Previously only published in The Black Library Events Anthology (2018/19), Champion of Oaths Sigismund follows Sigismund as is put through the gauntlet of fighting 200 of the Imperial Fists First Company, the Templars, as a Prospective Master. As he battles hundreds of his brothers back to back, he recalls events from his life, including when he was a we bairn who stood up for bus friends and training with the Master of Arms. In the present his former instructor is a venerable, possibly the first, dreadnought is the final boss to gain the Captaincy, Paul 'Rogal Dorn' Hollywood handshake, and a sweet relic blade.

I'll be honest that I'm lukewarm about the Imperial Fists, beyond the yellow drip and my image of Dorn as a suffering artist, drinking bottles of claret, smoking a gauloises, and lamenting in a French (Francian?) accent how they paved paradise and put up a parking lot, swearing and gesticulating at the ugly reinforcement of the Imperial Palace -- That's what The Lightning Tower is about, right? I'm not a fan of Sigismund or the Black Templars. So I might be somewhat biased, but this is another opportunity to do something and be a fascinating insight into one of the the big Horus Heresy and 40K characters that falls flat.

We get snippets of the Imperium's Champion's life that hint towards interesting things, but don't actually explore enough to actually be interesting, while we see another competent, but unexciting practice cages montage. This is one of the most significant moments in the Imperial Fists, if not the Imperium's history, as ole Sigi becomes First Captain, which leads to him eventually becoming the Emperor's Champion (Do you remember that wild WWF storyline when The Rock became the Corporate Champion and the weird, gothic cult, The Ministry, became the Corporate Ministry?! Wild times), and ultimately the first Chapter Master of the Black Templars...and just feels flat. No disrespect to intended to French's writing, they have shown a lot of skill and heart in other works, and the writing here certainly does the job, but it just isn't as rousing, complex, and exposing of the character of Sigismund as I would expect from a trading card moment like this.

It could be that the Sons of Dorn are just rather bland and are accurately being accurately portrayed. The bright yellow ceramite might be in the place of a personality, or even a cry for help.

A just fine story that will only really appeal to big Fistos and St. John's Ambulance Instructors, as I believe fans of the Imperial Fists and Black Templars are known. ( )