The Iron Tenth - an Iron Hands successor Chapter

[Gamiel]

THE IRON TENTH
The Iron Tenth is a Third Founding chapter created from Iron Hands stock, whose original high command was all ancient veterans from before the fall of the Emperor with three of them (including the Chapter-Master Xenofon DuPree) being part of the Legion from even before the finding of Ferrus Manus. Realising that the newly Chapter needed to differ themselves from their predecessor and make its own identity DuPree decided to forsake the Clan-Company structure of the Iron Hands and instead embrace the organization of the Codex Astartes, it was also decided that the newly created Chapter should take up some of the traditions of the Tenth Legion that had been laid by the side during Manus leadership. Gifted the Feral World of Megaera Secundus as a home and recruitment world the newly christened Iron Tenth Chapter begun to carve its own path.

Eight millennial later and the Iron Tenth have truly carved their own path, even if their gene-ancestry is obvious for all to see with their tendency to quickly replace flesh for cybernetics and distain for weakness. Compared to their precursor so are they less remorseless in their interaction their allies and more mindful of their cost, even if they are just as harsh in punishment as the Iron Hands if their allies show themselves not doing their duties, including following orders.


Colours
Their Chapter symbol diagonally divided from upper left to lower right, with the right side blue and the left side white, with an iron symbol in white on the blue side and an Attic 10 (a triangle) in black on the white side.

The upper torso armour, shoulder pads, arms and left gauntlet of their armour are black, the rest of their armour is dark iron-grey, beside Company markings. They follow the codex standard with their Company, rank and role markings, with the Company colours being shown on the left knee and on the pauldron trim. The unique role of Presveftis (see ‘Organization and tactics’) is marked by a blue helmets and a blue, vertical line on their backpack.


Organization and tactics
The Iron Tenth is a Codex chapter in organization and overall tactics, even if they have a larger motor pool than most other Chapter and the high amount of techmarines needed to service it.

While fully trained in all the ways of war that you can find in the Codex are their most favoured tactic is ‘the Hammer and the Storm’ that their precursor Legion developed during the Great Crusade. The tactic involves forcefully taking an area in enemy territory, and then go into defensive position around the area so the enemy has to come to them and when a large enough enemy force have gathered to retake the area the rest of the Chapter present swop in from the side or the sky with fast attacks and heavy artillery – more than ones have heavy artillery been placed in the defended area, called an ‘iron triangle’ by the Chapter, but not used in the defence until the enemy are in high enough numbers. The Iron Tenth have used this tactic both with their own forces as the bait but also other Imperial forces have had the honour to be trusted with this role. Mostly Astra Militarum Regiments, but only members from Regiments known for the iron discipline needed for it. It’s possible that this use of allied forces and the need to interact with them in ways that the sons of Manus find hard that has made the Chapter create the non-codex role of Presveftis: a battle-brother who is trained in interacting and understanding humans not gifted with the Emperor’s gene-seed, and whose implants are of a less obvious, or at least more pleasing, appearance.

The Chapter have been noted to have a focus with the number ten. They often do things in groups of ten, and seldom send squads with less than ten battle-brothers on missions if they can.


