The 169th Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes

[Bismarxist]

"Did Rogal Dorn not say 'Give me a hundred Space Marines. Or failing that give me a thousand other troops' yes he did. Yet if victory requires the annihilation of an entire hive what is a mere hundred space marines? Even clad in tactical dreadnought armor they are nothing. But a thousand guardsmen can man a hundred basilisks, against whose might no hive can stand. So does the marine, the guardsman, the arbiter, the inquisitor and the mecanicus stand shoulder to shoulder. Each united in service to He on Terra, each useless without the rest."

Otto Von Ferrorin, Chapter Master of The 169th Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes

Founding: 5th

Geneseed: Ultramarines

Home world: hive world (Germanic sounding name) in the Ferrian sector

Nickname: Consequat Aquilae

History: founded during the fifth founding they have fought in many illustrious campaigns including the sundering of Waagh BoomChucka. It's founding chapter master, Otto Von Ferrorin never saw the use for flashy sounding names and just growled "The 169th Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes" whenever someone asked what his chapter was called

Exanded

Beliefs: The 169th sees themselves first and foremost as soldiers in the imperial war machine, worth no more nor less any other soldier in service of He on Terra. While other chapters may hold the lesser, more mundane forces of the imperium (the Imperial Guard, Adeptus Arbites etc.) in contempt, the 169th holds the utmost respect for them. For while ten space marines may be worth one thousand of any any other soldiers if those thousand soldiers man a hundred Basilisks even the mightiest of hive cities will shudder and fall to them. Because of that fact the chapter's first master, Otto Von Ferrorin, worked tirelessly to build the chapter's ties with the Ferrian Sector Command of the Departmento Munitorium giving those recruits who could not accept the geneseed over to them and directly asking them where his companies could do the most good. Thus over the centuries the Chapter and DM SecCom have grown a rapport such that SecCom knows full well that if they ask the 169th to break a waagh they will move heaven and earth to tear out it's heart and strike off its head. Conversely the chapter knows that if they ask the Imperial Guard to hold the greenskins in place on the open plains that nothing short of the anhiliation of the blocking forces will allow the orks to step into the hive cities.

Away from the fires of battle the 169th is almost completely devoid of ritual believing that religion and ritual are merely tools used to help small minds sleep soundly. Due to this belief those portions of a space marine's day that would normally be given over to prayer and contemplation are instead filled with training in tactics and strategy, or briefings over new and emerging threats and war zone. While never spoken aloud the chapter also believes that hose chapter with more elaborate and pronounced rituals, the Black Templars and their vows, the Blood Angels and their elaborate pre battle sermons, the Space Wolves with their festivities, ultimately do a disservice to The Emperor and Imperium.

Also the chapter possess nothing that they would consider a relic. Their great victories may be immortalized on the banners that hang on their fortress monastery's outer wall but those merely serve as a historical record and are never carried into battle. The blade and bolter that a chapter master carries into battle and his death will not be hung in a chapel, there to gather dust until time immortal, but will be returned to the armory and issued out to another battle brother so that hey may carry out the function for which they were built. Although the soldier issued such a weapon will undoubtably fight all the harder knowing his weapon's history.

after their induction recruits are encouraged to keep in contact with their families so that they never forget the humanity that they both left behind and are sworn to protect

Recruitment: Unlike most other chapters the 169th focuses almost exclusively on a potential recruit's mental abilities as opposed to his physical traits figuring that with enough training and stimulants anyone can become physically capable of accepting the geneseed but adding to a warrior's cunning or mental agility is much much harder.

to that end every year the chapter holds a written assessment open to all of (home world)'s inhabitants. Those recruits who pass yet are unable to undergo the geneseed implantation are given over to the Imperial Guard/Fleet and many have gone on to become Colonels, Admirals and Commisars

Relations with Other Organizations: The 169th have no open feuds although they keep the ecclesiarchy at arms length, feeling that religion is just a bunch of words chanted to help small minds sleep at night.

However thier relationship with the Departmento Munitorum is much closer than most other chapters and while they will not violate the long standing taboo on marines directly commanding other imperial forces they will often send a liaison to any other imperial forces in their war zone. (ie. The 169th will never act like the Crimson Fists in the second Soul Drinkers novel and be some space marine chapter that shows up out of the blue fighting it's own wars and leaving The Guard high and dry.)

Tactics: as per codex, however they have a predilection for transorbital and drop pod assaults so as to win wars with a single blow

Organization: as per codex with the minor adjustment that the positions of Company/Chapter Champion is replaced by the First Lieutenant who serves a more tactical and advisor like role, and also who also serves as the chapter/company's liaison to any other Imperial Forces that might be present in a given war zone. Also their chaplains do not bear the regalia normally associated with their office and instead fight alongside their battle brothers with their standard issue weapons. Another oddity is that their vanguard squads eschew the standard sword/pistol combination for assault carbines, compact rifles native to their home world purpose built for close quarters combat

1

Colors:

[Sigismund Himself]

after their induction recruits are encouraged to keep in contact with their families so that they never forget the humanity that they both left behind and are sworn to protect

The marines will live many more years than their immediate family. This could actually have the opposite effect as they watch the ones they used to love whither and die of age as they continue on unblemished.

 

Unlike most other chapters the 169th focuses almost exclusively on a potential recruit's mental abilities as opposed to his physical traits figuring that with enough training and stimulants anyone can become physically capable of accepting the geneseed but adding to a warrior's cunning or mental agility is much much harder.

I think the physical requirements are more so that they accept the implants well enough and that the rejection rate is reduced.

 

many have gone on to become Colonels, Admirals and Commisars

Be careful of making your homeworld too good.

 

However thier relationship with the Departmento Munitorum is much closer than most other chapters and while they will not violate the long standing taboo on marines directly commanding other imperial forces they will often send a liaison to any other imperial forces in their war zone. (ie. The 169th will never act like the Crimson Fists in the second Soul Drinkers novel and be some space marine chapter that shows up out of the blue fighting it's own wars and leaving The Guard high and dry.)

How did this relationship come to pass? And why do they stick around? Generally, marines are wasted if they are just tied down in one battlezone. Space Marines' greatest asset is their flexibility and speed of deployment, when compared to the ponderous hammer of the Guard.

 

++Edit++ Oh and welcome to the Liber ;)

[Bismarxist]

Hi there, thanks for all the input. For your first point, I never thought about that but I guess that is a risk that the 169th understands and accepts since I want my marines more humane than most, able to strike up a conversation with the guardsmen they fight alongside.

 

What I was thinking with their recruitment is something analogus to Captain America, they will recuit a 5 foot asmathic who can step off a drop pod and immeadtely assault the objective, warn of an incoming counter attack and see that the HMG nest is too far forward, and then the apothecaries throw enough steroids/pushups/techno-surgery at the recruit till the geneseed sticks.

 

The third point was more a clumsily written attempt on my part to say that they give their washouts to the DM who then ships them off to Officer School/ Stormtrooper Training since ex-marine recruits are not cannon fodder.

 

As to their relationship with the DM its not that they are allied with a few regiments in one war zone but more that since their inception they have made friends and allies within the overarching strategic command/bureaucracy of the DM. So if 3rd Company deploys to some decades old war where the resupply requests take years to process they know who to call to get the Baneblades deployed within the month.

 

Nevermnd I have thought of a nickname

[Bismarxist]

I was just wondering if anyone had any thoughts now that I have greatly expanded and fleshed out their beliefs.