Switch Theme:

Fluff Excuse for a Mixed Chapter Army?  [RSS] Share on facebook Share on Twitter Submit to Reddit
»
Author Message
Advert


Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you:
  • No adverts like this in the forums anymore.
  • Times and dates in your local timezone.
  • Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance.
  • Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely.
  • Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net.
If you are already a member then feel free to login now.




Made in us
Fixture of Dakka





Every time I start painting up my modest marine collection, I find my enthusiasm for one of several chapters builds up, then fades only to be replaced by enthusiasm for another chapter. Basically, I don't want to invest in a dozen different marine armies, but I really want to paint a couple of squads worth of several chapters while retaining the option to field them as a single army. Now how do I justify that in terms of fluff?

My current thought is to have my Mentors scooping up survivors from previous Indomitus Crusade fleets and stitching them together into a cohesive fighting force amid the chaos of all the communications-disrupting events going on right now. So part of one of the later Indomitus fleets to be deployed is dispatching small portions of itself to shore up the defenses of reconquered worlds, track down elements of other fleets and isolated holdout forces, and basically integrate disparate forces back into a cohesive mass.

But does that make sense? How out of character would it be for marines of various chapters to join an imperial fleet and remain with it given the communication and travel problems facing the imperium in the "current" setting? How unlikely is it for, say, some Raven Guard successors and some Imperial Fist successors to functionally accept the leadership of some Mentors? Some of the Horus Heresy novels suggest it's not out of the question.

Any other suggestions for ways to justify a marine force consisting of a few squads from various chapters?

And before anyone mentions Death Watch, DW are rad, but I really don't want to paint everyone in black and silver. Wanting to paint a variety of color schemes is half the reason I keep chapter hopping.


ATTENTION
. Psychic tests are unfluffy. Your longing for AV is understandable but misguided. Your chapter doesn't need a separate codex. Doctrines should go away. Being a "troop" means nothing. This has been a cranky service announcement. You may now resume your regularly scheduled arguing.
 
   
Made in au
Longtime Dakkanaut





Crusades are your best bet, as chapters will send a token force to join a crusade, creating a mixed force.

Back during the release of Apocalypse 1st ed (2007?) I bought one of the space marine company boxes to do exactly this.

In fact I was going to have an ultramarine sergeant in each squad, as they were the one chapter that could keep the peace between the different forces.

The concept being that the commanders had been killed in a freak accident and the army had been cut off from its supply train. So the veteran ultramarines in the crusade were voted into command and split up across the surviving units.

I was planning on taking the opportunity to make really interesting and unique one off squads for a range of chapters.

But like so many other unfinished projects, they remain only partially assembled and none are painted....

   
Made in ca
Commander of the Mysterious 2nd Legion





another option might be to fluff it as the ultramarines honour company.

https://warhammer40k.fandom.com/wiki/Ultramarines_Honour_Company

you could also run as a al primaris force of greyshields.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2021/07/29 07:42:27


Opinions are not facts please don't confuse the two 
   
Made in gb
Preparing the Invasion of Terra






There's loads of reasons for a mixed Chapter force to exist.
Maybe they were trapped when the Rift opened and saw wisdom in remaining together as a coherent unit, perhaps they elected a leader through concensus or trial by combat.
Guilliman might have sent a new group of Primaris under the command of a Company of Mentors to secure a strategic region of space.
Maybe it's just an honour pact between these Chapters to combine forces to defeat a special threat.
   
Made in gb
Battleship Captain





Bristol (UK)

My favourite is the crusade force.
A crusade is launched to achieve some goal, although no single chapter joined in force each sent a small contingent to bolster the crusade's forces. Whether that be a squad, Dreadnought, tank, or handful of all doesn't matter.

   
Made in gb
Automated Rubric Marine of Tzeentch




dorset

Wyldhunt wrote:
Every time I start painting up my modest marine collection, I find my enthusiasm for one of several chapters builds up, then fades only to be replaced by enthusiasm for another chapter. Basically, I don't want to invest in a dozen different marine armies, but I really want to paint a couple of squads worth of several chapters while retaining the option to field them as a single army. Now how do I justify that in terms of fluff?

My current thought is to have my Mentors scooping up survivors from previous Indomitus Crusade fleets and stitching them together into a cohesive fighting force amid the chaos of all the communications-disrupting events going on right now. So part of one of the later Indomitus fleets to be deployed is dispatching small portions of itself to shore up the defenses of reconquered worlds, track down elements of other fleets and isolated holdout forces, and basically integrate disparate forces back into a cohesive mass.

