Slaanesh gone: yay or nay?

[YorkNecromancer]

So, with it looking like Slaanesh is being removed from Age of Sigmar (http://www.belloflostsouls.net/2015/07/age-of-sigmar-slaanesh-exits-stage-right.html), what do we feel about the possibility of this happening in 40K too?

[Deadlift]

I'm not bothered either way really, but if they take Slananesh out of 40k then that's pretty huge. The Emperors Children are pretty closely entwined with the deity. Will be interesting to see if he / she is written out as never happened, or destroyed. 4 chaos gods is a must and would leave a vacume, so it would be great to introduce a new God.......but what would be its niche ?

[David Crossley]

Situations a bit different I think, since they've lumped Skaven with their own god the Horned Rat into the Chaos faction they were looking at having 5 Chaos Gods rather than 4. There's no extra 'Chaosy' god in the 40K verse that I'm aware of that has similar prominence as the Horned Rat. If they WERE to remove Slaanesh in 40K I would expect Fulgrim to either take advantage/have a hand in it and manage to ascend to full Godhood as a replacement. It would certainly be in keeping with his ambition and Character's evolution. Quite how he would differ in aspect to Slaanesh however is anyone's guess.

[0rph3u5]

I would not like it, Slaanesh in 40k is much more essential to the Universe than he/she was to Fantasy - removing Slaanesh would have them re-write the Fall and subjequently all Eldar- and Dark Eldar-fluff (the relation to Dark Elves or High Elves in WHF was not as intertwined as it is 40k as far as I recall)

EDIT: and of course - poking a wasps' nest here - I always liked that Slaanesh and her/his Daemons (and in part the mortal followers) were more than bit outside the usual gender roles: Slaanesh can be male, female, both, neither and any shade in between; even if the not all of the sculpts looked like it Daemonettes are hemaphrodites; CSM followers of the Dark Prince tended to become more androgynous as time went on etc.
I like to think that this is a somewhat progressive shade of 40k, I rather would not miss - sure, inclusion as bad guys to almost everyone else in the universe isn't excatly ideal but it is better than no inclusion at all; it could be way better but at least it is there

[Denzark]

Not convinced it is being removed in fantasy, has warscrolls and models, I put it down to lazy fluff writing.

[daboarder]

I could see them doing almost anything these days really

would be the end of my 40k Id say,

[Cap'nSmurfs]

I doubt Slaanesh in 40k is going anywhere. Too closely tied into the background (with the Fall of the Eldar, all those warp storms, the Emperor's Children etc.) in a way s/he wasn't really in (latter-day) Warhammer.

[CoffeeGrunt]

Personally I always felt it was just an excuse to scour t'internet for sexed-up pinup models and thus justify them with, "well, it's Slaanesh." However, I'm not going to rip stuff from the game that others enjoy just because I personally don't.

The rumours of Slaanesh being removed from AoS are ridiculous anyway. 40K has been age 12+ for a while IIRC, and all we have to go on is a small fluff excerpt that has no bearing on the crunch anyway...

[Cap'nSmurfs]

I don't think the rumours are ridiculous but I agree that some of the "evidence" marshalled for them are. Like, yeah, 12+ is what they're always categorized as, it's the lowest you can go while selling a product with small pieces, knives and glue. ;)

Personally, I hope Morathi's spirit kicked Slaanesh in the gender-ambiguous unmentionables and took their mantle while Lord Tyrion was doing something improbably heroic. I can live with that.

[VarianceHammer]

As much as I've always found a lot of the focus on Slaanesh to be puerile and stupid, and vastly ignoring huge swaths of potentially interesting narrative in favor of "hurr breasts...", this would require a huge reworking of the Eldar.

[Deadlift]

http://i844.photobucket.com/albums/ab3/joenortonjones/733f76cb9dfda3d5076118023e328c96.jpg

I'm going to leave this pic here, not looking good for Slannesh.

[Katharon]

Where's the option that Slaanesh is gone because it's part of a story plot?

[daboarder]

Meh, not going anywhere near kiddyhammer

Love how now that it looks like GW is going to get rid of slaanesh its all "blah blah praise the overlords and bellitle anyone that may have like the concept"

well done CG, expected no more from you

edit: that symbol is apparently the horned rat

[Cap'nSmurfs]

That'd make some sense, but that isn't the Horned Rat's symbol. Unless they changed it!

