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On the speed thing again, rhino's only go 70 k/h on road (43.5 m/h).

 Co'tor Shas wrote:
On the speed thing again, rhino's only go 70 k/h on road (43.5 m/h).

and Space Marines can run faster than that, why do they even use fground transports when they can run as fast as racecars?

 dusara217 wrote:

 Co'tor Shas wrote:
On the speed thing again, rhino's only go 70 k/h on road (43.5 m/h).

and Space Marines can run faster than that, why do they even use ground transports when they can run as fast as racecars?

Because it's meant for armor, not speed. Even if it gets blown up or shot to hell, it's still more protection than running face first. Also, since when can Space Marines run as fast as race cars? Maybe in sprints, but not over long distances

Space Marines don't really get tired, though.

 Beaviz81 wrote:

 Co'tor Shas wrote:

 Beaviz81 wrote:
Try being in a fight and keep track at stuff. Thats really hard. Adrenaline pumping and everything.

Not being able to keep track of is not appearing to teleport. Regular humans can easily be lost track of. And it will probably be easier to keep track of a marine, considering their size.

Faster than regular humans, I'm sure. A top running speed of 45m/h would a very impressive feat (the fastest human was only 28 m/h, and that's a 100ft sprinter).
Now close combat is a different matter entirely. I took aikido for a while (the only reason I stopped is that I'm in college), and I can go from in front of someone to behind them in a second, maybe less. But much of that speed has to do with moving correctly, not how fast they can move.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Ashiraya wrote:
Can you track Talos Valcoran running at 180 times the speed of sound?

You mean 222,480 km/h? Not even space marines could track that. The only possible way is if it were a vehicle of some sort a distance away.

And I think that can be put in the ridiculous pile. He'd probably burn up.

According to the Rogue Trader RPG a Space Marine could reach over 200 kmph in a sprint so think more Hayabusa and less human athlete.

You can do all sorts of things with FFG RPG's, and get character movement, even for non-SM characters, up to absolutely absurd levels, enough so that in some cases it becomes impossible to retain a character on an average game table if playing stuff out on a large game mat for more than a turn or two.


Overall, on the speed issue, I don't think we've ever seen anything on Space Marines outrunning motor vehicles on foot (and without jump packs) unless I'm missing something? and especially not over long distances. Anything will get tired eventually, particularly if being stressed (in a biological sense).

By the same token, that just made me think of something. The caloric requirements of a Space Marine would be....mind boggling Some high end human athletes consume 10,000 or more calories a day. Something the size and bulk of a bear, with all sorts of extra organs that do incredible things, constantly engaging in stressful physical activity of both incredible endurance and intensity, a 45,000 calorie diet (roughly equivalent to eating 100 big macs a day) or even more wouldn't be implausible. Even though able to eat all sorts of otherwise inedible things, food for a Space Marine could quickly become and issue, to say nothing of the time requirement simply for feeding and excreting.

 Ashiraya wrote:
Space Marines don't really get tired, though.

Astartes do tire, however it takes around twenty four hours or more of constant, non-stop fighting for them to begin to lock up from lactic buildup in their muscles.

 Vaktathi wrote:

 Beaviz81 wrote:

 Co'tor Shas wrote:

 Beaviz81 wrote:
Try being in a fight and keep track at stuff. Thats really hard. Adrenaline pumping and everything.

Not being able to keep track of is not appearing to teleport. Regular humans can easily be lost track of. And it will probably be easier to keep track of a marine, considering their size.

Faster than regular humans, I'm sure. A top running speed of 45m/h would a very impressive feat (the fastest human was only 28 m/h, and that's a 100ft sprinter).
Now close combat is a different matter entirely. I took aikido for a while (the only reason I stopped is that I'm in college), and I can go from in front of someone to behind them in a second, maybe less. But much of that speed has to do with moving correctly, not how fast they can move.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Ashiraya wrote:
Can you track Talos Valcoran running at 180 times the speed of sound?

You mean 222,480 km/h? Not even space marines could track that. The only possible way is if it were a vehicle of some sort a distance away.

And I think that can be put in the ridiculous pile. He'd probably burn up.

