Evolution of the Cult Legions (in regards to the Emperor's Children)

[LSM]

tldr; this is way too long; there is no real way to sum-up.

 

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With the announcement of Index: Emperor's Children I saw a number of comments about how a codex would be interesting as out of all the Cult Legions, they were unique. Whereas the Death Guard were the "Plague Marine army", the World Eaters the "Khorne Berzerker army", and Thousand Sons the "Sorcerer/Rubric Marine army", the Emperor's Children were comprised mostly of Legionaries, with their Cult Troops - the Noise Marines - only comprising a small, elite cadre within the faction.

 

And as a kid, primarily in the hobby from the tail of 2nd until 4th (before returning in 9th), that's... not the Emperor's Children that I remember falling in love with. As such, I've been getting curious about how that difference in perception came to be. I've been poking around old sources, etc. as well as trying to catch up on newer ones that I had missed. And so I thought I'd write it all down, and share it here. (Corrections, wisdom, and other insights very welcome.)

 

WORLD EATERS

 

The World Eaters were, right from 1988's RoC Slaves to Darkness, pretty well realised. The term "Khorne Berzerker" wasn't being thrown around yet - instead the equivalent are referred to as the more generic Chosen Legionaires - but their lore of using psycho-surgery to enhance their bloody-handed savagery is present. One notable difference is that only the Chosen Legionaires wear red and brass, while the rest of the World Eaters are said to wear black and red. (As seen, lying dead, on the cover of Epic's Armies of the Imperium expansion.) Angron doesn't get a mention.

 

1989's Space Marine has a side-panel lore blurb which refers to "Brother-Captain Varren of the World Eaters" (the original marine to take over the Eisenstein) wearing red armour at Isstvan III, but also officially says Heresy era World Eater colours are Black with a Salamander Green highlight (this might be a mistake though, as the image looks far more like Black with a Dark Blue highlight. Black and Salamander Green are also the colours of the Dark Angels and, well, the Salamanders).

 

Early Khorne Renegades models aren't too discernably different from their Slaanesh compatriots at a glance, sharing much of the same ribbed horns, power cables, and trim. There are models with "Bloodletter Head" and "Jugger [sic] Head" and such. A few years later, Jes Goodwin's ~1990 sketches are referring to World Eater "Berzerkers", though they still mostly have horns and not the Berzerker Crests they'd become known for. The initial World Eater Marine from 1991, however, does. (Aside: one '91 sketch of a Legion of Khorne plasma cannon wielder specifically calls out the plain skull helmet as a way to accommodate their heavy weapon.)

 

Throughout the early '90s the World Eaters would receive a number of models, now with their trademark helmets. A number of these wielded Bolters. There were also Juggernaut Riders, as well as "World Eater Assault Marines" in '94, which had (non-chain) axes and (random) bare legs and arms. (A look reproduced somewhat in the most recent kit.) 

 

Second Edition's Codex: Chaos comes out in '96, featuring more models of Berzerker Champions, a Juggernaut Champion, and the introduction of Khârn the Betrayer. The lore is basically the same as before (plus Khârn). More is made of the Cult Legions having been truly shattered, and while there are World Eater warbands, it's also mentioned that smaller groups tend to find their way into other warbands. The Battle For Armageddon side game had come out in 1992, and while that focussed on Orks vs the Imperium, their was a bunch of lore about the First Battle for Armageddon reprinted here, which details Angron having reunited the Worldeaters [sic] Legion - a massive force of Khorne Berzerkers and daemons, defeated only after Angron is banished back to the Warp by the Grey Knights. 

 

Rules wise, in this era squads couldn't take Marks of Chaos, only characters. (And they could take more than one mark!) The Mark of Khorne gave Chaos Armour (2+ save, in an era when TDA was 2+ on 2d6) and Frenzy. Khorne Berzerkers and Khorne Berzerker Terminators are units, and have a Furious Charge ability (triple movement for Charges, instead of double). The former come in squads of 5-19, all can take Bolters and anything from the assault weapons list (all Plasma Pistols and Power Fists an option, if it pleases you). A Khorne Berzerker Terminator is shown off in an iconic piece of Mark Gibbons art, which will become a Warhammer+ model in 2022. Colour schemes present are mostly red and crimson, with black and brass trim.

 

Third edition rolls around, and big news: Berzerkers become the first Cult Troops to have a plastic kit! (Which will go on to see 23 years of service.) Khorne's mark is changed to a simple +1S, though Berzerkers just have an extra attack over basic Marines instead. (Squads of 5-20, 2 Plasma Pistols). While Berzerkers can't take Bolters, there is some nice art depicting such. This codex loses the Cult Terminators, but Chaos gains them back in a Chapter Approved article. Khorne Berzerker Terminators gain the +1S of the Mark of Khorne. The Index Astartes articles also happen this edition, really fleshing out all the Space Marine Legions. Angron's story is fully explored, the colour schemes of white/blue (pre-Heresy) and red/gold (post-Heresy) are nailed down, and a World Eater army list is presented. Their Possessed always have Strong (you rolled three times on a table to see what bonuses Possessed got), they could take one squad of Chosen Berzerkers (with a 4+ FNP), they had special World Eaters Bikers (+1A), and close combat weapons were considered to be Khornate Chainaxes (highest Armour Save allowed was a 4+). Khorne Daemons allowed; Raptors, Havocs, Obliterators, and other daemons not.

