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Exactly what are Space Marines? Flesh and bone inside powered armour perhaps, but can they be human - or are they something new? While Index Astartes describes facts and legends about the marines, including unit badges, special organisation, and details of current leaders and characters. It doesn't deal with the questions of why and how these warriors exist. As that series continues we'll learn more about the structure, relationships and histories of the Legiones Astartes. But this month's chapter approved file examines their origins as we go back... Way back... To a war fought long ago, and a fortress-laboratory far beneath the earth.

The visitors waited in the elevator capsule whilst hidden pumps silently adjusted the temperature, humidity and pressure. When the doors opened there would be no sudden draught. No breeze to alter the constant thirty-one point seven degrees in the subterranean vault. In laboratory nine, the most stable environment on earth, chance had long since been eradicated.

Inside the laboratory, Dr Devam Outek and his staff shuffled nervously as machines made final miniscule adjustments to the capsule's oxygen content. In a moment they would be in the presence of the man who had planned and guided their work through five generations of human endeavour.

The visitors, sealed in their pristine suits, barely heard the doors move aside to reveal the shadowy world of red and yellow light. The technicians and scientists bowed as their visitors stepped from the lift.

'My emperor,' intoned Dr Outek.

'Dr Outek. Phase nineteen is complete?'

The scientist straightened stiffly. 'Oh yes,' he said, 'a pretty baby... Very pretty indeed.'

THE ORIGIN OF THE LEGIONES ASTARTES

Research and development leading to the creation of the Space Marines was undertaken in the thirtieth millennium immediately prior to the beginning of the First Crusade. This work was conducted in the superbly equipped laboratories built deep inside the planet Earth. The objective of the program was to create a caste of warrior elites, characterised by super-human strength and unflinching loyalty.

These new warriors were organised into their own special units called 'chapters'. Those chapters created at the time of the First Crusade are known as Chapters of the First Founding. There were originally 20 of these, but only 7 survive in forty first millennium. Since the First Founding there have been twenty five other occasions when the Emperor has felt it necessary to create new chapters. The most recent Twenty Sixth Founding was in the year 738 of the current millennium.

'...And here,' continued Dr Outek, 'we have five of the phase eleven zygotes. The eldest has now been functioning uninterrupted for fourteen years.' The doctor gestured towards the row of glowing incubators containing several varieties of organic components in clear bubbling baths.

'You call the organs zygotes?'

'Yes - our geneticists create the single germ cell for each new organ. Every cell takes years of work as you know. At that stage we can store the cells indefinitely in the zero-room as gene-seed. Inside the incubator we can activate and control the growth process. The cell divides, multiplies, and eventually grows into a whole organ. Until the organ is ready for implant. we refer to it as a zygote.'

The doctor led the party along the long row of glass cases, past incubators labelled with the names of the strange organs. He stopped before a large door emblazoned with the Imperial Eagle and the stark sign 'Security Zone One'.

'Now,' announced the doctor. 'Now you'll see what all this flesh and gristle really amounts to!'

GENE-SEED AND ZYGOTES

Most chapters have existed for thousands of years. During that time, gene-seed belonging to some chapters has mutated. This has resulted in changes in the exact nature of the artificially cultured organs. Such changes may sometimes make an implant useless. In other circumstances changes in an organ might reduce its effectiveness, or cause new and strange effects. Whatever the result, it will affect the entire chapter - all Space Marines belonging to a chapter share implants cultured from the same original gene-seed.

As well as mutant implants, many chapters have lost one or more types of gene-seed due to accident, genetic failure, or some other cause. Very few chapters therefore possess all nineteen implants. All possess the carapace implant (phase 19). It is this implant which marks a Space Marine for what he is - irrespective of other implants, training or psycho-surgery

IMPLANTS

Phase 1 - Secondary Heart. The simplest and most self sufficient implant. The secondary heart is capable of boosting the blood supply or maintaining full life functions even with the destruction of the recipient's original heart. The phase 1 implant enables Marines to survive low oxygen concentrations and traumatic injury.

Phase 2 - Ossmodula. This is a tubular shaped or whose small size belies its complex structure. The ossmodula monitors and secretes hormones affecting epiphiseal fusion and ossification of the skeleton. At the same time, the specially engineered hormones encourage the forming bones to absorb ceramic based chemicals administered in the Marine's diet. Two years following implantation, this will have caused considerable strengthening of the long-bones, extreme ossification of the chest cavity (caused by growth of the ribs forming a solid mass of inter-laced bone plates) and a general increase in the size of the recipient's skeleton.

Phase 3 - Biscopea. This organ is implanted into the chest cavity. it is small, approximately circular and, like the Ossmodula, its primary action is hormonal. The presence of the biscopea stimulates muscle growth throughout the body.

Phase 4 - Haemastamen. This tiny organ is implanted into a main blood vessel. The haemastamen serves two purposes. It monitors and to some degree controls the phase 2 and 3 implants. The organ also alters the constituent make-up of the recipient's blood. As a result, Marine blood is considerably more efficient than ordinary human blood, as it has to be when you consider the extra biological hardware a Marine carries inside him!

Phase 5 - Larraman's Organ. This is a liver shaped, dark, fleshy organ about the size of a golf-ball. It is implanted into the chest cavity along with a complicated array of blood vessels. The organ generates and stores special 'larraman cells'. If the recipient is wounded, these cells are released into the blood stream. They latch onto leucocytes in the blood and are transported to the site of a wound. Once in contact with air the larraman cells form a skin substitute of instant scar tissue, staunching the flow of blood and protecting any exposed wound area.

Phase 6 - Catalepsean Node. This brain implant is usually inserted Into the back of the skull via a hole drilled into the occipital bone. The pea-sized organ influences the circadian rhythms of sleep and the body's response to sleep deprivation. Normally, a Marine sleeps like any normal man, but if deprived of sleep, the catalepsean node 'cuts in'. A man implanted with the node is capable of sleeping and remaining awake at the same time by switching off areas of the brain sequentially. This process cannot replace normal sleep entirely but increases a Marine's survivability by allowing perception of the environment whilst resting.

Phase 7 - Preomnor. The preomnor is a large implant which fits into the chest cavity. It is a pre-digestive stomach which allows the Marine to eat a variety of otherwise poisonous or indigestible materials. No actual digestion takes place in the preomnor. Individual sensory tubes assess potential poisons and neutralise them or, where necessary, isolate the preomnor from the rest of the digestive tract.

Phase 8 - Omophagea. This is a complicated implant. It really becomes part of the brain, but is actually situated within the spinal cord between the cervical and thoracic vertebrae. Four nerve sheaths called neuroclea are implanted between the spine and the preomnoral stomach wall. The omophagea is designed to absorb genetic material generated in animal tissue as a function of memory experience or innate ability. This endows the Marine with an unusual survival trait. He can actually learn by eating. If a Marine eats a part of a creature, he will absorb some of the memories of that creature. This can be very useful in an alien environment. Incidentally it is the presence of this organ which has created the various flesh and blood drinking rituals for which the Marines are famous, as well as giving the names to chapters such as the Blood Drinkers, Flesh Tearers etc.

Phase 9 - Multi-lung. This is another large implant. The multi-lung, or 'third' lung, is a tubular grey organ. Blood is pumped through the organ via connecting vessels grafted onto the recipient's pulmonary system. Atmosphere is taken in by means of a sphincter located in the trachea. In toxic atmospheres, an associated sphincter muscle closes the trachea and restricts normal breathing, thus protecting the lungs. The multi-lung is able to absorb oxygen from poorly oxygenated or poisonous air. Most importantly, it is able to do this without suffering damage thanks to its own efficient toxin dispersal, neutralisation and regeneration systems.

Phase 10 - Occulobe. This small slug-like organ sits at the base of the brain. It provides the hormonal and genetic stimuli which enable a Marine's eyes to respond to optic-therapy. The occulobe does not itself improve a Marine's eyesight, but it allows technicians to make adjustments to the growth patterns of the eye and the light-receptive retinal cells. An adult Marine has far better eyesight than a normal human, and can see in low light conditions almost as well as in daylight.

Phase 11 - Lyman's Ear. The organ enables a Marine to consciously enhance and even filter certain types of background noise. Not only is hearing improved, but a Marine cannot become dizzy or nauseous as a result of extreme disorientation. Lyman's ear is externally indistinguishable from a normal human ear.

