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.
Meh, it's probably a cheap throw-away thing anyway so it's not like it distracts them from making full games.
... right? :/
The people in the past who convinced themselves to do unspeakable things were no less human than you or I. They made their decisions; the only thing that prevents history from repeating itself is making different ones.
-- Adam Serwer
My blog
IGN wrote:Players can choose from several of 40K's most popular factions to engage in singleplayer and cross-platform multiplayer
Calling it now:
Red Marines, Blue Marines, Black Marines, YellowWhite Marines and Orks.
*scnr*
That aside, this might actually have potential for a bit of fun in-between, depending on how well the end product looks and how much they're going to charge for it.
Personally, I'm at least mildly more interested in this than that buttonmashing Marine power fantasy platformer. Let's wait and see, I guess?
[edit] Fixed the Chapter line-up. White Scars were mentioned as a pre-order bonus.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2014/05/15 03:46:48
The obligatory non-40K/non-Warmahordes player in the forum.
Hobby Goals and Resolution of 2017: Paint at least 95% of my collection (even if getting new items). Buy small items only at 70% complete.
Funny, this has been something I have been hoping for for a while, couldn't be happier. And by the way, all the folks who are saying (so correctly) that this is the end of GW (I agree) I will be buying up armies a t 30% of their value. This ought to be a bargain for all that unusable GW trash on your shelves.
Lynata wrote: Personally, I'm at least mildly more interested in this than that buttonmashing Marine power fantasy platformer.
I played the demo, I thought it was pretty cool. Most solo games are power fantasy. That is kind of the point. I really enjoyed how your character felt like a powerhouse, and the ground was trembling just as you run! The only thing that maybe did not work perfectly was the mechanic that encouraged you to flee combat to get your armor to come back. Trying to avoid combat did not felt right. Apart from that, I felt it was perfect. Though I only played the demo, against Orks, maybe later it became worse.
"Our fantasy settings are grim and dark, but that is not a reflection of who we are or how we feel the real world should be. [...] We will continue to diversify the cast of characters we portray [...] so everyone can find representation and heroes they can relate to. [...] If [you don't feel the same way], you will not be missed"
https://twitter.com/WarComTeam/status/1268665798467432449/photo/1
The burning pits of Hades, also known as Sweden in summer
The combat against orks was excellent. The CSM were lackluster. Very poor AI and they were just given 5x your health to compensate. CSM should have been difficult due to being able to match your power and tactics, not because Relic just slapped on so much health so they simply eat series of TH hits like nothing. Seriously, they fight like lobotomised cucumbers.
This message was edited 4 times. Last update was at 2014/05/15 14:05:49
Hybrid Son Of Oxayotl wrote:I played the demo, I thought it was pretty cool. Most solo games are power fantasy. That is kind of the point.
You're right, considering other games of that type. I guess I may be overly sceptical because I have a feeling this will feed into an already "dangerous" perception of what Space Marines are "really" capable of, as far as the fans are concerned. Consider the fandom's reaction if this character were a Battle Sister, a Guardsman, or a Fire Warrior.
I may be overthinking it, though. It's just ... dakka's background forum seems to consist of 90% "Space Marines are awesome because [...]" nowadays, and it's gotten worse over the past years (both in terms of frequency as well as in relation to the claims made in those threads, or the ignorance towards material not agreeing with certain visions). The franchise has always been focused on Space Marines, but the current offensive feels like an all new level of catering. Perhaps I'm just feeling "threatened" that I might lose connection to a franchise that is developing into a direction directly polar to what I enjoyed when I was "getting into it".
/rant
Either way, I like chess, so I'll keep an eye on this.
Lynata wrote: I guess I may be overly sceptical because I have a feeling this will feed into an already "dangerous" perception of what Space Marines are "really" capable of, as far as the fans are concerned.
PC are almost always overpowered. Take, for instance, Duke Nukem. He is a guy. In a red shirt. He got a few gun. He repels wave after wave of alien invasions, all while cracking stupid jokes.
Lynata wrote: Consider the fandom's reaction if this character were a Battle Sister, a Guardsman, or a Fire Warrior.
