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Im in the process of creating some fluff for a space marine chapter I plan on starting the Emperors Shields. A successor chapter of the imperial fists who tactically focus on defenses and have close ties to the mechanicus preferring to build a series of fortifications for there allies to use upon landing at a new war zone rather then fight the fight themselves this has earned them a bad reputation amongst the other spacemarine chapters who accuse the emperors shields of being cowards. The emperors shields prefer to think of themselves as the masters of defense and of tactics only fighting when necessary preferring to let the men of the Imperial Guard, or the men of the Vahraxan Legion a unit of PDF from there home planet of Vahraxan who travel with the Emperors Shields to provide men to man there defenses.

This is just a brief selection of my larger fluff and I want to know is this acceptable fluff for spacemarines I know it is sort of un conventional and un traditional but could it happen.

As a matter of fact, I would say that this is pretty close to within the bounds of conventional and acceptable for fluff. Imperial Fists is a likely candidate for your style of warfare.

However, the only aspect I think needs some ironing out or editing is the fact that they have a PDF detachment with them. This comes across as unusual, but I wouldn't say impossible. You'll need to explain and ensure that the home planet has proper defenses, as PDF, as the name implies usually doesn't leave the house very often, so to speak.

Rename the PDF a say auxiliary or serf guard etc and could say your chapter uses a larger than norm force of serfs under arms during deployment.

Maybe they chomand defence lines, provide a a reason for IG to hold ground as they lead from the walls, holding reserves back to fill a breach and secure it.

They remind me of the Great Crusade bit where the original Legions always had a attachment of the Imperial Army with them.

Thank you all for the responses and I didn't exactly mean a detachment of PDF just something similar. See the sub sector under there control is in the middle of Ork Space and thus faces a ever present hostile threat this has led to the sub sector developing a highly martial culture even before the Emperors Shields were created and moved there. The people had been fighting the ork menace and the system has a very large defense force not exactly a PDF per say as they would occasionally take offensive action against nearby Ork worlds but a more local security force I dont know if such a thing exists in fluff but I do believe it is possible correct me if I am wrong.

All good responses actually, and I like the idea of an IG detachment to tread along with the Marines.

Ultimately though, it comes down to whatever you feel like makes your chapter work fluffwise, OP. That's the beauty of creating your own stuff.

Good luck!

Thats a wonderful start to fluff. It is very "imperial fist"-y. Yes, you will have to word-smith your way to fit the IG into your fighting lines but that wouldn't be a stretch of canon as it stands already.

Personally, I can already see the chapter as it stands on the parade ground. In [insert colour] of heraldry, maybe a little dusty from all the ground work. Many of the marines would have servo arms to assist with their duties, others with large packs to carry ammo for large caliber guns that are housed in their various forts. Some would have auspex or some sort of data computational device to help with more complex measurements or range finding.

Idea for fluff : all space marines in the chapter is capable of building it's own trench, fortification , and also be able to have the tech marine mind to control turrets

First off, I love the idea. I just have a few questions, if you don't mind. You don't have to address any of these, I'm hoping to provoke some thought, not trying to discourage.

My first questions works off of an assumption that your Chapter has official ties to the Imperial Fists. (Your Chapter doesn't even have to follow this process, and could be created; whether or not your chapter knows, from Rogal Dorn's geneseed anyway.) I've read: post-Second Founding Imperial Fists Chapters are described as being created according to one of three view-points: the Imperial Fists, the Crimson Fists or the Black Templars. I'm assuming because your focus is on Siege Warfare, that you are going to be created in the fashion of the Imperial Fists. Meaning, before an Imperial Fist Successor Chapter establishes its own style and history, they are lead by Sergeants and Veterans of the Imperial Fists. At least according to Lexicanum. This (I assume) is where you'd pick up Chapter Culture, combat doctrines and the like (provided that was the case for your dudes). The Imperial Fists' focus is on attack, more than defense, and I'd argue that their chapter culture glorifies self-sacrifice for victory. While I think the self-sacrifice makes perfect sense for your Chapter in terms of heroic last stands, how would that factor into your preference for defense over sieging the enemy? How would that culture affect your preference to let your IG (now AM?) friends fight while you (called cowards) focus on your buildings? I guess to sum that bit up: how, or why, did your Chapter change?

Along those same lines, how would the Emperor's Shields factor into offensive actions? Are you leaving it all up to your IG/ AM friends? When all the Fortification is done, must your Chapter run off to another world? Would the Emperor's Shields send a squad or two of Battle Brothers, some Devastators (I read the Imperial Fists spend extra time training in these units and assuming the above, might pass that onto you. As always it's your call, you are writing it ) and an Aegis Defense Line to aid in those roles? Do the Emperor's Shields take the lead in offensive actions, while only being backed up by your PDF/ Serfs/ ect?

Okay, in the time it took me to do some quick reading for this and writing (and editing) this post, I came up with a few ideas to my own questions. However, I really want to hear your answers to these questions, and I don't want to tell you how to write your story. If you're interested, I'll take up another long-post with the ideas I got.

It's actually quite clearly stated that the Imperial Fists are the masters of the static defense. They are the direct opposites of the Iron Warriors who are the masters of Siege Warfare, so in this respect I think there is no change that is occuring. The reason IF have such a focus on devastators is because they are most useful in defense of static fortifications.

Regardless I like the idea of the chapter. Especially since it kind of mixes the Iron Hands and Imperial Fists themes two of my favorite.

I think a good way to differentiate the Imperial Shields from the Imperial Fists would be to focus on the engineering aspect of their doctrine. That meaning they revere the ancient traditions of Rogal Dorn, and perhaps even worship the Imperial Palace as a kind of shrine to his work? Since the Imperial Fists have deviated from this tradition perhaps that is the reason for the split? During the time of the second founding there was a split within the Imperial Fists and all the veteran techmarines and architects that had formally populated the IF left to form this chapter?

I think that alot of iconography and reverence for the imperial palace would be essential to fleshing out this chapter. That being the empitome of Rogal Dorn's work, and simultaneously a sign of devotion to the emperor.

I would say that emphasizing the "support" nature of the chapter would be better than talking about them avoiding conflict. Those who have seen them in battle see the awesome firepower of their martial bulwarks, and have seen the Imperial Shields die glorious deaths holding the breach within their citadels of last resort. They are courageous, but misunderstood by more brazen chapters for their cautious tactics.

I'm loving the idea of this chapter. Just stacking Aegis Lines and Citadels and Hull-Down Leman Russ tanks. Supported by cybernetically augmented devestators, squads of techmarines surrounded by swarms of servitors. Static defense cannons, scorpions. Man, what a cool gunline army.

I think the idea of this chapter having been formed from the "seige artisan tradtions, of those whom fortified the Imperial palace" is a good one.