Some factions need better names...

[YorkNecromancer]

So I've been listening to the 'Mechanicum' audiobook on my way into work, and something has stuck out like a sore thumb.

The Dark Mechanicum.

Apparently, that's a name they gave themselves, not an appropriated appellation, or ironic, or Imperial propaganda. This peanut gallery apparently sat down, thought: "We're not the Mechanicum any more. We're evil. Let's call ourselves the Dark Mechanicum now."

What.

That's just dumb.

Like, dumb like big dogs, dumb.

The Dark Mechanicum? Really?

See, I'd always assumed that was just what the Imperium called them, but no, no, they actually call themselves 'Dark'. They actually think they're evil. It's so stupid, so counterintuitive it makes my head hurt. Every political faction that has ever existed thinks they are the hero of their story. Everyone, from groups as different as the Civil Rights movement to the KKK. It doesn't actually mean you are the hero; just that you think you are. Look at Hitler - genuinely bought his own hype that he was the messianic saviour of Germany. Of course, you don't get to say if you were a hero; history does.

But the only people who call themselves something like The Evil Engineers (which is what Dark Mechanicum basically means, yes?) are either doing it with hipster irony, or they're a lone nutbag who is so self-hating they've actually come to believe what other people say about how bad they are.

So far, the Dark Mechanicum (even typing that ridiculous name makes my toes curl) don't see themselves as evil. At all. They see themselves as the purest incarnation of the Cult Mechanicus, rejecting the Emperor as a False Prophet who manipulated their faith for his own advantage, and banned them from researching the Daemonic, which is simply a scientific field humanity hasn't fully studied yet.

WHY WOULD THEY CALL THEMSELVES THE DARK MECHANICUS?!! IF ANYTHING, THEY'D CALL THEMSELVES THE TRUE MECHANICUS!!! You know, because they think they're moving in the true direction they were always supposed to until the Emperor stopped them. Because it's a religious schism as much as a political one. Calling themselves 'Dark' makes as much sense as Protestants calling themselves 'Mildly Satanics'.

It's just dumb.

Same goes for the Dark Eldar for exactly the same reasons. If they were going to be calling themselves anything, it should be 'Eldar', because they're the ones who still cling to the old ways from before The Fall. Their codex should just be 'codex: Eldar'. Calling them 'Dark Eldar' because that's what the Craftworld Eldar call them makes as much sense as 'Codex: Beakies' for the Space Marines, or 'Codex: Gue'vesa' for the Astra Militarum.

So: I propose that we need new names for these factions. Names they would actually call themselves that don't mean 'I AM EVIL', but instead mark out their philosophical viewpoint.

And before anyone says it, yes, there's the Dark Angels, but they get a pass because that IS deliberately trying to sound scary. Also, the 'Dark' is juxtaposed with the word 'Angel', creating an oxymoron, which has the effect of suggesting they are still good (e.g: 'angelic') but do their good deeds in ethically questionable ways (hence the 'Dark' part). For them, it makes sense.

For the Chaos Mechanicum and Evil Eldar, it makes as much sense as using a chocolate teapot as a prophylactic.

Thoughts?

[Wolfshade]

Aren't all the codecii named in high gothic so while the Dark Eldar are Eldarith Ynneas but it is a crude name by the monkeigh.

But I digress, they are some poor names, "Dark Eldar" and I do actually agree.

I think the chaos warbands have some of the worst ones, I mean some are designed to create fear others are just naff.

[Alaric]

Id actually like to hear the names you yourself have come up with, I mean yer an English teacher so you have better insight into naming than most. For meself Id like to throw in Fallen Eldar and mebbe Lords of Mars....I don't like either of those. Names are hard...how aboot Dark Eldar and Dark Mechanicum. Waitaminit....

[Tyrendian]

I don't think any of those will change, but hey... who expected Astra Militarum before it happened... and also look at the uproar that created :)

The Dark Mechanicum I think is actually fine, what with Chaos calling themselves Servants of the Dark Gods iirc...

Dark Eldar I kinda aggree, although they do seem to embrace the darkness themselves... Codex: Denizens of Commoragh is kinda too long and obscure to use, because the new names would have to "click" with every reader, no matter how noob, and Dark something does that very well. Hmmm...

