IA: Falcon Guard

[WingsOfTheFalcon]

IA Falcon Guard

Chapter Symbol & Colour Scheme:

http://c.imagehost.org/0374/FG.pnghttp://b.imagehost.org/t/0143/004.jpg

Origins:

Following the Kaliban Insurrection, a prolonged phase of assaults into Imperial space by slaving raiders of the Kabal of the Bloodied Fist on the easternmost reaches of the Segmentum Obscuris it was deemed essential that this sector be re-secured in the name of the Imperium. A crusade was planned to reclaim the Eastern Fringes and to force the vile xenos back from Imperial space, in order to ensure the success of this campaign and the ongoing security of the sector a new chapter of space marines, the Falcon Guard was founded.

The task of building and training the Falcon Guard was bestowed upon Captain Haliastur of the Hawk Lords 8th Company and his company veterans. Under their tutelage the Falcon Guard have created a highly adaptive tactica which allows them to rapidly close with their enemies and deliver the Emperor’s fury up close and personal. Since his appointment as Chapter Master, Haliastur has been a subtle but powerful influence upon the Falcon Guard, pushing them to constantly better themselves before the eyes of the Emperor.

Their watchful eye and rapid responses have meant that many of the Dark Eldar raiding parties have been curtailed, though with their mimic engines and holo-tech it has been virtually impossible to totally stem the tide.

Homeworld:

Aesalon Primus is a desolate, sparsely populated world covered by vast snow-capped mountain ranges which pierce the sky like black daggers; it is home to a tribal culture which yields some of the fiercest warriors in the imperium of man.

The apex predator of the Aesalon Primus ecosystem is the Aesalonian Falcon, a gigantic raptor with a wingspan measuring up to six metres. It lives at the peaks of the highest mountains, far above the reach of even the hardiest climbers and preys upon other birds and land mammals. The Falcon is so large it has been known to catch grown men in its talons and is revered by the Clans of Aesalon Primus as a vengeful god which will strike down the weak.

The civilization of Aesalon Primus is at a primitive stage of technological development, lacking any form of black powder technology instead relying upon crudely forged blades and arrows to wage savage Clan wars. The rugged and hostile environment ensures that the warrior caste is at the forefront of all aspects of life, being the leaders of all the clans across the continents.

Their religions state that on the judgment day, the lords of the falcons will descend from the stars on wings of fire to select the most powerful warriors from the Clans who join him in ascent to nirvana. Their belief is that the falcon god watches them in battle and they should emulate him in their approach to war. Striking hard and fast, lightning raids are a fundamental stratagem for the Clans of Aesalon Primus and any warrior tribe not constantly prepared for war will not survive long in this harsh environment.

Little do the Clans know the truth of their primitive superstition; for the Warriors of the Falcon do watch from above. The mountain fortress and starport of the Falcon guard, know as ‘The Aerie’ is situated atop the highest mountain range of Aesalon Primus. It is from this lofty perch that the Falcon Guard descend and claim the strongest fighters to initiate into the chapter, leaving no witness to their arrival so as not to taint the culture which yields their recruits.

Combat Doctrine:

Whilst the Falcon Guard cannot match the millenia of experience held by the 1st founding legions, they are renowned as being one of the Adeptus Astartes foremost chapters when undertaking airborne assaults, their extensive use of jump packs and land speeders means they are always at the very cutting edge of the Imperium’s spear tip.

The Falcon Guard specialize in airborne assaults deployed from Thunderhawk Gunships. The brother marines that fight for the chapter are all extensively trained in the use of jump packs and the chapter uses Land Speeders to provide heavy support, relying on their covering fire to allow the assault squads to close on their objectives, prioritising speed over firepower.

The chapter was sanctioned as a line breaking assault force, whereas the Raven Guard are known for their stealth and operating guerilla campaigns deep behind enemy lines, the Falcon Guard are deployed at the front line meeting the Imperium’s enemies toe-to-toe, utilizing their expertise to outmaneuver and outflank their foes seizing critical objectives and striking at their weak points with blade and bolt.

