Incline Warhammer 40,000 Lore Thread

[InD_ImaginE]

Ork >>> Eldar > SoB >>> Spesh Mahreen > Kaos Spesh Mahreen

 

[Heroic Liberator]

Iron Warriors > Dark Mechanicum > AdMech > Necron > Tau (Farsight's subfaction in particular). Honorable mentions to Iron Hands and Imperial Guard as well.

 

[Mangoose]

I like the Space Elves but yeah GW does them no favors.

space elf memes

The issue is they actually don’t force writers apparently on stuff unless they need too. The White Scars only got books in Horus heresy since Chris Wraight asked why they didn’t get books and the reply he got was “your the first to ask want dibs?”

That's fine. It's what allows for, well, Dan Abnett. It's the crap that GW forces authors to write (cough Matt Ward cough female custodes) that is always crap.

 

[Big_poppa_pump]

I like the Space Elves but yeah GW does them no favors.

space elf memes

The issue is they actually don’t force writers apparently on stuff unless they need too. The White Scars only got books in Horus heresy since Chris Wraight asked why they didn’t get books and the reply he got was “your the first to ask want dibs?”

That's fine. It's what allows for, well, Dan Abnett. It's the crap that GW forces authors to write (cough Matt Ward cough female custodes) that is always crap.

Dan Abnett is overrated and is frankly more responsible for the lore/setting getting bad than people realize

 

[Mangoose]

I like the Space Elves but yeah GW does them no favors.

space elf memes

The issue is they actually don’t force writers apparently on stuff unless they need too. The White Scars only got books in Horus heresy since Chris Wraight asked why they didn’t get books and the reply he got was “your the first to ask want dibs?”

That's fine. It's what allows for, well, Dan Abnett. It's the crap that GW forces authors to write (cough Matt Ward cough female custodes) that is always crap.

Dan Abnett is overrated and is frankly more responsible for the lore/setting getting bad than people realize

Dan Abnett has been in GW over two decades.

Note that Graham McNeill joined Games Workshop in 2000, and Dan Abnett joined in 2001. Now please tell me how much better Graham McNeill is than Abnett.

The only way Dan Abnett can make the lore and setting bad is by destroying his own 2001 lore starting from Xenos.

And the only 40k I've cared to read before that is stuff in White Dwarf and Ian Watson's Space Marine.

And guess what? Abnett's last Horus Heresy books referred heavily to 40k lore/theories all the way since Rogue Trader. You probably won't know because Rogue Trader is before 1st edtion 40k.

But that doesn't even matter. Because what I read
- Eisenhorn
- Ravenor
- Gaunt's Ghosts

Note, Dan Abnett has been writing Judge Dredd in 2000AD since 1980.

Dan Abnett wrote the Cosmic Saga for Marvel, probably my favorite Marvel arc (Thanos Imperative - Cthulhian entities from another dimension invade because they have killed Death in their universe and the overwhelming Life became tumorous and thus it became the Cancer dimension. And, yes, the entities are literally the Many-Angled Ones.

Which is Lovecraft faithful.

You know that Dan Abnett is first and foremost a comic book writer, right?

Do you know much about anything?

 

[Big_poppa_pump]

I like the Space Elves but yeah GW does them no favors.

space elf memes

The issue is they actually don’t force writers apparently on stuff unless they need too. The White Scars only got books in Horus heresy since Chris Wraight asked why they didn’t get books and the reply he got was “your the first to ask want dibs?”

That's fine. It's what allows for, well, Dan Abnett. It's the crap that GW forces authors to write (cough Matt Ward cough female custodes) that is always crap.

Dan Abnett is overrated and is frankly more responsible for the lore/setting getting bad than people realize

Dan Abnett has been in GW over two decades.

Note that Graham McNeill joined Games Workshop in 2000, and Dan Abnett joined in 2001. Now please tell me how much better Graham McNeill is than Abnett.

The only way Dan Abnett can make the lore and setting bad is by destroying his own 2001 lore starting from Xenos.

And the only 40k I've cared to read before that is stuff in White Dwarf and Ian Watson's Space Marine.

