Iron Hands' Allies: Bonds Forged in the Crucible of War - A Comprehensive Overview
In the grim and turbulent universe of Warhammer 40,000, where humanity teeters on the brink of extinction, the Iron Hands Space Marine Chapter stands as a beacon of unyielding resolve, cybernetic augmentation, and a relentless pursuit of perfection. Despite their stoic and solitary nature, the Iron Hands have formed alliances and bonds with a select few, both within and outside the Adeptus Astartes. In this comprehensive overview, we will delve into the diverse array of allies who have stood by the Iron Hands' side, from other Space Marine chapters to the tech-priests of the Adeptus Mechanicus and even the enigmatic Inquisition, exploring the challenges, battles, and enduring partnerships that shape the chapter's history.
Table of Contents
Allied Space Marine Chapters
1.1 The Salamanders: Fire and Iron
1.2 The Raven Guard: Shadows and Steel
1.3 The Ultramarines: Order and Progress
The Adeptus Mechanicus: Forging Bonds of Iron
The Inquisition
The Knights of House Raven: Engines of War
Conclusion: Iron Bonds in a Universe of Darkness
1. Allied Space Marine Chapters
1.1 The Salamanders: Fire and Iron
The Salamanders and the Iron Hands, though different in temperament and philosophy, have found common ground in their loyalty to the Emperor and their commitment to defending humanity. These two chapters have cooperated in various campaigns, their strengths complementing each other.
The Salamanders and the Iron Hands mainly fought together in the Great Crusade in the first century of the 30th millennium. This campaign climaxed in the Drop Site massacre of Istvaan V in which Ferrus Manus was killed. The Salamanders and Raven Guard led by Vulkan and Corvus Corax advised him to retreat while he charged headlong into the trap laid out by Horus and the traitor legions. Ever since then the relationship between the three loyalist chapters has been sour. There are a great many Iron Hands that feel that their Primarch would have survived if the other two legions had given their full support at Istvaan.
If you want to put Salamanders on the table instead of Iron Hands you will be looking for rules that favor flamers. Based on their lore they have an aptitude for using fire weapons and being better in close combat than some of the other Adeptus Astartes. You also can play around with some dragon paint schemes and scales on Salamanders based on their lore which might make them a more interesting paint job/hobby project for you. Overall I think it is a chapter that sees less play than Blood Angels, Space Wolves, Ultramarines, or Black Templars. They are good when Games Workshop looks their way with a new Codex but are not as central in their considerations as the other chapters which have more characters to sell on their roster. Iron Hands usually fare better as they do get one very good Codex update per edition.
If you still want to play Iron Hands, but paint them green and black like the Salamanders you also have the option to go for the Succession chapter of the Sons of Medusa.
1.2 The Raven Guard: Shadows and Steel
The Raven Guard's stealth and hit-and-run tactics have found a valuable ally in the Iron Hands' relentless firepower and resilience. Together, they have waged successful campaigns against a range of adversaries.
As with the Salamanders, the Raven Guard was most intertwined with the Iron Hands during the Great Crusade which ended in the Horus Heresy. Their Primarch is Corvus Corax and the current chapter master is Kayvaan Shrike. The Raven Guard are a little more cerebral and intellectual than the Iron Hands. Some would consider them the “Emos” of Warhammer. Their main tactics are guerrilla warfare and avoiding head-on confrontations with the enemy wherever possible. If they get into close combat they will trade the usual hammers, shields, and swords for claws to be more agile. Their shock troops often have jet packs and generally, they lean more towards things that fly rather than things that have heavy armor.
Their color scheme is very close to that of the Iron Hands and my army has been mistaken for Raven Guard more than once. If you like a play that is more into moving things off and on the board or making units hard to hut, then this is the army for you. You might even get away with running your Iron hands as Raven Guard from time to time without raising too many eyebrows.
1.3 The Ultramarines: Order and Progress
The Ultramarines, known for their adherence to the Codex Astartes, have worked with the Iron Hands in various conflicts. While their methods may differ, their shared dedication to order and discipline has led to effective collaborations.
The “smurfs” and the Iron Hands often collaborate as Roboute Guilliman and his blue boys are the backbone of the Adeptus Astartes. While the Iron Hands do accept Guilliman as the supreme commander of all the Adeptus Astartes that is also where the commonalities in belief systems end. The Iron Hands are organized in autonomous clans which send their most elite members to the Iron Council. This in itself is closer to a tribal organization led by an elite based on votes and discussion rooted in logic rather than a top-down military operation like Guilliman postulates in his Codex. In addition to that most elite Iron Hands will undergo additional training on Mars with the tech priests. Therefore their belief system is more closely aligned to the Omnissiah rather than the God Emperor himself. Combine this with the rift that Horus and Guilliman were chosen as supreme commanders by the emperor over Ferrus and you get a nice powder keg to start a civil war at some stage based on misaligned organizations, belief systems, and loyalties. For now, Guilliman calls upon the Iron Hands in large engagements to fill the ranks, especially for internal cleansings where the morals of other chapters might get in the way of fulfilling the task. He will not entrust the most secret missions to the Iron Tenth as Mars will surely be informed through the Iron Council.
