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The Brass Angels are a Dark Angels successor chapter created in the second founding. Brass Angels are among the hardest Space Marines in existence, mentally and physically. Second only to the Grey Knights, each Brass Angel is a living weapon. Brass Angels go through rigid psychotherepy regularly and upon induction to make sure they remain pure. With their minds hardened so against the predations of Chaos, heresy is almost unheard of in the Brass Angel ranks. Only a few documented cases of heresy have occured, and were swiftly eliminated.

Brass Angels are also one of the toughest chapters physically, for they are raised from birth on the harsh world of Kancor. Kancor is a snow and ash planet, frozen on the surface, yet dotted with dormant volcanoes. Sometimes the volcanoes will wake, causing large ice melts and ash clouds. The villages that survive on Kancor must keep on the move, in search of prey and new camping spots. Also, it is from the hardened villagers that the Brass Angels induct.

Every year, or when there is a shortage of Marines, the Brass Angels have the villagers gather their finest braves, and submit them to the Space Marines. Any who are not accepted are gunned down, seen as an insult to the Brass Angels honor. Those that survive the initial scouring will then have to face the three challenges. The first challenge is to survive alone for a month on the snowy ash wastes of the planet. The second task is for the recruits to find their way through the maddening Ghost Caves of Anthrax, in pitch black. The third and final task the aspiring Brass Angels will have to make is to journey to the top of Mt. Argo, and kill a pre-placed warp dragon.

If the recruits can survive these challenges, they will have the gene-seed implanted and be deemed as Neophytes. The Neophytes will then be given the rank of scout, and advance in front of ground forces, into the most dangerous of situations. If they can survive this, the Chaplain will decide when they are ready to receive the full rank of Brass Angels Space Marine. Some, however, prefer to stay on as Scouts, and are outfitted with the proper gear to serve as snipers or forward sentries. If a Space Marine shows particular honor or ability on the battlefield, he may even be asked to join the Terminators. Though this is rare, any Marine with skill enough to don an archaic suit of Terminator honor will be one of the chapters finest warriors.

Brass Angels have a strict code of honor, called the Tiberian Code, in honor of their first Chapter Master, Tiberius Hexus. The code revolves around principles designed to make the Chapter's warriors very closed minded and violent, as they feel must be in these dark times. For the Brass Angels do not question heresy, they eliminate it. The slightest sign of heresy, a whisper of doubt, and any Brass Angel has the authority to kill a Battle Brother or civilian on sight for this. Usually this sparks great infighting, wherein a challenge is issued. In the great hall of the Chapter, there is a challenge arena just for this purpose. In the challenge arena, two Battle Brothers will strip to a loincloth and grapple until one has conceded or been slain. However, the losing Brother will usually be killed by the Chaplains anyways, for showing signs of weakness.

It is in these tribal practices and petty killings that the Inquisition is concerned, for while they are willing to throw away psykers to feed the Emperor, or Guardsmen to fight the wars, a Space Marine is something else. If the Brass Angels do not stop contesting their petty honor soon, a full scale Inquisitorial investigation may be launched. Besides this, the Brass Angels have never really gotten along with the Inquisition or Imperium officials and have almost started Heresy because of it.

The fires of Heresy were almost sparked when the Brass Angels allied with Grey Knights to fight off a full scale Daemonic incursion in the Regulus Sector. After weeks of battling across planets fighting off Khorne's Daemonic forces, the enemy was purged and driven back into the warp portal from whence they spawned. The damage to some of the planets was too great, however, and the root of warp taint too deep. So rather than take chances, the Grey Knights ordered Exterminatus on four of the planets. After the battle was over, the Grey Knights asked for the Brass Angels to submit to mindwipe. When the Angels did not go willingly, a small war escalated within the system.

Due to an irregular Gene-seed flaw, the current Brass Angels Chapter Master, Wenton Marx, was very tyrannical and paranoid. He had achieved his place in the chapter only by rite of challenge. In his nature, Wenton thought the Grey Knights would alter the Brass Angels memories, or kill them once they were sedated. So Wenton ordered his Chapter to defend themselves, and defend they did. For almost a month they held off a large fortress on the planet Raxus, slaughtering many Grey Knights. Wenton was executed for Heresy, and the current Chapter Master, Gladius Vex, succeeded him. The Grey Knights did, however, suffer heavy losses and gave the Chapter an ultimatum, to Crusade forever in the Emperor's name to atone for their heresy, or die. The Brass Angels, never letting go of their honor, chose to Crusade. Even today, they march across the stars in Holy retribution, hoping to regain their honor and take their place alongside the Emperor, justified by sacrificing their lives.

I like it, their zealotry strikes me more of a Black Templar successor though.

They're an interesting chapter, taking space marine trates such as honour and zealotry to an extreme, making it their weakness.

They are uniq, if a bit too over the top even for a Astartes chapter but I like them, and as Mr Nobody says their weakness makes for great story potetial and uniq characthers

To add to the excellent observations, don't make them a second founding chapter make them from a different founding.

Also if you want to keep the whole Dark Angels gene you need to write down about the Fallen. Just a couple of words not too much

Cheers!

So...
They held off a fortress? (which is impressive since they can't move) And now Gabriel Seth (Chapter master of the Flesh Tearers isn't he?) is in charge?
And they have weird semi-naked man wrestles when they disagree?

It is in the future of 40k after the Flesh-Tearers are wiped out, Gabriel Seth becomes the Brass Angels Chapter Master. I probably should have said, "the Brass Angels defended a fortress."
I love the comment about the half-naked man wrestles, made me crack up!

I find it hard to believe that a Chapter would accept another Chapter Master as their own. Especially since the Flesh Tearers are considered fairly radical.

Gabrial Seth also seems like the kinda man who would go down with his chapter rather than jump ship...
I'd remove the part about them fighting the Grey Knights. The reason they fought them sounds silly and the outcome is also kinda absurd.

To purplefood,
you will probably never play my Chapter in a game so it shouldn't matter. In my messed up version of 40k, Gabriel Seth joins my chapter and the Brass Angels have a silly reason for fighting Grey Knights.

I kind of like it, the relative absurdity makes it the more enjoyable and unique imo. The endless crusade they're currently embarked on is also reminiscent of the Abyssal Crusade from the new CSM codex. Maybe a fall is in their future, as bitterness grows due to harsh and likely unfair treatment at the hands of the Imperium?

Love what Boc said, exactly like my chapter.

I've changed some things. Gabriel Seth is no longer in the chapter. The current Chapter Master is Gladius Vex, whose in game rules can be found here-
http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/430896.page?userfilterid=64616