Monday Open Thread – Warhammer 40k Titan’s on Parade

Per Usual: Images and links are from Lexicanum or the Warhammer 40k wiki

Two Imperial soldiers are crouched down (cowering down) behind an upturned slab of concrete as bullets, plasma shots, and other ordinance fly by in an almost solid stream, praying to the God Emperor for deliverance from their imminent death.  The masses of heretics were poised to overrun their position when the ground starts trembling causing anyone standing to tremble and almost down.  In the distance a massive head with what appear to be two cathedrals on either side appears.  As the ground trembles harder and harder to the staccato rhythm of massive machines they come closer and closer, the enemy ranks are frozen as these huge machines approach, the tallest some 200m tall while the shortest is only 35m tall.  The bores on the guns facing down the enemy were wide enough that a tall man could walk in without hitting his head or touching the sides.  These immense Emperors of the battlefield stopped at exactly the same time and raised their weapons to fire into the heretic masses.  The guardsmen are on their feet, celebrating their rescue.  The Titans all open fire at the same time covering the battlefield in an incandescent spray of light.

The first to die are the guardsman as their bodies are pulped by the pressure wave from the weapons firing, hurling their broken bodies into the slab of cement, actually fusing the first millimeter of flesh with the concrete.  Then their opponents all die, burnt away by the weapons on the titans.  The Titan’s start moving forward again towards the real target and a real fight.

Ok, not gonna lie, a creative writer I am not, so tell me how horrible or not the above was and I may try to do more like this in the future or as Sgt. Friday always said “Just the facts”.

Anyway Titans (for a look at Titans in detail HERE ) are built and housed on forge worlds as only they have the necessary knowledge and materials to build them.  And remember all forge worlds are administered by the Mechanicum, so the Mechanicum has the most powerful land weapons in universe in their possession.  Something I am pretty sure they remind the rest of the Imperium of on a regular basis.  Titans come in different types and with different weapons with some weapons only being useable on the biggest titans, with where they were created also making a difference in size, weapons, and shielding.  With being such monumental structures, each one is unique and have their quirks and flaws.

Due to the Mechaicum’s stance on AI the titan must be crewed as there is only as much automation as necessary (mainly weapons only).  Crews are used to monitor the titan, load some weaponry, and repair the Titan on the move.  The crew is led by the Princeps who by merging with the machine spirit will be able to move the Titan as if it was their own body.  Even with the millions of planets held by the Imperium, very few people are capable of being a Princeps due to the stress of integrating.  My personal aside here is that from what I have read, the machine spirit of the titans is an AI that has probably been partially lobotomized or crippled in some way, maybe even partially insane.  The Priceps has to integrate with the spirit (AI) to get the titan to move as commanded and that integration is only created through a battle of wills.  Soon after becoming a Princeps, the Princep will often have themselves encapsulated in an amniotic fluid containing pod which will permanently integrate them into the machine, only to be removed on death.  This is so they do not have to continually reintegrate with the titan, which could lead to some instability issues on both the machine spirit and the Princeps.

Let’s see Monday nights – pretty sure there is a baseball game on somewhere, maybe some hockey, and hey, you might even find some champeenship cornhole!

Next time – Famous and Infamous Titans.  Will not be stoned when I write that.

5 4 votes
Article Rating
ArmedandHammered
Mid 50's geek/nerd, avid reader of Science Fiction and Fantasy, manga, Chinese Web novels, and British mysteries, cult movies are my thing (have you seen Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter?)
Subscribe
Notify of
110 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
rockingdog

Found a funny:

Doing the “crushing your head” bit from Kids in the Hall to a Cybertruck and actually crushing it

Gumbygirl

Oh chillun,my gas station chicken was magnifique! I’m gonna top up my buzz and park myself in the bathtub with my bookie book. It’s one of those Laurie King mysteries with Sherlock Holmes/ Mary Russell. Entertaining!

facebook_1712796466246_7183989069564796503_185016001716607.jpg
Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

I can’t wait to turn in and see how Gaunt’s Ghosts manage to get themselves out of this latest jam.

rockingdog

That’s Rocking!

Mr. Ayo

100 assists. 9-1 Eulers. Jesus McDavid has risen!

SonOfSpam

Kings may drop to #8 to play Dallas instead of the Ice Elks, and I’m ok with that.

Brick Meathook

comment image

ThePirateSloth

We adopted a puppy!! She’s being flown up from Kauai and we pick her up in an hour!! SOFT PUPPY EARS AND BELLY AND NOSE AND KISSES

There will be photos and video galore once she is settled in. We have not agreed on a name yet.

I am so excited.
comment image

Doktor Zymm

HUGS!

litre_cola

They help keep you healthy too! litre_pug did both my 5km walks today. He now is snoring louder than any roommate that I have ever had!

Sharkbait

We demand constant puppy pictures

ThePirateSloth

Here is my dog, Jezebel, who is gonna be so excited to have a tiny version of herself running around soon.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C5znef7LZyr/

Gumbygirl

The cuteness!

rockingdog

That’s Rocking!

