# Greatest Threat To The Imperium?



## D-A-C (Sep 21, 2010)

Hey everyone.

This idea for a discussion came to me when reading the many, many comments which deride poor old Abaddon the Despoiler.

Basically it would seem that the majority of people seem to think he is a big failure and an even bigger joke, which got me thinking ...

*If Abaddon isn't the greatest threat to the Imperium, then what is?

Now, the important thing to keep in mind is that this question has to be taken from the point of view of the High Lords of Terra.

Imagine them getting the various reports and information; what would they consider to be the threat which deserves the largest allocation of the thinly spread Imperial resources?

*
Lets consider:

*Craftworld Eldar* - These guys are somewhat unique as they help the Imperium from time to time (due to their own interests of course) and then at other times would attack the Imperium, say for settling some of their worlds or what have you. I would imagine that the High Lords would be constantly trying to find out the secrets of the Eldar, and basically take the place that was once theirs, as masters of the galaxy. Sure the Imperium is the powerhouse of 40k, but technologically the secrets of the Eldar would be invaluable. 

The threat of the Eldar however would be minimal to none. There is no chance the Eldar could ever seriously challenge the Imperium in anything more than local areas of space and so I would think that more resources are poured into getting their secrets and technology than in actually wiping them out.

*Dark Eldar *- These guys are basically pirates. Technological advanced pirates, but pirates all the same. They would probably be considered a nuisance to the Imperium rather than a full blown threat. Sure to the worlds they raid and pillage they are terrifying in their power, but like their 'good' bretheran its a localised power. It poses no threat to the majority of the Imperium. 

*Necrons* - I am not familiar with the updating that has gone on with these guys in their latest codex, but from what I do know about these guys it would seem they would be considered a threat worth monitoring. Sure we might know alot about how dangerous the Necrons truly are, and how there are loads of tombworlds lying dormant everywhere and how Mars might be home to a C'Tan ... but ... to the High Lords I would say the Necrons aren't that huge of a problem. Sure they appreciate how powerful they are when they are encountered, but I would consider the Necrons to be more of a threat under investigation and would doubt they have a significant task force assigned to wiping them out. 

*Tyranids *- I would say these guys are a major headache for the High Lords. We all know how thinly spread the Imperium's resources are and then these things come bulldozing into Imperial space devouring everything in their path. They are basically a terrifying snowball that gets bigger and bigger and bigger as it rolls from planet to planet and system to system. I would guess that when the various Hive Fleets appear that all local resources are put on immediate alert and are re-directed against the Tyranids, no matter what their previous assignments. However I would still guess that the Tyranids aren't seen as a threat to the Imperium itself, and are a localised problem. 

The danger the Tyranids possess is that the current fleets are just the start of something bigger, and eventually, more and more of the things will turn up in the near future. If they were to continue to appear from time to time, they could in no way threaten the stability of the entire Imperium, only enmasse could they ever truly pose a serious problem for the High Lords, and even then, its only because there are so many other threats as well, that draw resources away from purely dealing with the Hive Fleets.

*Tau -* I doubt the High Lords give the Tau much thought to be honest. Sure we know about them, but I think the Imperium probably knows about thousands of xeno races just like the Tau, and probably considers them as generic Xeno's X, Y, or Z. Sure they have nice technology, but its nothing to get in a particular tizzy about. Its not Eldar advanced after all. I think these guys are definately a regional problem, and would doubt if the High Lords even bother discussing them to be honest. 

*Orks *- I would say these guys are a major concern for the High Lords. Of all the problems the High Lords face these are by far the oldest. Don't forget the big E was dealing with these things when he was up and active before the Heresy, and even he nearly got throttled by a Big Ork Boss. 

I would guess a large portion of the Imperium's resources are devoted to fighting the Orks, just because of the sheer amount of them there are. Its often forgotting that these guys are alot like the Tyranids, in that they can snowball and get out of hand really quick. One Imperial planet falls, then the Orks quickly spread and take another planet and another and then you have a full blown waaagghh on your hands. I think Orks are a major concern for the High Lords. 

*Chaos* - Finally we have the forces of Chaos led by the new Warmaster Abaddon the Despoiler. Think about it for a second and you will realise that Abaddon terrifies the sh*t out of the High Lords. There is a reason why his name is only whispered. Only Chaos has the potential to truly threaten the entire Imperium. Heresy can spread through almost any form and for any reason. The entire Imperial faith is centred around sniffing it out and then quickly destroying it. 

