WT Heck are vanilla marines?

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**CommisarBruno**

I ve heard of vanilla marines, are these just like ultramarines and white scars and crap. And chocolate marines are like blood angels and dark angels..... who coined these terms

**Field_Mouse**

Vanilla marines use the regular Space Marine Codex, as opposed to the "flavorful" Space Marines like Blood Angels, Space Wolves, etc.. Vanilla generally means plain, so the term kind of stuck.

**Psienesis**

Any Space Marine Chapter that does not have its own Codex is a Vanilla Marine.

**Mannahnin**

Vanilla is used in some circles as a synonym for plain, or basic. So vanilla marines means the basic ones, as opposed to a specialization or variant.

**MrMoustaffa**

^ Pretty much that. If you see someone using the Space Marines codex with all the ultramarines on it, that's the "vanilla" space marine codex.

**Bookwrack**

CommisarBruno wrote:I ve heard of vanilla marines, are these just like ultramarines and white scars and crap. And chocolate marines are like blood angels and dark angels..... who coined these terms

Welcome to the English language. You might want to pick up a textbook if you're confused by how it works.

**DeathReaper**

Mannahnin wrote:Vanilla is used in some circles as a synonym for plain, or basic. So vanilla marines means the basic ones, as opposed to a specialization or variant.

A term I have never understood.

Vanilla is really flavorful. Vanilla is not plain.

Now water, at least distilled water, is plain.

Vanilla is far from plain.

**TheCrazyCryptek**

Another way to kinda determine which Chapters are considered Vanilla Marines are 95% of the Space Marine Chapters that follow the Codex Astartes.

Space Wolves have their own codex, basically laugh at the Codex Astartes
Black Templars have their own codex and do not follow the Codex Astartes because it limits their number of Battle Brothers.
Dark Angels have their own codex, but do in some ways follow the Codex Astartes. In some ways, they do not, however, specifically when the Fallen become involved.
Blood Angels have their own codex, and as far as I know obey the Codex Astartes. Although how Death Company fits in, I dont know.

**ZebioLizard2**

Dictionary has another thing for it..

adjective /vəˈnilə/

Having no special or extra features; ordinary
- it will be able to do tricks that plain vanilla CD-ROMs can't

**Ma55ter_fett**

DeathReaper wrote:
Mannahnin wrote:Vanilla is used in some circles as a synonym for plain, or basic. So vanilla marines means the basic ones, as opposed to a specialization or variant.

A term I have never understood.

Vanilla is really flavorful. Vanilla is not plain.

Now water, at least distilled water, is plain.

Vanilla is far from plain.

Fething delishish is what 'nilla is, add to any baked dish to make it taste betta!

**nomsheep**

DeathReaper wrote:
Mannahnin wrote:Vanilla is used in some circles as a synonym for plain, or basic. So vanilla marines means the basic ones, as opposed to a specialization or variant.

A term I have never understood.

Vanilla is really flavorful. Vanilla is not plain.

Now water, at least distilled water, is plain.

Vanilla is far from plain.

Yeah but say distilled water marines out loud

Doesn't quite have the same ring to it.

If the plain theory doesn't work for you.

Vanilla is the standard/basic flavouring for quite a few things.
hence vanilla marines.

Nom

**DeathReaper**

Where that dictionary is all well and good, how about a real dictionary definition:

va·nil·la [vuh-nil-uh or, often, -nel-uh]
noun
1.
any tropical, climbing orchid of the genus Vanilla, especially V. planifolia, bearing podlike fruit yielding an extract used in flavoring food, in perfumery, etc.
2.
Also called vanilla bean . the fruit or bean of this orchid.
3.
the extract of this fruit

adjective
4.
containing or flavored with vanilla: vanilla custard.
5.
Informal . plain-vanilla.

Note how the informal definition means plain.

The other four definitions describe something with flavor, etc.

A "tropical, climbing orchid of the genus Vanilla" hardly sounds plain, it actually sounds quite exotic.

**Da Kommizzar**

This discussion is like English Class all over again... Just better with the 41st Millenium basis

I cannot top what the others have said, so I will agree: Vanilla means plain.... think of "Plain Marines" (Just add salt)

**Barksdale**

I like the hot chocolate fudge with fresh strawberry marines myself.

**elementbender**

Me? I like my Strawberry marines with rotating chocolate chips and jetpacks that count as troops.

