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 Space Marine Chapter Articles ---

The Emperor's Reapers Space Marine Chapter is a loyalist crusading chapter of the Adeptus Astartes that loosely follows the dictates of the Codex Astartes. This ancient and venerable Chapter can trace their lineage back to the 2nd Founding, which took place following the end of the Scouring, seven years after the end of the dreadful Horus Heresy. It is unknown exactly whose lineage this mysterious Chapter is actually descended from, but rumour and conjecture continues to abound amongst Imperial scholars.

Extant reports from various battles across the galaxy, indicates that the Emperor's Reapers excel in close-quarters actions, often utilising a wide variety of close-range weapons, ranging from chain weapons, power weapons and even power scythes. This bygone (and often shunned weapon) is utilised exclusively by the chapter, one in which the Emperor's Reapers use as its primary weapon, above chain blades or other melee power weapons.

Chapter History
The bellicose and mysterious Emperor's Reapers Chapter, are an enigma for which there are no easy answers. The more one delves into the extensive, and oftentimes contradictory, history of the Chapter, only seems to turn up more questions than answers. What is known with absolute certainty is that the Emperor's Reapers are infamous for their relentless assaults in siege and trench warfare and specialise in the extensive use of terror tactics. Once unleashed against an enemy, they absolutely will not stop their assaults until all their foes are all slain by their hands or by the sharpened blades of their deadly scythes. Another point of fact, is that this Chapter tends to make extensive use of a variety of various marks of power armour, and can often be seen wearing different patterns, ranging from the ancient Mark III 'Iron' pattern to the advanced Mark VIII 'Errant' pattern.

Which First Founding Space Marine Legion they are sired from remains a mystery, though some Imperial scholars speculate that they are perhaps the scions of one of the two Lost and Forgotten Legions or made from Loyalist elements of Traitor-stock. The only other clue of the chapter's true origins is that they have a tendency to idolise their chapter's founder, who was a hero that fought during both the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy eras, and whose name is now lost to the passage of time.

Notable Campaigns

 * The Scouring Crusade (021-022.M31): After the chapter was founded the chapter went on a crusade to hunt down and kill existing remnants of the Traitor Legions that still resided within the Materium.


 * The Battle of Furious (026.M31): The Emperor's Reapers engaged a Sons of Horus warband on the world of Furious Prime. After 1 year of bloody conflict the last surviving Traitor Astartes were executed by the Emperor's Reapers in a gruesome manner, with their limbs being sliced off before having their vital organs cut out of their bodies and scattered across the planet as a reminder and a dire warning to those who would dare turn from the light of the Emperor.


 * Ulandius Slaughter (033.M31): The Emperor's Reapers assaulted the forces of the Word Bearers Traitor Legion on the dead world of Ulandius. Throughout the 8 month conflict the chapter suffered heavy losses until they received reinforcements in the form of the Terra's Cockroaches Chapter that were sent to help combat the Heretic Astartes. After another 4 months, the Word Bearers retreated at the cost of 46% of the Emperor's Reapers Chapter forces while the Terra's Cockroaches suffered 37% losses.


 * Cleansing of Forge World Qixes (104.M33): The forge world of Qixes, located in the Segmentum Obscurus, rebelled against the Imperium and declared their secession. The Emperor's Reapers were tasked with culling out the Traitor elements and to assist loyal tech-priests and their Skitarii legions on the planet that remained loyal to the Imperium. Over the course of the 2 year-long conflict, the Traitor elements were purged from the forge world.


 * The Purging of the Astral Hounds (129-134.M33): After the Astral Hounds Chapter betrayed the Imperium and were declared Excommunicate Traitoris, the vengeful executioners of the Emperor's Reapers immediately set upon a crusade to purge the Renegade Chapter completely from the Emperor's sight. Over the next 5 years the Chapter hunted down and slaughtered the Heretic Astartes of the Astral Hounds and the populations of their home world, without hesitation or regret. Even those that professed to still be loyal to the Imperium, still met a grisly fate at the ends of the Reapers' scythes, which earned the Chapter an infamous reputation for being the Imperium's merciless and brutal executioners. This fell reputation led the Emperor's Reapers to began to be feared by some of the other chapters of the Adeptus Astartes.


