vizn3r/warhammer40k-lore huggingface dataset:
Iron Fists - Chapter Colours: The Iron Fists primarily wear light blue-grey silver power armour. The Aquila or Imperialis on the chest guard, as well as the arms and gauntlets, are golden.The inset of the shoulder plates are black. The open-faced, golden squad tactical specialty symbol -- battleline, fire support, close support, Veteran or command -- is indicated on the right shoulder plate.A black Low Gothic numeral stenciled on the right knee guard indicates squad number.
Iron Fists - Chapter Badge: The Iron Fists' Chapter Badge is a golden gauntlet in the shape of a clenched fist centred upon a field of light, bluish-grey silver.
Iron Fists - Canon Conflict: The Iron Fists were listed as a successor of the Imperial Fists, rather than the Iron Hands, in the 6th Edition Codex: Space Marines, pg. 47.  The 2023 First Founding art book put this inconsistency to rest by definitively stating that they are indeed successors of the Iron Hands.
Iron Fists - Sources: Adeptus Astartes: Successor Chapters (Limited Release Booklet), pg. 59Codex: Space Marines (6th Edition), pg. 47First Founding (Art Book)How to Paint Space Marines (2004), pg. 88Imperial Armour Volume Two - Space Marines and Forces of the Inquisition, pg. 58Realms of Chaos: Slaves to Darkness (1st Edition), pg. 251Iron Hands (Novel) by Jonathan Green, Ch. 12Battlefleet Gothic - To Cleanse the Stars: Vessels of the Imperium by Andy Chambers and Matt Keefe, pg. 26Warhammer 40,000 Chapter Approved - The Book of the Astronomican (1st Edition), pg. 106
Iron Halo - Iron Halo: The Iron Halo is a revered part of the Armoury of the Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes and is also a common Astartes award for valour. The Iron Halo is a halo-shaped ring that is positioned above the head of the wielder, usually mounted on the backpack of Space Marine power armour but sometimes mounted in the gorget.The Iron Halo is a prestigious honour that is granted only to the most exceptional of the Astartes within a Space Marine Chapter as a reward for uncommon initiative and valour. It is most often worn by the Chapter's captains and Chapter Master, though Veteran Astartes and sergeants can also earn the right to add it to their armour in certain circumstances.The Iron Halo appears to share the same basic technological mechanisms as the Space Marine Chaplain's Rosarius, as they both produce a protective force field effect using poorly-understood Conversion Field technology.
Iron Halo - Combat Effect: The Iron Halo emits a very strong Conversion Field around its wearer, which makes his armour even harder to pierce with enemy ranged and melee weapons. In addition it also provides its user with immense resilience to even the most potent weapons such as Lascannons and missiles of all varieties.The energy shield the Iron Halo generates stands a good chance of deflecting many deadly projectiles that would slay even an unprotected Space Marine with ease.
Iron Halo - Notable Wearers of the Iron Halo: Marneus Calgar - Chapter Master of the UltramarinesPedro Kantor - Chapter Master of the Crimson FistsLuis Dante - Lord Commander of the Blood AngelsCato Sicarius - Captain of the Ultramarines' 2nd CompanyDavian Thule - Captain and Force Commander of the Blood RavensTitus - Lieutenant of the Ultramarines 2nd Company
Iron Halo - Sources: Codex Adeptus Astartes - Space Marines (8th Edition), pg. 62Codex: Space Marines (7th Edition) (Digital Edition), "Armoury of the Space Marines - Special Issue Wargear - Iron Halo", pg. 443Codex: Space Marines (6th Edition), pg. 124Codex: Space Marines (5th Edition), pp. 52, 100Codex: Space Marines (4th Edition), pg. 23Deathwatch: Rites of Battle (RPG), pp. 206-211Insignium AstartesWarhammer 40,000: Space Marine (Video Game)
Iron Hands - Ascension of Horus: The Ullanor Crusade was a vast Imperial assault on the Ork empire of the Overlord Urrlak Urruk during the Great Crusade. Ullanor, the capital world of this empire, and the site of the final assault, lay in the Ullanor System of the galaxy's Ullanor Sector. The Ullanor Crusade marked the high point of the Great Crusade's vast effort to reunite the scattered colony worlds of Humanity. The Orks of Ullanor represented the largest concentration of Orks ever defeated by the military forces of the nascent Imperium of Man at that time. With the great victory sealed in blood and iron, the call to a Triumph was sounded, to recognise this highpoint of the Great Crusade and to honour all the warriors of the Ullanor Crusade, mortals and Astartes alike, for their extraordinary valour and service to Humanity's cause. A full fourteen of the Space Marine Legions stood represented at the Ullanor Triumph, and with them came their primarchs -- nine beings of superhuman power and majesty. In the aftermath of this Ullanor Crusade, Horus was granted the newly-created title of "Warmaster", the commander-in-chief of all the Emperor's armies who possessed command authority over all of the other Primarchs and every Expeditionary Fleet of the Great Crusade. After declaring Horus the Imperial Warmaster and the new supreme commander of the Great Crusade, the Emperor, much to the shock of those assembled, announced His own intention to return to Terra to pursue a secret project intended to benefit all Mankind. Although considered one of the finest and most senior field commanders in the Imperium, and an individual of great and sometimes barbed pride, Ferrus Manus did not display any outward signs of displeasure at Horus Lupercal's promotion above him as Warmaster, although as one of the most veteran of the Primarchs, he might have expected such consideration. Both he and his Legion continued to serve closely with the Sons of Horus after Horus' ascension and remained a key part of the Warmaster's strategic deployments throughout the dying years of the Great Crusade.Despite being part of the Traitors' close orbit, and the fact that a particular comradeship had developed between Ferrus Manus and the Primarch Fulgrim of the Emperor's Children, the Iron Hands never became fully ensnared in the dark conspiracy of Horus' rebellion that would tear the Imperium asunder. It is of some note that the Traitors clearly did believe that such an entanglement was possible (whereas they did not with certain other Legions), although whether this was because of binding ties on the Legion Horus believed outweighed those to the Emperor, the reputation and nature of the Iron Hands Legion itself or some other unknown factor is unclear and not knowable. It is salutary to consider, however, that if this had been the case; had Ferrus Manus and the power of the Iron Hands also sided with the Traitors, then the outcome of history might well have been very different.
