Malal, thoughts on that cheeky chappy?

[Kol Saresk]

Especially since you have to do it as eight five man breachers since the shield kits are sold out. :(

[Slave to Darkness]

use bret men at arms shields

[M@l!ce]

So who here collects Sons of Malice, then?  I know folks have posted blogs way back, but given as most SoM activity is from at least two years ago (not counting my previous attempt at a Homebrew dex, obviously) I figured that most other players had lost interest.  But since Mala and the SoMs pop up in mention from time to time, guessing the days haven't completely died.

 

Anyways, I had lost a bit of hope with the SoMs, given as I felt GW had planned to entirely retcon them.  But IA13 has renwed my interest.  Though I am kinda holding off on buying too much new stuff (except maybe the CSM boxes, in case they redo those later and take away my precious skulls on shoulder pads. >.>) until they redo the CSM Dex, assuming they do such before the end of 7th Ed.

 

Anyways, down to the meat of my rant.  If there's anyone out there who's still doing SOMs, and painting them in the same style as seen in the 3.5 dex, show us some pics!  Always like seeing people's work for help with paniting.  I used to think white would be a real female dog to shade, but I find that if I simply use black wash and keep it as fine as possible, serves as a nice outline for detail!

[Strazhakov]

While I love the idea of Malal/Malice and his sons (always been a big fan of the Dread Axe) I am intimidated by painting a black/white scheme. Otherwise I might have started a SoM Warband long ago. 

 

I kinda wish Zuvassin and Necoho would appear in 40k as well. They'd make good "minor gods" for renegade warbands. 

[Uprising]

I wonder if the WB would worship Malal or not(being a chaos god, but being the anti chaos chaos god). 

[Clone]

I wonder if the WB would worship Malal or not(being a chaos god, but being the anti chaos chaos god).

Could be an interesting dynamic to explore. Maybe malice' status as the anti chaos would see him shunned by the vast majority of Word Bearers sort of like the devil of the pantheon.

[ElectricPaladin]

I would have a lot of fun with a Sons of Malice army. My favorite tidbit is the one where when the Sons of Malice summon daemons, they are always wearing the black and white livery of Malal and appear bound in some ways. It'd be fun to sculpt little collars and leashes and manacles onto various daemonic beasties. Kind of kinky, too, with the daemonettes...

[incinerator950]

 

I wonder if the WB would worship Malal or not(being a chaos god, but being the anti chaos chaos god).

Could be an interesting dynamic to explore. Maybe malice' status as the anti chaos would see him shunned by the vast majority of Word Bearers sort of like the devil of the pantheon.

It depends on how you view the WBs. I started in 3.5 and view them as Undivided preachers, blasphemors, reverers and covanenters of all or as many aspects of Chaos, be they greater god or formless mass and energy of the warp.

 

While the Legion and warband schism is really :cussing annoying, I haven't changed this outlook unless a Warband in particular seeks more favor or commits to singular devotion.

 

Getting back to the gods, Malal/Malice is still a Chaos god. He should technically be known or have a small following in them while they revere multiple deities. They might hamstring things by consequently ignoring Lesser gods and butchering Undivided, but they still exist in some fashion, just no tabletop presence.

[Hidicul]

I love Malal and the SoM, but my ability to paint white sucks. Every now and then, most recently last month, I paint one figure in the scheme to see if I've improved enough to put together a collection of them. Alas I'm not good enough as of yet, thus I've started my II legion instead. Someday I hope to have a SoM force including the models for Malal's actual minor daemons since there is a company that produces them in metal.

[hushrong]

I love a Sons of Malice topic!

The last few times I thought about Malal and the Sons of Malice I reflect on a novel/warband called Blood Gorgons. To gloss over what I think is an awesome warband (which I sadly never saw much of on forums) they had a daemonic patron.

The Sons of Malice are in a similar boat in my opinion. They do not care for the Emperor nor the Dark Gods but out from the warp they gained a patron. It is a daemonic entity that has somehow come into contact with the Sons and has gained their loyalty as they view him as a god-like figure. And if you haven't read the short story Labyrinth:

That god now walks amongst them in the material realm.

For me, Malal lives! Even as a mere whisper that is all I need.

