Pyschic Awakening: Speculation

[DeadFingers]

After seeing that bone construct on the WHC today my threshold for "wouldn't believe" has shifted pretty far.

Thanks for informing me of this, I think I just found a new Helbrute for my collection. 

[Shadow Captain Vyper]

So, since others are tossing out their theories, I feel the need to do the same...

 

Ever since the Gathering Storm content that GW gave us, it's been apparent to me that GW is pushing the Faith vs Logic theme that was strong throughout 30k and the BL: HH novels. Just to recap:

 

We saw one of the Emperor's Sons lost to us (Stasis) reanimated, using a fusion of technology (Cawl) and magic (Eldar). Upon his re-awakening, he was distraught to see that this version of his Father's empire was, in fact, NOT secular as HE had decreed, and had become something else - dirty, bloated, and above all else - fanatical in its misguided obsession over his rotting father's corpse as a deity. 

 

We then got to see the conflict at the Cadian Gate, and for what I feel was another great expression of Faith vs Logic again: The technology of the blackstone pylons and Cawl (once again) having a profound effect on the Eye of Terror and its ability to open/pour out bad juju into the physical realm. This was set alongside what can only be described as the confirmation of (for lack of a better word) good demons. Oh, right, there is a better word for good demons, they're called angels. We saw documented accounts of both Saint Celestine (who we all know at this point is metaphysical/corporeal in nature) AND the Legion of the Damned, both of which waxed and waned exactly the same as the demons pouring out of the EoT did with respect to said pylons and the growing warp energy.

 

What's all that mean and how does it relate to this campaign - Psychic Awakening?

 

The Emperor believed that one day the human race would evolve/ascend to a considerably higher level of psychic attunement. Whether that's just a latent ability to feel/sense it, or a strictly higher birthrate of the psychically gifted (or both), I think this event is the beginning of that. I think we are at a point where we have a big-ass rip in the fabric of reality (Cicatrix Maledictum) and a lot of that juju is spilling out into realspace. Much like heavy metals in the water table or radiation on the wind, this IS going to have lasting effects on the galaxy as we know/love. I think as the human race (in general) becomes more psychically active, we can expect that activity will echo in other...forms....

 

Now, for the fun part - my theories (puts on a big 'ol tinfoil hat) - strap in, it's going to get really wild:

 

1) I think its likely the new Sisters release will form a cornerstone (along with the Black Templars) around this new faith-based Imperium. I expect the first wave of Sisters at the end of 2019 to be comprised of remakes of the old classics. But as this campaign winds down and the full Sisters range is completed, I expect them to be expanded to include a new subfaction of Angels/Seraphs/Guardians - whatever name you want to call good-demons (demons in the sense as we know them from the tabletop). These will "summoned" by acts of faith/self sacrifice/nobility/heroism - empowered by the growing nascent of humanity. Just like how the Orks entire psychic presence operates - if humanity believes in gods and demons, which in turn means they believe in angels, if they want angels, they can manifest angels.

 

2) I don't expect everyone in the Imperium to get on board with this spiritual awakening. I think it likely that the marine chapters could be split in half (Faith vs Logic) on the matter. I could see it erupting in another civil war for the Imperium, or just a birth of two new subfactions of the Imperium as we know it. Just spitballing here, but I could see something like this:

• Forces of Faith: Sisters + Ecclesiarchy, Black Templars, Blood Angels, Salamanders, Dark Angels, Space Wolves

          vs

• Forces of Logic: Mechanicum, Ultramarines, Iron Hands, Raven Guard, Imperial Fists, White Scars

3) I feel like fleshing out the "tacticool" look of Primaris lends itself to the Logic/Technology aesthetic well. The Vanguard even adds to this further. You will also notice in my above list that most of the "faith" marine forces are not codex compliant - I don't think this is an accident. I think as this campaign progresses we may see evidence that points to these more "divergent" chapters expressing their "primarisiification" in whole new ways.

 

4) It always comes back to Primarchs - "Who is coming back next?" - "Who can come back/is still alive?" - "Will one Primarch flip sides?" - I think in my crazy idea above, anything else possible. You want Sanguinius back? Grats, he's back - not as you imagined - but as a being of raw psychic energy - truly the Angel made Manifest. You want Vulkan back? Sure! Who doesn't want a christ-like rebirth of one of 40k's most wholesome demi-gods? Oh, and if you wanted a Primarch to flip sides - I can't think of a better opportunity for Omegon to come out of the shadows and say that now is the time to save humanity - and pick a side (probably Logic/Secular) and declare for them.