Phase 12 - Sus-an Membrane. This flat, circular organ is implanted over the top of the exposed brain. It then grows into the brain tissue until completely merged. The organ is ineffective without subsequent chemical therapy and training. However, a properly tutored Marine may then enter into a state of suspended animation. This may be a conscious action, or may happen automatically in the event of extreme physical trauma. In this condition a Marine may survive for many years, even if bearing otherwise fatal injuries. Only appropriate chemical therapy and auto-suggestion can revive a Marine from this state - a Marine cannot revive himself. The longest known period of de-animation followed by successful re-animation is 567 years in the case of brother Silas Err of the Dark Angels (d. 321 M.27).

Phase 13 - The melanochrome, or melanochromic organ, is hemispherical and black. It functions in an indirect and extremely complicated manner. It monitors radiation levels and types bombarding the skin, and if necessary sets off chemical reactions to darken the skin to protect it from ultraviolet exposure. It also provides limited protection from other forms of radiation.

Phase 14 - Oolitic Kidney. This red-brown and heart shaped organ improves and modifies the Marine's circulatory system enabling other implants to function effectively. The oolitic kidney also filters blood extremely efficiently and quickly. The secondary heart and oolitic kidney are able to act together, performing an emergency detoxification program in which the Marine is rendered unconscious as his blood is circulated at high speed. This enables a Marine to survive poisons and gases which are otherwise too much for even the multi-lung to cope with.

Phase 15 - Neuroglottis. Although the preonmor protects a Marine from digesting anything too deadly, the neuroglottis enables him to assess a potential food by taste. The organ is implanted into the back of the mouth. By chewing, or simply by tasting, a Marine can detect a wide variety of natural poisons, some chemicals and even the distinctive odours of some creatures. To some degree a Marine is also able to track a target by taste alone.

Phase 16 - Mucranoid. This small organ is implanted in the lower intestine where its hormonal secretions are absorbed by the colon. These secretions initiate a modification of the sweat glands. This modification normally makes no difference to the Marine until activated by appropriate chemo-therapy. As a result of this treatment the Marine sweats an oily, naturally cleansing substance which coats the skin. This protects the Marine against extremes of temperature and even offers a slight degree of protection in vacuum. Mucranoid themo-therapy is standard procedure on long space voyages and when fighting in vacuum or near vacuum.

Phase 17 - Betcher's Gland. Two of these identical glands are implanted, either into the lower lip, alongside the salivary glands or into the hard palette. Betcher's gland works in a similar way to the poison gland of venomous reptiles by synthesising and storing deadly poison. Marines are rendered immune to this poison by virtue of the gland's presence. The gland allows the Marine to spit a blinding contact poison. The poison is also highly acidic and corrosive. A Marine imprisoned behind iron bars could easily chew his way out given an hour or so.

Phase 18 - Progenoids. There are two of these glands, one situated in the neck, the other deep within the chest cavity. These glands are important to the survival of the Marine's chapter. Each organ grows within the Marine, absorbing hormonal stimuli and genetic material from the other implants. After five years the neck gland is mature and ready for removal. After ten years the chest gland becomes mature and is also ready for removal. A gland may be removed anytime after it has matured.

These glands represent a chapter's only source of gene-seed. When mature, each gland contains a single gene-seed corresponding to each zygote implanted into the recipient Marine. Once removed by surgery, the progenoid must be carefully prepared, its individual gene-seeds checked for mutation, and sound gene-seeds stored. Gene-seeds can be stored Indefinitely under suitable conditions.

Phase 19 - Black Carapace. This is the last and the most distinctive implant. It looks like a film of black plastic when it's growing in the tanks. This Is removed from its culture-solution and cut into sheets which are implanted directly beneath the skin of the Marine's torso. Within a few hours the tissue expands, hardens on the outside, and sends invasive neural bundles deep inside the Marine. After several months the carapace will have fully matured and the recipient is then fitted with neural sensors and transfusion points cut into the hardened carapace. These artificial 'plug-in' points mesh with features integral to the powered armour, such as the monitoring, medicinal and maintenance units. Without the benefit of a black carapace a Space Marine's armour is relatively useless.

VARIATIONS BETWEEN CHAPTERS

REPRODUCING ZYGOTES

As each Marine has only two progenoid glands, the rate at which a chapter can create new Marines is restricted. It may take many years for a chapter to rebuild itself after heavy losses. Gene-seed is often rendered useless if a Marine is exposed to high radiation levels or other forms of genetic disturbance. The efficiency of different chapters' progenoid gene-seed also varies, and some chapters are able to make up their numbers faster than others.

FOUNDING NEW CHAPTERS

A new chapter cannot be founded overnight. A single suitable gene-seed must be selected for each zygote. Zygotes are then grown in culture and implanted into human test-slaves. These test slaves must be biologically compatible and free from mutation. Test-slaves spend their entire lives bound in static experimental capsules. Although conscious they are completely immobile, serving as little more than mediums within which the various zygotes can develop. From the original slave come two progenoids, which are implanted within two more slaves, from which come four progenoids and so on. It takes about 55 years of constant reproduction to produce 1000 healthy sets of organs. These must be officially sanctioned by the Master of the Adeptus Mechanicus and then by the Emperor himself. Only the Emperor can give permission for the creation of a new chapter.

RECRUITMENT AND INITIATION

The third consideration is mental suitability. The catalepsean node, occulobe, and sus-an membrane will only develop to a useable condition under the stimulus of hypnotic-suggestion. A recruit must therefore be susceptible to this particular treatment.

These considerations mean that only a small proportion of people can become Space Marines. They must be male because zygotes are keyed to male hormones and tissue types, hence the need for tissue compatibility tests and psychological screening. If these tests prove successful a candidate becomes a neophyte. With the completion of organ implantation and attendant chemical and hypnotic training, the subject becomes an initiate. An initiate receives training before joining the ranks as a full brother. A Marine usually joins the ranks between the ages of 16-18. Pressures during wartime may accelerate the process.

STAGES IN MARINE INITIATION

THE RISKS

If an implant fails to develop properly it is likely that a Marine's metabolism will become badly out of synchronisation. He may fall into a catatonic state or suffer bouts of hyperactivity In either event, he will probably die.

Those unfortunates that do not die almost invariably suffer mental damage, degenerating into homicidal maniacs or gibbering idiots. However, when a chapter is at full strength these misfits may be put out of their misery. If the chapter is short of Marines they are often allowed to live, and may be placed within their own special units. Those who display uncontrollably psychotic tendencies can be recruited into suicide assault squads, or as suicide bombers.

Some chapters deliberately foster such creatures, even going so far as to implant deformed zygotes into some initiates. This is very dangerous, and the practice is discouraged by Imperial edict. But old traditions die hard.

PSYCHO-CHEMICAL AND OTHER CONDITIONING

Chemical Treatment - Until his initiation, a Marine must submit to constant tests and examinations. The newly implanted organs must be monitored very carefully imbalances corrected, and any sign of maldevelopment treated. This chemical treatment is reduced after completion of the initiation process, but it never ends. Marines undergo periodic treatment for the rest of their lives in order to maintain a stable metabolism. This is why their power armour suits contain monitoring equipment and drug dispensers.

Hypnotherapy - As the super-enhanced body grows, the recipient must learn how to use his new skills. Some of the implants, specifically the phase 6 and 10 implants, can only function once correct hypnotherapy has been administered. Hypnotherapy is not always as effective as chemical treatment, but it can have substantial results. If a Marine can be taught how to control his own metabolism, his dependence on drugs is lessened. The process is undertaken in a machine called a hypnomat. Marines are placed in a state of hypnosis and subjected to visual and aural mages in order to awaken their minds to their unconscious metabolic processes.

Training - Physical training stimulates the implants and allows them to be tested for effectiveness.

Indoctrination - a Marine is more than a human with extraordinary powers. Marines have extraordinary minds as well! Just as their bodies receive 19 separate implants, so their minds are altered to release the latent powers within. These mental powers are, if anything, more extraordinary than even the physical powers described above. For example, a Marine can control his senses and nervous system to a remarkable degree, and can consequently endure pain that would kill an ordinary man. A Marine can also think and react at lightning speeds. Memory training is an important part of the indoctrination too. Some Marines develop photographic memories. Obviously, Marines vary in intelligence as do other men, and their individual mental abilities vary in degree.

INTRODUCTION

Isiah walked forward and one of the five looked up.

