Black Library: A tale of growing frustration and discontent (LIMITED EDITION)

Don't take the subject line the wrong way. I still love all the stories, books and audio dramas that come out of there. The authors and artists are amazing and I don't want them to stop.

Exclusive products in that only an exclusive few will ever get them

It is the business men there that are turning me sour with their culture of Limited Edition, no heads up, a tidal wave of products, and a saturation of microtransaction digital products.

I used to be able to get an read almost every 40k book. This wasn't too long ago really, Probably about 6 years. I can't be sure, but eventually, they just started making too much. I am kinda okay with this part, but it is lamentable because I may be missing out on some particularly awesome story and not even know it. It has also become nearly impossible to tell which stories are related to each other and follow character story arcs as a result. To add to this problem is the constant release of short stories from compendiums as separate digital products, without saying always what they were previously contained in.

Now continuing on this trend, I used to be able to see well ahead what was coming and plan what I was going to read. Now I am always catching up. ALWAYS. There are constant surprise releases, which makes it hard to budget for them. Alot of times these are of somewhat important stories, such as Horus Heresy Products. Some things I still want to follow in their entirety.

I have been trying to get this book for years

Which leads me to the Limited Edition nature of certain products. Especially Horus Heresy. This is the best and most epic story there is at BL. One of the best in Science Fiction Literature IMO. But I am finding myself missing more and more of it because of Limited Edition releases THAT SELL OUT IN AN HOUR. This is wrong on so many levels.
1- If your product sells out in an hour, that means you did not have enough of them. Period. You lost potential revenue. ALOT of potential revenue. And the cost of these books is no where near the $50 price tag, so that is all profit being flushed away.
2- It is punishing me the fan for being at work or unable to get on the internet. I missed an unexpected release of Corax:Soulforge in the vault because I was driving. I got the email saying HEY WE HAVE 700 COPIES when I got home and they were sold out.

This came out of nowhere and I had already spent my BL money for the month catching up on old stories I had missed AND another limited edition BL had released just 2 weeks prior (Seventh Serpent) so I missed this...

3- They are dropped on us like a present. IN 48 HOURS YOU CAN BUY THIS OVERLY EXPENSIVE BOOK OF A STORY YOU REALLY WANT TO READ THAT YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO AGAIN IF YOU DON'T BUY NOW!!!!! Well thanks for that gift. I don't happen to be able to spend $75 on a book this week. I appreciate it. Now I will have to wait for you to surprise me again a year from now by telling me you have 100 copies in your vault and miss my opportunity again.

Furthermore, you are making more AND MORE of these limited edition products. It seems like there are more limited edition these days than normal release. I wouldn't mind the occasional limited edition, or a limited edition so long as there was also a regular one simultaneously, or even up to a year later. BUT THERE IS NOT. I cannot afford to drop $50 every 10 days. And you don't even release them on pay day, so I am sure there are some people that have already blown their expendable parts of their budget by the time the limited edition is released, especially since there is very little heads up any more.

The worst part is I am not getting these because they are collectible. I don't care. I bet you almost no one does. I am getting it because of the story. Because your authors are creating a great universe that I want to immerse myself in. By making it limited, you are tearing at my devotion, because I cannot possibly afford to devote so much to something I truly do love. So congratulations on finding a way to monetize fanship and a love of fluff and in doing to causing discontent and in a way, punishing a fan.

Last of all is the number of digital products. It is clearly becoming more about making money than enriching the 40k universe. I can't fault the company for making money, which really everything I am ranting about is aimed to achieve, and almost definitely is achieving. It is just frustrating. There are so many digital products that I just can't keep them straight or realize when I want a particular one. And some of the ones I do end up getting are just really short and really stale. Like you just asked an incredibly talented artist to pump out 7 pages in 3 days so you could slap a piece of digital art on the cover and sell it next week for $4.99. It shouldn't just be that. They should be making these stories to make the 40k universe more expansive, not just to regurgitate codex fluff and make money.

How much will it be? Will I be able to get it later?

Will I try and get Tallarn: Ironclad. Maybe, because the story trumps these gripes. Am I feeding the beast and the problem if I do. Yes. So will the other 2,999 people that manage to get a copy. If I can get it later, I may not, but I am not convinced it will be available again, at least not for a long time. It doesn't make it any less frustrating though...

Unboxing: Big Box Terrain by Angry Mojo Games

So a few months back I backed my first Kickstarter. It was the Big Box Terrain by Angry Mojo Games. Well it arrived today, so I thought I would share it with you!

A correction to the video: I mention triangular bases. Those are actually the floors for the taller buildings second and third level. There are no bases for the buildings, as they support themselves (I may add a base to define the area as difficult terrain. I also don't mention the two cool little church pews that come with the ruined chapel.

