Weekender: Chaos Space Marine & Grey Knight Codex Chatter With GW’s Jes Bickham
August 5, 2017 by brennon
We get stuck into another weekend of awesome content for you guys as we look ahead to a great themed week starting on Monday and much more.
Weekender Podcast Download
So, get ready for a fantastic show full of tabletop delights.
Hobby Night Live & Dunkirk Week!
First off we wanted to let you folks know that next Friday, August 11th, will be Hobby Night Live! We're going to be sitting down to paint some of our personal projects and see what you're all doing too!
We also have a week of awesome content for you focused around Dunkirk since the new movie has come out recently.
Dunkirk Week Teaser
With that in mind, we sat down with James (Oriskany) to talk about the plans for the week and what you can look forward to. We have some awesome plans for you to not only game around the event but also learn a bit more too.
We have some awesome plans for you to not only game around the event but also learn a bit more too.
News Time
It's time to get stuck into some news from this week...
- Japanese Space Marine Heroes & New Pre-Orders - What do you think of their new plans and new models?
- Medieval Battle Mat & Terrain By GameMat.eu - Will you be snapping up this terrain?
- Z-Man Games Announce Majesty: For The Realm - A great new game from the mind behind Splendor.
- Strange Torii & Kensei Beasts By Zenit Miniatures - Could you handle being harassed by a skeletal bird?
Let us know if some of these stories caught your eye.
Codex Discussion With Jes Bickham!
The guys got to chat with Jes Bickham of Games Workshop to discuss the new Codices that are hitting webstores this weekend for Warhammer 40,000. Both the Grey Knights and Chaos Space Marines are getting their chance to shine.
With that in mind, we ask him about what you expect from these books and a little more about bringing them to life.
Kickstarters
It's time to take a look at a couple of campaigns that you might want to check out on Kickstarter.
- Who Goes There? - Inspired by The Thing this has a great cooperative and hidden role element to gameplay.
- Station 111 MDF Terrain & Gaming Mat - Check out some pre-printed terrain for designing an interior battlefield in your Sci-Fi games.
Did either of these projects sound like they'd be something you'd check out in more detail?
Have a great weekend!
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nice show, Dunkirk week should be a lot of fun one of my favourite tidbits about it was Viscount Gort sent his personal belongings back while asking a plan be formulated for a retreat. At that point high command must’ve realised it was almost a certainty.
Never thought I’d see the day GW were on a weekender, pigs have taken to the skies lol.
Stranger things have happened.
That’s a new TV series, Stranger things, it’s pretty good.
Right?! They’ve really woken up 🙂
Ah @deaddave we just slipped it in like it was no big deal bud 😛 watch for that locust plague! Az
Happy Weekend!
I ain’t been shot mum by TFL might be a better system to use for some of the lead up battles to Dunkirk especially Areas
In the past we have done a few sci-fi games based on historical games like Arnhem and they work well although a few bits and pieces need to be changed to cater for different technology
I love the idea of a Theme week but necessarily for a particular game system.
Just as an FYI, many are coming out and saying that the Dunkirk movie was way to clean and it was much more ugly and they reference the original [1958] as being much closer to the events.
I have been trying to find the 1958 movie so I can watch it and will be going to the movies to see the modern version this weekend.
I heard they have remastered the 1958 film and might be going into the cinemas again for a short run
Okay, for some reason I thought there was also a 1940s “Dunkirk” themed movie, that came out DURING the war. Looks like I was wrong about that. Maybe I was thinking of “Mrs. Miniver.”
about the bline buy one of the way to get most of mini is o buy a carten of 24 … not the individual box
Mont St Eloi is another battle worth looking at as its deals with an action after Arras where the Germans feel it’s necessary to halt and deal with this story on its flank
Army not story
Thanks, @torros ! And great addition! This is exactly one of the points I was hoping to address in the series, how much French units like the 18th Dragoons (Somua-35 tanks, I believe) were part of these engagements.
One can only imagine how Arras might have turned out if the original plan had actually been pulled off, British two-brigade armored attack from the north, a French DLM attacking from the south. As it turned out, of course, the French didn’t attack at all and the British “two-brigade” attack wound up reduced to basically a reinforced battalion (if memory serves).
Of course, we have battles like Mont St Eloi later with the French, but uncoordinated with British units to the northeast.
It’s the Weekend!
Who goes there ia looking a solid game with some interesting game mechanics and people dynamics. Certifiable Studios are just delivering their previous KS, Endangered Orphans of Condyle Cove, and are a studio to keep an eye on.
