Best Legion Fluff in the FW HH Books

[Caillum]

Well, I think that the Xana Incursion counts as Legion fluff. It’s an epic story about Sons of Horus, Loyalist Blackshields posing as Sons of Horus, Knights Errant, Dark Angels AND Mechanicum.

[Marshal Loss]

My favourite has to be the Battle of Hive Ilium (and the boarding of the Triumph of Reason) in Book IV, Conquest. Talking to Alan Bligh about that is probably my happiest hobby related memory. A wonderfully cinematic passage that shows the Sons of Horus doing what they do best, and one of those rare moments where you read something that makes your favourite faction as incredibly badass as you always wanted them to be.

[b1soul]

I think the hisstory of Xana could be expanded into a long-running series

[bluntblade]

My favourite has to be the Battle of Hive Ilium (and the boarding of the Triumph of Reason) in Book IV, Conquest. Talking to Alan Bligh about that is probably my happiest hobby related memory. A wonderfully cinematic passage that shows the Sons of Horus doing what they do best, and one of those rare moments where you read something that makes your favourite faction as incredibly badass as you always wanted them to be.

And Abaddon in particular. Finally gives some ammunition against the "all he did was lead spearheads" argument. Also King-Eater is a mighty ship name.

[b1soul]

Reading Conquest was like getting punched in the gut repeatedly as a hardcore loyalist fan...which I think was the point.

[Marshal Loss]

 

My favourite has to be the Battle of Hive Ilium (and the boarding of the Triumph of Reason) in Book IV, Conquest. Talking to Alan Bligh about that is probably my happiest hobby related memory. A wonderfully cinematic passage that shows the Sons of Horus doing what they do best, and one of those rare moments where you read something that makes your favourite faction as incredibly badass as you always wanted them to be.

And Abaddon in particular. Finally gives some ammunition against the "all he did was lead spearheads" argument. Also King-Eater is a mighty ship name.

 

 

Couldn't agree more. It was a conscious decision of AB's to have him acting as a Horus-substitute, highlighting his talent and status. I also like to imagine that he pimp slapped the Lord Protector of Manachea into a wall with his power fist upon entering the Palace of Light, given the book's description.

Edited February 11, 2018 by Marshal Loss

[Kelborn]

Favorite Legion presentation:

 

- Wolves

- Thousand Sons

- Salamanders

- Raven Guard

 

Favorite campaigns:

 

- Ebon Drake saga

- that one campaign with NL, IW and Orks

- Prospero Burns

 

Favorite "other stuff":

 

- Blackshields!

 

IMHO

Bit of a Wolves / Sons fan. ;)

Edited February 12, 2018 by Kelborn

[b1soul]

What were your fabourtite aspects of the SW and TS fluff?

[bluntblade]

That Loyalist Iron Warrior's deadpan report of how he spent multiple weeks crawling out of a hole in the ground with multiple wrecked limbs deserves a mention.

[b1soul]

Which book which page? Sounds hilarious

[Skalpynock]

Which book which page? Sounds hilarious

That would be Extermination, page 31.

[Kelborn]

What were your fabourtite aspects of the SW and TS fluff?

Those are my favorite Legions, so I'm a bit biased.

 

I like the way how they expand upon the TS structures, their potency, etc.

 

Was hoping for at least three exemplary battles for the Wolves instead of one, though. But their take on Fenris and the Legion itself was satisfying, imho.

 

Burning of Prospero (The event itself) is what drew me to 30K. That's why Inferno is my only HH Book of FW.

 

Custodes, etc. are a nice bonus, as well. ;)

[Kais Klip]

 

Nothing tops slinging a moon at an enemy forgr world while assaulting it.

I did some math based on the numbers provided in the story, and it doesn’t work out. The energy required to push a moon sufficiently would have pulverized the it, and been better spent in a direct bombardment of Bodt.

 

I kinda had to do it after rediscovering that old “Rocks are not free, citizen!” White Dwarf article explaining why the Imperial Navy didn’t just hurl asteroids at target planets.

 

Dunno if this link will work: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2048956328709538&id=1811547999117040&__tn__=-R

 

I liked the Alpha Legion exemplary battle, The Hunting of the Ak’Haireth. That’s the one where they poison a human population with a 7% mortality rate to kill the xenos feeding on them - one of the few noncombat stories and a glimpse of darkness in a brighter past.

 

 

I think Iron Hand physics is the last physics you should question ;) 

 

To dispel this for the last time: 

 

You misunderstand the situation; Bodt's moon was not in a circular orbit like you or many a critic assumed. Rather, it has an elliptical orbit, and it was nudged just very slightly when it was heading back to Bodt.

 

The fact that Bodt possesses serious seasonal volcanic activity indicates active tectonic plates at specific points in time, backing up the elliptical orbit theory. Also, the frequently quoted "Moon-shift" source from WD actually relates to far out asteroids. Clan Morragul thinks bigger. 

 

TL;DR: Crash Maven, Not Phobos. 

 

http://spaceflight101.com/maven/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/orbit_compare-512x394.jpg

[bluntblade]

Given what French has said about Bligh's commitment to "a wider erudition", I can believe that.

Edited February 14, 2018 by bluntblade

[Walter Payton]

The Salamanders' assault on the Tempest Galleries is amazing, especially given that it is a look at unification.

 

I also liked the Battle of Paramar - it showcased a more grounded, believable Alpha Legion then lazier fluff (and memes) would suggest.

[carlisimo]

I think Iron Hand physics is the last physics you should question ;)

 

To dispel this for the last time:

 

You misunderstand the situation; Bodt's moon was not in a circular orbit like you or many a critic assumed. Rather, it has an elliptical orbit, and it was nudged just very slightly when it was heading back to Bodt.

 

The fact that Bodt possesses serious seasonal volcanic activity indicates active tectonic plates at specific points in time, backing up the elliptical orbit theory. Also, the frequently quoted "Moon-shift" source from WD actually relates to far out asteroids. Clan Morragul thinks bigger.

 

TL;DR: Crash Maven, Not Phobos.

 

http://spaceflight101.com/maven/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/orbit_compare-512x394.jpg

I assumed an eccentricity of 0.75 in my calculations. (e=0 is a circle, e=1 is a hyperbola - anything in between is an ellipse, with a greater eccentricity as you approach 1).

 

The problem is the time - the story states “a matter of hours” and gives a normal fly-by distance of 500,000 km (implying that’s the perigee). That orbital distance and a small nudge are incompatible with a short timeframe.

 

Not saying it’s a big deal… I was just having an odd day and wanted to do some math.

[Ashur]

The Salamanders, Iron Hands and Raven Guard fluff are specially great for me, since their presence and primarchs have been quite underwelming in the Horus Heresy series. The FW books do them justice and make them fascinating again. 

[DarKnight]

Paramar was a perfect example of how the Alpha Legion should operate on a Legion wide level involving all resources such as armor, artillery, infantry etc. but as someone stated earlier all of the famous battles are great

[bluntblade]

The Raven Guard's flight across Isstvan V is so much more evocative than in the BL novella. Also makes them more than just ninjas, whereas I feel the novella ditched that to just... show Corvus being a ninja.

 

I also dig the bit in Conquest where Mortarion brawls with a Contemptor and just shrugs off the blows.

[Balthamal]

Tricky but:

 

Legion Backgrounds

 

Alpha Legion

Thousand Sons

Space Wolves

Night Lords

Ultramarines

 

Campaigns

 

Xana

Paramar V

Prospero

Scourging of Nostramo