Iron Shields revisted

[spjaco]

The Iron Shields

 

Chapter is loosely codex adherent. Armor is dark red in color, shoulder pads are grey with company designated by a colored cross on it. Pauldron Trim is according to standard codex colors for each company as well.

Chapter is from the 19th Founding. The chapter has no direct knowledge of its geneseed but believes it to be Guilliman of the Ultramarines. To denote this ALL powerfists of the chapter are painted blue. Veterans either wear a white helmet or a white stripe down the center. Officers usually wear a blue helmet.

 

Home world is called Hurock 4, an industrialized hive planet with a population of nearly seventy billion. Chapter recruits from this world and three other Agri-worlds in their sector. Of some thirty seven planets in their region only five can sustain life. The fifth is a feudal world and is only visited for recruits every two to three hundred years. The Chapter recruits in a manner largely similar to the academy system favored by the Ultramarines.

 

Adeptus Mechanicus lost contact with the planet in the period before the Great Crusade and have been reluctant to return to the sector in force. Their reasons for this have never been revealed. They have however thrown their utmost support to the Chapter and even have asked it to intercede for them in situations where they required Space Marine support in one form or the other.

 

The Fortress Monastery is unique in its design as most of it is underground with access to the surface either by lifts or ramps that conceal themselves upon closure. To the untrained eye it appears that several Imperial Bastions have been used to make a large square one, with one or two others added on top of that. This is close to the truth. But surrounding this are another six Imperial Bastions with a wall interconnecting them. Automated guns stud the perimeter on smaller towers as well. This entire structure sits in the middle of a massive plateau and is the highest point for miles in any direction.

 

When possible the Chapter prefers to deploy as follows:

Two Fire Brigades:

Each consists of two tactical companies, a reserve company organized with four tactical squads and three devastator and assault squads each; and a scout company with ten – ten man squads. One in three squads Tactical Squads have a Land Raider (typically two per company) as opposed to the Rhino, as well as a Land Raider Prometheus for the command squad. A Damocles Command Rhino is available to each commander upon request.

Typical Shield Company Organization is codex adherrant. However each squad uses a Land Raider for its dedicated transport, Rhinos are only used for the Reserve companies.

 

The Chaptermasters have long held a secret as to why they never deploy more than half the chapter outside of its home sector. The rumor has it that the reason is buried somewhere on Hurock 4 and both the Iron Shield Chaptermaster and the AdMech are not in the habit of elaborating.

 

In addition, as the chapter favors armored assaults; the chapter provides each company with four Predator tanks with Lascannon Sponsons, a pair of Vindicators, and a pair of Whirlwinds. This is typically split into two armored assault teams with a pair of Predators joining up with a single Whirlwind and Vindicator. This allows each Company Commander to split his force into to two separate but equal teams and allows him to strike his enemy from two different directions at once.

 

Each Reserve Company makes use of the Rhinos for its squads and lacks the heavier support package.

The Scout Companies make use of the Land Speeder Storm to insert its squads and lacks any other type of firepower.

There is also a Rapid Strike Company which consists of 48 Bikers, 6 Attack Bikes organized into six squads, as well as six squads of three land speeders each (18) in all). The Command Squad for this company also utilizes bikes. This company can split into two, three, or six equal units to better allow them to accomplish their mission.

 

The Veteran Company rank and file typically lacks Terminator Dreadnaught Armor of any kind. The chapter only has a suit for each of its Tactical Company Commanders which are assigned the roles normally handed out to Master of the Chapter as well, as well as the head Librarian and Chaplain of the chapter, the Chapter Master and his Honour Guard (30 Honour Guard in all). Reserve and Scout Company Captains typically lack this armor. This company typically deploys as a single entity by either drop pod or by using eight Land Raiders and a pair of Land Raider Crusaders (one for the commander). The Chapter Master and his Honour Guard typically take to the field in a single Land Raider Redeemer. The chapter also prefers not to carry Plasma weapons on anything but a vehicle.

