Since Halloween is just around the corner, I figured I'd continue what I started in the previous blog. Last time we took a look at the horror classic, Night of the Living Dead. This time, we can take a gander at its sequel, Dawn of the Dead. So, away we go...



It wasn't long after I saw NotLD for the first time in my sophomore year at college that I naturally sought out George Romero's sequel, Dawn of the Dead. I got it on VHS- a 2 tape set. (Sadly, I got rid of it when I got the deluxe DVD version- wish I hadn't). And, if I thought NotLD was a masterpiece, well, let's just say I was just floored by DotD, and then some.

First, some disclaimers, once again. Like last time, you have to accept a few things going in if you're going to enjoy the movie. Once again, this is an independent film (one of the most successful of all time as a matter of fact). As a result, there are still some wonkiness to it, though nothing like NotLD. Further, Romero gives himself some free reign to put in a little bit of weirdness- some odd dialogue choices and such. To me, they only add to the "Our world has gone to hell" idea. Finally, the special effects- they were revolutionary for their time, but as compared to more modern fare they are lacking. Again- consider the time and how this was pioneering work. Last, you should know there are multiple versions/cuts of the film- the extended cut is the best one, and my review is based on that.

The same rules also apply- you should watch it alone or with a significant other (though this does work better than NotLD in having a fun group to watch it with- but still). It should be watched late at night and in the dark. Again- you want all the atmosphere that you can get. You won't regret it.

Spoilers below, FYI

So with that, let us now turn to my review:

Building on NotLD:

The first thing to recognize about Dawn is how it increases the stakes and the scale. This movie takes the ideas presented in Night and just expands upon them enormously, taking them to their logical conclusion. The zombie menace continues to grow. No one is safe, and the fight against them is taking its toll on both individuals and society. Things are starting to fall apart, as the zombies just keep coming. The movie shows this to great effect several times. The cops and National Guard raid a project in Philadelphia and chaos ensues. You don't see the rest of the city, but you just know this is what is going on everywhere. Many of the cops and lawmen are scared and can see they are fighting a losing battle. One goes crazy, shooting at everyone (zombie or not). Another commits suicide rather than face the hell that the world has become.


We are witnessing a world in it's death throes. Via what our 4 main characters see and what we see on the television, little by little we see the zombies taking over. When our heroes fly out of Philly, one of the bigger building has its lights still on, but they start going out quickly floor by floor- ominous. Once at the mall, where our 4 believe they are safe- we just see more and more zombies appearing. By the end, no one is airing anything on the TV, and there are more (ever more) zombies outside. It is very clear that there is almost nothing left. It truly is the Dawn of a dead world. The scale of this film is nothing short of epic.


The plot is once again straightforward, but is deceptive in its simplicity. Steven and Fran are a couple (not married but together) who work for a TV news station. They are seeing firsthand that the world is vanishing right before their eyes. Steven decides that they are going to "run". They plan to steal a traffic report helicopter and escape- to anywhere. But Steve knows that this is dangerous, and could use some help/protection. His friend Roger is just such a person. Roger is in the National Guard, equipped with a rifle and trained. Roger isn't sure he wants to "run", but after the horrors he sees in the projects, he decides to bolt. Before he does, he meets another guardsman, Peter. He offers Peter the chance to leave with him. The four then take off on the helicopter. It seems everyone is either dead or running out now.

Along the way, our heroes see the end of the world going down in flames, and they get into some tough spots, etc. Finally, just as their fuel is running low, they spot a shopping mall. They could stop, resupply if possible, rest, etc. But once in the mall, the group begins to think- what if they could stay? The mall has everything that they could ever need after all. If the world is a ruin, at least they can live out their last days in comfort and relative abundance. They just have to secure the mall from the zombies- a task easier said than done, naturally. What follows is a struggle to survive in the worst horror imaginable- a world of the dead, with no hope at all.


History:

Like Night, Dawn is very much a reflection of its times. If Night was a mirror showing how anxious Americans were afraid of the social changes of the 1960s, then Dawn does the same for the 1970s- showing America's growing cynicism, selfishness and detachment from the world's problems.

Let us start with the rather cynical attitude that was forming in the American consciousness in the 1970s. The decade starts off with a continuation of the problems of the sixties, though some of these problems have receded (not solved, just no longer at the forefront).  However, any chance that America might find some social peace falls apart with the Watergate scandal. Watergate, a word now synonymous with government corruption, rocked the United States to its core. President Nixon, who was elected by saying he would restore law and order, was basically caught doing many illegal things, and using his power to cover them up. The scandal lasted for over a year, till Nixon finally resigned. But the damage was done. Americans now believed the very worst of their elected leaders. To make matters worse, we seemed to be losing the Cold War. The Soviet Union was resurgent, and the Middle East was spiraling out of control. Oh- and of course the United States lost Vietnam ("When the dead walk... we must stop the killing, or we lose the war" is obviously a reference). It seemed we were powerless, and our leaders had failed us utterly. As a result, Americans treated their government with a cynical attitude (and, to varying degrees, have ever since).


America has long been known as the land of opportunity and the land of plenty. America generally had anything and everything a person could want or need- and in almost wasteful abundance. 2 cars in every garage? A suburban house with a pool? A color TV? Video computer games? You name it- Americans had it. Since the end of World War II, Americans were far more prosperous than just about any nation on earth. America's got it all. But by the 1970s, this was starting to change. The economy was starting to go downhill. It was known as stagflation- wages were stagnant but prices were inflating rapidly. People had no choice but to buy LESS because everything was going up. Further, gasoline became a major problem as on a few occasions in the 70s, the Middle East reduced oil production (the Oil Shocks). This hurt America even further. Americans wanted consumer goods, even as they couldn't afford them as they had in the past. This made Americans anxious and even selfish. Each American would scramble to "get theirs", and to hell with everyone else.


As these economic and political problems mounted, social issues remained unsolved as well. African-Americans, though they accomplished much in the previous 2 decades, found their Civil Rights movement was slowing down, and blacks now faced "softer" forms of discrimination. The feminist movement also challenged society, though the fight over abortion added new dimensions to this, tearing the women's movement apart. Americans, who seemingly had been through enough in the 1960s, had no stomach for all of this. America ignored these and other problems, essentially sweeping them under the rug. This was the era of Disco and Drugs- cynicism and selfishness combined- causing Americans to lose touch with these issues, and perhaps, their true selves.

As we shall see, Dawn does just what Night did a decade earlier. It serves as a nasty reflection of the 1970s. Our heroes act in selfish ways, and they are laced with cynicism. They believe (rightly) that no one can help them- government has failed, so they have to just take care of themselves. It is their (understandable) desire for goods and comfort that cause them to try to stay at the mall, despite the risks. It is their growing detachment that make them abandon the world to its fate. These 4 characters are Americans in the 1970s. We understand why they feel this way, even if we can't quite agree with/believe in what they are doing.

And the zombies? well, they are consumers too after a fashion, aren't they? With that in mind, let us turn to the zombies themselves...

The World Is Ending- and Its Bleakly Funny:

Indeed, once the characters get to the mall, the joke (and it is a bitter joke) is that the people taking refuge in the mall are just like the zombies- they are consumers, drawn to the mall. At several points, Peter, Steven, and Fran make it abundantly clear that the zombies are us. They still have some semblance of memory- and they remember shopping. As Steven says coldly "This was an important
 place in their lives".


The joke continues- as the zombies aimlessly walk around the mall, the connection couldn't be any more obvious. They walk around, looking at the merchandise, gently moaning or sighing as they move on to the next display counter. Even as humans run past them, many zombies continue to gaze about the mall, looking for that perfect thing to buy. The zombies are us- mindless consumers looking for the next purchase, with no thought for the morrow (or anything else, for that matter). This is clearly a satire. While Night wanted to scare with its apocalyptic scenario and tough moral choices, Dawn wants to scare, but it is also mocking us. The movie itself never becomes a joke (though one scene almost breaks the 4th wall), but it is poking fun at us nonetheless. The scares and thrills are still present, but there is satire as well, and Romero makes it clear for all to see. We are consumerist zombies, dead to anything else but the desire to "consume".


The main characters desire what is in the mall, but the pace is crawling with zombies (hostile shoppers?). Our heroes will have to kill ALL the zombies AND seal the doors in order to secure the mall for themselves. With almost clockwork precision, they go "on a hunt", shooting all of the undead and blocking the doors. As the hunt ends, the music becomes dramatic as our heroes look over the mall- the place is littered with the bodies of the re-killed zombies. It is a grim moment. You actually begin to feel bad for the zombies, in a twisted way. And our heroes actions- driven to such destruction for material comfort- is rather unsettling for us. But would we be any different?


But the joke isn't yet finished, for now we must consider the climactic final battle. And it isn't against the zombies exactly. Despite the fact that the world is quite dead, there are some scattered survivors. A new group descends upon the mall. They are "raiders"- bikers- some may be criminals, others ex-army. Whatever they are, they blow their way into the mall like marauders, plundering and destroying.  The zombies follow them in, leading to a brutal 3 way contest between our heroes, the raiders, and the zombies. The bikers act with a reckless abandon and brutality (and half crazed, judging by their actions), and they are better armed and better coordinated than our heroes. Within moments, the mall is a deathtrap for all involved, human and zombie alike. Though you love our heroes, you can't help but see what they did to the zombies is now what the bikers are doing to them. The bikers steal what they want and then run out (they apparently survive on the road). All the work our heroes had done to secure the mall now lies in shambles, and it can't be fixed. The zombies are in the mall once more, and our remaining heroes are screwed. It comes full circle now, both the plot and the satire. The humans are clearly WORSE than the zombies.


The movie certainly works as a satire of American consumerism and selfishness. The entire tone of the movie is filled with it; there is more humor here than Night (which is totally devoid of humor), but it is a black, gallows humor at best. The scene that almost goes too far is when the bikers take pies from a mall bakery and start to throw them at the zombies. The satire has now become absurdest comedy. However, before this zombie pie fight threatens to derail the movie into silliness, Romero wisely goes back to the horror of the situation, with graphic carnage on display at throughout the battle. However, the pie fight remains a wink and a nudge to the audience as to the true message of this film- our mindless consumerism is a cruel joke with no real point.


The tone of the movie is satirical, and in a way the actual filming itself was as well. Romero went all out here, with tons of neon bright blood spraying everywhere, big action scenes, etc. Again, there is more at play here. The movie is itself making a comment on "America: Our stuff is bigger and better"- thrilling action, buckets of blood, tons of zombies- everything is more more more. The movie takes on an almost comic-book quality with splashy scenes of stylized violence and incredible feats; Our heroes almost effortlessly cleave through the zombies in their initial purging of the mall, it could very well be an American action movie blockbuster. Again, this "super-size" approach makes not just for a great movie, but it also serves the satire of consumerism to a tee.

They'll Tune Out!!

Also serving for satirical purposes is Romero's strategic use of television. In Night, Romero understood that Americans looked to TV as a comfort. Even as America was becoming unglued in the 1960s, Americans could tune into Walter Cronkite  to reassure them, or tune into their favorite program to help them relax or forget their problems. Night used that to terrific effect, our characters watching the TV and taking comfort in the newsman's words.
 
Romero pulls yet another rabbit out of his hat for television's role in Dawn. By the late 1970s, Americans grew cynical about lots of things. As it turns out, TV played a huge role in that. As the news continued to push the issues of Watergate, losing Vietnam, and more- Americans became ever more jaded and bitter. By this point, Americans had had enough of the news. They turned away from it as much as they could. What's the news? Who cares- its all bad.


In our first scene, we meet Fran in the news studio of where she works. The place is chaotic, to say the least. The newscaster is talking to a government official about the zombie emergency. As the official makes his statement, TV crew members begin to yell and boo him- right on the air. Even the newscaster yells, saying that people don't believe the government ("... and I for one don't blame them" he shouts). More booing ensues. The guy can barely get a word in edgewise. It is clear from scene one that the people have lost all faith in the government. The booing studio workers certainly have Watergate on their minds. And remember- there is a crisis her of epidemic proportions- and they won't listen to the government.


But Americans have also lost faith in the media itself. Fran finds out that the "crawl" on the screen, showing "rescue stations", has out of date information. Most of those "rescue stations" have been overrun. Fran decides to stop the crawl- she doesn't want to send people to rescue stations that don't exist, as that would be sending them out to die. Her boss however, yells at her, trying to get her to put the crawl back on. Fran refuses. The boss says without the "rescue station" info the people will "tune out". Yes, he doesn't care that the info is inaccurate and could cause deaths. He only wants viewers. Right here, you lose faith in the news as well, reflecting American sentiment of the mid 1970s.


There is more though. The next time we see a broadcast, our heroes are watching TV in the mall- the news broadcasts have been getting further and further apart (unsettling in its own right). The person speaking is yet another government expert. He has an eye patch on (of all things), and he stands at a podium (where we don't exactly know) with the sound of flashbulbs and reporters grumbling. He yells at them, complaining about the reporters' criticism of him and the government. This is not comforting, to say the least.

The broadcasts become more infrequent. The next (and last) broadcast we see is the same expert talking to yet another news host. The background is a mess- a ladder, ratty curtains- its not so much a studio as it is a shambles. When the anchor asks what can be done, the expert says that the only solution may be to "feed them". Yes- this is the best solution our government has to offer apparently. The newsman criticizes this, but offers no other solution either. The expert, exasperated, asks rhetorically if humanity is "worth saving". Media and the government are both worthless now.

Toward the end of the film (before the bikers come in), Steven turns on the TV, explaining that he hoped that the news would be on again soon. There is only static on the TV. Fran says there's been nothing for a while. Steve refuses to listen, waiting for more news. Fran gets frustrated and turns the TV off. Steven, now angry at Fran, turns it back on. But the news never comes back. It must truly be the end of the world if there is no chatter on the boob tube. In Romero's hands, this is both terrifying and hilarious.

Characters and Fate

Whereas the characters of Night were closely aligned with the social challenges sweeping the nation in the 1960s, our main characters in Dawn are broader archetypes. Make no mistake, these is some reflection of the social issues, but it is more muted in favor of the satire of commercialism. Nevertheless, the foursome are just as compelling as those of Night.


Let's start with Roger. He is a National Guardsman who seems to have a bit of experience (he's no rookie). At the start of his first scene, he is about to breach the project that contains zombies with other Guardsmen. He talks to a fresh-faced partner, telling him to be calm. He seems to be a voice of reason. However, as he fights through the tenement he has several encounters (both with zombies and a Guardsman that has gone "apeshit") that nearly kill him. Yet with cleaver thinking he manages to survive.  As the plot progresses, Roger has more such close calls, and each time he finds a way to walk away unscathed. But the reality of the situation IS starting to wear on him- he becomes ever more reckless, thinking that he can't lose. In a way, he represents the "can do" spirit of America. Despite any trouble, America will prevail. Roger takes even more risks, and even laughs it off.

However, like 1970s America, Roger's luck seems to run out. He gets bitten twice after making several mistakes. He is now doomed to become a zombie at some point. However, he lingers, seemingly regressing to a more childlike state (shock? denial?). His end is a bitter one. He lays on his sleeping bag, being given injections for the pain. He is talking to Peter about how great they did clearing the mall ("We whooped 'em, didn't we?"). He then exclaims "We whooped 'em and now we've got it all"... he says as he lays in his own filth and sweat, 2 minutes from becoming a zombie. The camera angle and lack of music says it all- he is pathetic. When he does turn, Peter shoots him.  So much for having it all.


Peter is the other runaway National Guardsman. He is a large and physically imposing African-American. However, he is nothing like Ben in Night. Peter seems mysterious- and a little dangerous. Again, let us consider the time. At this point, the Civil Rights movement has dissipated, but there are still racial concerns. One of them is a new "trend" in Hollywood- the so-called "Blaxploitation" films. Hollywood thought it could capitalize on black audiences by making films supposedly aimed at them. These movies featured black heroes but were filled with all the stereotypes you could imagine- including "street" slang and "bad-ass" attitudes. The films were mostly silly though some found them offensive. However, this is the "black man" that exists in Hollywood. We are now in a strange place, and quite far removed from the quiet and thoughtful Ben.


However, while this image may "inform" Romero, but he never gives into it. He has Peter act like a tough man, with a threatening masculinity (more on that in a bit). He feels a deep connection to the people of the project. He refers to the people as "brothers". Fran even asks him if he means "real" or "street" brothers (to which he replies "both". However, Peter remorsefully acknowledges that he is leaving them behind). He uses some street slang ("sucka" and "bread" spring to mind). He has some knowledge of Voodoo (which is where the film's tagline "When there's no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth" comes from). He hints that he knows how to preform an abortion (again, being from the rough streets with drugs and back-alley abortions). He could well be a "Blaxploitation" hero. He is fast and strong. However, his performance is very subdued, and he conveys much with a look, rather than bombast typical of blaxploitation character.

Romero also makes sure that Peter isn't just a black action hero. He gives him a lot of gray areas ("We're thieves and bad guys..."). Peter is the one who convinces the others to try to stay in the mall. Later, he clearly feels bad for his friend Roger. And then, at the very end, Peter considers suicide, rather than leave the mall (more on that in a bit).


Peter is a conundrum for our other characters, Steven and Fran. These two are a couple, though not married. The arrival of Peter is met with a bit of fear and frustration by Steven. On the helicopter, Peter sits next to Fran, and "suggestively" asks her if Steven is "her man". Steven is threatened by this strong black man- could he take Fran from him? Steven is a rather wimpy guy too- he can't shoot worth a damn. Roger and Peter show him up several times in front of Fran- though it is Peter who threatens to shoot Steven if he messes up again. Fran begs him not to, and Peter relents. Steven has been emasculated.


Steven does end up contributing, even acting like "one of the boys" as it were, though he is never as good as Peter. Meanwhile, Fran is pregnant and vulnerable. However, she doesn't want to be- she insists on being given a gun (and is actually a better shot than Steven). She also insists later in the film that she wants to know how to fly the helicopter, just in case.

 However, there is clearly tension in her relationship with Steven. He seems not to value her opinion, though Peter clearly does. Does Steven love her, or is he feeling trapped- due to the baby and the zombies? It is never clear. Toward the end, as the three (Roger is dead) settle down for life in the mall, Steven presents 2 rings to her. Fran declines, saying "it wouldn't be real". Fran has been the only person in the group to be against staying in the mall. After all, they are in the mall trying to forget everything, as if this were normal. She cannot accept that, crying out "What have we done to
ourselves"?


 So- what is their ultimate fate?  During the biker attack, Steven gets cornered by the raiders and is shot (though not killed). Trapped in the elevator, Steven is in pain. The doors open, and he is attacked by the hungry zombies. Peter hears it on the radio, and realizes there is nothing he can do. But, he hears Steven's gun. Is he alive or not? Peter goes back to Fran, and they wait.


