|
This article, Optimus Legion, was written by WingAutarch. Please do not edit or 'acquire' this fiction without the writer's permission. |
- "In war, one must not seek to simply defeat their foe. Seems strange, doesn't it? But if all one does is defeat their opponent, then they will fight that battle again and again, having to reconquer the same enemy, in new form and new circumstance. No, you must defeat not your foe, but the means by which he fights. Overcome his very way of war, and you will have defeated him in every battle to come. "
- —Lessons of Scout-Sergeant Augereau of the Optimus Legion, 10th company
The Optimus Legion is a 3rd Founding Space Marine Chapter drawn from Ultramarines stock, founded for the defense of the fortress-sector of Alsatia. Bearing an unwarranted reputation for cowardice and a well-earned reputation for cunning, these imaginative marines have held the line for ten thousand years, out-fighting and out-smarting all manner of foes beyond the borders of the Imperium. Specialists in air assault and high mobility warfare, the Optimus Legion makes liberal use of aerial transports, such as Thunderhawks and Stormravens, to quickly reposition and maneuver to counter threats. The Optimus Legion, as a chapter, place a high value on ingenuity and quick thinking as virtues of a warrior, even if this comes with a loss of viciousness and fury. This has garnered them a reputation for being less fierce, less committed, and less zealous than other chapters, for which they aim to compensate with the skill and creativity of their execution of war.
Time and again, the chapter has proven successful in its aim of protecting Sector Alsatia from threats and has on numerous occasions volunteered their geneseed to sire a successor. However this process always ends in disaster; either their successors fall to chaos or find themselves on the accusatory ends of the Inquisition or other imperial institutions. Why this keeps happening is unclear; perhaps this is simply a matter of bad luck, or perhaps a sign from the Emperor they were never intended to foster successors. There are those, however, who see a pattern emerging; a pattern, perhaps, that hints at darker truths about the Optimus Legion.
Chapter History
Noble Founding
- " Listen, young recruits, this will be your first, and most important lesson: We are not conquerors. We are not heroes. Songs will not be sung about our deeds, nor will our enemies quake in fear of our presence. We are gatekeepers, guardians of the doorway. The defense of our charge, and the protection of the Imperium, is our only purpose, and it was why you were made. "
- —Lessons of Scout-Sergeant Augereau of the Optimus Legion, 10th company
Sector Alsatia, a fortress of a hundred worlds, is positioned on the edge of the Imperium, beyond which are ork empires and xenos warlords and chaos strongholds, untamed lands outside the Emperor's control. From the preacher's pulpits and in oaths sworn before the Lords of Terra, Sector Alsatia is little more than the first step in the endless expansion of the Imperium, and soon the warriors of man will plant the Double Aquila on the worlds beyond. In truth, Sector Alsatia is a shield sector, a thin sliver of armor that protects the soft belly of the imperium from predatory eyes. A series of fortress worlds and battleground planets on which the enemies of man may die by the millions, so that softer, more valuable worlds are left untouched. And so, the forces of Sector Alsatia stand firm as a bulwark against the dark, drawing a line in the sand, here and no further, so that other sectors of the Imperium may know peace.
So it is understandable that, in the first years of the 32nd millennium, a call was made to establish a chapter of Adeptus Astartes to aid in the defense of the sector. Ultramarine gene-seed was selected for the task, and a coterie of veterans was elected for the job. Optimus chapter myth states that the first Chapter Master of the Optimus Legion was the Chief of the Apothecarion, a former healer who had fought with the Emperor himself and that he bore with him a great sword, a gift forged by the Emperor's hand and wielded by their gene-sire Guilliman, which stood as a symbol of their divine duty in the defense of Mankind.
None of these claims can be verified by Imperial Records, and are generally treated as little more than the mythology of an ancient chapter.
The Optimus Legion soon established themselves as an effective and versatile chapter in the vigorous defense of Sector Alsatia. Warfare was constant, and the chapter's strategies adapted to the task. Speed and quick thinking were needed to put out the many fires the sector would face on a yearly basis, and the chapter's culture soon shaped to their needs, adopting traditions and tactics that allowed them to adapt quickly to changing and varied battlefield conditions. Soon enough, the new Optimus Legion would take their own style of warfare not only to the enemies of the Imperium within the sector, but beyond, contributing to the defense of Mankind as a whole and fighting alongside the defenders of man on battlefields abroad.
But despite their success, the Optimus Legion did not ingratiate themselves with many of their peers. They seemed to possess none of the fire and fury that was so indicative of the Angels of Death, and their habit of avoiding or retreating from positions they found untenable or unnecessary did not earn them favors among either their fellow Astartes or the Astra Militarum. Practical as they may be, every Space Marines holds their own chapter and their chapter's ways in pride, and with it came a desire to prove themselves, through victory, their valor and virtue.
So when the opportunity became available to establish successors in the Sector, the Optimus Legion jumped to the task, perhaps out of some misguided sense of proving their worth. The threats that were facing the sector grew with every century, and as successful as the Optimus was, they were but a thousand; more would be needed, and if they had their way, these chapters would be of Optimus stock.
The First Born: The Prodigal Sons
- " There is an ancient saying among our forefathers on Holy Terra; do not let the perfect be the enemy of the good. It is necesary that we continue to strive towards greater heights, greater skill, greater ability. But perfection is a maze, endless, entrapping, and it is best not to become lost in pursuit of our ambitions. "
- —Lessons of Scout-Sergeant Augereau of the Optimus Legion, 10th company
Established in the fifth founding, the first successor chapter of the Optimus Legion, the Angels Exemplar, was not left alone to grow, but carefully and deliberately shaped by the Optimus Legion as an attempt to create the best possible chapter. Perfection and the ideals of being a space marine were emphasized, which the new chapter took to heart; to be more skilled, more capable, more refined, ever pushing the limits, this is what it would mean to be an Angel Exemplar. Truthfully, they seemed to live up to this unapproachable ambition, as the Angels demonstrated martial skill and strategic acumen of tremendous caliber, all while carrying themselves with a poise and dignity that would find themselves welcome in even the halls of the Imperial Palace.
Perhaps, with the benefit of hindsight, the Optimus Legion should have seen the slip into chaos and the intrusion of corruption into the very culture of their successor. Sadly, they were blinded by hope and ambition, seeing only what they wanted to see, refusing to believe the inevitable. For what it's worth the chapter continued to behave as a loyal chapter and profess themselves to be as such, fighting valiantly and skillfully in defense of the Imperium. The full extent of the fall of the Angels Exemplar would not be apparent until the Astargos III Campaign, where the cancer of obsession would multiply and metastasize. This was the first time the Angels would truly fight alone, no support from their parental chapter, as they faced off against a warband of Khorne, cultists and berserkers who had come to pillage and slaughter. Despite all their skill, their practice, their refined expertise, Time and again the Angels were flustered and frustrated by defeats and setbacks at the hands of the khornate traitors, their self-image and aspiration of being the perfect chapter crumbling in the face of cruel reality. So humiliated were the Angels in the face of this foe that they would seek any solace from their humiliation, desperate to not face the reality that they had failed. Solace they would find, which came in the form of temptation; a messenger, offering them what they so dearly desired...at a price.
The Angels Exemplar succeeded in the Astragos III campaign, but they emerged changed, committed uniquely to perfection at the cost of their souls. At this time, the Optimus Legion should have wiped them out, but they could not stomach the thought of their favorite sons falling to Chaos, and held back, denying what had become a reality until enough signs of corruption, enough needless slaughter of civilians, that they could no longer ignore it, and they were forced to act. But it was too late, and while the Optimus Legion razed the Angel's fortress-monastery to the ground and cast them into the void, the damage was done, and their successors were lost to chaos, a thorn in the side of the sector for millennia to come.
The Blood Crusade
With the downfall of their fist successor, the Optimus returned to their nominal duties, burned and shamed, but still holding on to a spark of pride and a desire to atone for this failure. It would not be long, however, before an ample opportunity would present itself.
Emerging in the early years of M34, an uncommonly powerful chaos empire grew, bordering Sector Alsatia. Chaos civilizations were generally rare and temporary at best, often the result of rebellions, and generally falling apart before too long as they descended into warring warbands and contentious sub-groups. But this new empire, dubbing itself the Imperium of Blood, was a peculiar novelty. United around a sense of entitlement to their own superiority, this shockingly well organized state combined the vast populations of hive worlds, the endless production of dark mechanicum forgeworlds, and the resources extracted from conquered and enslaved imperial and xenos worlds to fuel a warmachine of tremendous power and might.
Most chaos rebellions and warbands could only hope to imitate the glory of Imperial War. Lacking the resources, supplies, and organization, they depend on stolen goods and the blessings of chaos to even the score. Not so this Imperium of Blood. While this so called "Imperium" paled in comparison to the true Imperium of Man or even Sector Alsatia itself, at dozens of worlds in size, including several forgeworlds, it was capable of fighting a style of war similar to that of the Imperium itself, with vast legions of guardsmen deployed with tanks, artillery, and air support. It would grind down the Imperium, man for man, ship for ship, drowning worlds in blood.
Unwilling to tolerate this rival in their presence, the Loyalist Imperials of Sector Alsatia declared a crusade, intent on seeing this blasphemous state destroyed. Hundreds of millions of guardsmen were mobilized, knight houses sallied, even space marines from far off regions arrived to see the crusade through. It was promised they would crush the false Imperium by the end of the year, for such was the size of their force and their commitment to see it through.
But it was not to be.
Millions of guardsmen surged forth, and millions rose up to meet them, the servants of chaos more than willing to spend lives and spill blood in an eternal battle. Soon, the war was locked in a seemingly endless stalemate: worlds were circled in trenches so deep and complete that one could walk around the entire equator without ever putting one's head above ground, cities were pounded to dust until all that remained of the original hives were blasted scraps in the mud, ecosystems were obliterated by artillery fire so intense that life was scoured clean. Countless lives were expended for meters of ground, which were reconquered the next month. It would be an endless war, generations passing in the trenches.
As it was on their borders, the Optimus Legion was fully involved, often times the chapter being in its totality committed to this singular task. Perhaps it was in frustration for their failure with the Angels, or perhaps there was need to prove themselves with the eyes of the Imperium on them, but the Optimus dove into the task with a focus and commitment rare for them, and they thrived on this battlefield. It was not their fury that gave them success, but their ability to see weakness where others couldn't, exploit opportunities others missed, finding holes in the defenses of the slaves of chaos that could be torn open. Where the Optimus tread, the Imperium of Blood gave ground.
But they could not be everywhere, and for every inch they earned, another was taken. The war would drag on for decades, then centuries. By the time the crusade had ended, the Imperium had managed to wrest a dozen or so worlds from the servants of the Blood, at the cost of immeasurable amount of lives. Both sides, exhausted, recalled any further campaigns, and the Imperium of Man declared itself victorious.
But while the Imperium may have accomplished little, The Optimus emerged with a renewed sense of pride and accomplishment. They had been thrown into the grinder and had emerged victorious, a string of battlefield victories unmatched by any that participated. Their success did not go unnoticed, as the Imperium at large, and the Inquisition, witnessed the potential of the Optimus in action, and saw how they could take advantage of them.
The Second Born: The Shameful Sons
- "Consider, my students, the humble bolter. It has no edge, requires no sophisticated power field or superhuman strength to do its deed. And yet, a man dies easily, perhaps more so, and at ranges greater than even the finest swords forged by the Emperor himself! Why then, do we obsess over prowess with blades? "
- —Lessons of Scout-Sergeant Augereau of the Optimus Legion, 10th company
The Optimus Legion would try again, many years later during the fourteenth Founding, to create a successor to join them in defense of Sector Alsatia. volunteering their gene-seed and speaking to their success in defending the sector, the Optimus Legion was selected once more, a chance to redeem themselves from their past failure. This time, the Optimus Legion sought to take advantage of existing martial traditions on the world of their choosing, Xian Secundus, a culture that had existed free of chaos for thousands of years, and refined in its skill; from this crucible, the Astral Dragons were born.
