Steel Marshals

This page details people, events, and organisations from the /tg/ Heresy, a fan re-working of the Warhammer 40,000 Universe. See the /tg/ Heresy Timeline and Galaxy pages for more information on the Alternate Universe.

Steel Marshals
Battle Cry	"Ad Victorum!"
Number	X
Founding	First Founding
Successor Chapters	Grey Wardens, Steel Seekers, Tempest Marshals, Steel Knights, Storm Wardens, Storm Bringers, Serpent Guard
Primarch	Roman Albrecht
Homeworld	Centauri Primus
Strength	In excess of 185,000 Astartes at the beginning of heresy
Specialty	Offensive Siege Experts, Close Quarter Assault
Allegiance	Loyalist
Colours	White and Red in a quartered pattern, with gold trim.

The Steel Marshals were the 10th of the Legiones Astartes, founded from the geneseed of their Primarch, Roman Albrecht. They were led by the 10th squad of Hektor Cincinnatus' Sacred Band before their Primarch's discovery during the Great Crusade. Where other Legions would crush the enemy and grind them into dust, the Steel Marshals break the enemy, destroying the corrupt and parasitic, and bringing those who remain into the fold of the Imperium of Man. Though the other Legions find these tactics time-consuming, none can contest the results. As more worlds were brought into the fold, the Marshals grew stronger. Through the strength and will of humanity, the Marshals proclaimed, the galaxy would be conquered.

Legion History

Although all of the Loyalist Legions are beloved by the people of the Imperium, few of the Emperor's Angels of Death hold quite the same appeal as the Steel Marshals. They have ever been dedicated to honour and glory in the Emperor's name, seeking neither to found a new legacy nor to receive material reward. Although there have been a few words of disgrace in the epic of the Legion, each one must be measured against chapters of brilliant, selfless deeds done in the service of humanity.

Unification of Terra

Formation: The 10th Squad of Hektor's Sacred Band (The Original Legionnares)

Before the rise of Imperium at the hands of the Emperor, the first Astartes rallied behind the Emperor and his son Hektor, slowly marching across the Hives of Terra. Those Space Marines who would one day form the core of the Legions Astartes, the first three hundred, were organized into the 30 squads of Hektor Cincinnatus's Sacred Band. Of these men, the 10th Squad, dubbed the "Tempest Knights" by Hektor would one day form the heart of the Steel Marshals. These (in)famous warriors were:

Dietmar Hohn - The Lord Commander of the Tempest Knights (Status: Deceased, Battle of Terra. Traitoris Excommunicatus.)

Helmut Woidich - The Warden of the Tempest Knights. Led the 184th Expedition Fleet. (Status: Deceased, Defense of Rosskar.)

Arthur Marzluff - The Marshal of the Tempest Knights (Status: Deceased, passed away among the Steel Seekers.)

Konrad Wohlfarth - Dread-bringer of the Brasilia Hives (Status: Deceased, Battle of Terra. Traitoris Excommunicatus.)

Kilian Fach - Hero of the Saturn Front (Status: Deceased, The Scouring.)

Gustav Wild - Butcher of Hive Boliv(Status: Deceased, Battle of Terra. Traitoris Excommunicatus.)

Lutze Seeger - The Blade-bound (Status: Unknown, last seen on Penitent Crusade into the Eye of Terror.)

Dieter Noeske - Honor Guard to Hektor (Status: Unknown, was with Hektor before outbreak of the Heresy. Presumed Dead.)

Luft Loehr - The Iron Baron of Werkerde, Future Magos of the Techmarine Convent (Status: Interred inside a Contemptor Dreadnought, The Scouring.)

Otto Henkenschuh - The Floating Blade, Future Chief Librarian of the Legion Librarus (Status: Unknown, lost with the Battle Barge Priori in a warp storm.)

Notable Battles

• Burning of the Brasilia Hives. Led by Dietmar Hohn, the first Tempest Knight, the 10th Band followed Hektor's lead, sieging enemy citadels from foot or below the ground, their natural talents even showing then. They were instrumental in the taking of the Brasilia Hives. The southern continent refused the Emperor and his might, and it was laid to the 10th Squad to bring them into compliance. Storming Hive Ven'zula, the Tempest Knights would soon become infamous as brutal killers, the most aggressive of them moving ahead of the troops, leaving a bloody path to follow. The worst of the lot, Konrad and Gustav, relished the bloodshed and would care not for collateral damage except when Dietmar reigned them in, and the Lord Commander only did so when under Hektor's supervision.

