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"Raise the flag high. Let those degenerates know who comes to claim their lives this day!"

—Sergeant Adar Geronan, 4th Company, Imperial Fists
UltramarinesCS1

An Ultramarines Command Squad in combat

A Command Squad is a modern elite Space Marine formation that hails back to the Legion Command Squads from the bygone era of the Legiones Astartes of the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy eras.

Command Squads are made up of highly disciplined and worthy Veteran Space Marines who often accompany Chapter Masters, Space Marine Captains and other important specialists, serving both as bodyguards and Standard Bearers.

The Codex Astartes states that the Chapter Master of a Space Marine Chapter should make proper provision for the protection of important heroes on the battlefield, recognising as it does the importance of the Chapter's Officers, Standard Bearers, Apothecaries, Librarians and other specialists. Most Codex-compliant Chapters therefore organise Command Squads to act in the role of bodyguard to these important warriors.

Command Squads accompany high-ranking Space Marine officers on the field of battle. The exact nature and title of a Command Squad's members can vary, depending on a Chapter's organisation and the personality of a company's Captain. The most common specialists are the Company Champion, Apothecary and Company Standard Bearer, and these can be found in almost all Command Squads. Even so, some Chapters maintain other titles and positions in accordance with their traditions, such as the Foeseekers of the Omega Marines, the Prognosticars of the Silver Skulls, the Terrorblades of the Death Spectres and the Pyre Wardens of the Fire Lords.

Service in a Command Squad undoubtedly speeds promotion within the Chapter -- most Captains fill their retinues with Veterans in whom the bloody skills of combat are matched by tactical and strategic brilliance. This being the case, Space Marine Captains and their Command Squads can invariably be found in the thickest fighting, battling in the midst of the most gruelling of wars against the most terrible of foes.

History

IF-Command-1

Part of an Imperial Fists Legion Command Squad

The modern era Space Marine Command Squad is the predecessor of the Legion Command Squad, a tactical formation of the ancient Space Marine Legions used during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy eras in the late 30th and early 31st Millennia.

In the ancient Legiones Astartes it was a common sight to see senior Astartes commanders and champions accompanied in battle by a squad of elite warriors that served both as a bodyguard for their commander and were entrusted to carry one of the Legion's great standards. On the battlefield this made them a rallying point for the Legion's troops. These chosen Space Marines had access to the finest wargear available to the Legion's rank and file and embodied the Legion's honour in war.

In the 41st Millennium, Command Squads are a common formation of elite specialists who accompany high-ranking Space Marine officers on the field of battle. The exact nature and title of a Command Squad's members can vary, depending on a Chapter's organisation and the personality of a company's Captain. The most common Command Squads are usually composed of a company Champion, an Apothecary, and a Company Standard Bearer, all positions which can be found in almost all Command Squads.

The Codex Astartes states that the Chapter Master of a Space Marine Chapter should make proper provision for the protection of important heroes on the battlefield, recognising as it does the importance of the Chapter's officers, Standard Bearers, Apothecaries, Librarians and other specialists. Most Codex-compliant Chapters therefore organise Command Squads to act in the role of bodyguard to these important warriors.

The Command Squads are not a codified part of the company organisation of the Chapter; rather they are Codex Astartes-approved, yet still ad hoc units. As such they can vary in size and composition but they rarely comprise more than ten Space Marines and normally consist of between 5 and 10 Astartes. In the Battle and Reserve Companies of a Chapter these Astartes are always Veterans drawn from the ranks of the Company's Tactical, Assault and Devastator Marine Squads who have not yet been promoted to the elite 1st Company. The number of Astartes in a Command Squad will vary according to the availability of such Veterans and to the tactical situations the Chapter encounters.

The Command Squad is more flexible than most of the other squad types of the Space Marines because up to two of the Astartes may be designated as Special Weapons Troopers or as Heavy Weapon Troopers. This is in part due to the availability of specifically-trained Astartes and in part due to differing tactical needs. The mix of supreme individual warriors and highly experienced Veteran Space Marine Battle-Brothers makes Command Squads a particularly powerful fighting force and many a battle has been won by their timely intervention or clever deployment by a Space Marine Force Commander.