 

Each Fire Brigade is commanded by a Lieutenant Commander of the Chapter. This is typically a Veteran Captain who has served in one or more Masters of the Chapter positions. They are usually called "Shield Bearer" as leadership of half the chapter carries a great weight and responsibility with it. Each Company Champion is known as the "Shield Guardian" for it is their job to protect the Chapters Honour. The Chapter also has an "Emperor's Champion" who is himself the most veteran of the Guardians.

 

The Chapter has an unusually large number of Land Raiders (25 in all) but has gone in this direction to compensate for their lack of TDA and to coincide with their brutal frontal assault mentality. The Rapid Strike Company is also normally used to flank an enemy position in order to maximize his confusion just prior to the mechanized assault smashing into his lines. It can also be used in tandem with the scout companies to harass and interdict supplies and interrupt the enemies command and control elements in their rear areas. They can use the option to deploy their assault squads with their jetpacks but as this usually leaves them vulnerable and exposed to enemy fire it is seldom done. It is also not unheard of for a Veteran Combat squad to attach themselves to the Assault Squad and deploy with said squad either from a Land Raider or with jet packs.

 

The Chapter has a pair of Battle Barges, as well as as three strike cruisers (one each for the Rapid Strike Company and the Veteran Company, with another tasked out to whichever Shield Company is operating seperate at the time). Other support vessels exist but will not be mentioned here.

 

The Iron Shields focus most of their energies to the security of their sector. However they will respond to any plea for assistance with utmost haste, particularly if summoned by the Lord of Macragge.

 

This post has been edited by spjaco: Today, 01:53 PM

[spjaco]

In addition, roughly half the chapter (a Fire Brigade) is kept aboard the Battle Barge and Cruisers at any given time to react to piracy near their sector as well as the threat of Tau and Tyranid incursions.

[Ekim_Trub]

Sorry to rain on your parade- but this Chapter is too unbalanced! They have access to more Land Raiders than any other Chapter, 1st Founding included- but only have 1 Battle Barge and 2 Strike Cruisers??

 

I also don't see many opportunities to utilise the Fire Brigades. It just doesn't work for me bud.

[spjaco]

Hokay, lemme tinker a bit.

[spjaco]

deleted entry

[spjaco]

The "Fire Brigade" option allows the chapter to deploy half its forces in manner that allows it to almost act as an independent unit.

[spjaco]

The Chapter regards the Emperor as a superior leader and human being, but see little point in making him into a god-like figure. They regard Guilleman in much the same light.

 

The Chapter however does not interfere with those followers of the Emperor or Guilleman who hold these beings as Dieties.

[Shinzaren]

I'm gonna edit this post in just a sec, and do a full work up of my thoughts, but first, I have to ask nicely that you Edit your main post when you make changes, as it allows new readers to see the newest stuff right away. After that, you might wanna give it time. The Liber is SLOW. Responses will come, but when the last 4 responses are yours, you seem a little desperate :)

 

I WILL RETURN! Gotta grab some munchies!

 

EDIT: I return!

 

Chapter is loosely codex adherent. Armor is dark red in color, shoulder pads are grey with company designated by a colored cross on it.

This would be easier to just show with the SM Painter.

 

Paldron

Pauldron, with a U.

 

 

Home world is called Huron 4, an industrialized hive planet with a population of nearly seventy billion.

Huron 4 makes me think of Huron Blackheart. Which probably isn't a good thing for a Loyalist chapter. However, it's just a name, so maybe it's nothing.

 

They have however thrown their utmost support to the Chapter and even have asked it to intercede for them in situations where they required Space Marine support in one form or the other. It is because of this unrequested support that the chapter has benefited by recieving more Land Raiders than they would normally have.

This is a contradiction. If the AdMech is asking them to do stuff, then the support they give is not unrequested. It is, in fact, requested. What purpose does it serve to have your chapter have more Land Raiders? Is it integral to the backround or combat style of the Iron Shields? If not, way raise the issue of giving your marines so many Land Raiders?

 

The Fortress Monastery is unique in its design as most of it is underground with access to the surface either by lifts or ramps that conceal themselves upon closure. To the untrained eye it appears that several Imperial Bastions have been used to make a large square one, with one or two others added on top of that. This is close to the truth. But surrounding this are another six Imperial Bastions with a wall interconnecting them. Automated guns stud the perimeter on smaller towers as well. This entire structure sits in the middle of a massive plateau and is the highest point for miles in any direction.

