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So how does starting a family, and raising it work anyway in a future where there is only war? I mean we know the chaos guys just rape and don't care much about the aftermath if there is any, and orks just sprout out of the ground hardwired to build stuff, necrons are immortal eunuchs, but what of tau, IG, and Eldar?

I ask because i'm going to try to write a story sometime soon that focuses both on romance and war, basically about husbands going off to war, from different factions that meet on the battlefield in pitched combat. Something akin to that AMV of blind guardians bard song.

Well theres a varying amount of brutalisation depending on the imperial world your talking about. Factory workers toil away and burn out their lives in it. Raising their children to do the same monotonous task. Whilst on frontier or newly settled worlds far from imperial authority people have a lot more freedom to do what they like (but necessity will often affect this). With worlds varying between these two extremes a lot. I guess it also depends on the culture on a world by world basis. So contrary to the saying there isn't war on every planet all the time. Just large sections of the galaxy see continuous, large battlefronts/engagements.

Technically speaking, Slaanesh has the best "civie" "life".

IG families depend on the homeworld and regiment. From what I've read, most guardsmen\women are born into the army; that's how regiments get replenished. For generic Imperial civilian life? Totally depends on the world too. Agri-world? Forge-world? Hive-world? You get the idea.

Eldar by far have the best civilian lives, followed closely by Tau. Although, this is only because they're comparably a lot better than an average Imperial Joe's.

wait IG get born into the army? So they litterally meet their sweethearts while in the army have a kid and the state takes them and makes new soldiers? That's got to SUCK.

It's 40k, what are you gonna do?
Well some to most do, but like I said, it depends on the IG regiment.
Oh, here's a link: http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Imperial_guard#Regimental_Structure
HTH

gendoikari87 wrote:wait IG get born into the army? So they litterally meet their sweethearts while in the army have a kid and the state takes them and makes new soldiers? That's got to SUCK.

New to me. Mixed gender regiments seem pretty rare so I don't know where that comes from. Usually a new guard regiment is founded fresh and recruiting members of it is counted towards the planets tithe. With under strength regiments being combined into new formations as wars grind on. Or replenished with new troops from the home world if possible.

Edit: Also I wouldn't take everything Lexicanum says seriously since anyone can add to it. Usually best to back it up with a published source.

Lexx wrote:

gendoikari87 wrote:wait IG get born into the army? So they litterally meet their sweethearts while in the army have a kid and the state takes them and makes new soldiers? That's got to SUCK.

New to me. Mixed gender regiments seem pretty rare so I don't know where that comes from. Usually a new guard regiment is founded fresh and recruiting members of it is counted towards the planets tithe. With under strength regiments being combined into new formations as wars grind on. Or replenished with new troops from the home world if possible.

They all have different traditions. Mixed-gender wouldn't be new as we do have them today in modern militaries. GW just don't make female IG heads or bodies much, do they? Hence the single-gender trend that we presume the entire IG has. The way guard regiments are fixed up are non-standardized. Out of curiosity, Lexx, have you read any books about the Tanith First and Only?

undivided wrote:

Lexx wrote:

gendoikari87 wrote:wait IG get born into the army? So they litterally meet their sweethearts while in the army have a kid and the state takes them and makes new soldiers? That's got to SUCK.

New to me. Mixed gender regiments seem pretty rare so I don't know where that comes from. Usually a new guard regiment is founded fresh and recruiting members of it is counted towards the planets tithe. With under strength regiments being combined into new formations as wars grind on. Or replenished with new troops from the home world if possible.

They all have different traditions. Mixed-gender wouldn't be new as we do have them today in modern militaries. GW just don't make female IG heads or bodies much, do they? Hence the single-gender trend that we presume the entire IG has. The way guard regiments are fixed up are non-standardized. Out of curiosity, Lexx, have you read any books about the Tanith First and Only?

Yes I have all of the Gaunt's Ghost books. But generally thought that the rate new children grew up from the baggage train attached to a guard regiment was negligible compared to the losses guard units take. It isn't their prime way of getting new bodies in squads. That's why the first and only got combined with another under strength formation. Even before that the only way they kept at fighting strength was taking on new recruits from places they fought like Vervunhives survivors. If bringing children grown up from the regiment was so good they wouldn't have had to do this.

You aren't born into the IG but id you're mum and dad were both in the IG and you've followed them around the galaxy all of your life it's likely you ill end up in the IG.
IG leave their families behind hen they sign up. They have the freedom to make a new family if they want to the children (and maybe wife/husband depending if they're in the regiment or not) will simply be part of the camp followers.

