I recall such attempts made way back, but figured it'll be best to start a new topic rather than revive the old ones.
So, let's tell each other about our custom chapters!
My own Chapters are:
Raven Knights
Colors: Gloss black armor, white shoulderpads, metallics range betwen steel and silver. The Chapter insignia is a black raven on white background (formerly essentially a black copy of Raven Guard icon, but I'm trying to come up with a better design)
Traits: Be Swift as the Wind, Die standing
Battlecry: Hail! Hail! Hail-and-Kill!
Themes: Medieval chivalry meets Heavy Metal
Fluff summary: The Raven Knights are a fleet-based crusading Chapter founded in M35. Presumed lost in the warp on 540.M37, they have resurfaced almost three centuries later. Whatever has occurred since its sudden disappearance, the Chapter has been reduced to under three companies of manpower, with most high-ranking staff dead or missing. Of what happened, none of the Marines would ever speak and since individuals too interested in the subject have the habit of vanishing, nobody is too interested in pursuing it.
The Knights are are a proud and fiercely independent Chapter, with a strong sense of honor and duty, but some of their religious practices (most importantly replacing the normal masses and catechisms of Imperial faith with so called "concerts") have earned them enemies among the more puritan officials of the Ecclesiarchy.
The Chapter's geneseed remains untainted, but the standard Phase 1 implantation of secondary heart has been substituted with a purely mechanical equivalent (the so-called "Metal Heart"). While reasons for that are unknown, the geneseed of normal Phase 1 implant has since become extinct among the Chapter's Marines.
In recent times, a routine geneseed check by a somewhat over-attentive Magos of the Mechanicus has resulted in a startling discovery - that the genetic template of Raven Knights' implants does not match those of any known First Founding Legion, loyalist or otherwise. How the Inquisition reacts to that revelation remains to be seen.
The Chapter's combat doctrine is primarily based on overwhelming their opponents in close combat during sudden assaults, but they are known to use complex battle-tactics if the situation demands so.
Style manual: Most of the army is composed of bikes, many of which are highly customized. "Knight" helmets (regular faceplate replaced with a wedge, like seen on some of the helmets on Black Templar sprue) are very common, and the suits of Powered Armour worn but the Marines bear heavy resemblance to the older Marks (particularly MK III).
Every model carries a sword or a similar bladed weapon, and veteran marines (the Elite-upgraded bike squads) also lances to represent their Furious Assault ability.
The purity seals, parchments and banners sport mottos taken from various Heavy Metal and Power Metal song lyrics (some of which are also painted on larger flat areas of the bikes).
Ion Dragons
Colors: Azure and metallic turquoise. The Chapter insignia is white dragon and starfield over a dark blue background.
Traits: Cleanse and Purify, Faithful Unto Death (might add See But Don't Be Seen and Aspire Unto Glory, not decided yet)
Battlecry: Dragon hearts - Dragon fire!
Themes: High-tech sci-fi soldiers
Fluff summary: The Ion Dragons are a relatively new Chapter, with barely four hundred years of combat history. Based on the fourth planet of Gamarron system (Calixis sector), the scarcity of resources on the Chapter's homeworld made them experts in scavenging and recycling resources.
Two millenia ago, the Gamarron system was subject to a surprise attack by Chaos raiders. Faced with certain destruction, the Technomagi of Gamarron Septimus have overloaded every single reactor and power core on the planet, choosing to destroy their world and themselves rather than let their knowledge and weapons fall into the traitors' hands. The Chaos fleet suffered numerous losses, but continued their assault, moving to the hive world of Gamarron Quadra as their next target. The sector fleet has arrived soon enough to prevent the same fate meeting the densely populated Gamarron Tertius, but the raider fleet has already laid waste to the Hives of G.Quadra, crippling the future homeworld of Ion Dragons beyond any chance of rebuilding. Surviving population of Gamarron Quadra are resilient people, surviving on their world by sheer determination and force of will, thus making near-perfect recruits for the Astartes.
The Chapter conducts occasional expeditions into the scattered remains of Gamarron Septimus, the recovered weapons, materials and data providing the Dragons with advanced technological knowledge and materials that would otherwise be inaccessible on their barren homeworld.
Ion Dragons' combat doctrine relies on annihilating the enemy through precise strikes taking apart the key elements of their supply, communications and command structures, disrupting the opposing forces so that the Dragons can swiftly deliver the killing blow.
Style manual: The Chapter uses only newer suits of armor (Mark VII or higher), with the few older suits restricted either to the high command or ceremonial duties. Dragon-like decorations (in form of heads, scales, wings or claws) occasionally appear on the marines' weapons and equipment, but are not overtly noticeable. To emphasize the high-tech appearance, all helmets sport additional optical sensors, antennae etc. The Sergeants and commanding officers typically have advanced comms equipment (cabling going from backpack to the helmet and antennae installed on the backpacks). If I decide to go with the See But Don't Be Seen trait, the Acute Senses can be represented with addition of miniature searchlights to the backpacks of some Marines (think like the one that's on the Apothecary backpack)
So, let's tell each other about our custom chapters!
