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My custom Space Marine Chapter:

The Void Spiders


The true agenda of the Void Spiders is known only to themselves and those they deem worthy of trust. Many rumors and theories suggest that a disturbing number of radical Ordo Malleus Inquisitors, Entire Troupes Of the lethal Eldar Harlequins and even the Infamous Fabius Bile have aided this Renegade Chapter of Astartes. Cunning and lethal, the modus operandi of the Void Spiders is brutal, savage and lightning quick precision strikes - typically with only a handful of Space Marines. From what the Ordo Hereticus can gather, the Void Spiders only ever operate with highly trained stealth squads of Astartes assigned into Kill Teams for specific tasks. During larger scale conflicts they either operate far from the main battle behind enemy lines or acting as a support/command detachment to an army of renegades and/or cultists supported by looted imperial armor elements. They also appear to be a fleet based Chapter though some Inquisitorial operatives suggest that the Chapter has salvaged a number Of Eldar battleships - something that may help explain how the Void Spiders can, and have, been seen upon every kind of warzone throughout the entire galaxy at once. Since the Void Spiders have the ability to spread their forces so thin and effectively they have been able to wage their shadow war for centuries - attacking, raiding and destroying targets aligned to the Imperium, Xenos and the forces of Chaos alike. It must also be noted that despite causing considerable destruction to imperial domain the Void Spiders Chapter has statistically aided Imperial forces the most in recent decades - though it remains to be seen why and if these actions will continue for the betterment of the Empire.



For this Warband I’ve used my favorite mix of Space Marine models. The very first space marines by Bob Naismith from the Citadel journal: the c100 Imperial Deep Space Marines (also the LE2 Imperial Marine and LE10 Power Armored Marine).



This model, sculpted by Bob Naismith was done before the iconic LE2 Imperial Marine. This sculpt was released along side it, along with the first LE1 Space Orc (yes with a “c” lol) as the limited edition “LE10 Power Armored Marine” and is largely considered the “first” space marine and one of possibly many designs that didn’t make the cut for the official and final design that became the LE2 marine. What I love about it is the Halo/Marathon-esque helmet and jet pack. He resonates the design of 2001: A space odyssey space suits and A Starship Trooper soldier (novel version).



The “Wolf Spider” recognized by his distinct Checkered helmet and spiral badge. Every single squad of Void Spiders marines has one Wolf Spider within attached to it. Wolf Spiders take no orders and will work to distance themselves from their parent squad in order to work alone and conduct their brutal operations. Ambushes, planting traps of all kinds and sabotaging enemy positions and equipment while his squad finishes their mission. It is not unheard of for a single wolf spider to skillfully hold a position by himself, distracting enemy patrols and assaults - sometimes even making the enemy think there are far more marines holding them back than they think and making them over-commit their ground forces to a false engagement.









Ready for battle.
I may expand a bit - adding a marine here and there, but only until their case is full.












Power Output: 657012G/e
Code — Override —
Authorization — Override —
Device — Ignore Protocol —
File — Accessed — Warning
Unauthorized Access

CLASSIFIED
Subject: 3/7/<Renegades> Traitor Astartes
File: 3150003.M42
Loading: 99.9% complete
Source: Imp/Inq/Psy/E
Access Code: TouringG

SITUATION REPORT ON ASTARTES PIRATE ACTIVITY IN ORION SECTOR.

Directed to: +++++++ Admiral Violet Evergreene, Naval Command Station, Kreator Orbit.

Commit to: +++++++ Imperial EP 747/Spark, Inquisition INR 3557/23

Cross-file to: +++++++ TraitorAttacks [TLAt]

Transmitted: +++++++ werearewe [Betrasseus System]

Purity Check: +++++++ Inquisitor Strictus

Input Date: +++++++ 3150003.M42

Complied: +++++++ Aurora Skorn, Interrogator Major, Officio Monitoris, Betrasseus Sector

Thought For The Day: “A wise man learns from the death of his comrades.”

Over the Last five decades there has been a significant increase in the number of attacks committed by the Renegade Astartes Chapter formerly known as the Void Spiders in this sector. This raiding has reached the pre-determined level of tolerance as laid down in the Sectoris Stabilis Mandate Magnitude Scale.

