Fire Badgers

[Captain Mike]

Some fluff for my new concept. I wanted a chapter of utter psychopaths, because I like to show the rather more horrific side of the Imperium. But I can't resist a little tongue in cheek either so the result may be... interesting. C&C more than welcome, it's far from finished.

 

My Lords and Masters,

 

It was inevitable, given the number of Space Marine chapters the Imperium had produced and their seemingly ubiquitous refusal to name themselves in anything but Gothic (A mistake, I believe, on their part. The Korshanan language is so frightful that even their word for “sing” chills the bones) that a chapter would eventually end up with a name that lacked the dramatic impact we are accustomed to.

 

The chapter would be the Fire Badgers. Though both the element and species named are fearful in their own right, the combination of the two is hardly imposing. Thankfully for the Fire Badgers a space marine chapter relies more on its reputation than its name, and this particular chapter has carved a rather violent reputation for itself.

 

However I am getting ahead of myself, and shall return to their origins, before continuing through this chapter’s histories and doctrines in as methodical a process as possible.

 

Origins

 

Thankfully for the purposes of research, the Fire Badgers were a member of the 25th Founding, alongside their brother chapters the Scythes of The Emperor and the, now lost, Star Scorpions, and therefore records remain relatively intact. Preparations for this founding had been occurring since the early 40th millennium. Their gene seed was that of Jaghati Khan, though it is notable that the newly created battle brothers seemed to exhibit even more aggression than the White Scars, indicating a considerable mutation in the gene seed. Eventually, in 756.M39, the Fire Badgers were given dominion of their designated homeworld, a place known as Termier. The Fire Badgers were unhappy with being given this world, however, as they found the inhabitants too meek and passive for their liking (it should be noted that Termier was chosen because of the infighting between clans and the warmongering tribal societies). Within the next two decades they participated in numerous campaigns, forging a reputation for aggression, violence and even slaughter. This would have piqued the interest of the inquisition were it not for the chapters utter devotion to the Emperor. The slaughter, then, was in His name.

 

Homeworld

 

Around 780.M39, the Second Company of the Fire Badgers was involved in the Mayna Rift Campaign, aiding Lord General Wroth’s efforts to reclaim a number of worlds lost to the ork Warband “Yazkulla”. Captain Tallic of the Second Company noted that the orks seemed to have left one world, designated Javan, alone. Wroth replied that it was of little importance, inhabited only by savages and destructive wildlife, and with a sun that basked the planet so strongly with radiation that the human tribesmen had to live underground during the day, and hunt at night amongst the voracious fauna of their world. The conditions seemed to Tellic to be perfect for an Astartes homeworld, and sent word back to Termier of his discovery. A small mission was sent out to recon the planet, and they returned with promising news. The planet was as violent as the Fire Badger’s own temperament. The tribesman, who did indeed live underground during the day, matched their predators for aggression and initiative. They were also highly untrusting, living only in small groups of thirty to fifty individuals. Skirmishes between groups were common as they hunted across the planet’s desolate landscape.

 

The chapter quickly moved from Termier to Javan. Termier fell into shame and, later, civil war, and had to be subjugated by the Fire Badgers themselves. Chapter serfs worked tirelessly to dig deep into the hard Javan ground and create for their masters a fortress monastery, later named the Great Sett. Meanwhile the ranks of the Fire Badgers, which had been dwindling owing to their distrust of, and therefore scarce recruitment from, the Termians, were refilled with the clansmen. At first the recruits were simply taken, but the Fire Badgers managed quickly, and viciously, to implement themselves as gods amongst the clansmen, who sent them a willing tribute of young boys to stop their wrath.

 

Combat Doctrine

 

The Fire Badgers are notable amongst the astartes for being one of the least tactically able chapters. Their plans are often simplistic, and tend towards run and burn tactics. Thunderhawks will drop armoured transports close to the front line, letting the battle brothers wade right into the fray. Often these armoured transports are not Rhinos; the Adeptus Mechanicus refuses to resupply the chapter due to their high vehicle attrition rate, and lack of proper reverence.

 

The Fire Badgers show a considerable relish in shooting at their enemies, even more than engaging them in close combat. For them the recoil of their weapon and the destruction of their enemies is infinitely satisfying, and they need little incentive to open fire.

 

These tactics actually work surprisingly well in putting down rebellions. Even a strongly motivated and well equipped traitor is likely to turn at the site of his friends and allies being mercilessly slaughtered.

 

As can be predicted, these hot headed tactics take a heavy toll on the chapter’s numbers. The Fire Badgers have perhaps the highest casualty rate of any Space Marine chapter, and they are rarely at full strength. As such the tribute they demand of the Javan clansmen is incredibly high, and scouts can find themselves promoted to full battle brothers as soon as their black carapace is implanted.