The High Lords would rather see entire planets and even systems be put to the sword than allow even a small Chaos Cult to take root or trace of daemonic corruption to remain. Abaddon is seen as the personification of this evil. He is actually considered to be Horus' clone. The bastard son who has returned at the head of massive Black Crusades intended to finish what his 'father' started. The Cadian system is the most heavily fortified region of Imperial Space, I would argue, even moreso than Terra itself. The High Lords pour tens of thousands of Astartes and countless millions of Imperial guardsmen into just patrolling the damn thing, let alone when a Crusade actually breaks out of the Eye and into real space. 



That's my take on things anyway. Am I wrong? Imagine your on the High Council at Terra. What do you think would be considered the biggest threat to the Imperium.

My opinion is that Abaddon the Despoiler is the greatest threat, with the Orks coming a respectable second in terms of sheer threat. 

What do you think?


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## bitsandkits (Mar 18, 2008)

Interpretive dance


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## cegorach (Nov 29, 2010)

Like you I have not read up on the new Necron fluff, but from what little I gather the Necrons are pretty much unstoppable, which makes them the biggest threat, second biggest threat, but only by the narrowest of margins because like the necrons they are also unstoppable is the tyranids. 

But from a high lords of Terra point of view you are correct. Seeing as the orks have caused just slightly more damage than the tyranids (in my opinion so far) the high lords don't give the tyranids or the necrons enough credit so they still view chaos and orks as top priority, even though (now lets be honest kids) they really are not.


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## Malus Darkblade (Jan 8, 2010)

craftworld eldar: no, they need the Imperium to help thin their enemies and keep things in check.

dark eldar: too small, they aren't concerned with taking over the galaxy

necrons: too fragmented to cause a threat and their goal is to unite their species before conquering the others

tyranids: an actual threat. they do not have anything holding them back unlike the Chaos powers who want a continous stream of emotions/followers

Tau: lol

Orks: they fight each other too much to be a real threat, perhaps a fail safe built into them by the Old Ones.

chaos: supposedly the greatest threat but they don't want to destroy humanity and arguably the imperium surviving would suit them better because it would produce more souls than an empire under chaos rule


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## spanner94ezekiel (Jan 6, 2011)

I'd say Nids, then Crons, then Chaos.
Nids are an ever growing threat to the Imperium as the Hive Fleets keep growing in size and intelligence, with new adaptations every time. And, apparently we haven't seen even some of the biomorphs they've got outside the galaxy.
Crons are a galaxy-wide threat with tomb worlds like everywhere, and so far very few of them have reanimated. What with all their anti-warp technology they're pretty deadly, even if the C'Tan are now just Shards (which technically improves the position of the necrons themselves.
Chaos is a threat to the Imperium, but only to a certain extent as without the Imperium Chaos would disappear. So they'll wreak havoc and play it to their advantage, but never actually destroy it.
Orks would be considered a threat but they're so disunited that they would never be able to take on the whole Imperium. Everything else is basically a joke, except for maybe the technology they have could be stolen/utilised by others.


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## ThatOtherGuy (Apr 13, 2010)

Chaos is still the greatest threat. Its persistent, consistent, always there, near impossible to remove and will always have the Imperium by its throat in terms of anarchy and destruction. All the other races have some means to repel them completely. But chaos will always be there regardless of what you do.


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## Malus Darkblade (Jan 8, 2010)

But because it will always exist, it must mean something is keeping it in the picture.

Chaos shares a parasitic nature with the Imperium and thus humanity. While it can survive without it, it would be at a terrible loss given how much it has invested in the Emperor's subjects.

tldr: it's a threat that chooses not to bare its fangs and silence its prey because it needs food so the title goes to the Nid's who have no such restrictions


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## Child-of-the-Emperor (Feb 22, 2009)

In terms of what the High Lords consider the greatest threat: Chaos without a shadow of a doubt. In terms of Chaos itself and the mortal forces of Chaos. 

