"The Flesh is Weak!" Warcry of the Iron Hands
Good day, Zak Ludick here from Cape Town, South Africa with another Warhammer 40k lore post of the 41st Millenium!
Today we shall be talking about, and at least illuminate as a starter to the concept of the Iron Hands Chapter of Space Marines.
These guys are a First Founding Chapter and this means they were originally a Space Marine Legion in the 31st Millenium and were led by their Primarch - who was Ferrus Manus!
This Primarch actually has metal in his skin... but we will focus on just the Primarch and his colorful history in another post. Haha!
The Homeworld of the Iron Hands is Medusa.
But what sets these guys apart from other Chapters of Space Marines can probably be summed up with their warcry - The Flesh is Weak.
These guys focus on and almost deify the Machine and cybernetic augmentation. Even though Space Marines are powerful, the Iron Hands consider flesh weak as it fails and it is corruptible. Iron and machines are reliable and strong.
This is further enforced by their non-Codex-orientated Chapter Organisation. The Iron Warriors do not have a Chapter Master. Their Companies are also not arranged the way the Ultramarines and the Codex Astartes would dictate.
Instead there are Clans, these are the Companies, led by Iron Captain who came to be called Iron Fathers. They form the Iron Council who each rotate the duty and honor to act as the supreme leader and therefore the Chapter Master. But they pass this duty on to another after a certain time.
Thus the Iron Hands are a practical, pragmatic and often stubborn Chapter. They have many successors such as the Sons of Medusa, Red Talons, Brazen Claws, Iron Fists, Iron Lords, Knights of Byzantium and so on.
You could make your own chapter with their own colors and give them a similar Iron or Mechanical sort of name and call them a Successor Chapter to the Iron Hands. Let's say the Adamantium Sentinels Chapter. They could be Bronzed Red and Gold. But you shall play them as an Iron Hands Chapter.
The Iron Hands prefer Steel over Flesh and go for vehicles, warmachines and Dreadnoughts instead of troops.
Here is their recently released Iron Hands Box set:
Source
You can buy this here... for $210. This then includes a Character - Iron Father Ferrios, a Techmarine, 10x Intercessors and 2x Contemptor Dreadnoughts! Very nice and I would not mind at all! Hahaha.
I think they are a brilliant army and they look insanely good! I have not heard of anyone in the local gaming community playing Iron Hands but I would like to see or better yet, field an army of them!
Well, that's it for an introduction to this Chapter. More about them and Ferrus Manus another time!
Cheers!
7/365 Hobby Posts done
