DISQUS

Inquisitor Craigus · 5 months ago

Looks like filthy Chaos propaganda to me! BURN THE HERETICS!

Myu · 5 months ago

I concur, it sounds like someone's a little too into the chaos side of the 40k universe :P

Dutch Vigilante · 5 months ago

His E-mail happens to be Lorgar@eyeofterror.chaos

Barjack · 5 months ago

Wow this is what happens when overprotective, ignorant house wife, who has to much time on her hand and a glass of wine in the other, gets to the computer. This is the trend it seems that people are going to try and take up arms against anything and everything. I AM SICK of people who feel they should never take resposibilty for anything, because its not our fault. If your child is so suspectiable to being "reprogrammed" by a bunch of plastic figures and a rule book, then you need to be looking at your parenting methods rather then trying to blame the big bad game companies, for your short comings, if this offends you "housewife" then go have another glass, take your volume, and let your children walk all over you.

Capn_Stoogey · 5 months ago

Very well said. I think its right up there with blaming violent games and Marylin Manson for all the random shootings that pop up occasionally. I really think if someones gonna do it, they're gonna do it. No amount of movies, music or little painted plastic men are gonna brainwash them into becoming programmed kiling machines. Its pathetic that these fools actually believe what they are saying, but what is worse is that some people will read that crap and frigging believe it! God damn it people, wake up to yourselves and take some bloody responsibility!

Snyderson · 5 months ago

95% of all murderers ate bread before the murder! Ban bread...!

evilamericorp · 5 months ago

Oh my god you guys... she is so right! This damned hobby has made me march street by street in my hometown, murdering all my neighbors in the name of the immortal God-Emperor! We need to stop playing now before the Games Workshop police state uses their implanted kill signal that will force us all to don our power armor and slaughter all the non-believers!

fenris · 5 months ago

wait! I havent gotten my armor yet!?! Where can I get it? I dont want to be late for the slaughter!

Razgriez · 5 months ago

You gotta love how they list the article as "training your children to becoming super soldiers!"

uh one.. theres a reason GW labels it's products at the bare minimum of ages 10 and up, and more often, 13 and up.

2.... if the kids at my local GW are prime examples of this.... trust me... Super Soldiers they ain't.... actually... some of them look like they've been skipping out on PE class....

IQ has been found to be lacking as well... yea I think we're safe from the dooms day scenario those idiots describe....

I will however, give the kids the benefit of the doubt.... at least their smarter than those conspiracy theorist nut jobs....

Guytholimew · 5 months ago

Step away from the Chardonnay!

Inquisitor Bob · 5 months ago

Sounds like some filthy Tau propaganda, if you ask me. Damn xeno bastards.

phoenix01 · 5 months ago

Yes, let's sic the Deathwatch Kill Teams on this obvious closet Tau player for his xenos sympathies. Probably has the Greater Good in mind when he wrote his slanderous filth.

SinSynn · 5 months ago

As a Tau player I resent that statement.
We are trying to help you embrace the Greater Good in an attempt to save you from yourselves!
Those scribblings were OBVIOUSLY written by a Chaos Cultist, trying to subvert the Imperium against itself.

nihilio · 5 months ago

My guess is a chaos cultist that has gone out to corrupt the tau empire.

Dave · 5 months ago

Funny how human history is full of genocidal dictators and despots (Hitler, Stalin, Saddam, Pol Pot, Genghis Khan to name but a few) and is littered with bloody purges and religious wars (the Crusades, the Holocaust, Mao's revolution etc) but it had nothing to do with GW ...

Well I am now off to continue our work on the geneseed modification programme

tastytaste · 5 months ago

Now I am liberal wingnut. This is up there with Peta trying to make Obama look bad for killing a fly.

duder · 5 months ago

The entire "editorial" uses nothing but opinions presented as fact and a "think of the children"mentality to scare people unaware of 40k into thinking it's something it's not.

Anyone with half a brain who reads this will through the BS and scare tactics presented.

BrotherAtrox · 5 months ago

I think you're forgetting how many people who have internet access don't have half a brain. :D

Armiger84 · 5 months ago

I, for one, welcome my evil, British, Jewish-conspiracy-supporting, genetically modified, civilization-destroying, child-reprogramming overlords : )

Fabricator_General · 5 months ago

I have heard from a reliable source that someone sent in the link to the team of child corrupting, evil mutants know as GW Legal

Ko'Anuk · 5 months ago

Why would they do that! Don't they know those Inquisitors would declare Exterminatus on the whole planet before allowing this Heresy to spread!

Just kidding. Can't wait till GW Legal takes it down, as Freedom of Speech is fine until it infringes on another's freedoms (i.e. copyright).

My question is this? How did she get the old screens, and where can I get my Dark Angel Monastery article again!

Ed · 5 months ago

What a small mind and stupid view of warhammer and if anyone else fancies emailing them here you go ANGIE@PBSBLOG.COM

Bridgetroll · 5 months ago

The following games should be less disturbing for children:

Lovehammer Fantasy Friendship
Lovehammer 40,000
The Love of the Rings Strategy Friendship Game
Moralityheim
Lovemaster
Vitamunda
Friendshipfleet Gothic
Friendship of Five Armies

Well...
No, they would be imbalanced, Slaanesh themend armies would always win a fair contest of love-making.

DustDevil · 5 months ago

"Lovehammer 40,000"...."The Love of the Rings"...."Lovemaster"

LOL.

I would definitely be more worried if my kid was into "Love of the Rings" or "Lovemaster" :)

Drunkencorgimaster · 5 months ago

For how many years have we heard this crap? I even remember pacifists whining about my lame-ass "Adventure-Team" GIJoes in the 1970s. In that decade GIJoe had been reduced to a wussy, hippy-bearded explorer/environmentalist and yet, people still complained about him. (I think I had the "GiJoe at UC Berkley" action-set if I remember correctly)

I see this situation as a bit like Southpark. As a parent I was a bit offended by the program...until I actually bothered to watch a few episodes. Then I got the joke and figured out how tongue-in-cheek it was. Obviously the writer (annonymous of course) has made a similar error. How could anyone read the 40k fluff ("Knowledge is Power, Guard it Well") and take it seriously? Somebody should mail one of the Commissar Cain books to this idiot.

I really love the comment about shooting kids and pregnant women. Let's see, what are the points for taking out a squad of pregnant women? How about pregnant Tau or Kroot women? Do Necrons even get pregnant? Are we allowed to shoot Ork Spores? Tyranid breeding pods count too? Are male Eldar still capable of impregnanting their females? I kinda get the sense they are not, or perhaps they just don't like doing the deed. Do Chaos warriors ever knock up any women? I rather doubt it, they seem like manly-men who have spent way too much time together in the Eye of Terror, rather like pirates on a long ship voyage. I did hear Abadabbadoo has made 'civil unions' legal in the Black Legion. Let's not even get started on the Emperor's Children.

BlueRonin · 5 months ago

Well, if there are people preaching against the demonology of Harry Potter and the satanistic worshiping material in D&D, I hardly expect us to avoid notice of people with such extremely sensitive views...

It is a sad contradiction in these peoples' point-of-view that they go on and on about 'human values' but hold the basic view that we're all subject to conditioning and therefore inherently unable to reflect upon the meaning of ethical issues in a game, movie, song, etc.

David · 5 months ago

While there is an underlying valid concern about society in general, the idea that miniature wargaming is the problem, or even making it worse seems unfounded... to put it kindly.

Why 40k? Humans face extinction, its premise is it's a war for survival against aliens & the supernatural where there is no reasoning with them. Want to blame a game for the problems she addresses? Then blame Chess. Yes, Chess.

Chess is a game that ignores the civilized qualities of diplomacy and empathy, where two nations face each other and throw the lives of their people in uncaring disdain in an obvious war of aggression. Why, the common people are even refered to as pawns! The common soldiers are seen only as fodder to be used to lay down their life to preserve a Monarch who is the only one who matters in the society at all. The message of serving the absolute authority is clear: everything is expendable in the goal to keep the government safe.

;)

The author simply suffers from an unhealthy dose of paranoia, the same kind that caused "concerned parents" to freak out about D&D. If parents are truely concerned then they should try to use their reasoning brains a bit more vigourously.

It's a game. Even children can draw the distinction between a game and real life. Now if a child was exposed to real violence (grew up in or forced to fight) or taught to admire or condone real violence (as groups like the KKK) then that would have a good chance to do some real psychological conditioning. But a game? No. I grew up on wargames & star wars and I think it'd be hard to find a person less violent or more against militarism in the real world.

Take the blog for what it's worth: not much.

Svartmetall · 5 months ago

"The author simply suffers from an unhealthy dose of paranoia..."

To be honest, I think the author suffers from an unhealthy dose of stupid; possibly including the Tinfoil Hat Of Macragge in his wargear wasn't such a good plan after all.

DS86 · 5 months ago

This sounds like the work of those extreme extremist Christians that take things too far, the language he uses is obviously hinting at how 40K is another idol.
If he really hated it this much then why not look further into it, all the answers to his own questions are there!

You know what I have a problem with?? Model aircraft building fanatics, your essentially enlisting them into the RAF, where they will bomb and kill and think its cool! This type of brain washing is unacceptable...... ;)

Kurt · 5 months ago

I'm Conservative Catholic, my regular playing buddy is an Orthodox.

We actually enjoy the game and the universe.

So don't tell us about "extremist Christians" way of thinking.

DS86 · 5 months ago

Scratch that, They said they wernt religious!!

Myu · 5 months ago

They are a fanatic though...

Conrad · 5 months ago

Who-ever wrote this is most definitely a few orks short of mob......

The first thing I laughed at was the attempt to liken Azreal to Isreal....er...is it not Azreal in some holy text or something who is an angel?

The second thing I laughed at was their attempt to say it's teaching kids to be "killing machines"....I don't see anywhere in the hobby that it actually teaches you to hold, load, strip and use an AK47....do you?

Doom · 5 months ago

Page 78, right after the part on Universal Special Rules.

TSINI · 5 months ago

well shave my legs and call me shirley, there it is, right after the USR's, in the buildings section, in the grey box titled "What sort of game?"

if you take only the 1st letter of the first word, and the second of the second, and the third of the third and repeat, its a stripping, cleaning and assembling guide for the kalashnikov AK-47. how did i miss that?

now, i must kill the prime minister at noon, i mean, i must remember that vertical coherency in ruins is measured from the model's head not the base :D

Myu · 5 months ago

:P

Mr. Danvers · 5 months ago

What about her hard-read facts that 40K teaches us how to be super-stealthy Black Ops specialists? :P

That was the line that had me in stitches. I almost took my rulebook back cause I realised that the night vision scope for my assault on black reach ltd edition rifle was missing....

You have to love whackos: endless sources of entertainment. If it's different - HATE IT! :P

Just a shame that the gamers get the brunt of it, when usually we're the most docile set of people, if not a little eccentric. But last time I checked, over here in the UK, it's the types that DONT play GW that spend their time stamping people to death just for 'looking at them funny', 'not showing respect' or simply not having the same skin colour.....I can't remember the last time I revved up a chainsaw and chased someone down the road screaminng 'XENOS!' at the top of my voice....

People should actually do some research before lighting the torches and tying the nooses...

TSINI · 5 months ago

rofl at the black ops bit!

if an elite group of brainwashed children broke into the white house, i dont think the president would have much to worry about as the kids all roll dice and some start falling down due to failed difficult terrain tests.

then arguments would ensue as the children get stressed that they "clearly have a cover save" against the bodyguards guns

Skragger · 5 months ago

Well.. there was last tuesday.. that funny bloke with the four eyes and barbed stranglers...

Xelloss · 5 months ago

Azraël is the angel of death in the old testament.
"ël" in the name mean "God" : how strange it is some hebraic names sounds like Israël !!! -_-

Little Brother · 5 months ago

I saw that as well and then nearly wet my pants later on when he said an angel of death was a contradictory concept. Guess he hasn't read his bible recently.

TSINI · 5 months ago

he definately hasnt read his bible recently, or he wouldnt have wasted his time bashing a wargames book and just gone for the big tomale

you want something that gets kids when their young, teaches them intolerance towards other opinions and has many great quotes such as the oft used purge the heretic, kill the infidel, just look at any original religious book.

phoenix01 · 5 months ago

Actually, this guy wrote "Angels of Death I am not even a religious person, but this offends even me." So he's not your garden variety religious nutjob gameophobe (is that a word? if not, I'm coining it!), he's just a ordinary nutjob gameophobe. Probably sits in his parents' basement, sneaking peeks at Tau girls in bikinis or lingerie while he writes his heretical blasphemies.

vodski · 5 months ago

Whats the website address of the Tau girls? I only ask for educational reasons. hem hem.

TSINI · 5 months ago

hehe yes i too enjoyed that snippet,

if he/she wasnt religious, no mention of an angel of any sorts in any context should never offend them, ever.

allthough they are dead right with the train of thought that the angel of death makes you think of death as a gift. abso-frickin-lutely. this is exactly what the game designers want, the followers of the emperor think that death is a gift to the heretics and aliens, just as any religious fanatic would also view death as a gift to the unbeliever. but the difference is knowing when its the character in the fiction thinking this, and not believing it to be some sort of child robot army creating government conspiracy or subtle mind control lol

Tom Harris · 5 months ago

Yeah, Sodom and Gomorrah come to mind. Two angels wiping entire cities off the map...

And let's not forget the origins of Passover, either.

"Angel of Death" doesn't seem so contradictory to me, either.

nihilio · 5 months ago

Actually his is the angel of death in the Islamic texts.
The Christian texts (at least RomeoCatholic and Orthodox) Archangel Michael is the Angel of Death (with Samael being the one in the texts of Jews)

andrew · 5 months ago

Azrael was Satans second in command. From Paradise lost.

BeastOfShadow · 5 months ago

Exactly he's a fallen angel. It's strange how that might make some sense with them being dark angels and all.

Sasquatch1916 · 5 months ago

actually, my first ever game of 40k was in my friends garage(my space wolves and his dark angels against our other friends tau and IG with his step-dad's chaos termies teleporting in on turn 6) his step-dad brought out a couple AR-15's to show us. we were then invited to go to the shooting range with him.

lolno · 5 months ago

I'm p sure this guy gets laid even less than you're average warham.

But then again I guess its to be expected if you look at the content of other areas of his blog.

Sanguine · 5 months ago

Look at me, look at me, I need attention. I think I'll piss off some group of hobbists and let them post about it forever. Great job in helping spread the stupid.

DeuceBlue · 5 months ago

I am an infantry officer in the US Army. Almost everywhere I go I hear the phrase, 'close with and destroy the enemy', its kind of the motto we live by. So I love the fact that 40k is filled with all the dark, grim reminders of selfless duty for the Emperor. I am not saying I agree with all the messages being propagated by the Imperium, but I feel that GW captures the essence of what a totally militarised society would be like.

As far as that article, I wonder why the author even took the time to read and write all that, given what else children are routinely exposed to. I bet she probably has an Israeli Dark Angels army by now.

Anonoymouse · 5 months ago

"I bet she probably has an Israeli Dark Angels army by now."

Good stuff.

Sons of Guilliman · 5 months ago

Let's not forget, after all, that Dungeons and Dragons is a tool of Satan, used to distract children from the Lord with their multiple Gods and such heresy.

This isn't the first time gamers have been hit with this argument and we've survived bombards like this every time someone with a few problems does something foolish and makes the hobby as a whole look bad by one extreme example. The safe way to approach this hobby is by looking at why we play, and I have yet to meet more than a few players that are so obsessed with the game that they lose themselves inside it.

I suppose we have nothing to fear but our own reactions. If we go on the attack too soon, we will just prove ourselves as foolish as those who want this slander campaign. We've all seen the political parties duke it out with slander campaigns to no real end; we can let 4chan throw the colorful language out for us.

Miami · 5 months ago

I remember in the 80's when D&D struck all demonic references to appease the public. 10 years later, when all the attention and care went away, it returned. Why? Not because people were using D&D to worship Satan (maybe some were, but that was not the failt of D&D) but because people wanted to immerse themselves into the game they were playing.

Football players don't let up on hits because they are worried of what people will think... look at the "Hines Ward" rule, new to this coming season. They follow the rule because it is A PART OF THE GAME. But society needs scapegoats to blame so that parents who don't do their jobs can feel good with themselves, right?

Anon · 5 months ago

If 40K was a government conspiracy to brainwash children into becoming genetically engineered super-solidiers, wouldn't the figs be cheeper?

gbprime · 5 months ago

You know, I'd like someone to reference that article and point out how much Warhammer 40K costs to get involved in. That would make the case that the vast majority of kids simply CANNOT get involved in the hobby without the monetary support of parents and other relatives. The discussion on the game's morality and values can occur at that time.

And if the parents/relatives can't be bothered about such things as they're handing money over to their kids by the wagonload for this game, then either they don't have an issue, or the kid is bereft of guidance in the first place.

Either way, it's not the fault of the genre. How many people have been driven to the point of violence by Games Workshop games? None that I'm aware of. How many have been driven to the point of violence by the intolerence of authority figures in their lives? Far more, of that I'm certain.

Messanger of Death · 5 months ago

Someone had a repressed childhood where their mummy and daddy didn't let them go out into the "big bad world". We shouldn't judge such a poor victim. We should provide our love and care and support them in whatever they want to do...

After all this individual wants to feel like they belong. So they decided to join the extremely weird and paranoid group that comes up with a new and exciting conspiracy each week. This week it is that Fox News is anti-Obama and next week it is that the sky will fall.

As Gamers it is our responsibility to not only provide this poor shattered soul with love and care but also to show them the error of their ways by sticking them in a room with 9 year olds hyped up on sugar.

Messanger

Rahakanji · 5 months ago

Quote:
"What is not explained, is what is so good about having unwavering faith in the Emperor? Why would anyone want to do that? What's so hot about the Emperor that you'd give up your own one-time-only life."

Dont know, but i gona ask the Pope the next time i met him: why i should have unwavering faith in GOD, and what's so hot about GOD that you'd give up your own one-time-only life.

