Thunder Warriors

[Doghouse]

I'm a little out of the loop these days, are there any accurate descriptions beyond buying the novel they appeared in?

[geordie]

Depends what you mean. Appearance, capability or character wise? Betrayal mentions them as being having 'unprecedented superhuman physical power.' They are noted for their warlike spirit and strategic genius in one paragraph but then also noted as sometimes being mentally unstable and less disciplined than the newer Astartes. Basically the Thunder Warriors were prototypes. They had some great strengths but also a few drawbacks. Ironic in a way really as ultimately it could be argued they were no worse than the Legions that followed. 

 

The Outcast Dead, from what I can remember features a small band of Thunder Warriors who in effect are gangsters on Terra. They are described as using an ancient pattern of bolter the astartes had never seen before. In Betrayal the Tigrus and Phobos patterns are identified as being earlier weapons. The Umbra pattern is a later development. The Thunder Warriors in The Outcast Dead come into direct contact with the Astartes shall we say and are capable of looking after themselves shall we say. Their leader seems to me to be bigger and stronger than an Astartes. Whether they're all like that is open to debate. 

 

There's a quote somewhere about them being symbolically like a bolt or lightning, they burnt very bright but for a short time.

 

Spoiler alert................. possibly

 

 

We know that the official line about the Thunder Warriors perishing to a man to take down the last of the Emperors earthly enemies isn't true. I'm sure there is a hint somewhere that the Custodes disposed of them. The early Space Marine Legions fought beside them so they may have been used to finish them off too. It's a favourite part of the background for me personally. The Legions must have had a suspicion about the fate of the Thunder Warriors. Did the Emperor have the same fate lined up for the Legions once the Galaxy was conquered? I like to think that Horus discovered the real fate of the Thunder Warriors and decided the Emperor was just as bad a Tyrant as the countless they had put to the sword across the galaxy. He decided he didn't like the idea of being stabbed in the back once the crusade was complete so conducted a pre-emptive strike. 

 

Please tell me you're building some?

[Kol Saresk]

Just clarifying a few things is all.

 

There were only two Thunder Warriors in The Outcast Dead, but they did run a gang of thugs that they had genetically modified as experiments to fix themselves. Babu Dakhal(sp?) was once the Standard Bearer of the Lightning Banner, supposedly the last Thunder Warrior to fall. He believes that the Thunder Warriors were built to die out, but it just may have been a byproduct of the relatively primitive technology used to build them. Either way, he does say that the Emperor culled the Thunder Warriors, but actually bears no resentment. Eventually, using Space Marine gene-seed, he was able to fix the genetic instabilities that were tearing apart both him and his "son"(I don't think it was ever clarified if they were truly father and son).

 

It was never confirmed if what Babu said happened is what actually happened. Although according to the Space Marines present, the Thunder Warriors had supposedly died out before the creation of the Space Marines.

 

There is also a group of renegade Thunder Warriors in Betrayal. In it, a penal colony on an asteroid called Cerberus went into rebellion and slaughtered most, if not all of the authorities. The first wave of Imperial soldiers was pushed back and it was revealed that the renegade Thunder Warriors had taken up residence in the penal colony, although it was unknown when they showed up, what their involvement was with the rebellion or even if they were involved with the events and just weren't bystanders. Anyway, the War Hounds got sent in and the XII Legion slaughtered every single living soul on the rock. Around every one corpse of the Thunder Warriors, there were usually three or four War Hounds.

[GhostMalone]

And when they finally contacted the big e, he was quite shocked as to their effectiveness.

 

This is why the XIIth are truly amazing

[geordie]

Ahh thanks Kol Saresk, I was nearly there haha. I'd forgotten about that incident with the War Hounds. Is this proof that a Thunder Warrior is the match of 3/4 Astartes? Could the tactical limitations the War Hounds/World Eaters were known for have contributed to this ratio? Would a different Legion have achieved the same results with fewer casualties and therefore made the Thunder Warriors sound less impressive? Or is the fact it's 3/4 of such a fierce Legion which makes it even more impressive?

 

I like Alan Blighs approach that every piece of Imperial records has the potential to be propaganda. Until the Horus Heresy books came along the acknowledged demise of the Thunder Warriors was that the last one had died placing the banner atop the last of the Tyrants of earths defeated army. Poetic. We've found out later that the tale is complete bolllocks. 

 

It's been hinted at that the character from Outcast Dead plays a part later in the Heresy. Any guesses what that might be?

[Kol Saresk]

My personal opinion is that one fight cannot be used to definitively say one thing or another. I mean, if we look at the War Hounds. At the time, they were a reserve Legion of sorts. Not really a whole lot of frontline experience except when one or two units being sent in here and there to help reinforce another Legion.The Cerberus Insurrection was one of their first actions as an unified Legion. They weren't really used to working on that scale.

 

Meanwhile, who's to say that the renegade Thunder Warriors hadn't spent the entire time they were hidden fighting off countless greater foes and honing their skills to the point that they were much more than they were? Or if they had tried to live peaceful lives and had actually wasted away?

 

And when it comes to the battle, how do we know the mortals weren't just used as cannon fodder to wear down the War Hounds so they would be suffering from battle fatigue when they finally went blade-to-blade with the Thunder Warriors?

 

Basically, I can't say one way or the other. If we had multiple encounters of Legion vs Warrior battles and they always ended in a death-kill ration of 3.5 to 1 regardless of the Legion or the physical/mental state of the Astartes/Warrior, then definitely.

[Doghouse]

Cheers guys, much appreciated. :)

 

Not so much as building but more like already built... ;)

 

Might have a neat idea for some of them but needed more info.

[geordie]

I'll show you mine if you show me yours

http://imageshack.us/a/img827/3112/f0ao.jpg

[Res Ipsa Loquitur]

Babu Dhakal is definitely a lot bigger than your average astartes, but he was always noted as being tall even by Thunder Warrior standards. 

[Dosjetka]

I'll show you mine if you show me yours

http://imageshack.us/a/img827/3112/f0ao.jpg

Where is that head from? I don't remember seeing it anywhere before. Great conversion though :)

[Kol Saresk]

Apparently there are some really really really old GW minis of Thunder Warriors.

[b1soul]

Thunder Warriors appear in The Outcast Dead and Forgeworld's Betrayal.

 

Man for man, they are more potent than Astartes but also seem to be less stable, both physically and mentally. They seem to be prone to psychotic rages and physical deterioration. They make scary berserkers but Astartes are superior soldiers. 

[Hyaenidae]

It's been hinted at that the character from Outcast Dead plays a part later in the Heresy. Any guesses what that might be?

 

I've held to the potential theory that Babu created what would eventually become the Grey Knights gene-seed.

 

All the strength and psychic resistance of the Thunder Warriors, without the negative side effects. It would also explain why no one in the 41st millenium can figure out where the hell the Knight's gene-seed came from.

[Greyall]

That would be awesome. Sad that Babu would probably have been repayed with bolter tickles to the inside of his eyes.

[Doghouse]

Geordie: Very nice work mate! :tu: I'll get some shots up once I get the chance, I'm currently reworking my truesecale Night Lords at the mo and may sneak them into that thread.

 

Kol_Saresk: That's right mate, you can order one of the two models in finecaast now actually. They were more marines in mkI armour than what is being described in more recent times though as it was Rogue Trader stuff back then still.

 

Any little bits of info appreciated. :)