# Rainbow Warriors



## TheThousandthSon (Sep 30, 2010)

I've decided that my Post-Heresy army will be the Rainbow warriors. I know that they have been largly ingnored over the years and they first apeared in rogue trader. Peresonally I would have ignored them too for thier name untill I read a short story by one of the regular GW authors about them being Aztec themed and after that I understood why they where called what they are.

So If any one has the link/sorce of that story or any other bits of info or conversion ideas let me know.

Chears


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## Angelus Censura (Oct 11, 2010)

I've never even heard of them, but I'd be interested in some fluff on them too if they are Aztec themed. Sounds cool, goodluck!


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## Baron Spikey (Mar 26, 2008)

Strangely enough until the moment you said they were Aztec themed I too didn't think much of them, then the word Aztec popped up and I got a shiver down my spine- the RW are cool again.

Sadly other than what floats around on Lexicanum there's basically nothing else, also ignore the old fluff that states they were a first founding chapter- the Ultramarines were retconned to take their place as a first founder.


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## Dave T Hobbit (Dec 3, 2009)

The Aztec theme was invented by Philip Sibbering as part of his reinvention of Chapters with little or no official fluff.

i am unaware of an official comment on whether they were originally based on the Greenpeace ship or the American mythic cycle; I think they were dropped quietly by GW when the writer who invented them left the company.


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## kaled (Jun 24, 2008)

Was it Philip Sibbering's re-imagining of the Rainbow Warriors that you were thinking of? He reinvented them with a theme based on Aztec and Norse mythology.

http://www.philipsibbering.com/WH40KRP/40K_9_Marine_4_Chapters__r01_TheRainbowWarriors.shtml

EDIT: Too slow!


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## TheThousandthSon (Sep 30, 2010)

I'm Pretty sure i read a 2 page story on them by someone like Gav Thorpe. I really wish I knew where i found it. 

I remember it talked about them turning up to an Aztec world and demanding initiates for thier scout program and the locals calling them sky gods or something like that. I remember that to pass the first phase of becoming a RW the initiates would be taken to the top of a Pyramid where a battle captain and chaplain would wait. The chaplain would use a chain sword and only gently cut across every initiate abdomen, chest and forehead, any who would flinch would have their head disintergrated by the captains power fist. Any who passed the test would become a scout.

So If any one else thinks they sound cool;

http://www.philipsibbering.com/WH40KRP/40K_9_Marine_4_Chapters__r01_TheRainbowWarriors.shtml

Maybe if alot of us start armies of them GW may care about them again. Once i've finished some i'll post them in the gallery and i'd love to see any one elses.


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## locustgate (Dec 6, 2009)

When you first said rainbow warriors I pictured noise marines....but....with......rainbow guns


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## Grimskul25 (Feb 17, 2009)

Oh yeah these guys....first time I heard of them I thought they had the S from skittles as their chapter insignia. You could just see a random bright pink battle barge in orbit, with rainbows painted across the sides with unicorns bombarding the capital city with skittles, zooming through people's roofs down into their skulls while sending down a message against the rebel Imperial Planetary Governor that said,

"Can you taste the rainbow?!?"


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## thebinman (Jun 18, 2010)

This took me back!

Always assumed they were just gay marines k:


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## Giant Fossil Penguin (Apr 11, 2009)

Weren't they purged by the SoBs? I recall hearing this mentioned, although I'm not sure what the fluff reason was. Maybe the local Forgeworlds couldn't keep up with the Chapter's demand for armour-paint and they had to be destroyed for economic reasons!

GFP


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## kaled (Jun 24, 2008)

Giant Fossil Penguin said:


> Weren't they purged by the SoBs?


At least some of them were - there was an old picture of a Sister killing a Rainbow Marine, maybe in _Rogue Trader_. Later there was a passing reference made to this picture by someone at GW (I forget where) speculating that maybe that was the reason they hadn't been heard from in a while. It's certainly something worth including in any fluff for the chapter.


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## TheThousandthSon (Sep 30, 2010)

Thats quite interesting, especially concidering that I was going to go along with that they are a successor chapter to the Thousand Sons. Maily to tie together my Pre and Post Heresy armies but also thier both quite colourful and both are based around an ancient pyramid building civilazation. 
If what I made up could be true that would certanily give the SOB reason to dislike them, that is of course if they found out where thier gene-seed came from.
I'll make sure to include lots of liberians in the force and make a better successor chapter to the T Sons than the Blood Ravens lol.

