Honour Guard

"That was for appearances. Do I look like I need a bodyguard?"

--Corvus Corax, Primarch of the Raven Guard Legion

A Ultramarines Honour Guard, showing the world how awesome the Ultramarines would be if they remembered how Roman they are supposed to be...

An Honour Guard is a Space Marine squad charged with guarding the Chapter Master or other Space Marine Chapter luminaries.

Generally speaking, someone who has risen to the rank of Chapter Master, Master of Sanctity, or Chief Librarian is an all around badass who can take most of what the galaxy can throw at him. And in Warhammer 40,000, that's a lot. Honour Guards are less about protecting said badass (though should he run into trouble, they will naturally help him) and more about acknowledging a Space Marine's battle prowess and rewarding him by making him part of the Chapter Master's retinue. That said, Honour Guards will be called to serve in active combat, so it's a good thing that they can fight. Honour Guard are inducted from space marines with centuries of experience. Their wisdom is said to be greater than the Chapter's Captains, however they refrain from giving advice mostly, as otherwise it would usurp the recipient's authority. However, they do occasionally give out advice, and are respected to the point where it is considered folly for even a Chapter Master to ignore their words. Each Honour Guard has a Chapter Champion who trains in single combat to duel any challenger to his Chapter Master. Rather hilariously, the Ultramarines don't follow this particular edict of the codex astartes. Their Chapter Champion is not an Honor Guard, but a Captain (which is retarded when you think about it). Currently this position is held by Cato Sicarius.

Membership wise, the Honour Guard is overseen by the Captain of the Guard. Occasionally, the Captain will have a Guard Sergeant serve as his second in command, but often this post will be left vacant. The most senior members of the Honour Guard are the Chapter Ancient, who carries the Chapter Banner into battle, and the Chapter Champion, who is charged with protecting the Chapter Master.

On the table-top

Honour Guard have a respectable statline, being a space marine statline with an extra attack and ld10. The Chapter Champion is WS5 and A3, but must always issue or accept challenges if possible. They each come stock with Artificer Armour, a bolt pistol, a boltgun, frag and krak grenades, and a power weapon. Considering that the Artificer armour and power weapon alone cost more than each honour guard, they are a bargain when it comes to point cost. Any member can also be armed with a relic blade, which is worth considering if your Chapter Master has the AP2 handled or if you have some extra points lying about. The Chapter Champion can also get a thunder hammer if he wishes (Remember, if you field him with a relic blade or TH, don't give him the free CCW! He won't benefit from it, so the boltgun is better. Only give him the CCW if you're fielding him stock with a power weapon). They are pretty much "light terminators" as they have a 2+ save and have a power weapon (compared to a 2+/5++ and a power fist). However, for some stupid reason they don't have relentless which means you can't fire your boltguns before charging (REMEMBER THEIR BOLT PISTOLS FOR THE LOVE OF THE EMPEROR). They are notably better than previous iterations as they are comparitively cheap and actually worth taking now definitely worth taking now, if you have a chapter master and 110 points lying around, buy 4 to run around with him. Your enemy must now divert valuable AP2 firepower to deal with them, meaning they are extremely good when taken alongside terminators. Consider a drop pod for them as a cheap distraction unit with staying power. For some stupid fucking reason they can't take bikes so they can't be taken alongside smashfucker WHICH IS FUCKING BULLSHIT as if Chapter Master Smashfucker needed to be more broken as it is.

Legion Honour Guard

Prior to the Horus Heresy, most of the Primarchs possessed an Honour Guard of some sort. Since Primarchs were the killing abilities of Chapter Masters ten-fold, this was really about rewarding the Marines prowess than anything else.

• Phoenix Guard: The Honour Guard of Fulgrim. They wear Terminator Armour and carried ceremonial power halberds. Even when the Emperor's Children fell to Slaanesh they still served as Fulgrim's bodyguard.
• Iron Circle: The Honour Guard of Perturabo. Prior to the Horus Heresy Perturabo never used a bodyguard, but this changed when a Squad of Imperial Fists made it to his personal chambers during the Battle of Phall. Instead of using normal Marines, however, Perturabo used Crusader-class robots from the Legio Cybernetica.
• Keshig: The Honour Guard of Jaghatai Khan. Despite the White Scars emphasis on speed, the Keshig wore Terminator Armour. Ultimately, their role was to keep other opponents--and other White Scars--from getting involved when Jaghatai Khan was killing stuff.
• Wolf Guard: The Honour Guard of Leman Russ. When Russ left the Space Wolves, the only member of his Wolf Guard to be left behind was Bjorn. Even into the 41st millennium, Wolf Lords still use Wolf Guards to serve as their Honour Guards and senior sergeants.
• Templar Brethren: the Honour Guard of Rogal Dorn. They were the best swordsmen in the Imperial Fists Legion. Sigismund was their commander, as well as the First Captain.
• Atramentar: the First Company of the Night Lords and Honour Guard of Konrad Curze. After the death of First Captain Sevetar the Atramentar broke up into individual Honour Guards for commanders they preferred.
• Sanguinary Guard: the Honour Guard of Sanguinius. The interesting thing is that the Sanguinary Guard took their job very seriously. Sadly, they were all killed with Sanguinius during the trip to the Vengeful Spirit, except for their founder Azkaellon. Following the Second Founding all Blood Angels successor chapters would maintain a Sanguinary Guard.
• Morlocks: the Honour Guard of Ferrus Manus. They were all members of the Avernii Clan-Company, the First Company of the Iron Hands Legion. Most of them were killed at the Drop Site Massacre when Ferrus got his head cut off. By M41 Clan Avernii still exists as part of the Iron Hands Chapter, and they're still bitter fucks about what happened.
• Devourers: the Honour Guard of Angron. However, Angron had nothing but contempt for the Devourers, feeling bodyguards were pointless. By the Horus Heresy they weren't even the best warriors in the World Eaters anymore.
• Invictus Guard: the Honour Guard of Roboute Guilliman.
• Deathshroud: the Honour Guard of Mortarion. They were Death Guard who were listed as killed in action and given Terminator Armour and Power Scythes to mimic Mortarion. Never more than 49 (49 is seven squared and seven is Nurgles favored number) paces from Mortarion, they still serve as Mortarion's Honour Guard even with Mortarion as a Daemon Prince of Nurgle.
• Sekhmet: the Honour Guard of Magnus the Red. Even when they wore Terminator Armour, Magnus was still twice their size. They were so emotionless, calm and disciplined, that hardly any of them noticed any changes when they all turned into dust-robots.
• Justaerin: the de facto Honour Guard of Horus Lupercal. While the Luna Wolves/Sons of Horus never had a formal Honour Guard, the Justaerin Terminator Squad was the premier squad of the First Company, and often served in this role. They were commanded by Ezekyle Abaddon.
• Lupercs - Horus' another body-guards of (who said you cannot have multiples?), they where Sons of Horus first Possessed Marines, and unlike Justaerin they get to actually body-guard him in battle at least once. Against entire Knight household, no less. Oh and they WON.
• Gal Vorbak: the Honour Guard of Lorgar Aurelian. They were the first Possessed Marines of the Word Bearers.
• Pyre Guard: the Honour Guard of Vulkan. They were drawn from the elite of the Firedrakes and also served as his senior advisors.
• Shadow Wardens: the Honour Guard of Corvus Corax. Following the Drop Site Massacre Corax dispersed his Honour Guard back into the companies, who needed the manpower.
• Effrit Squad: the Honour Guard of Alpharius and Omegon. Since the Alpha Legion kept Omegon's status as twin brother of Alpharius a secret, Omegon was passed off as head of Effrit Squad.