Night Lords and their armour lightning

[Lord_Caerolion]

Lately, I've been thinking about the new Chaos codex, and the statement that the Night Lords have actual lightning going over their armour, and the initial reaction that it was utterly retarded. However, the idea has since grown on me, and I can imagine the Night Lords having a "lightning field" which can be activated for short periods of time, just to help freak the utter crap out of the opponents. Think of it as like a very, very minor version of a refractor field, so the HQ have had theirs scaled up in power, enabling it to give actual protection. Perhaps it could even be used as a kind of one-shot bomb, briefly surging the power, leaving the Marine incapable of movement while the armour recharges, but killing or stunning all non-armoured targets within a small radius.

 

I can just imagine a squad of guardsmen picking their way through a ruined city, with 'montsers' preying on them from the shadows. Suddenly, a lone figure steps out from the darkness in front of them, slowly turning it's head towards them. As they begin to raise their guns, the figure starts laughing at them, and small flickers of electricity start to arc across its body. Perplexed, the guardsmen begin shooting, watching as the lasbolts impact harmlessly off the growing lightning, all while the Night Lords laughter becomes louder and louder. Suddenly, the laughter stops, and the Night Lord points towards them, and whispers just loud enough for them to hear "we come for you...", a split second before the field reaches critical mass, exploding outwards from the Marine, crippling the guardsmen.

 

You can't tell me that isn't a cool image. It seems the Chaos Codex had something good for the Night Lords after all!

[Rain]

Honestly I think you are reaching for straws to try to cover up an obvious gaff by the writers of the codex, but hey if it increases your enjoyment of the hobby then go with it, I think a lot of people lose sight of the ultimate fact that the fluff is what you make of it and canonicity should be a lesser consideration than your personal taste when designing your army.

[Lord_Caerolion]

I'm just trying to think around the fact that if Night Lords always have the lightning, the enemy just has to wait until it rains. Personally, I think most of the new fluff they added is kinda stupid, but this at least can be twisted a tiny bit to be really cool, so not so much grasping at straws as "hey, with a little work, thats a neat idea!" Actually, I'm kind of surprised at myself, defending one aspect of the Chaos codex for the Undivided Legions... I never thought that'd happen. The rest though...

[Rain]

Hehe, unlike Shirley Manson, your Night Lords would not be happy when it rains. That said, I thought that the lightning was always part of the terror markings that they were always known for, also http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/mediawiki/images/c/c1/NightLordPreHer.jpg

 

Which basically proves that pre-heresy NL had lightning on their armor and that it is not "coruscating energy" as I really really doubt a pre heresy legion would have had that sort of thing.

[chillin]

Yea, I think it's just another stupid thing in this dex, so the authors wouldn't actually have to bother with writing good stuff.

Lightning is and has long been a icon/symbol representing speed, power, and a destructive force, that's why the NL's PAINTED it on their armor.

 

"Hakanor's Reavers' armor burns with magical heat causing it to constantly crack and reforn like LAVA"...:cuss !!

Some of the stuff sounds like a 3rd grader made it up.

But if you like that bit and want to incorporate into your army's fluff then that's cool, if you like the imaginery of it.

[the jeske]

its one of those Thorpe ideas . Cool for him and maybe a 12 year old , but not someone who either knows some fluff or at least knows how hiding in the dark works . [not to mention the ionisetion of air around the NL could be traced with sensors etc . giving the NL something like an anti infiltration skill].

[Lord_Caerolion]

Yes, I know it was supposed to be painted on, I just thought it might also have since been adapted as yet another Night Lord terror tactic.

Just a note, I don't intend, and never did, for it to always be on. I know just as much as anybody that lightning would make them highly visible, and very easily tracked. If it had an option to be switched on for very brief periods of time though, it would help with psychological war. I do not agree with the Codexes implication that the lightning is always there, and I know that the lightning was painted onto their armour, but I'm just trying to tone down the extremity of the lightning-on-armour idea. Have it as something activated just as you charge into the enemy squad, rather than "sarge, they're behind the rocks over there, you can see the glow!"

[the jeske]

they cant switch it on or off , its not gear , but part of them being chaotic . what makes it even more stupid . but hey if salamanders can turn from huge jamaican guys in to red eye red hair deamon face guys .and it was like that for the last 20 years , GW just forgot to tell use [and their hvy metal team too , if I remember the codex armagedon well].

[Imperialis_Dominatus]

"Hakanor's Reavers' armor burns with magical heat causing it to constantly crack and reforn like LAVA"...:cuss !!

