Index Astartes: The Legio Bolter & Chainsword
by the members of the Bolter & Chainsword
The Space Marines of the Adeptus Astartes are posthuman warriors, genetically enhanced and equipped with the best weapons, wargear, and training that the Imperium can provide. Even among these mighty warriors, however, there are traitors and renegades whose vile treachery threatens the Imperium from within. To face such foes demands warriors whose hearts and souls are trained to withstand extremes of pain and terror, whose faith in the Emperor is as unwavering as it is strong. Since the dawn of the Imperium a brotherhood of Space Marines have fought these foes and defeated them. They are the Legio.
Starting in the days of the Second Founding, many Chapters maintained a loose alliance. This wasn't a formal alliance, but an unwritten agreement to communicate and cooperate insofar as they were able. This communication and cooperation was achieved through a class of officers appointed by the Chapter Masters to serve as liaisons with the other Chapters. Though most commonly known as Delegatus-Heralds, some Chapters had unique names for these officers, such as the Knight-Heralds of many Successors of the Dark Angels Legion, and the Apestalmenarchs of the Iron Snakes Chapter. Regardless of naming conventions, most Chapters had a handful of such officers.
Over the millennia, these officers created and maintained informal alliances that allowed a means of arbitration and cooperation among the participating Chapters. For example, the Delegatus-Heralds of the Successors of the Ultramarines Legion were instrumental in coordinating the attack on the world of Tsagualsa, which had been used by the Night Lords Legion as a base of operations after the destruction of Nostramo. Similarly, it was the Delegatus-Heralds of the Imperial Fists Chapter who notified the other Successors of the VIIth Legion of Chapter Master Koorland’s enactment of the Last Wall protocol during the War of the Beast. The coalition of four Chapters that laid siege to Holy Terra during the Age of Apostasy in M36 was also facilitated by such officers. On numerous other occasions this loose alliance and the efforts of the Delegatus-Heralds prevented whole-scale battle between Chapters and allowed the Adeptus Astartes to police their own before the rest of the Imperium learned of wayward Chapters.
Over time, though still informal, the participating Chapters systematized the alliance, referring to it as “the Legio” in reference to the legions of the Great Crusade. The liaisons, now known simply as Legio Heralds, were identified by a black and white check pattern, most often displayed on tilt shields. Most Legio Heralds were Veteran Sergeants, bearing the Chapter Approved identifiers of that rank. Despite the systematization and recognition of the Legio by the Adeptus Astartes, participation wasn’t universal, and some among the most independent or insular of Chapters refused to take part.
Over the millennia, however, numerous events convinced leading Chapters of the need for the Adeptus Astartes to take the lead in policing their own ranks. Two key events in particular impelled a movement to formalize the Legio. The first was the War of the False Primarch in M33 and the second was the Ecclesiarchal purges of M37.
In the aftermath of the War of the False Primarch in M33, five Chapters were tasked with the destruction of eleven Chapters that had been judged Traitoris Perdita by the High Lords of Terra for their actions during that war. These five Chapters, the Carcharodons Astra, Charnel Guard, Death Eagles, Flesh Eaters, and Red Talons, were known as the Pentarchy of Blood, and they were successful in systematically destroying the traitor Chapters and laying waste to their homeworlds. Many of the Chapters that weren’t involved in the event wondered if the High Lords of Terra had been rash in their condemnation of the eleven Chapters, basing their judgment on vindictiveness rather than actual evidence of corruption.
In M37, Saint Basillius became highly powerful during the Ecclesiarchal Purges of the Age of Redemption, even commanding several Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes, his ‘puritas division.’ After Warp Story Dionys appeared over dozens of systems, Saint Basillius declared that the thirty Chapters whose homeworlds had been affected were corrupted, ordering them to take part in a crusade into the Eye of Terror. These Chapters, known as the Judged, willingly acceded to his judgment, though they knew that the crusade was doomed. Many members of the Judged Chapters fell to Chaos and the incidence of Heretic Astartes raids increased considerably. Remnants of the Judged Chapters returned from the Warp 800 years later, confronting the still-living Saint Basillius and revealing him to be an apostle of Chaos who orchestrated the Abyssal Crusade to weaken the Imperium. The vengeful Adeptus Astartes slew the servant of Chaos and thousands of his followers, destroying all his shrines and every relic and tome of his creed.
