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.

If you were suddenly transported to the 40k universe, what character would you want to be? Mine would obviously be Kharn a close second would either be Ragnar or Karandras.

Vulkan. Im immortal and can deadlift baneblades, benchpress hab blocks, and can pull drivers out of the front armor of a vindicator with my bare hands. Im also a nice guy everyone tells me.

 Midnightdeathblade wrote:
Vulkan. Im immortal and can deadlift baneblades, benchpress hab blocks, and can pull drivers out of the front armor of a vindicator with my bare hands. Im also a nice guy everyone tells me.

Yeah but he got put down by two humans; perpetuals, but humans none the less

An inquisitor. Flying around the galaxy with practically unlimited funds and influence, fighting the Imperium's enemies from a distance. Even space marines have to listen to me, and I can even order planets blown up if I have a good enough reason.

I'd try to avoid all that puritan vs radical politicking garbage.

Probably a regular citizen living on a peaceful paradise planet.

I'll take being a nameless Eldar thanks. Good quality of life, relatively little chance of being murdered by Orks and I can actually pick a career.

An Officer of the Astra Militarum.

You can stick your post-human shenanigans. I’ll be the dude up the back properly orchestrating an offensive. Not because I’m feart of a punch up, but because that’s who we are as players. We’ll command the dross and the dregs to the best of our ability, allowing Glory Boys to dive on in.

Astra Militarum. That’s where genuine heroes abide. They’re you and me, with a reliable weapon and faith in Him On Terra.

Dude, everyone hates officers, and there's a reasons for that, and that reason is that barring a very few exceptions, they're incompetent morons.

Considering that life expectancy in 40K is five minutes for just about anything...Eldar Swooping Hawk.

I could at least spend that five minutes pretending that I am Brian Blessed.

 queen_annes_revenge wrote:
Dude, everyone hates officers, and there's a reasons for that, and that reason is that barring a very few exceptions, they're incompetent morons.

Mostly because of the circumstances of how they're trained and what they're actually taught is how to win.

You might say they're incompetent, I say that they're going up against threats that are far greater than anyone can really expect to win against.

 queen_annes_revenge wrote:
Dude, everyone hates officers, and there's a reasons for that, and that reason is that barring a very few exceptions, they're incompetent morons.

Twaddle.

Officers make the actually proper hard decisions. Where to push, where to yield. How to manipulate the flow of battle to your own decision.

Yes, the boots on the ground won’t appreciate that. Because their training doesn’t cover it for a reason.

But without someone orchestrating the absolute carnage? What’s the point?

 queen_annes_revenge wrote:
Dude, everyone hates officers, and there's a reasons for that, and that reason is that barring a very few exceptions, they're incompetent morons.

What about the officers who used to be enlisted men? Still think they are incompetent morons? Many of those types of men are chomping at the bit to get stuck in with their soldiers, and feel bad that they put their men in danger without being there to support them. But, they realize the bigger picture and understand that they can save more of their men's lives by directing the battle and keeping their men safe from a tactical standpoint then they ever could if they picked up a rifle and joined the battle themselves.

The whole "incompetent officer who is totally disconnected from the boots on the ground and fails his way upward" is a pretty old trope that doesn't really have basis in reality anymore since most militaries have abolished the practices of purchasing commissions or allowing men to be officers simply because they are of noble blood. Don't get me wrong, incompetent officers are a real thing, but there are incompetent people in every profession that fly under the radar. The military is no exception to that.

At one point in my life I considered joining the military and being an officer. I knew the first thing I would do as a LT would be to listen to my sergeants and take their advice very seriously.

w1zard wrote:
The whole "incompetent officer who is totally disconnected from the boots on the ground and fails his way upward" is a pretty old trope that doesn't really have basis in reality anymore since most militaries have abolished the practices of purchasing commissions.

And the "purchasing a commission" thing wasn't necessarily all that either in the later stages of the practice. You had to actually have experience to even be allowed to buy that next rank, so when a captain was needed those of the regiment in the next lower rank were the first offered a chance to take (buy) the post. They might not have been prepared for all of the duties but they didn't just walk in off the street and throw a pouch of gold on the table for a cozy job.

Though you still see a disturbing amount of incompetence in the armies of more tribal societies. The great leader has to give nice jobs to his relatives, and outsiders not from his clan can't question orders without reflecting badly on the big guy and his clan so they keep quiet out of fear. Which means the officer at the front often doesn't dare improvise if the battle isn't going according to plan.

But to get back to the topic, I'd say being an ork would be nice. You have all you need, and if you don't there's nothing wrong in taking it - if you can do it it's your right. What's not to like about being totally sure of your place in the universe and having no care for tomorrow?