If any one knows of this Sister Vs Rainbow Marine picture and where to find it please let me know.


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## TheThousandthSon (Sep 30, 2010)

Heres the picture of my first marine.

http://www.heresy-online.net/forums/gallery/data/552/medium/Duel_Rainbow_Marine.JPG


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## Ultra111 (Jul 9, 2009)

I didn't know the rainbow warriors scheme looked pretty much the same as the ultramarines lol.

Nice painting though, expect to see a squad of these guys soon k:


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## locustgate (Dec 6, 2009)

Er...the drawing was more ice blue.

EDIT: Sorry the drawing was the 1st time I saw one.


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## Ultra111 (Jul 9, 2009)

"pretty much" the same...


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## Baron Spikey (Mar 26, 2008)

You mean the picture by someone who was reinventing the Chapter as he saw fit? The only GW pic of them does use a lighter blue to highlight but other than that they seem to be pretty much exactly like the GW version.


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## GrimzagGorwazza (Aug 5, 2010)

TheThousandthSon said:


> Thats quite interesting, especially concidering that I was going to go along with that they are a successor chapter to the Thousand Sons. Maily to tie together my Pre and Post Heresy armies but also thier both quite colourful and both are based around an ancient pyramid building civilazation.
> If what I made up could be true that would certanily give the SOB reason to dislike them, that is of course if they found out where thier gene-seed came from.
> I'll make sure to include lots of liberians in the force and make a better successor chapter to the T Sons than the Blood Ravens lol.
> 
> If any one knows of this Sister Vs Rainbow Marine picture and where to find it please let me know.


The picture was found on page 268 and 269 of the origional Rogue trader rulebook.
http://www.fightingtigersofveda.com/ssin.jpg is the picture but it is small and is hard to make out the detail of.

Fortunately i have the old RT book and am nice enough to scan the pic for you. Sorry about the missing strip down the middle i didn't wnat to break the book's spine.

View attachment 8773


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## TheThousandthSon (Sep 30, 2010)

Ultra111 said:


> I didn't know the rainbow warriors scheme looked pretty much the same as the ultramarines lol.
> 
> Nice painting though, expect to see a squad of these guys soon k:


He has Gold rims because he is second company but yes it is a very simillar scheme. I think though the Ultramarines replaced them in the fluff so that might be why, cant have more than one blue space marine running about lol.

And yes i'll set to work finishing more of them and post the pics as and when i do.

Thanks alot there GrimzagGorwazza. Poor old Brother Vermillion I knew him well.

Oh one last thing if any one is interested. In the new SM codex on page 30, the Galatic map, there is a planet named Prism with the Rainbow warrior logo. Unfortunatly it says <<record deleted>> but hay! at least thier still being included in the fluff, well sort off... 
:grin:​


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## locustgate (Dec 6, 2009)

Why did the SOBs kill em?


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## GrimzagGorwazza (Aug 5, 2010)

OMG.....THE RAINBOW WARRIORS MUST BE ONE OF THE MISSING 1ST FOUNDING LEGIONS!!!!!

......or not.


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## admiraldick (Sep 9, 2008)

i had always imagined that they were Native American in there theme. that they had a grim but peaceful disposition, not quick to anger (pretty much the opposite of the Blood Angels and the other blood thirsty chapters). i'd always imagined that they were sent in to negotiate treaties and a broker terms of surrender, but at the same time had a strict sense of honour and martial pride so would not shrink back from a fight.

it would make for a cool SM army with some pretty unique wargear like 'peace pipes', 'medicine shields' and 'coup sticks'.

however, its all just in my head, because, as others have pointed out, there is basically no background for the Rainbow Warriors. the picture from Rogue Trader is a little bit confusing because a) SM are being torn limb from limb in nearly every picture, so just because 'Brother Vermilion' is being roasted alive doesn't mean he's meant to be seen as the villain. its perfectly plausible that neither then battle sister nor the marine are 'the bad guy' they are just to ambiguous combatants.


