IA: Space Sharks

[Cpt_Tiberius]

Got a question or 5 Why in the story is the inquisitor from the Ordo Xenos? I thought Ordo Hereticus might make more sense. BTW your artwork is really inspiring, as well as the fluff you created.

Two reasons...

 

a.) The inquisitor is another of my character's and I wanted to include him (the captain is my co. captain as well)

 

b.) While Hereticus would also be appropriate, the Ordo Xenos would have been heavily involved with the war effort as it was rumoured that Huron might have been under alien influence as well as the increased activity from Orks and Eldar pirates in the region. (I think in the original fluff the Astral Claws actually had Eldar mercenaries working with them.)

 

If you are collecting the 5th company, would you mind me collecting the third company?

 

Actually, I was going to switch to 3rd company as there is another guy I know who is already playing 5th. Feel free to use any but 1st, 3rd, and 5th. Remember also that Space Sharks as I have them do not have "reserve" companies, so you can have 6th or 7th as well. They are however a small chapter so there is no 9th or 10th company (8th is the scout co.), this is due to their long period without recruits.

 

Also important is that they do not denote company affiliation with colors (though numbers are acceptable). The stripe on their helmets is ALWAYS red, as it is a symbol of mourning for their lost homeworld.

 

Send me a pm if you post any picks as I'd love to see them. ^_^

 

n the story, would it make sense for the characters to have names of the same backgound? Are you basing the Thethys natives on an actual human race, and therefore have names representing that? With a name such as captain tiberius, it would lead me to believe that the SS geneseed is Ultramarines (which is still highly cool), and that they have romanesque names.

 

Actually the names are a bit wonky. While the tethyians are loosely based on Pacific Islander tribes, they are not tied to them and the names just have to sound cool. (for example the 1st sergeant of my company is named Golka, his right hand man is named Coru.) As for Tiberius, the Captains sometimes take "imperial" names for use outside the chapter. (this is also a convient excuse as I had my ID before I started working on the sharks ;) )

[Deadlight]

okay, so do the space sharks have a first (veteran company)? or does each company have their own veterans

 

I'll collect the fourth company. with some veterans and scouts

 

Oh and i had an idea as far as the names of the characters go. How about having the marines change their names when they are inducted into the chapter, to a more imperial styled name. I remember years and years ago reading something about Dark Angels doing that, because they recruited from all over the place, and the Romans did that to their conquered slaves. That may help in showing how the marines sever all links from their previous lives.

 

If the chapter doesn't show chapter affiliation then do they use the heraldry of the captain?

 

oh and i almost forgot, are the squad markings black, or white? your wrote white in your IA article, but your artwork indicated black? I am probably more partial to black but what do you tnink?

[Cpt_Tiberius]

Oh and i had an idea as far as the names of the characters go. How about having the marines change their names when they are inducted into the chapter, to a more imperial styled name. I remember years and years ago reading something about Dark Angels doing that, because they recruited from all over the place, and the Romans did that to their conquered slaves. That may help in showing how the marines sever all links from their previous lives.

That's sort of what i had in mind, but not all of them do it. Basically name them how you want. :ph34r:

 

okay, so do the space sharks have a first (veteran company)? or does each company have their own veterans

 

That's a good question. My thoughts are that yes, the 1st company is the veteran company, so Vets can be affiliated with it. I wanted them to be non-codex, but still generally normal compared to more deviant chapters like the Space Wolves.)

 

If the chapter doesn't show chapter affiliation then do they use the heraldry of the captain?

They don't show Company affiliation with colored rims/stripes/etc. They can have Company numbers if you wish. Captains have personal heraldry and their Companies may tie into it if so desired. One of My Captain's heraldries is a Hammerhead, and the other's is an Octopus. The also tie into the basic company colors, so you could use green in your heraldry (such as back banners/pennants) if so desired.

 

oh and i almost forgot, are the squad markings black, or white? your wrote white in your IA article, but your artwork indicated black? I am probably more partial to black but what do you tnink?

 

Officially they are white. You can use black if you want (but the decals on the GW sheet are white so they are available to you.) Keep in mind that if you are using Mk.6 armor (studded left pad) then the tactical arrow goes side to side (like Dark Angels) and the shark goes above it.

 

Part of my project is to create a decal sheet that can be printed off with the do-it-yourself decal kits.

