Scarab Occult Terminators - Review

We all know that I'm a Space Wolves player to the core but I've gone a bit off piste this week with some of these boys in blue... well, red. I'll be adding them to my 30k Shattered Legion force so these will be red and black.

I've just cracked open the Tartaros terminators from Burning of Prospero, so instantly saw some kit bashing opportunities. I don't want my 30k Thousand Sons to be too chaosy, so mixing them with some un-marked terminator bits is a great way of reducing the shear amount of detail on each miniature.

Burning of Prospero - First Impressions

I know we're late to the tale and there's been images of this game out there for weeks, but as a massive Space Wolves an I wanted to share my impressions of the Burning of Prospero box game

First Impressions
Wow that is a box of plastic crack! It looks even more rammed than Betrayal at Calth, although I'm sure they are about the same and it's just my imagination.

Marine Sprues
I'm loving the variety in helmet design but am surprised at the lack of torso plate variation, it's the opposite of the resin kit, but I guess that gives you a reason to still buy the resin kit and have double the combinations.
The crispness of the plastics matches that of the resin kits in my opinion, where as the Mk4 in BaC was a little bit off around the knees, these seem to equal the Mk3 resins. I think we all wondered if Mk3 was even possible in plastic due to the variety of textures but by breaking the leg and back pack components down, the designers have managed to get it spot on.
The weapons options are just as good as BaC. All the most popular are there but then there is still reason enough to buy the resin upgrade kits. It's a smart move.
My most favourite inclusion is the thunder hammer. I'll be adding some of those to my terminators I think.

Terminators
I was dubious about tartaros terminators. I had some of the resin ones when they first came out and wasn't keen. But these in the box, they are a long way away from those early resins, in terms of detail.
I was looking to swap these with Dad Rich, but I think I'll be keeping them. I'm going to build them up as heavy weapons support, then build my Cataphractii as close combat, I think.
There's a lot of options, and creating the sprue so that the power fists can be either power fists or lightening claws was another smart move by the Designers.

The Sisters.
the best comparison for these is the Space Marine Scout set. There's a lot of miniatures on not a lot of sprues. The Sisters themselves are lithe and delicate, akin to elder almost. I'm looking forward to putting these together and including them in my force as a small specialist ally contingent, as per the fluff.

Custodes
This sprue is ram-packed full of detail. Again, I'm looking forward to including them as a small force. I'll be building them with guardian spears, as per the fluff. Essentially, the Sisters and Custodes in my force will be as per the fluff and built as per the artwork in Visions of Heresy.

Characters
The characters are fantastic, extremely highly detailed.
Fell Hand will be the first of this set to be built and painted, I can tell you that now :-). The miniature itself blends the dark 30k imagery that FW have spent so long building up along with the 40k Space Wolves aesthetic which already exists without being too cartoonish (which I personally hate... those Wulfern are the epitome of all I hate about the way 40k has gone with the modelling). I especially love the right shoulder pad, very in keeping with Visions of Heresy (possibly the only reason I'm considering buying the Wulfern kit... anyone got any spare they fancy trading?).
the Space Wolves legion symbol is a great tie back to the early 1990's chapter icon.

Box Contents
The books, cards and instructions all seem to be printed and detailed equally as well as BaC. The quality is extremely high.
The decal sheet looks great, lots of choice, adding yet more options to Space Wolves heraldry when you're painting them up.
the building instructions look very detailed and easy to follow, which will be needed to build the Sisters and Custodes as they are new to the range.
The background book is, similar to that in BaC, in the same style as the FW big black books. I'm really excited to sit down with a cup of tea and finally read some of the Heresy fluff for the Space Wolves, as I have been all the other legions that have been included in the black books to date.

Game
I plan on playing a couple of games in the near future so will post up a review of that separately. The rules do look easily laid out like BaC though so I'm expecting a similar level of complexity.
the addition of D8, D10 and D12 does suggest a bit of spice to the mix though, so I'll keep you posted!

