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Well, I have been working on quite a few on and off over the past couple of years, as much to try and prove a few points as forge interesting armies. To avoid filling the thread with several thousand words of lore, i'll just list the completed and incomplete creations thus far-

Completed:

721st T’au “Silent Wardens” Hunter Cadre
Formed from the veterans who fought the initial Tyranid Hive Fleet invasions into their space, the Silent Wardens have been tasked with readying the Empire for future invasions. Through a mass of automated satellites and watch stations, they stand sentinel over the Zone of Silence, watching for the return of another Hive Fleet and the remaining bio-forms left on several worlds during the previous invasion. Rather than existing as as single standing force, warriors of various cadres are seconded to several of the 721st's warriors, so that they might be taught how to confront and combat the Tyranids; often using strikes against the worlds below for training purposes, and to claim live specimens for the Earth Caste to study.

The Harbingers of Ruin
A warband of World Eaters who rejected the Butcher's Nails and were almost annihilated for this act. Despite worshiping Khorne, they highly prize the aspects lost of many of the XIIth's warriors, such as patience, self-control and sustaining their numbers by training young cultists as initiates. They currently occupy a (largely) purged space hulk known as the Ruin of Kings, believing that its semi-random jumps through the Warp are guided by Khorne's will. They often ignore massed slaughter in favour of claiming only warriors' skulls, believing that anything less would be an offense to Khorne.

The Night Watch
A successor to the Iron Hands legion, guided to a world on the fringes of the Eye of Terror by a vision of their primarch. Having found something beneath the world's surface which convinced them this was his will, a reasoning they have yet to share even with their parent chapter, they are oathbound to guard the planet until his return. The chapter was created largely to preserve many of the ideas created in the original Index Astartes, and show how easily they could be adapted to the modern setting, rather than ing on them as Codex: Clan Raukaan did.

Craftworld Yin-Sarr
Rather than completely hiding itself from the galaxy, Yin-Sarr fled to the outermost regions of the Eastern Rim following the Fall, and began preparing for the future. Forming an alliance with several Exodite worlds and setting themselves up as gods to the more primative races of that region, they began training and shaping them over centuries into a warrior caste. Taught the rudimentary basics of eldar values and some core understandings of their teachings, they were to serve as the backbone for the craftworld's army in place of its Guardians, and sent into the more attrition heavy war zones it fights in. From there, these eldar have carved out their own small empire hidden among the galaxy's fringes, watching and waiting for the right time to act in force.

Tinkering (largely finished but with a few general edits underway):

1st Scarran Irregulars
An ad-hoc force of Imperial Guard survivors from regiments scattered, broken or left behind in the wake of the Tau Empire's Third Sphere Expansion. Ill equipped and with limited resources, the force has begun a series of guerrilla raids to keep several Tau Empire forces in a perpetual stalemate on the tactically vital but abandoned Fortress World of Scarra. Often using the planet's hostile environment against the tau cadres, they are fighting a relentless but failing war to slow the Empire's advance across several sectors; buying time for the Imperium to recover and counter-attack with their blood.

To Be created:

Order of the Eternal Sun
An Order of the Adepta Sororitas tasked with defending a network of pilgrim paths across several sectors. Based upon the world of Uatzin the Order has integrated a large number of beliefs of the local populace into itself, and of the surrounding sectors, coming to worship a sun which mysteriously re-ignited upon the moment of its death, restoring itself once more. This is a general idea, but I was hoping to use more Aztec and Inca mythologies and beliefs to shape this force, and to use them as an example of how varied or flexible Imperial Faith can be in worshiping the Emperor.

The Xarekh Dynasty
A force of Necrons who took it upon themselves to guard the gigantic mobile sarcophagus holding an immensely powerful shard of a fallen C'Tan. Terrified of what the nameless false god was capable of, they were determined to sacrifice themselves as its eternal guardians, guiding it out of the galaxy and into the void beyond. However, a freak accident left them stranded in the Segmentum Pacificus, and forced to remain vigilant against any who might awaken it. However, even their mere presence to the shard has warped and twisted their bodies beyond recognition, to the point where few mortals can look upon them and retain their sanity. The general idea is to rework a number of Lovecraftian elements into the Necrons lost after their revamp, and the heavy use of an unreliable narrator to question if anything they have claimed was ever true.

