Ultramarines

Ultramarines
Battle Cry	"Courage and Honour!" and "We March for Macragge!"
Number	XIII
Founding	First Founding
Successors of	N/A
Successor Chapters	Roughly 65% of all Chapters.
Chapter Master	Marneus Calgar
Primarch	Roboute Guilliman
Homeworld	Macragge
Strength	Roughly 1000 marines
Specialty	Jack of All Trades, Being the Mascot of the entire Franchise, being the spiritual liege of the Imperium and being Romans IN SPESS!!
Allegiance	Imperium
Colours	Ultramarine Blue, white & gold (For the most famous Second Company. Other Companies use different colors)

This article or section is being fought over by people undoing each other's changes. Please use the Discussion page for fighting instead of the article.

"Our presence remakes the past"

-the Banner of Macragge

The Ultramarines are a chapter of Space Marines, probably the most famous and well-known (both within the Warhammer 40,000 universe and without). Games Workshop considers the Ultramarines their chapter of choice, and the Ultramarines represent the standard upon which most other Space Marine chapters are based. Why Games Workshop would want a Space Marine chapter whose symbol is a toilet seat upside down Omega (℧) is beyond us. Despite what canon has been trying to imply lately (see the intro to the CGI failmovie), the Ultramarines are not named so because they are 'ultra', as in, superior, 'marines'. Nope, they're called that because their Home sector is Ultramar, and the armour is coincidentally/lazily also called ultramarine, which is a shade of blue. They have an easily recognizable blue-with-gold-trim colour scheme that the Thousand Sons decided to rip off post-heresy. (technically that's only the second company but who ever heard of an ultramarine player not painting his army blue and gold) - the blue colouration, coupled with the small size of the minis, has lead them to be nicknamed "Smurfs" by some. Rick Priestley was originally inspired to promote the ultramarines heavily in publications of White Dwarf after a dream he had whilst staying around a friends house in which he claims the miniatures began speaking to him, this partly lead to his eventual dismissal from Games Workshop in 2010.

A squad of Tactical Marines are the protagonists of the 40k-based movie surprisingly titled "Ultramarines".

History

Fig.1.1: An Ultramarine, note the Beakie.

This article or section is about something oldschool - and awesome. Make sure your rose-tinted glasses are on nice and tight, and prepare for a lovely walk down nostalgia lane.

[http://www.scribd.com/doc/118383071/WD97-Chapter-Approved-Index-Astartes%7C The XIIIth Legion were actually traitors and were banished to the Eye of Terror along with the other traitor legions. The modern day 40k Ultramarines were established on new years day 001.M32, which would make them a Third Founding chapter. They received all of the gene-"sperm" & implants, rituals and paraphernalia of the original legion.

Not only that, they only received lordship over the world of Macragge AFTER the First Tyrannic War. And though they did have different names for all of their company captains and command staff, they were/are still commanded by a man named Marneus Calgar.

The implications of this would be startling if we use the "everything is canon, but not necessarily true" stance that GW has adopted when regarding fluff inconsistencies. Hinting that Guilliman's marines were heretics and traitors and were eventually banished from the Imperium.

However, attempting to reconcile this old origin story with "modern" Ultramarines is extremely difficult, we can only coherently insert it into the current state of play if we assume there is a second chapter out there called the "Ultra-Marines" with a chapter master and homeworld of the same name and the same level of involvement with the Tyrannic Wars. Though what completely knocks this old fluff out is that it also has possession of the body of Roboute Guilliman so it has to be a retcon though it still opens the door to conspiracy theories or that Marneus Calgar is in command of multiple Chapters.

The other possibility is that when the Ultramarines were declared traitor and forced into the eye of terror, Guilliman, recognising his plans for Imperium Secondus were about to topple with the death of Sanguinius (who had been declared ruler as a means to placate the Emperor and the other legions), Guilliman had himself cloned and a portion of his legions most pure geneseed moved to the Eastern Fringe and Macragge to ensure survival of the Ultramarines, The Ultramar Empire and the Imperium Secondus concept as its eventuality. This occurred just as the rest of the legion (Including the original primarch) were declared traitor and forced into the eye. It would also suggest, given the appearance of Guilliman's wounded body in stasis on Macragge, that it was in-fact the clone that was killed by Fulgrim and the real primarch still resides either in the eye of terror or the immaterium with the remains of the Ultramarine Traitor Legion.

