Confessors

[The_Chaplain]

Okay, it's been a while but i really want to reopen this IA article and start again. the old fluff just wasn't cutting the mustard. What with 5th edition and a boat load of new goodies coming out, I figured this was as good a time as any, so i can update this IA alongside my tabletop minis. So, i've eagerly started rewriting my IA article (usually during lecture, shame on me :blink: ) for your perusal, tell me what you think!

 

This is going to be a intensive project, and with any luck youll be seeing an army blog in the PC&A to go along with this wip IA very soon.

 

[center; background-image:url(http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/hq2.gif); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-position: 8px 2px; padding: 12px 8px 12px 8px; border: 1px solid #DDD; margin-left: 0 auto; text-align: left; color: #fff; text-indent:50px; font-size:130%; width:50%;">The Confessors

 

"Confess! Your hour is at hand!"[/center]

 

 

++Chapter Founding++: 21st

 

++Chapter Master++: Oberon.

 

++Chapter Symbol++: flames engulfing a skull (shoulderpad), chapter banners carry a similar motif.

 

++Chapter Colors++:

3rd company sergeant colors

The Confessors were created using Imperial fist genestock during the recent 26th founding. Aside from the non-functioning sus-an membrane and betcher's gland in all Imperial Fists, the Confessors' gene stock has not deviated in any way so far, but the secrecy of the chapter in recent campaigns have given rise to rumors of genetic, and spiritual impurity in the chapter. As such, the Confessors are being eyed carefully by the Adeptus Biologis, Ecclesiarchy, and in recent months, even the Inquisition.

 

The Confessors, in their centuries of service to the Imperium have committed themselves to dozens of urbanized warfare campaigns, and as such has refined its combat doctrine around city fighting. As such, the chapter makes heavy usage of vehicles as a means of mobile assault, transport and cover. Tactical squads are consistently broken down into smaller combat units; a unit based around heavy weapons platforms (traditionally deployed in cover) and a combat squad, the latter being the forward most armoured infantry mounted in a razorback or drop pod. Ordnance support delivered from the chapters various vindicators, whirlwinds and thunderfire cannon batteries simultaneously clears the path for these units, and lays down a barrage of anti-infantry shelling in near orchestrated salvos.

As such, close quarters combat is eschewed amongst the chapter, as it is believed that failure to kill the enemy with ranged fire speaks poorly of a marine's bolter and ordnance drills. Still, most sergeants are awarded a ceremonial power fist upon their promotion; power weapons are rarely artificed among the chapter as the symbolism of a death's hand (Confessor's power fists are often designed with white or off white "skeletal" fingers) ensure each blow is fatal, albeit slower.

 

The Confessors attempt to maintain the chapter structure laid out in Guilliman's Codex Astartes, and has done so for the most part since the inception of the chapter. Over time however, deviations from the norm have arisen; for example, the usage of jump pack infantry has fallen out of favor amongst the chapter after the events of the Udel Campaign* as such the formerly designated assault marines have been solely assigned the task of crewing the chapter's bikes and land speeders, as well as perform high speed objective seizing alongside the tactical units, adding to the bodies on the ground.

 

The Confessors, who as of <insert imperial date here> are operating at 60% capacity, have also begun to employ the use of camoflauge amongst certain units, as a means of reducing casualties in the field, as well as protecting their motor pool. While the use of camoflauge is generally assumed to be of a "cowardly" nature by other chapters, most notably by their parent legion the Imperial Fists, the Confessors have elected to undergo less costly warfare, albeit sometimes at a more drawn out pace. The results of which have been favorable, and even their Primogenitor legion have given a nod to the Confessors' campaigns as of late.

 

Also noted amongst these deviations is the organization and modus operandi of the first company. First company veterans are typically trained in the use and maintenance of a chapter's relics, amongst those the revered Tactical dreadnaught armor- however, amongst the Confessors these elite veterans feel that terminator armor is too valuable to be used in everyday battle, lest it fall into enemy hands or destroyed. As such, the chapter master decides when the cherised terminator armor may be used, even then under certain conditions (such as bringing back the head of the ork warboss or daemon prince). Instead of terminator armor, the veterans began to practice with the chapter's expertly crafted combi-bolters and specialist ammunition, and have since reformed into the chapter's inner cadre, referred to as the tomb guard*. This tomb guard is composed of the 10 companies captains, chaplains, chosen veteran soldiers, librarians and dreadnaughts (whom are kept within the hall of the fallen, at least one dreadnaught is woken for their sagely wisdom in every meeting of the guard) .

These tomb guard serve as a chapter council and alongside the chapter master decide upon the strategy to be used in any given campaign. These meetings are conducted within the chapter flagship's innermost chambers- the mausoleum for the honored dead.