'Ah, Commander Isiah, we were expecting you.' The five closed their conversation and faced the Commander, two of them grinning broadly, the others stern-faced and tight-lipped. Isiah tried hard not to be irritated by the lack of manners the five displayed, and the rather incourteous greeting he had received.

'You arrived early and I've been . . .detained,' he hissed.

'Well we're here now and would like to get started immediately, unless you've other plans?' The question was rhetorical. They all knew that Isiah wanted to get them onto Golance quickly.

'A shuttle has been fuelled and is awaiting you at port 6A.'

'That won't be needed Commander. We have our own transport. Just tell us where you want us to fight, we can handle the rest.'

Isiah was more than sure that they could. He'd been sure that they could handle the problem on Golance ever since he received news of the thought transmit. His Chapter was at its lowest ebb, unable after countless attacks, to rid the planet below of the pestilent Eldar scum who had gained control of the planet's secret arsenal. Already 350 men and officers of the Flesheaters Chapter of Space Marines had died at the hands of those vile, outlawed aliens. The arrival of these five warriors could soon change the course of the war, for they had been sent to him by the Mentor Legion in a deal that was eminently fair and honourable; Isiah receiving five soldiers of unparalleled skill for the course of this war, in return for simply giving them the experience of a real fight.

'I'd like you to join 8th Company on the Ashenplain of Rox and co-ordinate a full-scale assault on the arsenal's northern entrance. You'll have full air support and 115 fresh men. The aliens have concentrated their defences south of the plain and I'll be personally directing diversionary attacks against these.'

'Thank you Commander. Shall we be started?'

THE MENTOR LEGION

The redundant gene-seed hampered Imperial efforts to rebuild the Scorpions Legion and eventually the Bio-engineers and Chem-architects of the Adeptus Mechanicus were forced to concede defeat. For a time it seemed that the number 888 would never be raised again, but some years later, a new Founding in the offing persuaded the Priesthood to revisit the chapter regalia. Thus the Mentors were born. They received the uniforms and number of the extinct chapter but instead of the redundant seed, they were given an entirely new generation of genetic material collated from the storage banks of the Earth laboratories.

The new chapter is highly unusual and their modus operandi is quite different from that of the bulk of the Legiones Astartes. The Mentors have an extraordinary capacity for learning, particularly of matters military. The chapter's main pursuit is therefore one of perfecting the fusion between science and art of war, and military technology. They do not engage in campaigns or wars as other chapters do, but instead 'loan' squads of Marines to other Imperial military bodies. Squads of Mentors may be found fighting alongside the Imperial Army or even other chapters throughout the galaxy.

The Chapter is roughly organised in much the same fashion as the Ultra-Marines. However the bulk of the chapter are never seen, the location of their headquarters and Monastery-Retreat being an absolute secret. Only the very highest strata of the Priesthood are aware of its exact location. Here the Mentors perform their rigorous training and disciplining. The massed ranks of the chapter are exhaustively trained in the art of war and in the use of Imperial military hardware, both old and new - the Chapter acting as a test bed for the latest Imperial technology. While a large proportion of the chapter is permanently based at their secret HQ, the balance of the chapter are sent out on missions, including the elite Brethren.

The basic rationale behind squad loaning is that the Mentors are able to extract the maximum amount of information regarding the fighting prowess and techniques of just about any Imperial military organisation. 'Loaned' squads returning to chapter HQ bring with them an invaluable record which is without parallel in the galaxy. The chapters and armies to whom these squads are sent benefit from having these superior warriors join them for a campaign or battle. An extra benefit to the Mentors is that they are also able to claim and maintain an honourable record of real combat experience. Even in the short period of the Chapter's existence, they have amassed an enviable Roll of Honour.

Another facet of the Mentors is the development and training of the chapter's Elite Cadre. It was originally envisaged that this would perform a number of important semi-military roles, from counter-terror operations to complex undercover missions. They would be the Imperium's ultimate human warriors, capable of dealing with any threat outside a normal chapter's area of expertise. This aim has not been fully realised as yet, but the Mentor Elite Cadre are even now amongst the very best that the Imperium can offer. They too are sent out to aid other Imperial military units in the pursuit of galactic security. The Elite Cadre are also frequently called upon by the Inquisition who recognise their superior skill at arms.

At any given time, the Mentors are likely to have as many as 25 Tactical squads out on-loan to other commands, and there are usually at least 10 squads of the Mentor Elite Cadre on missions. The rest of the chapter remains hidden, forever engrossed in the training and experimentation program.

Any army unit or chapter may include a single squad of the Mentor Chapter in their battle orders. This squad can be either one of the rank and file Mentor Tactical squads or may be a group of Mentor Elite Cadre.

MENTOR CHAPTER SQUAD COMPOSITION

RANK AND FILE SQUADS

ELITE CADRE

Each member of the Elite Cadre has the profile of a Marine Minor Hero. This represents the adaptability of the chapter's advanced training techniques. The models also have the powerful Targetting-Web, Timewarper, and Shift Field (see below) available to them, and all models are armed with Mentor Bolt guns. The Timewarper and Shift Field are individually carried items and must be assigned to particular models. These items can be used to enhance any unit joined by the Mentor carrying them.

THE BADAB WAR

The Tyrant of Badab, as Commander Huron is known in Imperial histories, was a power-hungry and ambitious individual who should never have risen to power within a Marine Chapter. He was plainly a dangerous individual, able in many respects but lacking the absolute dedication to humanity vital in a Lord of the Imperium. It will never be known for sure, but current hypotheses suggest that the Commander was either an alien shapechanger, or otherwise subject to alien domination of a most unnatural kind. A sudden and unexpected manifestation of psychic powers may lie at the heart of the matter.

By 903 three other chapters, the Mantis Warriors, Executioners and Lamenters had joined the rebellion. Imperial shipping was attacked, and a ship belonging to the Fire Hawks Chapter was captured by the Mantis Warriors in 904. The Fire Hawks immediately retaliated, and soon five whole chapters were involved in the fighting. The Emperor recalled the Marines Errant from the Eastern Fringes, but they quickly found themselves fully occupied protecting Imperial ships in transit.

In 906 two more loyal Marine units, the Red Scorpions and the Minotaurs, had been brought in, and the threat to Imperial shipping was more or less quashed. In 907 the Red Scorpions and Fire Hawks were recalled to their normal service duties in the galactic east, and two more chapters, the Novamarines and Howling Griffons were committed to space-lane duties.

Meanwhile, the Star Phantoms began the task of besieging Badab whilst two other chapters were drafted in to investigate the worlds occupied by the Mantis Warriors and Executioners. The Lamenters were caught in an ambush by the Minotaurs in 908 and eventually surrendered after bloody ship-to-ship fighting. This came as a great blow to the Tyrant, and the rest of the war consisted almost entirely of close sieges. The uprising came to an end in 912 with the fall of Badab and final defeat of the Tiger Claws. Before the war was over, The Exorcists, Fire Angels, Salamanders, Space Sharks and Sons of Medusa all became involved for short periods of time; chapters replacing other chapters as pressures elsewhere necessitated their re-deployment.

With the rebellion over, The Mantis Legion, Executioners and Lamenters were granted the Emperor's forgiveness, subject to undertaking a hundred year crusade. The homeworlds of the Mantis Legion and Executioners were forfeited to the Space Sharks and Star Phantoms for their part in the war. The other legions received salvage rights to spacecraft and a proportion of the booty. The Tiger Claws were all but destroyed. Only a contingent of about two hunded fought their way through the Exorcists' blockade and escaped into deep space. They have not been heard of since. Of the fate of Imperial Commander Lufgt Huron, Master of the Tiger Claws and Tyrant of Badab, nothing is known.

MEDICS

It was the feel of cold air on his face and the acrid smell of burnt flesh that revived him to a dim awareness. He struggled to ignore the pain of his shattered body and made his remaining eye focus on the figure that knelt beside him.

'Your wounds are too grave, brother.' He heard the Medic speak, as though from a great distance. 'Do you desire the Emperors Peace?' The Medic raised the carnifex, and Draeg was dimly aware of the click as the bolt was drawn back into the firing position. With what remained of his life. Draeg tried to speak. The Medic seemed to understand.

'The others? They are whole, Brother. You saved them. Your name is entered in the Book of Honour.'

Draeg nodded weakly. and closed his eye. His gene seed would return to the Chapter.