Well, there was a game called Fire Warrior, in which the player certainly butchered tons of marines. I could not go that far because on a PC, it felt like a very, very bad port of a console game, and I am speaking of an FPS. It was horrible, but I do not remember any outrage about the power level of the Tau.
And I am not in any way a fan of space marines being superpowered mary sue, just ask Ashiraya .
Automatically Appended Next Post:
Ashiraya wrote: xD The ludicrous power scaling in 40k is part of what makes the setting unique to me and movie marines are part of that. IGhammer is my nightmare.
Well, you are fan of that scaling as long as the marines are on top of it. What about Titanic legion basically being able to destroy complete chapters in mere minutes ?
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2014/05/15 14:43:29
"Our fantasy settings are grim and dark, but that is not a reflection of who we are or how we feel the real world should be. [...] We will continue to diversify the cast of characters we portray [...] so everyone can find representation and heroes they can relate to. [...] If [you don't feel the same way], you will not be missed"
https://twitter.com/WarComTeam/status/1268665798467432449/photo/1
Hybrid Son Of Oxayotl wrote:PC are almost always overpowered. Take, for instance, Duke Nukem. He is a guy. In a red shirt. He got a few gun. He repels wave after wave of alien invasions, all while cracking stupid jokes.
I know, but in Duke Nukem there's just Duke Nukem. I had hoped 40k would be more than just Space Marines, even though recently it doesn't really feel that way anymore.
Hybrid Son Of Oxayotl wrote:Well, there was a game called Fire Warrior, in which the player certainly butchered tons of marines. I could not go that far because on a PC, it felt like a very, very bad port of a console game, and I am speaking of an FPS. It was horrible, but I do not remember any outrage about the power level of the Tau.
I do - well, not condensed in a single giant outcry like it was with, say, the "omg sue them!" ME3 ending crowd, but over the years I've seen countless people rant about it this way.
And in a way it makes sense, because it's the very same rants you read on this very forum whenever someone bemoans that (in their opinion) Space Marines had to be "made weaker" in the tabletop, dismissing the fact that the fluff was crafted around the game rather than the reverse. In my opinion, this perception is chiefly a result of the "extended" material (novels, movies, and yes, video games) almost always featuring Space Marines pwning things, so that the fandom is essentially refused access to a more balanced perspective where the spotlight is shared among the factions rather than being hogged by one. I would want to see more like Final Liberation. Or, hell, why not another (better) Fire Warrior game?
Sorry for going OT here, though - this is probably a debate that may warrant its own thread.
Lynata wrote: I know, but in Duke Nukem there's just Duke Nukem. I had hoped 40k would be more than just Space Marines, even though recently it doesn't really feel that way anymore.
Well, let us be fair here. The name of that specific video game was literally “Warhammer 40 000 Space Marine”, what did you expect ? I would love for more Sisters and non-marines in general in 40k proper, but at least we have some nice presence in Dawn of War.
Lynata wrote: I would want to see more like Final Liberation.
Lynata wrote: Or, hell, why not another (better) Fire Warrior game?
Better, then. Way better. Else, do not want!
"Our fantasy settings are grim and dark, but that is not a reflection of who we are or how we feel the real world should be. [...] We will continue to diversify the cast of characters we portray [...] so everyone can find representation and heroes they can relate to. [...] If [you don't feel the same way], you will not be missed"
https://twitter.com/WarComTeam/status/1268665798467432449/photo/1
Hybrid Son Of Oxayotl wrote:Well, let us be fair here. The name of that specific video game was literally “Warhammer 40 000 Space Marine”, what did you expect ?
This is a misunderstanding! I'm seeing a problem in the franchise almost universally only portraying Space Marines as the "overpowered PC" you compared Duke Nukem to. This isn't an impression I have from a single game, it's an impression I have from all of the tabletop's spin-off products as a whole, and which I find troublesome because 40k does not (or rather should not) have a single protagonist, yet Marines are essentially treated that way in most material. It's a weird breach with the original material from the GW studio's own hands, and I feel it hurts the franchise as a whole by making any other faction come across as either uninteresting or, worse, a victim/extra/sidekick to Marine heroics.
