#range overview

[surrogate-gaia]

Looking back: Part 1 - Primaris Space Marines - Infantry

The excitement for 9th edition has been growing and growing. People are happy with the upcoming units for Space marines, and Xenos fans are rejoicing at the return of the Silent King and the introduction of new Necron units. 

What I want to do is take a long and hard look at what 8th edition gave us in terms of miniatures. 

To start of this series, we have to begin with Games Workshop’s favorite poster-boys; The Primaris Space Marines

The Primaris debacle:

If you didn’t already know, Games Workshop is somewhat obsessed with Space Marines. This hasn’t changed at all in 8th edition. In fact, it kind of got worse.

8th edition introduced us to the new and improved Primaris Space Marines - Extra cool Space Marines. 

For a lot of people, these were just a lame excuse to resell you an army that most of their costumers had already bought. Lore-wise, they came out of nowhere, and for some they were an affront to what the Imperium stood for: an autocratic, dogmatic and fascist regime that saw innovation and progress as something evil and dangerous. 

Fortunately, the Primaris have begun to become a little more fleshed out, and hopefully, this will continue for the better in 9th edition.

Before I start my overview, I have to explain my main gripe that I have with the ENTIRE range.

The Helmets:

With their redesign, the Space Marines gained a new pattern of Power Armour. This included a new design for their helmets, and I absolutely hate it. Gone is the iconic respirator, and instead we get a return of the Mark IV helmet, A.K.A. my least favorite pattern of the range. 

Kitbashers prove my point. The Mark VII is so much better looking on the new range. They look proper evil and merciless.

So always keep in mind that with every model in this range, I will have the same complaint; I don’t like the design of their helmet.

Intercessors:

The Primaris line was a way for the design team to re-imagine the space marines in a new way. Their size got updated to what might be considered “Tru-scale” and lore-wise, they gained a better crafted kit than their predecessors. Though what they gained in upgrades, they lost in group flexibility. 

Intercessors are equipped with Bolt rifles, which are basically slightly upgraded Boltguns. These can be retrofitted in the usual way with scopes or under-slung grenade launchers. 

Lore-wise, Intercessors take a surprisingly defensive role, mostly described as using suppressive fire to slowly advance to a position or hold the line.  

Their design, specifically their proportions, is what many expected the actual proportions of a space marine to be. They are hulking masses of power armour that should dwarf humans easily. The original Space Marines were a little “ill-proportioned” and the new Primaris have fixed that issue very well. 

One complaint I’ve seen appear is the fact that Intercessors lack the ornateness and religious aspects that the old marines had. If you’d actually compare them with Tactical Marines, it kind of shows that this isn’t the case. 

In fact, it just shows that normal Space Marines aren’t that ornate to begin with. 

Intercessors are a good re-imagining of the Tactical Marines and share the same feel that their predecessors have. What the Intercessors lack is just their weapon options.

7/10

Hellblasters:

The Primaris doctrine seems to hark back to the olden days before the Horus Heresy. Instead of the highly adaptable formations that we see in the Tactical Squads or the Devastator Squads, the Primaris decide instead to have specialized squads.

So while the Intercessors favor trusty bolt weapons, the Hellblasters make use of the the Plasma Incinerator: an improved version of the Plasma Gun that doesn’t overheat unless its fired in its overcharged setting. Hellblasters have the role of providing covering fire, similar to Devastators.  

The Plasma Incinerator is what makes this my favorite unit from the mainline army. It is such an improvement in design over that of the Plasma Gun. It makes for a great silhouette and the miniature looks more powerful because of it.

9/10

Reivers:

Reivers are part of the Vanguard line of Primaris troops; units specifically designed for long covert and stealth operations. 

(The rest of the Vanguard will be looked at in a future post.) 

Reivers themselves act like terror troops; sneaking into combat before yelling “OOGA BOOGA” and murdering everyone in the room like an Eversor Assassin. 

Primaris power armour has a very interesting quirk. It comes in different variants that can be mixed and matched to serve a certain role. Reivers and most of the vanguard line use Phobos Armour; a pattern that is lighter, more lightly armoured and features servos that allow it to be almost silent in combat. It features Grav-Chutes, which allows Reivers to safely descend from heights, similar as to what Elysian Drop-Troopers utilize.

They go into battle with Bolters and over-sized knives. They can also take a Grapling Hook, so they can cosplay as their favourite DC hero. The skull helmet they wear has an in built voice amplifier, allowing their battle chants to turn into a police sound cannon. They basically stole the idea from Eldar Howling Banshees. 

The poses from the “Easy-to-build” kit are just ugly, but their other kit fixes that issue. I still am not sure about the skull helmet, and would’ve preferred a better way to visualize their voice-amplifiers. I kind of like the Phobos pattern, but I do have some gripes with it, such as the exposed metal abs(?) they have. 

6/10

Aggressors:

I really don’t hope this is what will replace Terminators.

Aggressors are a fire support unit that slowly advances while providing covering fire from mid to close range. They wear Gravis Armour, which is the more heavily reinforced variant of the Mark X. They have Power Fists that have either Flamers or Bolters attached to them, and some are equipped with shoulder mounted grenade launchers.

Gravis Armour is my least favourite of the three patterns and Aggressors are my main reason for it. They look very clunky and are way too cluttered with weapons. I don’t like the rounded design as well. It looks like they would take one step and then fall face first into the dirt. Even the artwork doesn’t do them justice and makes their over-sized armaments even more over-sized. A wider belly and smaller gauntlets would’ve fixed this unit’s design.

