IT: Space Rats

[Jiron]

Gutter Runners

 

Chapter name: Gutter Runners

Founding chapter: Raven Guard

Chaos devotion: Horned Rat (unaligned daemon)

Commander: King Rat

Specialty: Daemonic incursions, slavery, city fighting

 

 

The Gutter Runners Chapter has been once the Emperors eye in the night, expert cityfighters and versatile warriors. Nowadays, they are just handful of individuals making their unholy rituals in the underground floors of once proud fortress in the middle of dead ruins.

 

Origins:

The Gutter Runners chapter has been founded at 729M41 as a Raven Guard successor. They have been trained for fighting in the deadly and narrow enviroment of the city streets and underground tunnels and caverns.

The chapter has been founded using Corax gene-seed.

 

Homeworld:

The planet of Skaavus has been highly populated world with the most of it‘s surface covered by huge cities as well as underground tunnels. While on „the Spires“ lived the wealthy and powerful, in „the Burrows“ the lowly and poor were slowly dying out. The Rats were operational on both sides, where they became cunning and ruthless alike. The livestyle on Skaavus was quite stabby. Deceit, forgery, slight manipulation with people, poisoning and blades in the dark as well has been the favorite methods of obtaining power. Lies and treachery everywhere. The space marines stationed on the planet, were meant to set the right curse for the humanity on the there. Unfortunatelly, the treacherous attitude found it’s way even to the rigid mind of space marines.

 

Doctrine:

The Marines of the Gutter Runners are extremely cunning, plotting every strike to the very detail. Decoy, assassination, ambush and deciet are most popular weapons. The greatest virtue of a Gutter Runner’s commander is impredictability.

 

History:

Immediately after the founding, the chapter started to enforce the weakened Imperial law in the systém. There are some occurences that included involvment of Gutter Runners untill their downfall:

 

-Blood from the Spires – A small rebellion against the Imperial rule started by local nobles. Solved calmly untill it broke to a perfectly planned assassination of planet governor and a chapter master. The attempt failed and the ringleaders has been persecuted, found and exemplary executed.

 

-Waaagh! Mekboss – Skaavus systém has been as well assaulted by the orks under lead of Big Mek known as Mekboss. Gutter Runners has skillfully crippled orks deployment and slowly destroyed unit after unit with concentrated firepower.

 

-Alpha Legion Activities – Gutter Runners intervention has been necessary in the Borrows as well. It has became obvious that a Chaos Cult worshipping a strange daemon entity is secretly operating on Skaavus, preparing to také control of the systém. At first, Gutter Runners has infiltrated the cult and outmaneuvre it‘s moves. At first, the high officers has been assassinated, then the lowly members has been slaughtered in a mass execution and burned. In face of Gutter Runner Champion in challenge, the daemon withdrew to warp.

 

-Logistic problems – Because all officers of Departmento Logisticae and Departmento Munitorium has been involved in the cultist uprising and the Imperium did not responded to the urgent needs, Guter Runners Techmarines has been called upon to find a solution to future problems with power, ammunition and other necessities. All these activities has been kept secret from all citizens of Skaavus.

 

-Offer refused – a local noble offered donations to the chapter if it would provide some support in research for new, powerful kind of weaponry, which could be used to launch raids to other systems for supplies. This offer has been utterly refused and the initiator has been captured and mined for information about project. All information has been put in use for the good of mankind.

 

-New Shipment from Terra – after ten years of improvised living in harsh environment, even the most wealthy nobles came to problems. Only the mighty presence of Gutter Runners holds the world before fall to anarchy. The new shipment of supplies arrives from holy Terra. Space Marines taking care of providing rations. Anyway, the experiments in the underground laboratories showing progress. Scientists and necessary personell are kidnapped from their homes on surface. All witnesses eliminated.

