What drew you to your Chapter?

[DogWelder]

What was the first thing that caught your attention about your favorite chapter and made you invested in their lore/background/aesthetic?

 

Personally for me it was literally the first scene in the Ultramarines Omnibus. I love how the Ultramarines came off as professional soldiers serving in a military. Not like holy warriors or knights such as the previous depiction of Astartes I read about. They actually moved from cover to cover when they advanced, kept their helmets on at all times, were in constant communication with each other, used camouflage/stealth to get the drop on their enemies and relied mainly on ranged weapons, engaging in melee only when it was absolutely necessary.

 

Hell they even spent a fair portion of the first chapter crawling through the mud at night and using it to cover up their Chapter colors so they wouldn't be visible to the enemy.

 

Also the whole idea of Space Marines not only defending a vast swathe of territory (Ultramar) but actually governing it was also appealing. Shows that the Astartes can be more than just weapons and can be true warrior-kings/statesmen. 

 

So what about your favourite chapter?

[redmapa]

The first pages of the Black Templar codex were what convinced me taking up the chapter, its this description of a chapter that embodies the whole religious dogma of the Imperium to such an extent that they are seen as utterly fanatical by the rest of the Astartes, they are a chapter so full of arrogance, zeal and pure hatred for everything that does not match their vision of purity or their dogmas that they follow above all else. To me they are the quintessential Marine, they are all that the Imperium encompasses; Xenophobic in the extreme, religious, superstitious and overly dogmatic along with such disdain for witches or weak humans, they are a chapter thats almost villainous in their actions as they disregard civilians in the name of victory and the Imperium.

 

I will always love them, their ignorance, their hypocrisy, their arrogance and pride, thats what a Black Templar is about and what drew me in. Its sad that GW has tempered their fluff recently, they should embrace the flaws instead of presenting such a pristine version.

[Orpheus108]

Well I first in love with the Blood Angels after my first White Dwarf 133 and just loving the Terminators. From that issue of WD it started me into WH40k, then got Rogue Trader to get as much info on the BA and all the chapters. The new BA models I love and have a small force I use to boost my other loved chapter, the Carcharodons Astra. These guys I love more than BA, I have a love of the ocean, especially sharks, and reading about them in Imperial Armour was fantastic.

[Canadian_F_H]

The cover art of the 3rd edition box.

[Sete]

"Always at the forefront of the Black Templars' battle line strides a singular figure, his gleaming blade carving a path of ruin through the foe. This warrior will challenge any enemy, no matter how mighty, for he is the Emperor's Champion and divinity rests upon his shoulders as both mantle and shroud."

 

Still gives me goosebumps every time I read it.

[Panzer]

Someone telling me I could build an army with nothing but Jump Pack guys when I was still a WHFB player. A few years later when I actually picked up 40k I'm now building a Primaris BA army with barely Jump Packs because I learned to love them based on their fluff (twin-curse, being mighty but humble, and all that stuff). Go figure. :D

[Iron Father Ferrum]

From Index Astartes: Hand of Justice :

 

Through countless centuries the Iron Hands have remained unwavering in their faith and belief. They have endured dark years of suffering and pain, where others have faltered and been forgotten by time. They look with disgust on those who lack their strength of will, and punish them without remorse.

 

...The bitter Space Marines advance machine-like and relentless, throwing themselves violently at the enemy in their focused, severe fervor.

 

...Under this maxim [the unyielding mind and unyielding body], the strongest, most incorruptible warrior is formed, so they believe.

 

And there's the whole story of the Contqual subsector uprising. There's very little more grimdark for me than murdering 33% of an entire subsector population as an object lesson in loyalty.

[Kierdale]

The Mentor Legion because they’re from the Rogue Trader days and little is known about them (which gives me a lot of freedom). They’re known to make use of rare/experimental tech (which also gives me a lot of freedom), and green and white looks so good (and the newer red Hawk-head icon fits in very nicely).

[Race Bannon]

Since RT days, I had a DIY Chapter.  But when the Raven Guard's Index Astartes article from 3rd edition came out, the text (and Chapter Tactics) spoke to me.  Interestingly, because I am a snowflake, I insisted on keeping a DIY that did NOT use their geneseed because back then it was very problematic.  Yet, I was always drawn to the Chapter in heraldry and story.

