The Swarmguard
The Swarmguard are a Chapter of
Codex adherent Space Marines and as such a Swarmguard army is selected from
Codex: Space Marines.
The Swarmguard Chapter
Tactics
The Swarmguard are, at the moment, comprised
of volunteers and otherwise borrowed members of the various other space marine
chapters brought together for a single purpose; to end the current threat of
Hive Fleet Leviathan and prepare the forces of the Imperium for the threats
posed by Hive Fleets that have yet to enter the galaxy. A great many of the
current members have served in the Deathwatch and many more are veteran Tyranid
hunters in their own right. Though they may not be descended from the same
Primarch, the Marines of The Swarmguard fight as true brothers united by a common
cause and form an incredibly deadly weapon to be wielded against the Tyranid
menace or indeed any alien threat.
The Devourer Shall
Starve: Two units in this detachment may be given one of these special
rules: Monster Hunter, Preferred Enemy (Tyranids). Note that you may not bestow
any of these rules more than once.
Tyranic War Veterans:
All Veterans (including veteran sergeants and Honor Guards) in this detatchment
may take hellfire rounds for their boltguns for free. This does not include
storm bolters, or bolt pistols.
Strength in
Diversity: If the opposing army is not Chosen from Codex: Tyranids, once
per turn a single unit from the Swarmguard detachment may use the Chapter
Tactics of another chapter, chosen from Codex: Space Marines.
Chapter Master Vindictam
Vindictam first enters the Imperial
record in the reports of Inquisitor Normand of the Ordo Xenos. In M41.993
Normand was closely following the movements of Hive Fleet Kraken, helping to
organize planetary defenses on multiple worlds. On these many worlds
Inquisitorial spies were placed among evacuated populations to guard against
possible corruption. One of the more curious reports received by Normand was a
tale of a lone Astartes bearing no discernable insignia defending settlements
and cities on imperial worlds besieged by the tyranids. The tales told of a
hero turning the tide of battles against impossible odds, securing the escape
of the surviving populations, sometimes acting alone, sometimes supporting
imperial guard regiments and on rare occasions fighting alongside other
Astartes. This would have been unremarkable to the Inquisitor if it had not
been for the fact that multiple spies placed among populations from entirely
different worlds had overheard similar stories. Inquisitor Normand resolved to
find this man and after months of searching finally encountered the warrior in
an incident that saw the space marine saving the Inquisitor’s life from the
bladed arm of a Tyranid Warrior.
This Space Marine had been waging
his own private war against the Tyranids for what could be decades or even
centuries now, but such was the inquisitor’s way with words that he convinced
the lone warrior that he could do more good within the ranks of the Deathwatch
and thus Vindictam became a permanent member. He has since refused to speak
about his past and so it is unclear what Chapter Vindictam originally comes
from or what his real name is, as Vindictam was a name he gave himself, said to
be derived from a long dead Terran language. The prevailing theory amongst the
members of the Deathwatch is that he is probably the last remaining member of a
Chapter destroyed by Tyranid invasion long ago
Though Vindictam’s career in the deathwatch
was short he would go on to earn the respect of many of his battle brothers
through heroic deeds and his knowledge of how to fight the Tyranid menace. But
not everyone was taken with him, as Vindictam was prone to throwing himself
into harm’s way, sometimes recklessly. Though they recognized this was born of selflessness
rather than glory seeking, many of those he worked with were not partial to his
form of heroics and were outraged that he would jeopardize the mission with
such acts. He did, however, earn enough notoriety through success to be given
command of his own Kill Team. Vindictam always placed the safety of imperial
citizens as a high priority and this sometimes made achieving mission success
much more difficult. Some viewed this as a weakness, but others embraced his
ideals. He was particularly liked by the battle brothers seconded from the
Salamanders as their chapter was well known for being protectors of the people.
But even those who did not fully agree with his methods could not argue with
the results he achieved and so would still willingly follow him into battle.
Vindictam’s most famous mission
occurred just as the first tendrils of Leviathan entered the Galaxy. He and his
team were sent to investigate a possible genestealer infestation on an imperial
world that was exhibiting warning signs similar to those seen before the onset
of Hive Fleet Kraken. Upon further investigation Vindictam found something
truly horrifying, the genestealers were not alone; an ancient hive ship had
been seeded on that planet millennia ago and it was ready to be reactivated.