In either case, somehow one of the two possible Guilliman's was returned to Macragge and placed in stasis post-mortem after being Mortally-Wounded. If you accept the cloning of Guilliman, this all makes sense; he wanted to ensure his empire survived and having been declared traitor, cloned himself and sent the clone to rule over the new Imperium, the clone being mortally wounded by Fulgrim en-route. Or somehow, and for some reason, a traitor primarch was dragged out of the eye of terror and kept in stasis on the opposite side of the galaxy. Given the stupidity of that second line of thought, the clone being the primarch on Macragge is a much more likely situation... Especially as if his wounds heal and the clone recovers he would be able to continue acting out the original Guilliman's plans for a second imperium with its epicentre based within the Ultramar Empire and using Space Marines created from the remains of the purest legion-stock geneseed.

Or, infinitely more likely, it's just old fluff which went the way of the Squats after Rogue Trader, and we should hope so, because if it isn't, we also have to reconcile the space marines being entirely beaky space cops.

Breaking the Hyphen

"Ultramarines" (As they are now known) are spelt in a myriad of different ways. Rick Priestly himself describing them as "Ultra-Marines". Other versions include "Ultra Marines", "The Ultra-Marine Chapter" and "Smurfs" ++BLAM++ amongst many other iterations. In all instances, and all cases (even accounting for the First Edition lore above) it can be assumed the lore refers to the same Chapter or Legion. Punctuation matters, just not in 40K...

Notable Members

While most believe the story told by the Ultramarines, eye-witnesses paint a different story...

• Marneus Calgar, the current Chapter Master of the Ultramarines. His accomplishments include being thoroughly ripped apart by the Swarmlord (by that we mean all his limbs, a large portion of his body and his eye), single handedly holding off an Ork Waaagh! for 9 days all by himself and killing a Daemon Prince with only a squad of Terminators by stabbing him with an Anathame shard named "The Shard of Erebus". However, his crowning moment is his defeat of an Eldar Avatar of Khaine in 1 vs 1, hand-to-hand combat, which is typically killed by the same effort it takes to kill a Khornate Bloodthirster - never mind that the thing is made of molten metal and over three times his size. He also had a rematch with the Swarmlord and won.
• Severus Agemman, captain of the Ultramarines First Company. He was Captain of the Second Company, and Sicarius' commanding officer before being promoted after the First Tyrannic War. There isn't much fluff about him besides being overshadowed by his former subordinate Sicarius. As first Company Captain he's Calgar's appointed successor, however much of the chapter thinks it will be Sicarius instead of him. Agemman is aware of this possibility and isn't very happy about it.
• Cato Sicarius, the captain of the Ultramarines Second Company, is kind of a glory hog, but he's arguably earned his right to be a braggart through his skill at arms.
• Uriel Ventris is the captain of the Ultramarines Fourth Company and the main character of Graham McNeil's Ultramarines novel series. Notable for destroying the Daemonculaba.
• Ortan Cassius, a chaplain of the Ultramarines, is one of the oldest Space Marines alive and not yet placed in a Dreadnought. The Tyrannic War Veterans were his idea.
• Varro Tigurius, the Ultramarine's Chief Librarian, has enough psychic prowess to make psychic contact with the Hive Mind without going bonkers in the process.
• Torias Telion (aka; Sean Connery made Grimdark) is an Ultramarine Scout Sergeant. A skilled sniper, other chapters have borrowed him to train their scouts occasionally. He also has an impressive mustache.
• Captain Titus is a Captain of the who the fuck knows company (if the trim of his pauldrons are accurate, he's Captain of the 2nd Company). He gained prominence (will gain prominence?) on the forge world of Graia, trying to keep a whole Waaagh! from stealing all the bitz for themselves while keeping a probably radical Inquisitor happy. Also there's a portal to the warp letting out Daemons and Chaos Marines to go on a jolly old pub crawl. He is also one of the few Ultramarines who clearly states that the Codex Astartes is not meant to be a mental straightjacket. Thus, he is awesome.
• Chaplain Varnus, an Ultramarines Chaplain dispatched to Lorn V. For perhaps the first instance in recorded time, he is a Space Marine who actually respects the Imperial Guard and couldn't ask for a better force (barring his own company).
• Aeonid Thiel: A sergeant during the Horus Heresy, despite being seen as a rule breaking maverick he ends up playing a major role in the groundwork for the Ultramarines post-war including the red panted helmets for sergeants, the Tactical Marine Squad and the co-writer of the Codex. Unfortunately some one on lexicanum though it would be funny to fuck him over and wank the Alpha Legion.
• Sergeant Cornellus: A sergeant of an embarrassing squad. Notable for Killing Eliphas the Inheritor the first time, stopping a demon invasion and finding the Ultramarines Scrabble set all while sounding like a baby
• Smurfette: The only female member of the Ultramarine chapter