Known for their devastating airborne assaults and their ferocity in combat. The Falcon Guards primary function it to launch unsupported aerial strikes, assault their foes at their weakest points and regroup to strike again. By striking strategic assets and command structures their aim is to destroy their opponent’s means and resolve to fight. The Falcon Guard have a long history of conflict with the twisted Kabals of the Dark Eldar which has only served to reinforce their expertise in rapid assaults.

Organisation:

The organisation of the Falcon Guard is not structurally divergent from that laid down in the Codex Astartes; the Chapter is divided into ten battle companies, each numbering a hundred brother marines strong. Where the Falcon Guard organisation shows significant difference is the unusually high concentration of assault companies and their lack of heavy support by comparison to Codex adherent chapters.

The adoption of heavy weaponry and mechanised assaults does not go easily with the deeply ingrained desire to emulate the Falcon in the art of war. For the battle brothers of the Falcon Guard it is actually considered a dishonour to fight with such weapons. Whilst the Falcon guard do keep caches of heavy weaponry, their use is extremely rare and in many cases the chapter armories have exchanged them with mechanicus forgeworlds in order to better equip the chapter with jump packs and land speeders.

The Falcon Guard's first company are mighty warriors, veterans of countless campaigns and are granted the honour of bearing the chapter’s most valued suits of power armour. These are ancient and intricately wrought suits manufactured by the artificers of Mars. To the warriors of the Falcon Guard these Power Armour suits are revered as highly as the Tactical Dreadnought Armour worn by the Veteran companies of most Space Marine chapters. It is from these elite warriors that the Chapter’s leadership is drawn and it is they who are often found where the fighting is thickest, winning great honour for the glory of the Falcon Guard.

Beliefs:

Upon their selection initiates of the Falcon Guard believe themselves the chosen of the Falcon God and to an extent that belief is never completely purged. As part of their rehabilitation the initiates are taught that the Falcon God whom they had revered was actually a façade the Emperor uses to shield their minds from his true glory. Now they have ascended with the warriors of the gods the Emperor can reveal his true form to them.

The amalgamation of their intrinsic tribal belief structure with Imperial dogma and devotion to the Emperor makes the Falcon Guard extremely dedicated in their service to the Imperium. The Falcon Guard believe that the Emperor watches them at all times, and that those who emulate the Falcon and honour the ideals of the warrior will be chosen for the final ascension and the ultimate battle at the Emperor’s side.

Geneseed:

The Falcon Guard are descended from the gene-seed of the Hawk Lords, whilst little is known about its origins it shows no significant mutations and as such is deemed to come from a robust gene lineage, suspected to be either the Ultramarines or Imperial Fists.

Battlecry:

'Death From Above'!

[Lysimachus]

well, its a good start

 

few little points of contention:

 

Their founding was decreed by the High Lords of Terra following ______, it was determined that a specialist aerial assault force was required to allow ____ to engage the enemy at close quarters and compromise their means to engage without requiring the resources of heavy support and armour.

 

This change in organization was planned from their inception, as the Jade Falcons were created as a specialist

 

generally i don't think the Adeptus Terra gets this involved in the tactical set-up of a new Chapter, just give them a task and then its up to new Chapter Master (who is normally a Captain selected from another older Chapter with the same geneseed heritage) to accomplish it. usually he'll organize his Chapter along similar lines as the Chapter he came from (although admittedly not always)

 

that brings us to this point:

 

Upon their inception the Jade Falcons were trained by veterans from a number of chapters in their rapid assault stratagems, these included the Blood Angels, Raven Guard, Emperor’s Hawks, and the Ravenwing of the Dark Angels.

 

this is probably the weakest point in the IA. new Chapters are trained by a cadre from an older Chapter with the same geneseed, so in your case would be Blood Angels or, more likely, one of their successor Chapters. you wouldn't lose anything by this as your combat doctrine section reads basically like Blood Angels(lots jump packs) anyway, not Raven Guard(stealth) or Raven Wing(bikes), and it fits better with what we know about training new Chapters

 

all in all, though, its a good start, well done! B)

 

P.S. Hubernator will probably ask if i don't so i'll get it in now, any colour scheme? if you've not used it, there is a Space Marine Painter on the top header on the right, very useful!

