Word Bearers and Cult marines

[Deacon Ix]

Just really wanted to see if other people agree with me on this bit of lore / logic leap

The Word Bearers worship all of the chaos gods equally.

But there are probably some which lean more towards specific gods while still being part of the Word Bearers Chapter, there are parallels in RL / present day religious with multiple deities, Hinduism being an example but obviously polar opposites on basic tenants!

So I think that there would be Word Bearers with specific marks, hence my Sorcerer or Tzeentch:
http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m87/dv8_eve/Models/th_2015-02-10%2020.41.10_zpszvu1ddsv.jpg (http://s102.photobucket.com/user/dv8_eve/media/Models/2015-02-10%2020.41.10_zpszvu1ddsv.jpg.html)

And Nurgle (with Retinue)
http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m87/dv8_eve/Models/th_2015-09-18%2019.44.55_zpsybzbpagi.jpg (http://s102.photobucket.com/user/dv8_eve/media/Models/2015-09-18%2019.44.55_zpsybzbpagi.jpg.html)

They are still Word Bearers but just a little more specific,

Now onto Cult Marines / Deamonkin,

The way I look at the lore/fluff Plague Marines and Khorn Berserkers could come from any chapter, the only prerequisite is that they worship the appropriate god, Noise Marines are possibly okay as well.

Thousand Sons are completely out as the lore is that they got ghosted by Ahriman so it is unlikely that they would get any more recruits - I would welcome any other thoughts on this as I would like to have a Tzeentch contingent!

I am kinda in the process of putting together a Khorn Deamonkin army, but it is going to be Word Bearers, they will be chosen from the Khorn Deamonkin Codex and used as an allied detachment / formation to my main WB army so I would have Word Bearer Khorn Bezerkers lead by a Word Bearer Khorn Lord ect.

How do people think this stands lore wise? The Thousand Sons part is a bit of an issue for me but it could be explained that some Word Bearers gave themselves so completely to Tzeentch that they got infected / afflicted with the rubric...

[Lexington]

The idea of the Word Bearers worshipping the Chaos Gods "equally" has always been, at best, a loose idea. It's more like a pantheon - the gods are all acknowledged, and to some extent, worshipped, but some Marines end up much more in tune with Khorne, or Tzeentch, etc. In that context, Cult Marines make perfect sense in a Word Bearers army. The only one that doesn't quite fit there is Rubrics. In that case, you're welcome to make up your own counts-as equivalent (I'd recommend taking a look at Dan the Daemon's excellent Night Lords (http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/172506-night-lords-18th-battle-company-flight-715/) for inspiration here), or simply have a small contingent of Thousand Sons and a Sorcerer who've decided to join up with your Word Bearers for whatever reason.

[Mr Mystery]

Yup.

Plus, the Legions aren't as cohesive as they were during the Heresy. The failure at Terra and subsequent scouring, not to mention internecine strife saw to that - so no need to feel too bound by official background, as it's barely scratched the surface.

[0rph3u5]

So I think that there would be Word Bearers with specific marks, hence my Sorcerer or Tzeentch:

Now onto Cult Marines / Deamonkin,

The Anothony Reynolds novels and short stories (which are pretty good overall) give a clear direction in that regard: There are Word Bearer Squads that dedicate themselfes more to one good or the other. The equal worship of the Chaos Gods seems to be more a thing that Dark Apostle orchestrates across the host but not among the rank and file individually.


Plus, the Legions aren't as cohesive as they were during the Heresy. The failure at Terra and subsequent scouring, not to mention internecine strife saw to that - so no need to feel too bound by official background, as it's barely scratched the surface.

The Word Bearers still are one of most cohesive Legions out there. Erebus and Kor Phaeron are widely accepted as leaders who can bring the Dark Apostles together - however both of them are locked in a power struggle with each other.

However the Legion is split between two bases of operations, Sicarus in the Eye of Terror and Ghalmek in the Mealstrom, and there is sumble division between those of the Legion that fought in Ultramar and those who attacked Terra during the Heresy. Additionally each Dark Apostle is also allowed to do their own thing (e.g. go on their own personal(+host) vision quest from the Chaos Gods).

[Charon]

I am kinda in the process of putting together a Khorn Deamonkin army, but it is going to be Word Bearers, they will be chosen from the Khorn Deamonkin Codex and used as an allied detachment / formation to my main WB army so I would have Word Bearer Khorn Bezerkers lead by a Word Bearer Khorn Lord ect.

How do people think this stands lore wise? The Thousand Sons part is a bit of an issue for me but it could be explained that some Word Bearers gave themselves so completely to Tzeentch that they got infected / afflicted with the rubric...

Been there, done both.
My Khorne Daemonkin are Word Bearers (it is mostly Daemons and Vehicles anyways).
As for the Rubric part, an CSM codex had a good solution for the Black legion which I adopted for my Word Bearers. Keep them Thousand Sons but paint a single shoulder pad in the Word Bearers color and give them both legion markings. So you can have a rogue sorcerer with his rubricae bodyguards who joined the Word beaers in a campain.
Also as far as I know only the Thousand sons who followed Ahriman changed color (Ahriman: Exile) so a Sorcerer still loyal to Magnus would be still red and thus not disrupting your color scheme too badly.

[Deacon Ix]

Seems like I am headed in the right direction :)


The Word Bearers still are one of most cohesive Legions out there

This is one of the reasons I am doing this - All I really want is a huge WB army :D


As for the Rubric part, an CSM codex had a good solution for the Black legion which I adopted for my Word Bearers. Keep them Thousand Sons but paint a single shoulder pad in the Word Bearers color and give them both legion markings. So you can have a rogue sorcerer with his rubricae bodyguards who joined the Word beaers in a campain.
Also as far as I know only the Thousand sons who followed Ahriman changed color (Ahriman: Exile) so a Sorcerer still loyal to Magnus would be still red and thus not disrupting your color scheme too badly

Cheers for the tip - had a look through the past Codexs and it's 3rd - awesome little bit of fluff (p44 for reference)