Some of the stuff sounds like a 3rd grader made it up.

But if you like that bit and want to incorporate into your army's fluff then that's cool, if you like the imaginery of it.

 

Hey, I actually liked that bit. Descriptive. Chaotic.

 

I do think the Night Lords' lightning thing should have been kept as paint. But hey, apparently all the background is lies, damn lies, and statistics now. Take it with a grain of salt.

 

Also I liked the Scourged, who hear every lie told by men. Has a lot of interesting narrative potential.

[Lord_Caerolion]

they cant switch it on or off , its not gear , but part of them being chaotic . what makes it even more stupid . but hey if salamanders can turn from huge jamaican guys in to red eye red hair deamon face guys .and it was like that for the last 20 years , GW just forgot to tell use [and their hvy metal team too , if I remember the codex armagedon well].

 

I hate to say it, but have you read my post? I don't like the fact that it's always on, so I'm presenting this "lightning-machine-in-the-armour" approach as a half-way point. Makes the current fluff more believable, and seem ok. I never said that was how GW presented it, I said GW presented it just as you said, a permanent feature of the armour, one likely to get them killed. I however, presented it as an addition to the painted lightning, and a feature of the armour that can be turned on or off. Please, read my post properly before calling it crud.

[Brother Nihm]

While your idea has merit LC I'm of the same opinion as Rain, it reeks of a muck-up on part of the authors.

I like the scene you described.

[Imperialis_Dominatus]

Maybe it's more a facet of the Night Lords who have forgotten the faces of their Father (Kurze) and turned wholly to Chaos. These might be seen by the Imperium to represent the whole- they are a bigoted bunch who are easily swayed by gross exaggerations and lies. Whereas the real Night Lords (**** Chaos! **** the Emperor! We're gonna scare the crap outta yous, then kill ya!) don't need no stinkin' lightning bolts.

[Lord_Caerolion]

I'd more put it as the "proper" version of this as the Chaos-y type, but I can imagine the Puritans doing this.

 

@Nihm: I know it reeks of author stupidity, I'm just working with what we've got.

[chillin]

Also I liked the Scourged, who hear every lie told by men. Has a lot of interesting narrative potential.

 

I have to agree w/ you on that.

[the jeske]

they cant switch it on or off , its not gear , but part of them being chaotic . what makes it even more stupid . but hey if salamanders can turn from huge jamaican guys in to red eye red hair deamon face guys .and it was like that for the last 20 years , GW just forgot to tell use [and their hvy metal team too , if I remember the codex armagedon well].

 

I hate to say it, but have you read my post? I don't like the fact that it's always on, so I'm presenting this "lightning-machine-in-the-armour" approach as a half-way point. Makes the current fluff more believable, and seem ok. I never said that was how GW presented it, I said GW presented it just as you said, a permanent feature of the armour, one likely to get them killed. I however, presented it as an addition to the painted lightning, and a feature of the armour that can be turned on or off. Please, read my post properly before calling it crud.

 

I never do unofficial fluff changes , only makes the new players confused . Sure I may hate stuff like that and the all happy chaos family and legions working hand in hand [something they didnt even do before or durning the heresy ] . Thorpe says they got real chaotic lighing dancing on their armor ? cool for him and sucks for me . also I dont get the fear aspect of the lightning , after some age [i would say 10] people stop being affraid of stuff like gun shots and lighting etc Or maybe its just me .

[Askari]

Maybe it's a gift of the chaos gods upon an entire legion instead of n individual. night lords have killed a lot of people and this could be something like daemonic aura of the old dex that gives them a deathly glow and serves to unnerve the enemy, not because it looks scary but because it causes them to feel terror just by looking at it like that warsmith's armor from Storm of Iron. Maybe all night lords are very low grade pyskers and produce the aforementioned field by themselves without trying.

[chillin]

. Thorpe says they got real chaotic lighing dancing on their armor ? cool for him and sucks for me . , after some age [i would say 10] people stop being affraid of stuff like lighting etc .

 

" I could hear the screams of those being slaughtered in the darkness. Then that horrible sound was drowned out by the whail of a jumppack. Directly in front of me droped a 7 foot tall killer, fullly armored, in his gauntleted hands a .50 cal pistol and a chainsaw. I wasn't scared at that point, but then some static electric charge dispursed across his armor and I pissed my pants and ran away in terror."

