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Arachnofiend wrote: If the box had screamers in it you wouldn't be able to run them in a detachment with the Thousand Sons units so it'd be pretty pointless.
I keep forgetting that Chaos players get punished for taking units from their own Codex.
Honest question, as I don't own the (current) Thousand Sons 'dex - are Screamers in there?
Yes, but only as reference for "hey, Chaos Characters can summon daemons! Here are some daemons you can summon"
Same reason bloodletters, plaguebearers, daemonettes, and horrors are in the Chaos Marines book. It has caused endless confusion so they're removing them (see Death Guard codex, which no longer has the Daemonic Ritual or any rules for Chaos Daemons(faction) units printed in 9th edition)
Arachnofiend wrote: If the box had screamers in it you wouldn't be able to run them in a detachment with the Thousand Sons units so it'd be pretty pointless.
I keep forgetting that Chaos players get punished for taking units from their own Codex.
Honest question, as I don't own the (current) Thousand Sons 'dex - are Screamers in there?
I dont think so? It's a very closely related army, but strictly they are chaos deamons, not thousand sons. They don't share any factional keywords beyond chaos and tzeentch, so you could create a soup army with multiple detachments but not freely mix them without losing the purity battle forged bonus
This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2021/07/28 19:34:00
To be a man in such times is to be one amongst untold billions. It is to live in the cruelest and most bloody regime imaginable. These are the tales of those times. Forget the power of technology and science, for so much has been forgotten, never to be relearned. Forget the promise of progress and understanding, for in the grim dark future there is only war. There is no peace amongst the stars, only an eternity of carnage and slaughter, and the laughter of thirsting gods.
Coven of XVth 2000pts
The Blades of Ruin 2,000pts Watch Company Rho 1650pts
Rihgu wrote: And then Gandalf kills the balrog in an epic sword/magic battle and returns as Gandalf the White, which is a tiny bit more than holding the line.
But also the Balrog is man-sized in the books, if I recall right. Only in the movie is Gandalf holding the line against a beast 20 times his size, and yes, even then, he sword fights it to death and becomes even more powerful.
Where was ADB going with this?
edit: to be clear on my stance, I do prefer the look/style of the Paragon Warsuits to how the dreadknight is designed. I'm just saying, the narrative justification makes sense for a big walker.
You forget, Gandalf does die (or as close to as is possible) facing the Balrog - he really did sacrifice himself:
Spoiler:
‘Long time I fell,’ he said at last, slowly, as if thinking back with difficulty. ‘Long I fell, and he fell with me. His fire was about me. I was burned. Then we plunged into the deep water and all was dark. Cold it was as the tide of death: almost it froze my heart.’
‘Deep is the abyss that is spanned by Durin’s Bridge, and none has measured it,’ said Gimli.
‘Yet it has a bottom, beyond light and knowledge,’ said Gandalf. ‘Thither I came at last, to the uttermost foundations of stone. He was with me still. His fire was quenched, but now he was a thing of slime, stronger than a strangling snake.
‘We fought far under the living earth, where time is not counted. Ever he clutched me, and ever I hewed him, till at last he fled into dark tunnels. They were not made by Durin’s folk, Gimli son of Glóin. Far, far below the deepest delvings of the Dwarves, the world is gnawed by nameless things. Even Sauron knows them not. They are older than he. Now I have walked there, but I will bring no report to darken the light of day. In that despair my enemy was my only hope, and I pursued him, clutching at his heel. Thus he brought me back at last to the secret ways of Khazad-dûm: too well he knew them all. Ever up now we went, until we came to the Endless Stair.’
‘Long has that been lost,’ said Gimli. ‘Many have said that it was never made save in legend, but others say that it was destroyed.’
‘It was made, and it had not been destroyed,’ said Gandalf. ‘From the lowest dungeon to the highest peak it climbed, ascending in unbroken spiral in many thousand steps, until it issued at last in Durin’s Tower carved in the living rock of Zirakzigil, the pinnacle of the Silvertine.
