StrangerOrders

So its not just the legions but related campaigns... If they plan to drip feed us all the BB Lore... that is absolutely fantastic and a very smart move.

They could have given us more SoS, I want them to give us more SoS. And thats not even to do with them, I just really like their one vehicle and want more with that weird :cuss: look.

Hmm... I think I see where our difference of perspective is and I think the point might be missed on your side as well, or we are just diametrically opposed, because you seem to not really be engaging with my original point and my response. Functional strength and endurance are themselves ultimately broken down into a philosophical debate, what is perfect and what is the definition you are ultimately going down (sidenote, highly recommend the Physical series for some fun television that is obsessed with this question but retains lovely sportsmanship, especially the Physical:Asia season). You seem to be arguing for a very narrow band of perfection whereas I am viewing this from the standpoint that perfection is ultimately down to such a degree of variance that someone like the Emperor (a literal shapeshifter) would not be satisfied with a single expression or approach to perfection. You'd also have to understand how many secondary and tertiary genetic factors go into something as seemingly simple as a single body-dimension and situation. Put differently, you are really fixated on physical perfection being just a fighter... fighting builds kind of suck for alot of things beyond fighting whereas someone like a high-end cross fitter will both have a different build in some respects and be more generally capable, because specialization is a thing and the entire point of crossfit is sort of to avoid that like the plague with predictable results (even if you will never be terribly likely to beat one at their sport, but then you have to factor for things like rules and what would change without them, it gets messy). But I am not sure I am going to be able to convince you so we might have to be disagree. I will however quote my favorite Custodian and the least punchable of their number (my hot take is that if I got to push one down a staircase that could kill them, it would easily be Valdor): "We were never soldiers"

As much as I don't want to get sucked into a debate I am going to ask a simple question. By what metric is a roided male bodybuilder perfection? Beyond brute strength, its less suited for endurance (that build is very specifically explosive, its kind of sucky for alot of other physical tasks), calorically inefficient (that type of hypertrophy is far more vanity than actual strength gain), is easily detrimental to long-term health and is not typically a natural result (otherwise you'd have to tolerate fat deposits which are not actually a strict negative to that build and are actually a health negative to remove, not an imperfection). Quite aside from the point that A. They weren't designed to guard a static location, that was an after-the-fact decision and B. That location is behind several billion levels of defenses... at which point having an 80s definition of a male body-builder (who have universally aged poorly) 'perfectly' suited to a task? If anything at that point you'd arguably just be better off filling the room with assassin pods). The language in most of their recent lore has been perfection in form and ideal companions, more Olympian than anything else and explicitly drawing attention to their differences being deliberate. If anything I am kind of shocked you have such an odd definition of perfection. And, forgive the additional question, why would a mono-build that destroys sexes be male? Thats nearly equivalent to saying that there is no objective value in a female build beyond child-bearing. In fact, men with wider hips are ironically typically better suited to increased strength so narrower hips is actually a design flaw from that approach... Its just... honestly not an angle of disagreement I expected, and I say this with respect to the men who really want and/or are attracted to the roided look, its honestly a pretty impressive thing to reach even if probably not advisable for longevity or performance. But to each their own goals.

Couple of thoughts. First, I am so sick of the male vs. Female discussion. The war was fought and decided years ago, stop trying to restore Babylon to the Babylonians, even the Babylonians never did that. Its also kind of disingenuous in both sides when the same statements include usually display a glaring lack of understanding of their lore and recent history. Secondly, Custodes have been impaled on sticks (and in the traditional fashion), melted in an (admittedly magical) puddle, had their aurumite punched through by an angry nearly-naked WE and allegedly been made into furniture. If anything, the sketchiest claim is that they are in any way perfect. This does not in anyway contradict that GW did initially treat anyone with an exception to it as scum and both sides of the community went feral (in fairness, it was post covid and humanity has had a brutal wound dealt to its ability to disagree politely). Everyone still pretends that the respective camps do not include people with negative views on literally half the populace and people with barely disguised... preferences trying to make everyone party to them. Thirdly, these sculpts are amazing and funnily enough there are actually some distinctions in build from what we've been shown. Its subtle but about half of the bodies have narrower torsos with a slightly concave breastplate and a 'girdle' structure, narrower legs and slightly broader hips (including the shield captain, look under the rope-thingy). I'm pleased as punch since what I have wanted since the choice was made was some volume of dimorphism because any doofus that knows a thing about armour knows that aesthetics and communicating idealized physique was actually ALOT of the point (beyond not-dying). See the rather creative medieval codpieces in a number of collections if you'd like evidence (along with the painfully narrow waists in some styles). Fourth, I dig the heads, alot. I love the crazy metal-hawk and the Shield Captain has perfect Resting Diocletian-Face. I don't understand why shaved heads are some common but thats a 40k thing I've always suspected is just flying over my head. I do not love the new helmets as much due to the weird spikey cylinder thing though. Odds on 40k Custodes going closer to this mold with whatever they get next edition?

This can only be a good thing, I have all the Black Books and they do more for alot of the Legions in terms of flavor and identity than Black Library ever did (cough*Iron Hands*cough). Giving free and easy access can only be a positive for getting people into Heresy. Edit: I hope they release the BB Knight Houses and Titan Legions down the road too. More people need to know about the Loyalist Nightmare-Mushroom-People Knights!

So whats folks money on? Just Yrael on Xmas or him and some of his rumoured faction? Cause I think last Xenos Xmas had that full Eldar vs. CSM boxset with a bunch of new units no?

Poking around GW's different regions and the FLGS I know in a few different places? This has been such a weird release. Normal discount in some places, none in others and some things sold out instantly while others have a weirdly long-lived stock. I am genuinely perplexed at just how badly to LoV box did in my regions at least, its usually the last to go and is around still even on GW's site. I sort of figured the lack if a named character and their now fairly ample range would help them out. EC box isn't doing great either but thats not a surprise, can't imagine that many people did what I did and waited for Fulgrim to be in a bundle. And he's honestly the draw. Kinda nice to for once have an army's beneath the scalper's notice lol.

Chairon for Redemptor Ironclad variant! Give him a chance to punch a Lord Discordant to death with a Siege Claw. GW can and definitely would just soft retcon on the grounds of 'Dreadnoughts are technically considered dead'.

On one hand, at least Chairon made Lieutenant before his death (guess he overcame Gadriel in ranks only to die, makes me recall FMA for some reason). On the other, thats two captains of Second Company Leandros either got killed or nearly did lol.

The image beside it definitely has the Necron spine thing right?

Oh sorry, I must have misunderstood the new rumour vid, my apologies.

I'd put money on them doing what they did with MKIII, it will be done halfway into 3.0 as part of a set. I recall Valrak saying something about Catas being part of a set but his latest rumour is both them and Tarts coming out around the same time. Makes me think Breachers are the most probable, along with a vehicle (maybe a Knight or less-demanding Baneblade alt-build) if we are lucky. 40k is def going to be the campaign chars I imagine.

The Khan has a helmet after all according to the model description on the article. Great cause I could recall it being mentioned. WS helms sre usually great.

Best we got is the Chapter that publically humiliated the Ordo Malleus and cost the GK more resources than most Daemonic incursions. So hyped for these, the Scouts look especially great.