Hi hello! So, I just wanna credit some of the artists who's art showed up in the video! So here are some links to see their art, they do great work for the lamenters and you should check them out! www.artstation.com/alignment-ink x.com/dj_b3n1 If ever you see art in my videos that needs crediting that you own, in every one of my descriptions is a few means to contact me directly for the express purpose of credit! So feel free to reach out
Shouldn't that be "A warrior who *does* omit his losses..." As not omitting means if they speak about their losses, they can't talk about their victories
What makes the Lamenters special isn't their constant suffering or the fact they are the rare truly good guys in the Imperium. What makes them special that they persevere and continue to be good despite the constant bad luck and misery.
Exactly. If there was one single chapter that had a "good" reason to turn traitor, it's the Lamenters. But yet, against all odds, they not only persist, they continue to do the impossible.
The Lamenters are not "cursed" and they are not "unlucky". In fact, they may very well be the luckiest chapter to ever exist. They have survived a dozen disasters, each one devastating enough to have destroyed any other chapter of space marines. They are like chapter master Dante of the Blood Angels, no matter how often they selflessly throw themselves towards what must surely be certain death ... they still somehow always survive. And they care. They honestly, genuinely care about humanity.
No, if I recall, they are unlucky. Weapons jam more than they naturally should, enemies score better hits on them than said enemies do against other foes, timings of operations are very often just a little off against the lamenters. They have bad luck, but they survive through said bad luck, from the great, and the small.
There’s that silver metal lining. Plenty of SM Chapters have gone the way of the dodo, with their names and heraldry lost to time, but not the Lamenters. They lament the past, but they rage against a cruel and uncaring universe unwaveringly.
@augustuslunasol10thapostle and not just survive, they succeed. No matter how utterly insane the opposition or slim the chances of victory they manage to pull off the impossible.
The horrific luck even breaks the 4th wall. I've heard very few people dares to paint them. Yellow with a black and white checkerboard pattern on a rounded surface.
If it comes out a little messy you could just say it was bad luck and it got painted wrong by a surfe but the Marine takes pride in his mortal followers so he keeps it or you could say they are constantly trying to save people so they don't have time to filly fix it. I painted a chaos knight who had his helmet break in half so I painted it to look like it was blasted by a melta wepon somthing like that.
The secret to why people like them is on their arms. Their insignia is a Bleeding Heart. A Bleeding Heart is a term for someone who cares deeply and intensely often to their own detriment. They also wear their heart on their sleeves which is another term for being open with how you feel. The Lamenters constant suffering while a curse is perpetuated by their kindness in a cruel and uncaring universe. If they were more heartless they’d probably live longer but they get into trouble because they keep sticking their necks out for other people. They’re so antithetical to this universe that it keeps trying to wipe them out.
I am really a fan of the Lamenters...they are the underdogs of underdogs. Despite Terrible Luck, they are dedicated, and were handed so many bad cards, it's horrifying. Despite this, they work their hardest, and ON TOP OF IT...they suffer from major depression... They deserve medals...and rabbit's feet...and Lexapro....
Ever since I heard A Vox In The Void's series on the Lamenter's, they became my favorite. On a surface level, their constant loss and Murphy's-Law logic is almost comedic. But more realistically, their story is tragic and even heartbreaking, of grieving sons fighting for the memory of good in a narrative written against them.
The Lamenters are quite literally the guys when told things are only get worse for them and they know that, they say back “I have to try” even knowing that only suffering awaits them, they will help no matter the cost
Guiliman: "Good news, we are doubling the amounts of marines in your chapter with Primaris Reinforcements" Lamenters: *Gasps. "You mean we get five new battle brothers?"
The Lamenters embody what I think makes grimdark settings special. It’s not about darkness for the sake of darkness, it’s about the way that darkness can make the a sputtering candle’s light look like a bonfire by comparison. The Lamenters are some of the rare truly good “good guys” in the setting, and the setting does everything in its power to snuff them out. The Lamenters however, just keep going, because by the Emperor there’s work to be done and they’ll rest when they’re dead.
Right now theres a Lamenter Dreadnaught serving with the death watch that thinks all of his battle brothers are dead I hope he gets the news that thats not the case
Q_Q my poor golden angel boys they deserve better remember when the ultramarines refused to fight with them because they were cursed. i hate the blueberries.
@@bastaitnah, that was the Mortifactors. The Lamenters then took heavy casualties before the Ultramarines and White Scars showed up and actually helped
@@thewerdna Yeah the Ultramarines may be a bit overrepresented but they are very duty first and likely not to be superstitious. Eff the Mortificators though :p
@vivi7645 That is not how they role. And if they did, Chapters would not want to send Marines. Even worse backfire if the Lamenters want to know why their dreadnaught hasn’t returned and the Inquisition lies. With the many Marines of many Chapters in the Deathwatch, it would be impossible to maintain.
Lamenters are cool because despite being these supersoldiers who is more powerful than a regular human, they're still the underdog who you want to root for. In a world where space marine have the ultimate plot armor, having a chapter that doesn't win all the time, yet still choose to fight for mankind makes them really likable in a grim dark setting.
Long as comment sorry... I played a Lamenter in a Deathwatch game with some friends. Haimon is an old (about 200 y/o) gregarious Astartes, odd already I know, so he has a gene seed anomaly that lowers his willpower and gives him higher fellowship. He was also allowed to be a Tyranic War Veteran by my gm. I went for Tactical Marine because it was well rounded and doing a little of everything seemed to be the best option for my teammates. He had been sort of a mentor to my friends Blood Angel character, who is much younger and eager to prove himself. Our Kill Team was 'Kill Team Seraph'. Iv had to pass all of my Primarch Curses, which for Lamenters, they can bypass but if they fail one by the end then they get ALL of the Blood Angels curses. He had lost a leg, ripped off by a Brood Lord earlier in are campaign due to bad combat placement (we separated in a nest of genestealers). The whole campaign he had only ever tried to be a positive and outgoing person, rallying fellow Astartes and Humans alike to take up arms against the odds. He's made friends with even those in the Mechanicus, supplying dna samples and bodies of "new" bio-forms from Hive Fleet Dagon to a particular Biologis he saved on his first mission. He became known as "The Peacekeeper of Baraban" after a long mission for an Inquisitor that ended in diplomatic negotiations with the Tau, basically ending the war temporarily in that sector and saving millions of lives. He was equal parts hated and respected by his superiors for the way he lead the Kill Team, we would always accomplish our mission, but it was never the way they expected or wanted, but Haimon was begrudgingly made a Watch Captain towards the end of the campaign. Anyways, my Lamenter was different in many ways than his battle brothers but for better or worse, he always did what he thought was right. He had high fellowship, was more often than not the leader of the squad, and always took the fall for his squad when we screwed up. I wouldn't doubt that one day he will have to burn that last fate point in a heroic last ditch effort, but by god is it going to be glorious. For know, this new Watch Captain is going to do everything it takes to see it through till the end. For those we cherish, we die in glory!
Narrative wise the stories of lamenters are more: nobody is going to come and if we leave everyone dies, most of their casualties are from refusing to stop, a glory on so many others like the imperial fists. "For those we cherish we die in glory", and they live by it. Being capable of taking on odds some would only consider if it was against their own chapter. The minotaurs had to break them after no other chapter couldn't. When left to the warp they stood where full-strength chapters fell. For most of their famous battles they knew the odds and took their choice to save people.
The fight against the minotaurs is baffling from a logistical perspective, the minotaurs brought their entire might to them and they resisted 17 hours Mind you, they were fighting two battlegrounds one in the surface of the planet and in the matter lacrimarum, and they held the minotaurs while a big portion of their chapter was already wounded, incapable of coordination and still caused considerable loses that the high lords of Terra had to requisition the Lamenters gear as payment They did the impossible to a point The chapter master of the fucking minotaur accepted their surrender, I repeat the minotaurs accepted and honoured their surrender out of respect. You oughta admit the sad boys of sanguinius were strong.
I am confused about the conflict with the Minotaurs. Why exactly did they fight each other? What purpose was it for either chapter to fight one another, especially because are they not loyalist? I am genuinely confused with that whole event.
