Friday 19 February 2016


-Chaplain Faustino


Has it really been two weeks since the weekender? That event felt like a hurricane that I'm only now recovered from. It's great to meet old friends and new but we need longer than two days to see everyone.

I just wanted to write up a quick note of my initial impressions of the Blood Angels entry from Forgeworld's latest offering; Retribution. I'm working my way through the bulk of the book but I have flipped forward to read the colour text and rules of my legion. I am a very happy boy, here's why:

The colour text that introduces the Blood Angels hit all the right notes. They have the feel of Old Testament Angels - figures of wrath and revelation, descending on a culture and slaughtering it wholesale if they reject the entreaties of the Imperium. A storm hit the UK recently and I found myself in Cardiff next to the millennium stadium. There has been a demolition of a building near by with struts of metalwork sticking out of the ground like broken fingers. When the wind whipped around these it made a strange music, like a long atonal sigh that was more than a little unsettling. I could imagine the atmospheric chaos a mass orbital insertion of a battle fleet would cause to a planet. Imagine yourself citizen, pensive at the decision  your world has made to reject subjugation to the Imperium, to these 'Angels', trying to get with your day to day life. Then, the skies darken, there is a storm, a deluge of rain and hurricanes - it would be hard not to feel like some God has cast his judgement upon you.

Then the Angels descend.

The colour text also brings up some interesting questions , for example why was the process of creating warriors of the ninth so arcane? Did it have something to do with the creation of Sanguinius?

I don't feel qualified to offer any kind of tactical analysis of the rules. What I can say is that they feel right. If I read these rules without any context I would still think these were Blood Angels. The Day of Revelations is very evocative of the assaults launched by the IXth, whereas the Day of Sorrows was a little harder to crack. Why would Blood Angels have a rite of war that seems to be defensive in  nature. Then it struck - Siege of Terra! High five Alan Bligh.

The artwork is sublime - infuriatingly so as I have no idea how to transfer these ideas onto the miniatures themselves. I hope Forgeworld kick out an amazing decal sheet and spares me hours of work free handing all of this.





This book has all the elements I wanted from the Blood Angels but this isn't our story, this isn't our book. Our defining event of the Heresy is the Siege and I'm more than happy to wait for rules, models and a book. Because when that story is told, the IXth will be centre stage ripping the traitors to bits!


Myles

P.S. - I'm aware that we haven't seen an update from the space angel/ vamps in a while so I've settled on getting a post out every Friday to catch up. So look out for the Shadow of Mighty Wings article every week.


Paints used: Vallejo, Reaper Master Series, Games Workshop Washes, Com Art Medea Airbrush Airbrush: Iwata Hi-Line HP-CH Airbrush Paint Brushes: Rosemary & Co. Raphael 8040, Broken Toad Brushes, Windsor and Newton Series 7

3 comments :

  1. Beautiful miniature as always.
    I can only be happy to see more posts about my favorite légion.
    I share also your comments on the new rules and rite of war.

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  2. These posts always brighten my day! I would love to see any army shot soon

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