4/10

Inceptors:

Remember the intro of the Space Marine video game? Captain Titus leaping off a Thunderhawk and flying through an air battle to land on an Ork ship? Inceptors do just that, landing in the thick of the battle, with guns in both hands like B.J. Blazkowicz.

They are equipped with either Plasma Guns or Assault Bolters, and fly through the air with an over-sized jump-pack. To soften their landing, they have these funny looking boot plates, so that they don’t die during the impact.

If the boot plates weren’t a thing, I would have no qualms with this unit. Their version of the Gravis Armour is what I would’ve preferred the Aggressors to have. They also look like they would actually do well in low gravity environments, such as space battles. What I like most about them is the fact that they seemingly resemble Assault Marines from the artwork of Rogue Trader.

Games Workshop has kind of gone back to looking at Rogue Trader, and figuring out how certain aspects of it could fit back into 40k. I’m 100% behind that trend and want more of it.

7/10

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The Primaris range is already massive and I’m separating the range into different parts. So far though, it has been a varied bag of good and meh. I do want to keep these varied, so next up, I’m going to tackle a different army; the Death Guard...

[surrogate-gaia]

Looking back: Part 3 - Craftworld Aeldari

The Psychic Awakening event was kind of a disappointment. Nothing really major happened within these books and the focus of most of them involved stories about Space Marines. The Xenos factions got it very bad in most of these books, but none as bad as all of the Aeldari.

I feel so sorry for what Aeldari players have to deal with in the hobby. Most of your range is either still in finecast or in metal, and you haven’t had a major model release in about 8 years. The entire Craftworld range definitely needs an update.

I must be honest; I don’t care that much about the Aeldari. I’ve never been particularly interested in elven races, save those that go full ahead with the nature aspect. This is why I prefer the Wood Elves and Exodites, over races like the High Elves or the Lumineth Realmlords. 

So I will put a disclaimer on this post; Aeldari lore is not my strong suit. In fact, I find it sometimes quite confusing. I might make mistakes or misinterpret the lore of these units. I hereby apologize for this. 

Let’s begin...

Spiritseer:

Aeldari Spiritseers are Warlocks specialized in the preservation and care of Aeldari souls. They are the ones that guide Aeldari spirits inside of Wraith Constructs. In some way, you could call them a form of necromancer.

They walk the “Path of the Seer”; one of the most dangerous Paths for the Aeldari to walk. On this path, they develop their psychic abilities and learn how to control them. They’ve also (if I’m correct about this at least) previously walked the “Path of the Warrior”, which gave them the necessary experience to control their impulses and emotions.  

This Spiritseer got released alongside the Wake the Dead box-set, which pitted the Spiritseer Qelnaris and the forces of Saim-Hann, against the Ultramarines. I can’t find what the conclusion of this battle was, but guessing from the way that the Eldar have been treated this edition, I would say they probably got stomped by the Ultramarines.

Normally, this Spiritseer is not something specifically to write home about, as he looks as you would expect a Spiritseer to look like. However, looking back upon their older model, I can see that this new version is quite an improvement. The pose is way better and the proportions seem to have been fixed in this version. 

My favourite thing about this model is the mask. I love when Eldar in any form look otherworldly and alien, and these domed masks work perfectly for that. 

8/10

Howling Banshees:

Howling Banshees are a form of Aspect Warrior; Aeldari who walk the “Path of the Warrior”. As an Aspect Warrior, the Howling Banshees embody a certain aspect of Khaine, the God of Murder. Specifically, the aspect of aggressive close quarters combat.

As the name would imply, their Aspect is inspired by the mythical Banshees, who, with their wails and cries, heralded doom and death.  

They go into battle carrying Shuriken Pistols and Power Weapons (mostly swords), and they certainly know how to use them. Howling Banshees are freakishly fast and precise, but what makes them unique is their Sonic weaponry. The mask they wear is called a Banshee Mask, and it amplifies their war-cries into some sort of psychic screech. Those that hear this become disoriented and paralyzed because their nervous system can’t handle this amount of psychic energy. 

The Howling Banshees are what I think of first when someone mentions Eldar. It would only be fair that they became the first Aspect to be updated. From what I see, it doesn’t disappoint so far. They remain faithful to the source material and the poses are overall better compared to their predecessors. They also have a more decent proportioned waste now. 

The inclusion I most of all like is the separate Aspect Relic, and I believe it is an effigy depicting Morai-Heg, The Crone Godess. The website encourages you for using it as an objective marker. I love it when the designers give us these little extra’s that can be used as set pieces. I hope every new Aspect Warrior gets a symbol like this in the future. 

9/10

Howling Banshee Exarch:

Exarchs are Aspect Warriors who specifically have become lost and trapped within the “Path of the Warrior” and become the High Priests/Guardians over their specified Aspect Shrine. Think of them as teachers who train their squad in the way of their Aspect.

Their armour is more ornate than the rest of their squad and they’ve forgone their Shuriken Pistol in favour of going fully melee focused. They then can carry either two Mirror-Swords, an Executioner Power-Glaive or, they can mimic their Phoenix Lord and carry a Triskele (the three pointed boomerang-thingie). Their overall skill- and power-level is way above that of anyone, probably capable of dueling the best warriors that the Imperium could throw at them (if GW wouldn’t be so biased in their campaign books).

