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I tried to make them feel different than other chapters, at least as much as I could. I don't think they are overpowered, but then again I haven't really come up with points costs either so I guess it's hard to say. I'd appreciate anyone's opinions on how much units ought to cost. I'm trying to go for a feudal system, with marines making up the nobility/knighthood. I wanted to differentiate a little more, so most of my "squads" are all knights called up and placed into ad hoc units, which is why I didn't make sergeants standard. That's what Knight Elders are for. Oh, and they are basically a Chapter that went kind of "feral" when their subsector was warp- stormed for a long time, and even now they don't trust certain things they learned to do without, thus they don't do a lot of plasma, no teleport, and severly lacking in vehicular support.

Special Rules
Thunderhearts Do Not use Chapter Tactics or Combat Squads, but do have And They Shall Know No Fear

Canticles of Iron
Basically this rule allows the model or squad (whole squad must do the same for simplicity, but IC can always go their own) to subtract a S to add an A, or vice versa. An Aspirant may adjust by one, An Acolyte by up to two, and a Master by up to 3. Ie the Lord may chose to make 3 attacks at S 4, 4 attacks at S3, or 1 attack at S6. The bonuses from equipment and other rules affect the altered score, but all attacks are calculated first ( the +1 from charging, two CC wpns etc). However, S2 is the lowest, and S6 the highest unaltered score that may be used. This ability cannot be used with power fists, chainfists, thunderhammers, and only HQ choices can use it with lightning claws (it's assumed they have developed some unique adaptation of their own). - so pretty much just regular CC weapons and power weapons.
First Strike
Models with this rule are trained to leap forward to the attack, sacraficing accuracy for speed. They fight the first round of a CC at -1 WS, but +1 In


Forces of the Thunderhearts

HQ
Lord/Highlord - pretty standard commander guy

WS BS S T W I A LD SV
6 4 4 4 3 5 3 10 3

Chainsword, Boltpistol, Laurels of Victory (IronHalo), F+K Grenades
Master of Iron, Independent Character, ATSKNF

Can have Bolter, SBolter, CombiWpn, PFist, Thammer, Lclaw(s), Melta Bombs, Jump Pack, Iron Steed
or
Term, regular options


Ritemaster - I didn't think Librarians really fit my backstory, so I created a Chaplainesque guy with psychic defense
WS BS S T W I A LD SV
5 4 4 4 2 4 2 10 3

Boltpistol, Witchbreaker, F+K Grenades,
Master of Iron, Independent Character, ATSKNF, Roll of Honor

Can have SBolter, CombiWpn, Jump Pack

Witchbreaker - A power weapon that adds +1 S, and any psychic power that effects a unit within 12" or is cast within 12" can be canceled on a roll of 4+
Roll of Honor - A tome containing the names of the greatest heroes of the chapter. Thunderhearts will fight beyond even their normal limits in order to be recorded in it's pages. Unit gains Feel no Pain


Knight Elder Battleleader - cheaper generic HQ
WS BS S T W I A Ld Sv
5 4 4 4 2 5 2 9 3

Chainsword, Boltpistol, F+K Grenades
Master of Iron, Independent Character. ATSKNF

Can Have Bolter, SBolter, Combiwpn, PFist, LClaw(s), Melta Bombs, Jump Pack, Iron Steed
May be given First Strike at no cost.


Troops (all have F+K grenades, fergot to write it in)
Novice Squad (1 Sword Brother, 4 Novices. Up to 7 more novices may be added)
WS BS S T W I A LD Sv
Sword Brother 4 4 4 4 1 4 1 8 3
Novice 4 3 4 4 1 3 1 7 4
Bolt Pistol, Chainsword -any model may exchange bolt pistol for bolter
Special Rules - May make a scout move (but not outflank), Sword Brother is an Aspirant of Iron, ATSKNF

Sword Brothers (5 Sword Brothers, up to 5 more may be added)
WS BS S T W I A LD Sv
4 4 4 4 1 4 1 8 3
Bolt Pistol, Chainsword - any model may exchange bolt pistol for bolter
one model may take one of the following - flamer, melta, power weapon
Sword Brothers are Aspirants of Iron, ATSKNF

Knight Brothers (5 Knight Brothers, up to 5 more may be taken)
WS BS S T W I A LD Sv
4 4 4 4 1 4 1 8 3
Bolt Pistol, Chainsword - any model may exchange bolt pistol for bolter
two models may take one of the following - flamer, melta, power weapon
Sword Brothers are Aspirants of Iron, but maybe upgraded to Acolytes of Iron, ATSKNF


Elites

Knights of the Vow (3 Knights,up to 7 more may be added)
WS BS S T W I A LD Sv
5 4 4 4 1 4 1 9 3
Bolt Pistol, Chainsword, F+K Grenades
and model may upgrade their chainsword to power weapon
Knights of the Vow are Acolytes of Iron, First Strike, the Vow, ATSKNF, fearless.
Knights of the Vow are those who have failed in some task, they take the Vow to redeem themselves. Knights of the Vow must charge a unit if able. Must pass a Ld test each turn or move + run toward the nearest enemy unit.

