Slaanesh returns

Slaanesh has returned. Since Age of Sigmar launched fans have been asking where to find the Prince of Pleasure and her followers. Rumours spread that he had been erased from the setting and replaced in the Chaos pantheon with that horned prat.
Fast forward to the Daughters of Khaine army book and she once again featured in the narrative. The General's Handbook also introduced three distinct types of follower (Invader, Seeker, Pretender) with their own rules. The stage had been set. 

The First Glimpse

Umm. Wow!

I could leave it there but I guess I need to write something about journalism and analysis.

There stands the new Keeper of Secrets. Take that in. Now step back and do it again. This is a bold direction for Games Workshop and one I dearly hope the narrative supports. GW has had a rather iffy track record when dealing with gender and sexuality; a record that could be redeemed or cemented when the Army book lands. Until we know more I'm commenting from a purely visual perspective.

Non-binary presentation

The Keeper of Secrets above is an utterly beautiful exploration of queer sexuality as power. Sexual power and agency is usually reserved for cis-gendered bodies (and even then with several caveats and such) so this is a welcome statement. We see a powerful and confident stance, feminine gait, masculine shoulders, that amazing chest. A character expressing malice and allure in equal measure. As one person put it 'You would fine them sexy if your genitals weren't terrified of them.'

It's nice to entertain the idea of queer bodies being recognised as beautiful. However Slaanesh does represent an evil and corrupting influence, not the best start for representation. When the Army Book arrives we get to examine the context of this release more closely; that will be a big factor in determining if this is a positive step.

Intersex?

I'm not qualified to make any comment from an intersex perspective on a model range displaying male and female coded physical traits. If I find commentary by someone more appropriate I'll link it from the blog as it deserves exploration.

Femme Coding

A result of the queer essence of Slaanesh is a delightful amount of femme coding in the range. We saw some in the Daughters of Khaine release and a little in the Idoneth but even the new Stormcast ladies were beautifully butch.

The amazing model above shows demons with flowing robes, long hair and jewelry. Whilst also retaining the sharp edges and metallic elements that makes the Slaanesh aesthetic menacing. Not an easy design feat. Not content with leaving it there, Games Workshop elected to position them beckoning unwary opponents toward a massive, magical, metallic vagina.

This kind of Yonic symbology is usually the purview of Blood Angels and Tyranids. I wonder if this will make certain gamers uncomfortable?

Hedonism

Hedonites of Slaanesh. Devotees of self-indulgence and sensual pleasure. There are so many ways such a complex subject can be handled really, really badly. Especially in a game which is ultimately about warfare. The Daughters of Khaine Army Book had an extremely uncomfortable narrative around Morathi. Often mirroring the experience of trauma survivors finding a lack of support and understanding. Not to mention an unhealthy dose of victim blaming when removed from the context of her previous incarnation.

We have an image of the book with a dangerous and powerful daemon front and centre. Meanwhile the current Warscroll highlights their desire to inflict pain upon others. Together with the implications of sensual pleasure and allure there are some red lines around consent that could easily be crossed. I hope the writing team are on form.

Endless Spells

That is some Hellraiser style right there. Clouds of swirling blades, hooks designed to entangle flesh, another huge magical vagina. I had been looking at the new Necromunda Delaque models; wondering about modelling them as Cenobite style cultists to follow the Keeper of Secrets. That kind of over-blown and ridiculous horror I can really get behind. Puzzle box artefacts corrupting greedy mortals; condemning entire towns to B-movie storylines. Although that's hardly doing the only overtly queer coded faction a favour. It would be nice if deviation from patriarchal cis-het norms was an heroic rather than horrific venture.

Sex Positive

If we're going down the hedonistic route then sex positivity is a must. A Goddess of Pleasure like Slaanesh could make safe sex and mutual consent his guiding principle. Sensuality as an exploration of the self rather than temptation toward damnation. That probably isn't going to happen in the context of chaos and the mortal realms. Nice to think it could though.

