Rapid Offensive Unit Theta Sigma

[Brother Sefiel]

Overview

Theta Sigma is the designation given to a formation made up of marines assigned to learn the ways of Mars, supplemented by permanently attached Adeptus Astartes. They number approximately company strength, but contain a disproportionate number of experienced marines, backed by some of the finest technology in the Imperium. As is, they are the equivalent of most First Companies.

 

The structure of Theta Sigma differs substantially from that of a codex company. It is split into five rough groupings of about thirty individuals each – senior officers, whose roles are often as much bureaucratic and diplomatic as combat, specialists – including technical and medical personnel, as well as close protection, Deathwatch veterans, who have been most active in terms of weapons testing, unsurprisingly, line veterans and scouts.

 

The primary role of Theta Sigma is to secure vital locations as determined by the highest levels of the Mechanicus. As befitting space marines, this will usually involve lightning assaults against unsuspecting enemies, but with the specific task of capturing objects, often technology, of interest to the priests of Mars. Subsidiary roles include close protection and battlefield weapon testing.

 

The organisation generally operates as units of no more than three squads plus support, given the very limited numbers it has. It is not known how many times – if any – Theta Sigma has been deployed as a single detachment. Given the risk to such a wealth of technical and battle experience, it is highly unlikely that such an action would occur without the specific order of the Fabricator-General.

 

Theta Sigma wears the colours of the Mechanicus – black, red and gold. Some of its personnel are clad primarily in red with black trim, while most prefer or are assigned armour that is mainly black with red trim. The former seem to be individual senior officers or technical staff – whether there is a deeper significance is unknown to outsiders at present.

 

Most members of the detachment wear the cog image of the Adeptus Mechanicus on their left shoulder, and particularly senior technical personnel have it on the right too. Others have a similar device as belt buckle or chest armour. Many have the Crux Terminatus on the right pad. Some believe that this symbolises that their loyalty to the Emperor is subsidiary to that they have to the Mechanicus as a whole.

 

Others bear heraldry of their chapter, and many seem to be derived from the Blood Angels or their successors, as well as the Knights of Gryphonne, Red Wolves and Scarlet Crusaders. there do not appear to be any marines assigned to Theta Sigma from the Ultramarines or Dark Angels or their successors.

 

It will come as no shock that there is a high preponderance of bionic replacement amongst members of the unit.

 

Personnel

 

The overall command of Theta Sigma rests with Lieutenant-Commander Leonidas, of the Knights of Gryphonne. Assigned to oversee the formation’s recovery of certain items for the Divisio Ordinatus at the time of the fall of his chapter’s homeworld, he has since dedicated himself to the missions of the formation to the exclusion of all else. Leonidas has undergone almost total bionic reconstruction during his service, primarily after a horrific encounter with ork-tyranid hybrids. He carries a back banner that bears a message in some kind of binary code.

 

In most operations requiring senior officer presence, however, command usually falls to the warrior known only as Iskander. His original chapter is unclear, but his helm bears the sigil of the Inquisition, and his dedication to the Imperial will has been demonstrated on the battlefield time and time again. He bears a thunder hammer and carries a particularly potent storm shield, and, too, is heavily bionically-enhanced. Iskander is known for his vehement hatred of the entities of the immaterium, and he often volunteers for missions that involve beating back a foe from that strange dimension.

 

Other senior personnel include the following: Delgado, Master of the Watch, Ainley, Master of the Fleet, Roberts, Master of Infiltration, Jacobi, Master of the Armoury, and Ttarp, Master of Machines. Their adjutants and advisors include: Captains Ionius and Krug of the Red Wolves, the now notorious protege of Iskander, Captain Malleo (currently on attachment to Saint Faith's penitent crusade) Captains Bradok Karver, Niktar and Gedz Akagami, Captains Mordigael and Landor Spiriel of the Blood Angels, and Castellans Spandrell and Kelner of the Scarlet Crusaders.

 

There are numerous technical personnel amongst Theta Sigma, including ten trained Techmarines: the three fully-qualified Forgemasters are Hawking, Feynmann and Fuller; their subordinates include Techmarines Snowden, Vanunu, Assange, Manning and Alderson. Chaplains also retain a place within the formation, perhaps surprisingly. They seem to be roughly evenly split between contributing chapters. Led by Master of Sanctity Vanda, they include Karsh and Arnulf of the Red Wolves (the latter having some kind of instinctual connections with his chapter's more animalistic throwbacks) and Chaplain Saithis. As well as collecting geneseed and repairing damaged marines, Theta Sigma apothecaries are also tasked with monitoring experimental cybernetic implants. There are currently five serving medical personnel. Only three psykers have been spotted amongst the ranks of Theta Sigma, Epistolaries Axineton, Gregorziato and Kryzyzcy

 

Of particular interest for recruitment to line positions are those who have previously served with the Deathwatch. While they retain the usual black/red/gold armour they have access to significantly divergent gear, and have had significant responsibility in terms of battlefield testing. While each serves the role of a veteran within the organisation, they are almost all at some early stage of training to become techmarines. They are listed by squad with their sergeant:

 

Alpha – Vargas

Beta – Darro

Gamma – Siminus

Delta – Verdana

Epsilon – Gregom

Zeta – Servais

 

Trusted men who fought their way from the disaster at Gryphonne IV have been recruited into a close protection cadre. They bear alien-related symbology on overt display, and tend to be even more massive than normal space marines. It is believed that there is a single squad of these warriors, but they must be of particularly fearsome capability. They wear the cog symbol of the Mechanicus on their chests.