@RasAlXander it was during the Badab war, in universe its a civil war over the independence of the space marines vs. the overreach of space marines as local government. The lamenters fought on the side of independence. In reality, GW wanted a reason for SM players to be able to fight another. Still, I would buy a Badab war book if they made one.
Heck, in the Badab War, the Lamenters were kicking the other Chapters’ asses through sheer strategic excellence without usually needing to fight. Really clowning on them.
The one thing that drew me to creating a Lamenters army was their perseverance. While their main shtick is being unlucky and sad, it’s their ability to beaten down, abandoned, disregarded, unappreciated, etc, and get back up is their most endearing quality to me. So many other chapters have fallen, turned to chaos because of their losses or to seek glory, but not the Lamenters. The theme of perseverance also extends to real life with their color scheme beings firstly yellow, and then all their marines and vehicles require checkers. The last thing I’ll say is the Minotaurs ambushed an already weakened Lamenters Chapter with their full strength and still suffered heavy casualties when they had the tactical advantage and better war gear. ( Imperial Armor 9 pg 111, Imperial Armor 10 pg 109)
When you read or listen to stories about the Lamenters, it slowly dawns on you that they are probably some of the best fighters among the Astartes. They have beaten considerable odds and it's implied that the infamous Minotaurs only beat them during the Badab war because they had better numbers and equipment. They may not be known for winning their wars, but they do take considerable chunks out of anyone or anything they fight.
its as if fighting whit both legs broken 2 missing arms and the knife they had duck tapped to their head lost somewhere in the warp, actually made them stronger, compared to when they have full numbers and the universe decides to nuke half of them.
Since modern Astartes are likely descended from the corner-cut, diluted inducti of the Horus Heresy, but the Cursed Founding was made from pure gene-seed (albeit, tampered with), they might genuinely be just plan head and shoulders better than other modern Marines. When you add the straightforward Darwinism of their existence…
They should be the one chapter that doesn't do that. Because they're unique in the aspect that they don't. They fight for the citizens. They fight for common folk. And they will die if it means just one more citizen gets to live. And they NEVER become heretics. They'd rather die. That's what makes them unique. You need brightness in a world of bleak to hilight the shading. And the Lamenters are that bright light next to the Salamanders.
I think why the lamenters is super popular to some people is that if you look at their core problem they face: its basicallt spider man? In that, they do their to be good and help others in spite of knowing about their horrible luck qnd how often these things can and do go wrong, they still do what they can. There is just something so fucking inspiring or like amazing to look at in like, you know that this isnt going to work out for them and they know too; but that doesn't fucking stop them from doing their best to help people. Which contrasts the usual 40k vibes of most characters, but still feels 40k in that it doesn't work out for them, but instead of the usual 40k schtick of "and then they died and or turned evil": they still fight
They do embody their gene fathers selfless spirit. "I will stand. I will fight. Not because I can win, but because it is right!" -Sanguinius, At the Eternity Gate.
I took an immediate liking to the Lamenters when I first learned about them and looked them up after from the TTS short where the Custode tells their tale to the Emperor and afterwards he says "Oh..." and starts cry raining
Yeah, becouse if you take step back and look on their achievements from a wider angle it is just insane. Facing THE WHOLE BLACK LEGION during a Black Crusade on their own for weeks, destroying an Ork Minning World with milions of orks with just like 300 marines, being stucked in Warp for 100 years and still getting out without going down to Chaos, fighting while still being loyal, alive and kicking. Lamenters do get the hardest battle, but things they fight get far, far, FAR worse.
A slight change: "For those we cherish, we live" (Adapted for contemporary audiences.) Lamenters are not only the closest chapter to my heart, but also my societal outlook on things. No matter how bad things are now, by inaction they become worse. Even if everything goes against you in life, professionally ("Nah, we're uh... Good. Thanks for offering your help!") personally, ("You just seem to be TOO nice.") or any other run of bad luck- If you fall prey to it, and stop trying: That's on you. Nothing is ever equal, nor should you expect it to be. Carrying your torch is your responsibility. You may not like where it leads- but that doesn't mean the torch isn't worth carrying. Anyhow, thank you for the video and your time.
Now in front of you stands the man who lived the Baddab war. He whom escaped the oks. I have watched my battle Brothers die im the warp. One na one until I am aol that remains. And you shall now know what a Lamentars battle brother can do.
One thing to take note of is the fact that the Lamenters could be one of the strongest chapters of space marine. The sheer fact that they’ve somehow survived this long without getting destroyed, constantly facing scenarios that could have completely wiped out large chapters. Like, if they had full strength and didn’t have such messed up luck, they could be as formidable as ones like the Black Templars. And their chapter master, could have easily been among one of the strongest marines even if he didn’t have the ability to enter and exit the back rage will. Just merely surviving long enough to become chapter master proves that. The lamenters are the living personification of the phrase, “fear the old man in which where most die young.”
I guess he Black Rages, then uses his genetic sadness to pull himself back down? Now that's turning two weaknesses into a strength. I'm too sad to be angry all the time, so when I go insane with rage, I just sad myself back out of insanity.
I view the Lamenters collectively as the Spiderman of 40k. They get a never-ending cavalcade of crap thrown their way to the point where you could almost hear the Chaos gods go "WHY WON"T YOU BREAK?!?!" In yet, they never do. It's why I sometimes think some of the renegade marines would have the most extreme form of love/respect-hate towards these guys: like the Night Lords and Iron Warriors, they often get treated with ingratitude and disrespect despite all they do, but unlike the former two, they never break. Like the Thousand Sons, they're often handed the cruelest fates imaginable, but unlike the wizards, they remain loyal. Like the World Eaters (and I suppose this applies to all Blood Angels Chapters), they deal with a mighty bloodlust that they struggle to control, but unlike the former, for the most part, they do. Seriously, I suspect if some of the traitor legions found these guys and learned their history, they'd be torn between those who've retained some semblance of nobility and sanity wanting to leave them be and give them a break, and those who'd single them out to be exterminated because their mere existence would shame them and their entire reason for going traitor.
Imagine, Sanguinius being reborn, and as he goes to meet his sons, as soon as he and the last 3 lamenters make eye contact they start to cry in a big collective hug
The achievements of the Lamenters, if looked on from a wider perspetive are just insane. They managed during the 9th Black Crusade to hold Black Legion, which according to one book is 10 times larger than Word Bearers Legion, which in other book was stated that WB have around 100k marines, so that would mean that BL is like a 1 million of spikey boyz, alone for weeks, stucked in the warp for 100 years and managed to get out, destroyed orks mayor supply hub planet with only like 300 marines, have a tango with a tyranid hive fleet and now are defending some stupid xenos so their OP genes would not be absorbed by the nids (becouse if they do everyone would be super dead) AND STILL they are alive and kicking AND STILL they are loyal AND STILL true to their principles, which is protecting Imperium's people, no matter the cost. Like most chapters would die out or fall to chaos for far, far, FAAAAAR less than this taxi boys endured. They are like an ugly yellow with checkerboard, small, yet bright as a sun, middle finger towards the concept of the grim dark universe that hates them.
The Lamenters are my favorite chapter. In a video by Dreadanon about them there's a commenter that says he like to think that the Lamenters should be incredibly paranoid after a "perfect mission" because of all of the BS they went through.
The Lamenters really are one of the best representations of the tragic spirit of 40K, right up there with 'regular Joe Guardsman standing against monstrosities from another dimension, in that no matter how bad things get, no matter how much shit gets thrown at them, they just keep getting back up and trying again, even when they know it won't end well. They're in a way one of the best things about the Imperium, the indomitable human will to just keep going in spite of everything.
A good way of describing the sorrow the lamenters feel is how in universe the elder describe humanity as only feeling what would be to them sadness, and by extension what the lamenters feel is probably closer to what they would describe as depression
Nah Id rather have the lamenters at my back than any two other chapters. They arent just there for the fight they are there for the win, for the people, and for each other and the life afterward. Those are the kind of friends id want even in a loss
Lamenters are a distillation of what a lot of folks gravitate to space marines for. They're this generations 'crimson fists' - heroic strong masculine figures raging against the dying of the light, wholly in over their heads and ultimately being forced to make tragic sacrifices for the greater good. They are a typical heroic response to the darkness of the setting whilst not negating that dark energy that makes 40k what it is. They're also fantastic for a new player getting into a wargame. Play as the lamenters and lose a match? Yeah, that checks out. You get to have your goody-two-shoes heroic power fantasy and eat your sadboi grimdark cake too. They're actually pretty great in theory. Their execution is a stumble occasionally- once the audience knows the gimmick, and we do, its in their bloody name, you got to really work hard as a writer to keep the audience. This explains why lore is sparse on them, in my opinion.
