/wfg/ Warhammer Fantasy General

No homebrew in this thread

>Resources (Crunch, Lore and Warhammer Fantasy Role-play)
WFB: pastebin.com/8rnyAa1S
WFRP: pastebin.com/0e6RuQux
Novels: mega.nz/#F!9Lw1WIRZ!eKxkOlAQwuZO3_8pHOK-EQ

>We're looking for these novels for the archive (not updated)
pastebin.com/TSQhemJR

>Alternative Warhammer Miniatures and Manufacturers
pastebin.com/CvGaNyrk
the-ninth-age.com/lexicon/index.php?lexicon/462-the-9th-age-miniature-library/
tabletop-miniatures-solutions.com/13-the-9th-age
Tomb Kings Alternative: indiegogo.com/projects/tms-undying-dynasties-army-release#/
Bretonnia Alternative: indiegogo.com/projects/tms-kingdom-of-equitaine-army-release

>The 9th Age
the-ninth-age.com

>Warhammer Wikis
warhammerfb.wikia.com/wiki/Warhammer_Wiki (most complete)
whfb.lexicanum.com/wiki/Main_Page
warhammeronline.wikia.com/wiki/Warhammer_Online_Wiki

>Warhammer Video Games
Total War Warhammer 2: store.steampowered.com/app/594570/Total_War_WARHAMMER_II/
Vermintide 2: store.steampowered.com/app/552500/Warhammer_Vermintide_2/
Mordheim City of the Damned: store.steampowered.com/app/276810/
Bloodbowl 2: store.steampowered.com/app/236690/
Man O' War: store.steampowered.com/app/344240/
Age of Reckoning: returnofreckoning.com/
Doomwheel: katsugames.com/doomwheel

Previous thread:

Other urls found in this thread:

youtu.be/dBcjBF1k6No
youtu.be/8PSFN2r6bXY
twitter.com/AnonBabble

First for asur goddess who trats you like a simple curiousity on the campagn map.

So you know how many kinds of named characters are just sort of a hero representing one of the options you can use? Like Kemmler is just a named Necromancer, and Caradryan is just a named Phoenix Guard?

What is Grombrindal a named version of? Slayers? Would he appear to Slayers in times of need given they need to find death and not be saved?

Also, in this mini is his helmet full of beer? I have it and am having a hard time figuring it out.

Grombrindal is too important for that. He’s basically their equivalent of Superman mixed with Jesus. Given his age and ancestry, he’s easy one of the most respected yet mysterious Dwarfs.

I thought he did what Alith Anar and the Green Knight does and just pops up for battles when there's great need?

>What is Grombrindal a named version of?
If anything, probably a Longbeard.

What are the interactions between skaven and beastmen? Any real lore mention anything? I know they won't mingle in any meaningful way, but do beastmen look upon skaven like similar kindred spirits? Do skaven see the beasts as no more then mindless? Brutal mockery of human life seems to be the mutations goal in both of them.

So, is anyone interested in discussing a campaign set in the Southlands?
I’m in favour of a narrative campaign, ala Throne of Chaos, but a open ended campaign would mean any army could be represented.

Ideas I suggested for narrative were:
Lizardmen as protagonists, moving about the Southlands to complete a ritual that will rearrange some geography to more of their liking. Enemy armies could be:
>High Elves (having foreseen the destruction of the ritual)
>Skaven (ditto or just being opportunistic)
>other Lizardmen (who disagree on the Great Plan).

Empire as protagonists, on a expedition from Sudenberg to acquire the vast riches of the jungle. Enemy armies could be:
>Lizardmen (obviously)
>High Elves (“stop stealing magic shit you don’t understand”)
>Skaven (also trying to steal stuff) >maybe Beastmen (denizens of the jungle).

For an open ended campaign, just fighting over the riches of the Southlands could be reason enough.

Another interesting idea could be Tomb Kings as the protagonists. A Pharaoh believes his flesh might be revived by the magic of the temple cities, or wants to recapture some spoils he had in life (since reacquired by the Lizardmen) so marches south into the jungle.

Any of those catch somebody’s interest?

Are you suggesting a Warhammer Fantasy campaign using... What system? You have my curiosity, but not my attention.

>WFRP 4E

The war game rather than the role playing game. Not sure what Edition, it might be easiest to go with 8th, but I think getting the structure of the campaign sorted first before crunch is important.

