Index Astartes: Azure Blades v 2.0

[Espada Azul]

[center; background-image:url(http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/hq2.gif); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-position: 8px 2px; padding: 12px 8px 12px 8px; border: 1px solid #DDD; margin-left: 0 auto; text-align: left; color: #fff; text-indent:50px; font-size:130%; width:50%;"> INDEX ASTARTES: AZURE BLADES[/center]

'In Light, In Darkness, We Strike'

O

n the edge of the Eastern Fringe, where even the light of the Astronomican fades to a faint shimmer, the colonies of the Imperium are under constant danger. Xenos raiders strike from without, while sedition and open rebellion jeopardize the realms' stability from within. Realizing that the planetary defense forces and ponderous Imperial Guard would not be enough to quell such threats, the High Lords of Terra commissioned the founding of several new Space Marine Chapters to supplement the Imperium's fighting strength in those sectors. Among these was the Azure Blades, a fleet-based chapter whose mix of covert actions and more traditional Codex tactics, mark it as an unpredictable but effective weapon in the Emperor's arsenal.

Origins

Insignia Capitulum Azureus Gladius

The The Azure Blades are descended from the Ultramarines through the widely-scattered Novamarines, who provided the gene-seed for the fledgling chapter, along with was a modest donation of equipment from their own forges and a cadre of veterans to train the recruits. In some ways, they even owe the Novamarines their name -- it is said that Brother-Captain Antonius, senior among the training cadre, looked upon the promising neophytes, and likened them to his favored power sword Azul (whose surface glowed a rich blue when activated), stating that they were to be "... Blades that clove through the enemies of the Imperium." When Antonius ascended to the position of Chapter Master, the chapter in essence became his symbolic weapon for use.

His Azure Blades.

Antonius was an adherent of the Codex Astartes and organised the Chapter according to the doctrines of Roboute Guilliman. As an accomplished swordsman, Antonius encouraged formalised dueling to hone his warriors' hand-to-hand skills and foster competitive comraderie. The introduction of these dueling conventions began to subtly shape the Chapter's rituals and symbolism.

When the Chapter finally reached full strength, Antonius ordered the fleet eastward, to the far edge of Imperial space, where the worlds it was founded to protect awaited it. There, in one of the systems of the Eastern Fringe, the Azure Blades was involved in its first major engagement, as they engaged a force of Orks threathening to overwhelm the colony of Genso Beta. It was a literal trial-by-fire, but the battle-brothers of the Azure Blades proved themselves admirably, as they aided the local PDF in driving off most the greenskins from the planet's important industrial and population centers, while Antonius led a force of his best warriors behind enemy lines to deal with Grognard Darkklaw, the warboss leading the invaders. In an encounter still celebrated in the Chapter's records, the greenskin commander was finally cornered and slain, with Antonius himself decapitating the brute with his power sword. With its leader gone, the invasion soon disintegrated.

Antonius steadfastly led his chapter for more than five centuries, before finally falling in battle against a kabal of Dark Eldar. The Azure Blades greatly mourned his passing, for the Chapter owed much of its identity to his influence. As a mark of respect he was forever immortalized in their history as the First Blade, the forger of the Chapter's destiny, while his power sword Azul, which had served him faithfully for so long, became the Chapter Master's symbol of office, the High Blade. In time, the position of Chapter Master became intimately associated with the relic, as each successor became the symbolic High Blade for the battle-brothers of the chapter -- the greatest among them, and inheritor of Antonius' will.

For more than two thousand years the Azure Blades faithfully prosecuted the duty they had been assigned, assisting the forces of the Imperium on the Eastern Fringe against the dangers they constantly faced. Although it maintained the flexible way of warfare espoused by Antonius, as a fleet-based chapter the Azure Blades also earned a reputation for rapidly answering calls for aid, as well as ship-to-ship combat and boarding actions, the latter culminating in the capture of the dark eldar vessel codenamed Revenant, which had been plaguing the shipping lanes of the Biscay sector for four decades.

The Azure Blades prospered under the guidance of Antonius' successors, but for all their foresight and planning, they could not prepare the chapter for the greatest trial it would face, one that would nearly break it completely.

The Shattered Blade

++Azure Blades Tactical Marine, circa 800.M40++

On 987.M40, the Azure Blades was part of an Imperial task force sent to quell an uprising on Siquijor Primus, the largest populated world in the Rahe system. While the world had a history of unrest, the discovery of Alpha Legion warbands active on the planet showed that the Great Enemy had a hand in fanning the flames of rebellion. Gerhardt Einhander, the chapter master of the time, pledged the entire strength of the Chapter to aid the Imperial Guard regiments sent to pacify the world, but that decision almost proved to be the Azure Blades' undoing. The traitor legionnaires, who had wreaked havoc on the Guard forces already present on-world, turned their baleful attention on the newly-arrived chapter, and singled it out as the greater threat to their campaign.

The traitors were like phantoms, striking everywhere and nowhere at once, luring squads into devious traps and deadly ambushes, before fading back into the darkness, leaving only the injured and the dying as evidence of their passing. The veterans and commanders drew on all of their battlefield experience to counter the traitors' tactics, and in many instances drove the renegade legionnaires back, but the toll was mounting. As the campaign ground on, more of the Blades were lost in the conflict, and still the Alpha Legion struck, their numbers seemingly undiminished.

Things came to a head during the siege of Valencia, the largest hive city on the planet. When the Imperial Guard finally breached the city's defenses, the Azure Blades followed, aiding in the advance of the Guard companies by engaging traitor warbands where they were found. Fierce street-to-street fighting erupted amidst the ruins of the hive, but after three days the Alpha Legion appeared to be in full retreat, with most of the traitor legionnaires slain. With grim purpose battle-brothers of the chapter followed the traitors deep into the lower levels of Valencia, seeking to end the threat the renegades posed to the world, and eager to avenge the loss of so many of their brothers. Gerhardt however, as well as the surviving brother-captains of the battle and reserve companies, sensed even more subterfuge from their enemies. While they were confident of the abilities of the brothers under their command, the rout that had occurred seemed far too easy, especially when one considered the tactical guile their enemies displayed. Contingencies were quickly formulated, and the advance reversed, but by then it was too late.

The trap was sprung, as the Alpha Legion finally revealed their hand, and attacked en masse, with far more traitor legionnaires than the Chapter had estimated them to possess, supported by large numbers of what appeared to be heavily-armed cultists and looted Imperial Guard tanks.

Surrounded on all sides, the Blades fought bravely, with all the strength and skill available to them, but it wasn't enough. With the path of retreat to the upper levels cut off, the chapter's forces were isolated, and soon its battle brothers fell, blasted by traitor tank rounds, rent apart the traitor's hand, or overwhelmed by endless of waves of armed cultists. Facing total destruction Gerhardt gathered the surviving veterans and company commanders, and led a breakout against what looked like a weak point among the forces encircling them. Such was the fury of the attack that their enemies fell back against their onslaught, giving enough of an opening for their injured brothers to take advantage of.

The gambit suceeded, but at a terrible price; nearly all of the marines that accompanied Gerhardt's last charge fell with their leader. Only Apothecary Alion, steadfast friend to the chapter master since their time as scouts, and Brother-Captain Diego Albark of 4th Company, whose normally stoic face was said to have been slick with tears that day, survived. Between them they bore their fallen commander's body, as well as Azul, nearly lost to the hands of the renegades.

Of the eight hundred or so battle brothers that walked into the ambush, less than a company remained, not counting the specialists that were left to oversee the Chapter's ships. It was a grievous blow, one that would take long to recover from. With an apology to the Imperial commanders of the Siquijor campaign, Brother-Captain Diego withdrew the surviving battle-brothers of the Chapter back to their fleet, to mourn the fallen, and plan for an uncertain future.

Although the planet was eventually reclaimed in the name of the Holy Emperor, it would be without the support of the Azure Blades.

The Hidden Blade

The War in the Darkness

Though the Azure Blades know when to take advantage of the shadows and when to stand out and fight in the light, some of the greatest trials the chapter had ever faced were against those who had embraced the darkness completely. During the Harderlis War in the middle of the 41st millennium, the Azure Blades battled the renegade chapter called the Night Stalkers, whose mastery of stealth tactics rivaled their own. In the eternal twilight of that world's devastated city streets, the two chapters fought, loyalist against traitor, squad against warband, each trying to out-think and outflank their adversaries through feint and ambush. The Imperial commanders leading the campaign at the time did not realize it, but a full-blown guerilla war had erupted right under their noses.

In a series of firefights the Azure Blades eventually gained the upper hand and drove the renegades from the planet, but in the process gained for themselves a terrible enemy. The Blades have continued to use the shadows as a weapon against the enemies of the Imperium since that encounter, but have learned that like all weapons it could also be turned against them.

