General 40K Lore Q&A

[Tyrant]

There could be a couple of plasma weapons scattered about, sure. Autoguns are less likely.

[shadowhawk2008]

If my IGs had a smattering of autoguns or plasma rifles in my Oracles of Change short - that would be suspect then?

Once again, you are taking it all too literally

To use the example of the Ghosts (again), the regiment made use of stubbers/autoguns (the big ones) and missile launchers fairly regularly, especially from Honour Guard and on.

Ultimately, it all depends entirely on the setting of your short story. Are the CSM fighting off against a regular grunt regiment or are they fighting against a regular semi-elite regiment, ill-equipped regiment or a regular semi-elite, well-equipped regiment or a regular elite, well-equipped regiment. Or any gradation between and beyond. It is YOUR story so feel free to modify whatever variables you choose.

If you would like to have plasmas and hellguns and what not, then your regiment could simply be a stormtrooper company (or companies) or a veteran company (or companies or regiment).

[LordLucan]

Stories aren't tabletop games. Your protagonists/antagonists can be armed however you see fit. if they all had plasma guns, I'd question it (as its frankly not economically viable for an army. Plasma guns are rare, have rare ammo, break easily, and randomly kill dudes by overheating. Not the best standard infantry firearm... )

[Jelboy]

Thanks for your comments, guys. It's given me some ideas for going forward with my Oracle short.

[Vivia]

In the preview of DoW 2 I read that Captain Thule had four golden service studs. I thought it was a little excessive but there is one for each century of service.
How many can a SM have? It's on the forehead after all. Is Captain Thule a super SM?
Lexicanum doesn't say much about SS, apparently the practice of service studs isn't very popular any more. How accurate is this?

[Jelboy]

New Question: The heretical space marines detest the 'false emperor' but, do any of them support humankind much? What 'heretic' space marine forces would support an Imperial world attacked by Orks?

[Maugan Ra]

Interesting question. I can certainly see, for example, Word Bearers intervening to defend a world from an Ork attack. Nothing like having the populace indebted to you as a basis for starting the mass conversions.

Certain other warbands might also get involved, though in most cases they'd be motivated by the resources that the planet could provide, along with strategic positions and a possible recruiting base.

[LordLucan]

New Question: The heretical space marines detest the 'false emperor' but, do any of them support humankind much? What 'heretic' space marine forces would support an Imperial world attacked by Orks?

Some Chaos Space marines hate humanity (I believe Abaddon didn't much care for them even in HH), but I could see others supporting humanity. However, they'd also want humanity to worship chaos or at least reject the Emperor. They aren't goign to save a world that supports their enemy.

For instance I could indeed see chaos space marines saving an Imperial world from orks. However, they would then either corrupt the world, conquer it or kill them all (if the Astartes were particularly crazy or bloodthirsty). Or, they might save a planet because it is useful to their overall schemes. However, you'll be hard-pressed to find an alturistic Chaos Space marine, who saves a world just because they believe all human life is precious or anything.

[shadowhawk2008]

In the preview of DoW 2 I read that Captain Thule had four golden service studs. I thought it was a little excessive but there is one for each century of service.
How many can a SM have? It's on the forehead after all. Is Captain Thule a super SM?
Lexicanum doesn't say much about SS, apparently the practice of service studs isn't very popular any more. How accurate is this?

Its one of those details that are just glossed over. I don't remember any other SMs with studs at the moment but the Insignium Astartes mentions something on this. My personal theory (which may or may not have been mentioned in the background already) is that the number and type of service studs indicate seniority. Bronze studs, gold studs, platinum studs etc like that.

New Question: The heretical space marines detest the 'false emperor' but, do any of them support humankind much? What 'heretic' space marine forces would support an Imperial world attacked by Orks?

Again, this is highly doubtful. The Long War has basically ensured that the Chaos Space Marines will tear down any and all trappings of the Imperium and the God-Emperor at the first opportunity. If they were to defend a loyal Imperial world at all then it would only be so that they can destroy it themselves.

As LL said, CSM are not altruistic at all.

[Vivia]

What caught my eye was the fact he had four golden service studs.
Lexicanum doesn't care about them and I think I have my copy of Insignium Astartes somewhere.

If I remember correctly (heh), Uriel Ventris had two silver studs that were removed when he was cast out.

New Question: The heretical space marines detest the 'false emperor' but, do any of them support humankind much? What 'heretic' space marine forces would support an Imperial world attacked by Orks?