He's just a character invented to celebrate the 200th issue of White Dwarf, he might not even be canon to Warhammer since he's never mentioned in army books.

Is that a massive dwarf or a midget elf?

Elf is bending over.

Why do Dwarves hate innovation? Is there a lore reason for this?

A khorne marauder horde could easily represent the bloodthirsty cannibals that are ubiquitous o the dense jungles of the Southland.

As is right.

They are extremely traditionalist, dwarfs are fay they don't follow human logic, one time they made grudge against mountain.

The elf is far too small, but I guess it would look comical to give him the appropriate high, even though the artist did his best to give the dwarf every high advantage.

Dwarves can't always fight goblins.

There're certainly enough goblins around for all dwarfs to fight. One grudge at a time!

Dwarfs in 8e were huge vikings.

SHAVED

I've played with the idea before, there was that short-lived system GW had where you played warhammer fantasy but also had a hexagonal campaign map
I thought I'd do that but never got around to it, not to mention I'd only have 1 player

Mighty empires, that's the one.
I guess it was just a short lived re-release? I remember getting a free tile with my white dwarf once

Why does this cater to germans and japs?

I don't think they even ever met eachother

Dwarfs are not knee tall midgets

given how wide-spread they both are, I don't see how they wouldn't have met each other in the past
What they would think of it, I don't know. Beastmemes are part human while Skaven are just full on rats evolved into bipeds, I guess Beastmen ought to appreciate Skaven then? But I doubt Skaven would give a shit about Beastmen, maybe it would make for interesting experiments for Moulder but thats about it

Usually its translated in all languages so I dunno why this one only has those two, I guess Germans are retarded and, well, the Jap one is standard since y'know, entirely different writing and all that

I don't understand what you're trying to do. If it's an open end campaign, there are no protagonists, because all races involved are somewhat protagonists.
But if you want to organise a ttp campaign, i like the idea of lizzies trying to start a Time of Woes 2.0. As of why ever race should be there.
>Lizardmen
The lizzies are roused by Madzamundi, who decided it's time to get on the timetable with the Old Ones' plan, and need to do a ritual to reshape the geography of the world. To do this, they must access to one of the lost cities, and need to brave whatever is hiding there
>Skaven
The skaven, through some way or another, caught wind of the Lizzies plan, and want to beat them in a race for the lost city, so that they can use-exploit the scaly-things magic for their own ends, without having any idea of how it works, obviously
>Dwarfs
The Magnificent Sven is back in Lustria, but this time things got serious. After his last visit, he spent years using that twisted little mind of his to decypher some Lizardmen glyphs he found, and came to the conclusione that something of extremely advanced technology and great power is hiding in a lost city, and he wants to retrieve it to study it and put it to use. To do s, he contacted his old friend Burlok Damminson and together organised an expedition
>High Elves
Teclis, the nosey cunt, has spent some times studying the work of the Slann to try and understand if they can be an ally against Malekith. During his studies and through divination, he discovered the existance of the worldshaping ritual and mechanism, so he told Finubar. Finubar, realising what kind of retarded thing it is, dispatched Teclis and his idiot brother to reach the lost city and prevent anyone to start the ritual, while teclis finds a way to prevent it from ever being used again
>Dark Elves
Malekith caught wind of the High Elves expedition by torturing a captive and now is racing toward Lustria to use the ritual to do bad things to Ulthuan

You’re right, there wouldn’t be “protagonists” in an open ended campaign.
When I use the term protagonist, I’m talking about a specific type of campaign, which follows one group through multiple battles.
My example is Throne of Chaos, where the protagonists were Warriors of Chaos, since we were following the exploits of Tamurkhan and his army.

Is Cothique the most underrated high elf kingdom?

Boy oh boy all this ritual completing and interrupting sure sounds familiar from some recent piece of media

You're going to be waiting for another year or so, friendo. Best get comfy in your waiting seat.
Good thing we have actual confirmation that they're making it so they can't just weasel out of making it

Thing is he isn't directly derived from any one unit in an army book like the examples you give, he's just a representation of himself, the white dwarf

You'll need to be more specific because that's literally the most basic plot point one could concieve

>its that faggy elf user with a fetish for some nobody faction posting again

Hi.

