WIP IA: Retaliators

[Talthus]

Retaliators

 

"Vengeful Sons"

 

re·tal·i·ate   

verb (used without object)

1.

to return like for like, especially evil for evil: to retaliate for an injury.

verb (used with object)

2.

to requite or make return for (a wrong or injury) with the like.

 

 

Founded in the late 35th millenium with a very clear purpose to destroy those who would turn from the Emperor's light the Retaliators have carved themselves into the Imperium's history with boltgun and blade. With immediate need for Astartes after the fall of the Sons of Vengeance and Silver Guards chapters during the Obscuran Uprising, the High Lords of Terra declared there would be a founding to counteract these newly heretic Chapters, whose sole purpose was to purge them from the cosmos. Unflinching in their Emperor given duty, the Retaliators seek out any hint of these Traitors, scouring the galaxy for every last Renegade Marine, and will not rest until their task is complete.

 

Chapter motto:

"We are steel. We are doom."

 

Alright. In an attempt to finish something I have decided to work on another chapter that has sprung forth from my brainjunk. As of yet, I am unable to find a chapter by this name and as such, I am commandeering it.

 

With a name like "Retaliators", one is given a strong image of revenge, and as such revenge will be a very strong them throughout this article. They seek revenge against those whom have turned against the light of the Emperor, those who would spit on their oaths and turn traitor.

 

I looked through the 40k Timeline and I thought it might be neat if these guys were founded in the 35th millennium, a particularly bad one for the Imperium. Abaddon led his 4th Black Crusade into the Imperium at the beginning of the millennium, and towards the end two chapters, the aforementioned Sons of Vengeance and Silver Guards, turned traitor. Also at the end of the era, fully 11(!) chapters disappeared near the Ghoul Stars. I think all of this would be a fitting reason for the High Lords to found a chapter, to try and stem the tide of darkness.

 

Currently I am in the brainstorming phase of this creation, and some or all of this may or may not make it to the finished article. My first plan of action is to decide which geneseed these guys are founded from, as that goes a long way to help establish a Chapter's attitudes and such like. Dorn's geneseed has always been a favorite of mine, though it could be interesting to go with the Khan's or Corax's. I think these two have some serious potential, and it might be fun to explore a chapter of Khan descendants who don't ride bikes and forget the whole tribal thing, or sons of Corax who aren't obsessed with stealth and that sort of thing.

 

Visually, there will be lots of skulls and purgatorial imagery, very much the image of Gothic 40k, to give their enemies a view of what is in store for them.

 

Anyway, enough rambling for now. Any help with these guys would certainly be appreciated.

[Gulag]

Fast Reply:

 

Good solid name. One word names are hard to come by.

 

Good reasons for establishment. The loss of at least 13 SM chapters is a pretty good reason to raise new chapters.

 

Reasons to use the Khan's gene seed: Mongol armies (and their descendants) had a fondness for making great big heaps of severed heads from the cities they conquered. Could work well with the skulls and purgatorial imagery. Versatile, functional, lots of room for creativity - you can do almost anything with the descendants of the White Scars.

 

In keeping with this you might also look to the Executioners who collect heads to show to their chaplains as a sign of the kill - you Retaliators could go further and make big heaps of heads of slain renegade marines and paint the neckthing on their armor (what is called the neck in the SM painter) red against dark colored armor as a reminder to enemies that they're going to kill them until they are dead. :P

 

My Fast Reply two cents.

[Talthus]

Also a fast reply, as I have to go be with the family soon. All very good comments Gulag! I will definitely look at the Executioners, as i hadn't thought about them for inspiration! I think the Khan's geneseed is the most likely, and the name sort of fits in with their successors. (Rampagers, Marauders, and Destroyers.) They will indeed probably be descended from one of the successors.