I can see your point and especially agree with the world building aspect. Despite every loss, every failure, every struggle, and every foe... They haven't given up. They still fight for the imperium. They do what is good because it is good. And in that simple aspect... You can't help, but look up to them a little even if personally you wouldn't like to read about them to get a downer ending.
The Lamenters have well and truly cemented themselves as my favorite chapter, and for a deeply personal reason. I've got severe depression and anxiety, and I just really relate to the Lamenters on a personal level. I know how they feel. How it feels to have ostensible friends turn on and abandon you for the stupidest reasons. How it feels to feel like the entire world just kinda hates your guts for existing, or that you're just not made for the world you inhabit. How it feels like you're always in the background. How it feels like everything is always an uphill battle. How it feels like you always could've done better, and even your victories feel hollow. How it feels when you always seem like you're just awkwardly tacked on to other groups of people, never quite feeling like you fit, even with your own family (just look at the Blood Angels and their successors, a sea of red, with an undercurrent of deep traditions that undercut them all, while the Lamenters are bright yellow, and mostly codex compliant- they stick out like a sore thumb). How it feels to not really know why you even keep going, and yet you do. So uh, I get the Lamenters, and why they're popular. Though maybe people just like the taxi cab aesthetic, who knows
I gained liking of them because of online comic where lamenter in deathwatch freaks out and pleases all his battle brothers to seek deeply at all they had done during operation and triplecheck all scanners and astropath and psykers in general because there was nothing wrong during mission, it had been a complete success to serve as example of well executed task
I mean, its the simple underdog story. You root for them because theyre going through such shit but they keep on chugging and they haven't gone bad. Plus the new fuckin info of such a bad ass chapter master?! That was news to me
I was looking for a side project to work on to take a break from painting models with only three colors. (I love my Necrons, but they arent exactly exciting to paint.) and my brother recommended the Lamenters. As I dug deeper I kinda realized that there's three stages of Lamenter fandom. First is the classic "LOL, they're cursed.", second is the "Aww, they're actually GOOD guys and everyone hates them for it", and then the third is realizing that their recurring brushes with extinction stem from DOING THE IMPOSSIBLE. When you get past their misfortune you start to appreciate just how terrifyingly skilled they are and appreciate that they use it towards the safety and betterment of humanity as the Emperor and Sanguinius intended rather than chase glory and accolades or turn traitor to get revenge.
I think one of the reasons why people might like the Lamenters over other chapters with similar reputations for being very caring of normal humans (like the Salamanders) is the very fact that they choose to keep being these stoic and brave heroes even in the face of a universe that almost seems to go out of its way to deliver the gut-punch after gut-punch to their chapter. It would probably be easier for them to become cynical and start to act pragmatically, choosing self-preservation over selfless sacrifice, but the Lamenters just agree that to do so would effectively be selling their souls to that cynicism. After all, how can you grieve, how can you lament, for those who have fallen if you've stopped caring and think only for yourself? So the Lamenters choose that irrational compassion, knowing full well that they might not make it back. Not because they don't know better. But because the alternative is to suffer a living death far more shameful than anything that misfortune may throw their way.
Oh heck yeah! Been waiting for this one. And it was well worth the wait! I mostly agree with your “Narratively boring, but awesome character building” synopsis. Vox in the Void has a great fan series on the Lamenters. I’d recommend his episode called “Shame” about one who joins deathwatch.
i love your videos, the little personal bit is lovely and the interpreting etc gives someone who has been obsessively consuming warhammer content something actually new to watch
What makes the Lamenters special is that despite all the missery they go through and bad luck they deal with, despite being shuned and outright antagonized by some other chapters, despite all this they remain loyal and genuinely good people. They often take catastrophic losses deffending those rare few friends they have and regular mortal people. Despite having every reason in the universe for the contrary they remain noble and kind and loyal. They just keep pushing on in spite of everything trying to keep them down. They make the Angel proud.
IIRC the lamemters weren't at the devastation of Baal because they were still on their penitent crusade. And when Girlyman gave them primaris there were less than a hundred left
Great vid as usual. When you were talking about how they know they'll die/ be decimated and still decide to do their jobs, it reminded me of that scene in Chernobyl (Not a very good comparison, but IDK). It was the scene when Comrade Shcherbina was asking for volunteers for the divers who would go in and shut off the water in the remains of the reactor, when he said "You'll do it because it must be done." That same kind of dogged determination in spite of their acceptance of the fact that they probably won't survive through all this, but if they fell to inaction the cost for the wider world would be far greater.
FOR THOSE WE CHERISH, WE DIE IN GLORY!!! These guys are so tragic yet so wholesome and compassionate that it hurts to see them suffer but seeing them persevere in spite of everything that happens to them on a regular basis is so heartwarming. These guys are my favorite Blood Angels successor chapter, and I always love it when they rise up from whatever brings them down while also being as compassionate as the Salamanders towards the commonfolk of the Imperium.
I do remember watching a UA-cam video where it explained they tried to make it to Ball but they got lost in the warp and as I emerged from the warp they got attacked by some tyranid after making it out of that badly damaged eventually they made it to ball with their help wasn't needed
i like the Lamenters for a few reasons. First, they genuinely care for people on a level that rivals and might even surpass the Salamanders. Second, Despite everything that goes wrong, such as their bad luck, they STILL manage to do the impossible. Every time they almost went extinct, they just got done doing something that other chapters would be hesitant to do. Despite the Odds being stacked against them, they still still try when no one else will, and usually succeed when everyone thought they would fail. Third, even with the overall hate/ Wariness that the rest of the imperium feels toward the Lamenters, even with having every reason to give up or give in, they still choose to bare that hate and resentment because they know they are needed. For Those We Cherish!
I think them kinda being on the ass end of the luck scale kinda contributes to the sheer 'Holy shit, they did that?' when they do get their moments. People often forget it wasn't just the whole chapter of the Minotaur's, but also the Imperial Navy who supported the Minotaur's siege of the Lamenters Battle Barge. Or that time they face tanked a Black Legion Crusade and survived? You know they are Blood Angels because they have the chronic problem of getting backed into a corner and reminding people that blood is red, and so are you.
I didn't give a hoot about the Lamenters until I heard A Vox in the Void's "Don't Go". I'm not crying, you're crying. (Edit: And if you watch it, make sure you read the pinned comment- I genuinely thought it was part of the video, and it's perfect.)
One of the first armies I printed, and I metered my initial ambition to have each model mid-deadly accident by printing the small portion of them I have now in the Family Guy Death Pose. I'll get back to that idea someday...
The Lamenter lost half a company in twenty minutes on Malvolian in a failed attempt to buy enough time for the Imperial Guard and civilians to escape the Tyranids of Hive Fleet I wanna say Kraken. In fact, a lot of their deployments are done mainly to save humanity. I think in a happier universe their motto would read "For those we love, we die in Glory." rather than the more manly and sanitized cherish. Of course that gets into the thorny issue of can Spess experience love and the question of is love incompatible with grimdark.
I like the Lamenters because no matter how bad or dark it gets they never give up or lose their humanity, to be so mistreated yet still desire to help others as the reason to go on is a noble lesson. Never let your dark times stop you from being the best version of yourself, while trite it does help in life to do your best for those you cherish.
The blood angel successors tend to exemplify different aspects of his character. His bloodlust in combat - flesh terrors Nobility and the tragedy of his death - lamentors
These guys are just one of those successor cbapters that you hope they don't die out. Them along with the Raptors are by far my favorite but my god, I get emotional when it comes to the Lamentors. They continue to survive despite the universe trying to deny them and yet refuse to be extinguished.
