This Week in 40K Podcasting – 11/29/2013 – 12/05/2013

Welcome to another “This Week in 40K Podcasting,”

Here is this week’s top 5!

Highlights:  This was the long awaited Horus Hersey Book Two: Massacre review!  In this first part of their two part series they cover the full and detailed backstory of the Dropsite Massacre!  They guys opened up the show with ‘the Work Bench’ where they discuss what they have completed in their hobby and some of the games they have been playing.  Then, the guys are joined by Reese from Frontline Gaming and they talked first about the Las Vegas Open and the Megamat!  Then it was on to their part one review of the Horus Hersey Book Two: Massacre and the started off with the overall look, feel, and artwork of this great book.  They then move on to the massive story leading up to the Dropsite Massacre, starting with the buildup of forces on Istvaan V and all of the Legions that have committed forces to this great battle.  This included the great betrayal of the Alpha Legion, Night Lords, Iron Warriors, and the Word Bearers over the Iron Hands, Salamanders and the Raven Guard.  They also discussed the combat between Fulgrim and Ferrus Manus where Manus was beheaded by Fulgrim, and the tragic blow the Imperium took at the battle.  They then move on to individual looks at each of the Legions involved in this conflict, starting with the Iron Hands and their backstory, their augmentations, and the events leading up to this battle.  They also covered the Iron Warriors and their beginnings as slaves, the Salamanders and their very unique biology and rich background, and finally the Word Bearers and their contrary beliefs in the Imperial Truth. 

Highlights:   This week the guys open up the show with ‘This Week in Gaming’ where they discussed the games they have been playing lately.  They are joined by Reese from Frontline Gaming and they started talking about the failed episode 183 and the new Megamat Kickstarter from Frontline Gaming.  Next in ‘Tactical Terrain’ Eric was back and discussing his Eldar game board and all of the steps he has gone through to build it.  Then, the boys dove into their review of the new Clan Raukaan Codex Supplement, starting off with their overall thoughts on it.  They then moved onto a more detailed review, starting with what changes it makes to the Force Org chart, their Relics, and the Warlord Traits.  Next, in ‘Simhammer’ DJ discusses the benefits of the Torrent of Fire system and how to use it to your benefit.  Then in ‘Tournament Talk’, the boys breakdown the Eldar Jetseer Council, describing what it is, how it works, and how to attempt to handle this list.  They closed out the show with a Q&A segment from their Facebook fans!

Opinion:  This show was loaded with not one but two great topics, their review of the Clan Raukaan Supplement and a very tactical look at the Jetseer Council list.  I personally got more out of the Jetseer Council list than anything else, and if you do not know about this list I cannot recommend this show enough.  Amazing work guys, everything I have come to expect from this show!

Highlights:  This week had a big surprise as Steve made his triumphant return to the Overlords!  They opened up the show with some local news where they discussed the big team event they are throwing.  Next, they moved on to what they have been up to lately in gaming and the hobby.  Then, the guy moved on to discuss the new Inquisition Codex and all of the interesting changes that this book brought about.  First, they talked about some of the issues that have come from this book, including the e-book format, how the rules actually work as opposed to normal FOC detachments, and all of the interesting problems this can bring up.  They then covered the few units and ordos that are found in the book and what they bring to the table and the dedicated transport they have access to.  Next, the guys discussed the rapid release schedule for GW and if with each release are they encouraging a more narrative feel to the game.  They talked about all of the new digital releases and how they are help to ‘Forge the Narrative’ with new rules, characters, and mechanics and what does it all mean to the overall game balance of 40K.  However, have all the new rules and new nasty combos created an environment where the super killer lists are rampant in the game now.  They close out the show with a very brief look at the new Iron Hands Codex Supplement. 

40K Global – Episode 103 ***Explicit***

Highlights:  This week the boys dive into the Inquisition Codex and much more in this installment!  They kick off the show with a tournament report where Rob Madeley and Mike report from Reading Warfare at the end of day one.  Each of the guys went over their 1500 point lists they took, some of the tactics they used, and a bit about the event itself.  They then had a detailed review of each of their first three games, describing the mission that they played, their opponent’s army list, and the overall results of the game.  Next, they moved on to day two and again describe each of their games, the lists that they faced, and how the games turned out.  In the end, Rob came out on top with a 5-0 record with Necrons!  Then, in ‘Evolution’ Dave had a monologue on the topic of ‘awareness in 40K’.  This included knowing where you are in the game, the conditions to winning the game, knowledge of the codices and the rules of the game, experience and much more.  Then, in ‘Operation Codex’ Dave and Franco breakdown the new Codex: Inquisition!  They first covered a little bit about the background fluff of the Inquisition before moving on to discuss how the army works and how they attach to other armies.  They then move on to the Warlord Trait tables for each ordo and all of the fun it can bring.  They then moved on to the HQ choices including Coteaz and the generic HQ choices and their henchmen.  They also cover the transports made available, including the Valkyrie.  They then discuss some of the differences from the Grey Knight Codex and they units found in this book.  They close out the show by discussing some of the things they believe the Inquisition Codex will bring to the tabletop. 

Opinion:  Another tournament report lead off a pretty good show.  I found Dave’s monologue to be quite insightful and filled with some great tips for those on the more competitive side of this game.  Their review of Codex Inquisition was spot on and a model to look at when wanting knowledge on this new addition to our game. 

Highlights:  This week the boys are looking at the new Adepta Sororitas Codex!  They opened up the show with what they have been up to lately in gaming and the hobby.  Next, the guys moved on to their review of the Adepta Sororitas Codex.  They started off with their first impressions of the units and how overcosted they feel that they are.  They then moved on to the new ‘Acts of Faith’ and how they work in this version of the codex, the Warlord Traits, and some of the upgrades.  They moved on to the HQ choices like Saint Celestine, Uriah Jacobus, and the generic HQ choices and the options the Priests and Battle Conclaves open up.  They moved on to the sole Troop choice of the Battle Sisters and the dedicated transports of the Rhino and the Immolator before moving on to the Elite choices of Celestians and Sisters Repentia.  They then touched on the Fast Attack choices of the Seraphim and Dominions and the Heavy Support Choices of the Retributors, Penitent Engines, and the killer Exorcists!  They closed out the show by discussing a couple of lists that they drew up for this army.

Opinion:  I am starting to get used to Bill and Dawson on the show once again and this week’s look at the Adepta Sororitas Codex was fairly good.  It was a little behind the times as most outer podcast have done this and it is a re-hash of what we have heard before, but it is still worth a listen with some unique perspectives on the army.  I especially like the list building at the end.  Good show guys!

Honorable Mentions– All great podcasts that just missed this cut this week, but you should still check them out, in no particular order:

Signals from the Frontline ***Explicit*** General Gaming News, Rumors, List Reviews, Tactics, and Rants!

Skaredcast – Episode 70 Forgeworld, Megamat and more!

Forge the Narrative – Episode 34 40K Expansions, Forgeworld, and Tabletop Market

Jaded Gamercast – Episode 155 Firestorm Armada Second Edition

Life After the Cover Save – Episode 90 ***Explicit*** Las Vegas Open, Megamat, and Listener Call

Angels of Death – Episode 22 GW Holiday releases, Digital on content, and listener emails