# New SM Battles Book



## Mossy Toes (Jun 8, 2009)

Sarah 'Pyroriffic' Cawkwell will reportedly be writing _Gildar Rift_, featuring the Silver Skulls. That makes her the first online forumite (from the old Black Library forums, and founder of the replacement Black Library Bolthole, as well as a more recent member here) to break into Black Library's actual novel writers. We've had a number of short story successes...but still, this is a landmark accomplishment!

Really, there is an additional triumph here too. The Silver Skulls were, for a time, a group story running by forumites very much like ourself. They were built up from scarce information, given depth and (silvery) color. Though I'm sure that Pyro has built on, revised and expanded the information, the seed of interest was quickened in the communal fan fiction heart.

Congratulations, Pyro! Awesome job! I can't wait to get my grubby mitts on the book, and see the totemic, superstitious Skulls at their best!


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## Lord of the Night (Nov 18, 2009)

So THATS! who Pyroiffic is. I was in the dark and didn't dare ask. But awesome!, never heard of the Gildar Rift so I assume its a new battle. But I like what ive read about the superstitious Silver Skulls and look forward to reading more about them.

Congratulations Pyro, your living the dream.

So now we have _Purging of Kadillius_, _Fall of Damnos_, _Battle of the Fang_ and _Gildar Rift_ to wait for in the Space Marines Battles series.


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## Mossy Toes (Jun 8, 2009)

A quick google tells me that "the Gildar Rift is a victory in which the Silver Skulls dispatched a large fleet of Red Corsairs."


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## Lord of the Night (Nov 18, 2009)

Oo very very nice indeed. The Red Corsairs rule, and finally some CSM action.

I envy you Pyro, getting to write for Black Library.


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## bobss (May 18, 2008)

I believe Dark Angel told me this, quite some time ago, infact; but stolid confirmation is always appreciated  I'm still wanting the Imperial Fists or the Flesh Tearers, or Doom Eagles, but a somewhat roguish, altruistic Chapter like the Silver Skulls, in combination with their Chapter livery, and their somewhat-unique doctrinate should make for an interesting read.


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## dark angel (Jun 11, 2008)

bobss said:


> I believe Dark Angel told me this, quite some time ago, infact; but stolid confirmation is always appreciated  I'm still wanting the Imperial Fists or the Flesh Tearers, or Doom Eagles, but a somewhat roguish, altruistic Chapter like the Silver Skulls, in combination with their Chapter livery, and their somewhat-unique doctrinate should make for an interesting read.


I did? 

Anyway: Congratulations Pyro, your fanfiction is great, so I am sure this will be!


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## Mossy Toes (Jun 8, 2009)

DA may have said that Pyro was writing for BL, but the only announced story of hers was "Primary Instinct," a short story for one of the anthologies. This, until the Games Day reveal just recently, was Very Hush Hush, You Know.


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## World Eater XII (Dec 12, 2008)

Man ive missed so much! 2weeks off and all this stuff! congrats on the book though!


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## Commissar Ploss (Feb 29, 2008)

Mossy! you dirty SOB!~! i was going to post this!!! :ireful2: ooh, (must...stay...my...wrath...)

...........

CP


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## Mossy Toes (Jun 8, 2009)

:victory:

That's right.


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## Pyroriffic (Feb 28, 2010)

Thank you, guys...


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## Lord of the Night (Nov 18, 2009)

Pyroriffic said:


> Thank you, guys...


We wish you good luck Pyro, its amazing that your getting to write for Black Library.


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## space cowboy (Apr 3, 2009)

That is totally awesome! It seems like a more prestigious line than the standard 'novel to see if you can cut it' work, too.


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## Pyroriffic (Feb 28, 2010)

space cowboy said:


> That is totally awesome! It seems like a more prestigious line than the standard 'novel to see if you can cut it' work, too.


...no pressure...

:shok:


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## bobss (May 18, 2008)

Pyroriffic said:


> ...no pressure...
> 
> :shok:


Can you jab Dan Abnett in the eye until he pens a novel about the Imperial Fists, with a highly Victorian-esque, Gentleman's cane?

