CODEX Storm Hawks
Introduction
CODEX Storm Hawks is first of all a guide for using the Storm Hawks Space Marine Chapter in Warhammer 40,000 battles. It contains the chapter’s background as well as a description of the most important characters - historical and contemporary. Also included are new vehicles, weapons, wargear cards, and a slimmed-down version of the Space Marine Army list.
The Storm Hawks Chapter is what is known as a "wild" Chapter when it comes to following the Codex Astartes. The Crusades, and the stubborn-minded Gaitan Cardil, has resulted in an organisation quite different from what Ultramarines Primarch Roboute Guilliman had in mind when he wrote the Codex.
The History of the Storm Hawks
The birth of a Space Marine Chapter
The Storm Hawks’ history goes back to the Fourth Founding. Other chapters founded at the same time include Void Stalkers and Emperor’s Fists. The Storm Hawks are successors of the Storm Lords and ultimately the Whitescars, and as such would be expected to be more of a Codex Chapter. This is partially true, since in the beginning, they were.
Primarch Gaitan The Invincible
Gaitan Cardil was the first Storm Hawks marine created from the Storm Lords gene-seeds. He was extensively modified before actual birth, and became much stronger and tougher than an ordinary Space Marine. When the Adeptus Terra was satisfied, the next step in creating the Storm Hawks Chapter was undertaken, thereby reproducing Gaitan’s genetical make-up more than a thousand times.
As Gaitan and his Chapter grew older and more experienced, he was given the epitaph Invincible because of his military skills and the seeming impossibility to defeat him. In these early years, the Storm Hawks followed the Codex Astartes quite closely, and their success in the battlefields earned them wide-spread fame. At this time no-one could imagine what would come.
The Great Defeat
During one of the larger campaigns in the Lazius Sector, the Storm Hawks were ordered to at all costs defend a vulnerable, and strategically important outpost, until a relief force of ten Imperial Guard companies could arrive. As time passed, and the marines decayed in number, the Guards never did arrive. The commanding officer, General Cord, ordered his men to retreat, and overwhelmed by the forces of Chaos the marines followed him.
When the relief force finally arrived at the deserted planet, it was ambushed and destroyed. The Storm Hawks were dispatched on a one hundred year Crusade as penance.
The Crusades
Over the next sixty-seven years, the Storm Hawks repeatedly proved their worth in combat by fighting Chaos and Tyranids close to the Eye of Terror. Then, during a deep strike into enemy territory, the Storm Hawks disappeared without a trace, never to be heard from again for over eight hundred years. It was commonly believed that the whole Chapter had deserted the Imperium and turned to the dark masters of Chaos.
Almost a millennia later, the Storm Hawks space fleet reappeared from Warp Space, close to Earth, without any warning. In the confusion that arose, the Earth Defence Force wiped out a quarter of the point ships before communication was established.
The Chapter received the Emperor’s forgiveness and was absolved of heresy. It was also at this time that Loegar Silvo first appeared, though only as the Fourth Company Captain.
Organisation
Chapter Organisation
The overall organisation of the Storm Hawks Chapter does follow the Codex Astartes, but some changes have been made to suit their fighting style. For instance, all assault squads have been left out, and the entire Chapter is heavily biased towards heavy weaponry. Below is listed the company organisation.
| VETERAN COMPANY | |
| 1st Co. | 20 Terminator or 10 Veteran squads. |
| BATTLE COMPANIES | |
| 2nd Co. | 7 Tactical, 3 Devastator squads. |
| 3rd Co. | 7 Tactical, 3 Devastator squads. |
| 4th Co. | 7 Tactical, 3 Devastator squads. |
| 5th Co. | 7 Tactical, 3 Devastator squads. |
| RESERVE COMPANIES | |
| 6th Co. | 10 Tactical squads |
| 7th Co. | 10 Tactical squads |
| 8th Co. | 10 Devastator squads |
| 9th Co. | 10 Devastator squads |
| SCOUT COMPANY | |
| 10th Co. | Scouts |
Armour and Equipment Colour Scheme
The armour of a Storm Hawks marine is basically black, with trims etc. in red. Weapons are usually painted with flame patterns or skulls.
Power armour
The right shoulder plate has a black trim and red centre, the company number is displayed by a white numeral. The left plate is black, with a red inverted V in the centre, and the Imperial eagle in white imposed on it. This is the Storm Hawks Chapter Badge. Sergeants are distinguished by an inverted right shoulder badge and yellow company number. Squad Leaders have red right shoulder trims instead of black, and yellow company number. The chest eagles are usually yellow/orange/red.
Terminator armour
The left shoulder displays the Crux Terminatus, usually in its natural stone colour. The right shoulder shows the Chapter Badge. The sergeant’s right shoulder is inverted (red base and a black V). The preferred colour for the chest eagle is gold.
Squad Identification
The squad to which a marine belongs is shown with the helmet colour; 1st: white, 2nd: yellow, 3rd: Red, 4th: green, 5th: black, 6th: orange, 7th: purple, 8th: grey, 9th: blue, 10th: silver. Note that all terminator armours have white helmets, including the sergeant. Their squad number is displayed by a white roman numeral (I, II, III etc.) on the right leg.
Downloading the Codex
If you would like to have the entire Storm Hawks Codex to read or print out at home, click here to download a zipped 18.1 kB Word for Windows (v6.0 or later) document file.