Is there a SECRET Thunder Warrior Army in 40k? | Warhammer 40k Lore Explained

[@wingwangtingtang]

people forget that the thunder warriors were designed to fight warp infused enemies in the unification wars, so theyre incredibly resistant to the effects of chaos. hell, canonically they cause pain to any psyker that tries to access their minds. they may be gene enhanced but theyre still human with all the emotions that come with it, just goes to show how much more powerful they were even mentally than space marines

[@jamyorday]

Really? I always thought big E got rid of the thunder warriors because they were MORE susceptible to corruption.

[@wingwangtingtang]

@jamyorday nah its cus they received their implants as full grown adults so their bodies rejected the implants lewding to mental and physical degradation

[@Bellicose]

@@jamyorday Big E got rid of them because they're walking homicidal degenerates, with no war at hand they will eventually kill each other or even turn on the Imperium.

[@Bellicose]

Wonder how it works if Khorne daemons try to invade a Thunder Warriors mind "BE CONSUMED BY AN- oh wait they're already angry and homicidal"

[@dylan-z8w4t]

@@themireangel except the lore is literally that they are more susceptible to corruption lmao

[@DualEquinox]

Honestly, I like the idea that Arik Taranis was the "False Primarch" in The War of the False Primarch. Ironically enough, he wasn't false, having earned the rank fair and square the Imperium just doesn't have that information. Whether he died to the Pentarchy of Blood or not is up to interpretation.

[@solounwapodemuchos]

That’s actually a clever explanation to that event

[@midgetydeath]

The Imperium would know very well he was a real Primarch in rank. It would not, however, consider him to be a "real" Primarch in the way the Imperium uses the word. So, "False" Primarch would make sense.

[@Warrior-Of-Virtue]

Killing the Thunder Warriors off never made sense to me. It would have been better from a practical standpoint to simply phase them out by refusing to create new ones. While the Astartes were an overall superior product, the Thunder Warriors would have still made excellent shock troops during the Great Crusade.

[@kahunab7400]

Big E was never one for half measures. Kind of why the Imperium is in the sorry state it is.

[@barrydalton4743]

Well given how they gradually became more mentally unstable they probably would have caused more issues as both body and mind gradually fell apart. Though I do agree that perhaps instead of putting them down like old yeller they should have been used as Shock troopers, like actually give them that final battle that way the Space Marines can be used in other areas.

[@theconductor2969]

I imagine that trying to move and order around an army of basically insane custodes would have been a bit much. Especially if it involves working with the Astartes who are their replacements. I just can't see it going well.

[@kaleb2643]

Not to mention passing on their knowledge and training to the space marines

[@wanderhillen2435]

@@theconductor2969 Wasn't Thunder Warrior life expectancy like 30 years tops even outside of combat? The entire great crusade took over 200 years. Just allow those TWs that wish to retire to take up farming or whatever on an out-of-the-way location or something. and use those who are willing to join the great crusade for those battles where the casualties are going to be insanely high. The Big E deciding to kill them all even though they'll die in the blink of an eye anyway (to a perpetual like the Emperor) is just kinda petty tbh.

[@takosos]

Chaos Space Marines vs. The Thunder Warriors. Khornish champions would have a really bad day with the true angry marines of 40k

[@andrewjansen1012]

"BAD DAY! BAD DAY! BAD DAY!" -Chaos SM

[@takosos]

@@andrewjansen1012 Always Angry !! - Thunder boys

[@user-yf4gx4rf8h]

I just imagine Khorne Shouting "AWWWW @%@#$ THE THUNDER BOIS. " nudge nudge, "These guys were my first choice. I dont even have do anything. Get the popcorn.... I used to watch this one guy that start every battle by picking one dude from the line, then Beating other soldiers with that guys arms. "

[@doctorscientist7570]

"we're not so different, you and I." -Unknown space marine of the censored and redacted II or XI legion to a thunder warrior. Bonded in mutual victimhood from Big E's betrayal

[@michaelgautreaux3168]

🤔 hmmm

[@skypiratecaptain]

Thunder Warriors area actually referenced in the Imperium's histories though. the II and XI legion dont exist at all

[@MaverickJones]

I love this take, that'd be excellent

[@jeremyhess7977]

Much more likely to be a marine from the II Legion... since they're the "purged" legion. The XI is secretly referred to as the "forgotten" legion. Thus, purgation being the common thread between this unknown Astartes and the Thunder Warrior you mention.