 * The Oxiods Xenocide (175.M33): The Empower's Reapers discovered a undiscovered human colony from the Dark Age of Technology that had fallen victim to a xenos race known as the Oxiods. These vile xenos had enslaved the human population for millennia and relegated their human captives as a slave work force and food supply. Enraged by the mere thought of any human being subjected to the whims of alien filth, enraged the Emperor's Reapers with righteous wrath, and the Chapter sallied forth to kill every last one of the xenos present. Over the course of an 11-year long campaign, the Chapter trained the natives in the art of war as the Reapers helped them fight against their oppressors and liberated their planet. Their world was then brought into the fold of the Imperium as members of the Adeptus Mechanicus scoured the newly inducted world for STC fragments. The Reapers claimed their due, since that era has used the world, named Helias, as one of the Chapter's primary recruiting worlds.


 * The Iron Guard (001 M34): Members of the Emperor's Reapers' 7th Company led by Captain Agros teus discovers another world lost since the Dark Age of Technology, but unlike the world of Helias, all traces of the inhabitants show that their cities were abandoned, with no presence of any Dark Age voidcraft and skeletons long decayed. After further exploration the company discovered the world's dark secret - it was, in fact, a prison for the ancient A.I. ('Abominable Intelligence') constructs known as the Men of Iron. They been reactivated during a civil war that took place on the very same planet. Although the survivors managed to seal the Men of Iron away deep underground they are unable to deactivate them. In hope that to avoid the day when this evil automata broke free, Agros seized the initiative and led the charge straight into the prison to wipe them all out. After a deadly battle only one survivor remained, the 2nd Squad's Techmarine Katos Ironbones. Though severely wounded, he managed to make his way back to the planet's surface, clutching the metal skull of the leader of the Men of Iron, and called for help. Fortunately all the equipment and some of the fallen's gene-seed was recovered. Due to the severity of the injuries Katos received during the conflict, his body was interred within a chassis of a Contemptor Pattern Dreadnought. After the Chapter departed the planet's surface, they subjected it to an Exterminatus warhead to ensure that all traces of the malevolent A.I. was wiped from existence.


 * Ulandus' Vengeance (089.M34): Two thousands years after the Ulandus slaughtered a warband of the Word Bearers Traitor Legion, the vile sons of the Daemon Primarch Lorgar returned to the planet to conduct a powerful ritual by attacking several neighboring planets to gather Imperial civilians to utilise in ritual sacrifice. Upon hearing about the warband's return, the Chapter eagerly sallied forth to finish what they started two millennia earlier, to ensure once and for all, that the Traitor Astartes would not escape their wrath. Acquiring the aid of the Ultramarines Chapter who still bore the memories of the Shadow Crusade and the Calth Atrocity during the Horus Heresy, they eagerly joined the Emperor's Reapers on drawing out the enemy forces. Meanwhile, the Emperor's Reapers focused on any fortifications and enemy movements to cull and engage in flanking strikes on the Traitor Astartes. the Ultramarines strike force fought alongside the Reapers during the 6 year long campaign, which finally ended with the eradication of the Chaos warband. In the aftermath, the Imperial planet was decorated with scattered pikes of the decapitated heads of the Word Bearers Heretic Astartes, left as a dire warning on the planet to those that followed the Dark Gods.


 * Age of Apostasy (200.M36): During the dreaded Reign of Blood the Emperor's Reapers Chapter engaged and purged many chapters loyal to the Apostate High Lord Goge Vandire. As the vengeful executioners wiped out worlds controlled by the Brides of the Emperor with virus bombardments, the Chapter instead focused on eliminating the other traitor Chapters and to make haste to Terra in a attempt to execute Vandire themselves, but were halted from taken upon in the final campaign by the Sun Eaters Chapter. In a nine-month long skirmish, with most of the Sun Eaters killed, and those that survived having fled for the Eye of Terror, the Chapter discovered that Vandire was killed by his own bodyguard, ending the Age of Apostasy.
 * The voinium shattering (019 M47): A corsair fleet from cratfworld wu'thule Attacks the fortress world of Voinium 3 home to a well trained regiment called the Imperetor shield, despite holding back the eldar forces the world sent out a distress call and the Emperors reapers was the closes chapter so receive it and dispacted the chief librarian Aterius along with members of the shroud company along with the 2nd and 3rd company to help eliminate the xeno threat, after 3 weeks of conflict the imperial forces discovered that the eldar are after a lost eldar super weapon capable of cracking planets to pieces. Determined to either capture or destroy the weapon and the shroud and 2nd company intercepted the eldar strike force retriving the weapon while the 3rd company and the Imperetor shield regiment attacks the main eldar ground forces in attrion and trench warfare. Despite taking casualties Aterius slayed the leading far seer in single combat claiming the farseer's weapon and soul stone as trophies and destroyed the weapon but started a chain reaction that'll shatter the planter, after the eldar forces retreated into the webway imperial forces rapidly evacuated the planet before the planet was blown into fragments.
 * CLASSIFIED unknown crusade (117 M38): Details of this are locks under imperial mandate and what is rumored that the chapter was involved in the extermination of a hostile human empire for the few STC units for mechanicum and appears is something the chapter willingly decided to forget.
 * The shielding of Helias (001 M42) : A Tyrinid hive fleet known as hive fleet temptus invaded the system of the Emperors Reaper's primary recruitment world of Helias and as soon word reaches to the chapter, the entirety of the chapters fleet rushed to combat the threat. when the chapter arrives large portions of the planet ( incomplete