[daboarder]

That'd make some sense, but that isn't the Horned Rat's symbol. Unless they changed it!

apparently its used for him in End Times. But im seeing conflicting reports. Not sure if thats the way GW is going, but its a bad direction in my opinion


EDIT: Tell you what though, Im going to finish that Emp Children army im working on and the whole thing is going to be an over the top tribute to 80's metal art and a screw you to GW now for sure

[Cap'nSmurfs]

I don't remember seeing the Horned Rat represented with a new rune in End Times - his sigil is the well-beloved Skaven triskele that's on everything skaven. It could be a redesign. I mean, they *are* horns!

[daboarder]

I don't remember seeing the Horned Rat represented with a new rune in End Times - his sigil is the well-beloved Skaven triskele that's on everything skaven. It could be a redesign. I mean, they *are* horns!
it could also be Morathi's crown merged with slaanesh

[odinsgrandson]

There were always four chaos gods- even before the fall of the Eldar and birth of Slaanesh.

Slaanesh was born when the forth god of Chaos disappeared from the warp. This coincides precisely with the birth of the Emperor (and the stabilization of the warp, allowing the Emperor to conquer what is not the Imperium).

So- the forth chaos god was the Emperor once. I'm sure the seat will be filled again.

[Deadlift]

apparently its used for him in End Times. But im seeing conflicting reports. Not sure if thats the way GW is going, but its a bad direction in my opinion

I would have to agree with you there, the chaos gods embodied something specific. Khorne, Nurgle, Tzeentch and Slaanesh all fit into the chaos quartet. They are like colour theory, different to each other yet weirdly complimentary. Khorne represents war, Nurgle is decay, Tzeentch is change and Slaanesh is excess. They work well as the four facets of chaos. Replacing Slaanesh with the horned rat ? What as a deity does he represent ?

[daboarder]

There were always four chaos gods- even before the fall of the Eldar and birth of Slaanesh.

Slaanesh was born when the forth god of Chaos disappeared from the warp. This coincides precisely with the birth of the Emperor (and the stabilization of the warp, allowing the Emperor to conquer what is not the Imperium).

So- the forth chaos god was the Emperor once. I'm sure the seat will be filled again.

no, there were always 4 chaos gods because the warp is timeless.

As such Slaanesh has both always existed and never existed.

Thats GW fluff directly from the liber chaotica

[Cap'nSmurfs]

Horned Rat doesn't really fit in the four, because he has aspects of some of the others already - Tzeentch and Nurgle, with an undercurrent of Khorne for the Warlord clans (well, a bit). I'd like the Skaven to be their own distinct thing. A Morathi or whatever switch could be a neat way to keep a Slaanesh-like god but refine their identity and aesthetic a bit, if they want to do that.

[daboarder]

Look at the symbol in Thanqoul end time book at the bottom of a lot of the pages... Its the same thing and everyone knows skaven has officially joined chaos.

i think Id be actually sick

[Cap'nSmurfs]

I think I know the image they mean, and it isn't the same at all. Could still be true, but that isn't 100% convincing.

[Lexington]

I'd be sad, and it'd be a real blow to what little sense and credibility remains in 40K's background anymore. At the same time, Slaaneshi is treated very poorly anymore, focused mostly on lazy quasi-sexual winking jokes, ugly "fey" stereotypes and, of course, boobs. The whole idea of desire and bizarre excess is wider than that, and Slaanesh can be the creepiest Chaos God when done right - this (http://http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/warhammer40k/images/f/ff/Video-Game-Warhammer-15926.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20090912161553) piece of older art's a great example.

[Mr Mystery]

Link isn't working.

But if it's that pic of the big fatty boom boom, the one with the Klan style headgear, then yes!

Slaanesh = Excess.

Excess does not mean boobies, tallywhackers and lady-gardens.

[0rph3u5]

link is starting with "http//" instead "http://"

[Lexington]

Oh, shoot, doesn't seem to work from an independent link. Here, this:
15020

Not quote what you were thinking of, but I appreciate that old mini, too. Also, yes, excess. Slaanesh is the Hedonic Treadmill (http://https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedonic_treadmill) given warp form - urges always being sated, then coming back and needing more. More eyes to see with, more mouths to taste with, more...well, everything. Think Hellraiser. The socially-acceptable bounds of pleasure-seeking (ie. da boobiez and other current Slaanesh foci) are the sort of things that sit below the very first step on the Slaaneshi road to ruin.