 

The 3.5 Codex in 2002 marks a fundamental change in how marked units work. Now, almost every unit can be marked (with some exceptions - Khorne is no Raptors and no Havocs), and Cult Troops are completely absent as unique units. If you want Khorne Berzerkers? You mark a Chaos Space Marine squad with the Mark of Khorne. You want Khorne Berzerker Terminators? You mark a Chosen Terminator squad with the Mark of Khorne (Terminators weren't a unique unit - Chosen could take TDA). Said Mark of Khorne, in this codex, provides +1A as well as Blood Frenzy's various rules (that make you chase your opponent around) and limits on weapons (Plasma Pistol upgrades only, though Khornate Chainaxes are available to all). Playing a World Eaters army is now very easy: only take things that have the Mark of Khorne. 

 

Model wise, there are a few more Berzerker Champions that come out around now, as well as a World Eater Dreadnought "body" piece (all the Traitor Legions get their own Dreadnoughts around this time.)

 

In 2007 the fourth edition codex comes out and... and if I remember correctly a lot people were mad at it for removing much of the specialness of the Legions, in favour of a more unified, generic army. The Mark of Khorne is reduced to just being +1A, but the ability to mark all units in the army remains (though via buying an Icon for the squad, rather than a pts-per-model upgrade). Khorne Berzerkers are their own unit again (5-20, 2 Plasma Pistols, Furious Charge). As all the Cult Troops are now, well, Troop choices, making your own Cult armies is still possible (though simplified). The gross simplification of Daemons (in preparation for their own Codex) limits Cult lists a touch. There's a new Khorne Lord model, though he doesn't have a normal Berzerker's Crest.

 

6th edition codex (2012), Mark of Khorne provides Rage (+2 to charge) and Counter-Attack, while the Icon of Wrath provides Furious Charge (+1S on charge) and re-rolls. Can still do a Cult Army (as Cult Troops become Troop choices with a like-marked lord present) and Daemons can be allied in easily enough. This codex is still in use when Codex: Khorne Daemonkin comes out in 7th edition (2015) - a book which is reminiscent of the classic "Khorne Berzerker army" that the World Eaters had represented. It's perhaps oversimplifying it to say that it smashes together the Khorne parts of Codex: Chaos Space Marines and Codex: Chaos Daemons, but... I'll say it anyway. Like the old 3.5 codex there are no Havocs, but now Raptors (and Warptalons) are present and Khornate. Codex: Traitor Legions also provides a World Eater army (The Butcher's Nails rule making effectively making everybody Berzerkers), and 2016 sees the release of a new miniature for Khârn.

 

8th sees Berzerkers lose some special rules, and just gain a flat S5. If you want to play a World Eater army, you make Khornate picks, and the Legion's Trait of the Butcher's Nails helps turn your units Berzerker-esque. Similar situation in 9th, until... 2023's Codex: World Eaters releases with a modest wave, and a lot of surprising omissions (no Lord, Terminator Lord, or Bikers in particular are head scratchers). There's still a lot of potential future additions and call backs (Juggernaut riders, Khorne Berzerker Terminators), but the World Eaters as a "Khorne Berzerker army" has arrived.

 

DEATH GUARD

 

Of all the Cult Legions, the Death Guard are the ones who seem to have been birthed fully formed in 1990's RoC The Lost and the Damned. Their story is the story still told today, with relatively few retcons. The Death Guard had already become Plague Marines during the Heresy, and while other Traitor Marines can be used in Nurgle Renegades armies, they are noted as mainly being other warbands joining up. Mortarion is Mortarion, though only his Heresy-era lore is described (and not his earlier days). The army is supported by Diseased Flagellants and Pestigors, etc. No colour is officially mentioned, but models are mostly painted in sickly greens and browns.

 

In Space Marine references are made to the Death Guard (pre-Heresy) having Light Grey with White highlighted armour, while they are shown in image to have their right arm painted red. (The scheme which would be used for pre-Mortarion Dusk Raiders in later lore updates.)

 

The initial generation of Plague Marines already have one foot in the future - swollen belly plates are common, as are "Plaguebearer Heads" and extra tubes. The follow-up Plague Marine sketch by Jes Goodwin forms a consistent foundation for all other Plague Marines to come. (Heavy MkIII armour, guts-like exposed power-cabling, Plaguebearer-like helmet spike, etc).

 

Like the World Eaters, there are a number of Plague Marines released before Codex: Chaos. The colour scheme has changed, to be primarily black/very dark green with an assortment of green and pale bone coloured panels, as well as red as an accent colour. More Plague Marines, as well as Plague Marine Champions, etc. released in '96 alongside the codex. Lorewise, it's basically unchanged. It is noted that of all Plague Marines, the Death Guard ones are the most disgusting. Rules wise, the Mark of Nurgle gives +1T. Plague Marines come in units of 3-9, with Boltguns, Blight Grenades, and Plague Knives. One model can take a special weapon. Plague Marine Terminators exist, but just have the Mark of Nurgle.

 

Third edition's Plague Marines are almost exactly the same (5-10, Blight Grenades now an upgrade) and the Mark of Nurgle has stayed +1T. The Index Astartes article on the Death Guard greatly expands the lore of Mortarion's early life, and their colour scheme congeals into what we know today (white and green pre-Heresy, sickly green and copper in 40k). Captain Garro, first mentioned in Space Marine, gets a side-bar lore blurb about the flight of the Eisenstein (though what became of him is open-ended, including the possibility that he embraced Nurgle in the end and became the Lord of Flies). Their army list is roughly as expected (Plague Marines, Nurgle Daemons; no Raptors, Obliterators, or Bikers). One notable thing is that their Havocs squads can't take Heavy Weapons, but can take multiple Special Weapons instead (unique to the Death Guard at this point). Their Possessed automatically get Fearsome, Plague Marine Terminators get +1T.

