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Imperial Fists

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The Imperial Fists were Legion VII of the original twenty Space Marine Legions. Their primarch is Rogal Dorn. The legion remained loyal during the Horus Heresy, after which it was re-organized according to the Codex Astartes and divided into chapters. The Chapter is known for its supreme siege abilities and is the loyalist counterpart to the Iron Warriors, with whom they have had an intense rivalry since even prior to the Horus Heresy. The Imperial Fists are recognized to be among the most loyal Chapters to the Emperor and Imperium and their standing with many of the Imperial institutions is unparalleled due to their willingness to come to their aid.

Basic Information

Simple Badge Space Marines.png
Space Marines Portal
Imperial Fists
Impfistslogo.png
Legion Number VII
Primarch Rogal Dorn
Homeworld Terra
Fortress-Monastery Phalanx
Chapter Master Vladimir Pugh
Colours Yellow armor, Codex Astartes company shoulder pad trims with red outlines on the power armour
Specialty Siege Warfare
Strength ~1000 marines
Battle Cry Primarch-Progenitor, to your glory and the glory of him on earth!

Homeworld

The Imperial Fists are unique among the Space Marine chapters because they have no fixed home planet and are officially based on Terra. This is because of their Terran origins, as well as their pre-heresy role as the custodians of the Emperor, following him where he went in their vast, 10,000 year old mobile space fortress, Phalanx. They have transformed Phalanx into their primary fortress-monastery, although they also maintain recruitment-chapels on various worlds throughout the Imperium. It is known that the Emperor had reached the ice hives of Inwit when Rogal Dorn showed himself to the Emperor aboard Phalanx. Some take this to be his homeworld, although this is not proven, and the vital information has long since been lost over time.

History

The Great Crusade

File:Impfist.jpg
Great Crusade-era Imperial Fist space marine.

The Imperial Fists were first formed on Terra, as shown by their earliest battle honour, 'Roma'. The legion had heavily recruited from Inwit with over 70% of the legion's strength as aspirant Space Marines when Rogal Dorn joined them. This means that the Legion was relatively young when it was united with its primarch, allowing them to form an unbreakable bond, based upon similar desires for self-discipline and total commitment to order.

After the Imperial Fists won a major victory against the Orks on the ash wastes of Necromunda, the Hive Lords consented to recruits being drawn from their population in gratitude. A Fortress-Chapel was duly consecrated but the Imperial Fists were there as esteemed guests, not masters. Rogal Dorn asked no special rights on the worlds where the Fists recruited. Some Primarchs, such as the increasingly mercurial Perturabo, took every opportunity to garrison a world and claim its tithes. Dorn is famously recorded as saying "I want recruits not vassals," and was always satisfied to keep his Legion as a military unit with none of the civil responsibilities that came with having a home world.

During the Great Crusade, the Imperial Fists acted as the strategic reserve of the Emperor's forces due to their ability to rapidly redeploy to battlefields aboard Phalanx. They made use of detailed planning and as such were soon found to be supreme city fighters and siege specialists. After several campaigns and thousands of conquered worlds, the Emperor returned to Terra to build a capital from which he could run his new empire. He took the Imperial Fists with him, set them up as his praetorians and charged Dorn with the construction of the Imperial Palace, something that didn't go unnoticed by the other Primarchs. Perturabo flew into a rage upon hearing that Dorn thought the Imperial Palace would be proof against assault by even as mighty siege-masters as the Iron Warriors and unleashed a torrent of vitriol and accusations so unfounded that the onlookers were dumbstruck. After this the two rarely spoke, neither Legion serving in the same campaign again. The Imperial Fists were ever at the Emperor's side and the Iron Warriors were part of Horus' vanguard.