[@MateMaterial]

I really like this theory about minotaurs that they are have some connection to this last thunder warriors. The thunder warrior gang leader was using a similar symbol as minotaurs and hateful nature of minotaurs are really make sense with them. Still not really make logical sense but I really like it. I like thunder warriors and also minotaurs.

[@michaelgautreaux3168]

👍👍...we echo each other on this!!

[@patriot17764th]

It does.

[@glyngreen538]

A link between the Thunder Warriors and Minotaurs was asked about to ex-FW staffer Eadwine Brown (who painted up the first Minotaurs in their modern bronze colour scheme and who worked at the Forge World studio at that time and playtested the Badab books) in an online questions and answers session years ago. He confirmed that Minotaurs have no connection to the Thunder Warriors. He did confirm some hinted at things though and some other things which were planned to be revealed about the Minotaurs in future Imperial Armour books that sadly got cancelled after Alan Bligh’s death. Minotaurs are actually Iron Warriors successors, who were posted at the outskirts of the galaxy during the HH and stayed loyal. Also they are mind wiped as they rise in the ranks - so a promising warrior gets his mind overwritten with a sergeant mind they have saved on file and then overwritten again with a captain mind if he rises in the ranks again. Moloc dies occasionally but the Moloc mind scan gets overwritten over the largest and most promising senior Minotaur. Given the Imperium’s decaying and iffy tech the process is imperfect though and the Minotaurs damaged and fractured minds is partly why they’re so dark and paranoid. He didn’t say but I guess this may have come about from the High Lords wanting extra control over marine chapter from traitor geneseed. Also they have 2,000 marines with a second ‘Shadow Chapter’ (that was referred to once in an Imperial Armour book with no explanation) in stasis in a secret heresy era star fort in the Sol system (where they recruit from - them being only fleet based is another lie). They only field 1,000 at once but having fully trained recruits on ice is how they’re able to regularly fight at ‘full’ 1,000 strong chapter strength and take mass casualties but then do the same again soon after. This is behind the scenes info there was partly hinted at and not written in print but personally I treat is as canon since it’s what Alan Bligh’s intent was and would have been revealed more in time.

[@MateMaterial]

@glyngreen538 shittt. ... I know about 4 Legion , moloc, and their mind programming . But not with such details 😱. I've never heard about the shadow legion and a potential home world. It is unfortunate that they don't explore minotaurs for this long. For such a cool chapter, they don't even have a book personally for them. only coming as background or antagonist of others . especially when their other kindred spirit chapters like Space Shark's taking such attention from gw.

[@T3koner]

I do enjoy this theory. They got a little iron warriors in their mix as well. No space marines are that petulant/perturbed without a dash of iron in there.

[@darissiri4779]

If the emperor knows he's probably going to nervous chuckle

[@kelmech]

I'm in danger!

[@michaelgautreaux3168]

The Emperor knows everything...he probably planned it.

[@AdrianMartinez-ho6db]

I always loved the thunder warriors and wished they got a better ending. The minute primaris marines came out I immediately thought thunder warriors. Also if Valdor also has a legion of thunder warriors hidden in secret that coupled with the rest of his army (assuming he’s the king in yellow building that army) would be nearly unstoppable.

[@kahunab7400]

Not really. Valdor could beat back maybe 30-50~ish chapters of space marines, but there are thousands. If the rest of the imperium wasn't in the way, i doubt he could stop Abbadon. He has a fail safe in case the high lords or the high Ecclisarch go mad (again), but's about it.

[@michaelgautreaux3168]

Primaris are the Thunder warriors Mk 2? Everybody is really going @ this! 👍👍

[@billybob-zk9nm]

I mean he’s confirmed to be the King in Yellow in that last bequin novel

[@longshadowinquisition5030]

Thunder warriors have always and will always be my favorite faction. This really gives me hope they'll return to the table top. Maybe even get a game. We definitely need more of the emperor's true finest.

