Guide:How to make a fanon Space Marine Chapter

Okay, we all love to make up our own Chapters, and we want to make them the biggest, most badass ass-kickers this side of the Golden Throne. Fact is, a lot of people need a little help keeping it canon-friendly (a good few of us did). So that's what this is for: just a few tips to help make a canon-friendly Chapter; please feel free to add to or edit this if you see anything missing.

Note: much of the text here has been copied from Lexicanum under the Fair Use doctrine.

Before anything else, make sure you have read the rules of this wiki, including the canon policy which gives you insight about what you can and can not write about.

When creating your chapter's page, please use the Space Marine Chapter Infobox to keep things in order.

Before You Start
As anyone who has ever decided to create their own Chapter knows, the hardest part is coming up with something original, insightful, with excellent characterization and something that hasn't been done already a million times before. Listed below are some tips of what to do and not to do, when creating a canon-friendly Space Marine Chapter, and hopefully help you to avoid the pitfalls and cliches that often plague many fanon-based Chapters.

There are a lot of Chapters already on this Wiki, so look around, there may already be a Chapter like the one you want to make; no-one wants to be accused of Plagiarism.

To check different Chapters, here are the Space Marines categories that can be used as lists now:
 * Category:Space Marine Chapters

Before begin your undertaking, there are two primary rules that you always want to adhere to when creating your own Space Marine Chapter:

Originality
The most important aspect when creating a Space Marine Chapter is being original. There are many ways in which to draw inspiration; books, movies, a certain time period in history or even another culture (both fiction or non-fiction). Remember, you never want to copy another person's idea wholesale - try to add something unique or put some kind of twist on it. By being innovative, there is no telling what you might be able to come up with. The end result may end up surprising you and surpassing all your expectations! When in doubt, try, try and try again!

The Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes can display a high degree of variety, despite all using the same range of arms, armour and equipment. In many cases the differences are largely superficial, especially in the case of Chapter heraldry. The most divergent of Chapters are often those that draw heavily on the culture of the world or worlds they recruit from, inheriting a broad range of highly idiosyncratic traditions and practices. Given that the Imperium's peoples range from barbaric primitives living in huts made from the skin and bones of their defeated enemies, to effete nobles existing in undreamed-of luxury high atop glittering hive spires, this variation is perhaps inevitable.

Criticism & Revisions
Another important thing to remember is that when you create your own Space Marine Chapter, expect feedback. After all, this is a wiki that is full of those who love this hobby, and by sharing your unique take and vision on what a Space Marine Chapter could be, your able to share your ideas and unique vision with other users who might be struggling to come up with something of their own. By sharing your work, you will receive many different viewpoints and constructive critiques that will help you fine-tune your overall vision for your Chapter. It's entirely up to you what you take away from the advice offered by other users, but remember, it doesn't hurt to be willing to at least consider some of the ideas generated by the community.

Most users are just trying to help by providing feedback, but by the same token, it should be expected that anyone who does provide such feedback, to make an effort to provide constructive criticism rather than simply dismissing an author's idea out-of-hand or labeling their ideas as being poorly conceived or worthless. We all understand that your Fanon Space Marine Chapter is precious to you, and no one likes to receive negative feedback. But remember, we've all been in the same situation. It's important to ensure that you don't get stuck on an idea that has stagnated long after its potential has faded.

There's nothing wrong with taking a step back, or even going back to the drawing board, and abandoning the original idea for something better. This time away can help you gain perspective while you think things over and eventually you can come back at a later date. You can always use your original idea for a future Fanon Space Marine Chapter article. A well-written Chapter tends to grow as you write, taking on a life all it's own, so don't be afraid to let it happen.

Co-op Chapters
Co-operative Chapters, like the Ordo Angelus are Open Groups, Space Marine Chapters that anyone can write for: check out the category for more.

Writing for a Co-op Chapter can give you valuable experience writing in the universe of WH40K, in dealing with Space Marines, and lets you write with an established Chapter with connections in the fanon.

Saving the Universe
We all want to save the universe, and we all want our Chapters' names to ring across the Imperium. But there are more than enough heroic deeds to go around, inflating them beyond the practical just comes off as tacky. Driving away a Tyranid Splinter Fleet is heroic enough, destroying an entire hive fleet single-handedly just looks supercilious.

What is a Chapter?
"They shall be pure of heart and strong of body, untainted by doubt and unsullied by vainglory. They will be bright stars in the firmament of battle. Angels of Death whose shining wings bring swift annihilation to the enemies of Man. So shall it be for a thousand times a thousand years, unto the very end of eternity and the extinction of mortal flesh."

- Roboute Guilliman, Primarch of the Ultramarines

A Space Marine Chapter is a self-contained army. It is usually made of up to a thousand superhuman warriors known as Space Marines or Astartes, as well as their related vehicles, starships and a large number of administrative and functionary personnel. Each Chapter serves collectively with nearly 1,000 other Chapters of the Imperium of Man's Adeptus Astartes.

Each Chapter is an independent army, with its own leadership, support and administrative staff, reliant only on its own Chapter members and its own resources. Entirely autonomous from every other Adepta of the Imperium, including the Inquisition, these Chapters take their orders only from the ruling High Lords of Terra. Each Chapter also maintains its own traditions, specialities, its own cult, beliefs and practices.

Most Chapters have feudal title to an entire planet of the Imperium which serves as its Chapter homeworld or to a large fleet of powerful and massive starships that serves as a mobile headquarters if the Chapter is fleet-based.

Codex and Non-Codex Chapters
The Codex Astartes is the template on which the vast majority of Chapters are based. A 'Codex Chapter' which closely (if not completely) follows the doctrines of the Codex Astartes, is led by a Chapter Master and made up of ten companies, each consisting of up to one hundred Marines and commanded by an officer with the rank of Captain. 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 may be specialized assault or support companies, possessing larger proportions of Assault or Devastator squads. The tenth company is a Scout force, made up of aspiring Space Marines not yet proven in battle. Chapters such as the Black Consuls, Genesis Chapter, Hammers of Dorn, Novamarines, and the Red Scorpions are strong examples of those Chapters that vehemently follow the dictates of Guilliman's treatise to the letter.

Many Chapters, however, do not adhere so rigidly to the Codex patterns laid down for the organisation or other processes. These Chapters, known as "Non-Codex Compliant" or "Non-Codex" Chapters, are further shaped by their home worlds or the personality of their Primarch, while still maintaining Codex-compliant in other ways. For examples, Chapters such as the Blood Angels, Dark Angels, Space Wolves and White Scars, utilise different organisational structures, idiosyncratic terminology, specialised ranks, as well as maintaining long-ingrained traditions of their own individual cultures.

It has never been decreed necessary by the Adeptus Terra to enforce the tenets of the Codex absolutely, as it is highly doubtful that it ever could be done. However, with subsequent Foundings, the High Lords of Terra have always favored the Ultramarines' gene-seed and created many new Codex Chapters from their proud lineage. With the passage of time, some of these Chapters have subsequently strayed from the strict letter of the Codex, introducing new variations but remaining broadly faithful to the principles laid down by Roboute Guilliman nearly ten millennia earlier.

There is no reason why you cannot make a non-Codex Chapter, but the Codex is the baseline: start with a Codex Chapter, and then implement the changes you want to make. You should work out exactly why the Chapter made those changes in the first place: it could be because your Chapter encounters some unique battle conditions, or suffered such heavy losses they needed to change a lot simply to survive.

In general, no Chapter diverges from the Codex Astartes without a strong reason to do so.

Size
The reason to divide the Space Marine Legions to Chapters after the Horus Heresy, was to prevent any man from commanding so many warriors again: 1,000 is the limit. There are exceptions, but those are extremely rare. You should not try to make a chapter with over 1,000 battle-brothers without very good reason.

Really the only reason why a Chapter would be permitted to be big is because people don't know. For example the Black Templars who are suspected to number over 6,000 battle-brothers are a fleet-based Crusader Chapter and therefore are very difficult to keep track of. That would make them nearly as large as some of the original First Founding Space Marine Legions after the terrible losses of the Horus Heresy, and means that the Black Templars are one of only three Chapters of Astartes (the others being the Space Wolves and the Grey Knights) thought to violate the 1,000 Space Marines to a Chapter limitation as proscribed by the Codex Astartes.

Chapter Heroes
"Honour thy father, for they watch over you even now."

- Scout Sergeant Kharok of the Subjugators Chapter

Every Chapter has its founding fathers — the heroes that wrote the opening passages of its glorious history. These might be warriors seconded from another Chapter, perhaps even a First Founding Progenitor, or they might be the fi rst true sons of the Chapter itself. In addition to the question of who these warriors were is the question of why are they so venerated? Did they defeat a particular foe, did their deeds grant the Chapter its name, livery or home world? All of these possibilities provide the bedrock of the Chapter's legends, which a writer can draw on when it comes to writing about their own Fanon Space Marine Chapter. Below is a chart that shows the most common figures of legend. First off, determine who the single greatest hero of the Chapter is, then determine secondary figures (such as the hero's companions and peers, or later heroes):
 * Battle-Brother - A Battle-Brother seconded from a previous generation Successor or even the First Founding Legion that provided the new Chapter's gene-seed.
 * Chapter Master
 * Chief Librarian
 * Master of Sanctity
 * Master of the Forge
 * Master of the Fleet
 * Chief Apothecary
 * Company Captain
 * Squad Sergeant
 * A specialist of your choice - You can determine this figure of legend by selecting a Librarian, a Chaplain, Techmarine, driver, pilot, ect.

"...For his wrath exceeds that of the Emperor Himself. Indeed, my character here should be the next Emperor!"

- NO!!!

Who are your Chapter's heroes? What names ring forth like a trumpet call to call your Marines onward when all seems lost? Your Chapter's characters may be the epitome of perfection (as the Chapter sees it) or they could be rogues and scoundrels, barely-tolerated outcasts.

Whatever you do, please do not describe your characters with phrases like 'almost as mighty as a Primarch' or 'Nigh Invincible'. Okay, they're really tough, we get that; they're Space Marines. Belaboring the point will only make them look like posers.

Deeds of Legend
Next, you should determine why this figure of legend is venerated by your Chapter. Below is a list of some of the most common deeds of legend accomplished by your Chapter's most venerated heroes:
 * Bane of Orks - The figure is remembered as the bane of the Orks, to such an extent that his name is known to the vile greenskins even to this day.
 * Foe of Chaos - The individual was a stalwart enemy of the servants of Chaos, and slew a Daemon Prince.
 * Saviour - The hero led a glorious campaign against a rebel army, defeating the foe and bringing an entire sector back into the light of the Emperor.
 * Bane of the Eldar - The figure led an action against an Eldar craftworld, boarding it and inflicting grievous casualties before withdrawing. He and his Chapter are especially hated by the pernicious Eldar, for whom the event is still fresh and raw.
 * Missing Legend - The hero was lost to his Chapter in a warp accident, yet his descendants have cause to believe he lives still and may one day return to them in glory.
 * First to Strike - The hero was the first to face some newly discovered alien race, and ultimately responsible for its total destruction. Centuries later, only the Chapter remembers the name of the race, so utterly was it and its works cast down.
 * Conqueror of Foes - The hero led his Chapter in many glorious campaigns, slaying hundreds of the enemy's greatest champions. In the end, he was brought down by treachery within the fold of the Imperium, slain by an assassin's turbo-penetrator round on the field of battle. Just why he was targeted was never discovered, and the Chapter harbours a special hatred for the servants of the Officio Assassinorum to this day.

Gene-Seed
"Even he who dies, lives, in the blood of his brothers and the deeds of the Chapter."