Even the High Lords tremble at the mention of Abaddon the Despoiler and fear the day that he will unite the traitors into an unstoppable tide that will besiege Holy Terra. The 13th Black Crusade has arguably been the most devastating war since the Horus Heresy itself, and has certainly involved the largest mobilisation of Imperial forces in ten millennia. The final newsletter of the Eye of Terror campaign stated:

_"...At the close of the Thirteenth Black Crusade, Cadia still stands. But she stands alone, a failing beacon flickering against the encroaching night. Total war is come to Segmentum Obscurus, and all hopes of repelling the invaders are dashed. The Imperium must now consolidate its grip upon those worlds it still holds, and prepare to fight a war that will not end within the lifetime of any of its combatants. While Cadia still stands, humanity has reason to hope, but Abaddon the Despoiler has finally achieved what he has failed to do on twelve previous occasions, over ten thousand years- he has breached the Cadian Gate, and none can now hold back the inexorable tide of Chaos unleashed upon the Imperium of Man."_

Which just goes to show that the 13th Black Crusade and Abaddon himself are grossly underestimated by a large segment of the fanbase.

Beyond that, Chaos itself probably poses a greater threat to the Imperium than it's mortal followers. It's nature which is to irreversibly corrupt is the sole reason why the Imperium finds itself in the situation it is currently in.


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## Old Man78 (Nov 3, 2011)

european debt!!!!!


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## Malus Darkblade (Jan 8, 2010)

Child-of-the-Emperor said:


> Beyond that, Chaos itself probably poses a greater threat to the Imperium than it's mortal followers. It's nature which is to irreversibly corrupt is the sole reason why the Imperium finds itself in the situation it is currently in.


I recall you mentioned something along these lines or maybe it was someone else but do the Chaos powers and Abaddon share the same agenda? 

Surely the Chaos powers like the way things are while Abbadon wants to ruin the very thing they have planned to achieve aka a stagnant Imperium?


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## Deadeye776 (May 26, 2011)

I'd say Chaos and I don't mean with Abbaddon. The traitors are their own force in my opinion with Chaos backing but you can have a daemonic attack with no traitors involved.I don't think the Gods care Abbaddon fails as he keeps the Imperium in the state that the cabal had feared. Unlike Horus he will never see what he's doing as wrong and he will always be in a position to harass them. Maybe they never wanted Horus to succeed. Who knows. The Necrons without the star gods I'm sorry are the equivalent of a more powerful eldar threat. The tech is beyond imagination but they are no longer on the Chaos or Tyranid level in my opinon. The C'tan edge gave them a power that no other force had which is Gods backing them. Without that they are a normal xenos threat. The oks have their breeding and infesation edge. The eldar have the technological and warp affinity edge.Neither of these have reall "gods" to look after them as they are now shadows of themselves in shards and dreams. The Necrons have tech and immortality. 

My list goes like this and I list why:

1. Chaos. Why? The only way the Imperium defeats Chaos is shown by the Cabal. No other threat they face requires that sacrifice. Victory means extinction. 

2. The Tyranids. Why? Unstoppable breeding with inexhaustable numbers. They cannot be talked to or reasoned with. The Hive Mind seems to have the same goals as a great white shark. Eating and breeding. Everything else is details. 

3. The Necrons. Why? They were above the tyranids with the original fluff. With the plyon tech of the Void Dragon and the Nightbringers efforts they were unstoppable. The tyranids could gain nothing from these inorganic creatures and in a long war would I would say with the combination of the star gods and the super advanced tech they have could actually defeat the tyranids. Now they've been made into something more worldly and tangible. The tech is still above anything anyone has but without C'tan like the Void Dragon I don't see them as much as a threat. 

4. Ork. Why? Old school. They've always been there.

5. Dark Eldar.Why? With number below the orks and breeding a problem for both dark and regular eldar they fall to five. These guys don't want to dominate shit. They want to raid and pillage. Sadistic practices and sneaky tactics are their thing. At the core they are all still running from She Who Thirsts.

6. Eldar. Why? Same thing like the above without the sadistic crap. Impotence and the Prince of Pleasure chasing them has made them turn from a galactic power to a race running to survive. Everthing they do is to hold on to what they have and survive. I don't think they want to really dominate the universe again and are now like nomads. The tech is a threat and their avatars are awesome. Other than that they are now shadows of their former power.

7. Tau.Why? I actually think as some point they will be wiped out by someone. Hopefully the tyranids.


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## Warlock in Training (Jun 10, 2008)

ThatOtherGuy said:


> Chaos is still the greatest threat. Its persistent, consistent, always there, near impossible to remove and will always have the Imperium by its throat in terms of anarchy and destruction. All the other races have some means to repel them completely. But chaos will always be there regardless of what you do.





