Re: [Epic] Space Marine Chapters

From: David Lado <lado_at_...>
Date: Mon, 5 May 1997 15:04:07 -0400 (EDT)

>I have a question concerning Space Marine chapters.
>According to GW fluff, SM chapters have roughly 1000 fighting men, but if
>you consider the huge amount of IG troops available, these numbers are
>ridiculous.
>Ex: Every planet recruits 1% of its population. "Fluffing", Davin VII had
>7 billion people (so it had an army of 70 million soldiers !). Could you
>imagine what a 1000 space marine force could do on a planet like this?
>NOTHING!!! Maybe destroy a few HQ's and then be completely wiped out!
>When you read the battle for Armageddon, 3 chapters led the liberation of
>the planet against the sprawling ork army of Ghazgull. Great! 3000 marines
>against a few million crazed green-skins.

Actually, if you get a chance to play the boardgame "Battle for Armagedon",
you can get a feel for the fluff of the SMs. At the height of the battle,
the IG may have about 30 regiment sized units representing militia, regular,
and armor units as well as a few specialized units, such as a titan legion
and assault regiment. During the game, 3 legions of SMs arrive, each
represented by a single counter. Their stats are good, but they are not
even the best in the IG army. Still, they have good attack stats, good
defense stats and fast movement, and their apperance gives the IG some
much needed offensive punch with the enough mobility to get most anywhere
in one turn.

The result actually follows the feel of the fluff rather well. Even though
the marines add nothing in terms of numbers (3 units here or there doesn't
make a difference), and their stats are not spectacular (though they are
good), they still have a tremendous impact (plus, their commander kicks ass).
They have enough offensive punch to break through the enemy lines and
enough defensive power to hold the line, and their excellent speed means
you will find some marines at the front of every IG offensive. So you
end up with a situation quite like the e40k fluff, with a small bunch
of marines that seem to find themselves in the midst of every important
battle on the front. Likewise, you never see them operating on their own,
since you always want IG units around to bolster their numbers and soak up
casualties.

I'm not saying it's realistic, but the fluff is internally consistent with
the kind of "grand strategy" concieved of in the game.
Received on Mon May 05 1997 - 19:04:07 UTC