Space Marine (Warhammer 40,000)

File:Space Marine Codex.jpg

The current Space Marine sourcebook (codex) cover

The Space Marines are one of the major forces available in the table-top wargame Warhammer 40,000. They are also known as the Adeptus Astartes and by the sobriquet "Angels of Death". They are the supersoldiers of the Imperium of Man. The Space Marines can be seen as the scalpel of the Imperium, as compared to the sledgehammer of the Imperial Guard.

They are elite soldiers, specially chosen for natural ability, and have their innate superiority enhanced further by a combination of extensive training, mental conditioning and genetic alteration. Their dedication and steadfastness is a product of this superiority and indoctrination. Their structure and cultures are monastic in nature although often display features of other strict martial orders and warriors cultures throughout history.

As befits such an elite force they are given equipment to match their abilities. They wear power armour to give them all-over protection and the ability to survive in hostile environments, and are equipped with superior weaponry as well, in the form of Bolters. Space Marines are also much taller than a standard human being, somewhere between eight and ten feet high when clad in their power armour.

The Space Marines are heavily inspired by earlier works of science fiction, including the Mobile Infantry from the novel Starship Troopers, the Sardaukar from the novel Dune and especially the Laserburn tabletop wargame setting.

Structure

The Adeptus Astartes is believed by many in the Imperium to be made up of just over 1,000 Chapters each with a nominal fighting strength of 1,000 Space Marines. Individual Chapters have their own identity, heritage, fighting style and practice of beliefs. Most of the Chapters follow the tome known as the Codex Astartes, a treatise on the operations and procedures that should be followed by Space Marines, compiled prior to, during and after the Second Founding by the Ultramarines Primarch, Roboute Guilliman.

A few of the Chapters have been described in detail especially those that differ significantly from the norm ("non-Codex"). The majority of the rest have been left undescribed and this allows a player to make up their own history and colour scheme for their army.

Each "Codex" Chapter is made up of ten numbered Companies, each of the first nine containing one hundred Space Marines, led by a command squad consisting of a Captain, Chaplain and Librarian. The First Company is made up of the most experienced Marines, with the Second through Ninth Companies being regular warriors. In a standard "Codex" Chapter, the 2nd to 5th Companies are called "Battle Companies", and comprise of a mixture of Tactical, Assault and Devastator squads. The 6th through 9th Companies are "Reserve Companies", and consist solely of Tactical squads in the 6th and 7th Companies, Assault squads in the 8th and Devastator squads in the 9th. The Marines of the Reserve Companies are often used to crew vehicles attached to battle groups. The Tenth Company is usually comprised of Scouts, new recruits into the Chapter who lack the experience of the rest of the Chapter and are yet to be fully inducted and the Company size is flexible. This is not always the case, as some Chapters have more than 1,000 Marines because they do not directly adhere to the Codex. The Black Templars, for example, have many "Crusades" and are rumoured to have 5 or 6,000 Marines.

They are a unique section in the Imperium in that they are independent of Imperial Law. Like the Adeptus Mechanicus, the Adeptus Astartes are an autonomous entity within the usually totalitarian regime of the Imperium. They have their own space transports, and each Chapter occupies its own homeworld or star fortress (and other equivalents). By comparison the Imperial Guard has to rely upon the Navy for transport; a deliberate move to curtail their power. Even Inquisitors, whose power and authority is considered unlimited, use discretion when dealing with Space Marines and generally ask for assistance instead of demanding. Because of this they are viewed as dangerous, although valuable allies.

History

The Legions

The First Space Marines were produced using genetic material of the God-Emperor's twenty Primarchs. These were exceptional individuals, with great and varied powers. There were twenty Legions, each under the command of a Primarch. The Legions were incredible fighting forces, composed of Mankind's greatest warriors and armed with the most advanced weaponry and equipment available to the Imperium. Each Legion contained thousands of Marines, the only limit being the amount of Gene-seed the Legion had for transforming humans.

During the Horus Heresy, in the 31st millennium, nine of the Legions were corrupted by the forces of Chaos, and rebelled against the Imperium. The traitors were eventually defeated but it was decided to divide the nine loyal Legions into smaller groups called Chapters, each consisting of approximately a thousand Marines, to prevent any individual from ever again wielding enough power to pose a serious threat of rebellion. Each Chapter has some history back to one of the original loyal Legions.