[YorkNecromancer]

the new names would have to "click" with every reader, no matter how noob, and Dark something does that very well. Hmmm...

Agreed that it has to click; there's nothing to say there couldn't be an 'in-universe' names (Adeptus Astartes) and a 'real-world' name (Space Marines)... But at the moment, the names are just dumb. And using 'Dark' as the adjective for a noun has been a tedious cliche since at least 1996; it's exactly as awesome as a half-vampire, half-werewolf with a black trenchcoat and twin silver-plated katanas, a long black ponytail (but with a single white streak), cat eyes, whose secretly a member of a secret society called The Dragonborn, an ancient sect of angel monster-hunters who were once bad but turned from the darkness and now use those powers to fight the evil and AHHHHHH MAKE IT STOP MAKE IT STOP MAKE IT F**KING STOP EVERY F**KING G**F**KINGD*MNED CLICHE AHHHH IT MAKES MY BRAIN HURT SO MUCH WITH HOW F**KING LAME IT IS!!!

Christ I am so sick of regurgitated f**king cliches being sold as though theyr'e The Kewlest Thing Ever. There's playing to the tropes, deconstructing them, reconstructing them, and then there's just using them thoughtlessly, and 'Dark Mechanicum' is just the most pathetically crappier-than-a-piece-of-crap-which-smells-like-a-crap-that's-doing-a-crap, imagination-free brainfart any writer could possibly have come up with.

'Dark Mechanicum', Christ.

*headdesk*


Id actually like to hear the names you yourself have come up with

That's the tricky thing. Assuming this is purely in-universe, rather than appearing on a codex anywhere? I don't know. Hence why the thread.

The more I think about it, the more I think it would be great if Dark Eldar was just Eldar; if we acknowledge that they're what the Eldar come from, and it's actually the Craftworlds who are the 'freaks'. The tricky thing is that a lot of the good names are taken, hence why Haemonculi are called that instead of 'Cenobites'. The obvious thing would be to use some stupid Elvish word, but made-up languages make me almost as angry as the lazy use of the word 'Dark'. You need something that sounds roughly like an English word, to convey the appropriate level of unpleasantness, but without being obvious. (Like every bloody Sith Lord in Star Wars: 'Oh, his name's Darth Sidious. Is he insidious? I'd never have worked that clever pun out.')

I've always kind of liked Hebrew as a source. There are some lovely naming conventions in that, like how the suffix 'el' means it's an angelic name (Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, etc...), or the way that the suffix '-im' denotes children (So, say, the children of Seth would be Sethim). The problem there is that the Imperium has already got all the angelic stuff, so you're kind of stuffed.

Isn't the 'official' Eldar word for them 'Ynnitach'? We could use that. Sounds a bit silly though. Stupid, rubbishy made-up gibberish.

And then there's all the horrible 'space language' tropes you need to avoid, like the punctuation shaker (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/PunctuationShaker) or using a 'y' instead of 'i' because it looks cool (What the f**k is a 'wyrdvane'?! Why call them that when 'sanctioned psyker' already sounds amazingly awesome?! Seriously, 'Wyrdvane'?!! Just f**k off. I am sick of bad writers and their bad use of tropes (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/LanguageTropes))

So yeah, not really sure.

I still like the idea of the True Mechanicum. Maybe something like the Mechanicum Veritas, or whatever it would be in GW's peculiar latinate? Or perhaps the Mechanicum Liberum, 'the free mechanicus', to show they have thrown off the shackles of Imperial Dogma. Maybe Liberum Omnissiah Filium, 'The Free Sons of the Omnissiah'?

[Fueldrop]

I vote we name all codexes based on the Orks:

Codex: Humies.
Codex: Panzies.
Codex: Spikies.
Codex: Ded-'ard 'umies.
Codex: 'Umie meks.
Codex: Spiky 'umie meks.
Codex: Panzie clowns.
Codex: bugs.

[Cap'nSmurfs]

I'd give my right arm to rename half the Space Marine chapters. I think ADB summed the general tone up best when he joked about naming one of his own the Painful Dolphins.

Here's my homebrew chapter, the Adjective Animals!

[Fueldrop]

I'd give my right arm to rename half the Space Marine chapters. I think ADB summed the general tone up best when he joked about naming one of his own the Painful Dolphins.

