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I heard rumors all over the net.

Rumors are that after Codex: Grey Knight. Matt Ward was banned for writing fluff for next codexes, but will instead write only rules while others will write fluff no matter the codex bears his name. All people point out the fluff of small SoB update and new Necron codex, were fluff is not even matching his style at all.

I personally don't believe that much, it may be that his is writting half fluff while other half is writting someone else.
Do anyone here had additional info?

I haven't heard any such rumor.

The Necron Codex fluff has Mat Ward written all over it... That rumour is false!

1. Necron Codex is clearly written by Mat Ward. It's his "handwriting" all over. Most notably all the little cross-references and "easter eggs", not least to the Grey Knights Codex.


2. Why would he be banned from writing for the Grey Knight Codex? Like the Necron book, it's a fantastic read. Probably the only one published in the last 2 years or so that I go back to just to read the stories. All the tie-ins with the Horus Heresy, the Terminus Decress, etc... . Fantastic stuff.

3. The SoB-update was written by Robin Cruddace, including all (new) fluff as far as there was any.

Links?

Having had a brief glimpse at the fluff in the new 'dex you can see that it is written by Ward. For once I don't actually have an issue with the fluff even if it isn't written that well.

1.) First rumour is that future GW publications are more teamwork than before, even if only one author is named.
2.) Second rumour is that esp. for the Necron Codex, much of the fluff was not written by Mat. But my guess is that the "Tyranids ate a Necron dynasty" is by Mat himself

That was what I was heard to, that every codex is not written in teamwork. But now fluff is also created in teamwork rather than imagination of 1 men.

"Banned from writing fluff" lol.
lolololololol.
Ah, the internet <3

Perhaps there will be more "team-writing". But I doubt that would be due to (the unbased internet-rage over) Mat Wards' style of writing.

Rather, it would appear to be a necessary effort if the rumours about the fluff-changes come 6th Edition have any truth in them. Those would require some serious "cross-codex" efforts, links and coordination to pull off in a professional manner.

Ward writes good rule, bad fluff. Why don't they just make him in charge of rules and give fluff over to someone else.

There has always been a "team writing" thing going on.

Anyone who tells you that Ward or Cruddace are writing fluff by themselves are lying through their teeth or incredibly gullible.

The only examples of authors writing fluff "by themselves" are Gav Thorpe, Jervis, Andy Chambers, and Phil Kelly.
The only reason they're 'allowed' to do it is they had seniority and have been with the company for quite awhile.

Necron Codex's fluff utterly wreaks of Ward's writing style, so obviously not.

Main indications of Wardism:

1.)While every codex makes its army seem like unstoppable badasses, Ward takes it to a point that warps pre-established canon and abuses other factions or individual (embarrassing Mortarion, turning the C'tan into dogs, etc.) and exploits are to the point of absurdity (Draigo).
2.)Definitive, blanket statements for hype purposes. While most codex's would say "The Ultramarines are amongst the most respected and admired of the Space Marines even amongst their peers" or "Imotekh is among the greatest strategists in the galaxy", Ward says "all Spcae Marines want to be Ultramarines" and "Imoetkh is the best strategist in the galaxy"
3.) Heroism, everyone has to be heroic and honorable. I think this was a mindset developed in his work on Space Marine codices, and became a problem most so with the Necron Codex (who are clearly meant to be a villainous faction). It's why Necrons are written to be so obsessed with honor, self-sacrifice (see the Silent King), and courage. The Silent King is attempting to save the Galaxy from the Tyranid menace and refuses to control the Necrons as pawns, Necron Lords spare worthy enemies and are reluctant to use dishonorable tactics in battle, Imperial worlds are given a month to evacuate because the honor of battle dictates. The Necrons didn't seem heroic or honorable, so Ward decreed that they were.

Harriticus wrote:Necron Codex's fluff utterly wreaks of Ward's writing style, so obviously not.

