u/jnolan90

From the perspective of a casual lore-reader who has yet to get back into the hobby / game seriously, please educate me rather than disparage me!

I notice this with quite a few factions which goes against the more "mainstream" or perhaps competitive faction lines. I understand a bit about Keywords and which ones really matter and which are more flavorful but it seems that it's kind of a half-hearted solution for balancing or lack of homogenization for faction identity. I can see that maybe it serves to offer a bit of flavor for two of the four Grand Alliances but really it seems more like a lack of thought or effort to develop the faction. With Order and Death there are CLEARLY defined factions that each may have small subfactions within each faction / race but they are still usable within the same umbrella of the faction / race itself.

Idoneth have their Isharann, Akhelian and Namarti while you have the Kharadron Overlords with their Grundstock and Arkanaut (so far), or the Stormcast Eternals with their chambers (now reduced but still).

And for Death you have examples like Deathrattle and Soulblight Vampires which serve within the archetypal houses or Legions of the Soulblight Gravelords. And for Ossiarch Bonereapers you have the Mortisans and Mortek for now. I think you get the idea.

But for Chaos and Destruction (especially), each army / faction is pretty starkly divided within themselves to my knowledge. Orruk Warclans and Gloomspite Gitz have options to make mixed armies within themselves but they're never truly "okay" that way from what I've read.

Ironjawz do not mix well with Kruleboyz, while for Ogors I know that Beastclaw Raiders and Gutbusters do not mix well either. And for Gloomspite Gitz you really won't see Moonclan, Spiderfangs and Gitmob (Wolf Riders) mixing much etc.

Now this is from my perspective, maybe things have changed, but I still see the theme of Chaos and Destruction armies especially very divided. Does it serve a purpose as these two GA's general identities or is it because they have yet to homogenize these factions, like Skaven being another big one, under one big banner?

Personally, I think the divide between Beastclaw Raiders and Gutbusters needs to go, and the Everwinter can just be a piece of lore to work with rather than a dividing line. You should have Gluttons and Ironguts in the same army as Thundertusk riders and Mournfang riders IMHO.

(I get that Skaven are particularly clan-like and are actually supposed to be divided from within the faction, but it narrates the question)

Since Ogors are getting an amazing update (something I never thought I'd see), it tells me that Sons of Behemat might be getting an updated kit for their "Mancrusher" Gargants who still sport WFB Empire shields and doodads which means they'd be on the list for "Identity Enhancement" for AoS. That's not entirely to say they aren't going to be phased out and put back into WFB but we'll see!

What do you think? Maybe a bit more in line with the Mega-Gargants but smaller, or just phased out completely so it's just "Gargants?

Ogor Gorgers, Firebellies, Icefall Yhetees, Gnoblars and perhaps even Maneaters are all flavorf and to an extent mysterious oddballs for this faction that may just be going away soon, or at least changing into something else.

Ogor Gorgers are not going away since they're among the newest things in there, with the Warcry pack looking like a natural part of the army. As far as the lore, they look suspiciously like they belong more to the Flesh-Eater Courts both in look and in lore, but that's what makes them awesome for the Ogors. They literally -could be- Ogors afflicted with the FEC madness but are stuck with their tribes, or they actually have some other form of craziness inflicted upon them by GoMo. Either way though, GW could certainly make their background more solidified and explain that piece more.

Firebellies probably aren't going away, but rather getting a new model like the Cities of Sigmar Aqshian Pyrocaster and also more defined lore, or even some friends in a squad. Either way, I think this lore too is due for solidifying and developing since it's a very "hangers on" type unit from WFB.

Icefall Yhetees are written into the lore but interestingly enough they are another creature option for this faction but have ties to another 'deity' in the Everwinter which is not part of GoMo as far as we know. This could either be changed or expanded upon but either way the Everwinter could be something more integrated into the faction or continue to be divisive because balancing.