All Marines pick up a certain amount of medical knowledge during the course of their initiation into the Chapter, but only those who show an aptitude for such knowledge are chosen to study the sacred rites with the Chapter's surgeons. It must be stressed that Field Medics are primarily soldiers whose duties have been expanded to include the practise of medicine, rather than specialist surgeons who have been given military training. Such individuals are first and foremost warriors, and greatly honoured ones at that. Only champions and heroes are ever initiated into the ways of the Apothacarion - such is the importance of their duties. For it is the Medics who must maintain the bodies of their comrades, in a similar way to that in which members of the Adeptus Mechanicus service and maintain support equipment and vehicles. Without the selfless devotions of its Medics, the fighting forces of the Imperium would soon be eroded to the point where they were incapable of fulfilling their duties.

The duty of the Medic, my Brethren, is a sacred one. We embody the Emperors divine will and his holy purpose. We bring death and we bring life. Let those true to Humanity's cause give thank for our work. Let the impure bow down before our swords.

Extract from an address on the completion of Medic training attributed to Surgeon-Commander Grigor Markhava. Widely distributed as an exemplary text after his heroic death during the storming of the Bourne slave-pits on Gabin 240 (2150982 .M41) when he gave his own blood to save the life of Lieutenant Commander Anders Belman at the height of the fighting.

It is possible that a casualty's injuries maybe so severe that he will succumb to them irrespective of the treatment available. In these cases, the Medic has the solemn duty of administering "the Emperor's Peace" - euthanasia - to those warriors who deserve it. The Medic's medi-pack includes a special humane-killer for this task, called a carnifex - a solid spring-loaded piston of metal. This is applied to the sufferer's temple, its powerful spring hurling the piston through the Marine's brain and killing him instantly. Any Marine suffering from a critical head or body wound may be despatched in this way if the player wishes (only the medic on the spot can judge whether a Marine is going to survive his wounds). The Medic achieves this automatically once in contact with the sufferer.

Another vitally important duty which the Medic must perform is the recovery of Progenoid glands from fallen battle brothers. As explained in White Dwarf 98, the recovery of the gene seed encoded within these glands is vitally important to a Chapter's survival and prosperity. Progenoids may be recovered at the same time that the carnifex is used.

Do not fail your Brothers. Though their bodies die, their spirit must return to the Chapter. That is your charge.

- Medic Credo

In Nostra Mantis - Progenies Futura

There was a slight sucking sound as the Progenoid was removed.

'Rejoice, Brother.' whispered the Medic. 'Your gene seed returns to the Chapter.'

Medics in the Army are no less honoured than their Marine counterparts. They are not concerned, of course, with the recovery of progenoid glands, and their training is somewhat less sophisticated, since their patients do not have the enhanced physiology of Marines. Nevertheless, they are always both heroic fighters and dedicated servants of their division. In recognition of the value of their services, Army Medics are often seconded to the Administratum after 20 years service.

In addition to their medical duties, all Medics participate fully in combat, fighting to the best of their considerable abilities. They always operate as independent characters and are never attached to squads.

Marine Medics are often armed with chain swords and bolt guns or pistols, while those in the Army usually carry laspistols and chainswords. This is in addition to the standard equipment carried by the rest of the force with which they fight. All medics carry a standard medi-pack to allow them to perform the rites of diagnosis, and to administer drugs such as frenzon, etc.

The Medic ran the Medi-Pack's sensor over what remained of the Marine's leg.

+ + + EXTENSIVE FLESH LOSS + + + ARTERY SEVERED+ + + RETRIEVABLE

A fine probe slid smoothly from the pack, piercing the flesh just above the wound. The pumping blood turned from red, through orange to yellow, forming a crust which covered the wound completely. The crust hardened rapidly as the probe withdrew.

+ + + REPAIR COMPLETED + + +

To increase their mobility, Medics are often equipped with jump packs, or mounted on bikes. Additionally, the ubiquitous Rhino AFV is commonly fitted out as a mobile field medical station where more severe wounds may be treated. Such vehicles are, of course, clearly marked with the Imperial Medical symbol.

Regulation Battledress for Marine Medics is all white, apart from the helmet which retains appropriate Chapter colours, and the right shoulder pad bears the medical symbol. Some Chapters, however, use variations on this theme, e.g., Iron Hand Medics wear the normal Chapter colours - apart from the right arm, shoulder and medic- pack.

CHAPLAINS OF THE IMPERIUM

While each Chapter follows the tenets of the Imperial Cult, individual Chapters have extended the Cult to include ceremonies which have relevance only to their own members. For example, reverence for Primarchs is widespread amongst the Legiones Astartes. These are the heroes of each Chapter, who fell in battle and upheld the honour and traditions of the Legiones Astartes in a particularly notable fashion. The Chapter's collection of Primarch relics and war-gear is entombed in the Chapter catacombs, placed upon sepulchres or hung in the Reclusiam.

The importance of faith to Marines is further reinforced in the Company Chapels. All ten companies within each Chapter have their own Chapel where Marines can observe the rites of the Chapter and those special to their own company. Here the worship is supervised by one of the Reclusiarch's subordinate Chaplains. It is the Chaplains, living and fighting alongside their battle-brothers, who are responsible for the spiritual health of the companies.

LEGIONES ASTARTES CHAPLAINS

In battle Chaplains are frequently found where the fighting is fiercest. They can be found chanting the Chapter's battle creeds, ministering to the fallen and granting absolution to the dead. They are also Space Marines, which means that they fight with as much savagery as any of their brothers.

Chaplains are drawn from the ranks, although only Marines who have earned both Merit and Devout badges are considered for a Chaplaincy. These awards may be displayed as actual badges, or for example as diagonal stripes painted across the right shoulder pad.

As a first step, a Marine is singled out to aid the Chaplain of his company as a Novice (or Initiate - the terms are almost interchangeable). Duties often involve little more than helping during company rituals, but deep study of the liturgies under a Chaplain's personal tuition is also necessary.

Should a Chaplaincy fall vacant, the most advanced and promising of the Initiates is sent to the Solitarium. This small cell is situated in a secluded part of the monastery and here the Initiate meditates and fasts for a time. He may be left there for up to a week, while his investiture by the Reclusiarch and the Master of Sanctity is prepared. Then, in front of the whole Chapter, he is formally given his symbols of office and presented to the company who are now under his spiritual guidance. At this point the new Chaplain takes the name of his predecessor.

When a Chaplain is killed in battle a formal ceremony often has to wait. The senior Initiate immediately takes the helmet and shoulder pads of the Chaplain and dons them. From the moment he puts on the old Chaplain's war-gear he has full authority as one of the Chapter's spiritual leaders. He is formally invested as a new Chaplain only when the battle is won and the dead are absolved.

CHAPLAINS IN BATTLE

The bond between Marines and their Chaplains is a strong one. Chaplains preside over their indoctrination as recruits; they teach loyalty to the Chapter, reinforce its precepts through rituals and ceremonies and perform inspiring acts of valour upon the field of battle.

- Chaplain Fergus NiIs
An address to the defenders of Portrein

TYPICAL CHAPLAIN UNIFORM VARIATIONS

Chapter	Helmet	Torso	Legs	Arms
Crimson Fists	Black skull	Black	Black	Shoulder pads in Chapter colours
Space Wolves	Black skull	Black	Chapter colours	Skull* shoulder & insignia pads
Howling Griffons	Black skull	Black	Chapter colours	Skull* shoulder & insignia pads
Novamarines	Black skull	Black	Chapter colours	Skull* shoulder & insignia & elbow pads
Dark Angels	Skull*	Black	Black	Skull* shoulder pads
White Scars	Grey	Grey	Grey	Skull* shoulder & elbow pads
Silver Skulls	Silver	Black	Black	Silver shoulder pads
Iron Hands	Black	Black	Black	Skull & dagger motif on right shoulder pad

* Unless painted black or in chapter colours, skull masks are white or ivory

Armour and Appearance

Some or all of a Chaplain's armour is painted black. A skull insignia usually adorns the right shoulder and this is often displayed on both pads. Skulls can also be repeated throughout a Chaplain's uniform. Skull-shaped helmets are common, and the upper chest armour or even the whole of the body armour may be cast in the shape of a skull. Skull-shaped groin-guards are also not unknown.

Chaplains are also marked by one or more Primarchal battle relics which are worn or carried into battle. A single gauntlet from the armour of a Chapter hero passes on a little of the Primarch's fortitude and faith to the Chaplain.

