The Trench Ghosts represent a fate worse than death, even for the damned

Trapped forever between heaven and hell until all that rage becomes just a whisper on the wind.
Art by the incredible Mark Gibbons.
Trench Crusade was created and designed by Mike Franchina, James Sherriff, and Tuomas Pirinen.
Check out the Trench Crusade painting contest on My Mini Factory - www.myminifact...
Main webstie - www.trenchcrusade.com
Playtest Rules (1.6) - shorturl.at/lnTPs
Lore Primer - shorturl.at/NiPR5
Music is licensed from Envato Elements.
#trenchcrusade #navalraiders #hereticlegions

[@scannerbarkly]

This is a cool moment for Trench Crusade fans as we have our first piece of art by the incredible Mark Gibbons! Mark is responsible for my favorite piece of wargaming related art, his incredible piece on Kharn The Betrayer from when I was a kid.

[@bloodwarter]

Awesome lore. Awesome art, sad with the people behind it. Hateing on fans.

[@SweatyIcarus]

@@bloodwarter what do you mean?

[@bloodwarter]

@@SweatyIcarus say a lot of folks just got kicked and ban for no reason on Discord for theorycrafting what is happening in the rest of the trenshcrusade

[@Josh6nika]

There is art from a Chinese fan of Trench Crusade. Someone posts his art on the subreddit and it is incredible. A Chinese faction protecting its isles from the heretic fleet

[@antonioferrari241]

Wait, “isles”? As in islands? Are we sure we’re not talking about the Japanese?

[@jubbmcdiesel8639]

Even the dirt of no-man's-land could be eternally screaming as artillery continues to pulverize it. That's metal as hell

[@scannerbarkly]

Imagine stepping on a little dust devil and it tells you eat shit. :(

[@AtreidesT660]

Forget where I heard this ( could be a movie or just a short story clip on KZbin). Alexander the great sent some sand from Afghanistan to his mother and asked her to pour it in a line outside her house. Her usually polite servants got into an argument over who had the right of way to walk over the line of sand which then turned into brutal bloody fight, both the servants had killed each other. The lesson ? In Afghanistan even the sand is bloodthirsty and violent. Not superstitious but I do love these types of historic camp fire stories.

[@bloodwarter]

@ no stones ?

[@Tonberry88]

"MOM! TURN ON THE TV! A NEW UNALIGNED FACTION JUST DROPPED!"

[@StDomBz]

They're definitely still heretics. They're just heretics that are extra bitter about being dead. Their rules are Heretic Legion sub-faction rules

[@mixedmoments]

The artwork for this game is so incredible. I'd throw down all my money for a giant coffee table book full of all the art and lore. Maybe one day they'll release something like that. Till then I'm more than happy watching and rewatching all your vids, Mr. Barkly! You're the best!

[@scannerbarkly]

Awh, thanks so much! I'll try to keep em coming. :)

[@jester7028]

There is something like that literally on kickstarter right now. 28 collected checked it out. I got recommended this after backing the trench crusade kickstarter recently

[@StDomBz]

There's a book that was part of the Kickstarter that's exactly what you're talking about, plus more. Though it will be available for retail purchases after the physical minis and books get sent out, I think the hardcover is exclusive to those that originally backed the project.

[@Fyre19]

JUST GIVE US PLUSHIES

[@sebby8005]

@@StDomBzI hope that’s not true. I’d gladly pay good money for it but I just don’t want a soft cover.

[@nunyabeeswax4588]

Trench Ghosts are how I got my buddy who loves undead into Trench Crusade. Doesn't like Nurgle/Belzebub style undead, but that traditional horror style. Keep it up!

[@AayYoWhatUp]

I love these guys too, ima get them.

[@GoblinKing991]

Here even the dirt and mud scream of pain and the barbed wire strikes out in vengeance! This universe is so METAL AS HELL and I love it!

[@davidjray26]

Thanks for all you do for the TC community!

[@scannerbarkly]

Thanks for checking out the vids!

[@georgekostaras]

I feel like this represents Trench Crusade coming into its own, building on its own lore towards its ultimate end point and most logical conclusion.

[@MrSlug-ki9jl]

I want a novel about a lone straggler, either a New Antioch trooper or a heretic legionnaire, trying to to reach their unit after a skirmish, and needing to go through one of these petty kingdoms of the undead.

[@scannerbarkly]

I love that idea. Novel might be a bit much, but short story is definitely possible.

[@FlameDarkfire]

Write it! We all bring the Trench Crusade to life with our stories!

[@MassiveManager1984]

is both canonically feasible?

