The Renegade Legion

[simison]

"I believe their operation and conduct should be reported to the Council of Terra, pending censure or dissolution. It wouldn't be the first time a Legion Astartes has overstepped the mark, after all." - Chayne talking to Lord General Namatijira

 

 

Before the maelstrom that would come to be known as the Horus Heresy, twenty legions of the Emperor’s Angels of Death roamed the stars. On the greatest of crusades, they were charged with bringing the entire Galaxy into the embrace of the Emperor. Each legion was led by a general, a primarch, a father. Although all were cut from the same mold, experience and people shaped them into a myriad of different men. The Lion, cold and calculating as he planned grand strategies. Angron, rage incarnate as he gorged his chainaxes on blood and flesh. And Horus, first found, the greatest of the Emperor’s sons and to whom would first wear the title ‘Warmaster’.

As the Emperor’s Sons were found and rose to command their legions, the differences between them became more pronounced as more and more were brought into the Imperium’s fold. This led to the belief that each of the Primarchs fulfilled some kind of aspect of war. Corax with his emphasis on stealth, Dorn and his mastery of siegecraft, finally, Magnus armed with his vast knowledge of the Warp.

How vast the differences and roles could be was not obvious from the outset. Mighty and brilliant Horus seemed to embody the populace’s belief on what a Son of the Emperor would be like. Next found was the barbaric Russ. Although lacking the civilized aspect of Horus and the Emperor, all could see an innate majesty emanating from the Wolf King. And no one could doubt either Horus’ or Russ’ aptitude for war. It was easy for the casual observer to guess that all of the Emperor’s Sons would have some mark of nobility and power among them. The third son found did not fit the easy image.

 

~~~~~~

 

The aide hurried through the vast garden. He carried with him news, news that would change the fate of their world and their sister worlds. A fleet had been detected entering the system. A fleet composed of ships of vast power and size. A fleet heading steadily advancing toward their defense network. The aide climbed up a small hill, cursing the Prime Minister for his insistence on detaching himself from the world at such an inopportune time. During these times of meditation, the Prime Minister would turn off all of his portable communication devices, and could only be reached via physical messenger.  At the top of the hill, the aide paused as he scanned the garden for his task. A single glance was all it took. No one could mistake the Prime Minister for anyone else. After all, not one man or woman could hope to reach the Prime Minister’s height. 

 

The giant was tending to his portion of the garden, several bushes of flowers was his focus for this month. It was strange to see such a famous and powerful man on his knees in the dirt, idly humming as he worked with his gardening tools.  The aide sprinted down the hill and closed the distanced between them in a few seconds. Before he could open his mouth, the Prime Minister without turning to look at him lifted one finger. “Catch your breath, Gregory. I already know.”

 

Gregory resisted the urge to touch the holy symbol around his neck. He was one of many who believed the Prime Minister was blessed by the gods. The Prime Minister’s mysterious foresight, which had led him to becoming the de facto ruler of the entire system, was the largest piece of evidence of the blessing. Gregory took a few deep gulps of air before he opened his mouth to speak again.

 

The warning finger wagged. The Prime Minister glanced at him with a mischievous smile before he shook his head. He began to pack away his tools. “Relax Gregory. There’s no need to be alarmed. Change is coming, but ultimately, I think it’ll be for the best. Please inform Admiral Zhon to stand down and to welcome our guests.” With a sigh, Gottfri climbed to his feet and stared at the sky. “My father has come for me.”

 

------

 

I have longed thought about creating my own version of the 2^nd legion and their missing Primarch. The core concepts and themes have been in my head, but could still use refinement. After reading through and receiving some direct encouragement from Athrawes, I’ve decided to put my thoughts into writing. Due to my current financial situation, I don’t have the free time I’d like to have, so I hope to add something new, at least once a week. Since I don’t have the money to actually build an army, my emphasis is going to be on fluff and then later, working on rules. I welcome feedback, whether it be simple encouragement or suggestions of improvement. 

 

EDIT: As Thorn suggested, I'm putting some of the completed work here for easy navigation.

 

 

Allied Matrix 

Battle Brothers 
Dark Angels 
Emperor's Children 
Iron Warriors 
White Scars 
Space Wolves 
Blood Angels 
Ultramarines 
Thousand Sons 
Word Bearers 
Salamanders 
and the Imperial Army 

Fellow Warriors 
Iron Hands 
Sons of Horus 
[Raven Guard] 
Mechanicum 


Distrusted Allies 
Imperial Fists 
Death Guard 


By Order! 
[Night Lords] 
[World Eaters] 
[Alpha Legion] 

??? 
[The XI Legion strikes again!] 


[Here are the blurbs I wrote while I developed the matrix. Have anything you want clarified, merely ask.] 

Dark Angels -

Battle Brothers - Despite an earlier rivalry between the first two legions, Alexandros puts the past in the past and works to create a bond of friendship utilizing their mirroring masteries of strategy. While the Lion possesses an innate expertise in the art, the Strategos is able to replicate it through his mastery of divination and reading the opposing leader's minds from great distances. The process takes an extraordinary amount of effort and patience on Alexandros' part, but is worded with the Lion's complete trust. Signified by an actual joke from the Lion. 

