++Interview with a Chaos Lord++ Andra'Melek p.9

[Warsmith Uveron]

Another good interview! Uveron, I guess you'll be vowing a lot in this year's ETL?

I put to you my two regular questions...

I. Can you please show us the completed model you're most proud of?

II. What's your dream project? (Money/time/skill/bitz/Infernal Powers permitting)

Ok sorry for slow response its taken me some time to think of these responses.

1. I really struggled to decide what model Iam most proud of, I love my whole army.. and I dont have many models that I put extra time into. But I think it has to be my Mutants, I dont have a good photo of the whole gang currently, but this is the group as of about November time.

As for well dream project.. To be able to work out what I want to do the the Deamon Prince who is running my Black Crusade. I have some big dreams on how I want it to look, but I currently dont have the time, skills or Bugget to build it. (A Vast Deamon siting on a large Throne, that's on the back of some type of floating Disk, something kinda like a Slan from WFB but bigger and less toad like)

[Machine God]

@Uveron - What a great interview that was. I especially liked how you inadvertantly missed out the e in Staines, after you got the cold shoulder from the GW there and fell to LARP'ing. Chislehurst Caves perchance?

[Warsmith Uveron]

@Uveron - What a great interview that was. I especially liked how you inadvertantly missed out the e in Staines, after you got the cold shoulder from the GW there and fell to LARP'ing. Chislehurst Caves perchance?

 

 Thanks, I am not 100% sure if the LARPing wouldn't have taken over regardless of the reception I got at the Staines GW Store. But it was a shocking when compared to my old FLGS in my home town. 

 

[Augustus b'Raass]

This week's interview is about a dedicated Chaos Lord of the zealous Word Bearers, this is the guy who got me into Word Bearers and wanting a Warhound. His is a very fast painter, having used up many a pot of Devlan Mud and Black Ink. The fleshy trophies that adorn his miniatures would make a Night lord jealous, and you should see his vindicator squadron! His WIP thread can be found here. Seriously, check it out!

Anyway, here's RazakelXIII interview.

1.) How have you become a Chaos Lord?

I got into Warhammer right after Dawn of War came out. I was vaguely aware of the hobby beforehand, but it seemed like a lot of money and effort (and it turns out I was right ). Some of my friends started talking about DoW constantly so I had to check it out. I remember thinking the idea of space orks sounded really silly, but I booted up the game, started moving some Space Marines around, and they all started saying stuff like "HERESY GROWS FROM IDLENESS." The moment I realized they were using freaking chainsaw swords in space I was pretty much hooked.

I bounced back and forth painting a bunch of different armies for several years. I initially wanted to do Tyranids, because Alien, so I bought Battle for Macragge. Blows my mind that it was only $40 back then. Painted some gaunts and didn't like it, so I did up a few Ultramarines and started up a small army of Smurfs (go ahead and laugh, they're still my favorite Loyalists). Moved on to Black Legion from there but when I eventually bought the 3.5 Chaos codex, the art on the Word Bearers page caught my eye. Was kind of fed up with Chaos by then, though, so I did Blood Ravens for a bit before finally realizing the extent of my soul's damnation.

At this time there was sort of a perfect storm of Word Bearer stuff coming out. DoW: Dark Crusade came out and Eliphas was incredibly awesome, and I think Anthony Reynolds' Dark Apostle was released the same year, and that was a fun read. There was a guy here on Bolter & Chainsword named kikkala - I don't believe he still posts here - who had a fantastic Word Bearers thread. I also remember getting really hyped up for the 4th edition Chaos codex - little did we know what a disaster that would be - so I decided to start up a Word Bearers Host. I did a couple squads in REALLY bright red, but then GW released its Washes and I realized how easy it would be to go grim and gritty. The rest is chronicled in my thread.

2.) When did you start to play the Chaos Space Marines/Daemons/Lost&Damned?

I started actually playing 40k a couple months after I rebooted my Word Bearers army. I always told myself I'd only play with a fully painted army, but by then I was painting in the backroom of a local Hobbytown and we had a very active group. Couldn't resist the allure of the dice, so I started playing, which motivated me to get more stuff painted, which made me want to play more. Was never very good at the game and I've always had the second-worst dice-rolling luck of anyone I know, but that's never stopped me.