‘There upon Celebdil was a lonely window in the snow, and before it lay a narrow space, a dizzy eyrie above the mists of the world. The sun shone fiercely there, but all below was wrapped in cloud. Out he sprang, and even as I came behind, he burst into new flame. There was none to see, or perhaps in after ages songs would still be sung of the Battle of the Peak.’ Suddenly Gandalf laughed. ‘But what would they say in song? Those that looked up from afar thought that the mountain was crowned with storm. Thunder they heard, and lightning, they said, smote upon Celebdil, and leaped back broken into tongues of fire. Is not that enough? A great smoke rose about us, vapour and steam. Ice fell like rain. I threw down my enemy, and he fell from the high place and broke the mountain-side where he smote it in his ruin. Then darkness took me, and I strayed out of thought and time, and I wandered far on roads that I will not tell.
‘Naked I was sent back – for a brief time, until my task is done. And naked I lay upon the mountain-top. The tower behind was crumbled into dust, the window gone; the ruined stair was choked with burned and broken stone. I was alone, forgotten, without escape upon the hard horn of the world. There I lay staring upward, while the stars wheeled over, and each day was as long as a life-age of the earth. Faint to my ears came the gathered rumour of all lands: the springing and the dying, the song and the weeping, and the slow everlasting groan of over-burdened stone. And so at the last Gwaihir the Windlord found me again, and he took me up and bore me away.
Also on the Balrog's size:
Spoiler:
The door burst in pieces. Something dark as a cloud was blocking out all the light inside, and I was thrown backwards down the stairs.
it was like a great shadow, in the middle of which was a dark form, or man-shape maybe, yet greater;
It came to the edge of the fire and the light faded as if a cloud had bent over it.
For a moment the Orcs quailed and the fiery shadow halted.
His enemy halted again, facing him, and the shadow about it reached out like two vast wings.
The fire in it seemed to die, but the darkness grew. It stepped forward slowly onto the bridge, and suddenly it drew itself up to a great height, and its wings were spread from wall to wall; but still Gandalf could be seen, glimmering in the gloom; he seemed small, and altogether alone: grey and bent, like a wizened tree before the onset of a storm.
From out of the shadow a red sword leaped flaming.
With a terrible cry the Balrog fell forward, and its shadow plunged down and vanished.
I think the Balrog could be big - and dwarfed Gandalf at the bridge - growing from its smaller shape to become a great height with wings spanning the walls, making Gandalf 'seem [...] small'. Like Sauron and other spirits, its form could change.
But on what ADB was meaning, he was going for a classic knight image - a knight fighting a great beast, e.g. a dragon (the kind of image Pratchett deconstructs in Guards, Guards, for example, when the heroic - and fake - 'knight' is roasted by the unreal dragon, or which saturates Dark Angels imagery on Caliban). So a Grey Knight, a human figure, fights massive beasts from the warp. A sacrificial figure or heroic figure - a Davidian figure, even:
Spoiler:
The warsuit removes that image by creating an 'equal' in scale, something less Davidian. It takes away from the sublime difference of scale of that kind of conflict. No longer a knight against a daemon dragon, or Gandalf sacrificing himself against a massive Balrog.
THis is exactly what occurs in The Emperor's Gift, with not only the brethren of Titan facing Angron, but their leader - Captain Taremar - sacrificing himself in single-combat with Angron to defeat him:
Spoiler:
As we drew nearer to the Lord of the Twelfth Legion, even sparing a second to cleanse the gore from my eye lenses made no difference. We were as good as blind, fighting shadows and marching to face a silhouette. Eye lenses cycled through vision modes to compensate, corrupted by intermittent static.
I saw the first squad reach the Great Beast at last. They reached its knees, even in Terminator plate. I saw them raise their weapons, each blade and stave wrapped in layers of lethal lightning.
