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 Psienesis wrote:

godking wrote:

 Psienesis wrote:
Local PDF? As in, not from Mordian?

That... doesn't jive with that Regiment's fluff.

Its specifically mentioned in the novel Iron Guard and the end of the novel they recruit some of the people they saved in the mordian Iron Guard.

Which makes sense with the ''reliability'' of warp travel as it is regiments are going to try an reinforce their troops with local forces.

That may be... but these FNGs aren't Mordians. They did not grow up on Mordian. They did not train like the Mordians trained. They did not live as the Mordians lived. How can they call themselves "Mordian Iron Guard" if they have never been on Mordian or ever had to take the part of its Iron Guard?

How can the Balladon call themselves "Tantith 1st and Only" if they aren't from Tanish, did not grow up on Mordian, did not train like the Tanith trained, and did not live as the Tanish lived?

They learned.

 Psienesis wrote:
The Mordian Iron Guard are legendary for their discipline under fire and their iron-strong adherence to orders. They follow their orders to the letter and without a moment's hesitation. They are excellent sharpshooters, using precise fire and iron resolve to destroy the enemies of the Emperor.

They fight in their dress uniforms, as "the bright colors and elaborate decoration on Mordian uniforms often mislead their enemies into thinking they are facing ceremonial troops with little combat experience, though this misapprehension is usually corrected as soon as they attempt to advance in the face of the Iron Guards' precise volleys and unyielding resolve." If you're bringing people in from somewhere else they don't have this uniform to wear.

It should also be noted "even in the face of the overwhelming daemonic hordes of Chaos, Iron Guard regiments will stand their ground, striking down their foe with disciplined fire; if forced to withdraw their lines will never break." Why GW did not give them Fearless or Iron Discipline or... something to represent this is anyone's guess. So I would not take their lack of SR on the table-top to represent that this unit is not just as special as the Catachan (just in a different manner).

Unless every man on Moridia (or whatever planet the Iron Guard hail from) is born standing at attention in neatly pressed uniform, waiting to shoot the nearest alien, they learned how to do that.
Therefore, other humans can learn this too.
It is also possible to make new uniforms (if it weren't the Iron Guard would quickly have to learn how to fight naked after a few days of combat...).

Selym wrote:Unless every man on Moridia (or whatever planet the Iron Guard hail from) is born standing at attention in neatly pressed uniform, waiting to shoot the nearest alien, they learned how to do that.
Therefore, other humans can learn this too.

I believe the thing is that you can't just expect some random recruits to develop the same kind of discipline and resolve that it took the Mordians many years to learn in just a few weeks or months.
You will ultimately end up with half-adapted squaddies that are running a risk of breaking the line or just not hitting anything because they're too scared to shoot straight at that horde of rampaging Orks, daemons, or other horrors of the 41st millennium.

"Whilst lesser men fled in terror before the might of Chaos, the Iron Guard stood their ground, pouring volley after volley into the enemy ranks."
- 2E C:IG

It's kind of like the line battles of the Napoleonic Wars, where morale was also critical to prevent a formation from breaking. Just that in 40k these guys are not just fighting other fancy-dressed humans with hilariously inaccurate muskets, but Chaos Space Marines and assorted aliens.

Note, I'm not discounting the possibility that they'd still merge the regiment with other non-Mordian troops, as that is often the only way to bring a unit back up to strength. But as far as I'm interpreting the material, it will affect its performance.

Selym wrote:It is also possible to make new uniforms

If one were to go by Codex fluff, that's not something that happens in 40k.

 Lynata wrote:

Selym wrote:It is also possible to make new uniforms

If one were to go by Codex fluff, that's not something that happens in 40k.

Which codex?
It'd make sense if the IG wore PA, but they're basically just wearing recoloured trousers and t-shirts. How hard can it be?

 Psienesis wrote:

It should also be noted "even in the face of the overwhelming daemonic hordes of Chaos, Iron Guard regiments will stand their ground, striking down their foe with disciplined fire; if forced to withdraw their lines will never break." Why GW did not give them Fearless or Iron Discipline or... something to represent this is anyone's guess. So I would not take their lack of SR on the table-top to represent that this unit is not just as special as the Catachan (just in a different manner).

If necrons don't get fearless, then humans certainly shouldn't.

Selym wrote:Which codex?
It'd make sense if the IG wore PA, but they're basically just wearing recoloured trousers and t-shirts. How hard can it be?

