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Chaos is a big thing among renegades. Like black armor and spikes. But I've never heard of a non-Chaotic renegade Marines.

Are they just rare, or is Chaos the only force in the 40k-verse able to sway Space Marines from their intended duty?

The Soul Drinkers might fit the bill of what you're looking for. The Legion of the Damned might too. Both of them exist outside the Imperium, although the Legion of the Damned still fight for the same causes. The Soul Drinkers oppose the Imperium, believing themselves to be betrayed by it. (The opposing view is that they're psychotic traitors as well as mutant heretics, who serve Chaos inadvertently, even if they don't worship the Ruinous Powers.)

Some of the Chaos Marines are disdainful of the Chaos Gods, (see the Night Lords novels by Aaron Dembski-Bowden) and would probably tell you that they fit the bill of 'non Chaos renegade.'

And finally, there is Lufgt Huron and the Red Corsairs. They are Chaos aligned NOW, but I think there is some doubt as to whether or not they were Chaos aligned when they rebelled against the Imperium. The Chapters of marines that joined them in their rebellion were not all Chaos aligned traitors either. Huron just aligned himself with Chaos later on, I believe.

In any event, I hope that helps.

Thanks a lot :3

It's good to know that there exists some middle ground between the dominant, polar extremes.

Other than the Soul Drinkers the best example I can think of are the Knights of Blood, they are a BA successor who has gone kind of crazy with the Black Rage and Red Thirst stuff and been declared heretics by the Inquisition. That being said they still operate in defense of Imperial worlds, they just stay away from the notice of other SM and Inquisitorial forces. For record they still participated in the defense of Baal even when they had already been declared renegade.

http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Knights_of_Blood_%28Chapter%29#.UQ5ELGfnuKk

Leaving the imperium and joining the ruinous powers is not synonymous contrary to what you may be lead to believe.

Remember everything ever written in 40k is biased. Its written from someones point of view. The fluff in the BRB is mostly based on what the Imperium knows, and some parts are even just imperial propaganda.

Relictors were nearly destroyed by an inquisitorial order, the remaining ran to regroup, what they are doing now is not known. Due to the fact they have actively chosento fight chaos mainly its very unlikey that they would turn to chaos.

The "taint" of chaos is very real in 40K. Once you have been caught by it there are no known examples of redemption. Also, chaos has a mutch bigger influence on some races then others. Orks are moastly unafected. In humanaty Chaos saw that this could be their vessel for galactix suckes. If a chapter has gone rogue it would soon be a short time before it was tipped over the scales of chaos. Just look at the Badab War and Hurion Blackheart. All he wanted to do was do a great job and broke some minor rules withouth people knowing it and "whops" he starts the biggest civil war since the horus heresey.

Another example would be the alpha legion in the horus heresey books.. Perhaps some marines could be working with Tau, but once the all safty nett emperor is gone it is a recepy for disaster.

Recent defectors to the Red Corsairs are less likely to be corrupted, while those that have been there longer are more likely to be chaotically influenced.

It's a slow descent into madness, paved with good intentions.

Being "renegade" can be a matter of perspective.

Consider a Chapter like the Marines Malevolent. They look down on normal humans, and have no qualms about inflicting casualties on Imperial civilians or other normal human Imperial forces, as acceptable collateral damage. Like many Chapters they do their own thing and don't listen to the rest of the Imperium. Yet ostensibly they are still loyalist.

It would be an easy thing for a chapter like that to start justifying all sorts of behavior to itself. It might start refusing requests for deployment and aid, claiming they are preserving their strength for more "important" conflicts in the future. In response to requests for gene-seed tithes or inspection, they might use the claim of SM autonomy to reject or even attack the inspectors. If an Inquisitor tries to investigate, maybe they make the Inquisitor "disappear". Maybe next they deliberately inflict casualties on allied Imperial Guard forces to "set an example" or "stiffen morale". Perhaps then they start demanding war material from other Imperial worlds, justifying that they would make better use of it than mere normal humans. Then next step could be taking over and ruling worlds "for their own good".

All the above actions could result in them being declared renegade, however in their own eyes they are still loyal and it is the corrupt Administratum/Inquisition/High Lords infringing on their sacred Space Marine autonomy. The line between autonomous but loyal, and private empire building can be a fine one.

http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/List_of_Renegade_Space_Marine_Chapters#.UQ6aC6VJNq8

It's also worth noting that many of the Fallen are referred to as not being Chaos aligned; some are full Chaos marines, some are ambiguous (like Cypher) and some just try to blend into the background noise of the universe, becoming mercenaries, or ingratiating themselves into remote communities where someone with a Marine's skills would be valued.

I think there are groups in the Night Lords and the Alpha Legion that are actual "Renegade" chapters, who don't work for chaos but still oppose the imperium

The Soul Drinkers are a renegade, even Excommunicatus Traitorus Chapter that, despite being mutants, still serve the Imperium. Or, at least, believe that they do. The Legion of the Damned might also be viewed in this way.

I think it would be very hard of Renegade marines to stay unaligned in 40k with out some support, they would find it very hard to rearm, resuply or rebuild