Random Chapter Inspiration Thread

[Minigiant]

I'm certain I'm not alone in experiencing those electrifying bursts of inspiration for a Space Marine chapter, cherished and treasured even if they never see the light of day. I've been fortunate enough to share some of my ideas and concepts as separate threads within this forum. However, I believe it would be truly beneficial if we had a designated space, a sanctuary where we could freely exchange ideas and foster a collective wellspring of inspiration for aspiring Index Astartes writers. So, without hesitation, I shall take the initiative and offer my own concept as a starting point.

Edited July 7, 2023 by Minigiant

[Minigiant]

• Werewolf Blood Angels

   

• Dia de Los Muertos

   

• Labyrinth Homeworld

   

• Mesoamericans

   

• Corrida de toros (Spanish bullfighting)

Edited November 14, 2021 by Minigiant

[Gamiel]

I don't know if I'm doing right but here are some concepts I don't think I will ever do:

 

* Space Wolves successors that are based on Rom, nodding to the legend of the city founder being rered by a she-wolf

 

List of possible Blood Angel successor concepts based on the BA's different themes:

+ Go full in with the angel theme and base them on a kind of angel from mythology. Or base them on the angels in a pop-cultrual work, if you have the In Nomine RPG could you base the chapter on one of the angel types from that, or one of the arch-angels. Or you could go a bit sideway and use the "angels" from Neon Genesis Evangelion (or just one of them) as inspiration.

+ Or maybe a chapter that see itself as fallen from grace (because of mutations, acts they have done, or such) and style themself after demons, Dante's Inferno, or similar - they possibly see the Black Rage as a blessing since it shows that Sanguinius have not abounded them.

+ you cold go with the vampire theme but focus on non-european vampires, like the adze*, vetala, jiangshi, manananggal, penanggalan,etc.

* suggest arming them with adzes, or at least have it that they use them as symbols of command/hoour

+ focus on the BA old cognomen "The Eaters of the Dead" and use a ghoul, or wendigo theme

+ There is also their Italian renascence theme which could be mined for lots of ideas:

- maybe a chapter that are somewhat of mercenaries lead by a Condottiero;

- something da Vinci inspired, allied to an unorthodox forge world and using Pteraxii wings on their jump-packs;

- a Venice the merchant city state theme, they could be allied to one or more Rogue Trader houses, the Imperial Merchant Fleet, or the main trade house/s of a sector

+ Or move the Italian thing backward or forward:

- what about a Roman theme;

- fascist Italy;

- Italian mafia (Vampire the Masquerade’s Clan Giovanni could be an inspiration).

* "Ordre du Sang Bleu": a aristocratic and arrogant Chapter that only recruit from noble born, based on the idea of "blue blood".

Edited November 14, 2021 by Gamiel

[Evil Eye]

I've had a few ideas for Chapters I will likely do nothing with, as I have no real desire to collect Space Marines. Might build and paint a few individuals for INQ28 or something but anyway.

 

>A nautical (to be exact, Royal Navy inspired) Chapter descended from the Imperial Fists- predominantly dull blue-grey with burgundy trim and the left arm bare metal. Fleet-based, putting the "Marine" in "Space Marine", and basically a bunch of superhuman space sailors. So rough and ready, foul-mouthed and superstitious but also immensely tough in mind, body and soul, and excellent at close quarter fighting. Potential name I had was "The Warborn" but we'll see.

>Another British service inspired Chapter, the Argent Angels, with a colour scheme inspired by the interwar colours of 43 Squadron- so predominantly silver, but with black-and-white checker patterns for the shoulders and red or blue trim. Obviously has a heavy emphasis on air power and jump infantry.

>A vaguely Western Asian or Middle Eastern inspired Chapter would be interesting. Plenty of cool cultures to lift ideas from (the Dervish for instance spring to mind).

[Bjorn Firewalker]

I have ideas for crossover fanfics in which several Primarchs landed on worlds from other popular franchises, leading to their Space Marine Legions being based on the same, e.g.,

 

Primarch Conan of Cimmeria, and the Black Dragons Legion (named after the royal guard serving the throne of Aquilonia, which Conan seized).

 

Primarch Richard Riddick, and the Dark Furies Legion.