That's a lot of detail for the Fortress Monastery, which may be necessary. However, with an IA, you want to keep it as short and salient as possible while still relaying the important facts. Again, could be an issue, but it could be vitally important. Just something to keep an eye on.

 

When possible the Chapter prefers to deploy as follows:

Two Fire Brigades:

Each consists of two tactical companies, a reserve company organized with four tactical squads and three devastator and assault squads each; and a scout company with ten – ten man squads. One in three squads Tactical Squads have a Land Raider (typically two per company) as opposed to the Rhino, as well as a Land Raider Prometheus for the command squad. A Damocles Command Rhino is available to each commander upon request.

Typical Shield Company Organization is codex adherrant. However each squad uses a Land Raider for its dedicated transport, Rhinos are only used for the Reserve companies.

Why? Why deploy as Fire Brigades? What motivation is there? Especially given that the amount of Marine-power and firepower that a Fire Brigade is made of would be capable of cleansing whole planets. What do they do for smaller deployments. What is a Shield Company? What is the difference between a Fire Brigade and a Shield Company?

 

In addition, as the chapter favors armored assaults; the chapter provides each company with four Predator tanks with Lascannon Sponsons, a pair of Vindicators, and a pair of Whirlwinds. This is typically split into two armored assault teams with a pair of Predators joining up with a single Whirlwind and Vindicator. This allows each Company Commander to split his force into to two separate but equal teams and allows him to strike his enemy from two different directions at once.

This and the rest of the organization are very detailed, which is good, but it's almost too much detail.

 

Each Reserve Company makes use of the Rhinos for its squads and lacks the heavier support package.

The Scout Companies make use of the Land Speeder Storm to insert its squads and lacks any other type of firepower.

There is also a Rapid Strike Company which consists of 48 Bikers, 6 Attack Bikes organized into six squads, as well as six squads of three land speeders each (18) in all). The Command Squad for this company also utilizes bikes. This company can split into two, three, or six equal units to better allow them to accomplish their mission.

This is also very very detailed.

 

The Veteran Company rank and file typically lacks Terminator Dreadnaught Armor of any kind.

Why? I thought they were good buddies with the AdMech? Why wouldn't they have TDA? That doesn't make much sense.

 

The chapter only has a suit for each of its Tactical Company Commanders which are assigned the roles normally handed out to Master of the Chapter as well, as well as the head Librarian and Chaplain of the chapter, the Chapter Master and his Honour Guard (30 Honour Guard in all). Reserve and Scout Company Captains typically lack this armor. This company typically deploys as a single entity by either drop pod or by using eight Land Raiders and a pair of Land Raider Crusaders (one for the commander). The Chapter Master and his Honour Guard typically take to the field in a single Land Raider Redeemer. The chapter also prefers not to carry Plasma weapons on anything but a vehicle.

Again this is VERY specific, bordering on too specific for the IA, as it is supposed to written from a broad historical view.

Codex: Space Marines states that the Honor Guard of the oldest and most revered chapters is barely 24 Marines. Why do you so many, especially as a relatively young chapter? Are your standards less stringent? Or are your marines simply better? Why emphasize the specific number of marines?

 

The Chapter has an unusually large number of Land Raiders (25 in all) but has gone in this direction to compensate for their lack of TDA and to coincide with their brutal frontal assault mentality.

See above.

 

The Chapter has a pair of Battle Barges, as well as as two strike cruisers (one each for the Rapid Strike Company and the Veteran Company). Other support vessels exist but will not be mentioned here.

Only two Strike Cruisers? I dunno how many is common, but that seems low. Perhaps it is just me though.

 

The Iron Shields focus most of their energies to the security of their sector. However they will respond to any plea for assistance with utmost haste, particularly if summoned by the Lord of Macragge.

They maintain solid ties with the Vanilla Gorillas then? Perhaps this would make a good sidebar, especially if you make up a battle or campaign for them to partner on.

 

All in all, it's very detailed, and you have a solid idea of how you want this build. I would caution against delving too deeply into all the specifics, and the numbers though. Pointed out what issues I saw, and what questions I had. Good luck and keep up the good work.

