Space Marines

The Salamanders celebrating the return of their Primarch

Space Marines (also known as Adeptus Astartes) are genetically engineered super-soldiers who serve the Imperium of Man. They are each descended from one of the original twenty Primarchs, and are organized into chapters of 1,000 men with their own unique cultures and traditions. The Chaos Space Marines are former Space Marines who betrayed the Imperium to join Chaos.

A space marine is created via the implantation of a series of organs known as the gene-seed, derived from their Primarch. These organs make the soldier superhuman by granting them enhanced biology and extended lifespan. They are also rigorously trained for decades before joining the chapter proper. They move up the ranks as they gain experience and take up new specializations, with those who live long enough becoming veterans of the First Company, or else joining the chapter's leadership.

First Founding Chapters

The First Founding chapters have existed since the Great Crusade; all subsequent chapters are descended from one of the following chapters (though many have unknown parentage, perhaps to cover up any former ties to traitor legions). A brief description of each chapter below;

Ultramarines

• Primarch: Roboute Guilliman
• Members: Marneus Calgar, Cato Sicarius, Uriel Ventris, Illiyan Nastase

The Ultramarines hail from Ultramar, and are consummate perfectionists and traditionalists. They follow the Codex Astartes to the letter, and are fervently devoted to the Spiritual Liege.

In TTS, they became an absurdly effective fighting force, having won every battle since the First Tyrannic War. They are constantly chanting every time they appear, which greatly annoys the Emperor. He has taken to calling them the "Ultrasmurfs."

Imperial Fists

• Primarch: Rogal Dorn

The Imperial Fists are the designated defenders of Holy Terra, being masters of seigeworks and stubborn to a fault. They will endure any challenge and crush all who threaten the throneworld.

Space Corgis

• Primarch: Leman Russ

The Space Wolves, or Vlka Fenryka, are a chapter of tribal warriors who fight with extreme savagery. Once known as the Emperor's Executioners, hunting down those who break their oaths to the Emperor, they have since changed to become the champions of the people.

In TTS, they have a fixation with naming things after wolves. The Emperor has decreed that they are to be renamed the "Space Corgis" as punishment.

Dark Angels

• Primarch: Lion El'Jonson
• Members: Azrael, Asmodai, Belial, Snurko

A chapter of secretive hooded monk-knights, the Dark Angels have their own unique structure that emphasizes hard-hitting weaponry and heavy armor in combination with a large cavalry force. They are obsessed with keeping the existence of the Fallen Angels secret, and will ruthlessly hunt them down.

In TTS, the Dark Angels are extremely twitchy and paranoid, especially the Inner Circle.

Salamanders

• Primarch: Vulkan
• Members: He'Stan, Tu'Shan

The Salamanders are extremely hardy and resistant to fire, with flamers being one of their favorite weapons. Despite this and their intimidating appearance, they are among the most humane space marines, and always put the welfare of mortal humans above their own.

In TTS, the Salamanders are extremely oblivious and are most likely very deaf, being unable to hear very loud noises behind them. And despite Vulkan's obvious regenerative powers, the Salamanders will always mourn his death and celebrate his return, sometimes in the span of less than a minute.

Blood Angels

• Primarch: Sanguinius

The Blood Angels live a dualistic existence. On the one hand, they are a noble chapter, who seek to better the Imperium before any personal glory. On the other hand, they are cursed with the Red Thirst, which drives them to consume the blood of foes, and the Black Rage, an incurable madness that manifests over time in all members. These curses keeps them humble as they dutifully carry on the legacy of their primarch.

In TTS, the Blood Angels cry non-stop during Sanguinala every year to mourn the loss of their primarch.

White Scars

• Primarch: Jaghatai Khan

The White Scars are nomadic tribesmen who specialize in cavalry and shamanism. Despite their loyalty, they are sometimes viewed as outcasts for their nominally savage nature and solitary existence.

