Red Scorpions

The Red Scorpions Chapter of Space Marines is known to be composed of utter Imperial purists and are perhaps the most intensely Loyalist Chapter of the Space Marines. Their absolute adherence to the Codex Astartes is unheard of in any other Chapter. Due to their intense history with the forces of Chaos, they refuse to deal with any xenos species or any humans that they consider as tainted by mutation of any kind, even Imperially-sanctioned Abhumans like the Ogryns or Ratlings. They will obviously not serve with Beastmen, but they also utterly refuse to serve with Squats. The Chapter is most renowed for the Red Scorpions' strict adherence to the Codex Astartes. Equally unique in nature is the frequency with which Red Scorpions Apothecaries are present in the Chapter's Tactical Squads as squad leaders in place of a Sergeant.



Chapter Colours and Symbol
The Red Scorpions' Power Armour was originally painted black with a yellow helmet stripe and yellow shoulder plate, leg and arm trims. Imperial Armour Volume Four has amended this to charcoal gray with mustard shoulder plate trim, chest Aquila and helmet stripe (irrespective of company). The Chapter's symbol is a red scorpion centered on a white field. During the Angstrom Incident, the Pursuit Squad of this Chapter wore a red and black camouflage pattern.

Chapter Leadership
The Chapter's Captains are known by the title of Commander whilst the Chapter Master is known by the title of Lord High Commander. His second-in-command is the Master of the Apothecary as a matter of Chapter tradition.

Chapter History
The origins of the Red Scorpions Chapter are unknown. No records remain of the Chapter's founding or from which Space Marine Legion their gene-seed was originally taken. This secrecy has led to some of the Imperium's heirarchy questioning the loyalty of a Chapter that keeps its history secret. Despite this, the Chapter is willing to assist the Imperium of Man wherever it can, carrying out thousands of aid missions. It is known, however, that the Chapter has existed for at least 5,000 years, since the 36th Millennium.

The Red Scorpions are characterized by their extreme traditionalism, unyielding devotion to the Codex Astartes, and their hatred of Abhumans and other mutants and anything deviating from the pure human physical form. They have a fanatical belief in their own purity and this has led to the Chapter's isolationism. They do not venerate any Primarch above any other, preferring only to venerate the Emperor. As a Chapter, they are extremely xenophobic; they will not serve alongside Abhumans, and due to the Imperial Guard's willingness to allow Abhumans in their ranks, they view the Guard as inferior and untrustworthy.

The Chapter is noted for the purity of its gene-seed tithes to the Adeptus Mechanicus, which are heavily tied to its fanatical belief in purity, in deed and thought as well as physically.

Red Scorpions recruits and neophytes are drawn from Zaebus Minoris, a small, arid feral world inhabited by primitive tribes of humans. The tribes' traditions tie into the recruitment process of the Chapter. Male infants are presented to the tribes' temple at the first full moon of its life. A few are taken by the "gods" - selected, after genetic testing, by the Chapter's Apothecaries as potential future Space Marines. Because these recruits will have had no experience with their parent culture, the culture of the Chapter is all the recruit will know.

Notable Red Scorpions

 * Lord High Commander Verant Oryts: Last seen active during the Siege of Vraks, and personally leads a strike force of 400 battle-brothers in the retaking of the Fortress of Vraks, capturing Saint Leonis' Gate from waves of heretics, mutants, and finally daemons.
 * Commander Carab Culln: Carab Culln started his time with the Red Scorpions as a Scout Marine before becoming a Commander and is seen as the Lord High Commander in waiting. He is known to be courageous and loyal and follows the Red Scorpions' version of the Codex Astartes in every word and deed. Culln was in charge of the Red Scorpions during the fighting concerning the Anphelion Project. He led a squad of Terminators to cleanse the Tyranid infestation from the research stations on the world Beta Anphelion IV.
 * Veteran Sergeant Raum: Raum is a squad commander of the Red Scorpions who successfully completed 109 missions for the Chapter. He was killed in action on Beta Anphelion IV.