O i forgot the Emperor is no GOD hes just human, whorshiped by some freaks as god because he sacrificed himself for the greater good. Sounds a bit like i heard an similary story this eastern...

Fred · 5 months ago

Oooh, excellent points. God I hope the person who wrote that article reads this comment page. If their allowed on the internet in the Asylum that is...

Soundwave · 5 months ago

What pisses me off the most about people like this, is that they throw around terms such a "conditioning" as if they knew what it means. Her comments not only patronise the reader, but also parents in general.

I notice at the end she said: " did not give a critique of the game here, as I am not qualified to give such a critique" - What was it you did then when you picked apart the story and idea of the game....

Perhaps none of us should ever read a science fiction book again, lest we fall into this "conditioning" from unexpected sources.

Bah, I have so much to say... I'm just going to pick up my flamer and BURN THE HERETIC! SUFFER NOT THE WITCH TO LIVE!

Space Marine Commie Overlord · 5 months ago

Guys! keep quite. We don't want them to uncover our secret communist plot to turn americas children into super human space marine kill soldiers in order to steal oil from the middle east!!!

TSINI · 5 months ago

exnay on the anplay

Gutsu · 5 months ago

Damn college boy, always showing off with your fancy Latin degree.

TSINI · 5 months ago

hahaha!

Skragger · 5 months ago

excuse me sir, I believe you mean ahahahay

crunchyjuice · 5 months ago

sounds SWEEEET!

Rahakanji · 5 months ago

where do i have to sign??

Mexican · 5 months ago

LOL! This should have been the rebuttle she posted to be fair.

Kurt · 5 months ago

Actually all Space Marine stuff is a covert way of recruiting used by USMC.)))

nihilio · 5 months ago

Even though it is British, right? Smells like international conspiracy

vodski · 5 months ago

This troll should not be given the oxygen of publicity by bols. Almost everything can be given a slant if you want to twist it enough , Isn't chess also a violent game , isn't monopolly about bankrupting your opponents and ruining them. Do mcdonalds provide places for kids to play so they can enjoy their burger ,or are they indoctrinating a new generation of burger consumers. ?

Savark · 5 months ago

"Being willing to kill and die on command is sort of retarded, isn't it? Shouldn't there be a really good reason to engage in deadly violence? Is the word of "some guy" with a fancy hair do and a big hat enough to make you go kill somebody? Who is he anyway, and what makes him so flaming great? If he wants people killed why doesn't he go do it himself? "

First: reason to engage in violence: Do you really want aliens with high-tech guns, and humans whose minds have been twisted to come into your town, i think not

second: The emperor has no hair, or even a big hat. what makes him great? well, do you REALLY want a unlimited amount of bloodthirsty, human hating daemons walking around? Are you asking a disabled guy to walk? you slacko

EDIT: What i also enjoy is that her image of the emperor is some pimp with an alfro. of only she knew...

Savark · 5 months ago

What i also like, is that she sees wrestling far more safe than 40k. good choice

TSINI · 5 months ago

"If he wants people killed why doesn't he go do it himself? "

hehehehehe

believe me he did as much as he could while he could :D


also, work on a pimp afro'd emperor has begun!! lol

Savark · 5 months ago

Don't forget his sister of battle entourage.

"FOR THE PIMP HOMIESSSSS"

Kriegfreak · 5 months ago

Saw this on Warseer. GW should totally take down the site based on copyrighted pictures..

That said, I do look forward to our new super enhanced space marine overlords.

TSINI · 5 months ago

as long as the pictures are referenced they're well within their rights to write a report and use copyrighted pics.

although i think this is very poorly "balanced" and could be construed as slanderous

Anon · 5 months ago

The worst thing you could have done is bring this to more people's attention with your website. As opposed to simply letting this hate-site it sit its own little corner with its own little opinion, you've presented it to a multitude of people who have an extreme negative attitude towards the hate-site. Controversy generated by this sudden influx of attention will only allow the issue to grow. You've given this hate-site exactly what they wanted: Attention.

araabisharif · 5 months ago

I agree. This site is so obscure, bizarre, and amateur that left alone it likely would have died.

Jonathan · 5 months ago

It's probably so outdated that us visiting it won't have any implications. I mean, look at the old GW sample screens.

Miami · 5 months ago

It's last update was in december.

However, a parent could easily find this site and believe what it is saying. I personally find it offensive, as it assumes we (as gamers) have a certain mindset as we approach our hobby. For most people I know and play with, this is not the case and this website casts auspicious ideals onto us.

The worst part is the bullshit (pardon) attempt at parity at the bottom of the site. One opinion (though fairly well put) that equals about one tenth of the hate and propaganda thrown against the hobby means nothing. It's placement and the fore-word to it destroy it's value.

As long as some idiot pays for that address, it will exist. And it is a detriment to us hobbyists and our chosen pasttime. A passive attitude will do nothing.

Forhekset · 5 months ago

I think it's pretty obvious that anyone with half a brain can tell that the site is completely taking the 40k universe out of context and putting an extreme alarmist spin on the whole issue. You don't even have to know anything about 40k to realise this, it's totally transparent through the brief and poorly written paragraphs full of traditional alarmist langauge. Once you realise that all actual content in regards to Warhammer is actually written words and not even interactive like a video game, it becomes even more ridiculous. It's plain to see there is absolutely no basis for any of the random crap that person said, and you can assume that from just a brief glance.

Anyone with half a brain would realise that there is no such products in the entire world that are overtly what this person is saying 40k is. The bullshit detector goes off instantly with all these cries of 'it teaches children to be desensitised and enjoy killing'. You always see that kind of stupid remark leveled at video games and even some music, and it's as tired as it is short sighted and idiotic.

It's kind of funny because it's like they're taking the Imperium seriously - it's maybe what would be said if one of us was transported in reality to the 40k universe. It is a horrible place, and the people are zealots and fanatics and morality is quite twisted if it even exists in the first place. But that's what makes it so interesting and compelling as fiction - that the prodominantly displayed "good guys" are not really that good at all.

It never ceases to amaze me how stupid some people can be. Thank you internet.

Mahauk · 5 months ago

It's a site of assume many thinks, like you and everyone who thinks that parents are dumb, many will think that this is true, or many will buy to their children without information nor think if it's right or would turn their children a sick maniac killer, and ta-daa there are parents that true inform and don't care about hate-sites independently what they decide.

And yes, bring this crap to the masses is a fail, it'll start a troll-war on the intarwebs, oh shi-

Rupert · 5 months ago

Fact, that site is ridiculous. the way they talked about it isn't even funny.

FunGi · 5 months ago

Perhaps we should get all Inquisitorial up in his grill? lol. Well I would say that its about time the table-top community felt the sting of the crappy, under-informed, fear-driven media types that plague humanity as a whole. Video games, pornography, our processed food, television and especially the internet have all been attacked in recent years by idiots who want to cram fear down the throat of anyone who will listen, and even those who wont. They want something to blame the decline of society on, and we were next on the list. Like all the other things they attacked, they used a very small incidence within the system to prove their point. "Video games make kids more violent" well, perhaps this is true; but what about a parents responsibility to read the label of a video game and judge that the game is not appropriate for their child's age level? Or maybe watch the child playing the game and see that it isn't appropriate?

I would hope that this article wakes a few parents up to the idea that they should more closely watch what their children are doing, and maybe go up to that dreaded "nerd store" that they just drop their kids off at like a baby-sitting service and see what the gaming community truly is. A conglomeration of individuals who have active imaginations, slightly offensive body odor (lol not all of us I know :P), and balanced personalities that dont believe an ounce of the crap that gets spewed their way

manton · 5 months ago

buddy, what decade are you living in. Parents aren't supposed to raise their children; that's why they invented TV. remember?

David · 5 months ago

I live in Switzerland and a few months ago there was a poster on which it said "don't let your children be nationalised". at first i thought thats completely absurd for switzerland (give it a try in the ex-soviet union) but you proved me wrong. however the poster had nothing to do with TV, propaganda or anything of the likes.

I think that Tabletop gaming is one, if not the least, children-brute-maker there is. If you've ever heard "gangsta rap" (pardon my bad language) where ist's all about "f**k that b**ch, kill that cop" people should know better than to say TTs transform kids into killing machines. And about the video games, i think that people with half a brain will get that its not real but only on their screens. And i don't think that games like CoD4 or counterstrike have really influenced a killers.

Ahriman · 5 months ago

i think highlighting these idiots can only empower their derranged little website -their arguements are totally hilarious though:
i got into 40k when i was about 10 and i have never thought that anything that was mentioned in their hit piece was relevant for an arguement:
corrupting kids minds?
space marines are the good guys?
nazis in 40k?
and being half human makes you a better person?
killing people?
where does he get this stuff?

WES · 5 months ago

LOL. Anyone stumbling on his site has an equal chance of being exposed to GW products. He's more likely to create new players, then drive people away.

genotype · 5 months ago

Anyone who believes this site's content gets what they deserve: misinformation. If they're dumb enough to take this as gospel, then they'll be dumb enough to believe any of the other stupid stuff that can be found formatted in ones and zeroes. One can only hope they don't pass their DNA on.

Jimbo · 5 months ago

I'm selling all my 40k and leading a nomadic life, thwarting evil and helping the needy at every turn because of this site!

GeorgeLupus · 5 months ago

Quote: "THIS IS HOW THEY GET YOU. THIS IS HOW THEY GET TO YOUR KIDS WITHOUT YOU EVER KNOWING IT."

Oh my god! "THEY KILLED KENNY! YOU BASTARDS!"

It is the same "they" isn't it?

Ya know, I ive in Eastern Tennessee, which is the buckle of the Bible Belt, and not even I hear this kind of nonsense about the hobby locally...

Grimskul25 · 5 months ago

Wow this lady is ridiculous, this is a wargame for goodness sake! There is supposed to fighting, otherwise it'd become something like Hello Kitty Island Adventures...O.O Plus does it really seems far-fetched to say the game is brainwashing kids just because there's violence, you could almost say everything is just as bad, like Mario Bros. because stomping on turtles makes children "sadistic" and is "animal cruelty", she definitely needs to take a chill pill.

Noobie · 5 months ago

Where's the Commissar, looks like we need a summary execution.....

Big Jim · 5 months ago

I really like War.

The history channel would be bloody awful without it.

Vic · 5 months ago

This article has clearly been written by a person who has read two pages of warhammer text and extrapolated them into conspiracy theories and mind condition.

Just read, move on, laugh and roll your dice mate, it's your turn two.

James Tompsett · 5 months ago

The nutty lady's got a point.

This game began it's life aimed squarely at the "young adults and above" market, but has slowly been sterilised to the point where GW can market it's products to pre-teens.

It's a shame, but without this business model GW probably wouldn't have survived the video game boom of the mid to late nineties (any one remember TSR?).

The problem is no matter how much you sterilise the fantastic setting of 40k; by removing all the sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll, you're still essentially left with a dark, violent, oppresive, and frankly fascist setting, which may or may not be suitable for children depending upon the child.

Just my two cents.

hrudboy · 5 months ago

I concur. I mean, clearly the lady's a few baskets short of a fruit salad, doesn't know anything about the game and has blown everything out of proportion based on faulty assumptions and then launched a crazy rant, but at the heart of what she's saying is a small germ of truth.
Sure, most of us are aware that 40k is a parody, that the Imperium is not meant to be a shining example of all things good or a role model for children. But Sometimes GW themselves seem to forget this. The more they water things down to make it suitable for (and appealing to) youngsters, the more the underlying 1984esque irony is lost. One thing I loathed about 4th edition backstory section (and much of the literature released at the time) was that it did talk about Space Marines and the Imperium as though they were The Good Guys. Every time I read a backstory blurb about how the facist excesses of the Imperium are an unfortunate necessity and that any means are justified in fighting chaos and xenos I just wanna throw up.
This is why I cannot play loyalist. There is a fine line, sometimes crossed, between when they're portrayed as anti-heroes or parody and when they're portrayed as true heroes, endorsing violence, miltary oppression, and unquestioning obedience. And I can't get behind the notion of miltary facist zealots as heroes.
Having said that, I very much doubt there are many people who see the 40k universe in such black and white terms, despite GW's occasional attempts to sell it in that way. And although there are many young bloods these days, I think most kids mature enough to be trusted with a craft knife can tell the difference between fantasy and reality, and between right and wrong. Also, as others have pointed out, us wargamers aren't known for our violent tendencies. Most of us are peacable intellectuals who just love telling stories, painting and rolling dice. It's the kids who don't have hobbies and harmless outlets like 40k who go around kicking people's heads in.

WarHamster · 5 months ago

I'm all for having some control over what children fill their heads with, but that article really took a wrong turn at the corner of 4th and bananas. XD

Mike · 5 months ago

Whatever anyone thinks or anyone says on both sides of the isle, there is no point to this discussion. I think BOLS should refrain from making such patronizing remarks. Believe me, I love warhammer and my daughter who is ten, plays a mean game, but i don;t have problems with people that think its not appropriate. I just walk away thinking everone can have their own opinion. Its like religion, abortion, pot, gay marriage and all the other stuff. People will never change their mind. Who cares? I am totally not worried about stuff like this. Chill man!

evilamericorp · 5 months ago

Wrong. Idiots should be called out and publicly humiliated wherever they are, ESPECIALLY on the internet.

Mananarepublic · 5 months ago

Word! Freedom of speech is a beautiful thing!!

/M

Ziss · 5 months ago

But slander and liable are illegal.

Fulminata · 5 months ago

Freedom of speech is a beautiful thing, but it exists in order that reasoned debate can occur. The problem is not that the writer of the article thinks that 40K is inappropriate for kids. The problem is that they use logical fallacies and flights of fancy to support that conclusion.

They start with a conclusion and then just make stuff up to support it. It's obvious they know nothing about the game beyond the web pages being referenced. It's not that hard to discover that the background of the game has its origins in 80's Britain during the Cold War in the later years of the Thatcher era. That it was heavily influenced by Moorcock and other anti-authoritarian artists, and that it was actually a parody of authoritarianism, not an indoctrination into it.

Of course, those at GW sometimes forget this origin, but if you're going to attack something you should at least have a basic understanding of what it is you're attacking.

TSINI · 5 months ago

well done

"parody of authoritarianism, not an indoctrination into it"

couldnt have put it better if i'd had a solid gold thesaurus and Stephen Fry at my side.

Pete · 5 months ago

I wonder if the author of this piece thinks that 1984 is written to brainwash people into conforming with a monolithic dictatorship.

addi · 5 months ago

They're probably starting a campaign to strike it from the school sylabus even as we type...

Farsight · 5 months ago

lol

Soundwave · 5 months ago

I had to reply to this comment because I really want people to see this:
I took the liberty of perusing the rest of the site, its actually very hilarious. I found this little gem:

http://www.pbsblog.com/projects/symbology/9napo...

I'm quite confused as to how they came to the conclusion that Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square, London, is Napoleon. The makers of this website clearly have no idea what they are talking about. I mean, why would London of all places pay homage to Napoleon? They obviously failed to read the plaque about what the statue actually is.

Almost as funny as when that stupid bint from Black Eyed Peas thought Tower Bridge was London Bridge.....

TSINI · 5 months ago

"Almost as funny as when that stupid bint from Black Eyed Peas thought Tower Bridge was London Bridge"

i'm so glad i wasnt the only person to notice this... :D

i know the old story of the american who thought he was buying tower bridge and got london bridge instead is nonsense and never happened (its just an urban legend), but fergie definately got them confused :)

admiraldick · 5 months ago

that's not urban legend, you've just got the story wrong. an American business man bought the actual London Bridge, which is a fairly unimpressive bridge, but is immortalised in the children's rhyme 'London Bridge is falling down'. the bridge was shipped and rebuilt block by block in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. you can read more about it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Bridge#Sale...

the story has been embellished and mixed with quite a common con that is played on naive tourists in foreign countries. if you look stupid enough crooks will try and sell you stuff that they don't own and you can't buy. its unlikely that many of them play the national monument card any more because the con is too well known. but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen.

also, have you seen the current London Bridge? it sucks balls. its no wonder the producers of the Fergie video opted not to use it.

TSINI · 5 months ago

lol i know an american bought london bridge, but i mean the urban legend is the part about him thinking it was tower bridge.

most people think theres a stupid american who bought london bride thinking it was tower bridge. QI sorted that out though :D thank you stephen fry for eradicating my general ignorance

plus i hate fergie and the bep and i like the idea of her being dumb and re-inventing the old legend :)

genotype · 5 months ago

"most people think theres a stupid american who bought london bride thinking it was tower bridge."

They do?

TSINI · 5 months ago

lol okay by that i don't mean everybody on the planet including the population of china, i just mean its a widely held belief that an american once bought london bridge thinking it was tower bridge

just as many people think earth only has 1 moon, or that henry VIII had six wives (he didnt), or that thomas graham bell invented the telephone (nope), or that cinderella wore glass slippers (fur apparently) or that chicken tikka massala was invented in india (it was invented in scotland), or that everest is the tallest mountain in the world (tallest being different to highest)

BDub · 5 months ago

Yes the running theme of the website appears to be launching into an uniformed rant about anything and everything without so much as cracking a book or doing research of any kind, all the while using imagery and fears dragged up from their on subconscious to make a piss-poor attempt at satirical humor and witty investigative journalism. Its sad, uneducated and will misinformed.

TheDude · 5 months ago

Warhammer 40,000 *is* for kids.

Demosthenes · 5 months ago

lol

SinSynn · 5 months ago

I'm pretty sure I gamed with those guys in the picture.
They're Ork players.

failard · 5 months ago

let them see this page so what??? this is just stupid :)

Jonathan · 5 months ago

If I were a concerned parent and read this, I would probably freak out. But then again...if I was a parent, I would make my kid wait a few years before allowing him to partake in all the "grimdark".

Imakura · 5 months ago

lol. Saw this at the B&C. Well, you can't do anything about it. Let the GW Legal team deal with it for slanderous remarks and whatnot. What's funny is that the fact that GW is a UK business must have swept right over his/her head.