Horus Heresy

Along with the White Scars and the Blood Angels, the Imperial Fists put up a heroic defence of the Imperial Palace that has since passed into legend. Then, when all hope seemed lost, they accompanied the Emperor in his last battle aboard Horus's battle barge. It fell to Dorn to discover the bodies of the Emperor, Horus and Sanguinius after the final drama had run its course. His grief was immense. Until that point Dorn had been true, noble and enduring, but now he became an avenging son. While the Ultramarines maintained order within the Imperium, the Imperial Fists hunted down the traitors, levelling fortress after fortress. Dorn led them, dressed in the black of mourning, his customary mercy set aside until the guilty were punished. While others shaped the new Imperium, Dorn immersed himself in implacable justice. It was rumoured that he saw the Emperor's death as his personal failure and his crusade as penance. After all, were the Traitors not his brothers? Whatever the cause, Rogal Dorn was absent from the highest councils until he was summoned back to Terra when Roboute Guilliman, Primarch of the Ultramarines presented his Codex Astartes as the future of the Space Marines.

After the Heresy

After the Heresy, the Imperial Fists were broken up, as were the other chapters, and their more notable successor chapters include the Crimson Fists, the Soul Drinkers and the Black Templars. The Imperial Fists, however, were among the slowest of the Chapters to co-operate with the tenets of the Codex Astartes.

The Iron Cage

The Imperial Fists, like the Iron Warriors, were siege masters and as such rely greatly on artillery and heavy weapons, although not to the extent of their traitorous former brethren. Their shared specialisation led to great rivalry and eventually hatred between the two chapters and their Primarchs, and after the Heresy the Imperial Fists continued to pursue the Iron Warriors for some time, culminating in the incident of the "Iron Cage".

Perturabo was a master of fortification whose writings had been retained by Guilliman in his Codex. Dorn had always been his match though and, what was more, his honest warrior's soul was indignant. The Iron Warriors had rebelled and lost. Their master was dead and the Emperor still ruled. Yet still they dared raise their heretical banners over another Imperial world as if they had some right to be there. Dorn would not tolerate this. Without his customary caution and planning, Dorn led his men into the heart of the Iron Warrior defences. The battle should have favoured the treacherous trench-fighters, but the Imperial Fists endured. They countered every ambush and fought their way out of every trap. Rogal Dorn was a colossus who personally turned back attack after attack. Ammunition expended, brothers fought in half-flooded trenches with combat knives, giving and expecting no quarter. Eventually it became apparent that the Iron Warriors could not finish them. For all their skill and ferocity, the Iron Warriors lacked the faith to make the ultimate sacrifice that victory demanded. While they paused, the Ultramarines intervened; Guilliman had decided that Perturabo's destruction was not worth the loss of Rogal Dorn and had brought his Chapter to drive off the Iron Warriors.

Cleansed by their sacrifice, the Imperial Fists immediately began their reorganisation. For the next two decades they went into retreat, their successor Chapters taking to the field in their stead. Dorn used this time to retrain the Chapter to embrace all aspects of the Codex Astartes. When they later emerged, their adherence to the Codex was matched only by the Ultramarines.2

Geneseed

The Imperial Fists' geneseed has undergone minor changes over the millennia, resulting in two unique characteristics. First, the Chapter has lost two of the organs particular to Space Marines: the Betcher's Gland, which allows the Marine to produce acidic spittle, and the Sus-an Membrane, which allows the Marine to enter a state of suspended animation. 3a

The second characteristic is behavioral in nature: the Imperial Fists are given to an obsession with conquering pain by force of will and discipline. This tendency is perceived by the Chapter to be both a strength and a weakness. On the one hand, this obsession engenders stubborn conduct on the battlefield and ensures battle-brothers are more likely to fight on despite terrible injuries. On the other hand, the trait may cause Space Marines subconsciously invite such injuries and difficulty, which can imperil battle planning and lead to unnecessary risks of personnel and material. Similarly, the Imperial Fists stubbornness can make them reluctant to accept the possibility of defeat. The Chapter is conscious of these strengths and weaknesses and strives to exploit the former and mitigate the latter. 3a

Culture

The culture of the Imperial Fists is substantially influenced by their Terran origins and articulates their genetically predisposed obsession with force of will and pain into a coherent set of practices concerned with achieving uncompromising self-discipline and maintaining complete order. 2

The Junker Model of Behavior

The basic structure of Chapter culture is derived from the "Junker model of behavior" belonging to the "ancient Prussic code" of Terra. The model demands dedication to fastidious and meticulous detail in both military tactics and personal conduct. For instance, dedication to detail is expressed at the strategic level of military affairs in superlative planning. At the level of personal conduct, attention to detail is expressed in the quest for flawless discipline and the obsession with punishment for the smallest inadequacy, failure or infraction. 3b Each may be considered to be the development and application of the Chapter's genetically programmed obsession with will power to different domains of affairs.