Emperor's Children -

Battle Brothers - The Legions of Purple get along easily, aided by their mutual statuses as diplomats of the legions. This is further aided by the primarch's shared interest in artistry. Of course, Alexandros willingness to yield glory to Fulgrim in their allied campaigns has cemented their relationship further. 

Iron Warriors - 
Battle Brothers - Although initial meetings went poorly due to Alexandros' outward personality and Perturabo's inward personality, the two became the closest of friends over their mutual desire to end conflicts through words alone. The trust between the two would be guaranteed when Perturabo revealed some of his architectural designs to Alexandros. The two form complimentary forces with Perturabo providing the necessary power to destroy enemy fortresses while Alexandros handles field armies, protecting the Iron Warriors as they go about their work. 

White Scars -

Battle Brothers - The Khan is so often overlooked by his brothers to the point of frustration. Only two brothers have always kept the Khan in his mind: Horus and Alexandros. While others are off-put by the Scars weak organization and their barbaric image, the Strategos is fascinated by the strange ways of his brother and has gone on several hunts with the Khan. Their sons form a truly terrifying force as the White Scars mobility compensates the Wardens slow speed, while the endurance of the Wardens absorbs damage that would lay waste to the Scars. 

Space Wolves -

Battle Brothers - The outward, energetic natures of both primarchs has led to an undying friendship between the two, aided by Alexandros' restraint in his psyker powers. Both have learned a great deal from the other as have their sons. Due to this, the Cataclysm would permanently scar both Leman Russ and his legion. 

Imperial Fists - 
Distrusted Allies - Alexandros' open questioning of parts of the Imperial creed has caused Dorn to turn a wary eye on his brother. This wariness and suspicion has spread throughout his legion, lending a more bitter rivalry between the two legions, despite their similar strengths in defensive combat. 

Night Lords - 
By Order! - Having heard of Alexandros' reputation, Curze refused any kind of meeting and made sure the two never crossed paths. Combined with the blood-filled philosophies of the Night Lords, the Wardens never volunteered to fight with their brothers and no Warden chose the VIII legion for cross-campaigning. 

Blood Angels -

Battle Brothers - While Dorn and Alexandros find their ideals to be a conflicting point, no such barrier existed between the Seer and the Angel. Their close friendship is enhanced by how well their armies compliment each other with the Wardens maintaining control of the ground war with the Blood Angels dominating the skies. 

Iron Hands - 
Fellow Warriors - While relations could be closer, alternate philosophies cause differences to be highlighted, but not to a detriment extreme. 

World Eaters -

By Order! - Angron and the World Eaters are at the polar opposite of what the Wardens represented. Even before Angron's ascension, the War Hounds were treated with disgust and contempt for their wild rage. Alexandros met Angron once. And immediately came to the conclusion that the Butcher's Nail in Angron's head must be removed. Even if it ended with Angron's death, Alex believed that to a far better fate than the personal hell that Angron existed in. He has privately petitioned the Emperor, then Horus for this to happen. 

Ultramarines - 
Battle Brothers - Both masters of politics, albeit different styles, the two brothers work well together and bond over their different experiences. The Ultramarines well-roundedness can compensate for the weaknesses the Wardens sometimes face in battle. 


Death Guard - 
Distrusted Allies - Although Alex understands and even respects Mortarion's views and strategy, it still grates him the way his brother treats life. Mortarion finds Alex's optimism naive and his pysker powers as a warning sign. 

Thousand Sons - 
Battle Brothers - With both legions containing the most psykers, the two share much in identity and in experiences. Yet, their different styles allow the two to learn from each other. 

Sons of Horus/Luna Wolves - Fellow Warriors - Though both statesman beyond compare, Horus' focus on overwhelming assault fits uneasily with Alexandros, while Alexandros' incredibly high regard for life is regarded as foolish by Horus. Still, their criticisms of the other are kept civil and the two legions operate fine enough. 

Word Bearers - 
Battle Brothers - In Lorgar, Alexandros found someone he could reveal one of his few secrets: he doesn't agree with the militant atheism enforced by their father. Though he is not a true believer himself, Alex finds the doctrine limited and potentially harmful. Lorgar is over-joyed to find someone who is not intolerant of his faith and the two become close allies. Likewise, the Word Bearers are able to confide in the Wardens, while the Wardens are able to enjoy a friendship that isn't tainted by fears of their psyker powers. 

Salamanders - Battle Brothers - United in their compassion and defense of humanity, the Wardens and Salamanders enjoy each other's company. 

Raven Guard - Fellow Warriors - The two primarchs respect each other's strategic specialties, but Corax personally believes that Alexandros' methods are a little wasteful and could benefit from a little guile.] 

Alpha Legion - By Order! - Under no circumstance has any Alpha legionnaire been allowed to be near the infamous Seer and the Caryana. The Alpha Legion will not take any chances that they're secrets be revealed by anyone. 

Imperial Army - Battle Brothers - Nothing brightens the common soldier's spirits quite like a Warden detachment. The Wardens are one of the favorites of the Imperial Army, who know that they will be valued and defended from threats beyond their ability to fight. 

