Board Thread:Warhammer 40k General Discussion/@comment-99.166.166.141-20151227031941/@comment-24037808-20151228161158

Tactically speaking, i don't see it as tragic as most of people do.

Actually, the biggest problem Imperium of man has to face is the sheer size of the galaxy. Everything is spread out and scattered.

Since the collapse looks inevitable, it will be just the start of an entire new era, much more that the end of everything.

1) Men are not Orks: since they will start to lose ground, they have intellect and resources to fall back and fortify more than messy retreats fighting beyond hope in every single battlefield. Protecting Forge Worlds, transporting weapons and stuff in safer places, etc). And since ages we are defending, not attacking. So scenarios like Germans debacle in the ww2 soviet campaign is not to expect.

2) Having less territory to control will allow to focus armies in bigger numbers and react to dangers in a quicker way.

3) Primarchs: more than one swore to "be back when final stand will arrive. All pushed back Space Marines will dwell in numbers as they converge, so a Primarch could find thousands and thousands of former brothers eagerly waiting to be lead in combat by them.

4) All best military minds of the Imperium (veterans or forged by the battles of the time) will act with Imperial Guard as Primarchs with Astartes.

5) Enemies are not allied. Actually they pushed frontally from different locations mainly. As they conquer systems after sistems Eldars, Tyranids, Necrons and Orks etc. will become unfriendly neighbors. Bespite the facts than some are stronger than others, it could take centuries to see a winner raising above all others. Imperium could even give up some system and make bottlenecks to speed up those meetings and get some advantage.

6) For the reason above, the Imperium of Men could find unpredictable allies (better say "very temporary truce acts") during the events.

Last) Power of will. ww2 Battle of Stalingrad is the first example coming to my mind. When humans are pushed backs to the wall, with no way out,  then they truly shines. Against all odds, through thousands of everyday small heroic tales, we survive.

This is a bunch of reason to hope for the survival of the (decimated, devastated, but still alive) Imperium of man.

And everything above is considering things "as they are" in 42k. With no "omega vault/emperor reborn/missing legions coming back as secret rescue force" or all the speculation doablee about "imperium hidden aces in the sleeve.