Lore/plausibility question

[Phoebus]

StormLion,

 

I hear you. Though not a hobbyist myself, I can imagine the problem that creates.

 

For what it's worth, I'm writing some fiction based on my DYI Chapter, whose name and iconography don't match. This is precisely because of the unexpected changes the Scouring and the destruction of Caliban brought about.

 

My Swords of Aldurukh took their name at the Second Founding, and their Chapter symbol features a unicursal hexagram intertwined with a sword. So far, so good. The Chapter is loathe to highlight their specialized formations, though, and hid their true nature behind the guise of celebrating their past as one of the first cohorts of Space Marines.

 

Thus, the Swords' Inner Circle, and by extension their [Deathwing] and [Ravenwing], are marked not by any Company-specific colors but by use of the wargear worn by their forebears during the destruction of Caliban. The First Company deploy exclusively in Tactical Dreadnought Armour of Calibanite patterns. The Ravenwing-equivalent (a smaller cadre of Black Knight-equivalents, who officially serve as the Sixth Company's Veterans) and all other warriors initiated into the Inner Circle (Masters, Chaplains, etc.) wear Mark II "Crusade" or Mark III "Iron" Power Armour (upgraded to Mark VII or VIII over the millennia), and all wear the Chapter's colours (with Codex-approved variations). More specifically to this topic, the Power Armour of these Veterans often features a rearing lion (so high-five for great minds thinking alike) rather than the Imperialis: these suits having belonged to battle-brothers who fought with the Lion in the Battle of Diamat (see Fallen Angels, by Mike Lee).

 

It all gets really complex (perhaps unnecessarily so) when the Swords of Aldurukh are about to capture a Fallen. When they do so, and they are isolated from outside forces and uninitiated brethren alike, they flip a switch on their power weapons that changes the frequency of the light they emit to match that of Caliban's star. The photo-reactive enamel of their power armour then changes to black, wings manifest next to the sword, and hidden hexagrammaton iconography appears on their breastplate. It's basically a big, covert middle finger to both the Fallen and the Inquisition.

 

(I give credit for that idea to the wonderful painters on this website, a couple of whom created "special effects" by changing the coloration of their miniatures to reflect the glow of their power weapons and plasma guns.)

Edited November 18, 2017 by Phoebus

[Steel Company]

Like Phoebus, I can give you an example of my Chapter StormLion.

 

My chapter, Dragons of Caliban (after a name evolution of nearly 15 years), developed their primary battle company during the Great Crusade, being one of the original chapters of the First Legion, their tactics revolve around the usage of I.F.V.'s and Heavy Armour. This is reflected in the first company using Land Raiders as much as possible, while the second company sticks to Razor Backs and Predators. And interesting quirk of the chapter is the lack of a scout company, lack of bikes as well as lack of dreadnoughts. Another thing about the chapter is armour types are restricted based on company position.

 

First Company (Adamantium Scales):

Cataphracii TDA

 

Second Company (Iron Scales):

Mk. III Iron (breacher squads)

Mk. IV Maximus

 

Companies 3/4 (Gold Scales and Silver Scales):

Mk. V

Mk. VI

Mk. VII

MK.VIII

Mk. X

 

 

Colouration notes:

 

First and Second companies use black as their primary colour, this is in homage to the orginal legion colour, companies 3 and 4 use a bare metal base with black shoulder guards.

 

 

Fluff for them has them distrustful of other children of the Lion, due to a perceived slight by the primarch when their crusade era command staff were sent back to Caliban to 'train new recruits' while at the same time they were saddled with a new command staff that were entirely Calibanite born. For them, this was an insult with the bulk of the chapter still having been Terran born and remembering a time when they were still the Emperor's legion. They were not present at the sundering of Caliban, as such their drive to find the so called "Fallen" is to piece together what actually happened, whom fired first and whom ordered the annihilation of the world they were charged with protecting. The irony being their last Terran born chapter master before the coming of the Lion, was the one whom ordered the shots to be fired at the Lion... Merir Astelan.

 

The chapter has also suffered at the hands of the Assassinorum, Adeptus Terra as well as the Ecclasiarchy, largely during the rain of blood, due to their steadfast refusal to bend the knee to the Vandire. More recent fluff for them has them dealing with the question of the primaris marines, are they truly worthy of being allowed to climb the ranks of the chapter, as it stands they are restricted to the newly created fourth company.

[StormLion]

Well, I've commissioned some decals from fallout hobbies so it's game on. I need to decide on my chapter name and then decide how I want to structure this fun little thing.

[StormLion]

More questions, how heretical/acceptable would it be to base the companies on geography? Specifically their bases/fortress monastries?

 

Also, I think this will be acceptable, but I want to check. I'm thinking of not doing separate companies of "deathwing" and "ravenwing". Instead having them as part of the other companies as elite, autonomous units assigned to each fortress. Similar to a modern day spec opts force being attached to a regular military force. The DW would be named either Knights of the Angel Shield or Knights of the Black Watch and focus on heavy assault and protecting VIPs. The RW would be named Knights of the Lion Vanguard and focus on scouting and being the pointy tip of the spear.

[Steel Company]

I see nothing wrong with your ideas if anything they would make sense. Just keep in mind that even a lowly scout Astartes is an equivalent to SpecOps of the Guard... a full battle brother would be an entire platoon of Storm Troopers.... And a First Company Veteran would be worth an entire company of veteran guardsmen.

[Phoebus]

StormLion,

 

There's nothing wrong with the concepts you mentioned. That being said, here are two things to consider:

1. Be careful that the way you describe your geographically-split forces and their relationship with the place they are assigned to doesn't mirror the structure of the Salamanders or the Iron Hands too much.

 

2. The current Codex highly supports your idea of "Super-Companies," as it's made clear that most Dark Angels strike forces include elements of the First, Second, and Tenth Companies (and even Reserve Company assets). Be careful, however, that the way you structure them doesn't mirror the Great Companies of the Space Wolves (who essentially pioneered the "cradle-to-grave" concept for this setting) too much.

Edited November 21, 2017 by Phoebus

[StormLion]

Understood, and I agree. These would be purely geographic. In other words, recruit 1 from place X could get assigned (and probably would) to place W along with people from Y, F, and P. While a person from W might be assigned to T.

[StormLion]

Say hello to my counts as Azrael, Supreme Grand Master Michael. Still need to do a helmet (I'm deciding on the wings) and a cape.

 

 

Edited December 30, 2017 by StormLion