There is, on the face of it, very little difference between the 30K Legions. Why would you choose one over the other? 90% of the units are the same if you’re a gamer, so is it a matter of aesthetics and picking your favourite colour? Even if you’re not a gamer and just love the ever increasing series of books, why do you favour the grey ones over the white ones, when they’re cutting aliens into bloody chunks in an equally as visceral fashion?

Were about to delve a little deeper in to those whys, in a new series for Corehammer. In it, we’ll be asking readers the same set of questions, in an attempt to get some understanding, and hopefully insight into why that legion speaks a person’s soul more so than the others. And on the flip side, are there any legions you don’t like, can’t stand or even hate.

If you’d like to get involved, just drop us a line at corehammercrew@gmail.com and let us know what your legion is. You don’t need to be a 30k gamer, painters/modellers and readers are more than welcome as this is a subject that spans the whole hobby.

So, without further ado, here’s part one, with Carl Tuttle from the awesome The Independent Characters podcast. Who as listeners will know, has a Word Bearers army with some tasty looking daemon allies.

First up, can you let us know who you are.

My name is Carl Tuttle. I have been involved with Warhammer 40k and wargaming in general for about 9 years now. Not as long as some folks. I have however, been involved in Role Playing Games in one form or another for about 35 years or so. In regards to the Warhammer 40k Community, over the last 5+ years I have run a Podcast called The Independent Characters.

Would you consider yourself a gamer, painter or more geared toward the book aspect of the heresy?

I consider myself a “renaissance player” of 40k and Horus Heresy. What I mean by this is that I actually enjoy all four “pillars” of the games. I love collecting the models of course, but I also very much enjoy painting armies. The game itself is a lot of fun, but I tend to play games where I socialize a lot during them. The game for me is really a time for socializing with friends.

As far as the lore of The Horus Heresy, I am a pretty avid reader of the Black Library Novels. I by no means consider myself an expert on the subject matter, but I do enjoy reading the books, and have become friends with several of the authors over the years as a result of the Podcast. In particular, I enjoy reading the lore in the Horus Heresy Forge World books.

Which is your chosen legion then?

The Word Bearers. The literal architects of the Heresy. These are the guys for me. No matter what legion I chose, it HAD to be a traitor legion initially.

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 actually disagree with the summary of the legions as being “identikit”. There are actually quite a few unique units across the legions that have been released so far. In particular with The Word Bearers you have several – but the Gal Vorbak stand out for me!

While I am not the largest fan of Lorgar himself, I do appreciate the power that he wields. In particular once he leaves the Eye of Chaos. What really sold me on this legion was the ability to ally in demons. I love my Chaos forces, and nothing screams fallen angels like being able to summon demons (and in the case of the Gal Vorbak – sell yourselves to them!).

It has always been a legion that has interested me. Their religious fervor for the Chaos Gods feels so vile. I love playing the villain, that probably comes from being a DM in so many Dungeons and Dragons games. And no one is a bigger villain than these guys.

Can you pinpoint the moment when you though “Yeah, this is the legion for me”?

Looking through Horus Heresy 2 and seeing the color plates detailing out the vehicle of The Word Bearers. The idea of having the mystic symbols on the vehicles and the combination of colors (Red and Black) really appealed to me.

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?

Oh yes. As a Chaos Space Marine player in Warhammer 40k I am well aware of who and what The Word Bearers are. My first CSM army was Death Guard, but after seeing a really well painted Word Bearers army on a forum I was a member of, I had wished that I had chosen them initially!

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.

Lorgar is a bit of a whiney guy. I’ll admit it. There are Primarchs that I certainly think are cooler. I’m not the hugest fan of Lorgar personally. However, as I said earlier, there is no denying the power he wields in his “ultimate form”. He is one of the most powerful psykers in the Horus Heresy game so far. And I love that the power he tosses around is granted to him by the Chaos Gods!

Final thoughts?

For those thinking about Horus Heresy gaming and how to get into it – we just recently discussed this topic on The Independent Characters and it can be found here: http://theindependentcharacters.com/blog/?p=3633

We usually finish every blog post with a music track, can you give us a song that in your mind sums up your legion?

If I had to pick a good theme it would probably be Firestarter by The Prodigy!