Has anyone created any new chapters they want to post, using the rules in Rites of Battle?

I am looking at creating a Calixis sector native chapter, but Im trying to work it into the background so it is viable for Dark Heresy and Rogue Trader.

The premise is that its a new founding derived from the Imperial Fists via the Black Templars as a successor chapter. Their primary function is to protect the pilgrim routes and holy shrines of the Calixis Sector and nearby sectors and expanses. They are a really small chapter, having not yet reached thier full max capacity because of the way the select their members varies from the normal standards.

I am essentially planning to use a system similar to the Knights of Bretonia, with the Aspirants (Called Squires) being sent on quests and to war to prove themselves worthy of selection. The scouts/neophytes (Called Errants) also do quests, but these are usually of a larger nature (hunt this heretic, slay this demon, kill this eldar, rescue this lost rogue trader and so forth) and upon completion of these quests (be it as a Squire or a Errant) they return to the chapter keep to pass a series of rituals to be selected for the next phase. Due to the questing nature, the Aspirants and Scouts tend to be older before the final implants happen, which of course increase the chance of death in the process.

I want them to be designed so that Squires could be Dark Heresy characters and Errants could be experienced Dark Heresy characters or Rogue Trader characters and full marines can of course be used in Deathwatch.

I havent come up with a name yet (as I want to avoid things like Knight or Paladin or Crusader or Templar and my original name choice of using Pilgrim somewhere Im kind of ogainst ever since the Pigrims of Hayte were published) or figured out all their characteristics from Rites of Battle yet, but plan to post that work soon.

Perhaps I will work on that during the Super Bowl since I dont intend to watch.

Prospero Cade speaking, here are my Doom Lords. They are 26th founding (Ultramarines) and are endangered.

"My brothers! Though we be few in number, our strength is far more than the legions of our foes! For we are the Guns of the Emperor! Fire at will!"

-Brother-Sergeant Arthyn Willfar during the defense of Hive Bastion

A decade after their Founding, the Doom Lords Chapter received an Astronomican message from Hive Bastion requesting aid against the Eldar. Seeking to establish a name for themselves, the Doom Lords altered the course of their battle barge 'Quest of Destruction' and replied with only a few words: "Fire support request, accepted". Only moments after establishing a beachhead, they found themselves fighting an as yet to be identified Kabal of Dark Eldar. Through the bloody streets and alleys of Hive Bastion, the Adeptus Arbites fought bravely. Seeing the potential in the Hive's denizens, the intrigued Doom Lords wasted no time in standing side-by-side with the carapace clad enforcers of the Emperor's Law. Days later, the fighting came to an end, the dust settled, and the planet's Governor had learned of the fledgling Chapter's departure from the Ultramarines. "No doubt you have discovered the fearlessness of our world's defenders." The Governor said with a bow. "It would be our honor if you and your Brothers were to house your Chapter within our city's walls."

Of the many things the Doom Lords do well, it is their mastery over ranged combat that has brought about the few victories they have. The effects of their gene-seed have greatly enhanced their senses and strength. Their Chapter's hero and Chapter Master, Brutus Aeneus, developed many of his Chapter's tactics in a single mission during his time in the Ultramarines with his squad of Assault Marines being pinned down by a Tau Fire Warriors squad, a group of Tau sniper drones, and a squad of Pathfinders. Firing from a concealed position, Brutus and his squad fired rapidly with their Bolt Pistols from behind cover. In time, his stubbornness prevailed and his wounded Brothers stood triumphant and let their chainswords taste Tau blood.

Their favorite tactics all involve ranged combat: Boltguns, Heavy Bolters, Missile Launchers, Las Cannons, and other long range weapons are frequently seen on the battlefield in abundance. The Devastators relish in the songs of Heavy Bolter fire, Tactical Marines hound the enemy with precise and rapid Bolter strikes, while what few Predators they have roar from just behind the horizon in terrifying and accurate barrages.

Individually, the black and gold Brothers of the Doom Lords seek to aid those in need. They always feel in debt to others. A feeling stemming from the early years of their Chapter’s history and believe that the more allies they gather, the faster victory can be achieved. They have no issue with joking with their squad or allies and constantly comment on each others accuracy, a behavior which some Chapters may find problems with.