For some time, the Astral Dragons were the successors the Optimus Legion so desired, dutiful, capable, and proud. Skillful and disciplined, they mastered the art of war, but tempered their ambitions with duty and discipline and a philosophical refinement. Soon enough the Astral Dragons had made a name for themselves, masters of the martial arts and hand to hand combat, and the Optimus looked on in pride, finally vindicated.
But it would not be chaos that brought about their fall, but the arrogance of the very traditions on which the chapter was founded. Elements within the chapter disagreed on the strategic core of what defined the Dragons; some believed they should be singular warriors, mastering combat as individuals, others believed that mastery lay in working together, warriors fighting as one, and others still believed mastery lay in the shadows, artisans of the silent murder. This disagreement brewed and festered, building on existing cultural divisions within the world of Xian Secundus itself, until it spilt out into open civil war, the chapter torn in three, drawing their world with them in a great war that cost the lives of millions. Only the intervention of the Optimus Legion, and a significant portion of the sector's forces, ended the civil war. Shattered and disgraced, the remains of the Astral Dragons were sent on a crusade in penance for their actions, as the Optimus returned home, ashamed at the failure of their second sons.
The Quiet Years
Through it all, the sins of the Optimus had not gone unnoticed, nor had their successes. Beginning in the early years of M36, the Inquisition would turn its eyes on the Optimus Legion, a chapter they wished to use, and for which they now had endless leverage. Their failures with their successors were brought up, along with other sins, many imagined and fabricated. But they didn't seek penance, but service. The Inquisition was flush with loyal servants to throw into the fire, what they needed was weapons that could think and handle threats they had not prepared for, for which the Optimus were uniquely suited. There would be no denying the Inquisitions needs, and so, with no small amount of reluctance, the Optimus Legion disappeared into the Inquisition's service.
What precisely the Legion was needed for, and what they did is unknown, only that much of the chapter was regularly called in service, multiple companies and hundreds of marines called away into shadowy service. The halls of Regis Optima, their grand Fortress-Monastery, were often empty, so much of the chapter deployed away to unknown battlefields, only to return years later, wounded, but unable to speak of their victories or defeats. of course, this period would not come without its boons; the Inquisition would trade resources to their new toy to keep them capable, even as they were expended on battlefields far from Alsatia.
Eventually, the demands of the Inquisition would lessen, and the chapter would be able to return to its duties as intended. It is unclear if they completed some pre-arranged contract, or completed the tasks the Inquisition required, or simply found them no longer of use, simply that the Inquisition lessened its demands, and moved on. Regardless, these years took a heavy toll on the chapter, though left those who made it through refined and dangerous as few had came before. Still, some of the life, the vigor, and conviviality the chapter was known for had bled away, never quite to return.
The Third Born: The Unwanted Sons
- "You must forgive me, young neophytes, for you have learned your lessons well. Perhaps too well. We have instilled within you, a fire, a hatred for the monsters me must destroy to fulfill our duty. But think on this, young ones; the gravest of threats comes from within, not without; It was not by external foe that the Emperor's Crusade came to a halt, but by heretical hands. "
- —Lessons of Scout-Sergeant Augereau of the Optimus Legion, 10th company
The third attempt at creating a successor was not intended, but, unfortunately, a consequence of heresy within the chapter itself, a mistake, a flaw, that nearly led to its ultimate destruction.
There are many hundreds of worlds within and beyond Sector Alsatia, most of which are empty, barren of life or forgotten to time. Some of these worlds should have been left this way, as things were buried beneath them, cast there from the ravages of ancient wars, that should never be remembered.
But it is the nature of the ingenious and the imaginative to be curious, to ask questions, to want to know. The Ice World of Genova is one such world, one of many near forgotten mining worlds, providing a small coterie of tenacious guardsmen and a yearly tithe of highly valuable minerals for the prize of being ignored by the wider realm of humanity. But buried on that world, lost beneath the ice, was a strange temple, a mausoleum to something unknown...a something that reached out, and spoke to curious minds.
It was the Optimus Chapter Master, a stalwart and capable marine, who would hear the voice, and strangely, inexplicably, obey. He began covertly stealing gene-seed, offering it up to the entity in secret, as a testament to his growing devotion. The discovery of this heresy, and the fullness of the corruption that was revealed, would become known as the Six-Fold Heresy, and is the darkest stain on the history of the Optimus Legion. They would face chaos marines created of their own stock as they rooted out the heresy within their own chapter with brutal force, traitors and newborn astartes, created with their own corrupted seed.
The further the Optimus pursued these corrupt astartes, the further truth they unraveled. They discovered that this corruption stemmed from an ancient entity, sealed deep upon the world in question, claiming to be an ancient god cast down by the Four. Beings of Chaos are liars and deceivers and so its claims should not be believed nor should the testament of its servants, and so the vestiges of the heretical marines were destroyed without mercy...but the being remained, jailed inside the world itself, a secret no longer.
Initially, it was proposed to simply destroy the world, and damn those who lived on it. But it wasn't clear if destroying the world would destroy the entity, or release it from its prison. Furthermore, the world was of some importance to the Mechanicus; the cold world produced a rare coolant, and the loss of it would not go unnoticed without questions being asked. Accepting the humiliation, they submitted the final answer to the Inquisition, leaving their sins bare.
But instead of absolving them for their sins, the Inquisition demanded penance.
A small group of Optimus Marines would be committed, permanently, to the monitoring the eldritch prison. These marines, technically still a part of the Optimus Legion, would go on to establish their own traditions, maintaining their own culture, coming to call themselves the Frostguard. These new, unwanted sons would continue a quiet vigil on this frozen world, silently safeguarding the sector from an unknown threat. In a strange way, the Optimus had gained for themselves a third successor, one they wished they never had, but whom they were bound to raise in silence, lest the Inquisition reveal their shame to the Imperium.
Dark Skies over Alsatia
During the events of the 13th Black Crusade, and the shattering of the Imperium, the Optimus Legion was unable to participate in the defense against Abaddon's assault, instead drawn to the necessary defense of their sector, as the forces of chaos surged in response to the warmaster's beckon. World after world burned, the Optimus and their Alsatian allies were unable to hold the line, until the battle found itself over their chapter world, and the legionnaires defended from the walls of their Fortress Monastery. What should have been the glorious last stand and magnificent defense of the Optimus Legion was stolen from them by the incursion of the Grey Tigers, an ally of the Optimus Legion, who came to their defense, newly flushed with Primaris Marines. Bloodied but alive, the Optimus Legion emerged from this challenge with renewed vigor, even if their reputation suffered in response.
The Scouring of the Sector, for all the pain and death it covered and caused, was a deeply cathartic event for the chapter and the Imperium as a whole. Bolstered with reinforcements from the Indomitus Crusade, the Optimus Legion lurched forward, intent on destroying every outpost and remnant of their invaders they could find. The forces loyal to the Warmaster had committed almost everything to destroy the defenders, and, having been broken, they need only be rooted out of their holes like weeds. This period represented a point of surprising truce between the forces of the Imperium and those of the Craftworld Eldar, and not because of any good will, that's for sure; the forces of Forgeworld Mecka would strike at any on sight, with just as much rage and xenophobia as they ever possessed. But the importance and satisfaction of destroying the traitor's scattered forces made for an excuse to ignore each other...for now. But for the victories and retribution, it was a crusade marked in sorrow. Worlds burned for their failure to protect them, allies destroyed in a last stand hoping for the Emperor's Angels that never came. Perhaps most painful, though, was the lost of their hidden sons, the Frostguard, their world scoured of life and any trace of them gone...and the monster they were intended to protect. Perhaps they had destroyed it in a final act of sacrifice, or perhaps the forces of the warmaster saw to the destruction of a potential rival. Or perhaps it had broken free, and now bided its time to pay vengeance on those that had contained it.
The Return of the Genefather
But with the Indomitus Crusade came not just reinforcements and salvation, but resurrection. Leading this vast army of primaris marines was none other than the progenitor of the Ultramarines and the Optimus Legion, Roboute Guilliman. It is impossible for an Astartes to not feel the sense of awe and wonder in the presence of their primarch, even more so for those who had never born witness to one. Bloodied and nearly broken, the Optimus Legion nonetheless took the knee in admiration of their sire, awaiting what wisdom or encouragement he might offer to them.
What they received though was...discouraging. To the Optimus Legion, meeting their primarch was an event that defined their millenia. To Guilliman, it was tuesday, one of a hundred other Ultramarine successors that Guilliman had encountered, and this one was nothing special. Another chapter, defending another sector. Still, the charisma of a primarch cannot be overstated, as he reinforced the mission of the chapter in their duty to defend and secure the sector, in protection of the Imperium at large. These words were a double edged sword, at once a renewal and swell of focus and duty...and a stinging reminder that their sector had burned and the wall nearly breached.
Guilliman left behind a number of Unnumbered Sons to refresh their ranks, and the technology and weapons of the Primaris, allowing the chapter to rebuild. These new weapons and warriors would be critical, as there would be no rest for the Optimus, not now or any time soon.
Into the Future
- " Tell me, why did you lose? Why did you fail? The answer is simple. You did as you were told. You followed my instructions, my lessons, to the very letter. This made you predictable, stiff, and insufficient. I am not here to shape machina, or turn you into thrall-warriors. Think. Adapt. Grow. Become more than you are, or you will die. "
- —Lessons of Scout-Sergeant Augereau of the Optimus Legion, 10th company
The surge of chaos may had been defeated, but there was still much to be done, much to rebuild. The sector must be reclaimed, and there must be an answer to the great tear in reality that split their Imperium in half.
But as much as that must be dealt with, there was a concern at the failure of the Optimus to defend their sector. One might say they had been overwhelmed, that the circumstances had been too much for them to handle and that they had done their best with what they had. But the fact of the matter was that their worlds had been burned, and were it not for the intervention of the Imperium they had sworn to guard it would have been lost, and their legacy would have ended in failure.
Perhaps it was convenient that their chapter had been so badly mauled following the 13th Black Crusade, as it offered them a chance to emerge anew, something evolved from where they were before. The question of the primaris was one they had begun to consider, given that their ranks had been renewed by members of such from the Indomitus Crusade. Like most chapter, the firstborn of the Optimus felt a certain...insecurity, in the face of these new and improved versions of themselves. They were ineffective with our equipment, they were too inflexible for our tactics, we lack the resources for all of them...excuses, ultimately, from older marines, hoping to preserve some sense of their self-superiority.
But reason won out; like it or not, they could recognize the writing on the wall. The primaris were physically superior, their equipment a step forward. Many had turned to support this new idea after seeing the performance of these marines against their traitorous sons, the Angels Exemplar. Normally far exceeding them in hand to hand combat, the strength and speed and resilience of these new marines proved decisive. But it was their shame that was the final motivator. They had been insufficient in their duty, so they must be better, do better, become more.
This was a problem they were uniquely shaped to solve. Unraveling battlefield scenarios and correcting their own failures were one and the same. They took to the primaris marines, and their weapons and gear, and looked to incorporate these ideas into themselves. There was no Codex Astartes to draw from, nor any expectation they conform to specific goals and standards; they were merely given tools, and for the first time, offered the opportunity to use their expertise to shape their own way of war. The Optimus Legion that emerged was renewed, focused, and evolved. They would see themselves conquer this new era of war, an era far, far more dangerous than the one they had left.
