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Cooked Auto posted:Guess they consider it fanworks since she's not making money of it directly. It's pretty much cosplay. If they sued her they'd have to sue literally everyone doing it.
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Oct 26, 2022 16:39
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If I'm reading it correctly, looks like Unholy includes a reprint of The Oubliette? Also, just finished The Infinite and the Divine the other day, and that whipped rear end. Between it and the Twice Dead King series, 'crons are quickly becoming a favorite faction. Does anyone have a recommendation for good books involving Agri-Worlds or the Mechanicus? I've read Lords of Silence (had an agri-world in it!) the Bookkeeper's Skull, and The Oubliette for the former, and the only Mechanicum-focused book I've read thus far was Day of Ascension, which was also great.
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Oct 26, 2022 19:20
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Dan Abnett's Titanicus is about a Titan legion going to war on a forgeworld and it's very good. Graham McNeill's Priests/Lords/Gods of Mars trilogy generally gets favorable reviews from this thread, IIRC, but I've never read it myself. Mike Brooks' Brutal Kunnin' is also pretty good. It's an ork book, but the orks are fighting the Mechanicus so there's a lot of Mechanicus in it.
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Oct 26, 2022 20:28
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Sinner Sandwich posted:Does anyone have a recommendation for good books involving Agri-Worlds or the Mechanicus? I've read Lords of Silence (had an agri-world in it!) the Bookkeeper's Skull, and The Oubliette for the former, and the only Mechanicum-focused book I've read thus far was Day of Ascension, which was also great. Flesh And Steel and The Great Work are Mechanicus-focused, the latter being all about Cawl.
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Oct 27, 2022 00:57
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Khizan posted:Dan Abnett's Titanicus is about a Titan legion going to war on a forgeworld and it's very good. These are all on my bookshelf and are all great and full of weird robo-folks
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Oct 27, 2022 01:25
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I know the thread has been waiting on bated breath for my Opinions On Warhammer Books (said noone ever  ) and since I just powered through a bunch of them here are some  Kasrkin Yes, there are Dune things but mostly just a couple of the trappings that I will interpret as a tongue in cheek "homage". The story itself is definitely not "Dune-like". I'd rate this as a middling Guard book at best and overall a personal disappointment. I was really looking forward to a book that zooms in on the Kasrkin and shows off sort of the normie equivalent of an Astartes squad (as much as possible without being literally gene forged nightmare creatures). Kasrkin are supposed to be the most elite units in the entire Guard. More training than the tempustus scions! The Best Stuff! Elite!! And what we get is a bunch of dudes who get some Hellguns and Hotshot Lasguns thrown at them off a truck and some Space Dune Buggies and ride off into the desert to meet the Not-Fremen. All the standard guard tropes are here from Condescending Huffy Brass, to Annoying Immature Commissar, to Tough As Nails Everyman Officer and in the end it just could've been ANY rando bunch of guardsmen. Nothing about it really screams "Kasrkin" and the whole thing is a missed opportunity. Void King I love Rogue Traders. A lot. Andy Hoare's Rogue Trader omnibus is worth picking up if you too like Rogue Traders. Void King - I'm not as sure. It suffers from pacing problems with a very slow Act 1 and 2 and then too much packed into Act 3. And while the characters are rogue traders the book sort of does absolutely nothing "rogue tradery". The book falls victim to what I'll call the 'Superhero Origin Story' trap which is the tendency for studios to keep showing 'Hey here's how Batman came to be Batman!' over and over again. When the real meat of Batman is Batman doing Batman things. This book is like that. It starts off with Papa Smurf asking King Roguey the Trader to gather up his rogue trader vassals and find a way across this rift thing. And then the rest of the book is just the journey to do that with hijinks and shenanigans along the way. The story I wanted this book to tell starts right when this book ends - rogue traders doing rogue trader things. Another disappointment for me but it sets up a sequel which I'll read if one ever comes out. Awakenings I don't know if it's a requirement now for all stories involving inquisitors to include a wise rear end quirky skull sidekick but I have to say I enjoy the trend. I found this one really enjoyable. You get the usual Inquisition intrigue, views into 'normal' imperium society, and a fast paced and breezy Who Dunnit plot with a lot of action. Sabbathiel is a strong main character and learning the back story of her circumstances at the start of the novel was enjoyable. While not all the secondary characters hit for me I really enjoyed her Interrogator and he has some nice development throughout. This book clearly is trying to start a series and I'm hoping for more. Triumph of St. Katherine This is the novel equivalent of a G.I. Joe episode making you want to go out and buy the newest plastic thing. And even with that said, I thought this was fun and well done. It has a brief framing story but the bulk of the book is diving into St Katherine's story from the point of view of the different saint representatives that carry this ridiculously Warhammer thing. The characters