As for collecting, what I had built and painted up of my Sons sits in a box gaining dust. However, out of nostalgia I think I may have to crank out a few more chaos-hating, mute, and cannibalistic marines.

[Tenebris]

The novella was an interesting reading indeed but this god of chaos and anti-chaos always confounded me. I agree it is the god of the ones who hate everything and everyone, who are defined by hate, consumed by it but again I would love to read more. Malice it is an interesting concept indeed, his daemons really looked cool eons ago, especially the hooked horror theme (D&D rip though), but I would love him and his devotees to have more flair. I think BL should one day publish a novel where they support Malice, it is part of the Warhammer trademark, it is still there, somewhere as a concept ingrained in the setting, but sadly not used.

 

If I would speculate his mark should be "reroll 1 to wound" since it would imply the hatred of his followers for the target, the desire to gouge it, rip it to shreds. Preferred Enemy would be too much, Hatred also. 

[hushrong]

The novella was nice for several little reasons. It keeps the Sons alive in the fluff, it adds more to their background, and it introduces us to Malice/brings Malal into the current universe more so. More fluff is always great to have as it builds more character but when it is from GW it can be a double-edged sword. Sure you got the fluff but sometimes it is not what you want. So if they flesh it out I only pray it is done right otherwise I will ignore it entirely while being angry.

 

If I could make a request for fluff done right I would like to know more about the Sons of Malice in the 13th Black Crusade.

[incinerator950]

The novella was an interesting reading indeed but this god of chaos and anti-chaos always confounded me. I agree it is the god of the ones who hate everything and everyone, who are defined by hate, consumed by it but again I would love to read more. Malice it is an interesting concept indeed, his daemons really looked cool eons ago, especially the hooked horror theme (D&D rip though), but I would love him and his devotees to have more flair. I think BL should one day publish a novel where they support Malice, it is part of the Warhammer trademark, it is still there, somewhere as a concept ingrained in the setting, but sadly not used.

 

If I would speculate his mark should be "reroll 1 to wound" since it would imply the hatred of his followers for the target, the desire to gouge it, rip it to shreds. Preferred Enemy would be too much, Hatred also.

Surprising no one linked the old fantasy article on Malal?

[Slave to Darkness]

Second post has links for Malal stuff, is that what you are on about?

[Kol Saresk]

Possibly. Honestly, I wish GW(GW Proper) would ask the creators for permission to use Malal. Pretty sure something could be arranged as long as both parties are reasonable.

[Slave to Darkness]

Not like they don't have the cash to buy the rights, but mind you do we the fanbase REALLY want a new god, or do we just want GW to tell us that we need big giant kits and Ltd ed mail order only Marine Captains?? Ya know because GW gives us what we really want *looks at Crimson Slaughter dex*

[Kol Saresk]

I actually kind of liked getting the Crimson Slaughter Dex. Then again, I'm one of those weirdos who probably liked that the Renegade Chapters and Warbands got more fluff love from Forgeworld than the Legions did in IA 13. Really wish we got to see more of the Slaughterkin, the Night Reapers, the Bleak Brotherhood and of course, the Sons of Malice.

[Slave to Darkness]

I use the Crimson Slaughter dex myself, but you gotta admit it was the last thing chaos players were asking for. 

[incinerator950]

I'm honestly colored curious (among many mental and chemically induced things) that SoM wasn't mentioned in the 6th codex. Granted they were a throwback concept, but still,

[Kol Saresk]

I think it's going back to GW Proper. While I wasn't around back then, when all of this happened, it seemed like GW was very quick to drop all trace of Malal being in the background. One minute he's there, the next minute he is replaced by the gods of atheism and foiled plans and only the fans/players/readers remember the name Malal. And since then, he's only creeped back into one short story as "Malice" while Forgeworld also hinted further at his more parasitic nature with the Fire Raptor.

 

On the subject of Malal's/Malice's nature, I've been thinking. Most of us see him as a Chaos God who is oriented against Chaos. I think that is actually wrong.

 

As we all know, even in the best relationships between a mortal and the warp, the warp still feeds off of the mortal. One might say it is symbiotic, but in truth it is very parasitic. One might even say, self-destructive as the relationship puts the mortal as living on borrowed time and can even shorten his lifespan even though a longer lived servant would more better benefit the warp.

