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b1soul

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(everything here was leagues better than that Ullanor scene from Scars)

Ullanor scene in Scars was great IMO
I agree, it's one of my favourite parts in one of my favourite books in the series. (I'm also not begrudging anyone their opinions. I think it's funny how people read things such different ways sometimes).

*shrug* To each their own, I won't begrudge you that opinion. In my own opinion, it ranks pretty high up there in worst Primarch depictions. But not everyone is going to like or dislike the same things.

As I recall, most readers liked that scene a lot...though that doesn't detract from your right to disagree

 

It has Khan showing his pride and annoyance (Khan and his legion DO care about what others think, though they would never admit it) and Fulgrim being his typical preening, annoying self. Good little verbal exchange IMO

Just got the book, quick question: when did Shiban get all jacked up previous to this novel? Liking it so far.

 

I thought the Ullanor scene was well done. I don't think many aithors can do multiple primarch interactions well aside from the obvious abnett and abd. Wraight does it well.

Wounded to the point that he would have been Dreadnought-interred were he in any other Legion. Instead, they create a different way to mechanically keep him alive.

 

Appearance-wise, he looks like an over-bulked, full-body cyborg in the rough shape of a Marine. Only his pauldrons retain his Legion colors.

The bionics thing is kinda interesting, we get that one of the WS most defining traits is their cultural taboo of Dreadnoughts, so in Shiban's case he was bionically/mechanically restored. I don't know if it get's mentioned in Scars, but is he eventually supposed to regain 100% mobility after his "resurrection"?  If not, then what was the point? It seems like an unnecessary use of resources for minimal return. 

Just got the book, quick question: when did Shiban get all jacked up previous to this novel? Liking it so far.

 

I thought the Ullanor scene was well done. I don't think many aithors can do multiple primarch interactions well aside from the obvious abnett and abd. Wraight does it well.

 

I don't really think that Abnett does it particularly well, or rather, he doesn't stand out much from the crowd. Horus felt great in Horus Rising, but the encounter with Sanguinius wasn't overly impressive to me. The biggest share of the Magnus / Russ encounter was handled by McNeill, too. Alpharius/Omegon are, well, Alpharius. The Guilliman and Lorgar encounter in Know No Fear was pretty short too.

And then we got The Unremembered Empire, which, to me, is one of the worst in the series, especially due to the ridiculous way he wrote the Primarch fights left and right, which didn't even go well with the same characters' depictions previously. Hulkan was a damn shame, and Sanguinius was barely in it.

 

I don't know, I don't see it.

The bionics thing is kinda interesting, we get that one of the WS most defining traits is their cultural taboo of Dreadnoughts, so in Shiban's case he was bionically/mechanically restored. I don't know if it get's mentioned in Scars, but is he eventually supposed to regain 100% mobility after his "resurrection"?  If not, then what was the point? It seems like an unnecessary use of resources for minimal return.

 

I got the impression he's still a fearsome warrior, we see him holding his own in battle, he's just not as fluid and adept as he was before perhaps. Plus, he was key in bringing back the Khan to deal with the schism in the legion. He's a symbol by this point.

@Tymell yeah he does eventually get back into the swing of things, I'm just wondering, say if these bionics returned Astartes to 85% of their pre injury capability, at what point would this be more favorable than making Dreadnoughts? Why don't more Legions use these bionics?

I got the impression he's still a fearsome warrior, we see him holding his own in battle, he's just not as fluid and adept as he was before perhaps.

It's made pretty clear that he's slower and clumsier with the "Shackles" (he refers to his bionics as "Shackles" for this reason)...his subordinates are faster than him now. He used to be the fastest into battle.

 

WS bladesmanship is all about speed, so it's understandable why Shiban is unhappy.

 

His bionics also seem to be flawed: sporadic malfunctions now and then...like delayed reaction or getting stuck.

 

It's a bit odd that Cario is mentioned to be not only faster but also STRONGER than bionic Shiban.

 

You'd think that if anything, Shiban's bionics would grant him beastly strength at the expense of speed and mobility...but apparently not.

 

I am left with the conclusion that Shiban's bionics really suck compared to IH bionics. Bion Henricos' bionics are awesome...Shiban's not so much.

But then again, Bion Henricos is part of a legion that views bionics with near-religious awe and dedication, striving to replace as much of their flesh as they can.

 

Shiban is part of a legion that so values speed and maneuverability that they compromise their ship capabilities to go faster. The legion also appears to place great stock in "natural" skill, talent, and capabilities. So, yeah, no surprise that Shiban's bionics would be subpar compared to Henricos. Bear in mind that by the time Shiban gets his augmetics the White Scars have also been cut off from any extensive logistical support. It's likely they are relatively poor-quality compared to what a Space Marine commander could have access to at the height of the Great Crusade.

  • 1 month later...

As has been clear to me for a while, I love Chris' depiction of the Heresy.

 

It's got the right transitional edge, the right psychological toll on characters, the right sense of both epic and poetry to it, but that's told through very personal stories.

 

Utterly brilliant book, in my esteem. It had a touch of everything I like about the Heresy, and undid a lot of the stuff I routinely gripe and moan about in Heresy books that I don't like; perfect for my tastes!

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