How i would sort Istvaan 5

[sporty313]

Hello all, Just like to say i have just finished the latest HH book to date and am thoroughly enjoying it so far, however one thing keeps niggling at the back of my mind........ is why did the loyalist factions not just just virus bomb Istvaan V in retaliation

 

If i remember correctly there wasn't much life if any there or maybe as the emperor banned such weapons they werent used ????

 

However i shouldn't complain as if the traitors were snuffed out in a oner i wouldn't still be reading the series!

[Tyear]

You have to understand the mindset of the Loyalists, here is Horus, Warmaster of the Emperor's Legions, Favored son of the Imperium who just backstabbed you, killed off part of his legion and Virusbombed Istvaan III.

 

What would you rather do, exact painful and costly judgment on him, in the way of dropping Virus bombs, who for all we know could have about as much effect as swatting at a fly? (Who's not to say the Heretics couldn't hide underground, the same way the Death Guard did), And throw away a lot of ammunition in the form of Virus Bombs, who really are fairly rare if I recall correctly.

 

In my eyes, the only way to get Horus of Istvaan was to go down to the planet and crack open his defenses, they had one of the best legion, Iron Warriors to do that, there was really no way to tell that the assault to the planet would go so poorly, made even worse by the 4 legions at their butt deciding to turn Traitor the moment they landed.

[Vissah]

Ferrus Manus says in the book that he wants to take out Fulgrom himself and not bomb him cause he finds it dishonourable, if memero serves me right.

[Tutteman]

That loyalists do bomb the traitor positions before hand if my memory serves, but more as a shock and awe assault to try and throw them off, as noted already, Horus has had 6 months to prepare and he HAS to be aware of how effective virus bombs are on unsuspecting troops and in contrast, how uneffective they can be on troops in air tights bunkers. Solution, think it through and with 6 months, he can do a damm lot of forting up.

 

EDIT: Good question though, never really thought about it before now :)

[Custodian Athiair]

also becuase only horus and the emperor had the power to order the use of Virus Bombs, becuase of how powerful they really are

and as the Emp wasn't there and Horus was the going to be bombed they kind of had to decend onto the planet

 

Athiair :)

[Skirax]

Plus, even before the end of the Istvaan III incident, Horus sent Fulgrim over to No. 5, secure it, then begin fortifying it. By the time Horus had arrived, a fortress was already being built, and then he made it a massive complex, capable of fending of (possibly) 5 Legions, but luckily he didn't have to face that.

[Tutteman]

Whilst I guess you're right Athiair I expect that on a "My authority, I'll clear it with daddy retrospectively" basis, they could have done it, but then again we I don't think it would have been very effective given Horus' prep time and his experience of how it can be negated.

 

Also remember Fulgrim virus bombs several eldar maiden worlds in pure rage etc. So others can get a hold of the stuff and use it, it's just offically only Horus and Emperor who can order it but others can de facto order it, as Fulgrim proved.

[Captain Juan Juarez]

Because when you are betrayed, you want to see the look in the betrayers eyes as he realises why he's dying.

[sporty313]

You have to understand the mindset of the Loyalists, here is Horus, Warmaster of the Emperor's Legions, Favored son of the Imperium who just backstabbed you, killed off part of his legion and Virusbombed Istvaan III.

 

What would you rather do, exact painful and costly judgment on him, in the way of dropping Virus bombs, who for all we know could have about as much effect as swatting at a fly? (Who's not to say the Heretics couldn't hide underground, the same way the Death Guard did), And throw away a lot of ammunition in the form of Virus Bombs, who really are fairly rare if I recall correctly.

 

In my eyes, the only way to get Horus of Istvaan was to go down to the planet and crack open his defenses, they had one of the best legion, Iron Warriors to do that, there was really no way to tell that the assault to the planet would go so poorly, made even worse by the 4 legions at their butt deciding to turn Traitor the moment they landed.

 

 

Yeh true! i suppose there is is the whole "seeing the whites of their eyes, before exacting sweet revenge thing" gotta admit the way things panned out in the book made for better reading also.

 

On a seperate train of thought though, I suppose things could have also been worse for the Loyaliysts had the Lion & co not prevented the seige machines from Diamat making it to Istvaan V or were they souly intended for an attack on Terra?

[Tyear]

The Iron Warriors picked the siege machines from Diamat up before the battle of Istvaan as far as I know, so I'm fairly sure those also reaped a heavy cost on the Loyalists at Istvaan.