Founding Chapters

[Tabris_]

Hi, i'm a WH40k noob just envisioning my first army. I've been reading many sites in the search for fluff and information but there are some questions i don't really understand.

 

1 - Who have the power to recruit a new marine into an existing chapter? Who makes the process that transforms them into marines?

2 - When a new chapter is formed, how the people that will form are selected? Some come from other chapters or it's just the chapter's gene-seed that is used in a entire batch of new recruits?

3 - Can two different chapters have the same recruiting worlds? As an example. Could another chapter other than the White Scars recruit from Mundus Planus? Could them have it as their main recruiting world?

[Vash113]

Hi, i'm a WH40k noob just envisioning my first army. I've been reading many sites in the search for fluff and information but there are some questions i don't really understand.

 

1 - Who have the power to recruit a new marine into an existing chapter? Who makes the process that transforms them into marines?

 

Recruitment is a complex and ritualized process that is overseen by a number of individuals. In short most Chapters will have the initial selection performed by the Captain of the 10th Company, the recruits will then be spiritually tested by a Chaplain, psychically tested by a Librarian and physically tested by an Apothecary. All examinations are critical and failure at any one will see the recruit killed, turned into a servitor or relegated to a Chapter Serf for the rest of his life. The process itself was laid down by the Emperor and other than being slowed down hasn't changed since the Great Crusade.

 

2 - When a new chapter is formed, how the people that will form are selected? Some come from other chapters or it's just the chapter's gene-seed that is used in a entire batch of new recruits?

 

As far as we know the Mechanicus selects the new batch of recruits, and has them trained by officers seconded from an existing Chapter.

 

3 - Can two different chapters have the same recruiting worlds? As an example. Could another chapter other than the White Scars recruit from Mundus Planus? Could them have it as their main recruiting world?

 

No, a Chapter would almost certainly not allow another to recruit from their world and never allow it to be the main recruiting world for another Chapter. Heck most worlds can barely supply enough recruits for one Chapter and many Chapters recruit from multiple worlds already. Feral worlds are some of the most popular for recruitment as they breed hardy and deadly recruits but these worlds generally have very low populations and can only be recruited from so often lest the locals be left with too few youths to continue their harsh existence.

[Grey Mage]

Yeah, Ive seen it written that many imperial worlds have not a single person of the right age and abilities to make a space marine, and that the total marines in the emperors service is fewer than the planets under his control.

 

You dont let other people have a resource that valuable, particularly when your way of life dies out without it.

[Jarl Bloodwolf]

Hi, i'm a WH40k noob just envisioning my first army. I've been reading many sites in the search for fluff and information but there are some questions i don't really understand.

 

1 - Who have the power to recruit a new marine into an existing chapter? Who makes the process that transforms them into marines?

2 - When a new chapter is formed, how the people that will form are selected? Some come from other chapters or it's just the chapter's gene-seed that is used in a entire batch of new recruits?

3 - Can two different chapters have the same recruiting worlds? As an example. Could another chapter other than the White Scars recruit from Mundus Planus? Could them have it as their main recruiting world?

 

1.Within a chapter it is usually up to the Master of The Recruits (10th company captain) to find apsirants who will be turned into space marines but the Space Wolves leave the responsibility to their Wolf Priests. The actual process of turning an aspirant into a marine is carried out by the members of the chapters apothecary and techmarine organizations.

 

2.It is commonly held that a fledgling chapter will be led and trained by a small group of veterans seconded from the parent chapter. Depending on the chapters preferances they will first be made up of recruits drawn from Terra (or another suitable planet) untill they have proven themselves worthy enough to be granted a homeworld where they will draw recruits from the planets populace OR they will recruit from worlds that they campaign on. Also the creation of the organs used in making new marines is carried out by the Adeptus Mechanicus on Mars as they are the ones who posses the gene samples taken from the chapters. They grow the organs in slaves and then remove them in order to be emplanted into recruits when the time comes

 