The speed at which a replacement is found should a member of the guard be killed is almost as if they dissappear overnight, as well as the general nature of the tomb guard has led to a feeling of mysticism amongst the battle brother's of a chosen's company, as that marine is rarely seen again, and if they are-- they are hardly recognizable, the marines armor having been swapped for ornate plate bedecked in furs, chains and most notably a funeral shroud; they are to all intents and purposes a walking dead to the battle brothers.

 

The religious structure of the Confessors space marine chapter is rumored to be an amalgamation of tribal ritual and imperial dogma; with a deep rooted belief that the power of the Emperor and Death are the only two universal constants. The chapter, which venerates the Emperor have come to believe that He is a deity of both death and rebirth, and according to the prophecies of the shamanistic chapter librarians, the pinnacle of his power will come to fruition when he passes from the mortal coil atop the golden throne and will be reborn into the cosmos as the U'har, taken from the Agoyen language translates to "fire child that leads", before leading the Imperium on a final crusade against the Ruinous Powers.

When such prophecies came to light within the inner order of the chapter, much deliberation ensued, before the chapter as a whole decided to set out on their most holy of work in renewed vigor-- cleansing the galaxy of filth, this time under new directives. To clear the way for the U'har's return to holy Terra, in preperation for the final crusade.

 

When a world is brought to compliance by the Confessors, a victory pyre is erected on the world- it's fire burns in hopes that the Emperor will feel its cleansing heat through the ether, and hasten his transition into his spiritual rebirth.

 

The Confessors fortress monastery, the Mausoleum, lies atop the mountain ranges of the backwater planet of Agoye, located in the Segmentum Pacificus.

The planet, covered in wetlands and low lying fields and subject to winters of intense cold, gave birth to two warring civilizations, a early colonial-esque power, and a tribal band which inhabited the wetlands.

At first, the Confessors payed no mind to the warring states below, taking time to prepare for oncoming crusades, but over time the chapters' collective eye was drawn downward. The colonial power was evolving technologically at an advanced rate, while the more feral band remained at the same technologic level. Upon investigation by a unit of scouts they concluded that the colonial power had outside influence in their technological advances, although who, or what, was giving them this leg up remained a mystery.

Fearing the worst, the Confessors decided to intervene in this armed conflict, sending the scouts as emissaries to the tribal group, rigging ammunition with explosives in the colonial camp and when necessary, using deadly force. Within days, the selected scouts and members of the tribal band began communication with one another, and were led to the primitives' basecamp-- the remains of an imperial colony.

Deciding to work in tandem, the scouts of the 10th company and the Agoyen natives quickly overthrew the colonial power on the shores of Agoy.

After weeks of sabotage, it became evident that the colonial group was on the verge of breaking, as they could be seen building transport vessels for sea travel.

Although colonial attacks occured, the invaders were quickly repelled; giving the confessors and the agoyen natives ample time to begin communications with one another, and over time the planet was brought back into compliance with the Imperium, sending word of this discovery to Imperial beaureaus so planetary tithes could begin. Deciding to capitalize on the opportunity, the chapter master, Oberon began negotiations with the agoyen's chieftain; in the hopes that the Confessors could recruit from the hearty warrior stock. It was in M ______ that the first of the Agoyens joined the confessors, and shortly thereafter their rituals and beliefs were beginning to emerge within the ranks and file of the chapter's whole.

Confessoria! hora ad manus! (confess! the hour is at hand!)

Edited February 16, 2009 by The_Chaplain

[Barret]

Okay, I feel obligated to post what I have fluff wise on the B&C, now that I have seen stuff like the Sons of Dagda, even though i feel it isn't comparable.

 

Yay me! Uh...I mean...*cough* Thank you! ;) Seriously though, that's a collaborative project between myself and TheDeinonychus, and many hands make light work.

 

++Chapter Name++: Confessors (named for evangelical priests of olde)

++Chapter Founding++: 26th

++Chapter Master++: Uriel

++Chapter Symbol++: http://store.us.games-workshop.com/storefr...32250&orignav=9 (this design, but with a Capitol C on the forehead of the skull, explained below)

++Chapter Colors++: Black Armor, with Red Trimmed shoulder pads w/ Black Fields (insides). The Helmets and chapter symbol are both (paint wise) SW's grey, also, since they are death obsessed all the power fists in the army are painted to look like skeletal hands. (SW grey fingers in a black casing)

++Chapter Geneseed++: Imperial Fists/Black Templar

++Chapter Battlecry++: Memento Mori! (translation: remember that you will die!)

++Chapter Homeworld++: Purgatory (A world with a oceanic upper hemisphere and Volcanic lower)

++Traits++: See, but don't be seen and suffer not the work of heretics with the Eye to eye and (forget name) disadvantage that has No Drop Pods.