As the highest-ranking non-specialist, Brother Diego ascended to the position of Chapter Master by default, and was faced with the difficult task of deciding the future of his Chapter. Although Rebuilding the Chapter's strength was clearly a high priority, withdrawing completely to do so was out of the question, as it would be tantamount to abandoning the duty entrusted to it. At the same time, given the losses sustained during the Siquijor campaign, the Azure Blades could no longer fight in manner it had followed for so long. Diego needed a compromise, that allowed the Azure Blades to recover its strength, at the same time allowing the Chapter to still lend its aid when it was required.

Eventually, it was to the Codex that Diego turned for inspiration. As the battle-brothers of the Chapter continued to mourn, Diego isolated himself for three days in the battle barge Joyeause's Reclusiam to study the Codex copy preserved there -- the same one that Antonius had brought with him during the founding of the chapter. During that period of seclusion he found his answer, but it was not the one he had initially expected.

Diego gathered the battle-brothers of the Azure Blades, including senior representatives of the Reclusiam, Librarius, Armorium, and Apothecarion, and put forward his plan for the Chapter. To conserve what remained of their brethren, he proposed that, until their numbers had sufficiently recovered, the warriors of the Azure Blades would be deployed as small units of infiltrators and saboteurs, relying on stealth and guerilla tactics to attack targets of opportunity and value. The irony of the suggestion was not lost on those in attendance, especially the battle-brothers who had survived the massacre; to continue the Chapter's duty, they would have to utilize the same tactics that had been used against them.

The proposal was controversial, and many rejected the idea altogether. The change in tactics spoke of cowardice, some debated, and insulted the memory of those that came before them. In his defense Diego quoted sections of the Codex that refered to the use of covert actions and its place in warfare, and pointed to the Raven Guard as an example of a chapter that used those tactics to full effect. The shift to a more specialized stealth-based doctrine was the only viable way for the chapter to continue fighting and still hope to recover, he argued; with the manpower it had left open combat was not an option, and would only lead to the Chapter's eventual annihilation.

The debate continued for a few days, with honor duels fought between those who saw wisdom in the Chapter Master's words and the traditionalists, but ultimately even these die-hards relented. For all their misgivings, Diego's proposal was far more preferable than the alternative.

With the Chapter finally in agreement, Diego put the changes he suggested into motion. As he redirected the course of the chapter's fleet towards some of the Azure Blades' traditional recruiting worlds, the retraining of the warriors under his command begun in earnest. Despite the initial opposition to the idea, the transition to guerilla warfare went fairly smoothly -- after all, every battle-brother in the Chapter started their careers as scouts. Small, squad-based tactics independent of armored support and readily-available supplies were re-emphasized, and the use of camo cloaks, once the reserve of initiates in the 10th company, was encouraged. Strategies that favored open battle and assault, maintained out of respect for the Chapter's predecessors, were reserved as tools of the last resort due to the low numbers of available battle-brothers.

The first test of this change in tactics came barely a century and a half after the Shattering (what the Azure Blades now call the Valencia Massacre). Despite still being under-strength, chapter master Diego led half a company to the defense of Dynamis Three, a world besieged by a Waaagh led by a particularly belligerent Ork warboss named Ugo Bonecrusher. As the Imperial Guard and brothers from the Aurora and Storm Lords chapters battled the Orks on the open field, the Azure Blades did their part to aid the Imperial forces there by undermining the warboss' supplies and communications. The battle-brothers of the Chapter infiltrated deep into enemy lines and struck hard at important targets, causing maximum disruption with precise applications of force; supply columns were ambushed, fuel and ammunition dumps were sabotaged, and many of the warboss' trusted underlings were systematically dealt with.

The Azure Blades wreaked havoc wherever they appeared, and frustrated all attempts by the Bonecrusher to deal with them by quickly fading back into the shadows once their deeds were done, denying the Orks their numerical advantage. The harrassment continued for more than a year, diverting just enough of the Bonecrusher's attention -- and more importantly, the forces under the brute's command -- to allow the Imperial forces on the planet to consolidate and finally break the back of the greenskin horde.

With its effectiveness unquestioned at the end of the Dynamis campaign, the shift to a more specialized and covert way of war for the Chapter was complete. This set the tone for all engagements the Chapter participated in for the next three centuries. It was not long before the Azure Blades gained a reputation for being experts in stealth, subterfuge, and sabotage.

In Light and In Shadow

The Fate of the Terminators

Many Imperial scholars had assumed that, with the annihilation of the Chapter's veterans and the mad scramble to escape the trap the Alpha Legion had laid, the Azure Blades had lost most if not all of the ancient suits of tactical dreadnought armor it possessed. As such, the relatively recent sightings of officers, even one or two squads wearing terminator armor, has raised some eyebrows and placed the Chapter once more under scrutiny of the Adeptus Mechanicus, given the Azure Blades' history of tinkering with their equipment. Some have even gone as far as accuse the Chapter's techmarines of the grave sin of Reverse-Engineering to replenish their diminished supply of those valued artifacts, charges which the Azure Blades' techmarines vehemently deny, dismissing such claims as deluded fancies built more on heresay than actual fact.

For all the wild theories put forward for the reappearance of these rare relics, the truth is actually far more mundane. In the initial months of the Siquijor Campaign Azure Blade veterans regularly engaged the rebels wearing terminator armor, but despite the protection it provided the armor was also heavy and cumbersome, which eventually limited its usefulness against the more maneuverable traitor legionnaires, who utilized hit-and-run tactics and ambush to negate the armor's advantages. And so, in an effort to counter the tactics used by their enemies, the Chapter's commanders and its veterans returned to the use of standard power armor which, while not providing the same level of protection, allowed them more flexibility in tactics and mobility. The twenty sacred suits were transported back to their alcoves within the fortress-monastery's Reclusiam, where they would wait for another conflict they could be put to better use. And so, safe among the Chapter's relics, the suits avoided the tragedy that followed.

With the loss of so many of the Chapter's veterans in the wake of the Shattering, as well as the Azure Blades' subsequent turn to more stealth-based tactics in its campaigns, use of terminator armor fell out of favor. However, with the recent resurgence in numbers of the Chapter's battle-brothers and veterans, as well as a gradual return to strategies that favored direct assault over covert operations, the Chapter's terminator-armored brethren are once more making their presence felt in battles across the Eastern Fringe.

The tactics Chapter Master Diego engendered served his chapter well, minimizing losses amongst battle-brothers and allowing the Chapter to focus much of its resources into reconstruction. The Azure Blades would slowly recover, although Diego himself would not live to witness it. By the third century of the 41st Millenium, the battle-ready brethren of the Chapter numbered five hundred strong, more if one included the specialists of the Armeria (the Chapter Master's household, which encompassed the Reclusiam, Librarius, Apothecarion, and Armorium) and scout-initiates. While nowhere near full strength, it was a milestone when one considered just how close to extinction the Chapter had come.

Still it would be decades, perhaps even centuries before the Chapter could be considered whole again. To that end, the stealth stratagems that Diego had implemented continued to be used, with squads of infiltrators dispatched to aid Imperial forces in warzones across the Eastern Fringe, instead the full battle companies expected of a Codex chapter.

There were some, however, who felt the Azure Blades had recovered sufficiently enough that it no longer required subterfuge to battle its enemies. A faction led by veteran sergeant Quintero, a firebrand who followed a strict interpretation of the Codex Astartes, pointed to the fact that the Chapter possessed enough men for a veteran company and four full battle companies. Though it was barely above half the strength expected in a Codex chapter, it was more than enough to crush any opposition the Chapter might face, without having to resort to the guerilla tactics it currently utilized. As such, there was only one logical step for the Chapter to take, and that was a full return to the way of war prescribed by the Codex.

Many amongst the veterans, which included more than a few survivors of the Shattering, merely shook their heads at the sergeant's reasoning; most of them had already heard similar statements before. In their opinion, it was far too early to even think of returning to Codex tactics. While it had the manpower to field battle companies, as Quintero suggested, what the Azure Blades did not have was a stable pool of reserves to draw replacements for the losses the Chapter would inevitably incur in open combat. Indeed, the reconstruction of the reserve companies had barely begun, and while there were technically the scout-initiates, they were not viable as reserves for full battle-brothers.

Ruis Fabella, the Chapter Master of the period, also believed that the time to return to the traditional way of warfare had not yet come. However, the Chapter was slowly moving towards that end, with the reformation of the reserve companies part of the process of shifting from specialization back to Codex flexibility. As such he advised patience, for the change that Quintero wished for was already in the making.

The Chapter Master's words did little to mollify Quintero and his cohorts, and instead gave them more impetus to push for an earlier return to Codex tactics. Even worse, the argument seemed to have taken a life of its own, and had spread to the rest of the Chapter's brethren. Although nearly all of the veterans, Armeria specialists, and some of the more experienced marines understood the need to continue using covert actions in their campaigns, a growing segment made up of the Chapter's younger battle-brothers found themselves drawn towards Quintero's side of the discussion. Relative calm prevailed in the debates that followed, though some honor duels were still fought, as each side tried to prove themselves more correct than the other.

