Blood Bowl 2 League 4 - Summer Season - Union Elves VS Norse

Game seven of Blood Bowl 2 League 4 - Summer Season - Union Elves VS Norse Gameplay.

Want more Blood Bowl? Follow me, and reach out if you are a player; we can have a match together. Also, let me know if you are interested in a miniature game. If there is enough interest, I will start working out how to get some content made for that.

New season and a new team for me to face off against. The Norse was one of the few teams I had in miniature form back then. Though in the "good old days," they didn't have yetis, werewolves or beer hogs! I remember them hitting hard, so I must watch out for that!

I hope you enjoy it and will smash the like and follow buttons. Cheers

Amazon Store for a look into what I use and buy: https://amzn.to/3yg3Iwb

Book Review 227 // The Hyborian Age by Robert E. Howard

I enter a title I wouldn't traditionally read as part of my completionist ways. More of an encyclopedia of the stories' lore than an adventure tale. I've tried reading one similar about the Lord of the Rings and saying it bored me would be an understatement. Here's hoping this one goes better.

Title: The Hyborian Age

Author: Robert E. Howard

Blurb: Nothing in this article is to be considered as an attempt to advance any theory in opposition to accepted history. It is simply a fictional background for a series of fiction-stories. When I began writing the Conan stories a few years ago, I prepared this 'history' of his age and the peoples of that age, in order to lend him and his sagas a greater aspect of realness. And I found that by adhering to the 'facts' and spirit of that history, in writing the stories, it was easier to visualize (and therefore to present) him as a real flesh- and-blood character rather than a ready-made product. In writing about him and his adventures in the various kingdoms of his Age, I have never violated the 'facts' or spirit of the 'history' here set down, but have followed the lines of that history as closely as the writer of actual historical-fiction follows the lines of actual history. I have used this 'history' as a guide in all the stories in this series that I have written.

Review

Yeah still rather dull. I am sure there is a lot here that people would love if they enjoyed a deep dive into a character's world and timeline. A highlight for me was the Hyborian World map. This is going to be open on the iPad whilst I read so I can reference locations etc as Conan adventures across the known world.

There is a lot to take in, turns out Howard has crammed a lot into his little section of the world. So many countries, nations, and race names getting mentioned can be rather overwhelming at times. It soon all started to blend in with each other, and I found myself drifting away more than once, entering more of a studying daze than an enjoyment of reading. And by the end, I was happy to move on with my life.

Overall it's not a needed piece of writing if you are hoping to enjoy Conan yourself. If you are weird like me and have to complete everything all I can say is "Good Luck!".

Audio Review 122 // Bloodspire by CZ Dunn

I'm still on a Sons of Baal kick, and my 2nd Edition Space Marines are crying out to become Blood Angels. Bloodspire by C Z Dunn is a 30-minute Space Marine Battle based on a paragraph from an older Blood Angel Codex (is it in the newer ones?). I am constantly worried about the 30-minute titles as it is around that time you start enjoying a story properly, and it always ends abruptly. Let us see if that happens here.

Title: Bloodspire

Author: Christian Z. Dunn

Narrator: Seán Barrett & Rupert Degas, Chris Fairbank & David Timson.

Blurb: On the world of Axonar, a squad of Blood Angels Scouts scale the dizzying heights of a mighty hive city as their battle-brothers fight far below. They aim to open the way for a daring aerial assault to crack open the city and ensure victory.

Buy now on Amazon: affiliate link that gives me a kickback. Cheers!

 

Review

As I feared way too short. Just as I was enjoying aspects, it came to an end. More than 30 minutes is needed, even for a short story. The Blood Angels scout is tasked with climbing the hive city to call down aerial support. The only issue is you need to be a fan of 40k to understand the scale of the task. And this kind of info is genuinely required and missed in this tale.

All the action is split between two forces. The first and main section is the Scouts led by Sergeant Cardulla, whose job is to scale the peak. The ground forces of Captain Metreion are to hold the attack long enough to get the needed support to crack the city. It feels like a tale told one hundred times; the only problem is that this has 30 minutes to do it.

It's short and ok for a walk into work, sounds great, as these always do, but the lack of depth and character development hinder the piece and leave it feeling a little lacklustre. Let me know if you disagree. 

Imperium Magazine Issue 16 - Destroy the Warden - Review & Battle Report

Imperium Magazine Issue 16 - Destroy the Warden is the next installment as I run all 80 Battle Reports from the Warhammer 40,000 Imperium collection from Hachette Partworks and Games Workshop.

