Blazing Claws

The Blazing Claws Chapter is a mighty Semi-codex Space Marine Chapter that make heavy use of machines and relations with the Machine Spirit, much like their founding chapter, the Iron Hands.

They are best known for their skills in fighting and destroying xenos, many of them serving time in the Ordo Xenos Deathwatch.

History
The Chapter's history has been well kept, them tracing their linage way back to the 4th founding, where they were created using the Iron Hand's gene seed. The purpose of their creation is one of the few pieces of information that has been lost, but it is theroised that they were created to fight the enclosing tyranid hive fleet tendrils on the eastern fringe.

After their founding the chapter quickly gained a great reputation for striking down the foul aliens that apposed the imperium wil uncomprimisable ruthlessness and ease. With no assistance they completley wiped out two complete hive fleets, and greately damaged others.

But what they were strong against, brought their first failure.

It happened when their chapter planet, Ancheron Prime fell into the maw of the Tyranind hive fleet, Oranos, and In the bloody battles that followed, every marine in the chapter except 172 was killed or went missing.

The sacred, chalky white soil of Ancheron Prime seemed to turn dark orange from all the blood spilt. The remaining 61 Terminators, 110 Marines and one Dreadnought fought off the remainder of the fleet before it grew smart enough to retreat. It is not known how such a phenomenon occured, But the Marines of the Chapter say that the battle was fought with fire in their hearts and courage beyond the scope of fearlessness.

In honor of the bravery and sheer determination of the marines, the entire chapter painted their black armour orange, and their insignia changed from a clenched steel fist to an open one, surrounded by flames; the flames symbolising the fire in the hearts of the remaining marines.

Today the chapter has been restored to their former glory, but the failure of that unholy day still scars the of the chapter, and to this day, even though they have preformed feats way beyond the expectation of any normal chapter, still wait for a chance of redemption.

The Chapter today
Known reports about Tyranid army tactics are being revised, and the current conclusion is that the terrible "Hive Tyrant of Hive Tyrants" appears when a hive fleet is distressed, known and feared as, The Swarmlord. But such information has been countered by the report of the remnants of the fleet being finished off by the Sons of Thor Chapter before they were sent off to their final mission in the cursed crusade, The Necrus IV Tombworld Extermination. But the Tyranid race is a vast organism, remants of the fleet may still be gathering biomass from backwater worlds.

Whatever the threat, the Blazing Claws stand ever vigilant against the horror, and are ever-waiting to avenge their honour-killers. The survivors of the battle have had and individual silver statues of every single one of them erected in the greatest fortress-cathedral, all being overlooked by a larger gold statue, remembering the fallen marines.

Ranking System
The Chapter have a semi-codex traditions, similar in which they are a chapter of 1000 marines, utilise purity seals and the style of the hunour markings, but their rank names and their uniforms differ.

 Nox Marine - Recruits start off as Nox Marines (scouts) where they form part of a squad, usually in squads of 5-10 led by a Nox Sergeant. They utilise scouting roles and snipers. They wear scout armour, with the usual "No trim" on their shoulder pads.

 Nox Hunter - The Marine has now earned the right to wear full power armour. They now group in squads of 10-15 as strike squads led by Elite Nox Sergeant a but usually dont take specified roles.

 Specialised roles - Premoted again the marines can take specialised roles. Some similair to pure codex roles, and other specialised ones. The usual names are provided next to the classes that apper in regular codex chapters.

Inferno Hunter- (Devastator) Provide heavy fire support, favouring Plasma Cannons.

Fire Angel- (Assault Marine) Squads favour flamers and heavy flamers, but also utelise the standard chainsword and bolt pistol.

All angels have wing designs painted onto the sides of their jump packs, and flame designs on their weapons.

Fire Striker- (Assault Marines without jump packs) These marines almost always use chainwords and bolt pistols.

Knights- Are Fire Strikers, but are very elite and always eqiupped with a powersword and bolt pistol. Usually a single squad of ten is found in every company form 8 to 3, then in the second company there are 2 squads of 15. Sometimes appear with jump packs, in which they are referenced as Knight Angels.

Veteran roles-  When a marine reaches the first company, there are a lot of roles he may be induced into.

Paladin- (Sternguard Veteran) Elite warriors of the Chapter, they are unstoppable bringers of the emperor's wrath, equipped with the finest weapons and adorned with many glistening honours. A very powerful weapon, eqiupped by many veterans is the famous, flaming powersword.

Blazing Angels- (Vanguard Veteran) Just as powerful and honourable as the Paladins, but with jump packs.

