Boss, why are we wearing furs in Egypt?

Here’s the second part in our new series, choosing a legion. This episode, Greg Dann has kindly taken time out from his busy schedule, hosting 30k podcasts After Ullanor, and more recently The Imperial Truth, as well as various other aspects of the hobby, to delve into the Rout with us.

First up, can you let us know who you are

My name is Greg Dann, and I am the host of The Imperial truth – The Horus Heresy podcast, the first fully dedicated Horus Heresy podcast in which we cover all aspects of the Heresy. I also co-host After Ullanor – The Horus Heresy book review podcast, where David Witek and I review in detail each of the Heresy novels in order (and novella and audio and shorts…) in a book club style giving opinions and follow up with listener feedback.

Although I had experienced some GW games and models previously, I really started on my hobby journey in 1992 when I started secondary school. The best friend I made had lots of copies of White Dwarf, one look through and I was hooked. I mainly now play Warhammer, but Horus Heresy is catching up, and in my past I spent a lot of time with Blood Bowl, 40K, Man O’ War and Necromunda to name the most played games

Would you consider yourself a gamer, painter or more geared toward the book aspect of the Heresy?

I love to game, to tell stories in the Heresy and I love to read the stories and background that Black Library and Forgeworld have supplied. I am not the biggest fan of painting, but once I have a finished a unit I can enjoy the results that feed into playing on the tabletop.

Which is your chosen legion then?

The Space Wolves, the Rout, the Sky Warriors of Russ, the Vlka Fenryka, the Executioners, take your pick on what you want to call them. They are my favourite chapter in 40K and there really was no other option for 30K – my regular username online is ChildofFang after all. Saying all that, I have a growing Mechanicum force which I started as I wait for Forgeworld to release their much anticipated Prospero book.

What flicks your switches about them, in a world where there are essentially 20 identikit armies with different coloured armour, why that one legion over another? Did you choose them or did they choose you as you became exposed to them?

I think FW have done a great job of making 18 legions, the Mechanicum, the Solar Auxillia and I’m sure the forces to come stand out from each other and provide a different  play style through either the specific rules or through the application of the Rights of War. Admittedly we have to wait for the proper flavour of the Rout to be shown, but I have full faith that it will be ace.

Cementing my decision however was the description of the Vlka Fenryka as the Emperor’s executioners, the legion tasked with dealing with anyone who steps out of place and BL have teased us that they may have done more than that during the Great Crusade.

Can you pinpoint the moment you thought “yeah, this is the legion for me”?

As you can see from my previous answers I am a fan of the chapter as well as the legion and I think that started from those early days before my teens. They are Vikings which are awesome and they are Space Marines which are awesome so they are double awesome (says my 11 year old self).

The beginning of a more full developed, adult spin on the Space Wolves of old.

 Were you aware of the legion before the Heresy books and games began appearing, or has the passion for your chosen legion sprung from the new wealth of information now available?

I was a fan of the Ragnar Blackmane series of books that Bill King started even though they are very much of the ‘fun’ style of writing. However my love of them grew as GW brought out new Codexes and models, and then Graham McNeill and Dan Abnett stepped it up gear with A Thousand Sons and Prospero Burns respectively. We saw the legion grow and change becoming the more serious beast that it is now, and Chris Wraight has carried that on really well in. Seriously can’t wait for their models.

Blackmane, one absolute badass, make no mistake.

What are your thoughts on the primarch of your chosen legion, are you also a fan of them as the two don’t necessarily have to go hand in hand.

Truly bad ass. Leman Russ’ loyalty is really questioned by no one and he stands with only a couple in that respect. He has a job and he is prepared to do it but not in the rigid unbending way that Rogal Dorn would approach it in, this is probably best shown in Betrayer by Aaaron Dembski-Bowden.

Finally he is not dead, he took a long walk from the Fang and prophecy tells that he will return when he is most needed – the Wolf Time will come.

Blanche’s concept work for Russ really captures the barely contained animalistic rage, but contained it is.

 We usually finish every blog post with a music track , can you give us a song that in your mind sums up your legion?

The words of the verses don’t really fit, but I could imagine the Wolves descending on their enemy with Run To The Hills by Iron Maiden playing in the background, the driving rhythm warning of danger and the chorus fits perfectly – Run to the hills, Run for your lives…