Post Heresy Evolution

[Castlerook]

First of all, I'd like to apologise if this isn't in the appropriate forum.

 

We've all read topics where people have discussed who may have initiated the Heresy if Horus had remained loyal, or which Legions would have turned to the various powers.

 

My topic is somewhat different, in that I want to discuss how the switched (Loyalist to Traitor and vice versa) Legions may have evolved after the end of the Heresy. We know the Dark Angels have the Deathwing & Ravenwing, the Space Wolves Great Companies all self contained units with their own terminators, assault squads, etc and the infamous Death Company of the Blood Angels. But lets assume a Mirror-Heresy had taken place, who had led the Heresy doesn't matter, the Loyalists are rebuilding, and situations have shown a need to evolve how they conducted war. Each Legion would probably create units which used the best of their abilities, e.g. Alpha Legions Stealth/ Use of Multiple Attack Points etc.

 

Simply state a Legion from the list below, and just say how you think they would fight wars for the Emperor. What units do you think they'd create, unique to their legion. Just try not to replace one Chapter with a Legion, eg, Night Lords would not operate like Dark Angels, just try to make it unique.

 

Emperor's Children

Iron Warriors

Night Lords

World Eaters

Death Guard

Thousand Sons

Sons of Horus

Word Bearers

Alpha Legion

 

Just to give an example

 

Night Lords - After the Heresy the Night Lords were called upon to help quell rebellions on worlds which sided with the Traitors. Realising that they would have to act fast, Konrad divided his legion into as many battlegroups as he could. The Night Lords made use of the limited jump packs not damaged in the Heresy to swiftly move for warzone to warzone, as well as small units of highly trained Night Lords to assassinate key leaders of the rebellions.

 

As stability settled in the Imperium once again, Konrad, like all his brother Primarchs, went about rebuilding his Legion. Having suffered many casulties during and following the Heresy, Konrad was left with a hardened cadre of Space Marines, Marines who excelled in the area of jump-pack warriors. Taking these warriors, as well as the assassin squads, he formed the Talons of the Night, warriors who embodied the skills Konrad had learned, they would be in the terror in the night, the first to bring the Emperor's Justice to the His enemies.

 

 

This was just an example, very rough and thought off the top of my head (and yes, it does seem very much like the Raven Guard, it was an accident), pick a legion (or legions if you prefer) and just imagine how their elites may have been formed, or would they have to rapidly change tactics to the circumstances of the Heresy. Would the legions have designed new tanks instead of the likes of the Predator Annihilator or the Baal, could there be a flame throwing version?

 

Just post your opinions, and remember, legions from the list above only. The "what-if" Traitors have been discussed enough.

[Lucius6]

Emperor's Children: In the anarchy of the post-hersey, the Emperor's Children were called apon to help restore order in imperial worlds ravaged by the traitors. The utter strive for perfection by Fulgrim was seen by the Emperor as a good example to the disheartened citizens. To help replace losses in the war, the legion drew recruits from from the worlds they protected. The recruits that survived the rigourus induction process are formed into Talon squads or Rising Pheonix squads. The squads are led by chaplians, and aim to hone the young marines skills in all forms of combat and usally take high death tolls. Once the process is done, the legion promotes the survivors into tactical marines, although they are often more skilled than other legions tactical marines. This unorthodox training phase leaves the legion with less marines than the others, but their sheer skill makes up for that.

 

I'd like to see others responces to this thread :P

[Hobo Willie]

You need to lay down the ground rules, really. Also, for Legions like the Night Lords or World Eaters, it would heavily depend on why they weren't like they are in the 40k canon. Which Primarchs died in the Heresy? Is the Emperor interned on the Golden Throne? If so, do the High Lords seize power? Or do the surviving Primarchs? Does one of the surviving Primarchs write a book similar to the Codex Astartes (I'd say either Lorgar or Fulgrim would be prime candidates for that, if they had survived)? Were any Legions severely depleted (Such as the Sallies and RG at Istvaan in 40k canon)?

[Castlerook]

Grounds Rules & Background

 

1 - Use only Legions listed above (There are books upon books written about the normal loyalists).

2 - Those Primarchs who are still alive in the Mainstream 40k universe are assumed to have survived in this chat (Horus, Night Haunter & Alpharius are dead).

3 - The Emperor is interred into the Golden Throne. Something tells me that man was destined for that chair.

4 - Assume that the Codex Astartes was a joint effort by the Survivors (avoids any arguments about who would write it).

5 - If you want to decide which legions would be depleted through the Heresy, the most likely would be the World Eaters (just through their methods), Emperor's Children (assuming that they had just gotten to a reasonable strength when the Heresy broke out), Thousand Sons (Geneseed starting to destabilise, mutations starting to occur before it could be stabilised).

6 - A version of the High Lords is installed in the aftermath of the Heresy, as the Primarchs realise that one man cannot rule in the place of the Emperor, they choose those of the Emperor's servents best suited to rule until the Emperor could be healed (not as if thats going to happen)

 

These are only guidelines, this is just a what-if topic, so use your own judgement for your ideas. And remember, this isn't a serious topic, its just for a it of fun.

 

(And yes, I do realise Night Haunter is alive in my example above, its only an example).

[Brother-chaplain Astador]

You need to lay down the ground rules, really. Also, for Legions like the Night Lords or World Eaters, it would heavily depend on why they weren't like they are in the 40k canon. Which Primarchs died in the Heresy? Is the Emperor interned on the Golden Throne? If so, do the High Lords seize power? Or do the surviving Primarchs? Does one of the surviving Primarchs write a book similar to the Codex Astartes (I'd say either Lorgar or Fulgrim would be prime candidates for that, if they had survived)? Were any Legions severely depleted (Such as the Sallies and RG at Istvaan in 40k canon)?

 

Its just a minor heresy

 

For purposes of the thread lets just assume all the legions are depelted, yet they all remain loyal..

 

Basically, if Sanguinius wasn't killed during the heresy, the black rage would not effect the BA today, which would change how they fight...

 

The Iron hands, may be a completely different chapter to what they would be if Mannus was still alive

 

The Dark angels would no longer be consumed with their hunt for the fallen, caliban would still be in existance...

 

You see?

 

Questions like you asked about would the primarchs writing a book are what this thread is about, maybe you think Fulgrim would have written a Codex Imperator or something along those lines for example...

 

Might aswell assume its a heresy started by the imperial gaurd regiments & mars I suppose..

 

+

 

Nice thread, I will think of something and report back ^_^

 

*edit*

 

After seeing your above post, I'd hardly call it minor :P

 

Suppose most of what I said is obselete now, hmm, will come back with ideas nevertheless..

[Castlerook]

Yeah, might have helped if you read the whole thread first ;) , I'm joking.

 

This is just meant to be a light hearted topic, nothing too deep.

 

I'm sure everyone has kinda thought of something along these lines, so just post what you think the enemies of the Imperium would face if the Heresy had started a different way. How or who started the mirror heresy doesn't matter, all I'm looking for is after, your opinions of what each mirror Primarch would have done, or if they were killed, what their successors would have done. Just follow the guidelines noted above.