The planet did not have the military might to repel the Tyranids should the
ship become fully functional, and with the resources it would gather from an
easily conquered planet it would surely take the rest of the system and grow to
be a grave threat. Vindictam led his team into the heart of the reawakening
ship and dismantled many of its essential parts before finally personally
slaying the Norn Queen and escaping with the remaining five members of his
squad. It is these same five who today form Vindictam’s personal Honor Guard.
Vindictam was, however, becoming
slightly dissatisfied with his assignments against other alien races, feeling
that the inquisition was not putting in enough resources into what he knew to
be the greatest threat to mankind and the galaxy as a whole. This would change
with the onset of Hive Fleet Leviathan. Vindictam had been petitioning for
command of a task force dedicated to dealing with the Tyranid threat for a few
years now, but had not been taken seriously until now. After the issue of the
carta extremis to Inquisitor Kryptman the leadership of the Ordo Xenos knew
they would need to take drastic action to combat the now very serious threat
posed by Leviathan. At these meetings the name Vindictam was brought up several
times along with his proposals for a force dedicated solely to combating the
Tyranid menace. It was Inquisitor Normand that suggested that Vindictam be
taken seriously, and even went a step further putting forth the idea that a new
chapter be created. This idea sparked a great debate; the founding of a chapter
outside of a founding ordered by the High Lords of Terra was almost unheard of,
however Normand’s tongue was a formidable weapon on its own. He was able to
convince them that a Space Marine Chapter and the resources it could bring to
bear united against a single foe was our best chance for survival against this
extragalactic threat.
When it came time to decide who
would be named Chapter Master and tasked with the responsibility of raising the
chapter to full strength the choice was clear. Inquisitor Normand bestowed the
honor unto Vindictam personally after the order for the new chapter’s creation
was accepted by the High Lords of Terra. With this, Vindictam began the
recruitment process, seeking out first and foremost the members of his most
famous Deathwatch Kill Team. Since the chapter would need to be raised to full
strength as quickly as possible he visited the existing Space Marine Chapters
in turn, attempting to gain strength by way of volunteer or bargain. His
largest contributors remain the Ultramarines and the Blood Angels, not only in
the number of troops gifted to him, but because they provided two great heroes
to aid in the fight against the Tyranid menace: Epistolary Leon Alexios (now
Chief Librarian) of the Ultramarines and Chaplain Lucien Cynfael (now Master of
Sanctity) of the Blood Angels.
Chapter Master
Vindictam 250
points
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6
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5
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4
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4
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5
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4
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10
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2+
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Special Rules: And
They Shall Know No Fear, Independent Character, Chapter Tactics, Eternal
Warrior, Monster Hunter, Hatred (Tyranids), Orbital Bombardment.
Monumental Presence:
Vindictam is the stuff of legend, a mysterious figure that is seen by many to
be a representation of the strife of those destroyed by Tyranid invasion. His
presence on the battlefield inspires the troops to a greater level of ferocity
in battle. As such any unit which Vindictam has joined gains the Hatred (Tyranids) special rule when
fighting Tyranids and gains the Stubborn
special rule against any other foe.
Private War: Vindictam
spent countless years of his life fighting Tyranids and has faced down every
manner of creature that could be thrown at him in his personal struggle to
protect those in need. His years waging a private war against the Tyranids has
made him fiercely independent, to the point where he feels it necessary to
always face the toughest challenges alone.
As Such Vindictam must accept any challenge made by an enemy character
directed at a unit to which he belongs. His years of experience fighting the
horrors of the Tyranid menace also grant him the Monster Hunter special rule.
Inquisitorial Ties: An
army led by Chapter Master Vindictam may take one Deathwatch Kill Team
(Sternguard Veterans with Preferred
Enemy (Xenos*)) as a troops choice.
Wargear: Thunder
Hammer, Storm Shield, Artificer Armor, Frag and Krak Grenades
*Xenos refers to units selected from Codex: Orks, Codex: Tau
Empire, Codex: Eldar, Codex: Dark Eldar, and Codex: Tyranids.
Leon Alexios
Leon Alexios was an Epistolary of
the Ultramarines Librarium, known for being the personal favorite and protégé
of the Chief Librarian Himself. Leon was unusual in that he had no knowledge of
his psychic gifts, however was able to flay an Astartes alive during his induction
trial. That kind of latent power greatly interested Chief Librarian Tigurius as
he saw the potential to mold Leon in to an extremely powerful psyker and so
took him under his wing as an unofficial apprentice.
