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Nathaniel Garro stars in a HH novel and seven BL audio dramas. FW makes a Garro figure and publishes rules to use him in your 30k battles. I recently asked a friend: do people actually like Garro or is this a case of BL foisting a character on readers? His response: who? So I'll pose the same question to you lot. Is Garro a cool and compelling character or is he like a schlocky pop song, just played constantly?

Garro represents something much more interesting. He represents the Knights Errant. A marine force outside of the legions at the behest of Malcador. It's an act of gathering up as many of the loose marines out in the galaxy, before they turn renegade, and use them to make meaningful preparations for the future. This includes securing the Sol system, researching and developing effective means of combating daemons, and plenty of other more secretive goals. The next FW Horus Heresy book expected out in February will have quite a bit more detail about them

It's also a means of including grey knight fans in the heresy series.

I think that he is cool!

Er, the question is not about who he is (I am aware of who he is). But can I assume that your answer to my actual question is that you think Garro is genuinely cool and all the Garro product is more about meeting rather than creating demand?

I actually liked Flight of the Eisenstein and thought Garro was a pretty neat character in the context of that story. I am puzzled, however, about whether the character has enough depth to merit such a prolific career beyond that story. It seems more likely to me that the editors wanted to launch yet another tangent to keep the HH money train rolling down the tracks.

Garro on his own is meh. It's all of the other Knight Errant material that surrounds him that I enjoy.

I like that were getting to see the concept that will serve as the model for both grey knights and the deathwatch in the future.

Not really seeing Deathwatch, considering the Deathwatch isn't going to be formed for over a thousand years after the Heresy.

There are dozens of other major characters in the setting with far less depth, I don't see why this guy is a problem.

establish the precedent for marines from multiple legions/chapters to come together for a mission

 Psienesis wrote:
There are dozens of other major characters in the setting with far less depth, I don't see why this guy is a problem.

Really? Do all the other, even more superficial characters you're talking about also star in seven audio dramas? Not that I think Garro being so prolific is really a "problem." My question is, is there so much Garro product because there is demand for it or is BL trying to manufacture a bankable protagonist by generating so much content? It's not really a problem either way.

I think he initially started as a 'I guess he's pretty cool' character who they've now hyped up and tried to make into a poster-boy.

In a way I think they ruined it by going OTT.

Garro and the eisenstein was one of the first things i ever read about 40k but it is all that's keeping me interested in BW horus heresy.

I liked the idea of Garro, then I woke up realizing how superficial that notion was. Garro's insecurities somehow reminds me of a children's story, where he has to invoke how much purpose he has.
The coolest thing he says is 'count the seven!' otherwise the character is pretty bland.

Heh, the short stories of him going around collecting special people feels about on par with the Expendables.


I have right to say all of this since I'm working on a 30k (pre heresy) Deathguard army - 7th company.

I don't think that it is that much about the character Garro, he just happens to be important to the story of the creation of the knights errant and grey knights/inquisition. It's about the story, which happens to need a protagonist. In theory, Malador should be the main character, but telling it from his pov would potentially be dull, and would have to give too much away. I think it could be done well, but current bl standards might see it fall short. Writing from a marine's standpoint though is slap bang in their comfort zone.

As someone said, this is mainly to include GK in the HH.

The same could be said of Loken, Pollux, Dynat, Eidelon, Sigismund, or any of the other named lesser characters. They are for people who want to explore and play a specific aspect of the situation, and the Knights errant are a cool faction in the story.

As far as your actual question, I like the character, and i'm glad he is included. He functions like a 30k cypher "good guy"

I was glad that he got fleshed out in Flight of the Eisenstein. He is a reasonably interesting character but as with a lot of the Heresy stuff there is getting to be too much of him. I think I would prefer further individual stories on the other Marines Errant rather than more and more of the same.

The original story of Garro and the 70 survivors from Istvaan was just as interesting and a lot less wordy. Have the stories and audio dramas dedicated to him made him a more important character, I don't think so.