They hold a special place in my heart for being one of the first oc s I made when painting models (I screwed up the checkers pattern) . Made him a fallen Tzetchian SM who sees his bad luck and decided to place himself precisely where chaos would prefer he didn’t. I wonder if I still have the model laying around?
They're my go to chapter, simply because they're as you said, they do the morally right thing wherever possible even to their detriment, they're about as "true good" on a DnD alignment chart as you can get in 40K for the Imperium of Man. They're the noble side of Sanguinius to a fault, they have a naivety to them that's almost childlike in a sense, and that's the appeal, seeing that you can still do good in the 40K universe even if the galaxy hates you, the noble knight that you think of as a kid who'd sacrifice all to save the village. But then you read about them and realise that they know they're cursed, know they could just hide away and pick the safe route, but still do what they do regardless knowing full well the consequences. Arguably they might come across as the most unlucky chapter, but given their track record, they're probably one of the luckiest to still exist.
I enjoy Lamenters, not as much as the Black Dragons in terms of the Cursed Founding gang but - I enjoy their altruism as it's a trait that I think more people should adopt. If these horribly unlucky genetic super soldiers can do good things and find reason to do those good things in the grim dark future where there is only war, so can you.
Other than the Blood Angels, Sanguinius would be most proud of the Lamenters. Guys who keep getting screwed but push through and stay good in spite of it all are true heroes and real good guys. Lamenters are the best parts of Sanguinius, may the Emperor Protect them
I just realised that the Lamenters represent Sanguinius' sacrifice, in the weird way that the warp likes to carry things forward and f### people for it.
I can't say I agree with this video on many accounts. The fact they are so popular shows that most people don't need to take time for what's special about the Lamenters to click, but even then you didn't quite stumble on it in this video The Lamenters have a "fuck it we ball" energy that no other chapter has. One of my favorite things with the Lamenters is the fact that they have a mindset of "not even one" that is to say, it doesn't matter if the losses are considered "acceptable" NOT A SINGLE CIVILIAN is dying. They can, will, and have, sacrificed almost their entire chapter over this goal. With that above in mind, the Lamenters are perhaps the closest chapter to the original Emperors vision, that is "the defenders of humanty, the bulwark of the empire, who shall feel no fear". no other chapter comes nearly close as this one does. Lastly, it's the fact that after everything they've been through, all the shit they've faced, they still maintain their "not even one" policy, they still defend the Imperium, they still serve with more zeal than perhaps even the Black Templars. As for the narrative stuff, GW hasn't made much official narrative so I can see why you'd think it would be boring and repititious, but in honesty you should read what others have written. The Lamenters are rife with great potential from a character standpoint, characters who face terrible odds, but do not faulter, they maintain their heroic spirit even to the end. They may recognize that this will not end well themselves, their chapter master may try to encourage them to think more long term, but in the end, the sound of a terrified human will drive them to a frenzy to ensure that no one else suffers. The average Lamenters story as the fans write them, is not a pyrhhic victory, its an addict who finally loses the battle in more ways than one in the end, yet their glimmer of hope remains for they still win in their defeat.
The Lamenters are sympathetic, because they are the saying "No good deed goes unpunished" incarnate. Also, apparently, they are something akin to a punchingbag as a counterweight on the cosmic scale, since it seems, that the one time they didn't get unlucky, the Ultramarines got the crap kicked out of them. Which would suggest, that through some warp shenanigans, the Ultramarines, although most likely without their knowledge, siphon off the Lamenters luck.
I came to like them for a similar reason of why I like the Salamanders, and it can be summed up in their battle cry. "For those we cherish, we die in glory". That is arguably the most Paladin quote I have ever seen, this idea that they know that they are eternally scuffed but don't care. That they find the act of laying down their lives to give even the slightest chance for others to live and maybe have better lives to be not just a good reason but the reason to go down swinging. There is despair and tragedy among them but they still dare to hope, to be good people in a galaxy that punishes people for daring to even try to be good. They will fail, they will make mistakes, but that doesn't deter them from trying time and again. Sangunius would likely weep and embrace them if he had gotten a chance to know them, as they embody that sincere nobility that he wanted for his sons.
I like the Blood Angels, and even more so the Lamenters, because of what the subtext of mental illness and grief that runs through their faction. In a setting full of stoicism, they express themselves emotionally and artistically. I think their desire to continue, in spite of knowing their ultimate fate, is one of the most interesting and beautiful things in the Imperium.
If i may offer a counterpoint: i think they exemplify stoicism more than other space marine chapters. They have kindness and empathy, which are strong virtues of stoic philosophy. They know things suck, but they do what is right for the sake of doing right, regardless of the outcome. And i agree, they are one of the most interesting and beautiful things in the imperium.
Honestly, the lamenters hit the same vein as guardsmen for me, people in a universe that hates them and no matter what, will not allow them a happy ending. but despite that, marches on and fights. They to me represent what hope is in a grim dark story.
Hi hello!
So, I just wanna credit some of the artists who's art showed up in the video!
So here are some links to see their art, they do great work for the lamenters and you should check them out!
www.artstation.com/alignment-ink
x.com/dj_b3n1
If ever you see art in my videos that needs crediting that you own, in every one of my descriptions is a few means to contact me directly for the express purpose of credit!
So feel free to reach out
lamenters- i didnt hear no bell
OH oh are we traitors
IM SORRY i thought this was the empire
did we become tau
IM SORRY.
“A warrior that does not admit his losses, does not deserve to speak of his victories”-lamenters
Shouldn't that be "A warrior who *does* omit his losses..." As not omitting means if they speak about their losses, they can't talk about their victories
Admit maybe?
@@Br0oham I think he means "*A*dmit"
@@moderndavinci6599 I think so
My favorite loyalist chapter.
“FOR THOSE WE CHERISH, WE DIE IN GLORY!!!”
❤
What makes the Lamenters special isn't their constant suffering or the fact they are the rare truly good guys in the Imperium. What makes them special that they persevere and continue to be good despite the constant bad luck and misery.
The indomitable human spirit resides in all of us, Astartes included
lamenters the chapter of the unbreakable spirit of sanguinius.
Exactly. If there was one single chapter that had a "good" reason to turn traitor, it's the Lamenters. But yet, against all odds, they not only persist, they continue to do the impossible.
They are the Spider-Man of Warhammer
The Lamenters are not "cursed" and they are not "unlucky". In fact, they may very well be the luckiest chapter to ever exist. They have survived a dozen disasters, each one devastating enough to have destroyed any other chapter of space marines.
They are like chapter master Dante of the Blood Angels, no matter how often they selflessly throw themselves towards what must surely be certain death ... they still somehow always survive.
And they care. They honestly, genuinely care about humanity.
No, if I recall, they are unlucky. Weapons jam more than they naturally should, enemies score better hits on them than said enemies do against other foes, timings of operations are very often just a little off against the lamenters. They have bad luck, but they survive through said bad luck, from the great, and the small.
@@jessicaberry5596 they are both its like all their regular luck is worse but when it counts oh boy theyll survive
There’s that silver metal lining. Plenty of SM Chapters have gone the way of the dodo, with their names and heraldry lost to time, but not the Lamenters. They lament the past, but they rage against a cruel and uncaring universe unwaveringly.
That's their curse... They will suffer for eternity.
They won't win but won't be vanquished either...
@augustuslunasol10thapostle and not just survive, they succeed. No matter how utterly insane the opposition or slim the chances of victory they manage to pull off the impossible.
The horrific luck even breaks the 4th wall. I've heard very few people dares to paint them. Yellow with a black and white checkerboard pattern on a rounded surface.
If it comes out a little messy you could just say it was bad luck and it got painted wrong by a surfe but the Marine takes pride in his mortal followers so he keeps it or you could say they are constantly trying to save people so they don't have time to filly fix it. I painted a chaos knight who had his helmet break in half so I painted it to look like it was blasted by a melta wepon somthing like that.
Friend of mine just prints out little stickers of the pattern and puts them after painting the rest
@@Minority119 I have been looking for stickers like those, would you mind telling me where I could find these "stickers" I would absolutely love that!
@@Abhirgawande I think he made them himself on corel but there might be some online
@@Minority119 Ok thx!
Thomas Aquinas: "No good deed goes unpunished."
GW: "Great idea for a chapter!"