 

Hope that helps! Oh and post your Captains name and I'll include him in the Chapter roll call. :P

[Deadlight]

I thought the 1st company would look cool with a red kneepad with with teeth around it, like a shark with blood in its mouth. I will have to come up with a personal heraldry, and a new name for my captain.

 

i think my marines, to completely sever links with their former lives will leave their "mortal" human names and become "immortal" and take on Imperial names.

[Deadlight]

I have found a name for my captain. Captain Cyriacus, of the fourth company, Watcher of the Tide

[Commissar Molotov]

I thought the 1st company would look cool with a red kneepad with with teeth around it, like a shark with blood in its mouth. I will have to come up with a personal heraldry, and a new name for my captain.

 

i think my marines, to completely sever links with their former lives will leave their "mortal" human names and become "immortal" and take on Imperial names.

 

Considering Tiberius' Space Sharks have fought so hard to protect their homeworld, including relocating them to a totally new homeworld, I think it's perhaps out of place to refer to it as 'severing ties to their former lives'. Perhaps they simply have a more 'Imperial' name for when they interact with the Imperium at large, rather than using their tribal names (which might be used in chapter ceremonies and the like?). Don't forget your original marines' names would be in Tethyian, which might even be hard for people used to speaking Imperial Gothic to pronounce. Accordingly the chapter's marines (especially the higher-ranking marines) take Gothic names for ease of communication, leaving the native names for when they deal with eachother.

[Cpt_Tiberius]

Yes that was basically my thought's.

 

For example Captain Tiberius's name is actuallly Tae Biiroush (well technically it's a nick-name that his men gave him. It means "the strength of the depths of the ocean") During the Badab war Inquisitor Falke started calling him Tiberius first out of misunderstanding, but then because it was easier for him to remember. Tiberius, did not mind as he had great respect for the inquistor after working with him.

[magnum_opera]

I like your fluff so far. Maybe look up some Maori/Pacific Islander names to incorporate?

 

http://www.lowchensaustralia.com/names/pacificnames.htm

 

Really love it so far. The first time I saw Space Sharks, I thought they had a really lame icon, but the way you've done it is great.

 

In the way of modeling, be sure to add plenty of miniature shark teeth to models. Maybe some sort of Osmotic Gill attached to helmets as well? Enhanced lungs or whatever, Marines still can't breath underwater. And chainswords. Chainswords just kind of seem to ... fit with these guys.

[Cpt_Tiberius]

Thanks for the link. As for the other comments if you look at my drawings most have tubing around the neck area to represent enhanced rebreathing equipment. Chainswords and chainfists feature prominently. :tu:

[The Count]

Maybe the sharks they hint on progreesion from scout to marine or whenever you decide to finally place it could form the 'teeth' of the chainsword/fist. If that was the case though scouts with chainswords would have to have either hunted a shark or have a standard chainsword.

 

 

Hope this helps.

[Carnifex Carl]

First, I just wanted to say that I liked your ideas for the Space Sharks chapter so much, it motivated me to register, just so I could post, pay you the compliments, and offer some other ideas.

 

Foremostly, what a great job you have done fleshing out this Chapter. I think a lot of people might have written them off as a funny name and an odd chapter symbol. I was always intrigued, because it's blindingly obvious why you might call yourself the "Imperial Fists" or the "Iron Hands" but there HAS to be a story behind the "Space Sharks".

 

Now for the suggestions from a total stranger:

 

I would de-emphasize the "aquatic warfare" aspect of the Marines themselves, and emphasize the fact that they are 'sharks of the spaceways'. That is to say, while the Marine recruit population is predominantly sea/island based, the Marines themselves ply the spaceways.

 

There's a lot to recommend for this approach:

 

Very little 40K fighting (or BFG, or Epic) involves the water. Thus, there's no way to demonstrate your prowess in aquatic fighting, and no way to represent it in the rules.

 

The Marine recruits are supposed to be adept warriors in island warfare, which presumably means that they are used to swimming (perhaps even long distances) and operating in ships or boats. This means that physically and psychologically, they are prepared for operating in low or no gravity, as in space, and in operating in boarding actions, as well as being comfortable in boarding torpedoes and drop pods.

 

The Space Sharks are, as you have said, specialists in boarding actions. This explains, more than any "aquatic tendencies" their reluctance to use bikes and land speeders. You don't USE land speeders or bikes to board enemy vessels. You are going to teleport, use drop pods, or boarding torpedoes.