The Azure Blades still performed as expected in the campaigns that followed, though Imperial observers began to note a marked change in the tactics the Chapter used. Infiltrators were still deployed, but many commanders were surprised to find squads of Astartes taking to the open field and spearheading assaults, the camo cloaks they had been equipped with left discarded, as if removed in disdain. Few would realize that these were outward signs of the internal conflict that was threatening to tear the Azure Blades apart...

Concerned at the potentially disastrous consequences for the Chapter if the debate was allowed to continue, Brother Tsurugi Kuro, highest-ranking member of the Librarius, and Brother Francesco Bertolini, Master of Sanctity and replacement of the recently-fallen Brother Sebastio, approached their Chapter Master with a possible solution that would placate both sides of the argument. Chapter Master Ruis listened to the advise they gave, and found that it was similar to the resolution he himself had reached. With the three leaders in agreement a conclave was soon organized, to put an end to the argument that was undermining the Chapter's unity. Echoing the gathering organized by Brother Diego in the aftermath of the Shattering, the Chapter's battle brothers assembled onboard the battle barge Joyeause, to listen to what their commander and his advisors had to say on the matter.

Chapter Master Ruis spoke first, revealing the initial reservations he himself had felt about the Azure Blades' choice of tactics before he ascended to the position of leadership, where he finally realized that there was simply no other practical alternative available that allowed the Chapter to recover. Epistolary Tsurugi reminded those gathered of the reason why the Azure Blades was forced to abandon the tactics espoused by their founder, and pointed out the fact that, despite what Quintero and his associates might have claimed, the Chapter still adhered to the teachings of the Codex as the proper use of covert actions was also written down in that holy tome. Finally, Brother Francesco followed up on his companions' points by stating that, while the zeal and devotion displayed by the brethren that argued for a return to the old ways of war was commendable, the Chapter itself was barely halfway through the rehabilitation process started by Chapter Master Diego, and rushing the transition could compromise the Chapter's future as much as the internal bickering was doing.

With their exposition finished, the three leaders revealed the solution they proposed for the 'problem' currently besetting the Chapter: the Azure Blades would retain its stealth-based tactics, but such maneuvers would no longer have a central role in completing mission objectives, allowing force commanders to utilize more traditional strategies such as rapid strikes or direct assault when the situation allowed for it. As the number of full battle-brothers in the Chapter increased, so would the focus on covert actions decrease, until it occupied a support capacity in campaigns -- minor, perhaps, but no less important. It would be foolish, after all, to dismiss the effectiveness of infiltration in undermining the strength and focus of enemy forces, which would otherwise have been brought fully to bear on brothers fighting out in the open. Much like twin weapons wielded by a skilled warrior, specialized covert actions and classic Codex tactics can complement each other to bring ultimate victory.

Members of both sides of the argument saw the wisdom in words of their elders, and realized the foolishness and the pettiness of their argument. The rift that had threatened to devastate the Chapter even more than the Shattering was healed, and in the process, the Azure Blades became stronger for the internal trials it had undergone.

Homeworld and Recruitment

These heretics, these so-called Jackals have had their way for far too long. So they think themselves secure here, within the shadows of this great forest? We shall teach them a lesson then, that no place is safe from the Emperor's justice. Draw them out. Strike them hard. Let them see that the darkness they hide in is not their ally, but another weapon we will use to crush them.

Brother-Captain Maebara, to Ordo Hereticus Inquisitor Sonozaki, during the Hinamizawa incursion 213.M41

The Azure Blades do not have a homeworld as of yet, instead operating from a modest fleet of ten warships, the centerpieces of which are the twin battle barges Joyeause and Cortana. Baroque leviathans journeying across the stellar expanse, these serve as the chapter's mobile fortress-monasteries, each symbolizing the Blades' spiritual heart and glorious past as well as their temporal might. The better-armed Joyeause, bristing with weaponry and protected by layer upon layer of heavy armor and shields, serves as the Chapter's mobile fortress-monastery and main battleship during naval maneuvers, while the relatively larger Cortana doubles as the Chapter's forge ship, manufacturing implements of war for the Azure Blades to use. Strike cruisers and gladius escorts round off the remainder of the flotilla, serving as escorts to the battle barges.

The Blades have no single world where they draw their recruits from, instead selecting potential initiates from worlds located along their fleet's patrol route. They seem to prefer worlds with medieval to pre-Renaissance levels of technology, but are just as likely to recruit from hive worlds; indeed the current Chapter Master, Eugenio Burgos, hails from one such planet, the heavily industrialized and populated Humabon IV. The only constants the chapter seem to keep with regards to recruitment is that the potential marines must display resourcefulness, adaptability, and the ability to keep their thoughts clear and focused under pressure.

Despite the chapter's fleet-bound nature, which preclude it from staying in any system for an extended period of time, the Azure Blades do keep a few sacred rituals connected to the recruitment and induction of new battle brothers. Foremost of these is the Gathering of Swords, which take place roughly every ten Terran-standard years. During this period an inhabited world on the chapter fleet's patrol route will be chosen, sometimes at random, other times with the aid of the Emperor's Tarot, to be the Blades' new recruiting ground. After communicating the chapter's intent to the planetary rulers, the Chapter Master sends a small contingent of veterans and Armeria specialists to the world, who will then set up a temporary base of operations there. This base will almost always be founded relatively close to the planet's major settlements, yet situated in an area that is known for its high level of danger, extreme inaccessibility -- or both -- to test the potential recruit's resolve and adaptability.

With the base established, the veterans will discretely make their way to the towns and cities, where they will reveal themselves -- often surprising the citizens there -- and proclaim the start of the Gathering. Open to all youths and warriors of eligible age, the conditions are simple: over a seven-day period, the prospective recruit must make their way to the Azure Blades base on foot, using only their chosen weapon and their wits, and present themselves to the Armeria brothers waiting there. After making the announcement, the veterans will leave as quickly as they came, and return to their base to await the arrival of possible initiates to their chapter.

The few that survive the trek and the natural hazards of the base perimeter are tested by the Armeria specialists waiting for them there. While the standards of the Azure Blades are less stringent than other Astartes chapters, more often than not only half of the survivors will be judged fit for initiation into 10th company. There is no shame in not being accepted, however, and the youths that did not pass muster are returned to their settlements, where they go on to occupy places of leadership and honor.

Organization and Tactics

The Hellkite

The Hellkite is the controversial fusion of the technologies that produced the Rhino personal troop carrier and the Land Speeder anti-gravity skimmer. Much like the Storm Land Speeder variant, the Hellkite was built to rapidly transport squads over terrain that would prove difficult if not impassable to the tracked vehicles of the Adeptus Astartes, or too treacherous to safely utilize drop pods or Thunderhawks. Unlike the Storm, which was designed to covertly insert a small squad scout-initiates, the Hellkite was designed to carry a full ten-man squad of power-armored battle brothers where they were needed. Despite its design it is not a planetary lander, and is actually deployed on-ground with most of the Chapter's armory, though it is capable of intra-atmospheric insertions via Thunderhawk Transporter. The Azure Blades maintains a small wing of these hybrid vehicles, much to the dismay of more conservative Magi of the Adeptus Mechanicus.

Given the fact that the Hellkite was based on a modified Rhino Chassis, it is no surprise then that it features many of the systems available to the Rhino, and is also capable of using weapons available to its variants. In particular it could be fitted with Predator side sponsons; depending on the mission parameters, it can be armed either with Godwyn-pattern heavy bolters or Stormbringer lascannons. However, when armed in this manner the Hellkite forfeits its troop-carrying capacity.

During its inception, the chapter was organized as a standard Codex Chapter with ten companies, composed of veterans, four battle companies, two tactical reserves, assault brethren, devastators, and a varied-strength scout company. The command pool of each company is drawn from the veterans, who in turn directly answer to the Chapter Master and his household (the Armeria, which includes the Reclusiam, Librarius, Apothecarion, and Armorium). A fully mobilized battle company will feature the standard mix of veteran, tactical, assault, and devastator squads, supported by the Chapter's specialists.

In the aftermath of the Shattering, the Chapter was forced to mostly abandon standard Codex organization, relying instead in small squads of infiltrators to accomplish mission and campaign objectives, using subterfuge to eliminate targets of opportunity. Assault squads were virtually unheard of during this period, surviving specialists were forced to take up additional roles, and the use of cameoline cloaks -- still widely-used by the Azure Blades even in the present day -- spread among the remaining battle-brothers of the Chapter.