In Conclusion

Great models, Queer as all heck, it will all come down to the narrative in the army book as to whether I'll celebrate or head desk. Slaanesh isn't and will likely never be without problematic aspects. Some parts of the fanbase introduce their own aspects that aren't actually there or overly highlight more subtle parts could also undo any positive steps. I'll wait and see.

Space Marine Heroes - Review

When these were originally released in Japan they were the coolest thing around. Limited edition, unique sculpts, Japan only and the point of sale box was a Rhino tank! Now they have spread across the globe with new packaging. I needed to get my hands on one for a review...

The Box

I didn't reach into a Rhino to select this so not a great start. Fortunately the bold and metallic title makes the whole thing feel super heroic and the Ultramarine branded 'Series 1' conveys confidence on a par with Lego minifigs.

Centre of attention is an Ultramarine sergeant looming over us. He isn't even looking at us, that's how unimportant we are compared to such a warrior. We can only stare in awe at the out thrust crotch with Ultramarine branded loin cloth. Seriously this guy is so cavalier in attitude that he will even highlight his own head in a bullseye red, taunting the foe with no regard for safety.

Finally the box declares itself to be '1 Citadel Miniature' which is a bit bizarre given it is clearly a box.

The Contents

First up is the glossary of available items. Just like the shiny leaflet in a box of chocolates displays glorious treats and crap with nuts in. Half of these are disappointingly generic which provides a sense of elation if you were lucky enough to get a good one. Honestly Brother Castor; you are a like a crisp golden wrapper lovingly untwisted whose contents when placed upon the tongue reveal the disgusting taste of hazlenut.

What, what? What is this? Apparently there is a mystery 9th marine? This is some next level forbidden knowledge. What could this silhouette disguise; other than a Captain with cloak, power sword, pistol, Iron Halo and scenic base? Jokes on you because the real misdirection is in the name. This is in fact the long awaited female space marine. Probably?

Excellent. You can't have a mystery box without a collectible card to play 'got, got, need' with. My box had Brother Garus who is an immense badass. The guy has a state of the art mass reactive bolt rifle and wields it with casual disregard for the foregrip. Check out the lucky rabbits foot dangling from that pistol and the generic white guy action hero face that is instantly forgettable.

The card also provides guidance for using Brother Garus in a Space Marine Heroes game. The first box can be pressed to level up the character. The second box displays his spell slots with the 'turn around bright eyes', 'stack boxes' and 'tightrope walker from above' abilities. The number presumably indicates the cooldown time.

The Model

Here we have it. The prize itself. 

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...

...

I have a burning need to convert this guy into a Primaris marine.

Rating: 3 Squigs

Fallout Ephemera for Wargaming

This is a quick one. I love Fallout and with the release of Fallout: Wasteland Warfare I got really excited about playing skirmishes on the tabletop. Unfortunately the game is a hideous mess of tokens and fiddly information cards. Alright for some but a big NOPE from me.

I digress. I still want to play Fallout themed skirmish games so my mind turned to terrain building and I produced this handy set of printable ephemera to spruce up the buildings when I finally make them. You should be able to download the file here.

At some point I'll also upload my own ruleset for wasteland tabletop.

An interview with Jay Iles

An Interview with Jay Iles

When a new and interesting Roleplaying Game comes along I want to stand and shout about it from the roof tops. Legacy: Life Amoung the Ruins (2nd Edition) is one of those games worth shouting about. A fresh take on the post-apocalyptic setting and written by a kick ass lady who I was fortunate enough to interview...

What part of your game really excites you? What part are you proudest of?

I’m most excited by timescale of stories it can tell. When I’m watching Mad Max or playing Fallout, one of my favourite things is seeing the ways they twist remnants of the old world and find new uses for them. Legacy lets you build those post-apocalyptic societies, and see them re-purpose not just pre-apocalypse junk but places you’ve explored and built in previous generations. 