 

Religious Doctrine

 

The destruction of the Emperor’s enemies is seen as the highest form of worship in many Imperial cultures, but most Space Marine chapters view it more as an honour rather than any religious act. The Fire Badgers implemented themselves as gods amongst the Javanites, and as such are predisposed towards religious belief. And as the Javanite creed says that war is the greatest worship for their gods, so to do Fire Badgers view war as praise to the Emperor. The more terrible the destruction, the higher the body count, the more blood spilt, the more aliens torn limb from limb, the more traitors eradicated, the greater the worship to the Emperor.

 

Organisation

 

Curiously, the Fire Badgers are divided into 20 companies, each with 50 to 60 Space Marines. Any larger a group and mistrust would be rife amongst the Astartes supposed to be defending each other. Each company is self sufficient, and has claim over a number of Javanite clans. There are no “reserve” companies, as each of the 20 can support itself in terms of heavy weapons and scout recruitment.

 

Dividing the chapter so much does mean that it is difficult to get all the Fire Badgers to mobilise to a single cause. In fact, such an event has not happened since they gained stewardship of Javan.

 

Relationships with other Chapters

 

Most chapters view the Fire Badgers with scorn, seeing them only as reckless hot heads and lacking in honour. Many older chapters are also concerned that they venerate the Emperor as a god, not the man He professed Himself to be. Such icy relationships do not concern the Fire Badgers, as they rarely trust anyone beyond their company, let alone beyond their Chapter, a Javanite suspicion that lives on in them.

[Aegnor]

Ummm, lol. Jeez I'm glad the name is consciously tongue-in-cheek, cos I saw it and just thought "honey badger".

[Andrew J]

If only the badger were not such an awesome animal in real life to have earned such an odd reputation that it almost ruins any naming of the chapter. But good story so far. Like where you are going with this.

 

Any kind of comical paint scheme in mind? Red and yellow stripes? Orange and brown? Though if splattered in gore they would look pretty good, if not heretical...

[Wolf Priest Haelaeif]

I really like it. And it isn't even so much of a parody that it couldn't just as well be taken seriously. Maybe towards the end - using up Rhinos (and scouts) too quickly - it becomes a bit too ridiculous.

 

What are you going to do with it? Collect an actual army? In that case I'd either tone down the parody bits or exaggerate them more, to have either an actual parody chapter or a "serious" chapter with slightly humorous undertones.

[Captain Mike]

It's not a parody so much, I just don't take things over seriously. Partly because I sometimes write some pretty dark things so try and balance it out.

 

The army (or single test model) is thus:

 

Fire Badger Test Model

 

@Aegnor: I'm glad you did. Honey Badgers are awesome.

 

@Wolf Priest Haelaeif: Good comment on the scouts and rhinos. Can I ask why you think it's ridiculous (I'm not saying you're wrong, it helps me alter if I know what's wrong). The Rhino usage is actually to allow me to use my own scratchbuild tanks. just because I like to. Bit of a fluff/gameplay issue.

 

My aim overall is a bit of Rogue Trader zaniness, but with enough seriousness to keep it in line.

[War Angel]

I like it, and I will admit I'm upset and or jealous that you beat me to it, (was going to make badgers with SW codex) but I agree with the tanks. If you want to have fluff for why you're tanks are custom, you don't need to say you destroy them often, perhaps you're tactics often have you're rhinos seeing constant action, and there beat up pretty feirce... To make repairs you're tech marines have gone to scavenging new parts or making there own improvements. As you said they are untrusting, perhaps they do not trust the mechanis.

 

Also, not sure how I feel about speeding up scouts promotion. Part of being a scout is you're black carrapace maturing. Though I do like that you have high casualty rates. Too many times you hear about there being no casualty rates. I would mearly say that the chapter has a high recruiting rate to counter their losses. Maybe resulting in a higher number of scouts.

[Aegnor]

I like both the "we trash our vehicles" and the "we rush our scouts because we tend to die a lot" things. Keep them both in my opinion. Keep them both, especially the vehicle one, it's what makes your guys Badgers! :tu:

[Wolf Priest Haelaeif]

I think the matter of using up marines and Rhinos is ridiculous because it would mean the chapter will die within a few decades. As mentioned by War Angel, scouts can't just be promoted more quickly, because the organs take time to develop within their bodies. I agree on his suggestion to just have them have a high rate of recruitment to counter their higher losses.

 

With the Rhinos, it's simply that it doesn't really work within the 40K universe where vehicles are holy relics. I think the Flesh Tearers, for example, have fewer vehicles because they do exactly what your guys do - but they cannot just junk them up because that would be tech-heresy. I have no real solution for that, however. I do like the idea behind it, though.