 

After a short break from the game and setting, I returned to start over and THIS time I went full-bore into the Chapter proper ^_^  I promised myself this is the last Chapter I play.

[Dracos]

My story is very similar to Race’s including close to a decade hiatus from the game. I still have the WD with Index Astartes: Raven Guard. I love their combat style and that they have the coolest Primarch :D

 

Just not really into that much black :eek

 

So as being my own special snowflake, I have always done DIY and starting this year I am starting again. This time with a primarily Primaris <Raven Guard> army. “Counts As” is a wonderful thing :)

[Melete]

One of the first 40k books I looked at was the 3rd edition Space Wolves codex, and raging space vikings were very much my thing.

[Skaorn]

Mine was their undying hatred of the Imperium, dedication to tearing it down, and determination at using the Dark Gods as their tools and not the other way around. Hey, nobody played Chaos 3.0 around me and the Black Legion is way cooler than you loyalists :p.

 

I did toy with the idea of doing a chapter named the Knights Leperous. I've always liked the concept of the leper knight, cursed by god, yet still fighting in hopes to be cured/saved.

[Dracos]

Mine was their undying hatred of the Imperium, dedication to tearing it down, and determination at using the Dark Gods as their tools and not the other way around. Hey, nobody played Chaos 3.0 around me and the Black Legion is way cooler than you loyalists :p.

I did toy with the idea of doing a chapter named the Knights Leperous. I've always liked the concept of the leper knight, cursed by god, yet still fighting in hopes to be cured/saved.

I admit if I were ever drawn to the dark side , it would be Chaos Undivided (DIY of course) that would draw me there. Something akin to Astral Claws maybe. Not making Faustian deals with Demons, rebelling against the Empire believing your cause is just :)

[Zebulon]

My first exposure to this Universe was the MB/GW Space Hulk-lite that was Space Crusade, in the 1990s. That gave me my first love for the Blood Angels.

 

I got back into the game as a jaded adult in 2011, and lost myself in the childlike joy of galactic carnage. However, being a bit of a speed freak and a bit of an artisan and humanitarian I found myself drawn to White Scars and Salamanders respectively.

 

Also snowflakiness led to my creation of at least four DIY chapters, all of which *had* to be unique and all of which I am big enough to admit are pretty derivative really

[Blindhamster]

they were on the cover of the boxed game, and they were red :tu:

[Callan]

I'm torn. My primary love, as of a few weeks ago, is Black Templars. The concept of a sci-fi knightly order with power weapons is just too awesome. And the ZEAL... The Helsreach series sold me.

 

On the other hand, the Ultramarines, well-rounded soldiers and generally good-hearted warrior-statesmen is something that speaks to me as well. I'm definitely building both.

[Tamiel]

Initially the colour scheme and the "jack-of-all-trades" nature of the Ultramarines captured my attention.
Then I found out that they were diplomats and had a talent for managing an empire, which made me like them even more. The fact that they care for civilian lives, and even bring resources to liberated planets to help them get back up on their feet, all makes them so much more likeable. These guys don't just get in, kill the xenos/heretic and get out. They leave behind some supplies to help the people they've saved, and set up protected trade routes from other planets to them. Essentially, Ultramarines are planting the seeds of the Imperium's future in every planet they save. While it may seem bad in the short term to go through all of this, the long term benefits are clearly visible with how well the 500 worlds are doing.

[SyNidus]

It was the Index Astartes: Raven Guard article. Reading about how they operate, specialising in guerilla warfare and rapid manoeuvres, the whole idea of economy of force, bringing maximum pressure onto strategic points to cause the total collapse of the enemy force. They are a pragmatic chapter with no loud battle cries, just an awesome motto: Victory or Death. On top of that, despite their cold pragmatism, they are a chapter with the overriding goal of protecting "humanity" before the imperium.

It is now ironic that i'm very much in love with the Night Lords.

[DogWelder]

Initially the colour scheme and the "jack-of-all-trades" nature of the Ultramarines captured my attention.