Loyalists

During the Horus Heresy, 9 Legions remained loyal to the Emperor. After the defeat of Horus the Legions were separated into smaller "Chapters" of 1,000 Marines (or 10 Companies) each. This was to prevent a single commander from becoming another warmaster like Horus. The first Chapter of each of the old Legions retains the name of the founding Legion. All subsequent Chapters gain their own names and are referred to as Successor Chapters.

Loyal Legions
Name	No.	Primarch	Primarch's World	Current Base of Operation	Comments
Dark Angels	I	Lion El'Jonson	Caliban (Destroyed)	The Rock (asteroid base)	The first Legion to be created by the Emperor. The Dark Angels and their successors refer to themselves as "The Unforgiven". Highly secretive, they hunt the "Fallen Angels" who sided with Chaos as an attempt to redeem themselves of the taint on their names. Their gene-seed is stable, but is rarely used to raise new chapters.
White Scars	V	Jaghatai Khan	Mundus Planus	Mundus Planus	The White Scars have a Mongolian-inspired culture and fast-attack doctrines. The Chapter makes extensive use of Blitzkrieg-like tactics, their strategies based chiefly on those of Genghis Khan. They are feared for their ability to storm the battlefield with lightning speed. They are almost never out-manuevered on the battlefield.
Space Wolves	VI	Leman Russ	Fenris	Fenris (The Fang)	The Space Wolves are fierce warriors with an organisation that differs strongly to other Chapters. Though their loyalty is unquestioned, they are known for their fiercely anti-authority attitudes. The Space Wolves' culture and background is heavily influenced by the Viking civilisation.
Imperial Fists	VII	Rogal Dorn	Holy Terra	Space (Phalanx)	The Imperial Fists were charged with defending Holy Terra itself during the Siege of the Emperor's Palace, thus being one of the most honoured armies of Man.
Blood Angels	IX	Sanguinius	Baal Secundus	Baal Prime, Secundus	The Blood Angels and their Successor Chapters have suffered from various gene-seed flaws, primarily the "Red Thirst" or "Black Rage" since the death of their Primarch (their pale skin and sharp canine teeth lend the Chapter a somewhat vampiric appearance to accompany this taint). The Blood Angels excel at close combat and assault tactics.
Iron Hands	X	Ferrus Manus	Medusa	Medusa	The Chapter's warriors display a high incidence of cybernetic modifications to their bodies and all recruits have the left hand removed and replaced with a cybernetic replacement.
Ultramarines	XIII	Roboute Guilliman	Macragge	Macragge (Fortress of Hera)	The Ultramarines are rigid adherents to the Codex Astartes, and are the canonical Space Marine Chapter from whose genetic material most new Foundings are drawn, since their gene-seed is still possessed of all 19 implants.
Salamanders	XVIII	Vulkan	Nocturne	Prometheus (moon of Nocturne)	Technically-adept warriors with a preference for short-ranged combat, the Salamanders favour heat-based weaponry and, visually, have an almost tribal appearance, with scarification being common among the Chapter's warriors.
Raven Guard	XIX	Corax	Deliverance (originally named Lycaeus)	Deliverance (Ravenspire Tower)	The Raven Guard specialise in hit-and-run assaults using jump packs and extensive use of scout Marines.

Traitor Legions

Of the Legions, nine sided with Horus and the forces of Chaos during the Horus Heresy. After their defeat they fled into the Eye of Terror, becoming the Chaos Space Marines.

