How long would Modern Earth last against a Millenial of the Emperor's Children Legion (pre-heresy)?

[Tyzuris]

Basically assume that 3700 Emperor's Children lead by Fulgrim invaded Earth with their fleet assets being Fulgrin's flagship backed up by a few strike cruisers and a dozen escorts.

Assume that their standard Astartes goal is the decapitation of civillian and military leadership and destruction of key military, etc.. assets such as bases, weapons production facilities, etc... and seizing important civilian infrastructure like power plants, etc... while still leaving enough legitimate civilian leadership alive to negotiate a surrender. Assume Fulgrim aims to minimize collateral damage.

 

[King Arts]

Earth gets conquered in under a day. Any organized military force either gets a drop pod of space marines to crush them, or orbital bombardment.

 

[PsihoKekec]

The campaign, excluding the mop up phase, would be measured in hours. Company sized drops would be carried out against the capitals of the largest countries, with the aim of of killing or capturing leaders of these nations, while military bases and depots in more remote areas would be subjected to orbital bombardment, both to deny assets and showcase their power. Since most handheld weapons can't touch the space marines, the assault teams would have little trouble plowing through defenders and reaching their targets, Fulgrim using his superhuman mind too coordinate attacks and chase after the evaders. Rinse, repeat against the countries that don't capitulate after the fall of the great powers.

 

[Simonbob]

I suspect it would take longer than you think.

Mostly because there's so many factions, and none of them would understand the depth of their weakness. It'd devolve into chaos, and while the Marines would win any and all fights, there's too many idiots.

At least a week, and the cleanup would take years.

 

[ATP]

I suspect it would take longer than you think.

Mostly because there's so many factions, and none of them would understand the depth of their weakness. It'd devolve into chaos, and while the Marines would win any and all fights, there's too many idiots.

At least a week, and the cleanup would take years.

Agree.All muslim countries,India,USA,Russia and China would fight.Most african,asian and some european,too.
But after that week - Fulgrim would found about his future from WH40 fans.
We would be conqered,but IoM thanks to that survive stronger.

P.S Japan on one hand is full of weird pacyfist,but on other they really care about their Emperor.I wonder,if they fight or not.

 

[The Whispering Monk]

Really...we may kill ourselves if the nukes start flying.

Otherwise...we'll see how patient the Astartes are after the IEDs start coming out of the woodwork and killing/maiming Astartes.

 

[Navarro]

Really...we may kill ourselves if the nukes start flying.

Otherwise...we'll see how patient the Astartes are after the IEDs start coming out of the woodwork and killing/maiming Astartes.

The EC Astartes won't be doing that sort of work, that's more for Imperial Army types (and the 4th).

 

[Arlos]

Really...we may kill ourselves if the nukes start flying.

Otherwise...we'll see how patient the Astartes are after the IEDs start coming out of the woodwork and killing/maiming Astartes.

They’d leave that to the Chaos cultist canon fodder.
I am also doubtful about how useful IEDs would be against their armor.

Anyways, Chaos would probably corrupt everyone on the planet withing a few months; willing or not.

 

[The Whispering Monk]

I am also doubtful about how useful IEDs would be against their armor.

IED can penetrate tank armor if put together properly. Mind you, its designed to target the weaker belly armor, butbit can work.

Ain't saying its easy, but it would be possible. Also...smart bomber plans to hit them while they are soft....helmetless, or otherwise exposed.

 

[Arlos]

IED can penetrate tank armor if put together properly. Mind you, its designed to target the weaker belly armor, butbit can work.

Ain't saying its easy, but it would be possible. Also...smart bomber plans to hit them while they are soft....helmetless, or otherwise exposed.

Tank armor is kind off weak compared to carapace though, they don’t really use 21th century Earth alloy.

 

[Navarro]

They’d leave that to the Chaos cultist canon fodder.
I am also doubtful about how useful IEDs would be against their armor.

Anyways, Chaos would probably corrupt everyone on the planet withing a few months; willing or not.

This is pre-Heresy, no Chaos shenanigans.

 

[King Arts]

They’d leave that to the Chaos cultist canon fodder.
I am also doubtful about how useful IEDs would be against their armor.

Anyways, Chaos would probably corrupt everyone on the planet withing a few months; willing or not.

This is pre heresy great crusade era. So the Imperial army will handle occupation after the space marines conquer the world.

 

[The Whispering Monk]

There is no indication in the OP that follow on forces are available. There is only the Emperor's Children.