•[5143945.M41] Ghorost IV Cleansing. This campaign was the last recorded engagement against the Dark Eldar in the Ghorost IV sector while the Void Spiders were still loyal to the Imperial Throne. They fought a successful campaign against the Kabalites of The Bleeding Eye along side allied companies belonging to the following Chapters: Space Wolves, Legion Of Fire, Scythes Of the Emperor, Blood Angels. After this campaign the allied Chapters lose contact with the Void Spiders. Battle Brothers fighting along side Void Spiders Marines report a strange, overly aggressive approach - even by the standards of the Space Wolves and Blood Angels. The Void Spiders commenced a massive boarding action to capture and destroy the Bleeding Eye’s Archon. It is assumed the Chapter fled with this individual after the rest of the Kabal’s Annihilation.

•[5143956.M41] Wilderness Space. Confirmed reports of extremely fast starships roaming near the Scaar asteroid belt. Within hours of this sighting twelve imperial naval battle ships report being under assault by an unknown force before losing contact with command station Beta-26. A detachment of support cruisers was sent to intercept the enemy, however the resulting conflict left six destroyed imperial battle ships, two crippled cruisers and four naval ships missing. Upon reviewing the few pict recordings collected from the damaged vessels, Inquisitorial research teams confirm the ships to be Ancient Pre-Heresy Vessels, but do not fit the design of any previously confiscated traitorous Starcraft from this period.

•[5143967.M41] Terminus Forge World. The Biologis Research station 09-78DER was attacked by Renegade Astartes in the Skrag sector. Though losses were minimal on both sides, the raiding party managed to escape with every STC file and experimental Bio-Chambers. While there were confirmed Renegade Astartes KIA, no corpses could be confiscated for investigation, though some wreckage of Jetbikes and Anti-Grav ships of unknown kind were collected for research. After extensive review, Inquisitorial Operatives have determined the attacking Astartes forces match the Imperial Record Of The Void Spiders. How the Void Spiders managed to attack this facility without alerting any defense personal is still under investigation. Order Malleus Inquisitor Reethus suggests there is a correlation with a similar failed attack enacted by the Infamous Fabius Bile and his small fleet of gene-crafted Warriors Ten years earlier upon the Terminus Forge World. Ordo Hereticus Operatives have been sent to purify any faulty Offico Monitoris operatives on site.

•[5143969.M41] Void-Colony “Heaven’s Gaye” This Void colony was Assaulted by A massive fleet of Chaos Cultists. The conflict resulted in the destruction of twenty-one imperial naval battleships, twenty-Three cruisers and all orbital defense flotillas, before Astartes belonging to the Void Spiders Renegade Chapter arrived to help repel the Cult. After the Cult was pushed back the Void Spiders immediately fell upon the Colony, conducting multiple boarding actions throughout the entire installation. 15,679 defense personnel and 10,980 mining civilians were killed in while 9,790 defense personnel and 39,671 mining civilians were captured. Once a fleet of imperial Navy ships was en-route to reinforce the colony, the Void Spiders vanish. Surviving civilian accounts describe the attackers as looking like disciplined loyalists while most defense personnel reported the attackers as a Chaos Raiding party. Upon the collection and autopsies of any enemy corpses, Magos-Biologis Venour Crete confirmed their biology to be completely pure and devoid of any warp-influence. No chaos sigils or fell markings were found upon any of the Void Spiders weapons, armor or flesh. Their gene-seed has been collected and has no match to any currently in imperial records. In the end, this affair has left more questions than answers about the Chapter.

•[5143978.M41] Wilderness Space. Rogue Trader Vessel “Emperor’s Promise” belonging to the Rogue Trader Wylan Goro was assaulted by a small raiding party of Void Spiders Renegades. The vessel itself was completely intact, however upon inquisitorial investigation all personnel were confirmed killed or missing. The main Rogue trader’s chambers and Command center was reported as “decorated in the entrails, skin, Urine and feces” of the crew. The Wylan Goro was was found dead in the medical center of her ship. Her corpse was horribly mutilated upon a slab and showed signs of cannibalism.

