A discussion about better equipment.

[Captain Juan Juarez]

* snip *

 

 

Doubts do not a fact make, nor iron bars a cage... The Dark Angels are the only Chapter known to possess at least 100 suits.

 

TDA is the same as Deadnoughts: Only certain Forges can still produce them, so even if the turn around time isn't huge there are still realtively few worlds producing them for a thousand or so Chapters.

[Grey Hunter Ydalir]

My rule of thumb for TDA is thus:

 

If the Dark Angels are the only chapter able to safely field 100 suits of TDA without fear of losing their entire batch encountering losses, and that they are a first founding chapter, any DIY can not come anywhere close to these numbers.

 

Note: The Dark Angels would not be anywhere near as eager to even consider fielding 100 suits of TDA if they had no means to replace even one suit through battlefield attrition. That's not only stupid, but it's horrendously stupid. If they can field 100 suits at one time, I'd put their stocks at at least 150 all up.

 

The Ultramarines lost more than 100 suits in the battle for their homeworld against an entire hive fleet? Believable, especially considering they were a first founding chapter. If they had that many, never field that many and still have replacements left over many years afterwards (of which they still haven't been able to replace all of them yet, over 254 years ago) and the Dark Angels only have 100? Doesn't ring true.

 

A first founding chapter not only has the entire span of the Imperium under it's belt to acquire new suits of TDA, the political weight and long-standing relationship with the AdMech to be able to get quick replacements which all combine to having a huge advantage over any other chapter.

 

 

Lets move on to DIY's.

 

Why in the world would a new chapter - let's throw out any chapter of a founding under a thousand years old for argument's sake - get priority on new TDA? The older your chapter is the more weight it has to throw around and the more renowned it is for protecting the Imperium. I'd think that TDA is given perhaps as new suits maybe between 1 and 3 suits per shipment. Anything else is likely replacements for battlefield attrition and parts for maintenance.

 

I'd be more inclined to believe that a chapter would aquire more TDA from their parent chapter, or as a gift here and there from older, better equipped chapters as a sign of some extreme thanks or somesuch. Again though, only in ones or two's.

 

I like that Terminator armour has a rareness and mystique to it. Having a new chapter just somehow have 50 suits when First Foundings are barely scratching the 100's is a bit much in my eyes.

[Captain Juan Juarez]

I like that Terminator armour has a rareness and mystique to it. Having a new chapter just somehow have 50 suits when First Foundings are barely scratching the 100's is a bit much in my eyes.

 

I have never used a Founding lower than the Tenth, as far as I can recall.. I think 50 is a safe number throughout the entire Chapter.

[NightrawenII]

Ahem

 

*Looks in the Codex: Space Marines 4th edition*

 

Aspire to Glory - Drawback

A recently founded Chapter may take centuries to aquire such rare equipment (Dread's and TDA) and, should battle losses be heavy, replacements are not readily available.

 

May take only 0-1 selection in total from the following list: Dreadnought, Terminator Squad.

 

May not take any Terminator Command Squads or Assault Terminators. May not take Terminator Armour as Wargear.

 

++++

I would say 15 TDA suits at best for new Chapter and 1 suit per 100 years for older Chapters.

[Marshal Renatus]

@ NightrawenII: It does say "may" and that would be a chosen disadvantage.

 

I agree with everything you all are saying. I think TDA should be low numbers for a new chapter, but Foundings are planned events. So it would only make sense that new chapters provisions would be produced well before their creation. And the HLoT aren't going to want a chapter that can barely field any termies. The veterans in their TDA are the anvil to the chapters hammer, or reversed if you like. I just think 15 suits is too few. Maybe 50 is the top end, but minimum I'd day a DIY creator could/shouldbe able to count on at least 25 suits. 15 suits would be like saying a new chapter got 1 Land Raider. Or 2 Landspeeders. Or 15 plasma guns. All of those are rare too, but integral to SM warfare. If you have too few it would hinder the new chapter immensely, and you've got to figure the HLoT and the AdMech would know that and prevent it.

 

Just my thoughts.

[A_POINTED_STICK]

The thing is that Space Marines are the rarest things ever. I'm sure they could all have Terminator Armor if they wanted it, but they don't. It's only useful in certain circumstances.

 

In my version of the universe where things make sense there'd be Terminator Armor for everyone and several suits per marine which are favored because TDA is generally slow and cumbersome. I'd also have ten thousand man chapters. But I can't control GW.

[NightrawenII]

@ NightrawenII: It does say "may" and that would be a chosen disadvantage.

Of course it is chosen disadvantage, you are chosing to play a recently founded Chapter.

 

I agree with everything you all are saying. I think TDA should be low numbers for a new chapter, but Foundings are planned events. So it would only make sense that new chapters provisions would be produced well before their creation. And the HLoT aren't going to want a chapter that can barely field any termies. The veterans in their TDA are the anvil to the chapters hammer, or reversed if you like. I just think 15 suits is too few. Maybe 50 is the top end, but minimum I'd day a DIY creator could/shouldbe able to count on at least 25 suits. 15 suits would be like saying a new chapter got 1 Land Raider. Or 2 Landspeeders. Or 15 plasma guns. All of those are rare too, but integral to SM warfare. If you have too few it would hinder the new chapter immensely, and you've got to figure the HLoT and the AdMech would know that and prevent it.

While keeping the already existing Chapter sufficiently supplied. This is the case, when the demand outgrows the supply. The new Chapters can't get enough TDA because there is not enough spare TDA.

 

"Your order was added on the list "Waiting for fulfilment". If the goods, you have requested, will not be delivered within the next millenium. Please, contact our Customer Service. Thank you for purchasing the products of the Adeptus Mechanicus." - or something like that.