[@echoalpha9935]

I love the idea that the thunder warriors are still probably unground and are probably acting as the silent protectors of Terra

[@CrunchyNorbert]

Locked away in The Rock with big Es other forbidden toys

[@vivimusjenos8174]

That speech at the end, not just the part about how you appreciate everyone but what 40k means to you was so heart felt that i couldn't help but subscribe🥰

[@austinhawkins3307]

One thing that never made sense to me was the idea that the Thunder Warriors would need to be culled or put down because of their decaying genetics. A space marine is usually only expected to survive (as in, life expectancy) about 300 years, passed that they're usually put in to command structure, and their life expectancy can go up. Arrik Taranis survived, along with at least four other Thunder Warriors, long enough to see the Heresy, three hundred and thirty years after the TW were put down. That isnt to mention that Arrik Taranis was one of, if not THE most famous TW, a victor of hundreds of battles across the 800 year long Unification Wars. Would it not stand to reason that by the time of the Unification Wars end, he was already several hundreds of years old? And then lived for at least three hundred more to see the Heresy? It just doesn't make any sense to waste such a resource.

[@Jay-yv3pu]

also as far as we know hes still alive in 40k

[@Wimpiethe3]

I like the theory that Endryd Haar was a thunder warrior turned astartes. Just like an original marine can cross the rubicon. It was simply too rare that they lived through that to put it to general practise. 'Do you dream of lightning?'

[@davidk6269]

The Thunder Warriors are the equivalent of the military replicants from Blade Runner. Love them.

[@redmammoth8759]

Yes I would like to see the Thunder Warriors come back as a faction or a true mercenary unit. An even crazier idea a spin off skirmish game that takes place during the Unification War!!!

[@Ave_Christus_Rex3777]

Ive thought about the Thunder Legion And the Emperor violently exterminating them never made sense to me. If he wanted them gone, well they were a dying breed anyway. All the Emperor had to do was stop their production and wait for a couple of years and they would all be dead. What if, what if the Emperor exterminated them because they were tainted by Chaos? Terra, pre unity, was not only ruled by techno barbarians but also by witches. So Chaos having a foothold on Terra would not be a strange thing. Since the Thunder Legion are a purely martial culture, imagine how easy it would be for Khorn to tempt them. Since they all had short life spans, imagine how tempting the promises of Nurgle would have been. And since the Thunder Legion are more human and less indoctrinated, they would also be more vulnerable to having their mind swayed by Chaos. What if, the reason the Emperor exterminated them was because Chaos had already sowed the seeds of corruption in them. And the Emperor simply killed them before the seeds could bear fruit?

[@michaelgautreaux3168]

Geeze. The deeper I go into the comments, the more involved U guys get! 👍👍

[@isaacfreeman1]

Thunder Warriors weren't noble warriors who were wronged. They were savage bio-creatures that fell apart within a decade IIRC. They were battle-mad and would've fallen immediately if not already being corrupt in design. Culling them makes sense to stop the immediate problem of violent rebellion, long term problem of viable fighting force, and reclaim valuable supplies for the upcoming crusade. Thunder Warriors are also a logistical nightmare that would have to be put into stasis between planetary conquest, and you may as well commit to something more heinous than a thunder warrior if you're going to stasis it. The Indomitus Crusade has been going for more than 200 years. TW would be gone in the first 20 by design.

[@TronTuborg]

That's assuming the Mt. Arreat Massacre even occurred! It wouldn't be against Big E's M.O. to implant false memories so that he has an ace in the hole not even his own Custodes know about.

[@12halo3]

He killed them to give them a warriors death. One last battle to put them down and out of their slow deaths. How many stories of real world soldiers are undercut by how much pain there were in during their post war lives. Would the thunder warriors be contempt in dying like a sick dog or would the just keep fighting until.their bodies give in? Probably the latter half.

[@midgetydeath]

Possibly, but the Thunder Warriors were exceptionally resistant to Chaos and the Warp. Since it causes pain to psykers to try to enter their minds, it would likely be agonizing to daemonic forces to attempt something like that, too. Of course, if the Emperor _thought_ they were corrupted even though they were not, he would have killed them and found out the truth afterward.

[@ThirdEye-47]

i wish we had visual representations of the thunder guard legions cause the thought of them with the emperors children color scheme or the original dark angels color scheme is awesome.

[@randyross5630]

I would just Assume they Look Like Me, just a wee bit less like a Badass than I Do... If that helps you, which I am sure it does...

[@antimuppet]

I would love to see Thunder Warriors fighting Zoats, or Enslavers or the Old Ones. Get some retro-action in 40k.

