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So if a Space Marine Chapter was ever lacking in able-bodied marines, do they ever get “gift marines,” or marines from other chapters that will permanently join their chapter? I figure if that did happen, it would all be from the same parent chapter, such as Ultramarines sending some boys to a successor.

It certainly happened to both the Imperial Fists and the Blood Angels, they got marines and scouts from their successor chapters respectively, so could be incorporated in a story that you are making.

Oh, thanks, that was definitely what I was planning.

The Imperial Fists were effectively wiped out during the War of The Beast. But they received emergency reinforcements from their successors. Took a long time to recover, but 'gifting marines certainly has precedents in both directions and massively helps in recovery time.

There's also suggestions (but nothing concrete) that the UM *legion* was reinforced by the [redacted] or [redacted] legions, when they were [redacted].

Blood Angels were pretty much rebuilt from Scouts they requested from their Successors.

The "gift" marines given by the Black Templars to the Celestial Lions Chapter were assigned on an explicitly temporary basis. However... I don't think we were ever told how "temporary" that was - a year? A decade? A campaign? Until the Chapter was up to full strength (a task which could take centuries)?

Bharring wrote:
There's also suggestions (but nothing concrete) that the UM *legion* was reinforced by the [redacted] or [redacted] legions, when they were [redacted].

The sole source of that suggestion was some Word Bearers gak-talking about the Ultras, if I recall correctly.

Speaking of the Ultramarines, they may or may not pillage the Genesis Chapter for a top up if their own numbers drop to low...

The author of that book even said it was gak, just salty word bearers being salty.

 Crazyterran wrote:
The author of that book even said it was gak, just salty word bearers being salty.

The Author can say what he wants, but until its redeacted in a book, it doesnt mean anything as its part of the background now and some other author can come along and flesh out the idea, I remember saying this to ADB on this or another forum and while he may regret putting it in there, its there now, it is true though, well, thats up to the reader whether he believes it or not, either way in universe the word bearers believe it.

 Formosa wrote:

 Crazyterran wrote:
The author of that book even said it was gak, just salty word bearers being salty.

The Author can say what he wants, but until its redeacted in a book, it doesnt mean anything as its part of the background now and some other author can come along and flesh out the idea, I remember saying this to ADB on this or another forum and while he may regret putting it in there, its there now, it is true though, well, thats up to the reader whether he believes it or not, either way in universe the word bearers believe it.

Or at least, some do. Not everyone who overhears that one weird conspiracy nutter at work believes him, after all.

Aren't the Genesis Chapter basically Ultramarines Companies 11 though 20? They literally fill the gaps in the Ultramarine companies if they fall below Codex strength.