Fire Claws Chapter (alternate timeline)

[Brother Tyler]

Thanks to some prodding by Lord Ragnarok, I recently bought the Black Library ebook/novella Angron's Monolith, which describes some of the actions of the Relictors Chapter during the Third War for Armageddon. I just finished reading the story this morning, and found it to be quite good. To echo sentiments voiced by Lord Ragnarok, it should be considered required reading for any fan of the Fire Claws/Relictors.

Codex: Chaos Space Marines mentions the (a?) Relictors Chapter operating in M33, whereas the Index Astartes article on the Relictors indicates that the Chapter was created in M.36; more importantly, the Chapter's practice of collecting and using relics of Chaos was a recent innovation. In one sense, this discrepancy may have been considered a retcon of sorts, effectively erasing the Fire Claws and shifting the Chapter's origins and nefarious practices back millennia. Alternately, it may have been considered an accident due to lack of familiarity with the previous body of work. A third option, which I favored, was that there was a previous "Relictors" Chapter that practiced collecting (and possibly using) Chaos relics. For reasons that have not been revealed, that Chapter no longer exists; but when the Fire Claws' similar practices became known outside of their Chapter, they were called "Relictors" to echo that previous Chapter (like in Wreck-It Ralph when everyone was accusing Ralph of "going Turbo"). When the Fire Claws were confronted and forced to go on a penitent crusade, they formally adopted the name of that previous Chapter. Their current color scheme and badge may even be drawn from that previous Chapter (the novella describes the Chapter's previous "Fire Claws" colors as being black and orange).

This is fortuitous for me as I was working on the Nova Hawks and one of the branches I considered for them (and later discarded) was as the Fire Claws. At that time, I assumed that the "Fire Claws" color scheme had been grey and that only the badge had changed. With the revelations in the novella, I can use my nifty color scheme for the Fire Claws (don't worry - I'll just keep the background and name for the Nova Hawks and change their color scheme).

So my personal version of the Fire Claws is from a time prior to the incident in which the Chapter first embarked down the road to collecting Chaos relics. This is, naturally, a speculative version as, aside from the use of black and orange as the Chapter's (primary) colors, we know nothing else about how they appeared.

Also, I've made some revisions to badges and color schemes that were previously used.

Here is what I thought the Fire Claws might look like if their scheme had been predominantly grey:

Here's a better picture of the possible Chapter badge:

Here is what the Nova Hawks were going to look like:

I've taken the burny Nova Hawks color scheme, replaced the white hawk head badge with an orange claw badge, and here is my vision of the Fire Claws:

Here's a Terminator-brother:

And here's a hero (Honour Guard, probably):

And here's the shoulder pad view of the Chapter badge:

As for rules, I'm probably going to use the Ultramarines Chapter tactics. If I decide to play them as the proto-Relictors, it will simply be a matter of allowing some unique relics (drawing upon those from 3rd edition, updating them to mesh with 7th edition).

Edited July 11, 2019 by Brother Tyler
Updated link to Angron's Monolith book

[Dosjetka]

Someone has access to the new Space Marine Painter, I see ;)

[Brother Tyler]

It's an old image that I just happened to have the forethought to save color variations on. The new one is gone (hopefully only for now).

[Nomus Sardauk]

Someone has access to the new Space Marine Painter, I see

 

New Space Marine Painter? Where?! :o

[Olis]

 

Someone has access to the new Space Marine Painter, I see

 

New Space Marine Painter? Where?!

 

One was in the works. I'm not sure of it's status at this moment but I believe it is lost in the warp (although I could be wrong). 

 

Anyhoo. I think the Fire Claws suit the colour scheme you have shown us, Brother Tyler, more so than the Nova Hawks. As far as evolving the chapter, I think you might be onto something here. Taking the mantle as the 'Relictors' could be a monicker passed from penitent chapter to penitent chapter who have committed the same sins.

[Lord Ragnarok]

Missed this thread Bro T. Love the scheme and chapter badge!

Edited January 11, 2015 by Lord Ragnarok

[Lucernius]

Wow totally agree great color schemes really lovley! As a relictors fan my heart skipped a few beats.

[Sugarlessllama]

I really like the Orange and Black paint scheme. It makes me wish I had done something similar.