Red Scorpions
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| Founding Chapter: | Unknown | ||
| Founding: | Unknown, evidence suggests a pre-M35 founding[1a] | ||
| Chapter Master: | Lord High Commander Carab Culln[6b](de jure) Captains Casan Sabius and Sirae Karagon (de facto)[9] | ||
| Homeworld: | Zaebus Minoris/Crusading Chapter[6b] | ||
| Fortress-Monastery: | Vigil, a large battle station in orbit around the moon of Zaebus Minoris[6d] | ||
| Colours: | Dark Charcoal Grey, Black shoulder pads and backpack; Yellow details[13] | ||
| Specialty: | None | ||
| Strength: | 9 full Companies and reduced strength Scout company.[6b] | ||
| Battle Cry | Strength in Purity![1a] | ||
The Red Scorpions are a Space Marine Chapter of unknown origin.[1a]
Contents
History
Origins
The origins of the Red Scorpions Chapter are unknown. No records remain of the chapter's founding or from which Space Marine Legion their geneseed was first taken. This secrecy has led to some of the Imperium's hierarchy questioning the loyalty of a chapter that keeps its history secret and holds itself answerable to the Emperor alone. Despite this, the chapter assists wherever it can, carrying out thousands of relief missions. It is known, however, that the chapter has existed for at least 5,000 years.[1a]
Notable Engagements
- 857.M38: Siege of Helios — The Chapter is called to assist in the prolonged siege of the traitor stronghold on Helios. The Chapter's Master of the Forge created the Land Raider Helios by mounting extra Whirlwind launchers onto existing Land Raiders. He took this step because the Red Scorpions mistrusted the Imperial Guard units they were sent to work with, fearing the Chapter may become tainted by forces already exposed to the traitors' corruption.[1a][14a]
- 633-635.M39: Second Aegisine Crusade — The Red Scorpions battle Heretek forces.[6a]
- Late M39: Ordon Crusade — The entire chapter deployed in the wilderness space of the Ordon Rift in Segmentum Tempestus for 300 years, during which time it was feared they had been destroyed. It is unknown what happened during these three centuries.[1a]
- 321.M40: The Red Scorpions defend the Hive World of M'kond from the orks of Waaagh! Gulgrag.[14b]
- M41: Galen V suppression (Galen V Expeditionary Force - involved Land Raiders in Codex approved Cobalt/Ammonium desert camouflage for the cobalt chromate deserts of Galen V[10]
- 826.M41: Siege of Vraks — A strike force composed of elements of the 1st, 3rd, 6th, and 8th companies arrive during the Siege of Vraks on the Strike Cruiser Arx Fidelis. Led by Commander Ainea, the strike force aids in the final breaching of the curtain wall surrounding the Fortress of Vraks. Veteran Sergeant Carab Culln leads the Vanguard squad that carried the teleport homer used by Commander Ainea and his squad of Terminators to arrive at, and subsequently hold, the breach in the curtain wall where the besieging army would pour through.[4]
- 830.M41: The Red Scorpions return to Vraks, this time with a strike force personally led by Lord High Commander Verant Ortys in response to Inquisitor Lord Hector Rex's request for aid. The Battle Barge Sword of Ordon arrives in orbit, carrying 400 of the chapter's battle-brothers, including Veteran Sergeant Carab Culln. The Red Scorpions proceed to participate in the retaking of the Fortress of Vraks, particularly the battle of Saint Leonis' Gate.[5]
- 850.M41: Marines from the chapter's 1st and 6th Companies, led by Commander Carab Culln assist Ordo Xenos Inquisitor Solomon Lok during an investigation and subsequent battle against Tyranids on Beta Anphelion IV. The Chapter comes under surveillance by the Ordo Hereticus for their actions, along with Inquisitor Lord Varius of the Ordo Xenos.[1a]
- 906.M41: The Badab War — The chapter is brought in, along with the Minotaurs, to protect shipping and space lanes and to reinforce the Fire Hawks and Marines Errant during the Badab War. Due to the Red Scorpions' unyielding devotion to Codex scripture and their unwillingness to fraternize with less traditional Chapters, their operations in the War are mainly confined to space-lane duties.[2] They are involved in several bloody ship-to-ship boarding actions against the renegade Executioners chapter [1a], while the Minotaurs carried out similar boarding actions against the renegade Lamenters, which caused the Lamenters to surrender.[2]
- 906.M41: The Angstrom Incident[2]
- 907.M41: The Red Scorpions return to the galactic east to undertake their normal duties, due to Ork incursions in the Ultima Segmentum.[2]
- 999.M41: Third War for Armageddon — A single company arrives at the end of the first year of conflict during the Season of Fire and awaits the Season of Shadows to commence hostilities in Warzone Armageddon.[17]