Traitor Legions
Name	No.	Primarch	Primarch's World	Current Base of Operations	Comments
Emperor's Children	III	Fulgrim	Chemos (Unknown status, presumed destroyed)	Eye of Terror	Once the most loyal and steadfast defenders of humanity, the Emperor's Children now are hedonistic devotees of Slaanesh, deriving pleasure from the most extreme actions and sensations. They are also renowned for sonic warfare.
Iron Warriors	IV	Perturabo	Olympia (Destroyed)	Medrengard (Eye of Terror)	The Iron Warriors are siege and trench warfare specialists. They favour heavy weaponry and fortifications.
Night Lords	VIII	Konrad Kurze/Night Haunter	Nostramo (Destroyed)	Eye of Terror	The Night Lords specialise in raids and terror tactics, taking special interest in psychological warfare.
World Eaters	XII	Angron	No Record	Eye of Terror	The World Eaters are the chosen ones of Khorne and favour close combat. The Legion have devolved into bloodthirsty fanatics with no organised command structure, with a common desire to spill blood and collect skulls for their God.
Death Guard	XIV	Mortarion	Barbarus (Destroyed)	Plague Planet (Eye of Terror)	The Death Guard are plague-ridden devotees of Nurgle who are driven to spread plague and pestilence across the galaxy to please their god. They are amongst the most organized of the Chaos Space Marines.
Thousand Sons	XV	Magnus the Red	Prospero (Destroyed)	Planet of the Sorcerers (Eye of Terror)	The Thousand Sons are favoured by Tzeentch and value knowledge, especially arcane. The majority of the Legion have been rendered incorporeal by the Rubric of Ahriman and fight as walking suits of armour, led by the Legion's Sorcerers.
Luna Wolves/Sons of Horus	XVI	Horus	Cthonia (Destroyed)	Eye of Terror	The Luna Wolves were renamed to Sons of Horus by the Emperor in honour of Warmaster Horus before the Horus Heresy erupted. After Horus’ death, Abaddon the Despoiler renamed them as the Black Legion, to remove the name of Horus after his defeat.
Word Bearers	XVII	Lorgar	Colchis (Destroyed)	Sicarus (Eye of Terror), Ghalmek (Maelstrom)	The Word Bearers are strongly religious in mindset, worshipping all Chaos Gods as a pantheon; in fact, they are the only Traitor Legion to maintain the use of Chaplains (though the Word Bearers have renamed these twisted preachers "Dark Apostles" to indicate where their true faith lies). They are known for never retreating, even if facing certain destruction.
Alpha Legion	XX	Alpharius	Alpharius (Destroyed)	Unknown	The Alpha Legion adopted the hydra as their motif. Subtlety and covert operations are this Legion's forté, using minimalistic but devastating force against their enemies.

All the Traitor Legions' homeworlds were later destroyed or otherwise rendered uninhabitable (the Night Lords themselves destroyed their home world of Nostromo before the Horus Heresy). Each of the Chaos Legions, except the Alpha Legion, has since claimed a world within the Eye of Terror as a new homeworld. It is assumed that all of these new homeworlds have long since been transformed into Daemon Worlds, as all of the surviving Chaos Primarchs became Daemon Princes long ago.

It should be noted that one of the excommunicated Chapters, the Soul Drinkers, is not, in fact, a Chaos Legion, instead having declared the Imperium corrupt and failing in the Emperor's service, seceding from the Imperium to forge their own destiny. They have however weathered an attempted takeover of the Chapter by Chaos, with many battle-brothers becoming afflicted with mutations that would normally be reviled by their former comrades in the loyalist Chapters.

File:Spacemarines.jpg

Black Templar Space Marines as depicted in a Boom Studios comic cover.

"Lost" Legions

In addition there are two other unnamed and undescribed First Founding Legions, the II and XI Legions. Official lists of the First Founding Legions simply say that all records have been lost or destroyed since the Horus Heresy or by the Inquisition for its own reasons. Games Workshop has officially stated that they have been intentionally left unknown by the developers to allow players to make up their own background on the missing Legions. A common misconception among fans of the game is that the Grey Knights and the Legion of the Damned are the two missing First Founding Legions. This is incorrect - the Grey Knights, in actual fact, have no Primarch, and as such, their gene-seed is thought to come directly from the Emperor himself (more recent evidence seems to point to the Chapter originating from a loyalist contingent of the Death Guard Legion). They were formed during the Second Founding, and the Legion of the Damned are presumed to be the survivors of the Fire Hawks Chapter of the 13th Founding. In older background, the Valedictors were a First Founding Legion but this was later changed.. Also, in the story "Hell in a Bottle", by Simon Jowett, which was included in the Black Library anthology, "Enter the Maelstrom", a Space Marine force named the Iron Hearts was briefly mentioned, along with the name of their "Primarch", Rubineck. The use of the term "Primarch" was later confirmed to be an error on the author's part, and has been corrected. The Blood Ravens Chapter is known to be created from an unknown Primarch, but GW has slowly hinted that the Primarch is Magnus the Red of the Thousand Sons Traitor Legion (or possibly Lorgar of the Word Bearers). In former editions, they suggested that Sigmar could have been a Primarch, but this has been retconned.

