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February 4, 2020

Legio Gryphonicus: Swiping Right to Glory

Smatt / 0 Comments / Blog, Warhammer 40k / adeptus titanicus, horus heresy, legio gryphonicus, white metal games /

The Legion was founded during the Age of Strife and when the Horus Heresy began the War Griffons remained loyal to the Imperium. Horus predicted their decision beforehand and scattered the Legion under fabricated pretenses across the stars. Throughout the Heresy, Legio Gryphonicus built a fierce hatred for Horus’ stalwart Legio Mortis. Some view the Princeps of the War Griffons as pompous and arrogant in seeking glory to maintain reputation, but in truth Legio Gryphonicus maintains an ancient warrior tradition that focuses on maintaining complex beliefs of honor by proving a Princep’s ability to wage war through single combat.

Traits:

Lust for Glory:

This ability allows for the War Griffon player to elect to choose an enemy Titan as a target for any Gryphonicus titan. If they attack their intended target in combat, they are allowed to reroll 1’s to hit and also get +1 to the results of any armour rolls. If a Princeps attacks a Titan that is not their claim, they lose the Lust for Glory ability for the remainder of the battle.

Mainstay of the Titan Legion:

When selecting a Gryphonicus Mantiple, the player may select a Reaver Titan in place of either a Warhound or a Warlord Titan.

Wargear:

Enhanced Auspex Relays:

Gryphonicus Warhounds, +10pts: Whenever a Legio Gryphonicus Titan attacks, it can always measure the distance to any targets that are within 12” of a friendly Warhound before declaring a target in the combat phase.

Gravatus Plating:

Gryphonicus Reavers (selected in a mantiple in place of a Warlord), +20 pts: Gravatus Plating adds +1 armour value to the body and legs of the Titan, but reduces its base and boosted speed by 1.

Motive Sub-reactors:

Gryphonicus Reavers (selected in a Mantiple in place of a Warhound), +25 pts: Motive Sub-reactors allows the Reaver to use its boosted Speed and Maneuver characteristics without pushing its reactor, but if it suffers a Critical Hit to the Legs, roll a d6. If the result is 1-3, its reactor is increased by 1.

Princeps Seniores Personal Traits

1) Reckless Maverick: Once per battle, the Princeps Seniores can activate a second time in the movement or combat phase. After, advance their reactor level 3 times.

2) Master Duelist: Failed Hit rolls can be re-rolled by the Princeps Seniores’ Titan when makings its attacks against a target within 8”.

3) Hunter without Equal: Re-roll any failed Hits, when the Princeps Seniores’ Titan attacks a target it has claimed.

Gameplay:

As the first Legio with rules in Adeptus Titanicus, Legio Gryphonicus proves to be very competitive across the board. Their Lust for Glory trait allows them to reroll all failed 1’s to Hit against claimed targets. Compared to 8th edition 40k, AT rarely offers the option to reroll dice, let alone an entire series of dice. This makes their combat phase devastating paired with high output weaponry on claimed targets. Warlord carapace Apocalypse Missile Launchers, “disco” Reavers (double Laser Blasters and carapace Turbo Laser Destructor), and Warhound Vulcan Mega Bolters become much more efficient and deadlier with the bump (+1) to armour rolls.

The War Griffon’s have an additional Legio trait that gives them the ability to insert a Reaver Titan in any Mantiple. This gives that Mantiple a lot more punch and durability (if replacing a Warhound) or a cheaper, yet faster option (when swapping out a Warlord). I would recommend giving those Reaver Titans the Legio special wargear in such instances as the benefits greatly outweigh their consequences. Motive Sub-reactors would allow a swapped Reaver to move 9” with 3 manuevers, keeping a fair pace with Warhound Titans in a Lupercal Light, Ferrox Light, or Venator Light Mantiple. Gravatus Plating would make a Reaver structurally tougher, but at the price of limiting its movement to 5”/8”. Though this reduction of movement is still an improvement compared to a Warlord’s, the true benefit is having an affordable Mantiple with the Reaver shaving approximately 200 points to replaced a Warlord. This utility allows for the creation of Maniples such as a Fortis Battle Mantiple with triple Reavers merging shields and ignoring armour modifiers i.e. structural damage and flank/ rear modifiers. Other alternatives include cheaper points options for an Axiom or Myrmidon Battle Mantiples.

The personal traits of the War Griffon’s are some of the best due to the fact that two out of three are not limited by how often it can be used i.e. “once per battle”. Master Duelist (recommended when in a Ferrox Light Mantiple) and Hunter without Equal synergize well with the Lust for Glory trait and further enhance their abilities to reroll Hits.

Counters:

The best counter when playing Legio Gryphonicus is to strip away their Lust for Glory ability. In order to do this, you will need to keep claimed targets moving fast and away from the hunting Titans. By doing so, you make your opponent choose to either pursue and possibly forfeit activating in the combat round (if they cannot target their claim) or sacrifice the ability and no longer get the benefit. As a side note; be a good sport and write down which Titan claimed whom so you and your opponent can both be accountable and avoid having to deal with claim confusion or gotcha moments.

I recently played a friend’s Gryphonicus Myrmidon Battleline Mantiple with Questoris and Cerastus support. I was able to use the Legion Fog of War Stratagem for my Solaria engines and it ended up working well as a shell game for him to either hunt down a Princep Senoris Warhound that was redeployed across the table or sacrifice the Titans Lust for Glory. He chose the latter. I had the benefit of speed, maneuverability, and numbers, but his Knights were able to hold me back long enough for his Warlords and Reaver to put enough damage down with the remaining glory seeking Titans that he was able to steal the game in the final round. Let that be a lesson to you all, don’t let those Titans Lusting for Glory steal your victory!

If you’re as excited as I am for the next wave of releases for Adeptus Titanicus, visit our webstore to order your copy of Shadow and Iron and get yourself a Warbringer Nemesis Titan while you’re at it all for 15% off!

Send us your quote request form so we can paint your new Knights and Titans so you can get them to the tabletop sooner!

White Metal Games is a miniature painting commission service based out of Knightdale, North Carolina.  They specialize in producing custom models for any range including wargames (i.e. Warhammer 40k), board games, roleplaying games, historical figures, and display dioramas.