Greg · 5 months ago

Haha!!! The things I love about that article:
- The way everything is taken out of context to make it sound more evil.
- That the author, despite doing some research, apparently knows absolutely NOTHING about the game and did not approach it with objectivity.
- Apparently Games Workshop is working with the government to brainwash children.
- They don't realize that most people who play 40k are adults...
- 40k is OBVIOUSLY all about killing innocent civilians.

Vic · 5 months ago

Thats the rumoured new army GW are working on, an army of innocent people for the mind altered space marine to slaughter for no good reason! :)

TSINI · 5 months ago

hahahaha!!!

love it

Grantavius · 5 months ago

snɥʇ ǝʍ uɹɐǝ1 ʇɐɥʍ pǝuǝddɐɥ oʇ ǝɥʇ sʇɐnbs¡

TSINI · 5 months ago

!squats the to happened what learn we thus


all i understood from that is you plugged your keyboard in upside down and smell like a smelly squat :)

Simulated Knave · 5 months ago

Thus we learn what happened to the Squats.

TSINI · 5 months ago

you understand their language!? i'm surrounded by squat affiliators!!

oh the smell...


:D

Toot · 5 months ago

ROFL!

The Apathetic Despot · 5 months ago

The author did no research whatsoever. Notice, for instance, that he thinks Azrael's name is a referance to Israel when a simple google search could have told him all about the character of folklore from which the name comes? And as a cogsci student I found his claims about "conditioning" and "programming" (This one especially. You can't program a mind, and we've known that for decades) frankly embarasing. He's clearly never seen the inside of a psychology classroom.

Terran_Forge · 5 months ago

Thank you for making me laugh bigred, you made my day :D Sometimes I wonder why these people are even allowed to exist, but then I remember I'm a humanist at heart. Damnit. :p

Mike X · 5 months ago

...Ugh. I hate these types of people.

fade_74 · 5 months ago

Don't hate them....it's what they want. Hate fuels their contempt and gives them justification. Pity is really what you should feel. That fucker spent hours writing an article that we are all laughing at. He poured his heart and soul into it lol. And they call us Geeks.

Paul · 5 months ago

I do appreciate how he writes a whole article on Space Marines and his ending paragraph is about getting rid of your TV.

Ive never seen GW advertised on TV. especially not trying to controll our minds via TV

Morgan666 · 5 months ago

Some people need to find a reason to be heard. I guess he was never allowed to play with little green army men?

Capn_Stoogey · 5 months ago

I think maybe he was, he just lost alot...

wez · 5 months ago

Gotta be honest guys, If I was someone reading his page for the first time I would want to play the game more than ever - it is a fabulous piece of advertising in its own way, and would never put off anyone with a genuine interest in the game.

We all know what the themes of the game are, but it, like George Orwell's 1984 for instance, is just a work of fiction - and intelligent, normal, well balanced (possibly) people; will see it as just that.

So bring it on - there is no such thing as bad press folks - even when it is brought to you by www.frootloop.com

Happy days!

Commisar_Xi · 5 months ago

Why are you casting Magic Missile? There is nothing to attack!

I'm attacking the DARKNESS!

This guy IS the lunatic fringe. Take a look at the rest of his site, its a fucking joke. The Emperor made me post this.

Devious · 5 months ago

Just.... I mean.... I.... dumbfounded...

PS_WAAAGGHHH · 5 months ago

I can't help but smile as i read it.

And mutation is heresy!! not the path to becoming a super human.

PS_WAAAGGHHH · 5 months ago

I would personally like to thank this lady for all the publicity this "article" will generate to GW. If this raises the gamer population by just 1% do to curiosity, that means GW will get more money, which might mean I get to see my new Necron codex in a timely matter without anymore delays.

P.S. Wow, really! What a dumb person. Didn't even take 5 minutes of her time to learn at least some of the fluff. Lucius is evil for one and the Emperor is the savior of all of mankind, and people have given there lives for lesser men.
P.S.S. FOR THE EMPEROR!!!

Kungfuhustler · 5 months ago

So, um you can flame me if you want to but generally I agree. That being said I'm raising my kid on 40k. I'm a pro military monday morning general son-of-a-bitch who never served and would like to see my son "do his part" by enlisting in the armed services. 40k helps bolster his image of military service, discipline and obedience, not to mention it will bolster his artistic side and has the potential to be a career path for somone who truly has the skill, talent and drive to make it one. I like the product, the concept AND the conditioning and I completely agree with the website. What?

Kharne · 5 months ago

Just one problem, EVERYONE in the game, save the Emperor, Space Wolves, and the Salamanders are bad guys in some way or another.

Capn_Stoogey · 5 months ago

Ahem, Ultramarines...

Miami · 5 months ago

Almost all facets of 40K can bee seen as "evil," and many can be seen as good. The blind faith the IG has in the Emperor (any other pop culture references to evil emperors you can think of?) can be considered evil, as can the abject loyalty of the Space Marines. You all assume the Emperor is "good" and "holy" because many of the books push that belief, but if you really read the fluff you'll see GW is letting on that not everything for the Imperium is sunshine and daffodils. The Emperor is NOT necessarily a good being, he is a holy being. He is revered because of status. He was once mortal. It is simply a belief set and it reflects the idea that there is not necessarily one true religion.

In 40K there is no good or evil. There is only survival.

I believe the most "good" characters represented are IG and Tau troops who fight because if they don't, they are branded as traitors to their governmental ideals.

Soundwave · 5 months ago

It all depends on what your beliefs are, as to what is "good".

But yeah you're right, survival is the only thing that matters in the 40k Universe!

helline9 · 5 months ago

i'd argue that the only 'good guys' are the inquisition,... yes i know they have radicals and whatnot but they are the only guys that have to THINK about what is right, everybody else is either following an order or trying to survive. The 40k universe is a brutal brutal place and the inquisitors are the ones that are making the choices both in regards to external problems and internal ones.

Tom Harris · 5 months ago

...and I'd argue right back that you can't find _anyone_ who is totally blameless in the 40K fiction. Inquisitors condemn entire worlds to death by exterminatus, and the Imperium as a whole is often described as "the cruellest and bloodiest regime imaginable."

As for people who are doing what they think is right, isn't everyone doing what they think is right?

swine_merchant · 5 months ago

The Inquisition? Isn't the very fact that they are called "The Inquisition" enough to tip you off that these are some seriously bad guys?
If anything, the Puritans are the worst of The Inquisition: completely intolerant. Whereas, the Radicals are open-minded (and so worse interms of The Imperium-mindset).
The Inquisition is the worst of the worst of every secret police of history rolled into one: the Spanish Inquisition; the Gestapo; the NKVD; etc; etc.
Saying the Inquisition are the "Good Guys" is like saying it is ok to (for, say, the CIA, or whoever, to) torture people in order to solve, or prevent, a crime. (And yes, this is controversial, and yes it right for GW to raise these questions through the medium of fiction).

Kurt · 5 months ago

Inquisition is a normal medieval institution.

In case you never heard about it - every European civil court in those time used torture. Every one of them.

More than that - it was Inquisition that brought into being real system of advocates, whose goal was to defend those charged of crime.

In the mid-16th century, coincident with the persecution of the Protestants, there began to appear from the pens of various European Protestant intellectuals, an image of the Inquisition that exaggerated its negative aspects for propaganda purposes.

swine_merchant · 5 months ago

I was referring to "The Inquisition" as it exists is popular culture.

However, the Inquisition DID NOT result in lawyers; lawyers have existed since at least since the Classical age (that is, the Greeks and Romans created lawyers, as we know them today, who were mainly rhetoricians who advocated on someone's behalf in crimninal or civil matters).

And the system of "inquisition" can refer to "The Inqusition" in its pop-culture meaning, as I refer to it - or its legal meaning (as in inquisitorial legal system, as opposed to adversial legal system) as you seem to be referring to it.

Sam Akers · 5 months ago

Not true, orks are just looking for a good fight. :D

Agent of Change · 5 months ago

The way i've long looked at it (and I've got strong feelings about this i won't go into) Is that Good and Evil, capital G capital E, are illusions. They are false abstract concepts created to explain away things in an easy to understand manner, much the way ancient people created myth to explain every day ocurrances that we today find laughable.

Now the concepts themselves have a use in real life as abstracts to use as a basis of comparision,but in my opinion you cross a very dangerous line when you ascribe these things to individuals under the assumption that Good and Evil are real things. When you say that someone is Evil you rob them of their responsibility for their action, because they couldn't help it, because they were evil. When you say some one is Good you steal their g because it's just what they always do because it's in thier nature, because their Good. These Mystical qualities are staples of fantasy in all it's forms, it makes idealism a bit easier and it gets rid of alot of moral issues.

The reality of it though, and i repeat this is just my approach, is that all there is is right and wrong in rel day to day life. These concepts are flexible, and vary not just from situation to situation but from culture to culture and even person to person. It comes down to desire, need, and personality. What i found brilliant and intriguing about the 40K mythos is that in a break from other sci-fi and fantasy roots they present a broad spanning universe in which it is very clear that the Mystical concept of Evil is real but not nessesarily who is Evil (excepting chaos who is the embodiment of Evil, that's made clear), and more that the Mystical concept of Good may exist but if it does those that possess it are hoplessly outnumbered by those that don't.

So it comes down to human/InHuman/Xenos nature to define whatis right and wrong in 40K, and there ar literally hundreds of examples of moral ambiguity that if you placed yourself if the 40K universre in the position that you had to make a call on one of these examples you may very well find your limits of right and wrong expand or shatter depending on your own moral flexibility.

A long rant i know but just my two cents.

hrudboy · 5 months ago

Yes! Thank you, for your wisdom and eloquence. That is indeed what 40k is really about. It's really some pretty powerful, though-provoking stuff. Clearly, Crazy Lady missed the point.

Miami · 5 months ago

Sidenote: Ultramarines are the biggest tools of the Emperor ever.

Capn_Stoogey · 5 months ago

They are indeed tools of the emperor. Keen scalpels, they excise the cancers that plague mankind.

Svengarr · 5 months ago

Drunken Space Wolves or GTFO.

Kungfuhustler · 5 months ago

And I play IG. Chaos is evil, and that is an important life lesson! If you fall to temptation you fall to chaos. The deadly sins are represented and battled by the emperor's (God's) faithful. There are a lot of lessons to be learned from 40k! Anarcho-Capitolisim is represented by the bad moons for feth's sake! you can find most if not all of life's govt's in this bitch and there is much more then meets the eye.

helline9 · 5 months ago

no being that they are space marines, Space wolves and Salamanders are bad guys too,.. heck come to think of it there is even 40k text that brings the Emperors 'good guy' image into question (thinking Cypher from DA background here).

TSINI · 5 months ago

from an alien's point of view, the imperium is bad
from the mutant's point of view, the imperium is bad and the aliens are bad
from the imperium's point of view, EVERYBODY WHO ISNT A HUMAN IS VERY VERY VERY VERY BAD

i think only the poor village mutant is the good guy in the 40k universe

*TSINI has been burned at the stake for heretical thinking by order of the inquisition =I=*

Kurt · 5 months ago

Sisters of Battle are good :)

/But any way, the game fluff is not for children under 14, I think.

Forhekset · 5 months ago

The Emperor is the biggest bastard of them all. In case you didn't realise.

TSINI · 5 months ago

yeah, the knob died and didnt bother to leave behind a note telling us how to live nicely :(

James · 5 months ago

The Emperor is obviously a myth perpetuated by the High Lords of Terra to retain their power.

Kharne · 5 months ago

I feel disappointed, I wanted to hear an anti-Khorne rant:(

Savark · 5 months ago

Yeah, this women seems to have nothing against shaving peoples heads and giving them to a god of war. makes perfect sense.

Myu · 5 months ago

I could make one if you want :P It would be like "And Khorne are evil, chaos-worshiping filth, who must be purged with righteous fury and cleansing flame" Actually I have no idea, but I could try if you wanted me too ^_^.

David DeFord · 5 months ago

I was actually aghast for a second when i noticed that it was pbsblog. i thought it was part of public broadcasting for a minute, and was about to get all up in arms about how reporting used to mean more than checking out a website. Then however i checked out their actual website and found that these are the sort of people who dont believe rainbows cant happen around sprinklers, and contrails are laying chemical mind control sprays into the atmosphere. Whew.

Ko'Anuk · 5 months ago

Umm...

Blood for the Blood God?

Tom Harris · 5 months ago

I'm right there with you. Let me finish sharpening the teeth on my chain axe; I'll shut the door to the drop pod after I'm done.

Silver Drakes Legion · 5 months ago

I just love the fact she said 40k was teaching kids to gun people down in a city... haha

Capn_Stoogey · 5 months ago

Totally, I was into it before all the cityfight etc came out, so naturally I did all my gunning down in forest clearings and such

crunchyjuice · 5 months ago

LOL. i find everything about this article hilarious. this seems like the kind of thing you would see on fox.

crunchyjuice · 5 months ago

that said, while i dont believe that 40k is responsible for this kind of thing, i do know that pretty much all video games desensitize you. before i played COD, i couldnt watch star wars without getting nightmares...
think about it: a lot of companies are all about indoctrinating new consumers. they use slogans and even bright colors to attract are attention and our money. this isnt limited to the companies either, the government obviously takes part in a lot of brainwashing also. this actually brings up a fairly serious issue, but it should not of been addressed by using 40k as an example.
no shelter by rage against the machine should probably get my point across.

crunchyjuice · 5 months ago

and more that i read this, the more truth it holds. i have grown up to this fantasy, and while it is of no fault of GW, i probably have been desensitized. but the way that this person says it makes himlook retarded.

Miami · 5 months ago

Desensitization and apathy are two different things. If you think modern American society is adversely affecting you, DO SOMETHING.

And I don't mean complain on a forum about a hobby.

And seriously... nightmares about Star Wars? Unless it's about George Lucas doing something inappropriate to Han Solo, you don't have anything to fear. The Star Wars trilogy was ruined years ago.

Mananarepublic · 5 months ago

More plants... you are making this too easy! :-)

This is fiction...

/M

Illiterate Scrub · 5 months ago

Why does everyone disagree with this article so much?

Sure, he insults your hobby, but that doesn't detract from the fact that he makes some very valid points.

Lord Marius · 5 months ago

Agreed.
That Emperor guy sure sounds like a wierdo. I'm not sure about you guys, but I didn't know he wore a hat - and not just any hat, a big one! Indoors!
That is seriously messed up.

Oh, and I've discovered something else (the article doesn't include it because it's hushed up by the Inquisition). Orks probably don't have insurance for all those bikes and cars they seem to have. That's actually illegal!!


That said, the youth in my area seem somewhat at odds with what the article is trying to tell me. All the kids who play at GW (and similar) seem to stay indoors and arm themselves with dice. Many of the kids who don't can be found hanging around outdoors, armed with knives. I've not seen any of them trying to commit genocide though...

Guytholimew · 5 months ago

Did you write this article? o.O

Miami · 5 months ago

Define valid points with actual proof and people *MIGHT* listen to you here.

I'll be waiting to see the "proof," however.

Mananarepublic · 5 months ago

I love this obvious plant!!!! BRAVO TO YOU!!! Now please go and write another article on that site - tomorrow is Friday and I like some fun with my lunch!!

BTW - you know this is a game right??!! I even comes with little plastic and metal men that you play with. It was written by a bunch of brits who were bored in a time where video games weren't as elaborate as they are now and heavily borrows from culture and religion because it is what all types of entertainment does.

Last time I checked nerds weren't feared...

/M

Fulminata · 5 months ago

The only valid points made are that parents should be aware of what their children play with, and that 40K is dark. If the writer had then gone on to cover the reality of the game instead of making stuff up about it, then it might be an article worth reading. As it is, it's only worth ridicule and derision.

Capn_Stoogey · 5 months ago

I think its not really about the content, more the pathetic ideas people have, that innocent things like warhammer and DND are "the devil" and will turn us all into mass murderers because we cant differentiate between the games/movies/music and the real world.

nojinx · 5 months ago

It is the lack of professional writing skill, namely in the composition and ability to focus on factual, critical points rather than rants. Pregnant women and children are not a part of this game, as far as I know - or did they release some new casualty models?
Ironically, the response the author offers patting himself on the back for posting a counterpoint does have some level of professionalism. But the main article is a rant, emotionally driven and embellished heavily. It certainly wouldn't be considered publishable in a professional periodical.

Bardock · 5 months ago

Maybe she saw last edition's Ratling models and thought they were children with sniper rifles!

CarbonBased · 5 months ago

Obvious troll is obvious.

archie d · 5 months ago

whoops! sorry our wargame has too much WAR in it.

anyone fancy a game of non-violentdebatehammer 40000?

and to parrot some previous posts, surely most of us GW fans realise there arent actually any good guys in the universe?

Myu · 5 months ago

Except for maybe the Tau, but I know what you mean. I like 40K because it isn't another cookie-cutter good verses evil thing. Real people aren't perfect. Some are at least well-meaning, some are corrupt (and are often in positions of power because they have the drive to dominate others rather then be nice to them) and others are somewhere in between.

Miami · 5 months ago

The Tau aren't good guys. They sound good because of their beliefs, but look at what they do to civilization who do not wish to be absorbed into their ideal.

Myu · 5 months ago

They do also sign non-aggression packs but... yeah, I'd forgotten about that. I must say I like the old Tau codex better, but I guess it wasn't gritty enough.

Ej · 5 months ago

Eh, the whole point of the Tau codex progression is to 1) Show them integrating experimental technology into their armies and 2) Show them as rapidly losing their "innocence" if they had any to begin with, what with Ethereal pheromonal control.

TheDude · 5 months ago

Tau are evil communists intent on galactic domination through force... hardly good.

Cap'n Slappy · 5 months ago

The Tau and Eldar are the only races that don't want to kill everyone else. I'd say that makes them the closest to good guys.

Grantavius · 5 months ago

Wow! And I thought that it was just a hobby! Now I understand- winning *IS* everything!

Hail the Emperor!

