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So I have no interest in playing Chaos Marines. I have very little interest in siding with the Imperium. However, I have interest in playing both sides as I think they're very interesting.
Have there ever been chapters of Space Marines who broke off from the Imperium without turning to Chaos?
And if so, have they succeeded at avoided the Emperor's wrath?
And would they be able to travel through the Warp if they had navigators or would they be somehow cut off from the Astronomicon?

If I remember, the Alpha Legion fight against the Imperium, but for the good of the Imperium. The astronomicon is a beacon in the Empyrean, I don't see why you can't use it, even if you are not loyal with the Emperor.

But in your fluff, if your chapter don'T fight for the Imperium nor Chaos, what do they fight for ?

Alot of groups start off as Renegade. Not usually whole chapters, but companies or remains of a company.

After time they inevtiable fall to chaos though. If your standing in the middle then both the Loyalists and Traitours call you fair game. It's hard enough to maintain a space marine detachment without help from the mechanicum or a settled world.

Doing it yourself, while on the run, you just won't last long.

Astropaths may remain with renegades simply to survive. Otherwise you better have a decent librarian on hand. And even then, it's easier for the libby to take help from a deamon then to go it alone. They really are not trained for warp travel.


A side note, you can't really be blocked off from the astronomicon. It's really acts as just a light house in the warp. It's there as a point of referance for everything to use.

Look up the Badab War and the Astral Claws. That time period is pretty much exactly what you're looking for.

My favorite chapter itself is a renegade chapter that still fights for the Emperor but has thrown off the shackles of the imperium and have stayed a hated enemy of Chaos.

Look into the Soul Drinkers

Some "Fallen Angel" Dark Angels haven't embraced chaos and run in bands and individuals. That may be your option.

Dark angels are as.renegade.as you get without being declared excommunicated, then there is the soul drinkers, lamenters... Sure there are more

They wouldn't fight anyone, they'd grow flowers and skip through the fields while holding hands and singing songs =D

I was thinking of a chapter who fights for the good of the universe, trying to bring harmony to all races who can live without war. Tyranids, Orks, Daemons etc wouldn't be seen as capable of sharing in a Utopia as they live off of strife and war. However, the Tau have proven they could coexist with other races. They hope that they can prove to the Imperium that they can live in amity with the other races.

Think of it as a Space Marine version of the Tau's "Greater Good", just without the mind control

Not many of them survived for long, but here's a list:

http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Renegade_Space_Marine_Chapters_%28List%29#.URhO92fETTw


Also may want to check into the Celestial Lions. Technically they're still loyal (what's left of them), but after the way they got screwed over by the Inquisition, I could see them going renegade. Just need someone to talk them out of suicide by Ork.

I have read the first Soul Drinkers book (and need to read the rest, badly), I've read up on the Astral Claws, and I just checked out the Celestial Lions and none of them really go along the lines I was hoping to follow.

I didn't really word my question well enough to start with, I think I'll write outlines for fluff and bounce it off here once I really know what I want to do.

 felixander wrote:
Have there ever been chapters of Space Marines who broke off from the Imperium without turning to Chaos.

In some sense this is all Space Marines. Space Marines consider themselves an exception to the normal imperial laws. They have their own religion, rule their own worlds, and do not take kindly to imperial meddling. Many believe that their loyalty lies only to the Emperor himself, and that they are above the whims of imperial politicians.

It seems as though the imperium will let them get away with quite a lot, just to keep them on side.

 felixander wrote:
I was thinking of a chapter who fights for the good of the universe, trying to bring harmony to all races who can live without war. Tyranids, Orks, Daemons etc wouldn't be seen as capable of sharing in a Utopia as they live off of strife and war. However, the Tau have proven they could coexist with other races. They hope that they can prove to the Imperium that they can live in amity with the other races.

Think of it as a Space Marine version of the Tau's "Greater Good", just without the mind control

Umm...from this description, you want Ultramarines

jareddm wrote:

 felixander wrote:
I was thinking of a chapter who fights for the good of the universe, trying to bring harmony to all races who can live without war. Tyranids, Orks, Daemons etc wouldn't be seen as capable of sharing in a Utopia as they live off of strife and war. However, the Tau have proven they could coexist with other races. They hope that they can prove to the Imperium that they can live in amity with the other races.

Think of it as a Space Marine version of the Tau's "Greater Good", just without the mind control

Umm...from this description, you want Ultramarines

Pretty much. The Ultramarines are almost exactly what you described, only with out the whole renegade thing.

Yeah I agree, sounds like you want the Ultrasmurfs. Dunno if there are any seditious chapters that haven't fallen to Chaos... I'm sure there are someplace - you could probably make one up.

