Emperor's Hunters v1.1

[little brother]

EMPEROR'S HUNTERS

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Chapter: Emperors Hunters.
Founding: 9th
Geneseed: Unknown
Organisation: Non Codex, Divergence Extremis.
Home world: Suomi
Motto: Olle Valmis (Always Ready)
War Cry: Hakka Paalle (Cut them down)
Chapter Founder: Mannerheim
Chapter Master: Ilka Hiltunen
1st Company: Master of the Sublunary Domains (Planetary Governor)
2nd Company: Master of the Fastness (Fortress and Planetary Defence)
3rd Company: Master of the Void (Fleet assets and System defence)
4th Company: Master of the Hunt (Field craft Training)
5th Company: Master of the Arsenal (Vehicles, Armour and Weapons)
6th Company: Master of the Rites (Ceremonies and Supplies)
7th Company: Master of the Extent (Colonies and Domains)
8th Company: Master of the ?
9th Company: Master of the ?
10th Company: Master of the Blades (Combat Training)

Segmentum Obscurus, Cygnus Arm.
Home world: Suomi (Padasjoki IV)
Status: Feudal, Astartes Homeworld.
Gravity: 1.02g
Orbit: 1.36 AU
Satellites: 2, Hiiri and Ilves.
Period: 22.45 hours
Climate: Temperate equatorial regions through to arctic poles.
Population: Approx 13,000,000

T

he Chapter was part of the Ninth Founding (M33), though the source of it’s geneseed is unknown. It is the subject of some speculation as to when the origins of the Chapter were lost, or even if they were known at all. What is known is that during the Crusade against the Efra’Jhax in the Dominion of Shadows (635.M35), the Hunters suffered very heavy casualties. Somewhere in the order of 80% of the Brethren were lost, along with the Master and many of his Senior Council. As a consequence much of the unwritten, oral history of the Chapter was lost. Within the fortress there are still sections of the Reclusiam, Library and Armoury that remain sealed from this time. The biological keys to the gene locks being lost with their ancient incumbents. Perhaps the secrets remain trapped behind these locked doors. After 200 years of reorganisation and rebuilding the Chapter returned to the Dominion of Shadows. They systematically erased all traces of Efra’Jhax Empire. The Capital world was completely destroyed when the Chapter’s Tech Masters moved three planetoids from stable orbits onto collision courses. A large asteroid belt now circles the star as the only monument to this once prolific race.

Since those dark days the Chapter has battled widely across the North East of the Segmentum, fighting foes of the Imperium from both within and without. More recently the Chapter has been involved in a number of notable engagements. During the 13th Black Crusade (999.M41) they fought with distinction on Scelus, Chinchare and Hydra Cordalatus. From there they pursued a Slaneshi warband that had escaped from the Eye of Terror and eventually brought them to justice after a lengthy and costly pursuit that ended on the outskirts of the Al’Trinc system. On Kernow (006.M42) they led the amphibious landings with their brothers from the Red Cobras onto the beaches of Belerion under the guns of the ancient fortress of Kernack. The Chapter is currently engaged on two fronts. Hunting pirates from the Lugannath Craftworld, and recapturing the city of Vanstone on Cestrian in the Al’Trinc system.

HOMEWORLD

R

ecruitment is primarily from the Chapter home world of Suomi, the fourth of eight planets orbiting Padasjoki. It is thought have been Terraformed and colonised early on in the Dark Age of Technology. When the planet was rediscovered in 322.M32 the human population had reverted to a primitive society of nomadic hunters. The planet’s climate is in the cool temperate range and has two large polar ice caps. It’s Northern ice cap buries one of the planets three continental masses. Of the other two, Karelia is the largest and home to the human population and the Chapters fortress monastery. Paijaane is uninhabited and used as training ground and hunting reserve by the Chapter. A great deal of the planet’s flora and fauna is known to have been native to Holy Terra in earlier ages. These include, mammoth, smilodon, reindeer and spined wolves.

The human population are descendants of the original settlers, who have regressed to a very low technology level with no central organisation. Semi nomadic tribes roam the heavily forested continent, hunting and warring with one another. They worship animal totems and local spirits, and believe that the world was created by the Great Creator. Linguistic comparisons have lead researchers to believe that the majority of the settlers came from Northern Europa.

The Chapters fortress monastery is located on an isolated central plateau, cut off from rest of the continent by the surrounding Carngom mountain range.

RECRUITMENT

T

he Chapter has little direct contact with the populace. The tribes of Suomi worship The Great Father, their interpretation of The Emperor, and a pantheon of spirits. These are principally spirits of the land, forest and animals. But foremost amongst these are the spirits of hunting and war. Every tribe has it’s own spirit or spirits of hunting and war. These are former members of the tribe who have disappeared, and returned briefly many years later, having been transformed into The Great Father’s gigantic Star Warriors. A tribe considers itself to be blessed to have one of it’s sons elevated in this way. Senior members of the chapter roam the continent observing the tribes clandestinely. Candidates are chosen based on their prowess as warriors and hunters, and approached under cover of darkness, in a blizzard or a Rune Priest,s storm. The journey to the Carngom mountains and through it’s few passes to the high plateau is long and dangerous and serves as the primary selection test.