[WingsOfTheFalcon]

Thanks very much for the feedback, the origins section is probably the roughest part at this stage so I appreciate it needs a bit of wrangling! I've have a re-jig and try to make it a bit more canon.

 

This is the colour scheme I'm going to be using, the Death Company will replace the bright green with black.

 

http://b.imagehost.org/t/0143/004.jpghttp://b.imagehost.org/t/0008/DC04.jpg

 

edit to add DC scheme

[Dorns Padawan]

Looks class mate, like it! Now you can start on the Falcons themselves! No harsh comments so far, all good signs! Great read :D

[Hubernator]

P.S. Hubernator will probably ask if i don't so i'll get it in now, any colour scheme? if you've not used it, there is a Space Marine Painter on the top header on the right, very useful!

;) Someone has been paying attention ;)

 

Moving on, nice scheme, although I think you've kinda contradicted yourself. I'm assuming the Death Company is the one filled with the Lost, yes? If not then you might want to change that.

 

Bar that, it's a good start. Lysimachus has picked up on the points I thought of. One last note - if you want decent vehicle-based strike tactics the there's the White Scars :D

[Severus6]

The Jade Falcons are renowned as being one of the Adeptus Astartes foremost chapters when undertaking airborne assaults, making extensive use of jump packs and land speeders they are the very cutting edge of the Imperium’s spear tip.

 

More so than the Raven Guard Chapter, Death Wing/Raven Wing of the Dark Angles or White Scar companies,....how?

 

 

highly adaptive yet fragile tactica

 

This makes no sense to me. Fragile is a poor word choice here,...adaptive generally means that it is flexible enough that any shortcomings are easily delt with or non-issue.

 

Upon their inception the Jade Falcons were trained by veterans from a number of chapters in their rapid assault stratagems, these included the Blood Angels, Raven Guard, Emperor’s Hawks, and the Ravenwing of the Dark Angels.

 

I can see this being feasible if the Chapters in question all shared the same geneseed. These do not and as such I dont see that happening. The differences in tactics and dogma might very well become a hinderance more so than a help. That and if your boys are of the BA, then they will not want anyone to know about their secret. Granted Scouts and young Marines will probably not manifest this early on but all it takes is one.

 

Their primary function it to launch surgical strikes, assault their foes at their weak points and regroup to strike again. By striking strategic assets and command structures their aim is to destroy their opponent’s means and resolve to fight.

 

This is the focus of practically every Marine Chapter out there. With the exception of a few Chapters this is what they all do, some better than others, but they all do it in some way or another.

 

Severus6

[WingsOfTheFalcon]

Again, thanks guys for all the feedback, looks like I've got a lot of work to do yet! I've made a few edits so far, I'll get onto the rest asap.

 

I'm assuming the Death Company is the one filled with the Lost, yes? If not then you might want to change that.

You're spot on, the Lost and the Death Company are one and the same, I just wanted to make them a little different and throw in the 'stigmata' imagery for modelling reasons!

 

More so than the Raven Guard Chapter, Death Wing/Raven Wing of the Dark Angles or White Scar companies,....how?

I figured 'one of the foremost' would avoid treading on any toes, I'm not trying to say they are the best, but that as assault specialists they are right up there with the best. I'll have a think and try to re-phrase that so it's more transparent.

 

Fragile is a poor word choice here

Edited! ;)

 

This is the focus of practically every Marine Chapter out there.

I'll edit this to make it more air assault focussed, you're spot on, I need to place more emphasis on their specialisms, rather than generic marine capabilities.

 

I'm also going to cut out the non-BA geneseed chapters from the origins section and throw in a few successors.

 

Looks class mate, like it! Now you can start on the Falcons themselves!

Cheers! Thanks very much for all your help so far, bring on the Phoenix Guard! :)

[Brother-Librarian Akritedes]

Khan Pryde is not amused. Not one bit.