[Mr Mystery]

It's more Hellraiser 3, Hell on Earth. When Pinhead is no longer bound by the laws of hell, following the demise of Leviathan :p

Consider what Fabius did for/too the Emperor's Children. Enabled them to see better, hear better. Sensory upgrades enabled them to take pleasure in far, far more things. And that's what Slaanesh is about.

For instance - there's a box of Donuts on my desk. We got them from a colleague the team helped out massively. I did an excess of work - out of a target of 160 each, and a team target of 1,200, I walloped through 300. So already, just by my efforts and desire to be the best, I just fed Slaanesh a little sliver. I've had two donuts already this morning, when arguably I should have stuck at one. Little tidbit goes to Slaanesh.

Now, were I a Slaaneshi follower, I'd have probably scoffed all the Donuts, pleasing Slaanesh in a very non-kinky way.

All night gaming sessions on your favourite game (Arkham Knight for me at the moment) - that's excessive. Slaanesh loves that. Especially if it's more than one night in a row and leads to sleep deprivation. Had a weekend long gaming sesh, and still went into work early doors despite only three hours not-very-good sleep? Wow. Burning the candles at both ends (next week, I'm scheduled to work 11am - 7pm. Only the latest I can get in for due to existing travel arrangements is around 7:50, so 11 hour working day because I'm not normally one to twiddle my thumbs when I could be sorting out complaints) now you're really rocking the Slaaneshi vibe.

And all without fleshy bits being exposed etc.

[0rph3u5]

I think a better more layered (and contempoary-accessable) metaphor would be Sorcesese's "The Wolf of Wall Street" ... both in terms of reception of the teasing content and the actual content
I mean compare this trailer (https://youtu.be/pabEtIERlic) to the actual move ... almost the same relation between the slaaneshi models and fluff content of Slaanesh

[Arkhan Land]

a day without Slaanesh

is like a day, without sunshine

[Psychosplodge]

It would make no sense, you can't write the warp as a reflection of strong emotion and completely delete lust from it.

[Fueldrop]

Slaanesh should stay.
Exhibit A:
15021

[Kirsten]

it is difficult. Slaanesh might go, but I am not convinced by the reasoning put forward. I started Warhammer when I was 12 and Slaanesh was perfectly easy to understand, and didn't pose any sort of issue in terms of models or background. I don't think it is unsuitable, nor do I think they have actually over emphasised the lust part, I think that is just what people have fixated on.

[Wargamer]

Lord Tyrion captures Slaanesh
New God take his/her place
Retcon the birth of him/her in 40k to just being freed from captivity due to Eldar

[Mr Mystery]

I'm not sure it'll be anything like that....

Much more likely Slaanesh gets 'captured' then has a wee binge, scoffing so many Elves there's a shift in the general character of the God to becoming more Fey.

[Path Walker]

If they got rid of slaanesh (which they haven't and probably won't) it would be because of what the immature fan base has turned slaanesh into, to most gamers, thanks to the 4chan/tg/ meme , slaanesh is a God of kinky sex and boobs and jokes about cocaine by people who've never taken coke in their lives.

Slaanesh in most gamers eyes is no longer about excess but sex and honestly, if that stops some kids from being allowed to do the hobby, we're better off without it.

[40kGamer]

Hopefully Slaanesh stays even if they find a way to filter out the ridiculously out of proportion sex and drugs aspect. The god's about all excess after all.

[Cap'nSmurfs]

There's no reason why a change in Age of Sigmar needs to mean a change in 40k, by the way, they're different (but possibly linked) universes. There's no need for a "retcon".

[WistfulDread]

All I can really add so far is that the guy at my local store commented on how he's seen "new slaanesh models" coming and that I can point out the excerpt quote only says that Tyrion left to capture Slaanesh, not that he had. We'll probably see a redesign for 'Nesh, less adulty.