Here's my homebrew chapter, the Adjective Animals!

HEY! The Marauding Squirrels are a proud chapter with a long and storied history thank you very much! Why, back when he was a scout their chapter master choked an Avatar of Kaine to death with his bare hands! Their tank ace, holder of the unique title "The spear of Squirrels", once took down a chaos Imperitor Titan with nothing but the storm bolter on his wrecked Rhino. To this day he refuses promotion and only drives Rhinos. Their master scout once took down the Swarmlord with a single shot from a bolt pistol at 5 miles range, in the dark.

Granted, he was then eaten by the gaunt he was actually aiming for, but still...

[Rev. Tiberius Jackhammer]

Largely agreed. I also have a bit of an issue with the extreme they take with the nounverber naming style. Bloodcrushers - they crush blood!

[Fueldrop]

I'd be happy with the "Dark Eldar" being renamed "Commorragh Raiders" if we want to keep the Craftworld Eldar as just that.

[Charon]

Same goes for the Dark Eldar for exactly the same reasons. If they were going to be calling themselves anything, it should be 'Eldar', because they're the ones who still cling to the old ways from before The Fall.

Not even Craftworlders refer to them as "Dark Eldar".
Commorites and Dark Kin are the most used terms.
The Dark Eldar in turn refer to themselves as Commorites or true kin.

It is just a name for the book. Chaos Space Marines do not refer to themselves as Chaos Space Marines either while Tyranids are actually named after a Planet

[angkor what?]

Codex eldar:-
Craftworlds
Harlequins
Commorites
Outcasts
Exodites

[Fueldrop]

Codex eldar:-
Craftworlds
Harlequins
Commorites
Outcasts
Exodites

Translated.
Codex Panzies:-
Uptight Gitz
Clown Gitz
Cardboard Gitz
Roamin' Gitz
Damn Dirty Hippies

[angkor what?]

Im liking the look of these ork names! Codex eldar :- dark kin looks better than dark eldar or anything commoragh tbf

[Path Walker]

Orks call Space Marines Beakies and chaos Spikee Boyz, Eldar were unfortunately called Panzies which they avoid using these days for obvious reasons.

Squats were called Stunties as well, so covered in that if they come back

[Fueldrop]

Now I'm envisioning the Orcs writing the fluff for codexes other than their own:

"So den da blue beakie, whatsisface, deir boss. You's lot know who I's talking about. Anyway, he did some stuff but it didn't involve da Orks so it ain't important. I fink dere was someting about da panzies and deir god fing involved. Or summin like dat. Who gives a grot's droppin's about what dem 'umies get up to?"

Codex: Beakie describes Chapter Master Marneus Augustus Calgar's defeat of the Avatar of Kaine in the battle of Commrath.

[YorkNecromancer]

If all future codicies were written from the Ork perspective I WOULD BUY EVERY SINGLE ONE.

'So dere's dese skinny blokes what's called Eldar or sumfing. Dey's been around for ages, but not one ov 'em knows 'ow to use a choppa to pick 'is teef. Whatsatabaat? Wot kinds is dere? Well... Dere's sum shooty wuns, some really shooty wuns, da really tall wuns wiv loads of dakka... Den dere's da sparkly wuns, da floaty wuns and da bumpy wuns wiv all da skreemin' and dat. Old Dok Dubstepz once wired up a skreemy wun to 'is speakers; made a right noise. Propa bangin' dat was; coulda danced all nite to dat wun. In conclusion, dey is tall, skinny and taste gud wiv squig gravy.'

[Cap'nSmurfs]

Dem bloo blokes gets all da attenshun for sum reason, don' unnerstan' it pers'nally. Dere hats look good on me bosspole tho', hurr hurr hurr.

[Drew da Destroya]

Den dere's da shooty blue 'uns, wiv all da shiny dakka. Dey gets krumped real easy, so chop dem gitz wiv a choppa an' loot da flash dakka! Just watch out for da big 'uns in dere flyin' dred suits. De've got loads of dakka, so you lot've gotta be more kunnin' when krumpin' dem. Send da grotz in first, den jump 'em!

