Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

1.Imperium (general)- Rome, suggested by names, structure, and eagle symbol
2.Space Marines (General)- Praetorians, suggested by the gladius shaped swords and crests ans well as markings on many marines
3.Catachan Jungle fighters- American soldiers in Vietnam from 1960-1970
4.Chaos Warriors/spacemarines(40k and fantasy)- Vikings or the romantic image of norsemen in the dark ages, seeing them as barbarians and pagans, and ruthless pillagers
5. Death Korps of Krieg- WWI German soldiers
6. Inquisition- christian crusaders in the early middle ages
7. Space Wolves- Obvious refrences to norsemen, with appearence, fluff on their homeworld, Fenris (the wolf of the apocalypse in Norse mythology), and names of famous Space Wolves, runes
8.Eldar- elves from mythology (who couldnt see that)?
9. Valhallan Ice Warriors- Soviet Russia!

Please add more if you have more ideas

Well there are ideas and there is actuality ("This is based on that." for sure)

For example: Vostroyans are in fact based on Czarist soldiers and cossacks.

I would guess that the inquistion might be based on..... the inquisition.

instead of individual answers, I just point at this collection of evidence :
http://web.archive.org/web/20071125132841/http://ca.geocities.com/crazy40kguy/namesandhomages.html

DEUS VULT wrote:I would guess that the inquistion might be based on..... the inquisition.

Sigged

Also orks are based on orks

Though Tolkien favored the Orc spelling most of his life, he did eventually take a shine to Ork later on....

I would say that Tolkien may have invented the way we view orcs and heavily influenced their design, but GW has certaintly put their own twist on them. Certaintly the most down to earth view. Highly evolved Fungus as opposed to Elves twisted by the Darkness(not that there is anything wrong with Twisting by the darkness )

Eldar, strangly, share very little with Elves apart from the "Decline from past glories" theme and the Dark Eldar(Fallen Breathren. Tolkien had Dark Elves too). they are based on Asian Themes(ancestor worship) as well as some Greek Mythology(Overthrowing of Titans by Olympions=Birth of Slannesh, Deific power struggles=War in Heaven)

T'au draw their look and asthetic designs from Anime/Mech themes and their social system is drawn from India(Caste system) Etherials are similer to Buddist wise men(albiet with a dark agenda)

Space Marines are pretty generic, you can't pin one label over all of them. Ultramarines are Greek, BTs are Teutonic Knights, Space Wolves are Vikings, Blood Angels are Vampire's with a little bit of Romen/Greek influence thrown in there(Muscle armour, but Bat nipples were 100% GW). Marines draw some of the basic armour design from Anime sources, but it is heavily blended with Western designs.

the IG is a parody of the different Modern Militaries. Lemun Russ's are based on WW1 tanks. Cadians are U.S. troops, Tallern are Middle eastern soldiers, Catachan are Vietnam U.S. troops.......

Tyranids?..........mankinds neverending war on Cockroaches?

For Sisters, it's the Knights Templar, Knights Hospitalier, etc of the Crusades.

For the Inquisition it's the Inquisition.

Vostroyans = Russian Cossack Guard
Praetorians = Zulu, Rorkes Drift
Tallarn = Lawrence of Arabia/Arab forces during the World Wars. Or you could say Taliban, but then you'd be wrong.
Mordian = I was thinking Navy Guard or some US equivalent.
Ratlings = Hobbits




Automatically Appended Next Post:

Grey Templar wrote: Lemun Russ's are based on WW1 tanks.

I would argue otherwise. WWII at least.

Cadians are U.S. troops

Cadians are hard to pin down, and are pretty much just generic fighters. You can't really claim that they're based on this.

Chaosswanson1 wrote:1.Imperium (general)- Rome, suggested by names, structure, and eagle symbol
2.Space Marines (General)- Praetorians, suggested by the gladius shaped swords and crests ans well as markings on many marines
3.Catachan Jungle fighters- American soldiers in Vietnam from 1960-1970
4.Chaos Warriors/spacemarines(40k and fantasy)- Vikings or the romantic image of norsemen in the dark ages, seeing them as barbarians and pagans, and ruthless pillagers
5. Death Korps of Krieg- WWI German soldiers
6. Inquisition- christian crusaders in the early middle ages
7. Space Wolves- Obvious refrences to norsemen, with appearence, fluff on their homeworld, Fenris (the wolf of the apocalypse in Norse mythology), and names of famous Space Wolves, runes
8.Eldar- elves from mythology (who couldnt see that)?
9. Valhallan Ice Warriors- Soviet Russia!

Please add more if you have more ideas

I would argue that the Eldar are based not on the elves of mythology and rather on he Elves of Tolkien (they even have the same name, Eldar). Elves were not typically presented as a dying race until their appearance in the Lord of the Rings, and the LotR's undeniable dominating effect in modern fantasy, the Sphess Elves are more in like with Tolkien than with classical elves of scandinavian myth. However I find the look and feel of Eldar to be a grab bag. The Dire Avengers are very Greek. Fire Dragons Aztec. Scorpions have an Egyptian feel, and Banshees I think are a lot like Samurai.

The Black Templars are a better fit for Christian Crusaders. The Inquisition is probably based on the actual Inquisition. Space Marines in general, while certaining fitting the Preatorian idea, I think are just a standard set of Space Marines super soldiers common in Sci-Fi with some chapters having wacky fantasy twists.

The Tyranids are blatantly Xenomorph. I've seen the original art GW! All the Imperium has to do is find a little girl and send Riply to save her!

The Leman Russ is more akin to WWI tanks than WWII tanks. Any tanks used in WWII that appear in likeness are relics for the most part of outdated WWI technology used by nations that didn't really advance much military during the Great War's 20 year intermission (Just wait. In one hundred years it's gonna be considered one war. I put it down I called it XD).

I'd say the idea behind orcs as a myth is what the orks are based on.
Badly made weapons, disorganised hordes of warriors led by an alpha etc

The Eldar also owe a fair bit to to Irish Celtic Mythology. Saim-Hann, Biel-Tan, Yme-Loc and Lugghanath all owe their names to Irish Celtic festivals. The nature of the Eldar gods seems similar to that of the Celtic gods, rather than that of the Greek gods, to me.

"Banshees" are also a direct Irish inspiration, although Aspect Warriors in general are admittedly non-specific.

As someone said, the Tau take their Caste system from some Indian/Eastern influences or Greece for the Elements, they have Buddhist influences, and much of their armour and visual style is inspired by the Japanese Samurai, and their Battlesuits from Anime.

and Tyranids are based off Aliens

bunch of double mouthed, sprinting, space ship crawlers
Alien: 1979
Space Hulk: 1989

Alien Xenomorphs and Starship Troopers bugs.