After the revelation of the perfidy of Saint Basillius, a rare council of over a dozen Chapter Masters, including some from among the survivors of the Judged Chapters, convened. These leaders agreed that the Legio offered a superior alternative for both the coordination of the Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes as well as their monitoring and discipline. A delegation of these Chapter Masters approached the High Lords of Terra, proposing the formalization of the Legio. They cited the contributions that the Adeptus Astartes had made to the Imperium as a result of the efforts of the Delegatus-Heralds and used the creation of the Deathwatch as an example of how the proposed Legio could be created and sustained. After over three months of debate, and over the objections of the Ecclesiarch (whose influence had been weakened as a result of the unmasking of Saint Basillius), the High Lords approved the request on the condition that the Legio would serve as the Chamber Militant of the Ordo Astartes. The Adeptus Astartes delegation acceded to this request and the Adeptus Mechanicus was tasked with provisioning the newly-created Legio. Many survivors of the Abyssal Crusade – those from Chapters that were no longer viable – formed the core of the formalized Legio; and most Chapters seconded one of their Legio Heralds as their first contributions to the newly-formed Chapter.
The Legio has several objectives:
- maintain bonds of friendship and loyalty among the manifold Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes
- serve as a means by which the various Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes may share tactical expertise and innovation
- keep an eye on the various Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes
On the surface, the Legio is most well-known for the first two roles. In these, the Legio is also known as the “Collegium Astartes.”
Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes will attach individuals, squads, even whole companies to the Legio temporarily. Members of Chapters attached in this way are known as “Prospecti” and, though they maintain the livery of their parent Chapters, they often bear the mark of the Legio upon their armor. This may appear as a campaign badge, in place of a squad badge, or elsewhere as determined by Chapter leaders. During such periods, these battle-brothers will interact with counterparts attached from other Chapters, exchanging tactical information and ideas, even new developments in equipment. Often, detachments will be attached for specific training, and it is through these attachments that specific Chapters share their expertise with other Chapters. When these detachments return to their Chapters, these members often retain the Legio marking as an honorific.
The Legio also has a corps of veteran squads tasked with providing training to the other Chapters. Known as ‘Mentor Cadres’ or ‘Legio Mentors,’ these teams transmit new tactics, newly-approved wargear, and information about new enemies to the Chapters, ensuring that the expertise to defeat the Imperium’s foes is as widespread as possible among the Adeptus Astartes.
A byproduct of the Legio's role in keeping an eye on the various Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes is the Legio's self-imposed mandate to hunt down traitor Astartes. On the rare occasion when a Chapter reveals information about renegades, the Legio is willing to work in concert with that Chapter and to turn captured traitors over to their parent Chapter. On other occasions, the Legio will execute heretic Astartes, recovering and purifying wargear.
The Light of the Emperor
Is a beacon for Mankind's salvation.
The Justice of the Emperor
Is the doom of the enemies of Mankind.
The Blood of the Emperor
Is sacrificed for all Mankind.
The mobile star fort Arx Vigilans serves as the Legio’s headquarters. Conferred by the Adeptus Mechanicus upon the Legio’s creation, the Arx Vigilans is able to service up to three Adeptus Astartes battle barges, twelve strike cruisers, and multiple smaller vessels, the massive construct rivals the famed Blackstone fortresses in size and firepower. Within the superstructure of the star fort can be found multiple training areas of sufficient size to allow for company-sized training evolutions, to include employment of vehicles. Of unknown provenance, some believe that it may be a remnant from one of the Legiones Astartes during the Great Crusade while others believe that it may be of more recent construction.
