New Emperors children look great

[Brother Monty]

The video was released only a bit ago but the new Emps children look insane. I’d be down to start an army based off Lucius’s model alone.

 

 

[Special Officer Doofy]

I'm lucky I didn't like them more than I did, I don't need to start another army any time soon! Lucius, Fulgrim and the Noise Marines look amazing. The regular marines to me are too bland and could have just been noise marines with different load outs, like how plague marines have so many different wargear options. The sword guys are not my cup of tea. Not into coneheads and tank tops. Possessed or not possessed, they look like eightbound without the steroids.

[Dr_Ruminahui]

As a longtime (well, since 2017) EC painter and player, I have mixed feelings about them.  I do think, for the most part, that they are pretty good.  While I prefer 30K Fulgrim (particularly the wings and scaled tail/body), the 40K model is fine and much better as an actual playing piece (and likely 2/3 the price).  Lucius is gloriously hideous, and the noise marines are a very nice update and bulked up version of the 3rd ed mixed metal/plastic models.  The two legionaires equivalents are fine (though I don't like the move from chainswords to normal swords for the melee squad), but its nice having them as two seperate units as it allows them each their own special rule rather than having one build side lined by not working well with the unit rule, like we get with bolter legionaires.  The sword specialist "six-bound" fit well with the army, though I'm personally not a fan of the cone heads some have or their ab-showing armour - that said, I like how it looks like you can get at least 6 distinctive models out of 2x3 man kits.  The non-named HQ models seems fine if unexciting (also don't like the cone heads some of the builds have), though the noise marine boss one is a bit strange.  Overall, I think GW did a pretty good job of straddling the line between the various mental images that people have of EC and putting out models that have something in them for everyone.

 

That said, I think my own reservations stem from them having a different look from the regular CSM line - which, as far as it goes, is fine - as a different army, it makes sense they have their own visual asthetic.  Its just I think I prefer the CSM look, though the new EC look may grow on me.

 

What may happen is that rather than continuing my current EC CSM army as an EC army, I may shift it away from EC fully into CSM, and then collect the new EC armies as their own separate thing.  I just don't know how I feel about that yet.  I would then have to decide whether to keep my new EC in the paint scheme of my current army, or do something else.  One option, if my demons do get folded into my EC as seems to be expected, would be to paint my EC more in line with my demons - so, a very similar pallet of pinks a purples, but probably with dark purple replacing the medium purple I currently use as my main colour - so, more like my defiler.  Anyway, we'll have to see.

Edited January 17 by Dr_Ruminahui

[Special Officer Doofy]

@Dr_Ruminahui the only issue I see with keeping your guys as chaos space marines depends on how they treat chaos daemons. If they get rid of the daemons codex and put Slaanesh in with EC, you would have to run EC to use them. The water is very muddy right now. Luckily it looks like we will find out within a few months as the cult Legions come out what is really going to happen. Either way I'm sure you'll find a way to make it work.

 

I like the new Fulgrim, even more than the forge world one, but Lucius stole the show for me. Hell of a model.

Edited January 17 by Special Officer Doofy

[LSM]

2 hours ago, Special Officer Doofy said:

@Dr_Ruminahui the only issue I see with keeping your guys as chaos space marines depends on how they treat chaos daemons. If they get rid of the daemons codex and put Slaanesh in with EC, you would have to run EC to use them. The water is very muddy right now...

 

My guess would be that Daemonic Allies would still be available to CSM - they'd just have to word it such that the points limit covered all the Cult Legions' daemons at once.

[Cpt.Danjou]

During the 3.5 codex era I had EC as my main army, but now I am not sure if I am going to start one again, sure the minis are amazing, but do I really need a fifth power armour army? Chaos Space marines, Space wolves, World eaters, and Death Guard at the moment. I will probably get either a Sonic box, or the Flawless Blades, just for painting. If I get them I will probably change the colour scheme a little. GWs pink is too flat in my opinion, but I understand why, as it shows the model better. The pink is to anime for me, I would probably make the recesses a little more purple, and the trims even darker, making them more grittier. I know Empy kids are all about excess, but adorn your shoulder pads with curtain tassels, what is that about? So that shoulder pad is gone. And I really am not a fan of the cone heads, luckily it seems that there are other heads.

 

When it comes to the Noise Marines, I think GW has found a great mix between silly 80s hair metal and scary Hellraiser, catering to both sides of the debate of how they should look. I am not a fan of the Shrieker pistol, makes me think of something Faboulous Bill would be carrying or maybe a Death guard, the vials are throwing me off. Otherwise they are a huge improvement compared to the old Noise marines upgrade, which was hard to fit correctly.

 

My take on the others. The Noise marine character is not my cup of tea, the huge organ pipe back pack is ok, but I don't like the straps. Lucius is great, much better than the old one, it would have been impossible to make it worse, as the old one was almost as ugly as the Chaos spawn. 

The lord Exultant is beautiful, except once again conehead, luckily there is the helmet, I wonder how many people are going to snip off the Slaanesh backpack symbol, and add it to their vehicles?

