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Shadow Captains in BL fiction.


AdamR

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This really grinds my gears, so I'm having a vent!

Am I the only one at least a little annoyed by the way that essentially every 40k BL Shadow Captain is a direct clone of Shrike!

Same equipment, same tactics, they're all just identical cyphers...

 

Shrike - jump pack, lightning claws, sneaky.

Aethon Shaan - jump pack, lightning claws, sneaky.

Aremis Koryn - jump pack, lightning claws, sneaky. (are you seeing a pattern yet?)

Reszasz Krevaan - jump pack, lightning claws, sneaky.

 

EDIT - oooh, oooh I forgot the Captain from Cadian Blood - you know, the sneaky one with lightning claws!

 

Please tell me that Corvin Severax isn't also identically armed...

 

Just by default that makes my favourite captain Korvydae!

 

I know that lightning claws are RG signature weapons, but enough already!

 

/RANT.

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It's a source of great disappointment to me that I've just started reading the Heresy novels and was looking forward to those concerning my own progenitor Legion, and have been reliably informed (and found myself) that the Raven Guard books seem to be universally terrible. The Raven Guard don't act like Space Marines, instead they're emo shadow ninjas. Don't even get me started on those guys who can turn nigh-invisible (!?)

 

There's always your own fluff I guess, but it does seem like the Raven Guard are currently suffering from a bad case of being typecast (much in the same way the White Scars were before Chris Wraight came along)

Actually, I don't mind the 30K shadowninjaryness ( which tbh is really only in Graham McNiells books) I like Sharrowkyn (no lightning claws here!), I like Agapito and Branne (still no lightning claws...)

 

But the 40k stories, no matter how much I liked them (I thought the recent Shadow Captain was pretty good), the Shadow Captains all read as Shrike.

Wasn't one of them armed with a plasma pistol & lightning claw but no jump pack? I might be thinking of one from the Codex though which is different from BL. Something about Koryn I liked was his equipment changed from story to story even if it was just he sometimes deployed without a jump pack.

Side note: do we know which companies all these captains are attached to?

 

Also remember that captains are called out in the Codex as being trained in every weapon and taking whatever suits the mission. Just because a captain is jump pack/lightning claws one day doesn't mean he's not terminator/powerfist/combi-plas later the same day.

Side note: do we know which companies all these captains are attached to?

 

Also remember that captains are called out in the Codex as being trained in every weapon and taking whatever suits the mission. Just because a captain is jump pack/lightning claws one day doesn't mean he's not terminator/powerfist/combi-plas later the same day.

 

 

Shrike - 3rd

Aethon Shaan - 4th

Aramis Koryn - also 4th...

Aaj Solaari - 5th (was both 2nd and 5th in the original Index Astartes, confirmed as 5th in IA8)

The one out of Cadian Blood who's name I can never remember! - also 5th...(He dies but the book takes place in theaftermath of the 13th black crusade, and solaari is supposed to have been a captain for some time, so I don't know how that works exactly...)

Krevaan - 8th 

Korvydae - 10th (although there must be a new captain there now as he left for the deathwatch at the end of IA 8)

 

I think that's all of the named captains 

 

 

SECOND EDIT... I think the Cadian Blood captain was Corvane Valar? but I wouldn't swear to it...

so, you're concerned that half of the company captains from a chapter who are sneaky sneaksters as a whole, and who's rules and fluff show a prediliction for jump packs, are all quite sneaky and tend to use jump packs?

 

And yes, several have been depicted using lightning claws.

 

Should Crimson Fists complain about their characters beign given power fists all the time now?

Yes I am as it shows an utter lack of imagination... I have no problem with sneaky - sneaky is good, but they're all identically armed with apparently identical personalities

 

And Crimson Fists have 2 characters with fists - still plenty of scope for non predictable armament (Drakken had a sword in 3rd ed I think, not sure about his armament in the Rynns World novel) and more importantly, Cortez and Kantor have very different personalities.

  • 2 weeks later...

what's wrong with Lightning claws and jump packs?

 

it fits with the way they fight, next you will be complaining that they have beakies

 

if you don't like lightning claws, jump packs and shadow ninjas, you should find yourself another chapter

 

that's like a Space Wolves fan complaining that Space Wolves are Space Vikings or a Black Templar fan complaining that BTs uses too much swords and does melee too much and that they don't have psykers.

 

or Flesh Tearers complaining that Flesh Tearers are always so aggressive and get the black rage

 

or how about a 1k Son fan complaining that they are all psykers

 

or an Iron hands fans complaining about how they are all so emotionless and keep on replacing their body parts with machines,

hey an IH character!

and he is good with machines, oh why can't they come up with something different?

Really, is that what its like?

FWIW, Koryn doesn't have a mk 6 helmet...