 

Few marine chapters are really famous for their space combat abilities, so it lets the Space Sharks shine, and emphasizes the SPACE in their name as well as the sharks.

 

Perhaps, even their geneseed might have slighly mutated. A normal marine, I believe, needs time and injections to stimulate their mucranoid gland, the gland that makes their sweat form a greasy secretion that "seals" their skin and allows them to survive a brief period in vacuum. Perhaps the Space Sharks can stimulate the mucranoid gland rapidly, and through aggression and excitement, rather than needing chemical stimulation. This would allow the Space Sharks to survive in space more readily, and more consistently, than other Chapters.

 

The "head on" appearance of the Space Shark Icon resembles a boarding torpedo, as well as an approaching shark.

 

The Space Sharks could be famous for boarding actions on Ork Roks, Space Hulks, and against tyranid brood-ships (much the way a group of sharks might encircle and tear out flesh from a whale, killing it despite it's greater size).

 

Also, psychologically, being acclimated to being isolated underwater might keep the Space Sharks cool-headed when operating in vacuum, or in sealed environment suits.

 

 

Another, unrelated idea/suggestion would be to take inspiration from the Mortifactors. The Mortifactors consume part of their fallen enemies, perhaps even because their omophagea allows them to extract more genetic information from it than their Ultramarines gene-stock. Even if the Space Sharks aren't related to the Ultramarines in any way (Go Dorn!), they may have a similar aberration in their implant, or their omophagea might be hyperstimulated by adrenaline, meaning that they can absorb more genetic information when excited/enraged, thus leading to a "feeding frenzy" of sorts. The Mortifactors consume their foes and heroes ritualistically after battle, while the Space Sharks might do so DURING a battle. They might also quickly nip a fallen, or even injured brother, during a fight, out of a desire to acquire the heroism of a battle-brother. This behavior might be misinterpreted by others as cruel or even berserker, though such bites would be largely cosmetic.

 

I really like the 'red stripe' on the helmets, but I myself would consider whether it should be MANDATORY, or perhaps it might signify something else. Several really cool-looking sharks have black fin tips, and some of those have a further white-tip immediately on the end. You might consider something like:

 

Red Crest: indicates a marine who was not inducted directly from Tethys (i.e. was made a marine after the destruction of Tethys). The red color indicates a longing for a world denied to them, and a rage at it's destruction.

 

Black Crest: indicates a marine inducted directly from Tethys (before it's destruction). The black indicates a mourning for a homeworld that is gone. These would typically, but not necessarily, be Veterans and Heroes, though some heroes could of course be much younger.

 

You might also want to mandate that scouts, other than Veteran Sgt. Scouts, cannot have the red crest, as they are not "blooded" yet.

 

 

The other thing I was curious about was the choice of Traits. I could easily understand Blessed Be the Warriors, but I could also easily see Take the Fight To Them. One would represent rapid strikes using Thunderhawk Gunships to deploy Assault Marines via Deep Striking, but the other could easily be used to represent Tactical Squads with Bolt Pistol and Chainsword deploying via Drop Pod/Boarding Tube. Although "against the rules", you might consider the Space Sharks to have a Company-variable trait. All Space Sharks have No Mercy, No Respite and Eye to Eye, but some companies, as determined by their Commanders, missions, and requisitions, field large numbers of Jump Pack Troops, while others field "assault marines" that are really close-combat equipped Tactical Marines.

 

This is both a question asked out of curiousity, and out of an ulterior motive. I have always liked Space Shark imagery and I am very, very impressed with your ideas on it. However, I'm really not wanting to use much in the way of Jump Pack Assault Marines (Terminators and Tacticals with BP & CCW for me). If I ever do a lot of Jump Packers, I want to do them as Blood Angels in all probability. I've been thinking about doing Space Sharks, and I myself would much prefer Take the Fight To Them. I'd like to hear your ideas for and against it.

 

Please don't take any of this as criticism. I'm blown away by how incredibly cool your ideas and sketches are. It just inspired me to a huge brainstorming post.

[Deadlight]

I also wanted to ask u Tiberius, If i was to convert a space shark, where might I find knives, like the awesome one from your first picture? Ork sprue? Dark Eldar?

[magnum_opera]

I also wanted to ask u Tiberius, If i was to convert a space shark, where might I find knives, like the awesome one from your first picture? Ork sprue? Dark Eldar?

