Ever tried blowing your nose whilst wearing the fists of Ultramar? Neither has Roboute.
Following on from Greg’s Q&A on the Rout, we have our first reader submission here, with Zachary’s Ultramarines with a twist, so, without further ado;
First up, can you let us know who you are?
I’m Zac, Cpt America on most 40k and 30k forums, and I live in Detroit, Michigan. I’ve been playing Warhammer since 1995.
Would you consider yourself a gamer, painter or more geared toward the book aspect of the heresy?
I like to think of myself as a bit of all of those, but not particularly the best at any. I do well enough at gaming to put up a good fight and get a win here and there and enjoy tournament settings to a point. I’m a decent painter, but I’m still learning new techniques all the time. I also greatly enjoy the background and stories set during the Heresy.
The Spartan, bane of hobbyists the world over.
Which is your chosen legion then?
The XIII Legion Astartes, the Avenging Sons. The Ultramarines.
Alternate models in the mix as some HQ choices.
What flicks your switches about them, in a world where there are essentially 20 identikit armies with different coloured armour, why that one legion over another? Did you choose them or did they choose you as you became exposed to them?
I began playing 40k when the original Ultramarines 2nd Ed. Codex was released. I’ve been a stalwart Ultramarine player ever since. I don’t own any other army other than them. I think it was the stories of the Ultramarines, the iconic nature that drew me in. They aren’t flashy, they don’t have anything really that makes them stand out but when you think about Space Marines, the XIII pop up in your head first.
Can you pinpoint the moment when you though “Yeah, this is the legion for me”? It was the stories of the Ultramarines during the Heresy that got me into 40k! In reality, I guess I was just a 30k player stuck in 40k for almost 2 decades. Know No Fear just cemented it further. The imagery of the very skies falling down around them, the world itself turning against them, under fire and being massacred by supposed brothers for an offense that really had nothing to do with them specifically and still coming out on top? Yeah, that’s how I want to be.
A cinematic shot of Zac’s Ultramarines against some nicely done scenery.
Were you aware of the legion before the Heresy books and games began appearing, or has the passion for your chosen legion sprung from the new wealth of information now available?
I knew who they were long ago, but the new background and information has just been helpful to break away from the view that they are a “vanilla” or “dull” army. Having the background that the army operates on two levels, Theoretical and Practical, was such a cool idea. They run normally on Practicals, tried and true tactics and procedures that guide them to success but also having the ability to think up Theoretical tactics on the fly as conditions change keeps their warfare fresh. (Minor Spoiler) That’s where we got Aeonid Thiel, the Ultramarine Sergeant who was the one person who thought the best Theoretical plan was to prepare against other Space Marines because they were the toughest force in the galaxy. He was about to be majorly demoted by the Primarch himself when it turned out, he was the only one running on a solid Practical.
What are your thoughts on the primarch of your chosen legion, are you also a fan of them as the two don’t necessarily have to go hand in hand?
Ever prepared, multitasking, and started building an empire before the Emperor even found him. He’s the Boy Scout. He exudes confidence while not being arrogant. He’s a superhero among superheroes. He does get a reputation for being TOO good but you know the saying, “Haters gonna hate”.
We usually finish every blog post with a music track, can you give us a song that in your mind sums up your legion? This is probably the hardest question on here. Ultramarines don’t lend well thematically to standard songs. I’ll go with a Theoretical and a Practical, to keep with the Ultramarine theme. Practical will be a musical score to keep the iconic feel, Alan Silvestri’s The Avengers. Theoretical, I’ll pick Eminem’s Won’t Back Down.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72MeeEMDXps
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTS3G13wweU
Great article, never really thought before what made me paint my 2nd ed starter set marines red, instead of blue like zac, but like him i have only ever collected the sons of sanguinius since then…
That said to my mind No Guts, No Glory by Bolt thrower and Callisto Rising or The Hammer of the Emperor by Bal Sagoth are better fits for the ultramarines with my musical tastes..
Get involved if you wanna walk us thru your bloon angels in a future article?