Wonderwolf wrote:

 Haighus wrote:

 torgoch wrote:
Are those Ork snippets from the Black Library? They sound utterly ridiculous even by the Black Library standards..

Agreed. I thought Ghazgull's WAAAGH! was supposed to be the biggest Ork WAAAGH! since the Great Crusade... and was stopped at a single world, yet this WAAAGH! has thrown the entire IoM into disarray and nearly destroyed Terra, which is probably the most heavily fortified system in the entire IoM... yeah.... Not to mention the Warboss in one of the cover pictures looks very similar to Ghaz.

Also interesting how they have a different author for each of the books.

Almost

1. Ghazghkull's Great Waaagh! is supposed to be the biggest for eight thousand years, specifically since the Beast.
2. Ghazghkull's Great Waaagh! is the one he started AFTER Armageddon, in GW's typical a-minute-before-midnight fashion. Like Abaddon's permanently interrupted 13th Black Crusade, universal Necron Awakening, All-Tyranids-so-far-are-but-a-tiny-vanguard-theories, the whole point is that it seemingly a minute or so before Orks wipe out humanity.

Da Great Waaagh! is an ongoing Ork campaign launched by Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka.[1] It is the largest Ork Waaagh! encountered in eight thousand years,[2] on a scale not seen since the great Waaagh! of The Beast.

Enkmar wrote:
I wasn't sure where to ask this. I've seen the End Times hardcovers for the past few months floating around and they're really nice looking. Now that I've decided "I must have these!" I'm having a heck of a time finding them in Hardcover. Any tips?

Guest post: Aaron talks about Ragnar27/08/15
With 'Space Marine Legends: Ragnar Blackmane' out tomorrow, we have something very special for you: a guest post by Aaron Dembski-Bowden about the enduring appeal of the Young King and what his new novel is all about. Take it away, Aaron:

‘They'll say that on this day, the youngest lord – called Blackmane by his kith and kin – led his bloodied hunters into the jaws of winter.’ – Ulrik the Slayer.

Ragnar (that's Wolf Lord Blackmane or ‘the Young King’ to me and you, folks) has risen far and fast. He's gathered one of the largest Great Companies beneath his banner, earned glories that equal ¬– and even eclipse – the deeds of older, longer-fanged Wolf Lords, and he's always been one of the truly iconic avatars of the Space Wolves concept in Warhammer 40,000. Famously he's the only Wolf Lord ever to reach that rank without earning the mantle of Grey Hunter first; instead he was thrust into a position of honour while still a Blood Claw.

‘Space Marine Legends: Ragnar Blackmane’ focuses on the path Ragnar has walked to become the warrior who leads his Great Company through the burning fortress-cities of Cadia. It hearkens back to the ferocity and impetuous deeds that threatened his rise to glory in the past, and as Ulrik the Slayer might say (probably with a fanged scowl) some lessons are only learned the hard way. The warrior spirit that beats in the Blood Claw's heart is still a thing of fury and valour, even as it becomes tempered by the sacrifices of the Wolves that have died at his side, falling with their lord's name on their lips.

The Space Wolves' endless defiance is their greatest weapon, but no Chapter is without sin. Through conflicts with the honour-bound Dark Angels and the savage Flesh Tearers – both of whom carry very real, very justified grudges with the Wolves from the past – Ragnar is forced to face the cold truth that sometimes killing your enemies isn't enough. A king must be cunning and wise, as well as skilled with a blade, and glory without honour is no glory at all.

Thanks Aaron. Follow the link below to find out more about 'Space Marine Legends: Ragnar Blackmane', download a free wallpaper and extract, and set your reminder so you don't miss out on this fantastic limited edition.

 kronk wrote:
Yes!

The Emperor, as written by ADB.

feth yeah!

 Formosa wrote:
No, it's going to suck arse, it will either be "buy a page" like scars, a 30 page short story, or go straight back to the start of the heresy or some such nonsense. Adb, for the love of god, please don't let black library ruin this again.

 BobtheInquisitor wrote:

 Formosa wrote:
No, it's going to suck arse, it will either be "buy a page" like scars, a 30 page short story, or go straight back to the start of the heresy or some such nonsense. Adb, for the love of god, please don't let black library ruin this again.

ADB is the guy who said BL was doing everything right. He said this is the future of publishing. Your hopes amuse him.

And in all seriousness, it's not something I think rocks on toast, or anything. I'm writing 40K now (and, I hope, forever) but it's not all I'm ever going to write. I'm not going to cheer the collapse of the book trade and praise BL for weathering it with a grin. I'm glad they are, but the whole situation makes me much more uneasy than most people, I suspect, since this is my career. It's all I'm qualified to do. I'm never going to make it in the NBA, after all. (GO SUNS.)

The cold truth for BL is that they're making more money than ever, and this has not only not affected sales, but the figures are better than ever. Again, that doesn't make me scream with joy (again, I'll point out that I was the only author to publically offer any sympathy and support - as well as explanation - over the limited edition hardback novellas), but neither am I going to lie about it to confirm a handful of pretty impolite guesses about something people have zero experience with.