Adeptus Mechanicum - Fellow Warriors - While there are various Wardens who study with the Mechanicum beyond the Forge Lords, the scions of Mars do not generally gel well with the humanity-focused Wardens.

[MrBear]

An nice start, well written and with an intriguing subject. This will be interesting to se how it develops

[Athrawes]

This is a great start to the lore for your II Legion. Very nice prose.

 

However, since this is not actually going to turn into a tabletop army for you, you might ask the Mods to transfer this thread out of the WIP subforum and over to either to Fanfiction or perhaps the Liber Astartes section. Those areas are entirely devoted to crafting lore and I think would be a great fit for your project.

 

Keep up the passion brother.

[simison]

I would like to eventually make a fully-fledged army, but I need to establish myself financially first. So, down the road, yes, but I don't know if that's enough to justify this being here.

 

If that's not enough, do you know who I should PM?

[simison]

“….The First Legion was the test bed of many early innovations and established many of the standard tactics and arms of a Legiones Astartes. Yet, not every situation was encountered. As the Second Legion came into its own, whether from a necessity to test other areas of war or if there was a pre-existing tendency to these styles of tactics and strategy, the Second Legion set out to explore new possibilities of Legion war. It was the first legion to focus their effort on perfecting assault techniques, was the first legion to test out jump pack infantry on a scale larger than squad tactics. Entire companies were devoted to jump pack experimentation. With this new interest in close combat came with a need to investigate other delivery vectors besides the jump pack. The rediscovery of the Land Raider STC allowed the Second Legion a new tool of war to master.  While the jump pack was never forgotten, the newly added Land Raider quickly became the favored method of delivery.  Epitomizing powerful assaults crossed with vehicular mobility, battalions of land raiders were built and added to the 2^nd Legion’s growing reserves.

 

In those early days, the II^nd Legion was far less concerned with casualties, I assure you. Before the arrival of their Primarch and the approaching storm of madness, the II^nd Legion more closely resembled their brothers in the XVI^th and IV^th legions. Yet it stood apart from them. Instead of the shock and awe tactics favored by the Luna Wolves or the stoic attritional stratagems of the Iron Warriors, the II^nd legion leaned heavily to using counter-charge assaults after luring the enemy into attacking fortified or prepared defensive lines. Once the enemy was committed, the II^nd legion would launch either simultaneous or near-simultaneous counter attacks by waves of land raiders filled to maximum capacities. Between the heavy firepower of these fearsome tanks and the dynamic charges of the warriors within, enemy armies would be broken into pieces before being routed.

 

The Second Legion first tested themselves in the last days of the Unity Wars, first serving the Emperor as auxiliary assault units attached to the First Legion. It is here that many suspect the infamous rivalry first began. Although every Space Marine undergoes the same fundamental process of training and indoctrination, not all Space Marines are the same. While a far cry from what would the Second Legion become, reports exist of a certain…lax temperament that afflicted a small portion of the legion. Several incidents occurred of legion officers and sergeants taking impromptu scouting missions, establishing discreet communiqués to enemy forces to solicit terms of surrender, and two separate cases of medically-disabled  II^nd legionnaires randomly walking through I^st encampments. In hindsight, it was a poor choice to pair the taciturn First Legion with their more adventurous kin. Regardless of personal opinions, when the time of war came, the II^nd Legion proved themselves time and time again of being honorable and skilled warriors.”

 

+++Excerpt from ‘Blade over Bolter: The Legiones Astartes of Assault’+++

+++Authored by Remembrancer Norberto Vaught+++

+++Last Copy Confiscated by Inquisitor [Redacted]+++ 

 

--------------------------

 

Well, I haven't been contacted by an admin or a moderator, so I'm going to continue my posts here. On the positive side, I have a new job and will hopefully begin making enough money to pay off the monthly bills and taking baby steps to starting the Second Legion proper. 

 

As far as the direction of fluffs and eventual Legion rules, one of the core aspects of the 2nd legion is close combat. At first, I thought that would be a little more unique since only the Blood Angels and World Eaters came to mind when I thought about Space Marine Legions focusing on assault. Weellll, after rereading the three Horus Heresy rulebooks, I've had to add a few more to the list. But I'm still keeping the core aspect, while adding a unique-ness that separates the 2nd legion from its brothers. This is half of the two unique assault traits: the heavier emphasis on heavy assault vehicles. (Bad pun not-intended) I want an element of knighthood part of the Legion, but instead of bikes like the Dark Angels, I wanted to include tanks, which is modern cavalry. (No way am I going near actual horses, a la Rough Riders). The second unique assault trait will be added later with the union of Primarch and Legion.

 

Thoughts?

[simison]

Well, life is steadily getting busier, and the hopes of a paycheck growing nearer. Nearly got a Praetor, but was intercepted at the last moment. So, since my mind was on the subject, I played around with creating the Praetor in charge of the 2nd legion before the Primarch was found. Thus, while happening a lot sooner than I planned, I'd like some help with creating the rules for this unique character, specifically special rules, warlord trait, and other ideas to make this a unique character.