**Isengard**

It is a term from when DVDs were young and those without extras were termed vanilla. I understand it is a reference to ice cream, where the standard basic, unadorned variant is vanilla, whereas others have chocolate chunks, pecan nuts, fudge pieces, cookie dough, whatever. So the term is now used in that context.

**Commander Jimbob**

It's funny how this thread was answered in the first post and yet a dozen or so people have still posted

Edit: Myself included...

**SagesStone**

Isn't that always the way though.

**nomsheep**

I added an alternate theory as to way though

So pointless, but not entirely XD

Nom

**English Assassin**

Isengard wrote:It is a term from when DVDs were young and those without extras were termed vanilla. I understand it is a reference to ice cream, where the standard basic, unadorned variant is vanilla, whereas others have chocolate chunks, pecan nuts, fudge pieces, cookie dough, whatever. So the term is now used in that context.

The usage is in fact significantly longer-established than that, according to the OED.

OED wrote:Draft additions 1997
Vanilla
From the popular perception of vanilla as the ordinary, bland flavour of ice-cream. Plain, basic, conventional; (esp. of a computer, program, or other product) having no interesting or unusual feature; safe, unadventurous. Used orig. with reference to sexual activity (esp. in vanilla sex). Only occas. as pred. adj. colloq. (orig. U.S.).

1972 B. Rodgers Queens' Vernacular 184 Vanilla bar, a gay bar that is not SM.
1972 B. Rodgers Queens' Vernacular 205 Vanilla,‥rigid, conforming, goody-goody ‘This neighborhood is too vanilla for the licks of us.’
1983 G. L. Steele et al. Hacker's Dict. 129 It's just a vanilla terminal; it doesn't have any interesting features.
1985 W. Dynes Homolexis 123 S & M adepts dismiss gays of simpler tastes as mere fluffs, who limit themselves to timid exercises in vanilla sex.
1988 InfoWorld 24 Oct. 60/2 In its unmodified, ‘vanilla’ state Accountmate is an adequate, if unimpressive, system.
1989 Profession (Mod. Lang. Assoc. Amer.) 60/1 The specious appropriation of selected fragments of a prestigious literary theory can even make a species of ‘vanilla linguistics’‥look enticingly ‘postmodern’.

**BlapBlapBlap**

DeathReaper wrote:Where that dictionary is all well and good, how about a real dictionary definition:

va·nil·la [vuh-nil-uh or, often, -nel-uh]
noun
1.
any tropical, climbing orchid of the genus Vanilla, especially V. planifolia, bearing podlike fruit yielding an extract used in flavoring food, in perfumery, etc.
2.
Also called vanilla bean . the fruit or bean of this orchid.
3.
the extract of this fruit

adjective
4.
containing or flavored with vanilla: vanilla custard.
5.
Informal . plain-vanilla.

Note how the informal definition means plain.

The other four definitions describe something with flavor, etc.

A "tropical, climbing orchid of the genus Vanilla" hardly sounds plain, it actually sounds quite exotic.

But it's a noun. Vanilla is being used as an adjective.

**Bookwrack**

This thread has given us some good though: Deathreaper - the guy who tries to rules lawyer 'vanilla.'

**Nictolopy**

BlapBlapBlap wrote:
DeathReaper wrote:Where that dictionary is all well and good, how about a real dictionary definition:

va·nil·la [vuh-nil-uh or, often, -nel-uh]
noun
1.
any tropical, climbing orchid of the genus Vanilla, especially V. planifolia, bearing podlike fruit yielding an extract used in flavoring food, in perfumery, etc.
2.
Also called vanilla bean . the fruit or bean of this orchid.
3.
the extract of this fruit

adjective
4.
containing or flavored with vanilla: vanilla custard.
5.
Informal . plain-vanilla.

Note how the informal definition means plain.

The other four definitions describe something with flavor, etc.

A "tropical, climbing orchid of the genus Vanilla" hardly sounds plain, it actually sounds quite exotic.

But it's a noun. Vanilla is being used as an adjective.

Vanilla's an adjective too. English gets funny like that. We take nouns and do all sorts of different things with them. I particularly like how 'ninja' is now a verb. (Then there's the classic f-bomb usage routine.)

While I totally understand the meaning of vanilla as in plain, I always had the thought, as an Ork player, that Vanilla marines were somehow tastier than the bloody or canine varieties...

