Yes, it does happen

I guess this relates to my previous post. I will get back to hobby content but this is important. 

It does happen

If you haven't seen inappropriate behaviour in Games Workshop stores, gaming stores or conventions that doesn't mean it never happens. It does happen.

It happened today

I was in a Warhammer store in London. Not my local which is a lovely place. There I was happily browsing whilst some kids were playing a game and some guys were painting. 

One of the grown men at the painting table makes a joke about girlfriends and wives. The other guys (including a staff member) laugh and don't challenge this behaviour.

NOT ON MY WATCH

I turned slowly around. Looked him in the face. Then asked 'Could you be any more misogynistic '

He apologised immediately and looked sheepish. I carried on browsing and the store was silent until I went to make my purchase. 

The bar to making sure women don't feel unwelcome was so fukken low. This guy still failed to clear it. Keeping that kind of joke to your private spaces is trivial. 

It happens 

If you don't take my word for it then you are part of the problem. If you don't see anything wrong in his comments you are part of the problem. If you would have laughed along or left his comments unchallenged you are part of the problem. Fix the problem. 

Last stand of the Old Guard

The Trouble with Grognards

We owe a huge amount to the pioneers of our hobby. Unfortunately our heroes aren't perfect. Society has progressed overall, yet there are still many battles to be won, especially in arenas straight white men have historically held dominance.

Games Workshop has taken huge steps to increase representation in the last few years. This is somewhat unique in the industry as a whole but we are gaining ground in the fight for hobby equality. I still have trouble with some traders ignoring me entirely at conventions whilst happily engaging any nearby man. Suffice to say my money doesn't go to those companies.

A Legacy of Ignorance

Veterans of Games Workshop have gone on to accomplish some amazing things. Perry Miniatures produces excellent historical figures, Warlord has dominated 28mm Historical gaming and Mantic has an amazing catalogue for fantasy fans.

Being well known and successful veterans does not mean a diverse and representative team. Having good intentions doesn't mean a largely male, pale and stale design team will make the best decisions.

Warlord is pretty bad in this respect. The Black Powder rulebook is full of uncontested, jovial references to British Imperialism sometimes straying into overt racism. Bolt Action has the tendency to gloss over some aspects of WW2 when marketing their model range. The reported unwillingness of senior staff to acknowledge these issues is disappointing.

Perhaps the worst example was found in promotional material for the 'Shield Wall' expansion to 'Hail Ceaser'. Rulebooks and new releases are usually accompanied by a promotional miniature or diorama. In this case a Viking theme was chosen as shown below...

Yeah. The promotional model for 'Shield Wall' was a sexual assault joke. Attitudes towards non-male wargamers are already hostile or dismissive. Industry leaders depicting women as commodities is both irresponsible and breathtakingly ignorant.

Warlord did respond positively to complaints about this model. It was withdrawn and a new promotional model released. It seems the message sunk in and they have been improving their attitude since.

Fighting for our Fantasy

Ian Livingstone is a legend in the gaming industry. His influence on the games we enjoy today is undeniable. It is no surprise that he can be found at events, conventions and seminars sharing his wisdom and experience. Unfortunately this experience is of a limited perspective.

Attendees at a recent event reported the following observations from an Ian Livingstone lecture...

'Just seen Ian Livingstone stand in front of a room full of early-career gamedevs & deny that gaming has a reputation for toxicity, blame "the media" for that reputation and say in 40 years he's never heard of any sexual harassment cases.'

'He backtracked a minute later. Identifying it as a larger problem not specific to the games industry.'

'His slides included both lip service to "We should hire more women" and a photo of him leching at a model dressed as Lara Croft with the slogan "It's a Tough Job!"

'...and a photo of Miss Wisconsin 1980 for literally no reason'

This is someone respected in the industry. This is someone who has shaped the games we have today. This is someone serving as inspiration and guide to new talent. This is someone reinforcing the sexist and ignorant attitudes that plague the hobby without robust challenge.

We owe a great deal to the Old Guard but they need to open up to the experiences of a more diverse audience or fuck the fuck off.

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. 

...

...

...

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.