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January 24, 2020

First Take on the First Legion

Smatt / 0 Comments / Blog / 40k, dark angels, Ritual of the Damned, warhammer 40k, white metal games /

The Dark Angels are looking to rebound from once being an unplayable faction into one with longer teeth.  With their new special combat doctrine from Ritual of the Damned, Relentless Hunt, all weapons in a Dark Angels force is improved with better range when the Devastator doctrine is in effect.  It is being touted as one of the most all encompassing specialized doctrines, but is truly powerful? When paired with the Unforgiven’s Chapter Tactic, Grim Resolve (assuming their Chapter Tactic will be updated to now benefit all units), not only will units benefit longer range, but will be able to reroll Hit rolls of 1’s when stationary.  Let’s take a look to see what weapons and units Relentless Hunt immediately improves for the Dark Angels and see how this will affect their meta.

Weapons: 

  • Flamers- No one wants to be Overwatched by auto-hitting flamers, now it’s practically impossible to avoid it against the Dark Angels.
  • Assault Cannons-  With range being its biggest disadvantage, Dark Angels are able to rely on this weapon to produce dakka with further reach.  
  • Melta weapons-  The biggest challenge with melta weapons is getting them in range, but more specifically within half range in order to benefit their damage ability.  This greatly improves Melta Cannons while giving some much needed extra reach to meltaguns.  
  • Plasma Weapons-  Space marine plasma weapons have generally always toed the line as mid-range and long-range weapons.  Now heavy plasma weapons can now sit back at long range while rapid fire and assault plasma weapons are solid mid-range weapons.  
  • Bolt Weapons-  As the backbone of a Space Marine arsenal, bolt weapons now make troop choices an even better value in a Dark Angels force, especially  Intercessors.      

Intercessors:

The best troop choice for Dark Angels has drastically shifted from the economic Scout squad to the Intercessor.  It is arguable which weapon is better suited, but both the Stalker Bolt Rifle and standard Bolt Rifle synergize well with Grim Resolve and Relentless Hunt to allow for rerolls to hit of 1’s when stationary.  The longer range improves the reach of the Stalker, while also making it easier to double tap with the rapid fire trait of the Bolt Rifle (either while remaining stationary or shooting within half range).  

Auto Bolt Rifles- 27”

Bolt Rifles- 36”

Stalker Bolt Rifles- 42”

Land Raider Crusader:

Benefitting from both doctrines and Chapter tactic,  Crusaders see a much needed boost to all of its ranged weaponry.  Now a Land Raider Crusader will be able to have some flexibility during deployment rather than always being on the frontline and moving without penalty (Power of the Machine Spirit) to reach and maximize their shooting output.   

Assault Cannons- 30” range

Melta Cannons- 30”, 15” half range

Hurricane Bolters: 30” range 

Vindicators:

Once a favorite of many players, the Vindicator has seen drastic changes of late.  Now with D6 shots and a 30” range for Dark Angels Players, this tank will make Knight players think twice about aggressive deployment and failed charges.  Keep them hidden in the event you go second and enjoy a nasty counter punch. Take three is a relatively economic Spearhead Detachment to threaten monster and vehicle heavy armies. 

Demolisher Cannon- 30”

Storm Bolter-30”

In recent years, The First Legion has played like a traditional gunline faction.  With the anticipated updates from Ritual of the Damned, it looks like they will get benefits to emphasize this battlefield role, while also giving them tactical flexibility across the board.  With an army wide buff to ranged weapons, they are able to sit further back and even outdistance other gunline factions. This makes them a tough opponent to face if they get first turn, but also help them pack an energized counter punch if they survive going second.

Are you interested in picking up a copy of Ritual of the Damned? Why wait? Visit our Webstore to get 15% off your copy and Master Lazarus!

White Metal Games is a miniature painting commission service based out of Knightdale, North Carolina.  They specialize in producing custom models for any range including wargames (i.e. Warhammer 40k), board games, roleplaying games, historical figures, and display dioramas.

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January 23, 2020

Battle Report: Necromunda Gang Raid

Smatt / 0 Comments / Blog / 40k, battle report, Games-Workshop, gang raid, goliath, necromunda, van saar, warhammer 40k /

Necromunda Gang Raid:  Bar Brawl

Perched above the uproar of the bedlam below, Thade watched as one of the dimwits relieved himself with drunken merriment from the next level down.  His efforts left a steaming puddle expanding on the roof of their drinking hole. The Van Saar Cantina of the Rictus Grins. As the first of the intruders forced their way into their establishment,  Thade slipped out the back and scaled up the side of the bar, leaving behind his plasma rifle in order to lift himself up the three stories with a small measure of grace. For a man of his age and in two layers of armour, he made the climb efficiently. He worked to steady his breath as he surveyed the scene below.

Two of the big ogres were tearing apart the refreshment servitor as they guzzled its supply of Wild Snake.  Two members of the Grins approached from behind, power knife and shock baton ignited and held ready in unsteady hands.  At the entrance, he could see the biggest of the furnace feeders squared off, a massive power hammer resting on his shoulder.  The leader of the Grins, Vaulter Woechek, barred his path with an energy shield lit with purpose.  

As the champion of the Rictus Grins, he had no choice.  He wouldn’t allow the thugs from Goliath to have their fill of fun on his turf.  He pulled the shock stave from its sling around his shoulder. Thade stood directly above the Goliath oaf fumbling with his pants as he ignited his shock stave. It crackled with electricity as he dropped down upon his unsuspecting prey.  

Hiver on the Roof

With the element of surprise, Thade of the Van Saar’s charges Nox the Ripper.  Though he is slightly intoxicated, he manages to drop down from above successfully and uninjured.  He swings his shock stave and the electrical force causes two automatic wounds, resulting in a growing lump on the hulking fighter’s skull.  Nox barley gets his trousers up as he is attacked, but he gathers himself and his spud-jacker makes short work of the Van Saar Champion; leaving him knocked back toward the ledge of the platform and crumpled on the ground.  

Pious Pieter (Van Saar), having more refined vices other than drink, passes his Intoxication Check and charges Brakk.  He rushes his blindside and stabs his power knife into the back of his enemy. The blade fails to land, but he avoids taking any damage in return.  Kruger (Goliath) had a big meal before his gang’s night out, thus he passes his Intoxication Check.  He rushes to the aid of Brakk and charges Pieter, swinging his brute cleaver with no success, but he is able to bat away Pieter’s defensive knife work.  

Lonse (Van Saar) takes the opportunity to down the remnants of his flask, tossing it aside as he charges Kruger.  He swings his shock baton and the overcharged mallet connects with skull, taking his opponent Out of Action.  Brakk is too wasted and masculine to care about Kruger, but distractedly fails to land a blow against Pieter and takes no return damage.  Vaulter’s (Van Saar) confidence reeks of Amasec and he foolishly charges big bad Skullshank. He fails his charge and in turn Skullshank, though inebriated,  counter charges. He leads with his power hammer,  smashing Vaulter’s energy shield wide and bludgeoning the Van Saar leader out of commission.

