Background and Origin: The Angel Guard was founded around M.37 and is one of the more recent of the few chapter that have succeed the Dark Angels. The chapters geneseed was stocked at Hydra Cordatus, recently sacked by some unknown Chaos force, part of the turmoil of the pre black crusade that now torments the imperium. During the creation of the chapter, there was a incident concerning geneseed anomalies, which caused the genetors to study the geneseed for, and bumping the chapters creation backwards for a few decades. Thus the chapter was founded as the 986th chapter to be founded. The chapter left for their designated homeworld in order to set up their recruitment program. The chapter was strongly influenced by Caelis Bellator, the First chaptermaster of the Angel Guard. He set down many of his ideals as concrete rules for the chapter, even going against the Codex Astartes at times. Being a Dark Angels successor gave the chapter some leeway as they were allowed to use the same organisation as their predecessors. Many of Caelis teachings are part of the everyday lives of the Battlebrothers, the routines and transactions with the normal population. Caelis did not want the Angel Guard to be venerated as distant gods, but as a group that is part of the society and normal life of the population of Radenna. Hence, the Angel Guard is much like the Ultramarines, in that they find it easy to communicate with normal people, and do not look down on their unenhanced kin. |
LEGIO INFITIALES VENIA |
ANGEL GUARD By Tapio Miettinen ( Chronophague ) |
This article has been published with the kind permission of Leon Quigley. Planetary image created by Shadow Guard |
The Angel Guard has still retained the rather cynical view towards others, and they especially loathe abhumans and mutants, seeing them as no better than Chaos spawned monstrosities. This can often cause problems if they are dealing with Guard regiments, with auxiliaries such as ratlings or Ogryns. The chapter has thus far tolerated their existence after multiple warnings from other commanders, that it would be heresy to kill the emperors subjects. The Fallen have thus far eluded the Angel Guards search attempts, and co-ordination with other unforgiven has been shaky at best, as the events surrounding the eye stretch the manpower of most chapters. One fallen was captured by the Angels of Vengeance with the aid of the Angel Guard, whose strike cruiser had been shadowing a shady vessel to a planet famous for harbouring outlaws and whatnots. The chapter is currently back at Radenna, amassing forces to take the fight back to the chaos overrun regions close the the Eye. Recent battles with the Iron Warriors 6th siegecompany has left the chapter depleted in manpower and equipment. The Angel Guard has wowed to annihilate the 6th before the war is over. And it would appear the Angel Guard will have a lot of time on their hands, since abaddons crusade has hit harder than ever |
Home World: Radenna is in the northern parts of the Segmentum Obscurus, close to Cypra Mundi. The world is virtually covered with mountains seas and huge pine forests. The people who live on Radenna, pump oil from beneath the sea, and harvest wood for surplus income, with the main production of the planet focused on mining the various minerals found in the mountain ranges. The main export product of the planet is Adamantium and Iron Ore, to the nearby forgeworlds. The Angel Guard have set up a rather smallish bunker type complex on the northern pole, which leads deep underneath the ground. The areas surrounding the bunker complex is studded with automated gun turrets and ditches. The main purpose of the bunker is to buy time, and distract any possible opponent. The underground bunker does not house a monastery or any barracks, other than a small area for a watch of 10 marines, and their servants. Lying deep beneath the rock, is a Massive teleportation device, which is used to transfer the troops up to the hidden base on the moon orbiting Radenna. Gustiar, as the moon is called, is home to the Angel Guard, and their subterranean fortress monastery is built into the second largest mountain on the moon. The moon is studded with hidden lance batteries, and torpedo launchbays, to defend the home world, and the chapter in case of an attack. Caelius Bellator, the chapters first chapter master decided to build the diversionary base on the planet, and build the fortress monastery on the moon orbiting Radenna. His tactical insight would prove a very useful in |
the following millennia. Gustiars rocky surface and deep caverns, hide the launchbays and repair workshops for the chapters smaller craft, the largest of the bays able to fit a strike cruiser, though it requires opening the surface doors at the location, for the craft to land. The larger vessels are repaired in orbit, or on the surface of Radenna, at the capital spaceport in the nexus of the planet, the city of Angelus(renamed as a accolade to the guardians the world received) Chapter Structure (including current chapter master, named characters etc.) As far as following the Codex Astartes laid out by Robute Guillman, the Angel Guard pays homage to who they see as their lord and master, Lion'el Johnson. They have taken the Dark Angels chapter organisation to heart, with slight alterations. The Deathwing as it is called among the Dark Angels, has been united with the Ravenwing, to something called the Angelwing. It's typical for the Angel guard to mount attacks with the Angelwing, using the highspeed Landspeeders and bikes, to make a co-ordinated attack supported by teleporting terminators. The Angelwing is also the Angel Guards initiation into the secrets regarding the fallen, and the legacy of Lion'el Johnson. The current chapter master Archyel is organising a the chapter to reform and replenish the losses suffered in the battles surrounding the Eye, as the chapter has received a hammering fighting against the orks. Another character of note, is techmarine Seraphos, who has long been working on optimising the functions of the teleporter bays on both Radenna and Gustiar. His long service seems to regrettably be at an end, approaching 400 years of age, he is the chapter oldest member not entombed in a Dreadnought. If a dreadnought were to lose it's occupant in battle, then the honour of continued service in one would be Seraphos. Combat Doctrine: The Angel Guard favour a rapid deployment warfare, in which the goal is to either overwhelm a tactically important objective, and/or launch a surprise attack on many fronts at the same time. The Angel Guard has been noted to use underhand tactics in war on several occasions, angering many allies with their actions. The largest feud is between the Angel Guard and the Ice Fangs chapter, since the Angel Guard did not support the Ice Fangs main assault, but instead proceeded to use the diversion to launch a teleport attack into the rear of the enemy army. The battle was won, but the Ice Fangs lost a unnecessary number of battlebrorthers because of the Angel Guards negligence. The Ice Fangs have never forgiven the Angel Guard for their actions, nor have the Angel Guard agreed to even listen to any demands. |