Myu · 5 months ago

"I think that when the lunatic fringe is taking potshots at you, you must be doing something right!"

I concur :P. This lady sounds just like those people who believe the moon landings never happened and that the earth is flat. It's so ridiculous you have to laugh. Still, there's always going to be a few weirdo's out there, so I grin and bear it.

Lane_S · 5 months ago

oops, wrong thread

waffleman1 · 5 months ago

would the iron halo bases that were reviewed a while ago be allowed into golden demon

phoenix01 · 5 months ago

Golden Demon?!?!? My God, don't give the nutjobs anymore ammunition than they already have!!!

Komm · 5 months ago

I cant stop laughing....

Xas · 5 months ago

This puny human has seen and she has seen far too much... so gather my fellow Illuminati and let's enlist her soul to our Lord Tzeentch by the means of holy sacrifice of flesh. Amen

on a serious note: just let dumbnuts die from lack of attention...

jkarkov · 5 months ago

Sometimes I really don't get people...

Mananarepublic · 5 months ago

It is hilarious!!!!

Look - it doesn't matter if it is anti - comics/larpa/space marines it is just as funny every time! I grew up on these kind of games and I am neither a killer or a freak (I am a socialist though... which in some circles is just as bad :-)).

Hey - they are entitled to their opinion and I had a good laugh reading their website. I hope they continue writing articles because I need some entertainment every now and then.

/M

Miami · 5 months ago

A fellow Tau player! Kidding... the Tau Empire and socialism are NOTHING alike. But for some reason, people still joke like they do. So I uphold the tradition.

Mananarepublic · 5 months ago

Yeah, tau is just as bad as a socialist...but in much wider circles :-)

/M

Hoof-footed Philosopher · 5 months ago

No, not socialists, communists. Maybe not in theory, but definitively in practice.

The Tau work in the same way real life communists operate. Those in power stay in power (Ethereals), and everyone else is born into a certain role. Then they all (officially) work for the benefit of the collective, when in reality the leaders just reap the benefits of everyone else's labor using dubious means (the Auns' head jewels emit mind control pheromones, see "Xenology").

Caerolion · 5 months ago

Well, apart from the fact that the defining principle of communism is that it's not class-based. Which is, you know... the complete opposite of Tau society. Tau are utilitarian or, as Doombringer over on Tau Online defined them: "Despotic Totalitarian Collectivist Imperialistic Utilitarianist Society ruled by Theocratic Hereditary Oligarchies presiding over Meritocratic Councils".

Remember, the Ethereals are advisors, they aren't leaders. They don't know anything about war/bureaucracy/manufacture/flight, only about the Greater Good. They just watch everyone else leading, and monitor/advise.

Kahoolin · 5 months ago

"Despotic Totalitarian Collectivist Imperialistic Utilitarianist Society ruled by Theocratic Hereditary Oligarchies presiding over Meritocratic Councils"

I really think we need a shorter word for that.

Meh · 5 months ago

Weeabo Fail-Commies in Space?

TSINI · 5 months ago

love it!

helline9 · 5 months ago

"Despotic Totalitarian Collectivist Imperialistic Utilitarianist Society ruled by Theocratic Hereditary Oligarchies presiding over Meritocratic Councils" = DTCIUS THOMC is so much shorter and easier to use! :p

Meh · 5 months ago

That's just it. Communism in practice is not a classless society. It all about putting people into a little box and keeping them their forever.

And Ethereals do command the Tau. Remove them from the equation, and the rest realize what bullcrap their society is and go join the Farsight Enclave.

SamOfTheTribe · 5 months ago

The Farsight Enclave is ruled by the Necrons...

Completely anonymous · 5 months ago

Well there are varying levels of bad and evil. The Imperium is a "better" altrernative to say Chaos, Orks or Dark Eldar (eek). Of course in real life noone is perfect, though GW take this a notch further. This is their creative style, nothing more.

There are always going to be vulnerable individuals. If it wasn't GW, D&D or a first person shooter triggering them it'd be something else. I'm sure for plenty of people some games even provide an outlet for their pent up anger, I know it did me. And on top of this there is the creative side of modelling and painting, and even the fiction itself can lead to creativity.

It's also worth realising that there is a certain disconnect between the fiction and the models, with the probable exception of fluffy scenarios and campaigns which are designed to join the two. Tournaments or pick up games for example have no relation to the fiction really, you're just as likely to have marines vs marines as you are something more in line with fiction. Also for example Tyranids vs other nids, what possible point could that serve? The fleets seem mostly too spread out to come into conflict, assuming they would fight rather than ignore each other or merge.

Miami · 5 months ago

HERETIC!!! BURN!!!

Savark · 5 months ago

I can think of reasons marines vs. marines and nids vs nids.
MvM: one thinks the other are heretics (like you are)
NvN: the hive mind wants to see what bio-morphs are better. its not like it affects the fleets or anything

Mananarepublic · 5 months ago

You better add a smiley to the end of that or someone just got an awesome quote :-)

/M

Myu · 5 months ago

There was actually a story about 2 hive fleets attacking each other so that only the strongest survived. Being 'nids, they were probably evolving against each other as they were fighting.

Bugly Philosopher · 5 months ago

I think that's in their codex. When two hive fleets meet, they go all out to destroy each other. The winner obviously has better genetic data, so it takes the bio-mass of the other fleet, takes their best data, then makes more of whatever worked best.

Let's say you have two fleets of roughly equal numbers. One has evolved at a rapid rate, the other just got out of the warp because of a storm or something and is out of date. They fight. The more advanced on wins. In the end, you wind up with one highly advanced fleet with double the size. This fleet may even split in half again.

Bugs v bugs = better bugs. It's a no-loose situation, unless someone else comes along and wipes out the survivors before they can grow some new dudes, that it. philosopher

Myu · 5 months ago

What makes my really curious is what the Big Meks (almost said Mad Inventors) of that ork system invaded by nids have come up with.

OrksOrksOrksOrksOrksOrksOrks · 5 months ago

Giant cans of Raid.

Now w/ more deepstrike!

Myu · 5 months ago

Or Power-thirst. Or maybe <_< >_> BOTH!

Blackmonkey0 · 5 months ago

Its so funny that people take life so seriously, its a game and a fun game at that.
Shame the lame research that went into this didn't make it past the Space Marines there is plenty more ammo for nuts like this on good old GWs Website.

Guytholimew · 5 months ago

Wow... Just... just wow...

Warhammer is such an expensive hobby I can't see it brainwashing that many kids. If only the author had added her own drawings too...

Don't hate me for saying this, folks, but this kind of stuff only happens in America.

Mahauk · 5 months ago

Woah, something that I lost untill re-reading!

It's the evil azraelish-masonic complot to turn every children a really mad mad person, run fo ya lives!

And then everyone realizes about the troll-fraggotry of that site and that the moralist parent is an anti-semitism sick-fuck.

Santiago · 5 months ago

We are missing the big point here: where is the emperor's (big) hat and what bonus does it give?

Myu · 5 months ago

It's hidden in locker under the golden throne. It gives the wearer the power to create muffins at will.

helline9 · 5 months ago

and here i was thinking it zaps morons with lightning bolts from your eyes and fireballs from your arse.

BeastOfShadow · 5 months ago

Wrong way around mate. (I'm assuming you're quoting Braveheart. If not nevermind)

Anonoymouse · 5 months ago

Great now we're all going to have to start showering again, and put on our happy faces down at the club just to prove that we're not being indoctrinated. Wait...

shinohai · 5 months ago

obviously just another conspiracy nut reading way to much into game, to much time on their hands and couldnt find some other so called conspiracy targeting children. there is far worse things out there for kids to get into. How about airsoft, playing war with BB guns that are exact replicas of real guns. my hobby shop used to carry them but removed them because of the bad crowd it attracted.

CyberRhino · 5 months ago

In defence of this web site I wouldn't have been tricked in to joining the Adeptus Astartes and subjecting myself to genetic mutliation so I could become a superhuman warrior travelling the galaxy anihilating the enemies of mankind if I hadn't played this game for the last 20 years.... how I regret that now..

Myu · 5 months ago

:P

Sien_Creis · 5 months ago

Thats has been a question i have been wondering about. Why? The only way she could even know about GW and 40k is if her children wanted to play it. It's not like GW advertise let alone ram the message down people's throats. So how did this dispotic house wife come across our hobby?

I can picture it now;

-"Off you go little Jasper or Jeremy or Flower or Petal or some other traumatising over-protective name. Theres your horiffic amout of pocket money, go buy what you want. Don't worry, i won't check what your buying."

The mother is now prowling around the child's room, desperately searching for any illegal substances he may have ferreted away somewhere.

"Whats this?" she says finding a small plastic space marine under a stack of porn, behind a sack of weed, under the child's bed. "He's holding a gun! I can't allow my prescious angel to buy toys with guns!"

She crawls out from under the bed and pulls back the covers, dislodges the two hookers and wakes her son. "Whats this?" thrusting the toy soldier into his face.

"Its just a space marine mom! Take a chill pill!" she lunges into the bowl at the side of the bed and swollows a handfull. "Those weren't the ones i meant!" says the son before he goes unconscious again.

The results of the 48 hour speed buzz are what you see.

Of course thats what could have happened. But thats just me being a mindless, unimaginitive, zombie, drone type thing with a degree in Aeronautical engineering, President of one of the first gaming clubs established by GW (see the www.Gobstyks.co.uk ), CRB checked, trained teacher and respected proffesional. Who am i to judge?

madphil101 · 5 months ago

You do have to spot some distinctive similarites between new world order and Adeptus astartes... Isn't that the point. Aren't they based on what would the German army have produced if the whole ww2 end had been different. Aren't they based on what the romans would have had if the empire hadn't fallen.

There's loads of biblical references in almost all of the names of the marines. (brother captain Barry in my army is an exception). Its not GW being some kind of white supremacist bible bashing organisation, but they are using the source material out there. The bible is great for supernatural stories. There's this massive super being that creates a race to rule over all the beasts he has created. Then he makes angels to guard over them. Then he sends someone to lead them and give them direction. Here's the contraversial point. I'm catholic so "beleiver", but whether you think its the greatest history ever told, or whether you think its the biggest STORY ever told, its great source material for all this kind of guff. Fallen angels, revelations, sacrifice of son. great story... :)

And its the basis for the jewish religion up to a point, then the christian religion, then surprisingly carries an enormous basis in islam...

The actual thing that person is saying is not to take things on face value. Unfortunately they are diggin deeper than they need to. I suspect if you look around to their linked sites they'll have why vegetarianism is an alien consiracy to weaken our blood and why the squat release is part of an al-kaeda plot to keep everyone unsettled...

Little Brother · 5 months ago

Love the bit about the Masons. Did he mention the Illuminati? I didn't notice. Yes we have infiltrated GW to brain wash your children into joining the masons so we can take over the world. It always makes me laugh when people think we have some world dominating plot underway or are planning to murder the Pope. We mostly have raffles to raise money for the local nursing home.

Peace, love and harmony Brethren. Sounds a bit Hippyish but that just about sums us up.

GringoK · 5 months ago

I love this article. I've not laughed so hard for ages.

Looking at this, any parent that would be concerned with any of this bilge, wouldn't let their kids play a game that has guns in it anyway.

Civilians in Cityfight?!? Not so much.

helline9 · 5 months ago

What gets me is what GW leave out and that this woman has missed. Here's what i mean; I've read a bit of the 40k fluff regarding SoB, Arbites & PDF Vs civilian riots, I've played the odd game of necromunda and seen the effect of crowds in bloodbowl... I'm starting to get the distinct impression that these 'innocent civilians' that the mad woman was on about aren't quite so friendly.

faultie · 5 months ago

"Remember that it is the duty of the mighty Adeptus Astartes Chapters and the glorious Imperial Guard to wage the Emperor's wars and the duty of the fearless Imperial Navy to guard the Emperor's spaceways, but it is
to his loyal servants the Adeptus Arbites that His Divine Majesty in His infinite wisdom entrusts the most sacred duty of all:
Keeping in check the lawless heretic rabble that passes itself off as the Emperor's worthy subjects"

helline9 · 5 months ago

i was so waiting for that quote to be raised earlier !!

Fatso · 5 months ago

Right, rant time... (ish, I've seen worse)

GW stuff rocks and if idiots like that don't like it, then they can piss off and find themselves something else to crap over! 1. It's a game, for f***'s sake, and if parents didn't bring up their kids to the notion that 'it's just a game' (albeit a multifaceted and damned good one) then they're obviously not very good parents. 2. Crazed FPS players have been responsible for a lot of... (you can see where I'm going with this, so I'll stop there). 3. The tactical, strategic, dice-rolling and interactive aspects of GW games develop kids' management, arithmetic and analytical skills, which is a damned sight better than what a lot of other games do. 4. The hobbying side helps kids to concentrate and any gamer can appreciate a well crafted/painted model, regardless of age.

And remember, children, do not forget to bless your 0.75cal mass reactive shells before loading into your Emperor consecrated holy bolters!

TSINI · 5 months ago

hahaha i like this article because it points out that the space marines offer children a racist opinion "purge the heretic" etc etc, where is the similar article on the holy bible which is where the term, "purge the heretic" comes from...

this is only the same as people who complain that computer games cause violence in young generations
- i mean, those people in the dark ages spent waaaay too long playing on their carved wooden commadores and attaris didnt they, or did they just take the game of chess way too far...

Meh · 5 months ago

Nothing in the Bible says "purge the heretic." The most extreme action suggested by the Good Book is to shun Satan Worshipers, not kill them.

Trve · 5 months ago

Well, this is wrong, actually, but thats irrelevent. The OT is filled with commandments about killing your neighbor or son if he tells you to 'go and worship other gods'.

I love when Christians dont read their own book.

Rahakanji · 5 months ago

"In the interest of fairness, both perspectives are now represented here, and the reader is free to draw his or her own conclusions. I don't know, but I doubt that equal fairness would be granted in kind to give my opinions space on gamers pages, but I do hope that accusations of unfairness will now end."

HAHAHAHAHA ok EQUAL would mean that both texts are presented the same way, and both start at the same hight. I Doubt that an parent would read to the end of the page... after the 3 articel its made like everything is said and done...

BUT to give her not an argument:
Yes its right 40K features many ideologies who today in the western world look bad and overly extrem. But they show (other than many PC Games, religions or fanatics) the two sides of an medal only because someone claim hes good, doesnt mean hes realy good. If you disagree with the doctrins of the Imperium you may "fight" it... But dont expect they are better than your former masters. Sure for many kids the Imperium is good but only because (compared to others) they are better. And please, none, how play this hobby for longer than some months, started the Hobby because you can kill people (such persons play computer or are part of the army [no offends pls]) you start it because you like to challenge your mind with you friends, like in checkers or risk.

Sry for the bad english...
SoLOng Rahaknji

BrotherWill · 5 months ago

I give that article no value at all. Typical liberal mentality of "I'm not responsible for my own actions". Liberals tend to have this view that its always the games fault, its their environment, it's playing cops and robbers or cowboys and indians or army or what have you. Its playing video games, or teaching your kids to hunt, or taking them to the rifle range or letting them watch action/horror/sci-fi movies. NEVER in a liberals mind does it have anything to do with the parents methods of raising and disciplining their children. No, God forbid. That would entail some sort of "responsiblity".

derek · 5 months ago

Raging feminazi spouting nonsense? Check.
"In the interest of fairness" esque letting the other side talk? Check.

Looks like a job for NO MA'AM personally.

Kahoolin · 5 months ago

I love what this says about society. 25 years ago the crazies would have (and did) latch on to the fictional portrayal of demons in games, suggesting that if a game had fictional demons it somehow functioned as a gateway for kids to summon real demons.

Nowadays it looks like even the more “reality challenged” amongst us think that's ridiculous. I mean come on people, it's 2009, demons aren't real. Now the game is gatewaying your children into being emotionless genetically modified super soldiers for the secret sinister world government. Get with the program.

... Come to think of it Rick Priestley does kind of look like a sinister overlord. I guess he was planning the future neo-fascist world government from way back in the early 80s then. Joke's on us.

Savark · 5 months ago

THATS what the emperor want's you ti think!

Colby · 5 months ago

Argh! They found me out! My plan to turn children into Space Marines has been foiled! I guess I'll have to turn them into Orks instead...

Thraka · 5 months ago

Waaagh!

Lenzabi · 5 months ago

Wow! I laughed so hard, I cried!~!! That person used so many rhetorical devices for an over the top, over-thought rant about our favorite game of plastic spacemen! Oh noes! we are all part of the mind control plot of the NWO! the secret gov't entities of the world! Obviously the poster of that rant needs to do some REAL research to get the whole thing. And though he posted GW stuff for a "Fair view" that was not true about the language of the rants used to slam the hobby.

Kurt · 5 months ago

I can't understand why the whole game was not branded "violent", "fanatic-minded", "fascist", "militaristic" and "totalitarian" by our politically-correct friends years ago ))))))

Idaan · 5 months ago

Love how there's absolutely no mention of any Xenos armies besides Space Marines whatsoever. Goes a great length to show what this game has become.

helline9 · 5 months ago

What do mean Lucius' the eternal' is mentioned (guess he represents all the non-imperial armies), glad she didn't find Kharn 'the betrayer' and all his wanton fun loving destruction then she really would have gone silly ! ;p

Fenris86 · 5 months ago

You can take everything too seriously...... Lets purge these heathens that slander the name of the divine Emperor!

Seriously, some bits are just plain stupid. OMG Someone called Azrael, sounds like Israel? Oh noes Angels of Death, well look it up in the bible, there are in fact angels of death and angels of vengeance.

Rahakanji · 5 months ago

2 Kings 19:35:
That night the angel of the LORD went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning—there were all the dead bodies!

Jep Sounds like Space Marins...

Kurt · 5 months ago

Hail for Immortal Emperor! )

hancock.tom · 5 months ago

I was arguing with another reader that this site does more than just repost stuff they read on warseer.

Thanks for proving me wrong.

Tad · 5 months ago

Except we don't have to deal with Nazi Powertripping nerd moderators here.

