40K Neotube - 3/31/10

I recently started reading the Horus Heresy, and I am currently engrossed in Book 2, "False Gods" by Graham McNeill.  I wanted to do something Heresy related but none of the fan made trailers I saw really interested me, so instead I thought I'd feature this cool interview with Graham McNeill

New Forgeworld Website Makes It Easier to Drool Over What I Can't Afford

Forgeworld, maker of super cool stuff that I really want but can't afford, rolled out a newer, easier to look at, easier to navigate website.

Check it out and enjoy, while I empty my couch looking for enough spare change to get something, anything from them.

Post Chaos Rising Musings: The Future of the Blood Ravens

Early on when I started getting into Warhammer 40K, I went through the struggle of trying to figure out which army to play.  Everyone goes through it, and everyone eventually settles on their army for different reasons:  style of play, fluff, and the models to name a few.  For me it was the Orks, the combination of dark humor intrinsic to the race, some kick ass models, and some fun fluff made them the favorite for me.  But while the fluff for the Orks is fun, it’s the epic fluff of the Space Marines and Chaos Marines that wooed me early on.  Part of that were story arcs like the Horus Heresy, but since my entrance into 40K was through Dawn of War, it was also the Blood Ravens.

First a couple caveats.  This article is full of spoilers, so if you don’t want to know what happens in Chaos Rising then I suggest skipping it.  Second, while I like the Blood Ravens, my buddy Steve is obsessive about them in a way that if Gabriel Angelos were a real person he would have to have a Personal Protection Order against Steve.  So, some of the insight into the Blood Ravens is fueled by his own personal mania.  Finally I drew a lot from the White Dwarf article by Graham McNeill about the Blood Ravens, but there are continuity issues that do not necessarily jive with the story from the video games.

More after the jump.

40K Neotube - 3/24/10

I am so entrenched in my nerdiness that sometimes I forget how the rest of the world views me.  To me, the stuff I like is cool, and the people who like the same stuff as me are cool.  I'm just as interested in the stats around my favorite baseball team as I am the stats of my favorite Ork Unit.  I am who I am, and I'm comfortable with that.  Sometimes, however, I feed my deep seeded neuroses and insecurities, and that's where news segments about wargamers can help.  So enjoy a reporter trying to make heads or tails of wargaming, with liberal bits of "The Final Countdown" played to mock, and a lot of weight given to how few girls play.

After the jump, of course

Ultramarines the Movie Concept Art Restores My Soul After a Long Week

I'm not going to lie, the last week and a half have been incredibly busy.  I've been swamped with problems at work, putting in a lot of extra time.  I've felt worn down, and tired and not even my regular perusal of 40K goodness on the web has been able to warm the cockles of my nerd heart.  But then the guys over at the Ultramarines The Movie site heard my cries of despair and released more concept art.

Now, this artwork isn't has impressively cool as the recent releases, but hey this round of artwork doesn't contain a Purity Seal to make me squeal with glee.  It does, however, have a great new view of the Landspeeder a couple new servitors, and Bolt Pistol - Severus:

You can see the entire gallery of concept art over at the official site

40K Neotube - 3/17/10

Happy St. Patrick's Day.  When St. Patrick led the rats to the green sea, got drunk on green beer, got high on some wicked Peruvian clover, and wiped out the pagans and satanists with a green tide of holy righteousness.  To celebrate today we are celebrating the greenest of green in 40K, Da Orks.

Dawn of War II: Chaos Rising - The Official Review

It's really hard to write a review of a game that I have genuinely been looking forward to, in a franchise that means quite a lot to me.  The first Dawn of War game started me down my path into Warhammer 40,000.  I've played all the games except Soulstorm (only because it came out with little fanfare, and I was on a budget with Dawn of War II coming, and figures to buy).  I'm an Ork player, and a Xenos lover, so while I may not be as obsessive about the Blood Ravens as some people I know (*cough* my buddy Steve *cough*), I have enjoyed the overall story throughout the Dawn of War series.

Chaos Rising - First Thoughts

Holy

Sh--

First things first.  Hats off to THQ for releasing the Chaos Rising update a day earlier to DoW II owners.  Not only did it lend itself to the buildup, I'm sure it eased the server load for yesterday when Chaos Rising actually hit.  And, it was a savvy marketing tool letting people see the Chaos Marine screen but not letting them actually play anything on it.

Wednesday I logged into Dawn of War II and tried out the Wierdboy.  Loved him, noticed some new gear, and otherwise couldn't wait for Chaos Rising.

Yesterday I went to Best Buy to cash in some Reward points and get Chaos Rising.  And then got home and couldn't touch it most of the night.  Such is the torment of The Warp, or as many of you know it Real Life.

I did play the first mission in the campaign.  And I gotta say, the campaign starts out cool.  I have this real foreboding vibe with this game.  But I can see why Horus fell.  Because if the lure of Chaos is as rewarding as the fun of Chaos Rising, then I'm surprised the entire Adpetus Astartes didn't fall.

Anyway, I didn't get to try The Last Stand, so I'm not sure how the new 'Nid and Chaos heroes are in the game.  I did get some tainted equipment so I'm looking forward to trying it, and seeing how it affects my characters.  I'll post more next week after I've had the weekend to crack out in it.

First thoughts, though, they hit another home run. 

100th Post Celebration

Back in January 40K Neophyte turned one year old.  I didn't really make a big deal about it because in my mind having a blog for a year didn't really mean anything.  I've had other blogs and websites, and having a blog for a year means nothing if you aren't updating it.  So I let the one year thing slide.  No big deal.  Ooh happy birthday to me and all that jazz.

