Ranking Warhammer 40K's factions by LORE!

[@thepoorhammerpodcast]

100K Q&A Thread: kzbin.infoUgkxoRRpCSuXlRHkvStqMgW5kIi1LmFZYsww Make sure to like the questions you want us to answer from others too, it should help me see them when I try reviewing them all.

[@OrkishEngineering]

hypothetical question: if you had to make a model even bigger than a warlord titan, what would it be? catch: it has to be a xenos faction, but youi get to remove oldmarines!

[@VardirEzra]

If GW were to make new models for a faction that does not currently have any what would you like it to be?

[@JawaBob]

Q&A Question: What's your personal forgotten legions head-cannon?

[@mrcaptaina7636]

Ok, so from your vids it seems apparent that you're in the SE MI area. Do you have any plans to make appearances at any conventions in the state, or within a reasonable (like 2-3hrs) journey? It'd be great to attend a live Q&A with you guys running the panel.

[@GraceRunner4000]

Eric are you or were you a radiation physicist?

[@Akimbo411]

“When the Hive Fleet came to your planet, it was the most important day of your lives. For us, it was lunch time.”

[@jasonbuchanan7042]

After all this biomass, they're just trying to find the Tums planet the poor guys.

[@Sir_Bucket]

​@@epiceg9464 Can't wait for Normdon Ramsy to yell about how raw that guardsmen goo is

[@kamiwriterleonardo6345]

​@@epiceg9464 WHERE IS THE GOD DAMN OGRYN SAUCE?!

[@Speknoz]

​​@@games-wz7sz no, it's an altered quote from Bison in the 1994 Street Fighter movie. Edited the year for accuracy.

[@JCLegendary]

For me it was Chewsday.

[@michaelsalyers9470]

We need a tyranid book…318pages of scratch marks and drool. Some ichor and blood stains. Some growling and maybe some clicks.

[@TrinityShoji]

"RRRROAR" screamed the carnifex as the hivemind signals burrowed into its brain, pure instinct guided it as it crunched through the chitenous prey. An entire book written from the POV of random, unnamed tyranids and describes everything from their POV would be weird and interesting.

[@splatsma]

Gotta hold back on the clicks, that was so last edition

[@jeffrobagman2834]

Nonono... it needs to be written by some drone that's partially disconnected from the hive somehow, some weird ass mutation. Oh, and he needs to write like Hemmingway! Or Dickens! I was the best if tines, it was the worst of times. Oh, don't get me wrong, the biomass was both sweet and savory. I must say though, that the conversation was lacking, to put it mildly

[@nobodyimportant5417]

​@@jeffrobagman2834Go full circle with satire-becoming-reality, and have it write a tyranid version of "a modest proposal".

[@BiomechanicalBrick]

just make a genestealer cult book that leads up to and includes a tyranid invasion, boom problem solved

[@Orpheus_Vault]

Leman Russ used to be a Guardsman who discovered a very special tank. Please tell every Space Wolves player this.

[@BlommaBaumbart]

I think Leman Russ always was a Guardswoman, per recent press announcement.

[@Fell-Handed_Bjorn]

We know we just don't care

[@BiomechanicalBrick]

​@@Fell-Handed_Bjornhow does it feel to be the most hated sm faction?

[@MortalWombat047]

​@@BiomechanicalBrick honestly I'm more of a fan of the loyalist chapters that have a tragic warrior schtick. I like the SW because super Vikings in space is cool. A psychic rage that transcends time and space for the blood angels. And the world eaters sad existence. I'm not saying they're the most joked on group but as a fan with thick skin my cool interesting dudes have way less to attack than flaming ultramarines for example all aside I know they are jokes i just hold someone who sees this ks scared to start a faction that jokes are. But jokes are jokes

[@Fell-Handed_Bjorn]

​@BiomechanicalBrick Pretty great I live rent free in every Thousand Sons players minds, they're just salty we kicked their shit in

[@burnin8able]

Shout-out to Guilleman who got less dead every edition going from not a thing at all to a bunch a bones, to dead (but in stasis) to "mortally wounded" and saved by stasis to maybe he's healing? maybe it's cope? to Cawl fixed him, problem solved.

[@ewanhogg3068]

I mean the last few got it right - he *was* healing!

[@vxicepickxv]

He also went from being replacement primarch to always being the primarch.

[@burnin8able]

@@vxicepickxv Ultramarines also went from a second founding successor chapter to an OG legion.

[@Sparkyinbozo-xe9fn]

Yvraine is the one who fixed him, Cawl just kept him going.

[@altromonte15]

Couple more editions and Guilleman is going to become the Emperor

[@anonspurdala8714]

i was hit hard at the end with the sentence 'you're in good hands with most factions, but i'd stay away from-' and then proceeding to list every faction i play

[@AndersonBaker-uq3ku]

Chaos knights hurts man.

[@ry7hym]

​@@AndersonBaker-uq3ku for Chaos Knights isn't it better to just create your own lore?