None Shall…Splat

With the sneaky old man writhing on the ground,  Nox performs a Coup de Grace on Thade, leaving his spud-jacker drenched in blood.  Lonse harnesses his snake courage and charges Brakk, but fails to land a blow with his shock baton.  Brakk,  slowed from the liquor he chugged like water, is unable to respond to his attacker or find an offensive rhythm.  Pious Pieter, ever sober, carves into a drunk Brakk with his power knife,  leaving his cauterised bulk prone on the bar floor. Skullshank, drunk on snake and blood, charges up the stairs to enact revenge for his gang.  He lands an overhead chop on Pieter, crumpling him instantly like a human nail.

In his current state,  Lonse is able to settle his nerves after witnessing Pieter and his leader being struck down like vermin.  He looks upon Skullshank and they begin to fray anew.   

Lonse Versus Goliaths

Now outnumbered, fear cleanses Lonse’s system of Wild Snake.  With his liquid courage having run its course, he relies on the good old fashioned kind.  He manages to pass his Bottle Test and charges Skullshank. He lands a strike from his shock baton and he hears the crunch of breaking ribs as it lands against Skullshank’s abdomen.  Skullshank nurses his right side and misses with his responding attacks. He grits though the pain and launches his own sloppy offensive. Lonse is able to dodge the first few swings, but an unexpected reverse follow through catches Lonse at the legs,  leaving him fighting for consciousness. Further above, Nox tosses Thade’s body off the building and climbs down an access ladder to either help Skullshank or grab another drink at the bar.            

Lonse picks himself up,  seeing a small window for self preservation if he can flee before he’s trapped between two mounds of muscle.  

Time to Not Be Nice

Lonse senses the other Goliath ganger drop from the ladder and he resigns to make a good account of himself.  He swings his shock baton at Skullshank and manages to break a few more ribs in the process. He fights for his life,  parrying a return blow from the Goliath leader. Skullshank now has clarity with the pain.  He launches a devastating fury of chops that Lonse is unable to avoid.  He is knocked down and struggles to rise. Nox sees that their enemy is down and he vows to prove his worth in front of Skullshank.  He charges the last of the Van Saar crew, but is unable to reach him before Lonse succumbs to his injuries.  

Goliath Victory!!!

Looking to expand your Necromunda set? Contact us for details on how we can create your own unique Necromunda terrain!

White Metal Games is a miniature painting commission service based out of Knightdale, North Carolina.  They specialize in producing custom models for any range including wargames (i.e. Warhammer 40k), board games, roleplaying games, historical figures, and display dioramas.

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January 14, 2020

Psychic Awakening: Faith and Fury, The Ruinous Winners

Smatt / 0 Comments / Blog / 40k, Alpha Legion, CHAOS, CHAOS SPACE MARINES, Faith and Fury, Games-Workshop, Iron Warriors, Night Lords, wargaming, warhammer, warhammer 40k, white metal games /

With the release of Psychic Awakening: Faith and Fury, the forces of Chaos received an update to some of their most renowned and reviled Legions.  The most notable winners of the Traitor Legions include the Night Lords, Alpha Legion, and Iron Warriors. Let’s review some of their best Warlord Traits, Stratagems, and Relics to see why they came out “winners”. 

To mirror the updates granted to loyalist Space Marines,  Chaos Marines were given their own rules of Malicious Volleys (see Bolter Discipline) and Hateful Assault (see Shock Assault) to upgrade the standard bolter effectiveness and increase melee output.  Pair these perks with a few of the new daemon weapons and you’ll have a character that is a big threat on the tabletop.

Daemon Weapons: 

The Rapacious Talons (Slaanesh):  Rapacious Talons replaces two lightning claws or two sets of malific talons on a Slaanesh marked model.  Though the stats are slightly better than regular lightning claws (Str User, -2 AP, D2), its ability makes the owner a winner.  Basically as long as you pass the daemon weapon test on a 2+, you add the number rolled to the models attack characteristic while also being able to reroll wound rolls with the standard lightning claw rules.  This would make a Chaos Lord have 4+1+ (2-6) attacks for potentially a max of 11 attacks in conjunction with the Hateful Assault rule before any other buffs come into play. For a unit that costs a little over 100 points, it is a horde killer and more importantly Primaris kryptonite with its Damage 2 value.          

Fist of Decay (Nurgle):  The Nurgle relic replaces a powerfist and has quite a more potent profile to the standard fisticuff.  Delivering a flat Damage of 3, it also has the ability to always wound on an unmodified wound roll of 2+, making it especially powerful versus monsters and vehicles.  Though it does have the usual -1 to hit for powerfists, a Chaos Lord’s has the ability to reroll 1’s to hit. Thus, it improves their chance to land with all 5 attacks by hitting on 3+ (rerolling 1’s) and then wounding on 2+.          

Traitor Legions:  

Night Lords:

The Sons of the Night Haunter have a great combination of Warlord Traits, Stratagems, and Artefacts that can build some terrifying combinations in collaboration with their Legion trait.  Night Lord stratagems come at a reasonable cost, with many of their Legion specific Stratagems costing only 1 Command Point, allowing you to use them over multiple rounds. These Stratagems focus on buffing Night Lord units while the enemy is weak and denying the enemy certain abilities i.e. falling back or surviving morale tests.  It helps that an Outrider Detachment of a single Chaos Lord and 3 minimal units of Warp Talons costs less than 400 points, allowing a Night Lords player to take multiple Battalion Detachments to farm Command Points while still having a hard hitting detachment that will enact and maximize their Terror Tactics ability once they arrive from reserves or close the gap to the enemy.  

If you’re interested in building a Warlord that is a whirling dervish of a death; take the Killing Fury Trait (+D3 attacks) and pair it with the Talons of the Night Terror (Model that can Fly only, +D3 attacks or +D6 attacks on the Charge/Heroic Intervention) for all the attack bonuses.  The Jump Lord will have 4+1+D3+D6 attacks on the charge for a maximum of 14 attacks at Str 5, -1 AP and D1. He will wipe hordes with ease and overwhelm tougher targets through sheer volume of attacks. As a backup, arm him with a powerfist in the event he gets into melee with a vehicle or character for a maximum of 8 attacks with the powerfist profile.

