Looking for Ideas and Inspiration for my WHFB Empire Marines

[Black_Cat_41]

Oh, Gelt is definitely Chief Librarian. (The Blood Angels get  somewhat uncertain when he's around though, they never remembered giving him a Death Mask :P )

Volkmar the Grim could be Master of Sanctity (Grav-powered War Altar of the God-Emperor is included)

Karl Franz is of course Chapter Master, and the Company Captains double as the Electors of the provinces of Malleus. So he can "Summon the Elector-Captains" when the Chapter musters for war.

 

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Upon a bit more thought, I think Iron Hands would be fitting Progenitors.

Good choice!

4. The twin-tailed comet and the hammer can both be associated with iron and metal, fitting for an IH successor

Malleus Prime's superstitious natives likely saw Stormraven gunships approaching their planet, as the return of the twin-tailed comet heralding Sigmar's birth. Maybe the Chapter has a Primaris-sized Stormraven variant known as "Sigmaraster" (Sigmar's Star)?

[Black_Cat_41]

That's brilliant. 

 

How do we handle the Dwarfs and their involvement on Malleus? Squats? Demiurg? Some other mutation/Xenos race/etc?

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Oh, Gelt is definitely Chief Librarian. (The Blood Angels get somewhat uncertain when he's around though, they never remembered giving him a Death Mask

Claim Malleus was the site of a battle where the IX Legion engaged [insert enemy here] before or during the Horus Heresy, during which a death mask was left behind when Sanguinius' sons withdrew to fight in the Siege of Terra, and have Gelt recover the long lost relic during [insert event here]?

Volkmar the Grim could be Master of Sanctity (Grav-powered War Altar of the God-Emperor is included)

Good idea!

Karl Franz is of course Chapter Master, and the Company Captains double as the Electors of the provinces of Malleus. So he can "Summon the Elector-Captains" when the Chapter musters for war.

Better to give each Captain multiple titles to differentiate their roles in the planetary government, and their ranks in the Chapter's chain-of-command; for comparison, note "Great Wolf" is the title Logan Grimnar uses in his role as the Space Wolves Chapter Master, while "High King of Fenris" is the title he uses as the Chapter planet's planetary governor.

 

"Elector-Count" should be the title the Chapter's Captains use to identify them as government leaders. A different title should be used to identify them as Space Marine officers- maybe "Grandmaster," after the title a knightly order's leader has?

Edited January 6, 2020 by Bjorn Firewalker

[Bjorn Firewalker]

That's brilliant.

Thank you.

How do we handle the Dwarfs and their involvement on Malleus? Squats?

This seems best. The Imperium tolerates abhumans better than they do xenos.

 

The Warhammer Fantasy Elves' presence on Malleus is a bigger headache. Maybe say Malleus' Elves were explorers whose ship crashed BEFORE the Slaanesh's birth destroyed the Eldar Empire, marooning them?

[Black_Cat_41]

"Grandmaster," "Graf" (like Graf Boris Todbringer) etc. are possible titles the Griffons could use for their Captains. I mean in WHFB, Franz has multiple titles ("Elector-Count of Reikland and Prince of Altdorf"), so it would make sense he'd have multiple titles in 40K as well.

 

I like the Squat angle myself as well. 

We could have three factions of Eldar (Elves) on Malleus:
 

1. Drukhari raiders and pirates (Dark Elves)

2. Aeldari explorers, as suggested, who became marooned and gradually created an in-system empire (High Elves)

3.  A splinter group of these same Aeldari who were somehow isolated from the main group and became secluded in the woods outside the original Human colony. (Wood Elves)

Edited January 6, 2020 by Black_Cat_41

[Bjorn Firewalker]

"Grandmaster," "Graf" (like Graf Boris Todbringer) etc. are possible titles the Griffons could use for their Captains.

As the German title "Graf" is equivalent to a Count, how about using its cognate "Grave" as a title, e.g., "Elector-Grave"?

[Black_Cat_41]

That sounds workable. Very unique. :) 

[Bjorn Firewalker]

So Space Marine Captain Boris Todbringer's titles would be "Elector-Grave of Middenheim" (the fortified city with the Company keep as its heart), "Grand Duke of Middenland" (the land providing resources the Company needs to fight its battles), "Grandmaster of the Order of the White Wolf" (a Knightly Order being the equivalent to a Company in a Codex compliant Chapter, the White Wolf being the Company mascot), "Champion of the Emperor in His Guise as Ulric" (claiming a religious title to maximize his authority over the people he rules), etc.

 

Naturally, the other Captains will have at least as many titles.

Edited January 6, 2020 by Bjorn Firewalker

[Black_Cat_41]

The religious title also helps deter more fanatical Inquisitors from claiming heresy, though the more cunning ones will still find some way to accuse the Chapter.

