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I've spent a significant amount of time converting and modeling up my own honour guard squad. As Calgar has 27 members of his Honour Guard, I've decided to develope a backstory and explanation for my little squad of 10. While I know the Champion, Fennix, seems a little Mary Sue, his record and exploits are what he has done in club battles across the last 5 months (for him, last 7 battles). I've tried to add some richness to the workings of the Honour Guard and a believable, but not over the top, bio for each member... pardon the typos

Here we go:

1st Honour Guard of the Warrior Kings of Ultramar

Champion: Fennix

The tetrarch's of old were charismatic and served as ambassadors throughout the sector, and many of the Ultramarines' Champions have filled that billing too. Kassador Fennix is none of these things. Content to harshly administer the 1st Honour Guard and let Ancient Menes sort out the details, Fennix exists only for martial perfection and challenge of the fight. He leads by example, and while his men may not adore or enjoy him, their respect and desire to serve Fennix drives them to greater and greater glories.

Fennix was first entered in the 13th Legion's Honour role as the newly promoted squad champion for Chaplain Cassius’ reclusiam command squad, after cutting down an Aspiring Champion of the hated Word Bearers. After serving the Chaplain with further distinction, he was promoted to a command position. Fennix’s first and only command, as a tactical squad sergeant, ended when a swarm of tyranid warriors overran their position. As the squad fought and died bravely, Fennix swept in among the tyranids, sliding his power sword into vitals, and cleaving heads from the foul xenos. Only his most veteran warrior (an ASL ready for command himself) survived along side him, a loud and boisterous marine named Menes. When asked later by his captain what happened to the squad, Fennix only remarked “They lacked”.

After this, it was felt that Fennix was better suited for a direct combat role, and he found this as Champion of the Temple. As such his most noted duel was single-handedly slaying a large and heavily augmented ork warboss, prematurely blunting a growing Whaaa!. And while Fennix has dispatched numerous warriors and foes of great repute, he only counts how many enemy warlords he has defeated. Once Agemman was promoted to First Master of the Warrior Kings, Fennix left the Second Company to instead become the High Champion of Ultramar, and later added many titles including honorary Tetrarch of Iax, and Knight Errant of Orar. He is considered by most to be a cold, almost cruel, killer. The closest thing to emotion that can be expected of him is pity for fellow warriors that enter battle along side him and are not ready to preform at his high standards. Any compliment from him is unheard of and if he speaks, it is to berate fellow warriors (on occasion, even Honour Guard) for their deficiencies and shortcomings.

However, after defeating a Grey Knight Brotherhood Champion, Belial of the Deathwing, Shadow Captain Shrike of the Raven Guard, and forcing a draw from the Wolflord Ragnar of the Space Wolves in honor duels, he is allowed this seeming fault and is heeded when giving combat advice. His most recent exploit saw him cut down the Chaos Sorcerer Ahriman of the Thousand Sons, banishing him to the warp for three decades. With a Necron Lord, another Warboss, and several champions of other races in his tally too, it is tough to ignore Fennix's audacity and skill. In a recent Senate debate Fennix walked over to Captain Sicarius during one of his tirades and quietly told him to “Stop dishonoring Orar with your fool-tongue”. Only intervention by one of the Second's sergeants avoided a duel, and many see this issue as unresolved. Armed with an ancient relic blade and his deadly power weapon of choice, Fennix has never backed down from a challenge, and never faced a foe he could not defeat.


Ancient: Menes

Menes is a rarity among the Ultramarines. Warm, friendly, given to laughter and jest, he is one of the oldest members of the 1st Honour Guard of Calgar's command detachment. The 1st Honour Guard often serve as advisers and support to the various companies, and are also frequently sent in fraction or as individuals to train and advise 13th Legion successor chapters and like mined marine brothers throughout the Imperium. Menes is the soul of the 1st Honour Guard. While the 2nd Honour Guard usually marches with Calgar into battle as his custodes, the 1st typically is sent out and are expected to be both warriors without compare and military scholars without equal.