Child-of-the-Emperor said:


> In terms of what the High Lords consider the greatest threat: Chaos without a shadow of a doubt. In terms of Chaos itself and the mortal forces of Chaos.
> 
> Even the High Lords tremble at the mention of Abaddon the Despoiler and fear the day that he will unite the traitors into an unstoppable tide that will besiege Holy Terra. The 13th Black Crusade has arguably been the most devastating war since the Horus Heresy itself, and has certainly involved the largest mobilisation of Imperial forces in ten millennia. The final newsletter of the Eye of Terror campaign stated:
> 
> ...


Chaos for the Pwn everytime. 

Nids are overestimated and cant fight the Chaos Powers, Necs are already beaten by ELDAR of all things. Losers.


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## Mossy Toes (Jun 8, 2009)

Chaos is the constant omnipresent moral danger, the parasite that leeches away inevitably at the Imperium, bound up in its very fabric, so it's the largest day-to-day threat. The threat of a Tyranid big mamma fleet (Hive Fleet Pantheon?) comes next. It will be more unstoppable than anything else the galaxy can produce (since it's not of this galaxy; in fact, its not of a dozen galaxies, but has eaten them all), but is still largely theoretical at this point. Then Orks, the massive danger that remains roughly constant in size but that only grows more dangerous to the crumbling Imperium degrades and deteriorates.

Necrons have proven themselves a far more fractured, egotistical and self-absorbed faction than the previous codex implied. Noooope.


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## SoL Berzerker (May 5, 2009)

'Nids hands down. Necrons are strong, but they are not exactly united. Same with the Orks. Eldar and Dark Eldar are both fading away. Tau is not exactly on the worst of terms with the Imperium. Chaos will never destroy the Imperium because they need their souls. 

Tyranids are the only race who NEEDS to consume humanity, and all the other races, for its survival. They need the biomass, so they will never stop attacking.


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## Child-of-the-Emperor (Feb 22, 2009)

There is a subtle implication in the new Necron lore which suggests that the main body of Tyranids is not a truly _unstoppable_ horde as previously suggested. The Silent King seems to be under the impression that if the Necron Dynasties were united they would be capable of stopping the Tyranids proper, although of course this is in no way assured. Just one interpretation.

It is also worth noting however that the Necrons also possess the null field matrix which has proven effective against the Tyranids...


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## Deadeye776 (May 26, 2011)

Maybe the silent king should do as his namesake and shut the hell up(I mean the character). With this new story the Necrons are literally now a shadow of the threat they originally posed. The original Necrons with the C'tan? Yeah they definitely could give the Nids a run for their money.The new ass-clowns would be devoured. Now that you have mortal things like ambition,dissentionm,and desire muddling the Necrons while before they were silent death the Nids would destroy them.


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## Child-of-the-Emperor (Feb 22, 2009)

Deadeye776 said:


> Maybe the silent king should do as his namesake and shut the hell up(I mean the character). With this new story the Necrons are literally now a shadow of the threat they originally posed. The original Necrons with the C'tan? Yeah they definitely could give the Nids a run for their money.The new ass-clowns would be devoured. Now that you have mortal things like ambition,dissentionm,and desire muddling the Necrons while before they were silent death the Nids would destroy them.


I don't really see how you can come to that conclusion to be honest. I don't see how the new lore has reduced the Necrons as a threat at all. The only difference is the seperation of the C'tan into shards (which are still immensely powerful).


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## Warlock in Training (Jun 10, 2008)

Im so curious as to how Nids are getting ANY votes comapred to Chaos. Everyone who votes Nids say "Chaos aint that badass they need the Imperium blah, blah, blah" ..... What? Thats like saying Humans arnt a threat to the Cow Species cause we like Burgers. Chaos is the biggest threat cause UNLIKE Nids they can consume everything at once as the Horus heresy showed. As things are now is more fun for them. Then to add that they cant be touch by Nids which means Humans can ez pwn Nids by worshipping Chaos. Nids are pathetic when compared to the four powers. Its like comparing Sadam to Hitler. No contest whos more evil and more capable.


