Custom Chapter: Sons of Uranus

[Broken Epoch]

**** WORK IN PROGRESS ****

 

 

"Flow and Crash" - Captain Demos

 

The Titans are a Ultima founding fleet-based chapter that is believed to be a successor chapter of the Ultramarines. But while they share some physical similarities to their primarch, they differ in many ways when compared to other Ultramarines successor chapters. In it's early days on Mars, the original Chapter Master, Demos, found ancient picts of a martial art of combat. It was from these videos that he developed a martial form unique to the chapter. The fighting style is fluid and adapts to any given situation that arises. The marines are encouraged to use any weapon available and do so when ever the need arises. Even if that weapon is a piece of rubble laying on the ground. All of their organs are operational and it is not uncommon for them to eat of their foes to discover battlefield intelligence. The chapter was specifically chosen to be fleet-based so it would always be on the move and be less likely to encounter the inquisition.  

The chapter started with Guilliman initially but was one of the few chapters assigned their region to protect rather quickly. So while they learned of the tactics that Guilliman used, and put it to good use, the primarch had little affect on how the chapter grew and used their forces in battle. This has led them to develop some odd but effective tactics from blending the studies of redacted battles. It was of Chapter Master Demos' mindset that learning of the enemies tactics would help them prepare. With this mindset he was able to convince Belisarius to allow him to study some of the battle reports of the ancient legions. He ended up picking various tactics from the legions he was allowed to review and built his own doctrine. 

 

Tactical Doctrine

"Flow and Crash" - Captain Demos

The tactical doctrine of the Titans is to be water. Mold to your surroundings and situation. Adapt and overcome. Be smooth and powerful. The ideal victory is the one that obliterates all question about that victory. Just as a tsunami builds and then destroys the chapter also builds toward the final assault. The chapter is trained to keep all options on the table to achieve victory and have been known to decimate entire cities to achieve their objectives*. Their scout companies are known to advance deploy squads ahead of the fleet and work the local populations sometimes years in advance of the main bulk of the chapter.

*Of curious note, recruitment increases when these decimations happen. The attachés that have the capability of thought think this is because more potential candidates are found as survivors of such events. 

 

Company Structure

"We train for what is needed to complete our objectives Inquistor." - Master Chaplain Silas

While the chapter does it best to avoid the eyes of the Inquisition, there has been contact. This contact has led to additional eyes being placed on the chapter despite their record. The chapter has ten full companies of Astartes and five scout companies. Companies are assigned two to a campaign and are accompanied by one scout company. While they will not always fight together they are never far and always within the same system. To prevent this from causing splintering within the chapter every twenty years the companies meetup to reconnect, exchange stories and then head back out with the brothers moving between the companies.

Generally this exchange will consist of the command structure of the companies, but the rest of the Astartes will draw tokens and will then switch to the company they drew (2-10). The only company that is left out of this drawing is the first company. Those marines that are achieved great honors are given the option of joining first company or draw from the tokens and begin training with a promotion if a spot is vacant, there are usually spots available and this is a very contested option. When there are too many candidates they are expected to engage in some type of test against each other, this test is not specific and is chosen between the two Astartes. The two entire a dark chamber with thousands of options available to them from games of intelligence, to combat. When the two exit the victor is announced to much celebration. The tests are rarely lethal and when only one Astartes comes out alive the recordings are views and a tribunal is carried out. Only once has there ever been a death during the test and the victor was proven to be in the right. That victor went on to become Captain Spiros of 7th company. 

 

Company Heraldry

"The colors mean nothing girl. Sleep. We move soon and I will leave you if you do not keep-pace." - Sergeant Photios

The colors of the chapter are oiled steel with inset and helms the color of bone. Sergeants have a white stripe over the center of the helm, Lieutenants have the white stripe outlined with the company's color. Captains have a golden helm with the white stripe outlined with the company color. The Chapter Master's helm is gold. The Apothecary's helm is white with a stripe of bone alone the top. The Techmarine's helm is red, the Master Techmarine has a white stripe, Both the Techmarine and Master Techmarine do not wear company colors. They form a small enclave within the chapter the same as the Librarians. The Librarian's helm is blue. Company colors are shown on the right knee and the left knee has the marking of the squad. Battlefield role is displayed on the right pauldron and the company badge is displayed on the left shoulder. 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 15, 2022 by Broken Epoch

[Bjorn Firewalker]

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Titans

The Chapter name automatically made me think of the Adeptus Mechanicus' god-engines, and will likely cause confusion in-universe and in-game. May I suggest the name "Sons of Uranus" instead?