The White Scars are the subject of the pilot episode of If The Emperor Had a Podcast. They are described as being obsessed with going fast (the phrase "ULTRA-RAPID DEPLOYMENTS" is used repeatedly) and have a "Head Chaplain" whose sole responsibility is to preserve the heads of he chapter's enemies. The Emperor finds them boring and ineffeicient, but nonetheless effective in their role as shocktroops and hunter-killers.

Iron Hands

• Primarch: Ferrus Manus

The Iron Hands follow the religion of the Adeptus Mechanicus, and routinely augment themselves to the point of emotional inhibition.

Raven Guard

• Primarch: Corvus Corax
• Members: Kayvaan Shrike, Kadus

The Raven Guard specialize in ambush tactics and surgical strikes. Every company is a self-sufficient unit that can coordinate devastating attacks at their enemy's weakest points using a minimal number of men.

In TTS, the Raven Guard are very self-deprecating, but also eager to come to the aid of others. They frequently make cawing sounds when distressed.

Successor Chapters

Black Templars

• Successor of: Imperial Fists
• Members: Chaplain Grimaldus, Helbrecht

The Black Templars keep the spirit of the Great Crusade alive, maintaining massive crusader fleets that are constantly fighting and recruiting from the worlds they liberate. They reject most organizational conventions and assault with savage fury, with particular emphasis on purging mutants, psykers, and heretics.

In TTS, Rogal Dorn refers to them as insane maniacs, and he wants very little to do with them. The Black Templars are the subject of Podcast Episode 2: The Black Templars. The Emperor attempts to teach them how to control their anger and to not cause collateral damage to otherwise loyal members of the Imperium by forcing them to accept psykers, ratlings, and "people who are too vocal about their opinions" in their ranks.

Grey Knights

• Created by Malcador the Sigilate
• Members: Kaldor Draigo

The Grey Knights are a specialized and secret chapter made for the sole purpose of hunting Daemons. As such, they are heavily trained to resist chaotic corruption and how to identify the weaknesses of their enemies. They are all psykers and use force weapons to enhance their combat effectiveness. The Grey Knights work with the Inquisition's Ordo Malleus, usually deploying in response to major daemonic incursions, especially if any of the Daemon Primarchs appear.

In TTS, the Grey Knights have an obsession with covering themselves in Sororitas blood due to an incident in the official lore where they used the blood to protect themselves from the Bloodtide. This story is widely mocked for being completely unnecessary and excessively violent for the Grey Knights.

Deathwatch

• Recruits from all chapters
• Members: Calato

The Deathwatch is an organization made up of brothers from all Astartes chapters. They are selected for their proficiency at killing xenos, and are organized into small kill teams to eliminate threats that larger forces cannot destroy so easily. The Deathwatch works closely with the Inquisition's Ordo Xenos in eliminating alien threats.

The Deathwatch feature more prominently in the BEHEMOTH Trilogy as they discover and respond to the arrival of the Tyranids into the galaxy.

Astral Knights

The Astral Knights were known primarily for taking down the Necron weapon known as the World Engine, though they became extinct in the process.

In TTS, the Emperor showed little interest in them as he had never heard of them before. Upon learning of their heroism in taking down the World Engine, he joked that they were a super special secret legion created before the Great Crusade, and that "they were the best around, nothing was going to keep them down."

Blood Ravens

A chapter that features prominently in the Dawn of War games. They have an obsession with knowledge and collecting artifacts, with some accusing them of kleptomania.

In TTS, Kitten mentioned them when the Emperor was looking for someone to steal from Trazyn the Infinite, though they were interrupted before going into detail. May or may not be descendants of the Thousand Sons. The Blood Ravens feature more prominently in BEHEMOTH as an auxiliary force assisting Kryptman and the Deathwatch.

Marines Malevolent

A chapter that cares nothing for civilians or collateral damage. They nearly came to blows with the Salamanders on Armageddon when they bombed a refugee camp to get at the Orks.

In TTS, the Emperor, disgusted with their actions, ordered for virus bombs to be dropped on them. He claims that their bad attitude is a result of a gene-seed mutation that causes sharp protusions to grind against the walls of their rectums.