Index Astartes: The Iron Tigers

[Walter Payton]

“Glory Above All!” – Index Astartes: The Iron Tigers

“First weigh the considerations, then take the risks.” – Captain von Falkenwerfer of the Iron Tigers.

T

he Iron Tigers are a young chapter in an old Empire. They view warfare as a science, and are famously efficient. Trained to be emotionless and proud, they obey orders without question and their adherence to battle-plans is second to none. Precise and proud, they view themselves as elite amongst Astartes. They wear the armour of contempt proudly, even if it’s visor occasionally obscures their vision.

Founding and Early Years

”For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.” – Suppressed pre-Unification fragment [c/ref Pre-Imperial Religion: Codex Episcori]

T

he Iron Tigers, a chapter born into the 26th Founding, are born into an Imperium full of troubles. The Imperium is beset, the Tyranids scratching at the walls, the Orks gnawing at the foundations and Chaos pounding on the doors. Now, more then ever, the Imperium needs its Astartes. The Iron Tigers are one of the raw chapters called into being as the Imperium enters this crucial phase. The Iron Tigers were founded as a response to Eldar pirate activity in the Galactic North, another of the Imperium’s many woes. Utilizing the geneseed of the Roboute Guilliman, the nucleus of the Chapter was formed by a cadre of veterans under the command of Captain Friedrich of the Novamarines. Freidrich who was noted for his desire to return to the great ages of High Imperialism and his rabid hatred of aliens. Thus it was that the chapter left the muster fields of Mars, and, granted fleet assets and a small tech-priesthood, set out into the galaxy.

Captain Friedrich’s personal motto was “Nihil Sine Imperatore,” “Nothing without the Emperor,” translated from the original High Gothic. Indeed, in the earliest years it seemed that it was indeed true, as he modelled the chapter into a formidable fighting force. His inclusive recruitment processes meant that the chapter, despite its lack of a homeworld, soon grew to twice its original number. The chapter earned much glory at the space Battle of Piett’s World and gained its first battle honour interdicting Chaos cultists as they tried to flee the planet.

Despite the success Friedrich was restless; he was no man’s fool. He knew the precarious state of affairs in many quarters of the Imperium and thus set out to forge his chapter into a mighty power in the space of a few short years. The luxury of time was denied him, and so he declared that he would use “Iron and Blood,” instead. On the fifth anniversary of the chapter’s founding, he declared that the chapter’s ultimate goal would be to provide a shining example to humanity in these dark times. He told his men that humankind must In order to do this, he travelled the length of the Imperium in his warfleet, finding the most terrible wars and throwing the chapter headlong into them, on the grounds that the chapter would emerge stronger. As his list of victories increased, so too did his belief in the chapter and in himself. He often boasted that the Iron Tigers would carve themselves a reputation as glorious as any enjoyed by a first founding chapter. His dream was to have the name of Captain Cnaeus von Freidrich to be as famous as those of Sanguinius or Roboute Guilliman. This burning ambition was passed on to the men under him; he was fond of telling his commanders that the Iron Tigers must have “their place in the sun.” Which of the Imperium’s billions of suns he meant is unrecorded.

A New Chapter, Forged in Fire – Early Victories

Heraldry of the Iron Tigers

“The direct application of force without an attempt at conciliation is generally only favoured by small children and the Imperium of Man.” – Ethereal An’Shi of Tau, quoted by Interrogator Alighieri, Ordo Xenos.

H

is first attempt to gain the Emperor’s attention was when the Eldar declared the Virke sector the sole property of themselves. Imperial Guard forces sent to the system were wiped out. Friedrich had found his first out of the three dread wars that were to shape the chapter. He threw his nascent chapter into the thick of battle against a superior and well-disciplined foe. When questioned about this event later, he declared that he was “blooding the pups.”

Imperial historiography still debates the reasons for the chapter’s victory, given the overwhelming advantage enjoyed by the Eldar in men and weapons. The war was not one that many rational commanders would be prepared to fight, and the Tigers took horrific casualties against a determined and well-supported enemy. Eventually, through sheer bloody-mindedness and disregard for casualties, Imperial Rule was restored to the Virke sector. Due to the barren topography of the sector, however, as of the time of writing it has not been re-colonized. The Tigers themselves viewed the victory as further proof of their “manifest destiny,” as restorers of the Imperium’s glory days; after the chapter’s artillery units destroyed an Eldar infantry regiment at the Battle of Duebbol, Friedrich declared the Iron Tigers a “hero-chapter,” and subsequent generations of marines have always used that title. Its use beyond the walls of the chapter’s fortress-monastery is scarce at best.

