Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

So after years of playing as the rather ill-defined Black Cross and inspired by the FW Raptor Iconography and wanting to use it, I decided to redo the Marine chapter completely, at least fluff wise. I don't really feel like repainting over 4000 points of infantry after all when I can just pop off some shoulder pads and touch them up. And yes, the use of "Void" in the name is a tribute to my original mentor. All feed back welcome.

Thanks,
Mike K.

Void Eagles Space Marines

Origins

Founded in the 32nd Millennium as part of the Third Founding, the Void Eagles were created to help the Imperial Guard eradicate the Haethan Empire in the Segmentum Pacificus. The Haethan Empire was a collection of seven planets in the Nemean sub-sector controlled by a sentient arachnid species, the Haetha, which had developed sub-light speed space capabilities. While the Haethan vessels were no match for the Imperial Navy and quickly swept from the Nemean skies, the Haethan soldier caste were well adept at defending their planets by burrowing underground and launching devastating ambushes against Guard formations on the surface or luring the humans into underground caverns from which few emerged alive. The Haethans proved naturally resistant to the known, environmentally neutral chemical agents employed in an attempt to flush them to the surface and rather than risk destroying so many inhabitable worlds that could be used to cultivate human and natural resources, the High Lords of Terra designated one of the new Chapters from the Third Founding to take the Haethan worlds by force.

From the moment of their arrival, fighting in the Nemean sub-sector was bloody and brutal. The Haethan soldier caste was equipped with a wide variety of virulent weapons that took advantage of the arachnid species’ natural toxin sacs and had a corrosive effect on both flesh and armor. Haethan forelegs had developed a dense grouping of needle like spurs capable of being used as deadly weapons in close quarters and their hardened exoskeletons were immune to all but the heaviest infantry weapons. The Marines had to rely heavily on plasma and power weapons to take down the Haethan soldier caste, and even once disabled the arachnid species’ required a direct shot to the neural bundles on the back of its head in order to actually be killed.

After a month of vicious close quarters combat was required to purge the Haethan’s from the outermost of their worlds at the cost of almost 10% casualties, the Chapter’s leadership decided that the cost of conquering the remaining six worlds in the same fashion would be too high and a new path was required. Working closely with the xenologists of the nascent Ordo Xeno, the Void Eagles were able to pinpoint the location of the Haethan queen and other members of the royal caste on the arachnid home world. Using specially modified munitions, the Void Eagles blew a deep crater into the planet’s surface that exposed the Haethan burrows and launched a devastating drop pod assault directly on top of the vulnerable royal caste members. Fighting in the burrows was vicious, with soldier caste Haethans swarming from all directions to defend their royalty but ultimately their reckless valor would prove futile. As a fusillade of assault cannon and bolter fire held the soldier caste at bay, Captain (need a cool name) tore into the Haethan queen with his powerfist, destroying outright the intricate neural network that animated her. As the queen entered her death spasms, it appeared that some kind of a primal link was severed beyond repair as all castes of Haethans collapsed without any apparent injuries. Wasting little time, the Marines strode among them placing killing shots into the neural bundles. Imperial observers in orbits over the remaining Haethan worlds reported similar occurrences and Guard regiments were quickly dispatched to exploit the situation. Within a matter of days, no single Haethan was left alive and all remaining eggs destroyed, save for a few carefully spirited away by the Ordo Xenos for further dissection and study.

In exchange for the Ordo Xenos’ help in overcoming the Haethan’s with minimal casualties the Void Eagles pledged to contribute battle brothers to the ranks of the Death Watch in perpetuity. This arrangement has served both organizations well over the ensuing millennia, with the Ordo Xenos able to maintain the strength of its chamber militant while the Void Eagles remain abreast of the latest xenos species and the tactics, techniques, and procedures necessary to defeat them.

Since the campaign against the Hatheans, the Void Eagles have remained extremely active in the perpetual wars against the Xenos. The Chapter’s standard is decorated with campaign streamers from numerous battles against Eldar raiders, orcs, tyranid splinter fleets and a slew of lesser xenos races. Notable campaigns include the destruction of the reptilian M’thazhal, the purging of the bat-like Chuggth-Molac in the Erymanthian system and the liberation of the Stymphalian system from the orc warlord Mzares Dreadraider.