Eventually my army got so huge that I basically didn't care about smaller games anymore. Apocalypse got some traction with my group so I stopped playing games below the 3000 point line altogether. Of course since I'm not very good at 40k, my embarrassing win/loss ratio combined with the amount of effort it takes to set up and play a big game like that meant that that I rarely sought out games, so for several years I only played once every other month or so, if that. I recently participated in a 500-1500 point escalation league after almost a year of not playing at all, and that was good fun. My dice also seem to hate me significantly less now, so hopefully I'll have more games in the near future.

3.) Which is your favorite traitor legion or Chaos warband, and why?

I wouldn't have stuck with Word Bearers for 8+ years if they weren't my favorite Legion. Thanks to the manipulative role they took in the Heresy, I've always felt that they were absolutely central to 40k's fluff, and I've always loved that they were the only Legion to fall to Chaos willingly. I see the Word Bearers as mixing a Lovecraftian occult horror vibe with a crude barbarian aesthetic and I've always felt weirdly compelled to try and capture that to the best of my ability. I constantly have ideas bouncing around in my head for conversions and I never feel 100% satisfied with what I've done. Something about the Word Bearers just inspires me. And I guess it helps that I like the color scheme.

4.) What do you like most of the Warhammer 40k hobby?

My favorite thing about the hobby is the struggle to capture the vision I have of 40k in model form. That probably sounds crazy and pretentious, but 40k's artwork has always captivated me. Combined with the feeling I get from some of the fluff, older stuff in particular, I've always felt that 40k can be a visual feast if done properly, but I also think that GW rarely manages to capture this in their models. I used to think that was a bad thing, but I don't anymore - it just gives me a fun challenge when it comes to making my models look the way I want them to.

5.) What is your play style?

I personally really dislike competitive gaming and I'm fortunate that my local group has a very laid back, fluff-focused attitude, so I try to do what I think the Word Bearers themselves would do. I think of Word Bearers as attacking in waves - first with cultist hordes, second with daemons, third with Legionaries, so that's what I've always tried to do on the tabletop. Thanks to my luck and shoddy tactics it rarely works out. I used to run Cultists as Summoned Lesser Daemons in 4e, but 6e finally allowed me to use huge hordes of them. I try to use 90 or so of them whenever I can, but I never feel like I have enough. I've never actually painted daemons in large enough numbers to use as an army, so my lists are always devoid of them despite being central to the Word Bearers' fluff. As for my Legionaries, the old Index Astartes article said they use 12-man squads so that's what I always do. Nowadays I usually take two or three plasma squads alongside my cultists and try to use them as mid-range support. Throw in a Vindicator or two and a Laspred or maybe some missile havocs camping at the back, plus two squads of melta raptors. tl;dr, cultists go first, die, and then the Astartes hit.

6.) What was your greatest achievement or favorite memory from your hobby career?

I think my greatest achievement has been sticking with one army for so long. I've been painting Word Bearers for almost a decade and that takes some dedication. I never thought I'd make it this far - in all my previous armies I quit the moment I started painting Assault Marines for some reason - but here I am with something like 10,000 points of just the stuff I've painted (never mind the eternally-growing mountain of gray plastic). I'd like to go back and do touchup work on almost all of it and I've been talking about doing so for years, but I'm proud of every model I've painted, particularly Raz mk.II and Vanessa the Warhound Titan.

7.) Do you collect and play any other armies?

I'd be lying if I said I didn't impulse-buy stuff from other armies on occasion. I have mountains of unpainted HQs and special characters from other armies. I have thousands of points of unpainted Daemons I've been acquiring piecemeal since they got their own codex way back in 4e, but I sort of view them as an extension of my Word Bearers. I've had other armies in the past - Dark Eldar, Skaven, I once had an entire company of Cadians - but I always wind up selling them as fuel for more Word Bearers acquisitions. There are tons of armies I'd like to collect - Biel-Tan Eldar, Tau, Tyranids, Blood Angels - but I just don't have the time or the money.

8.) Which is your favorite Chaos character?

