Iron Bulls

Iron Bulls
"'We are the Emperor's fist that floors of his enemies and His boot that crushes their skulls. We fight in his name, for his people. Do not stop, my brothers, do not pause for breath or to tend to your wounds, fight until there is no one left to fight, for the honor of his name, fight!' "                                                                                                        -Ryork, Chapter Masters of the Iron Bulls

The Iron Bulls are a Loyalist Codex-Compliant chapter of the Adeptus Astartes created during the 25th founding in the 41th Millennium, a successor Chapter of the Ultramarine. A relatively young chapter, they are notable in their determination to document in detail their history, an effort undertaken by their Mast Librarian Ikos Yurin, who regards it as his duty to ensure the deeds and sacrifices of his brothers are not forgotten. They maintain their Fortress Monastery on the world of Toranus III, a world they reshaped to their own purposes after overthrowing the planets former, corrupt Imperial ruler. They regard anyone who is not faithful to the Emperor as in violation of his will, and as such they maintain an unusually positive relationship with the inquisition, willingly working with the Ordo Xenos and Hereticus during several campaigns without any hesitation.

History
The Seizing of Toranus III

The chapter was still not up to full strength when it's new Master, Ryork, ordered a purge of Toranus III. The planet was under siege from Ork Pirates led by an Ork Warboss known as Kraz' Guk the Loud, after the corrupt Governor, Irok Grul, had foolishly sought riches by trading illegal goods with the disparate band of Greenskins. Had it not been for a trapped Inquisitor of the Ordo Xenos desperately seeking aid before falling to the Greenskins, the world would have been decimated by the horde. The Iron Bulls had begun their first patrols in the same sector, and thus were the ones to answer the call.

With only a single, small battle-barge, the Spirit of Honour, at their disposal and a complement of only three companies they arrived into orbit over Toranus. The Ork Pirates had fled at the first sight of the Astartes vessel, and Master Ryork quickly led his untested Marines to the planets surface. They found a scene of utter destruction. The Governor and his Guardsmen had fled without firing a single shot, leaving the civilians of the cities to be butchered by the Greenskins. The only resistance came from the planets native Tech-tribes, savages with early industrial-era technology, who had been driven to the planet's fringes by Imperial colonists centuries before. They battled the Orks with a fierce resolve that was matched only by the Iron Bulls themselves. Quickly the Iron Bulls drove the Orks into the southern most tip of the continent, before turning their attention to the cowardly guardsmen that had emerged to put down the 'tribal rebellion'. Unimpressed by the excuses of the Governor, Ryork unleashed a brutal justice upon him and his Regiment. Half the Regiment was ordered to execute the other half under the watchful eye of the Astartes, whilst their Governor was chained to the front of a Chimera tank so that he may finally lead his remaining men to fight against the Orks.

The regiment was given a chance to redeem itself, driven forward onto the Orks by the Iron Bulls at their flank, ready to execute any who return to their ways of cowardice. None did, and they fought alongside the brave tribal natives to free their world. The Orks were driven back further and further towards the Coast, until with no where to go, Kraz' Guk led a last stand against the human armies. It was here that Ryork, a giant even among his Brother Marines, met the Pirate leader in combat. The Ork managed to grasp his might foes head with his Great Claw, but before he could crush the man's skull the Chapter Master ripped off his arm and drove his mighty thunder hammer down on the Ork's head, smashing it open like an egg. The warband fell into disarray, and were slaughtered by the Iron Bulls. None of the Guardsmen survived, but in their deaths they had restored their honor among the Brothers of the chapter, who lauded their bravery in the imperial records. Irok's broken body was cut from the remains of the Chimera and burned with his men. The Iron bulls then began to scour every inch of land the Orks had touched, eradicating their menace from the world for good.

Ryork had so been impressed by the bravery of the tribesmen that he forged a pact with the natives, they would be free to live in peace on the planet's untouched North continent, whilst the Chapter would establish their base on the burning remains of the South. Here Ryork had found a source of recruits whose fierceness and determination matched his own, and within a century he had completed the Chapters Fortress Monastery upon the ruins of the old Governors Palace.

Organisation and Equipment
The Chapter adheres closely to the structures laid out Roboute Guilliman in the Codex Astartes, it is divided into ten companies, each lead by a Captain, and each Company is divided into ten squads led by a Sergeant. The only deviation from the vision set out by their Primarch is that their Chapter Master is virtually always leading his men on the field, leaving the administration of his Chapter to the Master Librarian Ikos Yurin, an erudite and highly organized leader that oversees the running of the Fortress Monastery with brutal efficiency. He ensures the chapter is fully stocked with new neophytes, equipment and vehicles, even after an arduous Campaign drains their resources. He also records every action the Chapter takes, every brother that falls in battle or commits an act worthy of note, even moments that the Chapter would rather not remember, lest they forget their mistakes and repeat them.

Military Doctrine
The Iron Bulls do not win their battles through grand, complex strategy or defensive campaigns of attrition, they attack hard and are relentless in their charge. Much as their Primarch did, they first analyse their enemy and adapt to best strike at their weaknesses. This process is almost instant usually, upon seeing a heavily mechanized foe they will call forth additional anti-armor weaponry, whilst a lighter force will be met with overwhelming firepower. On an individual level, the Iron Bulls are trained to be particularly tough, a blow that would fell another Marine would often not even knock an Iron Bull down, fighting until they either cannot remain conscious or the fighting stops, and they succumb to their wounds peacefully. Such dogged determination combined with the strategy of all out aggression can often break the will of an enemy; seeing the Bulls charge, shaking off every hit in an seemingly unstoppable onslaught that just keeps coming can shatter the moral of any force stood against them.