IA: Steel Guard

[Ediin]

Steel Guard

"Nemo mea poena effugit''

In 738.M41, the High Lords of Terra declared that the time was right for a new founding, the 26th, which led to the creation of numerous new Space Marine chapters.

One of these chapters was the Steel Guard.

The chapter chosen to provide Battle-brothers for the new Chapter were the Red Talons, an Iron Hands successor. Experienced members left their brothers to become Sergeants and Captains in the Steel Guard, thereby introducing the doctrines and beliefs of the Iron Hands into the new chapter.

The task of leading the Steel Guard as Chapter Master was given to Elias Varren. Originally Captain of the Red Talons' 3rd Company, Varren was known for his brutal mechanised assaults. After having half his face shot off by a sniper and replaced with metal in 679.M41, Varren had developed an unhealthy obsession for machines and metals that would

have been wieved with suspicion by most other Space Marines. In the Red Talons, however, his bionical replacements was seen as a blessing from the Primarch himself.

Upon the day of his departure, Varren was presented with one of the most sacred relics of the Red Talons: The Blade of the Forge, a Power Weapon rumored to have been wielded by the first Master of the Red Talons.

Early Campaigns

The Steel Guard spent their first 500 years of existence as a space-borne chapter, plying the inky darkness of the void in their starships. Operating mostly around the rim of the

Maelstrom, the chapter successfully destroyed several minor Ork empires and pirate strongholds. The chapter had developed a special way of deploying armoured units, utilising

massed Thunderhawk Transporters to deliver Predators and Land Raiders which often caught the enemy by surprise. Unprepared enemy squads were then forced to stand up

against the full armoured might of a Space Marine assault.

In 888.M41, the chapter participated in the Crusade of Wrath, successfully assissting the Black Templars in destroying numerous bases and space stations belonging to the

Word Bearers. However, the chapter experienced their first major loss when the Master of the Forge, Jamal Dolnak, was killed by the Dark Apostlet Covtax.

Chapter Master Varren vowed not to rest until Dolnak was avenged and Covtax dead. They chased the Dark Apostle across the galaxy for 9 years. He was finally cornered and

beheaded by Captain Forlan on the planet Nidaal II. Their hunt meant that the chapter was not present during the Badab Uprising when Lufgt Huron was defeated.

The Avrian Liberation

http://planetquest.jpl.nasa.gov/images/earthlikePlanet-202.jpg

Avria is a world of contrasts.

The eastern continent is an industrialised mass of forges and hives, always choked in the smog erupting from thousands of Manufactorums. The citizens spend their whole lives

working in the production lines, getting very little payment from the richer men who own the forges. These forges produce masses of munitions and weapons for the

Imperial Guard regiments stationed around the Maelstrom, and it is thanks to them that Avria is considered a rich world by most standards.

The western continent is completely opposite. It is the very model of an Agri-world, with farmers sowing and harvesting to feed their cousins to the east.

Separating the continents is a large ocean known as the Perdian Sea. Stretching around the whole planet like the ring on a finger, the Perdian Sea was named after the man who first crossed it, Adril Perdia.

The military might of Avria was not insubstantial. Due to the riches made from exporting munitions, the Governor could afford to maintain a standing force of PDF regiments.

In addition to the naval forces, the regiments defending Avria were no less than 14 in number, including the famous Drop-troopers of the Avrian 3rd ''Glory Boys''.

Due to it position so close to the Maelstrom, Avria had always been target for raids and pirate attacks. However, the planet hadn't been victim to a large invasion for 1100 years.

Avrian forces had played a relatively small role in the Badab Uprising and had only sent a couple of escort squadrons to protect Imperial shipping.

WAAAAGH!

When the long-range augurs and sensors of Avrias capital, Hive Voral, detected an Ork fleet heading straight for the planet, massed panic ensured.

Citizens were demonstrating outside the Governors' palace and apocalyptic cults began preaching doom in the streets. In the end, the Governor was forced

to order soldiers to open fire upon the citizens to drive them away. After seeing a few of their number being torn apart by Heavy Bolter fire, most citizens

calmed down.

5 days after first contact, the Ork fleet slammed into the battleships orbiting Avria like a slegdehammer on a piece of fruit. After a brutal battle the Orks broke through and

started landing troops on the surface. The Governor ordered the Astropathic Choir to send out cries for help, but no answer was recieved. It looked like this was a war

the Avrians were required to fight themselves.

