As it is written in the Codex, so shall it be. It outlines Guilliman's ideal for the moral behaviour, order of battle and tactical doctrine of a Space Marine Chapter. While not all Space Marine Chapters in the Imperium adhere to the Codex's dictates with the same rigidity as the Ultramarines, most obey the spirit of the Codex if not the actual letter. Codex: Space Marines An unofficial codex for use with Games Workshop's Epic Armageddon rule set. Warhammer, Warhammer Historical. Codex: White Scar Space Marines.A Space Marine Chapter that generally follows the guidelines of the Codex Astartes is referred to as a . This text became a major part of his legacy and the cornerstone upon which the future of the Adeptus Astartes would be based. Codices (List) From Lexicanum. With the introduction of the 4th Edition of Warhammer 40,000. Codex: Blood Angels Cover from PDF file Codex: Chaos Space Marines. No complete copies of his original text is known to exist although the majority of his tome has survived and is available to all space marines, if not committed to memory . Though many of his brother Primarchs initially railed against Guilliman's decree, almost all eventually accepted the necessity of reorganisation for the security of the Imperium. The rest would take new names, heraldry, and homeworlds or fortress- monasteries, and stretch themselves across the Imperium. The Codex Astartes stated that each Chapter would be one thousand Battle- Brothers strong and look to its own recruitment, training and equipment. Never again would one man be able to command the awesome, terrifying power of a Space Marine Legion. Those Chapters that adhere rigidly to Guilliman's teachings are sometimes referred to as . They will be bright stars on the firmament of battle, Angels of Death whose shining wings bring swift annihilation to the enemies of Man. So it shall be for a thousand times for a thousand years, unto the very end of eternity and the extinction of mortal flesh. The first High Lords of Terra established the structure by which the Adeptus Terra operated, and described the feudal responsibilities and duties of the planetary lords. One of the most important accomplishments was the reorganisation of the Imperium's fighting forces. This was undertaken almost single- handedly by the Primarch of the Ultramarines. Legion, Roboute Guilliman, who with characteristic speed and efficiency codified the structure of the Imperial Guard, the Imperial Navy, and the Space Marines. Of all of his works, the most influential is the Codex Astartes, the great prescriptive tome that lays down the basic organisational and tactical rules for the Space Marine. Chapters. In the aftermath of the initial assault, he founded small independent task- force squads called the Red Marked, which were made up of surviving Ultramarines. The Red Marked were responsible for rooting out and eliminating the forces of the renegade warbands that were hiding on the ruined worlds of the Ultramar space. Thus was the vision for the Codex Astartes born. No one man in the Imperium could ever again control the superhuman might of an entire Legion of 1. Space Marines. This risk was exacerbated by the rapid nature of Space Marine recruitment during the centuries between the start of the Great Crusade in ca. M3. 0 and the outbreak of the Horus Heresy itself in the early 3. Millennium. With the Imperium of Man expanding so quickly across the galaxy during the Great Crusade, the need for fresh recruits in the Space Marine Legions was great. So much so that some Legions had not been as particular in their gene- seed screening practices and recruit selection processes as they should have been. The first objective of Roboute Guilliman in writing the Codex Astartes was to both recognise and purge these weaknesses. As a result, the Codex Astartes decreed that Space Marines would forever more be created and trained slowly. The genetic banks used to create Astartes implants would be carefully monitored and scrutinised for any defects. Cultivated organs would be subject to the most stringent tests of purity. Young Initiates would undergo trials of suitability before they were accepted, and only those of the very sternest character would be chosen. These banks were to provide all new gene- seed for subsequent Foundings of Space Marine Chapters. To prevent cross- contamination, the genetic stock of each Legion was isolated whilst that of the Traitor Legions was placed under a time- locked stasis seal, though at the time many believed they had been destroyed. By taking direct control of these genetic tithes, the Adeptus Terra could ultimately control the Space Marines. They alone had and have the power to destroy or create Space Marine armies at will. It also decreed that only the Emperor Himself, through the auspices of the High Lords of Terra, would ever again be able to order the creation of a new Space Marine Chapter. All gene- seed would be subjected to the greatest genetic scrutiny before being used in the creation of new Space Marine implants. To prevent cross- contamination, the Codex rebuked the practice of sharing gene- seed between different Chapters and, thus preventing different