IA: Iron Saints

[Arkeus]

Heya , i was wanting to start a DIY chapter, but am rather stumped on where to begin. I have read some of the Octoguide, but brainstorming ain't my forte. All i really want as a main theme is that the chapter has strong ties with the Adeptus Mechanicus.

 

Any battle brothers willing to help me with their story?

 

[GrandMagnus]

Oh so you need help with the fluff?

 

I guess you could start with what founding are they from? Wich chapter do they descend from (if mechanicum related Iron Hands or IF and their succesors would probably be the most fluff wise)? Whats their chapter masters name? The chapter badge? Fleet based or planet holders or auxilliary to defend Forge World? Any heroic campaing to show who their oldest nemesis is? Condex-compliant or semi-compliant?

 

Finding this info is a good start.

[JusticarErictheblue]

Hmm, I'm developing my own IA, here's what I would try

1) founding

2) progenitor

3) allies/ties

4)homeworld

5) history

 

Say they're from. 16th founding, from the iron knights, allied to ad mech and salamanders are fleet based, have two battle cruisers, recently fought the iron warriors alongside the salamanders losing their chapter master but annihilate the enemy after finding and reactivitng a per heresy orbital defence platform

 

That's just an example of a basis to build upon, any ideas about colour scheme? That can be deciding factor.

[Arkeus]

- Ignore me -

[Arkeus]

Here we go , i had this scheme in mind. Prehaps work out some significance of the two grey fists?

[JusticarErictheblue]

They fell over and landed in tin of grey paint :)

[Arkeus]

Maybe the fact despite their strong ties to admech , they still hold true to the imperium. both firsts grey representing both alliances?

[Arkeus]

Hmm, I'm developing my own IA, here's what I would try

1) founding

2) progenitor

3) allies/ties

4)homeworld

5) history

 

Say they're from. 16th founding, from the iron knights, allied to ad mech and salamanders are fleet based, have two battle cruisers, recently fought the iron warriors alongside the salamanders losing their chapter master but annihilate the enemy after finding and reactivitng a per heresy orbital defence platform

 

That's just an example of a basis to build upon, any ideas about colour scheme? That can be deciding factor.

 

Wow. That's perfect XD. I was thinking iron hands succesor , but i love how spontaneous that was XD

[Gripharius]

I think I'm gonna make some percentage charts so you can just roll up your DIY chapter.

 

Oh, 86%? Yeah, that makes you 22nd founding. Roll for your parent Chapter. Anything under 60% is Ultramarines.

 

Now roll on the background charter. 24%? Okay, that means your Chapter was "almost entirely wiped out by 'Nids" on the Eastern Fringe.

[CantonWC]

Hello

 

I will put in my 2 cents

 

Hmm close relations with the Mechanicus usually means Iron Hands or one of their successors, although that is not a requirement for close relations with Mechanicus.

 

A Chapter aligned closely with the Mechanicus tends to be more aligned with the Machine Cult, which may in turn annoy other factions like the Ecclesiarchy, and in general people may be suspicious of a Chapter that is too friendly with the Mechanicus because that can upset the traditional balance of power. To compensate a Mechanicus aligned Chapter tends to have more access to strange and esoteric technology that the average Chapter may not have.

 

The Mechanicus may ask you to do favors for them, like accompany Explorator fleets. In turn you can probably expect the support of the Mechanicus to shield you from hostile Inquisitors or other people wishing to harm you for political reasons or whatever agenda they have.

 

Hope that helps

[Arkeus]

I think I'm gonna make some percentage charts so you can just roll up your DIY chapter.

 

Oh, 86%? Yeah, that makes you 22nd founding. Roll for your parent Chapter. Anything under 60% is Ultramarines.

 

Now roll on the background charter. 24%? Okay, that means your Chapter was "almost entirely wiped out by 'Nids" on the Eastern Fringe.

 Stop coming up with awesome ideas! Damn you all XD

[Brother Tyler]

Actually, you can find charts for Chapter creation in the Deathwatch RPG series of books from FFG (see Rites of Battle ).

