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From Warhammer 40k - Lexicanum
precise numbers for the fighting force of a Chapter
==Early History==
Chapters were originally an organisational unit used by the [[Thunder Warriors]]. During the [[Great Crusade]], the Space Marines were organised into [[Space Marine Legion|Legions]], further divided into [[Space Marine Company|Companies]]. Chapters were adopted by some of the Legions as an intermediate level of organisation.{{Fn|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]].{{Fn|11a}} 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.{{Fn|2a}}
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.{{Fn|11a}} Newly formed Chapters created in this new system which originated from the remaining loyalist Legions became known as '''Successor Chapters'''.{{Fn|3a}}
==Chapter creation==
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 [[Chapter Serf|hereditary slaves]], [[Astropath]]s, [[Navigator]]s, etc.{{Cite This}}
==Chapter-size==
===Space Marines===
A Space Marine Chapter, in compliance with the Codex Astartes and at full strength, is organized as follows:
* Chapter Command {{Fn|1b}}
** a [[Chapter Master]] {{Fn|1b}}
** the Chapter Master's [[Honour Guard]] {{Fn|1b}}
** transport vehicles {{Fn|1b}}
** senior personell {{Fn|1b}}
* 10 [[Company|Companies]], with each Company consisting of:{{Fn|1b}}
** [[Captain]] {{Fn|1b}}
** [[Command Squad]] ''(size and composition vary greatly from Chapter to Chapter {{Fn|1c}}, though it may include for example a [[Chaplain]] and an [[Apothecary]]{{Fn|1b}}''
** 10 [[Squad]]s with 10 [[Space Marines]] each {{Fn|1b}}
** various [[Dreadnought]]s, [[Rhino]]s, [[Land Speeder]]s, [[Bike]]s {{Fn|12a}}
* [[Armoury]] {{Fn|1b}}
** multiple [[Techmarine]]s {{Fn|1b}}
** various [[Land Raider]]s, [[Predator]]s, [[Damocles]], [[Vindicator]]s, [[Whirlwind]]s {{Fn|12a}}
* [[Apothecarion]] {{Fn|1b}}
** multiple [[Apothecary|Apothecaries]] {{Fn|1b}}
* [[Librarius]] {{Fn|1b}}
** multiple [[Librarian]]s {{Fn|1b}}
* [[Reclusiam]] {{Fn|1d}}
** multiple [[Chaplain]]s {{Fn|1d}}
* Fleet Command {{Fn|1b}}
** various space-ships {{Fn|1b}}
For deployment, various assets are combined into a combined-arms strike-force.{{Fn|12a}}
Additionally, a Chapter contains a civilian workforce of human serfs and servitors.{{Fn|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.{{Fn|12a}}
* [[Dreadnought]]s: 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.{{Fn|13a}}
* [[Rhino]]s: Rhinos are the mainstay of every single Chapter's vehicle-pool as an armoured troop-carrier. Each is capable of transporting 10 Space Marines.{{Fn|1e}} Due to its nature as an [[STC]]-design, Rhinos are fairly easy to build and repair.{{Fn|13b}}
* [[Bike]]s: 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 [[Rhino]]s or [[Razorback]]s.{{Fn|1f}}
* [[Land Speeder]]s: A typical Chapter fields about 50 to 70 Land Speeders. Though, some Chapters, like the [[Dark Angels]], the [[White Scars]] and the [[Successor-Chapter]]s of the White Scars, field several times that number. As a counter-example, the [[Imperial Castilians]] field none.{{Fn|13c}}
* [[Predator]]s: 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.{{Fn|13b}}
* [[Whirlwind]]s: A Chapter typically fields 20 to 30 Whirlwinds, although this varies greatly from Chapter to Chapter.{{Fn|12b}}
* [[Vindicator]]s: A Chapter typically fields about 12 Vindicators.{{Fn|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.{{Fn|13b}}
* [[Land Raider]]s: Due to its nature as an [[STC]]-design, every Space Marine Chapter is capable of producing the components for building Land Raiders.{{Fn|12d}} As an example for their numbers, the [[Red Scorpions]] had 12 Land Raiders by the time of the [[Siege of Helios]].{{Fn|12e}}
===Size of 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.{{Fn|14a}}
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.{{Fn|15a}}
Most Chapters define their ships via their usage, not by class or model.{{Fn|14a}}
* [[Battle Barge]]s: Battle-Barges are the largest ships in Space Marine Fleets.{{Fn|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.{{Fn|14a}} Most Chapters have 2 or 3 Battle-Barges, with only few having more.{{Fn|12a}}{{Fn|14a}} They can carry 3 Companies of Space Marines, plus vehicles and supplies, and have many launch bays for deploying [[Drop Pod]]s, [[Thunderhawk]]s and [[Torpedo|boarding-torpedos]].{{Fn|12a}}
* [[Strike Cruiser]]s: 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.{{Fn|14a}} They also carry the vehicles assigned to a Company.{{Fn|15b}}
* [[Escort]]s: 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.{{Fn|14a}}
Some Chapters, in particular fleet-based Chapters, employ additional types of support-vessels, such as scout-ships, [[Forge-ship]]s, [[Chapter Barque]]s 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.{{Fn|14a}} As for Forge-Ships, for example an [[Ark-class]] [[Forge-ship]] produces Space Marine [[Power Armour]] and Space Marine infantry weaponry.{{Fn|16}}
''see also: [[Space Marine Fleet]]''
==Types of Chapters==
==Sources==
*{{Endn|1}}: [[Codex: Space Marines (5th Edition)]], **{{Endn|1a}}: pgs. 13-14**{{Endn|1b}}: pgs. 16-17**{{Endn|1c}}: pg. 55**{{Endn|1d}}: pg. 58**{{Endn|1e}}: pg. 76**{{Endn|1f}}: pg. 68
*2: [[Know No Fear (Novel)]]
**{{Endn|2a}}: ''Dramatis Personae''
*{{Endn|10}}: [[First Founding (Background Book)]], pg. 15-18
*{{Endn|11}}: [[Codex: Space Marines (8th Edition)]], pg. 9
*{{Endn|12}}: [[Imperial Armour Volume Two - Space Marines and Forces of the Inquisition]]
**{{Endn|12a}}: pgs. 9-10
**{{Endn|12b}}: pg. 58
**{{Endn|12c}}: pg. 68
**{{Endn|12d}}: pg. 84
**{{Endn|12e}}: pg. 105
*{{Endn|13}}: [[Imperial Armour Volume Ten - The Badab War - Part Two]]
**{{Endn|13a}}: pg. 147
**{{Endn|13b}}: pg. 160-161
**{{Endn|13c}}: pg. 157
*{{Endn|14}}: [[Imperial Armour Volume Nine - The Badab War - Part One]]
**{{Endn|14a}}. pg. 23
*{{Endn|15}}: [[Battlefleet Gothic: Armada]]
**{{Endn|15a}}: pg. 20
**{{Endn|15b}}: pg. 23
*{{Endn|16}}: [[Salamander (Novel)]], ch.3, parts 1&2
===Uncited===