Hours pass. And when the elevator doors open, Steven, now a zombie, is standing there- bloody and gruesome. As he wanders the mall, he "remembers" where they hid before, and he moves in that direction, with the other zombies moving with him. I love this bit- yes, it is zombie hunger. But- what if? What if he still has some memory. Does he think that Peter can now move in on Fran? Will Peter and Fran be the ones to live happily ever after- and NOT him? I like to think that IS what is happening- all the resentment and emasculation driving him to destroy them. Now, I know, he's just a zombie. But surely it is a tantalizing idea.


Steven enters where Peter and Fran are hiding. Peter shoots him once through the head. There is no time to mourn, as more zombies are coming. Fran is ready to leave, but Peter tells her to go on without him. He says he just can't go on anymore ("I don't want to. I really don't"). As Fran goes to the helicopter, Peter puts a gun to his head. A zombie breaks through- a young black zombie. Suddenly, Peter's eyes change- he refuses to die after all. He fights his way past the zombies, making it to the helicopter. The two fly off- though where can they go?


Peter's escape is slightly unbelievable, complete with "action" music one would find in the A-Team or something- full of bombast and heroism. How could Romero allow this- he who killed EVERYONE in Night? How could he let a sad suicide become a successful lunge at life? Is it that Romero is sentimental? Perhaps. Or maybe he just didn't want another nihilistic ending? However, it DOES go along with the satarization of America- we demand the happy ending in our entertainment. We expect it. So, Romero plays along (just as he has throughout)- Peter and Fran do escape. Yay!


But as the helicopter flies off, the scene gives way to the big clock in the mall. There are cobwebs on it- how long has it been? We never know. Instead, the viewer is treated to the sights and sounds of the zombies wandering the mall. They are everywhere. The credits play over the footage, as does the rather incredible "The Gonk" music (Mall Muzak as it were). As the credits end, the clock tolls. There is no life. No coda showing our heroes. Only zombies. They are truly everywhere. And where can our heroes go? While thrilling, Peter and Fran's escape is only temporary. Where can they go?

Conclusion:

Like the Godfather Part II and Empire Strikes Back, Dawn of the Dead expands upon everything presented in Night with incredible skill. The action is on a much larger scale, and the stakes couldn't be higher (for our heroes and the world). The nihilistic tone remains, but there is also a very effective satire, a one upping of Night in terms of complexity and meaning.


Dawn is a masterpiece of the horror genre. It is also THE zombie movie extraordinaire. Every zombie work made since (print, TV, or film) have been inspired by Dawn- this is the gold standard. This is the one they all aspire to be.

Until next time...

Hey there. I know its been a long time. I haven't posted in quite a while. It has been a confluence of events that have conspired against it. Work. Fallout 4. Family stuff. It has just kept me away from the interwebs. I have been painting my 40K stuff, and soon I'll be taking pics and posting them.


For my return to the Chaos Corner, I thought I'd have a little fun with a little film series called Star Wars. You may have heard that a new Star Wars is about to be released in a few theaters (LOL). But in all seriousness, I was introduced to SW at a young age. I wasn't born in time for the first, but I keenly recall seeing Return of the Jedi in theaters. I naturally had all the Kenner toys, and I dreamed of being a Jedi like Luke Skywalker. Or, in my darker moments...

Like Star Trek, Star Wars has been a huge part of my childhood, and my life as a whole. My heroes were Han Solo. Indiana Jones. Kirk. Luke. Yoda. Batman. GI Joe. Ghostbusters. And others. This was MY childhood, and Star Wars was a tremendous part of that. My family watched all 3 on VHS religiously. I clearly remember, in my college years, the excitement when they released the special editions in theaters- it was my first opportunity to see all 3 on the big screen. I remember frantically playing the N64 Shadows of the Empire game. Then- the anticipation of the prequels. Cinescape magazine had an army of Boba Fetts on the cover (looking back, they weren't that far off). The trailer. Darth Maul. Oh my...

Sadly, we all know what happens next. The prequels were, let's say, LACKLUSTER. Understatement? Hahaha. It seemed that George Lucas went off the rails. The films were filled with wooden acting, some weak dialogue, a forced romance between leads that had ZERO chemistry. I could go on, but as I said- we all know what happened. The prequels have cast a pall over the Star Wars universe (and franchise). Can the new film dispel those clouds? Is it fair to even suggest that it can? Perhaps no movie can live up to that.

However, are there any redeeming parts of the prequels? Are they, perhaps, not as bad as originally thought? Or maybe there are elements of the prequels that transcend the weaknesses of the whole?
Ha. The prequels are a mixed bag indeed, and there are some redeeming features to the prequels. I thought I'd discuss them a little bit, in no particular order:


Qui-Gon Jinn- As played by Liam Neeson, Jedi master Qui-Gon Jinn is the very nearly ideal Jedi. He is exactly what you would expect (and want) them to be. Neeson belies Jinn's force powers with a warm, gentle personality. Neeson plays Jinn as an empathetic warrior. It is clear that Jinn cares about all life forms- big or small. In that respect he is like Yoda from ESB. Unlike Yoda though, Jinn showed the martial prowess of you would associate with a Jedi as well- a true guardian of the old republic. Neeson's performance is practically pitch perfect. He is the epitome of what you would like the Jedi to be.


For better or worse though, Lucas wanted to show the Jedi in the last stages of creeping decay. All of the Jedi come off as callous, aloof, uncaring at one point or another in the prequels. They basically have their heads up their asses. Even Yoda is neither wise nor particularly likable in much of the prequels because of this (though he and Obi-Wan do improve as the prequels wear on). While I get the idea of Lucas' intention, it made the Jedi practically unsympathetic. Lucas portrays them as a monastic order rather than knights, and it hurts.

I know I disagree with making Anakin a boy in TPM, but Neeson does a great job acting with the kid, never condescending or talking down to him, Neeson treats Anakin as he treats all others. Neeson also does well bouncing off McGregor's Obi-Wan. It would have been nice to see them on other adventures... but alas.

Throughout the prequels, Jinn was the only representative of what we all dreamed a Jedi would be. A hero who fought to protect the weak from the forces of evil. Someone with such power, but also very humane (and frankly, human). When he dies by Maul's hand, the pain is double. Plot-wise, you realize the Jedi and Anakin have lost something important and special. As a viewer of all 3 prequels, no Jedi will measure up to Jinn, and no actor will be as fantastic as Neeson.




Darth Sidious/Palpatine- If Jinn was the ideal hero, Palpatine was the perfect villain. By turns innocent, calculating, manipulative, honest, power-hungry, humble... The role required actor Ian McDiarmid to really run the gauntlet, and he does it very well- making what was a 2 dimensional bad guy in ROTJ into a malice-filled master villain that, ironically, you can't help but agree with (or perhaps slyly chuckle at) in the messy prequels.


In TPM, Ian McDiarmid plays the dual role to utter perfection. When he first appears as Darth Sidious, McDiarmid gives him just the right amount of evil- his voice and tone are not only perfect for the puppet master, he also makes damn sure that you KNOW he will be the Emperor- his manner is basically that of a younger Emperor from ROTJ. Later, when we meet him as Senator Palpatine, he seems perfectly proper and innocent.


Of course, so many of his lines have double meanings, and the actor just makes the most of it. McDiarmid nails the manipulation of the Queen to a tee. Forget Anakin- it is really Padme who gives him the literal keys to the galaxy with her "No Confidence" vote. His knowing look says it all.


While his role in Attack of the Clones is quite small (so he makes less of an impact due to the reduced role), he once again makes the most of the double meanings of his lines. However, it is in Revenge of the Sith that McDiarmid finally gets to let loose and chew all the scenery. At first Palpatine is just the brave Chancellor who is trying to save the Republic and a good friend to Anakin. But we know its a ruse, and little by little we see him twist the knife. His soliloquy in the Opera House is fantastic (what is true and what is a lie?)- the Jedi suck, they are powerless and selfish, unworthy of Anakin. His playing possum at a critical moment (the only scene where Sam Jackson's abilities are used properly).


By the time the Jedi are falling, McDiarmid really puts his foot on the gas and makes the new Emperor a cackling, homicidal maniac. But is this  only due to a flush of victory? Or is this what he truly is, freed of all masks and pretense? His battle with Yoda is one for the books, and McDiarmid's performance seals that deal too. He epitomizes evil for evils sake.



Order 66- the purge of the Jedi really should have happened in Episode 2, and it deserved time to be really developed. However, Lucas did give us an incredible montage of the Jedi being shot in the back by their erstwhile allies, the clone troopers. The montage shows several Jedi being taken out, some quite brutally.


The scene is too good for the prequels. It feels like it could have come out of the Godfather (the end "purges" in Godfather 1 and/or 2 are phenomenal and fitting climaxes). The music is mournful, the action is kept tight. There is no superfluous Dewbacks or Jar Jars. This is down and dirty political assassination. The purge is very well executed, worthy of ESB as a matter of fact. One wonders why Lucas could not have had that energy, emotion, and inventiveness throughout the prequels...



Lightsaber Battles- The Prequels really do blow the lid off of lightsaber duels and then some. Of course, everyone looks at the epic Maul / Jinn & Kenobi showdown. It is as epic as you can imagine, and stuntman/actor Ray Park is just legendary. The battle is frantic, hard hitting, and thrilling. The track "Duel of the Fates" just elevates the scene. The only problem is, since there is on history between the antagonists, the fight is just a fight. All other duels have an emotional core to them- the characters are connected in some way, making the duel MORE important. Here, it looks awesome, but is slightly hollow.


In Attack of the Clones, Yoda finally gets to show his skills in a battle against Darth Tyranus / Dooku. The new Sith is played by Christoper Lee-  a fantastic actor and in his day he fought a lot with swords on film; he was woefully underused by Lucas in the prequels. However, there is something thrilling in the tall and coldly proper Lee go against the whirling dervish that is Yoda. The scene had audiences on their feet in 2002. The duel had some emotional weight as it was revealed that Dooku was Jinn's teacher, and Yoda had taught Dooku! Wow- awesome stuff.


In Revenge of the Sith, the 2 duels at the end- Yoda vs. Sidious and Anakin vs Obi Wan are both fantastic, fitting climaxes. In the Senate Chamber, you can see Yoda's fear and frustration- how could the Jedi have not realized Palpatine was a Sith?!? And Palpatine- his plan has worked, he is king of all, he just has to defeat Yoda to take his crown. The battle is fantastic, with the Senate being crushed as both part of the action and as metaphor. Meanwhile, Anakin and Obi-Wan's battle in the midst of an inferno is also fitting, and there is plenty of blame, anger, and recrimination to go around. Obi-Wan winning at the end due to one of the most FUNDAMENTAL concepts in duelling is very proper- Anakin's power drunk attack showed that he lost something important (besides the battle), and he fell. Far. These fights provided a great way to end the sub-par prequels.


Conclusion- Unfortunately, the prequels never quite gel. It is frustrating, as Lucas does get some things right, but loses so much due to bad ideas and decisions. I personally enjoy the prequels, but I KNOW they are deeply flawed. Bad dialogue, humor that falls flat, bad acting, uneven special effects, etc. all combine to weaken the effort. Now, perhaps NOTHING could have lived up to expectations, but that doesn't account for it. I wish that Lucas had let someone else direct based on his ideas- such collaboration could have ameliorated the problems. Again, I can watch and enjoy the films, but they pale in comparison to the Original Trilogy. In the prequels, the Republic is a sham, the Jedi are arrogant fools, and Anakin is a whinny stalker. Now, I don't mind Lucas subverting expectations, but this just doesn't jibe with what he set up in the OT. That is the true nail through the coffin, as it were.


At any rate, we are less than a week away from The Force Awakens. I'll be seeing it Saturday evening with my wife, brother, and friends. I am keeping my expectations in check as much as I can. However, my hope is that it fits with the OT better than the Prequels did. Of course, if they are able to recapture the spirit of OT that would be perfect. And I still wonder if Snoke is Darth Plagueis? Lol

Until Next Time... May the Force Be With You.

Hey there denizens of the warp! Old Man Chaos is back with another update. I am super stoked for Star Wars- I just can not wait for that! Of course, I am still playing Fallout as well as doing some modelling. I even got in a few games the past few weeks too.


First, lets talk about the big Apocalypse game I played a couple of weekends ago. My friend Nick (whom I met at a tournament at our local over the summer) posted on Facebook that he was trying to get an Apoc game off the ground. I have fought Nick before, and he is an old school player in his technique. He has no interest in formations or anything wild. He is also a fun opponent, as he takes the game seriously but not THAT seriously. He is a cunning one, that is for sure, and I was eager to play him again. As it turned out the timing was perfect for me- I was available.


Nick asked if I could bring anyone else- and it turns out my Padawan learner Brian was also available. In the end, the game was to be 3 on 3- the forces of the Imperium against the forces of Chaos (as nature intended). No one could say how much to bring- so Brian and I were at 5K a piece, this way no matter what we would have plenty, and the others could bring what they wanted.




All, told, it was about a 20K point game (give or take). There were Baneblades, Knights, and my Lord of Skulls sallied forth. Man- the game was a ton of fun! Things were dying all over the place. Sadly, the Lord of Skulls only managed a few kills before being destroyed- he is a great model but NOT worth 888 points!! The best moment came when a single Maulerfiend destroyed an Imperial Knight in close combat. Brian was pissed! And I laughed, and then got a blood token!



The game was a lot of back and forth, and we played for hours! In the end, we decided to pull the plug- and the forces of Chaos were victorious! The win was so very sweet. But, win or lose, the game was just a complete blast. We posted pics on Facebook, and a bunch of people want to play next time. We are aiming for another Apoc game in January.



 I also managed to play my first game with my Mechanicus forces. The battle was against my old friend Joe. He hasn't played in quite some time (life getting in the way, as it does). However, things have settled for him a bit and he wants to give it another go. Sadly, his basement flooded and ruined most of his old stuff, so he had to start over. He decided to focus on his Dark Angels, and he has been busy assembling them and reading the new rules.


At any rate, as I prepared for our 1K point game, I decided to make 2 lists. One would be my standby Khorne Daemonkin. He hasn't faced them (obviously) and Imperiam versus Chaos just makes sense (again, as nature intended). But, looking at my Mechanicum, I saw that I had enough mostly painted to play, so I made that list (for the record, I consider Skitaii and Mechanicus ONE force, so I refer to it as such).


On the day of our game, I gave Joe the option- I basically let him chose. He decided to go with the Mechanicus, wanting to see something totally new to him. The game was held on 2 Realm of Battle boards (enough for our 1K point game). I couldn't help but smile at all the Terminators he was fielding- knowing that the Kataphron Destroyers would Grav them to death. But- should they survive, they would mop the floor with my servitors.


The game was fairly quick. The Destroyers (1x Grav, 1x Plasma) did SEVERE damage to his terminators, pretty much demolishing them. It was painful to see Joe wiped out like that. On the other side of the board, his units shot at my Kastellan Robots. They didn't fare as well, but I think I placed them poorly, and I had one CC and one shooty- I think they have to be all one thing in order to be used effectively. My Skitarii Rangers held against a lot of bolter shots. Finally, my Dragoons (a squad of 2) made short work of a Space Marine squad, and later his Chaplain. Yikes. +3 S on the charge is fairly nasty.



As i said, it was over fast. Joe swore revenge, saying next time he'd deep strike right by my Destroyers and take them down first. That is a real threat. And yet, I just can't get over how effective those Destroyers were. That many Grav and Plasma shots are just vicious. If I could make a whole solid gun line of them, they could take on any power armor / elite foe (not sure how they'd work on hordes like Orks or Nids).

Still, I cannot deny the effectiveness of the Mechanicus units. It plays VERY differently from what I'm used to (Chaos, at heart, is close combat oriented, and the Dark Eldar are all speed). I am looking forward to finishing more of my Mech stuff and using it in larger games.

Well, hope you have enjoyed the pics and "mini" battle report. If possible, I will post a review of Star Wars once I've seen it.

Until Next Time!

So, I went this weekend (along with a 1/3 of the world's population apparently) to see Star Wars: The Force Awakens. I am a huge Star Wars fan, but I approached this with some trepidation. I "like" the prequels in theory, but not in execution. There are great ideas behind the prequels, such as a "manufactured" war, the decay that set into the Old Republic, the Sith's machinations, the Balance of the Force, etc. Unfortunately, they were not well realized on screen. The prequels suffered from poor writing, lack of drama or tension, virtually no (funny) humor, basically all the things that the OT had. And there was the opposite dilemma- there was NO WAY the new movie could live up to the OT. Anyone thinking this film could even come close to those heights were fools. I certainly wouldn't be. I was excited, but guarded.


So- I don't want to do a piece by piece review just now. I will say that the movie is an absolute blast. It is a ton of fun to watch- it gets SO much right that it is in fact a miracle. The actors, the special effects, the humor, the uncertainty (missing from the Prequels by their very nature), the energy- all of it is here. This is the sequel you have been waiting for in so many ways. Now- it is not perfect. It makes a few missteps, and it tries to "copy" parts of A New Hope a bit too much- and yet, despite the flaws, I feel the film works beyond all measure. You, of course, need to see the film for yourself if you are a Star Wars fan. I know at least one fan who disliked it, but just about everyone I have spoken with since have had nothing but enthusiastic praise for it- and some of these guys and gals despised the prequels and had pretty much sworn off Star Wars. Rating this, I'd give it 4 Marks of Chaos- flaws and all. After all- how do you measure "perfection"? If in film a measure is enjoying a movie then I enjoyed the hell out of this, hence the 4 Marks of Chaos. 

In this post I want to discuss a few issues and ideas that I have been mashing around in my head. However, these naturally involve a TON of spoilers. So- I will leave a gap so scroll on down. Go see the damn movie then come back- I ain't going nowhere.

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Final Spoiler Warning!! Beware.


A Start of a New Legend / Trilogy / Adventure

My friend and I  were debating the film after seeing it- he disliked it a great deal while I loved it (as did my wife). One of his chief complaints was that there were so many questions, so many things not explained, that it frustrated him. Immensely. What is the difference between the Republic and the Resistance? What happened between Han and Leia? Who the hell is Snoke? Why does Ren hate Solo so bad? What's Rey's deal? Brian argued that the film left so many things open that he felt it was incomplete and poorly done.



I believe that this "mystery" quality is essential to Star Wars. Look at the OT- they didn't give you EVERY SINGLE DETAIL. The story developed, with twists and turns, over 3 films! They didn't tell you EVERYTHING in A New Hope! Hell, they don't even mention Yoda! Yoda!! Let that sink in for a second... A New Hope left a ton of things open. You had to... dear lord... use your imagination. Like a book, YOU filled in the blanks- conjecture, rumor, friends arguing "what do you think Vader looks like" or "Why is Chewie with Han"... ANH lets you romp around in this universe in the midst of these events. It just goes full ahead- it doesn't spoon feed you all this micro (or even marco) details. I mean- listen to Kenobi "explain" who Vader is in ANH- its so brief and lacking all detail, and yet it works to get you interested.

