Space Knights

Space Knights

Battle Cry	"Brothers in life, martyrs in death!"
Founding	23rd founding (M37)
Successors of	Blood Angels
Successor Chapters	None
Chapter Master	Arturius
Primarch	Sanguinius
Homeworld	Garden of Sanguinius (Medieval dead world)
Strength	Endangered
Specialty	Close combat, Siege warfare
Allegiance	Imperium
Colours	Dark grey, blood red trim and details

The Space Knights are a Blood Angels successor Chapter founded in the 37th millenium. They specialize in close combat and siege warfare.

Overview

The Space Knights were founded to protect nearby worlds from an Ork WAAAGH!, and their more secretive task, which is to contain the Eldar Craftworld embedded within the planets crust. The Craftworld was revealed by the ravages of the Exterminatus, and was where the chapters hero distinguished himself during the chapters first raid on the entombed Craftworld. He was also the first member of the chapters death company and also the first to die in its ranks, as have all members died in their first battle withing the ranks of the death company since the chapters creation.

Because of the Chapters weakend state and and entire companies worth of MKIII Power Armour Lying around, as well as strong ties to the Mechanicus whose Forge Worlds will be under threat should the Space Knights fall. The Chapter fields almost exclusively MKIII plate, to the benefit of their tactics which involve breaking through fortified positions and weapons to fight close quarters with their enemies, the added protection the MKIII offers help's keep them alive long enough to make it to the enemies lines and to begin the slaughter.

Another quirk of both their Isolation and their ties to the Mechanicus are the unique pattern's of vehicle's they receive. An example of this would be the Whirlwind ballista, which replaces the MLRS system with the rapid fire battle cannon usually equipped by Imperial Knight Paladins. Which are used to Pummel enemy fortifications into dust. Another unique vehicle fielded by the Space Knights is the use of Imperial Knights in place of Dreadnaughts. This not only allows the knights to be resupplied almost entirely by forgeworlds in the same subsector, but they provide and effective counter to the Wraithknights of the Eldar Craftworld they are currently in a protracted war with.

Homeworld

The Garden of Sanguinius was a medieval world lost during the Long Night and reclaimed during the Great Crusade. When it was discovered its people were uplifted and the planet was quickly developed into sprawling city's made of brick and timber. 'The Garden' as it was soon known became a highly productive Agri-world that helped fuel the war effort with both fuel and men, most of the food leaving the planet and almost all of the men went to the Crusade Fleet led by the Blood Angel's.

After the outset of the Heresy, as the Loyalists were rushing to the defense of Terra. The Word Bearers happened upon this Green Jewel and tried to turn it to the worship of chaos but were beaten back by the remnants of a Blood Angel's reserve company that had been stranded when the call for retreat had sounded. Deciding that wasting their time on weeding out some Blood Angel's that were trapped on the planet, the Word Bearers (who were getting a little too trigger happy with the virus bomb's) decided to destroy the world and make speed to Terra to help break the siege. But luckily/unfortunately the Word Bearers were running dry on planet killing weapons, because they had already used most of them on other planets along their way. So they threw everything they had left at the planet and figured that it would prevent the planet being used as and Agri-world ever again.

The pitiful amount of virus bombs and the resulting firestorm left the planet badly scarred and devoid of almost all plant life, although deep in caves, canyons and underground bunkers some humans and Blood Angel's were able to survive the Exterminatus and survive until the end of the Heresy, after which Imperial ships returned to check up on the planet.