"Long wars lead to high rates of atttrition of both men and their equipment, so that regiments gradually lose their distinctive appearance as their original gear wears out and is replaced. Regiments that have been in the field for several years may bear little resemblance to the units which left their home worlds. Replacement clothing may not match their original uniforms, or it may have been adapted from that of other regiments. Improvisation to suit the local conditions will undoubtedly change the appearance of units, especially if the battle zone is radically different in climare or bio-type to the regiment's home world."
- 2E C:IG

I imagine this is the result of how the regiments are used - supplies from their original homeworld are out of the question due to the insular nature of how IG regiments operate as a result of sheer distance, and they generally don't spend enough time in environments capable of supplying them with custom-made gear. So they "take what they can get", so to say.

Psienesis wrote:It should also be noted "even in the face of the overwhelming daemonic hordes of Chaos, Iron Guard regiments will stand their ground, striking down their foe with disciplined fire; if forced to withdraw their lines will never break." Why GW did not give them Fearless or Iron Discipline or... something to represent this is anyone's guess.

Maybe because, as I mentioned earlier, the Codex army list is supposed to represent a "worn down" regiment that has merged with other units in an effort to be applicable to the wide range of regimental options you could play - just like the main Codex list is missing the special rules for the Cadians, whilst allowing them to take stuff a "pure" Cadian unit would lack. And didn't Catachans had some special rules in their own Codex, too? If the Mordians were to get their own unique army list to represent a "pure" Mordian regiment, it's possible they would get some perk to reflect their background...


On a sidenote, whilst browsing my books, I found a cool "letter to home" in the 3E Codex! I think it gives a good impression of life in the Guard - with a few interesting bits of fluff regarding travel times and training.

"Well, we're finally here. Zaro's World. From when I left the farm, it's been about three months, though it's hard to tell, what with travelling on a starship and everything. I took about two weeks to get the regiment mustered and then we had to wait another week after that for the Navy to arrive with the transports. That's when we all swore our oaths to the Almighty Emperor, to protect mankind and defeat our enemies. I don't know how many of us are in the regiment, but it took us two whole days to shuttle us up, with two hundred men to a shuttle, one every hour or so. Once we were on board, they split us up into training groups and gave out weapons and other kit. I've got my standard issue lasgun, made in the factories on Last Reach, but some of the lads from A Company have got a batch of lasguns from elsewhere. I think someone mentioned Triplex Phall. Anyway, the guns are the same, but different as well. You can strip them down and clean them just the same, but their guns have a metal stock, ours is wooden, theirs have got this fancy pistol grip, ours just got a stubby handle. I guess it's because there's not much but wood on Last Reach, so the factories have to make do with what they can get. Anyway, whatever they look like, they work the same way - point them at the enemy and pull the trigger!

Our ship was the Pride of Laurence, and to be honest I didn't enjoy the journey that much. I shared a bunkroom with the rest of my platoon, fifty of us in all, though of course the Lieutenant was with the other officers on another part of the ship. It was cramped and after a hard day's training it was a bit smelly. Not like the fresh air you're still enjoying! They worked us really hard. Marching drill before breakfast, then more drill and an hour on the firing ranges. The afternoon was hand-to-hand combat and wilderness survival. Of course, we've all been saying our prayers regularly, too, with a proper service at the end of the day before lights out. The chapel on board the Laurence is bigger than the one at Homeward. I've never heard so many people singing hymns at once. It's really stirring to know that I'm part of the whole thing.

It took about two months, I reckon, to get from Last Reach to here, and then another two days of shuttling down. I was worried [REDACTED] said we might have to drop in right at the front line, but in the end we landed in a town where the main base is, south of the mountains here. As we got off the lighters (that's what the Navy calls shuttles sometimes) another regiment was getting on. I managed to talk to some of them and they said they'd been fighting on Zaro's World for almost ten years! Those Orks don't give up easily by all accounts. We were their replacements. Apparently, they're allowed to go off and join one of the crusades. They even get to settle a whole new world if they conquer one. Can you imagine that, being able to start your own settlement? I hope we do well enough to get a similar reward - perhaps it'll be called Damek's World or Damek's Landing, that would be funny!

