Merrick is among the rare bright spots in 40K: a person who despite everything he's been through still has a heart the size of his giant, Guard standard-issue ceramite balls.
Merrick, the man who fought throughout the Tyranids invasion, aided the Heroes of Aurelia in the most crucial moment amidst the primary Tyranid swarm. He who endured over 10 long years in a sub-sector filled with various xeno races and heretics legion, he who out run an Exterminatus on ground level, traversed the dark corridors of a Space Hulk where even the mighty Terminators often falls, point a gun and yell at a Lord General while in the presence of an Inquisitor while a Commissar have a bolt pistol aim at his skull, fought through hordes of daemons and eventually aided in the destruction of a Daemon Prince...... >Is a Guardsmen >Lived A hero we need, but not one we deserved.
"He's not as clever as he thinks he is." Castor just outsmarted a being with the combined knowledge of a Space Marine Librarian Chapter Master and a thousand year old Demon of the Blood God. Holy shit that is a man.
9 years ago.. welp lets make you get a confused notification, but about that comment - so did the orks, and its in my opinion the best moment in the whole ork campaign in retribution
well it might be surprising if you forget the fact that the demon in question is a khorneite not only does that mean a desire for blood shed but open battle. not hiding away while the slaughter occurs.
While I'm a big fan of Adrastia and Castor I feel like Merrick is the most badass here simply because he chews out a superior in front of both a commissar lord and an inquisitor. Hell, the former even has a gun to his head the whole time.
Merrick was a brilliant character. Actually caring about his fellow guardsmen was a good example of his traits; not to mention in a lot of cases he was right. I would personally like to see him promoted in a future DOW game but perhaps him caring about the guardsmen and not willing to take chances like Castor might be a weak point. Either way that guys worthy of the highest award just for this speech alone :D
It's not a weak point if you spin it correctly. Ask Ciaphas Cain (HERO OF THE IMPERIUM) about the matter... if you can catch him not assuming himself a coward at least.
@@ivancolonna7520 agreed I love rolling guard on the tabletop because everyone underestimates then so when I knock down half the squad of space Marines because of variouse command points it's always fun to see the shock on their face
@Siberian Husky ah thanks, so they can’t execute an Inquisitor. Which is like the one time you really need to shoot someone because so many inquisitors are fucking crazy.
I get the feeling that Castor forces himself to be a callous bastard when it comes to the lives of his men. Guard officers who let themselves care like Colonel-Commissar Gaunt for example get their hearts broken over & over again.
I now can see the IG focused expansion for DoW 3 - Merrick joines forces with Vance Motherfucking Stubbs and General Humanity Fuck Yeah Sturnn in the manliest thing Imperium had seen since Ollianus Pius telling Horus to fuck himself straight into his face :D
+AngryPotatoe Sure it would be great, but they're all scattered across the Imperium. It would require some kind of tactical genius to get them all together at once . . . .
+AngryPotato Merrick, Stubbs and Sturnn joining forces ? Are you crazy ? Do you want to rip the universe a new one by creating a Chaos God of Manliness and Awesomeness ?
"He's not as clever as he thinks he is..." Badass when you think that "He" is at the same time a Psyker, a Space Marine Chaptermaster and a bloody Deamon Prince. Fuckin' Castor and his badass ways...
And literally Castor is the ONLY ONE who sees this, nobody else throughout the campaign just figures out by basic logic "Well gee this world won't get /re/-nuked, so that's the obvious place to hide in plain sight."
0:56 I like it how Sgt. Merrick is fiercely protective of his men that died on Typhon, but at least he understands that their sacrifice was not in vain.
Except Merrick was RIGHT to speak up. Either Castor's telling the truth about knowing all along, and he simply LET the situation progress to its worst possible degree, or he's bluffing and is pulling this out of his ass at the last minute, and happened to get lucky and be right. He's either a murderer through inaction, or a bumbling fool. I stood with Merrick in this scene and pretty much every time before.
ExtraStage300 Lord General Castor wouldn't have the rank of Lord General if he hadn't made difficult choices, even sacrificing the soldiers of Typhon Primarus. The Imperial Guard's resource is manpower and they have more than enough to replace the losses. Like he said, it's his duty to send the men under his command to places where they can die serving the Emperor. He also needed evidence confirming that Blood Ravens Chapter Master Kyras betrayed the Imperium of Man so that Inquisitor Adrastia can halt the Exterminatus in the Aurelian Sector.
@@ExtraStage300 "I figured the rest out on Typhon" presumably means when Kyras gloated at them after they killed the Eldar Seer Council and opened the way for the Exterminatus fleet. That Kyras *wanted* the Exterminatus was the puzzle piece Castor needed to figure it all out.
