So the other day I finished reading Scars, the 28th book in the Horus Heresy series. I'd never really paid much attention to the White Scars before, or knew much about Jaghatai Khan as a person. Their focus on speed, coming from Space Mongolia (Chogoris), that was about it. So I thought it'd be good to learn more.

Needless to say, The Khan is made of awesome. The Warhawk, the free spirit, the outrider who walks his own path and let's no one, not even the Emperor, speak for him or dictate his will. Maybe even cooler are the depths of his character. He openly acknowledges and struggles with the difficulties his beliefs and lifestyle have given him. Estrangement from his father and brothers, a mistaken perception by the wider Imperium as a wild man like Russ. He's very cool, and very unique in the Imperium.

All this gets me to thinking. Why is it that in product after product, from Deathwatch to the upcoming Eternal crusade game, to the novels themselves, that the same group of chapters get the spotlight over and over again. The Ultramarines I can understand, being the Standard Template Construct of all space marines. But why are the Iron Hands, Raven Guard, Salamanders, and a White Scars in the background more often than not? Seriously, it took Twenty-Eight novels to get one focusing on the White Scars! Personally, of the First Founding my favorite chapter has always been the Salamanders (Vulkan is The Man, straight from Aloe Blacc's 'The Man' song) but there are things I like about all of them, and their primarchs.

So, what do you think? Who's your favorite of the First? What makes the Space Wolves and Blood Angels take the spotlight again and again? Any White Scars or other forgotten chapters wanna give a shout-out? The floor is yours!

Alpha Legion?

It was Brotherhood of the Storm that really solidified my interest in the White Scars. It pushed them past the whole 'space mongols on motorcycles' concept that was the basis for their inception.

Scars took things to the next level, since when I read the author's comments I was suddenly struck by how they were always an obscure spot of 40K lore, and that aside from being a key part of the Defence of Terra, we knew next to nothing of their actions, or their Primarch.

Also the Alpha Legion were made pretty **** cool too, even if you don't like the possibility that they might be double-super-secret-not-traitors(..maybe).

Why is it that in product after product, from Deathwatch to the upcoming Eternal crusade game, to the novels themselves, that the same group of chapters get the spotlight over and over again.

I've come to believe that 40k is a franchise governed by popularity, which creates a weird feedback-loop of stagnation. In regards to the First Founding Chapters, there was not much difference in exposure at first, but it seems that in the course of creating the setting, the writers found that they liked some Chapters more than others, and then began to write more about them. This directly affected the fandom, with the best-described chapters - those that were in White Dwarf more often than others, or even got their own codices - obviously generating more interest, and quickly building up a loyal core of fans.

Fast forward a decade or two, and some of those same fans have grown up to become novel authors or game designers themselves, continuing the trend of writing more about their favourites than others, in turn affecting the perception of the next generation of fans. The vicious cycle continues.

I consider it a harmful effect for the franchise as a whole, as it directly affects the path of the company and variety in the game itself, but on the other hand it is hard to dismiss that this very same popularity of the chapters in question also generates some pretty huge sales. Either way .. cause and effect.

Who's your favorite of the First?

If I really had to choose from among the First Founding - and I actually much prefer the subsequent foundings, as the first Chapters are very obviously considered immune to consequences, which in combination with the ongoing limelight gnaws at my inherent lack of patience for special snowflakes - I'd actually have to say the Ultras.

Especially because they are less popular amongst the fans these days (due to what I consider silly reasons, at least from what I've gathered on various forums), but also because they embody the pure essence of what it should mean to be Astartes, and because their Primarch actually seemed like a sensible and intelligent guy who had the interest of mankind as a whole at their heart and was able to build rather than just destroy. A virtue his Chapter seems to have kept alive.

(though in terms of Primarchs, Rogal Dorn does deserve recognition for his humility as well)

I always thought that Ferrus Mannus was interesting, especially regarding his disturbance at his own Legion's obsession with cybernetics.

As I said, I like all the founders, and while the Ultra hate I heard about kept me away from them for a while, they're starting to grow on me. Specially because of Guilliman's example. Others may think his ambition is a flaw, but so what? Everyone has a flaw, (Everyone), and Roboute isn't consumed by his in the end. Also, a lot of real leaders in history had to be ambitious. Its so weird, the conflicting messages and morals I see in fiction and history. Some say that only a person who doesn't want the power to rule should be entrusted with it, cause they'll be less tempted to abuse it or something. But others believe that only a person of vision and purpose, a person who Does want the power, can bring out its full potential.

The Space Wolves I care less for. I just can't seem to get over what they did to the Thousand Sons. Jaghatai's book made it clear that everyone has some share of the blame (including Emp's himself) but I still just can't quite let it go. Which is a shame, because otherwise I think they'd be very cool. Vikings are awesome. *shrug*

Now Ferrus Manus, he I wanna know more about. He dies so early in the Heresy, I never get to know what he was like as a person. There's that one speech he had, like you said Igneus, and it is an awesome speech, but I want to know more. I'm gonna buy the Wrath of Iron book just so I can have a novel on each of the Founding chapters, but can anyone find me a book where Ferrus himself plays a large role? Or do I have to read about the Drop Site Massacre to get anything on him?