 

Also, I just realised your chapter's name reminds me a bit of the Battle Tech Clans - which are from roughly the same era as Rogue Trader, ten years later, maybe.

[Captain Mike]

I was considering that scouts tend to serve for a while beyond the point where they could feasibly become marines, just to prove themselves, and so if there was a need they could be "sped up" along the career line. However, a high recruitment rate would work as well.

 

AS for the vehicles. I would like to use my own, so it may just have to be an element of gameplay/story segregation? The scratchbuilds won't be just Rhinos with added bits, they'll be entirely different vehicles. Probably a modified version of THIS

 

I'll wait for feedback before implementing these changes.

[Aqui]

With regards to your doubts about the name (as posted in your WIP thread), I've posted a little suggestion there :lol:

 

With regards to the lack of reverence to the Chapter Vehicles, perhaps in the fluff rather than the rules, you could state that "The Chapter had destroyed or seriously damaged so many vehicles by ramming into their enemies, that the Adeptus Mechanicus, in their frustration, made an off hand remark that perhaps the Fire Badgers should add extra armour to the front of their vehicles to give them a chance of surviving a battle. Without irony, the Chapter did just that and as such damages in future campaigns dropped to a more acceptable level...."

[Captain Mike]

Nice idea... or they out right refuse to supply them, so they use Rahkoni vehicles? We've already established that Rhino's are religious icons as much as battle tanks, I don't see it as too far a stretch of the imagination that the AdMech would outright refuse to supply a chapter if they got through them too fast.

[War Angel]

There are variations to rhinos. You could just have a different version.

[Captain Mike]

I'd go with that... except my models really don't look like Rhinos. And I like the idea of some kind of over usage, or outright denial, or Rhinos and other vehicles to enforce their hotheadedness.

[Cromat]

Nice idea... or they out right refuse to supply them, so they use Rahkoni vehicles? We've already established that Rhino's are religious icons as much as battle tanks, I don't see it as too far a stretch of the imagination that the AdMech would outright refuse to supply a chapter if they got through them too fast.

 

This wouldn't be a crippling problem, as the chapter's techmarines can build some chapter vehicles themselves, particularly rhinos. Other stuff, such as land raiders and thunderhawks they don't have the manpower for. It does however provide the chapter with some measure of self-sufficiency.

 

Now, Captain Mike, this could provide a new element to your chapter, should you take it. These guys wreck their vehicles with insufficient regard for them as holy relics. This pisses off the AdMech to the point where they refuse to supply any more rhino chassi vehicles but still provide those the chapter can't build themselves (which are also the toughest vehicles and therefor the ones least likely to get wrecked.) So, your chapter could respond by having a higher amount of techmarines and servitors to build their rhinos themselves. This could also include vindicators, whirlwinds, predators and razorbacks since these guys are probably just as rough on their other battle tanks. this could cause your chapter to trust their techmarines more, since they reperesent a greater proportion of the chapter's manpower or less, since they still would have to make lots of quick fixes to their tanks. Either way could work.

 

Anyway, those are my thoughts. Hope they help.

[Ace Debonair]

Well, that was much more interesting than I first expected!

 

My question is, though, how do the Fire Badgers look at their brother Astartes, in particular those more dedicated to grand strategies? Do they have any issues with people taking time out to plan attacks and co-ordinate offences instead of just charging and getting stuck in?

[Captain Mike]

Thats a good thing to consider...

 

As a rough thing I'd say they'd be distrusting. The Badgers would probably be distrusting of people in other companies, let alone other chapters. So it would be more they just don't co-ordinate or listen to them, preferring to follow their own plans and get stuck in.

 

The question then is how do other astartes view the Fire Badgers? I mean yes they are reckless psychopaths, but then so are the Flesh Tearers to some degree. I imagine imperial commanders cursing their name because they will tend to upset the best laid plans.

[Captain Mike]

Ho!

 

Sorry it's been so long. Exams.

 

I made some changes based on our discussions, and just generally added some more bits.

 

Please, please still comment on things you think don't work.

[Dosjetka]

I actually really like your IA, Captain Mike. When I saw Fire Badgers, I groaned a bit, but after reading through I've come to like the Chapter a lot. A real bunch of back-stabbing bastards they are :o

 

I don't really have much to critique about, apart from the fact that it's a bit short. But this kind of short works well and apart from gene-seed and maybe a bit more about how the traditions of the White Scars have/haven't found their way into the Chapter, there's not much you can add I don't think. Maybe a few quotes from some of your Chapter's Astartes would be nice to go under the names of the different sections.

 

Anyway, this one is definitely on my "To Watch" list.

 

Ludovic

[Captain Mike]

Good point. I picked White Scars because they are aggressive, but kind of "naturally" so, not the Blood Angels with their weird Dracula related urges. Space Wolves would also have done but I then you've got the teeth...