Reasons for the Deathwatch
Due largely from their lack of combat experience, the very best of the Doom Lords are sent to the Deathwatch with two objectives, both of which they freely will admit to: (1) learn and discover new combat tactics against the Emperor’s Enemies and (2) seek allies with other Chapters and spread word of the Doom Lord’s name and deeds.

Doom Lords Rules

Doom Lord's have +5 to Strength and +5 Perception, Recieve "The Guns of the Emperor" Solo Mode Ability (Result 31-45 on table 1-19 using BS for the Characteristic), the "Siege-Breaker' Squad Mode Attack Pattern (31-45 on table 1-20) and "Only in Death..." Squad Mode Defensive Stance (Result 46-60 in table 1-21), have no restricted Specialities, revere The Emperor Above All, and have "A Future, Brightly" Chapter Demeanor.

Advances: Awareness (200), Awareness +10 (200), Awareness +20 (200), Concealment (300), Concealment +10 (300), Concealment +20 (300), Bolter Drill (1000), Hatred (Dark Eldar) (400), Blind Fighting (400), and Hip Shooting (400).

A Future, Brightly: With the honour and name of your Chapter still unknown, you feel determined to make its presense known to the Imperium's forces, its numerous foes, and bring knowledge back to enhance what few Brothers you have as your Chapter comes to full strength in the decades to come. Death is not an option.
Chapter Colours: Black armour with gold boots, Chapter Heraldry is of a falling burning star pointing down and to the left.

Also: I think I should note that I only had some of those details from the various roles in the first chapter of Rites of Battle. I filled out the details while typing the entry on this thread. Brother Arthyn Willfar is the Tactical Marine I wrote up for use with the Doom Lords.

Peacekeeper_b said:

Well Storm Wardens are also from the calaxis sector, perhaps they are a a founding from Black Templars and do not even realize it since they lost so much of their background. Maybe make a chapter based off the 2 of those, both chapters seem to have a "medieval" theme to them. Maybe go a more roman flare like Centurion, Legionaire, or Greek Myrmiddon, Hippolite.

Nimon said:

If they are a successor to the Black Templars (and the Imperial Fists too), then they should show the characteristic deficiencies in implant zygotes found in that line.

Peacekeeper_b said:

'Hospitaller' might be the word that you're looking for if you're looking for a knightly/medieval name for an organisation who protects pilgrims.

Although I can't help but feel that this is kinda more a Sororitas thing. Astartes are for fighting battles with.

Siranui said:

While Hospitalers did asist in guarding pilgrm paths in the Crusades, that was the original foundation and purpose of the Templars. The Hospitallers got their name from the Hostpitals they ran. Their actual title is The Knights of Saint John.

Yeah; I know that. But the OP was looking for a name and Templars is already 'taken'...

HappyDaze said:

I was offering a start, If I was really going to dig into it I could reason that the abnormality in the zygotes compaired to thier founding could be due to the Nemesis incident and develop on what that might be, probably involving slaugth bio-tech heresy and a purging of that or failure to do so which resulted in the stasis until a cure could be found.

Siranui said:

Well I havent quite fleshed it out completely, but I am leaning toward the notion that the "protecting the pilgrim trails" is more of a cover and they are actually looking for something, guarding something or have some other sort of secret agenda. Something that would have them leave the Black Templars during hte 26th founding or so.

Perhaps they are banished from the ongoing crusade.

Kind of leaning toward the notion that a band of Black Templars were somehow corrupted by the Tyrant Star or something and were purged just as this founding was taking place, and these "Rogue Marines" have taken upon them to spend their lives repenting for the sins of their "brothers" as such they must each sacrifice their lives to save the souls of their fallen brethren. Sort of a cross between Bret Knights and Troll Slayers. Only instead of the Slayer Oath, it is The Martyr's Oath.

In fact, I want to use Martyrs in their name.

Halo Shields (Previously made under the name Space Hawks as the random rolling got)

+5 Int, +5 Willpower - They go through extreme hypnoconditioning.