I don't really have a favorite Chaos character. A few years ago I'd have said Erebus in a heartbeat since he's just such a magnificent bastard, but I haven't really liked what BL's done with him or the Heresy in general for a while. Modelwise, I really like Zardu Layak and Sevatar, and I'd love to see Forge World release a possessed Argel Tal model since the Gal Vorbak look so good.

9.) Which is your favorite Black Library publication?

That's a tough one. Probably a toss-up between Eisenhorn by Dan Abnett and The First Heretic by Aaron Dembski-Bowden. Eisenhorn is a really interesting exploration of sides of 40k that we never see in the tabletop game. The First Heretic was pure fanservice for me. I read it in a single sitting, which I never do, and I loved how it depicted the Word Bearers' descent into madness. Lorgar's kind of a divisive character but I think A D-B did a fantastic job with him.

10.) Any advice for your fellow frater, any parting words of wisdom?

Love your army. Find one that calls to you and stick with it. This hobby is too expensive for an army to "just" be a collection of gaming pieces. It's far more rewarding if you can really make the most of it. If your army's aesthetics and fluff really capture your imagination and you pour your heart, soul, blood, sweat and tears into converting and painting them into exactly what you think they should look like, then the end result of that effort is its own reward regardless of how crap your codex or your tactics or your luck are. Also, take breaks. If you don't feel like painting for a while, don't. I take months-long breaks all the time (I'm in the middle of one right now, but now that I think about it, that Knight DOES need some highlights...) and when I come back I feel more motivated and creative than I would if I pushed myself to just get stuff done for the sake of it.

[Warsmith Uveron]

If you had to paint and convert it all again would you? and if you were to do something different what would you do?

[RazakelXIII]

@Uveron: I absolutely would, although the time I have for painting is somewhat less than it used to be. In fact I have most of the bits I need to start up another company's worth of Word Bearers, I'm just waiting to buy a few extra CSM boxes. I think the main thing I would/will do differently would be to try to be more consistent. When you work on the same thing for so long you eventually start trying new things. Some of my new models have brighter metallics than my old ones, my newer vehicles have a chipping effect I like more than the old ones, I've washed my newer models slightly (slightly) less heavily than the older ones - I'd just try to make sure everything matched. I've been telling myself for years that I'd go back and do touchup work on just about everything, but it's always a choice between that and a shiny new project. I'd also try to make the OSL on my melta/flamer dioramas look a bit nicer. It's just some really rough drybrushing and it looks kind of dusty, I'd like to re-do that.

[Kierdale]

 

I put to you my two regular questions...

I. Can you please show us the completed model you're most proud of?

II. What's your dream project? (Money/time/skill/bitz/Infernal Powers permitting)

 

...and I'll head over to your thread for a look now myself. :)

[RazakelXIII]

I put to you my two regular questions...

I. Can you please show us the completed model you're most proud of?

II. What's your dream project? (Money/time/skill/bitz/Infernal Powers permitting)

...and I'll head over to your thread for a look now myself.

The model I'm most proud of is definitely my Dark Apostle, Razakel the Unhallowed. I've done two versions of him so far and I'd actually like to do a third. He's an attempt at Truescale and he's a fairly even mix of GS, plastic and resin bits. It's based heavily off of the art on the Word Bearers page in the 3.5 Chaos codex, although I think there's a colorized version of the same image floating around in various books. Anyway, pics.

As for the second question, my dream project actually isn't Chaos-related. There was a Karl Kopinski painting in the 4th edition BRB of a Raven Guard army making planetfall. I don't even like Raven Guard all that much, but it was the first time I had really seen what 40k's art was like compared to the models, and I've always, always wanted to make a giant diorama of that picture with all the marines in truescale. It would require an insane amount of sculpting and plasticard work (that I'm just not good enough to do yet) and tons and tons of bits. I've always considered it my Final Boss of Warhammer. As far as I know nobody's ever uploaded a high-quality scan of the original painting so it's always uploaded with a big crease down the middle. MajesticChicken over on DeviantArt did a really nice colorized version of it.