The Exarch kit contains a seperate head that doesn’t wear the mask. This apparently is an Ynnari Exarch, who walks a way different path than that of the Craftworld Eldar. I can’t find much information about this, but it is at least interesting that the Ynnari don’t need to wear their War-masks.

I’ve seen discussions and complaints about the way that the maskless face looks and let’s just say a few things.

Men can become Howling Banshees, though will still wear the same type of Aspect Armour (which includes the breast plate).

Women don’t need to look feminine when they are actively at war, and it doesn’t make them any less feminine.

If the Mechanicus can have non-binary members, then the Aeldari most certainly can have them as well. 

These are technically part of the Howling Banshee kit, so the same points can be applied to these two. I do think that the Glaive looks way better on this model than the Mirror-swords. The Exarch looks a little “out-of-balance” when dual wielding. I did wish though that they got some more weapon options. The Triskele isn’t in the kit, and I also saw a concept piece for an Eldar Power-Axe, which the Aeldari just deserve to have in their arsenal. Give Howling Banshees Power Axes. That would look so cool.

8/10

Jain Zar:

Phoenix Lords are by far some of the most ancient and powerful members of the Aeldari race. They were former Exarchs who have fought for so long, that they don’t have an Aspect Shrine or Craftworld left to protect. Instead, they wander from Craftworld to Craftworld and arrive to fight alongside their kin when the need arises the most. 

Whenever a Phoenix lord falls in battle, their soul is transported inside of the spirit stone of the suit. Then, another Eldar warrior will don the suit and become possessed by the original Phoenix lord. Most Phoenix lord armour contains the souls of dozens of Eldar, all who’ve sacrificed their lives in order to resurrect their respective Phoenix Lord.

Jain Zar is of course the Phoenix Lord of the Howling Banshees. In fact, she is the founder of her Aspect and according to legend, became the first Exarch. This makes her the second Phoenix Lord to come into existence, with the first being Asurmen. She is considered one of the most active Phoenix Lords to roam the galaxy and has an active hatred for Chaos. After the rise of the Ynnari, she became one of the biggest advocates of their cause.

Jain Zar carries the Jainas Mor and Zhai Morenn. The Jainas Mor is the Three bladed Triskele, which is “Sharper than any mortal blade”. The Zhai Morenn is her Power-Glaive, and it is a relic from before the Fall of the Eldar. Her Banshee Mask was the first of its kind and every Banshee mask that has followed is a copy of hers.

During the Psychic Awakening, Jain Zar protected Yvraine from Drazhar and pursued him. This proved fatal and got her sliced in two.  A new Exarch donned the armour and Jain Zar was reborn. She then got a rematch with Drazhar and became victorious. Eventually the infamous battle of Iathglas happened, where she, together with Yvraine and the Visarch barely managed to defeat a HOLOGRAM?!? of Shalaxi Hellbane. (goddamnit Geedubs).

Jain Zar’s new model is such an improvement over her older one that I am excited to see what any of the other Phoenix Lords might look like in the future. I love her proportions, her pose, her appearance... everything is so good. I’m not even bothered by the hair and I don’t care that it is too long or impractical in combat. 

One thing I would’ve preferred though is that they would’ve kept her original paint scheme. I prefer the black/red paint scheme over the white/red one. I get why they changed it, because it fits better with the scheme of her Aspect.

10/10

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While the Craftworlds didn’t get much this edition, what they did get has been very good. I’m excited for what may come in the future for the Aeldari.

Games Workshop. Could you just make more Eldar models? People have been begging you to update them for over a decade now. Listen to them. Most of the Aeldari range is still finecast or metal. 

Next up: Primaris Vanguard Infantry

previous posts: Primaris Mainline Infantry, Death Guard Infantry

[surrogate-gaia]

Looking back: Part 2 - Death Guard - Infantry

8th edition needed a big baddie for the new Primaris Marines to combat, and Mortarion was very eager to oblige in this front. The Death Guard are by far my favourite Heretic Astartes faction just by aesthetic alone. Nurgle is my #1 Chaos God. I like his focus on pestilence and decay and the fact he is technically a rather benign god. 

I love the Death Guard because of their doctrines and their design. They make use of chemical warfare and just slowly advance like a poisonous cloud towards their foes.

So it was very exciting to see a full army being made out of them.

This army is very difficult to rate and review, because unlike the Space Marine line, every little model in their range is unique in some way. Every little miniature you get for this army has different weapons, helmets, and different armour patterns. This means that one unit will both have ace looking models and models that look like hot filthy garbage (in a bad way).

Let’s begin...

Plague Marines:

The main boys of the Death Guard army are definitely the much-loved Plague Marines. These are your mainline infantry boys and make up the majority of the Death Guard Army. They are a result of what happens when a Chaos Space Marine starts worshiping Nurgle a little too much. They begin transforming into these bloated and disease ridden humps of rotten flesh and rusted armour. The Plague Marines themselves love this. They feel no pain and see every little malady as another gift from their god. 

The first Plague Marines came into existence during the Horus Heresy. When the Death Guard attempted to join the Siege of Terra, their fleet got lost in the Warp and the legion became infected with Nurgle’s Rot and the Destroyer Plague. Their Primarch Mortarion, in an attempt to save his legion from the torture and suffering, sold his soul and his legion to Nurgle. 

Plague Marines slowly advance on their enemies, bolters firing without mercy. Some carry rusted weapons that are infused with Nurgle’s Rot. One small cut and your infected.  When injured, they won’t even flinch, since they absolutely feel no pain whatsoever.  