Well, it all depends on the Regiment, friend. I re-read my post, I just realized that I was stressing that the kids they have are the main source of recruits. My mistake

Alright, quick run-down on the IG
Note: This all depends on the Regiment
-Generally not a permanent military unit
-Usually never get to see home ever again (Unless you're Cadian or in a similar situation)
-Recruits from:
1.Garrisoned Worlds
2.Homeworld(For most this is rare)
3.Their Kids
-May be mixed-gender(Though not explicitly confirmed, afaik)
-It is a Voluntary force

Edit: Ninja'd

undivided wrote:Well, it all depends on the Regiment, friend. I re-read my post, I just realized that I was stressing that the kids they have are the main source of recruits. My mistake

Alright, quick run-down on the IG
Note: This all depends on the Regiment
-Generally not a permanent military unit
-Usually never get to see home ever again (Unless you're Cadian or in a similar situation)
-Recruits from:
-Garrisoned Worlds
-Homeworld(For most this is rare)
-Their Kids
-May be mixed-gender(Though not explicitly confirmed, afaik)

Regiments are a permanent formation. Once they get made they stay made until they are all dead, after that they remake it using new recruits.
Probably will never see home again (basically as good as dead)
Recruits come from damn well everywhere.
Agri worlds
Hive worlds
Mine world
Deathworlds
Ice worlds
Desert worlds
Everywhere.
The kids they have will usually join the IG but i doubt there would be enough to sustain a regiment through it's losses.
Regiments can be mixed gender or just 1 gender. Valhallan 597th and the Tanith 1st are examples of this. There is also an all-dfemale tank regiment mentioned in the Ciaphus Cain novels (Can't remember the name though)
Often people are conscripted and osmetimes they join up IG is definatly not a voluntary force.

purplefood wrote:

undivided wrote:Well, it all depends on the Regiment, friend. I re-read my post, I just realized that I was stressing that the kids they have are the main source of recruits. My mistake

Alright, quick run-down on the IG
Note: This all depends on the Regiment
-Generally not a permanent military unit
-Usually never get to see home ever again (Unless you're Cadian or in a similar situation)
-Recruits from:
-Garrisoned Worlds
-Homeworld(For most this is rare)
-Their Kids
-May be mixed-gender(Though not explicitly confirmed, afaik)

Regiments are a permanent formation. Once they get made they stay made until they are all dead, after that they remake it using new recruits.
Probably will never see home again (basically as good as dead)
Recruits come from damn well everywhere.
Agri worlds
Hive worlds
Mine world
Deathworlds
Ice worlds
Desert worlds
Everywhere.
The kids they have will usually join the IG but i doubt there would be enough to sustain a regiment through it's losses.
Regiments can be mixed gender or just 1 gender. Valhallan 597th and the Tanith 1st are examples of this. There is also an all-dfemale tank regiment mentioned in the Ciaphus Cain novels (Can't remember the name though)

They only keep a regiment active till it becomes under strength for its role. Then they tend to get amalgamated with other under strength guard forces and given new designations/names.

Not all are permanent because from what I've read. They get dissolved too at times.
The scenario goes like this:
The Guard reclaim a world.
The higher-ups like what they did.
They give the Guard a reward.
This reward is to retire\"honorable discharge".
The Guard retire, settle on the planet and eventually get dissolved.
(The Old Guard members who don't like this become PDF)

undivided wrote:Not all are permanent because from what I've read. They get dissolved too at times.
The scenario goes like this:
The Guard reclaim a world.
The higher-ups like what they did.
They give the Guard a reward.
This reward is to retire\"honorable discharge"
The Guard retire, settle on the planet and get dissolved.

That doesn't happen often. Very rare afaik. IT can happen and when it does it is more than likely the senior officers will be called back to train the next members of the regiment.

purplefood wrote:

undivided wrote:Not all are permanent because from what I've read. They get dissolved too at times.
The scenario goes like this:
The Guard reclaim a world.
The higher-ups like what they did.
They give the Guard a reward.
This reward is to retire\"honorable discharge"
The Guard retire, settle on the planet and get dissolved.

That doesn't happen often. Very rare afaik. IT can happen and when it does it is more than likely the senior officers will be called back to train the next members of the regiment.

Yeah, I guess. I've only read one instance of this. Also, I have to mention that the Commissariat is mostly composed of men recruited off-world from that Regiment's own homeworld.

undivided wrote:

purplefood wrote:

undivided wrote:Not all are permanent because from what I've read. They get dissolved too at times.
The scenario goes like this:
The Guard reclaim a world.
The higher-ups like what they did.
They give the Guard a reward.
This reward is to retire\"honorable discharge"
The Guard retire, settle on the planet and get dissolved.

That doesn't happen often. Very rare afaik. IT can happen and when it does it is more than likely the senior officers will be called back to train the next members of the regiment.

Yeah, I guess. I've only read one instance of this. Also, I have to mention that the Commissariat is mostly composed of men recruited off-world from that Regiment's own homeworld.

The commisariat tend to take in orphans of highish status people they can be from anywhere afaik and assigned to any regiment. So often a commissar will not be from the same world as his regiment.