In addition to the Arx Vigilans, the Legio operates two battle barges, the Sword Bearer and Fidei Rex, and seven strike cruisers, including the Divine Hunter and the Spear of Justice. The Legio also possesses numerous smaller Adeptus Astartes vessels of various classes. When going to war, the fleet is often augmented by the vessels of the Prospecti forces that are attached to the Legio.
The Legio spends considerable time training, serving as a vehicle by which the various Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes can share tactics, techniques, procedures, and equipment. In this, the Arx Vigilans serves as the training venue for many of the training evolutions at the company and below. When specific environments are required, or when the forces involved in the training require larger training areas, the Legio will utilize suitable worlds and interstellar bodies that the High Lords of Terra have approved. While the Legio lays claim to several such locations, the vast majority are used only temporarily, with the Legio and forces to be trained traveling to those locations. Occasionally, other Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes may consent to their own worlds or training areas being employed for such use, but this is often only when those Chapters are participating in the training. More often, the Legio will evaluate the requirements for training and will locate a suitable world, moving on once the training is complete.
The Mentor Cadres usually serve as facilitators for training, providing instruction and serving as opposing forces when necessary. On occasion, other Chapters will serve in these roles, typically when they excel or specialize in the training to be delivered.
The Legio generally follows the dictates of the Codex Astartes, though the Legio’s access to multiple interpretations of the Codex Astartes as well as the doctrines of most other Chapters allows it to incorporate a significant degree of flexibility in its combat doctrine. With the return of the Primarch Roboute Guilliman and his efforts to update and revise the Codex Astartes, the Legio has served as a source of both variations and proofs for new doctrine. While an individual company or detachment might be trained extensively in a specific area based on the experience and desires of the commander, the overall combat doctrine of the Legio follows the Codex Astartes mandate of maximum flexibility.
The Legio acts as an independent battle force, sending detachments where it will, often in aid of other Chapters or military organizations within the Imperium. Companies are composed to whatever suits the needs of the leader. Since most members of the Legio are experienced battle-brothers from their respective Chapters, the Legio can draw on a wealth of experience and training, enabling leaders to task-organize their forces and conduct operations in ways not normally available to standard battle companies.
The Legio is not organized into the Codex Astartes Chapter construct. Though organized into typical 100-man companies, each company is fluid in its organization depending upon its training and operational goals. The members of the Legio train to perform all standard roles found within a normal Chapter and a company can shift from Battle Company composition to any of the Reserve Company compositions based on availability of equipment. Multiple companies are formed into the three Great Companies that serve as the primary organizational construct of the Legio. Each of the Great Companies is named for an aspect of the Emperor and has an associated color. The Light of the Emperor Great Company represents the beneficent influence of the Emperor and is represented by the color white; the Justice of the Emperor Great Company represents the punishment of the Emperor upon those that threaten Mankind and is represented by the color black; the Blood of the Emperor Great Company represents the sacrifice made by the Emperor in service to Mankind and is represented by the color red. Each Great Company is composed of three or more companies, depending upon the overall strength of the Legio. Owing to the Legio’s focus on training and flexibility, each Great Company includes one company that is equivalent to a Veteran company, this comprised of the Great Company’s Mentor Squads and led by the Great Company’s First Captain. The other companies will vary in composition and role depending upon its training and operational objectives, as well as the availability of equipment. It is common for members of the Legio to transfer between the Great Companies. The First Captains form the council that, with the leaders of the specialist orders within the Legio (the Chief Librarian, Reclusiarch, Master of the Forge, and Chief Apothecary), directs the overall efforts of the Legio.
When a member of the Legio is slain, their gene-seed will be returned to their parent Chapter by an honor guard led by a Herald. In addition, pure stocks of the Chapter’s gene-seed will be included as a gift, the gene-seed drawn from Adeptus Mechanicus stocks after being screened for purity. The parent Chapter will then select a replacement for the fallen brother, typically a battle-brother or veteran who has proven himself to be both tactically sound and pious in the Chapter’s warrior cult. Occasionally, a Chapter may send multiple members as Prospecti, with one remaining with the Legio permanently after undergoing training and screening by the Legio. Assignment to the Legio is always an honor, never a punishment.