The Force Awakens gets this. The Prequels tried to "explain" everything- Anakin's fall, the Emperor's ascension, the destruction of the Jedi, Trade Federations, etc. But the prequels went overboard on this- trade deals and taxes and a magical clone army that no one questions... But TFA doesn't fall for that trap. Like the OT, it drops you in the middle of the action- the opening crawl tells you all you need to know (compare TFA crawl with TPM- you can see the difference). The details- the background- are left open to YOUR imagination. That is a huge part of the fun.

But the lack of certain details also gives the next films latitude to maneuver. After all, you didn't learn that Vader was Luke's father till ESB. You didn't learn the identity of "another" till ROTJ. Characters like Han and Leia developed over the trilogy. ANH didn't lay all the cards on the table, and neither should TFA. They were wise in this instance- the mystery and blanks MAKE me want to know more. And that is essential to enjoying Star Wars.


Rey's Quick Guide to the Force

One of the criticisms I keep hearing is that Rey was able to use the Force way too quickly. At first I agreed with that, but then I paused a bit. I had to "unlearn" what I had learned- mostly from the Prequels. In those, it took YEARS to train Jedi in the Force. The Jedi believed in training infants- so that they could be brought up without attachment or other problems. It took decades for a child to become a Jedi.


But... that IS NOT what it was in the OT. Indeed, look at the facts. In ANH Luke meets Obi Wan. They talk about the Force. Obi Wan lets Luke use a lightsaber on a practice drone for 5 minutes. Before you know it, Luke is turning off his targeting computer and using the Force to guide his hand in destroying the Death Star. How long did he study with Obi Wan? A day or two? By ESB, some time has passed (but not THAT much), and you see Luke's skills are getting stronger (he pulls the lightsaber to him), without ANY training from Obi Wan- he has an intuitive feel for the Force (or, perhaps, it has "chosen" him). In ESB he trains with Yoda- but again, for how long? Even if you want to say the Falcon hid in the asteroid field for a week- or even a month (pushing it, but still)- that means Luke was training with Yoda for a short time as well. And yet, by ROTJ, Yoda says that Luke "knows that which" he needs... and surely Luke does things in Jabba's that Yoda didn't teach him.

In other words, one needs to forget the prequels a little bit. Luke, already older, learned things quite quickly. So Rey- similarly chosen by the Force- is able to wield it quickly as well. Now- I suspect Rey is either Luke or Leia's child, and hence is naturally gifted with the Force (again, a mystery). The Force gave her the power necessary to defeat Kylo Ren, as it gave Luke the ability to destroy the Death Star. Using the OT as the guide, you can see that it is very possible.

Snoke Spoke?

Another of the issues that some have had is that Supreme Commander Snoke is a huge mystery that is NOT at all answered in the film. He is obviously a user of the Dark Side, as well as the leader of the First Order (new empire). He appears to be 50 feet tall and is one of the few CGI characters in the film.


Now- who is he? Snoke is portrayed via motion capture by Andy Serkis- right there you should have some confidence. He is quite nasty sounding as he growls orders to his flunkies, such as General Hux. He appears to be huge- but they show you quickly that it is a hologram. Just as Palpatine appeared huge to Vader in ESB, so too does Snoke look enormous. But it is only a hologram image.

But- who is he? The character is evil, but with no background. This is on purpose, as it will no doubt be explored in the next films- you don't get Andy Serkis just to do a throwaway guy. So- here is where we go theorizing- I believe Snoke is none other than Darth Plagueis the Wise. This Sith Lord is mentioned by Palpatine as he tries to lure Anakin to the Dark Side in Episode 3 (the best of the Prequels). According to Palpatine, Darth Plagueis found a way to "create life" and "keep those he cared about from dying"- basically, he could "cheat death". It is HEAVILY implied that Plagueis was Sidious' master, and Sidious murdered him to become the main Sith Lord. It is also implied that Sidious did not know ALL of Plagueis' secrets. Suppose- Plagueis is like Yoda/Obi Wan- they have found a way to merge with the force upon death, becoming the so called "force ghosts". Spirits. But- let's say Plagueis did something similar- but instead of being spiritual, his rebirth was corporeal. He cheated death- AND the natural order of things- as Sith are wont to do.


In film terms, who can possibly be a bigger threat than Emperor Palpatine? Answer- the Sith who TRAINED Palpatine. Where's the evidence? First, Ren's line that his master is "very wise" (Darth Plagueis the Wise is what Paplatine called him). Then, there is the music. It is VERY reminiscent of the music in the Opera Scene- where Paplatine talks of Plagueis. It is VERY similar in tone. It isn't the same, but damn its close. In a meta way- if he is Plagueis, one of the few things they are going to take from the Prequels- what better way than to present him as CGI? That last one may be a stretch, but the other factors are just screaming that this is the solution. Now- I bet you have a different theory. Isn't this speculating a huge part of the fun?

The Heart and Soul of The Force Awakens

Now, I want to get to the "nitty gritty". Forget the action. Forget Starkiller Base. Forget the politics. All Star Wars films are about individuals (not all are Skywalkers) being confronted by these galactic problems. These characters are forced to make decisions on what to do when faced with the Galactic Civil War. Luke, Han, Leia, Lando- they all make choices and these decisions impact them personally, but also with wider implications for others. This is what gives Star Wars its real punch- not the space ships, but the drama. The inter (and intra) personal conflict. This is where TFA succeeds the most.


Han Solo and Kylo Ren are the heart and soul of the film (one could argue Rey- but hang on to that for a bit). When we left Han Solo in ROTJ, he was a rebel hero ("respectable"), and it seemed that he and Leia would live happily ever after. However, when we see him in TFA, he is back to his rouge-ish ways, and he and Leia aren't together anymore. Some grumbled about that- but heck, that's life. It takes twists and turns we don't expect. Life gives us happiness and tragedy at random sometimes. Who can say that Han and Leia would be exempt from that? Indeed, TFA wisely makes Han and Leia more human as a result- they are not the fairy tale couple. It's not "wonderful",  but it is more real.

Now, they were always bouncing off each other in the best of times- there was friction in their relationship from the beginning. But- what really broke them up as tragedy; a crisis of incredible magnitude. Their son, Ben Solo- known to the galaxy as Kylo Ren- has fallen from the light and is now the dark warrior of the First Order.


The film handles this brilliantly. Rather than reveal it at the last minute a la ESB, they tell you, almost off-handedly, that Han is Ren's father (it seems that it was only a secret to the audience). They reveal this about 1/3 of the way into the film, give or take. This is a great decision. They are not cribbing ESB with a "climactic" revelation. Rather, they have introduced an element of ongoing dread and tension. Will Han and Kylo meet? What will happen? What will Han do? The revelation early on allows it to breathe and permeate the whole film.

They make it clear that Ren was being taught by Luke, but was seduced to the Dark Side by Snoke. The details are sketchy, but I guess Snoke appealed to Ren's desire for "glory" (such as his grandfather had achieved). As a result, Ren turned, and did bad things- killing Luke's other students it seems. Han and Leia make it clear- once this happened, Luke blamed himself and vanished. Leia and Han's relationship fractured, and they broke up. The fall of Ben Solo to the Dark Side broke up the "trinity" of Han, Leia, and Luke.  It certainly wrecked Han and Leia's relationship. Han suggests that whenever Leia sees Han, she thinks of their lost son. Take the natural friction between these two (they always had a tumultous relationship), and add this sad loss of a son to evil, and their relationship breaks down. Han leaves and goes back to smuggling, and Leia buries herself in her work as leader of the Resistance. Frankly, this is a very realistic response to such a tragic event, and I give the creative team props for handling it so well.

One of the questions that many have asked is "Why does Ren hate his father so much"? In this respect I think they have it wrong. It isn't that Ren hates his father, though he does make a snide remark to Rey about it not "living up" to expectations. I would wager that Han was probably a pretty "cool" dad, but not as "successful" as a parent. Could you imagine growing up the son of Leia and Han? Lol

But seriously, those looking for the answer to the "hate" question have it backwards. In fact, Ren LOVES his father. Indeed, THAT is the conflict for Ren. On the one hand, he wants power, glory- to live up to the Skywalker heritage. But for Ren, the only way to achieve that power and strength is to turn fully to the Dark Side. Yet- how can one give oneself to the Dark Side if there is still love in your heart?


No- Kylo Ren / Ben Solo kills his father BECAUSE Ren loves him still. Ren wants to purge himself of the last vestiges of light. The only way to do this is to kill Han. To toss him aside totally and utterly. Ren struggles with that- even Snoke mocks him for it. On the bridge, the anguish isn't a ploy- the tears are real. He loves his father, but wants to be stronger than anyone. To achieve that level of power, he must strike down Han. Only then will be one with the Dark Side. Indeed, it is very telling that, after Ren fails to kill Rey and is defeated, Snoke says he wants to finish Ren's training. Snoke couldn't FULLY indoctrinate Ren until the last vestiges of light were extinguished. Killing Han accomplished that. Kylo Ren, I suspect, will undergo Sith training and will become Darth Something Something by the end of the next film.

There are a few things I love about this, and to me make up for any shortcomings with the rest of the film. First, it is an inversion of the Luke/Vader dynamic. Luke won't kill Vader because he is his father. Ren WILL kill Han because, well, he is his father. The killing of Han will cast a shadow over the rest of this trilogy. We (the audience) loved Han. How can we forgive his killer? Kylo Ren's completed fall has more resonance than Anakin's in the prequels, because, frankly, we didn't care enough about any of them. Here, it is different. This should be fun and moving to watch play out. Who would want to redeem Ren now?! Is he irredimable? What will his psyche be like as he grows stronger with the Dark Side, knowing that the cost of his ascension was so high?

The best part is how to complete's Han and Leia's arc. In ANH, Han is a criminal. A smuggler with very grey morals. However, as the OT goes on, Leia (and Luke to an extant) show Han a better, more noble path. People sometimes complain that Han was "softer" by ROTJ, but I felt that was a product of him loving Leia and thus, making him want to be a better man. I suppose that after ROTJ he tried his best, though Leia's "royal" attitude didn't make it easy for him. But, once Ben goes bad, and Han and Leia's relationship breaks down irretrivably, Han leaves. He goes back to his smuggler ways. Time passes- then he gets the Falcon back with Rey and the others desprately needing his help. At first, he rejects them (he offers to put them in pods and send them to the nearest planet). Then he tries to get Maz to help- but she chides him for it. Han is reluctant to get involved again. However, that changes when he sees his son take Rey. At that point he feels bound to go back to Leia and help.

Talking with Leia, Han suggests that their son is too far gone; as Han says, Ben has "too much Vader in him". Han thinks its hopeless. But Leia rejects that, stating that there is still light within their son. Han demurs, saying that if Luke failed, how could he succeed? Leia replies "You're his FATHER". As Han prepares to leave, Leia asks (begs) him to return home with their son.


So- now the bridge scene. Han sees Ren walking- he seems not to realize Han is there (is he too focused on finding Rey?). Han could have slipped past him, or maybe even shot at him. Instead, Han calls him by his birth name (that made my blood run cold). Han tries to bring his son back to the light. When Ren asks for his father's help- Han, looking encouraged, says "Anything". Ren stabs him then, but Han doesn't yell or fight back-he simply touches his son's face.

The irony is that Han did what Leia would have wanted him to do, and he died for it. Perhaps his first instinct was correct- Ren is too far gone. Yet, he still loves Leia on some level (that they never kiss is a sure sign of that, actually), and he still loves his son. So he tries, and he fails. However, in a different view, Han is redeemed once again, leaving his rouge ways behind and trying to fight for his family and the galaxy. A fitting but sad end for Han Solo.


Conclusion

I could go on and on- there are so many things in this film that deserve examination- Finn's transition from drone to hero. Luke's activities. Rey's background. The film has brought new life to Star Wars. The best praise I could give is that it felt like the OT and I can't wait to see where it goes next. The Force Awakens is fun, energetic, and exciting, but with a heart and soul (which the Prequels and many many other big movies lack). It was just a blast from start to finish. I plan on seeing it again (and again) in the coming weeks.

Until Next Time...

Hey there Chaos fanatics! It's a New Year in the crazy Warp- indeed, every day here is like a big New Year's Eve Party- if your idea of partying involves the complete disregard for physics, daemonic incursions, and the like. LOL

Anyways, I have a special article here for your approval.My friend Joe and I have recently put the "finishing" touches on his "new" gaming table, and we just played our inaugural game on it. I know that I have written about this table before (Part 1 and Part 2 and Part 3  if you are interested in an "in-depth" look).


In brief, I once had a huge gaming table. However, after getting married and "life event" stuff, I was no longer able to keep the large battlezone. So I gave it to my friend Joe. Now, for him as well, "life events" intervened, and for a while he did nothing with the table. But, in recent months, Joe's life has settled a bit and he has once again gotten the 40K bug. Since last summer, we have worked to create a new gaming table, made from the ashes of my old one.


Basically, Joe wanted something different from the cityfight table that I made. So, we just flipped the table over. Once again, Pete planned the design and cut the foam, while I would work to paint the table. Joe would help with both, but he's mostly a "supervisor" LOL.


So, what type of table did Joe want? Why, an ice world table, of course! Joe has visions of a Hoth-like situation- cold, desolate, frozen. Of course, he is currently building Dark Angels as opposed to Space Wolves (which is what I'd do if I had a damn snow table), but that's not important. Once the table was painted (blue with heavy stippling of white texture paint on top), we then set out to make the frozen lake / river that takes up a chunk of the table. We decided to use lots of water effects. It worked great, though the stuff isn't as resilient as resin (such as what Pete used on his lava table). The ice LOOKS great, though we may have to revisit it later with resin or something else.


In the meantime, I also made several terrain pieces for the board, complete with ice and snow. I used both 40K and Fantasy pieces. I painted up the prometheum pipes I had laying around. I also finished the Fortress  of Redemption (that Pete and Joe had given me for the holidays a few years ago)- I decided to give it some ice and snow and give it to Joe, since he's now playing Dark Angels. I'll still get to use it, so that's the important thing. Finally, I bought some Christmas trees for decorating holiday villages- on sale! So I bought 2 bags of them. We could make a small forest on the table if we wanted to (and we just might).


So, after working on it off and on for so long, the table was finally ready to be played on. I must say that Joe has the perfect "man cave" set up. The gaming table is in his garage. Now, the garage is finished, but it could only fit one car and not much else. However, it is LARGE enough to make an entire man cave out of it. Whilst he is still working on it, he has already put a small couch in there, and a space heater. With a bit more time, effort, and purchases of essentials, Joe will have the perfect gaming space. Heck- it is big enough to put a smaller table in there as well. We could have a small game going at the same time as the big one. Perhaps 2 elite squads are in the facility under the frozen lake, desperately battling to control the super weapon within. Or, if GW finally gets its act together, we could do a Battlefleet Gothic game alongside- the fight on the planet and in the stars above... the possibilities are endless.


So, about a week and a half ago, we fought our first game on the table. I decided that I HAD to use Khorne Daemonkin against his Dark Angels. Loyalist versus Chaos, as nature intended. Plus, I thought the red would look striking against the white and blue frozen board (it certainly did).


The mission was Secure the Relic, which was placed dead center on the table. Joe was clearly out for blood from our last game in which I played Mechanicus (see HERE). My Mechanicum forces brutalized Joe, and now he wanted to make me pay for it, There would be no mercy, no quarter in this game. It was also the idea that he wanted to win on HIS table for the first time out that made the game extra spicy.


However, I wasn't going to go quietly into that good night. I built up a rather effective Khorne list (I actually used a variation of it at one of the tournaments). I allied it with CSM Codex, to get Kharn and a Heldrake (cultists being the mandatory Troop).  Once again, Joe did not know much about the Daemonkin, as he has not faced anything quite like this before (the book has far different synergy than a traditional CSM / CD alliance). I, on the other hand, have had some experience against the new DA book (sadly, I was beaten handily but the Tournament Organizer who used  DA). However, I learned from that, and planned to use that knowledge against Joe.


First, I was determined to rush EVERYTHING forward. Nobody waits, everyone goes. Now, this meant casualties. My Daemon Prince got zapped immediately by Joe's Dreadnoughts. His terminators made short work of my bikers. My cultists were used as cannon fodder, naturally.


My aces in the hole were my Maulerfiends and Flesh Hounds. These two are very very effective. I decided to run the 3 Maulerfiends together, rather than spread them out across the battlefield. This meant that if they collided with ANYTHING in CC, that enemy would die, no question. The Flesh Hounds, with their 2 wounds each and S5 on the charge are great at killing Space Marines, or at the very least tying them up for several turns. Any +3 armor saves would be toasted by my third ace- my Heldrake. He would make quick work of Joe's regular Marines.


The game was certainly a back and forth. As more of my stuff died, I summoned Bloodletters and a new Daemon Prince to replace the one he killed. The Drake/Mauler/Hound combo was taking its toll on Joe. It didn't help matters that some of his Deep Striking terminators scattered off the board- and were LOST! Good times, good times.


Ironically, it was my bikers and cultists that actually won me the game. They played a crucial role, delaying the advance of Joe's terminators toward the Relic. Due to the delay, my newly minted Daemon Prince grabbed the Relic first, and began slowly walking away with it. The terminators just finished up when my Maulerfiends were swinging round, fresh from killing a squad of terminators and Devastators. They were now flanking, and took out those pesky relic-seeking terminators as well. Plus, my Heldrake was also flying in support, torching a squad of Space Marines (that had been tied down by my hounds).


 The game ended with my DP in possession of the Relic, with Rhinos and Khorne Bezerkers led by Khorne in protective support. Ultimately, the score was 5 to 2. I got 3 for the Relic, 1 for Slay, 1 for Linebraker (Maulerfiends were in his zone by that point). He got 1 for Slay and 1 for First Blood (both for shooting my first DP to death).


The game was a ton of fun, and the beautiful table certainly helped to make it an evocative setting to our battle. Joe vowed revenge once more, and I have no doubt that he shall have it, sooner or later. Nevertheless, the Scions of Gorechild have gotten a hold on an important Dark Angel relic. Who knows what that Daemon Prince will do to desecrate it?

(Please note- I took few pics of Joe's models because they are either grey plastic or just coated black. Once he works on them I'll be sure to put them on my blog). 

Have a Happy New Year. Until Next Time...

Hey there Chaos lunatics! Old Man Chaos is back once again- though I don't have a lot of Chaos to offer this time. This is however my 200th posting, so I'll make it a double-sized extravaganza. Indeed, like the title says, I've got some brand new Mechanicus stuff to show off. So, without further delay...


I have always been interested in the workings of the Mechanicum. They are a vital part of the Imperium while also being very odd (which, considering the state of affairs in the 41st Millennium, is saying something). I always enjoy an appearance by a Magos in the 40K fiction. They are human, but in so many ways, practically alien.


It was sometime last year that I fell into collecting a Mechanicus army. I am not sure why GW had to make it 2 books- yeah, yeah, to make money, but it makes no sense. Anyways, there are rumors that they will be getting a consolidated book this year, plus a few units (a flyer I hope). That would be better than having to ally Skitarii and Mechanicus- and then flip around 2 books for the rules... ugh.