 

5) All this crazy warp energy on the rise, it opens up a wealth of opportunity for the other factions. I expect the first phase of the Eldar portion of the campaign to have new Ynnari-only units that maybe tie in with Iyanden in some form (I'm thinking akin to the Tree-Revenants from Sylvaneth - a fusion of the material and spiritual). I think we will see the story progress forward along the lines of the birth of Ynnead. I think it's also likely we get a new death-rebirth focused Aspect warrior (and Pheonix) is quite high.

 

6) The Prospero/The Rock/The Wolves storyline plays well into this growing psychic saturation quite well. All 3 factions are steeped in psychic overtones. A conflict between all 3 could reveal a wealth of new "toys" that play into this.

 

7) I think the Black Templar (and/or Wolves) alleged boxset with Orks - and a new Ghaz works nicely in this setting. What better way to explain a new Ghazghkull model that is as-tall or taller than Bobby G other than "he got dipped in a warp bath". Wolves/Templars battling against an overwhelming Waaagh led by a supercharged Prim-Ork is a great opportunity for them to express those moments of nobility and sacrifice - enabling themselves to go super-saiyan.

 

8) Lastly, I would expect this first wave around the eastern fringe to touch on more than just Eldar. I could see it being a good opportunity to touch on the Tau/Raven Guard, and begin to tie that in as well.

Edited September 7, 2019 by Shadow Captain Vyper

[Ishagu]

Some wonderful ideas from Shadow Captain Vyper. Let's hope GW lives up from their side lol

[Wulf Vengis]

So...has GW created a massive online ARG type thing regarding Psychic Awakening?

Were digging through site code and what not. Has anyone put their recent teasers into an audio visualizer or broken down the video code for strange abnormalities?

Edited September 7, 2019 by Wulf Vengis

[DeadFingers]

I wish GW would do an ARG for these kind of things, it'd be fun. But no, it's just digging through the site's source code and brute forcing urls. Besides the image manipulation to line up the maps.

 

But if you want, we can go through the latest Voxcast and see if they blink in morse code.

Edited September 7, 2019 by DeadFingers

[Wulf Vengis]

Lol they really should do done crazy arg thing with guerrilla marketing slapping payers in different countries etc. Oh it would be AMAZING.

[DeadFingers]

Just for completion's sake, I lined up the map of the Eldar Craftworlds, which for some reason is NOT in the Craftworlds Codex but the Harlequins Codex instead, because I noticed that Craftworld Altansar was right around the spot for Warzone #2. Aaaaaand close, but no cigar.

 

Still interesting that it's nearby though, considering it's the home of Maugan-Ra, and it was stuck in the Warp for millenia until very recently, right around the fall of Cadia, and are now allied with the Ynnari. Maybe they'll be what ties Phoenix Rising and the next campaign?

 

[Chapter Master Valrak]

Just for completion's sake, I lined up the map of the Eldar Craftworlds, which for some reason is NOT in the Craftworlds Codex but the Harlequins Codex instead, because I noticed that Craftworld Altansar was right around the spot for Warzone #2. Aaaaaand close, but no cigar.

 

Still interesting that it's nearby though, considering it's the home of Maugan-Ra, and it was stuck in the Warp for millenia until very recently, right around the fall of Cadia, and are now allied with the Ynnari. Maybe they'll be what ties Phoenix Rising and the next campaign?

 

 

It's like staring into the rift itself, such heresy.

[DeadFingers]

It's like staring into the rift itself, such heresy.

Not heretical enough, if you ask me. I could use some Traitor Legion action around these Warzones.

Edited September 8, 2019 by DeadFingers

[Chapter Master Valrak]

I wish GW would do an ARG for these kind of things, it'd be fun. But no, it's just digging through the site's source code and brute forcing urls. Besides the image manipulation to line up the maps.

 

But if you want, we can go through the latest Voxcast and see if they blink in morse code.

 

As soon as GW drop anything, I spend a good hour going through each line of Code :P

[Guest Triszin]

@dead fingers, any maps of the sisters strongholds/shrine worlds? Haven't been able to find em for 8th

[Ratherdashing]

I agree that Viper's ideas are awesome. I would love the idea of some sort of disagreement or split within the Imperium and I think those are good lines to draw along. The non codex chapters definitely have the best chance of retaining the old aesthetic with new models. However, I doubt GW really wants to put out unique Primaris troops for SW, BA, and DA, and they don't want to discourage those players from buying the stock Primaris stuff. So I think it's much more likely that Marines are going full tilt into tacticool and Sisters are intended to scratch the itch for baroque stuff. Which, I guess I'm glad Sisters are at least doubling down on that look (and with awesome sculpts). It's disappointing for me though because the gothic stuff really made Space Marines unique and it seems like GW already turned IG into tacticool with stuff like Scions and Bullgryn and such, when the "old war movie" look was way cooler for them.