•[5143998.M41] Hive World Grist. A combined force of Chaos Astardes Warbands from The Red Corsairs, Titans Of Nova, Death Guard, Oblivion Walkers and Night Lords and an army of Cultists Assault the Hive World. During the battle Rivet Hive, confiscated Picts and recordings show isolated units of Void Spiders Renegades coordinating attacks throughout the battle. Though their forces are small they are effective in stealthily dismantling the Hives Defenses. These units are also seen fighting on both sides of the conflict - at one point inflicting terrible casualties upon the Imperial Guard defense and then only hours later Attacking Traitor Astartes positions on all fronts - even going so far as to cripple the Red Corsairs advance to cause the Warband to flee. Ultimately, the Chaotic Astartes are pushed back, though at great cost. The entire ruling family of Rivet Hive is captured by a unit of Void Spiders Renegades within their own heavily defended palace. Inquisitorial operatives on site are perplexed after searching the palace, and find the half eaten corpse of Rivet Hive’s Lord Erasmus Flint. Lodged inside his rib-cage is a strange prism device with coordinates to the barren moon of Lorin X - the exact location of the Traitor Astartes and their army of Cultists when they fell back. Imperial forces arrive and quell any remaining resistance. Both the Ordo Malleus and Ordo Hereticus have since created a conclave in the sector to continue investigating this strange Chapter of Renegades.

A separate file is attached that shows the location of the incidents from a Delta-Minoris to a Gamma-Majoris Threat Level 1. I am sure you will agree with our evaluations and you may find it appropriate to send a suitably sized punitive fleet to these positions, either to locate and destroy any Void Spiders outposts or strongholds present, or to await the interception and engagement of Renegade Astardes forces in the surrounding sector.

Great looking army.

These are lovely

Awesome, cannot exalt enough!

Gorgeous

I love it! I think they need a Kill Teams game against the Purples soon...

Nice work on some awesome, classic models.

Absolutely marvelous.

Great choice of figures and a sweet execution. I love the more hunched, "gnarly" poses you've chosen.

Absolutely stunning in every way!

I'd love for them to make an updated version of the LE10 for a special character or anniversary model or something. I much prefer that aesthetic to the classic beakies as it reminds me more of classic (and modern) science fiction.

Faceless helmets like that evoke a darker setting for me--something like Alien or Event Horizon.

Amazing collection of classic figures, and a paint job to match

Quasistellar wrote:
I'd love for them to make an updated version of the LE10 for a special character or anniversary model or something. I much prefer that aesthetic to the classic beakies as it reminds me more of classic (and modern) science fiction.

Faceless helmets like that evoke a darker setting for me--something like Alien or Event Horizon.

Seconded on this, would love to see some more updated versions of the (really) old designs

I can’t even begin to describe how awesome it is to hear these responses, thanks everyone! I can’t understate how motivating and humbling it is!

I’ve recently finished something else for the Void Spiders...


Void Spider Tannhäuser Gate Veterans.






These colors represent the few survivors of the ‘Battle of Tannhäuser Gate’ which ended in an imperial victory over an unknown Xenos species within the Tannhäuser System just beyond the Halo Scar.



Shortly after this terrible conflict the Void Spiders altered their chapter colors from Black to White in order to represent the new wave of warriors - for hope and the strength to rebuild. However, the few surviving warriors from Tannhäuser still bear their old armor colors. Those few grizzled veterans are a living reminder of that horrific conflict.



Power Output: 984612E/c
Code — Override —
Authorization — Override —
Device — Ignore Protocol —
File — Accessed — Warning
Unauthorized Access

CLASSIFIED
Subject: 4/6/<Unidentified> Xenos
File: 8260911.M40
Loading: 99.9% complete
Source: Imp/Inq/Psy/A
Access Code: Touring-REACH-iF0

SITUATION REPORT ON XENOS ACTIVITY IN TANNHAUSER SECTOR.

Directed to: +++++++ Admiral Jaqa Arvisen, Naval Command Station, Arrakyis Orbit.

Commit to: +++++++ Imperial EP 897/Spark, Inquisition INR 2215/44

Cross-file to: +++++++ AlienAttacks [ALAt]

Transmitted: +++++++ werearewe [Tannhäuser System]

Purity Check: +++++++ Inquisitor Strictus

Input Date: +++++++ 8260911.M40

Complied: +++++++ Sylo Mirrak, Interrogator Major, Officio Monitoris, Kreator Sector

Thought For The Day: “There is no such thing as innocence, Only degrees of guilt.”

The Tannhäuser Campaign was an isolated event that occurred just beyond the Halo Scar solely within the Tannhäuser System that saw the death of all imperial life within the system as well as the near destruction of the Void Spiders Chapter Of Space Marines. The entire conflict came to a close with the Battle Of Tannhäuser Gate. Most logs and records of the battle and it’s wider conflict have been lost and only a few found logs from soldiers that bore witness to it during this battle survived to this day. It is unknown if the Tannhauser System and Gate are still within imperial control at the time of this compiled information’s release.