According to the Rogue Trader RPG a Space Marine could reach over 200 kmph in a sprint so think more Hayabusa and less human athlete.

You can do all sorts of things with FFG RPG's, and get character movement, even for non-SM characters, up to absolutely absurd levels, enough so that in some cases it becomes impossible to retain a character on an average game table if playing stuff out on a large game mat for more than a turn or two.


Overall, on the speed issue, I don't think we've ever seen anything on Space Marines outrunning motor vehicles on foot (and without jump packs) unless I'm missing something? and especially not over long distances. Anything will get tired eventually, particularly if being stressed (in a biological sense).

By the same token, that just made me think of something. The caloric requirements of a Space Marine would be....mind boggling Some high end human athletes consume 10,000 or more calories a day. Something the size and bulk of a bear, with all sorts of extra organs that do incredible things, constantly engaging in stressful physical activity of both incredible endurance and intensity, a 45,000 calorie diet (roughly equivalent to eating 100 big macs a day) or even more wouldn't be implausible. Even though able to eat all sorts of otherwise inedible things, food for a Space Marine could quickly become and issue, to say nothing of the time requirement simply for feeding and excreting.

The armor would take care of all tha- oh wait.

 Wyzilla wrote:

 Ashiraya wrote:
Space Marines don't really get tired, though.

Astartes do tire, however it takes around twenty four hours or more of constant, non-stop fighting for them to begin to lock up from lactic buildup in their muscles.

Yes, well, they do tire, but not fast.

Hey Vaktathi, wanna see my Salamander character who can leap 23 meters?

Or my friend heavy weapon guy who took out a Deff Dredd in a single volley.

Or for that matter, the stormtrooper that I play who can take out a NPC Space Marine in one burst. Or a Nob. In fact I can out damage a heavy bolter on a shot per shot basis if I roll half decently on my BS roll. Also makes most people unable to dodge my shots. Good times.

Can your IG character slay a Bloodthirster before it can even flee?

Not mine, but I use a hotshot lasgun, its bad vs high toughness stuff.

That guy with the multilaser, on the otherhand, would probably be fine.

But hey, I can take out 3 killa kans in a hotshot burst, and right now we're dealing with Orks, so its fine as it is

 Vaktathi wrote:

By the same token, that just made me think of something. The caloric requirements of a Space Marine would be....mind boggling Some high end human athletes consume 10,000 or more calories a day. Something the size and bulk of a bear, with all sorts of extra organs that do incredible things, constantly engaging in stressful physical activity of both incredible endurance and intensity, a 45,000 calorie diet (roughly equivalent to eating 100 big macs a day) or even more wouldn't be implausible. Even though able to eat all sorts of otherwise inedible things, food for a Space Marine could quickly become and issue, to say nothing of the time requirement simply for feeding and excreting.

Space Marines don't have excrement. The acid in their stomachs breaks down food entirely so that they can take all of the energy out of food, which also allows them to break down things like lumps of coal and leaves. Also, Space Marines have been enhanced to the point that they really don't need too much food, they can go months or years without food, and weeks without water.

Yeah, how does that work? Unless a good potion of their body is blubber, I don't see that working. You can only break down food so much, and you need food. That's not something you can get around. Liquids are a bit easier, with the recycler, but you will run out eventually.

 dusara217 wrote:

 Vaktathi wrote:

By the same token, that just made me think of something. The caloric requirements of a Space Marine would be....mind boggling Some high end human athletes consume 10,000 or more calories a day. Something the size and bulk of a bear, with all sorts of extra organs that do incredible things, constantly engaging in stressful physical activity of both incredible endurance and intensity, a 45,000 calorie diet (roughly equivalent to eating 100 big macs a day) or even more wouldn't be implausible. Even though able to eat all sorts of otherwise inedible things, food for a Space Marine could quickly become and issue, to say nothing of the time requirement simply for feeding and excreting.

Space Marines don't have excrement. The acid in their stomachs breaks down food entirely so that they can take all of the energy out of food, which also allows them to break down things like lumps of coal and leaves. Also, Space Marines have been enhanced to the point that they really don't need too much food, they can go months or years without food, and weeks without water.

