DIY CHAPTERS Creating Your Own Space Marine Chapter for Warhammer 40,000 By Brother Tyler The Warhammer 40,000 universe universe is one rich in history and character. The most popular armies are the various Chapters of the Space Marines. Games Workshop has published telve army lists lists for various Chapters, and the !nde" #startes articles that appear re$ularly in White %arf ma$a&ine provide back$round on the Space Marines in $eneral, and ne Chapters Chapters in particular. There are reputed to be over ',000 ',000 Chapters of Space Marines, Marines, thou$h, thou$h, and many players players en(oy makin$ up their on Chapters. Chapters. !t is very easy to use one of the official Chapters, but there is an immense immense $ratification from creatin$ your on Chapter. Chapter. )ou ill be able to identify more closely ith a %o*!t*)ourself +%!) Chapter. What follos is my advice on creatin$ a %!) %!) Chapter of Space Marines. Marines. This ork is not mine mine alone, it is the result of much time spent on line lookin$ at other %!) Chapters- and it is a consolidation of the advice $iven by various various members members of the olter / Chainsord Chainsord Space Marine %iscussio %iscussion n Group. ! could not have done this ithout the dedicated ork of others. opefully this helps those players ho are ne to W401, or ho have never labored lon$ and hard over the creation of a ne Chapter. There are to ma(or aspects aspects of Chapter Chapter creation. They are the Background +knon affectionately as 2fluff3 and the ule ule! ! and "rmy #i!t. #i!t . Chapter Chapter creation creation isnt isnt necessaril necessarily y a step*by*st step*by*step ep process. process. ack$roun ack$round d informatio information n mi$ht have an impact impact on the rules and army list, and vice versa. #dditionall #dditionally, y, e ill look at Making Your Chapter $ni%ue and $ni%ue and &int! ' Thing! to "(oid in creatin$ your Chapter.
METHODS OF CHAPTER CREATION There are three basic methods you can use in the creation of your Chapter. The first +and best best method is simply to use one of the e"istin$ e"istin$ army lists. This method method is the easiest, easiest, and ensures that you ill be able to use your Chapter Chapter in officially sanctioned tournaments. tournaments. #ll you have to do is create the back$round material, color scheme and markin$s, and create any special characters that you ant. 5or e"ample, if you really like the lood #n$els army list, but ant to paint your army a different color, you could create a %!) Chapter Chapter virtually identical to the the lood #n$els. When usin$ this method, method, keep in mind that any special characters or special ar$ear that may only be used by the ori$inal Chapter ont be usable in your %!) Chapter. So your lood #n$els*based %!) Chapter cant use Mephiston, Mephiston, %ante, etc. The second method is to use one of the e"istin$ army lists as a template, makin$ chan$es here appropriate. # $ood e"ample of this method is the the 5lesh Tearers army list. The $ame desi$ners used used the lood #n$els as a template, template, modifyin$ modifyin$ here and there. The resultin$ resultin$ 5lesh Tearers rules ere obviously obviously based on the lood #n$els, but distinct from them. them. When creatin$ your on Chapter this ay, ay, if you play in an officially sanctioned tournament you ill have to play based on the ori$inal +i.e. o fficial army list instead of your %!) rules. The third method is to create an army list and rules from the $round up. )ou can combine elements of different army lists, lists, or create rules and or$ani&ation or$ani&ation uni6ue uni6ue to your Chapter. Chapter. This method method is by far the most time* consumin$ and difficult. difficult. The end result, thou$h, ill ill be orth the effort. )ou ont be able to use this Chapter in officially sanctioned tournaments, thou$h, unless the army it creates can be duplicated by usin$ one of the official Chapters. 7e$ardless of the method you choose, a vital issue is game )alance. )alance. The rules and army list you come come up ith should be balanced so that your army is not overpoered. overpoered. This ill be covered in $reater depth later in the section titled Balancing Your "rmy. "rmy .