Alpha Legion:  

As the ultimate masters of the shell game, the Alpha Legion have traits and abilities that make them super shifty, sabotage-centric, and tenacious thorugh misdirection.  A few of their Warlord Traits are practical applications of their playstyle. The Master of Diversion trait allows the player to redeploy 3 units on the battlefield at the start of the First Battle Round.  By redeploying 3 units, an Alpha Legion player is able to adapt to their enemies deployment, prevent or fix their own flawed deployment, and dictate an aggressive first turn or posture defensively. Faceless Commander is a once per battle Stratagem that allows you to remove your Warlord from the battlefield and set them up again with 3” of a friendly infantry unit and more than 9” away from the enemy.  It guarantees that your Warlord gets into melee in no time, continuing to earn their points with kills.

The majority of the Alpha Legion specific Stratagems are modestly priced and prove that the Sons of the Hydra are playing with a loaded deck.  Sabotaged Armoury costs 1 Command Point and can be used in any phase, but before an opponent’s roll to add 3 to a roll when testing if a vehicle explodes (on a 6+ it does).  Remascent Infiltration allows an infantry unit to be placed back in reserves and brought back in via the standard reserves rules for only 1 point, allowing units to fight and fade in the early stages of the game.  

The best of the Artefacts (Mindveil and Hydra’s Wail) don’t even take the form of weapons.  Mindveil allows a model to roll 3d6 as their movement value, grants them the ability to move through units and terrain as if they weren’t there, and charge on a turn in which they fell back.  An Alpha Legion Character would have no trouble getting into combat with this enhanced “jump pack” and perform hit and runs to prevent becoming a target in the enemy’s Shooting phase. Hydra’s Wail is a once per battle Relic, but forces an opponent to spend an extra command point on a 4+ (for the remainder of the battle round) in order to use their intended Stratagems.  This is a great ability to use, especially in the later battle rounds, to ensure an opponent isn’t able to shift the momentum to their advantage and forces an opponent to budget additional command points with the knowledge that the Hydra’s Wail is on the playlist.      

Iron Warriors:

The Iron Warriors are renowned as siege specialists dedicated to heavy weaponry and the daemon engines that ravage their foes.  With their new rules, the Iron Warriors are nearly impervious to low AP weapons, excellent vehicle killers, and brutes in melee. Of all the Warlord Traits,  Stoic Advance is the most practical as it allows Iron Warriors within 6” of the Warlord to ignore the penalty for moving and firing a heavy weapon.  Units will always have a target in sight and the proper angle on their victims without suffering penalties to hit. If you’re looking to add iron within, the Bastion trait pairs with the Dour Duty Stratagem to allow a targeted Iron Warrior unit within 6” of their Warlord to negate AP -2 weapons to AP 0, making them missile proof (or Riptide proof).   

Iron Warrior Stratagems are some of the best in the book, with only one being situational due to applying only when playing against Imperial Fists (Bitter Enmity).  A solid combination is to use Tank Hunters (1 CP) and Methodical Annihilation (1 CP) in the shooting phase to kill vehicles by re-rolling the wounds and rerolling the damage.  Now a unit of Iron Warrior Havocs with lascannons can make short work of a Knight with those buffs without worrying about 1’s or spending command points to guarantee a fatal attack lands.  

Artifacts of the Iron Warriors come as a mixed bag, but two stand out above the rest.  The Cranium Malevolus is used in the Shooting phase instead of the bearer shooting. Instead, roll a D6 for every enemy vehicle within 9” of the model, on a 4-5 the unit takes D3 mortal wounds and on a 6 the unit suffers 3 mortal wounds.  Find the ideal opportunity via prime reserve entry to deep strike a character in to affect multiple enemy vehicles and get your credits worth. An alternative relic choice would be to arm a Daemon Prince with the Axe of the Forgemaster to have a powerful melee character able to wreck vehicles with a Str 10 weapon that does D3 mortal wounds on a wound roll of 5+ in addition to its normal 2 damage.    

If you are interested in adding some heretical Warlords and corrupt Daemon Engines to your forces,  check out our webstore to see which Chaos models we have game-ready and available or checkout our Rental program to test some new reinforcements during your next game!

White Metal Games is a miniature painting commission service based out of Knightdale, North Carolina.  They specialize in producing custom models for any range including wargames (i.e. Warhammer 40k), board games, roleplaying games, historical figures, and display dioramas.

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January 8, 2020

Blood of the Phoenix: Is Drazhar the Baddest?

Smatt / 0 Comments / Blog / 40k, aeldari, drazhar, drukhari, eldar, incubi, warhammer, warhammer 40k, white metal games /

Hi Metalheads, 

Today we are taking a look at the deadliest Drukhari to have ever appeared in the Dark City: Drazhar!  With the recent release of Blood of the Phoenix, his model was given an amazing update along with his ruthless retinue of Incubi. Sadly, even with new models and updated rules, you probably won’t see these miniatures on the tabletop (unless you’re playing a casual game at your FLGS or at home).  Let’s change that and take a look at Drazhar the Living Sword’s rules and see just how good he can be.  

Looking at his stats, he has a similar statline as before with the exception of now having 6 Wounds.  This enhances his durability with a 2+ save, 5++ invulnerable save, and 6+ FNP from his Faction’s Power through Pain rule. 

A vital stat for his offensive capabilities is his base S4.  Combine it with a couple key special rules and he is a master of versatility.  With the Master of Blades rule and the Incubi Keyword, he benefits from +1 to Wound, hitting T4 enemies on 3+ or T8 Vehicles on 5+.  Paired with the Lethal Precision ability, any wound rolls of 6 double to 4 damage each, so either of his weapon options has potential to be devastating.  

His strength in addition to his single weapon bonus makes him capable of wounding tougher T4 opponents such as Space Marines on 2+ and T8 vehicles on 4+ when using his demiklaives as a single blade.  On the charge and using the single blade, the Living Sword would have 4A at S5, -3AP, D2 (D4 on 6’s to wound) and could double if he charges due to his Murderous Assault rule (allowing him to activate to fight an additional time when charging). If you chose to wield dual blades, he has a total of 12A, S4, -2, D2 (D4 on 6’s to wound) and with the clarity for the FAQ, he is able to attack twice when he charges before an enemy model is activated.

Drahzar is capable of doing everything from slaying hordes to hacking away at vehicles, but he also grants a useful boost to Incubi within 6” of him via Lethal Precision as mentioned above.  Having an escort unit of Incubi grants him a sturdy screen (3+save, 6+ FNP) nearby to prevent him taking unnecessary ranged attacks via his character keyword (when they arn’t embarked or locked in combat), but also supports his murder spree through weight of attacks and Lethal Precision.

