Upcoming HH Novel: White Scars/SW/AL by Chris Wraight

[b1soul]

Apparently, it's coming out Sping 2014. Chris Wraight is doing it. I think he did an excellent job of fleshing out the White Scars in Brotherhood of the Storm. He also handled the Wolves very well in Battle of the Fang. You can imagine how excited I am that he's writing a White Scars novel featuring Space Wolves and Alpha Legion.

 

Cover art was shown at the Black Library weekender:

 

[Excessus]

Ooooooh...me like! (though I like almost anything with Alpha Legion in it, hehe)

[Edit]: Quick question though that I don't really remember/know. Was Kernax Voldorius alive and kicking in heresy times? Would be fun if he was there fighting White Scars...hehe

[Legionator]

That was about time. I hope Alphas get slapped this time.

[Excessus]

That was about time. I hope Alphas get slapped this time.

Oh we always get slapped, even when we win. Notice how almost everybody dies at the end of our stories? ;)

[b1soul]

That was about time. I hope Alphas get slapped this time.

 

It's long overdue innit?

 

If the Scars are allied with the Wolves, I think there's a good chance the AL will get slapped. I don't think BL would let the AL trample all over their beloved Space Wolves.

[Týr]

I liked Batle for the Fang, and think it's a great book, but I have some issues with the way Wraight handles wolves.

Dan Abnett did one of the best job with any legion to date (IMO) when he created the Vlka fenryka and avoided all the stupid names/clases of wolves like "blood claws" and such.

I don't even belive these existed during the Heresy but first started to evolve when Russ went away. Until then I always immagined them having a very loose disorderly organisation for an outside observer, but in fact a very strict "follow the pack-leader" organisation on the inside where every man know exactly what his job is (Just like Abnett showed it).

 

Hope Wraight really digs into Abnetts version of them and expands them, and refrain from making them too 40k. They should be Heresy wolves, not 40k wolves as in battle of the fang.

 

But really looking forward to this. For me it's either going to be fantastic and the way I think it should be, or a complete fail going in the opposite direction of what I like. 

[Aegnor]

I thought Wraight did a great job in Battle of the Fang in having lots of elements of Abnett's Prospero Burns Wolves but showing them clearly on the path of evolving into 40k Space Wolves. That end point of their evolution isn't going to change given the popularity of the SW in 40k, so obviously they do undergo some changes over the intervening period.

[Vesper]

That was about time. I hope Alphas get slapped this time.

Oh we always get slapped, even when we win. Notice how almost everybody dies at the end of our stories?

Unlike the SW.

[Cerbero666]

Wait, That's a portal to the Webway?? Like that story where the Khan reach Terra with Eldar aid or something like that? 

[Lay]

It's most likely about the battle of Chondax which was first covered in the HH artbooks. So that's probably a space battle in the background.

[RapatoR]

Well, if we go by IA, it should be Chondrax and Yarrant, where AL defeated WS and SW. If we go by Collected Visions, AL tries to delay both legions, mauling SW pretty bad, but WS resists urge to engage AL on full scale and sets course for terra, and Wolves manage to escape after they get help from unexpected ally. So it seems that everyone will get some kind of victory.

 

Really looking forward for book from Chris as his depiction of WS from BotS was superb and left them in an interesting place.

 

AL will finally get chance to show itself in an open battle, so I hope we will see AL being depicted as "tactically brilliant and inteligent marines",  not "ninja stealthy secret marines". (I really hope there will not be operatives everywhere (and if they will be some, I hope they will not all die at the end)).

 

SW are just after Prospero so this will be a toughie for them, but seeing them figting a foe that outumbers them will be pretty awesome. Also Chris wrote Battle of the Fang, which was victory for the wolves, so I think SW fans will forgive him, if he writes about SW being a little beaten for a change. :)

[Týr]

SW are just after Prospero so this will be a toughie for them, but seeing them figting a foe that outumbers them will be pretty awesome. Also Chris wrote Battle of the Fang, which was victory for the wolves, so I think SW fans will forgive him, if he writes about SW being a little beaten for a change.

