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Evil_Urna
Aug 16, 2004

DAD LOST MY IPOD posted:


Also the rumors that Sigmar was a lost primarch and that the whole Fantasy world was in the Eye of Terror as a training ground for aspiring Chaos champions.


I always thought that the Fantasy world was just on a undiscovered world in the 40k universe. And one day the black ships will appear in the sky and see all these humans chumming around with xenos and mutants and orks running around all over and just virus bomb the joint and be done with it.

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drkhrs2020
Jul 22, 2007

Cream_Filling posted:

I think it was the same Abnett book where they mention a case where two scouts found an ancient STC print-out for a better way to make a combat knife. In the end, they were rewarded with a planet each for their discovery.

I remember this, it was some 'mono-filament' knife that became standard issue to all IG. Apparently 1 planet each was considered a huge bargain for the design.

Demiurge4 posted:

It still gets to me that Horus didn't try to trick that one planet into giving him the only fully functional STC in the galaxy. And instead went balls out invasion and had it blown up in Angrons face.

From what it says, the planet with STC tech had its front line troops in Space Marine equivalent gear.

Yeah, common sense doesn't matter when it comes to technology. Specifically, the tech priests. For starters

- Forge worlds don't share templates, so if the only world with a plasma pistol template gets eaten by a hive fleet, no more will ever get made
- They always wake up any Necron tech they find
- They plot how to sway Tau machine spirits to their side via bribing
- Replace as much flesh with metal as possible
- Advise wholesale destruction on any human planet with non Adeptus Mechanicus infrastructure

I recall one planet during the Macharian Crusade that by itself held off the Crusade fleet for 2 years until they got fed up and directed a massive comet to hit the planet.

Think of it like a monopoly. The AM don't care about advancing only improving technology, or worshiping it and keeping anyone else from cutting it.

Waroduce
Aug 5, 2008

Mechafunkzilla posted:

Yeah, the height of mankind's power is roughly the year 20,000, at which point psykers appeared and everything got all hosed up. Anyway, can we please keep fluff discussion related to specific BL books? I don't think this is really the thread for people's inane theories on which Manhattan Project scientist was secretly the Emperor.

I really enjoy the fluff discussions here, and because you said we should check out the TG thread I did. I waded through the first 10 pages and didn't any real discussion that didn't concern point armies and the actual table top game itself. I have never played warhammer (though I'm interested), but I'm a huge fan of the universe, books and fluff. I really hope you allow fluff discussions to blossom here since the TG thread seems lacking.


(Alexander the Great was the God-Emperor)

yaboonabi
Mar 21, 2008
Has anyone given The Last Chancers by Gav Thorpe a leaf-thru? I've only just learned of their existence, and I'm wondering if they're worth tracking down.

Mechafunkzilla
Sep 11, 2006

If you want a vision of the future...

yaboonabi posted:

Has anyone given The Last Chancers by Gav Thorpe a leaf-thru? I've only just learned of their existence, and I'm wondering if they're worth tracking down.

People seem to like them, but on the other hand, Gav Thorpe is a lovely writer. So uh...your mileage may vary. (I haven't read them)

EyeRChris
Mar 3, 2010

Intergalactic, all-planetary, everything super-supreme champion

drkhrs2020 posted:

I remember this, it was some 'mono-filament' knife that became standard issue to all IG. Apparently 1 planet each was considered a huge bargain for the design.


From what it says, the planet with STC tech had its front line troops in Space Marine equivalent gear.

Yeah, common sense doesn't matter when it comes to technology. Specifically, the tech priests. For starters

- Forge worlds don't share templates, so if the only world with a plasma pistol template gets eaten by a hive fleet, no more will ever get made
- They always wake up any Necron tech they find
- They plot how to sway Tau machine spirits to their side via bribing
- Replace as much flesh with metal as possible
- Advise wholesale destruction on any human planet with non Adeptus Mechanicus infrastructure

I recall one planet during the Macharian Crusade that by itself held off the Crusade fleet for 2 years until they got fed up and directed a massive comet to hit the planet.

Think of it like a monopoly. The AM don't care about advancing only improving technology, or worshiping it and keeping anyone else from cutting it.

