Crusade Logistics

[Marshal_von_Speer]

Hi everyone!

 

 

I would like to know how you think, a crusades logistics work.

 

I picture my Black Templar Crusade to be  permanently involved in heavy fighting thus men and material being strained heavily. In my opinion this means, that the crusade needs a relatively large amount of Techmarines to keep all the material/vehicles in shape and requires large supplies of ammo, promethium, spare parts etc. They are also in constant need of new neophytes, not only to replace losses but also to increase the crusades numbers. Same counts for destroyed and broken vehicles and material.

 

So how do a crusade's logistics work?

 

Do they have contracts with forgeworlds that supply them with everything they need?

 

Can they produce a limited amount fo the required supplies themselves aboard their ships?

 

How do they "pay" their supplies?

 

How and by whom is decided, from what chapter keeps a crusade is allowed to recruit new neophytes?

 

 

 

 

[Ciler]

I'll give you my guesses and opinions.

 

First of, a crusade probably has enough techmarines, artificiers and serfs to maintain its equipment aboard whichever ship(s) or keep it is operating from, and may be able to produce stuff like bolter shells.

 

As for resupplying, I can only assume that the crusade will have to stop every now and then at a forge world or forge vessel. I don't think the notion of payment applies, when astartes come knocking, I think a forge world is bound to provide. Finally, I expect that stores of weapons and supplies are kept in chapter keeps just in case.

[Marshall Bretton]

i would guess that the chapter has a few forge ships in the fleet which can be attached to the major crusade forces to fill their needs to a degree. beyond that from what i understand about the mechanicus, we will probably have pacts with various forge worlds, they give us kit, we support them in certain circumstances like if they get invaded etc, alot of the imperium seems to work on a bit of a barter system like that.

Also depending on how you feel about the newer fulff, our friendship with the ecclesiarchy probably helps, they will have alot of pull to get us resources that we need

 

As for neophytes, I would guess that if a crusade is passing near a chapter keep they will stop off to pick up neophytes, beyond that a castellan probably sends a message to Helbrecht letting him know he has a group ready to be assigned to initiates, I expect Helbrecht then arranges a ship to collect them to be transported to a crusade that needs them

[Marshal_Roujakis]

I'm pretty sure somewhere in the 4th ed. Black Templars Codex, it says that each Crusade is in charge of its own recruitment, training and provisions, all that task is done by the Astartes in charge of the Crusade. So no one Crusade would actually be the same in regards to how their supplies, equipment and recruits are replenished... I really like this idea because it gives credence to the famous non-Codex adherent nature of the Templars themselves...

 

I know that Techmarines are just assigned to Crusades after their training on Mars, so after they get trained, they inform Helbrecht or whoever the current High Marshal is and get shipped off to their appointed Crusade. Maybe some equipment and supplies go with those Techmarines when they head off to their Crusade.

 

I've just read as well, and this is an interesting fact, that active Chapter Keeps recruit only about two dozen or so aspirants per year, then they get their initial training there from the Keep Chaplain and some primary implants from an Apothecary, then if they are deemed ready they get sent off to a Crusade to just start becoming a Neophyte... Once, their training becomes complete, they become Initiates for that Crusade, again, equipment from the active Chapter Keep may be sent with the recruits towards the Crusade.

 

As for ties with the Ecclessiarchy, I wouldn't be too sure... there was that incident a few 100 years back when the Ecclessiarchy decided to set-up shop inside a Templar Chapter Keep, obviously the Templars didn't like it, so they kicked them out... the Ecclessiarchy didn't like that either so they declared a fight against the Crusaders... it was pretty messy...

 

I'm also sure that the Eternal Crusader itself has a massive manufactorum inside it that maintains equipment and replenishes supplies for the main Crusade, there would be no cause for other Crusades to not have a similar thing...

 

My $0.02 anyway...

[Marshal Rohr]

The Forgeships will be the answer to this. Some are the size of grand cruisers and some can be as big a macrotransports like the one in Rogue Trader RPG.

[Marshal_von_Speer]

Ok, interessting! I Imagine the whole recruitement to work in a feudal way. A Crusade's Marshall is given the right to recruit Neophytes from the chapter keeps of a designated area and is also allowed to create new chapter keeps at his own discretion.

 

As for the forgeworlds: I suspect the demand for war supplies to be way higher than the actual production output. So if there are multiple chapters standing in line for new Rhinos, Drop Pods etc. how is decided who gets what?

[Canadian_F_H]

Go back to what Rohr just said. The BT manufacture al their own wargear a bard their forge ships.

 

This is why being non codex compliant is important. We still operate as a legion dieing the great crusade which the tray if the imperium had abandoned. There fore we act as if deep in enemy space. We manufacture everything we possiby can and set up keeps and recruit frequently and diversely.

[Marshal_von_Speer]

Go back to what Rohr just said. The BT manufacture al their own wargear a bard their forge ships.

 

This is why being non codex compliant is important. We still operate as a legion dieing the great crusade which the tray if the imperium had abandoned. There fore we act as if deep in enemy space. We manufacture everything we possiby can and set up keeps and recruit frequently and diversely.

 

Yeah I got that. Just never really heard of it.

 

I like the Idea of forgeships a lot. Can someone suggest a further read on this topic?