I agree. Seeing wolves on the back foot would be nice. But even though they won on the battlefields on Prospero and Fenris I would be careful calling them victories. Destroying your brother Legion (and getting a enormous beating in return), and later getting your home ravaged by the same brother is quite a sad affair. Both were very hollow victories.

But speaking of seeing wolves defeated, I would really like A-D-B to write a book (HH maybe?) on the wolves and making them loose. Now that book is bound to have some strong characters and a great story the wolves deserve.

[Ashur]

2014 ?

But I want it now !

[SteelPaladin]

Very excited, Brotherhood of the Storm was fantastic. One of the very best short stories/novellas in the HH series. I cannot wait to see how Wraight handles them not only in a larger battle, but also a larger word count.

I'm not sure I understand the dislike of his Space Wolves in Battle of the Fang. Was it because of what happened to the Wolf Brothers? Anyway, I really liked how the Wolves in that book took elements from Prospero Burns and blended them with characteristics of the Wolves we all know and love in 40k.

[Sevatar]

I really hope the Alpha Legion get smashed, to help wash the away the bitterness of the Infiltrators in Deliverance Lost.

[Týr]

How is the action scenes in brotherhood of the storm?

 

I didn't really feel them much in Batle of the fang. His action scenes seemed a bit to flat, and didn't dig into each swing of the axe as Abnett or ADB does.

But maybe it got better with brotherhood of the storm?

[Jarl Kjaran Coldheart]

is this a real book, or another over-priced novella?

 

WLK

[SteelPaladin]

How is the action scenes in brotherhood of the storm?

 

I didn't really feel them much in Batle of the fang. His action scenes seemed a bit to flat, and didn't dig into each swing of the axe as Abnett or ADB does.

But maybe it got better with brotherhood of the storm?

The action in Brotherhood was very enjoyable. The way he describes the White Scars method of warfare was really something else. His descriptions of the Khan alone made the novella worth it. With just a few pages you really got to know how the Khan operates, how he leads his legion.

Jaghatai and the Scars really are unique amongst the Legions. The descriptions of the Great Khans sword work were fantastic. I would love to see a match between Fulgrim and Jaghatai. Both are described as consummate swordsmen. Really would be an interesting fight.  

[b1soul]

Brotherhood of the Storm easily ranks up there with A Thousand Sons, Legion, and Prospero Burns as an excellent characterisation of a legion's soul. First Heretic and Betrayer are also excellent. Brotherhood of the Storm really infuses the White Scars legion with their own unique flavour. It firmly acknowledges the White Scars' Mongol theme and other Asiatic inspirations but makes them much more than just space Mongols

 

I liked Batle for the Fang, and think it's a great book, but I have some issues with the way Wraight handles wolves.

 

Could you elaborate on these issues? Battle of the Fang is set 1,000+  years after the Heresy. They're no longer 30K Vlka Fenryka. They're on their way to becoming 40K Space Wolves. I think Wriaght handles the transition well.

 

 

I hope we will see AL being depicted as "tactically brilliant and inteligent marines",  not "ninja stealthy secret marines"

 

AL
stealth isn't really about being stealthy ninjas. That's what the RG
are known for. RG hide in the shadows, have ridiclous "wraith slip"
abilities etc. The AL on the other hand hide in plain sight. You can see
them, but you can't identify them because they look just like your
comrades.

 

I seriously hope weaknesses of the AL combat doctrine are shown. We've seen enough of the strengths.

 

 Both were very hollow victories.

 

Yes...you have to keep in mind that after Prospero, Chondax, and the Battle of the Fang, the Space Wolves are reduced to near-extinction (almost as bad as the TSons).