- Chief Apothecary Sol Konna of the Star Dragons

Perhaps the single most important consideration in creating your own Chapter is the source of its gene-stock, and how "pure" the Chapter's inheritance is. Even a Chapter created using the gene-seed of a Progenitor as pure as the Ultramarines may have developed deficiencies in its genetic inheritance, with some zygotes becoming irreparably unstable over the generations.

Gene-Stock Purity
Having determined which Fist Founding Legion provided the basis of the new Chapter's gene-stock, then one has to determine the gene-stock's purity. For example, a battle-brother from a Chapter created using the genetic inheritance of the Ultramarines, would more than likely be a Codex-oriented, and have the same demeanour and traditions as their Progenitors. However, not all Successors follow their Progenitor's traditions or share all of its genetic inheritance. While some Chapters are created using the "pure" gene-seed of the Progenitors, others are created using later generation Successors of the same Legion. Thus, a Chapter of the Twenty-Sixth Founding could actually have a "purer" genetic inheritance than one of the Sixth, for example, depending on which Progenitor or Successor provided the gene-stock. In writing terms, this is relevant because players may want to know how closely the new Chapter resembles its Progenitor. Below are four most common gene-stock purity types:
 * Pure - The new Chapter is a direct descendant of its Progenitor. It is likely to maintain close contact with its Progenitor and many brother Successors, and follows the traditions of its peers closely. Characters drawn from such Chapters follow all of the rules for those of their Progenitor
 * A New Generation - Attempts have been made to "breed out" real or perceived flaws in the Progenitor’s gene-stock, introducing some divergence. Such Chapters often go on to define their own traditions and write their own histories, looking forward to the future more than back to the past. Some links may be maintained with the Progenitor Chapter, but it is just as likely that the new Chapter strikes out entirely on its own. Battle-brothers from this Chapter follow all the same rules for those drawn from its Progenitor, but are not tied to the Progenitor's Chapter deameanour.
 * Altered Stock ("Chimeric") - For whatever reason, the Chapter’s gene-seed has subtly altered, causing some zygotes to become deficient. While some links are maintained with the Progenitor, the Battle-Brothers of the Chapter may be shunned, for they appear subtly different to their brethren. Battle-brotherss drawn from this Chapter follow the normal rules for the Progenitor, but often possess gene-seed deficiencies.
 * Flawed - A major flaw has been introduced, marking the Chapter apart from its brother Successors. Chapters suffering some kind of flaw are often forced to forge their own destiny, either embracing their fate or raging against it. Some go on to earn glory despite their flaw, while others are consumed by it, burning brightly, if all too briefly.

Gene-Seed Deficiencies
Even the most noble of Chapters with the most glorious of histories can suffer instabilities in their gene-seed. In some cases the gene-stock is of such antiquity that it is inevitable that some small degree of mutation has crept in over the millennia. In others, mutations come about as an unanticipated side effect of an attempt to rectify another issue. Thus, any Chapter, from the First Founding from the Twenty-Sixth, can exhibit deficiencies in its gene-seed. The Imperial Fists for example lack the Betcher's gland and sus-an membrane zygotes, their gene-stock having becoming unstable, and this trait has been inherited by many of their Successors, including the Black Templars. The zygote of the Salamanders Chapter has reacted with the radiation in which their home world is bathed in such a way that their eyes burn a deep red and their skin is almost jet-black, lending them a fearsome appearance yet imparting no specific deficiencies.

Chapters drawn from the gene-stock of the Ultramarines are very unlikely to exhibit any deficiencies in their gene-seed, for their Progenitor's stock is amongst the purest in existence. That is not to say that such issues may have crept in to an Ultramarines Successor's zygotes, however, possibly due to external factors such as damage caused by exposure to mutating environments, failed genetic manipulation or even xenos influence.

Below, is listed the most common gene-seed deficiencies found within most Adeptus Astartes Chapters:


 * Hyper-stimulated Omophagea - Having tasted the flesh of the foe once, the Chapter's Battle-Brothers develop an addiction to the processes allowed by the Omophagea.
 * Oversensitive Occulobe - The organ that allows the Space Marines to see in low light conditions has become overly sensitised, working exceptionally well in the dark but suffering in full light conditions. The character can see in total dark as if it were merely low light, and low light as if it were full light. However, should he remove his helmet in full light conditions he will suffer.
 * Mutated Catalepsean Node - The implant that allows the Battle-Brother to enter a half-sleep in which he can remain alert for danger has become dangerously mutated. The Space Marine is unable to sleep normally, and stays awake for days, even weeks on end without effect. However, when sleep does come, sometimes with little or no warning, it is wont to last for many days on end.
 * Oolitic Secretions - The Chapter's oolitic kidney function is unbalanced in such a way that the Battle-Brother's skin is turned an unusual colour due to its secretions. The Carcharodons (for example) have grey skin, while the Salamanders' is the colour of volcanic rock. A whole range of other colours is possible, and the more extreme might be viewed by some as a seriously disturbing mutation.
 * Disturbing Voice - Due to a malfunction in or related to the function of the Betcher's gland, the Chapter’s brethren exhibit unusual vocal characteristics. Some cannot speak above a sibilant whisper for example, while others have deep, booming voices or speak with an otherworldly cant. Allies might find the effect disturbing, while enemies are likely to find it truly terrifying.
 * Lost Zygote - One of the Chapter's zygotes has entirely ceased to function. The benefits of this Implant no longer apply. (See Limited or Missing Zygotes below)
 * Doomed - A Chapter that loses the ability to replicate either the Black Carapace or Progenoid zygotes is ultimately doomed. Without the former the future generations of Space Marines will not be able to interface with their power armour, and without the latter there will be no future generations at all. Battle-Brothers with this mutation are unaffected themselves, but know that unless their Chapter's Apothecaries can affect a cure, they are the very last of their line.
 * Multiple Instabilities - Some Chapters will have the dual misfortune of possessing one or more of these gene-seed deficiencies. It is up to the individual writer to determine which instabilities their Chapter possesses.

Chapter Flaws
Some Chapters are afflicted by a flaw that transcends mere zygote mutation and comes to totally define them. Sometimes the flaw is linked to a nigh-catastrophic genetic malfunction, but just as often it is tied to the essential nature of the Progenitor’s Primarch, the stock from which they recruit or to some other, inexplicable factor. Many such flaws are two-edged swords, providing unheard of benefits balanced against terrible drawbacks. The Blood Angels suffer such a fate, for their own flaw is at once the source of their nobility and drive for perfection in all things, and the curse that forces them to relive the dying moments of their beloved Primarch in the heat of battle.

Below are listed the most common types of Chapter Flaws:
 * We Stand Alone - For a variety of potential reasons, the Chapter’s Battle-Brothers are either distrusted by other Imperial forces, or they themselves shun contact with others.
 * Pride in the Colours - While all Chapters take great pride in their badge and livery, some take this pride to such an extreme that they regard anything that hides them as a form of cowardice. They wear their colours proudly and make use of back banners the better to announce their presence on the field of battle. The Red Scorpions are one such Chapter that take extreme pride in their Chapter's colours.
 * Faith in Suspicion - There are some Chapters that hold many other arms of the Imperium in great contempt, whether sanctioned psykers, bureaucrats, officers of the Ecclesiarchy or even the Inquisition. Perhaps there has been strife between the groups, or else the Chapter simply holds itself in such high esteem that all others are deserving only of contempt - or perhaps they genuinely have something to hide. The Black Templars Chapters are notoriously intolerant of psykers and those who employ them, often refusing to fight alongside such forces that utilise them. The Space Wolves are another example, as they posses an extreme mistrust of the Inquisition, due to their actions following the First War of Armageddon.
 * Eye to Eye - The Chapter sees no honour in any other form of combat than man to man, eye to eye. It eschews many other aspects of war, and always seeks to deliver the killing blow in person, at the very speartip of battle. Battle-Brothers from the Chapter are temperamentally or doctrinally ill-disposed towards other tactics, and are often overcome with the desire to witness in person the death of their foes. Some indulge in gristly rituals to prove their measure in close combat such as the taking of heads or ripping out the foe's still-beating heart before his very eyes. The notoriously violent Flesh Tearers are one such Chapter.
 * Chapter Cult - Every Chapter venerates the Emperor, its Progenitor's Primarch and its own heroes according to its own traditions, some of which are wildly at odds with the tenets of the Imperial Creed. This particular Chapter has developed ritual practices so extreme or exotic that even fellow Space Marines baulk at the site of them. Such practices range from gristly sanguinary rites to dark victory celebrations, and are perhaps best left to the imagination of the writer.

Limited or Missing Zygotes
Whenever a Successor Chapter is created, the gene-seed is not always transferred over in a pure form. Occasionally some of the Space Marine's implants have either limited or no function. The chart below provides a random list of implants that do not function for the newly created Chapter:
 * Catalepsean Node
 * Preomnor
 * Omophagea
 * Occulobe
 * Lyman's Ear
 * Sus-an Membrane
 * Oolitic Kidney
 * Neuroglottis
 * Mucranoid
 * Betcher's Gland
 * Melanchromic Organ

Fortress-Monastery
The Fortress-monastery is an enormous fortress where the Chapter has its headquarters. Chapters are highly monastic as well as military organizations, their fighting members are all warrior-monks, their fortress-monasteries devoted both to battle and worship.

Fortress-monasteries are usually based on Imperial worlds, which the Chapter Master is sometimes also the planetary governor of. In other cases the Chapter Master will make a deal with the existing planetary governor, paying a tithe in return for the land they occupy. Deserted moons or asteroids are also possible locations of a Fortress-Monastery. In the case of fleet-based chapters the chapter's flagship serves as a mobile fortress-monastery. The locations of some chapter planets are hidden while others are well-known.

When making your Chapter, you should also write out some details about the Fortress-Monastery; it's very important in the lives of the Chapter.

Also Chapters may be given solar systems to control or look after and may have a dozen planets or so to look after, usually this is an honour given in gratitude or because that Chapter has a specific role to play in a certain part of the Galaxy. A reason for your chapter controlling any worlds beyond their home world must be provided, these worlds can also include chapter recruitment worlds which often tend to be feral worlds which the Imperium has little interest in.

Chapter Organisation
"As it is written in the Codex, so shall it be."

- Marneus Calgar, Chapter Master of the Ultramarines Chapter

The vast majority of Space Marine Chapters are descended from the Ultramarines, and as such adhere to the dictates of the Codex Astartes. The Ultramarines themselves follow the codex to the letter, and this is true of other Ultramarines Successors who strive to follow their example. Other Chapters adapt the teachings of Guiliman according to their own genetic or cultural heritage, and while they may stray from it in some areas, generally follow the teaching in the codex. Finally, there are a small number of Chapters whose organisation and methods bears little resemblance to those prescribed in the Codex Astartes.

Codex Chapter
A Codex Chapter follows the Codex Astartes almost to the letter, utilising the organisation, tactics, uniform details and a thousand other subjects described within. The Codex offers a lot of leeway on many subjects, offering not a single solution to a given problem, but many potential courses of action. As such, even Chapters that regard themselves as the most dedicated followers of Guilliman's wisdom may favour one approach over another. Sometimes disagreements arise between strict Codex Chapters. Space Marines adhering closely to the Codex Astartes are gifted of a supreme self-confidence, secure in the knowledge that they are exemplars of the very best qualities espoused by the Adeptus Astartes. On occasion, they can become closed-minded or overly judgemental of those who do not think as they do. Chapters such as the Black Consuls, Genesis Chapter, Hammers of Dorn, Novamarines, and the Red Scorpions are strong examples of those Chapters that vehemently follow the dictates of Guilliman's treatise to the letter.

