40K: Faction Fantasies
The next Ad Mech are around the corner with seven new factions. But what about the other armies?
GW just announced the Deathguard Codex and sion we’ll be digging into all the good stuff that’s been slowly leaking to the top. Things like the new vehicle/heavy support (probably), the Plagueburst Crawler with its big old mortar full of pus and goo.
Or the gorgeous new, just-back-from-a-year-of-self-discovery Mortarion, who looks different. Like he actually learned something while working abroad in Central America.
This is the scythe of a man who has strong opinions about backpacking.
And acompanying that announcement, the advent of the ad mech, with seven new faction ruless for Forge Worlds. This is particularly exciting because maybe the other armies will see some factions of their own. But what could they be? What should they be?
Without further ado, let’s fire up Lex and see what we can learn.
via Lexicanum
Necron
Obviously Necron dynasties are the way to go here. And there’s a ton of fodder for faction rules. Especially when you have dynasties like the Subhekar whosee dynasty is ruled by a regent who doesn’t have full control of his tomb warriors, and relies on the artifice and advice of an aged Cryptek who is skilled at reworking Necron codes, so that he might regain control of his domain. While at the same time launching an all-out war against another, rival dynasty.
Eldar
Another easy one. Craftworlds are clearly the way to go, and I bet we’ll see some individual Craftworlds get their own Codex. It’d be neat to see faction rules for the Rangers though.
Rangers are Eldar who have decided to leave their Craftworld and the Eldar Path, choosing instead to follow the Path of the Outcast, seeking excitement and adventure in the open galaxy. Many never return to their Craftworld, dying alone and forgotten or falling from grace into the hands of Slaanesh.
Already they’ve got the “vs. Chaos” conflict built in, and their lore is just begging to be explored–especially given the state of the galaxy at the moment. Also – Exodites…
Tyranids
Hive Fleets seem like an obvious choice, and Codex Leviathan or Behemoth both sound like actual Codexes (you’re welcome, GW). But let’s take a minute to talk about faction units here. We know the Deathguard are getting some new toys, and that Fabius Bile is hard at work trying to figure out those meddling Primaris.
But who else derives new units from the generic material of fallen foes?
Tyranids absorb the DNA of defeated enemies, allowing for further genetic diversity. It is believed the Genestealer and Broodlord are derived from Human DNA, the Zoanthrope from Eldar and the Biovore from Ork DNA.
That’s right. All it takes is a genestealer charge or a Hive Tyrant strike and we could see Primaris ‘Nids. Primarnids? Tyraris? Whatever the case, I think new faction rules could be another way to advance the Tyranid narrative.
Break them down by the kinds of opponents they’ve been facing. Behemoth or Kraken or Gigas or whomever get new units inspired by orcs, while the others get new human derived units, etc. It’d be a cool way to shake up their status quo–we’ve already seen how delicious GSC can be in the right hands.
Orks
Codex Waaagh will probably never happen, especially since they’re all already broken up into clans. But, just for a minute consider 40K: Only Waaaagh!
That said, I’ll be first in line for Codex: Evil Sunz.
The Evil Sunz love loud, rumbling engines, the smell of gasoline, and above all, going as fast as Orkily possible – arguably even more than splitting heads (of course, going as fast as Orkily possible while splitting heads is a dream fulfilled). Usually, an Evil Sunz band will consist almost entirely of Speed Kult members. Even warbands that haven’t given completely over to their love of speed will often have many bikes or vehicles in their force. The clan also contains more Mekboyz than most, and therefore they often field more mechanical creations than other clanz.
It’s Mad Max meets Orks, what more do your need?
Imperial Guard
The Militarum, similarly is already broken into regiments and their codex is going to be monstrous. That said, I am looming forward to seeing how they’ve changed, given the shakeup that the big G has been causing back on the old homeworld.
A whole bunch of the former High Lords of Terra got sent to the corner to think about what they’ve done, and I’d love to see what that regiment of Militarum looks like.
Tau
Again, they come pre grouped, almost like they were designed to be split off into easily discernable factions to make future releases and rules pretty easy to develop.
The universe is funny that way. Regardless, Sept Worlds are the way to go here, and I think it’s a chance to see a little more distinction in the T’au. They’ve been getting a little more varied, Breachers and Drones and such are showing their adaptation of new tactics. And this is one of the few factions that’s still developing technologically (along with the ad mech, arguably), so there’s an easy in road for new units. Maybe some kind of heavy infantry in power armor. With line slightly better training, so they hit on 3s, and have a 3+ save…
In the grim darkness of the 41st milennium, everyone is a Space Marine.
How would you do new codexes? What new units do you want to see?