Leon followed Tigurius on many of
his expeditions to study relics and artifacts of great power. When an artifact
thought to be older than the dawn of man itself was discovered Alexios insisted
he be allowed to accompany Tigurius in its study. Leon, having been left alone
for a time, disobeyed Tigurius’s orders and made direct contact the artifact,
unwittingly destroying it and exposing himself to its arcane energies in the
process.
Leon was brought back to Macragge
and examined thoroughly by the apothecaries and the Librarians. No spiritual
taint could be detected; however a change took place in his flesh. The hand
with which he had touched the artifact emanated the same energy as the artifact
and his cellular structure appeared to die and regenerate at incredible speeds.
Leon later discovered that if he focused he could use his fingertips to tear
open small unstable holes into the warp. In Light of these developments
Tigurius asked that the Chapter master postpone his punishments for disobeying
orders and endangering a mission, in order to study his changed physiology.
2 years later, a Battle Barge,
previously unknown to the records of the Ultramarines appeared over Macragge,
and an Astartes claiming to be a Chapter Master requested audience with Lord
Calgar. The meeting lasted days, and Lord Calgar called in both Master of
Sanctity Cassius and Chief Librarian Tigurius as advisors. When the
negotiations were over and done Calgar called Leon to come before him and
proclaimed that the time was here to make amends for his past transgression. He
told Leon that he was to join the ranks of the Chapter known as The Swarmguard
and serve as their Chief Librarian until his service was no longer required, at
which point he might return to the Ultramarines absolved of his sins.
Chief Librarian Leon
Alexios 170
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2
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10
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2+
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Special Rules: And
They Shall Know No Fear, Chapter tactics, Independent Character, Psyker, It
Will Not Die
Master’s Apprentice: Is
a Mastery level 2 Psyker but may know up to 3 psychic powers from the
disciplines available to Space Marine Librarians.
Wargear: Terminator
Armor, Force Glaive, Psychic Hood
Mark of the Old Ones:
Leon Alexios’s unarmed hand counts as a Melee weapon with the following
profile
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Range
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Strength
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AP
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Type
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-
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user
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2
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Melee, Fleshbane
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Lucien Cynfael
Lucien
Cynfael was a Chaplain renowned in the Blood Angels for his overwhelming
ferocity in battle, and his unmatched skill with a blade. Such was his skill
with a blade that he could trade blows as an equal with the likes of Commander
Dante himself. And such was his fervor on the field of battle that he and his
men he would become an unbreakable wall of carnage that even the most battle
hardened would turn their gaze from.
During
the Battle for Baal Cyfael proved that even the bio monstrosities of Hive Fleet
Leviathan would not stay his wrath and proved that he could effectively lead
men into the heat of battle with the Tyranids with no sign of faltering. He won
the attentions of Chapter Master Vindictam After leading his assault unit into
a rampaging Carnifex, and coming out victorious. Cynfael and his retinue held
the line alongside Vindictam and his Swarmguard for months until the last of
the Tyranids had been eradicated, winning each other’s respect through deeds on
the field.
Following
the victory celebrations on Baal, Commander Dante began to select units to
second to the Swarmguard in thanks of their aid in the defense of his home.
Knowing it would be necessary to send a Chaplain with these troops in case of
the onset of Balck Rage, Cynfael petitioned Astorath to recommend to Dante that
he be sent to Vindictam. Dante agreed to let him go, knowing he would do the
Chapter great honor against the Tyranid menace. Vindictam welcomed him with
open arms and named him Master of Sanctity shortly thereafter.
Master of Sanctity Lucien
Cynfael 150 Points
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Special Rules:
Chapter Tactics, Independent Character, Zealot, Rage
With Dante’s
Blessings: For the aide pledged by Vindictam in the defense of Baal,
Commander Dante as well as the whole of the Blood angels and their successors
are supremely grateful. Returning the favor is seen as the only Honorable
course of action. An army containing
Cynfael that takes an ally detachment from Codex: Blood Angels may count Cynfael
as an HQ choice for both the ally detachment AND the main detachment.
Wargear: Power Armor,
bolt pistol, Frag and Krak Grenades, Rosarius, Crozius Arcanum, Jump Pack
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