Could the Legions be reconstituted?

[grimmas]

unlikely, part of the tithe is so that the adeptus biologis can monitor the chapters and look for corruption of the geneseed, part of it is used in the creation of new chapters and its not the kind of material that your likely to be able to freeze dry.

The geneseed is canonically one fo the rarest, most valuable, misunderstood and irreplaceable technologies in an age when about to go kaput.

Your point is fair, however we do know there are stock piles of Geneseed hence Storm or Iron, which was written by Graham McNeil when it was his job to create the expanding narrative for 40K so it's a bit more solid than some BL stuff. Individual chapters also store a surplus of Gene seed the events in Blood Reaver cover this (and I think it's covered in a rules supliment as well). The imperium does have stasis technology that appears quite effective, Guilliman hasn't rotted in 8000 or so years, so storage may be possible.

Yes the Imperium is up sh** street but it remains to be seen what happens when the Golden Throne fails, will the demons from the web way destroy Terra, will the Emperor finally die and be reborn (he is a perpetual after all) or any of a myriad of things? I guess we'll only find out when GW really needs to drive sales 😉

[adurbe]

This could be a really good plot line to re-invigorate the universe.*

High lords of terra issue a decree to reform legions. Then are mysteriously killed. In reality it is carried out by the alpha legion.

Have 1 or 2 big 'goodie' chapters form a legion (ultra marines and imperial fists) forming a new legion. The remaining imperial powers declare them a heretical and have some infighting. * While the empire is having another civil war, the now depleted chaos legions (10k years of losing will have taken its toll!) *can get up to new tricks with both sides claiming they aid the other (while actually aiding neither particularly)

The important thing would be never to actually confirm which side was legitimately following the will of the empire, and which was tricked by the alpha legion. Keep us guessing!*

[This Dave]

The Ultramarines would be the best organized to do it and has more than enough successors to make it happen. But as their Primarch is the one that literally wrote the Codex Astartes prohibiting Legions I think it would cause too much of a schism in their own ranks to make the attempt. Unless of course Gulliman comes off his pedestal and commands it. The others are either too small with the exception of these three.

The Imperial Fists could. The Black Templars are in effect a Legion already. There are definately more than a Chapters worth of them and they have a single overall leader. And the Fists didn't like the whole Chapters thing already. It wouldn't take much convincing for them to reform.

The Unforgiven are essentially a Legion as well. Which technically independent every Chapter follows the Inner Circle. It's unlikely they would because of all the scrutiny they would receive, especially as they aren't always the most trusted Chapters to start with.

The Space Wolves never bothered with all the Chapter nonsense to start with. The major hurdle to them becoming a full on Legion is the tiny population of their recruiting planet of Fenris. However, as they are one of the more popular With the masses groups of Marines it would be the easiest for them to get other planets and entire army groups to pledge to them should they ever ask.

[Mr Mystery]

Ah, but so far in Horus Heresy, the Codex Astartes is simply a treatise on how one might go about, rather than how one should go about...

Now I'm wondering whether the Imperium has enough ships to relaunch the Great Crusade - and whether it is now too inherently fractured to pull itself together.

[Morgrim]

They might do it by accident if the Hive Fleet hits the neighbourhood of Terra. I imagine in such a situation large amounts from many Chapters will charge in to defend the system, and they're going to get grouped up and appointed leaders out of sheer necessity. Doubt those psuedo-Legions would last past the crisis though.

[Charon]

Ultramarines did it to get rid of the Night Lords on Tsagualsa... coming with all sucessor chapters for them.

[Mr Mystery]

They might do it by accident if the Hive Fleet hits the neighbourhood of Terra. I imagine in such a situation large amounts from many Chapters will charge in to defend the system, and they're going to get grouped up and appointed leaders out of sheer necessity. Doubt those psuedo-Legions would last past the crisis though.

Unless......incoming fanfic idea....

There's a Rogue Chapter Master around, who has kept up the pretence of loyalty (after all, Astartes don't really answer to anyone in the grand scheme of things, nor have to justify where they've been). Save Terra (because it would be. Sol is ridiculously well defended!) then instigate a military coup over the High Lords.....

[Psychosplodge]

But haven't you read Wolfblade? (iirc) They don't like Space Marines on Terra...

[Mr Mystery]

Nope.

I'm mostly a reader of Horus Heresy and the Warhammer books. Never really got into the 40k ones. Dunno why, I've enjoyed the ones I have read!

[Psychosplodge]

Some are good, some are terrible.
The only way to really tell is to ask people that's read them, or stick to the consistent authors.