As for your DIY, how much work do you want to put into it and what, exactly, do you want to create? The Index Astartes article is great, but isn't absolutely necessary. The recent Imperial Armour book (volume 12, The Fall of Orpheus) presents a fascinating Chapter in the Angels Revenant without resorting to a large article. This is accomplished simply by providing snippets of information about the history of the Orpheus Sector, with the Angels Revenant being mentioned a fair few times. It then provides two pages of information specifically about the Chapter, the first being a summary/conjecture on the Chapter's final hours and the second being a study in the Chapter's basic appearance. The same book also provides a significant amount of information on the Minotaurs, the true stars of the book, also without resorting to an Index Astartes article or the format used in the Badab War books. It's quite possible to create an engaging and interesting Chapter without providing a rationale for everything.

As far as the relationship with the Adeptus Mechanicus goes, I think that resorting to the Chapter being descended from Iron Hands stock is, while reasonable, a bit cliched. It is the obvious choice that almost everyone resorts to, making it cookie-cutter. The Salamanders, too, have a strong relationship with the Adeptus Mechanicus. Likewise, the Minotaurs are known to have strong reserves of equipment, implying sponsorship either from the Adeptus Mechanicus (or a faction thereof) or from someone that can influence the Adeptus Mechanicus to provide equipment for the Chapter. Many Chapters have been granted equipment by the Adeptus Mechanicus in repayment of service to the Mechanicus. If you specifically desire to use the Iron Hands gene-seed, go for it. I recommend coming up with something more creative, though.

As far as the grey hands/color scheme, you don't always have to justify the Chapter's livery. If you don't have an idea already in your head, why force the issue? Perhaps the unique color scheme was the result of nothing more than an effort to create a distinctive livery.

The key is in figuring out just what kind of product you want to develop. Maybe you don't need anything more than the color scheme, icon, name, and a paragraph or two providing basic information on the Chapter. On the other end of the spectrum, maybe you want to write a full length codex detailing the highlights of the Chapter's hundreds/thousands of years of existence, notable personalities, notable battle honors, etc. Or maybe you want a full length Index Astartes article (which is still a lot of work). Don't let others pressure you into something you don't want to do.

[Aqui]

Don't let others pressure you into something you don't want to do.

+1 And another thing to bear in mind. Creating an IA/IT should be fun. One of the reasons why I haven't made any progress on any of the DIY armies lately is because I wasn't. It became quite the chore, and I nearly put myself in exile for a while because of it. Hopefully, I'll get that feeling back, but until then, they're all in mothballs.

Hope you have fun with whatever you come up with

[XKhalilX]

i say make them white scars geneseed. the paint scheme could represent sacrifice (red/blood) and charcoal that of the blacksmith. the people could be feral and consider making ones weapon and shield a rite of passage (think conan and sumeria).

 

this translates as battle brothers having more then normal reverence for their equipment and the ad mech. im not saying theyre warrior blacksmiths per say but that preservinf and crating is a rite of passage as a warrior in world culture and chapter.

 

a warrior is self reliant and nothing without his blade. perhaps they are tied to ad mech not so much on a more intimite level but its that their tech marines spend a considerable more amount of time with the ad mech in training.

 

so much doesnt have to translate in game play(meaning bionics and dreads) but be more fluff oriented.

 

because they are so relianf upon themselves they are loners. not because they distrust others but because their loyalty is to clan/chapter first. they are usually first ones disembarking onto thr battlefield and usually the last ones tp leave a batfle field. think death guard as loyalists.

 

when a brother dies he gets buried with his weapon. astartes spirit and machine spirit of wrapon are bonded together.

[Arkeus]

Here we go , this is all i can come up with so far~

 

 

The Iron Saints are the 26^th founding chapter , rumoured to be the progeny of Salamanders Gene-seed. Their beleifs lie strongly rooted in the unison of man and machine. Throughout
the course of humanity, mechanisms of every kind, along with tools, have helped it advance. The Omnissah has always been there. 

Human will combined with the power of these devices has brought mankind to the pinnacle of its species, culminating in the Imperium as it was
during the Great Crusade. This Heresy that followed taught the Imperium that even the greatest men can fall from glory, and that the most holy of relics can
wreak unimaginable terrors upon those they sought to protect in bygone millennia.