GENESEED

T

he source of the Chapter’s geneseed is unknown but within a millennia of the Chapter’s founding a series of mutations started to affect four of the organs. This could have been disastrous, but the house apothecaries, working closely with the Adeptus Mechanicus Biologis stabilised the changes. The Lyman’s Ear, Occulobe and Neuroglotis are all hyperactive. These cause the sense of hearing, sight and smell to be raised to a level beyond that of an average Astartes. The Black Carapace also develops at an accelerated rate, thus allowing initiates to don power armour at an earlier stage of their training than in other chapters. The hormonal changes and the fact that their psycho conditioning is still incomplete, means that when released into combat these young warriors are still extremely headstrong and reckless.

ORGANISATION

T

he Chapter is organised into ten companies. The First Company is like that in the majority of other chapters. It’s members are amongst the most experienced warriors and the majority are equipped with Terminator Armour. The Master’s advisors and bodyguard are part of the company as are all of the revered dreadnoughts. It is there that the similarities with other chapters end.

The other nine companies do not follow the structures laid down in the Codex Astartes. The 2nd to 8th are Battle Companies, the 9th is a Fast Attack Company and the 10th is an Assault Company.

There is no need for a training company, as each company trains it’s own initiates. Nor are the Chapter’s scouts drawn from the ranks of initiates. Only those veterans who desire to hunt alone or in small groups, exchange their power armour for the lighter carapace armour. They form a distinct group within the Chapter and excel at working ahead of the main force, often behind the enemy lines. Within the Fortress Monastery they have their own territory, a ruling council and a representative to the Chapter Master. A Company Master considers it a great privilege to have these shadowy warriors join him on a campaign or mission.

SISSU

S

issu is a word used by the natives of Suomi, that has no direct translation into Gothic. To them it describes an attitude and approach to life that is characteristic to people of that world. Much as the Praetorians are often described as stand off’ish, the Cadians as stoic and Attilans as wild, the people of Suomi say that they have Sissu. The closest equivalent is grit, or determination.

The close combat style favoured by the Hunters is also called Sissu. As well as the traditional bolter and bolt pistol, all the brethren carry an additional weapon. Chainswords are common, but many also carry the weapon they used before becoming an Astartes. Those from the Northern horse tribes often favour a curved sabre or single edged skinning knife. Whilst those from the Southern forests will often be seen carrying a double edged fighting dagger or a heavy axe. Combat attachments and bayonets are also commonly fitted to bolters. Rather than sling their bolters and draw pistols as they approach combat, many keep hold of their bolter and use it alongside a hand weapon during the melee.

http://i361.photobucket.com/albums/oo58/littlebrother2008/fragem.jpg

http://i361.photobucket.com/albums/oo58/littlebrother2008/truegrit2.jpg

Building and painting the Emperor’s Hunters.

A number of different kits have been put to good use over the years to build them. Codex marine, Dark Angels (especially the robes and the winged skull shoulder pad), Space Wolves, Chaos Marine (especially the knives, sheathed swords, pistol holsters and bolters), Marauders of Chaos (axes), Chaos Warriors (fur trimmed cloaks). A French painter on coolminiornot.com called manu26 inspired me, with his Smiley Face Legion, to load up my models with extra equipment pouches, and weather them when painting. As a consequence nearly all of them have a full set of small pouches and bolter ammo pouches, a knife or two, a holstered pistol, grenades, small pouches and grenades on the lower edge of the shoulder pad and a few also have bolter ammo in a chest rig. To represent the "true grit/uber grit" I also model them with chainswords, chaos chainswords, marauder axes or a bayonet. There were still a few combat blades hiding in my bitzbox from RTBO1 marines, and those have been added to a few of the bolters. If a models not wearing a helmet, it is usually hanging from their belt. Purity seals, banners, scroll cases, chains or anything else that can clank or flutter doesn't really fit in with the stealthy hunter fluff so I don't use them.

I envision my bikes as being a long range recon unit and strike force, so they are also loaded down with kit, and have a bolt gun or special weapon on a gun rack behind the rider. For some reason I have loads of spare wheels left in my bitzbox. If you want to know why, you had better check out my thread on how to build them.

Camo green and dark angel green for the armour with a thraka green (or dark angel) wash, dark flesh with a black wash for leather pouches, red gore and crimson for lenses, bolt gun metal and black for the bolters. Mud on the boots and knees, using dark flesh, tanned fesh, and a dark flesh wash.

I've started to push myself a little more recently by doing company symbols on the left knee (black and white quarters for the 4th company), and personal heraldry on the right knee.

Playing the Emperor’s Hunters.

