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 daddyorchips wrote:
the answer is alpha legion.

off the top of my head they've destroyed or assimilated two whole marine chapters. no-one can even agree on what they look like or even whose side they are really on. or who is in charge. or where they live.

Not a chapter.

Interesting selections so far. Love the reasons given regarding some of the choices. Are there any Space marine companies that are fully listed in GW , WD, or FW?

Something along the lines of Chapter Master, Command Squad, and the 6 named tacticals, 2 assault and 2 devestator squads?

I say Iron Hands because they're a lethally efficient army of cyborgs. Also, Ferrus Manus made some of the best weapons literally with his bare hands

I'm going to say Iron Hands as well, shame they aren't covered as much as the other first founding chapters.

Also honourable mention to the Mentor Legion, just what I can remember of them is they were cool too for marines. From my understanding they're sort of like Eldar a bit.

Really smart and capable of learning a lot better than other marines, they also sort of work more as specialists. Instead of sending the entire chapter out they'll send out squads to fight along side other chapters and guard so they can learn more about that ally's fighting style as well. They gather and record this information. Because of this they're also usually higher skilled than other marine chapters.

The Emperor's Pointy Sticks. Cause they are back, at least partialy. Perhaps. Who knows?

I was always partial to Salamanders. For one thing, when I started 40k they were an army of black guys, which is awesome because you hardly ever see anyone but white people get representation in 40k. Then they retconned them into drow mutants with demonic red eyes...bleh...

But the main reason I like them is that they're less concerned about personal glory, like many other chapters, and are more devoted to the defense of humanity and the Imperium, possibly more than any other. In my opinion they are the ideal Space Marines, they are everything that the fluff says a Space Marine is supposed to be. Also dragons are cool and you get to paint flames on your models.

 Jimsolo wrote:
Salamanders. They crashed a ship into f--ing Commorragh and lived to talk about it.

That was kinda cool, too.

 Talizvar wrote:
Black Templar.

- No other chapter of marines has as many as them (estimated at around 6000).
- No other chapter has been on-going actively fightingas long as them.
- No chapter has more footholds on planets than them or recruit diversity.
- Every chapter thought that the "Emperor's Champion" was so cool, they had to have one.
- Blew through Earth defenses to lay a beating on Vandir for blowing up some of their fortresses, who was the higher power then?

Oh, face it, they are completely nuts.
It is far better to get into the face of your enemy to ensure they are truly dead than to blast them from afar... no wonder they recruit so heavily.
It is also better to have your raw recruits (Neophyte) to fight right along-side their sponsoring marine (Initiate): most likely to be used as a meat-shield.

If these guys don't make testosterone levels go up, nothing will.

Liar!
The Death Guard has been fighting for longer, and will fight on for 7777 years, for the glory of Nurgle!

I think the most awesome space marine chapter are all of the World Eaters' splinter warbands, who've been charging straight into IG tank gunlines and wagins wars composed entirely of assault infantry for 10 000years, pwning the entire Imperium several times :

Cerberus Insurrection, where the legion engaged a manly duel with Thunder Warriors escapees, showing them the true power of rage(despite losing 4 to 5 for each warriors). (Pre-Heresy)
The Cleansing of Arrigata (Pre-Heresy campaign. This was noteworthy in that the World Eaters slaughtered the entire world's population in a single day.)
Beat the gak out of the Space Wolves when they were asked to come with them to get "Help by some doctors to make them not crazy anymore" (Pre-Heresy)
Isstvan III
Isstvan V
Siege of the Emperor's Palace
Most of Failbaddon's Black Crusades
Cholercaust Blood Crusade - The World Eaters and Khornate followers in general curb-stomp the Imperium into the ground, until they're turned back by the fething Legion of the Damned because GW loves its stagnation and if they continued on they would have gotten to Terra and killed the Great Vegetable. But they're still rampaging around Imperial space so all the Imperials got was a Pyrrhic victory. This is also clear evidence that Khornates are the only Chaos Worshipers who get gak done.
Doombreed's actually successful black crusade.
Angron's Dominion of Fire campaign, where 50,000 World Eaters and Angron wasted over 70 Imperial Sectors in two Centuries. That's 2.85 sectors every years...which means that Khorne must have blessed Angron with extra heroin-induced RAEG to get gak done this quickly.
First war of Armageddon

Dark Angels. As they the only loyalist chapter that still have living primarch. Also fluf and some of the sexiest models too. Also they are like three armies in one. And well, they are the First.