In the Black Library Horus Heresy novel series, Horus apparently goes back in time and cracks the incubation capsule of Primarch XI before the Primarchs are scattered to the warp (the effect this has on the Primarch is inconclusive). Before doing this, he puts his hand on XI's capsule and feels "the untapped glories that might have lain ahead for what grew within, but knowing that they would never come to pass".

Later Foundings

In subsequent millennia, the Imperium has also created new Chapters of Space Marines, using gene-seed sampled from existing ones. Many of these Successor Chapters follow the beliefs and doctrines of the Chapter their genetic material originated from, while maintaining their own methods of operation and battle. According to Codex: Space Marines, the vast majority of new Chapters are founded using the Ultramarines gene-seed, as they have the most stable gene-seed and still have all 19 functional implants.

There are approximately a thousand Space Marine Chapters in existence, most of which follow the teachings of the Codex Astartes, but the exact number is not known.

An extensive list of canon Space Marine Chapters, including those of later Foundings, can be found at "List of Space Marine Chapters".

Progression of a Space Marine

A Space Marine is a vastly superior warrior when compared to a normal human. This is due to a series of human enhancements, psychological conditioning, and heavy training. The end result of creating a Space Marine produces a soldier with abilities that are so superior to those of an average human that they are best described as superhuman.

The procedure detailed below is that described in Codex: Astartes, which is followed to a greater or lesser extent by all Chapters, although some Chapters do have slight variations to the Codex, such as Chapter-specific force selections, like the Blood Angels's Death Company, or the Dark Angel's ability to take Terminators or Ravenwing squads under different force organization slots. A notable exception to this are the Space Wolves, who employ a different system.

Recruitment

Different Space Marine Chapters follow different recruiting processes. Most recruits are drawn from the Chapter's homeworld. These worlds are often at a feral or medieval level of development, where traditional warrior castes compete for the honour of becoming a "warrior of the gods." Because feral planets are rough and primitive, their inhabitants make excellent fighting material. Gang members of hive world cities, being just as merciless and barbaric as feral world inhabitants, also make ideal Space Marines. Not all potential recruits will survive the initial rigours of training and treatment one must undergo to become a fully-fledged Space Marine.

The selection of recruits must abide by certain criteria. First and foremost, a potential candidate must be male, as the gene-seed and zygote are synchronized to work with male hormones. They must be of adolescent age (preferably between ten and sixteen), as the implants are designed to coordinate with and increase the effectiveness of natural growth hormones and processes such as bone formation etc. They will thus fail or have no effect on adults - this became a major problem during the early history of some of the First Founding Chapters as a number of veteran warriors under the service of the Primarchs could not join the ranks of the Space Marines because of it. There must be a level of compatibility between the recruit and the gene-seed, otherwise the implanted organs will fail. After the implant of the gene-seeds and organs, the recruit is often left to survive on his own in an extremely hostile environment as the implants begin to take their effect, ensuring the recruit is strong and worthy enough to be a Space Marine. Also, the mental state of a potential Marine must also be susceptible to the various training and psycho-conditioning regimes of the Chapter, and cannot be tainted by Chaos (though corruption is still possible and a number of Marines still fall).

These criteria bar all but a minuscule percentage of people within the Imperium from becoming Space Marines. If all tests prove successful, the recruit is accepted into the Chapter. At this stage, implantation, psycho-conditioning, and physical training begin. Each step in this stage has its own dangers, ensuring that only the truly worthy become Space Marines.

Gene-Seed

Main article: Gene-seed

Gene-seed is the foreign genetic material introduced into a human during his transformation into a Space Marine. The genetic material is used to form nineteen implants, which are responsible for the physical transformation and abilities attributed to the Space Marines. These implants are surgically installed into a recruit over a period of years. One of the implants creates copies of the various implants during the maturation of the Space Marine, which are removed shortly before or after death, for future use.

The genetic modification is responsible for his physical changes. Gene-seed is a rare and precious resource for the Space Marines. Since the First Founding, the Space Marines have been unable to create new 100% pure implants quickly as samples of DNA must be extracted from the Progenoid Glands and new organs grown from these samples, and some no longer have all 19 implants within their Chapter's genetic repositories. The "purest" Chapters in this respect are the Ultramarines, who still have all 19 implants and no significant mutations or defects in the gene-seed, this being the reason that the Ultramarine gene-seed is the one most often selected to create new Chapters. Codex: Dark Angels also state that Dark Angel gene-seed is also pure and few in mutations, but for some reason it is passed in favour of Ultramarines. All Chapters must annually donate 5% of their gene-seed to the Adeptus Mechanicus. The purpose of this is to monitor the overall genetic health of the Chapter and to facilitate the creation of new Chapters.

