# 'Stormseer' (Novella-Cover).



## forkmaster (Jan 2, 2010)

_THE STORY: The green-skinned hordes of the Overfiend of the Octavius system have long been a thorn in the Imperium’s side – and now, with human worlds caught in the crossfire between the orks and eldar, that thorn will be removed. Temur Khan and his brotherhood descend upon Lepidus Prime to cleanse it of the green taint. The swift and brutal hammer to the Imperial Guard’s anvil, the White Scars strike hard and fast – but when the orks reveal a super-weapon, it may take more than just power to win the day.?_

*So what are your thoughts?*


----------



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

Definitely like the cover, but I won't be getting this. Ebooks and all that.


LotN


----------



## Brother Lucian (Apr 22, 2011)

Mhm, decided to grab it and a bunch of some of the most recent releases. Save the advent shorts. Which im waiting for to buy all together as there most likely will be a bundle with them to save time buying and individually dling them.

Edit: Finished Stormseer, thought it a decent read. Clearly inspired by Scars and providing a couple interesting characters that we may see again in the future.


----------



## Doelago (Nov 29, 2009)

White Scars. 
David Annandale. 
BL can has my money.


----------



## Tawa (Jan 10, 2010)

Very nice piece of artwork :so_happy:


----------



## Phoebus (Apr 17, 2010)

It's by Clint Langley, I believe. I really, really like his stuff. Jon Sullivan also does excellent work, but for my money Langley has nailed the dark majesty - and, in the case of the Space Marine he painted for the Soul Drinkers Omnibus cover - the arrogance of the Adeptus Astartes.


----------



## Khorne's Fist (Jul 18, 2008)

I've been impressed with what I've read of Annandale's work so far, and my opinion of the SM Battles books has risen somewhat lately, so I might give it a go.



Phoebus said:


> It's by Clint Langley, I believe. I really, really like his stuff.


Really? I sometimes think he gets the scale all wrong. Just look at the size of that Soul Drinker's head compared to his feet. It reminds me of Pinhead from the Puppetmaster movies.


----------



## Phoebus (Apr 17, 2010)

Langley is not the only one "guilty" of using exaggerated proportions, though. And, to be fair, he is better at it than most of those who use that as a means. At least one otherwise excellent artist whose name eludes me paints T-Rex arms on everything ranging from Space Marines to Eldar. Is the design I linked to perfect? No. The pauldrons are off, and we're not done so purposefully, to name one thing. But the design is overall solid, and evokes the mood and themes of 40k. I think it's far better than a lot of the generic and cartoony designs we've gotten of late. Consider:










Where Terminators are concerned, I offer you these from Langley:



















*Those* are Terminators.

By contrast, this is a pretender to the concept:


----------



## Malus Darkblade (Jan 8, 2010)

Brutal when you put them side to side.


----------



## Jacobite (Jan 26, 2007)

Lysander wears termie tubby armor?


----------



## forkmaster (Jan 2, 2010)

My problem usually is that the weapons and limbs look WAY too big in comparison with for instance the head. And cartoonish in appearence. I think the Gaunts Ghost-covers have tended to become much much better in recent years and some of the better.


----------



## Tawa (Jan 10, 2010)

Jacobite said:


> Lysander wears termie tubby armor?


That's not Centurion armour..... :wink:


----------



## Jacobite (Jan 26, 2007)

I know it's not supposed to be but the proportions look more like that than TDA.

As for scale, I know that there was a theory that in TDA the wearers arms are actually crossed in front of them and that the actual weapon arms themselves are robotic.


----------



## Tawa (Jan 10, 2010)

Jacobite said:


> As for scale, I know that there was a theory that in TDA the wearers arms are actually crossed in front of them and that the actual weapon arms themselves are robotic.


Ewww, no! :shok:


----------



## Jacobite (Jan 26, 2007)

Makes more sense to me than it being their actual arms. I know there is image of marines being put into their suits and it is there arms but it still looks off to me.


----------



## Khyzer (Dec 22, 2012)

How I have always viewed it.


----------



## Malus Darkblade (Jan 8, 2010)

Khyzer said:


> How I have always viewed it.


Primarch should be much bigger than a SM IMO. Armored, the difference should be even greater.


----------



## Phoebus (Apr 17, 2010)

Jacobite said:


> Makes more sense to me than it being their actual arms. I know there is image of marines being put into their suits and it is there arms but it still looks off to me.


Again, you ultimately have to take into account the artist using exaggerated scale for the sake of pleasing the viewer. If you go by the Index Astartes illustrations, which are drawn to the same scale across the board, both power armour and Tactical Dreadnought Armour are wearable:



















At worst, one might argue that the hands don't reach into the finger portions of the Terminator Armour, and that a Space Marine relies on his neural connection to the suit to control those portions.



Khyzer said:


> How I have always viewed it.


I'm opposed to the former only on one account: "average" Space Marines range between seven and seven and a half feet in height - and that's straight from the design team. The Primarch scale is right, though. A Primarch has been consistently described as being to a Space Marine as a Space Marine is to a human being. If a Space Marine is roughly 25% taller than a human being, on average, then a Primarch should be similarly scaled to a Space Marine. Ironically, if we use a properly-sized average Space Marine's height as the base, a Primarch comes out to be right around a minimum of 9 feet, four inches.

I'm opposed to the latter because it purports to present _realistic_ proportions for a Space Marine, but they don't work. We know Space Marines aren't just superhumanly strong, but _agile_ as well. A man with such proportions would be hindered in the performance of a number of different physical tasks.