Reinokarite wrote:
Dark Angels. As they the only loyalist chapter that still have living primarch. Also fluf and some of the sexiest models too. Also they are like three armies in one. And well, they are the First.

'
*mic drop*

Grey Knights. Thousands sons or Iron Warriors if we count traitors too.

Thousand Sons
Always loved the Egyptian theme and Ouroboros of the Thousand Sons, but I especially like that the standard troopers are all fleshless metal husks.

Death Guard
...and on the other end, the Death Guard's embrace of all life, holding all manner of diseases and pestilence within their own bodies and loving spreading their gifts to others.

 Lobukia wrote:
I'm assuming this means besides the Ultramarines who...
Literally wrote the book on being marines

...Which limits the use of battle-brothers' brain cells, and split the Astartes into barely capable tiny self-sustained armies, which have a full responsibility of their whereabouts. That's why we've got many chapters here and there either turning renegade, or outright start worshiping chaos gods, when there's no centralised system behind all this.
The book has some nice general rules about warfare, but to punctuate its every word and MANDATE it to every chapter, telling how to live and how to think and act as an Astartes? Please no. That's what I dislike in Ultramarines; some of them are just prancing by-the-book pricks. When they spot a chapter, which isn't fully/mostly codex-compliant, their jimmies get rustled.

 Lobukia wrote:
Twice saved, ruled, the entire Imperium and then nobly gave it back

...But never defended Terra. Son of Dorn is angry of your arrogance.

 Lobukia wrote:
Along with loyal successors, control over 500 productive worlds, and individually have 5 planets; including a Forgeworld and an Inquisitorial fortress world

That's mostly because Guilliman decided to promote himself temporarily as the Lord Commander of the Imperium (vice-Emperor), when the dusts of Horus Heresy began to disperse.
The 500 worlds they originally had, was because the Ultramarines had THE largest legion during the Crusade, and thus had plenty of time to micromanage the worlds under Imperial compliance.

 Lobukia wrote:
Host the most prestigious marine war college at the Fortress of Hera, which regularly trains the captains of almost 300 chapters

...Of which most - or possibly all - are Ultramarines descendants, which also happen to be spread nearby Macragge. I don't see anything incredible here.

 Lobukia wrote:
Blunted a major tyranid hive fleet... twice

In the first battle, the Ultramarines got a massive aid from Blood Angels, don't forget their honourable assistance!
In the second, while Calgar was doing glory-hungry duel with the Swarmlord, the allied Astartes got wiped out. Scythes of the Emperor, and Lamenters, to be exact. Thanks, guys.

 Lobukia wrote:
Have the closest to perfect geneseed known to the marines

*audible snickering of Red Scorpions Apothecary*

 Lobukia wrote:
Killed more traitor Primarchs than any other legion

Citation needed? Who else, besides the rumoured Alpharius?
Fulgrim KO'd two primarchs (Gorgon & Guilliman), and his primarch killcount is considered the highest at the moment.

 Lobukia wrote:
Host the most pleasant government in the Imperium to live under

YMMV

 Lobukia wrote:
Are allowed to maintain their own auxiliary fleets and guard regiments

Because First Founding, and Guilliman's Lord Commander hijinks.

 Lobukia wrote:
Plus are cool blue Romans in space?

...Like many of the other chapters are - at least influenced by?