 

Introducing Irvin Ruel. Master of the Legion before the arrival of Gottfri

 

Proposed Stats: 

WS: 7       BS: 5    S: 4      T: 4     W: 3      I: 5    A:4    LD: 10      SV: 2+

 

Unit Type: Infantry, Independent Character, Unique

Wargear: 

 

Running out of time for right now. Although the Second Legion tested out massed jump infantry tactics, it eventually falls out of favor for powerful, ground-based assaults using Land Raiders and Spartans. After reading through Betrayal, I actually want to emphasize the use of Spartans in the Second Legion. My question is: with this kind of background, should I make Ruel wear Artificer Armor or Terminator armor? Leaning toward Terminator, right now. 

[simison]

Have time, will write. 

 

Anyway, Irvin is supposed to represent the Terran side of the 2nd Legion and its roots before the transformation under Gottfri's reign. While the 2nd Legion will remain an assault legion, Gottfri will emphasize survivability over offensive power through the widespread use of shields, from the heavy storm shields to the lighter combat shields. 

 

Since shield-use will become one of the prevalent themes of the 2nd Legion, I want to use wargear that focuses on powerful assaults. The terminator armor is typically a sign of that, but it's also the only way (that I can remember off-hand) that a model can equip storm shields. So, I have mixed feelings about Irvin using terminator armor. 

 

After reviewing the differences between Tactical Dreadnought and Cataphractii Armor, I might have Irvin wear normal terminator armor, since Gottfri would value the Cataphractii armor upon his ascension. 

[simison]

Since the legions don't truly diversify until after the primarchs are found, I'm going to go with more 'generic' wargear. 

 

Wargear: Tactical Dreadnought Armor, Reaper Claws, Frag & Krak Grenades

 

Reaper Claws: Master-Crafted Lightning Claws, AP 2, Shred, Specialist Weapons

 

This is all tentative as I slowly craft together the legion in all of its glory. 

[Raziel-TX]

Cool beans. Keep it coming.

[simison]

Thank you! Feedback is always appreciated. 

 

Next after wargear is special rules. And Irvin has earned a few, to say the least. 

 

Special Rules:

Legiones Astartes (???) 

Master of the Legion

Fearless

Bulky

Phobos Commander*

 

Warlord Trait: Master of the Vanguard (Your Warlord and all friendly units within 12'', add 1'' to the distance that they can move when they run or charge)

 

*The Captains of the II Legion have had free reign to choose their battlefield roles to match their preferences. Some chose to stand at the epicenter of the enemy attack, encouraging their men and fighting to hold the line. Others take a more detached role, watching over the battlefield from afar or above, directing the space marines as a conductor directs an orchestra. Then there are the Captains and Officers who ride in on the devastating flank attacks that have brought so many opposing armies to ruin. 

 

Ruel falls in the last of these. After decades of utilizing this technique with his terminator assault squads, he has become intimately familiar with the Land Raider Phobos and its capabilities and has used his insights to improve their delivery efficiency. If Ruel is embarked in a Land Raider squadron composed solely of the Phobos variant, that squadron may move up to 8'' and still disembark their passengers. 

 

--- 

 

Well, that is most of the rules attached to Praetor Irvin Ruel. I'll be honest, I'm very hazy on how to add everything together and come up with a points total. Any help would be appreciative, and any feedback on the rules themselves would be welcomes. Especially Phobos Commander. Is that overpowered? Underpowered? Completely stupid?

 

After working out his point value, and his rules, I'll write up some fluff on him, akin to what you would see for a character in the Horus Heresy rulebooks.

[simison]

So, points. I'm trying to use Betrayal to get a good idea of how expensive Ruel is.

 

Legion Praetor = 100 points

WS +1 = [5]?

Terminator Armour = 35 points

Reaper Claws

           Lightning Claws = 20 points

           Master-Crafted = 15 points

           AP - 1 = [5]?

Fearless = [10]?

Phobos Commander = [30]???

 

As I struggle to make this as accurate and realistic as possible, I lament the fact that GW has never issued a booklet that helps players create their own unique characters. I'm one of the players who loves writing my own fluff and I'd buy that guide in a heartbeat if I had the money. 

 

Also, Phobos Commander, I'm increasing the disembarking distance from 8'' to 9'', putting it at the halfway point between max combat speed and max cruising speed. Makes the fractions look neater, and it's makes it a more significant boost. Can't say how effective it is, until I playtest it, but I think that it's a solid start. 

 

Add all the points together, and you have 

 

Irvin Ruel = 220 points

 

 

To help make this character, I kept tracking with infamous Abbadon, since he's another Praetor-level commander who also goes into battle in terminator armor. He's at 215, which makes me wary. I feel like someone who's essentially going to become Third-in-Command of the 2nd legion shouldn't out-point someone as infamous as Abbadon. I took a look through all three books, and the character dreadnoughts have a higher amount of points. But the only non-dreadnought character Sigismund is higher than Abbadon at 230 points.

