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I'm getting drawn back into painting 40k for the first time in what will be years. A lot has happened since I was last involved (probably 7 or so years ago). I've kept an eye on the hobby, but haven't kept up with the lore.

I was looking at starting up my Sons of Orar Space Marine chapter again, but I know what I'm like and will probably get bored of painting the same thing over and again.

So while doing a little research I came across a wiki article on the Shield Chapters of Ultramar. They are 10 chapters of space marines who are tasked with the defence of (you guessed it) Ultramar.

This has got me thinking of putting a force together which draws it's numbers from the ten shield chapters. So you'd have squads drawn from different chapters in their various different colours schemes, but probably united by a single unifying feature (probably a paldron design or greave icon). I envision that this group has been put together by the Shield Chapters to go forth and do heroic deeds so as not to overly weaken 1 of the 10 chapters as would happen if they just upped and left the worlds they're charged with defending. And offence is the best defence, is it not?!

Before I start potentially reinventing the wheel, has this already been done in lore? Is there already something in a book about these shield chapters getting together, outside of being Tetrach Felix's honour guard "the chosen of vespator"?

And yes, not including the Death Watch!

Probably not but don't let that stop you from what will undoubtedly be a very fun painting project.

Has that been done, other than kinda by Deathwatch? Not to my knowledge.

Would it be a fun project? Hell yeah! So do it!

There's also the Ultramarine Honour Company, made up of successor Chapter squads, which was tasked with guarding Cadia.

Last Wall Protocol from the Beast Arises, the gathering of the Chapters of the Blood at the Siege of Baal, and pretty much any time the Unforgiven get together as well.

Cheers all much appreciated. I'll check those recommendations out later.

In the meantime, I need help with tracking down colour scheme descriptions for 3 chapters -

The Praetors of Ultramar
The Aquiloan Brotherhood
The Reborn

I expect that they could have been described as the books 'Belisarius Cawl: The Great Work's and / or the 'Dark Imperium' series (at least, that's what Wikipedia lists as sources anyway!).

I'll buy the books eventually, but if anyone just do happens to have the descriptions to hand, I'd be very grateful.

I believe those three are currently unknown in terms of heraldry.
You'll have a free hand in painting them.

No worries, thanks

Can anyone advise me on what kits are primaris scale, that have robes, and tabards and other cloth type accoutrements to them please?

My Preators of Ultramar are going to be pimp AF

 kitch102 wrote:
No worries, thanks

Can anyone advise me on what kits are primaris scale, that have robes, and tabards and other cloth type accoutrements to them please?

My Preators of Ultramar are going to be pimp AF

Sternguard Veterans and Bladeguard Veterans would do you fine for that. You could also try converting some Deathwing Knights, if you fancied robed Terminators.

 Sgt_Smudge wrote:

 kitch102 wrote:
No worries, thanks

Can anyone advise me on what kits are primaris scale, that have robes, and tabards and other cloth type accoutrements to them please?

My Preators of Ultramar are going to be pimp AF

Sternguard Veterans and Bladeguard Veterans would do you fine for that. You could also try converting some Deathwing Knights, if you fancied robed Terminators.

Also the company heros command guys.

Bunch of DA guys, like the inner circle companions if you don’t mind cleaning up iconography. Same with BT and the sword brothers and crusade squad.

For tying the force together with a unifying symbol, the concept of army/campaign badges is well established in 40k lore. This is a symbol that is adopted by all units taking part in a campaign (not just Marines, but Imperial Guard, Sisters of Battle etc) to signify they are fighting together.

The various Imperial transfer sheets have had a lot of examples over the years (like the battleaxe with two lightning bolts or the fist closed around lightning bolts or the wing), it is what all the random symbols were designed for. Pick one you think will look cool and use it on all the squads like you mentioned. Can even link it to the lore of your force, perhaps the symbol chosen is significant to their sworn task?


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Here is some (now fairly old) lore on campaign badges from Insignium Astartes:

I mean, even if this were already done in official lore, there's no reason there couldn't be a second more shodowy group, a groupe that was the test before the banding together, a circumstancial task force or whatever you want it to be. Besides, that sounds like a fun lore idea and a great painting project. Keep us fresh on this!

Thank you every one for your replies, it's very much appreciated.

I certainly will keep you posted; I'm getting started with Kill Team and will be using Scouts to test my various paint schemes out; I figured they'd be a great set of minis to start with as the amount of cloth on the models would allow for a uniform colour regardless of which chapter they all belong to. I'm thinking of going black or very dark blue with a mid blue highlight, as a subtle nod to link them all back to Ultramar

I would have suggested a smiling face of calgar on the shoulder pad but that'd be hard temo freehand

Haha, definitely, and way above my skill level. Maybe a skull transfer, to represent Calgar's skull lol