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They do not know which primarch their geneseed is derived from, that information is only known by Belisarius Cawl.

Guilliman already suspects Cawl of using Traitor Legion gene-seed, against Guilliman's express orders; he's unlikely to tolerate the use of "gene-seed of unknown origin."

 

Best claim the Chapter is descended from the Ultramarines, Imperial Fists, or other known Loyalists. You're free to have the Marines act differently from those with whom they supposedly share a Primarch, arousing suspicion they're not whom they claim to be.

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However, the one aspect that stands out the most is their tactical ingenuity and genius...

 

The marines are trained to use any weapon available and do so when ever the need arises.

These make your Marines sound like Mary Sues, and you like Matt Ward. Best tone it down, e.g., remove the word "genius", and rewrite "The marines are trained to use any weapon available and do so when ever the need arises," as "The marines are ENCOURAGED to use any weapon available and WILL do so when ever the need arises," (emphasis mine).

 

The chapter has ten full companies of Astartes and five scout companies.

This will DEFINITELY arouse the Inquisition's suspicions, and Guilliman's in turn. Best limit the Chapter to the ten Companies the Codex mandates. You're free to make the companies oversized, though- I did so myself, justifying the Iron-hearted Angels' 1600 Marines by noting the Codex does NOT include support staff in its count, e.g., the crews of the Chapter's many vehicles.

Edited September 15, 2022 by Bjorn Firewalker

[Broken Epoch]

Thank you for the suggestions. It was a rough draft and is still a work in progress. I will most likely be taking up some of the ideas that you have suggested indeed. Thank you for the input! :D

 

As for the name Sons of Uranus, sounds good. I'll take it. I was never dead set on Titans anyway. :D I was worried people would confuse it with the football team lol!

[Broken Epoch]

The chapter tactics I'm planning on running are the following:

Indomitable: Auto pass Combat Attrition tests. I don't want to have to deal with this. So my marines don't run. I will be running multiple 10-man assault intercessor squads and multiple intercessor squads with auto bolt rifles.

Rapid Assault: Advance and fire assault weapons with no penalty. My primary anti-tank will be Eradicators so I want to make sure they don't have any issues hitting when I'm running them all over the field with double tapping melta rifles. I also plan on having multiple inceptor squads which are also equipped with assault weapons. I think Rapid Assault will fit in very well.

Edited September 15, 2022 by Broken Epoch

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Had an idea for how you can reconcile your desire for five Scout Companies in addition to ten full Companies, without violating Guilliman's decree:

The Sons of Uranus are often nicknamed "Titans" due to their large stature, even compared to other Astartes; this is because the Apothecaries intentionally delay the implantation of the progenoid glands that regulate the other gene-seed organs, allowing the latter to make Aspirants grow to beyond a healthy human's limits, until the Aspirants prove themselves in battle.

An Aspirant without progenoid glands is referred to as Homocles, a word meaning "Glory to Mankind," but which those outside the Chapter often mistakenly refer to as "Homunculus," after artificial humans from pre-Imperial folklore. Each Homocles is kept in stasis when not in training or in battle; until they receive their progenoid glands, the Aspirants' lives will be one of constant pain, "The better to test the strength of their spirits," in the Apothecaries' words. Each Homocles is thus determined to prove himself in his first battle- "To fight, to kill, and to earn the right to be a Son of Uranus," in Brother-Captain Heracles' words- or to die and end his suffering.

As no Homocles has the full set of gene-seed organs, they are not considered Astartes under the law. The Chapter may thus field as many as it can- 500 is the largest number observed so far- without censure from the Ordo Astartes.