For the record, I actually enjoyed the Space Marine game a lot and am still sad that we'll likely never see the sequel. I'd even argue its portrayal of Space Marines is spot-on if you would only take away the magical health regeneration, and I remain adamant in thinking that they could have easily offered additional factions for a more interesting multiplayer segment, or even just a Sororitas reskin for the Marine classes (would've totally purchased that DLC). But I had fun with the engaging campaign, and I enjoyed the fragfest in MP.
Spoiler:
Celestial Lions ftw!
Soulstorm was an exception from the rule. Though not the only one, actually - Sisters also guest-starred in the Rites of War turn-based strategy game. Still, much like the novels, the vast majority of 40k games that were released to this date had you play Space Marines only. The franchise is repeatedly kicking itself in the crotch by intentionally neglecting a metric ton of potential in variety, and it's just painful to see - both as a fan and as a gamer who would quite simply like to see "something else" once in a while. Really, it's like we've been spoon-fed chocolate ice cream for 20 years, and even though we like chocolate ice, we'd be interested in tasting vanilla for a change.
[edit] And I'm not just talking about factions here. Why not have an X-Com-style game set in Necromunda, for example? An Inquisitor RPG? Or a Battlefleet Gothic/Rogue Trader strategy game?
Thankfully, kickstarter will at least let me pretend the latter exists with The Mandate.
This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2014/05/15 17:28:18
Lynata wrote: This isn't an impression I have from a single game, it's an impression I have from all of the tabletop's spin-off products as a whole, and which I find troublesome because 40k does not (or rather should not) have a single protagonist, yet Marines are essentially treated that way in most material. It's a weird breach with the original material from the GW studio's own hands
I disagree. It is exactly how the studio makes it imho. That is why we have marines in EVERY STARTER EVER, and the current one is marines versus marines. That is why we have not two, not three, but six marines codex, and recently we had seven. That is why we had an action movie space marine list, but no action movie imperial guard list, or any other faction. Which faction do we see on the current rulebook cover ? Marines.
"Our fantasy settings are grim and dark, but that is not a reflection of who we are or how we feel the real world should be. [...] We will continue to diversify the cast of characters we portray [...] so everyone can find representation and heroes they can relate to. [...] If [you don't feel the same way], you will not be missed"
https://twitter.com/WarComTeam/status/1268665798467432449/photo/1
Hybrid Son Of Oxayotl wrote:I disagree. It is exactly how the studio makes it imho. That is why we have marines in EVERY STARTER EVER, and the current one is marines versus marines. That is why we have not two, not three, but six marines codex, and recently we had seven. That is why we had an action movie space marine list, but no action movie imperial guard list, or any other faction. Which faction do we see on the current rulebook cover ? Marines.
Sure, GW is pushing Marines - but don't you think it's interesting how GW simultaneously has a much more "down to earth" interpretation of the Astartes? They actually lose in the studio material - and not just barely, sometimes they get totally roflpwned. Studio material describes critical weaknesses in their equipment and their tactics that are simply not present from the majority of licensed material. That's the difference.
I suppose one could fault GW for making Space Marines the poster boys, but the Immortal God of War image so popular in the community nowadays comes from elsewhere.
Depends on if you define "Black Library" as "elsewhere", which I don't.
The people in the past who convinced themselves to do unspeakable things were no less human than you or I. They made their decisions; the only thing that prevents history from repeating itself is making different ones.
-- Adam Serwer
My blog
The people in the past who convinced themselves to do unspeakable things were no less human than you or I. They made their decisions; the only thing that prevents history from repeating itself is making different ones.
-- Adam Serwer
My blog
There's a lot of gak Black Library stuff that just kind of tags along with the Space Marine wave of the Horus Heresy (there's a lot of gak in there too!).
I guess GW are just playing it safe. I'd love to see more games set in the more detailed backgrounds of the Inquisition/Ecclesiarchy/Chaos Cults/any other organisation like the X-Com idea I put forward in the "DoW3 What do you want?" thread.
