[27th Founding] Cobalt Fists

[Kastor Krieg]

This is a work in progress.

 

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Cobalt Fists

http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/1483/h6iy.jpg

 

http://img855.imageshack.us/img855/3835/fuyj.jpg

 

CHAPTER NAME:

Cobalt Fists

 

FOUNDING:

Second Founding (M.31), re-Founded as Cobalt Fists in M.41

 

CHAPTER WORLD:

Terra (formerly Rynn's World)

 

FORTRESS MONASTERY:

Fleet-based, centred on the Phalanx

 

GENE-SEED:

Imperial Fists

 

KNOWN DESCENDANTS:

None

 

COLOUR PATTERN:

Purple, with both hands, cloth and helmet cobalt yellow.

Insignia and trim chased in old gold.

 

Chaplain: "There is only the Emperor!" Brethren: "He is our shield and our protector!"

 

History

 

Origins

T

he Cobalt Fists

 

 

 

 

.

[Kastor Krieg]

Initial painting WIPs can be found here:

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/265503-kastors-convpaint-brass-lions-sevrin-loth-fireball/page-5?do=findComment&comment=3411758

My general idea for this Chapter is "doing something with these Crimson Fists". In my continuity, if you will, their numbers have dwindled so far they cannot sustain themselves as a Chapter anymore. However, as they are all rugged crusade veterans, disbanding them completely would be an absolute waste, not to mention a dishonour to their fighting spirit.

The petition of the Chapter Master to the Lords of Terra was heard, they will be rebuilt. There is a price, though. The Crimson Fists will be reinstated into their parent Chapter, Imperial Fists, as a "Crusading Company" and renamed into Cobalt Fists. They will have other Imperial Fists and Successor veterans adn specialist teams seconded to them, as needed - Kantor has already cooperated with the likes of Lysander and Grimaldus, to mention the most recognizable names.

Their mission objective is to be a lightweight rapid strike force, reinforcing the crusading efforts of the likes of Black Templars and reinforcing defensive stands of the likes of Imperial Fists. All the while, they will be rebuilt by the Lords of Terra and the new recruits will be IF-trained.

Their beloved Chapter may yet return, but for the ooming Millenium they are the Cobalt Fists, sons of Dorn all.

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All feedback and ideas on exploring the above are, of course, very much welcome. Just stay polite and constructive, please. Thanks!

[skawolf]

The concept is cool, the color scheme is brilliant. though I have stayed away from purple and yellow armies ever since I was accused of being a Lakers fan (Go clippers!) when I made my WHFB empire Ostermark army.

 

I do love the Crimson fists though and am kind of reticent on seeing them absorbed (even if it is unofficial)

[Kastor Krieg]

The concept is cool, the color scheme is brilliant.

Thanks! I wanted to do something vanilla dex, utterly different, while at the same time usable alongside my Templars and Lions. They stand out on the gaming boards like there's no tomorrow and they are an instant attention magnet

I do love the Crimson fists though and am kind of reticent on seeing them absorbed (even if it is unofficial)

That's the thing. At the same time they are absorbed, but also they are a kind of a "Dorn's Own Deathwatch", with all the secondment and all. I mean, if I will be playing Lysander or Kantor with them, that will BE Lysander and Kantor, in the "secondment" Cobalt Fists paint. But yeah, nobody will make Grimaldus and the Templars repaint their black, nu-uh. Nobody wants that zeal-in-your-face should you even dare propose that

And if they survive the 42nd Millenium, if the stock of the geneseed is rebuilt, they will be given the option to become Crimson Fists once more, at full strength again or keep crusading for Dorn like there's no tomorrow, in the current setup.

[Artemid]

I really can't help nagging - why Cobalt when they're painted purple?

[Kastor Krieg]

I really can't help nagging - why Cobalt when they're painted purple?

No worries, glad to explain

http://www.webexhibits.org/pigments/indiv/overview/coyellow.html

The warm "taxi yellow", with fully orange shades. Cobalt yellow. And incidentally, the pale purple:

http://www.webexhibits.org/pigments/indiv/overview/coviolet.html

Cobalt violet. And the colour they used before, the darker-not-ultramarine (look at the Renoir, the woman on the left side) blue?

http://www.webexhibits.org/pigments/indiv/overview/coblue.html

Cobalt blue.

Yes, the name is me being a smartass. Came to me WAY after I came up with the idea

[deathspectersgt7]

As I said the painted Marines look better than the above pic.Fluff wise  I like it .

[Artemid]

Ah, I was only familiar with Cobalt as being a blue and was not aware of the other shades :)

[Kastor Krieg]

As I said the painted Marines look better than the above pic.Fluff wise I like it .

Thanks! I might actually swap the approximation for the actual pic of one of them.