 

There's some similar knives on the basic Ork sprue, I think. Check this out:

 

http://us.games-workshop.com/games/40k/ork...rt_plastics.htm

 

On another note, Tiberius, do you plan on factoring Dreadnoughts into the Chapter? If you decide to go with Carl's excellent suggestion of the Sharks being experts with boarding actions, I imagine the Dreadnoughts could almost be 'human missles' rocket-propelled into the hulls of ships, with heavily modified legs (rocket boosters?) and possibly rockets on their backs. Maybe those nice Forge World assault drills, smashing into the hulls of traitors or vile xenos or whatever.

 

Failing that, perhaps you could have the Sharks only utilize Dreadnoughts like IG Sentinels, something to be piloted by an normal Marine? Again, they could be used as some sort of boarding torpedo mecha thing that was heavily armed, maybe with missles or assault cannons.

 

If it hasn't been brought up before, Assault Marines and Land Speeders seem fluffy if you maintain the 'aquatic' theme. There aren't any 'official' fully aquatic vehicles , and there probably won't be. I imagine skimmers and flyers like Land Speeders would be in heavy use here. They'd probably built for endurance over speed if they had to cover vast oceans or whatever - extra fuel, more efficient engines perhaps? Assault Marines don't fit this profile as well, but the theme of fast, brutal warriors fits the Space Sharks.

 

Hell, consider Land Raiders. In addition to being totally sweet, the fluff does say that they're capable of operating underwater. From the UK website:

It was one of the few vehicles that could, when used in sufficient numbers, hold off and even destroy the massive Titans of the Adeptus Mechanicus, whilst its ability to fight in almost any imaginable warzone, including sea beds and in highly corrosive atmospheres, meant that it saw more service than any other machine of war.

 

Picture five or six of those rising out of the ocean, crawling out of the sea onto a beach head, lascannons blazing. That's a hell of a shark.

[krusade]

Another, unrelated idea/suggestion would be to take inspiration from the Mortifactors. The Mortifactors consume part of their fallen enemies, perhaps even because their omophagea allows them to extract more genetic information from it than their Ultramarines gene-stock. Even if the Space Sharks aren't related to the Ultramarines in any way (Go Dorn!), they may have a similar aberration in their implant, or their omophagea might be hyperstimulated by adrenaline, meaning that they can absorb more genetic information when excited/enraged, thus leading to a "feeding frenzy" of sorts. The Mortifactors consume their foes and heroes ritualistically after battle, while the Space Sharks might do so DURING a battle. They might also quickly nip a fallen, or even injured brother, during a fight, out of a desire to acquire the heroism of a battle-brother. This behavior might be misinterpreted by others as cruel or even berserker, though such bites would be largely cosmetic.

 

the soul drinkers do that as well and they do have IF geneseed...

[Cpt_Tiberius]

Hello All! Thanks for the replies...

 

First, I just wanted to say that I liked your ideas for the Space Sharks chapter so much, it motivated me to register, just so I could post, pay you the compliments, and offer some other ideas.

Thank you very much for the compliment, and let me also say welcome to the board! I still feel this the best board out there. :lol:

 

First off, Let me thank you for your imput, It is well thought out and I appreciate the critique. Let me answer some of your questions/comments:

 

Foremostly, what a great job you have done fleshing out this Chapter. I think a lot of people might have written them off as a funny name and an odd chapter symbol. I was always intrigued, because it's blindingly obvious why you might call yourself the "Imperial Fists" or the "Iron Hands" but there HAS to be a story behind the "Space Sharks".

 

Thanks! I have a subconscious need to root for the underdog, and when I was deciding on a chapter I definitely wanted to take one that was considered "uncool" and mould it into something that people would be excited about. I'm very happy with the response I've gotten so far. It definitely makes it worththe effort.

 

 

I would de-emphasize the "aquatic warfare" aspect of the Marines themselves, and emphasize the fact that they are 'sharks of the spaceways'. That is to say, while the Marine recruit population is predominantly sea/island based, the Marines themselves ply the spaceways...

While you bring up some good arguments I felt that space boarding actions were already well in hand. The Souldrinkers are ship-to-ship assault specialists as well as one of my favourites, the Emperor's Scythes (mainly focused on Tyrranid Bioships). Not to mention the BA's,DA's, and the UM's.

