Chapter

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A Chapter is a self-contained Space Marine army usually made up of roughly a thousand Space Marines, as well as a large number of specialists and administrative/functionary personnel.[19]

The Adeptus Astartes is divided into roughly a thousand Chapters.[19] Each constituent Chapter is autonomous and constitutes a complete army, with its own leadership, support and administrative staff, reliant only on its own Chapter members. Each chapter has its own traditions, specialties, its own cult, beliefs and practices.

Early History

Space Marines of the Ultramarines chapter assembled for battle[11a]

Chapters were originally an organisational unit used by the Thunder Warriors. During the Great Crusade, the Space Marines were organised into Legions, further divided into Companies. Chapters were adopted by some of the Legions as an intermediate level of organisation.[2b] The Ultramarines Legion, led by Roboute Guilliman, became the largest of all the Legions, thanks to Guilliman's tactical mastery and a steady flow of new recruits from Ultramar.[1a] At the time of the Horus Heresy, the Ultramarines Legion was divided into twenty-five Chapters, each composed of ten Companies, each company composed of roughly one thousand Marines.[2b]

Following the Heresy, Guilliman, as Lord Commander of the Imperium, ordered the Space Marine Legions divided and re-organised into smaller Chapters, to ensure that no future rebel such as Horus could gain control of such a large military unit as a Legion again.[1a] Newly formed Chapters created in this new system which originated from the remaining loyalist Legions became known as Successor Chapters.[3a]

Chapter creation

Main article: Founding

The creation of a new Chapter is known as a Founding, and it does not happen overnight. Each Chapter is created from the gene-seed of an existing donor Chapter. After the Scouring, Roboute Guilliman tasked the Adeptus Terra with setting up and maintaining a genetic bank to procure and store tithes of gene-seed, which would in turn provide the gene-seed for all future Chapters. To prevent cross-contamination, the genetic stock of each legion was isolated while those of Traitor Legions were put into stasis lock. By taking direct control of these genetic tithes, the Adeptus Terra now could ultimately control the Space Marines as they had the power to destroy or create Space Marine armies at will.[4]

When creating a chapter, the zygote is implanted in a human test-slave who spends his entire life in a static experimental capsule, immobile and serving as nothing but a medium which from two progenoids will develop. When the progenoids are developed, they are extracted from the original test-slave and then implanted into another two test-slaves, producing four progenoids, and so on. It takes 55 years of reproduction to create a healthy set of 1,000 organs. These must be sanctioned officially by the Master of the Adeptus Mechanicus and then by the High Lords of Terra, speaking for the Emperor, who alone can give permission for the creation of a new Chapter.[9]

Organisation

Organisation of a Space Marine Chapter since the introduction of Primaris Space Marines[7]
Main article: Codex Astartes

A so-called Codex Chapter, meaning a Chapter which closely follows the doctrines of the Codex Astartes, is made up of ten companies, each consisting of one hundred Marines and commanded by an officer with the rank of Captain. Below the Captain are two Lieutenants which each command a Demi-Company.[5] Generally, the First Company is made up of the Chapter's most experienced Veterans, while the Second through Ninth consist of more ordinary warriors. Some individual companies are specialised assault or support companies, possessing larger proportions of Assault, Devastator, Hellblaster, Eradicator[8], Aggressor, Reiver, and Inceptor squads. The tenth company is a Scout force, made up of neophyte Space Marines not yet proven in battle. Typically, a standing force of 100 Vanguard Space Marines are attached to the 10th Company.[6] The Chapter is further bolstered and supported by a Librarium, Armoury, Apothecarion, Chaplaincy, and Fleet.[7]

Each chapter is led by a chapter master. Unlike the Imperial Guard, the Adeptus Astartes has no leadership above the masters of the individual chapters. Also unlike many other Imperial military forces, the Astartes were not historically represented amongst the High Lords of Terra[3b] prior to Roboute Guilliman returning and declaring himself Lord Commander of the Imperium and Imperial Regent.

Besides the Space Marine fighting brethren, there are many non-combat personnel, fully part of the chapter but generally not involved directly in combat. These include the chapter's serfs, astropaths, navigators, etc.[7]

Every successor chapter of the Ultramarines follows the Codex Astartes completely.[31]

Chapter cult

A Chapter cult is a body of beliefs and practices integral to every single Space Marine Chapter, each being unique and specific to the chapter and can often wildly vary between each other.[20][21][22a] Indeed, two successor chapters spawned from the same chapter during the very same founding might, after several centuries, present with radically divergent religious practices.[22a] Broadly speaking though, every chapter cult in general venerates the Emperor, their Primarch (if known), as well as their own heroes[23b] and will typically emphasize martial virtues such as honour, strength, and comradeship.[20]