Perhaps as a result of the Junker model, the Imperial Fists tend towards a stern disposition, even in comparison to other Space Marines. Upon making first contact with the Imperial Fists, Captain Garro of the Death Guard remarked that "they seem a somber lot," to which Captain Iacton Qruze of the Luna Wolves responded in the affirmative, adding that he had served with a Veteran Imperial Fist for a year-long campaign who never once smiled. 7

Honor Duels

As part of their Junker tradition, the Imperial Fists practice Honor Duels, a practice imparted to Chapter by a handful of Terran battle brothers.2 Honor Duels serve to settle disputes between members of the Chapter. The duel itself consists in two battle brothers being stripped to the torso, being equipped with protective monocles and having their feet locked into blocks at a fixed range. A third battle brother acts as a judge, presiding over the duel wearing a black robe and helmet to conceal his identity. Salutes between the contestants and judge commence the duel and the two battle brothers engage each other with tungsten epees, ending at first blood drawn from the face. The ritual distributes honor to both battle brothers: The bested Marine accepts responsibility for the dispute and apologizes, thereby honoring the victor, while the resulting scars of a loss are looked positively upon by other members of the Chapter, thereby conferring honor upon the loser. 3d

Scrimshaw

The Imperial Fists are known to practice scrimshaw using bones from the hands of their dead. After battle, Space Marines who distinguished themselves in the recent combat are awarded the skeletal hands of fallen battle brothers, the individual bones of which are adorned with carvings, designs, and otherwise ornamented. Scrimshaw is a undertaken solemnly by Marines of the Chapter and seen as an opportunity to practice mental discipline, focus, and attention to detail. 3e Finished scrimshaws are worn as jewelry and ornamentation, particularly by officers. 3f

Pain and Punishment

The Imperial Fists have developed particular cultural practices which tend to their obsession with conquering pain. Chief among them is punishment that makes use of a device called the Pain Glove, which is both imposed by superior officers and self-inflicted. The Pain-Glove encases the whole body and stimulates pain neurons, causing excruciating without inflicting any physical damage. The function of the pain glove goes beyond simple punishment in the sense of negative-reinforcement and includes positive spiritual value. Marines endure the extreme pain of the device by disciplining themselves to meditate on on the glory of Rogal Dorn, thereby perfecting their spiritual communion with their Primarch. 6

So central is pain to the culture of the Imperial Fists that the Chapter seems to have developed a philosophy on the subject. As preached by an anonymous Chaplain, "Pain is...a lesson that the universe teaches us. Pain is the preserver from injury. Pain perpetuates our lives. It is the healing, purifying scalpel of our souls. Pain is the wine of communion with heroes. It is the quicksilver panacea for weakness - the quintessence of a dedicated existence. Pain is the philosophic vitriol which transmutes mere moral into immortal. It is the Sublime, the golden astral fire!"3c

Organisation

Initially, the Imperial Fists were an inflexible formation; each Company had an identical organisation and Company Commanders tended to be unimaginative. Overall planning was excellent however, and this, coupled with the unshakable determination of the individual Fists, made them an excellent assault formation against static defences. Through most of the Great Crusade, the Imperial Fists would be held in reserve, waiting while other Legions pinned the enemy in position and identified the keystone of their defence. Inevitably, that position would then be shattered by the Fists. They were equally valuable when resolutely blocking, and often totally defeated enemy breakthroughs. The Legion had a willingness to fight until they won which few opponents could match. Rogal Dorn led from the front, a tireless warrior who, having set the strategy for a battle, would unerringly place himself in the most critical engagements.