Divergent Chapter
A divergent Chapter is one that strays from the Codex Astartes, but not by a huge degree. Such deviation includes the fielding of specialised formations, such as the Dark Angels' uniquely specialised 1st and 2nd Companies, and such Chapters normally follow the Codex in other areas. Some Chapters field a proportion of specialised units that differs from that favoured in the Codex, such as favouring Assault Squads over Tactical Squads, and some even field more than the prescribed ten companies. Battle-Brothers from such a Chapter are generally more intellectually flexible those from a strict Codex tradition, but may not be able to inspire the same confidence that a close adherent might. Chapters such as the Blood Angels, Dark Angels, Space Wolves and White Scars utilise different organisational structures, idiosyncratic terminology, specialised ranks, as well as maintaining long-ingrained traditions of their own individual cultures.

It has never been decreed necessary by the Adeptus Terra to enforce the tenets of the Codex absolutely, as it is highly doubtful that it ever could be done. However, with subsequent Foundings, the High Lords of Terra have always favored the Ultramarines' gene-seed and created many new Codex Chapters from their proud lineage. With the passage of time, some of these Chapters have subsequently strayed from the strict letter of the Codex, introducing new variations but remaining broadly faithful to the principles laid down by Roboute Guilliman nearly ten millennia earlier.

Unique Organisation
Only a very small number of Chapters can be described as truly unique, and even they share many qualities with plenty of other Chapters. In many cases, the Chapter is of the First Founding, or a Successor of such a Chapter, and it never truly integrated the teachings of its own Primarch with those of Roboute Guiliman. Some Chapters deviate in character as much as organisation and tactics, such as the savage yet gregarious Space Wolves, while others break some fundamental principle of the Codex, such as the Black Templars, whose total numbers are thought to greatly exceed the 1,000 stipulated by Guiliman. Battle-Brothers drawn from these Chapters are often just as inflexible in their ways as a strict adherent to the Codex, and excel in one particular field. The Black Templars, for example, excel at close combat at the expense of long-range capacity. The Space Wolves are hungry for battle, yet sometimes overextend themselves and bite off more than they can chew.

Chapter Recruitment
"Your future life shall be a series of trials, one after the other, until you attain the glory that is your due at the side of the Emperor. You shall face the hardest first, so that we know we are not wasting our time."

- Chaplain Sighelm of the Celestial Lions

Planet-based Chapters recruit primarily from their homeworld, while fleet-based Chapters may recruit haphazardly from the worlds they stop at, or may have a regular 'route' of worlds they recruit from.

Feral and Hive worlds are the most popular grounds from which chapters draw their recruits from, primarily due to a hard life style or warrior traditions of the inhabitants of those worlds. Some chapters like the Ultramarines may also base their recruits on bloodlines for example Uriel Ventris was permitted to be tested to join the Ultramarines because he was related to a decorated Sergeant of the 1st Company who died during the Tyranid assault on Macragge.

Rites of Selection
This section describes the many and varied trials that Aspirants are expected to overcome before being accepted into the ranks of a Chapter's Neophytes. Though he will undergo continuous testing throughout his period as a Neophyte, and often beyond, the first trial the Aspirant must pass to be accepted as a potential Space Marine is by far the most significant.

Every Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes uses some form of Trial to ascertain whether Aspirants are worthy of beginning the often-fatal process of becoming fully-fledged Battle-Brothers. The nature of this Trial varies hugely from Chapter to Chapter and world to world.

At the Trial's completion, a successful Aspirant will be taken away to join the Chapter. Sometimes he will find a Space Marine waiting for him at the conclusion of his challenge, and be led into a waiting transport to leave his former life forever. Sometimes he will be afforded the adulation of his people before leaving, enjoying one last night with kith and kin. Many simply awaken in an induction-cell, with no knowledge of how they got there or what awaits them.

Blood Duel
One of the most common Trials takes the form of a duel between Aspirants, often to the death. The type of duel varies enormously, and every culture from which the Space Marines recruit has its own well-established practices. Commonly, a Blood Duel Trial is fought in rounds, with Aspirants fighting foe after foe until only a small number remain. If the Chapter conducting the Trial has need of a large number of recruits, the Trial may be ended when a set number of Aspirants are left. When the Chapter has less need of new material, the Trials may continue until only one battered and bloody challenger remains, the corpses of his enemies carpeting the ground before him. Not all Blood Duels are to the death, and some have highly ritualistic and specific victory conditions.

Hunting the Hunter Trial
Many of the cultures from which the Astartes recruits exist in hellishly dangerous environments populated by all manner of predatory beings. In most cases, the predators in question are autochthonic beasts native to the world, but sometimes they have been deliberately introduced in order to retard the culture's development, ensuring that their every moment is a fight for survival and cultivating the most promising recruits possible. The hunt is a test of cunning and determination as much as raw martial prowess, often requiring the Aspirant to track his prey in its own territory. The hunt may last days, weeks or even longer according to the conditions of the Trial and the weapons the Aspirant can either find or fashion for himself. Taking the target alive is perhaps the hardest of Trials, for the Aspirant must keep the foe restrained on a return journey that might prove every bit as arduous as the hunt itself.

Survival of the Fittest
It is often said that in the dark future of the 41st Millennium there is only war. No world is untouched by bloodshed and death and for many human societies war is a permanent state of existence. Many of the worlds from which Space Marine Chapters recruit are not home to a single, unified society, but rather a host of small tribes constantly at war with one another. In such societies, Trials are all but unnecessary and instead of staging formal tests and challenges the Space Marines simply watch these wars from afar, witness the deeds of the greatest heroes and select the victors as Aspirants.

Hive worlds often fall into this category, especially the lawless underhives and the polluted ash wastes between the hive cities. Gangs of savage psychopaths battle one another ceaselessly for power and influence and the greatest of these gang leaders sometimes attract the attentions of the servants of the Chapter. In most cases, the Space Marines need to do little more than watch the wars, but in some instances they actively take a hand in fomenting conflict and strife. By limiting the technology levels of a society, curtailing its access to natural resources, infiltrating it with Chapter serfs who spread hate, lies and paranoia, and occasionally even introducing psychosis-inducing substances into the food chain, the Astartes can ensure there is no break in the constant state of warfare that produces the Chapter's next heroes.

The Space Wolves are best known for practicign this type of Trial, as their Wolf Priests watch from afar as entire tribes on their frigid homeworld of Fenris wipe one another out in bloody internecine wars. Many other Chapters use similar methods as well, including the Dark Angels and their Unforgiven Successor Chapters.

Exposure Trials
Few worlds of the Imperium of Man are free from adversity and these rare exceptions are either the holdings of wealthy mercantile combines or pleasure retreats for retired, high-level Imperial servants or the local sector nobility, entirely inaccessible to the vast bulk of Mankind. Most of the Emperor's subjects live on worlds that are dangerous in some manner. Long-settled planets are riven by pollution, the toxic waste of thousands of years of industry seeping into the very bedrock and raining from the skies in a constant downpour. Other worlds are heavily irradiated, by the processes of industry or by the effects of local celestial phenomena.

Younger worlds where Mankind's dominion is not yet fully established, are often host to all manner of hostile lifeforms, including predatory beasts, carnivorous plants and virulent microbes. Plenty of worlds feature environments that are inimical to life, yet due to some natural resource or the world's strategic value, humans eke out an existence there nonetheless. Such environments range from sub-zero ice wastes, impenetrable swamps and arid deserts to exotic death world jungles, methane sumps and hydrocarbon oceans. In an Exposure Trial, the Aspirant must go out into such an environment and simply survive for a set period of time.

Some Exposure Trials test the Aspirant's fortitude in a specific environment. Such Trials carried out in an icy waste could involve the Aspirant travelling from one point to another, with countless hundreds of kilometres of trackless snow-blasted plains separating the two. Other Aspirants might have to cross an entire continent of irradiated ash dunes, traverse an impassable mountain range, swim a predator-infested ocean or a hundred other such challenges. One particularly inventive variation of the Exposure Trial is one in which the Aspirant is taken from his own environment and transplanted into an entirely unfamiliar one. A Feral World savage might be deposited in a hive city, for example, or a Hive Worlder in a predator-infested Death World jungle.

Amongst other types of Trials, the Ultramarines make extensive use of the Exposure Trial. In fact, some of the warrior elite of the Realm of Ultramar are known to cast newborn infants into the wilderness in order to test their resilience. The Space Wolves use similar methods, as do many other Chapters.

Knowledge of Self Trials
Many Chapters consider the Aspirant's spiritual and mental capabilities every bit as important as his physical characteristics and impose Trials not of the body, but of the mind. There are hundreds--if not thousands--of ways in which a Chapter can test an Aspirant's inner strength. One method is a vision, imposed by way of psychic intrusion by one of the Chapter's Librarians. The Aspirant may be plunged into a trance-like state during which he is subjected to all manner of horrific visions or irresistible temptations. He faces creatures dredged up from his own nightmares and phantoms seeded in his mind by the Librarian, who presides over the Trial and judges the Aspirant's very soul. Some Trials are far cruder; the Aspirant is simply administered some powerful psychoactive concoction, often distilled from the venom of local predators or the sap of rare plants. Under the influence of such drugs, the Aspirant must face the very worst his own psyche can produce, terrors often far worse than a Librarian could implant. Many die under the sheer stress and trauma placed on their hearts during the process and those that survive will be utterly changed--physically as well as mentally.

Another common variation of this Trial is exposure to pain. There are myriad different ways in which pain can be applied, some primitive, others fiendishly inventive. Some torments leave the Aspirant scarred for life, though the scars are proudly borne as evidence of his mental strength. Others, such as the infamous Pain-Glove used by the Imperial Fists Chapter, leave no marks, interfacing directly with the Aspirant's nervous system and keeping his conscious long past the point he would otherwise have passed out. Though the Imperial Fists are the best known practitioners of this type of Trial, many other Chapters use it too, especially those that recruit from feral societies with strong shamanic tendencies. The Black Templars use similar methods but eschew the use of drugs or technology, instead requiring an Aspirant to fast or pray for days on end until a similar effect is achieved.

Challenge Trial
A Trial used by a smaller number of Chapters, the Challenge requires the Aspirant to fight a duel or compete in some other manner against a full Astartes. In truth, none expect the Aspirant to better a full Battle-Brother and his success is more often measured in the degree of his failure. Very occasionally, an Aspirant does manage to beat an Astartes and when this happens it is not uncommon for the individual to go on to become a legendary hero of the Chapter. Many Challenge Trials involve a test of martial skill, with the Aspirant fighting an armed duel against a Battle-Brother. It is usual for the Aspirant to be armed and the Astartes to fight with his bare hands and probably without his Power Armour, yet still the Aspirant has virtually no hope of victory. Most Challenge Duels end in the death of the Aspirant, for even an unarmed, unarmoured Astartes is a giant compared to the young, adolescent challenger and well able to slay him with a single blow, intentionally or not.

Other Challenge Trials involve contests of strength, stamina, speed, skill or mental strength. The Trial might range from the lifting of impossibly heavy loads to the imbibing of toxic substances. As with a duel, this type of Challenge Trial can often prove deadly. In both cases, however, an Aspirant that has failed the Trial -- yet performed to the Chapter's satisfaction -- is rescued from the jaws of death by the Chapter's Apothecaries and judged worthy of progressing to the rank of Neophyte. Several Chapters are known to make use of the Challenge Trial, including the Ultramarines, Imperial Fists, Storm Wardens and Iron Snakes.

Non-Astartes
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 hereditary serfs, Astropaths, Navigators, etc.

