Good Ultramarine Books / Audio Books

[Veteran Sergeant]

The thing is that Graham McNeill's version is not only idiotic, it's impossible.

 

Like my signature says. If Calgar is one of the greatest tactical minds in the Imperium, and he worships the Codex like it's the War Bible, but the Codex is actually garbage, then how terrible is everyone else. I mean, we've been given a quantifiable number that shows Calgar is better at war than everyone but Azrael. If the Codex is as stupid as Graham McNeill writes it, the rest of the galaxy is wearing pants on their heads, lol.

 

It's very easy to ingnore McNeill.

[Prot]

Just so I understand this debate, where is it stated, or coming from, that the codex is garbage?

[Legatus]

Just repeated instances of it giving very poor advice, incredibly restricting a commander's or a force's ability to act, not allowing some of the most basic decisions, etc. In his intent to show situations where the protagonist rogue Ultramarine absolutely has to go against the Codex, McNeill comes up with more and more examples that do not portray the Codex in a good light.

 

These are some of the examples I can list off the top of my head:

 

- A ridiculously powerful psyker who has subdued the entire planet in some kind of mind control advances on the Ultramarines on the ground. The Ultramarines Commander orders an airstrike on the psyker, even though that would be "against the Codex" because the Ultramarines forces are too close (but pinned down by the psyker). I.e. a last ditch effort to stop a doomsday scenario, but not allowed. (from a short comic strip)

 

- A small force of Ultramarines must destroy a bridge to secure an Imperial flank from an impending larger Night Lord attack, but they do not have the firepower or the proper explosives to take out the bridge, so the Commander suggests to improvise explosives from the collected melta bombs of the Assault squads. This, apparently, is against the Codex. (brigde two-four-something)

 

- An Ultramarines strike cruiser by chance happens to encounter a Dark Eldar raiding ship, which was the reason they were called to the system, and they have the opportunity to take it out. The Commander decides to use this opportunity to send a boarding party via Thunderhawk, but since the Thunderhawk is currently not fully fueled and armed, that would not be allowed by the Codex. (from novel 'Nightbringer')

 

- A small Ultramarines detachment is ordered to fortify and defend an installation on one of the worlds of Ultramar against an impending Chaos/daemon raid. But because the detachment is not at full strength, the Codex does not allow to make such a stand. (from novel 'Chapter's Due')

 

- An Ultramarines unit is sent on a crucial infiltration mission. On their way to their objective they spot enemy forces, and apparently the Codex demands that the enemy must be attacked at every opportunity. The Commander smartly decides to ignore the Codex in order to not blow their cover and jeopardize their important mission. (from novel 'Chapter's Due')

 

- Another Ultramarines unit in the same book is behind enemy lines and spots a crucial target. They now have a unique opportunity to take it out, but somehow now the Codex demands that once under cover, they are not to give away their position under any circumstances. Huh? (from novel 'Chapter's Due')

 

These are from memory, so I might have gotten one or two details wrong. There are a few more examples in McNeill's books. Initially it was just McNeills own character Uriel Ventris who repeatedly saw himself confronted with situatiosn where he just had to go against the Codex in order to have a chance, but in his latest Ultramarines story, McNeill has the Captains Sicarius and Agemman in similar situations as well.

 

After several stories that included such scenes, with 'Rules of Engagement' McNeill had the opportunity to have Guilliman himself vindicate his rogue Ulramarine characters and tell us that, in fact, they were doing it right, and all the other Ultramarines were doing it wrong.

[The Pounder]

If you like the HH series as much as I do, read "The First Heretic" by Aaron Demski-Bowden.

It has it all for me, the events on Monarchia sow the seeds of Heresy in the Word Bearers, the weapon used?

The Ultramarines!

Lorgar is completely put in line by the Emperor! 

Do yourself a favour and read it! One of my favourite books from Black Library!

[Prot]

OH yea, First Heretic was a gem. ADB brought a voice to the Primarchs that no one else was really using. To have some 'definition' to Chaos was great... it's a great novel.

 

I wish the Ultra's were more... involved in the Heresy novels.

 

Anyway, at the risk of having my hair set on fire for liking some of the fiction, I have to admit I am really liking NIck Kyme's take on the Ultra's. I'm just really getting into the Spear of Macragge featuring Chronos and his necron lovin' Predator, and it's really a fun, and interesting read.

 

He writes Ultra's as the 'man's' marines. The kind of guys that are going to give their life for the ideals of the Imperium and not take citizen's lives for granted. Chronos himself is a very spirited leader, and you can see why he's well respected.

 

I like this so much I may go back and pick up the Damnos compilation edition. Too bad this is over a year old, I feel like I'm just discovering something you guys have probably already read!

[roryokane]

FYI, Ventris is coming back soonish in a book called Swords of Calth.

[Prot]

Ah nice to hear. I haven't been up on the latest of Uriel. He might be one of my least favorite Ultra characters.

 

Right now I'm still reading Spear of MacCragge and as I hinted at earlier I picked up the Audio book of one of the Damnos shorts called: Veil of Darkness.

 

I do like how Nick Kyme has written the Necrons. The storyline itself in Veil of Darkness is pretty good. The Ultra's are pretty shaken up and of course Sicarius is featured after a battle with a Necron lord.

 

I like Sicarius as a character overall but he really isn't featured in the story. It's almost more about the threat to the Imperium that the Necrosn present. And it's a short but fun story. It really reminds me of the movie Edge of Tomorrow? (Tom Cruise)