Jump to content

What can the Siege of Terra novels 'borrow' from history?


Lucifer216

Recommended Posts

I'd love to see some nods or references to:

 

The siege of Troy, specially the bit when Hector's body is dragged around by Achilles and Hector's father begs for the right to bury him. Imagine one of the primarchs petitioning another for the right to bury one of their most beloved sons?

 

The use of red-hot sand by Phoenicians during Alexander’s seven-month siege of the Phoenician city of Tyre (now Lebanon) - a great example of an atrocity carried out by a besieged force. What would be the equivalent in 30K? A disease or machine spirt plague that attacks space marines' nervous systems in a horrific way through the connections to their power armour?

 

Also, I don't know if this happened or not, but in one of Conn Iggulden's novels in the Conqueror series about Genghis Khan, a Chinese city institutes a death lottery while it is being laid siege to by the Mongols and a good chunk of its young women jump to their deaths from the city walls rather than continue to starve or be taken by the Mongols. Perhaps this might work well for a city attacked by the Emperor's Children?

 

Finally, while this isn't historical - I imagine that the loyalist apothecaries would be under a lot of pressure to fine-tune their brother's metabolisms for greater lethality at the cost of longevity. Perhaps these tinkering could have paid the way for Cawl's creation of the Belisarian Furnace (The Revitaliser)?

 

Does anyone else have any titbits like these to share?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

During the battle of Stalingrad german troops bribed local children with bread to retrieve airdropped food supplies. As a result soviet snipers started targetting children.

 

On the flip side of the coin in one medival french siege the defenders ran very quickly out of water but had a large supply of wine. The defenders ended up hsing wine for all kinds of things where they'd normally use water- like making bread.

 

Two stories that juxtaposed coukd show the difference in life between nobles and citizens in 40k.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Apprentice Boys closing the gates of Derry in 1689. Outstanding bravery of the young, bold and brave.

The idea of a’Lundy’ trying to let the approaching army in through his own weakness and fear but having the keys to the city taken off him by brave young idealistic men could definitely be turned in grand scale to the seige of a planet.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd love to see some nods or references to:

 

The siege of Troy, specially the bit when Hector's body is dragged around by Achilles and Hector's father begs for the right to bury him. Imagine one of the primarchs petitioning another for the right to bury one of their most beloved sons?

 

The use of red-hot sand by Phoenicians during Alexander’s seven-month siege of the Phoenician city of Tyre (now Lebanon) - a great example of an atrocity carried out by a besieged force. What would be the equivalent in 30K? A disease or machine spirt plague that attacks space marines' nervous systems in a horrific way through the connections to their power armour?

 

Also, I don't know if this happened or not, but in one of Conn Iggulden's novels in the Conqueror series about Genghis Khan, a Chinese city institutes a death lottery while it is being laid siege to by the Mongols and a good chunk of its young women jump to their deaths from the city walls rather than continue to starve or be taken by the Mongols. Perhaps this might work well for a city attacked by the Emperor's Children?

 

Finally, while this isn't historical - I imagine that the loyalist apothecaries would be under a lot of pressure to fine-tune their brother's metabolisms for greater lethality at the cost of longevity. Perhaps these tinkering could have paid the way for Cawl's creation of the Belisarian Furnace (The Revitaliser)?

 

Does anyone else have any titbits like these to share?

 

He butchers history. He isn't a bad storyteller, but man, does he butcher history. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A  counter attack led by the phalanx and other loyal ships at the end of the siege of terra like the charge of the imperial and polish cavalry at the end of the siege of vienna in 1683. Basically, just a full speed attack to take the opportunity of the disarray of the traitor forces with the death of Horus.

 

Also the whole of the siege of terra could be like the great siege of gibraltar, with once the traitors are mostly all deployed in terra and the land battle is in its climax, the surviving loyal fleet makes attempts to break through it and support the land forces or whatever.

 

 

All in all im not sure what they are going to do, i just hope that the fleets from the white scars, the blood angels and specially the imperial fists arent butchered in the first day of the solar campaign, and though taking heavy casualties, they manage to keep the blockade in mars (probably not gonna happen) and  then they muster to counter attack in the end. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Siege of Ascalon 1153.

Short version: After several months of laying siege to Musulim held Ascalon breach was created.

40 Knights Templar stormed the breach and blocked it for other crusader forces so they could take the best spoils. They were slughtered to a man and the breach was sealed lol.

 

I could totally see some Emperor's Children or World Eaters in that role.

 

Also I second Helm's Deep Viena.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good point. If only there was a primarch who grew up fighting battles in such terrain... Oh wait, that's Perturabo :rolleyes:

Are you rolling your eyes because you think I didn't know about Olympia or you disagree that Mountain warfare will be a big influence?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I fancy the idea that the Khan et al is put there running interference in the same way as Skanderbeg's "guerrilla knights" warfare against the inbound Ottoman empire. Transform a swift flight in to Terra to an absolute hell of planet (island) hopping that gives defenders a bit more time to prepare/secure.

 

Of course,we know that on the Thirteenth of Secundus, the bombardment will begin...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Good point. If only there was a primarch who grew up fighting battles in such terrain... Oh wait, that's Perturabo :rolleyes:

Are you rolling your eyes because you think I didn't know about Olympia or you disagree that Mountain warfare will be a big influence?

 

My apologies, I was just trying to crack a joke and chose what I thought was the smily face emoji.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

During the battle of Stalingrad german troops bribed local children with bread to retrieve airdropped food supplies. As a result soviet snipers started targetting children.

 

On the flip side of the coin in one medival french siege the defenders ran very quickly out of water but had a large supply of wine. The defenders ended up hsing wine for all kinds of things where they'd normally use water- like making bread.

 

Two stories that juxtaposed coukd show the difference in life between nobles and citizens in 40k.

 

 

The Siege of the Imperial Palace will be more mountain warfare than anything else. Its in the Himalayas. 

 

 

The Alamo.

 

Wow... these and so many other great ideas. The siege of Terra offers such a huge pallet for battlefield and personal drama that it beggars the imagination. Hopefully the authors that be pick and choose wisely so it doesn't drag out into too many books.

 

Drawing from Stalingrad offers some great scenes  of brutal street and house to house fighting as well as sniper alleys. Heroic last stands as envisioned through the Alamo would be great. The Mongol sieges and brutal systematic slaughter of whole city populations are good idea fuel for many of the chaos legions.

 

Fortunately:unsure.: human history is full of examples of wartime heroism, brilliance, blundering, brutality, and other mayhem to draw from :eek: 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

World War One battles in The Alps could be some amazing inspiration.

An Article from Smithsonian Magazine about it is here:

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/most-treacherous-battle-world-war-i-italian-mountains-180959076/

 

National Geographic:
https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/10/141017-white-war-first-world-war-italy-austro-hungarian-mountains-history/ 

Edited by Ullis Temeter
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not literally champions lined up and challenging each other...

 

SM are going to be fighting all around the Palace and champions will inevitably meet on the field of battle and clash. There's something very Homeric about Astartes warfare IMO

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.