 

...plus, you may want to make sure you're avoiding any IP infringement. Everything else seems to have been caught already.

[WingsOfTheFalcon]

Khan Pryde is not amused. Not one bit.

 

...plus, you may want to make sure you're avoiding any IP infringement. Everything else seems to have been caught already.

I'm sure that Kerensky wouldn't have any serious problems with me namechecking one of his Clans, none of the material relates in any way to the trueborn, sibko, warrior caste or any of the other elements of Clan Jade Falcon. I'll keep the simple green on standby just in case though. ;)

[WingsOfTheFalcon]

Hi there, I've made a load of changes, I know the origins section still needs a lot of work, but hopefully it should be shaping up a bit better now? Thanks again for all your feedback.

[WingsOfTheFalcon]

Hi guys,

 

I've done a test mini, I'm not exactly the fastest painter in the world, would love to hear any feedback/advice on the mini or the IA.

 

Cheers! :D

 

http://c.imagehost.org/t/0425/DSC00267.jpg

 

http://c.imagehost.org/t/0299/DSC00269.jpg

 

The spot on his helm was a bit of dust, now absent! I'm basing them up orkhide shade, then painting snot green on the plates, painting the shoulder rims and kneepads DA green and going to highlight with goblin green. Then I'm thinking about doing a thraka green wash. What do you think?

[Race Bannon]

Ah, finally ... someone who shows a mini from the SM Painter plan!! I like it :) I don't know why you want the knee pads a different color (what will you do with Mk 7 armor?) but if it works for you then rock on.

 

:D

[Wolfbiter]

It's not a bad start. Your color scheme is vivid, and the Lost stigmata thing has a lot of modelling possibilities. But speaking as a Battletech player and longtime Jade Falcon fan, I really would suggest changing "Jade Falcon" and "Falcon Guard." When I was reading your initial draft, it was hard for me to concentrate on your other details (some of which are quite colorful), because I kept thinking, "Oh, this term is from Battletech."

 

That said, I think simply adjusted the name to even something like "Emerald Falcons" would be fine, and remedy the problem.

 

It's up to you, however. Sorry; I don't want to get you down about your chapter, it's got potential. But I'd really strongly recommend against the Battletech names; it distracts from your other material.

[Octavulg]

Jade Falcon fan?

 

You like those hypocritical scum?

 

Ahem.

 

Personally, I find that it does little to break immersion since they're presented in a sufficiently different fashion. 40K has enough more blatant references that I find something minor like this relatively innocuous. However, shouldn't it be the Falcon Guards?

[iamblakkmetal]

Always been partial to Clan Wolf myself.

 

Anyway, I second changing the name to Falcon Guard.

[Octavulg]

I think you misunderstand. I mean shouldn't it be Guards, as opposed to Guard.

[WingsOfTheFalcon]

I think if it's ok for the Imperial Guard to be singular then the FG can just about carry it off! :devil:

 

The name is something I'm really wrestling with, I have thought about changing it a lot because a lot of people do find it distracting from the main concept. Falcon Guard would perhaps be a bit subtler as well, throw the reference in under the radar!

 

As for the colour scheme I guess I did it that way because I first drew it up on the Painter on Dawn of War and the secondary colour is defaulted to the knees on that. What does everyone think about them?

 

Thanks again for all the feedback and I really will have another go at filling in the blanks soon, I've really been snowed under lately so it's fallen behind a bit!

[WingsOfTheFalcon]

Here's a progress update, wip on my first RAS.

 

I've still got a long way to go on them yet, I was wondering what you thought about the eagle on the shoulder pad? I'm at a bit of a loss about what colour to paint it. The chest eagles are all going to be gold, so I had thought about matching it, whaddayareckon?

 

http://b.imagehost.org/t/0839/DSC00270.jpg

 

http://b.imagehost.org/t/0653/DSC00272.jpg

[Wolfbiter]

Y'know, it may seem like a little thing, but after you changed the name to "Falcon Guard" I read through your draft again...and it reads a lot better to me than the first time around.