In the early 40th Millenium, the Emperor's Tarot called for a new Chapter to be created in a particularly sparsely inhabited region of the galaxy, one where nothing had lived for a long, long time. So the Gene Seed of the Ultramarines was taken and it was done without question. Thus was born the Halo Shields chapter.

Their early years were spent in solitude, their Jungle Homeworld otherwise uninhabited. Their forces ranging wide to aid the Imperium against threats. At one point, two whole companies (First and fourth, with elements of the 10th) were deployed to aid an Explorator team and Rogue Trader in attempting to take a planet with an STC. The battle was particularly brutal. And the STC was destroyed by the alien race defending it. The moment that happened, the Skitarii and Mechanicum contiguent just left. They retreated and left the rest to their fate. The Halo Shields have never forgiven this act of treachery. Especially since very few of their forces made it off world. Fortunately, there was time to recover from the loss. Unfortunately, they refuse to work with the Mechanicum in any way now. Having to learn to make their own repairs and new weaponry.

Then, it happened. An Ork Waaaaagh arose on one of the worldsnear their homeworld. It was unexpected. And coming right for them. The guard sent reinforcing legions. But the campaign has been dragging on for centuries now, the Halo Shields perfecting their combat style of brutal pod strikes and close combat battles. But they held. The Waaagh has yet to make it to Imperial Space,. However, the Halo Shields, with their distrust of the Mechanicum, have begun to look strange, their weapons and armor very haphazard, bolted together, field repairs that make them shockingly like the weapons that their ork foes use.

At some point, they have earned the trust and alliance of the Arbites, no one is quite sure what happened. But the institution, amongst other things., has a tendency of sending particularly faithful but brutal young prisoners to the Halo Shields to attempt to join the Marine force. And the Halo Shields have an upstanding offer to aid the Arbites whenever asked...

Above all they still revere their Primarch, Guillaman, his name permeating every aspect of their rituals.

Pick an Ultramarines Solo Ability

Attack Pattern: Storm of Hell

Defense Pattern: Swift Advance

Am still trying to figure out which advancement table fits them best.

The Thunder Helms

"Let the storm be your inspiration. The darkness is your shield.. The rain is the prelude that disheartens your foes. The roll of thunder is your herald. When the time is right, descend upon your enemies with the speed and ferocity of lightning. Do not let them recover; drive them before you and scour them from the Emperor's sight."

-Excerpt from Meditations Upon the Tempest

Founded in M36, the Thunder Helms immediately embarked upon a crusade to prove their worth to the Imperium, no doubt inspired at least in part by their brothers in the Black Templars. Their zeal, at least, closely mirrored the Templars as they blazed a trail into Segmentum Pacificus, a line of burning worlds in their wake.
During the course of this crusade, the Chapter encountered the Daemon Prince Tarvon, formerly a captain of the Iron Warriors. Presented with the opportunity to strike a blow against this hated foe, the Chapter immediately engaged with their full strength. A fierce battle raged, costing the lives of many Marines, but in the end the Daemon Prince was vanquished; struck down by Brother-Captain Mordecai of the Third Company.

But Daemons are nothing if not vindictive, and the Iron Warrior was no exception. Tarvon formulated a plan to strike back at the Thunder Helms. Luring them in with a distress signal, the Daemon Prince revealed himself, taunting the loyalists and insulting their honor. In response, the Thunder Helms immediately deployed, determined to teach the former captain the error of his ways. Alas, the Daemon had counted on the Thunder Helms' impetuosity, drawing upon his experience from their previous engagement, and the trap was sprung. Traitor marines, concealed from the loyalists' cursory scans, opened fire on the Thunder Helms. Entire squads were annihilated, cut-down before they could fully deploy from their pods. Enraged, the loyalists maneuvered their fleet into position, determined to bombard the traitors into ash.

Without warning, a large Iron Warriors fleet transitioned in-system, and the battle was joined on two fronts. Realizing the battle was lost, and acknowledging that further efforts would only result in the destruction of his Chapter, Mordecai (now Chapter Master) ordered the Thunder Helms to retreat. Fighting a desperate rearguard action, the Chapter Master and the remnants of the First Company threw themselves at the Iron Warriors, desperate to buy time for their brothers to extract.