[@papanurgle8393]

@@MassiveManager1984 Would be neat to see a play on the Christmas truce where members from both sides are stuck there and try to escape back to the front.

[@MassiveManager1984]

@@papanurgle8393 i have a feeling heretics don’t celebrate CHRISTmas

[@isaacgoeth5158]

I think I found my favorite faction if I was not serving Heaven. No salvation, no damnation. Juat...coldness. And the never ending silence of the grave.

[@iamtheguy28]

Awesome work! The Trench Ghosts are my first warband and I'm already fiending for range expansions and lore.

[@Comicnut64]

This is Metal and I want to see a pilgrim fight this

[@Runehammer1]

I'm still just trying to take down the stinking War Wolf lol

[@RaijinX9Mokuzai]

They Would Probably Get Ensnared In Barbed Wire Like That Scene In Deathwatch, A WW1 Film.

[@alphashocker7458]

Fortunately for the faithful, Artillery Witches and War Wolf Assault Beasts cannot become Trench Ghosts. According to the game rules, they are artificial constructs with no souls, so they cannot be included into Trench Ghost warbands. However, the rest of the Heretic Legion roster is fair game.

[@shalvei_]

fortunately for the faithful and heretic alike!

[@phattadontungtrongsit4137]

This is the most metal album art I’ve ever seen

[@thesatelliteslickers907]

so we have three faithful factions, three hell factions, and now it seems like we have two unaligned factions

[@daganquirk658]

God after the third unaligned faction gets added be like: perfectly balanced, as all things should be.

[@thesatelliteslickers907]

@daganquirk658 i think it would be nice if the third unaligned faction to be "good" in alignment, but completely divorced from the abrahamic powerstructures of the other faithful. since we have the trench ghosts, which are still clearly just as evil, metamorphosis, which is a "what the fuck" on the moral alignment table, it would be nice to have a faction that is either a religion completely orthogonal to the abrahamic faiths, or even completely secular.

[@daganquirk658]

@ Imagine a mostly neutral "four horsemen of the apocalypse" faction who's only goal is to stall apocalypse until god declares that it shall happen (units of the "death" subfaction have ice powers and ice scythes because "death is cold, batman" and guard the graves and burial sites of important warriors or priests of god, with the death horseman himself standing guard over the tomb of Jesus himself, and the units of the "war" and "conquest" horsemen encouraging and instigating conflict, especially near the influence of hell).

[@hereticalchappie6729]

​@@thesatelliteslickers907 Path of the Beast? They're certainly part of hell but little info exists, sounds like what you suggested tho

[@thesatelliteslickers907]

@@hereticalchappie6729 i genuinely assumed that the beast was just a part of metamorphosis

[@NightmareRoach]

"Even for the damned" idk dude this still sounds infinitely better than eternal unimaginable suffering.

[@Sara3346]

@@NightmareRoach Heretic Leigionaires and many others have hall passes out of hell, and many of them at least of purpose and agency. This strips away all of that.

[@sonofsanguinius176]

That has to be one of the coolest and hardest images i have ever seen not just for trench crusade but in all fiction lol

[@raymore544]

The best trench crusade lore guy love british narrators

[@scannerbarkly]

Now now. Don't make me ban you. lol

[@seangrey]

Makes me wonder if a trench ghost could be dragged back through the gate into hell to be ''rebuilt'' into a mortal heretic again or at least to be tortured some more as a goetic battery.

[@catcadev]

I love this art. I sincerely hope Prussians and the other subfactions get minis-- these are phenomenal and so cool. There's lots of "WWI with a twist" games, but only Trench Crusade has that visceral grimdark touch. 🔥

[@liamdawson6129]

Definitely rolling these dudes for my second warband Sick video!

[@gasterblaster9817]

Given their endless hatred for *all* life, I'd like to imagine they are particularly zealous in their extermination of trench rats. On that note, I wonder how each faction deals with that rather unpleasant aspect of life in the trenches.

[@gasterblaster9817]

Man, I read the full wiki article on trench rats to get a better idea of their presence and impact in the trenches, and now I'm inspired to kitbash an Amalgam together with a swarm of rats, as the Black Grail melted and merged a mass grave alongside the rats feasting on the putrefying flesh of the dead. I might have rats poking out of my other Black Grail units like nurglings on other nurgle units as well.

[@douglashobden]

Don't ask what's in the stew.

[@AndrewH2791]

Always looking forward o the latest video I found the channel a couple of days ago and consumed all the Trench Crusade content 😅

[@OrificeHorus]

That fucking art looks SICK

[@bobjohnson113]

The name of the game caught my attention. The art work drew me in. The lore has my undivided attention. I cravel novels describing the battles of the almighty and the damned.

