Reader's Notes

[Talonair]

In that case the Abyssii would, publically, condemn them as Heretek as well

[simison]

Got it.

 

So, the Imperial Armoury does have a weapon with the Lance rule in the Proteus Las Lance. I feel much better about Alexandros having a Lance weapon.

[simison]

Anytime I read Euphemia, I can't help but think of Code Geass.

 

That is all.

 

Note 2: The xenos Rykogene were exterminated after they had successfully boarded the Emperor's flagship, the Bucephalus, and wreaked some damage, including putting one Custodian into a dreadnought.

Edited May 8, 2017 by simison

[simison]

New book, new post.

 

I haven't noticed until now, but each of the Prefaces are signed by the letters "AK". I immediately thought 'Alan King', until I remembered that Alan Bligh is the lead writer. I wonder if FW will ever reveal who the in-universe author of these books are. 

[simison]

It occurs to me that Guilliman may have had an additional reason for splitting up the Legions. It may have made it easier to absorb the Blackshields and other Irregular Space Marine forces back into the Imperium, allowing some of the more independent-minded war leaders a measure of reward for returning to faithful service instead of simply rebelling. 

 

Perhaps we can add that to part of Kozja's reasoning for the Order Treaty, adding one sympathetic motivation to his other more selfish ones. 

 

Note 2: Hangman Void is a region of space near the galactic core. 

 

Note 3: Read to the point where the Salamanders find Cassian. Really, the entire voyage reminds me of Odysseus and Medieval tales of heroism and journeys. That should be something we keep in mind as we progress through the Insurrection. The early signs of questing, faith, and superstition are slowly returning to the galaxy.

 

Note 4: To my surprise, the HH rulebooks appear to be written after the 3rd Founding, as described on page 66 of Retribution. 

 

Note 5: Added a new Great Crusade battle with no recommended Legion.

Edited May 15, 2017 by simison

[simison]

I'm reading through the Tenebor mystery and took a break to verify who was responsible for wiping out the Night Lords there. Was surprised to see it was the Ashen Claws, a chapter of Raven Guard. Apparently, they go rogue? Not sure, haven't finished reading, but I was intrigued to learn that they were first mentioned all the way back in Book 3 Extermination. It's a thing to keep in mind as we progress through out books to have these little details connect throughout the series. 

[Kelborn]

Yeah, Retribution's fluff was really well done, imho.

 

The Scouring of the Nostraman sector is really good and quite different take on delivering a story, which felt more organic and believable.

 

Poor Ophion. One of few Night Lords, who cared for their Legion as a whole.

 

I really enjoyed the way, FW took with the Terran Raven Guard. Instead of staying loyal, they went ":cuss: this, we're outta here", raiding and scavenging traitorous realms and establishing their own within the void beyond the known realm.

 

Along the Ashen Claws, did the Pale Nomads journeyd into the void as well, only to (most likely) return as the Carcharodons. :D

I always loved the Raven Guard but those Terran fellas are just pure badass. Cruel but badass. ^^

[simison]

Ophion, was he that one Night Lords officer who survived Sevetar's surprise execution?

[Kelborn]

Nope. Ophion was one of the new Kyroptera, who was selected by Sevatar for taking care for the entire Legion and not his own hide.

 

You're talking about Var Jahan. :)

[bluntblade]

I like how Var Jahan gets an exemplary battle which is all murder, and then we learn that the Night Lords consider him to be more of a soldier than a butcher. Cripes, what does that say about the rest?

[Kelborn]

Perfect Legion to live out your dark side?

 

*edit*

 

Where did he get an exemplary battle??

Edited May 20, 2017 by Kelborn

[bluntblade]

Massacre. That "kill one person from every family, then kill a city on every world" one.

[Kelborn]

Ah, the third one, right? Where they have fully embraced their bloodsheding profession?

 

I liked the second one the most. The one where they fight along the Iron Warriors and simply used them as a distraction in order to get onboard that Ork ships, destroying it from within. :D

[simison]

Just finished reading the Ashen Claw chapter. I'm surprised by how far forward the historian jumps, all the way to 063.M31. Of special interest was how the Lords of Terra specifically abandoned the Nostramo sector, which permanently shrunk the Imperium. 

 

I imagine Hectarion is going to have a few strong words with the High Lords, if they attempt anything like that in BotL. 

