# Battle cant



## Sturmovic (Jun 18, 2011)

I'm a little cheesed we never ever get to hear this curt, efficient and awesome means of communications from Space Marines. It adds to the fact that they're killing machines based on humans on one hand-similar proportions, language and armour but on the other they're post-humans on a different level whole language and behaviour is more similar to machines than men.

What we get instead in most books is Space Marines vaguely waving their chainswords and screaming "There are enemies there, bruvvas!"
Am I missing any books, or is this a legitimate gripe?


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## tabbytomo (Aug 12, 2008)

It heavily depends on book and author, I'm fairly certain in Graham Mcneils Ultramarines series, there is a situation where a brother is told to do 40 days pennance or something for improper vox communication, and lean towards the ultramarines only using vox communication in battle for commands ect..otherwise 
yeh you do tend to get a lot of "the arch-enemy...KILL THEM ALL!!!"


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## Vaz (Mar 19, 2008)

It changes from Chapter to Chapter. Battle Cant for Space Wolves is called Wurgen (at least in 30K), while the (40K) White Scars is more akin to the "Quick Red Fox jumps over the lazy brown dog" (I think that means kill the priest, slaughter the children, rape the guardsmen, and crucify the pigeons, but I can't be sure).


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## Sturmovic (Jun 18, 2011)

So we get to hear quite a few references to it (Warmaster Honshu remarks that the Ultras haven't changed it in 10 millenia).

Do we ever get to hear it in action? SHOULD'NT WE?


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## tabbytomo (Aug 12, 2008)

I think there is a little, but obviously without explaining the meaning, its pointless, so authors tend to explain its being used briefly, and that's about it. A great example is the coded language Eisenhorn uses, can't remember what he calls it, but Dan Abnett goes over that quite extensively.


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## Vaz (Mar 19, 2008)

Sturmovic said:


> So we get to hear quite a few references to it (Warmaster Honshu remarks that the Ultras haven't changed it in 10 millenia).
> 
> Do we ever get to hear it in action? SHOULD'NT WE?


You do indeed. I forgot to place the quote - the White Scars is available in the Hunt For Voldorius - although that is entirely subjective to a) the chapter, and b) the location from Chogoris in which they are recruited, and Prospero Burns contains the links for Wurgen.

Wet Leopard Growl my tushy.


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## hailene (Aug 28, 2009)

There's a small problem:

Either the author writes out the cant and we the readers either have to learn a new "language" or be left in the dark.

The other option is the author writes what the Space Marines say in their battle-cant and then translate it into normal English for us.

The first option is too much effort for us (and a fair bit for the authors, too) while the second ruins the flow.

Abnett does a decent intra-group cant with glossia. But they generally don't do it _in_ battle. If they do it's explained before the action as not to break the flow. And flow is very important during a combat sequence.


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