The Ironhearts, an Ultima Founding Imperial Fists Successor

[Brother Captain Vakarian]

Thanks for the compliment! Clean and quick has been my goal with this project. I’m trying to speed up my usual painting speed and get models on the table.

[Brother Captain Vakarian]

After a long break for my wedding and honeymoon, I'm finally back with a few additions to the Ironhearts Second Company.  First, Brother-Adjutant Storn has gotten a bit of a glow-up as he's been on the Crusade.  I used one of the Indomitus set Bladeguard bodies, added the special bolter and the helmet with bionics from the Iron Hands upgrade sprue, and then the pointing left arm and some of the special shoulder pads from the regular Intercessors box to make a basic Primaris Lieutenant with auto bolt rifle, but one that fits with the Bladeguard aesthetic I'm enjoying diving into for the Second Company.  This was a fun kitbash and shows that you can get some real character out of the growing Primaris range, I think. 

 

 

[Brother Captain Vakarian]

And, to top off the Second Company's forces, Brother-Medicae Vidor Aximov also joins the crusade.  He will be rocking the Armor Indomitus and eventually be looking to grow to a Chief Apothecary so he can gain the Selfless Healer trait... it may be a looooong wait for him to reach those abilities, though. 

 

I debated for a while between using the traditional white armor for an apothecary and giving Brother Aximov red robes, but in the end decided to try and match him to the rest of the Second Company, with a little extra white (such as his right shoulder pad) to identify him as an Apothecary.  I'm glad I did, both for the amount of trouble it saved me in painting, and for the fact that he fits very well with the rest of the force. 

 

 

[Kurgan the Lurker]

Quick to paint up an army of these it looks like. Good job. :)

 

Are these going to be a rebuild of the original Chapter? There is some fairly old (2006), obscure lore on the original Iron Hearts Chapter:

 

Iron Hearts:

• Primarch Rubinek. Perhaps an honorific title for the Chapter Master? Let the Galaxy Burn, pg. 239, Hell in a Bottle.
• Instructor Sgt. (Scout Sgt. ?) Tydaeus. Story says Tydaeus’ body rejected the gene-seed so one has to question why has an instructor rank? Tydaeus becomes trapped in some type of training machine. Battling what he thinks to be phantom demons, Tydaeus opens a portal from the Warp to Reality on the training world, spilling forth a demon army.  Let the Galaxy Burn, Hell in a Bottle , pg. 242.
• Chapel of Martyrs, Service of Absolution. Let the Galaxy Burn, Hell in a Bottle , pg. 243.
• Initiate Caius (deceased). Let the Galaxy Burn, Hell in a Bottle , pg. 246
• Brother Christus (possible Captain) leading a company on search and destroy missions. Let the Galaxy Burn, Hell in a Bottle , pg. 246

[Brother Captain Vakarian]

Thanks, Kurgan!! Both for the compliment and for the info.  Quick and clean was my goal for this project because I’m horribly slow as a painter. 
 

But, I had no idea there was an actual Iron Hearts chapter.  I’m going to have to do some research and see if it makes sense to do this as a rebuild of the old chapter, call it the classic Administratum foul-up, or think of a new chapter name.  I’m leaning toward rebuild, if it makes sense with the background, but we shall see. 
 

I’m a bit surprised I missed this as 2006 was about the last time I was active with 40K, although I was mainly focused on WHFB at the time and just collecting some Blood Angels as a side project. 

[Kurgan the Lurker]

Part of the Ultima Founding was the re-founding of dead or dying Chapters. Nothing specifically in the short story about the Chapter dying mind you, but perhaps that were still in a weakened condition after the daemon incursion and the Ultima Founding beefed them back up to Chapter strength. 

[Brother Captain Vakarian]

Kurgan, I’ve been looking for a way to incorporate some veteran firstborn units in my army… (I’ve wanted to try and make some true-scale veteran units using primaris bodies). I think this might be just the perfect opportunity. Definitely digging into this.  Thank you! 

[Brother Captain Vakarian]

After a long absence, the Iron Hearts have been reinvigorated for Tenth Edition! And I've developed a fulsome backstory for them, based on the very helpful inputs from @Kurgan the Lurker. Without further ado, here is the Iron Hearts' backstory:

 

Iron Hearts Chapter: Background and Organization 

 

Edited: I've hidden the original fluff in a spoiler tag, both to save room in the thread and because I've made some big revisions that are linked below.

 

Spoiler

Background

 

(Re)Founding date: 001.M42

 

Motto: Corde Fideli - Ferrum Aeternum (High Gothic); Faithful Hearts - Iron Eternal (Low Gothic) 

 

Chapter Colors: Royal Blue and Gold 

 

Chapter Symbol: White Crux Botany on Royal Blue field 

 

Formation 

 

The Iron Hearts Chapter is an Ultima Founding chapter of the Imperial Fists gene-line. The chapter was established at the outset of the Indomitus Crusade, based on the incorrect assumption that its namesake chapter, the Iron Hearts, had been wiped out in the Mimesis Incident. 