Quotes

"Chapters [not descended from Guilliman's geneseed] are disciples who owe their genetic inheritance to another Primarch, but follow the Codex Astartes as keenly as their divergent heritage allows. While primarily composed of successor Chapters, this group also includes several Chapters of the First Founding - notably the Imperial Fists, White Scars and the Raven Guard. These chapters can never be Ultramarines, for their gene-seed is not that of Roboute Guilliman. Nevertheless, they will ever aspire to the standards and teachings of the great Primarch. Fucking Matt Ward...

[Chapters who do not emulate the Ultramarines] are aberrants; chapters who, through quirk of gene-seed, mutation or stubbornness, eschew the Codex Astartes in favor of other structural and combat doctrines. Some, such as the Blood Angels and their successors, strive to be worthy of Guilliman's legacy, but their recalcitrant gene-seed drives them ever further from it. Others, such as the Space Wolves and the Black Templars, remain stubbornly independent, looking to their own founder's ways of war (which is hilarious for the Templars) and caring little of how they fare in the eyes of others. These aberrant Chapters were always few in number and their presence diminishes with each passing decade, for their gene-seed is no longer the source of fresh Chapters."

- Matt Ward, Ultramarines player, codex writer, Codex: Space Marines, 5th Edition, p. 25.

"The Ultramarines are undoubtedly the best Space Marines ever. Yes, really! Thanks to the heritage of Guilliman and their myriad heroic deeds, the Ultramarines are the exemplars of the Space Marines. With a few fringe exceptions who have severe mutations [Blood Angels] or stolid stubbornness [Space Wolves and Dark Angels] all Space Marine Chapters want to be like the Ultramarines and recognize Marneus Calgar as their spiritual liege."

- Matt Ward, Ultramarines player, codex writer, in the White Dwarf interview celebrating the release of Codex: Space Marines.

"But your teachings…"
"Are yet flawed," said Guilliman. "No one, not even one such as I, can anticipate every possible outcome of battle. My words are not some holy writ that must be obeyed. There must always be room for personal initiative on the battlefield. You and I both know how one spark of heroism can turn the tide of battle. That knowledge and personal experience can only be earned in blood, and the leader in the field must always be the ultimate arbiter of what course of action should be followed."

- Roboute Guilliman, making a point that his successors would quickly forget about and the writer above would ignore.

Daily Rituals

04:00 - The Ultramarines rise up from their sleep in their marble-encased sleeping chambers.

04:30 - Morning Prayers. The Ultramarines conduct morning prayers on why they are the SECOND TO TEH EMPRAH! and how all other chapters view Marneus Calgar as their Spritual Liege.

05:30 - Codex Astartes. The Ultramarines are indoctrinated and reminded on the rules and values of the Codex Astartes.

08:00 - Morning Firing Rites. The Ultramarines enter target practice with spiritual guidance from the chaplain Asswhoopicus.

