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Space Marine Captain

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A Captain leads from the front. By his example shall his men know what it is to be of the Adeptus Astartes, and from his teachings shall they learn the trade of battle in the Emperor's name.

No ordinary man can a Captain be, for many are the paths to victory and he must be master of them all. His very being shall be an extension of the Emperor's work. With every strike of his sword, with every word of his speech, does he reaffirm the ideals of our honoured master. He will vanquish darkness and heresy with every thought, word, and deed. So shall his coming be a sign of deliverance to the dutiful, and a herald of dismay to all traitors. No living man shall stay his wrath.

A Space Marine 'Captain' (also known as Brother-Captain, or Company Captain[2b]) is a Senior rank within a Space marine Chapter. They typically commands an entire Company of his battle brothers (a customary maximum of one hundred Marines).[2a]

History

The ancient rank of Captain has been employed since the days of the Space Marine Legions. During the Great Crusade a Company Captain was a military rank given to the commander of a Company, a command level between Battalion and Squad, leading a force of a hundred Legionaries. Depending on the Legion, the designation would vary and could be Centurion, Prime, Wolf Lord, Blooded, Khan, etc...[3a] This position was mostly granted to Legion Centurions, elite officers of the Legions who demonstrated their worth in the fires of conflict.[3b]

With the institution of the Codex Astartes, the rank of Captain as Commander of a Company remained and is still in use in the current Era.[2a]

Role and Responsibilities

In a Space Marine Chapter, each company is under the authority of a Captain, seasoned veterans and expert strategists, who have proven their combat skills either in the Chapter's elite 1st Company or through exceptional service in their own company. The Captain’s guidance increases the value of his battle-brothers tenfold, and he justifies their faith in him with every command.[1a]

Typically, the senior-most Captain commands the First Company and often serves as second-in-command to the Chapter Master and as their immediate successor.[9][10] In addition, some chapters, such as the Salamanders[7] and the Space Wolves[12a], the Chapter Master is at once the leader of the entire chapter and of his own company of marines.

A Captain isn't just a warrior; they must also possess the ability to persuade and negotiate. Though Captains are capable of decisive action, they understand the importance of subtlety in certain situations. Besides their rank, Captains also carry honorific titles related to their duties as a Master, responsible for an area of Chapter logistics or organization.[1a]

Wargear

Captains have access to the best equipment available to a Chapter, such as Artificer Armour, Terminator Armour and weapons[1e], Gravis Armour[14b], Power Fist, Relic weapons, Thunder Hammer, , Jump Packs and Bikes.[1e]

Captains assigned to Vanguard Space Marine formations will typically adopt stealth tools such as Omni-Scramblers, lightweight Phobos Armour, and master-crafted Instigator Bolters.[13]

Chapter Variations

Within many chapters, the Captain is sometimes referred to as "Brother-Captain" in recognition that all marines within the chapter are brethren. Several chapters refer to their Company Captains by different titles:

Chapter Title Variant
Dark Angels Master[14a]
Space Wolves Wolf Lord[12b]
Red Scorpions Commander[4]
Black Templars Marshal or Castellan[5]
Iron Hands Iron Captain[11] or Clan-Commander[25]
Grey Knights Brother-Captain (represents a slightly different rank)[6]
Raven Guard Shadow Captain[1]
Excoriators Corpus-Captain[8]
White Scars Khan
Deathwatch Watch Captain[17]

Notable Space Marine Captains

Miniatures

Sources



Space Marine Infantry
Chapter Command Chapter MasterMaster of SanctityChief LibrarianMaster of the ApothecarionMaster of the ForgeMaster (Master of the WatchMaster of the FleetMaster of the ArsenalMaster of the MarchesMaster of the RitesMaster of RelicsLord ExecutionerMaster of RecruitsMaster of the SignalMaster of Reconnaissance)Chapter Ancient (Primaris Ancient) • Chapter ChampionHonour Guard
Company Command Company Command SquadReclusiam Command SquadCaptain (Primaris Captain) • Lieutenant (Primaris LieutenantVanguard Lieutenant) • Company Ancient (Bladeguard Ancient) • Company Champion
Specialists Librarian (EpistolaryCodicierLexicanumPrimaris LibrarianVanguard Librarian) • Chaplain (ReclusiarchPrimaris ChaplainJudiciar)Apothecary (Primaris ApothecaryHelix Adept) • Techmarine (Primaris Techmarine)
Veteran Squads Sternguard Veteran SquadVanguard Veteran SquadTerminator Squad (Terminator Assault Squad) • Bladeguard VeteranVeteran Intercessor SquadCompany Veterans
Battleline Squads Tactical SquadIntercessor Squad (Heavy Intercessor Squad) • Infiltrator Squad
Close Support Squads Assault SquadAssault Intercessor SquadJump Pack Intercessor SquadInceptor SquadReiver SquadIncursor SquadAssault Centurion Squad
Fire Support Squads Devastator SquadHellblaster SquadAggressor SquadEliminator SquadSuppressor SquadEradicator SquadDesolation SquadInfernus SquadDevastator Centurion Squad
Scouts Scout Squad