Ej · 5 months ago

And those in charge actually have other jobs that require their time and so can't spend hours of every day trawling for 40k bits on the interwebs.

Mikael · 5 months ago

i am glad this came to peoples attention.
This game is dangerous and could posible hurt you.

Just think of someone throwing that big "Great unclean one" in your face...
Now you are not laughing any more are you?

Read up onr the real fluff and you see that there are cleary stupid...

captain_ideaus · 5 months ago

Just out of curiosity, who is the idiot who wrote this, and does anyone have his/her/its email?

captain_ideaus · 5 months ago

Does any one know who wrote this, or have he/she/its email?

Defiler69 · 5 months ago

This is just some loser, who didn't get enough love as a kid, venting.
"O think of the children" boohoo. That person should be shot for heresy ;)

No but seriously that person doesn't know people know what is real and what is not, OK most people.

O and if the goverment has plans for a space marine like program, where do I sign up.

Fred · 5 months ago

sweet jesus. Sodding moron... that about sums up my opinion on that misguided fool's ideas about 40k.

DustDevil · 5 months ago

We all know in an abstract sense that some disturbed people think this way, but it takes articles like this to make you understand just how "out there" some people truly are.

I see some earlier posts have labelled her as a 'liberal' or exponent of 'typical liberal mentality'. To me she demonstrates a paranoid and conspiracy theorist mentality, not a liberal one. To call this ignorant vitriol liberal suggests a level of maintstream support it does not deserves. Here in the UK we simply refer to this sort of thinking as "bonkers, gov'nor".

I truly feel pity for children who have to suffer parents like this.

By the way, love the picture at the top of the article. Hilarious.

nojinx · 5 months ago

Agreed. I find it funny to read posts here on both sides, some labeling her as liberal and others as conservative, when neither is obvious. Chalk that up to sensitive partisans, I guess. Some people can't see past their own political colorings.

xbruthamanx · 5 months ago

"Azrael, (Israel?)"
By far my favorite part of the entire article.
It is only a shame that the name came from the traditions of islam, the catholic church, and hebrew teachings. It is a personality's name (for those who believe that there are such things) An actual angel! Like your name might be Bob, or Steve or Harriet.
It apparently means angel of death or the personification of evil will... but to liken it with Israel the state is looking into a fun can of worms. for no reason.

GW has done a pretty good job adapting most of the angel names into their fiction, it makes for some pretty badass sounding superhuman identies for their fictional world.

g. · 5 months ago

indoctinating children .... hmmmn.

Genius ..that means one the main benefits of having children is that there is the probability that in 15 years time I might have a 40k opponent on tap!

As long as they don't collect Tau. That would be creepy. Greater good... errgh.

Seriously though, that article was a hoot. Thank you for raising it. It reminds me why I like gamers depite our lovable quirks.

Fred · 5 months ago

So I had a great game yesterday, I was Dark eldar,my friend was imperial guard. However since that game iv'e had an overwhelming desire to jump in a car, wear tight purple clothing, get a top-knot and kidnap the nearby populace and take them back to my lair where I would stab them a bit. Yes, because thats how itr works- psychological plans by the government! "Angels of death"! *squeal!*
Honestly, next this idiot will be trying to uncover evil plots behind Chess or something... "its all sexual - the bishop looks like a nipple! Do you want the government to lead your children into fondling nipple-shaped playing pieces?" The author is clearly a complete idiot, and it was made all the worse by how he/she constantly reffered to the models as "Toys"- warhammer is not made for 6 year olds! You'd have thought he/she would have at least checked the age reccomendation before making up some retarded theory that the whole game is a conspiracy to enslave our children... Anyway, im off to get genetically altered- Might get that bionic skull I'ver always wanted as well. *sigh*

Donanton · 5 months ago

Sounds like someone needs to get a job since they're spending so much money trying to get offended.

I like how this hypocrit sait how he/she's not religious but is offended by how someone treats a religion that is not their own.

Mark Balding · 5 months ago

what an idiot. and i thought video games were to blame. or was it rock music? no, no, it was violent movies. the guy has absolutely no idea what he was talking about. warhammer conspiracy theories? child indoctrination? gee someone's been at the medicine cabinet again...

Necronboy · 5 months ago

Don't forget D&D, Jazz music, or what ever the thing that is in vogue at the moment to blame for the parents not doing their job with their kids. Every one say it with me "Parenting the child."

Fenris86 · 5 months ago

Strangely i have noticed that since starting my Space Wolf army i look ever more like a viking. (Nah, couldn't be the weightlifting and long hair) and have the urge to consume large quantities of beer with my friends after the game. When i grow fangs i'll start to worry....

So there could be some truth in this ridiculous conspiracy theory, i tell ya!!!!

RealGenius · 5 months ago

Oh, no, don't say that! "THIS IS HOW THEY GET YOU!"

Oh no, they are here getting me already! And my kids! I'm doomed.

Anon · 5 months ago

I love this website. I find it informative, and that its view of the background story to be completely accurate and taken in the correct context... I am clearly kidding. Thanks for the morning laugh BOLS. :)

touchdown · 5 months ago

I agree with the author's viewpoint that people should stop playing space marines, but I don't agree with their reasons.

Dave · 5 months ago

Does it remind anyone else of that clip from the Simpsons where Kent Brockman (or Kenny Brockelsteen as he was known) says 'This week we uncover a scandal where young people are taught how to fire guns and kill people. The government calls it 'the army', we call it KILLBOT DEATHFACTORY'...

madphil101 · 5 months ago

:) :) :) The irony is it says click this link to see more about this hideous organisation which took me to the main page offering free shipping.

I was almost tempted to make an order there and then... :)

bufftastic · 5 months ago

Hilarious and hysterical. I think the writer wears tin-foil on their head to "keep out the governments' mind control lasers", and thinks that fluoride in the water is part of aliens attempts to sterilise us all...

daveyboy · 5 months ago

ha ha ha ha and its not even april 1st :-)

MightyOrang · 5 months ago

It's a hobby. He's off his meds.

mark79 · 5 months ago

I pray that someone has reported this heretic to the Ordos Hereticus.

The Emperor Protects.

cowomo404 · 5 months ago

The Domain information is registered through a 3rd party to keep the records private but this email for comments appears on the site.

CONTACT EMAIL : ANGIE@PBSBLOG.COM

Turns out our crazy dude is a wack chic...

faultie · 5 months ago

Haha! Thank Bigred, I really needed a laugh today!

If they take offense to this, it's a good thing GW doesn't really support Arbites anymore! What does that teach us? Anything but unswerving obedience of the Law is punishable by death!

Zapp · 5 months ago

For your viewing pleasure

http://www.thepainteddragon.co.uk/forum/index.p...

Kevin Brooke · 5 months ago

Man, like I always say, people are idiots now and days. So easy to point their fingers someplace else, and not take responsibility for themselves and their own actions. Instead they blame others. If you don’t want your kids to play it, then don’t let them. Teach them the difference between right and wrong.

And, also Azrael is the Angel of Death, in religion, not relating to Israel. Stupid block heads who speak before they think. Without knowing their information, they just write, and all they do is make themselves look all the dumber. So congrats to you morons out there, congrats.

Hyperion · 5 months ago

It's unlikely that many parents are going to see that site. I've never seen it before and neither have most people here by the looks of things. That said, I have to say I don't really want my 5 yr old playing 40k. Well, not unless he's going to paint his own army ^^. Now, you'll have to excuse me while I quit my paramedic job to go sign up for some genetic mutation and wholesale slaughter seminars at the local TA office...

GearBoxClock · 5 months ago

Warhammer is corrupting our children, as rolling dice will teach your child how to murder.

Commander Spera · 5 months ago

Please ... somebody tell me ... from under which rock did this idiot crawl ? Its a game , its a hobby , its meant to be fun and enjoyable . Is this person so narow minded and gullable to take the fluff so literal ? Wow ! Personally I think this is a great hobby for young people to be involved in - it teaches mechanical skills in assembling the models - it teaches artistic skills in painting and detailing the models - and most importantly it teaches us to play well with others . What more can you ask for ? This person , who can't even sign his or her name to the article , should take the time to learn more about this hobby before putting it down . And while he or she is at it - get a life !

FOR THE EMPEROR !!!

MASTER LUKE · 5 months ago

this is totally awesome!

BOLS HEAR MY CRY - poll time

how many gamers have you ever come across that seem capable of taking 6+ wounds,
initiative of at least 3/4 to get the drop on an entire urban town,
own enough guns that they can 'physically' wield to murderlate hundreds upon thousands of trained killers - basically skilled enough to take out every world leader within the time frame of oh lets give 'em 7 days to stay biblically sacrilegious with the article author's theme

and most importantly have the balls to do it in 5-7 turns with a hand full of dice deciding their own fate?


hahahaha
so awesome

Jacob M. Wood · 5 months ago

I just love how a site that is toting reform and political news has Lol catz on the side bar...

"i can haz social juztice??"

I predict this will be dead within the year at the most.

gwensdad · 5 months ago

Take a look at the rest of the site. It's like "poster child" for conpiracy nuts-job websites.
And the Space Marines-now featured on the front page (sidebar). Might be from all the traffic it's getting now.

Middelton_007 · 5 months ago

The misguided fool who wrote this put civil war (Horus Hersey) is good.
Who here thinks the Horus Hersey is good? The Empourer is half dead because of it, Horus was killed, the chaos space marines were banished to the eye of terror and mankind was nearly destroyed. Yeah civil war is awesome.

Gothmog · 5 months ago

Why does it always have to be the government brainwashing us. Can't the private sector take some credit? ;)

Seriously, I think if you showed this guy anything, he would find a conspiracy in it. "2+2 = 4" "THATS WHAT THEY WANT YOU TO THINK!! MUTILATION AND MANIPULATION OF NUMBERS IS DESIRABLE!"

bigbadbry · 5 months ago

"Blind obedience is never a problem because we are the good guys, so why bother asking questions or thinking about things yourself?" This is the essence of just about every religion in the world. The idea of serving something greater then yourself without questioning its authority, while following its every command. How is 'the Emperor' any different? I'm not trying to take a blow at religion, I'm just drawing a parallel...people ALWAYS have a choice.

Lets face it, anyone who plays tabletop games is not, and never will be a thief, rapist, murderer or anything considered harmful to society. Us 40k gamers are a happy, relatively docile bunch who know nothing other than minding our own business.

Ruroni · 5 months ago

Wow, this made me mad enough to comment for the 1st time...

I'd love to talk to this guy and say:

OR, you f*****g numbnuts a$$hole, go to a GW event like gamesday, and look at some little boy dressed up as a character, with a genuine smile on his face having a goddamn blast with his dad as they share in this involved hobby and have a great relationship, I would have killed for that childhood, you f*****g scumbag.

Russell Midel · 5 months ago

this is on PBSBlogs? Throne help us! the pussification continues!! better the Age of Strife begins then us ending up like Demolition Man!


Edgar Friendly: You see, according to Cocteau's plan I'm the enemy, 'cause I like to think; I like to read. I'm into freedom of speech and freedom of choice. I'm the kind of guy likes to sit in a greasy spoon and wonder - "Gee, should I have the T-bone steak or the jumbo rack of barbecued ribs with the side order of gravy fries?" I WANT high cholesterol. I wanna eat bacon and butter and BUCKETS of cheese, okay? I want to smoke a Cuban cigar the size of Cincinnati in the non-smoking section. I want to run through the streets naked with green Jell-o all over my body reading Playboy magazine. Why? Because I suddenly might feel the need to, okay, pal? I've SEEN the future. Do you know what it is? It's a 47-year-old virgin sitting around in his beige pajamas, drinking a banana-broccoli shake, singing "I'm an Oscar Meyer Wiener".

MASTER LUKE · 5 months ago

i want to see that hit counter on their page go over a million

lets refresh!

zenjah · 5 months ago

At times that article is so ridiculous you honestly have to wonder if it is just a joke.

AbeSapien · 5 months ago

" Being willing to kill and die on command is sort of retarded, isn't it? Shouldn't there be a really good reason to engage in deadly violence? Is the word of "some guy" with a fancy hair do and a big hat enough to make you go kill somebody? Who is he anyway, and what makes him so flaming great? If he wants people killed why doesn't he go do it himself? "

This sounds just like the actual army. I think he would be glad they "kill and die on command" to stop the evil people like the nazis.

Mymedusa · 5 months ago

I can not believe that she had the nerve to publish this on my birthday!
That being said, she sounds like a relatively intelligent person. She testified in front of congress, and she has written numerous books. O well, what a waste of potential talent. I hope she never had/has kids. That way she cant pass on her super superior genetic material!

trollzwei · 5 months ago

I think I have to admit I agree with the spirit of the "article" (and I use that term loosely). Parents/Guardians/Mentors really should know what their kids are getting into...ANYTHING can be a bad influence if it isn't tempered with a dose of guidance.
As gamers I would think that we would be used to being lashed out at by now. I personally feel it is kind of sad to see how we are lashing back.

And on a side note, Orks are arguably the most morally sound culture in the 40k universe. The only rule is that the bigest and the strongest runs the show. If somebody prooves he's stronger/smarter/more cunning than you, he gets to be boss, and you follow (assuming you live through it) :-)

CarbonBased · 5 months ago

I'm starting my "innocent children and pregnant women" army. What's a good HQ choice?

Snyderson · 5 months ago

Parents-in-law - most definitely! :D

Asymmetrical Xeno · 5 months ago

well hey, im 24 and it made me want to be a giant bouncing daemon that burns everything and exists in constant change!! thanks GW !! :D

pyroenthusiast · 5 months ago

"What's so hot about the Emperor that you'd give up your own one-time-only life, as a unique irreplaceable human being, and instead of exploring the world and enjoying life..."

Obviously a follower of Slaanesh.

-Unto the anvil of war!

Razgriez · 5 months ago

"What's so hot about the Emperor that you'd give up your own one-time-only life, as a unique irreplaceable human being, and instead of exploring the world and enjoying life..."

I believe in reincarnation

DCaca · 5 months ago

VQEFVBQEVQ.

Jared · 5 months ago

Yeesh. /tg/ already had a thread on this earlier this week

retarded. Utterly retarded. 40K is a mostly a PARODY (in a very deadpan manner), or at least thats how I take it. And what's more, why is this guy so confused by the double-think language and imagery around the emperor? Its the exact same nonsense that gets used in MOST RELIGIONS. thats what makes it funny. Someone needs to set this guy straight in a well-reasoned, scathing e-mail, not a torrent of "u r dum 40k is best gaem evar"

DUK · 5 months ago

This is a perfect example of Poe's Law in action.

The vanishing point where parody and crazy meet, I dub thee www.pbsblog.com

Inquisitor Servo · 5 months ago

"Won't someone please think of the children!?!"
I wait, I did. I've been letting my son play Warhammer for 5 years. He is one of the kindest, most thoughtful children I know and Warhammer has allowed him to make many friends and have hours of fun.

There will always be crazies out there who hate anything they don't understand. The same kind of people who think magic is real and hate Harry Potter and the like will also hate Warhammer. Basically, these are fanatics who deal only in beliefs and feelings, not facts, much like the people running the show in the 40K universe. Fanatics in 40K equal fantasy fun, in real life does not equal fun. History is full of human misery due to people like that.

On a different note, why is "definite" and its related form "definitely" one of the most misspelled words I see on the Internet today? The root of "definite" is the word "finite", the opposite would be "infinite". There is no letter "a" in it at all, yet I constantly see it spelled with an "a" such as "definate" or "definately". Weird.

RichieWilliams · 5 months ago

On word. lolcatz.

john · 5 months ago

GW should look at the link given. I am sure they would not be happy all of those images are being used w/o their permission. Attorneys...Charge!!

anonymously anonymous · 5 months ago

yeah, attorneys get furious charge if an idiot is the unit being assaulted
in addition, they get +1 attack for every piece of unauthorized piece of material.
so that's like 20 attacks each on the charge. LET EM LOOSE!

Jiggs · 5 months ago

When I saw this awhile on work in progress it just pissed me off the person did no research at all and makes the most ludicrous comments I've ever seen

eldargal · 5 months ago

Dear god, and I play Dark Eldar, what does that make me?

Grantavius · 5 months ago

evil gay mutant

Jiggs · 5 months ago

When I first saw this awhile ago on work in progress it just pissed me off and the author didn't do any research. they just made a bunch of ludicrous comments that dosen't make any sense

fade_74 · 5 months ago

This isn't the first time this crap has come and gone. I was a teenage gamer in the 80's. We had that crappy Tom Hanks dnd acid trip movie/true story. "I killed those people because of dnd, not because I was a diagnosed psychotic who took WAY to much LSD."
Ever wonder what started the Gamers for Satan fad? well....here it is....

http://www.chick.com/reading/tracts/0046/0046_0...

btw....check out some of chicks other little pamphlets....the ones that bash catholics are really nuts.

My point is...just ignore it...it comes and it goes...

Game Thug · 5 months ago

I think the majority of this discussion is extremely uncharitable.

I grant you that the writer of the article has some...peculiar ideas and is clearly not a university professor.

That said, the general argument, that the themes and fluff of this game, which is marketed to children, are not appropriate for children, is, I think, fully and completely valid.

There was a time, in 2nd Ed especially, when things were a little goofier, a little more "fun" oriented: bright colours, cartoonish villains, etc. The world of the Codex Imperium was still extremely dark, however, with roots from Rogue Trader firmly in place.

3rd Ed, and the Dark Eldar in particular, wrenched the game firmly back in the PG-13 direction.

Were an uninitiated person to glance over the background and themes of the Warhammer 40,000 universe, I think that this writer's article would have a lot of resonance. And it should have resonance, even to us. The gameplay, the modelling, the hobby, all of that is kid appropriate. Murder, maiming, slavery, demonic possession, torture, Emperor worship, hypno-training, et cetera are not necessarily kid appropriate.