Btw, anybody else think it was weird to have two of the founding legions have iron in their name? Or wolves for that matter, why two wolf legions?

Btw, anybody else think it was weird to have two of the founding legions have iron in their name? Or wolves for that matter, why two wolf legions?

And two Angels? It's because the concept evoked resonates with one of the core aspects of what the Astartes are; they might be the emperor's chosen, but deep down they are still brainwashed supersoldiers only somewhat distanced from their savage upbringing. Depending on the Legion, these traits are more or less emphasized, so some where angelic, some where grim-faced warriors, some where little more than savages

As I said, I like all the founders, and while the Ultra hate I heard about kept me away from them for a while, they're starting to grow on me. Specially because of Guilliman's example. Others may think his ambition is a flaw, but so what? Everyone has a flaw, (Everyone), and Roboute isn't consumed by his in the end. Also, a lot of real leaders in history had to be ambitious. Its so weird, the conflicting messages and morals I see in fiction and history. Some say that only a person who doesn't want the power to rule should be entrusted with it, cause they'll be less tempted to abuse it or something. But others believe that only a person of vision and purpose, a person who Does want the power, can bring out its full potential.

The Space Wolves I care less for. I just can't seem to get over what they did to the Thousand Sons. Jaghatai's book made it clear that everyone has some share of the blame (including Emp's himself) but I still just can't quite let it go. Which is a shame, because otherwise I think they'd be very cool. Vikings are awesome. *shrug*

Now Ferrus Manus, he I wanna know more about. He dies so early in the Heresy, I never get to know what he was like as a person. There's that one speech he had, like you said Igneus, and it is an awesome speech, but I want to know more. I'm gonna buy the Wrath of Iron book just so I can have a novel on each of the Founding chapters, but can anyone find me a book where Ferrus himself plays a large role? Or do I have to read about the Drop Site Massacre to get anything on him?

Btw, anybody else think it was weird to have two of the founding legions have iron in their name? Or wolves for that matter, why two wolf legions?

Well Horus was the first to be found, and Russ was second, both led chapters with "Wolves" in their name. And both seemed to be pretty **** trusted by the Emperor and were really loyal to him (until Horus went all bad). They're kind of like the Emperor's two favored dogs that he likes to sic on people. Especially Russ.

It actualy took a while for the Blood Angels to get a novel aswel. This is made worse since a lot of the early novels focused on the traitor legions. I like what they did with the ultras, before the HH novels they were standard vanilla smurfs with a bit of tyranid veteran sprinkled in. The HH made them a cross between Batman and Sun tzu.

Now for my favorites:

1. Alpha Legion

2. Blood Angels: this goes all the way to them being my faves in the old space crusade baordgame.

3. World Eaters! Betrayer really made them and Angron shine for me, these guys were noble warriors who broke themselves to be closer to their broken primarch father. D'aaawwww. Also the bit where one of their ship captains pretty much facepalms and goes "this effin' legion" made laugh out loud.

Btw, anybody else think it was weird to have two of the founding legions have iron in their name? Or wolves for that matter, why two wolf legions?

And two Angels? It's because the concept evoked resonates with one of the core aspects of what the Astartes are; they might be the emperor's chosen, but deep down they are still brainwashed supersoldiers only somewhat distanced from their savage upbringing. Depending on the Legion, these traits are more or less emphasized, so some where angelic, some where grim-faced warriors, some where little more than savages

The names are actually a hold over from Rogue Trader days, where the background for the Space Marines (and most of the setting) was completely different from what it is now. They held on to them because people liked the colour schemes/names of their armies, and that way no one would have to change them.

Leman Russ was actually just a 'regular' space marine general back then (albeit a badass famous one). Which is why he got a tank named after him.

Ugh, just finished the Wrath of Iron book. Iron Hands are officially my least favorite chapter in all of Warhammer now. Don't know whether to pity them or just wish them a painless death, but they are the only first founding chapter I actually wouldn't mind seeing die off...

Ugh, just finished the Wrath of Iron book. Iron Hands are officially my least favorite chapter in all of Warhammer now. Don't know whether to pity them or just wish them a painless death, but they are the only first founding chapter I actually wouldn't mind seeing die off...

You to huh? One of my homebrew chapters, the "World breakers" don't like them either. It's mostly due to them having a huge superiority complex (we are the emperor's angels of death!) and they really don't get why you would go trough all that trouble of implanting 24+ diffrent special organs, and boost you phisique to metahuman levels only to then replace body parts with cybernetics like a common ork. (The only reason they haven't come to blows is the Iron hands status as founding legion)