3.I think the chapters would have to be related for them to draw recruits from the same world but even at that I find it unlikely as a planet probably woulden't have enough suitable warriors to supply to 2 differant chapters. But theres nothing stopping you from having your chapter draw recruits from a planet that is LIKE the planet of their parent planet. Look at Mundus Planus (White Scars) and Atilla (Imperial Guard Atillan Rough Riders) they are both seperate worlds with similar cultures. When humanity colonised the galaxy its unlikely that the cultures of Terra settled on only one planet

[Sawtooth]

Welcome to the forums! Some answers as best I can relay:

 

1. The actual Marine doing it can vary by Chapter, but in general most Imperial organizations will not interfere with Marines recruiting who they deem most worthy. Such recruits are less likely to step on the toes of Planetary Governors and the like since Marines tend to choose the most brutal and capable, rather than worry about interfering with noble houses and such. Most Chapters have a standing agreement of some sort based on the worlds they recruit from establishing that the Marines will recruit from there. Depending on the rituals of the Chapter, the actual person monitoring the recruits can vary. Many have Chaplains trained to do the task, or members of the leadership element of the 10th Company.

 

From there the Apothecaries perform the needed surgery, and the Chaplains and trainers tutor the aspirant. Hypno-indocrination is used (think hypnotism to teach combat skills and religious dogma), and the aspirants must go through various rituals depending on the Chapter. The 'wash-out' rate is usually very high. Those who fail (again depending on the Chapter) either die, become Chapter serfs (normal or genetically modified servants of the Chapter), or are lobotomized and become servitors for the Chapter.

 

2. Generally you start with the geneseed sample and grow it in inert slaves, growing and harvesting until you have enough to start a new Chapter. Many Chapters loan personel to help start up the new Chapter if it uses their geneseed. Some get operations running and then return, others actually leave their original Chapter and become leaders to the new one permanently. In this way many traditions can be shared among Chapters who also share a geneseed.

 

3. Highly doubtful. Chapters are jealous of their recruiting worlds. If they found another Chapter recruiting there it would probably end in armed conflict. The Grey Knights are the only ones who seem to violate that rule and have fought other recruiters from different Chapters before. But then they are sort of a special case. As for existing Chapters, like the White Scars, their background is well established and we can definately say that no other Chapter (except perhaps extremely rare Grey Knights) recruit from their world. Especially for a First Founding Chapter. Any Chapter trying to violate that for whatever reason risks open warfare, and would likely be seen as an upstart guilty of heresy and branded traitor.

 

It is conceivable that two Chapters not established in the background could recruit from a single world for various reasons. It would be unorthodox but not impossible.

[Tabris_]

I was thinking about having my DYI Chapter have being born in Mundus Planus but even without knowing it created a background that might avoid this issue.

 

It's stated in the books i've being reading that the White Scars recruit from the steppe tribes of Mundus Planus. At Index Astartes however it says that before Jagartai Khan arrived the main power in Mundus Planus was a empire under a certain Palatine. It's conceivable in my opinion that not everybody in Mundus Planus is from those steppe tribes them.

 

My idea is that the original Star Stalkers (my DYI chapter) were recruited from city dwelling natives of Mundus Planus that are usually not recruited by the White Scars because they are not considered of the same good stock of the steppe nomads. The Star Stalkers however are not bound to Mundus Planus, the chapter was reassigned as soon as the threat they initially faced at Mundus Planus (a huge Dark Eldar attack) was defeated. They like to think of themselves as sort of nomads and their Fortress-Monastery is actually a spaceship. As they were formed recently most of their recruits are city dwelling people from Mundus Magnus that don't have a drop of blood from the people of the steppes but that adopted their philosophy and ways of the White Scars anyway.

 

The Star Stalkers however are not White Scars and their different origin really makes for some friction between the two chapters.