It's not like Slaanesh is even that big on sex, anyway. People only associate that because it's just the simplest thing. But the immaculate, prim and perfectly proper butler would worship to Slaanesh to be the Perfect Servant. The fat man in the age old Monty Python sketch who ate himself to explosion would be Slaanesh. Cenobites, the horror movie Leprechaun, Gremlins, the swordsmith Muramasa, all that reeks of Slaanesh.

Honestly, Khorne is the poster boy for Chaos, hell, the Star has 8 points. But even he had a facelift. I wouldn't be surprised if what we have happen is that Tyrion shows up only to find out Slaanesh had done the unthinkable and slaked his appetite, and evolved into something new and more dangerous. Actually, I'd love that.

[Lexington]

If they got rid of slaanesh (which they haven't and probably won't) it would be because of what the immature fan base has turned slaanesh into, to most gamers, thanks to the 4chan/tg/ meme , slaanesh is a God of kinky sex and boobs and jokes about cocaine by people who've never taken coke in their lives.
Nah, this falls on the Studio, who's been treating Slaanesh this way since well before there were 4's to chan about.

[Path Walker]

I blame Juan Diaz.

[40kGamer]

I blame Juan Diaz.

:p I guess it's far easier to 'visual' the sexual aspect of Slaanesh in the models. I'm not really sure how one represents 'excess' in such a way as to make it distinct.

[Deadlift]

:p I guess it's far easier to 'visual' the sexual aspect of Slaanesh in the models. I'm not really sure how one represents 'excess' in such a way as to make it distinct.

I really like the noise marines in 40k, the idea of sound and distortion being used in excess to produce a sonic experience so intense it can kill was pretty cool. It didn't have the sauciness but the aesthetic still screamed Slaanesh. The whips etc are cool too and although can be interpreted as kinky to adults aren't too obvious to kids. Boob horses on the other hand.

http://i844.photobucket.com/albums/ab3/joenortonjones/ZRv5XoH.jpg (http://s844.photobucket.com/user/joenortonjones/media/ZRv5XoH.jpg.html)

[Kirsten]

the breasts weren't just about excess though, they were representative of the androgynous nature of slaanesh. aside from the tit snake.

[YorkNecromancer]

Personally I have nothing against Slaanesh or the 'mature' imagery. Although I'll be honest: I always found Slaaneshi imagery about as mature as an episode of 'Bottom'. It seemed a lot like Slaanesh wasn't so much the god of excess as it was the god of gay panic. As far as representing sexuality or anything actually remotely sexual, it's up there with FATAL in terms of realistic representations of anything sexual human beings have ever done. And the fiends of Slaanesh have always looked stupid.

Positive things about Slaanesh include that daemonette head sculpt with the whoosy hair - amazing bit, that. Also anything related the Emperor's Children is pretty great, although they're a lot cooler pre-Heresy than they are after. Although that's mostly because there hasn't been a decent post-Heresy sculpt since f**king dinosaurs roamed the Earth rather than anything else.

I don't know. I think this is something I genuinely don't care about. Imprison Slaanesh, retcon it out of existence in the game... Wouldn't really matter. Yeah, it's a big part of the Eldar fluff, but just say 'The Eldar dare not even speak the name of She Who Thirsts' and leave it unnamed or something.

Slaanesh is one of those ideas where I think I'm always just massively disappointed it's not 'Hellraiser', because as someone earlier mentioned, at its heart, that's what Slaanesh should be: "explorers in the further regions of experience".

[Denzark]

I voted no to retcons as a matter of principle - but seriously though. Whilst the imperium, xenocide and exterminates are still fluff, as is Khorne/Khaine and a Cauldron of Blood, and a hundred and one other elements of a WARgame are devoted to killing, I can't see why GW would feel Slaanesh is too mature and would put off little Timmy's mum... who probably has a well thumbed copy of 50 shades in her house.

[Kernbanks]

Let's not forget the entirety of the Eldar split is based on a Slanenesh God.

It would be possible in a 40k 'end times' that the Harlequins attack and kill/displace Slanenesh allowing sometype of Eldar unification... or the re-birth of the Eldar as a dominate race in the Galaxy to begin the fight against the rising Necron threat or 'other' forces that could be coming in from beyond (like Nids).

[Xaric]

I would say unlikely I think two possibility's one it possessed a major person in the setting and will reveal its self in time or it has impregnated a major female person in the interest of removing its restriction being of the realm of chaos and becoming a daemon child. remember slaanesh loves to deceive and trick for personal enjoyment but its a typical sort of thing in most films or fictional novels that a lust demon always seems to want to take control or impregnate a woman so they can be born into the world to remove there restrictions as a demon.