 

The 3.5 codex, as mentioned, changes this up a bit (allowing all units - except Raptors and Bikers - to be marked by Nurgle). The Mark of Nurgle now gives +1T, True Grit, and disallows the use of Heavy Weapons. The size of Chaos Space Marine squads being 5-20 means that you can now take bigger units of Plague Marines. The Death Guard have an extra rule (besides "only Nurgle") - only two units of Plague Marines may take Rhinos, and they are Fast Attack choices. A new Nurgle character - Typhus - is introduced (and gets a model), there's a Legion Dreadnought, and there's a new generation of Plague Marines. (Which, in my opinion, are a low point - they've lost their distinctive MkIII and have this weird formless "smeared" look that I dislike, similar to the Obliterators of the era.) The Death Guard colour scheme shown is a pale green with silver trim and red bolter casings.

 

The next codex sees the Mark of Nurgle back to just +1T. Plague Marines are their own unit again (5-20, two Special Weapons), and now have a Feel No Pain save. The Purge is introduced as a really nice paint scheme for a Nurgle warband, and it's around this time that the Nurgle Daemon Prince sculpt releases. In 2012 new edition, same mark (+1T). Plague Marines still have their Feel No Pain. Along the way the WH40k Painting Guide: Nurgle shows off a return to the paint scheme of pallid green and copper. A Death Guard style "Plague Marine army" is doable, and far more so with the 2016 Codex: Traitor Legions expanding options (where Death Guard units gain Feel No Pain at the expense of a point of Initiative).

 

And the Death Guard don't have to wait long for more (less than a year), as they're the launch faction for 2017's 8th edition. A huge range of models follows, and along with the release of Codex: Death Guard the "Plague Marine army" has formally arrived. Some cuts feel familiar - no Havocs, no Bikers, no Raptors, and they get a ton of very thematic additions.

 

8th and 9th see them continue in their own codex, with the Lord of Virulence and Miasmic Malignifier added to their line.

 

THOUSAND SONS

 

The initial lore for the Thousand Sons is interesting. A lot of it is the same - a group focussed on arcane lore and sorcery, seemingly more intent on delving into the secrets of the universe than propagating the Great Crusade, and only allied to Horus after the Emperor sent the wolves against them. (I will note that Magnus is only described as having red hair, not being entirely red.) The big, glaring, omission is that there is no Rubric of Ahriman, and no Rubric Marines. Thousand Sons Marines, while noted as being the members who do not have much psychic ability, do still have tremendous arcane knowledge. They are portrayed as heavily mutated, covered in runes and magic symbols, and able to boost the Chaos magic in an area. (Indeed, their special rule let psykers within 12" tap their aura for more power.) Tzaangor are present. No colour is officially mentioned, but models are mostly painted in stereotypical Tzeentch blues and yellows.

 

Space Marine has the Thousand Sons colour scheme (pre-Heresy) as primarily Red, with Hobgoblin Orange highlights, and gold and black as secondary colours. Box art has them, post-Heresy, in blue and yellow. (Though their shoulder pads have a red Chaos star in a white circle as their symbol.)

 

When the RoC Tzeentch models release, they too are much more pronounced in their difference to the generic Renegades, though unlike with the Death Guard the aesthetic has not been nailed down. "Fungus Body" (ie Flamer body) is common, as is "Headless" (which tends to be more 'Torso-Head', like that era's Horrors). There is some art in RoC: The Lost and the Damned, with a Thousand Sons marine having a (very eagle-y) eagle decoration on top of their helmet. This is replicated in box art for Epic Space Marine. Jes Goodwin's sketch (and subsequent model) of the next generation basically creates the look of the Thousand Sons that will persevere to this day, including taking the eagle helmet and stylising it to be "vaguely pharaonic" (like an Egyptian nemes). Notable at this point though, is that it's labelled as a "Sorcerer Marine", and there's no mention of it being an empty suit.

 

That all changes by the time of Codex: Chaos's release, introducing Ahriman (with model) and the concept of the Rubric. There are a few additional changes to the lore - it is now not merely the practise of sorcery that makes the Emperor declare them heretics and send Russ, but specifically as the response to Magnus using sorcery to try to warn him of Horus' betrayal. As today, once ensconced on the Planet of Sorcerers the 'Sons start to mutate horribly, and Ahriman's cabal goes behind his Primarch's back to undertake the Rubric. Continuing the era's "shattered legion" motifs, Magnus banishes everyone who took part, resulting in Thousand Sons Sorcerers spread across the galaxy, serving in others' warbands, with small entourages of their dusty brothers.

 

Model wise... I might be going crazy. My brain tells me that there were definitely more than one Thousand Sons Marine model, but google is telling me no - it was literally just the single existing model that you took entire squads of. (!?) Images in-codex show generic Chaos Space Marine models (horns and topknots and all) painted blue (with gold trim, and rad yellow flames adorning some armour panels). 

 

Rules wise, Thousand Sons Marines could only be taken if the army also includes a Thousand Sons Sorcerer, and could not be led by an Aspiring Champion. (Funnily enough, Thousand Sons Terminators didn't have this restriction.) Squad size was 3-10, they could take Boltguns (not default!), had full access to the Assault Weapons list (!), and up-to-three models could take Special or Heavy Weapons. The Mark of Tzeentch merely conveyed a 4+ immunity to any psychic attack, though Thousand Sons Marines were also Immune to Psychology and had the Spirit Warriors rule (models have the same weaknesses and immunities as Daemons). 

