Would it make sense to see Legion of the Damned come back in a new way in 9th Edition 40k? Let’s think through the idea here.
Just to make sure you’re all caught up, near the end of 8th Edition, GW “killed” the Legion of the Damned by throwing them into Warhammer Legends. There is a growing list of 40k units that will never have their points or datasheets reworked. In essence, it’s GW’s way of keeping units “playable” (which is a loose term) without ever giving players an incentive for playing them.
On that note, it would be a cool idea to see Legion of the Damned come back… But would it make sense?
Who Are the Legion of the Damned?
First, we have to talk about who the Legion of the Damned are. To give you a short, sweet, to the point definition, Here’s what the 40k fandom wiki has to say:
…the Astartes that make up the self-proclaimed Legion of the Damned are suspected to be remnants of the lost Loyalist Fire Hawks Chapter. They fight as a single unit and often appear mysteriously to aid Imperial military forces at a moment when they are about to be overwhelmed by the foe.
The Legion’s Space Marines are afflicted by a strange Warp contagion that destroys their sanity; as it progresses, their bodies decay physically at the cellular level, but they grow in supernatural strength and the ability to use the power of the Empyrean against the Emperor’s foes.
It’s been rumored that they are also a psychic manifestation of the Emperor’s will as well, but basically, they are spooky power armor bois that can appear, wreak havoc, and vanish within a matter of seconds.
Would It Make Sense To See Legion of the Damned Come Back?
Primaris Legion of the Damned by Robin Adair.
If Legion of the Damned came back to 9th Edition with new rules, it wouldn’t make sense for them to have any Primaris forms… Unless, GW wrote within the lore that they found some Fire Hawks that weren’t affected and in their right mind, took their gene-seed, and then gave them Primaris copies… But that seems like a lot of work for the Imperium to do for a Chapter that’s being eaten away on a molecular level.
We’re not saying it can’t be done as we’ve seen the lore stretched further than that before…
The Legion of the Damned didn’t have a lot of wargear to begin with. Although it would be sweet to see the Damned paint scheme carried over to Heavy Intercessors, Servo Turrets, etc… Even if it didn’t make sense lore-wise. But who cares, at the end of the day, 40k is just a tabletop game that is here for your enjoyment!
Even if Legion of the Damned never officially come back by GW’s standards, there’s nothing stopping you from painting your models to their paint scheme!
Do you have a Legion of the Damned-themed army? Would you like to see GW extend some more support to these guys?
Let us know in the comments of our Facebook Hobby Group, and make sure you enter the latest monthly giveaway for FREE today! You can also support us on Patreon and get ad-free access to the site, plus a ton of minis that helps support some of the best creators out there!
About the Author: Wesley Floyd
Wesley Floyd
Job Title: Staff Writer
Joined: 2018
Socials: @RealmbrushPainting
About Wesley Floyd: Wes has been in the Warhammer hobby since 2015 and joined the Spikey Bits writing team in 2018. He is known for his satirist takes on trending topics and imaginative yet amazingly affordable hobby solutions to painting Warhammer miniatures.
Imperial fanboy, tabletop fanatic, and the self-proclaimed King of Sprues. He knows for a fact that Mephiston red is the best-tasting paint and is the commission painting equivalent of a Wendy’s 4 for $4. If you like what he writes and want to contact him or have your tabletop minatures painted (to a mostly okayish standard), message him on Instagram.