The sad thing is that both of them are right. Castor is sensible in not investing emotionally as much into his men’s lives because it’ll turn to be such a burden both emotionally and psychologically. And Merrick because he still had a sense of basic humanity about caring about the men he oversees as a senior sergeant. Both of them are the conflicting realities of the 41st millennium. The tragedies of such an existence in such circumstances
It's the role of the General and the Sergeant Major. The General is in charge of ensuring victory and completing the mission, the Sergeant Major's job is to see to the beds, beans, and bullets for the men who will make it happen.
There's a great exchange in the Mechanicus game where a techpriest commander is accused of being inhuman and they respond that they record their emotional responses and replay them after the battle. Cheering and weeping long after the bodies have cooled so they can properly process their reactions.
Sadly, Castor is quite right in this. When you consider some of the alternatives, it becomes clear that either the Guard were going to die horribly anyways, or they were going to risk losing the planet, or they were going to risk losing even more trying to get the Guard off first, which might have also allowed the others to get off the planet as well once they realized what was happening. It sucks but the stakes are far too high to risk anything but the safest and harshest route.
@@tanall5959 The Imperium is falling apart it's enemies are teeming and numberless, there is no victory for the Imperium. It's just a matter of losing as slowly and efficiently as possible.
They same applied throughout the entire history of Mankind. Superior officers job was always to send the rank and file where they would die take for example Normandy or Kursk or even Fullijah. Even the most liberal of militaries do this. It's just that it's easier for the rank and file to feel bitter about their commanders since, commanders tend to be valued more than privates.
@@saintdolanchirosius3704 A good portion of the dead in WW1 were due to military command ineptitude or mistakes, hell Haig sent men over the top constantly because he thought eventually they would break through the German lines, there are similar scenarios in many wars throughout history. The rank and file often don't trust command because they are the ones at risk, the ones who are, quite literally, putting their lives on the line while command has the luxury of being dissociated from the realities of warfare miles away, a dissociation which has led to situations much like the example I detailed. Not to mention class difference in modern and historical military hierarchies, you might have joined the military just to make a living and be put on the front lines to do so, but the Eton schoolboy who has his career primed from Sandhurst to military high-command because his daddy happens to be someone able to enforce nepotism over qualification surely doesn't have that same drive, and these people show quite a bit of arrogance and entitlement about their position at the best of times. Some of the "greatest" generals in recent years were anything but and won battles or wars more on the technological superiority of their forces or through sheer luck, and given that America, with its vast military resources, has been effectively bested by third world guerilla forces throughout the world at a vast toll to the people involved on both sides, and that many of those deaths seem pretty preventable in hindsight, I'd say mistrust is the least the upper levels of the hierarchy should be concerned about. We shouldn't be going to war in the first place, to do so with any kind of frequwncy shows an utter failing of political leaders to safeguard society and mediate situations inside and out, which we frequently blame them for and recognize their lack of qualification, military command hold much the same position and are just as worthy of criticism, even more so when not only do they see their position as "sending their men to die" but society accepts them as much.
sad thing is, the fact that Adrastia can't figure it out really points out her... lacking in the smarts department. I mean, for shit's sake, an ORK figures it out.
+Blazieth Realistically I'm chalking it up to the fact that as a psyker she's probably just gotten used to using her powers as a substitute. It's a crutch. You rely on your I WIN button for so long that when it doesn't work, you forget how to use your backups.
@Morgan Hawke Yep most orks are dumb as rocks, but the ones that can outsmart humans should be top target priority as those are the ones that cause planets to become fields of fire, ash, flesh, and steel.
Merrick's speach saved him there, and Castor's response. If any other Guardman push a General like that, his head would be the second thing hitting the ground by the gun of the Comissar
@@TheTrueAdept Also the problem is that transforming a fully adult man into a space marine yields less results with the marine being weaker, shorter and so forth. Not to mention the myriad of possible complications.
@@aleksandersokal5279 Indeed, some young men at age 18 or 19 have been transformed in the past after proving themselves, but the complications make them rarities, should they survive the process at all.
Imagine being an ancient demon, so terribly powerful that the Eldar had to seal you away, and watch over your prison like hawks, throw their cherished lives away to keep you there. A demon so cunning that you helped corrupt them posses a chapter master, then devious enough to get multiple recruitment worlds destroyed… just to have a regular human diss you and figure you out so easy that he came off casual about it. Salute to this lord general
Undecided on who is more hardcore: Merrick for having the balls to vent his fury on his commanding officer in front of a Commissar AND an Inquisitor, or Castor for outsmarting a Space Marine Chapter Master?