The Tech Priest Necron thing I find funny. In the Cain book where he stumbles upon a Necron Hive frozen in the ice you get the impression he is face palming so hard his hand bursts out the back of his head over how horny the Tech Priests are to find it. Mean while he is just thinking of a way to piss himself in a way that would make him seem like a hero when he runs screaming from the planet with his pants on fire.

berzerkmonkey
Jul 23, 2003

yaboonabi posted:

Has anyone given The Last Chancers by Gav Thorpe a leaf-thru? I've only just learned of their existence, and I'm wondering if they're worth tracking down.

If I remember correctly (and it has been a long, long time since I read them, mind you), they really pissed me off because Gav Thorpe would constantly shift from first- to third-person. I could certainly be misremembering, but I'm pretty sure this is why I couldn't even start the third book of the series.

berzerkmonkey fucked around with this message at 18:39 on Jul 26, 2012

Greataval
Mar 26, 2010
Most Gav Thorpe books are pretty bad except Angel of darkness that book is pretty good.

Thewittyname
May 9, 2010

It's time to...
PRESS! YOUR! LUCK!

CommissarMega posted:

poo poo, they even moved the Solar System to the middle of a stabilized Galactic Centre just so Earth could be the literal as well as figurative centre of the human empire.

Seriously? Was this in a codex or White Dwarf or what?

mllaneza
Apr 28, 2007

Veteran, Bermuda Triangle Expeditionary Force, 1993-1952




Thewittyname posted:

Seriously? Was this in a codex or White Dwarf or what?

He was kidding. Unless that one planet they came across early in the HH series that believed IT was really Earth actually was.

Evil_Urna
Aug 16, 2004

yaboonabi posted:

Has anyone given The Last Chancers by Gav Thorpe a leaf-thru? I've only just learned of their existence, and I'm wondering if they're worth tracking down.

It is actually pretty neat. I believe one of the guys in the penal (lol) legion was there for overdue library books.

The third book was a bit silly even for Gav Thorpe. Turns out the main dude was possessed by a Daemon his whole life

Lovely Joe Stalin
Jun 12, 2007

Our Lovely Wang

berzerkmonkey posted:

If I remember correctly (and it has been a long, long time since I read them, mind you), they really pissed me off because Gav Thorpe would constantly shift from first- to third-person. I could certainly me misremembering, but I'm pretty sure this is why I couldn't even start the third book of the series.

Whenever Gav Thorpe comes up in discussion with my friends I start switching first- to third-person, and changing tense. That first Last Chancers book was ghost-written by a child in a remedial class.

Thewittyname
May 9, 2010

It's time to...
PRESS! YOUR! LUCK!

mllaneza posted:

He was kidding. Unless that one planet they came across early in the HH series that believed IT was really Earth actually was.

I thought so, but I never completely discount WH40K fluff on the basis of crazy, especially considering the Rogue Trader era.

Baron Bifford
May 24, 2006
Probation
Can't post for 3 years!
I noticed the opening blurb in the 40K books states that the Emperor rules over humanity "by the will of the gods". Is this a Rogue Trader leftover? Because the Emperor is supposed to be the one and only god, who will himself onto the throne.

Mechafunkzilla
Sep 11, 2006

If you want a vision of the future...

Baron Bifford posted:

I noticed the opening blurb in the 40K books states that the Emperor rules over humanity "by the will of the gods". Is this a Rogue Trader leftover? Because the Emperor is supposed to be the one and only god, who will himself onto the throne.

It's just an idiom. The opening blurb wasn't written by an Ecclesiarch or anything.

Baron Bifford
May 24, 2006
Probation
Can't post for 3 years!
Yeah, I figured as much, but it seems strange because there really are no other benevolent gods for humanity to worship.

bunnyofdoom
Mar 29, 2008

Jaxxon: Still not the stupidest thing from the expanded universe.



Baron Bifford posted:

Yeah, I figured as much, but it seems strange because there really are no other benevolent gods for humanity to worship.

What about the Omnissiah

mdemone
Mar 14, 2001

I just want to tell you guys that I've been interested in getting into the BL for sometime, since the 40K mythology always sounded like such a balls-out universe that it couldn't help but have cool stories to tell. (I have zero interest in the table-top game and other non-BL applications.) So finally, on the advice of this thread, I have delved into Eisenhorn and I'm not regretting it one bit.