The Tormentors and Infactors, are just what you expect from Emperor's Children Marines, I have seen comments that they are a bit bland and not blinged enough, but considering that they will probably the ones you will paint the most off, I am happy that they are not excessively blinged.

 

Then we have Fulgrim. After have been painting his very Angry brother for a while now, I will probably not get him, I am so tired of painting large things that I never get satisfied with. And I have enough big ones on my shelf, Bel'A'kor, or how you spell it, Avatar of Khain, Shalaxi Hellbane,  Lord of Change, Knights, Angron. So i have not even studied him in detail as I have done with his minions.

 

Cpt.Danjou

[WrathOfTheLion]

I like them quite a lot, although I'm more of a longtime Word Bearers player moving into getting some Emperor's Children. I do like the new aesthetic, it's quite nice, although I have some plans to kitbash with some of the normal CSM models to help blend the imported kits (Terminators, etc.) with the new aesthetic. I did that with some Khorne berserkers based on a CSM squad and it worked quite well.

[Progenitor]

The more I look at them, the more I like them. I wasn't blown away by them at the start, but they have grown on me immensely. EC have always been my jam for a long time as I've always been a Slaanesh man at heart. 

[Brother Nathan]

gonna be the odd one out here likely but oddly im not drawn at all to them. i was near expecting to want to get some to do conversions with but have no appeal at all. they do look good but they are like harlequin cultists or such. it is good to see them get their own more dystinct retro image without being pushed too far in the  flesh direction. be interesting to see what the other cult armys get as their upgrades to see if they are worth pilfering... 

[EmprahsStrongestGuardsman]

The basic marines are ok. The noise marines too, but I'm not sure they're distinct enough from havocs looks-wise. Really like the Lord, the doom siren guy looks ridiculous though, needs totally different arms.

Lucius is not terrible but I don't like his head. Just looks like a zombie with a long droopy tongue. Fulgrim is very underwhelming, also very bad heads. I always dislike special character models though.

[mel_danes]

There is no supported way to play Noise Marines in a regular chaos army?

Like we can slot in a unit of Plague Marines or Khorne Berserkers.

I'd love a couple squads for flavor, but not a whole army.

[Dr_Ruminahui]

Yes, there are rules in the HSM codex to take the various god aligned forces as allies.  So you can "splash" a squad or two of EC into your HSM, limited by their cumulative points cost and the point size of your army.

[LSM]

With some consideration, upon the sixth day, my thoughts on the range:

 

FULGRIM 6/10

• Harsh, I know. I'm not usually one for big centrepiece models, so they always had an uphill battle to win me over.
• I absolutely adore the change to a more sea serpent look.
• The complete lack of studded leathers, chains, chem-lines, spikes, straps, or modified sensory amplifiers kills this for me. Everything that I associate with the core aesthetic of the post-Heresy Emperor's Children is absent. It's almost like he was designed in a bubble, or years before the rest of the range.
• If any Primarch deserved a "suns out guns out" un-power-armoured form, it's Fulgrim. I suppose the possibility still exists (it's not like the Magnus or Angron promo shots showed off that aspect of their kits) but it seems doubtful to me.
• "The orifice" is off-putting (for me) in a bad way. 
• I did see a photoshop of a black and pink colour scheme which made me like him a bit more. I'm sure if I were gifted one or something I could change things to my fancy, but... as I said, I'm not a fan of this type of model in general, so I won't go out of my way to pick him up.

LUCIUS 7/10

• The pose is great, his lash and sabre are great.
• The souls... are less messy than the old art/model, so I've going to have to add that back in. (Also add it to the left leg, peeking from beneath the leathers.) Make it look more like roiling flesh again, rather than a few faces straining at his armour. (Which is itself a neat concept, I just prefer the older take.)
• I'm not a huge fan of the way they've done the Combat Drug Dispenser, so I'll be modifying that (to cluster them together in the centre). 
• The head doesn't quite do it for me. I'll be further scaring it, and removing the lolling tongue for a more Gene Simmons-y one.
• Minor detail, but I miss the studded vambraces.
• I think, for me, the paint scheme might be hurting it a tad. I'd love to see someone photoshop it to be the classic fleshy-coloured grieves, pauldrons, and chestplate. I think that'd look way better (also: lose the purple hues to his flesh, and go back to the "clown makeup" pure white).
• Disappointed that they've removed his shooting attack. Is it really The Armour of Shrieking Souls anymore if he can't unleash its cacophony?
• Side note: disappointed that the lore is cementing him as a "loser".

LORDS EXULTANT 10/10

• Pose is nice, details are everything I love about the Emperor's Children: speakers, leathers, chains, opulence.
• The wealth of weapons options is a huge plus, even if I'm not tickled by Screamer Pistols. (I'm also not a big fan of the conehead, but the one head here looks easily cut down.)
• The one thing that could have cranked this to 11/10 (for me) would have been making the Icon optional, with alternatively a Combat Drug Dispenser and/or Doom Siren. I'd have lost the Screamer Pistol and the tactical rock for that. (And then made the right arm Power Fist/Power Spear/Rupture Lash, and left arm Plasma Pistol/Power Sword.)
• I am wondering if whatever the holstered pistol is (Bolt Pistol, one assumes), plus a Screamer Pistol, plus a Plasma Pistol, will be a legitimate build. Triple pistols!