While we all have a tendency to focus on the actual ass-kicking Space Marines, no Chapter can function without these people: they tend the forges, repair the equipment, man the guns, transmit information, and protect the Chapter's home while the Marines are out kicking ass. They do not however form a regiment of their own that fights beside the Space Marines on all fronts.

Combat Doctrine
"And they shall be the Angels of Death."

- Codex Astartes

Every Chapter has a role they tend to fill in battle: deep penetration, pin-point assaults, jungle warfare, tunnel fighting, or they could be your simple everyday unstoppable super-soldiers. Keep in mind this section can be heavily related to their traditions and equipment.

How does your Chapter prefer to fight? Although the Adeptus Astartes are by definition the masters of every aspect of war, many Chapters come to favour one style of combat over others. Years of fighting against particular foes might hone an especially effective form to perfection, or the specialisation might be the result of the Chapter's essential character and the nature of its gene-seed. The Blood Angels excel in close combat, for example, where they focus the rage that is a result of the Flaw. The Codex Astartes teaches a balanced approach to war, and so any Chapter sired by the Ultramarines or their line is unlikely to pursue one form of combat doctrine at the expense of others, but there are a thousand Chapters and more, and no two are identical. Some possible combat doctrines are presented below. If your Chapter is an Ultramarines Successor it should follow the Codex Combat Doctrine, unless you have a strong reason for them not to and a good background idea to support it.

Codex Combat Doctrine
The Chapter follows the dictates of the Codex Astartes, fielding a balanced mix of Tactical, Assault and Devastator Squads, in addition to the prescribed compliment of support units. In the execution of battle plans, the Chapter's leaders remain flexible, and are willing and able to change approach at a moment's notice. Such Chapters may still deviate from the Codex in matters that do not relate directly to tactics and unit organisation.

Close Combat
The Chapter favours assault troops and tactics to win the battle. Such Chapters may appear superficially to follow the organisational doctrines of the Codex, yet focus on close combats when it comes to delivering victory, or they may actually field an increased proportion of Assault Squads over Tactical or Devastator Squads. Within this specialisation there exists some variety, which is usually derived from the nature of the Chapter's gene-seed. The Battle- Brothers of some Chapters are focused and relentless in close combat, while others are frenzied and nigh uncontrollable.

Ranged Combat
The opposite of the Close Combat doctrine, Chapters focusing on ranged combat prefer to gun their opponents down with overwhelming firepower. For some this is a matter of the controlled, almost scientific application of long-range fire, while others display a preternatural instinct for locating their foe's weak points and striking from afar. Those favouring such a doctrine might be further divided into those who prefer the close-in use of massed bolters and assault weapons, and those who specialize in longer-ranged heavy weapons. Some may field a larger proportion of Devastator squads, balancing these off against a reduced number of Assault Squads. Those favouring the close-in approach are likely to mount their battles in Rhino transports, dismounting when within bolter range in order to unleash a devastating fusillade of mass reactive death.

Armoured Assault
The greatest weapon of any Space Marine Chapter is its Battle-Brothers, and so ultimately, units such as armoured vehicles are always deployed in support of the Brethren. despite this, some Chapters field a higher proportion of armoured vehicles, and integrate them far more into their tactics than others. It is said that in the dark days of the Horus Heresy, the mighty Space Marine Legions were able to field entire companies of Predator battle tanks and other vehicles, yet since that time this has not been possible. If a Chapter's Master of Forge orders the production of such vehicles as Land Raiders in preference to other weapons, he may be able to mount an entire company, normally the 1st, in them, but they will invariably be acting as highly effective fighting vehicles and not as a tank company in their own right. Most Chapters maintain sufficient stocks of armoured transport vehicles such as Rhinos and Razorbacks to transport entire companies, and some have become masters of the mechanised assault, the Battle-Brothers taking objectives with terrifying speed or bearing down on an entrenched foe before he even has time to mount a defence.

Stealth
Very few Space Marine Chapters specialise in stealth tactics, for most are so proud of their identity and so feared by their foes that announcing their presence in advance is in effect a weapon in itself. Despite this, there are some Chapters that have honed the art of a stealthy approach followed by an overwhelming assault to an art form, not least of which is the Raven Guard Chapter. Some of these Chapters utilise subtle modifications to armour and weaponry, shielding them from detection until the very last moment. Silenced weapons, null-shielded insertions and dampered armour are all utilised so that the enemy has no idea of the Chapter's presence, until the killing blow is delivered.

Lightning Strike
A lightning strike is an assault carried out with such overwhelming force, from such an unexpected quarter, that no defence is possible and the enemy is smashed aside and utterly defeated. Chapters that specialise in the tactic tend to maintain highly mobile forces, eschewing heavy firepower for manoeuvrability. These forces might feature large numbers of rhino-borne squads, and sometimes the vehicles will have been modified to afford additional speed or range. Others utilise large numbers of bike-mounted warriors, sometimes mounting entire Tactical squads on bikes and attack bikes. The lightning strike is often precluded by a stealthily inserted scout mission, the Neophytes led by grizzled scout sergeants who themselves the veterans of a hundred missions. Enemy positions are thoroughly reconnoitred, their status communicated by ultra-secure cipher wave to the main force hidden nearby.

Drop Pod
The Space Marines are colloquially known as the "Angels of Death" in many quarters, in no small part due to the common practice of launching an orbital assault by way of drop pod. Some Chapters specialise in this tactic, honing it to perfection so that the first and last thing an enemy sees of the Space Marines’ attack are the black contrails of dozens of drop pods streaking through the air, and Battle-Brothers disembarking inside his lines to gun him down with ruthless efficiency. As any squad type can be deployed in this manner such tactics rarely dictate a major change in organisation, though the Chapter’s forges may focus on creating drop pods over other types of vehicle, and as heavy support vehicles are slower to deploy they will focus on infantry assaults over armoured ones. The Blood Angels are an example of a Chapter that regards the drop pod assault as the most refined application of the power that is the Adeptus Astartes.

Thunderhawk Assault
A Thunderhawk assault is in effect a variation on the drop pod method of insertion, sacrificing a measure of surprise for the overwhelming firepower the gunships themselves are able to bring to bear. Thunderhawk gunships are able to carry up to three squads of Space Marines, and some are modified to carry bike squads. Thunderhawk Transporters carry armoured vehicles - either two Rhinos or a single Land Raider—slung beneath their bellies. A force consisting of both types is capable of delivering an entire battle company directly into the heart of an enemy position, a force which very few foes have any chance of countering. The White Scars utilise the Thunderhawk Assault tactic to fearsome effect, ferrying entire bike squads to the front line, which ride down the stunned foe. Other Chapters use Thunderhawks to deliver Assault Squads to the front line, the jump-pack equipped warriors leaping from the troop bays at a great height and descending directly on to the foe with chain swords howling and bolt pistols blazing.

Siege
Protracted siege warfare, whether fought defensively or offensively, is a form of war rarely practised by the Space Marines and generally left to the far more numerous armies of the Imperial Guard. Despite this, some Chapters have historically excelled at such a form, or are temperamentally suited a type of war that is a unique mix of science and murder. When attacking, Space Marines specialising in siege warfare commonly form the spearhead of the assault, bringing a formidable weight of power to bear on the weakest point in the enemy defences and cracking it open no matter the cost, allowing lesser forces to consolidate before moving on to the next objective. When fighting in defence, the Space Marines identify the point the enemy is most likely to assault, and hold it come what may. An army of half a million Imperial Guardsmen might rely upon a single company of Space Marines to take or hold a fortress, so effective are such Chapters.

Shock and Awe
When possible, many Space Marine assaults are precluded by a bombardment staged by strike vessels or battle barges in orbit over an enemy position, softening up the resistance and hampering the foe' swill and ability to fight. Some Chapters have honed this ability to such a degree that the mere appearance of their vessels in system space is sufficient to bring about the enemy's total collapse. Any foe foolish enough to resist further is likely to be the subject of such a devastating bombardment that no stone is left standing upon another, and very little remains for the ground troops to engage. Some Chapters have become a little too skilled in this tactic for their own good, and are so wont to bring about such devastation that their aid is not sought in the liberation of captured cities.

Terror
To the average Imperial subject, even a single Space Marine is a sight of such awe and legend that the merest thought of rebellion is impossible to countenance. Those amongst humanity's enemies capable of rational thought are equally quelled by the sight of the Adeptus Astartes, proudly bearing their colours and marching fearlessly onwards. Some Chapters build their tactics around the notion of inspiring fear in their foes, even above that they already invoke. Such Chapters utilise the universal symbols of death, including their adornment of their armour and vehicles with stylised or actual skulls, and display the bodies of fallen enemy leaders where all their followers may witness their defeat. They employ psychological methods, such as transmitting the sermons of their Chaplains and other dire portents of imminent doom. Targets are selected so as to cause maximum disruption of enemy command and control nets, with precision strikes called against leaders and communication nodes so that once coherent armies are reduced to disparate masses of uncoordinated and utterly demoralised mobs.

Chapter Creation
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 (usually one of the original nine). The zygote is implanted in a human test-slave who spends his entire life in a static experimental capsule, immobile and serving nothing but as 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.

Background
When creating an original Space Marine Chapter, one must consider the reasons that it was Founded in the first place. Of course, you can just as easily decide that the Chapter's origins are lost to antiquity and leave this part of its history obscured by the dust of time, lost to its present members. Below are some possible reasons that you can use to explain why your Space Marine Chapter was Founded:
 * Strategic Prognostication - The Imperium is a realm governed as much by superstition and paranoia as it is by the cyclopean bureaucracy of the Administratum. While many long-term policy decisions come about due to the work of generations of planners and strategists, just as many are the result of arcane predictions, ritual foreseeings and readings of the Emperor's Tarot. Often, galaxy-wide strategic decisions are a bizarre combination of these two factors, interwoven over decades of debate and analysis until both become one and the same. In some quarters, this esoteric discipline is known as strategic prognostication. In the case of the founding of a new Space Marine Chapter, strategic prognostication may warn of a threat approaching the Imperium from a given quarter; a threat so dire that only the establishment of a Space Marine Chapter in the region may defeat it. In many cases, the nature of the threat will be well known and linked to ongoing wars. This was the case when twenty or so Chapters, known as the Astartes Praeses were assigned responsibility for guarding against Traitor Legion incursions through the Cadian Gate. In that case, the threat was well established, and readings of the Emperor’s Tarot indicated it would greatly increase over the following centuries. In other cases, the nature of the threat is not known at all and is only revealed much later when a previously unimagined enemy invades. Strategic prognostication may have been the reason the Scythes of the Emperor Chapter was created, its home world located close to the already well-defended Realm of Ultramar. Sometimes, the Emperor's Tarot gives no indication at all with regards to the reason for a new Chapter's creation, providing no clues as to what it should guard against, what it should fight or where it should be based. The process merely indicates that the fates demand the new Chapter be created, and so, it is.
 * Counter - Many Chapters have been created at the express order of the High Lords of Terra in order to counter a specific threat. Generally, the activities of a particular known foe have increased to such a level that one or more Chapters are created specifically to counter it. No Space Marine Chapter ever focuses exclusively on one enemy, however, and even if the new force is initially created to counter a particular foe it will soon be carving its name in history against a myriad of enemies. Quite often a Chapter created with no specific remit develops a particular expertise in fighting a specific foe, and comes to regard doing so as a matter of honour. The Crimson Fists are an example of this, with a great many of the Chapter’s wars having been fought against the Ork empires that infest the border regions between Segmentum Tempestus and Ultima Segmentum. Some crusading Chapters have claimed or been granted a home world in a region they have fought to conquer, and in so doing established a bulwark against the return of the enemy, be it secessionists, aliens or worse.
 * Standing Force - Some Chapters are created to operate in a specific region, though as ever their wars may take them the length and breadth of the Imperium. This is simply a case of the High Lords of Terra identifying a particular region whose defences are considered lacking, and where the stationing of a Space Marine Chapter would bolster the region's defences considerably. Though consisting of only a thousand warriors, a Space Marine Chapter is able to project its power over a huge area, and intervene in wars for light years all around. The presence of a Chapter home world in a nearby cluster is often sufficient to deter invasion and insurrection in dozens of surrounding sectors, for the Space Marines can mobilise their rapid Strike Cruisers at a moment's notice and there are very few foes that cannot be suppressed, if attacked quickly and brutally enough, by a single Space Marine strike force.
 * Crusade - Many of the Imperium's wars are in fact mighty crusades, raised from the armies of entire sectors to reclaim a lost part of the Imperium or to destroy once and for all a particular foe. Such crusades often sweep up billions of warriors, several thousand of whom may be Space Marines. Perhaps in the past, during a greater epoch of the Imperium, entire Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes were founded with such crusades in mind. Perhaps future crusades will be so great that new foundings are ordered, and new legends of the Adeptus Astartes will be born.