Iron Hands - Diasporex Persecution: During the latter part of the Great Crusade, the Iron Hands encountered a nomadic, fleet-based civilisation composed of both Humans and xenos known as the Diasporex. The Iron Hands shared the Imperial Truth of the Emperor of Mankind and offered the Human members of the Diasporex the opportunity to separate from their alien allies and to join the newly forged Imperium, but they declined the Astartes' offer. Their offer rejected, the Iron Hands passed judgement, and in the following months the Iron Hands fleet attempted to annihilate the Diasporex, but they proved to be highly skilled and experienced in the realm of naval warfare, and managed to easily evade crucial battles and even to severely damage the Iron Hands' Strike Cruiser Ferrum. The Emperor's Children of the 28th Expeditionary Fleet were called in as reinforcements, and so, a joint Imperial strike force composed of both the Iron Hands and forces from the Emperor's Children Legion launched an all-out assault against the willful Diasporex. Though the Diasporex knew that a powerful fleet of warships was hunting them and sought their destruction, they refused to leave the sector and move on to someplace safer. The Iron Hands' scout ships soon discovered the truth -- the Diasporex used hidden solar collector arrays to collect fuel for their vessels from a star. This was the reason why the Diasporex remained within the sector. Attacking these vital fuel stations, the two Imperial Expeditionary Fleets drew the Diasporex fleet out into open battle as the Human-alien alliance sought to avoid utter annihilation at the Imperials' hands.During the massive naval battle that ensued Fulgrim's personal gunship, the Firebird, came under heavy attack and soon found itself in trouble. Rushing to his brother's side, Ferrus Manus' flagship, the Battle Barge Fist of Iron, came rushing to the rescue of his beleaguered brother. To restore his wounded pride, Fulgrim led a brief shipboarding action where the Emperor's Children wreaked bloody havoc on the troops of the Diasporex. But ultimate victory was robbed from him when the enemy ship's bridge was taken by one of his subordinate commanders. For months thereafter, Fulgrim would resent The Gorgon's actions, unable to truly understand the altruism of Ferrus' deed and the loss of life his selfless act had incurred on his Legion. Under the malignant influence of the daemon-possessed Laer blade that he wore at all times, Fulgrim could only see self-aggrandisement in his brother's action, instead of the the heroic deed it had truly been. Ferrus' critical comments, the wounding darts that Fulgrim believed were meant to undermine him, were in actuality only jests designed to puncture Fulgrim's self-importance and restore his humility. What Fulgrim perceived as Ferrus' prideful boasts and rash actions had been deeds of courage that he spitefully dismissed as the influence of Chaos began to claim the Phoenician's soul.
Iron Hands - Iron Over Flesh: Just as falsehoods and myths have grown up around the death of Ferrus Manus, so too have such myths persisted about the fate of his remains. While many believe that the head of the Iron Hands Primarch was presented to Horus by Fulgrim after he was slain, other tales claim that it and the rest of his remains were given as a gift to, or perhaps stolen by, agents of the Dark Mechanicum with the goal of creating their own fearful Legion of twisted Astartes from his genetic makeup. Others believe that at some later date his body was recovered in whole or in part by his sons, while some scions of the Iron Hands quest for it still. The Iron Hands have refused to accept the fact of their Primarch's death, choosing instead to believe that he had somehow escaped the massacre on Istvaan V and would one day return. Such delusional solace did little to aid them in the wake of the massacre, however, and with their Primarch "lost" and the Legion crippled, they returned to Medusa full of bitterness. None were immune to their ire, not aliens, not Traitors, and on a few occasions, not even their allies. The Iron Hands harboured a special resentment for the Salamanders and Raven Guard, believing that had they followed Ferrus instead of retreating, the Traitors would have been defeated. The Iron Hands also developed a self-loathing, blaming both their own veterans and even their Primarch for the Istvaan V defeat. They saw that Ferrus' disastrous tactical decisions in the battle had been based on emotion instead of logic, and that those Iron Hands who had fought that day lacked the psychological and physical strength they needed to prevail. As a result of this, the Iron Hands set about purging those weaknesses from themselves over the millennia that followed, smothering their anger with cold reason and accelerating the process of augmenting their flesh with cybernetics.
