Iron Praetorians

Iron Praetorians is a 23rd Founding Chapter that is Fleet based. The Chapter is a Imperial Fist successor Chapter. The Iron Praetorians possess a unusual high number of Techmarines and is known to favour employing heavy weaponry and shock assault tactics when in combat. The Chapter also loves to employ the Land Raider Achilles variant and is known to have more Land Raider Achilles than any other chapters. The Chapter is also known to employ Heavy Ordnance Weaponry.

Chapter History
Not much were known during the early days of the chapter but the Iron Praetorians current records shows that there is a tragedy which shaped the current stance the Chapter is holding. However, according to records kept by the Adeptus Terra showed that the Iron Praetorian was once a Codex following Chapter that even rivaled their progenitor Chapter, the Imperial Fist. But all that change after the Chapter met with a tragedy.

The ttragedy was known as the Tragedy of Victus VIII, where 80% of the Chapter gene seed, records and relics was lost due to void combat with Orks. After the tragedy, the remnants of the Iron Praetorians decided to split the remaining gene seed and surviving records and relics among the existing ships. Never again shall all the gene seed be gathered or hold in one ship to prevent the Chapter existence from being threatend.

After the tragedy, the number of ships the Iron Praetorian possessed lessen and replacement were hard to come by during the aftermath. The remnants of the chapter decided to liberate several Imperial Navy ships that were taken over by Orks. As the years goes by, the Chapter rebuild its number and the policy of every ships having some amount of gene seed, records and relics. The remaining Battle Barge the Wrath of Siniux became the Fleet primary command ship.

The current Iron Praetorian chapter fleet roam the Segmentum Obscurus looking for enemies to kill, especially Orks. (work in progress)

Chapter Organization
The Iron Praetorians does not follow the Codex Astartes, instead it organizes itself according to the fleet disposition of ships. With the decision made after the tragedy, the fleet is divided into several strikeforces and a Home Fleet. Each Strikeforces are modeled after the Black Templars Crusade Fleet but are different in their own areas.

Each strikeforces have their own command ship. Instead of having a single ship carrying the entire chapter legacy (geneseed, records, relics, etc), they are split evenly among each strikeforce.

According to current Chapter records, 3 strikeforce exist after the Tragedy: Each strikeforce is independent from one another, but every 10 years the strikeforces will return to the Home Fleet to swap stories, records and battle honours or when a strikeforce suffers casualties that requires the Home Fleet assistance.
 * 1) Strikeforce Orion
 * 2) Strikeforce Sigma
 * 3) Strikeforce Maxim (Lost in Warp)

Each strikeforce command is occasionally in rotation basis to allow the Centurions (captains) a chance of command. It is common among the Chapter to reassign Centurions from one strikeforce to another for training purposes. When a Centurion leads a Strikeforce, he is known as the Force Commander.

The company organization in each strikeforce are as follows:


 * Veteran Company
 * Shock Company (Tactical)


 * Assault Company
 * Heavy Company (Devastators)


 * Iron Company (Vehicles)

When a strikeforce suffers serious casualties, the company is organized as follow: The Home Fleet is compromised of the Chapter remaining Battle Barge, two Forgeships, 4 Dominator Class Cruisers and several escort frigates. The Home Fleet is currently lead by the Chapter current Praetor (Chapter Master) Octavius Maximus onboard the ''Wrath of SIniux. ''The Home Fleet purposes is to recruit new battle brother/initiates and repair any damages to the fleet, strikeforce and Chapter Equipments. Occasionally, when the new recruits pass the initiation tests and becomes Neopyhtes. Several of the new Neophyhtes are chosen then reassign to Strikeforce in Operation to replace the losses suffered by the Strikeforces.
 * Light Company (scouts)
 * Veteran Company
 * Light Company

The Home Fleet only maintains three companies at all times:
 * Veteran Company
 * Iron Company
 * Light Company

Specialist ranks
The Iron Praetorians Space Marine Chapter maintain several specialist ranks or titles among the chapter in accordance to their Chapter's culture and belief.
 * 1) Siege Master
 * 2) *To obtain the rank or title Siege Master in the chapter, the aspiring Iron Praetorian battle brother must prove his worth not only in the heat of battle but also before and after the battle in the terms of logistical and admistrative field. Another requirement is that, one must prove his tenacity and discipline when it comes to Siege Warfare. However, before obtaining the rank or title Siege Master, only the Chapter's Praetor and Centurions have the right to bestow that prestigious rank and title to those that have further potential. So far, the Chapter records indicate there's only been 17 Siege Master from the time the Chapter Reform.

Chapter Recruitment
The Iron Praetorian doesn't have any set worlds to recruit from as they are a Fleet-based chapter. As such, the Iron Praetorians values aspirants recruited from Feudal and Hive Worlds to replendish their numbers. The Chapter Recruiment is done solely by the Home Fleet but there have been several times where a Strikeforce is seperated from the Home Fleet for some time that the Strikeforce is force to recruit from worlds that are in range of the Strikeforce.

The worlds that the Iron Praetorians have recruited from ranges from the Segmentum Solar to Segmentum Pacificus.

Campaigns

 * Tragedy of Victus VIII

Notable Iron Praetorians
Chapter Master Octavius Maximus

Centurion Thanx

Centurion Fenix

Centurion Alexius

Force Commander Jax

Decurio Epsilon

Chapter Relics
Thunder Culverin 
 * The relic Thunder Culverin is a mastercrafted Thunder Cannon made by an unknown Techmarine during the early days of the Chapter. The relic is known for its relative small size but packing the potent firepower of the original version. The Thunder Culverin has been utilize in many warzone after the Chapter reform. It was one of the several recovered or salvaged relic during the aftermath of the Tradegy of Victus VIII.

Fist of Krios
 * The Fist is a potent thunder hammer crafted by a unknown artisan. The hammer utilize several archaic lightning and electrical tech that makes each hit emits a shockwave blast. The Fist is currently in the possession of the Praetor Octavius.

Saiyan Blade

Wrath End
 * The Wrath End is a more of a "mini" version of an Ordinatus where the first Chapter Master of the Iron Praetorians conceive the idea and assembled it during the early days of the chapter. The Wrath End was one of the surviving artillery pieces the chapter managed to salvage after the Tragedy of Victus VIII. The Wrath End is a Colossus Heavy Bombard Cannon mounted on a extended tracked platform that carries the huge shells of the cannon. The platform is protected by several heavy bolters to defend from mass infantry attacks and several lascannon are mounted for anti-armor protection.

Chapter Fleet
As of now, the Iron Praetorian now possess several variants of Imperial Ships other than the standard Space Marine ships. The number of ships in the Iron Praetorian fleet/strikeforce is below 40 ships.
 * The Supreme Wrath (Battle Barge, destroyed)
 * Wrath of Siniux (Battle Barge)
 * Light of Sollex (Retribution class Battleship)
 * more to come

Allies
Feel free to add

Enemies
Orks

Feel free to add

Influence
The Iron Praetorians is mostly based upon the Old Roman Empire Praetorian Guard. The chapter also draws inspirations from Germany Heavy Siege Hotwitzers from the 2nd world war, notably "Big Bertha", "Karl Gerat" and "Bruno". The Shock and Assault company draws influence from the Red Army Guards infantry and Stormtroopers.