are drawn in bold strokes - not a ton of depth but they each have their own voice and personality and that shines through. A surprisingly competent and enjoyable read. Worth picking up if you like Sisters stuff, but I wouldn't go out of my way to recommend it if you don't. Briardark Yes it is me, the person who buys all the Warhammer Horror line stuff. I know the thread doesn't really read as much of the fantasy side of black library and this isn't the book that's going to change the thread's mind. It starts off okay with some good scene setting. After that it doesn't really go off the rails so much as slowly slides down them into cliche station. Characters seemingly exist only to serve the plot, the plot itself is formulaic, the 'twist' is telegraphed so often and hard that when it finally happens you are just relieved the ham-fisted teasing is over. Very much a "meh." The Dark City Oh man. I just want to strap Chris Wraight to his desk and force him to keep writing books forever. A fantastic followup to the Hollow Mountain that picks up where that book left off. Super satisfying all the way through, some really interesting lore reveals towards the end concerning the golden throne It's one of those books I just want to list all my favorite parts and talk about them in depth but I'll spare the thread. Highly, highly recommended. orphean fucked around with this message at 06:52 on Oct 27, 2022 |
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Oct 27, 2022 06:45
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orphean posted:Awakenings I want to reiterate to the thread that if you are planning on reading this book (which I recommend also) it is worth it to read the original Sabbathiel stories that came out from Titan Comics. There are three (4?) series with four issues each. You can read them online at readallcomics.com. As OP points out it does mention enough of the backstory in Awakenings that you won't be lost but it's a much more comprehensive understanding of her origins and motivations if you read the comics first and you can get through them in under an hour. I've got an early copy of Harrowmaster, the new Alpha Legion book, and I'll report back with a review when I am done.
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Oct 27, 2022 07:46
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I didn't even know those were a thing, thanks for the head's up! As someone who went into it blind I can say the novel does a good job of providing that information. I would almost say to read the comics AFTER the novel if you haven't read them before - I thought the reveals in the book really worked well.
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Oct 27, 2022 09:07
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Maybe Kasrkin would have been better if they'd gone with more Dune influence and given the Kasrkin some Sardaukar flavoring.
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Oct 27, 2022 12:55
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Arc Hammer posted:Maybe Kasrkin would have been better if they'd gone with more Dune influence and given the Kasrkin some Sardaukar flavoring. Cadian Throat Singing is a proud a longstanding tradition
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Oct 27, 2022 14:27
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Improbable Lobster posted:Cadian Throat Singing is a proud a longstanding tradition https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5193oYdpk8 Hmm, maybe more of a Vostroyan or Attilan thing.
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Oct 27, 2022 15:18
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orphean posted:Kasrkin
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Oct 27, 2022 15:56
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Arc Hammer posted:Maybe Kasrkin would have been better if they'd gone with more Dune influence and given the Kasrkin some Sardaukar flavoring. Kasrkin should be a bit generic imo, even before the little incident with Abaddon and the Blackstone Fortress, Cadian soldiers were the ideal that many other Imperial planets tried to base their own Imperial Guard units on, and after Cadia fell the survivors spread the culture and doctrine around the galaxy as a symbol of Cadia standing forever in a new wave of colonisation. If Kasrkin are throat singing and doing blood rituals then it means most of the Imperial Guard were also influenced by that. Brendan Rodgers fucked around with this message at 16:30 on Oct 27, 2022 |
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Oct 27, 2022 16:17
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Brendan Rodgers posted:Kasrkin should be a bit generic imo, even before the little incident with Abaddon and the Blackstone Fortress, Cadian soldiers were the ideal that many other Imperial planets tried to base their own Imperial Guard units on, and after Cadia fell the survivors spread the culture and doctrine around the galaxy as a symbol of Cadia standing forever in a new wave of colonisation. If Kasrkin are throat singing and doing blood rituals then it means most of the Imperial Guard were also influenced by that. Just give them something to set them apart. Sardaukar are more akin to Space Marines but the point is that the Kasrkin should have something to them. Scions are already the Space Nazi Delta Force jackasses, whereas Kasrkin I feel should be more like war hero living legends to the regular guard. Closest thing a human can be to a Marine kind of idolization with the skills to back up the reputation.
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Oct 27, 2022 16:41
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Mechanicus is free on the Epic Game Store right now, if you are like me and never picked it up previously.