Then I found out that they were diplomats and had a talent for managing an empire, which made me like them even more. The fact that they care for civilian lives, and even bring resources to liberated planets to help them get back up on their feet, all makes them so much more likeable. These guys don't just get in, kill the xenos/heretic and get out. They leave behind some supplies to help the people they've saved, and set up protected trade routes from other planets to them. Essentially, Ultramarines are planting the seeds of the Imperium's future in every planet they save. While it may seem bad in the short term to go through all of this, the long term benefits are clearly visible with how well the 500 worlds are doing.

 

Mhm and tbh I also liked how their role as statesmen necessitated a realistic edge to be added to them. This differentiated them from the Salamanders because they weren't all sunshine and rainbows when it came to civilians. They actually had to get their hands dirty and set up institutions like the Vigil Opertii that hunted down dissidents or anyone who resisted Ultramarine rule in Ultramar.

 

I liked that they have to be cold and calculating with civilian lives for the greater good which sets them apart from the purely humanitarian Chapters like the Salamanders and Lamenters.

[SickSix]

Silver Skulls: The skull logo, simple yet attractive paint scheme, long established chapter but with little lore(at the time).

 

It was a compromise between picking a well known chapter and creating my own chapter. They were a very old Chapter but had very little fluff so I had a lot of freedom in modelling and making my own background. But now they have two books and a collection of short stories.

[Canadian_F_H]

Silver Skulls: The skull logo, simple yet attractive paint scheme, long established chapter but with little lore(at the time).

 

It was a compromise between picking a well known chapter and creating my own chapter. They were a very old Chapter but had very little fluff so I had a lot of freedom in modelling and making my own background. But now they have two books and a collection of short stories.

Its funny, but that was how I started my BT. All they where was a paintscheme, an awesome core box cover art spread, and the rules for the Emperor's champion...

 

And a year later I had to break up my devestator and scout squads, gave my snipers and heavy bolter scout to my brother, scrapped plans to buy a whirlwind and retired all my sgts and a librarian. But I bought an awesome LRC and gained some awe some rules so...

[Reldn]

What drew me to the Blood Drinkers was how they embrace their monstrosity to maintain their humanity and the thin, tragic line they walk in order to ward off the Flaw(newer fluff can hang).

 

They remind me of the Kindred from V:tM: You've got to drink blood to survive, but, be careful of going too far and being overtaken by the beast.

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Despite its many faults, the AdMech seems to be the Imperial organization most dedicated to IMPROVING the Imperium, allowing it to reconquer territory (to seize vital resources and reclaim STC fragments, if nothing else), industrialize, offer Imperial citizens stable jobs and productive futures (if only in dangerous mines and manufactories, but that's better than starving to death). As the Iron Hands and their successors have close ties with the AdMech, I assume Ferrus Manus' sons share many of its ideals, though their interpretation varies (you can "improve the Imperium" by purging weakness from its people).

 

Besides, "close ties with the AdMech" lets me justify giving my Chapter's Marines all the firepower they need, e.g., shoehorning Earthshaker cannons into a Land Raider chassis, tearing out a Baneblade's bow-mounted Demolisher cannon so I can use the superheavy tank as a transport, and other shenanigans.

[Rik Lightstar]

When I first started out it was Space Wolves for me, for all the obvious 10/11 year old reasons, the Space Viking Werewolves sounded like the best thing ever.

 

Later on I ran my own DIY codex compliant chapter in blue and white, largely because I liked the colour scheme.

 

Then I fell in love the Astral Claws background, especially at the point of being secessionists rather than rebels or imperials. They were an example of the best and brightest being given let down by their own and going too far. Huron makes the wrong decisions for the right reasons so many times and damns himself for it. Where he could have been a legend, he became bitter and spiteful out of pride. He's the archetypal fallen paladin.

 

With the release of the Primaris Marines I wanted to do something a bit different but associated with my Astral Claws. So I have Mantis Warriors, they're done with their penitent crusade, they've been reinforced and in my imagining are essentially fully Primaris at this point. They're hunters of renegades, they're trying to atone for something they believe is unforgivable.

 

Rik

[Machine God]

I chose the Iron Hands as I am a Cyberpunk player and the are heavily in to replacing themselves with bionics.

 

I echo Iron Father Ferrum's view that they are brutal and they get the job done!

 

Forget the Marines Malevelant the Iron Hands are the most bad-ass chapter there is in the Imperium and they also hate everbody!