BACKGROUND The back$round is a vital element in any Chapter. !t $ives the the Chapter personality, personality, history, and and identity. 8se the format of the !nde" #startes articles as your $uide. O*+* Come up ith a history for your your Chapter. Consider the folloin$9 •
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Why your Why your Chapter as as created: Chapters arent created in a vacuum. vacuum. !nstead, the ;mperor, ;mperor, throu$h the the i$h
nd 5oundin$s should be avoided. ?nly to 'st 5oundin$ Chapters remain unknon, and all records of these to nd 5oundin$ Chapters have been listed in the #pocrypha of %avio @ it is doubtful that there are any other unknon > nd 5oundin$ Chapters Chapters still in e"istence. e"istence. More likely, likely, any un*named > nd 5oundin$ Chapters have been lost to the !mperium. Where Where your Chapter Chapter principa principally lly operates operates.. %o they patrol patrol near near the Cadian Cadian Gate: Gate: %o they they face the the encroachment of one of the Tyranid ive 5leets: 5leets: Much of this can can be based on the armies fielded fielded by your
There are reputed to be a thousand Space Marine Chapters, each ith its on uni6ue uniform and heraldry. =one can be sure of the e"act number of Chapters as ne ones are founded over time and as old Chapters die or amal$amate. Many are e"traordinarily ancient and can trace their 5oundin$ to the very dan of the !mperium, ten thousand years past. * Warhammer 40,000 Rulebook
The #pocrypha of %avio lists the folloin$ Second 5oundin$ Chapters9 B#OO- "+.#S #n$els ;ncarmine, ;ncarmine, #n$els San$uine, #n$els Aermilion, lood %rinkers, and 5lesh Tearers -"/ "+.#S #n$els of #bsolution, #bsolution, #n$els of 7edemption, 7edemption, and #n$els of Aen$eance Aen$eance *M.*"# *M.*"# 1*STS lack Templars and Crimson 5ists *O &"-S ra&en Clas and 7ed Talons "2. +$"lack Guard, 7aptors, and 7evilers S"#"M"-.S +=one 1non S"C. WO#2.S Wolf rothers $#T"M"*.S #urora, lack Consuls, ;a$le Warriors, Genesis, !nceptors, Second 5oundin$ Chapters of the 8ltramarines, but fails to name them. * Codex Space Marines and Chapter Approved
opponents. !f several of the players have Chaos armies, perhaps your Chapter is based near the ;ye of Terror, the Maelstrom, or one of the smaller areas of Warp overlap ith the material universe. !f, on the other hand, you have several Tau opponents, your Chapter mi$ht be based near the Galactic ;ast. ?fficial maps of the W401 universe can be found in several publications +notably some of the Code" books and on line. These mi$ht prove e"tremely useful in determinin$ your Chapters area of operations.
/OW O S$S.CT.-5 1O$-*+ -"T.S #side from the 5irst 5oundin$, only three other foundin$s have their dates in the records.
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The Second 5oundin$ occurred in M'. The Thirteenth +%ark 5oundin$ is believed to have occurred sometime beteen M4 and MF. The Tenty*5irst +Cursed 5oundin$ occurred in late MF or early M.
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Who the key players in your Chapter are. The Chapter Master, one of the Captains, and a fe si$nificant characters +key Chaplains,
&OM.WO#-
2There is less than one Space Marine for each orld of the !mperium. =evertheless they are number enou$h for the task at hand.3 * Warhammer 40,000 Rulebook
The type of planet your Chapter comes from ill $ive you ideas for its character. )ou ill $et some sense of a cultural identity for your Chapter based on the culture of its homeorld. 5or e"ample, a Chapter based on a planet hose culture is similar to 5eudal Dapan ould incorporate some interestin$ features. ;ven if you dont have a distinct culture in mind, the type of orld +i.e. ive World, %eath World, etc. ill have some impact on your Chapter. 5or e"ample, Chapters based on 5or$e Worlds mi$ht have access to more technolo$y, hile those based on 5eudal W orlds mi$ht have a more kni$htly feel to them. Most Chapters have their fortress*monastery on a planet, recruitin$ primarily from the inhabitants of that planet. Some, hoever, are fleet*based. The %ark #n$els, for e"ample, inhabit the 7ock, hile the lack Templars rove the $ala"y aboard their ships. oth of these Chapters recruit from a $reat many orlds, hich is reflected in the cultural diversity of the Space Marines ithin the Chapter. Consider ho the Chapter fits into the culture of its homeorld and ho the society has influenced your Chapter. The Space Wolves, for e"ample, remain ithin the confines of the 5an$, and are vieed as the messen$ers of the $ods by the natives of their homeorld of 5enris. The Salamanders, meanhile, live and ork amon$ the inhabitants of =octurne hen not $athered for ar. COMB"T -OCT*.