 

Can't say I have any issues here. Good idea for the chapter symbol/badge; using a pre-existing moulded shoulderpad will make your life a lot easier come painting time. A box of WHFB Skeletons will probably yield a lot of useful bitz for you, too.

 

The no-droppods Disadvantage is Die Standing.

 

Your paint scheme sounds good. SW Grey is very blue, though, and not very bone-like (which is what I'm guessing you're going for). What about using Bleached Bone or Rotting Flesh, kind of like these:

 

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y36/ElcidBarret/Confessors1.gifhttp://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y36/ElcidBarret/Confessors2.gif

 

Personally, I like the Rotting Flesh.

 

++Fluff (so far)++: The confessors were once a crusade of the Black Templars space marine chapter. 309 years before the 26th founding, the noble warriors engaged in battle against the dread forces of chaos, and suffered heavy losses. During a funereal service, held on the mausoleum world of Ceres III, they were attacked by a Word Bearers CSM force, led by a Chaos Lord named Zaphikel. Zaphikel ordered his psykers to summon daemons to aid them in battle, but for psychological reasons, wanted them summoned into the bodies of the fallen BT warriors! (let's face it, having to destroy the reanimated bodies of brothers you fought alongside for hundreds of years is pretty messed up). Still, the marines picked up arms and with chainsword and bolter, drove the WB's back.

Uriel, the Marshal of the crusade, contacted the then High Marshal (forgive me BT's i forget the name of Helbrecht's predecessor) and requested a penitent crusade, to make up for the atrocity they had committed. The High Marshal granted them the request under the following conditions "destroy 100 traitors for every marine lost/ (relost)", the HM had them resupplied and the marines set off. After 309 years, those under Uriel's command completed the crusade assigned to them and contacted the HM. Only, in that time he had been replaced by Helbrecht. Believed to have been lost in the warp, the crusaders had been replaced, not only that-- but when Uriel informed those in charge of their crusade they were cast out.

Fuelled by pain, regret and the feeling of betrayal, Uriel took the crusade to the next level of command-- The Ecclesiarchy. From there he petitioned the High Lords of Terra to fight again as a new SM chapter. The appeal was granted and in the 26th founding, the Confessors SM chapter was created.

To be honest, I'm not too keen on this. You've got some excellent events and ideas here, and the theme you're going for is very clear, however.

 

I think you could just drop the Black Templar connection entirely, for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it doesn't really serve any purpose. Secondly, a 'lost' contingent of Marines wouldn't be allowed to form their own Chapter, they'd either be reabsorbed into the main Chapter or (if they were tainted) purged.

 

You can use the same basic storyline, but instead of it happening to a Black Templar Crusade, it's a new Chapter that is beset by a necromantic Dark Apostle and in the aftermath, the Chapter goes to the Ecclesiarchy and/or Inquisition for support and then becomes involved with the Ordo Hereticus or Malleus.

 

++Tactical Doctrine++: The Confessors have adopted a different fighting style then the BT's. Where as the BT's are assault oriented in every respect, the Confessors leave this to the assault marines. In fact, the Confesssors have gone into a Codex template, with the exceptions of 1) Terminator armor is EXTREMELY limited (20 suits) and so Assault Marines are the true "veterans" of the army. 2) Tactical Squads are trained in stealth and tankbusting (this is where the traits come in) 3) No Librarians exist in the Confessors army, so Chaplains serve both roles <my way of explaining all the chaplains I own LOL> 4) The Confessors enjoy allying themselves with other armies they feel worthy of (Salamanders SM's, and the Hereticus and Malleus Ordos of the Inquisiton mainly). Although they dislike the psyker, the Confessors do not refuse to ally with them, as they feel that psychic ability is another form of blessing from the most blessed Emperor.

 

This I like. What I'm guessing from what you've said, your Tac Squads move ahead of the battle line to pin down the enemy and deal with armour, while the Assault elements move in to engage in close combat. Also, good use of fluff to explain using a particular troop-type. Interesting dichotomy not using any pyskers among their own ranks but not refusing to fight alongside them.

 

If you want your Assault Squads to be your real 'Veterans', why not use Blessed Be The Warriors so that you can take Assault Squads as Elites with Furious Charge?

 

 

Keep up the good work.

 

Cheers,

 

Barret

[Crimson Wyvern]

Its really cool. I like the fact that you used the black templars but you pulled off a believable circumstance. Very believable really. That must have been horrible fighting your brothers..but knowing they were possesed I would have rid them of the misery as they did. Why are they called the conffessors exactly? And the symbol looks cool. Although the colors seem...a bit overused Its fine with me because thats what color the Crimson Wyverns are. Although psykers don't really seem very cool story wise for me, I'm REALLY good with them in game terms so, just remember that having 7 force weapon attacks can be sweet (might of heroes). So, just lettin you know. I'd like to see this scheme on a marine or picture with their symbol they sound really cool so keep up with the good work.