 

Figured out some lore for Ghal Maraz:

Guilliman originally gave Chapter Master Franz a thunder hammer prior to the Indomitus Crusade, but it was damaged during one of the Chapter's first battles on Malleus (against descendants of the same Waaagh that had been defeated by the Emperor's forces during the Great Crusade and inspired the Empire's legends of Sigmar). The Chapter attempted to repair the great power weapon, but the damage was too great. However, the Squats of a local auxiliary force which had come to the aid of the Imperials agreed to help repair the weapon. citing that they would be honoured to aid the long-lost sons of their ancient ally Sigmar. 

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Idea to explain why Malleus' Squats could do what the Chapter's Techmarines couldn't, and repair Ghal Maraz:

 

The Emperor and His son visited Malleus during the Great Crusade, breaking the back of a Waaagh! that would've destroyed all non-Ork life on the planet, though at the cost of a thunder hammer the Ork Warboss damaged beyond repair; the native Squats, recognizing the hammer's workmanship as of the highest quality, recovered its remains for study.

 

During the Indomitus Crusade, Guilliman gave Chapter Master Franz a thunder hammer the Primarch himself wielded during the Great Crusade's early phases, though Guilliman retired it in favor of a power sword and a left power fist. When the Chapter's Techmarines found themselves unable to duplicate the damaged thunder hammer's components for repair, the Squats presented them with the thunder hammer the abhumans guarded since the Great Crusade; the Techmarines combined the two damaged hammers to create a functional and whole one, though they insisted on replacing the wolf's head and crescent moon on the older hammer's head, with the newer hammer's inverted omega. (If Black Dawn is to be believed, Horus had a tendency to lose weapons.)

Edited January 17, 2020 by Bjorn Firewalker

[Black_Cat_41]

That... is absolutely brilliant. Basically what I had in mind.  Love the connection to Horus and the Great Crusade.

[Closet Skeleton]

I'm mainly going off of Total War Warhammer where Franz' faction was renamed "Reikland." Hence the confusion.

 

Altdorf is the capital of Reikland. My Warhammer Fantasy army was mixed Altdorf/Reikland. Karl Franz is Elector Count of Reikland but his direct power base would be Altdorf and the Reiksguard.

 

 

"Grandmaster," "Graf" (like Graf Boris Todbringer) etc. are possible titles the Griffons could use for their Captains.

As the German title "Graf" is equivalent to a Count, how about using its cognate "Grave" as a title, e.g., "Elector-Grave"?

 

 

Grave isn't a term anyone uses as a separate word from margrave (or the much rarer burgrave and landgrave). Historical Holy Roman Electors were titled Kurfürst (prince elector), so Elector Count would be Kurgraf which could be anglicized to Kurgrave.

 

The fantasy Empire had electors who weren't counts, the Elder of the Moot, Ar-Ulric (high priest of Ulric in Middenheim), the Grand Theogonist of Sigmar (high priest of Sigmar) the 2 Arch Lectors (the deputy high priests of Sigmar). Historical Holy Roman Empire had 4 prince electors and 3 archbishop electors.

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Thank you for the history lesson, Closet Skeleton.

[Black_Cat_41]

So if the Middenland Company is the "Order of the White Wolf" what could the other provincial company/order names be?

[Bjorn Firewalker]

So if the Middenland Company is the "Order of the White Wolf" what could the other provincial company/order names be?

First: Do you still want the Chapter to move from Malleus Prime to Malleus Secundus after the Great Rift opens? If so, then the following questions need answering:

 

1) What kind of environment did Secundus have BEFORE the Great Rift's opening forced the planet to absorb millions of refugees from Prime, and how has becoming a giant refugee camp changed the environment?

 

2) If Secundus was previously capable of sustaining life (meaning the AdMech didn't have to spend centuries terraforming it so Malleus Prime's millions of refugees didn't die within a month of arrival to their new home), why was it ignored before and during the battle that destroyed Malleus Prime?

 

I ask this because the original Middenland would've been destroyed along with Malleus Prime, so the Knights of the White Wolf would likely be based on a "New Middenland" established on Secundus.

[Black_Cat_41]

Malleus Prime is like the Old World, I imagine Secundus to be more similar in climate etc to Lustria.

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Anyways, suggested Knightly Orders for each province:

 

Averland: Knights Encarmine, for sharing Elector Marius Leitdorf's two-sword fighting style; or Knights of the Emperor's Blood.

 

Hochland: Knights of the Broken Sword, who have their keep in the province.

 

Middenland: Knights of the White Wolf, for sharing Elector Boris Todbringer's devotion to the Emperor in His guise as Ulric.

 

Nordland: Knights of the Albatross, for their devotion to the Emperor in His guise as Manann.

 

Ostland: Knights of the Raging Bull. According the the province's Lexicanum article:

Bull Warriors are common in Ostland...

 

The symbol of Ostland is the Bull- representing it's stubborn and dependable people.

Ostermark: Knights of the Black Raven, for sharing the the province's inhabitants' obsession with death, and devotion to the Emperor in His guise as Morr.

 

Reikland: Knights Panther.