• Argenten Aerial Aces. Unlike the sieges of the Brasila Hives, the cities of Argenten were well fortified against ground attacks once news spread about the Emperor's men. With ground attackers being hampered by enemy air, the 10th Squad and the Imperial forces were stalled. It wasn't until Luft Loehr, one of more technical minded of the Sacred Band, began tinkering with old Brasilia aircraft. Adapted for the Astartes large physique, he and other members took to the air, engaging the enemy in aerial duels while the ground forces began making advances. It was in the skies of Argenten that Luft earned the title of the Iron Baron, following a code of honor that his Demi-Chapter would follow well into the end of the Crusade.

The Great Crusade - from Terra until the rediscovery of the Primarch

Formation: The Tempest Knights (The Beginning of the Legion, growing to roughly 100,000 Marines before Roman's discovery)

The Tempest Knights served without fail during the next five decades, seizing worlds that would not comply with the Emperor's will, with Dietmar leading the Knights into bloody sieges, though the Lord Commander mostly allowed the other Sacred Band members to lead their own men into battle. It would be at the end of one these campaigns that the Legion would find out their Primarch, and new homeworld, were found. While many rejoiced at the discovery of their primarch, Dietmar quietly voiced his opposition to Hektor. Why should a man he had never met command his Legion, let alone someone from such a lowly planet? Perhaps Hektor dismissed it as uncertainty, or he managed to calm the man, but it was here that the seeds of betrayal were laid within the Knight's highest ranks.

Notable Battles

• The Sieges of Saturn. Such savage tactics would not mar the rest of the Sacred Band long, however. With their successful sieges, they were proven and the raising of the Legion began. The first real battles as a Legion saw them in the sieges of Saturn's moons. It was during these battles that the honorable members of the Sacred Band, and many in the nascent Legion, were able to prove themselves. Kilian Fach distinguished himself during this time after charging the gates of Hyperion's largest fortress, Hold Keats, with but a melta-charge and his boarding shield. Other such tales of bravery survive, but are paralleled by darker deeds during that time.

• Siege of the Iron Ring. Sitting galactic south of Sol lay the ringworld Delvar Kha, a massive construction of metal and rock that predated mankind by millenia. It had been colonized by Mankind during the Dark Age, but contact with it had been lost following the Fall. Eventually trade began anew, but the inhabitants of Delvar Kha defied the Rogue Traders, not allowing them port. This could not be tolerated, and so it was Hektor sent the Tempest Knights to bring them into Compliance. Loosely led by Dietmar, the horde of Knights descended on the ringworld, exacting an excessive blood price for their resistance.

• Purge of the Xathite Khanate

• The Decimation of Falrak

The Great Crusade - Under the leadership of Roman Albrecht

Formation: The Steel Marshals (Roughly 180,000 Marines by the end of M30)

Roman Albrecht taught his men to be ever-vigilant for enemies of the Imperium, but he also taught them the value of aiding the weak within the realm of mankind. The primarch showed his generosity by assisting the "orphaned" Legions (those whose Primarchs had not been rediscovered). His patronage of the battered Fifth Legion played a huge role in keeping that sorry outfit in the field until they found their sire and new glory.

The Steel Marshals also won great successes on the battlefield. Their selfless courage epitomised the spirit of the new era of mankind and their glorious deeds shone across the galaxy.

Notable Battles

• Liberation of the Eral System

• Destruction of the Dark Citadel

• Battle of the Five Legions

• Salvation of Reichmar IV Under the command of Helmut Woidich, a Steel Marshals Crusade Fleet battered away at the Orks at the far reaches of the Ultima Segmentum. Faulty Imperial intelligence led to a near disaster when migrating Orks were interpreted as a WAAAGH! of their own, when in fact these boyz were being drawn towards the mighty WAAAAGH! Wazdreg. Thanks in part to the courage of their auxilia, the Steel Marshals were able to return to their forward base and beat Warlord Wazdreg from the borders of the Imperium.