[@malcolmcurrie7542]

11:55 this would be the greatest irony. The legions of expendable weapons learn to live peacefully, while the administrators know only endless war. I do think the thunder warriors are the army behind the King in Yellow, but I think they are being saved for a purpose greater than fighting for a random planet/star system. My personal hope is for them to fight to retake a portion of the human webway. The Emperor sacrificed a lot to try and save that last hope for humanity, and I believe that is an objective Valdor is aware of, and given his position, capable of securing. Also, one thing you draw a difference between, but don't seperate adequately is the loyalties of different characters. Valdor isn't loyal to the 30k emperor, he's loyal to the emperor's dream of the emperium, something that Guilliman himself admits to in internal monologs as well. These characters aren't loyal to men, even the greatest of them, they are loyal to ideals, and that's what makes them such powerful leaders, they are beholden only to a vision, and cannot be swayed.

[@goliathsteinbeisser3547]

I like that as with real history, there are lots of loose ends and mysteries in the lore. It also builds the foundation for much deeper and better lore down the line.

[@hd-wk3ke]

I didn't think I would enjoy this much from a wh40k lore channel anymore. This was brilliant.

[@jonesfigures]

Id love to see a Thunder Warrior option...id see them somewhere between Custodes and a Marine Terminator...high cost, and an absolute nightmare to shift on the table... I like your theories! 🤘 great vidya

[@me_ya_boi]

I dont know who to hate more from this video, The Emperor or GW

[@grapetonenatches186]

This is the first video of yours that I have watched. Very nice. Thank you.

[@C.D.G.1]

I would like the Thunder Warriors to be like the squats, a human-ish faction not apart of the Imperium.

[@jonathanmulyadi5466]

These guys starts to grow on me the more I learned about them ❤

[@berniegran5391]

The thunder warriors are the angry marines in disguise

[@renegado8588]

This was very nice, of course they should be relevant again and your theory about the new lagion of thunder warriors is enticing!!! Thank you.

[@thatScoutdog]

I went down the rabbit hole on the wiki a while back reading about the 3ish surviving pockets/examples listed of them and if any survived past all that they probably become the Goliaths on necromunda just atrophied into it out of known examples they could be in lore if extra stuff happened in that 10k year interm

[@rowangallagher4579]

I’d love to see them come back, as everything gets stronger and changes, it would be neat for them to show up and have a purpose.

[@user-yf4gx4rf8h]

Thunder warrior V Primaris marine

[@farkas266]

Man i am really enjoying these long form videos lately. GG

[@Kyler-w6y]

I think this theory is much to cool to be implemented in 40k

[@MrBCWalker01]

Consider a stabilized Thunder Warrior. Consider that Arik was not the only survivor that held his view on the Emperor vis-a-vis the Thunder Warriors. Consider that such a Warrior could, and would, depart from Terra because (as a reforged warrior) he would seek glory and battle abroad because that's what a warrior does. Consider that, if anyone could hit the very long odds of surviving the Great Crusade and the Heresy, a wise and cunning stable Thunder Warrior could. Consider that the Heresy, and later the War of the Beast, opened the door to reintegrate under an assumed name: as a Blackshield, and later in the Deathwatch. That laconic Deathwatch Veteran? The one who's abnormally large, fast, and powerful that doesn't talk about his former chapter but also a proven loyal servant who has lead Kill Teams since the Deathwatch's founding? Maybe, just maybe, he is a Thunder Warrior in hiding. He's never seen around Custodes (the only ones alive who could ID him on sight), and doesn't deal in heresy so no one ever notices or suspects (or cares) that he's not an Astartes. It would only come out, if ever, when he died. (For further hilarity, inter this man into a Dreadnought. Imagine someone older than Rylanor still being around.)

[@Mike5Brown]

A bit of a personal theory I have is that Eversor assassins are mostly the same as a Thunder Warrior but with a few tweaks because of the different mission set.

[@alexbrowne9566]

Thunder warriors and eversors are very totally different things man

[@TheMuph]

God! The idea of somehow stabilizing The Thunder-Warriors and giving them access to FULL Power-Armor and Modern Heavy-Weapons!🤯

[@midgetydeath]

Stabilizing them would be easy. They were created with very primitive technology and poor scientists. With the tech and scientists used to make Astartes and Primarchs, especially with the Imperium's expansive knowledge of genetics current time, it would be effortless to fix and improve the Thunder Warriors' genetics and augmentation process.