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## GrimzagGorwazza (Aug 5, 2010)

This thread made me spend some time going through the Chapter list on lexicanum and i've turned up something interesting. There is a chapter on the site which appears to share the chapter mark of the Rainbow warriors and even the colour scheme is very similar (literally only the shoulder trim is different).
Here they are
http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Death_Strike


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## gally912 (Jan 31, 2009)

I always assumed they were made along the lines of the "Rainbow Brigade" of the US army. /showing cultural bias


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## TheThousandthSon (Sep 30, 2010)

GrimzagGorwazza said:


> This thread made me spend some time going through the Chapter list on lexicanum and i've turned up something interesting. There is a chapter on the site which appears to share the chapter mark of the Rainbow warriors and even the colour scheme is very similar (literally only the shoulder trim is different).
> Here they are
> http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Death_Strike


Wow they are remarkably similar, shame they dont have much writen about them either lol

I think admiraldick may be right, back then when rogue trader came out Im not sure there was too much attention payed to whos side your on, not like now when its quite black or white, your Imperial or chaos.

However it seems even without GW fluff most people seem to think of them as Native/Ancient American. Weather its north or south at least we've guessed our way to part of the worlds history for theme of sorts.


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## Aramoro (Oct 7, 2009)

The Rainbow Warriors existed because when GW was writing rogue trader they had the originality of a brick. The Rainbow Warrior was still in the news hence the chapter. 

They later realise they were retarded so retconned them out of existence. 

Aramoro


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## admiraldick (Sep 9, 2008)

i think the Rainbow Warriors neither retarded or in need of scrubbing out. its true that for a while the name really didn't fit into the atmosphere of the game, but i think there is plenty of room for them these days (if only as an alternative to the much disliked Ultramarines).

and i really don't think that the name shows a lack of creativity. the whole 40k universe is comprised of concepts borrowed from here and there, and that's what its all about; the best bits of everything. moreover, 'Rainbow Warriors' sounds pretty creative and unique when you compare it to the way that terms like 'blood' and 'knight' and 'raptor' (amongst other clichés) seem to feature in every other chapter name.

thankfully, for those of us that still like Rainbow Warriors concept, they have not be 'retconned' as you have put it. partly because what you are describing isn't retroactive continuity, its just progression of storyline (retcon is when new storyline creates a different view of previous storyline like saying 'the Rainbow Warriors never existed, they were an artifice created by the Alpha Legion', but what most people seem to believe is that they were wiped out, which doesn't alter the fact that they existed), but mainly because they have no story line. there is nothing that says the Sisters of Battle, wiped them out. that is simply over active imaginations on the part of forumites. not mentioning something is not the same as saying it doesn't exist.


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## TheThousandthSon (Sep 30, 2010)

Ok then, seeing as nothing offical is written about them how dose the following sound?

Thier founding chapter or at least where thier Gene-seed comes from is the Thousand sons, Both themes build pyramids and are fairly ancient so could tie the armies together. Like how all Blood Angel and thier sucessor chapters are nutters.
This would also tie in the only art-work of them where Sister Sin is fighting Brother Vermillion. Some Sisters found out where thier genetic background hails from and attacked them with the usal "shout heretic first, gun them down and move onto the next" attitude the Inquisition have. This would also explain why thier home world "Prism" has been deleted in Imperial record/SM codex page 30.

All that would have to be done is take Liberians as your Captians much like a Blood Raven army. Maybe have a Flesh change rule or something.

Any one see any issuse fluff or otherwise or have thier own suguestions please let me know.
:so_happy:​


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## gothik (May 29, 2010)

i seem to recall a tale where a SoB fought alongside a SM, he fell to the chaos god Nurgle and she spent the rest of her life hunting him down. could this have been the rainbow warrior, don't remember what leigon he was from but i think the SoBs were involved towards the end, not sure it was a long time ago that i read it


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## Aramoro (Oct 7, 2009)

admiraldick said:


> i think the Rainbow Warriors neither retarded or in need of scrubbing out. its true that for a while the name really didn't fit into the atmosphere of the game, but i think there is plenty of room for them these days (if only as an alternative to the much disliked Ultramarines).
> 
> and i really don't think that the name shows a lack of creativity. the whole 40k universe is comprised of concepts borrowed from here and there, and that's what its all about; the best bits of everything. moreover, 'Rainbow Warriors' sounds pretty creative and unique when you compare it to the way that terms like 'blood' and 'knight' and 'raptor' (amongst other clichés) seem to feature in every other chapter name.
> 
> thankfully, for those of us that still like Rainbow Warriors concept, they have not be 'retconned' as you have put it. partly because what you are describing isn't retroactive continuity, its just progression of storyline (retcon is when new storyline creates a different view of previous storyline like saying 'the Rainbow Warriors never existed, they were an artifice created by the Alpha Legion', but what most people seem to believe is that they were wiped out, which doesn't alter the fact that they existed), but mainly because they have no story line. there is nothing that says the Sisters of Battle, wiped them out. that is simply over active imaginations on the part of forumites. not mentioning something is not the same as saying it doesn't exist.