Founding Legions
The First Founding of the Space Marine Legions, also originally called the Legiones Astartes, occurred in the late 30th Millennium after the end of the Age of Strife and the Unification Wars that founded the Imperium of Man on Terra. Eighteen known Space Marine Legions were created from the gene-seed of the 18 known Primarchs engineered by the Emperor of Mankind from His own genetic code in His subterranean gene-laboratories in the Imperial Palace on Terra. Two other Legions, the II and the XI Legions and their Primarchs, were created by the Emperor, but nothing is known of what became of these Legions and their Primarchs and all data pertaining to them has been deleted from official Imperial records.

All Chapters are "founded" from an already existing Chapter, even if it does not have to be stated. You can create a chapter of "unknown gene-seed" and it is completely OK, because the Founding Chapter's tactics and general behaviours decide a lot about the successor chapter. Like how the Ultramarines and their Successors are Codex Chapters, and how the Blood Angels and theirs are assault specialists.

Grey Knights
The Grey Knights are a secret, mysterious Loyalist Chapter of Space Marines specifically tasked with combating the dangerous daemonic entities of the Warp and all those who wield the corrupt power of the Chaos Gods. Though technically not a First Founding Chapter, the Grey Knights were secretly created amidst the anarchy and chaos of the Horus Heresy by Terra's Regent, Malcador the Sigillite, under the direct order of the Emperor of Mankind. The Grey Knights have the honour of being implanted with gene-seed engineered directly from the genome of the Emperor Himself. They are the Imperium's mightiest weapon against the Warp, superhuman Space Marine psykers, and its single enduring hope for salvation.

Yes, everyone can agree the Grey Knights (-cough- 4TH EDITION!!!) are badass. This fanon does permit you to expand upon the Knights, you could do a special detachment of Grey Knights within the Chapter or something equally interesting. It is a big chapter, just as long as you don't bend the canon too much. However, it is NOT okay to create a fanon Chapter that is of Grey Knight origins, so don't do it. It has already been established that the only likely Successor Chapter Founded from their gene-seed (Without the Grey Knights permission of course!) is the Exorcists Chapter.

I Legion: Dark Angels
The Dark Angels have a vaunted, but grim reputation among the ranks of the Astartes, and their Successors (collectively known as the Unforgiven) tend to take after their parent Chapter more than most. In fact the Chapters descended from the gene-seed of Lion El'Johnson tend to take after their predecessor in a number of ways. The Dark Angels tend to be a grim, brooding presence when compared with Chapters of other lineages. They spurn glory and flashy baubles, and cut a somewhat unfriendly figure. This is because of their secret shame, the Fallen. The Unforgiven seek to both hide, and wash away that stain upon their honor. Thus they do not seek to grow close to those outside the Unforgiven, lest their secret become known. This has made them especially wary of the Inquisition, and the two sides do not get along. Likewise since they are very conscious of their honor, and anything that may blemish it they tend to be very orthodox in their beliefs, sometimes to an extreme extent. This is why they refuse to fight alongside mutants or Abhumans. In the Imperium the Dark Angels' gene-seed is seen as unpopular for the creation of new Chapters because of the secrets surrounding the Unforgiven, the fact that they don't tend to play well with others and because they have been known to abandon their duties to pursue their own unknown agendas (chasing the Fallen Angels). Unforgiven tend to be Semi-Codex Chapters. They follow the Codex is most respects, but often their 1st and 2nd Companies are modelled after the Dark Angels' Deathwing and Ravenwing. As stated the Unforgiven aren't the most friendly of Chapters, and they have a particularly bad relationship with the Inquisition. They also have a rivalry with the Space Wolves. So if your Unforgiven Chapter happens to run into them it is a good excuse for some hostility. Remember that the hunt for the Fallen is going to be a big part of your Chapter's identity.

V Legion: White Scars
Jaghatai Khan and his White Scars are amongst the most fearsome and savage warriors of the Astartes. They are also well known for their love of high-speed warfare. To battle with the White Scars is to battle with a storm. They strike like lightning. Known and feared throughout the Imperium of Man for their highly mobile way of war, the White Scars are considered the masters of the lightning strike and hit-and-run attack and are particularly adapted to the use of the Astartes Assault Bike as their mechanical steeds and their forces contain an unusually large number of Bike Squads compared to other Chapters. Bearing the ritual scars of bravery, these fierce warriors fight with all the tribal savagery that define the fierce steppe nomads of their homeworld Mundus Planus, bringing swift death to all of the enemies of the Imperium. If you create a Chapter from the White Scars, keep in mind they many of these Chapter are aggressive and savage in nature, and have a tendency to compete with their forebears for glory. The White Scars have a primal fury about them that is awe inspiring. If you make a Successor to them they may have the same aptitude for fast moving combat. Also they are a good choice for a parent Chapter if you are looking for a Chapter with more of that savage, barbaric fury to them.

VI Legion: Space Wolves
The Space Wolves, known in their own dialect of Juvjk as the Vlka Fenryka or 'Wolves of Fenris', are a savage and feral Chapter that has remained apart from its fellows since its inception. Down the long millennia the Space Wolves have garnered a fearsome reputation for its warriors' prowess as a shock-assault force as well as tireless pursuers and a peerless hunter-killer force. During the Great Crusade, unexpected violence was the Legion's calling card, its campaigns unsubtle, but brutally swift. Like their latter-day namesakes, the wolves of old Terra, its warriors assault were calculated exercises in ferocity, aimed to tear and rend until the foe lay in ruins or was driven to its death. Conditioned to hold a near-suicidal disregard for danger and trained to exploit this to the fullest on the battlefield, the heavy infantry that formed the core of the VI Legion's battalions were a force that had been honed in battle against the countless enemies of Mankind and, it was whispered, against their own wayward brothers. For, unlike their brother Legions, the Space Wolves were kept under the tight control of the Imperial Court and unleashed at the Emperor's command as often to chastise those who would renege on their oaths of service as to destroy those who resisted the offer of Compliance.

As stated, Space Wolves' gene-seed is by far the most unstable of all the Loyalist Legions and only one Chapter was ever created from the stock of Leman Russ, the Wolf Brothers. The Chapter was eventually forcibly disbanded by the Inquisition as a result of rampant genetic instability and resulting mutation that appeared in the Chapter's Battle-Brothers.

You can, however, expand upon the Space Wolves, if you can't let go of the most impressive badasses of the Imperium. The Space Wolves are known for be somewhat feral in both appearance and combat style, so any related characters or factions will retain that trait.

VII Legion: Imperial Fists
The Imperial Fists. They are the genetic scions of the brilliant Rogal Dorn. After the Ultramarines, the Imperial Fists are likely the most common lineage for a Chapter to have. Like the Ultramarines and their Successors the Imperial Fists and their progeny tend to follow the Codex Astartes pretty closely. The trait that most commonly sets the sons of Dorn apart - is zeal. The Imperial Fists and their Successors tend to have an even more pronounced drive to claim glory for themselves, and to make up for any shortcoming they have. Success matters to them more than most. Thus they tend to be prolific Chapters with many honors. The Imperial Fists also have a very strong, respected reputation with the various branches of the Adeptus Terra, and thus the line of Dorn can often have political clout. It should be noted that the Ultramarines and the Imperial Fists as well as their Successors tend to have a rivalry with one another. How friendly or hostile this rivalry is depends upon the Chapter in question.

IX Legion: Blood Angels
To be a successor of the Blood Angels is to have a long history of glory, nobility and grief. The Blood Angels and their Successors are often of a particularly noble spirit, and usually possess glorious service records. However any Chapter descended from the Blood Angels suffers from an ongoing struggle with the Gene-curse of Sanguinius's line. The Black Rage and the Red Thirst. Those that possess this gene-seed have to struggle daily to reign in their aggression and keep hold of their sanity. This is why the line of Sanguinius is believed by many to be cursed, and ultimately doomed. Thus if you make a Chapter of this lineage they are going to have to come to grips with the realization of a tragic fate. The Blood Angels and their successors have a naturally heightened aggression by Marine standards, and excell in close quarters combat, making them some of the most effective assault Chapters in the Imperium. If your Chapter comes from this line they are very likely to have similar organizational structures to their parent Chapter. They may possess members of the Sanguinary Guard, and will most certainly have a Death Company of some sort. While the Blood Angels and their progeny have proven themselves again to be fearsome warriors, and dedicated servants of the Emperor, their reputation has been marred by their curse. So other Imperial forces may be wary of your Chapter.

X Legion: Iron Hands
The Iron hands are known primarily for two things. First of is their obsession with technology and modifying themselves with bionics. Secondly is their strong, bitter hatred. If you were to make a successor for the Iron Hands they are very likely going to be very tech adept, and may have strong relations with the Adeptus Mechanicus. They may also be just as cold and unfriendly as their forebearers. The extreme hatred the Iron Hands hold for the weaknesses of the flesh is believed to gloss over an underlying psychological fear of their physical form. As an Iron Hands Space Marine matures, that hatred and fear grows ever stronger, resulting in more extreme mechanisations of the Astartes' body. It is unclear from where this fear may originate, though many in the Adeptus Mechanicus believe that the source is a flaw in the gene-seed of the Chapter that originated some time after the death of their Primarch on Istvaan V. This flaw seems to be controlled or at the very least made moot by the increasing mechanical augmentations Iron Hands Astartes undergo. If this is so, then your Chapter may suffer the same compulsion.

XIII Legion: Ultramarines
The Ultramarines are by far the best known and most celebrated Adeptus Astartes Chapter in the long and bloody history of the Imperium of Man. The Chapter's gene-seed is generally held to be the purest of all the Adeptus Astartes, and it is so stable that even 10,000 years after its inception, mutation is well within tolerable limits. For this reason, a majority of Space Marines Chapters extant in the 41st Millennium are thought to be related to the Ultramarines.

If your Chapter is part of the lineage of Roboute Guilliman, then you are in good company. Of all Space Marine Chapters 60% make use of Ultramarine gene-seed, thus making them the most populous and successful bloodline of all Space Marines. They can be considered the "standard" for Space Marines. Ultramarine Successors tend to be strict followers of the Codex Astartes, and the line of Guilliman is infamous for its regimented nature and discipline. They are also known to have the most stable Gene-seed out of the first Founding Legions, making them excellent gene-stock. If you are worried about your Chapter being "unique", don't worry. Since the Ultramarines gene-progeny are so numerous and widespread many have diverged quite a bit from the traditions of their parent Chapter. There are even Ultramarine Successors that are Non-Codex. So don't worry your little head.