EDIT: Apologies for the sentence structure, this is why I should not be typing at 5AM.

 BBAP wrote:

 Engine of War wrote:

This is amazing. I love it. I like the helicopter in the other thread too, looks fantastic. I'm curious about the blimp, though - how do you play that?

The "Rage of the Heavens" War Zeppelin, has very experimental rules, and hasn't actually been in combat. Its understandable the fear people have of custom units, I have deployed that monster Ordinatus Majoris, Sonic Disruptor. I posted the rules for the Omnissiah's Sword (The Ordinatus), for the Apoc match on FB for about 3 or 4 weeks ahead of the actually battle. The day of the battle, the enemy team (heretics and orks and other xenos) they cried and moaned and I had to nerf the machine like its turbo laser was changed to a Baneblade cannon and it lost a bunch of weapons, hull points, void shilds and more. It didn't do to well, I had bad luck and there was Kustom Force field spam blocking it. (This was also before the real Forge World Ordinatus came out and its rules existed).



Rules for the Rage of the Heavens.



I know about changing things like giving it IWND and all sorts of things. These rules were just a shot in the dark during construction a long time ago and I haven't updated it, mainly due to never getting it a match to fight in.

Hell I'm working up plans to modify a massive toy aircraft carrier into a giant Land Carrier to launch squadrons of attack craft such as Land Speeder Tempests, Storm Talons and more into battle.



I'm hoping to bolt massive treads to the bottom and of course... Lots of guns!

Bellarius wrote:
Well, I have been working on quite a few on and off over the past couple of years, as much to try and prove a few points as forge interesting armies. To avoid filling the thread with several thousand words of lore, i'll just list the completed and incomplete creations thus far-

Completed:
721st T’au “Silent Wardens” Hunter Cadre
Formed from the veterans who fought the initial Tyranid Hive Fleet invasions into their space, the Silent Wardens have been tasked with readying the Empire for future invasions. Through a mass of automated satellites and watch stations, they stand sentinel over the Zone of Silence, watching for the return of another Hive Fleet and the remaining bio-forms left on several worlds during the previous invasion. Rather than existing as as single standing force, warriors of various cadres are seconded to several of the 721st's warriors, so that they might be taught how to confront and combat the Tyranids; often using strikes against the worlds below for training purposes, and to claim live specimens for the Earth Caste to study.

Neat I like this idea. Like a Tau Deathwatch. Loads of options for cool fluff and modelling with these guys.

Bellarius wrote:

The Harbingers of Ruin
A warband of World Eaters who rejected the Butcher's Nails and were almost act. Despite worshiping Khorne, they highly prize the aspects lost of many of the XIIth's warriors, such as patience, self-control and sustaining their numbers by training young cultists as initiates. They currently occupy a (largely) purged space hulk known as the Ruin of Kings, believing that its semi-random jumps through the Warp are guided by Khorne's will. They often ignore massed slaughter in favour of claiming only warriors' skulls, believing that anything less would be an offense to Khorne.

Like this idea too like Khorne Reasonable Marines (although it's my personaly headcannon that Berserkers are only flying rodent gak insane on the battlefield, and still follow the World Eaters doctrine of rapid recruitment outside of battle).

Love the idea of them believing that the semi-random jumps of their space hulk is Khorne's will. Brilliant

Bellarius wrote:

Craftworld Yin-Sarr
Rather than completely hiding itself from the galaxy, Yin-Sarr fled to the outermost regions of the Eastern Rim following the Fall, and began preparing for the future. Forming an alliance with several Exodite worlds and setting themselves up as gods to the more primative races of that region, they began training and shaping them over centuries into a warrior caste. Taught the rudimentary basics of eldar values and some core understandings of their teachings, they were to serve as the backbone for the craftworld's army in place of its Guardians, and sent into the more attrition heavy war zones it fights in. From there, these eldar have carved out their own small empire hidden among the galaxy's fringes, watching the galaxy, and waiting for the right time to act in force.