The Sergeant of a Command Company may display his back banner. The banner displays the Chapter Badge, the Sergeant's red skull rank badge and is trimmed in the company colour.

Command Squad Organisation

UM Cmd Squad

An Ultramarines Command Squad

Company Standard Bearer

A Company Standard Bearer, or "Ancient," is a hand-picked Veteran Space Marine with many years of combat experience. In the midst of battle he is often the focal point the Command Squad will rally around in the heat of battle. A Standard Bearer is often chosen by the company's Captain for this honourable duty because of his bravery and steadfastness in battle. He is a very capable warrior who cannot be discounted when assessing the fighting strength of the company and carries the battle-flag of the company in which he serves. Each standard is an ancient relic, steeped in history and heavy with the glories of the Chapter, and every Space Marine, from the most inexperienced recruit to the hoariest Veteran, fights all the harder in its august presence.. A Standard Bearer has his own shoulder plate markings as befits his officer status within the Chapter. The Standard Bearer's rank badge is the Imperial Laurel honour, usually combined with a skull. The Standard Bearer is trusted never to let his banner out of his grip while he still draws breath -– to do otherwise is to invite the most terrible and shameful dishonour.

Apothecary

The Apothecary is well-versed in the arts of battlefield aid as well as advanced surgery, cybernetics and bio-engineering. He must also be a warrior of untold might and unquenchable bravery, for his place is in the bloody heart of battle. If a comrade falls, the Apothecary can use his Narthecium to tend the wounds, allowing his brother to return to battle even after suffering the most appalling of injuries. However, not all the wounded can be saved. Some weapons are terrible enough to mortally wound a Space Marine outright. The Apothecary can then only calm the spirits of the dying and prepare them for death. Once dead, a Space Marine can live on through his gene-seed, the Apothecary using his reductor to remove the Progenoid Glands from the body. From the genetic imprint held within these precious organs, future generations of Space Marines are created, and the continuation of the Chapter is assured.

Company Champion

Company Champions are charged with defending the honour of their company, their Chapter and the Emperor Himself. They engage the warlords and champions of the foe in single combat, leaving the Captain of their company free to conduct the wider battle, rather than engage in a series of personal combats. Company Champions have key roles in the rituals and ceremonies of their Chapter, representing their Battle-Brothers in rites and mysteries just as they do in war.

Wargear

A Command Squad can accompany a company Captain and various designated Librarians and Chaplains in Space Marine forces. The Astartes of such Command Squads are usually armed as follows:

Notable Command Squads

UM Lion's of Macragge

Ultramarines "Lions of Macragge" Command Squad

Notable Command Squad Variants

The exact nature and title of a Command Squad's members can vary, depending on a Chapter's organisation and the personality of a company's Captain. The following is a list of notable Command Squad variants found in other Space Marine Chapters:

Chapter Command Squad Variant
Death Spectres Terrorblades
Fire Lords Pyre Wardens
Omega Marines Foeseekers
Silver Skulls Prognosticators
Space Wolves Wolf Guard