09:00 - Battle Practice. The Ultramarines transcends from Macragge's Colosseum to train against each other, the local Macragge fauna and Battle Servitors.

10:00 - Morning Meal. While later than some chapters, the Ultramarines feast upon a light meal made of fruits, biscuits and light meat by the Chapter serfs. The serfs are thanked soon afterwards in a manner of respect.

10:15 - Tactical Indoctrination. The Ultramarines head to see the latest battle plans and which military techniques that can best complement the Codex Astartes.

10:30 - Meetings with the Spiritual Liege. Whilst the rest of the Ultramarines practice reciting the Codex Astartes, Roboute Guilliman and the leaders from each of the Ultramarine's companies discuss on political, socio and military affairs of Ultramar and the Imperium at large. Discussions and tactical briefings on Guilliman's long absence lasts for hours, with plenty of facepalming and sighing from said Primarch.

11:00 - Afternoon Wargames. The Ultramarines conduct in miniature wargames to best stimulate strategic and combat play which can be learned and adapted in real life combat.

13:00 - Midday Meal. A light meal of cheese, bread, meats and vegetables is prepared by the Chapter serfs.

13:30 - Codex Astartes. More indoctrination of the Codex Astartes are read to ensure that the Ultramarines never diverge from the book of Guilliman.

15:00 - Evening Firing Rites. The Ultramarines enter target practice.

16:00 - Battle Practice. The Ultramarines are now dropped into the wilderness of Macragge to fend off the local fauna and flora there. The animals and plants killed are sent to the Chapter Serfs for more ingredients.

17:00 - Evening Prayers. The Ultramarines gather together to prayers on why they are the chosen chapter and why the Ultramar System is the best system.

18:00 - Nighttime Firing Rites. The Ultramarines take target practice in the night to further hone in their nocturnal experience.

19:00 - Battle Practice. The Ultramarines descend from one of the neighboring planets in Ultramar to further fight the planet's local fauna and flora.

19:30 - Daily Medical Checkup. Whilst the rest of the Ultramarines are busy practicing their combat prowess, the long hours on learning the state of the Imperium has left Roboute Guilliman in a state of dismay, anger and facial injuries after a non-stop continuous act of facepalming at the sheer incompetence and idiocy of humanity. Apothecaries try and fail to warn their Primarch that continued usage of the facepalm will eventually give the Avenging Son a concussion.

20:00 - Evening Meal. A feast made from the creatures slain by the Ultramarines earlier on is cooked in the finest ingredients. Cooking it perfectly gets the serf a purity seal of valor while cooking it imperfectly forces the serf to be read the entire Codex Astartes section on cooking.

21:00 - Cleaning up Guilliman. The Ultramarines goes and clean up their Primarch's marble chambers after Macragge's daily tourist traps is closed for the night. Special care is given in Roboute's hair in order to caste on his perfection to the Imperium. With Guilliman up and running, the throne is now equipped with a holographic image to compensate for their now active Primarch.

22:00 - Free Time. The Ultramarines get free time. Some continue to read the Codex Astartes, others pray to the Emperor while some go out of their Fortress Monastery to catch up on the local news and political affairs as well as hanging out with the citizens of Macragge.

24:00 - Rest Period. The Ultramarines descend back to their marble-encased sleeping chambers to rest.

Some music

• Their theme done by HMKids.
• Their theme from Chaos Gate. Became a major meme among Russian 40k fans due to some deliciously stupid misheard lyrics.
• A track from their official movie.

Gallery

• 

  Sgt Pasanius didn't want that hand anyway.

• 

  Say what you want about Ultramarines, but their Honour Guards looks pretty boss.

• 
• 

  Captain Cato Sicarius' power armour, also known as the Mantle of the Mary Suzerain

• 

  Ultramarines got the front cover of the Space Marine Codex and admittely looks fucking cool for it.

See also

• Who Watches Them
• Macragge heresy
• Ultramarines Honour Company
• The past wot got remade by their presence - the original Chapter Approved write up of the "Ultra-Marines."