Chapter Re-Organization

[dusara217]

OK, so I've been working on a DIY Chapter, and I have made it fleet-based. In the past, the Chapter had made excessive use of Teleportariums, but , when almost the entire Chapter Fleet was gathered at an Ork Empire, an incident occurred. Basically, a Demi-Company of Terminators disappear into the Warp when they attempt to teleport onto the surface of a planet to engage in combat. Then, Daemons start pouring into the ship and slaughter its crew and a huge battle ensues between the couple of squads that remained behind. Daemons activate the Warp Drive moments before the ship gets blown to smitherines by the orders of the ship's captain, and a hole forms into the Warp. An endless tide of Daemons start coming out of it and utterly massacre the Chapter's Fleet that only survives because one of their Battle Barges bee-lines into the Warp Gate and detonates its Warp Drive; closing the Gate. After this, the remnants of the Ork fleet the Chapter had engaged previously detect how vulnerable to Fleet is and come back and fething murder the remnants, and only a Strike Cruiser and a squad of Gladii escape. Two Companies were participating in the Terran Crusade at the time, so something like 140 Astartes survived the Reign of Blood. After that, Chapter chooses to rebuild. Three full companies get completely and utterly destroyed, and are left that way. The survivors are spread out across the 7 surviving Companies, who then spend most of their time trying to recoup their losses by joining Explorator fleets and Rogue Traders in exchange for Void ships of all shapes and sizes; from Battle Cruisers to ancient Stormbirds. During these centuries of recovery, Captains convene at a summit, and completely reorganize the Chapter. Basicaly, they change it so that:

Exactly 8 Marines to a squad, in honor of the eight marine squads of the early post-Catastrophe days

Exactly 3 Squads per Phalanx

An undetermined number of Phalanxes per Company, though the average is 5 Phalanxes.

Captains renamed Paladin Ultimas and are essentially made into the ruling council

Phalanx commanders are called Paladins.

I plan on publishing a full IA, and the question that I originally had was completely and utterly idiotic, so here's my Chapter Organisation so you can see how it sucks so much less than it did when I first came up with the Chapter.

[Conn Eremon]

Well, first of all, I'd recommend getting a consultation with your doctor, because it sounds like you have a distinct case of the Nurgle, the likes of which I haven't seen since Mortarion, and his sickening need to have seven battalions of seventy-thousand Legionnaires.

 

Second of all, I apologize because this might come off as harsh. I hope you know that I don't intend to simply attack your idea, but to do what I can to help you come to a final product.

 

At first you mention that the only way you can see it working is to have it be this way, but you provide no actual rationalization for why there is an actual need. But later on, you ask us for a rationalization for it. Which is it? 

 

It makes it sound like you want to have the Chapter be so deviant simply to be Codex-deviant. It's something that can tend to be seen as the "cool" thing to do, what with the Space Wolves and the once-Black Templars. It's really not. It hurts the Chapter to deviate from the Codex, and the more they deviate, the more damage it does to their status in the Imperium and their ability to effectively go to war. Because the Codex is everything Space Marine. It's not a set of instructions and organizational strictures arbitrarily set down by Primarch-sized ego, as it tends to be superficially seen as. It shapes a Chapter into what it needs to be in order to remain on the right side of that fine line that allows them to do their duty without bringing the wrath of their own species from coming down on them. It's the most extensive and intensive treatise on every facet of war recorded by Man in all his long years of violence, having the collective wisdom on all things combat of one of the most prolific and war-like species of the galaxy. Going against the Codex isn't saying they're too cool for Guilliman. It's saying they're too cool to be good. The Black Templars deviations were hidden from the Imperium, and likely they survived only because of that. The Space Wolves flaunt it, but their popularity lends them an incredible amount of plot-armor.

 

Now, as for your example reason, it's notable that the circumstance you provide is exactly the same one the Blood Angels are in, and yet they operate as Codex Adherent very well. Their one true deviation is an act of necessity, to deal with those twisted and raving among their ranks, and the Chapter does suffer for it.