[The_Chaplain]

+deleted+ Edited October 7, 2008 by The_Chaplain

[FuriousFerret]

++Chapter Symbol++: http://store.us.games-workshop.com/storefr...32250&orignav=9 (this design, but with a Capitol C on the forehead of the skull, explained below)

 

What a capital idea! :)

seriously though, it will look great. That skull icon is cool.

 

BE ADVISED, however, that the range of metal shoulder pads is sized for an earlier edition of the game/miniature range, before Space Marines got additional growth hormone implants. What I'm saying is that the pads are noticably smaller (slighter, shorter) than current pads and IMHO will look odd on current-edition models.

 

in THIS THREAD some friendly B&C'ers suggested ways of biggerizing the metal pads. I eventually decided to consider the money I spent on those small pads lost, a lesson in the cruel ways of the very unformative GW online store.

 

good luck!

[The_Chaplain]

+deleted+ Edited October 7, 2008 by The_Chaplain

[Ferrata]

As Barrett suggested, drop the Black Templars from the story, it isn't needed and doesn't add to the chapter. Make it a new chapter which had the bad luck of fighting their brothers. Their CM then Confesses and takes his chapter on the crusade. Simple.Good.

[The_Chaplain]

+deleted+ Edited October 7, 2008 by The_Chaplain

[The_Chaplain]

+deleted+ Edited October 7, 2008 by The_Chaplain

[Brother Tyler]

created during the 26th founding, the Confessors were created to combat chaos warbands and defend the planet Purgatory in the ____ ______ sector.

While Chapters will automatically defend the planet upon which they are based, Space Marine Chapters aren't created to defend individual planets unless those planets are supremely important. The more reasonable explanation would be that Chaos activity in the (unnamed) sector had increased and the Chapter was based therein in order to combat the Chaos forces. Alternately, you have to come up with a good reason for the planet Purgatory to need an entire Chapter of Space Marines created specifically for its protection.

 

During their first battle, the first company suffered minor losses (6 marines) and returned to their homeworld to conduct funerary rights for the fallen. During the ceremonies they were attacked by the Word Bearers who used the bodies of the dead marines as "payment" to summon a large group of daemons to aide them. Never being ones to back down the Confessors retaliated, driving the WBs off and sending the daemons back to the warp. During the fighting, the Confessors fortress monastery was damaged by mass defiler shelling, scorching the fortresses exterior to a filthy black (which led to it's rebuilding and renaming as "the Blackstone Chapel")...

This piques my curiousity. How did the Word Bearers get involved? Who were the enemies in the actual first battle (in which the six battle-brothers were killed)? Did the Word Bearers orchestrate the entire first battle in order to draw the Chapter away from its homeworld (and get access to Purgatory)? Was the Chapter at full strength? How many battle-brothers were involved in the first battle? If only a portion of the Chapter participated in the first battle, where was everyone else?

 

A big issue I see is that the Word Bearers brought enough Defilers to blacken the entire fortress monastery and damage it to the point where it needed to be rebuilt, yet the Confessors suffered "minimal" casualties in repelling the traitors. This is inconsistent. If there were a large number of Defilers, there were likely a very large number of Confessor casualties in the fighting. They may have succeeded in the end, but a battle against Defilers is never easy (from both a fluff and game perspective).

 

Casualties, although minimal, hurt the Chapter Masters pride-- and so he declared that the chapter as a whole would have to embark on a penitent crusade to atone for their vulnerability on that day. He decreed that the marines would have to kill 100 heretics each, before they would be forgiven in his eyes. Although the chapter has completed this crusade, they continue to wage war in the name of the emperor-- destroying the forces of chaos to the exclusion of every other army.

This is the big issue I see. If anything, the Chapter Master should have felt guilt at his own bad decision/planning in leaving the homeworld vulnerable. A fledgling Chapter that suffers "minimal" casualties against traitor Space Marines and daemons and Defilers has nothing to be ashamed of. If the Word Bearers came with enough force that they thought they might actually destroy a Chapter's fortress monastery, the battle would be hard-fought. A more likely reaction on the part of the Chapter Master would be a self-imposed exile/suicide quest to atone for his poor judgment.

 

If you don't like this, though, the "100 heretics" needs to be considered. Do you mean 100 Chaos Space Marines, or 100 of any type of heretics? A penitent quest requiring each battle-brother to kill 100 Chaos Space Marines would likely result in the Chapter suffering very heavy casualties. 100 of any type of heretic, on the other hand, would be relatively easy. All the Chapter would have to do would be to find some rebellious planet or sector and purge purge purge. Did the Chapter embark on this penitent crusade alone, or did they join up with some other Imperial forces? Regardless, this would be a major event and should be fleshed out a bit.