Notable Campaigns
- War for Gesthemane (347.M32) - The Optimus Legion arrived in support of the Astra Militarum in defense of the world of Gethsemane, assaulted by the vicious ork warboss Grimmgutz the Fanged, a particularly wealthy and infamous flashgitz warboss of the Bad Moons clan. Grimmgutz was well known for his excessive use of firepower. He so loved his guns that he waged war surrounded by a mob of his biggest and best lads— equipped with the biggest and best guns!— as well as enough artillery to make an Imperial regiment blush. Fortunately for Grimmgutz’ foes, the Orks still missed more often than they hit Aiming to cripple the strength of their foe, Optimus strike teams soared out on thunderhawks, striking at ork supply depots and transportation lines, hoping to sever the blood that kept the ork warmachine running. So intensive were these strikes that they would even strike and destroy Imperial weapons depots at risk of falling into ork hands, much to the consternation of their allies. Grimmgutz, unwilling to conserve ammunition, nor were his boys, expended ammo vigorously, and soon even the tremendously inscrutable ork logistics, which operated so often on theft and ingenuity, could no longer maintain the need. Soon enough, the vast legion of guns quieted, as bad moon nobz squabbled amongst themselves for whatever ammunition they could find. The orks were far from defeated, as any ork with a hefty slab of metal is a threat, but without the vast weight of their guns, the Guard would proceed to roll up their lines in a matter of weeks.
- The Hunt for the Red Banner (921.M34) - The infamous Grand Cruiser Red Banner, crewed by a cult of chaos and led by traitor marines, had torn a path of blood and carnage through Sector Alsatia, preying on merchant vessels and transport ships before disappearing once again into the warp. For months the 3rd battle company of the Optimus Legion, aboard the strike cruiser Chevalier hunted the Red Banner, chasing them from world to world, eradicating chaos outposts and dueling with the ship time and again. Only a desperate maneuver on the part of Captain Toulane, commander of the Optimus Legion forces, in which he cut off the Red Banner and allowed his own ship to be rammed, permitted the Legionnaires to board and finally destroy the vessel.
- Baiting the Hound (337.M35) - When a warband of the World Eaters descended upon the world of Iganam Primus, the defending force of Optimus Marines found themselves outnumbered by the berserkers in their midst. Adopting a strategy of scorched earth, the Legionnaires put their maneuver warfare to its limits, wounding the Berserkers with precision ranged fire then rapidly retreating before their foe could drive into close combat, paying ground for lives. By the time the World Eaters descended upon the fortified positions of the local defenders, they were lost to anger and bloodlust, and could be easily driven into killing zones for which they were exterminated. Despite having destroyed a superior force of traitor marines with minimal losses, the Imperial Governor, furious at the damage sustained to his infrastructure by the Legion's fleeting tactics, filed a complaint with the Lords of Terra, and formally barred them from recruiting from his world.
- The Thousand Year Blood Crusade (M34-M35) - The Imperium of Blood is a rare example of a stable, persistent chaos state, possessing a large population and the resources to wage a war on a level of coordination and logistics allowing it to fight war as an organized and capable force. This state persisted in an arrogant perception of their own superiority, raiding and striking out at man and xenos alike to reinforce their sense of worth. The Imperium, disgusted by this fortress of chaos called a crusade, and multiple space marine chapters, alongside millions of guardsmen, surged forth to conquer this nascent state. The battle took place on the boarders of the Alsatia Sector, and as such the Optimus Legion was a constant and vigorous participant, battling across the many worlds as man slaughtered man. For nearly a millennia the forces of the Imperium of Blood and the Imperium of Man smashed together, expending countless lives over worlds now so battered they would be useless to either. Finally, the Imperium of Man declared a victory, after barely a third of the Imperium of Blood had been conquered, retreating to lick its wounds.
- A Dark Bargain (419.M36) - In hidden domains, the Inquisitor Faust, along with other members of the Inquisition, struck a bargain with the Optimus Legion. It is unknown what was discussed in the meetings, only that afterwards, the entire chapter was recalled, before disappearing for a period of nearly two years. When they returned once more, the chapter had suffered horrendous losses, and its librarium was almost entirely destroyed. The chapter did not speak of what transpired during this time, and any recordings of their actions during that time were deliberately destroyed. In exchange, certain Imperial records were erased, and a number of the rare Corvus Blackstar gunships was delivered to the Optimus Legion's usage, with more offered on a regular basis.
- The Nine-Wall Labyrinth (397.M37) - Disaster strikes the Altaros Campaign, as powerful sorcery cast by Sorcerers of Tzeentch send Space Marines from fifteen chapters into the warp, trapping them within the Labyrinth of Tzeentch. There they face impossible realities, mind-crushing traps and foes that toe the line between reality and imagination. Only the Optimus Legion manages to emerge from the labyrinth, save for a handful of survivors from various chapters they had managed to rescue. It had been Optimus ingenuity that had led the day, managing to outsmart the impossible challenges of Tzeentches trap, a true testament to the spirt and ability of the sons of Guilliman...but it was all for not. The surviving marines were purged by the Inquisition, despite protests, and records of the incident expunged.
- The Six-Fold Heresy (666.M39) - Chapter Master Artan Davout fell to the whispers of a strange god beneath a cold world. He stole from the gene-seed of the chapter's stores, silently building a traitor chapter of marines in the service to this new, dark master. His heresy would be revealed with the discovery of a corpse of a particularly inquisitive chaplain who had deigned to ask questions of their master. On a cold, dark world, a jail for a darker being, Optimus Legionnaire fought Optimus Legionnaire in a silent civil war. When the dust had cleared, the chapter had purged its own heresy, including its own chapter master, but had stained their own reputation, perhaps forever.
- Laternax Councils(Late M41) - The Optimus Legion were critical and founding members of the Laternax Councils, acting as chief mediators in maintaining the peace and facilitating discussion. Despite the brilliant efforts of Chapter Master Erias Zerakot, the Councils ended in a failure. The Optimus Legion's status during the chapter brought them a great deal of attention and focus, for better or worse, and has shaped the perspective of others for centuries to come.
- The Destruction of Raszyn II (701.M41) - The world of Raszyn II, a quiet agricultural world, came under threat from the machinations of Necron Overlord Sahure The Calm. Marines of the 4th Company under Captain Mortier responded, finding the situation to be dire; Lord Sahure had committed heavily his legions of Immortals, whose necrodermis hides shrugged off lasgun and boltgun fire alike, marching forward implacable and unstoppable. In response, Optimus Marines raided the weapon stores of the Imperial Guard committed to the defense of Raszyn II, taking for themselves every plasma gun and cannon they could get their hands on. During the next battle, the Optimus Legion emerged, equipped to a man in plasma weaponry, and concentrated their forces on one section of the Necron lines. the ensuing storm of solar flame melted even the seemingly invincible hides of the Immortals, dealing for the first time losses in the Overlords legions. Furious at the sudden losses, Phaeron Sahure responded in a calm and reasoned fashion, deploying the Infinite Resonator to Raszyn II. One fire of the weapon, and the world began to shake itself apart, cracking under endlessly enhancing tectonic waves until it would eventually shatter in its entirety. Before the world broke in half, Captain Mortier managed to save 21% of the human population, and watched from a distance as the world was lost.
- Dark Skies Over Alsatia (999.M41) - The dark warmaster's reach extended far, and Abaddon did not depend just upon his own forces when he called the 13th Black Crusade. Coordinating chaos forces far and wide, those servants of the dark gods outside of Sector Alsatia surged forth, invading to distract and occupy Imperial forces within. Battle upon battle, the Optimus Legion found itself in a fighting retreat, inflicting what wounds it could as it was forced to abandon world after world against implacable forces. Only the sudden appearance of the Astral Dragons helped stem the tide, the crusading successors of the Optimus Legion returning from their penance to stand beside their sires. Even this could not stem the tide, and eventually, the Optimus Legion and the Dragons fought side beside on the walls of the Regius Optima, as the skies of Alsatia Primus burned at the warmaster's will. Only the arrival of the Grey Tigers, long allies of the Optimus Legion accompanied by Indomitus Crusade forces sent to reconquer Sector Alsatia, saved them from total destruction.
- Humiliation of Angels (007.M42) - Newly renewed with Primaris reinforcements, the Optimus Legion surges forth to scour Alsatia Sector of the remains of the chaos incursion. On the world of Horke's Salvation, forces from the 4th Company encountered a stronghold of their traitorous children, the Angels Exemplar. While contemptable servants of chaos, the Optimus knew the Angels were no passing threat; their skill and dedication to war made them especially dangerous, particularly in close quarters combat. But the Optimus Legion had a new weapon, one the Angels could not easily match; Primaris Marines. Deep in the bowels of the Underhive where the traitor marines had hidden, the Angels were prepared to deal irreplaceable losses in hand to hand battle with the Optimus, for whom they expected to clearly outmatch. But the marines they fought were taller, faster, and far, far stronger than they could have imagined. No amount of arrogance or self-absorption could save the Angels from the crushing defeat they experienced at the hands of, comparably, novice and unrefined marines, who were simply more capable than they could hope. This event proved to be a turning point for the chapter, solidifying to them the importance of this new breed of Marine, which would shape their future to come.
- Old against the New (012.M42) - The chance would finally come for the Optimus to put their new style of war to the test, this case against an ancient enemy. The Iron Warriors, remnants of the Great Crusade in style and substance, had come to ravage unprotected worlds in Sector Alsatia, believing the defenders were still in shock from battle after battle. The Optimus Marines that arrived to defend the world were outnumbered nearly three to one, but they came bearing new weapons, new strategies, and new gene-wrought strength. The battle that happened on the planet would demonstrate the versatility and power of the new strategies and techniques they brought with them. One of the more ingenious tactics that would come to be common place would be referred to as "smoking." Astartes blind grenades have the power to disrupt even the auspexes of space marine power armor...but not the divinatus-class Auspexes and Occulus-class bolt carbines used by the Incursor marines present in every squad. Utilizing advanced data-linking present in Mark X suits, and some excellent coordination, squads could blind foes with a flurry of these grenades, then pick them off effortlessly, firing into the smoke and picking their foes off. The ancient armors of the Iron Warriors, while well maintained, was vulnerable to this strategy, which became one of many developed and mastered in this theater. In this way, Optimus Squads could isolate and destroy Iron Warrior squads with shocking ease. By the time the world was cleansed of their intrusion, the Optimus had taken paltry loses compared to the chaos astartes they had defeated; they would be ready to face what would come, with bolters and brilliance.
Chapter Home World
- " Do not think of this world as your home. You may rest your head here, return here from the battlefield, and you will be buried here after you give your last to the Emperor. But it is not your home. It is the forge, in which you are shapened, hardened, refined. But your home is the battlefield; embrace it, and learn to love its warmth."
- —Lessons of Scout-Sergeant Augereau of the Optimus Legion, 10th company
Sector Alsatia
Situated on the edge of the Imperium, Sector Alsatia was founded near the end of the Great Crusade, as the Imperium reached the limits of its expansion. Composed of over a hundred populated worlds, Sector Alsatia is a large and diverse sector, productive and populous, with most of its resources dedicated to the sector's defense. Beyond the borders of the sector is uncontrolled territory, which is squabbled over by warring xenos clans and traitor warbands. As these two masses push against each other, conflict is inevitable and constant, and the sector knows only war.
Broadly speaking, Sector Alsatia can be divided into three groups: The Core Worlds, the Border Worlds, and the Contested Worlds. The Core worlds are those generally farthest from the edges of the Imperium, and are wealthy and powerful. Capable of producing and maintaining great armies, these worlds are able to exert their influence over the border and contested worlds, who themselves cannot see to their own defense and must rely on the armies of the core worlds. In exchange, these worlds can extract taxes and resources at favorable rates, allowing them a certain degree of prosperity even in a war torn corner of the galaxy. The Border Worlds are those worlds closer to the front, and thus more likely to experience war and invasion. Generally smaller and less developed, they often lack the resources to produce the armies they need to defend themselves, and become dependent on one or more core worlds for their defense. Thus lies a certain political game, as the Core Worlds compete over Border Worlds, acting as patrons to gain their resources. This does not always have to be a Border World's fate; with time, a Border World can grow and develop and, if it is lucky, join the Core Worlds as an self-determining planet. This is rare, and often the Core Worlds are not interested in more competition nor losing the privilege of their patronage, and can hamper such efforts. The Contested Worlds are those farthest from the Emperor's light, and are where the sector's worlds are most regularly fought. Conquered, lost, then reconquered, these worlds have few chances to truly develop. They may experience years, even decades of peace, but before long war comes to them again, an eternal frontline that has never truly moved in ten millennia of conflict.
