Glory be!

It is nearly upon us.  In a week, the most anticipated $50 purchase of all time will hit the stores, and all will be good in the universe.

 

Which is weird for me to say, considering that I'm a good guy.  I like my Ultramarines, being the paragon of a successful Imperium, and I'm a human supremecist at heart.  I usually play the Paladin in DnD and Diablo, and I'm even always 'white' in Chess.  I can't help it, I am a good guy.  But I do have some evil armies, and Chaos Space Marines are at the top of that list.

If you don't remember, I've been posting blogs about my love affair with the Word Bearers for some time now, and I've even painted up a small army recently (still gotta do the iconography).  And I did it anticipating the release of the Dark Vengeance kit.  Even better, it's the first codex to drop post-new rules!

 

Now I know that everyone has already seen all of this stuff.  I know some have bought the White Dwarf and checked it out there (that's where I went), and I know a bunch have read the reams of information shared online in this great blogosphere of ours.  But I have to get my piece in, mostly because I'm terribly excited myself.  [Warning:  There will be sharing of my thoughts, some of which may not be positive.  Get over it or go read another post.  I have plenty.  :-)]

 

 

The codex

It's hardbound- score!  It's full color- score!  It's over 100 pages- super score!  The book is definitely the continuation of the Warhammer8 project.  It's a terribly expensive book that's also of very good quality.  I don't know if this book will last much longer than an 'old' codex, but it's definitely gonna look better doing it. 

I also very much appreciate the NOT a Legionnaire on the cover.  Too long have the players of the Dark Gods put stock in the original 9 legions, forgetting that there are SCORES of renegade chapters and fallen forces.  This also perpetuates the theme of warbands, which means giving the army all the versatility in the world without forcing one to 'choose a god' to win (See also, Nurgle).  Chaos armies have been described, since the days of Realms of Darkness and the 2nd edition Codex, as amalgamations of different units belonging to different gods and coming from different chapters and legions to work for an exceptionally powerful Lord.  In fact, Chaos armies are most often described as 'horrific pirates'.  I happen to like that theme, and I'm a player of the one and only Legion still left in the galaxy! 

Also, limits baaaad.  Options good!  If you don't believe me, read Jervis' Standard Bearer in this fantastic White Dwarf.

 The Dark Apostle

Sooooooo, Word Bearers aren't the only ones with Dark Apostles?  But I can now take them and apparently they're 'buffers' somehow?  Yes, please!  Even better, they're cheap.  Yay!  And this model is super sexy. 

 

The Sorcerer

I'm rather disappointed that this model is Finecast and not just the plastic character-style that Warhammer8 started.  The Aspiring Champion model releasing this month is that, but so far seems to be the only lucky one in this month's oogle-bin.  I don't really have much to say about this dood.  He's a Chaos Sorcerer.  He looks it, he's not fancy, and he doesn't suck.  What does make him so good, however, is that Chaos Space Marines have access to their three lores of goodness, and also psychic powers from the Biomancy, Pyromancy, and Telepathy lores!  Yeah, that's where the good stuff is, so this model has the potential to put out some hurtin'.

The Daemon Engines

 

I don't like the look of them.  GW claims that they're loosely based off of the Juggernaut models, and I buy that a bit.  But they're too busy, far too large, and generally look like creatures from War Machine or some anime card cartoon.  Here's the deal, though, I must have one.  The box will build either the Maulerfiend or Forgefiend, and I LOVE the Forgefiend.  This is a daemonic walker with two or three really heavy weapons.  Do I want to fight one?  Gods no.  Do I want to crush the Imperial sissies with one?  You better believe it.  I just have to find a way to make it fit my fleshy, possessed, ridiculously red army...

 

 The Heldrake

 

ARE YOU FREAKIN' KIDDIN' ME?!?!  This looks like someone just played a Yu-Gi-Oh card!  It's a freakin' dragon made out of metal!!!  Where's the pilot?  Oh, he's now a shrivelled husk serving as the heart of this machine?  Where!?  Where's the weapon?  It's mouth?  Of course.  Does it have to be so huge?  Oh, we wanted to outdo the Stormraven. 

 

I hate this model.  I love it from the shoulders back, but the neck and foward annoys me.  I expected a flyer.  Like a 'I have a pilot and the ability to fly around shooting stuff' flyer.  Not a 'Look, Mom, I'm a dragon, Raar!' flyer!  Jay mad. 

 

But again, I HAVE to have one.  I need one because you must have flyers in 6th edition if you expect to win right now.  I need one because flyers are new and shiny and I already have flyers in three of my other armies.  I need one because I can convert this to look like a fighter jet and be happy.  I have tons of vehicle and chaos bits everywhere, and I even have a defunct Land Speeder that can become the basis of a cockpit and nose.  This will happen.  And it will be blogged about.  Oh yes...

 The Warp Talons

 

The Raptors finally got plastic models, and then the box includes the bits to upgrade them to a new unit, the Warp Talons.  Apparently, these are Raptors that are all armed with Lightning Claws (that's scary), and they cause 'Blindness' in assaulted units.  That's pretty cool!  Even better are the models.  Look closely, they're really detailed.  I'm afraid of these kats because of the extensive trim.  Buuuut, I must have a unit just to get that many LC doods on the table.  I love the smell of shred in the morning, it smells like victory.

 



The Dark Vengeance stuff 

Cultists with 2 hand weapons, a flamer, and a power maul

Cultists with autoguns, a stubber, and a shotgun

A Dreadnought, er, Helbrute

The new codex allows for cultists to be taken as Troops, finally adding that element missing since 2nd edition.  Better for me, I'm a Word Bearers player, and my Legion used to make extensive use of cultists (mostly as meatshields and sacrifices) before GW made them all deamonic.  Even better for me, I'm a Word Bearers player, and my Legion likes to get all 'possessed' and mutated.  There's a bit of that represented in these models. 

I know that the Legions aren't important anymore, and I'm a fan, but I do have to say that the Lorgar in me is really happy right now.  The whisper in my brain is that this will be the happiest 50 dollars I've spent in a while.  Of course that may just be the Chaos Gods trying to trick me. 

You've done it again, GW.  And I can't wait to get the book and spend a post critiqueing the rules.  For example, can you believe that Chaos Marines are now 13 points per model, and have to pay to get that extra close combat weapon?  Really?  Too cheap, I say, too cheap!!!  I can't wait to do more.

Till next time, Happy Hobbying!

P.S.-  Did you see the second-ever Primarch model?  (The first is the tiny Leman Russ)  Yeah, let me show that to ya:

Angron, Primarch of the World Eaters