How do you deal with the loss of rare, ancient soldiers in narrative games?

Survival & Immersive Horror
1

Hey folks, I’ve been playing a lot of narrative games with my Chaos Space Marines lately. But I’m having a weird issue. After each battle, I can’t help but think about how many ancient, legendary warriors just bit the dust over some random objective. It’s kind of killing the vibe for me, you know?

I’m seriously considering starting an Imperial Guard army just so I can chuck waves of expendable troops at the enemy without feeling bad. It’s not the same when you’re losing super-rare veterans who’ve been kicking for a thousand years.

Does anyone else struggle with this? How do you guys handle it in your games or army backstories? I’m curious if there are ways to keep the immersion going without getting hung up on these losses.

Maybe I’m overthinking it, but I’d love to hear your thoughts. Thanks!

2

I’ve struggled with that too. What helps me is imagining epic stories for the survivors. Like, that one marine who made it through became even more badass. Makes the losses feel less permanent and adds to their legend.

3

I get that feeling. For me, it helps to think of each game as a separate “what if” scenario. Like, these aren’t the actual battles your army’s fighting, just possible outcomes. That way, your rare vets aren’t really dying every time. It’s more like seeing different timelines play out on the table. Keeps things fun without the downer of losing your best guys permanently.

4

I feel ya. In my head, I imagine those ancient warriors teleporting away at the last second. Keeps the story going without the guilt trip.