Mutations and Marines

[Julgolax]

I've been thinking about Chaos Space Marines and mutations and I want to get some things straight. Now the nature of the warp is always going to be "random" as is the nature of chaos itself but most of the time those who worship the Dark Gods I would think are more likely to be protected from mutation and harm than rather encouraging it, especially when you have a clear-thinking lord leading your host of warriors, or a psychic in need of proper servants to further his causes. Possessed devotees aside, I feel it's appropriate to have an army of mostly intact warriors. Though they are "warp tainted" I mainly take that as a metaphor for devotees of Chaos rather than irradiated and mutating. I dunno, I just honestly dislike the idea of all my chaos marines having tentacles, random growths, bony spikes coming out of their armor plates, et cetra.

 

I would like to hear what you other dark lords have to say about it. Do you think mutation and deformity is a constant necessity or do you see it more-so as a sign of weakness before the Gods of Chaos as I do?

[Olis]

I think, when renegades and traitors are exposed to the warp for the amount of time that Imperials would undoubtedly deem unhealthy, it becomes a matter of inevitability rather than choice as to when you get a mutation. How long it takes is down to individual circumstance but some may wish to stave off such effects while others actively encourage it. Is it a weakness? Like I said, depends on the situation. Is it necessary? Usually not, I think, but there will be times when there are no other options besides death.

[Clewz]

we are all playthings of the gods, no ones safe

[Killax]

Go with the flow.

 

[Rune Priest Ridcully]

Got a mutation problem? Has that unsightly tentacle epidemic made your warband the laughing stock of the black Crusade?

Fear not! For Chief Librarian Ahriman's Patented Ruberic is sure to keep all embarressing and annoying mutations away and to cure all the existing ones in your warband for ever once applied. For the all time low cost of a strike cruiser/10,000 healthy slaves/hundred suits of power armour/10 of terminator plate/open to discussion, we of the Thousand sons can apply this ruberic to your warband and BAM! The mutation is gone!

(Ruberic may cause slight dustiness and cases of armour sealing, turning you into dust, no refunds.)

[voi shet magir]

I just honestly dislike the idea of all my chaos marines having tentacles, random growths, bony spikes coming out of their armor plates, et cetra.

 

I would like to hear what you other dark lords have to say about it. Do you think mutation and deformity is a constant necessity or do you see it more-so as a sign of weakness before the Gods of Chaos as I do?

 

No, this attitude is the sign of weakness before the gods of Chaos. Warriors of chaos are ruthless; they care about steamrolling everything in their way, not whether they look icky. Blessings are scars from braving the god-sea.

 

Non-mutated chaos marines are mostly a artifacts of players looking for a consumer experience of slickly produced space action figures. A believer would say that if you don't like mutations you are either confused or spineless, and if you like power, then you take them and use them for whatever they're worth.

 

I'm making moral judgments too, though. I think poorly of this.

[Iron Sage]

Got a mutation problem? Has that unsightly tentacle epidemic made your warband the laughing stock of the black Crusade?

Fear not! For Chief Librarian Ahriman's Patented Ruberic is sure to keep all embarressing and annoying mutations away and to cure all the existing ones in your warband for ever once applied. For the all time low cost of a strike cruiser/10,000 healthy slaves/hundred suits of power armour/10 of terminator plate/open to discussion, we of the Thousand sons can apply this ruberic to your warband and BAM! The mutation is gone!

(Ruberic may cause slight dustiness and cases of armour sealing, turning you into dust, no refunds.)

 

 

:D :(

 

 

For those of you abhorring mutations, in my mind boons can be temorary gifts from the Gods after "prayer" etc.

[Kol Saresk]

It's a two fold die. In Aurelian when we first see the Thousand Sons after Prospero, one of them thinks that mutations are blessings, regardless of how useful they may or may not be. In some cases, the mutations are useful. Like Tellos in the Soul Drinkers, he was able to regenerate any wound simultaneously as well as survive in the void without technological aid. It took an orbital bombardment to kill him.

 

Then you have others like the Iron Warriors. They serve the gods, but do not like mutations. As such, they used to remove affected area of mutation and slap on cybernetic grafts.

 

Both views are okay. My personal view is based on whether or not the mutation actually has a purpose. If it's just a tentacle, give me that prosthetic arm please. If it's one of my arms turns into Nightmare's arm and I can wield an axe the size of a Land Raider like I'm lifting a slice of pizza, Praise be to the Dark Goods!

[Sanctimonius]

Keep in mind the majority of Chaos marines see mutations as signs of favour from the gods, and actively seek their 'blessings' by acting towards their aims. Word Bearers house daemons in their bodies during the Heresy - that's pretty hardcore. They open themselves to mutation.