Claw Paladin- (Tactical Dreadnought, or better known as, a Terminator) The emperors most finest, equipped with many deadly weapons including power fists, storm bolters,Thunder hammers and storm sheilds, and the most favoured, lightning claws. The go to war encased in the strongest adamantum power armour. They are a force to be reckoned with, and are the strongest warriors of the chapter.

Elie Paladin-(Veteran Sergeant) The strongest of the veterans, these individuals lead them into battle using their great leadership skills and foresight learned in the many years in the ranks. Also appear as Vanguard Sergeants, which are known as Elite Angels.

Charred Champion- A Paladin or Angel that has earned the right to become a banner bearer. Their armour is black instead of orange (harks back to the chapter's history)

Masters- The Company Champions, Uniform similair to a paladin's except it is covered in carved honours, and wear advanced carapace armour.

Great Master- The First Company Champion.

Great Paladin-(Commanders of other companies) The Highest Paladins leading the companies. Some are former Elite Angels (Great Angels).

Grand Paladin- (Chapter Master and captain of first company, if were vanguard veterans are known as Grand Angels)

Dreadnoughts- Dreadnoughts are known as Blazing Guardiuns, and are the immortal guardiuns of the chapter and sacred beacons of faith. If they are a venerable dreadnought, are referred to as Archangels, or Venerable Blazing Guardiuns

Other special roles-

The Apothicarion and Librarium have, unlike the rest of the chapter kept their traditional rank names and uniforms.

The Chaplains have also kept their traditional uniforms, but are known as Inferno Priests.

They also have a very large amount of techmarines.

Companies
The Chapter is comprised of 1000 marines, like all codex chapter, and is comprised of ten companies, each consisting of 100 marines. Every Company has their own speciality, and also each have their own company colours, which are worn by the sergeants of each squad.

1st Veteran Company (Gold):

Commanded by the Chapter master, Grand Paladin Ardus Ortocus. The veteran company, consisting of one hundred veterans of a thousand campaigns.

2nd Company (White-silver):

Commanded by Great Paladin Erudix Gandrus.

3rd Company (Black):

Commanded by Great Paladin

4th Company (Turquoise):

Commanded by Great Paladin

5th Company (Light Blue):

Commanded by Great Paladin

6th Company (white):

Commanded by Great Paladin

Reserve Company

7th Company (Bronze):

Commanded by Great Paladin

8th Company(Dark Silver):

Commanded by Great Paladin

9th Company (Orange):

Commanded by Great Paladin

10th Scout Company (No trim):

Commanded by Great Paladin

Reserve Company

Recruitment
The Blazing claws take all of their future recruits from their chapter planet Ancheron Prime, taking them from only the strongest barbaric clans that wander this world's salt wastes. This recruitment apparently also ties in with the nomad's religion, them believing that the strongest of men have proven themselves worthy, the "The Sky God" takes these warriors to go fight for him amongst the clouds. This belief has not been classed as a "heretic" religion, being that their description of the sky god is quite similar to the God-Emperor himself.

Tactics
There are many methods of specialised warfare that have been perfected, and are at the disposal of the chapter, each serving a different purpose, and is directed towards a different kind of foe.

Nox Hunters
Fist of Ferrus Manus: A Nox Hunter squad equipped with with two rocket launchers will fire frag missiles both at the same time at the designated target. This tactic can also be used with Krak Missiles. The rest of the squad will usually fire at the same target with their boltguns, making the resulting effect devastating. In game terms, a single large blast template is used instead of two small blast templates, and the balistic skill for the firer would be increased by 1 if it were to scatter.

If Krak missiles are decided to be used, the resulting attack is Strength:9 AP:2, but there is no bonus to the firer's balisitic skill.

The rest of the squad can sacrifice their shooting attacks to make the shot count as twin-linked.

Flames of Hell: A Nox Hunter squad armed with two flamers fire both their flamers at the same target, using the flamer's entire fuel cistrens. In game terms a single large blast template replaces the two teardrop templates, and does not roll to scatter. The blast is Strength:4 AP:5, Heavy:2. It does count as a heavy weapon rather than an assault weapon due that the flamers need to be reloaded.

White Spear: This attack is used with two Plasma guns or two Meltaguns. Both shots are directed at the target from opposite ends, so that both ends of the target are hit. Sometimes this result can be disasterous, with one weapon overheating making the attack horribly weakened. If the two marines carrying the heavy weapons are at opposite ends of the squad, they may shoot at a single target with this ability. The resulting attack is Strength:3+2D6 AP:1 with the meltaguns, the strength going up to a maximum of 10, and Strenth:2D6 AP:2, Rapid Fire for the Plasma Guns (The "Gets Hot!" rule still applies)

Fire Angels
Rain of Flame: A squad of Fire angels armed with flamers fly over the enemy, raining them in fire. A fire angels squad may be fully eqipped with flamers, and then they may use this ability. The fire angel squad may move over the squad in the movement phase (Up to a maximum of 18"). The amount of flamers in the squad is the amount of small blast templates that are directed against the enemy (They do not scatter). The Attack is counts as a G-36" attack, but can only be used on the squad that the Fire angels have flown over. It is also Strength:5 Ap:4, and ignores cover.

