Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Let me first state that I rather like the Bolter and Chainsword.

As a self-confessed Space Marine Fan, this is probably no surprise.

Through the years, I've seen quite a few references to the 'fact' that the B&C is a wholly (or perhaps partially) owned subsidiary of GW.

It is a funny joke to make, I guess, but is it in fact true?

Does anyone know for sure?

First I've heard of it. My understanding is that Brother Argos funds the whole operation himself with occasional solicitations for funds from the members for server upgrades and the like.

edit: From a donation thread in February by Brother Argos:

The Bolter & Chainsword rarely asks for donations from its members, the last time was when we upgraded the hard drives on the server to deal with the extra load of the Space Marine Painter and other board extenstions. However as time has gone on and the board has expanded significantly the costs have risen to match, I personally pay those costs (Dedicated Server Hosting and Bandwidth), but cannot find more money for expansion. One of the reasons I do this is to keep the B&C as one of the few places on the Internet where we do no get bombarded by advertising, somewhere clean and clear to discuss our hobby and interests.

When I saw the thread title I thought you going to talk about GW being particularly cozy with the B&C because the work on the Salamanders with things like Brother Argos getting a character named after him in the new novel.

I doubt it. The new SW skin is impressive, but a talented guy (or girl) with time and acess to the software could crank it out without GW level assets. Beyond that, the moderation that occurs on B&C isn't the sort of moderation I remember from when GW had a web forum. In the old days, they had a pretty stifling gag order on folks posting their dislike of GW practice or product. On B&C, there's all kinds of anti GW stuff that crops up, and it typically isn't deleted.

As far as knowing for sure, only the B&C staff would know, and then only the webmaster/guy who pays the domain fees. I don't think they'll be confirming or denying, but I could be mistaken.

EDIT: what ^^ guy said.

They are just dedicated fans. They do a yearly fund raiser to get the money to host the site. This year iirc they pulled in quite a bit.

People just love their marines and to be honest it's the best marine website out there.

Pretty much what I figured.

They are one of the better 40K sites out there, so maybe success breeds jealousy/conspiracy theories?

Then again, they and Big Waaagh are two of the few forums to have Games Day space made available to them.

So the truth, like always, is somewhere in the middle?

Or perhaps they get space because they put a lot of effort into getting space?

I doubt they're owned directly. They're a public company, and such an aquisition can be found out about. Also, B&C are a little narrow in focus, why wouldn't GW buy out a more general interest forum?

That said, they clearly have a most favored status over there. They seem to toe the GW line more than any other forum, and they seem the most paranoid about GW IP issues. Now, that could be because they use a little themselves and are terrified of being shut down, or because it's part of a quid pro quo. Donation drives can solicit funds from anybody, and channeling a few hundred dollars to the forums that you like the most isn't exactly a terrible way to spend some ad dollars if you're GW.

All told, I think they're simply the hardest core of strict GW supporters on the web and they keep that up for their own reasons.

Polonius wrote:They seem to toe the GW line more than any other forum

I don't agree with that assessment at all. There's plenty of anti-GW vitriol over there just like there is on any other 40k forum.

and they seem the most paranoid about GW IP issues.

I think GW has done a bang-up job of striking dear into the hearts of forum operators everywhere. Tau Online strikes me as substantially more paranoid than B&C, for example.

Polonius wrote:Also, B&C are a little narrow in focus, why wouldn't GW buy out a more general interest forum?

They deal in all things PA and PA accts for, what, 20-25% of sales all lines included? not that narrow....

Closer to 50%, although those numbers are a little old by now.

robertsjf wrote:

Polonius wrote:Also, B&C are a little narrow in focus, why wouldn't GW buy out a more general interest forum?

They deal in all things PA and PA accts for, what, 20-25% of sales all lines included? not that narrow....

I guess we can quibble about the definition of narrow, but my point is still that while B&C is a nice site for GW to subsidize, it probably wont' be the only one. Power Armor is huge, but so are Orks/Eldar/Tau/Nids, IG are gaining steam, and that leaves out Fantasy and LotR completely.

Has anybody purchased one of their transport bags? If so what do you think of them?

Polonius wrote:I guess we can quibble about the definition of narrow, but my point is still that while B&C is a nice site for GW to subsidize, it probably wont' be the only one. Power Armor is huge, but so are Orks/Eldar/Tau/Nids, IG are gaining steam, and that leaves out Fantasy and LotR completely.

Orks are also covered(B&C and Big Waaagh are partner sites).

Sarge wrote:Has anybody purchased one of their transport bags? If so what do you think of them?

GreenBlowFly has one. I just got mine. It's pretty pricey, but it's very nice. It's similar to a Sabol Mk II except it's a little larger and it opens up more completely since the side panel that opens has the top panel attached. There was a video review I saw last year from Blue Table Painting.

They're hard to get in that they only do one order per year. They need at least 50 people to sign up for bags to place that order too.

I've got a bag from a couple of years back. Personally, I love the thing. Durable, space for a good size army, rulebook, codex, pens, drink, snacks, dice, all that good stuff.

The black and red looks good, too.

Platuan4th wrote:

Polonius wrote:I guess we can quibble about the definition of narrow, but my point is still that while B&C is a nice site for GW to subsidize, it probably wont' be the only one. Power Armor is huge, but so are Orks/Eldar/Tau/Nids, IG are gaining steam, and that leaves out Fantasy and LotR completely.

Orks are also covered(B&C and Big Waaagh are partner sites).

and the Waaaggh has a fantasy section! There you go! Most of the bases covered!

Polonius wrote:I guess we can quibble about the definition of narrow, but my point is still that while B&C is a nice site for GW to subsidize, it probably wont' be the only one.

Personally, for the longest time, I assumed that BoLS was a GW front...

JohnHwangDD wrote:

Polonius wrote:I guess we can quibble about the definition of narrow, but my point is still that while B&C is a nice site for GW to subsidize, it probably wont' be the only one.

Personally, for the longest time, I assumed that BoLS was a GW front...

You're not serious, are you?

That would be the last si...


...hmmmm...

Alpharius wrote:

JohnHwangDD wrote:

Polonius wrote:I guess we can quibble about the definition of narrow, but my point is still that while B&C is a nice site for GW to subsidize, it probably wont' be the only one.

Personally, for the longest time, I assumed that BoLS was a GW front...

You're not serious, are you?

That would be the last si...


...hmmmm...

That would have to take some kind of Tactical Genius...

In before CREEEEEEEEEEED