We love this hobby, and we enjoy its commentary on totalitarian absolutism, religious zealotry, the self and the other. We're also insiders. And as insiders, we have a heavy bias for Warhammer. But the grotesque imagery and nihilism is there. Ignoring it because we like it, or flaming someone who points out these features, is even more ignorant and narrow-minded than the writer of the article.

That person had the good grace to publish a competing view, and to state that this was not about adults in an adult hobby.

40k is like Alien/Aliens crossed with Event Horizon. I wouldn't want my 10 year old to be heavily immersed in that world. Certainly not without my own, expert understanding of the 40k universe as a guide.

Psyberwolfe · 5 months ago

Granted, but her point is ridiculous. If the fluff and game play actually had anything to do with real world combat tactics then the death toll in Current war zones would be much higher. the author of this post relies on fear and disinformation to inform the reader, which is why this article should be ridiculed. This article smacked of the "D&D is evil "crap of the late 70's early 80's, and as we all know D&D has never had anything to do with the crazed machinations of the already insane.

If she wanted to inform then publish what is out there, and not rest your article on NWo and neo-Orwellian principles. As a parent I would agree that the fluff is dark for young children, but her argument slips from the game to how Americans are self deluded ignorant fools. Really? Really? I fail to see how unplugging one self from the TV is problematic.

My absolute disagreement with her has little to do with narrow-mindedness and a desire to see a little academic honesty that doesn't rely on fear and bombastic argument. One does not weed to gild the lilly if the argument is, "Hey parents get involved in your kids Iife."

nojinx · 5 months ago

"That said, the general argument, that the themes and fluff of this game, which is marketed to children, are not appropriate for children, is, I think, fully and completely valid."

I think that encapsulates the only valid point of the article. It is a valid point, I agree. It is one that can be made about a huge amount of material and media out there - comics, games, videogames, books, news sources and, most saturating, film and television. 40K embraces a created universe and the defined style it carries. Bleak and violent is an attribute it shares with many franchises of varying types.

It is unfortunate that the article could not be written in a more objective manner, with clarity and without the hysterical embellishment. Ultimately, though, the article touches on an important general point about parents steering the choice of media their kids spend time with, and 40K is pulled to the forefront as the 800 pound gorilla of activities kids are attracted to that use violent imagery - then labeled as a conspiratorial phenomenon.

That's the problem. The only item of value in the article could have been summed up in your sentence. Instead, it is lost in a fever-dream of conspiracy with poor packaging. The article, to use your words, is extremely uncharitable. Only the later response addresses the readers with any respect, and it is still pedantic.

As a side note: why "nihilism"? The participants in the world of 40K, with their fervor and drive to conquer or survive, are arguably the opposite of nihilists. That does not sound like an accurate characterization.

Mr.Man098 · 5 months ago

The funniest thing is, it seems like she didn't even read the pages she had posted. For example, she rants on in the Cities of Death section that it is all about hunting down innocent civilians, pregnant women, etc.

What?

The page she threw up next to it was talking about how Cities of Death was about close in combat between tanks and warriors. About how every building is a fortress. Nothing about civies. Nothing at all.

LOLWUT?

berzerkermike84 · 5 months ago

sounds about right. its a game based on war

john lambshead · 5 months ago

Oh come, guys, this is clearly a joke site.
I just read the London architecture symbology section.

http://www.pbsblog.com/projects/symbology/symbo...

It is straight out of the Daily Mash. I mean, nobody could be that stupid or ignorant in real life,

John lambshead
London

Napoleon on a stick, strangling the tree of life - come on, this is comic genius!

reecius · 5 months ago

Hahaha, what an ultra left wing nut case!

That is pretty damn funny, but oh well, everyone is entitled to their opinion.

GB · 5 months ago

It fascinates me that this person who is clearly so terrified of any perceived assault on our free will seems to be implying that we don't have any to begin with.

Soryn · 5 months ago

The ppl that put this up are clearly OUT OF THERE MINDS!, i really REALLY hate ppl like this that just can't keep there own right wing agenda to themselfs.Soryn

Matthew_Rider · 5 months ago

I fail to see how it's right wing lol

This is the sort of paranoid "everyone is a nazi and they are creating super soldiers" paranoia normally written by left wingers lol

nojinx · 5 months ago

No, members from both camps equally dance in this kind of lunacy. Ironically, there is rarely a political pole for many conspiracy theorists - they tend to distrust all partisan groups.

I guess, in that way, they can be seen as smart.

admiraldick · 5 months ago

lolz. us internet types can be funny when we talk!

Asphyxia · 5 months ago

Oh my I never looked at it like that before... The last 14 years of my life flirting with sugar coated death! The last 6 months encouraging my only daughter to be a mindless killer!! oh no wait, I just remembered, most people have the inherent ability to seperate reality from the imaginary. I think if anyone was to actually BE brainwashed by GW's 40K fluff, and actually think it was real, they would most probably have serious mental issues to begin with...

tyurtddr · 5 months ago

that is...impressive

wait till they get to the guard!

UltramarineFan · 5 months ago

I've got it! The guy who wrote this is a schizophrenic.

Definition - Also called Dementia Praecox. A severe mental disorder characterized by some, but not necessarily all, of the following features: emotional blunting, intellectual deterioration, social isolation, disorganized speech and behaviour, delusions, and hallucinations.

You see? That's exactly what this guy is; an isolated, delusioned, intellectually deteriorated, emotionally blunted loner.

Simple.

DM294 · 5 months ago

Heh, this guy just doesn't seem to understand how great the Emperor is... If only he read into the fluff more. He's probably some random apostate preacher of Chaos, trying to bring people to rebel against the Emperor. XD
On a more serious note, I don't see why it should affect kids too much. They see it as a fun game, it doesn't get in the way of religious thinking either, in my opinion. I'm a very religious Christian, but even still, the idea of humanity serving faithfully a 'God-Emperor' doesn't seem too threatening to faith issues. Sure, some people can take it that far, but its the far future! The neverending battle against Chaos, or 'Evil' is always there, for is it not true that in the far future there is only war?

Big Jon · 5 months ago

I think we need to inform these misguided alarmists that...

IT'S JUST A GAME!

What ever happened to parenting? I am a parent and as my parents before me I take an active role in knowing what my kid is into. I also educate my child to be skeptical and take things with a grain of salt. This alarmist attitude is kin to the comunist scare of the 1950's. Do we really need to live in fear that superhumans from the 41st millenium are going to brainwash our children into destroying alien races on the other side of the galaxy? It's ridiculous, and someone needs to infrom these nice folks that it is fiction, and if they don't like it, keep there kids from reading it.

And furthermore, when I read the fluff in 40k, the Empire does not seem like the "good guys". I find it the be very satiracal in it's view of "good". It's an oppresive regime that is xenophobic in a very literal way. These views could be compared to those of Nazi Germany, and in a way I feel this is what the designers were going for. This is strinkingly opposed to my own personal views of equality, unity, and the anti-establishment. This is probably why I play Chaos.

But I also play Imperial Space Marines... this is a direct contradiction to my views on the world. I know this and I don't care. Why... because

IT's JUST A FREAKIN GAME!

and if my son wants to push little plastic army men around a table with his dad when he's old enough, I'm fine with that.

Bob the Unseen · 5 months ago

Sweet, we are on our way to being the Next D&D. A cultural touchstone of nerd/geek fandom that people can readily identify with? We all get to be those guys that were doing it before it was "Cool."

Anon · 5 months ago

This guy has, not only been subject to the very indoctrination he's been banging on about, but he also has the IQ of a Plant-Pot

The Palque says Nelson, The History says Nelson, Even the city says Nelson;

What's so hard to get?

redmachine17 · 5 months ago

hahaha wghoever wrote that must be a hobby widow for sure.

I mean, personally I brief my battle company at length before every deployment and am pleased to note that in all my 16 years of 40k gaming, my men have NEVER ONCE killed a civilian.....

Karrik · 5 months ago

I read it and concluded it must be satire.

And then I read the comments here. I am shocked that this could be even a little real. How much time do these people have on their hands?

Ryan William Wainwright · 5 months ago

Wow. I'm just amazed someone took all the time to plan that out. And all this time (15+ years) I've spent painting and collecting these minituares, was really just GW brainwashing me for the military? Oh wait, no it wasn't... They just were finding ways to part me with my hard-earned money..... Curses... lol

Cadaver · 5 months ago

So all those claims about GW being evil were true after all. Maybe you guys should have been paying more attention to what your New World Order masters have been shoving down your throats.

For those interested I will be releasing a documentary on the subject titled: Loose Bitz. It will show for the first time, expert and eyewitness testimony that will expose point by point how Games Workshop orchestrated the events of Warhammer 40,000. The truth must be exposed! Warhammer 40k was an inside job!

papasmurf · 5 months ago

they think this is bad? haha, what bull. if you want to stop your kids from getting into a bloody killfrenzy mindset, stop buying them Mature Rated video games.

anon · 5 months ago

wow I just read the entire oxford dictionary and I still canot find words to describe how i feel about that site.

ben · 5 months ago

“In what way do Angels have anything in common with superhuman genetically modified killing machines?”

This is brilliant, a religions nut who hasn’t even read the bible. Muppet

casey · 5 months ago

lol as if we need any more

Nick Mance · 5 months ago

Chess is evil.... It promotes racial hatred lining up a black empire V white. Oh come on can't you see it's so obvious..... You win by toppling the black king from his throne!
You can't get much more racist than that!

I think we can all agree that some one will always twist things to suit their ideas (no mater how warped/chaotic).

I'm 35 and I spent the first 5 years of my roleplaying hobby trying to convince my mum that I was not worshiping dark powers!

Who remembers the panic back in the late 80's because some old biddy from the local parish told their mum that roleplaying was full of satanic rituals and that because their son had slightly long hair he was going to hell!

This is obviously the latest evolution of the rant.

ben · 5 months ago

"What's with the arm thing? Didn't George Washington used to do that too? It must mean something, but what? Maybe they had dirty fingernails and were trying to hide them.
Yep, that must be it."
this keep getting better and better!! dirty fingernails or the fact that he had is right arm blow off you decide.
"An oversized Roman Soldier"
one a classic as well were he's failed to relise that it a women (the tits are the give away) even when it appare on our coinage. five stars here for missing the Obvious pure genuse

casey · 5 months ago

i have to say i give prps to the gamers side who ever wrote it , i would have lots of troubles not freaking out , really all i have to extend it with is that hiding your kids from violence is just as bad as cramming it in there face , as parents your job is to teach your children not just let them try and piece what little they understand of whast going on alone , teach your child killing is bad and make sure they know what that is , if the kid has rarly expierienced violence , where will he know its a bad thing , from where would he find out with out it around. although i do stand behind the fact that we shouldnt be cramming violence in there face eather but i see warhammer as a verry well thought out game with a good community to it

weeler · 5 months ago

Aw crap Warhammer 40K isn't real? I guess I'll cancel my order for ceramite.
I feel bad for these people they live in fear of everything, the world is very gloomy and exhausting when everything around you is evil. Poor kids can't have D&D, plastic guns, barbie dolls, transformers, smurfs, G.I. Joe, or even my little pony (because of the unicorns). I wonder what he will allow his children to play with. Also of course parents should discuss 40K before buying it for their children, they should discuss anything they buy for their children. I bet if this guy did play 40K he would play witch hunters. I also loved the counter point discussion, what was it, one paragraph, after being bombarded with negative garbage. Oh well this was a great read keep it up bols, it definitely brightened my Friday.

Rectimuin · 5 months ago

Sometimes you just have to laugh in the face of hopeless, hopeless ignorance.........

Saul · 5 months ago

Didn't we have the same problem with the D&D crowd a few years ago?

and besides, this game isn't marketed towards the kiddies. The author needs to take they meds

Coffee · 5 months ago

Considering that the author of this rant buys into the whole, "9-11 was an inside job," thing, I'm not surprised by how full of fail it is. The Azrael/Israel thing was an immediate indication that this person is a complete moron that survives not on calories but on pure rage and invective.

Captain_ideaus · 5 months ago

hey guys i sent a "Letter" to her. here is what i got back: "You know, nobody told me that the guys who play Warhammer are so special. I had no idea.
I did not know that you exist in a state of perfection and that you know everything.
Certainly if you see no value in anything I do or in me as a person, then obviously,
you are right and I am automatically wrong.

People who play Warhammer are in no way required to treat anyone with common courtesy.
If they disagree with one thing you believe, they don't have to respect you at all.
They can act like you are garbage to throw away because they don't have to have
any manners or be nice or not act like arrogant jerks because they are special.
They are free to insult, denigrate and attack at will anyone they want to.

Even when they don't have the mental acuity to grasp the subject.

I have never in any way apologized for anything to you lot. That will never happen.
You have proven me to be right. A whole bunch of you are thugs in every day life.
I owe you nothing. I have been viciously attacked for no legitimate reason whatsoever.
Any apologies here are due me, not you. You have suffered nothing. You arrogant little twit.

Bug off. If you don't like my opinion too bad. You are clueless. That's your problem, not mine."

jin · 5 months ago

the person is not very INTELLIGENT. he takes the copy straight from GW but fails to realize that the darkness of the universe and the extremes of militaristic devotion are actually CARICATURES and PARODIES and ends up being excellent COMMENTARY on the nature of such philosophies.

geez. why aren't nut jobs more intelligent? and have easily available contact information.

Word_Bearer · 5 months ago

So where can I go to tell these people where to shove it?

link6413 · 5 months ago

Wow. These people really take the cake. They make absolutely no sense. TO make so much fuss about a piece of fiction is ludicrous. It's just like the fuss made over the DaVinci Code, yeah it says some things that some people might not like but it's only a book! Same thing with 40K. If all of us suddenly went out into the community and began acting as our favorite armies, causing mass panic and chaos then they might have something. IT'S JUST A GAME!

Trve · 5 months ago

The best part of the whole thing is its titled as some kind of Pentagon program.


Games Workshop is a British company.

DaBigNob · 5 months ago

Just keep in mind that there always have been and always will be nuts of all stripes who have nothing better to do than conjure delusional fantasies based on their own paranoia and insecurity. The sort of writing in that column... there has got to be a clinical psychological term for that sort of behavior. It's delusional for certain, but its also something much more, which I am not qualified to answer. Hell, maybe it was just a satire.

But let me give you a couple of examples of similar oddness that I've seen first hand, unfortunately from my own family in a couple of cases. In the two instances below dealing with my family, it stems from their narrow minded Christian view that anything that doesn't glorify God is somehow "satanic".

Item #1, and sadly, I must admit it is about my old man. I hate to talk bad about my father, because, well, he's my father! But still, this was pathetic. It happened in 1996, some time after the Baltimore Games Day. I was 30 years old at the time, which makes this all the more ridiculous. Anyway, I went to see my parents for a visit and I was wearing my spiffy GD96 T-shirt. I still have this shirt btw ;-) It's a black shirt with a huge silkscreen illustration of Abaddon the Destroyer on the back of the shirt, complete with a totally hellish, ultra-pointy, ultra-scary chaos symbol!!! The moment I arrived, my dad saw the shirt and said something like "What has gotten in to you? Why are you wearing a satanic shirt?" I then tried to explain what it was, but all he did was lecture me on the subject of demonic forces in our society and of Satan's real influence in the world.

I tried to laugh it off by "agreeing" with him by saying something like "Yeah, there was a very strong evil influence at the Games Day event. When I got there, I was filled with lust at the mere sight of the GW store, and I was compelled to spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars on little tiny idols and other metallic demonic statues!" Anyway, I changed shirts out of respect for my dad. But whatever. He's about as old fashioned and "traditional" as it gets. Think "Hank Hill" from the King of the Hill cartoon series and that's pretty much my dad to a T.

Item #2 - My brother in law. Back in January 1994, I bought my first boxed set of Warhammer 40k. I had to drive out of town (from Waco to Austin TX) to buy it. So, since this was an out-of-the-ordinary Saturday and back again trip to Austin, I decided to meet up with my sister and her husband (from whom she is now thankfully divorced) at their house then go out to lunch and whatnot. So I got to her house and because they were curious why I drove all the way to Austin, I went back out to the car, got the 40k box and brought it in to show them. So we're in the house, going through the pile of plastic minis, cardboard ruins and game pieces, rulebooks and supplements. One of the items in the box was a sheet of paper showing pictures of Space Marine models, each being painted and named as a particular Chapter. It was basically something to serve as an inspiration for doing your own paint schemes and chapter designs. But my brother in law, who at the time was an outright religious fanatic, furrowed his brow and with a concerned voice, he began reading off the chapter names... Blood Drinkers? Blood Angels? Dark Angels? and then followed up with a snarky comment of disapproval. He was just another one of those buffoons who believes that everything is "real" and is a subversive toe hold which ensnares its unsuspecting victims and lures them into a world of evil and dark devil worship. According to him, evil is often wrapped up as something fun... a game, a tv show, etc but the real intent is to eat away at your soul and turn you to the dark side. All of this, he gleaned from just a few names out of the 30 or so chapters that were listed.


Item #3 - Necromunda - I was at the Baltimore airport after the aforementioned Games Day 96. While I was in the terminal, just sitting there minding my own business perusing through the Necromunda rule book, I was approached by a random stranger, a nosy one at that. As I was reading the book, I hear this guy say something like "Necromunda? Wow, that is pretty weird." And when I stopped to look up at him and give him a WTF leave me alone face, he asked me "Necromunda... do you know what that means"? Playing dumb and just wanting to see what this genius would say next, he said "It means death world". I don't really remember much else about this encounter, other than it pissed me off to have some total stranger stick his nose in my business by showing his concern for me for reading a book about death. Go away douche bag, was my general feeling.

Anyway, this stuff is just laughable. And to anyone who feels like they have to justify or defend their hobby by saying crap like "It increases ones attention to detail, it makes them smarter, they have to do math and they have to think fast, it helps them organize their thoughts and focus", etc.... SCREW THAT.

First, it's nobody else's business what I do in my spare time. Second, I do it because I WANT TO. I do it because it's fun. I play miniatures games because I have free will and I have made the choice to do this. It is good for me because it makes me happy and this cannot be argued with. Nobody can tell me that it is "bad". It is illogical. In fact, what is "bad for me" is having some do-gooder get up in my face about the choices I've made in my life and trying to tell me how to live. That is bad for me because it pisses me off and it makes me want to punch them in the nose with my fist.