Recently the Azure Blades have mostly returned to Codex norms with regards to tactics and organization. Depending on the situation tactical brethren may spearhead strikes at enemy positions or, if their opponents prove far too numerous or too well-defended to dislodge via direct means, infiltrate behind their lines to attack high-value targets, and undermine their communications and command structure. Devastator squads still make heavy use of covert tactics, often lying hidden in strategic positions that offer a wide view of a battlefield, before revealing themselves at the most opportune moment to lay down a hail of heavy weapons fire, either to cover the advance of their tactical and assault brethren or to directly attack heavily armored targets.

Due to the relative rarity of the revered suits of tactical dreadnought armor, veterans are almost always deployed either via drop pod or as infiltrators, making daring raids deep in enemy territory and causing as much disruption as possible.

The symbol of the Azure Blades is a stylized broad sword, normally displayed on the right shoulder, with the left side of the insignia displaying normal colorations of rich blue on the blade and a golden hilt, while the other half is completely obscured in black. Slight variations on this theme is utilized by each company to denote membership -- for example, a member of the Devastators would display a claymore instead, and so on. Seniority, experience, and rank are denoted by a different-colored helmet. In order of influence, members of the Armeria normally wear bone-white colored helms, while veterans are differentiated from their less-experienced brethren by their rich orange-toned helmets. Non-veteran sergeants are distinguished by a yellow helmet, while a front-line battle brother wears the standard dark blue-hued helm.

After serving a specific tenure in the Chapter's combat squads and line companies, promising battle-brothers are singled out for training in the Azure Blades' Armeria. Unlike other chapters. who send aspiring techmarines to neighboring forgeworlds or even to Mars for their training, the techmarines of the Azure Blades are also trained within the Armeria, but this is mostly due to the risk involved in sending aspirants for indoctrination, due the Chapter's area of jurisdiction at the edge of Imperial space, as well as the low opinion some forgeworlds have of the Chapter's radical technical practices.

When a battle-brother has been deemed worthy for promotion to Veteran status, he will have to undergo a ritual called the Soul Forging before he is fully accepted into their august ranks. The aspirant is allowed access to the Chapter's forges, where he must create a weapon that is serves both as a symbol of his new role as a sword against the Emperor's enemies, as well as a practical implement of death. Only when a worthy weapon is created, one that is strong enough to turn the blows of the Traitor, keen enough to cleave through the heart of the Xeno, but not brittle enough that it would shatter against the armor of the Heretic, will the battle-brother be welcomed into the 1st Company. There he will be further trained in other advanced aspects of warfare, such as Command and Deployment, as well as the proper operation of the revered suits of tactical dreadnought armor.

When the Chapter Master falls in battle before naming a successor, the issue is decided upon as soon as possible by the Chapter Council, which is composed of the current Brother-Captains of the reconstituted companies as well as the Chief Librarian and Master of Sanctity. Likewise, when a Captain falls without naming a heir to the Company's command, it is up to the Company Veterans to decided upon who is best among them to lead the formation.

Because of its fleet-bound nature and the remote distance of their area of jurisdiction, far from the Imperium's traditional shipping lanes and industrial centers, the Azure Blades have never been able to maintain a stable pool of resources, and there have been a few instances where the Chapter possessed just enough material to restore damaged wargear or vehicles and replace spent ammunition, but little else. Add to this the recent sanctions placed upon the Chapter by the Adeptus Mechanicus -- which make the Chapter unwelcome in the forge worlds along their fleet's patrol route, and indirectly affects the delivery of supplies by the Munitorium -- the Azure Blades have been forced to make the most out of the resources available to them. As a result, the Chapter has more often than not been forced to rely on treaties with many of the worlds along their fleet's route, exchanging protection for resources.

In light of these shortcomings, the battle-brothers of the Azure Blades have learned to use the bare minimum amount of supplies and equipment required -- in some cases resorting to hand-to-hand fighting to save ammunition -- to complete their mission objectives, and save their assets in case a shortage occurs in the future. Unsurprisingly, the Azure Blades frown upon excessive displays of force made by allies during campaigns, as they more often than not waste supplies that might have been put to better use in other pursuits.

Geneseed

Given the tactics the Azure Blades utilize, it would be quick to assume that they are descended from the Raven Guard gene line. Imperial records, however, clearly show that the chapter is descended from the gene line of the noble Ultramarines of Roboute Guilliman through their Successors, the Novamarines. It is a testament to the hard work and care of the Chapter's apothecaries in the wake of the Shattering that the geneseed of the Azure Blades' battle-brothers remain relatively intact, but despite even their best efforts some worrying organ malfunctions have begun to manifest themselves. For example, their Mucranoid organ seems to have mutated enough that it no longer changes the skin tone of the Chapter's marines to match the amount of UV radiation they are exposed to, instead forcing it into a uniform hue of neutral Brown.

The battle-brethren of the Azure Blades have also been known to exhibit extreme visual acuity, often distinguishing fine detail more than thirty meters away, even without help from their armor's autosenses; with their helmets on, the range is effectively doubled. Magos Biologis, after study of the chapter's geneseed tithes, point to a marked increase of size and activity in their Occulobe organs, which might have contributed to this trait. While this might be seen as a boon, it has a severe side-effect: some battle-brothers have started to grow blind over time, their eyes 'burning out', and are forced to replace these with bionics. The apothecaries of the Armeria are currently trying to isolate the cause of this deterioration of vision, but as of yet have found any clue as to why it occurs, since it seems to affect their brethren at random.

Beliefs

Azure Blades Tactical Marine and Veteran, contemporary colors

The Azure Blades do not venerate the Emperor as a deity, instead as a great warrior whose strength, nobility, and ingenuity should be respected and emulated. Like their Novamarine forebears, they revere Roboute Guilliman and honor his masterpiece, the Codex Astartes, but many in the chapter believe that the Codex is a guide open to interpretation, rather than an absolute set of rules that need to be followed to the letter. They do not maintain a strict calendar of holy days, but pivotal events in the Chapter's history are remembered, such as the founding of the Chapter and the aftermath of the Shattering, where there is rejoicing and celebration in the former and much meditation and introspection in the latter.

The Chapter no longer finds itself adverse to open combat, but it is still under the opinion that blind charges bereft of support or planning are foolish and wasteful; where possible, the Azure Blades will use precise application of force to cripple their enemy while avoiding a protracted engagement. As such, they find it hard to work properly with fully assault-oriented chapters such as the Blood Angels and Black Templars. The Chapter has no problems working with the other branches of the Imperium's war machine, as in their own ways they all serve as instruments of the Emperor's will.

The Azure Blades have a relatively poor relationship with the Adeptus Mechanicus, partly due to the Chapter's tendency to tinker with the otherwise sacred and sacrosanct STC designs of their fighting machines. Given the already limited amount of vehicles maintained by the Chapter, the techmarines of the Armeria are given leave to make whatever modifications are needed to ensure the prolonged survival of such important resources. Though the techmarines insist that they are doing nothing illegal, and are only adapting existing and established technologies, the fact that they dare to modify hallowed designs tests the patience of even some of the more open-minded priests of the Machine God.

To ease sanctions that might otherwise irrevocably cripple the Chapter, already forced to rely on ancient pacts with worlds on their fleet's route for supplies, which are uneven and erratic at best and barely enough to maintain Chapter's battle-readiness, the Azure Blades routinely submit plans of their creations for evaluation; one of these, the Hellkite anti-gravity troop carrier, with its near-heretical melding of several STC technologies, is the most controversial design to date. As such, the Adeptus Mechanicus keeps a close and critical eye on the developments being done in the Azure Blade forges.

Battlecry

A battle cry is inappropriate for a Chapter where about half of its brethren practice stealth and guerrilla warfare. The half that does engage in open warfare, however, commonly use the following chant: "We are the Azure Blades! We shall cleave the Emperor's foes!"

Recent Chapter History

The Soul Blades

The weapons forged by the veteran battle-brothers during the Soul Forging are called the Soul Blades, due to the belief that, in the process of its creation part of the veteran's soul is imbued into the weapon itself. It is for this reason that, for the rest of their tenure in the 1st Company, the veteran space marine will always keep it close, even when deploying in the holy suits of tactical dreadnought armor or after promotion to a higher rank. Should a Soul Blade be lost, its owner or his battle-brothers will go to great lengths to retrieve it, given what it symbolizes. After all weapons can be replaced, but the loss of a fragment of one's soul is irrevocable. It is considered an especially ill-omen if a Soul Blade ever breaks. Should this happen its wielder is allowed to forge a new weapon from its remains, but only after more than twenty days spent in meditation and rites of repentance overseen by the Reclusiam.

In the waning years of the 41st Millennium, the Azure Blades found an alarming increase in Xenos activity among the systems on the outer reaches of their fleet's patrol route, with some purposely intruding into Imperial space. As it fought one incursion after another, it steadily became apparent that many of these races were not actually invading the holdings of the Imperium, but fleeing through them. The question of what they were escaping from soon became apparent in the first few months of 994.M41, when large-scale genestealer infestations were discovered in several outlying planets.

