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Homebrew chapter time! I'll try and keep this thread updated with lots of pretty pictures and fluffy fluff. It is of course a work in progress so please bear with me as I edit, alter and rehash. Lots. Located on the northern marches of Segmentum Obscurus the Ash Raptors stand vigil over the Halo Stars. The Ash Raptors chapter of space marines are descended from the legion of Corax, the Raven Guard. Their home-world Karrek is a savage place, unforgiving and utterly hostile. Once a vibrant industrialised hive world with sprawling manufactorum spires covering the north and western hemispheres and deep swamp ridden jungles in the south and east, Karrek became a victim of its own splendour. Dragged into the ravages of civil war in ages past, the world and all in it burned, reducing a once stable profitable tithe-world into dust and ash. Its hive cities torn and tumbled ruins plagued by gang wars. To live is to learn to move silently, kill in the shadows and sleep with a blade. Far from the city-shells of the north, the southern continents once life bearing jungles are dust. A vast arid wasteland pock-marked with the ruins of promethium refineries and haunted by the howling dust wraiths of the dead. These apocalyptic lands are ruled and warred over by violent warlords in a storm of blazing guns and exhaust fumes. Barely knowing or caring of each others existence, these two continents provide the recruits of the Ash Raptors chapter. In the equatorial east rises a vast mountain chain, piercing the horizon with sheer cliffs and ragged peaks. It is in this cold and hard landscape that the Ash Raptors have made their roost. From their vantage point in the high cliffs they launch patrols across their world seeking those judged worthy enough to compete for a place amongst the Emperors finest. Selection into the ranks of these mighty warriors does not guarantee full advancement to the black carapace of the Astartes. Those chosen to compete but found wanting in their final tests are given the singular honour of returning to the scout companies to serve out their days with honour. Though not raised to the martial level of fully transformed marines these men have still taken oaths to fight and die for the Emperor. Maintaining in this way large numbers of scout squads, the Ash Raptors begin their campaigns with covert infiltrations, slowly and carefully working units into position to bring enemy infrastructure to a sudden violent halt or drawing enemy units from the safety of their bunkers. Striking swiftly from their Storm class landspeeders these scouts clear landing sites and disable anti-aircraft emplacements as they call in their power armour clad brethren. Such is the cunning of the Astartes. Advancing on enemy strong points their Tactical squads are equally adapt at forcing a frontal engagement or splitting into combat squads to maximise destructive potential. With decades of infiltration experience these warriors are well learned in guerilla warfare. Such is the skill of the Astartes. Riding the dust storms high above, chapter air support forces traitor and xenos air power from the skies clearing approach paths for warrior laden Stormravens. Carrying the hardened combat veterans of the chapter these might gunships clear landing zones of foes with explosive force, even as their landspeeder brethren hunt enemy armour and harass infantry in lighting attacks. Such is the might of the Astartes. As the enemy is drawn out, his battle plans thrown into disarray, assault troops tear into his flanks, descending on wings of fire into a maelstrom of vengeance. Pinned in place by assault troops and scout laid traps, the enemy finds himself open to the lancing strikes of bike mounted troops. Piercing deep behind enemy lines to harry and raid, these warriors are almost exclusively drawn from the wasteland raider gangs of the southern continents. Such is the fury of the Astartes. Appearing in sight shattering electromagnetic discharge, the mighty and terrible warriors of the first company teleport into the battle. Clad in the black of their parent chapter these terminator warriors are the pinnacle of the Astartes war-force. As the forces of the enemy are torn and his ranks split wide open, these veterans assault into the heart of his command structure. The work of their brothers done well, these might men are free to dispatch their foe untroubled by other, lesser warriors. Such is the right of the Astartes.