Ah, I was only familiar with Cobalt as being a blue and was not aware of the other shades

Yeah, I'm pretty proud of connecting the dots after the fact like that

[skawolf]

Yeah I was thinking the same thing at first. Then remembered something from color theory in college about cobalt referring to strong variants of many colors.... just a faint memory though haha.

[KBA]

Very interesting and cool concept! I think it'd benefit from retaining a little more Crimson Fist identity, be it color scheme homage or name.

[Kastor Krieg]

Well, as explained above, it's retained in the wink-wink-nudge-nudge color reference, all colors used by the Chapter, then and now, are "cobalt" ones. They are still Fists, they still have Kantor leading them, but the "rebranding" and reassignment as "special duties IF company" is part of the deal, because Lords of Terra want to have a bit more control over the stubborn Chapter while they are being replenished.

 

That's the deal they got, a thousand years of service to the Lords of Terra for a promise of not disbanding the understrenght Chapter altogether and merging them into Imperial Fists permanently. If there's an Imperial Fists siege, expect them as reinforcement. If there's a Black Templar crusade, expect them to be on-call. It's also a test of whether they can avoid such dire losses of life and geneseed that plagued them so far. Should they survive the millenium, they will be reborn, should they be willing, or forever remain Cobalt Fists.

 

Additionally, I very much like the internecine politics angle of Lords of Terra and the interpretation that the destruction of Arx Tyrannis was an Ordo Assasinorum operation made by one of the factions. Then they see it fit to rebuild and replenish the once-Crimson Fists and ensure their obedience to their patrons.

[KBA]

Well, as explained above, it's retained in the wink-wink-nudge-nudge color reference, all colors used by the Chapter, then and now, are "cobalt" ones. They are still Fists, they still have Kantor leading them, but the "rebranding" and reassignment as "special duties IF company" is part of the deal, because Lords of Terra want to have a bit more control over the stubborn Chapter while they are being replenished.

 

The after-the-fact tacked on explanation feels tacked on IMHO. I feel like what with the Fist folk being so stubborn, something obvious would have remained or at least their new name or look would have been inspired from what they went/are going through instead of the common shade of plate color in new vs old. The Crimson Fists are a second founding steeped in lore and tradition spanning 10,000 years. Something so fluffy should have that fluff thick on the models. As is, if I saw this on the gaming table, I'd probably assume "Cool IF Successors, led by a count-as Kantor." Might be a missed opportunity there worth exploring.

 

BUT that is just one man's opinion. Your color scheme absolutely pops on those models :)

[Grizzly_bear]

That paint scheme is really eye catching and eye popping, awesome....BUT in sorry to say the fluff just does not stick with me.....so I'm looking at these (in my eyes) as another successor chapter rather than the crimson fists we all love and collect (me)

 

That's not me putting your work down btw

[Veteran Sergeant]

Paint scheme is pretty cool. They will look pretty fantastic once you've gotten the details on them filled in. The purple is great, and the yellow contrasts nicely.

 

Fluff is totally incongruous with the 40K universe though. But whatever.

[Brother Heinrich]

Correct me if I'm wrong but why are they called the 'Cobalt Fists' if their fists are yellow?

[skawolf]

Correct me if I'm wrong but why are they called the 'Cobalt Fists' if their fists are yellow?

Go up and read a few of the posts. This has been discussed.

[Brother Heinrich]

Ah got it, I just missed it in amongst all the discussion of fluff. Good paint scheme though, very.... Fisty, feels like a Soul Drinkers/Fist combination

[Kastor Krieg]

Thanks!

The 'after-the-fact' explanation is just something I realized after naming them Cobalt Fists because of the cobalt yellow. Only then realized that it actually fits better than intended.

I'd like more feedback on the 'total' universe incongruity. We know that Kantor had to do his utmost not to have the CFs disbanded after all the grievous losses. We know he petitioned Lords of Terra for IF geneseed, to rebuild the strength of the Chapter. We know they agreed, but it will take time. That's official. We just don't know the deal he got and I came up with an appropriately sour and constly one, one that'd 'show the stubborn CFs where their place is'. Stubborn Kantor being stubborn as he is, he thinks, 'DAMN, what's a thousand years for a Second Founding Chapter? We will get through this brief tour of duty and then we will return'.

It even says on the Wiki, quoted straight from official fluff:

As one would expect of successors to the Imperial Fists, the Crimson Fists are steadfast and stubborn warriors, reluctant to yield so long as victory is possible. Nonetheless, the Chapter's brush with annihilation has tempered this ardour with grim reality. The Crimson Fists' future now lies with a handful of Space Marines, their lives to be expended for greater rewards than the salving of personal pride. Now the Battle Brothers of the Crimson Fists fight for more than the Emperor of Mankind, more than honour and renown. They fight so that their Chapter may survive, and one day regain its former glories.