 

The Star Stalkers believe they are truly nomads in ways that even the steppe nomads don't. They have no homeworld of their own, no set recruting world. They value the idea of constantly changing their bases of operations to wherever duty calls them, recruiting as they go as long as they don't get in another chapter world. Their believe is that if they have to live to Jagatai Khan vision of the Imperium being destined to conquer the starts them they must themselves conquer them, from this comes their name and ways.

 

 

 

 

Well... i'm sorry if i talked too much, i'm excited by the whole idea of creating my army. I think every noob gets that one day. I think that if it's not acceptable i can easily change the story by saying the White Scars were in another world fighting the Dark Eldar and the Star Stalkers were recruited from there. It would change nothing about the story and flavor of the chapter as they are already people from other cultures that adopted the ways of the steppe nomads of Mundus Planus.

 

This whole idea came to me in the strangest of ways. I liked the White Scars but tought my army should behavior in a way similar to my Macedon army in Rome: Total War. They have fast troops but use them to control the battlefield and support their heavy infantry (Of course, this changes a lot when you get from Ancient Earth to far future intergalactic empires).

 

EDIT: I notice too that this recruitment idea makes the Star Stalkers an exception, and when you are creating things like Chapters it sucks because there should be lots of exceptions from other players DYI Chapters. I give it to you veterans to say to me if this idea is too fantastic or goes against the canon or the feel of W40k, i'm after all only a beginner.

[Jarl Bloodwolf]

If you want a chapter that uses the same tactics as the White Scars but dosent have the same exact culture you're better off making a seperate homeworld for them or since your chapter sounds like its fleet based then have them recruit from the worlds they fight on. They don't have to come from a culture to use certain tactics. Also a chapter woulden't be created just to fight one battle and then leave as for 1 there is no way that the High Lords of Terra would know of the attack before it happened in enough time to make a whole chapter, 2 chapter recruitment worlds are some of the most highly defended planets in the entire Imperium especially the worlds of one of the original 20 legions so IF a Dark Eldar force was large enough to pose any real threat to Mundus Planus (unlikely, Dark Eldar are raiders not horde fighters) then the chapter would just recall all of its companies.

 

For what you want I would have your chapter be a fleet based successor of the White Scars whose main task is to prevent Dark Eldar raids throughout a sector. But thats just me

[Tabris_]

If you want a chapter that uses the same tactics as the White Scars but dosent have the same exact culture you're better off making a seperate homeworld for them or since your chapter sounds like its fleet based then have them recruit from the worlds they fight on. They don't have to come from a culture to use certain tactics. Also a chapter woulden't be created just to fight one battle and then leave as for 1 there is no way that the High Lords of Terra would know of the attack before it happened in enough time to make a whole chapter, 2 chapter recruitment worlds are some of the most highly defended planets in the entire Imperium especially the worlds of one of the original 20 legions so IF a Dark Eldar force was large enough to pose any real threat to Mundus Planus (unlikely, Dark Eldar are raiders not horde fighters) then the chapter would just recall all of its companies.

 

For what you want I would have your chapter be a fleet based successor of the White Scars whose main task is to prevent Dark Eldar raids throughout a sector. But thats just me

I've being reconsidering, it would be against the grim and dark setting to have such a friendly realation between two chapters.

And actually i like the White Scars culture and phylosophy, that exactly why i chosen to have the Star Stalkers use their geneseed and have such a large influence by them, however if i wanted to make a Chapter that is just like the White Scars them i would play the white scars. The idea of having non-steppe nomads adopting elements of another culture is just my way of making them unique. And now thinking, having them coming from some place else rather than Mundus Planus makes them much different from the White Scars and makes it easier for me to use my creativity (and i have a lot) and create new elements.

 

Note that my ideas for the Star Stalkers are in brainstorming phase and should change A LOT until i put together a IA for them. It's always nice to hear other people opinions and specially new ideas.

 

So what in my new version of the story i'll be changing somethings.