 

Now, you also have the Chaos marines who try and avoid these mutations - Ahriman and his rubric and the Iron Warriors, as others pointed out, the Night Lord warbands who try to remain pure and (possibly) the Alpha Legion. Add to that those who have been in the Eye and emerged whole and hale - them crazy Grey Knight stories, the chapters who had to crusade there (seriously, why weren't they shot out of the sky as soon as they reappeared? 'Captain, they say they're friendly.' 'Oh. Let them through then, I guess.') Seems like if you want to avoid the blessings of the gods you can, though other stories show that you don't have to want it to get it - some have noted the Soul Drinkers. But I get the feeling that these guys would be the minority - those seeking to stay in the Eye are probably pro-Chaos and want to take the boons their gods grant them.

[Azekai]

The Death Guard are all mutants, and every single one of my warriors is a pustulent wreck. Personally, I love the mutation aspect, it offers great modelling opportunities . . . some of my plague marines sport insect heads and/or limbs.

 

Of course, given our new codex, it would seem that everyone is gonna be twisted and gribbly, since whenever our champs kill someone remotely important we start a-changin.' :devil:

[Deus de Mortalis]

I'm not sure why a force of renegades would necessarily be more mutated by the warp than loyalists.

[Lysimachus]

I can see both sides really. It's very unlikely for a CSM force not to get mutated eventually, but on the other hand it also depends on how strong you are mentally. In the Gaunts Ghosts book of the same name they talk about the 'armour of contempt'. Everyone is asking why they haven't been corrupted by being on a chaos held world for ages and they basically answer that they didn't allow it to, that they kept up their mental armour. I reckon if regular Guardsmen could do it, an Astartes definately could. Some might argue that this example is flawed but I figure if you want a non mutated warband, it's another piece of ammunition to justify doing what you want with the fluff.

 

Also, given the time fluctuations in the warp, if you want non-mutated marines from any point in Imperial history, you can. Just lose them in the warp for a millenia or two. Bit cliched but hey, it still works!

[Forté]

Mutations are the blessings and curse of the God of Chaos. Those who directly and openly worship should not be ashamed to display their gods gifts.

[KingDeath]

I'm not sure why a force of renegades would necessarily be more mutated by the warp than loyalists.

 

You don't have to marinate yourself in warp energy to mutate, all it takes is to attract the attention of the gods.

[Jiron]

As I see things, the mutations are given to you by the god you have pledged your soul to. If you are brave, strong, clever, tough and so on, they give you rewards to make you even more powerfull. And to be better in spreading your patrons name.

 

Not every mutation can be seen. Look at AD-Bs Night Lords. Cyrion definatelly have been mutated but not entirely apparently. In Chaos Boons table, most of the mutations not necessarily have to be aparent as well. Your body can melt to your armor. It makes no difference on the model. You might be gifted with foresight and be faster then human.

 

And one more thing. If you don't like the idea of serving the gods of chaos and be rewarded with - sometimes pretty awkward - gifts, you might maybe consider use of other codex. If you pledge yourself to chaos, you want your gods to see your deeds and reward them.

[Captain Idaho]

As I see things, the mutations are given to you by the god you have pledged your soul to. If you are brave, strong, clever, tough and so on, they give you rewards to make you even more powerfull. And to be better in spreading your patrons name.

 

Not every mutation can be seen. Look at AD-Bs Night Lords. Cyrion definatelly have been mutated but not entirely apparently. In Chaos Boons table, most of the mutations not necessarily have to be aparent as well. Your body can melt to your armor. It makes no difference on the model. You might be gifted with foresight and be faster then human.

 

And one more thing. If you don't like the idea of serving the gods of chaos and be rewarded with - sometimes pretty awkward - gifts, you might maybe consider use of other codex. If you pledge yourself to chaos, you want your gods to see your deeds and reward them.

 

See this is slightly incorrect. If mutations came just from a God's influence then mutations in the Imperium would be much rarer. Whilst a Chaos God might "gift" its mortal followers at its own discretion, just coming into contact with the Warp is corrupting physically.

 

And remember, on the whole the Chaos Gods don't care about whether you deserved to be turned into a Chaos Spawn or not. They just tell you what to do and might give you a reward if they feel like it, though more often than not a Daemon works on their behalf anyway.

[Pariah Mk.231]

I'm not sure why a force of renegades would necessarily be more mutated by the warp than loyalists.

 

Which is why if you wanted to represent simple renegade marines, you'd go for a loyalist codex and say they're a bit naughty. The new Chaos codex is a return to the full-blown, horribly warped servents of darkness with a raging hard-on for all things evil, not some pansy, toe-in-the-water, problem children of the Imperium. It's like comparing the hyped up Chuck Norris jokes (but if he were evil and mutated) to Charlie Sheen, you're talking about completely different playing fields here.

 

Oh, and the obvious answer, we live in the warp, rather than simply being briefly exposed to it while shielded on occasion.