Iron Hands - After the Heresy: Over the next eight standard years, the Horus Heresy ran its inevitable course. Horus' forces attacked Terra, failed to defeat the Loyalists during the Siege of the Imperial Palace, the Warmaster was killed and the mortally-wounded Emperor was interred within the Golden Throne. In the wake of the Horus Heresy, the Imperium was a dismal, shattered thing. As the beauty and grandeur of the Imperial Palace had been burned black in the fires of betrayal, so great swathes of the Emperor's star-spanning realm had suffered a similar fate. The Master of Mankind was a broken husk, and His dream of unity erased forever. Yet for all this, the Imperium retained might enough to exact a bloody revenge upon its many foes. There could be no forgiveness for the crimes of the Traitors -- those who now ruled in the Emperor's name had neither the ability nor the desire to prevent a war of reciprocity. So began the time known in the histories of the Imperium as the Great Scouring. This was a period of monumental violence, of confusion and darkness. Though the newly founded Inquisition fought to root out corruption and expose wrong-doers to the cold light of Imperial justice, the galaxy's vast scope and dark, shadowed reaches worked against them. With new betrayals and cries for vengeance emerging daily, a great many bloody-handed deeds went unseen. The ravaged Space Marine Legions were no exception to this, with many striving to cover up their own misdemeanours or extract their pound of flesh from those who had wronged them. The Dark Angels, the Space Wolves, even the Ultramarines, all followed their own agendas as the wars of the Scouring gathered pace. The Iron Hands were no exception.
Iron Hands - The Forging: In the wake of the decrees laid down during the Tempering, the Second Founding soon followed, and the Legions of the First Founding were divided into the smaller formations known as Chapters in accordance with the Codex Astartes. The surviving Clan Companies of the old Xth Legion were divided amongst the Iron Hands and their Successor Chapters, with the Iron Hands retaining the ten great clans of Medusa for their own. Each Second Founding Chapter initially shared their parent Legion's gene-seed -- subsequently each Chapter's gene-seed was isolated by the Adeptus Mechanicus, forming new genetic lines. Because the Space Marines that made up each of the Second Founding Chapters originated from one of the Space Marine Legions that first served the Emperor, the Chapters that were created were called Successor Chapters, a title not given to later Chapters of the many subsequent Foundings that have been carried out by the Imperium after that initial split to keep the number of extant Chapters at around 1,000 across the galaxy.
Iron Hands - Faultless Service: As the centuries wore on, the Iron Hands were instrumental time and again in protecting the interests of the Imperium. If their conduct became ever less humane, few would have deemed their callous actions to be a fault. During the 34th Millennium, the horrific phenomenon known as the Pale Wasting swept into the galaxy, great swarms of refugees and intergalactic flotsam fleeing before its miasmic grasp. Clan Raukaan were among the several Clan Companies who sent forces at the request of Mars, to ensure compliance with the quarantine cordon around the Forge World of Grammachus Beta.For long solar months, the Iron Hands' Strike Cruisers hung in space, silent sentinels watching for any who might attempt to flee ahead of the Wasting and thus endanger the Forge World or its output. Warriors of Clans Raukaan, Kaargul and Haarmek performed brutal boarding actions against the voidcraft of Ork raiders and Eldar pirates alike, sweeping them deck by deck with Bolter and blade. As each ship was cleared, the corpses of their luckless inhabitants were catalogued, piled in heaps, and burned. The ships themselves were scuttled before being redirected into the heart of Gau-X24, the nearest star. None remarked upon the fact that the same treatment was meted out upon the luckless 26th Yormethi Regiment of the Astra Militarum.An entire army group, the Yormethi had been charged with holding the Phorox Corridor. After misinterpreting their garbled orders, the Yormethi had retreated to join the cordon around Grammachus Beta. When their hails -- and then their panicked pleas -- went unanswered by the Iron Hands' starships, the Yormethi attempted to fight, but they were caught while still translating from the Warp. Their voidships were bracketed by fire-patterns so efficient that thousands of men died without ever knowing who had killed them. For the remainder, there was nothing but the terrified wait aboard crippled ships, followed by a shockingly violent death under the guns of Iron Hands boarding parties. There could be no mercy for men who failed to remain at their posts, and so the Iron Hands gave them none.
Iron Hands - Moirae Schism: During the turbulent times of the Nova Terra Interregnum which took place during the early 35th Millennium, the Imperium was fractured into a number of different warring factions. The Adeptus Mechanicus was also affected during this Interregnum by division and internal warfare brought about by doctrinal differences and competing centres of power. One of the most discordant of these conflicts was the Moirae Schism, a dogmatic battle between the Martian Orthodoxy of the standard Cult Mechanicus and a far more radical creed based upon the prophetic writings of a triad of tech-mystics from the minor Forge World of Moirae. The Moirae Schism was one of the most divisive and widespread doctrinal conflicts to afflict the Adeptus Mechanicus since the Horus Heresy. These heretical writings spread like wildfire through the demesnes of the Mechanicus even after Moirae was reduced to a cinder by the Fabricator-General of Mars' Rectification Fleet.By utilising prophetic wave calculations of the triad of Moirae tech-mystics believed that they had discerned a series of predictive patterns within the micro-fluctuations of the Astronomican's psychic beacon. They believed that these geometric patterns contained the word of the Omnissiah and the God-Emperor from which the skein of future history and Humanity's destiny could be read. These radical teachings included veiled references to the future overthrow of the Priesthood of Mars and the fusion of the Cult Mechanicus and the Ecclesiarchy into a unified ecclesiastical hierarchy that would govern Mankind. Such claims were predictably treated as dark sedition by the Mechanicus authorities on Mars and civil war was soon sparked between the Orthodox and radical elements of the Mechanicus.
