Blood Bowl 2 league - Game five Elven Union vs Orcs

Game five with the Elven Union in a Blood Bowl 2 league. Finally, have a full team after seeing some actions against a Halfling team. But how will my luck hold against a brutal Orc team?

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Comic Review 205 // Missionary Man: Going South

I’ve had this comic on my shelf for way too long—time to correct the error of my ways and to complete this title. Let’s go!

Title: Missionary Man: Goin’ South

Author: Gordon Ronnie

Artist team: Simon Davis, Alex Ronald, Henry Flint, Jesus Redondo, Roberto Corona, John Burns & Ron Smith.

Format: Hardcover, 216 pages

Blurb:

Preacher Cain- known as the 'Missionary Man' out in the radlands of the Cursed Earth- was once a feared Texas City Judge until he took the Long Walk into the blasted wastes. There he embarked upon a holy mission to bring law to the lawless and God to the godless, one bullet at a time. But Cain's corrupt and ruthless former colleagues in the Lone Star Justice Department see him as a threat- one that they'll take extreme measures to silence...

Review

Unsurprisingly this title is all about ex-Texas Senior Judge Saul Cain. Who now goes by the name Preacher. The main tale for me has to be The Big Sleazy. Which sees us travelling to New Orleans post-nuclear war, the villains are scary, and I want to recreate them for the tabletop somehow. I also enjoyed how they managed to bring the Cursed Earth to life, be it through the clever artwork or the ability to transfer Western-style themes to the post-apocalyptic. I very much enjoyed the escapism of this tale.

The second half has us in the safe hands of John Wagner and travelling through some simple Cursed Earth adventures. It’s an excellent way to end the book.

Ultimately a very safe title. It was a great afternoon escape but in no way an epic.

Have you read it? Let me know. As always, Cheers for reading.

Hello Apollo - Alien Isolation Walkthrough Part 19

 

Hello Apollo - Alien Isolation Walkthrough Part 19. Watch more gameplay here: YouTube Playlist Alien Isolation

The creepy Working Joe's keep coming, this time in hazmat suits! Can I just get back to the xenomorph already? In this episode, we search for Apollo, the mysterious AI core of the station that has reactivated all these Joes. While we delve deeper into the station, we discover Weyland Yutani's corporate hold may have something to do with the station's downfall.

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Book Review 197 // Lair of the Skaven by Tom Huddleston

Hot on the heels of the City of Lifestone comes book two in the Warhammer Adventure series, The Lair of the Skaven. A little fact about me is that a picture of a Skaven got me into Games Workshop. I fell in love with the furry little creatures, and I always wanted an army of them (though it has never happened!).

Title: Lair of the Skaven (Realm Quest #2)

Author: Tom Huddleston

Blurb: Book 2 of the Realm Quest series

Determined to rescue their master, Elio, Kiri, Alish, Thanis, and Kaspar find themselves in danger as they venture into the lair of the Skaven.

READ IT BECAUSE

The realm-marked heroes are back and facing off against sinister ratmen in their own lair… How will they get out of this?

THE STORY

When their master, Vertigan, is kidnapped, Elio and his friends are determined to try and rescue him. Using a powerful artifact, they forge a magical doorway into a forbidding underground world teeming with Skaven ratmen! Hopelessly outnumbered, Elio, Kiri, Alish, Thanis and Kaspar must use all of their cunnings if they are to find Vertigan and escape alive…

Format: Paperback, 220 pages

Buy Now on Amazon with Kindle

Review

Of course, this book continues the action of the first title, and we plunge into the terrifying world of the Skaven. Straight away, I like this book more than the first. The characters and the plot are established, so more time can be spent on the action and adventure. I enjoyed that we swapped the viewpoint focus to a different character, swapping from Kiri to Elio for this one as he attempts to deal with his insecurities while trying to set himself as a leader.

With less time needed on introductions and world-building, we actually get some good character development which impressed me. I genuinely hope this continues throughout the stories and that we hopefully get a book for each of the kids. This is something that is missing from the 40k versions.

The villain Kreech is most likely the standout for me, and he alone carries me through this title with joy. In my opinion, he overshadows the main plot, which isn't a bad thing, as we end up with a very neatly presented quest with a beginning and an end. Speaking of endings, the cliffhanger is well created and has me ready to move into the next book, well played Tom Huddleston.

