Reader's Notes

[simison]

I'd suggest that the Wardens of Light silence the Screaming World. They also take Isstvan III as per the first thing I ever wrote for the project... three years ago, my word.

 

The former certainly could work, though it's going to be rough since only Pariahs can deploy. 

 

The first time or the second time?

[bluntblade]

First time. There's no resurgence, as the power of the Warsingers is symbolically undone.

[Beren]

First batch of reader's notes regarding Titandeath:

 

Void War:

Torpedoes and lightcraft require localised breaches in spaceship void shields to reach the ship.

 

Titanicus Assets:

.Lots of structural details on types of Titan conveyer craft, but very little specific on measurements or weapons.

.Void battlegroup "fit to rival a subsector fleet".

.Pre-heresy Titanicus deployments were often only a single maniple. Now a thirty Titan battle is considered a skirmish.

 

Oniscidari drop-tank:

.Assault shuttle/tank with mechanical landing/locomotion claws.

.Armed with plasma callivars

.Can hold 24 Skitarii or 12 Thallax or an unspecified number of automata

.Can instead carry scrapcode or nanomachine deliverers

.Can burn its way through a hull.

 

 

 

Skitarii Void Clade:

.Equipped with las-cutters, void jets for manouver and possibly plasma weapons?

Edited May 13, 2019 by Beren

[simison]

The Baksuryan Order, a cult of cannibalism to increase martial strength from the Pakistan area, is as canon to canon as it to us. It's theorized that seeds of them spread with the Great Crusade through the 73rd Expeditionary Fleet. 

 

• The Carven Extermination- Time: Great Crusade, 821.M30. Location: Cethlen (inner edge of the Halo Stars) Notes: War Hounds versus rock monsters/xenos. The problem was the rock monsters could blend in with the natural rocks and no means was discovered to identify them. In the end, they destroyed the planet with cyclone missiles. Recommended Force: Not sure. This is a very early battle along the galactic edge. I'm honestly questioning FW's logic with this one. Still, I guess most non-Anti-Warp Legions would do.
• The Purge of the Damirite Empire- Time: Great Crusade, at least one century before the Heresy. Location: Damire System/sub-sector (neighbors the Thramas sector) Notes: Resurrection cult was powerful enough to restore the entire 6-world empire each time the Imperium exterminated them. Force of Thousand Sons were forced to deploy to stop the respawning.  Recommended Force: Honestly, since Damire is placed in isolation, it might be simple enough to let the Sons hold onto this one.

Apparently, one of the first Imperial cults was the Cult of the Undying Emperor. Some of their early teachings/rituals were absorbed into the Lectitio Divinitatus. Also the historian here, despite his disagreements on the Great Lie, is a firm atheist. If we are using the same guy, I can only imagine what he must think of Alexandros. 

[bluntblade]

We're using a whole heap of in-universe writers, for flavour and to explain away disparate authorial voices. Edited May 15, 2019 by bluntblade

[Beren]

Readers Notes:

Mechanicum general:

.Common references made to the infosphere.
.Aquatically,a Titan is forced to reply on low density sonar bursts.
.Void shields are confimed to be triggered by excessive speeds.
.Skitarii armed with uranium carbines and volkites.

New Mechanicum:
.Synod of Sota Nul, emissary to the Warmaster from Kelbor Hal
.Eight Magi below her.
.Sota Nuk is merged with a daemon?
.They still worship the Omnissiah, and wish to use the power of the warp to overthrow the Chaos Gods.
.Use of ‘neuroslaves’ to hijack loyalist auxilia, created from modified implants used to connect Skitarii to the infosphere.

Edited May 17, 2019 by Beren

[simison]

Any mention of the Mechanicum Parliament?

[Beren]

Don't think so.

[simison]

Nobody cares about the Martian Parliament...

[Nomus Sardauk]

Especially Kelbor-Hal

[simison]

Ow!