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Oct 28, 2022 00:21
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Brendan Rodgers posted:If Kasrkin are throat singing and doing blood rituals then it means most of the Imperial Guard were also influenced by that. Yeah that would own though
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Oct 28, 2022 01:02
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Inspector_666 posted:Mechanicus is free on the Epic Game Store right now, if you are like me and never picked it up previously. Mechanicus might be the single best 40k licensed game out there and is worth grabbing for the soundtrack alone. Highly recommended 00001010/00001010
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Oct 28, 2022 02:31
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Arc Hammer posted:Just give them something to set them apart. Sardaukar are more akin to Space Marines but the point is that the Kasrkin should have something to them. Scions are already the Space Nazi Delta Force jackasses, whereas Kasrkin I feel should be more like war hero living legends to the regular guard. Closest thing a human can be to a Marine kind of idolization with the skills to back up the reputation. there are 10 flavors of space nazi delta force jackasses: kasrkin, scions, naval armsmen, skitarii, inquisitorial acolytes, sisters of battle, the marines themselves, the grey knights and deathwatch for being special within the marines, custodians
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Oct 28, 2022 03:29
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Arc Hammer posted:Just give them something to set them apart. Sardaukar are more akin to Space Marines but the point is that the Kasrkin should have something to them. Scions are already the Space Nazi Delta Force jackasses, whereas Kasrkin I feel should be more like war hero living legends to the regular guard. Closest thing a human can be to a Marine kind of idolization with the skills to back up the reputation. I feel like kasrkins should be like army rangers ghost recon types, Very very good at their job and able to fight in most environments and survive off land and poo poo. Like scions are the seals with all the hosed up psycho poo poo that comes with it. bob dobbs is dead posted:there are 10 flavors of space nazi delta force jackasses: kasrkin, scions, naval armsmen, skitarii, inquisitorial acolytes, sisters of battle, the marines themselves, the grey knights and deathwatch for being special within the marines, custodians Armsman arnt that elite. Sisters of battle are basically human space marines and skitarri are the guard but all of them are darth vader level mechanics.
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Oct 28, 2022 03:49
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there are elite skitarii fascists love their elite special troops, generally, is the point, and GW simulates that pretty drat well
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Oct 28, 2022 03:57
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oh yeah, catachans, elysian drop troopers, templars, harakoni drop troopers, assassins (vindicare eversor and callidus more so, vanus venenum and culexus less so) basically a go-around of every single human that costs more than 6 points a model
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Oct 28, 2022 04:11
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... sisters of silence, arbites mortifactors, rogue trader hangers-on, chapter serfs of chapters that do that kinda poo poo like the mentors (helots), space wolves (aettgard), blood angels (amarean guard), fists (the auric auxilla)...
bob dobbs is dead fucked around with this message at 04:57 on Oct 28, 2022 |
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Oct 28, 2022 04:39
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... calixian pyroclasts, gland warriors, death cult assassins (separate from imperial assassins, inasmuch as they have separate models), afriel strain warriors, knight household foot guards, secutarii (titan honor guards), thallaxi, ursaraxi...
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Oct 28, 2022 04:51
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I disagree. It's a very big galaxy. Over a million worlds in the Imperium alone. Given the differences between Guards units from various worlds, you'd expect many/all of them to have their own specialist units on top of their standard infantry/armor/artillery/support arms. I do agree that our own real world militaries fukkin love their elite formations. For example, the US has not only the multifarious Army special forces regiments (Airborne, Rangers, etc) but the other branches can't be left out, so you get the Navy with their own 2000+ elite SEALs. And then there's the nesting doll nature of those formations - maybe you think SEALs are cool and elite, but they're not nearly as cool and elite as the ones picked for DEVGRU! Repeat for basically every other great power. Honestly, the list of groups above is if anything just scratching the surface of what would really exist. As I was typing this, I was struck by the notion that all this is actually happening in a tiny fraction of the galaxy. Even if the Imperium of Man were only a thousandth of all settled systems between all the currently named species, you're looking at everyone fighting over less than .1% of the stars in the Milky Way. Leaves an absolute ton of room to introduce new factions when you think about it that way. e: Any good short stories about the support/quartermaster parts of the Guard? Like the ones who make sure that each newly conscripted member of the Vostroyan Firstborn actually get to their assigned regiment? habeasdorkus fucked around with this message at 05:39 on Oct 28, 2022 |
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Oct 28, 2022 05:33
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The Guard itself is sort of an elite force, sourced from the best troops from the standing armies/PDF forces of the various Imperial worlds.
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Oct 28, 2022 05:43
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wiegieman posted:The Guard itself is sort of an elite force, sourced from the best troops from the standing armies/PDF forces of the various Imperial worlds. these are the very best death row prisoners from the entire death row prison planet
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Oct 28, 2022 06:13
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wiegieman posted:The Guard itself is sort of an elite force, sourced from the best troops from the standing armies/PDF forces of the various Imperial worlds. Sometimes. Sometimes it's "whoever we can scrape up to make quota"
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Oct 28, 2022 07:41
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War and Pieces posted:these are the very best death row prisoners from the entire death row prison planet Or "These are our very best junkies."