Enemies and allies
There is a light mistrust against the Chapter from the Mechanicus, which seem strange since the Iron Tenth is just as mechanized and following in the orthodoxies of the Mechanicum as their fellow sons of Manus. It is believed that this distrust comes from that the Chapter has many times worked together with the Ordo Machinum of the Inquisition in rooting out and fighting heretical behaviour in the Mechanicus and Magi that greedy keep useful designs and technology for themselves instead of giving it to the rest of the Imperium. They have even helped apprehend a fabricator-general. While this distrust from Mars would make many Chapters lose the inflow of technology and wargear from the Forge Worlds that supply them as a thinly veiled punishment so have this not happened to the Iron Tenth, likely because the Chapter is nearly self-sufficient when it comes to manufacturing Astarte pattern wargear and standard STC:s. It’s also possible that something more heretical is happening with the nearby Mechanicus stations (most notable the station that hangs in the upper layers of the gas giant Megaera Quartus mining and refining the planets gases) being more loyal to the Chapter than to Mars. This distrust from the Mechanicus may be the reason why the Chapter seemingly have problem repairing their now ramshackle fleet.
* They have a history of working well with Imperial Forces that share their iron discipline – like the Mordian Iron Guard, the Death Korps of Krieg, the Teutons Regiment, and the Crimson Guard Venatorii of Lathe.
* Will not work with the Storm Wardens Chapter since the Tenth have found the Wardens willfulness and unwillingness to stay put when a challenge appeared made them unable to work together.
* They have a seemingly a preference to not work with Chapters that don’t have ten Companies - like the Space Wolves, Sons of Medusa, Salamanders, and Iron Snakes – if possible. But this idiosyncrasy don’t seems to prevent them from actually work with those Chapter if needed.

 

 

originally posted here: Gaming - In a grim dark far future there is only war - A thread for Warhammer 40k | Page 9 | Jedi Council Forums (theforce.net)

Edited December 13, 2020 by Gamiel

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Nitpick:

It is believed that this distrust comes from that the Chapter has many times worked together with the Ordo Machinum of the Inquisition in rooting out and fighting heretical behaviour in the Mechanicus and Magoses that greedy keep useful designs and technology for themselves instead of giving it to the rest of the Imperium.

The plural of "Magos" is "Magi".

[Gamiel]

Nitpick:

It is believed that this distrust comes from that the Chapter has many times worked together with the Ordo Machinum of the Inquisition in rooting out and fighting heretical behaviour in the Mechanicus and Magoses that greedy keep useful designs and technology for themselves instead of giving it to the rest of the Imperium.

The plural of "Magos" is "Magi".

 

Fixed. Any other thoughts about the Iron Tenth?

[Bjorn Firewalker]

The following may need revision, to provide context:

There is a light mistrust against the Chapter from the Mechanicus, which seem strange since the Iron Tenth is just as mechanized and following in the orthodoxies of the Mechanicum as their fellow sons of Manus. It is believed that this distrust comes from that the Chapter has many times worked together with the Ordo Machinum of the Inquisition in rooting out and fighting heretical behaviour in the Mechanicus and Magi that greedy keep useful designs and technology for themselves instead of giving it to the rest of the Imperium. They have even helped apprehend a fabricator-general. While this distrust from Mars would make many Chapters lose the inflow of technology and wargear from the Forge Worlds that supply them as a thinly veiled punishment so have this not happened to the Iron Tenth, likely because the Chapter is nearly self-sufficient when it comes to manufacturing Astarte pattern wargear and standard STC:s.

As is the case with the Astra Militarum and Imperial Navy, the AdMech's sheer size will mean it's impossible to count the entire organization as an enemy or an ally. The most likely result of the Chapter working with the Ordo Machinum, will be the AdMech's conservative factions viewing it as "trusted allies and faithful brethren, sharing our devotion to the Machine God," and providing it with full support, while the AdMech's radical elements- those prone to experimentation and reverse-engineering- viewing it with distrust. This may be expressed as the Chapter's Terminators using Reaper autocannons (which they can acquire with ease, along with ammunition) in place of "newfangled" assault cannons (which they have EXTREME difficulty acquiring, along with the weapon's unique ammunition); ease in acquiring and maintaining Mark III artificer armor, while having EXTREME difficulty doing the same with "newfangled" Mark VIII power armor.

This distrust from the Mechanicus may be the reason why the Chapter seemingly have problem repairing their now ramshackle fleet.