The men leaving were from Lorentian IV and, from what they said, that's a lot closer to Zaro's World than Last Reach. The Lieutenant explained that the longer the war goes on, the further and further away from the world they have to go to get new recruits. Apparently, it's a hive world where there are huge cities full of millions of people in a really small space [REDACTED]. The Lorentians told me that they weren't the first here either, so this war is probably older than you are! I could tell they were glad to be offworld soon, there were only about six shuttles worth of them left. Still, the men I was talking to were proud to have fought the Orks, protecting the people of Zaro's World from the alien scum. When we marched through the town, I don't remember its name, there were people cheering us and everything, as if we'd already won the war! We all enjoyed that, and it's good to know that I'm going to fight for the Emperor. It was a bit strange, us marching one way with our new red uniforms and shining buttons and freshly-painted tanks, while the Lorentians marched the other way, wearing muddy brown overalls with bits of bushes and other camo stuck to them. One of them joked about the 'Before and After' posters you get at chapels, the ones that show the man full of sin before confessional and then free and glad once he's paid his penance at the scourging rack.

Well, drums are sounding the Company muster so I'd better get going now, unless I want a quick turn at cleaning the privies or even end up with a few strips off my back. I hope you get this letter, and remember to help Uncle Maximillian when the Grox-cull season starts. You know his back isn't as strong as it used to be. Take care of everyone for me, little brother, and keep me in your prayers at night. I miss the farm, but I'm glad I'm here now, doing something for the Emperor and the people of Zaro's World. Keep up the hunting practice, and maybe when you're older you'll be able to join up too! I'm proud of you, be proud of me!

-- Damek Roigzek"

 Lynata wrote:

Selym wrote:Which codex?
It'd make sense if the IG wore PA, but they're basically just wearing recoloured trousers and t-shirts. How hard can it be?

"Long wars lead to high rates of atttrition of both men and their equipment, so that regiments gradually lose their distinctive appearance as their original gear wears out and is replaced. Regiments that have been in the field for several years may bear little resemblance to the units which left their home worlds. Replacement clothing may not match their original uniforms, or it may have been adapted from that of other regiments. Improvisation to suit the local conditions will undoubtedly change the appearance of units, especially if the battle zone is radically different in climare or bio-type to the regiment's home world."
- 2E C:IG

I imagine this is the result of how the regiments are used - supplies from their original homeworld are out of the question due to the insular nature of how IG regiments operate as a result of sheer distance, and they generally don't spend enough time in environments capable of supplying them with custom-made gear. So they "take what they can get", so to say.


On a sidenote, whilst browsing my books, I found a cool "letter to home" in the 3E Codex! I think it gives a good impression of life in the Guard - with a few interesting bits of fluff regarding travel times and training.

"Well, we're finally here. Zaro's World. From when I left the farm, it's been about three months, though it's hard to tell, what with travelling on a starship and everything. I took about two weeks to get the regiment mustered and then we had to wait another week after that for the Navy to arrive with the transports. That's when we all swore our oaths to the Almighty Emperor, to protect mankind and defeat our enemies. I don't know how many of us are in the regiment, but it took us two whole days to shuttle us up, with two hundred men to a shuttle, one every hour or so. Once we were on board, they split us up into training groups and gave out weapons and other kit. I've got my standard issue lasgun, made in the factories on Last Reach, but some of the lads from A Company have got a batch of lasguns from elsewhere. I think someone mentioned Triplex Phall. Anyway, the guns are the same, but different as well. You can strip them down and clean them just the same, but their guns have a metal stock, ours is wooden, theirs have got this fancy pistol grip, ours just got a stubby handle. I guess it's because there's not much but wood on Last Reach, so the factories have to make do with what they can get. Anyway, whatever they look like, they work the same way - point them at the enemy and pull the trigger!

Our ship was the Pride of Laurence, and to be honest I didn't enjoy the journey that much. I shared a bunkroom with the rest of my platoon, fifty of us in all, though of course the Lieutenant was with the other officers on another part of the ship. It was cramped and after a hard day's training it was a bit smelly. Not like the fresh air you're still enjoying! They worked us really hard. Marching drill before breakfast, then more drill and an hour on the firing ranges. The afternoon was hand-to-hand combat and wilderness survival. Of course, we've all been saying our prayers regularly, too, with a proper service at the end of the day before lights out. The chapel on board the Laurence is bigger than the one at Homeward. I've never heard so many people singing hymns at once. It's really stirring to know that I'm part of the whole thing.