What does cothique even do?
What do all elven kingdoms even do? They're just, there, High Elves have always been the ulthuan bunch, not the cothique or crache bunch

Cothique sounds like Russian word for "kittie"
so its obviously the best kingdom

It's almost like there's been a recent videogame where the plot primarily involves magical rituals being performed and interrupted by various factions

I don't really play videogames, sorry

>What does Reikland even do?
Anyway, very "nautic" kingdom, half-sunken after the civil war, now some of its biggest cities are emerging again, but barren and full of the ghost of the drowned elves. You know, standard outer circle Ulthuan things. They hate dark elves almost as much as Nagarythians. Many sea monsters in the waters, some friendly to high elves, some not. Cothique has the best sailors. These are the guys that sail through the entire world, not just patrolling coastlines. Finubar hires these as his sailors. Inhabitated by hardy elves, somewhat similar the Chraciens in that regard. Their land is regarded as a shitty and backwards place, only Cothiquians (?) really like it. Their cities are much more akin to fortresses and they guard many treasures down there. Mayn of their nobles palaces are actually underground. They worship Mathlann.

These are also the guys that use cavalry on ships.

Are you sure this is the right site for you, old man?

>Comparing Reikland to Cothique
See, that's a false equivalence. Everyone knows about the empire provinces, everyone talks about them, everyone knows the difference between them because in lore they're yes presented as the Empire but never as an homogenous entity. You know wissenland, that is different from Middenland, that is different from ostermark, and many have their favourite provinces and their personal color schemes.
Same thing with dwarves. You know they're a single faction, but differentiate between Karak Hirn and Karak Kadrin.
Elves don't have this kind of distinction. They're all elves from Ulthuan, the difference between each kingom is so limited not even their lore cares about differentiating them

So here's my idea:

>Plot
An army (or a few) reach the fabled City of Gold in the middle of the jungle. With surprisingly little resistance along the way.
Only after they got bags full of gold, do they realist they've been allowed to get there by the Lizardmen, who now intend to sacrifice them all in a massive blood offering to Sothek.
In addition, their resources are dwindling fast.

>Mechanics
Unless noted, these do NOT apply to Lizardmen.

1) Treasure
Each army gets a Treasure token for each 100 points.
A unit may be assigned a maximum of one Treasure token per rank of 5 it has.
An infantry or cavalry unit that has any treasure tokens.reduces its speed by 1.
Monsters and chariots may carry up to 3 tokens each, reducing their speed by 1 for each token.
When a unit is wiped out or loses ranks, Treasure Tokens are dropped on the ground and can be picked by other units coming in base contact.

In some scenarios there are additional Treasure Tokens placed as objectives.

Lizardmen don't start with tokens, but can pick them up.

>Resources
There are 3 resources that an army needs.
Food, Water and Medicine.
1 of each is consumed between battles as armies are trudging through the jungle.
An army that lacks one of these loses a percentage of points between battles.
Battlefields have a number of these scattered as objectives.
Tokens for them must be carried like treasure.

>Lizardmen
Lizardmen don't care for resources. Though they have overwhelming numbers, they only send limited parties for ritualistic sacrifice in battle.
They get a point for every 100 points of enemies slain, and additionally for Treasure that they capture and bring off the map's edge (so it is returned to the temple city).


>Scenarios
A number of different jungle-themed map, with objectives scattered. Both armies are supposed to dwindle between battles.
Point is to reach the sea-shore with at least some Treasure Tokens.
Whoever leaves with most Treasure tokens wins.

It's almost as if the empire is the focus of the writing. I didn't make all this up, the lore is there and as you can see Cothique has some distinctive characteristics. Rather the writing is to blame to not capitalize on some features of some of the more interesting kingdoms. At the same time: what are the big cultural differences between Reikland and Middenland?

One thing that is a problem with Ulthuan for sure is that it appears too unified and the only time there is some internal strife it's the dark elves fault, most of the time. There don't seem to appear much reasons for the kingdoms to fight each other. They all get along too well.

>what are the big cultural differences between Reikland and Middenland?
Reiklanders are typically more accepting, especially of magic, and are primarily sigmarites. It's used to a lot of trade, which exposes it to more foreign cultures.
Middenland is very traditionalist. It is primarily Ulrican, and has troubles policing its large forests, leading to more beastmen and a harder people.

Well, that doesn't sound as awesome as sunken elf ghost towns and ship cavalry.