 

Of course, the real question is how valuable is Phobos Commander? At best, it adds 3'' of movement to 3 assault units charging out a Phobos squadron. At worst, 3'' to only Ruel's land raider. Is 3'' of movement/charge distance worth 10 points? Another question is how much is Fearless worth? Or AP2 and WS+1?

 

Well, to get a better handle on these pointages, I decided to try to figure out how Abbadon clocks in.

 

Legion Praetor = 100 pts

WS +1 = [5]?

Justaerin Warplate (Cataphractii Terminator Armor) = 35 points

             Relentless = [10]?

Power Fist = 10 points

       Master-Crafted = 15 points

Grenade Harness = 10 points

Fearless = [10]?

Teleporter Assault = [10]?

Marked by Dark Fates = [10]?

 

Just adding together the points I could confirm, I came to 170 points. Take 215 - 170 = 45 points, which is exactly how many points I guessed the special rules were. So, I've got the correct total, but that doesn't tell me what each rule is actually worth, just gives me a good idea of where they're at. But, I'm going to leave my guesses where they fall for now. 

 

Since Abbadon's one unique rule (he's not the only one Marked by Dark Fates) is around 10 points (possibly higher), I'm inclined to reduce Phobos Commander's price tag. For my ruling, my thoughts go like this: Teleporter Assault affects only one unit, and so does Phobos Commander, just in different ways. 

 

So, I'm pricing Phobos Commander at 15 points, which puts Ruel at 205. This is still too high for what I want him to be. To get him back lower, I'm going to take away Fearless, and the Reaper Claws. Instead, he'll just have Master-Crafted Lightning Claws. Now, he's at 190 points. Still too high, but closer. I want him in the range of Loken's and Kor Phareon's level of points. 

 

To get around it, I'm going to make Phobos Commander his Warlord Trait. Call it, Master of Flanks or something like that. That drops 15 points, and levels him out at 175 points. (Yes, I've kinda made that whole spiel about getting it the right amount of points pointless {ba-dum-tsh}. It's a learning process.)

 

 

 

So, for anyone who just skipped down to the page. 

 

Ivin Ruel - 175 points

WS: 7     BS: 5     S: 4      T: 4    W: 3    I: 5     A: 4

Unit Type: Infantry (Independent Character), Unique

Wargear:

• Terminator Armor
• Master-Crafted Lightning Claws
• Frak & Krak Grenades

Special Rules: 

• Legiones Astartes (???)
• Master of the Legion
• Rites of War

Warlord Traits: Phobos Commander

[simison]

"Irvin Ruel's ascension to Praetor Primus of the II Legion was both predictable and unexpected. Ruel's military as Praetor Secundus record was one filled to the brim with honors, medals, and an almost unbroken string of victories. It was with great regret he accepted promotion to Primus Praetor when his trusted comrade and friend, the preeminent Edrik Yeshie, fell to the legion madness. His ascension to the greatest post within the II Legion did not change his approach to the battlefield. To him, he best served his legion by fulfilling the crucial role as flank commander, the inevitable counter-attack that the II Legion perfected and utilized as their signature technique. Riding in a Phobos Land Raider and encased in Tactical Dreadnought armor, Ruel personally led the charges that devastated the Imperium's enemies. Yet, while it was a role Ruel wore well, it was a role he believed others were better suited for. Thus, the day when the Emperor himself ordered the entire II Legion to assemble and to follow him to a new system, it was with a secret role that their lost primarch had been found."

[simison]

Bonus points to anyone who can figure out the 'modern' names of Irvin Ruel and Edrik Yeshie

[simison]

Seated on his command throne, Irvin Ruel impassively listened as the reports filed in. One last ship had been claimed by the warp during translation into the target system. Compared to the total fleet's size, it was a minute payment for entry. For the price of one ship, three legions had successfully entered the system. Not just any three either. Out of the corner of his eye, Irvin could see one of the crewman's display showing ships belonging to the Second, the Sixth, and the Sixteenth legions. The entire Second Legion was here, called in from the various fronts to coalesce into a united whole. While only representing a small portion of their strengths, the Sixth and Sixteenth detachments contained some of the most powerful and famous ships of the Great Crusade, including the Vengeful Spirit and the Hrafnkel. It was another hint for the reason they had been brought here. Of the twenty legions, only two so far had been reunited with their lost Primarchs. Somewhere on those ships were the Primarchs Horus and Leman Russ. And, if the whispered rumors roaming the hallways were true, then a third had been found. By far, the biggest supporting evidence was the one ship dwarfing even the flagships of Horus and Russ. The Imperator Somnium, the personal flagship of the Emperor. 

 

Thus, when the fleet had first been forged and brought together under the personal command of the Emperor, the rumors had started. The third primarch had been found and it was time to bring him back into the Imperium's fold. Irvin had done his best to contain the rumors. While it was certainly a possibility their father had been found, he saw no reason to raise the legion's hopes without some kind of evidence. The Emperor himself had never claimed to have found their primarch and when asked, didn't confirm they had found him. If there was no primarch to be found, it could hurt morale after inflating false hope.