They have been retconned as they where originally one of the main chapters and now there is no mention in any GW material suggesting they have ever existed. Rogue Trader is not really a great place to look for fluff as most of that has been rewritten entirely to have never happened. 

Aramoro


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## TheThousandthSon (Sep 30, 2010)

Aramoro said:


> They have been retconned as they where originally one of the main chapters and now there is no mention in any GW material suggesting they have ever existed. Rogue Trader is not really a great place to look for fluff as most of that has been rewritten entirely to have never happened.
> 
> Aramoro


I disbealive that they have Deleted or Retconned as you put it, thier home planet is still in the SM codex which leads any one to believe they at least excisted at one point.

Secondly whats it to you if they have been deleted or not, I've designed this thread to talk over thier background or whats known about them not to be told they never excisted had therefore are impossible to paint an army of. As far as people making armies that don't sit with the ever changing fluff i'm far from the worst.


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## hellsteath (Jun 29, 2010)

You go for it mate, the Aztec theme is nice and very different, Us forgotten/retconned chapters need to stick together


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## joechip (Mar 4, 2010)

Grimskul25 said:


> Oh yeah these guys....first time I heard of them I thought they had the S from skittles as their chapter insignia. You could just see a random bright pink battle barge in orbit, with rainbows painted across the sides with unicorns bombarding the capital city with skittles, zooming through people's roofs down into their skulls while sending down a message against the rebel Imperial Planetary Governor that said,
> 
> "Can you taste the rainbow?!?"


:laugh: that's awesome


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## IanC (Sep 3, 2010)

gothik said:


> i seem to recall a tale where a SoB fought alongside a SM, he fell to the chaos god Nurgle and she spent the rest of her life hunting him down. could this have been the rainbow warrior, don't remember what leigon he was from but i think the SoBs were involved towards the end, not sure it was a long time ago that i read it


That was an Ultramarine, IIRC.


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## ThatOtherGuy (Apr 13, 2010)

the title of this thread was a bit misleading... I thought that this was some sort of gay pride chapter... actually, we already have that *cough* Dark Angels *cough*


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## Chompy Bits (Jun 13, 2010)

admiraldick said:


> and i really don't think that the name shows a lack of creativity. the whole 40k universe is comprised of concepts borrowed from here and there, and that's what its all about; the best bits of everything. moreover, 'Rainbow Warriors' sounds pretty creative and unique when you compare it to the way that terms like 'blood' and 'knight' and 'raptor' (amongst other clichés) seem to feature in every other chapter name.


How about the Bloodknight Raptors?:biggrin:



ThatOtherGuy said:


> actually, we already have that *cough* Dark Angels *cough*


What's so gay about the bathrobe marines?


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## admiraldick (Sep 9, 2008)

TheThousandthSon said:


> Thier founding chapter or at least where thier Gene-seed comes from is the Thousand sons, Both themes build pyramids and are fairly ancient so could tie the armies together.


if you really like that, then go for it, but i personally am not a fan.

the Thousand Sons didn't go through the Second 'Founding' and i can't see any logical reason why the adepts of Terra would such corrupted gene-seed to create a whole new chapter.

more to the point, the cultures of the ancient Egyptians and Mezo-Americans was completely different, and the similarity between the stone structures they built is superficial at best.

if anything i would say that they were more likely related to the Dark Angels, who, since loosing Caliban, have recruited from primitive tribal worlds, leading to the Death Wing having a distinct Native American theme (though that is much less apparent these days).