Homeworld

Located in the Segmentum Pacificus approximately 100 light years from the border with the Segmentum Tempestus, the feral world of Varaha is a temperate world which resembles ancient Terra, with soaring mountain ranges and temperate forests covering the lone, pangaeic continent of Kurma. The continent is dotted with fresh water lakes and rivers that spill into the dominant salt water ocean at multiple points. The majority of the worlds estimated five million inhabitants live in tribal groupings as nomadic hunter-gatherers, although rudimentary civilization is beginning to emerge in several of the enclosed valleys. The technology level remains extremely primitive, with the domestication of animals just beginning and the wheel still an unknown concept. The majority of the tools are flint and stone, though several of the nascent cultures are in the initial stages of developing metallurgy and have begun fielding bronze weapons and hand tools. Agriculture benefits from flood-based irrigation measures, but must still be supplemented through hunting and gathering. The largest settlement is estimated at 700 to 1000 inhabitants and a loose trading system of individual traders moving between tribes and settlements seems to exist, although its impact is minimal and bartering commodities inside one’s tribe remains the economic standard.

Varaha’s wildlife remains vicious and deadly to humans. The Gatuma is a feline predator approximately six feet long with a dark hide that blends incredibly well with the shadows of Kurma’s forests. With razor sharp claws and extended fangs, the Gatuma is capable of tearing a human into pieces in a matter of seconds. The primitive human population is also susceptible to the poisonous Bloodscreamer snake and the Katoc, massive brown-furred bears whose preferred prey are the small, gazelle like Freund deers that humans have for the most part domesticated. Lone individuals are particularly susceptible to attack by Gatumas and Katocs, but since humans are the first predatory species on Varaha to exhibit social behavior they have been able to overcome their physiological disadvantages. The killing of a Gatuma or Katoc is still considered an important rite of passage in many tribes, however, and a successful hunt is a matter of great rejoicing and celebration.

The Void Eagles have built their fortress-monastery deep in the mountains of Kurma’s central, and highest, mountain range---the Prithu Range. Sheltered in a high valley perpetually enclosed in massive snow drifts, the Void Eagles' fortress-monastery is virtually inaccessible to Varaha’s human population and the one of the initial tasks of selected aspirants is to brave the dangers of the Prithu Range to reach its gates. Braving everything from predatory Gatumas in the lower ranges to rock slides and avalanches, only the hardiest of Varaha’s youth survive the climb. The Marines themselves remain aloof from the general population, having acquired the reputation as Warriors of the Gods whose descend from the heavens marks a time of testing in which those found worthy will be allowed to take their place among the Legions of the Gods. The Void Eagles are content to let this belief continue, having no desire to interfere in Varaha’s natural development and possibly ruin the high quality of recruits they currently receive.


Combat Doctrine

Centuries upon centuries of combat against various deadly xenos have led to a strong preference for ranged combat. Rather than rush into close quarters against a foe with unknown assault capabilities, the Void Eagles first engage in long range firefights, using heavy weapons to get a feel for the opponent’s strength and weaknesses. Once a preliminary picture of the foe has been formed, the Void Eagles engage in mobile warfare, sending out a collection of loosely controlled patrols that sweep the terrain in a dispersed formation. Upon enemy contact, the patrols swarm to the point of contact, assaulting their foe from multiple directions to confuse and segment them, allowing the Marines to destroy them piecemeal. If the enemy is more numerous than the available Marines can handle, the Void Eagles will engage in a fighting withdrawal, using hit and run attacks to slow the enemy down while leading him into hastily prepared ambushes and fire sacks to reduce his numbers until he is susceptible to a full scale assault.