The Cults of the Space Marines ere formed lon$ before the ;cclessiarchy became a poerful force ithin the !mperium, and they hold to their beliefs stubbornly, disdainin$ the fanatical ravin$s of the Ministorum. Their ideolo$y features fundamental theolo$ical differences from the teachin$s of the ;cclessiarchy. The main point of contention beteen the Space Marines and the ;cclessiarchy occurs in ho they perceive the ;mperor. To the ;cclessiarchy, the ;mperor is a $od, the most divine bein$, the Savior of Mankind and its eternal $uardian. The Space Marines revere the ;mperor as a brilliant, inspired man, but a man nonetheless. This forms a ma(or schism beteen the to or$ani&ations. * !nde" #startes Chaplains
What is the style of combat preferred by your Chapter: !n a nutshell, is it oriented toards shootin$, assault, or a mi" of the to styles: Generally speakin$, the special rules for your Chapter should contribute advanta$eously to the preferred style of combat. The ma(ority of the published army lists +lack Templars, lood #n$els, 5lesh Tearers, Space Wolves are $eared toards assault*oriented armies. =otice ho each has advanta$es in the assault, but all have different rules for this. The StubbornE!ntractable rules, meanhile, $ive the %ark #n$els a more shootin$*oriented nature. Those Chapters that follo the Code" #startes tend to be a mi" of the to styles, tactically fle"ible. !t is possible, thou$h, to have a Chapter that is $eared toards a mi" of the styles hile havin$ special rules for each style. The Salamanders, for e"ample, have special rules that balance their shootin$ and assaultin$ nature, balancin$ them into the mi"ed cate$ory. Chapters that are based on Code" Space Marines tend to be balanced in their approach to combat. More than anythin$, the combat doctrine you decide upon ill be affected by the army list and rules you create for your Chapter. O+"*3"T*O o closely does your Chapter follo the Code" #startes in its or$ani&ation: Most Chapters follo the Code" closely, some fanatically so. # $reat many, hoever, deviate in some ay. # very rare fe ill completely disre$ard the Code" #startes, havin$ a si$nificantly different or$ani&ation. The 8ltramarines are a Code" Chapter, folloin$ the dictates of the Code" #startes very closely. Meanhile, the %ark #n$els follo the Code" closely in their Chapter or$ani&ation e"cept ith re$ard to the %eathin$ and the 7avenin$. The Space Wolves, hoever, are radically different in their or$ani&ation, i$norin$ the Code" #startes in favor of their Brimarch, nd 5oundin$, dont
orship the ;mperor as a $od. !nstead, the ;mperor is revered as the creator of the Space Marines and as the supreme human bein$. That said, it is conceivable that some Chapters, especially very youn$ ones, mi$ht adhere to the !mperial Cult. 5or the most part, thou$h, the belief system of most Space Marine Chapters is an esoteric arrior*cult. +..6S..What Chapters $ene*seed as used in the creation of your Chapter: Some Chapters, like the 8ltramarines and !mperial 5ists, have very pure $ene*seed- hile others, like the lood #n$els and Space Wolves, have si$nificant mutations. ;very Chapter is re6uired to send a tithe of its $ene*seed to the #deptus Mechanicus for monitorin$ and for use in restorin$ the Chapter to full combat stren$th or creatin$ ne Chapters. When the ;mperor decides that a ne Chapter of Space Marines is to be created, the #deptus Mechanicus finds a pure $ene*seed for each &y$ote, implantin$ a human test*slave ith each of the or$ans, and then harvestin$ the resultin$ pro$enoids for further duplication. While it is $eneral practice to take only pure &y$otes from one Chapters store of $ene*seed, it is possible that the #deptus Mechanicus mi$ht use impure $ene*seed, and that they mi$ht use &y$otes from different Chapters. #lso remember that the $ene*seed isnt used only from the 5irst 5oundin$
2Give me a hundred Space Marines. ?r failin$ that $ive me a thousand other troops.3 #ttributed to 7o$al %orn, Brimarch of the !mperial 5ists * Codex Space Marines
The 8ltramarines
B"TT#.CY Come up ith somethin$ intimidatin$ to the enemies of Mankind, and appropriate to your Chapters character and history.