Known Engagements

 * 857.M38 - The Red Scorpions Chapter is called to assist in the prolonged siege of the Traitor stronghold on the world of Helios. The Chapter's Master of the Forge creates the Land Raider Helios pattern by mounting extra Whirlwind launchers onto existing Land Raiders. He took this step because the Red Scorpions mistrusted the Imperial Guard units they were sent to work with, fearing the Chapter may become tainted by forces already exposed to the Traitors' corruption.
 * Late M39 - The Red Scorpions undertake the Ordon Crusade, which sees the entire Chapter deployed in the wilderness space of the Ordon Rift in Segmentum Tempestus for 300 years, during which time it was feared they had been destroyed. It is unknown what happened during these three centuries.
 * M41 Galen V Suppression (Galen V Expeditionary Force) - involved Land Raiders in Codex-approved Cobalt/Ammonium desert camouflage for the cobalt chromate deserts of Galen V.
 * 826.M41 Strike force composed of elements of the 1st, 3rd, 6th, and 8th Companies of the Red Scorpions arrive on the world of Vraks in the strike cruiser Arx Fidelis. Led by Force Commander Ainea, the Red Scorpions strike force aided in the final breaching of the curtain wall surrounding the Fortress of Vraks. Veteran Sergeant Carab Culln leads the Vanguard squad that carried the teleport homer used by Commander Ainea and his squad of Terminators to arrive, and subsequently hold, the breach in the curtain wall where the besieging army would pour through.
 * 830.M41 The Red Scorpions return to Vraks, this time with a strike force personally led by Lord High Commander Verant Ortys in response to Inquisitor Lord Hector Rex's request for aid. The Red Scorpions' battle barge Sword of Ordon arrives in orbit, carrying 400 of the Chapter's Battle-Brothers, including Veteran Sergeant Carab Culln. The Red Scorpions proceed to participate in the retaking of the Fortress of Vraks, particularly the battle of Saint Leonis' Gate.
 * 850.M41 Marines from the Chapter's First and Sixth Companies, led by Commander Carab Culln, assist Ordo Xenos Inquisitor Solomon Lok during an investigation and subsequent battle against the Tyranids on Beta Anphelion IV. The Chapter comes under surveillance by the Inquisition's Ordo Hereticus for their actions, along with Inquistor Lord Varius of the Ordo Xenos.
 * 906.M41 Badab War- The Red Scorpions Chapter is brought in, along with the Minotaurs Chapter, to protect shipping and space lanes and to reinforce the Fire Hawks and Marines Errant during the Badab War against the renegade Astral Claws Chapter and their Space Marine allies. Due to the Red Scorpions' unyielding devotion to Codex scripture and their unwillingness to fraternize with less traditional Chapters, their operations in the Badab War were mainly confined to space-lane protection duties using their fleet. They were involved in several bloody ship-to-ship boarding actions against the renegade Executioners Chapter, while the Minotaurs carried out similar boarding actions against the renegade Lamenters, which causes the Lamenters to surrender.
 * 906.M41 Angstrom Incident - Involving Red Scorpion pursuit squads in Codex red/black disruptive camouflage.
 * 907.M41 - The Red Scorpions return to the galactic East to undertake their normal duties, due to Ork incursions in the Ultima Segmentum (most likely by the Warboss Urgok the Unstoppable). More recently, the Red Scorpions have been involved in operations against Hive Fleet Kraken and the growing Ork empire of Urgok the Unstoppable.


 * 999.M41 Third War for Armageddon - A single company of the Red Scorpions arrives at the end of the first year of conflict during the Season of Fire and awaits the Season of Shadow to commence hostilities on Armageddon.

Miniatures
The Forge World miniatures of Red Scorpion Veterans also shows that these Space Marine Veterans exclusively wear Mark IV Power Armour, which is very unusual, as this pattern of armour has become extremely rare, as most Chapters are extremely lucky to possess even a few suits of this pre-Heresy armor that was worn by the various First Founding Space Marine Legions during the Emperor's Great Crusade over 10,000 years ago.

Fleet Vessels
The Red Scorpions are assumed to have a large fleet at their disposal, given their history and salvage rights following the Badab War, but so far only three starships have been mentioned in official Games Workshop material and Forge World publications to date - the battle barges Auel's Bane and Sword of Ordon, and the strike cruiser Arx Fidelis.