 

The SW were not a small legion before the Heresy. They were at least 100,000 strong. Current SW are a single chapter with zero successor chapters. Even if they number 2,000 because of their non-Codex organisation, that's a woefully low number compared to their pre-Heresy legion strength. The Battle of the Fang pretty much ensured that the SW would be unable to produce successors.

 

 

I really hope the Alpha Legion get smashed

 

I'd like to see them smashed for the sake of balancing all the pro-AL drivel BL has been churning out

 

It's getting laughable...the AL should change their battlecry to "ALL YOUR BASE ARE BELONG TO US" or better yet "WE'RE IN YOUR BASE, KILLING YOUR DUDEZ TROLOLOL"

 

I want to see another legion taking the fight to the AL and inflicting signficant damage, not just
the AL having their way with their dimwitted cousins all the time.

 

[Sevatar]

Brotherhood of the Storm easily ranks up there with A Thousand Sons, Legion, and Prospero Burns as an excellent characterisation of a legion's soul. First Heretic and Betrayer are also excellent. Brotherhood of the Storm really infuses the White Scars legion with their own unique flavour. It firmly acknowledges the White Scars' Mongol theme and other Asiatic inspirations but makes them much more than just space Mongols

 

I liked Batle for the Fang, and think it's a great book, but I have some issues with the way Wraight handles wolves.

 

Could you elaborate on these issues? Battle of the Fang is set 1,000+  years after the Heresy. They're no longer 30K Vlka Fenryka. They're on their way to becoming 40K Space Wolves. I think Wriaght handles the transition well.

 

 

>

I hope we will see AL being depicted as "tactically brilliant and inteligent marines",  not "ninja stealthy secret marines"

 

AL

stealth isn't really about being stealthy ninjas. That's what the RG

are known for. RG hide in the shadows, have ridiclous "wraith slip"

abilities etc. The AL on the other hand hide in plain sight. You can see

them, but you can't identify them because they look just like your

comrades.

 

I seriously hope weaknesses of the AL combat doctrine are shown. We've seen enough of the strengths.

 

 Both were very hollow victories.

 

Yes...you have to keep in mind that after Prospero, Chondax, and the Battle of the Fang, the Space Wolves are reduced to near-extinction (almost as bad as the TSons).

 

The SW were not a small legion before the Heresy. They were at least 100,000 strong. Current SW are a single chapter with zero successor chapters. Even if they number 2,000 because of their non-Codex organisation, that's a woefully low number compared to their pre-Heresy legion strength. The Battle of the Fang pretty much ensured that the SW would be unable to produce successors.

 

 

I really hope the Alpha Legion get smashed

 

I'd like to see them smashed for the sake of balancing all the pro-AL drivel BL has been churning out

 

It's getting laughable...the AL should change their battlecry to "ALL YOUR BASE ARE BELONG TO US" or better yet "WE'RE IN YOUR BASE, KILLING YOUR DUDEZ TROLOLOL"

 

I want to see another legion taking the fight to the AL and inflicting signficant damage, not just

the AL having their way with their dimwitted cousins all the time.

 

 

I totally agree. It is getting silly.

[Just_Dave]

I suspect it'll end up with the Alpha's smashing each other more than the Space Wolves and White Scars will; after this battle at least.


I thought there was now a clamp-down on HH previewing?

[SirAstartes]

I'm wet Leopard purring for this!

[Sgt.Sangha]

well considering what the Al are supposed to be doing at this point in the heresy, we might not see them getting smashed. However they will probably win a lot of battles and end up losing the war.

[b1soul]

well considering what the Al are supposed to be doing at this point in the heresy, we might not see them getting smashed. However they will probably win a lot of battles and end up losing the war.

The AL don't lose...they only feign defeat to further their master plan

[amaze07]

Sounds Good!! just hope again the alpha legion are not slipping into WS/SW ranks again like they did with the raven guard! I like the alpha legion but them being super sneaky is a bit silly!