Legions with different genetic make- ups. From then on, each Chapter would have to rely solely on the gene- seed produced in the bodies of its own Space Marines. It explained the different battlefield roles assigned to each squad of Space Marines in a Chapter, defining them as Tactical, Assault or Devastator Squads and assigning different equipment and purpose to each (see the excerpts below). Most of the old Legions were divided into fewer than five Chapters, but the Ultramarines, being by far the largest of the Legions, were divided many times. The exact number of new Chapters created from the Ultramarines is uncertain: the number listed in the oldest known copy of the Codex Astartes (the so- called Apocrypha of Skaros) gives the total as 2. These Chapters would consist of ten companies of 1. Space Marines each. The breaking of the remaining nine Loyalist Legions into multiple Space Marine Chapters is known to Imperial historians as the Second Founding, which occurred in ca. M3. 1, seven standard years after the death of Horus. The new Chapters created from the Ultramarines are often referred to as the Primogenitors, or . Only one of the original Space Marine Legions, the Space Wolves, has never been broken down into the ten companies decreed in the Codex Astartes. The Space Wolves continue to organize their forces into thirteen . Note that the oldest copy of the Codex, the. Apocrypha of Skaros, refutes the commonly- held belief that the Space Wolves have never broken down into separate Chapters, stating that two Second Founding Chapters were created from the Space Wolves (Index Astartes I, pg. However, the Space Marine Codex (5th Edition) lists only one Second Founding Successor to the Space Wolves: the Wolf Brothers, who were disbanded at an unknown time because of extreme gene- seed corruption and mutation. With the passage of centuries, some Chapters have strayed from the strict letter of the Codex, introducing unique variations on its teachings but remaining broadly faithful to Guilliman's basic principles. Furthermore, the Codex has been reanalyzed, reinterpreted and modified countless times over the centuries. Regardless, the Codex Astartes remains, as it has always been, the Space Marines' authoritative guide to waging war. As such, it is revered by every Battle- Brother as a holy text; the wisdom of the ancients serving as both scripture and the unbending rod by which they are measured. These guidelines have evolved in practice from chapter to chapter over the centuries, and the treatise and wisdom of hundreds of military thinkers have been absorbed in their own battle philosophies. The Codex Astartes is revered as a holy text, and many Chapters regard its recommendations as sanctified by the Emperor Himself. Existing outside the Company level organization, each Chapter has an Armoury consisting of the Chapter's Techmarines, main battle tanks, and other armoured vehicles, a Librarium consisting of the Chapter's Librarians, a Chapter Fleet and the Chapter Master, plus various headquarters staff and the Chapter's Servitors and human Chapter Serfs. Support for the 1st Company consists of Land Raiders and Venerable Dreadnoughts. Only the 1st Company may use the hallowed suits of Terminator (Tactical Dreadnought) Armour. Each Battle Company is split into 6 Tactical Squads, 2 Assault Squads and 2 Devastator Squads comprised of 1. Space Marines each. Some companies also make use of Command Squads comprised solely of Veterans to protect their officers or other specialists like Apothecaries and Chaplains. The Assault Squads can instead be deployed as Bike Squadrons or on Land Speeders. Battle Companies often use Rhino and Razorback dedicated transports, and commonly deploy Dreadnoughts for heavy fire support. The 6th and 7th are comprised entirely of Tactical Squads, the 8th of Assault Squads and the 9th of Devastator Squads. Like the Battle Companies, the Reserve Companies also make extensive use of Rhino and Razorback transports, though Dreadnoughts are usually only found in the 9th Company. The 6th Company can be entirely deployed on Space Marine Assault Bikes and the 7th on Land Speeders. The 8th Company can use either Space Marine Bikes or Land Speeders. These forces are held in reserve to be deployed at the discretion of Force Commanders as tactical situations evolve, often to bolster weak points or aid in breaking through enemy lines at specific locations. As such, the 1. 0th Company is the most lightly armed and is most often used as a reconnaissance or guerilla force. Scout Marines are sometimes mounted on Space Marine Bikes, but do not use Rhino or Razorback transports. These dictate that a Space Marine should display his Chapter's symbol upon his armour's left shoulder guard, whilst his right shoulder guard should show his squad markings. The Codex also states that a Space Marine should incorporate his company's heraldic colour into his armour, displaying it on the trim of his shoulder guards. The Codex suggests a number of variations on this basic system and even advises that each Chapter periodically revise its markings to confound the foe.
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