Board Thread:Warhammer 40k General Discussion/@comment-6767898-20130227013545/@comment-7232811-20130319193454

If you ask me, the Ultramarine's flaws (yes, they DO have some, despite what some people would have us believe (cough, cough, Matt Ward, cough)) are not to do with anything of the body, but a problem of the mind. Not necessarily gene-seed, but they are effectively indoctrinated to believe that the Codex is perfect, & needs no improvements whatsoever. The result of this is that how they think that any form of change to the Codex is absolute blasphemy (take a look at poor Ventris, he did something non-codex, & got a death oath for his efforts). So basically, they're almost unable to adapt to change when it inevitably comes. Look at the battle for Macragge. They came THIS close to losing, because they did not adapt, (they do seem to be getting a bit better though) & this is basically what is happening in the Imperium as a whole. Apart from the odd, tiny tweak, there are no major changes, & this is why it's stagnating so much. You could therefore argue that it was the Ultramarines who caused it, as they were the ones who refounded the whole Imperium, & made everything the way it is now.