Cows break down leaves. Breaking down leaves makes a lot of waste products, as they are so tough to break down.

As to breaking down Coal, into what? It has no calorific value. The only way they could get energy from eating coal is if their stomach also part-times as a coal-burning power station.

Then we get to the fact that it is impossible to extract 100% of the energy from any energy source. So Space Marines will still produce waste.

 Co'tor Shas wrote:
Yeah, how does that work? Unless a good potion of their body is blubber, I don't see that working. You can only break down food so much, and you need food. That's not something you can get around. Liquids are a bit easier, with the recycler, but you will run out eventually.

Humans are incapable of breaking down their foods entirely, and some portions (cellulose AKA plant cells AKA fibre) isn't toucjed at all. There'll be proteins and vitamins that the human body can't deal with that the Astartes stomach will, also considering they have a pre-stomach to break down otherwise inedible materials. Plus they can ingest poisons. Its just a more efficient dogestive system.

Their system also means they can store more energy in their cells and blood, and they have a richer, more energy-full bloodstream. They could ignore the psychological effects of hunger, being Space Marines, would be just beaten out of them. And given they are so built and trained it would take longer for the physical reactions to overtake their willpower and stamina. Plus, there is plenty of meat on them for their body to cannibalise to stay alive, either at a cellular level (stripping back muscle cells to feed the major organs) or literally eating their own arm or something.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 A Town Called Malus wrote:

 dusara217 wrote:

 Vaktathi wrote:

By the same token, that just made me think of something. The caloric requirements of a Space Marine would be....mind boggling Some high end human athletes consume 10,000 or more calories a day. Something the size and bulk of a bear, with all sorts of extra organs that do incredible things, constantly engaging in stressful physical activity of both incredible endurance and intensity, a 45,000 calorie diet (roughly equivalent to eating 100 big macs a day) or even more wouldn't be implausible. Even though able to eat all sorts of otherwise inedible things, food for a Space Marine could quickly become and issue, to say nothing of the time requirement simply for feeding and excreting.

Space Marines don't have excrement. The acid in their stomachs breaks down food entirely so that they can take all of the energy out of food, which also allows them to break down things like lumps of coal and leaves. Also, Space Marines have been enhanced to the point that they really don't need too much food, they can go months or years without food, and weeks without water.

Cows break down leaves. Breaking down leaves makes a lot of waste products, as they are so tough to break down.

As to breaking down Coal, into what? It has no calorific value. The only way they could get energy from eating coal is if their stomach also part-times as a coal-burning power station.

Then we get to the fact that it is impossible to extract 100% of the energy from any energy source. So Space Marines will still produce waste.

Coal is made of carbon. Carbon is a mineral. Coal is also a major source of chemical energy like food. Its entirely possible in this fictional superhuman body bio-engineered by a living god that can do all the things it can do, has the ability to get some energy from coal, or create a chemical reaction that creates usable compounds.

 Deadshot wrote:

 Co'tor Shas wrote:
Yeah, how does that work? Unless a good potion of their body is blubber, I don't see that working. You can only break down food so much, and you need food. That's not something you can get around. Liquids are a bit easier, with the recycler, but you will run out eventually.

Humans are incapable of breaking down their foods entirely, and some portions (cellulose AKA plant cells AKA fibre) isn't toucjed at all. There'll be proteins and vitamins that the human body can't deal with that the Astartes stomach will, also considering they have a pre-stomach to break down otherwise inedible materials. Plus they can ingest poisons. Its just a more efficient dogestive system.

Their system also means they can store more energy in their cells and blood, and they have a richer, more energy-full bloodstream. They could ignore the psychological effects of hunger, being Space Marines, would be just beaten out of them. And given they are so built and trained it would take longer for the physical reactions to overtake their willpower and stamina. Plus, there is plenty of meat on them for their body to cannibalise to stay alive, either at a cellular level (stripping back muscle cells to feed the major organs) or literally eating their own arm or something.

I'd say they could last longer, but after about a month of not eating, they would be so emaciated to barely be able to move.