The Tyranids were coming.

The new Hive Fleet, codenamed Jormungandr, soon made its presence known, sweeping its way through the Centaurus arm of the Galaxy, on the edge of the Eastern Fringe. All-too quickly the Azure Blades, as well as their brothers in the Death Spectres and Honored Sons, found itself facing splinter fleets of a major Tyranid invasion. While their brother Chapters met the Tyranid swarms in force, the Azure Blades, still nowhere near full-strength and possessing only a relatively-small fleet, conducted hit-and-run raids against the Tyranid bioships, while its ground forces aided in the defense of worlds directly in the Hive Fleet's path. Using the mixture of guerrilla tactics and open warfare, the Chapter met with initial success, its forces specifically targeting known synapse creatures, causing disruption in the incoming horde.

In late 995.M41 the Azure Blades fleet, along with ships from other neighboring Chapters, joined the ad hoc armada led by High Admiral Vortigern Hanroth in what would become the Battle of the Black Nebula. Although the Strike Cruisers Astor's Falx and Cynod's Saber were crippled during the encounter, the encounter broke the back of the Hive Fleet. With much of the hive fleet's elements destroyed, the Chapter returned to its ancient patrol routes to repair their ships, and rearm for future threats.

Despite the most optimistic of estimates, Chapter Master Burgos was sure that this was not the last the sector had heard of the Tyranids, and of Hive Fleet Jormungandr in particular. It was not a prediction that the commander would take pride in when, decades later, it proved to be very true indeed...

Notable Personalities

Chapter Master Eugenio Burgos

Chapter Master Burgos, the High Blade

Chapter Master Burgos is the current commander of the Chapter, having ascended to the position after Chapter Master Ruis fell in a campaign against the Necrons. Prior to that, Burgos rose to fame during the Scouring of Costa Verde where, isolated from the rest of the Chapter's deployed company when their drop pod veered off-course, he and his squad wreaked havoc upon the convoys that supplied the secessionists in that region. Before Squad Burgos rejoined the rest of their Battle Company many months later, they had accounted for numerous armor kills, the greatest of which was the rebel Baneblade identified as Sigrun's Gauntlet.

Relatively slight of built for a space marine, first-time observers are often taken aback by his strikingly elegant facial features and slanted eyes, so out of place in one of the so-called Angels of Death. Burgos is thoughtful, and many of his battle-brothers find him a little reserved, but none doubt his tactical acumen, as well as his prowess with the sword. Although he knows the contents of the Codex Astartes (at least, the one brought long ago by Chapter Master Antonius) by heart, he follows a more conservative approach to force deployment, with his goal still the complete recovery of the Chapter's forces. He gives his Company Captains free reign when it comes to interpreting and executing the tactics found in the Codex, but during large-scale engagements he has the final say on how the Chapter's forces are deployed. During these occasions Burgos personally leads squads of Veterans in raids, all the while directing the ebb and flow of his Chapter's attacks akin to a master conductor overseeing an orchestra, except for the fact that the symphony he conducted brought death to those who opposed his forces.

The Chapter Master's signature weapon is the Ochstan Particle-Accelerator Rifle, an ancient and rather temperamental piece of technology that seems to predate the founding of the Imperium. Once used by Chapter Master Diego Albark, the weapon's awesome power make it suited to taking out heavily-armored targets and hulking monstrosities, but its reliability is hampered by an unstable and very temperamental power source that is always in danger of harming its user.

[font=Book Antiqua

Chapter Master Eugenio Burgos, The High Blade [/font]- 215 pts]
WSBSSTWIALdSv654(6)4353102+/4+

Special Character: Chapter Master Burgos is a Special Character. He may only be used in an Azure Blades army of at least 2000 points as a HQ choice. You may not select additional items from the Armoury.

Equipment: Azul the High Blade, Oxtongue Rifle, Digital Weapons, Frag & Krak Grenades, Artificer Armor, Iron Halo.

SPECIAL RULES

And They Shall Know No Fear: Chapter Master Burgos automatically passes tests to regroup, and can take such tests even if his squad is reduced to less than half strength by casualties, though all other criteria apply

Chapter Tactics: If Chapter Master Burgos is in your army, all your units exchange the Combat Tactics special rule with the Stealth universal special rule. If more than one character has Chapter Tactics you must choose which version applies.

Independent Character: Chapter Master Burgos is an Independent Character.

Orbital Bombardment: As per Chapter Master entry. (see C:SM 5th Edition, p.52)

Azul, the High Blade: A revered relic of the Azure Blades' first Chapter Master, Antonius, the power sword Azul is the Chapter Master's symbol of office, as well as a potent tool in waging war. Azul counts as a relic blade.

Ochstan Rifle: Burgos is the current wielder of the Ochstan Rifle, a weapon whose origins are lost to the mists of Time. No one is really sure how the weapon arrived into the Azure Blade's possession, but it is known to have been part of the artifacts kept in the Chapter's Reclusiam, until Chapter Master Diego Albark unsealed it for use in the aftermath of the Shattering. It counts as a combi-melta with hellfire rounds and an auxilliary grenade launcher.

Honor Guard: Chapter Master Burgos may lead a Honor Guard. (see C:SM 5th Edition, p.53)

Antonius' Wrath

++Venerable Land Raider Antonius' Wrath, Armeria Command Vehicle++

The Armorium of the Azure Blades have never possessed a sizeable number of vehicles and, given the relative shortage of supplies the Chapter sometimes faces, replacement parts for their maintenance and repair. Each vehicle is considered a near-irreplaceable resource, and as such the techmarines of the Chapter go to great lengths to ensure that their mechanical charges not only perform as expected during campaigns, but return intact to serve the Chapter in missions to come.

One of these prized relics is the Mk-I land raider christened Antonius' Wrath, an ancient machine that had been part of the Novamarines' donation to the fledgling chapter at its founding, and had been used by the Azure Blades' first Chapter Master Antonius as his primary transport throughout his campaigns. Still retaining its original pre-Azure Blades paint scheme, the land raider has served the Chapter faithfully since that time, and was used as the primary transport of each succeeding Chapter Master and his command squad, until the battle of the Viridian Cliffs in 458.M39, where several direct hits from an Eldar wraithlord's bright lance crippled its ancient engines, while the xeno construct destroyed its weaponry. When the battle was won the vehicle's sundered frame was recovered by the Chapter, though the techmarines were initially at a loss as to how to restore it. Although the land raider's machine spirit had survived little worse for wear, the same could not be said for its engine housing and lascannons; the weapons had literally been torn off their mounts, and most of the engine's sacred systems had burned or melted in the lance attack. What was worse, the parts required to repair them were no longer manufactured by any forgeworld along the Azure Blades' patrol route.

Loathe to leave the proud machine in its sorry condition, the head Techmarine, with permission from the Chapter Master, decided to use the systems available to the Mk-V Phobos-pattern land raider to restore it. Minor modifications were made to accomodate the larger housing of the Mk-V Mars-pattern engine, as well as the Godhammer lascannons and their cooling systems on each of the vehicle's sides. As a final touch, the techmarine added an upgrade that would augment the war machine's already impressive defensive systems, and increase its chance of survival -- the AB-Coat. Essentially an additional layer of ablative shielding, the AB-Coat reduced the damage of potentially devastating hits by dispersing the energy over a wider area on the vehicle instead of the point of impact. With the enhancements and repairs done, the land raider's machine spirit was once more brought online. Its logis engines took stock of the changes wrought, but it quickly adapted, seemingly pleased at being able to once more partake in glorious battle. Antonius' Wrath was again ready for war.

Antonius' Wrath was one of the Azure Blades vehicles present at the Battle of Valencia, and was instrumental in the charge that Chapter Master Einhander led to break out of the ambush the Chapter had fallen into, and carried many of the gravely injured in its armored hold. With the Azure Blades shifting to more covert tactics in the aftermath of the Shattering, the land raider saw little use, but with the recent return to traditional Codex tactics in addition to the stealth actions the Chapter performed, the vehicle is once more seeing use as the Chapter Master's mobile command center.

[font=Book Antiqua

Antonius' Wrath, Venerable Land Raider [/font]- 300 pts]
FrontSideRearWSBSSIA141414n/a4n/an/an/a

Type: Tank

Crew: Three Space marines

Weapons: Antonius' Wrath is armed with a hull-mounted twin-linked autocannon (counts as heavy bolters), two side sponsons equipped with twin-linked lascannons.

Fire Points: None.

Access Points: Antonius' Wrath has a front assault ramp and two side hatches.

Transport: Antonius' Wrath can transport up to 12 Space Marines in power armor, or 6 Space Marine Terminators.

Vehicle Upgrades: Antonius' Wrath has the following upgrades present, and are included in its point value -- dozer blades, extra armor, pintle-mounted storm bolter, searchlight, smoke launchers.