Man, there is some imagery for yah. A burning Hive in the background, skullls and helms of fallen enemies piled up or arranged in a ritualistic way, each Marine kneeling in front of his Chaplain, receiving His blessing and recounting his deeds and tally of the fallen. Maybe I could incorporate some sort of oral tradition like the Space Wolves have, with each Marine trying to create his saga.

By the way, I see these guys as really very brutal, no Salamanders here, lets look to the Marines Malevolent, and as you said before, the Executioners. Maybe the bloodlust in the Khan's geneseed is becoming more and more prevalent. Kind of the "balanced on a knife's edge" theme you get with the Blood Angels and their successors.

Well. Food for thought. Merry Christmas to all!

P.s.

This could be a jumping off point for the color scheme:

Perhaps they started out with fully black armor, but after a particularly bloody battle where the fighting was so thick that the blood was up to their knees and their gauntlets were stained red, the decided to paint the armor that way for the rest of time. In honor of that battle or something.

[Talthus]

This is a shameless push back up to the top of the page for some hopeful comments before I start drafting. I went through the Executioners on the Warhammer 40k wikia and came out with this:

 

It is only by right of bloodshed, by taking the lives of the Emperor's enemies. that an Executioners Battle-Brother can be granted the honour of a place in the Chapter chronicles, and thereby earn the respect of their fellow Space Marines and so attain rank and honour within the Chapter. The Battle-Brothers of this Chapter have an intractable and ambitious nature. Quick to anger, an Executioners Astartes is taught to avenge slights to their honour with blood, even amongst their own, but unlike the few other Chapters where such behavior is tolerated or even encouraged (such as the Space Wolves or Marauders for example), there is little that passes in the way of brawling or boisterous competition amongst the Executioners Astartes, for all such battles are to the maiming or the death of those involved. In their extreme view, honour demands no less.

 

Another disturbing eccentricity of the Chapter to outside observers is the tendency for the Executioners' Astartes to carry trophies from the battlefield, taken from particularly noteworthy victims, and including such items as skulls, heads, and enemy weapons. They do not take these trophies for any ritual purpose but rather for the tally of the Death-Speakers after the battle. They are then promptly discarded after serving their purpose unless judged to be particularly significant, in which case they are preserved as relics, often adorning the Space Marine's armour or wargear for a time.

 

This is exactly how I see these guys, the death of their enemies is the only way to gain honor and what better way than to bring back a trophy to prove their honor than bringing something with them to show their chaplains. There is even a bit about the Marauders in there, so I think that is the chapter these guys will be founded from, to further give reason as to why they are this way.

 

 

And here is this, from the Mantis Warriors article on the very same site:

The Mantis Warriors' native character traits are further honed and enhanced when they become full Battle-Brothers through decades of combat experience in the field and the ferocity inherent in their progenitors' gene-seed. Unlike their White Scars forebears, their savage hearts are tempered by a streak of dark mysticism. The Mantis Warriors' focused power as a Chapter is like that of a sudden squall that comes and goes without warning, leaving only devastation in its wake.

 

I like this, it would seem fitting that the Retaliators would attack without warning, and then leave the field of battle just as quickly. Maybe they have been criticized for this, destroying a planet's infrastructure along with the enemy and then leaving someone else to clean up their mess.

 

With my idea of purgatorial imagery, they would have the "streak of dark mysticism" like the Mantis Warriors.

 

So far it is seeming like these guys will be a bit like Medieval Crusaders, all the zealous destruction and unwavering faith with none of the knightly imagery often associated with the Crusades. Perhaps I can harness that in some way shape or form.

[sniperhavens]

I like what you have so far my only tip would be the red on the gorget and neck guard will probably add 20-30 minutes to your paint time having to clean that up and retouch it. It looks good just will add time, I did something like that with my current army and it bugs me to no end now when I have to touch that up and rehighlight those little spots.

[Gulag]

Fast Reply

 

I like where you're going with this - another source to consider would the chapter beliefs of the Star Phantoms.

 

Their mortuary cult and emphasis on fallen Martyrs would fit in nicely with the theme you've got going so far.