After the losses incurred during the Iron Cage, what remained of the Imperial Fists was a hardened, veteran force fully able to embrace the concepts of the Codex Astartes; alongside the Ultramarines, the Imperial Fists have become the epitome of Codex doctrine. All ranks are able to make tactical decisions and are encouraged to act on initiative. The Imperial Fists combine all arms in flexible balanced battle groups each of which can present an opponent with a diversity of threats then press their attack so swiftly that the foe is overwhelmed before he can react. They retain their traditional skills in urban and siege warfare, although they are quite willing to engage and defeat the enemy in open battle. They will use fortifications on the defensive, but only after all more aggressive options have been exhausted. 2

Like all Codex chapters, the Imperial Fists are divided into ten Companies. Each Company is led by a hero of the Chapter, who - in addition to his Company command - is in charge of a particular aspect of the Chapter's logistics.

Recruitment

The Imperial Fists take their potential recruits from many worlds, among which are Terra, Necromunda and Inwit. On each of these worlds they maintain a chapter keep. However they have no special rights as to where they recruit their neophytes.

Once recruits are selected, their criminal record is examined, and they undergo a battery of tests: musculature, psychological profile ("Psychosis level"), psychic level, eye reflexes, intelligence, the ability to shoot, pain resistance, dexterity.

Recruits spend six months in the fortress-monastery where they learn proper Imperial Gothic through a hypnocasque before undergoing their initiation in the "tunnel of terror." In the latter, they face extreme heat, cold, empty space, etc. The severity increases along the way. If the initiate passes, he becomes a cadet and the symbol of the Imperial Fists is marked on his buttock. Then begins the indoctrination, training and the actual surgery that will make them Marines.

To celebrate the introduction of the Preomnor implant, cadets eat poisonous plants, venomous animals, etc. For the Omophagea, they consume meat (some of the meat they eat is human flesh) and must divine from the meat a few details about the actual animal.

After the initiation ceremony, the cadet's family is informed that their child has become a Space Marine.3

Fleet Disposition

The Chapter fleet includes the Gothic Battleship Imperial Power, as well as Cobra Class Destroyers4. At least three strike cruisers took part in the attack on the Chaos forces in the Peleons Belt heretic anchorage. One of the chapter's strike cruisers is called the Titus1

Example Force

An Imperial Fists Force

Notable Imperial Fists

  • Rogal Dorn - Primarch of the Imperial Fists
  • Captain Lysander - Captain of the First Company, Overseer of the Armoury and Watch Commander of the Phalanx
  • Vladimir Pugh - Chapter Master
  • Sigismund - First Captain of the Imperial Fists, and later founder of the Black Templars chapter
  • Lo Chang - The moon-faced Chaplain is marked by crater-like wounds incurred when his helmet failed him. When Lo Chang preaches, he is swept up in devout ecstasy wherein his passion can inspire any Imperial Fists Space Marine to strive to be a true child of Dorn. Appeared in the out-of-print novel Space Marine by Ian Watson.
  • Franz Grenzstein - An intense and preoccupied Librarian, taking his responsibilities to keep the Imperial Fists safe from psychic or daemonic enemies very seriously. On the rare occasions an Imperial Fists Space Marine is in contact with Chaos, it is Grenzstein who will be assigned to help them regain their mental stability and ensure they have not brought Chaos's taint with them. Grenzstein was killed during a search-and-destroy mission against Tyranids; appeared in the novel Space Marine by Ian Watson.
  • Lexandro D'Arquebus - Former Captain. A high-hab resident of the Trazior hive on Necromunda before his recruitment into the Imperial Fists, Lexandro rose rapidly through the ranks of the Space Marines. He is the only surviving one of the "Three Brothers" of Trazior; the finger bones of his left hand are inscribed with the names of the two deceased brothers as a permanent memorial to them. He is one of the main characters of Ian Watson's 1993 novel Space Marine, and also appears in his Inquisition War trilogy.

Sources

  • 3a p. 54
  • 3b p. 48
  • 3c p. 41
  • 3d p. 79-82
  • 3e p. 142-2
  • 3f p. 49-50

See also