Traitor Marines helping humans seems very much off.
From what I gather from all the stories I have read and from the CM Codex, is that the heretical Marines, Chaos or renegades, don't care for humanity at all.
If the loyalist SM see themselves as superior you can make it tenfold for the heretics, they hardly view themselves as humans. This seems to be more true for the Traitor Legions and from reading The First Heretic I understand a little more what's behind this. There a lot of this in Dark Apostle.
Their concern is with the False Emperor and their former brothers more than anything.

It also seem the basis for them turning against the Imperium, they have no connection to humanity at large, they discard everything they stand for and then there is heresy.

[shadowhawk2008]

What caught my eye was the fact he had four golden service studs.

Probably due to the lack of relevant background information on this minute detail, the author went with what seemed to him to be the rule of cool.

[Jelboy]

New Questions: Do any craftworlds fly in Tau territory?
Are their maiden worlds in Tau territory?
Does wraithbone decay over long periods of time?
Do Necrons communicate by radio waves, vocally, other?

Thanks!

[shadowhawk2008]

New Questions: Do any craftworlds fly in Tau territory?
Are their maiden worlds in Tau territory?
Does wraithbone decay over long periods of time?
Do Necrons communicate by radio waves, vocally, other?

Thanks!

1. If I read the map from the 5th Ed. rulebook right, then Iyanden might have flown through Tau territory.

2. No idea.

3. Doubtful, given that it is used as their basic construction material as far as I know.

4. Radio waves is so primitive no? They probably have some sort of exotic communication.

[Xisor]

New Questions: Do any craftworlds fly in Tau territory?
Are their maiden worlds in Tau territory?

None are known within Tau Territory, though it's suggested back in the redacted CPF document that Waaagh! Scraghurtz was diverted away from the early Tau Empire by Alaitoc.

The Maiden World involved in the novel Fulgrim is noted to be in the Perdus Gulf, if memory serves. It certainly seems to have taken place in/around where the Tau Empire would eventually appear. If there's one, I'd expect there's more than one. I doubt the Tau have colonised any such worlds yet, but I expect it's something that'll certainly crop up in the future, e.g. how such an encounter would pan out. (And what sort of benefactors/antagonists would crawl from the woodwork.)

[Razhbad]

New Questions: Do any craftworlds fly in Tau territory?
Are their maiden worlds in Tau territory?
Thanks!

When it comes to the Tau/Eldar i might be able to help. Craftworlds generally move at slow paces however Iyanden is quite close to Tau space so its possible. What is more there are the Exodite worlds which are a little further off but again not too far. With Maiden Worlds they are all across the Galaxy so it would be likely that such worlds would be within Tau space. But so far GW have yet to write of such an occasion.

[Jelboy]

Thanks for previous replies, guys.
New Question: What is the equivalent of a engineer corps in WH40k?
Do the Imperial Guard Regiments have their own guys able to make pontoon bridges, battlefield hqs, trench systems etc - or do they have a few admech assigned to each regiment to guide them, or must they actually radio in admech to do the job?

also... how deep does this machine spirit thing go? Can Imperial Guard regiments jury-rig gear together? Or does any sort of fiddling with weapons and equipment need some sort of enginseer/admech to do it/give the blessing?

[Erunanion]

Thanks for previous replies, guys.
New Question: What is the equivalent of a engineer corps in WH40k?
Do the Imperial Guard Regiments have their own guys able to make pontoon bridges, battlefield hqs, trench systems etc - or do they have a few admech assigned to each regiment to guide them, or must they actually radio in admech to do the job?

also... how deep does this machine spirit thing go? Can Imperial Guard regiments jury-rig gear together? Or does any sort of fiddling with weapons and equipment need some sort of enginseer/admech to do it/give the blessing?

I think there is a hell of a lot of potential in a story focussing on an IG sapper/engineer corps...

Dunno if there is any fluff at present, but thinking realistically I would be very surprised if the more traditional regiments (Cadian, etc) did not have a dedicated engineering company/platoon. The business of digging trenches etc would obviously be a job for one and all - all Guardsmen carry a lasgun and a shovel for a reason - but basic construction works would probably have some seconded troopers with the necessary acquired knowledge. Maybe this would fall under the authority of an attached Mechanicus official, or perhaps under the perview of a Scholam-trained officer with enough basic trigonometry understanding to plan a trench system. Either way, its something I can certainly imagine existing, even if it hasn't been mentioned yet.

On the machine spirit thing... that is a bit of a philosophical question to me. Can Guardsmen do things like strip down and replace knackered parts in lasguns? Yeah, sure, although there is probably a collection of litanies they will need to chant whilst doing so. Could they, theoretically, do something more complex, to do with auspexes? Again, maybe they could have acquired the knowledge, but I suspect the trooper that did would be looking at having his hands cut off with a big cog-axe for messing with the subtle workings of a device with a genuine machine-spirit.

