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Logical answer : because Power Armour is useful, and would allow insertion of troops in environnement which is entirely inimical to human life.

If 40k wasn't about Knights in Spaaaaace, Power Armour would be distributed to just about every special forces around.

If Tabletop rules were a good representation of War in the 41st millenium, PA would count as a weapon.

Because in a galaxy of Daemons, monstrous aliens, and other assorted horrible beasts, you need something more than just numbers on your side. You need an elite force that doesn't tire, doesn't give up, doesn't show fear, and is infinitely stronger and more resolute than normal human beings.

Quality vs. Quantity

 Arcsquad12 wrote:
Kharn slaughtered an entire planet in a night, and shattered two legions on his own. yes, he is chaos aligned, but that alone should make you see the value of having a thousand similar (or at least close to) soldiers at your disposal.

Must have been a realy thinly populated planet or Kharn can now spit nuclear missiles

In "Nightbringer", the Ultramarines 4th company defeats a company of IG by coming up through a mining vent right next to the IG commander's position. That's why, because marines can accomplish things that several times their number in IG could not/would not be able to accomplish.

 KingDeath wrote:

 Arcsquad12 wrote:
Kharn slaughtered an entire planet in a night, and shattered two legions on his own. yes, he is chaos aligned, but that alone should make you see the value of having a thousand similar (or at least close to) soldiers at your disposal.

Must have been a realy thinly populated planet or Kharn can now spit nuclear missiles

Well I doubt he did it alone. He probably had a few thousand Bezerker buddies with him.

The Purge, a relatively small Chaos Warband, slaughtered 14,000,000,000 Imperial citizens on their own over the course of a few months.

Space Marines at fantastic at their role; shock troopers and force concentration.

In their role as shock troopers they have the mobility to get where they need to be thanks to an integrated fleet and aircraft. They can literally fire themselves at the enemy, via drop pods too fast to be stopped. Once they've arrived at a high priority target; an enemy command, some vital point of defense etc they can then take it apart with ease. As shocktroopers they function best up close. This is where all their advantages come into play.

Up close it matters that they're stronger, faster, have more endurance and better reflexes than common humans. Their weapons are terrifying, exploding or shredding the enemy. Their practically invulnerable to small arms fire and in the midst of the enemy heavy weapons powerful enough to kill them can't or won't be brought to bear. Once their objective is achieved they leave, off to the next mission. Sitting in the trenches or taking part in the line of battle is a waste of their abilities and roles their unsuited for.

Astartes are also for when there are threats the Imperial Guard simply can't deal with. They can operate on worlds that would kill a man, they can face daemons without going insane, they have the equipment to clear space hulks.

I'm not sure where you're getting that 70 year figure from. Implantation will take no longer than a decade at the very most and scout training likely dependent on the chapter. That marine can then live for centuries. His equipment will also last that long. There are rhino's older than the pyramids of Egypt. I'd say that's a good investment.

Also, Space Marine Vidya Gaem and Dawn of War 2 showed us a role not often seen by Space Marines: Asset Denial.

The Munitorium is horrendously bad at responding to emergencies. So having a smaller, elite force that can react instantly is excellent if you want to hold the line until the hammer comes down.

Look at the Liberation Fleet heading for Graia. It was at least four days out from the system, and even when the first reinforcements arrived, they were still just Space Marines. It takes a loooooong time to mobilize the Imperial Guard.

 Darth Bob wrote:
The Purge, a relatively small Chaos Warband, slaughtered 14,000,000,000 Imperial citizens on their own over the course of a few months.

Being devoted to Nurgle tends to make people around you die.

 Darth Bob wrote:
The Purge, a relatively small Chaos Warband, slaughtered 14,000,000,000 Imperial citizens on their own over the course of a few months.

These kind of numbers are one of the reasons you can't take the fluff too seriously. The numbers presented are mostly just pulled out of thin air or previous fluff based on what "sounds cool'. Not on any kind of consistent, rational and thought-out fiction or premise.

The real answers to the original question are:

A) Because elite, special-forces type units have real importance and uses now, and will always as long as there is war.
B) Knights in Space are cool/fun.
C) Starship Troopers and the sci-fi concept of power armor are cool and fun, in the opinions of many people/nerds (including the guys at GW).

 Mannahnin wrote:

 Darth Bob wrote:
The Purge, a relatively small Chaos Warband, slaughtered 14,000,000,000 Imperial citizens on their own over the course of a few months.

These kind of numbers are one of the reasons you can't take the fluff too seriously. The numbers presented are mostly just pulled out of thin air or previous fluff based on what "sounds cool'. Not on any kind of consistent, rational and thought-out fiction or premise.

The real answers to the original question are:

A) Because elite, special-forces type units have real importance and uses now, and will always as long as there is war.
B) Knights in Space are cool/fun.
C) Starship Troopers and the sci-fi concept of power armor are cool and fun, in the opinions of many people/nerds (including the guys at GW).