In the spirit of the thread, I guess my dream Chaos-related project at this point would be a display table for my entire army (once it's done, so never). I've always had this image in my head of Word Bearers marching down a hill to attack a fortified Guard position and just overwhelming it with swarms of Daemons and cultists - of course I'd need huge forces of Guard, Daemons and more cultists than I'll ever want to paint for this to work. I'd want to make a backdrop to make it look like the horizon was on fire and I even have ideas for sculpting a sort of ceiling for it that's modeled like a big warp vortex with the four gods looking down on the battle. A major inspiration for my army was the Helm's Deep scene in Ralph Bakshi's Lord of the Rings (minus the silly tooting horns) - I thought that was terrifying as a kid and it still freaks me out a little. I'd want to capture that as much as possible. It's crazy ambitious and I'll never get around to it, but I would if I could.

[Lexington]

The heavens may fall and the world may burn, but Raz is eternal in his fury. Good to see you're still around, man.

[Teetengee]

The artwork in that book was truly inspirational. I hope to someday see models made of each of the god marines as well as the chosen of Abaddon as well and the Legion pictures.

[Augustus b'Raass]

Alright! This week's article is about someone whose contributions to the forum are very varied. Some of you may question her status as a Chaos lord. For starters, she's a relic from 10.000 years ago, focusing on the Erebus Enlightenment (which some fools would call the Horus Heresy) period. But there, her greatest contributions are on those illuminated by the truth of the primordial annihilator. The Arch Preacher and his sons, the Bearers of the Word and their Daemonic allies. She therefore deserves our comradeship, and to reveal just how corrupted her soul truly is - never mind the gossip she does in the News and Rumors section. ;) Check out her WIP thread here. You can skip over her loyalist scum, of course (or not, know thine enemy). Heeeeere's Atia!

1.) How have you become a Chaos Lady?

I got into the hobby thanks to my Dad - i basically grown up with it! The old 2nd edition Chaos Codex was the first Warhammer book I read, and I loved all the stuff in it, especially the Daemonworld army list with it's Beastmen and Minotaurs. I think this book really settled it for me - my soul was sold! I should also note the first models I "painted" were some old plastic Death Guard .... Last but not least - I like bad guys!

2.) When did you start to play the Chaos Space Marines/Daemons/Lost&Damned?

I currently own a small Daemons army (which were painted for the last two Call of Chaos events) - mostly Khorne, but I also have an unit of Plague Bearers and Epidemus. I have plans for more daemons in the future. Call of Chaos always comes fast

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QXyTUQMBsvM/VnBm84XTuoI/AAAAAAAAAbQ/SJZYSNa_JyU/s1600/army%2B2.jpg

When did I start to play with my chaos stuff? It was actually end of last year with my Khorne Daemons - a small Zone Mortalis game against Ultramarines! I also played a game of Betrayal at Calth with them, using slightly modified rules from the White Dwarf. That said I had plans for my daemons as soon as they got their own Codex, I just never had the time to paint them up.

3.) Which is your favorite traitor legion or Chaos warband, and why?

That's a hard question - but I think I choose the Black Legion:

I love this old picture from the 3,5 Codex - it really shows them in all their glory, and was always a great inspiration for me. I also like the idea that Abaddon unifies units of all four gods within his force. That's how a chaos army should look! All the other warbands and factions are doing their own thing, but the Black Legion represents Chaos as a whole. These guys are the dark crusaders who will bring the endtimes - and they do it for themself. Not for some gods. Not for their Primarchs. I also like the "brother" aspect - it doesn't matters from where you come or who you were, - if you join, you are part of the Black Legion.

4.) What do you like most of the Warhammer 40k hobby?

I think there are two big things about the hobby for me: I love the fluff - I'm a bookrat and devour all the books and novels, especially the Horus Heresy stuff. I think the background is what makes the hobby so awesome and gives your models a soul - it doesn't matters if you use it just as tool to create your own thing and write your own fluff, or if you use it as a guide almost like an "historical" tabletop. The second important aspect for me is of course building and painting - I always had an artistic diposition. I also enjoy to paint different schemes, armies and smaller projects.

5.) What is your play style?

Fluffy armies over all! That said, I'm not really a gamer, but I want to do more games in the future, once my Zone Mortalis board is finished. But as far as my armies go, I like it to have a theme for them, and don't care if they aren't 100% compatitive. I usually write a list with things I want to have for that army, take a look what else I need to make it "legal", ask Slipstreams for advice and start to work on them!

