A crazy idea that just might work? Astral Claws primogenitor

[depthcharge12]

So I had recently been looking at the Lugft Huron model by FW and was thinking of converting it to a DA strike master (head of the terminators within his chapter). Now I know I won't be the first, nor the last to use him for a dark angel army, but his claw and the leering lion on his shoulder pad just fit so well within the aesthetic.

 

Now over on the WIP Forge Master's Sanctum, I had a discussion with fellow member black option over the similarities between Athrawes' second legion symbol - the star - and the Astral Claw's symbol - a lion paw clutching a star...

 

Also of note, Madrigal, or rather the bones of Madrigal lie near the Maelstrom...which was also unintentional.

 

Though I know the Astral Claws aren't a second founding (I believe a tenth founding...?), it's been speculated that their gene seed might have come from either a Dark Angel or Ultramarine source. This is not to say that the Dark Angels had this specific chapter/company with them for a while before being kicked out for reasons unknown...possibly disowned for it's brutality and such.

 

 

Now here's the kicker. I was thinking of making my DA legion chapter bear a lion claw as it's emblem to symbolizing being the mailed fist of Lion El'Johnson (I have quite a lot of heavy infantry and mobile units in my army). I've already been tossing ideas around with Athrawes that the 1st legion was at the razing of Madrigal, especially for their noted distaste for one another. So maybe after the campaign and as a subtle note of victory, the Lion's claw would be purchasing the Star of Madrigal in its clutch to show participation in the razing.

 

 

Is this idea just crazy enough to work...or am I just clutching at straws and making this too obvious and getting my fanjuices everywhere?

[Atia]

that idea ... is ... awesome ... just ... ace ... you ... need ... to ... do that!!!!!!

[Slips]

Do it.

[depthcharge12]

Any ideas for a chapter name? I'd like it to be somewhat subtle and not quite "beat you over the head" like the Charcarodon/RG fluff was.

[Rev. Tiberius Jackhammer]

I agree that DA > Astral Claws is a pretty strong assumption - the Astral Claws Chapter Tactics gives them the same Morale bonus the "modern" Dark Angels have and a minor boost to bikes and skimmers. I keep on toying with the idea of using the Dark Angels Codex for Death/Ravenwing, and Astral Claws Space Marines for Greenwing/non-ravenwing bikes & skimmers.

[Aqui]

I never considered the possibility of them being Dark Angel successors. It'll be interesting to see where you take it

[blackoption]

How about "Void Claws"?

[Leif Bearclaw]

One thing kinda scuppers your idea . The Chapter symbol (iirc, been a while since I read Badab) is not the hand clutching the star. It's a Lion's Head. The claw clutching the star (The Tyrant's Claw?) was heraldry specific to Huron. which then rose to prominence amongst the Tyrant's Legion, then the Astral Claws proper as they descended into heresy. So for the majority of the Chapter's existence, they did not fight under the Tyrant's Claw.

[depthcharge12]

One thing kinda scuppers your idea . The Chapter symbol (iirc, been a while since I read Badab) is not the hand clutching the star. It's a Lion's Head. The claw clutching the star (The Tyrant's Claw?) was heraldry specific to Huron. which then rose to prominence amongst the Tyrant's Legion, then the Astral Claws proper as they descended into heresy. So for the majority of the Chapter's existence, they did not fight under the Tyrant's Claw.

True...however, I think I have a way around it.

 

Black option gave me the idea that Katarius (second in charge after Athrawes the character) escapes the blockade around Madrigal in his ship with a complement of legionaries. They escaped into the maelstrom never to be seen again.

 

In the AC fluff, I believe one of Huron's notable victories involved a space hulk...which may or may not have records of fighting with or against the 1st legion.

 

So you see where I'm going with this? ;)

[blackoption]

So, I pulled out my Badab War book and did some research.  The Space Hulk was the Unhallowed Heart. It was described as "a twisted conglomeration of mangled cityscapes and lost ships" and it was also an "abode of daemons".  However, it gets tricky regarding Astral Claw's contribution:  The hulk caused anyone near it fall into "suicidal madness and despair".  The Astral Claws lose a strike cruiser to it, but it is the Lamenters (since they are resistant, but not immune to the hulk's influence) that forced the hulk away from the planet Eshunna. 

 

So... here are some options.