It took about two months, I reckon, to get from Last Reach to here, and then another two days of shuttling down. I was worried [REDACTED] said we might have to drop in right at the front line, but in the end we landed in a town where the main base is, south of the mountains here. As we got off the lighters (that's what the Navy calls shuttles sometimes) another regiment was getting on. I managed to talk to some of them and they said they'd been fighting on Zaro's World for almost ten years! Those Orks don't give up easily by all accounts. We were their replacements. Apparently, they're allowed to go off and join one of the crusades. They even get to settle a whole new world if they conquer one. Can you imagine that, being able to start your own settlement? I hope we do well enough to get a similar reward - perhaps it'll be called Damek's World or Damek's Landing, that would be funny!

The men leaving were from Lorentian IV and, from what they said, that's a lot closer to Zaro's World than Last Reach. The Lieutenant explained that the longer the war goes on, the further and further away from the world they have to go to get new recruits. Apparently, it's a hive world where there are huge cities full of millions of people in a really small space [REDACTED]. The Lorentians told me that they weren't the first here either, so this war is probably older than you are! I could tell they were glad to be offworld soon, there were only about six shuttles worth of them left. Still, the men I was talking to were proud to have fought the Orks, protecting the people of Zaro's World from the alien scum. When we marched through the town, I don't remember its name, there were people cheering us and everything, as if we'd already won the war! We all enjoyed that, and it's good to know that I'm going to fight for the Emperor. It was a bit strange, us marching one way with our new red uniforms and shining buttons and freshly-painted tanks, while the Lorentians marched the other way, wearing muddy brown overalls with bits of bushes and other camo stuck to them. One of them joked about the 'Before and After' posters you get at chapels, the ones that show the man full of sin before confessional and then free and glad once he's paid his penance at the scourging rack.

Well, drums are sounding the Company muster so I'd better get going now, unless I want a quick turn at cleaning the privies or even end up with a few strips off my back. I hope you get this letter, and remember to help Uncle Maximillian when the Grox-cull season starts. You know his back isn't as strong as it used to be. Take care of everyone for me, little brother, and keep me in your prayers at night. I miss the farm, but I'm glad I'm here now, doing something for the Emperor and the people of Zaro's World. Keep up the hunting practice, and maybe when you're older you'll be able to join up too! I'm proud of you, be proud of me!

-- Damek Roigzek"

Tonight im gonna read my old codices for the imperial guard. Fluff wise they are very inspirational for any imperial guard army. Thanks for the awesome quotes!

So... they can get and send mail? I knew it.

Tower75 wrote:So... they can get and send mail? I knew it.

Didn't think so either - it pays off reading the old stuff, you never know what interesting detail you may stumble across that you've missed in the first read.

Now, of course one grimdark interpretation could be that the Guard just acts as if they could send mail for reasons of morale (basically, collecting letters and then just burning them), but given that in the source someone went through the effort of blackening controversial content, and that it is actually stamped with a mark reading "Last Reach sub relay 47/-4lr", it really does seem as if ordinary troopers are allowed to make use of astropath communications.

If it were up to me, I'd probably either fluff it as some sort of reward (similar to extra rations or a day of light duty), or that the regiment has some sort of system in place where they handle comm allowances via a long waiting list or a lottery.
After all, there's only so many psykers around that could transmit such letters.

In the eisenhorn books he wanders round hiring astropathic guilds for private comms jobs. I can see favoured individuals in certain guard units being given the oppirtunity. Alternatively the physical letters get stuffed in a crate that gets sent home by whatever ships happen to bebgoing near the home planet. They would get there eventually.

 Lynata wrote:
Maybe because, as I mentioned earlier, the Codex army list is supposed to represent a "worn down" regiment that has merged with other units in an effort to be applicable to the wide range of regimental options you could play - just like the main Codex list is missing the special rules for the Cadians, whilst allowing them to take stuff a "pure" Cadian unit would lack. And didn't Catachans had some special rules in their own Codex, too? If the Mordians were to get their own unique army list to represent a "pure" Mordian regiment, it's possible they would get some perk to reflect their background...

I can certainly foresee a few codex supplements being done based on this sort of idea when the new book is out.

 Flinty wrote:
Alternatively the physical letters get stuffed in a crate that gets sent home by whatever ships happen to bebgoing near the home planet. They would get there eventually.