 

I chose Aquatic warfare for specifically the reason that it is not as common in the game system, because of the rules required to handle it, not the setting itself. As large as the Imperium is, there is definitely the need for Aquatic Warfare Specialists. For example, the Sharks would have been invaluable during the War on Armaggedon in repelling the Ork submersibles that attacked the docks of Hives Tempestora & Helsreach, as well as eventually dealing with the Renegade Steel Cobra's and their undersea hideout on Tukaroe VII.

 

However, do not think that I have neglected the "Space" part of their name as they are highly proficient at zero-gravity warfare and anti-spacecraft techniques. Thus they are embody both the "Space" and "Shark" aspect of their name.

 

 

The Marine recruits are supposed to be adept warriors in island warfare, which presumably means that they are used to swimming (perhaps even long distances) and operating in ships or boats. This means that physically and psychologically, they are prepared for operating in low or no gravity, as in space, and in operating in boarding actions, as well as being comfortable in boarding torpedoes and drop pods.

 

I hadn't put it together in that way before, but is very interesting and I will definitely use that. thanks! B)

 

 

Perhaps, even their geneseed might have slighly mutated. A normal marine, I believe, needs time and injections to stimulate their mucranoid gland, the gland that makes their sweat form a greasy secretion that "seals" their skin and allows them to survive a brief period in vacuum. Perhaps the Space Sharks can stimulate the mucranoid gland rapidly, and through aggression and excitement, rather than needing chemical stimulation. This would allow the Space Sharks to survive in space more readily, and more consistently, than other Chapters.

I hadn't thought about this, but I may consider including it as I did have some deviation in them, though not their actual geneseed. The SS geneseed is very stable and healthy, however the Tethyians themselves are minor mutants (though well within accepted Adeptus Biologicus guidelines) They have adapted over the centuries to life in a mostly aquatic environment. Because of this the average Tethyian is taller than the typical human, with broader shoulders as larger hands & feet. This slight deviation in their genetic make-up had unexpected, but stable reactions with the geneseed used and the process of creating space marines. The most visible sign of this is the Spacesharks overly developed pupils, All space sharks have solid black eyes that do not show any whites. There may be other side effects, but I haven't decided yet.

 

Also, psychologically, being acclimated to being isolated underwater might keep the Space Sharks cool-headed when operating in vacuum, or in sealed environment suits.

 

Another interesting idea, I'll definitely consider.

 

 

...thus leading to a "feeding frenzy" of sorts.

While not a bad idea it goes against one of my central guiding themes. When I specifically wanted to avoid making them too feral, to avoid to many comparisons to the Space Wolves. With the exception of recruiting from a specific tribal stock and the collection of teeth trophies, they are quite different in mindset. The Space Wolves are noted for there barbarity and rugged sense of honour and duty. The Space Sharks are much more civilised (like most marine chapters) and are generally more in the archetype of the weathered old "Sea-Dog". (Think Harvey Kietel in U-571 [apologies to our british frater, but I still like the movie despite the glaring historical innacuracies]).

 

I really like the 'red stripe' on the helmets, but I myself would consider whether it should be MANDATORY, or perhaps it might signify something else. ... ...You might also want to mandate that scouts, other than Veteran Sgt. Scouts, cannot have the red crest, as they are not "blooded" yet.

 

While I like your thoughts on the matter, I specifically chose the constant red stripe for a reason. I wanted to make sure I was accurate to the official portrayals of the Space Sharks in the past. All of the photos of GW painted Space Sharks have the red stripe, without exception. However I do like the Idea of not having it on the scouts as they are not "technically" part of the chapter yet, though sergeants will incorporate it somehow.

 

The other thing I was curious about was the choice of Traits. I could easily understand Blessed Be the Warriors, but I could also easily see Take the Fight To Them. One would represent rapid strikes using Thunderhawk Gunships to deploy Assault Marines via Deep Striking, but the other could easily be used to represent Tactical Squads with Bolt Pistol and Chainsword deploying via Drop Pod/Boarding Tube. Although "against the rules", you might consider the Space Sharks to have a Company-variable trait. All Space Sharks have No Mercy, No Respite and Eye to Eye, but some companies, as determined by their Commanders, missions, and requisitions, field large numbers of Jump Pack Troops, while others field "assault marines" that are really close-combat equipped Tactical Marines.