 

A. The hulk contains with it a piece of Madrigal, and with it the curse of that world.  If Talos and his claws can find a floating piece of Nostromo, then this is in the realm of possibility.  If I remember correctly, Arthawes plan for the fall of his legion is that they had a failed prototype of the Golden Throne.  When they turned it on, rather than building a webway, they breached the warp, but the breach could not be sealed and the legion dies of fighting daemons. The rest of the Legions see this grevous error and terminate the experiment and all along with it.  But, that was an earlier draft, so I'll defer to depthcharge or Arthawes on how viable this option is.

 

B.  The Unhallowed Heart started off as the Hallowed Heart, a vaunted 2nd legion vessel that served under Katarius' chapter. The suicidial depression is in fact the warp echos of what were suriving Lightning Bearers who were reeling from the loss of the Primarch, homeworld, and damned by the knowledge that even the Emperor had turned his back to them.  This festers in the warp, distilled over 10K years to become the hulk that so royally kicks the Astral Claws' and Lamenters' backsides.

 

C. The Unhallowed Heart is in fact unrelated to the fall of Madrigal.  It was a separate campaign all together where Huron and his Astral Claws discover the writings of Kastarius in the ghostly halls of an abandoned Imperial vessel of ancient, yet unregistered design.

[depthcharge12]

This project...it's just going to be more awesome than I imagined it.

[blackoption]

Regarding names for your Dark Angels Cohort (I believe their Chapters are known as Cohorts... if I understood Unremembered Empire correctly)

Void Claws: But this name is used by a Wolf Guard Terminator pack.

Abyssal Lions

Void Fangs

The Lion's Reach

Tiger Claws: but this is used by an Astral Claw successor chapter as well.

and lastly

Thundercats....

[depthcharge12]

Regarding names for your Dark Angels Cohort (I believe their Chapters are known as Cohorts... if I understood Unremembered Empire correctly)

 

Void Claws:  But this name is used by a Wolf Guard Terminator pack.

Abyssal Lions

Void Fangs

The Lion's Reach

Tiger Claws: but this is used by an Astral Claw successor chapter as well.

 

and lastly

 

Thundercats.... B)

Thunder cats.....hooooooo!!! :D

 

I like the Abyssal Lions, and void claws.

 

How about Vorpal Claws?

[Athrawes]

If you name them Vorpal claws, then you have to make a legion specific weapon called a Vorpal Blade.

 

Vorpal Blade:

 

S (-) AP (3) Type: Melee, Rending, Snicker-Snack, Galumphing

 

Snicker-Snack: Attacks with this weapon Only hit on rolls of one or two. This Special Rule give the wielder Preferred Enemy (Monstrous Creatures).

 

Galumphing: If a unit with this weapon wins a sweeping advance, they may roll two dice and pick the highest to determine their consolidation move distance.

[depthcharge12]

If you name them Vorpal claws, then you have to make a legion specific weapon called a Vorpal Blade.

 

Vorpal Blade:

 

S (-) AP (3) Type: Melee, Rending, Snicker-Snack, Galumphing

 

Snicker-Snack: Attacks with this weapon Only hit on rolls of one or two. This Special Rule give the wielder Preferred Enemy (Monstrous Creatures).

 

Galumphing: If a unit with this weapon wins a sweeping advance, they may roll two dice and pick the highest to determine their consolidation move distance.

I was trying to stay away from jabberwockies :P

 

Rending would be a bit redundant, as would preferred enemy as rolls of one count as a hit lol.

[Slips]

AFAIK, there are no chapters with the name Astral Lions; only Astral Knight and Astral Claws.

 

..Could use those and have a starfield painted Lions Head as their Heraldry?

[marine7312000]

I think this will be the first DA-centric topic I follow. Back on topic, of the options presented by blackoption, I'd go with the second one. On chapter name, Vorpal Claws just sounds awesome. And you could make the vorpal blade a chapter (legion) relic.

[Raktra]

I too enjoy this idea. Funnily enough I was partially angling for the Berserkers to be connected to a Badab War chapter, too.

Vorpal is a funny word. Vorpal.

[depthcharge12]

Thanks for the kind words guys!

 

Now I'm having a bit of a quandary, I wanted to make a character that uses FW's Huron model, but I don't want to be super obvious about him being linked to the Astral claws.

 

The character's name and traits are still up in the air. Should he have a Mesopotamic name, or a medieval-esque one?

 

Should he be cunning and tactically proficient (like Huron and Dark Angels)? Or should he be brash and glory hounding?

 

I was thinking of making him a rising star within the Legion, however his actions prevent him from getting any further. He's very charismatic and a popular man among the Astartes, however, he has his own way of doing things, which causes friction with his superiors.