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Oct 28, 2022 14:58
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habeasdorkus posted:e: Any good short stories about the support/quartermaster parts of the Guard? Like the ones who make sure that each newly conscripted member of the Vostroyan Firstborn actually get to their assigned regiment? Not short stories but two instances I can think of from the Gaunt's Ghosts novels. First one is in The Guns of Tanith when Varl and a number of Tanith NCOs start ripping into the requisitions officer for sending them the wrong model of lasgun power cell that doesn't fit in their rifle patterns. Second one is in The Armour of Contempt where half the novel is dedicated to showing Dalin Criid's first combat action as part of a RIP detail, a catch-all unit for new recruits and rehabilitated convicts attached to Guard armies on crusade. They throw them into combat when they don't have enough time to integrate soldiers into established regiments.
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Oct 28, 2022 15:13
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Gravitas Shortfall posted:Sometimes. Whichever is either funnier or sadder gets preference
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Oct 28, 2022 17:23
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Fifteen Hours is entirely driven by quartermaster fuckup.War and Pieces posted:these are the very best death row prisoners from the entire death row prison planet
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Oct 28, 2022 17:27
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Watcher in the Rain features a civilian clerk in charge of helping route IG supplies. Something goes bad enough that an interrogator of the Inquisition is sent in to check her out as her planet is being evacuated from an incoming warp storm. I wouldn't say its a good story though. I listened to the audiobook and it had good voicework and some interesting moments but was otherwise over the top and not in a fun way. Ending was very Twilight Zone in that it needed a Serling monologue to wrap it up.
bagrada fucked around with this message at 19:06 on Oct 28, 2022 |
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Oct 28, 2022 18:58
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IshmaelZarkov posted:Mechanicus might be the single best 40k licensed game out there and is worth grabbing for the soundtrack alone. Highly recommended 00001010/00001010 I just wanted to say that I got this reference, and I'm not too petty to be proud of myself.
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Oct 28, 2022 21:32
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Arquinsiel posted:Fifteen Hours is entirely driven by quartermaster fuckup. The adeptus administratum doesn't care who's blood flows, just that it flows.
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Oct 29, 2022 02:22
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MariusLecter posted:The adeptus administratum doesn't care who's blood flows, just that it flows. We regret to inform you that, due to clerical error, all blood supplies have replaced with chocolate syrup. Please attempt to die in monochrome only.
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Oct 29, 2022 07:18
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I've only just started, but Harrowmaster is very fun so far.
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Oct 29, 2022 14:28
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Sharkopath posted:I've only just started, but Harrowmaster is very fun so far. Oh poo poo, I forgot about this one. Brooks writes entertaining chaos marines.
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Oct 29, 2022 14:53
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Angry Lobster posted:Oh poo poo, I forgot about this one. Brooks writes entertaining chaos marines. Finished it up, very fun adventure with a lot of swashbuckling, lots of mind games and plotting, betrayals, many characters from several factions whose eyes you get to see through, some fun little bits of world building for the setting, some big narrative events if the series continues or mr. james workshop decides to bring some of it to the table, and a good amount of humor. I usually just say whatever I read last is my favorite 40k book because I'm easily impressionable, but this definitely was a good book I enjoyed. Favorite small little thing: Heretek magos have created transhuman women who are skilled enough to kill space marines and primaris, and large enough they can wear captured marine battleplate, although they don't call themselves space marines. They don't play a major part but its neat to see. Quick synopsis of narrative impact for those who are curious: The Alpha Legion start out as the usual disparate bands of varied raiders and plotters, and end the book as a partially combined legion of a full battlefleet with a space hulk for a flagship, several titans, traitor guard regiments, and about a chapters worth of space marines, led by a charismatic leader with the explicitly stated goal of casting off the 10 thousand years of plotting from the shadows. Instead they plan to strike the imperium right at its heart, tearing out new rebel worlds until the whole thing dies, and can either be replaced with something better or with humanity being doomed to fall anyways. Space accelerationist renegades. Theres still so many other alpha legion warbands unaligned with this new group though, including the warbands of most of the other alpha legion books, who are mentioned but not present. Cool book, yeah.
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Oct 29, 2022 20:54
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Can't help but feel like the writers are pushing to have the Space Marines back as legions rather than an assortment of chapters that are loosely connected. The Unforgiven effectively act like a Legion, the Blood Angels reunited as a Legion to protect Bhaal, the Ultramarines have their primarch back and won't refuse his orders because he's their personal patron Saint. I get that the company wants to have chapters to allow for home brew crews, but I feel like the Chapter system should be used more as an "assigned to this war and this front" type of thing given how the books portray Space Marine fights.
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Oct 30, 2022 03:33
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Guilliman partially agrees with you, he thinks that the Chapters are too small for what they need to do now, but he does not want full Legion size.
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Oct 30, 2022 08:20
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