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.

I'm currently in the process of converting a Thunder Warrior army just for the giggles. I'd prefer them to not be shelf-queens, so I'm going to make them counts-as Primaris Flesh Tearers. I've got a lot sorted out, but I want to make sure I'm not going too far away from what they would have had wargear wise. If there are any major fluff gurus out there (or those that are deep into GW books) please help me out here.


Now, from what I can find, Thunder Warriors used crude Power armor. Although there was a "basic design", a lot of what they were equipped with was regionally produced and not exactly uniform. The legs were not powered, only the torso.

Their main weapons were a form of bolter, and possibly pistols/chainswords. Sergeants were known to have had power swords and power fists.

They also had some kinds of siege vehicles/tanks.


Now, here is where my background questions come, please correct me on any of this:

1. I'm pretty sure they didn't have any kind of jump-troops

2. Did they ever have any kind of other ranged weapons? I've been told Volkite weapons, but unsure. Would some kind of heavy/special weapon squad be unfluffy?

3. Did leaders have any personalized or better wargear? Would having someone with beefier, heavier armor be unfluffy? (I have an idea of converted stormcast with an aggressor arm and terminator shoulder pads as a counts-as Gravis captain)

4. Standard bearers, did they have them?

1. Never read any mention about jump troop.
2. I guess it would be reasonable that they used different ranged weapons, especially as many special ones were ''rediscovered'' during wars, and needed field testing.
3. I think it could be expected that when new, better weapon/armor was constructed/rediscovered, it would first go to most valuable members, like officers.
4. Cannot remeber where but they were mentioned to carry the imperial eagle standards. I think there was even Blanche's art depicting a TW carrying a banner.

Thanks.

If they had access to volkite weapons perhaps Helblasters would be an okay stand-in.


I was reading up on the Unification wars, and one of the factions the Emperor went up against (that later joined him) were basically the ones that introduced Dreadnoughts and other mini-mechs. I'm really iffy about including dreadnoughts though for some reason. Even counts-as Centurions don't exactly seem fitting.

 cuda1179 wrote:
Thanks.

If they had access to volkite weapons perhaps Helblasters would be an okay stand-in.


I was reading up on the Unification wars, and one of the factions the Emperor went up against (that later joined him) were basically the ones that introduced Dreadnoughts and other mini-mechs. I'm really iffy about including dreadnoughts though for some reason. Even counts-as Centurions don't exactly seem fitting.

I guess drednaughts would be extremly rare, if even used (considering short life span of TW), in TW armies. I think the tech was rather meant for future armies like SM, and non expendable ones like Custodes.

I’ve read that they used proto dreadnoughts for ground assault and the precursor to the storm bird as air transport. I also believed they used a early form of the rhino.

ottokill wrote:
I’ve read that they used proto dreadnoughts for ground assault and the precursor to the storm bird as air transport. I also believed they used a early form of the rhino.

I'd love a transport, but since I'm going to be using them as counts-as Primaris, Rhinos don't do much for me.

I’m building a new age thunder warriors army as well. I will be using a combination of what Bell of lost Souls has come up with and the Custodes codex. I could also use these rules for a unification wars setting, pre great crusade.

The fluff will say that Arik Taranis the Primarch and his lieutenant Ghota fixed the gene seed of the thunder warriors to a certain extant after the book outcast dead and fled off world to Mars. He has slowly been gathering any thunder warriors that survived and creating a few new recruits. His army will be small but pack a punch. He is not an enemy of the Imperium except the custodes and Dark Angels. Everything else Xenos is fair game. He will also be allied with the Mechicum of Mars.

ottokill wrote:
I’m building a new age thunder warriors army as well. I will be using a combination of what Bell of lost Souls has come up with and the Custodes codex. I could also use these rules for a unification wars setting, pre great crusade.

The fluff will say that Arik Taranis the Primarch and his lieutenant Ghota fixed the gene seed of the thunder warriors to a certain extant after the book outcast dead and fled off world to Mars. He has slowly been gathering any thunder warriors that survived and creating a few new recruits. His army will be small but pack a punch. He is not an enemy of the Imperium except the custodes and Dark Angels. Everything else Xenos is fair game. He will also be allied with the Mechicum of Mars.

I actually really liked the BoLS rules for thunder warriors. Very fluffy, very on-point. I just wanted something more "official". Plus having an HQ helps.

What about kitbashing the primaries rhinos in a mad max style? Anti grav as lost tech would be fitting!

Bols said they will release more thunder warriors goodies soon, I know it’s not official but it’s something. It helps get the creative juices flowing at least. I was also thinking about using the Iron hands codex as the Original red talons chapter master/founder was a supposed thunder warrior. That makes me believe that there we’re thunder warriors in the iron hands and they may have followed him to start the red talons.
We really need a mercenary codex from GW to create your own army.

I have always though using the Black Shields list from 30k could do some justice to Thunder Warriors

Is there a black shields equivalent in 40K?

Chaos marines using renegades (or red corsairs) rather than a legion force, I guess.