So, I was not too hot on The Emperor’s Chosen, and a big part of that was that all of the fluff was about a bunch of random stuff that had no direct connection to the “metaplot” and current events in the Jericho Reach.
Enemies include Overlords, Lords, Crypteks (scientist/vizier types with a lot of customizability), C’Tan shards (trapped bits of the former gods that the Necrons killed), Necron warriors (line troops), Necron immortals (better than warriors), Deathmarks (phasing snipers), Lychguards (elite bodyguards for the lords and overlords), Canoptek Spyders and Wraiths and Scarabs (tomb guardians), destroyers and destroyer lords (Necrons who have gone insane with blood lust), Flayed Ones (Necrons who have gone insane with blood lust, but in a different way), Annihilation Barges (super-heavy weapons platforms), command barges, Doomsday Arks (different super-heavy weapons platform), and Ghost Arks (troop transport that provides extra regeneration). This chapter delivers write-ups of six high-level Necrons in the Jericho Reach (including the Phaeron), and a lot of information on ‘normal’ Necron adversaries (even standard Necron reassemble themselves and carry pretty nasty firearms).
He is the subject of the prophecy of the Dark Pattern, and something has gone very, very wrong. There are also about 10 pages on the Conclave of Tears, a disparate (but very small) group of Eldar who are seeking to manipulate events in the Jericho Reach, but for unclear purposes.Ī Dynasty Returned (~40 pages) – This is Necron central, with a history of the Necron generally and some specific emphasis on the ancient Necron Phaeron (super high-level lord type) who is currently busy being insane after waking up on the wrong side of the crypt. The chapter also has limited information on the Black Reef (there’s more info on it in The Achilus Assault) and less limited information on the Slinnar Drift. We’ve got chaos civil wars over here, Tyranids battling Eldar on the maiden world over there, and we’ve got Necrons reactivating on the hive world-turned-toxic-disaster-area on the third planet. And half of them don’t even have Necron crawling around! None of these worlds has any sort of human/Imperial habitation, so there are lots of xenos to exterminate and mysteries to unravel. Lost Worlds of the Jericho Reach (~50 pages) – A gazetteer of worlds that are not quite as dead as they seem – ten worlds, with 3-4 pages per world. A GM will further find several adventure hooks for use as Dead Cabal missions. Also included are detailed write-ups of the higher-ups currently running the Dead Cabal, a Dead Stations Vigilant advanced speciality, Dead Stations Vigil solo and squad modes, several Oaths, and handful of relics. With Dead Vigil watch stations (several of which are detailed) scattered throughout the Outer Reach, the Dead Cabal monitors a variety of (mostly) dead worlds for whatever ephemera may be there to be detected. The Dead Cabal (~40 pages) – This chapter presents background on how the Dark Pattern came to be known to the Imperium, and on the eponymous subgroup within the Deathwatch that is dedicated to deciphering the Pattern. If you’re looking at the map, the Outer Reach basically starts with the rightmost planets that are labeled. If you haven’t been checking up on your Deathwatch maps recently, the Outer Reach is the part of the Jericho Reach that is beyond even the most tenuous grasp of the Achilus Crusade). The art is OK, I guess, although I got a bit bored with greyscale pictures of techno-skeletons by the time I was done. Graphic design and editing maintain their usual standards for Deathwatch. And did I mention that there’s a lot about Necrons? The Outer Reach delivers on the three things it promises on the back of the book – information on the Dead Cabal (members of the Deathwatch who study the Dark Pattern), the Outer Reach (whence one finds many of the worlds comprising the Dark Pattern), and the Necrons (what with the Dark Pattern being about them and all – or does that count as a spoiler? Probably not if it’s mentioned on the back on the book … and there’s a Necron on the cover). The Outer Reach bills itself as “A Guide to the Darkness Beyond the Crusade,” and thematically the book centers around The Dark Pattern (which you’ll find a lot of references to in other Deathwatch books). Well, I haven’t reviewed every single Deathwatch book yet, so I suppose I’d better get a move on (wouldn’t want FFG to officially announce the second edition before I get through the first edition, eh?).