Iron Hands - A Show of Force: In the 37th Millennium, the Iron Council made a show of dispatching a huge force to aid in battle against the Renegade disciples of the Blind King. Clan Raukaan and no fewer than four other Clan Companies took to the field. In a series of bloody battles, their vast strike force blunted a dozen uprisings on as many worlds. At Pelos they even hurled back the turncoat Titans of the Legio Covenentia with a vast armoured phalanx. As the war ground on, the Iron Hands were lauded as heroes by the Segmentum Command and the Martian Priesthood alike. However, this overt display of force concealed many months of doctrinal wrangling within the Iron Council, some of whose members had argued relentlessly that the Renegade Tech-priests of the Occlusiad -- who believed the infinitely corruptible and imperfect Human race to be an affront to the Omnissiah -- might not be entirely in the wrong. Clan Raukaan's then-Iron Father, the venerable Techmarine Daarmos, was amongst the loudest voices in shouting down these pernicious whispers for the madness they were. Yet it would be under Daarmos' patronage that, less than two hundred standard years later, Clan Raukaan would suffer one of their greatest defeats.
Iron Hands - An Uncertain Future: Though at times they may have embraced Stronos' way to a lesser extent, the ongoing battles of the other Clan Companies were no less heroic. The efforts of the Chapter bolstered key war zones and led Imperial Crusades to victory. While the Iron Hands were still viewed with suspicion by much of the Imperium, they were also respected for their unbending strength. Yet still the galaxy has darkened around the Iron Hands, disdainful of whatever personalvictories they may have achieved.The Iron Council has seen long-standing allies fall to madness or corruption, and thought back with disquiet to days long passed. They have looked on as great swathes of the Imperium have been plunged into darkness, and brooded upon what the future may bring. They have viewed the changes even within their own Chapter, changes wrought by Kardan Stronos and epitomised by the resurgent Clan Raukaan, and drawn parallels with a bitterly mourned father and his final, awful fate. With so many threats to face, with sanity and surety eroding all around them, the logic of the Calculum Rationale no longer appears enough. Finally, the Iron Council have declared another great conclave. This gathering, the Grand Calculation, will be used to determine the future of the entire Iron Hands Chapter.
Iron Hands - Legion Armoured Echelons: The Iron Hands Legion utilised its many war machines as support for individual companies and Orders, but also fielded large units of heavy battle tanks as distinct units. Such formations ranged in size from squadrons of less than a dozen vehicles to company and even Order-sized units comprised of scores of vehicles.In the case of super-heavy tanks such as the Fellblade, between three and five vehicles would be considered more than a match for any foe less powerful than a Battle Titan. Units of Predators or Land Raiders might consist of forty or more vehicles and be sub-divided into numerous commands. The armoured formations committed to the Istvaan V operation were deployed as part of the second phase of the Iron Hands Legion's attack.Their orders varied enormously, some committed to frontal assault and breakthrough actions, others to wide flanking manoeuvres. Some armoured formations were tasked with engaging those of the Traitor Legions' as the Loyalist Primarchs were well aware that the enemy had had plenty of time to prepare for battle and access to a great many war machines of their own.Despite their power, almost all of the Iron Hands Legion's armoured formations are thought to have been destroyed under the guns of the Traitor's overwhelming numbers at Istvaan V. The heaviest formations, such as the Fellblade companies serving under Clan Ungavarr and the Land Raider echelons of Clan Avernii, are known to have been engaged by Traitor Titans and to have suffered incredible losses despite valiant attempts to concentrate their efforts against these mighty foes.Of the few eye witness accounts committed to record in the aftermath of the Drop Site Massacre, few fail to make mention of the bold attacks of the Iron Hands armoured echelons against staggering odds.
Iron Hands - Legion Vehicles: The core of the Iron Hands armoured units, though limited in number by the capacity of the Battleship Ferrum which ferried them to Istvaan V, held some of the finest war machines and crews in the Xth Legion.Tragically, when the Legions of the second wave at Istvaan V revealed themselves as Traitors and opened fire upon the sons of Ferrus Manus, Vulkan and Corax, many of these war machines were oriented towards the fortifications of the Sons of Horus, the Emperor's Children, the Death Guard and the World Eaters.Their less armoured rears were therefore facing towards the guns of the Word Bearers, Night Lords and, in particular, the Iron Warriors. As a result of the treacherous bombardment from the rear, they suffered staggeringly high losses in the first minutes after the treachery of Lorgar, Konrad Curze and Perturabo was revealed.Nonetheless, the crews of every type of armoured vehicle in the service of the Iron Hands fought on boldly, many sacrificing themselves at the last so that the surviving infantry could break out of the trap and disperse into the surrounding wilderness to fight on.
