angels book, but a much more varied list), and I had put the Mauler in the list after all. He moved his Land Raider forward to get a clear shot at the Maulerfiend- he smiled, figuring he'd just punch through with his Lascannons and then he... whiffed. He missed, even with twin linked. I was stupefied. What happened next? The Maulerfiend charged the Land Raider and blew to straight to hell- clawed his way clean through it. Next turn, he charged through a ruin to get to the guy's Dark Angel squad. He tore through them, and attacked yet another. By the end, he was attacking the squad that was ON the objective, thus contesting. The Maulerfiend single-handed turned a close 5-4 nail-biter of a game to a 5-1 blowout. Now, that got me thinking... 2 Maulerfiends? Hahahaha. I really don't know.

5) The Big Four- here's an issue that's been bugging us for a bit now, getting accurate renditions of the cult marines. Now, the Death Guard are indeed the most vicious out there- you pay for 'em, but their absolute buggers. Khorne Bezerkers are no slouches either (to hell with Overwatch! Charge!). However, Furious Charge no longer gives them +1 Strength (like it used to). Further, they can pay +3 a model for a chainaxe that is AP 4... WTF? That hurts some armies, but... really? Not even +1 Strength...? It ain't worth the 3 points. Thousand Sons have a bit to like (sorcerers in each squad? Cool. AP3 Bolters? Die Space Marines), but they are a bit too costly to field them in any worthwhile numbers. Finally, Noise Marines have some decent abilities, but their weapons are very costly points wise. Those of us who love our Cult Marines have despaired for quite some time that NONE of the other units can actually BE part of their legion. A Death Guard lord that doesn't get... Feel No Pain, Blight Grenades, or Plague Knife? World Eater terminators that don't get furious charge? We all know this old chestnut, and I can only hope that, one day, it might be fixed (but at a points cost so high it may not be worth it).

6) Codex Creep? When the book came out last year, many were very excited (first new book of 6th), and happy with the book. However, there were clearly issues and problems (over
costed Dreadnought HAD to be fixed, for example). The problem came with the next few books- Dark Angels, Tau, Eldar, and now, the hated Space Marines. Each book has been very strong- some argue that they are all better than the Chaos Marine book. Particularly, I look at this- the Heldrake was the premier model for the book, and powerful to boot. So what happened? They gave each book more skyfire options. Mein Gott-  it feels like the whole Tau army has skyfire (they don't, but it feels like it)!! And now the Marines have 2 dedicated anti-air options AND 2 flyers! And what can Chaos Space Marines do about these flyers themselves? Heldrakes can take out other flyers (if they survive the Stalker/Hunters long enough to do anything), and... a Havoc that has a missile launcher and spends MORE points to get flakk and... that's it. Done. That is just poor planning on GW's part. And it DOES put Chaos at a disadvantage. Looking at Tau and Eldar, the Chaos Marine book does look like at times like it is more of a remnant of 5th than a real 6th edition book.
So, it does hurt that the Chaos Marine Codex is a bit slower, "older", and blander than the more recent books.

However, I do not believe that it is the doomsday that others feel it is. I have a few ideas about what Chaos players could do to even the score...

a) Stop taking Heldrakes?! I know that a lot of Space Marine players will be looking for sweet, sweet vengeance against all the baleflamers that burned them this past year. Thus, we can expect to be seeing a lot of Hunters/Stalkers on the tabletop. So, what should we do? Don't take Heldrakes. Let those fancy Hunters sit there and rot- in the new WD Battle Report it killed the Heldrake and pretty much did NOTHING the rest of the game. So when Space Marine players bring out 2 of those things... the joke will be on them- no heldrakes!.