Formal regalia includes a staff of office called the crozius, which is used during Chapter ceremonies. Many Chaplains carry them into battle, a visible sign that battle is the highest ritual in the Chapter's devotional calendar. The crozius normally bears the Imperial eagle or a skull motif at its tip. The most ancient of these staffs is the rare crozius arcanum; a staff made from an alien relic which contains a neuro-disruptor in the haft. Chaplains are also marked by a Rosarius, a gorget or amulet worn about the neck. This bears the image of the Imperial Eagle and is the 'soul's armour' of the Chaplain.

Initiates usually wear standard Marine armour. However, the helmets, right shoulder pads and right arms of their armour are painted black rather than in the Chapter's formal colours. The black shoulder pad replaces the previous Devout markings which were shown there - once declared as an Initiate, the Marine's devotion needs no further advertisement.

Armament and Equipment
The Imperial Marine Codex lists the standard equipment of a Marine Chaplain as:

Powered armour with communicator, respirator and auto-senses
Knife or combat accessory
Bolt Pistol
Frag Grenades
Bolt Gun
Plasma Pistol
Power Sword
Conversion Field

Chaplains may also be equipped with Chainswords. Some Chapters allow their Chaplains to carry a variety of close combat and heavy weaponry as well as grenades.

IMPERIAL GUARD COMMISSARS

The Imperial Guard, however, is less certain in its utter devotion to the Emperor. The tasks of Chaplains, therefore, are allied to a need to impose authority and maintain discipline. These duties are carried out by the Commissars of the Imperial Guard, who instil loyalty and motivation into the troops in their care. It is the Commissars who must increase the troops' awareness of Imperial ideals, who must disseminate the wisdom of the Imperium to the ranks and who must maintain discipline.

The Commissars are grim, authoritarian figures. Unlike Marine Chaplains who view the spiritual welfare of the brethren as important, Commissars have a practical turn of mind. They are often found to have neglected the religious indoctrination of troops, while pursuing important, but secondary, disciplinary matters.

Commissars must be vigilant at all times for signs of moral weakness in the troops: he must watch the enlisted men and officers for signs that devotion is lacking, and he must watch for the signs that show the presence of a latent psyker. This vigilance is backed by powers of summary discipline. With the power to execute those found wanting, the Commissar can, by fear alone, instil new vigour and devotion in the troops under his care. On more than one occasion broken Guard units, in ignominious flight from the battle, have been rallied by the prompt action of their Commissar. Similarly, weak and inadequate officers, or those who have simply lost the will to win, have been summarily chastised by Imperial Guard Commissars.

Marine Chaplains take it upon themselves to scrutinise and judge the performance of Commissars when they have the opportunity. The assignment of a Guard unit to a Marine battle-zone often gives Chaplains just such a chance. The Commissar under examination may even welcome the attention if the Imperial Guard troops are under stress, as it confirms his authority.

Armour and Appearance

Armament and Equipment
Considerable individuality is often displayed by Commissars in their choice of weaponry and other equipment. Most have a Laspistol and a Conversion Field and carry either a Lasgun or a Chainsword. Some use Powergloves.

CHAPLAINS, COMMISSARS AND VEHICLES

Units frequently assign Rhinos or Land Raiders to their Chaplains and Commissars to allow them swift and safe passage. Where possible these vehicles are painted in the Chaplaincy colours of black and marked by skull insignia, although line vehicles in the Chapter or unit colours are also issued.

TERMINATOR ARMOUR

A need for even heavier armour became apparent long ago to the Adeptus Chapters. Certain situations virtually demanded its use: ship-to-ship actions, tunnel clearances, Hive-world combat, all required that very concentrated firepower be brought to bear in confined spaces. Dreadnoughts were unsuitable for use In such places; their cumbersome size merely added to the problem.

After some false starts, the basic outline design for Marine Terminator Armour, a form of exo-armour, evolved. Drawing on both Powered Armour and Dreadnought technologies, Terminator Armour attempts to combine the best of both. Several designs evolved in parallel from the forge-worlds of the Adeptus Mechanicus and the armouries of the Marines. Often bearing little physical resemblance to each other these different Exo-armour suits have much in common. Massively armoured, sealed against any external conditions and incorporating their own armament, Terminator Armour designs proved their worth from the first. Like Powered Armour, the suits were equipped with fibre-bundle muscles and imposed few movement restrictions upon the wearer.

Terminator Armour also incorporates many more auxiliary systems than normal Marine armour. The armour's sensorium, based upon tendril sensors, links directly into the wearer's own awareness. The sensorium allows the wearer to use a vast number of scanners and detectors without conscious thought. Sensoriums can also be linked together, allowing every squad member to see exactly the same view of the battle as his comrades.

In addition to its formidable protective value, Terminator Armour has its own built-in weaponry: a Storm Bolter and a Powerglove. The Storm Bolter is a multi-chambered, short- barrelled development of the trusty standard bolter already used by the Legiones Astartes. It shoots at a faster rate than the original weapon, allowing it to lay down a curtain of fire. It is also quite short, partly because it is built into the exo-armour, making it an ideal dose combat weapon. Such a combination in a single weapon has proven useful, to say the least. The Powerglove is already standard issue in many Chapters, and needs needs little work to adapt it to exo-armour.

Some Marine tacticians and scholars have criticised the design of the suit and its weaponry for lacking a heavy punch at extended ranges. Given its primary function in boarding, close assault and clearance actions, such arguments have carried little weight. Exo-armour has been been included in the armouries of many Chapters who have recognised its worth.

Most Marine chapters maintain some Terminator suits in their armouries, and train some squads in their use. Some adaptive surgery for the sensorium interface is also necessary. However, Terminator Armour is not used by these Marines as a matter of course, but issued as and when required. Conventionally armoured Marines, for example, would not be expected to clear the densely-packed corridors of a Hive World. Their task would be to form a cordon, while Terminator Squads in exo-armour carried out the clearance.

The Thule Decimation of 728.M40 is one of the most noteworthy examples of the use of Terminator Armour. Six entire companies of Grey Knights (an elite Chapter that is unusual in having all of its Marines trained and adapted for Exo-armour) were equipped with Terminator Armour, including suits that had been requisitioned from five other Chapters. The assault was mounted with such haste that there was no time for repainting the suits. The Grey Knights were forced to attack in the colours of six different Chapters and, apparently faced by six Chapters of Marines, the defenders surrendered within three hours. One in ten on the planetoid city were subsequently executed for their part in the rebellion.

The Ultramarines' crusade against the Tyranid hive-fleet Behemoth also included several important actions by Terminator Squads. These included the first breach in the fleet's outer hull, and the subsequent destruction of the vats and nest chambers.

Armed and armoured in Terminator Suits, properly trained Marines can take on almost any foe and prevail. Exo-armour in itself is, of course, only half the story: without the devotion and skill of a Marine, it would be as nothing.

The Grey Knight Chapter of the Legiones Astartes serves as the fighting arm of the Ordo Malleus, the secret Daemon-hunting elite of the Inquisition. This article describes the Chapter's Terminator Squads and their fearsome Nemesis Force Weapon.
Alone of all the Marine Chapters, the Grey Knights possess full knowledge of the terror of Chaos. Designated Chapter 666, they are the Chamber Militant of the Ordo Malleus, and the Grand Master of the Grey Knights is traditionally a member of the Inquisition. The Knights are among the most faithful of the Emperor's servants, fully the match of the Inquisition in their zeal to defeat those who would overthrow the Imperium and steal the souls of Mankind. Their bodies are rigorously trained to withstand great pain and fear. Their minds are disciplined by the thousand rituals of detestation to face the worst horrors of the warp without flinching. And their hearts are strengthened by the Emperor's faith.

Grey Knight Marines are specially screened to exclude all but the strongest and most resilient psykers. Most Knights have no psychic ability at all, and thus are relatively safe from daemonic possession. Some, however, are extremely potent psykers, judged strong and pure enough to pit their powers against creatures from the warp. Equipped with Nemesis Force Weapons and protected by Tactical Dreadnought Armour, these elite warriors can hope to oppose even the Greater Daemons of Chaos.

The Grey Knight psykers are trained to work in small, extremely mobile strike forces, typically in squads of five men each. These squads, and the necessary support and transport units, are deployed at strategic locations throughout the Imperium, ready to move rapidly to any planet facing daemonic invasion.

Grey Knight Terminator Squads may be stationed in the field for decades at a time. And though to many the Chapter's homeworld is but a distant memory, it is every Knight's most cherished wish is to be buried in the chapel beneath the beloved fortress-monastery.