- Undated — Battle with Eldar forces (location unknown). It is known that at least one Red Scorpions Rhino with spaced armour fought there.[7]
- Undated — The Scoring of Entessian — Red Scorpions forces (including Dreadnoughts and Conqueror Class Robots) supported the Firebrands Titan Legion fighting Rebel Robots during the attack on Myrdinn City's industrial sector.[15]
More recently, they have been involved in operations against Hive Fleet Kraken and the growing Ork empire of Urgok the Unstoppable[1a] as well as the Octarius War[12].
Culture
The Red Scorpions place an emphasis on the number of missions a battle-brother has taken part in. Those that have participated in 50 missions are granted the Veteran status.[19]
Beliefs
The Red Scorpions are one of the rare examples of a chapter whose Chapter Cult strongly believes in the Emperor as divine god, and see their ongoing quest for mental, spiritual, and physical purity as a divine mandate[16] do not seem to venerate any Primarch above the others, giving their devotion solely to the Emperor. Some say that their strict adherence to the Codex Astartes shows that they are a Successor Chapter of the Ultramarines, but there is little other evidence to support this besides the purity of their gene-seed. Indeed, the preservation of their gene-seed is the Chapter's core belief. The Red Scorpion's devotion to the purity of their gene-seed has made them isolationists, scorning those who they believe are less pure or deviate from the Codex, and they will go to any lengths to retrieve the Chapter's due from their fallen Brothers. They will not serve alongside abhumans, and view all the other military arms of the Imperium as untrustworthy.[1a] They are also staunch traditionalists and protectors of authority, and are quick to aid Imperial governors or cardinals faced with rebellion. The Red Scorpions are also extremely xenophobic, detesting the alien and the mutant in all their forms.[6b]
Heraldry
The Red Scorpions generally display Company number as a black roman numeral upon a marine's left kneepad, which always has a yellow background. Squad number can be indicated with white arabic numerals either on a marine's right kneepad or right pauldron (in the bottom-right corner), however many marines opt not to display squad number at all.[6c]
Homeworld
The Fortress-Monastery of the Red Scorpions is a space station named Vigil that orbits Zaebus Minoris[6d] and/or its moon.[1c] The location of Vigil is a well-kept secret only Chapter members and high-ranking members of the Administratum know.[1c]
Recruits are drawn from Zaebus Minoris, a small, arid world inhabited by primitive tribes of humans. The tribes' traditions tie into the recruitment process of the Chapter. Missionary Galactica reports that all male infants are presented to their tribes' temple at the first full moon of its life. A few are taken by the "gods" - selected, after stringent genetic testing, by Chapter Apothecaries as potential future Marines. Because these recruits will have had no experience with their parent culture, the Chapter is all these recruits will know. The monastery itself is a large battle-station which orbits the moon of Zaebus Minoris, and from this base the Chapter sends strike forces out across the galaxy to destroy those who would threaten the Imperium. Indeed, they could almost be considered a Crusading Chapter because they treat Vigil as a simple base of operations rather than the centre of a great realm. The Chapter's armoury is well-stocked, and they are known to field a wide variety of vehicles, particularly Drop Pods and Land Raiders. Their forge is renowned for its ability to maintain (and manufacture in limited amounts) a variety of patterns of Astartes Power Armour, especially the treasured Mark IV pattern, commonly issued to the Chapter's veterans as a sign of rank. The Red Scorpions are also famous for the quality of their arms, and extraordinary weapons such as power swords, axes, or fists are also issued to the veterans, fulfilling both a practical and symbolic purpose. This association of military rank with quality wargear is exemplified in a collection of relic blades known as the "Tears of the Scorpion", each with its own legend and wielded by one of the Chapter's Commanders. Indeed, the only shortage of any kind of wargear that the Red Scorpions have is a dwindling supply of Terminator Armour due to heavy use, notably during the Siege of Vraks, Beta Anphelion IV, and the Badab War.[1a][4][6b]
Gene-Seed