Sc0urg3 · 5 months ago

This is my first time posting on BoLS. Long-time follower, love what you guys do, but when I saw this, I just had to give my 2 cents.

Warhammer is no different then a game of chess.

Literally.

Pieces move, they take each other down, which you don't actually see, and eventually, one side wins. But no, chess is an intellectual's game, and parents the world over teach their children this game in hopes of increasing their IQ's, and nobody says a damn thing about it.

Ignorance is, indeed, a horrible tool, and tools are, indeed, horribly ignorant.

andrew · 5 months ago

This is wrong. Does anyone else think that 40k is a little bit tongue in cheek with all the grimdark stuff?

wokkers · 5 months ago

the internet has ever been a platform for loonies and extremists to display their particualr malfunctions for all to see.

this blog is written by one of those special people who see something and immediatley react, without bothering to do any fact checking or research. in the journalisim community this person is known as a hack - to me this person is simply a tool.

i guess next he/she will be spouting off about the 9/11 coinspiracy and how it was actually the CIA and Free Masons that crashed the planes into the twin towers.....oh wait, he/she already did....

Another Random Geek · 5 months ago

I do not mean to be an English Language Nazi, but there should be an apostrophe in the "its" of your article, as well as an extra "O" in "to," for it to be grammatically correct. Please fix this, as it is bugging me ever so slightly. I apologize for any annoyance this may cause.

My 2 Cents:

I believe the 40k hater whose site you linked to has the IQ of a walnut, and should be barred from future reproduction for the good of the human gene pool.

That being said, keep up the good work Bigred, I can’t wait to see what you have done with the Badab War!

Another Random Geek · 5 months ago

I do not mean to be an English Language Nazi, but there should be an apostrophe in the "its" of your article, as well as an extra "O" in "to," for it to be grammatically correct. Please fix this, as it is bugging me ever so slightly. I apologize for any annoyance this may cause.

My 2 Cents:

I believe the 40k hater whose site you linked to has the IQ of a walnut, and should be barred from future reproduction for the good of the human gene pool.

That being said, keep up the good work Bigred, I can’t wait to see what you have done with the Badab War!

chachi · 5 months ago

Funny thing is, I bet the guys who put the site up look just like the guys in the picture...

Another_Random_Geek · 5 months ago

I do not mean to be an English Language Nazi, but there should be an apostrophe in the "its" of your article, as well as an extra "O" in "to," for it to be grammatically correct. Please fix this, as it is bugging me ever so slightly. I apologize for any annoyance this may cause.

My 2 Cents:

I believe the 40k hater whose site you linked to has the IQ of a walnut, and should be barred from future reproduction for the good of the human gene pool.

That being said, keep up the good work Bigred, I can’t wait to see what you have done with the Badab War!

Another_Random_Geek · 5 months ago

I do not mean to be an English Language Nazi, but there should be an apostrophe in the "its" of your article, as well as an extra "O" in "to," for it to be grammatically correct. Please fix this, as it is bugging me ever so slightly. I apologize for any annoyance this may cause.

My 2 Cents on the "Lunatic Fringe":

I believe the 40k hater whose site you linked to has the IQ of a walnut, and should be barred from future reproduction for the good of the human gene pool.

That being said, keep up the good work Bigred, I can’t wait to see what you have done with the Badab War!

Anametocomment · 5 months ago

has anyone sic'd the GW IP lawyers on him for using their imagery without consent?

G. Demon · 5 months ago

First thing I did when I saw the site! We all should contact GW legal.

The chick? man? Whatever it is that writes it, is FREAKING INSANE.

Fudoki · 5 months ago

Ou OU! I want to ask him for a game. I wonder if he'll Play ^^

WES · 5 months ago

My god... the amount of time this person took out of their life to rant against something they can't stand.

It's like atheists, who supposedly _don't_ belive in god, endlessly trying to prove god doesn't exist. If you don't believe, why spend 99% of your life trying to prove it doesn't exist.

Goofy.

Excuse me now, I think I need to go wipe out a city filled with churches packed with pregnant women. The GW brainwashing commands me. And yes, I will do it block by block.

Goofy dipshit.

Todd · 5 months ago

Wow! What a loon. She should go back to watching Desperate Housewives and shut up.

G. Demon · 5 months ago

I just emailed GW legal. I am sure they could have some fun with that. All the copied pages. The libelous statements.

The what the hell is that site? I am sure the creators come from a place where your daddy and your uncle are the same end. The shallow end of the gene pool.

I could go on, but what is the point? The whole site is full of paranoid delusions and I am sure it's just meant to offend.

Nice!

G. Demon · 5 months ago

Anyone notice all the cats on her page? I bet she has about 10 of them, and lives in their feces. Because she loves them.

Starchilde · 5 months ago

The lunatic fringe needs to worry about copyright violations on his site more so than how fans of the game will react. I'm certain that GW didn't give him permission to use any of the images or text he copied. In the US that would be up a $250,000 fine per violation, which would be the number of images and text blocks times the number of hits to his site...I'm sure that even if only a few people went there the fines would be more than enough to bankrupt him for life. Mind you, that's US law. GW is a British company and I do believe that their laws on copyright are that much meaner.

Just thought you folks might want to know.

Reason · 5 months ago

These are the kind of kill joys that get perverse pleasure by looking way past "between the lines" luckily though society has learned to banish these wackjobs to the back waters of the internet and shady bars where they recite bad poetry, drink smirnoff ice and hand out there quorterly poorly Xeroxed news letter of more stupid plots. If 40k is teaching anything its forced product loyalty in my opinion anyways.

Immortal_Masaki · 5 months ago

"The Space Marines will condition your child to see the genetic mutilation of his or her body as desirable and good..."

Silly heretics, can't even get your facts right. Purge the mutant.

wokkers · 5 months ago

"Purge the mutant"

now that made me laugh :D

Moriartis · 5 months ago

Talk about missing the point.

This is the type of person who can read shakespeare and see nothing but violence, sex and immorality, completely missing the moral, satire, irony and breadth of human emotion expressed within it's pages.

And the saddest part is how low of an opinion this person has of children. i don't know what happened to people, but it seems a far too many people think so low of their children's wit and intelligence that they think games/movies/music can turn them into nazis. if your child is so low on the evolutionary scale that they can be unintentionally brainwashed to become a horror by a game, then in my opinion they don't deserve to make it to adulthood and your decision to have kids was socially irresponsible. regardless of how little credit you give your children, they realize that world is more complicated than black and white, right and wrong and good vs. evil.

i guess the tragedy of the situation is that unquestioning loyalty to authority and the dark future of war and misery that it brings is one of the warnings that the back story of 40k is trying to tell in the first place. i guess some people just don't have the attention span to attempt an understanding of satire. either that or they are so against the topic from the get go that they close their mind off to it entirely before even attempting to really understand it.

helline9 · 5 months ago

This mad woman wants to see what we do to 'innocent civilians' someone please show her a copy of the witchhunters codex, she'll have a heart attack!

"We cannot afford mercy for any of its victims too weak to take the correct course. Mercy destroys us; it weakens us and saps our resolve."
"You have committed the ultimate heresy. Not only have you turned your back on the Emperor and stepped from his light, you have profaned his name... you have perverted and twisted the path he has laid for mankind to tread. "
"A plea of innocence is guilty of wasting my time, guilty"
etc etc etc

Russian Cat · 5 months ago

In the case of the author of the article (to quote Edmund Blackadder):

"The eyes are open, the mouth moves, but Mr. Brain has long since departed..."

philbrad · 5 months ago

Regardless of his diatribe this guy is having a go at the gaming community and GW in particular. However a key element of any reasoned argument is the right to reply to the posters viewpoint. So, as this 'person' has taken down all elements that allow his viewpoint to be countered, I think leave it be and see it for the spite filled cry for attention and sensationalism that it is. Next ...

Phil

Savark · 5 months ago

I have a new favorite here:

"You don't kill your own brother for anyone. The government does NOT over ride your family. EVER. You protect your family FROM the government if they tell you to kill your own family."

One: Wow, i didn't know one person can give birth to 1000+ MALES. i never ever knew...

Two: So you want us to save our relative who is an insane psycho maniac who kills people for fun? fine be me

Savark · 5 months ago

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
SHE PUT A NEW THING UP
GO STRAIGHT TO THE BOTTOM
WE ARE ALLT THUGS AND ARE INSANE HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA



EDIT: and could i use someone's e-mail? i need to send her one and can't get on to mine

here is what i would send her:

Hello, i am andrew, a Warhammer hobbyist
I have read your article and am rather disappointed you did no in-depth research, but a single visit to the site.

I have broken your "points" and decided to say somethings about them:

"he Space Marines come equipped with all of the latest sneaky back-door techniques of conditioning children to accept war and total obedience to authority, complete with telling them to extract pride from doing so and to see themselves as superior beings with the unquestionable right to kill, on command. All in a fun package guaranteed to go mostly unnoticed by distracted, harried parents.

The Space Marines will condition your child to see the genetic mutilation of his or her body as desirable and good, because here it is framed in a way to make it sound like the road to being superhuman. Being superhuman then must be a good and desirable thing.

No discussions about ethics are needed here, they would just get in the way of the pure conditioning going on in your child's brain.

What's really fun about this particular toy set is finding all the occult and new world order references. They abound and if you peruse the page you'll find it chock full of nifty, or is it creepy, predictive programming and even tactics to go street by street in a town near you murdering every person you can find. This will make your child a hero. There are swell icons like Azrael, (Israel?) the supreme Grand Master who's "codex" description sounds like something out of a high mason's ceremony.

There's also Lucius, the Eternal. A sadistic slaughterer who can never truly be killed.

There's the Ordo Malleus, Horus, and even a rendition of futuristic looking creepy nazi-like thugs that bear an amazing resemblance to the futuristic looking creepy nazi-like thugs depicted at the Denver airport in the infamous creepy as hell mural on their walls."

First of, in the real-life military, jail is a punishment for did-obeying. what they are doing is GOOD. they are not fighting humans, unless said people are worshiping dark gods, THEY are the ones killing innocents. The inquisition? they go by "better safe than sorry"

Lucius? Horus? one of the innocent killers. EVIL PEOPLE! Nazi-like thugs? no idea who you are talking about there.

"
Warhammer 40,000 - The Space Marines

"The true power of a Space Marine lies in his unwavering faith in the Emperor. He is the divine Master of Mankind, chosen by the Gods and worshipped for one hundred centuries while he sits entombed in the Golden Throne.

The Space Marines consider themselves particularly blessed because part of the gene-seed that flows through their enhanced veins is from the Emperor's flesh.

They are truly the physical manifestation of his will."

By all means, read the page and find out what space marines are.

What is not explained, is what is so good about having unwavering faith in the Emperor? Why would anyone want to do that? What's so hot about the Emperor that you'd give up your own one-time-only life, as a unique irreplaceable human being, and instead of exploring the world and enjoying life you shut off your brain and become the extension of somebody else's will.

The Emperor doesn't seem to do much for you but you sure are expected to be mutilated, suffer, and die to make him happy. And is he dead or what? If he's entombed that would mean he's dead as a doornail, right? So, how can he be happy about anything you do, or even give orders to anyone? Are you worshipping the dead now? Is that something you'd really want to do? Because it sounds freaking creepy to me.

Being willing to kill and die on command is sort of retarded, isn't it? Shouldn't there be a really good reason to engage in deadly violence? Is the word of "some guy" with a fancy hair do and a big hat enough to make you go kill somebody? Who is he anyway, and what makes him so flaming great? If he wants people killed why doesn't he go do it himself?

These and many more questions abound, but unfortunately are not even alluded to when kids look at this stuff. Sucked in by cool graphics and continuously injected with bizarre ideation and glamorization of death, killing and destruction, and the strange assertion that it is perfectly normal to have unquestioning obedience to who ever has the tallest hat, kids will not be given an equal opportunity to learn how to question such obvious mind control techniques.

Everything about being a killer on command who is loyal is right here. The very idea would not ever occur to a child on his own. This must be injected, repeated, and glamorized and it is. It's been done to every last one of us. What easier way to assure obedient, authority driven selfless drones who will go die for no reason, because they never ask for a reason.

If that's not mind control, tell me what is."

Geez, whats so good about the emperor? maybe he saved all of humanity from barbarianism. What does the emperor do for us? give us hope. Why doesn't kill them himself? Go ask a disabled man to walk, or a blind man to see. he can do neither. Humanity owes him. and if he dies, we all get killed by daemons (this is fiction okay?) Mind control? i've followed the hobby for three years now and i'm fourteen, the only two people i want to kill is a back-stabber at school and the man who treats my family like shit AND lives in my house.

"Deathwatch Kill-Teams
Who wouldn't want their child to be enraptured with the idea of being part of a Kill Team?

It's very highly elite you know. Killing is good.
It is.
No really.
Well is it, or isn't it?

Okay so if it's not, then why this elaborate production of killing toys for children?

If killing is NOT good, does it make for appropriate toys? I'm confused here, you tell me.

Because it's good if you don't actually think about it too much and if it's you doing the killing but it's only bad when the other guy does it.
That's a total break down of logic.

I guess that's how they keep
the good old war machine churning
all around the world.

It's only possible for the other guy to be
the bad guy, it's never us, only them. Right?
And we know that's true because... because....? How do we know it's true?"

Purpose: Small games
The bad guy: aliens! People killing innocents!
Why one super elite team: would you rather one kick-ass small team that'll suffer no casualties or half an army being slaughtered? your choice

"Cities of Death
Urban Tactics - Block By Block
What could be more fun than that?
Cities of Death! Yippee.

When children think of cities, they SHOULD think of them as great places to hide out to kill everyone they can find. Because that's what cities are for. Even churches are good to blow up and stuff because it's way fun. Everyone wants to blow up churches and mosques and hunt down every last civilian, with urban tactics and go block by block until you're sure every last one of them is dead.

Because that is FUN. It's a HOOT. A barrel of LAFFS. Let's have a Coke and a donut shall we?
We can talk about shooting little kids and pregnant women, because that's...fun?

What's fun about this scenario?

What about any of this is even tolerable to allow in your house? Who would even think of selling something this sick and inappropriate like a harmless toy, like a Mickey Mouse stuffed animal? Do we really want kids growing up completely desensitized to scenarios like this? Should they see it as nothing to get upset about?

Where are the reasons for asking the pretend soldiers to go in and do this? There is never any question about justification. It's as if just going and doing it is all you need to know.

Is it all you need to know?

Would any child feel like this was fun if they thought of themselves and their family huddling and hiding from the Space Marines going block by block looking to track them down and kill them? Is it still fun yet?"

I'd like to know WHERE it mentions civilians or pregnant women. Cities of death was just an excuse to release awesome terrain. i'm not so sure i want to lose Sydney or New york to aliens.

"Angels of Death
I am not even a religious person,
but this offends even me.

In what way do Angels have anything in common with superhuman genetically modified killing machines?

They make it sound like a gift. "I am here to kill you. You can thank me later".

This is supreme head fu*king. The concepts are direct opposites.

Asserting such Orwellian double think when they're young means it will be assimilated without question. The idea of being a death machine is easy to intertwine with angels. It makes YOU an angel when you are a deadly barely human killing machine. It makes death good. God likes it too, because if you're an Angel then you're good. Death is good. Death is great. We love death. Let's go kill now, okay? It's something anyone who loves God can feel good about.


THIS IS HOW THEY GET YOU. THIS IS HOW THEY GET TO YOUR KIDS WITHOUT YOU EVER KNOWING IT. Who could have a problem with that? They need a steady supply of soldiers, and you have a kid or two to spare. It's a match made in heaven, made better only because with the conditioning and mind control tactics your child got playing Space Marines, they'll be ready and anxious to go off to war. It's a win win situation. Right?"

They are called angels of death due to how they fight. they come from the sky, from the 'heavens' it just a poetic edge. there the good guys. would you rather call them "The hellbringers" or "death-mongers" now THAT wouldn't b good for the kids.

"being Barely Human Is Cool!
If your child has never heard of the genetic manipulation of human beings to fundamentally change them from a natural, true being into an item of inventory that serves the Imperial Master of Humanity, then the two thumbs up way of framing the idea here will leave the strong impression that it's 100% great. Your child should look forward to any chance to be genetically altered by others.

Because there is no discussion here about ethics or repercussions, or even the need or the right to do such horrendous things to people, your child could go a long time with the idea there is nothing wrong with this. In fact, he or she may be anxious to accept whatever comes down the pike. All it has to do is offer him or her a supposed advantage, and they will grab for it.

This teaches children to think of being defiled by the government as something cool. I can't speak for you but I've got REAL BIG problem with that."

BEFORE i joined the hobby i wanted to be stronger faster and tougher, nothing to do with my favorite game

"Horrifying Concepts 101:
Ideas We Want You To Be
Familiar and Comfortable With
Civil War is good. Heresy is fun. That old Emperor of Mankind is back again, and certainly, ONE person, some GUY, SHOULD rule over the earth. That's just so natural.

Brother fighting brother, that's one to shove into your child's head and get them to see it as necessary and not to worry about it being so bizarre that it should make your head explode.

This outrageous concept must be implanted when they are very young or it won't take. By simply avoiding this whole horrifying "toy" set, you may be able to spare your child being introduced to this idea as if it were no more strange than a stick of gum. That could only be a good thing.

You don't kill your own brother for anyone. The government does NOT over ride your family. EVER. You protect your family FROM the government if they tell you to kill your own family."

I'm sorry to say, this made me laugh. there are over 10,000 of these guys in the universe. they are not blood brothers, they are just all in the same group. Ever heard of brothers in arms? If my brother/sister/parent/cousin/Friend was a slaughterer who killed people for fun, i don't know about you, but they'd be in jail pretty quickly

"The future sounds so pleasant.

Children SHOULD think of a desolate, corrupted, hopeless future as natural.