Cool idea, and always good to see something different done with CWE fluff. Loads of potential with this one, and fits the arrogance of the Eldar very nicely. Also, I feel like the whole 'eldar trying to reclaim their empire' is slightly unexplored in terms of settlement of new planets. We've got the Biel-Tan take on things, but I could definitely see a craftworld trying to carve out an empire in the halo stars as the basis of a new eldar empire

Bellarius wrote:

To Be created:

Order of the Eternal Sun
An Order of the Adepta Sororitas tasked with defending a network of pilgrim paths across several sectors. Based upon the world of Uatzin the Order has integrated a large number of beliefs of the local populace into itself, and of the surrounding sectors, coming to worship a sun which mysteriously re-ignited upon the moment of its death, restoring itself once more. This is a general idea, but I was hoping to use more Aztec and Inca mythologies and beliefs to shape this force, and to use them as an example of how varied or flexable Imperial Faith can be in worshiping the Emperor.

I definitely like the idea of showcasing just how strange the Imperial Faith could be, given the broad spectrum of planets and societies. You could really go down the rabbit hole with some of the mesoamerican faiths. They're pretty grimdark to begin with tbh!

Bellarius wrote:

The Xarekh Dynasty
A force of Necrons who took it upon themselves to guard the gigantic mobile sarcophagus holding an immensely shard of a fallen C'Tan. Terrified of what the nameless false god was capable of, they were determined to sacrifice themselves as its eternal guardians, guiding it out of the galaxy and into the void beyond. However, a freak accident left them stranded in the Segmentum Pacificus, and forced to remain vigilant against any who might awaken it. However, even their mere presence to the shard has warped and twisted their bodies beyond recognition, to the point where few mortals can look upon them and retain their sanity. The general idea is to rework a number of Lovecraftian elements into the Necrons lost after their revamp, and the heavy use of an unreliable narrator to question if anything they have claimed was ever true.

Anything that brings the HP Lovecraft back to the Necrons is fine by me

It's my personal opinion that unreliable narrators should be a cornerstone of pretty much all 40k fluff, so fully supportive of that too

 Engine of War wrote:

Hell I'm working up plans to modify a massive toy aircraft carrier into a giant Land Carrier to launch squadrons of attack craft such as Land Speeder Tempests, Storm Talons and more into battle.

Spoiler:

I'm hoping to bolt massive treads to the bottom and of course... Lots of guns!

Certainly not lacking in ambition! Love the idea of a massive tracked land-boat. Feels very Mechanicus

Looking forward to how that turns out

Fluffliest Tzeentch daemon army I can think of would be to consult a magic 8 ball with each additional unit to it; remembering to change the 8 into a 9 first because Khorne.

Alpha Legion

A few elite Chosen backed up by cultist spam and the Lord with terminators deep striking. Planning on having the rest of the list as small, elite units of something like Oblits and raptors.

Hive Fleet Grootslang: A predecessor of the hive fleets that have arrived in our galaxy, this ancient tendril was defeated and entombed on the world of Hellion Prime. An artificial solar system buried within the Ghoul Stars of an ancient extinct civilization, deep beneath its surface lies this fleet that is easily classified by the more feral and brutish evolutions of the tyranid organisms that have taken place during their slow degeneration, this fleet has slowly begun to stir and pockets of long hibernating tyranids have begun roaming the ghoul stars, hunting for food and most importantly, the last surviving Norn Queen and collective knowledge of their tendril, trapped beneath the surface of Hellion Prime.

I love this backstory, because it allows me to keep up an extremely detailed campaign as my hive fleet tries to escape it's prison, while having plenty of offshoot games which I can explain as the scattered and near dead remnants of this tendril. Also feels great to have a story where I am the underdog and I can really push a sympathetic storyline for Tyranids.

Cptn_Cronssant wrote:
Alpha Legion

A few elite Chosen backed up by cultist spam and the Lord with terminators deep striking. Planning on having the rest of the list as small, elite units of something like Oblits and raptors.

Neat I like that idea.

I also had an idea for an Alpha Legion warband that was basically a pristine Loyalist army...with one second-in-command chappy hiding an Alpha Legion logo somewhere on his armour...

Would explain why there's loyalist armies duking it out on tabletops everywhere. Alpha Legion operatives are telling them the other chapter's compromised!