Count me as another vote to keep the fluff discussion in here, since the tabletoppers seem a little too...motivated. I'd feel like a poser in there.

Now I just have to start keeping straight all the various factions/powers.

Lyer
Feb 4, 2008

http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Main_Page#.UBHT9WE19Zw

Is a great wiki on the 40k universe, when I first discovered it, I lost hours just reading it.

OXBALLS DOT COM
Sep 11, 2005

by FactsAreUseless
Young Orc

bunnyofdoom posted:

What about the Omnissiah

The Omnissiah is only the physical incarnation of the Machine God.

Cat Planet
Jun 26, 2010

:420: :catdrugs: :420:
Is Omnissiah still the Void Dragon after that asinine Necron fluff redesign?

Greataval
Mar 26, 2010
I was wondering to what was up with the ctan, and necron fluff heard the codex changed it up a bit.

Shroud
May 11, 2009
If anyone has read Wrath of Iron, there's a funny/ironic exchange between a magos and the lord general. The magos explains that the Iron Hands are afraid of their own flesh, and that they're addicted to augmentation.

mdemone
Mar 14, 2001

I love it. Like, I don't even understand 75% of what you guys are saying but I'm totally on board.

So...do I just keep reading Abnett? He seems like the best prose stylist among the BL authors, from just a quick assessment. After Eisenhorn, do I go to Gaunt's Ghosts or Horus Heresy, or what?!?

Nephilm
Jun 11, 2009

by Lowtax

mdemone posted:

I love it. Like, I don't even understand 75% of what you guys are saying but I'm totally on board.

So...do I just keep reading Abnett? He seems like the best prose stylist among the BL authors, from just a quick assessment. After Eisenhorn, do I go to Gaunt's Ghosts or Horus Heresy, or what?!?

After Eisenhorn read Ravenor, and after that the list is vast, so might as well go for the books recommended in the OP based upon what picks your interest. Do note that HH is best reserved to when you have a good grasp on the WH40k universe, as most of the impact in those novels is seeing the truth and deeds of characters of myth, and the contrast of the world as it was before it all went to poo poo.

Evil_Urna
Aug 16, 2004

mdemone posted:

I love it. Like, I don't even understand 75% of what you guys are saying but I'm totally on board.

So...do I just keep reading Abnett? He seems like the best prose stylist among the BL authors, from just a quick assessment. After Eisenhorn, do I go to Gaunt's Ghosts or Horus Heresy, or what?!?

Horus Heresy should wait for a while. It helps to have a lot of knowledge of the fluff so you can understand who a lot of these people are.

You can't go wrong with Ciphas Cain to be honest. If you want a really well written story go for 15 hours. It is really short but it is strikingly good for Warhammer.

If you dig the whole rosette crew Ravenor is awesome. And if bolter porn is your thing I really liked the Ultramarines books, but you will see people on here disagree with me.

I am reading the Shira Calpurnia books right now and I am really digging the space Judge Dredd-ish story going on it. And I think she is one of the most positive female leads in a Warhammer book that I have seen thus far.

OXBALLS DOT COM
Sep 11, 2005

by FactsAreUseless
Young Orc

Evil_Urna posted:

I am reading the Shira Calpurnia books right now and I am really digging the space Judge Dredd-ish story going on it. And I think she is one of the most positive female leads in a Warhammer book that I have seen thus far.

There's other Warhammer books with female leads?

Baron Bifford
May 24, 2006
Probation
Can't post for 3 years!

Evil_Urna posted:

You can't go wrong with Ciphas Cain to be honest. If you want a really well written story go for 15 hours. It is really short but it is strikingly good for Warhammer.
So Warhammer books generally suck?

Gooses and Geeses
Jan 1, 2005

OH GOD WHY DIDN'T I LISTEN?
Little fish, fifteen hours is awful little fish. What on earth is good about it little fish?

Cat Planet
Jun 26, 2010

:420: :catdrugs: :420:

Gooses and Geeses posted:

Little fish, fifteen hours is awful little fish. What on earth is good about it little fish?

Mitchell Scanlon is a horrible writer and repeats phrases was too much. His other book is Descent of Angels where the readers are reminded of the planet the action takes place on every other sentence. It was a beautiful sunset on Caliban...

Nephilm
Jun 11, 2009

by Lowtax

Baron Bifford posted:

So Warhammer books generally suck?

