SPACE MARINES CODEX AND MINIATURES PREVIEW

Hello gamers and welcome to this week’s posting where I preview the new Space Marine Codex and the new releases the Adeptus Astartes will be reinforced with this month from Games Workshop. Being a Space Marine player I am excited about getting a new Codex for 6^th edition and I have to admit the new miniatures being released have got me salivating a little!

 

SPACE MARINE 6^th EDITION CODEX.

At 179 pages long, it is the largest Codex GW has ever produced which is only fitting for their iconic Space Marine product. Lots of art work and miniature show cases fill the codex as expected and has the usual anatomy that previous Space Marine Codex’s have had in the past. The making of a Space Marine remains as per the last 2 Codex’s but is done in a grittier manner from what images I’ve seen so far. Each of the First Founding Codex Chapters gets a whole section to itself detailing the back story of the Chapter and a time line of important battles in the Chapters history. Each Chapter gets rules that are unique to them and pull from their makeup and back story which I am very happy about.  I will delve into the Codex in more detail next week when I get my own copy and share it with you all right here on Games-Knight.

NEW SPACE MARINE MODELS AND NEW UNIT TYPES.

It comes as no surprise that GW release a wave of new models alongside a new Codex release and the Space Marines are no exception to that rule. The humble Space Marine tactical squad gets a revamp and I have to say for the better. The miniatures have a more ‘gourmet’ look and feel about them and with 180 separate components on the frames player will have the chance to customise their chosen battle brothers as they deem fit. Combi-weapons and the all new grav-gun are included in the box set along with the trusted bolters, plasma guns and flamers.

The devastator company boasts new units in the Centurion Devastator squad and the Centurion Assault squad. Warriors in each unit are clad in a Centurion warsuit, a bulk of thick ablative armour with an array of heavy weapons or assault weapons. I can see a Centurion Assault squad fitting in with my Imperial Fist army very nicely!

There are updated Sternguard/Vanguard veteran squads which are mouth wateringly good with crisp detail and lavish heraldry sculpted onto the armour. Some great ‘bare head’ options in these kits with bearded, grizzled veterans to stoic, stern faced paragons of the Imperium. I think the parts in these kits lend a lot of options to kit-bashing with the rest of any gamer’s spare bits box to create some awe inspiring miniatures.

The humble Rhino APC gets a twist with new Stalker and Hunter variants both offering great ant-air support.  I am very happy to see this as Flyers are such a big part of 6^th edition and it gives a Space Marine army an answer to the overly powerful Chaos Heldrake.  Looks wise out of the 2 I prefer the Hunter variant but rules wise the Stalker tips it with being able to split its fire at targets.  

The heroes of the chapter come to the fore with new Captain, Librarian and Chaplain models. Whilst not impressed with the new Chaplain model and do like the new Captain model with his crested plume and I think the new Librarian model is the pick of the bunch. The Librarians face is intense with expression, fixed in a grimace of pure concentration under his psychic hood. The cyber-cherub adds a diorama feel to the miniature and is a very nice touch and nod to the dark future of the 41^st millennium. Will we see rules for familiar’s return I wonder?

Rumours have been rife on the internet for months now as to what special rules will be in the new Space Marine Codex and I will share them with you right here on Games-Knight next week as I review the new Codex here on Games-Knight. Make sure you join me for that! Until then happy gaming and don’t forget you can always share your thoughts with me via posting a comment or emailing me direct – contactgamesknight@gmail.com. Ciaran.

 

 

 

 

 

TOP TRUMPS

 
Hello gamers welcome to another post here on Games Knight with me Ciaran. Want to share something totally different with you all this week and look at the DC Universe Top Trump set. Top trumps is a card based game system that has been around since the 1970's and has always had high popularity with comic book fans and school boys passing their break time (Where I discovered Top Trumps). Top Trumps have decks for a multitude of themes ranging from cars, military hardware to comic book heroes.


HOW TO PLAY TOP TRUMPS.

The instant appeal to Top Trumps is that it is very simple to play and thus quicker to get into. Any number of people can play which makes this a great party game or a light hearted addition to regular gaming nights. First, as with any game involving a deck of cards, shuffle and deal all the cards face down. Each player holds their cards so that they can see the top card only. The player from the dealer's left starts by reading out a stat from the top card (e.g Height 180). The other players then read out the same stat. The player with the highest stat wins and places all the top cards including their own to bottom of their pile. It is then the winning players turn to choose a stat from the next card.

If 2 of more cards share the top value then all the cards are placed in the middle and the same player chooses again from the next card. The winner of the hand takes the cards in the middle as well. The player with all the cards at the end of the game is the winner.

DC UNIVERSE: HEROES AND VILLAINS SET.
 