Gnoblars may either be going away or are getting an updated kit / lore. Either way, these are definitely a faction oddball that make sense but also could use a bit more definition in their look and role. Grots seem to be a Destruction GA species that fit nicely into any faction because being the weakest means you need to stick with the strong ones to survive. It would be truly unfortunate if they're just going away for the sake of faction identity, but I think it's most likely either a new kit or a re-packaging / re-naming. What's strange about these is that they don't really seem to fill a role other than screening which doesn't need to happen necessarily because that's what Gluttons are for. I would think they're making a new kit to fill a new role as skirmishers with slings. Either way, definitely an oddball, hanger-on from the Ogre Kingdom days, and don't see much use outside of their role in the lore.

Maneaters are the big iffy unit because they're -so- diverse and usable as mercenaries that they probably could fit in like Cogforts do now. But then they're also hangers-on from the days when Maneaters came out like Primaris Lieutenants so as far as the models are concerned it looks like nothing new is coming because it's not "sold out online" and they're firmly written into the lore so it's not being removed, but then it makes more sense that these realm-travelling mercenaries start having more realm-based equipment. I guess it comes down to grabbing some Gluttons or Ironguts and buying some other bits to jam on them to look like the things or places they spent time with. Tell me what you guys think about the Maneaters.

The rest of the faction is probably getting updated too, or re-packaged, but I'm surprised the Mournfangs are getting removed and I wonder what else is being done anew.

While I'm not very interested in the gaming side of things, I was thinking of picking up 1 or 2 armies and I've always had a fascination with Skaven. I like how it's basically 5 mini-factions in one "lead by" a 6th, giving an opportunity for some narrative elements to the force. I was thinking of starting either with the standard "Verminous" force, or perhaps with a clan of Eshin. Why I'm posting this is to ask this question; what way do you recommend "starting" a force?

• Perhaps 1 Leader and a couple blobs of infantry like once upon a time?
• Or maybe 2 Leaders, 1 blob of infantry and a special thing?

Also, does every clan use "Clanrats" ususally or are Plague Monks, Night Runners, Acolyte Globadiers and Rat Ogres the lore-accurate "line troops" for their respective clan? I'm not list-building but rather just trying to find a foundation that will stick around. I did see that Clanrats have a few clan-specific bits, but I wanted to be sure.

Been reading up on the lore for the Cities of Sigmar and they seem to be very polytheistic despite the name. Personally I don't see the "gods" of Age of Sigmar as "gods" because they're represented in the game, which deems that they're defeatable, and more importantly, far removed from being anything like a greco-roman pantheon, much less the true God. The lore suggests they're more like souls of mortals bathed in proto-realm stuff. It makes me even question Sigmar as being a truly God-like being because he seems to be just the same, a mortal bathed in proto-realm stuff. We all know the Chaos "gods" are just demonic eddies of evil thought and action while Gorkamorka is basically the same, the collective "WAAAGH!!!" of Orruks and Gits.

Not sure about anything -else- yet to come out of GW's box of open-ended new ideas to sell things that never actually amount to anything. (Looking at you Kragnos, Archaeon, Katakros, Great Horned Rat, Nagash, etc...

1. So are the Cities of Sigmar strictly Polythestic?
2. Are they just following a pantheon of liars or is Sigmar actually unique in being something more? (I'm not sure what he was in the Old World beyond being considered a mortal at one point, or actually a mortal like Nagash and the rest of them.)
3. (Also, wasn't Sigmar defeated by Archaeon at one point?)

Does anyone have any ideas, model sources, recommendations or ideas beyond trying to sculpt it myself for robes & hoods for Mark X Sergeants?

Seems like GW chose to renege on the lore that Dark Angels, similar to Black Templars and their tabards, have robes for their Sergeants and Veterans as well as their HQ units. I was thinking about doing my own Space Marine chapter that have robes or tabards without all the Black Templar symbols.