There’s only two things on my GenCon shopping list and they’re both at the FFG stand so should be easy for yous to pick up 😉
This day just gets better and better. Weekender time! Looking forward to see more around dunkirk, and how you can make evacuation games on the table top.
Like Justin, i cant wait to see more death guard. Im looking forward to see the new codex for Chaos Space marines, the faction focus stuff GW have been showing of makes it seems like you can make a themed force that can still kick ass. Love the keyword way they are doing it.
Im looking forward to the next hobby night live. I missed the last one.. but not this time. I think i will be focusing on my death guard.
But asalways a great show guys 🙂
And dont temp me with more kickstarters 😀
A bit of clarification ref those GW Japan Space Marines:
They are not sold gashapon-style from a vending machine, instead they are retailing from a countertop box – think how CCG starters are sold in cases – which come with 24 packs to a box. It’s a model that does well for very simple plastic kits in convenience stores and the like (although a lot of those come bundled with chewing gum of some sort – GW missing a trick for Inquisition-approved flavours there..).
In theory one display box should get you 2 full squads of the base models and at least 2 of the 3 “chase” figures (Plasmagunner, Heavy Bolter trooper and Captain). The one retailer I’ve been using is offering one of these boxes for £115, which works out £5 a model. Given it gets you a squad of complete individuals that seems quite reasonable.
I am rather intrigued though by the implications of the expense GW have gone to for tooling these…
That’s some awesome insight thank you @dawfydd.
Yea this makes a lot of sense, very similar to how FFG handled rarity distribution for Star Wars Destiny booster boxes by guaranteeing a minimum number of the rarest cards in each box.
I kinda like the vending machine ball with a Space Marine idea though and you had me going with Terra Tangerine or Primaris Peach 😛 Az
Az, where did you get the shirt? The need is strong with that one! Amazing.
Big sign of changing times GW on the weekender.
@tonysilvey thank you kindly. it was just a wee Amazon pick up actually sir, not the fanciest or most artistic but I liked it 🙂 Az
Fantastic there will be Chain of Command content on BoW … Finally..
I wonder if after playing this it will kill the enthusiasm for BA or FoW…lol hopefully they do CoC in 15mm as it’s the perfect scale? 🙂
Thanks, @commodorerob –
“I wonder if after playing this it will kill the enthusiasm for BA or FoW”
I hope not and doubt it . . . considering how much Battlegroup content / articles we’ve had over the last two years that’s never slowed down enthusiasm for other World War II miniatures systems. 😀
When someone in your group has already pledged for Who Goes There? 8)
Also, is Hollywood calling on Justin to play Charlie Chaplain?…
I’ll get me coat.
Don’t think I’ll be watching this one.
My gast has been flabbered GW on the weekender engaging and sharing with the community and not a cease and desist in sight. i am so pleased with the new attitude i have turned about face and now after many years away from GW products have started collecting a space marine force. Long may this cooperation and improved communication with their customers continue
@commodorerob I am so excited to see that Chain of Command and TFL will be on the channel as well.
That is the rule set I use and I am setting up 15 mmFrance 1940 armies to play. I have two “Skirmish Campaign” books for scenarios. One of them “France ’40-The Ghost Division”, has Arras scenarios.
@cbrenner – the only reason I didn’t reply to this comment earlier is I don’t have direct knowledge of CoC or TFL being on the project. I know the BoW team leached out to quite a few gaming companies, and personally I wrote / interviewed about FoW, Battlegroup, and Bolt Action.
Of course, the more systems and people we have involve din the project, the better! 😀 I hope to see more content appear for Dunkirk Week (content I don’t even know about yet).
Whilst I cannot get into the Meta for 40k it is good to see GW making an effort to embrace their community again. It’s fab to see that they have realised that BoW are not the enemy, but a community that loves all forms of gaming.
Looking forward to the Dunkirk week, I am just about to watch the film so will probably get inspired.
Yay! Weekender
Another awesome show. Great having Ben in the studio for Hobby Night Live. I’m hoping he’ll be painting one more of those gorgeous badgers (or from that range of minies :)).
Dunkirk Week. Fantastic idea, really looking forward to this series.
I’ve been collecting 15mm stuff for the perimeter battles for a couple of years now, mainly PSC and a bit of Flames of War. There are some fantastic books out there on this subject, and my local regiment (Ox & Bucks Light Infantry) was heavily involved.
Take a look at Road to Dunkirk by Charles More, Cassel & Hazebrouck 1940 by Jerry Murland, and Dunkirk by Hugh Sebag-Montefiore. All available from Amazon, all with some great maps. I’m a sucker for good maps!