 A Town Called Malus wrote:
Then we get to the fact that it is impossible to extract 100% of the energy from any energy source. So Space Marines will still produce waste.

It is also impossible to gain someone else's memories by eating their brain, and yet Astartes can do exactly that.

I thought it was just genetic information, not actual memories?

 Co'tor Shas wrote:
I thought it was just genetic information, not actual memories?

Well the first time I read about it actually being used the marine gained the knowledge to operate Tau vehicles. That can't be genetic information, that must be actual memories right?

Huh, what story was that?

I wouldn't of though SMs could even fit in the cockpit of a tau vehicle. Maybe this proves that SMs are not 9'

 Co'tor Shas wrote:

 Deadshot wrote:

 Co'tor Shas wrote:
Yeah, how does that work? Unless a good potion of their body is blubber, I don't see that working. You can only break down food so much, and you need food. That's not something you can get around. Liquids are a bit easier, with the recycler, but you will run out eventually.

Humans are incapable of breaking down their foods entirely, and some portions (cellulose AKA plant cells AKA fibre) isn't toucjed at all. There'll be proteins and vitamins that the human body can't deal with that the Astartes stomach will, also considering they have a pre-stomach to break down otherwise inedible materials. Plus they can ingest poisons. Its just a more efficient dogestive system.

Their system also means they can store more energy in their cells and blood, and they have a richer, more energy-full bloodstream. They could ignore the psychological effects of hunger, being Space Marines, would be just beaten out of them. And given they are so built and trained it would take longer for the physical reactions to overtake their willpower and stamina. Plus, there is plenty of meat on them for their body to cannibalise to stay alive, either at a cellular level (stripping back muscle cells to feed the major organs) or literally eating their own arm or something.

I'd say they could last longer, but after about a month of not eating, they would be so emaciated to barely be able to move.

The fluff says they can go months. Whether that means 2 months or 6, but regular humans can go a month without food and not become inanimate.

 Co'tor Shas wrote:
I thought it was just genetic information, not actual memories?

No, it's memories, and they don't need to eat the brain either. They can just eat the flesh, like a finger, and gain the memories of the prey from it.

 Co'tor Shas wrote:
Huh, what story was that?

I wouldn't of though SMs could even fit in the cockpit of a tau vehicle. Maybe this proves that SMs are not 9'

They were scouts, and it was open-topped!

It was a Piranha, in Courage and Honour.

Some Iron Warrior Raptors also 'nabbed and devoured an Ork pilot in Siege of Castellax.

It was only after they got into the Ork fighter that they realized it had no air brake.

 Deadshot wrote:

 Co'tor Shas wrote:

 Deadshot wrote:

 Co'tor Shas wrote:
Yeah, how does that work? Unless a good potion of their body is blubber, I don't see that working. You can only break down food so much, and you need food. That's not something you can get around. Liquids are a bit easier, with the recycler, but you will run out eventually.

Humans are incapable of breaking down their foods entirely, and some portions (cellulose AKA plant cells AKA fibre) isn't toucjed at all. There'll be proteins and vitamins that the human body can't deal with that the Astartes stomach will, also considering they have a pre-stomach to break down otherwise inedible materials. Plus they can ingest poisons. Its just a more efficient dogestive system.

Their system also means they can store more energy in their cells and blood, and they have a richer, more energy-full bloodstream. They could ignore the psychological effects of hunger, being Space Marines, would be just beaten out of them. And given they are so built and trained it would take longer for the physical reactions to overtake their willpower and stamina. Plus, there is plenty of meat on them for their body to cannibalise to stay alive, either at a cellular level (stripping back muscle cells to feed the major organs) or literally eating their own arm or something.

I'd say they could last longer, but after about a month of not eating, they would be so emaciated to barely be able to move.

The fluff says they can go months. Whether that means 2 months or 6, but regular humans can go a month without food and not become inanimate.

Ordinary humans can go a maximum of 3 months without food should they be well-nourished. Or at least, that's the highest ive heard of.

 Co'tor Shas wrote:
I thought it was just genetic information, not actual memories?