The strategy worked, albeit at the cost of the entire rearguard. In a last heroic effort, Mordecai banished Tarvon, duplicating his feat of some centuries prior. Fatally wounded by the effort, the Chapter Master slumped to the blood-stained earth, the Daemon's mocking laughter ringing in his ears. The tattered remnants of the Chapter's fleet extracted the few survivors of the assault along with a number of high-ranking Mechanicus Magi serving at a facility on the planet's service. The few remaining vessels drove through the traitor blockade, escaping the deadly trap laid for them.

The Thunder Helms had learned a hard lesson. Their zeal, lack of forethought and foolhardiness had cost them dearly, wounding them almost to extinction. Never again would they allow the tragedy to be repeated. Unable to continue their crusade with their remaining forces, the Chapter was forced to choose a homeworld and begin the long, slow process of rebuilding.

Progenitor: Imperial Fists (Non-functioning Betcher's gland and sus-an membrane)

Altered Stock: Disturbing Voice. The Thunder Helms speak in a low, rumbling tone reminiscent of their name-sake.

Chapter Characteristics: +5 WP, +5 T. The Thunder Helms are strong of mind and strong of body.

Figure of Legend: Captain of the Third Company (Brother-Captain Mordecai, for slaying the Daemon Prince Tarvon)

Homeworld: Cyrion II (desert hive world, distant rule). The Thunder Helms maintain a small cadre of serfs that infiltrate the hive gangs, looking for promising individuals to spirit away to undergo the Chapter's trials.

Codex Chapter

Combat Doctrine: Drop Pod. The Chapter's favored tactic is in keeping with their direct nature. The Thunder Helms have mastered deployment by pod, striking like a thunderbolt into the enemy's ranks.

Solo Mode: Lightning Reflexes; +10 to Dodge at Rank 3; Rapid Reaction at Rank 5; re-roll Ag test at Rank 7 The Thunder Helms hold that a Space Marine must be able to react quickly, avoiding his opponent's blows before striking back with terminal force.

Squad Mode Attack Patten: Storm of Hell An Astartes should relentless assail his opponent, raining blows upon him with the ferocity of a tempest.

Squad Mode Defense Pattern: Knowledge is Power The sorceries employed by Tarvon and his allies revealed an unacceptable weakness in the Chapter's doctrine. The Thunder Helm's have worked to shore-up this vulnerabilty, that their hated foe may never exploit it again.

Beliefs: Honor the Ancestors Chapter Master Mordecai, along with the fallen veterans of the First Company, serve as the inspiration for all Thunder Helms. Their sacrifice illustrates the duty that all Thunder Helms have to the Chapter and the Emperor.

Current Status: Nominal After long centuries, the Thunder Helms have finally returned to operational status, able to field the requisite number of squads outlined by the Codex Astartes

Friends: The Adeptus Mechanicus The Thunder Helms' rescue of several highly-ranked Magi has earned them the respect of the Adeptus Mechanicus. This support proved crucial during the Chapter's rebuilding, as much of its materiel was destroyed in Tarvon's trap.

Enemies: The Daemon Prince Tarvon

Heraldry and Livery: Storm-gray armor with a gold helm. The Chapter symbol takes the form of two crossed thunderbolts.

Advance Table: Secret Lore The Chapter has embraced the maxim 'Know Thy Foe.'

I love the Chapter Creation section. In all honesty, this was generated completely by rolling on the various tables. It certainly challenged me to tie it all together! I could pick some alternate choices, but I wanted to see how well I could do without resorting to that.

Cheers!

I keep coming back to the name Astral Templars, but I haven't done anything with it yet. I still need to develop my Void Hunters Chapter, deep space/boarding action specialists I created for my Savage Worlds Rogue Trader game.

I'll probably whip up my Black Omegas (yes inspired by Babylon 5) at some point. I have a few older Marine minis I've painted for them, may post some pics some time.