As a graduate philosophy student you have made me very happy my friend, although GW's pseudo-Latin will never cease to be like Angron's nails Lol
The secret to why people like them is on their arms. Their insignia is a Bleeding Heart. A Bleeding Heart is a term for someone who cares deeply and intensely often to their own detriment. They also wear their heart on their sleeves which is another term for being open with how you feel. The Lamenters constant suffering while a curse is perpetuated by their kindness in a cruel and uncaring universe. If they were more heartless they’d probably live longer but they get into trouble because they keep sticking their necks out for other people. They’re so antithetical to this universe that it keeps trying to wipe them out.
@@Broomer52 They remain human in the face of an inhuman world, there is both nobility and a lesson in that I think.
St. Thomas Aquinas 😊
The path to Hell is paved with good intentions
I am really a fan of the Lamenters...they are the underdogs of underdogs. Despite Terrible Luck, they are dedicated, and were handed so many bad cards, it's horrifying. Despite this, they work their hardest, and ON TOP OF IT...they suffer from major depression...
They deserve medals...and rabbit's feet...and Lexapro....
Most of all, they need a hug.
A big hug would go very very far.
Roger:Request for vulkan reinforcement noted
Lexapro for the SSRI God, Benzos for the Pharma Throne!!!!
Ever since I heard A Vox In The Void's series on the Lamenter's, they became my favorite.
On a surface level, their constant loss and Murphy's-Law logic is almost comedic.
But more realistically, their story is tragic and even heartbreaking, of grieving sons fighting for the memory of good in a narrative written against them.
Vox, man, what a channel!
Cry Havoc is an amazing story
The Lamenters are quite literally the guys when told things are only get worse for them and they know that, they say back “I have to try” even knowing that only suffering awaits them, they will help no matter the cost
The Lamenters are basically what happens when you let Spider man's writers write a space marine chapter.
Guiliman: "Good news, we are doubling the amounts of marines in your chapter with Primaris Reinforcements"
Lamenters: *Gasps. "You mean we get five new battle brothers?"
No unfortunately they died in transit
@@nolanbaker2360"They really were our brothers then."
@@Aceshot-uu7yxAlso the blood ravens need more rhinos so…yeah we are gonna take these.
Oh btw there’s a massive waaagh behind you.
@Prophetofthe8thLegion thank you, today was going too well. Looks like we'll have to eat our Arby's orders later.
Guiliman: "holy shit why am I suddenly so sad...?"
FOR THOSE WE CHERISH
WE DIE IN GLORY
@@bazant12WE "I am the only one left" biggest saddest walking coffin
@@nolanbaker2360 "Lements in TTS Big-E"
WE DIE IN GLORY!
@@nolanbaker2360I haven’t finished the deathwatch series yet but I hope Chyron finds them
The TTS short about the Lamenters is truly tragic.
And tragically ture
Screw GW for taking TTS away from us.
Albeit it has brought forth some other amazing stuff by Bruva and the lads.
_DIGGANOBZ!_
The ruined Lamenter from the short is shown at 6:53
Have you seen the doge version of it 👌, it hits just the same
@Numtalegau GW did no such thing, Alfa and the team made that decision.
The Lamenters embody what I think makes grimdark settings special. It’s not about darkness for the sake of darkness, it’s about the way that darkness can make the a sputtering candle’s light look like a bonfire by comparison.
The Lamenters are some of the rare truly good “good guys” in the setting, and the setting does everything in its power to snuff them out. The Lamenters however, just keep going, because by the Emperor there’s work to be done and they’ll rest when they’re dead.
And the Emperor knows many a good Lamenter has earned his rest.
The Lamenters are what you get when you're a nice guy in the 40k universe
Right now theres a Lamenter Dreadnaught serving with the death watch that thinks all of his battle brothers are dead
I hope he gets the news that thats not the case
Q_Q my poor golden angel boys
they deserve better remember when the ultramarines refused to fight with them because they were cursed.
i hate the blueberries.
@@bastaitnah, that was the Mortifactors. The Lamenters then took heavy casualties before the Ultramarines and White Scars showed up and actually helped
@@thewerdna Yeah the Ultramarines may be a bit overrepresented but they are very duty first and likely not to be superstitious. Eff the Mortificators though :p
I doubt it, sadly, the Deathwatch like their monsters on a leash, and they'll continue with the lie if it means they'll be able to control him
@vivi7645
That is not how they role. And if they did, Chapters would not want to send Marines. Even worse backfire if the Lamenters want to know why their dreadnaught hasn’t returned and the Inquisition lies. With the many Marines of many Chapters in the Deathwatch, it would be impossible to maintain.
Lamenters are cool because despite being these supersoldiers who is more powerful than a regular human, they're still the underdog who you want to root for.
In a world where space marine have the ultimate plot armor, having a chapter that doesn't win all the time, yet still choose to fight for mankind makes them really likable in a grim dark setting.
Long as comment sorry...
I played a Lamenter in a Deathwatch game with some friends. Haimon is an old (about 200 y/o) gregarious Astartes, odd already I know, so he has a gene seed anomaly that lowers his willpower and gives him higher fellowship. He was also allowed to be a Tyranic War Veteran by my gm. I went for Tactical Marine because it was well rounded and doing a little of everything seemed to be the best option for my teammates. He had been sort of a mentor to my friends Blood Angel character, who is much younger and eager to prove himself. Our Kill Team was 'Kill Team Seraph'.
Iv had to pass all of my Primarch Curses, which for Lamenters, they can bypass but if they fail one by the end then they get ALL of the Blood Angels curses. He had lost a leg, ripped off by a Brood Lord earlier in are campaign due to bad combat placement (we separated in a nest of genestealers). The whole campaign he had only ever tried to be a positive and outgoing person, rallying fellow Astartes and Humans alike to take up arms against the odds. He's made friends with even those in the Mechanicus, supplying dna samples and bodies of "new" bio-forms from Hive Fleet Dagon to a particular Biologis he saved on his first mission. He became known as "The Peacekeeper of Baraban" after a long mission for an Inquisitor that ended in diplomatic negotiations with the Tau, basically ending the war temporarily in that sector and saving millions of lives. He was equal parts hated and respected by his superiors for the way he lead the Kill Team, we would always accomplish our mission, but it was never the way they expected or wanted, but Haimon was begrudgingly made a Watch Captain towards the end of the campaign.
Anyways, my Lamenter was different in many ways than his battle brothers but for better or worse, he always did what he thought was right. He had high fellowship, was more often than not the leader of the squad, and always took the fall for his squad when we screwed up. I wouldn't doubt that one day he will have to burn that last fate point in a heroic last ditch effort, but by god is it going to be glorious. For know, this new Watch Captain is going to do everything it takes to see it through till the end. For those we cherish, we die in glory!
Ahh, yes, the real sad boy emo vampires, not these twilight vampires. These boys got to go through the worst of the worst and they still have hope
Narrative wise the stories of lamenters are more: nobody is going to come and if we leave everyone dies, most of their casualties are from refusing to stop, a glory on so many others like the imperial fists. "For those we cherish we die in glory", and they live by it. Being capable of taking on odds some would only consider if it was against their own chapter. The minotaurs had to break them after no other chapter couldn't. When left to the warp they stood where full-strength chapters fell. For most of their famous battles they knew the odds and took their choice to save people.
The fight against the minotaurs is baffling from a logistical perspective, the minotaurs brought their entire might to them and they resisted 17 hours
Mind you, they were fighting two battlegrounds one in the surface of the planet and in the matter lacrimarum, and they held the minotaurs while a big portion of their chapter was already wounded, incapable of coordination and still caused considerable loses that the high lords of Terra had to requisition the Lamenters gear as payment
They did the impossible to a point The chapter master of the fucking minotaur accepted their surrender, I repeat the minotaurs accepted and honoured their surrender out of respect.
You oughta admit the sad boys of sanguinius were strong.
I am confused about the conflict with the Minotaurs. Why exactly did they fight each other? What purpose was it for either chapter to fight one another, especially because are they not loyalist? I am genuinely confused with that whole event.
@RasAlXander it was during the Badab war, in universe its a civil war over the independence of the space marines vs. the overreach of space marines as local government. The lamenters fought on the side of independence.