Alsatia Primus
Alsatia Primus is the capital of Sector Alsatia and its seat of power. At first glance, Alsatia Primus is a shining example of the glory of the Imperium; great, gleaming cities of white stand out among gorgeous green plains all connected by long mag-rails, a human society thriving and prosperous. But it is a prosperity built on dominion. Alsatia Primus is the greatest and most prominent of the Core Worlds, and commands the obedience, and resources, of dozens of worlds in the Sector who depend on its vast, well equipped armies to keep them safe. Alongside its political power as the sector capital, the worlds great manufactories feed a sector hungry for weapons, further increasing its influence. This power and privilege leaves the citizens of Primus to be entitled to their privilege and position, often assuming that their prosperity is deserved, and that the sector is theirs to exploit.
Alsatia Secundus
Nestled in the same system as the Sector Capitol is the homeworld of the Optimus Legion, Alsatia Secundus. A far cry from the prosperous and gleaming world of the capitol, Secundus is a world of empty sands, roiling oceans, volcanic plains, and desolate badlands. Vigorous and constant tectonic activity reshapes the world year to year, and so the local populace does not build many settlements, instead wandering the world, following oases that pop up, around which life grows vigorous and brief. These settlements persist for anywhere between a few months to a few decades, but eventually the world claims all, the tectonic plates shift, and the oasis disappears beneath the rock and sands. The few permanent settlements are rooted around the few stable locations in the world, generally restricted to star ports, and as such the world is generally barren of civilization.
Those that live there on the world are a nomadic people, who've learned to appreciate what they have knowing full well what they create could be gone tomorrow just as easily. They are an adaptable, resourceful tribe, having learned to extract what scraps of value they can from the world. Finding the oases whenever the worlds shift requires exceptional skill in fieldcraft, reading what the world around them tells them until they can find a new home. As the world shakes and shifts, the nature of the world itself changes, new valleys, rivers, mountains and deserts appearing where they were not, perhaps even overnight. This has encouraged a sense of discovery among the population, for one does not know what you will find when you explore, what riches are unearthed, or where a new oasis might form. Perhaps, most curiously, buried beneath the shifting surface of the world are strange secrets; remains and ruins of ancient civilization, often smashed by the forces at work, but sometimes something of value can be recovered, unearthed by the world's activity.
Fortress-Monastery
Regis Optima sits amidst a barren continent on the planet Alsatia Secundus, positioned in the very heart of its endless deserts and badlands. Situated atop a rare, stable plateau, the fortress-monastery is a literal oasis amongst the desolation, gardens of green growing behind towering adamantium walls that surround it. This ancient fortress is the heart of the Optimus Legion, extending deep under the surface as much as it dots the green surface inside the walls. Among all the features expected of a chapter's monastery, Regis Optima contains a particularly large and advanced apothecarion, a cutting-edge exploration of medical science that often draws visitors from well outside the Sector.
Regis Optima is a busy place, often flush with visitors from their own world and beyond. Besides the usual coterie of delegates one might expect - nobles, politicians, techpriests, and commanders - those of wealth and influence may attempt to bargain for access to the chapter's wealth of medical knowledge, perhaps hoping to cure some malady that has escaped them or seek some sense that their mortal lives can be extended, just a bit longer. Truthfully, the apothecaries of the chapter are legendary, and they have even seen Astartes of other chapters who have come in hopes that their gene-skill can repair damage that their own physicians could not handle. But as much as there are visitors from beyond the stars, are their visitors from the world itself. Locals flock to the fortress, looking to trade scraps of archaeotech discovered on the world. How the planet seems to have no end of these relics, buried, is not truly understood, only that it seems every year there is no end of amateur archaeologists hoping to offer up some scrap of ancient wisdom for the resources of the Imperium.
Chapter Culture & Beliefs
- " In the hopefully long and illustrious careers you will no doubt enjoy as Astartes of the Emperor, you will, in that time, encounter others of our kind, Space Marines. But be prepared, they will not be like you. They will think different, fight different, believe different, and they will believe that theirs is the right and true way for an Astartes to believe, and any that fall short of their own ideal is lesser. All of them. Forgive their ignorance. "
- —Lessons of Scout-Sergeant Augereau of the Optimus Legion, 10th company
Optimus Legionnaires see themselves as warrior-poets, noble defenders of mankind drawn to a greater purpose. Their founding principle as a defensive chapter watching over Alsatia Sector is at the core of their worldview, and they take this task very seriously, applying the core principles to the greater imperium as well. Their duty ultimately is the defense and security of the Imperium of Man, a goal that overrides all other concerns including the acquisition of glory and honor and the building of an empire.
Optimus armor, stylized in the artistic traditions of their homeworld
Out of combat, Optimus Legionnaires are gregarious and personable, eager to chat and showing a distinct curiosity in the world around them, traits encouraged as it is believed it creates a more well rounded and more well-aware warrior. The Legion stubbornly holds to the belief that a smart warrior is better than a vicious one; after all, they argue, an Ogryn can do everything they can do physically, and the difference is The mind of the warrior, not the body. Other chapters may find this willingness to chit-chat strange, or perhaps even unprofessional, though for their regular human allies it is a breath of fresh air.
in battle, known as "putting on their armor" the Optimus Legion becomes far more serious, taking on a focused, stern disposition. They remain just as chatty in battle as out, but instead, it's practical communication, sharing information and ideas in a rapid-fire dispersion of knowledge. There are generally no battle cries or cries of fury or damnation, instead a cool, calculated discussion of tactics. The Optimus Legion does have battle cries, of a sort. "This we do, that man may live" exists as their official cry, but in practice it is most often simply foreshortened to "this we do", a statement of duty typically placed at the end of a statement, and used as a reminder of their duty. For example, "We will deploy from drop pods to strike the traitor position in the center and take them into a close-range firefight to keep them off the Guard. This we do." Unofficially, many marines have begun adopting the battle cry "No one dies!", particularly among the younger marines. First stated as a shout of defiance as a beleaguered company sought to defend human refugees from Orks, it has become a rallying cry of defiance among the chapter, a sort of statement that neither they nor humanity they defend, will fall by their enemy's hands.
The Optimus Legion carries a fairly indifferent view towards the Ecclesiarchy, generally finding it wiser to leave it be. While they personally hold no strong passions or convictions in regard to the divinity of the Emperor and the Imperial Cult, they are willing and capable of going through the motions for the benefit of others. Optimus Legion chaplains are more akin to Psychologists and Counselors than preachers of hellfire, tending to the wellbeing of the chapter through reason and discussion as much as the repetition of rhetoric. Uniquely, their chaplains extensively study xeno-psychology as well. All the better to offer insight into their enemy's actions and intent.
While the chapter philosophy places the foremost import on the defense of the Imperium, consideration has been taken as to the moral nature of their foes. All these foes must be destroyed, of course, and the Optimus Legion does not discriminate with whom they must cleanse; all are eradicated with the callousness and intent that is so indicative of the Astartes. But thinkers within have concluded that not all foes of the imperium are equal in their vileness. The mutant did not choose their nature, and are still part man, and often can be useful, so while their destruction may be necessary, it can, on rare occasion, even be regrettable. The alien, similarly, did not choose their nature, though they do not have the privilege of being part human or being useful, and so must be destroyed, though their destruction is not their fault, it is simply the way of things. The heretic, however, is the most vile of the enemies of man, for they have chosen their fate, willingly, and with full knowledge of the dangers of heresy. The Heretic is then to be destroyed with malice, for that is what they deserve.
Combat Doctrine
- "You will find, acolytes, that when your body is fully wrapped in strength, and you bear the holy armor of our profession, that you will feel all but invincible. Bullets and bombs bouncing off of you as rain. You may take this feeling to mean you can throw yourself at the enemy, absorbing their hate, to make it all the easier to cut them down. But let me remind you; our enemies have had thousands of years to devise the most imaginative of means of killing us; it is best to simply never give them the opportunity."
- —Lessons of Scout-Sergeant Augereau of the Optimus Legion, 10th company
Optimus Legion combat doctrine has shifted and evolved over its ten thousand years of service, adapting to changing challenges and changing resources. However two factors have remained consistent across their entire history and are core to their identity: specialization in rapid air assault, and an emphasis on creativity and cunning as personal ideals.
The Optimus Legion, of any period, hold that a battle won fairly is no better than a battle won easily; why then must we give our opponents a fair fight? Seizing superior positions, superior numbers, and superior flanks to give themselves a decisive advantage is key to their strategic thinking. Of course, every commander attempts to acquire these things, and why would they not? But the Optimus uniquely sacrifices to achieve it, surrendering a sure footing or a short fight to achieve positional advantages through the speed of their aerial attacks. Not even the swiftness of an Astartes bike or Rhino can keep up with the lightning fast speed of a thunderhawk or stormraven, allowing them to reposition with unmatched mobility and keeping themselves one step ahead of their opponent at all times.
This emphasis on positional superiority has its advantages and disadvantages. It is a strategy that requires plenty space to maneuver, and plenty of time to do it in. When forced to fight in tight confines, or when brought to battle out of need to attack or defend a critical target, the Optimus is deprived of their advantage in mobility, and suffer greatly for it. As much as possible then, the Optimus rely on others to hold key positions, and aim to leave themselves untethered, in order to play to their strengths.
But it is a doctrine that has paid dividends. Frequently, one might even say regularly, the Optimus are able to outmaneuver all but the most mobile and ephemeral of foes, achieving decisive tactical advantages and destroying their foes with alarming ease. THis has the additional benefit of reducing their casualties; a space marine is in the best case a challenging target to kill, and when they become difficult to pin down, or are fighting from a position of advantage, it becomes all the more difficult. The Optimus then boast an impressively low loss rate of its marines, despite the amount of fighting they engage in.
To successfully execute such a rapid, organic way of war is extremely difficult; individual commanders must be able to quickly and effectively act on changing battlefield situations, identify weaknesses and exploit them at a moments notice. Evolving from this rapid warfare then is an emphasis on cunning and ingenuity as key traits in their warriors. It is not the brutality of their warriors that have carried the day, but their ability to outsmart their opponents and rapidly attack the vulnerabilities their foes.
The Optimus have since turned this into a core part of their culture and identity; they select for it from recruits, emphasize it during training, and foster that skill even as fully fledged marines. The Optimus Legion spends far more time in wargames then other chapters, and encourages their marines to pursue ideas that interest them, in order to develop marines with a wide set of skills and an innate ability to solve problems and out think any foe.
The cost to this particular emphasis is that, when taken on an individual basis, an Optimus Legionnaire is a *worse* warrior, on average, than your standard Astartes. He is drawn from less violent stock, and spends less time in drill and conventional training than other marines from other chapters. This is most easily noticed in their skill in hand to hand combat; while an Optimus Legionnaire is well beyond a mortal in melee, most will fall short of the ability of other space marines, especially those who are specialists of the sword. This is noticeable enough that the Optimus de-emphasizes melee combat, preferring to stick to range if possible.
The pay off for this is a chapter of imaginative marines, which an alarming ability to adapt to changing battlefield scenarios, discover weaknesses in enemy plans, and create imaginative solutions to problems, all at an inhuman pace. The Optimus rarely fall victim to the same strategy used against them twice, and given enough time, can outsmart and out-wit nearly any foe.
