Sons of Iron

[TheDVoid]

Right with my Death Guard army finished and with four wins and a draw under my belt

I think its time I started preparing for my return to the Emperors Light. I sat down and

went through all my favorite loyalist first founding chapters and the Iron Hands jumped

out at me. So here is an outline for a successor chapter, still in early stages but any view

points would be welcome.

 

 

Name: Sons of Iron

Founding Chapter: Iron Hands

Founding: 21st

Chapter Master: Chapter overseen by five Iron Lords

Home World: Magnesia

Fortress-Monastery: The Star of Iron

Colours: Silver/White/Gold

Speciality: Close Combat and Dreadnoughts

War Cry: Fire and Iron, Strength and Purity

 

 

History:

The Sons of Iron are decended of the Iron Hands and the parent chapter can be seen strongly

in their organisation and philosophy, they place a lot of reverance in technology and weakness

of the flesh. For one thousand years after their creation they fought as a crusading chapter,

determined to prove themselves, and spent much of the Age of Apostasy combating the Orks

north of the Mealstrom where they fought with a zeal unmatched appauled as they were by the

Orks use of tech.

 

After their Crusade was complete they took Magnesia as their homeworld, its core thick with

materials and its people strong and tough. The planet itself is in a constant state of geological

flux, volcanic eruptions are comon place and much of the planet is covered in molten lava with

the population living on isolated blocks of solid rock and have developed great skill working the

metals found within these refuges. The planet is rich in magnesium and often is the night sky

ripped into brilliant white light as the lava flows heat deposites that lay close to the surface.

The planets geological activity is result of its location within its solar system, the second planet

in a system with three suns each close enough to each other that near constant solar storms

create a natural defensive barrier arround the plantes held within the triangle of stars.

 

Two and a half thousand years after the chapter took Magnesia as their homeworld the chapters

heratage as one of the cursed twenty first became apparent, when the feral world of Iskaral VI

was lost to chaos cults the Sons of Iron sent two companys to bring the planet back into compliance,

the 3rd and 4th companys arrived and set about their task but after a mere five days contact was

lost. The Iron Lords sent the remainder of the chapter in responce, upon landing it appeared that

the two companys were locked in a bitter battle against traitor marines of the Iron Warriors and the

Sons of Iron charged to their brothers aid, as battle was met tragedy befell the chapter, in a grim

mockery of the Isstvan V drop site massacre the astartes of the 3rd and 4th turned their bolters

against their to be reinforcments and revealed themselves to be not the loyalist battle brothers who

had been sent but rather Alpha Legionaires in looted battle plate. The Sons of Iron fought to break

away from the combat and retreat back to a stronger location to fight the forces of chaos from.

Finally comeing to a defendable valley where they could set their guns apon the foe. But the parody

of Isstvan was not yet over, with the loyalists haveing taken to a greater strategic location the

forces of chaos revealed their own reinforcments as from atop the valleys walls on screaming jump

packs decended warriors of the Night Lords. Losses were greaton both sides as the three traitor

forces hammered the Sons of Iron in what was to be known as the Battle of the Valley of Tears.

 

After a week of bloodshed much of the chapter had fallen, a mere five hundred Sons remainded

fighting but such was their hatred of the foe that for every one that fell of their number three

Chaos Marines would die, the battle went on for a further three days before the forces of Chaos

were forced back. Not giving the foe time to regain their strength the Sons of Iron returned to orbit

and hammered the planet with the full force of their fleet.

 

Organisation:

With the chapter being of such low numbers they do not follow the Codex Astartes as most, beliving

it to put restrictions on the chapter that hinder them to greatly. Led by five Iron Lords (equivilent to

a company captain and reclusiarch combined) the chapters every action is carefully debbated so as

to maximise the growth of the chapter. Each Iron Lord is advised by his companys Iron Guardian

(A combination of the roles of Tech Priest and Apothocary), Champion and Iron Heart (the most senior

dreadnought in his company) with each company having its own keep fully equiped with its own forge.

Once two companys would have occupied each keep often leading to strong bonds of brotherhood or

bitter rivalries. Each keep forms a point of The Star of Iron around the chapters central hub, containing

the council chambers and vaults containing the chapters oldest relics.

 

Combat Doctrine:

With much of their Astartes and Gene-seed lost the Sons of Iron were forced to turn to their allies, as

with all Iron Hands they possess a strong relationship with the Adeptus Mechanicus and after long

negotiations the chapter has been temporarily bolstered by Skitarii forces until such a time when the

chapter is strong again.

 

This affects their combat doctrine heavily, with few squads at full strength their numbers will often be

accompanied by the Skitarii legions troops. The chapter has a large number of Dreadnaughts relying

heavily on these veterans for heavy fire support rather than devestator squads allowing the brother

marines to close in for close combat were their skills are augmentated by their hatred far greater than

down the sites of a bolter. Due to both Isstvan V where the Iron Hands lost much of their terminator

armour and the Battle of the Valley of Tears the Sons of Iron have little in the way of the reveared

Terminator Armour often being gifted only to Iron Lords and his retinue.