GREY KNIGHT TERMINATOR ARMOUR

The Grey Knights' Terminator suits are highly ornamented. They are heavily embossed, in an almost baroque style, with the standard Terminator symbol on the left shoulder and right knee, and the Grey Knights' distinctive badge (a sword through a tome) on the right shoulder and left knee. Each Knight goes into combat with a copy of the Chapter's sacred book of battle rituals, the Libra Daemonicus, in a special ceramite case on his breastplate. Purity seals are prominently displayed on his legs and thighs, signs that he is uncontaminated by the slightest taint of Chaos.

Each Suit is equipped with a psychic hood, similar to those on the Aegis suits worn by Librarian Marines. The hoods offer the Knights excellent protection against psychic attack.

THE NEMESIS WEAPON

The Nemesis Force Weapon is the standard armament of the Grey Knight Terminator Squads. This halberd-like weapon is a more sophisticated and powerful version of the force sword. Each Nemesis is uniquely built to match the psychic field of its bearer, enhancing his hand-to-hand combat abilities far beyond those of an ordinary Marine. In addition, the Nemesis contains a compact bolter, cunningly built into the haft of the weapon.

CLOSE COMBAT

The Nemesis is a highly effective close combat weapon. It has the same abilities as a force sword.

PSI-POINT STORAGE

The Nemesis also has the ability to store psychic power.

PSYCHIC BLAST

The Nemesis can be used as a focus for a Psychic Blast.

Though exceedingly powerful, the Psychic Blast is a weapon of last resort. The mental strain of launching the Blast is tremendous, and afflicts the Knight with severe mental agony.

CONVENTIONAL WEAPONRY

The Nemesis incorporates a short-range, limited-ammunition bolter in the weapon's haft. As technological attacks have full effect against daemonic creatures, this gives the Knight important ranged combat capabilities against the forces of Chaos. The bolter holds 3 bolts, which can be fired individually or all at once.

The bolter can be fired in close combat (in addition to any other close combat attacks), but counts as a normal bolter in all other respects.

Most humans who have any contact with Space Marines will know and recognise the most common types of Space Marine armour quite readily. However, there are other older types which remain in service to this day and which are very different in their design. Some Space Marine Chapters use only a single type of armour while others make use of several different types.

Many of the older variants have special associations for particular Chapters and may be worn by ceremonial guards or by elite units for example. Other Space Marine Chapters are less formal in their use of armour, mixing various types into their fighting units with little or no regard for conformity. The degree of uniformity within a Space Marine Chapter varies a great deal from Chapter to Chapter and is often determined by historical precedent or tradition.

The initial evolution of Space Marines and their armour occurred during the long period of Earth's isolation that preceded the rise of the Imperium and which later became known as the Age of Strife.

The Age of Strife lasted from approximately the 26th millennium to the beginning of 31st (i.e. roughly from 25000 AD to 30000 AD - further references to dates are given in terms of millennia). During these five thousand years the ancient pan-galactic human civilisation of the past broke down and was replaced by many thousands of local civilisations based around either a single solar system or, occasionally, a small duster of nearby stars. The reason this happened is that warp travel (the means by which spacecraft travel throughout the galaxy) became dangerous and eventually impossible due to colossal disturbances in the fabric of the warp. These disturbances, known as warp storms, were caused by the growth of the Chaos Power Slaanesh.

During the Age of Strife Earth and the other planets of the Terran solar system were unable to communicate with other human worlds, but maintained contact with each other. For much of this period the government of Earth held sway over the entire system, at other times Mars and the Moon were dominant.

For much of the time the different worlds found themselves at war. During the 28th millennium Earth government broke down completely and the planet divided into dozens of inter-warring nations. After two and a half thousand years of continuous warfare little remained of the once sophisticated civilisation of the past. The planet had become a battleground fought over by techno-barbarian warlords and their warrior hordes. This was a dark time for the people of Earth: a time dominated by brutal rulers like Kalagann of Ursh, Cardinal Tang, and the most infamous of all, the half-mad half-genius Narthan Dume Tyrant of the Panpacific Empire. It was against this background of techno-barbaric warfare that the first Space Marines were created and the first Space Marine Armour type developed.

FORMATIVE MARINE ARMOUR

The thunder-bolt and lightning emblem on the breastplate of this suit was the personal badge of the Emperor in those days, predating the Imperial eagle which only became the symbol of the Imperium much later. This emblem gives the suit its other common name - Thunder Armour.

This is not really a single enclosing suit and offers no atmospheric protection or life-support facilities - all of these being unnecessary while fighting was restricted to Earth. The helmet and the top plume are fairly typical, but these early suits were manufactured on an entirely local basis and their exact designs were often a matter of personal taste. The main part of the armour is the massive powered torso which encloses the chest and arms. Beneath the armoured chest plate coiled energy cables transmit power into the arms, effectively multiplying the wearer's fighting abilities three or four times over. During this period most fighting consisted of close combat, warriors preferring to grapple with each other rather than use long range weapons - the power of a warrior's chest and arms was therefore of paramount importance.

The warrior's legs are not power armoured at all but enclosed in tough padded breeches. In the example shown the warrior wears armoured greaves and armoured boots. These were not standard by any means, but were worn by many of the better equipped warriors and were common amongst the early Space Marines. The warrior wears a backpack which provides his suit with power - most of its bulk is taken up by a cooling mechanism meant to prevent the power unit from overheating.

Warriors equipped in this way fought during all the Emperor's wars on Earth, and also on the Moon and Mars which have Earth-type atmospheres. Mark 1 armour is unlikely to be seen on the 41st millennium battlefield but ceremonial units are sometimes equipped in this way.

MARK 2

With its advanced technology the newly conquered planet of Mars became the centre for munitions development. New types of armour were produced in great numbers in the Martian factories under the direction of the Adeptus Mechanicus, the ruling class of Tech-priests installed to administrate its affairs on behalf of the Emperor. This enabled the entire Space Marine Corps to be re-equipped.

The new type of armour was the Crusade Suit, which became soon became known as Mark 2 armour while the old style became Mark 1 retrospectively. The armour is totally enclosed and life-sustaining, and so suitable for fighting on alien worlds as well as in deep space. It is arranged into articulated hoop-shaped plates for ease of movement and these now cover die legs as well as the chest. The additional energy cabling required to operate the leg armour can be seen in the example illustration while the chest coils are enclosed by armoured plates. The old armour had deliberately placed these coils on the outside to help keep the armour cool, but more efficient coolers in the Mark 2 did away with this necessity.

The back pack retains the old shape but is now much more efficient and contains all the extra equipment needed to maintain life-support, air recycling, fluid recovery, and the various automatical medical functions which have remained common to Space Marine armour ever since.

The helmet is now fitted with automatic sensory devices developed in the Martian workshops. These consist of exterior sensors which gather visual and audio stimuli from the immediate environment - effectively functioning as eyes and ears. The information gathered in this way is processed by a computer brain and then transmitted directly into the wearer's mind by a neural connector. The practical result for the wearer is that he appears to see and hear quite normally, but he can also see infra-red and ultra-violet light, and hear a wider range of sound frequencies. The wearer is also able to selectively enhance a visual image or sound should he wish.

If exposed to blinding lights or deafening noises, the computer processor acts as a safety valve and dampens down the stimuli preventing damage to the Space Marine. This sort of armour was used throughout the Great Crusade. Many maintain that it is the most efficient of all Space Marine armours, although its overlapping plates are notoriously difficult to repair. Actual examples of this amour, much repaired and carefully maintained, are still used in small numbers by many Space Marine Chapters.

MARK 3

The suit itself is a highly modified Mark 2 with the addition of fixed armour plates to the body and limbs and a new heavy armoured helmet. The sloping plates of this helmet were intended to deflect shot to the left and right, and was to inspire the Mark 4 and 6 helmet designs. No Space Marine forces were ever equipped solely with this mark although many modern Chapters still use Mark 3 armour for boarding actions and tunnel fighting.

While a successful solution to a specific need, Mark 3 armour is too clumsy and uncomfortable for everyday use. As the most visually brutal of all Marine armour, it is sometimes used as a basic uniform for ceremonial guards. Mark 3 armour is sometimes called the Iron Suit or Armorum Ferrum in recognition of its great strength.