b) Don't forget the Daemon Codex! I still believe that Phil Kelly saw in his mind's eye that the two books should act as one. Allying with Daemons can remedy some of the problems of the Chaos Marine codex. Daemons will make a mockery of the Centurion grav guns. Plague daemons can use poison to get rid of the Centurions in close combat, and not worry about getting shot up on the way to them. Bloodletters with S4 AP 3 Helblades are nasty against most Space Marines. Tzeentch deamons, well... they're screwed (we know that). Fiends of Slaanesh are still vicious. The Soul Grinder does have skyfire, and the Daemon Princes here are nasty (even if a bit pricey). I think the Daemons are a "monkey wrench", to be turned by the Chaos Marines.

c) Get Away from Online Lists! I have never published a list on this blog. Never will. I think of building a list as an art form- suited to each player and their sensibilities. Trial and error, experimenting, taking the units that bring a smile to your face (Dark Angel Land Speeder person did not have "fun," even though he won, and he said it was HIS list that wasn't fun to play, not his opponent or the mission or his codex), that is what it is all about, in my opinion. Those that copy and paste their lists from the internet have a weakness- everyone KNOWS their list. It's common to face a certain amount of X because all the net lists take X. Stop there. Don't copy/paste. Try something different. Something players don't always see. People are shocked when I whip out my Khorne Bezerkers ("CC troops? They don't work in 6th). Truth is, I have a 75/25 record with them this summer, by my reckoning. Opponents are taken by surprise, and thus have to adapt, and can't because they were planning on seeing the usual net list of Heldrakes, Obliterators, and "vanilla" Chaos Marines with a mark. Go for a more personal touch. It makes the game more exciting for you and your opponent.

d) Be Patient. Now look, a lot of Chaos players are looking at new Space Marine book and thinking "I'm screwed". Perhaps so. But I also know that weaknesses WILL be there. It will just take a bit of time to discover them (we can already see that Centurions are vulnerable to Daemons). Further, when the Tyranid and Ork books come out- there's going to be a ton of fun! Marine players will be hard pressed against the Xenos books, if Tau and Eldar are any indication. If the rumors are true, there will also be more supplements for Chaos, which is no bad thing. We just have to hang in there on this front.

To sum up, things are rough for Chaos players, but I do not think that it is THAT bad at all. The sky is not falling. Chaos players just need to adapt. I do agree that the newer codexes are much "fancier" than our book, and that certain things are unfair (Chaos could use more skyfire options, for example). However, Chaos Space Marines still have a lot to offer. No one should be saying that we Chaos players should just pack it in. No way. We must continue our war against the false emperor! Er... you know what I mean.

Until next time.

Brief Review: The World's End

Hey there Chaos maniacs! Hope that these last days of summer are treating you well. So, Mrs. Chaos and I saw The World's End this weekend- the last of the hysterically funny and very clever "Blood and Ice Cream Trilogy". So, did The World's End live up to the reputation of the previous two entries, or is it a shadow of the others? Let's find out...

I saw Shaun of the Dead on its opening weekend. I had no idea who the cast was (Bill Nighy excepted). I went to see it because it had zombies and looked like fun. The movie was just incredible: it was a great comedy, a brilliant satire, a homage, and quality horror/zombie movie in its own right, all at the same time. It pays homage to all the Romero "Dead" troupes, while having great characters, thrilling/scary set pieces, and characters that you love and relate to.

Then came Hot Fuzz. I was certainly in the pocket of Pegg et al at this point. Again, the movie was fantastic. An interesting (and ridiculous) mystery, great cop humor, and a ton of action make Hot Fuzz a worthy successor to Shaun. Now, I liked Shaun more, but that's because I love the zombie stuff. However, Fuzz was amazingly good, the equal of Shaun in every respect.

So, of course, I had high expectations with The World's End. The movie is indeed very funny, and Pegg and company do a fantastic job. However, it is not as good as the previous two- it is the weakest of the three in a few ways. I do acknowledge that I'll need to see it again to make the final determination (Hot Fuzz has grown in my estimation on repeat viewings).