Every Space Marine belongs to the Chapter's cult, and accordingly, every Marine of a Chapter is a spiritual brother as well as a brother in arms. Each cult is typically ministered by an inner priesthood of warriors known as Chaplains.[20]

The Ecclesiarchy and Inquisition

Conflict has always existed between the Adeptus Astartes and the Adeptus Ministorum, going back all the way to the very start of the Imperial Creed on Terra. Though rivalry is ever present between and among all the factions within the Adeptus Terra, this friction goes to an even deeper level. Space Marines can rightfully be called the "Sons of the Emperor" - they are the Emperor's direct creation, carrying his blood, as well as being undying loyal defenders of humanity, the Imperium, and the Emperor's honour. Despite all this, conflict arises in that they do not adhere to the Imperial Creed nor (typically) worship the Emperor as a divine god as preached by the Ecclesiarchy, instead venerating him as a gifted, powerful man. Indeed, given the wide variation of chapter cults some chapter cult practices are very barbaric - many including blood sacrifices - and some traditions could easily be considered heretical[21] in comparison to the orderly masses of the Ecclesiarchy. Added to this, the sheer differences between baseline humans and these genetically engineered monstrous giants capable of spitting acid or crushing men's skulls, are enough for some consider them as separate race entirely.[21][29] Staunch puritans of the Ecclesiarchy preach the adage "suffer not the mutant to live", and in the Imperium the purity of the human form is lauded as much whilst all other species are reviled.[24]

The Ecclesiarchy and the Astartes have reached an uneasy compromise over the millenia, which can generally be thought of as an agreement to differ. In general, the Ecclesiarchy does not send its Confessors and Missionaries to Space Marine worlds, and the Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes do not interfer with the Church. Space marine chaplains are given their sacred rosarius by the Ecclesiarchy, a symbolic link between the Adeptus Astartes and the Adeptus Ministorum, but ultimately the chaplains still preach their own version of the Imperial Creed to their brethren. This uneasey truce has been shattered by particularly zealous Cardinals or Confessors that have roused the wrath of a chapter either through words or deeds.[21][29]

In a similar vein, conflict has arisen between the Adeptus Astartes and the Inquisition, particularly the Witch Hunters of the Ordo Hereticus, over the nature of Chapter Cults. Should the chapters preachings and interpretations of the Imperial Creed be deemed too heretical, the Witch Hunters may send forces or even an army to fight the space marines and call the chapter for their wayward beliefs.[25]

Infamous examples of internecine conflict between Space Marines and the Ecclesiarchy/Inquisition include:

Theist Chapters

While most chapters do not venerate the Emperor as a divine being or a god, there are a handful of chapters which do. Such beliefs are thought of as "fanatical" by chapters with more conventional veneration of the Emperor as a man, with such beliefs being considered more appropriate for the "deluded masses" that Astartes are sworn to protect.[28]

Notable theist chapters include:

The following chapters do not explicitly worship the Emperor as a god, but do ascribe him divine or spiritual powers:

  • The Blood Ravens believe the Emperor to be a man, yet also believe he has the power to save their souls and in the promise of an afterlife
  • Though the Silver Skulls do not explicitly worship the Emperor as divine, their Prognosticators consult his Tarot in order to divine his will.

Chapter-size

Space Marines

A Space Marine Chapter, in compliance with the Codex Astartes and at full strength, is organised as follows:

For deployment, various assets are combined into a combined-arms strike-force.[12a]

Additionally, a Chapter contains a civilian workforce of human serfs and servitors.[1b]

Tanks and vehicles

Not all Chapters have the means to make every type of vehicle. Some Chapters have charters of cooperation with an Adeptus Mechanicus Forge World, which manufactures vehicles to order for this one Chapter. Strict security-measures are undertaken to keep those vehicles from falling into the wrong hands.[12a]