[@scottmcfall4561]

I think you have to remember that for the present GW is still primarily a games company. I believe they leave things somewhat open ended so that the players are free to create their own narratives on the tabletop. They provide interesting scenarios. It's up to you and your friends to create campaigns and explore how you would have things resolved. This is old school gaming. It's how we did things in the 80's and 90's. We "wrote" our own campaigns. We didn't wait for each new edition of the rules to introduce a new narrative, campaign, and lore. If what we came up with was later contradicted by GW, so what? We had FUN within the Warhammer universes.

[@TheDeinonychus]

Honestly, I approve of this idea more than I do of the Primaris. This at least respects the established lore and not mangles it with retcons.

[@antonkovalenko364]

14:20 That Blood Ravens art is fantastic!

[@KR15nAK]

I'd like to see the thunder warriors return. Having Constantine Valdor lead them as the King in Yellow would make it even more appealing.

[@peterjanson1058]

It'd be fun to see a thunder warrior as a mercenary in a future release like Blackstone fortress where there is an eclectic cast of characters.

[@-Thunder-Warrior-]

"Lot of fighting on Kadaku and Avarax right now, seen a few Blackshields in bronze and gold armour and no Chapter Heraldry walking around? Not sayin' it means anything... But feel free to come an' say hello."

[@rasvahn9748]

I wonder if Asterion Moloc is a Thunder Warrior or even the whole Minotaur Chapter...

[@Adrum1454]

I enjoy your break downs of these moments in Warhammer 40k, I hope that you will do one on Tanith First and Only one day.

[@afro117icarus5]

New viewer, love this vid bro and I ADORE that idea about the sins of the father motif appearing for GMan and Lion having to deal with a faction

[@jonesdan85]

Would be great if lore channels listed their source material so we could look into somethings ourselves. Just a small note in the video as its being described would be great for those who want to find out more about these topics.

[@miles_da-tractor_man]

What I think should happen is the thunder warriors return but they only fight for the imperium because it’s in there eyes the best option and no other

[@mattstakeontheancients7594]

Kind of thought Valdor fucked off and made his own SM or TW. He saw what was to come when he stabbed Abbadon and for 10k has been building up his forces to reset the imperium. He of all people would know if destroying whatever the emperor is now would bring him back or whatever drastic thing needs to happen.

[@alexbrowne9566]

Valdor has put together the weirdest steampunk army ever seen guarantee he's got some TW

[@canisrex5142]

Their return, especially if they diverge from the Imperium, would be wildly interesting.

[@WinterWerewolf]

I am a casual 40k lore enjoyer. I don't play the tabletop game. But you definitely made me think about Thunder Warriors 😅 That was very interesting. It would be cool to see them back in lore.

[@lordscheemo1892]

Emperor could've avoided their decline by putting them on ice and waking them up when needed

[@giovanni9136]

Let us never forget the unification of Terra lasted centuries longer than even the great crusade, required not only the entirety of the Legio Custodes and Legio Cataegis, gene-enhanced "normal" humans AND personal generalship of the Emperor. Fought with archeotech so powerful that to this day most of it is still locked away on the vaults underneath the imperial palace. By all rights, the thunder warriors with all the feats we know about from better reflexes and raw strength, somehow causing pain to psychers that tried to temper with their minds. Nothing but custodes come close to thunder warriors BUT also maybe only the siege of terra could unnerve a thunder warrior that unified Terra.

[@kitkun7669]

I actually really like this idea. A creation that the Emperor discarded as being a tool past it's usefulness... improved by human hands to surpass the Emperor's own creations made to replace them. Positively poetic.

[@jtfbreedlove]

The main issue with the King in Yellow using stabilized Thunder warriors is he already has the winged astartes & super blanks.

[@alexbrowne9566]

Valdor has a huge empire worth of manpower and resources, he's definitely got grails and the winged Astartes (even that is like wtf), who knows what else he has

[@bgcvetan]

30 or 40k Emperor he'll want them more dead than the Chaos Gods. Imagine Arik Tanaris talking to the Primaris marines of the Unification wars.