[@nyxus007]

During the Sisters conversation, I said to myself "Lord Bricky is not going to be pleased with this." AND THEN HE SHOWED UP

[@ringoutko9463]

Tbf they’re right; Sisters are one of the most mid factions in the setting

[@samnemeth-smyth6109]

"This is Bricky from Brad-eat-shit" 🤣

[@StarkMaximum]

I like the implication that Bricky listens to every episode before it comes out solely so he knows if he has to record something and have himself edited in.

[@arn1345]

@@ringoutko9463 Their past lore sucks and their current lore is mid.

[@gunslingerspartan]

im coming here from the spiffing brit PC update video and I guessed he was going to call it Dave, so I'm with you in the parasocial relationship

[@killickmickelson4019]

Berilio's little added bits are killing me every time he adds them. 11/10 work

[@MatchaMakesThings]

i like it, just a bit much on this one. I'd take 1 or two less interjections overall. The chains gag gets me everytime

[@BloodWolfXZ]

Really, he's a total gem of an editor. You guys should pay him and let him leave his prison cell now and then.

[@MatchaMakesThings]

@@BloodWolfXZ Agreed! they really got a good one

[@farseeraradrel4808]

To give some credit to Gav Thorpe, the main problem is that he's a pretty great worldbuilder and if you wanna get into Craftworld theme and general way of life, his Path of the Eldar serie works pretty well. You see what it's like to live on a Craftworld and how do their people think. His problem is more that, he's not that great of a novelist and is much better at quick stories (like his Harlequin audiobooks that are straight to the point and funny). The rythm of his novel is bad, with generally rushed ending and lackluster build up. As for the "they always lose", it's mainly because Gav Thorpe likes his 40k to be grim and hopeless, so he doesn't let the heroes win, or if they do it's at a terrible cost. His Dark Angels novel have the same syndrome besides being Marine books. He's not the kind of author that will write a contained story of "your dude is awesome". I do not consider it a criticism, because it's technically how most 40k novels should be : Grimdark. But since he's the only one who's willing to write for the Craftworlds, his hopeless grimdark is all we got and after the 4th book, it gets tiring (especially since Craftworld gets to be clowns anywhere else, and not the good kind of clown).

[@sulphuric_glue4468]

The Path of the Eldar series is really frustating because they're the only real fully fleshed out Craftworld novels that exist and they're just. Not good. GT isn't a good author for the reason you said, but also because of his characters. Every character in the Path of the Eldar books is either uninteresting and forgettable, or just frustrating and annoying to read about. I can honestly only truly remember much of what goes on in the Path of the Warrior book so that's the only one I can properly comment on, but even the main character of Korlandril is not especially interesting and comes off much more as a pathetic whiny bitch than someone struggling to contain their rage, so his transformation into le badass edgy warrior feels nonsensical and unearned. And of course the ending comes out of nowhere and seems to have been the most unsatisfying ending Thorpe could come up with.

[@farseeraradrel4808]

​@@sulphuric_glue4468 It ties in with his lacking build up. The characters of the Path Serie are meant to be teenagers growing up and sort of getting their shit together, whilst losing themselves on the Path. I remember Path of the Seer being the better one at this job, but all three of them lacks the proper build up to make that change significant.

[@Stormwern]

"Kids with rocks beat them" is CS Goto, not Thorpe

[@kyubimage9526]

We need a book of an inquisitor in a dead system going through found footage from a tyranid invasion, and trying to figure out where a hive fleet went. Slowly coming to the realization they've been surrounded the entire time, and trying to send a message out for help. And reveal this was from the perspective of the next inquisitor who was looking for them after they disappeared.

[@AndersonBaker-uq3ku]

That would be awesome!

[@lonewolfM16]

I think inquisitorial SCP files basically would be a fun way to do tyranid lore, with basically an inquisitor trying to document, study, and develop countermeasures against Tyranids with the occasional containment breach that leads to a bunch of his crew getting eaten.

[@Sorrel-Fox]

Oh I'm trying to remember the module but this DOES exist! Well not system wide, but it's a planet and science area that went down. They sent Inquisitors and White Scars, and it's kind of a Jurassic Park situation. I saw a video about it, it was really cool

[@nonya1366]

"Can the handgrenade be a villian?" Just for that I'm going to shove a daemon into a handgrenade! -Some warpsmith

[@lionman8295]

Oh! POORHAMMER just uploaded! My favorite tier list channel!

[@MustardGaseous2099]

Same can’t wait for them to make their magnum opus tier list of their tier lists

[@maxtopliss1552]

I'm actually alright with Tyranids not getting a huge amount of lore. The books we get are accounts from the faction they're about, we don't and cannot understand the Hive Mind, nor would we want to per say (aside from the Ultramarines grand librarian) so we won't get accounts from the Nids themselves. What we do have is written accounts of encounters and potential survivors telling us how vast the tendrils reach across the galaxy and thats far scarier. If you explain the monster, the monster becomes less scary. Fear of the unknown.