XVIII Legion: Salamanders
Hailing from the volcanic death world of Nocturne, the Salamanders, as a Chapter, are unusually concerned with civilian casualties compared to most other Space Marines and believe that one of their most important duties is to protect the lives of the Emperor of Mankind's innocent subjects whenever and wherever possible. This is an attitude that developed as a consequence of the Salamanders' own unusually close connections to the Nocturnean people, as they are one of the only Chapters of Astartes who continue to interact with their families and the people of their homeworld after their transformation into Space Marines.

The Salamanders have no known Successors, though there are some that are suspected. However a consensus was reached over a debate that while no Successor Chapters are explicitly named, there is no practical reason that they cannot actually have Successors except for the decision of Games Workshop. Salamanders are known for two things, their preference for flame weapons and a code of chivalry of sorts. Honour and strength are principle teachings of the Salamanders Chaplains, and they also go out of their way to protect those scummy mortal men and women like yourself.

XIX Legion: Raven Guard
Named for a Terran avian seen by many cultures as the herald of fate and messenger of death, the Raven Guard have served the Emperor faithfully throughout the glories of the Unification Wars, the Great Crusade and the dark days of the Horus Heresy and beyond. From its earliest days, the warriors of the XIX Legion were known as cunning and patient hunters, adept at biding their time until the moment to strike was at hand. When the Legion was united with its Primarch -- Corvus Corax, the Raven Lord, the Deliverer, theirs was a form of warfare exemplifying speed, stealth and precision which was codified into their doctrine, and under the ivory-skinned, shadow-eyed and sable-haired Primarch, the XIX Legion carved its name in the annals of the Great Crusade.

The Raven Guard are a Chapter that rarely have Successors. They were never one of the larger Legions, and the Drop Site massacre left their forces sorely depleted and undermanned. They just barely managed to recover from their losses with forbidden science when the Second Founding occurred. The Sons of Corax are known for their sharp wits. Where other Chapters roar onto the battlefield like thunder, eager to bring terror to the foe and glory to the Emperor, the Raven Guard applies force with a calculated precision and cunning. They choose to fight smarter against the enemy rather than harder. If you were to create a Raven Guard successor they may have these traits, and would possess the pale skin and dark eyes that has resulted from the subtle mutation of their gene-seed.

Successors
Sometimes a Chapter of a later Founding is given the honor of having their gene-seed used to create a Successor Chapter. This is a tremendous honor amongst the Astartes, as it singles the Chapter out for its great service and valor. Successors of such Chapter may wish to adopt their parent Chapter's traditions and fighting style, wanting to emulate their parent. After all to be given a successor is to be acknowledged as having stood out from the rest of the Astartes. On a related note, only one successor chapter may be written for one of your Chapters. As stated, the existence of a Successor Chapter in general is a major tip of the hat to one's Chapter. Most Chapters created Second Founding or later don't have Successors, and even the ones that do usually only have one or two.

Legions III, IV, VIII, XII, XIV, XV, XVI, XVII, XVIII, XX: Traitor Legions
There may be no successors of Traitor Legions, so that is that.

Legion II & XI: The Lost Legions
The Lost Primarchs of the First Founding Space Marine Legions are the two Primarchs of the II and XI Legions who, for unknown reasons, were deliberately expunged from all known Imperial records and archives before the onset of the Horus Heresy in the early 31st Millennium. Referred to as "the forgotten and the purged" it is known only that the missing Primarchs and their Legions are listed as having been "deleted from Imperial records." This formal censure and erasure from official records is known as an Edict of Obliteration. The complete and utter erasure of all records of the II and XI Legions is considered by Imperial historians as the most successful Edict of Obliteration ever carried out in Imperial history.

Therefore, users are not allowed to create Fanon Space Marine Chapters derived from these two expunged Legions, so that is also that.

Foundings
"Such is the woe cast upon the Domains of the God-Emperor of Mankind in these times that in their wisdom and beneficence, the High Lords of Terra have this day issued this decree: Let there be a Founding of the Adeptus Astartes, and let the foes of the Emperor know that this galaxy belongs to Him, now, and forever."

- High Lord Tagus, Convenor of the 349th Congress

New Space Marine Chapters are not created piecemeal as required by the Imperium of Man's strategic needs, but rather in deliberate groupings called "Foundings." The process by which a new Founding's creation is approved by the Imperial government is mysterious and arcane, subject to decades or even centuries of planning before it is announced. It is only by an edict of the High Lords of Terra that such an undertaking as the creation of new Chapters can be instigated, for it requires the cooperation and mobilisation of countless divisions within the Imperium's monolithic and vast governmental organisations. Establishing new Astartes Chapters on an individual basis is nigh impossible (with the sole exceptions of the Sons of Medusa and the Steel Confessors Chapters) -- the mobilisation of such vast resources is beyond the ability of any single segment of the Imperium.

The Adeptus Mechanicus plays an essential role in the process, for its highest echelons are tasked with creating, testing and developing the gene-seed samples that will provide the basis of the new Chapters. Entire forge worlds may be turned over to the manufacture of the mighty arsenal of weaponry, ammunition, armour, vehicles and war ships that any such force will require.

There are a myriad of other concerns too. A suitable home world must be identified, which in all likelihood will provide not only a secure and defensible base of operations for the new Chapter, but a source of new recruits too. Such worlds might have been reported by itinerant rogue traders, and earmarked centuries before as potential Space Marine home worlds. A degree of environmental engineering might be required, and the natives (if they are to form the basis of the Chapter's recruitment) must be studied and tested for many generations to ensure they are free of any stain of mutation that might later affect the Chapter itself. The construction of a Chapter’s fortress-monastery may be one of the greatest undertakings of all, drawing on the genius of the Imperium's most accomplished military architects.

Existing Space Marine Chapters might also have a hand in this process, though to what degree varies greatly. Many First Founding Chapters maintain close links with Chapters created using their own gene-seed stocks, and the Chapter Masters might have a hand in planning future foundings. It is said that the Disciples of Caliban, a Dark Angels Successor, were created following the direct appeal of the Supreme Grand Master of the Dark Angels.

In the more than 10,000 standard years that have passed since the First Founding of the 20 original Space Marine Legions by the Emperor of Mankind, there have been 25 subsequent Foundings of new Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes; with the most recent, the 26th Founding, occurring in the year 738.M41, approximately 250 years before the current year, which in the Warhammer 40K universe, is 999.M41. Even before a new Founding is announced, entire generations of Imperial servants may have toiled in preparation. Even once the process is underway, it is likely to be at least a century before the new Chapters are ready to take to the field. In times of dire need, faster development has been attempted, but this has often resulted in disaster. Gene-seed cultured in haste is wont to degrade or mutate, and a myriad of other factors might lead to the entire process going awry.

Here is a table of Foundings that include notes about them so use it. A solid advice is that you do not state the date of Founding, even if it is canon friendly, just say the Founding, millennium (for example mid-M36) or then just write it as "of unknown Founding".

Note: The Foundings 13th-21st are crowded in small amount of time as you can see, during that time there were huge internal strife within Imperium so it is no wonder chapters were created in numbers. You could also speculate, that as a great deal of Foundings were made in M35 (eleven!) all the gene-stocks were rapidly used and therefore there is no Foundings in M36. Or then the Chapters were so lucky there was no need to build more in M36.

Battle Cry
"Let your words be the last thing they hear."

- Chaplain Scolasti, Adeptus Astartes Red Wolves to the 10th Company before the Blooding

Every Chapter has a battle-cry, the single emboldening call voiced by its leaders as they lead the charge on the foe. Many relate to the Chapter's home world or its Primarch, while others recall some great victory the memory of which drives the Battle-Brothers onwards into the fury of battle.

Battle cries, famous sayings, mottoes, it is not strictly necessary for you to write a bunch of these, but they add color to your Chapter, and help make clear their philosophy and makeup.

Example Battle Cries
Listed below are some examples of Space Marine battle cries, in which a writer might like to utilise when his character bellows it while engaging a particularly fearsome enemy!
 * "For the Emperor!"
 * "For the Primarch!"
 * "For the glory of (insert Primarch or home world)!"
 * "Remember (insert specific battle)!"
 * "Suffer not the unclean to live!"
 * "No fear, no pity, no remorse!"
 * "Forward, for the glory of the Emperor!"

Heraldry
"This symbol I wear upon my shoulder and I bear upon my banner. He who defiles it defiles me, and shall be damned for all eternity."

- Brother Ukadi, Adeptus Astartes Flesh Eaters, prior to the conclusion of the Alvatine Suppression

Battle-Brothers of a Chapter proudly display the symbol by which their parent Chapter is known on their left shoulder pauldrons. Chapter symbols are simple, striking and easily recognisable, and very often related to the Chapter's name. The Blood Angels (for example) use a simple blood drop with two wings attached, while the Omega Marines use a character from a long extinct Terran script. Some Chapters use symbols drawn from ancient heraldry, the elements or even arcane sources such as alchemy. Plenty of Chapters use more generalised icons such as the Imperial aquila, skulls and wings, combined in various forms. Many Chapter utilise iterations of common Imperial icons, such as the eagle, eagle wings, skulls and armoured fists.

At a Chapter's Founding the newly assigned Chapter Master must name his Chapter and chose its heraldry. There are strict rules to govern this process. The Codex Astartes provides the Chapter Master with approved naming elements and also forbids the use of certain names. New leaders are careful to try to avoid duplicating the name, icon and livery of an existing Chapter. However this is more difficult than may be imagined. There are approximately a thousand Chapters spread across the galaxy and only the priests of the Adeptus Terra have anything approaching a complete catalogue of these units and their heraldry. Many new Chapter Masters create new heraldries to avoid any possible duplication. Over the millennia this had led to a vast proliferation of icons and liveries.

Example Heraldic Devices
Provided below are some example heraldic symbols: What is your Chapter's symbol? It may be an heraldic animal, a sunburst, a random squiggle. Whatever it is, it will strike terror into the hearts of their enemies and inspire the Marines to feats of valor.

Chapter Livery
"My colours I wear openly, they proclaim louder than any words, 'I am proud to live — I am proud to die.'"

- Commander Carab Culln, Adeptus Astartes Red Scorpions

Space Marine Chapters employ a wide range of colours and patterns of their uniforms, and wear them with pride. Some sport a single colour, applied to the entire surface of the armour while others use several colours, halved or quartered to produce a striking and recognisable pattern. Some employ the same scheme across the entire Chapter, while others modify it or change it entirely depending on the squad and company a Battle-Brother is serving in.

Below are examples of the most common colour patterns utilised by Codex oriented Chapters:



Company Colours
Each Company has a unique colour that its members wear, commonly on their power armour's shoulder plate rims, but some Chapters use chest eagles, bolter cases, knee pads, helmets or other parts of a Space Marine's Power Armour.
 * 1st Company - White or Silver - Members of the 1st Company should also paint their helmet the company colour.
 * 2nd Company - Yellow or Gold
 * 3rd Company - Red
 * 4th Company - Green
 * 5th Company - Black
 * 6th Company - Orange
 * 7th Company - Purple
 * 8th Company - Grey
 * 9th Company - Blue
 * 10th Company - Nominally white, however the company colour is not displayed on the members' armour because they are Scouts.