Thanks very much, @felixpike – We hope you like what we have coming out next week. 😀
And glad you’re keen on the perimeter battles, this is exactly where the articles and interviews are focused. I think a big thing to remember in these engagements is how much credit the French have not gotten in the time they won for the BEF’s evacuation in these perimeter battles. Definitely a point we expand upon in the series.
Great show. Really liking the ‘New Games Workshop’. Have bought into 40k for the first time on the back of 8th Edition. Should work great with my Battle Systems Sci-Fi Kickstarter which is due to arrive shortly. Really pleased to hear that Richard Clarke will be on BOW. My roots are in serious historical Wargaming and the Lardies systems are top notch.
Already have some of the XLC kit it’s great stuff and quick to put together, checkout their website or ebay for their buildings.
Thanks lads really enjoyed this one….. cheers
A good afternoon.
Thanks for another fun packed show and talking about great retreats there was one in Ancient Greece around 350BC called Anabase.
From what I can remember 10,000 Greek soldiers had to flee from Macedonia to the Black Sea taking the long way round through deserts fighting all the way.
Also a film called the Warriors from 1979 was loosely based on this but set in the very near future New York as a street gang has to retreat across NY city to Conney Island to safety.
It happened about fifty years earlier. They fought for Cyrus the Younger and after he and most of their leaders were killed they marched from modern Iraq to the Black Sea.
Are we talking about retreats or evacuations? Retreats are all over the place. Seaborne evacuations are a little more rare. If we’re talking retreats I would add the US/UN’s 8th Army Retreat from the Yalu River in Korea, 1950.
To answer @warzan question about successful large-scale evacuations by sea in the 20th century. The 3 big ones are – Gallipoli (1916), Dunkirk (1940) and Greece + Crete (1941). They are rare because these are the trickiest of operations to undertake. There are other instances like the Germans evacuating East Prussia which are a bit different. The British were able to do such operations essentially because of the Royal Navy.
Another great Weekender, I’m liking the setup of the past months.
I would have thought the evacuation of Prussia was just like dunkirk. In fact the military personnel was about the same numbers but adding to that 1 million civilians means it was a greater effort overall
Thanks, @captainventanus and @avernos –
Indeed, we touch on the subsequent evacuations carried out from France after Dunkirk (Operations Cycle and Ariel) – then Greece and Crete. I would also add the evacuation from British Somalia to Aden across the Red Sea after the Italian invasion of August-September 1940, if only because it’s Italy’s one successful invasion without German support in WW2.
Thanks, @craddock169 & @captainventanus Interesting stuff guys!
The blind-box space marines seems like a great idea, and I’m pleased to see GW trying something different.
Only thing that has me scratching my head about it – why not Primaris marines? Surely missing a trick not going with the new hotness?
GW on the weekender is
On GW and them being open and listening.
I think on a superficial level they appear changed. And when they say they are listening and stuff I think its its just BS.
Otherwise they wouldnt force shit down our throats like the Repulsor being the only way to transport Primaris Marines (alongside Thunder Hawks and Sokar Stormbirds).
I am pretty sure they wont listen rewgarding this topic and thats the point where they just piss all over their own game and all the players.
I’m not under any illusions as to why this conversion came about. It wasn’t some Road to Damascus-style conversion but a recognition that they were slowly bleeding themselves out of business if they stayed on the path they were on. Hopefully now they’ve committed to modernising their approach to the community they’re doing it sincerely. Time will tell.
@oriskany you hold a treasured piece of British history in your hands – please be kind with what you have been entrusted with 😉 Looking forward to reading your articles though.
Otherwise, great show guys; great to see Az in the hot seat but more importantly how cool is it that GW made an official appearance on your show! When I signed up as a backstager I never thought I would live to see it. It’s right up there with seeing England win the Ashes and the Rugby world cup. Just need to see us win a footy trophy and I can probably die a happy man
@onlyonepinman – I’ve been thinking about this post most of today and … honestly I’ve been trying to come up with the best way to respond. I want to be sure I don’t misinterpret what you mean so I can only offer this for now . . .
I’m really hoping that my three years of content on BoW and my position as the team’s Historical Editor demonstrates the consistent care I’ve taken in presenting military history in this international forum in a fair, balanced, and respectful manner.
Hope you like the series. 😀
This weekender explains the cool August temps we have right now. Hell Froze Over. GW acknowledging BoW!?!?
nice one guys love the show.
Happy weekend!
