Poll: Who is your favourite Chaos god? ***UPDATED***

Then you will like this too; our rankings for the Greater Daemons as an average of their three variants [GW plastic, Forge World, GW metal].




As an odd mathematical quirk, my top three are all tied, while you have a clear distinction between the four. In both cases though, the Great Unclean comes in last place.

Of course, these scores are influenced by the presence of the two Verminlord entries on each of our lists, the removal of which could tweak things a bit.

 

That's not true...

Spoiler

Realistically, each of the gods' gifts/influence ends up being a perversion of what is promised. It's a monkey's paw sort of deal.

• One will seek Khorne to gain martial prowess, but Khorne does not care from whence the blood flows, only that it flows. If as his champion, you die, it serves him just as well.
• One might seek Tzeentch to gain powers of influence and manipulation, but Tzeentch is just as likely to scheme against you. Even if you are working in his name, he might undermine you just to further the intricate web of manipulation (as he sometimes does even at the detriment of his schemes).
• One might seek Nurgle to gain immorality, but while that is granted, you are plagued to be a gross, smelly, disgusting disease-ridden monstrosity. You won't die or experience pain from the diseases afflicting you, but it's probably not the bargain you were hoping for.
• One might seek Slaanesh to gain beauty, popularity/acceptance and charisma, but while those things are often gifted, her servants are trapped on a pathway leading to increasingly levels of depravity. Almost like a drug addict seeking new experiences.

Such is the nature of Chaos.

 

Oh yeah, Tzeentch is big on that. For Tzeentch, it's not about the result, it's about the act of planning and foiling and trolling. At any given moment, there are about three dozen plans in play, and most of them in some way screw over at least three of the others at a minimum, and he couldn't care less. So long as something changes, and nothing grows complacent and stagnant.

Funnily enough, a while back I actually came up with a theory/thought experiment that suggested that in AoS, Lords of Change are the daemons most likely to renounce their own natures/Chaos. Because their very nature is to bring change, even at the detriment of Tzeentch or themselves, I had a brain worm about the notion that a Lord of Change could theoretically go to Sigmar and ask to be purged of Tzeentch's influence, and actually mean it, because it would be the ultimate expression of self-change. And if it's self-sabotaging/sabotaging Tzeentch? So what?

General consensus was that while an interesting thought experiment, it was unlikely to happen (which, true, even if that isn't going to stop me from using the idea in a fanfic at some point) but the extent wasn't agreed upon. Some argued Tzeentch would just erase the LoC for trying, others said that while Sigmar has the power to cleanse champions of Chaos who truly wish to renounce the fell gods, trying to do such with a greater daemon which is literally a sliver of Tzeentch's essence means its impossible and would therefore just refuse and then smite the big blue bird. And then there was one chap that said Sigmar would ruddy well give it a try, even if the result was a perma-death for the LoC.

 

Interesting, let me throw two more possibilities into the mix (from a guy that knows nothing about AoS)...

• While seeking such a cleansing might well be the ultimate expression of self-change, after that point, as a devotee of Sigmar, there is only stagnation. As a Lord of Change there is a never ending opportunity for continued schemes, manipulation and change... once a disciple of Sigmar, there is none. Is one ultimate change worth the sacrifice in infinite opportunities for change throughout time?
• Cleansing the Lord of Change might end up corrupting the realm of Sigmar. A pseudo-version of Galrauch's origin story:

 

A take that hadn't come up, and is an interesting one. Would certainly give suggestion that a LoC appearing and requesting cleansing might in fact be something that has Tzeentch in the background cackling "just as planned".

I suppose that would depend on the Lord of Change's mindset at the time the idea comes to it. Is the Lord of Change taking that into account, or is it focused on the idea of the ultimate self-change, with any notion of after falling into the "self-sabotage is acceptable" category?

My personal take on a hypothetical "If Sigmar were able to expunge the Chaos from the Lord of Change" would be that because the Lord of Change's very nature is that it is formed of literal chaos given shape, in order to purify it, Sigmar would have to literally exchange the chaos with his own divine energies; functionally converting it into a Daemon of Order. If such were to happen, this is an entity that has millennia of experience with knowing how to shift minds; as a subject of Sigmar, it could become a herald that uses that skillset to bolster morale... A herald able to inspire and bolster morale such that where defeat was a near certainty, now the army is roused and so emotionally charged that they will fight with such fervour that the defeat is now a clear victory.

If it still prefers behind the scenes methods even after reformation? Then picture a reformed Lord of Change becoming a William Shakespeare figure, creating uplifting plays that also touch on histories that few even remember, while using the previous knack for emotional manipulation to know how to grip the audience and make the twists feel impactful.

Yes, you can see the direction I'd go if I ever do write that fanfic.

 

A Chaos Trojan horse.

 

...Nose rings.... great target for grabbing and pulling in a fight. Then again, Slaanesh daemons probably get off on that. Really annoying fighting an enemy that is getting off on anything you do, really takes the wind out of the sails.

 

That's true. Nobody wants to pick a fight with the guy sitting in the corner cutting his forearm with an army knife.


There is no escape from Slaanesh, she marks us all!

 

Nurgle pulls into 3rd place...