Overall a well-written and achieved dungeon adventure. I am more excited for this series than the 40k version, and I can't help but feel the draw to paint Skaven growing within me....now to just find some cheese.

As always, thanks for stopping by and reading!

Audio Review 89 // Pharos by Guy Haley

Back into the full-length Horus Heresy stories with what I believe is Guy Haley's first full story. He has had a lot of excellent short stories, so I am excited to see what he does with more page space.

Title: Pharos (The Horus Heresy #34)

Author: Guy Haley

Blurb: Just as Guilliman's dream of Imperium Secundus seems finally to be realized, the Night Lords launch a complete invasion of distant Sotha. Their target? The mysterious Mount Pharos…

With the noble Emperor Sanguinius ruling from Macragge, Imperium Secundus stands as a lone beacon of hope even as the Warmaster's forces continue to ravage the rest of the galaxy. Roboute Guilliman, still Master of Ultramar, has convinced his brother that Terra has fallen and that the mysterious Mount Pharos on Sotha now holds the key to mankind's future. But the Night Lords, those cruel and pitiless sons of Konrad Curze, have been watching from the shadows and make ready to launch their long-planned attack on the Pharos itself…

Long-running plot threads tie together in a new full-length Horus Heresy novel. Roboute Guilliman's new Imperium faces its first test as the Night Lords, scattered after the events of Prince of Crows, attack in force. And, of course, Curze is still around... the scene with him and Sanguinius facing one another is a Heresy fan's dream come true.

Review

This was an enjoyable read and an incredible full-length Guy Haley story. For my personal tastes, the story starts off slow; there is a lot of build-up and scene setting, which isn't bad, but it slowed the pace down for me. I have noticed that Haley is extremely good at character building; he can create these God-like beings that, at the same time, are flawed and relatable. The bonds of brotherhood between the main characters were almost tear-jerking!

You'll be hard-pressed not to enjoy Daniotoch and Polux. Given the thankless task of operating the Pharos, their goal is to help Guilliman keep Imperium Secundus together (no small charge). They are an improbable duo as one is an Iron Warrior and the other an Imperial Fist, meaning in fluff lore, they would be bitter rivals, but it is from this that Haley builds a friendship that pokes fun at their differences. It made them seem more believable as characters and humanized them to me, the reader. Then facing off against this is everyone's favourite bad guys, the Night Lords. We finally get introduced to some additional characters outside the primary 3 or 4 we have witnessed so far. We get the Kellen Brothers, the Painted Count and Krukesh the Pale (what epic names). These characters, for once, were given some real depth, and for the first time in the series, I felt we had moved past the idea of cold-hearted sadistic and into something more kin to gangers. Of course, they were still brutal and monstrous, but we got to experience the reasoning being it and see the justification of the action from their viewpoint.

But it wasn't all Space Marine action in this book. We also got to experience the war from the Sothan Irregulars and Sergeant Mericus's viewpoint. Though fighting in a war, they stand little chance in these characters helped to ground the story and stop it just being SM on SM action. They actually deserved more page time. I enjoy the view of the average human in a Space Marine war. It helps to remind me that not everyone is a super being.

Overall an enjoyable read. It felt good to have a full-length story again to get stuck into. Unfortunately, it seems the next title is another anthology again, so I may listen to some other audio dramas before leaping into those.

What are your thoughts on this title? Also, if you have read the series, what are your views on the many short stories collected during this period?

As always, thanks for listening.

Blood Bowl: Game 4 Elven Union vs Halflings

Game four with the Elven Union in a Blood Bowl 2 league. After a hard-fought first-ever win in the league versus a Vampire team, I am still reeling from early injuries and death. Will I be able to hold the line against a halfing team with two treemen? Will having both throwers injured crush my chances? Watch to find out.

For more Blood Bowl action, click here: Youtube Playlist

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Comic Review 204 // SLÁINE: LORD OF THE BEASTS by Pat Mills

Got another Slaine graphic novel under my belt. Crazy to think I am now nine collections in. I really enjoyed the series and was hoping Lord of the Beasts would continue the trend.

Title: Sláine: Lord of the Beasts (Sláine #9)

Author: Pat Mills

Artist Team: Rafael Garres, Paul Staples, Wayne Reynolds, Siku, David Bircham & Steve Parkhouse.