Iron Hands - Legion Fleet Auxillia: In addition to heavy ground units, the Iron Hands committed every available air and sub-orbital asset at their disposal to the Istvaan V drop. In the case of the complement of the Ferrum, they primarily consisted of Thunderhawks and Caestus Assault Rams. Such vessels were utilised in a range of different roles, from that of gunship to ferrying troops around the battlefield directly in the face of enemy guns.The ultimate fate of many of these aircraft is a salutary example of the spirit in which the Legiones Astartes were forged. Even as the full and dire extent of the Traitor Legions' treachery became clear, Loyalist Thunderhawks and other similar sized classes of aircraft worked tirelessly and entirely without consideration for their own safety to aid the beleaguered ground forces.Those aircraft that were able to do so launched ceaseless strafing runs against the enemy, while those whose ammunition was expended attempted to evacuate their brothers to orbit. Others fought desperately to fend off the attacks of enemy aircraft, while a few sacrificed themselves by crashing into the densest concentration of enemy forces they could identify.Though noble in the extreme, such glorious acts of self-sacrifice failed to stave off the death of the Primarch Ferrus Manus and the near-total destruction of the Iron Hands ground forces so perfidiously betrayed in the Drop Site Massacre at Istvaan V.
Iron Hands - Iron Hands Legion Reserve: The Iron Hands Legion maintained a notably large pool of reserve and second line vehicles of all types and classes. Such vehicles included many more commonly seen in the service of the Imperial Army, or since made obsolete by the discovery and exploitation of new Standard Template Construct (STC) imprints. Much of the Legion reserve consisted of war engines either awaiting attachment to a specific Clan, or otherwise intended for use in operations that required more vehicles than the Clan had immediately available.The crews assigned to operate the vehicles of the Legion reserve for the Istvaan V drop operation were drawn from many and varied sources and combined in the confines of the Ferrum. Regardless of the unconventional circumstances of their assignment, it is generally held that all of these crews comported themselves with honour and skill, regardless of their station within the Legion.In one case, a Legion Baneblade commanded by an Iron Hands Sergeant is known to have been struck by a Titan-class weapon, its turret breached and its command crew slain. In the heat of battle, the Legion Serf manning the forward secondary weapon station assumed control and kept the vehicle fighting for an estimated further eleven standard minutes before it was overrun by World Eaters infantry and all of the surviving crew members were slain.
Iron Hands - Notable Pre-Heresy Clan Companies: The Iron Hands Legion was comprised of a large number of clan companies based on the clans of the Legion homeworld of Medusa. Ten of these would survive the Second Founding, while the rest would fade from history with the reorganisation of the Legion after the end of the Horus Heresy.Clan Atraxii - Clan Atraxii was a clan company of the Iron Hands Legion during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy eras. The Atraxii Clan's symbol was the profile of a skull -- half-Human and half-machine -- similar to the Adeptus Mechanicus' own Cog Mechanicum badge.Clan Borrgar - The Assault Marines of Clan Borrgar -- notorious even on Medusa for their ruthlessness -- were noted for their single-minded elimination of their targets, down to the last man. The clan's symbol is unknown.Clan Felg - Clan Felg was a clan company of the Iron Hands Legion during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy eras. The Felg Clan's symbol was a three-pronged trident symbol centered within a cog.Clan Kadoran - Clan Kadoran was one of the oldest Clan Companies of the Iron Hands Legion during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy eras, which incorporated many of the Legion’s Terrans. The clan's symbol is unknown.Clan Morragul - The Morragul Clan was a clan company of the Iron Hands Legion during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy eras. Led by its unforgiving master, Autek Mor, who was both Iron-Lord of the Clan and Iron Father of the Xth Legion, the Morragul Clan was a sink for the outcasts and most unstable elements of the Iron Hands Legion, who fought and died under Mor's merciless command. No love was lost between Autek Mor and his Primarch. The Morragul Clan's symbol was the clawed talon of a raptor within a cog.Clan Ungavarr - Clan Ungavarr was a clan company of the Iron Hands Legion during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy eras. The symbol of the Ungavarr Clan was a two-headed serpent within a cog.
Iron Hands - Chapter Organisation: During the Second Founding that took place early in the 31st Millennium after the Horus Heresy, the remaining Astartes of the ravaged Iron Hands Legion split into 4 separate Chapters.Three new Chapters, including the Red Talons, Brazen Claws and another whose identity is uncertain departed Medusa forever and went to establish their own homeworlds and fortress-monasteries across the galaxy.In time, all three original Successor Chapters became increasingly reclusive. One of the 4 successors retained the original name and heraldry of the Xth Legion and remained on Medusa.Since its inception, the Iron Hands Chapter has increasingly diverged from the standard Codex Astartes-compliant organisation of most Adeptus Astartes Chapters, changing to reflect the culture of the native nomadic clans of Medusa who provide all of the Chapter's Astartes.Contact between the Successor Chapters of the Xth Legion slowly deteriorated as they all became increasingly insular in nature, while simultaneously contact with other Chapters drawn from the other original First Founding Space Marine Legions virtually ceased entirely as the Iron Hands became ever more insular following the terrible defeat at Istvaan V.