Menes not only advises Champion Fennix in the best use of the 1st, but he also helps rebuild allied forces after they have been disheartened and shattered in horrible defeats. Able to work well with humans, Menes is often the face of the Ultramarines throughout the 500 worlds of Old Ultramar. His advice is without reproach and he is known to work well with all levels of the Imperial bureaucracy. While typically Ancients are stoic and removed, Menes is personable and outgoing. A gifted trainer and builder, Menes has reforged entire planet's on the behalf of Calgar and the Ultramarines.

He is also the only being able to joke with and even criticize Fennix, who is more cold and surgical than the blades he wields. While Fennix is the leader of the 1st, Menes is the heart, and beloved by all who know him. Menes has served alongside Fennix for over 150 terran standard years. He makes sure that the champion has unobstructed paths to the challenges he seeks and bears the standard of the 1st Honour Guard into battle. He works closely with both Lapis and Spatha to move the flow of battle away from the Champion, so that he can take the enemy force off at its head.


Saggita: Numer & Nemus

These two are extremely rare in that they are brothers and in that they have both survived to gain the status of honour guard. They hail from stormy Talassar and true to that heritage are both barely contained vessels of rightetous fury. They use precise and deadly bolter fire to thin enemy ranks and prepare units for the fury of Calgar's Honour Guard, and if a foe should be so skilled as to close with them, they are also skilled and deadly swordsmen.

Numer, elder by several decades, was primed by his noble father at the most prestigious barracks on the planet and was already a watched recruit when he entered the trials to become an Ultramarine. Numer's first battle was during the final stages of clean up after the Ultramarines put down of Waaagh! Gutshredda. He then quickly rose to the rank of Sargeant in the 3rd Company, securing a reputation as being brutal and vicious in mechanized assaults and being one of the top marksmen in the Chapter. His tactical insight into Tau activities has made him an expert in the field of anti-Tau operations. His connections and friends throughout the sector value his advise on both siege and assault operations.

Nemus made his mark as a Devastator Sergeant and served with distinction under Captain Idaeus. His holds the record in vehicle kills for a Devastator in a single campaign and specializes in defensive maneuvers. He is often the dissenting opinion, as by nature the 1st Honour Guard is an extremely aggressive force. His heavy weapons training often makes him a liaison between the squad and any heavier elements in a battle. Nemus has extensive experience throughout the 500 worlds preparing planets and chapters alike for defensive operations (usually against tryanid or ork attack).

These two brothers had never met until both were sergeants, but have since developed complementary fighting styles, and are rarely are seen apart from the other. Both work well in tandem (in war room and battlefield) and are considered the premier emissaries of the Ultramarines, outside of Calgar or Agemman themselves.


Hoplons: Lapis & Spatha

The shields of the 1st Honour Guard, the Hoplons are tasked with keeping the dog soldiers of the foe away from Fennix during a duel. Lapis is the quenicential Honour Guard, deep and reflective, while Spatha is one of the brightest ascending stars of the Ultramarines.

Lapis, had been a sergeant of the 5th and is rare, in that his experience deals mainly with the Eldar. Receiving a brevet command during the Battle of the Sepulchre, he went on to work his way into the First Company of the Ultramarines as an assault TDA marine and then later a member of the Honour Guard. Reliable and consistant, Lapis uses a variety of weapons, but currently favors his bolter spear and a shield in battle. Fennix refers to him as “my philosopher shield”, as few Ultramarines can boast of a deep intellect and breadth of knowledge on matters of governance, engineering, and warfare. Lapis has voluntarily become the Lexicanum of the 1st Guard and makes sure all read their Von Klauswitz, Orar, Sigsmund, Slaydo, and Guilliman.

Spatha is a newer edition who had begun training to become a techmarine in the Forth Company, but was seen as too bright on the battlefield to move to the armory. While still gifted with machines of any type or origin, Spatha is at home in the Honour Guard. He is still very connected to Konor and its forges and is universally seen as a strategic genius, who can reason and track large tactical and logistical data while engaged in heavy combat. It is thought that Spatha will someday be given a company command and is currently slated to take command of the Guard should Fennix fall or be unable to make command decisions during a particularly challenging duel. Spatha is only older than Pasifel, and like his decorated brother in arms, can be frequently found in the Ultramar Senate, debating and discussing matters of governance as well as warfare in its halls.