[@draketheduelist]

If anything, that's just rolling out the red carpet and _inviting_ GW to screw up the Tyranids by utterly demystifying them into something normal people can understand. Because if people don't _understand_ faction, they don't _buy_ faction, and we can't have that. And then a swarm of idiots collectively missing the point gaslight us about how much better new Tyranid fluff is than old fluff... The scary thing is that's not hypothetical. Just look at all the pathetic simps for the new Necron lore. Never mind that old Necrons had a ton of personality. In the c'tan. Where it belonged. Where it made sense. A bunch of intrigue about the War in Heaven. The Pariah gene and Mephet'ran's master plan. The chaos-warding alien structures on Cadia. The fact that the c'tan in general seemed to hate Chaos even more than the Emperor did. The gold-skinned stranger who led Abaddon to his legendary blade Drach'nyen. Rumors of a godlike being on Mars capable of twistng the very fabric of causality of the universe into an unrecognizable pretzel. (...Answers to "Cawl," apparently.) All gone. Now just Space Egypt, armed with space guns, ruled by space pharaoh. Such lore. Much wow.

[@sebastianrubin7476]

@@draketheduelist Nid player here, and I have to agree. Tyranids work best when they occupy that liminal space (to use a fancy expression), where they're both too feral to communicate with - and too intelligent to understand. Stuff like the Deathleaper psychologically torturing the leader of the resistance rather than killing him, because his public breakdown was more effective than his martyrdom? That's brilliant. The off-hand mention of a Genestealer Cult which actually marched the entire population into the digestion pools, having convinced them that in doing so they would Ascend and become immortal? Far more horrifying than just "Lol you were betrayed and now you get eaten!" Some Hive Fleets fighting, like predators competing for territory, while others actively assist more specialised Hive Fleets like Kronos and Tiamat? Makes us question if the Hive Mind is a singular entity, or several, or does the distinction not even apply? Speaking of, Tiamat building some sort of giant construct, the purpose of which remains unknown - but most likely Not Good. And Necrons - I agree, partly. I feel that they went too heavy on Tomb Kings In Space, and not enough of Lovecraftian Horror. The Silent King should not exist on the tabletop, anymore than the Emperor or the Chaos Gods do. He should be an ominous figure, something referred to and hinted at, but never spoken out loud - a mystery which the Imperium can only guess at, but one which will never be explained. I don't mind the idea that Necrons have some degree of personality, but I'd rather that they existed as nuances, patterns of behaviour, arcane rituals and seemingly arbitrary codes of conduct. Something which hints that behind every expressionless metal face is the shattered remnants of a mind, _screaming_ for death, begging for a release that will never come; that Destroyers and Flayers are actually the ones who are _more_ intact - and all the more awful for it. Trazyn should be less communicative, and his kleptomaniac obsession more arbitrary - he doesn't just collect important persons and things, he also steals completely innocuous objects and random people off the street.

[@Gef2112]

Book from like 15 peoples POV but the Changeling's on the cover and you spend the whole read trying to guess who he his WHEN GW WHEN

[@Balderdashes]

It's so funny to me that Adrian Tchaikovsky is slumming it in 40k out of what I assume is just being a big fan - he's won a Hugo and Arthur C Clarke award, he definitely does not need the work

[@Adunapheth]

In an interview, one of Black Library's authors mentioned that writing 40k novels pays much better than your average science fiction works due to how well 40k's genre fiction sells compared to other more "serious" books in the industry. Don't quote me on that because I can't remember exactly who said that, but it's really funny (if true).

[@datkat2001]

I mean if anyone can handle unusual beings, he can

[@evanceaicovschi7230]

What books did he wright? Ill take a look at them.

[@Gigasius]

"Day of Ascension" @@evanceaicovschi7230

[@locusmortis]

@@Adunapheth That sounds like something Dan Abnett would say.

[@dragonhood4396]

Bricky appearing just to talk shit and leave is so funny

[@vxicepickxv]

Definitely checks out as a Bricky move.

[@Spekknerd]

Rightfully so! Sisters do have some kickass lore and aesthetic. Brad and Eric should probably know more about the faction for the podcast. I'd like to see bricky on more to help fill that gap.

[@dumpalt1975]

He always gives off these short dude vibes

[@bbwizard2941]

​@@dumpalt1975 Isn't he like actually quite a tall dude

[@dumpalt1975]

​@@bbwizard2941I doubt it, you'd know for sure. Short dude always trying to hide that they are short.

[@nohiet]

I just want some Tau lore by someone who actually likes the faction please

[@Pixel22-fs3tt]

Yeah same as well but it feels like GW just hates Tau

[@Bomfunker91]

Tau lore weirdly also has a big issue of them often coming across as like, *too good*. Like it feels like writers just have a hard time "balancing" the faction, especially when going up against the Imperium, when it often just becomes a "lol look at these WW1 tactics getting obliterated by glorious combined arms and rational thought" situation where the Imperium can't accomplish anything of note.

[@archer9480]

Honestly, I'll settle for ANY kind of book for Tau that is written by someone who doesn't just tolerate Tau's existence on a good day.

[@Pixel22-fs3tt]

@@archer9480 I would as well.

[@Pixel22-fs3tt]

@@Bomfunker91 That is very true. You do have a point there but still

[@hb3n164]

Its shocking for me that Brad didn't mention Requiem Infernal at the sisters books, it is one of those 40k books that is a genuinely good novel, and not just a good book im the sense that its sci fi pulp. Its a great horror and Péter Fehérvári deserves way more recognition.

