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I was talking with my buddies last Sunday..
the talk was about which real world army is represented in which 40k army?

I think the Tau reflect Modern US Army tactics..Forward scouts, heavy bad-arse tanks, laser guided missles..

I think I.G. reflect the Russians during WWII.

Whast do you guys think?

For me, the I.G. Really reflect all sides during WWII. Throwing lives away on a disgusting scale is something that pretty much all factions did. The Russians just did it on a bigger scale because they had a huge population.

To me, the eldar reflect a samurai army, the space marines a medieval Christian crusade, the orks, the hordes of khan, the tau any modern military, 'crons are where we'll be in another 100 years.

This is pretty easy

Tau is US army because forward scouts and Lazer guided missiles.

Imperial Guard is US army because Tanks and scouts and Rambos

Space Marines is US army because of the Marines and the Eagle thing and being zealots for empire/country

Orks is US army because bunch of guys who like to fight yelling Hoo-Waggh.

Eldar is US army because they think they know best and fix things and need to spread freedom fries to other races.

Tyranids is US army because they like to eat things.

Dark Eldar is US army because floating pirate ships and slavery

Necrons is US army because of the whole imprisoned Star God powering a pyramid thing

Basically all army is US army except Chaos Demons - they is France army or someone. I dunno.*

*This is the part of the post where I indicate the location of my tongue relative to my cheek+

+and your momma

 Cryptek of Awesome wrote:
*This is the part of the post where I indicate the location of my tongue relative to my cheek+

'MERICA


But for real, I always pictured the DE as gunpowder era pirates, or a tribal hunting party

 Eggs wrote:
The Russians just did it on a bigger scale because they had a huge population.

There were fewer Russians during WW2 than there were Americans. Russia lost so many men because their existance as a people was at stake, it was nothing to do with some bloodthirsty scheme by the top brass.

Marines-Christians during the crusade

Tau-Todays military but with a pan asain history (ever stop to think the uniting of the tau on a desert by a religon is simular to islam?)

Guard-every human army in history (pick your theme and decide)

'Crons-egypt but with lazers

Chaos-Humans idea of hell

Eldar-I guess Ming or Qing China mixed with fantasy stuff (but as a sinologist thats pushing it).

Orks-The west's idea of barbarians.

In the end each army takes ideas from all of human history, The tau are a mix of islamic, indian, chinese and japanese cultures for example. You cant say "oh the imperium is russia" because their far from communist and their artwork or their propoganda never even try to show left wing overtones. I would say their like the Nazis but again its no where close, their just a mix of the worst of human culture. (sorry about spelling, im on a phone)

xruslanx wrote:

 Eggs wrote:
The Russians just did it on a bigger scale because they had a huge population.

There were fewer Russians during WW2 than there were Americans. Russia lost so many men because their existance as a people was at stake, it was nothing to do with some bloodthirsty scheme by the top brass.

I was being overly simplistic, however, I don't really think of America as having a huge amount to do with WWII. Their help was obviously appreciated, but they weren't a whole lot involved until pearl harbour, and their response pretty much ensured no one else would attack the states. For almost every other player, their existence as a people was at stake. None of the other european countries spew German. We would be if things had shaken out differently.

I don't think I stated (or even hinted?) that there was some kind of top brass conspiracy. Merely pointing out that life was treated as cheap, as it is with the ig.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
*Speak, not spew...

 Eggs wrote:

xruslanx wrote:

 Eggs wrote:
The Russians just did it on a bigger scale because they had a huge population.

There were fewer Russians during WW2 than there were Americans. Russia lost so many men because their existance as a people was at stake, it was nothing to do with some bloodthirsty scheme by the top brass.

I was being overly simplistic, however, I don't really think of America as having a huge amount to do with WWII. Their help was obviously appreciated, but they weren't a whole lot involved until pearl harbour, and their response pretty much ensured no one else would attack the states. For almost every other player, their existence as a people was at stake. None of the other european countries spew German. We would be if things had shaken out differently.

I don't think I stated (or even hinted?) that there was some kind of top brass conspiracy. Merely pointing out that life was treated as cheap, as it is with the ig.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
*Speak, not spew...