They may get sent but they might not actually arrive at their destination. The ship could get redirected and the letters sent to the wrong regiment, they could just get dumped into space in favor of more lucrative cargo or they could just get burned by the Munitorum itself in order to keep up the fiction their mail is going out without actually going to the effort of making that happen. Lots of room for grimdark here.

tuebor wrote:I can certainly foresee a few codex supplements being done based on this sort of idea when the new book is out.

That would be sweet! I miss the old alternate army lists and mini-codices. Would be cool if they use the new supplements for such things, even though they'd no longer be free. It's certainly a likely thing, considering that they've now done this for Tau, Eldar and SM too.

tuebor wrote:

Flinty wrote:Alternatively the physical letters get stuffed in a crate that gets sent home by whatever ships happen to bebgoing near the home planet. They would get there eventually.

They may get sent but they might not actually arrive at their destination. The ship could get redirected and the letters sent to the wrong regiment, they could just get dumped into space in favor of more lucrative cargo or they could just get burned by the Munitorum itself in order to keep up the fiction their mail is going out without actually going to the effort of making that happen. Lots of room for grimdark here.

Well, going by that source, it does say "relay" which sounds like astropathic communication to me. Sending a huge ship with mail just sounds like a gigantic waste of resources to me (keeping in mind that this is the IoM we're talking about).

Unless that transport is going back to the world where that regiment came from anyways, I guess, but that's something I could at best consider for protracted wars and regiments from worlds that tithe regularly (like Armageddon or Cadia) rather than some backwater agriworld who is only called upon to raise a regiment once every hundred years or so. In other words, it'd be a matter of coincidence that sees a Navy ship travel back and forth between a warzone and a recruitment world. Possibly only likely for "smaller" distances?

What I'd enjoy is the vostroyans getting a supplement when the imperial guard get a re-release. DKoK would probably be the case though.

Vostroyans have pretty recent models considering the guard. Also they don't function like most guard regiments if I recall correctly. They basically keep adding to their regiments whereas most either combine their regiments or they get destroyed.

If I remember correctly a low number on the imperial guard like the cadian 8th means that the regiment is effective so it's kept up. Of course a high number like the cadian 1465th probably means it's a fairly new batch with an untested formation that might fail more frequently.

I'm kind of bummed we don't show all the different imperial guard regiments and give them each mini-supplements or abilities. Though I hated doctrines they kind of gave a lot of character even if everybody took the 'sharpshooters' doctrine because it was always useful. Camo cloaks don't help vs melee armies though I did have a pretty hilarious time with a demolisher cannon shooting at some guardsmen in a building and killing like 3 of the 10 of them even when fully covered.

March can't get here soon enough.

 Omegus wrote:
March can't get here soon enough.

Oh, yes it can. And I very much hope March stays where it is in the timeline, I've only got three and a bit months left until I'm 18...
*shudder*

On topic: If the DKoK got a supplement (and presumably some plastics), I'd be one happy camper.

Well for now it's mostly been cadians and catachans so there's always the chance that will be the supplement for the codex. Do they have more than one supplement for each codex now? Sorry I'm not keeping up. A new codex and new stuff would help me back into the guard though a vostroyan supplement would be nice.

 Selym wrote:

 Omegus wrote:
March can't get here soon enough.

Oh, yes it can. And I very much hope March stays where it is in the timeline, I've only got three and a bit months left until I'm 18...
*shudder*

On topic: If the DKoK got a supplement (and presumably some plastics), I'd be one happy camper.

Why are you so terrified of turning 18? Is your uncle waiting until you turn legal before he invites himself over for a slumber party?

I would pee and poo simultaneously if they released any DKoK stuff, but I have a feeling they will save that for Forge World. I am even skeptical they will make Steel Legion, but I would love to see them. I have a bunch of DKoK models, but their resin lasguns are too fragile, I would like compatible plastic weapons to arm them with.

 Omegus wrote:

 Selym wrote:

 Omegus wrote:
March can't get here soon enough.

Oh, yes it can. And I very much hope March stays where it is in the timeline, I've only got three and a bit months left until I'm 18...
*shudder*

On topic: If the DKoK got a supplement (and presumably some plastics), I'd be one happy camper.

Why are you so terrified of turning 18? Is your uncle waiting until you turn legal before he invites himself over for a slumber party?

18 means I'm tax-legal, and I'll be close to finishing sixth-form. Not a happy day.
I'm assured, however, that there will be cider on the day, so it's not all bad

I am really looking forward to the new codex. I would love to see more variety in the rules and fluff. Cadians can take a hike, DKoK and Vostroyans ahoy.