  • Dreadnoughts: Dreadnoughts are very rare. Only very few Chapters have the capacity to build new ones from scratch, and even those that do can do so only a few at a time, because the construction of its core-piece, the Sarcophagus, is very complicated. Fortunately, the design of the Dreadnought is extremely durable and unless destroyed completely, it can eventually be repaired back into function.[13a]
  • Rhinos: Rhinos are the mainstay of every single Chapter's vehicle-pool as an armoured troop-carrier. Each is capable of transporting 10 Space Marines.[1e] Due to its nature as an STC-design, Rhinos are fairly easy to build and repair.[13b]
  • Bikes: The degree to which Bikes are deployed varies greatly from Chapter to Chapter, with for example the White Scars using them in great numbers, while other Chapters shun them in favour of Rhinos or Razorbacks.[1f]
  • Land Speeders: A typical Chapter fields about 50 to 70 Land Speeders. Though, some Chapters, like the Dark Angels, the White Scars and the Successor-Chapters of the White Scars, field several times that number. As a counter-example, the Imperial Castilians field none.[13c]
  • Predators: A Chapter typically fields 20 to 30 Predators, though there are Chapters like the Iron Hands and Fire Angels which field more than 100. Due to the Predator being based on the Rhino-chassis, and that in itself being very adaptable, it is possible to retrofit Rhinos into Predators.[13b]
  • Whirlwinds: A Chapter typically fields 20 to 30 Whirlwinds, although this varies greatly from Chapter to Chapter.[12b]
  • Vindicators: A Chapter typically fields about 12 Vindicators.[12c] They are mostly used for sieges and in urban warfare, however some Chapters greatly value them for their sheer firepower and field them in great numbers as a frontline battle-tank.[13b]
  • Land Raiders: Due to its nature as an STC-design, every Space Marine Chapter is capable of producing the components for building Land Raiders.[12d] As an example for their numbers, the Red Scorpions had 12 Land Raiders by the time of the Siege of Helios.[12e]
  • Newer Grav-Vehicles unveiled by Belisarius Cawl for Primaris Space Marines such as the Storm Speeder[17a], Repulsor[11b], Repulsor Executioner[11b], Impulsor[11b], Gladiator[17b], and Astraeus.[18]

Fleet

Main article: Space Marine Fleet

All Space Marine Chapters maintain a fleet of some sort. By the edicts of the Codex Astartes, the ships of the Space Marine Chapters are to be focused on planetary assaults instead of naval combat, although some Chapters circumvent or outright ignore this rule.[14]

Only the officers on these ships are Space Marines, as they are simply to valuable to waste them by having them man a gun-turret or watch a monitor.[15a]

Most Chapters define their ships via their usage, not by class or model.[14]

  • Battle Barges: Battle-Barges are the largest ships in Space Marine Fleets.[12a] Battle-Barges are Battleship-sized ships built to withstand heaviest firepower and to deliver troops for an assault. Its weapons are mostly short-range, though they are very dangerous in boarding-actions.[14] Most Chapters have 2 or 3 Battle-Barges, with only few having more.[12a][14] They can carry 3 Companies of Space Marines, plus vehicles and supplies, and have many launch bays for deploying Drop Pods, Thunderhawks and boarding-torpedoes.[12a]
  • Strike Cruisers: Strike Cruisers are the most common type of larger warship in a Chapter Fleet. They are very fast, carry a Company of Space Marines, and are geared for planetary assaults.[14] They also carry the vehicles assigned to a Company.[15b]
  • Escorts: These are many different types of small, fast ships geared for naval combat. They are mainly used for line-of-battle escorts and patrols. They also have a very limited capacity to deliver very small forces on infiltration raids.[14]

Some Chapters, in particular fleet-based Chapters, employ additional types of support-vessels, such as scout-ships, Forge-ships, Chapter Barques and Vanguard Cruisers. Chapter Barques are often modified Mass-Conveyance-freighters that hold a fleet-based Chapter's most precious assets, like their Geneseed, so they can stay back and out of harm's way during battle. Vanguard Cruisers are modified Strike Cruisers for long-range missions and deep-space recon.[14] As for Forge-Ships, for example an Ark-class Forge-ship produces Space Marine Power Armour and Space Marine infantry weaponry.[16]

Types of Chapters

  • Single World Chapters - The majority of Chapters, who maintain a Fortress Monastery on a single world.[10]
  • Dominion Chapters - Chapters who rule over a collection of Systems or worlds of significant populations, maintaining their own petty empires. The most notable of these are the Ultramarines and their realm of Ultramar.[10]
  • Bound Chapters - Chapters given a singular task, usually bound to a specific area or region of space. Examples include the Castellans of the Rift, Wolfspear, and the Astartes Praeses[10]
  • Fleet-Based Chapters - Chapters without their own homeworld and instead operate out of their own flotilla of warships which serve as mobile Fortress-Monasteries. Examples include the Black Templars and Minotaurs.[10]
  • Mobile Chapters - Chapters which are in possession of large Warp-capable Fortress-Monasteries that defy conventional size. Such as the Imperial Fists and the Phalanx or the Dark Angels and The Rock.[10]
  • Garrison Chapters - Chapters that are spread out across multiple worlds that they do not necessarily govern directly. They are often dispersed across the Imperium in small units.[10]
  • Specialist Chapters - Non-Codex Chapters created for a specific task or duty, frequently acting in concert with other Imperial agencies. Examples include the Deathwatch and Grey Knights.[10]
  • Non-Compliant Chapters - Chapters that do not abide by the Codex Astartes and instead maintain a unique organisational structure, such as the Space Wolves.[10]

See also

Sources

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