Again, from one Mr. Angel I've heard your fiction is pretty sweet, so I certainly look forward to such


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## Pyroriffic (Feb 28, 2010)

bobss said:


> Can you jab Dan Abnett in the eye until he pens a novel about the Imperial Fists, with a highly Victorian-esque, Gentleman's cane?
> 
> Again, from one Mr. Angel I've heard your fiction is pretty sweet, so I certainly look forward to such


You see, the nuances of the English language caused me to chuckle heartily until I realised you meant you wanted me to poke Dan with a cane... and NOT get him to write about an Imperial Fists warrior with said cane.

Although the latter could be highly amusing.


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## Commissar Ploss (Feb 29, 2008)

hey, YOU!! 





good luck babe. :wink:

CP


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## Baron Spikey (Mar 26, 2008)

Commissar Ploss said:


> hey, YOU!!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


A word, spoken in innocence maybe, has peaked my interest- the malicious rumour mill is powering up...


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## Commissar Ploss (Feb 29, 2008)

Baron Spikey said:


> A word, spoken in innocence maybe, has peaked my interest- the malicious rumour mill is powering up...


i'll let you formulate your own conclusions. :smoke:


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## Pyroriffic (Feb 28, 2010)

It depends on what those rumours are, and what certification they might receive.


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## Baron Spikey (Mar 26, 2008)

I'm sure something will arise that will be considered mind boggling but have the ring of _'it's so weird it must be true'_, like many a tenacious urban myth before it. :read::shout:


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## Pyroriffic (Feb 28, 2010)

Would it help any if I told you that yesterday, at Games Day, I put on a slap of lipstick and kissed a book instead of signing it for a certain Commissar?

It probably wouldn't, would it?

:wink:


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## bobss (May 18, 2008)

*Sighs* ... I thought Ploss's unimaginably colossal -yet somewhat hidden upon the Forum- gay personna would dissuade anything remotely close to flirtation with the opposite sex?

Oh, and I'm pleased my little, if somewhat cliche, classic English analogy worked


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## Baron Spikey (Mar 26, 2008)

Pyroriffic said:


> Would it help any if I told you that yesterday, at Games Day, I put on a slap of lipstick and kissed a book instead of signing it for a certain Commissar?
> 
> It probably wouldn't, would it?
> 
> :wink:


It would only slow my progress down, not derail it entirely :wink:


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## Pyroriffic (Feb 28, 2010)

I like it here.


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## Commissar Ploss (Feb 29, 2008)

Pyroriffic said:


> Would it help any if I told you that yesterday, at Games Day, I put on a slap of lipstick and kissed a book instead of signing it for a certain Commissar?
> 
> It probably wouldn't, would it?
> 
> :wink:





Baron Spikey said:


> It would only slow my progress down, not derail it entirely :wink:


lol "it's so strange it's true."  just like you wanted Baron. 


Pyroriffic said:


> I like it here.


I'm glad. 

:blush: i can't correctly emote our relationship for the others to see here so i'll just do this:

:santa: come here and sit with me, my dear. You're wish is my command. *smooch*


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## Baron Spikey (Mar 26, 2008)

Dirty old man wearing a santa's hat to lure in the young and naive?


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## Commissar Ploss (Feb 29, 2008)

Baron Spikey said:


> Dirty old man wearing a santa's hat to lure in the young and naive?


ah, i see, yeah that could be misconstrued... not quite. 

suffice it to say, we're quite close. lol


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## Pyroriffic (Feb 28, 2010)

PLOSS!

Put the thread back on its rails again.

Or... or _ELSE_!

*draws self up to full 5'4"*


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## Baron Spikey (Mar 26, 2008)

Move quick Ploss, that's kidney biting height!

So Silver Skulls, can't wait as long as it's better than the shit that was _Helsreach_*


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## Commissar Ploss (Feb 29, 2008)

Pyroriffic said:


> PLOSS!
> 
> Put the thread back on its rails again.
> 
> ...


or else what? you'll kiss my belly button? lol <3


Baron Spikey said:


> Move quick Ploss, that's kidney biting height!
> 
> So Silver Skulls, can't wait as long as it's better than the shit that was _Helsreach_*


 *cough* be nice... i read the extra bit... 