Funny you don't think the US contributed much to the WW II effort as the US had more military casualties than the UK's military and civilian casualties combined even given less time in the war. I pray you are better informed about other topics.

As for the Russians fighting for their survival, well no sh*t...just like every other nation during the conflict. The inference is that Russian doctrine was callous about the usage of its troops. To say it was a scheme by the a bloodthirsty top brass isn't correct, but to imply that Russian doctrine didn't routinely waste resources in personnel to achieve its objectives is just as ridiculous and uninformed.

I think Dark eldar are supposed to be North Korea.

 sing your life wrote:
I think Dark eldar are supposed to be North Korea.

Completely impotent, technologically backwards, and they talk a bigger game than they can possibly bring to the table?

 Brother SRM wrote:

 sing your life wrote:
I think Dark eldar are supposed to be North Korea.

Completely impotent, technologically backwards, and they talk a bigger game than they can possibly bring to the table?

Seems alright.

 Brother SRM wrote:

 sing your life wrote:
I think Dark eldar are supposed to be North Korea.

Completely impotent, technologically backwards, and they talk a bigger game than they can possibly bring to the table?

sounds about right!

Parallels to the real world aren't very strong, least of all because 40k is more "Fantasy in Space" than it is anything else. The IG have parts pulled from every major military power of every military era of the last 200 years. The SM's are basically on Knights of the middle ages, but really more the Legends and Myths than the reality. Tau are based on some level on modern military stuff, but still retain a very powerful WW2 feel and draw inspiration from a number of different scifi sources.

Not everything has a direct real life parallel.

 amanita wrote:

 Eggs wrote:

xruslanx wrote:

 Eggs wrote:
The Russians just did it on a bigger scale because they had a huge population.

There were fewer Russians during WW2 than there were Americans. Russia lost so many men because their existance as a people was at stake, it was nothing to do with some bloodthirsty scheme by the top brass.

I was being overly simplistic, however, I don't really think of America as having a huge amount to do with WWII. Their help was obviously appreciated, but they weren't a whole lot involved until pearl harbour, and their response pretty much ensured no one else would attack the states. For almost every other player, their existence as a people was at stake. None of the other european countries spew German. We would be if things had shaken out differently.

I don't think I stated (or even hinted?) that there was some kind of top brass conspiracy. Merely pointing out that life was treated as cheap, as it is with the ig.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
*Speak, not spew...

Funny you don't think the US contributed much to the WW II effort as the US had more military casualties than the UK's military and civilian casualties combined even given less time in the war. I pray you are better informed about other topics.

As for the Russians fighting for their survival, well no sh*t...just like every other nation during the conflict. The inference is that Russian doctrine was callous about the usage of its troops. To say it was a scheme by the a bloodthirsty top brass isn't correct, but to imply that Russian doctrine didn't routinely waste resources in personnel to achieve its objectives is just as ridiculous and uninformed.

Eh? you appear to be trying to argue against points where I've agreed with you. You call me uninformed, however you appear to be semi-literate, so I'll leave it here.

America was the tipping scale that turned the tide vs the axis powers.

Death Korps is everyone in WW1

Cadian is Cold War era army, I'd say.

 Eggs wrote:

 amanita wrote:

 Eggs wrote:

xruslanx wrote:

 Eggs wrote:
The Russians just did it on a bigger scale because they had a huge population.

There were fewer Russians during WW2 than there were Americans. Russia lost so many men because their existance as a people was at stake, it was nothing to do with some bloodthirsty scheme by the top brass.

I was being overly simplistic, however, I don't really think of America as having a huge amount to do with WWII. Their help was obviously appreciated, but they weren't a whole lot involved until pearl harbour, and their response pretty much ensured no one else would attack the states. For almost every other player, their existence as a people was at stake. None of the other european countries spew German. We would be if things had shaken out differently.

I don't think I stated (or even hinted?) that there was some kind of top brass conspiracy. Merely pointing out that life was treated as cheap, as it is with the ig.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
*Speak, not spew...

Funny you don't think the US contributed much to the WW II effort as the US had more military casualties than the UK's military and civilian casualties combined even given less time in the war. I pray you are better informed about other topics.

