How have you coped with 200yr timeline advance?

[Custodian Athiair]

Wasn't sure where to put this, so general seemed appropriate.

 

I know for a fact there are a number of players out there, myself included, who have at least a tangible backstory for their army/collection. What their driving force is, why they fight together (even if it's just they are the 4th company of Blood Ravens so obviously they fight together for example).

 

And with that through the years of playing battles with the army you've added the memorable encounters to their tapestry and it's developed over time.

 

My question is how have you coped with there being a 200 year gap now which your army has been fighting in.

 

For example my force was He'Stan lead force compromised primarily of the 4th Salamanders company. And had famous history with deamons (mainly Tzeentch for the captain) and Tyranids. However 200 years have passed since then and I'm not sure how to fill in that hole. Like 209 years He'Stan has probably been doing other stuff, should have been some marine body turn around in the force etc.

 

I've brought Primaris marines in via a nice way I think, with He'Stan pulling rank to get the new toys but only to argument the men he trusts not to take over.

 

Anyway else got a similar - arguably pointless - problem? Or is it just me?

[Lexington]

I honestly think it's a little early - we know so little about the timeline move for anyone besides the Ultramarines, it's difficult to say how an army would've changed. I imagine it'll be difficult to explain for any non-Astartes, and we'll see a lot of people with Imperial Guard Commanders, Ork Warbosses and others who all happened to get kicked a few centuries into the future during a freak warp storm...

 

Personally, I find the Gathering Storm books and the Dark Imperium material released so far to be so damned stupid and low-quality, it's hard to find much motivation to twist my own stuff to suit it. My Chaos will just keep stompin' around the galaxy being jerks and slaughtering those pesky Imperials.

Edited July 18, 2017 by Lexington

[Master Commander Ajax]

I wish that GW had taken a 'slow burn' approach to the advance in the timeline rather than having Dark Millenium picking up a couple hundred years after Gathering Storm. There has clearly been some huge, galaxy altering events which I feel would have made much more engaging scenarios for us to play through 'real time' rather than have it all dictated to us after the fact.

 

Anyways, back on topic. I'm having my Chapter disappear from Imperium records after the great rift and am keeping it ambiguous as to whether or not they have been destroyed. It leaves the door open for them to return at some point once (and if) I get a better handle on the new fluff. Sadly though I have to agree with Lexington about the current lore of 40k and I just don't have the same enthusiasm for the new setting as I had for the old.

[Canadian_F_H]

I've been headcannoning things ever since i returned to the hobby a couple years ago... so I plan to continue with that...

[Bryan Blaire]

I'll personally use the Chronostrife and relativistic principles to explain how it may appear that a century or so has passed, and yet the Imperial time system doesn't seem to be marking the time the same as what the Stoneburners think it should be. They aren't going to be happy about the events when they finally get the details, which may be a long time coming and will be intepreted through the minds of the Unforgiven Inner Circle, and they will probably have quite an issue when their honor brothers, the Iron Crusaders, come back in an entirely new form via the Primaris.

 

Typically I won't worry about it, since the story I wanted to tell with the Stoneburners still occurs before the events of the Gathering Storm.

 

The fluff may not be great, but I'll find a way to cope and incorporate what I need/want to.

[Doghouse]

For me it's not really made that much difference so far, in the greater scheme of things 200 years is the blink of an eye in Imperial terms. I tend to look at things from a marine point of view when I look at 40k and it's barely a single lifetime of an Astartes which puts it in some sort of context for me. 

[Felix Antipodes]

Since my DIY Chapter operates on the border of Segmentums Pacificus and Tempestus they have "only" had to deal with regional turmoil and xenos incursions while waiting for the Indomitus Crusade to roll into town. Hopefully we will get a clearer picture, ie some historical gaps filled, in next weeks Codex release to be able to plot out the lost years.

 

While I'm waiting for that to drop I'm left contemplating which members of the Chapter survived the turmoil and in what state. Is my CM still leading them, older and wiser, or did he fall? If so, who replaced him? How many brothers have been lost and have we been able to maintain enough recruits to replace them, or will they need to accept Primaris to remain a viable force? Will they be impressed so much by Primaris that the Chapter volunteers for upgrade enmasse (if that path is finally confirmed as possible)?

 

So lots to think about in the meantime!

[Dolchiate Remembrancer]

Going to be playing it slow. Being on the Dark Imperium side means i dont have to care about much aside for the cicatrix appearing.

[Yodhrin]

By ignoring the whole noblebright edifice of DI entirely. If I want Primarchs I can play Heresy, I already had all super-elite genehanced warriors I needed in "normal" Space Marines(and it's sad that's a distinction that has to be drawn now), and I much prefer telling my own stories in an expanding setting than having an ongoing storyline(ie, becoming broader and more detailed as RL time passes and new areas/factions/minifactions are explored as opposed to providing new content by advancing the in-universe timeline to "shake things up") motivated primarily by the needs of the marketing department trampling all over the place interfering with my own stuff.

​

​I rarely get to play much these days anyway so when I do I'll just avoid playing any armies that use Rowboat and his Merry Supermen.

[Ishagu]

After reading Dark Imperium I'm perfectly happy with the storyline advancement.

It's a brave new world out there :-)

Edited July 18, 2017 by Ishagu

[Warsmith Aznable]

I decided to go ahead and paint my scout squad as Lamenters. Their penitent crusade will have been over for a long time by now so I won't have to feel un-fluffy for it.