 

Aside: the metal Thousand Sons Shoulder Pads that get put out around this time don't have the traditional flaming-eagle-ouroboros on them, but instead what looks like a deep-sea viperfish. Fish were a common enough thing for Tzeentch, but it's weird that someone made it thee symbol for the Thousand Sons shoulder pad. 

 

The third edition Codex is still using the same generic models for Thousand Sons Marines, and the art for the unit entry shows a rather generic marine (with top-knotted MkVII helmet). Rules wise, they have gained the iconic (to me) All is Dust (cannot be hurt by attacks under S5) and Slow and Purposeful (can't charge, always count as stationary for shooting purposes), as well as having 2 Wounds (when that was extremely rare). They've lost all equipment options; Bolters only. The Mark of Tzeentch allows characters to automatically use psychic powers (with no test necessary). Their Index Astartes article has a bunch of new art, uniformly showing Thousand Sons Marines with their fancy helmets and tabards. (Mostly with Bolters, though one is wielding a plasma gun.) Their custom list is what you'd expect, though they can take Possessed (which automatically gain Daemonically Fast). Thousand Sons Cult Terminators are also depicted, and whereas most Cult Terminators this edition gain their god's Mark benefits, Thousand Sons Terminators instead gain All is Dust, Slow and Purposeful, and +1W (ie they're not Sorcerers). 

 

The second codex of third edition changes things up, but the Mark of Tzeentch is the most restricted in the book (no Raptors, Bikers, or Havocs). The Mark of Tzeentch is basically split into two - for Characters, Possessed, and Chosen it turns them into Sorcerers who automatically pass any psychic test. For Chaos Space Marines, it turns them into Thousand Sons Marines, who have +1W, Slow and Purposeful, and can only take Bolters. Interestingly, Thousand Sons Marines can be upgrades to Terminators separately from the Chosen taking TDA. They therefore have two kinds of Cult Terminators - "Rubric Terminators" (though they're not called that) and "Sorcerer Terminators". A Thousand Sons army is just one that takes all Tzeentch units.

 

The big thing in this release is the Thousand Sons Upgrade kit. It comes with two kinds of custom torso piece (with tabard), custom arms, custom bolter, custom tabard, three custom shoulder pads, and four (generic) custom head designs. A Thousand Sons (Aspiring) Sorcerer also releases, and looks awesome. All of the designs let you modify the (at the time) new Chaos Space Marine kit into the Thousand Sons Marines of the art, and finally the army looks like what we now think of it.

 

2007, and the Mark of Tzeentch now improves a models Invulnerable Save by 1 (unless they don't have one, in which case they get a 5++). Thousand Sons Marines have received some changes - down to 1W, but now with a 4++ save and their Inferno Bolters have AP3. The next codex keeps things mostly the same, with the addition of the Icon of Flame (units that take damage take a further d3 hits at the end of the round).

 

Seventh edition is the big one, as 2016's Warzone Fenris: Wrath of Magnus book sees a full range of Thousand Sons arrive (with the Thousand Sons Marines now thankfully renamed Rubric Marines). Gone is the upgrade kit, now a full box of their own. Scarab Occult Terminators, Exalted Sorcerers, Magnus, a new Ahriman, and Tzaangor friends. They lose units in most of the expected places (Raptors, Bikers, Havocs). At this point, the Thousand Sons have arrived as a "Sorcerer/Rubric Marine army".

 

In 8th and 9th they are their own faction, and the latter edition's 2021 release sees the Infernal Master added to the line.

 

EMPEROR'S CHILDREN

 

In RoC Slaves to Darkness the Emperor's Children are still finding their feet. "Corrupt beyond comprehension" they find a "perverse thrill" in battle - treating it like an aphrodisiac. It is noted that they prefer close combat, where an enemy can be touched, as part of their motifs around sensation. Noise Marines and Sonic Weapons are absent as a concept, with the closest thing being mention of enjoying the "broadcast terror" of psykers. In fact, much is made about liking psykers (both as allies and enemies) due to the unique experiences their kills/deaths provide, as well as daemons (both to hang out with, and to be possessed by). Apothecaries are noted as having the additional role of collecting bits for future drug use, and Librarians as noting amusing or witty deaths. They are noted to have worn gold and purple before the Heresy, a riot of pastels in 40k.

 

Similar to the early World Eater models, the Emperor's Children are hard to see as notable from other Renegades at a glance. There are models with "Daemonette Head" and "Fiend Head", and there are Slaanesh symbols and a smattering of crab claw hands as well, that one can pick out upon inspection. '89's Space Marine flips their pre-Heresy colour scheme, making them purple and gold instead. The '90 Slaanesh Renegade sketch (and subsequent Emperor's Children Marine model) includes a bunch of iconic motifs (studs, straps, asymmetrical faces with "speaker mouth"), but is still missing that certain je ne sais quoi. 

 

At the end of October 1991 an interesting thing happens - GW's record label releases D-Rok's album Oblivion, containing the song Noise Marine. Around a month later the Noise Marine model releases - this is the one painted in leopard and zebra print, with a bolter underslung on a guitar, and groovy Slaanesh rune across the chest. (I'm extremely curious to know if the model was created as a tie-in for the album, or if the song was named after the model, but my gut says that the former is more likely.)