And guess what? Abnett's last Horus Heresy books referred heavily to 40k lore/theories all the way since Rogue Trader. You probably won't know because Rogue Trader is before 1st edtion 40k.

But that doesn't even matter. Because what I read
- Eisenhorn
- Ravenor
- Gaunt's Ghosts

Note, Dan Abnett has been writing Judge Dredd in 2000AD since 1980.

Dan Abnett wrote the Cosmic Saga for Marvel, probably my favorite Marvel arc (Thanos Imperative - Cthulhian entities from another dimension invade because they have killed Death in their universe and the overwhelming Life became tumorous and thus it became the Cancer dimension. And, yes, the entities are literally the Many-Angled Ones.

Which is Lovecraft faithful.

You know that Dan Abnett is first and foremost a comic book writer, right?

Do you know much about anything?

I know Abnett did not need to constantly try to change and then haphazardly revert it back to the original story of Ollanius Pius, he didnt need to introduce Erda as a concept, and he also didnt need to introduce the Cabal as a thing either.

​

 

[Mangoose]

I like the Space Elves but yeah GW does them no favors.

space elf memes

The issue is they actually don’t force writers apparently on stuff unless they need too. The White Scars only got books in Horus heresy since Chris Wraight asked why they didn’t get books and the reply he got was “your the first to ask want dibs?”

That's fine. It's what allows for, well, Dan Abnett. It's the crap that GW forces authors to write (cough Matt Ward cough female custodes) that is always crap.

Dan Abnett is overrated and is frankly more responsible for the lore/setting getting bad than people realize

Dan Abnett has been in GW over two decades.

Note that Graham McNeill joined Games Workshop in 2000, and Dan Abnett joined in 2001. Now please tell me how much better Graham McNeill is than Abnett.

The only way Dan Abnett can make the lore and setting bad is by destroying his own 2001 lore starting from Xenos.

And the only 40k I've cared to read before that is stuff in White Dwarf and Ian Watson's Space Marine.

And guess what? Abnett's last Horus Heresy books referred heavily to 40k lore/theories all the way since Rogue Trader. You probably won't know because Rogue Trader is before 1st edtion 40k.

But that doesn't even matter. Because what I read
- Eisenhorn
- Ravenor
- Gaunt's Ghosts

Note, Dan Abnett has been writing Judge Dredd in 2000AD since 1980.

Dan Abnett wrote the Cosmic Saga for Marvel, probably my favorite Marvel arc (Thanos Imperative - Cthulhian entities from another dimension invade because they have killed Death in their universe and the overwhelming Life became tumorous and thus it became the Cancer dimension. And, yes, the entities are literally the Many-Angled Ones.

Which is Lovecraft faithful.

You know that Dan Abnett is first and foremost a comic book writer, right?

Do you know much about anything?

I know Abnett did not need to constantly try to change and then haphazardly revert it back to the original story of Ollanius Pius, he didnt need to introduce Erda as a concept, and he also didnt need to introduce the Cabal as a thing either.

​

Yeah nobody cares about Space Marine porn Dan Abnett.

40k, especially Dan Abnett, isn't about Space Marines.

It's about the Ghosts. The Inquisition. It's about grimdark warp insanity.

 

[Mangoose]

Oh and let's not forget about Guy Haley + Graham McNeill's AdMech.

 

[Mangoose]

Or ADB's Night Lords, if you really want entertaining bolter porn.

 

[Mangoose]

In fact here's a list in arbitrary order of some of my 40k favorites:
First and Only
Ghostmaker
Necropolis
Honour Guard
The Guns of Tanith
Straight Silver
Sabbat Martyr
Traitor General
His Last Command
The Armour of Contempt
Only in Death
The Iron Star
Blood Pact
Salvation's Reach
The Warmaster
Anarch
Xenos
Malleus
Hereticus
Magos
Ravenor
Thorn Wishes Talon
Ravenor Returned
Ravenor Rogue
Pariah
Penitent
Lone Wolves
Storm of Iron
Mechanicum
Soul Hunter
Blood Reaver
Void Stalker
Space Marine (Ian Watson)
Xenology

The ones in bold are by Dan Abnett.