Both halves have some great models, and a lot to offer a player. I must admit- I was enamored by the Kastellan Robots. I love their size, and the fact that they are actual robots, and not servitors with human components. I like that they come from the Dark Age of Technology- predating the Imperium. I love the concept that they must be constantly programmed- not sentient AI for the Imperium, thank you...


Just the idea that these ancient, lumbering, and unfeeling behemoths are striding the battlefield, acting at the behest of a Tech-Priest- well, I just love that. Over the summer, I painted 2 of the Kastellans. However, over the holidays, I got 4 more (2 boxes). I immediately put them together and began painting them.


First, while I love the models, they are not exactly posable. Sure, you can put the arms wherever, but the body is static, and the legs only seem to go together only one way. I tried very hard to give them some motion- twisting their torsos, trying to get the legs into different positions, etc. For the most part, I succeeded. They have a range of motion now, making each robot look a little different.


One of the things I did not like about the models are their heads. I certainly dislike how GW painted them (just metallic). Kind of boring. After getting some inspiration on the Internet, I made the faceplate look like a computer screen, complete with green scroll lines and a target matrix. Not only did it solve the problem of the bland heads, it also allowed me to give the robots a sense of "looking"- slight variations on where I pained the target matrix makes it look like they are scanning in different directions. It adds to their "range of motion" as it were.


Finally, because I can't help myself, I HAD to convert one of them- I made one ripping apart an Ork. I had been tempted to make it a Chaos Marine, but I have some Ork bits and rarely use them- I figured why not. I used green stuff to make the pulled intestines- and presto, instant bisected Ork.


I also went a little further with the new 4 than I did with the first 2 I did. I put more Thunderhawk Blue stripes on the robots. I faded and scratched them a bit to simulate wear and tear. I wanted to differentiate them all ever so slightly (perhaps they are robots from different areas or forges). The stripes add some diversity without ruining the uniform look.


I am thrilled with the 6. I know its a lot points-wise, but I just love the idea of having six of these things marching towards their foes, each one a tough and durable monstrous creature. Together they look so damn intimidating!


Not to be outdone, my ranks of Kataphrons has also grown, thanks to my birthday and holidays. I made one set Grav destroyers (after years of Chaos being pummeled by Grav- it feels good for me to be the one wielding it in such quantities). I assembled the other box as Breachers. So now I have 6 Grav, 3 Plasma, and 3 Breachers. I may need a box or two more to round it out and give me more versatility.


I initially did not like the Kataphron models- but I must say they grew on me quickly. Like the Kastellan Robots, they don't have a lot of motion or possibility. Nor should they I suppose, as they are mindless servitors. I did try to make them a little dynamic by posing the guns and angling the heads to match.


When I used these a while ago, the Destroyers were most effective against Terminators and Space Marines. AP2 is nothing to sneeze at, and they fire so many shots! I am looking forward to trying out the Breachers next time I play (which should be sooner rather than later).


It is true that I love the fluff and concept of the mechanicus so much- I envision my army having just Katapron Servitors and Kastellan Robots methodically working their way up the field- an implacable, almost silent advance- silent save for the blurts of binaric code as they receive orders and send updates to their Mechanicus masters. Ooohhhh...



Nor have I ignored my Skitarii contingent. My friend Pete got me a box of Sicarians for my birthday. I decided to make them Infiltrators, because their helms make them look more robotic and inhuman. The models went together very quickly, despite their spindly looking nature.


They also painted up pretty fast, except for the wires. There, you really have to take your time, so that each wire is defined and that you don't get that paint on the model. The five of them came out really good, and they match the look and palette of the army. I do not know how useful they are on the battlefield, but I will be sure to put them to the test.


Overall, I prefer the Cult Mechanicus stuff compared to the Skitarii. I just like the idea of robots and mindless servitor drones comprising the entire force. The Skitarii are still (kinda sorta) human, and that doesn't excite me AS much. However, the Sicarians are mostly machine anyway, so perhaps they do indeed fit in. Oh---- I just wish they'd make a single book.


I have a ton of stuff on deck to build and paint. My wife got me Scarbrand- I assembled him, and I plan to paint him in a bit. I still have Mechanicus stuff in various stages of painting, so I want to do them first. It doesn't help that I painted an Ultramarine Drop Pod and a squad of the Centurions for my friend Brian. Technically, its my army, but I've been letting him use it so...


Lastly, I have been reading 40K fiction again (I dropped off it for a bit). I loved Ahriman: Unchained- great "conclusion" to his story. I also read Ravenlord. I loved that story. Corax may well be my favorite loyalist Primarch (though I think he talks too much despite his "taciturn" reputation). I can't wait to see what happens to him next. I also enjoyed the Cain story Old Soldiers Never Die. Commisar Cain going up against Plague Zombies (or "Revanants" as he calls them)- what's not to like. Blackadder and Baldrick in space fighting zombies is as fun as you'd expect. I also read I Am Slaughter by Dan Abnett, which kicks off a year long series about the Ork invasion of the 32nd Millennium. It was not one of Abnett's better efforts (when he is on- damn he is on), though I think he did a great job capturing the petty politicking of the High Lords of Terra. The action was just OK though. Of course, this is just book one. I am looking forward to see what comes next.



Well, that's all for now. Until next time...

Hey there Chaos fanatics! Welcome back to another addition of Chaos Corner. I must confess that it doesn't feel too Chaos-y here at the moment. I have been painting furiously my Mechanicus forces, leaving my Chaos lovelies neglected. Now- I've heard that the new campaign book for 40K will feature some type of Chaos forces (Daemons, at least for the 1st book), so I'm sure I'll be pulled back to to Chaos soon.


However, I have been trying to get my Mechanicus REALLY off the ground. It's kind of weird trying to build an army from 2 codexes like this. I hope they do unite the books- but who knows? Anyway, I have a tournament coming up and I'm trying to finish some stuff so that I'll be able to build a strong, versatile list. Plus, I'm loving this army, so...


So first up- yes, as the title says, I have just finished my second knight. You may have seen my first Imperial Knight completed in March 2014 (was it really that long ago? Time flies here in the Warp I suppose). That Knight was named Veritas (Latin for "Truth"). I even made a history for him which you can read HERE. The thing is I never thought I'd get another Knight. I imagined Veritas to be a "Freeblade", and my whole story was that he was the last Knight of his House. So- what the heck happened?!


Well, a few things. First, the new Knight Codex makes it possible to take several Knight formations and detachments. Ideally, one would like to do the Oathsworn Detachment- where you could take up to 3 (The Household Detachment is also possible in that case, though I can't imagine going to the full 5 Knights). Second, since I have introduced my friend Brian to the game, he has played with the my Knight Veritas more than I have. He was talking about fielding 2 (for Oathsworn) possibly. That of course got me thinking. Third, my Mechanicus force is growing nicely. Having a Knight or two to compliment my new army makes sense both play-wise and fluff-wise. And lastly- I'm freaking weak. There. I said it. I love the new Knight options, particularly the Thunderstrike Gauntlet.


So, I caved in and bought a new one (again, so weak). I assembled my second Knight on the morning of December 31, and I made him a Knight Warden with the Avenger Gatling Gun, the Gauntlet, and the missile pod. This time, I actually tried to have the arms move- they both move fairly well actually, and I'm not afraid of them breaking. Whew.


At any rate, I have spent the better part of January painting him, alongside my Kastellan Robots and something else (which I'll show in a bit). I finished him on January 30th. It was a lot of fun to paint, like the last one. I really love the model- it just seems to tower over things and has a great look to it. On this one, the Gauntlet just makes the thing look bad-ass. I like how the Warden looks like an jazzed up terminator.


The armor plates are my now standard Stegadon Scale Green, with Thunderhawk Blue in spots, all with Russ Grey edge highlights. The metal trim I did Balthazar Gold basecoat with Copper layered over it generously. It gives it a metallic luster in the light, but it doesn't overwhelm the model. The metal joints, back, etc. I did very simply- Leadblecher with Nuln Oil all over, with certain areas highlighted in Leadbelcher or Ironbreaker. I also dabbed on some Earthshade, just to make it look a little dirty.


Three things make this Knight stand out from Veritas, my previous Knight. First, the missile pod. I decided to paint the missiles red (Khorne and Evil Sunz over it). This makes the missiles stand out, and the red really pops on the otherwise dark model.


Second, the faceplate. I decided to do the mechanicus skull faceplate. Now, I couldn't do it Mechanicus style red (as my Mechanicus are Stegadon Green). Nor did I want to do it Stegadon, as I felt that wouldn't stand out. So, instead, I decided on a bright white, with a little Nuln Oil in the recesses. The face really draws your attention to the model (though I made sure I used white transfer decals, so the face isn't the ONLY white thing on the model).


Finally, I decided to do the banner Sunset Yellow. I wanted something that would stand out, but not too much. The yellow is "close" to the cream color of one of the skull decals. Also, I used yellow for some of the wires. Again, the eyes are drawn to the white skull, but as your eyes move over the model, the red missiles and yellow banner give the piece some variety. After all, Knights are supposed to be somewhat individualistic and they are well-cared for- so they would look cleaner and brighter perhaps than your standard Imperial tanks or the like.


For the transfers, I used Mechanicus symbols to tie this Knight in MORE with my Mechanicus. On Veritas, I deliberately DIDN'T use the cog symbols, as I made him a Freeblade (and I had no idea that a Mechanicus army was coming, let alone that I'd get such an army). THIS Knight would be clearly Mechanicus. However, I kept the skull and reaper motif going (the reaper decals are from Imperial Guard tanks), as this would tie the 2 Knights together if I ever fielded both.


So- what about this Knight's background? Well, that is another story for another time. Perhaps. However, I can tell you that his name is Vindicta (again, from the Latin "Vindictae", which means "Revenge"). This name enabled me to keep the "V" and Latin-esque motifs going, again tying both my Knights together.


So, that's my Knight. I do have another something to show you, my fellow denizens of the 40K universe. One of the things that I envisioned as I worked on my Mechanicus is how they would work with my Knight (Veritas at first, but now I've got 2 Knights to consider). One of the ideas that took root in my mind was this: I could just see a bunch of Sydonian Dragoons with their lances, standing at the side of the Imperial Knight. They are his allies on the battlefield (Knights, lances- all so medieval). If danger approaches the Knight, the Dragoons would charge in. The Knight would fire to weaken the foe, while the Dragoons race in to finish the job up close.


As it turns out, I have discovered that the Dragoons actually pack quite a punch. They are cheap, fast (can move and charge 3 extra inches because of their Dunestrider rule), have extra protection (Incense gives 5+ cover), and finally, they have a great weapon. The Taser Lance can be brutal against the right opponents. On the charge, their initiative doubles AND they gain 3 to their strength. They can hit REALLY hard under the right circumstances.


Supported by the Knight (and perhaps, the Kastellan Robots or the Kataphron Destroyers), the Dragoons would make a very fast and hard-hitting force on the battlefield. Against a squad of Terminators or Land Raiders they aren't much. But against regular troops (even Space Marines) and lighter vehicles, they are formidable. Against single characters the Dragoons are also effective- with their higher initiative and strength on the charge, they *could kill a character (as long as he has no or a strong retinue to hide behind).


So, I have completed 3 Dragoons to escort my Knight onto the battlefield. My first one (completed over the summer of 2015) has his lance up, as if contemplating or about to issue the command for the charge. The other 2 (completed along with the Knight this month) I have with their lances down, as if preparing to follow the order to charge the foe.


The model is quite nice, though it can be a bit of a challenge to put together correctly (the darn legs have to be "just so" in order to stand properly). I actually have one more to put together (which would make 4 for me). Theoretically, a squad could have up to six. I may stop at 4. However, I would like some Ironstriders to compliment them- so I may have to buy a few more... Oh. Ignore that sound. That's just my wife saying "You NEED what?! Don't you have enough to paint...?". LOL


Anyways, I must get back to the manufactorum. I've got a few more Mechanicus pieces to finish up. I also want to do Skarbrand. I also have some Ultramarine pieces that I need to paint for Brian (though it's technically for me). Whew- perhaps my wife is right? Do I really have too much? Nah...

Until Next Time...

Hey There Chaos Fanatics! I'm sure many of you have been excited about Curse of the Wulfen. I have been going through the story-line slowly- it is very exciting and a lot of fun. I did quickly devour the Rules book, and its a mixed bag for Daemons. It is very difficult to do a Daemonic Incursion with some of those formations- they are VERY unwieldy (seriously, 9 units of Horrors? 7 units of (but-ugly) Beasts of Nurgle? Give me a break). I feel that the Daemons got shafted here a bit- to do the Incursion, you have to sacrifice a TON of versatility and balance. The Space Marines Decurion is very tactically flexible, for example (yes, there are "unit taxes", but not like this). Time will tell, but I think the Daemonkin book is better than this Daemon upgrade. I'll certainly have to try it soon.

So, this posting has a smorgasbord of stuff, so why not get started then...


First, I have completed another Skitarii Dunecrawler. I really love this model, and it fits in so well with the Mechanicus aesthetic. I equipped this one to be similar to my previous one. My thought was that they should be uniform within their vehicle squadron. In truth, I may have to get 2 more and make them anti-air support.


At any rate, I continued my Stegadon Scale Green with Thunderhawk Blue plates and Russ Grey highlights. Although the base is green, the highlight certainly makes it look blue. I painted the gears and legs with Leadbelcher, with Nuln Oil over all, with lighter metal highlights. The trim I did Balthazar Gold with Bronze over it. The energy of the gun, etc. I did with Khorne Red, adding successive highlights of reds and ending with orange. This give it a deeper, energy-pulsing look.


My wife recently commented that my Mechanicus army has grown really, really large fairly quickly. To recap, I have (painted) the following: 1x Tech-Priest Dominus, 6 Kastellan Robots, 3 Datasmiths, 6 Grav Destroyers, 3 Plasma Destroyers, 3 Breachers. My Skitarii include- 10 Rangers, 3 Ironstriders, 5 Sicarian Infiltrators, and 2 Dunecrawlers. Plus, I have 2 Imperial Knights. Unpainted I have another Ironstrider, 5 Sicarians, and 20 Skitarii Rangers. Whoa... maybe my wife is right?


As I have told you many, many times- I am always drawn back to Chaos. I always will be. The Mechanicus has my interest, sure, but... my true love will always be Chaos. So, recently I painted up 10 more Khorne Bloodletters.


These I did slightly differently. GW has a new Dry paint Astorath Red that I used. I did Khorne Red base coat with Nuln Oil liberally used on the models. Then I did Astorath Red drybrused over. This gives them the models a deep red color. I then used Wild Rider Red highlights to make the models really pop. Overall, I am pleased with the new Red dry paint.


The daemons swords I did Dryad Bark brown with Trollslayer Orange highlights, making the sword look fire-y and molten. The Bloodreaper's sword I painted with the technical Blood over the whole sword- the blood is translucent, so you still see the orange and brown underneath. I just wanted his sword to look different.


I did the Banner of Blood similarly to my previous banner. The flag is black with grey highlights. Then, I used Khorne Red to draw the Khorne symbol. I used Mephiston Red and the Blood technical to put blood smears all over the banner.


Thus, my Daemons were complete. They certainly compliment my previous Khorne Daemons. This means I have 40 Bloodletters! With my Bloodcrushers and Flesh Hounds, I have enough to do the Daemon formation Murderhorde. But brother is that a lot of points!







In between painting, I have also been reading Black Library stuff at a pretty good pace. What follows aren't full reviews, just impressions:


First, I'd like to comment on The Beast Arises series. I liked I Am Slaughter, though I feel it is one of Abnett's lesser efforts (now, his weakest is still really good, but still). I finished the second book in the series Predator, Prey by Rob Sanders. I must confess the book was odd. It seemed to be a bunch of vignettes, bouncing from war-torn world to war-torn world with little or no connection between events. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either- and it only minimally advanced the overall plot. However, I did like the ending(s) to some of the stories within. There's one scene toward the end when the Space Marines are getting ready for a final battle in a wrecked Star Fort. The book quietly details the smashed relics of Rogal Dorn, and you get this sense of sadness and loss. The hopes of the Emperor and Primarchs have truly collapsed- war without end has come at mankind from all fronts. It was a well-written part, and it moved me. So did the end of a female guardsman. She was forced to make a world shattering decision, made poignant by the fact that she was pregnant. Now, I don't recall a Black Library book that dealt with such a realistic concern; in this case Sanders put the horrors of the galaxy in strong relief- a mother with absolutely NO hope in a galaxy gone mad. Both of these "endings" were great- I just wish they had been in a better book.


Finally, I just completed Pharos by Guy Haley. Now, I think I read a short story of his at some point in the past and I didn't care for it that much. As a result, I avoided his more recent works (Valedor, etc). I saw he was the author of Pharos and I was like "man, I guess I'll be missing that HH story". However, I saw on line some positive reviews, so I decided to give Haley a second chance. And boy, was I glad I did. Pharos is an amazing book. Crisp action, VERY well-drawn characters (both good guys and bad guys), and, frankly, worthy of Know No Fear, Betrayer, and Unremembered Empire (it contains threads from all of those, and takes some of those strands to their logical conclusions). I found three really noteworthy things about the book- I'll try to avoid spoilers.

First, the emerging friendship between Dantioch (the non-traitor Iron Warrior) and Pollux (Imperial Fist) is very compelling. We know the two legions HATE each other (and we know the hatred will get deeper and harsher after the Heresy), and yet their friendship shows "what might have been"- if only the Legions and their Primarchs could see past their petty issues- the Emperor could have accomplished his dream. Dantioch and Pollux show the wasted potential of the Emperor's works.

Second, there's a guardsman Sgt. Mericus. He's a bit roguish at first, and a bit too sarcastic (comic relief?). But, as the story went on, Mericus encouraged bravery in his men, and through quick thinking managed to pull off some miracles in the heat of battle. Mericus becomes our surrogate- a regular guy confronted by the horrors of the Night Lords. Without spoiling too much- Mericus has a brave last stand, and it was exciting and moving stuff. A great character.

Finally, I want to make special mention of Haley's treatment of the Night Lords. As I'm sure you're aware, Aaron Dembski-Bowden has a lock on Night Lords with his Talos trilogy. However, Haley gives him a run for his money in his characterization of the Night Lords (and that's high praise). I love how he puts them in various shades of evil and wickedness. Rather than just make them evil for evil's sake, Haley gives them many motivations, and many different thoughts on what they think their Legion is (and is becoming). The brothers Kellndar and Kellenkir exemplify this- both are "bad guys", yet you feel some pity for them, and you can see that "evil" may well be a sliding scale. I was also very amused by the flamboyant Krukesh the Pale- his command of a host of Night Lords drives much of the action. He's quite vile, but has a sly sense of humor. Finally, there is Skraivok, a Claw leader that has his own agenda, though he longs (in his own way) for the old days of the Legion. His machinations lead to a lot of suspense and tension among the Night Lords, making their scenes so much more interesting and complex, as opposed to just plain "evil" (though the Night Lords do plenty in this department too).