6.) What was your greatest achievement or favorite memory from your hobby career?

My favourite memory was definitely going to Gamesday with my Dad. It's great that we share the hobby together <3!

7.) Do you collect and play any other armies?

Yep! For 40k, i have Eldar, Dark Angels, Space Wolves and Ultramarines. I also have some Xenos armies who are planned and bought but not started yet. Oh, and I also have some Dwarfs (or Duardin? ) for Fantasy. My favourite setting is the Horus Heresy though - I already have a Death Guard and Salamanders army, and I'm currently painting my Post-Istvaan Word Bearers. They are already "bad guys" - and will have a big unit of Gal Vorbak, among other heretical stuff!

8.) Which is your favorite Chaos character?

Another hard question - I would say Valkia, but I think she doesn't counts here. I'm also a big fan of Be'lakor - the disgraced first daemonprince of chaos who plots and is the master of shadows? Awesome! I'm really happy he got some 40k fluff, and hope we see more "fantasy" characters getting that treadment in the future . From the Chaos Space Marines it's probably Kayon - he uses the powers of chaos (unlike other "noble" traitors), and has his cool Bloodward and "wolf"-pet. Can't wait to read more about him in the next Black Legion novel!

9.) Which is your favorite Black Library publication?

Talon of Horus. Or the Night Lords trilogy. Or The First Heretic. Ok, let's say, one of A-D-B's books ? It's cool to get Chaos from an "anti-hero" point of view, instead of "we are evil! muahaha" - and his books also usually have a cool female character in his main cast.

10.) Any advice for your fellow frater, any parting words of wisdom?

Do your thing - it doesn't matters what someone says or think! Be always open for new techniques and stuff - it's pretty fun to experiment with a new product - I just felt in love with weathering powders this month . Also - don't be frustrated if something doesn't works with your first attempt. Everyone started, it's just practice!

[Kierdale]

Ooh, the source herself :tu:

 

I put to you my two regular questions...

I. Can you please show us the completed model you're most proud of?

II. What's your dream project? (Money/time/skill/bitz/Infernal Powers permitting)

 

And one more I can't help but ask:

III. When will GW give us a new Keeper of Secrets?? :D

[GhostMalone]

Here's a question for Atia;

 

What is it truly that this hobby gives you that keeps you going? Is it the fluff the game mechanics the social interaction etc I like to know what makes people keep going at thus hobby especially as we progress through the phases of life

[Atia]

Ooh, the source herself

I put to you my two regular questions...

I. Can you please show us the completed model you're most proud of?

II. What's your dream project? (Money/time/skill/bitz/Infernal Powers permitting)

And one more I can't help but ask:

III. When will GW give us a new Keeper of Secrets??

Hey Kierdale

I. The completed model I'm most proud of:

Ang'grath!

An'ggrath the Unbound

Guardian of the Throne of Skulls, Deathbringer, Lord of the Eight, Greater Bloodthirster of the First Rank, The Bloodstorm, Rage Incarnate, First of His Name, Tetrarch of Chaos, Daemon King of Khorne

An'ggrath the Unbound, the mightiest of the Bloodthirsters, is the most favoured servant of the Blood God Khorne. In the pantheon of the Blood God's servants, An'ggrath stands next to the Skull Throne at Khorne's right hand. Amongst the ranks of Khorne's daemonic followers, An'ggrath is perhaps the greatest and most revered, next to Valkia and Doombreed, created by his patron Chaos God to be the ultimate expression of murder and violence, extolling Khorne's blood creed across the width and breadth of the galaxy. No one can stand against him and hope to live. An'ggrath has been Khorne's most favoured servant since Tzeentch inspired Khorne's then favoured slaughterer, the Bloodthirster known as Skarbrand, to strike at his own master. Skarbrand was cast out from Khorne's realm and exiled for all eternity, and An'ggrath was raised up as Khorne's most favoured son. Though the two Bloodthirsters are eternal foes, Khorne has decreed that the two can never meet in battle, for their value as slaughterers is too great to be wasted upon each other.

It is said that during the the Great Crusade, and later during the dark days of the Horus Heresy, An'ggrath was defeated twice - first by the Primarch Lorgar Aurelian during his Pilgrimage into the Eye of Terror, and a second time during the Shadow Crusade ...