The literal reason 40k is good is because Games Workshop does not force their writers to write about bolterfags all the time.

 

[Heroic Liberator]

No mention of The Infinite and the Divine & The Twice-dead King series, Mangoose? For shame, brah.

 

[Mangoose]

No mention of The Infinite and the Divine & The Twice-dead King series, Mangoose? For shame, brah.

Infinite and Divine is great, but I'm intentionally pointing out the ones that are not mere-fun-reads and then showing how many of them there are.

Literally this is the only reason I stick with 40k.

If it were only about Space Marines, fuck it.

 

[Heroic Liberator]

No mention of The Infinite and the Divine & The Twice-dead King series, Mangoose? For shame, brah.

Infinite and Divine is great, but I'm intentionally pointing out the ones that are not mere-fun-reads and then showing how many of them there are.

You should definitely read the latter series too in that regard then. It's less comedic and more about mental illness from dementia, to psychological tics to body dysphoria weaved within the broader narrative.

 

[Big_poppa_pump]

I’m kinda shocked infinite and divine is so highly regarded after years of seeing “nu crons suck”

 

[Old Hans]

the only 40k lore that matters is from the 1st Edition Warhammer 40k rulebook. Everything after that is heretical

 

[Mangoose]

I’m kinda shocked infinite and divine is so highly regarded after years of seeing “nu crons suck”

A good writer can make anything good. That is technically their skill. Take any source material, make it good with ridiculous creativity. Not just take what's good and copy it, right?

 

[Heroic Liberator]

I’m kinda shocked infinite and divine is so highly regarded after years of seeing “nu crons suck”

Never had an issue with them personally since you can still have old style Necrons as a subfaction. Tomb Kings in speesh though are more interesting than another dime a dozen mindless thrall race enslaved by malevolent higher beings.

 

[NecroLord]

Black Templars cause they not suffer liberast to live:



Officio Prefectus:



Cause the one bolt round a day keeps heresy away.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpVNrwg8ne8

Second favorite Chapter after the noble Blood Angels (and their successors).

 

[RaggleFraggle]

I’m kinda shocked infinite and divine is so highly regarded after years of seeing “nu crons suck”

A good writer can make anything good. That is technically their skill. Take any source material, make it good with ridiculous creativity. Not just take what's good and copy it, right?

They’re still mostly lame tho. “Oh boo hoo, we want to reverse biotransference so we can die like wussy bitches. Woe is me!” Fuck that dumb shit.

I’m kinda shocked infinite and divine is so highly regarded after years of seeing “nu crons suck”

Never had an issue with them personally since you can still have old style Necrons as a subfaction. Tomb Kings in speesh though are more interesting than another dime a dozen mindless thrall race enslaved by malevolent higher beings.

The nucron factions have been generally crappy and nothing has recaptured the magic of their original scary portrayal. Mostly because of the IP’s bias towards Space Marines. The nucrons can’t do anything if they have no space allotted to them.

Space Egyptians can be easily covered by a space marine chapter. The nucrons don’t do anything interesting with it. They don’t even behave differently than before, they still exterminate everything in their path. The most interesting dynasty are the ghoul courts converted from Sigmar.

Like, I can think of ways to make them more interesting and scary off the top of my head. Do conversion of humans into warriors and pariahs. Make them Space Egyptian Cybermen.

 

[Mangoose]

I’m kinda shocked infinite and divine is so highly regarded after years of seeing “nu crons suck”

A good writer can make anything good. That is technically their skill. Take any source material, make it good with ridiculous creativity. Not just take what's good and copy it, right?

They’re still mostly lame tho. “Oh boo hoo, we want to reverse biotransference so we can die like wussy bitches. Woe is me!” Fuck that dumb shit.

Yes. I was actually thinking I should've added:

"Can" does not make "will." Plenty of stuff from a single author I dislike (LIKE GODFATHER 3). Honestly I divorce a product/novel/etc from any outside context usually. Reading Abnett has more to do with him being a reliable source to check in on first.. Hope, not expectation in other words.