 

(I'm actually surprised I didn't post this response this much later. I had that reply in mind when I first read that post.)

 

Continuing my slow ride through Malevolence...

 

• The Elucidatum is a bit of a headache for me. On the one hand, there's definitely a level of logic here in that Malcador would not simply leave destroying the enemies of the Imperial Truth to the Iterators when he can also call upon his shadow empire. On the other hand, the odds of Alexandros and the Halcyon Wardens not knowing about this feels off, but I'm not sure how Alexandros would react to this entire proto-Inquisition force. Would the Warmaster view the real atrocities committed by the Elucidatum worth fighting Malcador? Does he ignore it? Questions, questions.
• Likewise, I'm not sure about Dorn suddenly having a stockpile of arcana. This feels like its stepping on the toes of the Word Bearers, who are supposed to be the quasi-propaganda legion. Wouldn't Dorn, given his reaction to his own psykers, be more of the 'destroy it before it can harm' variety? Then you have the suggestion that Dorn actually knows more about the forces of Chaos than the other Primarchs. Again, there's a level of plausibility here, but it does feel like a soft retcon that isn't supported by previous materials. 
• As mentioned elsewhere, I don't see a similar problem with the Death Guard going out of their way to nullify worlds tainted by the Warp and daemons. And it makes the Ghost Crusade sound a lot more plausible. 

[bluntblade]

Actually, Alex would likely have liased with them in the case of Mexicatii.

[simison]

Given the fact that Horus was well aware of them, I suppose Alexandros' knowledge is guaranteed. In which case, he would treat them with the same contempt he was with the assassins. 

[simison]

So, the 'mehs' keep on coming, including but not limited to...

 

• Two Alpha Legionnaires being part of the Gal Vorbak pilgrimage commanded by Argel Tal. 
• The Cabal's existence being available in public records. (Yes, I know you can add a pretty big asterisk to that statement, but it still feels 'meh' to me.)
• A claim that the Word Bearers would not have won Calth so cleanly without the daemons.
• And Roboute establishing a secret daemonology department.

[simison]

The 'Vaults of Mimir' red box offer a series of technologies that can be found in the galaxy by anyone, including...

 

• "Turning the keys of Hel", an 'engine of animachina' which reanimates the dead. Doing this fuels the machine's power, until it starts resurrecting alien monsters besides the Iron Hands.
• 'Swarga Loke', a set of divining rods that look like triboelectric blades that summon daemons into your body if you unsheath the weapon.
• An unnamed, undescribed relic which redirects metal to corpses to create undead automatons of war.

 

Also, what the heck? During the author's rant on what coulda, shoulda, the last thing he says is "If only Horus had won his war, and Mankind's perpetuated suffering been avoided." What the heck? Better for humanity to die a painful death with the loss of trillions and trillions of souls? 

 

Actually, the overall tone of this book feels much bleaker than the previous. The prelude for the first book, while admitting everything is getting worse, took a defiant tone. Not sure if the author is supposed to be succumbing to his own misery or if this was a misstep in writing.

 

I love the quote preceding Signus by Artor.

 

So, I can get why some people might be annoyed by the comparison between Horus and Sanguinius (though I've only read the first page at this point). However, this is something that's been established elsewhere in BL. What did catch me off-guard was the suggestion that Horus was subconsciously jealous of Sanguinius. That's not something that's been suggested elsewhere, the closest we come to is Erebus accusing Horus did not want Sanguinius to fall since he would outshine Horus as a Chaos Primarch. Even then, jealously is only half-suggested and pride easily works there too. Honestly, this new element falls an awful a lot like the Icarion-Alexandros dynamic...

 

I do find it interesting how FW justifies the BA being so eager to go to a war with a majority of the legion in a remote location. Though, wasn't the Nephilim reason enough?

 

Why did FW add some Custodians to Signus?

[Kelborn]

<p>

 

So, the 'mehs' keep on coming, including but not limited to...