I heard the sky tearing itself apart. I heard the screams of men going mad, kilometres away. I saw the black-and-bronze blade fall.
Their names were Korolos, Taymul, Jesric, Nyramar and Justicar Gauris. Sagas and legends alike fall back on classic imagery; they will often describe certain deaths with the simple analogy of foes despatched with the same ease of a man crushing an insect.
But a man must take aim at an insect – he must exert at least a modicum of effort to see it dead. I saw no such effort, here. Those five knights were wiped from life with the ease of a man wiping sweat from his brow. The Lord of the Twelfth Legion scarcely even seemed to pay attention to them – when the immense, keening blade swung, the beast was already turning to face other foes. Chain and cable tendrils thrashed as the daemon moved – a dirty simulation of a mane of hair. The thing never even saw my five kinsmen die.
Malchadiel’s storm bolter burst one of the last creatures remaining in front of us. +They never even had the chance to unleash their power,+ he sent.
+I know.+ Some of the Neverborn’s acidic blood was digesting the soft-armour joints of my ceramite, making it even harder to focus. When the beast turned again, its fire-eyed gaze raking over us, I realised that I had mere seconds left to live.
This was how I would die. Here. Now.
I felt nothing at all. At least, nothing beyond a sudden urge to laugh.
Shells were bursting against the behemoth, striking it from every angle. Sacred bolt shells, inscribed with holy writ and blessed against the foulness of the warp. Strings of viscera arced from its exploding flesh.
Galeo lifted his storm bolter. Ours rose alongside his in perfect unity, and Castian added its fire to our brothers’.
It was the last thing we ever did together.
+Now.+
Every knight still standing unleashed their power at Captain Taremar’s silent cry.
The enemy host was forgotten. The devil-lords of the Cruor Praetoria – if any still walked among us – were ignored. They were lesser threats, relatively speaking, that lesser warriors could deal with.
Angron. Lord of the Twelfth Legion. This was why we’d come.
Dumenidon was the first of Castian to fall.
One moment he was with us. The next he was gone. I think, when it happened, I actually felt him reach for me. I can’t be sure.
The beast was laying about with its blade, its edge crashing aside from the straining, flickering domes of kinetic force. It burst through another, reaved through the knights beneath it, and immediately turned to another threat.
Us.
Eyes of black fire bored into the five of us, and the blade descended less than a heartbeat later. The crack of it striking Mal’s kine-shield was the same thunder of a warship entering the warp between worlds. A second blow, a third, a fourth…
Mal was on his knees, shouting wordlessly across the vox.
+KILL IT KILL IT KILL IT+ he pulsed in an agonised flow.
On the fifth blow, the kine-shield shattered with another thunderclap. Malchadiel collapsed. Dumenidon fell with him, crushed into unrecognisable ruin by the blade. Just like that, he was gone, leaving a hole in my mind.
The blade rose and fell again.
+HYPERION+ came Galeo’s voice.
I caught the blade.
Not with my hands. With my mind. I locked that grievous, immense sword immobile with a surge of desperate focus, keeping it trembling in the air above us. Waves of psychic force turned the air into a heat mirage around my armour.
+Do… something…+ I managed to send.
Enceladus and Galeo threw their swords as spears. Both sank deep into the beast’s wrist, and both immediately caught flame, igniting the creature’s unholy blood. It still didn’t release its hold on the blade.
Angron roared. Without a force barrier, the sound blasted across us with dreadful physicality, tearing parchments and tabards from our armour and sliding us all back in the sloshing, blood-drowned mud.
I gave everything I had left. Absolutely everything. With my hands raised, I slowly curled them into fists, pouring body and soul into my sixth sense clutching that blade. They wouldn’t close completely. They just wouldn’t.
My vision blurred. I felt saliva trickling from the edge of my mouth. My muscles went into cramp, and my hearts started to beat ragged.
was killing myself with this. The focused depletion of life force, channelled into psychic energy. But I was already dead, so what did it matter?