 

The last sentence implies that the Chapter fights only Chaos. If that's your intent, fine (although it would be problematic to justify). If it's not your intent, consider re-wording it.

 

++Tactical Doctrine++: The Confessors have adopted a unique fighting style . They specialize in urbanized siege warfare <cityfighting> and the assault marines swoop in for mop-up detail "the guided scalpel technique"

The Confesssors have gone into a Codex template, with the exceptions of 1) Terminator armor is EXTREMELY limited (20 suits in the entire chapter) and so Assault Marines are the true "veterans" of the army. 2) Tactical Squads are trained in stealth and tankbusting (this is where the SBDBS comes in) 3) No Librarians exist in the Confessors army, so Chaplains serve both roles <my way of explaining all the chaplains I own LOL> 4) The Confessors enjoy allying themselves with other armies they feel worthy of (Salamanders SM's, and the Hereticus and Malleus Ordos of the Inquisiton mainly). Although they dislike the psyker, the Confessors do not refuse to ally with them, as they feel that psychic ability is another form of blessing from the most blessed Emperor.

Based on the limitations you've described, why didn't you go with Aspire to Glory as your major drawback? It fits perfectly with the 26th Founding and the extreme shortage of terminator armour.

 

Do you want your Tactical Squads to be stealthy or to bust tanks? Unless you drop Blessed Be the Warriors, you can't have both. You'd need Suffer Not the Works of Heretics in order to get the tank busting you describe.

 

When you mention that the Chapter will ally with any armies they feel worthy of, what do you mean? Implicit in your subsequent listing is that the Chapter considers only one other Chapter of Space Marines, the Salamanders, as being a Chapter they can ally with. What discriminates the Salamanders from the other Chapters? Personally, I'd suggest dropping this entire bit (#4).

 

If the Chapter considers psykers to be blessed by the Emperor, why wouldn't they allow them within their ranks? There is inconsistency in not allowing Librarians within the Chapter while not having any problem with psykers. Consider revising the reason for this - perhaps a slight mutation in the gene-seed renders it incompatible with psykers, so all psyker aspirants fail the process and die. Alternately, if you have this only because you don't have any Librarians in your army, drop the idea altogether. Just because your army doesn't include any psykers doesn't mean that the Chapter has to have no psykers within its ranks.

[Darrell]

Odd, I had just yesterday considered making a Loyalist version of the Word Bearers, because it's ironic how that blind religious fervor, unwavering commitment to faith, and pure zealotry would make them the perfect Chapter today but made them traitors 10,000 years ago. Seems someone beat me to it, though.

 

For your explanation on why there are no Librarians; if a Chapter's homeworld showed no tendency to psychic ability (It has happened), Chapters often turn to another Imperial organization (Whose name I forget but I believe they just pick up young psykers and train them) and implant them with their geneseed instead. So, I think the problem shouldn't be that no one has displayed psychic potential (Since they have other means to get them), but should either be they dislike psykers, or there is a flaw in the geneseed. Perhaps the geneseed actually negates a psyker's ability to tap the Warp, which would explain why no one they had recruited showed psyker potential. This would also lead to all kinds of eyebrows getting raised in their direction. On the other hand, perhaps the geneseed makes the psyker go psychotic for whatever reason, and thus they always have to be put down.

 

I would list some other Chapters besides the Salamanders and Inquisition you're willing to work with though, especially since the Inquisition and Salamanders are not on the best of terms (I believe the Inquisition looks on the Promethean Cult as being heretical; see the Emperor's Shield IA article for what I mean).

 

A holy war with the Word Bearers is something I was thinking about pursuing myself, but I think you need to delve into it more, especially with the invasion of their homeplanet. And I agree with Tyler that the Chapter themselves have no fault with the battle, it was the Chapter's leadership that faultered and that is where the blame would/should fall.

[st.germaine]

Something that I've found about using the old pads with the new figures is as has been stated, they are smaller than the current pads. Visually this is not a problem as the difference is not that great. Yes, you can tell - if you're looking for it. Is it distracting in an army? Not in the least. I've got over 2000 points of Loyalist Emperors Children and nearly every figure has the old EC pewter shoulder pad. No one has ever commented on the disparity in pad sizes.

 

There is something that you will want to keep in mind. On the newer figures the rounded structure on the top of the arm that the pad is glued to is slightly larger than the interior curvature of the old pewter pads. Placing the closed jaws of a pair of needle-nosed pliers inside of the pad and slowly opening the pliers a small amount while holding the pad in place, will open the pad sufficiently to accept the curvature of the newer shoulders without damaging the pad.

 

 

(forgot to comment about the color)

While I think that Rotting Flesh or Bleached Bone might look better, Space Wolf Grey might be appropriate for someone who paints skelatons in the more white/gray scheme reminiscent of old movies or Halloween decorations instead of the weathered bone / rotting flesh look that the other colors hint at.

