My Chaos Space Marine Army Fluff

[Lord Squidar]

Hi Guys,

 

I am new to 40k (well dabbled a bit) and I have my eyes set on a chaos space marine army, they just look cool and its something different. Winning games is not important to me, fun battles with scenarios and background story is more important in my games and campaign. As such, what do you think of my army background thus far...

 

Chapter: Black Watch/Sons of Sparta

Founding: 21st, M36

Geneseed: Imperial Fists

Status: Excommunicatus Traitoris

 

Chapter History:

 

In the 36th Millenium, a riot in the Spartan system, Segmentum Pacificus, drew the attention of the Imperial Fists Space Marine Chapter. The 2nd Company of the chapter arrived in the Spartan system during the most intense days of the riot.

Sparta 1- 5 is a planetary system comprised of a massive forge world, 3 hive worlds and a penal planet, with the 4th planet being too close to the star for human life. The forge world is fed resources from the iron rich hive worlds, which form a U shape around it, all three being joined together by transport systems and support structures. With 3 huge hive worlds to look after, the adeptus arbites handle more than their fair share of criminals, whom are help on Sparta 5, the prison planet. Sparta 5 is described as a red dust bowl, its iron context long ago mined out or oxidized into the soil. The prison itself is barless, the prisoners are left on the planets surface while the arbites maintain watch from decommisioned vessels anchored in low orbit. The constant wars between prison factions is allowed to happen as it keeps the population and resources needed low.

The riots of M39.415 started in the hives of Sparta 2, following a ruling from the High Council that due to the needs of an upcoming crusade in the sector, all holidays for workers would be suspended for the next 10 years to ramp up production. The rioting soon spread to the other hive worlds and the forge world itself lost 10% productivity. When the Imperial Fists arrived, despite being less than 100 in number, they quickly put down the riots. Productivity was restored and the Imperial Fists decided to spare some of their precious geneseed to create two new chapters as part of the 21st Founding. The first chapter they created was the Sons of Sparta, a full codex chapter founded from the hive worlders. Quickly equiped from the forge world armouries, the chapter gave 90% of its manpower to the crusade (under the command of the Imperial Fists) and 10% remained as part of the PDF in order to ensure no further riots would occur. They wore yellow armour with red trimming after the Imperial Fists themselves.

The second chapter created was not a full one, only 400 strong, but a supplementary force to the arbites watching Sparta 5. The Black Watch. These marines were taken from the prisons, freshly swollen in occupants after the riots. It was in the creation of these marines that the seeds of heresy began.

 

As part of a marines training, intensive mental reconditioning takes place. The marine's past life means nothing, allowing the imperium to take the worst murderous scum and put them to good use as righteous warriors. However during the founding of the Black Watch, this reconditioning process was flawed. The Imperial Fists did not pick this up and by the time they had left, it was too late. The marines retained all memory and character of their past lives, and instead of a means by which the arbites could be assisted, they now had an elite force of killers to contend with. The Black Watch turned very quickly, and went down to Sparta 5 to rally their criminal brothers. They hijacked the arbites ships and returned them to working order, and under the command of Black Watch marines, they assaulted the Hive Worlds.

The Sons of Sparta stationed there stood no chance, but still fought valiantly. Many others, themselves hive world criminals, turned over to the Black Watch as well, and in one sweeping motion that lasted a mere 2 weeks, all three planets were captured. The Black Watch, having no apothacaries themselves, forced captured Sons of Sparta ones to turn as many of the high ranking criminals into marines as possible, without the conditioning. The Black Watch turned from guards, to revolutionaries to full chapter strength in a very short space of time.

 

The forge world, deprived of its workers, would not stand by idly. They activated a signal becon which called the nearest force of Skitarii to their aid, as well as a few titan legions. The Black Watch, untested in full scale combat, lost the first few skirmishes, and after seeing the destructive power of the adeptus mechanicus, fled from the system. The damage they wrought was more than a major impact to the system, nevermind having another traitor chapter unleashed.

The Imperial Fists destroyed records of the Black Watch and Sons of Sparta foundings, and used the Spartan Marines to replace casualties to their own forces, after intense mental reconditioning. The Imperial Fists have made it one of their own secret goals to destroy the Black Watch for staining their honour.

The Black Watch currently have been operating on a hit and run basis for several millenia now. Over the years, some of the marines have given into the dark gods and they have often been seen in action alongside the traitor legions. They always recruit new marines from penal worlds making sure the chapter stays as psychotic as it always has been. A great source of pride for the marines is completing their original sentences due to extended life, and gathering new ones for crimes commited. The Black Watch keep several arbites judges in animation as servitors for the express purpose of finding out how much time a recent rampage of slaughter would get them. In recent times, there was a violent change in leadership, and now Captain Titus, one of the original convicts (1117 consecutive life sentences for murder) is Lord of the Black Watch. Titus is rumoured to be a powerful sorceror and the recent rise in usage of daemons and daemonic weaponry would be testament to this.

[darth_giles]

Looks believable, and explains why they wouldn't have chaplains or some of the more advanced weapons. Doesn't necessarily make them Chaos Space Marines, though. Just basic corsairs.

[Brother Ambroz]

I like it, good read. :P

[Quixus]

I wonder how they didn't catch the botched indoctrination during the creation process. Creating a marine takes years. I doubt the mentors would not have found out that the recruits had retained their memories and characters. Also hardned crimninals do not necessarily work well in a command structure. What kept them together?

[darth_giles]

I wonder how they didn't catch the botched indoctrination during the creation process. Creating a marine takes years. I doubt the mentors would not have found out that the recruits had retained their memories and characters. Also hardned crimninals do not necessarily work well in a command structure. What kept them together?

Well, on the Marine side they're supposed to be heavily conditioned to prevent such a thing from happening. That's how the Fists keep the gangers of Necromunda from killing each other, at least. Once they became Renegades, however... good question.

[Brother Ambroz]

Mutual hatred? Chaos? I'm sure he could come up with something seeing how well he's wrote the beginning fluff there.

[Warsmith Aznable]

The second chapter created was not a full one, only 400 strong, but a supplementary force to the arbites watching Sparta 5.

 

A chapter of Space Marines founded to be auxiliaries to local Arbites? No wonder they went rogue. The reason for their founding lacks gravitas, I believe. 400 Space Marines to watch a prison world is a waste of resources, even more so when they are only there to support local cops.

 

Then there is the issue of cadre, and the time it takes to raise a chapter. The Imperial Fists would have supplied a Chapter Master and officers to the new Chapters, so what happened to them? Why weren't they in closer contact with the Imperial Fists? Also, how could the Imperial Fists contain knowledge of this heresy, and the involvement with it, when the AdMech sent a Titan Legion to suppress it?

 

They always recruit new marines from penal worlds making sure the chapter stays as psychotic as it always has been. A great source of pride for the marines is completing their original sentences due to extended life, and gathering new ones for crimes commited. The Black Watch keep several arbites judges in animation as servitors for the express purpose of finding out how much time a recent rampage of slaughter would get them.

 

This part appeals to me.

 

Winning games is not important to me, fun battles with scenarios and background story is more important in my games and campaign.

 

I identify completely with this remark! I would also suggest checking out the Liber Astartes forum, which is the part of the B&C dedicated to exactly this sort of thing. Octavulg's DIY Guide is an excellent resource for chapter/warband creation.

[hummus]

are you perhaps of the scottish persuasion

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Watch#History