 

{ i thought prehaps they see the Admech as too zealous for the Omnissah , and Space marines too zealous for the Emperor , and so were either created to/beleive that equal reverance of both can avoid the faults of worshipping only one {admech work for whoever has the shiniest gubbins , whilst the space marines eventually work for those who offer the most gain and honour} I want them to be a rather humble and modest chapter who are more for thought and diplomacy than warfare , but much the same as the tau, who used to claim they were all for peace, can't half tear you a new one should the situation need it. Think imperial/greater good mentalities combined , the idea that spreading peace in a hostile galaxy is not entirely futile, but neither is trusting warroirs to forge an empire and leave it to those who simply sat in chairs and may never have touched a boltgun , to lead it.]

 

 

[Arkeus]

- edit made~ -

[GrandMagnus]

Well, so far I like it. I cant really see anything un-fluffy in it and there shouldnt be any problems with using the 2nd founding.

[Arkeus]

More added~

[Ecritter]

Well, so far I like it. I cant really see anything un-fluffy in it and there shouldnt be any problems with using the 2nd founding.

 

Well, other then the UMs ... aren't most of the 2nd Founding accounted for already?

[XKhalilX]

making a 2nd founding is a basic fluff NO No. that is meaning they were fighting in the heresy, and then were sanctioned to become a new chapter under the modified organization of the Imperial Military and adeptus astartes.

 

make it between 7th-26thth founding and you will not get any problems. I have seen people try and do 2nd founding before and it gets blasted. add to the fact your making them salamanders is even less likely as a 2nd founder. For salamanders, mid to late founding makes sense and is better fluff wise and makes way more sense. the sallies were devastated at dropsite massacre. they were possibly the smallest number of loyalists BEFORE the massacre, and definitely AFTER the massacre.

 

also, the sallies officially have NO successor chapters, although black dragons and storm giants are rumoured to be sallie geneseed. saying your guys are a 2nd founding or an early founding salamanders chapter is a physical impossibility.

[Ecritter]

Not a specific no no, UMs are not all accounted for, but yes ... sallies were to few after the heresy to spawn successors (according to them and the fluff).

[KroSha]

A later founding makes better sense, unless you genuinely have a good reason for an early one. 1st, 2nd and several others are locked, so pick a later one. I went for 5th, as my home world was recovered in the Crusade. The timeline has a list of likely dates.

[Arkeus]

I thought prehaps their homeworld would be found after the heresy , as they were founded on the basis that they neither worshipped the emperor or omnissah to strongly, such as that appeals to either by the voices of chaos might not have as profound an effect. That they would not be swayed too strong by the promise of technology , or for the promise of endless glory in the emperor's name.

[Arkeus]

How about this:

 

"A chapter torn apart by an event only known as the "Automaton Cataclysm" , the Iron Saints drift through the wastes of space amidst Mechanicum fleets , hidden within lest they suffer for the flaws in their brethren , lashing out like a barbed whip at those who dare oppose the Omnissah's will."

[Brother Tyler]

No, making a 2nd Founding is not now nor has it ever been a "no-no" (despite claims to the opposite). The old lore allowed for more 2nd Founding Chapters than were known, providing an opening for players to "fill the gaps." The more recent lore greatly expands the number of Chapters created in the 2nd Founding, making it, in fact, much more likely than any other Founding for a DIY. Logically, if there are around 1,000 Chapters thought to be in existence and somewhere around 400 Chapters were created in the 2nd Founding (including the so-called "1st Founding Chapters"), then a significant percentage of Chapters are from the 2nd Founding. Even accounting for some unknown number of those Chapters to have been lost/destroyed over time, we're still talking about a hefty percentage. If only 1/4 of the Chapters created in the 2nd Founding are still in existence (i.e., if 300 or so have been destroyed/lost), that's 10% of the Chapters currently in existence. When you consider that there have been 24 other foundings of varying size, and with the 2nd Founding being the largest founding ever (with the 21st coming in a close second place), the 2nd Founding statistically becomes more likely than any other for a Successor Chapter. All bets are off if the number of Chapters surviving from the 2nd Founding are smaller than the hypothetical 100 (and we don't know what the actual number is, so only GW can speak with any degree of authority).

 

Only the 1st Founding is "locked," and that is to the 18 known and 2 erased Legions.