[@xx_hivewars_xx9013]

Mas contenido de Trench Crusade de parte de este sujeto!. Excelente ❤.

[@ZoruaZorroark]

i can imagine some hell aligned soldiers thinking they have reinforcements, only to be killed by undead former "allies". now i wonder if the forces of hell will somehow weaponize them, if they even care enough

[@pbtootall86]

The lore of Trench Crusade just hits different

[@cosmicape13]

Honestly the trench ghost should be of both faithful and heretic soldiers... missed opportunity really... now its just kind of an offshoot heretic faction that can attack heretics.

[@vladdracula9841]

Like the story of The wild men/The Wild Deserters?

[@harmonlanager2670]

When there is no more room in Hell, the dead shall walk the Earth.

[@malcomalexander9437]

That's not really aplicable to this TBH. They died on Hallowed Ground, so Hell *can't* take them, but Heaven *won't* take them because their choice to go on pilgrimage to the gates of Hell has damned them for all eternity.

[@MrChomper69]

Great video as always!

[@Runehammer1]

super dope, and a great variant in the rules

[@TheBingleDingler]

You should just make an ultimate lore video on everything that's been covered in the lore so far

[@Lizardman1997]

I figured the ghosts would just be an every now and then occurrence but im surprised that they're becoming a whole faction.

[@joejoe0213]

Ya know, there comes a point when even Hell starts looking a little more preferable than the other options.

[@Fyre19]

also remeber kids ppl can and will smoke the remains of trench ghosts as stated by toumas.

[@SilverSword1]

Mark Gibbons is the perfect artist to do the Trench Ghosts!

[@nickerickson7902]

perhaps a faction balanced around low numbers, but really highly quality for said quantity

[@scannerbarkly]

That's pretty much Mammon's guy.

[@FeeNixBeech]

Just hearing about the Shrine Tanks gets me excited. 😂 I'm currently awaiting a MK4 tank from Grim Prints and a bunch of crosses. Had this project planned for months. Great minds think alike it seems. 😂

[@Eu_Sou_Licuri]

The chaos warp entities and hells residents vs trench crusaders and the emperium

[@GinoCirrincione]

If they make minis for the trench ghosts a battle box to make an army of these guys I would put money on it

[@holoramecid]

So it sounds like.. CHAOS

[@chrishambrick5360]

Played my first game of TC tonight and I was playing trench ghosts.

[@liambarnard5791]

Another sermon on the trenches from the reverend scanner

[@rokassan]

So I’m picking up serving god is better in life and death. He doesn’t abandon your soul to suffer. Eternal peace always awaits no matter where you fall.

[@Sara3346]

Given that theyve deliberately never shown heaven and have no problems re-sacrificing christ...I think thats a bit of a leap. It could be true? It could aslo be maybe heaven is just like a selection comitte for choosing which saints and pilgrims become undead or something dreary like that. Or something in between, or something entirely Other.

[@Sara3346]

The fact that there are also ways for heretics to kill you which can prevent you from ever reaching heaven regardless of faith or action makes it inevitably mlre nuanced also.

[@rokassan]

@@Sara3346 I suppose, but I think much of the lore presented is supposed to be from the perspective(hearsay and exaggeration )of soldiers and citizens. Such as the Death Commando being able to wound an Angel. I suppose in the end it’s up to the Authors of the game. I will say if heaven didn’t have the upper hand Lucifer would unleash his Demons on the world without hesitation…yet he won’t. Seems to me much of the suffering and misery the faithful inflict upon themselves is exactly that…they assume all of the self flagellation is what is required, but is it? If you don’t staple that cross to your head, but instead attach it to your helmet…will it still provide divine protection? Probably.

[@peytonbrown5394]

You mentioned trench ghosts are heretic soldiers who died on consecrated ground, but I'm curious if the same happens to the faithful who die on desecrated ground?

[@scannerbarkly]

Nah, believers are OP that way.

[@nobleman9393]

Would be amazing tho.

[@garrusvakarian678]

Exist a brazillian legend,called "Dried body" (in portuguese "Corpo Seco") is that exactly like those ghosts: that is a person that so evil that even the Hell and the ground don't accept him.Very cool faction idea.

[@workshopsmashers5154]

You dropped it the same as when TC did it on Instagram

[@juddsuperphly]

Hell yea can’t wait to make my ghost pirates

[@nocturnGER]

Both hell and heaven have abandoned them and they are rightfully pissed at everyone. Hope we get some unique units and much more lore for this faction soon.