No one's saying it's the only way to keep publishing. But it's what a collapsing (truly, honestly collapsing) physical book trade is doing to sustain itself. At no point is anyone here saying it's wise. At no point is anyone saying it's virtuous. At no point is anyone defending it. They're just pointing out that it's happening, and a few anecdotal stories about how it's killing the Heresy series are essentially nonsense.

Don't take an explanation of what's happening as some spirited defence or rampart-breaking need to suddenly tow a company line I'm usually in trouble for breaking. I'd have just stayed silent and not bothered answering if there was a negative answer to give.

 reds8n wrote:
really looking forwards to this.

.. No offence intended but gonna assume will still be something of a wait for this book though

 reds8n wrote:
20 bonus Dakka Points if you can be the writer who slips in the bit about the Emperor decreeing that from this point onwards all Land Raiders are to be assigned to the Astartes as opposed to the army

.... or has that not happened yet ? pretty certain that was pre Terra..?

"The chest! The chest! Go for the Chest!" The Night Gaunt was no longer a machine for Rittman. He was slaying a giant, ripping its heart out, breaking its bones, stabbing the life out of a monster

 kronk wrote:
Yes!

The Emperor, as written by ADB.

feth yeah!

Dead Blue Clown wrote:

 BobtheInquisitor wrote:

 Formosa wrote:
No, it's going to suck arse, it will either be "buy a page" like scars, a 30 page short story, or go straight back to the start of the heresy or some such nonsense. Adb, for the love of god, please don't let black library ruin this again.

ADB is the guy who said BL was doing everything right. He said this is the future of publishing. Your hopes amuse him.

With the magic of the internet, you can literally see I didn't say that at all.

And in all seriousness, it's not something I think rocks on toast, or anything. I'm writing 40K now (and, I hope, forever) but it's not all I'm ever going to write. I'm not going to cheer the collapse of the book trade and praise BL for weathering it with a grin. I'm glad they are, but the whole situation makes me much more uneasy than most people, I suspect, since this is my career. It's all I'm qualified to do. I'm never going to make it in the NBA, after all. (GO SUNS.)

The cold truth for BL is that they're making more money than ever, and this has not only not affected sales, but the figures are better than ever. Again, that doesn't make me scream with joy (again, I'll point out that I was the only author to publically offer any sympathy and support - as well as explanation - over the limited edition hardback novellas), but neither am I going to lie about it to confirm a handful of pretty impolite guesses about something people have zero experience with.

No one's saying it's the only way to keep publishing. But it's what a collapsing (truly, honestly collapsing) physical book trade is doing to sustain itself. At no point is anyone here saying it's wise. At no point is anyone saying it's virtuous. At no point is anyone defending it. They're just pointing out that it's happening, and a few anecdotal stories about how it's killing the Heresy series are essentially nonsense.

Don't take an explanation of what's happening as some spirited defence or rampart-breaking need to suddenly tow a company line I'm usually in trouble for breaking. I'd have just stayed silent and not bothered answering if there was a negative answer to give.

And, man, that was almost three years ago. That's an epoch in the book trade, let alone in GW policy. But I never said short stories and serials were the future of the industry or that BL was doing everything right. I explained how and why they were doing well when most publishers weren't. That's literally it.

Besides, the only hope I really laugh at is when people say they hope Jon Snow stays dead. There are more resurrections in Westeros than in Marvel.

 BobtheInquisitor wrote:
That was a fast reply. I didn't realize you still read Dakka. I apologize for misremembering such ancient conversations.

Jon Snow dying might have killed the series, but his return will definitely kill the series. But then, ASOIAF is already dead to me.

Is BL still making more money than ever? Or is there hope for the human race?

Dead Blue Clown wrote:

Still a daily reader. My current deal is hunting for an easier way to get rid of mould lines on Kataphron treads. God, I love the models, but it took me an age to scrape the buggers.

Dead Blue Clown wrote:

Going even more old school than that.

"It's called Land's Raider. Ignorant soldiers."

Dead Blue Clown wrote:

 BobtheInquisitor wrote:
That was a fast reply. I didn't realize you still read Dakka. I apologize for misremembering such ancient conversations.

Jon Snow dying might have killed the series, but his return will definitely kill the series. But then, ASOIAF is already dead to me.

Is BL still making more money than ever? Or is there hope for the human race?

Still a daily reader. My current deal is hunting for an easier way to get rid of mould lines on Kataphron treads. God, I love the models, but it took me an age to scrape the buggers.

I know next to nothing about GW's sales, as there's been huuuuuuuge shifts and restructuring over the last three years (especially in the last year). Not sure what HQ is comfortable with me saying (they're likely okay with anything, as it's not secret, but whatever) - the short version is that it all runs through Publications now, rather than BL as its own department. You've seen the biggest shift in that in terms of books no longer being announced a year+ in advance as they were in the book trade, and instead going with GW's schedule of only announcing when something's about to be released.

Anyway! I wanted to apologise for replying to your light-hearted post with something so po-faced and miserable. That was lame of me.