LORDS KAKOPHONIST 9/10

• Body and heads are perfect, no notes. (Well... I wouldn't have minded more speakers on the greaves and the shoulders, but I assume the sculptor wanted the focus on the Doom Siren.)
• Doom Siren is pretty cool, though I prefer the old 3rd edition EC Lord's chaotic assortment of daemon-faced pipes. (I wonder if I can source some Mauler/Forgefiend exhaust bits to make a custom one more to my liking.)
• The faces on the sides have a bit of a... cartooniness (?) that doesn't quite work for me. I'm hoping it's just the 'Eavy Metal paintjob, but I might remove the top thirds (just leaving the speaker mouths).
• More Screamer Pistols. The alternate build with the Power Sword might be okay, but I'll have to figure out something. (Maybe just a pair of holstered pistols for WYSIWYG purposes, and leave the hands with nothing in them. (Spare arms from the Flawless Blades? "Draw!")

NOISE MARINES 8/10

• I like the Sonic Weapons, though prefer aspects of the old ones. (Mainly the housing - new ones look a little too standard CSM.)
• The Sonic Blasters and Blastmasters look too similar to one another - I think more should have been done to differentiate them.
• While I love the heavy Havoc-ness of them in general, if one was going to go this route with the Noise Marines (turning them into a minor side-Cult, as the Black Library had done) then I would have preferred them to be far more heavily mutated. They're a bit too... normal looking, lacking in the bizarre grotesquery I'd expect and want.
• The backpack speakers... are off somehow. I don't know why, but like the Lord Kakophonist they feel a touch cartoony (compare to the art on the codex cover, or the old Doom Sirens). Lack the hint of the grotesque, "stretched mouth stuffed with a speaker" vibe that would be (IMO) superior. 
• I really hope that the Disharmonist can take a Sonic Blaster. There are (at least) four in the kit, so they really should be able to...
• It will be interesting to see if they're an attractive choice in CSM armies.
• Side note: I'd have preferred if these Noise Marine Havocs had been named Disharmonists, or Kakophonists, etc. instead of being the Noise Marines. 

FLAWLESS BLADES 8/10

• Taking Adrian Smith's iconic 3rd edition Noise Marine art and making it into an entire three-man unit is fantastic.
• Not a fan of the coneheads - luckily there are alternatives. (We've seen six heads, four of them are so good that I hope there are more they haven't revealed yet.)
• As mentioned, I'm not a big fan of the dinky little drug canisters. (I'll be cutting the "sonic juice" bits off the Sonic Weapons, and adding them to the Flawless' backpacks to make proper chaotic-mess dispensers.)
• It's like they wanted to include the mono-boob, but then were afraid to, so the breast plates look a little awkward.
• Shoulder pads don't wow me. Smaller pads idea taken from the Smith artwork, but the simple studs worked well.
• As always, I could have done with some more speakers. ;P

TORMENTORS/INFRACTORS 8/10

• Heads and bodies are great - modified MkVI, with speaker faces, chains, leathers, drug lines. Also nice to see what may be the return of Hallucinogen Grenades to the Legion.
• A little disappointed that it appears to be a five-model, two sprue (doubled) dual kit. Going to have a lot of extras of certain bits, and there's less room for additional options. (Though it does hopefully mean that Tormentors can take double Plasma or double Melta, rules wise.)
• I like the Duellist Sabres, but... for the Emperor's Children, most of those Bolt Pistols, Bolters, and Meltagun/Plasmagun are kind of uninspired. One Bolt Pistol has a studded leather covering, a couple have Slaanesh icons... but not a single screaming face with the magazine sliding into the mouth? No sensory cables connecting gun to marine? No giant exhaust amplifiers to increase the sound of their shots? No crazy "kaleido-scopes" mounted on top? Boring.
• The shoulder pads are likewise really boring. The Legion Icon lacks chaotic flare, fitting in too well with the 30k line (though that might be a victim of casting limitations). But not one could be clutching a speaker? No vicious talons? No fiery feathers? And not a single shoulder pad with the classic screaming faces or inlaid speaker trim? (Which predates Noise Marines conceptually, so don't tell me that even with the Emperor's Children de-Noise-Marine-d they shouldn't still have that classic speaker trim. Even the 30k Praetor has speaker trim.)
• Personal note: I'd have dropped the six (?) Bolters, the Meltagun, and the Plasma Gun, and included four smaller (Jes-Goodwin-sketch-style) Sonic Blasters on the kit instead, and called these Noise Marines. (One-in-five would be a Champion or Icon Bearer, and be melee locked.) And then made the Noise Marine Havocs all have Blastmasters and some other new heavy Sonic Weapon, and called those [as above].