As I proposed, the Chapter's close relations with the AdMech's conservative factions should make it easy to acquire and maintain ships of conservative (Great Crusade-era) designs, while having EXTREME difficulty doing the same with "newfangled" designs. In short, the fleet's older ships will be in perfect condition, as they're a welcome sight at shipyards whose Magi are of the conservative factions; the newer ships will be ramshackle, as the radical Magi (those capable of maintaining and repairing them) hate the Chapter for opposing their ideals, while the conservative Magi hate "newfangled" designs (and are unfamiliar, and thus, unable to maintain and repair ships of new designs).

 

What will happen when Cawl reappears to introduce Primaris Marines, bolt rifles, Redemptor Dreadnoughts, and Repulsors? I'll let you decide.

Edited December 14, 2020 by Bjorn Firewalker

[Bjorn Firewalker]

I think I should note a conservative Tech-priest will NOT use the term "newfangled," but "unproven." As for the fact those designs are millennia old by M41...

 

Iron Tenth Terminator (glaring at a Sons of Medusa Terminator's assault cannon): "You think a few millennia chasing the shadows of the dregs of the Traitor Legions, is in any way comparable to facing the Traitor Primarchs in the fiercest battles of the Heresy? No, the assault cannon remains an unproven design. I will continue to wield a Reaper autocannon, which has proven its worth against all enemies of mankind."

[Grey Hunter Ydalir]

I think Bjorn has some good thoughts here, and I tend to agree.

 

I'd perhaps spell out where the chapter has forged some tenuous alliances with individual, perhaps minor forge-worlds or even individual manufactorums on non-ad-mech worlds.

 

This would reinforce even more the fact that they will use what is available, and what is available might not be what they truly want or need. Like having to roll with 'demolition' infantry to break fortifications instead of using Vindicators because they simply don't have enough, or any, to be deployed for example. Or being forced to rely on Imperial Navy or Imperial Guard air power to deploy what jump-pack infantry they have, as all their Thunderhawks they can field are busy deploying less-mobile divisions.

 

Perhaps they deploy in drop-pod assaults more than necessary or needed simply because Drop Pods are relatively easy to use, produce, repair and replace.

 

This could easily also be explained by them spurning some of the Mechanicus most proud works for the Astartes, like the Assault Cannon, and even more so for Cawl's work, which would win them no favours with a Cawl-positive crowd following Guilliman and Indomitus era events and Primaris introductions.

 

As a quick aside, wasn't the Assault Cannon used on Contemptor dreadnoughts during the Great Crusade? How is it not a proven design by their own metrics?

Edited December 19, 2020 by Grey Hunter Ydalir

[Bjorn Firewalker]

As a quick aside, wasn't the Assault Cannon used on Contemptor dreadnoughts during the Great Crusade? How is it not a proven design by their own metrics?

IIRC, the Contemptor's assault cannon has different stats, meaning despite the similar appearance, it may be as different from the M40 assault cannon as the laser destroyer array is from the quad lascannon.

[Gamiel]

The following may need revision, to provide context:

There is a light mistrust against the Chapter from the Mechanicus, which seem strange since the Iron Tenth is just as mechanized and following in the orthodoxies of the Mechanicum as their fellow sons of Manus. It is believed that this distrust comes from that the Chapter has many times worked together with the Ordo Machinum of the Inquisition in rooting out and fighting heretical behaviour in the Mechanicus and Magi that greedy keep useful designs and technology for themselves instead of giving it to the rest of the Imperium. They have even helped apprehend a fabricator-general. While this distrust from Mars would make many Chapters lose the inflow of technology and wargear from the Forge Worlds that supply them as a thinly veiled punishment so have this not happened to the Iron Tenth, likely because the Chapter is nearly self-sufficient when it comes to manufacturing Astarte pattern wargear and standard STC:s.