• The Hathor Campaign The Domain of Hathor was a massive, multi-system Empire that sat upon the border of Segmentums Pacificus and Tempestus, and almost out of reach of the Astronomicom's guiding light. It is here that Hathor the Eternal rules, from the gem world of Oasis to the fringe of the Scarlet Nebula. Rising from the ashes of the Dark Ages, the Domain was lead to enlightenment by their first great seer, the first Empress Hathor herself. Since those times many have claimed the title of Hathor and ruled the Domain, but none would find their time upon the throne as difficult as during the Great Crusade, when the Legiones Astartes drove into the heart of Hathor's empire.

The War against Chaos: Heresy and Scouring (005.M31 to 021.M31)

Numeration: The X Legion

Primogenator: Roman Albrecht (also known as "The Duelist, the Lord Knight, the Blade of the Emperor, The Wild Warrior")

Cognomen (Prior): The Tempest Knights.

Observed Strategic Tendencies: Area Denial operation, Armoured assault, Mechanized Infantry assault, Siege assault, Tunneling, Massed Force attack

Noteworthy Domains: Centauri Primus (Legion Homeworld)

Allegiance: Fedelitas Constantus

Notable Battles

• The Hathor Truce. The Hathor campaign was still in its infancy when word of the betrayal at Istvaan V came to the ears of the Marshals. Only two worlds, both feral and unimportant to the small empire had been fully conquered. Already the defenses of the Hathorites were being arrayed against the Legion to make them bleed for each step. The Seer-Empress understood that the Imperium would be hesitant to send too many forces at once against her. The Domain was difficult to attack, with Navigators suffering greatly for each day in the warpspace to travel across its borders. The Witches of the Domain used dark sorceries akin to that of the Psykers beholden by the Ruinous Powers to hasten journeys between worlds. Any attempting strike at a border world would have the other fleets arriving to throw off the Imperials within no time, and a multi-pronged assault would only result in a disjointed and scattered assault force. Roman Albrecht understood the necessity to turn his Legion back towards Terra as soon as possible, but would not risk the system-spanning Empire of Hathor to harass him as he retreated. The Steel Marshals chose then to drive forward, skipping several planets and risking their supply lines be cut off entirely to reach the heart of the Empire itself. Oasis. The meager fleet in defense of the world was crushed swiftly, with its two moons being bombarded afterwards. Roman's aim was not to achieve total victory, but make an arrangement with the Hathorites before their border fleets, which had been set to stop the Steel Marshals, arrived. If they did not, he would be caught out alone from any aid, resulting in enormous losses. It worked. Empress Hathor chose that rather than see the seat of their mighty realm be utterly destroyed, would accept the offer being broadcasted on every frequency of her world. The Steel Marshals would leave one thousand of their Marines behind, including twelve million of their assigned Imperial Army Auxilia to garrison, defend, and ensure the loyalty of Hathor. In return, Empress Hathor would remain in power, their worlds would not pay tithe for at least fifty years, and their culture would remain without any outside interference such as the Imperial Truth. These terms did not sit well with most in Roman's Expedition Fleet, but all understood the need. Hektor, the Warmaster himself, had betrayed the Emperor, and thrown his banner in rebellion. Over a million marines were marching towards Sol, with only a handful of Legions, most battered, remaining to stop his advance. The Marshals would be needed there, and not at the fringes of the Pacificus.

• The Lion's Corridor. Being the closest to Terra between themselves, Silver Cataphracts, and Void Angels, the Steel Marshals would have arrived to add their siegecraft knowledge to the defenders if it were not for the actions of Cromwald Walgrun and his sons. Traitors within the Imperial Army forces picked up along their path to the Segmentum Solar relayed vital information along unseen pathways across the warring Imperium. News of their quick arrival reached the Warmaster in time to have him act. The Lions Rampant, having finished a long campaign with the Crusaders, broke off into two forces with separate orders. Both passed around the pocket of Loyalists still holding out in the Segmentum. One of these large segments immediately sped towards the Steel Marshal's fleet. The battles on worlds and in the void were intense, with the raiding forces of the maddened Lions not pushing back or even stopping the Marshals' advance, but making them bleed for every step taken. It was dubbed by the Marines' as the the Lion's Corridor for how the Traitor Legion would pull them along deeper and deeper into their waiting claws. The Lions suffered little losses, and would sacrifice territory when needed to avoid protracted conflicts, but Roman could feel the despair of his forces. Though they moved ever closer to Terra, his Legion would be a shadow of itself both in strength and morale if he pressed onward. Again, the Primarch chose a gamble, rather than the conventional or expected means of campaign. To move forward, he went back.