Edited November 3, 2006 by st.germaine

[Commissar Molotov]

Hey, Darrell; one of my influences when making the Castigators was to make them 'loyalist Word Bearers'. It was certainly part of my design aesthetic, and you can see the Word Bearers and the Castigators as two very opposite poles of faith. In many senses, the Castigators and these Confessors would be very alike.

[Superknijn]

I like your fluff, it's well-though out.

About the Librarians.....

Maybe your Space Marines have developed an unfortunate mutation that only allows one-way warp tinkering; they can be affected by it, but they can't affect it themselves.

This makes them an anti-thesis to Chaos, and even more so the Daemon-spawning Word Bearers, and would even more fuel their hate, and could explain why the WB attacked them in the first place.

(These mortals have no capabilities to serve our Gods, and so must be eradicated!)

[The_Chaplain]

started the revision of this IA, its going to be radically different from the first draft I posted here2 years ago (!!)-- so please, C&C is welcomed and appreciated! :) Edited October 7, 2008 by The_Chaplain

[Vash113]

++Origins++

It is said that in every herd, a black sheep will eventually be born; and this is true of the Confessors space marine chapter. Created from the noble geneseed of Rogal Dorn's Imperial Fists, the brothers of the Confessors are known for their steadfast resolve in the heat of combat, (though some may argue it has stemmed from a pig headed stubborness) as well as their utilization of siege warfare.

On the opposite side of the coin, the Confessor's refusal to ally themselves with most chapters during a campaign and their general morbid disposition have given rise to dark rumors regarding the chapter.

 

Reminds me of the Mortifactors some, perhaps more stern than especially morbid... maybe...

 

++Geneseed++ The Confessors were created using Imperial fist genestock during the infamous "13th cursed founding". Aside from the non-functioning sus-an membrane and betcher's gland in all Imperial Fist successor chapters, the Confessors gene stock has deviated from that of Rogal Dorn's in one peculiar way.

Unlike many of the 13th founding chapters that underwent extreme physical mutation such as knife like protrusions of the black dragons the inherent mutation of the confessors is of a more subtle breed. The Occulobe, the implant that allows an adult marine to see under intense conditions becomes taxed, eventually ceasing function. The marines eyes, which have become accustomed to the improved sight then have to work with doubled effort- resulting in retinal strain, visions of phantasmagorial beings out of the corner of the eye and for some unfortunate marines, blindness in one or both of their eyes.

Although this genetic defect can be corrected with optical bionics, it nevertheless is a burden to the chapter and it's morale as many of their greatest heroes have succumbed to the genetic flaw only to be felled in the midst of combat while firing blindly.

As it stands now, roughly 60% of the chapter has some manner of optical implant; though to outside chapters it is believed the marines undergo these surgeries as many Confessors prefer to fight without protective helmets.

 

The eyesight thing is curious but if I recall correctly the 21st Founding was the Cursed Founding. Let me see, ah yes here: http://uk.games-workshop.com/spacemarines/cursed/1/

 

++Combat Doctrine++

The Confessors, in their decades of service to the Imperium have committed themselves to dozens of urbanized warfare campaigns, and as such has refined its combat doctrine around city fighting. As such, the chapter makes heavy usage of vehicles as a means of mobile assault, transport and cover. Tactical squads are consistently broken down into smaller combat units; a "longsight" unit based around heavy weapons platforms and a " ", squad, the latter being the forward most armoured infantry mounted in a razorback or drop pod.

 

"Flush" or "Advance" units or something? Not a bad idea though and an increasingly common tactic now. Oddly enough I did that under 4th occasionally with two seperate units though, Combat Squads makes it a lot easier.

 

Close quarters combat is eschewed amongst the chapter, as it is believed that failure to kill the enemy with ranged fire speaks poorly of a marine's bolter and ordnance drills. Still, most sergeants are awarded a ceremonial power fist upon their promotion; power weapons are rarely artificed among the chapter as the symbolism of a death's hand (Confessor's power fists are often designed with white or off white "skeletal" fingers) ensure each blow is fatal, albeit slower.

 

Love the skull power fists but are there some Battle Brothers that despite the stigma against Close Combat still have a relish for it?

 

++Organization++

The Confessors attempt to maintain the chapter structure laid out in Guilliman's Codex Astartes, and has done so for the most part since the inception of the chapter. Over time however, deviations from the norm have arisen; for example, the usage of jump pack infantry has fallen out of favor amongst the chapter after the events of the Udel Campaign* as such the formerly designated assault marines have been solely assigned the task of crewing the chapter's bikes and land speeders, as well as perform high speed objective seizing alongside the tactical units, adding to the bodies on the ground.