RULES AND ARMY LIST The best method of %!) Chapter creation is to take an official list and use it unchan$ed. ?ften, the ideas you have for a ne Chapter can be applied creatively to official lists. 5or e"ample, a Chapter knon for its practice of duelin$ and enterin$ combat ith tin sords could simply use tin li$htnin$ clas to reflect both a pair of poer sords and increased skill ith those eapons. Many matters of choice can simply be used as $uidelines in army creation. 5or e"ample, if your army prefers fast movin$ attacks ith limited armor support, you could simply re6uire that all infantry units +Tactical s6uads, %evastator s6uads, etc. take Transports and limit tanks to 0*' per army. The options presented above are alloed ithin the $uidelines of the current rules and dont need to be included as special unitsEar$earEetc. Since most players like to try their hand at modifyin$ army lists and rules in some fashion, thou$h, the belo $uidance provided. The key to creatin$ a %!) Chapter that is acceptable to other players ill be in balancin$ the rules and army list. !f your Chapter seems over*poerful to other players, it is likely that they ont allo you to use the rules you have labored so lon$ to create. !f, hoever, you have created a Chapter ith balanced rules, you are much more likely to be alloed to play them. # note, it is better to create a Chapter ith a distinct character, but sli$htly eaker rules. The 5lesh Tearers, for e"ample, are often perceived as bein$ eaker than the lood #n$els. They have a distinct character, but the rules for them have distinct eaknesses. When you create your Chapter, if you are unsure about the balanced playability of your rules, it is better to err on the side of eakness. )ou ont seem beardy and other players ill en(oy the opportunity to play a$ainst a uni6ue Chapter. What follos is a description of ays you can balance the rules for your army list. They ill be inter*related, so here chan$es in some of the folloin$ ill $ive your Chapter advanta$es, chan$es in others ill balance this ith disadvanta$es. S.C*"# $#.S )ou mi$ht ant to add special rules in order to $ive your Chapter character, to $ive them advanta$es, or to balance out advanta$es ith disadvanta$es. !t is important to remember that special rules dont have point values- they are an inherent part of your army. #s such, special rules must be suitably countered, either by other special rules or by chan$in$ the variables belo. Special rules should alays mesh ell ith the character of your Chapter.
B#OO- "+.#S S$CC.SSO C&"T.S The lood #n$els Chapter as ori$inally part of a much lar$er
The White Scars successor Chapters, the 7ampa$ers, Marauders, %estroyers and the Storm
.ST*CT*+ *T.MS7$*TS Those items hich have an unbalancin$ effect on your army, or hich are not in keepin$ ith the character of your Chapter should either be removed from the army list, or limited to a ma"imum number per army. 8nits are often limited in number to counter special rules that are advanta$eous to the Chapter. 5or e"ample, the 5lesh Tearers may take no more than one standard or furioso dreadnou$ht per army. )ou mi$ht also limit the number of Marines in a unit if it has the potential to dominate a $ame. The Space Wolves Wolf Guard, for e"ample, are limited to one per s6uad and no more than tenty per army. C&"+*+ $#.S7"B*#*T*.S )ou mi$ht chan$e a characters or units rules in order to be consistent ith the character you have envisioned for your Chapter. The most ready e"ample is the various
T&. C$S.- 1O$-*+ The Tenty 5irst 5oundin$ as the lar$est since the Second 5oundin$. !t took place sometime immediately before the #$e of #postasy, a time of civil ar hich divided and almost destroyed the !mperium. The ne Chapters ere do$$ed by bad luck ri$ht from the start. Several disappeared mysteriously hilst in action or in arp space. ;very survivin$ Chapter of the foundin$ is affected by spontaneous $enetic mutation of its $ene*seed. #s a result the Chapters have $radually dindled in si&e as their inability to raise and induct recruits means that battle casualties cannot be replaced. Worse still, some Chapters have developed $enetic idiosyncrasies, mutations hich strain the tolerance of the !n6uisition and threaten the Chapters survival. 5e Chapters have suffered as i$nominious an end as the 5lame 5alcons hose spontaneous and e"treme physical corruption turned them into a race no lon$er human or sane. The Chapter as declared ;"communicate and driven from its home orld of