In the air above us, the black blade cracked.
And everyone froze.
The sound was as stark and alien as a laugh in the middle of a funeral march. Even the Lord of the Twelfth Legion hesitated, huffing a stinking breath in disbelief.
I swear, the loudest sound on that battlefield was me screaming into the vox. I felt psychic hoarfrost riming my armour, densest on my outstretched hands. My eyes lit with ghost-flame, painless but still blindingly bright, purely as an overspill of psychic energies.
+Hyperion…+ I heard Galeo whisper. He may have said more. If he did, I didn’t hear it.
I closed my hands, made them fists.
Above me, the blade shattered. Cursed black bronze blasted across the field of battle, raining on the just and unjust alike. Several shards tore gashes across the daemon’s skin, or lodged into his flesh. There came a roar, the likes of which defied reality. It had no place outside a nightmare.
And I was on my knees without knowing when I’d fallen low.
+Mal,+ I sent to his prone body, not knowing whether he was alive or dead. +Mal. Mal. Mal…+
Galeo and Enceladus drew closer. I didn’t know why. I didn’t know anything any more – I couldn’t see, I couldn’t focus, I couldn’t speak.
The last thing I remember of the battle was Captain Taremar’s voice, cutting right to my core.
+Angron,+ he called. +Justice comes. Turn, beast, and face me.+
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2021/07/29 06:57:28
PetitionersCity wrote: I am remembered of this q&a with ADB in light of The Emperor's Gift
ADB is one of the worst things to happen to 40K and GK in particular. Not only is TEG book full of insane, making no sense additions way worse than Dreadknight ever was, this quote is particularly stupid because if one Greater Daemon wiped out whole GK company every time they fight, there would be literally no point to GK whatsoever.
He also made the utter garbage flaming trash of a pile book where GK are somehow ashamed to fight Wolfwolfs (instead being full of fury head imbecile of SW likely doomed countless worlds through his stupid actions when GK were about to fix it plus the whole murder of GK commander under false parley thing). Speaking of which, I still like how (psychic) GK commander (who can literally read thoughts and see future), his champion/bodyguard, and whole squad of GK terminators just stand there as head SW imbecile pulls his axe, swings it back, and hits said commander in the face (instead of being frozen, psychically thrown back, shoot in the face with storm bolters all GK have, or million other things) then escapes while all GK still stand there dumbfounded or something. And that is one of the less stupid scenes in the book.
So, yeah, I wouldn't take one word he says about GK, especially after dumb, leading question from some 4chan kid. Especially seeing he is laughably wrong on Gandalf theme too (and he ""forgot"" Rex thing was vastly more egregious than anything Draigo ever did, but 4chan doesn't screech about this one so no one ever mentions it) and compares human peasant effectiveness to that of GK terminator
Making a full on giant robot suit to fight Greater Demons that, logically, would AT BEST have the durability equal to a single Grey Knight is a monumentally stupid move on everyone's part and a huge waste of resources.
"Tabletop games are the only setting when a body is made more horrifying for NOT being chopped into smaller pieces."
- Jiado
PetitionersCity wrote: I am remembered of this q&a with ADB in light of The Emperor's Gift
ADB is one of the worst things to happen to 40K and GK in particular. Not only is TEG book full of insane, making no sense additions way worse than Dreadknight ever was, this quote is particularly stupid because if one Greater Daemon wiped out whole GK company every time they fight, there would be literally no point to GK whatsoever.
He also made the utter garbage flaming trash of a pile book where GK are somehow ashamed to fight Wolfwolfs (instead being full of fury head imbecile of SW likely doomed countless worlds through his stupid actions when GK were about to fix it plus the whole murder of GK commander under false parley thing). Speaking of which, I still like how (psychic) GK commander (who can literally read thoughts and see future), his champion/bodyguard, and whole squad of GK terminators just stand there as head SW imbecile pulls his axe, swings it back, and hits said commander in the face (instead of being frozen, psychically thrown back, shoot in the face with storm bolters all GK have, or million other things) then escapes while all GK still stand there dumbfounded or something. And that is one of the less stupid scenes in the book.