To me, the machine-spirit is two things. One is as it applies to everybody and everything. This rifle has a machine-spirit, whose aid I can enlist through litanies to fire true. This flak-jacket has a machine-spirit, and my prayers to it will allow it to turn aside that lucky shot that would otherwise penetrate. This is the level that, in my opinion, the majority of the IG and civilians work on.

The other is as it applies to devices. Things with electronic workings, the rudiments of AI; complex things, that require an understanding of the electronics behind the device to actually make it work at all, beyond the basic inputs. This is where an actual machine-spirit resides. In my head its a bit like talking to a computer that has a bit of a capacity to listen: I could sit and ask my computer to help me do something, but since it can't hear me and wouldn't understand if I did, it technically has no machine spirit, and the task will proceed just as well without the talking (this is not a 40K example, by the way, just an aid for comparison).

But with a 40K cogitator or similar device, the task that I am trying to achieve using it can be aided by harnessing the machine-spirit through litanies and suchlike. And, of course, the task can be made more difficult if the machine-spirit is not placated, its resistance having an actual effect on the effacity of my actions; if I am trying to do something that may well injure the device, it'll know and will actively try to prevent me doing it. That, to me, is what a machine-spirit is.

I think that explanation is reflective of the fluff, but I will leave it to you to decide

[shadowhawk2008]

Thanks for previous replies, guys.
New Question: What is the equivalent of a engineer corps in WH40k?
Do the Imperial Guard Regiments have their own guys able to make pontoon bridges, battlefield hqs, trench systems etc - or do they have a few admech assigned to each regiment to guide them, or must they actually radio in admech to do the job?

also... how deep does this machine spirit thing go? Can Imperial Guard regiments jury-rig gear together? Or does any sort of fiddling with weapons and equipment need some sort of enginseer/admech to do it/give the blessing?

IA3 has the "Sarennian Assault Engineers", a regiment equipped for close combat, assaulting fortified positions, clearing minefields and breaching defense lines.

I don't recall any others at the moment.

To go with the speculative answer though, I am sure that an engineer corps does exist for the Imperial Guard. Base construction does not only involve setting up the comm-gear, the cogitators, the display boards and what not. The actual building construction is involved as well and I doubt that the AdMech controls that anywhere even close to the level they control all technology within the Imperium.

My gut feeling is that the basics are easily covered by engineer support regiments, to give them that distinction, and the responsibility of the AdMech in this process is mostly towards making sure that the cogitators, comm-gear, hololith projectors and what not are in working order and so on.

Making pontoon bridges is hardly something I expect the AdMech to directly handle. Same goes for the trench-making and other such tasks. I expect that AdMech advisors are attached to these regiments and oversee these activities, making them as support personnel rather than actual labour.

With regards to jury-rigging gear, Mad Larkin famously tweaked his sniper lasrifle in the Gaunt's Ghosts novels, making one of his regiment troops, in the novel where the GG are diverted to Aexe Cardinal and fight in WW-era trenches, to comment that an Enginseer or equivalent would censure him or something.

Not to mention that most of the IG regiment TO&E diagrams in the Imperial Armour books have detachments of AdMech assigned as support and there are motor-pools that are under their purview as well.

[Gaius Marius]

Thanks for previous replies, guys.
New Question: What is the equivalent of a engineer corps in WH40k?
Do the Imperial Guard Regiments have their own guys able to make pontoon bridges, battlefield hqs, trench systems etc - or do they have a few admech assigned to each regiment to guide them, or must they actually radio in admech to do the job?

also... how deep does this machine spirit thing go? Can Imperial Guard regiments jury-rig gear together? Or does any sort of fiddling with weapons and equipment need some sort of enginseer/admech to do it/give the blessing?

There was a short story in Planetkill that featured an IG regiment famed for using engineering in battle, such as building a road through an impassible swamp to flank an ork horde. AdMech probably focus on just machinery and repairs to hardware, letting the IG play in the dirt so to speak.

[Mossy Toes]

Erm, engiseers. Nowhere near as high-ranked as tech-priests, but initiated into some of the lay mysteries of the Omnissiah and granted augmentations all the same. I typically think of them as attached to armor regiments for the purpose of repairing broken-down tanks, but there's absolutely no reason they couldn't be involved in directing servitors and guardsmen to erect earthworks, sap enemy strongpoints, etc.