Ultima Founding

A Space Marine founding taking place in the early 42nd Millennium (8th Edition), the Ultima Founding, numerically the 27th Founding, is unique as all Ultima Founding chapters are entirely made up of Primaris Marines, the shiny true-scale NuMarines with the latest and greatest technology, which is what happened when Roboute Guilliman told Belisarius Cawl that normal Space Marines weren't cool enough.

While many of the first NuMarines reinforced existing chapters (with Guilliman's Ultramarines being the first, of course), Guilliman also ordered a host of brand new chapters (with Guilliman's Ultramarines also gaining a plurality of successors) created out of whole cloth. These chapters are the Ultima Founding.

All of the original First Founding chapters were represented in these new chapters, with each chapter tracing their history like any other successor chapter. Yes, even the Space Wolves, who despite their disdain for the Codex are undoubtedly thankful for a Successor Chapter which hasn't devolved into mutants. While they seem less susceptible to psychic anomalies like the Black Rage, they do seem to be either immune or just extremely resistant to genetic flaws such as the Wulfen. It is unknown if this is immunity or simple lack of time to manifest the conditions. Their fieldings during the Indomitus Crusade and those following it seem to show that their genetic anomalies play a part, but have a much harder time taking over Primaris. For example, a Space Wolf still needs to be careful not to get too into the heat of battle, or they lose themselves to bloodlust, occasionally going as far as turning into a Wulfen; the Blood Angels probably have the same type of issue. The Black Rage has been observed in Primaris Blood Angels, though apparently it happens only when the marine really loses it as opposed to randomly getting fucked over.

Ultima Founding chapters were mostly given homeworlds on the edge of the Great Rift to act as a bulwark against Chaos, although some were created to replace destroyed chapters and given their empty Fortress Monasteries to inhabit.

Many of the Ultima Founding Chapters are apparently a first for how a chapter is built. Guilliman had whole chapters created consisting of Marines with mixed ancestry, with Marines that were placed in the same chapter and squads with no regard for the origins of their geneseed. This appears to create better relations among Primaris Marines.

Games Workshop appears to be intentionally pushing players to create their own chapters this time, going so far as to include a coloring book style "design your own chapter" with the announcement of the Ultima Founding.

Specifically, the founding started on the last days of 999.M41 and first days of 000.M42, intermittently continued throughout the Indomitus Crusade as chapters were founded or refounded and ended with the first phase of the Indomitus Crusade after the Battle of Raukos on 111012.M42 as the final core of Unnumbered Sons veterans disbanded to form the last Chapters of the Ultima Founding. The Ultima Founding is also confirmed to be the largest founding of Space Marine Chapters, surpassing the infamous Cursed 21st Founding, with far better results than that fiasco. Hopefully.

Ultima Founding Traitor Legion Loyalists?

As mentioned in Dark Imperium, Cawl apparently either planned to or outright did create Ultima Founding chapters out of ALL the original first founding chapters, including the Traitor Legions as well as the two infamously Lost Legions (II and XI). It is unknown if they were finished before RG objected to them, or if they were created and subsequently purged. Guilliman personally suspects that Cawl probably had them made despite his objection. See also Sons of the Phoenix.

List of Ultima Founding Chapters

Unknown Parentage

• Black Vultures
• Knights of Thunder, mentioned in the Blood Angels codex as having had their chapter's name inscribed in many victory monuments throughout the Imperium of Man.
• Nemesors, mentioned in the Chaos Space Marines codex as the first encounter of Fabius Bile with the Primaris Marines.
• Rift Cobras
• Silver Drakes, mentioned in the Tyranid codex as having been ordered by Girlyman to turn back Hive Fleet Ouroboris' advancement.
• Umbral Knights, mentioned in the Space Marines codex offhand as, like the Rift Stalkers, remaining on the planet they had been responsible for taking, to hold and consolidate.
• Valiant Blades, mentioned in the Imperial Knights codex as having received a plea for help from House Hawkshroud and answering it, despite it not being meant for them.

Blood Angels

• Blood Scythes
• Knights of the Chalice

As a side note, the Knights of Blood chapter was explicitly denied being refounded as they had been declared renegades due to extreme actions, but were acknowledged as loyalists after they died in battle.

Dark Angels

• Angels of Defiance
• Blades of Vengeance
• Prime Absolvers
• The Unnamed

Imperial Fists

• Sons of the Phoenix (though they might be Fulgrim's sons as well)

Iron Hands

• Knights of Byzantium

Raven Guard

• Iron Ravens
• Necropolis Hawks
• Rift Stalkers
• Void Sabres

Salamanders

• Black Vipers
• Covenant of Fire
• Dark Krakens
• Dragonspears

Space Wolves

• Icespears
• Mooneaters
• Wolfspear

Ultramarines

• Avenging Sons
• Castellans of the Rift
• Fulminators
• Knights Cerulean
• Praetors of Ultramar
• Silver Templars
• Void Tridents

White Scars

• Astral Bears
• Storm Reapers

Refounded Chapters

• Brazen Skulls
• Dragons Ardent
• Soul Drinkers