Choosing a background for your chapter

[Demoulius]

Hey all,

 

Im slowly getting interested in 40k again, and figured id like to flesh out the background for my chapter as I was kind of getting into that before I quit playing regulary a few years back.

 

There are some things that I fleshed out and some things that id like to ask you gents for help with.

 

-What founding? Im finding difficulties in finding information on what founding was at what time. What area of space they were for (if any) and what chapters were involved. Id like my chapter to be a few centuries old before the 13th black crusade hits so I can work out some lore what they did. Ive fought with my marines during armaggedon, the medusa campaign and such and I have no clue when those took place, but id like to fit that into their lore :)

 

-Space borne or fortress monastery. I know chapters tend to start as a space bound chapter before they 'earned' a fortress monastery but im not sure under what circumstances they normally would earn one. Ive read in various places that sometimes after gruelling campaigns or the destruction of a rebellion a chapter is awarded a planet to settle down on but im wondering if theres a certain criteria that needs to be met, or if its just random?

 

-Specialisation? The lore for my chapter would be that they are patrolling an area around the Maelstrom and keeping the trade lanes somewhat safe of pirates. Astartes or otherwise. That would mean that their specialisation would probably be void combat and planetary assault. Considering thats what ALL chapters do though im kinda unsure how I could make it their specilisation and even how I could show that on the table top at all?

 

-Differencing them from their parent chapter? I play a Blood Angels force and while I want them to be a later founding of them they all got standard BA icongraphy. It's normal for succesors to have a different chapter symbol then their parent chapter but I dont want to repaint 100+ models'shoulder pads because of it anyone got a quick work around for that?

 

Thats the few major things that im struggling with atm. Would love to hear  some feedback :)

[Claws and Effect]

Check the thread titled DIY Resources down in the Liber subforum.

 

There's a nice timeline in it, as well as some information about the major chapters for each founding, if any are known.

[Kinstryfe]

What founding?

Honestly, unless the chapter is 2nd, cursed, ultima, dark founding, or Astartes praseus, I don't know if you /need/ to pin down the exact founding :)

 

Fleet or Fortress?

If they're chosen purpose is patrolling the Maelstrom, I'd imagine it's easier to do with the fleet. If they have a home world, it's likely nearby and used for recruitment. Though who knows what effect being that close to the Maelstrom could do to potential recruits..

 

Void Combat Specialization?

On the tabletop, I'd say a greater emphasis on assault elements. Indomitus Terminators and MkIII armour seem like they could aesthetically fit, and possibly vanguard with breaching shields (run as stormshields) could look really good and fit with the tactics they'd likely use. Alternately, their training in voidcraft piloting could translate to terrestrial piloting, with flyers and speeders (and jump packs) being a favored tactic: they're used to 3D instead of 2D warfare.

 

Iconography?

It sounds like you already have models painted up (or modeled) as Blood Angels? You could emphasize any of the common icons, like the Grail or Wings, and just pull a color swap on them. With all the void combat, the wings would certainly be appropriate, and it may be as simple as painting them a different color (The Chapter often displays the Void Wing emblem, a dark blue wing, earned once an initiate has successfully completed a certain level of mastery of void combat techniques. Those officers who slay the captain of a void vessel in single combat may display the badge in white to show their piety and favor of The Emperor Upon successfully destroying a Traitor Astartes vessel, the Marine is given the honour of wearing the Sanguinary Grail honour, displaying to all that the blood of Sanguinius flows strongly thru their veins. Etc, etc, etc)

 

Hope any of this helps.

[Frater Cornelius]

Well, how about a Fleet-Fortress? There are plenty space stations capable of travel. You could have a Star Fort with an attendant fleet, for example.

[nusphigor]

Hi mate! here are my suggestions:

 

-What founding?

Sometimes it's best to keep it vague, specially when you don't know about the timeline. Try searching the DIY resources area and check for the major battles timelines and maybe focus on the oldest one. Based from that go some 300-500 yeas earlier than that so your chapter can have some time to "grow its teeth" and start having a culture of their own.

 

 

-Space borne or fortress monastery.

As you said, most chapters start as fleet based. You could keep them as such or you could create a story of how did they won their home planet and a kingdom of their own. Most of the time, as far as I have read, this is done by wining a substantial battle against a really tough enemy that is based in that system and completely exterminate their presence. This also can work to create an archnemesis of your chapter, and it can be specially fun on the narrative aspect of the game if you have a friend that plays the same kind of army, but i would treat this as a bonus instead as a main point.

 

-Specialisation?

It is true that all astartes have the kind of training you mentioned and are adept at that kind of warfare but, why not devoting them to it? i mean, your marines are spawn of sanguinius, so they have melee on their blood. Why don´t focus on naval warfare, spaceship boarding tactics and such kind of fighting style? You can reflect this on the tabletop using lots of assault units and heavy infantry like terminators. Or, if you like a more fast paced kind of army, drop pods and lots of short ranged units like tacticals or sternguard to go alongside the termies or the assault marines.

 

-Differencing them from their parent chapter?

 

How have you modelled your marines, with decals or freehanded symbols?

Either way you can modify the blood drop with a bit of paint to resemble another shape, or straighten the wings or add something else in top of the icon like an iron halo, or a sun. Another idea is to change the blood drop to a star if you want to go the naval way, just use the top corner of the blood drop as a guide to paint the star and paint the other 4 corners.

it is just a small change but it goes a looong way to help your army to have an identity of their own.

 

I hope that helps a bit

Edited September 11, 2017 by nusphigor

[Charlo]

As you're going blood angels, I highly suggest you make a topic over in that section too!

 

I did the same for my DIY chapter and there was a lot of helpful feedback :)

[nusphigor]

As you're going blood angels, I highly suggest you make a topic over in that section too!

 

I did the same for my DIY chapter and there was a lot of helpful feedback

 

this ^

it helps wonders and it is the best suggestion