 

 

And while a soft civil war would make good sense and be a lot more interesting, I think they are too worried about splitting or offending parts of the fanbase, which is why none of the Marines have resisted Gulliman's rule, shunned Primaris, or died in the Rubicon.

Edited September 8, 2019 by Ratherdashing

[Guest Triszin]

Only 1 thing viper. Wolves don't view the emperor as a god, and we don't worship him. Non way would we be in the faith category

[b1soul]

Do any of the First Founding chapters worship the Emperor?

[Aztek]

Do any of the First Founding chapters worship the Emperor?

Besides Black Templars?

 

edit- Oops read that as "fists" lol

 

Not that I can think of?

Edited September 8, 2019 by Aztek

[Marshal Reinhard]

Do any of the First Founding chapters worship the Emperor?

 

Nope, not even the BT did until fairly recently (6th edition)

[Fierce Bear]

The most recent Dark Angels Lore (Vigilus, WD) mention the DA and the Rock are in Nihilus, north of the rift, even the codex pushed the DA plot up there.

 

I think that balances out the 'big four north and south' with two a piece.

 

 

The faith Vs logic angle is interesting, I hadn't considered that as the soft split for the imperium, but the Plague war book has huge hints, good daemons, again I didn't think of it that way but there is a logic to it!! Are the Primarchs 'bound by the Emperor'good 'Daemons'!?! So are Daemons not good or bad to start with???

 

It's cool just to think it's been perhaps under our noses all along right!?

 

The Vigilus books were a test run for this mode, and each campaign supplement advancing other factions seems a great way, if there are a series of public campaigns to determine the outcomes that would be cool, the next Thousand Sons Vs Wolves decided on the tabletop etc...

[Ciler]

2) I don't expect everyone in the Imperium to get on board with this spiritual awakening. I think it likely that the marine chapters could be split in half (Faith vs Logic) on the matter. I could see it erupting in another civil war for the Imperium, or just a birth of two new subfactions of the Imperium as we know it. Just spitballing here, but I could see something like this:

• Forces of Faith: Sisters + Ecclesiarchy, Black Templars, Blood Angels, Salamanders, Dark Angels, Space Wolves

        vs

• Forces of Logic: Mechanicum, Ultramarines, Iron Hands, Raven Guard, Imperial Fists, White Scars

A lot of interesting ideas. I would swap Wolves and Scars in your lists though, based on the respective views on psykers from both legions in the Heresy novels.

[DeadFingers]

@dead fingers, any maps of the sisters strongholds/shrine worlds? Haven't been able to find em for 8th

Nope. Thought about that too, with the Sisters in the second icon and all, but until the Codex comes out, no map for 'em. Or at least I can't find one. And I imagine by the time that comes out we'll know about Warzone #2 already.

Edited September 8, 2019 by DeadFingers

[Dark Shepherd]

 

 

I wish GW would do an ARG for these kind of things, it'd be fun. But no, it's just digging through the site's source code and brute forcing urls. Besides the image manipulation to line up the maps.

 

But if you want, we can go through the latest Voxcast and see if they blink in morse code.

As soon as GW drop anything, I spend a good hour going through each line of Code :P

Theyre going to start including references to the primarchs of the 2 disappeared legions in the code just to mess with you now

[Ratherdashing]

It doesn't have to be "faith in the Emperor" per se, but more along the lines of "tradition and zeal" vs "progress and pragmatism". Politically it would be "are you bowing the knee to RG or not" and aesthetically it would be "tacticool vs medieval" which is the main inconsistency in Marine design right now.

 

Wolves don't worship the Emperor but if I understand right they've gotten along with the Sisters before despite it. And visually Wolves don't fit the current Primaris look very well.

 

But back on topic, I do like the idea that belief in the Emperor (and even Sanguinis, the World Wolf, and the Dark Angels' sheer hatred of their enemies) would start to manifest in the Warp and enable the working of full-fledged miracles.

[Frater Antodeniel]

It doesn't have to be "faith in the Emperor" per se, but more along the lines of "tradition and zeal" vs "progress and pragmatism". Politically it would be "are you bowing the knee to RG or not" and aesthetically it would be "tacticool vs medieval" which is the main inconsistency in Marine design right now.

 

Wolves don't worship the Emperor but if I understand right they've gotten along with the Sisters before despite it. And visually Wolves don't fit the current Primaris look very well.

 

But back on topic, I do like the idea that belief in the Emperor (and even Sanguinis, the World Wolf, and the Dark Angels' sheer hatred of their enemies) would start to manifest in the Warp and enable the working of full-fledged miracles.

