Nova Wolves, The prodigal sons

[Zadkiel]

Name: Nova Wolves

Base of Operations: Deathworld Mjolnir IV, Segmentum Obscurus, near the Eye of Terror.

Rank: Third Founding, Geneseed of Roboute Guilliman

Deviances from the Codex Astartes: Heed the Wisdom of the Ancients, Scions of Mars, Eye to Eye

 

Combat Doctrine: Due to lack of contact with the rest of the Imperium for 500 years, due to a Warp Storm, most of the veteran marines are ancient, and many of the Chapter’s greatest have been killed or mortally wounded fighting the warp spawned terrors. As such, the lack of access to fresh recruits, the Chapter has been forced to place many of its warriors inside of Dreadnoughts. Fortunately, their Adepts of the Machine God are as skilled as any in the Imperium, and were able to craft lesser versions of the Dreadnought sarcophogai from the abundant metallic materials on their homeworld. As such, the Nova Wolves rely heavily on mechanized warfare, having made extensive use of the vehicles in their armoury, and have been working on a new pattern of Land Raider (the Mjolnir) to serve as a heavy, anti-armour tank in the field. Their Tactical squads tend to be minimal in size, and they frequently rely heavily on their Scouts squads, whom they train to the highest degree in sniper warfare, still operating under the need to preserve as many of their fresh warriors as they can.

 

Brief History

Formed as a Third Founding in the 36M, the Nova Wolves were created with aid from the Sons of Guilliman, and their 5th Company Captain was selected to be their Chapter Master. They quickly proved to have an affinity for technology, with many of their marines being called to Mars to learn the ways of the Machine God. Initially they were a roaming chapter, stationed in their Fleet of ships, ready to leap into battle at a moments notice, but as they began to come under inquisitorial suspicion, brought on by reports of them harbouring and studying xenotech, particularly the eldar wraithbone.

Depsite never being accused of heresy outright, the Chapter Master, and his Master of the Forge, decided that they needed an out of the way area to study the weapons of their enemies, and in some cases, incorporate the uses into their own battle doctrine. The planet they chose was a little known deathworld near the Eye of Terror, known as Mjolnir IV.

Around 5-600 years ago, a warp storm formed over the planet of operations they have their fortress monastery on, and lasted for close to 400 years. During this time, recruits were scarese, the only fresh sourse of soldiers being the primitive tribes of the planet.

To compound these problems were constant incursions by warp spawn and worshipers of the Ruinous Powers, who were slowly wearing down the ranks of the Adeptus Astartes. It was with great reluctance, and after a decade of consultation with his Master of the Forge, that Chapter Master Segmund ordered that any Marine of Veteran status who became mortally wounded was to be placed inside any available Dreadnought Sarcophogai, so as to keep the valued knowledge and combat ability of the Marines in service, even if it meant crafting simulacri versions of the revered Dreadnought armour that lacked the ancient potentcy of the true dreadnoughts.

Approximately 100 years ago, the Warp Storm surrounding Mjolnir waned enough for the Chapter to send out a call for aid to purge the remaining daemons and chaos cultists infesting their planet, and much to their surprise, the 400th Cadian answered with lightning speed, leading to a rapid, planet-wide destruction of any non Imperial force, including the natives of the planet, who were purged with extreme prejudice by the zealous guardsmen. At the end of the cleansing action Chapter Master Segmund sent out a request to the psykers of the Inquisition to aid his Librarians in putting up runes and shields around their bases of operation to help guard against chaos infestation, and to help prevent the Daemons from entering their fortress.

Ever since the day the planet was cut off , none of the Space Marines,s, have ever removed their armour in front of a non chapter memeber, leaving scholars to wonder as to why.

 

 

Well, I finally got a little bit of fluff worked up for my Chapter of the Ineptus Astartes (the term my fellow gamers have used since my Marines have won 1 out of their last 16 engagements, though they did come away with a Draw last week)

[Commissar Molotov]

Heh, Ineptus Astartes. I find that quite amusing.

 

What was your newly-gained insight?

 

As to Mjolnir IV, I'd suggest not being so precise about its' vicinity to the Eye of Terror. The exact borders of the Eye would fluctuate, I imagine.

 

I don't see why the chapter is full of ancient marines - or any more full of ancient marines than any other chapter. If they've got scout squads that suggests they're still able to recruit. That means the average age in the chapter wouldn't necessarily sky-rocket.

 

Personally I'm not hugely keen on the 'stuck in the warp-storm' idea to explain away your chapter's quirks.

 

I don't know just how easy it would be to build the sarcophagi, and putting the remains of marines in the 'lesser' sarcophagi seems a bit... off to me. The main priority should be securing and saving the progenoid glands from mutation.

