Steel Crusaders

The Steel Crusaders are an 8th Founding successor Chapter of the stoic Iron Hands. Like their progenitors, the Steel Crusaders heavily augment themselves with numerous bionics. The Steel Crusaders are known for using heavy weapons and mechanized warfare to swiftly and efficiently sweep away enemy forces.

Operating from the Star-Fortress Teigfestung, this fleet-based Chapter patrols isolated areas of the Imperium. With their mighty war-machines the Steel Crusaders bring utter ruin upon the enemies of Mankind.

Chapter History
The Steel Crusaders were created from the gene-seed of Ferrus Manus, Primarch of the Iron Hands. The Steel Crusaders were initially established in the 35th Millennium as a fleet-based crusading Chapter that mainly operated out of their Star-Fortress, Teigfestung.

Since they were formed, the Steel Crusaders have preferred to operate in areas where the presence of other Imperial groups are scarce and the enemies are plentiful.

Chapter Home World
The Chapter is fleet-based and as such does not maintain their own homeworld. Despite this, the industrial Hive World of Eisen has been the favorite recruitment world of the Steel Crusaders since their inception. Besides the sea of urban sprawl, the planets surface is rocky, mountainous, and heavily polluted. The sky is grey and smog-chocked. The planet is often plagued by periodic acid rainstorms. The inhabitants are strong and hardy from working endless hours in the planets foundries, thus making them excellent choices for Astartes aspirants

Fortress-Monastery
The Steel Crusaders fortress-monastery is the large and imposing Star-Fortress known as Teigfestung. When not on patrol, Teigfestung is typically moored in uninhabited or otherwise isolated regions of space.

Chapter Culture
Like their progenitors, the Iron Hands, the Steel Crusaders are bitter and dour. This has lead to the Chapter developing an isolationist mindset, preferring to operate on their own and only working alongside other Imperial forces has an absolute necessity.

The exception this attitude is the Adeptus Mechanicus, with the Adepts of Mars being one of the few Imperial factions the Steel Crusaders actively seek to work with.

Combat Doctrine
The Steel Crusader's combat doctrine is noted for focusing strongly on heavy weapons and mechanized units. The Chapter believes the best way to defeat their opponents is to scorch them from existence with the heat of industry.

Primarch's Curse: Steel Over Flesh
It is said that the bitter rage of the Iron Hands was born in the fires of betrayal upon Istvaan V. The most horrific loss in that battle was the loss of Ferrus Manus, the Iron Hands Primarch. He disappeared during the massacre, and his body was never found or recovered. Rather than fall into despair, the Iron Hands took refuge in their hate, and they have used that hatred to eliminate any perceived weakness so that they may remain strong. By removing the dangerous failings of the flesh, the Iron Hands believe that they are eradicating any threats to the eventual dominance of Humanity over the galaxy. This gene-flaw has been inherited by the Steel Crusaders in it's entirety.
 * Level 1 (A Disdain for Flesh) - The Battle-Brother perceives his own flesh as a hindrance. Scarring or punishing the biological portions of his body is the only way to sooth his anger.
 * Level 2 (Cold Fury) - The ruthlessness of the Steel Crusaders manifests more strongly in the Battle-Brother, making him prone to aggression.
 * Level 3 (Zero Tolerance) - All Steel Crusaders abhor weakness, but the Battle-Brother has taken this attitude to an extreme. The Battle-Brother will seek to remove any perceived source of weakness, to the point of refusing to fight alongside allied forces such as the Imperial Guard - in extreme cases, even entering into open conflict with an allied force.

Allies
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Enemies
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