Service in the Legio is for life. Battle-brothers often return to their parent Chapters on temporary sojourns, often to renew their indoctrination in the warrior cult of their parent Chapter and to submit themselves for testing to progress through the ranks of their Chapter. In many cases, Legio members who are promoted to the rank of veteran within the Legio will take a sojourn to undergo the trials of their parent Chapter to confirm their veteran status.
When a battle-brother is seconded to the Legio, he will craft an honor shield. This shield serves as a pictorial representation of the battle-brother’s accomplishments and honors, and it will often feature his parent Chapter’s iconography, the squads and companies in which he has served, and personal oaths of fidelity and dedication. This honor shield will serve as the basis of the battle-brother’s record within the Legio, and this record will be maintained by the Legio’s servitors. When the battle-brother dies, the Legio’s artificers will craft two death shields based on his record of service. One of the death shields will be returned to the battle-brother’s parent Chapter along with his remains and his gene-seed while the other death shield will be placed in the Legio’s Atrium Mortuorum.
Battle-brothers that are permanently assigned to the Legio by their parent Chapters usually adopt the distinctive livery of the Legio, replacing their original livery with the mostly black armor and red helm. The only permanent reminder of their Chapter of origin is upon their right pauldron, which is kept in their original Chapter colors. By default, the left pauldron and chest decoration are light tan in color, and the Great Company is identified on the left kneepad. The Legio’s Veterans, the Mentors, often incorporate black and white checks, most often upon their right knee and/or greave, as well as black or white stripes upon the helmet.
Battle-brothers often transfer their personal battle-honors and the markings of their Chapter’s warrior cult to their Legio armor. For example, Legio battle-brothers from the Salamanders Chapter often include the Promethean Cult’s hammer and flame markings upon their armor.
The Legio allows its members a great deal of flexibility in their livery, however. For example, members often display their Great Company affiliation through the color on their left shoulder pad, either by using that color for the background or just the Legio marking. Metallic colors are often used to indicate veteran status either in place of or in addition to the black and white checks, and these colors are often used on the chest decoration or the left shoulder pad, or both.
Tilt shields are also worn by many Legio members. In addition, members of the Legio often serve alongside the agents of the Inquisition; and those that have been sanctioned in this role often incorporate the marking of the Inquisition upon their armor. In this way, a Legio force has a unique appearance that draws upon diverse influences.
For more details and examples of Legio livery and flexibility, refer to the Insignium Astartes: Legio.
The key to using the Legio in games in the Warhammer 40,000 setting is remembering that (to paraphrase @BLOODSAINT ) “the Legio isn’t a super squad, it’s just a uniform that is worn.” This means that there are no special rules for the Legio.
The most likely way to include the Legio in your games of Warhammer 40,000 is to feature a single Legio model in one of your “veteran” squads (i.e., a Legio veteran on Sojourn) or a squad as a “veteran” squad (i.e., a squad of Legio Mentors training with a Chapter), either option working for any army using Codex: Space Marines and the codex supplements for that book (except the Deathwatch). You would not use any additional special rules for these models, but they would provide you with a focal point that is distinct from the rest of your force. An even easier way to include the Legio is to have one or more models that feature the Legio badge without otherwise changing the color scheme (i.e., Prospecti). This would work for the same armies.
If your army uses Codex: Imperial Agents, the Deathwatch rules can be used to represent veterans from the Legio (i.e., Mentors) while a Grey Knights Terminator Squad might represent a squad of Terminator-armor-clad Librarians.
When playing Warhammer 40,000: Kill Team, any ADEPTUS ASTARTES faction may be used. In this case, a Deathwatch kill team might represent a unit of Legio veterans (i.e., Mentors) while a Grey Knights kill team might represent a unit of Librarians. It is even possible to use a non-cult HERETIC ASTARTES faction as a creative representation of loyalist Adeptus Astartes.
Regardless of the game, the Legio should represent loyalist Adeptus Astartes.
If you have any questions about the Legio Bolter & Chainsword, please post them here.
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