Summary
All in all this is a fantastic set. There's a good chance I'd buy another one of these, because its packed with miniatures in my favourite armour mark and then I would have full 10-man/lady squads of the sisters and custodies forces (I'm guessing 5-man squads aren't going to cut it when gaming).

I picked mine up from Warhammer World, because a) I'm lazy, b) I'm impatient, c) the Horus Heresy campaign weekend was on so I wanted a nosy and d) I was picking up my pre-ordered Leman Russ, but £95 is quite a price and there's plenty of places selling it cheaper, so that's where I think I'd pick my next box up from. Companies such as Alchemist Workshops are selling it at 20% off. At £76 a box, it sounds like an even better deal! Especially if you're splitting it with a friend, thirty-odd pounds would essentially get you twice as much as you get in a standard Space Marine tactical squad box for not much more.

What do you guys intend on doing with your set/ Have you played the game yet? Let us know in the comments below.

Dave

fourdadsoftheapocalypse.blogspot.co.uk – A blog about Warhammer 40k and the Horus Heresy by four Dads

Of Wolves and Witches....

I'm a massive Space Wolves fan, and I also have a fondness for the Thousand Sons (they were always loyal! Curse you Horus...), so with all the recent leaks, I am getting very excited for the last part of 2016.

In anticipation, I thought I'd map out what we have seen to date and what we know/think is coming!

Lets start early this year, when Forge World unveiled their Leman Russ WIP. Were we excited? Yes we were. Look at him! At this point in time I didn't realise that he was holding the Spear of Russ as well as his mighty sword. I bet Magnus is chuckling at that somewhere in the Warp. In The Battle of the Fang, it is revealed that Russ actually hated that spear...



Drip drip drip through the rest of the year and we've had both Space Wolves and Thousand Sons shoulder pads and transfer sheets. We've also had some Thousand Sons helmets and a Thousand Sons Contemptor dreadnought, which I was a bit surprised about. We had seen no rumours before this bad boy dropped! But still, its appearance stoked the fires further...


I love the metallic red paint scheme that FW have chosen for the Thousand Sons, it sets them apart from other red-armoured marines such as Blood Angels and Word Bearers. Unfortunately, without an airbrush I'm not sure I can replicate it, which is a shame.

Then this guy popped up on eBay...

There's speculation as to who it actually is, but my money is on a generic sorcerer. I imagine FW will want to do Ahriman in resin, as with the rest of the character series.

More recently we got a picture of a completed Russ. He really does look good. I notice that his armour is akin to Mk6 and he has the legion icon on his right shoulder pad. This may go some way to explaining why many of the legion icons on the Space Wolves transfer sheet are geared up for right-handed pads. Maybe there is a predominance of Mk6 armour in the legion? Back in Second Edition, the Wolves were generally modelled as having Mk6 (which is probably why I love it so much). We will have to wait and see...


From the braided hair to the dynamic pose, this guy is a space Viking through and through. I also imagine he gets angry and eats people who refer to him as a space Viking...
There is a small part of me that wishes his pose was more like that on the cover of Prospero Burns; brooding, but I like the pose never the less.



Lastly we have the leaked cover of November's White Dwarf, and isn't that a wet dream in paper format?! Wolves, Sons, plastic tartaros terminators, plastic Mk2 armour... man oh man I cannot wait for this.



Now, you'll have to excuse me. I'm just on my way to sell a couple of body parts to raise cash for this lot...

Dave

Twitter Primarch Deathmatch Magnus v Lion El'Jonson Result

"This is incredible! It looks like a double KO. Both Primarch's are on the floor, Magnus has barely a cheekbone left after that right hook but just got a witchfire strike off into the chest of the Lion before the lights went out."

"Yes the warp charge is still dancing across the probe form of Jonson as we speak."