If you want to run some Ultramarines you can count on lots of character support and a color scheme that is close to most real-life marines. They also get some of the most rules and model updates as Space Marines are one of the best sellers of Games Workshop.
2. The Adeptus Mechanicus: Forging Bonds of Iron
The Iron Hands share a unique bond with the Adeptus Mechanicus, stemming from their mutual reverence for technology and the Machine God. The Mechanicum's tech priests and Enginseers provide vital support to the chapter, maintaining and enhancing its formidable arsenal of war machines.
The Adeptus Mechanicus are the keepers of the technological secrets of Mankind and have their main base on Mars. They reject the cult of the Imperium and instead believe that the emperor of Manklind is an incarnation of the Ominissiah, the all-knowing machine god. In this, they share the belief with the Ironhands that the Flesh is weak and that replacing human body parts with cybernetics is a holy process.
The Iron Hands and Adeptus Mechanicus are closer in beliefs than most of the other Adeptus Astartes. All senior officers of the Iron Hands have undergone training and indoctrination on Mars before being posted to their commands. The tech-priests of Mars also have been more closely involved when there were internal strifes of the Iron Hands during the Horus Heresy. Both factions share a suspicion of psykers and the Ecclesiarchy.
If you wanted to collect an Adeptus Mechanicus army you would paint a lot of red coats and metal parts. The army has a steampunk feel about it and some very quirky units. Sometimes reminds me of the sand people from Star Wars. Their models also make good kitbashing troves for Iron hands armies if you want to convert your models to a high degree.
3. The Inquisition
The Inquisition plays a crucial role in maintaining the Imperium's stability. Inquisitors, particularly those from the Ordo Hereticus and the Ordo Xenos, have collaborated with the Iron Hands to investigate and eliminate threats to the Emperor's realm.
The Inquisition’s origin stories all go back to the end of the Horus Heresy. When the Emperor of Mankind was entombed in his throne the question of rooting out the heretics, Xenos, and demons. Inquisitors act independently from command chains with huge resources at their disposal and belong to the Ordo Malleus, Xenos, or Hereticus depending on which of these three enemies of the imperium they hate the most. The Inquisition, just like the Adeptus Mechanicus, is a state within a state but with a focus on spying on everybody around them. In total, the Inquisition’s gaze points more toward inside rather than outside threats. While they can give direct orders to the Adeptus Astartes and Agents of Mars they usually try to act with more finesse to avoid open conflict.
The relationship between the Iron Handa and the Inquisition is a strained one. This can be said about any secret body of police and the people they are policing, but here it is especially so. While the Inquisition values the Iron Hands for asking fewer questions about the means when the end makes humanity win over their foes, the Iron Hands themselves display borderline heretic behavior. They do not adhere to the Codex of the Adeptus Astartes, follow the machine cult, practice self-mutilation, and strife for perfection. All of which are good ingredients to start a heretic stew. It follows that the Inquisition see the Iron Hands as a useful tool when needed to clean out the cupboards. Once they have fulfilled that purpose the Iron Tenth is also top of the Exterminatus list to brun as heretics.
If you like the idea of only having to answer for yourself while getting rid of entire planets that are not falling in line declaring an Extermerninatus then the Inquisition is for you. You can not build an army out of the different Agents of the Imperium loyal to the Inquisition. Therefore you will most likely run an Astra Militarum, Astartes, or Mechanicus army supported by these models. Looking closer into the Inquisition is a good start when you want to dig deeper into narrative campaigns that will start on a planet and culminate in the standard 2000-point competitive clashes of the world of 40K
4. The Knights of House Raven: Engines of War
House Raven, a Knight House closely aligned with the Adeptus Mechanicus, shares a long-standing relationship with the Iron Hands. Their combined forces represent a formidable alliance of advanced technology and armored might.
House Raven is very closely allied with the Adeptus Mechanicus, more so than with Terra itself. With this also comes a closeness to the Iron Hands as their belief systems more closely align. The house of Raven commands big Imperial Knight killing machines and used to house hundreds of these on their home Forgeworld Kolossi. This world was corrupted by Be'lakor during the era of Indomitus and is now the seat of the Chaos Knight house of Corvax which shattered most of House Raven and scattered the remaining Imperial knights in red to the winds.
Having a house raven-themed Imperial knight join your Iron Hands army from time to time can be a fun and challenging project. It might even be the start of your very own Imperial knights army. Iron Hands armies lack big centerpiece models like other Adeptus Astartes chapters and bringing a house raven knight as an ally can just be the fix to your hobby you might like. For Tournaments, an entire Imperial Knights army also bears the advantage of having to deal with fewer models on the table which makes them simpler to transport and play. The disadvantage of knight armies is that placing a model wrong can decide entire games as you have very few powerful models to work with that your opponent easily can focus fire on.
5. Conclusion: Iron Bonds in a Universe of Darkness
In the grim, dark future of Warhammer 40,000, the Iron Hands have forged bonds and alliances that, while not without challenges and controversies, reflect their unyielding commitment to the defense of humanity. From fellow Space Marine chapters to the Adeptus Mechanicus, Inquisitors, and Knight House Raven, these allies represent beacons of hope in a galaxy overshadowed by darkness. The Iron Hands' enduring partnerships add depth to their lore, illustrating the complexity and resilience of the Imperium of Man in the face of unrelenting threats.
