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What the title says. I'm not sure myself, but I like them a lot, and I've noticed that there are many others who also do. Is it their fluff, or a particular part of it? Their machines and/or heavy weapons? The (relatively) easy painting scheme? The sexy hazard stripes?

Definitely the caution stripes. I have an army so I'd have an excuse to paint those black and yellow stripes everywhere. An army of Chaos Marines who are against mutation, daemons, and so on is also interesting. They're sided with Chaos not because they believe in the ideals of the Chaos gods, not because they want the mystical powers of the warp, but because they just hate the Imperium that much. They also are siege specialists which is cool for Space Marines. Their models have a distinctive knightly look that's also really appealing.

Night Lords have some of the same qualities that people find appealing, but have the added bonus of having some incredibly good books written about them. Soul Hunter and Blood Reaver make me want to start a Night Lords army so hard.

People who like siege warfare or heavy weapons mainly. Bionics and the well-written book that was Storm of Iron probably contributes as well.

Saintspirit wrote:What the title says. I'm not sure myself, but I like them a lot, and I've noticed that there are many others who also do. Is it their fluff, or a particular part of it? Their machines and/or heavy weapons? The (relatively) easy painting scheme? The sexy hazard stripes?

They have sort of a unique place amongst the CSM's, along with the Night Lords. They haven't been enslaved to the service of Chaos in the way some of the other Legions have, Chaos and the denizens of the Warp are a tool (so they think) and a path to power for use against their enemies in the course of the Long War, not the ultimate goal itself as with say, the Word Bearers, Death Guard or Emperor's Children. They use Chaos to further their aims of defeating the Imperium and anyone who would stand in their way, accepting their damnation in return for the power to defeat their enemies as opposed to the path of damnation becoming their new reality and goal in and of itself (as with the Cult Legions). While not totally unique to the IW's (this is heavily shared by the Night Lords as well), it is a cool facet that isn't present with all Chaos Space Marine forces, especially the Legions.

In addition, there is a cool theme to the bitter traitor who feels it is they who were the ones betrayed (and have some justfication in that), that goes beyond some particular personality flaw that overwhelmed other legions and drew them to treason. They fight not out of any notions of duty or honor but simply hatred. Hatred has driven and sustained them through ten millenia of brutal slaughter against the lie that was the Emperor's dream built upon the blood and sacrifice of their brethren under false pretenses while others reaped all the rewards, leaving the pains and sacrifice to the Iron Warriors. It's got a cool ring to it. The Night Lords again are similar and also very cool because of it.

Of course, being the Legion that's also known as amongst the most intelligent and the best armed and equipped doesn't hurt. Everybody loves big guns, big armor and tanks with smart commanders. That said, they also aren't prefectly perfect in every way like the loyalist chapters, they don't win every battle in heroic fashion, they aren't uniters or great visionaries,they don't have the greatest gifts of the Chaos gods, they are paranoid to the extreme and consumed by bitterness and hatred and have no great purpose beyond destroying the Imperium and victory in the Long War. This helps keep them realistic and avoids the sillyness of many of the loyalist armies.


In game terms, they are easy to paint well, can look cool, hazard stripes are boss even if a bit silly on a battlefield. They also are a perfect excuse for packing in tons of guns and making a shooty gunline from hell (as much as one can with the current CSM book). It doesn't hurt that they often have been easily adapted more than other CSM factions to power builds (their fluff practically screams MSU shooty gunline).

Also the fact that a LOT of Chaos players had Iron Warriors armies under the CSM 3.5 codex. I remember the days when 'How do I beat IW?' threads had a constant presence in the Tactics forum...

They are uber.

I must echo that I'm quite sad as essentially Night lords play like blood angels and Iron Warriors play like salamanders (or imperial fists?)... and I collect both..

Phototoxin wrote:They are uber.

I must echo that I'm quite sad as essentially Night lords play like blood angels and Iron Warriors play like salamanders (or imperial fists?)... and I collect both..

I would say IW play like Imperial fists, considering Imperial Fists are supposed to be IW's bitter rival and Imperial counterpart.

Phototoxin wrote:They are uber.

I must echo that I'm quite sad as essentially Night lords play like blood angels and Iron Warriors play like salamanders (or imperial fists?)... and I collect both..

In what way do they play like Salamanders?

Brother SRM wrote:

Phototoxin wrote:They are uber.

I must echo that I'm quite sad as essentially Night lords play like blood angels and Iron Warriors play like salamanders (or imperial fists?)... and I collect both..

In what way do they play like Salamanders?

They are warriors. So are Salamanders.

Wouldn't Salamanders runs a -lot- of flame weapons?

Iron Warriors are about the firepower. Hence the Vindy and formerly the Basalisk.

Portugal Jones wrote:Also the fact that a LOT of Chaos players had Iron Warriors armies under the CSM 3.5 codex. I remember the days when 'How do I beat IW?' threads had a constant presence in the Tactics forum...

Yes, I suppose that is one of the bigger reasons for those who played when that book was around - too bad I wasn't. Or maybe that is good, since I don't feel as much as a missing.

And who wouldn't want a basilisk?

I liked them a lot in Storm of Iron. They're smart, bitter, and deadly practical (Like in the scene where they put the guardsmen in trucks and rolled them up to test out where the enemy weapons are). Plus, I was wondering who would win by the end of the book, since the action was going back and forth so fast. That sort of tension really made me feel satisfied when

Also, first post!

Graham McNeill made me like them.

Pretty much all the reasons listed above, but the main reason I was drawn to them was as Vaktathi and Brother SRM put it, they're not really slaves or servents to the chaos gods, but feel more like rebels to the imperium that sought power elsewhere, without pledging themselfs to it. I considerd Night Lords as my first army for the same reason, but as people have pointed out, the Iron Warriors seemd much easier to paint for a total noob like me. Had I read the Night Lords novels and heard the audiobooks, I'd probably chosen the Night Lords thought.

Edit: Welcome to Dakkadakka Molten Butter =)

They hate. Not like frenzied Khorne hate. Cold, calulating hate. Look at what they done to the Imperial Fists at Iron Cage. If the Ultras hadn't stepped in, the Iron Warriors would have wiped out an entire Legion by themselves, purely with superior tactics.

Last edition they had an entertaining leaf blower list! (3 Defilers and 1 Basilisk lol)

Phototoxin wrote:They are uber.

I must echo that I'm quite sad as essentially Night lords play like blood angels and Iron Warriors play like salamanders (or imperial fists?)... and I collect both..

They shouldn't play anything like Salamanders. Iron Warriors are about Seige warfare, so long range heavy weapons cracking defenses and assault troops to storm breaches in defense. Salamanders should be getting close, but trying to not get into assault, using their extremely powerful close range weapons to effect. Flamers and melta weapons aren't doing much if you're at long range or in assault.

they are the ying of the yang of the imperial fists. the hazard stripes are also very very sexy. a well painted Iron warrior army in my mind looks like one of the best out there. vindicators and land raiders done up in iron warriors colors look sick.

with me, I like their name, their colors, and their fluff.