Here is my reasoning behind the traits...

 

 

[magnum_opera]

How do you plan on modeling your Dreadnoughts? Something amphibious would make sense, but exactly how is the challenge here...

 

Perhaps you could have anti-grav or submersible Rhinos? Perhaps with turbine/propellor things mounted on the back... Or maybe model them with hydrofoils, floating slightly above water like modern-day hovercraft. That'd be quite cool.

[Cpt_Tiberius]

What I would like to try is some sort of turbine housings on the back to facilitate underwater movement. I'd also like to see if I can get ahold of some of the old jump packs (the cylinder shaped ones) as they look more aquatic. and of course trying some guitar wire tubing to suggest bulked up breathing apparatus on the marines.

[Heavy Messing]

Hey Cpt_Tiberius,

 

I've been watching your thread for a while, and I've enjoyed the way you've filled out this Chapter, well done!

 

You mentioned producing your own decals earlier? I take it the 'Space Shark' logo is GW copyright and thus unavaliable from various decal producing games shops *cough*

 

Keep it up!

 

HM

[Cpt_Tiberius]

Just a quick update...

 

After much soul-searching and deliberation I decided to alter the traits slightly. Initially I had planned to just use No Mercy No Respite and Die Standing. But had talked myself out of it thinking that using drop pods would be fluffy. However I now see that this the correct trait combination after all.

 

This does 2 things, first it frees up Landspeeders to be more utilized if need be, and it eliminates drop pods which don't really fit into the chapter's theme. Bikes are still not recommended however, though I hesitate to remove them all together but think I should at least place a 0-1 restriction on them.

 

I just didn't feel that having extra assualt marines added anything to the chapter and was not in-line with my overall theme.

 

...Sorry for the confusion. :D

 

The good news is that I am currently in the process of writing the 2nd draft of the IA article and will be including the suggestions I have recieved that I think work with my vision. Hopefully I can get the rewrite done in the next few days and then if I'm lucky I will recieve more great feedback on it.

 

Thanks!,

Cpt. Tiberius

[Keyoz Devastrius]

I must say that I really like your IA , but I'm curious what do you think about the Space Sharks rules from Badab war campaign?

 

SPACE SHARKS

Traits: Heed the Wisdom of the Ancients, Scions of Mars.

Drawbacks: Eye to Eye.

Bonus Unit: Five Marines, two armed with heavy bolters,

Slow and Purposeful.

 

 

I know that they are not 100% official but are made by GW employees. It seams that GW is seeing Space Sharks as heavy supporters, dreadnought fans and tech cultists more then feral assault specjalists.

 

Maybe you can justify those Heed the Wisdom trait saying that after their homeworlds destruction when they were crusading they had very little new recruits and most of vets were

[Cpt_Tiberius]

I know that they are not 100% official but are made by GW employees.

Since they were not assigned by the studio itself they are not applicable or relevant (saying that they are official is like saying that rules created by a red shirt are official). This has been stated by the individuals who created the packet from whence these rules came. (this applies to all of the traits, not just the Sharks.) Personally (and no offense intended), I can't for the life of me even concieve why they would pick those traits in the first place. They have no grounding in anything I've been able to uncover so far about the Sharks. So in short I do not concern myself with them.

 

 

Maybe you can justify those Heed the Wisdom trait saying that after their homeworlds destruction when they were crusading they had very little new recruits and most of vets were

[Keyoz Devastrius]

I was curious about your thoughts that rules - I don

[Commissar Molotov]

if your playing in that campaign you

[Cpt_Tiberius]

Molotov is right, the traits were only for use in that campaign and are not binding at other tournaments.

 

 

Edit: By the way :Is the Captains huge chainsword from your story about Space Sharks and Badab an Eviscerator ?? Eviscerators on TDA marines counting as chainfists - cool idea

 

Possibly, I want to something that looks hug but still somewhat reasonable, I was wondering if an Inquistor range chainsword would work? Do they still make those fiqures? Either way I was going to "count it as" a master crafted chain-fist. :angry:

[magnum_opera]

Regarding the chainsword... Would this do?

 

http://store.us.games-workshop.com/storefr...00310&orignav=9

 

You'd probably have to cut it down by a bit though. Excluding that, consider piecing several normal chainswords together, Commander Y has a cool example here.

 

http://minivault.com/images/WCPriestUnFace.JPG