SPECIAL RULES:

Assault Vehicle: Models disembarking from any access point on Antonius' Wrath can launch an assault on the turn they do so.

Power of the Machine Spirit: Antonius' Wrath can fire one more weapon than would be normally permitted. In addition, this weapon can be fired at a different target unit to any other weapons, subject to the normal rules for Shooting. As such, if it has moved at combat speed it can fire two weapons, and if it had either moved at cruising speed or had suffered a 'Crew Stunned' or 'Crew Shaken' result can fire a single weapon.

AB-Coat: Antonius Wrath is protected by an additional layer that reduces kinetic energy from attacks by dispersing its energy across a wider area instead of the point of impact. Whenever opponents roll on the Vehicle Damage table they must roll two dice and apply the lowest result.

The Azure Blades and Codex: Space Marines 5th Edition

The Azure Blades, as a Codex Chapter, is fully-compatible with the most recent incarnation of the Codex. Indeed, the profile used above for Chapter Master Burgos uses the default Chapter Master profile, with Chapter Tactics being this author's personal caveat. This compatibility extends to the 'Counts As' rule included in the Codex, regarding the use of personalities of other Chapters, such as Captain Lysander of the Imperial Fists and Captain Shrike of the Raven Guard. The different Chapter Tactics these personalities bring to the tabletop can be seen as how each Azure Blade Captain interprets and uses an aspect of the Codex.

The Following are some of the analogues, rules-wise, of the heroes in Codex: Space Marines (and the ones the author actually has models to represent).


Brother-Captain Damos Corpuz, Commander of the 1st Company: Stubborn as a bull grox and several times as hardy, Damos Corpuz leads the Azure Blades Veteran Company, and is also the Chapter's Master of the Arsenal. He is known for his stoic demeanor, his expertise in siege warfare, and his massive thunder hammer, jokingly referred-to by the Veterans under his command as the "Initiate's Bane". He counts as Captain Darnath Lysander of the Imperial Fists.

Brother-Captain Janus Lawson, Commander of the 2nd Company: Formerly of the 3rd Company, the charismatic Captain Lawson inherited the position after Captain Corpuz was promoted to the 1st Company. Of all the current Captains, he is the one who most espouses the tactical flexibility of the Codex Astartes, utilizing its different strategems depending on the situations he faces during a campaign. He is also the Master of the Fleet, and as such has the responsibility of commanding the Chapter's complement of warships. He counts as Captain Cato Sicarius of the Ultramarines.

Brother-Captain Voltar Kenningson, Commander of the 3rd Company: Expert of surgical strikes and rapid deployment, Captain Kenningson is the current leader of 3rd Company and the Chapter's Master of Recruits. Unlike his peers Kenningson relies more heavily on guerrilla tactics instead of open warfare, hitting at an opponent's weak points before vanishing back into the shadows, but when situation calls for it is capable of moving his company quickly to wherever a threat is in need of attention. He counts as Captain Kayvaan Shrike of the Raven Guard. Edited February 11, 2010 by Espada Azul

[Sigismund Himself]

On 987.M40, the Azure Blades was part of an Imperial task force sent to quell an uprising on Siquijor Primus, the largest populated world in the Rahe system. While the planet had a history of unrest, the sudden arrival of warbands of the Alpha Legion showed that the Great Enemy had a hand in fanning the flames of the rebellion.

The discovery of Alpha legion warbands? That would make it seem more like that they had an active hand in the unrest.

 

The High Blade of the time..

What's his name? Or has it been erased from their histories as a mark of shame....

 

The Azure Blades do not have a homeworld as of yet, instead operating from a modest fleet of twelve warships, the centerpieces of which are the twin battle barges the Joyeause and the Cortana. Strike cruisers round off the remainder of the flotilla, serving as escorts to the chapter's battle barges.

10 strike cruisers is pretty good, I think. Maybe not just a modest fleet...

 

That's all I could see. A good start with the coding too ^_^ . How about a painter image?

[Espada Azul]

Working on it actually, though my connection's been having trouble tonight, so it's a bit iffy. Oh, while I think I understand the sidebar coding, putting images into sidebars (or rather, small images) seem to be giving me trouble.

 

But darn, I wish I had better model pictures to add to the article. The High Blade I've been working on though seems to have, erm, literally lost his head though...

 

And a slight slip up there. You were right, I should have used "the discovery of Alpha Legion traitor marines on the planet" instead, since the intent was the AL were the ones that instigated the mess.

Edited January 13, 2008 by Espada Azul

[Espada Azul]

Hmm, I wanted to try entering Sidebars, but for some reason whenever I select Full Edit, the formatting of the initial entries (the IA Title, Introductory Paragraph, and Origins heading) all get messed up. Let me see if this appears with the Quick Edit function. as well...

 

Edit: Hmm, there seems to be several lines of extra coding being added to the post whenever I use the Full Edit function, and it really messes up the initial document. Also, it seems to prevent any subsequent edits, as I keep on getting a BB Code error, saying that the number of open tags don't match the closed tags. This is annoying, as I honestly like to just edit this article instead of posting a new topic, since it's mostly completed anyway.

Edited January 14, 2008 by Espada Azul

[Sigismund Himself]

The Stormraven is the controversial fusion of the technologies that produced the Rhino personal troop carrier, the Predator light tank, and the Land Speeder anti-gravity skimmer. Built to rapidly transport squads over terrain that would prove difficult if not impassable to the tracked vehicles of the Adeptus Astartes, or too treacherous to safely utilize drop pods or Thunderhawks, the Stormraven also provides mobile fire support once its cargo had disembarked.

The object of an ongoing and hotly-contested debate among the magos of the Adeptus Mechanicus, due to its blasphemous melding of several ancient and sacred STC designs, few could contest the vehicle's effectiveness on the battlefield. In spite of this--indeed, probably because of the stir it was causing among the priests of the Machine God, several Space Marine chapters have begun discrete inquiries about its design specifications.

Currently only two Chapters have fielded the Stormraven in enough numbers: the Apex Condors of Sierra Prime, and the Azure Blades themselves.

Given the fact that the Stormraven was based on a modified Rhino Chassis, it is no surprise then that it features many of the systems available to the Rhino, and is also capable of using weapons available to its variants. In particular it could be fitted with Predator side sponsons; depending on the mission parameters, it can be armed either with Godwyn-pattern heavy bolters or Stormbringer lascannons.

Interesting, how does this affect their relationship with the AdMech? For a fleet based chapter, this might be a bit dangerous unless they are really well equipped with forge ships and the like. Keep expanding on it and try getting a Space Marine Painter image. It's located under the banner at the top of the page. 5th from the right :D We await more...

[Espada Azul]

The Stormraven is a relatively recent development, but it is rubbing the AdMech the wrong way, despite the plans having been submitted through the proper legal channels. Much like the Ares Pattern Land Raider, its legality is being contested, but honestly, when has that stopped the Astartes from fielding a practical vehicle?

 

As for being dangerous, well, in a way it is, given the fact that resources are hard to come by in a fleet. I already stated the fact that at present, the Chapter has barely half the number of armored vehicles expected of force of its size. The AdMech could make the replacement of parts and vehicles more difficult by imposing sanctions, for example. Will see if I can find a work-around for it, plot-wise.

 

And the army painter... I managed to get a Terminator done before the painter ate my tactical marine's paint scheme. x_x

Edited January 14, 2008 by Espada Azul

[Espada Azul]

Interesting, how does this affect their relationship with the AdMech? For a fleet based chapter, this might be a bit dangerous unless they are really well equipped with forge ships and the like. Keep expanding on it and try getting a Space Marine Painter image. It's located under the banner at the top of the page. 5th from the right ;) We await more...

 

 

Expanded the Beliefs section to expand on the rather tenous relationship the Chapter holds with the AdMech. Rawr.

[zxyogi]

Being new to the forum and to WH40k.....i like what you have written so far!!...Keep it going,its inspiring me to pull my finger out and think of some ideas for my nameless DIY Chapter,which were initially intended to be the Soul Drinkers,painted in their colour scheme and even some of the vehicles painted with the Chalice symbol on the sides...... Edited January 14, 2008 by zxyogi

[Espada Azul]

What? The Soul Drinkers are fun. ;)

 

Anyway, since your army is more or less painted, stick with the SD motiff, but keep some ideas for a future DIY. I mean, nothing is actually stopping you from writing about the background of a DIY chapter, even if you don't have any actual models to field (it does help sometimes though).

[zxyogi]

;)

[Espada Azul]

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand that's it folks. It's mostly complete, and all I need now is some final comments from my brethren.

 

Edit: Did some final spellchecking and proofreading, as well as some minor formatting.

Edited January 15, 2008 by Espada Azul

[Espada Azul]

Last-minute touch-ups and other edits. Finally added the Battlecry section, so the article is now more or less complete.

