Japanese themed chapter

[shin-ryu-ken]

I want to do a Japanese themed chapter that incorporates all my favourite things (think Afro Samurai/Ghost in the Shell/Ninja Scroll/Sucker Punch ect) but am struggling with certain aspects of it. I know this has been talked about lots before but I'm not planning on changing the armour or anything drastic.

 

I'm planning on it being somewhere between samurai style combat oriented and uber high tech, sleek, ghost in the shell type look.

 

I want to use the Blood Angels codex as I am all about the close combat but am having a hard time with some aspects. I will chuck up some fluff and colour schemes and stuff later but in the meantime I would very much appreciate some help with the following:

 

Librarians/Chaplains/Sanguinary Priests - not really sure what to do with these, I'm thinking monks with robes but not sure how to differentiate apart from the colour of the armour. Seems a bit flimsy.

 

Sanguinary Guard - I'm not really sure what to do about these guys, I want to use them but don't know how to make them fit with the army. Thought about Tengu but doesn't really gell with the sleek, high tech look

 

Thanks in advance for the help

[Bjorn Firewalker]

For Ghost in the Shell references, I'd loot Codex: Necrons for Anrakyr the Traveller's "Mind in the Machine" special rule.

[CantonWC]

I'm not really sure how to help you with the gameplay stuff. This forum is more for background and story.

 

The only thing I can say is, please, please do something original. Don't just make it Samurai in Space. Here's something I just wrote for myself to help focus my thoughts on my own blog.

 

This is not a strictly Roman-themed Chapter. One thing that new writers tend to do, which I think is a mistake, is to base their Chapter on a culture... and have nothing else. Japanese-themed Chapters have samurai, Japanese names, katanas.... and nothing else. It's like a copy-paste of cultures, samurai in space or native americans in space. There's nothing original, no thought in it. It's like icing without a cake.

 

I have spent a long time forming the Dark Swords in my mind, and now they are just about ready to be committed to writing. Their soul, their character, their personality are already well formed. The Roman thing is not their end all and be all. It's their look, their aesthetic, layered on top of a already formed foundation.

 

Culture themes are fine, but there must be something original and interesting underneath.

 

CWC

[Olis]

Nice advice, Canton. Newbies would do well to heed that. ;)

 

 

As for what I can say - Space marines and our perception of high tech/sleek don't meld very well together, especially the kind of high tech/sleek that comes from anime. It would require you to be very well acquinted with the 40k universe before you can tinker with the aethetics of the adeptus astartes sucessfully, as their look and general appearance is quite singular, even from other Imperial forces.

 

That said, it is your chapter after all, so if you feel your army needs to have that unique look about it - we can't stop you. All we can do is give you the do's and don't's about how you can go about achieving it and, of course, our opinion.

[Wysten]

The first thing about making asisn themed armies, is to forget everything about anime and animes perception of everything and to dig deep into the real meat of the subject. Often by looking at history itself, the periodic weapons beyond the Katana and inputting elements into an army without making it too real life.

 

Thankfully, the entire honour thing fits in perfectly nicely without too much change. The diehard warrior aspect of not being willing to die can be implimented by the status of a famed warrior who inspires them to make the great scarifice for their imperium with mental condictioning to such an extent that they defy death itself, at least for a period of time. One on one duels can ecko the samuari without being so (marines fighting with thick wooden poles in an arena to prove their own mantle can produce such images) and that those who have irripairably damaged themselves, either precieved or relality (we failed to save this planet, so the entire of the surviving X company will become the point that leads the attack, only in death does duty end or until the debt is paid.)

 

Grieves weilded by the Sanguard are also weapons weilded by the samuari, as samurai were taught to be perficent in many a weapon, so having pole arms with large blades could create a sweeping storm of death, and perhaps these greives can mark out the truely exceptional from those still swinging chainswords about, and be treated as power fists, restrictive due to it's size but beautiful and effective.

 

 

I am rather tired, so perhaps this advice hasen't been what you are looking for, but you are in good hands. ^^

[shin-ryu-ken]

I appreciate all the historical stuff but I'm going for style over substance here :rolleyes: I know a fair bit about that but im more interested in a cool looking army really. I'm not planning on changing power armour or anything, just looking for some cool ideas. Kind of stuck with blue monks for libby's, black monks for chaplains ect

[Lodovico]

Gundamize them...