 

Yet, as scans revealed the local fleet's size and strength, Irvin couldn't keep the rumors out of his own head. The local fleet was a mere fraction of theirs, and their largest warship was half the size of the Vengeful Spirit. Unless there was another purpose to this campaign, it was a waste to have so much of the Legiones Astartes concentrated here. "How quickly is the local fleet responding?"

 

Fleetmaster Themos answered as he studied the visual feeds, "In slow order. The fleet is dividing into three groups with escorts forming a screen. If I had to guess, my lord, I don't think they've ever prepared to combat a fleet of our size." The Fleetmaster had been recently promoted following his excellent performance in the Selecuid campaign. The man was void-born and marked by it by his unusual height. He was merely a head shorter than a space marine, but his thin frame made him appear almost two-dimensional when standing next to a marine. 

 

Irvin frowned as he judged his possible adversaries. "Is our fleet in position?" 

 

"Yes, my lord.The Luna Wolves have already formed their spearhead and are beginning their advance." The Fleetmaster glanced at him with his iron-colored eyes. "I fear we may not play much of a role after the Wolves finish their first strike if they don't accept compliance soon."

 

Before Irvin could reply, communications officer Daylen announced, "My lords, we are receiving a general message from the local fleet commander."

 

"Let's hear it," Themos commanded. 

 

Throughout the bridge, a voice said, "This is High Admiral Zhon-Vrook Carde of the Delian Federation. We ask you to identify yourselves, and to halt any offensive maneuvers. We are prepared to stand down and are willing to negotiate as necessary."

 

One of the junior bridge officers snorted. "Negotiate? Someone can't count."

 

No one had a chance to say anything as the Emperor himself answered, his voice echoing throughout the entire Imperial fleet. "I am the Emperor, and have no desire to engage in hostilities. My only wish is to arrange for a meeting between myself and your head of state at the earliest convenience." 

[MrBear]

I can't comment on the rules since I haven't played a game of 40k (and rather obviously not 30k either) since 2005... Your background continues to be interesting though. My brain is a little bit slow tonight though so I can't guess who Edrik Yeshie is based on but for the other character... I don't know why but when I see Irvin Ruel the name Erwin Rommel pops into my mind.

[simison]

You are correct, good sir. Not a perfect correlation, since Rommel was a tank general, but I'd like to think if you turned him into an Astartes, this would become his calling. 

 

The rules is my best guess. And, while I am kinda comfortable with it, I do think Irvin should have an Iron Halo b/c all Space Marine Captains and higher should have at least a 4+ invul save. (That and I'm under a vague impression that there is no hard rules when making up unique characters. Right after testing my theory on Abbadon and making that post, I went ahead and tested it out on Loken. He seems to be 10-15 points more expensive for no real reason, if I remember right.)

 

I'll write more on Edrik later, so hopefully it'll become clearer on who he's based on. It's through him I'll explore one of the gene-defects of the Second Legion. 

[simison]

Gyah! Two months without updates? Blech. I'm sorry for that, but unemployment and the subsequent rush to find a job ate up a lot of that time. I've started to stabilize and wanted to post recent thoughts I've had. 

 

As much as I wanted to slowly detail some of the main ideas behind the legion with bits and snippets, I think the times call for a little more direct approach as I attempt to solve the current problem. 

 

Originally, the II Legion was to feature several correlations not to one or two, but three distinct cultures. I had picked medieval Germany (Holy Roman Empire), ancient Greece, and ancient China. They were to reflect the three main points of warfare of the II legion. The Germanic influences were to tie in with an upgrade for legion vehicles, basically ace-pilot upgrades for the tanks. The pilots were to be called knight-commanders, and the vague idea was that they would come up a +1 BS, if nothing else. The ancient Greece was to feature the heavy use of shields and the phalanx in the II Legion as far as the infantry side. Finally, the ancient Chinese culture would show up in the psyker area, which the II Legion was to invest heavily in. 

 

My issue is that there are way too many knights in 40k. The Knight titans, Knight-Commander Pask, Deathwing Knights, and so on. I want to step away from that and was thinking about focusing in a different culture. Specifically, medieval Japan. But when I brought up "samurai-commander" to a close friend and avid 40ker, he didn't like it. He wasn't sure it fit and pointed out that it just didn't ring. 

 

I've come up with a few alternate titles, such as Gashira, Taisho, Musha, and, Shi. But, again, I'm not sure which one to pick or if this is even a good direction. If I go this direction, I've thought about the 'samurai' title passing onto the II Legion's bikers. 

 

As to what I've already written, I've thought about having pre-Primarch II Legion reflect WW2 German army with the emphasis on the Blitzkrieg and such. It would mark a clear distinction between the two eras of the legion. The other major effect would be changing Gottfri's name. His personality and general appearance would remain, but I'd definitely have to change the name. 

 

Thoughts?

Also, the reason that the II Legion is so diverse is that it's supposed to represent an ideal of the Primach, which can be phrased "Unity through Diversity". 