The Purge do use some pretty nasty bio weapons though.

Frankly, a couple months sounds too slow.

Special strike forces, rapid response, spearhead assaults and the most important of all - propaganda. Marines are creations of the Emperor and every time they fight the enemies of mankind the reports can glorify the Golden Throne. I'm sure many of the battle reports in the codexes are good oldfashioned Soviet propaganda.

 Grey Templar wrote:

 Mannahnin wrote:

 Darth Bob wrote:
The Purge, a relatively small Chaos Warband, slaughtered 14,000,000,000 Imperial citizens on their own over the course of a few months.

These kind of numbers are one of the reasons you can't take the fluff too seriously. The numbers presented are mostly just pulled out of thin air or previous fluff based on what "sounds cool'. Not on any kind of consistent, rational and thought-out fiction or premise.

The real answers to the original question are:

A) Because elite, special-forces type units have real importance and uses now, and will always as long as there is war.
B) Knights in Space are cool/fun.
C) Starship Troopers and the sci-fi concept of power armor are cool and fun, in the opinions of many people/nerds (including the guys at GW).

The Purge do use some pretty nasty bio weapons though.

Frankly, a couple months sounds too slow.

Well, the Manus Irae (or Irae Manus, not sure), a strike force of 5 Chapters specifically formed for the task, annahilated an entire sector. Not sure, but I think the time frame for that was under the decade...

Imagine "Space Hulk: Imperial Guard edition". Yeah I don't see it either...

They're specialist troops from a highly inefficient power, also they're awesome.

 Melissia wrote:
Space Marines aren't the Emperor's Will made flesh.

That's the Inquisition. Space Marines are myths and legends to most Imperial citizens-- the Emperor's angels of death, as it were. They'll never get to see a Marine anyway-- but the Inquisition is something real that they hope they never have to deal with. The Inquisition is His will, manifest.

Im gunna have to reverse you on this..... space marines are referred to as the will of the emporer manifested..... Inquisition is secret police that you hope doesnt dreg you away in you sleep. most people will never see either and they both can be seen as scary ghost stories by the general public.

"I am the Emperor's will made manifest."

Space Marine Chaplain, Dawn of War

 Grey Templar wrote:

 KingDeath wrote:

 Arcsquad12 wrote:
Kharn slaughtered an entire planet in a night, and shattered two legions on his own. yes, he is chaos aligned, but that alone should make you see the value of having a thousand similar (or at least close to) soldiers at your disposal.

Must have been a realy thinly populated planet or Kharn can now spit nuclear missiles

Well I doubt he did it alone. He probably had a few thousand Bezerker buddies with him.

Basically, his actions on Skalanthrax were a chain reaction he sparked with his bloodust. The entire legion got driven into insanity. Basically a World Eater Waaagh!

As has been said, force concentration, rapid deployment, etc. I also agree that the Emprah created them to help conquer the galaxy when he just had the resources of Earth.

Here are a few situations-siege-the guard could fight it out, or you could pod some space marines in.
Rebellion-guard take months to respond, SM can send a quick strike force faster and without the bureaucracy . There is something to be said for an independent fighting force that can choose what actions to commit to.

Lastly, if you just threw space marine style gear such as power armor and bolters on normal humans, they would still only have human training and willpower. Something I remember from the DA SM battles book-a guardsman says that he'd be a lot braver if he had space marine gear, then a DA lectures him about how giving them gear that can't be produced as fast would be a waste because they don't have the training/mental mindset to be the most efficient use

Its also good to keep in mind that Space Marines are designed to fight in any environment and under any circumstances. They are effectively immune to all biological/chemical weapons attacks; they are psychologically conditioned to operate without fear and without restraint that would limit an ordinary Guardsman; Their enhanced physiology allow them to maintain their momentum in carrying out extreme feats of strength and speed and pressing the enemy to the point of exhaustion and hopelessness, giving their assault a psychological edge.
Also, they have the most advanced weapon systems in the Imperium. Terminator armor that can shrug of heavy assaults, bolters, heavy-bolter and plasma weapons that wreak enormous havoc on the battlefield are all wield by only one marine, where an imperial guard unit would require an entire squad dedicated to heavy weaponry.
It is established military doctrine that the best fighting force consists of highly-skilled, highly-trained soldiers that possess unflinching loyalty to the collective ideals of the state. In my opinion this is exemplified best in the Space Marines. A guardsman may be a loyal and capable warrior but it has been seen on more than one occasion, when the going gets tough, a guardsman will flinch. Space marines don't flinch. Even so, a guardsman that shows extreme courage or martial skill is often drafted into the ranks of the Space Marines. Only the best and brightest become Astartes.
Its also been mentioned above that the Astartes are far more mobile than the Imperial Guard, not having to go through bureaucracy in order to be deployed. The Astartes are semi-autonomous which is a huge advantage when an ork WAAAAGH!!! suddenly seizes a few Imperial planets.

