Knights of the Imperium

[terror bunny]

First of its great to be back in the old stomping ground ;) and now to business -

 

As is well known Space Marines are basically Galactic knights while many chapters have their various themes there are some which adhere to the chivilric ideal more than others (Dark Angels, Black Templars etc) Even still there are no chapters (that i have seen anyways) which are truly "knightly" and so have been thinking of the possability of making such a chapter.

 

 

 

so i have come up with the following for my chapter -

 

Names -

 

Swords of Aristel (Aristel - homeworld?)

Knights Puritain

Astral Templars

Knights Exemplar (not sure if this is taken?)

 

 

Organisation -

 

Grand Master (chapter master)

 

Lord Marshals (Captains)

 

Lords (Veterans)

 

Knights (Tacticals and Bikers)

 

Knights Errant (Assault)

 

Aspirants (Scouts)

 

Seige Train (All h/support - in particular Whirlwinds, Vindicators and Dreadnaughts. No devastators)

 

Tranport (drop pods and rhinos only)

 

Colours -

 

The chapter has no set symbol or colour scheme, instead they bare polished steel armour and as a knight moves up in stature he decorates his armour with gold embelishments such as gold armour plates, inscriptions, trims and the like. once a knight is granted lordship (becomes a vet) then he is allowed to bare the colours, heraldry/coat of arms for his personal household.

 

Traits -

 

Not really sure about traits as of yet with the exception of "Take the Fight to Them" i want all knights (tac marines) to wield ccw weapons and be led by a lord (vet sgt).

I'm considering "Purity above All" for the other trait.

 

Views/Doctrine -

 

The Chapter believes in valour, honour and purity above everything else. They despise ranged combat with the exception of seige warfare. They are elitist and seek to destroy anything that threatens the purity of humanity and the chapter (mutants, abhumans and the like)

They are and utterly assault orientated army even when such tactics are not viable.

 

This is just a brief round up of what ive been thinking on, your thoughts, suggestions etc would be welcome.

 

cheers

TB

[Ferrata]

It's good that you have your theme sorted, but I think you went and sorted out some minor points instead of looking at the bigger picture. You could do with answering these questions-

 

What geneseed are they?

- What founding were they?

- What is their chapter symbol/colour scheme?

- What is their Homeworld like, and what is the culture of the homeworld? (ie is it a Hive World, a Feral World, a Death World etc)

- Where in the Imperium are they based? (It may help define the kind of enemies they face most often.)

- What is their Combat Doctrine like? (do they prefer Close Combat or ranged fighting?)

- What is their Organisation like (do they follow the Codex or are they a bit different?)

- What is their Belief System?

You could think about using a high number of bikes to represent mounted knight's, kind of going for a noble White Scar image. Because your going for such an ancient theme, I think you need to think about how it could become updated for the 40k era. Maybe instead of saying they hate ranged combat in all its form, maybe say they like to see their enemy before shooting them. So things like Whirlwinds/Missile Launchers/Lascannons are frowned upon, but more up close ones are seen as good (under 36").

 

You could consider the BT rules as they have a Knighty theme, and certain features could really kick off the theme.

 

Ferrata

[space wolf]

to further ferrata's point, if they diviate at all from the codex, it might not be a bad idea, to take that drawback (cant remember the name) that says that the marines done use orbital bombardment, therefore they cant use drop pods, or something like that?

[Rune Priest Gribnoor]

I am actually doing the exact same concept right now as you, making a "knight" themed chapter, im working on basics now and was also going to use names like you mentioned.

 

As for symbol, I say have one (to keep up with 40k spacemarine style) then I was thinking make it more decorated like you saided.