I was pleased by the appearances of Guilliman and Sanguinius. However, I was unhappy to see Kurze once again. I like him, but damn- he's been in a ton of these HH books now. I think we get the picture about him at this point. He comes across as moody and angsty- again, we get it. His appearance leads to an interesting scene, but it ultimately resolves NOTHING. Its as if he has a contract to cameo in X amount of HH books... Can't we see more of some of the other Traitor Primarchs? How about more Peturabo, or Mortarion? Oh- and read the epilogue... amazing!

Anyway, I can't recommend Pharos enough. If you love 40K fiction or are following the Horus Heresy series- this book is an excellent addition to the overall story. I give Haley a huge amount of credit for living up to Abnett and ADB- no mean feat. Check the book out.

On top of all this, I have a tournament tomorrow at my local. Really looking forward to it. I'm sure I'll take pix and then post them on Chaos Corner at some point.

Until next time...

Hey there Chaos followers and sycophants! Welcome to yet another (ugh) edition of Chaos Corner. It's been a busy hobby time for me these past few days- I have had a work break, allowing me to do more modelling, painting, and why yes, even gaming. The truth is I don't get to game as much as I'd like- but that's the way it goes. However, this weekend was a tournament at my local, and I had the opportunity to partake.


This tournament was different in a few ways. First, we were limited to 1,000 points- and then we were randomly assigned allies. In a strange twist, I was teamed up with my friend Brian. What?! The gentleman running the tournament swore that it was done randomly on his Excel program. I believe him- but seriously, what are the chances? LOL. So it was my Cult  Mechanicus with Oathsworn Knight alongside Brian's Ultramarines (which are MY Ultramarines, FYI).


Second, the tournament was set up for 3 rounds. The ranking was based on how many points your side could achieve. This was done in a very interesting way (inspired by one of the bigger tournaments whose name I can't remember). Basically, you could achieve the primary objective in one of two ways- you had to choose before setting up (and then announce it at the start of turn 1). There were also a set of 10 secondary objectives- you chose 3, and announced them at the start of turn 1. I have never played with this format before. It was a little confusing at first- but once we got going it got quite clear, and was a lot of fun.





First, I have to say that we had some nice battlefield terrain. My local had a terrain building session several weeks ago. I was unable to attend, but I donated some of the GW building sprues from the big box set that I still have. The terrain was a mix of old stuff and these newly built pieces. Overall, there were some really nice pieces on the tables. One that stood out was a set of pieces that had Tyranid spores consuming/dissolving things- built with foam and toothpicks for the "teeth". The other really nice piece (that we didn't get to play on sadly) had a huge sectional piece that had a large cliff and plateau - and a bunker at the bottom. Awesome piece. Finally, one of the guys had brought in their Fantasy Realm of Battle Board, painted up to be a desert wasteland. The glowing skulls were a really nice touch. This was to be the site of our first match.

Ultramarines and the Mechanicus prepare to wage war as allies to the Omnissiah

So, I was now teamed up with Brian, and we are about to square off against an unholy alliance of Necrons and Dark Angels (bike and terminator heavy). The game did not go well for me and Brian for several reasons. First, like I am sure all of you are aware, Necron Reanimation Protocols suck. Seriously. I don't know how many my Grav Cannons killed- but the Reanimation made it seem like NONE died at all. I have used the Mech army twice- and against that many gravs most things don't stand a chance (unless they are armor 5-6). Ugh.

Necrons and their Reanimation... UGH.

The Dark Angels also had some crazy invul saves, negating the usefulness of my Grav and the Imperial Knight's Gatling Avenger. Last, Brian and I did not cooperate as well as we could have. He deployed his Marines out of their Rhinos and ended up blocking my shots and giving cover saves for firing through our own men. Then, his Rhinos also caused a bit of a traffic jam, slowing down our movement (I guess the "free Rhino" thing has some limits then after all?).

This would ultimately become a huge traffic jam. Where's General Patton when you need him?

The most humiliating thing was when Necron Scarabs got in and charged my Knight. The truth is, this is only my second game USING a Knight, and I didn't know all the Super-Heavy rules. Should his swarms have been smashed or not? I wasn't sure. It took 2 turns of combat to get rid of them.

Shameful indeed for  Knight Vindicta

Hehe... You said "Cocked"...

However, it wasn't all bad. We all had a laugh when the Necon player rolled a dice and it got "cocked", standing on edge on the table- it was at such a great angle- even as we lost, we could chuckle at that sight. Further, Brain and I did manage to gain SOME of the secondary points. My Knight destroyed a Dark Angels Land Speeder, which we had nominated as a High Value Target. The DA player had kept him hidden, but grew too confident and brought him out to play (though, the rest of the game gave him lots of reason to be confident). My Gatling Avenger made short work of the Land Speeder- a slight triumph for us.

The Land Speeder that was our High Value Target

Ultimately, we got wrecked. And, sadly, the entire match felt like we didn't stand a chance. Between Reanimation, re-roll of invuls for DA bikes, and my team's lack of cooperation, I don't mind losing- but I want to feel that the battle was hard fought and close till the end. We didn't get that at all. On the flip side, I don't enjoy winning by tabling my opponent in turn 2 either- that may be a "victory", but not a fun game.

The Terminators mop up after the Necrons- HERESY!

As we broke for lunch (some tasty pizza), Brian and I regrouped. We discussed ways to improve our coordination. We decided that we would talk before we started moving models, making sure fire lanes were open, and that we could move without getting in each others way. Funny enough, since I introduced Brian to the hobby, we have ALWAYS been opponents. This was the first time we had to cooperate. And our first opponents presented a steep learning curve (he has never faced Necrons before, FYI).


Onto the second match. This was on the field that had Tyranid digestion pools, which I really liked. Our opponents were once again an Unholy Alliance of Chaos Daemons and Dark Angels (Ravenwing... are you sensing a pattern here). They were lead by Sammael and Fateweaver. The Dark Angels were nicely painted, and Fateweaver had a nice conversion- a "crystal ball" was placed in his hand.

We just couldn't get Fateweaver down

This time, Brian and I cooperated much better, combining our fire on targets to make sure they were DEAD. In our first round, we shot the heck out of a squad of Screamers, whom we nominated as the High Value Target (gaining us that second objective and First Blood). The DA bikes posed a problem initially, but as Brian and I combined our strength, even their re-roll invuls couldn't save them.

Dark Angel Ravenwing Column Advances

Our opponents got in their licks too though. Fateweaver was flying high, and my Icarus Cannon just couldn't tackle him. Fateweaver then proceeded to rain Psychic attacks down on our troops, destroying Rhinos and harassing the men (he also killed their High Value Targets, which were a group of my Kataphron Destroyers). The enemy Soul Grinder also did its thing, lobbing its Phlegm attacks onto exposed Marines. Lastly, arriving Dark Angel flyers did some damage as well.

Ravenwing Bikers make their way down to the advancing Ultramarines

Ultimately, Brain and I were winning, whittling down their forces at a faster rate. The final decision came at the center of the table. The objective was worth 5 points- and Brian and I had selected the secondary objective that requires a Warlord to be near the center of the table. The Dark Angels swooped in with bikes and Sammael, hoping to clear the Ultramarine captain and his squad off. Unfortunately for the DA, their initial strength had been dwindled due to my Grav Cannons, so there were fewer of them.

"Rampaging Knight kills Sammael. Film at 11"

The DA player  rolled pretty badly in that combat, killing none of Brian's Marines. However, this could have been a long drawn out fight. So, I charged my Knight in. The Knight cut through the rest of the bikers. All that was left was Sammael. So, I rolled to stomp. I only rolled for 1 stomp. Would 1 be enough. I rolled on the Stomp chart- I got a 6!! Sammael had no chance and was basically stomped to death by a rampaging Imperial Knight. With him gone, we certainly had the center of the table- and with a Knight standing by, there was nothing else they could do.

Brain and I won. Points wise it was close, but it was clearly our win. The game was a lot of fun with lots of back and forth. Our opponents were very good sportsmen, laughing at our foibles as well as their own- such as when Fateweaver suffered Perils of the Warp. A great game with lots of laughs, and fought well till the end. For my team, it seemed that Brian and I had found our groove.

Saruman wasn't kidding when he said "Two Towers"...

So- now to our third match. This battlefield's distinguishing feature was the two towers on a hill in the middle of the battlefield. Our opponent had a problem. His partner had to leave, so he was on his own. To compensate, the TO jumped in with his (guess) ... Ravenwing Dark Angels. Wow- I guess I know what the Meta is at this place! Anyway, he had Ravenwing Bikes, 3 Land Speeders (each as a separate unit, one with Melta) and a Fire Raptor Gunship from Forgeworld (a beautiful model- and quite deadly). Our other opponent was just a vanilla Space Marine list.  Nothing fancy, but enough to be a challenge.

The Tech-Priest guards the objective

The game started off with Night Fight- this didn't hurt too  much, as we were deployed basically in table corners and too far away to hit anything turn 1. Starting turn 2, we began firing on the Space Marine player, again wiping out our HVT (A Rhino). We already had 3 objectives, and thought we could prevent the SM player from getting the Relic in the middle (which THEY chose to treat as a stationary obj for their victory requirement). However, bottom of turn 2, the Dark Angels made their appearance. Bikes and Land Speeders came in from the flanks. One squad (with the librarian) came on next to me- my Tech Priest and Destroyer unit were in trenches with the objective. Luckily, I knew this was a possibility, and I had selected the Canticles that ended up giving me Stealth and Shrouded (my warlord trait allowed the Tech Priest and his unit to enjoy the highest bonus on the Canticles). The bikers shot everything they had (plasma mostly), but thanks to the Canticles I was unharmed.

The Fire Raptor enters the field

Meanwhile, the Fire Raptor came in. I used my Knight's Icarus Cannon to intercept. I manged to take a Hull Point and Make him fire snap shots. He vowed revenge. His Land Speeders did just that, assailing my Knight from 2 directions. My Knight was down to 3 Hull Points. Meanwhile, try as we might, we just couldn't clear the Space Marines from the table center- it was happening, but not fast enough it seemed.

Trying to clear the Space Marines from the center objective

On turn 3 (the final turn, due to time constraints) Brian and I went all out. Ultramarines and Destroyers firing at the approaching bikers. Using Canticle that re rolls misses, my Grav managed to kill the librarian and final bikers, thus eliminating the threat. The TO recognized that this hurt them, as did the fact that Brian managed to get into the relic thus contesting (both Marine forces having obj secured). I also had my Knight charge the nearest Land Speeder (the Melta) and cleaved it in twain.

The Ravenwing Bikers were destroyed by mass Grav fire- despite their re-roll Invuls

In the final analysis, they won by 1 point. However, the TO noted that if the game had gone on another turn or 2, it would have been a different story. The Knight was still functioning and would have done lots of damage to the Space Marine units. Further, I still had 2 squads of Grav Destroyers that would ruin anybody's day. So, while we lost by 1, Brian and I felt good about the match nevertheless. The Space Marine player was friendly and laid back. The TO was in it to win, but he was also a lot of fun- bellowing (humorously) that he would get revenge on my Knight for his temerity in shooting his Fire Raptor. A great match, and a great way to end the Tournament.

A fun day was certainly had. On a side note, we had a contest for best painted model. With a tie breaking vote from one of the store employees, my Tech Priest Dominus won best painted model. I was very happy and honored. There were lots of good looking models on the tables though- and that was awesome.

Well, this has been a long blog, but I wanted to get in as many of the details as I could remember before I forgot them.

Until Next Time

Hey there folks! Welcome back to the Corners of Chaos. I'm still thinking about last week's Tournament. That was a lot of fun. There's supposed to be another in April- hopefully that weekend will be clear so that I can go.


I just finished the Curse of the Wulfen book. I love the story- a saga of heroes, misguided heroes, and some villains too, in the form of Chaos daemons. I also love the friggin' cliffhanger of an ending too. Wow. I am really looking forward to the conclusion (assuming they are following the format of the previous campaign book releases).


Of course, my eye was immediately drawn to the Daemons part of the rules. I am slightly disappointed with the Daemonic Incursion "Decurion". The number of models (and points) required to take these formations make it fairly impractical. You simply don't have the points in most 1800-2000 point games to fill out the Incursion and have the flexibility that the Daemons codex actually provides. I mean, you can possibly have both a Tallyband the Tzeentch formation (9 units!!). It blows.


However, if you take ONE of the formations AND instead use CAD... well, then it is possible to build a decent army around a solid core of the Formations. I could well take a Tallyband, and then take a standard detachment with a few other daemon types. That, I think, would work really well. I could (thanks to my numerous Daemonkin) also do the same with a Murderhost. Tzeentch and Slaanesh- well, I don't have enough models for those, and I doubt I ever will.


I am appreciative of the god-specific psychic powers, artifacts, and warlord traits. Several of the warlord traits are actually useful, and some of those artifacts can be nasty. I am pleased they expanded this after the rather too narrow scope of the original Daemon codex. Oh- another bonus- you can now take the new Bloodthirster and give him Lesser,  Greater, and Exalted Gifts. That ain't too shabby.


Of course, all this talk of Daemons really got me thinking. I told you before, the lure of Chaos is very strong, and I can only be away for so long before I get sucked back in. Well, thanks to the Wulfen book- I'm doing Chaos again. Now, don't get me wrong- I still have Mechanicus I'm working on. I'm enjoying that army so I will continue to build on it. However.... must... paint... Daemons! LOL


After reading Wulfen and dreaming of a Tallyband, I counted my Plaguebearers and Nurglings. I had 6 between the two unit types (provided I use the minimum sizes for each). So... you know what I had to do. I decided to buy one more box of the plastic Plaguebearers of course! Now I have 7 units (and of course, I already have a Herald of Nurgle).


I love this "new" plastic kit. Don't get me wrong- the metal ones from 4th (I think) edition are really nice. At the time, they were the best. I enjoyed painting those (I think it was in 2002 or so). Those metal models inspired me greatly, impacting my modeling work in many ways. I had already been doing Plague Marines, but doing the Daemons pushed my painting techniques further, thus influencing my painting of subsequent Plague Marines. Indeed, painting these metal Plaguebearers made me a much better painter- I only started seriously painting in 2000- and my Dark Eldar were quite plain. Using the old White Dwarf articles, I learned about new techniques and applied them to the Plaguebearers. I really upped my painting with them. (Truly, that is something I truly miss with White Dwarf magazine as it is now. It is merely a sales brochure- I loved the old WD that had hobby and story articles that INSPIRED).


Anyways, as I assembled my Plaguebearers I decided I would do something totally different. I decided I would spray them white and then do their flesh ONLY using washes. It is a technique that I have NEVER used before. Naturally, I have used washes (recesses, to alter a hue), but never have I used washes to primarily paint a model. I have read about the technique (WD had a few articles when the new paints were released, but mostly I read about it online).


So, I used different wash combos on different Plaguebearers. For some, I used Cammoshade to make the sickly, pale green that has been the trademark of my Plague stuff since day 1. However, the washes allowed me to get a nice color much more quickly.


For others, I used alternating coats of Fleshshade and Sepia. This gave them a more fleshy, yet still sickly appearance. Though my original Plague stuff was NOT this color, I had since painted Nurgle stuff in all kinds of colors, as long as they were disgusting (though I still primarily do that pale and sickly green, I have enough colors interspersed that they still form a coherent looking army).


On one, I used Fleshade and Earthshade. That guy looks the most different. However, he still looks like part of the same Daemonic force. I think I may paint future Nurgle stuff with that color combo, as I like how dirty it looks.


There was only one model I had a mishap with. I used Bel Tan Green on one- yikes. Waaaaaayy too green. I tried to put Cammoshade over, but to no avail. So, I had no choice but to re-coat him with Deathworld paint, followed by Cammo wash. Despite this error, he still came out looking like his festering brothers. (Note to self- don't use Bel Tan Green over white again. Ever.)


The rest of the details I painted with regular paints and the technical paints. The guts I did Khorne Red, then I brightened them up with lighter reds, finally adding pink to some of the intestines. Then I followed this by using Blood for the Blood god technical paint. Nice and goopy in some spots.


The swords I did with Leadbelcher, followed by Typhus Corrosion technical paint. This gave them a filthy look. As for the eyes, I used my old technique of painting the entire eye area white, followed by a Mephiston Red eye rim, and finally a slit of black for the iris.


For the sores and tumor looking stuff, I used various contrasting washes (yes, Bel Tan Green works for this stage, as does purple and yellow) and the Nurgle's Rot technical paint around/over the sores, then used white to highlight the top of the sores.


Finally, I put gobs of Nurgle's Rot on their swords, their sores, some of their mouths, and running down their legs and onto the bases. Once all of that was done, I used 'Ardcoat over the entire model- sword and all (EXCEPT the banner). This gloss varnish makes them look extra slimy and sickly.


Oh- forgot one thing. My Plague champion I put a zombie head on. The one think about the kit I don't like is that SOME of the poses are limited. The champion is posed so that his sword is sticking straight up. I decided that, since there was little I could do with the sword, I put a zombie head on the Plaguebearer, thus making him look different from the others. After all, according to the mythology, anyone killed by one of Nurgle's plagues becomes a Plaguebearer in the warp. So- why not look slightly "man-ish"?


Now- a confession. I enjoyed painting these guys so much that... at last week's Tourney, I bought a Start Collecting! Daemons of Nurgle box... That means I have more Nurgle stuff to keep me busy. I told you- Chaos will always have me in its grasp! Hehe! As for the ones I just finished, they match quite well with the rest of my Nurgle Daemons- as I mix and match them, they would form a very unified force- all the colors of filth and rot. I think I will paint my next batch of Nurgle stuff in the same manner with the washes, as I like the results of this technique.

I also wanted to show off some terrain I recently finished for my friend Joe. As you may recall, we recently finished his ice world table (it is beautiful for sure). Joe had the old wrecked ship terrain from an old 40K boxed set from the early 2000s. He asked if I would paint it for him.


So, I painted the ship to be Dark Angels, which is now is primary army that he's working on. I did it simply, Caliban Green with lighter green highlights. As for the snow, I started with Kantor Blue, then used brighter blues. Then, I followed with a liberal drybrush of Russ Grey, followed by brighter greys and whites, making sure to leave the blue beneath. It gives the whole thing an icy appearance. If you paint it just snow white, you lose a ton of detail and visually its rather dull. The blue under the white gives it the appearance of glacial ice or something.


These didn't take me long to do. I used Blood technical paint to give it a little something interesting. I also put on some Dark Angel transfers. With all the pieces together, they really make a nice set of terrain pieces, and the ice blue will go with Joe's table perfectly.


So- that's everything for now. I'll be back next time with undoubtedly more Daemons, but I will be getting back to Mechanicus as well very soon.


Until next time...

Hey there Chaos fanatics! No, I haven't forgotten about you, not at all. Its just that I've been really busy the past few weeks. I am working on a large painting project which I will show off when its done. I have a ton of 40K stuff that I have to put together... Wowza.