Today, I consider a benchmark for this site.  This post is my 100th post at 40K Neophyte.  I'm not going to lie, it snuck up on me.  I mean when I only posted 3 times in August, I figured I'd be a while before I got here.  But thanks to all the Chaos Rising and Ultramarines The Movie build up, the posts have been practically flying.  Oh sure I'm not the most regular blogger at times.  Real world concerns and time constraints affect me too, but I'm pretty proud of what I've accomplished in these 100 posts.

40K Neotube - 3/10/10

KNEEL BEFORE ZOD

The voice cast of Ultramarines the Movie was announced.  Suffice it to say the list of actors was enough that I had to wait to post this news until today because my head nearly exploded and my pants were nearly soiled.  Just read the names and try not to squeal like a little girl as you read them.

Terrence Stamp
Sean Pertwee
Terrence Stamp
John Hurt
Terrence Stamp

Oh man, and if you have doubts about their voices being right for a 40K movie, check the video after the jump.

Deathwatch Developer Diary

So that Deathwatch RPG from Fantasy Flight Games that makes me want to jump back into the RPG world and spend all my hard earned cash on something besides Ork minis, now has a Developer Diary.  Needless to say, I had to wipe the drool off my chin.

Just a few highlights, including some of the styles of play (but I recommend reading the whole thing):

Some Space Marines are epic individuals who will risk all for a matter of honour, others are philosophers and tragic figures, full of passion and regret. However you choose to interpret these ideas, it is important to note that the Space Marines chosen for the Deathwatch are nuanced, complex characters.

The Emperor's Finest
Space Marines are, by their nature and design, most commonly found where the fighting is the thickest. Bred for war and trained to excel in all aspects of battle, Battle-Brothers fit easily into adventures that focus on lots of combat. These often take the form of military missions where the characters find themselves sent in to destroy targets, complete objectives, and bring glory to the Emperor by vanquishing his foes. While there are many permutations and variations on the military theme and the idea of an elite group of warriors tasked with special orders, they all share the common goal of annihilating the enemy, usually in a hail of bolter shells and plasma bolts. Military-themed games also often focus on single actions and objectives in the greater scheme of Imperial strategy.

Inquisitorial Involvement
While the Deathwatch are drawn from the Adeptus Astartes, they also work closely with the Ordo Xenos. They are an elite force within the Imperial war machine, but, they have a special place within the structure of the Inquisition dedicated to the eradication of a specific enemy of the Imperium. Games that feature the involvement of the Inquisition are likely to be more subtle and detailed than those in which the Kill-team is facing the foes of humanity in open battle. This can mean accompanying an Inquisitor and his servants into the depths of a hive world, some ancient and forgotten alien ruins, or the shadowy corridors of a space hulk, far from the support of the Imperial armies, where the Kill-team must rely upon their own skills to survive and protect their allies

Envoys, Emissaries and Assassins
The size, skills, and flexibility of a Deathwatch Kill-team mean they often find themselves in situations unique to the Adeptus Astartes. Often, at the behest of a Watch Captain or an Inquisitor, a Kill-team may be dispatched as part of an envoy to a wayward Imperial world or even an alien empire, either alone or as part of an Imperial emissary’s entourage. This can serve a number of purposes, such as making a show of force, keeping lesser Imperial servants in line, or even honouring an ally with the presence of Adeptus Astartes representatives. In this capacity, Battle-Brothers may have to use their tongues rather than their boltguns to influence proceedings.

While I have a deep love of all things Ork, I will be the first to admit that the fluff around the Space Marines has some of the best stories of the game.  Being able to play out that fluff in a RPG just seems natural.  I'm going to try to hold off on picking this game up (since I still need more for my Ork army), but man is it going to be tough.

Ultramarines the Movie Concept Art Keeps Rolling In, Makes Me Happy To Be Alive

Ultramarines The Movie, the recently announced CGI 40K movie that (in my best Sprockets voice) has me as happy as a little girl, keeps releasing concept art for the movie.  This concept art keeps giving me hope that this might be done right.  Man, if these guys screw this up, I'm gonna be pissed, and despondent, and possibly certifiable.  Today the gallery features an Auspex Scanner, Mithron Crags: Stairs, another Purity Seal, and the Ultramarines: 2nd Company Banners.

My only beef?  The watermark on the images that keeps me from using them as wallpapers.  Maybe they can put together a couple wallpapers featuring non-watermarked concept art?  It would be nice.

40K Neotube - 3/3/10

Ah March.  Spring is in the air, snow is melting, supposedly it's going to warm up eventually, and Chaos Rising is imminent.  To commemorate I have a Chaos Rising video set.  It's the live event that XFire hosted a couple weeks ago.  Since this is a couple weeks old, let me explain why I am just now getting to it through the following timeline.

February 18, 2010:  XFire hosts a live video event allowing everyone to see Chaos units in action.
February 18, 2010: I'm at work and can't watch the live video feed.
February 24, 2010: New video hits highlighting the new heroes for the existing factions in DoW II, I hold off on the history of paint, but also on Chaos units in action as well.
February 28, 2010: I stub my toe, it has nothing to do with this timeline, but it still hurts today.
March 3, 2010: New live event at XFire today, again I'm at work so I can't watch it.
March 3, 2010: To make up for it I'm posting the first event as found in multiple parts but embeddable.

The vids are after the jump.

FFG Announces Deathwatch

My buddy Steve informed me yesterday that Fantasy Flight Games, makers of all sorts of stuff I want but can't afford because of all the other stuff I want, announced a new RPG set in the 40K universe:  Deathwatch.  Deathwatch allows you to play as a Space Marine, which is enough for me.

I'll let FFG describe it, after the jump.