 

Either way, by '95 Goodwin was sketching the Noise Marines we'd recognise from the art, and the codex release of the following year also saw a trio of Noise Marine sculpts come out. The general Emperor's Children lore was a straight lift from previous material, with the exception of a sentence adding that they had become Noise Marines post-Heresy (and the removal of reference to liking psykers and possession). They still like combat in close, but now Sonic Weapons have been introduced for ranged fun. Oddly, the Emperor's Children are absent completely from the picture gallery (the only Legion to be so). Other publications show the Noise Marine models mainly in black, with pale yellow/pink/light blue trim, and bits in green, blue, red, and purple. While technically still a "riot" of colours, they are mainly black.

 

Rules wise, the Mark of Slaanesh was just Immune to Psychology, as well as never needing to take a Break test. Noise Marines and Noise Marine Terminators had a Psychic Cacophony rule (which could nullify near-by psykers) as well as access to Noise Marine Weapons. Noise Marine squads were notably small, 3-5, and came with just a Bolt Pistol. Any model could take a Sonic Blaster, up-to-one a Doom Siren, up-to-one a Blastmaster, and the whole squad could take Photon Flash Flares. (No Bolters.)

 

Aside: Fabius Bile, ex-EC muckety-muck, is also introduced (lore wise and model wise), and deserves a mention. There is a quote in RoC: Slaves to Darkness attributed to a version of Bile, but that's as a full on Slaanesh worshipper. This mad apothecary uses the name, but is an explicit anti-theist - as he "ultimately serves no one but himself, he bears no Marks of Chaos." It's said that the further into worship of Slaanesh the Legion fell, the more Bile moved away from them. He'll get a new model in 2020.

 

In the '99 codex Noise Marines are quite different. Now in units of 5-10, they automatically come with Sonic Blasters, while three can upgrade to Blastmasters or Doom Sirens. (Plus the Aspiring Champion, who can also take a Doom Siren.) Unit entry art is updated to look like their models, but the stats don't line up with the Mark of Slaanesh (which confers +1A in this book). The big addition is a Slaanesh character: DOOMRIDER. The flying biker daemon prince, whose Bolters shoot so hot they count as Meltaguns, and who has a 1-in-6 chance of getting bored and riding back into the immaterium every turn. He gets a model, as does Fabius Bile's chem-enhanced warriors (who, like Bile, wear the old legion's outdated colours of purple and gold).

 

The Third Legion's Index Astartes article does a good job fleshing out Fulgrim's early days. There are side bars on the Cleansing of Laern, as well as Lord Commander Eidolon (though notably there were stated to be 30 Lord Commanders at the time of the Heresy). Themes of "perfection" start getting pushed more, over the earlier slant toward "pleasure". There is a bunch of new art of Noise Marines (that rocks), and the article does say "most [of the Emperor's Children] became Noise Marines, twisted creatures addicted to fury and tempest". On the other hand it also says that "not all Emperor's Children are perverted to the degree of Noise Marines", which is a touch contradictory. The colour scheme pre-Heresy gets tweaked a bit (to purple and yellow), while the 40k scheme for perhaps the first time is uniformly the black and pink. The army list is a little different - though there is focus on Noise Marines and Noise Marine Terminators, unlike the other Cult Armies regular squads and Veterans are also allowed. Havocs, 'Preds, and 'Raiders are all 0-1 (as the Emperor's Children consider those roles boring), and somewhat unexpectedly they have special rules for their Dreadnoughts (Blood Rage twice as often, can take Sonic Blasters).

 

The 2002 codex changes things up. The Mark of Slaanesh, which is the most broadly applicable (only exempting Raptors), now gives the ability Warp Scream ability (enemies receive -1I) and access to Sonic Weapons. (This is much more Noise Marine focussed than in later editions.) The Emperor's Children rules also expand, allowing for Sonic Predators and Sonic Dreadnoughts, the latter of which even gets an expanded model (with both body and weapons options - something the other Legions didn't get). This is arguably the most "Noise Marine army" the Emperor's Children (and Slaanesh) will get - with the mark being fundamentally tied to the concept of Noise Marines. DOOMRIDER is dropped, but in his place there's a new Slaanesh character - Lucius the Eternal. While primarily portrayed as a duelist, his Armour of Shrieking Souls is cacophonic enough to count as a Doom Siren. 

 

The Emperor's Children do get some models. Like the Thousand Sons, there's an upgrade kit. Unlike the Thousand Sons (whose kit is somewhat comprehensive at making the basic Chaos Space Marines look like Thousand Sons Marines), the Noise Marine upgrades are a bit sparse. There's one custom torso, Power Sword, and backpack/Doom Siren for an Aspiring Champion, three (distinct) custom heads, and the single Sonic Blaster and single Blastmaster arms/guns/shoulder. Resultingly, the Noise Marines don't look particularly like all their cool art - more just like Chaos Space Marines with Sonic Weapons (as... that's what they physically are). And that's particularly bad if you want to make Bolt Pistol and Close Combat Weapon armed Noise Marines, as the three heads are pretty unique (and not the sort of thing you'd want to have a lot of in a unit). On the other hand, one cannot forget the amazing Emperor's Children Lord. Studs, chains, combat drug tubing, speaker faces, face speaker, and the mother of all Doom Sirens. A real gem.

 

The fourth edition codex has a new paint scheme in art (mostly pastel pink, with black and silver trim) and introduces the (now classic) Flawless Host as another prominent Slaanesh warband. The Mark of Slaanesh now grants +1I, which is more elegant rules wise, but loses its Noise Marine flavour compared to Warp Scream. It's stated instead that Slaanesh champions have extremely heightened senses, which is how they react so fast, as opposed to before where they were sonically impairing their opponents. Lucius has gotten a model, and still has his Doom Siren (though it's no longer explicitly tied to his armour's rules).