Firstborn Optimus
Over millennia upon millennia of warfare, the Optimus Legion doctrine has evolved, passing through several key phases:
- The Codex Era - When the Optimus Legion was first founded, it was intended as a fully codex compliant chapter, who's strategies and tactics were absorbed directly from and imitative of their progenitors. The only innovation the Optimus had intended to incorporate was an emphasis on apothecaries, inspired by their first Chapter Master who was a former Chief of the Apothecarion. The Chapter experimented for some time with this idea, including incorporating multiple apothecaries within a company, apothecary training for sergeants and captains, and even modifications to dreadnoughts to allow them to provide medical assistance. Ultimately, these ideas died out as they proved impractical, though vestiges of this healer focus can still be seen in the 42nd millennium, with a disproportionate number of apothecaries represented in their ranks.
- The Thunderhawk Era - As the centuries past, the Optimus quickly discovered that they could not respond to every threat in the sector that was their charge. Even within battles on individual worlds, there were simply too many events that required their attention. Gradually, the Optimus began to abandon efforts to fight a more static form of warfare for a more mobile one, hoping to minimize losses and maximize impact. This period represents the genesis of what would become the standard style of Optimus fighting, as they began to adopt the use of rapid air forces as the core of ther strategic thinking. Unfortunately, during this period the only real transport the Optimus had access to would be the Thunderhawk; a mighty and venerable vehicle but better suited for transporting several squads of marines and supporting equipment instead of something more precise and squad-by-squad. As such, the tactics used at this time were more rough and unrefined, strikes and re-deployments involving large portions of a given battle company at once, dependent as they were on these large gunships. Still, the Optimus managed to acquire a large selection of Thunderhawks and its variants, and the chapter showed great success in this period, considered by many to be a golden age for the chapter.
- The Inquisitorial Era - For several millennia, the Optimus Legion operated under the purview of the Inquisition, acting as a strike force and problem solver and their behest. While a period of quiet and sorrow for the chapter, it proved to be a era of strategic renaissance, evolving their tactics and refining their ideas. The Inquisition demanded smaller, tighter squads acting more independently, forcing the Optimus to push the strategic impetus downwards, almost to the level of the individual warrior. This new method of war demanded a faster and more manueverable means of transport that the Thunderhawk could not provide, a solution for which the Inquisition was more than willing to dangle tantalizingly in front of their pet marines; the Corvus Blackstar. This technologically advanced transport was the exclusive property of the inquisition, and its secrets were carefully guarded...but it was convenient to them that the Optimus should have access to a lighter, leaner gunship to deploy from, and graciously allowed the chapter access to these machines to further aid them in their duties. Access to these gunships was strictly controlled, and while the chapter managed to reverse engineer some of the designs - allowing them to create a facsimile of the gunship that lacked its advanced tech but imitated the overall role - Access to the Blackstar would be yet another carrot the Inquisition could use to control the Optimus Legion, especially as this new way of war become central to their evolving combat doctrine.
- The Stormraven Era - While the Inquisitions interest in the Optimus Legion would wane, the chapter would not become fully free of their influence until the arrival of the Stormraven gunships. These new transports would be everything the chapter could want; fast, small, highly maneuverable, well armed and, most importantly, able to be mass produced, they became central to the Optimus combat doctrine almost overnight. Acquiring as many Stormravens as they could get their hands on, the chapter replaced their aging fleet of Thunderhawks and irreplaceable Blackstars with dozens of these gunships, to the point that they - and their accompanying Stormtalons - had become the main vehicles by which the Optimus would wage war. Emerging from the refinements of the Inquisition era, the Stormraven would see their favored method of war reach its completion, fully realized and perfected with this new weapon into a devastatingly effective system. Were it not for the events of the 13th Black Crusade and the arrival of the Primaris, this may have been the strategic thought that carried the Optimus for the next ten thousand years. Fate, however, had other plans.
Primaris Optimus
The arrival of the Primaris was a period of self reflection and change for the Optimus Legion. Beaten, drained, and with a young CHapter Master at the helm, the Optimus were in a prefect position to reinvent themselves, to look inward for perhaps the first time in their chapter history and create something new of themselves versus attempting to create something else to validate their own existence. The chapter applied its many thousand years of experience and refined strategic acumen to the new weapons and ideas presented to them, in order to create something capable and uniquely Optimus.
Examining the weapons and ideas presented, the Optimus commanders found the highly specialized nature of the Primaris demonstrated during the Indomitus Crusade, while useful for massed legions of thousands, much less so perhaps for the tighter, more focused work of a Space Marine Chapter. This was doubly so for the Optimus; they demanded the ability for squads to move without the support of others, breaking apart and combining again to the needs of an ever shifting battlefield, and the need to keep whole groups together as large chunks of marines would be too slow, too inflexible for their tastes.
However, there was no denying the power and technological advantage of this next generation of marine equipment, much of which offered new avenues for flexibility and impact. even more importantly, some of these new tools gave them abilities and options they never had before. No amount of familiar design and practiced strategy can compete with the simply superior capabilities this new equipment offered.
Their solution was to take the wisdom of the old, and combine it with the power of the new. The Optimus Legion realigned these squads, breaking apart and recombining them into novel groupings which utilized new tactics of their own design. New, smaller formations were devised, combining elements of multiple squads into single, multi-role units that could act independently or combine their strengths. The old tactical squads of the firstborn era were imitated - with individual squads benefiting from heavy and specialist weapons to give them flexibility - but instead utilizing the advanced weaponry of the primaris era. Playing further to their strengths, the chapter pushed the tightness of their organization to its limit; the five-man combat squad became the core of their organization, with ten-man squads simply being how two combat squads oriented and worked together.
Perhaps most notable was the adoption of the Two-and-One system, a method of war that, while not followed religiously, would become central to this new line of thinking. The strategy itself is remarkably simple; two maneuver units work together, supported by one heavier weapon unit. But the extent of the execution is where the Optimus made their mark: two intercessors supported by a heavy intercessor, two tactical combat squads supported by a heavy weapons combat squad, two fifteen man teams supported by a heavy weapons platform. A fractal system of maneuver that goes from company level all the way down to the individual marine, every element maneuvering and adapting with effortless alacrity.
The New Optimus then is highly modular, squads often able to adapt their weapons to the task at hand, and organized such that they can combine or disperse as need be to concentrate power or spread it out. The result is a chapter far, far more capable than what they were before, not only from their new gene-wrought strength and their new technological tools, but a more elegant way of war, fitting to their preferences and necessary for the coming millennia.
Chapter Organization
- "The Codex Asartes is more what you would call...guidelines, than actual rules."
- —Lessons of Scout-Sergeant Augereau of the Optimus Legion, 10th company
The Optimus Legion is a broadly Codex-compliant chapter, organized ostensibly in a fashion similar to that prescribed in the Codex Astartes. They maintain ten companies, one veteran, one scout, and remain around chapter strength as much as is possible. Where the Optimus Legion differs is in the application of specific details, often choosing to apply principles more loosely and freely that fits their needs.
Perhaps where the Optimus Legion differs most notably in its organization is how it uses and applies its companies. Unlike most codex compliant chapters, the Optimus do not maintain Reserve Companies. Instead, every company is treated as a Battle Company, fully ready to operate and fight on the battlefield with the flexible distribution of units that would be expected of it. These battle companies are then rotated in and out, with generally half of the companies at rest, recuperation and training while the other half are actively campaigning. Individual marines within these companies can expect to move between them from time to time, reorganizing to reinforce or support campaigning Companies, even swelling the ranks of a given Company as need be to the challenges at hand.
Furthermore, the Veteran and Scout companies are treated as fully fledged battle companies in kind. While both donate members to assist the other eight companies, they will engage in campaigning on their own, particularly on battlefields that match their specific specialities. For example, the Veteran Company is regularly involved in boarding actions, clearing space hulks, or deep hive city fighting, where their mass use of terminator armor provides a decisive advantage.
The benefit of this particular method is it means the Optimus Legion can, theoretically, participate in as many as ten separate campaigns, each at company strength. This was a necessary evolution for the chapter, as there is always a battlefield in Sector Alsatia, and always too many fights that require their attention.
Specialist Units & Formations
For the first ten thousand years of their existence, the Optimus Legion remained largely reflective of the standards expressed within the Codex Astartes, deploying formations that would be similar to those used by the hundreds of other chapters across the Imperium. In a few cases, in order to better match their particular tactical needs, the Optimus adopted some novel formations, which generally exist as modifications of existing strategies.
However, upon the introduction of the Primaris, the Optimus Legion took the opportunity to examine, and redefine, the way the chapter organized its units, creating something fully unique, and fully Optimus.
Firstborn Marines
- Tactical Assault Squads Optimus Legionnaires are well aware of their deficiencies in hand-to-hand combat, and have adapted accordingly. Assault marine squads are on occasion reorganized to fight at range, replacing chainsword for bolter and carrying a large number of special weapons. these squads then serve as powerful flanking elements, finding positions from which to rain down precision fire. Able to deploy from transport at altitude, the Optimus Legion can orient firing squads quickly and efficiently throughout the battlefield, further enhancing the lethality of their maneuver units. This tactic is not without its costs; the space taken by jump packs could have been used for ammunition, normally less of a concern with assault marines. Furthermore, the lack of a heavy weapon limits the squads firepower, making them more dependent on support from their gunship.
- Rearguard Veterans Legionnaires with centuries of experience who show a particular aptitude for heavy weaponry may find themselves assigned to Rearguard Veteran squads. Essentially an elite version of Devastator Squads, these veterans have the pick of the chapters armory, emerging to battle to unleash a firestorm of precision fire on the chapter's foes.
- Scout Veterans Those marines who demonstrate an aptitude for the subterfuge and fieldcraft of being a scout may opt to instead remain among the 10th Company, where they hone their skills in recon and infiltration. The most veteran of these are masters of stealth craft and are said to match even the skills of the rangers of the Aeldari.
- Combat Specialists The Optimus Legion encourages cross-training in its marines, giving them experience in medicine, technology, and psychology, with the hopes this improves their functionality in combat. As a result, a disproportionate number of marines find themselves becoming specialists - apothecaries, chaplains, and techmarines - with a particular emphasis on the apothecarion. While a company command squad will contain a "Senior Specialist" of each of these three groups, sub-specialists, deemed "combat specialists" will operate with and around individual squads as available, offering their skills and expertise.
- Everguard The name for the honor guard of the Optimus Legion, the Everguard exist both to serve as the bodyguards of the Chapter Master, and to act as the protectors of the chapters secrets and relics, particularly the Everblade. Ranging in numbers from a mere few to dozens, the Everguard almost never fight together, and never in the same place. This is because, should the worst occur, one Everguard must remain alive to recover the Everblade from the battlefield. This is a product of the weapons debilitating psychic effect, which will kill any who attempts to wield it it deems unworthy. In order to be able to use such a weapon, those selected for the Everguard undergo a strange and closely guarded surgical procedure. This procedure allows them to take up the weapon, but leaves them quiet, emotionally blunted, and lacking in the energy and alacrity that defines Optimus Legionnaires.
Primaris Marines
- Optimus Tactical Squads Optimus strategists were impressed by the capabilities of intercessor and heavy intercessor squads, but found them to be inflexible, depending on large scale deployments to receive the support they needed. Just as much, they were amazed by the sensor capacities of Incursor squads, and the combination of Divinatus-class auspex along with their Occulus-bolt carbines. This level of situational awareness was incredible, and they sought to incorporate it into their main line infantry. Ultimately, these squads were composed of a combination of four different infantry types, two five man combat squads operating in coordination as a cohesive ten man team. Each five man team is composed of two intercessors, acting as fire and maneuver elements, working with a single heavy intercessor, who provides volume of fire and suppression. A single Incursor, equipped with bolt carbine, provides intel and acts as a breacher, and a single fire support marine, equipped with any manner of heavier weapon - from rocket launcher to plasma - provides for the teams heavier needs. The resulting squad was light and flexible, more heavily armed than the old tactical squads but more versatile than the new intercessors. The perfect Optimus Legion tool, and soon to become the foundation of the chapter.
