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The truth is, none of us knows how the High Lords work.

Space Sharks. Sheer malicious brutality with power armor...

http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Inquisitorial_Representative#.UPJ9z_IQGVo

According to the article (whose reference is the Thorian Sourcebook), there are times when the Inquisitorial Representative leaves Terra to attend to his/her duties in the Inquisition. There were also times (like during the events that led to the Age of Apostasy and during the Wars of Vindication) when the position of Inquisitorial Representative was vacant due to the Inquisition being busy elsewhere.

Admiral Valerian wrote:By seemingly currying the favor of the High Lords, they appear to subvert the Astartes principle of 'Emperor and Imperium first, politics second'.

That's ... not how it was described, at least not from how I understood it.
The High Lords are the Emperor's representatives, interpreting his divine will and basically passing along his orders (or so the official story goes), which basically makes them the Emperor's mouthpiece. Defying the will of the Senatorum Imperialis thus means defying the Emperor Himself.

The High Lords have in the past ordered Space Marine Chapters around, they hold the key to sponsoring subsequent Foundings, and they make sure that a minimum of the Codex Astartes' decrees are followed by all Chapters - especially the geneseed purity checks. GW's "Imperial hierarchy" charts have always attached the Adeptus Astartes to the Adeptus Terra, from the 2E Codex Imperialis right to the current 6E rulebook. Some of them may not always play ball and value their sense of independence a little too much, but the High Lords' authority remains the law. Just like it works with the Astartes' relationship with the Inquisition.

Thus it is my belief that there could be repercussions for being "too close" to the High Lords ... just not from the Inquisition, but rather from certain other borderline-heretic Chapters who could regard such affiliation as treason towards their Brother-Marines from the more independent Chapters. I'm sure there are quite a few Space Marines who think that an Astartes should always come before "outside" Imperial authorities, as a matter of (misguided) respect and honour. The 40k version of bros before hoes, if you will.

@Lynata

AFAIK the Space Marines are like the Inquisition; while technically under the High Lords' authority, traditionally both the Inquisition and the Space Marines answer to the Emperor alone, so while they follow the High Lords' decrees, if they go too far (like during the Age of Apostasy when the High Lords had basically become yes-men for Vandire), both organizations could kick ass, so to speak. As I recall, the Astartes did just that along with the Mechanicum at the end of the Age of Apostasy (the Inquisition was busy elsewhere). And there was that whole fiasco with Saint Basilius; there was nothing the High Lords could do (or rather, they apparently didn't do anything at all, no idea why) to stop the furious survivors from declaring said saint a 'false idol' and ruthlessly destroying his legacy.

You are claiming the Inquisition and the Astartes are much the same? Wow, news for me. The Inquisition had some Astartes in their ranks originally, but it ended there. Now the Astartes are just a rapid-reacting response-force for the IOM doing the precision-strikes so many books are written about. While the Inquisition hunts witches, xenos and demons, with or without the help of Asartes.

I said they're like the Inquisition, a semi-autonomous organization. Did you even read my post? Or if you did, have you perhaps never taken reading comprehension classes?

I read your post, and I asked a sensible question. The Space Marines have things monitoring them, Inquisition, AdMech and such. That's for sure, they are given relatively free hands, but not entirely as if they try to deviate too much from the Codex Astartes things tends to go awry, but that's old news, and you don't need to take everything I write as a personal attack. I was merely pointing out the danger of comparing the Astartes with the Inquisition.

Nothing wrong with comparing the two, since apart from the Adeptus Mechanicus, only the Space Marines match the Inquisition's semi-autonomy from the rest of the Imperial hierarchy.

EDIT: Not to mention religious independence. Lots of spank from the Ecclesiarchy I hear, though the Astartes don't seem to care, and as someone who came to 40k from the Horus Heresy novels, I approve: screw the Ecclesiarchy.

Compare them instead to the Adepta Sororitas, they have relative freedom in their conduct of warfare and can conduct their own investigations into the Eccleschiarchy.

As for the second part, that's the Space Marine-POV, for a normal person the God-Emperor is a living god. He eventually embraced religion because humans needed something to believe in. And WH30k is a lot different from the decaying IOM of wh40k, not much but roughly the same place, but infinately more horrible.

 Beaviz81 wrote:
Compare them instead to the Adepta Sororitas, they have relative freedom in their conduct of warfare and can conduct their own investigations into the Eccleschiarchy.

Ugh. I hate those girls (or their organization). They're basically Word Bearers 2.0.

And WH30k is a lot different from the decaying IOM of wh40k, not much but roughly the same place, but infinately more horrible.

No kidding. For starters, Legiones Astartes sounds and functions better and more badass than Adeptus Astartes. Not to mention they had nice tech. Then it was an age of progress. Of hope. Of reclamation, exploration, and conquest (ok, so they still do that now, but back then, conquering the galaxy for Mankind actually meant something). If it wasn't for BFG, I'd probably stick to the Horus Heresy novels and to gak with the 41st Millennium.

Whoa flesh tearers shot to the top of the polls since i added them lol

Angry marines. No one else comes close.

 undead flesh addict wrote:
Angry marines. No one else comes close.

If they were an official chapter, i wouldn't have started this poll anymore

This thread could double as 'which chapter has the worst name'.

Fluffwise all marines are pretty savage if you get on the wrong side of them, neckbeard opinions aside the Gauntlets of Ultramar sure would make a mess.

In descending order:

Angry Marines
Mortifactors
Flesh Tearers

The Angry Marines are non-canon and just made for fun,nothing else. If they shall be included, then the Female Marines with PMS should top the list.

Disclaimer this is a joke, nothing else so please not be offended.

I'm surprised the Knights of Blood haven't been mentioned. Surely they would trump the Flesh Tearers for bloodthirsty brutality. Since they are really just the version of the Flesh Tearers that was so bloodthirsty and brutal, they actually managed to get themselves kicked out of the imperium and declared renegade by the high lords.

Maybe being declared renegade disqualifies them from being on the list. However, on the other hand... They are still loyal chapter. They never abandoned the imperium. It just got fed up of them.

It's hard to comment on the Knights of Blood given how little information is available. But the Flesh Tearers ... well, their founding Chapter Master was best friends with Kharn, after all, and the very name of the Chapter comes from him being called "the Flesh Tearer" in pit fights with World Eaters.

Guys, Lamenters.

Seriously.

They are weeping-ladies. Paid to weep and scratch their cheeks at funerals. Seriously.

*room goes silent*

"That's not funny!"

*Malakim runs from thread sobbing*

"No one understand us!"

 Manchu wrote:
The truth is, none of us knows how the High Lords work.

Let me play a song for them on the galaxies smallest violin.

I'm gonna say the poor Guardsman who has is innards eaten by a Brain-eater worm has it a bit tougher then a High Lord in his luxurious palace safe on Terra.

Their working conditions aren't the issue; the rules of procedure they follow is -- and we know nothing about it.

Well on the tabletop they would be tougher than any Space Marine, and only something really powerful could beat them.

 Beaviz81 wrote:
Well on the tabletop they would be tougher than any Space Marine, and only something really powerful could beat them.

Not to sidetrack the topic, but I think a Space Marine could probably beat up the Ecclesiarch.

Yeah but not on the tabletop.

Dem Flesh Tearers be pretty damn narly dudes. They definitely have my vote.

My vote? Angry Marines.

 Manchu wrote:
*room goes silent*

"That's not funny!"

*Malakim runs from thread sobbing*

"No one understand us!"

Hahaha bloody hilarious. Man I laughed hard about this one.