This will all be a part of the Imperium playlist: YouTube Playlist. Hit the subscribe button! to not miss out.

So for each issue, I will bring you a fully painted battle report. Using that issues figures (if they have some) and rules. As well as a quick overview of the magazine. Got any questions, please do ask!

Imperium Magazine Issue 16 - Comes the second half of the assault intercessors and sees an eight-man squad of marines take on ten Necron warriors and the Warden. Who will win? The series is 12-5 to the Necrons and with the marines outnumbered, can they finally take out the warden?

Hope you enjoy it and will follow. Cheers!

Comic Review 234 // Slaine: The Brutania Chronicles - Book 2

I love that my joy of Slaine is upon me and I am devouring the Brutania Chronicles. Are you ready? Because I am!

Title: Sláine: The Brutania Chronicles - Book Two: Primordial

Author: Pat Mills

Illustrator: Simon Davis

Blurb: TROJAN WAR!

ALBION, IN A TIME OF LEGEND. Celtic warrior Sláine united the tribes of the Earth Goddess Danu and became the first High King of Ireland. After ruling for seven years, he travelled through time to fight for the Goddess in other eras before returning to save his people from the Fomorian sea devils. Now, having journeyed to Monadh to rescue Sinead from the Drune Lords, he must face the powerful might of the Trojan army and their superhuman warrior, the Primordial, in a battle to the death!

This thrilling continuation of The Brutania Chronicles was written by 2000 AD creator Pat Mills (Ro-Busters) and features the breathtaking, painted art of Simon Davis (Missionary Man, B.L.A.I.R. 1).

Format: 112 pages, Kindle Edition (buy now on Kindle)

Review

I really enjoyed this one. The artwork looked amazing the characters were interesting and having to learn some Celtic terms and lore was a true highlight. Good job I have google. Also for the love of all things, I hope a model of the Fishhead Drune wearing the Salmon of Knowledge becomes a real Warlord Games model in the future!

The story continuing in Albion has Slaine facing down against Slough Gododin. Gododin is the chief of the Drunes lords but also the Son of Slough Feg, meaning he has a well-rounded and thought-out back story. We actually have a revenge story that isn't just thrown together. With Slaine's link to the warping powers broken, we also have a Slaine who is broken and physically at his weakest. Add into this mix the psychological abuse Gododin is adding and we get a really meaty plot.

The plot highlight of this volume is Slaine's back story as we try to work out and discover who his real day is and how it may affect Slaine moving forwards. I don't want to give spoilers so you have to read this volume yourselves!

Now don't get me wrong, I enjoyed this title, but being book two means ultimately it is setting us up for the main action. So there is a little feeling of a lull in the story, but in no way is this bad if read correctly. Reading it all in one go is very important (if long when it is multiple volumes), if you pick this up as a stand-alone read, you will be disappointed and you are also missing the point. Read in sequence and you should not be disappointed.

How to paint Primaris Spaces Marine Star Phantoms with speed paint

Diving back into the Badab paint schemes, grab a coffee, sit back and enjoy this quick and dirty, how-to paint Primaris Spaces Marine Star Phantoms with speed paints.

It's a quick, straightforward video showing how I painted a Star Phantoms Primaris Space Marines. The technique is pretty straightforward, and a big pro for me is its quickness. This is not technical; this is designed to get paint on models and looks good from 3FT. Please be warned that it is white, and my camera hated looking at it for so long.

A fan of Badab? Great let's be friends: More Badab Paint Schemes

Star Phantom Fluff

The Star Phantoms is a Loyalist Space Marine Chapter of the 23rd Founding created in the early 38th Millennium from an unknown origin.

It took part in the final days of the Badab War and the final assault upon the Astral Claws' homeworld of Badab Primaris, helping bring the war to a successful conclusion.

Created during the so-called "Sentinel" Founding, the Star Phantoms was one of several Chapters whose mission was to take and hold various xenos-contested regions on the very borders of the Emperor's domains. Many of the Chapter's earliest campaigns were waged against now-extinct xenos monstrosities, and the Star Phantoms frequently operated on their own and far from the support of other Imperial institutions.

This situation is often cited as the main reason for the Chapter's somewhat isolationist outlook, though others have advanced the notion that the cause is rooted in the Star Phantoms' genetic heritage.

Some Imperial scholars suspect that the Star Phantoms were created from the gene-seed of the Dark Angels, which, if true, would be unusual, not only because the Astartes of the Chapter do not suffer from any known mutations, but because the Dark Angels' gene stock is rarely utilised by the Adeptus Mechanicus for new Foundings. The Dark Angels themselves deny the lineage, while the Star Phantoms regard any such enquiries as impertinent.

