Chaos Codex; or how to create the biggest meh event in history

Alright I should start off and say the new codex is head and shoulders above the old but that isnt really that hard if we are honest. Unlike many I understand the direction they were trying to head in with the previous codex but it was a ship wreck because they decided to hand the rudder to the sea monkeys... look I'm really bad at these so what im basically saying is that when Matt Ward is one of the lead game designers/ fluff writers you know you are on rocky shores, unless you have a good team to keep him on target. Im not sure where the sea fairing theme has come from but it is probably tied to the Blood Gorgon on the cover with all his EVIL crustacean friends along for the ride which seems as good a place as any to start. GW pulled the biggest troll by putting renegades on the front probably to induce frothing at the mouth from all my fellow neck beards

In what was meant to be the year of chaos so far we have had dark vengeance (but its not really a chaos release) and this subsequent codex which came out with two multi unit kits and a Helldrake. All right, hardly inspiring considering one is basically the same unit with lightning claws and the other two are angry angry dinobots. But never fear im sure they released some new troops for the woefully outdated core or some bitching new characters!!!

Nope they totally didnt. What we got was an aspiring champion that was clearly in the Dark Vengeance set and someone realised they could just take it out and sell it as an individual to bulk out the release, a Dark Apostle that looks like it was designed in the studio around five years before with it not necessarily being bad just looking dated before it has even hit the tables, a sorcerer that borrows heavily off the previous chaos characters which is odd considering GW direction with the Dark Vengeance in having heavily mutated marines rather than just angry pointy ones and the Warpsmith. The Warpsmith is pretty good to be fair and the rules could make it an actual look in on the tabletop.

Now alongside this we have the finecast release that GW makes a big song and dance over, but was probably done months before and have just been sitting in storage waiting for this day to make it seem like more was done. Now im sure some will be saying "hey Brad you tosser, what about the mutilators" and too that i reply;



YOU SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH!!! YOU SHUT IT!!! WE NEVER TALK ABOUT THEM AGAIN!


Alright then. Glad thats dealt with.


Honestly it all just feels so lazy, they have been hyping this up all year and while the rules are probably above the middle of the pack and should have some versatility in viable non balls on table retard list the models are just sad. Honestly look at the chosen, I realise they dont fit in with all legions let alone all renegades but they look a shit ton better then angry mcangry pants who was so angry at the emperor he put some leather gloves on, a chain dick protector and punched a deer to death to put some horns on his helmet. Look at the cult choices or the havocs. I mean with the push in playability the Havocs received this would have been the best time to rush out a plastic kit of those guys along with the bikers who are very good now.

I realise the warriors of chaos will be getting a wave release of models and some updates for fantasy but the last two months with barely any model releases does not make something "the year of".


While I think the codex is very good I still have some gripes about it which, while not making it terrible, just make me wonder why they weren't implemented. I get the feeling Kelly had his hands tied but still;

1) The hellbrute. Its bad and also all those that used sonic/dakka dreads now have to rip some arms off. Hardly crippling just leaves a sour taste
2) The fact things like Veteran of the Long War was an upgrade for a Dark Apostle. He is already leadership 10 and hates everything making it the stupidest waste of points
3) Daemon Princes having no real way to get access to Eternal Warrior
4) The Lord only receiving a 2+ if he wears Terminator armour
5) Only one Land Raider variant


There are others but im sure people are starting to get bored. Chaos is one of the most exciting factions in GW and to have another bland model release just feels stupid and a bit money grab again. It really needed to be put on the back burner for a while to update the core range and offer enough upgrade packs that you could walk in put down the money and get the force you want. I mean an Iron Warrior player would be hard pressed to use the chosen from Dark Vengeance because of all the skin mutations over them etc. It feels sloppy and could be rectified down the line but releasing it piecemeal just makes it look like they were after the cash injection and are playing catch up and after the last codex was perhaps a marketing mis step.

Again it is a good codex and I do like the direction I, like many, were hoping for a radical change and a big overhaul and we got the diet coke of evil instead.


On a parting note the most annoying thing was the limited edition codex. Talk about money screwing. All that extra cash for a frank miller colour scheme on the front cover and some silver paper? and I thought Andy was a retard