[@TuomasPirinen]

I did add the Barbed Wire Banshees and Sarcophagus Mines!

[@zaqzilla1]

This is the warband I'm going to build.

[@SILENTFEATHERSFTW]

My favorite faction hands down

[@WizardBarry]

what id give for a total war trench crusade game

[@benlaw2274]

Babe wake up new trench crusade lore dropped

[@jay-t1030]

Great content, when can we expect named characters?

[@user-ub9fr3rm8j]

El arte es fascinante

[@Darkpentagrams]

It would be cool to see an heretic faction centered on pure necromancy serving Murmur

[@peteriter]

I was waiting to know more about this guys. Interesting concept. It seems a fitting punishment for the heretics to be turned into sentient dust for the rest of eternity. lol

[@iamekid]

I'd really dig if some metal band did a song about it! Maybe death or black!

[@scannerbarkly]

Maybe Tanooki Suit, the people who did Lordvessel, the Dark Souls song. lol

[@freshglizzy3763]

Ironic this was posted just a few hours before Trench Crusade deleted their twitter

[@Steelstriker]

Just imagine being a soldier during this time as you're running across Fields through no man's land about to attack the enemy you what's your left and right and there are hundreds of thousands of you the next second you realize that half of the men around you are see-through and then you're dead

[@connorsmith1005]

Really hope this becomes a new faction.

[@johnd2058]

I think we have a war-winner here.

[@ninjasamwallin]

That artwork reminds me of a Zdzislaw Beksinski painting.

[@Aberinkula9]

Trench Ghosts remind me - and here is a suggestion of reading of mine - of WRAITH: THE GREAT WAR. One of the best settings in the **Old World Of Darkness** having as scenario nothing more than World War I (or "The War To End All Wars". Yeah right). Give it a reading faithful and heretics! 😊

[@caldarimiddleman5663]

i think trench ghost over time will grow in numbers until someone forgives them there sins

[@kurtfonte4071]

They still persist even their bodies turn to dust? Damn! Is this something related to the verse Revelation 9:6 ?

[@grandtheftaudio6386]

Its the Legion of the Damned, cool.

[@antonioferrari241]

They’re going for a walk.

[@OscarVinall]

metal as fuck

[@kingghidorah102]

HELLSING ULTIMATE!

[@RumForBreakfast]

Why is continuing to fight worse than going to hell?

[@stetonwalters574]

With GOD on our side, what do we need to fear. Damnation is god's judgment, god's love is our salvation. Either way our lord shall be victorious.

[@CrispyCrusader0.o]

Nighthaught kitbash? I've seen some people getting clever with their models. I'd like a whole novel about the horror of fighting trench ghosts.

[@lucky_lynx7867]

So if something like this happened to a soldier fighting against the heretics, like they died on grounds corrupt by the forces of evil and they became a trench ghost, would they fight heretic trench ghosts, or possibly join them

[@scannerbarkly]

I don't believe evil ground would do anything to a righteous soul, it could still get to heaven.

[@Just_JoeKing-Tri]

Eire rangers!!!☘️☘️☘️

[@alexhealing2598]

Accompanying background music a little distracting. The strength of these videos come from the mournful, scholarly, narration?

[@anthonycaputo1823]

whats the name of the music you used?

[@Mishgun2K-ug5vu]

Are there trench Angels of sort ?

[@The_Sharktocrab]

Angels are more destructive than nukes in this setting from what i can tell

[@AorER1613]

There is a guardian angel of sorts, I think she operates like a ghostly Death Corp medic putting the wounded out of their misery or taking out a nearby enemy unit. She's summoned by burning an offering of k-rations and engine oil

[@austinjohnson6642]

Yay more scanner

[@scannerbarkly]

Always!

[@matthewclark7955]

Just put of curiosity did you lot just leave X to go to Bluesky?

[@scannerbarkly]

I think the devs did, yes. I'm just a rando KZbinr though.

[@matthewclark7955]

​@@scannerbarklyohhh ok. Glad to hear it. I love your descriptions and stories. The devs of the game seem pretty weird. But as regards your content. Big fan

[@josh19200]

What happens to a heritage troopers soul when it go back to hell?

[@scannerbarkly]

My head cannon is that many of them will have disappointed their masters and will either be used as Goethic fuel, enter a penitence cycle, or maybe get fed to some unthinkable horror.

[@nobleman9393]

@@scannerbarkly The reward for hard work is more hard work.

[@Psychoangel-d23]

@@scannerbarkly Probably the fate of majority of them. I imagine those who were particulary entertaining are given a second chance to go back and cause more havoc. maybe reborn as themselves or... as something more... feral.