Lifeguard (1 Lifeguard, up to 9 may be added) - 1 squad of Lifeguard may be taken per Lord/Highlord in the army
WS BS S T W I A LD Sv
Lifeguard 4 4 4 4 1 4 2 9 2+/5++
Lifeguard Vet 4 4 4 4 1 4 3 9 2+/5++
Stormbolter, Powerweapon, may have Assault Cannon, HFlamer, Lightning Claw(s), Thunderhammer,
Lifeguard Veterans may use Lightning Claws with the Canticles of Iron rule as if they were HQ choices
One Lifeguard may have a Royal Banner(company standard), which may be upgraded to a Ducal Standard (chapter banner)
Lifeguard are Acolytes of Iron, ATSKNF, Guardians, and if only one Lifeguard is taken, Independent Character
Guardian - Lifeguard become stubborn, and confer that special rule to any squad they are in, if that squad also contains their Lord/Highlord. If that Lord/Highlord is about to lose their last wound, remove one Lifeguard model instead.


Forgemaster (basically cut and paste techmarine, need to work up something more distinct later)


Ancient Brother
WS BS S Front Side Rear I A
5 4 6 12 12 10 4 3(4)
2 CCW, stormbolters, may replace one CCW with Multimelta, Twin Linked Autocannon, Assault Cannon, or Dread Sword. May replace Stormbolters with flamers at no cost
May replace the other CCW with Missle Launcher, or Dread Sword
- If an Ancient Brother has a Dread Sword, may use the Canticle of Iron at Master level, with a max S of 10 instead of 6. With paired Dread Swords, he may reroll failed to hit rolls


Knight Elders (3 Knight Elders, up to 7 more may be added) -
WS BS S T W I A LD Sv
4 4 4 4 1 4 1 9 3
bolt pistol, chainsword
may have boltgun, combi flamer/melta, power weapon, power fist, thunder hammer, lightning claw, jump pack, iron steed
A Knight Elder may be fielded in a squad (min 3), or be deployed 1 each into any Novice Squad, Sword Brother, Knight Brother, High Rider, or Stormknight squad, ATSKNF

Fast Attack

Stormknights (5 Stormknights, up to 5 more may be added)
WS BS S T W I A LD Sv
4 4 4 4 1 4 1 8 3
bolt pistol, chainsword, jumppack
two models may take one of the following - flamer, melta, powerweapon
Stormknights are Aspirants of Iron, may be upgraded to Acolytes of Iron, ATSKNF, First Strike

High Riders (3 High Riders, up to 7 more may be added) - planning on using something like the mechanical horse from fantasy as mounts, wanted something a little less OTT than Thunderwolves, but which fit better than bikes
WS BS S T W I A LD Sv
4 4 4 4(5) 1 4 2 8 3
boltpistol, chainsword, Iron Steed
any model may replace chainsword with power weapon,
High Riders are Cavalry, Iron Steeds confer Furious Charge and +1 A (included), ATSKNF

0-1 Rhino Detachment
up to 3 Rhinos may be taken for 1 fast attack, but otherwise are deployed and moved independently. Any Infantry squad may be deployed in a Rhino, so long as they are 10 models or less, and contain no models in terminator armor
0-1 Drop Pod Detachment
up to 3 Drop Pods may be taken for 1 fast attack, but otherwise are deployed independently. Any Infantry squad may be deployed in a Drop Pod, so long as they are 10 models or less, and contain no models in terminator armor


Heavy Support
0-1Land Raider
0-1 Land Raider Crusader

Ancient of Thunder
WS BS S Front Side Rear I A
4 4 6 12 12 10 4 2
Twin Linked Autocannon, CCW with Stormbolter or flamer
May replace Autocannons with Twin HBolters, Twin Hflamers, Twin Lascannons, Multimelta, Missle Launcher
May replace CCW with Twin Autocannons, Twin HBolters, Twin Hflamers, Twin Lascannons, Multimelta, Missle Launcher