 

The Iron Hearts are largely composed of recruits from Inwit and Necromunda who were enrolled toward the end of the Horus Heresy and kept in stasis as part of the Primaris project. These recruits were trained exclusively together throughout the project. Based on their repeated success as teams in training and the cohesive culture they began to develop, they were formed into an Ultima Founding chapter rather than being committed to the Unnumbered Sons. Given the original Iron Hearts’ close connection with the Adeptus Mechanicus, and their reputation for stoic tenacity in battle, the Primaris project cadre thought the continuation of the lost chapter’s name in the formation of this new chapter to be appropriate. 

 

The Iron Hearts were established with the oversight of a corps of Black Templars cadre composed of the household of Marshal Heinrich Davost. Having fought in defense of Terra prior to the beginning of the Indomitus Crusade, Davost and his household were selected to lead, train, and develop the newly formed Iron Hearts. Lord Guilliman attached Davost’s Sword Brethren and their new charges to Fleet Septimus and ultimately assigned them to Battle Group Novaris. Even the Iron Hearts still do not know why they were assigned to Silent Septimus, the most secretive of the Indomitus Crusade’s fleets. If Chapter Master Davost knows, he has not volunteered that information. After the Chapter’s reunion with the remnants of its namesake, many have come to speculate that their assignment relates to the Mimesis Disaster and the Chapter’s close ties to the Adeptus Mechanicus. 

 

Of course, the Chapter’s placement in such a tightly classified formation was not regularly disclosed. Instead, the Chapter’s strike forces were regularly assigned to Battle Groups of other fleets on a temporary basis, under the pretense they were reinforcements from the same fleet. 

 

At the beginning of the Indomitus Crusade, Davost’s household served as the officers of each Iron Hearts company, and a select group of Sword Brethren continued to serve in the First Company veterans’ role. Eventually, over the course of Fleet Septimus’s travels, multiple Iron Hearts commended themselves on the fields of battle and achieved promotion to veteran and officer status. Brother-Captain Cyrus Vakarian, currently the commander of the Second Company, has perhaps stood even above his peers in his displays of tactical and strategic acumen, as well as battlefield prowess. As a Sergeant, he led a small group of Iron Hearts through an extended ground campaign against Necron forces on the death world of Buliea early in the Crusade, salvaging victory from an initial ambush that saw Brother-Captain Ryker Ulbrecht killed. Captain Vakarian bore Ulbrecht’s relic power sword, Purgator Malus, and used the blade to destroy several plinths the Necrons had been attempting to install. Chapter Master Davost promoted Vakarian and the survivors to veterancy status, with now-Veteran Sergeant Vakarian leading a veteran kill team during the course of the crusade. Eventually, Veteran Sergeant Vakarian was promoted to Lieutenant (“Brother-Adjutant,” to the Iron Hearts) and finally to command of the Second Company. After his promotion to Veteran Sergeant, he was also granted the right to continue to carry Purgator Malus as his own blade and, now, a relic of the Iron Hearts chapter. Of the band of Astartes who survived the Buliean campaign alongside Vakarian, most now serve in his company command squad or as veteran sergeants in the Second Company. 

 

Captain Vakarian’s forces were subsequently attached to Battle Group Tarsus of Fleet Primus to participate in the Crusade’s efforts to liberate the Charadon Sector, although his strike force did not join the main body of the Battle Group. Rather, they fought much closer to Metalica, ultimately attempting to salvage some form of Imperial honor from the loss of Metalica’s homeworld itself. What the Iron Hearts were meant to obtain or protect on Metalica is not known outside the Chapter’s inner circle. Given their ties to the Martian Magi, however, their presence in the Charadon Sector was likely not purely to assist the Metalicans. 

 

Unknown to the Adeptus Ministorum (but presumably known to the Mechanicus) at the time of the Chapter’s refounding, the original Iron Hearts chapter had not been completely wiped out. Captain Julius Christus and a crusade force composed largely of his Third Company survived the demonic invasion that resulted from the failure of the Mimesis Engine. 

 

The Iron Hearts fortuitously met Captain Christus and his company when Captain Vakarian’s strike force sailed to the Eye of Terror in support of Fleet Secundus. This caused some level of concern among the current chapter’s leadership. Chapter Master Davost, especially, raised concerns of the potential taint of heresy due to the original Iron Hearts’ involvement with the Mimesis Engine. The chapter leadership—now consisting of both Black Templar cadre and promoted Primaris officers—debated the issue in secrecy. Captain Christus’s detailed explanations of the Memesis Engine’s use as a training tool helped allay Davost’s concerns, as did his explanations of Adeptus Mechanicus involvement in the project. Eventually, with the agreement of his senior officers, Chapter Master Davost welcomed Captain Christus and his men into the reformed Iron Hearts chapter as the commander of the First Company and a new cohort of First Company veterans. The details of the Mimesis Incident, although not explicitly secret, are generally kept within the confines of the Steel Sworn, the Iron Hearts’ inner circle of veterans.

