The 41st Millenium - The Second Age of Strife?

[DrLove42]

I've been re-reading the first Horus Heresy book from FW.

The opening discusses mankinds rise, and the Age of Strife.

Theres a lot of similarities to the 41st Millenium - systesm cut off, predatory aliens and deamons stalking humanity, decline of the race, feeling it was the end times, with humanity trying to fight back

is there intended to be symetrical style to the universe where we're back to where we started. And living in the hope of a second coming, to glorious return to the days of the great crusade?

[Psychosplodge]

Maybe seventh edition will be space crusade?

[Cap'nSmurfs]

I think the parallels are intentional, yes. 999.M41 isn't quite as bad as the Age of Strife, but it's almost at the point. On the other hand, it's also potentially on the cusp of an age of renewal. The Final Battle is nigh, the ancient heroes are rousing themselves for one last throw of the dice. Will humanity crumble into another dark age of Chaos and damnation, never to rise again? Or will they weather the storm and emerge stronger than ever, blessed by returned heroes and rediscovered technology?

Most of the factions have something like this. The Eldar could dwindle into nothing, or one of the many plans and machinations for their survival could bear fruit. The Tyranids could hit the point of critical mass where there's no way of stopping them from devouring the galaxy. And so on and on.

That's the purpose of setting the game in this period; Your Actions Matter.

I think there's enough in the background - especially with regards to the nature of Chaos - to imply that the galaxy has definite cycles of order and chaos.

[Katharon]

It's anyone's guess as to whether or not the Emperor will step off the Golden Throne. But, in light of recent HH books, best money lies on Roboute Guilliman being healed by the Emperor's power and returning to take command of the IoM and launching a reconquista of the known Imperial territory and a probable crusade to be launched to close off the Eye of Terror.

But then that would make things harder for GW to justify some of their model sales...so...yeah...even better money on nothing happening.

[Psychosplodge]

Well the fiction could progress... but the game setting doesn't need to...

[Katharon]

Well the fiction could progress... but the game setting doesn't need to...

The two are rather strongly intertwined...

[Psychosplodge]

Not really, we're getting Black library stuff set all over the place nowdays. The Death of integrity is 37th or 39th millennium iirc.
The battle of the fang even older.

[Cap'nSmurfs]

Yeah. The Imperium has ten thousand years of events which are dark, mysterious, and full of action and adventure. They don't need to 'move the timeline on' just to include new fiction. Personally, I hopet hey don't move it on. The game is set in the cliffhanger moment at the end of time. The story from then? You, the player, are meant to write it with your games.

[Psychosplodge]

Indeed it doesn't need to.
But there's no real reason it couldn't if they wanted to.

[Katharon]

Quite a large amount of people would like to see the story line move a century or more past the 1st century of the 41st millenium -- forever hearing about the 13th Black Crusade. I'd rather see it advance a bit, maybe see a 14th Black Crusade happen, or a counter-crusade made by the IoM into the Eye of Terror.

The HH has been nice about giving us a look back in time, but we all know how that story ends.

[Kaptain Badrukk]

I'd like some forward movemnt, but see the argument with not doing it.
Forward movement could very easily drive sales too, since they could introduce new units without the constant need for retcon.
But they've got at least another decade of just plain messing around with the existing fluff before they even really need to bother.

[nathaneal246]

I like the HH stories even though I think they have dwindled a bit as of late, but yeah as katharon says we do know how that ends!

I would prefer to see it progress some what! I think it would turn into a huge nid fest, where all hive fleets combine and almost destroys humanity if it isn't for the resurrection of Robute and the sudden return of Leman Russ!

[Katharon]

@Nathaneal246: Or the awakening of the Lion! Or the return of Vulkan! Or Jagahtai Khan...or Corax...one of them will turn up! ;)

I'm more worried about the fact that GW has lost more than it has gained in the past two decades or more. I started in the Rogue Trader days and stayed up to 2nd edition. Then I dropped out of the hobby for several years. Then I came back in 5th edition (and have stayed in ever since). We use to have so much more! For instance, I want to see Imperial Guard land speeders again, or Sentinels armed with assault cannons. I want to see the Squats put back in (I was horrified when I discovered that they'd been removed in 3rd).

Also, when they get around to finally updating the Orks, I hope that they give Ghazghkull Thraka a new model. In fluff he is as big as a Leman Russ. His model should reflect that, to at least being as big as a Dreadnought -- his rules do at least, since he is classified as a monsterous creature.

[Psychosplodge]

Yeah sentinels always had assault cannons, then tehy gave them everything else instead, and none of it's as cool as an assault cannon...

[Kaptain Badrukk]

Also, when they get around to finally updating the Orks, I hope that they give Ghazghkull Thraka a new model. In fluff he is as big as a Leman Russ. His model should reflect that, to at least being as big as a Dreadnought -- his rules do at least, since he is classified as a monsterous creature.

Nope he's infantry, so he can join units and therefore not immediately get shot up the face.
His model is pretty big, but yeah I always thought he'd be bigger.


I want to see the Squats put back in (I was horrified when I discovered that they'd been removed in 3rd).
And the countdown to the return of squats is again reset!
Thanks. Personally I disliked them intensely, and am very glad they got eaten.
That said they're now a nicely tragic dwindling race with a back story other than "the design studio of bearded biker types wanted some Mary Sues and so they made them".
And could have some potential for being awesome, provided they can be made 'not dwarves in space' of course.

Yeah now things are less homogeneous in the imperium (and wider world) no more orks with bolters and eldar with lasguns either. But while the latter kinda works for me, i have always wondered why the imperium stopped sharing their stuff with each other.

[Katharon]

I'll edit that: "He should be as large as a dreadnought and he should be given the rules for monsterous creature."

[DrLove42]

He already has move through cover from being power armoured....hes already AP2....he already high strength.....hes already a MC in all but name! All he's missing is Fear

Just that he can join units and not get singled out so easily.

[Kaptain Badrukk]

He already has move through cover from being power armoured....hes already AP2....he already high strength.....hes already a MC in all but name! All he's missing is Fear

Just that he can join units and not get singled out so easily.

He has slow and purposeful not move through cover, and while he is high strength and AP2 he also hits at I1 which is extemely rare for MCs (nids are the exception, and then it's not the combat ones).
And he can't smash. He should probably cause fear, but he's already very very good, so I'd leave it.
But I'm with you, he shouldn't be a monstrous creature.
But a bigger model (just rename the existing one "Warboss in Mega Armor") would be more accurate to the fluff.

[Katharon]

Why not be a monsterous creature but still able to join units? Orkz are notorious for going together in mobs, each being led by bigger and bigger Orks. If nothing else, then give him the benefits of a monsterous creature, but not the designation (as Badrukk kind of mentioned).

[Kaptain Badrukk]

It could work, we'll see in the new year I guess.

[DrLove42]

He wouldn't need to smash...isn't he alreadyS10 with his claws?

He doesn't have any guns so the ability to fire two in a turn means nothing. He NEARLY a MC in everything except but name :p

[Kaptain Badrukk]

He has a gun and frag grenades, which in theory he could throw i guess.....
He is S10 and AP2 with his claws, so totally doesn't need smash though.

[Cadian122]

Back to the topic, don't forget that the fluff went past where it currently is (especially with the Eye of Terror Campaign), and it's been brought back to earlier, with the 13th Black Crusade about to happen. I hope that it was so they do another Eye of Terror Campaign, as the last one was so much fun, and it'd be great to do it again.