[@thepoorhammerpodcast]

I've not heard anyone recommend it to me yet. I have some audible credits so I'll add it to the pile.

[@krkngd-wn6xj]

My fellow countryman, Fehérvári is an amazing writer. Spiral Dawn is probably the best 40k book I've ever read.

[@dmitrigarlic2298]

Same for his book The Reverie

[@overlordmarkus]

​@@thepoorhammerpodcast Peter wrote one of the "early Genestealer books" you mentioned, and half a dozen or so Tau short stories that all tie into Fire Caste, which is not a Tau book btw, GW just renamed it. Four books and two dozen short stories total, covering about every faction and all interconnected.

[@IMAFEEISH]

I am new to sisters, and 40k in general. I like the lore I have heard on youtube, but want to get into their books. I checked audible and can't find "Requiem Infernal". Where can I read it? Should I just go to a local library? And what other sisters books are there? All my lore comes from youtube and I wana change that. Tysm in advance. Sisters is my first army and I love them this hobby slaps! Edit: with my free trial using one of my 2 credits I got "The Book of Martyrs" and am gonna listen to it as I work today. Lmk what the 2nd book I should use my credit on could be.

[@AzkuulaKtaktu]

HES-PER-AX "Haruspex" is a different army entirely

[@thepoorhammerpodcast]

You will need to correct me the next time she comes up too, I guarantee I won't remember. I'm half writing this response on the off chance it'll help my memory.

[@HiveFleetOni]

Haruspex dressed up like Hesperax. Picture it. PICTURE. IT.

[@VAB0L0]

@@thepoorhammerpodcast It's ok, Brod.

[@AzkuulaKtaktu]

Happy to. I just made the opposite of this comment on a recent PlayOn video.

[@humbertoharo6840]

​@@HiveFleetOniid preffer the reverse to be honest.

[@AlkronLoki]

The thing with using the Horus Heresy as a big lore point is the authors have publicly stated that the ENTIRE 60+ book series is maybe Non Canon. When asked about some of the more extreme contradictions in the later books, they basically said "yeah so the book series is more of in universe records of what MIGHT have happened, not what actually did". So the last 2 decades of 60+ books is all MAYBE non canon if you don't like the contradictions. Of which there are a lot. All cause the model company wanted to sell the same model for both sides of a spin off game instead of designing a second model. Fans have ALWAYS taken the lore more seriously than the creators. Of basically any series.

[@HuggieMyPampers]

If this is true, this is such a fuckin cop out. They’re basically saying ‘we don’t want to commit to anything, just keep giving us money and we’ll keep feeding you pig slop’

[@OnyxANZ]

Boys it's 11pm, you're gonna have to wait.

[@andrewnewell1142]

There’s one short story that features the Leagues of Votann as an antagonist, “One Million Years” by Nate Crowley. It’s not enough to really learn much about the faction except that they know when they’ve been beat and will try to negotiate terms to make sure they make it out of a fight alive. It… didn’t work on the necrons they tried to mug.

[@collecter343]

Breath of fresh air when you have a faction that’s logical about when to cut its losses and just leave. Last part was very businesslike.

[@lordhades8515]

This whole thing about the Horus heresy being an excuse reminds me of the whole “you fought in the clone wars?!?” In episode 4 of Star Wars

[@chriskoster114]

I just finished “ The Big Dakka” and the main antagonist are the drukari and they have atleast half the book dedicated to them.

[@jwebcoding7289]

One other thing worth noting is that the Necron short stories are also really good. 1. War in the Museum 2. Severed 3. One million years. They’re written by Robert Rath and Nate Crowley and are a lot of fun. They average around 40~ pages each so they’re also quick reads. Can’t recommend them enough.

[@thepoorhammerpodcast]

For those wondering they can be found on audible too in some compiled short story books. Seconding the recommendations, though I banned omnibuses etc. from the list or we'd have a bunch of double-dipping and weird %s of books worth of content to sort through.

[@jwebcoding7289]

@@thepoorhammerpodcast I wasn’t aware they were on audible. I’ll have to check them out for a painting session. Fair rule on the omnibuses. I hadn’t considered how deep in the weeds you can get if you start including them.

[@TheCityofTownsville]

The Fulgrim insert for Imperial Guard was *chef's kiss*

[@duo496]

the fact that caiphas cain's story is literally older than me kinda shocks me

[@speaktome4778]

100 books of Yappin sounds like an IG Commissar who has a brief appearance in every novel like he's the 40k equivalent of Waldo

[@HiveFleetOni]

46:42 The Long and Hungry Road Went into it with very low expectations because anything from a Tyranid PoV runs the risk of turning the Tyranids into the Zerg. Actually, a fascinating and well put together little story. There are four characters; a Guardsman (general?), a Magos, a Magus and ‘the Tyranid Hive Ships’, which are probably the protagonist in a weird way. It treats the Tyranids the way that Twice Dead King treats the Necrons, except there’s no individual characters to focus on. It does a good job of setting out how a Tyranid PoV book could read. Their lack of character is their character, and I think it is literary Marmite.