 

 

 

Its far from finished but any views would be welcomed

[ScottishSmurf96]

I would say this is a well thought out chapter which has a believable story and is unique in a good way. Job well done :tu:

Tom

[TheDVoid]

Thanks, its taken me alot of fiddling to get it this far still got some more to do

and then I'm ready to start building it. I'm thinking I'll probablly use more of the

ancient marks of armour, mostly type III, IV and V

[ScottishSmurf96]

Thanks, its taken me alot of fiddling to get it this far still got some more to do

and then I'm ready to start building it. I'm thinking I'll probablly use more of the

ancient marks of armour, mostly type III, IV and V

 

maybe have a few mk8 in there? moreso than other chapters as this would show the bonds with the ad mec?

[TheDVoid]

I do like the Mk vIII armour, I think I will, use it for Sgts and upward maybe?

[ScottishSmurf96]

It's entirely up to you! I just thought mk8 being relatively new an all would be good fluff if had a fair few

[TheDVoid]

Yer it does make sence, especially with the events of the Battle of the Vally of Tears.

Alot of their wargear was lost when they pulled out. So yer a large amount of Mark 8

would work well, and with the concept of the Mark 5 armour being effectivly a bits bash

suit that would work well also. Cheers ScottishSmurf, you have really helped me iron that

issue out, I'm going to use Mk 5 and Mk8 predominatly with Mk 4 and Mk 3 being for

Artificier armor.

[ScottishSmurf96]

Yer it does make sence, especially with the events of the Battle of the Vally of Tears.

Alot of their wargear was lost when they pulled out. So yer a large amount of Mark 8

would work well, and with the concept of the Mark 5 armour being effectivly a bits bash

suit that would work well also. Cheers ScottishSmurf, you have really helped me iron that

issue out, I'm going to use Mk 5 and Mk8 predominatly with Mk 4 and Mk 3 being for

Artificier armor.

 

The Ad Mech look after their own! and no problem, so is this army going to be made? if so I await patiently to see it.

[TheDVoid]

Im going to start work on it the moment I get paid. Quite how I'm going to make

the models for the skitarii I dont know but I shall be uploading pics of my progress

as it comes along.

[ScottishSmurf96]

What are you planning on using for the skitarii? They will be interesting to see

[TheDVoid]

I'm going to be using the Templar Codex for the army and have my

neophytes as the skitarii I'll model them largly using scout parts with

lots of biotic parts. Might brutalise alot of the iron hands and tyrannid

vet models for their biotic limbs.

[ScottishSmurf96]

I'm liking your ideas maybe these are of use?

 

http://www.maxmini.eu/store/index.php?main...products_id=101

 

and if your a handy sculptor

 

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/index.p...showarticle=446

[TheDVoid]

Those links are going to be greatly helpfull thanks again.

[ScottishSmurf96]

sorry if the links are annoying you...

 

these look mechyish

http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/Warhammer-4000...ESPIRATORS.html

 

and bionic goodies

http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/Warhammer-4000...ERSION-SET.html

[TheDVoid]

I was planning to use the conversion kit from forgeworld alot

for my marines. I am looking foward to this army it is one of

the most complex conversion plans i have done. Plus Iron Hands

are cool.

[jokaero weaponsmith]

Great write up. I cant wait to see your force.

Puppets war also has some bits as well.

As do mirco arts studios

And Blightwheel miniatures

[BassWave]

Very nice stuff so far. You need to explain why they don't use iron fathers, and why your hqs are organized the way they are. Btw, you decide on heraldy and scheme yet?

 

The flesh is weak!

[TheDVoid]

I have decided on a color scheme but for some

Reason my computer doesn't like the SM painter.

As for heraldry I'm thinking something like a cog

With a hammer within.

[BassWave]

Ooh cog and hammer sounds very nice :) BTW, you are going to love the templar codex. They have the best techmarines,along with the second best dreadnoughts (first being grey knights). How does having the tank hunters rule on dreads, and storm shields on techmarines sound? :lol:

[ScottishSmurf96]

Ooh cog and hammer sounds very nice ;) BTW, you are going to love the templar codex. They have the best techmarines,along with the second best dreadnoughts (first being grey knights). How does having the tank hunters rule on dreads, and storm shields on techmarines sound? :D

 

Tank hunting termies with CML?... Mmmm..

[TheDVoid]

I have a long standing love of the Templar Codex BassWave, your right awesome techmarines

with their choice of servo harness or TDA, Dreads that start with assault cannons, crusaders

that ignore lances, with the amount of Dark Eldar players I've fought recently these will be useful.

 

I have now finished my first two squads complete with their skittarii warriors and my Iron Lord,

currently working on my Iron Guardian and my first Dread. Once my camera is up fixed I will get some

picks uploaded.

 

I have also written a second list that is for playing games using the chapter before their great loss

using the Marine Siege List from Badab 2 and am starting work on a counts as Cal for that list.