Boltgun - Stream Summary (13th April 2024)

 

It's been a while and I've probably forgotten half of what happened but, hey, I won't feel right continuing this game until I've written this article! I have rather been enjoying working on my Reclamation of Orberus campaign however, and all my energy has gone into getting that started (as well as, you know, actual real life work).

When we last played Boltgun all those days back, I had just completed the second level of the second chapter of the game, and for the next mission I found myself in a cavern, which is somewhat fitting given the last mission was set in a mining complex. That meant narrow spaces that were just perfect for Nurglings to jump all over me, Chaos Space Marines to throw grenades at me and... random, roaming Ambulls? Really?

Ambulls aren't fun when all you have is a Boltgun!

It wouldn't take me long before I had to come back up for air however, and when I did I found myself out in a canyon that was littered with Tzeentch Daemons which I found... somewhat disappointing. Given the sheer number of Tzeentch Daemons I faced last chapter, part of me was kind of hoping for more of a Nurgle focus this time around for variety but it seems Boltgun can't keep away from the Horrors and Flamers.

This particular level also introduced me to a brand new weapon in the Vengeance Launcher, and might I say I have fallen (don't tell the Dark Angels!) in love with how good this weapon is at clearing out groups of Cultist. It essentially works like a sticky grenade; it clings to a surface you fire it at and it explodes seconds later. Great for ambush attacks!

This weapon is going to blow this cultist's mind

There really wasn't really anything else that was noteworthy of this level. There was a lot of going underground, overground, underground again whilst leaping over large gaps, trying to avoid and fight Nurglings and Ambulls in equal measures (as well as my favourite, Chaos Champions) before finding the exit.

The next mission was a far more interesting one in terms of aesthetics though as it was set in an overrun Mechanicum facility, so that meant plenty of enemies to kill, lots of buildings to explore and... yet another gun?

The might Melta Gun makes its debut!

Yes I picked up, what was essentially a shotgun on steroids... the mighty Melta Gun! It is absolutely amazing for turning most of the toughest enemies into goo too, though it does run out of ammunition disappointingly quickly.

This mission had me scaling a one side of huge Mechanicum tower in the middle of the level before going back down the other side at one point just to progress, and that meant plenty of Cultist ambushes and close quarter fire fights with Chaos Space Marines and Terminators. Eventually my slogging took me to a wide open area with lots of walkways and a massive, cathedral like Mechanicum building directly in front of me. I immediately saved my game and prepared myself for the inevitable onslaught of enemies that typically comes from places looking like this...

This doesn't look suspicious at all!

Now, I've fought my way through a fair few of these purge areas where the aim is to kill everything in the area before you continue on your way, they're somewhat anxiety inducing but whatever, I just rode the storm. What I was not expecting was for this encounter to be exclusively Daemon based, and I certainly was not expecting a Lord of Change, something that had thus far only been confronted once towards the end of the first chapter, to make an appearance as well! What I also did not realise is that when the Greater Daemon is just looking at you it causes damage - I somehow overlooked this little piece of trivia that last time I encountered one of these things. Fortunately I had my trusty Melta Gun this time and it proved to be very effective against the winged beast.

It burns!

Unsurprisingly this encounter marked the end of the mission and the start of a new mission and apparently that Mechanicus Cathedral type building was hiding a laboratory in its murky depth that was filled with Daemons and corpses. What on Holy Terra happened in this place?

Corpses abound in this place

The map for this mission was vastly different from previous missions in this chapter, partly because of the contrast between the warm, red rocks of the canyons I had been thus far navigating and the cold, blue steel of the laboratory I now found myself in, but also because this map focused more on multi-layered ridges and walkways that I had to navigate in order to progress. I also picked up yet another new weapon (the third time this stream!) in the Volkite Caliver which, I'll be honest has not won me over. It emits and prolonged laser beam that does constant damage, but it doesn't do alot of damage and it chews through ammo like a hungry, hungry hippo. I'll stick with my Heavy Bolter for rapid fire goodness, thanks.

Not my favourite weapon, it has to be said

Anyway to cut a long mission short (as the level was very same-y throughout most of the mission) I blasted my way through plenty of Chaos Marines, Daemons and Cultists, sometimes delving into underground breaches in the lab itself until I come to a huge, multi-layered tower type room with lots of walk ways and off shoot rooms, precluded by a large ammo stash that even my servo-skull was alerting me as suspicious. Captain Obvious was right on the money however as the game decided to drop yet another Lord of Change on me, only this time there was less cover to utilise when trying to escape its line of sight when on the attack, and as such it was harder to get a constant Melta Gun bead on it due to all the pit falls. Nightmare!

100% chance of enemies? You don't say!

Just how many Lords of Change are there???

Inevitably this conflict brought us to the end of the mission and the end of the stream. Given my busy schedule I have no idea when I will be revisiting this game, it's taken me long enough to actually write this stream up! But hopefully I won't leave you all waiting too long. Until then, Emperor Protects!