Nearly Destroyed Chapters

While certain Space Marine chapters have been utterly annihilated with no hope of being rebuilt (though some hope of being re-founded) there are also several chapters that have been badly depleted but who are still kicking. This page aims to shed light on these chapters as they make fantastic army modeling ideas; everybody loves a wounded hero, and hey, it's feasible to collect the ENTIRE chapter.

Note: The Scythes of the Emperor and the Lamenters have been Primaris-ified up to full strength again (Yippee!) so they are no longer included on this page.

Black Consuls

Another chapter that refuses to die, the Black Consuls are currently extremely under strength after some pansy Iron Warriors detonated a Hive's nucleonic stacks right when they were about to be beaten and taking nearly the entire assaulting chapter with them. Apparently however the Word Bearers also had some unknown role in this and because the chapter tends to hate getting beaten, they are likely being hunted down by the survivors of the chapter.

Blood Ravens

Indrick Boreale's disastrous Kaurava campaign lost most of the chapter's manpower and the subsequent Tyranid, Eldar, and Chaos incursions within their home sector further chipped away at their already low numbers.

However, the biggest kick in the nuts was when their Chapter Master, Azariah Kyras, went full heretic and took a good chunk of the chapter when he betrayed the chapter and the Imperium. He and the rest of the traitor elements were beaten back by Captain Diomedes, but a failed campaign, two separate full-scale invasions, and a civil war has depleted the Blood Raven's numbers with very little opportunity to train new initiates.

Celestial Lions

Get their shit handed to them by *cough* Ork Snipers *cough*, for having the balls to tell the Inquisition to fuck off. Currently lost all their officers and apothecaries, and rely on Black Templar apothecaries to rebuild their numbers.

Crimson Fists

Perhaps the most famous chapter on the brink, these guys were famously messed up when their Chapter's fortress monastery's ammunition supply was detonated by a stray shell that somehow passed through its shields during an assault by Waaagh Snagrod. Over half the chapter was annihilated excluding its chapter master, Pedro Kantor. Despite this the chapter regrouped under its still living leader and proceeded to kick the Orks off their planet.

Invaders

Lost like half of their chapter when they (successfully) tried to solo an entire fucking craftworld. Well, a damaged and partially nommed craftworld, but still, impressive. Then the other Eldar invaded and purged their homeworld, wiping half of the remaining chapter. Few years later Invaders engaged in the World Engine conflict and lost two full terminator squads and probably few ships. While some other chapter might get the message fate keeps slapping them with and try to rebuild their numbers for a decade or two, the Invaders continued to jump into trouble like they heard the universe was handing out asses and they've known nothing but years of bitter ass-famine. They would continue to charge into danger and get their butts handed to them until they eventually walked into a trap set by none other than Ahriman himself. Only thirteen or so Invaders got out alive, and even then only thanks to some help from the Grey Knights.

Marines Errant

Although their chapter isn't far from full strength all their geneseed got stolen Blud Rahvens style by the Red Corsairs. Huron, leader of the corsairs, distracted them with shiny ships forcing them out onto patrol and then attacked their chapter fortress. So now they are doomed to slowly die from excessive power-facepalming.

Soul Drinkers

The story of HOW they get so mega-fucked is the plot of several novels, but at the end there's only three left and those guys aren't coming back anytime soon. Long story short, cursed and declared heretics, decided to go down fighting Chaos rather than the Inquisition.