 

Primarch Gute Jaeger, and the Imperial Huntsmen Legion.

 

Primarch Aldo Raine, and the Imperial Buzzards Legion (the name is a compromise, as the Emperor outright rejected the name "Imperial Bastards").

 

Primarch Max Rockatansky- nicknamed "Mad Max" for the ferocity with which he runs down the Imperium's enemies- and the Stellar Road Warriors Legion.

 

Optimus Primarch- whom the AdMech worships as the Ayatomnissiah (Ayatollah+ Omnissiah), and whom the Aeldari dread as a demi-Yngir and the servant of the Emperor of Destruction- and the Maximarines (Maximals+ Marines) Legion.

 

Primarch Hellboy, and the Scholar-Sentinels Legion.

 

Primarch Bosco Baracus, and the Liberators Legion (the name is another compromise, as "Alpha Legion" was considered inauspicious).

 

Primarch John Doe- nicknamed "Naked Snake" for his skill as a Scout- and the Foxhound Legion.

[Gamiel]

Primarch Hellboy, and the Scholar-Sentinels Legion.

Remind me of an Chapter concept I made up and don't think I will develop:

 

Hands of Doom

IF successor

Hellboy-ish

Usually send out just one marine to a conflict or threat

Many of them have been seconded to Inquisitors

Their battle-brothers have a history of receiving wounds or punishment that should slay even a marine and surviving.

Many of them are trained in investigation

Have collected a large library of information regarding many different things, not all of them are schoolars but those that are keep recordes of what they have faced and what they hear about.

Have a large tolerance (heretically large according to some) toward mutants, abhumans and even sanctioned xenos, and have come to at least verbal blows with commanders that use them wastefully or just kill them of because of what they are.Many of them have mutants, abhumans, and such among their personal serfs.

When only one battle-brother is sent on a mission he is usually followed by a entorage of his personal serfs and specilist-serfs who have skills and/or talants that are belived to likley be helpful for the mission.

 

No ide for colour beside that at least the right hand and gauntlet should be red.

[XeonDragon]

I think a BA successor with bat wings instead of angel wings would be groovy, maybe with some heretical name like 'Angels of Shadow' or 'Vespertilio Angelorum'. 

[Minigiant]

I think a BA successor with bat wings instead of angel wings would be groovy, maybe with some heretical name like 'Angels of Shadow' or 'Vespertilio Angelorum'.

Leaning more on the Vampire side, that would be cool

[Gamiel]

I think a BA successor with bat wings instead of angel wings would be groovy, maybe with some heretical name like 'Angels of Shadow' or 'Vespertilio Angelorum'. 

Do you mean batwings as in mutations or that their arifcer jumppacks/such have batwings instead of angel ones.

 

 

 

I think a BA successor with bat wings instead of angel wings would be groovy, maybe with some heretical name like 'Angels of Shadow' or 'Vespertilio Angelorum'.

Leaning more on the Vampire side, 

Or nodding toward the devilish

Edited November 18, 2021 by Gamiel

[Inquisitor_Lensoven]

I was just thinking of an ultima founding chapter

 

Vanguard Quakers or something like that.

 

They’re sons of dorn

They have a specialization in advanced elements.

 

Guilliman uses them to insert into a planet in imperium nihilism with incursors, rievers, and eliminators, they then follow on with heavy units and begin fortifying to hold.

[Xin Ceithan]

„ Thornwatch „ 

 

Celtic / Druidic themed BA Successor  - Blood /Death Cult, thorns, blood drops, cauldrons, the whole Day of the Dead thing but with ogham runes and woad paintings

 

“Warp-spasm“ berserker type Death Company

[Gamiel]

City Keepers

+ IF successor

+ Specialise in urban combat, and urban tracking/hunting.

+ Trained to work with arbitars and enforces

+ Believe that a city with rutting core is a city lacking in defences, no matter how great its walls, and hunt cults, mutants, monsters, and infiltrators in cities.

 

-------------------------------------------------------

 

Imperial Gargoyles

+ IF successor

+ Specialise in urban combat, and urban tracking/hunting.