MARK 4

The main change was to abandon the separate abutting plates in favour of larger inflexible armour casings incorporating the flexible joints originally developed for the Mark 3. The result was only marginally less mobile than the earlier type and considerably easier to produce and maintain. Technical secrets uncovered on newly conquered worlds enabled the Martians to develop a more efficient armour, improving the quality of protection and reducing the weight of the suit at the same time. Improved armouring of the power cables enabled the main arm and chest supply to be safely relocated on the exterior of the armour, while use of new material also allowed the size and number of cables to be reduced.

The helmet is an entirely new type, the basic shape inspired by the sweeping front of the Mark 3. In earlier armour the helmet is fixed and the wearer's head is free to move inside. In Mark 4 and later versions the helmet is not fixed but moves with the wearer's head. This facility reflects the constructors' increasing experience with neural connector gear and the use of new materials which flooded into the Martian workshops as the Great Crusade progressed. Mark 4 armour was designed to be the ultimate and final type of Space Marine armour, able to offer the best protection in a variety of conditions. The Martian factories were turned over to its production and many of the Space Marine armies were entirely or partially re-equipped.

MARK 5

With the Mark 4 newly in service the need for large numbers of spares had not been anticipated, so that suits quickly became unusable due to quite minor battle damage. It was soon found that the new and rather specialised materials used in the construction of the Mark 4 were unavailable locally and this increasingly became a problem as Chapters moved from battle-zone to battle-zone. The Imperial forces were soon forced into a fall-back position. Production of Mark 4 armoured ceased, and a new type of armour was designed almost literally over-night. This was the Mark 5 or Heresy Suit.

The Mark 5 used as many pre-Mark 4 components as possible. Large stocks of these existed and the Marine Artificers were already familiar with their application. Once supplies of the new materials used in the Mark 4 armour dried up it became necessary to re-use older substances. In the illustration the lighter chest, arm and leg cabling of the Mark 4 has been replaced by older and heavier style cabling made from more readily available materials. However the cables are now exposed because they are too bulky to fit under the new style chest plate. This was to prove, a consistent weak spot in the design leading to the fitment of all kinds of improvised chest armour.

A distinguishing feature of the Mark 5 armour were the heavily studded armour plates. This was an attempt to reinforce the Mark 4 pattern plates when inferior materials were used due to lack of the proper supplies. An extra skin plate was fitted around the armour using molecular bonding studs. The extra weight was considerable, especially if a further chest plate had been added, leading increased pressure for energy from the power pack. As a result the wearer either had to turn up the power output ad suffer intolerable heat build-up, or leave the power apply as it was and accept reduced power levels.

The helmet type illustrated is a spin-off from the development program, an early type of preproduction helmet, sharing the same type of auto-sense components as contemporary Terminator suits. Being something of an improvised stop-gap, it is common for Mark 5 suits to vary a great deal. Where Mark 4 helmets, armoured plates and cabling were available these were often used.

Despite its inauspicious origin the Mark 5 armour proved remarkably durable and equally importantly it was easy to produce and maintain. Huge quantities were shipped out to Space Marine Chapters during the Heresy, including to Chapters which subsequently went over to Horus. As Horus's own supply position became tenuous Mark 5 suits were scavenged from fallen enemies and used by his forces. After the Heresy most of the Mark 5 suits were broken up or dismantled to provide spares. Few Chapters maintain examples of the design, preferring perhaps to forget the dark days of the Heresy. Renegade Space Marine Chapters may still be equipped with this armour.

MARK 6

A notable feature of the resulting armour types (Marks 6 and 7) is the provision of dual technology circuits. These permit relatively rare or sophisticated functions to be temporarily replaced or repaired using common or very simple technology. Although development was incomplete the new armour was rushed into production while the forces of Horns advanced throughout the Terran solar system. Hastily equipped Space Marines wore the new style Mark 6 armour into battle while the development laboratories were disassembled and prepared for transfer to Earth. During the Martian campaign forces of Horus eventually overran the production facilities for Space Marine armour and soon began to manufacture new suits for their own use. Consignments were distributed to other forces elsewhere in the galaxy so that this new type of armour became quite widespread.

Distinguishing features of the Mark 6 armour are its relatively clean appearance due to rehousing the main power cables under the armour plates. The exterior chest and arm cables are duplicated under the chest plate and automatically isolated from the main system if damaged - thus providing a failsafe and overcoming the vulnerability of the Mark 5. The helmet is an improved version of the Mark 4 rather than a new type, although a new type was under development and was to be used on the Mark 7. The left shoulder armour retains the same construction method as the earlier Mark 5 and for the same reasons. Where supplies of material were short it is the right side of the warrior which needs to be better protected while he fires his weapon, thus the left side could be most easily replaced by slightly less effective plates. The need to economise in this way was very real at the time. Later the studded pad became associated with the Terran campaign and the final heroism of the Space Marines so that it became a traditional emblem of those days.

MARK 7

The main improvement is the newly designed chest plastron which covers the chest and arm cabling. This bears the eagle device and gives the armour its common name of Armorum Impetor or Eagle Armour. The other main difference is the abandonment of the studded right shoulder piece and the substitution of the new helmet for the old Mark 4 derived model. Improvements were made to the knee joint articulation, but this modification had already been incorporated into many of the later Mark 6 suits. On the whole it is fair to say that Mark 7 represents the final development of Mark 6 and that the two sets of armour have a great deal in common. Parts from one are readily interchangeable with parts from another, so that a Mark 7 helmet will fit a Mark 6 suit and vice versa.

CHAPTER VARIANTS

Following the end of the Heresy much in the Imperium changed, including the organisation and number of the Space Marine Chapters. Whereas up until this time there had only been twenty Chapters, henceforth the huge pre-Heresy forces were to be broken up into many smaller Chapters. The new Chapters that were founded were equipped with whatever suitable armour and weaponry was available. For the most part the armour used was either Mark 6 or 7, but with a fair sprinkling of older types.

Since that time each Chapter has largely taken over the production of its own equipment. That is not to say that every Chapter produces every single item of hardware that it uses. Some Chapters trade items with other Space Marine Chapters, or they commission work from local fabricators. This latter option is especially common where chapters hold the governorship of the world they live on - in which case the planet is effectively owned by the chapter and its resources can be organised by the Space Marines as they wish. In other Space Marine Chapters supplies are purchased through the Adeptus Mechanicus.

MARINE ARTIFICERS

In many Chapters it is traditional for Artificers to come from special families, and for fathers to pass on their skills and position to their sons. In other Chapters the position is open to all, but involves a long period of apprenticeship to an older Aitificer.

The Artificer's job is to decorate and maintain the Chapter's armour and weapons. In fact, the Chapter also is Engineers and Techmarines whose role is to manufacture much of the equipment, so the Artificers are involved more with decoration, engraving, customising and modifying the basic equipment. For example, when a Space Marine earns a combat honour it is the Artificers who make the honour badges and fasten them on to the Marine's armour. Similarly, the Artificers make rank badges, long service badges and other marks of distinction that are used by their Chapter.

Older types of armour are associated with the past history of many Chapters and often with the deeds of heroic individuals. Artificers will carefully hunt down examples of ancient armour to use as the raw material on which they can engrave honour marks or purely decorative features. Such pieces will be lovingly restored, often plated with silver or gold, and then painstakingly engraved with naturalistic scenes, abstract designs or Chapter badges. A piece of armour that can be shown to have belonged to an old Chapter hero is valued above all others. As successful Space Marine Officers are often presented with ancient pieces of armour, a single armoured plate or helmet might have a long and famous history and could have belonged to a whole succession of Space Marine heroes and been worked on by many famous Artificers.

INDIVIDUALISED ARMOUR

Some Chapters reserve such armour for special individuals, officers, or high ranking commanders. There is no fixed rule on this, it is a matter of Chapter tradition and preference how such armour is used. However, it is generally the case that very high ranking officials inherit special suits of armour, which they may then combine with their own existing suits so that their individual honours or personal pieces of armour are retained when they are appointed to a new position.

