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Now then, after spotting a mention in the Horus Heresy subforum I got thinking; what canon information do we have on these brothers? Besides colour scheme, homeworld and a name or two (yes, I'll admit to checking Lexicanum for additional data), what do we know about them?

 

Is there any inklings we can speculate on, at least?

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I think Forgeworld would manage to give even them a serious background. Hell, Forgeworld could write a serious backstory for the Angry Marines and the Hello Kitty Chapter.

 

Ain't that the truth. :D Give the RWs to Alan Bligh - he'd turn them into shining beacons of honour (minus the tassles and facepaint). :D

I still don't understand why GW got rid of the RW

I have strong suspicions that their motivations behind silently dropping this chapter were purely for public relations/political correctness. Without going into detail...regardless of their stance, it's a theme they may have wanted to avoid, especially in the 90s. The best bet for any company's relationship with the public is to take as few implicit political stands as possible.

Now then, after spotting a mention in the Horus Heresy subforum I got thinking; what canon information do we have on these brothers? Besides colour scheme, homeworld and a name or two (yes, I'll admit to checking Lexicanum for additional data), what do we know about them?

 

Is there any inklings we can speculate on, at least?

 

that was probably me. i bring up the Rainbow Warriors on every topic on the lost primarchs

There is practically nothing on them. The biggest thing we have about them is the picture from the Rogue Trader era where a Sister of Battle is lighting one up, which has led to the (speculative?) background that the entire Chapter was purged by the Adepta Sororitas, the Ecclessiarchy/Ministorum, and/or the Ordo Hereticus. To be fair, that picture might simply depict a small group of Rainbow Warriors gone renegade. Alternately, it might be some (otherwise unknown) fallen Adepta Sororitas. Alternately, it might be one of the many minor skirmishes between the Ecclessiarchy and the Adeptus Astartes (through differences of opinion/conflicts of interest rather than anyone really going renegade).

 

The Rainbow Warriors were created and named prior to rainbows gaining their current association. The name/Chapter have nothing to do with our modern day associations with rainbows, but were more likely derived from one of several civilizations that drew upon rainbows in their warrior imagery (personally, I look to Hawai'i, though others have drawn similar parallels with other societies).

 

To be completely honest, the snickering at the name "Rainbow Warriors" is completely sophomoric and boorish. It's not what our juvenile senses of humor think it means. If we were more mature, there really wouldn't be a problem with the name. Whether or not GW is deliberately downplaying the Chapter in order to avoid the childish response is unknown, though it seems likely. Regardless, as Kurgan and others have pointed out, the Chapter continues to exist in the official canon. They've never been associated with the Legions of old and are probably a Chapter dating from post-2nd Founding. Others have pointed out the similarity between the Chapter's colors and badge and those of the Deathstrike Chapter, though it is unknown if GW has deliberately "replaced" the Rainbow Warriors with the Deathstrike Chapter, or if they've simply created a more recent Chapter that draws upon similar visual identification (in much the same way that many other Chapters have color schemes/Chapter badges similar to one or more other Chapters).

The Rainbow Warriors weren't dropped for any particular PR reason. They were in all likelihood a reference to a big dispute involving Greenpeace and the French, in which a boat called the Rainbow Warrior was sunk. My personal opinion is that they were dropped since they ceased to be topical. They hold a very close resemblance to the Death Strikes, which might be an unannounced reboot of the Rainbow Warriors.

 

This is purely fanfluff, but one guy's done a pretty awesome write-up for the Rainbow Warriors, making them into a pretty serious chapter. I ammmm pretty tempted to make an army along those lines :P

They hold a very close resemblance to the Death Strikes, which might be an unannounced reboot of the Rainbow Warriors.

 

 

Except that BOTH of those Chapters home worlds appear in the V5 Codex. Shared emblems isn't anything new for separate Chapters.

 

**EDIT: Here you can see other discussions that are directly about the RWs or they were brought up in:

 

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/index.p...\&st=0

Edited by Kurgan the Lurker

The RW used to be the mascot for the University of Hawaiis football team. I always imagined it would be cool it they had a Polynesian theme. Especially since Kamehameha was kind of a badass.

 

And iirc ate Cpt Cook.

 

I could see a sick chapter that is super brutal with cannibalistic rites and traditions now. Oh yes. Very cool.

The RW used to be the mascot for the University of Hawaiis football team. I always imagined it would be cool it they had a Polynesian theme. Especially since Kamehameha was kind of a badass.

 

And iirc ate Cpt Cook.

 

I could see a sick chapter that is super brutal with cannibalistic rites and traditions now. Oh yes. Very cool.

 

That would be awesome to have a chapter like that and with the Polynesian theme.

The Rainbow Warriors mostly certainly have NOT been dropped. As others have mentioned, they're even referenced in the current Codex:Space Marines.

 

Likewise, the Deathstrike Chapter is NOT the Rainbow Warriors. Both Chapters have existed since 3rd edition and have appeared simultaneously several times. It's just a case like the Relictors and Revilers where two unrelated Chapters have nearly the same colors and Chapter badge.

 

 

My personal take on the Rainbow Warriors is to treat Philip Sibbering's interpretation as if it were official until something official contradicts it.

Yes, it says << record deleted >>

 

That brings certain implications, as the only other organizations of the Adeptus Astartes whose records are known to have been deleted are the 2nd and 11th Legions and Chapters that have been declared excommunicatus traitoris (e.g., the Soul Drinkers). Of course, some of the Soul Drinkers are known to have survived while the fate of the 2nd and 11th Legions is unknown.

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