But does that make sense? How out of character would it be for marines of various chapters to join an imperial fleet and remain with it given the communication and travel problems facing the imperium in the "current" setting? How unlikely is it for, say, some Raven Guard successors and some Imperial Fist successors to functionally accept the leadership of some Mentors? Some of the Horus Heresy novels suggest it's not out of the question.

Any other suggestions for ways to justify a marine force consisting of a few squads from various chapters?

And before anyone mentions Death Watch, DW are rad, but I really don't want to paint everyone in black and silver. Wanting to paint a variety of color schemes is half the reason I keep chapter hopping.


lore wise, thier are plenty of examples of marines accepting the logic of "unity of command" and joining together on a ad-hoc basis, like basically every time they have a big event with more than one chapter present they have this discussion (3rd war for aramageddon, 13th black crusade, defense of Bhaal, etc).


gameplay wise, if i was the opponent, as long as you were clear as to what rules were in play (ie "this is an ultramarines sucessor with X and Y chapter tactics"), then i wouldn't mind a colourful army with intresting paintjobs. Id suggest at least one strong unifying element, something like the deathwatch's silver arm, to tie the army together. maybe paint the left shoulder pad (ie the one without the chapter symbol on it) a single colour, call it a "crusade mark" or something.

To be a man in such times is to be one amongst untold billions. It is to live in the cruelest and most bloody regime imaginable. These are the tales of those times. Forget the power of technology and science, for so much has been forgotten, never to be relearned. Forget the promise of progress and understanding, for in the grim dark future there is only war. There is no peace amongst the stars, only an eternity of carnage and slaughter, and the laughter of thirsting gods.

Coven of XVth 2000pts
The Blades of Ruin 2,000pts Watch Company Rho 1650pts
 
   
Made in gb
Preparing the Invasion of Terra






The Crusade Badge/Mark is a good idea. For gameplay, I would recommend picking the Chapter tactic of your Warlord and then applying it to the whole force for simplicity.
   
Made in us
Dakka Veteran





Lebanon NH


I actually have a similar thing to the OP. I love the marines, but I don't want to have my models exclusive to one chapter.

My way of getting around this was the creation of a custom fluff faction, in my case: non-chaos space marine rebels made up of defectors from all over the imperium.

The short version is a sort of hidden society which often raids or liberates imperial worlds to aid their anti-imperial cause. Obviously, in such a case, they can be traitors from whatever chapter/chapters and still have it make sense.

This sort of fluff also works because, in my area at least, there are a lot of other "imperium" players, so us fighting each other works from a fluff perspective (they are loyalists, I'm the villainous traitors).
   
Made in gb
Stubborn Dark Angels Veteran Sergeant






In large chaotic warzones that aren't necessarily your organised attack/defend of assets, units from other formations will undoubtedly come across each other, and due to attrition will most likely form up to still be a potent fighting force. 3rd war for armageddon, especially around the hives was absolute carnage, mixed formations would end up being common. Even specialist formations built up for one purpose/battle were a thing, like all the devastators forming together on fortifications, or all the dreadnaught being used as a counter attack. The same would happen with the first companies at times.

These things aren't exactly common, but they do happen.

My hobby instagram account: @the_shroud_of_vigilance
My Shroud of Vigilance Hobby update blog for me detailed updates and lore on the faction:
Blog 
   
Made in au
Been Around the Block




One thing that used to be fairly common in the lore was that Loyalist Chapters would only deploy in small numbers (say, as squad or two) when called upon for aid. They were spread so thin that deployment of anything large-scale was practically unheard of except in extremely dire circumstances. I imagine if a world is broadcasting a request for aid from the Adeptus Astartes it’s entirely possible for a few chapters to send a handful of marines each, and for their forces to be co-ordinated by the most senior commander.
   
Made in us
Krazy Grot Kutta Driva





During WW2 the airborne units jumping into France became broken up. Different troops from different units would mesh together and move out to engage the enemy. You could use that as a base for your story.

 
   
Made in us
Ancient Venerable Dreadnought




San Jose, CA

I try to include at least one Blood Angel in my Salamanders army after Dante commended and proclaimed to Tu'shan that the 2 legions could learn from one another. He's begun a legion-exchange program and it feels fluffy.

When the Lord-Commander suggests something, you generally gets a move on.
   
Made in us
Dakka Veteran






Pointer5 wrote:
During WW2 the airborne units jumping into France became broken up. Different troops from different units would mesh together and move out to engage the enemy. You could use that as a base for your story.

This is exactly what happened to my Grandfather. He ended up in a mixed unit with no real leadership for a couple weeks. With no orders they chose to slow armor columns until he was eventually reconnected with the U.S. forces.
   
 
Forum Index » 40K Background
Go to: