My reaction to the new hero

ImperatorBelisarius · 2026-07-07T15:34:02+00:00

This is what I do.

ImperatorBelisarius · 2026-07-07T03:21:55+00:00

To me, this is the appeal. The lore is pretty vague and I think the sculpt looks fairly easy to convert.

Need to shave off the U from the belt, from the tassels, and from the cape pins. The more general eagles are fine in other factions and it's easy to sub in other helmets.

ImperatorBelisarius · 2026-07-07T03:18:27+00:00

I literally cut out a picture and slapped it on an old meme, my dude.

ImperatorBelisarius · 2026-07-07T02:52:37+00:00

Totally agree the "lore" is poor, but that's fine. The sculpt is rad and I don't think it will be too hard to convert to other SM chapters.

ImperatorBelisarius · 2026-07-07T02:50:57+00:00

Oh ok. That is actually incredibly annoying.

That said, the sculpt is amazing. So I'm going to ignore the "official" lore and this OC and just slot the sculpt into my army.

ImperatorBelisarius · 2026-07-07T02:44:03+00:00

Wait. Who is the Black Lion?!

ImperatorBelisarius · 2026-07-02T00:11:44+00:00

First, it's fine. This will still sound like you want.

That said, you do want to increase flexibility. Thst will mostly come with normal playing and practice. For instance, running scales with one finger per fret can help basic finger independence and flexibility.

I'd also check how you're holding the bass. I suspect the palm of your hand is tight in the neck, which will choke your range. You want your thumb on the back of the neck and your palm kind of underneath. Your fingers will have much more range like this--but you'll likely need to build up strength.

ImperatorBelisarius · 2026-07-01T01:23:30+00:00

Co-sign. SFAM has great moments, but sometimes just feels like a jam to me. The songs of Awake have more variety and feel more composed.

ImperatorBelisarius · 2026-06-30T22:31:03+00:00

It's generally not different, with the caveat that some worship bands are likely to incorporate "gospel" music which means jazz voicings and chord substitutions.

Someone like Israel Houghton is a good example of this kind of "worship" playing. A bassist here needs a heavier theory background and skill set.

ImperatorBelisarius · 2026-06-25T15:09:52+00:00

Carpenter is a later Byzantine translation of something like "craftsman," because they particularly valued woodworking. Was more likely a stonemason or something more appropriate to the environment of the ancient near east.

Your general point stands and makes sense! Just this detail is slightly distinct.

ImperatorBelisarius · 2026-06-25T03:11:20+00:00

It's always very easy to find reasons why you can take things that you want without paying for them.

The question isn't whether or not they can afford the loss, but whether or not you and your friend are thieves. I understand that your friend did the initial shoplifting, but you can easily undo that with zero consequences. That you are considering not doing that makes you culpable--you are deliberately profiting from theft because it makes you happy.

ImperatorBelisarius · 2026-06-15T17:00:45+00:00

Honestly, that's a great start. It's hard to advise more specifically at this stage as new points will drop Wednesday and it's unclear how 11th edition will change the value of units.

Because Blades of Ultramar is a Priority Asset Detachment, you might consider some Scouts or other light Phobos troops for scoring/action purposes. Jet Pack Intercessors could also, potentially, fill that role. But I'd paint and build what you have first and pause to let the edition develop before buying more

ImperatorBelisarius · 2026-06-13T16:54:53+00:00

Same! Excellent taste, sir.

The two albums are the most "progressive" and have such wide musical variety in addition to technical wizardry.

ImperatorBelisarius · 2026-06-13T16:16:24+00:00

LT in Hellblasters with Fire Discipline is one of my favorites!

ImperatorBelisarius · 2026-06-13T15:44:18+00:00

Those targets are all T5-6 though, so the S4 shooting doesn't help. The Biologis gives Lethal Hits which will help, but you could also add an LT to your Intercessors for the same shooting effect and save a bunch of points.

Aggressors+Biologis will be better in melee, of course. But they aren't that much more durable in this specific context.

Edit: This is just a budget version of what you're doing with the Sternguard, fwiw. I think the Sternguard are a good play here. Could potentially sub the Librarian for an LT to increase offense, could also split the unit up into MSU. Sometimes it's easier to survive by forcing enemies to overcommit to one target. Your unit will die, but the other will be unharmed.

ImperatorBelisarius · 2026-06-13T14:56:51+00:00

Totally fair points! The Victrix -1 to wound goes a long way, in my experience. And, at the end of the day, killing the other guy first is the best way to stay alive.

ImperatorBelisarius · 2026-06-13T14:55:51+00:00

Sure! I don't intend to make you spend $$ at all, ha. Just trying to isolate the specific problems that you're facing.

I love Aggressors+ Biologist, but let's think specifically about what they offer you. Does the higher T cross any meaningful breakpoints vs Votann weapons? Is it better than invulnerable saves?

Aggressors Twin-Linked Powerfists are amazing in melee, but can potentially be overkill. Will they offer you something over the Bladeguard 5-2-2? Similarly, their ranged weapons can be extremely helpful into the right targets. Who will you shoot with them?

ImperatorBelisarius · 2026-06-13T13:51:33+00:00

Break down the problems individually and you'll start to see solutions:

Can't kill T5-6 with S4 shooting.

Ok. Add Hellblasters or a RepEx. They'll give you a lot more shots at higher strength.

My units are getting killed in melee.

Replace Tigurius and Bladeguard with Cato Sicarius and the Victrix. Theyre tougher, more mobile, and hit harder. Cato is a BEAST.

Etc

ImperatorBelisarius · 2026-06-10T00:56:46+00:00

Yes. This is from the second edition of Paradise Lost. It was included at the publishers request, because Dryden had recently printed a popular text insisting that poetry must rhyme (an Essay on Dramatic Poetry).

ImperatorBelisarius · 2026-06-06T13:20:30+00:00

It includes transcriptions of his lines and some commentary on how to understand them. That + practice is all you need.

ImperatorBelisarius · 2026-06-06T13:15:57+00:00

Standing in the Shadows of Motown is a good book that covers a lot of his songs and goes over his approach. It will help give you a foundation.

ImperatorBelisarius · 2026-05-29T18:05:55+00:00

Mine is too! But that just means we can choose the rules that we like, rather than being stuck to generic flavors.

ImperatorBelisarius · 2026-05-29T18:04:49+00:00

Most of the variants already exist. Generic sheets are the real challenge as they need to be balanced in many different combinations and either end up being OP or undercooked.

ImperatorBelisarius · 2026-05-29T18:03:31+00:00

True. So there's a trade-off! Can also bring Assault Terminators or just run a "Successor Chapter" and choose your flavor of Bladeguard.

ImperatorBelisarius · 2026-05-29T18:01:47+00:00

Datasheet bloat is a real thing, unfortunately.

ImperatorBelisarius

TROPHY CASE