Despite taking 40% percent casualties during the Virke War, Friedrich wasn’t finished. He took his chapter into another war against a band of Chaos Space Marines looting around Sadowa’s World. Again, he won a decisive victory for a high price, this time reducing the total of Space Marines he has begun with to 64% of their original number. Despite the very real need to rebuild and recruit, Friedrich insisted on taking the fledgling chapter into a third war. This war is remembered by the chapter as their greatest victory, and in many ways it was, though some historians have since cast doubt on some of the grander details in the chapter’s official history.

801.M41 was a terrible year for the Imperium; two new threats emerged in the shape of Hive Fleet Naga and the discovery of Lugganath craftworld. Worse, the Astronomican flickered, and thousands of ships were lost in the warp, causing economic and political turmoil for several months. In the midst of this, Friedrich took it upon himself to offer the Imperium hope in these dark times. He embarked on a crusade into a region of veiled space in the extreme Galactic North, with the intention of expanding the overstretched Imperium’s borders yet further. He met, coming in the opposite direction Waaagh! Ostrog. The two armies battled across uninhabited planets, unleashing nuclear arsenals and biological weaponry until, at last, the two armies met on Sedan’s World, a feral planet far beyond the current limits of the Imperium.

Attr Warboss Grotsznag

“We are in da Squig pit, and we’s about to be slimed.”

In a final battle above the planet, the Ork flagship, the Suncracka, was destroyed. On the planet’s surface, the Orks were encircled, and methodical frontal assaults by the Tigers managed to break the back of their defences and exterminated the aliens. However, their victory came at terrible human cost. Far from being ashamed of this dreadful butcher’s bill, the Iron Tigers embraced as evidence of their plans, and it gave rise one of the principles of the chapter’s battle doctrine to this day: bleed the enemy dry.

Official History of the Iron Tigers

“The naming of Luitpold as successor was definitely before the discovery of Chapter Master Friedrich’s illness and most certainly during one of the late Chapter Master’s lucid moments, despite the vile, heretical, unjustified and treacherous rumours and smears bandied around by several historians.”

The next few years were a time of great prosperity and great sadness for the chapter. New recruits from the perpetual wars of Sedan’s World brought the chapter, who by the end of the Tau-Tigers War were a mere 50% of their starting strength, up to the mandated Codex level, and a great fortress monastery, the Garrisondom, raised in the Northern coasts of the largest continent. On the other hand, Friedrich slipped into senility, though he managed to nominate a successor, a thrusting and somewhat eccentric young Captain by the name of Luitpold. Luitpold was appointed on the grounds that he was logical and famously emotionless, qualities that the Iron Tigers prized in war, and appointed “Prince Regent of Sedan’s World.” The now utterly insane Captain Friedrich was left to be tended to by the Chapter’s serfs.

Prince Regent to Present Day.

“There is no such thing as unacceptable losses. Bleed the enemy dry.” – Captain Luitpold, Prince Regent of Sedan’s World.

I

f Friedrich had a vision of the chapter, it was Luitpold who went about the business of making that vision a reality

Luitpold was a fascinating figure from a biographical perspective. Small for an Astartes, he bore a bionic left arm that he hid constantly, believing it to be shameful. People around him had to hide their healthy left arms too. His first act as chapter master was to use all of the chapter’s (few) favours and nearly all of its raw materials reserves irritating the Imperial Navy by ordering the construction of a large chapter fleet. He pioneered the concept of attrition warfare using Astartes, relying on the ability of an Astartes to kill a large amount of enemies before being overwhelmed, and stressing the importance of logistics and efficient recruitment in order to quickly replace losses.

Chapter Master Friedrich “the Great.”

The eventual solution to the Iron Tiger’s “odd problem,” was an accident; Friedrich, by this point nearly seven hundred and more senile than ever, escaped during his morning walk and managed to plummet three hundred metres from the battlements of the Garrisondom. Luckily, he survived (his body being an altogether stronger entity than his mind), and was interred in a dreadnought. The internment, remarkably, seemed to cause his illness to abate slightly. In his (very occasional) bouts of sanity, he can still lead the Iron Tigers, a relic of happier, saner, times.

Before his death in early M42, Luitpold wrote extensively on his theories of war, Imperium and statecraft. When he wasn’t alienating political allies, recruiting or fighting, he spent his days writing his epic work Aphorismus Belli. This text is revered alongside the Codex Astartes amongst the Iron Tigers. Indeed, it is said that Luitpold’s ideals are not simply the creed of the Iron Tigers, they are the Iron Tigers.