 

It depends how soon after the third founding you want your Nova Wolves to come under suspicion from the Inquisition. The Tau don't really appear in the galaxy until the 41st Millenium, whilst the third founding happens in the 33rd Millenium. Eldar could always be a good replacement. You also don't really give any justification why they're harbouring this xenotetch.

 

I'd suggest that Imperial Guard sanctioned psykers probably aren't enough to help you out. They're not THAT powerful, certainly not as powerful as a Space Marine Librarian. Why not try the Inquisition? They're perfectly equipped to help you out.

 

How could a marine in a dreadnought remove their armour and survive? They're basically life-support machines, as well as walking tanks.

 

If your marines never remove their armour (which I wouldn't necessarily recommend), perhaps their armour should look worn-down and jury-rigged? Battle repairs, armour plates welded on, the like?

 

Perhaps a better idea would be that the Nova Wolves have never removed their armour in front of an outsider since the events of the scourge, leading scholars to speculate what's happened to them?

[Zadkiel]

Well, the newly gained insight was that apparently there has only ever been one second foundin to the Space Wolves (who I was initially basing them one, giving them Trust your battle brothers.)

 

As for the Warp Storm idea, well... I recall in the 40k Rules they discuss how humanity was cut off from the rest of the galaxy by warp storms, and decided that might make a good explanation as to why they couldn't get help.

 

On the subject of Xenotech, wasn't sure when the T'au made an appearance, so will probably have to adjust that to Eldar. As to the why, I reasoned out that by studying xenotech, it went in hand with thier Scions of Mars focus of High Skill techmarines.

 

As to the armour, I didn't know if a Space Marine was placed in his armour inside a Dreadnought, or just placed in there in the buff. As for the differences between the Sarcophogai, I figured that would go along with the differences between taking them as Heavy Support or as Elites for quality. Though you do make a good point about securing the progenoid gland. (i'm still very new, have only been playing for about a year, and half of that has been down time since I couldn't afford to get more stuff due to lack of requisite funds)

 

You also make a valid point on the difference between the Sanctioned Psyker and the Inquisition. I suppose the Ordo Malleus would know better than anyone on how to keep the nasties out of your house.

 

Will make some edits to the post tommorow (am too tired tonight, and going to bed soon) and see if it shapes up a bit.

[Commissar Molotov]

That's quite alright.

 

You're quite correct that there has only been one Space Wolves sucessor chapter, the Wolf Brothers. The chapter mutated and there has never been another Space Wolves successor (officially, anyway).

 

You're also right that the warp storms are often a good explanation for things. The thing is that they're such a good reason that they're almost a clich

[Zadkiel]

The heavy support, non-venerable dreadnoughts are not bad or inferior. It's simply that venerable dreadnoughts are more experienced.

Touche, at the moment its still in the formative stage of how I want to deal with this, it just seemed like a way to explain the differences, since most of the Venerable dreadnoughts would be the oldest and therefore have gotten the "true" dreadnoughts, while the newer brothers would have gotten less durable ones (therefore not getting the statistical benefit of Venerable)

 

 

[qoute]You're also right that the warp storms are often a good explanation for things. The thing is that they're such a good reason that they're almost a clich

[Commissar Molotov]

It's also the wrong time and the wrong side of the galaxy for Tyranids. ;)

[SCC]

It's also the wrong time and the wrong side of the galaxy for Tyranids. :blink:

Helpful fella ain't he? :P

 

Chapter Master Segmund ordered that any Marine of Veteran status who became mortally wounded was to be placed inside any available Dreadnought Sarcophogai, so as to keep the valued knowledge and combat ability of the Marines in service, even if it meant crafting simulacri versions of the revered Dreadnought armour that lacked the ancient potentcy of the true dreadnoughts.

Might I suggest that you take a path similar to the one the Iron Hands are rumoured to take? That is the melding of Marine and armour. Instead of veterans being placed in Dreads or would-be Dreads why not have them placed in a modified form of Terminator Armour (or at least the no quite as badly wounded ones)? With the Scions trait you could argue that the Chapter's artificers and TechMarines have enough skill to upgrade the exisiting life-support systems for the wounded vets inside the bulkier TDA suits. The Marines would be bonded to the suit, unable to survive without it, but they wouldn't need to complete care offered by a Dread sarcophagus. (That said you really shouldn't argue a trait affecting fluff it should be the other way 'round but that's not too hard to fix ;) )

 

It'd also present a cool modelling opportunity, all Termies would need helmets, lots of bionic bits would be cool and maybe a bunch of extra wires, cables, vials, dials and so forth to represent the advanced life support systems.

 

It also allows you to squeeze in Xenotech - perhaps the life support alterations require the use of alien technology...