First Edition vs. Modern 40K

[N1SB]

Sounds like the 1ED Space Marines were a lot more like StarCraft Marines.

I wish someone did a story of a Warp ship stumbling into a 1ED-based alternate universe

Brother, you're not wrong, but neither is Brother Snazzy. Even at the very start, there was the gothic monastic element in both the art and the writing, but they relaxed it at times and you get StarCraft-style Marines. Here's an example, some art I was trying to restore (never really got around to it tho):

When you mentioned StarCraft Marines, my mind immediately went to this. Even the caption "human renegades" is interesting. These Traitor Marines didn't so much turn heretical as much as they done "gone rogue" and it's like in these instances you really got that sense of these Marines losing their way but keeping their power (armour and bolters). Keep in mind early on the Badab War actually got more focus than the Horus Heresy, and they had a more tacticool look with camouflaged power armour and stuff, in case people wanted to paint their Marines that way. They even mention the Eye of Terror, but it wasn't a hellscape, it was just like a wild west area that's often cut off by Warpstorms and Marines go and try to apply order when once in a blue moon the storms clear.

It's like a lot of the Rogue Trader era: GW weren't sure which ideas would stick, so it held on to them but it was a loose grip. They're like, "We'll see how this goes."

Regarding the idea of a current era Chapter going through the Warp and entering an alternate dimension, I love it because it sounds hilarious, but I strongly counter-propose this: it doesn't even have to be an alternate dimension, it's just a segment of the Imperium that was cut off by warp storms forever. These isolated Marines are like those abandoned Japanese soldiers that still believe the 2nd World War is still going, and have their own twisted version of history. And while they believe what they believe precisely because they're in their own bubble, here's the twist: these 1st ed Rogue Trader Marines think it's the modern Marines that are the ones stuck in their own false bubble, what with their weird guns made by this Belisarius Cawl nobody's heard of, proclaiming Guilliman is still alive...what a bunch of weirdos.

For a seriously weird twist:

These cut-off Marines would speak of the Ultramarines with disdain because they accepted a Half-Eldar into their Chapter, like from the old lore...but they'd somehow mention they know his mother was named Yvrainne, which is from the Gathering Storm lore, and other strange details that are technically true but are totally out of place. Are these Rogue Trader Marines in the past, in an alternate dimension...or actually from the future?

But as long as they meet a guy called The One Big One, which in High Gothic is Unum Magnum, I'm a happy guy.

[Chaplain ChonkE]

First Edition was an RPG first and foremost more than a tactical battlefield that the later editions espouse; Marines were also different. They were more akin to the Salusa Secundus bred Sardukar of Dune fame in they were rougher and still... 'human'. These were recruits from deathworlds, hive world gangers, prisoners doing life sentences on penal planets and a various number of other tropes; do those sound familiar today? Yes they do. However it is different; these Marines (of the RT/1st Ed era) are not the brainwashed and sterilized warrior-monks of modern 40k, but training indoctrinated versions with crude psycho-conditioning to try and keep them from the temptations of the 4 Powers and various other boggles that a Marine might come across in their interstellar warfighting.

 

The 40k Marines of First Edition are the Chaos Marines of today; Legionnaires. Free spirited, free willed and willing to serve something other than the Chapter or the Emperor of Mankind. They were willing to serve themselves; hired themselves out as mercenaries, able to go rogue and freelance, become pirates (like actual money loving pirates, not the pseudo-pirates who just have an axe to grind) or fall to the temptations of Chaos (which were much spicier in the book art in those days). They are not brainwashed but the finest troops of humanity; yet still human. Irony the brainwashed stormtroopers of today's 40k are the norm and the ones who feel are slaves/pawns to the 4 Powers of Chaos.

 

The Emperor of Mankind was a mad man(?); possibly the minds of many (read that Watson Book and the Inquisitor Wars) people/lives contained in a body with the power of a neutron star or a singularity. Singularity might be a better word. He birthed sons. Grey Knight Pysbolts are made from their rendered essences. Word is bond.

 

Chaos was... more Chaotic. Research for yourself.

 

Eldar were infinitely more awesome and powerful in certain ways (technology). Power creep hit the stats and the stuff but the Eldar never got that archaeotech stat boost overtime aside from some new shinys.

 

Too much(?) Humor vs Not alot of Humor. Decide for yourself.

 

Modern 40k does alot better at showing certain aspects of the GrimDarkness but... sometimes you stare too long into the Abyss and you become the Abyss. In this case; nothingness or nihlism. Or Tyranids. Except I do not see Tyranids (sad face). Oh that is right; there is a larger universe filled with rogues and aliens that does not revolve around the Skywalkeresque movement of large governmental bodies, belief systems and the like. The pushback with more recent fluff is nice to see; show me why times are dire and this is the End of All Things. The Heroes are coming back? You don't say... they been saying that in the lore for a long time... There are individuals are those worlds and alot of grimdark revolves around their struggles? Hmmmm..... People want superheroes though.

 

Primarchs? As stated earlier; pretty much Imperial Guard Commanders with Geneseed and Marine upgrades who lead/founded a Chapter. I think Leman was a Guardsman General or something like that if you dig deep enough.

 

Ultramarines were a Third Founding Chapter whose motto is "Our Presence Remakes the Past". Tell me that is not some dubious stuff. Sus as f.

 

Squats. (Not redacted by the Inquisition... yet)

 

Build your own Robot/Vehicle (RPG). Laser Odor Destroyer variant begins here.

 

2nd edition was my fave but I also have the nostalgia glasses on; it bridges alot of the old and new and gives us alot of what is considered "Concrete" lore today. Good to see that change too though. GW should never be afraid to spice things up as long as they do not jump the shark.

 

Good to see Custodians make a comeback though. That is quality. Relatively same power levels too! Smiley face :D

 

Lots of weird stuff. Get an original copy of the old books from Amazon/Ebay/seller of choice. The originals. I do not believe the reprints are quite the... "same".

[Snazzy]

I've always enjoyed the Ultramarines motto.  Very Orwellian.

 

The lore for the Orks has likely been that which has changed the most over time.  The whole vibe of Orks was different, and more comical. 

 

Meanwhile, Eldar has remained remarkably similar to their Jes Goodwin treatment at the tail end of 1st ed.  Goodwin's artwork in the Compendium is still the basis of Eldar line.