[spjaco]

Shinzaren -

Made a few of the improvements you mentioned.

 

I would like to point out that instead of calling its Battle Companies well BATTLE COMPANIES the Chapter calls them Shield Companies. You can call a Mustang a Shelby Cobra, but it is still after all only a variant of a Mustang. A very nice, very powerful, very beautiful Mustang. Same animal, different name.

 

Why Fire Brigades? Well I expounded upon it in the little fluff I have.

 

Why so few TDA? Well since TDA is limited to begin with, and many current founding chapters have none I decided I would use the TDA sparingly. Shows how even a Chapter with AdMech backing lacks some of the nicer items of kit.

 

In the end I trimed the number of Landraiders down to 25, still a lot, but no where near as big as 56 I orginally listed.

 

Previously I had the chapter having three Battle Barges and Six Strike Cruisers. This was frowned upon, so I dropped it to 2 and five. Still frowned upon, so I went to two and two, gave em some fluff as to why and well, here we are. I could go back to 2 and 3, but I havent decided on that as of yet.

[Shinzaren]

Ok, then you need to clarify for the reader what you mean by Shield Companies, so there isn't that confusion.

 

Fire Brigades are good for large deployments, that I can get behind. What do they do for small scale engagements though?

 

I think people disliked having Three Battle Barges for a Homeworld based chapter. My Sons of Lightning are fleet based and only have 2 BBs, though one is nice and big and awesome like the Eternal Crusader. Strike cruisers are your bread and butter of marine deployment though, and they are the most common way of getting around to the enemies. Gonna want a minimum of 3, I would say 4 just for good measure. However, that is my opinion, and I am sure someone will have a contradictory one.

[spjaco]

Okay, Shin, what you say about Shield Companies makes since.

 

I think I will give em three Cruisers just for good measure. At first they werent stuck guarding the house so to speak, but I think I have left enough mystery in the fluff for things to be pretty interesting.

 

Oh and when I use the URL the Space Marine painter on this site provides me for my SM on a post I get this message from the B&C:

You have entered a link to a website that the administrator does not allow links to

 

I guess they dont allow links to their own site now. Never had much luck getting that thing to work for me anyways. Usually post my stuff on Facebook and get comments like "What is that weird looking guy?" so oh well.

 

For smaller engagements I added the third Cruiser so that they have some more flexibility. Typically though when the threat is in their home sector they respond by sending in a scout force to determine the nature of the threat then send in twice the force usually required by other chapters to eliminate it in a brutal enough fashion to detour further action by the enemy or ensure their destruction. (Yeah, they act more like a sledgehammer than a scapel, but they are smart with its use.)

[Grey Hunter Ydalir]

I made a tiny, amateur tutorial a while ago. Try this:

 

Save the image to your HD.

 

Upload it to your B&C public album.

 

Copy the image link from there and wrap it in the

 

[img][/img]

 

tags.

[spjaco]

Thanks Grey Hunter. I will try it as soon as I get a chance. Gotta run home and get my little one off the school bus.

 

Thanks Shinzaren for the constructive criticsm. Much appreciated.

[spjaco]

Any more suggestions on how to improve this?

[The Normish]

I'll have a look at it... Stand by for my comments.

[Niiai]

I have just skimmed this, but what if the chapter has a standing agreement to go on some huge hunt with one of the wolf lords. When a new wolf lord has recived the seat they see it as sutch a great honour that they cant refuse. (Come on, a whole chapter that bends it knees to one wolf lord during some hunts, how funn aint that for the wolf lord`? Nobody will say no.)

[spjaco]

I have just skimmed this, but what if the chapter has a standing agreement to go on some huge hunt with one of the wolf lords. When a new wolf lord has recived the seat they see it as sutch a great honour that they cant refuse. (Come on, a whole chapter that bends it knees to one wolf lord during some hunts, how funn aint that for the wolf lord`? Nobody will say no.)

 

 

I am afraid I dont understand your post. I didnt mention the Space Wolves at all. I like that chapter but this chapter follows a different path, in fact they operate nearer the Ultima Segmentum, the Ultramarines from whom they recieved thier geneseed.

 

Could you please clarify?