"Wait. There's movement. Both Primarch's are on the move. They're both fighting off the darkness. Who will get up first? Surely the victor will be the first one to rise and strike again?"

"The Lion has made it to his knees, the warp energy is still making him shudder."

"Magnus is struggling - wait what is this? The Lion's sword is rising. This is incredible. Magnus has a broken body but his mind is back and seeking retribution."

"The Lion is still on his knees. The sword is above him.......oooooohhh, that has to smart. Those golden locks are no more attached to his body and Magnus is triumphant in what has been an amazing fight!"

"Yes Magnus is the first through to the semi finals so well done to him and stay with us death match fans for the next quarter final draw..."

Twitter Primarch Deathmatch Quarter Final 1 - Magnus v Lion El'Jonson

"Following a short break so that the victorious Primarch's could heal their wounds and the arena could be cleaned of limbs the Deathmatch studio is geared up for the quarter finals."

"Just eight (nine) Primarch's still stand in the competition - Sanguinius, Horus, Leman Russ, Lion El'Jonson, Magnus, Alpharius/Omegon, Angron and Mortarion. These Primarch's now have nothing to prove having already beaten 10 of their brothers to a bloody pulp."

"That's true but means absolutely nothing if they go out at this stage and the tension has ramped up this week. The training dummies and apothecaries have never been busier as have Angron's legion undertakers!"

"And so this is it, the draw for the first match of the quarter finals. To pick the contestants our special guest is..... Fabius Bile!!"

"Yes the famed monstrosity from the Emperors Children clicks his way in looking very young for his age."

"Obviously had a few skin grafts in his time but I have to say this one's a real beauty. I may have to have a chat about that off air..."

"Anyway back to the draw and one of the spidery mechadendrites clicks its way into the bowl and out comes one of the famous Deathmatch balls.....it's Magnus the Red!!!" 

"The Maroon wizard is out again after his demolishing of Ferrus Manus in the first round. Now who will he draw? In goes another metal tentacle...."

"The second ball comes out and it's....Lion El'Jonson!!"

"The third appearance for the big liar - sorry Lion - He defeated Corvus Corax and Konrad Curze in the first 2 rounds and without a 'C' in his name will he be able to defeat Magnus?"

"Well Deathmatch fans, the first 2 quarter finalists are on their way to the arena so it's time to get voting for your favourite. Get yourselves on Twitter @4dadsapocalypse and post your vote. See you soon"

Twitter Primarch Deathmatch Week 4 Result - Magnus v Ferrus Manus

Commentary excerpt from Deathmatch week 4:

"The two warriors enter the Deathmatch arena, their hulking presence silences the baying crowd. The gigantic form of the mighty Ferrus Manus casts a hulking shadow as the floodlights beam down and we are ready for an almighty smackdown in the arena tonight."

"Ferrus is first to move as his mighty Iron hands hoist Forgebreaker high over his head......Wait! its all over! This is incredible! Magnus moved out of the shadows and......opened his cycloptic eye! That was it, quick as a flash and Ferrus' head just popped clean off!"

" Magnus is quietly walking back into the shadows here in the arena as the boo's ring around at arenaside. Once again Ferrus has buckled under the pressure and lost his head in the big fight. What a let down......."

So that's it, a very one sided contest leaves Magnus strolling into the quarters. Just who will be joining him in week 5? Check back later when the draw is made.

Twitter Primarch Deathmatch Week 4 - Magnus v Ferrus Manus

I'm not sure we can top the drama of week 3 but this match will certainly give it a go!

Here to draw our next 2 contestants in the Deathmatch studio's is the one, the only, Old Zogwart!

The weirdest of the weirdboyz himself stands before me in the studio now bathed in his luminescent green glow and interesting aroma.

He approaches the drawing bowl now ready to draw the first Primarch and.... Bang, Flash..... it turns into a squig!! Has anyone got another set of balls and bowl to draw them from please?! And somebody shoot that Squig!!