A hitman esque game where you get to pick which Assassin you use on each mission would be nice. Open map type thing.
Lynata wrote: Sure, GW is pushing Marines - but don't you think it's interesting how GW simultaneously has a much more "down to earth" interpretation of the Astartes? They actually lose in the studio material - and not just barely, sometimes they get totally roflpwned. Studio material describes critical weaknesses in their equipment and their tactics that are simply not present from the majority of licensed material.
When are they rolfpwned? What critical weaknesses are you speaking about?
"Our fantasy settings are grim and dark, but that is not a reflection of who we are or how we feel the real world should be. [...] We will continue to diversify the cast of characters we portray [...] so everyone can find representation and heroes they can relate to. [...] If [you don't feel the same way], you will not be missed"
https://twitter.com/WarComTeam/status/1268665798467432449/photo/1
The burning pits of Hades, also known as Sweden in summer
I never understood the problem with SM being OP.
They shouldn't be smacking Bloodthirsters around, that'd be OTT, but if they cut down a dozen Guardsmen with each bolter salvo while the flashlight return fire barely tickles the PA, then that is just one way the power balance is designed (And it's not like the Guard don't have the numbers to compensate)
As much as some prefer to think 'Space Marines are actually useless and only exist because the Imperium is stupid' (Looking at you here, Peggy) that sounds terribly uninteresting and bland to me and I even think it enhances the occasional heroism of the common Guardsman if he is doing his heroics in a galaxy where pretty much every other basic infantry unit would kill him with ease. The very same heroism that is what makes the IG faction stand out from generic military faction #172389365327856587254, and the same heroism that becomes entirely uninteresting once it becomes expected.
Plus, if we have established a suitably incredible power scaling (Where SM easily oneshot guardsmen who can't really hurt back the SM in return) then just imagine the courage of Pius. (IDGAF about the Perpetual retcon, ok.)
My way to look at it is not objectively right, of course, but neither is any of yours. And remember that none of the views need to be inferior before you start implying that they are.
Well, you are fan of that scaling as long as the marines are on top of it. What about Titanic legion basically being able to destroy complete chapters in mere minutes ?
Lucky, then, that chapters do not stand around and get shot by Titan legions, eh? I agree that shrugging off Titan attacks is in Primarch territory- above Astartes level.
I do not lie that I like my Marines nice and OP. It is as said part of what makes this setting interesting to me, and different than grimdark Star Wars.
This message was edited 4 times. Last update was at 2014/05/15 23:33:27
Hybrid Son Of Oxayotl wrote:When are they rolfpwned? What critical weaknesses are you speaking about?
Well, perhaps not exactly roflpwned, but a stark contrast to what you read in non-GW publications. A couple sources I can remember right now:
"After the Battle of Naeuysk Gorge, fourteen Rhinos of the Imperial Fists had to be abandoned when traitor Space Marines from the Night Lords Legion ambushed the advancing column as it crossed the only bridge across the gorge. The attackers destroyed the lead and rear vehicles, trapping the rest in place. Previously placed demolition charges blew out the bridge supports and every Rhino on the bridge plummeted nearly a thousand metres into the gorge. The survivors were harried back to their base and the name of the Night Lords placed forever on the Chapter's Litany of Hatred. The following morning a daring mission involving an airborne assault across the gorge pushed back the Night Lords from the hills on the opposite side and allowed the Imperial Fists to bring up salvage units to start the recovery of their shattered vehicles and the bodies of their comrades. The battle in the hills raged for over thirty hours, with the Imperial Fists' casualties amounting to almost 85% as they fought to give their Techmarines enough time to retrieve the fallen Rhinos." - WD #269 : Rhino APC
"972.M41: Chaos Lord Ratathrax of the Night Lords invades Catachan. Sending vast anti-plant barrages onto the planet, Ratathrax robs the Catachan Imperial Guard of their most natural defence before systematically bombing their bastion networks into rubble. Ratathrax makes planetfall to enjoy the butchery first hand. Unfortunately for him, Colonel Straken, lying in ambush in a quagmire of toxic sludge, waits for Ratathrax to remove his helmet before throttling him with a poisonous barb-root." - Codex Planetstrike
"[...] This was not enough to deter the Celestial Lions from their course and they continued to demand an investigation into the extermination of Khattar's population. Their efforts were to prove in vain however. The Inquisition answers to no-one but the Emperor himself. With the outbreak of the third war for Armageddon, the Celestial Lions were ordered to mobilise their entire Chapter and deploy their forces in Hive Volcanus. Within a month of their deployment, the Celestial Lions had suffered appalling casualties. Intelligence provided to them on the Orks strength and disposition proved to be woefully inaccurate and each battle found the Space Marines vastly outnumbered and cut off from support. Several of the higher ranking officers within the Chapter began to suspect that this was deliberate, but could prove nothing and had no choice but to continue their attacks on the Orks as before. In one disastrous battle, four entire companies were wiped out in the Mannheim Gap by the combined forces of Warlord Thogfang's Gargant mob and the Razor Speed Freeks. Losses continued to mount, culminating in the Orks launching an uncannily well co-ordinated attack on the Celestial Lions base camp.