My own Chapters are:
Raven Knights
Colors: Gloss black armor, white shoulderpads, metallics range betwen steel and silver. The Chapter insignia is a black raven on white background (formerly essentially a black copy of Raven Guard icon, but I'm trying to come up with a better design)
Traits: Be Swift as the Wind, Die standing
Battlecry: Hail! Hail! Hail-and-Kill!
Themes: Medieval chivalry meets Heavy Metal
Fluff summary: The Raven Knights are a fleet-based crusading Chapter founded in M35. Presumed lost in the warp on 540.M37, they have resurfaced almost three centuries later. Whatever has occurred since its sudden disappearance, the Chapter has been reduced to under three companies of manpower, with most high-ranking staff dead or missing. Of what happened, none of the Marines would ever speak and since individuals too interested in the subject have the habit of vanishing, nobody is too interested in pursuing it.
The Knights are are a proud and fiercely independent Chapter, with a strong sense of honor and duty, but some of their religious practices (most importantly replacing the normal masses and catechisms of Imperial faith with so called "concerts") have earned them enemies among the more puritan officials of the Ecclesiarchy.
The Chapter's geneseed remains untainted, but the standard Phase 1 implantation of secondary heart has been substituted with a purely mechanical equivalent (the so-called "Metal Heart"). While reasons for that are unknown, the geneseed of normal Phase 1 implant has since become extinct among the Chapter's Marines.
In recent times, a routine geneseed check by a somewhat over-attentive Magos of the Mechanicus has resulted in a startling discovery - that the genetic template of Raven Knights' implants does not match those of any known First Founding Legion, loyalist or otherwise. How the Inquisition reacts to that revelation remains to be seen.
The Chapter's combat doctrine is primarily based on overwhelming their opponents in close combat during sudden assaults, but they are known to use complex battle-tactics if the situation demands so.
Style manual: Most of the army is composed of bikes, many of which are highly customized. "Knight" helmets (regular faceplate replaced with a wedge, like seen on some of the helmets on Black Templar sprue) are very common, and the suits of Powered Armour worn but the Marines bear heavy resemblance to the older Marks (particularly MK III).
Every model carries a sword or a similar bladed weapon, and veteran marines (the Elite-upgraded bike squads) also lances to represent their Furious Assault ability.
The purity seals, parchments and banners sport mottos taken from various Heavy Metal and Power Metal song lyrics (some of which are also painted on larger flat areas of the bikes).
Ion Dragons
Colors: Azure and metallic turquoise. The Chapter insignia is white dragon and starfield over a dark blue background.
Traits: Cleanse and Purify, Faithful Unto Death (might add See But Don't Be Seen and Aspire Unto Glory, not decided yet)
Battlecry: Dragon hearts - Dragon fire!
Themes: High-tech sci-fi soldiers
Fluff summary: The Ion Dragons are a relatively new Chapter, with barely four hundred years of combat history. Based on the fourth planet of Gamarron system (Calixis sector), the scarcity of resources on the Chapter's homeworld made them experts in scavenging and recycling resources.
Two millenia ago, the Gamarron system was subject to a surprise attack by Chaos raiders. Faced with certain destruction, the Technomagi of Gamarron Septimus have overloaded every single reactor and power core on the planet, choosing to destroy their world and themselves rather than let their knowledge and weapons fall into the traitors' hands. The Chaos fleet suffered numerous losses, but continued their assault, moving to the hive world of Gamarron Quadra as their next target. The sector fleet has arrived soon enough to prevent the same fate meeting the densely populated Gamarron Tertius, but the raider fleet has already laid waste to the Hives of G.Quadra, crippling the future homeworld of Ion Dragons beyond any chance of rebuilding. Surviving population of Gamarron Quadra are resilient people, surviving on their world by sheer determination and force of will, thus making near-perfect recruits for the Astartes.
The Chapter conducts occasional expeditions into the scattered remains of Gamarron Septimus, the recovered weapons, materials and data providing the Dragons with advanced technological knowledge and materials that would otherwise be inaccessible on their barren homeworld.
Ion Dragons' combat doctrine relies on annihilating the enemy through precise strikes taking apart the key elements of their supply, communications and command structures, disrupting the opposing forces so that the Dragons can swiftly deliver the killing blow.
Style manual: The Chapter uses only newer suits of armor (Mark VII or higher), with the few older suits restricted either to the high command or ceremonial duties. Dragon-like decorations (in form of heads, scales, wings or claws) occasionally appear on the marines' weapons and equipment, but are not overtly noticeable. To emphasize the high-tech appearance, all helmets sport additional optical sensors, antennae etc. The Sergeants and commanding officers typically have advanced comms equipment (cabling going from backpack to the helmet and antennae installed on the backpacks). If I decide to go with the See But Don't Be Seen trait, the Acute Senses can be represented with addition of miniature searchlights to the backpacks of some Marines (think like the one that's on the Apothecary backpack)