Lore is all fine and dandy, but you don't have a visual difference between high elves kingdom. I mean, dwarves are not the focus of the writing (there are much less novels starring a dwarf than an elf, barring Gotrek&Felix, but Gotrek is a Slayer so he's beyond "normal dwarfs") but you get to recognise them more because if you see a dwarf painted red, you know it's from karak Kadrin, if you see one painted green, he's from Karak Hirn.
As far as i know, elves are not depicted different in models or art, they all have the blue and white color scheme that really prevent seeing them as a conclomerate of different people banding up together against dark elves. The only "different than the norm" might be the Lothren sea guard or the White Lions but a single unit is not enough to flesh out a kingdom on TTP. But that's not only the HE, all elves faction have this problem (maybe the wood elves are in some way less affected, but still look kind of samey)
A different color scheme is also a way to make you feel attached to "your dudes" and try to make them stand out from the crowd. Dwarf kingdoms do this, despite getting along very well with eachother just like the elves, and the Empire has a shitton of different color schemes and personalisation options. Elves lack this, not having different visual and "canon" representations of the Ulthuan kingdoms you're not stimulated to differntiate from one elf to the other, and end up pile them up under the name of "Ulthuan".
I myself, despite being some kind of lore fag, didn't know ulthuan was actually divided into separated kingdom until recently. I just though they were only dfferent regions under the same rule

Someone give me the history of nordland, and what sort of troops they specialize in.

Sorta. He's very closer to the Green Knight in everything but not being a ghost (I assume) & being a Dwarf. I guess if you consider the Green Knight to be a super-Grail Knight, Grombrindal is a super-Longbeard from his age or a super-Lord from heavily implied (& later confirmed) to be former king Snorri Whitebeard. But even then, that's a bit stretching it as he's even more his own thing than Greeny is.

Wasn't he in ET & now in TW WH?

>The only "different than the norm" might be the Lothren sea guard or the White Lions
And shadow warriors. But I hear you, the white and blue is too dominant.

There was some Surreal Beliefs Total War Warhammer campaign video where a Dwarven Slayer can be seen getting his head cut off by a Night Goblin Sneaky Git; his body slouches back for a moment, and then falls forward, bringing both of its arms and the hand-axes they grip together for a horizontal slash that kills the Sneaky Git.

1) Does anyone know if this is an actual, planned detail in-game,

and more importantly

2) If you do remain conscious for a few seconds after decapitation (because your ocular nerve and visual cortex and eyes and everything are still working fine), do you think it would be possible for the slayer in this situation -- if his head was sent flying at the right angle -- to watch as his headless body took revenge for him?

I leave these things to your consideration

He was made as an advertisement for GW's magazines in WTW, and most people here consider ET noncanon.

As far as i Know, Grombrindal IS a ghost. Snorri whitebeard died, but his spirit is bound to the world because Malekith betrayed the oath he made on his deathbed.
He is literally a dwarf's rage and stubborness made flesh. he's not bound to a place like the Green Knight is to bretonnia, tho, and has no deity patron that empowers him. He's literally too angry to accept his own death

Their race was created to be stoic, and so loyal and resistant to change they would be less corruptible and backstabby than Elves.

They were also given amazing intelligence and physical prowess.

This resulted in the ability to advance, but refusal to do do. This and their inability to magic turning out to be more a weakness than a strength made them rejected by the Old Ones as a failure. Humans were made to be ambitious and able to use magic but fearful to contrast Dwarfs, and humans were even more of a failure for easily falling to corruption.

To answer 2, a clean decapitation can result in a head that can see, comprehend, and attempt to communicate for over a minute after seperation. Usually seeing your own headless body seems to cause upset, but here a dwarf would probably be silently laughing.

Grombrindal was actually the star of a comic once. I believe he was namedropped somewhere, not sure where though.

Nordlanders have root close to the people of Ostland, since both derives from the Udoses tribe, but the Nordlanders real ancestors are another Tribe called the Jutones (not!Finns).
The Jutones were piss poor semi nomadic people, who scrapped together a living by the sea, fighting constant Norsii invasion, and often being forced to serve them as slaves. One day the Jutones got tired of this and decided to migrate, but some of them decided to stay and fight back. The tribe then divided into Jutones, who moved west into the Wastelands, and the Was Jutones who instead stayed in Nordland and eventually became the Nordlanders.
They are fervet followers of Ulric, much like the close middenlanders, but also have a deep connection with manaan, the sea being their main source of resources.
Nordland is said to have a powerful navy and their marines are considered on par with Norscan raiders for skill at sea and visciousness in a fight. Plus, Nordlanders are renown for being literally the first line of defence for all invasions that don't pass through Kislev, and their absolute hatred for norscans

Still questionably canon, as a lot of old comics are no longer canon.
Nice trips btw.