+ Believe that a city with rutting core is a city lacking in defences, no matter how great its walls, and hunt cults, mutants, monsters, and infiltrators in cities.

+ Stone grey armour

+ Use CSM/Raptor helmets/shoulders for a more gargoyle-ish appearance

+ Are found of the tactic of making themself appear to be just statues so they can watch without other people noticing them, and make the enemy ignore them until its to late

+ Names after historical Terran cities/city-parts – Londinium, Edo, Lutetia, Soho, Bronx, Novgorod, Kristiania, Visby,

+ Trained to work with arbitars and enforces - Y/N?

 

-------------------------------------------------------

 

Wild Hunters

+ WS successors

+ Celtic, fantasy Celtic-ish, deep woods Germanic, 90’s ideas about Celts, the popcultural idea of the Wild Hunt

+ wood elves

+ colour is green with red details

 

------------------------------------------------------

 

Leviathan Eaters

+ BA successors

+ Created after the Battle of Baal from lone survivors of destroyed Chapters and Primaris Marines.

+ Colours: purple body and helmet, white-ish arms and legs, hands and feet are red. Weapon stocks are also usually red. This are colours of shame; when, if, the Leviathan Hive Fleet is finally destroyed they will choose a new colour scheme.

+ Sanguine Guard are blood red with black wings

+ Part of a Vengence fleet made up by them, representatives of the Imperial Navy, magos biologis, the Ordo Xeno, Astra Militarum transport ships, +CORRUPT DATA+ and whatever flotsam of surviving ships they have encountered on their quest.

+ Their name is not just symbolic; they feast on their fresh tyranid kills and travel with ships that process the slain tyranids biomatter into foodstuff for the Vengence fleet.

+ If they find a Leviathan strain on its way to attacking a world do they try evacuate the population, so there is less biomass for the strain to feed on, and because it’s right. The refugees are often taken in by the fleet to repopulate the ships crews and fighting forces. All that are taken in are gene-screen for genestealer infections.

+ Are still trying to develop a culture

 

----------------------------------------------

 

Marines Errantor

+ DA successors

+ honourably know their linage (Dark Angels) and founding (12th)

+ Their armour has red as the main colour, the Aquila/Imperialis, the power pack, shoulder plate trim, both knee guards and both feet are white.

- 1th company are marked with saffron coloured robes or tabards, or saffron coloured Terminator armour

- use the geometrical markings from the 30k WS transfer sheet.  

+ Noble and heroic, but also arrogant and snobbish

+ proud of their lineage, declare it and their founding whenever they meet another Chapter and expect the other one to do the same

- distrust and look down on those that don’t know their lineage and Founding. Unless of high repute do the Errantors expect a Chapter like that to differ to them.

- distrust and look down on a little bit less those that don’t know their Founding but their linage. Unless of high repute do the Errantors expect a Chapter like that to differ to them.

- will not fight alongside Chapters of the 13th or 21th Founding, or even interact or coordinate with them if possible. If there is no choice will they do it through mediators, unless that’s impossible.

+ dislike abhumans and sanctioned mutants and will not fight alongside them or spend any resources to aid them.

+ Chinese-ish, possibly with elements from Tibet and/or Korea. Not any Japanese-ish or Mongolian-ish elements.

- Pos. insp.: Hwarang, Youxia,

- Chinese names.

+ Fleetbased

+ Non/minimal angel-based bling or iconography

- sword decorations are common

+ Keep themselves and their equipment clean.

+ a preference for power-swords

+ keep their hair long

+ use mathematics as part of their swordsmanship training

+ don’t know how to do with the Ravenwing, it feels that Errantors should follow the DA Chapter organisation (when possible, they don't have enougth Terminator armour for the whole 1th Company e.g.) but don't know if the Ravenwing counterpart should be marked out in any way (colour, hussar "wing", or other)

[Gamiel]

+ We know that there exist some Chapters that an Inquisitorial ordo, branch or conclave have taken under their wings - Exorcists, Relictors, Stormwatcher - with all the minor ordos, radical and puritan branches, and sector conclaves, could there be many different ideas for Chapters that are in close relationship with that =][= group and how that would affect them.

