Black Book - The Eastern Expansion Campaigns

[simison]

Scions - War Disposition, Godslayers - Squig response to tech/relic, Bears - Redd response to last suggestion, Harbingers - Waiting on PM, and Hesh is MIA.

 

Okay, I'm allowed to post here. Serpents, Jackels, Eagles, and then the last faction suggested would be rebels within the legions, right? And, Mikhal has suggested that their rules be tied to certain officers. Wouldn't that be crossing over into herohammer problems?

[MikhalLeNoir]

What exaclry do you mean?

[simison]

Crap, last post, then I'm have to go to a political meeting. 

 

One of the criticisms I've seen levied against 40k is how often the game will emphasize awesome heroes at the expense of the armies they fight for. Instead of establishing a force's own personality and style, writers will give a brief description and then focus the work/codex on a few notable heroes instead of investing in the army itself. Hence, 'herohammer' instead of Warhammer. Just wondering if we were getting a little too close to that issue.

[Sigismund229]

First Chapter of Expansion's intro part that I've written

 

Domains of the Stormlord

In the weeks and months following the bloody massacres of the Day of Revelation, it would begin to become apparent just how long Icarion Anasem had spent seeking out support before he made his first move and just how deep the love and admiration for Icarion Anasem ran on many Imperial worlds. In the wake of Icarion announcing his Insurrection against the Emperor, thousands of worlds rose up in rebellion alongside him, pledging themselves to his cause. From mining outposts that had long been forgotten by many to bustling hive worlds at the heart of the administration of entire systems, worlds renounced the Emperor and swore themselves to the Stormlord. All told, nearly a third of the Imperium's worlds swore allegiance to the Stormlord.

 

It is likely that this number would have been higher had it not been for the incessent work of the Warmaster and his efforts to rapidly integrate worlds into the Imperium and smooth over wounds caused during compliance. While many had critisised him for this in the decades since the Qarith Triumph, stating that he was the Warmaster and such matters were better left to the Council of Terra, his work now bore fruit and, while many worlds deserted to join the Stormlord's nascent empire, the majority of Imperial worlds stayed true to their oaths of allegiance and stayed loyal to the Emperor and Terra and began to muster troops when the Warmaster issued the Commission of Array.

 

As a consequence of this, the Imperium was torn into a ragged patchwork of conflicting loyalties. Many systems raised their banners in rebellion only to discover that their neighbouring systems had stayed loyal and many stayed loyal only to discover their neighbours had sworn themselves to the Stormlord. As a general rule, the areas of space immediately surrounding legion homeworlds were loyal to the same side as the legion whose homeworld they found themselve next to. However, aside from this, there were no clear cut battle lines in these early years of the Insurrection. There were no borders between the Imperium and the Stormlord's domains, just a confused and thouroughly muddled patchwork of loyalties, with the Imperium being stronger in some sectors of space and the Insurrectionists in others. This was further confused when some worlds heard of the Insurrection and rebelled but to regain their own independence rather than to see the Stormlord seated on the Golden Throne of Terra. These systems and worlds would be targeted by both Imperials and Insurrectionists alike and some would see some of the fiercest fighting of these early years of the Insurrection.

 

The capital of the Stormlord's new realm was Madrigal and the Maelstrom zone, which he quickly set about ridding of Imperial resistance. A large number of the worlds that supported Icarion were located in the Ultima Segmentum and so that would be the Segmentum which the Imperial forces would need to fight hardest to hold into. However, Icarion was also able to call upon a lot of support on the Eastern Fringe, where he was only resisted by the already badly mauled Dune Serpents. So it was that Icarion set about expanding and unifying his domains, eradicating Imperial resistance in the Maelstrom and then gradually pushing out into the east and the rest of the Ultima Segmentum.

 

It was in these regions that the earliest campaigns of the Insurrection would be fought.

[Kelborn]

Don't have some official characters like Khyr Valen a special rule called Jealous Command, which makes them the leader of your army or something like that?

 

Isn't this comparable?

[MikhalLeNoir]

But that is the reasoning here. The splinter legion follow special men... Those who opposed their primarchs. Charismatic leaders who convinced others to follow them. Our main legions are 30k to the core, but the traitor loyalists and loyalist traitors share often ( not always) the same culture and if follow the herohammer a few steps ( and i am talking not of space marines single army killer here) it will make a difference netweem the legion and their splinter.

[bluntblade]

Scions - War Disposition, Godslayers - Squig response to tech/relic, Bears - Redd response to last suggestion, Harbingers - Waiting on PM, and Hesh is MIA.

 

Okay, I'm allowed to post here. Serpents, Jackels, Eagles, and then the last faction suggested would be rebels within the legions, right? And, Mikhal has suggested that their rules be tied to certain officers. Wouldn't that be crossing over into herohammer problems?

Thank you for reminding me. I'll just pm Slips

[Sigismund229]

But that is the reasoning here. The splinter legion follow special men... Those who opposed their primarchs. Charismatic leaders who convinced others to follow them. Our main legions are 30k to the core, but the traitor loyalists and loyalist traitors share often ( not always) the same culture and if follow the herohammer a few steps ( and i am talking not of space marines single army killer here) it will make a difference netweem the legion and their splinter.

I agree with Mikhal. These guys dont have to be army killers or even particularly good fighters but they are all.charismatic leaders. And for traitor loyalists or loyalist traitors it would make sense to focus on the individual leaders and their style of war as that will greatly effect the marines who choose to follow them.