[@FinxOmally]

Brad: I don’t care for Sisters.. Me: Bricky is going to be angy.. *Bricky cutaway* Me: Yup.. 😂

[@InsertCoin007]

Tau feel weird because I think the idea of the Ethereals being sus was always there afaik but having one of them pull a low tier god moment on some water caste diplomat that made a fairly minor mistake is just a bit too over the top.

[@theotv5522]

Whenever someone ask me how do Ork books fare, my answer is always “It’s like House of Leaves where the book is pvp-ing you” and that immediately got them hooked

[@samnemeth-smyth6109]

I really pity Berilio having to sit through that discussion on the "Drukhari feet lady" 😂 because I bet it went on much longer than we saw 😂😂😂

[@Lavendeer201]

As a World Eaters player: something something blood god, skull throne...

[@Stormeris]

Wasn't Badab war the result of 'we need space marines to fight space marines' and not HH?

[@ecth97]

Badab War was that for space marines, Horus Heresy was that for the entire imperium

[@matthewbagley4287]

I believe the game they were trying to sell was titanicus (titans vs titans) I think the heresy may have been briefly mentioned before that as a "why the emperor isn't around any more" snippet but titanicus is when it started getting proper lore and a plot line

[@lukusridley]

"bussy's top tier" - brad 2024

[@TheAHuman]

During the Chaos Daemons section, they were talking about how there is not enough of the existential dread of demons. I HIGHLY recommend the audio drama “The Way Out” for that. I won’t spoil, but it is a very good short horror story showing how horrifying demons can be.

[@Mr._Idiot440]

Content Warning: Bricky Jumpscare

[@driedsalad2946]

I was getting a CT scan and hearing Eric talke about how the feet are the best part and the beginning of women was something I wasn’t ready

[@sidders1943]

I think Tyranid lore should be translated through the genestealer cults and/or implied through outside observers. I think the difficulty with tyranids is that they are inherently soulless and emotionless which means that you cannot use character to sell a story.

[@jdcrosier2682]

Then do a day of ascension style thing and swap between the characters of the enemy and a third person perspective on the nids.

[@user-pv1qk4so6s]

You could have a tyranid character who is something like a gaunt that is constantly being reborn, serves a purpose, then dies, similar to how the Swarmlord is discussed in the lore. But yeah, they really couldn't carry a novel by themselves.

[@brassviking486]

Which is why you make them an antagonist in a war of the world's style story with a cast of characters being whittled down.

[@cosmoceratops]

Adrian Tchaikovsky is a great writer. The stuff I've read by him (Children of Ruin, Children of Time) has a biology focus and they're really cool. Makes sense he'd write a Genestealer book.

[@matel4692]

Since people already know about ADB's Night Lords, another really good CSM book I'd recommend is Storm of Iron by Graham McNeill. The story of a siege executed by the Iron Warriors, from their perspective.

[@kerianndoassans]

ah yes, "Brad eat shit incorporated"... I'm trying to find something smart to say, but Brad is nice...

[@Shrrrg]

For sister books: Dont read the cult of the warmason. It is a chaos marine book pretending to be a sister book. And it fails as both

[@miccheck2754]

Whats a good sister’s book to look into?

[@Shrrrg]

@@miccheck2754 Requiem Infernal is a good one. apart from that? The James Swallow triology is solid but I have to say I stoped reading Warhammer books after Cult of the Warmason

[@theodorehodbor5080]

Honestly kinda wild it's billed as a Sisters book and imo the Genestealers get more dubs than them.

[@midnightflare9879]

How to make new Warhammer lore: Step 1: Make models. Step 2: Make lore to explain the confusing/lazy bits. Step 3: Go WILD!

[@verigone2677]

Tyranids are the equivalent of 1980s Action Movie generic terrorists...they aren't a character, they are scenery.

[@KaziMazi]

I will never forgive GW for making every salamanders book mid af when they are the most interesting chapter

[@ringoutko9463]

Debatable. Certainly they’re more interesting than Ultramarines but then again a crudely drawn smiley face on a rusty bucket is more interesting than the Ultramarines. Salamanders and Iron Hands certainly need more attention as do Ravens and Scars

[@KaziMazi]

@@ringoutko9463 for me personally they are the only interesting loyalist chapter. Cuz I just find traitor legions more interesting. Like I really relate to peter turbo. And Alpha legion is the most interesting imo

[@sorvoe5513]

I’d say the Tome of Fire books are pretty good. I’m only part way through the third, but the first two were nice and had some really funny moments

[@KaziMazi]

@@sorvoe5513 I just wish they were on audible and nit restricted to black library

[@sorvoe5513]

@@KaziMazi Totally fair. I think there's still a Humble Bundle deal that has a bunch of 40K e-books for Astartes at dirt cheap prices. It includes the whole Tome of Fire trilogy. It's not audiobook, but it's something

[@gavinjackson9941]

Fun fact, “Lords of Silence” is why I wanted to start a death guard army. I decided to go Maggotkin of Nurgle instead though, just so I can play sigmar.

[@jared6013]

Lords of Silence is why I'm constantly on the verge of starting a Death Guard army. A thoroughly enjoyable read.