Space Wolves love chowing down on chaos marines (in a completely tsundere fashion) to learn about when they last met with a Thousand Sons.

 A Town Called Malus wrote:

 Wyzilla wrote:


Considering their extremely potent stomach acids and saliva, I doubt they actually do so at all. I wouldn't be surprised if an Astartes GI tract resembled something more like a chemical fire where virtually everything is processed.

Also, we in the modern day have figured out how to safely extract and make water from dung, or food.

Extracting energy from tough, fibrous sources like grass and wood isn't about the potency of the acid but the cooking time, as it were. That's why herbivores often have multiple stomachs (such as cows) or partially digest it then eat it again once it has already passed through to get the remaining nutrients out (such as Rabbits), not to mention massive intestines. This all makes digestion a long time. It's like making a stew, you keep it simmering for a long time so it's all nice and tender.

Pure carnivores, on the other hand, typically have very strong stomach acid and a faster digestive system. To carry on the cooking analogy it's like frying a steak. Meat is much easier to break down than vegetation.

Omnivores like humans have stomach acids with strengths in between carnivores and herbivores and stomach/intestines smaller than a pure herbivore but larger than a pure carnivore.

Humans could digest fiber if we had the proper digestive enzymes or bacteria to provide those enzymes. Astartes could easily have those enzymes added as part of their genetic alteration. Relatively speaking, it would be a simple change.

As it is, we can't digest fiber at all. If we could, it would give us a greater source of energy. Even if we could only partially digest it.

 dusara217 wrote:

 Vaktathi wrote:

By the same token, that just made me think of something. The caloric requirements of a Space Marine would be....mind boggling Some high end human athletes consume 10,000 or more calories a day. Something the size and bulk of a bear, with all sorts of extra organs that do incredible things, constantly engaging in stressful physical activity of both incredible endurance and intensity, a 45,000 calorie diet (roughly equivalent to eating 100 big macs a day) or even more wouldn't be implausible. Even though able to eat all sorts of otherwise inedible things, food for a Space Marine could quickly become and issue, to say nothing of the time requirement simply for feeding and excreting.

Space Marines don't have excrement. The acid in their stomachs breaks down food entirely so that they can take all of the energy out of food, which also allows them to break down things like lumps of coal and leaves. Also, Space Marines have been enhanced to the point that they really don't need too much food, they can go months or years without food, and weeks without water.

Where does that come from? I know they have the Preomnor allowing them to eat lots of stuff that otherwise wouldn't be edible, but IIRC there's nothing stating they don't poop, or that they can derive energy from literally anything.

Three week old rotted roadkill? Sure. Poisonous mushrooms that would kill an ordinary person? Sure. Alien biology that would just make an ordinary human vomit? Ok.

Being able to simply assimilate any form of carbon? Hrm...

Besides, there's all sorts of things that would need to....pass. A Space Marine isn't going to get energy from all that sand and grit or mud stuck all over the roadkill he just ate, that's gotta leave somehow.

 Orblivion wrote:

 A Town Called Malus wrote:
Then we get to the fact that it is impossible to extract 100% of the energy from any energy source. So Space Marines will still produce waste.

It is also impossible to gain someone else's memories by eating their brain, and yet Astartes can do exactly that.

Yeah, that's a thing I think they thought sounded really cool in like 1987, and then someone mentioned that if you break apart and chew and expose brain matter to all sorts of physical trauma, the information is physically permanently destroyed and the neural links obliteratred, and after that it only very rarely gets mentioned, I can only think of a couple of stories where they use it.

 Ashiraya wrote:


Hey Vaktathi, wanna see my Salamander character who can leap 23 meters?

We had a human Black Crusade character that could sprint something like 54 meters in a round, faster that Usain Bolt, in armor and with weapons

Only 54 meters? That is nothing.

My Raven Guard has 74 agility, which alone makes for a 7x6 = 42 meter run move. It becomes 48 meters because he is Hulking in PA. With Sprint (bionic heart) he can run 96 meters in 5 seconds. That is about 70 kph.

Beat that.

As I said, human/non-astartes.

There's some truly absurd things you can make happen with RPG rules.