In reality, GW wanted a reason for SM players to be able to fight another.
Still, I would buy a Badab war book if they made one.
Heck, in the Badab War, the Lamenters were kicking the other Chapters’ asses through sheer strategic excellence without usually needing to fight. Really clowning on them.
4:25 BLOOD GORGONS MENTIONED, LESSSS GOOOOOOOOOOO!!!1! Video when?
"Don't Go" by Vox in the Void is a great depiction of the Lamenters, while its unofficial, it is impossible not to weep listening to it.
The one thing that drew me to creating a Lamenters army was their perseverance. While their main shtick is being unlucky and sad, it’s their ability to beaten down, abandoned, disregarded, unappreciated, etc, and get back up is their most endearing quality to me.
So many other chapters have fallen, turned to chaos because of their losses or to seek glory, but not the Lamenters.
The theme of perseverance also extends to real life with their color scheme beings firstly yellow, and then all their marines and vehicles require checkers.
The last thing I’ll say is the Minotaurs ambushed an already weakened Lamenters Chapter with their full strength and still suffered heavy casualties when they had the tactical advantage and better war gear. ( Imperial Armor 9 pg 111, Imperial Armor 10 pg 109)
When you read or listen to stories about the Lamenters, it slowly dawns on you that they are probably some of the best fighters among the Astartes. They have beaten considerable odds and it's implied that the infamous Minotaurs only beat them during the Badab war because they had better numbers and equipment.
They may not be known for winning their wars, but they do take considerable chunks out of anyone or anything they fight.
its as if fighting whit both legs broken 2 missing arms and the knife they had duck tapped to their head lost somewhere in the warp, actually made them stronger, compared to when they have full numbers and the universe decides to nuke half of them.
Since modern Astartes are likely descended from the corner-cut, diluted inducti of the Horus Heresy, but the Cursed Founding was made from pure gene-seed (albeit, tampered with), they might genuinely be just plan head and shoulders better than other modern Marines. When you add the straightforward Darwinism of their existence…
Don't you just want cry when you see a lamenters video
Dogehammer Fortykay's Lamenters video will forever be my canon
So. When do the Lamentors get their “I’m going to rip the wings off this butterfly” moment?
Bam, first TFS reference 😂
If ever that happens. It would be violent and brutal and in the immortal words of Vegeta: You shouldn't have done that
Pushing the Lamenters to that point is like pushing the quiet nerdy kid with a rough home life: You _really_ shouldn't.
@LexYeen you pushed the Lamenters button
@@lowbridge4080 "ya shouldn'ta did that"
They should be the one chapter that doesn't do that. Because they're unique in the aspect that they don't. They fight for the citizens. They fight for common folk. And they will die if it means just one more citizen gets to live. And they NEVER become heretics. They'd rather die. That's what makes them unique. You need brightness in a world of bleak to hilight the shading. And the Lamenters are that bright light next to the Salamanders.
I think why the lamenters is super popular to some people is that if you look at their core problem they face: its basicallt spider man? In that, they do their to be good and help others in spite of knowing about their horrible luck qnd how often these things can and do go wrong, they still do what they can. There is just something so fucking inspiring or like amazing to look at in like, you know that this isnt going to work out for them and they know too; but that doesn't fucking stop them from doing their best to help people. Which contrasts the usual 40k vibes of most characters, but still feels 40k in that it doesn't work out for them, but instead of the usual 40k schtick of "and then they died and or turned evil": they still fight
They do embody their gene fathers selfless spirit.
"I will stand. I will fight. Not because I can win, but because it is right!" -Sanguinius, At the Eternity Gate.
I took an immediate liking to the Lamenters when I first learned about them and looked them up after from the TTS short where the Custode tells their tale to the Emperor and afterwards he says "Oh..." and starts cry raining
When it is a tactical advantage that your enemy appears to have an overwhelming advantage in victory...send in The Lamenters.
Yeah, becouse if you take step back and look on their achievements from a wider angle it is just insane. Facing THE WHOLE BLACK LEGION during a Black Crusade on their own for weeks, destroying an Ork Minning World with milions of orks with just like 300 marines, being stucked in Warp for 100 years and still getting out without going down to Chaos, fighting while still being loyal, alive and kicking.
Lamenters do get the hardest battle, but things they fight get far, far, FAR worse.
A slight change:
"For those we cherish, we live" (Adapted for contemporary audiences.)
Lamenters are not only the closest chapter to my heart, but also my societal outlook on things. No matter how bad things are now, by inaction they become worse. Even if everything goes against you in life, professionally ("Nah, we're uh... Good. Thanks for offering your help!") personally, ("You just seem to be TOO nice.") or any other run of bad luck- If you fall prey to it, and stop trying: That's on you. Nothing is ever equal, nor should you expect it to be. Carrying your torch is your responsibility. You may not like where it leads- but that doesn't mean the torch isn't worth carrying.
Anyhow, thank you for the video and your time.
I think I really “got” the Lamenters when I listened to a short story about them called “Don’t Go”. Shit almost had me in tears by the end
“I’m here to die in Glory of those I cherish.
AND IM ALL OUTTA THOSE I CHERISH!”
Now in front of you stands the man who lived the Baddab war. He whom escaped the oks. I have watched my battle Brothers die im the warp. One na one until I am aol that remains. And you shall now know what a Lamentars battle brother can do.
They are not cursed, but rather blessed to find their way back to their primarch with unerring speed and accuracy.
"Because, someone's gotta do it!" - The Lamenters.
Tzeentch “Why did you resupply our enemies?”
Nurgle “Because you’re too mean.”
One thing to take note of is the fact that the Lamenters could be one of the strongest chapters of space marine. The sheer fact that they’ve somehow survived this long without getting destroyed, constantly facing scenarios that could have completely wiped out large chapters. Like, if they had full strength and didn’t have such messed up luck, they could be as formidable as ones like the Black Templars. And their chapter master, could have easily been among one of the strongest marines even if he didn’t have the ability to enter and exit the back rage will. Just merely surviving long enough to become chapter master proves that. The lamenters are the living personification of the phrase, “fear the old man in which where most die young.”
I guess he Black Rages, then uses his genetic sadness to pull himself back down? Now that's turning two weaknesses into a strength. I'm too sad to be angry all the time, so when I go insane with rage, I just sad myself back out of insanity.
I view the Lamenters collectively as the Spiderman of 40k. They get a never-ending cavalcade of crap thrown their way to the point where you could almost hear the Chaos gods go "WHY WON"T YOU BREAK?!?!"
In yet, they never do. It's why I sometimes think some of the renegade marines would have the most extreme form of love/respect-hate towards these guys: like the Night Lords and Iron Warriors, they often get treated with ingratitude and disrespect despite all they do, but unlike the former two, they never break. Like the Thousand Sons, they're often handed the cruelest fates imaginable, but unlike the wizards, they remain loyal. Like the World Eaters (and I suppose this applies to all Blood Angels Chapters), they deal with a mighty bloodlust that they struggle to control, but unlike the former, for the most part, they do.
Seriously, I suspect if some of the traitor legions found these guys and learned their history, they'd be torn between those who've retained some semblance of nobility and sanity wanting to leave them be and give them a break, and those who'd single them out to be exterminated because their mere existence would shame them and their entire reason for going traitor.
My boys.. my precious precious boys...
Imagine, Sanguinius being reborn, and as he goes to meet his sons, as soon as he and the last 3 lamenters make eye contact they start to cry in a big collective hug
The achievements of the Lamenters, if looked on from a wider perspetive are just insane. They managed during the 9th Black Crusade to hold Black Legion, which according to one book is 10 times larger than Word Bearers Legion, which in other book was stated that WB have around 100k marines, so that would mean that BL is like a 1 million of spikey boyz, alone for weeks, stucked in the warp for 100 years and managed to get out, destroyed orks mayor supply hub planet with only like 300 marines, have a tango with a tyranid hive fleet and now are defending some stupid xenos so their OP genes would not be absorbed by the nids (becouse if they do everyone would be super dead) AND STILL they are alive and kicking AND STILL they are loyal AND STILL true to their principles, which is protecting Imperium's people, no matter the cost. Like most chapters would die out or fall to chaos for far, far, FAAAAAR less than this taxi boys endured.