Anyway, like the title says, I'm going to share my two cents on Batman Versus Superman: Dawn of Justice. No doubt you've heard the film is divisive, to say the least. Well, Old Man Chaos intends to wade into those waters, with his own take on the proceedings. So- away we go.


First, I must acknowledge that Batman Versus Superman is not a perfect film. Indeed, it has serious flaws. However, it is also a very entertaining movie, with some thought provoking ideas and two incredible performances (and a bunch of good ones as well). Indeed, I feel the good far outweighs the bad.

SPOILERS TO COME






STILL THERE? SPOILERS ARE COMING!



To start, one must admit that BvS, like The Force Awakens, serves many masters. TFA had to accomplish a TON- show that SW is viable and relevant, get the bad taste of the prequels out of our mouths, dial up the nostalgia/fan service, create new compelling characters, create an exciting movie in its own right, and lots more. TFA is, frankly, a minor cinematic miracle in how many of these things it accomplished. We can quibble about having yet another super-death star and the like, but the fact is TFA did what it HAD to do to save the SW franchise and pull it forward- and the result is a highly entertaining film to boot.

BvS also serves many masters. Snyder and co had to: make a quality sequel to Man of Steel, try to deal with fan anger over the "mass deaths" issue, try to create a new Batman after Bale/Nolan's definitive take, lay the groundwork for a new DC franchise, go head to head with Marvel, and lots more. BvS accomplishes many of those as well. However, while JJ made it look EASY in TFA (seriously, the movie feels like seeing an old friend), Snyder runs into problems in BvS. For some people, these problems derail the whole thing. I however do not see it that way. I think the whole is stronger than the sum of its parts.


I want to start with the negatives first, if I may. First and foremost, the damn flashbacks / dream sequences / warning from the future. Right here is where the filmmakers try to build their universe too quickly. They throw so much at you, stuff that makes little sense. But worse, these sequences stop the film dead in its tracks. The movie just starts to build momentum when the first dream happens. Then the film chugs to recover when a (thankfully) shorter dream takes center stage, once again jarring the viewer out of the main thrust of the film. Both annoyed me- I think they should have been trimmed into a melange of images that make no sense- but happen quickly. Or perhaps they should have been excised entirely. The flow of the film suffers for these sequences.

The flow of the ending is very choppy, as we jump from ending to ending. Once again, I wish this had been done in a more linear fashion. But instead we jump from place to place, backwards and forwards. This diminished what I felt could have been a truly powerful conclusion. Instead it gets muddled, and again their eye is on setting up the future DC franchise, taking it off the BvS film itself.


I wish that the Lois Lane story was given a bit more import and time- I think showing Lois as a peerless investigative reporter is essential, and the "bullet" mystery is great, but it gets lost amidst the rest of the film's bombast. And its so important, but that importance has been blunted because of the truncated feel of her "side story".

There are some pacing issues overall, and a few things that don't make 100 percent sense to me (admittedly, I think I need to see the movie again to sort it out. I say that because as I think about it so much in BvS actually DOES make sense. It may be me. It may be that scenes were deleted).

Now, I really want to get into the plot and our three leads, as I feel these aspects are what makes the movie better than a casual look and/or the negatives might suggest.



First, Snyder and company throw a lot of questions at you about the Man of Steel. Should he be held responsible for the battle of Metropolis? Is he a hero or not? Should he be held to the same rules as the rest of us? Is he a god? A savior? An alien? The film devotes some time to these questions- politicians and the TV pundits / talking heads debate these quite a bit. Some criticisms have been laid that Snyder doesn't resolve these. That's outrageous. Of COURSE there's no consensus or conclusion to these. Look at the US right now- we argue about EVERYTHING. Nothing is "settled". I think the film does a fine job of building all of these up without a "full" resolution. That would be too easy, and Snyder doesn't fall for it.

Indeed, that is the core of the film. If such a "Superman" existed, how would the world respond? How would people view him? The entire film is about this very issue. Both Batman and Lex Luthor are, for their own reasons, consumed by these questions.


 Let's start with the easier of the two, Batman. First, I want to say that Ben Affleck gives this his all and then some. His performance is so good, so on the mark for THIS version of Batman, that its practically a revelation. Not only does he have the physical presence, the gravitas, the determination- he also has doubts about his "mission", and his witty banter with Alfred (played nicely by Jeremy Irons)- all done to near perfection. I cannot wait to see "Batffleck" in future DC films. He's that good. I still think Bale is the best, but in time... who knows?


Now let's look at Batman's motivation. He has been fighting crime for years. He has grown frustrated in his mission (criminals pop up like weeds, he laments to Alfred). He has lost Robin, and possibly other allies. You sense the weariness. It seems that fighting crime is a losing proposition. As he hits this point and becomes so bitter, his life is changed when he witnesses Superamn fighting Zod in Metropolis. Wayne Enterprise workers are killed, and Bruce can do nothing. He sees gods fighting with him and his people as nothing but ants. This feeling of powerlessness is added to his frustrations of a weary Batman, creating an even more bitter and vindictive Batman.

The film makes it quite clear that Batman has been getting worse. He has, as the film starts, been branding some criminals. In the film he does indeed kill (indirectly with the Batmobile and plane, but still). While many are screaming that this is breaking Batman's cardinal rule, I say not so fast. First, every modern film Batman (except for Clooney- and that should tell you something) has killed. Burton's Batman killed the Joker, Joker Henchmen, Penguin Henchmen, Penguin... Val Kilmer killed Two-Face at the end of Batman Forever. And Nolan... try as he might, he didn't avoid it either. How many League of Shadows goons did Bruce kill escaping their mountain citadel? He then later KILLS Ras (the line "I won't kill you... but I don't have to save you" hardly absolves him). In TDK he doesn't kill, but in TDKR his Bat-Plane surely blows up a few LoS henchmen (along with Talia). He may not kill Bane, but Batman doesn't even blink when Catwoman guns him down. Hell, Batman doesn't even check to see if Bane is alive! So please- don't give me the Batman doesn't kill thing. At least in film.

However, and more importantly, it serves the plot and arc for Batman. He has no hope, and he descends, ever closer to that line, the abyss that will make him what he hates. A villain. He's so close to that. And the appearance of Superman makes Bruce feel as if his entire career as Batman is pointless. What difference does a criminal make when you've got Superman and others who could destroy the world. Batman has been fighting small fires (and losing). Superman upends Bruce entirely.


Now, while Bruce is internalizing this, he comes to the conclusion that Superman must be destroyed. This may be the only thing Batman might do to keep the world safe, the only thing Batman can succeed at. Bruce becomes determined to stop Superman, using ANY means necessary. He believes that only such a measure can save THE WORLD. Not Crime Alley or Gotham- the future of the world.


Batman cannot see that Superman is good, as Bruce is too far lost in his own despair. Alfred tries to act as Bruce's conscience, but Bruce may already be too far gone. All he can see is the danger. He cannot admit to other possibilities. So, he sets out to fight and destroy Superman.


That brings us to... Lex Luthor. Now, Jesse Eisnberg's performance may be the most divisive thing in the film. And while I get some of the complaints, I find that the character is actually well handled in the final analysis. And what he symbolizes in the plot is just enormous.





First, this version of Lex is an amalgamation of all the versions of Lex. So many people want the bald ruthless industrialist version. The fact is this version has only been around since the 1980s. Lex has gone through LOTS of incarnations. In the Golden Age, "Luthor" was a mad scientist with red hair, with futuristic weapons at his disposal- he threatened the world many times over in the 1940s. Later versions have Lex Luthor as a bald mad scientist type blaming Superboy for an accident that caused the baldness.







 The eccentric and outlandish insane genius persisted for years (and is the basis for the Gene Hackman version). Then, in the 80s, Luther got reinvented as the megalomaniac industrialist billionaire businessman that we know and love today.


BvS Lex Luthor is a combination of those elements, combined with the new billionaire, the tech guru. Look at guys like Jobs, Zuckerberg, Beezos, and any of the other silicone valley billionaires. They are an eccentric bunch- nerds and geeks. But- they are a major force in our economy and just about every other facet of our lives. Indeed, their nerdiness and tech have made them VERY powerful. The Internet not only has info on EVERYBODY, it also has the power to mold people, shape events, change the world. In fact, it is scary how much power and influence the tech world has over us.

Eisnberg's Luthor combines the various Lex incarnations with this modern "tech industrialist" sensibility. The result is a Lex who is full of insecurity, nervous tics, and eccentricities. Underneath that veneer though, is a man used to getting his own way. His company literally has the sum of human knowledge at his fingertips. as well as the money and power that goes with that. Luthor is truly the (invisible) master of his domain. He is used to having total control, with everyone dancing to his tune- other businessmen, consumers, the media, and naturally politicians...


Luthor is king of the world- but like Batman, his world changes when Superman fights Zod. Suddenly, like Batman, Luthor's accomplishments feel VERY small. He is the king of nothing. He is an ant to Superman. This feeling of powerlessness drives Luthor. But, rather than be like Bruce, wanting to protect the world, Lex only sees his own ego. He views Superman (and the meta-humans that he is researching) as a personal challenge. Lex will have all of these beings dancing to his tune, one way or the other. Its the only we he can stay powerful and, frankly, relevant.

Some critics have said Luthor's intentions are murky. Nonsense. He spells it out (in his eccentric way). Luthor compares himself to Prometheus at a party. This legend tells how Prometheus challenged the gods- stealing fire and giving it to man. That is exactly how Luther sees himself- he is going to take on the gods. What other challenge is there in life for someone like him?

This scene takes on new meaning when you realize Lex KNOWS who both of his guests are long before.

 So- Luthor does many things- and you have to sort though his many layers of machinations. He begins to keep tabs on meta-humans (and Batman presumably). He learns a lot about them- facial recognition software is a wonderful tool- Luthor quickly figures out that Batman is Bruce, and Superman is Kent. Lex learns about Kryptonite as well. So he sets out to put the two against each other. Lex engineers events that make Superman look questionable (the dessert bullets, the explosion of the Senate). Meanwhile, he ALLOWS Batman to dig in a little into Lex's knowledge, with Batman discovering Kryptonite. Lex WANTS Batman to get the Kryptonite. He wants to make Bats kill Supes. Why should Lex get his hands dirty? After all- he's making this happen, and that gives him his kicks.


But- why would Superman fight Batman? Lex kidnaps Ma Kent (and in his best scene) Luthor explains that if Supes doesn't fight Batman, Ma Kent will die. Some have criticized this, after all is this all Lex is capable of- brute force against an old woman? Nonsesne. He manipulated Batman so well, testing his intelligence. For Superman, brute strength will do (hence the crude threat to Ma Kent). As Luthor throws pics of the captive Ma Kent at Superman, the hero falls to his knees. Lex is exultant, and Eisnberg gives him a cruelty unmatched by many modern comic movie villains (he exudes more menace and evil in this ONE scene than Mandarin, Ultron, Dark Elf, Ronan, and most of the other Marvel movie villains put together). In this moment he is evil, despicable and perhaps, MORE powerful than Superman.


So, Batman and Superman fight. Now lets get to the third piece, Superman himself. Henry Cavil does a good job here, though his role is less flashy than either Batman or Luther. Superman is a man still unsure of himself, his powers, and his place in the world. He WANTS to help, and doesn't want reward. He is idealistic (a dream of a Kansas farmer). But, even he sees how dark and hopeless our world is. Can he stay pure? Can he truly "save" others? Superman is uncomfortable of the hero worship, and he is truly hurt by the criticism and jealousy. He has many doubts. However, he does have convictions. As Kent, he appears to be a bit of a crusading journalist, feeling that Batman only attacks the poor and disadvantaged, and his tactics are brutal, savage. To Superman, Batman is bad- and worse, represents what Superman could be if Kent LOST his moral compass.

For both good and bad, Superman is forced into a bit of a reactionary role, reacting to Batman, Lex, and events that Lex has caused. This both strengthens and weakens the character's portrayal. When he confronts Lex, he is hamstrung- he wants to protect both Lois and Ma Kent. He has no choice but to dance to Lex's tune. Or does he?

When Supes goes to fight Batman (unaware of the Kryptonite threat), rather than fight Superman tries to reason with Batman, but Bruce is past that. The fight is brutal, but Batman has the upper hand with the Kryptonite. As Batman is about to land the killing blow (with a Kryptonite Spear of Destiny no less), Superman calls out Martha- his mother's name AND ironically Bruce's mothers name. Now, some asked "Why did Superman call out his mother's first name rather than say 'mom'"? They didn't hear the whole thing- Superman is struggling to breathe- he says to Batman that he needs to save Martha Kent- how else would Batman have known who "mom" was? No. So it actually makes sense. With that, Batman stays his hand- he and the god have something in common after all. All of Bruce's doubts (and Alfred's lecturing) come to the surface. Batman has been a fool. Superman is GOOD. Bruce was wrong. But he vows to correct the mistake by rescuing Ma Kent. Batman's line "Martha will not die tonight" sent shivers down my spine.


Meanwhile, Lex plays his last hand. He has spent a part of the film researching the secrets of Kryptonian knowledge and technology. Once again playing Prometheus, he uses this knowledge to build Doomsday- again, to prove his superiority, but also as insurance against Superman (should he win) and the other meta-humans. The battle with Doomsday is brutal, with Wonder Woman making her appearance (a minor role, but Lex had her in his file and she was concerned about it). When all seems lost, Superman grabs the Kryptonite spear, and destroys Doomsday with it. In the process, Superman is also killed.

(For those complaining about Doomsday- in the original Death of Superman comic storyline, Doomsday was one dimensional, to say the least. A force of nature without direction or goal. Indeed, Doomsday is just a plot device to kill Superman. The main meat of the storyline is the Return of Superman- which involves various Super-imposters and versions of the Man of Steel. Now, Doomsday has been upgraded since. But in the original story, he has ZERO character or motivation. For me, Lex's engineering of Doomsday is good enough for me. There are more Superman villains out there- to me Doomsday is sub par at best- so I'm glad they got him out of the way). 


In the end, Bruce realizes the error of his way, and vows not to fail again. He swears to honor Superman's sacrifice. It is clear that Superman's example has redeemed Batman. Batman has come out of the darkness, morally and spiritually. And now Batman wants to assemble these other meta human heroes to protect the world. The life and death of Superman now serve as an example, and Bruce means to live up to that as best he can. It is a great conceit, and it flies in the face of the "comic standard" idea that Bruce is reluctant to join  the Justice League. I loved the turnaround. It also plays into Jor El's lines in MoS saying that Superman should be an example to all mankind, and I appreciated the callback to that.


To me- that is what the film is about- Batman's redemption. Naturally, Superman will come back (I think...). We will also see new DC heroes as well. The film successfully makes you WANT to see what happens next. But it is Batman's character arc (compared/contrasted with Lex's) that make the heart and soul of the film.

I left a ton out, but that's OK. I think the film is a good, but not great one. It's flaws detract from what could have been a great movie. I give it 3 out of 4 Marks of Chaos. Subsequent viewings may change the rating, but that's what I'm thinking right now.

I know its been a bit, but I welcome you back to Chaos Corner. I've been so busy for the past month or so. Sure, I've been able to paint and stuff, but I had very little time to blog. I have also managed to play in both a tournament and a couple of one off games too. Not too shabby.


As I said, I have been working on several things. One of them is a bit of a "project" that I'm going to show on a future installment. That "project" took longer than anticipated. It wasn't that it got tedious, but it took quite a bit of doing. More of a labor of love than anything else. As I said, I will be showing that soon enough.



Unfortunately, that project took time away from other things. Ultimately, once I finished the big project, I dove back into Mechanicus. I really love the army, though I got some mixed results at my recent Tournament; I'm still learning the rules and the options.


 I do wish the 2 codexes would be put into one. Having 2 books for it is really, really dumb; frankly, neither half is really complete without the other, as I discovered at the tournament (I had taken ALL my units from the Cult Mechanicus book, and I discovered their limitations big time).


So, let us start with my Kataphron Destroyers. Now, these guys are nasty on the battlefield. If you equip them with Grav, you are getting a ton of shots- whatever they shoot at is going to have a bad day (unless I'm rolling poorly, which happened at the Tournament, sadly). The Plasma Calivers are also pretty nasty, though I have an aversion to small templates drifting. But if it hits, it is devastating. You can also mix and match them in a squad (something that I haven't tried yet, but is really interesting).


So, as I had a box of Kataphrons that I had not assembled, I decided to make two Gravs and 1 Plasma. I figured that each of the Grav could go with my other grav squads (making two 4 man grav squads), and the Plasma joined my 3 man Plasma squad (thus making 4). Theoretically, I could have an 8 man squad of Grav--- talk about overkill! I wonder if a large grouping has its merits, or am I better off with MSU? I will have to try both approaches.


I really like this model and how they look uniform, and yet can be made to look more distinct with head swaps and weapon poses. I deliberately left the servo-arm off the smaller guns- just to further distinguish them from others.



They really have a lot of firepower, and at T5 they really can't be ignored, but can also be tough to kill, especially if you have them in cover or with a Tech-Priest Dominus. Combine that with Canticles and the Kataphrons are a great troop choice.


However, the Cult: Mechanicus book lacks speed. I took a list to the Tournament that was all Cult: Mechanicus and a Knight Ally. Now, I blew chunks with my Knight at the tournament. I couldn't make a 4+ ion shield roll to save my life, and my Knight blew up in all 3 rounds of the Tournament.


As this happened, I saw that the Cult: Mech units are all very slow. Tough, but slow. I love the Kastellan Robots, but since they can't deep strike or anything, have to slog 6" all the way. Same is true for the Kataphron Destroyers (Breechers can Deep Strike IF you take the formation- and I haven't yet as I don't have enough Breechers for that formation). The army has lots going for it, but without transports, it is a slow army.


But in Codex Skitarri- there are the Ironstriders and Dragoons. These are units that move fast and are actually much more formidable than one might think, considering they are open-topped walkers. In the few games I've used them, they have done very well. In one, they took on a Lord of War character (can't remember which one now- Draigo I think)- they got him down to one wound and then the game was over. They tied him up for two turns! He could have done a lot of damage before the endgame, and the Dragoons more than paid for themselves by keeping him out of the bigger fight. After the Tournament I decided to get a bunch more of them, so that I might do the formation with them.


 But to do the formation I had to build some of  them as the Ironstriders- these are walkers with either auto or las cannons. I think these guys may also be very useful, particularly in the formation. In tandem with the close combat walkers, moving 9" at a clip- they can be both mobile and hard hitting. If all these walkers target one vehicle or unit, I suspect it will indeed be dead meat.



As I have said in previous posts, I have envisioned a whole bunch of walkers supporting my Imperial Knights. I just love the idea of these "knights" charging into battle with their mechanical steeds. The mental image for me is very strong, and I am determined to make it a reality. I am not even considering it to be strong tactically or not- I just want these guys storming over the table! LOL


So, now I have 4 of the Dragoons and 2 of the Ironstriders. Ultimately, I would like to get 2 more Dragoons- this would enable me to do 2 squads of 3 or 1 squad of 6 (that must be brutal on the charge). I would also like 1 more Ironstrider, so that I could have 3 twin-las or autocannon shots to support the Dragoon charge. 