Plague Marines are a truly decisive bunch of miniatures. You have four different kits to choose from (three, since Dark Imperium has been discontinued) and each of them has some very good models and some very bad ones. 

I do think that they are very busy and in some parts overdesigned. Some models have like three different Plaguebearers fused to their armour for example. I do like their armour though and the ones wearing the Mark 2 helmet are by far the best looking of the bunch. 

I would say that the best box out of the four would be the basic Multi-kit, since they are the most consistent in quality. However, all of my favourites strangely come from the discontinued Dark Imperium Box Set. 

7/10

Poxwalkers:

The Walking Pox is a very infectious disease that is just awful to have. Your organs start failing one by one and you eventually turn into a zombie, fully conscious of your actions yet without any control over your body.

Poxwalkers shamble like undead in search of flesh to consume. They have these long horns sprouting out of their heads and all of them constantly smile like they’ve been injected with Joker laughing gas. The worst part about them is that their groans and roars can infect those who hear it with the Walking Pox disease. 

The walking Pox spreads auditory. It can spread through the vibrations of sound. 

I love these models. There is nothing really bad to say about them. They completely succeed at what they are supposed to convey and resemble. Some of them hint at their former professions, like the one dressed as a doctor. Some of them also wear clothing similar to that the Genestealer Hybrids, so they stay very consistent. They look creepy and disgusting and I love it.

10/10

Blightlord Terminators:

These fellas are even more diseased than their normal Plague Marine counterparts. Their steps corrode and rust the ground beneath them and even being touched by them could spell your very painful death.

Blightlord Terminators excel at ship-to-ship-combat and boarding actions against enemy spaceships. Since they are Terminators, they can teleport aboard enemy vessels, and they use this tactic to cause mayhem and to spread the gift of Nurgle. 

The Blightlords are surprisingly less busy than I would’ve expected and it makes them a better looking unit for it. These models found a way better balance between clean and diseased. I think that some of their weapons do look a bit oversized. Overall though, the designers aced this unit.

My favourite one out of the bunch is the Insectoid Blightlord with the extra limbs. That is just clever design and a fun way to visualize Nurgle’s corruption.

8/10

Deathshroud:

In the olden days of the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy, the Deathshroud were the personal bodyguards of Mortarion. They were his version of an Honour Guard and were chosen out of the sole survivors from destroyed Space Marine squads. They completely forsook their identity, never taking of their masks and conducting a vow of silence. They are considered at that point killed in action. 

They still largely form Mortarion’s personal guard even after his ascension to Daemon Prince. However, Mortarion also sends them to check up on those he favours. They fight alongside Chaos Lords and the like and act like judges. If a Chaos Lord does well, the Deathshroud leave in peace, but if the Chaos Lord failed in the eyes of Mortarion, then he gets executed by these bodyguards. 

Deathshroud carry Power-scythes called Manreapers, which are rumoured to be dipped in the filth of Nurgle’s Throne itself. They also come equipped with custom Hand Flamers that shoot chemical ammunition. 

The Deathshroud have a very good design that is very similar to the Blightlords. There is however some waste in potential. These are Mortarion’s most trusted warriors and they just look like a hooded version of the Blightlords. I kind of wished the designers took some inspiration from this artwork and made them have more ornate features.

It would certainly distinguish them more from their brethren better. 

I also take some offence that in the images, one of them has no helmet on, which kind of ruins the point of a voiceless and faceless warrior. You do have the option of giving the squad leader a helmeted head, so this is kind of a none-issue. 

7/10

Plague Marine Icon Bearer

The Icon bearers of Nurgle carry an Icon of Despair. This banner creates an aura of hopelessness around the area, and the thoughts of surrounding foes become filled with the idea of inevitable death. It basically turns enemies into nihilists who’ve become depressed.

What makes me sad about this unit is that there is no mention of these guys anywhere on the different wiki’s, which is kind of a bummer since he looks like a solid Plague Marine. Yes, it is just a Plague Marine with a Chaos Icon, but he should at least be mentioned somewhere. Don’t be mean to him. He is a good looking Plague Marine. 

I do wish that the Icon he carried didn’t have the weird helmet pressed in it. The fly motive is nice though.

8/10 

———————–

So all in all, outside of some outliers, the Death Guard infantry is a very solid line of miniatures that is very varied in appearance. You could apply the “Goldilocks Effect” to it; some are too busy, some are not busy enough, and some are just just right.

Next up, I’m going to tackle the Craftworld Aeldari Faction, which will be a short one and will probably come a little sooner than normal. After that, I’ll be looking at the Vanguard Primaris infantry units. I want to spread them out somewhat so that everything stays interesting, but I also want to get the Primaris overviewed as quickly as possible. 

Thank you for reading my stuff so far. It is fun to overview the design and lore of these different factions. It also is a learning experience for me. For example; Tumblr has a Max-10 image cap per post and this means that this series will probably list a lot longer than I’d imagine. Still, it will be a fun ride for me.

‘Till next time.

previous posts: Primaris Mainline Infantry

[surrogate-gaia]

Looking back: Part 4 - Primaris Space Marines - Vanguard Infantry

When the Reiver was introduced at the beginning of 8th edition, it was only a small taste of what we were getting. The Vanguard Space Marines were revealed during the Vigilus storyline alongside a new Chaos Space Marine release. 