The battle raged for over three hours, hundreds of Space Marines falling to the overwhelming numbers of the Orks. Unerringly accurate sniper fire from the mountains blasted through the camp, relentlessly targeting the Chapter's Apothecaries. A depleted company was finally able to break through the Ork ring of firepower and fight their way back into the hive. Only ninety six brothers of the Celestial Lions survived, and even worse, the last of the Chapter's Apothecaries took a bullet in the head within hours of arriving at Hive Volcanus.
The gene seed of the fallen now lies unharvested on the battlefields of Armageddon and the surviving battle brothers have all sworn to die alongside them, fighting the Orks until the last breath has been crushed from their bodies." - GW Armageddon 3 website : Celestial Lions
"In addition to these standard force organisations, it is not uncommon for Space Marines to adopt unique battle formations for a single campaign. Sometimes these formations will be forced upon the Space Marines because of high levels of battle casualties, or due to a lack of a piece of vital equipment, and at other times a unique formation will be devised by a commander to fulfil a specific battlefield role. During the Scouring of Hexdragon XXIV in 345.M38, a situation arose where all three of these circumstances occurred in a single battle. Elements of the newly arrived Iron Shields Chapter had suffered severe casualties amongst their Assault Marines during the assault on the Despot of Hexdragon’s battle fortress. With all members of the Chapter’s Battle Companies fully engaged, Commander Shakirax ordered the troops of the 10th Scout Company to be issued with jump packs, so that they could fulfil the role instead. Despite suffering casualties in excess of 90%, the Scouts overwhelmed the defenders of the Obsidian Tower, and the fortress fell." - Liber Apocalyptica : Forces of the Space Marines
So here we have examples of a rather important Space Marine Chapter for once actually suffering fairly bad casualties, then a CSM Lord gets strangled by an Imperial Guard Colonel, followed by a Marine Chapter pretty much being wiped out because of Inquisition shenanigans, and lastly a Marine Chapter being decimated in the assault on some local warlord's base (so much for that "one company to conquer a planet" cliche that gets bandied about all the time). I believe it's safe to say that we're never going to read anything like this in a Black Library novel. Why? Because there, Space Marines are protagonists. And just like that, this coin that used to have two sides stops getting turned over.
What is important to me here is a certain "narrative balance" where the Astartes are not depicted as invulnerable gods of war winning every campaign with flying colours, because that's what *I* consider terribly uninteresting and bland as it devalues every other faction by establishing a "protagonist bias" in a setting that should not have one. Does anyone actually believe the Battle Sisters would be capable of hunting down rogue Marine Chapters like GW says they did and do? How many people believe the Space Marines need the Imperial Guard for winning bigger battles, like it says in the Codices and on the Inquisitor website? These connections between the different organisations, between the puzzle pieces that make up the greater setting, are getting lost here, just like the great consistency that once existed between the rules and fluff when the chance of a lasgun to drop a Space Marine on the TT was suspiciously close to what lasguns do to Marines in the Inquisitor game, and how Codex Angels of Death explained the efficiency of Marine PA against small arms fire. But nowadays? Nowadays I'm opening a Forge World book and I'm reading about how hellguns harmlessly ricochet off power armour. Ricochet!