This set contains 30 playing cards depicting various heroes and villains form the DC comics universe-

• SUPERMAN
• BATMAN
• WONDER WOMAN
• GREEN LANTERN
• THE FLASH
• MARTIAN MANHUNTER
• ROBIN
• BATGIRL
• CATWOMAN
• BRUCE WAYNE
• NIGHTWING
• COMMISSIONER GORDON
• ALFRED PENNYWORTH
• CLARK KENT
• SUPERGIRL
• LOIS LANE
• GREEN ARROW
• HAWKMAN
• PLASTIC MAN
• THE JOKER
• TWO-FACE
• POISON IVY
• MR. FREEZE
• THE RIDDLER
• THE PENGUIN
• BANE
• RA'S AL GHUL
• SCARECROW
• HARLEY QUINN
• LEX LUTHOR

Some classic characters with a mix of some of the lesser known characters makes for a well balanced set although I would have perhaps ditched Lois Lane for Aqua Man to get the full Justice league line up in.

The cards are superbly illustrated with great artwork and the characters back story alongside his card stats. Card stats include -

• HEIGHT
• INTELLIGENCE
• STRENGTH
• SPEED
• AGILITY
• FIGHTING SKILLS

GAMES KNIGHT: THE GAMING CRUSADER.

I have a lot of sentimental reasons for liking Top Trumps. Top Trumps was the very first collectible card game I got into as a kid and I was the scourge of the play ground with my Marvel Top Trump deck. As a mature gamer now I still find Top trumps very appealing and a pleasant, easy going distraction from my other hobby interests such as 40k. Cost wise it is a very inexpensive game to buy with a deck of Top Trumps costing roughly £4 and easy to carry around in its plastic case making it a game you can play on the go. The biggest reason to like this game is the simplicity of the rules which makes playing it quick and also getting new people into Top Trumps very easy. The simplicity of the rules also means it is a game that will appeal to people who aren't normally into gaming. The other week I found myself playing Top Trumps with my Fiancee (Who has become my regular opponent and rival) and my future mother-in-law. So in conclusion, its cheap, portable, simple and fun. You cant ask for much more than that can you?

That's going to do it for this weeks post, next week will be the 2nd instalment of Parchment where I will be reviewing 'Angel Exterminatus' by Graham McNeil. Until then happy gaming.

APOCALYPSE NOW

Hello gamers and welcome to this week’s post where I review the Warhammer 40k Apocalypse rule book. For those unfamiliar with what the Apocalypse expansion is all about here is a brief overview. Apocalypse is about gamers having the opportunity to field their entire collection without being restricted by the force organisation chart in the core rules. The Apocalypse rules also allow for huge battles to take place with specialised ‘formations’ that can be put together which have bonus rules that apply. Or another way of putting it, and the way I like to look at it, Apocalypse lets you do what you want and gives 40k fans the tools to fight the battles and campaigns they have also wanted too with the models they want too.

 

RULES

Some very narrative driven rules get introduced for games of Apocalypse as well as rules that add another layer of tactical texture to a game of 40k -

• Divine Intervention
• Finest Hour 
• Sons of The Primarch
• Strategic Assets
• Strategic Reserves
• Unnatural Disasters

Divine Intervention – Drawing from the superstitious elements of each faction in the 40k cannon, each army gets its own special rule from the Divine Intervention chart. For example, any Imperium based army can call upon the entity of The God-Emperor of Mankind if at least half the units in its army have been removed as casualties. As soon as that criteria is met all units left gain the Furious Charge and Fearless special rules. ‘The Emperor Protects’ after all.

Finest Hour – This rule represents one of your Warlords, or you’re Warmaster, having a defining moment in the battle and forging his or her own legend. Players can declare when their warlord will have their Finest Hour at any point in the game and the effects last a whole game turn. The Warlord in question receives a host of special rules for that turn, one of them being a 3+ invulnerable save, and gets to roll on 1 of 3 Exemplar tables.

Sons of The Primarch – Instead of rolling on the Exemplar tables, Space Marine and Chaos Space Marine characters can opt to draw from the Sons of The Primarch chart. For example, a World Eaters Warlord would gain the ‘Lord of Wrath’ special rule.

Strategic Assets- Each side starts with a number of Strategic Assets equal to the number of players in the largest side. The book comes with 54 strategic asset cards for you to photocopy from the book and make you own Strategic Asset decks. These cards grant players special rules and abilities for their army to wield during the course of the game. Each card tells you when you can play the card and its effects.

Strategic Reserves – Unlike a normal game of 40k where reserves are only allowed to come in on certain turns and on a roll of a dice, Apocalypse gives players the role of ‘higher-level Generals’ and have full control over their forces on and off the table. So in short your reserves arrive exactly when you want them too.

Unnatural Disasters – This gives players the option of 6 tables to roll on with each table offering different disasters. These range from a Magma Storm to a Zombie Apocalypse (yes I just said Zombie Apocalypse)  

All the above special rules are all optional. Players now have the freedom to pick and choose what rules they want to apply to their games and which ones they don’t. And for me that is what makes this expansion a winner, it’s the flexibility and choice this gaming system offers 40k players. I want to get something off my chest here regarding GW. GW comes under a lot of criticism, some of it justified, for not giving players enough choice or freedom for their games of 40k. Those complaints really have to end now with the release of this book. Let me stress something to all 40k fans here, you do not have to have massive armies for this expansion to work. You could easily apply this to 2000 point games and 3000 point games and see a totally new element to playing 40k. I myself will be doing that and I am looking forward to throwing the force organisation chart out the window and fielding more than 2 HQ choices. I am looking forward to my Imperial Fists using the Son of Dorn special rule from the Sons of The Primarch table. And most of all I am looking forward to having fun with my hobby. Don’t get me wrong I am not saying GW are perfect they are not but credit where credit is due for this release please folks.

