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Greetings everyone,

So today I would like to open a discussion into what seems to be a little bit of a... well, I won't call it "missed opportunity" or anything, but perhaps an oddity. I'm talking about 40k's seeming lack of weird space ghosts. Oh don't look at me like that, I know that we have warp demons of all flavors, dark eldar, and of course necrons, all of which are kind of "space-ghosty" in their own ways. But I'm talking about the kind of etheral, ghostly, horror-centric army/race/subfaction that specifically brings to mind things like the old "Legion of the Damned" fluff, Nighthaunts, and the like.

I know, I know, you are thinking: but do we really NEED space ghosts? I mean, sure, we don't NEED them in the same way that we obviously NEED a lot more Space Marine vehicles, infantry, and walkers (poor marines, always the last to receive any love from GW) but still in all seriousness (or as serious as I want this very silly thread to be) it just seems a bit like a weird oversight at this point.

Granted, we also don't have cyber dinos (I know there is a name for them in the lore, based on a short-story if I recall right,) AND we don't have space skaven (which also have a name in the lore I think,) but considering how popular things like ghosts and vampires have always been... well, a little love for the space ghosts out there doesn't seem like too much to ask.

So how bout it 40k fans? Any cool ideas on how to integrate space-ghosts into our game that GW will ABSOLUTELY listen to (because, obviously, their top executives are reading this threat right now.) Or how about obscure lore related to space-ghosts? Silly Space-ghost-coast-to-coast memes with a 40k flavor? Conversions? Go nuts!

40K-Nighthaunts?

Yes please!

Right? Take my money already GW! :-)

I like the idea, but there's one thing that could cause a struggle with adapting them to the lore - in order to be big enough to warrant having a faction, they'd need to have some way of travelling the galaxy. To my mind, that means abusing the Warp somehow, and that then begs the question of how they're affected (or even created?) by Chaos, and whether the forces of Chaos interact with them, and how.
Of course, that all opens up further opportunities for expanding this new faction's own lore, so I'm not suggesting it couldn't be done.

As well as Legion of the Damned, there is one other instance of "true" ghosts that I can think of in 40k - Grey Knights Master Mordrak. Or more appropriately, his retinue of slain comrades.
https://warhammer40k.fandom.com/wiki/Vorth_Mordrak

I did not know about that bit! Very cool! And, also, possibly a new thing that could come in with a new GK codex?

Actually, wasn't there something about Sisters of Battle actually having some weird ghostly allies as well?

 Super Ready wrote:
I like the idea, but there's one thing that could cause a struggle with adapting them to the lore - in order to be big enough to warrant having a faction, they'd need to have some way of travelling the galaxy. To my mind, that means abusing the Warp somehow, and that then begs the question of how they're affected (or even created?) by Chaos, and whether the forces of Chaos interact with them, and how.
Of course, that all opens up further opportunities for expanding this new faction's own lore, so I'm not suggesting it couldn't be done.

As well as Legion of the Damned, there is one other instance of "true" ghosts that I can think of in 40k - Grey Knights Master Mordrak. Or more appropriately, his retinue of slain comrades.
https://warhammer40k.fandom.com/wiki/Vorth_Mordrak

They could be like a subfaction of the Necrons because in the Kill Team manual it says that their technology is essentially sorcery to the other races. Could have been a long forgotten energy-based servant race that has awakened due to the increased Necron activity in the new crusade era? A bit like Gene-cults and Tyranids.

I know, I know, you are thinking: but do we really NEED space ghosts?

No, not really. Especially if they're going to go with the nighthaunt models and their terrible joins to their bases and horrible, undetailed man-hands.

I could see throwing a unit of 'ghosts' into some army or another, but full faction.... no.

For one thing, necrons & eldar constructs are already in that conceptual space. 40k needs to diversify with more xenos- actual frigging aliens, not just go back to drawing dirty water out of the fantasy well.

Theres a whole csm warband that is just that allready established.

The warp ghosts.

Also possible splinter of them : bleak bdrotherhood.

leerm02 wrote:Actually, wasn't there something about Sisters of Battle actually having some weird ghostly allies as well?

Sort of? While Sisters miracles are ambiguous in their nature, the two main trains of thought are that they're either pseudo-psychic manifestations brought about by the sheer power of faith - or that the Emperor has actually aided them directly. Either way, these aren't really ghosts in the same sense.

Not Online!!! wrote:Theres a whole csm warband that is just that allready established.
The warp ghosts.

Ooooh, that's cool - I had no idea these existed

This sounds more like some kind of undivided-Daemons subfaction than anything else, to me.

SPACE GHOST, COAST TO COAST!

 vaklor4 wrote:
SPACE GHOST, COAST TO COAST!

I want Zorak to get a mini & rules

Racerguy180 wrote:

 vaklor4 wrote:
SPACE GHOST, COAST TO COAST!

I want Zorak to get a mini & rules

That's one Tyranid/Kroot kitbash away!

Aren't Legion of the Damned basically ghosts?

I think really, Any design space Ghosts have in 40k would be taking from Demons in the setting.

With Some Necron units already having rules and ideas as well.
With Eldar even having a ghost warrior style of play. There is very little space for a separate faction that fits without just being half baked and taking more from others than it ads to the game.

Hell, its really fitting for Demons to make and use Souls and Spirits into things.