The Star Phantoms display a peculiarly idiosyncratic Chapter cult. The Chapter's rites and traditions focus on death and martyrdom, the fallen being revered over and above the living. Symbols of death and mourning are used as Chapter iconography, the Chapter symbol itself featuring a sand-timer surmounted by two death's heads.

This trait extends to a generalised disregard for the living that has often manifested in excessive collateral damage amongst populations the Chapter has been tasked with purging of insurrectionist elements, and even amongst allied units.

In battle, the Star Phantoms utilise overwhelming firepower in order to crush their enemy utterly. Unlike many other Chapters, they hold no particular method of war as inherently favourable or honourable.

They make extensive use of Drop Pod assaults, supported by a greater than usual reliance on Drop Pod-delivered ordnance such as the Deathstorm Launcher, and favoured personal weapons are always those able to deliver the most impressive and destructive firepower.

In nature, battle-brothers of the Star Phantoms are often solemn and invariably shun contact with those outside of their Chapter. Their Chapter cult teaches that life is transient and only the manner of a warrior's death holds any meaning.

While they may be somewhat cold, the Star Phantoms truly hold no compulsions about dying, so long as they know they will be grieved by their comrades according to their beliefs.

Book Review 226 // The Greater Festival of Masks by Thomas Ligotti

Continuing my dive into modern horror authors with "The Greater Festival of Masks" by Thomas Ligotti (1985). There is not a lot of info on this title out there. Whether it is due to it being a short story or just found within other titles is still being determined. It is a short piece that I found within Darkness: Two Decades of Modern Horror (Amazon link).

I had never read a Thomas Ligotti title before or even heard of the name. So I was going in blind with this story. The title itself was a game of two halves. The rich descriptions, the location and the setting, were all unique and enjoyable. But I quickly became lost in the plot. Unsure if we were experiencing real life or dreamscape. I fully understand this is maybe the point of the title, but it was jarring.

We join a traveller called Noss, who is in a somewhat out-of-place city in the throws of a festival. The festival's theme involves wearing masks, and soon the lead finds himself in a crowded and rather creepy shop selling carnival masks. At this point, I start to lose the plot's focus. Noss is left in charge of the shop he has just entered (weird how this is so easily accepted), and while being tempted to wear a mask, he is also lured into the shop's backyard, where we get to experience some of the festivals.

From what I understand, people wear two masks throughout the celebration. The first mask causes your features to be smoothed out, while the second mask creates a new face. It fits the idea of changing your outside to match the world around you while your true character remains hidden. This idea of fakeness and hiding away spreads as we realize that even the buildings are fake, with doors leading nowhere, balconies with no access, and stairways that connect to nothing. Everything seems to want to mimic something else.

I was left confused and I may need to read other works of Ligotti to understand this one more. But I am also getting strong King in Yellow vibes. The faceless fears, masks and a dream-like city etc. My ultimate enjoyment of this title comes from my fear of Masks. I have always enjoyed the horrors of Halloween, Friday the 13th and Texas Chainsaw Massacre due to the faceless horrors of the killers, so the idea of a city full of masked people creeps me out!

What are your thoughts? Have you read a Ligotti tale?

Audio Review 121 // At Slaughter's End by Andy Smillie

Hey, guess what! Time for more Flesh Tearer action! I feel I need to paint up a Flesh Tearer model soon.

Title: At Slaughter's End: Space Marine Battles

Author: Andy Smillie

Narrator:  Gareth Armstrong, Steve Conlin, and Tim Molloy

Blurb: In the aftermath of the battle, Flesh Tearers Chapter Master Amit picks his way across the blasted landscape and is drawn into single combat with a survivor of the enemy force, a berserker dedicated to the Blood God. As they fight, Amit realizes that at the slaughter’s end, he and the servant of Khorne are not so dissimilar…

This audio provides an insight into the dark soul of the Flesh Tearers Chapter and the rage that lurks beneath the surface. It’s also worth a listen if you want to witness two incredibly angry Space Marines taking chunks out of each other in brutal close combat. It's World Eater against Flesh Tearer, and one thing's for sure — it will be bloody.

Running time: 18 minutes

Buy Now on Amazon

Review

A quick, brutal, but informative listen today. This short story by Smille packs a punch. It plays out a single act of a more significant battle coming to a close. Amit of the Flesh Tearers stalks the battlefield looking for survivors; during one of these patrols, he encounters a World Eater Champion, one of the few survivors of the conflict. As the brutal single combat progresses, Amit is forced to realize that there is very little difference been the Flesh Tearers and the World Eaters. Both are raged filled and allow their anger to control them. How easy would it be to slip into the lure of chaos?