- Optimus Fire Support Squads The highly specialized fire teams of the Indomitus Crusade may have been uniquely lethal when deployed at mass, but proved far too unwieldy for the highly mobile and adaptive way the Optimus fought war. Instead of several independent squads - Eradicators, Hellblasters, Infernus, etc. - a single, multi-purpose squad was utilized. Marines train to use each weapon, then draw upon a selection as meeting the needs of the specific mission profile. A single squad can support several Tactical squads, and may come to battle with more weapons they can use, ready to be swapped out in their transport. These Squads then appear to battle seemingly always equipped with just the right tools to obliterate a foe, before disappearing away, changing out their tools for the next obstacle.
- Optimus Advanced Recon Infiltration squads are of tremendous value to Optimus commanders; providing the information and targets for tactical squads and fire support to destroy, one can only make the best decisions with the best information. Reivers, Incursors, and Eliminators were organized into single acting squads, operating against or behind enemy lines, disrupting and transmitting threats to the marines beyond. These elite astartes were soon drawn from the best of the best; cunning and dangerous marines who often operated beyond support as they weaved the threads for the destruction of the foes of the chapter.
- Optimus Paratactical Squads Over all the new technologies and ideas presented by the Primaris, none were quite as enticing to the Optimus as the Inceptors and their jump pack technology. the Optimus had long played with the idea of infantry that could deploy from a moving transport, accomplish its objectives at tremendous speed, then re-mount the transport without it even needing to land; it was a tactic they had already utilized to some effectiveness with their tactical assault squads. But these units were fundamentally limited in firepower, both in the heaviness of the weapons they could bring and the amount of ammunition they could carry. However, unlike assault marines, these Inceptors and Vanguard Suppressors were built for it, bringing firepower and ammo to battle that the Optimus could have only dreamt of. New squads were organized, mixing these new weapon sets, in order to create a unit with all the firepower and versatility of a tactical squad, with the speed and mobility of jump infantry. But their ideas didn't stop there. Could an Inceptor use more than just assault bolters or plasma exterminators? What about flamestorm guantlets, or a melta rifle? These new "Paratactical" squads would push the limit of Optimus ingenuity in discovering all that they could do, constantly experimenting with new weapons, new strategies, new organizational approaches. Drawn from the boldest and most ambitious in the chapter, The end result of these experimentations is the creation of one of the most highly mobile and lethal strike forces in the Imperium, and a mainstay of any Optimus assault.
Chapter Recruitment
- "THere are two traits that define an Astartes; what is, and what can be made. What can be made is what we can teach you, what we can give you; strength of body, skill at arms, even an instinct to kill. But what is cannot be given; this is what we sought to discover within you, the je ne sais quoi that separates you all from the masses."
- —Lessons of Scout-Sergeant Augereau of the Optimus Legion, 10th company
As the first chapter founded within the Alsatia Sector, the Optimus Legion received the privilege of recruiting from any world within, should a proper applicant be found. In practice, the majority of their recruits come from the capitol world of Alsatia Primus, and their own homeworld of Alsatia Secundus. Those that pass an initial physical and aptitude examination - a mere few - are permitted to participate in the acolyte trials, known as the Viva Voce.
The Viva Voce is sequence of trials, often with death on the line, assessing each participant's skills in combat, survival, and dealing with the unexpected. Most of all, these trials assess an individual's ability to think on their feet and solve unexpected problems. Cheating, incidentally, is not only allowed but encouraged; if a participant can find a way to circumvent the rules in a way that goes unnoticed by the administrators, that is a good sign. Conversely, any attempt to inconvenience or impair their teammates, either out of maliciousness or purely self-serving, is frowned upon; the chapter has no place for marines that look out for themselves first. The very few recruits who make it to the end of the trials tend to be the kind of person that is good at whatever they put their mind to, exceptional persons who would seem to be able to master any skill, or can improvise well enough to compensate.
In the final trial of the Viva Voce, the recruit must challenge a marine to a game of their choosing; they pick a game or challenge, and if the marine accepts, they compete. If the recruit wins, they become a member of the chapter. If they lose...they die. This is no simple task; these recruits, all youths, must challenge a fully grown Astartes, who is physically and mentally beyond them in ways they are only beginning to grasp. It is as preposterous as it is unfair, and the Legion takes it seriously; to overcome this challenge is to face an impossible foe who you don't fully understand, formulate a plan, and commit to it in the full recognition of the likely possibility of death, with only your wits and experience to work from. It is, in a way, a microcosm of the experience of being an Optimus Legionnaire. Traitor Chapter Master Artan Davout won his game by challenging a marine to an ancient board game of stones. Legendary Chapter Master Erias Zerakot is reported to have won a game of riddles. The Current Chapter Master, Victoran Kyma, challenged a marine to a coin toss.
Chapter Gene-Seed
Optimus Legion gene-seed is drawn from the Ultramarines line and has proven to be reliably stable over the course of ten thousand years. Mutations and aberrations are rare, and thanks to an excess of apothecaries and a loss-adverse culture, the Optimus are able to maintain a large amount of gene-seed at any given time.
Genetic Flaws
- Betcher's Gland - The Betcher's Gland is noted as being less potent than is typical, and produces less material on average.
- Sus-an Membrane - A defect within the Sus-an Membrane causes it, when used, to instead releases a toxin into the marine's brain, furiously exciting their brain function, which induces a powerful seizure that either cripples or kills the marine outright. The prevalence of this defect means that apothecaries often simply do not install this organ, rather than risk the marine inducing horrific brain damage. Interestingly, a few marines have, with great practice, managed to train themselves to very partially activate the membrane, releasing a very small portion of the toxin. This will, inevitably, deal damage to the marine, but it does allow, for a brief period of time, the marine to enhance their reflexes to a surprising degree. This practice is discouraged, as even with skill in its application, long-term use results in damage to the marine's brain. There are however stories of Legionnaires using this practice to overcome great odds, or accelerating their skill in a last stand of desperation.
Successor Chapters
Possessing an excess of stable, reliable gene-seed and with a long history of successful service, The Optimus Legion has produced several successor chapters. However, each successor has either stemmed from failure or become a failure themselves, and while the Optimus may have encouraged these attempts in order to make a name for themselves, it remains a point of shame.
Angels Exemplar
The first sons of the Optimus, The Angels Exemplar were born to be the best. Their primogenitors spared no expense in preparing their first successor for greatness, selecting the finest marines and donating a huge amount of equipment, while offering extensive mentorship as they grew and thrived. the pressure to succeed was immense, as the eyes of the entire sector looked on the Angels to not only succeed, but grow beyond the Optimus. This search for perfection grew both as an anxiety of their own failure to achieve it, and a contempt for others who didn't even try. It took only a single, dynamic failure for them to give themselves over to Slaanesh, and fully dive into the search for further perfection. Since then the Angels Exemplar have become one of Sector Alsatia's greatest dangers, raiding and striking out to take what they need, dragging back loot and slaves into the dark to fuel their continued pursuit of the unobtainable. It is believed by the Inquisition this warband is led by their very first Chapter Master, since ascended to a silver skinned monstrosity of perfection.
Astral Dragons
The second successors of the Optimus were shaped with caution, well aware of and hoping to avoid repeating the failures of the Angels. Believing that the excessive pressure and demands to be like, and beyond, the Optimus Legion was in some ways responsible for the fall of the Angels Exemplar, the Astral Dragons were given far more freedom to develop their own culture, and so long as they remained loyal and dutiful servants of the Imperium, they could become what they needed to be. The Astral Dragons deviated far from their predecessors, adopting much of the deep martial traditions of their homeworld. Becoming masters of single combat and elegant, graceful swordplay, the Astral Dragons soon became strong and capable, a successful and proud chapter of Astartes. But their own freedom became their downfall, as the chapter itself fell into infighting, disagreeing as to the future of the chapter; do we focus on specialization in single combat, learn to fight together, or seek mastery in the art of the shadows? Each a legitimate style of war emerging from their world, and each philosophically distinct. This infighting evolved into open war, drawing much of their world with them, a war that cost billions of lives as the hive world was nearly bled dry and the chapter abandoned its duties to the sector. Their penance for this crime was to be forced to work together - keeping their ideas but smashed back into a single chapter - and sent on an endless crusade, denied the right to master their arts on the world of which they originated. Despite their shameful past, the Astral Dragons maintain a quiet pride about their heritage and believe themselves to be the only true successors of the Optimus Legion, possessing a particular hatred for the Angels Exemplar.
Frostguard
The third successors of the Optimus is not an official chapter, and is not sanctioned by the High Lords of Terra. Instead, the Frostguard are a product of a hidden heresy. On the cold, frozen world of Genova, an ancient evil slumbered, a demonic creature of the warp that called itself Zylexia. This so called "god of madness" seduced and corrupted the chapter master of the Optimus Legion, and through him stole gene-seed to create chaos marines of his own design. The ensuing civil war that would followed would come to be known as the Six-Fold Heresy, and represents one of the darkest moments of the Optimus Legion and the sector around it. The Inquisition was eager to see this darkness buried, but unfortunately Genova was a valuable source of a rare and precious coolant, much desired by the Adeptus Mechanicus. So, records of the event were struck, and members of the Optimus Legion were tasked to guard the site. These marines by necessity existed in silence, technically members of the Optimus Legion but in practice acting as their own chapter, developing their own styles of war and recruiting from their host world. This chapter suffers with not only the whispers of the cursed being they keep trapped, but experience strange and odd mutations in their line, some empowering, some not. While they represent the greatest failure of the Optimus Legion, and while they are to many a dark and corrupt chapter, the Frostguard has, curiously, remained both loyal and dutiful, executing their duties and even aiding in the protection of the Sector, despite their small size; interesting, that the only successors of the Optimus Legion that remain as true and dutiful as ever spawned from the worst of circumstances. Unfortunately, the fate of the Frostguard may already be sealed; as the Optimus Legion crawled out of its homeworld following the 13th Black Crusade, they found the world of Genova devoid of life, no signs of the Frostguard, or even the jail they were tasked to protect...
Deathwatch Service
The Optimus Legion are regular participants in Deathwatch service, at a rate similar to more well known chapters. During this service, Optimus Marines take the opportunity to become familiar with the Corvus Blackstar ships, expertise they bring back to their own chapters. A disproportionate number of Watch-Captains hail from this chapter, as their tactical expertise lends them well to this role, and their gregarious nature helps bridge the gap with otherwise disparate chapters.
Notable Members
Notable Chapter Masters
- Chapter Master Erias Zerakot
Universally regarded as the greatest Chapter Master to have ever led the Legion, Erias Zerakot was a once in a millennia genius. An exceptional warrior and strategist, his most notable gift was not his talent for war, which was considerable, but his gift of gab. Nicknamed "Erias the Silver Tongued", Chapter Master had an intuitive sense of how to connect with people and win them over, how to inspire them and drive their passion. During his reign, he did more for the reputation of the chapter than a dozen crusades, forging bonds and building friendships far and wide. One minute he could chant litanies of hate alongside the Black Templars that would drive them to fury, before leading a band of Space Wolves in a drunken chorus the next. This talent for diplomacy endeared him to many, and he ruled the chapter as its master for nearly four hundred years. Chapter Master Zerakot would fall in honorable battle, defending his homeworld of Alsatia Primus from a chaotic incursion. Famously, he fought in single combat against a greater daemon of Khorne, wielding the Everblade with a skill that has yet to be matched. Legend goes that he died immediately after he struck the fatal blow, and the apothecaries that examined his body noted that he had been dead for nearly two hours already, his body carried on by the Will of the Emperor to see it done.
- Chapter Master Victoran Kyma
The much-maligned successor to Erias Zerakot, Chapter Master Victoran Kyma achieved the position to the consternation of his peers. Undeniably the youngest to ever take the position, Kyma had barely achieved his hundredth year before he was given the mantle of Master of the Optimus23. Before that, he was a seemingly unremarkable marine, save for an uncommonly good skill with swordplay. Nonetheless, he was elevated to the captainhood at the behest of none other than Zerakot himself, a mere decade before his death. Kyma achieved the position of Chapter Master through their particular ritual; none of the other captains could hoist the Everblade, but Kyma lifted it with little more than a warm sensation, a rarity even among those worthy. It is unfortunate that one so young and inexperienced would take the position, in the time of the 13th Black Crusade and the wounding of the Imperium. Furthermore, he is judged harshly by those who watch him, for they remember the skill and aplomb for which Zerakot led the chapter. But yet, he persists, making it through challenge after challenge, gradually, slowly, earning the respect of his peers and evolving into the leader he needs to be.