 

Do we know if the Ashen Claws and their Second Crusade still exist in 40k?

 

This also makes Sete's secret Imperium feel more plausible. 

[Kelborn]

Nope, we don't.

Everything which is left of the Terran Ravens are the presumed Carcharodons. Nothing else in canon.

 

And I agree regarding Sete's empire.

 

One of the few remaining Pred forces, the former Black Conda, will have an engagement / conflict with a Star Lords fleet in the unknown realms, the Colonial Wars.

 

There's much potential out there. :)

[simison]

Well past the halfway point in Retribution, a couple of thoughts. It feels like there are lot more campaigns in Retribution than in the other FW books. I'll verify once I've read through the whole thing and double-checked the table of contents, but I feel like this is the case because the actual profiles for the Shattered Legions and other factions are so short. For example, Shattered Legions fluff 'chapter' is merely a page and a half. Where as a standard Legion fluff chapter can easily take up 10+ pages. Feels like that lost space was instead devoted to campaigns. 

 

It also occurs to me that we will need our own Shattered Legion rules. True, we don't have anything equivalent to the Dropsite Massacre, but throughout the Insurrection there are Legion elements who do become cut off from the central chain of command and have to come up with some ad hoc organization with multiple Legions represented. However, I think that can only really happen once all of the LA rules are out there that way we know how to modify the LA rules to fit in a Shattered Legion force. 

 

We were planning on two books to feature Insurgos, I think the latter book would be the time to debut our version of the Shattered Legions.

[Kelborn]

Indeed, Retribuion consists nearly entirely of campaigns.

 

As for the Shattered Legions, I do believe that we got a handful of Legion forces which had to act on their own.

 

If needed, the loyal Predators under Adewale and Thoruk can count (alongside others of course) as a Shattered Legion equivalent. Seperated from the bulk of the Legion, as they were tasked by Andezo, they still fight FOR the Imperium and are not aware of their Legion's betrayal.

[simison]

Maybe. I think the two key requirements that separate a Shattered Legion/Blackshield force is size and communication. No Insurgo is cut off from the chain of command, whether Loyalist or Traitor. Furthermore, I think an Insurgo force should be at least around 3,000 Legionaries, since Blackshields and Shattered Legion forces rarely rise above a thousand. 

 

So, where do Adewale and Thoruk's force fall under?

[Kelborn]

The main difference between Blackshields and Shattered Legions is the fact that the SL still adhere to their Legion's culture, ranks, combat doctrine, etc., while the Blackshields just went : I'm doing my own thing now.

 

 

hm....eacht tribe consists of round about 10K. They are operating alone for about 5-10 years, though 10 years is rather long imo. More about 5 years. While Andezo joins Icarion, Adewale and Thoruk fight some chaos cults, searching for answers. They can face off with some already established traitor forces or could act as the surprise trump card in certain battles, arriving just in time in order to save some loyalists. (Could be interesting as the loyalists see the Preds as traitors)

 

In the end, they might lose more than half of their strength, which would leave each of them at around 5K. Still too much for a Shattered Legion force. If I go further and deplet them up to 1-2K, it could be difficult for the loyalists to regroup as a loyal cohort, or not?

Edited May 25, 2017 by Kelborn

[bluntblade]

*lose, Kel, not loose. Just for future reference

[Kelborn]

Oh typo.

 

Thanks, pal. ;)

[bluntblade]

Ah, fair enough

[simison]

I was just asking how many marines were serving under them. They don't have to be a Shattered Legion force.

[Kelborn]

Oh, sorry.

Two tribes, each 10K strong

[simison]

So, the Dark Compliance army is a mixed Astartes and Militia force, where all Militia units are expendable. It is noted that Astartes units can never outnumber Militia units.

 

How is this different from the Badab's army set-up?

 

Note 2: Another thing I'm really impressed by is how well FW melds in fiction from BL novels into the background. There is a Sons of Horus overseer who is a blatant reference to Nemesis.

 

Note 3: The Chymeriae options are a little disappointing. Not the crunch but the fact that they are simple called 'options' instead of actual titles.

 

Note 4: Under the Xenos Deathlock weapons' entry is a couple of names. The 'extinction carbines of the Khrave' and the 'psycho-mobius claw-guns of the Kala Sistrum'.

Edited June 9, 2017 by simison