A defense of Female Space Marines

[andrewgpaul]

The whole "there are no female Space Marines" idea gets even more arbitrary (out-of-universe) when you consider that in the first supplemental material for Rogue Trader, the Ultramarines' Chief Librarian was a Half-Eldar. If the geneseed procedures worked on him, but not a woman, then it's a little odd

As to there being a lack of brothers in the Battle Brothers, well, let's just say John Blanche likes it that way, shall we?

[Utsanomiko]

Yeah, but Rogue Trader was a complete mess. I mean take a look at all that crappy artwork!

I really do not get the whole circular questioning of the out-of-universe explanation for male-only Marines. Why did the writers decide on only male Space Marines? Why did they decide the Imperium can't build tanks with different weapons without a pre-existing turret blueprint? Why did they decide on anything? Why didn't they just write an alt-universe WWII setting and run STGODs every evening?

Because they wanted a fucking story with some guidelines and some symbolism, and not just add in every possibility some teenager though up, now can't we either accept that or write our own muscle-women stories?

[Coalition]

One stunt, if you go with the military reality of women being less physically capable than men in combat, is to tweak a few stats.

Each time you subtract 1 from one of the following stats (player chooses):
* Weapon skill (Hand to hand ability)
* Strength
* Toughness
(must have 2 pts in a stat before you reduce it by 1, can only reduce each stat by 1)

You add 1 to one of the following skills (player chooses):
* Ballistic Skill (aiming)
* Initiative
* Leadership (max of 10)
(max change of 1 pt per, max stat after change is 10)

With those modifications, where are you going to find the most women? In leadership positions and driving tanks.

Men get to walk, fight and get shot; women get to think, drive, and shoot.

[Cykeisme]

Let this be a lesson, if the only plan you can come up with requires days of fevered effort to convince yourself it's a good idea...dont do it.

That's probably good advice

Corax basically tried accelerating the creation process by fast-tracking it, causing a lot of would-be Marines to end up as crazed mutant monsters, right?

[loomer]

Yep. And in the process, caused serious damage to his Legion (Geneseed corruption, I think.)

[Ford Prefect]

Yeah, but let's face it, Sisters of Battle just don't have anywhere near the badass factor of Space Marines.

You wouldn't be saying that just after a Sister of Battle ripped an Ork apart apart with her bare hands. I'm not exactly sure on the actual non-tabletop status of the Acts of Faith though, to be honest.

And quite frankly, they might not be raw manly badass, but there is something scary about a bunch of white haired chick waltzing right up to the door of a Space Marine Fortress and saying 'Hi, we're here to test your genetic purity, kay?' and then exterminating them if they don't pass. Just look at the Rainbow Warriors. They don't exist any more, and it was the Sisters of Battle who did it.

[Lancer]

Ahem. I refer you to one Sister Ephrael Stern; even when clad only in Dark Eldar swimwear, she's still quite badass.

Oh, and Coalition, if you were to mess with the stats in that manner, then you'd be saying that all women are crack snipers, have reflexes faster than the human eye can follow, but somehow are afflicted (at birth) with chronic osteoporosis.

For most of the statline, 3 represents what a typical physically fit human(oid) with training and good health can achieve. Any stats beyond that require either some exceptional physical ability, or years of intensive training and experience.

[Ford Prefect]

And remember folks, the stat-line can be very broad in what the number represents. Even orks can have S3, and they're often much bigger and stronger than most humans, perhaps even 'what the fuck is in the water' Volpone Storm Troopers.

Oh, and Coalition, if you were to mess with the stats in that manner, then you'd be saying that all women are crack snipers, have reflexes faster than the human eye can follow, but somehow are afflicted (at birth) with chronic osteoporosis.

Don't forget nerves of fucking steel beyond the level of other soldiers.

[Adrian Laguna]

Doesn't a squad of Napoleonic era infantry have pretty much the same stats as a squad of Guardsmen with laser guns?

[Ford Prefect]

Doesn't a squad of Napoleonic era infantry have pretty much the same stats as a squad of Guardsmen with laser guns?