In short: I perceive a worrying trend within the community and the licensed material that sees the popular perception of the Astartes growing further and further removed from GW's original vision that was at least insofar balanced in that it featured impressive heights as well as low points. And whilst this in itself should not be a big issue because all fluff is equally (in)valid and simply a matter of preferences, it's kind of saddening how one-sided this new "variety" has gotten, up to the point that so many people aren't even aware of the conflicting portrayals anymore. Just look at the thread about Astartes lifespan in the background forum - how many times in the past years have I quoted the "300 years" passage from the 6E core rulebook? Did anyone remember? No. But they remember some off-hand remark from the Horus Heresy novels, so Astartes = immortal now. It's just like Jes Goodwin joked in the GW podcast: "They're getting bigger with every book."
It's slowly eroding the setting, twisting the perception of entire factions (including my beloved Sisters), and turning it into some sort of comic book universe - and it's the reason for why I can't see myself posting there anymore. My knowledge and my own interpretation of 40k have become worthless here and whatever I contribute either gets forgotten almost immediately or simply considered uninteresting and discarded, as the less powerful portrayals just can't compete with what the majority considers cool nowadays. This is like JJtrek all over again, just instead of lensflares we have Primarch superpowers. And let's not even touch on the clusterfeth on how this version of Marines has messed up FFG's RPGs (though this is admittedly a more complex issue also rooted in flawed base mechanics).
Maybe I'm feeling threatened in that I am losing my connection to the franchise, that this just isn't "my" 40k anymore. Or that what is commonly understood as "40k" has, in the past couple years, become so small and specific that it cannot accommodate my interpretation anymore.
I don't like how this feels, and I have trouble adapting to this new "minority role".
Ashiraya wrote: They shouldn't be smacking Bloodthirsters around, that'd be OTT, but if they cut down a dozen Guardsmen with each bolter salvo while the flashlight return fire barely tickles the PA, then that is just one way the power balance is designed (And it's not like the Guard don't have the numbers to compensate)
And what about, say, Carnifex? Do Carnifex cut down a dozen marines with every swing, while the return attacks just bounce of their carapace? Or maybe the other way around?
Ashiraya wrote: The very same heroism that is what makes the IG faction stand out from generic military faction #172389365327856587254, and the same heroism that becomes entirely uninteresting once it becomes expected.
I am not sure how having every IG regiment feel like Vostroyans where the only known tactics are “Send in the next wave” is what would make the faction very bland and limited.
Ashiraya wrote: Lucky, then, that chapters do not stand around and get shot by Titan legions, eh?
Do not pretend to miss my point. You like a huge difference in power between marines and everything less powerful than marines, but for stuff that is obviously stronger than a marine (carnifex, genestealer, meganob, harlequin, …), do you still enjoy such a skewed power level? Never saw you mention it, except maybe to pretend the marine was actually stronger.
Ashiraya wrote: I agree that shrugging off Titan attacks is in Primarch territory- above Astartes level.
Primarchs as anything other than legendary half-forgotten figure sucks. What are super-saiyans and kryptonians doing in my 40k? That just makes no sense. That is so not how flesh works!
Lynata wrote: I believe it's safe to say that we're never going to read anything like this in a Black Library novel.
We could. In Ciaphas Cain, Hero of the Imperium, for instance. Cain just killing some chaos space marine lord.
Lynata wrote: It's slowly eroding the setting, twisting the perception of entire factions (including my beloved Sisters), and turning it into some sort of comic book universe
Well, we do have comic book death now, with Eldrad for instance .