I also recently finished a squad of Skitarii Vanguard. Thus far, I only had a squad of Rangers, so I realized I really need to bulk the troop choices out a bit. I decided to do Vanguard, so I could try out the other troop option.


As far as the models look goes, I like the Vanguard better. While the Ranger hoods are nice, I feel that the Vanguard look far more mechanical than the Rangers. They look more mechanical with that extra metal head exposed. I also like that their regular guns are shorter than the Ranger rifles, which gives the Vanguard a sleeker look.


I gave the leader a power sword and an Arc pistol, while the 2 special weapons are Plasma and Arc. I think both of those special weapons are quite useful. I also gave one an Omnispex. I was inspired to paint its lenses as red, blue, and green by the 1950s version of War of the Worlds. The device made me think of the Martian probe in that film- since the Mechanicum are based on Mars I thought it was appropriate.


Well, that's all I got for now. I have plenty of other projects in the pipeline, so I'm sure you'll be seeing them on here sooner or later. Until next time...

Hello everyone and welcome back to a new installment of the blog you never asked for- Chaos Corner. Now, we all know that the warp consumes all- everything is taken by the Immaterium. But, every once in a while, the Sea of Souls gives something back---- in this case, a dreaded Space Hulk!


This has been a project I have been working on for the better part of 2 months. Now, I can hear already what you're saying "Come on, Old Man Chaos- this game was released years ago! You mean you haven't done it yet?!"


Too true. Too true. The game was released in late summer 2009. I have owned it for that long, as a matter of fact. Sad but true story to follow: It was August of 2009 and the rumors were true: GW was going to make a new version of Space Hulk, with gorgeous models and gaming boards. However, just at I pre-ordered it, I experienced a family tragedy. My father passed away after a brief battle with cancer. I recall my friend Joe talking to me about Space Hulk after my father's passing; Joe was obviously trying to take my mind off things, but it wasn't working, for obvious reasons.


So, when I got the game, I opened it and looked at the contents, but I just couldn't seem to be able to sit down and paint the models. I just couldn't at that point. So, I gave my friend Pete the Broodlord from the box and then put the thing in my basement. And forgot about it pretty much. Every once in a while I'd look it over, maybe even read the rules. But I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I guess it just reminded me too much of my father.


So, fast forward to this past winter. GW announced the new game, Deathwatch: Overkill. This box looked simply amazing. The Genestealer cults?! I have always loved that idea. And I am a fan of the Deathwatch. How could I not get this game? So of course, my wife ordered it for me. As soon as I got it, I immediately put all of those models together.


But then it suddenly occurred to me... I said to myself "Self, wouldn't it be cool to do Space Hulk? You could paint the Tyranids in the same way you did for that commissioned work from last year... Paint up Space Hulk, then Deathwatch: Overkill, and you could do a huge "campaign" based on these Tyranid board games..."


Of course, I always listen to the voices that whisper to me (that's what got me to the Chaos Corner in the first place). So I dug up the Space Hulk set, opened the long closed box, and began modeling away... Everything but the Broodlord was there. Heck, the corridors and markers hadn't even been punched out yet.


My first order of business was to put all the models on bases. I figured, IF I ever wanted to use them for a regular 40K game for what ever reason, I could. Plus, I felt it made them look better, and the bases fit well enough on the Space Hulk corridors. This way I could handle them by the base, not by the model itself.


I painted the Tyranids first. I used the same technique as I had on that commission I did last year. The skin was painted white and then washed with Sepia all over, and then some Earthshade in the recesses. I painted their chitin armor I did in blues- Altdorf with a blue wash, highlighted with more Altdorf and Temple Guard, and then I did the blue glaze over it. I also went to town adding copious amounts of green slime and blood. I also added some corrosion to the metal corridors that the Nids were walking on- for all the rust and grime on these old Space Hulks.


The Blood Angels I painted in the same way that I did for that commission (which I never got a chance to take pics of before the guy needed them). Their basecoat is naturally Mephiston Red, with a wash of earthsahde, with more Mephiston over it, with successive lighter highlights.


I didn't do anything too fancy to the Blood Angels. After all, they are Blood Angels and they should look a certain way. No experimentation or anything here- just straight up Blood Angels. I did add some character in terms of adding Tyranid blood (slime) on their power fists.



In particular, the guy holding an eviscerated Tyranid head and torso was a lot of fun to paint. The bone/blue makes a great contrast with the red armor, and the green slime accentuates both, pulling your eye to that poor dead Tyranid.



I also had fun painting the Librarian. I have never liked the idea of painting them blue, as I felt that made them look too much like Ultramarines. I decided, in this case, to paint the armor Blood Angel red, however, I painted the shoulder pad and psychic hood blue, in honor of the Librarius. Thus, he looks like a Blood Angel, and yet he stands apart and is very distinct.








I also enjoyed painting the dead Blood Angel on the command throne- it was a bit of a hoot for this old Chaos player to paint up a slain servant of the false Emperor lol. But seriously, it is a nice model with lots of detail that I enjoyed painting.


All in all, with this many models, it took me nearly 2 months off and on to paint. I enjoyed it, but at times I was getting tired of painting so many damn Genestealers. One good thing about the Deathwatch box is that there is some variety among the Genestealer cult, which I will have a lot of fun painting. And the Deathwatch marines have so much character, and I look forward to bringing that out as I paint them.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed painting Space Hulk, but at times it was more a labor of love than just hobby fun. I guess 'Nids are not the army for me then LOL. I need another army like I need a hole in the head.

At any rate, I am greatly looking forward to playing Space Hulk with my friends, or even taking the game down to my local. I am planning to start Deathwatch within the next month or so- I have a few other projects simmering that I must attend to first. As it turns out, I have quite a bit to assemble and paint over the summer... But as soon as I do Deathwatch I will show it off here.

Until next time....

Hey there Chaos fanatics! Like the title says... it is true. The legions of Chaos have been vomited out of the Eye of Terror, and even now they strike out against the Imperium! The forces of Chaos Corner have taken over YouTube!!! Nothing will ever be the same again! LOL

Seriously, I have decided to take the plunge and do YouTube. Now, this will be to supplement Chaos Corner, not replace it. I will still do plenty of blog posts, showing off miniatures, terrain projects, pics of recent games, reviews, and all the other things you have come to expect on Chaos Corner. However, I am itching to try my hand on YouTube. I have seen so many videos on line for 40K- great battle reports and other hobby videos-they have inspired me to try it out.

So my first video is decidedly Un-Chaos, I must say. I show off my Adeptus Mechanicus army as a whole (which I have not done yet on the blog). I didn't do ANY editing or have music (which is trickier than I thought on YouTube). I will be experimenting with all kinds of things as time goes on though.



Here is my channel, be sure to check it out- Corners of Chaos

Let me know what you think of my first YouTube video! Hope you enjoyed it. 

Until next time...

Hey there Chaos fanatics! Old Man Chaos is back with an update to this part of the Realm of Chaos, known as the interweb. Like the title says I've got a lot so lets get started:

GW Containers


After seeing them in a recent issue of White Dwarf I knew I was going to get a set. My friend Joe and I have decided to split the cost, as they will be used frequently on his ice world table. I really like the look of the big containers- they were fairly easy to assemble and paint up. The barrels are also nice and an improvement on the old barrels. Finally, the ammo cases are a cool, though I think they give you too many- save that plastic for something else!


At any rate, I painted the containers and ammo crates pretty much like it says on the back of the box. I did one in Mephiston Red, with a drybrush of Astorath Red. I used Nuln Oil (matte) on the recesses to give it a bit of depth. I also added signs of wear and tear with dark browns and metals, as well as some acid or slime coming through the vents.







I painted half of the barrels the same way- Mephiston Red, with copious amounts of slime and grime. The other barrels I did in Leadbelcher with plenty of Typhus Corrosion. I think that putting a singular barrel somewhere is OK, but grouping them together is just so much cooler.


As for the other tow storage containers, I did one in Mechanicum Grey with lighter highlights. The green one was naturally Castellan with a drybrush of Niblet Green. To these two I added streaks of blood and even bullet holes. These details would have been lost on the red container, but they show up just fine on these. I also gave them signs of wear and tear as I described above.



The ammo crates were painted using the methods above. I really like them, but painting that many was a bit annoying. They are also somewhat small, so to give it a good effect on the table you'll have to pile them all together to look cool. 


I wanted to show them off, so I staged some photos of them with models so you can see the sizes. I pitted my Mechanicus against my Khorne Bezerkers and Chaos Cultists. I think you'll find that the storage containers are a good size, as are the barrels. I think they are quite interesting looking, and will give your battlefield a bit more detail.


I painted these ones quite "neutral", though one could paint them to be almost anything- cargo for Space Marines, or perhaps rusted out wrecks, or maybe they've been "looted"... The possibilities with these are endless. The price ain't too bad either, considering the 3 cargo containers are, together, bigger than a Rhino.


When we use them in a game I will be sure to use them as terrain, though I'm rather dubious of using the somewhat silly rules they have- but who knows? I'll have to give it a shot at any rate.


Speaking of battles, I had a "final grudge match" against one of my regular opponents at my local store. Nick is a great player- friendly, even-tempered, very fair and laid back. He also plays very much old school- no wacky allies, no broken formations. He plays in the old style, and I have always appreciated that, and he had become one of the opponents I most looked forward to playing- our matches were not only fun- but just about all of them were nail bitters, right down to the wire! And yet we were both always laughing and laid back. Great games.


Unfortunately (for me at least), Nick is moving quite far away, and won't be around the local anymore. Nick also sold most of his stuff (a bit of it to me actually. He's a damn pirate, appealing to my weakness for plastic crack at a discount), and now he only has a small Dark Angels force.


At any rate, we decided to have a "final grudge match". It was a small game, at 1250 points. The mission was The Relic. It was tough for me to make a Plague Marine list at 1250, so I included 6 meltas in 3 squads of 5 Plague Marines in 3 Rhinos (champions had power fists). I also had a Heldrake, Predator, Vindicator, and a lord and 4 terminators all armed with power fists.Nick had like 4 squads of terminators and 2 tac squads with plasma cannons.


Our final match was no different from the others. My heldrake incinerated his tac squads. His terminators attacked my heavy armor with their powerfists. It went back and forth like that for a while. But, Nick faced 2 problems. First, the Meltas ruined his day, killing whole swaths of terminators (his 5 inv sav rolling was lousy).


However, the game truly ended when one of my champions challenged one of his in combat. Nick's power sword attacks all whiffed (1s!!). When it was my champion's turn, he nailed him with the powerfist. I then rolled on the Chaos Boon Table and... Bam! Instant Daemon Prince. At that point, there was no real way for Nick to win, though he gave it a good go. In the end, I had the relic and he had virtually nothing to stop me, especially with a rampaging Daemon Prince running amok.


The game was a ton of fun. One of the things I liked about the battle was that at 1250, you had to make tough choices about what to take. It also meant no allies or formation tom foolery. It made for a fast, intense, and desperate game- each unit is vital, and yet you must risk them to win. You don't always feel that in 2000 plus point games. It was a lot of fun. I salute Nick- a worthy and honorable opponent. I hope to play him again someday.


Finally, I want a word about the "Brexit". Now, I have been following it fairly closely, and I get the arguments on both sides. It was a close vote, unquestionably. I find myself thinking that if the EU leaders were a bit more careful with their decisions, they might have not faced British backlash. Instead, the EU mismanaged and made big mistakes. I get British anger. I just don't know if the "Brexit" will help them or not, in the long run.



However, like a lot of you, I decided to act as a vulture (it's their fault for making me want it so bad)- I ordered some stuff from Forgeworld. As the dollar vs pound ratio shifted so crazily today, my friend Joe and I placed a $400 (American) order at FW. What did I order? I won't tell you now, as if I did it would be a HERESY and I'd have to kill you. You will just have to wait and see...

Until next time!!

Hey there Chaos enthusiasts everywhere! Old Man Chaos is back with yet another scintillating edition of Chaos Corner. Summer is upon us in the Eye of Terror. Since I despise sunlight and the outdoors and dolphins, I know that I will be able to accomplish a ton of painting. Now, I have a huge list of projects, but at this pace I may be able to put a significant dent in that list (even with my Horus Heresy project taking shape and all).

Just this past week alone, I have been able to finish not one but two units of Skitarii- a new squad of Vanguard and a squad of Sicarian Ruststalkers. For both, I decided to use some of the new GW paints, namely Nuln Oil Gloss and the shinny and new "warpstone" technical paints. So- let's take a look...

Sikarian Ruststalkers


 Now, up to this point, I have only done the Infiltrators. With their large helmets and cabling, they looked weird and very different from the other Skitarii. I was also interested in them because of the Taser Goads- which are great close combat weapons. So naturally I did 10 of them in total.


I was initially less impressed with the Ruststalkers. Their headgear was certainly less impressive and less "odd", as compared to the Infiltrators. As far as weaponry, I was less than impressed by their load out. The chordclaw is fine (1 attack fleshbane) enough, but the trasnoic razors / blades are less than idea. In the first round of combat they have AP 2 only on a to wound of 6. In subsequent rounds of that combat, all hits are AP 2. That means to be effective they must survive (in sufficient numbers) for at least one round of combat in order to be really effective. Kinda sucks if you ask me.


However, I HAD to build at least one squad of Ruststalkers if I am ever to do the War Convocation formation from an issue of White Dwarf. So, in earnest, I decided to assemble a new box of Sicarians as Ruststalkers.


I still think the headgear isn't as cool, but the chordclaw looks really nasty. I highlighted the claws with the new GW metal paint Stormhost Silver. That paint is incredible. I always had a hard time with the previous silvers- either being too thin or not bright enough. Like Retributor Gold, this goes on so nicely and leaves it looking very bright. The grasping chordclaws really pop now, as compared to the rest of the model.


As for the transonic razors / blades- I decided to do a little experiment. I painted them first with Mephiston Red. Then I painted the whole blade with Evil Sunz Scarlet. Then I highlighted with Wazdakka Red, and finally Fire Dragon Bright. Once that was done I used the "warpstone" technical paint Spiritstone Red. I must say that I really, really like the effect. It is kind of like Bloodletter Glaze, except that it really brightens and shines the blade. The technical paint really makes the blades "pop" as it were. Indeed, with my dark color scheme of Stegadon Scale Green and Leadblecher hit with Nuln Oil (matte) for my Mechanicus, the bright red blades really change the dynamic of the model, with your eyes first being drawn to the blades, making a great contrast with the dark and dingy Sicarians.


I ultimately do not know how these guys are going to do in-game. I believe that I will need to do up 5 more, just to bulk out the squad. My instinct tells me that they are just too squishy in a unit of 5 alone- they NEED to survive a round of combat to be effective. I think 5 won't cut it. So- it will have to be 10.

Skitarii Vanguard


So next up I have another squad of Skitarii Vanguard. This will make 20 Vanguard total for me (and I plan on adding a few more at some point). They are quite a good troop unit- cheap with great access to special weapons (as befitting a Mechanicus army). I had initially hoped that Kataphron Destroyers would be the bulk of my Mechanicus force, but for all their power, they have some limits. They can't really hide in cover all that well as they are too large for example. And they are more costly points wise. For me, Vanguard will fill in that gap nicely.


At any rate, I really like the almost Roman-esque look of these guys- their helmets are really remeniscent of Roman style helms. Naturally I assembled most of them with their standard Radium Carbines. I painted them Dryad Bark, making them look like old wooden rifles, in complete odds with their otherwise mechanical look. I highlighted the helmets with Stormhost Silver, again really loving the new paint.







For the Vanguard Alpha, I decided to go with the mace, as I had already done a Vanguard Alpha with a sword, and my Alpha Ranger has the taser goad. In my gaming circles, that doesn't matter so much- as long as he looks like an Alpha that's all that really counts, and we can WYSIWYG it before the battle. I used the new metallic paint Skullcrusher Brass for his face plate. As I said before, I have been really pleased by the new paints overall, and this one is no exception.






I also made a Vanguard with a Data Tether. He looks different enough that I could use him as an Auspex or Tether, as well as another Vanguard if I decide to split the 10 Vanguard into 2 units of 5. His face I did Rakarth Flesh with Cmmoshade over, and a little highlight over his cheekbone. The rest of his face is mechanical, lending him a cruel visage. 








One of my Vanguard was "converted" due to a happy accident. I was cutting off his left arm from the sprue and when I did it just flew off, and I simply couldn't find it anywhere! So- what to do? I then saw my Ruststalker spues, and there are mechanical arms for the Infiltrator Pinceps computer- with a bit of trickery I made it into his arm. There was little mechanical digits as well as a full connection to the hand on the rifle. Hence, it looks like a totally mechanical arm. Adding screens (blue and green) on the flat parts (where the computer was supposed to go on the Princeps) and a targeter in the front (in red)  makes the dual limb arm look mechanical indeed.


The special weapons I did my old way but added 2 steps to with the new paints. For the Plasma Caliver, I started with Khorne Red, highlighted with lighter reds before finally drybrushing on Ryza Rust orange. But this time, I decided to add 2 more short steps. After the orange drybushing, I put Nuln Oil Gloss into the recesses of the coils, giving it a deeper but glossy shadows. Then, I used Spiritstone Red over the coils.


Compare the two. The nearer one is the new one (done as described above). The further away one is the old one, painted in the same way minus those last two steps (didn't have those new paints then). On my camera it my be harder to see, but the fact is the Spiritstone Red just makes the whole thing pop- it adds a brightness to it.



The same thing was applied to the Arc Rifle. This time I started with greens, ending with a Moot Green highlight. And again, I added 2 extra steps. I did the Nuln Oil Gloss into the recesses of the energy chamber, and then I used the technical paint Waystone Green. Again, the result made for a brighter and more dynamic looking weapon.


Again, compare the results. The near one is the new, the far one the old scheme. The difference is greater in person, but here you can see it is a subtle but notable difference. It just looks deeper and more vibrant.



Well, that's all I have done for now. I have a few more Mechanicus items that I am working on, and then I will be doing some other "mystery" things. I want to paint my Deathwatch set, and then my mystery Horus Heresy project. I'll be back to show them as soon as they are completed.


Until Next time!!

Hey there Chaos fanatics. I know I have been gone a long time. I had a bit of a "problem" over the summer, and as a result I haven't blogged in a while. I have been painting, though not at the same rate that I have in the past also. It's been a bit rough, but now I'm back.


 Like I am sure we all have, I heard last week about the new Chaos Space Marine supplement, Traitor's Hand, as well as new psychic powers and a new Kharn the Betrayer (awesome model, one that I am looking forward to painting. Big time.). Now, I know some Chaos fanatics are chomping at the bit. I am excited too, though I am much more guarded and cautious about it. In fact, I doubt that the book will really help us Chaos Space Marine players very much. Indeed, the cards seem stacked against us. So, I decided to come out of hiding and offer my 2 cents about CSM and my hopes/fears for the Traitor's Hand book. 