)ou mi$ht decide that the standard 5orce ?r$ani&ation Chart doesnt properly reflect the nature of your Chapter. There are to ays you can chan$e this. The first is to chan$e the slots, hich specific units take on the chart. # $ood e"ample of this can be found in the Code"9 Craftorld ;ldar. The second ay is to do somethin$ similar to the Space Wolves, in hich the 5orce ?r$ani&ation Chart is completely replaced ith a different sort of or$ani&ation. There must be a $ood rationale for your chan$es, and you should have balanced chan$es. .8$**+ $+"-.S )ou mi$ht re6uire s6uads or characters to take specific up$rades as standard in order to meet the characteristics of the Chapter. #n e"ample of this is ho %ark #n$els J characters automatically have Terminator onors. Berhaps you envision your Chapter bein$ oriented as a mechani&ed force. To effect this, you mi$ht re6uire that all Command, Aeteran, Tactical, and %evastator s6uads take a Transport. .W *T.MS "- $*TS Berhaps your Chapter has access to units or items of e6uipment not used by other Chapters. # key factor in creatin$ ne units or items ill be in analy&in$ ho they affect $ame play, and assi$nin$ appropriate point values. The Aehicle %esi$n 7ules allo you to ork out vehicles 6uite easily. 5or items of e6uipment, look at official Chapters and see ho ne items are used and valued. #n e"ample of a ne unit is the Aeteran #ssault s6uad used by lood #n$els armies.
MAKING YOUR CHAPTER UNIQUE !n addition to chan$in$ the factors above, there are a number of simple thin$s you can do in order to $ive your Chapter individuality and character. These dont alays have to result in different rules or point values. These, hoever, $o a lon$ ay toards creatin$ a personality for your Chapter. T&.M.S Givin$ your Chapter a theme is the most si$nificant ay you can contribute to individual character. # theme mi$ht be as simple as a specific racial stock, mode of dress, or decoration on armor- or as comple" as intricate cultural influences. %ark #n$els veterans, for instance, often ear robes and da$$ers- meanhile, the Space Wolves have a comple" Aikin$ theme, hich is reflected in their names, eapons, and ornaments. )ou could use the theme to convert desi$n motifs into armor, paint facial tattoos, display trophies of ar, etc. The immediate impact of a theme is the visual presentation of your army on the tabletop. Berhaps you ant to use the Space Wolves rules, but ant to replace the Aikin$ theme ith a Celtic theme, complete ith tartans, skean duibh, etc. Berhaps you ant your Code" Chapter to have an #ncient Greek theme, complete ith crested helmets, spears, etc. Simple uses of themes are to paint or sculpt symbols particularly important to your Chapter onto clothin$ and armor. !f you look at the cover to Code"9 Space Marines, for e"ample, several of the Crimson 5ists Space Marines have their Chapter ad$e styli&ed on their armor. # theme mi$ht also carry over into the names of characters and units. The lack T emplars, for instance, are or$ani&ed into Crusades instead of Companies, and are led by Marshals instead of Captains +Commanders. The %ark #n$els dont have a 5irst Company, they have the %eathin$- and the names of %ark #n$els characters come from the iblical and #pocryphal #n$els. !n the above e"ample of a Greek*based Chapter, your characters mi$ht have names like ektor, %iomedes, and erakles. The theme should be consistent ith the culture of the homeorld you select. !f the culture of the Chapters homeorld is firmly based in medieval 5rance, your Chapter ont seem ri$ht if you have armor based on the
