Your Opinion on Recent Black Book Writing Quality?

[Azorius]

I don't like Space Wolves are described as 'wild wolves' and compared with the World Eaters, using them as a foil of the Scars, whilst previous book emphasizes their discipline and civilized, cultured aspects belying their savage outlook, just same as the Scars. It is as if the author is not the identical person. 

[noigrim]

It's not

[Ironandforge]

 

The only thing that bothers me is the individual legionaries depicted. Books 1-5 had their weapons shown besides, books 6-7 had their shoulderpads, book 8 shows only a frontal shot of the legionary. Not that it's a major issue, really.

There did seem a lack of images like that in this book compared to the rest, that was the only thing I was disapointed with.

 

I was very disappointed with the lack of images, which seem to be declining in frequency scene book 3.  i felt the lore sections were excellent, but i want more pictures as they are great references.  

[noigrim]

The cpaign sytem and daemon rules are :cussing trash, the rest is ok I guess

[Tymell]

I did notice a number of errors/awkward bits of writing in Malevolence during my read-through. However, I've been doing lots of proof-reading recently, so it's entirely possible that I read this one a bit more closely than past black books. As such, I don't want to assert that it's any worse than previous ones, but I definitely did notice:

 

• Chronology errors (hardly a first with FW, but even with this single book there were mistakes), e.g. initial compliance of Signus given as 933, stated to be one decade after the WB censure at Monarchia (established several other times to be in 963)
• Other consistency/continuity errors: in the Signus battle, Crohne is said to command the 94th company on the left flank. Then later, the book says it's the 95th. The book also states that the Luna Wolves were "sea-green" at Sanguinius' rediscovery, but surely at this point, as Luna Wolves, they wouldn't have that colour yet?
• Occasional awkward repetition of words/odd sentence structure, nothing massive, but just the odd part that felt like it should've been re-phrased (and in one instance, using "to envelope". I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure it's "envelop" when used as a verb)
• Inconsistency in capitalisation of Kiy-buran/Kiy-Buran

Again, I'm not saying these sort of things didn't happen in the previous books, but Book VIII definitely could've benefited from another proof-read or two.

[Nova_Dew]

So far book 8 is not making me want to play BA's (and im a BA fan) the dreg's of the dreg's to perfect exemplars of Imperial-ness is just a little too cliche, if they were designed to be a line legion much like the Dark Angels were before the other legions got their numbers up a bit, i would be ok with that and it would make sense, they can recruit just about anyone and if a line unit needs something it's numbers and the BA's could get numbers fast (they also get to keep the eaters of the dead thing, remember marines, in the IXth it's not cannibalism, it's on the job training and promotion in one meal! (enjoy responsibly as part of a healthy and varied war))

[carlisimo]

Wow, that’s a single sentence and you haven’t even closed it yet.

 

Weren’t they always dregs to exemplars?

[DuskWalker]

I for one thing the writing in Malevolence, and for the two Legions + Psyarkana especially, is top-notch and far above my expectations. I also agree that the decline in images is unfortunate, but I love both the pre-Primarch XI and V Legion fluff.

 

The Eaters of the Dead / Revenant Legion lore is very compelling and I think perfectly jives with what one would expect of the BAs without the moderating influence of Sanguinius. Had this come out earlier, I probably would have made my Blackshields XI Legion remnants. 

[Nova_Dew]

Wow, that’s a single sentence and you haven’t even closed it yet.

 

Weren’t they always dregs to exemplars?

 

That was the shock and now for the awe, consider this the end of the last stream of consciousness sentence. 

 

Before this book, only the marines recruitment from radiation addled almost mutants to physical perfection-ish.

 

Pre Sang we are just Space Wolves -1, just as unruly and prone to infighting with leaders who lead by strength of arm's more than leadership with tactics at the squad level at best, more despised by the Imperial forces and dispensed by the big E when he want's something very dead (ok that also includes wanting some of the BA's dead at times), main difference is we were not part of the special three.

After sang we become Space wolves +1,  a complete transformation in our case to the epitome of artistic soldier as apposed to the noble savage, beloved by all (mostly thanks to sang being so loved), hyper focused on our specialised means of war, almost to the detriment of other area's.

 

Don't get me wrong there is some fantastic fluff in there, eating the dead to gain experience (Maybe using them for a successor chapter, where a marine gives up a limb for the aspirant to nom on, so they only have a scout company on paper and the 10th company is another reserve company.) taking on the identity of fallen commanders after eating them, the followers and cult they spawned and then killed without remorse, how they became such monsters in part because of how they were treated by the fledgling imperium. It's just the rags to riches trope has been done in 30K with the wolves before us along with the outsider to trusted friends with the Salamanders.

[Biscuittzz]

Hypnotic Indoctrination is already quite widespread in the legions during the crusade and HH, it is showcased quite heavily in Praetorian of Dorn.