Helsreach was thoughtfully intriguing in it's perfect 'autistic' representation of a Space Marine. I thought it quite good.

Here's the description that Pyro gave me regarding the situation:

"The Silver Skulls Chapter fleet destroys a Red Corsair strike force comprising several Executor-class grand cruisers. The surviving renegades make planetfall on several worlds in the Gildar system, but the Silver Skulls are not to be thwarted so easily. In a matter of weeks, the Gildar system is declared free of the Red Corsair's influence." 

sounds wonderfully eradicatory (yes i made that word up). :biggrin:


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## Baron Spikey (Mar 26, 2008)

Anything to do with one of the lesser known chapters is a cause for great glee.


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## Lord of the Night (Nov 18, 2009)

Baron's right, the Space Marines Battles series has only focused on the Founding Legions so far, the Black Templars are a semi-exception, not a founding but still widely known. So the Silver Skulls will be a nice change of pace, a chance to see the inner workings, beliefs and customs of a chapter that hasn't been fleshed out yet.

Looking forward to seeing where you'll take the Silver Skulls Pyro. The only thing I can imagine about them is that they have tribal style names, like Native American or Australian Aborigine.


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## bobss (May 18, 2008)

I thought the Crimson Fists were Imperial Fists successors, just drawn from the far fresher Imperial Fists initiates unlike the highly zealous ''breed'' the Black Templars drew upon?

It isn't their Founding that matters, really, it is more their unique and unusual nature. They are more akin to the Marines Malevolent (without the obvious malevolence) and do not adhere to Imperial Society, merely eradicating humanities foes and obeying their own mantra's, drawn from the ''Word'' of the Emperor.


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## Commissar Ploss (Feb 29, 2008)

Baron Spikey said:


> cause for great glee.


who's gay now? :laugh: you scoffed at my wardrobe choices and now you use the word "glee".lol  (right back atcha!) 

CP


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## Pyroriffic (Feb 28, 2010)

Ploss!

Rails!


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## Baron Spikey (Mar 26, 2008)

Commissar Ploss said:


> who's gay now? :laugh: you scoffed at my wardrobe choices and now you use the word "glee".lol  (right back atcha!)
> 
> CP


I'm secure enough in my masculinity, potent as it is, to use the term 'glee'- hell I also use 'delightful', 'fabulous' and a myriad of other suspect terms and not once have I ever thought of myself as gay. 

Even my boyfriend thinks of me as straight :laugh:


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## Commissar Ploss (Feb 29, 2008)

Baron Spikey said:


> I'm secure enough in my masculinity, potent as it is, to use the term 'glee'- hell I also use 'delightful', 'fabulous' and a myriad of other suspect terms and not once have I ever thought of myself as gay.
> 
> Even my boyfriend thinks of me as straight :laugh:


:laugh:

CP


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## AK74Bob (Oct 2, 2010)

The fact that the Battle of Macragge is not one of the first Space Marine battle novels pisses me off. Instead they do a novel about the Ultramarines 2nd company fighting Necrons. Also the fact that 3 of the first 4 novels are Space Marines battling Orks is pretty lame imo: Crimson Fists v Orks, Black Templars v Orks and now Dark Angels v Orks. I've liked all of them, but they should have thought it out a bit more.


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## jasonbob (Sep 6, 2010)

Well Battle of the Fang sounds like its going to have good chaos marine action

and Gildar Rift has some sort of xenos right?


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## AK74Bob (Oct 2, 2010)

Battle of the Fang does sound badass. But what is this Gildar Rift?


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## Pyroriffic (Feb 28, 2010)

_Gildar Rift_ will mention orks in passing. And that's as much screen time as they get. You don't need xenos when you have Marine-on-Marine smackdown opportunities.

With big, big ships.