To sum up the basic plot: Gary King is a frustrated adult who desperately wants to re-create the glory days of his teenage years- he is a study in being a regressive individual. His plan is to get his old friends together and do their infamous "pub crawl"- hitting all the bars in their home town, including the final one, The World's End (which they never made it to as teens). King's friends, however, all feel and act as if they are 40 (which they are)- but they are convinced to go due to King's mischief. Now, back in their old town and ready to drink (despite their misgivings and a lot of personal baggage against King), they find their old town is not what it once was- both literally and figuratively. Up against a mysterious force, the old crew must band together if they are to figure out what is happening and survive to tell about it...

There's a lot of good stuff here. It is no spoiler to tell you that this is a sci-fi/comedy mash-up just as the other two were mash-ups. In this case, it is an alien invasion, and they make a lot of subtle (and not so subtle) references to sci-fi classics like Invasion of the Body Snatchers. It is a very clever premise, and makes for great comedy (and action) fodder. Also great is how The World's End goes along with the previous 2 in terms of theme. Shaun was about growing up, Fuzz was about doing what's right no matter what, while this movie suggests that you need to do both- simply getting a "job, house, family" is not enough. Grow up, yes, but don't lose that youthful idealism, don't lose that moral compass. King's character is all about that youthful passion, but he's stuck in the past in all the wrong ways. His pals, meanwhile, have grown up, but they are bland, dry, and banal. In the course of their epic battle/ pub crawl, these characters are going to have to rediscover their youthful ideals, or else fall pray to... well, I think you get the idea. Further, the actors are really good, with Pegg doing a great job of being both sympathetic and an ass all at the same time. Also, I found Martin Freedman funny as well, with far more offering here than he did in the entirety of The Hobbit, sadly.

The movie is really funny, and the sci-fi plot is imaginative. The problem that I can't ignore though is the ending. See, Shaun and Fuzz had fantastic conclusions. Shuan as the terrifying (and zombie traditional) final, massive zombie assault, while Fuzz had a balls to the walls shoot-out (with bits of shooting, car chases, and pyrotechnics that put action directors to shame). The World's End denouement is... they TALK to the "intelligence" to stop its invasion. The scene isn't that funny at all, and the whole movie just grinds to a halt. It's too bad, as I think that, with a bit of revision, it could have worked. As it stands, it just doesn't have the humor or spark the rest of the movie had. The final 2 minutes of the movie is funny and appropriate (what REALLY happens when you stop an alien invasion? This movie has the right idea, I'm afraid). Sadly, the "final confrontation" falls flat and hurts the film.

So, where does it stand? It is a very funny movie with great ideas and imagination. You would expect nothing less from these guys. However, the final bit goes off the rails, and sucks the life out of the movie. As a result, I'm giving it 3 1/2 out of 4 Marks of Chaos. It is worthy of being alongside Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead, but it is just under those two overall. If you loved Fuzz and Shaun, you do need to see this...

Until Next Time...

The Champions of the Scions of Gorechild

Hey there Chaos fanatics and cultists! I have been doing a good share of painting and modeling for my up and coming World Eater Khorne Bezerker army. The other day I posted some pics of my new Khorne bikers. Today, I wanted to share with you my Khorne Bezerker Chaos Champions.

First, I must confess that I have never been much good at creating extensive backgrounds for my armies. I have seen 40K people create all kinds of complex and compelling story lines for their forces- conflicts that they have been involved in, great deeds that they have performed, praises and rewards earned, and the lasting hostility of embittered foes. I think it is amazing, but I have never been able to do that so well. Some of my Plague Marine champions have names, but that is about it.

Last fall, I had been so inspired by Campaign of Fire that I tried my hand at writing a campaign of my own. I did indeed finish it, but I don't know if I'll ever get the chance to play it. I did however, generate a bit of background for my Bezerkers in this campaign, who are called the Scions of Gorechild. Since I had Kharn, I wanted to reflect his presence or influence with this particular warband. Being the Scions of Gorechild, it may be pretty apparent that they are indeed quite bloodthirsty and savage.