I made up the word "Homocles" by combining the "Homo" in "Homo sapiens" with the "-cles" in "Heracles."

[Inquisitor_Lensoven]

Will I get another 3 jail sentence if I make jokes about this name?

[Urauloth]

22 hours ago, Broken Epoch said:

As for the name Sons of Uranus, sounds good.

Have you, ah, tried saying it out loud? Depending on your pronunciation of "Uranus" you might have a problem.

Anyway, I like the colour scheme on these guys. Keep working on them!

[Broken Epoch]

6 hours ago, Urauloth said:

Have you, ah, tried saying it out loud? Depending on your pronunciation of "Uranus" you might have a problem.

Anyway, I like the colour scheme on these guys. Keep working on them!

Yeah yeah yeah. You won't be laughing when I'm crushing your you plague ridden bodies under my primaris feet. :D hehe

 

11 hours ago, Bjorn Firewalker said:

 

 

The Sons of Uranus are often nicknamed "Titans" due to their large stature, even compared to other Astartes; this is because the Apothecaries intentionally delay the implantation of the progenoid glands that regulate the other gene-seed organs, allowing the latter to make Aspirants grow to beyond a healthy human's limits, until the Aspirants prove themselves in battle.

An Aspirant without progenoid glands is referred to as Homocles, a word meaning "Glory to Mankind," but which those outside the Chapter often mistakenly refer to as "Homunculus," after artificial humans from pre-Imperial folklore. Each Homocles is kept in stasis when not in training or in battle; until they receive their progenoid glands, the Aspirants' lives will be one of constant pain, "The better to test the strength of their spirits," in the Apothecaries' words. Each Homocles is thus determined to prove himself in his first battle- "To fight, to kill, and to earn the right to be a Son of Uranus," in Brother-Captain Heracles' words- or to die and end his suffering.

As no Homocles has the full set of gene-seed organs, they are not considered Astartes under the law. The Chapter may thus field as many as it can- 500 is the largest number observed so far- without censure from the Ordo Astartes.

 

 

Again. Solid advice. I will think how I want to work this in. Having two companies and a scout company is something I really like. The scout companies are rarely fully manned or even seen in one place as they are used as agents essentially. They are the vanguard of the chapter. The reason The Sons of Uranus have the record they have. The scouts create the allies, drop zones, create disorder amongst enemy forces, and sew rumors of the enemies coming doom. They identify primary targets and provide detailed reports on how to best apply the scalpel of the space marines. It is only after all that training and practice that they are allowed to become full space marines and join the brothers in the execution of the enemy in all it's forms. 

I'll use this idea and mold it up a bit. But I like it. Thank you for the suggestion!

[Bjorn Firewalker]

The scouts create the allies, drop zones, create disorder amongst enemy forces, and sew rumors of the enemies coming doom. They identify primary targets and provide detailed reports on how to best apply the scalpel of the space marines. It is only after all that training and practice that they are allowed to become full space marines and join the brothers in the execution of the enemy in all it's forms.

To do all this, the Chapter's Scouts should be experienced veterans, like Space Wolves Wolf Scouts. Asking a Neophyte to serve as a "Scout," as the Codex states, is literally like making a six-year-old child commander-in-chief of a nation's military forces, guaranteed to end in disaster, as neither has the necessary experience- e.g., notice signs an enemy is laying in ambush and/or leading your forces into a trap.

[Broken Epoch]

On 9/16/2022 at 12:01 PM, Bjorn Firewalker said:

 

 

To do all this, the Chapter's Scouts should be experienced veterans, like Space Wolves Wolf Scouts. Asking a Neophyte to serve as a "Scout," as the Codex states, is literally like making a six-year-old child commander-in-chief of a nation's military forces, guaranteed to end in disaster, as neither has the necessary experience- e.g., notice signs an enemy is laying in ambush and/or leading your forces into a trap.

Fair point. I'll have to rework some stuff here as well when I have time. :D Thank you so much for all the pointers!