Formations

Also included in the book is a list of Data Sheets that detail specialised formations that players can field for their army. For example a Tau player can choose to field a Counterstrike Cadre formation consisting of 1 Pathfinder team and 2-4 Fire Warrior Teams with each unit in the formation taking a Devilfish. Each formation has special rules and these are detailed on the Data Sheets. Apocalypse also gives players the option of fielding Forgeworld products designed especially for larger or more custom-made games of 40k. Tyranid players can choose filed a Hierophant Bio-titan and likewise Imperium players can call upon the fire power of Battle Titans.

New Range of Models

In addition to the release of the rule book a host of new models and scenery have been released with an Apocalypse feel to them but can also be fielded in normal games of 40k too. I am impressed with all of them, my favourite being the Space Marine Lord Executioner model, with the exception of the Khorne Lord of Skulls which looks like a massive lawnmower.  

KHORNE LORD OF SKULLS - ARE YOU A FAN OF THIS MODEL?
 

So in conclusion I am very happy with this release and would urge 40k fans to embrace it. I think it opens up the 40k game system to a lot more freedom and interesting army projects. I am already debating over which Grey Knight formation to go for and I also want to start a new Space Marine army. I think the Red Hunters chapter would be the perfect allies for my Grey Knights, besides there is only so many times I can mind scrub my Imperial Fists.

So now is the bit where I want to hear from you. What do you think about Apocalypse? Has this article made you want to explore bigger games of 40k? Do you think this release is bad or good? Get in touch and tell us by either leaving a comment below or contact us directly at contactgamesknight@gmail.com. Till next time gamers, take care and happy gaming. Ciaran.

BACK FROM THE WARP.

Hello gamers, Ciaran here and its good to be back! You may have noticed it has been a while since there has been any posts on Games Knight from me or Gravius and I would like to address that issue.

Both myself and Gravius have started new secular jobs in the last month or so and that coupled with summer holidays has simply meant not so much hobby time. Gravius may be out of action a little longer but starting this Saturday I will be back with weekly posts. Please join me this Saturday as I review the new Apocalypse expansion  from GW in depth and give my reaction.

Moving forward there will be more book reviews via 'Parchment' and I will be sharing an old gaming flame of mine.... Top Trumps! Also news on a massive 40k campaign we will be running here on Games Knight and plenty of reviews are in the pipe line.

The future's bright, the future is Games Knight.

Ciaran

PARCHMENT 001 - 'REALITY 36' BY GUY HALEY

The Plot

Meet Richard and Klein – the Holmes and Watson of the 22^nd century. Except that Richards is a highly advanced artificial intelligence, and Klein his German ex-military cyborg partner. Their first case takes them into the renegade digital realm known as Reality 36 and through the Great Firewall of China, in search of a missing Artificial Intelligence Rights activist. What they will find there will threaten every reality.
 

 

The Author

An experienced science fiction journalist and critic, Guy Haley worked for SFX as a deputy editor, where he still free-lances, he edited GW gaming magazine White Dwarf between 2005 and 2007, and was the editor of Death Ray magazine.  He is now a freelance writer with his first Black Library novel ‘Baneblade’ is out now.

The Book

Set in the year 2129, the world Guy Haley has created is very believable which makes the reading far more enjoyable.  A future where global land makes have changed due to climate change and the aftermaths of devastating wars is not too hard to imagine. The AI element of society Haley introduces is very well done too. On the very first page with extracts from amended human rights declarations drawn up by the European Union shows that this is a time where AI’s are fully integrated into the world’s society.  The characters are very interesting as is their respective roles and backstories and they interact with one another very well. The tech jargon Haley uses is very impressive and fits in with the feel of the story and the world he has created for this book.  Although at times it made for hard reading with all the tech jargon, in the middle of the book especially, it was not out of place and fitted the story perfectly. For me the book really came to life at the end and the pace of story combined with the action was exciting and kept me hooked into the story.  The story pretty much implodes at the end and sets it up perfectly for the sequel book: ‘Omega Point’.

 

Scribes Verdict

Overall a good read. With the intelligent and exiting world the story is set in and the many original touches in the story (The Great Firewall of China being my personal favourite) it is hard not to like the book. The only negative I could find was the tech jargon slowed the story down sometimes and made for heavy reading but you cannot deny that it fit in well with the story Haley is telling. It gets a score of 3 out of 5 from me and I look forward to reading the sequel ‘Omega Point’.

That will do it for this edition of Parchment , if you have any comments on this post, ‘Reality 36’ or anything gaming or sci-fi related please get in touch – contactgamesknight@gmail.com. Till next time. Ciaran.