[Sigismund Himself]

Wow :lol: Seems a little busy. Maybe take the purple off? It also strikes me that this would be hard for the marines to sneak about in :lol:

The only other thing I can see is that the section Chapter Colours, could be done away with. You've already got the Painter image and you can chuck the rest of the stuff about designating specialties under Organization. I suppose I better let someone else have a go now :lol:

[Espada Azul]

Wow :lol: Seems a little busy. Maybe take the purple off? It also strikes me that this would be hard for the marines to sneak about in ;)

 

The only other thing I can see is that the section Chapter Colours, could be done away with. You've already got the Painter image and you can chuck the rest of the stuff about designating specialties under Organization. I suppose I better let someone else have a go now :)

 

 

Geh, the colors looked darker at home. I was going for a subdued dark blue and red. Hmph, work PCs and their newfangled flat LCD screens with bright colors... As for the Purple trim, it's supposed to denote Company association, with Purple being Rapiers, Red for Gladius, etc. For example, my High Blade model has purple shoulderpad trim. Hmm.

[Espada Azul]

Oho, some more edits done, but it's getting that I'm only doing some minor improvements to an already mostly-finished product. Well? Does it need more work done?

[StratoKhan]

I published it.

 

I think that any changes can be made as edits.

 

You need a blurb though, so why not PM me a short hobby description of yourself.

[krieger haggoroth]

I'm not 100% on board with the color choices (seems a little busy and a little clash...y >_>) but otherwise i think this looks outstanding. Just a minor question:

 

Why would they instantly go to guerrilla tactics? There are other alternatives, so why did they convert to stealth warfare (especially when their enemies seemed to have used it to so badly maul them). Morever, where did such a CC oriented force learn these tactics? did they develop them over time through trial and error, did they copy someone else, were they taught these?

 

Just a small thing to consider.

[Espada Azul]

StratoKhan: Already noted in our little discussion at the Librarium page. Still getting used to the delayed editing of posted articles though, as the one I submitted has a lot of clerical and formatting errors (as an Editor, I'm ashamed).

 

Krieger: It's actually a mix of both trial and error as well as learning off from what worked in other Chapters (I mentioned the Raven Guard in the actual article). I probably didn't make it patently obvious in the submission though (the Azure Blades walked into the Dynamis campaign with an untested shift in tactics). As for the actual shift to stealth warfare, it's not as much as unconsciously emulating the tactics that nearly destroyed them (which, I might add, were very effective), as much as the High Blade trying to conserve as much of the survivors as possible while rebuilding, but still commited to lending the chapter's aid in conflicts.

 

One might say that I emulated Pedro Kantor's decision (with the Crimson Fists), at least in spirit.

[Brother Hausser]

I kind of have to agree with the previous replies. The color scheme is VERY busy and bright. It does not seem to fit well with a "stealth" chapter. Perhaps with your ideas of chapter operation it would be a good time to introduce another (of the very very few) chapters with a camo paint scheme.

[Espada Azul]

Lots of comments on the color scheme, it seems, but as much as I'd like to work on the suggestions, my 100% painted army would argue otherwise. In line with lore though, the colors are a legacy of the pre-Shattering Azure Blades practice of generally not skulking around (Traits-wise, I'd say this would be Pride in Your Colours). Though it would make more sense for the chapter to have changed its pattern a-la Raptors (who went from very bright colors to a dull olive green), I'd imagine that it was a bit of sentiment on the part of High Blade Diego to keep the colors despite essentially remaking their tactics from the ground up.

 

I suppose I could throw in the use of chameoline cloaks (my initial intent, stopped by the fact that it was impossible to reflect on my models as I received standard marines)...

 

(Incidentally, in the real-world, the colors I chose LOOKED very dark and subdued on my PC at home, which reflected the dark colors I used for my models, but apparently this isn't the case. )

[Commissar Molotov]

I have a few (non-colour scheme-related) comments about your Chapter and your IA article, but I'm meant to be in the midst of an essay on Marxist theories in English literature... I will be back! (But don't hold your breath... I'm not sure even David Blaine could hold his breath for long enough! :D)

[Espada Azul]

Take your time sir... I'm surprised though that people actually started commenting on it after it was submitted (and published) on the Librarium. *coughs*

 

While I was planning on doing a grammar edit on it anyway (pending Moderator approval, of course, so it's not instantaenous), this will probably add to the revisions (or detail expansion) I might have to do. And to think, I was saving the revision for the time where the models for the chapter's Special Characters become presentable (planned on 3, only one in good enough shape though)...

[Commissar Molotov]

I'm surprised though that people actually started commenting on it after it was submitted (and published) on the Librarium. *coughs*

 

Hrm. Well, I am a little busy, to be fair ;) But I do know that it can be tiresome to do lots of little edits on the Librarium, so I'll try to be as rigorous and as timely as possible. :unsure:

 

 

--------------------

 

EDIT:

 

I think one of the key aspects of critique is that it allows your work to be seen by fresh eyes - those who have no conception of your thought processes. One of the key problems with being involved with a project from start to end is that you're by necessity over-involved. You're blind to any flaws (or potential flaws) because you're too close. That's a good thing and a bad thing, I think. So, I'll point out the things I think are issues, but also things that I'm curious about hearing your reasoning.

 

With that said, here goes:

 

'STRIKE FROM THE OPEN, STRIKE UNSEEN'

 

I was a little unsure about this battlecry. It strikes me as something that sounds cool, but seems a little... wrong? Perhaps? I don't know. Striking from the open seems to me that something all Space Marine Chapters do. I know you've talked in this thread already about utilising cameoline (something Barret did with certain units from the Thousand Swords) and that'd perhaps make it make more sense (that, although they're in the open, they're effectively unseen). And I guess on some basic level it hints towards the dichotomies present within your Chapter. That said, I can't help thinking that it might benefit you to revise the battlecry. I have to admit that I dislike battlecries on the whole - I've always found them unbearably difficult, and essentially unrewarding - so I have complete sympathy with you on that issue.

 

I do like the idea of a Chapter at the edge of Imperial influence. It's something I did with my Redemptors previously, and if done well, it can be a very effective theme, showcasing some of the ideals that really help to make the Astartes what they are.

 

I also like the symbolism of the name, and the idea of the Chapter being Antonius's weapon, to be fashioned and moulded as he sees fit. On occasion, a myopic focus on the initial Chapter Master can be detrimental, but this does help to strengthen your Chapter. As an aside, Azul should probably be italicised. I can't help thinking that the wording you use in your initial paragraphs makes the Chapter out to be a combat-based force in the vein of the Blood Angels or the Space Wolves. Is that entirely what you intended? I guess when I think of a noble Chapter like the Novamarines, and your references to Antonius's 'favourite sword', I think of Chapters like the Imperial Fists, with a long legacy of honour-duels and an influence from fencing, but a proficiency in all the battle-tactics of the Astartes. Whilst Antonius evidently had a "love [of] close-quartered combat", he would've been a Captain from the Guilliman school, presumably, and would've been able to lead the Chapter with strategic acumen, I feel. Why did the Chapter tip so (seemingly) quickly into an all-out assault force?

 

It strikes me that for the Astartes, even "the drawn-out affairs of long-ranged combat" aren't that drawn-out. Look at the Iron Warriors, for example - the pinnacle of siege combat:

 

The Iron Warriors follow a simple method. They commence battle with a sustained bombardment utilising every gun at their disposal. The basis of this is a complex fire plan in which every weapon is directed with utmost care at the optimum target for maximum effect. Where possible, the Iron Warriors will coordinate with Traitor Titan Legions to add to their own considerable firepower. The bombardment can last for weeks as the Iron Warriors rarely seem to be short of ammunition. They handle their weaponry well, with formations moving forward to fire and then redeploying before any reprisal. Often their entire force will move laterally to bring their fire against enemy weak points, with the result that counter-attacks flounder helplessly in the teeth of the Iron Warriors' weapons.

 

Where possible, field fortifications will be used to reinforce the line. Iron Warrior doctrine includes extensive use of fortifications to tie opponents down with the absolute minimum number of troops. This in turn keeps the bulk of the Iron Warriors troops fresh and available for assaults. When a breach has been forced in the enemy defences it will initially be probed by veterans and infiltrated, then the gap will be prised open with firepower until a storming force can be unleashed. These storming forces are based around fast moving heavy armour which can move instantly from relentless barrage to lightning-fast advance. Breaches are then widened until the defences are shattered. For the key moments in battle when a position absolutely must be taken, the Iron Warriors adopt an ice-cold ferocity that is comparable to the Blood Angels or World Eaters but only when the moment is right and never for longer than necessary.

 

From that example, I just mean to say that Space Marines live and breathe "rapid reaction". Battlefleet Gothic fluff states that a Space Marine Battle Barge can orbit a world and the Marines can be fighting planetside within half an hour. Space Marines in general are an awe-inspiring blitzkrieg force that go from world to world destroying enemy forces utterly and then leaving the Imperial Guard, the Arbites, the Inquisition and the PDF to clean up.