Grombrindral has been mentioned several times in all sorts of Warhammer-related material. he's as canon as Karl Franz at this point

give the rest of the comic, faggot

>Grombrindal is the Wandering Jew

He's only mentioned in the non-canon Black Library novelization of End Times Archaon.

Very cool! The Treasure Tokens and resources are right up my alley and I really like the race to the shore.
Maybe to make an more even playing field, instead of resources Lizardmen have to complete additional objectives to please the gods? Like slay the enemy general, or capture a specific objective?

There's an important difference. Karl Franz is mentioned in rulebooks and armybooks, the White Dwarf isn't. He mostly exists to sell limited edition models.

Name 2 sources outside of white dwarf and the one comic.

I thought Lizardmen would just have a smaller force each time, but not dwindling from battle to battle like survivors'.

So they'd have to try to cause as much damage and recapture as many tokens as possible while having smaller army.
After all, they are not fighting for survival here, they are slowly bleeding enemy to death.

But it could differ from scenario to scenario, I guess. Some scenarios could give them even smaller army, but army-wide ambush, etc.

Grombrindal was invented for white dwarf but in WH he is wandering ghost dwarf that helps others dwarfs when they are in trouble-Simple idea i like this character

I don’t really see any reason for it to be noncanon given back when he was introduced WD had the army book writers working on it.

Also, almost all true WFB comics are not retconned by virtue of being about nobodies who never appear again and contradict nothing. As a good story should be. Only the WAR tie-in isn’t canon.

On a related note, do we have Ten-Tailed Cat or should I buy and scan them?

Got it off google image search, sorry.

Rulebooks are not the only canon, WD is as canon as them since they are put out by the same publisher and same writers under the same editors.

Also, I know Snorri being doomed to walk the earth is mentioned in one of them. 6e or 8e.

youtu.be/dBcjBF1k6No

He’s also the WFB equivalent of Durin, being the son of the gods and the first Dwarf king who is now doomed to walk the world because he swore an oath of eternal friendship with the Elves, which Malekith broke. His most powerful magic items are a cloak his mother knitted him and an axe his father made for him.

youtu.be/8PSFN2r6bXY

What can I read for Wood Elves lore?

Wood elves armybooks.
But i'll save you the trouble and tell you they're literally the most useless and uninvolving faction of them all. They literally stay in Lothren and do absolutely nothing, not ever interacting with the outside world, not ever taking part in anything meaningful. They just sit there waiting for the occasional beastman or bretonnian to step into the forest to kill them

Army book if you haven't.

"Orion" books by Darius Hinks.

There’s two stories with WE in Ten-Tailed Cat. They kind of just pop up in the end of the first, second is great reference though.

>1) Does anyone know if this is an actual, planned detail in-game,
yes, sync kills are in the game.

1) It's just the animation for the Deathblow rules of slayers, where even if they die, they get to attack you one last time

>Sync kills are in the game
Lies. the only sync kills in the game regard special characters fighting eachother and big monsters like giants and trolls. Normal units don't, nor will have, sync kills

So I thought up a quick little southlands invasion scenario. all of this is a first draft but let me know what you think

UNWELCOME GUESTS:
South of the deserts of Khemri lie vast swathes of jungle, nearly as mysterious and foreboding as the jungles of Lustria to the west. Much like Lustria the jungle is inhabited by strange reptilian creatures, including the ancient lizardmen. The Lizardmen of the south lands have long been cut off from their leadership in lustria however, and have become more savage and bestial over time. But where there are Lizards, there is gold and power beyond imagining! raiders come south seeking treasure and mystical might. But first they must gain entry to the these lethal jungles which the lizardmen will attempt to prevent at all costs.

the mission is meant to reflect a contested landing between (INSERT INVADERS HERE) and skink patrols that monitor the coastline. the landings are still ongoing and the raiders are yet to solidify their beachhead. at the same time once word is sent out by the skink scouts nearby patrols will rally to repluse the warmbloods.

ARMIES:
Lizardmen: 700pts
- must be led by a skink chief
-can only include units of skink skirmishers, skink cohorts, kroxigor, and chameleon skinks.

RAIDERS:700pts
since I didn't decide on any particular faction to be the invaders this is kinda loose, but i did decide
- no warmachines, monsters, or monstrous calvary, the landing is in too early a stage for these large and difficult units to be brought in off their transports.