 

The picture gallery features a bunch of Chaos Space Marines painted in the Third's black and pink (which in the previous codex were part of the 'Eavy Metal painted Noise Marine squad) with the caption that "not all Emperor's Children have become Noise Marines." Which is a touch confusing, as it's in the Noise Marine section. At some point after this, the WH40k Painting Guide: Slaanesh comes out showing a "Noise Marine" (the original Emperor's Children Marine from '91, with Bolter) in black with gold trim and pink helmet, though the black is so heavily edge highlighted with purple that the overall feel of the paint scheme is that it's in purple and gold. The caption here says "Noise Marines are bizarre and terrifying warriors who incorporate a variety of sound amplifying devices into their armour." Which I point out, as it helps reaffirm (in these shakier days) that Noise Marines don't actually have to be wielding Sonic Weapons to be Noise Marines.

 

In 6th, Sonic Blasters gain the Salvo rule in place of the Assault option, which makes them a little less mobile. Sonic Weapons have Ignore Cover now, which is neat. Mark of Slaanesh is still +1I, Icon of Excess provides Feel No Pain. 7th edition's Traitor Legions codex provides Emperor's Children marines with Feel No Pain and Fight-After-Death, which is exchanged for Always Fights First as the Legion Trait in 8th (Sonic Blasters also changed to Assault weapons). But for the most part, playing Emperor's Children just entails picking Slaanesh units. In 2019 a special commemorative recreation of the original Noise Marine model is release, and is popular enough that it sticks around. 

 

In 9th edition, the Emperor's Children's Legion Trait (Flawless Precision) lets them ignore modifiers to BS/WS, as well as improving the AP of an attack on a Wound roll of 6. Most of the Warlord Traits involve melee. Sonic Weapons get increased Damage at half range. The Chosen get a new kit, and an Emperor's Children marine features on the back art (as an alternative scheme to the standard Black Legion). This marine is painted in the black and pink, though the pink far more muted and purple-y than the more pastel and vibrant shades used previously. The Emperor's Children are also present in the Hammer and Bolter episode Eternal, where they're portrayed in black and pink, with speakers in the armour/face.

 

//

 

So... what have I learned from all this?

 

Well, I already knew that the Emperor's Children were quite a bit undercooked compared to the other Cult Legions early on, but I didn't realise that the Thousand Sons were in a similar state. Rubric Marines and Noise Marines both being (effectively) a generation behind Berzerkers and Plague Marines. And the acknowledgement that my adolescence more-or-less spanned that '96-to-2007ish decade, before heading off to university. 

 

And so going back, the books of the time do really feel like all of the Cult Legions were comprised of their Cult Troops - and the Emperor's Children were as much the "Noise Marine army" as the Thousand Sons were the "Sorcerer and Rubric Marine army", etc. So what happened? Because it's not just perception, or a recent thing. There are multiple examples over the years of official sources going out of their way to mention not all Emperor's Children being Noise Marines. Why? I think there are two main points.

 

Firstly, Sonic Weapons. I love them, and early on they were a notable part of what it meant to be a Slaanesh marked marine (second ed, Index Astartes, and 3.5 all giving access). As a result, when this option is taken away in later editions it uniquely hurts the Emperor's Children's connection to Noise. Khorne Terminators and Khorne Berzerker Terminators don't, theoretically, have much of a notable difference, especially visibly. But Slaanesh Terminators who can't take Sonic Weapons just... don't feel like Noise Marine Terminators. And the switchover from the 3.5 codex - where you could have a Slaanesh Havocs squad with four Blastmasters or a trio of Slaanesh Bikers with Doom Sirens - really hurt. A Nurgle "whatever" might not have the Blight Grenades and Plague Knife of a proper Plague Marine, but their +1T still made them feel similar. A Slaanesh "whatever" having +1I doesn't draw an inherent connection in the same way. This also creates a focus on melee for Slaanesh, while their Cult Troop is famous for its guns.

 

The other big problem is the models. We've only really had one full and proper release of Noise Marines (in '96) and that was pretty limited (three bodies, three heads, a backpack, a Sonic Blaster, a Blastmaster, a Power Claw, and a Chainsword). The '02 upgrades (a torso, three heads, a backpack, a Sonic Blaster, a Blastmaster, and a power sword, sold to modify eight generic Chaos Space Marines) I think also helped create this feeling.  Compare it to the Thousand Sons upgrade sprue - where there were eight heads (four designs) and eight tabarded torsos (three designs) and six shoulder pads (three designs) - giving the entire unit the distinct look of a Thousand Sons Marine squad. For Noise Marines... you'd have to buy additional Sonic Blasters - of which there was (is) just the one design; hurting variety. You could use the multiple heads, but they're not particularly generic - at least not the sort of thing I'd want more than one of in each squad (and even then, I wouldn't want more than one of across multiple squads). The backpack is great, too bad there's not more of them.

 

So this hurts the perception of Noise Marines even being Noise Marines, to the point where you have the fourth edition Codex saying "hey, these ones with Bolters? They're not Noise Marines" despite those being exactly the same models that were Noise Marines in the previous codex. Maybe GW was embarrassed to label them as such? But that brings about a quandry: how can the Emperor's Children be the "Noise Marine army" when there are so few Noise Marines models?

