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Hi all, I’m making my own custom SM chapter but need some advice for the fluff. Basically I don’t want to write their story and background by causing conflict with canon. So is there a set of rules I should follow or something like that.

Some of the things I need clarified are can I use other SM chapters and wars in my fluff although my chapter has never been mentioned before? I.e. can my chapter have fought in the Badab war?

Just general fluff writing rules and guidelines please

Many thanks

Your models, you do you. If you’re happy, that’s the most important part.

If that happiness includes sharing your fluff with others, other people will run the spread between, “Cool man! Here’s my fluff!!!” To bored indifference, to the Loremaster pooping on everything you do.

My suggestions would be as follows to have as non-invasive background as possible.

Make them a recent founding. That’s why you’ve never heard of them, and why they haven’t been noted in the “canon” fluff. As a new chapter, they’ve been given small but increasingly important missions.

Explore their accomplishments, but anything more than defending / conquering a given world / outpost / space hulk is probably pushing it. Let your games inspire the heroic deeds. Even if you aren’t playing a Narrative game, keep some mental notes to describe how Sargeant Dudename heroically defended the critical supply depot, or how Chaplain Othername lead the charge that rescued the Planetary Governor.

Explore their setbacks. Maybe you don’t like using certain units, so they all got wiped out in the Seige of Thatplace. Or they suffered terrible losses at the Storming of Overthere. If they just win everything they are involved in, there’s no struggle and nothing to cheer for.

Have three or so “Named Characters” your fluff follows. Not just the Chapter Master but also a Sergeant, and a... Dreadnought? A tank Gunner? More than one point of view keeps it interesting.

When deciding between a big splash in the Galaxy or a small ripple, choose the ripple. Nobody wants to hear your heroic defeats of entire systems using only your trusty bolter... but the retaking of a forge-complex from some Chaos tainted Muties? Hallway by blood-splattered hallway? Yeah, that’s relatable.

Good luck!

Imperial history is 10k+ years long with vast swathes of it lost/un-recorded/falsified/exaggerated/mis-recorded/contradictory/etc. Even GW writes contradictory fluff & makes up new, previously unknown, details for events.
So I'm certain there's room for whatever bits of lore you want to attach to your army.

40k theories do a homebrew chapter series on YouTube, that could help you with the framework of your creation.