[XeonDragon]

Both :) 

 

I think a BA successor with bat wings instead of angel wings would be groovy, maybe with some heretical name like 'Angels of Shadow' or 'Vespertilio Angelorum'. 

Do you mean batwings as in mutations or that their arifcer jumppacks/such have batwings instead of angel ones.

 

 

 

I think a BA successor with bat wings instead of angel wings would be groovy, maybe with some heretical name like 'Angels of Shadow' or 'Vespertilio Angelorum'.

Leaning more on the Vampire side, 

Or nodding toward the devilish

 

[Minigiant]

Another idea:

 

Xenos equivalent of the Relictors before they were declared heretics

[Minigiant]

I think a BA successor with bat wings instead of angel wings would be groovy, maybe with some heretical name like 'Angels of Shadow' or 'Vespertilio Angelorum'. 

Homeworld: D&D Barovia (Castle Ravenloft)

[Minigiant]

A chapter obsessed with crucifixtion

[Gamiel]

Based on that Aleister Crowley's Golden Dawn name was Frater Perdurabo, what about a Iron Warriors successor (or a CSM warband) based on Golden Dawn (the real one, the image they presented of themself, or the pop-cultural one).

Edited February 9, 2022 by Gamiel

[Brother Cambrius]

One thing I have been tempted to do, but never enacted upon is having a Chapter decide to all cross the Rubicon Primaris out of shame for a loss during Cicatrix's formation and they seek to restart their Chapter afresh with the sins of the past lost. Those that die in the process weren't strong to carry the burden of their new purpose and are relics of the past.

 

Divergent, but certainly possible in the Imperium's environment of zealotry.

 

Cambrius

[Gamiel]

I don't know if this count but here are some colour concepts for peoples inspiration (many of them designed from illustrations of knights):

 

Split red and white, with black as spot colour.

 

Black as main colour, purple as secondary.

 

Quartered red and white, with the chapter symbol (a white crescent moon) being shown on the right shoulder

 

Split blue (right) and white (left), with the arms in the other side's colour – black boar as a symbol

 

Dark purple, with company markings on shoulder pad trims – cross fleury in silver/white as symbol

 

Upper body white, lower body red – a white chevron on red as the symbol

 

Yellow with red left shoulder pad trim and aquila (maybe some other details red also), right arm is blue with white shoulder pad trim – symbol is a red griffin rampant with a crown over its head. Maybe a white cross on the right shoulder pad.

 

Blue arms and legs, the rest yellow.

 

Split between red and blue (not dark), with white as the secondary colour.

 

Blue with silver/chrome as the secondary colour.

 

Green with purple flames

 

Yellow with purple details

 

Blue with white stripes

 

Split purple and black

 

Purple-pink body, head and backpack, arms n legs are black and a black stripe on the helmet

 

Pink body with white imperialis, helmet white with pink strip, arms/legs white

 

White with green imperialis and shoulder pad trims

 

Yellow with green imperialis, helmet and shoulder pad trims, alt. green shoulder pads with a yellow star as symbol.

 

Purple body with white head and arms/limbs, symbol is a white star on purple

 

Red as main colour; helmet, shoulder pad trims polished iron/steel grey.

 

Pink helmet, shoulder pads, feet, and right arm; rest black. Steel grey is returning “secondary” colour.

 

Copper green, shoulder pad trims in bronze. Bronze also as returning “secondary” colour.

 

Blue, shoulder pad trims in polished iron/silver. Iron/silver also as returning “secondary” colour.

 

Split green and blue.

[Brother Cambrius]

I always love a bit of colour play with heraldry ideas (I do belong in the LIBER's Heraldry Dept. after all...).

Now some I have actually done Chapters with those colour schemes, as have others. The Blue and white striped one immediately had me thinking of the Iron Cranes and their unique vertical stripe up the centre of their armour.

 

Fun to play around with, especially with the Space Marine Painter etc and painting up with spare models if you have them. I used to do it for my Operation Reclamation project from aeons ago, creating models from each of my created colour schemes.

 

Keep some of these in mind though for the Liber Astartes Chapter Swap project in future too. ;)

 

Cambrius

[Gamiel]

The Raven Guard have some nods to Edgar Allan Poe (mostly his the Raven poem), what about RG successors based on Poes other stories?