 

I especially liked the section that point out how their tactics differ from the Raven Guard, and about how the Marines reconcile the worship of the giant falcons with the worship of the Emperor.

 

You mention early on that the Chapter was founded to counter an unidentified type of foe, then later in the article mention notable battles against Chaos and the Tyranids. If you want, perhaps you could have the chapter founded to combat depredations by the Night Lords (another jump-pack and fast-attacked themed army) or a specific Tyranid hive fleet heavy in Gargoyles and winged mutations.

[Heru]

First Falcons are soo cool. :D

 

Anyways...

 

The apex predator of the Aesalon Primus ecosystem is the Aesalonian Falcon, a gigantic raptor with a wingspan measuring up to six metres. It lives at the peaks of the highest mountains, far above the reach of even the hardiest human climbers and preys upon other birds and land mammals. The Falcon is so large it has been known to catch grown humans in its talons and is revered by the Clan folk of Aesalon Primus as a vengeful god which will strike down the weak and devour them.

Sounds allot like the Black Falcon species (a species shrouded in mystery) of my Falcon Chapter's Homeworld, perhaps the two species are related... :P

 

 

To the Falcon Guard it is known as Angelus Saevio or Angel Rage and much like their parent legion it is only the dedicated and watchful eye of the chapter’s Chaplains which keep the rage in check, leading their warriors in prayer on the eve of battle and garbing the stricken in the black plate of the Lost.

+

This is the colour scheme I'm going to be using, the Death Company will replace the bright green with black.

 

http://b.imagehost.org/t/0143/004.jpghttp://b.imagehost.org/t/0008/DC04.jpg

Personally I think you could do better with your "Lost" scheme, I actually thought when I saw the "Angel Rage" bit that you'd do something different than most typical BA successors and make the DC equivalent white (which would look better alongside the Green Marines than black).

 

 

As for the colour scheme I guess I did it that way because I first drew it up on the Painter on Dawn of War and the secondary colour is defaulted to the knees on that.

That's not true it's defaulted to one knee (ie the Marine's right knee, as in many Codex Chapters that's the knee that they display their company colour on).

 

 

I mean shouldn't it be Guards, as opposed to Guard.

Nope WingsOfTheFalcon has it right it should be Falcon Guard when refering to it as a Chapter.

[Octavulg]

Nope WingsOfTheFalcon has it right it should be Falcon Guard when refering to it as a Chapter.

 

Of course, I was talking about it as a reference to Battletech, wherein it is the Falcon Guards.

 

I liked the old name, myself. Who cared if it was a reference to something else? GW does that on a not particularly infrequent basis.

[WingsOfTheFalcon]

Thanks again for the feedback chaps, done a bit more painting last night so I'll try and get some updated pics on soon. I'm also going to have a think about a few suggestions on the fluff side of things and update that soon.

 

Cheers!

 

@ wolfbiter - I like the ideas about the Night Lords or Tyranids, I'll have a think about that very seriously!

 

@ heru talon - I think the reason I went for a black DC was simply to make things more straightforward when playing games, what would you suggest for a colour scheme? Now that I've started painting a few I actually quite like the knees being the alternate colour, so I think that's here to stay!

 

@ octavulg - I do like the Jade Falcons as a name but I think a lot of people felt it made them into a marmite chapter, so I went for the change to open a few doors and get some more feedback on the IA itself rather than the chapter name.

[Heru]

@ heru talon - I think the reason I went for a black DC was simply to make things more straightforward when playing games, what would you suggest for a colour scheme?

[WingsOfTheFalcon]

That could look mighty good with a load of blood splatter on it... :)

 

Don't buy into loincloths or capes on jump pack marines though.

 

What does everyone think about the alternate white scheme?

[Heru]

That could look mighty good with a load of blood splatter on it... :)

Exactly!

Don't buy into loincloths or capes on jump pack marines though.

I was copying the fact that you hadn't put a Jump Pack on the black version, so the loin cloth was a "without jump pack" version (seeing as your guys might sometimes be forced to fight without jump packs or what not).

Here's the Jump Pack version: