DIY: The Vanquishers

[Valgan]

Hi everyone. In the last few days my head was filled with only one idea - DIY chapter. It came a long way...

 

Videocard on my computer burned out as I played Fallout 3 (damn game). After that I was left with NOGAEMS :wub: So I downloaded the Sega Mega Drive emulator and decided to re-play some games I played long ago and look for those I never saw. So I stumbled upon one old game called "The Weaponlord". As I started to play, I've chosen the first character - a brawny barbarian with a sword. I played the storyline and it was great. BUT, that was not the end and he didn't left my head so easily.

Combined thoughts of that barbarian, Korr, and the barbarian from Diablo 2 gave me a thought - at first for just one model, heavily converted, a barbaric - like space marine with trophies and fangs and claws taken from the slain, without armor on one of his hands (Khârn?), and with powersword. And helmetless with facepaint and pigtail (or having his helmet half painted and a pigtail on it.)

After that came the idea of such a barbaric chapter, which would rely on close combat, praise great warriors, and so on.

 

SO here's the collection of my ideas:

 

1. They have barbaric beliefs - the Emperor is the greatest warrior who ever lived, so they praise him most of all as father and an example. They believe that when you take trophy - you take the soul of the slain, use warpaint and tribal tattoos, believe in spirits and so on.

2. They LOVELOVELOVE close combat, so most of them will forgo bolter for a fine blade (or have one always).

3. They have strong codex of honor, for denying which warrior can be punished - from the isolation for some time to total banishment from chapter.

4. They count other space marines as the toughest and strongest and worthiest of all opponents.

 

Thats all I could gather for now. I'd like to use Asterion Moloc as a chapter master's profile. If there is any power\artificer armored character w/ Eternal Warrior - tell me, maybe I will change my mind.

 

here's some pics of Korr

 

 

http://cs9606.vkontakte.ru/u22240777/92761095/x_ca0a29ec.jpghttp://cs9606.vkontakte.ru/u22240777/92761095/x_b66c46e5.jpghttp://cs9606.vkontakte.ru/u22240777/92761095/x_81d27e8e.jpghttp://cs9606.vkontakte.ru/u22240777/92761095/x_10b7306f.jpg

 

 

and Barbarian goodness.

 

 

http://cs9606.vkontakte.ru/u22240777/92761095/x_3f8f9ed8.jpghttp://cs9606.vkontakte.ru/u22240777/92761095/x_addfdb94.jpghttp://cs9606.vkontakte.ru/u22240777/92761095/x_5e043c38.jpg

(Whoa, looks like Kratos also has something common with my idea!)

http://img202.imageshack.us/img202/3795/kratosnbarbarian.jpghttp://cs9606.vkontakte.ru/u22240777/92761095/x_c7a126ca.jpg

 

[Yaj]

Sounds like a good idea.

 

What are there thoughts on chaos marines?

 

Do other chapters view them as honourable, if savage, warriors or simply with disgust?

 

Perhaps you could have a particular marine who has been banished from the chapter and turned to chaos? this could add to the background and open it up for further exploration.

 

Can an exiled marine ever return? are there particular trials he must take to regain his honour?

 

are you perhaps planning on using the Space Wolves codex to represent them on the table top? Since that could be used to reflect the strong close combat theme.

 

thats all I can think of for now.

[Valgan]

Thanks for the questions.

 

They view Chaos Space Marines as weaklings, who failed to fight off the corruption and find strength inside and took it from the Warp, and , more than that, they view them as a betrayers of their codex of honor.

 

Other chapters.. that depends. I think that most chapters, though viewing their beliefs quite lowly, will admire their codex of honor and martial prowess. If Space Wolves can see them somehow common, so Ultramarines will see them too barbaric, unruly and irrational. But Imperial fists, despising their beliefs, will admire their honorable views of battle, and so on.

 

yeah, thought of the exiles gathering into a chaos warband, though I'm still thinking of the details.

 

Yes, but I also though of Black Templars, though Space Wolves seem more suitable to me. Though that forces me to play out something about their acute senses and counter attack instead of Asterions' Preferred enemy against marines. :)

[ChaplainMathreyn]

So what do they bring to the table that is different? It sounds like a basic Chapter with, abit of Space Wolfish/World Eater thrown in for good measure...