Chapter Beliefs
Like most chapters, the Emperor's Reapers hold the tenants of the Imperial Truth in their minds. The cult within the chapter sees them viewing the Emperor as a great warrior and the ultimate harbinger of death, and the Astartes of this Chapter view themselves as His vengeful right hand, thus the reason for painting the battle-plate of their entire right arm, red.

Combat Doctrine
Tacticians throughout the Imperium have noticed that the tactics of the Emperor's Reapers is eerily reminiscent to that of the ancient XIV Legion - the Dusk Raiders - who would later come to be known by another, more infamous moniker, a name that would echo down the ages - the notorious Death Guard. This similar signature strategy to attack their foes at nightfall, might be a clue as to the true origins of whom the Emperor's Reapers' founders truly are. The Chapter utilises the ancient Albian tactic of conducting an assault as night falls and the gathering darkness shadows their advance across open ground. This is only done, after the Reapers give their foes an ultimatum to surrender or face their wrath, instilling fear and panic in their mortal enemies, as they begin to panic and desert their positions.

Once the allotted time has passed, and the sun sets, however, nothing will stay the executioner's hand of the Emperor's Reapers. The Chapter then begins their all-out assault while screaming their battle cries to instill further panic and fear. They then typically launch a full assault comprised of large numbers of devastators, tactical marines and dreadnoughts, to overwhelm their foes with overwhelming numbers and firepower and with little to no regards of casualties, as they charge at their foes in a near unstoppable tide of steel and cerimite. Interestingly, members of the Chapter show an abnormal level of endurance, in that they are able to shake off wounds that would normally kill an average Astartes, thus allowing them to survive longer on the battlefield.

When the Reapers take part in trench warfare, the chapter will cut the enemy forces off from supplies and will wait until their enemy's ammunition is near-depleted, so that the Astartes can go for the close-kill or the desperate foe is forced to come to them. Another tactic the chapter is known to utilise is that of terror tactics. They accomplish this by leaving dismembered corpses around in enemy positions to break enemy moral. A noticeable deviation from the codex in that the chapters ranking system is identical to those ranks used during the great crusade.

Chapter Gene-Seed
Some Imperial savants theorise that the Chapter might be, in actuality, descended from remnants of a Death Guard loyalist Blackshield force, that turned against their treacherous former kin, and continued to fight on behalf of the Emperor, despite their former Legion's status as traitors. Possibly, they might have been granted the Emperor's forgiveness for the sins of their former brothers, and allowed to continue to exist in the form of newly created Second Founding Space Marine Chapter. But records from this bygone era are very difficult to come by or have been lost due to the passage of time. Or quite possibly, the records of the Chapter's true origins are sealed under Inquisitorial mandate, as the nature of gene-seed might be deemed controversial and cause a rift within the Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes, shoulder the Reapers' gene-sire be revealed. Whatever the truth, speculation and endless debate still rages amongst Imperial scholars.

Primaris Brethren
When the returned Ultramarines Primarch Roboute Guilliman returned from his ten-millennia long deathless slumber, he had ensured that the Emperor's Imperium would endure, even in its darkest hour. Prepared for the ultimate contingency plan, the new Lord Commander of the Imperium introduced the genetically superior Primaris Space Marines, the next-generation of Astartes transhuman warriors, that would stand the galaxy's most stalwart defenders. When forces of Guilliman's Indomitus Crusade introduced the new Primaris Marines to the Emperor's Reapers Chapter, they welcomed their new brothers with open arms. Once the Chapter's Apothecaries made some minor neurological alterations to all of their Primaris brethren and ensured their full hypno-indoctrination, only then, did they finally view them as truly being ready to be added to their ranks.

