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I've seen numerous things describe how Astartes consider food to be important, as it is one of the few mortal comforts they're allowed to have. But I rarely see descriptions on what they are like other than "dinner is a feast by mortal standards, a grand feast is a feast by astartes standards" or mentions of gallons of wine and mead.

I'd imagine an actual description would be absolutely mouthwatering.

I would imagine it varies from chapter to chapter. Space Wolves would be the ones who drink beer, and eat cheese and meat, while Blood Angels might prefer wine and something a bit more refined.

The 3ed codex had a space marines daily schedule in it (as it's supposedly decreeded in the codex astartes) and it stated a mid day and evening meal. During both theese occasions it's stated that protein rich food is made available. It's also stated that certain squads that have performed exceptionally well might get access to alchoholic beverages.

Where feast days are concerned, of which the most ubiquitous being "ascension of the Emperor day", we don't really know what foodstuffs are presented but we do know it's a common day for scouts who have proven themselves to be promoted to full battle brothers. As previously stated we also know that alchoholic beverages are a thing and that the chapters home planet is a valuable reasource to the chapter master so I suppose local delicacies, large quantities of meat in particular, is common. It's said to be days spent with prayers, competition and feasting. Supposedly this is also the day when new commanders are elected as well as veterans are promoted to join the first company.

Also note that the quantities are going to be immense for a reason.

Yes, the astartes can go for days without food because gene-engineering and powered armour's in-built tech. But that's 'in extremis' and won't be something they do as standard - no-one voluntarily starves their front-line soldiers.

Given their size, and the over-amped nature of their physiology, I dread to think what the recommended calorific intake of a mature astartes is....


Alcohol is a thing, but primarily it's the 'craftsmanship' of the distiller/vintner/brewer being showcased rather than an opportunity to get rat-arsed. The Oolitic kidney has a fighting chance against dark elder neurotoxins and laughs at mere alcohol.

The Crimson Castellans chapter (mentioned in the Valedor series) have a tradition as vintners, for example.

The one exception is (inevitably) the space wolves, but rather than simply being strong enough to overwhelm the astartes physiology (although it is *******ing potent), it bypasses it - it contains a toxin that temporarily shuts down the astartes anti-toxin implants, allowing them to get drunk.

As a result, (a) it can be drunk by non-astartes as well (VERY CAREFULLY) without killing them and (b) it's used as the basis for the Officio Assassinorium's preferred astartes-killer poisons.

locarno24 wrote:
Also note that the quantities are going to be immense for a reason.

Yes, the astartes can go for days without food because gene-engineering and powered armour's in-built tech. But that's 'in extremis' and won't be something they do as standard - no-one voluntarily starves their front-line soldiers.

Given their size, and the over-amped nature of their physiology, I dread to think what the recommended calorific intake of a mature astartes is....


Alcohol is a thing, but primarily it's the 'craftsmanship' of the distiller/vintner/brewer being showcased rather than an opportunity to get rat-arsed. The Oolitic kidney has a fighting chance against dark elder neurotoxins and laughs at mere alcohol.

The Crimson Castellans chapter (mentioned in the Valedor series) have a tradition as vintners, for example.

The one exception is (inevitably) the space wolves, but rather than simply being strong enough to overwhelm the astartes physiology (although it is *******ing potent), it bypasses it - it contains a toxin that temporarily shuts down the astartes anti-toxin implants, allowing them to get drunk.

As a result, (a) it can be drunk by non-astartes as well (VERY CAREFULLY) without killing them and (b) it's used as the basis for the Officio Assassinorium's preferred astartes-killer poisons.

In Talong of Horus, abaddon brewed together a bunch of symbolic ingredients to make some kind of intoxicating beverage that got a World Eater to start slurring his speech. I think the ingredients were along the lines of:
- tears of a baby
- Blood of a virgin
- other stuff

Those were the exact ingredients that Abaddon listed. Not even kidding.

I'm pretty sure that Space Sharks eat the civilians they shot that morning for target practice.

 War Kitten wrote:
I would imagine it varies from chapter to chapter. Space Wolves would be the ones who drink beer, and eat cheese and meat, while Blood Angels might prefer wine and something a bit more refined.

Like people?

I'm guessing there's at least one meal with a whole roasted animal (and not a tiny bird) on each astarte's "plates".

 Tactical_Spam wrote:

 War Kitten wrote:
I would imagine it varies from chapter to chapter. Space Wolves would be the ones who drink beer, and eat cheese and meat, while Blood Angels might prefer wine and something a bit more refined.

Like people?

That's the Flesh Tearers your thinking of. Blood Angels probably eat the equivalent of Kobay Beef Hamburgers and pule cheese on Roquefort Sourdough with a side of Almas Caviar and some Royal Demaria Chardonnay Ice Wine to wash it down. Modern BA are basically just EC-vampires.

They would have copious quantities of meat and alcohol. Fat and Alcohol actually are the most calorie dense of foods, providing 9 and 7 calories per gram respectively.

I imagine any dish prepared for a Space Marine would be so fatty it would make most of us gag.