TOUGHNESS INCREASE

TACTICAL SQUAD COLOUR SCHEMES

• Marines of the First Company
• Ultramarines
• Blood Angels
• Dark Angels

Space Marines: Codex Imperialis Extract - Legions of Adeptus Astartes

• Chapters
• Origins
  • The First Founding
  • Founding Chapters
• Chapter Organisation
  • The Dark Angels
• Fighting Units
• The Physique of a Space Marine
• Special Marines
  • Techmarines
  • Librarians
  • Apothecaries
  • Chaplains
• The Primarchs
• 'Eavy Metal: Dark Angel Space Marines Tactical Squad
• Space Marines Army List
  • Space Marines
  • Techmarine
  • Servitors
  • Chaplains
  • Apothecary
  • Librarian
  • Space Marine Scouts

Space Marine Dreadnoughts (by Andy Chambers, excerpted from WD 167)

Dreadnoughts are huge fighting machines which stand two or three times the height of a man and weigh several tons. As they stride into battle, incoming fire spatters like rain off their thick ceramite hide, fiery death roars from the myriad of weapons mounted on their towering hulls and their great metal arms crush and smash through anything in their path. No serious assault can begin without a wave of Dreadnoughts to first drive a wedge through the enemy's defences.

Dreadnoughts are often mistaken for robots or very large armoured fighting suits. In fact they are similar in design to both and yet the same as neither. Dreadnoughts are quite unique because each one contains a single sentient creature whose nervous system is permanently interfaced with the electro-fibre bundles and magna-coils which form the machine's 'muscles', enabling it to walk and balance with the ease of a living creature. It is a sentient creature that stares out through the machine's crystal lenses and which motivates the machine's metal limbs. Once a creature is interred inside Dreadnought armour it cannot leave its metal womb and still survive; it is destined for a life of endless battle until its walking tomb is destroyed.

The Space Marine Dreadnoughts are possibly the most ancient Dreadnought design, with some machines dating back tens of thousands of years to the Age of Strife. Dreadnoughts are complex machines, requiring special materials and skills to construct and all Space Marine Dreadnoughts are revered in themselves because the art of their construction is almost lost. The operator of each Space Marine Dreadnought is not an ordinary Space Marine, he is one of the Old Ones - a heroic Space Marine warrior mortally wounded in battle long ago and given the honour of continuing to serve the Emperor as a deathless, living Dreadnought. The Old One's body lies curled in a foetal position inside the Dreadnought's shell with his nervous system linked directly to the machine's systems. In this way the Old One is reborn into a body of metal which has become his sarcophagus.

The memories of some of the Old Ones may extend back tens of centuries to the founding of their Chapter and its earliest history. Thus they are revered by the other Space Marines not just as potent warriors but also as ageless forebears and as a living embodiment of battles fought long ago. The Dreadnoughts that still survive are carefully maintained and repaired when necessary. If a Space Marine Dreadnought is destroyed in action the Space Marines will fight with righteous anger to retrieve the shell so that they may lay its occupant to rest in the Chapter's mausoleum. The Dreadnought armour itself will be repaired and prepared for another dying Space Marine who will become an Old One to future generations.

Like most Dreadnoughts, Space Marine Dreadnoughts have variable configuration weapon mounts on their arms. This facilitates easy conversion of the Dreadnought to a number of different weapon fits according to different tactical situations. The weapons mounted on the Space Marine Dreadnought are superficially similar to heavy weapons carried by Space Marines or Space Marine Terminators. However, Dreadnought weapon systems are superior in a number of ways because of their sturdier construction, increased ammunition capacity and improved targeting systems. These improvements are partially subsumed into the Space Marine Dreadnought's ballistic skill and its ability to move and fire heavy weapons, but in addition to these the following special rules apply to Space Marine Dreadnought weapons.

Assault Cannon and Storm Bolter

The most frequent causes of jams for sustained fire weapons like assault cannon and storm bolters are faulty ammunition, overheating components or empty magazines. The Space Marine Dreadnought features a large ammo hopper holding many thousands of rounds of ammunition for its sustained fire weapons. This is combined with a liquid nitrogen cooling system and a flexible powered ammo feed which literally pushes rounds into the weapon and extracts any dud rounds before they can block the breach.

Missile Launcher

Though some older Space Marine Dreadnoughts carry a normal missile launcher, most have been upgraded to carry a specialist salvo-firing launcher capable of launching up to three missiles simultaneously. Unfortunately, the launcher has a slightly temperamental guidance system which occasionally locks on to only some, or none, of the extra designated targets. However, the masters of the Space Marine Chapters generally consider the extra firepower supplied by the launcher a worthwhile trade off.

Multi-Melta

A normal melta weapon fires a fairly tight stream of energy which strikes the target and instantly super heats it to a point where it vapourises explosively. The Space Marine Dreadnought mounts a multi-melta with a variable focus, allowing it to broaden the energy beam. This sacrifices range and power to burn a wider area more thoroughly. This is particularly useful when fighting at close quarters against large groups of troops.

Twin Lascannon

A common Space Marine Dreadnought weapon is a twin lascannon mount for destroying vehicles and fortifications at long range. The twin lascannon weapon system features a sophisticated scanning system which can separate and identify the different components of a target. This system allows the Dreadnought to adjust its aim with pinpoint accuracy to strike the desired component.

Power Fist

Power fists mounted on Space Marine Dreadnoughts incorporate extra power servos so that they can grip and then rotate to tear pieces off the target. This is most useful for ripping apart vehicles, inflicting catastrophic damage on the component attacked.

• 'Eavy Metal: Blood Angels Space Marine Dreadnought
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Assault Squads: Space Marines

• 'Eavy Metal: Ultramarines Space Marine Assault Squad

The Razorback (by Rick Priestley, excerpted from WD 174)

The Razorback is a Rhino variant designed to speed into battle escorting other Rhinos and squads of Space Marines. As it smashes through the enemy lines, a turret mounted lascannon blasts apart enemy Dreadnoughts and tanks, while twin plasma guns fire gouts of flaming death. After neutralising hostile armour, the Razorback can then deploy a combat squad of Space Marines to mop up any survivors and secure the area.
The Space Marine Rhino is one of the most common vehicles in the armouries of the Imperium. Wherever Imperial forces clash with their enemies their commanders call upon Rhinos to carry their troops to the battlefront rapidly and in relative safety. Unfortunately, these vehicles are vulnerable to enemy heavy weapons as the Rhino is only armed with boltguns and often has difficulty rooting out these support units.

The weapon forges of the Adeptus Mechanicus have several Standard Template Constructs (STCs) for variants of the standard Rhino APC chassis. Many STCs have been lost over the millennia and the Adeptus Mechanicus constantly hunts down knowledge of long lost STC databanks. Of the few Rhino variants that remain, each one fills a specific purpose on the battlefield, such as providing artillery support, or mounting a close range demolition cannon.

One of the most successful variants is the Razorback. As far as the Adeptus Mechanicus is concerned the Razorback is a relatively new addition to the armies of the Imperium. The STC for the Razorback was recovered about five millennia ago by the Chief Artisan Tilvius. Tilvius led a quest in the 36th millennia after the Inquisition uncovered rumours of an actual working STC databank. Tilvius' quest scoured the far reaches of the galaxy, he checked planet after planet, questioning everyone from planetary governors to the lowliest menials, Tilvius left no stone unturned. Tilvius never found the STC databank, he returned to Mars after three centuries of searching, an old man who wanted to see the red sands of his homeworld once more before he died. But his quest did recover several of the much sought after STC print outs. For the most part they were simple machines and factory tools, but the undoubted jewel in Tilvius' collection, the crowning achievement of Tilvius' quest was the recovering of the STC for the Razorback. After initial trials by the Adeptus Mechanicus proved it successful, the Razorback was immediately put into production by Forge Worlds all over the Imperium and is now standard issue for all Space Marine Chapters.

The Razorback is used in a fire support role, escorting Rhinos, or units of Space Marines. The Razorback has a turret mounting for a tank-busting lascannon and twin linked plasma guns. Once the Razorback is in position the Rhinos can deploy their Space Marines into cover. Then the Rhinos withdraw whilst the Razorback remains to provide vital heavy weapon support and cover the Rhinos retreat. The turret-mounted lascannon can deal with any enemy vehicles or Dreadnoughts, while the plasma guns prevent enemy infantry and light vehicles from straying too close. With the ability to carry five Space Marines, the Razorback can be used as a mobile command centre or simply to carry a combat squad to the front line.

• 'Eavy Metal: Space Marine Razorback
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The Yellow Jackets: GD '94 Space Marine Chapter Design Competition Winner

A Bitter Harvest: Battle Report - Orks vs. Howling Griffons Space Marines

Space Marine Terminators: Tactical Dreadnought Armour

Space Marine Dreadnoughts

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Space Marine Whirlwind: Rhino Variant

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For They Shall Know No Fear: Developing a Space Marine Chapter

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Space Marine Razorbacks

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