I remember there being a big divide upon their inclusion. For some they were way too “Tacti-cool” and didn’t really fit the Warrior Monk aesthetic of the rest of the range. Others welcomed them with open arms as they were an embodiment of what Space Marines should be in the first place.

But what are Vanguard Space Marines?

The Vanguard Astartes:

Vanguard Space Marines encompass the different Primaris Space Marine units that are trained in reconnaissance and covert missions. They usually are deployed behind enemy lines and operate as assassins or saboteurs. Most of their units wear Phobos Armour; a more light pattern of gear that allows their servos and machinery to run almost silent. This does mean that they are way less armoured, so they can’t charge willy-nilly into enemy fire. 

What makes these units interesting is the fact that they train in the arts of survival and self sufficiency. Vanguard Astartes don’t have the luxury of a swift strike. Their missions order them to be deployed for very long amounts of time without any form of backup. No orbital strikes. No supply drops. No swift extraction when things get tough. They only get what they’ve brought with them. 

Guilliman apparently liked these units so much that he adapted the Codex Astartes so that they could accommodate the Vanguard Marines into the rest of their ranks. Now, the 10th Company, instead of only being consisted of Scout Marines, counts around 100 Vanguard Space Marines, proving once again that the Codex Astartes’ “1000 men per Chapter”-limit is filled with loopholes.

This doesn’t mean that all Vanguard Marines come from the 10th Company. All Primaris Marines have, at some point in their career, trained to use the full arsenal of the Vanguard force. It may also happen that when Marines of a Reserve Company are needed to assist the Battle Companies, they will don Phobos Armour. This means you can most certainly find Vanguard Marines in any Company. 

Obviously, Chapters differ, so some might not have any Vanguard Marines at all, while some might have completely turned into a “Vanguard Chapter”. They are your army, and you can do whatever you want with them.

Let’s look at their infantry units.

Infiltrators: 

Infiltrators are the Battleline unit of the Vanguard Marines, tasked with the disruption of enemy communications and the sabotage of certain targets. To help them in their duties, they have something called Omni-Scramblers strapped to their back; devices that can intercept enemy communications and scramble their frequencies. 

When they eventually do strike a target, they do so under the volley of the Bolt Carbines and an absolutely ridiculous amount of Smoke Grenades. 

Because of their prolonged time behind enemy lines, they need someone to tend their wounds. For this, they have the Helix Adept (depicted on the right). These are Space Marines who are trained by the Chapter’s Apothecarion, yet aren’t full Apothecaries. They can only perform general Medical duties in combat and the extraction of Space Marine gene-seed.  This is necessary since the lack of outside support means that the loss of gene-seed is an even more likely scenario. 

FINALLY! Good looking helmets!!! And they resemble the helmets of their Firstborn brethren. I really wished these were the helmets that all of the Primaris would’ve gotten. I love these units just because of this alone.

I do admit that they have flaws. Their carbines are way too cluttered with scopes and their armour looks a little too plain without the smoke grenades and extra pouches. The Start Collecting box is therefore a way better kit in my opinion to get. 

But I really like a lot of what I’m seeing. The extra gear like the pouches, grenades and the Vox-Scramblers adds a lot to their design and it fits with their “self-sufficient” background. They are very well posed; with options for both a battle ready or a stationary stance. They actually hold pistols with two hands. The Helix Adept I specifically like because they still have their Narthecium, something that the new Primaris Apothecaries sadly lack. I do find it weird that you can’t have the Helix Adept outside of the Start Collecting box, being replaced by an Infiltrator with a Comms Array. Maybe we will see a Helix Adept come up in a different kit. I would welcome a kit of Vanguard Specialists and HQs. 

8/10

Eliminators

Eliminators are your classic sniper unit. Dedicated marksmen tasked with the “elimination” of high value targets. They do have a variety of roles depending in which Company they serve. When they are part of a Vanguard Force, they act as protectors of their brethren, making sure that they remain safe by eliminating targets that could endanger the rest of their force, such as enemy snipers or artillery emplacements. When they are part of a normal strike force, they are deployed as assassins, scouting ahead of the main line and murdering enemy HQ.

Eliminators wear an even more stripped down version of Phobos Armour, meaning they are even more sneakier than the rest. The Camo-Cloaks they wear are coated with something called Cameleoline (very cool name). This substance allows the fabric to take on the overal colour of their surroundings. Their main form of weapon is a Shrike Pattern Bolt Sniper Rifle, but they may also replace these with a Las-Fusil or an Instigator Bolt Carbine. Depending on their target, they can switch and choose between different forms of amunition. Finally, to help them find hiding targets, they have a variety of visors and Auspexes that allow stuff like heat-vision and the ability to see through meter-thick walls. They can perform Wall-hacks.   

These are such an ace looking unit. There is absolutely nothing bad to say about them. They blow the rest of the vanguard range out of the water. The Cameleoline Cloaks work so well and I wished that these came standard with Phobos Armour. It would certainly help stick a better identity to the Vanguard Marines. Their poses make them look very menacing and professional. What I like the most out of these is the amount of customization. They have so many different heads and weapons that makes them all very unique.

10/10

Suppressors:

Suppressors are tasked with supporting the rest of their army through the means of covering fire. They wear Omnis Armour; a pattern of armour that mixes Indomitus Armour with the boots of Gravis Armour. 

How they work is that they can leap at great speeds and jump great heights thanks to the Grav-Chutes and Jump Packs they carry on their backs. They use this to quickly and aggressively take a position over the enemy and providing covering fire. This allows them to quickly change positions on a whim and prevent the enemy of adapting to their assaults. 