Iron Hands - Chapter Equipment: The disastrous Drop Site Massacre on Istvaan V cost the Iron Hands many, if not most of their Dreadnoughts and suits of Terminator Armour. The limited number that remained became important relics to the Chapter, particularly the mighty Dreadnoughts who symbolise the epitome of the symbiosis of man and machine.Because of this ironic deficiency for a Chapter so dedicated to the pursuit of high technology, the Iron Hands rarely field squads of Terminators, preferring instead to equip clan company officers and Veteran sergeants with the precious Terminator Armour to spread its inspirational and uplifting influence to the Astartes of the entire Chapter.At one time, it was also rumoured that there may be as few as eight Dreadnoughts in the entire Chapter, but it is unknown if this was actually true or merely a myth. This no longer seems the case. When the Iron Hands march into battle they do so alongside a profusion of war machines and battle tanks.The Chapter boasts a great number of armoured vehicles and Dreadnoughts -- so many, in fact, that each clan maintains its own revered armoury of battle tanks and Centurion Warsuits. Iron Hand battle-brothers consider it a great honour to crew one of their Chapter's venerated war machines and interface directly with their vehicles through bionic implants, their heart beat becoming the thrum of powerful engines and their war cries the roar of heavy gunfire.
Iron Hands - Chapter Homeworld: Medusa, the Iron Hands' homeworld, is a realm of perpetual gloom. Its polluted sky churns over a land of raging volcanoes so tall that they illuminate the black clouds from within and above. The people of Medusa are in constant battle with both the elements and each other for access to the planet's limited natural resources.At no point have the Iron Hands sought to end the conflicts between the world's techno-barbarian clans, as such competition weeds out the weak. Only the strong endure, and no compassion is spared for those who cannot survive by their own merits. It is exclusively from these unforgiving and indomitable people that the Iron Hands recruit, and the Chapter's companies bear the ancient names and symbols of Medusan clans instead of numerical designations, for the world, the people, and the Chapter are inseparable.The skies of Medusa are always dark and choked by volcanic ash, and its lands are blasted and barren. Massive mountain chains rise high above the land and the peaks of the countless volcanoes are so high that they pierce the black clouds and illuminate them from within as if they were gateways to the infernal. The poles are freezing and savage and the Land of Shadows is a silent region of this barren world that is strewn with alien ruins millions of years old that some Imperial savants believe may belong to the ancient Necrontyr civilisation.Karaashi, the Ice Pinnacle that the newborn Primarch Ferrus Manus' gestation capsule crashed into when he first fell to Medusa, can still be seen today, though it is said to be half the size it once was. A great gaping hole at its peak that spews ash and steam into the atmosphere is evidence of where the shining light of Ferrus Manus crashed millennia ago.Still it rumbles with the constant geological anger of Medusa -- a constant reminder to the planet's people of the need for vigilance. The clans of Medusa prepare for that day when the Ice Pinnacle ceases to rumble Medusa's unease. For that day, it is foretold, will mark the second coming of the great Primarch, and with his return, even the volcanoes of Medusa will at last be content.
Iron Hands - Chapter Fortress-Monastery: As the volcanic and earthquake-prone geology of Medusa is too unstable to support and maintain a structure the size of a fortress-monastery, the Chapter has been forced to create massive, nomadic bases for each Clan Company. These mobile fortresses, called Land Behemoths, continually traverse the surface of the planet, and are fully automatic, allowing the Behemoth to stay on the move while the entire complement of the occupying Clan Company is off on one of their many crusades across the galaxy against weakness and corruption.
Iron Hands - The Gorgon's Forge: Even after the arrival of the Iron Hands, their homeworld remained sparsely developed, with much of the Medusan populace continuing their nomadic existence aboard vast, armoured crawlers. However, the Chapter does maintain a number of fortified facilities across the planet's surface, each serving purposes both practical and symbolic. One such location is the Gorgon's Forge, a vast factory complex located near Medusa's southern pole. Playing host to a contingent of Adeptus Mechanicus Tech-priests and rumoured to house a handful of STC fragments, the Gorgon's Forge rings day and night with the clamour of heavy industry. It is here that Iron Hands vehicles damaged during battle are brought to undergo repairs, and that the majority of the Chapter's Dreadnought sarcophagi lie at rest between battles. Here also are wrought the finest weapons of the Chapter, masterwork examples of the armourer's art constructed specifically for use by the Iron Hands' mightiest heroes.
Iron Hands - Pre-Heresy: During the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy in the late 30th and early 31st Millennia the Iron Hands were renowned for being masters of the engines of war, wielding weapons and armoured tanks with the skill a master swordsman might a blade. The Iron Hands Legion's preference for close range, brutal engagements, where their relentless firepower could be brought to its fullest effect, was exemplified by a tactic that became known as the "Head of the Gorgon".This was where the enemy would be brought to battle, held in place and allowed to smash itself to pieces against the body of the Legion's forces, while reserve forces of mechanised armour encircled them, before closing in to create a withering crossfire that eviscerated the heart of the foe's resistance. Proud and relentless, the Legion fought for many years at the forefronts of the Great Crusade, and saw victories uncounted, though many would have labelled them as callous and as inhuman as the machines they employed with such devastating skill.