If you're looking for what Space Marines would "really" look like, you should probably look at NFL players in the linebacker or tight end position, larger rugby players, or larger weight-class boxers and wrestlers. Those proportions, scaled out to a 7.5ft tall human being - which itself is an incredibly difficult proposition and will only be found in a comparative handful of specimens - is the most likely case scenario. Combine those proportions with a superhumanly-hardened skeleton and the fact that those muscles are themselves enhanced... and you've got yourself a warrior who is every bit as functional as he is exceptional.

Go any larger, though, and functionality drops. Top-end body-builders can't even swim (see older Jay Cutler interviews for that), much less move as dynamically as a Space Marine would need to.


----------



## Vitarus (Apr 9, 2012)

Anyway, I just finished Stormseer. I enjoyed it. Some good action. Mysteries. And, of course, psykers. That's why I read these books. Heh. And Annandale seems fond of them. What with Mephiston and all. I know almost nothing about the White Scars, but I like their speed!


----------



## Malus Darkblade (Jan 8, 2010)

Phoebus said:


> Go any larger, though, and functionality drops. Top-end body-builders can't even swim (see older Jay Cutler interviews for that), much less move as dynamically as a Space Marine would need to.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lVEYSz8o-g#t=89


----------



## MontytheMighty (Jul 21, 2009)

Phoebus said:


> "average" Space Marines range between seven and seven and a half feet in height - and that's straight from the design team.


There's a low-end of 7 feet in armour










Note that the armoured marine's height is 8 minus 1

Fantasy Flight has them at 2.1m (~7ft) outside armour. I think this is about right. Too much mass and height is a liability in modern warfare. You're too heavy and big to maneuvre easily in smaller or less sturdy areas and to take advantage of limited cover. The only people clamouring for 9ft marines are juvenile fanboys who equate large size with awesomeness


----------



## Malus Darkblade (Jan 8, 2010)

Have you read _Little Horus_? Abnett's depiction of 'transhuman-dread' in particular? It's hard to imagine experienced and battle-hardened soldiers soiling their pants if Space Marines were only a foot or so taller than themselves.

Other descriptions go so far as to say that Astartes movements are faster than the human eye can follow. So they can be that big and that fast.


----------



## Jacobite (Jan 26, 2007)

To be fair, I've worked with guys who are literally a foot and a half taller than me (they were all 7 foot) and I'll tell you what, that is fucking scary when they are swinging something at you even if you know they aren't trying to kill you. You put them in full power armor with a bolter or a freaking chainsword yeah I can imagine soldiers shitting themselves.


----------



## Phoebus (Apr 17, 2010)

MontytheMighty said:


> Fantasy Flight has them at 2.1m (~7ft) outside armour. I think this is about right. Too much mass and height is a liability in modern warfare. You're too heavy and big to maneuvre easily in smaller or less sturdy areas and to take advantage of limited cover. The only people clamouring for 9ft marines are juvenile fanboys who equate large size with awesomeness


It's good to see consistency throughout the various publishing arms. 



Malus Darkblade said:


> Have you read _Little Horus_? Abnett's depiction of 'transhuman-dread' in particular? It's hard to imagine experienced and battle-hardened soldiers soiling their pants if Space Marines were only a foot or so taller than themselves.


Height is only one factor, though, and you're focusing on it too much. Children and adolescents, for instance, routinely defy authority figures that are often significantly larger and taller than them.

The impact a Space Marine doesn't come down to mere height, but a combination of it, an athletic physique of functionally maximized proportions, a suit of power armour that only adds to his overall size and presence, superhuman speed, and - probably most of all - the fact that this being is trying to kill *you*.

*EDIT:* Basically, what Jacobite said, above.



> Other descriptions go so far as to say that Astartes movements are faster than the human eye can follow. So they can be that big and that fast.


Sure, but that's not the basis of good science fiction. I mean, on paper, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby could have given the Blob the powers of Quicksilver. Why try to convince your reader that someone with a physique more extreme than Jay Cutler's can be as functional while sprinting as a National Football League running back or as capable of fluid, agile movements while fighting as a heavyweight wrestler?

Nineteen organs designed by an immortal super-psyker to make human beings into superhuman soldiers by enhancing their already considerable attributes and transforming their emotional range and way of thinking is what makes a Space Marine special. The warriors of the Adeptus Astartes are essentially this guy in terms of ability and appearance (based on what the standardized templates look like; the helmet-less Sanguinary Priest from the Blood Angels Index Astartes is a great example of that), but dressed in power armour and informed by a draconian, generally intolerant outlook on life.

Philip Sibbering's illustrations are just fine, but just trying to picture a Space Marine with his body proportions fight in hand-to-hand combat ruins the suspension of disbelief: it's comic, not dramatic. Tellingly, his published illustrations don't subscribe to the body model cited earlier in this thread!

Cheers,
P.


----------



## MontytheMighty (Jul 21, 2009)

Malus Darkblade said:


> Have you read _Little Horus_? Abnett's depiction of 'transhuman-dread' in particular? It's hard to imagine experienced and battle-hardened soldiers soiling their pants if Space Marines were only a foot or so taller than themselves.


Soldiers don't just soil their pants because their enemies are tall. 

It's the combination of size (note *size*, not just height), speed, firepower, and overall deadliness in combat. Marines aren't just tall. A seven foot marine would be taller than 7'0" in power armour. He'd be wide and thick too. He'd be much faster and stronger than a regular human being. His standard weapon would explode people's torsos. All these factors add up to produce "trans-human dread". 

Have you ever seen a solidly built seven footer in person? They make guys who are 6'6" appear rather fragile and small. 

David Haye and Nikolai Valuev are boxers. Haye is 6'3" and Valuev is 7'0" (or 6'11" depending on the source) 










Now imagine if Valuev were wearing power armour adding around half a foot of height and additional thickness and width while Haye wears an ordinary Guardsman uniform. The difference would be even more pronounced.


----------