Rampart Squadron (2 Rampart Teams, up to 3 more may be added) - in order to preserve their few remaining heavy weapons during a campaign, they pulled their stormshields, handed them to a guy and told him to squat in front of their heavy weapons guys. It worked well, so they stuck with it (also why no SS on the Lifeguard), but since it's trying to cover 2 guys I downed it to a 4++
WS BS S T W I A LD Sv
4 4 4 4 2 4 2 9 3/4++
Each Team has Boltpistol, Heavy Bolter, Stormshield
Heavy Bolters may be exchanged for Autocannon, Missle Launcher, or Lascannon
Rampart Squadrons have ATSKNF, and may reroll failed moral tests from shooting

Okay, here's the fluff for them, with the army list being for the mid-era, pre Dead Stars Crusade ( Right now I have like 3-4K points of the Malal worshipping guys painted up using codex chaos marines, just starting the army for the above list though)


The history of the Thunderhearts begins in M33. Founded from the Imperial Fists, the Thunderhearts made their home upon the world Tecton, in subsector Tane, in the southern reaches of Ultima Segmentum. The subsector was constantly under low levels of assault from marauding eldar and inconsitently invaded by bands of orks from nearby systems. Tecton lay in the northern reaches of the subsector, the primary direction from which the orks would attack. The activities of the Thunderhearts greatly reduced the damage done by the rampaging orks and perfidious eldar, and subsector Tane underwent a period of unprecedented growth as new mines and manufactorums blossomed across the now safe systems.

Populations soared, and the Thunderhearts were honored by the High Lords of Terra for their fine work. All of this came to a disastrous end in M35, when the sector was wracked by warp storms. Those around subsector Tane were particularly fierce, effectively cutting them off from the Light of the Imperium. For nearly 1100 years, the storms ripped through the area, with only the systems on the western edge of the subsector able to communicate out even slightly. The Thunderhearts, totally cut off, endeavored to maintain a presence in the closest systems, losing many brothers and ships to the fickle currents of the Immaterium. The warp storms blew themselves out in a spectacular fury, disappearing with a suddenness that startled all concerned. When contact was reestablished, the Thunderhearts were unbroken, despite more than a millenia of war against the eldar and orks, who seemed to enter the system with little regard for the turbulence of the Warp, as well as the many terrible beasts of their homeworld. The structure of the chapter had been altered significantly, integrating with their world and absorbing many of it's cultural traditions.

After a short period of reintegration, as well as tests of their geneseed, the reborn Thunderhearts were declared fit for duty and welcomed back into the fold of the Imperium. They however staunchly refused to return to the maxims of the codex astartes, and no one has yet had both the desire and courage to confront them. The Thunderhearts have found distinction in many operations since then, including toppling the rebel Monarchs of Varan, cleansing the Hrud at Yibraxes, and without support absolutely destroying the Genestealer infiltration of the Hives of Paragon. The next major change to the Chapter came during and after the Dead Stars Crusade, during which their Chapter was at it's highest ebb. Flaunting the codex astartes, the chapter at that time mustered some 1600 brothers, and under Warlord Bellicose, all save 50 had joined the Crusade. The crusade was hard fought, but with the help of two other chapters and the might of the Imperial Guard, a foregone conclusion. The rebel worlds of the Choud Belt, and the cowardly Tau who had fed the fires of their heresy were crushed.

Flushed with their victory, and with many fresh entries into the Rolls of Honor, the Thunderheart fleet transitioned straight to Tecton. Moving into position to dock with their orbiting shipyards, the Thunderhearts were taken completely by surprise when all orbital and many of the ground based batteries opened fire on their unsuspecting ships. The strike cruiser Font of Tears was utterly destroyed, and the Contentious Heart and Blade of Tecton were heavily damaged, as was the battle barge His Fury Manifest. Reacting, the remaining ships destroyed their attackers, and with their destruction were able to pick up previously jammed transmissions from the planet below. According to the messages they received, a year ago, across the settled regions of Tecton, first thousands, then hundreds of thousands had rose up in the name of Kol Taeron, the Arch-Heirophant of the Ancient Truth. The keeps of the Thunderhearts were leveled with atomics, and many of the major cities taken in days.

The epicenter of this heresy was the Principality of Yvres, and nearly all of that state, long resentful of being lorded over by the Astartes of what they saw as lesser cultures, rose up. The last year had seen loyal commanders and cities subjected to constant assault and infiltration, and the situation was dire indeed when the Thunderhearts descended upon the traitors. With the fury of the righteous betrayed, the furious Thunderhearts ripped through the armies of the cultists like a divine storm, until they had reached Avilard, capital of Yvres. There, the true nature of their foe was revealed. Traitor marines of the Wordbearers, led by Kol Taeron of the Cabal of the Twisting Gospel. Fighting their way through legions of rabid cultists, hordes of ferocious daemons, and storms of otherworldly energy, Warlord Bellicose and his guard finally fought their way through to the Arch-heretic himself. Sword Capatin Hector Ulysses personally drove the Blade of the Thunderous Heart into the chest of the monster.

