iron hands questions

Red sorcerer, If we go by your clan company size theory, then there would have be many more clan companies then the 10 in the current timeline.

Shroud said that the Ultramarines had 250,000 marines and the Word Bearers were second in size. We know the Raven Guard to be 80,000 +. Emperor's Children were a small in number due to there earlier mishap during there creation. Death Guard only had 7 companies. Alpha Legion was probably small due to their tactics and use of normal operatives. Space Wolves had 13 great companies. So we are left with the following legions:

1) Luna Wolves/ Sons of Horus
2) World Eaters
3) Imperial Fists
4) Iron Hands
5) Iron Warriors
6) Night Lords
7) Thousand Sons
8) Dark Angels
9) White Scars
10) Blood Angels
11) Salamanders

I don't know if the legions tactics would dictate their numbers, but sounds logical. Then we have to remember the orginal terran marines that started the legion also. I don't see the Emperor creating one legion of terran marines with a bigger number over the others, so we have to look at the primarchs homeworld to give an idea as to recruit rate. The Ultramarines and Dark Angels home world had a military organization, so this could contrubite to recruit rate. Salamanders and Iron Hands home worlds had clan/city state organizations. Imperial Fists recruited from a number of worlds that they liberated in the crusade.

Konstantinos, I believe they were on the oppsite side of the planet and had there thunderhawks go under the radar to make extraction. Remember they were Raven Guard =).

In my opinion, i think that when Ferrus went deeper into the battlefield, Vulkan and Corax were shown the treachery of the other legions. Vulkan and his men went for extraction immediately. While Corax who didn't want to have his men to be cut down, made a tactical withdrawal to regroup. When he did this, he cut himself off from escape. Hence the 3 month guerilla warefare until rescue.

Discussion of legion sizes must cease for now. It may or may not be covered in a forthcoming release.

And everyone knows that the RG evacuation arrived by travelling faster than the speed of logic, using their "plot device" engines. If you try to apply too much thought to how they penetrated the defenses, you will be disappointed every time.

Basically, STUFF happened which wasn't covered in the story, which meant it was easy.

forthcoming release from GW? i dont get it...

Yes, a forthcoming release from GW, which is therefore covered by my NDA, and therefore cannot be discussed here.

Laurie: Dude, sneak in some info about legion sizes in your next book.
Aaron: Kay!

I think you're confusing me with Alan Merrett...

Hmmm. Well, you both have beards?

Do you have access to his laptop?

It is rumoured to have the power to end all of creation.

It is further rumoured to have already done this three times...

Actually, that was the injured Corax:

Interesting that (presumably) First Heretic is weighing in on the Legion size debate - Collected Visions has the 100,000 size, but novels (aside from those involving Gav Thorpe, who is clearly a fan of larger numbers) regularly state far smaller sizes - 10,000 is the entire Thousand Sons legion in Thaousand Sons, and Fulgrim states the first stage of the Dropsite Massacre involved 60,000 marines in total (before the additional 'loyalist' traitor Legions made landing).

Isn't it the case though that Alan Merrett is orchestrating the HH book series, as in the individual facts and trivia? If so then I would have thought it would have followed on from the Collected Visions books...

Presumably that quote from Fulgrim relates to Corax being injured at the time of the ambush and being taken onto a thunderhawk. Raven's Flight then takes up the story as the same thunderhawk is shot down.

Raven's Flight does comment on Corax healing incredibly quickly, so maybe he's in the initial trance (where he remembers being in his tube in the Emperor's lab on Terra) because he was injured at the ambush and in the process of healing.

Ah-hah! Inconsistency solved (for once!).


Regarding the clan company symbols, I've been trying to think of some suitable ones and I reckon a good one would be... an anvil. Easily recognisable and very appropriate, yes?

Bloody hell, that actually makes perfect sense too. It's the only mention of a Thunderhawk in the whole thing, too.

A cookie for Ilmarinen!

I love plot-device stuff, although I have to admit the bit about the thunderhawk was a clever bit of shoe-horning if it does need the case, with only a little bit of 'a wizard did it' (Corax's amazing healing ability)

This won't mean anything to any of you, but made me laugh. The 'Colin Edwards' had been riding a motorbike on the ground up until this point..

ok, back on subject. Which companies "jump packs" are pre-hersey correct? Is it Maxmini or chapterhouse studios? Is there any other company i missed for jump packs?

Does anyone else have any ideas as to what to include vehicle wise for the army?
I plan on using Mk2-4 for power armour. The bits thread is outdated, can anyone tell me where i would find what i need? I am hoping that the new forgeworld kit will help, when it comes out.

As opposed to Power Armour, where there's actually official background that says when the differing marks were introduced, there's no 'pre-heresy correct' for jump packs really. Going by collected visions, anything with a turbofan style appearence seems to be fine. This covers maxmini, chapterhouse studios, and even GW raptor jump-packs. Personally I think Chapterhouse look the best (the jets at least) but its really up to you.

Mk 2-3: Maxmini steam knight heads and heads/torsos from the GW Iron Warrior pack work best. Getting 'correct' legs requires converting standard legs yourself really. The more archaic Chaos SM legs work better than the loyalist ones for these marks. Chaos SM arms for both (they have the 'gauntlet' style armour as opposed to the cleaner loyalist arm style, thus matching the style of Mk II-III).
Mk 4 - Forgeworld. Using standard Mk 7 legs/arms is fine for these guys, unless you are feeling adventurous and want to trim the kneepads for a more accurate Mk IV look.

This post has been edited by The Red Sorcerer on Jul 29 2010, 03:44 PM

you can also use the maxmini bionic set for more conversions or the iron hands tactical squad from GW i know i do!

One of the Masters of the Chapter is in Mk3 armour, as is Chronus (I'm planning to chop him in half and use the legs).

There's a Mk3 torso in the death company box, and a (IMO) not great Mk3 helmet (I much prefer the FW sneak peak one).

Mk3 arms have an extended forearm plate that covers part of the hand, if you want to be really picky.

Mk2 doesn't have any bits I know of.

There's a modified Mk1 torso - FW Red Scorpion Vet Serg Haas. He also has Mk2/3 shoulder pads with the extra rim.

There's a set of Mk4 legs in the AoBR set.

the templar upgrade set has many interesting bits too...

Looks like forgeworld heard my cry for help with Mk3 armour. I wonder what else is coming out?