Mad Thinkers

Mad Thinkers armorial

Mad Thinkers Heretic Astartes

"*When apparent madness turns into cunning play, when surprise engulfs your ranks, when the last domino falls, only then will you see our smiling faces sniggering over your warm corpse.*"
— Paris Elebor, Incessant Whisper of the Mad Thinkers
The **Mad Thinkers** is a ragtag Warband of Chaos Space Marine made up of Traitor Astartes who defected from the ranks of the Imperium from an unknown Loyalist Chapter. They are known to be many but are rarely seen in action. They see no interest in participating in the Black Crusades as they lack the influence to make changes to the Warmaster's tactics.

Most of their existence is devoted to the study and preparations of pinpoint strikes against the Imperium, often reliant on domino effects and roundabout moves. More than destroying the Imperium like their fellow Traitors, the Mad Thinkers primarily want to prove themselves superior schemers and worthy of the full attention of their patron deity, Tzeentch. Despite this allegiance, however, they do not appear to respect the authority of Daemon Princes and other chaos representatives of their lords, making their allegiance closer to that of Chaos Undivided. Mad Thinkers show no subservience to the Sons of Magnus the Red either, hinting at the fact that they have no connection to the Primarch's gene-seed. Rather than being led by Chaos Sorcerers, these Astartes rely on their commander's wits to earn their victories.

## Warband History

They are the longest surviving Warband to have been targeted by the Sin Seekers' Oath of Pursuit, lasting nearly 322 years under their radar. The Warband earned a respite by turning the Minotaurs' suspicion against the Sin Seekers, and managed to indirectly force the Ecclesiarchy to call for both sides to subside. This manipulation earned them the everlasting rivalry with the Loaylist hounds, who nevertheless retracted their Oath of Pursuit until the Sin Seekers forces be repleted.

The Mad Thinkers' most notorious act of cruelty is they're rendering the entire Garden World of Radiance, the former home-world of the Knights of Gryphonne Astartes Chapter in the Reductus Sector, into a useless pile of radioactive rubble. A cascade of inconveniences (whose complexity was revealed by the Mad Thinkers themselves later) coalesced into the planet becoming irradiated beyond belief by its own power plants all failing at once. While it was still possible for stubborn and prepared settlers to remain in specialized housings, the Administratum had to evacuate the planet in haste. But the proceedings were interrupted when half of the evacuation ships were taken hostage by the ambushing Mad Thinkers fleet, who had timed their scheme perfectly.

With no support from the Imperial Guard and the Knights of Gryphonne vessels not nearly close enough in proximity or in number to assist, the Imperial authorities decided to surrender their vessels full of civilians. The Mad Thinkers took these transport troops filled to the brim with their soon-to-be slaves back with them. The fate of the imperial citizen is unknown after the warp gate collapsed as the Mad Thinkers had mastered navigating the currents of the Immaterium in a way that prevented any pursuit. It is assumed that they retreated to their secret base, but what precisely they had planned for the planet's population is anyone's guess.

## Warband Homeworld

On the outskirts of the Eye of Terror, the Mad Thinkers have hidden their base of operation and plotting inside a small planetoid from an asteroid belt. All of this Warband's attacks originate from there, but the asteroid in question is almost impossible to find among the countless space rocks of the region.

## Warband Organisation

Despite their ties to Chaos, Mad Thinkers shun the use of chaos-mutated recruits or gear. There is no record of Mad Thinker Helbrute or any other mutated unit ever used on the field. They also reject the use of Chaospawns or Untouchables as their mere presence "prevents their thinking" in their own words. The only chaos-afflicted organisms they rely on are their warped Astropaths as well as their secret weapons, their Cogito-Infernus, a devilish device formed by uniting great cogitators whose Machine-Spirits are interlinked to chaos-infected brain matter. The brain matter forming these monstrous computers is supposed to originate from fallen Sin Seeker Marines who desire to keep thinking for the sake of their brothers, even after death.

## Combat Doctrine

Mad Thinkers are all about forging the grounds before the battle starts. Manipulating the landscape, preparing traps and sending false orders through the warp allows them to control how the battle evolves. Uninterested in bloodshed, forcing imperial forces to abandon a world can be seen as a perfect victory.

## Warband Relics

The Warband has amassed a collection of Space Marine, Astra Militarum, and Inquisitorial Ordos armorials who fell prey to their trickeries. These trophies are gathered in a room under the surface of their secret home base.

## Warband Appearance

### Warband Colours

The Warband's main color is a deep green hue, trimmed with cyan throughout the body.

### Warband Badge

The Mad Thinkers badge shows a tilted skull resting its jaw against an opened gauntlet. The head may tilt to the left side or the right side depending on the Warrior waering it, but the exact reasoning behind the discrepancy remains unknown. To add another confusing detail, on or more of the eye sockets can have a blue glint that demarks from the armour's colors.

## Notable Quotes

### By the Mad Thinkers

" *We have tolled and placed our pieces. Now there is nothing to do but wait... How about hatching another plan for the meanwhile my good brothers?*"
— A bored Mad Thinker Traitor Marine
"*The plan was confirmed by the Cogito-Infernus'. With their Captain dead and no one to question their final course, our forces stand ready to tie loose ends. What could possibly go wrong now?*"
— Khelon Frop, Joyous Call of the Mad Thinkers
### About the Mad Thinkers

"*It cannot be coincidence and sheer luck that brought such havoc to our sector. The patterns dictate deception. You can feel the mockery in the very names struck from the list of casualties.*"
— A Hive-World governor noticing a Mad Thinker calling card in his paperwork.

 Tzeentch Warbands
 Nurgle Warbands
 Slaanesh Warbands
 Chaos Undivided Warbands
 Malice Warbands
 Minor Chaos God-Aligned Warbands

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