Come and learn about the structure of a Space Marine Chapter and the book that held everything together after the Heresy.
Much has changed over the years for many of the Space Marine chapters. But the one constant rock which they stand on is the mighty Codex. Let’s learn more!
Via: Lexicanum
The Codex Astartes is the doctrine of the Space Marine Chapters, governing all aspects of Chapter organisation and battlefield tactics. For any given tactical situation, the Codex has hundreds of pages devoted to how it may be met and overcome. The wisdom of thousands of Imperial warriors has contributed to the Codex, and details on everything from unit markings to launching a full-scale planetary assault are contained within its pages.
The Codex was written and formalised after the Horus Heresy by the Primarch of the Ultramarines, Roboute Guilliman. Some Chapters, such as the Ultramarines and their successors, regard the Codex as a holy text, and follow it without question. Many other chapters also follow the Codex, though not always as strictly as the Ultramarines; these two types of chapters are collectively known as Codex Chapters. Among the Ultramarines, each battle brother must memorise whole sections of the codex, so that within a company there exists an entire record of the text.
In the aftermath of the Horus Heresy, the Emperor had been incapacitated, and the Space Marines’ numbers had been decimated by defections to Chaos and battle losses. With the Emperor confined to the Golden Throne the High Lords of Terra found themselves the new leaders of the Emperor’s domain. Both the High Lords and surviving Primarchs became paranoid of the possibility of such events repeating themselves. The armies of the Emperor once again scoured the galaxy seeking out all forms of heresy and removing even the slightest chance of rebellion. The Ultramarines were left as the largest loyal legion, and Guilliman assumed the title of Lord Commander of the Imperium. Concerned that once again their could be a threat from such a terrible force each Legion was to be divided into smaller Chapters and a new set of regulations would be created to govern them.
The Codex Astartes was a code developed by Guilliman. This tome would contain everything a member of the Astartes would need to know to function. From recruitment to organization to tactics and beyond the Codex Astartes became a sacred text to the majority of the Chapters. One of the most significant changes under the new Codex was the newly founded Chapters. Where the Legions could number more than 10,000 strong the Chapters would be limited to about a thousand. Each original Legion would be divided as many times as needed into successor Chapters. This division would come to be called the Second Founding seven years after the Horus Heresy, in 021.M31. The remaining thousand bodies in the original Legion would also survive as a new Chapter of the same name.
While these newly created Chapters claimed their founders origins, such as their Primarch, they would also come to develop their own culture and customs. Rogal Dorn initially rejected the Codex Astartes and enmity developed between him and Guilliman. Dorn called Guilliman a coward, citing his lack of participation in the defense of the Imperial Palace. Guilliman accused Dorn of being a traitor for refusing the Codex. This enmity quickly involved other Space Marine Legions and a rift developed, Leman Russ of the Space Wolves stood by the Imperial Fists, while Jaghatai Khan of the White Scars and Corax of the Raven Guard supported the Ultramarines. A second civil war appeared likely when the Imperial Fists strike cruiser Terrible Angel was fired upon by the Imperial Navy in connection with Codex crisis.