I would imagine that they eat for nutrition from their protein bars and pastes, then eat for enjoyment during less frequent meals and feasts, much like the alcohol.
Otherwise it's not the quantity or type of food required, but the time needed to do so. A feast of requisite calories could take hours unless they'd started off the day with the Astartes equivalent of a cereal bar.

 Grey Templar wrote:
They would have copious quantities of meat and alcohol. Fat and Alcohol actually are the most calorie dense of foods, providing 9 and 7 calories per gram respectively.

I imagine any dish prepared for a Space Marine would be so fatty it would make most of us gag.

They also drink bases to neutralize the acid that builds up in their mouths. Ironically I wouldn't be surprised if Astartes adored milk.

"The space marines excused themselves before desset was served, and Roboute saw they had touched little of the previous course.
'Didn't they like the food?' he wondered.
'I suspect it is because this meal is nutritionally valueless to them', said Linya. "The calorific contents and mass-to-energy ratio of the meat and protein substitutes makes it virtually irrelevant to their digestive systems. It would be like you eating your napkin and expecting to be sated. Space Marine foodstuffs are necessarily high in nutrients, amino acids and complex enzymes to sustain the wealth of biological hardware in their systems. Were you unwise enough to eat so much as a moutful your body would suffer an explosive emetic reaction."

from Priests of Mars, p193

As soon as the toasts were given, music began, and tides of servitors flooded out of the kitchen doorways to serve the first of many courses

-An Unremembered Empire

Pretty much there's like music and a lot of food. Judging by the Legions' culture, this would be something like a medieval banquet. Space wolves, of course, would have something like a mead-hall set up going on. Unfortunately, they didn't talk about the types of food, except that there would be a lot.

 dusara217 wrote:

 Tactical_Spam wrote:

 War Kitten wrote:
I would imagine it varies from chapter to chapter. Space Wolves would be the ones who drink beer, and eat cheese and meat, while Blood Angels might prefer wine and something a bit more refined.

Like people?

That's the Flesh Tearers your thinking of. Blood Angels probably eat the equivalent of Kobay Beef Hamburgers and pule cheese on Roquefort Sourdough with a side of Almas Caviar and some Royal Demaria Chardonnay Ice Wine to wash it down. Modern BA are basically just EC-vampires.

It's Kobe Beef, if you ever actually wanted to look it up, and turning it into burgers is foul sacrilege.

One of the old Space Wolves codexes had a short fluff piece regarding their drinking contests: the goal was to actually be the first to pass out, by drinking as much as you can as quickly as you can to overcome the space marine's normal ability to render alcohol harmless.

Space Wolves actually add a native Fenrisian plant to their alcohol which has a chemical which neutralizes their body's ability to filter the alcohol. Thats how they get drunk. The plant also makes the alcohol, which is already very very strong, lethal for humans to drink.

Whatever the author thinks sounds cool and tasty.

 Grey Templar wrote:
Space Wolves actually add a native Fenrisian plant to their alcohol which has a chemical which neutralizes their body's ability to filter the alcohol. Thats how they get drunk. The plant also makes the alcohol, which is already very very strong, lethal for humans to drink.

It was first mentioned in the introduction story for a battle report published in WD 150-ish (reprinted in the 2nd edition Codex: Space Wolves). There, it wasn't a special chemical, it was just that they drank particularly strong ale, in great quantities, to "overload" the Marines' preomnor and oolitic kidney. First to drink enough to pass out wins the contest.

This is the night before the battle. The next morning, Ragnar's fighting off a hangover while one of his (also hungover) Blood Claws reports on their reconnaissance.
Other descriptions include Fenrisian wolves squabbling over scraps and trying to avoid being crushed by drunken Space Wolves wrestling in the feast hall.

Then there's the feast described in Ian Watson's Space Marine. It's a combination of a welcome feast for Imperial Fists returning to the Phalanx after extended campaign and a graduation ceremony for new initiates about to become scouts. There's exotic steaks (grox-meat, I think) and ale, and the initiates get to try out their omophageas (one gets a horse, one a wild dog and one gets the flesh of a woman, IIRC).

I remember in the 2nd ed Space Wolf codex Bjorn was standing in top of the fortress watching a weather front coming in and wishing for a bear steak and a beer.

I always imagine Space wolves skip the whole "butchering" part and straight up dip entire roasted animals in beer like we do with a donut and coffee.

 MechaEmperor7000 wrote:
I always imagine Space wolves skip the whole "butchering" part and straight up dip entire roasted animals in beer like we do with a donut and coffee.

Ew, no. Can you not imagine the problems of hair caught in teeth?

 Furyou Miko wrote:

 MechaEmperor7000 wrote:
I always imagine Space wolves skip the whole "butchering" part and straight up dip entire roasted animals in beer like we do with a donut and coffee.

Ew, no. Can you not imagine the problems of hair caught in teeth?

With acidic salvia, surely that shouldn't be a problem for too long.

Space Wolves enjoy their food too much for them to skip the prep work for a feast.