#&tecs. ?verall, a stron$ theme is a very easy ay of $ivin$ your Chapter a distinct personality ithout necessarily re6uirin$ modifications to army lists or rules. # ord of arnin$ on themes @ dont $et carried aay. 1eep in mind that youre still creatin$ a Chapter of Space Marines. Space Marines fi$ht ith bolters and chainsords. !f youre intent on creatin$ an army that likes to use shields and spears, ! ould recommend playin$ Warhammer +5antasy. C&"T. "M. # stron$ name $ives an immediate character to your Chapter. Most players try to keep the name consistent ith both the theme and combat style of their Chapter. 7emember, thou$h, that your Successor Chapter name doesnt have to incorporate elements of the parent Chapters name, especially if the source of the $ene*seed is unknon to your Chapter. # list of ords commonly used in Space Marine Chapters can be found in the Chapter #pproved book +Second ook of the #stronomican. !f you cant find that book, another list can be found in the nd edition Code" 8ltramarines ill also impact the color scheme you use. Most Code" Chapters indicate company affiliation by color codin$ the trim on the shoulder pads, ith different helmet colors and decorations indicatin$ veterans and ser$eants. Some Chapters indicate company affiliation on kneepads or the chest desi$ns. !f you dont ant to use Code" markin$s, come up ith your on scheme. #dditionally, you mi$ht not ant to have your specialist characters +.htm C&""CT.S Many players en(oy creatin$ characters for their Chapters. !t is important to note the difference beteen normal characters and special characters. The ma(ority of characters ill be standard for their type, not havin$ any special rules. They ill be distinct in that they have their on personality, history, etc. Special Characters, hoever, stand out from the crod. They have special rules and arent normal for their type. =ormal characters can alays be used in $ames and tournaments ithout the opposin$ player ob(ectin$. Special characters, hoever, can only be played if you and your opponent both a$ree- and they probably ont be alloed in tournaments. 1eep the number of special characters to a minimum, especially since you ont use them often. When creatin$ Special Characters, be careful to preserve balance in point value.
NOTES ABOUT SUCCESSOR CHAPTERS The core of this is that a $reat many aspects of a Chapter donLt have to be related to its ancestry. There are certain thin$s that ould, of necessity, be carried don throu$h the $ene*seed. The lood #n$elsL $ene*seed fla has been transmitted to every Successor Chapter it ent into +hich is hy their $ene*seed stopped bein$ used in the creation of ne Chapters, and the Space WolvesL fan$s probably ould appear in a Chapter created usin$ 7ussL $ene*seed +yes, ! kno the fluff indicates that there have been no further instances of Space Wolves Successors since the Second 5oundin$. # ChapterLs deviation from their parent Chapter, or conformity to traits characteristic of another Chapter, can easily be e"plained aay by fluff9 !or example * a Chapter created usin$ 8ltramarines $ene*seed mi$ht be based on a barren inhospitable planet. The native society is feral and barbaric. The result is that the Chapter mi$ht take on attributes that make i t resemble the Space W olves more than their parent 8ltramarines. Another example * one of the +very fe Successor Chapters created usin$ the %ark #n$els $ene*seed is based on a medieval orld. #t its inception, thou$h, the fled$lin$ Chapter is trained by a cadre of lack Templars. #s a result, this %ark #n$els Successor follos most of the doctrine of the lack Templars. My basic take on this is that characteristics inherent in the $ene*seed ill be passed on to Successor Chapters. Those traits, hoever, that derive from e"perience, culture, etc. have a hi$h probability of differin$. !n fact, a Successor Chapter mi$ht be totally i$norant of its ancestry. When creatin$ your on Chapter, you pretty much have