 

• Two Alpha Legionnaires being part of the Gal Vorbak pilgrimage commanded by Argel Tal.
• The Cabal's existence being available in public records. (Yes, I know you can add a pretty big asterisk to that statement, but it still feels 'meh' to me.)
• A claim that the Word Bearers would not have won Calth so cleanly without the daemons.
• And Roboute establishing a secret daemonology department.

More like a golly gee than a meh to me.

I begin to dislike how they're adding/ retconing stuff just for the sake of it.

Custodes in Signus most likely for the same reasons as Sisters being on Chondax - because they could

 

:/

[bluntblade]

I still think that the Calth stuff is justified by how it plays out in Know No Fear and Tempest. If nothing else, Kor Phaeron's hubris and the bloodlust of the less stable WB commanders was at play, and we know how that went for them.

[simison]

The last two, I admit, are a bit more on the emotional side than the intellectual side. The last one in particular feels meh because it's not that supported in the material I've read.

[bluntblade]

I'm resulting, admittedly, but the way things played out, I think it could've conceivably been a long engagement. Though that would have been just as true had it been the Iron Hands, IF, etc in identical numbers - the Isstvaan III Loyalists did hold out for months after all. Edited July 10, 2019 by bluntblade

[simison]

I'm under the distinct impression that FW made up an entire battle/skirmish of Signus with Ta-loc. 

 

Also, are battle automata traditionally ignored by daemonic forces? 

 

I do love the little touch of the Blood Angels hiding the name of the Admiral who went insane and brought down the Red Tear. I still don't know why Custodians are here.

[Beren]

We know from Master of Mankind that daemons prefer 'better' prey than servitors, so a simillar thing may apply here. Tempest also mentions that automata suffered some difficulty in computing demonic forces, though thwre is no mention of that going both ways.

[bluntblade]

I'm under the distinct impression that FW made up an entire battle/skirmish of Signus with Ta-loc.

 

Also, are battle automata traditionally ignored by daemonic forces?

 

I do love the little touch of the Blood Angels hiding the name of the Admiral who went insane and brought down the Red Tear. I still don't know why Custodians are here.

It seems to vary like the "weapons of eternity" rule. Which may simply meant that some authors don't stick to it.

[Beren]

Imperialis Auxilia Regiments:

 

.3rd Terranic Auxilia-5,000 Terran Troopers of the Terranic Auxilia, known informally as the 'Ironside Regiment', recruited formally from Old Albia.

 

.Tyrian Exo-Guard, Cohorts Siris, Asag, Rabisu, Asakku, Kur, Edimu, Siduri, and Atra- Each Cohort consisting of 600 void-armoured Exo-Guard and 100 Helot Auxiliaries

 

.10th and 42nd Sarcosan Voltigeurs-Recent arrivals on Terra in the wake of the Dark Angels campaign to bring their homeworld to compliance. Each regiment comprised approximately 3,000 light infantry with a small detachment of Terranic overseers.

 

 

 

.Charonid Sentinels, 3rd Fane - A full detachment of the dour, heavily augmented watchmen of the outer Terran system, replete with their full panoply of otherwise proscribed weaponry. The Third Fane numbered slightly more than 2,000 men under arms. Equipped with manually deployed phosphex admixtures designed to reduce ferrocrete to a chemical slurry.

 

.8th Fane of the Charonid Sentinels-2,000 heavily augmented siege engineers and warmachines of ancient provenance. Equipped with high yield melta charges and phosphex charges.

 

.19th Cthonian Headhunters Regiment- Slightly under 9,000 assault infantry raised on Cthonia, infamous within the Imperial Army for their savage and belligerent temperament and tendency to mutilate the dead for trophies.

 

.3rd Ydranian Seekers Regiment- Light infantry from the Ydran Cluster ( notably a sector of the human occupied space devastated prior to compliance at the hands of the Death Guard). Organised into three cohorts of 4,000 soldiers each and believed equipped with a variety of non-standard psy-warding technologies- the effectiveness of which was deemed dubious by the Mechanicum.