The Scions of Gorechild are led by Lord Korlath. This arch-traitor was present at the gates of the Imperial Palace itself, taking part in the darkest battle of the Horus Heresy. He remembers the bitterness of that defeat, and he has vowed to drown the galaxy in the blood of those that follow the false emperor. His warband contains both "old school" World Eaters, renegades from other traitor legions, and other more recent Space Marines that have since yielded to the call of Khorne. After these new traitors prove their worth and their loyalty to Korlath, the lord has his surgeons preform the psych-surgery on these new recruits, making them Khorne Bezerkers. With such warriors at his call, Korlath has led many assaults against the Imperium. He seeks neither plunder nor conquest- he and his warriors simply want to spill the blood of those that worship the false emperor. With his twin lightning claws, he leads his Bezerkers into battle, collecting skulls for the skull throne.

Well, that takes care of the Lord, but what about his champions? Well, I have crafted 6 such champions- if I take that many squads, or perhaps one would head up a squad of havocs or something. For each, they have been placed on a skull base from Armorcast I think... I had put ALL my Khorne Daemons on such bases, and I discovered that I had a few small bases left so- bam! That made them for my champions. Let's take a look at these guys:

Valten: This champion of the Scions is shrouded in mystery. Even many in the scions itself are unsure of this champion. He certainly was not a member of the World Eaters originally, and it is unclear to many in the warband just when Valten joined them. He has, however, proven to be a strong asset to Lord Korlath. Valten has an uncanny knowledge of modern Imperial defenses, and has given his knowledge to Lord Korlath, enabling the Scions to plan devastating raids on Imperial worlds. Valten has also been a fierce if coldly calculating warrior in battle, defending his Lord while laying waste to whole cities. Currently, Inquisitor Bonniface of the Ordo Malleus has been seeking Valten specifically. Just why Valten is of such interest to the Inquisition remains a mystery also, however, it may have something to do with his cloak and power fist- both bearing the markings of the Ultramarines. Is Valten a vicious killer who stole trophies from an Ultramarine that he murdered or is he maybe, just maybe, an Ultramarine who succumbed to the lure of Chaos?

Gladiator: This champion has been at the side of Lord Korlath since the days of the Great Crusade. He is simply called "Gladiator"- his real name has been forgotten in the millennia since, known perhaps only by Lord Korlath and, perhaps, Galdiator himself. In the days of the Great Crusade, Gladiator had been deeply inspired by the story of Angron's fight in gladiator duels, and Gladiator became one of the first to embrace Angron's psycho-surgery and the Butcher's Nails. Gladiator became a savage, maddened fighter, a prototype for what the legion would become. His "luck" in battle is legendary, almost equalling Kharn himself in "near misses". Lord Korlath believes that Gladiator is indeed blessed by Khorne. In battle, Lord Korlath often orders Gladiator and his men into the very front of the line, knowing that Gladiator's blood lust and skill with his blades will ensure that the enemy will be overwhelmed and destroyed.

Eratex: He is certainly defined by his singular, overwhelming hatred for the Space Wolves, more than any other in the warband. Eratex was present when Angron fought Leman Russ so many thousands of years ago. Eratex has never forgotten the shame and frustration of that day, and when the Horus Heresy came Eratex yearned to destroy the dogs of Russ once and for all. Although that victory did not happen during the Heresy, Eratex still feels that anger and rage. He joined Lord Korlath when he promised that his warband would seek out the sons of Russ and make them pay. The Scions of Gorechild did indeed make bloody war on worlds protected by the Vlka Fenryka, and Eratex was always the first to hurl himself at his hated foe. In the intervening years, Eratex has taken many trophies from his fallen enemies. In order to increase his anger and blood lust, Eratex wears one of these spoils into battle, and he imagines that every foe is a hated Space Wolf. Woe for any mortal to be on the other end of Eratex's sword!