I’m most proud of the Families you play. Each is a radically different way of drawing strength from survival, and the one you choose will have big consequences for your play style - and say important things about the world you’re all playing in.

How do you find inspiration for your writing? What motivates you to create?

Most of my ideas come from things I encounter in my day-to-day life: a phrase heard in conversation, a brief mention in a book, or an interaction in a game that makes me think there’s something gameable there. Once I get an initial idea, I’ll normally spend at least a few weeks turning it over in my head, fleshing out what sort of thing it might lead to, before I commit words to screen.
I found that writing games was a natural progression from playing and running them: I played games to be a part of interesting stories, I ran games because it was the only way those particular stories would get told, then I wrote games because otherwise those sort of stories wouldn’t get told. I get really excited about writing games that provide new experiences, that take players to new worlds that otherwise wouldn’t have existed.

How do you celebrate diversity and inclusion in your writing?

I’ve approached this in a few different ways.
First, there’s the sort of characters you depict. I try to take care to present a balanced amount of characters from all genders, racial backgrounds, disabilities and ages, and we try to ensure that is carried over into the art.
Second, there’s the things your game prompts players to think about. Legacy is a game about Families, but we explicitly call out that blood ties aren’t the only thing that can bind a family together. When making a character, you have to at least consider your character’s gender presentation (masculine, feminine, ambiguous, concealed) as part of deciding their look. And the book encourages players to consider playing a character with a different race or disability to their own, with guidance as to how to do that respectfully.
Finally, there’s the sort of stories you tell. I wrote Legacy because I was tired of post-apocalyptic narratives that only focus on the death and misery. There’s space for that, but particularly in our modern times I also wanted stories about adaptation and evolution, about forming new communities and building a new society. To that end the game has rules for building new things in the wasteland, emphasises de-escalation over combat, and allows you to make radical changes to the setting through diplomacy and ingenuity.

As a games master/story teller what do you enjoy most about games and how do you facilitate that in your writing?

As a GM, I most enjoy systems that let me go with the flow and improvise rather than having to stat out antagonists and prepare mountains of notes for each session. I really enjoy thinking on my feet, responding to the player’s ideas, and letting the story breathe and flex to meet the group’s needs. To facilitate that, I try to put as many of the mechanics in the player’s hands as possible to minimise the GM’s workload, and make sure that every time players engage with the mechanics they’re making interesting choices about the setting and the shape the next few scenes are going to take.

What plans do you have for the future? What would you like to do?

We’ve recently wrapped up a kickstarter Here for three new books. In there are two supplements for Legacy: The Engine of Life, a book about hope and rebuilding, and End Game, a book about monsters and terrible threats. The third book is something a bit different: Free From the Yoke has you play the influential Houses in a medieval land that has just thrown out an invading empire that has oppressed you for generations. Now you must decide what sort of society you want to build now that you’re free, and reckon with the challenges and opportunities of independence. To hack Legacy to support political fantasy, we’ve added subsystems for magic and learning rituals, for duels and clashing armies, and for the Arbiter who sits on the throne and seeks to devote the land’s resources to their own projects.
Beyond that I have a few more games on the horizon: time travelling criminals, scheming cultists, astronaut ghosts and more. But really my main ambition is to get UFO Press to the point it can provide sustainable employment for myself and a publishing space for marginalised folks and interesting voices worldwide.

On the work desk...

I am often asked 'what the hell do you think you are doing?'. It makes sense that a similar question comes to mind when folk consider my modelling efforts. Lucky for you I am the obliging sort.

So what is on the workdesk?

First we have Lady Smackdown in her Armiger. Simple case of repositioning the legs for movement and beefing up the guns.

I really love these kits for the possibilities they present. Especially given their role as a centerpiece if you largely field infantry.

What else?

Da Grrlz needed a sweet new ride. Equally I needed to develop my rivet work. The solution was obvious. I'd like to say this design was the plan all along... alas t'would be a lie.