The Chapter is noted for the purity of geneseed tithes which is heavily tied to its fanatical belief in purity, in deed and thought as well as physically. According to an assessment of progenoid samples by Inquisitor Lord Varius's acolytes, the Chapter retains over 94% purity, with the only exception being an overactive Betcher's Gland. It was for this reason that Varius chose the Red Scorpions as the gene source for his proposed new founding to counter the Tyranid hive fleets.[1b] However, the Chapter has repeatedly refused to allow more samples to be examined by the Inquisition or the Adeptus Mechanicus Biologis.[4]
Despite its extreme purity, the Red Scorpions' gene-seed is highly genericised; it has none of the defining features that might be used to tie it to any specific Space Marine Legion.[6b]
Organisation
The Red Scorpions consider the Codex Astartes as religious scripture, and their chapter organisation closely follows codex standards. The chain of command within the Chapter is highly authoritarian, and all orders given by a superior are to be obeyed without question. Captains are called Commanders, and the Chapter Master is known as the Lord High Commander. The Master of the Apothecarion traditionally holds the position of second-in-command due to the Chapter's emphasis on purity, and they also maintain a larger Apothecarion. The Chapter's Apothecaries are often attached to Tactical squads to ensure the retrieval of the Chapter's geneseed.[1a][3][6b] Being a Codex Chapter, the Red Scorpions favour a combined-arms approach to the destruction of the Imperium's enemies whenever possible. Each Battle-Brother is expected to be a master of all forms of warfare described in the Codex and available for re-assignment to different squad types and companies as the need arises.[6b]
Although the Chapter relies heavily on the Codex Astartes for strategic and tactical deployments, it can unexpectedly innovate when circumstances dictate. A particularly notable example is the Siege of Helios, where the Chapter's Techmarines developed the Land Raider Helios due to their distrust of the Imperial Guard assets fighting alongside them. The Land Raider Helios has now been adopted by many Chapters and was recently approved by the Mechanicus. Despite being fully capable of undertaking covert operations, the Red Scorpions abhor them, and prefer to face their enemies proudly bearing their colors. This, combined with a reduced Scout Company due to strict recruitment standards, ensures that the Chapter's Neophytes are often deployed in the main battle line as an auxiliary force.[6b]
Fleet
The Red Scorpions are assumed to have a large fleet at their disposal, given their history and salvage rights following the Badab War, but so far only three ships have been mentioned in official GW material and Forge World publications to date - the Battle Barges Auel's Bane and Sword of Ordon[5], and the Strike Cruiser Arx Fidelis.[4]
Notable Elements
Notable Members
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- Carab Culln — Latest known Lord High Commander, instated after the death of Lord High Commander Ortys. After his interrment within the shell of a Dreadnought, the Captains Casan Sabius and Sirae Karagon became the de facto leaders of the Chapter.[9]
- Verant Ortys — Supreme Leader of the Red Scorpions circa 830.M41. Accepts Lord Inquisitor Hector Rex's request for aid, and personally leads a strike force of 400 battle-brothers in the retaking of the Fortress of Vraks, capturing Saint Leonis' Gate from waves of heretics, mutants, and finally daemons.[5] Ortys was killed during the Badab War in The Betrayal at Grief on 3.390.906.M41.[6a]
- Ainea — Commander of the Red Scorpions 3rd Company circa 826.M41. Led a task force that answered Marshal Kagori's request for aid, and captured the breach in the curtain wall of the Fortress of Vraks that finally allowed the 88th Siege Army to enter the Citadel proper.[4]
- Sevrin Loth — Magister of the Red Scorpions and is considered one of the most powerful Librarians, not only in his Chapter, but throughout all of the Astartes. Inducted from a feudal planet within the Ordon Rift, he soon started to display powerful psychic powers during martial training; able to break bones with thought alone. Loth has a reputation for being a relentless fighter as skilled in personal combat as he is mentally.[6a]
- Kregor Thann — Master Apothecary. Also a member of the Deathwatch[18]
- Casan Sabius: Captain. One of the two de facto Chapter Masters of the Red Scorpions since the wounding of Carab Culln.[9]
- Sirae Karagon: Captain. One of the two de facto Chapter Masters of the Red Scorpions since the wounding of Carab Culln.[9]
- Nalr — Chaplain Dreadnought.[14a][14c]
- Galtus — Dreadnought.[14c]
- Justinian — Dreadnought.[14c]
- Haas — Veteran Sergeant with he has a bionic left arm. His Mark 4 armour incorporates an Iron Halo and he has served in over 60 missions.