So, yeah, I wouldn't take one word he says about GK, especially after dumb, leading question from some 4chan kid. Especially seeing he is laughably wrong on Gandalf theme too (and he ""forgot"" Rex thing was vastly more egregious than anything Draigo ever did, but 4chan doesn't screech about this one so no one ever mentions it) and compares human peasant effectiveness to that of GK terminator
Can we put the giant photos and text blocks about LOTR in spoiler tags and move back to the boxed set and not a screed/anti-screed against various BL authors? Its rather mucking up the thread.
This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2021/07/29 03:23:39
Irbis, I think that's a - small - touch of hyperbole on your part, one that is rather reads like a 4chan post itself rather than actual criticism. Calm, brother, and balance your humours - it's all made up
Anyway I remember a child being fascinated by the account in Codex: Chaos, which is similarly titanic and similarly costly. That wasn't Aaron's addition to the lore.
Spoiler:
Similarly the book shows everyone being in the wrong - according to the demented rules of the world they live in. But arguably the implication is that both sides are "guilty":
Spoiler:
‘Do not speak to me of honour…’ White warp-fire sidewindered in hissing coils around my fists. ‘You… are as guilty… as we are. This is the Imperium of Man, Old Wolf, not a fabled empire of bliss and joy. We are the Emperor’s Gift. We know what must be done. We never let stubborn pride and misplaced kindness blind us to the real enemy.’
The axe cracked. A thick, black crack split the ancient relic, severing one wolf’s head from its shoulders.
‘We are both guilty in this war.’ I spat the words into his grizzled, bearded face.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2021/07/29 07:23:50
Nazrak wrote: Will be very interested to see how this goes down – feel like putting the new Crowe model in with old power-armoured GKs just serves to emphasise how tired the non-upscaled, non-Primaris Marines are looking these days, and wonder if that's going to put people off.
Personally, it's nice that for once they're doing one of these boxes (and the next two Codices) with two factions I've no interest in, as it means I can catch up on my backlog for a bit without getting distracted by the latest shiny thing.
Catching up backlog is always a nice thing. It gives a feeling of not missing anything.
That's why concentrating on just one or a few armies is a good policy playing 40k.
Former moderator 40kOnline
Lanchester's square law - please obey in list building!
Illumini: "And thank you for not finishing your post with a "" I'm sorry, but after 7200 's that has to be the most annoying sign-off ever."
I won’t shrug. I love Emperor’s Gift, and it’s nuanced view of Imperial politics and human foibles. ADB is one of the very best writers BL utilizes, and he continues to get the detail and texture of the universe right while still having recognizable human perspectives and responses.
Dakka does have White Knights and is also rather infamous for it's Black Knights. A new edition brings out the passionate and not all of them are good at expressing themselves in written form. There have been plenty of hysterical responses from both sides so far. So we descend into pointless bickering with neither side listening to each other. So posting here becomes more masturbation than conversation.
ERJAK wrote: Forcing a 40k player to keep playing 7th is basically a hate crime.
Galas wrote: As a polish, feeling strongly about something most people don't care about is part of his/her heritage.
That seems pretty discriminatory, as well as being outright insulting. Not a good look - especially considering that the stereotypes of the typical Spaniard aren't particularly flattering, should we apply those to you?
CoALabaer wrote: Wargamers hate two things: the state of the game and change.
Grey Knights gain a second wound (obviously), but the base Strike Squad guy now has 3 attacks base. Swords are now the same as Master Crafted Power Swords. Halberds are S+2, Ap-2, D2. Incinerators are range 12, Heavy D6, St6, Ap-1, D1. Psylancer is Range 24, Heavy 6, St4, ap-1. Psycannons are only 3 shots now, St7, Ap-1, D2
The extra attacks would suggest Grey Knights might be losing Shock Assault similar to Death Guard (and probably so will Thousand Sons). So, Grey Knights are confirmed Chaos?