-Ork Codex: Tau

[Fueldrop]

An' den dere's dis spiky boss who keeps trying to Waaaaagh!!!! the 'umies, but 'e keeps screwin' it up 'cos he ain't worked out dat green is best. 'Is spiky boyz is all decked out in black, which any grot can tells ya is a dumb colour for boyz. Anyway, if I was leadin' dose Waaaaaaghs!!! den I'd give da 'umies a right proper stompin', unlike dis armless git.

[PaladinSL]

Codex: Eldar (Harlequins, Exodites, Feral, etc)
Codex: Craftworld Eldar
Codex: Eldar Pirates

Roll Inquisition, GK, Imperial Knights and Sisters into a single book with limitations like the old C:SM had for BT units, call it Codex: Imperialis

Guard is fine as is

Roll Catachans, Vostroyans, etc into Scions and call it Codex: Deathworld Legions or somesuch

Leave Vanilla Marines as is, change name to Codex: Adeptus Astartes

Roll DA, BA, SW into one book. Codex: Independant Chapters or some pseudo-latin equivalent

Add Gaunt cult into C:Tyn

Necrons is fine

Roll Farsight enclaves back into C:Tau

Strip the Hard cover, painting guides, half book worth of glossy photos, reams of fluff and doubled entries for each unit so you have: Cover, Rules, Cover.

Sell it for $35, Mash the fluff and photos and crap into a second $45 hardcover book, watch sales increase as people can actually afford to buy the codexes on a 2 year release cycle and will buy other races' dexes at that price, the flufflords can still buy their shiny hardcover wafflebook too.

EDIT: And in three editions or so, release Codex: Orks again, basically like it is now.

[Psychosplodge]

I think True Mechanicus does work better, especially if they're naming themselves.


HEY! The Marauding Squirrels are a proud chapter with a long and storied history thank you very much! Why, back when he was a scout their chapter master choked an Avatar of Kaine to death with his bare hands! Their tank ace, holder of the unique title "The spear of Squirrels", once took down a chaos Imperitor Titan with nothing but the storm bolter on his wrecked Rhino. To this day he refuses promotion and only drives Rhinos. Their master scout once took down the Swarmlord with a single shot from a bolt pistol at 5 miles range, in the dark.

Granted, he was then eaten by the gaunt he was actually aiming for, but still...

Splitters Only the Squirrel Marauders are the true servants of the Emperor, with our near identical but slightly different colour scheme.

*insert appropriate tsoalr image here i can't be arsed to look for*

[completeHook]

Some strong words with the Pneumachina might speed things up,’ suggested Harkor.

‘My thoughts exactly,’ said Kroeger...

Chapter 18, Angle Exterminatus by Graham McNeill


Pneumachina is rather good I think, but I broadly agree that there are some very silly names out there.

Nemesis Dreadknight is so daft, it sounds like a roller coaster at a second tier amusement park.

[Asymmetrical Xeno]

Meh screw you all, I say they should all be named from a Necron perspective so :

Codex : 01001111 01110010 01101011 01110011

Codex : 0100010101101100011001000110000101110010

Codex : 01001110011001010110001101110010011011110110111001 110011

Codex : 01010011011100000110000101100011011001010010000001 00110101100001011100100110100101101110011001010111 0011

Codex : 01010100011110010111001001100001011011100110100101 10010001110011

Codex : 01001001011011010111000001100101011100100110100101 10000101101100001000000100011101110101011000010111 001001100100

Codex : 01000100011000010111001001101011001000000100010101 101100011001000110000101110010

Codex : 01001101011001010110001101101000011000010110111001 101001011000110111010101110011




There, much better!

[Psychosplodge]

Meh screw you all, I say they should all be named from a Necron perspective so :

Codex : 01001111 01110010 01101011 01110011

Codex : 0100010101101100011001000110000101110010

Codex : 01001110011001010110001101110010011011110110111001 110011

Codex : 01010011011100000110000101100011011001010010000001 00110101100001011100100110100101101110011001010111 0011

Codex : 01010100011110010111001001100001011011100110100101 10010001110011

Codex : 01001001011011010111000001100101011100100110100101 10000101101100001000000100011101110101011000010111 001001100100

Codex : 01000100011000010111001001101011001000000100010101 101100011001000110000101110010

Codex : 01001101011001010110001101101000011000010110111001 101001011000110111010101110011




There, much better!