Inferno Hunters
Solar Lance:Any plasma cannons in an Inferno hunters squad roll to scatter twice and pick the highest score. The entire squad may be armed with them.

Flaming Powerswords
Any model equipped with a powersword may re-roll failed wounds.

Battle Cry
"(Chaplain) We Strike with the force of a million thunderbolts!

(Marines) None shall survive the fury of the claws!!"

Also known to use the following alternate mottoes:

"For Ferrus Manus! For the Emperor!!"

"The enemy shall burn in the flames of the Emperor's wrath!!"

Fleet
Like most codex chapters, the Blazing Claws have an impressive space fleet. Below are listed the most important and commonly seen vessels in the fleet, though usually a massive amount of associated crafts accompany them.
 * White Phoenix- Battle Barge, 1st Company, flagship of the Blazing Claws Fleet.
 * The Cleansing flame- Strike Cruiser, 2nd Company.
 * Inferno Tempest- Strike Cruiser, 3rd Company.
 * Blazing Crusader- Strike Cruiser, 4th Company.
 * Mawstriker II- Strike Cruiser, 5th Company.
 * Black Flame- Strike Cruiser, 6th Company.
 * The Silver Claw- Strike Cruiser, 7th Company.
 * Immolator- Strike Cruiser, 8th Company.
 * Nox Lance- Strike Cruiser, 9th Company.

Grand Paladin Ardus Ortocus
Ardus En-mex Ortocus is a legendary leader and a brilliant master of war, because of his guidance, the chapter defeated an entire hive fleet and kept the chapter's honour even against impossible odds.

Though few have seen him without his helmet on, from loose evidence it is said that his entire body is covered in servere burns, and half his face has been replaced with bionics. He is equipped with a bayonetted storm bolter and a flaming powersword.

Great Angel Erudix Gandrus.
The captain of the second company, Erudix is very skilled at using boltguns on the battlefeild, so much so that he uses it as just another close combat weapon, holding it in one hand while the other carries a flaming powersword.

Epistolary Orar Karexus
The Cheif Librarian of the Chapter, and an Alpha level psyker. He is equipped with a force mace and a plasma pistol. Little is known about him other than the fact he has be declared as a heretic by several inquisitors due to his split personalities. His psychic extent is so powerful that on at least two ossasions was thought to be an Alpha plus level psyker.

He is constantly accompanied by four Masters as an honor guard, secretly keeping vigilant if he ever were to cross the fine line between service to the emperor and eternal damnination.

Squad Infernis
The mysterious squad 7 of the first company, this team of Claw Paladins had mysteriously dissapeared during the battle of desolate plains, not a trace of them was to be found. They were recorded as Missing in action by imperial records, and have rumored to have died.

But on several accounts there were reported sightings of this squad aiding their brothers when all hope is lost, when entire squads get killed in desperate wars. The appear from thin air and strike down the enemies with ease, while they are unharmed.

There are only two pict-captures of these spectres, both from different sightings. One showing what is identified as the Elite Claw Sergeant (Terminator Sergeant) Ajax Infernis appearing as a burning ghost, and the second showing another brother, in the form of a glowing spectre. It is unknown what had happened to these battle-brothers, but their faith has remained untouched by the perils of chaos.

It is theroised that this squad has received the same fate of the Legion of the Damned



Relations with the Ordo Xenos
Because of their skill in fighting aliens, many members of the chapter have been called to serve in the Deahwatch. For older members of the chapter, In order not to insult machine spirits (As their armour already has two coats of paint) Each marine his their own suit of armour in which he fights in while serving. They fight alongside many other vigilant servants of the order, like the Crimson Fists Chapter. They are most noted for their common appearances with the imperial guard as Deathwatch Kill Teams.

Appearance and Heraldry
The marines of the chapter wear orange power armour with black shoulder pads. Their trim is left unpainted, respecting the machine spirits of the armour. They also use turqiose on special honours and veteran's tabards and cloaks. Squad leaders also have light blue stripes painted onto their helmets.Terminators appearing in a slightly lighter tinge of orange, and their shoulder pads are left black with flame designs painted onto them, which supposedley symbolises fury and venegance. Assault marines also have wing designs painted onto the sides of their jump packs and flame designs on their weapons.

Gallery