Once they have a favourable position, they will engage and open fire with their Accelerator Autocannon. Their Jump Packs allow them to fire them without too many problems and the guns are capable of penetrating armoured infantry and light vehicles.

This one was seemingly a very decisive unit and I must admit that this is a guilty pleasure of mine. I really like the concept of the unit; it sounds like something the T’au would come up with. They have a very “Gundam” design and that is definitely not a bad thing. The Autocannon looks intimidating and this version of their armour is a nice mix between the different patterns. I love the design of the helmet and I don’t even have a problem with the Boot-Plates; they look way better on this unit than on the Inceptors.

I have two main problems with this unit; the Jump Pack and the pose. For one, the design of this model and the lore that describes it doesn’t justify in any way a flying stand. If this model was just posed on the ground, it would work so much better. Second, I don’t like the design of the Jump Pack, at least not for something that is supposed to fly. I would rather see the original Jump Pack on this model. 

So what this unit needs is to either stay on the ground, or be equipped with a different Jump Pack. Either or both would work.

7/10 

Incursors:

Incursors are a Primaris unit that is focused on close-quarters gun-fighting. It seems that they are a mixture between a Reiver and an Infiltrator; seemingly performing the same roles as the latter, but with a much more straightforward approach. They attack strategic enemy positions and destroy their most important assets, such as generators or communication devices. The Haywire Mines they carry help them in destroying enemy armour.

What makes them special is their war-gear. They arm themselves with Occulus Bolt Carbines and are equipped with Divinator Auspexes, both of which feed information directly into their combat visors. This technology allows them to see just about everything. They can see through walls, smoke and can work in the dark. 

But wait! There’s more. The Auspexes can predict the trajectory of incoming drop troops, and the emergence of tunneling troops like Genestealer Cults. It can spot energy signatures within the area were teleporting units will appear. It can even during combat, predict the way enemies will attack. 

Also, apparently, this is not a Vanguard unit. It is not very clear what they are, similarly to the Reiver, which is somewhat of a “Schrodingers Vanguard Marine”. It might just be the case that not every Marine in Phobos Armour is a Vanguard Marine.

I hate this unit...

I hate absolutely everything about this unit. I hate its lore. I hate its weapons, I hate its poses. I hate its dumb visor and its Auspexes. I hate everything it stands for. It is such an unnecessary unit that feels so overpowered and without any actual purpose. You would expect with a unit specialized in the neutralization of strategic assets, that it would be more focused on explosives or sapping and be geared towards that. The Haywire Mines are the only thing that would suggest such a role.

3/10

——–

That’s it. Outside of the Incursor, the Vanguard range is in my opinion a very fine addition to the range, at least when it comes to their design. Now that we are seeing Space Marines getting a new codex in October, I’m hoping that their lore becomes a little bit more streamlined. I don’t need to read three codices to figure out if Reivers are part of the Vanguard or not. 

Next up, I’m tackling the Infantry units of the Chaos Space Marines. It feels balanced to divide the overviews like this: Imperium/Chaos/Xenos. 

Afterwards, I’m tackling the new miniatures that the Drukhari got. 

‘Till next time.

previous posts: Primaris Mainline Infantry, Death Guard Infantry, Craftworld Aeldari

[surrogate-gaia]

Looking Back Part 6: Drukhari

Xenos got scraps when it came to releases, but if you’d ask me which race got it the worst this edition, then it would be the Dark Eldar. 

Yes, Tyranids didn’t get anything this edition, and other races like the T’au and the Harlequins got like one new miniature, but at least the stuff they did get looked good.

The Dark Eldar have been a faction that I like aesthetically, yet I am constantly baffled at some of the design choices Games Workshop makes when making a new iteration of their models. For Example the Archon and the Succubus. Their 5th edition models looked absolutely gorgeous, with the Archon being an absolute badass helm and posture and the Succubus looking like an absolute Amazonian warrior. When they got redesigned in seventh, the Succubs gained a dynamic pose, but lost its buffness. The Archon became something even worse, instead of a helmet, he got a bare head that looks like a mixture between hugo weaving and Darth Maul, but without the charisma of both. It looks absolutely terrible. 

Incubi:

Incubi are some of the most powerful Dark Eldar warriors that you could ever encounter on the battlefield. However, they aren’t part of the Drukhari military, for they do’t show any allegiance towards anyone save their shrine and their Dark Father. Instead, they sell their services as mercenaries towards anyone willing enough to pay for them. They mostly serve as bodyguards to Archons. 

To become an Incubus is a very perilous and difficult task. The training that an Aeldari needs to do is very straining on their bodies and those that do not succeed are sacrificially executed at a Khainite Shrine. The trick to mastering Incubi training is to bassically be a prodigy that learns their teachings at a unnatural pace. One of the final parts of their training involves killing an Aspect Warrior and turning their Soulstone in a Psychic torture device. 

Unlike most Drukhari, who want to backstab each other at every ripe opportunity, the Incubi show restraint and once paid for, will hold their end of the bargain up like a life-oath. This is why they are so sought after in Drukhari society, since you can trust your life upon an Incubus.

Incubi wield Klaives, which are Power Swords capable of cleaving through Space Marine armour. Their armour is also equal to that of Space Marine armour; the Incubus warsuit grants the same amount of protection without inhibiting the wearers dexterity.