*drifts off to happy place*

The summary out of the SM Codex to remind people what the premise of the story is:-

_"The Silver Skulls Chapter fleet destroys a Red Corsair strike force comprising several Executor-class grand cruisers. The surviving renegades make planetfall on several worlds in the Gildar system, but the Silver Skulls are not to be thwarted so easily. In a matter of weeks, the Gildar system is declared free of the Red Corsair's influence."_


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## World Eater XII (Dec 12, 2008)

So its the silver skulls kicking ass and taking names like pro's!


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## Pyroriffic (Feb 28, 2010)

That's the theory, certainly.

Better get on with writing it then...


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## zAngle (Oct 2, 2010)

Pyroriffic congrats on getting the novel with Black Library! I will be buying it and can't wait to add it to the rest of my space marine battle collection.


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## Pyroriffic (Feb 28, 2010)

Thanks, zAngle!


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## Phil73805 (Feb 28, 2010)

Battle of the Fang is being written by Chris Wraight and promises to be a page turner. As for the Silver Skulls stuff, a friend of mine at Black Library was supposed to be writing it (I read his early stuff and it was awesome) but was deposed by Miss Pyro so my joy is less than full, having said that congrats Pyroriffic!


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## Pyroriffic (Feb 28, 2010)

Phil73805 said:


> Battle of the Fang is being written by Chris Wraight and promises to be a page turner. As for the Silver Skulls stuff, a friend of mine at Black Library was supposed to be writing it (I read his early stuff and it was awesome) but was deposed by Miss Pyro so my joy is less than full, having said that congrats Pyroriffic!


Well, there you go. You learn something every day.

Nothing intentional, I assure you...


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## Phil73805 (Feb 28, 2010)

Of course it wasn't intentional! The thought honestly never entered my mind. I'm really looking forward to reading your take on the Silver Skulls!


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## Commissar Ploss (Feb 29, 2008)

i want this book kissed as well darling, ok? :biggrin:

CP


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## Pyroriffic (Feb 28, 2010)

@Phil: Cheers - hope you enjoy reading them as much as I'm enjoying writing them, the dodgy buggers.

@CP: You got your books, then?


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## Commissar Ploss (Feb 29, 2008)

Pyroriffic said:


> @CP: You got your books, then?


haha, yes i did. <3 i see you got Katie to smooch it too. lol


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## forkmaster (Jan 2, 2010)

What I find odd in the SM Battle books, where you guys point out its only 1st founding chapters in them (except Crimson Fists), but I think its weird its only the 3rd companies. Its Dark Angels 3rd company, White Scars 3rd company (and in that same novel is Shrike in it and I think he had 3rd company as well) and Im not sure about the Black Templars as they arent organized like that,, but I bet Crimson Fists had their 3rd company as well.


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## Baron Spikey (Mar 26, 2008)

Out of the 3 SM Battle Books so far only 1 has been about a First Founding Chapter, of the next 4 scheduled 3 are about 1st Founders.

7 Books: 4 about 1st Founding Chapters, 3 about Successors.


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## Pyroriffic (Feb 28, 2010)

Not 3rd Company Silver Skulls, I assure you.


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## Baron Spikey (Mar 26, 2008)

2nd Company?


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## Pyroriffic (Feb 28, 2010)

Nope.

This game could go on a while...


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## Mossy Toes (Jun 8, 2009)

One of the assault companies I'd bet, with my inside information, so something like...the 7th company? Gah, damn, I should REALLY know this.


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## Pyroriffic (Feb 28, 2010)

And no again!


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## Pyroriffic (Feb 28, 2010)

Actually, I'm not going to tell you anyway, so move along.

Nothing to see here.


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## Baron Spikey (Mar 26, 2008)

If it's a battle company then I'll be happy if it's the 5th Company, you never hear anything about the 5th company.


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## Turkeyspit (Jun 11, 2010)

Pyroriffic said:


> Actually, I'm not going to tell you anyway, so move along.
> 
> Nothing to see here.


10th Co. obv. We need to see more Scout action!


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## jasonbob (Sep 6, 2010)

forkmaster said:


> but I bet Crimson Fists had their 3rd company as well.


Only 2nd Company parts of 1st company and the fourth captain and chapter master and like 14 random marines

Though I think the small opening engagement was 3rd company its been a while so I don't remember


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