Main indications of Wardism:
3.) Heroism, everyone has to be heroic and honorable. I think this was a mindset developed in his work on Space Marine codices, and became a problem most so with the Necron Codex (who are clearly meant to be a villainous faction). It's why Necrons are written to be so obsessed with honor, self-sacrifice (see the Silent King), and courage. The Silent King is attempting to save the Galaxy from the Tyranid menace and refuses to control the Necrons as pawns, Necron Lords spare worthy enemies and are reluctant to use dishonorable tactics in battle, Imperial worlds are given a month to evacuate because the honor of battle dictates. The Necrons didn't seem heroic or honorable, so Ward decreed that they were.

No. The silent king only wants to stop the tyranids to save his own empire. He doesn't really care about other races.
There is only one Overlord that is purely honorable, and he's insane. I wouldn't say Trazyn and Szeras are honourable, that's for sure.

I don't know where those rumors came from, the Necron codex reads off like a Ward codex to me. Sure it doesn't have a single character who stomps through demigods like it's no one's business (Imotekh's victories and accomplishments are pretty tame compared to Draigo's, for example), but the prose is still vaguely similar to Ward's, and it still leaves me with that bored reaction that most of the fluff in his codice's incites when it doesn't make me scoff at the fluff.

Funny thing is that for a Ward Codex, it is strangely non-competitive. The nice-fluff-nice-modells-odd-rules reminds me of the Tyranid Codex.

Harriticus wrote:Necron Codex's fluff utterly wreaks of Ward's writing style, so obviously not.

Main indications of Wardism:

1.)While every codex makes its army seem like unstoppable badasses, Ward takes it to a point that warps pre-established canon and abuses other factions or individual (embarrassing Mortarion, turning the C'tan into dogs, etc.) and exploits are to the point of absurdity (Draigo).
2.)Definitive, blanket statements for hype purposes. While most codex's would say "The Ultramarines are amongst the most respected and admired of the Space Marines even amongst their peers" or "Imotekh is among the greatest strategists in the galaxy", Ward says "all Spcae Marines want to be Ultramarines" and "Imoetkh is the best strategist in the galaxy"
3.) Heroism, everyone has to be heroic and honorable. I think this was a mindset developed in his work on Space Marine codices, and became a problem most so with the Necron Codex (who are clearly meant to be a villainous faction). It's why Necrons are written to be so obsessed with honor, self-sacrifice (see the Silent King), and courage. The Silent King is attempting to save the Galaxy from the Tyranid menace and refuses to control the Necrons as pawns, Necron Lords spare worthy enemies and are reluctant to use dishonorable tactics in battle, Imperial worlds are given a month to evacuate because the honor of battle dictates. The Necrons didn't seem heroic or honorable, so Ward decreed that they were.

You’ve raised on good points. It’s kind of unfortunate that some Wardisms have crept into the Necrons codex.

Kroothawk wrote:Funny thing is that for a Ward Codex, it is strangely non-competitive. The nice-fluff-nice-modells-odd-rules reminds me of the Tyranid Codex.

There were rumours that the Newcron codex was designed with sixth edition in mind, maybe that would have some factor in it; they might be slightly more competitive once sixth edition is released.

Did he ever write fluff? *

I'm not seeing any.
(I don't play SW or BA, so didn't bother even downloading the codices).

*In the same way that CS Goto NEVER wrote a BL novel. That was an urban myth.

I have always been a fan of Mat Wards fluff. If you are playing an army, then you should be proud of that army and feel like they are an army worth playing. I WANT to play the most heroic and baddest army.

Also: I think that the past codex writings have always included a lot of teamwork, but since Mat Ward was the only name on the cover, he got a lot of the flack for it. With the way GW works I would imagine that he tried to tone the fluff down but GW slapped his hand and was all "no we must sell more models! People want awesome models, so we need more over the top fluff!"

Just my opinion...

Despite the fact that they never did that before him?

I like his fluff....