Very informative.

[Asymmetrical Xeno]

Yup, it's way more clear cut and easier to read.

[Fueldrop]

Why the heck don't they do that? Clear, distinctive, easily understood.

Also: The Squirrel Marauders were excommunicated for their heretical "Name before descriptive" naming practice. Ignore anything they say, by order of the Inquisition.

[Alaric]

Codex: Eldar (Harlequins, Exodites, Feral, etc)
Codex: Craftworld Eldar
Codex: Eldar Pirates

Roll Inquisition, GK, Imperial Knights and Sisters into a single book with limitations like the old C:SM had for BT units, call it Codex: Imperialis

Guard is fine as is

Roll Catachans, Vostroyans, etc into Scions and call it Codex: Deathworld Legions or somesuch

Leave Vanilla Marines as is, change name to Codex: Adeptus Astartes

Roll DA, BA, SW into one book. Codex: Independant Chapters or some pseudo-latin equivalent

Add Gaunt cult into C:Tyn

Necrons is fine

Roll Farsight enclaves back into C:Tau

Strip the Hard cover, painting guides, half book worth of glossy photos, reams of fluff and doubled entries for each unit so you have: Cover, Rules, Cover.

Sell it for $35, Mash the fluff and photos and crap into a second $45 hardcover book, watch sales increase as people can actually afford to buy the codexes on a 2 year release cycle and will buy other races' dexes at that price, the flufflords can still buy their shiny hardcover wafflebook too.

EDIT: And in three editions or so, release Codex: Orks again, basically like it is now.

Doubt it would be feasible for them to release 2 versions of the same dex (barring special editions, oh my the markup!) for a 10 dollar difference. An alternative could be your idea of cover rules cover then get a code. Go online for the rest of the stuff, then they could put the vidyas there too as they are better at getting painting across. Ha, lookit me all wishin Gdub would do stuff like that, its ok to dream tho.

Good ideas on the names, cept dont you mean Genestealer Cult or has there been a Gaunt Cult?

[Psychosplodge]

Also: The Squirrel Marauders were excommunicated for their heretical "Name before descriptive" naming practice. Ignore anything they say, by order of the Inquisition.

Lies, they were admired for their brilliance in interpreting the Codex:astartes instructions on changing their livery to avoid the enemy learning their ways. What enemy would expect the presence of space marines from a force labelled noun adjective ?

[Fueldrop]

Lies, they were admired for their brilliance in interpreting the Codex:astartes instructions on changing their livery to avoid the enemy learning their ways. What enemy would expect the presence of space marines from a force labelled noun adjective ?

HERETIC! You dare to challenge the honour of the Marauding Squirrels? By the Emperor, this will not stand!

[Psychosplodge]

How can that which they do not possess be challenged?

[Fueldrop]

How can that which they do not possess be challenged?

*Splutters incoherently*

[Psychosplodge]

*Splutters incoherently*

Your impotent rage will get you nowhere, splitter.

[Drew da Destroya]

Meh screw you all, I say they should all be named from a Necron perspective so :

Codex : 01001111 01110010 01101011 01110011

Codex : 0100010101101100011001000110000101110010

Codex : 01001110011001010110001101110010011011110110111001 110011

Codex : 01010011011100000110000101100011011001010010000001 00110101100001011100100110100101101110011001010111 0011

Codex : 01010100011110010111001001100001011011100110100101 10010001110011

Codex : 01001001011011010111000001100101011100100110100101 10000101101100001000000100011101110101011000010111 001001100100

Codex : 01000100011000010111001001101011001000000100010101 101100011001000110000101110010

Codex : 01001101011001010110001101101000011000010110111001 101001011000110111010101110011




There, much better!

Well, that'd work for the OG Necron, but today's New Necron is a much different force. Therefore, they'd have:

Codex: Not us, and therefore worthless chattel.
Codex: Best Budz (Blood Angels)

[Katharon]

I've actually never read a book where a 'Dark Mechanicus' member actually calls themselves by that name. Rather, it is always a loyalist Mechanicus member who denotes them as such. This topic is actually addressed in Chapter Three of "Angel Exterminatus" when the following conversation takes place between some Iron Warriors:



Pioneer crews passed them on their way uphill, followed by cadres of black-robed tech-priests and their walking, crawling and floating palanquins. Outlandish beyond any sane requirements of function, they were abhorrent monstrous things, bulbous, many-limbed and empowered by uncounted forms of locomotions.

