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.

(Not sure whether this should be in fluff or general, but I'll try here first.)

After reading an article on the Sensei (as well as an amusing, but perhaps not very serious article on Blue Teem), it got me thinking.

How would one go about starting a good-aligned army? We're talking Robin Hood, King Arthur, we help the helpless, all the stuff which isn't associated with grimdark. I like the grimdark as much as the next guy, but some variety is always nice. Which codices are best suited (or at least suitably vague in interpretation) to create a "good" army? Which codices would have a hard time explaining an army that has good intentions?

Space Marines and related chapters: Travel around the galaxy fighting evil, including Imperial oppression. Which I guess is the Soul Drinkers summed up.
Imperial Guard: See above except human.
Inquisition: See above, except be solely reliant on henchmen lists, Grey Knights being a no-go. Could potentially represent a Sensei?
Sisters of Battle: A Sister Hospitaller Convent?
Eldar/Dark Eldar: Eldar seeking to atone for the Fall? Travel the galaxy fighting chaos until they all die. Is penance even an Eldar trait? Beats me.
Orks: Outside Blue Teem, the best I can come up with is a group of Orks who only fight people capable of fighting back.
Chaos/CSM: Khorne Cult: Hatred and anger towards oppression? Wants to free everybody? This is the flimsiest of the Chaos ones.
Slaanesh: Pleasure for everyone.
Nurgle: We're all equal in Nurgle's eyes. We're also all dead but that's a different matter.
Tzeentch: He is the god of hope and change after all, a cult seeking to improve the Imperium?
Tau: Basically Tau they way they are now, except change the "join us or die" to "join us if you feel like it". I just have a hard time rationalizing why an army would adopt different policy though.
Tyranids: I got nothing.

With all the faction being evil in one way or another, it just seems like rebel anti-everything is the only way to go. Hm.

In 40k there is only one way to do it.

Play Tau.

Orks are the only good guys.

They fight for love, everybody else fights for hate.

What about Black Templars? What would they be considered?

 Gargantuan wrote:
Orks are the only good guys.

They fight for love, everybody else fights for hate.

I do have to agree. Orks are the closest to "good guys" in 40k. I mean, they don't want to imprison/enslave everyone, they don't want universal domination (that would be bad for them actually, less people to fight!), they just want a good fight.

If they win, they just won an awesome fight!

If they lose, it don't matter because they just had an awesome fight!

EDIT: But anyway, it's possible for the Imperium to be the good guys. They have the strength to win a war they put the time into. They are just so deeply entrenched in this "Anti-Everything not human" that is getting them killed. If they somehow got over that fact, and put their minds to fighting Chaos and just Chaos, they could win...

I think one of the best things about the setting for 40k is that the "grim darkness" makes every one the bad guy.

That means that no matter whatever race you pick, you will be fighting the bad guys, which by default makes you the good guys.

Well, in Space Hulk 3e, the Blood Angels are boarding a space hulk to stop it from getting close to an Imperial world.