[simison]

Although I'm still figuring out some of the broader points, I can start working on some of the finer details. Like unique II Legion units. A quick overview of the Horus Heresy rulebooks shows that all legions have some kind of advanced terminator unit (Deathshroud, Phoenix Squad, Firedrakes, etc.) Of course, the II Legion has an equivalent, but what I'm lacking is a good name. 

 

It'll be a terminator unit armed with storm shields and either a power sword or spear. Since the II Legion is primarily Greek-based, I've had a couple of thoughts. Can't use Spartans because that's taken by the assault tank (which will also feature heavily in the II Legion). The Sacred Band of Thebes was the most elite ancient Greek force, capable of defeating even Spartans, but I'm not sure how to translate that into a 30k unit name. The Myrmidons is another candidate that I'm leaning toward to, but individuality is a virtue in the II Legion in ways that I'll explain later, while the myrmidons were ants turned into soldiers, completely loyal but not that intelligent. So, I'm liking the name, but not the possible correlations. 

 

Thoughts?

[simison]

"With the discovery of the Emperor's lost sons, Horus and Leman Russ, hope swelled within the remaining legions for finding their own lost fathers and to be led into greater glory in the Great Crusade. The examples already provided were wasting no time on crafting their own legends, whether it be Horus as the brightest star of the Legiones Astartes or barbaric Leman Russ slaying the Imperium's enemies with his unmatched might. With such undeniable proof of what two primarchs could accomplish, how could the galaxy resist the efforts of twenty such beings? Thus as the fleets spread farther from Terra, the finding of the remaining primarchs became another goal that burned within the hurts of the legionnaires. 

 

As history tells us, it was the II Legion to enjoy the next reunion between sire and sons. On the planet Delos, the primarch Alexandros Darshan VonSalim had established himself as the de facto political leader and uncontested military leader of the entire system.¹ Unlike the feral world of Cthonia or the death world of Fenris, Delos was a young, healthy world rich in resources. The greatest threats the Delians faced were recurring xenos raiders and their own petty quarrels. 

 

Both threats quickly died upon the ascension of Alexandros. Interestingly, while the xenos raiders would feel the primarch's wrath in battle, Alexandros was able to unite his foster homeworld not through strength of arms, but through a political campaign of such ingenuity that his enemies were either befriended or capitulated before him. It is possible that this is was accomplished solely through superb statesmanship, but the primarch has been upfront about his extra-ordinary abilities of foresight and knowing the minds of his opponents. 

 

Another point of divergence is Alexandros' view toward the Great Crusade. Upon ascending to Master of the II Legion, Alexandros' first recorded speech emphasized that his and his legion's mission was to protect and serve Humanity, to be the unbreakable wall between Humanity and its enemies. Compared to Leman Russ who has distinguished himself by the enemies he has slain, Alexandros has proven to be a strong contrast and an interesting new possibility when we consider we have fourteen Primarchs to find. 

 

This speech ended with the renaming of the II Legion to their new title of..."

 

 

 

¹ There have been rumors and misinformation claiming that the primarch Alexandros was known by the name of Gottfri when the Emperor found him. However, no reliable records have been found on the planet itself and all the records from the Imperial fleet that found the primarch make no mention of this fourth name. As such, I have omitted it, until evidence can be furnished showing otherwise.

 

 

+++Excerpt from ‘'The Hunt for the Lost Sons'+++

+++Authored by Remembrancer Ru Shun+++

+++Last Original Copy Confiscated by Inquisitor [Redacted]+++ 

+++Only Properly Revised Copies In Circulation+++

[Chronotonic]

This

This I like and enjoy

 

I look forward to what you do here and what makes them get censored

[simison]

Thank you! Nothing helps fuel my work like feedback. I'll be making a proper post here, but in the meantime, I have a companion topic to this one. While I do the general and the nut-and-bolts work here, I'll be writing a story to go with this in the fanficiton forum under the title The Third Son. 

 

Here's the link, enjoy!

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/297090-the-third-son/

[simison]

As hinted in my last actual post, I don't have a legion name. The first idea I had were the Crimson Crusaders. They wore red armor and were on the crusade with the subtlety being that they were on their own crusade in addition to the Great Crusade. It's general enough to fit, and would allow me to use the army as the II Legion for games with friends and eventually a Blood Angel's legion when Forgeworld released the Horus Heresy rulebook for them. 

 

It's safe...and a bit boring. 

 

Other names have come and gone. None have really fit too well. The main legion color bounce back between red and purple. Purple is a good candidate b/c like they're brothers in the III Legion, diplomacy will be a major area where the II Legion will specialize and excel in. And, while Alexandros will emphasize individuality, like any good armor, there still must be some form of uniformity throughout the ranks. It would also fit in with the Roman Imperial themes found throughout 30k. Plus, no other legion has purple as its main color. Finally, it would also allow me to double the II Legion as the Emperor's Children in tournaments/leagues. 