Err, are there sample stats for Napoleonic infantry in 40k? Their physical stats might be similar, given that 3s are basically 'this is human-ish', but the chances are their equipment would not be. They probably wouldn't even have an armour save, not even a save of 6, like some smaller 'nids.

[Sidewinder]

As to there being a lack of brothers in the Battle Brothers, well, let's just say John Blanche likes it that way, shall we?

Can't a WH40K player simply paint the faces of his Space Marines in darker tones, e.g., to represent Black, Latino, Asian, or even Native American Space Marines?

[Ford Prefect]

Can't a WH40K player simply paint the faces of his Space Marines in darker tones, e.g., to represent Black, Latino, Asian, or even Native American Space Marines?

They can, yes. Obviously people do it all the time with the Salamanders, but it's fairly clear that certain Chapters aren't 'white': the White Scars are Mongols on motorcycles, for instance.

[Adrian Laguna]

Doesn't a squad of Napoleonic era infantry have pretty much the same stats as a squad of Guardsmen with laser guns?

Err, are there sample stats for Napoleonic infantry in 40k? Their physical stats might be similar, given that 3s are basically 'this is human-ish', but the chances are their equipment would not be. They probably wouldn't even have an armour save, not even a save of 6, like some smaller 'nids.

I was pretty sure the stat for a lasgun is also the same one submachineguns, bolt-action rifles, and a flintlock muskets.

[DPDarkPrimus]

Why the hell is this thread still going?

[Ford Prefect]

I was pretty sure the stat for a lasgun is also the same one submachineguns, bolt-action rifles, and a flintlock muskets.

The stat-line for lasguns is the same as the staline for Imperial Guard issue autoguns. I'm almost certain that no stats exist for muskets outside of Inquisitor.

[Adrian Laguna]

The stat-line for lasguns is the same as the staline for Imperial Guard issue autoguns. I'm almost certain that no stats exist for muskets outside of Inquisitor.

Ah, silly me.

[Imperial Overlord]

I was pretty sure the stat for a lasgun is also the same one submachineguns, bolt-action rifles, and a flintlock muskets.

The stat-line for lasguns is the same as the staline for Imperial Guard issue autoguns. I'm almost certain that no stats exist for muskets outside of Inquisitor.

Actually, they had stats for muskets way back in the Rogue Trader days. They weren't quite the equal of lasguns.

[Ford Prefect]

Actually, they had stats for muskets way back in the Rogue Trader days. They weren't quite the equal of lasguns.

I'm proven wrong then! Trust Rogue Trader to have muskets in it.

[Utsanomiko]

Why the hell is this thread still going?

Because it's pulling out some real golden lines, like the 'military reality' of female troopers being comparable to children or diminutive goblinoids.

'Stunts' indeed, I've seen better-crafted stunts on America's Funniest Home Videos.

Never mind that most Guard regiments are already 50/50 in genders, and in all likelyhood are probably encouraged to do so, lest their homeworlds' genetic pools are reduced from being tithed to total war-levels of drafting.

I'm waiting for someone to suggest that "well, maybe some Fabricator-General decided not to look at genetics religiously and re-invented new zygotes so there could be female Marines that are the same but with breasts."

[MJ12 Commando]

Well, maybe some fabricator general decided not to look at genetics religiously and got himself shot by heresy right before he finished making the blueprints for female space marines?

[Gullible Jones]

Here we go again.

[MJ12 Commando]

Here we go again.

If you're not sensing the sarcasm you might want to get that meter fixed.

[Gullible Jones]

My bad... that just didn't read as very sarcastic. I'll recalibrate my meter and polarize the neutrino flow, or something.

[Utsanomiko]

It'd be easier to detect if serious suggestions just like it didn't exist on the internet.

The Fabricator-General gathers his lex-mechanics and servitors together around a table of scrolls and data-crystals.

"Four words, men: Sculpted. Camel toe. codpieces."

Finger-mounted quills quiver in excitement.


(I have seen people sculpt camel-toed Guardswomen.)

[MJ12 Commando]

Better yet: Sculpted cameltoe codpieces... on male IG. :p