I originally played the Hunters as Space Wolves, but when the 4th edition of the Marine Codex was released I changed to the new codex and used the traits system to allow the use of true grit, acute senses and infiltrate. I had started to get a little bored of people asking me why they were green not grey, and some people just can’t cope with others using a bit of imagination to create their own chapter. So I gave into peer pressure and embraced the new codex whole heartedly. Still had to put up with the unimaginative types asking if they were Salamanders because they are green though.

Then of course some genius at GW rewrote the marine codex again, put some amazing stuff in there, but forgot the traits. I did consider going back to Wolves but over the years I have become completely addicted to conversion work, much of the stuff I had created just would not fit back into the Wolf codex, and I could not face leaving the models on a shelf to gather dust. I stuck with the 5th edition codex, even though I kept doing stupid things like sending tactical squads into combat and remembering too late that they no longer had true grit and were not as effective as they used to be. People had also started to ask, “Why have they all got chainswords or axes as well as bolters? That’s not allowed is it? Are they Chaos Marines?”

The new Space wolf codex is lovely, but I am not to keen on the Thunderwolf Cavalry, so I will give them a miss. I have dusted of my wolf packs (toned down Chaos Warhounds), and my Scouts will see a bit more action.

I need some help with titles and duties for 2 of my company captains.
More to follow, including details of the 4th company.

The strength of the wolf is in the pack.
The strength of the pack is in the wolf.

[Magnus Thane]

Love your chapter's design and the colorscheme. Good job!

[little brother]

thanks. have modified it, but ended up posting it twice. anyone know how to delete a thread

[Octavulg]

You just quietly let it die.

 

And change the thread title to something like "ignore this, accidental double post" helps.

[Magnus Thane]

As stated in your double-posted thread... great scheme, nice background.

I presume your chapter's emblem is that white skull?

[Brother Tyler]

I took care of the double post.

[little brother]

Thanks.

[little brother]

I am totally buzzing! I just saw that my chapter is in Phil S's and Dazzo's 1000 chapter gallery. The best bit though is that they are next to the Emperor's Pointy Sticks, of Turn signals on a landraider fame.

 

Rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous. Wooo. Freeem.

[Espada Azul]

Holy threadmancy! :)

 

That said, I noticed how this managed to evade even a little bit of criticism. Must have been very slow during the last few months of 2009. ^^;

 

They systematically erased all traces of Efra’Jhax Empire. The Capital world was completely destroyed when the Chapter’s Tech Masters moved three planetoids from stable orbits onto collision courses. A large asteroid belt now circles the star as the only monument to this once prolific race.

 

Hmm, the Chapter destroyed a Xeno empire (which means not a single world) without aid from the Imperial Guard or other agencies of the Imperium? While not exactly over-the-top, it's still a little difficult to imagine, given the logistics involved in attacking a single world (re: Vraks and Taros). Was it a protracted conflict, where the Chapter chipped away at their enemies little by little until it crumbled? Also, redirecting planetoids, ala Lord Solar Macharius? That's more than overkill, it was also mentioned somewhere that it was costly and extremely time-consuming, where Exterminatus (via Virus Bomb or Cyclonic Torpedo) could have sufficed and done things quicker.

 

Though, I have to admit the explanation for the non-Codex reorganization was creative.

[little brother]

Thanks Espada Azul

 

Your right about singlehandedly destroying an empire as being over ambitious. I will rewrite that bit and describe it as a 2nd crusade led by the chapter. As for moving the planetoids, I hadn't realised Macharius had done the same thing. I had envisioned something maybe 20-30 km across, like we have in the asteroid belt here. A retribution class battleship is supposed to be about 5 km long, so slowly moving something that big would not be insurmountable. Ii was put it in the story because I wanted the planet to be broken up rather than sterilised, so I think I will keep it in.

 

I saw your own Index Astates for the Azure Blades, and will read it fully when I get a chance. Where did you get the Landraider from? I Haven't seen one of them for years. Also where abouts in the website is that article? It's not a thread, so where is it?

[Espada Azul]

Eh, the Azure Blades have been in the Librarium for a while now. ^^; Plus I've overpadded it over the two-odd years since it got published, so it's awkward reading these days ahaha. Been trying to trim down the word count again to manageable levels, but the Mods don't allow drastic modification without due reason, so it'll have to remain a humongous 6000+ words. For now.

 

Regarding the 'colony drop' done by Macharius, it was actually a redirected comet. Ahaha, now that's ambitious.

 

I recall a hilarious article in an old Index Astartes about the impracticality of using a large asteroid as a weapon by the Imperium. Ah here it is, transcribed in the other fan forum: Rocks are not free, citizen...

 

Edit: Oh, it would help somehow if you fixed the positioning of the pictures you used for the article. Work with the BCC codes, not against them! :o

 

Secondly, I wouldn't dismiss the new Space Wolf codex. Thunderwolf Cavalry aside, it's a very fun, and very characterful book, and I do think that your DIY can still use it as a rules base. I'm a Codex SM player myself, but I liked some of the ideas in it, especially the Sagas.