Aphorismus Belli, page 1

“There is one rule of war: Win. Morality is merely the ideology of the victorious.”

In Aphorismus Belli, Luitpold stressed the importance of a single basic principle: win at all costs. He poured scorn upon the idea that there were rules of war. He emphasized both the superiority of Astartes troops and the expendability of typical human soldiers. To Luitpold, success was measured by comparing the objective advantage of an outcome with the objective disadvantage of the losses. For example, a battle in which two thousand Guardsmen died to save one thousand women and children would be worthless, because the women and children gave no advantage in winning the war. Similarly, any number of casualties was fair exchange for the total destruction of an enemy. Luitpold’s mantra was ruthlessness. No sacrifice was too great, no atrocity too unpalatable in the pursuit of absolute victory. He taught the Iron Tigers to be cold, emotionless and calculating.

Aphorismus Belli, page 1567

“Defence is a commander’s surety.\"

On the subject of tactics and strategy, he emphasized the superiority of defence. His doctrine was that the Imperium was the mightiest single racial and political bloc in the galaxy, thus it had no need to expand its borders. However, he emphasized the need for aggression in order to maintain Imperial interests. Thus, his policy was one of defensive aggression. Every Imperial offensive must have had an offensive motivation; a war of aggression was acceptable if and only if not launching it would lead to a disadvantage for the Imperium later. When attacking, he advised use of impressive, ‘shock and awe’ tactics in order to demoralize the enemy. He advocated striking enemy population centres, and the heavy use of area denial weaponry (though he did not consider it essentially that friendly forces had left the area to be denied). With such a creed he shaped the chapter entrusted to him, and by such ideals the chapter lives to this day.

Homeworld

“Sedan’s World was hatched from a cannon ball,” – Captain Korsika of the Eagles of Man Chapter

I

t is certainly true to say that a chapter is defined by its homeworld; From the dark hives of Deliverance come the Raven Guard, from the corsair-tribes of Mundus Planus come the White Scars, and from organised, paranoid, precise and ancient Sedan’s World come the Steel Guards. Whilst any Imperial Naval textbook will credit the “discovery,” of Sedan’s World to one Astropath-General Siegfried Sedan, of Imperial Reconnaissance Task Force Rho 345, part of the 45th Expeditionary Force, like most “discoveries,” the man who named it (somewhat vaingloriously) was by no means the first human to set foot there.

It is conjecture, but it seems logical to assume that, during the Dark Age of Technology, Sedan’s World was an advanced outpost of Humanity. Ruins found on the worlds indicate that it formed an observation point for the study of the regions beyond the Galactic Rim. During the technological regression of the Age of Strife, the civilization of Sedan’s World, like many others, regressed to a pre-firearms state.

Fortunately for the Imperial scholar, Sedanites have kept extensive records. We know, for instance, that the planet was wracked by almost constant wars and arms races for almost its entire history. When the Imperium came to Sedan’s World, the Sedanites, like many others, initially fought against it. Despite their great bravery, fighting lasrifles with blackpowder muskets left the outcome of the war in little doubt. However, just before the Sedanites were to agree to an armistice, events millions of miles away on Istvaan IV meant that the Imperial forces were hastily redeployed. King Frederick, who led the coalition of warring states against the “Sky-Invaders,” was hailed as a hero; to the Sedanites, the enemy had clearly fled due to their own prowess. Luckily for them, the Horus Heresy largely passed them by and thus they were never disabused of their happy notion.

The newfound peace of Sedan’s World was not to last, and the planet of M42 is largely the same as it was in M32. The planet is split into four landmasses. One of these landmasses, Mittelarx, has a society that has advanced to a level of reasonable technological proficiency; with blackpowder weapons and wooden sailing ships capable of around-the-world journeys. The other continents are home to scattered tribes or kingdoms, most of whom are subjects of the great colonial empires of Mittelarx. The constantly shifting web of alliances on Mittlerarx means that at least four of the states are guaranteed to be at war with each other at any given time. It is from the conscript levies of the rival monarchs that the chapter selects its recruits

[Tesla Kiwi]

I really like this chapter, they really understand that the Imperium can afford to lose countless lives for victory (its that big XD)

Just dont make them do anything stupid like anger other space marine chapters and end up being declared excommunicate traitoris,

by the way they've been treating the inquisitors they meet they are probably close to the line :tu:

 

I'd like to know more about how the average joe marine in the chapter thinks of their actions and whether any of the other companies do things slightly differently

Also what is their ULTIMATE ambition for the chapter besides being famous ("we will have our time in the sun")

[Walter Payton]

I really like this chapter, they really understand that the Imperium can afford to lose countless lives for victory (its that big XD)

Just dont make them do anything stupid like anger other space marine chapters and end up being declared excommunicate traitoris,

by the way they've been treating the inquisitors they meet they are probably close to the line :P

 

Don't worry, they won't. :D

 

I'd like to know more about how the average joe marine in the chapter thinks of their actions

 

Will try to add that.