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## Deadeye776 (May 26, 2011)

Before the Necrons were a cold,methodical,emotionless,cryptic force of cosmic nature.They represented the same thing that Chaos did but in the Material universe. Once they resurrected they're Gods it would be the end. Now? They are a fractured race where the God's are utilized the same as the Eldar use Khaine. The C'tan are no longer a force. The Necrons are a fractured race. Sounds a lot like a bit more powerful version of the eldar now to be honest. You never knew what they were thinking or they're goals. They couldn't be reasoned with or bartered too. You either destroyed them or died. Maybe the Nightbringer fed on your essence. You look at what they are now and tell me they still represent that.Hell no. Now they are just another powerful xenos threat.


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## SoL Berzerker (May 5, 2009)

Warlock in Training said:


> Everyone who votes Nids say "Chaos aint that badass they need the Imperium blah, blah, blah" ..... What? Thats like saying Humans arnt a threat to the Cow Species cause we like Burgers.


You cannot even make that comparison because humanity is the chaos gods ONLY food source. If cows were our only food source we would be much more careful with how much of it we eat, and we would most certainly not wipe it out all at once, even though we could. If anything is your only food source, you'd treat it with care, but you would need to slaughter some of them every once and a while. 

But I digress.

I don't think it matters who the biggest threat is to humanity, I think it's just safe to say that humanity is F**KED!


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## Child-of-the-Emperor (Feb 22, 2009)

SoL Berzerker said:


> You cannot even make that comparison because humanity is the chaos gods ONLY food source. If cows were our only food source we would be much more careful with how much of it we eat, and we would most certainly not wipe it out all at once, even though we could. If anything is your only food source, you'd treat it with care, but you would need to slaughter some of them every once and a while.
> 
> But I digress.
> 
> I don't think it matters who the biggest threat is to humanity, I think it's just safe to say that humanity is F**KED!


Umm... humanity is *not* the only _"food source"_ of the Chaos Gods.



Deadeye776 said:


> Before the Necrons were a cold,methodical,emotionless,cryptic force of cosmic nature.They represented the same thing that Chaos did but in the Material universe. Once they resurrected they're Gods it would be the end. Now? They are a fractured race where the God's are utilized the same as the Eldar use Khaine. The C'tan are no longer a force. The Necrons are a fractured race. Sounds a lot like a bit more powerful version of the eldar now to be honest. You never knew what they were thinking or they're goals. They couldn't be reasoned with or bartered too. You either destroyed them or died. Maybe the Nightbringer fed on your essence. You look at what they are now and tell me they still represent that.Hell no. Now they are just another powerful xenos threat.


The Necrons of the old lore were fractured after the _Great Sleep_ as well remember, with only the Lords and other high-ranking individuals maintaining individual minds. The only thing that has really changed in terms of the Necrons themselves is the introduction of the dynasties and other such-things which has only given them new depth lore-wise.

Also, the only thing that has changed in terms of how much of a threat they pose is the shattering of the C'tan. Considering the Necrons possessed the technology and knowledge to shatter _"near-omnipotent"_ god-like entities and then enslave those shards to do their bidding speaks volumes. The Necrons themselves pose just as much of a threat as they once did to be honest. As I said, the only real difference lies in the shattering of C'tan - with each shard still being an entity _"of near-unlimited power"_. While not obviously as much of a threat as the parent-C'tan, they are still not to be underestimated. There may be a reduction in potential threat level given the shattering of the C'tan (but being reduced as a threat level when they used to have near-omnipotent gods afoot in the galaxy does not mean they now only pose little threat), but they still pose just as much of a threat as say the Tyranids or Greenskins, if not more so. 

We may as well agree to disagree though to be honest.


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## Warlock in Training (Jun 10, 2008)

SoL Berzerker said:


> You cannot even make that comparison because humanity is the chaos gods ONLY food source. If cows were our only food source we would be much more careful with how much of it we eat, and we would most certainly not wipe it out all at once, even though we could. If anything is your only food source, you'd treat it with care, but you would need to slaughter some of them every once and a while.
> 
> But I digress.
> 
> I don't think it matters who the biggest threat is to humanity, I think it's just safe to say that humanity is F**KED!