In dawn of war i find the speeches of the imperial guard are the amazing when you assault victory bay or Dussala Precinct the commanders speeches are truly epic and memorable. The speech of general Sturnn on Lorn V if you choose his ending is moving and truthful. Castor here tells us the purpose of them the brutal simple purpose of them. They may be only human and it is because they are human that the speeches are so brilliant. They may not be space marines they may not be as tough as orks or resilient as necrons advanced as Tau or Eldar but their words are some of the best I have heard in all the videogames i have played.
It's the lore behind the Imperium and the Space Marines, also the industrial and roman-gothic architecture that are both massive and strangely calming. They also have that Religious devotion and loyalty and how they think and what they believe in and the general atmosphere in Imperium society along with its hierarchy and their technology and machines..... It's a quality unique to the warhammer games; specifically the Imperium which you don't find in any other game.
That's because every Astra Militarum Guardsmen is either already dead or insanely competent. They also use actual warfare instead of just being walking destruction machines. I like both, but the Imperial Guard is probably my preference over the Space Marines. Or anybody else, for that matter.
The Imperial Guard are pretty awesome too, but I prefer the Space Marines. The Imperial Guard are much more of a modern style of hero (as much as WH40k will allow, anyway) in that their appeal comes largely from how badass they are in the face of adversity. Space Marines are a much more old-fashioned sort of hero, in that their appeal comes from how noble, honorable and upright they are (again, as much as WH40k will allow) much in the vein of old knightly orders. Consider the heroes of the IG versus the heroes of the SM for a moment, disregarding the leaders of the various regiments and chapters. The IG heroes are veritable badasses who will rip off their own limbs and beat their enemies to death with them before admitting defeat. A commissar with a power klaw, a Catachan with a robotic arm. They get thrust into an impossible scenario and fight through anyway because fuck the odds. SM heroes, on the other hand, are described as utterly incorruptible paragons/demigods, on the scale of, say, Hercules. They come out of utterly impossible scenarios by simply being awesome enough that the impossible BECOMES possible. Two different kinds of heroes. Both utterly awesome. Granted, it's WH40k, so they're all 'heroes' only by comparison to the rest of their world, but you get the idea.
HalfTangible The thing about the Imperial Guard though, is that they consistently turn farmers that you and I could bully into badasses that would make the best special forces on Earth consider walking away. Well. Except Conscripts. Actual Guardsmen are well trained badasses. But not the conscripts.
That Merrick got balls each the size of his heart, if you live in a world that look like Warhammer 40 000, that's the kind of guy you should be looking up to, if there's none like him around, you should do your best to be like him.
Makes me want to start a 40k magazine, "Guardsman's Life", featuring such amazing stories as "Tyranid Rippers tore away at my flesh", "A gang of Orks gave me a right good kicking" and "I got dragged to an interdimensional hive city and some evil space vampire fairies ass-raped me to death". On that note, I wonder how much Guardsmen are paid. Not enough, I'm guessing.
It depends. The Death Korps of Krieg are more than happy to die in a droves against the enemy (seriously, these guys need Commissars to keep them from making suicidal charges), whereas the Savlar Chem Dogs are the Imperium's hardest of criminals and will loot anything and everything that isn't bolted down.
BlackDeathViral03 No, you're thinking Blood Ravens. Turn away from them for but half a second, and you'll be missing whatever was bolted down, including the bolts.
Steve Son That's not all about them. Sometimes they actually try to give things to people. Seriously, they've forged a few weapons and armor for other chapters, but they were refused.
+thedarknesscallingme true, considering castors rank as lord-whatever, he has the full ability to shoot merrick out of annoyance, since even commissars can pop you in the back of the head to increase morale. it shows that castor saw merrick as very useful, and even though castor is vain and callous to a lot around him, he respects it when he see's a man standing for what he believes in. Castor is a general GW needs to follow up on, hes in the same vein as Gaunt.
Morgan Dulaney castor is not callous vain yes but he earned his arrogance. Callous people waste men castor does not just understands the reality of guards fate
"Do not ask how you may give your life for the Emperor. Ask instead how you may give your death." -Warmaster Slaydo Lives are the Emperor's currency. Spend it well.
And lo, the noble space marines took notice of Merrick's righteous indignation toward the enemies of the man-emprah, amd bestowed upon him the gift of the astartes. the gene-seed, that Merrick may live eternal and fight against the enemies he hates so, while protecting the little guys as a beacon of hope for the imperium. Chaos was fucked.
I love how lord general castor carries himself on Merricks outburst so professional he maybe a bit pompous and arrogant but he is an excellent leader no question about that even Merrick realizes at the end
Honestly stumped as to who had the bigger crowning moment of awesome in this scene. Merrick for striking and furiously cursing his superior officer right in front of an inquisitor and a commissar, or Castor for outsmarting an Astartes who was both Chapter Master AND Chief Librarian?