Right now that everything has calmed down a bit here, Mr Zogwart please put down the staff and pick a ball out of the bowl....

And who do we have? Its Magnus the Red! Old Cyclops himself makes an appearance ready to fight and hoping to win to make a political victory speech at the finish about how he was right and everyone should have listened to him!

So who will face Magnus? Could it be the Wolf or is it too early for that matchup just yet? Those orky fingers are dipping into the bowl again.....its......Ferrus Manus! The Primarch who famously loses his head under pressure.

 

So Deathmatch fans we have The Crimson King representing the Thousand Sons v The Gorgon Representing the Iron Hands. Who will win? Only you can decide so get on Twitter and vote now!

Horus Heresy Book Review - Scars by Chris Wraight (No spoilers)

I am slowly getting through the Black Library Horus Heresy series and thoroughly enjoying my trip through Warhammer history. I find it incredibly interesting to read each author's interpretation of the legions and the events that have taken place in the Warhammer universe. In truth some of the books have been brilliant - Horus Rising, Flight of the Eisenstein, Outcast Dead, Deliverance Lost & Fear to Tread to name just a couple - and some have been pretty boring - Descent of Angels, Battle for the Abyss, Nemesis, Mechanicum, Legion. I would say that on average though you can't go too wrong with this series of books as there is always something in these novels that is enjoyable and worth finding out about.

When it came to reading Scars I have to say that I was definitely NOT looking forward to this book. I generally have no interest in the White Scars and before the book had no idea about the chapter, their Primarch or their history in the Horus Heresy. Also I hadn't read a lot of Chris Wraight's novels previously although the one I had read (Battle for the fang) I thoroughly enjoyed. So with this slightly negative view off I went to join the Khan...

In the novel we are treated to many different legionsof Space Marines - From the White Scars & Space Wolves to the Alpha Legion, Word Bearers and Death Guard. We also get to meet 4 Primarchs - Khan & Mortarian in the main and Russ and Magnus chipping in with bit parts. With the meeting of these primarchs and legions we are treated to some interesting reveals and backstory of the Horus Heresy that has not been covered before and the characters in the book are extremely compelling which made me want to keep reading to find out more.

The story has a number of sub-plots and distinctly follows two storylines which can be a little disjointed but are both important to the story and the Horus Heresy as a whole with a great reveal about the workings of the Word Bearers and how they are controlling things.

The most enjoyable parts of the story for me were the interactions between the primarchs which just make me want to know what would happen if.....(once you've read it you'll understand!) and the decision that the Khan must make whether to be loyal to the Emperor or Horus. Chris Wraight did a magnificent job of getting the feeling of confusion across to the reader as bits of information, messages and rumours about the wider galaxy reached the White Scars creating division and corruption amongst the legion.

The poorer parts of the book in my opinion were the pace - I thought that at times it slowed down when things had just started to get going - which is probably due to this book being originally released as a series ebook in parts. Also I thought that some of the fighting and battle scenes weren't as engaging as they should have been. I'm not sure why but it just didn't feel like I was in the battle with shells and swords clattering around me.

As a whole I really enjoyed the book and I think it is well worth a read. It compliments and extends the Horus Heresy background, tells the story of the White Scars chapter of which little has been written before and is an interesting standalone story with some great characters.

I give this book an 8/10

Let me know what you think

James

Forge World Friday - 08/04/2016

Friday rolls around and once more Forge World stun us in to silence with the quality of their work.

Now, I'm a Wolves player so the only way I'm purchasing these dirty witches is as trophies for my veterans, but I cannot argue with the depth and breadth of the quality on display. And that paint scheme is lovely!

FW say:
Today's a day of rejoicing for any true son of Prospero, you can now add a Contemptor Dreadnought to your force that no one will be able to mistake for one of any other Legion. This mighty war machine is bedecked with the markings and icons of the Thousand Sons.