 

1 - They recruit in any world they are stationed in, and may also visit some worlds for the sole purpose of recruting. They of course respect the recruiting worlds of other Chapters

2 - The whole story i was creating about their foundation doesn't have the right feel for WH40k. So they were recruited in a world i will not name now and trained by a White Scars chapter stationed there. They will still come from a background far different from the steppe nomads, i'll probably stick with them being mostly recruited from criminal and poor people from a large metropolis, maybe a Hive Worlds. I think this creates an interesting duality with people that came from a urban society adopting a culture that is pretty much tribal.

3 - I have placed them into the 25th Founding, making them a rather recent Chapter, i'm thinking about making them a little older, so they would still have the mongol influence i like but would have created an identity for themselves much different from the White Scars. This is to further differentiate them

4 - I might add both visual and thematically elements to differentiate them from the White Scars a little more. I'll research about other nomad people and cultures that descent from the mongols to get new ideas.

[Skirax]

It's different for certain Chapters. With the Space Wolves, it's slightly more complex:

1. Wolf Priests constantly scan the tribes for the greatest warriors. When one is selected, that Priest will stalk that warrior until this warrior dies in glorious battle, which is almost inevitable.

2. When said warrior dies, he is resurected from Morkai's realm using certain runes.

3. From this point on he begins mental and physical training, until his body is willing to accept the geneseed.

4. Rune Priests will scan his mind before implanting the geneseed; any impurities that are found are ironed out, but if the rot is too deep, then they are rejected. Then the Geneseed is implanted.

5. Total implantation may range in time, as it will take a while for the effects to fully take hold of the host. Eventually, when he and his fellow selectees are ready, they are assigned into Claws and sent into the wilderness of Asaheim.

6. Should the Claws return back to the Fang, they are inducted as Blood Claws, and begin their final stage of training; memory-birth. A strange tool is attached to their heads and the memory of a thousand other Wolves are implanted in thier minds, to fully help them become Space Wolves.

7. Combat indoctrination; the Blood Claw pack, now just 15 strong, will be sent into a battle zone, which will mold their temper and give them control over the raging beast within them. Hopefully.

[Legatus]

A short note:

Recruitment is a complex and ritualized process that is overseen by a number of individuals. (...) The process itself was laid down by the Emperor and other than being slowed down hasn't changed since the Great Crusade.

The process that had been used during the Great Crusade was a lot less thorough, which was deemed to have been one of the flaws that made the Marines susceptible to Chaos influence. To establish a much more controlled process of gene growth and screening and training of new aspirants was one of the most important reforms in the Codex Astartes.

[Espada Azul]

Oooh, so it was moved to Liber. Let's start the ball rolling with the Liber Astartes Guide to DIYing, yes?

 

1 - They recruit in any world they are stationed in, and may also visit some worlds for the sole purpose of recruting. They of course respect the recruiting worlds of other Chapters

2 - The whole story i was creating about their foundation doesn't have the right feel for WH40k. So they were recruited in a world i will not name now and trained by a White Scars chapter stationed there. They will still come from a background far different from the steppe nomads, i'll probably stick with them being mostly recruited from criminal and poor people from a large metropolis, maybe a Hive Worlds. I think this creates an interesting duality with people that came from a urban society adopting a culture that is pretty much tribal.

3 - I have placed them into the 25th Founding, making them a rather recent Chapter, i'm thinking about making them a little older, so they would still have the mongol influence i like but would have created an identity for themselves much different from the White Scars. This is to further differentiate them

4 - I might add both visual and thematically elements to differentiate them from the White Scars a little more. I'll research about other nomad people and cultures that descent from the mongols to get new ideas.

 

 

1. The fun part about having a completely fleet-based Chapter is the fact that you can have a VERY eclectic pool of recruits.

2. Definitely. As mentioned, new Chapters aren't simply built up that way. However, you COULD have it that a training cadre from the White Scars (or their Successors) train the neophytes of your DIY.

3. You don't have to keep the Mongol influence for a White Scars successor. I mean, not all Ultramarines Successors have the same traditions as the Ultramarines -- the Mortifactors are a VERY good example of how wildly a Successor can diverge from its ancestor.

4. Looking forward to what you come up with.