**BlapBlapBlap**

Nictolopy wrote:
BlapBlapBlap wrote:
DeathReaper wrote:Where that dictionary is all well and good, how about a real dictionary definition:

va·nil·la [vuh-nil-uh or, often, -nel-uh]
noun
1.
any tropical, climbing orchid of the genus Vanilla, especially V. planifolia, bearing podlike fruit yielding an extract used in flavoring food, in perfumery, etc.
2.
Also called vanilla bean . the fruit or bean of this orchid.
3.
the extract of this fruit

adjective
4.
containing or flavored with vanilla: vanilla custard.
5.
Informal . plain-vanilla.

Note how the informal definition means plain.

The other four definitions describe something with flavor, etc.

A "tropical, climbing orchid of the genus Vanilla" hardly sounds plain, it actually sounds quite exotic.

But it's a noun. Vanilla is being used as an adjective.

Vanilla's an adjective too. English gets funny like that. We take nouns and do all sorts of different things with them. I particularly like how 'ninja' is now a verb. (Then there's the classic f-bomb usage routine.)

While I totally understand the meaning of vanilla as in plain, I always had the thought, as an Ork player, that Vanilla marines were somehow tastier than the bloody or canine varieties...

I know. What I am saying is that in "Vanilla Marines" Vanilla is an adjective. What DeathReaper was saying is that it was a noun.

**Squidmanlolz**

DeathReaper wrote:
Mannahnin wrote:Vanilla is used in some circles as a synonym for plain, or basic. So vanilla marines means the basic ones, as opposed to a specialization or variant.

A term I have never understood.

Vanilla is really flavorful. Vanilla is not plain.

Now water, at least distilled water, is plain.

Vanilla is far from plain.

As far as icecream is concerned, Vanilla's just about as plain as it gets, for all intents and purposes it's pretty "whitebread".

**BlapBlapBlap**

Squidmanlolz wrote:
DeathReaper wrote:
Mannahnin wrote:Vanilla is used in some circles as a synonym for plain, or basic. So vanilla marines means the basic ones, as opposed to a specialization or variant.

A term I have never understood.

Vanilla is really flavorful. Vanilla is not plain.

Now water, at least distilled water, is plain.

Vanilla is far from plain.

As far as icecream is concerned, Vanilla's just about as plain as it gets, for all intents and purposes it's pretty "whitebread".

Cornish Cream or Possibly Mr Whippy is really about as plain as you get. Or possibly the ice cream you get at Ikea.

**Red Comet**

I've never heard of Chocolate Marines in my life. Are they a successor chapter to the Pretty Marines?

**BlapBlapBlap**

Chocolate Marines and Puppy Marines? This is the best day EVAR!

**Psienesis**

I would totally play Puppy Marines.

This guy right here would be my life-affirming Chapter Master:

**DeathReaper**

BlapBlapBlap wrote:
Nictolopy wrote:
BlapBlapBlap wrote:
DeathReaper wrote:Where that dictionary is all well and good, how about a real dictionary definition:

va·nil·la [vuh-nil-uh or, often, -nel-uh]
noun
1.
any tropical, climbing orchid of the genus Vanilla, especially V. planifolia, bearing podlike fruit yielding an extract used in flavoring food, in perfumery, etc.
2.
Also called vanilla bean . the fruit or bean of this orchid.
3.
the extract of this fruit

adjective
4.
containing or flavored with vanilla: vanilla custard.
5.
Informal . plain-vanilla.

Note how the informal definition means plain.

The other four definitions describe something with flavor, etc.

A "tropical, climbing orchid of the genus Vanilla" hardly sounds plain, it actually sounds quite exotic.

But it's a noun. Vanilla is being used as an adjective.

Vanilla's an adjective too. English gets funny like that. We take nouns and do all sorts of different things with them. I particularly like how 'ninja' is now a verb. (Then there's the classic f-bomb usage routine.)

While I totally understand the meaning of vanilla as in plain, I always had the thought, as an Ork player, that Vanilla marines were somehow tastier than the bloody or canine varieties...

I know. What I am saying is that in "Vanilla Marines" Vanilla is an adjective. What DeathReaper was saying is that it was a noun.

Actually I said it was both, if you read my post you would know this.
adjective
4. containing or flavored with vanilla: vanilla custard.
Flavored with vanilla. and what is vanilla? A "tropical, climbing orchid of the genus Vanilla"

Something that has a flavor can not be plain.

plain/plān/
Adjective:
Not decorated or elaborate; simple or ordinary in character. A "tropical, climbing orchid of the genus Vanilla" Is hardly ordinary.

ice cream without flavoring would be plain. AKA Not decorated

Decorate that ice cream with vanilla flavor and Viola, instant great tasting not plain delicious dish to be consumed.