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I'm in the process of building a home-brew CSM army, not necessarily based on any of the existing traitor legions. I really like the colors and idea behind the Howling Griffons loyalist chapter and was thinking about making up some fluff about them being corrupted.
But according to the background I've read that the Howling Griffons are based on Roboute Guilliman's gene-seed. Would it even be possible for the descendants of the original Smurf Marine to be mutated or corrupted?
Any precedence for this in the fluff? Personal opinions?

If you mean corrupted by chaos, sure. Any space marine chapter could fall to chaos. Some are just less likely than others.

If you mean "Is there something inherent about the gene-seed that caused the chapter to act funny", then no. The Ultramarines are regarded as having the most "stable" geneseed.

I like the idea myelf. From the fluff perspective it'd be kinda scary to the UM for one of their successors to fall from the Emprah's light. However, I doubt it'd be unheard of and furthermore I think it's pretty funny and cool personally. To make it work in the fluff they'd most likely be hunted by the UM like the DA hunt the fallen but that just gives you the oppertunity to have some really cool backstory and kick .

The stability of a Chapters gene-seed does not necessarily reflect their likelihood of falling to Chaos or being mutated by it. It being very stable just means it causes less mutations/problems with the various organs Space Marines get.

So even the Ultramarines have the potential to fall to Chaos, however remote that may be. Poster boys

Ultramarine sucsessor of whatever founding. Stationed in such and such an area to guard x. During a particularly savage and prolonged waro storm gak happens and they fall.

Or they have some falling out with the inquisition/ecclesiarchy in perhaps a similar matter to that of the Space Wolves after Armageddon which does not resolve it in such a way forcing them to turn renegades which messes them up after having to hide for extended periods in the warp.

Tyr's hand wrote:
I'm in the process of building a home-brew CSM army, not necessarily based on any of the existing traitor legions. I really like the colors and idea behind the Howling Griffons loyalist chapter and was thinking about making up some fluff about them being corrupted.
But according to the background I've read that the Howling Griffons are based on Roboute Guilliman's gene-seed. Would it even be possible for the descendants of the original Smurf Marine to be mutated or corrupted?
Any precedence for this in the fluff? Personal opinions?

The genseed of their Primarch RG make up for about 60% of the chapters. The chance of a corrupted and turned chapter is a chapter founded from the UM-geneseed is pretty high.

I'd just stay away from established chapters like Howling Griffons. Make your own. Be inspired all you like.
But don't run chaos Howling chaos Griffons

Many of the CSM that aren't from the Traitor Legions are renegade Ultramarine successors. This isn't because of some special UM weakness but just because there are more UM successors than any other First Founding chapter.

I go for the ancient adage power corrupts, and few are more powerful than the Space Marines. Plus it takes time, often hundreds of years just to corrupt one single Space Marine.

 HerbaciousT wrote:
The stability of a Chapters gene-seed does not necessarily reflect their likelihood of falling to Chaos or being mutated by it. It being very stable just means it causes less mutations/problems with the various organs Space Marines get.

So even the Ultramarines have the potential to fall to Chaos, however remote that may be.

Pretty much. The Ultramarines gene seed is unlikely to mutate on its own. However, that doesn't make chapters founded using it immune to later corruption. It is strongly hinted that the Astral Claws were of Ultramarines geneseed. Like Manchu said, if more than 60% of Space Marines are from the Ultramarines, it's a fair bet that a reasonable percentage of renegade warbands could be Ultramarines.

You could very easily make a Howling Griffons successor that fell to Chaos if you want. The entire Howling Griffons? Not really, since they are an established Chapter. But don't let that stop you. Figure out a good reason for their successor to fall to Chaos, and roll with it. Or have a warband that was founded by a small group of Howling Griffons that went renegade, and are now pursued by their parent Chapter.

 kronk wrote:
If you mean corrupted by chaos, sure. Any space marine chapter could fall to chaos. Some are just less likely than others.

If you mean "Is there something inherent about the gene-seed that caused the chapter to act funny", then no. The Ultramarines are regarded as having the most "stable" geneseed.

Not exactly true. The Dark Angels have the most stable gene seed. The ruling class of terra doesn't use their gene seed for political reasons. The Ultramarines do have a very stable gene seed and are generally very cooperative with the various powers that be thus they are used as a basis for more successor chapters.

your point is still valid though.

Good lord. No.

The Dark Angels don't have the most stable gene seed. Their is just stable like the Ultramarines. There's never been any kind of ranking system for "the most". Though this does seem to be a common misconception.

Ivan Issaccs wrote:
Ultramarine sucsessor of whatever founding. Stationed in such and such an area to guard x. During a particularly savage and prolonged waro storm gak happens and they fall.

Or they have some falling out with the inquisition/ecclesiarchy in perhaps a similar matter to that of the Space Wolves after Armageddon which does not resolve it in such a way forcing them to turn renegades which messes them up after having to hide for extended periods in the warp.

What do you mean space wolves are renegade? I thought they fight for the Emperor?

 Manchu wrote:
Many of the CSM that aren't from the Traitor Legions are renegade Ultramarine successors. This isn't because of some special UM weakness but just because there are more UM successors than any other First Founding chapter.

This.

It's also important to note that entire Chapters going renegade is not common. Squads and individuals is common, with parts of companies going renegade being less common but possible. Entire Chapters going renegade is almost unheard of except for extreme cases like the Astral Claws.

 HerbaciousT wrote:
The stability of a Chapters gene-seed does not necessarily reflect their likelihood of falling to Chaos or being mutated by it. It being very stable just means it causes less mutations/problems with the various organs Space Marines get.

This makes sense.

The fluff for the Red Scorpions states that whilst Guilliman's gene-seed is the purest of the loyalist primarchs, Fulgrim's gene-seed is purer still, and that didn't work out too well for the loyalty of the Emporer's Children did it?

Anything in the Imperium can be corrupted by chaos sure the Emperor is just a Lord of Change

 Veteran Sergeant wrote:
Good lord. No.

The Dark Angels don't have the most stable gene seed. Their is just stable like the Ultramarines. There's never been any kind of ranking system for "the most". Though this does seem to be a common misconception.

I'm fairly confident its in the 3rd edition da codex.

Tiarna Fuilteach wrote:
Anything in the Imperium can be corrupted by chaos sure the Emperor is just a Lord of Change

Or more precisely, he's Kairos Fateweaver, that's why the symbol of the Imperium is a two-headed bird with one head looking to the future and one to the past.....

@Daedricbob Holy flying grots!, I never noticed that till just now O_o

 Daedricbob wrote:

Tiarna Fuilteach wrote:
Anything in the Imperium can be corrupted by chaos sure the Emperor is just a Lord of Change

Or more precisely, he's Kairos Fateweaver, that's why the symbol of the Imperium is a two-headed bird with one head looking to the future and one to the past.....

Awesome. I always thought it was weird that the symbol of the Pure and Holy Imperium of Man would have that kind of mythological symbol, but I never thought to connect that with Kairos.

Since I've been so uncertain about picking an established legion for my paint scheme I've also considered having it be a truly "Chaos Undivided" army. So the tanks, rhinos and Warpsmiths would be Iron Warriors. Any Khorne berzerkers would be Word Bearer's sub-faction "The Sanctified." Chaos bikers would be Night Lords. Plague Marines, Thousand Sons, Noise Marines, etc. could then be added in without seeming odd.

I'm trying to think of where my homebrew traitors would fit. Maybe just an individual squad? Or they would be the Havocs? I dunno.