I want to explore the 'reality-check tempered' character of the Crimson Fists. Most of the survivors are new Scouts and Crusade fleet veterans. Retasking them, while reinforcing them with other IF-successor veterans and special characters, who will lend their hand to the operations and training of new Fists makes a lot of sense. Secondment like that happens all the time, on global Chapter scale, not just Fists (who are really tight) - see about any Chapter at all (Ordo Xenos Deathwatch) and the Ultramarine (Tyrannic War veterans) and Dark Angels (Deathwing / Ravenwing) chapters, for example. There is precedent for that, so I do not see the 'total incongruity' at all

[Brother Heinrich]

I could see them being seconded to their parent legion for the purpose of rebuilding and guiding their future by ensuring they are raised in the presence of the original ideals and relics of Imperial Fists, however I find it hard to believe that there would be some spiteful punishment from Terra for simply trying to keep their chapter alive. The Crimson Fists have served honorably and with distinction for 10,000 years, to my knowledge that have never had a schism or caused a rift between themselves and any of the other controlling forces of the Imperium of Man. The 'stubborn-ness' of all Imperial Fist successors stems from the lineage and mentality of their gene-sire Rogal Dorn, however if I remember correctly the Black Templars were given to Sigismund because of his fiery temperament and utter devotion to the crusade, whereas the Crimson Fists were given to Alexis Polux, a Marine known for his leadership and tactical expertise. The Crimson Fists are the more level-headed side of the Imperial Fists and the opposite of their brothers the Templars.

I think the biggest issue is the radical shift in color scheme, I could see some addition of a yellow badge ore marking, such as the different crusade markings the Black Templars use, but to entirely wipe away their old color scheme doesn't make sense and I don't think the chapter would stand for it. As absurd as that may sound, tradition is nigh unto religion for Marines and the colors of their chapter are far more than a simple aesthetic choice, they have meaning and purpose behind them, rituals and history ingrained in 10,000 years of memory. All of Dorn's children are proud to a fault and will only tolerate so much to ensure survival, there is a certain point where, if the cost of survival is the obliteration of all tradition and heritage, is it really survival? 

Your paint scheme is awesome in its own right but I personally just feel as if it kind of runs against the core of the Crimson Fists ideals. They aren't as decimated as the Scythes of Emperor are, they still have their chapter master and a core of hardened veterans, they are the keepers of their history and will ensure more than ever that traditions do not die, no matter what.

[Kastor Krieg]

You see, I'm trying to play on the Lords of Terra politics a bit. There's suspicion in the fluff that the Arx Tyrannis destruction (the stray missile that "somehow" managed to turn back (!) and burn through the chapter fortress (!), lighting up its ammo dump (!!!) was an "inside job" by Ordo Assasinorum. The other episodes of tough luck (like the ork infestation of Rynn's World) could've also been orchestrated.

 

Somebody on Terra wants the Crimson Fists dead. Somebody else, the enemy of that faction, or someone who runs against them and wants to spite them, wants to preserver the Crimson Fists. The push-pull results in CFs "gone", off the radar, under that 2nd faction's political aegis, as an IF special-duties Company.

 

There's a lot of neat things, a lot of strife beyond stuff you can shoot a bolter at, happening in the darkness, beyond the veil of endless war.

[Brother Heinrich]

You see, I'm trying to play on the Lords of Terra politics a bit. There's suspicion in the fluff that the Arx Tyrannis destruction (the stray missile that "somehow" managed to turn back (!) and burn through the chapter fortress (!), lighting up its ammo dump (!!!) was an "inside job" by Ordo Assasinorum. The other episodes of tough luck (like the ork infestation of Rynn's World) could've also been orchestrated.

 

Somebody on Terra wants the Crimson Fists dead. Somebody else, the enemy of that faction, or someone who runs against them and wants to spite them, wants to preserver the Crimson Fists. The push-pull results in CFs "gone", off the radar, under that 2nd faction's political aegis, as an IF special-duties Company.

 

There's a lot of neat things, a lot of strife beyond stuff you can shoot a bolter at, happening in the darkness, beyond the veil of endless war.

 

Oh yeah for sure, I don't know if you've read Blood and Fire yet, AD-B's new short, but it deals with similar shady-ness on behalf of the inquisition trying to kill off an Astartes chapter who's a little too proud and stubborn. That portion of your fluff is all good from where I stand, there are many in the Imperium who resent the autonomy of the Astartes and I can definitely see them being yolked to the Imperil Fists by way of keeping an eye on them. I just couldn't really see the justification for why the scheme had changed so radically. I mean if anything the Imperial Fists would probably back the Crimson Fists in keeping their traditions alive.

[Kastor Krieg]

The way I see it, the pattern change is part of "melding" the CFs into IFs, among others, blurring the lines of who's who in that "chapter". Especially since there are Marines from many other IF Successor Chapters wearing the cobalt colors, too. You can't strike at the "Crimson Fists" if you immediately involve yourself with about EVERY IF Successor, not to mention the IFs themselves. Strength in number, they hid the CFs in plain sight.