 

The Salamanders are tribal, and they brand their skin to show their prowess. The Ultramarines and Imperial Fists are more "honorable"... And that is pretty dang subjective, too...

 

All I see is "Conan-in-Spaaaaace"... Which... Leaves me with the taste of 'Meh' on my tongue...

 

1. Many Space Marine Chapters view the Emperor as the pinnacle of man and warrior... How is yours different? And you also need to be careful... There was a Chapter, whose name escapes me, who worshiped the Emperor through and as, a snake totem, and were hunted down and excommunicated for it, too. But trophy-taking is certainly alright... I'd like to see a Space Marine Captain with an Ork, Eldar and genestealer's heads hanging from his backpack... Heh heh heh.

 

2. I'd say 'preferred'... And forgoing a bolter for a sword is a waste of your resources... Space Marines are the pinnacle of martial prowess and near god-like humanity... Having them charge in to just get butchered by long-range Xenos weaponry is foolish... This sounds more like something the World Eaters would do, charge blindly into an enemy's guns, then break-through and slaughter...

 

3. This...Sounds interesting... As penance for transgressions, they are "sent away"... Maybe off on a quest, where the Elders, or whoever exiled them, hope they die... Especially useful for troublesome brother-Marines...

 

4. Hi, welcome to the Space Marines. With severe genetic modification and manipulation, Space Marines already ARE the pinnacle of humanity... They don't Have to Think they are, they Are-Are... Does the view carryover to the citizens of the Imperium, then? You are nothing but a weak-willed and bodied being. You should be Honored we spend time protecting you, sort of thing?

 

Overall, the only thing that strikes me is the Conan-in-Space theme, especially from your pictures. But nothing else strikes me as "Wowza!"

[Yaj]

Personally I wouldn't worry to much if they are simliar to some more established chapters at the moment. You can always change the background to make them more unique as you create it.

 

You might find it useful to research the cultures of past such as thoughs of central America (Incas, Aztecs, Mayans etc) who practised ritual sacrifice. You could also have the humans of your homeworld (assuming they have one) following a blood-cult of many savage gods each of whom is an aspect of the Emperor these beliefs could then be 'absorbed' into the chapter as it recruits from the populace.

[elohimalpha]

While I agree with ChaplainMathreyn that the Chapter is a little one-dimensional right now, I think it's a great start and has a lot of potential for something interesting. You have some pretty clear points, and keeping those in mind as you expand on your ideas will help a lot. And besides, most "official" Chapters started equally one-sided; you can still see it in their backgrounds and fluff. A word of caution going forward: don't let the game's rules dictate the character of your Chapter. Decisions about what special characters and codex to use shouldn't really enter in to the whole creation process, otherwise you wind up with the "my Chapter is pretty much the XXXXX, but with different colors". That's no fun (but if you have to use a special codex, I'd suggest Blood Angels - lots of close combat units and fast/assault choices, plus you can use the Red Thirst/Black Rage rules as some some bloodlust ritual (etc). Doesn't mean your boys have to have anything to do with those goth-vampire-angels).

 

There, now that that's over, on to the ideas!

 

I like the emphasis on close combat prowess, but it could have some negative effects on your Chapter (namely being shot to bits before you ever reach the enemy). Perhaps bearing a blade in combat is an honor reserved for the more seasoned veterans or Brothers of exemplary courage and service, an honor that all Marines aspire to. The Brothers who haven't gained any particular honor could be given bolters (or heavy weapons) and forced to kill from a distance - less honorable than watching their enemies life flee from their bodies (and so on). Following this, the ultimate honor would be carrying no ranged weapons in to battle, reserved for Terminators and Captains (etc.). This way, you can still explain why a decent portion of your Marines carry guns at all.

 

This leads to a further question: vehicles. If all your Brothers want to jump in to close combat, how do they regard tanks? I'm assuming Dreadnoughts would be highly honored, since they can still fight on

 

Love the trophy taking idea - will make for some great-looking models!

 

Strong sense of honor - ok, but pretty much all Marines have that in some fashion or another. How do they define "honor"? Do they protect all human life, or do they regard civilians as sheep, too weak to defend themselves (I'm trying to have Barbarian-thoughts here)? It seems that your Chapter values strength and fighting, so it's hard to picture them having much respect for those that can't/won't fight. What is it about their beliefs that the Imperial Fists despise?