 

[Heroic Liberator]

I’m kinda shocked infinite and divine is so highly regarded after years of seeing “nu crons suck”

Never had an issue with them personally since you can still have old style Necrons as a subfaction. Tomb Kings in speesh though are more interesting than another dime a dozen mindless thrall race enslaved by malevolent higher beings.

The nucron factions have been generally crappy and nothing has recaptured the magic of their original scary portrayal. Mostly because of the IP’s bias towards Space Marines. The nucrons can’t do anything if they have no space allotted to them.

Space Egyptians can be easily covered by a space marine chapter. The nucrons don’t do anything interesting with it. They don’t even behave differently than before, they still exterminate everything in their path. The most interesting dynasty are the ghoul courts converted from Sigmar.

Like, I can think of ways to make them more interesting and scary off the top of my head. Do conversion of humans into warriors and pariahs. Make them Space Egyptian Cybermen.

I mean, it's a matter of taste I guess. I liked some of the nucron writings and I think that they're at their finest when they're portrayed more akin to this setting's Malkavians (from dysphoria to dementia). General bickering between dynasties is also more interesting when those represent cultural and ideological conflicts (e.g. Szarekh vs Imotekh) rather than just bland wars between star gods. And even if we talk about Necron 'foreign policy' as it were, it's also more varied - some want to exterminate other species, others want to keep them around in case they'd be needed for biotransference to be undone and there are also those that just want to keep them around as living subjects for their glory as sovereigns.

Just to reemphasize my stance though, ultimately oldcron vs nucron is a non-issue since you can still have your terminator robots enslaved by C'tan shards. Nucrons just expand the faction, they don't undo what was already there.

 

[Heroic Liberator]

“Oh boo hoo, we want to reverse biotransference so we can die like wussy bitches. Woe is me!” Fuck that dumb shit.

I wonder why... (And again, not all Necron lords want it.)

His skin was touching nothing as he sank. The baroreceptors searching for his blood pressure found only the searing touch of radioactive gas. His stomach had been empty for aeons, and was burning with the sure knowledge he had starved ten thousand times over. His heart was not beating. His blood had gone still, and his organs were failing, cells dying by the billion as they choked on their own waste. He could feel the brain he did not have, desperately begging for oxygen as its tissues began to blacken. His phantom lungs were flat and stiff as leather discs inside his chest, and they would not inflate. He needed to breathe. He needed to. Or he was going to die. He clawed at his own throat, desperate to clear the obstruction, but there was nothing there but solid metal. His hard fingers scrabbled against his face, but there was no mouth, no nostrils – his whole form was solid and sealed, with no way to inhale. None of his phantom parts could do anything to save themselves, but neither could they collapse, because they did not exist.

They would be trapped here forever, in the lurid, blinding urgency at death’s edge.

 

[RaggleFraggle]

“Oh boo hoo, we want to reverse biotransference so we can die like wussy bitches. Woe is me!” Fuck that dumb shit.

I wonder why... (And again, not all Necron lords want it.)

His skin was touching nothing as he sank. The baroreceptors searching for his blood pressure found only the searing touch of radioactive gas. His stomach had been empty for aeons, and was burning with the sure knowledge he had starved ten thousand times over. His heart was not beating. His blood had gone still, and his organs were failing, cells dying by the billion as they choked on their own waste. He could feel the brain he did not have, desperately begging for oxygen as its tissues began to blacken. His phantom lungs were flat and stiff as leather discs inside his chest, and they would not inflate. He needed to breathe. He needed to. Or he was going to die. He clawed at his own throat, desperate to clear the obstruction, but there was nothing there but solid metal. His hard fingers scrabbled against his face, but there was no mouth, no nostrils – his whole form was solid and sealed, with no way to inhale. None of his phantom parts could do anything to save themselves, but neither could they collapse, because they did not exist.

They would be trapped here forever, in the lurid, blinding urgency at death’s edge.

It would be great if that was actually in the damn codex.

 

[BrotherFrank]

 

[Caim]

Biel-tan should switch their main two colors around: green and white instead of white and green. That way their Guardians become green with white pointed hats, which makes it easier to understand what they're all about.