 

The thing about rules for army is you can play them many different ways with many different reasons. Myself, I intend on using 'trust your battle brothers' (as in my opinion it strikes a balance between 40k spacemarine-bolter theme and the whole knight-live-by-sword theme also), and "cleanse and purity" (this trait indicates that chapter prefers combat at close range rather then afar, also gives us alterntive options in game play while been fluffy to chapter). Downsides I have yet to choose. Furthermore, my chapter will be a all-drop pod army as it represents the knights preferring to men their foe face to face and I like the idea of an all-drop pod army. It realy comes down to finding a balance between how you want to play the army and what you consider characterful in knights.

 

As for fluffly background, I made my chapter a crusading chapter (they actually lost their homeworld but you get the idea.). If they believe in honour and valour so much I recommend doing something to get that point across. In my chapter history, my chapter had just finished their crusade to prove their worth and arrived at their new homeworld to find it in mid-invasion from tyrannid fleet. A smart chapter would have called it a day and left but my chapter refused to give up on their homeworld (showing their flaw, honour sometimes of what is logical) and dropped onto their homeworld were they slowly lost out trying to defend their doomed world in the name of honour. In the end, re-enforcements come and are able to defeat the now weakened tyrannid fleet and save what is left of the chapter defeating the world. The world was then destoryed and the chapter is still rebuilding its great loses.

 

Something like that which highlights what it beliees in although it might not be the wisest move gives them character and the image you want, depending on how it is written out.

 

Anyhow, please post more when ready, would love to hear about them.

[terror bunny]

Ok, thanks guys. sorry for the lack of info i guess i just needed to get the ball rolling.

 

Well having thought on it and painted a little i've come up with the following -

 

Name - Knights Exemplar

Homeworld - Aristel (Segmentum Solar)

Class - Agri/Feudal/Medieval world.

Geneseed - Not recorded.

Founding - 4th

Chapter Symbol/Colours - No Symbol recorded, colours are Steel. Gold embelishments and heraldric coats of arms for higher ranks.

Doctrine - The chapter favours foolhardy frontal assaults, the majority of Exemplars wield Close Combat weaponry which they favour more than ranged weapons. Even despite the wealth of tactical knowledge imparted to space marines during their induction, the Exemplars stubbornly refuse to change ways. The chapter does maintain heavy weapons and artillery support veichles yet these weapons are only ever deployed during protracted sieges. Fast attack flanking and envelopment tactics are utilised during "open battles" but devastaing "glorius" frontal assaults are still favoured.

 

I'm still working on this just now so i will update later. :unsure:

[Hemal]

Sounds good, but still missing the convincing "hook" just sounds like a group of stubborn and backwards space marines - even the Blavk Templars, with their virtues etc, are not completely close minded to using "alternate" tactics. Why does this chapter favour frontal ( and thus incredibly wasteful) frontal assaults? Why do they hate long-ranged weaponry (which in a marine army is incredibly fast anbd mobile)? I'd see Land Riaders like really heavy cavalry, or perhaps a modern-day dragoon - the fighting soliders ride to battle in a land-raider and dismount to provide fire-support - perhaps all devestator units must bbe mounted in Land Riaders? (self-imposed limit..)

[terror bunny]

I dunno, perhaps i'm looking for something that is already staring me in the face (Black Templars). There is massive potential for a wide varity of heraldry within a BT army and they have seriously cool fluff to boot.... :rolleyes:

[Hemal]

Don't think of it as a defeat - be a little introspective - what differentiates your chapter and makes it truly unique? Maybe the use of bike mounted hussars? You could plan the army along the lines of a WHite Scars theme, though with suitable traits to model the chivalry aspect. That way also, frontal assaults aren't quite so grim, it's not like a beserk charge across the battlefield Khorne stylee, it's more a lightning assault at a weakpoint in the enemy line..