 

Other than that I applaud your hyberbole - got anything useful to add? 

 

 

EDIT - I just thought of a lightning claw armed Raven Guard who I have no problem at all with - Seifer Zeed from Deathwatch. Maybe it's cause he's not a captain, but he does appear to have his own character, not just Shrike 1.1

what's wrong with Lightning claws and jump packs?

it fits with the way they fight, next you will be complaining that they have beakies

if you don't like lightning claws, jump packs and shadow ninjas, you should find yourself another chapter

that's like a Space Wolves fan complaining that Space Wolves are Space Vikings or a Black Templar fan complaining that BTs uses too much swords and does melee too much and that they don't have psykers.

or Flesh Tearers complaining that Flesh Tearers are always so aggressive and get the black rage

or how about a 1k Son fan complaining that they are all psykers

or an Iron hands fans complaining about how they are all so emotionless and keep on replacing their body parts with machines,

hey an IH character!

and he is good with machines, oh why can't they come up with something different?

Stereotypes playing stereotypes a boring story does make! The best BL novels I find are the ones that aren't afraid to break the mold, to explore round character archetypes, and in general come off as something beyond 'just another _____ story' smile.png

Same goes for models for me.

  • 1 year later...

Ok, so I was wondering about Shadow Captain Reszasz Krevaan, of 7th Co, and googled him, this was the first result. Sweet!

 

I was going to go with the standard Lord Executioner model. I still have one in the packaging. Jump Pack and Lightning Claws too? Oh Well. So should he be modelled with an ornate beaky helmet, like Shrike, or bare-headed, like Korvydae?

 

And I wonder how the OP likes the Kauyon fluff. We get Kyrin Solaq, with his Relic helmet, Plasma Pistol, and Power Sword, because he just had to be different. He was given his own Shadow Force, but eschewed a Jump Pack to footslog with the Sternguard, instead of go with the Vanguard. He was tasked with capturing an Ethereal, but was out-foxed by a Stealth Shas'whatever (the equilivent of a veteran sergeant), and the Ethereal slipped right through his fingers. Why?! Because he wasn't wearing Lightning Claws!!!

 

From Kauyon

 

Corvin Severax, Chapter Master of the Raven Guard, (now Deceased)

 

Vykar Kaed, 1st Co, The Blackwings, (which is IRONIC, since RG veterans paint their arms WHITE)

 

Aajz Solari, 2nd Co, The Shadowborne

 

Kayvaan Shrike, 3rd Co (now Chapter Master), The Ghoststalkers

 

Aethon Shaan, 4th Co, The Silent

 

Kyrin Solaq, 5th Co, The Watchful, watched as Aun'Do(h) made good his escape

 

Syras Colfaen, 6th Co, The Darkened Blades

 

Aevar Qeld, 7th Co, The Whisperclaws

 

Reszasz Krevaan, 8th Co, The Unseen

 

Vordin Krayn, 9th Co, The Dirgesingers

 

Korvydae, 10th Co, The Subtle

From Kauyon

 

Corvin Severax, Chapter Master of the Raven Guard, (now Deceased)

 

Vykar Kaed, 1st Co, The Blackwings, (which is IRONIC, since RG veterans paint their arms WHITE)

 

Aajz Solari, 2nd Co, The Shadowborne

 

Kayvaan Shrike, 3rd Co (now Chapter Master), The Ghoststalkers

 

Aethon Shaan, 4th Co, The Silent

 

Kyrin Solaq, 5th Co, The Watchful, watched as Aun'Do(h) made good his escape

 

Syras Colfaen, 6th Co, The Darkened Blades

 

Aevar Qeld, 7th Co, The Whisperclaws

 

Reszasz Krevaan, 8th Co, The Unseen

 

Vordin Krayn, 9th Co, The Dirgesingers

 

Korvydae, 10th Co, The Subtle

.....

 

Vykar Kaed Lord of Deliverance, 1st Co, The Blackwings, (which is IRONIC, since RG veterans paint their arms WHITE)

 

Aajz Solari Master of Secrets, 2nd Co, The Shadowborne

 

Kayvaan Shrike Master of the Ambush, 3rd Co (now Chapter Master), The Ghoststalkers

 

Aethon Shaan Master of the Fleets, 4th Co, The Silent

 

Kyrin Solaq Master of the Marches, 5th Co, The Watchful, watched as Aun'Do(h) made good his escape

 

Syras Colfaen Master of the Rites, 6th Co, The Darkened Blades

 

Aevar Qeld Master of Lies, 7th Co, The Whisperclaws

 

Reszasz Krevaan Lord Executioner, 8th Co, The Unseen

 

Vordin Krayn Master of Relics, 9th Co, The Dirgesingers

 

Korvydae Master of Recruits, 10th Co, The Subtle

  • 1 year later...

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