Well, yeah. The Black Library (wh40k section) is what, 300 books? And only about 20 of those are legit good, with about 50 more being decent.

Cooked Auto
Aug 4, 2007

If you will not serve in combat, you will serve on the firing line!




Cream_Filling posted:

There's other Warhammer books with female leads?

On the Fantasy side I can the top of my head come up with the Genevieve Undead series of three books with an omnibus released as well as Ulrika the Vampire series of two books.
And then looking at the BL website there is Valkia the Bloody as well.

Funny how most female leads in Fantasy are all vampires as there's also Neferata coming out next year.

On the 40k side the only one I can directly think of is the Sisters of Battles books by James Swallow aside from the Enforcer series.
Although looking at the BL site suddenly remembered that Double Eagle features a female lead so there is that one too.
Pariah is also going to have a female lead as well based on its description.

Evil_Urna posted:

I am reading the Shira Calpurnia books right now and I am really digging the space Judge Dredd-ish story going on it. And I think she is one of the most positive female leads in a Warhammer book that I have seen thus far.

I can second this recommendation. Even if the second book spends far too much time around secondary characters to my liking but otherwise it's not bad.
The second book is a great way to learn how to hate Rogue Traders though. Just saying. :v:

Cooked Auto fucked around with this message at 12:32 on Jul 27, 2012

berzerkmonkey
Jul 23, 2003

Gooses and Geeses posted:

Little fish, fifteen hours is awful little fish. What on earth is good about it little fish?
Bullshit. Fifteen Hours is a good book that shows how hosed up life in the Imperial Guard is.

Cream_Filling posted:

There's other Warhammer books with female leads?
There will be. http://www.blacklibrary.com/all-products/pariah.html

Mechafunkzilla
Sep 11, 2006

If you want a vision of the future...

mdemone posted:

I love it. Like, I don't even understand 75% of what you guys are saying but I'm totally on board.

So...do I just keep reading Abnett? He seems like the best prose stylist among the BL authors, from just a quick assessment. After Eisenhorn, do I go to Gaunt's Ghosts or Horus Heresy, or what?!?

Read the OP :)

Greataval
Mar 26, 2010
I just realized I'm between wh40k.
Waiting on fear to tread, and the new eldar book which are better than what I expected considering its from a xeno point of view.

Evil_Urna
Aug 16, 2004

Gooses and Geeses posted:

Little fish, fifteen hours is awful little fish. What on earth is good about it little fish?

Fifteen Hours was awesome and you are not. It gives a really good picture to new readers of just how little life is worth in the imperium.

Baron Bifford
May 24, 2006
Probation
Can't post for 3 years!
Does the Imperium use messenger ships to handle the bulk of its communications? From what I understand, astropaths are too few and too inefficient to handle it all. Who gets to use astropaths anyway? What priority is given?

mdemone
Mar 14, 2001

Thanks for all the suggestions, and yes I will commit the OP to memory. That wiki is also going to suck up whole chunks of time, I'm sure.

Ravenor is next and I can't wait. It's been a long time since I had a bunch of "easy" fiction on my reading pile, so it feels good to just plow through a huge omnibus and have a blast the whole time, knowing there are thousands more pages where that came from.

lite_sleepr
Jun 3, 2003

by Radio Games Forum
I read Malacath and liked it, and I don't care for fantasy warhammer at all.

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Trast
Oct 20, 2010

Three games, thousands of playthroughs. 90% of the players don't know I exist. Still a redhead saving the galaxy with a [Right Hook].

:edi:

Cooked Auto posted:

On the 40k side the only one I can directly think of is the Sisters of Battles books by James Swallow aside from the Enforcer series.
Although looking at the BL site suddenly remembered that Double Eagle features a female lead so there is that one too.
Pariah is also going to have a female lead as well based on its description.

Are the Sisters of Battle books any good? I like the lore I've been exposed to so far and wouldn't mind some more in-depth stuff.

Also as far as Pariah goes is there any given reason why Ravenor and Eisenhorn would be at odds? I'd imagine it would have to do with Ravenor coming away from his trilogy still an inquisitor and Eisenhorn being radical now. But in the short story where they meet they didn't really seem to be at each other's throat.

Trast fucked around with this message at 03:08 on Jul 28, 2012

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