Night lords

[skawolf]

So, I have been a fantasy player for quite a long time, but have just started with 40k, so bear with me if this is common knowledge or has been asked before as I couldn't find anything regarding it.

 

I always looked through the 40k models and skimmed through the codexes (I don't care if you say codecii) and the Night lords always caught my eye and I thought "oh hey cool! vampire chaos marines.". Well I just read their lexicanum article and it seems as though my assumption was wrong. The question being, am I correct in that Konrad Kruze ruled his planet as basically a "Batman" type of character? A batwing loving vigilante and the such lead me to think that.

 

Also, would it be heretical to use the blood angels codex to represent Night lords? :) (I winked, but seriously, do you think folks would complain?)

[Ulfast]

In some way you are right that Konrad was very much similiar to Batman. But a very dark batman as he usually killed any that was not doing a he wanted and he did so in horribly ways, like flaying people etc. But the basic is correct (according to me).

 

As using Night lords as BA, myself don´t like it but I know a lot of people that think it´s ok. So in the end, it´s up to you and your friends.

[Legatus]

Yeah, Curze was more of a batman-type vigilante back wehn growing up on his homeworlds (the Blood Angels are the 40K Vampires). After being reunited with his Legion he insturcted them that intimidation and terror were potent tools, and the Legion used that during the Great Crusade to great effect. However, as the Legion unfortunately became infused more and more with criminals, that turned to wanton terror and bloodshed just for the fun of it, which in the end led to the Legion's fall.

The Night Lords of today prefer to attack vulnerable worlds with weak defenses and after having destroyed their defensive forces proceed to slaughter the population for sports.

 

 

A lot of people have brought up the idea that the Blood Angels Codex may be suited to play Night Lords, mainly for one single reason: It allows the use of jump pack units as Troops. However, others shake their head at the idea to use a loyalist Codex to represent traitors, as the loyalists' 'And They Shall Know No Fear' is traditionally the major distinguishing element between loyal Marines and traitor Marines. Also, while the past rule incarnations for the Night Lords had allowed them to use more raptor units than the other Legions (four instead of the 0-1 Raptors were usually limited to), they were never able to use them as Troops, so one might argue that a Chaos Space Marine army list like the current one that does not limit the use of Raptors to 0-1 is already allowing to build a Night Lord army, and a different army list that allows the use for jump packs as Troops would not really be appropriate at all.

[skawolf]

I was thinking about the "and they shall know no fear" rule, I figured if I were to take Astoroth as my HQ I would have a good chance at eliminating this rule. So others have brought up the BA as night lords, I wasn't aware of that ;)

 

Thanks for the answers to the "batman" question. I think I am adding Night lords to my list of armies to make, but god knows when I get around to them Chaos will have a new codex and the Blood angels question will probably not be an issue.

[Magnus Thane]

Konrad before his fall of grace was a bit of a mix of a very grim Batman combined with a Predator (as in the movie Predator I and II).

A relentless hunter using terror, fear, psychological warfare to impose his will.

Night Lords are quite interesting in that regard. If Alpha Legion could be called the saboteurs and spies of Chaos, the Night Lords are their infamous assassins.

I am vastly simplifying of course but that's the basic layer of it.

[skawolf]

With evey response I get on here I am loving the Night lords more and more. Thanks a bunch guys.

 

Now to solve the issue of the night lord heads, do they look as stupid in real life as they do in the pictures? I am into having bat wings on the heads, but I am not sure I like how GW executed it on the models.

[Artein]

http://www.blacklibrary.com/Images/Product...Soul-Hunter.jpg

 

http://www.blacklibrary.com/Images/Product...one-of-Lies.jpg

 

http://www.blacklibrary.com/Images/Product...lood-Reaver.jpg

 

As you can see, you can use normal heads, without wings.

[Legatus]

I don't have any winged helmets in my Night Lords army. But then I was playing them before they got their own squad box. Using one or two such helmets per squad might work out ok, but having an entire squad with those helmets run around just looks silly. Just IMHO.

[Brother Ironheart]

Maybe one night lords upgrade pack is fine, but if your skilled enough try the Warhammer Fantasy vampire counts grave guard, they have plenty of winged skulls for banner tops, and even the banner itself is nightlord-ish. Use the "beaked" helm also!!!

Also make sure to get the helmets with the skull mask, which is perfect for night lords. As long as it looks terrifying, or the face is painted skull white it will work. Also those little spikes with the impaled skull glued to shoulderplates, backpacks, and even the chest work.

Night lords use alot of trophy racks, winged skull icons, lightning claw weapons. and one of the most important: The mysterious lightning that flickers across their armour is very important.

Deamons are seldom used, because i have read they dont really trust them, raptors enslave furies though.

Raptors and bikers are used, remember bloodthirsty hunters.

I remember from the newist loyalist space marines, that one story tells how the night lords nailed dead loyalists to their rhinos with their ribs split open.

[skawolf]

I just did a successfull merging of a vampire counts skellie skull with a space marine helmet to make my custom chaplain last night, I might try doing the same with the grave guard, that sounds nice..... Now would my loyalist jump packs ruin the look of the army? (I have about thiry loyalist jump packs) I would like to get the old school turbine looking ones from forge world, but finances might rule on this one.

 

As far as the codex goes, I have some pros and cons for each:

Chaos:

PRO: I wouldn't get any crap from anyone for running night lords using the chaos codex.

 

PRO: I could finally use the 20 furries I bought 6 years ago that have been kicking it in a box in my closet for 5 of those years.

 

CON: I would have to buy the Chaos codex again (I gave mine to a kid who was getting into the game, he had limited funds so I helped him not have to spend an extra $30 on a codex...... A side note to self, you are getting old when you call a 24 year old a kid)

 

CON: I wouldn't get to run as many raptor and bike squads as I want to, limited to three fast attack choices.

 

Blood angels:

Pro: Assault squads as troops lets me field a full three fast attack slots full of bikes if I so wish and up to six "raptor squads". My fast attack section is always the first to fill up in my army list, this helps a lot.

 

Pro: After reading the short story with the night lords in "heroes of the space marines" I would want some sort of flyer in my army, enter the storm raven.

 

PRO/CON: I am already pretty good with my blood angels, and this army would just be some sort of varience to my normal list (my list minus the baal preds, vindicator, 2 speeders and razorback squad, but with bikes added)

 

Con: I dont want to hear it from my friends who apparently think that all power armor armies are weak/non-competitive/cheesey/overpowered complaining when I kick their collective asses with a new power armored army (well this is a con for both, I am known for collecting marine armies, note that collecting part, I have only recently started playing, but have been collecting them from 3rd ed.). I just really like painting power armor and tanks.