Veteran Squad (Space Marines)
Veteran Space Marines are members of the 1st Company of a Space Marine Chapter, the so called Veteran Company. They form the Chapter's battle hardened core and have wide access to its armoury.
Overview
To be promoted into the 1st Company is a great honour for all battle-brothers. Those that have proven themselves worthy usually have centuries of service behind them and have risen to the rank of a sergeant. Sometimes a less experienced Marine may be accepted after committing several acts of outstanding heroism.[4][5]
The Marines of the 1st Company bear the privilege of taking the Chapter's finest and most revered equipment to battle, as well as the duty to return with it afterwards.[5]
Heraldry
Members of the 1st Company traditionally wear white helmets. The sergeant's red helmet is adorned with a white stripe.
Their power armour features white or silver trimmed shoulder pads. The tactical symbol on the right shoulder is a stylized cross which is derived from the Crux Terminatus. A small Crux, known as "Terminator honours" is carried on the left knee pad.[1][2]
Veteran Squads
- Terminators are trained to fight in Tactical Dreadnought Armour, the toughest armour the Chapter has to offer.[1] Terminators that are geared for close combat fight together in Terminator Assault Squads.[3]
- Vanguard Veterans excel in close combat. Apart from a huge assortment of melee weapons, jump packs are often used to add the advantage of speed to their attacks.[5]
- Sternguard Veterans are experts at ranged combat. They rely on finely crafted weapons and highly specialised ammunition to take on all manners of foes.[5]
Chapter Variants
Some Codex-divergent Chapters have their own unique veteran formations. Below are some notable examples:
- The Sword Brethren of the Black Templars
- The Wolf Guard of the Space Wolves
- The Deathwing of the Dark Angels and their successors
- The Sanguinary Guard of the Blood Angels and their Successors
- The Tempest Blades of the Storm Wardens
- The Firedrakes of the Salamanders
Images
Sources
- 1: Codex: Ultramarines (2nd Edition), pgs. 25, 66
- 2: Insignium Astartes, [Needs Citation]
- 3: Codex: Space Marines (3rd Edition), pgs. 8-9
- 4: Codex: Space Marines (4th Edition), pgs.12, 30-32
- 5:Codex: Space Marines (5th Edition), pgs. 62-64, 136
- 6: Games Workshop