Sincline: Khornate warbands are fragile things, with groups forming and breaking apart quickly, with members of the same warband falling upon each other just prior to the dissolution of the warband. Sincline has been in many such warbands, and has killed friend and foe alike, for Sincline believes in Khorne's mantra: "I care not from where the blood flows, as long as it flows". It was only a matter of time before Khorne blessed him for his devotion. In a savage battle, Sincline lost his left arm (and his weapon) to a Dark Angel Chaplain. Enraged, Sincline took a nearby rock and slammed the Chaplain in the head. Knocking him to the ground, Sincline continued to rain blows upon his enemy, and ended the fight by ripping off the Chaplain's arm AND head! After the battle, Sincline refused to have a mechanical arm grafted on. However, Khorne had indeed blessed Sincline, and within a night in the warp Sincline grew a new and much stronger daemonic arm! Eventually, Sincline's former warband broke up, and he came to be with the Scions of Gorechild. Sincline quickly rose in Lord Korlath's esteem, and has become one of his champions, earning himself the name "The Strong Arm of Korlath". But Sincline knows it is only a matter of time- this warband will also break up in violence. It is simply the way of Khorne.

Ignav: Lord Korlath knows the old saying: keep your friends close and your enemies closer. At one point, Ignav had been the second in command for Lord Korlath. However, Ignav had his own ambitions, for he sought to show Khorne his strength and be worthy of leading the Scions of Gorechild. He had performed many deeds to get the Lord of Skulls' attention, in order to receive his blessings. Finally, confident that he was ready, Ignav challenged Korlath to single combat in the arena on Korlath's ship. Korlath knew this was coming, and welcomed the chance to once again show his dominance. They fought without armor or weapons- only bare hands. The fighting was vicious, but it was clear that Korlath was going to emerge the victor. At this point, Ignav tried to run- a mistake and a clear sign of weakness. Korlath grabbed the fleeing Ignav, and cursed him: "I will not kill you, for you are a coward, and your skull is NOT worthy of being laid upon the throne of skulls. You will be my slave- doing my will without honor, without glory. You are lower than a mortal, and your very soul belongs to me!" Locked in a dungeon, Ignav had to live with his disgrace. Over the decades, Ignav began to mutate. He never quite became a spawn, but he lost most of his intelligence and ambition, though his mutations made him a vicious combatant, nor did he lose his cunning in battle. Seeing Ignav's fate, Korlath decided to allow him to fight once more- Korlath knows the value of example, and Ignav is the perfect example to ensure discipline within the Scions of Gorechild.

Praevarik- during the days of the Horus Heresy, Praevarik was the loyal second in command to
Korlath. However, while most of Korlath's followers became bloody minded bezerkers, as did most of the World Eaters, Praevarik believed that Khorne did not simply demand blood- he demanded martial skill, honorable killings, bravery, and more- he lamented the legion's decline into bloodthirsty madness. This attitude set Praevarik at odds with the rest of the Scions, and many have challenged him for being weak. In such duels, Praevarik proved them wrong, quickly killing all who fought him. Despite his "unorthodox" views, he retained the favor of Korlath, due to his skill with a blade and his long-time loyalty. While Praevarik refuses to kill unarmed civilians (since they cannot fight back, they are not worth fighting), Korlath uses Praevarik as a battering ram against Imperial forces. Praevarik views Space Marines as dishonorable fools, worth being put to the sword and flamer.


For the record, I used some pieces of The Foresaken Fantasy set for some of the bits on my Champions. The box is a bit pricey (thanks to my wife for getting it for me), but there are a TON of cool bits in this kit- I will be using more in the future. It is awesome for conversions!!

Well, that's my stab at creating a background, for now. I'll need to develop more background for the Scions... We shall see. Hope you enjoyed this bit of fluff (and the pics as well). Until next time...