I started out thinking big, lumbering heavy tank. I ended up a bit Charlie Chalk. Now I'm quite taken with the idea of modelling grots in cute little sailor suits.

Anything else?

I dearly love my Wanderers (Wood Elves). I struggle to get them just right. Honestly that is an understatement. I will never be happy with them. I do love them though.

Anyway they needed a centerpiece. As the Wanderers lore is all about Waystones it was a clear choice. For those unaware a Waystone kinda acts as a plug for the flows of the mortal realms. Morathi did something with them (that Teclis took credit for) to block up Slannesh. Alright, this is just clutching at a silly joke about the shape of the things.

Finished?

Still there is more. Armies on Parade fast approaches. This is my display board progress so far. I am determined to place top 3 this time. The Wanderers are going to stay home and I am aiming at something a bunch of kids will find cool. Yeah that's EL wire. I have no shame anymore.

I summary there is a lot of stuff on the desk at the moment. Fortunately it is a huge desk.

Enter the Black Library

Enter the Black Library

A 9-Worlds convention follow up

At a recent 9-Worlds panel on ‘Diversity in Warhammer 40,000’ a recurring theme in the question and answer session was a desire for inclusive literature and Black Library fiction by women. To expand on the brief answer we were able to supply at the panel I committed to signposting some authors worth checking out…

Rachel Harrison

Rachel gained my utmost respect as a 40k writer with the short story ‘Execution’ which follows Commissar Severina Raine as she drives the 11th Antari rifles to achieve the seemingly impossible. If you can spare a few pounds then I highly recommend supporting her solo work with Black Library. 

https://www.blacklibrary.com/warhammer-40000/quick-reads/execution-eshort.html

https://www.blacklibrary.com/series/necromunda/dirty-dealings-eshort.html


You may also find her work in the War for Armageddon Omnibus and Necromunda bundle; as well a few shorts under the name Ray Harrison. This is an author I sincerely hope to see more from in future Black Library publications.

James Swallow

Best known for writing about some of my favourite things in 40k; Sisters of Battle, Blood Angels and Nathaniel Garro. ‘Faith and Fire’ the defining Sisters of Battle novel has a lot of problematic content in the choice of language, jarring switches to the male gaze and the attitude of many male characters to the Sisters… however it deserves a mention for the excellent characters and the foundations it provides for future Sisters of Battle literature.

If you have a moment check out the audio drama ‘+++Corsair+++ Face of the Void’ so you can join me in eagerly awaiting further installments.

https://www.blacklibrary.com/authors/james-swallow/corsair-the-face-of-the-void-mp3.html

Gav Thorpe

Games Workshop legend and well known for his efforts to engage with the community and develop the characters he is writing to better represent them. I would like to draw attention to ‘Imperator: Wrath of the Omnissiah’ which features not only a prominent character of non-binary gender but also one of the most awesome women in 40k right now.

https://www.blacklibrary.com/authors/gav-thorpe/imperator-wrath-of-the-omnissiah-ebook.html

Sarah Kaiser

Whilst not part of official GW publications http://www.eagleordinary.com/ is a much loved webcomic in the 40k universe. You may recognise the art style from recent Warhammer Community promotional material and can expect to see more from Sarah in future Games Workshop work. This lady is one of my personal hobby heroes.



With a recent Black Library drive to find more authors and open up the 40k fiction to a more diverse range of creators I hope this list will need some serious updating before too long...

Wrath and Glory Interview

An Interview with W. Reischl

We have been watching the development of the much anticipated Warhammer 40,000 roleplaying game Wrath and Glory which was recently featured at GenCon. Set in the Dark Imperium it offers new story opportunities in a time of big changes and bigger threats for players. The main book focuses on the Gilead sector which is struggling to survive the disruption of the cicatrix maledictum, insidious influence of the ruinous powers and its own population.