"Vultures picking upon a corpse," said Falk with distaste.

"The Pneumachina?" asked Forrix.

"Is that what they're calling themselves now?"

"So I hear," said Forrix, watching as a heavy, segmented construction engine moved uphill on tracked cog-wheels with a rippling peristaltic motion....Hooded adepts wearing smoke-belching backpacks that reeked of embalming fluids and curdled lubricants lashed the slaves with barbed flails, reciting nonsense numbers and atonal braying vocalisations.


So, to answer your question and apparent mania over this -- it's been solved! Or at least that is what this particular branch of the schismatic Adeptus Mechanicus called itself. It's quite possible that this is a separate sect of the newly broken off schismatics, but unless someone has other, better sources for names, then this seems to be it.

[YorkNecromancer]

So, to answer your question and apparent mania over this -- it's been solved!

Ahem.

As I said in the very first post, I have been reading/suffering through 'Mechanicum', which is entirely about the Martian Civil War, where Kelbor-Hal, the Fabricator-General allies with Horus and seizes the planet for Chaos.

And in this novel, it explicitly states that Kelbor-Hal's faction names themselves the Dark Mechanicus. The name comes from the improbably-named Traitor Mechanicum Adept Urtzi Malevolus. That's worse than a 'Star Wars' name!

Ahem.

Anyway, at no stage are they called the Pneumachina, which is a shame, because that's a great name that makes sense. No, they name themselves The Dark Mechanicus'. It explicitly states that they do this stupid, stupid thing. In the novel. That I just read. So if another books says different, that doesn't make the other book right; what it means is that the writers/editors didn't talk beforehand, and that's okay with me, because f**k canon, just tell good stories.

Any road, it's good to know this 'Dark Mechanicum' nonsense is a case of Depending On The Writer. (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DependingOnTheWriter)

So that's something at least.

And it's hardly a mania. I just f**king hate bad speculative fiction. By which I mean

https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/fiction_rule_of_thumb.png

On an un/related topic, I reached the end of 'Mechanicum' today. Does anyone know: are there any Black Library books that don't feature epic battles? The fate of worlds in the balance? Because everyone deserves a second chance, but if they're all full of that, I don't think I'll bother again.

[Anggul]

I'm pretty sure the Dark Eldar don't actually call themselves that at all. They might refer to themselves as Commorite, but generally they wouldn't use any kind of descriptive. That said, the Dark Eldar, unlike the point you first made, are well aware that they're evil and they love it. They see themselves as having the right to do what they want and inflict untold suffering on whomever they want to. They know what they're doing is horrible and that just encourages them, but they still don't call themselves 'Dark Eldar', though I expect they often use the term 'Dark Kin' when interacting with other Eldar factions just to mess with them.

As for the Dark Mechanicum, I suppose it's possibly like the chaos marines. They're well aware that they're turning to dark powers to accomplish their goals. They see themselves as being in the right yes, but that doesn't mean they're ignorant of daemons being generally a bad thing. He could have been acknowledging that they were utilising powers that the Mechanicum would have considered dark for the sake of furthering their interests.

It is a silly name though, they could have used a better word. Mechanicum Maleficarum would have been amusing. Mechanic witches. It would be an appropriate acknowledgement of the lengths they're going to, and what they know they'll be branded as by their previous peers. I have no idea if that actually works in terms of Latin, I'm flailing in the pool of Latin like a total mug here, but 40k has never exactly used it correctly.

On that note, they would be using different words. They aren't speaking English, 'dark' could just be the closest English equivalent. It gets the point across.

[Fueldrop]

I'm pretty sure the Dark Eldar don't actually call themselves that at all. They might refer to themselves as Commorite, but generally they wouldn't use any kind of descriptive. That said, the Dark Eldar, unlike the point you first made, are well aware that they're evil and they love it. They see themselves as having the right to do what they want and inflict untold suffering on whomever they want to. They know what they're doing is horrible and that just encourages them, but they still don't call themselves 'Dark Eldar', though I expect they often use the term 'Dark Kin' when interacting with other Eldar factions just to mess with them.