 

[PsihoKekec]

Otherwise...we'll see how patient the Astartes are after the IEDs start coming out of the woodwork and killing/maiming Astartes.

Counterinsurgency would be mostly done by Earth auxiliaries. Also Space Marines and their armors can withstand a lot, not to mention their heightened senses allow them to detect many types of danger. I reckon most common use of marines after initial conquest would be in raids targeted against high priority targets.

 

[The Whispering Monk]

I'd design them to focus at heights above 7 feet very few humans are there, and all the Astartes' heads are.

Also, LOTS and LOTS of people who hunt with high calibur rifles. They would learn to not be outside w/out a helmet. Brain dead is still dead to a space marine.

It won't win the war, bur it will make it more expensive. Especially if we learn how they tick and destroy geneseed when their dead.

 

[Bear Ribs]

Aren't space marine bones hard enough to repel small arms fire even without a helmet? I'm not a huge Warhammer fan but I had the distinct impression you needed better than modern weaponry just to get through things like their ribcages that transform into solid carapaces and such.

 

[Navarro]

Aren't space marine bones hard enough to repel small arms fire even without a helmet? I'm not a huge Warhammer fan but I had the distinct impression you needed better than modern weaponry just to get through things like their ribcages that transform into solid carapaces and such.

The implant that links their nervous system to their armour serves as subdermal kevlar IIRC.

 

[The Whispering Monk]

There's small arms fire and then there's high load FMJ. These rounds are currently easy to come by or load yourself. They are capable of defeating kevlar.

EDIT: and there is no protection in the eyeball to brain connection.

 

[Navarro]

Astartes wear PA most of the time on duty though, and don't go helmetless as much as they do in art.

 

[Bear Ribs]

There's small arms fire and then there's high load FMJ. These rounds are currently easy to come by or load yourself. They are capable of defeating kevlar.

But are they capable of defeating a Space Marine? I'm honestly not sure, as I said, not a fan, but a brief look at some feats gave me these:

The most common bolter round is the .75 calibre explosive tipped mass-reactive bolt. However, Space Marines use a variety of other ammunition, each tailored for specific needs. Vengeance bolts are designed for use against heavy infantry and armoured targets. Each bolt has a volatile flux core that vaporizes matter at the point of contact, punching clean through even the ceramite plates of power armour. Hellfire bolts were created as one of the Imperium’s desperate measures to stem the predations of Tyranid assaults within the galaxy. Each bolt is tipped with a vial of mutagenic acid capable of dissolving its way through citin and carapace with equal ease. Such is the success of the Hellfire bolt that it has found a use against a variety of foes, its acid just as effective at killing other foul xenos.

The bolt pistols thundered again. Each round found its mark, and fifty more bodies were reduced to bloody fragments. The rest of the mob staggered on, their outstretched hands little more than a metre away.

So a bolter is already significantly larger caliber than sniper rifles, and carries an explosive payload rather than just FMJ. An ordinary person hit by one explodes like a grape hit by a sledgehammer. Yet Space Marines can and do soak hits from those and walk away. Against normal bullets?

Garro took a step forward and met four bullets fired in quick succession by the gunman. The shots hit him in the chest and belly, breaking the outer layer of his epidermis but penetrating no deeper. He grunted with irritation and reached into each of the wounds with thumb and forefinger, pulling out the flattened heads of the kinetic rounds and flicking them away. Blood, thick with gene-engineered Larraman cells, was already clotting the trivial wounds.

The one with the gun was clearly an imbecile. Instead of putting distance between himself and Garro, he came closer, aiming the heavy pistol up to target the legionary’s head.

Garro stepped in to meet him. With a lazy backhand, he smacked away the weapon, shattering the bones in the gunman’s forearm. He could have left it there, but there was a lesson to be taught, and so he put what he considered to be a light punch into the squealing gunman’s chest. The blow caved in the thug’s ribcage, collapsed his lungs and stopped his heart.

Heavy pistol rounds at point-blank range are unable to get all the way through a Space Marine's bare skin. The eyeball may in fact be enough to shrug off incoming fire by itself, albeit damaged in the process.

EDIT: and there is no protection in the eyeball to brain connection.

There're scads of bones behind the eye, yon sniper will have to hit the tiny spot where the optic nerve passes through... without being able to see it or know where it is given there's an eyeball in the way. Also, the optic nerve is less than 3mm thick so you'll need to be using a Kolibiri pistol for the bullet not to be bigger than the hole it's aiming to pass through. How many times do you think somebody will pull that trick shot off?