--- title: "5 problems Space Marines deal with" description: "The Space Marines of Warhammer 40,000 are some of the most beloved, fictionalized versions of our beloved, real-life Marine Corps." date: "2022-11-05" modified: "2023-10-27" authors: - name: "Eric Milzarski" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/eric/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/popular/5-problems-space-marines-deal-with/" categories: - "Entertainment" - "Gaming" tags: - "Marine Corps" - "Video Games" --- # 5 problems Space Marines deal with ![space marines]() The Space Marines of Warhammer 40,000 are the most beloved, fictionalized version of our beloved, real-life Marine Corps. Whether it's the hyper-masculinity or the gratuitous violence dispensed against the Chaos-worshipping heretics, WH40K's Space Marines are a logical place to start when imagining how our Marines might fare some 37,982 years from now. That being said, it's easy to see the bright side of dropping onto a planet bringing nothing but a Storm Bolter and unbridled fury against the enemies of mankind. No one ever imagines all of the bullsh\*t details that would inevitably happen in the *Adeptus Astartes*. So here are 5 problems the Space Marines would still likely have to deal with. ## 1. Physical Training ![]() *Just because you were perfectly fit at 18 years old doesn't mean you can charge into battle perfectly fine at 87.* *(Games Workshop)* Maintaining your Emperor-like physique in peak condition requires considerable effort. After all, that [350-plus pounds]() of armor isn't going to carry itself. It's kind of understood that Space Marines undergo rigorous training before they earn their futuristic equivalent of The Eagle, Globe, and Anchor — which is just an organ from one of the Emperor's clones. As much of an edge as that would give a Space Marine over their purely human counterparts, they still need to do an insane amount of sustainment training. We're not sure how many pull-ups that would mean for them. ## 2. Safety Briefs ![Space Marines]() *"And remember, if you or your battle buddy feels like committing heresy, my office is always available."* *(Games Workshop)* Space Marines are also supposedly hyper-intelligent warriors who are also bred for battle. It can be assumed they wouldn't be grilled on the exact means of *how* they're going to fight. But thankfully, they wouldn't deal with "pre-drop" safety briefs. What they *would* deal with is countless classes on why they shouldn't desert or turn to chaos. Even if they're the most devout Chaplain, they'd have to hear the same PowerPoint slide on why heresy is bad before every single weekend liberty, which is something I assume these warriors would get. ## 3. Alcohol-Related Incidents ![Space Marines]() *If you're going to model yourself after intergalactic vikings, you have to drink like intergalactic vikings.* *(Games Workshop)* Remember those Emperor-cloned organs we mentioned? Apparently, [one]() is implanted to purify any toxins from the Space Marines' system. For it to work, a Space Marine must manually activate their liver. This would come in handy because, apparently, the alcohol in the Warhammer Universe is [insanely strong](). One could only imagine the parties that are thrown in a Space Marine barracks after a glorious battle. ## 4. Weapons Maintenance ![Space Marines]() *Don't even get me started on how much of a pain in the ass it would be to clean out all the xeno blood from a chainsword.* *(Games Workshop)* No matter what kind of [future tech]() you're using, if you're [constantly]() training with weapons, you're going to have to clean them. No matter how much the Space Marine cleanses, purges, and kills with their weapon, they still run the risk of hurting themselves (a [one-in-six]() chance, to be precise) if they don't keep things clean. ## 5. Morale based entirely on a unit's leader ![]() *Go ahead: Guess which one is the officer. Take as much time as you need.* *(Games Workshop)* It doesn't matter how devout a Space Marine is, how many battles they've fought, or how many comrades they lost, Space Marines still run the chance of defecting every turn fight because of low morale. The only way to counter this is to have a good leader. But, since Space Marines leaders have never heard the term "[sniper check]()," it's easy to pick them off and ruin a squad. ## Don’t Miss the Best of Mighty Gaming We Are The Mighty is a celebration of military service, with a mission to entertain, inform, and inspire those who serve and those who support them. We are made by and for current service members, veterans, spouses, family members, and civilians who want to be part of this community. Keep up with the best in military culture and entertainment: [subscribe to the We Are The Mighty newsletter](). - [An Atari 2600 console ‘absolutely wrecked’ an AI model in a chess match]() - [This video game lets you control a Ukrainian drone]() - [A video game might usher in an era of peace and unity in the digital world]() ## Author Eric is a U.S. Army veteran and was deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan with the 101st Airborne Division where he served as a radio operator. After being honorably discharged, he then pursued a career in the film and television world.He is now the resident "nerd" at We Are The Mighty. To follow Eric on social media: please check out the links below. [Facebook]()