They are like an ugly yellow with checkerboard, small, yet bright as a sun, middle finger towards the concept of the grim dark universe that hates them.
The Lamenters are my favorite chapter. In a video by Dreadanon about them there's a commenter that says he like to think that the Lamenters should be incredibly paranoid after a "perfect mission" because of all of the BS they went through.
The Lamenters really are one of the best representations of the tragic spirit of 40K, right up there with 'regular Joe Guardsman standing against monstrosities from another dimension, in that no matter how bad things get, no matter how much shit gets thrown at them, they just keep getting back up and trying again, even when they know it won't end well. They're in a way one of the best things about the Imperium, the indomitable human will to just keep going in spite of everything.
And of course, they just happen to be the nicest guys in the imperium too
Ahh the Lamenters, when you want to do good but the grimdark of grimdarkness denies you because grimdark.
During the devastation of Baal, Blood Angels: "This call goes out to all our successor chapters and sons of Sanguinius!......except you Lamenters"
We al lready have too much on our plates. Stay away
We get it, plus like half of us just got captured by drukari so we are severely under strength . . . Again . . .
A good way of describing the sorrow the lamenters feel is how in universe the elder describe humanity as only feeling what would be to them sadness, and by extension what the lamenters feel is probably closer to what they would describe as depression
Just watched A Vox in the Void’s Lamenter Collection today so this is a fine treat on top
Nah Id rather have the lamenters at my back than any two other chapters. They arent just there for the fight they are there for the win, for the people, and for each other and the life afterward. Those are the kind of friends id want even in a loss
Lamenters are a distillation of what a lot of folks gravitate to space marines for. They're this generations 'crimson fists' - heroic strong masculine figures raging against the dying of the light, wholly in over their heads and ultimately being forced to make tragic sacrifices for the greater good. They are a typical heroic response to the darkness of the setting whilst not negating that dark energy that makes 40k what it is. They're also fantastic for a new player getting into a wargame. Play as the lamenters and lose a match? Yeah, that checks out. You get to have your goody-two-shoes heroic power fantasy and eat your sadboi grimdark cake too. They're actually pretty great in theory. Their execution is a stumble occasionally- once the audience knows the gimmick, and we do, its in their bloody name, you got to really work hard as a writer to keep the audience. This explains why lore is sparse on them, in my opinion.
The lamenters and the salamanders need a hug.
I can see your point and especially agree with the world building aspect.
Despite every loss, every failure, every struggle, and every foe...
They haven't given up. They still fight for the imperium. They do what is good because it is good.
And in that simple aspect... You can't help, but look up to them a little even if personally you wouldn't like to read about them to get a downer ending.
The Lamenters have well and truly cemented themselves as my favorite chapter, and for a deeply personal reason. I've got severe depression and anxiety, and I just really relate to the Lamenters on a personal level. I know how they feel. How it feels to have ostensible friends turn on and abandon you for the stupidest reasons. How it feels to feel like the entire world just kinda hates your guts for existing, or that you're just not made for the world you inhabit. How it feels like you're always in the background. How it feels like everything is always an uphill battle. How it feels like you always could've done better, and even your victories feel hollow. How it feels when you always seem like you're just awkwardly tacked on to other groups of people, never quite feeling like you fit, even with your own family (just look at the Blood Angels and their successors, a sea of red, with an undercurrent of deep traditions that undercut them all, while the Lamenters are bright yellow, and mostly codex compliant- they stick out like a sore thumb). How it feels to not really know why you even keep going, and yet you do.
So uh, I get the Lamenters, and why they're popular. Though maybe people just like the taxi cab aesthetic, who knows
Worldeaters successors coming soon. Im hype
I gained liking of them because of online comic where lamenter in deathwatch freaks out and pleases all his battle brothers to seek deeply at all they had done during operation and triplecheck all scanners and astropath and psykers in general because there was nothing wrong during mission, it had been a complete success to serve as example of well executed task
I mean, its the simple underdog story. You root for them because theyre going through such shit but they keep on chugging and they haven't gone bad. Plus the new fuckin info of such a bad ass chapter master?! That was news to me
I was looking for a side project to work on to take a break from painting models with only three colors. (I love my Necrons, but they arent exactly exciting to paint.) and my brother recommended the Lamenters. As I dug deeper I kinda realized that there's three stages of Lamenter fandom. First is the classic "LOL, they're cursed.", second is the "Aww, they're actually GOOD guys and everyone hates them for it", and then the third is realizing that their recurring brushes with extinction stem from DOING THE IMPOSSIBLE. When you get past their misfortune you start to appreciate just how terrifyingly skilled they are and appreciate that they use it towards the safety and betterment of humanity as the Emperor and Sanguinius intended rather than chase glory and accolades or turn traitor to get revenge.
Personally, I felt in love with the lamenter after listening to the lamenter son by stringstorm.
It encapsulates everything the lamenter are about.
I think one of the reasons why people might like the Lamenters over other chapters with similar reputations for being very caring of normal humans (like the Salamanders) is the very fact that they choose to keep being these stoic and brave heroes even in the face of a universe that almost seems to go out of its way to deliver the gut-punch after gut-punch to their chapter. It would probably be easier for them to become cynical and start to act pragmatically, choosing self-preservation over selfless sacrifice, but the Lamenters just agree that to do so would effectively be selling their souls to that cynicism. After all, how can you grieve, how can you lament, for those who have fallen if you've stopped caring and think only for yourself?
So the Lamenters choose that irrational compassion, knowing full well that they might not make it back. Not because they don't know better. But because the alternative is to suffer a living death far more shameful than anything that misfortune may throw their way.
Yeah, anyone else would've fallen to chaos out of sheer bitterness, but they don't.
spider-man writers and lamenter writers competing to make their character(s) suffer more than the other writer's
Ah, the Lamenters, the Posthumans that must still endure the Human Condition.
This madman puts in work to keep this stuff churning out. Props.
Oh heck yeah! Been waiting for this one.
And it was well worth the wait! I mostly agree with your “Narratively boring, but awesome character building” synopsis.
Vox in the Void has a great fan series on the Lamenters. I’d recommend his episode called “Shame” about one who joins deathwatch.
i love your videos, the little personal bit is lovely and the interpreting etc gives someone who has been obsessively consuming warhammer content something actually new to watch
What makes the Lamenters special is that despite all the missery they go through and bad luck they deal with, despite being shuned and outright antagonized by some other chapters, despite all this they remain loyal and genuinely good people. They often take catastrophic losses deffending those rare few friends they have and regular mortal people. Despite having every reason in the universe for the contrary they remain noble and kind and loyal. They just keep pushing on in spite of everything trying to keep them down. They make the Angel proud.
IIRC the lamemters weren't at the devastation of Baal because they were still on their penitent crusade. And when Girlyman gave them primaris there were less than a hundred left
Great vid as usual. When you were talking about how they know they'll die/ be decimated and still decide to do their jobs, it reminded me of that scene in Chernobyl (Not a very good comparison, but IDK). It was the scene when Comrade Shcherbina was asking for volunteers for the divers who would go in and shut off the water in the remains of the reactor, when he said "You'll do it because it must be done." That same kind of dogged determination in spite of their acceptance of the fact that they probably won't survive through all this, but if they fell to inaction the cost for the wider world would be far greater.
Thank you for letting the world know about my tabletop army of choice ❤
I think they're neat, and your analysis is great!
And High Alice, glad to have you🎉
The Lamenters were not present during the Devastation of Baal, due to their penitence crusade after the events in the Maelstrom… aka Badab War…
The “Uhhh Hi I’m Arthur” lets me know my work week has begun and it’s Time to put my work in
FOR THOSE WE CHERISH, WE DIE IN GLORY!!!
These guys are so tragic yet so wholesome and compassionate that it hurts to see them suffer but seeing them persevere in spite of everything that happens to them on a regular basis is so heartwarming.
These guys are my favorite Blood Angels successor chapter, and I always love it when they rise up from whatever brings them down while also being as compassionate as the Salamanders towards the commonfolk of the Imperium.