Note: Soulrend - this unholy Axe of Khorne contains the essence of the mighty Brasslord, another Greater Daemon of Khorne, slaughtered by An'ggrath during a challenge in the Bloodgods' arena.

Note: Whip of the Guardian - after Skarbrands' treachery, no one besides the Bloodgods' own consort dared to step in range of An'ggrath' whip (and this next to his patrons' throne) and survived ...

He is really an awesome model, and he was the last one I had to finish for last years' Call of Chaos. It was pretty much last minute work, but I got the Warmaster of Chaos banner!

I wanted to do that guy since ever, back then when I first looked through the FW site and thought "these models! so awesome! I want them! All! Especially that winged red guy!".

II. What's my dream project? (Money/time/skill/bitz/Infernal Powers permitting):

That's hard to say. Lot's of my dream projects got either done in the last years, or are waiting one my table (the FW greater daemons, titans, some Xenos stuff, etc). But, I would say a big dream project would be a full Titans Legion army - so, around 10 titans and full skitarii and secutarii support, outhbounded Cybernetica and Thallax and Knights support.

III. When will GW give us a new Keeper of Secrets??

I can't give you an ETA, but let's say, there is a story line that tends to makes sense to be used to promote a new KoS, amongs other stuff. GW has plans for the Greater Daemons, and we could have gotten them earlier already, but they started a time ago and re-did the stuff afaik (which is good, at the end. Maybe not for the waiting game, but for the models itself).

I'll do the FW one for this year's ETL

Here's a question for Atia;

What is it truly that this hobby gives you that keeps you going? Is it the fluff the game mechanics the social interaction etc I like to know what makes people keep going at thus hobby especially as we progress through the phases of life

I think it's a mix of things tbh.

Everyone, from my Battle Bunnies (who are really an awesome bunch of guys <3 <3 <3), to each of you and everyone over on War of Sigmar, including Bob motivates me to do this hobby, both from a painting PoV and of course the whole news/rumours stuff. I once tried to stop, but one day later I got my hands on an early Visions leak, and well, I'm still here or not ? So yeah, the community is definitely a big motivation factor.

There is also my dad, and my Love who also starts to get interested in board games (we did a bit BaC), so that's also a huge factor of course.

Last but not least, it's the fluff and artwork, mostly from the FW books and novels from Aaron and Chris who sparkle new ideas, and want me make new armies, new schemes and new heroes. Without that, the hobby wouldn't have a soul

[Thedarkprincesnun]

Atia is there any chance we will see chaos marine rules for the betrayal at Calth stuff at some point?

Also if you could pick one BL chaos character to give rules to in the codex who would you choose?

[Atia]

Atia is there any chance we will see chaos marine rules for the betrayal at Calth stuff at some point?

The BaC models aren't Chaos Space Marines, so no, not afafik. But FW did chaos contemptor rules already ^.^ sneeky question!

Also if you could pick one BL chaos character to give rules to in the codex who would you choose?

Kayon. With option for his bloodward girl and his wolf

[Lagrath]

Important question: you dabble in rumors. Are you Alpharius? Follow-up question: which Alpharius are you? Also: hail Hydra.

[Atia]

Important question: you dabble in rumors. Are you Alpharius? Follow-up question: which Alpharius are you? Also: hail Hydra.

I am the hydra's third head. Call me Alpharia

[Jolemai]

Q: Will you tread the path of the changer of ways in the near future?

[Atia]

Q: Will you tread the path of the changer of ways in the near future?

Yeah! I want to do some Tzeentchy stuff (new and old ;)) for this years Call of Chaos!

[Slave to Darkness]

Do you even look like Harly Quinn? :lol:

[Thedarkprincesnun]

@Atia are you harly quinn in disguise

[Atia]

Do you even look like Harly Quinn?

@Atia are you harly quinn in disguise

Lol guys ....

next Halloween maybe xD

[Slave to Darkness]

Who needs halloween. :lol:

[GhostMalone]

Who needs halloween. :lol:

Yeah do you think we men shower shave and attempt to wear suits just because it's our anniversary or a special occasion! No we eat junk food watch anime listen to metal and usually are on the verge of a psychotic breakdown before we do any of those things