Stonehides

 

The Stonehides are a relatively little-known chapter of the Space Marines, located in the Damocles Gulf. For much of their history, the Stonehides have acted as arbiters in the Damocles Gulf, handling minor Chaos and Xenos threats. They participated briefly in the Damocles Gulf Crusade against the Tau. Following the conclusion of the Crusade, the Stonehides have an informal, mutual non-interferance agreement with the Tau Empire.

Chapter History
The Stonehides Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes were established at some point in M35-M36. The lack of a definitive record of the Chapter's founding has lead some to suspect that the Stonehides were formed during the 13th Founding (Also referred to as the "Dark Founding," it is largely considered to be one of the greatest disasters in Imperial record keeping). While their exploits are not as grand or public as better known chapters, the Stonehides have developed a local reputation as solid, unwaveringly dependable warriors who would do even the Ultramarines proud in battle.

Combat Doctrine
The Stonehides place little interest on vehicles, primarily making use of the Thunderhawk Gunship, Land Raider, Drop Pod, and Land Speeder. They prefer to stay light and mobile under all circumstances. There is an old imperial proverb which states that the Imperial Guard are the Emperor's hammer, and the Adeptus Astartes are the Emperor's scalpel. Following that reasoning, it could be said that the Stonehides are like the tip of a needle, fielding small, 5-man squads to make rapid, precision strikes. They place a high value on accurate shooting and conservation of ammunition, and are extensively trained in the use of heavy combat knives.