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The '''Iron Snakes''' are an [[Ultramarines]] Successor [[Chapter]] of the [[Space MarinesUltramarines]]. Their primary mission is the safeguarding of the area of [[Imperial]] space referred to as the [[Reef Stars]]^{{Fn|1}}, although they are also known to have contributed forces to wider conflicts, such as the [[Sabbat Worlds Crusade]]^{{Fn|2 }} and the Imperial response to the [[13th Black Crusade]].{{Cite This}}

|Chapter Master=[[Seydon]]{{Fn|1}}

|Colours=Steel armour with gold chest eagle, white shoulder guards with red trim; company number is displayed on the left knee pad^{{Fn|3}}

|Specialty= Infantry, Close combat.^{{Fn|1}}

|Strength=1,000^{{Fn|1:}}}}

The first days of the '''Iron Snakes''' are difficult to pin down; reportedly a [[Second Founding]] chapter, their [[Space Marine Legion|Legion]] of origin is unknown. Although they pay respect to [[Roboute Guilliman]], it is uncertain if they are an [[Ultramarine]] descendant, particularly as they are a non-[[CodexChapter]] chapter. {{Cite This}} The current [[Chapter Master]], [[Seydon]], is the eighteenth to bear that title since the foundation of the '''Iron Snakes'''.{{Cite This}}

The first-ever squad-leaders of the [[Chapter]] have become immortalized within its ranks, as their names have been retained as the official designation of the squads they first led. Every squad in the Chapter is therefore known by the name of its first commander and careful attention is paid to recording the deeds of each squad and the glory they have accumulated. {{Cite This}} Over the centuries, several squads judged to have accumulated particularly impressive and glorious histories became referred to as '''"Notable''' " squads and are seen as the pre-eminent units in the entire Chapter. There are at least five Notable squads within the '''Iron Snakes''', : Skypio, Parthus, Veii, Thebes and [[Damocles Squad|Damocles]]. Skypio squad is the senior squad of the entire chapter and is the closest thing to a conventional elite unit Codex [[First Company]] the '''Iron Snakes''' could be said to have.

The '''Iron Snakes''' recruit from [[Ithaka]], a world largely covered in very deep oceans home to a variety of sealifesea-life, including the great [[Wyrms]]. [[Ithaka]] does possess significant landmass, including tropical islands and viciously cold polar regions. '''Iron Snakes''' are therefore able to train in a number of environments, although the sea is most precious to them, to the point where each marine carries a vial of Ithakan seawater with him when on active duty, and with which he anoints the soil of any other planet he steps on. Their actual [[Fortress-Monastery]] is located on Ithaka's moon, [[Karybdis]], and features a great bell as large as a [[Space Marine]] [[Drop Pod]].^{{Fn|1 }}

The '''Iron Snakes''' appear to have been stationed in the sector of space known as the [[Reef Stars]] many thousands of years ago, and charged with its protection as their primary mission. The inhabited worlds of the Reef, while varied in their technological development, each appear to have some form of summoning aid from the '''Iron Snakes''' ritualized into their society. The '''Iron Snakes''' are a myth or legend to some worlds, an awe-inspiring reality to others. Regardless of how they are viewed, the '''Iron Snakes''' of [[Ithaka]] take their duty to the [[Reef Stars]] as seriously as only Space Marines can, and will go to any lengths possible to protect the sector and its citizenry.{{Cite This}}

The actions they have fought in the [[Reef Stars]] are numerous, as the whole area appears to be under constant threat by [[Dark Eldar]] raiding parties. As a result, the '''Iron Snakes''' have amassed considerable experience fighting the these particular [[Dark Eldarxenos]], who whom they (and the people of the [[Reef Stars]]) also refer to as the "'''primuls." The '''.{{Cite This}} The Iron Snakes''' also fought a ten year all-out war against a supremely large [[Ork]] invasion. The [[Ork]] forces, made up of multiple [[Waaagh|Waaaghs!]]s, were so large that it was impossible for the '''Iron Snakes''' to defeat them by martial meansin conventional battle. However, having managed through the guidance of [[Librarian]] [[Petrok]], the Iron Snakes were able to secure discover that the Dark Eldar had lured the Orks into the Reef Stars by planting the suggestion that a relic apparently considered sacred by to the Orkswas there. With a replica of the same relic, planted in the Dark Eldar territory, the '''Iron Snakes''' were able to draw tricked the [[Ork]] forces out of Orks into turning their Waaagh! away from the [[Reef Stars]] and into unclaimed/[[Xenos]] territory. The remainder of the Orks were expunged, and the [[Reef Stars]] were judged greenskin-free for over a thousand years.^{{Fn|1}}

The Chapter contributed over 300 Marines towards the [[Sabbat Worlds Crusade]] and fought with considerable distinction. Amongst the battles fought in that Crusade were: the relief of the [[Imperial Guard]] on [[Ambold Eleven]], where the '''Iron Snakes''' lost only 8 marines in a campaign that cost the forces of [[Chaos ]] twenty-nine thousand casualties, the assault on [[Pelbury Civitas]], the cleansing of the daemon-infested [[Fornax Aleph]], the support of the final extermination of the [[Zoican]] horde on [[Verghast]] and, of course, the destruction of the mechanised mutant army of [[Presarius]].^{{Fn|2}}