 

-New weaponry invented – after decades of experiments, new kind of weaponry could be used. Chief Librarian along with techmarines of the chapter introduced unstable source of power equal to the plasma core, but unlimited in use. It is a black-green stone, containing amount of warp energies. The Gutter Runners started to use this warp-stone in all sorts of weaponry. It has been also well used as toxic gas.

 

-Ultimatum – still more and more people are missing. Not only scientific personell but other citizens alike. Some noble houses are suggesting, that it is responsibility of space marines chapter. Chapter Master loses his temper and orders imprisonment of such individuals. Imperial Governor fears the future effect of such action and secretly calls for Inquisition.

 

-Inquisitor arrives – retinue and high inquisitor in disguise arrived on Skaavus. He has found that the warp-stone contains a power of one single entity and is twisting minds and bodies of all Gutter Runners. Shortly after realisation of such a heresy, he is spotted and assassinated along with his retinue.

 

-Revolution – as the governor realised that inquisitor is dead, he tried to leave the planet to inform Terra. On high orbit, his ship is captured by Wicked Blade strike cruiser, boarded and the governor has been brought to Lord Commander and slain.

 

-Skaavus under paw of Horned Rat – High officers of Imperium has been executed and the rule of Skaavus fell in hands of Gutter Runners Command. King Rat, as the chapter master started to call himself, edicted martial law all over the planet. Instead of Imperial Aquila, there was a grin of a horned rat, sometimes simplified as crossed triangle.

 

-The new era – Due to extended mutating effect of warp-stone, the new era has started. With all power of Skaavus in hands and all the human resources viable, the laboratories of Skryrax started to spill hundreds of mutants and warp-weaponry including strange warp-gas throwers, unstable warpguns and warp-lightning cannons. The chapter definatelly became renegade.

 

Horned Rat

A new patron of Gutter Runners found presence of Emperors elite on his ground as a threat. That’s why he has planned a downfall and made the chapter his champions. At first, he managed to cut Skaavus off of supplies by mischieving comunication with Terra. Then, he used human nature against them. Provided his own power in the form of warpstone to the warriors and twisted their minds and bodies. Gutter Runners became possessive, paranoid and extremely ambitious. As his power over them raised, they started to worship him as god.

 

Dark Recruiting:

In the lower levels of Skryrax, the apothecaries and librarians, are making experiments and rituals with deamonic powers, combining the matter of the warp with material universe and even the flesh of the surviving citizens of Skaavus. They also invented a strange kind of warp-genetic engineering to spawn huge amounts of humaniod rat-men to fight and die in the front ranks of assault.

 

Organization:

King Rat is a supreme commander of Gutter Runners. He also chooses his lieutanants. They are almost as cunning as the King himself. They are the leaders of squads of Gutter Runners and daemonic slaves.

 

 

 

Battlecry:

 

KILL-KILL!!!

 

 

Special Characters:

 

 

 

King Rat

Once, commander of Gutter Runners chapter. Now depraved, wicked mutant in search of blood, slaves and power for himself and his legion of wretches. King Rat leads Gutter Runners since their founding and never missed a full scale battle of the chapter. He is often launching raids for slaves, loot and bloodshed. As the Horned Ones champion, he has been gifted with some of His gifts such as wings, a snout providing acute scent and fangs and tail. His weapons also became permanently attached to him. His combi-melta and his power fist became his parts.

[Commander Sasha]

My Skaven counts-as Tyranids army will be watching with interest...and envy...beware a poisoned blade in the night!

 

Will you be modelling this as a power-armoured Skaven force? Which Codex? I chose Tyranids, as I am using the whole Skaven models, but that wouldn't be relevant for yours.

 

-Wolves gives you Mark of the Wulfen, maybe some nice rat ogre conversions.

 

-Blood angels is fast, but not very ratty.

 

-C:SM probably most varied, with good firepower: The new warpfire cannon as a Thunderfire?!