 

But that kind of handles 'plan B' as well. Sanguinius is dead, and his Legion willingly adhered to the Codex following his death. There are none who embody Sanguinius as fully as the Blood Angels, all his virtues and his flaws, and they are adherent. That said, it is always possible that this Chapter has something of Sanguinius' that leads them to believe this, or it is their own desires that color their vision of their father, causing them to imagine the Angel taking a stance he never did.

 

So my suggestion would be try and get your 7 fix differently (though I thought it amusing that you have a ruling council of only 6). And to be honest, I actually feel for you there. 7 happens to be my favorite number, after a particular 'hail mary' moment years ago. But I didn't go overboard with it. One Chapter is from the 7th Founding. Another Chapter has their ruling council meet in the Septenary. My Guiliman Heresy self-insert is called the Septarch. That sort of thing. If you try to insert the same thing too much, it tends to lose its original intent and meaning. What you create has no real identity of its own.

 

Now, I realize I'm making a few assumptions here based on this idea's similarity to others that crop up every now and then, and if so then I am sorry. If there's still an insistence to go this route (and to be clear, you really don't need to listen to me, it is your Chapter), I'd recommend that you try to think of a "punishment" that is equal to the deviation. Up to and including Chapter death or excommunication for extreme deviation. Considering what I see above, I'd recommend an extreme endangerment (which kind of contradicts the increased numbers) or have them be on the run (which would make their increased numbers be a hindrance).

[Grand Master Belial]

Someone is dabbling a little close to Chaos. As I recall, one of the god's favorite number was 7. (I want to say Nurgle but I could be dead wrong.) But then again, the Salamanders also have 7 companies as those were the survivors of Istavaan (this may have been retconned) with each company based at a settlement on Vulkan. This could open the door to subtle mechinations that is not obvious to the chapter and even the bulk of the Imperium.

 

I am not sure about the battalions as this seems to fly in the face with edict set forth in the Codex Astartes. Make it a single battalion with the Companies, etc...

 

Unless... What if the battalions were divisions of the chapter? Let see, Battle, Reserve, Apothecarion, Librarius, Armoury, Training, Command. Each battalion has a specialization or area of responsibility. There would only be 1000 Battle brothers but a huge host that is not deployed.

 

Another idea, borrow from the Black Templars and Space Wolves and make each Battalion a separate crusade, grand company or battle fleet that would be autonomous from the others. The Black Templars have been noted that they are larger than Codex size since each crusade is responsible for its own training.

[dusara217]

Someone is dabbling a little close to Chaos. As I recall, one of the god's favorite number was 7. (I want to say Nurgle but I could be dead wrong.) But then again, the Salamanders also have 7 companies as those were the survivors of Istavaan (this may have been retconned) with each company based at a settlement on Vulkan. This could open the door to subtle mechinations that is not obvious to the chapter and even the bulk of the Imperium.

I am not sure about the battalions as this seems to fly in the face with edict set forth in the Codex Astartes. Make it a single battalion with the Companies, etc...

Unless... What if the battalions were divisions of the chapter? Let see, Battle, Reserve, Apothecarion, Librarius, Armoury, Training, Command. Each battalion has a specialization or area of responsibility. There would only be 1000 Battle brothers but a huge host that is not deployed.

Another idea, borrow from the Black Templars and Space Wolves and make each Battalion a separate crusade, grand company or battle fleet that would be autonomous from the others. The Black Templars have been noted that they are larger than Codex size since each crusade is responsible for its own training.

A case of the Nurgles... lololol

I had completely forgot about Nurgle, so that idea is gone. Stoopid chaos, taking the sacred number of order from io himself..

I think that I might change it to seven fleets, then, with each having a Company that has an un-specified number of Astartes in it (aka several hundred). Next step, make them very secretive and never actually disclose any concrete numbers to anybody. A Paladin Ultima is now in command of each fleet, a Paladin is in command of each Platoon, and there is no unified command. I think you just effectively completely changed the flavor of my DIY. Thank you.