 Unyielding Hunger wrote:
Hive Fleet Grootslang: A predecessor of the hive fleets that have arrived in our galaxy, this ancient tendril was defeated and entombed on the world of Hellion Prime. An artificial solar system buried within the Ghoul Stars of an ancient extinct civilization, deep beneath its surface lies this fleet that is easily classified by the more feral and brutish evolutions of the tyranid organisms that have taken place during their slow degeneration, this fleet has slowly begun to stir and pockets of long hibernating tyranids have begun roaming the ghoul stars, hunting for food and most importantly, the last surviving Norn Queen and collective knowledge of their tendril, trapped beneath the surface of Hellion Prime.

I love this backstory, because it allows me to keep up an extremely detailed campaign as my hive fleet tries to escape it's prison, while having plenty of offshoot games which I can explain as the scattered and near dead remnants of this tendril. Also feels great to have a story where I am the underdog and I can really push a sympathetic storyline for Tyranids.

Neat that's a cool take on the Tyranid fluff. Definitely loads of potential.

Ooh, you could have them hounded by members of their own species. When hive fleets meet they tend to try to absorb each other to ensure the most beneficial traits survive. So, they could definitely be hunted across the stars by tendrils of another hive fleet...

Idea I had when I bought the Khorne vs Stormcast box and had some Stormcast left over

Archangels of the Storm

A Blood angels successor chapter, they are similar to the Lamenters in that they are remarkably resilient to the Black Rage but have some unfortunate side effects.
For Lamenters it is Depression and immensely bad luck, for the Archangels it is Severe Delusions of Granduer and a disregard for mortality rates.
Always believing themselves better then their Blood Angels brethren, they were a solitary chapter, claiming planets in the name of the Emperor, believing themselves to be his, and Sanguinus's, Chosen.
After suffering enormous casualties in several skirmishes, the Chapter Master was beginning to give up hope for his Chapter, as numbers dwindled, due to both a disregard for safety and an abysmally high standard for recruitment (For not just anyone could be one of the Emperor's Chosen). Until one day they discovered an abandoned planet, seemingly perfect, yet empty. Upon that planet they found an gigantic hidden vault, filled with an assortment of previously Unknown Mark Terminator and Power Armour. Believing this a sign from the Emperor himself, the Chapter 'recovered' the entire stock, equiping the last of the Chapter, who became the new 1st Company. To battle they went, resplendent in their gold, shining armour. Although it had no addition benefit to normal Terminator or Power armour, the Veterans fought with a zeal that had never before been seen in their ranks.

Soon, word of this unknown armour made it to the halls of the Adeptus Mechanicus, and, after the incident with Blood Angels and the Baal Predator, they demanded with the full authority of the High Lords of Terra to turn over this armour. The answer was a resounding no, for this armour was a gift from the Emperor himself, and a sign from Sanguinus that they are doing his will in the universe at large.


basically got that far fluff wise, not sure whether to make the Chapter Excommunicatus Traitorus, or just on a penitence crusade. All I know is, the armour has done nothing but increase their Narcissism and arrogance.

They are represented with Stormcast Eternals, with the Paladins as Assault Terminators, Persecutors as Vanguard Veterans/Sanguinary Guard, etc etc

Neat I like that especially as to me, it seems like there's a question mark over their loyalty. Or rather, if you were in the 40k universe and stumbled upon a massive treasure trove of gleaming suits of armour...would you not suspect slightly that they were put there by something like Slaanesh (Prince of Perfection).

They may very well be a gift from the Emperor, but I doubt every Inquisitor would believe that!

So, not only hounded by the Ad Mech but also by the Inquisition

Oh, and I'd say that from their background I don't think they'd be Excommunicatus Traitoris. They're not going to be liked, but if the Marines Malevolent are still in then your guys haven't done bad enough stuff to get excommunicated for

I'd say more likely 'under suspicion'

 Ynneadwraith wrote:


So, not only hounded by the Ad Mech but also by the Inquisition

Yeah, basically what I was thinking It helped that the first game I played with them was against my brother, who plays Minotaur Chapter. Minotaurs who are the attack dogs of the High Lords of Terra. Fluff wise I imagined the battle is the High Lords telling the Archangels to pack it in essentially (Since I got absolutely slaughtered I'm inclined to agree)

 Ynneadwraith wrote:
put there by something like Slaanesh (Prince of Perfection).