Wounded, but not slain, Kol Taeron invoked some fell sorcery to escape. An undetected ship, hidden in the thick belts of asteroids outsystem from Tecton ignited it's engines and swooped in to rescue the Word Bearers. The warship exchanged volleys with the scattered Thunderheart fleet, but fled the system without major damage. Taking only a few hours, Warlord Bellicose split the survivors of his legion. He announced that he would take any volunteers, and pursue the traitorous scum. He swore on his life and his soul in the light of the emperor that he would take no rest, let none stand in his way, and allow himself no pity that would move him from his course of vengeance against the one who had destroyed the honor of him homeworld. After every single brother of the Thunderhearts volunteered, the Warlord felt it necessary to order a core of brothers to remain - the apothercaries, most of the newer brothers and a few seasoned leaders to rebuild the chapter. He took with him six hundred brothers, aboard the battle barges Swift Furious Sword and Ragebearer, accompanied by the strike cruisers Sudden Storm, Foe's Lament, and Baleful Gaze.

They pursued the Arch-Heirarch across many systems, always following his path of destruction, but never able to bring him to battle. Finally, with a triumphant laugh that Warlord Bellicose swore he could hear across the stars, Kol Taeron slipped into the Eye of Terror. With no hesitation, the Warlord's ships followed. Time passed, and they continued the pursuit. Brothers fell before warp spawned aberrations, and the Baleful Gaze was lost entirely. Many in the chapter reported that whispers spoke in their dreams, whispers from an unseen figure, promising them vengeance and protection from the twisting influence of the Warp. Warlord Bellicose declared this to be some form of madness or warp trickery, and commanded that the dreams be ignored. Finally on the black stone of the daemon world Urx, the Thunderhearts brought their quarry to bay. Legions of daemons marched against the brothers of the chapter, dragging many down.

However Sword Captain Ulysses sawed through the foe like a man possessed. More than any he sought vengeance, it filled his every thought, hope and ambition. He shouted his rage in the depths of his mind, roaring that he would pay any price, give anything to destroy the foul corruption of Chaos. And in the darkness of his mind, a voice answered. His limbs filled with righteous fury, the sword captain hacked and hewed his way through the daemon armies, and alone he fought the Terminator Guard of his foe. Against all odds and with no hope of survival, the swordmaster slew four of his enemies, and seemed set to cut his way to the Arch Heirophant.Before he could, once again Kol Taeron invoked his ancient daemon pacts and fled through the Warp with the remainder of his Cabal. The daemon armies dispersed, and the Thunderhearts returned to their ships, leaden with their newest failure.

In the time that followed, more and more of the chapter found succor in the words of their Sword Captain, his armor unrepaired, his helmet repainted to resemble a leering bisected skull, half white and half black. As time passed, the brothers dreams became more and more vivid, the voice speaking to them in greater depth and calling itself The Outcast God. It revealed that long ago, it had been a God in the Warp, before its' jealous and fearful brothers had cast it out, banishing it to the edges of the Immaterium. There it skulked in shadows, fighting against it's kin whenever the chance came. It told the Thunderhearts that it would aid them, for in them was the chance to do grievous harm to the cause of its hated foes. Indeed, it had guided them through the twisted space of the Eye of Terror, for without his aid, they would have long ago fallen to the predations of the monsters within. As time passed, more and more brothers struck pacts with this creature, in the secret recesses of their minds, until finally even the obstinate Warlord himself felt he must address it. In a conclave of the remnant of his forces, he asked if any felt themselves unable to pay this price - their very honor and souls - for vengeance. None dissented. Aware that this meant their utter alienation from the Imperium, Warlord Bellicose accepted the overtures of their new lord. He commanded that their armor be repainted, their chapter symbols struck away, anything identifying them as Thunderhearts be destroyed. This they did, and marched into damnation, eyes open, and heads unbowed.