+Harry Whitehead with the amount of power kyras has at hand and the possibility of ascension into daemonhood, he got sloppy i reckon. couldnt wait to rise up, didnt bother ending the threats that popped up before he ascended
@@GamingBigChief Really his one big fuckup was that he had to *gloat* when the Exterminatus rolled in. Revealing that he wanted it to happen was what let him be figured out.
Yeah. It's characters like him that give the 40k Universe meaning as the Inquistion can kill millions without mercy but yet there are those that will speak out against it. Logan Grimmar from the Space Wolves is actually a bit like Merrick too as he hated what the Inquisition done to the survivors during the first war for Armageddon as he personally led an assault to kill Inquisitor Ghesmei Kysnaros. If the Imperium isn't fighting Chaos; sometimes it's fighting within it's own walls :)
Funnily enough, this is what Chief Mendez told John-117 in Fall of Reach, sort of. --- “It is acceptable,” Mendez said, “to spend their lives if necessary.” He finally turned and meet John’s gaze. “It is not acceptable, however, to waste those lives. Do you understand the difference?” ---
Pointing a *PLASMA GUN* at *POINT BLANK RANGE* at the *GENERAL's FACE* while having the *COMMISSAR LORD* aim a *BLAM PISTOL* at the back of his head in the presence of a *INQUISITOR OF THE ORDO HERETICUS* Holy shit thats some Emperor Titan Pattern Balls there, also fucking amazing voice acting by Merrick's VA.
Since usually he's so completely over the top being a screaming chaplain or a sneering sorcerer, it's easy to forget that Scott McNeil is actually a really good actor.
0:58 Merrick, thousands of Guardsmen being lost is a number so small in comparison to the size if the Imperial Guard that the Munitorium could write that off as a rounding error. If their deaths bother you so much then do everything in your power to ensure they were not in vain.
even now as a rogue trader i can take heed of the words spoken,both my castor and merrick here. when the inquisitors aid warned me the fate of worlds fallen to the ruinous powers,i did not hesitate
+Limitess Sure he does, like this: "I haven't given you leave to die, you coward, ON YOUR FEET!" *Said when reviving commanders.....Oh, did you mean in cut scenes?
+Limitess Because the game is lazily done. FFS eldar Farseer is also quiet in the cutscenes (and Farseers LOVE talking). In Chaos campaign only Eliphas and Neroth are speaking... This game is solid, but could've been so much more in the singleplayer department.
I believe Commissar Bern's face, since it's all screwed up, is something of an embarrassing subject, and talking outside of battle is something he doesn't want people noticing.
Damocles178 And Davian Thule. And Carron. And Sindri. And Crull. And Bale. Oh! And Toa Tahu, Koga, Chief Thunderhooves, Funshine Bear, Wolverine, Flam, Rover, Dr. Wily, Captain Harlock, Duo Maxwell, Maokai, Chef Antoine Thomas, etc. The guy has one hell of a resume.
Yeah this is why the Imperial guard is worthy of respect. Yes guardsmen die in droves. Constantly. But the competent Commander does what he can to make sure those lives aren’t wasted. To ensure the death wasn’t for nothing.
I wish there were more campaigns like this where you control the imperial guard. Not much has come out the past 5 years. Least theres that one L4D-like game coming out where you get to play as an IG.
Merrick was soreley missed in My Space Marine play through of Retribution; would have loved to hear his thoughts when Sgt Tarkus took his helmet off in that space hulk and Chewed out Captain Diaomedes...
Sergeant-Major Merrick I commend you for your service to the Imperium. The Emperor will be proud of your service, your loyalty and your willingness to strike a Lord General in the presence of an Inquisitor and Commissar. You would’ve made a fine addition into the Adeptus Astartes, but you are fine where you are.
"I want you to remember that no bastard ever has won a war by dying for his country. You win a war by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his contry" - George S Patton
I know its not very grimdark, but I'd like to believe that the Commissar didn't pop Merrick's head right then and there because even a cold Political Officer of the Imperium is still capable of empathy from time to time, and at the very least allowed Merrick the chance to explain himself to Castor.
I think this cutscene is really good. It feels like they've got something back from the original DoW, were there was characters that would actually feel. Good times.
You're the first to catch it. Bravo. Though I do wonder, if ol' Caiphas could've gotten over on Castor! (seeing as Castor's basically Warhammer's answer to Stanis Baratheon... though "tragically" lacking the smoking hot sorcerer mistress...)
I really do love all the interactions and different points of view in this game; so diverse and rewarding; this is the best conversation by far :) Though I do wish they actually had different missions for the factions.