You can imagine our excitement when Nighthawk had the opportunity to sit down (she was sat down whilst typing at least) and interview a member of the team responsible for creating the game. With W. Reischl (known to the Inquisition as WAR) dragged kicking and protesting into the Inquisitorial fortress the servo skulls were activated and the scribes charged their auto-quills to record his words...

Nighthawk: Thankyou so much for taking the time to chat to us at Feminist 40k about the upcoming Wrath and Glory RPG release. Since getting our hands on the preview adventure Blessings Unheralded (http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/245774/Wrath--Glory-Blessings-Unheralded) we have been excited about… basically everything. As one of the people creating the game what aspects have really excited you?

WAR: Wrath and Glory has many exceptional facets, but I'll focus on the two that really set it apart in my book.

The first outstanding feature is the versatility and diversity of stories that groups can explore. Back before we were able to reveal too many details, Ross Watson used the phrase "broad and inclusive" to describe Wrath and Glory and that has carried forward. While the Imperium is core to Warhammer 40,000 and always will be, the Aeldari and Orks are available as playable characters directly in the core book. The same is also true for special classes including the Adepta Sororitas - the Sisters of Battle. My introduction to 40k came a decade ago through role playing and I'm sure that will happen for countless more players with Wrath and Glory. The team has taken many steps to embrace and uplift all players coming into the game. One other feature that I love is the Tier system. This is the overall power level of the campaign. If players want to start off with a slow burn, they can play as a squad in the Astra Militarum in a Tier 1 game where they are only just discovering the horrors that the galaxy has to offer. If players want to jump to the highest Tier in the core book, they can play Primarus Marines the new biggest badasses on the block - because oh yeah - Wrath and Glory is taking place in the Dark Imperium hand in hand with 8th Edition Warhammer 40,000. It also enables players to ascend lower Tier characters to higher Tiers to play all together seamlessly. The convention demo games I'm running are at Tier 3 which considers playable characters "Elite Guardians," it's not their first day on the job.

The second thing I appreciate about Wrath and Glory is the opportunity for narrative input from the players and give them more control over their fate in general. I come from the indie games side of the world and wanted to bring more of that into more traditional role playing systems. In the game there are two player resources called "Wrath" and "Glory" that players can leverage to their advantage. While players can use Wrath to reroll a failed test, they can also use it to insert something interesting or useful into the narrative. Wrath doesn't grant wishes (no manifesting a Titan), but is there a crucible of molten metal in this factory that just happens to be above the mob of genestealers you're about to engage - sure! Glory is a team based resource that again gives players more agency in the game. When it really matters, players can collectively decide to spend Glory to amp up attacks, damage, severity of critical hits, and seize the initiative away from the game master. As a player it sucks to wait for your turn and then whiff the dice and having nothing happen. We all want to contribute to the story and these mechanics help people to feel more effective - especially during the most important moments in the game. Additionally, the system adds Complications to the mix. While tests may still succeed when a complication occurs, something else happens that the player can choose to narrate. Complications don't have to include a mechanics based detriment, but make the scene more interesting and likely harder for the character. So far, my favorite player narrated complication was a Commissar at a formal event who had her hat destroyed. Everyone who mattered immediately knew she was out of uniform and she couldn't stand by while that happened. It was a great role playing based detriment that was meaningful to the player and their character.

Nighthawk: You describe a focus on the narrative and letting go of a centralised control in favour of collaborative play, what has this meant for you as a GM and writer?

WAR: As I mentioned before, spreading narrative control to the players is one of my favorite aspects of Wrath and Glory. While many Game Masters encourage narrative participation from their players, codifying it in the rules encourage and elicits a game culture that uplifts the ideas of all the participants. As a game master this is meaningful because it's not on me know or arbitrate every little thing. If as a GM I didn't describe the crucible of molten metal but a player spends a Wrath, it's there, that's not fudging the rules in the players favor, it is the rules. Narrative control, whether through Wrath tokens or Complications are also a special language players use to communicate what is important to them and their characters, it is an exceptional opportunity for game masters to pay attention and potentially shape a meaningful narrative in response. I think it also means that even more so than before games, even prewritten modules, will take unexpected twists that delight and surprise everyone including the game master. Players taking the game in unexpected directions is one of the great joys for me as a game master, my ability to adapt and respond keeps me more engaged especially in scenarios I run multiple times. So while on the surface spreading the narrative control is an asset to the players, it is also a gift to the game masters and writers, because we don't have to account for every possibility because there isn't a way to anticipate the amazing ideas of every player.