Tecton
Tecton is a planet in the subsector Tane, of the Ultima Segmentum. Roughly earth sized, a huge continent girds nearly the entire length of the equator. Almost totally covered in exceptionally hostile jungle, filled with ravenous beasts from the nearly sentient Draugr to the gigantic Drakon. Human civilization exists only on the peninsula that juts northward from the main continent. The peninsula, roughly the size of historic Sud Merica, is much higher and colder than the rest of the world. Settled in the second diaspora, old night brought a precipitous decline in civilization. Packs of Draugr and many other terrible beasts roved north, braving the cold to hunt the scattered humans. Humanity endured behind the walls of fortified redoubts, slowly declining over the centuries. Then, in the largest enclave, known as Arsenal, former seat of planetary power, arose the legendary Emperor Hadriar. His armies swept out, north and south, destroying the terrible beasts and conquering the humans. By the end of his life, all of the lands of men were united under his rule. After he died, his lands were divided up between his knights and generals, establishing the feudal order that endures to this day. After the planet was brought into the bosom of the Imperium during the great crusade, it remained relatively unchanged. The Imperial governor set up his base on one of the islands of the Heron Archipelago, and aside from collecting the imperial tithe and some general mining, left the mainland alone. Most industry was confined to Tecton's moon, Nepthys. Heavy ores and rare minerals were mined in the asteroid belts and refined there, giving Tecton a reasonable manufacturing capability without polluting the planet. When the Thunderhearts descended to take up stewardship, the Imperial Governors allowed them to take control over most industries.

After the warp storms descended, the office of Imperial Govenor faded quickly, and the Thunderhearts began embracing the tenents of feudalism. The current system of a brother having both a civil and military rank was established. The noble houses began adopting Astartes to serve as their protectors and leaders, and before long, almost every house was an institution passed on from Astartes mentor to student. The strong martial traditions of Tecton influenced the first Lord Bellicose, Trajan. He devised the art of the Canticle of Iron, a brilliant, adapted form of swordplay derived from a plethora of sources, from Astartes training to the berserks of the Hroar Highlands, the proud saber fighting of Arsenal, the enigmatic sword-saints of the Kestrel Islands, to the cold and calculating styles of the northern ice warriors and the sword dancers of the coastal forests. The discipline of the sword has defined the Thunderhearts, often to their credit, and rarely to their suffering.

The journey of each brother begins as a novice, with their class led and taught by a more experienced Thunderheart. Instructed in philosophy, discipline, honor, and courage - but above all the sword. As the novices train and see battle, their elders watch and evaluate. When a novice is deemed ready, he faces the First Trial. Here he displays his skill in the Canticle, and if he passes the test, he is affirmed as a Sword Brother. The Sword Brothers are not yet landed peers, and must swear fealty to an established knight. This is when the observation of the novices comes into play, for by now each Sword Brother has been chosen by another to serve as his vassal. The greater prestige goes toward being chosen by a more powerful lord, as after a Sword Brother earns his spurs and passes the Second Trial, become a Knight Brother, and he is either awarded lands of his own, or adopted by his lord as heir.

Many Thunderhearts never advance past Knight Brother; however, a Knight Brother is a peer of Tecton, and holds the trust of those upon his lands, which is no shame. Those who are judged worthy are offered the Third Trial, by far the most telling. Many fail, but those who succeed are raised to the rank of Knight Elder. The Elders are the elite of the chapter, hardened veterans of great skill, courage and wit, for excellence in any one trait is never enough to join their ranks. Raised by acclaim from the ranks of the Elders are the members of the Council of Lords, the eleven rulers of the chapter. Lords alone have the duty and priveledge of calling the banners and leading their brothers to war. Sometimes by dint of truly awesome heroics, a Lord can be raised to High Lord, as a mark of the chapter's esteem. Often there are no High Lords, or only one. Other Lords defer to High Lords when it comes time for a host to be raised and a Warlord to be chosen. When the chapter goes to war, this temporary rank is bestowed, and all are bound to follow his command, from the lowest novice to other Lords or High Lords. From those who have been called to fight, the Warlord anoints his Sword Captain - the one he feels most deserves to bear the chapter's honor made manifest, the Sword of the Thunderous Heart - His Master of Rites, the one charged with protecting the Host from the taint of cowardice and witchcraft - his Master of the Fleet, who commands the vessels of the Thunderhearts - his Master of the Horse, who leads what armored elements the chapter musters - and any of a dozen other titles, both ceremonial and practical.

The Hosts of the Thunderhearts are primarily made up of infantry, with a serious lack of armored support and more advanced weaponry - due to constant loss in war, long supply lines, and a general mistrust of certain advanced machinery.

They Sound Terrific

Well thank ye sir, and on the basis of 100% positive response, I'm going to go ahead with the project

Are they all partly Native American?

(Kudos to those who get the reference )

One of your dudes should be named Vaal Kill-mar

I had honestly forgotten that movie, maybe my brain just recycled it out of all the garbage floating around back there