And he hasn't come alone, there's also two new upgrade kits for your marines. Achean pattern heads and shoulder pads, perfect for the veterans of your army. We've put together a collection with enough heads and shoulder pads to updgrade a full 10 man squad too, order yours now!

What do you guys think?
Dave

Forgeworld Monday!

Today we get a teaser for the Thousand Sons - a Legion specific contemptor dreadnought if I am not mistaken!

Yet again the Space Wolves come last - will they ever get the love they deserve...of course they will and it'll be raining wolf pelts and frost axes before we know it I expect!

This model looks awesome as always and will no doubt be going into the shopping basket for you Magnus fans soon!

Horus Heresy Weekender - New Models Roundup!

Well the dust has settled on another weekender with news of plot developments, next books and of course loads more lovely resin models to spend our money on!

I have to recommend the Battle Bunnies blog as the definitive guide to the HH Weekender - link. I am summarising below the new models that were showcased, lots to get excited about:

Mechanicum models
Not my army but one that I admire and Forgeworld continue to deliver on a unique looking army with:

 

Another massive tank and mobile field gun for the Mechanicum - I love the unique style of these models and cant wait to see them in the flesh (or should that be resin?!).

 

 

I am loving the Ursarax above - the claws look great and follow on from the hooked style we have seen on the new Ravenguard models.

I am a huge fan of the blight drone model by Forgeworld and have never been able to find an excuse to buy one - the Battle Automata has been identified as a potential pre-nurgle version of this and I couldnt agree more - very cool!

Legion models

New heavy weapons - ok so I cant see a low-slung lascannon being hugely practical in real world combat. But who cares, nothing looks better than a heavy weapon 'gun-slinger' model! I love these and will be putting my unopened Legion lascannons on ebay soon to get myself some of these!

Cataphracti Shoulder Guards - following up last weeks weapon upgrade these will be making your terminators looks even cooler - sadly not all Legions available yet - hurry up with the Imperial Fists please.

Sokar Pattern Stormbird - this has been teased at a previous FW event but I am excited to see it again and the World Eater paint job looks ace. At 5kilos of resin I am not sure how expensive it will be - just make sure you have the details of a good chiropractor handy if you do decide to pick on up when they are released!

Mastadon Transport - intended to represent a moving siege tower and to be especially killy. Looking forward to this one. If the Stormbird is crazy money then this may do the job instead. They still have problems making it 'buildable' and given my recent battle with a Spartan I am fully prepared to wait a bit longer for this one.

Iron-Circle Robot thingy - as if Perturabo needs any more help, then he gets these 20ft high killer bots to keep him safe! I can only imagine he had the built after Alexis Pollux nearly beat him in the Phall confrontation.

Other stuff:

Thousands Sons : Prospero is going to get the HH treatment later in the year so the Sons are getting some upgrade kits of their own and this lovely dreadnought too! Space Wolves are getting the toughest lesson in patience ever!

Acastus knight: Looks to me like a Leviathan Dread on steroids! With armour plating like that I expect it to be super hard to knock down and those weapons look like mini-turbo lasers - whats not to like?




What is on your shopping list at Forgeworld in the next few months?

 

Thousand Sons are here!

Hey hey,

So Forge World have today revealed the Thousand Sons upgrade kits:

http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/en-GB/Thousand-Sons-Upgrade-Set



I'm excited about these for a couple of reasons:

• They look fantastic, and I'm loving the FW paint scheme, that metallic red look is beautiful!
• I can use them to decorate the bases of my VIth Legion
• I can also create a couple of TS for my Shattered Legion force (maybe a Librarian? The Ultramarines have a loyalist Thousand Son in Battle for the Abyss, so why not?)

 AND

• It means the Sons of Fenris are a little step closer (being one of the very few legions left to get some Forge World Horus Heresy love)

What do you guys think? Has anyone been waiting for these upgrades to get their Heresy geek on? Let us know.

Dave