White Metal Games is a miniature painting commission service based out of Knightdale, North Carolina.  They specialize in producing custom models for any range including wargames (i.e. Warhammer 40k), board games, roleplaying games, historical figures, and display dioramas.

If you like what you see and wish to bolster your Drukhari forces, the Incubi are available for purchase!

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January 7, 2020

Craftworld Tactics: Howling Banshees

Smatt / 0 Comments / Blog / 40k, 40k warhammer, aeldari, banshees, craftworld, eldar, exarch, howling, jain zar, tactics, warhammer, warriors /

Welcome back Metalheads,

Today we are thinking outside the box by taking a look inside a recently released one: the Blood of the Phoenix!  The thrill of 40k comes with the ever shifting meta of gameplay.  Though in the competitive world, Aeldari Flyer Spam is currently all the rage for the faction’s players, a sect of Aspect Warriors has the potential to nullify the mightiest of Space Marines tactics.

Space Marines come in various shapes and sizes, while their point costs compared to weapon loadouts causes them to be very efficient on top of durable with their new books.  Arguably the strongest Chapters to date have abilities that offer rerolls for shooting attacks, Overwatch bonuses, and all benefit additional attacks when charging. With an expanded range of Vanguard Primaris Marines that are able to be set up outside of 9” from enemy units, strong counter measures are needed to keep them in check.  

As infantry, Howling Banshees are able to glide across the battlefield due to their Acrobatic rule, moving through cover undeterred while advancing and charging in the same turn.  They are able to declare charges against targets within 15” when advancing and add 3” to their charge distance. This helps them maneuver into position and get within range to set up the charge in cover or out of line of sight (normally preventing Overwatch, but keep in mind they have Banshee Masks!).  On average dice they have a 21” charge threat range. The 3” bonus to charges even helps mitigate the Repulsor Field rule on all Marine hover tanks (Repulsors, Impulsors, Executioners). The Repulsor Field reduces charge rolls by 2, allowing Banshees to still have a +1 bonus to theirs. Utilize the Saim Hann Craftworld attribute to allow them to reroll failed charge rolls to ensure they get into melee and take advantage of their War Shout ability to make the enemy fight at  -1 to hit in melee.   

Banshees are best used against units to negate Overwatch and tie up ground units so supporting Aeldari can charge in behind to swing without suffering casualties before they make it into melee.  In this case, Jain Zar is the best option as an accompanying character. She has dangerous potential with 4 attacks at Str 6 and rerolling wounds, -3 AP, and D3 damage. She even grants an aura for Banshees within 6” to strike first, improving their roles as counter-assault specialists.  Even if enemy units survive to fall back to disengage, the opposing player has a serious threat that needs to be addressed or your girls will move on to harass soft targets while Jain follows close behind, trailing a path of severed limbs and viscera.

White Metal Games is a miniature painting commission service based out of Knightdale, North Carolina.  They specialize in producing custom models for any range including wargames (i.e. Warhammer 40k), board games, roleplaying games, historical figures, and display dioramas.

If you like what you see and wish to bolster your Aeldari forces, Jain Zhar and the Banshees are available for purchase!

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January 6, 2020

T’au Tactics: Markerlight Mash-Up

Smatt / 0 Comments / Blog / 40k, markerlight, markerlights, smatt, tau, warhammer, warhammer 40k, white metal games /

White Metal Games embraces the Greater Good with its latest T’au studio army.

Hey Metalheads,

It’s Smatt here with a brand new series for you!  We are taking a deep dive into the Warhammer 40,000 universe to discuss T’au tactics. Today we are going to review how the Imperium and more specifically the Space Marine meta have drastically changed an imperative to T’au strategy: markerlight allocation.

With the arrival of 8th edition Warhammer 40k, some of its more flavorful T’au units have gone to the wayside, while others rise to ascendance.  Markerlight drones were replaced with Pathfinders, but eventually the community cracked the code by discovering the finesse of the Greater Good in providing quality ballistic lights via relatively cheap characters. This norm has allowed T’au players to invest a small portion of their points on characters with markerlights and have them protected by their keyword character designation and the target priority rule.

A handful of updates and new units changed the T’au game and caused concern for this strategy.  Not too long ago, snipers were few and far between. Now with the Vanguard Primaris line widely available, Space Marine players bring to the table Eliminators, capable of shooting characters and not needing line of sight.  Pray that they aren’t Ravenguard, able to utilize the Surgical Strike ability to deliver a much harsher reality. In the Imperium, Vindicare Assassins were all the rage before the command point adjustment, allowing them to be taken for 85 points and one command point, while capable of killing two characters a turn without needing to change magazines.  Vindicare Assassins are the sole reason I adjusted from being heavily reliant on solely characters with markerlights (via a Sa’cea Sept Vanguard Detachment with a Cadre Fireblade and triple Firesight Marksmen).                          

If you haven’t heard, T’au are sweeping the big tables lately with victories at SoCal and Nova, among others.  We can learn quite a bit from both their lists as they show us markerlight innovation at its finest.

Recent 2019 SoCal Winner Brian Pullen uses mixed units of Shield and Markerlights Drones, Fire Warrior Shas’ui, Pathfinders, and an Ethereal for markerlights counters or similar aura effects.  Let’s take a look at his list below:  

His Markerlight Drones are able to move and shoot without penalty, adding better maneuverability for late game grabs and they are more cost effective on points in their role versus investing on a single character to get one markerlight.  He buffs them by dedicating one of his Commanders wuth Drone Controller so they are able to Hit on 4+. The added protection of the Shield Drones allows him to allocate wounds if running low on markerlights or the Markerlight Drones can be used for Savior Protocols for other vulnerable units. Fire Warrior Shas’ui are cheap, hidden markerlights that will usually hang back in your castle. They will always be your last Fire Warrior to fall. Pathfinders can act as aggressive screens with their free pregame Vanguard move and have more staying power with drones.  Each Pathfinder is armed with a pulse carbine or markerlight, adding to their versatility late game. Ethereals are able to use their ability to enact Storm of Fire, allowing reroll of 1’s to hit for stationary units within 6” as a backup for your diminished supply of markerlights.

Richard Siegler, winner of the Nova Open 2019 uses small accessory units of Shield Drones with Markerlight Characters (Cadre Fireblades, Darkstrider), units of Pathfinders, and an Ethereal to earn his markerlight buffs. 

The main difference between Brian and Richard’s list is Richard relies on characters for quality markerlights hitting on premium BS and pairs it with Pathfinders and an Ethereal.  He protects his characters by utilizing their drone options to have two shield drones accompany each applicable character and normally hides those drones out of sight. These small teams end up becoming tactically flexible for the T’au player and ceaselessly annoying for their opponent to kill. 