Thanks for the show guys, see you tomorow
I’m still going to reserve judgement on 8th edition. My favorite army has always been the Grey Knights, although no one has ever explained why they’re silver. Ash and Blood was my choice of colors. But my biggest complaint was that they were always the highest point cost per figure on the field and couldn’t kill their way out of a paper bag. By this, I mean that a single Knight could never kill his equivalent in points of an enemy, and since the game still uses six sided dice instead of “bigger” polyhedra, the Knight’s “eliteness” is limited to, maybe, 1 rank better, rather than the 3+ that it deserves. And being the highest costing figures on the field, they were always out numbered, giving the hordes with the bucket of d6’s a vast advantage. The figures are lovely, now make them playable. Especially after being told by a then GW muckety-muck years back at one of the last Games Day in my area that “there would never be a plastic Grey Knight.” That, at least, has changed.
Have an article in this month Wargames Illustrated on the Cassel rearguard with regards to Dunkirk and two scenarios in it for Battlegroup Blitzkrieg.
Be interesting to read @oriskany series on Dunkirk… my grandfather was evacuated from the beaches, so it’s a part of WWII that has a very personal connection for me.
I had actually read those articles before we talked about the series and found them really interesting, the scenarios especially. But obviously I didn’t want to reuse your work.
Each day’s article will have a thread attached for people to add their own input, so hopefully you’ll feel the urge to join in @piers
Thanks, @piers – definitely hope you like the article series and hope you like in particular Part 03 – where we discuss Battlegroup: Blitzkrieg (the 20mm article). I actually make brief reference to one of the scenarios in Battlegroup Blitzkrieg I think you’re talking about. 😀
I’ve written two new ones for Wargames Illustrated’s Dunkirk special. Both focus on actual engagements at Cassel which make good tabletop refights.
Look forward to what you have in store! 🙂
Oh, and @piers … I do re-use one of the 1940 Battlegroup photos you provided for the Battlegroup article series we did last year. I made sure you were credited in the caption. 😀
Feel free to use any matey. If you need new WWII pics, juat ask.
😀
Glad you liked them… I’d did a fair few pics for that issue too… I ain’t seen the magazine myself yet! 🙂
I’m working on retreat to Dunkirk campaign at the mment for the Queens Own Brigade… based on the actions my Grandfather fought in during his time with the RWK.
Congratulations on the full-time appointment, Az! I for one think you’re a great addition to the team, so I was highly amused by your wee nod to the detractors who don’t like change. 😉
PS. For the love of God, stop with the 40k stuff: it’s making it too tempting. My wife and my wallet will never forgive me!
@hunter82 that means a great deal thank you kindly 🙂 I know we can’t all be everyone’s cup of tea but so long as I stay understandable at the very least I hope all will be well 🙂 Az
I should take this opportunity to thank Justin, Warren, and Az for the great “interview” and intro to Dunkirk Week. 😀 Next week’s gonna be awesome,w e hope everyone takes a moment to chime in! 😀
@oriskany – Was great to get to chat with you Jim and I am chomping at the bit for all the content 🙂 Az
Awesome! I hope you like it! 😀
The demon that follows you around speaking in Justin’s voice sounds really terrifying.
@warzan and @oriskany Just caught up on the weekender and thinking about other military evacuations brought to mind the British withdrawal from Baku in Azerbaijan in 1918 at the end of the campaign of Dunsterforce (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunsterforce) which may be of interest.
This was part of an operation to shore up Russian forces against the Ottomans after the revolution, forming part of the Great Game to protect India and involved a small elite force of 350 Commonwealth soldiers organising local militias and White Russian troops to fight 60,000 Turks. The story includes espionage, large scale use of armoured cars, heroic actions, political intrigue and mysteriously disappearing militias ending in an evacuation by sea under fire from ‘friend’ and foe alike which I’m told is part of the Sandhurst curriculum.
Not quite on the scale of Dunkirk but lots of gaming opportunities for a little known conflict.
Love the show and the historical articles, keep ’em coming
Thanks very much, @dunsters . Great addition to the narrative, I have honestly never heard of this operation. Baku, so we’re evacuating across the Caspian Sea? I presume to Persia (modern Iran)? White Russians, this almost sounds like where the end of World War I on the Eastern Front is bleeding into the early stages of the Russian Civil War. Nasty stuff.
I’d evacuate too! 😀
Thanks for the great comment.
Az is such a great addition to the show! Happy to have you lighten up me weekend @thisisazrael – keep doing what you do 🙂
You guys are such a great bunch!