• The Liberation of Rosskar The world of Rosskar was known throughout the Segmentum Pacificus as the heart of the fiefdom established by the Silver Catpahracts to fuel their conquests. The core worlds of that realm had been set ablaze by a task force consisting of the Mastodontii, the Sons of Fire, and the Life Bringers Legions. Little more than half of the conglomerate formation had fallen to the Imperial Army by the time of the Marshals' arrival, nearly all was lost by then. The world was a ruin, with only a million survivors. But more than that would be gone had it not been for Roman's timely arrival. In a time when the loyalties of every man were in question, the relieving of Alexandri's homeworld assured the Regent of the Marshals steadfast loyalty to the Emperor. Though the loss suffered at the hands of the enemy were great in men and material, the joining of the massive Silver Cataphract Legion to the strength of the beleaguered Steel Marshals invigorated the Loyalist cause. Roman Albrecht rallied the surrounding worlds to his banner. The Rosskan Strelky incorporated new levies into their command and supply system, swelling their numbers to four times what they had fielded during the Great Crusade. Neutral worlds were convinced to fall back into line, supplying both Legions with unspoiled worlds to aid their advance to Terra. Around this time, Gaspard Lumey's exiled Legion was heard to be making its way from Ciban to Terra, having gathered up their allies and auxilia from the Al-Sherar Sector. The path ahead laid clearly now. The Lions would not be able to withstand the might of three Legions even with their dishonorable tactics. The Crusade to relieve Terra had begun.

• The Forgotten Crusade

• Reaching Sol

• The Great Chase

• The Lion's Den

• The Crucible

Legion Culture

In the wake of Roman Albrecht's arrival, the Steel Marshals adopted a strong, unified culture espousing the virtues of the crusade and the strength of man. This code quickly evolved into a fully fledged philosophy that permeated the culture of the legion. It espouses unwavering resolve, peerless courage, and above all the endless strength of man. Though bordering on a religious fervor, this ideal within the legion remained detached from superstition and mysticism. Instead, it promotes ritual to reaffirm the virtues of reason, and to prove the endurance and willpower of the individual marine through trials of stamina and tests of strength.

The shift became most marked in the prosecution of war; where the Marauders would raze the foe to the ground and move on, the Marshals burn the heart from the enemy and offer the defeated the chance to join the Imperium as proven survivors and adherents to the doctrine of the Retainer's Creed. In this respect, new recruits would in many cases be drawn from the best and hardiest of the natives of worlds brought into the fold; they would be claimed by the Marshals to add new blood to the legion and strengthen the belief that to be man is to be ascendant in the galaxy.

Notable Domains

The heart of the Legion was Roman Albrecht's homeworld, Centauri Primus. Baron Luft Loehr received title over the Forge World Werkerde in order to quiet theological disputes there, and the Steel Marshals benefited greatly from Werkerde's riches.

Legion Organization and Doctrine

The Steel Marshal's are a force built to raze enemy strongholds to the ground and crush the heart of their resistance. While other legions crush the enemy by weight of bombardment or armor, or else defeat the fortifications by cautious planning or brutal swiftness, the Marshals wage war through grit and strength of the marines themselves. They specialize in aggressive engineering, using excavators, drills, or their own bare hands to undermine the enemy and bring their walls crashing down.

Once a means of bypassing the enemy's static defenses has been formed, the Marshals drive the onslaught home with a spearhead of heavily armored infantry. Specialist formations equipped with flamers and area-denial weapons drive the enemy from the breach, clearing the way for their battle-brothers to erupt from the earth and get to grips with their foe. The fighting here is often brutal and close quarters, as the Marshals often emerge within the bastions of the enemy and are forced to fight from room to room with swords and axes as much as they do with gun and flamer.