 

Just try to expand on your own ideas more, do some research on the real knightly order - the black Templars are heavily drawn from the Templar orders of the Holy Land and teh Teutonic Knights of the northern Germanic kingdoms. Maybe your chapter could be based more on Arthurian legend or the grand army of France (before they got whittled down at Agincourt <_< ). Or even choose for example the Kshatriya class from the Indian subcontinent as inspiration? I dunno, just delve a bit more, and create a truly convincing and unique chapter, that way you aren't applying the cookie cutter thing. I can see what you are trying to do, it has great merit, stick to your guns and avoid donning that black armour if you can :o

[terror bunny]

Well i have in the past few months been researching my family Coat of Arms (which dates back to 1296) and have a good knowledge of chivalric heraldry aswell as a good knowledge the Holy Orders - Knights Templar, Knights Hospitaller, Knights of Santiago and the Tuetonic Knights.

It was because of the above knowledge that i wished to create such and army.

 

Ok, so instead of blurting out my ideas in an incoherant babble, i have decided to re-style them abit. I will start of with a plain codex template and work them up from that.

 

Knights Exemplar Adeptus Astartes Chapter

 

Founding -

The Knights Exemplar Chapter were created as part of a move by the High Lords to bolster Imperial Forces throughout the galaxy and allow the still open wounds of the Horus Heresy to heal. This move has become more commonly known as the 4th founding.

 

Homeworld -

The small, backward planet of Aristel situated with the Segmentum Solar was selected during the 4th founding as a prime site for founding of a new Astartes Chapter. Living in a feudalistic society the people of Aristel seemed to be caught in a medieval age, Monarchs ruled the main continents under the supervision of what appeared to be the remnants of the Imperial Church.

The aspiration to knighthood seemed to be the driving force for a great many of the male population and their devotion to honourable and chivalric codes could have been compared to the dedication of space marines. They knightly orders of Aristel were viewed as potential high quality recruits and work began in earnest to screen as many as possible to asertain their suitability to become space marines.

It was found that very few rejected their implants and were fierce in the desire to prove themselves worthy, The Apothecaries were pleased with the level of purity found in the Exemplars and the piousness was barely containable. It is thought by many that the Exemplars could not have a more deserving name.

 

Geneseed -

No Record can be found within Imperial archives of which Geneseed is used by the Knights Exemplar, however it is possible that the chapter itself or atleast the higher echelons of the chapter might know from which Primarch they were born. Observations of the chapters rituals show that they do not venerate any of the Primarchs as other chapters do, instead they give praise only to the Emperor.

 

Chapter Colours -

The chapter apparently bares no standard colours other than polished steel, however the highest ranks and veterans of the chapter paint their armour in the livery of their personal households. Codex Insignia is still used by their respective squads.

 

Tactical Doctrine -

The Knights Exemplar were founded under the dictates of the codex astartes and still follow it to this day, They are willing to utilise all weapons at their disposal and to the greatest effect. Yet old habits die hard and so the chapter is constantly drawn to the glory of close combat, this impetuous desire has been known to cause tension with allied Imperial forces.

 

Organisation -

The Exemplars are a codex chapter and as such they maintain their companies and chapter as the codex dictates, the only exception to this is that while other space marines chapters create strike forces made up of different companies the Exemplars form "Strike Crusades" which operate along different lines.

Strike Crusades are not only designed to attack enemy forces, they also act as long term expeditionary forces tasked with the recovery of ancient relics or the securing of "holy" planets.

 

Beliefs -

The higher ranks of the Knights Exemplar have deemed that knowledge of the chapters primarch should be privilaged information and that the mainstray of the chapter are encouraged to praise only the Emperor to ensure that Exemplars exude nothing more than absolute loyalty and devotion.

 

Battle Cry -

"Let faith be our armour!"

 

So is this any better guys? i know it needs more work but is it a step in the right direction?

[Hemal]

Definitely - good scene setting, I like the general vagueness. Maybe bring in something from the Mechwarrior universe and have each Knight of rank holding a blood-name or similar, which is given and the marine retains that blood-name until he dies...it is then passwed on with the ponply/heraldry associated with it to his successor. That way a Veretan Sarge counld have his own heraldry, as could a Captain etc, which is retained and maybe embellished as he progresses through the rans