Blurb: THE LOST YEARS!

Having united the Tribes of the Earth Goddess to battle the hoards to enslave demons determined on enslaving them, Sláine was appointed as the first High King of Ireland. After protecting the tribes for seven years, he was put to death so that he could serve Danu in the afterlife.

This exciting collection features a series of adventures which took place during Sláine's seven-year reign – a period where he spent time as a near-mindless beast stuck in a warp spasm, was reunited with his son Kai and was forced to defend his lands against the Secret Commonwealth of demons led by his old enemy, Medb!

Buy Now on Amazon

Format: E-book 256 pages

Review

Grail War seems to be the end of the epic Slaine tales (for now), and Lord of the Beasts is just a series of short stories collected together as Slaine's "Lost Years". Most of them are set during Slaine's High King of Ireland.

We start things off with the title tale Lord of Beasts. It explores what would happen if Slaine became trapped within the Warp Spasm beast he can become. Cleverly told by Nest, it is a tale of love as Niamh races to rescue Slaine before he is trapped forever. The artwork in this one is bat-shit crazy and the fantasy styling is lovely.

We follow this up with two tales about Kai, the son of Slaine and Niamh. The first involves an ambush by the Fomorians as they attempt to capture Slaine and his bloodline in the hopes of ending his line. A simple story but comical at times and fun to read. Then we get The Banishing, which sees Slaine involved in a parent-teacher meeting as Kai is facing banishment for experiments gone wrong.

A lot of the stories are pretty standard, they work as a one-shot, but when reading back to back, they can become dull. Luckily, there is some stand out tales like "The Swan Children". Based on a Celtic Legend and beautifully recreated with the artwork, it is about the four foster siblings of Slaine and Niamh. Such a beautiful story and how the children affected Ukko shocked me!

But for every standout there is a disappointment. The Secret Commonwealth falls under this bracket. For this adventure, we have Slaine facing off against his old enemy Medb. She has returned at the head of an otherworldly army. I don't get what was happening here; Slaine looks weird. To be honest, it seems like they had hoped to edit the style of the artwork for a more modern look and simply lost the character and ended up making the story feel disjointed. It's a shame to end on a downer, but that is how it goes sometimes. I wonder if the story was recreated in different styling, if it would work, or if the tale was just destined to fail.

Have you read Lord of Beasts? Let me know.

Imperium Magazine 2 - Review & Battle Report - Escape Route

Imperium Magazine 2 - Review & Battle Report - Escape Route

Part 2 in the Imperium series 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: To Youtube Playlist (hit subscribe)

For each issue, I will bring you a fully painted battle report. Using that issues figures and rules. As well as a quick overview of the magazine. Got any questions, please do ask!

Issue Two Escape Route. We see my Executioners Space Marine Lieutenant (Youtube Painting Video) squaring off against three freshly awaken Necron Warriors of the Novokh Dynasty (Necron Painting Video), all set within War Zone Damasus.

Will the Lieutenant be able to stop the Necrons from escaping, or will the Necron Warriors reactivate the systems that will awaken the Destroyers of this tomb complex deep under the moon of Megaria? Watch now to find out.

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Book Review 196 // City of Lifestone by Tom Huddleston

As regular readers will know, I have enjoyed the Warhammer Adventure series. They are aimed at a younger audience, but if you are looking for a light, quick-to-finish read, I would say try it and see if you like it. While searching the local library, I discovered this one tucked away on the shelf and due I had to try it. Could this be the first book to get me to like AOS?

Title: City of Lifestone (Realm Quest #1)

Author: Tom Huddleston

Buy for Kindle off Amazon

Fluff: Far from home and free from slavery, Kiri embarks on an epic adventure across the Mortal Realms, accompanied by a group of special friends. But dark forces gather to stop them…

READ IT BECAUSE

It's a brand-new and exciting way to experience the Age of Sigmar – and it's designed to be the perfect starting point for younger readers. Read it with your children to introduce them to your favourite universe!