Sources

  • Codex: Space Marines (7th Edition), pp. 80-81, 105, 310-312
  • Codex: Space Marines (6th Edition), pp. 88, 164
  • Codex: Space Marines (5th Edition), pp. 18, 55
  • Insignium Astartes, pg. 26
  • The Horus Heresy - Book One: Betrayal by Alan Bligh, pp. 192-193
  • The Chapter's Due (Novel) by Graham McNeill
Space Marine Forces
Chapter Command Chapter MasterMaster of the KeepMaster of SanctityChief LibrarianMaster of the ApothecarionMaster of the ForgeMaster of the WatchMaster of the FleetMaster of the ArsenalMaster of the MarchesMaster of the RitesMaster of RelicsChief VictuallerLord ExecutionerMaster of RecruitsMaster of ReconnaissanceMaster of the SignalChapter AncientPrimaris AncientChapter ChampionHonour Guard
Company Command Command SquadReclusiam Command SquadCaptainPrimaris CaptainLieutenantPrimaris LieutenantCompany AncientCompany Champion
Specialists Librarian (EpistolaryCodicierLexicaniumPrimaris LibrarianVanguard Librarian) • Chaplain (ReclusiarchPrimaris ChaplainJudiciar) • Apothecary (Primaris ApothecaryApothecary BiologisHelix Adept) • Techmarine
Veteran Squads Veteran Marines (Sternguard VeteranVanguard VeteranVeteran IntercessorVeteran Assault IntercessorBladeguard Veteran) • Terminator SquadTerminator Assault Squad
Battleline Squads Tactical SquadIntercessor Squad (Heavy Intercessor Squad) • Infiltrator Squad
Close Support Squads Assault SquadAssault Intercessor SquadJump Pack Intercessor SquadInceptor SquadReiver SquadIncursor SquadSuppressor SquadBike SquadOutrider SquadCenturion Assault Squad
Fire Support Squads Aggressor SquadDesolation SquadDevastator SquadHellblaster SquadEradicator SquadEliminator SquadInfernus SquadCenturion Devastator Squad
Neophyte Squads Scout SquadScout Bike Squad
Light Vehicles Assault BikeAttack BikeScout BikeRaider Pattern Combat BikeInvader ATVLand Speeder (Land Speeder StormLand Speeder TempestLand Speeder TornadoLand Speeder TyphoonLand Speeder VengeanceLand Speeder ProteusDarkshroud) • Storm Speeder (Storm Speeder HailstrikeStorm Speeder HammerstrikeStorm Speeder Thunderstrike)
Combat Walkers Dreadnought (Castraferrum DreadnoughtSiege DreadnoughtHellfire DreadnoughtIronclad DreadnoughtVenerable DreadnoughtMortis DreadnoughtChaplain DreadnoughtLibrarian DreadnoughtFurioso DreadnoughtDeath Company DreadnoughtRedemptor Dreadnought (Brutalis DreadnoughtBallistus Dreadnought) • Wulfen DreadnoughtDoomglaive Dreadnought) • Nemesis DreadknightInvictor Tactical Warsuit
Armoured Personnel Carriers RhinoRazorbackDamocles Command RhinoRhino PrimarisRhino AdvancerImpulsor
Main Battle Tanks Predator Destructor (Predator AnnihilatorBaal Predator) • Land Raider (Land Raider PhobosLand Raider CrusaderLand Raider RedeemerLand Raider AchillesLand Raider PrometheusLand Raider Terminus UltraLand Raider AresLand Raider ExcelsiorLand Raider Wrath of MjalnarLand Raider Angel InfernusLand Raider Solemnus AggressorLand Raider Anvilarum) • Deimos Vindicator Laser DestroyerRepulsorRepulsor ExecutionerGladiator (Gladiator ReaperGladiator ValiantGladiator Lancer) • Astraeus
Artillery WhirlwindVindicatorStalkerHunterWhirlwind HyperiosLand Raider HeliosThunderfire CannonFirestrike Servo-turret
Aircraft/Air-Deployed StormtalonThunderhawkThunderhawk TransporterShadowhawkStormravenStorm EagleFire RaptorStormhawk InterceptorCaestus Assault RamDark TalonNephilim JetfighterStormfangStormwolfCorvus BlackstarOverlordDrop PodHammerfall Bunker
Rare, Relic or Retired Vehicles Contemptor Pattern DreadnoughtDeredeo Pattern DreadnoughtCerberus Heavy Tank DestroyerLeviathan DreadnoughtJavelin Attack SpeederJetbikeDeimos PredatorDeimos RhinoSabre Tank HunterLand Raider ProteusKratos Heavy Assault TankMark IIb Land Raider PhobosMalcador Assault Tank (Malcador Annihilator) • Sicaran Battle TankSicaran VenatorSicaran Punisher Assault TankSicaran Arcus Strike TankSicaran Omega Tank DestroyerSpartan Assault TankTyphon Heavy Siege TankFellbladeFalchionMastodonDeimos Whirlwind ScorpiusXiphon Pattern InterceptorStormbirdKharybdis Assault Claw
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