Creating my own chapter

[Shirtless_Iron]

Hey everyone! Just looking for some feedback about a possible chapter I want to create in 40k...

The Iron Drakes.

My thought was that maybe when the massacre happened on istvaan during the heresy what was left of or those that escaped from both the iron hands and salamanders detachements sent to fight banded together since both armies were shattered beyond repair. Though they were ashamed and in much despair of losing so many brothers they felt that they needed to stick together and ended up creating their own chapter. I was wondering if there was any sorta lore behind this that wouldn't make it feasible... also if it could work as a chapter I was wondering if I would be able to use either chapter tactics from the iron hands or salamanders as long as I stated before the game started which I would be using... or is that not allowed?

Thanks in advance!

[Denzark]

Can't think of any lore which would make it unfeasible. That said to be a functioning chapter in the 41st millenium you need access to considerable support - which implies in turn you would be known to ht eimperium - which would probably mean they would have been subsumed back to their own legions/chapters.

Therefore fluff wise you'd need to have a good logistics backstory - did they have enough ships to break free from Istvaan, how do they live/resupply now, why did they not regroup with their own chapters.

In terms of rules, you would be able to use either chapter tactics. As an opponent I'd want to know which ones first - and wouldn't be happy with a mix unless the codex permits it.

Where I feel you need to be careful is if one week you use chapter tactic A against opponent Y - then next week use chapter tactic B against opponent Z - because that makes it look that your backstory is an elaborate excuse to gain maximum advantage from the rules.

[Ravingbantha]

Sounds kinda like the 'Blackshields' in Book 6 - Retribution from Forgeworld HH line. Like Denzark said, at some point they would have had to be re-sanctioned by the Empire in order to receive the support they need. However you could, in theory, run them as a renegade SM chapter, however you would need a way to explain their 10,000 year survival.

[Morgrim]

You might be better off picking one legion or the other and having your chapter being a successor chapter. Unfortunately the Salamanders didn't have enough marines left to have a 2nd Founding chapter, and Iron Hands only had two (Brazen Claws and Red Talons). However, you could easily have a slightly later founding Salamanders chapter and in their fluff strongly imply that some of their starting marines that were from the original legion may not have been from the right legion, and instead be Iron Hands that had fallen back to the Salamander's position and retreated with them, having lost the rest of their original detachment. Given the chaotic scramble of a retreat there were plenty of marines in 'wrong' groups (a chunk of the Blackshields were bands of loyalists seeking revenge) and by the time the Heresy was over and the remaining legions had time to figure out who belonged where, those Iron Hands could have just decided to stay put. Bonds forged in battle and all that.