[Chief Captain Redd]

While I'm not saying that a character shouldn't be included, I can agree with Simison that maybe we should create a simple table or something to account for the forces not led by these individuals, as these forces are incredibly large by Astartes standards. Just so you don't half to take a character if you want to play a certain force.

[simison]

Don't have some official characters like Khyr Valen a special rule called Jealous Command, which makes them the leader of your army or something like that?

 

Isn't this comparable?

 

Not quite. That's more of a game mechanic than fluff to show how that specific individual operates as a leader. 

 

What I'm talking about is something broader. Both Mikhal and Sig are arguing that without certain leaders, we wouldn't see legion rebels (which need a more official name). And I'm iffy on that argument. Malis may be the highest-ranking Warden to go Traitor, but he doesn't represent every Traitor Warden. So, making rules for Traitor Wardens based solely on Malis' style would only get the picture half right. 

 

That's my concern. That we are confusing the styles of certain commanders for the styles for certain forces. Now, if we want to make specific rules for a force led by an infamous legion rebel, that's fine. I'm sure with a little work I could come up with rules for Malis and his corrupted members of the Order of the Shield. I'm just not sure we should be making those kinds of rules and then declaring all turncoats of Legion X operate in the same manner. 

[Sigismund229]

sim, I wasn't thinking that would represenet a the rogue elements of that legion, just the most significant warband from the given legion.

[MikhalLeNoir]

I second sig here. Not all traitros are evenly involved int the campaign and the insurrection in total. Some may just become rogues. But as sig states, we want to show the most significant traitors. Ypu cpuld always use standard legion rules plus a shattered legion rule and say those are traitors for a game. (i mean why should they suddenly fight totallz different??) but introducing thecharscter driven elements, we have a more focused approach imho.

[Sigismund229]

I second sig here. Not all traitros are evenly involved int the campaign and the insurrection in total. Some may just become rogues. But as sig states, we want to show the most significant traitors. Ypu cpuld always use standard legion rules plus a shattered legion rule and say those are traitors for a game. (i mean why should they suddenly fight totallz different??) but introducing thecharscter driven elements, we have a more focused approach imho.

And we can add a bit more flavour to them rather than just "shattered legions" or "blackshields". It helps give an army of loyal Drowned(for example) or traitor Dune Serpents that much more character and appeal if they have a named character.

 

And for really different elements, such as the Sheperds of Eden or Morning Stars, you could give the whole shebang. Legion Tactics and a unique character and a unit, less than a legion but more than the 1 unique character of the other divided legions. That way you could play a battle between a force of Sheperds of Eden guarding an agri world in the Dominion against the Berserkers of Uran and have it be "authentic" Sheperds of Eden rather than just loyal 'Serkers. 

[MikhalLeNoir]

 

I second sig here. Not all traitros are evenly involved int the campaign and the insurrection in total. Some may just become rogues. But as sig states, we want to show the most significant traitors. Ypu cpuld always use standard legion rules plus a shattered legion rule and say those are traitors for a game. (i mean why should they suddenly fight totallz different??) but introducing thecharscter driven elements, we have a more focused approach imho.

 

And we can add a bit more flavour to them rather than just "shattered legions" or "blackshields". It helps give an army of loyal Drowned(for example) or traitor Dune Serpents that much more character and appeal if they have a named character.

 

And for really different elements, such as the Sheperds of Eden or Morning Stars, you could give the whole shebang. Legion Tactics and a unique character and a unit, less than a legion but more than the 1 unique character of the other divided legions. That way you could play a battle between a force of Sheperds of Eden guarding an agri world in the Dominion against the Berserkers of Uran and have it be "authentic" Sheperds of Eden rather than just loyal 'Serkers.

Yay!!!

[Sigismund229]

I had an idea for a universal special rule for rogue legionaries and the Sheperds+Morning Stars

 

Brothers Betrayed

While all fighting between the legions was bitter and savage in the extreme, none was quite so savage as when brothers from the same legion but on different sides of the war clashed. 

In a match where the a rogue legion detachment is fighting the legion from which it hails, both sides gain Hatred. 

[bluntblade]

Yes

[MikhalLeNoir]

Makes sense. Maybe they even get prefered enemy

[simison]

That does answer my unspoken question as to how these [insurgos] are different from Blackshields. 

 

Very well, but you want to have one major warband per legion? Were they all going into one faction slot?

[Sigismund229]

That does answer my unspoken question as to how these [insurgos] are different from Blackshields.

 

Very well, but you want to have one major warband per legion? Were they all going into one faction slot?

That was the idea, except for legions who didn't split during the Insurrection(CL, LB, WoL etc.)

[bluntblade]

We need some input from Squig as to whether there are any warband-size groupings of Traitor Serpents.

[Kelborn]

What is the size of these traitor forces?

 

The XXth Bloodlords have the size of a chapter (round about 10.000 Legionnaires).

 

Will they might have a place in Book 2 as well or do we want to focus on the already established ones?

[bluntblade]

40% of the Serpents side with Icarion

[simison]

A third of the Order of the Shield defects along with Malis. That's the largest group of Traitor Wardens, but you'll find pockets of Traitors thoughout the legion. So, maybe 15% of the legion?

[Sigismund229]

So, so far we have

Sheperds of Eden, Morning Stars, Malis' warband, a warband of traitor Dune Serpents.

 

Kel, do the Bloodlords go traitor early enough in the Insurrection to be found in this book?

 

Any others?

[Chief Captain Redd]

The Iron Bears Naagolshi and Wendiigo defect after the Day of Revelation. About 3,000 Astartes in total.