When the world gets that way, the best thing to do is to serve the Emperor and go kill innocent, frightened traumatized people on his command.

Yeah. That's fun."

Every book/movie/game needs a story-line, Lord of the rings: Sauron is rising, killing people

"Innocence proves nothing.
Kill them anyway.

It doesn't matter if you kill innocent people.
Ain't no big thing. What's the difference? Innocent? Not innocent? They're still all the bad guys, right? They don't deserve justice, that's just for us.

Because we are the good guys. Good guys are people who don't care about killing innocent people. That's all there is to it.

Devalue life. It's pointless anyway. It's cheap.
It has no value. So don't sweat it, just kill them all, innocent or not. Who cares? Death is good.
At least that's what I learned from my Space Marines toy set. So then, it must be true.

Yeah, I'm cool now."

i think i've already said this: better safe than sorry, besides in a few stories it's only 1 in every hundred humans killed for being PROVEN guilty

"There's unfortunately a lot more where this came from. Visit the site yourself and find out how the very idea of war and killing is perpetuated, and where we get our ideas about it being noble and good and how it's always someone else who is the bad guy. Blind obedience is never a problem because we are the good guys, so why bother asking questions or thinking about things yourself?

Children are the most vulnerable people to this heavy handed propaganda, because they have no way to discern meaning or value or honesty. It's coming from a store, it's being glamorized, it looks exciting and they are being told all about how fun it is to kill all day long and be a mindless zombie.

It would take heavy handed propaganda to get that idea successfully lodged into children's minds, but if they're good at anything it's exactly that. This is how it's done.

Mind control is hardly rare, we live under a giant net of absolute idea and thought control now, and we have been for a very long time. Cut off from the rest of the world we're not even interested in what's going on out there. We never hear news from other countries perspectives and the fact is we're living in lala land. A specially designed place that keeps us stupid and fine with being stupid. How many Americans still believe that "we're number one" in so many things? They would be shocked to find out the only thing we're number one in, is the number of people we have locked up. In all the other ways we're not even IN THE RUNNING anymore, that's how badly we've slipped. We're getting screwed, it's that simple.

What we think and see and hear about, and how it's all framed is all provided for us, courtesty the man behind the curtain. The corporate media and the government are really one and the same so it's no surprise that everyone can afford a TV set, no matter how poor you are. It's the one thing the government wants everyone to have, and they hope you'll leave it on all day. It's never been so fast and easy to propagate whatever ideas they want into a whole nation. Something that once took twenty years to slowly put into people's heads for acceptance and belief can now be accomplished in a year.

If you've noticed how fast things seem to be moving these days, that may be why. They can catapult the propaganda in real time to reframe screw ups and revelations of wrong doing. They can make you hate a guy you've never heard of without providing you with a shred of evidence that he did anything. For all you know he could just be an actor, or a random face created on a computer. They can do that now. Why would you think they wouldn't use it on us?

They can make it look like they are being supported by the citizens when in fact everybody hates them. How would you ever know any different? That TV set is likely the most dangerous thing in your house. Getting rid of it will do more than release you from the spell of mind control, it will give you back your life and time and your brain will wake up again and you'll find out that life happens only outside of TV land. Life - It's way better without the PROGRAMMING. That's just the facts. "

Never seen Warhammer on TV, and if it comes on i'll be watching it. i don't even watch TV anymore because i'm doing homework or painting/modelling warhammer.

Silver · 5 months ago

I think he is american

Jhon · 5 months ago

Yeah its a stupid article but look at all the other stuff on that page. It is written by the sorts of people that see conspiracies everywhere, and you can't argue with them because, so obviously, they do not rely on logic to form their views. There is a guy where I work that thinks that 9/11 was an american plot, I don't bother talking to him about any politics or history because his opinions are so deranged. I am sure he would love that site.

mopperty · 5 months ago

i find this site quite funny. i started to play 40k as a kid and a part from all the kittens i killed i has not effected me one bit!!

i have been wating for GW to get this kind of flak for ages, it happened to d+d, magic the gathering, harry potter ect. i was starting to feel like 40k was not cool nuff to warent a bit of attention!

btw my Airfix models are warping me into a killing machine... just heads up!1

dood · 5 months ago

you know he does bring up a good point though,.......most gamers jump at a chance to flame someone and make themselves feel a little more superior.
I mean lets face it, isn't that the point of war, and games in general?
victory over your opponent, to be king of the heap, bragging rights and all?
when you look at the demographic of most gamers, they are the weak, and meek.
people who have been pushed around and bullied most of their lives, this is their only way to get back is to be-little others with their own insignificant ideals and opinions

so lets not worry about trying to burn some one for there own, dumb-ass stupid, lame, highly super-gay ideas online and keep it in the gaming area, where you can watch the little nerds eyes well up and tears stream out :)

wokkers · 5 months ago

"so lets not worry about trying to burn some one for there own, dumb-ass stupid, lame, highly super-gay ideas"

highly super-gay :)

thats totally awesome dude :)

ikamusa · 5 months ago

I See They Didnt Mention the Tau and their Values...

Dutch Vigilante · 5 months ago

The Horus Heresy was an Inside job! The NWO doesn't want you to know!
Conspiracy theorist fodder. Nothing to get angry about, apart from the Heresy against the Emperor.

Jim "warmachine" · 5 months ago

OMG. why do people give these geeks a chance. I cant believe i wasted so much time reading his whole page of "argument". He cut and pasted vast reems of the GW website that supported his views (god help me im crediting them as views) and ignored the rest. I would love to meet this person face to face. Not to be rude, violent, or even blindly defend 40K. I would listen to his "proof" with the same mild smile i reserve for the religous (no insult, we are all allowed to our beliefs) before picking this crap apart piece by piece.

please, please dont look at his site. Not because GW is leading the way to NWA super soldiers and we dont want you to know about them. Dont go there because every hit on his site makes him feel justified in his paranoia.

Take a few minutes to view the world through this mans (and those like him) eyes. "The world is out to get you. Every government agency wants you because of the information you've gleaned from the news, web, rumour and only you can save the common man. No one is truely you friend as no one can truely be trusted. The truth is out there................ you just cant find it"

These people really get me frustrated. They get an idea in their head that fits a few bits of evidence and raises it up to solid fact. They become so obsessed that they are right that they cannot even accept argument. They seek out other like minded inderviduals and brew more and more outlandish lines of thought with no real base line in reality before spewing them over some poor bugger that did nothing more then give them the time of day.

A friend of mine has been resently wandering down this path with worrying passion. He take websites like this as evidence and procceds to try to make people to see the world through his eyes. If you want to see the effect of brainwashing, take a look at some one struggling to come to terms with life who then reads a web site like this. I would honestly preffer said person to look for answers in a religion instead. At least they "mainly" try to promote peace and natural co-operation between people, something we as a race need to do if we are ever going to be a succsess in this big old nasty galaxy we live in.

sorry for the rant, but these people need real help with their lives before they go on put 2 and 2 together to justify hurting others just like every other extremist does.

Patrick · 5 months ago

He goes on and on at the end of his rant about america no longer being number one and how this game is a component to reindoctrinate children into believing that old philosophy. Does he know that Warhammer is a British game?

ShadowDemon · 5 months ago

So of course my girl says something that I just cant top
""I prefer to interpret it's saying how cool Orks are
like it says...

"What is not explained, is what is so good about having unwavering faith in the Emperor? Why would anyone want to do that? What's so hot about the Emperor that you'd give up your own one-time-only life..."

and goes on to explain how the Imperium and the Space Marines are basicaly brainwashed into the violence
thus, Orks are way cooler because they're into violence just because they like to kill things !!!""

Boss Skarsong · 5 months ago

I have heard people talk about how scary or feel uncomfortable of the thought of humanity (in all its forms, including chaos) in 40k, and how it could actually come to pass. but the problem is with people who take this standpoint (as well as the WAY OUT THERE author of that god-awful conspiracy nutjob page) is that warhammer 40k, and warhammer FB, for all its darkness, violence, and grit... it is all based on POLITICAL SATIRE. everything, every race, every aspect. you just have to have an open enough mind to get it and laugh.

Dunadan · 5 months ago

Heck, all of 40k fluff is satirical as far as I can tell. The whole 40k verse is just an exaggerated parody of overly grim and dark games and stories that DO take themselves seriously.

"I am not even a religious person,
but this offends even me."

Interestingly enough, I am a very religious person who is not offended by this in the slightest. Angels of Death are biblical after all, though I do wish GW did a bit more research sometimes. Seriously, Ezekiel and Belial in the same army?

Rahakanji · 5 months ago

Sure Gw reunits even this old enemys...
And you forget that Belial is still an enemy of THE Ezekiel abaddon

Mark Thomson · 5 months ago

The person that created that webpage sounds like the idiot that stands on the corner outside my office and screams at passerby's that they're going to hell because they don't believe in God or read the Bible. Ranting angrily and shaking the book at us. They purport to be educated and intelligent, but they're small minded, ill-informed ranting proves otherwise. I enjoy 40k, but I don't worship the Devil, or blow up Mosques, and I don't advocate harming people or animals. It's just a "fantasy" game. Perhaps this person should go look at some of these major religions, that advocate killing everyone if they don't agree with the doctrine?

mad_jobz · 5 months ago

Well I emailed GW legal about this drivel, partly because of the libelous statements and partly because of the IP infringements. Wonder what'll happen next.

ShiningKnight · 5 months ago

I was most angered when s/he immplied Chaos Space Marines and Space Marines are the same thing. Then I got offended, raza-frazin-Emperor-damn-ed-traitors-mumble-mumble.... Lucius the Eternal? Really? absurd.

Trve · 5 months ago

The new 'page' she put up is hilarious. Shes acting like this poor, persecuted victim being unfarily attacked by the big, mean gamers.


I mean, its not like she libialoulsy attacked something she knew nothing about or anything.

What a child. People didnt care that she was cautioning parents with small children. People cared that she was a liar.

Trve · 5 months ago

And that she was a paranoid, conspirecy theory totting, alarmist loon.

Wolfy_Molder · 5 months ago

Unfortunately if you look at the site the person who wrote it has taken it down and written a long sob story about how us gamers took her article out of context and abused her and blah blah blah, it's a shame really, i didn't get the chance to screenshot it.

faultie · 5 months ago

Never fear! Google cache'd webpages is here!
http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache:ROAJRa0hakw...
Yay!

wolfy_molder · 5 months ago

:O:O:O:O i think i'm in love with you!!

gridespider · 5 months ago

wow, who pissed in his cheerios?

jon · 5 months ago

Wow...

strangething · 5 months ago

It looks like the original article has been taken down. But if you go back to the main page, you can learn all sorts of things about TEH TROOTH about 9/11 and morgellons.

http://www.pbsblog.com

No relation to the PBS TV network.

skullyjax · 5 months ago

There is an easy solution to this. We sic the GW legal team on to the illegal use of the copyrighted materials that are posted. Now, I'm not one for the overbearing legal team but this is exactly why they have them. So, I did just that, wrote a quick email and it was forwarded on to the legal department.

dastardlyboo · 5 months ago

Ahhhh clearly I am raising my son to be the next Martin Bryant as we have been wargaming since he was about 12 years old.

We started with The Lord of the Rings game, but were soon drawn into 40K and Fantasy too. It's FICTION. MAKE BELIEVE. If your 10 - 12 year old is having trouble differentiating between fantasy and reality then wargames are the least of your problems.

If the issue is violent stimulus for children, then let's go back to book burning shall we? Lots of violent and dark things happen in The Hobbit, and lets not even get started on Harry Potter.

The author of that article clearly has a tenuous grasp of reality him/herself as well as having quite limited intelligence.

LOL @ all those unregistered, uninsured Orks!

Signed, an Ork/Eldar playing 40 year old mum.

skullyjax · 5 months ago

I have a copy of the original page, it's very funny.

Jeremy Daniel · 5 months ago

This critique of Wh40k seems to miss the point by not reviewing the doctrines of the many other forces of the fictional universe.

Everyone, from the Eldar, to Chaos, to the IG believes themselves superior and uses this position of belief as a means of justifying genocide, murder, tyranny, and worse. Never does it enter their minds that there are means by which to achieve peace and friendship, and face off against truly horrible enemies (i.e. Daemons that are a result of all the crap they've done in the past). It's a social commentary, and gives us a sci-fi-fantasy means of exploring and expressing themes we have seen in human history and the modern day (and perhaps in our future). Not everyone gets this, and I still shake my head at IG players who refuse to use Ogryn or Ratlings, or even psykers, because they're "impure," *headdesk*, but for the most part, players truly revel in the beer & pretzel approach to war in the game - they get that it's atrocious, and that none of the armies are justified in their actions... the closest being the Orks, who were MEANT to fight and just like it (they don't truly hate their enemies), or the Tyranids (who, more so than any other race, love their enemies... food-wise... and want to join with them forever... genetically).

I must bring up another couple of reviews I've found online. Cerise Magazine is a relatively new e-zine for women gamers which focuses on feminine, or feminist, aspects of the gaming world (from video games, to RPGs, to tabletop & card games, etc.). I heard about them on a gaming podcast once, and checked them out for curiosity's sake, and found these two articles on Warhammer (mostly 40k):

This one discusses the fantasy and sci-fi themes integral to the 40k universe, what they seem to mean, and how they work together without evoking nerdly screams of "GENRE ALERT!!!"
http://cerise.theirisnetwork.org/archives/622

This one discusses the presumption of male gender default in the writing of the rulebooks, which in arcane speak ("he" and "him" being neutral) wouldn't be a problem, but seems to clash with modern English meaning and use of pronouns.
http://cerise.theirisnetwork.org/archives/317

Both of these articles are highly interesting takes on the 40k universe and its literature, and I found them to be enjoyable, even as a male reader. They made some great points and supported them with excerpts and solid rhetoric, unlike some conspiracy sites I could mention.

~J~

Herald of Nurgle · 4 months ago

A new page is currently under construction to address this topic. Warhammer will not be the total focus of the new page, but it will be included in a prominent way.


We expect it to be ten times more fun when we are bombarded with hate mail from all new offended hobbyists, but then, that might not happen. We'll let you know if other hobbyists are rude and cranky or if it's Warhammer hobbyists in particular.


The subject addressed here may not seem to you to be valid or accurate, but there's nothing wrong with broaching it. War games are not sacred things that must never be questioned. If they were sacred they wouldn't be "just hobbies". Anything with violence in it, even a hobby, should be looked at. If there's nothing there to see, then that should be self evident. If there is something there to look at, then it should be looked at. Adults aren't very likely to be affected one way or the other in terms of violent imagery and themes in gaming, but kids definitely are. That is and still will be the point of the page.


The new page will come at this subject with gamers in mind. But this subject will be addressed. It's too important.


The new page is only just started and will take a while to complete, at least a month. When it's finished we hope it will not seem as offensive to gamers as the first page, but understand, the subject will still be violence, not every aspect of hobbies or gaming, so there won't be a list of the top ten great things about the game. That is not the subject or purpose of the page. That's not unfair, that is the subject. Gaming information is readily available on the internet and is not in short supply. It will not be included on this page.


It was never our intention to upset anyone, we don't want it to happen again, but no doubt some will still not be happy. Some don't want this subject looked at, at all. That is something we can't fix. We're looking at it.


If you're interested, check back in a month.




06/23/09




Please withhold emails regarding the previous page. We cannot accept emails at this time. All responses to emails will be auto-responses, emails are not read or received. Serious and thoughtful comments about the new page content will be accepted when the page goes up.

Conrad_Dakarn · 4 months ago

It wasn't the fact of the "questioning" of the violence and imagery entailed in the site.

It was the plain bias that was put into it and the uninformed statements that were being made.

Not to mention the fact that it did not, at any point, address the positive aspects of the hobby.

To created a page where there is nothing more than opinion, judgement and negative comments on any subject is going to generate a lot of anger by those being targeted. An uninformed and one sided argument is never going to be met with a positive response.

I have to admit at being shocked and appalled by the original site in question when I found it attempting to reference "god" and "angels" in a way to speak in decremental terms towards the hobby. A hobby which has not sparked a single war or murder in it's name whilst religion (particularly Christianity) has created numerous wars and legitimised the killing of innocent people through nothing more than ignorance (Salem Witch Trails for example).

Should the "new" page contain a broad an well researched perspective as well as presenting positive and negative arguments that aren't based on opinion but put forth with clear cut and sourced facts, then I can imagine it will become something to be discussed and will not be met with anger by those of us who partake in this hobby.

As for the affect on the imagery of the game upon children. They're bombarded constantly with the imagery that violence is all good and fine with the advent of television and computer games. You need only look at the "hits" Dragon-ball Z and Pokemon to realise that violence is something that is seen as every day for children. With regards to the "lore" and history of the hobby and the fantasy universe it is set in, many children do not read, care or even understand the fiction that is added to the books from which they create their armies. They simply want to play the game.....when was the last time you saw a child read the instruction booklet for any video game and actually bother to read the foreword which gave them some brief description or background to what they were about to play?

As I say, if you are fair and even with your examination of this topic as well as referencing materials and facts, it will likely be discussed in a fair an even handed manner where opinions and views can then be shared. BUT, before you can discuss a topic and bring opinion into it at any level, the facts of the topic MUST be put on the table first.

--------------

On a side note, I would like to put forth that my brother-in-law (only 9 years old) used to suffer quite badly from violent tendencies, easy distraction and generally an inability to settle to anything. This was likely because of his parents being divorced and his father looking after him and not following the age restrictions on TV and video games. After taking up the hobby, however, he is able to vent his "violence" through the game itself and take the imagery of his Marines protecting humanity and destroying the alien menace to full fill what-ever anger he needs to get out. He's also able to settle for several hours at a time to assemble and paint his models without ever feeling the need to be destructive and simply destroy them for no reason.

NuttyisasNuttydoes · 3 months ago

Wow, we did it - the page is shut down. And the nutters haven't put it back up. I know I sent my email to GW Legal, they must have had a field day with them.

Huzzah, gamers! Say YES to "deathtoys".