With the game constantly unveiling new and better units and rules, T’au have proven that they have plenty of options for Markerlight counters, but just one won’t work.  No matter where your markerlights are allocated, just make sure you have them well protected and your markerlights are not all in one Devilfish.    

White Metal Games is a miniature painting commission service based out of Knightdale, North Carolina.  They specialize in producing custom models for any range including wargames (i.e. Warhammer 40k), board games, roleplaying games, historical figures, and display dioramas.

If you like what you see and wish to bolster your T’au forces, this T’au army is available for purchase!


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January 3, 2020

Adeptus Titanicus: Stripping The Void Shields On Your Wallet

Smatt / 0 Comments / Blog / 40k, adeptus, adeptus titanicus, epic, imperial, knight, reaver, titan, titanicus, titans, warhammer, warlord, white metal games, wmg /

Originally released in 1988, Games-Workshop brought Adeptus Titanicus back to its fans at the end of 2018 in the form of a new gaming system, Adeptus Titanicus: The Horus Heresy. The delight of grizzled gamers everywhere rattled their dusty Epic scale models in storage lockers everywhere. I was only a few years old when the predecessor of Epic came into existence, so Adeptus Titanicus circa 2018 was not on my radar. I finally stumbled upon the system from an online preview and creeped on the miniatures, but one look at the prices had me aborting any thoughts of playing the game.

Fast forward to April 2019 at my groups bi-monthly game night. Lucky me, I was the only person to show up…aside from our host Dan. After twiddling our thumbs for about an hour and shooting the grim dark breeze, Dan had the idea to introduce me to his newest passion: Adeptus Titanicus! Thankfully, Dan diverted his energy normally dedicated to the Horus Heresy (30k) into Titanicus and provided two fully painted Legios to battle. We played a game with basic rules with mirror match god-engines; 1 Warlord, 1 Reaver, and 1 Warhound. It wasn’t until that night that I realized I’ve always subconsciously wanted to command an agile Warhound Titan into flanking maneuvers to kill its larger cousin machines. Each machine had its own strengths and weaknesses that a skilled Princeps could field to out maneuver, outgun, or survive engagements. Our battle ended with both of our Warlords hammering away at each other as they closed the distance. My engine fought off his striding Titan while immobilized and was able to destroy the machine from afar before it approached close enough to cause mortal damage from its detonating plasma reactor.

The best aspects of gameplay remind me of a mix of Warhammer 40k (old and new), Necromunda, and Kill Team. Blast and flame templates are back for those old school 40k players that have missed them since 7th edition. Players roll off at the start of each battle round to compete for the initiative. The command consoles for each titan makes the player question every decision in regard to their reactors and adds a wildcard factor with the possibility of the machine spirit taking control. Each hot reactor has the chance to cause self inflicted damage tying into each titan’s death becoming as cinematic as a Final Fantasy cut scene. The game is played on a 4’x4’ table and can increase with larger battles. A 1500 – 2000 point game plays well on such a board as you’ll typically have around half a dozen god engines striding around that point threshold. The free space is utilized though with command consoles as they tend to take up a large portion of room; requiring expert organization skills and all of the required accessories.

The biggest obstacle of the game is the initial cost of getting started. I highly recommend playing an introduction game with a friend or at your FLGS so you can get a feel for the game mechanics and see which Titans or Legio fit your playstyle. Typically, getting a Titan Battlegroup and the Ruleset is the best bundle with the total buy-in being $230.00 before tax or applicable discounts. This option offers you 1 Warlord, 1 Reaver, and 2 Warhounds plus all the necessary rules, cards, consoles, and assets at your disposal. All you would need to supplement your game would be terrain and a board. The Titan Battlegroup is a rare commodity nowadays as it is no longer in production since its first run, so if you see one at your local store snatch it up before it disappears to another Princep’s hobby bench. The newest option would be to purchase the Knight Household Battleforce for $130 instead, but this would be better as an supplemental purchase after testing your mettle with Titans and Knights alike. Another option would be to split a Grandmaster Edition box set ($290.00) with a friend in order for each of you to get 1 Warlord, a trio of Knights, the ruleset with a set of extra dice, and terrain. The lingering issue would be having to purchase another rulebook if sharing was not an option. If the Grandmaster Edition was the way you were leaning, you could get a reasonable buy in value of $145.00, but your models would lack the versatility compared to the Titan Battlegroup in your ability to utilize mantiples and diversify weapons.

Former obstacles to be aware of were the fact that a lot of accessories are not offered or available for purchase until recently. For example; Titanicus specific dice could only be purchased via a ruleset ($60.00) or a Grandmaster Edition box ($290.00), carapace weapons for Warlords and Reavers were extremely limited in what was offered (apocalypse missiles or turbo laser destroyers), knights came with one of each ranged weapon and did not include missile pods, FW Warlord quake cannons and macro-gatling blaster were extremely challenging to purchase since they were always out of stock in minutes. With the rising popularity of the game though, GW has corrected these grievances for the community by releasing products to end these community hindrances.

After you play your initiation game and decide to go full stride with Adeptus Titanicus; start slow and wait for the options and kits to improve to expand the game to its full potential. I hope you see you on the battlefield Princeps!

White Metal Games is a miniature painting commission service based out of Knightdale, North Carolina.  They specialize in producing custom models for any range including wargames (i.e. Warhammer 40k), board games, roleplaying games, historical figures, and display dioramas.

If you are interested in expanding your Adeptus Titanicus forces: these Cerastus Knights are available for purchase or if you’re looking for a center piece for your next Apocalypse battle, our 40k scale Forge World Warlord Titan is armed and eager for battle.

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December 30, 2019

What I’ve Learned, and Where I Go From Here…

Edward WinterRose / 0 Comments / Blog /

I’m sorry to say, this will be one of my last blog posts for White Metal Games.  Things appear to be wrapping up here, and as some of you will have seen in Caleb’s posts, it may pretty much be the end for White Metal Games itself in the coming months.  And as the store shuts itself down, parts of it will fall away, like the stages of a lifting rocket… or more to the point, like the social media department and your Noobness here.  Including the Podcast and the Blog I’ve been managing since August.

It’s been the best job I’ve ever had, to be honest.  But there’s been challenges here.  Both professionally and as the 48th level nerd I’ve described myself as, one way or another, at the end of my blog posts.  Settling into a writing role and getting to record professionally was pretty much hitting the lottery.  And doing so for a gaming concern was like hitting it twice in a row.  The biggest hurdle was getting into the area of Games Workshop’s IP.

