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So, I'm in the middle of collecting a Blood Angels army, but in my heart I am a Necron collector and player. I just came back to the hobby after almost 10 years away, and given my two favorite armies are Blood Angels and Necrons I don't think I could have come back at a better time. I'm really looking forward to the new Necron release, even though the fluff and army itself is most likely going to get a complete overhaul and diverge from the current backstory behind the army.

I want to read Fall of Damnos, but given that the fluff is about to change dramatically, do you think I should read it? I don't want to read it and be like "OH THIS IS AWESOME" and then be royally disappointed when the codex comes out in October or November or whenever it is released. I mean, it can probably stand on it's own, but I don't want to build up an awesome universe only to have it torn down again by Mr. Ward... *sigh*. What should I do?

Don't read it. It's probably the worst thing that I've ever read from Black Library.

coolyo294 wrote:Don't read it. It's probably the worst thing that I've ever read from Black Library.

Oh poo :(

As Necron lover, Fall of Damnos is one of my Favorite reads.

If Matt is writing the Necron codex, then chances are the fluff is going to be butchered whether you read Fall of Damnos or not. Don't skimp yourself on a cool read just for that.

Overall Space Marine Battle Novels were very good to me. Honestly, Helsreach is one of the BEST book of all time that I've read. I haven't read Fall of Damnos but if it is like any other Space Marine Battle Novels, it should be 'fluff' correct and pretty interesting so I would go ahead and read it.

coolyo294 wrote:Don't read it. It's probably the worst thing that I've ever read from Black Library.

I want to know your reasoning for this as I find it to be very good, though it did make the whole battle seem more of a win for the Marines, which ultimately it was not.


To the OP though, it's a good book which in fact reveals some new units that are going to be in the next codex and provided rumors about what all might change about the army

400 pages of Space Marines and Necrons shooting at each other and little more is beloved by some, decried by some.

I liked it, there was some pretty good interaction between the marines and humans IMO

peebzguy wrote:

I want to read Fall of Damnos, but given that the fluff is about to change dramatically, do you think I should read it?

I think you might find that some of the fluff in the novel is in fact based upon the forthcoming codex.

The book is quite bad. Kyme ( as usual ) wrote his marines like a bunch of imature teenagers instead of hardened, professional soldiers. The Necrons are unfortunately stuck with the villain ball and therefore die in droves to the awesomeness that is a spess murheen. As if the idiocy of a hundred marines outfighting many times their numbers of ageless killing machines isn't enough we also get Necron lords which whine and sheme and behave little better than your average Dark Eldar Kabal.

Some might like it this way but i prefer my Necrons to be utterly alien killing machines, driving by little more than hatred for the living and unquestioning obedience to their masters. Where Dead Men Walking, for example, managed to create an impression of despair and dread with it's Necrons Kyme's villains quickly detorated into barely more than marine fodder, which only managed to occasionaly win because the original story demanded it.

Where Fall of Damnos actually made a good impression was in it's depiction of Sicarius, who was perhaps the only memorable character in the entire book.
At the end of the day the book is mediocre bolter porn, with humanised marines ( so that everyone can empathise with them, yeah! ) and thousands of metal clad sacrifices. If you like Mc'Neils Ultramehreens novels and Counter's awful Grey Knights then you might also find the Fall of Damnos enjoyable. At the very least it's not Goto.

all in all a decent book king death put it best in his remarks about the marines especially with most of the character being in command honestly the best characters from the ultramarines are the dreadnoughts but i did enjoy the conscripts and partisians on the imperium side.

as far as the necron stuff i like see that aleast some have a personality.

in regard to necron fluff the book dont really give you much to go on so i wuldnt venture an opinion at this point

A good, not great book

It makes the ultimate necron lord look clever and shrewd (I'd like that if I were a necron player)

The Marines are only humanized, as we are privy to their internal dialogues (they're ACTIONS are still mechanical slaughternaughtish).

I liked it enough, that I'll probably read it again someday.

Fall of Damnos surely isn't the best book ever to come from BL, but its a sufficiently workable read. I enjoyed it for what it was (and says on the cover: a big Space Marine battle).

As for the anticipated fluff changes: I think the book does foreshadow the key changes that are coming (and desperatly needed) for the Necron's, namely Necron Lords with sufficient personality and particular interests as to run their own agenda (even against other Necrons). By this, they've moved the Lords up to become "characterfull" enough to make worthwhile leaders for a Necron army even in campaign play at actually make meaningful stories and objectives in your own 40K game that fall somewhere between the two extremes of "Necrons asleep/Necron's awaken to take over the galaxy" that define the current (rather two-dimensional) Necron fluff.