 

The Iron Hearts did not maintain a traditional First Company at the outset of the Indomitus Crusade. Because of their recent Ultima Founding status, they had no internal veterans at the time. Rather, Black Templars cadre fulfilled the veterans’ role in the Chapter initially. As the Chapter proceeded throughout the crusade, rather than form a traditional first company, those units with exceptional combat experience tended to remain with their companies and act as company veterans. Still, all veterans were inducted as “Steel Sworn” by the Black Templars to form the Chapter’s future leadership core. This fortuitously allowed Captain Christus’s forces to form a traditional First Company of true veterans without disturbing the Chapter’s overall structure, command, and organization. 

 

Many of Christus’s veterans chose to cross the Rubicon Primaris, although they retained their traditional methods of warfare. Also of great benefit to the Chapter, Captain Christus’s forces brought with them thirty suits of Terminator armor, many of which were functional, if in dire need of repair. While the majority of these precious relics remain in use by the newly formed First Company, some have been repaired and gifted to particularly capable officers and company veterans in the line companies. 

 

Later in the Indomitus Crusade, the Iron Hearts were detached from Fleet Septimus to secure the feudal agriworld of Ilium as their new chapter homeworld. Elements of the Iron Hearts regularly deploy in crusade fleets. Some, primarily Brother-Captain Vakarian’s Second Company and Brother-Captain Seidrand’s Fifth Company, remain detailed to other Indomitus Crusade fleets. Ultimately, however, the Chapter remains responsive to the requests and decrees of Fleet Septimus above any other master. 

 

Notably, the Chapter’s relief of Ilium did not go without notice among the Steel Sworn. Captain Christus, upon learning of the Chapter’s ultimate destination, informed the inner circle that “Ilium” had been a primary training world the original Iron Hearts had accessed through the Memesis Engine. While the full details of the Memesis Incident remain obscured even to Christus, the Chapter has been able to learn that the training world of Ilium was being accessed when the Chapter’s stronghold was overrun and destroyed by Khornate demons. Curiously, the true world of Ilium–close to the borders of the Eye of Terror–was overrun by Khornate and Nurgle demons when the Iron Hearts began their campaign of liberation. What exact connection their new homeworld has to the Memesis Incident, the Chapter’s inner circle remains unable to determine.  

 

The Iron Hearts have developed many unique traditions over the course of their formation and early years on crusade. Unsurprisingly, they adopted many from the Black Templars. It is not uncommon for Iron Hearts to revere the Emperor as a god. The chapter also exhibits much of the stubborn and aggressive nature of the Black Templars, although they do not lack for ability to defend a fortified position, in true Imperial Fist fashion. The Iron Hearts employ the position of a Chapter Marshal, a temporary position given to a company captain or unattached captain who takes overall command of a crusade force. They also refer to their Lieutenants as “Adjutants” or Brother-Adjutant. 

 

Iron Hearts veterans are inducted into the Steel Sworn, an inner circle of sorts that directs the Chapter’s overall orthodoxy, training methods, and promotion decisions. All veterans are members of the Steel Sworn, regardless of whether they are members of the First Company or are company veterans. Only members of the Steel Sworn may wear iron trim on their pauldrons, although company veterans tend to continue to wear their company trim. The battle companies wear variations of metal trims. The reserve companies wear no trim, their members having not yet earned full status to the brotherhood of a battle company. 

 

Organization 

 

Chapter Command: 

 

- Chapter Master: Heinrich Davost 

- Chapter Marshal: vacant 

- Master of Sanctity: _____

- Chief Librarian: _____

- Chief Apothecary: _____

- Master of the Forge: _____

- Honor Guard: Davost’s Household Sword Brethren 

- Color: Iron/Steel or original Black Templars colors 

 

First Company: 

 

- Veteran company 

- Color: Iron/Steel 

- Captain: Julius Christus 

- Composed of veterans of the original Iron Hearts Chapter, Black Templar cadre from the Indomitus Crusade, and newly promoted Primaris Iron Hearts veterans 

 

Second Company: 

- Battleline company 

- Color: Gold 

- Captain: Cyrus Vakarian 

 

(Remaining Company organization is largely codex-compliant, but to be determined.)