The Battle Of Tannhäuser Gate

Conflict: Tannhäuser Campaign

Location: The Tannhäuser Gate

Date: precise date Unknown. Assumed ~ 8135850.M40

Outcome: Imperial Victory at great cost. All life in the system is annihilated by the enemy, however The Void Spiders desperately hold the line at the Tannhäuser Gate before the Imperial Navy arrives and successfully drive back the enemy advance. It is assumed this enemy is far greater and stronger than we know.

Combatants: Imperial - Straggling Imperial defense forces allied by the Void Spiders Chapter. Enemy - Unknown, possibly Xenos (previously assumed to be some of the last Men Of Iron, though some Ordo Xenos operatives find a correlation to the new Xenos enemy known as the “Necron.”

Commanders: Imperial - Chapter Master Varon Sathos (KIA). Enemy - Unknown.

Strength: Imperial- all 10 companies of Astartes from the Void Spiders Chapter. Enemy - Unknown, assumed to be in the hundreds of thousands.

Losses/survivors: Imperial- over 800 Astardes, only over 100 Void Spiders manage to survive, some of which are still MIA. Enemy - Unknown.


TXtE// Log: 1-40: Tannhäuser Campaign- Brother Sgt Thorn, Void Spiders Chapter/ Tactical Squad Alpha-7

Input date: +[COMPROMISED]+

“Our unit has been on the Stellar Sea Wall for six and a half hours and We’re down to seven men, including myself. We’ve killed, hundreds of them... but they keep coming - and keep getting back up. So far we’ve only had true, permanent death with the complete immolation and destruction of their metal frames. If anyone can get this message, stockpile any melta weaponry and Combi-Disintegration rounds. We’ve held our fire and allowed this next wave to proceed down the twentieth railway. There’s somewhere around 6-7,000 of them. If we attack now, they’ll find us and destroy us. We will keep collecting recon data and send it through a cloaked signal on a loop for as long as they don’t notice us. We have faith that this massive army can be stopped before reaching the elevator... “

+END LOG+

TXtE// Log: 1-37: Tannhäuser Campaign- Brother Sgt Dervane, Void Spiders Chapter/ Tactical Drop Squad.

Input date: +[COMPROMISED]+

“I will never forget what I saw at Obsidian Station... the eldritch green of their weapons will forever scar my mind and my body. There were simply too many. No matter how many rounds we fired... it wasn’t enough. Once we were forced to engage the skeletal swarm in close quarters, we began to suffer heavy casualties... the mulched blood and chunks of my Brother’s were everywhere. The skeletons axe headed blades - eerily similar to the ones fixed to our bolt guns in function - swung slow and relentlessly. I can close my eyes... but I can still see hundreds of them - hundreds of skull-faced machines pressing against me...”

+END LOG+


TXtE// Log: 1-28: Tannhäuser Campaign- Brother Marine Stryke, Void Spiders Chapter/ Unknown tactical squad.

Input date: +[COMPROMISED]+

“For three days I saw a Heavy Bolter firing in the distance in the eighteenth railway plain within a makeshift bunker in the form of a Rhino chassis. Many of the machine men fell as they pursued that position... I think it was just one of our brothers holding them off, but we couldn’t make it over there - it was a sea of them between our positions. Two hours ago In the darkness I heard the massive gun’s discharges as the enemy committed more warriors to the position. When they finally overran it, a melta-bomb detonated - taking a huge chunk of the machines along with the makeshift bunker. Whoever that bastard was - he held and distracted the enemy for us long enough to evacuate most of the scout company deployed within this railway ... through his sacrifice, the future blood of our Chapter has endured.”

+END LOG+

TXtE// Log: 1-31: Tannhäuser Campaign- Brother Captain Astran, Void Spiders Chapter/ Unknown stealth squad, 7th Company.

Input date: +[COMPROMISED]+

“We’re going to stay for as long as we can - the life boats and drop ships can get the wounded survivors back to the battle barge. Anyone that can read this message must accept their new orders.

Objective: Survive.”

+END LOG+

TXtE// Log: 1-28: Tannhäuser Campaign- Unknown Brother Marine, Void Spiders Chapter.

Input date: +[COMPROMISED]+

“Listen, you need to destroy the floating monolithic structures. I don’t know why, but when a Thunder-hawk from 4th company crashed into the exposed green in the front as it disgorged more machines it made taking the enemy down easier! You must target those things as all costs!”

+END LOG+


TXtE// Log: 1-29: Tannhäuser Campaign- Brother Marine Zarin, Void Spiders Chapter/ Pilot, 3rd Company.