“Or IS there?” “YOU’RE MAKING IT WORSE!” “Worse? Or BETTER!? MOOOHOOOHOOAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA!!!!”

Coming into the position, I had the unique opportunity of talking about things in Warhammer and Warhammer 40K as they came out.  In the past, the need to do to learn about Warhammer at all really wasn’t ever there for me.  You’ll have noticed in my posts by now I’m more of an optimistic player.  I go Utopian and Hopepunk, not Dystopian and Grimdark.  I’ve never really wanted to fight battles simply for the sake of getting my yaya’s out or getting my armed conflict on.  There’s got to be a good reason for me to break out the guns and swords.  There’s got to be a higher ideal and hopeful outcome to strive for.  And in my perception, none of that was there, or ever going to be there in Warhammer.

Ohhh Emperor Pyrrhus, we never really knew ye… Did anyone? Really?

And I wasn’t entirely wrong.  If anything, a lot of the research I did over this season showed me the ins-and-outs of the GrimDark future where there is only war.  But one thing I did discover that I’d not exactly expected was the tremendous amount of backstory that WAS there to inform and provide reasons and history for the never-ending conflict.  How the whole thing started so nobly, and devolved into a hopeless galactic quagmire.  How valiant sacrifice WAS made, and continues to be made in the face of certain and overwhelming doom.

I learned a lot about the different chapters of the Space Marines. I learned that while some are as reprehensibly human supremacist and fascist as I’d expected, others were very much not.  Some were noble, but tragically flawed.  Others were self-sacrificingly valiant, but self-destructively so.  For every up, there was a down, and for every virtue, there was a fatal flaw.  I came into this with the idea of the God-Emperor of Mankind (Emprah Pyrrhus) as this bloated cancer at the center of the human experience.  Undying and undead.  Subsisting on 1000 human souls a day to keep him anchored to his mortal coil.  A kind of nightmare dystopian extreme of a world leader who shall remain nameless here.

I would like to have had a chance to paint this guy on a streaming cam for you lot.

What I found was that this was a noble (ish) fellow with an expansionist bent who, Arthur-like, created his own knights and legions. A kind of messianic god-king who fell to the corruption of a fellow who could have been called his most trusted son.  And the resounding tragedy of that betrayal on behalf of your actual no doubt about it, powers of darkness sundered the galaxy and space itself.  We found that the demigods this Emperor created were only human in the end, andto that end, became hyper-extensions of the natures they were born with and genetically designed for.  I found that all has fallen into ruin for humanity as it resists the advances of eldritch evil over and over again.  And finally, I found that I could bring my own Hopepunk sensibilities to that.  Regardless of the hopelessness of the 42nd millennium.

I didn’t get to learn about much beyond Ogors when it came to Warhammer Fantasy.  I’ve had a crash course in The Age of Sigmar re-tool of the whole Warhammer Fantasy game.  And found that Blizzard Software-like, Games Workshop means to do a classic pre-Sigmar version of that. And honestly, I’d looked forward to learning a bit more about the whole fantasy side.  As it was, I was adhering my articles to Games Workshop’s release schedules.  In the end, I was still writing in service to a store and a commission service.  So my articles were about things coming to the shelves, literally hot out of the molds they were cast in.  I was likely going to get to the upcoming release of the Chaos armies coming out soon.  As to whether this happens before Dec. 31st?  Well, we’ll see.

I’d have liked to learn more about some of the other factions in 40K.  The Orruks in particular.  There wasn’t any kind of HUGE expansion or release for them in the 40K stuff while I was aboard the good ship White Metal.  I feel like there was a missed opportunity there for me and my sense of the iconoclastic and ridiculous.  Which sounds like the Orruks to a T, to me.  The same goes for learning about the Aeldari and Necron.  Not for the same reasons.  But for interest all the same.  I picked up some of it when I was doing the Halloween and Orktober stuff.  But nothing REALLY in-depth like I did for Ogors, or the other ‘Noob Learns About-‘ posts.

Here’s hoping, right?

Where I did commericals and my pre-recorded segments for the War Council podcast. I actually do this for a living!

One thing I also learned was that I can put together a podcast on the regular when I’m paid for it.  I’ll say it now, I had my doubts.  And there’s been obstacles to overcome, surely.  As change after change evolved here at White Metal Games, the people I was working with had their schedules change.  I had no fewer than two co-hosts in four months.  Three if you count good ol’ Caleb.  So keeping on top of stuff to talk about, stuff the store has been doing or working on, as well as what’s new out of companies like Games Workshop and Fantasy Flight Games among others was also a challenge.  

Editing the Podcast with mah Gosug Ratta and Spider Glasses.

What I found was that I could indeed engage and talk with people, and could do it at length when it came to Hunter and I geeking out about things that we’re fans of.  I am, in the end, an extroverted introvert.  When I’ve had a social thing happen, I usually need a nice day to myself, or with my wife to recharge my people batteries. However, in a professional capacity, I’ve found that I can do people.  I can socialize and do my professional thing where we talk and my inner Host of a Talk Show comes out for showtime.  And I’m coming away from this position with ideas about where I can go as a voice actor or possibly a podcast personality in shows or productions of my own, or perhaps where I can go for others that might want to hire me in the same capacity.  (Hey, Epic Megagames… gimme a call, willya?)  

It’s sad for me that it all seems to be coming to an end so soon.  I felt like War Council was really starting to pick up and go places.  But in the end, the money necessary to keep me on wasn’t there.  And the support that most podcasts build over years didn’t hit the critical mass necessary to become self-sustaining in just four months.  That’s no-one’s fault, I think.  I’m told that the show was engaging and fun.  And that I’d taken the show in a direction I could be proud of.

That’s one of the larger takeaways I’m leaving with that I feel the best about.  That I did what I was hired for and did it well.  And if I can do it once, I can do it again and again.  Thanks for having me in the clubhouse folks. And keep an eye out… maybe you’ll hear from me again sometime.

Til then, as always, be safe. Roll crits.

-Edward WinterRose is a 48th level geek, and has been a professional gaming blogger for White Metal Games, as well as the host for the last 5 or 6 episodes of War Council, the White Metal Games Podcast for wargaming enthusiasts, and producers of wargaming miniatures. He hopes he can still be a gaming creative professional after this. He also dearly hates job hunting. But then, who doesn’t? ^_^;;;

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Psychic awakening
December 30, 2019

The Noob Looks Into the Psychic Awakening.

Edward WinterRose / 0 Comments / Blog /

EMBRACE ETERNITY!

