Storm Wardens - Chapter Combat Doctrine: The traditions of the Chapter mirror those of the feral tribes of Sacris, which place a strong emphasis on close combat and testing one's self against the strongest of foes upon the field of battle. The Storm Wardens are unemotional defenders of the Imperium, often found at the outermost edges of Imperial space where they are needed most. Even amongst other Space Marines, the Storm Wardens are considered clannish and distant.They are slow to make friends but those who persist they respect and protect. A Storm Warden's word is his bond; honour, to him, is of the utmost importance. Storm Wardens are also meticulous planners of tactics and strategies, often spending the night before battle planning ahead, where other Chapters would be in deep meditation.In battle, the Storm Wardens lay aside any personal disputes and stick to the decided plan and, usually, they will seek out enemy champions and commanders to test themselves against. Like most Codex Astartes-compliant Chapters, the Storm Wardens perform well at all forms of combat, but they prefer one devastating strategy. They prefer the use of heavy armour, and their assaults unleash numerous Predator main battle tanks and Land Raiders.The enemy is first subjected to a savage but brief bombardment from either a strike cruiser in orbit or a strafing run by a Thunderhawk gunship. This pins the enemy in place for an armoured assault by the Chapter's Predators and Land Raiders, supported by Rhinos and Razorbacks carrying Tactical and 1st Company Veteran Sternguard Squads into battle.These Tactical Squads are flanked by Predators and supported by Vindicators and Whirlwinds. Elite Terminator and Tempest Blade squads often go to war mounted in the mighty Land Raider, while bike and Land Speeder squadrons range far ahead.The intention of such a doctrine is not to gun the enemy down with the formidable firepower mounted on each vehicle, for these weapons are used to provide fire support to the warriors once they have dismounted. Upon closing with the enemy, the Storm Wardens draw their chainswords and Sacris Claymores, and engage the enemy in the manner of their forebears -- in the bloody maelstrom of close combat.This armoured assault has its roots in the tribal culture of Sacris. Many Storm Wardens use their armoured vehicles as the equivalent of mechanised steeds to carry them into combat, where they launch assaults against the enemy and fight according to the tenets of the Way of Honour.Their preference for fighting alongside their armoured units has led to many stunning tactical feats and also evens the balance of forces so that they can fight their enemy on more even and thus honourable terms. It is no surprise, then, that the Storm Wardens maintain a large number of Techmarines in their ranks and there is some speculation that, like the Iron Hands, the Storm Wardens have a closer relationship with the Adeptus Mechanicus than other Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes.Yet it is in close combat that many of the Chapter's traditions are most fully expressed, for the Storm Wardens are possessed of a fierce sense of pride and believe that honour is to be found in the act of striking an enemy down with one's own hand. To this end, the Storm Wardens utilise the fearsome claymore wielded by the clans of Sacris, each battle-brother practising endlessly until he is a master in its use.Only when he is judged worthy is a battle-brother formally allowed to wield his claymore on the field of battle, mostly limiting its use to officers and Veterans. Many claymores have been passed down through the generations, and some are truly ancient relics forged by the clans of Sacris and later fitted with power field generators by the Storm Wardens' Techmarines to wreath their mighty blades in shimmering, deadly force. A master of the Sacris Claymore wielding his weapon against the foes of the Emperor is an awesome sight indeed, and one that fills the hearts of the faithful with as much pride as it inspires dread in the souls of Traitors.