[@andrewbrown6279]

We need more ships demon ships.Anything on the water would be so bad ass

[@DancingEagle]

What’s going on again?

[@yannsteunou-murray6512]

Barrow Wight vibes

[@JeffereyShoop-ru6zz]

Wow that’s grim

[@The_Sharktocrab]

Are these guys a unit or will they become their own faction?

[@scannerbarkly]

These dudes are a Heretic Legion subfaction who currently have there own rules.

[@The_Sharktocrab]

@scannerbarkly ahh, ok makes sense. I haven't looked closely at heretics rules yet so I missed that! Cool how much variety the subfactions add

[@bluenajarala]

Shouldn't have been a heretic ;)

[@scannerbarkly]

It was the only job that was accepting applications. :(

[@bluenajarala]

@ understandable but cringe still

[@fatfish2066]

Do more battle reports

[@scannerbarkly]

Working on it! They are quite time intensive and I have some client work to wrap, but I am hoping they'll be back on the channel soon in a couple of different formats.

[@fatfish2066]

@@scannerbarkly If youd like, i can get you some battle reports from my games if you need!

[@boris_bulletdodger9109]

Positive comment

[@usernamedkjahstill5003]

There should be an Antithesists faction! People fed up and tired of Heaven and Hell destroying their lives with their machinations.

[@Aberinkula9]

Something like the Technocracy in **Mage: The Ascension** if you are aware. What do you think?

[@vladdracula9841]

How would that even work ?

[@alfatazer_8991]

Like a Communist faction?

[@josiadorthestrong1031]

They should definitely be more 20th ventures in their aesthetics and fashion too, to contrast with the medieval look of everyone else.

[@usernamedkjahstill5003]

@ Underground resistance forces just like in real life. They have Trench Ghost so i have faith in them

[@solomonreal1977]

Saints Preserve Us!! IT KEEPS GETTING WORSE HOW DOES IT KEEP GETTING WORSE>!>!?!!??!??!??!?!?

[@SerxhioGjata]

At least it is also worse for the heretics. They send an army, the army dies on hallowed ground and now said army is essentially killing all consecutive armies they send

[@blackvolture3819]

but the trench ghosts attack both heretics and faithfulls?

[@scannerbarkly]

Yup. If you possess life, they hate you.

[@blackvolture3819]

@scannerbarkly The demons too ?

[@scannerbarkly]

Yessir.

[@Humansarebetter1]

Zero view in 35 seconds? Fell off (Jk love you scanner)

[@scannerbarkly]

I'm washed. :(

[@NovaXXX7]

Are we sure heaven is on humanity’s side? This seems actively detrimental to humanity’s victory. Hell is there like a coach for his boxer, and heaven can’t be asked to get asked to get off the couch.

[@Paradoxed25]

I've been excited for this game until they just decided to post exclusively from the CP trafficking site that doubles as a twitter clone. Dissapointing to see a company yet again completely implode their IP and potential over their politics. Not wasting my time with another company that despises its audience.

[@scannerbarkly]

Not sure what you are talking about, dude. They have Facebook pages and groups, Discord, Bluesky. I only heard about them taking a step back from Twitter? If, for some reason, you feel a kinship with a single social media platform, that's kinda dorky. Lol I post on Twitter, not really anywhere else, but there is zero way you catch me crying about this stuff.

[@Paradoxed25]

@scannerbarkly If a company isn't capable of reigning in its most radicalized staff from openly despizing on it's audience, its going to flop. People have gotten tired of companies acting like this. Its a genuine shame to see an IP go out of its way to alienate huge swaths of its potential customers.

[@scannerbarkly]

Wait, I just told you that you were wrong, either through being mistaken or telling a lie, and you are now moving on to some other point. Not really giving me any reason to engage with you further bud. I'd suggest you find something you like and just focus on that. Lots of people trying to get you to spend most of your energy on things you hate these days, and that's no way to live. Have a good one!

[@Miron_Marnic]

That sounds rather unpleasant

[@The-Gate-House-Grognard]

Welp, i just heard the dev team gave the finger to their conservative fans again, after alot of us went to bat for them and gave them the benefit of the doubt. If they want this to fail just hard as everything else wokies touch, they are doing a fantastic job. Cant give you anymore views, skanner. You have an amazing voice for this btw, no shade to you.

[@scannerbarkly]

Out of interest, what have they done that is upsetting to you?

[@matthewallen2273]

First!

[@scannerbarkly]

Mistake! You always let the new recruit go first. lol

[@RaijinX9Mokuzai]

It Probably Kills People With Barbed Wire Like That Scene In The Silent Hill Movie.