Nighthawk: Clearly there is a lot to love for those of us who like to explore the rich and evocative universe of the 41st millenium and the society that exists. At Feminist 40k we also exist to encourage that universe to reflect our own worlds diversity so that all are included. How has the team embraced an inclusive approach when making the game?

WAR: I think one of the things that Ulisses North America, Ross, and the whole Wrath & Glory team has done really well is expect inclusivity as the baseline. It is not up for debate, there are millions of worlds in the Imperium and in the desperate fight taking place in the Dark Imperium humanity is not turning away anyone loyal to the cause. In addition to being a writer and 40k fan, I'm also an MBA and I've spent a significant amount of time thinking about creating culture and the "tone at the top." Wrath & Glory's game book and everything it includes will speak for us for years and even decades to come. To me the tone says: everyone is invited to experience the grim darkness of the far future. When the Blessings Unheralded Free RPG Day module and characters came out, there weren't any press releases blowing the horn of diversity. This was the first product ever released for Wrath & Glory and it spoke for itself. I ran six sessions at Origins, the first public debut in on the continent, and not once did anyone complain that there were four women characters and two people of color, it wasn't even remarked on. People are excited to play Wrath & Glory and engaged in the stories we are telling, that's what it is all about.

Nighthawk: In the 'Blessings Unheralded' adventure we are introduced to the Gilead sector and the Shrine World of Enoch which is home to the Order of the Sanctified Shield. What was it like getting to breathe new life into the Adepta Sororitas and make them a prominent part of the setting?

WAR: Representation matters and having the most badass women in the Imperium included in the core book - as part of the core experience - is important. Their inclusion is of equal importance to including the Adepts Astartes. Why deny players the agency to play the badass character that they want to play? For me, the Sisters and the Battle Brothers are both iconic parts of Warhammer 40,000. By including each in the base Wrath & Glory game we are clearly asserting that both are core to the 40k experience. If you expect one you should expect the other, and Wrath & Glory delivers.

Nighthawk: I can’t fully express how much it means to see the core of a game committing to inclusion. Does this mean we will be seeing more racially diverse artwork and Queer narratives in game?

WAR: As a freelancer I didn't get to see all of the artwork in advance, but everything I have seen so far is excellent and representative. I trust Ulisses and Ross have been consistent because diversity was never an afterthought, it has been in Wrath & Glory since day 1. In the "Revelations" teaser that came out at Gen Con 2017 the Adeptus Mechanicus character didn't have a stated gender in the fiction, which I think was a great first step. There are a lot of reasons this makes sense for Ad Mech considering that they are in many ways moving to change - or even move beyond - the human form. Though it is a bit ironic to think of an Ad Mech as non-binary. Of course players are empowered to play whatever kind of character they want, and with the desperate times of the Dark Imperium - we need all the heroes to step forward.

Nighthawk: Step forward we shall! Now before you go; is there anything you'd like to share with the hordes of eager fans waiting to get their hands on Wrath and Glory?

WAR: I have to say I am just as excited as everyone else to get my hands on Wrath & Glory. I'm leaving for Gen Con this morning and saw my first photo of the core book being set up in the booth at the Convention Center late last night. Trust me, it will have been worth the wait!

A huge thankyou to WAR for taking time out of his schedule running Wrath and Glory previews and being generally awesome to talk with us. Pre-orders for Wrath and Glory are now closed but if you would like to learn more and keep up to date on retail release you can find it all on the website here: https://www.ulisses-us.com/wrathandglory/