 

The Adeptus Mechanicus doesn’t waste geneseed that it has been given. In fact, when it gains possession of unusual samples – such as those presented by ancient chapters such as the Blood Angels and Space Wolves – it very much likes to tinker. In practice this has led to the sponsorship of certain chapters, such as the Red Wolves (who are alleged to have some Space Wolves geneseed, despite the denial that such has been used again after the issues with the Wolf brothers) and Scarlet Crusaders. These organisations provide a disproportionate number of marines for Theta Sigma, and also have strong links with more radical members of the Inquisition. The Red Wolves in particular produce warriors that are less constrained by the requirements of acting within squad formations, and their survivability – especially when combined with extra augmentation from the Adepts – is legendary. There are also six dreadnoughts assigned to the formations: Venerable Brothers Davros, Price, Ironside, Jefferies, Xavier and Gordon

 

There is some concern from outsiders that Theta Sigma strays close to heresy in the level of innovation that its members display. It is perhaps fortunate that they don't get better opportunities to look. There is a fine selection of relics that can be drawn upon, plus significant stocks of unusual ammunition. Much effort has been made to acquire technology that can specifically counter necrons, including unusual bolts that prevent the enemy from teleporting away. Furthermore, the men have made significant use of their own teleportation devices, having learned from the unliving foe. The primary keeper of such items is Captain Mordigael.

 

Allies

 

As an organisation, Theta Sigma is often called upon to assist those with whom the Mechanicus has… understandings.

 

The ties to the Ordo Xenos are particularly strong, what with the requirements of the Deathwatch for novel wargear, but various radical inquisitors have dealings with the Mechanicus, so there is some interaction with, and operational attachment to, inquisitorial forces of all kinds – especially when expertise in the recovery of technological artifacts is required.

 

The other Orders Militant have ties with Theta Sigma too, primarily the Adepta Sororitas. The Ordo Malleus' martial forces perhaps have some links, but while ornately-decorated terminators have been seen fighting alongside the robotic marines on occasion, they do not wear the colours of the Grey Knights. Whether the marines inside said armour are indeed from chapter 666 is unknown – but they certainly fight stoically for the Imperium, no matter who they are.

 

The chapters most associated with Theta Sigma have been known to provide additional support from their first companies. However, in addition to the Blood Angels, their successors, and the Red Wolves, Theta Sigma can also count on the support of the mysterious Angels of Retribution. These are allegedly Dark Angel successors, but they have no formal ties with their progenitor chapter. In fact, dealings between the Angels of Retribution and Dark Angels can be considered frosty at best.

 

While not formally-linked, Theta Sigma has a passing acquaintance with the guard forces of a number of worlds, most recently that of Hellenica-4, on the eastern fringe, where operatives were brought in to investigate the circumstances of that world's surprising triumph against tyrannic invaders.  As well as the praetorian guard of the world's acting Imperial Commander, there are a number of expendable ex-soldiers imprisoned at a penal legion facility to whom the force has access. The Ecclesiarchy has little contact with the machine-men, but there are a few priests present on Hellenica-4, so the occasional interaction occurs.

I'm hoping to add some images after finally having edited this to something that I'm vaguely happy with. Expect it to take a while, though!

Iskander and his men join the Blood Angels to defeat an ork bigmek and his plans for building a gargant:

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/309334-apocalypse-blood-angels-v-orks/

A series of battles that feature the men and machines of Theta Sigma:

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/323563-brother-sefiels-summer-of-war/

Iskander leads an armoured column speeding towards a rendezvous that is attacked by malefic forces:

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/328595-tank-apocalypse/

Malleo and Leonidas meet Saint Faith:

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/330479-celestine-and-friends/

Faith and her allies from Theta Sigma simulate fighting against the perfidious eldar and their Ultramarine "friends".

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/333112-eldar-and-ultramarines-v-deathwatch-and-white-scars/

Xenos forces battle for the control of items of interest to the Adeptus Mechanicus:

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/333250-1250-iron-hands-v-tau/

Captain Malleo runs a simulation of forces loyal to Faith against the hated xenos:

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/334105-750-castellans-v-tyranids/

This is not a test; Faith fights at the side of Theta Sigma in earnest for the first time:

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/333403-deathwatch-and-celestine-versus-death-guard-formation/

Theta Sigma operatives and Blood Angels assist Saint Faith in assaulting marauding chaos forces:

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/334010-assault-on-vaporator-station-xi-theta/

Iskander is ordered to rescue the Living Saint, Faith:

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/334975-kill-the-saint/

Captain Mordigael leads a mission to secure artifacts for the Adeptus Mechanicus:

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/340565-experiencing-technical-difficulties/

Edited December 29, 2017 by Brother Sefiel

[Brother Sefiel]

Some images now available:

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/gallery/album/13930-rapid-offensive-unit-theta-sigma/

[Beta galactosidase]

Some pretty classic models there. This seems like a fun gaming army I'd totally want it for a campaign.

[Brother Sefiel]

Some pretty classic models there. This seems like a fun gaming army I'd totally want it for a campaign.

Heh, yes, not one of the infantry is more than 50% plastic. Plenty more guys that I didn't have space for! There are still a few things that I'm missing, though.