 

That then ripples out to the rules. (GW being a models first, rules second, story third, type of company.) Since the Sonic Dreanought twenty years ago the Noisy Emperor's Children have gotten so little, while the rules started reflecting more and more non-Noise. Which is reasonable - you can't give Emperor's Children lords crazy Noise rules when the (fantastic) Emperor's Children Lord has been retired since... I'm not sure when. In 2016 it was available as a metal MTO, so I'm assuming it was already gone for a bit at that point. But let's say that when the 9th edition codex rolled around it had been gone for at least six years; it's no surprise that there's no Noise-based rules.

 

And from there, to the fiction. The 2016-2020 Fabius Bile series, 2018's Lucius: The Faultless Blade, or this year's Renegades: Lord of Excess, present the majority of the Third as Legionaries and Renegades, with Noise Marines being a sub-cult - a strange order, somewhat mysterious; marines apart from the rest of Slaanesh's favoured. (Hell, in 'Lucius I don't even remember the Armour of Shrieking Souls screaming at anyone - the armour that is supposed to be able to unleash a cacophony of such devastating power that he's considered to be armed with a Doom Siren, and yet... it never comes up.)

 

//

 

As someone who likes the concept of the Emperor's Children as the "Noise Marine army" I am hoping that we get a Noise-Marine-based range, similar to how the other Cult Legions have been Cult-Troop-based. Ranged Noise Marines, melee Noise Marines, TDA Noise Marines, Noise characters, Noise Dreadnoughts, etc etc. I can understand though how people who fell in love with the legion as its been presented recently would be dismayed by this, and so I sympathise. It would be a bit of a jerk move on GW's model department to just ignore everything that the Black Library has built up... but I can't deny that it's what I want to happen.

[StrangerOrders]

This is a very interesting write up tbh, although it does make me think about the difference in player source prioritization more than the difference in opinion.

 

My brain when you make the conceptual jump between 4th and 6th had a 'wait a minute, where is Fulgrim (2007) and the Horus Heresy game (2012) that introduced the very different narrative onto the EC?', especially given the models that came with the latter that influenced alot of thinking. My first thought was that they were discounted but now I realize that this more of a case of those sources not really being considered for the conversation or at least as far inferior to the CSM codex and main line and honestly that is fair enough given most casual players on a day to day basis.

 

Sort of made me realize that there are players whose notion of a Legion are heavily entrenched in whats in the literal codexes and available for Chaos Marines in 40k and do not necessarily move past that.

 

In my case, I usually think of the EC players I know in 40k as having alot of 30k bits spliced into their kits, the emphasis on Palatine pieces in particular, not to mention my own interest in EC being 30k-oriented because I disliked how limited the expression of their 40k version was. 

 

Its actually kind of shocking for me as a big EC fan who is not especially prone to thinking about Noise Marines, the conversation about the fixation on them has been something of a revelation really. For someone like me it is really quite difficult to envision a Third that isn't littered with drug-addicts, flamboyant duelists and mad scientists with the Noise marines sequestered in their weird little corner, its really an interesting thing to realize.

 

To flip it a bit, someone like me that never played Rogue Trader and has little interest in the stuff from the 80s and 90s is often lost and confused when folks start hyping up what I find to be a weird design choice on the premise of calling back to it. Which I guess is really indicative of an interesting trait of the hobby, its been around forever and re-envisioned quite a few times, there is a tendency for everyone, myself included, to cling to the parts they like.

Edited April 26 by StrangerOrders

[LSM]

Heh, yeah... I was originally going to dive into the Heresy book series, game series, and do more than a passing mention of the recent books, but... after I got done going through the codexes it seemed way too massive as-is. (You'll also note that I fly through the later editions.)

 

Fundamentally though, as the Index Astartes article on the Emperor's Children was very foundational to my conception of the Legion, I view the Horus Heresy as merely the stage that allowed them to become the Emperor's Children of the 41 Millenium. They had to be highly disciplined and tightly wound in order to come undone, y'know?

 

And if I had done more on the Horus Heresy, I definitely would have added it to my thoughts about the lack of models affecting the rules (and the 40k fiction). But as you say, a whole generation of Emperor's Children players have come about with basically nothing in the main game, and a plethora of really cool stuff going on in 30k. And so it's natural that 40k armies look more and more like 30k armies. (Including the paint scheme - I think I see more people do purple and gold than black and pink.)

 

I also don't think much of that is fundamentally opposed to being melded into Noise Marines. Their art tends to be inherently full of body horror, the result of the purposeful modification done by mad scientists. No one is more drug addled and flamboyant than a Noise Marine, and while Sonic Weapons are iconic to them, that's probably because that's all one's been able to buy to denote that something is a Noise Marine for twenty years.

 

They can be duellists. They're just Warp Screaming and Photon Flash Flaring while they're at it - duelists who like to include pyrotechnics and a flesh rupturing beat.

 

(A piece of art from the IA article that's always been one of my favourites. A trio of Noise Marines, one with Sonic Blaster, one with Bolt... Pistol (?), and one with a blade.)

 

 

(Honestly, I'm just glad anybody bothered to read all that.)

 

[apologist]

I found myself nodding along with your post, @LSM – great work! While I've never been a Chaos fanatic, I've kept up with the various iterations. Your excellent rundown of each Cult Legion chimes with my memories, and I think you come to good conclusions.

 

We're in a post-Horus Heresy world, where the former Legions were all explored in exacting detail; so I think it's inevitable that the 40k versions are now going to echo elements of that for future releases. Having said that, it's interesting to see quite how differently the various Legions have been treated. It's noteworthy how the Death Guard seemed to spring up fully-formed and developed in a way that World Eaters and Thousand Sons haven't – and I wonder whether that's due to the DG having studio members who are particularly enthused or invested in championing them; or simply that GW is still feeling its way about how to tackle sub-Codices. 