BTW it could be shipping relays. If you consider 40K to be similar to the 16th/17th century earth then letters are sent "over seas" aka across space by putting a payout amount and receiver on the letter. The letter is then sold from merchant ship sailor/captain to another and so forth until it gets to the destination where the bounty is paid by the receiving party. It worked for several centuries on earth to some degree or another and we know that there are an entire class of interstellar traders in 40K...in fact the game was named rogue trader at one point.

I tend to think of 40K as 16th-17th century earth applied to a galaxy where witches, devils, and monsters are real. They even have a Bermuda triangle.

 Selym wrote:

 Omegus wrote:

 Selym wrote:

Oh, yes it can. And I very much hope March stays where it is in the timeline, I've only got three and a bit months left until I'm 18...
*shudder*

On topic: If the DKoK got a supplement (and presumably some plastics), I'd be one happy camper.

Why are you so terrified of turning 18? Is your uncle waiting until you turn legal before he invites himself over for a slumber party?

18 means I'm tax-legal, and I'll be close to finishing sixth-form. Not a happy day.
I'm assured, however, that there will be cider on the day, so it's not all bad

This is creeping me out...

You're almost the same age as me too?

What's next, you have the same name?

I'll go hide under the bed.

DKoK has a supplement, even a free pdf, what are you all on about?

 BrotherHaraldus wrote:

 Selym wrote:

 Omegus wrote:

 Selym wrote:

Oh, yes it can. And I very much hope March stays where it is in the timeline, I've only got three and a bit months left until I'm 18...
*shudder*

On topic: If the DKoK got a supplement (and presumably some plastics), I'd be one happy camper.

Why are you so terrified of turning 18? Is your uncle waiting until you turn legal before he invites himself over for a slumber party?

18 means I'm tax-legal, and I'll be close to finishing sixth-form. Not a happy day.
I'm assured, however, that there will be cider on the day, so it's not all bad

This is creeping me out...

You're almost the same age as me too?

What's next, you have the same name?

I'll go hide under the bed.

Why would someone being close to your age be disturbing?

 Wyzilla wrote:

 BrotherHaraldus wrote:

 Selym wrote:

 Omegus wrote:

 Selym wrote:

Oh, yes it can. And I very much hope March stays where it is in the timeline, I've only got three and a bit months left until I'm 18...
*shudder*

On topic: If the DKoK got a supplement (and presumably some plastics), I'd be one happy camper.

Why are you so terrified of turning 18? Is your uncle waiting until you turn legal before he invites himself over for a slumber party?

18 means I'm tax-legal, and I'll be close to finishing sixth-form. Not a happy day.
I'm assured, however, that there will be cider on the day, so it's not all bad

This is creeping me out...

You're almost the same age as me too?

What's next, you have the same name?

I'll go hide under the bed.

Why would someone being close to your age be disturbing?

Chaos for Chaos' sake?

 ansacs wrote:
I tend to think of 40K as 16th-17th century earth applied to a galaxy where witches, devils, and monsters are real. They even have a Bermuda triangle.

I'm pretty sure this is more or less the intention regarding space travel, and space combat is a combination of age of sail cannon broadsides and boardings and WWII carrier battles.

 Bobthehero wrote:
DKoK has a supplement, even a free pdf, what are you all on about?

I play Cadians, and while I'd like some sort of cool Cadian supplement with cool Cadian relics and stuff, I'd really like to see some of the other regiments getting some love first. There were rumors floating around about a Steel Legion one but I wouldn't be surprised if we didn't see a Catachan one as well to move some of that plastic.

 BrotherHaraldus wrote:

 Selym wrote:

 Omegus wrote:

 Selym wrote:

Oh, yes it can. And I very much hope March stays where it is in the timeline, I've only got three and a bit months left until I'm 18...
*shudder*

On topic: If the DKoK got a supplement (and presumably some plastics), I'd be one happy camper.

Why are you so terrified of turning 18? Is your uncle waiting until you turn legal before he invites himself over for a slumber party?

18 means I'm tax-legal, and I'll be close to finishing sixth-form. Not a happy day.
I'm assured, however, that there will be cider on the day, so it's not all bad

This is creeping me out...

You're almost the same age as me too?

What's next, you have the same name?

I'll go hide under the bed.

While you're there, say hi to Selym!