While the overall design of the Incubi is good, and the amount of little details, such as trophies, is very nice, I don’t particularly like this iteration, because the posing is bland. It is fine, but not something I particularly find very interesting. My main problem with these models is the size of their heads, which are way too big. The Banshees didn’t have this problem and the older models didn’t either. I also wished the horns were way shorter, instead withholding the longer horns for Klaivexes.

I do once again like the little shrine object they have. It does however look like a striking scorpion (which might hint at their origins.)

6/10

Klaivex:

A Klaivex is the Incubi equivalent of the Archon. They are the leaders of their group and their skill with the Klaive is unparallelled. An Incubi becomes a Klaivex through a trial that proves their absolute mastery of the blade, often through some horrid ritual. Of course, failing this trial will result in the aspiring Klaivex to be killed.

They carry Demiklaives, which they weild in two hands and can be connected together to create a massive Klaive. 

Once again they have an unhelmeted version that indicates the Klaivex being part of the Ynnari. If the masks of the incubi are similar to that of aspect warriors, than it would make sense that the ynnari didn’t wear them. 

Almost everything about the Incubi can be applied to the Klaivex; a cool looking model with nice details made unflattering due to the size of the head and their posing. I really don’t like the pose on this.one, and I wish he had a way more stationary or restraint pose. The Bare head looks bad, because no Drukhari looks good when they have the same hairstyle as Abbadon. 

5/10

Drazhar: 

Drazhar is the champion of the Incubi Order. He is the executioner of the Incubi and his services are sought out by anyone willing to pay the fine. He, like the rest of the Incubi, wears the Incubus warsuit, and it is rumoured that he wears the original template of the gear. He goes into battle carrying Demiklaives and uses them like a whirlwind. He is taller than his brethren and way faster in both speed and in combat.

Much rumours surround Drazhar. It is said that he was once Ahra, the Phoenix Lord of the Striking Scorpions, and that within the suit is nothing but dust. This would become confirmed during the Psychic Awakening.

During Phoenix Rising, Drazhar was hired by Asdrubael Vect to kill Yvraine. He failed to do that, but he was able to kill Jain Zar in the process. However, Jain Zar got ressurected by Ynnead and Drazhar went back to try to kill her again. Instead, he got killed. Yet this wasn’t the end for Drazhar. A Klaivex found his armour and put it on, and as you would expect, the Klaivex got posessed by the spirit of Drazhar. Thus Drazhar was reborn again.

The model looks good. Yet I absolutely am dissapointed at how it looks. 

Why? 

Because I’ve seen what could’ve been. Look at this artwork of him in the early days. 

He looks like a Tyranid Lictor and it looks absolutely awsome. I would’ve loved it if he still had those weapons and posing. He would’ve looked way more menacing and unique.

Instead, He is just a larger and more detailed Klaivex on a scenic base. He looks so boring and generic because of it.

I was so dissapointed with this. Give him the Lictor Look and he would look so much better. 

3/10

——–

I was really dissapointed with the Drukhari releases. It didn’t help that they got hyped to a ridiculous degree. They teased us so badly that everyone was expecting more, and Games Workshop didn’t deliver.

I am cautiously excited though for what 9th edition might bring us. We have been teased a new and Improved Lelith Hesperax Model. One that also gives her some pants finally.

 I’m hoping that it will look as good if not better than her previous iteration. I am a staunch believer that Lelith’s current model is one of the best looking sculpts that Games Workshop has done. 

It will be a while before I’m posting again. I will be working at a summer camp, teaching children the basics of digital art and digital painting. So wish me luck on that. 

Next up: Primaris vehicles and Walkers.

previous posts: Primaris Mainline Infantry, Death Guard Infantry, Craftworld Aeldari, Primaris Vanguard Infantry, Chaos Space Marine Infantry/terrain

[surrogate-gaia]

Looking Back: Part 5 - Chaos - Chaos Space Marine Infantry and Terrain

I like to believe that this edition was a very exciting one for Chaos Players, since we saw a major influx of updates when it came to their range. We first saw some glimpses for things to come inside of the Blackstone Fortress game, and eventually, we were rewarded with Shadowspear and Chaos got a much needed update to their main infantry.

Chaos Space Marines:

Chaos Marines are Space Marines who have given their allegiance over to Chaos, either worshiping them all equally or dedicating themselves to one specific god. They either exist as seperate warbands that raid and pillage planets, or they are part of one of the original Traitor Legions. 

A Chaos marine can come from different backgrounds. Often, a marine is created through the gene-enhancement of vat-grown humans, slaves, or kidnapped children. The most powerful and experienced of them all have been fighting since before the Horus Heresy. They don’t call it the “Long War” for nothing.

The gear they wear and the weapons they wield are often relics that have been tainted by the Warp. This means that, just like the Death Guard, they carry stuff that looks worn out and “vintage”. 

Chaos Marines needed this update. The old ones really started to show their age, as they were too small and badly proportioned. Their updated models fixed those issues and the overall design change has worked really well. These are most definitely marines that have survived millennia of war and carnage.

I noticed that some have said that, like the Death Guard, the new Marines are cluttered and overdesigned. I disagree with this sentiment. The problem that Plague Marines have is that their design is completely cluttered with mutations. Every Plague Marine has atleast one tentacle or Plaguebearer face sticking out of his armour. If their armour was just way more worn down, it would’ve looked a lot better. 