Iron Hands - Calculum Rationale: Even in the days before the Horus Heresy, the Iron Hands always believed that the best tactic was the methodically applied deployment of direct, overwhelming force. Since the Tempering, that doctrine has been taken to ever greater extremes.Desperate battles against the odds make little sense when Mankind faces a war for its very survival, and logic dictates that the Adeptus Astartes are one of the most precious resources at the Imperium's disposal. Surely then, that resource should not be hurled needlessly into fights that cannot be won.Before each deployment, the Iron Council therefore performs an assessment known as the Calculum Rationale. All available information is taken into account, including current enemy strengths, availability of super-heavy or orbital assets, reinforcements, atmospheric conditions, and a thousand other factors of increasing obscurity.This assessment, when completed, states the exact number of battle-brothers, vehicles and supporting personnel required to ensure Imperial victory.If forces are available that match the projected sum, that exact amount of war materiel will be released by the Iron Council and expected to achieve a conclusive victory. No additional warriors will be sent, nor reinforcements provided should failure loom.Equally, if the Iron Hands do not possess the calculated number of readily available personnel to invest a war zone successfully, they will not do so. The annals of the Iron Council are replete with examples of worlds left to burn for the want of a single Stormtalon , Scout or bolter.
Iron Hands - The Forgechain: While the Iron Hands use skull-studs to denote long service in the same manner as other Chapters, in recent years greater value has been placed upon the strange augmetic known as the "Forgechain."Taking the form of a series of augmetic vertebrae, each linked to the next by complex strands of neural relays, the Forgechain quite literally puts steel in each battle-brother's spine. Each new vertebrae torn loose and replaced represents the Iron Hand's acceptance into another clan company. Each company forges its own links from its own chosen materials, the better to reinforce the recipient's new allegiance.Clan Dorrvok, for example, uses unadorned steel to form the first vertebrae for each of their newly-blooded Scout Marines. Clan Sorrgol's vertebrae is formed from a finely tooled galvanite alloy, while that of Clan Company Raukaan is black sigilanium veined with theldrite circuitry.It is said that the Forgechain serves to remind its owner of the bonds that bind the Chapter together and the unbreakable strength they gain through unity. Yet there are those who believe its true purpose is to echo the chains that Ferrus Manus first bound around the fiery hearts of the Iron Hands, and that it serves as a reminder to all that true strength lies in restraint.
Iron Hands - Blessing of Iron: The Blessing of Iron is a singular honour that the Iron Hands bestow on those of their number that serve the Imperium unflinchingly and with all due dilligence. It means that the recipient will be made more one with the Machine God than he has been before.He will receive multiple cybernetic replacements and lose the frailty of his flesh-personality as he becomes more like a servitor in personality and aspect, devoid of all remaining mental weaknesses of the flesh.
Iron Hands - Reported Tech-Heresy: In the 41st Millennium in the Jericho Reach, the Adeptus Mechanicus Mech-wright Calymn Auros reported to his superiors and to one Inquisitor Calistair that he had witnessed possible tech-heresy among the Iron Hands Astartes serving in the Cellebos Warzone of the Achilus Crusade.Auros claimed to "have borne witness to terrifying biomechanical behemoths, fusing man and machine into living weapons sent forth against the Stigmartus hordes in the Acheros Salient. These beings fought alongside the Iron Hands Space Marine Chapter, and bore their heraldry upon their hulls. I have examined the burnt-out wreckage of another such creature, a weapon-studded vehicle that I believe was animated by the essence of an Iron Hands battle-brother who has entirely shed every cell of his biological heritage, little more than pure hate and rage remaining to drive him ever onwards."Auros' report was not well-received by his superiors in the Mechanicus. The Archmagos Zynth ordered mono-task servitors and a Secutor to the Cellebos Warzone to retrieve Auros for adjustment as the archmagos believed him corrupted and in need of adjustment. The accuracy of Auros' report remains uncorroborated.
Iron Hands - Primarch's Curse: Steel Over Flesh: When the Chapter's genetic curse manifests itself in an affected battle-brother, it comes on in three stages:Stage 1 - A Disdain for Flesh: The battle-brother perceives his own flesh as a hindrance. Scarring or punishing the biological portions of his body is the only way to soothe his anger.Stage 2 - Cold Fury: The ruthlessness of the Iron Hands manifests more strongly in the battle-brother, making him prone to aggression. The Battle-Brother must summon forth all his considerable willpower when confronted by an enemy or by something he considers "weak;" failure means that the Battle-Brother's fury is released in some way, most likely causing a feud, confrontation, or escalating into open violence.Stage 3 - Zero Tolerance: All Iron Hands abhor weakness, but the battle-brother has taken this attitude to an extreme. The battle-brother will seek to remove any perceived source of weakness, to the point of refusing to fight alongside allied forces such as the Astra Militarum -- in extreme cases, even entering into open conflict with an allied but mortal force.
Iron Hands - Chapter Colours: The Iron Hands use a system of heraldry that blends the doctrines of the Codex Astartes with the iconography of the clans of the Chapter's homeworld of Medusa. There is an unyielding logic to the way in which this system is applied, and its monochrome, metallic aesthetic makes the Iron Hands look all the more stark and unmerciful.The appearance of the Iron Hands has remained constant since the Legion's foundation. Their Power Armour is painted black with the Chapter icon on the left shoulder pauldron. Each Clan Company has an individual icon, which is worn on the right shoulder plate.Each of these organisations recruits from a different one of ten ancient Medusan clans, with each clan company having developed its own distinct culture as a result.The Iron Hands typically display the tactical role of each Battle-Brother -- battleline, close support, fire support, Veteran or command -- upon the left knee plate of their Power Armour. Older doctrines had the Iron Hands display these markings on the left greave, and some Iron Fathers still hold to this method.An Iron Hand's squad number is designated by a Low Gothic numeral stenciled on the right knee plate.Rank within each clan company is shown by a combination of helm, knee plate and pauldron markings; typically of the Iron Hands, these are precisely as distinct as they need to be to economically communicate a warrior's station. Above can be seen the markings of Clan Raukaan.A Clan Raukaan Sergeant displays his rank with a white skull centred on the front of his helm.A Clan Raukaan Veteran displays his status with a helm whose top is white.A Clan Raukaan Veteran Sergeant possesses a white stripe on his helm with a white skull centred within it.Clan Raukaan Lieutenants have white helms with a white skull centered om its front. They show their skull and starburst rank insignia upon their right knee plate.The Clan Raukaan Iron Captain displays his rank with a white helm that has a white skull centred on its front. Iron Captains wear their clan company icon upon their right knee plate and their right pauldron bears a golden winged skull device to mark their elite status.Apothecaries of the Iron Hands have the entire right arm, including the shoulder guard, painted white as well as the backpack. A white stripe is also painted vertically down the front of the helmet.