free rei$n to $ive your Chapter its on uni6ue character. %onLt feel constrained to makin$ all %ark #n$els Successors into 8nfor$iven, or White Scars Successors into Mon$ols. !t is entirely feasible to have an 8ltramarines Successor have its 5irst Company virtually identical to the %eathin$ +e"cept for that pesky little secret, that is. # common theme that irks me +picky as ! am is for %ark #n$els Successors to share their dark secret and unt for the 5allen. My personal opinion is that the %ark #n$els and other members of the 8nfor$iven +hich should be the Second 5oundin$ Successors and possibl" some later*5oundin$ Successors ould be very circumspect ith sharin$ their little secret. ?dds are that only a handful of the fe Chapters created usin$ the %ark #n$elsL
COMMO WO-S 1O$- * S"C. M"*. C&"T. "M.S #n$els, lack, lood, ra&en, rothers, Celestial, Champions, Crimson, Crusaders, %ark, %eath, %estroyers, %evourers, %evils, %oom, %ra$ons, ;a$les, ;mperors, 5ists, 5alcons, 5ire, 5lesh, Golden, Griffons, Guard, aks, !mperial, !nferno, !ron, Da$uars, 1ni$hts,
T&. -"/ 1O$-*+ =ot all the foundin$s of Space Marine Chapters are recorded in e"act detail. oever, the #deptus Terra maintains a sin$le bank of ori$inal $ene*seed from every sin$le Chapter ever created since the orus eresy. There is one notable e"ception9 the Thirteenth 5oundin$, also knon as the %ark 5oundin$. =o*one knos ho many Chapters ere created by the %ark 5oundin$ or hat became of them. Berhaps the secret lies in some deep vault in the record office of the #deptus Terra. Maybe the Space Marines of the %ark 5oundin$ are still out there somehere, aitin$ to return to the orld that created them. * White %arf ma$a&ine !nde" #startes Code" #startes
There are no knon aberrations in the %ark #n$els $ene*seed hich makes the reluctance of the i$h
Nthere seem to have been no Second 5oundin$ successor Chapters formed from the SalamandersN!t is a matter of debate hether there have been Successor Chapters durin$ subse6uent 5oundin$s, althou$h it appears likely and many scholars point to similarities in the physi6ue, markin$s and tactical do$ma of Chapters such as the Storm Giants and lack The ori$inal Code" %ra$ons. H#startesI as compiled appro"imately ten thousand * !nde" #startes years a$o in the aftermath Salamanders of the orus eresy. !t is not knon hat form the ori$inal took9 it may have been a manuscript or it may have been a compilation of holo*files or even some combination. ?f course manuscript copies ere made and distributed . N ?ver the millennia the copies have been copied and recopied many times in order to preserve them. !nevitably, mistakes occur Some Chapters recruit their and so it issolely unlikely that any
$ene*seed ould be brou$ht in on
A NOTE ON CRUSADES There is often confusion about the nature of Crusades, and hat it means to be a 2Crusadin$3 Chapter. C$S"-. ?nly the i$h nd ;dition
1"*T& ' C$S"-.S The ma(or difference beteen a War of 5aith and a Crusade are in its ori$ins and ho takes part. # Crusade is ordered by the authority of all the i$h nd ;dition So e have to distinct types of Crusades. #dditionally, e have Space Marine Chapters that embark on fre6uent andEor e"tended Crusades. The lack Templars are the most obvious e"ample of this. A$ter being created in the Second !ounding, their Chapter Master, Sigismund, declared that the" %ould embark on a Crusade as a signal o$ their lo"alt" to the &mperor' (he" have ostensibl" been on this Crusade $or the last )0,000 "ears *although it is basicall" a series o$ smaller concurrent Crusades being carried out b" di$$erent elements o$ the Chapter+' # lot of players, especially neer ones, have taken this to mean that since the lack Templars are a crusadin$ Chapter, other crusadin$ Chapters must be similar. 8nfortunately, this is incorrect. ?ther e"amples of Chapters specifically mentioned by Games Workshop as havin$ a crusadin$ nature are the Mantis Warriors,
Conclusion * donLt confuse bein$ a crusadin$ Chapter ith bein$ like the lack Templars.