So… When it comes to a lot of RPG’s, I’m not the one up front beating the hell out of something with a sword or mace. I’m not the fella with a chainsword and bolter at point blank range. My own style of combat is a LOT more distant. I never met a sniper character class I didn’t like. And the only thing as good as a sniper for this kid is someone with psychic powers. That was my second play-through in the Mass Effect games. Someone that could point at an enemy and shout, “KILL ONE ANOTHER FOR MY AMUSEMENT.” in their heads loud enough that they’d do it. (I will also accept a hacker type who can do that to robot / mechanical enemies.)

And whether that power comes from genetic manipulation or mutation in a sci-fi setting, or inborn sorcerous or psychic talent in a fantasy setting, I’m down with it. If I can’t snipe an enemy or turn their own brain against them… my interest doesn’t so much pique. (Well, I tell a lie… give me a pistoleer/gunslinger class and I’m a happy boi!) And if your enemy is closing up and getting in my DPS-based character’s face, then something has already gone drastically wrong. The best ops (or Shadowruns) are the ones where you never saw me. But the evidence of my passing is quite clear. (Got me a sniper rifle 2.0 in The Outer Worlds recently. And with all the science guns and shrink rays and funny weapons… even a mind control gun… I never found better than that Sniper 2.)

When you’ve got a headache THIS big…

So when I saw that there was an ongoing event happening in the 40K game setting called Psychic Awakening, consider me piqued. Now… that said, over the last three months, I’m pretty sure I’ve learned a thing or two about the campaign setting. At least as far as Humans go. And what I’ve learned is that their tolerance of psychic gifts… is not what you ‘d call tolerant. I’d wager 8 or 9 times out of 10, that the standard response to confirmation of a psychic gift is assumed corruption by Chaos and Dark Gods. And the appropriate response is levied in lead.

Now of course there’s always going to be exceptions to the rule. Navigators of the mighty battlecruisers of the imperium rely on psykers to navigate their crews safely through the warp without the usual resulting insanity that requires putting them down. There’s whole chapters of the Adeptes Astartes that are psychically gifted. And they monitor their own stringently for any sign of the corruption of chaos or dark influences. The imperium would seem to be going with the idea that psykers have their uses, but on the whole, they’re too great a risk to tolerate en masse.

Emperor Pyrrhus who even in undeath has minty fresh breath.

But with Emperor Pyrrhus (STILL CALLING HIM THAT.) in the sad condition he’s in, and obscenities and darkness oozing from the Warp like infection into the rest of our galaxy, more may be needed that bullets and bravery. Mankind’s survival is at risk. And as with all things in nature, they must evolve or die. And with the warp yawning ever wider… my impression is that people with psychic talent, or latent talent may be manifesting more and more often than ever before. And the risk of their corruption by way of that talent is greater than it’s ever been.

That’s my impression of the situation. Let’s see how much that bears out.

My research comes up with the idea that the Psychic Awakening is a narrative that’s advancing the plot of 40k in some meaningful way instead of just going “Here is a Galaxy split by Chaos and war for tens of thousands of years. Grab a bolter and hop in.” And that this whole slew of new codexes with a few factions in them and new rules for them may herald a whole new edition of Warhammer itself. And that the Psychic Awakening series may be something of a precursor to a more psyker-inclusive (or at least more common) 40K setting.

Telepathic Space Elf?

So far, it would seem that the event is going to manifest itself through all sorts of different factions. The Phoenix Rising event showed us how the power pouring out of the great rift has affected the Aeldari. (SPACE ELVES!) Being psyker-sensitives as a race, the whole galactic elder-god evil pouring out of the Warp has to be something with long term effects on them as a race. In this case, Blood of the Phoenix is a box set that shows an indicative civil-conflict as a result of the increased psyker-activity. And we get to see how it affects specific elements of Aeldari’s faction, specifically, the Asuryani, the Drukhari, the Harlequins, and the Ynnari. (For real, your noobness here needs to look into the Aeldari with a whole post. Maybe when a new release makes it necessary.)

And now we’ve got recent releases like Faith and Fury and Blood of Baal, which seems a bit more human-oriented, which honestly is of more interest to your noobness for the moment. (At least til February… See below…) The folks at GW seem to be staggering these newer Psychic Awakening books to one a month. And of course during Warhammer Day, GW announced the Ritual of the Damned chapter, which looks like probably going to be focused heavily on The Grey Knights, the Dark Angels and the Chaos Marine Chapter, The Thousand Sons.

They seem to be going with a formula of a book release along with a new mini of some newly inducted character (Lazurus) or established personage (Mephiston) as having crossed the Rubicon Primaris, preceded by short fiction pieces on the Warhammer Community page to generate buzz. (All very lucasfilm-ian in practice. Keeping a low but steady heat on the burner as it were.) Each short seems to speak to a similar theme. The idea that the ever-present seepage of Chaos into reality is agitating humanity en-masse, erupting into civil conflicts of faith and heresy against the emperor and the imperium. Refugees from the advance of the Rift falling on one another in superstitiously driven lunacy. Ministerium worlds falling while corrupted dogma is broadcast at them over the airwaves. And it all seems to be implied to be the result of increased psychic malady. I’m honestly considering reading one of the latest ones for the upcoming final episode of the podcast. (Unless things change in this regard…)

Then about February, it looks like we’re going to be getting some insight into how all this affects the Tau with “The Greater Good.” Though I hear it theorized that it may also have to do with The Death Guard on the Chaos side, since they go up against Tau a lot. I’d have thought it would be the Ultramarines on the Imperial side instead of Chaos, since Ultramar is right next door to the Tau Empire. Maybe the poor tau are getting it on two fronts. Who can say? And after that, there’s still ANOTHER announced volume called “Saga of the Beast.” That’s generalized enough that your guess is as good as mine. Though this may be Orks. It may also be Space Werewolves Wolves too. Apparently this has been leaked? But I got no reference for that.

So on the whole so far… it would seem the awakening is pretty much expanded rules sets for the less traditionally combat oriented classes and units in the 40K universe. That, and it’s still early days yet. We’re only seeing how this plot advance a long time in coming is affecting humans and Aeldari. (Cos’ one cannot copyright the word ELF can one, GW?) How this affects the great crush of humanity beyond the chapters of imperial and chaos marines remains to be seen. And of course, the Aeldari have already known their doom for a long time now. Is this one more step in that direction, or something that shows their fate isn’t already written?

I’m interested in seeing where it goes. It appeals to my sorcerer-psi-DPS playing sensibilities, and I’ll have to ask some of my Warhammer playing pals what they think of the whole thing. We’ll see.

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