[Indy Techwisp]

Y'know, taking extra-codex stuff into consideration the depiction of EC is increasingly out of whack.

Especially since more and more non-codex offically approved stuff has 40k Noise Marines in Heresy-Era Purple and Gold.

 

So I find myself wondering whether this art from MTG is going to end up being prophetic in anyway:

 

You've got the Heresy colours, the 40k backpack, the speaker mouth and that insane guitar gun.

Not sure if they're in MkVI armour or not tho, since personally I can really only tell via the helmet...

[LSM]

I wouldn't be shocked by purple and gold, but I think it would be darker (more like the Painting Guide: Slaanesh I mentioned):

 

 

 

 

On the other hand, the Chosen box art and the Eternal animation do make me think that black and pink have good odds of sticking around.

[sitnam]

16 hours ago, LSM said:

On the other hand, the Chosen box art and the Eternal animation do make me think that black and pink have good odds of sticking around.

 

Given that variant color schemes exist within the other three cult legions, I think both purple/gold and black/pink will show up. Which one will be the box colors is up in the air, but I think the codex will have a nod to both

[Indy Techwisp]

On 4/27/2024 at 6:38 PM, sitnam said:

Given that variant color schemes exist within the other three cult legions, I think both purple/gold and black/pink will show up. Which one will be the box colors is up in the air, but I think the codex will have a nod to both

 

Either literally the same Purple and Gold as the Horus Heresy colour scheme because it's the EC scheme newer players know or Pastel Pink with Black detailing because that's what the "Classic" colour scheme is and the other 3 Cult legions have cleaved very close to their original concepts when they've split off.

 

I highly doubt the pastel explosion colour scheme will return tho, or the Neon Pink and Black that's shown up occasionally.

Edited April 30 by Indy Techwisp

[Gamiel]

1 hour ago, Indy Techwisp said:

I highly doubt the pastel explosion colour scheme will return tho, o

Never say never, that's the description given to the noise marines in the Fabius Bile books, and they did paint this guy in a pastel explosion of colour:

[TrawlingCleaner]

I'd always assumed when EC came back, they'd use the same scheme as Fabius Bile:

 

It pops enough on the box art, it's entirely different to most other armies colour schemes and is simple to replicate. Also Fabius Bile being an unwitting herald for the Emperor's Children is always funny to me

 

For models, I'm hoping, as others have mentioned here and elsewhere, that they don't lean too far into the BDSM/sex/pleasure aspect of Slaneesh. They can get really far into body horror with Slaanesh that's different to Death Guard's bloated and diseased bodies, World Eater Roided mad-men and TS mindless automaton/Tzeentch mutations. I think the Hedonites of Slaanesh find that balance really well in the range in my opinion. You've got Glutos really fitting the Excess mandate wholesale to a grotesque degree all the way to blissbarb archers, both fitting the hedonistic aspect on either end of the scale. Slaangor and the Pain Bringers/Slickblades fill the middle of the scale of lithe and beautiful in parts and horrific and grotesque in others. Like lithe and tall marines with speakers melded with the skin and organs, bloated and enormous marines that take excessive damage, grotesque swordsmen that are peerless in skill, too many arms, legs, eyes on perfect faces etc etc

I'm not saying they should copy the AoS range but I hope they can find that happy, creepy, body horror middle ground

[LSM]

I would hope that they lean into pleasure, but that doesn't necessarily mean leaning into sex. (Space Marines are kind of sexless as it is; though I wouldn't mind the occasional mono-boob-plate.*) But pushing the desire for greater and more bizarre sensations, which then goes into BDSM straps and such, is part of the classic aesthetic that I like. The whole pain for pleasure, joy for suffering, sadomasochism aspect.

 

(Back in the previous iteration of Kill Team - where Khorne Berzerkers were the only Cult Troop available - I had one amongst my Emperor's Children. My lore was that Brother Tsunderius saw the denial of his worship to Slaanesh as the ultimate act of devotion, and instead dedicated his sacrifices to Khorne so that Slaanesh would punish him.)

 

//

 

As to the colour scheme, I always saw Fabius (and his entourage) wearing the Purple + Gold to be a deliberate reference to him being unwilling to move on and embrace what the Legion has become (ie. Slaanesh worshippers). It shows him living in the past, and is like a marine from the True Sons warband - those who kept to their Sons of Horus traditions, and refused to become a part of the Black Legion. Seeing 40k Emperor's Children in Purple + Gold is therefore (to me - I want to stress that I'm not trying to be authoritative on this) like seeing Black Legion in SoH colours. It's cool, and I have painted both the occasional True Sons marine (as I don't particularly like the Black Legion scheme) as well as Purple + Gold members of the 40k Emperor's Children. But it would feel wrong (to me) for that to become the main scheme - like Thousand Sons, Death Guard, and World Eaters being primarily represented by the Brotherhood of Dust, Pallid Hand, and Gladiator Cadre 331.

 

(I also have Warpcoven and Death Guard kill teams in Brotherhood of Dust and Pallid Hand schemes - so again, I'm not saying these are bad, or that I dislike them. But... they're minority alternatives, warbands harkening back to the Heresy. I feel like the Emperor's Children should be the same. If the codex shows off a "Phoenix Conclavist" 30k-esque scheme, that's cool. But I'd like the cover boys to be in Black + Pink.)

 

* Mono-boob-plate, straps, chiselled abs, studded codpiece. Not taking away from the body horror, the Noise Marine sensory amplification, or the lithe fighter look. (Does need more pink though.)

Edited April 30 by LSM