Siege Lords V1.0

[Daylight]

This is my first attempt at a DIY chapter. C&C welcome. I will continue to add and edit to this as I complete more sections and take advice.

Origins

The Siege Lords were created during the 26th founding, in M41. Soon after their creation, the Siege Lords built their fortress monastery on the planet of Sian IV. However, six years after the fortress monastery was completed, Ork Waaagh! Grondag set Sian IV in its sights. Although the Siege Lords were prepared for the Waaagh!, they severely underestimated its strength and size. A week long battle ensued, with Ork boyz attacking in waves every hour. For the first three days, the Siege Lords decimated each wave, and suffered few losses. However, on the fourth day, the Ork Warboss commited several Deff Dreds to the fight, in an all-or-nothing rush composed of dozens of Nobs and nearly a thousand Boyz. The Siege Lords never faltered, and quickly destroyed two Deff Dreds. Hundreds of Orks fell before reaching the Siege Lords’ line, and hundreds more would fall in the ensuing melee. Despite the heroic defense, the Orks gradually pushed the Siege Lords back under sheer weight of numbers. By the end of the fourth day, only four companies remained. Over the next three days, the Orks attacked constantly. The Siege Lords grudgingly gave ground inch by inch, and defeat seemed inevitable. Finally, with a mere two hundred men left, the chapter had nowhere left to retreat. Close combat reigned for hours, and just when the Space Marines were set to drive the Orks back once and for all, Warboss Grondag himself slammed into the Siege Lords’ positions. Slaying Battle Brother after Battle Brother, it seemed the tide had once again turned to favor the Orks. As all hope seemed lost, Chapter Master Menteus of the Siege Lords met Warboss Grondag in hand to hand combat. Using Dauntless, his power sword, he slew Grondag after a fierce fight. The loss of their Warboss shattered the Orks, and they fled in disarray. Sian IV had been held. Over the next hundred years, the surviving Orks were purged from the planet, and the chapter was rebuilt to its former strength. The Battle for Sian IV made a distinct impression on the young chapter, and greatly influenced their tactics in future battles.

Homeworld

The Siege Lords' homeworld is Sian IV, a civilized world well under Imperial control, yet not too developed. Sian IV is a world full of green fields and forests, with small communities that have been gradually growing larger since the Siege Lords arrival, showing its gradual development and small but growing population. It also posseses its own forge for the Chapter. Its relatively small population was decimated when Waaagh! Grondag attacked. The Siege Lords recruit from Sian IV, but realize that they may soon have to look for other worlds for aspirants, should another Waaagh! come through. One such world is Caldon, a feral world in the same sub-sector as Sian IV. Caldon is an arid planet, with large communities living in what amounts to stone castles, for protection from the feral Orks that also inhabit the planet. Due to the large number of recruits needed to replace the Siege Lords' losses after the battle with Waaagh! Grondag, Sian IV's population is solely used chapter recruiting, as they do not have enough men to provide large PDF or IG regiments. Because of this, to test if aspirants are suitable future Siege Lords, they are sent to combat regular (but small) Ork incursions on Caldon. This doubles as a trial to recruit neophytes and a defense force composed of (possible) future space marines. These excursions also pick up additional aspirants from Caldon, should they find any.

Combat Doctrine

The Siege Lords combat doctrine is, as their name implies, heavily focused on sieges, both attacking and defending. The chapter has a large number of dreadnoughts, on average five per company (excluding the tenth [scout] company). Predator tanks and Rhino/Razorbacks are often also used. The Siege Lords plan each battle carefully, and favor a well thought out and executed attack, and a planned defense with predetermined fallback positions. The Siege Lords rely on Drop Pods for rapid insertions to their combat zone if on the attack, because the Siege Lords have found that if they can get their heavy weapons and devastator squads set up before the enemy has a chance to get to cover, the enemies' substantial losses will greatly hinder their ability to hold a position. Thunderhawks are also used frequently. On attack, the Siege Lords will usually use drop pods and Thunderhawks to get their Devastator squads into position before their enemy has a chance to react. Under cover of the Devastators, Assault squads use their jump packs to get into the enemy's defensive positions and heavy weapons, nullifying the hostile's ability to destroy the Siege Lord vehicles. Then, Tactical squads mounted in Razorbacks follow Predator tanks and Dreadnoughts into the gaps created by the Assault squads, and dismount behind the enemy's main line of resistance. At this point, the enemy forces are usually routed.