Mr. Ayo
Doktor Zymm

So does that mean the baby has a penis?

Mr. Ayo

No, it just means Lowratio is the father

Sharkbait

comment image

Doktor Zymm

They would be way less popular if they were called ‘baby penis reveal parties’

Or at least I hope they would be way less popular

ballsofsteelandfury

That’s awesome

Sharkbait

Ice Giants win the Presidents trophy. 16 more wins please.

litre_cola

That’s a hard no from me.

Senor Weaselo

With Henrik Lundqvist appearing as the EBUG in Game 4 of the SCF, with a 10-0 lead and 15 seconds left (because of the heart problem) to get his name on the Cup.

Ideally.

Sharkbait

Subscribe

Mr. Ayo

Always a great indicator of postseason success!

herodotus450

apropos of nothing
comment image

Brick Meathook

comment image

BugEyedBoo

What could possibly go wrong?

Doktor Zymm

The whole reason I got onto watching air disaster stuff today is because the IATA code for Sioux City is SUX

Sharkbait

I thoroughly enjoyed the CGP Gray airport codes video.

Brick Meathook

comment image

Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

I accepted my younger and fitter neighbor’s invitation to play tennis and now my head hurts.

ballsofsteelandfury

Female?

Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

No.

Doktor Zymm

Fe = Iron
Female = Iron Man
https://youtu.be/CrG2RsNuMlM?feature=shared

Dunstan

I’ve been playing tennis recently, and I’m lucky if my foot stops hurting by the time the next week’s session comes around.

herodotus450

The traditional way to cheat in tennis is with your hands, not your feet.

Senor Weaselo

Okay, Rangers, now please don’t let it all go to shit because who needs 5 on 5 play anyway?

Doktor Zymm

This wouldn’t happen today, even Floridian airplanes can follow deicing procedures nowadays. Once upon a time I was a strong swimmer, and while I’m still no slouch and am pretty sure I would make the attempt to dive in and save some people I’m guessing I would probably have adrenaline carry me most of the way then collapse and need rescuing myself about 5 minutes after getting someone else out of the water. Also I would be wearing embarrassing underpants that day.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Florida_Flight_90

Dunstan

So, my girlfriend is, shall we say, paranoid about food safety, and thinks everything in her freezer is poisonous because the freezer lost power for a couple of hours.

The good news is that my apartment now has a freezer full of meat.

Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

That reminds me of the time I forgot to put a bunch of newly made chicken stock into the freezer, so it sat in the garage all night and part of the next day, and I let the Dr. Mrs. talk me into throwing it away. Like something that had been at a simmer for a good solid six hours wasn’t effectively sterile. I probably could have left it unrefrigerated for a week and it’d have been fine.

herodotus450

comment image

Doktor Zymm

You kept it sealed in a vacuum in your garage? Or is the air in your garage to which it was exposed totally pathogen free? Can I hang out in your garage next pandemic?

Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

They were in sealed containers (mostly old Talenti ice cream plastic, uh, sort of jar things).

Doktor Zymm

Have you ever done proper canning or preserves? Sealed and vacuum sealed are totally different things. It may have been fine, but tossing it was the better move.

Dunstan

I used to home brew beer, and sterilizing the bottles was the biggest pain in the ass, and the main reason I stopped.

Doktor Zymm

Ditto. Although I did have some fun shattering bottles by boiling them then submerging them in cold sterilizing solution!

Brick Meathook

Are you asking RTD about vacuums?

LemonJello

That’s no way to refer to your late girlfriend.

Doktor Zymm

Does she know about rice and B. Cereus or are you holding on to that in case you ever need to immediately win an argument?

edit: it’s actually anything starchy with exposure, pasta, potatoes, etc. Rice gets the bad rap because of the tradition of using room temp cooled rice for fried rice

Last edited 7 months ago by Doktor Zymm
WCS

THIS DUNSTAN I CALL HIM JEFFERY DAHMER BECAUSE WELL…

Last edited 7 months ago by WCS
Doktor Zymm

In the 1950s there were flights between SFO and OAK. Seems like a timesaver over the bridges.

ballsofsteelandfury

There used to be flights between LAX and San Diego. Not sure if they still exist.

litre_cola

I follow an account on Instagram that has flights from all over the world, including freight flights. SF-Oak, Sd-TJ, Miami-FtL are some pretty quick ones.

ballsofsteelandfury

Wait, there’s a flight from San Diego to Tijuana???

litre_cola

Fedex and UPS!

Horatio Cornblower

It’s just a catapult.

Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

There’s plenty. They actually flew my mother-in-law from LAX to Burbank a couple months ago, though that was weather-related (they had to land at LAX for some reason, and then came to Burbank once it was safe).

Doktor Zymm

Yeah, I’ve been on these. There are loads of similar between places like SBA and LAX

Gumbygirl

The shortest flight I was ever on was between Glasgow and Dublin.

Brick Meathook

I once looked up a theoretical flight between LAX and Burbank: it took 17 hours and had connections in Oakland and Salt Lake City.