@Conn The whole Sanguinius thing was visions from the Diving being that is Sanguinius. Not like physical Sangy would actually do anything like that.

And I meant that I could not figure out why I wanted them to be based on multiples of 7, and that I wanted a valid reason for them to be. DAMN YOU NURGLE!!!

Also, the Chapter was orginally just meant to deviate from the Codex in organisation and command-structure, but to still use as the war bible, much like Sun Tzu's Art of War. Completely tossing it aside would be like saying "I'm going to be a biologist and completely ignore the last three thousands years of scientific breakthroughs".

As for the Batallions, each Batallion would have had c. 316 Marines in it and each Company would act completely autonomously so that every Strike Force would have aprox. 49 Marines in it. Plus, you'd have 49 Strike Forces operating throughout the Segmentum Obscurus against Chaos.

[Lord Pariah]

I think a question would be does any one man rule over the chapter?.

If I'm not mistaken, that was the main reason for the codex... I could be wrong

[dusara217]

I think a question would be does any one man rule over the chapter?.

If I'm not mistaken, that was the main reason for the codex... I could be wrong

It is ruled by a council of Paladin Ultimas. Honestly, I've heavily modified the entire Chapter. I'll change the OP to give a more recent summary of it.

[Grand Master Belial]

OK, so I've been working on a DIY Chapter, and I have made it fleet-based. In the past, the Chapter had made excessive use of Teleportariums, but , when almost the entire Chapter Fleet was gathered at an Ork Empire, an incident occurred. Basically, a Demi-Company of Terminators disappear into the Warp when they attempt to teleport onto the surface of a planet to engage in combat. Then, Daemons start pouring into the ship and slaughter its crew and a huge battle ensues between the couple of squads that remained behind. Daemons activate the Warp Drive moments before the ship gets blown to smitherines by the orders of the ship's captain, and a hole forms into the Warp. An endless tide of Daemons start coming out of it and utterly massacre the Chapter's Fleet that only survives because one of their Battle Barges bee-lines into the Warp Gate and detonates its Warp Drive; closing the Gate. After this, the remnants of the Ork fleet the Chapter had engaged previously detect how vulnerable to Fleet is and come back and fething murder the remnants, and only a Strike Cruiser and a squad of Gladii escape. Two Companies were participating in the Terran Crusade at the time, so something like 140 Astartes survived the Reign of Blood. After that, Chapter chooses to rebuild. Three full companies get completely and utterly destroyed, and are left that way. The survivors are spread out across the 7 surviving Companies, who then spend most of their time trying to recoup their losses by joining Explorator fleets and Rogue Traders in exchange for Void ships of all shapes and sizes; from Battle Cruisers to ancient Stormbirds. During these centuries of recovery, Captains convene at a summit, and completely reorganize the Chapter. Basicaly, they change it so that:

Exactly 8 Marines to a squad, in honor of the eight marine squads of the early post-Catastrophe days

Exactly 3 Squads per Phalanx

An undetermined number of Phalanxes per Company, though the average is 5 Phalanxes.

Captains renamed Paladin Ultimas and are essentially made into the ruling council

Phalanx commanders are called Paladins.

I plan on publishing a full IA, and the question that I originally had was completely and utterly idiotic, so here's my Chapter Organisation so you can see how it sucks so much less than it did when I first came up with the Chapter.

This is looking a lot better with a lot more meat on the bones and reasoning as to why the deviations.

 

A thought, perhaps specialize the phalanxes. 1 Phalanx has about as many marines as the two squads of Devastators/Assault marines common to a battle company. Make a Phalanx for each, 2 Phalanxes for Tactical and 1 Phalanx Veterans for your five average. I am not sure how you would want to approach the issue of Scouts and how they are included in each Company. I can easily see them incorporated into the different phalanxes that pertains to their required training or be folded into the Veteran Phalanx. They could even stand apart in that they are not counted as part of the 3 squads per Phalanx.