[@GodEmperorofmankind1]

HERESY, THEY ALL DIED IN THIER LAST GLORIOUS BATTLE!

[@EricPuente-wr3bg]

Why do I keep seeing you? …

[@CidVeldoril]

So you're saying you lost 20 legions of "more powerful than Astartes" against technobarbarians? Are you saying you are an incompetent General?

[@ThirdEye-47]

@@CidVeldoril that kind of logic will have an inquisitor visiting you very soon

[@CidVeldoril]

@@ThirdEye-47 Good, send Fyodor. I like to be entertained.

[@ohamatchhams]

@@ThirdEye-47 Inquisitor can suck their own Months of Shame and more of their horrid garbages, they don't know most of the lore shits and Imperium fumbling, they even make OG loyalist Space Marine legions/chapters distrusts Ecclesiarchy further

[@AshenDarkmoon]

one of the reasons Tactical Dreadnought armour was made was to bridge the gap in strength and power between Astartes and the Thunder Warriors. It imbued the Marine with the same strength and firepower of the thunder warriors and the slower movement mirrors the lack of powered leg armour of the MK1 Terran suits. Work on the suits began a few decades after the ending of the thunder Legions

[@justinheads5751]

"I come in peace...hammer."

[@rumorcontrol7873]

If the Thunder Warriors are effectively unstable Astartes without their Geneseed it could stand to reason that The Emperor could potentially bring Back the Thunder Warriors with mixed Astartes units that have been raised and trained to be familiar with combined arms tactics. Much like how the Deathwatch bring Astartes Veterans together the Thunder Warriors could bring Recruits together unified in allegiance to the God Emperor instead of their individual particular Chapters. It could be a whole new line of units for GW to make that focus on crafting unique units

[@udhavbhatia6424]

I never really understood why the Emperor never tried to fix the thunder warriors or just send them to the most difficult battles so they get a glorious death, the irony is that even the Custodes don't like the space marines and question if they would also be replaced like the thunder warriors who even when betrayed stayed loyal to him. An Imperial civil war is going to be interesting since

[@michaelgautreaux3168]

Available resources? Offing them was tacky but the Astartes had an excellent "Trials" unit to go against & defeat. Remember all of the duplication by the Emperor in the Lore as is, that is Canon.

[@atlasmilitaunit621]

I like to imagine if the thunder warriors do make a comeback officially. I feel like the interactions with whoever was in charge of the imperium with the leading thunder warrior would go something along the lines of that one thanos quote. "You couldn’t live with your own failure, where did that bring you? Back to me." - some random thunder warrior.

[@brazen187]

I would love to see the thunder warriors come back some of my fave bits of lore are around them

[@T3koner]

The thunder warriors are like the perfect allegory to my familys German shepard from the time i was little to the time i was a late stage teen. And now im sad 😢 rip louie and rip thunder warriors

[@joshuayow4653]

This is too good a story to explore and incorporate into 40k. 40k has to be smooth brain in it's story, for some reason.

[@ParadoxriftsAU]

I think the retreat of the warp after the Old Night combined with the spread of the Imperial Truth across Terra ultimately doomed the Thunder Warriors to metabolic failure and insanity. They were created in an environment poisoned by the warp to fight warp infused enemies during the Unification Wars. When that time was over and the influence of the warp fell away - their days were numbered. With that said - I could see it being enterally possible that with the opening of the great rift in the present timeline that Thunder Warriors could once again be created if anyone knew how to do it.

[@matthewgibbons9975]

I’m completely in your mindset, Valdor was heartbroken at his failure to save the Emperor, to safeguard him and everything he represented, therefore to make him an enemy of the imperium just seems ridiculous, I like this idea, I had a similar one in that he disappeared and United lost soldiers loyal to the imperium from various treacherous Primarchs plus having secretive contact with Corvus Corax to unite troops lost in the warp, he’s on a mission to safeguard the Imperium and aid in the return of the Emperor and lost Primarchs to be used for the darkest hour and their time is now, to return to the fold as a surprise to take on Abaddon’s forces in a singular epic battle that enables a partial collapse of the Cicatrix Maledictum, opening up new worlds that were cut off from the Imperium and creating new lore for Warhammer 40K. It badly needs an older character storyline to unfold and create a new narrative and unlock new figures for gameplay and painting ✅

[@thorshammer8033]

Cawl creates 50k of Thunder Warriors and launches a takeover of Mars .