From the last Munitorum Field Manual compared to standard space marine tactical marines:
Strike Squad +4pts
Purifier +5pts
Purgation +4pts
Interceptor +6pts
Only psycannons and Daemon Hammers cost extra, everything else is free. Some of those free weapons seem a bit odd, but maybe I don't quite understand the load out options.
EightFoldPath wrote: The extra attacks would suggest Grey Knights might be losing Shock Assault similar to Death Guard (and probably so will Thousand Sons).
I'd be happy to see it (and similar rules) go away on everybody. Conditional for X, Y AND Z (but not for A ) is a waste of space. Just bump the stat (or just accept that 2 attacks is more than reasonable in the first place)
This message was edited 4 times. Last update was at 2021/07/30 22:34:29
Grey Knights gain a second wound (obviously), but the base Strike Squad guy now has 3 attacks base. Swords are now the same as Master Crafted Power Swords. Halberds are S+2, Ap-2, D2. Incinerators are range 12, Heavy D6, St6, Ap-1, D1. Psylancer is Range 24, Heavy 6, St4, ap-1. Psycannons are only 3 shots now, St7, Ap-1, D2
So basically:
Strike squads 2 wounds 3 attacks each (4 for sarg)
Incinerator: 12" Heavy D6 6 -1 1 (more range basically)
Psilencer: Heavy 6 S4 -1 1 (Gained 1 AP, no d3 dmg)
Psycannon: Heavy 3 S7 -1 2 (lost a shot gained a dmg)
Daemon Hammer: x2 -2 3 (lost 1 AP)
Falchions: U -2 1 (lost d3 dmg, auch!)
Halberds: +2 -2 2 (+1S, d3 dmg changed to flat 2)
Sword: +1 -3 2 (+1S, d3 dmg changed to flat 2)
Stave: +3 -1 2 (+1S, d3 dmg changed to flat 2)
Overall I'd say a slight buff to melee and swapping the roles of psilencer and psycannon (anti-horde and anti-elite now instead of psilencer just being the better option).
You don't have to be happy when you lose, just don't make winning the condition of your happiness.
Assuming Falchions include at least 1 extra attack each time you fight, GW is leaning heavy on making all these melee weapons equivalent but better in specific circumstances. Given the less Strength, AP, and Damage, you'll need to hope Falchions give more than just one extra attack. I wonder if 2 would do the job?
EightFoldPath wrote: The extra attacks would suggest Grey Knights might be losing Shock Assault similar to Death Guard (and probably so will Thousand Sons). So, Grey Knights are confirmed Chaos?
From the last Munitorum Field Manual compared to standard space marine tactical marines:
Strike Squad +4pts
Purifier +5pts
Purgation +4pts
Interceptor +6pts
Only psycannons and Daemon Hammers cost extra, everything else is free. Some of those free weapons seem a bit odd, but maybe I don't quite understand the load out options.
+4 points per model for 2 more attacks, a pretty good CC weapon, strombolter instead of normal bolter, and being a psyker seems like a pretty good deal.
Given we knew on Sunday what was going on pre-order today, that's not a surprise - the more interesting question is "what are we told tomorrow will be on pre-order next week?"
Gamgee on Tau Players wrote:we all kill cats and sell our own families to the devil and eat live puppies.
Kanluwen wrote: This is, emphatically, why I will continue suggesting nuking Guard and starting over again. It's a legacy army that needs to be rebooted with a new focal point.
Confirmation of why no-one should listen to Kanluwen when it comes to the IG - he doesn't want the IG, he want's Kan's New Model Army...
tneva82 wrote: You aren't even trying ty pretend for honest arqument. Open bad faith trolling.
- No reason to keep this here, unless people want to use it for something...