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I'm a bit out of date with my 40k lore, haven't really read anything since 2015. I'm trying to write some background for a homebrew SM chapter, but I don't know recent timelines or how plausible some things are these days. As a result, I have a few questions.

The idea is for this to be a newly-made chapter, created simply to have another bunch of marines to throw at the Tyranids. A bunch of deathworlders get some primaris genestock and are trained, kitted, and sent off to fight on an accelerated schedule. As a result, their culture is completely unrefined.

Their culture is just directly transposed from their world's cultures - basically Conan the Barbarian with some kind of star/nature worshipping shamanistic death cult. They get viewed as uncultured savages by even the less refined parts of the Imperium. Because they were made specifically to get in the way of a hive fleet, their logistical support sucks and half of them got wiped almost immediately. As a result, they've ended up being a fleet-based chapter whose population is increasingly composed of "reinforcements" from other Space Marine groups.

These reinforcements being individual marines or squads that got separated from their original chapter, or whose chapter was nearly exterminated. So as time goes on, the marines of this chapter become a borked mix of subcultures and personalities forced to live like deathworlders on one of a handful of battle-damaged and badly-maintained ships. I figure at this point someone would recommend attaching a Commissar as an advisor to the Chapter Master to explain how to integrate different units together like this.


My questions are:

1). How well does this fit into current lore, and what changes would be needed to fit in better?

2). What would be an appropriate genestock for these marines to have received (Ultramarine, White Scars...)?

3). Which chapters would it be interesting to have been reinforced by?

4). Any suggestions for a chapter name?


I also created a paint/armour scheme in SM2. Links because they're very large:

Closeup: https://i.imgur.com/9I44Ffe.jpeg

Portrait: https://i.imgur.com/R5ALlMZ.jpeg

Flamethrower Mode: https://i.imgur.com/xkMvVjI.jpeg

Interesting idea. I would think there would have to be some sort of cadre for the chapter. Some captain and retinue from somewhere else to provide leadership for the newly minted and very raw marines. That cadre would inevitably bring traditions and practices from their old formations. Maybe they'd all have to be drawn from other chapters, deathwatch-style, to prevent the chapter from becoming just another ultras successor.


Raw barbarian suggests Space Wolf, but they famously don't have successors. Desthworlders suggests Flesh Tearers and BA rules can give expression to berserker rage. Maybe this chapter doesn't have Desth Company, maybe it has berserkers instead.

Maybe it takes on a role as a kind of Last Chancers/Dirty Dozen unit where the marines that it gets sent were less than honorable in their home chapters. Like the deathwatch, but instead of getting the best, they get the worst. Maybe they operate under the eyes of the inquisition and have an inquisitor with them all the time.

For the name. Maybe the name is like WWII german army formations cobbled together in the later stages of the war. Battlegroup X where X is the current chapter master's name. Or something more traditional that includes perdition, penance, lost, or some other negative term.

The Wolves do have Primaris successors (at least three officially i think) so they are a fluffy option.
BA are a good option for zerkers though.

They almost sound like a negative version of the deathwatch - they are an elite group called from all chapters, this is a last survivors group from 'failed' chapters (and those on penitent crusades?)... it certainly has potential and I can see the attraction.
I would follow the DW example of a single colour scheme with pauldons and trims from the ooriginal chapter, it does give a nice bit of variety (my DW have knees, helmet and backpack trims of original colour - breaks upp the black nicely!)

It's definitely a fun idea that doesn't need too much trimming because anything is possible in 40k.

I would suggest looking into different Animism beliefs and things like Inuit hunting rituals. I'd also suggest going with a Space Wolf successor but not Viking dweebs. Kales idea of using former chapter colours on the pauldrons is a good idea, similar to Deathwatch!

Maybe instead of seeing this as a penance, more that this is highly ritualised beast slaying. That they were picked from this Deathworld because it had similar large strange xenos beasts within and the tribes would elect a hunter to kill whatever was plaguing the local village. If they were successful they might be considered for the Space Marines once the Administratum is involved. Keep the idea that half the companies were wiped out because that happens to a lot of them. You don't need Commissars when the Chaplains can be your Shamans who induct new recruits into the rites of the chapter.

Considering the idea of other chapters joining the ranks, maybe other chapters understand the crusade against Tyranids and want to join them for this purpose. It has become a noble responsibility to join them. And so mighty are these warriors perhaps it's a way for others to learn from these beast hunters in their specialised talents. So maybe others join the ranks and then pass it back to their chapters. It's also worth mentioning that plenty of SM chapters recruit from a myriad of worlds rather than one.

Hope some of that helps how you go!

I wouldn't have them created as a roadblock; that's what the Guard is for, not the Astartes.

They can still be a newly founded Primaris Chapter, set to guard the fringes of Imperial space before they get unlucky enough to be caught in the advance of Hive Fleet Leviathan during the Fourth Tyrannic War.

Their Chapter culture wouldn't have had time to develop before their home was consumed by the Tyranids, their equipment and fleet left in tatters by their withdrawal. All they have left are the memories of their home with the few trappings that could be saved of their culture.

If you're going to have an attache to corral the wayward Chapter, it needs to be a fellow Astartes. A mortal wouldn't stand a chance trying to get them in line.