 

I think Malal is the very personification of that self-destructive, parasitic nature. It is a very common trait amongst Humanity that those with power well convince those below them that they should stay below and create this perpetual cycle of those with less giving to those with more in the form of taxes and tithes until it causes an economic breakdown that resets the scales.

 

And we can observe this in the warp. Look at the Heresy. The Gods had planned for millennia to cause this massive interstellar civil war. But when its over, they did nothing to capitulate. In fact, all evidence, even before the publishing of the Talon of Horus, points to the Gods wanting the Traitors to lose and be pushed back to the Eye. Because once everyone get there and the Legions Wars start, we end up with this massive, self-perpetuating, stalemated and potentially never-ending war that is happening directly at the feet of the Gods. It'd be like having all of Humanity's history of warfare happening in three minutes right at the base of Mount Olympus and then set on repeat.

 

And throughout all of warhammer 40K, we see this repeated. The Thirteen major Black Crusades. The dozens, if not hundreds of smaller ones. The Reign of Fire. Siege of Vraks. A massive preparation, a massive feeding, and then a massive blowout where the forces of Chaos are either driven back or they recede like the last tide of a tsunami.

 

I believe that is Malal/Malice. Except where the Chaos Gods feed off of us, he feeds off of them. He is that self-destructive, parasitism given form, life, breath and power. That's why he waxes and wanes with them, because that is when they themselves are feeding and thus provide sustenance for him to feed.

 

And that is why he is the Renegade God. Not because he is anti-Chaos, but because he is the next step in the food chain. He is their god. His power is always equal to all four of theirs combined and thus he will always be stronger than anyone individually, even when he is at his weakest. And the Chaos Gods don't like the idea of someone else being in charge. That is why they are always fighting to see who is in ascendance and for how long. And that is why they made Malal/Malice an Outcast and why he always have the fewest followers. One, because he doesn't need that many and two, because they probably hunt him and his down as much as he hunts them and theirs.

 

That's my thought anyways. Hope the rambling is coherent enough to be understood.

[ElectricPaladin]

I think part of the mistake is in assuming that everything in the Warp has to be allegorical in nature. This isn't true. Slaanesh isn't just the god/dess of pleasure and sensation. S/he is also Slaanesh, a being with a particular personality, memories, traits, and goals. The same is true of Khorne, Nurgle, Tzeentch, and the rest of them. I mean, that's part of the reason that the galaxy is in the shape that it's in, because of the "people" (I use the term loosely) who are in power in various places, including the Warp.

 

So, on some level, Malal doesn't have to be a god of anything. He's Malal. He's a powerful Warp entity who likes to run around doing the things that Malal does.

 

That said, the Warp is at least somewhat allegorical, so Malal has to represent something. And he does. He represents conflict, confusion, and self-destructive behavior. That's all he needs to do.

 

What makes Malal interesting isn't that his allegorical nature is so deeply weird or hard to get at... it's that the individual that is Malal has made certain choices that make him interesting. Specifically, he seems to have decided that the Imperium is an interesting way to express his nature, and in the interests of doing that, co-opted a Space Marine chapter, made shaky alliances with several Inquisitors, and is otherwise being, as the OP put it a "cheeky chappy."

 

I think that's all he needs to be for him to be fascinating. He's a Chaos god with the power to rival - or at least screw with - the Big Four... and for the moment, he kind of wants to be the Imperium's pal. That's great. Let's see more of him!

[Kol Saresk]

I may have missed something. When does Malal want to be the Imperium's pal? He's that third faction that attacks everyone.

[hushrong]

Yeah, I really don't think of them as the type to team up with anybody. However, they are active with the invading force of the 13th black crusade but I am sure once they meet their own objectives they'll start stabbing back.

[ElectricPaladin]

I may have overstated my point - I didn't mean that Malal actually wants to be the Imperium's friend. But Chaos is ascendant at this, the end of the story, and Malal seems like the sort to be against whoever is winning, which makes him at least sometimes the ally of whoever is losing.

[incinerator950]

The enemy of your enemy is not your friend.

 

Even in Fantasy, Malal's champion only fought against Chaos initially. He still is very much a Chaos being, more of Anarchy than antichaos.