Descendant chapter from the Ultramarines with a higher than average population of Librarians.

Okay,

This chapter is still a work in progress and I used the rules in RoB as a guideline.


Night Serpents:

Progenitor: *Classified*
Founding: 26th

Origen:
This chapter has only been founded recently and its creation was kept secret by the Ordo Xenos of the Inquisition so it could grow in strength before it was committed to one of the many crusades.
Its founder, Captain Symeon of the *Classified* 10th Company and Deathwatch Veteran drew the attention of Lord Inquisitor Gladys Severina after a particularly successful counter attack on the Dark Eldar preventing them from enslaving the population of the *Classified* Hive.
Captain Symeon was tested by the Inquisition and proved himself true of heart and soul and thus the Chapter Master of the Night Serpents was born.
Along with a large portion of the founding chapters 10th Company and the Apothecary Carmeges, only those with pure gene-seeds, they were stationed on the planet Viperea Prime, a hive world in ruins after a particularly destructive civil war.
Viperea is a strange world, nature has retaken most of the planet surface and the ruins of the hive cities are the safest places on the planet surface, gangs fight each other for control of portions of the ruined hives and the only true safe place is Nidhogg, the underground city where the Night Serpent Chapter and their serves and followers recede.
Though they were founded with the help of the Inquisition they are not a part of it, they do however have close relation and as a result the city of Nidhogg could be considered an utopia in the eyes of the Ecclesiarchy, free of want, free of corruption and devout to the God Emperor.

Recruiting:
Contrary to what was to be expected the Night Serpents do not recruit from the population of Nidhogg but from the surrounding hive cities and its gangs.
Each year a competition is held in each of the hive cities, each of the many gangs sends a team of 5 young soldiers, these soldiers are tested for purity and then the fighting begins.
The hives many corridors and chambers allow for hit and run, stealth and other tactics employing subterfuge.
The members of the team that remain are inducted into the Night Serpents and implanted with the appropriate organs, accelerated by unknown techniques sanctioned by the Inquisition.
This way they are able to increase their numbers by ten to twenty each year.
The Honoured Dead:
Death is an important part of the life of the Night Serpents, they fight an impossibly fast and deadly foe so they have adapted their training to be almost equally deadly.
But even if a brother falls during training his death is not considered to be in vain because other brothers will have learned from their fallen brother’s mistakes.
The dead are sacrosanct, they are laid to rest along with the other fallen brothers inside a huge ossuary, their names edged in stone for eternity and two brothers always guard this holy place at any one time.
Because they hold their fallen brothers in such high regard they will go to great lengths not only to recover a fallen brothers gene-seed but also their body or at the very least their skull.
It is for the same reason the chapter uses very few Dreadnaughts, they would rather die than to be placed into a sarcophagus in suspended animation to called upon when necessary, however sometimes it is needed to prolong a brothers life but they will do so no longer than absolutely needed.
Combat Doctrine:
Night Serpents are trained to use stealth, exploit their enemies weakness and strength against them, to fight on their enemies terms
Since their predominant foe are the Dark Eldar they use hit and run tactics, ambushes and sometimes even Splinter Weapons to lure different Kabals into a civil war.
Because they have to be fast and manoeuvrable the Night serpents do not train any Devastator Marines, they do however employ a remarkable amount of Land Speeders including the near mythical Serpent Land Speeder.

Chapter Organisation:
The Night Serpents use the organisation charts as explained in the Codex Astartes but due to them being under strength currently they only have 6 operational companies.
1st Company: Veterans
2nd Company: Veteran Scouts, Speeders
3rd Company: 6 Tactical Squads, 4 Assault Squads
4th Company: 5 Tactical Squads, 4 Assault Squads
5th Company: 4 Tactical Squads, 3 Assault Squads
10th Company: Scouts and Neophytes

Night Serpent Characters:
Night Serpents are tough and fast, though the chapter itself has hasn’t partaken in a major crusade many of them have seen battle and excel in tactics which use speed and subterfuge.
Night Serpents gain the following benefits:
+5 Ag, +2 Wounds and the Shadow Tactics Solo Ability
Restrictions:
Night Serpent Space Marines may not the Devastator Marine specialty