Doktor Zymm

There’s a Monterrey-LAX round trip that goes through Chicago and is actually super cheap in domestic first. Google flights pulled it up one time when I was looking at same day turns in Chicago. Would make a great run if I was anywhere close to million miler status but I’m only about 550k on UA

Brick Meathook

Wait wait wait one second here Zymm.

Does Monterrey even have an airfield?

Doktor Zymm

So this is kinda amazing
United Airlines Flight 232 – Wikipedia
https://youtu.be/sWkU6HRcOY0?feature=shared

Over half the passengers survived. 18 were uninjured, and a score or two died from smoke inhalation rather than traumatic injuries.

Doktor Zymm

Worthy of note – they were dropping by 9.4 m/s, gravity is 9.8 m/s. Safe landing descent is 1.5 m/s. It was the last minute pull to the right that really fucked things, pulling the wing off, causing the cartwheel, and igniting the spilt fuel leading to the smoke deaths. Without the roll, this extreme failure situation may have been far less deadly, although still scary as all fuck. This actually remains United airlines most deadly single airplane incident, and when considered in context with other airlines currently operative, air travel has been astoundingly safe for the past 20-30 years. The slight uptick in incidents recently doesn’t actually worry me, although totally down with Boeing jokes.

WCS

You know, Dok, I already have a fear of heights, and a complete and utter loathing of air travel…

Game Time Decision

Don’t watch “Mayday” then

WCS
Doktor Zymm

I know those sorts of things aren’t rational, so I do apologize. For your rational bits, get an aisle seat so you can’t see the height, and be comforted that the industry learns from its mistakes. And let us know when you plan a trip, depending on the airline we may be able to help out with a free sandwich or something

herodotus450

Also, pick up some extra life insurance and a pretzel at the terminal and make one of us the beneficiary before each flight!

Doktor Zymm

I would be happy to broker that policy, just venmo me $20 as often as you feel unsafe

Brick Meathook

Says the Air Force guy . . .

WCS

comment image

BugEyedBoo
Gumbygirl

I am high as fuck. Good news, I cleverly preplanned for this, and purchased the best gas station fried chicken that money can buy. No shit, the Tower Mart can fry a bird, it’s spectacular. I will have to twirl around the kitchen making something to go with it, but even if I fuck up potatoes somehow, dinner will be awesome!

WCS
litre_cola

I used to eat Stove Top stuffing year round, due to being a stoner.

Gumbygirl

Listen, you lazy fucks, I run a classy jernt. I cut baby yellow taters and brussels sprouts in half, seasoned them up, glugged some olive oil on them and roasted them in the oven, like a fucking lady!

fleshwound_NPG

damn. was hoping the nika was gonna fall to the indy pick

fleshwound_NPG

but their actual pick reminds me, im currently replaying celeste and on chapter 5, one bastard of a levelcomment image

Horatio Cornblower

Watching the Yankee game and, Jesus Christ, these new uniforms look like something I’d send back as too cheap for one of my son’s Little League teams. Just complete garbage.

Game Time Decision

But how will this effect the Leaf’s playoff chances

fleshwound_NPG

is auston matthews’ pursuit of 70 goals a distraction

litre_cola

Ice bombers roll you lot 7-0 and TSN leads off with the chase for 70.

Game Time Decision

So we get the quick version

Senor Weaselo

So, apropos of the draft, John Sterling retired.

That’s sadness, Senor.

Horatio Cornblower

85 and I don’t think his health is great. The Yankees also opened with a series in Houston, a series in Arizona, one series at home, then a series in Cleveland and one in Toronto.

Even with him calling limited road series, (I was surprised to see him in AZ), that might have been a real quick decision-maker for him.

WCS

comment image

fleshwound_NPG

THIS WNBA DRAFT LEMME TELL YA I CALL IT WW1 AND WW2 BECAUSE FRANCE WAS JUST PICKED ON TWICE IN A ROW

Doktor Zymm

Dig the fiction, but damn, even with epic weapons can any side be successful if they take too many friendly fire casualties?

ballsofsteelandfury

I don’t have a problem with back blast…

ballsofsteelandfury

You buy the ticket, you take the ride.

TheRevanchist

Just an update: Cameron Brink is still hot.

Senor Weaselo

Oh, I know, Eren Jaeger!

Wait, shit, wrong Titans.

Horatio Cornblower

My daughter got me sort of into that show, but it turned into the ultimate ‘Surf Dracula’ show, where you’d wait forever to reach some sort of definite result, (fuck a conclusion, that was never gonna happen), and then they’d move the goalposts again.

So I stopped watching it.

Senor Weaselo

You mean once they get to the fireworks factory, I mean basement?

In fairness the entire show turns on a fucking DIME, and I still have to watch the last part of the last season.

I do know what happens, and I don’t understand the comparisons to Lelouch, because the Zero Requiem was fucking BRILLIANT.

Last edited 7 months ago by Senor Weaselo
WCS

That’s metal has hell.

Game Time Decision

ME WANT MOAR WARHAMMER STORIES

ballsofsteelandfury

Me too. I started reading and went, “Ooh! Warhammer fiction! Me likey!”

King Hippo

Morrigan be praised!