Primarch's Curse: Deathless Endurance
Despite the Chapter's mysterious origins of its gene-seed, reports indicate that the chapter shows no visible or extreme mutations, although their minor idiosyncrasies seem more biological than physical, seemingly granted the Astartes of this Chapter unusual fortitude, enabling them to survive lethal blows and diseases with little to minor degree of damage. This genetic deviation has even spread to their Primaris brethren despite the 0.1% of such a thing occurring. This greater endurance allows the already formidable endurance of the Primaris Space Marines to formidable levels, akin to that of walking predator tanks. To enhance the Primaris even further, the Chapter's Techmarines have modified the armour of the Primaris Marines with extra amour and integrated melee weapons, and primarily use these deadly warriors for siege warfare.

Notable Members

 * Ulgan and Alios Nex: The 1st company captain and sergeant of the chapters elite unit known as the Shroud.


 * Aberius Fezius: Assault squad Captain of the veteran 1st Company, known for his level head and precision savagery.


 * Xandros Ius: Head Techmarine of the Chapter.
 * Katos Iron bones: sole survivor of the Iron guard event long sealed in the chassis of a contemptor dreadnaught.

Chapter Colours
The Emperor's Reapers Chapter primarily wears bone coloured battle-plate, with the exception of the sabatons and top of the backpack being painted solid black in colour. The armour of the entire right arm, including the shoulder pauldron, coutre (elbow guard) vambrace and gauntlet, are painted the deep red of freshly spilled blood, which signifies the Chapter's belief that they are the "red right hand" of the Emperor's vengeance. Both poleyns (knee guards) are also painted deep red in colour. The trim of both shoulder pauldrons, as well as the Aquila or Imperialis on the chest guard, are gold in colour.

A white coloured squad specialty stenciled upon the right shoulder pauldron indicates an individual battle-brother's assigned combat specialty (Tactical, Devastator, Assault and Veteran). A small white roman numeral stenciled on the inset of the right shoulder pauldron indicates squad assignment. A white roman numeral stenciled on the left poleyn (knee guard) indicates company assignment.

The Astartes of this Chapter have been observed wearing high amounts of ancient variants of power armour patterns ranging from Mark III all the way through to the newer Mark VIII patterns and seem to primarily utilise relic Cataphractii and Tartaros patterns of Terminator armour over the standard Indomitus pattern commonly worn by other Chapter's veteran elite.

Another noticeable detail of the chapter is how they utilise the various patterns of power armour amongst their Astartes, with Mark VIII 'Errant' pattern armour being reserved for veterans while relic Mark VI 'Corvus' pattern along with ancient Mark III 'Iron' pattern is often utilised by the Chapter's tactical and assault squads. Mark V 'Heresy' pattern is reserved for the use by the Chapter's devastator squads while Mark IV 'Maximus' patterns are utilised by the Chapter's librarians, techmarines and officers. Mark VII 'Aquila' pattern armour is often utilised by the members of the elite 1st Company which bears its own unique colour scheme. Most their battle-plate is painted black. Due to this preference, the members of this elite company have come to be known as the ' Shroud ' Company.

Chapter Fleet
The Chapter fleet of the Emperor's Reapers is known to contain the following starships:


 * Tombstone (Strike cruiser Class Battleship) - It is the personal flagship of the Emperor's Reapers and serves essentially as the Chapter's mobile Fortress-Monastery.

5 Battle Barges

6 Strike Cruisers

2 Gladius Frigates

2 Hunter Destroyers

Chapter Relics

 * The Harvester: One of the Chapter's most ancient relics which dates back to the Great Crusade. This venerable weapon takes the form of a master-crafted, custom built, double-bladed power scythe - a weapon passed down from chapter master to chapter master, and is also a symbol of office of the chapter.


 * Hounds of War: Two sets of relic Cataphractii pattern Terminator battle-plate; one which is outfitted with a deadly power claw and the other, a mighty chainfist.


 * The Soul Gun: An ancient archaeotech pistol, the so-called Soul Gun, like a small minority of relics the Chapter has had in their possession, has resided in the Reapers' Chapter Reliquary since before its Founding. This unique sidearm fires a hybrid of bolt rounds coated in a super-heated plasma. When these rounds puncture into a target, it incinerates the unfortunate recipient from the inside-out, leaving nothing but a pile of ash, where the once living target stood.

By the Emperor's Reapers
"By the swing of our scythes on the battlefield of harvest, we gather victory over the enemies of Mankind."

- A common saying of the Emperor's Reapers Chapter.