[@quanghungtran3581]

Yeah, DG are always so nice and rational compared to the other psychos in the setting

[@tomekk.1889]

​@@quanghungtran3581There's plenty of other rational chaos legions out there though. Alpha, tsons...

[@quanghungtran3581]

@@tomekk.1889 I agree with Alpha Legion, yeah. Thousand Sons stories lean a little on their ego and arrogance, thinking they can do anything and change fate (especially Ahriman Omnibus), so I think a little less ration on their part

[@Birri919]

Good to see Eric having a solid footing in the lore

[@gregsmw]

"it supports the rest, you gotta have a solid foundation" good soundbite, for the most cursed of topics

[@leox.jaramillo3231]

I can confirm that if there's one thing that sucks about Tau lore, it is Phil Kelly. I get the feeling that he either lost a bet or didn't read the fine print of his contract and that's how he ended up writing Tau lore, a fact that he seems to deeply resent. He always seems to rush the ending, the ethereals are cartoon villains for no discernible reason, and the books are just barely entertaining (I have to admit I've read worse, though). Interestingly, Guy Haley's Tau novella is both a great read and arguably the best bit of lore for the faction out there, which shows its potential in the hands of a good author, but for whatever reason GW insists that Kelly should monopolize the faction's books.

[@FancyTophatDude]

Yeah it's a bummer. The structure of Tau society leaves room for a more subtle way of storytelling than a lot of other factions got going on. The Ethereals or water caste don't need to be evil, they could show compassion and genuine care for the people of conquered worlds or other castes and still exert their power over them to achieve what they see as "serving the greater good". That entire philosophy itself has never really been examined too closely either. If a Tau believes that every small good matters, how can they make decision to benefit the greater good? Who gets to decide on what the greater good actually is? Does the value of lives outweigh the value of the structure of the state etc. There's a lot of interesting philosophical scifi stuff to explore there, which just doesn't seem to be in 40ks wheelhouse at the best of times tbh.

[@Paintinmyeye]

Vashtorr: You need a better tutor. I copied off of you, and I got a C. Belakor: Wait, you got a C? I got a D on that....

[@AndrewMcColl]

I know you had to draw the line somewhere, but starting a few years early would let you include the most fun trilogy I've read - Shira Calpurnia. The first is a pretty standard, by-the-numbers crime story, the second is messed up Rogue Trader politics, and the third is full of Telepathica wackiness. And best of all, they all flow together like a movie trilogy (or three season TV series).

[@seraph_XB1-PC]

I feel like I've gotten more crits since I got that Gone Fishin shirt 😆

[@thepoorhammerpodcast]

The advertisement we need.

[@marvinavila8877]

Brad and Eric are professional yappers now.

[@FaerieScion]

gods, comparing the model of Lelith to the art of the book cover has made me realize how dirty they did her in that sculpt

[@samuelcody6132]

Hey y'all, I stumbled upon your channel a few months back. I've always been a huge fan of the look of 40k minis, but I've only ever played the Space Marine Xbox video game, and the Dark Heresy RPG. That being said, I recently started painting the models as a hobbiest. I paint Thousand Sons and Dark Angels in a very 90's arcade style. As such, I've been wanting to get more into the lore of the universe. Your video here inspired me to go to my local bookshop, and pick up a copy of the Ahriman Omnibus earlier today. Though I'm only just on page 27, I've found it to be quite compelling so far. Thank you, guys, for doing what ya do.

[@Zakon673]

I didn't think the t'au books were bad at all as a t'au fan. The first Farsight book has my favorite moment in any 40k story where Farsight is basically making fun of space marine leaders for not wearing helmets. Later on he's reviewing footage of battles against space marines and then clips the bits of their leaders not wearing helmets and sends them to his friends like memes.

[@collecter343]

Same, figured those 2 books were actually good from the Tau perspective.

[@abrahamjohn7183]

The Priests of Mars trilogy is some of the best-showing writing-wise from any 40k books. Where it fails is if you want some bolter porn for Admech. Instead, you get a fantastic story that gives you a point of view of the Imperium at every level. It shows the faults of every faction and how, when they work together, it shows why humanity is still a superpower.

[@dragonqueenniisan4122]

For all the 'Female Custodes' things. I honestly thought they where going to more incorporate the Sister of Silence into being a bigger part of the lore standing beside the Custodes that they are 'bascially' female custodes.

[@rickedysplit2458]

That'd actually be a cool way to do it, and framing it as the Custodes doing it to get the Inquisition to fuck off would be great (iirc they're a bit iffy with Blanks and Sisters of Silence.)

[@woahhbro2906]

The Horus Heresy card game did an excellent job with really showing off and giving the Sisters of Silence its own identity. That's what GW should've done. I personally like Sisters of Silence more than Sisters of Battle

[@cyrusmann5443]

honestly, thats what i wished, but they made a change that just sorta dampens the yin yang aspect of the talons, and has created too much online discourse(like that wouldn't have happened looking at how awful the custodes codex is rules wise) A way to integrate it that would be really cool would be if powerful sisters of silence were getting genetic modifications to be the same as custodes, creating a hybrid between the two, it would even serve as a cool new model, maybe with a character variant you can use as a warlord too!