The state of Chaos Space Marines, as most of you know, has been rather poor for some time. CSM have been quite neglected for what feels like millennia. It is widely known that the forces of CSM are no longer feared. In fact, they have become something of a joke, which I know we Chaos players take very personally. We spend so long converting and painting and molding our models, and it sucks that "Joe Blow" Space Marines can kick our asses seven ways from Sunday. How the mighty have fallen indeed. At any rate, I thought I would blog about my thoughts and frustrations just as the new book approaches. With that, let us examine the state of the problems CSM players face right now, in no particular order:



(Note: This rant does not address Khorne Daemonkin (which is a solid book), only the regular CSM book)

1) Units are over-costed for what they do (except Plague Marines perhaps). They therefore have a smaller footprint and lower model count (unless you're doing cultist spam- in which case the book should be called "Chaos Cultists" and not CSM). You can bet that if you run a CSM force that you WILL be outnumbered (no matter who your opponent is), but without a significant advantage or mechanic to overcome that numerical inferiority. GW needs to either lower the points costs or give CSM MORE special abilities to compensate. 

2) CSM is lacking in some of the "advancements" in weaponry, like Grav. I say "advancements" because while Grav weapons are relatively new game play wise, Grav and other weapons have been around since the Great Crusade. Why on earth don't CSM have these ancient weapons? Perhaps they might be rarer, and they certainly won't have the Grav Centurions, but you mean CSM can't steal some Grav guns/cannons in their attacks and raids to supplement the ones left over from the Heresy era? Come on.

3) CSM lack drop pods- which puts them at a severe disadvantage against Space Marines. Again, this makes no sense fluff wise or game wise. How do CSM NOT have drop pods? These were a staple of the Great Crusade (Istvaan drop site massacre anyone?)- how do CSM not have them in the 41st millennium? And if you are doing more recent heretic CSMs (like Crimson Slaughter, the Purge)- surely they would have them too, as drop pods ARE what SMs do in the 40K era... I really don't get this one.With all the new shenanigans with "free" drop pods and the like, well, it puts CSM behind the 8-ball. I don't necessarily want "free" drop pods, but let use use them. Oh, and NOT the FW one that costs a bazillion dollars- let us "Chaos" out regular drop pods.


4) Lack of Formations is a major sticking point for me. SMs get formations that are each better and more outlandish than the last. Seriously, between the SM codex and the recent Angels of Death supplement the SMs have SO many great formations to choose from, each with nifty bonuses. What does Chaos get? Hmmm... Up till now, not much. Yes, I hope the Traitor's Hate book fixes this, but if you have seen the few other CSM formations that have been done till now they are but shadows compared to other factions formations. What besides the Sorcerer Cabal has been good for CSM? (And Chaos Daemons fare little better- I have to have 90 Blue Horrors to field a Tzeentch formation. 90! Are you fucking kidding me?). CSM needs solid Formations to catch up with everyone else.

5) Chaos gets NOTHING for free (besides Chaos Focus for psychic powers). Nada. Zilch. I have played SM players tacking the decurion and I can't stand it anymore. Free Rhinos, Drop Pods, and Razorbacks have really fucked things up. Free?! My friend Brian simply takes free Razorbacks (pays for the Las) and Drop Pods- he wrecks havoc every single time against almost every opponent because he gets in for face quickly with the drop pods, fires a ton of las shots, and because the transports are free it means he has points to spend on other things. For a 2,000 point game he figured that he used about 400 points in transports. He had a 400 point advantage. How is that fun or fair? (And the Chaos Boon table is too random and too situational to count as a free bonus as opposed to free transports)


6) There are many specialist units that aren't actually "special" at all. Warp Talons are supposed to be fast, hard hitting close combat units, but they don't pack any more of a punch than other units, and they are so damn expensive so what's the point? Maulerfiends are close combat wrecking machines, but their weapon skill is lousy, and their base attacks are too few. Mutilators suck big time too. Chosen are good but far inferior to Sternguard or Command squads. I could go on , but seriously, the specialized units are anything but special.

7) Again, compared to their SM counterparts, CSM get shafted on army-wide tactics. Ultramarines get to chose from 3 doctrines (and can re-use them if they take the decurion). Iron Hands get FNP, Fists get Bolter Drill, etc. Sure, Plague Marines get FNP, but at a premium cost. Iron Hands get it for free. I don't want what they have, but give me some equivalent, for free.

8) Chaos characters must challenge is a great concept in theory. Its fluffy and fun. But again, when enemy characters are usually better equipped or have better special rules, far too often my champion dies. What is the point? This one is a minor problem, but still blows.


9) Chaos have rules that HURT the Chaos player. Like becoming a spawn. Getting hit by your own Daemon weapon. Daemonforge. Helbrute rage. Once again, I get the fluffy idea- they have traded their souls for power, and that entails risk. I get that and love it. But the "bumps" they get are not great- For example, Daemonforge allows re-rolls, but at the end if you roll a 1 you get wounded. Oh, and it only can be used once. Now, if it was every turn I say the risk is acceptable in exchange for what it can do- you could dole out a ton of damage but also risk dying. But once a game? Not that helpful considering the risk. How come Ultramarines allow everyone to re-roll ones for a turn without harm?

10) Chaos needs an improvement in their HQ choices. Compared to more recent HQ entries for SMs, the Chaos HQ choices are lackluster, at best. Sure, Typhus is a beast, and Kharn can be brutal, but besides them, what other HQ really works? Biker Lord truthfully, and that's about it. We need them to get beefed up a bit- better special rules or weapons options. Also, the Dark Apostle and the Warpsmith should be 1-3 per choice rather than 1. Being only 1 limits you greatly.


So, those are my 10 problems with Chaos as of September 2016. Now, I feel that Traitor's Hate is only going to be a band aid at best, as it cannot possibly be able to address too many of the big problems, as the book is only a supplement. Nothing short of a complete overhaul and new Codex can even begin to surmount the problems that this past edition has given us. A campaign supplement is not focused on that at all, actually.

So what will Traitor's Hand give us? We will get a couple of formations that, my gut tells me, won't be that helpful or special compared to SMs. There won't be any new units. No legion rules. No drop pods. We will have a decurion (which Cult CSMs will not be able to utilize), but I doubt we will get the luxurious SM treatment. My sad prediction is that Traitor's Hand will be cool for fluff, but poor (once again) for actual gaming. Have you seen some of the formation bundles that GW has on their website? It looks like things we have seen before (Malestrom of Gore), and things that are useless (yet another half-baked attempt to see Possessed with their Favoured of Chaos bundle).


There are some positives though. First, rules for a Chaos Knight. This is a nice plus, though I do not think Knights are be all and end all. I do like the idea of having that option though. The other thing is that Predators and Vindicators will be in formations of 3. This is really good, and is what SMs have in that respect.

I want to have hope that Traitor's Hand will make me want to play regular CSM again, but I have my doubts... Who knows? Maybe I'm wrong and will have to eat my words. I wouldn't mind eating crow if that means CSM are feared once more. I don't want a "win" button- I just want to see CSM stand toe to toe against all comers again. As of right now, we cannot do that.

Until next time...

Hey there Chaos fanatics! Old Man Chaos is back with a new installment of the ongoing lunacy of Old Man Chaos! LOL


First, I want to say a big "I told you so" regarding Traitor's Hand. I don't like saying I told you so (Wife? Why are you laughing at that? You know I NEVER say "I told you so"... that's you're department), but... it was pretty much what I predicted. I posted that blog BEFORE the leaks came out.


Sadly, I knew all too well that Traitor's Hand would not come close to helping Chaos Space Marines. It is, at best, a band-aid. A band-aid for a freshly amputated limb ("Tis just a scratch"). While there are some decent formations, it just isn't at the level of Space Marine formations (or, indeed some others). It is just a resounding "Meh". I even played a game against my friend Joe using some formations- his Dark Angels wiped the floor with me pretty much. It was hardly a contest. Joe said that when I take Mechanicus, he sweats, and even a win for him is closely fought. Against CSM, he wasn't too concerned, and he took a fairly conservative approach against them. So sad- the mighty Chaos are so low.


Now, there might be hope. Recent rumblings have proven true- Magnus the Red Daemon Primarch is being bandied about, as are new Thousand Sons. Now, while I don't have 1K Sons, anything that Chaos gets that's good will make me happy. If it is a 1K Son Codex (a la Khorne Daemonkin) I could get behind that- KDK is a fun book with some nifty special rules, and KDK is a solid army on the tabletop. If 1K Sons get the same treatment I'll be thrilled. Maybe Plague Marines could happen too?


Anyways, I have been working on some Deathwatch forces. First off, I have always loved the idea behind the Deathwatch- Space Marines from wildly different chapters working together under the auspices of the Ordos Xenos... great hook for storytelling, and I have enjoyed their Black Library stories. Particularly the current The Beast Arises story, which delved into the origins of the Deathwatch! (If you haven't read the series, you should. There are a few clunkers, but overall its been a great story).


From a modelling standpoint, the Deathwatch are nice too- they are Space Marines but with a bit more variety. The different shoulder pads add color and personality to the army. They are uniform, yet distinct. Visually, the Deathwatch are a lot of fun.


My wife had bought me the Deathwatch Overkill board game when it came out last spring. The models in that box are fantastic. I really was excited and put the entire box together very quickly. But, as often happens, I didn't get to paint them for a while. Other projects, real life, etc all got in the way.  So they sat for a while.


When the Deathwatch codex was released at the end of the summer, I quickly scooped that up. Yes... I was sorely tempted. After all, I already have a good start with the Overkill box- what's one more squad? Or a Drop Pod? Or... Well, you know how that goes. I now have a new army.


However, I do TRULY intend on keeping it small, for two reasons. First, from a fluff perspective, they rarely go out as a full-blown army (unlike Grey Knights). They are usually smaller strike teams, using sneak attacks and guerilla warfare to hurt the enemy. Second, I plan to use them as allies to my Mechanicus. My Cult Mechanicus forces can use allies that have Drop Pods, Razorbacks, and air support from a Corvus Blackstar. I don't need a huge army. Just a couple of troops with fast delivery methods; by fast, I mean in a vehicle, which AdMech simply don't have access to for some strange reason (after all, don't the Tech-Priests repair and maintain these things? Seriously).


My plan is to have two squads of varying size. One squad will focus on close combat (Thunder hammers are nice). The other squad will have shooting with special weapons- the frag launcher in particular could be quite nasty- deploying from drop pod and shooting the rear of the enemy at close range... yeah, that's nice. My AdMech need that.


After reading the Codex, I'm not sure the Deathwatch are the most viable army. They are more costly than average Space Marines, and don't have access to key pieces of SM units and equipment. However, as an ally, they are a nice fit with the AdMech I think. I'll have to try it out at some point, once I have enough built and painted, that is.


So, that's my latest. Hope you enjoyed this look at my Deathwatch. I will certainly post more as I finish them. Now I must go... A squad of Deathwatch don't just paint themselves you know.



Until Next time!

Hello Chaos fanatics. I know I haven't posted in quite a while. I have had some issues these past several months and they started to catch up with me, so I stopped blogging. However, its a new year and time for a fresh start. So, I figured I'd come back in style. Naturally, I have been working on 40K- AND I have been bad. Yes, perhaps bad. Perhaps weak. You know me by now... how could I resist the lure of NEW Chaos? The lure of... The Thousand Sons!!







Why the hell not? I have Plague Marines, I have Khorne Daemonkin... so why not the Denizens of the Planet of the Sorcerers too? Looking at the models, it is clear that GW have outdone themselves. The whole line is great- the Rubricae are just wonderful- I have always loved the look of the Thousand Sons but had no desire to do metal models anymore... Now, they are plastic and they are great. They have that Egyptian / Thousand Son look, and they have SO much detail. They are truly amazing.







 Equally awesome is the Scarab Occult Terminators. It is great to see real, honest to Tzeentch Cult Terminators. They look great and really match the army look while also being distinct. The Exalted Sorcerer kit is fantastic, with so many options and with interchangeable parts with the other kits that its frankly mind boggling. Finally, there is Magnus himself- Daemon Primarch stalking the galaxy. Wow. We certainly live in interesting times in 40K, huh?







So naturally I could not resist. Funny enough, the Thousand Sons came along just after my birthday but before Christmas- my friends and family got me plenty for both occasions: 4 boxes of Rubricae, 2 boxes of Terminators, Ahriman, 2 boxes of Exalted Sorcerers, 1 box of Tzaangors, and of course, Magnus himself. I also received 2 boxes of Horrors. So, that means I haven't bought anything, besides the book Wrath of Magnus. Not a bad way to build an army.







So, I started with a box of Rubricae. They go together quite easily. You *could try to do different poses, but as they are all automatons animated by Tzeentch and dust, they are methodical and relentless, so no fancy poses are necessary (in fact, the idea that they are posed the same is part of the appeal). Once assembled, I sprayed them. I did NOT want to spray them gold, as GW did in their video, as I DO NOT trust the Metallic Spray Paints nearly enough to try that. So, I went tried and true and sprayed them black.









The armor was painted Thousand Sons blue (which is a vivid but not overwhelming color). I did highlights with Ahriman Blue. Both blues are very good additions to the paint line overall. As far as the armor trim, I used Retributor Gold. Then I shaded with Earthshade, with some highlights in Auric Gold.It is true there is a TON of trim, and that takes the longest on the model to get right (along with cleanup, etc.). Indeed, the gold drove me crazy, but not crazy enough that I'll dare to attempt spraying them all gold. No Chance In Hell.


As far as the headpieces, I painted some of the lines with Celestia Grey as a base, then I added successive layers of yellow. The light grey base really helps in painting the yellow. The alternating blue lines I did Teclis Blue followed up by Deep Sky Blue (from Vallejo).


With the taberds of the regulars, I did Celestia with lighter grey highlights, with Nuln Oil in the recesses. For the Sorcerers, I painted their taberds/cloaks with Screamer Pink, with Nuln Oil in the recesses followed by by Khorne Red highlights. The deep crimson echoes back to their original red armor, before Tzeentch got a hold of them.


For the eyes, I did Celestia followed up by the new green gemstone paint. As far as the stones go, I did either Evil Sunz with orange highlight followed by red gemstone, or I did layers of green followed by the green gemstone paint again. I must say the gemstone paint really makes those parts pop.


Finally, the part that I really thought that truly came together was the bases. Knowing their enemy is the Space Wolves (and my friend Joe has an ice table and may well be starting a Space Wolf army), I decided to do arctic bases. I did Astrogranite, followed by the blue wash. Then I drybrushed a light grey. Once that was done I began to put the new GW snow effect on in big clumps. Thus, the land is mostly frozen, but there is some tundra underneath. Finally, I put little tufts of Tundra Grass from Army Painter to finish the effect. The blue and gold contrast very well with the white snow, and the effect of these slow moving, almost possessed suits of armor slowly walking across the snowy wastes, is complete.


Ultimately, both the Rubricae and the Occult Terminators came out well- they look like they are in the same army, but still different enough. I particularly like the Sorcerers leading them- both from an aesthetic and  fluff points of view. While I have to build up the army's bones more (more troops), I can't wait to paint the Exalted Sorcerers. They will be visually striking, no doubt.


As far as games go, I don't know how they are really going to do. Magnus is a beast, but is unaffordable in smaller games. Sadly, so is the rest of the army. The points are out of control, way too high. A Rubric Marine dies just as easily, and while the inv sv is nice, they will fall in bolter fire just like cheaper marines. The inv sv doesn't justify the high cost. The terminators are also expensive, and to make it worse they can ONLY have AP3 swords, which means they will suck against other Terminators or Special Characters (I really don't get that decision at all).


The only solution to the cost problem is to bring either Tzangors (or Cultists) or ally with Daemonic Horrors (which is fluffy, but boy will that be a lot to paint), in order to make a bigger footprint on the battlefield. Obviously, this is just my estimate, as I have no experience with them on the tabletop. I NEVER play with unpainted models, so it will take me a bit longer to field anything.


In any case, I intend to continue on with the bones of the army. I have already started the next batch of 5 Rubric Marines. My goal is to finish another 10 men squad, another squad of terminators, and then do some of the Exalted Sorcerers. Then we will see where we are at and I can go from there. I can't wait to see a whole army of these guys.

I'll post again as soon as I finish more, which may be a bit (damn that gold trim).

Until Next Time...

Hey there Chaos fanatics! Old Man Chaos is back with yet another spine-tingling installment of Chaos Corner. Today though we have something a little different. As the title says... lets see some Bloodbowl!!!


When I got into Warhammer in the late 1990s, I wasn't THAT serious about it. I bought a few models here and there- Vallhallans, Mordians, Tyranids. My friend Pete introduced me to Warhammer 40K, but for those first couple of years I wasn't as serious about it- I just bought what looked cool. Well, I remember going to a hobby store in this early phase of my hobby career and I saw the original Bloodbowl game. I thought it looked awesome, but I didn't have the money to buy both 40K and that, so I opted for the 40K. I would go back to that hobby store many times, and I never got Bloodbowl- then it was gone. As I got more and more into 40K, I always regretted not getting the game.


Now fast forward a couple of decades- the recent re-release of Bloodbowl was really a thrill for me. I picked it up from my local hobby store the day before Thanksgiving. I put them all together ASAP and played a Thanksgiving Bloodbowl game with my brother. It was a bit complicated but also a lot of fun.


I spent the month of December painting the orks and the humans. As I stated in my last blog, I was having a tough time enjoying the hobby (or anything else), but Bloodbowl actually kinda got me back in to painting frequently again.


For the Orks, I decided to go for Mephiston Red for the armor plates. I like how the red really pops without overwhelming the model. It also contrasts very nicely with the green Ork flesh. I did their shirts black with a grey highlight, and the pants were Zandri dust with lots of washes to make it look really filthy.




I added to the Orks their team numbers on both their front and back, so that they can be identified on the field. Not only is that football realistic, it will also allow me to say "Number 1 is a catcher/blocker/whatever". This way the models don't always HAVE to be that particular type.

As for the humans, I decided to do purple armor plates with gold trim. That's because my High School team colors was purple and gold, so I figured why the heck not. Besides, it is very different from the red and green Orks. I did make their pants tan as well, but with far less brown washes so that they appeared cleaner than the Orks.


For both teams, I used Stirland Mud for the bases. Then, in a first, I decided to put tufts of grass on their bases (thus looking like part of the field that has become messed up and muddied by the game). The tuft is from Army Painter. I liked the look so much that I would then put tufts on my Thousand Sons. The Army Painter stuff is really good, with many different varieties of tufts (grass, tundra, etc).







Unfortunately, I haven't had time to play a game since. I am hoping to soon, as I really enjoyed the game and I really want to see my models on the field. As Theodore Roosevelt said:

"Don't flinch, don't foul, and hit the line hard"








My next post will undoubtedly be more Thousand sons (I'm working on 10 more Rubric Marines now). Until next time...