They were one of the many chapters of Space Marines who participated in the defense against the [[Thirteenth Black Crusade]].{{Cite This}}

While the nominal fighting strength of the chapter (or "fratery" as it is referred to by the '''Iron Snakes''') is kept at the Codex-approved 1,000 marines, the '''Iron Snakes''' do not appear to use the codex Codex's [[Company ]] structure, instead basing their organization around that of the simple 10-marine squad.^{{Fn|1 }}

Each squad, named after it's its first-ever squad leader, is treated as an individual tactical formation held equal in placement in the line of battle with almost all of the other fratery units. Only those squads referred to as the Notables are seen as an elite, and even then the Notables do not properly represent a pooling of veteran Marines. This is due to the way in which the Iron Snakes field their [[Neophyte|new recruits]]. Recruits, referred to as "petitioners" with the chapter, do not appear to take to the field as [[Scouts]]; instead they operate as Chapter staff and personal servants for the full [[Space Marine|Battle-Brothers]]. {{Cite This}} When casualties incurred require the elevation of petitioners to the rank of full Marine, the petitioners try out for the positions by engaging their potential squadmates in single combat competitions. Winners of these competitions, or those judged particularly skillful by the squad-leader, are chosen to become full Brothers and fratery-members. Places in the Notables are competed for in the same way as in other squads, which means that the Notables are just as likely to have new recruits in their ranks as they are to have hardened veteran marines. Of course, the petitioners that manage to win a place in a Notable squad are likely to be the best of their generation. {{Cite This}}

When a squad is completely wiped out, it is reconstituted under the original name, with its new squad-leader being promoted from the ranks of the elder and more veteran Battle-Brothers of the other squads. Each squad-leader is expected to eventually nominate a successor from within his squad, who will be chosen to accompany him to officer-level briefings and take over command in the event of his death. This Brother will likely remain tied to his squad until his own death, as such 'seconds' are not promoted out to command other squads. Each squad will also contain a standard-bearer, who fixes the squad colors to a special mounting upon his armor, and a support weapons trooper (with the [[Plasma Gun]] and [[Flamer]] appearing to be Chapter favorites). The Notable squads also appear to customarily include an [[Apothecary]] as one of their number, and such specialist Marines are a common feature of other squads as well; the number of field-Apothecaries in the '''Iron Snakes''' appears likely to be higher than that of a Codex chapter.^{{Fn|1}}

When a mission, referred to within the chapter as an '"undertaking', "is decided upon the [[Chapter Master]] announces how many squads he believes are required to ensure its success. All squad-leaders who wish to volunteer their units for the mission then place their tokens into a kylix (a form of drinking cup whose origins lie in ancient [[Terra]]). The [[Chapter Master]] then decides which squads to assign to the undertaking based upon which tokens he finds in the kylix.

Though the '''Iron Snakes''' are able to deploy an acceptable number of vehicles, and also include [[Dreadnoughts]] and [[Librarians]] amongst their forces, the primacy of the combat squad means that they concentrate on infantry tactics in battle. The Chapter armory is able to issue [[Combat Shield|combat shields]], warblades (s short-swords) , and sealances (javelin-type fighting spears) to all brothers, enabling them to close up and use phalanx (shield-wall) style tactics. They are particularly skillful with the sea-lance, as part of a petitioner's training on their homeworld of [[Ithaka]] involves the hunting and slaying of the large, predacious sea-wyrms native to the planet.

The '''Iron Snakes''' are unique in their tactical squads [[Tactical squad]]s in the fact that all squads are attached with an [[Apothecary]] unlike other codex Astartes who are assigned one per company.

Their [[power armor ]] is gunmetal and the Chapter's symbol is a Triple-Hooped blue snake on a white background with thin red trim.^{{Fn|1}}

* Seydon - Current [[Chapter Master]]^{{Fn|1}}* Petrok - [[Librarian]]^{{Fn|1}}* Phobor - [[Space Marine Captain|Hero-Captain]] (veteran officer)^{{Fn|1}}* Cules - Brother-Captain, commanded Iron Snakes forces during the Sabbat Worlds Crusade^{{Fn|2 }} * Pheus - Brother-Captain^{{Fn|2}}* [[Priad]] - [[Sergeant|Brother-Sergeant]], commander of Damocles squad.^{{Fn|1}}* Autolochus - [[Venerable Dreadnought]]^{{Fn|1}}

* ^{{Endn|1}}: [[Brothers of the Snake (Novel)|Brothers of the Snake]], by [[Dan Abnett]]* ^{{Endn|2}}: [[The Sabbat Worlds Crusade (Background Book)]]by '''Dan Abnett''', {{Cite This}}* {{Endn|3}}: [[Insignium Astartes]], pg. 52 ===Uncited===