 

Stirland: Knights of the Blackened Skull. According to the province's Lexicanum article:

Stirland's provincial colors are green and yellow and its banner contains a skeleton sounding a hunting horn, representing a "call to battle."

Talabecbland: Knights of the Blazing Sun.

 

Wissenland: Knights of the Golden Lion, for sharing a heraldric symbol with the province.

 

In addition, there is an 11th Order, the Reichsschutz, which draws from the other 10 Orders to serve as the Chapter Master's Honor Guards. The name means "Empire's Guard" in the ancient language of German.

Edited January 7, 2020 by Bjorn Firewalker

[Black_Cat_41]

These names are quite fitting. The Reichsschutz would similar to the BA Sanguinary Guard, right?

 

Also, the "State Troops" of the Empire could easily be represented on the tabletop as Astra Militarum regiments, with the more elite Knightly Orders being the Space Marines. (While this would require me to play Imperial Soup rules-wise, lore wise it makes a lot of sense.) 

[Bjorn Firewalker]

The Reichsschutz would similar to the BA Sanguinary Guard, right?

I thought of the renamed Reiksguard as a small-scale Deathwatch. The Reichsschutz members not only protect the Chapter Master, they serve as a reserve with which he can instantly exploit openings other Companies tear in the enemy's defenses. In addition, by drawing its members from other Companies, the Reichsschutz

 

1) Encourages various Companies' Marines to cooperate, minimizing potentially disastrous rivalries; as well as preparing them for the day they must fight alongside each other when a threat demands the Chapter meet it with multiple Companies, if not all 1000 Marines.

 

2) Encourage the Marines to be loyal to Malleus and the Chapter as a whole, instead of just to their home provinces and their Companies. This helps prevent the Captains from usurping the Chapter Master's authority; or doing what the Elector-Counts did to each other in Warhammer Fantasy, and waging wars to increase their own province's size at the expense of another Elector-Count.

Also, the "State Troops" of the Empire could easily be represented on the tabletop as Astra Militarum regiments, with the more elite Knightly Orders being the Space Marines.

Good idea. The "count as Astra Militarum regiments" likely have Chapter serfs in leadership positions, to maximize the Chapter's control over the planet. (I doubt any Space Marine leader will be happy if he returns from a battle on a distant planet, to find some unaugmented human overthrew his authority over the Chapter planet.)

[Black_Cat_41]

The AM units (and by extension the Chapter) could have their own variants of the special Empire inventions:

Steam Tank: Special variant of the Repulsor (Leman Russ for the PDFs) with a turret mounted flamer and a hull mounted Demolisher cannon (or similar)

Helstorm Rocket Battery: Portable missile launcher (Tracked like a Thunderfire Cannon but shoots missiles) 
Helblaster Volley Gun: Larger Heavy Onslaught Gatling Cannon, again on the tracked mount

Luminark of Hysh: Basilisk style platform mounting a Heavy Laser Destroyer 

[Brother Cambrius]

This has been developing fantastically, sadly I am not very familiar with WHFB unlike many more here, but the growth into fitting this into the 40k 'Verse has been very impressive. :D

 

On the Helstorm and Helbaster front, these could be tracked variants of the Tarantula weapons platforms Marines have, that could can grab from Forgeworld?

 

Cambrius

[Black_Cat_41]

That could work rather well. 

[Bjorn Firewalker]

The AM units (and by extension the Chapter) could have their own variants of the special Empire inventions:

 

Steam Tank: Special variant of the Repulsor (Leman Russ for the PDFs) with a turret mounted flamer and a hull mounted Demolisher cannon (or similar)

As a rotating turret grants a HUGE advantage to tanks whose targeting systems have fire-on-the-move capabilities, it seems foolish to move a Leman Russ Demolisher's main gun from the turret to the hull. It would make sense to have the "steam tank" equivalent be a Space Marine Vindicator with a turret-mounted heavy flamer- we know normal humans (like Arbites members) can fit in Rhino-based vehicles.

Helstorm Rocket Battery: Portable missile launcher (Tracked like a Thunderfire Cannon but shoots missiles)

The Whirlwind artillery tank's incendiary castellan missile launcher, but with the number of missiles (and rate-of-fire) halved so it can fit in Space Marine drop pods and Stormravens? That may be worthwhile.

Helblaster Volley Gun: Larger Heavy Onslaught Gatling Cannon, again on the tracked mount

Better make the Helblaster fire autocannon shells instead. Not only is the autocannon muzzle closer in size to a Helblaster's, but the weapon is Strength 7 compared to the heavy onslaught's Strength 5. Edited January 7, 2020 by Bjorn Firewalker

[Black_Cat_41]

I was thinking HOG cannon because Primaris, but I can't see why between the Primaris and assistance from the Squats that an autocannon variant would be difficult to build.

Mini-Castellan launcher seems reasonable for the rocket battery.

The PDF variant could use a Vindicator, the Astartes, being Primaris, would likely modify the Impulsor with a Demolisher cannon + flamestorm cannon mounted in the turret.