B)

Just the image I got in my head

[the jeske]

Maybe all night lords are very low grade pyskers and produce the aforementioned field by themselves without trying.

the NL legions was never a very psyker strong legion , there were always few sorc [and like in a lot of legions they didnt get much love from their brothers] . + they wouldnt have this aura if the lord wasnt near by [unless the lord was like an alfa+ lvl psyker , but there was never fluff about a NL like that ] .

 

Maybe it's a gift of the chaos gods upon an entire legion instead of n individual.

the thorpe fluff doesnt describe it as a gift from the gods [and considering not much is said about the NL view on , am assuming the old fluff is still true here] , its a generic chaos trait of each NL .

[Senseilord Ashahara]

Okay, I'm baffled as to how the 'lightning' isnt a cool and evocative image. And also why the molten plate of Harkon's reavers isnt.

I like the idea of occational traces of power arcing across the armour of my Night Lords (Not a full blown storm, just enough).

As to the "oh it'll get them killed and scanners etc etc" argument = the first whiff of Death Guard I get, I'm off, and that gives me a 3 mile head start against an infantry based army. It's also been discussed how chainswords would be an impractical and broadly useless weapon, as dangerous to the wielder as to the enemy and that ornate bright heladry will mark you out as a target to all and sundry and JESUS TAP DANCING CHRIST KIDS - IT'S A BLOODY GAME.

Suspend disbeilef and enjoy the imagery. Try fun, you nerdish fools.

[jlmb_123]

I thought the lightning was pretty daft when I first read it, but there's a great picture of a Nightlord in the new 40K rulebook, with little bits of lightning zapping around him, that looks just so cool. It really switched me on to the idea.

 

Also I liked the Scourged, who hear every lie told by men. Has a lot of interesting narrative potential.

 

 

"What are you doing in there? Are you all right?"

 

"Yeah, Mum. I'm just, uh, brushing my teeth."

 

"It doesn't sound like your brushing your teeth. Are you really brushing your teeth? You've been in there for about five minutes."

 

"Yeah, I am. Now drop it and leave me alone."

 

"If you say so. But I'm still sure you're not brushing your teeth, and I'll have no you know what-ing under my roof."

 

Scourged Space Marine: "Gross."

[Bloodstorm]

The Deathmongers exist to destroy and have raised whole worlds, ok guys!?... nuff said

[chillin]

. Try fun, you nerdish fools.

 

OMG, did you just call people nerds, b/c they disagreed with you on whether lightning armor and lava armor was cool, on little toy super marines in a minature game ???

;) :lol:

Oh, the hypocrisy..oh the irony :)

[Aarhus]

chillin, I believe it's more due to the fact that there are those who will tell people what they can, and cannot do with a fictional universe.

When someone tells someone else that they can or cannot do something in a hobby that's meant to be fun (and not to mention expensive), then don't tell them that it's wrong.

 

the jeske, I know you'll be the most vocal person, but anything written that is canon (whether it be fluff, the rules, or your National Code of Law), there are always huge, glaring errors written by the authors, or areas where it is so unclear on what to do, you might be doing two wrong things by doing nothing.

 

To me, the armour and lightning seem like an interesting idea that needs work. Keep elaborating on it, don't listen to any nay-sayers (ESPECIALLY if they're trying to use the current codex as proof)

 

Just like near everything from the previous codex, people have been alienated, words have been misconstrued, and the entire codex was a sham.

 

The authors claim they've made glaring errors in several places...

Now, when the authors claim that the book is complete trash, why cling to it so dearly as "canonical"!?

I'd rather start with little to nothing, build it from the ground up, and ensure I have my friends' approval (especially not hard to do with the Fluff, right?), rather than try to base your ideas on a terrible book.

 

 

Cheers,

Lawrence.

[Rain]

Wow the picture of the Night Lord in the new rulebook does indeed have lightning coming out of and not painted onto his armor, so I guess that makes this an official retcon and not just an isolated mis-statement. Really sad since of all legions, Night Lords should be the last to get any kind of outward manifestation of chaos.

[Lord_Caerolion]

Hence why I'm portraying it in a more sensible way as artificially-caused lightning, rather than "wow, you've done a good job at not worshipping us, here, have some lightning as a reward." I don't want to see my beloved Legion be turned from what we are. I'd like to keep our uniqueness, a Legion that became the tame monster of the Imperium, and was spurned for it, rather than be slowly turned into lightning covered Chaos-Raven Guard/White Scar wannabe's, which is unfortunately what GW seems to want to do to the Night Lords...