DEPLOYMENT
the map should be made to represent a beach leading up to a jungle (SEE PIC). the skinks can deploy anywhere within 12" from the jungle edge. the raiders can deploy anywhere within 12' from the beach edge.

cont.

Their armybooks seem more interested in portraying Athel Loren as a setting than the wood elves as a civilization, which is what I'm angling for. Kind of weird, really.

I'll take a look at these too, thanks.

What did HElves mean by this

SPECIAL RULES:
at the start of the game, the raider player designates one unit as the vanguard, this unit and any attached characters will be the only units they deploy before the first turn, the rest are put into reserve.
the defender may choose 200pts to deploy at the start of the game including the general, all other units are put into reserve.
Then each remaining unit is assigned a number between 1-6. the start of each turn, the player rolls a d6 and the unit(s) of that number have arrived. roll a separate d6 for each unit, on a 1-2 they arrive on the right third of the board, 3-4 the middle, 5-6 the left third of the board on thier repective deployment areas.

WIN CONDITIONS
If all the invaders units are fleeing or destroyed at the end of turn 6, the lizards win. Other wise the invaders win! Yes this is a bit stacked against the lizards but it's meant to be a mostly fluffy scenario that sets the tone for a larger campaign.

thoughts?

Reminds me of the japanese in WW2 feeding their soldiers beef because they thought it would make them stronger.

as I commuted home, I though up of a few additions

>1) Special units
Only in the later battles, once survivors adapt to the jungle. They would add a lot of flavour and alleviate dwindling armies a bit. Basically you will replace a Core unit with equally sized unit of "jungle fighter" flavour.

>2) Quantity of resources
Basically, should number of resource tokens necessary for survival scale with size of the army? That would be more messy, but force more choices, and grant some additional use to...

>3) Special Characters
I really like the pictures of lustrian campaign characters from long ago, adorned with lizardmen trophies and the like, so a campaign needs something like that, if we settle on this variant! A character for each faction! They should have special abilities. A spellweaver of life would always provide a token of food for her army, a champion of nurgle would allow his warrior get water from any body of water, while an experienced empire captain would allow his army unlock special units earlier or cheaper.

One of special notice would be High Priest of Sotek - a skink priest on Slann throne, Lore of Beasts, maybe, etc. Taking him out would be the only way to deal lasting damage to the lizardmen (though he wouldn't die for good, just come back in later battles with less W or lower caster level)

>4) Limitations
Some units don't make sense in the campaign or are too OP.
Lizardmen obviously can't use Slann, since the story revolves around worshippers of Sotek
Cavalry, fliers and chariots have to be seriously limited if allowed at all.
Stuff like that.

>5) Blood Ritual of Sotek
For extra flavour, different battle layouts and objectives can be codified in some cool-sounding ritual, to justify why Lizardmen herd the survivors into such specific circumstances to kill

>This charges you.
>Test Leadership.

Elves eat horse flesh

It's a cattle ranch.

But it gives bonus to horsemen unit. So it's a horse cattle ranch.
Or are you suggesting that elven steed eat meat?

Shouldn't Gotrek Starbreaker wield Ghal Maraz by the time of the war of vengeance?

First meaning of "cattle" is cows and bulls. It can also mean other livestuck, but it might as well be chicken or pigs. Honestly I have no idea why they should eat horses instead of other cattle.

Because it's a superior meat

This means Ogres are the true master-race and pinnacle of Old One genetic engineering!! Hail Ogres!!

I wish ogres were more important in the fluff.

Fuck, just some lazy googling:
As for nourishment, we take it where we can. When we hunt, we never kill more than is needed, for we need the blessing of Kurnous, and the Hunter god favors not the wasteful nor the cruel... "
So they must eat other meat. Asrai hunt as well, so much we know.

They're already too important for what they represent

[Insert Trump McDonalds joke here]

Because you feed your best soldiers beef. Not the rabble or conscripts, which is what the civilian militia is.

Ever wonder why the Queen of England’s honor guard are called Beefeaters? Its literally that. They got good beef in their rations, they did’t have to buy it with their salary.

The Silver Helms are distinguished nobility. The state pays for their beef.

Genetic yes. But not culturally, since the Old Ones never gave them a culture.

Looking at Elves and Dwarfs, the Ogres would have been given rune magic, been taught to be wizards by Slann, and given fortresses and fertile soil to nurture their development.