Aramoro said:


> They have been retconned as they where originally one of the main chapters and now there is no mention in any GW material suggesting they have ever existed.


i think you have massively overstated your argument.

i agree that they are not mentioned any more, but as i said before, not being mentioned is not the same thing as being denied. i have not seen any background that suggests that the Rainbow Warriors don't exist, either by actively removing them from the storyline or by passively failing to mention them at a salient point. ergo, like so many of the things that are mentioned once or twice in the background and then never mentioned again, they still exist, we just don't have any further information on them.

there were 11 chapters described in Rogue Trader, but there were said to be at least 1000 such chapters (a concept still in the codexes today). there is absolutely no description of Foundings, and as such no hierarchy is stated or implied. they are simply a cross sectional example of chapters. including some that have gone on to become core to the game, like the Ultramarines, Blood Angels and Space Wolves, some that are minor players, like the White Scars and Iron Hands, and some that have never really been mentioned again, like the Blooddrinkers, Silver Skulls and Rainbow Warriors.

might i ask if the Silver Skulls are equally no longer a part of the in-game universe?



ThatOtherGuy said:


> the title of this thread was a bit misleading... I thought that this was some sort of gay pride chapter... actually, we already have that *cough* Dark Angels *cough*


that's actually pretty offensive.

there isn't anything camp, let alone overtly homosexual about the Dark Angels. they don't even wear clothing which is traditionally seen as feminine (which i guess is what you are getting at). unless you are suggesting that what a person wears defines their sexual preference?


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## Words_of_Truth (Sep 20, 2007)

If I was to do them I'd steal bits of lizardmen stuff and make them truly aztec looking, also make sure the edges were trimmed with a greeny colour so they don't look to much like Ultramarines.


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## Grins1878 (May 10, 2010)

admiraldick said:


> there were 11 chapters described in Rogue Trader, but there were said to be at least 1000 such chapters (a concept still in the codexes today). there is absolutely no description of Foundings, and as such no hierarchy is stated or implied. they are simply a cross sectional example of chapters. including some that have gone on to become core to the game, like the Ultramarines, Blood Angels and Space Wolves, some that are minor players, like the White Scars and Iron Hands, and some that have never really been mentioned again, like the Blooddrinkers, Silver Skulls and Rainbow Warriors.


Wasn't there a two page spread in Rogue Trader somewhere in it where it showed a load of different chapters (had like standard beakie front on pics with different chapters on it and various mad things, like marine military police, chaplain apprentice (or whatever it was called (you're fired regardless)). That had the rainbow warriors on it, although I can't for the life of me remember the colours, seem to recal a stripey band down the front of the beak?

Can't remember much mentioned anywhere else to be honest, I know they never got a mention of any length in the Compendium and Compilation, although there was a tonne of Ultramarine, Dark Angel and Blood Angel stuff. Plenty of Ultramarine beakies in Rogue Trader though. They've always been the posterboys, thats why I had a company of the buggers ;-)


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## WarMaster Sindr (Jun 23, 2010)

Finally a mention of my favorite chapter. 

i will await eagerly to see what you do with them 

and best of luck with it as well

i herby bestow upon you two rep thousandthson


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## Stephen_Newman (Jul 14, 2009)

I think they sound awesome. The only other time I have heard them mentioned is when they were interviewing one of the witchhunters designers and he just happened to mention it. It was in an old WD released in 2004 if memory recalls.

Secondly who says the DA are gay in any sense. I find particular aspects like the ravenwing to be badass and gives them flavour and originality. At best they could be described as moody in my eyes.

If anything the BA sound more gay since GW like putting man nipples on a lot of the models.

Also-1000th post!


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## TheThousandthSon (Sep 30, 2010)

Chears Admiraldick, I had only come up with a background on a whim so its good to know opinions on it. Only thier home-planet name is set in stone, that and they at least where involved with Rogue Trader and Space Crusade.

As for any pictures i'll more than likly post them on Coolminiornot but I have a link in my signature anyway. I should have acouple more pictures of them by the end of the week as i've finished two more units, a land raider too but I cant find its lascannons :blush: (just incase your interested WarMaster Sindr)

Also as reguarding lizardman weapons I had thought of it but I didn't want to use anything to obvious. Been looking at some historical aztec figures to steal thier swords but not found anything big enough. At the moment i'm green-stuffing wild cat hides to the torsos of my sergeants.


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## admiraldick (Sep 9, 2008)

the Lizardmen Saurus Warriors are clearly Aztec inspired and their weapons are of a comparable scale to most other 40k stuff. you might want to see how they work out. they will certainly be your cheapest and most effective source of weaponry.

edit: just had a quick look at your coolminiornot page; absolutely love your pre-heresy marines. really looking forward to seeing your Rainbow Warrirors now.


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## Words_of_Truth (Sep 20, 2007)

Being obvious helps, especially when you're trying to avoid them looking like other chapters.


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