The green horde landed in force on the western continent. After a few days of rampant pillaging and sacking they had burned down the crops and killed the farmers.

When they arrived at the shore of the Perdian Sea, the greenskins started constructing rafts and improvised boats. 1 month after first contact, the Orks started crossing the

ocean.

But on the eastern side the Avrians were not unprepared. 5 PDF regiments had constructed battlements and trenched on the shore, and scores of Manticores and Basilisks

were wheeled into position.

When the rafts came into range, a thousand enormous explosions from artillery, missiles and autocannons greeted them. Thunderbolts and Marauder Destroyers made attack runs

which destroyed dozens of crude boats.

It was not enough.

The sound of the first Ork raft hitting the shore signalled the defeat of the Imperial army as clearly as any trumpet. Only a few Guardsmen made it back.

The greenskins stormed into the wastes and began assaulting the hives.

Hive Granval was the first to fall.

It was quickly followed by Hive Shadel, Kosh and Brandir, until only Hive Voral remained. Outside the walls a green sea stretched out for miles across the wastes.

And then the first Drop Pod fell.

It was followed by many more, until the green horde was completely surrounded by a thin chain of black and silver Drop Pods.

And then the Space Marines emerged, cutting down the nearest greenskins in a hail of bolter shells. Thunderhawks emerged from the skies and unloaded

Vindicators and Predators. Chapter Master Varren led the charge and personally beheaded the Ork Warboss.

After the battle, the planet of Avria was given to the Steel Guard to rule and rebuild, which they do to this day.

Beliefs

The Steel Guard have inherited their beliefs from the Red Talons, and revere machines as strong while despising the flesh as weak and vulnerable.

Each Battle-brother aspires to replace their whole body with bionics to eliminate all their weaknesses.

As other Space Marines, they revere the Emperor not as a god, but as the mightiest man to ever have lived.

Battle-cry

''We Are The Emperors Chosen, We Are The Swords Of Steel!''

Organisation

The Steel Guard are technically a Codex chapter, but due to their heritage there are a few minor differences in the chapters command. First of all is the role of Techmarines in

the chapter. Because of the chapters beliefs, the Techmarines ar viewed as holy figures, being able to communicate with the machines. The Master of the Forge is therefore

admired and respected by his Battle-brothers and his words bear almost as much weight as those of the Chapter Master.

Their company organisation follows the Codex Astartes, 10 companies with 6 Tactical, 2 Assault and 2 Devastator Squads. However, due to their recent founding the chapter

is unable to field 1000 Battle-brothers. Instead, the chapters current strenght numbers 4 battle companies, 2 reserve companies, 50 Scouts and 50 Veterans.

The Steel Guard have fewer Librarians than other chapters. Whether this is because of the worlds they recruit from have a low psyker birth-rate or due to some other reason is not

known. However, the Librarians of the Steel Guard are no less powerful than those of other chapters.

The Chaplains of the Steel Guard are the men responsible for ensuring that each Battle-brother keeps his faith at all times. In addition to their other duties, a Chaplain must be

present at the induction of a new recruit into the Scout company. The recruit must be examined thoroughly, with Librarians looking into every corner of his mind, while

Chaplains search for the merest trace of heresy. If any taint is found, the recruit is dealt with summarily.

Combat Doctrine

The Steel Guard favour using Land Raiders and Rhino-mounted squads to form and armoured spearhead, with Vindicators forming mobile fire support.

Razorback-mounted Sternguard Veterans are used as fast outriders acting separately from the main force and are highly valued.

The Predator is often used by the chapter and despite being a young chapter, the Steel Guard can easily muster many more of these vehicles than other chapters.

Note: English is not my first language. Please forgive any spelling mistakes.

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Looks good so far. The battle cry could use improvement- "swords of steel" are unremarkable to any civilization with Iron Age technology or higher. Maybe "swords of adamantium," "swords of justice," "swords of vengeance," or "swords of retribution," will sound better?

[Ediin]

Well, I did have a few doubts concerning the battle-cry, but in the end, I thought a battle-cry needs a few key ingredients:

 

1. Easy to shout (especially in the heat of battle).

2. Tie in with the chapters background.

 

While I agree that the battle-cry is not perfect, it will work for now.

 

EDIT: I expanded some sections and added the ''Organisation'' piece.

[Bjorn Firewalker]

How about "We bring a Storm of Steel!" instead?