Undivided or A Single Patron Should I Follow?

[Julgolax]

For my chaos force, I've been fooling around with a couple ideas but I'm really at a standstill. First I wanted a Nurgle-based force but then though up an idea for my force to be Slaanesh-based. Then I thought of other themes that I liked. I then came to the idea that my force could be lead by a Sorcerer-lord of Tzeentch who, after he fell to chaos, used his psychic power to make his brothers of the company enthralled to his will. Basically, proxying them with Thousand Sons.

 

Now I'm having doubts about this as well because I'm not sure if this company of space marines, who fell to chaos, should be lead by a Lord dedicated to a single god or undivided, or a sorcerer dedicated to a single god or undivided. There are so many themes out there that I like. Zealots who turned to chaos, victims of deception, corruption, or simply some bad happenstance. One thing I'd like to stay away from is Khorne because it's been done to death and I prefer flexibility over sheer close combat.

 

On one hand, my character and his force has the potential to be really thematic with a single patron god, for which I have 3 ideas I really like. On the other hand an undivided force can be really thematic too with a zealous company of chaos followers or a piratical, chaotic mercenary company fighting for greed.

 

As for my force leader, I became intrigued by the idea of a Tzeentchian force led not by a Sorcerer but a Lord who was simply given abnormal powers and protection. Formerly the 5th company of the Fire Lords chapter, the Warpfire Brotherhood would specialize in flamer and melta weaponry and I'd proxy in a Redeemer and a Thunderfire Cannon as well.

 

Then I thought that would be too out there so I thought up said Sorcerer-led force with a company of enthralled brothers. It's still pretty cool but there are always options. I thought up another, rather detailed idea of a Slaanesh force, The Brotherhood of Hunger. These guys were originally an entire chapter but were nearly destroyed after the Inquisition discovered the chapter's ritual of prolonged feasting and debauched practices after each victory. Naturally, after their near destruction, they rebelled and Slaanesh offered them succor in return for continuing their rituals. The chapter gradually obliged and slowly they were overcome with hunger, for all things, and only when they debauched and reveled were they free of The Urge, as they call it. The Urge forces them to fight with near manic fervor and at speeds which none thought possible. Most of the force is either mounted on bikes, wearing jetpacks, mounted in rhinos or land raiders, and wearing terminator armor. Heavy Support units are all but unheard of and their remaining dreadnoughts are some of the most crazed you'd find. 

 

My final, god-specific idea is a Nurgle-dedicated force. This force was also once a chapter but it was summarily destroyed by an unfortunate double-whammy of a Necron uprising on the black moon of their homeworld and subsequently a daemonic incursion from Nurgle. In their most desperate hour, they turned to a warm and welcoming entity of the warp who, despite all the dogma against Chaos that faced him, convinced the remainder of the chapter's defenses to embrace the power of Nurgle. Doing so, the space marines were infected to a man with a plague that did not wither them away but made them characteristically immune to all but the worst the enemy could throw at them. In 4 months' time, the moon was destroyed by the plagued fleet's cyclone missile and turbo laser batteries and the remainder of the Necrons on the chapter homeworld below were overcome by armies of Nurgle's daemons and the space marines of the newly christened "Leprotical Sons". Now the new host of Nurgle's followers await the return of their brothers from other warzones who will all be forced to join their new master's cause or die in spite of it.

 

So, you can see... I'm having issues because I love all my ideas. I only want one, but which?

[Teetengee]

All of them sound good. Would you consider a temporary alliance of the disparate ideas?

[Julgolax]

All of them sound good. Would you consider a temporary alliance of the disparate ideas?

 

I don't want to sound close-minded but I want to pick one theme and build on it unless that's not what you're referring to. By disparate ideas, do you mean the ideas behind the forces, or the forces themselves (multi-god)?

 

I guess I should have also considered how I want to play more as well. Slaanesh = rapid deployment tactics and speed, Tzeentch = invulnerable saves and heavy firepower, Nurgle = balanced mix of close combat and shooting, with emphasis on taking and holding. An undivided force would play more like standard space marines, basically being flexible. An Undivided force with a dark apostle would definitely be an opportunity to try out using a couple big squads of cultists to bog enemies down while I rhino-rush or foot slog it. AND some Warpsmith action, fielding a few tanks or daemon engines.

 

I'm more about thematic forces than "gotta win at all costs" forces. I don't always win, but when I do, I do it in style. (I just wish I had skill with sculpting greenstuff and painting imagery. It would make choosing a Nurgle force all the easier!)

[N1SB]

Of the options you outlined, I really liked the Brotherhood of Hunger.

 

I liked the story as you presented it.  It's more effective by being that brief, because it leaves much to the imagination, which always goes to the darkest places.

[Julgolax]

Of the options you outlined, I really liked the Brotherhood of Hunger.

 

I liked the story as you presented it.  It's more effective by being that brief, because it leaves much to the imagination, which always goes to the darkest places.

 

Interesting that you liked them most. I'm rather ambivalent about Slaanesh over the other 2 gods because it's such a difficult god to inject into space marines. I drew inspiration from the Space Wolves' revelry and the Flawless Host's ignorance of their indefatigable pride to make something I thought would work well as a starting point. I also have a color scheme I really like in mind :D. The only trouble I'm having with any of these ideas is coming up with background for the chapters they once were because it certainly matters in the development of a chaos warband.

 

 

 

 

 

I also have some personal reasons to be hesitant of playing a Slaanesh force, but that's for private conversation. :P

[Teetengee]

I meant an alliance of different forces each stemming from one of the ideas you have presented.
Also, this post may be of assistance to you: http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/271640-misconceptions-about-csm/page-4?do=findComment&comment=3316051

[Lucio]

Personally, I build small factions, each under their own disparate Gods and/or philosophies, and pick the strongest idea to be the "leader"

 

So in my example warband, I've got a Slaaneshi Biker Lord who leads the Quintos by right, an upcoming Tzeentchian Sorcerer who is vying for dominance, and waiting in the wings a Nurgle Lord and my current project of a Khornate splinter warband.

[Res Ipsa Loquitur]

y u no BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD

[Julgolax]

y u no BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD

 

I dunno, I think it's been kinda done to death no? Plus, close combat isn't really a big thing in 40K anymore. Most of the time Khorne armies get chewed up before they even get to fight. Khorne cares not from whence blood flows, only that it does.

[Julgolax]

I dunno, I'm no longer inspired :(

[Julgolax]

Anyone have any ideas they'd like to share or questions that could help point me in the right direction? Anything would help!

[Julgolax]

Can I get this thread closed? I'd like to try a new direction.