We are the True Kin, thank you very much. Damn Craftworlder pretenders.

[completeHook]

I actually feel stupider for having gotten through it. Does anyone know: are there any Black Library books that don't feature epic battles? The fate of worlds in the balance? Because everyone deserves a second chance, but if they're all full of sh!te like that, I really am never bothering with a single non-artwork BL publication again.

I've just finished The Outcast Dead, it is set on Terra and is about an Astropath with PTSD. It gives an interesting insight into the culture of the Astropaths and Terra both pre and post Unity. The unusual thing about it for a BL novel is the main protagonist is ruled by fear but this isn't something he is punished for. I prefer world building to bolter porn so I do get where you are coming from; the enormous battles can often become weightless, suffering from the same problem CGI heavy action films often do. Because there are no real limits on scale anything is possible so consequently nothing feels real and you cease to care.

It is what it is though, just (mostly) well executed genre fiction. The amount these guys churn out you need to look past the occasional hand mysteriously growing back and enjoy it for what it is.

[Mr Mystery]

On the main topic....I've always seen the naming as being Imperium centric.

It's doubtful the Dark Eldar call themselves such, ditto the Traitor Legions probably don't even consider themselves to be Traitors.

[Anggul]

On the main topic....I've always seen the naming as being Imperium centric.

It's doubtful the Dark Eldar call themselves such, ditto the Traitor Legions probably don't even consider themselves to be Traitors.

Well they are definitively traitors, they turned on what once their side. Certainly a lot of them feel justified in turning on the Emperor and their brothers, but that doesn't mean they don't think they're traitors.

Being a traitor isn't automatically a bad thing, you could have turned against something bad.

[Katharon]

Ahem.

As I said in the very first post, I have been reading/suffering through 'Mechanicum', which is entirely about the Martian Civil War, where Kelbor-Hal, the Fabricator-General allies with Horus and seizes the planet for Chaos.

And in this novel, it explicitly states that Kelbor-Hal's faction names themselves the Dark Mechanicus. The name comes from the improbably-named Traitor Mechanicum Adept Urtzi Malevolus. You can tell I'm not making it up because WHAT KIND OF A STUPID F**KING NAME IS 'URTZI MALEVOLUS'?!! That's worse than a 'Star Wars' name!

Ahem.

Anyway, at no stage are they called the Pneumachina, which is a shame, because that's a great name that makes sense. No, they name themselves 'The Dark Mechanicus'. It explicitly states that they do this stupid, stupid thing. In the novel. That I just read. So if another books says different, that doesn't make the other book right; what it means is that the writers/editors didn't talk beforehand, and that's okay with me, because f**k canon, just tell good stories.

Any road, it's good to know this 'Dark Mechanicum' nonsense is a case of Depending On The Writer. (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DependingOnTheWriter)

So that's something at least.

And it's hardly a mania. I just f**king hate bad speculative fiction. By which I mean

https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/fiction_rule_of_thumb.png

On an un/related topic, I reached the end of 'Mechanicum' today. If I hadn't been listening to it in the car on the way to work, I'd consider it life I'm never getting back. I feel like the idiot who sees heroin, thinks 'Well, you never know until you try...' and promptly puts himself into a coma. I knew it was a really bad idea, but thought 'no, don't judge, you bloody love the AdMech, and everyone says 'Mechanicum' is one of the good ones, and you love the Horus Heresy, so really how bad can it be? Just give it a go or you'll always wonder.' and f**k me was that a stupid thought to have had. I actually feel stupider for having gotten through it. Does anyone know: are there any Black Library books that don't feature epic battles? The fate of worlds in the balance? Because everyone deserves a second chance, but if they're all full of sh!te like that, I really am never bothering with a single non-artwork BL publication again.

Dude, chill.

Second, if you re-read my post you'll see that I left a certain sentence there that covered your entire rant just now:


Or at least that is what this particular branch of the schismatic Adeptus Mechanicus called itself.

Thirdly, I give more credence to the latest novel than older novels. Writers at BL are generally only fed enough information about their subject matter and told to write their stories from that, with little or no creativity on their own part for actual input to lore than you'd imagine. Only veteran and *trusted* authors are given free reign in some categories (see: Dan Abnett and Graham McNeill).