 

To dig a little more on the Psychic part of the "Psychic Awakening", and regarding your comment on the faith allowing the manifestation of miracles, it could be interresting to see how it would affect the Space Marine with specific Warp abilities.

 

For examples, will it reinforce the already prodigious resilience of the Salamanders (Vulkan was a perpetual after all, and his "sons" are among if not the most resilient Space Marines), or allow for the Mor'Deythan Raven Guard ability to manifest more often (It is the very rare warp trait of the Raven Guard that allow them to be near "invisible").

 

As for the most Psychic legion among the loyalists, the Blood Angels codex already state this :

 

‘It is no secret that the gifts of Sanguinius have grown ever more pronounced amongst our brotherhood as the centuries have passed. Why this should be eludes even the wisest, but I say to you that we should not revile this power. It is a blessing bestowed by the Primarch himself, and nothing that flows from his illustrious legacy could ever be evil.’

 

On the same tone, since Black Templars do not have psykers anymore, they could either have them back, or more interestingly, they could have access to "miracles" or "act of faith" using the same mechanic as the Librarians, but for Chaplains or for The Emperor Champion.

 

So much speculation^^.

[Archaeinox]

Boy I sure hope when Sortiarius gets invaded that we see Rubric dreadnought sentries stomping around..

[TheMawr]

I dont think #2 is Armageddon, its too far up in the map section.
I think #2 might be targetting a chaos invasion force heading towards terra, not a specific location... or perhaps its the blackstone fortress from huron blackheart heading towards terra.

And like the Phoenix rising symbol is craftworlds but probably represents multiple aeldari in focus, I think the sisters of battle one focuses on multiple "agents of the imperium" Im pretty confident the Lord inquisitor gets a model and its her boots we have seen in the RE ( the trim on the feet is a similar design to her armor trim you see in the first video.)

While I dont think armageddon is warzone #2.. its still possible (like shadowspear isnt set on vigilus but related to it.) that the rumored templars vs orks box is set on armageddon, and to be released around warzone #2 (but just being new character on both sides added to excisting kits at a bargain.)

I can see it going as follows;

#1 Phoenix rising;
Aeldari focused, Slaanesh (+ Fulgrim?) being potentially involved as well. (chaos demons will get rules, and I can see them wanting to exploit their new slaanesh demons in 40k)
Models spotlight; Aeldari (we know about banshees, I could see Incubi for dark eldar too.) possibly Fulgrim (I think in contrary to Thousand sons and Deathguard this might be just the demon primarch, with special CSM+Demon rules but not a dedicated army yet).

#2 Chaos fleet towards terra; revolving around Hurons blackstone fortress
Empire vs CSM focus; Huron as the antagonist this time.
Models spotlight; around this time sisters just got their army release, so I expect only characters on all sides. if Fulgrim didnt appear in #1, he will here.

#3 Baal;
Blood angels vs Necron vs Tyranids love triangle in a semi-hiatus storyline from #1 and #2.. however Necron will offer help in countering what has been built up in #2
I could see the spotlight (in new models term.) here being Necrons (silent king?). with blood angels getting a primarised character or two.

#4 Sortiaturs/Prospero;
As things gather around towards terra, and the previous storylines coalesque, Magnus and Fulgrim join up for a big strike to the imperiums heart.. but then; Leman Russ and some new space wolves miniatures. Imperium under 2 primarchs with the aid of aeldari stop whatever the chaos forces are doing.. but obviously things end in a big "just as planned" cliffhanger.


if #4 is the end of it, then Tau, GSC, Orks, Admech/(chaos)Knights, Astra Militarum, Deathguard and Tau would be shoehorned in one of the previous books. Apart from perhaps a character or two I dont think any of those will get sifnificant releases, so it could just be one chapter battles accompanied by special rules.

[Guest Triszin]

I'm expecting one or two Primarch releases as this campaign unfolds. When GW comes out with "Models you won't believe" it sets the bar pretty darn high.

 

Also a new plastic Ghaz with a boosted datasheet (like what Abaddon got) must surely be on the cards.

 

I do think a BT boxset might be on the cards, but I'd expect new models as well. Surely Helbrecht or one of the characters will be upgraded to a Primaris?

i suspect 2-3 "primarch tier characters". Angron/Ghaz/Russ are my bets

 

 

Also.

 

I'm trying to guesstimate the factions involved in the 4.

 

1.eldar, banshees, Ultras, sisters, Tau, nids

2.blood angels, necron, nids

3.?

4.t sons, tzzentch, wolves (possible custodes, sis)

Edited September 8, 2019 by Triszin