 

 

Here was an excerpt from what black option proposed:

 

"Without knowing what is in your mind... I envision this commander's traits to be Ambition, Pride, and Stubbornness (balancing the traits of the DA and the AC). He knows he is skilled, but maybe he is not quite as good as he believes. He goes up against the 2nd legion with gusto of an officer with something to prove (yet also the faith of his men). Vs. Arthawes, his dogged relentlessness allows the strike commander to keep pace despite injuries and setbacks. However, he is illprepared for the power and ruthlessness of Katarius. In essence, Katarius beats him at his own game. Though he survives his battle with Katarius (and succeeds in severally damaging Katarius's chapter) the legendary terran slips away."

 

 

And here were some proposed rules of mine, based on the Huron model, but tweaked -

 

WS6 BS5 S4 T4 W3 I5 A4 LD10

 

Points - 185

 

Wargear -

Indomitus armor

Iron halo

Lion's claw*

Digital weapons

Tartarus pattern cannonade**

 

 

*Lion's claw

S: user AP2 Ghost razor, shred

 

**Tartarus pattern cannonade

This weapon was created by a lesser known Forgeworld for the first legion upon rediscovery to honor their reuniting with Terra. The cannonade uses a rotary loading system to feed low yield plasma cells into the firing chamber.

 

Though not as strong or powerful as a standard issue plasma gun, it brings less risk and converts excess energy into a blinding light, dazzling enemies that it does not kill. This weapon, though experimental, found much use in the hands of [name here] for regular boarding duties and zone mortalis situations.

 

Range: template S6 AP3 blind

 

 

What do you think about his load out and profile so far? I'm still trying to decide what buffs he'll bring to the army as well. I wouldn't worry about how useful the Lion's claw might seem at first because he can easily get ID'd by a cheaper, paragon blade praetor.

 

 

Edit: I was also considering a giving him an experimental infantry mounted Flare Shield relic, but refrained from doing so until I can get the basics down and not make my character a Mary Sue in game. My proposal was to (buff his points too) make the character draw a 6" straight line within 3" of the character - all shots fired at his unit that go through the deployed flare shield suffer -1 S or -2 S for blast/template weapons. It can only be used once per game or has a negative effect of some sorts if I can come up with one.

[Atia]

 

 

And here were some proposed rules of mine, based on the Huron model, but tweaked -

keep in mind that all of Huron's wargear was forged for him by Valthrex - Terminator armour, flamer and i believe the claw too :/

[Raktra]

 

 

 

And here were some proposed rules of mine, based on the Huron model, but tweaked -

keep in mind that all of Huron's wargear was forged for him by Valthrex - Terminator armour, flamer and i believe the claw too :/

 

Yeah, but where'd he get the idea in the first place? ;)

[Atia]

from the FW IA volume 10 - the badab war part 2:

 

" Lugft Huron had access to a plethora of arms and wargear of the highest quality, included among which were a number of suits of armour of various types. Perhaps most famous of these was what was known as his Armour of Pride - a heavily customised set of Terminator armour adapted and augmented for him by the Astral Claws Master Artificer Armenneus Valthex."

 

The Ghost Razors (his power claws) were a gift from the Tiger Claws chapter.

[depthcharge12]

 

 

 

And here were some proposed rules of mine, based on the Huron model, but tweaked -

keep in mind that all of Huron's wargear was forged for him by Valthrex - Terminator armour, flamer and i believe the claw too :/

D'oh.

 

I don't have the Badab books, so I can't be for sure. I wanted to have Huron discover the claw on oard the space hulk and take it as a relic for his own use (wouldn't be the first time a human/Astartes has done that).

 

 

I too enjoy this idea. Funnily enough I was partially angling for the Berserkers to be connected to a Badab War chapter, too.

Vorpal is a funny word. Vorpal.

 

Lol, black option wanted to tie in his eagle chapter (ultras) to it as well. If he's cool, I wouldn't mind you joining if you wanted :) of course there would be second legion purging (foreshadowing of the bezerkers of Uran? :P) so keep that in mind.

 

It's funny how this is turning into the Badab Heresy haha but I like it.

 

Vorpal. Voooorpal. Yup it's funny.

[Raktra]

Ha, yeah sure, I'm in if he's game! The XIth have gotta die sometime.

[KBA]

When the second coolest thing (Badab) collides with the coolest thing (Horus Heresy), the results could be incalculably cool.

 

Go! Go! Go! Go! Go!