:laugh: LOL :laugh:.... thats a good one. (wipes tear from eye) Ever heard of Slaanesh? He feeds of the Eldar souls more so than Humans... you know that? No? How about Fulgrim HH Novel, where a whole Alien Species was worshipping him too? Still not getting it? Theres a Story in the Caemons of Orks who invaded a Khorn DP planet and after killing them he decided to take their souls and remake them over and over again to shed blood. Heres a shocker for ya, in the 3rd Ed C:GK had a story of a Hive Fleet carrying Nurgles Rot doing Nurgles dirty work for him wherever they go. :laugh: Like I said Cows live cause we like Burgers.


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## CardShark (Dec 20, 2010)

From the high lords perspective chaos without a doubt. Lets not forget it was chaos that caused the Horus Heresy.
However if united I can see necrons becoming a very credible threat to the imperium as well as the rest of the galaxy.


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## cheeto (Apr 1, 2011)

D-A-C said:


> *
> 
> Now, the important thing to keep in mind is that this question has to be taken from the point of view of the High Lords of Terra.
> *


Ha! It was a trick question and everyone fell for it. The High Lords of Terra are politicians, and like almost every other politician, a self absorbed fuck head completely detached from reality. Take the high lords individually for example... What would the administratum consider to be the greatest threat to the imperium? I'd have to say the Ecclesiarchy... and so on...


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## Malus Darkblade (Jan 8, 2010)

The power of the Ecc. has been reigned in and diminished after the Age of Apostasy so they no longer are a threat to the High Lords or ever will be again.


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## cheeto (Apr 1, 2011)

Malus Darkblade said:


> The power of the Ecc. has been reigned in and diminished after the Age of Apostasy so they no longer are a threat to the High Lords or ever will be again.


Never say never, but that wasn't really the point


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## Deadeye776 (May 26, 2011)

The real greatest threat to the Mankind is the Imperium. Because of the faulty way it was setup to be completely dependant on the Emperor and his guidance it was innevitable that things would go south. Steeped in dogma,racism,paranoia,and lack of innovation they themselves have weakened the Imperium to the point it's at now. All those people and your telling me none of them have the intuition to come up with useful technology? Bullshit. You put 40 billion people in galaxy and someone going to be a Steven Hawkings. The Imperium is a dying cancer ridden carcass of itself former self. The truth being that they were smoking 6 packs a day and are responsible for the disease now afflicting them.


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## stephen.w.langdon (Jan 1, 2012)

Biggest threat to the Imperium from the view of the High Lords of Terra, that would be Chaos, and as for a rational reason to why they would perceive this?

They do not need one, remember even the Emperor believe that the Chaos gods where the biggest threat to his Empire, and tried to defeat them by wiping all Knowledge of Faith from the Galaxy, this is also one of the reasons why he tried to wipe out every other Xeno Species, as he could control the minds of Man but not of the Alien (**note this is my personal view, no evidence to back this up**)

As for my personal view, I would say that the Nid’s are the biggest threat not only to the Imperium but to the whole Galaxy, including Chaos itself, bare with me on this one people,

The Nids represent a species that has numbers that potentially outnumbers the Imperium and Orcs combined not to mention potentially the other races as well, so far we have only the advanced scouting swarms and as they absorb new bio mater they evolve to take on that threat, biological or technological and they do this at a rate that no race can keep up with technology wise (I would venture not even the Tau)

Now as to why I think they are a treat to Chaos, Chaos needs sentient beings to survive in the material realm, if the Nid’s do what they do to every other Galaxy they have encountered and wipe it clean of all bio matter then who will worship the Chaos God’s? (see my point)

**on a side note, if the Necron’s keep themselves buried and wait for the Nids to come and go, they will have the Galaxy to themselves without a fight, remember if they bury themselves deep enough the Nids will prob bypass them, as no Bio Matter (again just my personal view**


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## Davidicus 40k (Jun 4, 2010)

D-A-C, I think you should've made "*Now, the important thing to keep in mind is that this question has to be taken from the point of view of the High Lords of Terra*" super-extra-enormously large, or perhaps written it in caps, or maybe filled the whole first page with posts that state that simple stipulation. *From the point of view of the High Lords of Terra*, I think you're spot-on. Chaos would be the ever-present, ever-dangerous threat, but I think they'd view Chaos as more of an assault on the mind first and a physical concern second. Chaos can corrupt anyone, but not all of the corrupted become insane enough to rise up as cultists and become part of the Lost and the Damned. Because Chaos is a two-fold threat, it is far more deadly than the next highest threat, Orks, who are numerous, brutal, annoying, and some of the oldest enemies of Mankind.