On defense, the Siege Lords employ their devastator squads in overlapping fields of fire, creating a killing zone. Tactical squads hold the main positions, while the Predator tanks and Razorbacks hit the enemy from just behind the main line. Assault squads are usually posted near the Devastators, covering them from melee troops. This was a harshly learned lesson from the Battle of Sian IV. Dreadnoughts are usually armed with assault cannons when on defense, the high rate of fire allowing them to rip apart charging enemy infantry.

Organization

The Siege Lords are a Codex adherant chapter, and as such have ten companies. The First Company is comprised of veterans, and has a venerable dreadnought as well as two regular dreadnoughts incorporated in its organization. The First Company is led by Chapter Master Menteus. Menteus is the Siege Lords first chapter master, and though he decided to lead the First Company, future Siege Lord chapter masters may choose to operate solely as the chapter master with an honor guard, and a Captain will lead the First. The Second, Third, and Fifth Companies contain four tactical squads, three devestator squads, three assault squads, four Predator Tanks, enough drop pods for each unit, ten Razorbacks and two to five dreadnoughts. The Sixth through Ninth Companies are designated as reserve companies, though they are deployed just as much as the other companies. All are composed the same as the Second, Third, and Fifth Companies, as the Siege Lords doctrine requires all companies to be able to carry out an assault or defense following the strategies detailed in the above section. The Fourth Company has not fully recovered due to constant combat, and currently consists of 27 Battle Brothers (2 tactical squads, 2 captains, and a terminator squad) and one Dreadnought; however, the Fourth is currently being rebuilt. The Tenth Company is a Scout Company, usually used to infiltrate enemy defenses, spot and mark high value targets, and snipe enemy commanders. Company number is denoted through shoulder trim, and squad number is shown on the right kneepad.

Beliefs

The Siege Lords harbor a hatred of the Orks rivaled only by the chapter that trained them, the Crimson Fists. Indeed, the fact that both the Crimson Fists and Siege Lords fought the Orks on their homeworlds is a testament to the Chapters' close relationship. The Siege Lords are skilled Ork fighters, but have gained experience fighting forces of Chaos as well as Tyranid splinter fleets. However, so great is the Siege Lords hatred of the Orks that they have allied themselves with Eldar forces repeatedly to destroy Waaaghs! that would have required more forces then were at hand. The Siege Lords have a measure of respect for the Eldar's tactics and ability to strike precisly and efficiently at fortified targets. Regardless, they will not hesitate to attack an Eldar target, should their mission require it. These beliefs have heavily shaped the Chapter, as their organization is tailor made to fight numerous enemies like the Orks and Tyranids, and to undertake strikes against the Forces of Chaos. It might even be said that they are perfect for giving quick, mobile forces heavy support. Whether this is a coincidence or a result of their repeated fighting alongside Eldar forces, none can say.

Geneseed

The Siege Lords were created using what is believed to be Imperial Fist gene seed; however, they retain the all of the Space Marine organs. The records of the Chapter's creation have been stored in the fortress monastery on Sian IV, and have only been seen by Chapter Master Menteus. Some think that steps may have been taken during the Chapter's founding to prevent any degradation of the geneseed if it indeed came from the Imperial Fists, while others believe the Siege Lords were actually created using Ultramarines geneseed. They were trained by a cadre of Crimson Fist veterans, because the Ork threat to Sian IV and Caldon was known, and who better to train a new Chapter in fighting Orks than the Crimson Fists? Whether their Primarch is Guilliman or Dorn, the Siege Lords share a strong connection with the Crimson Fists and Dorn's successors.

Battle Cry

The Siege Lords battlecry reflects their like of carefully prepared and thoroughly thought out actions.

"Victory favors the prepared!"

Coming soon: Siege Lord Battles

[Sons of Erebor]

Just a question, where does the name come from? To me, Seige Lords would imply that they're specifically talented at seiges, but is there a reason as to why they use that name?

[Daylight]

Well, you are correct in that implication. I envisioned them as being good at sieges (both on attack and defense) due to the experience they gained from their chapter's first major battle, and because their "parent" chapter (crimson fists) is talented at defense. Also, when I finish and post the tactics section, I will make sure to adress that well.

[Sons of Erebor]

Thanks for the quick reply, I just saw a potential for an amazing backstory and was wondering sort of what would fill it.

[Daylight]

Thanks :devil:. I hope to be able to fill the backstory as well as I can, and I'm working on the homeworld section now.

[Daylight]

Sorry for the double post. Version 1.0 is up. I thought it would be a good thing to explain the reasoning behind having the Siege Lords team up with Eldar on multiple occasions. My friend and I just recently got into 40k, and he plays Eldar. He has been my ally in every game we've played so far, so I thought it would be good to include something to that effect in my Siege Lords IA.