 

Banishment - cool idea. This could give you a chance to play with the role of the Chaplains in your Chapter, to give them power that most other Chapters can't. Maybe there's some moon or Death-world the banished are sent to, and if they can cross the world without any armor/gear, they've proven the physical and spiritual purity, and are ready to rejoin the Chapter. As far as permanent exile, why wouldn't the Chapter just execute the offending Brother? Seems a lot cleaner than allowing him to maybe turn to Chaos - most Chaplains would do it without question.

 

Space Marines as toughest and the strongest - well, yeah! Does this mean they seek to prove themselves against other Chapters? Would they attack a Chapter they thought weak? Not really sure how this ties in to the Chapter, unless it's again a question of who they honor.

 

I like Yaj's idea of the aspects of the Emperor being worshiped as "savage gods" - really resonates with the feel of these guys. Perhaps as sacrifices they can offer up captured enemies (the stronger the better). Human sacrifices and blood rites earn you a big red Excommunicated stamp from the Inquisition about three seconds before they show up to ruin your fun, so if you are holding human blood rituals, make sure it's super secret. Also, the Aztec/Inca/Mayan cultures offer a lot of untapped artistic areas . . . could be a great way to differentiate your models on the tabletop.

 

So, great start, and keep writing while your enthusiasm is high. Don't worry about the small stuff yet - your readers will do that for you! Looking forward to more

[Captain Forcystus]

What gene seed were you thinking of going with for these guys? So far they seem cool but I think they would work best with a gene seed that sort of lends itself to a more savage/barbaric kind of feel.

[Ecritter]

Kahn !!!!

[ChaplainMathreyn]

Totally Guilliman... ;)

[Valgan]

Whoa, so much C&C :woot: Thank you, I appreciate your help :D

 

Well, let's sort the questions out.

 

Their honor codex states much about one-on-one fair fights, staying against impossible odds - retreat is quite dishonorable. Respect your enemy , if he is strong enough, regardless of who he is (that's the part I think most of the Imperium would despise, not only Imperial Fists). If you ever played MGS, such relations were between Gray Fox and Solid Snake, and in the final fight of MGS4 between Liquid Ocelot and Solid Snake

<-here's the video if you like to see what im talking about, the idea is in the very end of it

. Face the enemy head on, no stealth or infiltration or sneaky stuff, thats too tricky to be honorable. They have no written down collection of rules, rather they bring those warriors whose deeds they see as dishonorable to a chapter council which decide their fate and judge their feats.

 

They see themselves as the ultimate warriors (I don't mention "of humanity", there is very little human left in SM), capable of bringing utter devastation upon the Emperors foes, so thats their joy and their holy duty. They try not to interfere with the civilians and work like sole slayers of the foe, that what I think. In relations with humans they count them unworthy and incapable of mighty feats of bravery, except a bunch of incredible heroes such as Yarrick, Straken and some more. To those who can prove themselves in the eyes of these barbarians upon the field of battle, they may grant some kind of honor - a gift, token of undisputed strength and bravery. They don't see themselves as defenders, no. They do protect humanity in some form, if you annihilate the threat, it won't attack anymore,right? :P

 

They see Emperor as a Warrior - God. And such are they, the warrior gods. But to prove that this statement is true, every warrior of the chapter must slay the strongest of the foes and show feats of inhuman bravery - to earn a body is an honor, but to show that you know how to use it brings far more respect. So , to earn place next to the Emperor, is to fight, and fight the mightiest enemies. Only those members of the chapter who brought proof of their deed to the chapter keep is accounted. Those slain before proving themselves are counted as lost souls. They believe that "God helps those who help themselves" and "Put your trust in God but keep your powder dry" .

 

Idea of banishment and everything connected is still there in my head, but I'm quite ill right now, so I can't think of anything proper.

 

P.S. DERP name The Vanquishers has been already taken, so they will be Blade Bearers I think :)

 

P.P.S. Yeah the geneseed should be barbaric, so it will be Khan I think. And of transport and terminators. I though of extensive use of rhinos and land raiders, though I'd like to see minimum of Terminators in this chapter.