 

whether any of the other companies do things slightly differently

 

That's coming later, I will post and refine the rest after my exams are over.

 

Also what is their ULTIMATE ambition for the chapter besides being famous ("we will have our time in the sun")

 

For them, fame is an end in itself. They have a colossal self-belief in the Imperium, so merely want to improve their lot in it.

[Pulse]

I like the direction of the chapter, i feel a Victorian theme creeping forward from the text!

[Sigismund Himself]

“Heil dir im Siegerkranz,

Herrscher des Kaiserreich!

Heil, Kaiser, dir!

Fühl in des Thrones Glanz

Die hohe Wonne ganz,

Liebling des Volks zu sein!

Heil Kaiser, dir,”

- Benediction of the Iron Tigers, in the original Sedanic.

To be honest, this kind of knocks you over the head with the basis for the chapter. It isn't really subtle and it just makes me think "Oh, a German chapter...".

 

 

The chapter earned much glory at the space Battle of Piett’s World and gained its first battle honour interdicting Tau colonists as they tried to flee the planet.

You mentioned they were in the galactic south, Tau space is a long way from there.

 

“In a few years time,” he declared to the chapter upon their fifth anniversary, “the name of the Iron Tigers shall be as renowned as that of the Space Wolves or Ultramarines and mothers will name their children for our heroes.” In order to do this, he cruised the length of the Imperium in his warfleet, finding the most terrible wars and throwing the chapter headlong into them, on the grounds that the chapter would emerge stronger. “The Iron Tigers shall have their place in the sun,” he was fond of telling his commanders. Which of the Imperium’s billions of suns he meant is unrecorded.

I think 'cruised' could be replaced with something better. The mental image is just him in a pimped out strike cruiser, window wound down to space and loud music blaring as he slowly drives through a warzone :lol: Also, quotes like that should be worked into the same style as the rest of the IA (ie. He declared upon the chapter's fifth anniversary that in a few years time...) or put in a sidebar.

 

Certainly the Eldar had a huge advantage in men and weapons, especially in space. But whatever the reason, the Iron Tigers emerged triumphant. They had re-conquered the system in the teeth of enemy fire and suffered a surprisingly low number of casualties. “With such ardour,” Inquisitor Palfir said afterwards, “a long and distinguished career cannot be far away.”

MISS?

 

Then he decided, during the Ridaga Crisis, to tell Inquisitor Alighieri and a Captain of Grey Knights that they were mad

Not a great idea for a 26th Founding chapter master to say...

 

To be honest, I think that any large force of Astartes near the Tau would've been mentioned by now.

 

At the moment, there's a weird mix of 'win at all costs' and humour here. I'm not saying its bad but perhaps the tone just needs to be a bit more consistent. I think the delivery of the humour is a bit too slapstick and that a more deadpan delivery would make it clash less with the 'win at all costs' mentality.

 

An interesting read, keep it up!

[The Normish]

Evidently a lot of work has gone into this Chapter. Let's have a look-see.

 

I'll agree with Sigismund Himself about the introductory text. It pretty much hits you over the head with the German mallet. Whereas the Chapter in itself doesn't feel "German" as such. So I suppose we question the need for such blatant German in an otherwise non-culturally German chapter (perhaps it incorporates elements from German military forces? Either way, the rest of the IA doesn't really send off a German vibe, as it were.

 

“The lamps are going out all over the galaxy. I doubt we shall see them go on again in our lifetime.”

My, my, doesn't this sound awfully familiar? Sort of like something Sir Edward Grey said, no? I would be careful of using such a famous quote.

 

Yeah cruised might be the wrong word there. Too pimpin'. as it were.

 

I do see you're sort of making it analogous to Adolf Hitler's rapid expansion and militarization, but I would be wary of too many parallels. Probably the thing that makes it stick out the most, is, again, the German passage at the start of the article. I think without it, the whole idea could be more subtle.

 

The conquest of Tau space may be problematic, since the Tau Empire really isn't that large. If you conquered vast swathes of it, someone in GW would be bound to notice. Catch my drift? Perhaps scale it down to just a few outer colonies?