 

Curious, but what happened in the Udel Campaign to make the Chapter eschew Assault Squads so much?

 

Most noted amongst these deviations however is the organization and modus operandi of the first company. First company veterans are typically trained in the use and maintenance of a chapter's relics, amongst those the revered Tactical dreadnaught armor- however, amongst the Confessors these elite veterans feel that terminator armor is too valuable to be used in battle, lest it fall into enemy hands, and instead practice with the chapter's expertly crafted combi-bolters and specialist ammunition, and have since reformed into the chapter's inner cadre, referred to as the tomb guard* This tomb guard is composed of the 10 companies captains, chaplains, veteran soldiers, librarians and dreadnaughts (whom are kept within the meeting chamber to be awoken for every meeting of the guard) .

These tomb guard serve as a chapter council and alongside the chapter master decide upon the strategy to be used in any given campaign. These meetings are conducted within the chapter flagship's innermost chambers- the mausoleum for the honored dead.

The speed at which a replacement is found should a member of the guard be found (almost if they dissappear overnight) as well as the general nature of the tomb guard has led to a feeling of mysticism amongst the battle brother's of a chosen's company, as that marine is rarely seen again, and if they are-- they are hardly recognizable, the marines armor having been swapped for ornate plate bedecked in furs, chains and most notably a funeral shroud; they are to all intents and purposes a walking dead to the battle brothers.

 

I'm a little confused by this namely the bolded part. Do you mean "should a member of the guard be killed" or what? Its interresting though, a mix of Deathwing and Death Shroud sort of stuff. Not sure about the funeral shroud thing though that might be a bit too "Poe Emoesque" but then again if thats what your going for I suppose it could work.

 

Overall a nice start to work off of, needs a lot of flushing out and details but the base isn't bad. Honestly I always preferred the more zealous background and the whole anti Word Bearers thing. Ever considered having the Tomb Guard as more of a Mantis Warriors Mantidae-esque elite corps or something?

[The_Chaplain]

oop, good eye there vash, corrected that little typo.

 

I'm planning on fleshing out the reasoning behind the burial shroud later in the IA (in the chapter history) but this is the basic jist of it: the chapter's homeworld was tribal in origin, the Confessors wound up intervening on the planet and saving its inhabitants. These natives, who had based their society around a death worshipping religion believed the confessors to be figures in their legends. when the chapter established a base on the world, they would occassionally find "offerings" left on the mountain side by the natives. Over ensuing decades, the natives and confessors established a relationship and the strongest of the young warriors were sent to the confessors monastery for recruitment-- as was the custom of the tribe, the boys were sent to the monastery with a burial showl/shroud-- under the belief they were to pass from the mortal realm.

 

Im gonna pan this out farther, but tradgedy is gonna befall this planet, and basically the life is going to be obliterated from it. The chapter stays in orbit above it in their giant fortress monastery, basically like a tombstone for the planet they failed to defend. These shrouds that were collected in the chapters history have basically become the symbol of the tomb guard.

 

Ever considered having the Tomb Guard as more of a Mantis Warriors Mantidae-esque elite corps or something?

yeah, definently something to ponder.

 

I always preferred the more zealous background and the whole anti Word Bearers thing.

I liked it too, and im gonna try and rework it into the fluff-- but im not too sure about word bearers, maybe chaos in general, I dunno. Always plenty of time to kick this around and hammer the details out.

 

but if I recall correctly the 21st Founding was the Cursed Founding

oop, i stand corrected, thanks for that one. Man, i'm just batting a thousand today .... :ermm:

 

Love the skull power fists but are there some Battle Brothers that despite the stigma against Close Combat still have a relish for it?

hmm, hadn't thought of that, definently something to consider, as it would make for an interesting bit o' fluff.

 

Curious, but what happened in the Udel Campaign to make the Chapter eschew Assault Squads so much?

was thinking along the lines of entrenched traitor marines sprung a trap and basically blasted them out of the sky. heavy casualties without some given back to the traitor marines would put a bad taste in the chapter's mouth. Although i may very well just change it to the chapter likes to have bodies on the ground rather than in the air, and add to the mechanized feel.

 

well, now that the first dose of c&c's arrived I can start revising this. expect some updates in the next day or so, in the meantime feel free to pick this IA apart :P

Edited October 8, 2008 by The_Chaplain

[Vash113]

For coding check out this article: http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/index.p...;showarticle=42

[The_Chaplain]

<insert shameless self bump of my thread>

 

okay, touched up on the IA a little, and added the breaks to make it easier to read (hopefully).

 

10/9/08 also added the very WIP beliefs part of the IA, which is going to be the hardest part to write in my opinion.

 

 

please, comments and criticism are welcomed and i'd greatly appreciate some- thanks for the kind words so far Vash.