Company Colours Non-Codex
Below are a few examples of some non-Codex oriented Chapters variant company colours. Although many of these Chapters might adhere closely to the organisation laid down in the Codex Astartes, they nevertheless deviate significantly when it comes to the use of icongraphy, colours and markings, as dictated though necessity or by each individual Chapter's culture:


 * Note: What are you Chapter's color? They could be solid, halved, quartered, or something bizarre. I suggest you go check out the Bolter and Chainsword Space Marine Painter. While this tool can help give you an idea of what the colors will look like on a Space Marine, you can also download the pictures you make. There is a Terminator and Scout Marine painter as well:
 * Terminator Bolter and Chainsword Terminator Painter
 * Scout Marine Bolter and Chainsword Scout Marine Painter

Squad Specialist Markings
Squad specialist markings are shown upon a Battle-Brother's right shoulder pauldron, except in the case of some older marks of Space Marine Power Armour that instead display them upon knee plates, greaves, vambrace or within the Chapter badge itself. The right pauldron displays the Squad Specialty Badge, which indicates the specialty of the squad (Tactical, Assault, Devastator or Veteran) the individual Astartes belongs to as well as the number of his squad within his company. Veteran Squads display Maltese Cross, Tactical Squads use an arrow vertically pointing upwards, or an older variant of a horizontal double-pointing arrow, Assault Squads use four perpendicular arrows pointing outwards in the shape of a letter 'X', while Devastator Squads use an inverted letter 'V'. Older variant symbols utilise an upside down delta (triangle) or an explosion symbol instead.



Helmet Markings
A Sergeant's badge of rank is a skull and is often displayed on the left shoulder pauldron. The Codex leaves the display of back banners to the Sergeant's discretion. Space Marine helmets frequently display rank and battle honours, either through colour or insignia. Red helmets, for example, are reserved for Sergeants, whilst a white helmet or laurel design denotes Veteran status. Veteran Sergeants typically wear both colours, incorporating a white stripe down the centre of their helm. Whilst company colours are typically displayed on the trim of a Space Marine’s shoulder pauldrons, they can also be displayed on helmets, chest Aquilas, knee plates or even on the squad markings.

Equipment
This has gotta be the most common canon-infringement I've seen: Mega-Bolters, laser death rays, Alien psycho-powered swords; it's like nobody's content with a simple gun any more!

While a Space Marine is still a Space Marine without a gun, it does help. Your Chapter's equipment should be consistent with their favored tactics, be they assault, skirmish, hand-to-hand, or ranged combat. The best custom equipment tends to be slightly more advanced versions of existing equipment, with reasons for how and why they were developed (or found) and why the said equipment is unique to that chapter. Also keep in mind that a lack of unique equipment can actually improve the character of your chapter as you find other reasons to make them special and this can also apply to weather they are a Codex or Non-Codex Chapter.

See also:
 * Fanon Arsenal of the Astartes
 * List of Imperial Weapons

Special Equipment
One thing that sets a Chapter apart from another are the individual pieces of equipment that the Chapter prefers to carry into battle. Below is listed the most common special equipment utilised by the various Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes:
 * Traditional Weapons - The Chapter favours one specific weapon over all others. Choose one specific weapon to serve as the Chapter’s traditional weapon. Examples: Power Sword, Bolt Pistol, Melta Gun, ect.
 * Totemic Charm - This Chapter has strong beliefs in the icons of either the Emperor or their Primarch. A Battle-Brother from this Chapter would never be caught without such an icon on their person. Example: Chapter Heraldry on a necklace, Imperial Aquilla tattooed over the right eye, or fetishes made from an animals bones which are worn on an individual Battle-Brother's power armour.
 * Modified Jump-Pack - Primarily seen in Chapter's that favor the Assault Combat Doctrine, Battle-Brother's from this Chapter modify their Jump-Packs (with a Tech-Marine’s help of course) to provide a more glorious sight to their allies and a more terrifying one to their enemies. Examples: Jump-Pack's created in different shapes such as angel wings.
 * Beastial Companion - More common among those Chapter's whose origins come from Feral Worlds, this Chapter prides itself on raising hunting animals to assist in battle. Examples: Fenrisian Wolf, hunting birds in the form of a cyber-raven.
 * Rare Weaponry - Whether through the blessing of the Adeptus Mechanicus or sheer good fortune, this Chapter has a large stock of weaponry that is considered rare amongst the other Chapters. It is seen as a symbol of honour to wield one of these weapons in battle. Examples: Astartes Assault Cannon, Digital Weapons.
 * Blessed Wargear - It is common for members of this Chapter to have their Wargear blessed by a Chaplain before battle. Doing so puts the Battle- Brother's mind at ease and more focused on the task at hand.
 * Special Mount - While other Chapter's may keep animals as companions, this Chapter uses them for what they were intended for transportation. Examples: Fenrisian Wolf, Carnodon, very angry Grox.
 * Special Vehicle - This Chapter prefers to ride into battle in more modern conveyances. While the traditional Space Marine vehicle is the Rhino, other Chapters may use more rare vehicles as primary transport. Examples: Modified Rhino, Land Raider, or Land Speeder.
 * Preferred Fighting Style - The Chapter has a specific way in which it prefers to go about killing the enemy in the name of the God Emperor of Mankind. Examples: Bolt Pistol and Chainsword, dual Power Swords, special Bolter pattern or ammunition.
 * Modified Weaponry - When the Chapter’s forges produce a weapon, they produce them in a style that is specific to their Chapter. Examples: Power Sabre, Bolt Pistol with weighted butt for clubbing.

Chapter Fleet
Each Chapter maintains its own fleet consisting of up to three Battle-Barges and some number of Strike Cruisers and support craft.

Chapters are forbidden from having any more than three Battle Barges: any more, and you're gonna have the Inquisition, and the Imperial Navy, and all sorts of unfriendly people wanting to know exactly why the Chapter needs so many Battle-Barges.

Chapter Beliefs
"No life given in the name of the Emperor is given in vain."

- Chaplain Hauis Argento of the Crimson Fists

Every Chapter has its own "Chapter cult," the body of beliefs and practices unique to itself. The specifics of the cult develop over the millennia, so that two Chapters sired by the same Progenitor during the same Founding may, after several centuries, exhibit radically divergent religious practices. Some Chapters inherit a great deal of the rites and traditions of the culture from which they recruit, while many more are so steeped in their own history and tradition that they are quite unique. In general, the Successors of any given Progenitor share a core body of beliefs and practices, but even this is not always the case. This section presents just a few possible Chapter cults, and having some idea of their nature and history is a great way to add depth to a Chapter's character.

Revere the Primarch
The Chapter holds the Primarch of its Progenitor at the centre of its belief system, venerating him above all others. Although the Chapter worships the Emperor as the ultimate creator of the Legions and themselves, it is towards the Primarch that the bulk of its devotions are turned. Mighty statues of the Primarch grace the Chapter’s halls and his words are taught and read by every Battle-Brother.

The Emperor Above All
The Chapter holds the Emperor as the ultimate object of its devotions. This is especially likely to be the case with Chapters of a later Founding, who maintain less in the way of contact with the Progenitor than older, more closely-tied Successors. Some Chapters, for whatever reason, are actually unaware of who their Progenitor was, and as such are likely to centre their worship on either the Emperor, who created the Primarchs, or on one of their own founding fathers.

Honour the Ancestors
The Chapter worships one of its own heroes above all others. Although the Emperor and the Primarch are likely to be fully acknowledged, this hero is regarded as an intercessional figure who sits at the right side of the Emperor. Most Chapters that adhere to this particular form of belief worship one of their founding fathers, often the very first Chapter Master but sometimes another figure who performed some deed that sealed his place in the Chapter's history for all time.

Death Cult
The Chapter's beliefs are centred not on one particular figure, but on the more abstract notion of death itself. As the so-called "Angels of Death," the Space Marines' very existence is defined by their ability to slay their foes. While Space Marines are extremely long-lived, the vast majority die in battle and this Chapter embraces the fact. Chapters that follow this belief system to an extreme, adorning themselves in all manner of deathly fetishes and even partaking of gristly trophy taking.

Totem Creature
Many Chapters have as their symbol some form of animal, either an actual creature or one from mythology. Many aspire to the qualities displayed by the creature, displaying related motifs in their livery and titles. Some even utilise tactics and weapons inspired by the manner in which their totem creature fights or hunts. This is certainly the case with the Salamanders Chapter, who favour flame-effect weapons in imitation of their namesake. The Battle-Brothers of the Carcharodons Chapter file their teeth to sharp points to replicate those of their own totem creature.

Purity of Man
While all Chapters detest mutation in all its forms, some take their values to such an extent that they believe that the Space Marines alone are the true inheritors of the Emperor, that they were made according to his perfect vision and that mere mortals (everyone else) are utterly inferior. Some carry this notion through to a rejection of artificial augmetics, preferring death to the dishonour of concealing weakness with machine implants and totally abhor the practise of imprisoning a fallen warrior in the sarcophagus of a Dreadnought.

Steel Over Flesh
The exact opposite of those who revere the purity of the human form, there are those Chapters that believe that the flesh is weak and that only steel can withstand both time and the rigours of eternal war. The Iron Hands Chapter is one of the better-known practitioners of this doctrine, who replace entire limbs with bionic equivalents. Such Chapters often maintain close links with the Adeptus Mechanicus, and the Omnissiah is likely to feature to some degree in their religious practices.

Esoteric Beliefs
A small number of Chapters have inherited quite unusual beliefs from the cultures they recruit from, and these have become intermixed with their veneration of the Emperor or of the Primarch. In the 41st Millennium, autochthonic religions are often merged into the cult of the Emperor, so the practice is not entirely without precedent although it remains uncommon amongst the Adeptus Astartes. In addition, the Adeptus Mechanicus worships a deity called the Omnissiah, which is held by most (though not all) tech-priests to be an alternative personification or manifestation of the Emperor. Many native populations display hylotheistic practices, worshipping the Emperor not as a god seated upon a golden throne, but residing in the heart of the sun that burns in their world's sky. Others worship the ocean, storm, sky, fire or any number of similar aspects that may over time come to signify the Emperor or a Primarch in the Chapter's own rituals and teachings.

Philosophy and Makeup
The purpose of a Chapter is very simple: to kill the enemies of the Emperor, the heretics and Xenos that infest the galaxy: they are the HAMMER of the Emperor, his strong right arm, they CRUSH the enemy: that is their purpose in life.

They don't go around being nice to people;

They don't go around making alliances with Xenos;

Space Marines are not sneaky: they do not have their own private spy network, they do not go rooting out hidden cults and they do not, repeat, do NOT oversee the Inquisition (or vice versa) and go around killing all the overzealous Inquisitors who aren't nice.

So, in those lines, you can make up about the Space Marines philosophy. Are they dour and serious, or hermetic, coming out only to battle the enemies of Humanity before returning to their solitude, or do they take a great interest in the universe around them?

Current Status
"We face greenskin invasion rimward, Eldar raiding coreward, rebellion trailing and the tendrils of a Hive Fleet incoming spinward. Situation excellent, attacking on all fronts..."

- Captain Ferdina, Lord of the Marches, Tigers Argent Chapter

Throughout the ten thousand year history of the Imperium, many Chapters have risen to glory before receding into obscurity. Some burn brightly, but are consumed in the fires of their own victories, while others are struck down by the fickle hand of fate. The Codex Astartes counsels a Chapter Master to husband his forces with the utmost care and to take a strategic view on its status, casting his mind forward centuries into the future so that it may stand against any threat that may emerge. Most Chapters strive to maintain a standing force of 1,000 Battle-Brothers, plus additional officers and specialists, but the tides of war and disaster rarely allow such a luxury. The most fortunate and well husbanded of Chapters may be able to field the requisite ten companies, but invariably each will be at least a handful under strength. In the aftermath of an arduous campaign a Chapter may be well below strength and require several years or even decades to fully recover. Some Chapters hover at the verge of extinction, having suffered a terrible defeat or bitter misfortune, and can field but a handful of warriors.

