Meat for Meta: Any Cure for the Chaos Space Marine Blues?

The complaining resurgence sudden appearance is clear, and I get it. The Black Legion Supplement was unexpected, unnecessary, and frankly underwhelming. Though getting all annoyed at a supplement for not fixing all the problems with a codex is quite an overreaction. I am sure a bundle of hope had welled up, because the Farsight Supplement had turned out better than expected. It did go to show that many players really could care less about fluff; many players seem to have no qualms about throwing black on every model, and calling it day if the supplement rules were broken.

Shocking was everyone jumping grasping at the idea of running four Heldrakes, the only worthwhile thing in the book? This of course generated an equally surrepticius backlash from players who have only seen a Heldrake perhaps once, but sure read about how broken they are, and freaked out over the powergamers about to troll their local game store, the same store never visited because they cannot generate the temerity to emerge from their Hobbit hole of a lair to actual play games way from the paint desk.

Instead of sitting down and actually reading the Black Legion Supplement, everyone has thus far twiddled their thumbs hoping the leaks provided by Warseer posters were the whole story. Now, the Black Legion book does have some fun stuff, and if only people would actual try it, instead of prejudging, we might actually get a better assessment of its usefulness.

The real (way more valid) reason to get upset with the current Chaos Space Marine codex has actually nothing to do with the codex itself. It instead has everything to do with the Encyclopedia Britannica of codexes heading our way: Codex Space Marine. The impending new codex has stirred tropes as old as Games Workshop; namely the notion GW loves Space Marines above all others. Granted, if one fraction alone generates more revenue than Warhammer Fantasy combined you better feed that golden goose.

As it is the Space Marine codex is looking eerily similar to CSM 3.5 codex if rumors are to believed. So, now you have the confluence bursting into conflagration. Suddenly, one of the documented reasons why CSM were hit with simple stick is now broken. How could GW keep the CSM codex rules/variety relatively light when only one year later the mother of all variation is happening? Don't traitors and loyalists have almost the same amount of chapters and legions? Isn't the fluff between both of them almost identical in scope and depth?

There is hope and being a second class citizen isn't eternal. Beyond allies, the hope resides back with the supplements. The Black Legion is the first and we can expect all the major traitor legions to get there due, then the Chaos Gods themselves.

Even if the depth is the same as the Black Legion it will little by little move the needle with greater variation and background lore every player can get behind. Still, it does mean more waiting and sadly also means more gloating by loyalist players as they flaunt their new White Scars/Raven Guard/Ultramarine tailored rules. At least, we can say we didn't get Black Templar almost out of existence.

So, raise your glass to the pity party, it wouldn't be 40k if half the players couldn't complain about their own codex, and besides it means we a good cause to talk shit about Space Marines!