 Kovnik Obama wrote:
Logical answer : because Power Armour is useful, and would allow insertion of troops in environnement which is entirely inimical to human life.

Power armor is not, and has never been, unique to Space Marines, therefor this is not a reason for Space Marines to exist.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Grey Templar wrote:
Well I doubt he did it alone. He probably had a few thousand Bezerker buddies with him.

Even with a few thousand berzerkers it'd still have taken him centuries to kill off an entire planet's population.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Somedude593 wrote:
Im gunna have to reverse you on this..... space marines are referred to as the will of the emporer manifested.....

Not by anyone except he Space Marines.

 Somedude593 wrote:
Inquisition is

The Emperor's will. Unlike Space Marines, the Inquisition are empowered to work using His authority directly.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Augustine_Maven wrote:
Its also good to keep in mind that Space Marines are designed to fight in any environment and under any circumstances. They are effectively immune to all biological/chemical weapons attacks

No, they're not.

Resistant, yes. Effectively immune, no. Even within their power armor, they still are not immune.

Melissia wrote:No, they're not.

Resistant, yes. Effectively immune, no. Even within their power armor, they still are not immune.

While yes there are some viruses that can penetrate the armor (the Life Eater comes to mind), the armor and the enhanced physiology of the Space Marines is design to protect the brother from nearly all biological/chemical warfare. I will give you that it doesn't guard against everything but it covers most known forms of contaminants.

 Melissia wrote:

 Kovnik Obama wrote:
Logical answer : because Power Armour is useful, and would allow insertion of troops in environnement which is entirely inimical to human life.

Power armor is not, and has never been, unique to Space Marines, therefor this is not a reason for Space Marines to exist.

Marine and human power armour is only equal in the table top, which we all know is limited when it comes to staying true to the fluff.

*edit*
And as Augustine says they aren't immune but they are effectively immune, marine armour is designed to function in a vacuum, the only things that can get in are things like the Life Eater virus that has corrosive elements mixed in.

 jonolikespie wrote:
Marine and human power armour is only equal in the table top

Also in the lore, too. So they're only equal in tabletop and the lore.

Sororitas power armor is described as having the same amount of protection as astartes power armor, for example, and sororitas power armor is manufactured in larger quantities than the highly customized suits that inquisitorial agents wear. I would go so far as to say that the power armor that inquisitors wear is far more advanced than what the Astartes have access to. Same with the power armor that the Mechanicus' armed forces wear (in fact, even techpriest power armor is superior in many ways to Astartes power armor, and techpriests are fairly low in the Mechanicus' hierarchy).

Auto-sense
Black Caparace
Vacuum sealing

Like it or not, Space Marine PA and Sister PA are miles apart in quality. Thus, this sets Marines apart.

 Kovnik Obama wrote:
Auto-sense
Black Caparace
Vacuum sealing

Black Carapace is inferior to the links that the Mechanicus has. Auto-senses and vacuum sealing are not unique to Astartes power armor.

If you really wanted to argue the advantages that Astartes have, you'd be arguing biology, not technology.

Power Armour works best for the Space marines because for them it's a second skin. With the Black Carapace the armour is neurally connected, it moves as they do, it monitors their health etc.

For those without the black carapace power armour is merely excellent armour. They don't have the mobility or ease of movement the Space marines posses, it weighs and slows them.

 Melissia wrote:

 thenoobbomb wrote:
Atleast Astartes are more important then Sisters of Battle

Debatable. Sisters could arguably fulfill many of the roles that Astartes fulfill for a lower cost.

As could Guardsmen.

But, like Guardsmen, the amount of Sisters it would take to perform as well as one Space Marine would project the experiment into no longer being cost-efficient. A single Marine can, and has, (ADB's Black rage short story, for one example) slaughtered entire squads of Sisters by themselves. They operate on two different levels of efficiency.

As Melissa alluded to in a second hand way, each part of the IoM is integral to its survival. The SM's fulfill a tactical role that others cannot, but cannot fill every role themselves. Which is why - apart from just the insane zealotry that comes with any of the military orders that makes them endemically entrenched into the Imperium; looking at you SoB's - humanity really needs all of them. Standard fair if you think about it.

8 foot tall superhuman killing loads of dudes in super cool armor? Who also happen to be ferociously loyal (for the most part, whoops) killing machines who can kill things with swords that are also CHAINSAWS?

Rule of cool. People tend to forget this.

“Give me a hundred Space Marines. Or failing that give me a thousand other troops” –Rogal Dorn, Primarch of the Imperial Fists

That quote sums up why I think marines are sought after or necessary, applications of logical concentrated force, rapid deployment, superb tactical acumen and generally high-excellent levels of soldiering, make marines worth investing in.