That is alot of stuff. 2 Three Story Ruins, 6 Two Story Ruins, 16 One Story Ruins, a Ruined Chapel, 3 Blast Templates, a Rubble field and 3 feet of walls.

Test fitting everything together, I can also say that there is no forcing of any parts, all of it slides into place with ease and supports itself easily.

According to the kickstarter I was supposed to only get 8 of the 1 story building corners, but as you can see I got 16. I don't know if this was a mistake, a kickstarter special, or a result of the delay that befell Angry Mojo when a laser went bad. I also got some spare floors for the 2 and 3 story buildings, which I may just have to find some use for.

Angry Mojo seems to still be up and coming, and is just finishing up fulfillment of their kickstarter. I expect that their terrain will be available soon from their website. The idea of $50 US for an entire tables worth of terrain (which you can see I definately got AND THEN SOME) is AMAZING. Sure it is not the most visually striking, but for events or (as I mention in the video) pick up/travel games, it is perfect.

Black Powder: First French Line Infantry Complete

So I recently started getting into Napoleonics. I LOVE HISTORY. I think in some way nearly all wargamers do. I had started looking into historical wargaming in 2013, but not until last summer did I finally get some units. I had sat on them, painting a single mini, until I got the Black Powder Rule Book and both Albion Triumphant: The Peninsular War and Hundred Days Campaign.

Now the rules seem GREAT and I can't wait until I can play. I may do a review of the books and what I think of the rules some other time. However, today is focusing on Painting.

These are an example of Warlord Games French Line Infantry. These ones utilize an early war design, which is good for me because
1- This is more full dress. Late war models all tend to be wearing great coats and campaign dress. Just not as flashy to me
2- I am hoping to build up to represent the armies that fought at Wagram in 1809 (Napoleon defeated the Austrians and effectively won the war of the 5th Coalition), plus some additional units (Marines of the Guard, Mamelukes etc. etc.)

The bases are from LITKO Game Accessories. This is a great way to get counters or bases of any shape or size. Check them out! Based with The Army Painter Field Grass, Grass Greens, Meadow Flowers and Battlefield Rocks.

Craziest 40k/30k/WHFB crossover theory.

So there is a lot of talk about a cross over between 40k and fantasy lately with upcoming potential release of 9th edition. Talk about Draigo appearing and Skaven calling Craftworld Eldar and Lizardmen running to the warp/webway.

I have a even crazier potentiality.

Warning: If you have not read the Horus Heresy novel Vengeful Spirit stop here. 

So when Horus goes through the gate on Molech to ascend to what is essentially Godhood like the Emperor did, he is transported to another world, presumably in the warp. In this world he supposedly spends thousands of years conquering until he reaches a final triumph in the name of chaos...

Sound like anyone???

So Archaon Everchosen is the chosen son of Chaos in the Fantasy World. Horus can be said to be so in the Grim Dark future. But what if Archaon and Horus are one in the same? Could Archaon's conquests actually be those of Horus after he goes through the gate? And the final victory that saw Horus return to the 31st millennium is the looming End Times cataclysm that is going to see the destruction of the Old World into floating warp bubbles at the hands of Archaon?

Some of you may say "But what about the 'appearance' of Draigo? in Fantasy, he is from 10,000 years later?" Well two things: That may be the Emperor and not Draigo AND warp time does not flow linearly, so it may be 41st Millennium Draigo warning Old World good guys about 31st Millennium Horus.

It is a wild, and 99% chance WRONG, theory, but it is a fun concept IMO and one I had to share.

Samurai Lords Kickstarter from Steel Fist Miniatures is Live (Some of the best 28mm models you will ever see)

Before I talk, I'll just link up here to the kickstarter to save time

STEEL FIST MINIATURES SAMURAI LORDS KICKSTARTER

So I have a small amount of Samurai I have been working on for use in War and Conquest and/or Pike and Shotte. I have gotten many yet, just 2 box sets from Wargames Factory. Now those box sets are amazing for plastics. Really REALLY nice in terms of variety of parts and poses you can build models in, although this makes them a little fiddly/slow to assemble.

BUT if you want to discuss the highest detail/quality of sculpts you have to talk about Steel Fist Miniatures.

From their 16th Century Samurai Lords Range

Lately they have been developing their Sekigahara Range, which is based of the year 1600 battle of battles for Samurai. These are not only supposed to represent the pinnacle of Samurai warfare, but be superior miniatures to his original amazing range, something which I think they achieved.

As you can see that is awesome.

But now there is a kickstarter to make the range faster, bigger and more comprehensive. As of writing this is is almost have way to its modest 3000 GBP goal, so easily achievable.

And everyone who pledges at least 1 goal level gets this free model in addition to their pledge reward

I won't go into all the reward and unlock levels, since you can easily go there and do so. I recommend it, if for nothing else other than to look at truly impressive models.

STEEL FIST MINIATURES SAMURAI LORDS KICKSTATER