See, But Don’t be Seen:
The Battle-Brother understands well the value of maintaining a silent, unseen vigil on the foe, striking only when his target
is at its weakest and most vulnerable.
The Chapter stalks the night and the shadows, approaching the foe from unanticipated quarters before disappearing once more.
Such Chaptet,5' foster patience and wily cunning in their Battle-Brothers, and regard as rash and unsubtle those who charge headlong into battle

Shadow Tactics Solo Mode Ability:
Taught by the Inquisition: Reroll Concealment and Forbidden Lore (Xenos), +10% at Rank 4 and +1 DoS at Rank 8

Squad Mode Attack Pattern: Tactical Finesse
Action: Full Action
Cost: 3
Sustained: Yes
While this ability is in effect, the Battle-Brother and those within Support Range of him may make one Melee or Ranged attack as a Half Action (the Ranged Attack may only be made using the single shot rate of fire) and may then make a Half Move. A character benefiting from this ability may
disengage from an opponent in melee without penalty.

Squad Mode Defensive Stances: Courage Under Fire
Action: Free Action
Cost: 0
Sustained: No.
The Battle-Brother inspires those under his command to press on in the face of danger. When this ability is used, the Battle-Brother and any within Support Range of him may immediately recover from being Pinned. At Rank 4, those under the effect of this ability may also make a Half-Move as a free action.

Night Serpents Advances
Advance Cost Type Prerequisites
Awareness 200 Skill
Awareness +10 200 Skill Awareness
Awareness +20 200 Skill Awareness +10
Concealment 300 Skill
Concealment +10 300 Skill Concealment
Concealment +20 300 Skill Concealment +10
Drive (Hover/Skimmer) 400 Skill
Drive (Hover/Skimmer) +10 400 Skill Drive (Hover/Skimmer)
Drive (Hover/Skimmer) +20 400 Skill Drive (Hover/Skimmer) +10
Bolter Drill 1000 Talent Adaptus Astartus Weapon Training
Hatred (Dark Eldar) 400 Talent
Exotic Weapon Training (Any) 400 Talent
Hip Shooting 400 Talent BS 40, Ag 40
Peer (Inquisition) 1500 Talent Fel 30
Resistance (Poisons) 300 Talent

Night Serpents Primarch Curse:

Level 1: Paranoia
The brother grows suspicious of outsiders, fearful they might be dealing with the foul Xenos or worse the dreaded Dark Eldar.
The Battle-Brother’s Fellowship is reduced by -10 when dealing with Space Marines not part of the Kill Team, -20 when dealing with anyone else.

Level 2: Keep to the Shadows
Fearing being attacked by Xenos and their sympathisers they compulsively keep to the shadows, this sort of behaviour is strenuous on the Cohesion of the Killteam reducing it by 1 unless the Kill-team leader succeeds on a Hard (-30) Command Test at the start of the mission.

Level 3: Traitors Everywhere
The Night Serpent sees signs of Xenos Cult everywhere, his paranoia has grown to an almost unmanageable level.
Unless the Kill-team is comprised solely out of Night Serpents its Cohesion is lowered by 2.

Santiago said:

Hmmm....progenitor unknown. Smells like Alpha Legion trickery to me! Or perhaps the Night Lords. We will be watching you.

I'm toying with the idea of creating a new chapter and wanna see what peeps think before i take further:

"The Knights Ferrum" (or "Knights of Iron") an Iron Hands successor chapter.

After a few rolls using the tables in RoB (+ a little elaboration) i ended up with the following:

* Non-codex (unique organisation), 26th Founding. Rolled "counter" as the origin so i came up with the idea of the chapter being a joint devising of both the Iron Hands and a group from the Mechanicum in order to represent both parties interests in the Jericho Reach (ideal place to scout/analyse/aquire new xenos tech for examination and retrieval as well as contribute to the defense against the xenos threat).