 

On topic, while there has been the slightest change in the writing of the recent black books, I don't think it's too much to think that there would be some discrepancies given that the lead writer and brain trust on the subject passed away. Not seeing a change would be more surprising imo.

[noigrim]

Book 8 is definitely better written than 7

[carlisimo]

 

 

Wow, that’s a single sentence and you haven’t even closed it yet.

 

Weren’t they always dregs to exemplars?

That was the shock and now for the awe, consider this the end of the last stream of consciousness sentence.

 

Before this book, only the marines recruitment from radiation addled almost mutants to physical perfection-ish.

 

Pre Sang we are just Space Wolves -1, just as unruly and prone to infighting with leaders who lead by strength of arm's more than leadership with tactics at the squad level at best, more despised by the Imperial forces and dispensed by the big E when he want's something very dead (ok that also includes wanting some of the BA's dead at times), main difference is we were not part of the special three.

After sang we become Space wolves +1, a complete transformation in our case to the epitome of artistic soldier as apposed to the noble savage, beloved by all (mostly thanks to sang being so loved), hyper focused on our specialised means of war, almost to the detriment of other area's.

 

Don't get me wrong there is some fantastic fluff in there, eating the dead to gain experience (Maybe using them for a successor chapter, where a marine gives up a limb for the aspirant to nom on, so they only have a scout company on paper and the 10th company is another reserve company.) taking on the identity of fallen commanders after eating them, the followers and cult they spawned and then killed without remorse, how they became such monsters in part because of how they were treated by the fledgling imperium. It's just the rags to riches trope has been done in 30K with the wolves before us along with the outsider to trusted friends with the Salamanders.

Pre-Sanguinius it sounds like they were similar to the Pre-Russ Space Wolves but worse, no disagreement there. But also similar to the 40k depictions of the Flesh Tearers.

 

After Sanguinius, I don’t see the comparison to the Space Wolves at all, and I suspect it’s because we don’t see the Space Wolves the same way. To me, the Space Wolves are one of the legions whose aspirants change the least when they become Space Marines. They don’t share that many traits with the Blood Angels - they aren’t even civilian-friendly until some time after the Heresy.

 

The biggest change I noticed between M31 and M41 Blood Angels is that the legion rank and file aren’t expected to think independently. Otherwise, they feel like their 40k selves to me.

[Leman Russ SW]

The rules writing is my biggest issue with Book 8, the Khan not being allowed in either of the White Scar rite of war is a major mistake.

[Nova_Dew]

 

 

Wow, that’s a single sentence and you haven’t even closed it yet.

 

Weren’t they always dregs to exemplars?

That was the shock and now for the awe, consider this the end of the last stream of consciousness sentence.

 

Before this book, only the marines recruitment from radiation addled almost mutants to physical perfection-ish.

 

Pre Sang we are just Space Wolves -1, just as unruly and prone to infighting with leaders who lead by strength of arm's more than leadership with tactics at the squad level at best, more despised by the Imperial forces and dispensed by the big E when he want's something very dead (ok that also includes wanting some of the BA's dead at times), main difference is we were not part of the special three.

After sang we become Space wolves +1, a complete transformation in our case to the epitome of artistic soldier as apposed to the noble savage, beloved by all (mostly thanks to sang being so loved), hyper focused on our specialised means of war, almost to the detriment of other area's.

 

Don't get me wrong there is some fantastic fluff in there, eating the dead to gain experience (Maybe using them for a successor chapter, where a marine gives up a limb for the aspirant to nom on, so they only have a scout company on paper and the 10th company is another reserve company.) taking on the identity of fallen commanders after eating them, the followers and cult they spawned and then killed without remorse, how they became such monsters in part because of how they were treated by the fledgling imperium. It's just the rags to riches trope has been done in 30K with the wolves before us along with the outsider to trusted friends with the Salamanders.

Pre-Sanguinius it sounds like they were similar to the Pre-Russ Space Wolves but worse, no disagreement there. But also similar to the 40k depictions of the Flesh Tearers.

 

After Sanguinius, I don’t see the comparison to the Space Wolves at all, and I suspect it’s because we don’t see the Space Wolves the same way. To me, the Space Wolves are one of the legions whose aspirants change the least when they become Space Marines. They don’t share that many traits with the Blood Angels - they aren’t even civilian-friendly until some time after the Heresy.

 

The biggest change I noticed between M31 and M41 Blood Angels is that the legion rank and file aren’t expected to think independently. Otherwise, they feel like their 40k selves to me.

 

 

I was more thinking how the perception of the legion changed, Blood Angels going from the fire and forget pretty much sacrificial weapon to the noble BA's we see post sang's discovery and the Space Wolves going from an infighting butcher everything in the way to the focused weapon that they came to be known, they didn't become the same but they both left behind their prior identity to become something else, but i guess you could say the same about all the legions.

 

Though we don't know what Russ thinks of any one comparing the Wolves to their prior self, if he cares at all, compared to Sang getting somewhat upset about the same.