 

.73rd and 75th Echelons of the Host of Brass-Heavy Infantry. Notably recruited from the sub-tech world of Brass, whose feudal lords have indoctrinated the population against the potential threat of 'sorcerers' and other psychic phenomena. Numbered 8,000 per echelon and equipped with a variety of primitive but effected close assault weaponry and chemical slug throwers.

 

.1st Helikon Legion-Mechanised Assault infantry from a newly compliant world.

 

.Magdan Free Korps- Lightly equipped skirmishers from one of the earliest compliant worlds. Equipped with Malcador Tanks.

 

.Calaq War Host- Three 90,000 strong divisions of mechanised infantry with five companies of field artillery and two full cohorts of superheavy tanks in support. Also possessed close support Avenger bombers and gunship-modified lifters. (cultists)

 

 

Ushmetar Kaul- Second Line Levy Auxilia, Light Infantry/Terrestrial Sub-Type/ Feral-Feudal Regressive. Between 10-20 sub-sects, each 10,000 strong. Melee orientated. (cultists)

 

42nd Seraphine Guard-8,000 Imperialis Militia troops assigned for garrison duties.

 

 

 

 

Regiment Types:

 

Erud Yeomanry-Auxilia regiments native to the Erud region of Calth.

 

Malgantine techno-clans-Equipped with thermo-bladed axes.

 

Ketchall Janissaries- Equipped with fractal-fracturing bladed bayonets.

 

Narthex Cull- Loyal to the Word Bearers

 

The Old One Hundred:

Geno Chiliads

ConFed Gun Brotherhoods

Thorisian Voltigeurs

Lucifer Blacks

Ouranti Draks

 

 

 

 

 

 

Solar Auxilia Cohorts

 

9th-Solar Auxilia Cohort - one of the renowned Saturnyne Rams regiments, numbering 4,000 void hoplites and support vehicles.

 

13th Solar Auxilia Cohort- 4,000 Hoplites of the Saturnyne Rams. One of the fully mechanised cohorts of the Rams.

 

312th Solar Auxilia-Present at Calth, sacrificed themselves fighting against Slaaneshi demons to allow civilians to flee.

 

322nd Nexxas Solar Auxilia Cohort- Destroyed within the Xerxinia prohibited zone.

 

255th Calth Solar Auxilia Cohort- Raised in late 001.M31 from the Erud Provincial Militia. Deployed across Calth defense platforms.

 

222nd Calth Solar Auxilia Cohort- Ditto

 

41st Espandor High Guard-Much renowned part of the Calth muster

 

14th Garnide Heavy Infantry- Present at Calth

 

 

(Note: Some SA cohorta lack monikers or regional identifiers as part of their official name, despite being noted to have been raised from reputed sources.. Perhaps a difference between 'officially' raised cohorts and those regionally raised to that template.?)

 

(Note: The amount of Imperial Army forces involved in campaigns actually seems to be decreasing since tempest.)

[simison]

Is that a complete listing, Beren?

 

Finished Ghostmaker, the second novel of the Gaunt's Ghosts series. Highlights include...

 

• An angel with a commissar's cap encouraging an insane sniper to take a shot killing a Chaos leader
• An aide with a touch of foresight who outsmarts an inquisitor through his power
• Said inquisitor returning later and flirting with Gaunt
• A massive spell that triggers a giant warp-storm while activating 'god-mode' on an Imperial strike force
• Same spell bewitches a platoon to believe they are fighting for their lost homeworld and teaming up with Eldar (who the platoon believes are human due to the spell) in a hilariously surreal alliance against Chaos

[Beren]

No, this is just from Malevolence, I ferno and Tempest, as they have those order of battle boxes. I can do a more thourough search of the other books if you want and, thinking on it, probably should have checked exemplary battles as well.