 

-Chaos Marines for mutations. Clan Moulder Obliterators, Grey Seer with Lash of Submission, Hell Pit Abomination as Greater Demon! Yummy!

[Sousetsu]

Keep in mind these are just my own personal thoughts, but here's my go at some critique.

Outthinking the eldar seems a bit too awesome. Their farseers can view the future, and their entire race is built and bred for out-thinking other, though I suppose it's possible.

Next, I'd notch the number up from thirteen to something like fifty or even a hundred, because otherwise, they'd be pretty powerless.

Also, specificity with mutations and chaos alignment would be nice. They seem to be pretty angry guys, but the image of a rat isn't something I'd attribute to Khorne. Is the Horned Rat a Tzeentch deamon then? Or are the unaligned?

I'd suggest cleaning up some of the grammer here and there too.

As always, keep adding, and the Liber will keep critiqueing.

 

Other than that, you've got a wonderful concept, though it needs some refinement.

For the posotives, Space Rats seems like the perfect name and image for these guys, and their battlecry is perfect.

[Jiron]

Commander Sasha: I play under Chaos Space Marines. I have converted King Rat as Skaven in power armour. I am also looking forward to use plague marines. I once tried putting power armour hands on a plague monk body and it looked pretty cool! And the Demon prince is gonna be Vermin Lord.

 

Sousetsu: Thank you for comments. It's just the first draft. I am still working on it and soon, you'll see sume updates :-)

[JaM_TW]

I'm looking forward to see some miniatures, too.

 

I also have some stuff laying around here, converting them to a renegade (albeit small) force is certainly tempting. Converting them to sort-of like skaven (Hrud in the old books, IIRC) in powerarmour certainly will be fun.

 

Good luck !

[Captain Juan Juarez]

Unless the leader is called

, I refuse to give further critique :P

[Jiron]

Updated. Total rewrite, making it more ratty. I will make the slaves (Lesser Demons) from the old skaven clanrats.

[Plague Angel]

We all know Imperial Guard are the true 40k Skaven analogue. :D

 

Why Corax?

[Jiron]

Why Corax?

 

Actually, this is the point where I am not sure myself. I think he is the one who would preffere extended recon and scouts to reckless assault. But This point is still uncertain. Who would you think better?

[Plague Angel]

I didn't have a counter-suggestion. Just pure curiosity.

[Captain Juan Juarez]

Why Corax?

 

Actually, this is the point where I am not sure myself. I think he is the one who would preffere extended recon and scouts to reckless assault. But This point is still uncertain. Who would you think better?

 

I'd consider Khan, as it goes... I can picture the lightning fast strikes before they melt back into shadows.

[BloodWulf]

Corax did use those tactics but there is nothing to say a completley Codex chapter wouldn't also use them. I think quite a few commanders would see the value of recon and exploiting weakness. Fight smart not hard! Your chapter doesn't have to be strictly aligned to a Primarch due to how they currently fight. Black Templars come from Imperial fists and they fight almost completley opposite styles of combat.

 

I guess what I am saying is you could just as easily do an Ultramarines, or many other Chapters successor if you want. I understand if you dont like UM's, lord knows I don't.

[Ferrata]

I like the idea but you've taken a sledgehammer to the word "subtle". Skaven are a great theming idea for a chapter, but you've over done with very in your face references - these break the suspension of disbelief. What you need to do is take the essence of the Skaven and turn this into a chapter. You really should get rid of things like rats in the name, the Horned One, Skaavus, Warlock Engineers...all these rip the reader away from the story and into "This is just Skaven in Sapce"

[Drichar Deis]

Almost as subtle as Squats lol!

 

"sorry Inquisiton, I didn't really say that word, really....."

[Plague Angel]

"This is just Skaven in Space"

 

...which would be better and more interesting as its own faction and not a Space Marine chapter.

 

There are other armies in 40k, you know.

[Grey Hunter Ydalir]

Yes, there are, but none that are board appropriate or for this challenge.