* Rolled flawed geneseed and ended up with "chapter cult" so decided to use the following idea: All new aspirants must learn how to construct and maintain low-level tech items and cybernetics (along side more traditional trials) before the final selection ritual where they must remove a limb/organ and replace it with an artificial one of their own devising, this must be done alone and with only the most basic of technical and medical equipment. If the aspirants complete this task (and survive) they are then accepted into the chapter (artificial limbs/organs are replaced by more experienced adepts as part of the physical alterations occuring during elevation to Astartes-hood.

* Geneseed deficiency came back as "mutated catalepsean Node which i thought worked really well for a tech-oriented chapter (work for weeks then turn off [sometimes unexpectedly] for recharging/sleeping).

* Characteristics would be: +2 wounds (reflecting robustness of A. cutting off own limb when mortal human and B. more than usual number of artificial components. +5 to one characteristic (only one as it reflects the chapters singlemindedness/focus in certain aspects.

* Chapter Demeanour: Scions of Mars (obviously - tech reverance is a MUST) along with....

* Friends Adeptus Mechanicum and Adeptus Titanicus (Godparents and Big Brothers if you will :-D).
* Enemies: Tau and Orks - gonna come up with some history for this. Also inherited the Iron Hands' hatred of the Emperors Children for death of Ferrus Manus

* Due to recent founding and non-codex-ness, chapter strength is 5 companies (including 2 for scouts and reserves) with the 1st company being made up primarily of highly specialised techmarines (in various configurations) and all companies led by a Captain and their version of an Iron Father (or Mechachaplain).

* Combat doctrine tends to float towards stealth and close combat. Stealth; because of low numbers and access to all manner of techy-niceties. Close combat due to physical augmentations and also because of low numbers - hit quietly but hard and kill 'em quick.

* All Cobalt Guardians (if choosing a deed from RoB) must choose the "Price of Victory" deed (with the slight alteration where instead of losing their limbs in battle, they must have removed/replaced them themselves (unless they happen to have an "accident" during their time in the scout/reserve companies).

* Speciality restrictions - no apothecaries (although techmarines of the Cobalt Guardians gain medicae as a selectable talent as-per the apothecary tables, no narthecium though unless requisitioned during mission briefing).

All criticism/contributions listened to - just wanna get a feel for the ideas.

Sorry, replace "Cobalt Guardians" with Knights Ferrum as i changed the name but didn't update it all the way through the description

Beecher's Gland says "no", on the idea of Storm Wardens being descended from Dorn.

Deathseed said:

hmk17 said:

No it doesn't.

Why? Because they were founded a long, long time ago. And the records of their proginator were lost many millenia ago too. We don't even know if they knew at the time. So it's well possible the mutation to the Fists' seed occurred after this, and since they didn't know the Storm Wardens were their descendants they couldn't use that stock to try and reverse it. So unless you can prove that the Fists' lost their Betcher's Gland very early on, this doesn't mean a thing.

That being said, I don't think they're a successor of the Fists either, with the White Scars seeming the most likely option IMHO. But without an official answer we don't know.

(Don't read below this warning if you don't want to be spoiled on Brothers of the Snake)

As a total sidenote, you'd think losing a Primarch would be... hard. For one thing, the Imperium does still have access to some mad genetic skills as a matter of course. With the Apothecaries of the Iron Snakes, for instance, able to clone an ancient Ork Warboss' jaw. So how hard would it be just to compare the genetics of a progenoid gland with the 20 others for similarities?

EDIT: More food for thought. In a very real way the Catalapsean Node being lost seems like it could be a death knell for a Chapter. Or at the very least require it fight in a VERY different way. Being able to be awake for days on end without any loss of function is one of the many things that aids the Astartes. So without that, being such a small organization almost requires they do a hit and run style of battle only. They definitely wouldn't be as good as other Astartes at anything prolonged. Epic days long defenses of a single position? Not when you need to sleep.

I am interested in doing up the Iron Snakes. Has anyone done them up yet? I have a basic idea of how to possibly do them up, basing off the novel Brothers of the Snake by Dan Abnett and from the Lexicanum (http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Iron_Snakes) but any suggestions would be appricated.

Arkidda said:

Yep there has been a thread about them. Don't remember how complete the rules were in the end.

Alex