Orphans? Well that's new to me. IG just got a bit more grimdark in my eyes.

undivided wrote:Orphans? Well that's new to me. IG just got a bit more grimdark in my eyes.

They get trained from childhood which is why they are so freaking nuts.

purplefood wrote:

undivided wrote:Orphans? Well that's new to me. IG just got a bit more grimdark in my eyes.

They get trained from childhood which is why they are so freaking nuts.

Schola progenium facilities ( sometimes entire worlds ). They train Commissars, Strom troopers and other special forces and important high skill guard peoples jobs.

Lexx wrote:

purplefood wrote:

undivided wrote:Orphans? Well that's new to me. IG just got a bit more grimdark in my eyes.

They get trained from childhood which is why they are so freaking nuts.

Schola progenium facilities ( sometimes entire worlds ). They train Commissars, Strom troopers and other special forces and important high skill guard peoples jobs.

it is also were alot of the girls that get selected for training in the sisters of battle are found

you guys do bring up a good point, GW made mixed gender boxes for Deldar but they can't make them for guard? I for one would love to see female cadians, no necessarily, scantily clad like the Deldar, but maybe just long hair and fair face. or maybe they're all pregnant at the back camp train to avoid the horrible death that awaits their lovers

if they are in the IG i doubt they would be fair faced for long and long hair is a bad idea in the armed forces (women on active service have to have their hair up and under their helmets) so i would think this would be the same for most IG especially cadians.

gendoikari87 wrote:you guys do bring up a good point, GW made mixed gender boxes for Deldar but they can't make them for guard? I for one would love to see female cadians, no necessarily, scantily clad like the Deldar, but maybe just long hair and fair face. or maybe they're all pregnant at the back camp train to avoid the horrible death that awaits their lovers

I also think Valhallans with mixed gender units would be great.

For regular citizens, you have to make a certain amount of money. If your job is of a certain specialty, then you can apply for a child permit, allowing you to start a family. This is probably an effort to reduce population explosions in slums and keep the hive cities healthy.

Hold on, some planets are Militant like Mordian or Cadia. But there are plenty of planets you could ekk out a fairly good living on a agri-world with your great concern being not having a planetary invasion. Life would be good, if you end up on planet en the route of Leviathan or Kraken, or planet where you become the sex slave of some Slaneshi marine life would be bad. Its literally a roll of the dice, the best and worst bit of the Imperium is "who you gonna call?" because no one will listen so you must take responsibility for yourself you are one in a Billion Billion Billion whether you live or die doesn't really matter.
You could definitely have romance, but it is GrimDark so should and inevitably will end in tragedy. Remember all life is Credit, one day we all have to settle up the bill with the Reaper!

mwnciboo wrote:Hold on, some planets are Militant like Mordian or Cadia. But there are plenty of planets you could ekk out a fairly good living on a agri-world with your great concern being not having a planetary invasion. Life would be good, if you end up on planet en the route of Leviathan or Kraken, or planet where you become the sex slave of some Slaneshi marine life would be bad. Its literally a roll of the dice, the best and worst bit of the Imperium is "who you gonna call?" because no one will listen so you must take responsibility for yourself you are one in a Billion Billion Billion whether you live or die doesn't really matter.
You could definitely have romance, but it is GrimDark so should and inevitably will end in tragedy. Remember all life is Credit, one day we all have to settle up the bill with the Reaper!

Read dead men walking.

Lexx wrote:

gendoikari87 wrote:you guys do bring up a good point, GW made mixed gender boxes for Deldar but they can't make them for guard? I for one would love to see female cadians, no necessarily, scantily clad like the Deldar, but maybe just long hair and fair face. or maybe they're all pregnant at the back camp train to avoid the horrible death that awaits their lovers

I also think Valhallans with mixed gender units would be great.

people in standardised ice world gear look pretty much the same, from either gender

if you are on a Forge/Hive world it's work, work, have kids, work, and die.

On an Agri-world its a little better in that there wouldn't be as much pollution so you would live longer, but its basically the same.


All impierial citizens can get put into the PDF in an emergency. there are also multiple levels of PDF.

1st level are manning sentry posts, crewing defense ships and stations in orbit, keeping order. they make the PDF their full time job and don't have other work.

2nd level down are the Reserve force. only having to show up for Training once every 6 months or so and will have other jobs.

Basically life sucks if you're a human so you may as well join the guard to get a free lasgun.

Commissar: "and a Lasgun for you, and a Lasgun for you, and a Las . . . oh wait that was the last Lasgun."
IG Recruit: "I don't get a Lasgun?"
Commissar: "No, but you can have this nice shiny bolt pistol."
IG Recruit: "But there's no trigger and it has no ammo!!!"
Commissar: "Stop wining Recruit! You can go knock one of those Chaos Space Marines over the head with you pistol and try to take his gun if the Emperor provisions aren't good enough for you."
IG Recruit: "But . . ."
Commissar: Get going before I have you executed for treason!!!"