Fleet-Based armies are those that operate across the Milky Way Galaxy without a fixed base or homeworld, and which normally operate on a highly-mobile basis from a fleet of starships. Such armies include the forces of the Tyranids, almost the entire surviving, uncorrupted Eldar race who now operate from their great Craftworlds and many of the Chapters of the Space Marines. Many Fleet-based Chapters of Space Marines not only maintain large Chapter Fleets but also massive flagships that serve as a mobile fortress-monastery and are known as Chapter Barques. Such massive vessels include the Eternal Crusader of the Black Templars or the Omnis Arcanum of the Blood Ravens. Some Chapters even have access to larger mobile fortresses that serve as their primary base of operations, like The Rock of the Dark Angels, the Phalanx of the Imperial Fists or the Raptorus Rex of the Fire Hawks. Several Chapters who turned Renegade at some point but were judged to have been misled into treachery and granted forgiveness by the High Lords of Terra following a penitent crusade, like the Mantis Warriors and the Lamenters, are now Fleet-Based Crusade Chapters following the forfeiture of their Chapter homeworld as the price for their transgression.
Notable Fleet-Based Space Marine Chapters
| Black Dragons | Salamanders (Allegedly) | Cursed 21st Founding | |
| Black Templars | Imperial Fists | Second Founding | Upon their inception, the Black Templars launched an Eternal Crusade into the stars. Their mobile fortress-monastery is the ancient Gloriana-class Battleship Eternal Crusader. |
| Imperial Fists | N/A | First Founding | Though officially, they do not have a Chapter home world, the Imperial Fists are based on Terra. Their mobile fortress-monastery is the ancient, relic star fortress, Phalanx. |
| Blood Ravens | Unknown | Unknown | Formerly, the Blood Angels' Space Marine Chapter Homeworld was Aurelia. Following its destruction, they became a fleet-base Chapter. Their mobile fortress-monastery is the Battle Barge Omnis Arcanum. |
| Charnel Guard | Blood Angels | Third Founding | A reclusive, fleet-based Chapter whose chronicle threads through many dark passages of the Imperium's history. |
| Crimson Castellans | Unknown | Unknown | When their Chapter home world of Vorl Secunda suffered a massive outbreak of a mysterious illness known as Grey Phage, this forced the Crimson Castellans to abandon it and become a fleet-based Chapter. |
| Eagle Warriors | Ultramarines | Second Founding | This fleet-based Chapter is continually on campaign to defend those star systems originally conquered by their Primarch Roboute Guilliman during the Great Crusade. |
| Executioners | Imperial Fists | Third Founding | Though technically, this Chapter is based upon the binary-worlds of Stygia and Aquilon, following their involvement in the Badab War, they were eventually granted the Emperor's forgiveness and are currently undertaking a 100 year long Penitent Crusade. Their home worlds have been given in trust to the Salamanders Chapter and their own Successor Chapters rather than forfeited entirely. |
| Fire Hawks | Ultramarines (Suspected) | Cursed 21st Founding | The zealous Fire Hawks have the distinction of having lost not one, but two Chapter home worlds. This forced them to become a fleet-based Chapter. Their mobile fortress-monastery was the ancient relic star fortress, Raptorus Rex. |
| Invaders | Ultramarines | Unknown | The Invaders were formerly based upon Chapter home world of Ogrys. But following the destruction of the Eldar Craftworld of Idharae, the Aeldari retaliated four decades later, and enacted bitter vengeance upon the Invaders. They were forced to become a fleet-based Chapter following the devastation of Ogrys. |
| Iron Crusaders | Unknown | Unknown | Almost nothing is known about this fleet-based Chapter in Imperial records. The Iron Crusaders were last seen heading towards the forbidden region of space known as the Ghoul Stars in 998.M41. |