 

The IA definitely makes use of light humor appropriately, like Sigismund Himself said.

 

Well, I can see you definitely focused on your Chapter's history here, which is good for a younger Chapter, and I look forward to seeing the rest of it later on.

[Walter Payton]

Thanks for all the replies guys! I will update and manipulate the chapter later, as I have just finished my exams and intend to spend the next few days horizontally.

 

Thanks again.

 

EDIT: @The Normish. I was afraid someone would compare it to the Nazis. I was looking more at the rapid rise of the German Empire; with the whole 3 wars of unification (the Dano-Prussian War, Austro-Prussian War and Franco-Prussian War) and the naval race with Britain (the whole building 5 battle barges, a silly number.) Indeed, I really want that to come across. If it isn't doing so, then I will find better ways of getting it in; Nazi Marines=not cool.

[The Normish]

Thanks for all the replies guys! I will update and manipulate the chapter later, as I have just finished my exams and intend to spend the next few days horizontally.

 

Thanks again.

 

EDIT: @The Normish. I was afraid someone would compare it to the Nazis. I was looking more at the rapid rise of the German Empire; with the whole 3 wars of unification (the Dano-Prussian War, Austro-Prussian War and Franco-Prussian War) and the naval race with Britain (the whole building 5 battle barges, a silly number.) Indeed, I really want that to come across. If it isn't doing so, then I will find better ways of getting it in; Nazi Marines=not cool.

Ah yes, I see. But it is equally comparable with the Nazis, their rapid reconstruction, their various military and political actions in Austria, Czechoslovakia, Poland and then the conquest of France (which is the Eldar, I think - advanced military yet it fell).

I think you solution would be to incorporate more Imperial German culture within theirs. Of course, you're not done with the IA, so there is plenty of room for it. And then you could keep the German passage, I suppose.

[Walter Payton]

Thanks for all the replies guys! I will update and manipulate the chapter later, as I have just finished my exams and intend to spend the next few days horizontally.

 

Thanks again.

 

EDIT: @The Normish. I was afraid someone would compare it to the Nazis. I was looking more at the rapid rise of the German Empire; with the whole 3 wars of unification (the Dano-Prussian War, Austro-Prussian War and Franco-Prussian War) and the naval race with Britain (the whole building 5 battle barges, a silly number.) Indeed, I really want that to come across. If it isn't doing so, then I will find better ways of getting it in; Nazi Marines=not cool.

Ah yes, I see. But it is equally comparable with the Nazis, their rapid reconstruction, their various military and political actions in Austria, Czechoslovakia, Poland and then the conquest of France (which is the Eldar, I think - advanced military yet it fell).

I think you solution would be to incorporate more Imperial German culture within theirs. Of course, you're not done with the IA, so there is plenty of room for it. And then you could keep the German passage, I suppose.

 

Of course, there is the whole "special path," theory, which held that German expansion essentially repeated itself from around 1100 and only stopped after it reached a catastrophic climax in '45.

 

But this is dangerously OT. I will rewrite and revise over the next few days.

[ChaplainMathreyn]

Instead of Weltpolitik... 'Imperiumpolitik'... :D

 

'We don't want to intrude on the Ultramarines, but we want our place in the sun... Because killing xenos is hard in the dark...'

[Walter Payton]

Instead of Weltpolitik... 'Imperiumpolitik'... :angry:

 

'We don't want to intrude on the Ultramarines, but we want our place in the sun... Because killing xenos is hard in the dark...'

 

Thank you. I'll be stealing that, If you don't mind :wallbash:

[Walter Payton]

Instead of Weltpolitik... 'Imperiumpolitik'... :angry:

 

'We don't want to intrude on the Ultramarines, but we want our place in the sun... Because killing xenos is hard in the dark...'

 

Thank you. I'll be stealing that, If you don't mind :wallbash:

[Malthe]

I agree with some of the posters above, suggesting that you play up the aristocratic theme of your chapter.

To the average person, with limited knowledge of european history, the role Germany in the two World Wars is quite simillar. Use the fact that you know better to your advantage!

You don't need to use german quotes either, it's a bit too blunt, and it doesn't really do anything for your IA (other than proving how utterly useless google-translator really is...).

Finally I really enjoy the humour in you article, I think it is far too subtle (gone?) in the 5th edition, which is really a shame. Great job bringing that back in style (and for the love of the Emperor, make it great)!

 

Otherwise I really like both your concept and the execution, so far. Keep it up :)

 

Cheers

[Walter Payton]

Well, here's the second draft of the initial story. C and C needed.