All Space Marine chapters still have a fully functioning "Black Carapace" implant, which is vital as it forms the interface with their power armour, and "Progenoid Gland" implant, which copies the genetic information of the other various implants for future use. Should either implants become lost, the entire Chapter will die out shortly after (as there will be no other way to produce more implants without the Progenoid Gland and the Marines cannot interface with their power armour if they do not have the Black Carapace).

Neophytes

(Note that Black Templars are the only Space Marine Chapter to call their Scouts "Neophytes." Other Chapters simply refer to them as Scouts.)

The Neophytes train to become Space Marines by serving a full-fledged Space Marine. Neophytes do not wear power armour, but instead wear a lighter suit of non-powered segmented armour plates called carapace armour. This is both because their Black Carapace is not yet fully developed, and because they must earn the privilege of wearing power armour by proving themselves as Neophytes first. Also because of this unique training regime, Black Templars have no standing scout force - the Neophytes serving in the Black Templar squads under the mentorship of the Space Marines.

In other Chapters, a Neophyte is a person who has started his way to becoming a Space Marine. He has yet to receive all of his implants and is not yet combat ready. Once he has received everything needed to become a Space Marine he will be inducted into the Scout Company, as detailed below. All a Neophyte has to do in order to become a Black Templar Initiate is to survive until his mentor deems him worthy of becoming an Initiate.

Scouts

Main article: Space Marine Scouts

Once the recruit passes the battery of tests and challenges set by the Chapter, and the initial gene-seed implants have taken hold on his body, he is accepted into the Chapter as a Neophyte. These Neophytes will be trained in the history of the Chapter and the edicts of the Codex Astartes, while the remaining implants and modifications are made to his body.

Once a Scout begins his training and genetic modification, he is no longer permitted contact with his home or family, sworn to serve the Emperor and the Chapter until his death. The creation of a Space Marine is a dangerous process, and it is accepted that many will die during their indoctrination.

Certain Chapters take different approaches to the training of Scouts. Most will be inducted into the Tenth Company where they are trained and educated by veteran Marines, serving the Chapter as a light reconnaissance force. Some Chapters, most notably the Black Templars, apprentice their Scouts to a more experienced Space Marine, the Scout acting as a servant, and learning by example as they observe their mentor both in battle and in his daily life. The Space Wolves have cut out this part of their new recruits' training entirely, and all fresh Marines are pushed into the front lines as Blood Claws (fully-fledged Space Marines). Space Wolf Scouts are often seasoned veterans who are solitary types - those brothers who have received the "lone wolf" instincts.

Initiates/Battle-Brothers

Once the Neophyte's/Scout's period of training is complete, and all gene-seed organs have been implanted and verified, the Neophyte will often be sent on a final challenge to prove his worth. Upon the completion of this challenge, the Neophyte will become a full member of the Chapter, and will be assigned to one of the eight Battle or Reserve companies (or Chapter equivalent).

The new battle-brother is presented with a boltgun and a suit of power armour, the maintenance of which is his responsibility. Depending on the talents an Initiate demonstrated during his training, he will be assigned to one of three different squad types.

Tactical Squad

The main fighting force of a Chapter, the Tactical squads are versatile, able to adapt their equipment and tactics to suit any situation. Tactical squads make up the bulk of each Company, and specialists within each squad are trained to utilise various heavy and support weapons. A Tactical squad typically has one assault weapon and one heavy support weapon, such as a flamer and a missile launcher.

Assault Squad

Assault squads are specialist hand-to-hand fighters, trained for rapid movement and vicious attacks on enemy positions. Assault Marines are equipped with close combat weapons and do not carry heavy support weapons. They are normally equipped with jump packs which allow them to get close to the enemy as quickly as possible. The jump packs also allow them to reach normally inaccessible positions.

Devastator Squad

Devastator squads are specially trained to provide fire support. The squad is typically equipped with a larger number of heavy weapons (such as heavy bolters or missile launchers) than a Tactical squad and fulfils a support role, using their heavy weaponry to eliminate enemy vehicles and/or infantry. Up to four Space Marines in the Devastator squad can have the weapons in the following list, the others have bolters:

• Plasma Cannon
• Lascannon
• Missile Launcher
• Multi-Melta
• Heavy Bolter

Depending on which weapon they use, they can specialize in certain things. A heavy bolter can be utilized for eliminating infantry, but is not effective against some of the stronger vehicles. A Plasma Cannon or Lascannon, although they would instantly kill most enemies it hits, would only hit one person unless it has a blast. They are more suited for tank killing.