This carries over to my Fourth point, which is that Graham McNeill is the writer of both Mechanicum and Angel Exterminatus, which would mean that in his own eyes, this new break away group of the Mechanicus has, after the initial revolt and rising on Mars, decided to further separate itself even further from the Adeptus Mechanicus and chosen a more unique name to represent themselves, ie Pneumachina. Since it's the same author, I'm willing to take the later (newer) novel at it's [wink wink, poke poke] face value and see that McNeill is showing us what they are now called.

If it bothers you so much, why not email Graham McNeill and see if he sends you an answer? He's a pretty cool guy, so he just might give you an upfront answer.

[Thornblood]

So, I forked out for the limited edition sm codex (raven guard flavoured) which is beautiful, but oh so overpriced. Chalk that up as one of my many regrets in life. Anyway it comes with a successor chapter book, which also includes some new successor chapters, and the worst colour schemes I've ever seen in my life. Here are the worst named successors;

10. Angel brigade- lumping these all together in one overused stereotype; we understand that space marines are the Angels of death! We have blood Angels, and dark Angels and all their successors. Now we have to deal with the following; Angel Guard, (basically dark angel colour scheme), Angels eradicant (ok, so I do like the word eradicant- nice blend of destroy and churchy 'cant'), Angels of damnation (aforementioned issue with dark mechanicum), Angels of fire (I bet they have a lot off and weapons), Angels of fury (original world water colour scheme, but the blue is replaced with red), Angels of iron, Angels of penance, Angels of repentance (actual dark angel robed dude as logo, also paint there helmets there company colour. Looks retarded. Maybe that's what they are doing repentance over) Angels of retribution, Angels of vigilance (same scheme as the Angels of penance), Angels penitent (are we telling a story? Repentance, penitence, penitent), Angels porphyr, Angels redeemed (happy ending for penitent), Angels resplendent.
who needs to use there imagininations? Not GW!

9.brotherhood of a thousand. Yep they thousand sons.

8. Crimson things- 8 different crimson things- castellans, fists,guard, Paladins, scions, shades, talons, and they don't mention the Sabres.

7. Dark brotherhood, dark crusaders, dark Eagles (Crusaders and Eagles have the same colour scheme- dark green. Not quite dark Angels green, but dark green), dark hands, dark hunters, dark sons.

6. The Emperors Nouns! (Hands, Hawks, scythes, shields, spears, storm, swords, warbringers, wolves and that's excluding the scythes of the emperor. Who exist in the same universe as the emperors scythes. Hmmm)

5.names that include the word marine. We know your marines. It's ok. Marines August, errant, exemplar, malevolent (double fail malevolent), and the metamarines. And omega marines. Novamarines.

4. Night Watch. Not sure if they named after a Russian film or the police in Ankh Morpork.

3. White Templars. Just sound like the Klu Klux Klan. If using beaky armour, mustn't look up.

2. Death Knights/spectres (I'll allow Eagles). As opposed to those knights who hit things and they come to life (quiet aekold halbrass), or the living spectres. I cant remember the last Dickens novel I read and someone saw a spectre, and people were like 'was it dead'. Sprectre is enough. Death strike you sound retarded, but you do make a little sense. I've got my eye on you though.

1. Rainbow Warriors. I think today is LGBT pride day, and in their honouri give the 1. Spot to the rainbow warriors. Named after a Native American environmentalist legend, combined with the fact that there is nothing grimdark about rainbows (pretty colours, gay pride, Jewish/Christian Gods promise not to flood the earth again etc etc). The rainbow warriors are the most out of place people in the Grimdark setting.


Special mention; space sharks. Lucky escape with the rebranded charcarodons, although accipiters are suggesting we may yet have a new wave of marines just named after the Latin names of animals. Also bit tempted to rant about other colour nouns, but mostly they work.

[Fueldrop]

*muttering*
I still say that the Marauding Squirrels are the best chapter...
*Goes off to sulk in a corner as the Emperors Angels take most original name prize.*

[Alaric]

I now want to model a Sam Vimes inquisitor. And mebbe Fred and Nobby acolytes. A Detrius Thanax engine (I think thays what they are called) and a Carrot crusader. Damn you.