As is the case with the Astra Militarum and Imperial Navy, the AdMech's sheer size will mean it's impossible to count the entire organization as an enemy or an ally. The most likely result of the Chapter working with the Ordo Machinum, will be the AdMech's conservative factions viewing it as "trusted allies and faithful brethren, sharing our devotion to the Machine God," and providing it with full support, while the AdMech's radical elements- those prone to experimentation and reverse-engineering- viewing it with distrust. This may be expressed as the Chapter's Terminators using Reaper autocannons (which they can acquire with ease, along with ammunition) in place of "newfangled" assault cannons (which they have EXTREME difficulty acquiring, along with the weapon's unique ammunition); ease in acquiring and maintaining Mark III artificer armor, while having EXTREME difficulty doing the same with "newfangled" Mark VIII power armor.

I would actually say that you could have the AdMech as a group being distrustful of you, if you have spent a millennia or five (we have not established how long they have worked together or when the Ordo Machinum was created) or more working with the Ordo Machinum and kicking in doors of tech-priests all over the Imperium. There is also that my impression of the Ordo Machinum is that they are not allies of the AdMech's conservative factions, what they do is investigating things that most (all?) of the AdMech think is internal business that non-AdMechs should not have anything to do with; and most AdMech head honchos see no problem with their members hoarding knowledge and technology that could be of use for the greater Imperium, and they don’t like that some outsider Inquisitor telling them that that kind of things are wrong and that the =][= have the right to punish those that they found doing so.

 

And based on that the Iron Hands and other sons of Manus are not described as being notably allied to the conservative faction of the AdMech* do it not feel like the Iron Tenth are that.

* Can have missed some Chapter that actully have this in their description

 

 

 

 

As a quick aside, wasn't the Assault Cannon used on Contemptor dreadnoughts during the Great Crusade? How is it not a proven design by their own metrics?

IIRC, the Contemptor's assault cannon has different stats, meaning despite the similar appearance, it may be as different from the M40 assault cannon as the laser destroyer array is from the quad lascannon.

 

Could be a question of different STC:s or that it took to M35+ until some tech-priest thought the heretical though of "hej, maybe this weapon could be used as a assault cannon also instead of just a dreadnoughts only weapon?" making the assault cannon version something that’s unproven by mechanicus standards.

 

 

 

Realised that I had not written that Megaera is by now an Mining/Manufactury World instead of a Feral one, will ad that in later. Have to go now

Edited December 19, 2020 by Gamiel

[Bjorn Firewalker]

The Ordo Machinum undoubtedly recruits Tech-priests, and counts them among its Inquisitors- how else will the Ordo understand WHAT they should investigate? The Chapter can ally with whatever faction those Tech-priest-Inquisitors are members of- the radical faction, feeling all knowledge should be freely available to all mankind?

 

Serving the AdMech's radical faction has consequences beyond frequent use of "newfangled" arms and armor, and rare use of conservative designs (which the Techmarines won't be able to maintain or repair). Maybe the Librarians use necromancy- even summoning a "Tutelary" for knowledge of the psychic arts- pushing the Chapter close to becoming renegades?

Edited December 19, 2020 by Bjorn Firewalker

[Grey Hunter Ydalir]

 

As a quick aside, wasn't the Assault Cannon used on Contemptor dreadnoughts during the Great Crusade? How is it not a proven design by their own metrics?

IIRC, the Contemptor's assault cannon has different stats, meaning despite the similar appearance, it may be as different from the M40 assault cannon as the laser destroyer array is from the quad lascannon.

 

 

 

I'd say it's more of an issue of scale than mechanics. There's only so many ways a rotary cannon can operate after all, with the largest difference coming from the differing mechanics of barrel rotation, from hand-cranked to modern electric motors, though there have been some gas-operated designs have been created, so far as I'm aware the electric motor-driven system is prevalent.

 

I don't think the Assault Cannon utilized by Astartes on foot is the difference between a Minigun and Rotary Cannon that we see today between (barely) foot or ground vehicle mounted weaponry, and the larger variants mounted on ships and aircraft.

 

Given the stability and relative mobility of the Terminator suit, and the size, it'd be a downsized cannon and have similar operating principles.

 

But that's just me, personally.