As for the Russians fighting for their survival, well no sh*t...just like every other nation during the conflict. The inference is that Russian doctrine was callous about the usage of its troops. To say it was a scheme by the a bloodthirsty top brass isn't correct, but to imply that Russian doctrine didn't routinely waste resources in personnel to achieve its objectives is just as ridiculous and uninformed.

Eh? you appear to be trying to argue against points where I've agreed with you. You call me uninformed, however you appear to be semi-literate, so I'll leave it here.

I was agreeing with you about Russian policy; sorry if that wasn't clear enough. But you absolutely are uninformed if you really believe the US didn't contribute mightily to the WW II effort. My literacy has nothing to do with your ignorance.

Its always amusing to see how fast these sorts of threads turns into people screaming at each other.

 Cryptek of Awesome wrote:
freedom fries

yum.

Exalted for whole post.

Yeah but its just odd too draw a line from x country too x army, In "dark eldar too NK" i guess the closer would be somalia (but the piracy their started after 40k was founded) i just find it irritating that "some people" would draw a comparison too a "x nations" enemy


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 amanita wrote:

 Eggs wrote:

xruslanx wrote:

 Eggs wrote:
The Russians just did it on a bigger scale because they had a huge population.

There were fewer Russians during WW2 than there were Americans. Russia lost so many men because their existance as a people was at stake, it was nothing to do with some bloodthirsty scheme by the top brass.

I was being overly simplistic, however, I don't really think of America as having a huge amount to do with WWII. Their help was obviously appreciated, but they weren't a whole lot involved until pearl harbour, and their response pretty much ensured no one else would attack the states. For almost every other player, their existence as a people was at stake. None of the other european countries spew German. We would be if things had shaken out differently.

I don't think I stated (or even hinted?) that there was some kind of top brass conspiracy. Merely pointing out that life was treated as cheap, as it is with the ig.


Automatically Appended Next Post:


*Speak, not spew...

Funny you don't think the US contributed much to the WW II effort as the US had more military casualties than the UK's military and civilian casualties combined even given less time in the war. I pray you are better informed about other topics.

As for the Russians fighting for their survival, well no sh*t...just like every other nation during the conflict. The inference is that Russian doctrine was callous about the usage of its troops. To say it was a scheme by the a bloodthirsty top brass isn't correct, but to imply that Russian doctrine didn't routinely waste resources in personnel to achieve its objectives is just as ridiculous and uninformed.

Talking too UK and auzzie vets i know they make out the the Americans don't have great training, hense why they always have more casualities, also no one can say if it was bloodthirsty top brass or not...we don't know the records. And from what we do know almost every country did too an evil act during the first half (and second) of the 20th c, for example the British camps for Boers, if anyone says the USA isn't as capapble then your very wrong. (See mai lay in 'nam for an easy example, or countless "legal cases" where theres a US military base.)

 Trondheim wrote:
Its always amusing to see how fast these sorts of threads turns into people screaming at each other.

Keep in mind this is the good ole Primordial talking here, but yes, it's absolutely friggin hilarious. More so than the best Simpsons' skit or the best of Mr. Chappelle.
The irony and hypocrisy visible to me in this, makes it even funnier.
To the topic:
IG: Clearly based off of Russia's tactics in the WWs for most regiments. Catachan regiments are based on both the US side and the commie side of Vietnam war.
Tyranids: I don't know quite what to equate this to. The largest wars in history were Chinese in origin, and they all used melee but that's skin deep. They have no real world equivalent.
Orks: Massive bands of barbarians. Barbarians aren't normally in massive bands in historical context, but that's the literal equivalent.
Eldar: No real historical equivalent. Equated to the US army, due to every soldier's competence, with a whole lot of Scifi Magic tech thrown in.
Dark Eldar: No historical equivalent. Follows similar guidelines to the Eldar, but that's even more skin deep than my comparison with the elder and US armies.
Necrons: Obviously no historical equivalent.
Space Marines: The most obvious: Super Navy SEALs mixed with knight chivalry. That's right on the bullseye. Fun fact 10/10 SM could beat my face in like a bongo drum. The same goes for SEALs.
Chaos Marines: Evil Super Navy SEALs.
Cultists: What do you think? There have been large groups of cultists get discovered doing heretical stuff and then, battles were fought then and there. The most easy to equate to.
Tau: Bullseye US military. One of the easier ones.

