Imperious wrote:
I never knew that the successors of the DA reported directly to DA chapter master. Is that only for the purpose of capturing the fallen or does he exercise direct control. Any DA players know?

 Paradigm wrote:
To be honest, I do find all of this 'my Chapter's better' stuff somewhat odd, but that may just be because I'm working towards having armies for 9 different Chapters/Legions (all the original loyalists). To me, all the Chapters represent different things, none is strictly better than the other.

Ultramarines at first glance appear flawless, until you consider that is their flaw in itself. The rigidity with which they adhere to the codex makes them far less able to adapt than other chapters. Going back to the Heresy, there is the first time they encounter Heretic Marines and the Ultras are unable to grasp the idea that their 'brothers' would turn on them, putting them at a complete disadvantage. In a way, they embody the indoctrination and dogma that has brought the Imperium to its stagnation. They are the perfect representation of what the Imperium has become, but I doubt the Emperor himself would prize their position so highly.

Blood Angels represent the tragedy that is so prevalent in the setting. Arguably, they are one of the most pure and loyal chapters, that have been cursed with such a debilitating flaw that they can never truly fulfil this position. Depending on which version of the Horus-Emperor battle you go with, Sanguinis's sacrifice could appear meaningless, a trend that continues in 40k with the Blood Angel's nobility and honour being ultimately futile in the face of their flaw that can undermine them.

Space Wolves occupy the position as one of the most free and human Chapters, existing outside of the dogma that plagues the rest of the Imperium, but as a result find themselves alienated by those they try and defend. Their poor ties with the Inquisition and the Ecclesiarchy preclude them from truly fitting in, meaning they are, like the Blood Angels, unable to truly make good their well-meaning intentions without undermining their position as loyal servants of the Imperium. Their attempts to serve the Imperium but not its masters sets them apart from the other Astartes.

The Dark Angels represent the fact that nothing and no one is incorruptible; they have the an essentially pure gene-seed but still lost half the legion to Chaos. They also demonstrate the double-faced nature of the Imperium, claiming to be loyal servants while still hiding secrets that would have them outcast should they be discovered. Much like the Blood Angels, they can never truly fulfil the role the Space Marines are intended to occupy until they have dealt with their own, internal weakness; in this case their fear of the Fallen being discovered.

Salamanders are in a way more moderate Space Wolves. Both refute the codex in part, both have lost Primarchs that have promised to return, both value the lives of their allies as much as their own. However, the Salamanders are not alienated in the same way as they are shown to adapt to the system as required, while the Space Wolves are too set in their ways to do so.

The Iron Hands embody the Space Marine's position as something more than human, constantly 'upgrading' themselves to purge weakness, possibly only to eventually weaken themselves by losing who they were. Their brutal and uncompromising approach to purging the enemy as they would themselves similarly my do more harm that good, given the number of innocents they slaughter as preventive measures.

The Imperial Fists are arguably the closest to a 'pure' Chapter, in ideology if not in genetics, but are perhaps constrained by their beliefs, if less so than the Ultramarines. Similarly, their stubbornness causes them to hold round where it would be better withdrawn from, which increases the toll on the Chapter despite achieving victory.

The Raven Guard and White Scars are difficult to place. The Raven Guard share the trait with the Salamanders and Wolves that they will often prize human life higher than other Chapters, and the autonomous operations of the Chapter may prevent them from deploying en masse, which potentially limits the usefulness of the Chapter given the scale of war in 40k. The Scars seem similar in their slight deviation from the Codex, but there aren't any noticeable flaws. I suppose it could be argued that their specialisation with fast assaults could limit their usefulness in a stagnant or prolonged campaign, but I'm just clutching at straws here.

I think I've rambled long enough here (although I may do this again for a few successors). What I do think this shows is that no Chapter is truly flawless or deviod of character, and neither is any hugely worse than any other. There's plenty of depth to all of them. As a final note, this has made me realise I know very little about the Raven Guard and White Scars, if anyone has any good links about them I'd be interested to see them.