***

Oh yeah, my favourite chapter?
Black Templars:
- Angry, manly crusading chapter which respects the ways of the grand old days (almost as numerable as a small legion, still follows the edicts of Nikaea)
- Codex Astartes? What Codex Astartes?
- Massive melee-hordes everywhere, I love it!
- Marshals - leaders of hundreds of battle-brothers, dozens of veterans, and usually more than one or two BATTLESHIPS. The codex-compliant captain WISHES he had so much honour and power!
- Both during and after the battle, they're humble as heck.
- They don't comprehend the term "rest". Their crusades end only when the whole galaxy belongs to the Emperor. The Imperial Fists - their very father-chapter - are STRUGGLING to keep up with their pace.

 Inkubas wrote:
Interesting selections so far. Love the reasons given regarding some of the choices. Are there any Space marine companies that are fully listed in GW , WD, or FW?
Something along the lines of Chapter Master, Command Squad, and the 6 named tacticals, 2 assault and 2 devestator squads?

GW once gave the option to buy an entire Ultramarines Company.
Blood Angels now have a Detachment that allows them to field their entire Archangels-company, it's in the Exterminatus-book.

Is that what you mean?

The Grey Knights are the greatest Space Marine chapter, because they fight the true enemy (rather than each other).

SJ

Legion of the damned.

Why?

Teleporting, ghost/zombie space marines that shoot rounds that melt through armor, have no battle cry, fight is pure silence, dont ever seem to die, then when they are finished, they vanish back into the warp.

 jreilly89 wrote:

Reinokarite wrote:
Dark Angels. As they the only loyalist chapter that still have living primarch. Also fluf and some of the sexiest models too. Also they are like three armies in one. And well, they are the First.

'
*mic drop*

Except they're the only Chapter so lazy that they don't even take off their bathrobes before leaving the house.

If you answered anything other than Angry Marines, then you're wrong.

 Veteran Sergeant wrote:

 jreilly89 wrote:

Reinokarite wrote:
Dark Angels. As they the only loyalist chapter that still have living primarch. Also fluf and some of the sexiest models too. Also they are like three armies in one. And well, they are the First.

'
*mic drop*

Except they're the only Chapter so lazy that they don't even take off their bathrobes before leaving the house.

Have you worn a fuzzy robe? It's what bears feel all year long. Hell yeah I'd take a robe into battle!

KingDeath wrote:
The Emperor's Pointy Sticks. Cause they are back, at least partialy. Perhaps. Who knows?

Uuuh, care to elaborate? Is TSOLR continued again?

Marines Malevolent...
In a imperium of D-bags, these guys just embrace the D-bagness and go with it..

What ever it takes to win..just the results matter.

Plus using the word Malevolent in a name..that took work!

I've got 2 I can't decide which.

Blood Angels. I used to think they were pretty boys but they've been through so much crap despite putting more effort into the imperium than other faction. They were one of the few who actually fought at the battle of Terra and they're primarch made the ultimate sacrifice there and what do they get for it? A curse that turns them insane which they nobly deal with. Dante and The Sanguinor are cool as well.

The other is Crimson Fists cause they're stubborn and Pedro is a real good guy.

 Tod wrote:
I've always liked the Crimson Fists.
Despite being completely rekt by a massive waaaagh, they dont stand down and just keep killing- ultimate final stand really.
Petro Kantor is also a pretty nice guy

I was going to say something about how much of a baller Pedro Kantor is, but a few already have, so I'll echo this, I guess. Best loyalist chapter for sure.

Anti authoritarian Wolves of Fenris

 Psienesis wrote:
If you answered anything other than Angry Marines, then you're wrong.

OFT

Imperial Fists.

Held the line at the Palace during the battle of Terra.

Raven guard, because stealth thunderhawk (shadowhawk).
also covert ops.

 crashhead wrote:
Raven guard, because stealth thunderhawk (shadowhawk).
also covert ops.

Also Edgar Allan Poe

Space Wolves - despite being terribly effective they are one of the rare chapters that actually cares about the people they serve and will do anything to avoid the easy Extermnatus out when things get tough!

Aren't the legions divided into chapters?

kingleir wrote:
Aren't the legions divided into chapters?

Yes. After the Horus Heresy however, it was decided that the Legiones Astartes was to be broken down into 1000 strong forces aka Chapters. This was an effort to prevent another mass rebellion.