Input date: +[COMPROMISED]+


“5th company, listen up - it’s Brother Zarin, pilot, 3rd company. I have a clear shot at one of the monoliths and I’m all out of ammo. Fall back and hold the last elevator of the Gate. It has been an honor, men.”

+END LOG+


TXtE// Log: 1-24: Tannhäuser Campaign- Unknown Brother Marine, Void Spiders Chapter/ Unknown Squad and Company.

Input date: +[COMPROMISED]+


“We have been sneaking around the main enemy advance for eight hours - we have lost all contact to the Chapter and I think there’s only a few hundred of us left... we were given orders to wait for Wolf Spider Damos to link up with us after he has sabotaged the bridge. We are staying as silent as possible - the giant ones with whips and claws have been searching. All we can do is wait and listen to the sounds of them hunting us. All we can do is wait for the Wolf Spider.”

+END LOG+


All the brave souls that fought and died against almost impossible odds had consigned themselves to oblivion so that, we the living, may survive and endure against the encroaching darkness. It is with their ultimate sacrifice and their undying devotion to the protection of mankind that they, though taken from us, are the candles in the dark to light our way to further victories. With their courage, we shall rebuild and we shall survive. In their memory we shall grow and prosper for our species - for the Imperium of Man and the Immortal God Emperor. Though much of this conflict is lost to time - we shall never forget those men. Through them we shall always hold on and have faith.

For them, we shall always continue to Believe.

The War Hymn of the Void Spiders Survivors:

“Oh, Death was never enemy of ours!
We laughed at him, we leagued with him, old chum.
No soldier's paid to kick against His powers.
We laughed, -knowing that better men would come,
And greater wars: when each proud fighter brags
He wars on Death, for lives; not men, for flags.”

- The Next War.



One of the few remaining Picts of two unknown Void Spiders Astardes valiantly holding off against the enemy.

Fantastic reference. And more awesome painting on classic models.

Fantastic looking models, great to see old classics getting some love.

Thank you!

Hey everyone, I have the final additions to the Void Spiders Astartes...

Starting off with the Tannhäuser Veteran Pyromaniac...





Unhinged and with a disturbing enjoyment to burn living flesh, this Flame-thrower wielding Astartes was honored for holding the line against the Mechanical Xeno menace at Tannhäuser Gate to help allow civilian life-boats to make their escape out of the system.

And finally the leader of this entire Warband Of Renegade Astartes!

Tannhäuser Veteran Captain Sithis Harkkonnen






Born on the prison Hive-World of Arrakis IV, Sithis Harkkonnen was condemned to a life within the hellish underbelly of the Hive-Capital’s hard labor mines. Confined within dimly-lit alien tunnels with basic plasma cutters and rebreathing equipment, fear of death or worse was constant. Within the darkness only the edge of a plasma knife could be counted upon for safety. He soon found his escape during the Riots of Quleth. Unfortunately, the Void Spiders 7th battle company was sent to the planet to help Quell the rebellion and within only three standard Terran months the Riots had ended with the Infamous Ventillon Massacre. The young Sithis was found within the piles of mulched bodies and ruins during the Arbites searches. All those young enough were brought to the Void Spiders Scout Company Captain for analysis. Fortunately, Sithis Harkkonnen was recruited and found solace in his new found service to the Chapter. However, this was not the only horrific event that Sithis would live through...

At the time of the Riots Of Quleth, The Void Spiders still had their pre-Tannhäuser Chapter colors of Black. Those Marines who took part during the Ventillon Massacre bore the “7th Company Pursuit pattern” Void Spiders Uniform - being Black with a red stripe instead of white, along with a whole new checkered badge in place of the normal Void Spiders Symbol. Instead it had a symbol that was based on the ancient Terran arachnid “Black Widow” design to signify this grim pacification company.




Therefore those few recruits found within the remains of the massacre also bore this now infamous uniform - now forever marking them with their criminal past.

Haunted by the painful screams of his fallen comrades at the Battle Of Tannhäuser Gate, Sithis is a ruthless and calculating Commander who, like the rest of his peers, prefers to trust that the men under his command have the ability to achieve their goals and complete their objectives even if they must deviate significantly from his initial orders.

“In this Age of Darkness a hero must not only have courage, but undying trust and faith in his men to do the right thing. We must Lead our soldiers, not Rule over them”

- Attributed to the Void Spiders Chapter Master Shaddam Corrino.

Loooove it!