[Vash113]

Unlike many of the 13th founding chapters that underwent extreme physical mutation such as knife like protrusions of the black dragons the inherent mutation of the confessors is of a more subtle breed.

 

Another one needs switching to 21.

 

Combat Doctrine

The Confessors, in their decades of service to the Imperium have committed themselves to dozens of urbanized warfare campaigns, and as such has refined its combat doctrine around city fighting. As such, the chapter makes heavy usage of vehicles as a means of mobile assault, transport and cover. Tactical squads are consistently broken down into smaller combat units; a "longsight" unit based around heavy weapons platforms and a " ", squad, the latter being the forward most armoured infantry mounted in a razorback or drop pod. Ordnance support delivered from the chapters various vindicators, whirlwinds and thunderfire cannon batteries simultaneously clears the path for these units, and lays down a barrage of anti-infantry shelling in near orchestrated salvos.

As such, close quarters combat is eschewed amongst the chapter, as it is believed that failure to kill the enemy with ranged fire speaks poorly of a marine's bolter and ordnance drills. Still, most sergeants are awarded a ceremonial power fist upon their promotion; power weapons are rarely artificed among the chapter as the symbolism of a death's hand (Confessor's power fists are often designed with white or off white "skeletal" fingers) ensure each blow is fatal, albeit slower.

 

Decades of service? Wouldn't it be more like centuries or millenia?

 

Organization

 

A couple points for flushing out. Exactly what does the Tomb Guard do, how do they do it, why do they train in such ways, do they ever use Terminator armor like in extreme situations, cause I do remember you've got some terminators or did you get rid of them or something?

 

Beliefs

The religious structure of the Confessors space marine chapter is rumored to be an amalgamation of tribal ritual and imperial dogma; with a deep rooted belief that the power of the Emperor and Death are the only 2 universal constants. The chapter, which venerates the Emperor have come to believe that He is a deity of both death and rebirth, and according to the prophecies of the shamanistic chapter librarians, the pinnacle of his power will come to fruition when he passes from the mortal coil atop the golden throne and will be reborn into the cosmos as the U'har, taken from the Agoyen language translates to "fire child that leads", before leading the Imperium on a final crusade against the Ruinous Powers.

When such prophecies came to light within the inner order of the chapter, much deliberation ensued, before the chapter as a whole decided to set out on their most holy of work in renewed vigor-- cleansing the galaxy of filth, this time under new directives. To clear the way for the U'har's return to holy Terra, in preperation for the final crusade.

 

Interresting sounds along the lines of certain Inquisitorial factions. Do the Confessors work with those Inquisitors of like mind?

 

Deffinitely a good start well... restart but anyway. Just some food for thought. Oh yea and *bump*

[The_Chaplain]

++edit++

 

well im gonna post a wip thread (model wise) with a link to this IA, so be on the lookout for it.

Edited November 2, 2008 by The_Chaplain

[The_Chaplain]

edited the army organization section somewhat and began the homeworld section.

 

I'm starting to consult vash 113 from the librarium to make sure this stays plasuible, but would like some c&c from members of the board (it seems im talking to myself as of late LOL).

 

Hope to hear from you all soon!

[Ferrus Manus]

Out of interest why have you chosen the 21st Founding when your chapter has no geneseed deviation? I don't think it adds anything to the chapter when any other founding will serve your purpose.

[The_Chaplain]

Page 9 of the new (5th edition) states that the 21st "cursed" founding was the largest on record since the 2nd founding.

 

Granted, it did say that the surviving 21st do have a genetic flaw somewhere, but to be perfectly honest; I can't choose one that works just right.

 

I've thought of lowered frontal lobe activity due to implants, possibly having them be psychically mute, and no librarians. but i got comments of "dumb, cavemen marines" on other forums.

 

I tried optic nerve damage leading to blind marines, but it didnt have the cursed feel.

 

I thought about a flaw in the Larraman's Organ, basically making it so the Confessors can "bleed out", but then again, they'd be dead by now if that were the case.

 

 

I suppose I could change the founding, but I don't know enough about Imperial History to establish a robust background (yet) filled with military glories, which I can kind of be looser about with a "newer" chapter I guess.

 

 

Thank you for the reply mannus, it's given me something to think about. Is the rest of the article okay so far though?

[Ferrus Manus]

I've thought of lowered frontal lobe activity due to implants, possibly having them be psychically mute, and no librarians. but i got comments of "dumb, cavemen marines" on other forums.

 

This is an interesting idea. I like it, i'm failing to see how a chapter of psychic mutes (psykers by the way are mutants in their own right) makes them dumb. I mean they could be considered purer possibly, the more extreme chapters; such as the Black Templars and even the DIY Castigators, as they have no psykers within their ranks. I'd suggest looking into this one.