[Help]
Notable Vehicles
- Belasarius — Land Raider Phobos.[14b]
- Iron Seraph — Land Raider Helios.[14b]
- Judgement of Fire — Land Raider Hecate.[14b]
- Encarmine — Whirlwind Scorpius. Fought in the Third War for Armageddon.[8]
Gallery
Artwork
Apothecary Sergeant[6c]
Ash Zone armour contamination[6c]
Devastator Sergeant[6c]
Mk IV Battle Brother[6c]
Terminator[1a]
Red Scorpions Marine[10a]
3rd Company Land Raider with extra armour[6c]
Land Raider in Codex approved Cobalt/ ammonium desert camouflage, Galen V suppression[10b]
Miniatures
Screenshots
Marine from Space Marine 2.
See also
Related Articles
Sources
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- 1: Imperial Armour Volume Four - The Anphelion Project, Index Astartes, the Red Scorpions section
- 2: White Dwarf 101 (UK), pg. 71 - Index Astartes: From the Imperial History Archives — the Badab War
- 3: White Dwarf 105 (UK) - Land Raider!
- 4: Imperial Armour Volume Six - The Siege of Vraks - Part Two, [Help]
- 5: Imperial Armour Volume Seven - The Siege of Vraks - Part Three, [Help]
- 6: Imperial Armour Volume Nine - The Badab War - Part One:
- 7: Imperial Armour Volume Two - Space Marines and Forces of the Inquisition, pg. 20
- 8: Imperial Armour Volume Two (Second Edition), pg. 94
- 9: Warhammer Community: New Heroes for Warhammer 40,000 Coming Soon (posted 20/11/2017) (saved archive page, dated 09 July 2019, last accessed via Wayback Machine 11 February 2026)
- 10: Warhammer 40,000 Compendium:
- 11: Forgeworld
- 12: War Zone Octarius - Book 1: Rising Tide, pgs. 30-31
- 13: Codex: Space Marines (9th Edition), pg. 73
- 14: Imperial Armour - Apocalypse II:
- 15: White Dwarf 112 (UK), pg. 71 - Adeptus Titanicus: Conqueror! - Robots in Adeptus Titanicus
- 16: Deathwatch: Honour the Chapter, pg. 34
- 17: Season of Shadows (Short Story)
- 18: Deathwatch: The Jericho Reach, pgs. 140–141
- 19: Imperial Armour - The Siege of Vraks: Second Edition, pg. 127
Uncited
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- Games Workshop Games Day 2005 Forge World lecture.
- GW UK's Campaign Weekends Badab War Rules. Direct link removed but file still available (accessed 2007.06.18)
- Forgeworld - Red Scorpions (accessed 2007.02.19)
- White Dwarf 303 (UK) & 302 (US) Index Astartes: Rogue Sons, by Andy Hoare.
- Epic Armageddon
- Games Workshop Online "Founding 21: The Cursed Founding Chapters"