- Chapter Master Ardant Davout
Chapter Master Davout began as an Apothecary, rising to the rank of Chief of the Apothecarion before taking the role of Chapter Master of the Optimus Legion. Known for his deep and rational intellect, Davout was an avid writer and theorist, penning manuals on strategy and combat medicine for apothecaries, the compendium of his works used by 16 separate Astartes Chapters as the standard of training for their own specialists. A warrior-monk at heart, Davout lived an austere life, dutifully dedicated to his work and the execution of the Emperor's Will. How then that someone of such dedication could fall to chaos is unclear, and acts as a stern warning to all to be fastidious in your defense against heresy. Davout secretly stole gene-seed from the chapter, dedicating it to the daemonic entity known as Zylexia, a trapped being buried beneath the icy crust of a forgotten world that claimed to be a minor god of chaos. Whether there is truth to this beings maddening words, or it is simply the deceptions of a greater daemon is unclear, but his actions brought about the Six-Fold Heresy, nearly destroying the chapter.
Notable Librarians
- Chief Librarian Joachim the Elder
Joachim is the oldest living Optimus Legionniare, with centuries of experience to his name. He is a wizened, almost shrew like figure, with a furled browl and a weather beaten face. Make no mistake, this aged visage is little more than a mask he wears to deceive and misdirect; not only has he lost none of his transhuman strength, but knowledge of biomancy has kept his body vigorous and powerful, beyond even that of his peers. To many, the snarky, sarcastic, and all too often jovial Joachim represents the ideal of what an Optimus Legionniare can become. He possesses that keen insight and creativity that allows him to find novel solutions and imaginative answers to problems. What separates him from the others, however, is that, as a tremendously powerful and experienced psyker, his toolbox is simply far, far wider to work from. As Joachim has grown older and more venerable, he has transitioned from the grand displays of psychic power of his youth, and that which so often defines the librarians of the astartes, for precise, subtle executions of control. Snipping a vein, overloading a power pack, twisting a wire, and even more gentle or esoteric applications of empyreal might are Joachim's speciality, and he delights in finding imaginative ways to undo his foes.
Notable Captains
- Captain Alistair Murat, Captain of the 1st Company
Among the Optimus Legionniares, few are as bold or as inspiring as the Captain of the Veterans, Alistair Murat. Optimus Legionnaires are not well known for their prowess in hand to hand combat, but Alistair is a vigorous and notable exception. Applying the creativity and imagination of their chapter to swordplay, Alistair fights with aplomb and talent, a ferocious and dangerous combatant who carves through enemies with artistic flair. But it's his confidence and bravado that sets him apart. His willingness to throw himself into danger and challenge enemy champions and monsters is an inspiration to fellow marines, and makes him a natural leader. In battle, Captain Alistair wears a rare suit of Tartaros-pattern terminator armor, the only in the chapter's inventory, which has been further customized for speed and flexibility. He can move with shocking grace in the heavy armor, able to match sword-for-sword with the swiftest of opponents.
- Captain Duas Crenalian, Captain of the 2nd Company
Optimus Legionnaires are known - rightly so -as marines of tremendous strategic acumen and ingenuity. It is a quality they work hard to foster and encourage, and one can hardly consider themselves an Optimus Legionnaire without those skills. But even among the ranks of the Optimus, there are few who can compare to the genius that is Duas Crenalian, a singularly unique and penetrating mind. A short man, for a marine, with a soft face often masked with a pleased, curious expression, Duas does not strike one as a great leader, nor does he carry himself with the domineering confidence one might come to expect from an Astartes captain. But his performance speaks for himself; the Captain's understanding of tactics and strategy borders on the prescient, having a seemingly impossible ability to predict his opponents actions. Areas of vulnerability seem to appear where he predicts them to be, and his strategies execute with a sublime ease. The mystery of Captain Crenalian is not how he achieved his rank of captain, but instead what took him so long. Truth is, the captain's past is mixed strangely with interactions with the Inquisition, who have erased elements of where he came from, leaving much of his early history lost. There is clearly more to the man than just a particularly gifted marine, a part of him that has been deliberately and aggressively hidden, about which he will not speak. Regardless of his past, Duas remains a committed, loyal, and exceedingly dangerous space marine, and is popular among his peers, often considered to be the next great Optimus following Zerakot. This expectation only made his decision to not participate in the trial to become Chapter Master following Zerakot's death even stranger, only claiming "it's not for me, I must not touch the blade."
Other Notable Members
- Ekrixio Armand
Ekrixio Armand of the Optimus Legion’s 3rd Company, his Deredero pattern Dreadnought equipped with a twin-linked frag cannon and two twin-linked thunderfire cannons. Ekrixio’s career as a Scout lasted nearly three times longer than the average Optimus Legionary, his skills in all manner of combat repeatedly found wanting; in particular, his lack of marksmanship became notorious in the 10th Company. The term "Armand's Aim" is still used among Scouts of the Chapter's 10th Company in M42, in jest between peers and in formal recommendations for firearms training. Ekrixio, however, eventually discovered his niche: his Scout squad ambushed by Ork Kommandos, Ekrixio hurled a krak grenade into the open maw of a charging Boss Nob. The force of his throw carried the Nob off its feet, cracked its skull, and lodged the explosive in its throat, where it exploded in a shower of gore.
Ekrixio Armand in his Deredeo-pattern Dreadnought. Note the Alsatian filigree around the eyes.
Thereafter, the Chapter granted Ekrixio the rank of Battle Brother and quickly cross-trained Ekrixio as a combat specialist, a grenadier with limited Techmarine training, after electing not to second send him to the Deathwatch. It was decided, upon further review of his service to the Chapter, that a senior Techmarine would need to teach Ekrixio the ways of the Cult Mechanicus, because his less experienced mentors had described his performance as "barely adequate" and his progress as "less than satisfactory" in all regards. Thus, a great hero and champion of the Omnissiah assumed the role of his mentor, though the challenge of educating Ekrixio quickly became apparent. After several years in the Omnissiah's service, it was decided that Ekrixio would be relegated to the role of Thunderfire mortarman, his only perceivable skill decent accuracy when lobbing explosives. Ekrixio's assignment to a Thunderfire Cannon would lead to his explosive dismemberment and the mutilation of his mentor.
In the congested hives on Aust VII, an accident involving surface-detonation shells from Ekrixio's Thunderfire Cannon caused the death of Ekrixio's mentor and at least one Imperial Fist. In the heat of battle, however, Ekrixio's mangled remains were intermingled with and mistaken for the pulped body and armor of his mentor. Thus, one of the Optimus Legion's legendary Apothecaries stabilized him for internment in a Dreadnought chassis, despite what the Imperial Fists deemed “utterly lethal wounds.” Following his recovery, Ekrixio's true identity became obvious. A pall of despair fell over the Chapter, and there was much mourning for the loss of the senior Techmarine, exacerbated by his replacement's reputation. The decades following this tragedy would offer some solace, though: the severe trauma of the infamous Thunderfire Gaffe seemed to have cured, or at least heavily mitigated, Ekrixio's abysmal marksmanship. However, the Thunderfire Gaffe's lasting impact on relations between the Optimus Legion and the Imperial Fists can still be felt to this day.
Chapter Fleet
The Optimus Legion maintains a chapter fleet of typical size for a chapter of its age and resources and is able to deploy multiple Battle Barges and Strike Cruisers, with compliments of supporting frigates and picket ships.
- Dominus Astra (Battle Barge)
- The venerable Dominus Astra is the flagship of the Optimus Fleet, a battle barge with over ten thousand years of service. Some argue the ship is cursed, because it has found itself time and again on the wrong side of a macrocannon, and has been blasted apart on many an occasion. Others argue the ship is blessed, as every time it has been blown apart the ship has limped home, crew somehow alive. As a result of its fortunes or misfortunes, the ship has been rebuilt many times, each time with little modifications and adornments to the taste of the artisans involved. The Dominus Astra of the modern era is a far cry from its original source, and only its adamantium spine remains of the original ship. In some ways, things have been lost, and ancient technologies and methods have not been replicated in the modern era. In other ways, it has benefitted from dozens of modifications and improvements at the hands of the skilled techmarines that have worked on it. In either case, the Dominus Astra is a formidable warship, and in many ways the spiritual heart of the chapter.
- Bastille (Battle Barge)
- The Bastille is a warship customized specifically for void combat. While still capable of supporting ground operations, much of the space set aside for vehicle bays and drop pod deployments are replaced with extra void shields and boarding torpedoes. The Bastille is understandably deployed when the fleet is expecting battle in space, where it stands as a dangerous instrument of death, able to take on virtually any vessel it might face. When not needed, the Bastille maintains silent vigil in the skies over Regis Optima, on alert for danger.
- Chevalier (Strike Cruiser)
- The Chevalier, famous for its hunt of the chaos raider Red Banner, remains yet in service many thousands of years later. Despite its reputation, there is little notable about this vessel that would distinguish it from others of its craft, save one thing; a piece of the Red Banner's bow remains embedded in the hull of the Chevalier. It was left there, as a source of pride and in remembrance of that victory. Some crew members, though, claim they hear strange whispers and feel odd chills as they pass by, no matter how many purity seals are affixed to the metal.
Chapter Armoury
The Optimus Legion is a chapter many millenia old, and as such has had thousands of years to acquire, create, and gather tools of war. Thanks to a risk adverse method of warfare and the support of a powerful sector, the Optimus Legion is a well equipped chapter, boasting a vast collection of weapons, well stocked motor pool, and ample supply of powerful relics.
Masters of the Skies
The need to be everywhere at once prompted the Optimus to specialize in hypermobile warfare, and no tool better captured this speciality than the venerable Thunderhawk. The chapter maintains a ample supply of this old but reliable gunship, including a handful of its rarer variants, such as the Storm Eagle, though these have dwindled with the attrition of years.
The Optimus Legion long coveted the Corvus Blackstar, the technologically advanced aerial transport of the Deathwatch, but these precious vessels are the proprietary technology of the Inquisition. These vessels would become available to the Optimus only after a deal was struck with the Inquisition, one which nearly crippled the chapter. Even then, their numbers were insufficient to manage all of their needs, nor could they replicate the rarer and most precious of the technologies within. Instead, the chapter copied the design, creating a facsimile of the original craft and losing much of the sophisticated technology and materials, but managing to recreate a smaller, more mobile transport than what was offered by the Thunderhawk. They would be a staple of Optimus functionality for millenia.
The arrival of the Stormravens and similar craft would be a welcome relief for the Optimus Legion; finally a vehicle that perfectly matched their needs! The chapter would greedily acquire ever one of these vessels they could get their hands on, and by the time of the dawn of the 42nd millennium, the chapter could field full compliments of these vessels, supporting their marines like other chapters would use rhinos or razorbacks.
With the advent of the 42nd millennium and the coming of the primaris, adaptations were made to the existing motor pool to accommodate the larger frames of the new marines, and the mighty Overlord Gunship made its way into the Optimus armory. The Optimus refined and evolved its doctrine, but their predilection for the speed and mobility of aerial deployment and combat was not only maintained, but elevated in this new era of war.
Ancient Armors
Dreadnought armor remains an important part of the Optimus Legion armory, as it does for any space marine chapter, a chance for wounded soldiers to continue to serve the Emperor. Doubly so for the Optimus, as these war machines could more readily deploy to provide fire support for ground teams. With a preference for ranged power, Hellfire and Mortis-pattern dreadnoughts were preferred, as the Optimus Legion aimed to never need the melee strength of these walkers if it could be avoided.