Tyranids would be third. While their incursions are sporadic, they're insanely damaging. It's easier to predict a Tyranids incursion than a spontaneous Ork WAAAAAAGH! or a Warp rift opening up in space and spilling out a bunch of crazy killy guys, but the Imperium is hard-pressed to respond and react quickly, so the initial toll is astronomical. Eldar would be fourth, Necrons would be fifth, and Dark Eldar would be sixth. Yes, the Eldar have shown self-serving cooperation in the past, but I think the advanced level of their technology and their deceptiveness make them a concern for the High Lords, more so than relatively rare Necron awakenings and Dark Eldar raids.


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## SoulGazer (Jun 14, 2009)

stephen.w.langdon said:


> **on a side note, if the Necron’s keep themselves buried and wait for the Nids to come and go, they will have the Galaxy to themselves without a fight, remember if they bury themselves deep enough the Nids will prob bypass them, as no Bio Matter (again just my personal view**


You are probably correct, however the Necrons have no intention of going back to sleep. Much of the lore indicates that the Necrons capable of higher thinking find the stasis sleeping really uncomfortable and disorienting. They _could_ if they had to, yes, but it's entirely possible that the galaxy would not regrow life after the Nids get done with it.

Plus some of the Necrons would rather enjoy having Astartes bodies to transfer into once they take over the galaxy again. :grin:

OT: The only real threat from the Necrons is if somehow a C'tan gets fully reformed, which would be a very bad thing for everyone and not just the Imperium, or if the Necron at the controls of the Celestial Orrery suffers a horrible fit of robot narcolepsy and accidentally extinguishes the flame that represents the Sol system. :laugh:


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## Aramoro (Oct 7, 2009)

Chaos is the greatest fear to the High Lords and therefore the greatest fear they face. Largely because Chaos is essentially humans, just corrupt ones. They can look at an Ork or a Gaunt and see it's an Ork or a Gaunt. you can tell everyone what they are and what to look out for. With Chaos it could be the guy standing beside you, your neighbour, your friend. And if it wasn't last week it might be this week. Chaos is a manifestation of mortal weaknesses. The Chaos gods will always listen to someone who doesn't even think they are praying to Chaos for greater power and ability, sowing the seeds of corruption and doubt. That's why Chaos is purged so fully for seemingly minor cults. It can literally spring from nowhere at any time, in any place.


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## khrone forever (Dec 13, 2010)

id have to say: the ammount of these threads drowning the imperium in thousands, upon thousands of lines of text


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## Karak The Unfaithful (Feb 13, 2011)

khrone forever said:


> id have to say: the ammount of these threads drowning the imperium in thousands, upon thousands of lines of text


In the 41st Mellenium...there is only text


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## D-A-C (Sep 21, 2010)

cheeto said:


> Ha! It was a trick question and everyone fell for it. The High Lords of Terra are politicians, and like almost every other politician, a self absorbed fuck head completely detached from reality. Take the high lords individually for example... What would the administratum consider to be the greatest threat to the imperium? I'd have to say the Ecclesiarchy... and so on...


That's actually very clever and never thought of that to be honest lol. Politicians are a neaky lot huh?



Davidicus 40k said:


> D-A-C, I think you should've made "*Now, the important thing to keep in mind is that this question has to be taken from the point of view of the High Lords of Terra*" super-extra-enormously large, or perhaps written it in caps, or maybe filled the whole first page with posts that state that simple stipulation. *From the point of view of the High Lords of Terra*, I think you're spot-on.


Yeah I think I should of as well, people seem to think I'm just repeating the same old threads.

But ... my whole point was getting at this common perception that Abaddon is a failure and an idiot. If you take a moment and CONSIDER THINGS FROM THE HIGH LORDS PERSPECTIVE, you will see how terrifying and powerful Abaddon really is, and how the entire Imperium is practically based around stopping the threat of Chaos, both internally and externally.


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## cheeto (Apr 1, 2011)

D-A-C said:


> That's actually very clever and never thought of that to be honest lol. Politicians are a neaky lot huh?



I just understand politicians. Imagine how powerful the imperium would be under a united front. Instead, high lords literally wage war on each other wasting resources that would be better spent against a common enemy. It's no different in reality. I'd bet that 90% of all people want the very same thing out of life and yet we have one half divided against the other. It takes a politician to screw things up so royally.


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