HINTS & THINGS TO AVOID ere are some thin$s you can do to $et ideas for your %!) Chapter. •
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There are a $reat number of %!) Chapters on the eb. )ou can alays take a $ood look at them and see ho their creators have tried to balance the rules and army lists. Many of these creators also elcome e* mail or comments, so you mi$ht find out hy they did certain thin$s. # $reat many of these Chapters have intricate histories and personalities, ith e"tensive conversion ork and painstakin$ effort put into paintin$ them up as the creator envisioned. 8se the published Chapters as a $uide. Takin$ the Code"9 Space Marines army list as your base, compare each of the other army lists and see ho the $ame desi$ners have balanced the ne rules for each Chapter. !f you can $et your hands on the W401 Timeline hich appeared in an issue of White %arf ma$a&ine, you ill find a ealth of ideas for foundin$ dates, important en$a$ements, etc. ?nce you have come up ith an army list and rules, let others take a look at it and $ive you feedback. Members of the various discussion $roups are alays illin$ to help, and they tend to be brutally honest. This is a $ood thin$ because that really cool special rule you came up ith mi$ht seem very unbalancin$ to other players. 8nbalanced +i.e. overpoered armies rarely $et the nod from opponents. ?ne of these discussion $roups is the olter / Chainsord, hich is dedicated to Space Marines of every kind. The address is http9EEbolterandchainsord.com . !f you ould like ideas for Chapter names, 5oundin$s, etc. there are any number of on*line collections of Chapters. ?ne of these is
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?ften, it isnt necessary to come up ith a radically different or$ani&ation or special rules in order to make a satisfyin$ly uni6ue Chapter. )ou can $ive your Chapter an individual back$round, name, and appearance, yet use Code" rules and still have a distinct %!) Chapter. !f you decide to take a Chapter that Games Workshop has created, but not $iven much history or rules to, feel free. e prepared, thou$h, for the possibility that GW mi$ht eventually come out ith rules for 2your3 Chapter. !f they dont use your rules, you mi$ht feel frustrated. ?f course, you could alays chan$e the name of your Chapter or make some other minor chan$es and continue to play ith your rules.
Try not to make a Chapter ith the same name as another player in your area. #ctually, this isnt that bi$ a problem as you can cooperate ith the other player and use a different battle company, etc. Sometimes, thou$h, players are a little territorial ith their %!) Chapters. This also $oes for hi$hly popular %!) Chapters on the eb. The >nd and ''th
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* Insignium Astartes
!t is important to remember that creatin$ your on Chapter isnt alays easy. Take your time and be prepared to $o back and revise ork youve done. )our best bet is to complete the rules before you start collectin$ and paintin$ miniatures.
Then there are thin$s you should avoid in the creation of your Chapter. These arent necessarily hard and fast rules. 5olloin$ these little bits of advice, thou$h, ill help in $ettin$ your Chapter accepted by other players. 7emember, it is (ust a $ame. )ou can do hat you ant. •
Space Marine Chapter bad$es or icons are of very mi"ed ori$in. Many are iterations of common !mperial icons, such as the ea$le, ea$le in$s, skulls and armoured fists. #t a Chapters 5oundin$ the nely assi$ned Chapter Master must name his re$iment and choose its heraldry. There are strict rules to $overn this process. The Code" #startes provides the Chapter Master ith a roll of approved namin$ elements and also forbids the use of certain names. =e leaders are careful to try to avoid duplicatin$ the name, icon and livery of e"istin$ Chapters. ... Many ne Chapter Masters therefore create ne heraldries to avoid any possible duplication. ?ver the millennia this has led to a vast proliferation of icons and liveries.
=o matter ho much time and effort you put into your Chapter, no matter ho intricate and balanced the history and rules, lon$ odds are that Games Workshop isnt $oin$ to publish official rules for them based on your ork. %ont let this discoura$e you. !f the armies your Chapters rules create cant be duplicated +includin$ special rules usin$ the rules found in one of the published army lists, you ont be able to use them in officially sanctioned tournaments. )ou should have a back*up army list to use for tournaments or be prepared to play by Code"9 Space Marines rules.
opefully the information presented in this article ill assist you in creatin$ a Space Marines Chapter hich you en(oy playin$ and find full of character. Good luckP
With the bolter, cleanse the unclean.
We will cleanse!
With the flamer, purify the unholy.
We will purify!
With the chainsword, purge the corrupt.
We will purge!
They shall be my finest arriors, these men ho $ive themselves to me.
With the missile, kill the impure. #rticle from (he ain -love eb site. Contact ebmaster at brothertylerQco".net.
We will kill!