On the defense, the Void Eagles do not believe in holding ground simply for the sake of holding ground. Instead, they will prepare an in-depth consisting of multiple squad-sized strong points linked by underground communication trenches. The network will be expanded out until the linked squads form a company-sized strongpoint. Inside the company strongpoint, there will be numerous spider holes with concealed entrances linked to the squad positions. Enemy forces are allowed to wander to within 50 to 100 meters before the Marines open fire, decimating foes with a volley of close range fire. Sergeants have the authority to pull back to alternate positions when the primary is threatened, drawing the enemy deeper into the entrenchments where he can be enfiladed from neighboring positions and prone to encirclement as other squads counter attack and infiltrate behind him. It is also common for the Void Eagles to allow enemy formations to pass directly over head, emerging from the spider holes behind them after contact is made with the main defensive line.

The Void Eagles also have a pronounced proclivity for plasma weaponry. The ability to put out a high rate of fire at close range combined with its armor piercing capabilities and high strength make it an indispensible weapon for dealing with the myriad of lesser xenos races that are found by Explorator Fleets in the Segmentum Pacificus as well as destroying Tyranid monstrous creatures and heavily armored orcs.

Organization

The Void Eagles are fairly strict adherents to the organizational edicts of the Codex Astartes. The Chapter is organized into ten companies, with the 1st Company being the Veteran Company, the 2nd to 5th companies organized as battle companies, the 6th to 9th as reserve companies and the 10th as a Scout Company. The Void Eagles maintain a smaller number of dreadnoughts than most chapters, but compensate for this by having a higher number of Predators and Razorbacks in their arsenal. The Void Eagles have also been noted several times as having an unusually large Librarium that produces abnormally powerful and adept Psykers but no inquiries have established any evidence of delinquency or heresy.

Throughout their career, marines of the Void Eagles are subject to different levels of initiation. While the names of several of the different initiate grades have been identified throughout the years, the Void Eagles maintain a tight degree of secrecy about what each level of initiation signifies and no direct correlation with a particular rank and initiate level has ever been clearly identified. All that is known with certainty is that the lowest grade is called “Corvus” and that higher grades include “Miles”, “Leo”, and “Heliodromus.” One Inquisitor who spent time with the chapter reported there being a total of seven grades, with the highest holding the title of “Pater” but no independent prove of this was ever found and the veracity of the transmission was established at a meager 27.42%.

Beliefs

Void Eagle Chaplains preach that the Emperor is the embodiment of the “ultimate man” and it is every marine’s duty to emulate the Emperor’s behavior. By doing this, the Marines simultaneously strengthen their souls to endure all manners of horrors as well as providing living examples of the Emperor’s vision of how humanity should behave. Because of this belief, Marines of the Void Eagles are unusually well versed in classical subjects as well as combat doctrines. When not deployed, it is not unusual for Void Eagle commanders to encourage subordinates to learn about Terran history, past human cultures, and the roles and functions of other Imperial agencies in addition to the normal military structures. The Void Eagles treasure all kinds of knowledge, believing that by promoting independent thought and critical thinking in their ranks that even the newest Marine will be able to analyze the tactical situation and turn it into a strategic advantage.

Geneseed

The Void Eagles are, officially at least, unaware of whom their Primarch is. Instead, the Marines venerate the Emperor directly as their founder. The Chapter’s geneseed is subject to the usual purity tests and has not shown any signs of genetic instability over the millennia. Although some dark rumors continue to persist based on the Chapter’s unusual tactics and strong Librarium, they have all been dismissed by official inquiries for lack of evidence.

Battle Cry

Pro Imperator, defaeco alienus! (For the Emperor, purge the Alien!)

Good begining and can you review my chapter Fire Wraiths,the link is in my signature.

Ivan, seriously stop spamming your chapter, if people want to readit they will :p hehe

And shouldn't these Marine FLuff Posts be in Dakka Fiction?

Yes,Dark Lord I won't.

Dark Lord Seanron wrote:Ivan, seriously stop spamming your chapter, if people want to readit they will :p hehe

And shouldn't these Marine FLuff Posts be in Dakka Fiction?

Amen. And while the forum is probably not the most appropriate, comments would still be welcome DLS.