Veterans

Space Marines that have had centuries of experience in battle. Veterans usually remain with their Company, leading squads of their fellow Initiates into battle, but the Marines that have most proven their worth to the Chapter are inducted into the elite First Company. On occasion, a less experienced Initiate will be honoured with a position in the First Company, in response for an act of exceptional courage, tactical intelligence or prowess in battle.

• Veteran Squads

Veterans of the First Company frequently take to the field as Tactical squads acting in support of other companies of the Chapter. Normally only one squad is present in any force. In some Chapters Veterans fight in other configurations, for example Dark Angel veterans only fight as Terminators (The Deathwing) while Blood Angel veterans fight as Assault squads. Space Wolves also have veterans as Scouts, rather than fresh recruits.

• Terminator Squads

Main article: Terminator (Warhammer 40,000)

Veteran squads may take to the battlefield wearing the rare suits of Tactical Dreadnought Armour. The heavily armoured and well equipped (typically storm bolter and powerfist) suits make the Terminator squads a powerful spearhead for Space Marine attacks.

Specialists

At any point during their long careers, a Space Marine may be called upon to train in a specialist field, to better support the Chapter in both combat and non-combat roles. Techmarines, Apothecaries, and Librarians begin their training during the neophyte stage of their indoctrination for showing technical, medical or psychic skills, respectively. Certain members are also inducted into the Deathwatch, the military arm of the Ordo Xenos, should they possess a certain skill useful against the vile xenos. An alternate to the 'official' Deathwatch are the Tyranid Hunters of the Ultramarines. Each Chapter will have its own style of fighting and so keep veterans that excel in that field, such as the Ravenwing of the Dark Angels or the Phalanx Terminators of the Imperial Fists. These organisations often provide honour guard status for high-ranking officials within the Chapter.

Apothecaries

For a Space Marine Chapter to have a future it must carefully protect and preserve the organic implants that turn an initiate into a Space Marine. His skills and tools allow an Apothecary to perform battle surgery with a good chance of success.

However, sometimes even the skills of an Apothecary are not enough to save a Marine. In this case, it is the Apothecary's responsibility to commit euthanasia, known as the Emperor's Peace, and harvest the two Progenoid Glands implanted in the unfortunate Marine's body, allowing for the gene-seed material to be cultivated and re-implanted in another Neophyte to create another Space Marine.

The Marines tensed as they heard the faint but unmistakable sound of an approaching mortar shell. Battle-Brother Draeg was already moving before the earth began to bulge upwards, hurling himself flat onto the rising shell before the other Marines even saw it.

Draeg struggled to ignore the pain of his shattered body. "Your wounds are too grave..." He heard the Apothecary speak as though it was from a distance. "Do you desire the Emperor's Peace?"

The Apothecary raised the reductor, Draeg was dimly aware of the click as the bolt was drawn into firing position. "The others are whole, you saved them. Your name shall be put into the Book of Honour."

Though Apothecaries at first appear as the saviours of the Marines, some are more than meets the eye. Apothecaries are not always charged with only administering combat surgery and harvesting gene-seed. Some Chapters order their Apothecaries to conceal certain mutations seen as beneficial to the Chapter. Apothecaries also carry out various unspeakable surgeries to augment the Chapter, often causing Inquisitorial scrutiny.

The Apothecaries of the Blood Angels are called Sanguinary Priests and fulfil many of the spiritual roles of the Chaplains as they are kept busy dealing with the Black Rage and the Death Company.

Chaplains

The Chaplains are the spiritual leaders of a Chapter, warrior-priests that minister to the spiritual well-being of the Space Marines, instilling in them the values and beliefs of the Chapter along with promoting the worship of the Emperor. In battle, the Chaplains will be at the forefront of the Chapter, rousing their fellow Marines through their words and actions. Their power armour is black and often incorporates skull imagery, most commonly on the helmet. Most Chaplains wield a power mace called a "Crozius Arcanum." They are also equipped with a "Rosarius", given to the Chapter by the Adeptus Ministorium as a sign of the (sometimes tenuous) link between their two faiths. Individual Chaplains are assigned to each Company within a Chapter. Others, including the Master of Sanctity (Chief Chaplain), operate within the Chapter's command structure independent of any specific Company.