 

Whilst I can see you're keen on the Chapter becoming zealous close-combat experts - why? Why did they take that route, going away from the balance that Guilliman espoused (and, presumably, Antonius would've followed)?

 

 

Sensing even more subterfuge, the veteran rapiers and commanders tried to stop the Blades' advance...

 

Woah nelly.

 

This is a problem, I fear. I'll show you what I mean.

 

In a symbolic gesture Rapier Diego of Dagger company (soon High Blade Diego)...

 

...the high blade led an almost company-sized task force composed of gladius, spatha, and claymore brethren...

 

You know all about the Azure Blades. Nobody reading this IA does. And until the reader gets to the Organisation section, he knows nothing of Rapiers, High Blades, Gladii, Spathae or Claymores. By using references like this, you're doing yourself a terrible disservice - you jolt the reader, jarring him out of his comfortable 40k zone, and disrupting the (vital) suspension of disbelief that keeps a reader in that zone. And you need the reader in that zone to appreciate your fluff. By that I mean that before the Alpha Legion come in, you've not mentioned anything of these sword-based ranks. They seem a little bit of an odd conceit anyway, but you could've mentioned something about Antonius taking the role of "High Blade" in your origins section.

 

If you want people to read your article, I guess in a way you need to help them. You need, ultimately, to be considerate, or else it all just goes to pot! :lol: Look into restructuring the flow of your article, because ultimately that's what seperates the average article from the exceptional one.

 

--------

You make a reference to 'canon tactica' - but actually the tactics of the Raven Guard are a part of the Codex. Guilliman compiled tactica from all the Legions, and Chapters have contributed to the Codex in the centuries since. Insignium Astartes even mentions how there are numerous Codices Astartes, and that a Chapter can be relatively divergent whilst still claiming adherence to 'the Codex' (or, rather, their Codex). Whilst your Chapter would've been perhaps wary of new tactics, it seems odd to define the stealth-based doctrine as 'uncanonical'. You might be better served by highlighting the Marines' reluctance and/or suspicion. You made a good point earlier in paralleling the decisions made by Pedro Kantor, and it strikes me that most within the Chapter would understand the necessity of the situation.

 

And yet I can't help thinking that most Chapters would utilise relatively similar tactics against an Ork force. (Almost) all Chapters have scouts, almost all Chapters utilise precision assaults against command-and-control facilities, aiming to eliminate key enemy leaders. After all, even a full-strength Chapter would be subsumed by the sheer weight of Orks. You could look to the punitive Crusades against Charadon for proof of that. It did occur to me that you mention that as they entered Dynamis the Chapter's tactics were 'untested' - that seems a misnomer, considering the rigorous training that Marines undergo. I'm splitting hairs, there, but a Marine's training consists of full-on, brutal, live-fire exercises. I doubt the Astartes would enter the campaign theatre unless they were fully confident with what they were doing. You could perhaps incorporate some reference to the High Blade taking those brethren who were most proficient in the doctrines he'd espoused.

 

I wasn't sure as to whether you meant that the Chapter didn't participate in any battles for a century and a half beween the Shattering and the Dynamis campaign. Surely that can't be true?

 

Not all of the brethren in the Azure Blades were comfortable with the Hidden Blade doctrine, though. In light of the chapter's origins, as gleaned from entries from the Chapter's Librarius..

 

This seems incongruous to me. You make it sound like the old doctrines were hidden away. It sounds like Scooby Doo and the gang turning over cobwebbed pages in the Librarium basement, with High Blade Diego in the background saying "...and I'd have gotten away with it too, if it wasn't for you meddling neophytes!"

 

What I mean is that it sounds wrong. It sounds as though your Chapter entirely erased Antonius' doctrines in favour of these Raven Guard-style assaults, and that some of the Marines magically stumbled across older doctrines and started to question. This section would seem to require some hefty re-writing. If you're going to have vocal opponents of the Hidden Blade, have them earlier. Make the theme more cohesive by exposing these dichotomies earlier.

 

High Blade Ruis was a believer in his predecessor's decision, and saw no need to deviate from the Hidden Blade doctrine, as it had served the Chapter well on countless engagements.

 

Didn't Antonius' doctrines, also? The problem here is that Ruis seems like he's too indecisive. Why didn't Diego make things clearer?

 

Seeing that such a division would be detrimental for the Chapter as a whole if allowed to continue, Brother Rodrigo Guerrero, a codicier under the Librarius, suggested a solution that would placate both sides of the argument. Guerrero recommended that the Azure Blades retain its stealth-based tactics, but at the same time focus equally on the close-combat and assault aspect of warfare. In the same vein, while melee has its place in combat, one would be foolish to ignore the effectivity of infiltration in undermining the strength and focus of enemy forces, which would otherwise have been brought fully to bear on the brethren rushing zealously to battle out in the open. Instead of being at cross-purpose, each tactic can complement each other to bring victory, much like two weapons utilized wielded in each hand by a dextrous fighter.

 

See, this to me seems a key problem. You seem to have a misunderstanding of the Astartes way of battle - surely these 'Raven Guard' tactics had been utilising close combat and assault? That's half the reason for infiltration, especially for the Astartes, who are literally built and designed from the grounds up to be almost unstoppable in combat.

 

The Raven Guard follows the dictates of the Codex Astartes closely, though they do differ in the tactical application of their troops. The Raven Guard depends heavily on Scout forces able to act alone for extended periods of time, and rapid reaction forces such as jump pack equipped assault troops. Quite commonly, they will deploy their tactical squads in Drop Pod manoeuvres or Thunderhawks in response to intelligence gathered by their Scouts. The Chapter's forte in covert operations means that they will rarely engage in a frontal battle unless no other option presents itself. Where possible, the Raven Guard will use precise application of force to cripple their enemy while avoiding a protracted engagement.

 

Dreadnoughts of the Raven Guard, while rare, are also quite commonly deployed via drop pods. This approach leads to a Chapter which can assemble its forces extremely rapidly and can react quickly to unexpected developments. When their numbers were limited during the days of the Horus Heresy, the Chapter's troops became experts in guerrilla warfare, and this has carried on to the present day, with the Chapter very rarely utilising heavily armoured vehicles.

 

Your references to "rushing zealously" seems to also confuse me. It's rare for the Astartes to assemble as an arrayed rank like a scene from Lord of the Rings. Space Marines are holy warrior-monks, but they're also soldiers, and they fight in a much more sophisticated sense to the Imperial Guard, say, who in some cases use tactics that resemble something from World War One. The point being that you seem to have "stealth" and "close combat" as seperate ends on a see-saw, diametrically opposed, but isn't the stealth just a means to an end? A way of limiting casualties so they can get close (for combat)? And if before the Hidden Blade doctrine your Chapter was "rushing zealously" like the Black Templars, how did they deviate so far from the Novamarines?

 

This Oxtongue rifle - why do the Azure Blades have it? Where did they get it from? How do the Adeptus Mechanicus feel about such a weapon being in the hands of the Chapter? Why has nothing like it ever been mentioned in anything relating to the Imperium?

 

It might also be worthwhile mentioning the Chapter's severe casualties in the gene-seed section. Did the rebuilding effort have any effect on the gene-seed? It'd seem worthwhile in tying some of your themes together.

 

The reverence of Corax seems displaced and a little forced. Especially "reverence". Many Chapters use rapid reaction tactics, and as I've mentioned before, Corax's writing was included in the Codex.

 

It seems to me that the Adeptus Mechanicus would have more than "grated nerves" if the Chapter's creating and 'melding' vehicles. Your Stormraven is described quite literally as a 'meld' of many vehicles. Vehicles which could've been in service for thousands of years, which are venerated, worshipped and adored by the Mechanicus. The slight modifications of the Land Raider Crusader took centuries to be approved by the Astartes. It strikes me that your Chapter's relations with the Mechanicus ought to be a great deal worse - something which would be entirely interesting whilst your Chapter was under-strength.

 

 

 

 

 

Just some thoughts; hope they help.

 

- Mol.

Edited February 1, 2008 by Commissar Molotov

[Espada Azul]

Certainly comprehensive review there, and certainly nails some of the flaws I missed in my initial composition of the article. Will read more after I get home from work, and see if I can fix the obvious discrepancies and mistakes on my part. Give me the weekend to come up with something, then I'll post the changes here; hopefully it will not only read better, but make more sense with regards to lore.

 

THEN I'll go pestering the Librarium mods for the revamped edit.

[Commissar Molotov]

Not a problem. I have a few more thoughts, but I didn't want to overwhelm you (and some of my additional queries rather depend on how you alter stuff based on the issues I've already mentioned.)

 

Oh, as an aside, I quite like your scheme, especially in this picture where it seems a little darker, more sombre.