Could be fun, I actually had a look at the new Chaos books to see if there was anyway I could take them in a Chaos Formation. Alas, not really, since they are all Terminators (Currently in an Angel Strike Force, with Archangels Core Detachment). Maybe if I get some basic marines I could, but thats down the line

The 85th Scion recon Battalion.

Deploy one squad and a Taurox Prime, the squad must be wearing appropriate camo for the board. The squad that starts on the table represent the recon unit spotting your opponent list or a possible objective worth capturing. The Taurox is their transport. When the enemy is spotted, the airborne assault detachment of the Battalion (nicknamed Riley's Fist from the détachement commander) storms the objective and the enemy.

To be able to have proper camo for the initial recce team, I have (or will) painted all my squads with different camo schemes.

 TheoreticalFish wrote:

 Ynneadwraith wrote:


So, not only hounded by the Ad Mech but also by the Inquisition

Yeah, basically what I was thinking It helped that the first game I played with them was against my brother, who plays Minotaur Chapter. Minotaurs who are the attack dogs of the High Lords of Terra. Fluff wise I imagined the battle is the High Lords telling the Archangels to pack it in essentially (Since I got absolutely slaughtered I'm inclined to agree)

Yeah the Minotaurs are the perfect adversary to your chapter great that your army's developed from battles you've had with your borther too

 Bobthehero wrote:
The 85th Scion recon Battalion.

Deploy one squad and a Taurox Prime, the squad must be wearing appropriate camo for the board. The squad that starts on the table represent the recon unit spotting your opponent list or a possible objective worth capturing. The Taurox is their transport. When the enemy is spotted, the airborne assault detachment of the Battalion (nicknamed Riley's Fist from the détachement commander) storms the objective and the enemy.

To be able to have proper camo for the initial recce team, I have (or will) painted all my squads with different camo schemes.

That's a kickass idea love the narrative gaming aspect of it, and how your battle tactics reflect the tactics of your regiment

Oggthrok wrote:
Here's one:

The Paragon Blades - A Slannesh warband, believed to have its origins in the Emperor's Children Legion, but since having acquired recruits from countless other Chapters and recruiting worlds.

The Paragons are obsessed with outward beauty, believing strength, beauty, and all other physical positive traits are signs of Slannesh's favor, and thus of divinity. Unlike the hideously mutated noise marines and half-spawned beasts other portions of the Legion became, the Paragons have only grown younger and prettier with the passing eons, until even their armor has curved and warped to capture their magnificence.

The Paragon recruitment method is to find those specimens they believe to be their equal, and induct them as marines. Their geneseed is actually, one might say, perfect, and most attempts to create a recruit are successful. However, while implantation is usually successful, the Paragons have been known to terminate new recruits, if they perceive the process has in some way damaged their beauty.

A large body of cultists and hangers on's can be found aboard the gilded vessels of the Paragons, as the warband will take on anyone who catches their eye for a time. In turn, these elevated humans (and some whisper, Xenos) who are accepted view the Paragons like angels, who have recognized that they are better than the common ilk of the galaxy.

Of course, what perfection the Paragons show outwardly, hides the rot within. They are preening fools at times, fleeing the field of battle rather than risk their perfect skin. They venerate their cultists as no other warband... until they inevitably age or lose their splendor. Then, they may linger on as put-upon and abused servants, suitable only for mockery. This disloyalty exists in the warband as well, as wounded or disfigured members immediately lose what authority they once had, and may even find themselves slain by their brothers, who consider what they do a "mercy."

The actual army would be a Slannesh themed CSM army, using Blood Angel Sanguinary Guard bits for the muscular humanoid power armor chests and haloed death masks. Cultists would mostly be taken from alternate companies, to reflect a prettier sort of scum than is typical in the Chaos hordes. The color scheme would be the basic deep purples, silver, and gold, with the goal being to create something so pleasing to the eye that the viewer would at first not realize these are villains.

All I have to say is 10/10