Combi-versatility
Legionnaires prefer to fight at a distance, and the regular use of Combi-weapons fits this strategy precisely. By offering marines multiple weapons in a single package, these weapons perfectly fit the chapters taste in flexibility and adaptability. In addition, the chapter makes regular use of specialist bolter rounds, including the more common varieties as well as custom bolter rounds, often made by the marines themselves to face specific problems in their current theatres. When combined with combi-weapons, an individual marine is given a huge toolbox to work with, perfect for marines who excel in finding novel solutions to problems.
Chapter Relics
- Optimus Everblade
The Optimus Everblade, Symbol of the Chapter
The Everblade, ignited
- A relic sword of uncommon might, The Optimus Everblade is the symbol of office and the chief weapon of every Chapter Master going back to the time of the chapter's founding. This mighty sword cackles with fire and lightning as it swings, rending metal and flesh to ash with effortless ease. But it is so much more than a mere weapon, and contains other, far more curious properties. The Everblade "chooses" someone to wield it, and anyone who attempts to grasp the blade is assaulted with a ferocious psychic attack, powerful enough to agonize or outright kill even a space marine.
It is tradition within the chapter then that the role of Chapter Master is decided by anyone who is worthy to wield the Everblade. When the previous Chapter Master passes, the sword is placed reverently on a pedestal within their Grand Hall; any captain who can take the sword and carry it to the far side of the room and sit upon the Chapter Master's seat may take upon that role. This ritual, odd as it is, has almost always selected the most competent and capable from among them to lead, and surprise choices are invariably a hidden gem and rise to the task. That said, the sword is not flawless in its selection, as the presence of the traitor chapter masters have demonstrated.
However, know to very few save the most elite and privileged within the chapter, the Everblade carries with it a sinister secret; when the chosen wielder dies, their soul is absorbed into the weapon itself. What happens to them is uncertain, and the chapter believes they instead live within the sword, offering their wisdom to each new generation of Master. Others though, worry that the consequence is far from benign, and that the sword that so defines their chapter and carries their pride, may be something far darker indeed.
- The Armor of Alsatia
The Optimus Legion maintains a number of suits of Tactical Dreadnought Armor, most of which are of the Indomitus pattern, though a few, rarer designs can be found in their armories. Rarest among these is a single suit of Cataphractii armor, shaped by master artificers from the Great Crusade. Chapter legend holds that this was one of the "gifts" given to the Optimus Legion upon their founding, tokens from Guilliman himself in blessing and approval of their mission. This suit of terminator armor is an extraordinary work of artifice, masterfully wrought defensive systems and thick layers of adamantine provide a formidable defense to whoever wears it. By tradition, the Armor of Alsatia is worn by the Master of the Watch, the Captain whose task is to see to the defense of the Fortress Monastery. Despite the tremendous nature of this armor it is, in practice, rarely worn; most captains are unwilling to sacrifice the mobility and ease of movement of power armor for the slow but implacable nature of this suit, and so more often it is a parade piece, and almost never sees battle.
- Blessed Assurance
Captain Javier Thorn was an unusual intellect, even by Optimus Legion standards. An enormous man with a gift for the forge, he would have made a splendid Salamander in another life. His gift at creation extended to his own weaponry, and he famously crafted a heavy bolter that better fit his tastes. Unerringly accurate, the weapon fired special bolter rounds of his own design, that hit harder and punched through armor with more ferocity than standard bolts. The true genius of his design, however, was not the weapon itself, but the servitors he helped create instead. These servitors were tasked with the particular goal of replicating his unique bolter rounds, slowly filling his armory one bolt at a time. Since his passing, they continue their silent work, and while they continue to create, his weapon can be used by ambitious captains seeking an especially dangerous heavy bolter to wield. But the servitors are showing signs of aging, and rumors are there are mistakes forming in the newest bolts. Perhaps the design can be understood and the servitors fixed, or perhaps the legendary weapon is coming to an end, with only a dwindling supply of bolter rounds left.
- Endless Devotion
A rare, precious suit of Tartaros-pattern terminator armor, the history of its acquisition lost to time. This incredible suit, for all its rarity, has seen use by marine after marine, typically by the captain of the 1st company. What is exceptional about this suit is not so much its rarity, or even its resilience, but its history and capacity for customization. The suit has been redesigned and tweaked over and over, fitting each wearer's needs, to the point that the suit has become shockingly modular. In its current formation, as worn by 1st company captain Alistair Murat, it has been modified for speed and flexibility, allowing the user to move with all the alacrity of power armor without any loss in protection. It was, incidentally, easily converted for use with the Primaris frame, and continues to see active and honorable service for the chapter.
Chapter Appearance
Chapter Colours
The Astartes of the Optimus Legion paint their power armour pine green, with their shoulder pauldron trim, both couters (elbow guards) and poleyns (knee guards) being gold in colour. The Aquila or Imperialis affixed to their plastron (chest guard) is also gold in colour. A white squad specialty symbol stenciled on the right armorial inset indicates a battle-brother's squad specialty (Assault, Devastator, Tactical, Veteran or Command). A small black-coloured High Gothic numeral stenciled in the center of the squad specialty symbol indicates squad assignment. A much larger white-coloured High Gothic numeral stenciled on the left poleyn indicates company assignment.
Chapter Badge
The Optimus Legion's chapter icon is a gold-coloured ancient Grecian capital letter Omega (Ω) (meaning "great"), centered upon a field of pine green. This symbol appears to be an upside version of the Ultramarines' own Chapter icon, which is the "Ultima" glyph Ʊ, which is similar in appearance to the Grecian letter Upsilon (an emblem that represents the path of virtue or vice).
Relations
Allies
- Alsatian Mobile Infantry - The mobile infantry are the loyal and zealous divisions that emerge from Alsatia Primus, who fight in defense of the sector, and maintain their world's predominance. Their connection with the Optimus Legion runs deep, and nationalist fervor motivates these guard regiments to come to the Astartes' aid when called.
- Grey Tigers - These sons of Dorn are a much later addition to the Sector, but a most welcome one. Taciturn and depressive of effect, the Grey Tigers are an inwardly concerned chapter, and specialists of the vigorous grind of void warfare as well as the tight corridors of hive combat. These two chapters could not be further removed in culture and strategy, but war makes strange bedfellows, and aiding each other time and again has formed a bond between them that passes beyond interpersonal conflict.
- Astral Dragons - The Optimus Legion's most 'normal' successor chapter, despite their own damning civil war they remain loyal to the sector, the Emperor, and their predecessor Chapter. Eager to redeem themselves, the Dragons are quick to come to the Legion's aid, even if their numbers and resources have been painfully limited by a seemingly eternal crusade.
- Hartlords - A chance encounter led to a bond of brotherhood being formed between these sons of Guilliman and theses Sons of Russ. Now the young chapter has found an ally in the Optimus Legion; a welcome reprieve in an era of uncertanity and danger.
Enemies
- Angels Exemplar - The great shame of the Optimus Legion, the first sons of the chapter fell to chaos, their pursuit of perfection driving them into the arms of Slaanesh. Now a roaming warband, these marines raid and pillage to their leisure, sometimes acting in aid of mankind, other times bringing about slaughter and desolation, all to fit their particular view of achieving perfection or acquiring what they need. For thousands of years they have been dutifully hunted by the Optimus Legion, but they have never managed to completely exterminate these traitors, who disappear for centuries at a time into the borders beyond the Imperium, only to emerge renewed once more.
- Imperium of Blood - The Imperium of Blood represents a rare example of a stable, persistent chaos state. Possessing the hive worlds to man great armies, and the forge worlds of the Dark Mechanicum to arm them, this false Imperium is capable of waging war on a level comparable to the Imperium of Man, at least at a local level. Possessing a nationalist xenophobia that is virtually unmatched, and a fervor for blood driven by dark cults of Khorne, The Imperium of Blood strikes out with great, well-equipped armies to conquer and pillage the worlds of the God-Emperor, and represent one of the sector's most persistent threats.
Notable Quotes
By the Optimus Legion
- "Look upon this foe, this great beast of an ork. See his tremendous strength, his unmatched fury! How, young neophytes, will you face him? With your gene-wrought strength? No! His eclipses yours, strength to shatter the earth itself. With great weapons of artifice? No! See his weapons, crude as they are, surpass any in strength you could hope to carry. Numbers then, or in a glorious last stand for the good of the Imperium? No! Beasts of his size number in the tens of millions, while you stand at a rare thousand. But you bear a weapon he cannot hope to match; a mind, sharpened by steel and forged in flame. With it you can match any beast, if wielded properly. "
- —Lessons of Scout-Sergeant Augereau
- " What I teach you now is the cruelest contradiction. We seek to defend humanity, but there is a dark truth you must understand; your value in defending it. Our great Imperium stretches over a million worlds, and how many of the Emperor's Angels are there to defend it? A thousand chapters, with a thousand sons. A million Astartes to defend a million worlds. A whole world on your shoulders! A fine burden indeed. But what threats do we face? Traitors, in the billions. Xenos, in the trillions. What then, is a fair trade? Your life for a hundred dead? A thousand? Our duty is to defend man, but we must not give of our lives so carelessly. "
- —Lessons of Scout-Sergeant Augereau
- " I have another contradiction to teach you today, young neophytes. With blade and bolter, we teach you to kill any manner of foe. But know this truth; war is not about killing. Not for us. Strange, it may seem! But the charnel pits of war are deepened by men uncounting, and the contributions we make are but a drop in a vast ocean of red. Day and night we may take life, until are blades dull and are ammunition runs dry, and it will not but make the barest dent in the vast counting of our foes. No, young marines, War is not killing. War is surgery. With all the precision of an apothecary's scalpel we must cut and incise, an act done without malice or fury. A chiurgeon knows where he is, and what he is doing, and destroys only that which is necessary. So to, must you see the sick body that is our foe, and cut, where it will do the most harm. "
- —Lessons of Scout-Sergeant Augereau
About the Optimus Legion
- "The wise and venerable members of the Optimus Legion stand as true exemplars of the Imperium. We hold deep respect for their role as mediators and paragons of virtue. Their wisdom and guidance lead us on the path of righteousness, and their unwavering loyalty to mankind inspires us. In their presence, we find strength and unity, knowing that we stand alongside noble and honorable allies."
- —Aazir Cathaar the Purifier, Master of Sanctity of the Aasvogels, at the conclusion of the Laternax Council
- "They're clever bastards, I'll give 'em that. "
- —Sergent Beckrel, 14th Catachan
- " We fought with them together, our company and theirs, tasked with the extermination of an ork threat on the hives of Aust VII. I would have rather had a company of ratlings, or no aid at all, than to have fought by their side. They gave ground without a second thought, fearing their own lives, fleeing and moving. When presented with the necessary task of rooting out oks from deep in their holes, they perseverated long on tricks and schemes to avoid their duty, or to minimize risk. When presented with the chance to redeem themselves in the eyes of the Emperor, to face down the warlord of the orks themselves, they once again schemed and plotted, until I could take no more of it and took the beasts head myself! I believe they may well be the worst Space Marines to ever serve the Imperium. "
- —Captain Deandros, 4th company captain, Imperial Fists
- " We fought with them together on the death world of Bellator, a cursed world of vicious jungle and choking fog, a world dipped in the swirling miasma of chaos. We had been there for nearly a year when they came to our support, and truthfully we feared the arduous task of bringing our new allies up to speed on the tactics needed to survive on this harsh world. But these marines learned quickly, and moved quicker, matching our pace on the battlefield as if they had been there for months. It wasn't long before they had learned all we could teach them, and soon they began inventing solutions to problems we hadn't considered, tactics to foes we accepted as unstoppable. Within two months we had cleared the world, after a year of effort. They talk too much, for my taste...but they may well be the most dangerous marines to ever serve the Emperor. "
- —Captain Aesalon, 3rd company shadow captain, Raven Guard
