Does the game have room for non-imperial humans?

[Azekai]

I’d love GW to bring back Renegades & Heretics. Except split it into 2 list types:

- non-Chaos renegade humans, who simply broke away from the Imperium.

So, uh, Imperial Guard, then? Even if they have renegade techpriests, schismatics wouldn't differ much from their Imperial counterparts. The Severan Dominate is a good example, they use different names but they still have their version of storm troopers, their version of (worse) commissars, ect.

 

I am not convinced there is a unique tabletop niche for such tinpot empires. Just rename some IG units and call it a day. 

[jarms48]

 

So, uh, Imperial Guard, then? Even if they have renegade techpriests, schismatics wouldn't differ much from their Imperial counterparts. The Severan Dominate is a good example, they use different names but they still have their version of storm troopers, their version of (worse) commissars, ect.

 

I am not convinced there is a unique tabletop niche for such tinpot empires. Just rename some IG units and call it a day. 

 

 

Doesn't even need to be a full codex, that's what supplements are for. Literally just make it an expansion to codex Imperial Guard with restrictions, unique faction abilitiies, warlord traits, relics, and stratagems. 

[Doghouse]

Form a lore point of view I'd say yes.

 

The galaxy is a big enough place for races like the Tau to develop in a short span of time so it's not implausible for a lost human colony to do the same. It's completely reasonable to say there could be other human empires out there. I'd imagine there are worlds and civilisations that come and go completely unnoticed by the main races.

 

As to whether the actual tabletop game needs a new human faction I'd firstly say not really but there is nothing to stop people proxying their own armies using Guard or Tau rules.

 

They'd certain make good opponents in narrative campaigns.

[Lord_Ikka]

Fluff-wise, not only can it be done, but it has been done officially in novels. Imperial Glory by Richard Williams (part of the Glory Imperialis Omnibus) has the world of Voor, Colonized by those who didn't want to be a part of the Imperium, they have an Imperial Govenor but no Administratum, no Ecclesiarchy, no Imperial military presence. Unfortunately for them, orks crash a rok into their world and they need help so they call the IG, which means the rest of the Imperium will come eventually.

 

In-game, it isn't really needed. You can easily play it out a lost DAoT planetary system/small space empire using any of the current Imperial subfactions or even xenos rules, dependent on their level of tech:

 

Very High Tech: use Space Marines. Maybe instead of gene-altered, the warriors are extremely cybernetically augmented, to the point that they are beyond Skitarii level of toughness and more on the level of actual SM.

 

High Tech: Use either SoB or AdMech or T'au. High technology using empire that hasn't changed their soldiers too far from baseline humanity, but have either very good armor/shielding or bionic/biological enhancements.

 

Mid-level Tech. Use Imperial Guard/Scions. The base level of Imperial armies, the Guard are a decent army to base a different space empire's military on as long as it isn't an extremely militaristic or high tech society. 

 

Low Tech: Not really feasible, given the requirement that the potential human society achieves some sort of warp travel. Maybe orks?

 

In general, this would be similar to how Eldar Exodite players (or any other extreme themed army player) makes their army. Lots of conversions and counts-as, probably not playable at tournaments. I don't ever see this happening in-game rule-wise, it is more of a niche idea for those of us who are really into the universe rather than something that GW would really promote.