Triars: Pasifel & Tarvin

As Triars Pasifel and Tarvin are tasked with the destruction of rank and file forces and helping drive the Honour Guard's wedge as they seek to remove the head of any opposing force. Seen as the workhorses of the 1st Guard, Pasifel and Tarvin are as different off the battlefield as they are synergistic in combat.

Pasifel is another to come up through the ranks of TDA and TDA squad command at that, arrogant, brash, overly ornate and over equipped, Pasifel is considered to be the dandy of the 1st Honour Guard. He still trains the terminators for the First and often serves the Mythos Angelica Mortis as an adviser in terminator deployment and tactics. Pasifel will occasionally rotate to the 2nd Honour Guard, as is tradition for newer and younger members. In battle he is silent and reflective, but in the Senate he is seen as a firebrand and a strong supporter of the daring Captain Sicarius.

Tarvin is the longest serving member of the 1st Honour Guard, though only edging out Menes by about 20 terran standard years, he has been serving in the Honour Guard for over 270 years. A veteran of the Behemoth invasion, Tarvin usually has little to say, and is reliable without question. Fennix has never addressed him with anything but a respectful tone, and Calgar often taps Tarvin to advise new Chapter Masters or Company Commanders, as his soft spoken and few words are impossible to ignore and wise without compare. More philosopher than warrior, Tarvin has still seen more combat than any two of his Honour Guard companions combined. Fennix, Menes, and Tarvin rarely vote in Senate matters, but they are strong supporters of the First Company and have made this allegiance known.


Gladia: Cinna & Decius

Besides Fennix, there are two former company champions in the 1st Honour Guard. They are flip sides of the same coin. Serving as the Gladia, they are tasked with putting an enemy unit on its heels, seeking to remove sergeants and low ranking officers, seeding chaos and confusion.

Cinna served as the Champion of the Wardens of several decades until Fennix honored him by requesting his presence in the 1st Honour Guard. Many were surprised when Fennix tapped Cinna, as he combat style and demeanor are a stark contrast to Fennix's. Violent and impatient, Cinna rarely plans or plots a fight, but has survived so far on audacity and incredible natural skill. Madly, charging into the fray, only reflexes and dirty tricks (like the bolter hidden in his shield) have kept him alive thus far. Now a seemless part of the 1st Honour Guard, Fennix has shown the Chapter the method to his madness in promoting Cinna. While Menes directs the Hoplons to channel enemy champions and warlords to Fennix and to shelter the champion from outside threats, Cinna and Decius cut into whatever guard the enemy may have. To distracted and hard pressed with these two, the opposing leaders must face Fennix alone, and are therefor undone.

The third of the junior members of the 1st Guard, Decius marches into battle with a buckler on his sword arm and an ancient angelic shield on the other. Careful and calculating, Decius is years away from serving as an Honour Guard champion, but most are sure he someday will. Like Pasifel, he occasionally rotates to the 2nd Honour Guard and has done the best he can to find a happy medium between Fennix and Lapis. Decius spends days studying a foe before entering combat and forgoes the brash fierocity of Cinna for surgical and deadly thrusts with his sword.


While not seen in battle alongside Calgar as often as the 2nd and 3rd Honour Guards, the 1st is expected to both fly the colours throughout the Imperium and be a deadly and formidable force. To outsiders, they seem a stone faced lot, without significant variance or personality. However to the planetary governors, crusade fleet commanders, and chapter masters they are rich and diverse brotherhood, to whom much is owed

Excellent I love to read people's backgrounds for the armies they make. I'm surprised that you went for honour guard as opposed to captains but it worked out well.

Thanks for giving it a read. What did you think?

Once the rumors surfaced in January about PW being AP3, I knew that honour guard could be a very strong unit. Mine have a mix of axes, halberds, and swords, giving each model either 5 ap 3 or 4 ap 2 attacks on the charge. Combine that with 2+ armor and the fact that you can shove 10 of them in a DP or LR (usually with a chaplain), and they can give even assault Termies a run for their money.

I don't run them because they're better than TH/SS TDA (because they aren't). I run them to be different and because they're fun.

Edit: glad to be here. Was moved from GD.

It is actually in the right section - you're good to go here!

40K Background is for the discussion of the 'official' background material.

Dakka Fiction is the place for 'homemade' stuff.