They sound very cool, dramatic and exotic, has anybody considered doing a write up?
Perhaps something like this?

Black Shield:

Profile: +5 to Characteristics of the players choice

Solo Ability:


The Unknown Soldier:
Without their chapter who will be there to remember them, no one, unless their deeds themselves are legendary.
With nothing left too lose the Black Shield gathers all his strength as he throws himself into the fray,
once per combat for one round per Rank he gains +2 Toughness Bonus, during this time he can only advance or must atleast stay his ground
Improvement:
Rank 3 this TB becomes +4 and at rank 6 it becomes +6



Skills:
Awareness +10 400xp
Awareness +20 400xp
Deceive 200xp
Deceive +10 400xp
Deceive +20 400xp
Scrutiny 400xp
Scrutiny +10 400xp
Scrutiny +20 400xp
Tactics (Any) 400xp
Tactics (Any) +10 400xp
Tactics (Any) +20 400xp
Berserk Charge 600xp
Duty unto Death 800xp
Hatred (Any) 500xp
Hatred (Any) 500xp
Paranoia 500xp

Psychic Powers:
None Chapter Related

These are one of the other things that I found great about Deathwatch , though it seemed like something that would show up in the "players guide" that FFG always release... So, yeah, it would be interesting to see some rules for them. Maybe even some cool background concepts behind them.

Kage

Tried to keep the skills and talents as versitile as possible, perhaps add a Forbidden Lore (Any of the following) to be able to make as many concepts as possible.

You could make this Marine with a death wish, like the dwarfen slayer
You could make this subtle marine who manipulates the others into trusting him etc...

I sneaked another look at a friend's copy and checking out the Black Shield description just indicates that, if you want, there's no reason that the Black Shield Shield need by anything other than a Battle Brother one a Chapter that has some form of "Secret," and maybe a little bit of a Stigma. Of course, the "Secret" only becomes fun when there's something to hide.

What do you think that they have to hide, Santiago?

Kage

I've been considering throwing a fallen Dark Angel into my campaign as a recurring NPC/replacement for dead PC. Of course I currently have 2 Dark Angels in the squad already so things might get interesting if his background ever came out.

Wargamer said:

First thought that entered my head when I read the Black Shields fluff was "Repentant Fallen Angels"

Kage2020 said:

I'm running with the wild conspiracy theory that these are agents of Alpha Legion. I don't expect to see much support for this theory, but it's the one I'm running with none the less.

Santiago said:

Oh, I know what it could be, I just wondered if you had a personal theory? Aureus has offered the "Alpha Legion has done it" idea, but do you have something different?

Kage

Kage2020 said:

To be fair, that's my answer for every mysterious space marine event that's ever occured.

Unmarked Astartes fleet that restocked at Footfall? Alpha Legion

Mysterious Black Astartes Ships that assisted during the Crusade in Calixis? Alpha Legion.

Black Shielded Astartes showing up for Deathwatch? Alpha Legion.

Wait a minute, I just realized that in every case the descriptions been more or less similar, and all around the same region. There have been a few (frequently bizarre IIRC) Alpha Legion encounters in and around Calixis too. Maybe it's not such a crazy theory after all...

At the same time? Honesty is a rare thing on these forums...

Thank you.

Kage

I really like this concept. I am not a writer but enjoy it at times. I think of this something like below.

The skies above the Citadel streaked with crimson and topaz, and on the distant horizon a lone figure stands immovable. The wind blows, and desert sand swirls around his heavy darkened armor. The temperature drops as night settles on the quite war torn landscape and still he does not move. Through the nights bitter cold and the suns endless heat he waits for he is patient. The sun and moon chase each other through the sky and yet he waits for he is without a home. Every day he takes a single step closer to the Citadel, its thick walls rising into the sky casting shadows across the land. Days pass this way until off in the distance the doors of the fortress Citadel opens ushering forth a small contingent of warriors clad in similar black armor. The group sped quickly to his position, and still he did not move. As they advanced on him he saw the light shine of their black armor and the brilliant heraldic colors displayed on their shoulder. They neared slowly taking a defensive posture, and he knelt for he was penitent. Taking pause he removed his pauldron, its once bright colors near indistinguishable under the blackness of paint and scars. Surrounded with weapons leveled on him he bowed his head, and with a voice tormented by the deeds of his life he spoke. "The Emperor protects, and may he ever be a guide to bring the lost children home." Closing his eyes he relaxed waiting to see what the fates would decide. For some reason beyond the knowledge of lesser beings his judges lowered their weapons and offering him a hand returned him to his feet. Over a century has passed since that fated day, and he still maintains his penitence shown in his black shoulder pad and his service to the Emperor in defeating those who stand against him. Through his victories and reclaimed honor he now stands an equal among his brothers, but his past will always haunt him.

I will perhaps turn this this into an NPC down the road.

Doomrider1985 said:

The core rulebook supports this: the only Blackshield to ever become the Deathwatch Commander was called Brother Israfael (or something like that) and died during joint mission with Dark Angels, who later volunteered to recover his body, but failed. Or at least that's what they said.

Aureus said:

Doomrider1985 said:

We think in similar manner. My mind went a little more, and came up with a Librarian.

And Idaan is right about Israfael. As a matter of fact, I mentioned that to a friend of mine who has read most of the Horus Heresy novels and he got that "holy $#!+" look on his face at the name.

-=Brother Praetus=-

The black shield is namedIsrafill while the Dark Angel from the Fallen Angels novel is Israfael and he was a Librarian.

Now the fact that they mention a Dark Angel force coming to his aid may mean he is one in the same. What we don't know is what happened to him after the battle at Caliban and whether he is indeed a Fallen. It might be an easter egg though, matter of speculation I guess

oops forgot the space Israfill was the name in the core book.