Well theres no such thing as not fighting because "only war," and MAXIMUM GRIMDARK!

Hmm, its going to be pretty hard to actually find exactly what you described, you may have to make up your own fluffy chapter there. The Ultrasmurfs probably "fight for the good in the universe" more than most, but they are extremely loyal to the imperium, and will definitely murder plenty of other races to serve the emperor. The Space Wolves aren't technically renegade, but they are damned close (fiercely independent, don't follow the codex astartes, don't believe the emperor is a god), and they will try to protect imperial citizens or people who they think are good, even if that means turning on other chapters. For actual renegade chapters who aren't chaos, there are the ones that have been mentioned, as well as Fire Hawks aka Legion of the Damned, Black Dragons, Knights of Blood, Relictors, and Soul Drinkers.

If you really want a chapter that grow flowers, skip, hold hands and sing songs, you could always make Pretty Marines...

There is the Relictors, turned out of the Empire by the Inquisition, but they remain loyal

jareddm wrote:

 felixander wrote:
I was thinking of a chapter who fights for the good of the universe, trying to bring harmony to all races who can live without war. Tyranids, Orks, Daemons etc wouldn't be seen as capable of sharing in a Utopia as they live off of strife and war. However, the Tau have proven they could coexist with other races. They hope that they can prove to the Imperium that they can live in amity with the other races.

Think of it as a Space Marine version of the Tau's "Greater Good", just without the mind control

Umm...from this description, you want Ultramarines

You guys are missing the point though, the Ultramarines still hate Xenos and believe the Imperial doctrine that only humans can live, right? If so that is completely counter to what I said I'm looking for.

And I'm not looking for a chapter that is still loyal to the Imperium, I'm looking to make one that is simply interested in making the universe a better place. If that means defending an Eldar Craftworld from an Imperial attack (preferably by diplomacy) then so be it.

 felixander wrote:
So I have no interest in playing Chaos Marines. I have very little interest in siding with the Imperium. However, I have interest in playing both sides as I think they're very interesting.
1. Have there ever been chapters of Space Marines who broke off from the Imperium without turning to Chaos?
2. And if so, have they succeeded at avoided the Emperor's wrath?
3. And would they be able to travel through the Warp if they had navigators or would they be somehow cut off from the Astronomicon?

1. Yes. The Astral Claws (read IA:9 and 10, the Badab War), the Night Lords (Read the Soul Hunter trilogy), and the Alpha Legion, to name a few.
2. No. If you turn from the Imperium, you will face the wrath of your former brothers. Following the Badab War, some of the renegade chapters were brought back into the Imperium after renouncing their loyalty to Huron, but they were forced to serve a penitence crusade for 100 years and lost their home world and right to recruit during the crusade.
3. Renegades and Chaos Space Marine warbands still have navigators and can use the Astronomicon. This is also referenced in the Soul Hunter trilogy.

 felixander wrote:

And I'm not looking for a chapter that is still loyal to the Imperium, I'm looking to make one that is simply interested in making the universe a better place. If that means defending an Eldar Craftworld from an Imperial attack (preferably by diplomacy) then so be it.

The Space Wolves moved their fleet to protect honest imperial citizens from being bombarded by the inquisition's fleet, it resulted in a sizable war between the chapter and the inquisition... That was in protection of loyal human citizens, you protect a craftworld from the wrath of Him on Earth... well...

Your dudes protect filthy xenos from the imperium and they are going to send in The Minotaurs or the Deathwatch to cleanse your heretic ass out of existence. So you really can have a renegade chapter that decides to 'do good, regardless of species' and you'll have a really great background reason when your marines on the table find themselves fighting other marines or Imperium forces, because the forces of the God Emperor will try to smear you across the galaxy!

Sounds like the closest thing out there to what you're looking for are the Reasonable Marines

http://1d4chan.org/wiki/Reasonable_Marines

1st chapter that comes to mind after seeing this thread is the Relictors officially condemned but still fighting the good fight by using Chaos own weapons against them.

part of the blood angels chapter declared themselves renegades without turning to the ruinous powers. maybe you'd like them better

Soul Drinkers are the choice! For the Emperor but against the Imperium AND Chaos.

5 years? I report necromancy.

Look up the Space Wolves.

There's a blood angels successor that's renegade but still answered the call to defend baal

 Niiai wrote:
5 years? I report necromancy.

Don't think of it as Necromancy.... more like, the thread was interred in the sarcophagus of a dreadnought and has finally been called back into action to defend its battle brothers

Thread is being locked due to thread necromancy.