Meanwhile, these models don’t have the same issue. Yes, they have plenty of detail, but most of it is brass plating or ornate designs. These details don’t really overstay their welcome, while with the Plague Marines, they most definitely do.

What I do find a slight downgrade is the design of their horns. The old Marines had a way more smooth and clean horn design that has now been changed into some sort of weird growth. I would’ve preferred they kept the slick design, similar to what they did with the Age of Sigmar Chaos Warriors.

Looks better, right?

8/10

Havocs:

Havocs are the Chaos equivalent of the Loyalist Devestator Marine and they are obsessed with their occupation. They have a love of big guns and destruction that could rival Ork Oddboys and they go into battle carrying a variety of weapons, both old and new, such as heavy Bolters, Lascannons and Autocannons. 

I love Havocs. Heavy-weapon teams are always some of my favourite units in an army. The design team chose to slightly alter their appearance. If you look closely, the Havocs have way thicker armour that really gives them girth and a better presence on the field. I also really like their helmets; the piping and the visor scope makes the really stand out better. The spikes on their boots are a nice touch, as they probably serve the purpose of keeping the Havoc in a steady and stable position.

Kind of dissapointed at the amount of poses. These come in a unit of five, and you quickly notice that they only have about two different poses, discounting the Aspiring Champion. 

Speaking of the Aspiring Champion, may I just say that he has one of the best looking heads in the entire range. He looks proper evil.

8/10

 Chaos Terminators:

The Traitor Legions took plenty of boxes filled with Terminator Armour with them. Those that wield Terminator Armour are held in high esteem by the rest of their warband. Most of them are Aspiring Champions or Veterans that have served for centuries. In fact, the only way for a Chaos Marine to get Terminator Armour is to kill its previous owner. Most Terminators take on a leadership role in a warband and will often show their authority through horrendous violence. 

I have a love-hate relationship with this unit for a few reasons. The new ones fix one aspect of the old Terminators, which was their proportions, yet didn’t really fix the other problem, which was their size. This iteration of Chaos Terminators are in my opinion way too small.

Secondly, they once again flunked on the design of their horns and tusks. Their previous iteration were better in my opinion. They were way longer and came in some very cool variants, including rhinoceros tusks. The new ones still have this in a way, but not in the same manner as their predecessors.

7/10

Greater Possessed:

Possessed are Chaos Marines that have allowed Daemons to possess their very bodies in an act of devotion to the Dark Gods. They then mutate into these malformed beings that are half Daemon, half human. 

Greater Possessed are the big brothers that normal Possessed look up to. Their bodies are taken over by way stronger and more dangerous Daemons, such as Daemon Heralds. They are a taste of what a full ascension to daemonhood could be for a warrior, and are revered as champions and saints. 

Oftentimes, the process of their creation isn’t possible without the interference of a Master of Possession. Greater Possessed would instantly be consumed by their host without the help of one of these sorcerers.

Why was this unit necessary? I would’ve preferred it if these were just a replacement for the regular Posessed, as that old kit is just very ugly. I hope this means that normal Posessed are receiving an update as well at some point. 

Designwise, I’m a little divided on them, One looks stunning while the other one looks kind of derpy. The mutations on them atleast fit way more than some of the stuff that Plague Marines have. 

6/10

Obliterators:

Obliterators are Chaos Marines who are infected with the Obliterator Virus, a daemonic malady that turns them into a living arsenal. 

Obliterators become fused to the armour and the weaponry they wield, becoming half human, half machine. They also gain the ability to absorb other weapons into themselves and make them appear on their body at will. This makes these hulking masses of flesh and metal almost unstoppable in battle.

They also can teleport, since they wear Terminator Armour. 

The Obliterator Virus is a transferable disease, that spreads in the same way as the flu. I do wonder if non-Space Marines can become infected, as that would be a very cool conept.

The “glow-up” of this unit is really visible and I really hope that Mutilators get the same treatment somewhere in the future. I really do wish that a new version of them gets released that would allow for more customization. I do miss the Spiderweb-looking growths that is depicted in the artwork for them. 

Someone did point out to me that their armour resembles that of the old Rogue Trader Terminators. If this is indeed the case, then I like them even more. 

8/10

Noctilith Crown:

Noctilith Crowns are giant shrines made from Blackstone; a substance that the Necrons use to repel psychic energy and the powers of the Warp. Both the Blackstone Fortresses and the Cadian Pylons are made from this stuff and not only the Mechanicus have been fighting in order to retrieve this valuable resource, but the Necrons and Chaos as well have been aggressively coveting the material. Abbadon learned that the properties of Blackstone could be reversed, so instead of repelling the Warp, it strengthend it. 

Noctilith Crowns are specifically constructed to enhance the power of Psykers and to thin the veil between real-space and the immaterium. They are still a very dangerous and volatile structure to use, as would be anything that screws with the laws of reality.

This is a terrain piece that I’m surprised at wasn’t made about 3 editions ago. It makes so much sense for Chaos to have a Chaos Star as a piece of terrain. It is also nice to see terrain that isn’t tied to the Imperium. 

There is nothing bad to say about this. I’m just baffled we never saw this release earlier.

10/10

——–

While I have my gripes, the new update that Chaos got is making me giddy for what may come next for them. They most definitely needed this update. What came before was so outdated.

Next up, Drukhari, and boy do I have some stuff to say about  the Dark Eldar.

previous posts: Primaris Mainline Infantry, Death Guard Infantry, Craftworld Aeldari, Primaris Vanguard Infantry