Steel Marshals are renowned for their mighty specialized armoured and formations, each of them is unique and exclusive(such as Chalcedonian or Urbanie). They even have a void warfare(read; boarding action and seizing ships) specialized formation, Ad Astra. They are also known to utilize Legio Cybernetica heavily on many occasions, frequently enough they have several specialized automata formations including legion Cybernetica Controllers.

The Steel Host

Prior to their Primarchs discovery, just after the conquest of Sol and the bolstering of the Legion, the Tempest Knights were more or less informally organized into the ten "Demi-Chapters". Each Demi-Chapter was led by one of the members of the 10th Squad, the first led by Dietmar Hohn himself. Roughly operating as war bands, their numerous victories were darkened by the acts of barbarism by certain members of the former 10th Squad. Unless otherwise organized by their Captains, the Tempest Knights were not specialized and in some cases could be called a horde of Astartes that would descend on their foes.

Upon their Primarchs discovery, Roman reorganized the Legion with great detail. Reformed into the Grand Orders, each of these consisted of ten Orders. Each Order then consisted of roughly two hundred Astartes and twice that many Aspirants. It was Roman who thought that the aspirants should be tested in the heat of battle, for that is where they would truly become an Astartes. Each Order was then further split along battlefield duties, including line infantry, siege breaker squads, assault squads and heavy support squads.

The following example is a rough outline of a Steel Marshal Order.

304th Order of the Steel Marshals

-Centurion Avard Kalos (Legion Champion), Commander of the 304th Order, Hand of the Marshals, Breaker of Dark Citadel, Lord of the Rheldian Steppes (Accompanied by a Legion Command Squad)

-Attached Apothecarion Detachment and Techmarine Covenant

-Contemptor Dreadnought Valahad (Interred during the Dark Citadel Campaign)

-Terminator Squad ‘Knecht’ (Five Marines, Cataphractii Pattern Armor)

-One Veteran Tactical Squad (Ten Marines)

-Three Tactical Squads (Ten Marines each)

-Two Assault Squads (Ten Marines each)

-Four Siege Breaker Squads (Twenty Marines each)

-Two Tactical Support Squads (Five Marines each)

-Two Legion Outrider Squads (Five Marines each)

-Two Legion Heavy Support Squads (Five Marines each)

The 304th also possessed a number of transports and support vehicles depending on the mission type, terrain, and necessity.

Legion Equipment

Trademark of the Steel Marshal's arsenal is an extensive array of mining engines, geo-augurs, and similar devices. Heavy lift vehicles line the bays of their transport craft, which haul the equipment needed to excavate on a grand scale.

The individual marines are heavily armored; the legion boasts a large stockpile of Mk 3 "Iron" power armor. Terminator formations are common, and have developed early-pattern storm-shields. Additionally, the individual marine is quite often armed with incendiary weapons and power weapons are common, even among the rank and file. A variant of the common power sword used by the Steel Marshals was the Austrich Power Blade, a weapon designed to deflect and parry rather than block, it's use in duels and close quarters combat made it popular for officers to use.

Unique to the is the Castra pattern dreadnought, which eschews long ranged heavy firepower for close in heavy weaponry. Sporting a breacher siege drill for its main weapon with underslung heavy flamer, it is meant to grind through earth, stone, rockcrete and plasteel to immolate the foe within their fortifications. It would pave the way for future developments that lead to the "Ironclad" dreadnought.

As one of the most technologically proficient legion, Steel Marshals are maintaining close ties and connections with Mechanicum, even after of heresy, and consequently well-supplied the most advanced forms of weaponry adepts of Mechanicum are capable to produce and always enjoyed superfluous resources despite the fact of being one of the greatest legions. They also maintain extensive stockpiles of Dark Age of Technology arsenals.

Allies and Auxilia

Techno-feudal auxilia, typical of those deployed by the Steel Marshals

The Steel Marshals were usually able to call on the services of Werkerde's Titan Legion, "Legio Picus". They also had many Imperial Army regiments pledged to their cause.