 

So, I'm pretty close to a color (red or purple), but the name is far more elusive. Here are some ideas I've had:

 

1. Crimson Crusaders

2. The Shields of Terra

3. The Imperial Shields

4. Celestial Guardians

 

Bah, even now, it's hard to think of alternatives. I'm more than welcome to suggestions. To help, let me briefly expound on the legion's specialties. Primarily, it's a defensive, counter-assault force. Typically, Alexandros deploys his forces to protect either civilian populations or Imperial Army units and goad the enemy into focusing their attack on his lines. With the heavy use of shields and divination, the II Legion weathers the main attack before striking back with heavy assault units, all the while, psykers specializing in telepathy find enemy soldiers open to persuasion and convince them either to give up the fight or outright defect. Thus, the enemy is bled in two ways before being decapitated. Alexandros' preferred enemy is humans/humanoids fighting against the Imperium. It is much easier for him to predict wars and to find enemy officers who are filled with doubt or empty of war fervor. 

 

So, psykers, the Spartan assault tank & land raiders, along with heavy shielded infantry are the primary cards of the II Legion.

 

Anyone have any ideas for a good name for a legion such as this?

[Slips]

•Imperial Wardens

•Guardians of Humanity

•Clavigeri Imperialis (lit. google translated Wardens of the Imperium with some modifications)

•Void Watchers (looking for the alien threats to appear from the void, something like that)

I could come up with more given time but these were the best I could conjure up on such short notice

Edit: oh Btw, check Athrawes II legion thread for name Ideas, he settled on his and since there were a bunch of good suggestions there too, you might also find inspiration.

I think it starts at ~page 17

[simison]

I am familiar with Athrawes' thread. He was the inspired to finally put all the ideas bubbling in my head to some kind of recorded form, though I hope all is well with him since he's been absent from the thread for a while now. I did take your advice and perused the pages. There was one post that listed a bunch of names, but none of them fit very well.

 

Out of your list, Slipstreams, Imperial Wardens stood out. Although, that might be because I'm an avid fan of Dragon Age and the title 'Warden' tickles me. Still, I'm gravitating towards Wardens and Guardians in some form. Both emphasize the defensive and protective nature that Alexandros and the II Legion will embody. 

 

To help narrow down the possibilities I'm going to delve into more of the philosophies behind the II Legion. Alexandros goes out of his way to teach that he and his sons must maintain a personal connection with humanity. Although they are now transhuman, they must recognize and value their roots. Usually, this takes the form of a hobby or an interest. Artistry, contact with some human, acquiring knowledge, etc. Just some kind of activity or focus that has no ties to the battlefield. It is Alexandros' habit to take a half an hour of his time to interview a person, whether it be one of his sons, a crew member, or a citizen of a newly acquired planet. 

 

Another aspect is that Alexandros goes out of his way to reward his sons who improve the lives of humanity, whether it be a simple matter of maintenance or preventing a battle by convincing the enemy general to stand down. In other words, he has and will reward achievements of peace. 

 

Lastly, while the connection between Astartes and human is stressed, so is the connection between the legions. Alexandros regularly assigns officers, squads, sometimes whole companies of the II Legion to fight with and to learn from the other legions. Anytime anyone returns from their assignment, Alexandros debriefs them and the questions "What did you learn from them?" always appears. 

 

And that's all I have for now. To recap, these two titles are in the running:

Imperial Wardens

Imperial Guardians

 

But I'm not making a decision yet. I feel like there could be a better 'first name' so to speak to attach to either Warden or Guardian. Always happy to hear more feedback.

[Slips]

Hmm, since you're placing an emphasis on learning and peace for your Legion, how about expand upon that some more?

 

Say that the Early Salamanders, Blood Angels, Emperors Children and Ultramarines would routinely send squads/companies/etc. To learn their craft personally? 

-Ultramarines were drawn towards the statesman aspect of the Legion and how the peacefully dealt with non-compliant worlds and how they managed their systems.

-Salamanders were keen on learning how to overcome their Astartes Limitations when dealing with Humanity.

-Blood Angels wanted their views on how one could maintain their connection to their bygone Humanity.

-Emperors Children TBD :\ couldn't think of anything but thought they would fit in.

 

Maybe have Legionnaires who were posted on their homeworld on rotational guard duty be part of Foster Families / Co-habit with their pre-Astartes families?

 

However, this is 30k. Expanding upon what makes them unique outside combat is all well and good but what were they like when they had to put a world to the Torch for being too proud / corrupt / whatever to accept the Peaceful offering of the IInd Legion?

 

True, you spoke about counter-assault speciality and being more of a defensively focused Legion, but what set them apart from the Iron Warriors or the Imperial Fists in that respect?

Both are renowned Siege Specialists, both defensively and offensively.

 

Expanding upon this might also help you find more inspiration.

 

Expamle: Evacuatus Terminator Guardians : Essentially Breacher Terminators (think very large Breacher Shields but not Storm Shields) tasked with safeguarding fleeing Civilians from habitated zones. So armed with Defensive Grenades (smoke among others), Power / Chain Fist penchant (so that they can open bulkheads and sealed gates with greater ease) and say a custom pattern weaponry that focused more on suppression than carnage.

 

You could also use them as a sort of "Legion Military Police" of some kind.

 

 

Some ideas.