[@hankkaufman1900]

I like the idea of the Thunder warriors coming back in the hour of need

[@scottjackson8771]

They gave the average thunder warrior enhanced strength but they gave the captains heightened intellect as well

[@nateghast6456]

This is cool. I wanna see them in a story with the last Man of Iron.

[@glyngreen538]

I doubt we’ll hear about them again but if we ever get models I think it might be Kill Team and not full 40k. Valdor may get a new faction (would love to see it) but we already have two massive new additions in the army - Graels (blanks piloting powerful demons in the opposite of a daemonhost) and the winged Blood Angels. Don’t need a third new powerful unit added as well.

[@Knight-chaplainashriel]

I'd be alright with them coming back with the King in Yellow. Something to do with My Primarchs current storyline would be cool. Plus, yeah I'd like to build a Thunder Army. That would be cool as hell.

[@Kennyselman]

The issue with the Thunderwarriors was the utter lack of mental protections that existed with the Thunder Warriors...and that they were hard to control and command, were BRTUAL combatants who would not just steamroll, not just slaughter, they would pound the corpses to paste, burn the battlefield to the ground, and then pick it up, and beat the originating nation into a memory. THAT is why the Thunderwarriors were eliminated...if Big E was ever telling the truth about them. It is a serious question, after all...

[@maporte4]

I honestly wouldn't have a problem with freshly minted Thunder Warriors in 40k, it'd make for interesting storytelling for these mass-produced psychos to be used as shock troops as they slowly go crazy. Kind of mirrors the Blood Angels, and the Black Rage.

[@TruculentSheep]

There would be something magnificent about a Thunder Warrior faction that just storms in one day and kicks the shit out of EVERYONE.

[@jordansweitzer3074]

I do think it'd be a neat idea if The Big E, being a perpetual, died on the throne, possibly losing some of his power, and respawned somewhere near a band of Thunder Warriors and had to eat some crow. Then he would have to reclaim the Imperium the hard way. The Ecclesiarchy, Inquisition, and High Lords of Terra would never believe, and wouldn't admit if they did, some big mutant claiming to be the Emperor and would try to execute him for Heresy. Rowboat Girlyman would be too busy to look into it, because he's holding the Imperium together and fighting Chaos and Xenos, and the Emperor couldn't contact him directly, because warp shenanigans. When Chaos finds out, they believe, and he's left dodging Chaos and Xenos as he attempts to Great Crusade Part II his way across the galaxy back to Terra, picking up and converting Space Marine Chapters along the way. The Primarchs would pop up along the way I suppose.

[@HunterSentinel]

The imperium could certainly use some thunder warriors. Apparently they were meaner, tougher, and better fighters than the space marines by a long way.

[@uberdman1883]

Fantastic video. Ty👏👏

[@browniechann88blackie55]

Im pretty sure trazyn has thunder warriors in his collection if they do make a comeback it should be during another siege of terra where even the primaris watch in awe

[@lupaswolfshead9971]

Outcast dead would like a word in regards to the betrayal.

[@lupaswolfshead9971]

and 2 minutes later outcast dead referenced . Foot meet mouth lol

[@scottjackson8771]

I agree with your theory, the writers left it open ended for a reason

[@donald9377]

I can see them returning as a plot device as a subfaction . For table top game rule they just use SM rules being better in melee and fighting taint warp enemies. If they were to return i can see a minor conflict until the loyalist primarch, the king in yellow and named thunder warrior in M41/42 agree to work together to fight chaos to restore a sense of order pre-heresy in M41/42. It would be a interesting story arch to see how Belasarius Cawl could improce the Thunderwarrior like he did the 1st born . If Cawl did the new Thunder Warrior would be stronger having acces to the primaris organs and weapons with their martial culture .

[@sereceius270]

thunder warrior try not to have the best drip challenge (impossible)

[@thelastsnakeprime922]

Imagine the dude is actually the king in yellow

[@paulellington1505]

General B I feel like it would be awesome to get Thunder Boyz back in the setting. Just imagine how much havoc 1,000 Thunder Boyz with modern armor and bolters could cause for any or all chaotic forces and xenos.

[@357Dejavu]

I think the king in yellow is Hauster of Carcosa.