[@bluwlvrine]

They aren't anything like the custodes, they just work together. They definitely need more lore though.

[@OldIronJohnson]

Just add Jenetia Krole 2.0. You already have the character template and tabletop rules that you can translate to 10th.

[@comeon000]

Eric is the feet of this podcast: he either stinks or he is the foundation.

[@dabakedawg]

"It's all a product: the lore is the excuse, the product is what you're being sold." It's odd to preface an hour of talking about the lore by stating it's as arbitrary as the plot to Debbie Does Dallas.

[@TheDiddler267]

Ranking by lore? RIP nids

[@smol_hornet613]

we just hongry

[@Gamer_G33k]

The Infinite and The Divine legit inspired me to start getting Necron minis

[@sebastianpoulsen8728]

Also for Necrons, the short story Severed is great! It’s Nemesor Zandrekh and Obyron romping around, all good fun and… sad? Good lil story

[@rayvg7709]

I'll admit, us Blood Angel fans are spoiled for books. BUT I CRAVE MORE!

[@phoenixdblack]

Holy hell, that's early. Well, I just hope my Orkboyz deliver more than expected, as usual. Edit: 'ERE WO GO LADZ!

[@jonahbreen8512]

If you do the ranking zoomed slang terms as a bonus thing I will absolutely buy the patrron for a month just for that

[@Hanschen994]

real

[@czarcitizen6881]

Eric, I strongly recommend Fire Caste by Peter Fehervari if you're looking for another book which does the existential terror surrounding chaos daemons justice. (Ironically, it's also a great portrayal of the Tau in an antagonist role.)

[@michaelstevens5712]

They've got to get an audio book together for that one.

[@DungeonMagister]

The Carrion Throne might not be a custodes book, but it has a phenomenal display of the custodes in it. Also, imagine the classic "snobby elf and grumpy dwarf companions" duos but with LoV and Aeldari

[@NoireRequiemXIX]

I actually enjoyed the recent "Catachan Devil" book, they are also coming with a new Catachan book coming soon (Deathworlder). If there is one place other guard regiments exist, it's in the books

[@owenhoward5168]

If they were gonna do more custodes books, I would read a whole series of Cain-esque romps about Calladayce Kesh. You've got EXCELLENT meme character potential here

[@apuppetandacookie8200]

Tau has so much potential but pretty much wasted. a multiracial coalition is a cool idea and makes them incredibly unique to other factions but GW just refused to develop or even give models to the other races within the tau.

[@uberwildy]

A tyranid book following like a lictor or a genestealer done in the speculative animal narrative like ‘Raptor Red’ did with Utah Raptors would be rad as hell

[@cobaltkrusade5625]

Based on what Brad has said in this episode, I would definitely reccomend Lucius: Faultless Blade to anyone who would listen- one of the few books (pre Lord of Excess i guess) with post-heresy EC as the main focus. Lots of fun lore as to what life aboard an EC ship is like (kinda like the Night Lords books), Drukhari as the main antagonists, and some really fun daemon stuff when they show up. I might just be an EC Mark but I was a huge fan of that one!

[@thepoorhammerpodcast]

This sold me, I'll put it on my list.

[@fishwithnoname4486]

I can't believe they forgot the hit book "Freeblade, Knights of the Imperium" by Graham McNeil, that was released alongside the mobile game "Freeblade" published by Pixel Toys. The book "Freeblade, Knights of the Imperium" by Graham McNeil features Imperial Knights and the Adeptus Mechanicus fighting against Tyranids which contrasts to the video game, "Freeblade" published by Pixel Toys, where you play as a single knight Freeblade fighting against Orks and Chaos Space Marines with the help of the Space Marine chapter known as the Dark Angels, tyranids are not present in the video game "Freeblade" published by Pixel Toys. (note: I have not read "Freeblade, Knights of the Imperium" by Graham McNeil, but I have played a good amount of the mobile game "Freeblade" published by Pixel Toys.)

[@vahlok2568]

ADB has talked about how every new black library author was required to write a guard novel first before moving on to anything else. So in short anyone who has ever written a 40k book has written at least one Guard book.

[@SvenHolgersson]

Brad "Won't Stop Yapping" Tson and his cohost Eric "Good Foundation" Grey

[@berticus]

Congratulations on 100k guys

[@logan3770]

Mark of Faith is a really great Sisters novel. Rachel Harrison does a great job of showing the human side of being a sister of battle, exploring stuff like how a martyrdom culture deals with survivor's guilt and stuff like that. The plot isn't terribly surprising or anything like that it's just a very well-executed book.

[@Duncecap64]

Has someone who has read the Tau books let me put it like this for Brad if you read arks of Omen that does more characterization than the two books that had the exact same plotline for the most part. The only good bits that we get come from supplemental pieces that are included either in the codex or just random bits that we see in other stories like farsight taking on hive fleet Gorgon, Farsight saving Shadow sun and yes get used to seeing farsight's name a lot because that's basically the only character that matters Shadowsun she finally got her own book but it's also by Phil Kelly so yes you can understand our disappointment.