A related point to consider is how the Chapter is deployed across the galaxy. Some Chapters concentrate their efforts in and around one region, particularly those based near the Eye of Terror. Others regard it as their duty to dispatch strike forces to every corner of the Imperium. This point may affect how often a character encounters Battle-Brothers from his own Chapter, whether or not they serve in the Deathwatch, how he interacts with them when he does so. Below are some examples you can use for your Chapter's current status:
 * Endangered - The Chapter numbers only a handful of Companies or less having suffered devastating losses in combat, accident, or dramatic genetic instability. If recovery is even possible it will take many decades, making every Battle-Brother (and his Progenoids) an invaluable resource.
 * Under Strength - The Chapter is recovering from a defeat or accident that occurred several decades ago, or has recently suffered heavy, but not irrecoverable losses. It is probably at a minimum of half strength, and should return to nominal strength within a decade.
 * Nominal - The Chapter can field ten full companies, each with ten squads. In all likelihood most every squad consist of ten brethren and some specialised appointments may be empty, but the Chapter is regarded as fully fit for battle.
 * Over Strength - Some Chapters maintain more than the prescribed ten companies, though it is rare for more than a handful more to be fielded and even then only temporarily. It may be that the Emperor's Tarot has predicted terrible losses ahead, or that the Chapter simply regards its numbers as optimal and cares little for the dictates of the Codex Astartes.

Allies and Enemies
"You give up your humanity that the citizens of the Imperium may keep theirs. Pity or despise them, but never expect them to understand."

- Apothecary Bharan, Adeptus Astartes Death Spectres

While the Space Marines stand aloof from the bulk of humanity, the long millennia of war have often brought about unlikely alliances and rivalries. Perhaps a Chapter stood alongside a particular Imperial Guard regiment during an especially gruelling campaign, and witnessed the sacrifice and nobility of the common Imperial Guard trooper. Conversely, perhaps the Chapter's actions earned it the disapproval of some Imperial body. Having some idea of how the Chapter interacts with other Imperial institutions can provide some interesting plot points and scenarios for your Chapter.

Example Chapter Allies
Below is listed some example allies for your Chapter:
 * Administratum
 * Adeptus Arbites
 * A fellow Adeptus Astartes Chapter
 * Adeptus Astra Telepathica
 * Adeptus Mechanicus
 * Adepta Sororitas
 * Adeptus Titanicus
 * Astropaths
 * Chartist Captains
 * Ecclesiarchy
 * Imperial Guard raised from a certain world
 * Imperial Navy
 * Inquisition
 * Navis Nobilite (Navigators)
 * Officio Assassinorum
 * Planetary Defence Force of a specific world
 * A Rogue Trader dynasty
 * Schola Progenium
 * Scholastica Psykana

Example Chapter Enemies
Below is listed the most common enemies for your Chapter:
 * Orks - Alternatively, you may select a particular WAAAGH! or Warboss.
 * Eldar - Alternatively, you may select a particular Craftworld or leader.
 * Tyranids - Alternatively, you may select a particular Hive Fleet.
 * Chaos Space Marines - You should choose a particular warband, Renegade Chapter, or Traitor Legion.
 * Daemons - A particular Daemon, Daemon Prince or Disciple of Chaos.
 * Chaos-aligned group - A particular Traitor Titan Legion, Chaos pirates, renegade Imperial Guard, ect.
 * Dark Eldar - Alternatively, you may select a particular Kabal or leader.
 * Tau - Alternatively, you may select a particular Tau force or leader.
 * Other - Choose one force or group, such as aliens or heretics or specific cult.

Relations
Who are your Chapter's rivals? How do they relate to other Chapters? To the Imperial Guard, the Imperial Navy? To the Inquisition, the Adeptus Mechanicus, the High Lords of Terra? Are there any Chaos Warlords out there who have it in for them? People are often judged based on their enemies and their friends, so be sure to give you Chapter good ones!

Things NOT to Do When Creating a Fanon Chapter
Here are a few finally things you should NOT do when writing a Fanon Space Marine Chapter:

Po' po' baby
A disturbingly common theme is the 'misunderstood heroes' who are being picked on by the Inquisition/Adeptus Mechanicus/Imperial Guard/Navy/Ecclesiarchy/all of the above, and yet somehow manage to save all of humanity.

This can make an excellent story, but if it's not done very well it just comes off as whiny.

The Inquisition Does NOT have Absolute Control over a Chapter
Also as a note, a worryingly common issue is peoples' misunderstanding of how much authority the Inquisition has over the Adeptus Astartes. The Inquisition has only limited authority over a Chapter, and can't seize control of Chapters or declare them heretics without solid proof of heresy since space marines are so valuable and rare. For the Inquisition to have any kind of direct authority over a Chapter, that Chapter must be a repentant Chapter. The High Lords of Terra may also grant an Inquisitor power over a Chapter under special circumstances.

Moreover, there is a certain conceit that Inquisitors are never right - their pronouncements of heresy are always made because the Inquisitor is just a big bully and doesn't like the Chapter. If you do want Chapter-Inquisition friction, it helps to give the latter group at least a tiny bit of traction.

Do NOT claim your Chapter was created from Traitor Legion Gene-Seed
This is a very sticky issue with many people in the Warhammer 40K community. The suspect gene-seed of the Traitor Legions was placed under a time-locked stasis seal, although at the time, many believed these dangerous stocks of tainted genetic material had been destroyed. Therefore, it is not advisable to write about a Loyalist Successor Chapter of one of the Traitor Legions. Though established GW canon has confirmed that there are such possible Successors, such as the Death Eagles Chapter, which might be the remnant of the Emperor's Children 34th Millennial, that remained loyal to the Emperor, and fought their own traitorous kin during the Horus Heresy.

As to the long term viability of this and other lost Legiones Astartes detachments, it is difficult to say. Given sufficient gene-seed and technical competence it is entirely possible for such a formation to maintain its strength over a protracted period, inducting and training new recruits in the same way as a normal modern-era Space Marine Chapter. If the Death Eagles are indeed descended from the Emperor's Children, it would explain why their true origins have been purposely obfuscated. Such a connection to a reviled Traitor Legion would also be a terrible dishonour and would explain why the Death Eagles' heritage and original Legion colours may have been deliberately obscured from the Imperial record. But keep in mind, this Chapter is the exception, not the norm. You can say that your Chapter doesn't know the exact origin of its gene-seed and hint that their might be a possible connection to Traitor gene-seed, but don't explicitly come out and say it.

Do NOT say that your Chapter is one of the Lost Legions
Established GW canon has already stated that the II and XI Legions were already deliberately expunged from all known Imperial records and archives before the onset of the Horus Heresy in the early 31st Millennium.

Therefore, it would be impossible to have such a Chapter exist, ten millennia later, in the modern 41st Millennium.

Do NOT say that your Chapter is a Space Wolves Successor Chapter
Established GW canon has already made this clear - there are NO Space Wolves Successor Chapters! The only Successor created from their gene-seed were the Wolf Brothers, which ended tragically when they were forcibly disbanded by the Inquisition as a result of the rampant genetic instability and resulting mutation that appeared in the Chapter's Battle-Brothers. This instability may have been the "Wulfen" gene that manifests itself at times in the Space Wolves themselves, most obviously among the Space Marines of the Chapter's 13th Great Company. Not to mention, that in the 32nd Millennium, during the First Battle of the Fang, the Thousand Sons Primarch Magnus the Red destroyed the Space Wolves gene-labs within the Fang, and killed the only Wolf Priest who understood the secrets of the Canis Helix within his Chapter's gene-seed. After this incident, the Space Wolves would forever remain the sole inheritors of the legacy of Primarch Leman Russ. This is not to say that you couldn't imply that your Chapter might display lupine traits within their gene-seed. After all, it wouldn't be the first time that a Chapter's gene-seed would have been tampered with (the 13th and 21st Foundings), but remember, do not implicitly imply that it was derived from Space Wolves genetic stock.

Do NOT claim your Chapter is from the Second Founding
These Chapters were derived when the First Founding Space Marine Legions were sundered into smaller existing formations, known as Chapters. These Chapters are well-established and set in stone by the GW writers. Although, in recent times, there have a some additional Chapters added to the rolls of these ancient and storied Founding. But general rule of thumb, don't do it! But once again, this is the exception, not the norm. Please don't do it!

Do NOT claim your Chapter was created whole from another Chapter
This occurred only once in Imperial history, during the Second Founding, when the First Founding Loyalist Legions were sundered into multiple Chapters, with one retaining the original heraldry, livery and honours of the original Legion. It is impossible for a modern era Chapter to build up large enough to split into two separate Chapters, as legion building is explicitly frowned upon by the leadership of the Imperium.

Do NOT claim your Chapter was created from a lost company
Though there have been recorded incidents within GW established canon where a lost company has decided not to return to their parent Chapter, and has decided to strike out on their own, this doesn't mean that they have become a different entity. At their heart they are still a part of their parent Chapter. For example, a missing company of Ultramarines would still be Ultramarines, therefore, once they managed to make contact with their Chapter home world of Macragge, they would most likely be reabsorbed back into the Chapter.

Do NOT claim your Chapter was secretly created by a Primarch
The Primarchs were the Emperor's genetically modified sons who commanded and led vast Space Marine Legions all across the galaxy. There would be no need for them to create some sort of 'secret' Chapter, as they would instead, add these additional Space Marines to their already existing Legion. As there were 20 existing Space Marine Legions, there would be no need for any such 'secret' Chapter.

Do NOT have your Chapter fulfill the role of another Imperial organisation
Space Marines are foremost amongst the defenders of humanity, the greatest of the Emperor of Mankind's warriors. They are barely human at all, but superhuman; having been made superior in all respects to a normal man by a harsh regime of genetic modification, psycho-conditioning and rigorous training. Space Marines are untouched by plague or any natural disease and can suffer wounds that would kill a lesser being several times over, and live to fight again. They are the God-Emperor's Angels of Death, and they know no fear. They are nigh unstoppable bio-engineered killing machines that specialise in surgical strikes. They are too valuable to perform the jobs that lesser men do.

Do NOT say that your Chapter was Founded by someone other than the High Lords of Terra
Only those who rule on behalf of the Emperor, namely the High Lords of Terra, have the ability to commission a new Founding of Adeptus Astartes. Though this was done at least once, when the Adeptus Mechanicus secretly Founded the Steel Confessors Chapter by utilising the gene-seed of the Iron Hands. After their discovery by the Inquisition, the Steel Confessors were forced to become an independent Chapter of the Adeptus Mechanicus, but they still maintain unusually close ties with the Mechanicum of Mars. However, keep in mind that this is also the exception, not the rule!

Do NOT claim that your Chapter has cured the twin-flaws of Sanguinius
Those Chapters who are descended from the gene-seed of Sanguinius, suffer from the twin genetic flaws known as the Black Rage and the Red Thirst. Although there have been cases where certain Chapters have a lower incidence of these twin flaws compared to the Blood Angels or their fellow Successor Chapters, the cure for these genetic deficiencies are nigh impossible, and even eluded Sanguinius himself when he was still alive. This curse has thwarted all attempts by the Apothecarion of the Scions of Sanguinius for ten millennia, and most likely will continue to remain elusive. Therefore, it is highly advisable not to imply that your Chapter has somehow miraculously found the cure. This is both insulting and highly unlikely.