[@lessparks8553]

The Republic of Thunder Warriors 👍😎👍 Down with the Traitor emperor

[@guilherme5094]

Yeah, bring the boys back, that would be amazing!

[@RH-mw1nc]

Everyone has to keep in mind that so much knowledge and history has been lost to time that EVERYTHING before the 41st millennium is legend and myth.

[@takosos]

It's ironic that the Thunder Warriors were as loyal as the Adeptus Custodes. They didnt completely blame the Emperor for the masacre , rather they placed the blame of Valdor. Had the Emperor didn't botch their genetics and gave them some stable Progenoid glands, He would have had a more powerful legion that loyal under him.

[@rockman9377]

Killing the thunder warriors was like putting down an old dog fpr big E. And gws attempt to make him look bad.

[@velenvskaelhas]

I guess it all comes down to whether or not games workshop thinks Thunder Warrior models would sell or not

[@osialrechs2899]

I’m hoping that the thunder warriors become like chaos primaris. Maybe they throw their lot in with vashtor and get better power armor and weapons. Like the iron warrriors they would be more martial and tactical and wouldn’t be keen on being corrupted, and they sure as hell wouldn’t serve the imperium.

[@osialrechs2899]

I think my previous comment would make them more renegade than chaos aligned. I can totally see them becoming the warrior caste for the King in yellow rallying to route the astartes(chaos & loyalist) for their failure to bring about unity and peace. Even more so with the Star Child storyline coming in the near future.

[@toi_techno]

It would be cool if the Indomitus Crusade discovered the Thunder Warrior society just a major threat was attacking the Imperium and the TWs came in like the cavalry to relieve Terra as it almost falls

[@Steelstriker]

Honestly, the Thunder Warriors being killed off sound like a massive waste of resources and a huge loss of potential. It would make more sense that the Thunder Warriors, after completely conquering Terra, have them fight alongside the astartes/ teach the astartes of the ways of war. Slowly but surely dying off, leaving their legacy to the astartes that they died alongside.

[@sebuko69]

Great content ! I think the king in yellow Valdor could take the thunder warriors and retake Terra in the desire to regain unity. They will become a new faction and kickstart a civil war as their goals are not known and their motives. Space marines may see them as doing good and some may see them as usurpers ! Either way we can play them as for the good, fighting Xenos and trying to reestablish unity or against the good space marines and a “bad” faction who are attacked and retaliate back against the space marines, remembering that they may see certain space marine factions as inferior or potentially they may see them all as the enemies as they too could fall to chaos like the chaos space marine chapters did! Either way I think they take Terra and hold the emperor “as hostage” with unknown goals to try and resuscitate him or in many space marines views… to control and manipulate mankind… I think this resolves itself after a long time with the reemergence of the emperor 30k at the end and creates unity between all sides. I think this happens very close to when the Tyranids reach Terra whereby space marines realize the goals of the thunder warriors and Valdor and then they fight together in a beautiful last stand and then bam… the emperor returns….

[@sebuko69]

Maybe they could introduce an new game called Unification Wars ! Would be so cool ! Like mad max meets alien ! So cool

[@A2K.556]

Personally, I don’t want the Thunder Warriors brought back. Maybe it’s because I’m an old head from the Rogue Trader era, but to me one of the truly fascinating parts of the setting is that there is all of this older, cooler, unknowable mysterious stuff. You never get to really see it. At best you’ll get a quick glimpse. Putting the Horus heresy to paper was about as far as I’m comfortable doing. Even that has sort of cheapened the emperor and the Primarchs a bit in my eyes, even though it’s been incredibly fun to see play out. Keep the Thunder warriors, men of iron, dark age of technology tech, old ones, etc etc out of new lore. They should remain in the background and only be hinted at once in a while. I think that makes the setting more interesting.

[@thefrenchspy81]

I would love a Thunder Warriors vs Techno Barbarians game.

[@vampurhntrd]

Theory crafting may be pointless. However there is the slim chance someone at GW sees a theory likes the idea and integrates it into lore. Like Orks willing a small part of the lore to change, similar to red=speed. That’s pretty 40k to me.

[@mediocremodeler5174]

The KiY is also known as the Repairer of Reputations…

[@xironbeastx8677]

My 40k rpg setting has tau having obtained knowledge of them and making thunder warriors out of guevasa