Iron Hands - Chapter Badge: The badge of the Chapter is an iron gauntlet, symbolic of Ferrus Manus' metal-covered hands.
Iron Hands - Chapter Notes: Note: The following is informed speculation and should not be considered canon.Strong links are suggested between the Iron Hands and the C'tan and their Necron servants, largely because Ferrus Manus' hands may have been covered in the same necrodermis living metal that makes up the C'tan's physical bodies and the armoured shells of the Necrons.The Iron Hands' close alliance with the Adeptus Mechanicus and their devotion to cybernetic and mechanical augmentation possibly link them with the Void Dragon, a C'tan (that may or may not be the true Machine God of the Adeptus Mechanicus) who is believed to lie dormant beneath Mars.Some within the Imperium believe that Ferrus Manus is not only still alive, but resting deep within the Red Planet himself. This belief is violently refuted by the Iron Hands themselves as Ferrus Manus is known to have been beheaded by his brother Primarch Fulgrim during the Drop Site Massacre on Istvaan V at the start of the Horus Heresy.Another interesting side note is that the etymology of the Iron Hands Primarch's name -- Ferrus Manus -- when translated from Latin means, "Iron Hand."
Iron Hands - Canon Conflict: In prior canon, it was said that the Iron Hands' Iron Fathers were officers of the Chapter who served as hybrid Chaplains/Techmarines. But in the 6th Edition Space Marine codex supplement Clan Raukaan - A Codex: Space Marines Supplement the idea was introduced that every member of the Chapter's governing Iron Council bears the title of "Iron Father."Additionally, a new rank of "Iron Chaplain" is introduced which seems to be a variant title for a standard Space Marine Chaplain. References are also now made to a separate corps of Iron Hands Techmarines.It is thus no longer clear whether the Iron Hands Chapter's Iron Fathers are actually a separate functional role within the Chapter that combines the duties of a Chaplain and a Techmarine, or is just the title reserved for an Iron Hands Astartes of any rank or role who is respected enough to be asked to serve on the Chapter's governing council.It is also possible that the council is composed of only Iron Hands Astartes who have taken on this specialised role. This would mean that the council member title and the role of Iron Father in the wider Chapter are one and the same.
Iron Havoc - Iron Havoc: The Iron Havoc support squads of the IVth Legion were an elite formation utilised by the Iron Warriors Space Marine Legion during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy eras during the 30th and 31st Millennia. Amongst most of the Legiones Astartes, it was the principal role of Legion Heavy Support Squads to saturate an area or target enemy armour with heavy ordnance obliterating an enemy through sheer weight of fire. The Iron Havocs of the IVth Legion, however, were an elite formation who had elevated these tactics almost to an art. These warriors were amongst the finest marksman of the Iron Warriors, placing both shell and explosive blast with exacting precision as they advanced alongside the Legion's assault cadres. Iron Havocs were often attached to the leading elements of any assault, where their pinpoint accuracy allowed them to scour clean fortifications and strongpoints of enemy infantry with murderous efficiency, clearing a path for the Iron Warriors infantry to sweep aside any survivors.
Iron Havoc - Unit Composition: 4-9 Iron Havocs1 Iron Havoc Sergeant
Iron Havoc - Wargear: Power ArmourHeavy Bolter with Shrapnel BoltsBolt PistolFrag & Krak Grenades
Iron Havoc - Optional Wargear: AutocannonMissile Launcher (with frag, krak & flak missiles)Lascannon
Iron Havoc - Optional Wargear (Iron Havoc Sergeant Only): Artificer ArmourNuncio VoxPower WeaponPower FistAugury ScannerMelta Bombs
Iron Hawks - Iron Hawks: The Iron Hawks is a Loyalist Space Marine Chapter from an unknown Founding and a successor of the Ultramarines.The Iron Hawks are blessed with pure and complete gene-seed, though they're currently recovering from heavy losses after a particularly long and gruelling campaign.Despite being strict adherents to the Codex Astartes, they've garnered a reputation for the brutal effectiveness of their high-speed assaults aboard Thunderhawk gunships.The Iron Hawks revere their Primarch Roboute Guilliman above all others -- save the Emperor -- and they loathe those who have turned their backs on the Imperium.The Iron Hawks' Chapter planet is called Stormfall and it is located in the portion of the Ultima Segmentum on the far side of the Great Rift in the Imperium Nihilus close to the Somnium Stars Warp storm.