[Plague Angel]

I understand that. But what I mean is, a Skaven-influenced or Skaven-inspired chapter is one thing, and could be neat. An actual "Skaven in space", where they are in fact rats and still have the same units of Warlock Engineers &c., would be better done with another army since it just doesn't fit the Space Marine idea. But if it's what Jiron really wants, it's what he really wants.

[Commander Sasha]

I love the idea of power-armoured Skaven, and the modelling opportunities are awesome! Plagueclaw catapult for Defiler maybe!?

 

I don't like the idea of the pre-chaos "Space Rats"; it seems a little too much like coincidence for me. I would instead have a different chapter name, but still one that specializes in covert fighting etc.

 

I also am not keen on the 'sudden' change to Chaos, after one (albeit tragic) defeat; Instead, a slow descent into more and more nasty tactics, and a gradual losing of honour, in the name of succeeding at all costs, would be more likely for an honourable loyalist chapter, and would also be more Skaven-like.

 

As the influence of The Horned Rat, as a symbolic idea rather than an actual deity, took hold, the iconography started to appear, then the nicknames, then the warcry, and eventually it all just seemed natural for the aquilas to be replaced with crossed triangles.

 

Similarly, as the mentality shifted towards all things ratty, the discovery of a few 'useful' poison gasses, then exploding green stones, which turned out to make good daggers, then the techmarines (who preferred the nickname 'engineers') found the stone could supply power to plasma/melta style weapons... This is all more palatable than a chapter of "Good Guys" suddenly caving in to the dark gods.

 

If you do get going on this, Pleeeeaaaase post photos! I can see so many great opportunities. Obliterators as a cauldron of black and green goo with a plague monk casting spells with all the different weapon profiles; A defiler/Hell Pit Abomination conversion! Queek Headtaker already has heavy armour for a Skaven model, chopping the trophy rack and adding a Power pack, Jumppack or wings would give you a great Lord/Sorcerer.

 

Good luck, and well done for a strongly themed and unusual idea; my Skaven Counts-As-Tyranids have had a little criticism, but mostly compliments.

[Commander Sasha]

By the way, the word for 'pertaining to rats' is "Murine".

 

The Murine Angels...The Murine Fists...The Murine Guard...or even...The UltraMurines! :lol:

[Captain Juan Juarez]

The UltraMurines! :lol:

 

You are my current B&C hero.

[The Shiny One]

If you want skaven in space, i would go for Imperial Army with lots of Plasmaweapons (warpweapons). They even have Priests, Engeniers, Psykers and Ogryns. You even could use the Deathstrike missiles to represent a giant warp canon.

 

As for rat-like Space Marines, if you really want Skaven in power armor, you have to go with chaos, but as Ferrata wrote, keep it more subtle. Alone the models will tell everyone they are skaven influenced, you dont have to name everything different. A great ratlike daemon could be the reason of this influence, and could represented by the Verminlord, who forms his new servants after himself.

 

The way you do it now ist more like a parody of Skaven and Space Marines, its so obvious that it is more funny than grim dark. Its totally cool to do it this way, just be aware of it.

If you want more seriousness it can also work, but keep the skaven references to a minimum.

[Jiron]

Another update.

Change of name, extended history, scratched necrons, daemonic influence, renaming some parts of it.

More critique awaited.

 

History is just beta at this time.

[Commander Sasha]

I'm really enjoying seeing this develop, and have no further criticism at this point. The fact that the planet has fallen to chaos over time, and the Gutter Runners with it, is much more feasible, and the fact that you barely mention the involvement of the Marines in the fall is very much in character with their suggested tactical style: if they specialised in covert warfare, their hand shouldn't be too obvious in the planet's downfall.

 

Any time you're in London and fancy an Apocalypse game with my Skavenids and your Gutter Runners versus the man-things, you have my allegiance! (Until we've destroyed them and feasted upon their corpses...then watch your back..!)