[Custodian Athiair]

After reading Dark Imperium I'm perfectly happy with the storyline advancement.

It's a brave new world out there :-)

I'm happy with the advancement, just not imaginative enough to be able to sort out my armies fluff

[Joe]

I'm more or less satisfied, although there have been some unusual changes. Tzeentch nuking Mordian, for example.

[Noserenda]

Its irrelevant, unless i fancy collecting one of the protagonist armies mine will just keep bimbling along in whatever moment the army represents

[Trevak Dal]

My Nightblades (Black/Alpha Legion) are kept in Cryo suspension between wars.

 

My Tau are a exploration/intervention cadre. The original commanders have long died either from old age or combat.

 

My unnamed World Eater descendents are a product of Eyespace nuttery, which has led them from marooned on a world with human habitation for several hundred generations, which has them not like the Post Skallathrax World Eaters they were, who follow the Black King (Abaddon) and Khornes chosen son (Angron) they are down for a fight no matter what or who.

[MoK]

For my Imperial Guard I have killed off my old heroes on Cadia. The Regiment I have now is an entirely new Regiment based on the old one, but with an additional battle honour to honour those that died defending Cadia.

 

For my DAs, they've just been doing what they've been doing, it's just that everyone is 200 years older.

 

For my Chaos? Well what's 200 years when you live in the eye of terror?

 

And my Fallen are just doing what the Fallen do. With Cypher in the lead.

Edited July 18, 2017 by MoK

[D3L]

By ignoring the whole noblebright edifice of DI entirely. If I want Primarchs I can play Heresy, I already had all super-elite genehanced warriors I needed in "normal" Space Marines(and it's sad that's a distinction that has to be drawn now), and I much prefer telling my own stories in an expanding setting than having an ongoing storyline(ie, becoming broader and more detailed as RL time passes and new areas/factions/minifactions are explored as opposed to providing new content by advancing the in-universe timeline to "shake things up") motivated primarily by the needs of the marketing department trampling all over the place interfering with my own stuff.

​

​I rarely get to play much these days anyway so when I do I'll just avoid playing any armies that use Rowboat and his Merry Supermen.

In the words of the famous tzeentchian singer, Nurishment Loaf

 

"you took the words right out of my screaming eye socket"

[Walter Payton]

Same way I cope with every other fluff change:  It is what it is, and getting invested in a story - any story really - means becoming invested in something you don't control.  I like some of it, dislike other bits of it.  I think the Primaris Marines are a crass marketing ploy in order to justify a SM rescale (which could have been done with a new kit in any case), but I think the Gathering Storm fluff has been OK-ish and I think that people who claim that the setting is now suddenly "noblebright" (a rubbish term, incidentally, as Lexington has pointed out elsewhere) must have read a different 8th Edition BRB.  Black Library is much better too.  

 

What I would say from the perspective of someone who likes to write fanfiction is that its always better to view new lore as an opportunity rather than a limitation.  

 

EDIT: 

 

I will say that this is a personal view, and I'm not going to criticise others simply for being upset about new lore, even if I disagree with their perspective on certain matters.

Edited July 18, 2017 by Brother-Captain Alecto

[Damo1701]

Let's see:

 

My Primaris Chapter (Fists of Corax) have been spurned by the Raven Guard, who have firmly kept the "Nevermore!" aspect that was the last thing Corax ever said before he vanished.  So, they are tramping around the galaxy, getting into strife, yadda yadda, etc, etc.

 

My Raven Guard are still fighting the Scouring, and are going to be reinforced in around a month.

 

I've tried to read some of the new fluff, and, damn...  It's too awful to get me hooked.  Considering I'm 30something already, and have been involved in the hobby since I was 8/9 whenever I got Space Crusade, I've decided that as my army has a theme, I'll stick with that.

 

No point in changing your army until it's not yours anymore just because GW decided to jump forward 200 years into M42.

[M@verik115]

Well to put it simple, 200 years flew past. 
It feels like Cadia was destroyed only a few months ago. 

[Jarl of Wulfen]

200 years is a mere blink of the eye for the Wolves of the 13th Company.

[Custodian Athiair]

@Brother-Captain Alecto

 

Should stress I'm not annoyed with the advancement in itself, more annoyed that I seem unable to piece things together in my head now, for my expedition force.

 

I've got something that's got my gears working though, so will see how it comes together. Tzeentch/Nemesis Lord of Change likely to be involved in a kinda "mess you up timewise" kinda deal

[Bryan Blaire]

Athiair, what is it that you are having problems piecing together?

[Rik Lightstar]

There are plenty of in universe reasons for this to not be an issue.

 

-Communication times.

-Imperial timekeeping meaning it wasn't the year you thought it was.

-How long warp travel can take, especially lots of "short" 10 year gaps.

-Marines have really long lifespans.

-Marines can recover from anything that doesn't kill them outright given enough time.

 

Should let you justify everything.

 

Rik

[Sawtooth]

I've used it just to advance my own DIY chapter's story. BA successor that got nearly annihilated defending Baal, has spent the Indomitus Crusade purging anything Tyranid to the Galactic North of Baal. I'm Very pro-Primaris and rebuilding my BA collection for this edition so it works just fine for me. I'm also writing fluff to link my IG army to my marines and the ad mech I'll eventually start, so all my armies have a connection.