 

Here are a list of concepts for a chapter based on The Masque of the Red Death not all of them go togheter:

- Red armour (maybe gloss red?), maybe with white faceplates or helmets. And/or lots of death masks (should they also be white or red?). Chaplains are in the same red colour as the rest of the chapter, instead of the traditional black.

- Bio-weapon experts and/or specialice in fighting Nurgle forces 

- Chapter symbol could be a biohazard symbol, or a skull on red.

- Have only seven Companies, with their company-colours being: blue, purple, green, orange, white, violet and red.

- Go around masked when not in armour.

- Sickly appearance with permanent scarlet stains

- Their victory fests take the form of masquerade balls.

- The world/s they take their aspirants from are suffering from waves of plague. From the children that got sick but survived and/or made orphans by the plague are the aspirants recruited.

- Large clockwork chronos are found in the Chapter’s fortress-monastery and on their ships.

- Go around in red, full-body robes when not in armour.

- Red spots cover their skin.

- Red skin that’s constantly moist.

- There sweat is blood red.

Edited March 18, 2022 by Gamiel

[Xin Ceithan]

The Raven Guard have some nods to Edgar Allan Poe (mostly his the Raven poem), what about RG successors based on Poes other stories?

 

Here are a list of concepts for a chapter based on The Masque of the Red Death not all of them go togheter:

- Red armour (maybe gloss red?), maybe with white faceplates or helmets. And/or lots of death masks (should they also be white or red?). Chaplains are in the same red colour as the rest of the chapter, instead of the traditional black.

- Bio-weapon experts and/or specialice in fighting Nurgle forces 

- Chapter symbol could be a biohazard symbol, or a skull on red.

- Have only seven Companies, with their company-colours being: blue, purple, green, orange, white, violet and red.

- Go around masked when not in armour.

- Sickly appearance with permanent scarlet stains

- Their victory fests take the form of masquerade balls.

- The world/s they take their aspirants from are suffering from waves of plague. From the children that got sick but survived and/or made orphans by the plague are the aspirants recruited.

- Large clockwork chronos are found in the Chapter’s fortress-monastery and on their ships.

- Go around in red, full-body robes when not in armour.

- Red spots cover their skin.

- Red skin that’s constantly moist.

- There sweat is blood red.

Please, take a number. Papa Nurgle will see you shortly ;) 

[Gamiel]

 

The Raven Guard have some nods to Edgar Allan Poe (mostly his the Raven poem), what about RG successors based on Poes other stories?

 

Here are a list of concepts for a chapter based on The Masque of the Red Death not all of them go togheter:

- Red armour (maybe gloss red?), maybe with white faceplates or helmets. And/or lots of death masks (should they also be white or red?). Chaplains are in the same red colour as the rest of the chapter, instead of the traditional black.

- Bio-weapon experts and/or specialice in fighting Nurgle forces 

- Chapter symbol could be a biohazard symbol, or a skull on red.

- Have only seven Companies, with their company-colours being: blue, purple, green, orange, white, violet and red.

- Go around masked when not in armour.

- Sickly appearance with permanent scarlet stains

- Their victory fests take the form of masquerade balls.

- The world/s they take their aspirants from are suffering from waves of plague. From the children that got sick but survived and/or made orphans by the plague are the aspirants recruited.

- Large clockwork chronos are found in the Chapter’s fortress-monastery and on their ships.

- Go around in red, full-body robes when not in armour.

- Red spots cover their skin.

- Red skin that’s constantly moist.

- There sweat is blood red.

Please, take a number. Papa Nurgle will see you shortly

The idea works for a Chaos warband also ;) 

[Codex Grey]

Is this where we apply for the Liber Heraldry Department?

I was inspired by Gamiel's post and started doing a scheme based on one of the suggestions and ended up doing some different ones that came to mind just for fun.

I thought I might as well share them here for anyone to use or tweak. Hope that's ok.

Names are just code names

 

Blood Bulls

 

Praetors of Villa

 

Swamp Knights

 

Abolishers

 

Doom Lords

 

Marines Bubblegum

 

Crimson Enforcers

 

Warp Walkers

Edited November 12, 2022 by Codex Grey