There is a lot of chatter about this supplement project lately so I wanted to address some questions that have been popping up on other threads. Hopefully I will be able to channel some concerns to the appropriate thread - this one.
What is Epic: Xenos?
Epic: Xenos is a project I'm working on that will be a fan made supplement for Epic much like Epic: Raiders and Epic: Siege. It will detail the attack of the Tyranids on the Squat Homeworlds and the ultimate destruction of the Squats as a people. The plan for the supplement will for it to include the following:
*Squat Army List
*Demiurg List
*Tyranid List (Onachus Fleet)
*Ordo Xenos Inquisition List
*Epic Battle Scenarios
*Battlefleet Gothic Scenarios
*Original Fiction
*Original Artwork
*Original Pictures
When is Epic: Xenos going to be published?
Well, according to my original timetable, December 2010.
Obviously things got pushed waaaaay back. The new goal is now February 2012. I know, that seems like a really long time from now, but I'm coming from the experience of Raiders where there were a lot of delays. I also know my own calendar and -because of work- I tend to get very busy between November and January. If I can get it done before then, I'll do it! But I wouldn't put money on an October 2011 release.Who is involved?
This is by no means a fully inclusive list, but it gives you the major players. I'll edit this top post as the list grows.
Moscovian - Project Coordinator / Fiction Writer / Editor
ePilgrim - Demiurg List Developer / Fiction Writer / Squat Army Champ
Jaldon - Squat List Developer / Tyranid Army Champ
Lord Inquisitor - Inquisition List Developer
Dave - Onachus Tyranid List Developer
Stugmeister - Lead Artist
Black Horizon - Battlefleet Gothic Coordinator
Is the Tyranid list going to be NetERC approved?
I don't know. I hope so. Jaldon is the Army Champion for the Tyranids and he is working on a big project right now - trying to get the various Tyranid lists to have some level of unification in terms of special rules and general structure. Given that Jaldon is also a part of the Xenos project, his feedback will be very important to me in terms of how the Onachus List (Tyranids for this project) is doing and if it is ready for publication. I also follow the forums closely and will be looking at people's battle reports and opinions about the list. I will also be looking for guidance from the NetERC. Ultimately -if I feel that things are dragging- I may just push forward with publication anyway. But given how slowly I am getting things done I wouldn't worry too much.
Why are the Demiurg in this? They aren't even abhuman! They aren't Squats! They are (insert strangling sound here)--
Okay, I am going to cover this because it is important for you to know. About three years ago ePilgrim and I had a face to face meeting with Jervis Johnson as Games Day was setting up in Baltimore. There was virtually nobody there so we had a good 15-20 minutes to talk with him without doting fans ogling him and grabbing at his junk. (He's a tall feller, if anyone is wondering)
Anyway, I was presenting him with a copy of Epic: Raiders when ePilgrim began asking him about the Demiurg. He mentioned that he had written an Epic list and bit of fiction that the Demiurg were Squats that were not associated with the Homeworlds. Jervis told us that Games Workshop had no official stance on the Demiurg. No decision was made on them being alien or abhuman, and as long as we labeled our efforts as "Unofficial" just like with the Raiders supplement then we would be fine. He skimmed through ePilgrim's fiction and thought it was interesting.
Here is what we do know - GW has no plans to expand on the Demiurg. What they are, where they come from, and so on, is just up in the air. Some people think that they are aliens, some people think they are Squats. We're going with them being Squats. I know some people may hate this and that's okay. But the plan is to not have them supplant the Squats, but to co-exist with them. I'm not going to go into tremendous detail, just trust that the Squats of old will be in the supplement. In fact...
What's going on with the Squats?
It is extremely difficult, but we are doing our best to have the history of the Squats from days of old worked into the fiction. Everything we can make fit, we will. Now anyone who has been a fan of GW knows that their own fiction contradicts itself throughout the company's history. There isn't much I can do about that. GW wrote the Squats off as being eaten by the Tyranids. A rather brief description (three lines?) in the book Inquisition Wars extinguished a race that was near and dear to the hearts of many fans. Nowadays the Squats aren't even written into 40K fiction.
That's okay. We've got a fiction that will give the Squats a suitable death, if they die at all...
And we're doing our best to match things up to the existing 40K fiction where the Squats don't exist. Just be patient - I think you'll like it.Artists Wanted
Uhhh, I'm really short on artwork. I've got some people who have volunteered, but if you have a knack for artwork, I welcome you with open arms. If you have seen Squat artwork that has never been published before (stuff on the internet), then by all means point me in that direction. Please.
I volunteered and I never heard from you
It's because I've been slacking. Sorry. PM me and remind me and I will get us back on track.
Questions?
. For BFG, I think I've got two of every IN cruiser configuration outside of the dictator and Overlord, the two most common battleships (Retribution and Emperor), and plenty of light cruisers and escorts of all varieties. Just let me know what fits best and I can set something up.