But really slaanesh got banished by the other gods to a fate worst then death... REHAB !!! that is like slaanesh personal hell lol

But people have also forgot the 5 chaos god the IP that GW cant have chaos god Malice/Malal here's a profile I believe of a warrior of malal.

http://dreadaxe.pagesperso-orange.fr/Kaleb%20Daark%20CJ86.jpg

[Psychosplodge]

I blame Juan Diaz.

Weren't they some of the best Slaanesh models we've had?

[daboarder]

Weren't they some of the best Slaanesh models we've had?

yes and no

while they are undoubtedly some of the most popular models, and they were amazingly well sculpted, the models themselves did not really follow the previously established aesthetic of slaanesh daemons.That was of course the way GW went with that whole generation of lesser daemons, but the switch back was not necessarily a bad thing. The biggest problem with the plastics is how ridiculously static the models are, if they were posed better (and you can see them around the internet converted) they would be one of the best kits GW produces.

[Arkhan Land]

I voted no to retcons as a matter of principle - but seriously though. Whilst the imperium, xenocide and exterminates are still fluff, as is Khorne/Khaine and a Cauldron of Blood, and a hundred and one other elements of a WARgame are devoted to killing, I can't see why GW would feel Slaanesh is too mature and would put off little Timmy's mum... who probably has a well thumbed copy of 50 shades in her house.


I think it depends on how old timmy is, I was able to get a handle on the hammer fully at a very young age. probably 4th/5th grade, previously I was able to command a small sqaud of sqauts with somewhat limited efficiency. I remember buying my friends orks from his box set about then. How young could a kid get on age of sigmar really?

people often have strange double standards for what "adults" and "children" do and dont do sometimes for the right reasons other times based on blind reaction.

[daboarder]

I voted no to retcons as a matter of principle - but seriously though. Whilst the imperium, xenocide and exterminates are still fluff, as is Khorne/Khaine and a Cauldron of Blood, and a hundred and one other elements of a WARgame are devoted to killing, I can't see why GW would feel Slaanesh is too mature and would put off little Timmy's mum... who probably has a well thumbed copy of 50 shades in her house.

its also interesting to note that GW has never gone as full on with slaanesh as they potential could have (not saying thats a bad thing, there are lines that should not be crossed and 40ks violence is very tarantino esque as opposed to Stephen King, so in that sense GW has always had a modicum of censorship about the dark prince. But then that is a reflection of society I guess.

[Katharon]

Again, I ask, where is the option that says "Slaanesh is gone due to narrative plot reasons"?

[odinsgrandson]

I first got into GW games some twenty-five years ago, and I remember keeping away from Slaanesh as a faction and hiding some of that material from my mother.

But honestly, back in 1990, slaanesh was the god of poorly sculpted boobs and hair metal. There was nudity on many of the slaanesh daemon minis, and that really didn't exist outside of the slaanesh line. Also, their minis were the most likely to fit in at a Kiss concert.

I think that it was in the late '90s that they moved him towards the "god of excess" idea that people here are all nostalgic about, and made the keeper of secrets' nudity into something that is much harder to recognize as nudity at all.

But if you're feeling like you need a line of disturbing nude sculpts- well the Kingdom Death plastic line is supposed to be releasing sometime late this year.

[YorkNecromancer]

But honestly, back in 1990, slaanesh was the god of poorly sculpted boobs and hair metal.

Dear sweet mercy yes.

What Slaanesh should be:
http://pre02.deviantart.net/a0ee/th/pre/i/2010/354/7/5/hellraiser_cover_artwork_by_nick_percival-d359t7h.jpg

What Slaanesh is:
http://img2.timeinc.net/people/i/2015/news/150420/twisted-sister-01-1024.jpg

http://www.theglamnationnetwork.com/uploads/1/3/1/2/13123626/8210803_orig.jpg



Again, I ask, where is the option that says "Slaanesh is gone due to narrative plot reasons"?

Forgot to add it. Just use comments. :)

[Mr Mystery]

Look you, I won't hear a bad word against Twisted Sister.

We're not gonna take it, y'hear!