Chaplains of certain Chapters have unique duties in addition to those laid out in the Codex Astartes. These are related to the Chapter's background and traditions. In the Blood Angels Chapter, Chaplains are tasked with seeking out signs of the Black Rage and leading the Death Companies into combat. Chaplains of the Dark Angels are tasked with interrogating captured 'Fallen' and forcing them to repent before killing them. The Iron Hands have the "Iron Fathers", a role that combines the duties of Chaplain and Techmarine. The Chaplains of the Space Wolves are known as "Wolf Priests", and perform a role that appears analogous to that of both Chaplain and Apothecary.

Librarians

Each Chapter is vigilant against corruption of their gene-seed through mutation. The psyker mutation, however, is often encouraged. Marines with psyker abilities are inducted into the Chapter's Librarius, where they could become Space Marine Librarians. These warriors are trained to use their talents on the battlefield as weapons and as tools of precognition. Off the battlefield, Librarians are responsible for maintaining and adding to the Chapter's annals and the collective knowledge built up over millennia of service. Librarians use a psychic hood as part of their equipment. The hood's wires tap into the brain and act as an extension of the wearer's consciousness, alerting him to other psychic abilities. The hood also aids the Librarian's will in disrupting enemy psykers' attacks. A Librarian's power armour is blue, with the Chapter icon on the left shoulder pad and a horned skull (the symbol of the Librarium) on the right. Librarians do not progress through Chapter ranks as normal Marines do, but instead progress from the rank of Lexicanium to Codicier, and from Codicier to Epistolary. The highest rank a Librarian may attain is Chief Librarian. This man, in addition to being the Chapter's most potent psyker, is head of the Chapter Librarius, and, more often than not, is a valued advisor to the Chapter Master himself.

The path to becoming a Librarian is a difficult one. Aspirants must not only be strong enough to survive their training, they must possess mental discipline strong enough to fend off the daemons and warp creatures, as these beings see the enhanced form and mind of a Librarian as a rich prize. Librarians are often isolated from the rest of the Chapter, for they carry abilities all Space Marines are expected to abhor in others. For this reason, the more puritanical Space Marine Chapters, such as the Black Templars, do not field Librarians at all.

Prior to the Horus Heresy, the Thousand Sons Legion fielded vast numbers of Librarians due to their gene-seed and high psyker population of their homeworld of Prospero. The Blood Ravens loyalist Chapter also contains high numbers of Librarians, who form a body within the Chapter named the Ordo Psykana.

Chief Librarian

Each Chapter has a Chief Librarian, the strongest psyker in the entire Chapter. One often becomes the Chief Librarian by some astounding feat. Currently these are the named Chief Librarians:

• Chief Librarian Tigurius - Tigurius is the Chief Librarian of the Ultramarines and is rumoured to be the most powerful of all Adeptus Astartes psykers, as it is said that Tigurius touched minds with the Hive Mind of the Tyranids, and lived.
• Chief Librarian Mephiston - Mephiston of the Blood Angels not only survived the Black Rage, but also greatly benefited from it. His gaze is so terrible even the most disciplined heroes would quiver in his wake.
• Ezekiel, Grand Master of the Dark Angel Librarians - Ezekiel is the greatest of all Dark Angel Librarians and has the ability to transverse the minds of his enemies, predicting their moves before they think of it.
• Ahriman of the Thousand Sons - Although not a Librarian of the Loyalist Chapters, Ahriman was infamous for his journeys throughout the galaxy, taking any artefacts he could get his hands on. This caused many custodians paranoia and has resulted in the destruction of many artefacts. Ahriman is also responsible for turning the entire Thousand Sons Legion into mindless automata with his infamous Rubric of Ahriman.
• Sarpedon, Chapter Master of the Soul Drinkers - Sarpedon was the Chief Librarian of the Soul Drinkers, currently excommunicate. He possesses the unique power known as "The Hell" along with a physical mutation giving him extra appendages, manifesting in the form of chitinous spider legs which were bestowed upon him by the Tzeentch Daemon Prince Abraxes.

Techmarines

Marines who show an aptitude with technology are often selected to undergo the training to become a Techmarine (Frater Astrotechnicus), honorary members of the Adeptus Mechanicus and priests of the Machine God. The aspiring Techmarine is selected for thirty years instruction on Mars, learning the correct rites of activation and maintenance of the Chapter's equipment.