[@ubermenschen01]

11:35 YES! Give me the Zoomer lingo tierlist. Bringing back "yapping" was a funny bit but now it's over-used. Any amount or type of talking is "yapping" now, it's lost any bite.

[@jcmsaucey6555]

Death Guard are prime "We want more" territory, but at the same time the Buried Dagger and Lords of Silence are all I really need. Maybe a book about Mortarion trying (and failing) to break away from Nurgle?

[@Changedcord]

That will never happen, although I do enjoy the plot point of typhus pretty much hating his dad for being lame and bad at his job. Please father be more chaos Nah Fuck you dad

[@El_Chico_des_Galos]

Why does all of the imperium have to be a unisex club except for the girls only club?

[@drakebaker2769]

This felt less like they were talking about the quality of the lore and more just the quantity

[@alexabadajos7461]

I am so thankful for at least one adult take regarding the women in the custodes, it was so embarrassing to be associated with 40k these last week. Its been 100% maidenless takes as far as the eye can see.

[@Floppa_Gaming090]

Q&A episode idea - tier list of tier lists

[@jeffrobagman2834]

A tier list ranking how well other channels handle tier lists! (Interesting list ideas, how well they stick to their own criteria, visual presentation, etc.) At the end, rank the channel by the same standards..

[@sheilasherret9596]

32:04 Eric is correct, talk about EC, they got pulled from the codex. But Brad is also correct. CSM with added restrictions does not make a faction. The 40k version of Lucius is discontinued. The only EC upgrade pack that's in stock is the heads. The weapons, noise marine upgrade, and shoulders have all been sold out for a while. I mean, at least it's not in White Dwarf like WE were lmao Edit: Bile is EC adjacent enough that if you like one you'll probably like both. But looking at the store made me remember: Bile is painted purple and gold, but EC upgrades that GW bothered to paint are light pink and black. The individual noise marine is neither and has text saying you don't need to run it as EC and is a remake of a 33 year old model.

[@TheRainbowThief]

Yapping is a surprisingly common British expression. Although it's always fun to hear reverent American responses to everyday things.

[@MrShukaku1991]

It's usage is old, even in north america. I mean, who hasn't seen an old tv grandpa yell at someone to quit their yapping?,

[@nickkowalski5209]

Isn't it an old expression even in the UK?

[@jeffrobagman2834]

​@@MrShukaku1991As an American, I certainly heard it in the 70s/80s.

[@thefloatingcontinent9897]

Not uncommon in America either. Kind of baffling that kids think they invented it?

[@Vapourwear]

@@thefloatingcontinent9897 “out of pocket” 🤣😂🤣

[@briankuczynski6884]

13:17 where did gw announce that Great Crusade would be the next major arc of black library?

[@thepoorhammerpodcast]

I corrected this in a few comments and on the intro of the next episode. I had some old rumors and announcement backwards. It's the scouring.

[@SM0RN124]

I had no idea thoasand sons had such little lore I’m so sorry

[@collecter343]

Kind of what happens when you’re main defining motivation is reversing the Rubric and fucking over the Space Wolves. The rest is generic CSM goals.

[@Montyandrew45]

Oh my God. If i ever want to do a Guard army, I am going to make them a red shirt faction

[@peterjones1506]

It’s highly unlikely we will see The Great Crusade as the next large setting. We already had books during the Horus heresy that were set before and during the Great Crusade. Valdor Birth of the Imperium is set just before, and Alpharius Head of the Hydra is set before and during, among other novels

[@thepoorhammerpodcast]

After checking the footage I screwed up, several commenters made me go check. It's the Scouring that was announced, not Great Crusade. The other temporal side of HH. Just replace "Great Crusade" with "The Scouring" and the rest of the hypothesis still stands.

[@UltraNerdyGamer]

39:58 Last week, Berilio had to edit clips together to make Brad say something embarrassing but this week he willingly says "bussy is top tier"

[@cherrypopscile3385]

I prefer 40k before the retcons (I taped Dune, Lord of the rings, and a picture of Judge Dread together)

[@Birdmanesp92]

I would totally read a by the numbers horror novel of a Necromunda gang being hunted by summoned demons

[@cmdrcptmattfoot]

Surprised there wasn't an honorable mention for Fire Warrior (2003) for Tau. That book alone puts them square in "Fanfic"

[@LethargicScientist]

Tau is my secondary army and I can confirm that the tau lore sucks balls. It's really bad. They really need to get someone else to write them, maybe they'll be less shit. Phil Kelly is the guy who turned them into weird authoritarians, and I'm convinced he's partially the reason that Tau auxiliaries barely have models, he seems disinterested in them.

[@Dreadnoughtola678]

"I'm not going into the sub-legions, Csm players are not as whiny as space marines" after having explicitly mentioned Deathguard, Thousand Sons, World Eaters, and Emperors children. Kek.

[@prettyflyforacompsci7725]

Wait, was thr 7 years thing mentioned at 8:52 in reference to something specific?

[@georgehann5904]

I'm secretly hoping that the tyranids see the world the same way as pyro from TF2 sees the world. They are just there to help.