So since the days of the Solar Auxilia, the Imperial Guard have gone from being sci-fi demi-marines in voidsuits with all kinds of doodads and technology to literally flavors of World War 1 & 2 in space. They symbolize regression in technology while the rest of the Imperial forces seem to have "updates" hidden away to keep selling new models. That is until we get things like half-tracks trying to usurp the Chimera, 6x6 AFVs and the truescale Leman Russ called the Rogal Dorn. (I jest, but seriously)

My Lore questions / discussion are these, would there be another regiment out there in all seriousness that would dress and equip the same or almost the same as the Death Korps of Krieg, Vostroyan Firstborn, Tallarn Desert Raiders, Valhallan Ice Warriors, Mordian Iron Guard, Praetorian Guard, etc and ALSO follow the same ideology and doctrines as these parent regiments like space marine chapters do?

And would there be a regiment out there that so soundly separates itself from the lore-established command structure and Imperial authoritarian regime without facing extermination by the Ordo Hereticus or an Astartes contingent?

I'm asking seriously because it seems a lot more difficult both in lore and in models to justify "other color Cadians that aren't Cadians of the xyz'th regiment". Like the Truskan Snow Hounds wear Cadian fatigues, but fight in the arctic? Talk about unrealistic lack of adaptation for theaters of war. Or the Vresh Grenadiers wear Cadian fatigues but get away with a few gang symbols and bric-a-brac on their gear? I doubt the Commissariat would let them geta way with that level of individuality.

I have some ideas for a regiment of my own based on a mix of Death Korps, Vostroyan and Maccabean Janissaries lore. Think Cities of Sigmar (AoS) in Warhammer 40K, very heavily based on heraldry and iconography but regimented in a typically structured and authoritarian way suitable to the Astra Militarum, rather than an Imperial Knight household. I had thought of doing an Imperial Knight House and would still like to, but Games Workshop doesn't have official rules for making Household Guard a thing without "allied units" which don't work together as an army.

(Edit: added to Imperial Knights community in case someone has some ideas on that front)

Good tidings to all!

So I joined this Reddit because I would like some perspective with this question and see if some perspective can help me make a decision! (Said everyone at some point?)

Without giving too enormous a preamble or background, I've always been on the fence about Imperial Guard (Astra Militarum now) because as awesome as it is being a superhuman space knight genetically modified to be a grandson of the God-Emperor, or a barbaric space orc with kooky and awesome lore, or an army of Yautja-inspired avian space cannibals with gaffi sticks and genetic-variant banthas, or... you get the idea...

Being a slightly more than average person in one of the most oppressive and tyrannical regimes imaginable, having to defend the very system that created it's own problems to begin with, all while having faith that there's something better waiting if you can just not fall to Chaos is perhaps the most inspiring thing I've ever written...

That said, given the range of models for Space Marines and Xenos armies, let alone Chaos... it's hard to really want to play Astra Militarum because of all the strange choices GW has made with them. I REALLY like the Solar Auxilia... until you can't put sponsons on their Leman Russ tanks... I REALLY got excited for my favorite regiment (both playstyle and theme) getting redone... until it's at least 2 years until they get releases...

I'm just having a tough time launching into 40K. I have ideas for doing a Imperial Knight House using Cawdor themed minis for infantry, a Space Marine Chapter of my own color scheme and lore, or going completely in another direction and going into Age of Sigmar.

Either way I want to come back to the hobby and enjoy it responsibly and in a meaningful way with my limited free time. I just can't get past GW's choices and timing of things. I'm not entirely against 3D printing, but it's something I have 0 experience with and resin is scary to me to work with.

So, do you think it's worth waiting longer to dive into the Steel Legion I have in my mind?

Or do what everyone else is doing and get some Space Marines?

Or try something completely different and go with Orks, Kroot or Imperial Knights?

Or even further into different and play Cities of Sigmar, Skaven, Gloomspite Gitz or Soulblight Gravelords? (My 4 favorite AoS armies)?

Not looking for you to choose for me, just want some thoughts, perspectives and maybe a little consolation / encouragement! Wishing those Steel Legionnaires would come out next month isn't going to make it happen.