THE STORY

Raised as a slave in the Darkoath camps of Aqshy, Kiri dreams of a better life. Of a city of wonders, the place of her birth… Lifestone! She despairs of ever reaching it until a fateful day arrives when her barbarian captors are attacked by Sigmar's noblest warriors, the Stormcast Eternals. Seizing her chance, Kiri flees through a mysterious realmgate that takes her far from the fiery lands of Aqshy. She arrives in the realm of Ghyran and finds the city of Lifestone. But a curse lies on this place, withering its noble spirit. Her path leads her to a special group of children who, like her, are realm-marked – the prophecised saviours of Lifestone. There's Thanis, the fighter; Alish, the inventor; Kaspar; the sneak and Elio, the healer. But dark forces are allying against the children and will do anything to stop them achieving their destiny.

Format: Paperback, 208 pages

Review

The opening story follows Kiri, whose story beings with her being liberated by the Stormcast Eternals as they wage war against the Darkoath Chaos Warbands. Remembering a tale her mother had told her, she seeks out the City of Lifestone in hopes of a peaceful life. However, like many locations in the realms, the city has seen better days, and soon Kiri is swept up in a new adventure.

Kiri herself is a significant lead, a strong-willed, natural leader with a real stubborn streak. I can see how this persona will work well with young readers. We then get slowly introduced to more kids like Alish, the inventor; Thanis, the fighter; Kaspar, a sneaky thief and Elio, the healer (which feels like a D&D group). This rage tag grouping is, of course, led by a mysterious older character seeking out children with special marks; the reason is unknown and, if not a little creepy. Is he a good guy?

If this wasn't enough plot hook for you, we get everyone's favourite villain, the Skaven, popping up. They, too, seem to be interested in the city, and soon the children are neck-deep in trouble. This is a children's book, so many darker topics are avoided or quickly skimmed over. Similar to the 40k version of the book. The ending comes rather promptly, ending on a cliffhanger with the kids heading into the Lair of the Skaven.

Overall an enjoyable afternoon read; the illustrations were excellent, the encyclopedia section is always fun to read, and I can see this being popular with a younger audience. Definitely now seeking out book two.

Have you read it? Let me know in the comments. It is making me want to paint a Skaven or two, ha.

Audio Review 88 // Wolf Mother by Graham McNeill

The final book in my run of short Audio Dramas from the War Without End book! Wolf Mother by Graham McNeill promises to be a show stopper!

Title: Wolf Mother (The Horus Heresy #Short Story)

Author: Graham McNeill

Buy Now on Amazon: Purchase here

Fluff: Aboard the Molech’s Enlightenment, amongst the countless civilian refugees that fled the Warmaster’s invasion, a serpent makes its nest. The Chaos cult that brought House Devine to its knees lives on, preying upon the weak and the helpless, and it falls to Alivia Sureka to root out the evil that hides in plain sight. Luckily for her, she has an ally who is more than familiar with such tactics – the lone wolf Knight Errant, Severian.

This is a tense rescue mission. The immortal Alivia Sureka teams up with the Space Marine Severian to fight a wicked Serpent God cult. They’re the perfect team, mixing superb hunting prowess with ferocious fighting. And Sureka’s actions to save her daughter drive the moral home - don’t step between a wolf and her cub.

Review

A follow-up story to the Vengeful Spirit title and one I much appreciated. In the Vengeful Spirit title, we had a lot of characters woven into the title to finish off their tales, but for some characters, we didn't get that. Finally, at least Alivia Sureka and Severian's tale finished.

We join Alivia Sureka as she attempts to rescue her adopted daughter from the grip of Molech's Serpent Cult. With few options open to her, she is forced to join up with a Knight Errant - Severian. As the duo fight their way through cultists, they discover they are actually attempting to summon a daemon that, if raised, would wreak havoc on the refugee ship.

The action was great, and the storytelling was engaging and made for a beautiful ending to this set of shorts. I believe Pharos is next, and then another round of short stories. It seems like I am over the hill with this series and now racing to the end (still 20+ books to go if my math is right). Then finally I can hit the siege of Terra books. Wow what a ride so far.

Blood Bowl 2 Elven Union vs Vampire (Youtube)

Game three with the Elven Union in my first-ever Blood Bowl 2 league. After another hard-fought draw against an Orc team, I still seek out that elusive first win. Will I be able to sneak a win past this Vampire team, or am I "biting" off more than I chew?

For more Blood Bowl action, click here

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