There are good officers. Of course, and ex most ex rankers would fit this description(although I've known a few of those who couldn't tell their arse from their elbow) and the ones who actually truly understand the nuances of anything outside their office door are few. Most are only interested in climbing the ladder. I can't speak for infantry officers as I have no experience with them, but in general, once an officer leaves the field and becomes a staff officer, their only concern is pen pushing and justifying their own existence. They are the reason for the current demise of our (British) armed forces.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
I realise I'm taking that to a personal, real world opinion, but I can't see why it would be any different 40 thousand years in the future

If going with a named character, Arhra would be pretty interesting, even if it's just to find out which of the stories about him are true.
If it's just regular characters I'd probably go with an Autarch or Troupe Master.

Named character? That's a toughie, but I'd be torn between my zealous friend Grimaldus, the badass Templar he is, and the infamous Kaptin Badrukk, who gets paid to be in the biggest and best skraps an Ork could ask for!

Non-named character, I'd probably be a Tempestus Scion or Commissar, Ork-wise a Runtherd or a Burna Boy.

 Midnightdeathblade wrote:
Vulkan. Im immortal and can deadlift baneblades, benchpress hab blocks, and can pull drivers out of the front armor of a vindicator with my bare hands. Im also a nice guy everyone tells me.

Seconded.

 JNAProductions wrote:

 Midnightdeathblade wrote:
Vulkan. Im immortal and can deadlift baneblades, benchpress hab blocks, and can pull drivers out of the front armor of a vindicator with my bare hands. Im also a nice guy everyone tells me.

Seconded.

This was my first thought too, but then I remembered all the "fun" Curze put him through. I reckon I'll choose Slaanesh; if you want the option that's the most pleasurable, what better than a literal god of pleasure.

I’d like to be a random perpetual. The idea of simply getting to witness the march of history unfold, and perhaps getting to play a part in it once in a while appeals to me.

BA Smashcaptain. Charge in at the vanguard of my strike force and kill the enemies of Mankind in glorious CC until either death or the Black Rage take me.

In reality I'd probably be a mindless servitor.
In my own fantasy (grim dark-asy?) I'd favor myself as a high ranking member of the mechanicus. Fabricator General maybe?

Gonna die? We got a fix for that?
Dont like those limbs? Try the new Arm-Blaster 9000
Wanna create a new legion of super soldiers? All in a days work.
Inquisitor says you can't do something? Lobotomize em'

Asdrubael Vect. I do not suffer fools gladly, and life would be much less frustrating if I could make them suffer instead. Also, the functional immortality thing...

Well if i get to choose i’ll be comissar ciaphas cain without any doubt.

We have a hell of a lot of underachievers in this thread lol

If we're being real, probably a Munitorum clerk who has to deal with annoying donkey-caves all day long. I can already imagine the fingers forever blackened by the ink stains, the perma-hunch from being perched over a scroll all day long and the scowl of having to reject yet another poorly filled out request form. I'm sorry, but until you fill this out properly I cannot give you the ammunition you need. Have a nice day.

But if we're going for the wishlist thing, an Imperial noble obviously. Nothing quite like ruling over some backwards fiefdom, watching the peasants toil for me and God Emperor. Should a threat arise, or I'm in the mood for a bloody good campaign (can't have enough of those) against some alien race or bloody heretics, I'll don my suit of armour for a bit of fun and stride out to war accompanied by all the pomp and brass that befits my station:



Giant robots is where it's at lads and ladettes.

Big mek with SAG. But with the weapon's profile of the older editions when everything could happen

If I was to transpher myself into the Imperium my job would be Drill Abbot. I would teach future Scions, Sisters and Commissars how to fight properly and all about the glory of the God-Emperor of Mankind. I must admit that, at the times, the idea of smashing the skull of bad students with a giant hammer can be tempting.

If we are wishlisting and only named character, I will go for Iyanna Arienal. Good living conditions, amongst the leader of the Craftworld and scholar of the place. I don't realy mind the race and gender-bending either.

Eldar Autarch on a Skyrunner with a Laser lance and Reaper launcher, all day every day

I'd get the cool jetbike to ride on, varied wargear to protect me in various situations and I'd always have plenty of buddies around me as well.
Plus you get the benefits of being a member of a race that isn't bass-ackwards in ideology and has nicer looking females.

-

Drach'nyen.

Some moderate noble on a planet close to Terra. I have wealth and respect, but not too much of it to make myself a target or deal with higher end problems, but also close to Terra so I am likely in a very safe spot.