"Our fantasy settings are grim and dark, but that is not a reflection of who we are or how we feel the real world should be. [...] We will continue to diversify the cast of characters we portray [...] so everyone can find representation and heroes they can relate to. [...] If [you don't feel the same way], you will not be missed"
https://twitter.com/WarComTeam/status/1268665798467432449/photo/1
Lynata wrote: So here we have examples of a rather important Space Marine Chapter for once actually suffering fairly bad casualties, then a CSM Lord gets strangled by an Imperial Guard Colonel, followed by a Marine Chapter pretty much being wiped out because of Inquisition shenanigans, and lastly a Marine Chapter being decimated in the assault on some local warlord's base (so much for that "one company to conquer a planet" cliche that gets bandied about all the time). I believe it's safe to say that we're never going to read anything like this in a Black Library novel. Why? Because there, Space Marines are protagonists. And just like that, this coin that used to have two sides stops getting turned over.
I have to ask; have you read any Black Library novels? Space Marines die/take heavy casualties frequently.
As a general rule, the protagonist of any given book is probably going to come off better than anybody else. If it's Guard in Cadian Blood, for example, the IG win the day while the Raven Guard lose their entire force. Not only do the Death Guard wind up with multiple Marines killed by Cadians, they also lose a dreadnought to them.
If it's Night Lords, as in ADB's Night Lords trilogy? Well, then Blood Angels and Marines Errant are going to get slaughtered.
If you've got Abnett writing Guard, you get a platoon of IG knocking out a squad of Chaos Terminators. On their own turf.
What is important to me here is a certain "narrative balance" where the Astartes are not depicted as invulnerable gods of war winning every campaign with flying colours, because that's what *I* consider terribly uninteresting and bland as it devalues every other faction by establishing a "protagonist bias" in a setting that should not have one.
We must have read some very different BL novels.
Does anyone actually believe the Battle Sisters would be capable of hunting down rogue Marine Chapters like GW says they did and do?
No. Not full strength ones.
How many people believe the Space Marines need the Imperial Guard for winning bigger battles, like it says in the Codices and on the Inquisitor website?
I do, for one. There simply aren't enough Astartes to commit to every battle in the Imperium. You put the Astartes where you truly need to win, and win quickly, or where things are most dire, and the Guard can fight anywhere from those situations to comparatively irrelevant meat grinders. It has been ever thus.
In short: I perceive a worrying trend within the community and the licensed material that sees the popular perception of the Astartes growing further and further removed from GW's original vision that was at least insofar balanced in that it featured impressive heights as well as low points. And whilst this in itself should not be a big issue because all fluff is equally (in)valid and simply a matter of preferences, it's kind of saddening how one-sided this new "variety" has gotten, up to the point that so many people aren't even aware of the conflicting portrayals anymore. Just look at the thread about Astartes lifespan in the background forum - how many times in the past years have I quoted the "300 years" passage from the 6E core rulebook? Did anyone remember? No. But they remember some off-hand remark from the Horus Heresy novels, so Astartes = immortal now. It's just like Jes Goodwin joked in the GW podcast: "They're getting bigger with every book."
It's slowly eroding the setting, twisting the perception of entire factions (including my beloved Sisters), and turning it into some sort of comic book universe - and it's the reason for why I can't see myself posting there anymore. My knowledge and my own interpretation of 40k have become worthless here and whatever I contribute either gets forgotten almost immediately or simply considered uninteresting and discarded, as the less powerful portrayals just can't compete with what the majority considers cool nowadays. This is like JJtrek all over again, just instead of lensflares we have Primarch superpowers. And let's not even touch on the clusterfeth on how this version of Marines has messed up FFG's RPGs (though this is admittedly a more complex issue also rooted in flawed base mechanics).
Maybe I'm feeling threatened in that I am losing my connection to the franchise, that this just isn't "my" 40k anymore. Or that what is commonly understood as "40k" has, in the past couple years, become so small and specific that it cannot accommodate my interpretation anymore.
I don't like how this feels, and I have trouble adapting to this new "minority role".
I think you're just overstating the case. I haven't noticed Space Marine fluff power creep in anything but the Wardian codices, and if people take that kind of bs seriously, oh, well. The BL authors have always different in their presentation of the "power level" of Space Marines, not to mention differing in their own individual writing prowess. Hellguns have been ricocheting off of improbable gak since long before this year.
Shadowkeepers (4000 points)
3rd Company (3000 points) 
.