Techmarines are often called upon to make repairs that are beyond the training of a Space Marine, even in the midst of battle. Should a vehicle or artefact of technology be lost to the enemy, the Techmarines are at the forefront of the effort to retrieve it, often fighting as hard for their mechanical charges as they would for their biological brethren.

Leadership

After hundreds of years of service to the Chapter, elite Marines may be called upon to take up one of the leadership positions within the Chapter.

Captains

Known as Brother-Captains within their individual Chapter, a Captain leads one of the ten Companies comprising a Chapter. Each is the foremost warrior in his Company. In addition to leading their brethren, the Captains will often be called upon to fulfill other roles, most often in charge of an aspect of the Chapter, including the armoury, supplies, or the Chapter Fleet. "Force Commander" is the general term for a Captain or Chapter Master heading a force of Space Marines.

Chapter Master

At the head of the Chapter, commanding the Space Marines as well as their ancillary staff and possibly also the entire planet is the Chapter Master. As a warrior with unparalleled experience, he must be also a master tactician responsible for the decisions that can affect battles.

The Chapter Master is responsible for keeping the secrets and following the traditions of the Chapter. He is often the ruler of the Chapter's homeworld, and holds the additional responsibilities of a Planetary Governor. Chapter Masters all have access to the Chapter's ancient artefacts and weaponry that make them almost inconceivably powerful (such as the Gauntlets of Ultramar, Death Mask of Sanguinius or the Sword of Secrets).

The actual title of the Chapter leader can vary throughout the Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes: there is the "Supreme Grand Master" of the Dark Angels, the "High Marshal" of the Black Templars and the "Great Wolf" of the Space Wolves. The Ultramarine Chapter leader holds governorship of Macragge and is known also as "Lord Macragge," while the Blood Angels simply use "Commander", as this is the current title of Dante, Chapter Master of the Blood Angels.

Weapons and Equipment

As the most elite fighting organizations of the Imperium, Space Marine Chapters are equipped with some of the best weapons, vehicles and equipment the Imperium has ever produced.

Space Marines in Warhammer 40,000 fiction

In the novels and stories published by the Black Library (Games Workshop's fiction publishing division), the Space Marines are portrayed as being far more powerful than their tabletop equivalents. The reason behind this has been explained as to maintain game balance; all armies are on an equal enough footing that the skill, tactics and luck of the individual players have a greater effect on the results than any fictional stereotype.

However, a set of rules was created in January 2005 by Pete Haines, published in White Dwarf 300 in the US (but missing from UK publications). Titled "The Movie Space Marine List", these rules strove to match the Space Marines portrayed in the fiction, resulting in 'armies' of ten or less Space Marines that were more than capable of taking on regular-sized armies from other Codices. These rules were made completely unofficial, and players were warned to be careful when using them against opponents.

Appearances

Outside the WH40K game and Epic, Space Marines have also featured in:

Tabletop game

• Space Crusade
• Advanced Space Crusade
• Space Hulk
• Talisman - through the Space expansion

Computer games

• Space Crusade (1992) and its sequel
• Space Hulk (1994) - Terminator armour marines
• Space Hulk: Vengeance of the Blood Angels (1996) - "sequel" to Space Hulk
• Final Liberation: Warhammer Epic 40,000 (1997)
• Chaos Gate (1998)
• Rites of War (1999)
• Fire Warrior (2003)
• Dawn of War (2004), and its expansion packs, Winter Assault (2005) and Dark Crusade (2006).

References

• Chambers, Andy (1998). Warhammer 40,000 Codex: Space Marines. Nottingham: Games Workshop. ISBN 1-869893-28-X.
• Haines, Pete (2004). Warhammer 40,000 Codex: Space Marines (4th Edition ed.). Nottingham: Games Workshop. ISBN 1-84154-526-0. {{cite book}}: |edition= has extra text (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
• Rick Priestley, Warhammer 40,000 Rogue Trader, Games Workshop, Nottingham, 1987, ISBN 1-869893-23-9
• http://www.games-workshop.com

See also

• List of Space Marine Chapters
• Equipment of the Imperium (Warhammer 40,000)
• Weapons of the Imperium (Warhammer 40,000)
• Vehicles of the Space Marines (Warhammer 40,000)