For a quick short story, it hits hards and is an excellent look at the doubt found within the first Chapter, Master of the Flesh Tearers and how this ultimate doubt has shaped the chapter. The production value, as expected, is fantastic, along with the narration. The story is clever and well thought out. I am ready to have an entire Flesh Tearer novel now. Please let me know what I should read next.

Blood Bowl 2 League 3 - Spring Season - Union Elves VS Black Orcs

Game seven of Blood Bowl 2 League 3 - Spring Season - Union Elves vs Black Orcs Gameplay.

If you want to watch the rest of the season, you best click subscribe and then watch the rest of the season here: Adventures with Peps Playlist

Weirdly this was my first-ever game against Black Orcs. It was a slower-paced game of some heavy hits. But it was also a must-win game as this was the season's final match, and I am currently drawing with the orcs for the top spot! Can I win?

If you play this game, reach out; we can match together.

I hope you enjoy it and will smash the like and follow buttons. Cheers

Comic Review 233 // Slaine: The Brutania Chronicles - Book 1 by Pat Mills

Continuing my adventures into the Worlds of Slaine. This title is the beginning of something new. The series is called The Brutania Chronicles and is spread over four books (I believe). It is also a change in art styles as we get treated to Simon Davis's version of the world. So let us dive in.

Title: Sláine: The Brutania Chronicles - Book One

Author: Pat Mills

Illustrator: Simon Davis

Blurb: THE CELTIC WARRIOR RETURNS!

ANCIENT ALBION. Celtic barbarian warrior Sláine united the tribes of the Earth Goddess and became the first High King of Ireland. After ruling for seven years, he fought for the Goddess, travelling through time to battle her enemies before returning to save his people from the Fomorian sea devils. Now, he's crossed over onto the isle of Monadh in an attempt to rescue Sinead from the evil clutches of the Drune Lords...

This brand-new chapter in the life of Sláine is the perfect jumping-on-point for new readers as writer Pat Mills (Marshal Law) transports the Celtic warrior to the ancient world of Albion. This book also introduces the fully-painted art style of Simon Davis (Ampney Crucis) to the strip for the first time.

Format: 112 pages, Kindle Edition

Buy now via Amazon

Review

Wow, a change of pace with this title. Slaine is a changed man, older, wiser, disgruntled and grizzled. The wars and deaths have taken their toll, and now Slaine wanders Albion alone, almost a shade of his former self. This is a depressed Slaine; the world has changed, and his people have gone to a new dimension to live in peace with the Earth Goddess. The temples of old now lie abandoned and cold, many being plundered by raiders. Whilst the few Fomorians still left alive have carved out a new empire where they impose their fearsome nose tax!

It does feel like Slaine has lost his spark, finally beaten by the constant fighting and loss. He isn't the hero of old, but that makes this title interesting. He fights only when he has to; he no longer seeks out adventure. This is a true insight into what happens to the hero who lives for too long. What happens when you become broken and disenchanted by the world around you. It is an exciting direction to take Slaine, and it also feels like a point many reviewers miss.

I am a big fan of Simon Davis's work; it feels like proper fantasy artwork, which you would have seen in the 70s and early 80s. The creatures are genuinely fantastical, with a hint of realism still about them, whilst the large panel artwork keeps you focused on the story. But the problem you have is this is following on from such an epic story arc, "Invasions," that it is hard not to compare. Our heroic saviour of his people being broken and depressed will not please everyone. But this arc promises to be great and seems very fitting for the times it was written in.

Let me know your thoughts. Are you reading these as well?

By far a highlight!

Let's Play Warhammer 40k: Space Marine - Episode 12 - Victory and Sacrifice

Why is this game so good?

You can catch up on the series here: Adventures with Peps Playlist

This is war! Full-on action in this episode. And soon, we are smashing our way to the finale. We have Blood Ravens and more Ultramarines entering the fray, but I seem to continue alone into the darkness. Sent help!

What is Space Marine? Well, here is the game fluff.

In Warhammer 40,000 Space Marine, you are Captain Titus, a Space Marine of the Ultramarines chapter and a seasoned veteran of countless battles.

A millions-strong Ork horde has invaded an Imperial Forge World, one of the planet-sized factories where the war machines for humanity’s never-ending battle for survival are created. Losing this planet is not an option, and be aware of the far more evil threat lurking large in the shadows of this world.