 ThePrimordial wrote:

 Trondheim wrote:

Cultists: What do you think? There have been large groups of cultists get discovered doing heretical stuff and then, battles were fought then and there. The most easy to equate to.

Cultists=David Koresh and "The Branch"
Grey Knights=ATF
Sisters=Janet Reno

Actually, couldn't some of the smaller parts of the army (ex. Chapters, Companies, ect.) represent different cultures (ex. White scars = Ghengis Khan era Mongols or Catchatan = US)? Also, aren't the necrons more ancient Egyptian-like if they had guns?

Also Chaos and Tyranid = Erm... Lovecraft?

 Eggs wrote:


To me, the eldar reflect a samurai army, the space marines a medieval Christian crusade, the orks, the hordes of khan, the tau any modern military, 'crons are where we'll be in another 100 years.

I'd have said that the BT best represent the crusades (that's what they were based on anyways), the SW are the Vikings/Norsemen, and that the normal SM's are rather akin to the SAS. Small forces sent in to critical locaations in order to achieve a fast, decisive victory, and then immediately get the hell out before we call the US in to expend troops for us.

 Cryptek of Awesome wrote:

Dark Eldar is US army because floating pirate ships and slavery

Necrons is US army because of the whole imprisoned Star God powering a pyramid thing

+and your momma

I almost did a little wee i was laughing so hard. I think you hit the nail on the head! (but missed out SoB)

I've always thought that IG (aside from the obvious reference of their name) heavily draw thematic influence from napoleonic armies.

 Cryptek of Awesome wrote:
This is pretty easy

Tau is US millitary because forward scouts and Lazer guided missiles.

Imperial Guard is US millitary because Tanks and scouts and Rambos

Space Marines is US Marine corps. because of the Marines and the Eagle thing and being zealots for empire/country

Orks is US army because bunch of guys who like to fight yelling Hoo-Waggh.

Eldar is US millitary because they think they know best and fix things and need to spread freedom fries to other races.

Tyranids is US millitary because they like to eat things.

Dark Eldar is US millitary because floating pirate ships and slavery

Necrons is US millitary because of the whole imprisoned Star God powering a pyramid thing

Basically all army is US millitary except Chaos Demons - they is France army or someone. I dunno.*

*This is the part of the post where I indicate the location of my tongue relative to my cheek+

+and your momma

I made some simple corrections


Automatically Appended Next Post:
I may be a bit off topic, but WHY does everyone refer to the entirety of the United States military forces as the Army? They may be the biggest branch but they are the least specialized, and not not even a majority of US armed forces.

 13whited wrote:

 Cryptek of Awesome wrote:
This is pretty easy

Tau is US millitary because forward scouts and Lazer guided missiles.

Imperial Guard is US millitary because Tanks and scouts and Rambos

Space Marines is US Marine corps. because of the Marines and the Eagle thing and being zealots for empire/country

Orks is US army because bunch of guys who like to fight yelling Hoo-Waggh.

Eldar is US millitary because they think they know best and fix things and need to spread freedom fries to other races.

Tyranids is US millitary because they like to eat things.

Dark Eldar is US millitary because floating pirate ships and slavery

Necrons is US millitary because of the whole imprisoned Star God powering a pyramid thing

Basically all army is US millitary except Chaos Demons - they is France army or someone. I dunno.*

*This is the part of the post where I indicate the location of my tongue relative to my cheek+

+and your momma

I made some simple corrections


Automatically Appended Next Post:
I may be a bit off topic, but WHY does everyone refer to the entirety of the United States military forces as the Army? They may be the biggest branch but they are the least specialized, and not not even a majority of US armed forces.

You don't seem to have changed anything :/

And the reason everyone refers to the US military at the "Army" is because very few people give a damn about the difference between the US's military divisions.

Automatically Appended Next Post:
I may be a bit off topic, but WHY does everyone refer to the entirety of the United States military forces as the Army? They may be the biggest branch but they are the least specialized, and not not even a majority of US armed forces.

Please remember rule no.1.

You can disagree and argue with each other without using insulting language.