 Lynata wrote:

tuebor wrote:

Flinty wrote:Alternatively the physical letters get stuffed in a crate that gets sent home by whatever ships happen to bebgoing near the home planet. They would get there eventually.

They may get sent but they might not actually arrive at their destination. The ship could get redirected and the letters sent to the wrong regiment, they could just get dumped into space in favor of more lucrative cargo or they could just get burned by the Munitorum itself in order to keep up the fiction their mail is going out without actually going to the effort of making that happen. Lots of room for grimdark here.

Well, going by that source, it does say "relay" which sounds like astropathic communication to me. Sending a huge ship with mail just sounds like a gigantic waste of resources to me (keeping in mind that this is the IoM we're talking about).

Unless that transport is going back to the world where that regiment came from anyways, I guess, but that's something I could at best consider for protracted wars and regiments from worlds that tithe regularly (like Armageddon or Cadia) rather than some backwater agriworld who is only called upon to raise a regiment once every hundred years or so. In other words, it'd be a matter of coincidence that sees a Navy ship travel back and forth between a warzone and a recruitment world. Possibly only likely for "smaller" distances?

I don't mean a ship dedicated for mail, I mean that the letters could be put in a crate and taken by one ship to their next stopping over point. If that ship isn't going to the homeworld it leaves the crate to wait for one that will take it the next step home.

The fluff that was quoted did strongly imply it was astropathic, but that still doesn't mean that hardcopy would never get home. It might not be an efficient mail system, or even a guaranteed system, but the stepping stone approach would work most of the time I think.

Flinty wrote:I don't mean a ship dedicated for mail, I mean that the letters could be put in a crate and taken by one ship to their next stopping over point. If that ship isn't going to the homeworld it leaves the crate to wait for one that will take it the next step home.

I have to say, the idea of such letters taking decades to arrive at their destination (if ever) does kind of hit the tone of the setting.

Imagine random people getting mail to a soldier's loved ones, when in fact they are the grandchildren of the recipient, or do not actually know any of the names in the letter at all!

And then the planet where the soldier fought on was overrun by 'nids 20 years ago. Not that these people would know.

 Lynata wrote:

Flinty wrote:I don't mean a ship dedicated for mail, I mean that the letters could be put in a crate and taken by one ship to their next stopping over point. If that ship isn't going to the homeworld it leaves the crate to wait for one that will take it the next step home.

I have to say, the idea of such letters taking decades to arrive at their destination (if ever) does kind of hit the tone of the setting.

Imagine random people getting mail to a soldier's loved ones, when in fact they are the grandchildren of the recipient, or do not actually know any of the names in the letter at all!

And then the planet where the soldier fought on was overrun by 'nids 20 years ago. Not that these people would know.

It feels a little weird though that they'd need to send out letters when they probably have vid-screens and etc. I suppose it'd work with the whole WWII feel of the guard but if you have vid-screens I could imagine about 45 seconds per person would be enough (it is the imperium). It's just they probably never get to say crap about what's going on or it's filtered heavily which is probably a given. Perhaps somebody else states how they are doing.

I just always find sci-fi to be really weird in certain ways. They often take the tech of the time with really out there sci-fi. The older a sci-fi work is the more it tends to get goofy and ridiculous it seems. I heard once about a 'world of tomorrow' show that showed space ships delivering telegraphs. I'm sure it'd be awkward after a while like spin-dial phones or a battle station the size of a moon that has to take more energy getting somewhere and then destroying a planet than the planet actually probably provides (star wars). Then again a lot of it is goofy fun sci-fi and to be fair stuff like the imperial guard is heavily based on WWI and WWII so it fits a theme I guess. Plenty like southerners in space (starcraft) or exploration age style space battles.

To be fair to sci-fi the idea of "phoning home" changes abruptly when the distance between the two points is light years. Your vid screen call would take years to get to these soldiers planets if it wasn't background noise at that point. This has to be dealt with in some way and in the real world is insurmountable as of now.

There is a reason the setting revolves around telepaths to send communications (not practical for a vid screen call) and warp travel for everything else. You could send the stored vids just like a letter (and this would be much more practical) but trying to send it as a signal wouldn't work and trying to send it through the warp seemingly would require a psyker or geller field.

The years for mail sounds like this to me:

The vids, letters and the rest are all in one big pile on the ship. When it goes for maintenance or refuelling somewhere they are patched to different ships to go "Home" kinda like Mail on earth, but longer =P