I do remember watching a UA-cam video where it explained they tried to make it to Ball but they got lost in the warp and as I emerged from the warp they got attacked by some tyranid after making it out of that badly damaged eventually they made it to ball with their help wasn't needed
i like the Lamenters for a few reasons. First, they genuinely care for people on a level that rivals and might even surpass the Salamanders.
Second, Despite everything that goes wrong, such as their bad luck, they STILL manage to do the impossible. Every time they almost went extinct, they just got done doing something that other chapters would be hesitant to do. Despite the Odds being stacked against them, they still still try when no one else will, and usually succeed when everyone thought they would fail.
Third, even with the overall hate/ Wariness that the rest of the imperium feels toward the Lamenters, even with having every reason to give up or give in, they still choose to bare that hate and resentment because they know they are needed.
For Those We Cherish!
I think them kinda being on the ass end of the luck scale kinda contributes to the sheer 'Holy shit, they did that?' when they do get their moments. People often forget it wasn't just the whole chapter of the Minotaur's, but also the Imperial Navy who supported the Minotaur's siege of the Lamenters Battle Barge. Or that time they face tanked a Black Legion Crusade and survived? You know they are Blood Angels because they have the chronic problem of getting backed into a corner and reminding people that blood is red, and so are you.
I didn't give a hoot about the Lamenters until I heard A Vox in the Void's "Don't Go". I'm not crying, you're crying. (Edit: And if you watch it, make sure you read the pinned comment- I genuinely thought it was part of the video, and it's perfect.)
One of the first armies I printed, and I metered my initial ambition to have each model mid-deadly accident by printing the small portion of them I have now in the Family Guy Death Pose.
I'll get back to that idea someday...
The Lamenter lost half a company in twenty minutes on Malvolian in a failed attempt to buy enough time for the Imperial Guard and civilians to escape the Tyranids of Hive Fleet I wanna say Kraken. In fact, a lot of their deployments are done mainly to save humanity.
I think in a happier universe their motto would read "For those we love, we die in Glory." rather than the more manly and sanitized cherish. Of course that gets into the thorny issue of can Spess experience love and the question of is love incompatible with grimdark.
I like the Lamenters because no matter how bad or dark it gets they never give up or lose their humanity, to be so mistreated yet still desire to help others as the reason to go on is a noble lesson. Never let your dark times stop you from being the best version of yourself, while trite it does help in life to do your best for those you cherish.
The blood angel successors tend to exemplify different aspects of his character.
His bloodlust in combat - flesh terrors
Nobility and the tragedy of his death - lamentors
These guys are just one of those successor cbapters that you hope they don't die out. Them along with the Raptors are by far my favorite but my god, I get emotional when it comes to the Lamentors. They continue to survive despite the universe trying to deny them and yet refuse to be extinguished.
They hold a special place in my heart for being one of the first oc s I made when painting models (I screwed up the checkers pattern) . Made him a fallen Tzetchian SM who sees his bad luck and decided to place himself precisely where chaos would prefer he didn’t. I wonder if I still have the model laying around?
For those we cherish, we die in glory
They're my go to chapter, simply because they're as you said, they do the morally right thing wherever possible even to their detriment, they're about as "true good" on a DnD alignment chart as you can get in 40K for the Imperium of Man. They're the noble side of Sanguinius to a fault, they have a naivety to them that's almost childlike in a sense, and that's the appeal, seeing that you can still do good in the 40K universe even if the galaxy hates you, the noble knight that you think of as a kid who'd sacrifice all to save the village.
But then you read about them and realise that they know they're cursed, know they could just hide away and pick the safe route, but still do what they do regardless knowing full well the consequences. Arguably they might come across as the most unlucky chapter, but given their track record, they're probably one of the luckiest to still exist.
If I had a nickel for every time I was jumpscared by Omori music in a WH40k video I’d have two nickels.
They could have easily just turned to chaos, being shunned by other space marines. The ultimate underdogs
He finally did it. He finally talked about Lamenters.
I enjoy Lamenters, not as much as the Black Dragons in terms of the Cursed Founding gang but - I enjoy their altruism as it's a trait that I think more people should adopt. If these horribly unlucky genetic super soldiers can do good things and find reason to do those good things in the grim dark future where there is only war, so can you.
Other than the Blood Angels, Sanguinius would be most proud of the Lamenters. Guys who keep getting screwed but push through and stay good in spite of it all are true heroes and real good guys.
Lamenters are the best parts of Sanguinius, may the Emperor Protect them
The Lamenters, proving that as bad as things get - they can definitely get worse.
I just realised that the Lamenters represent Sanguinius' sacrifice, in the weird way that the warp likes to carry things forward and f### people for it.
I can't say I agree with this video on many accounts. The fact they are so popular shows that most people don't need to take time for what's special about the Lamenters to click, but even then you didn't quite stumble on it in this video
The Lamenters have a "fuck it we ball" energy that no other chapter has. One of my favorite things with the Lamenters is the fact that they have a mindset of "not even one" that is to say, it doesn't matter if the losses are considered "acceptable" NOT A SINGLE CIVILIAN is dying. They can, will, and have, sacrificed almost their entire chapter over this goal.
With that above in mind, the Lamenters are perhaps the closest chapter to the original Emperors vision, that is "the defenders of humanty, the bulwark of the empire, who shall feel no fear". no other chapter comes nearly close as this one does.
Lastly, it's the fact that after everything they've been through, all the shit they've faced, they still maintain their "not even one" policy, they still defend the Imperium, they still serve with more zeal than perhaps even the Black Templars.
As for the narrative stuff, GW hasn't made much official narrative so I can see why you'd think it would be boring and repititious, but in honesty you should read what others have written. The Lamenters are rife with great potential from a character standpoint, characters who face terrible odds, but do not faulter, they maintain their heroic spirit even to the end. They may recognize that this will not end well themselves, their chapter master may try to encourage them to think more long term, but in the end, the sound of a terrified human will drive them to a frenzy to ensure that no one else suffers. The average Lamenters story as the fans write them, is not a pyrhhic victory, its an addict who finally loses the battle in more ways than one in the end, yet their glimmer of hope remains for they still win in their defeat.
I play Salamander and I want to give these boys hugs and cookies.
"Emperor, sanguinius, we try our best, we save your people, we stand by you, we love, so please answer me WHAT HAVE WE DONE TO DESERVE THIS FATE?"
I love lamenters they’re my favorite successor chapter
The Lamenters are sympathetic, because they are the saying "No good deed goes unpunished" incarnate.
Also, apparently, they are something akin to a punchingbag as a counterweight on the cosmic scale, since it seems, that the one time they didn't get unlucky, the Ultramarines got the crap kicked out of them. Which would suggest, that through some warp shenanigans, the Ultramarines, although most likely without their knowledge, siphon off the Lamenters luck.
I came to like them for a similar reason of why I like the Salamanders, and it can be summed up in their battle cry. "For those we cherish, we die in glory". That is arguably the most Paladin quote I have ever seen, this idea that they know that they are eternally scuffed but don't care. That they find the act of laying down their lives to give even the slightest chance for others to live and maybe have better lives to be not just a good reason but the reason to go down swinging. There is despair and tragedy among them but they still dare to hope, to be good people in a galaxy that punishes people for daring to even try to be good. They will fail, they will make mistakes, but that doesn't deter them from trying time and again. Sangunius would likely weep and embrace them if he had gotten a chance to know them, as they embody that sincere nobility that he wanted for his sons.
Wow, did not expect to hear you mention my favourite movie of all time!!
I like the Blood Angels, and even more so the Lamenters, because of what the subtext of mental illness and grief that runs through their faction. In a setting full of stoicism, they express themselves emotionally and artistically. I think their desire to continue, in spite of knowing their ultimate fate, is one of the most interesting and beautiful things in the Imperium.
If i may offer a counterpoint: i think they exemplify stoicism more than other space marine chapters. They have kindness and empathy, which are strong virtues of stoic philosophy. They know things suck, but they do what is right for the sake of doing right, regardless of the outcome. And i agree, they are one of the most interesting and beautiful things in the imperium.
Honestly, the lamenters hit the same vein as guardsmen for me, people in a universe that hates them and no matter what, will not allow them a happy ending. but despite that, marches on and fights. They to me represent what hope is in a grim dark story.