Spartiate Marines

This Ultramarine succesor Chapter is the designated offensive force paired with those defensive experts the Gatekeepers  as one of the five Hell Warder Chapters who hold the dual Hellgates of Sector Occident Prime secure against the assaults of Chaos.

Founding
The Spartiate Marines were created during the Fourth Founding along with fellow Ultramarine successors he Sons of Gulliman and the Howling Griffins. Their original homeworld was Laconia in the Aliris Sector and they were counted as one of the Praeses Astartes.

First Hell Crusade (110-199.M36)
Hearing of the eruption of a warp rift in the Segmentum Solar itself the then Polemarch of the Spartiate Marines led his First, Second and Third companies along with a regiment of Laconian Guards to the support of the beleagured sector. Arriving in the theatre of operations Polemarch, Leonidas Gorgo, found many of the planet names uncannily familiar especially 'Thermopylae' a name out of the Laconians most ancient legends. It was instantly clear to him that this was where he should establish his blocking force. He was, of course, well aware of what had happened to those ancient Laconians at Thermopylae but his aim was to buy time, with all their lives if necessary.

Current state of the Chapter
Like many Ultramarnine successor Chapters the Spartiates control more planets than their monastery world of Sparta. There is the Shrine world of Amyclae in the same system as Sparta; the agri-worlds of Helos and Thespis; and warblasted Thermopylae fortified as a forward launch base.

Organization
The Spartiates are generally speaking Codex compliant but with some very interesting twists:

The Polemarch
Or 'First In War'  is the title of the Chapter Master of the Spartiates. He is the battlefield leader of Chapter, ordering deployments and tactics as his judgement requires and the battle develops.

The Strategos
Is second to the Polemarch. As his title suggests he is a practical theorist in the art of war. It is the Strategos who studies the big picture and draws up the plans for a battle or a campaign which he then hands over to the Polemarch for implementation. In the field the role of the Strategos is to analyze military intelligence and advise the Polemarch.

The Arch-Captains
Act as councilors to the Polemarch and the Strategos. They command elements of the Chapter combining two or more companies and fill the duties that in other chapters fall to the Company Captains. They include:

The Master of the Assault: This Arch-Captain commands the Assault formation when squads are deployed from multiple companies to act as a unit in the field. He also oversees the training of the Chapter's Assault marines.

The Master of the Drill: Spartiate tactics depend on precision in deployment, maintaining that precision through regular drill and directing the marines in the field is the job of this Arch-Captain

The Master of the Arsenal: As his title suggests this Arch-Captain in is charge of the heavy weapons and relic weapons used by Devastator marines. He also leads formations of said marines when so required by the mission.

The Master of the Law: This Arch-Captain holds in his memory the martial customs and traditions of the Chapter. It is his duty to remind the marines of the ancient laws of war that bind them and the high deeds of their predecessors that they must live up to. His presence on the field raises the hearts and courage of the marines to almost miraculous levels. The Master of the Law must be a veteran marine of heroic strength and unstained honor.

The Master of Recruits: The Arch-Captain who oversees the testing of aspirants and the training of neophytes.

The Banner Guard
Is the elite of the Spartiate Marines. They are the guardians of its standard - and its honor. So high is the level of excellence demanded of these ultimate warriors that though every neophyte dreams of joining them few truly believe that they ever will - and many who have been appointed to the Guard feel so unworthy of the honor that they have to be commanded to accept.

Companies
The Spartiate Marines are divided into the usual ten commanded by ten Captains. All ten companies are full combat formations, there is no Scout company, instead 'passed' neophytes are assigned as equerries to a Battle-Brother. They wear carapace armor and fight beside their mentors, who bear the further burden of setting a worthy example to the youngster.

Specialists
The Spartiate's Techmarines are headed by the Master Armourer. They have also the usual Librarium, Apothecarium and Reclusium. But in addtion to these they have the Strategion made up of Marines who act as planners and intelligence analysts and whose relationship with the Captains echoes that of the Polemarch and Strategos. And the Crypteion; specialists in covert warfare trained as scouts, spies and assassins.

Weapons and Tactics
The Spartiate Marines operate as heavy infantry bringing shock battle to their opponents in tightly massed formations. In a  typical demi-company battle square the first line will consist of assault marines armed with storm-shields locked in a solid wall which smashes into the opponent's lines like hammer with the weight of the successive lines behind it. Even solid fortifications frequently melt under this impact. The files behind the assault marines exploit and widen the initial breech deploying in a wide variety of lines and formations as commanded by the Company Captain or the Master of Drill. Sometimes a heavy weapons barrage will take the place of a shield wall assault depending on the strategic situation and assets available.

A squad of Cryptoi is attached to each Company. It is their job to gather intelligence on the enemy and to sow confusion and fear by assassination and sabotage.

Spartiate Marines are normally supported by Spartiate Guard regiments or Battle-Sisters of the Chalcedony Spear both of whom favor similar tactics. Thespian Artillery and Tank regiments and  the Helotian light infantry also regularly take the field alongside the Spartiate Marines along with Danaoi Rough Riders who serve as scouts and skirmishers.

Recruitment and Training
The Spartiate Marines recruit from the Agoge, the state academy that trains young Spartiates to become soldiers. A Battle-Brother is delegated to observe the twelve year old boys undergoing the trials before promotion from day student to boarder. These consist of a mock battle as a trial of skill; a ten day survival test; and finally the (in)famous test of endurance. The Battle-Brother will most likely chose one or two boys to become aspirants. Other boys ambitious to join the Chapter can demand the test of battle; one on one with the Marine. They are not, of course, expected to win. It is their aggression, their determination and spirit that is being judged.

Chapter Culture
Though both they and their birth families reside in the Monastery-Fortress of the Meneleion, Spartiate Marines remain tied to their native townships and blood lineages through their wives and children. Spartiates are extremely eugenically minded meaning they are not about to allow their finest men not to contribute to the greater gene-pool. They prevent this eventuality by extracting the Aspirants' testes as the first stage of their transformation into Space Marines. Spartiate Matrons who have produced notably superior children are chosen to become the Wife of a Space Marine (in addition to her present husband) and arificially inseminated with her new spouse's offspring. She recieves separate maintenance for these children - including a second house for their accomodation neighboring her original home - and is expected to keep the finances of her two families distinct.

Unlike normal Spartiate Husbands Marines never live with their wives but they are not only permitted but expected to visit their households on certain holy days and festivals and take a paternal interest in their offspring.