 

Edited March 21 by Brother Captain Vakarian
Formatting

[Brother Captain Vakarian]

And, of course, forgive the double-post, but I would be remiss if I didn't include some painting updates as well. The Iron Hearts have finished out Ninth Edition by adding Chaplain Jacheas Kolm, Ancient Toreus Halsor, and Aggressor Squad Castorus to the roster.

 

Squad Castorus:

 

 

Ancient Halsor:

 

 

Chaplain Kolm:

 

 

 

 

[Brother Captain Vakarian]

After what seems like a long absence from the Iron Hearts, I'm back! First, with a fluff update, for anyone who's interested, which I'm now tracking on a blog here:

 

 

 

But I've also been painting and once I can get the photo setup back out, I'll post some progress on the members of the Iron Hearts and Strike Force Accipitus! They've been busy cleansing the hive world of Tabor in the Agripinaa Sector of Tyranids following the start of the Fourth Tyrannic War.

 

[Brother Captain Vakarian]

And here’s the first of those painting updates. I’ve mainly been adding new units from Leviathan and the tenth edition kits to Strike Force Accipitus. 
 

Here‘s Squad Draconus, Squad 9 of the Second Company, an Infernus squad led by Brother-Sergeant Arnult Haagen. 
 

 

[Evil Eye]

That's a really nice scheme, executed fantastically! The blue reminds me a little of the Crimson Fists. Also that banner is phenomenal.

[Brother Captain Vakarian]

Thank you, @Evil Eye! The banner is hands down my favorite part of the project so far. I love when I can combine both a good conversion and a fun painting project and the Bladeguard Ancient really did that. Also, you are spot on re: the blue, I worked off of Crimson Fists blue schemes but used gold and white instead of red and silver for their main complementary colors. Felt appropriate for an Imperial Fists successor. 
 

Also, here’s another update as I work through taking pictures of my completions (still need to break out the actual photobooth setup but this will do for now).

 

Here is Sternguard Squad Cervus, lead by Veteran Brother-Sergeant Iago Markov. They’re rocking their Sternguard bolt rifles and a heavy bolter, and Veteran Sergeant Markov has a power fist displaying his Terminator Honors. They’re regularly showing their younger brothers how it’s done, having killed several Screamer-Killer Carnifexes and some other big bugs on crusade. 
 

 

 

 

 

Squad Cervus is also joined by Brother-Codicier Lothair Dassian, one of the Iron Hearts’ Librarians. He and his elite bodyguard are quite the force to be reckoned with hunting down Nids. 
 

 

 

Edited April 28 by Brother Captain Vakarian

[Brother Captain Vakarian]

Another update for the Iron Hearts: here is Squad Falcus, a squad of Assault Intercessors with jump packs, led by Brother-Sergeant Magnus Gervaht. As relatively new members of Strike Force Accipitus, they haven’t had much battle experience yet, but they acquitted themselves well in their first battle, taking down some infiltrating Tyranids and securing several objectives. 
 

[Brother Captain Vakarian]

Yet another update! I’m getting close to done with detailing the Iron Hearts’ latest additions, but there’s still a bit more to come. 
 

This is Terminator Squad Lupus, led by Veteran Brother-Sergeanr Diedrich Bremen. They have a standard terminator squad load out of an assault cannon and a power sword for the veteran sergeant. They will be joining Strike Force Accipitus for the final battle of their current Crusade campaign eradicating some Tyranids in the Agripinaa Sector. 
 

 

For my painting project, they are also joined by a Librarian in Terminator armor, who is not yet named and not likely to be slotting into the Crusade roster, although he was a very fun model to work on. 
 

 

 

 

I’ll give our intrepid Terminator Librarian a name and backstory at some point, but for now, he’s waiting for a future campaign to tackle the Imperium’s many enemies.

 

Edited May 2 by Brother Captain Vakarian
Fixed images.

[Brother Captain Vakarian]

And now that I have some time, here’s my final update on the Iron Hearts for a while. With these additions, I’ve reached a fully painted 2,000 point list, something I haven’t had since my old high-school era Empire army for Fantasy. I gotta say, getting to this point with the Iron Hearts feels good! 
 

To round out Strike Force Accipitus, I’ve added a Brutalis and a Ballistus dread. First, Brother-Ancient Niedrich Bayard, “Rhinocerus,” a Brutalis Dreadnought. He’s gone one-on-one with a Norn Emissary and is still kicking (although it took some help to put the Norn down).
 

 

 
 

 

Next, we have Brother-Ancient Cassius Ulrech, “Mastodon,” in a Ballistus Dreadnought. He’s been on the roster a bit longer and accounted for several big bugs at range. 
 

 

 

 

The Iron Hearts have one game left in their campaign against the Tyranids, which they’ve been (slowly) progressing since the start of the Fourth Tyrannical War (10th edition). When this campaign wraps up, I’ll probably move on to another project for a while, although I have to say painting the new Marine models has been the most fun I’ve had hobbying in a long time.