| Knights of Gryphonne | Unknown | Unknown | The Knights of Gryphonne is a Crusading fleet-based Chapter. The Chapter fleet's last known location was in the Segmentum Tempestus near the Reductus Sector. |
| Lamenters | Blood Angels | Cursed 21st Founding | The Lamenters have had a tumultuous, and often fraught, history. Since their inception, they have been a fleet-based Chapter. They mobile fortress-monastery is the Battle Barge Mater Lachrymarum. |
| Mantis Warriors | Marauders (White Scars lineage) | 8th Founding | A renowned and cunning Chapter known throughout the Segmentum Ultima, the Mantis Warriors were the warders of the worlds of the Endymion Cluster. Following their involvement in the Badab War, they were granted the Emperor's forgiveness and forced to forfeit their demesne and undertake a century long Penitent Crusade. |
| Minotaurs | Unknown | Cursed 21st Founding | This ferocious and bloody-handed Chapter of ill-repute have been a fleet-based Chapter since their inception. They are highly active in the prosecution of the Emperor's wars, deploying according to the whims of the High Lords of Terra. |
| Relictors | Unknown (Dark Angels or Ultramarines - Suspected) | Unknown (M36) | Founded as a part of the 20 Chapters of the Astartes Praeses, to guard against the threats of the Eye of Terror, this formerly Loyalist Chapter became enamored with the use of Chaos-infused weapons against the Forces of Chaos. Following their Excommunication, their home world of Neutra was subjected to Exterminatus and the remainder of the Renegade Chapter fled into the Eye of Terror. |
| Scythes of the Emperor | Ultramarines | Third Founding | An ancient and formidable Successor Chapter of the Ultramarines, the Scythes have suffered their fair share of loss down the millennia, including the destruction of their Chapter home world of Sotha by Hive Fleet Kraken, forcing them to become a fleet-based Chapter. Their mobile fortress-monastery is the Battle Barge Heart of Cronus. |
| Soul Drinkers | Unknown (Formerly believed to be the Imperial Fists) | Third Founding | The Soul Drinkers have been a fleet-based Chapter since their inception. They were created from those Space Marines of the original VII Legion who specialised in void warfare and ship-to-ship actions. In the latter 41st Millennium, they were declared Excommunicate Traitoris by the Inquisition. Though declared Renegades, they still loyally served the Emperor. They were destroyed as a Chapter in the last 41st Millennium. |
| Storm Giants | Salamanders (Suspected) | 26th Founding | This Chapter has been a fleet-based Chapter since their inception, preferring to meet any threats to the Imperium on their own terms. They do not want to be tied down by any one world. |
See Also
Sources
- Codex Adeptus Astartes - Space Marines (8th Edition), pp. 30, 36
- Codex: Black Templars (4th Edition)
- Codex: Blood Angels (5th Edition)
- Codex: Space Marines (8th Edition), pg. 39
- Codex: Space Marines (7th Edition) (Digital Edition), pg. 115
- Codex: Space Marines (6th Edition), pp. 40-45, 47
- Codex: Space Marines (5th Edition), pg. 8, 24, 29-30
- Codex Supplement: Angels of Death (8th Edition), pg. 30
- Deathwatch: Core Rulebook (RPG), pp. 38-39
- Deathwatch: First Founding (RPG), pg. 54-56, 107
- Deathwatch: Honour the Chapter (RPG), pp. 9-11, 118, 128, 130
- Deathwatch: Rites of Battle (RPG), pp. 44-51
- Warhammer 40,000 Rulebook (5th Edition)
- Deathwatch Core Rulebook (RPG)
- Imperial Armour Volume Two Space Marines and Forces of the Inquisition, pp. 74, 181
- Imperial Armour Volume Two, Second Edition - War Machines of the Adeptus Astartes, pp. 17, 107, 135
- Imperial Armour Volume Ten - The Badab War - Part Two, pg. 84-93, 99, 109, 104
- Imperial Armour Volume Nine - The Badab War - Part One, pg. 14
- Index Astartes II, "Righteous Zeal - Black Templars Space Marine Chapter", by Graham McNeill, "Emperor's Fist - The Imperial Fists Space Marine Chapter", pp. 12-17
- Index Astartes: Battle Barges, pg. 12
- Blood Ravens: The Dawn of War (Omnibus) by C.S. Goto, Chapter One
- Death of Antagonis (Novel) by David Annandale
- The Last Days of Ector (Novella) by Guy Haley