Concerning the Steel Hussars

"You may begin your report, Legate," spoke the senior Inquisitor, sat casually at the large meeting plinth which dominated the cramped room. An engine hummed somewhere off in the distance, and the plasteel walls of the room vibrated with a delicate percussion quite unlike a heartbeat. 

Nodding respectfully, the Legate allowed their carefully measured words to spill forth, filling the empty spaces of the room -- of which there were few. A number of high-ranking officials, many bearing symbols of Inquisitorial office, and in particular the Ordo Hereticus, regarded the speaker with various degrees of interest. It had been a long investigation after all. In fact, it was always a long investigation. 

Steel Hussars Veterans in Terminator Armor

Conception

The Steel Hussars are one of the many homebrew space marine chapters I've noodled around with over the years, and they are certainly one of the most sentimental for me. Way back in the mid-nineties, I spent hours poring over the newly released Codex: Ultramarines -- here was the one of the first codices of the second edition Warhammer 40,000, and I was ready for something new after collecting Space Orks throughout Rogue Trader. 

I already had a good amount of space marine miniatures by this point. I had a bunch of beakies from the Imperial Space Marines set, as well as the twenty monopose space marines that came in the new boxed set. But what to do with them?

What stood out to me was the concept of space marine crusades. These were presented a bit differently from how we think about them nowadays. Instead of a single chapter tearing across the galaxy, crusades as described in Codex: Ultramarines consisted of a coalition -- space marines of various allied chapters would second one or more squads to help muster the crusading army. This really appealed to my schoolboy sensibilities as I could barely stand to consistently paint more than a few figures. In this way Space Orks were a good choice as my main army during Rogue Trader. 

The many different chapters represented in the pamphlet found within the second edition box set was inspiring! There was so much to choose from, and many hours were devoted to fantasizing about the finished army, and how glorious it would look striding across the battlefields of my living room. 

On the other hand, I actually needed to start painting, and especially back then it was easier said than done. And in the meantime, I needed to choose which chapters I wanted to include. While I am a big fan of the Big Four -- Ultramarines, Blood Angels, Space Wolves, and Dark Angels -- I knew I wanted to avoid including them as I wanted to try some of my own ideas. 

Steel Hussars Veteran

The Red Lancers

Before the Steel Hussars there was the Red Lancers. I grew up around old fashioned wargaming, which frequently made use of chits, and hex maps, and charts (the charts!), and as a result I was frequently inspired by the real-life battles and armies which were often the subject of these games. 

In addition, my father grew up as an adopted orphan, and a side effect of that was he often struggled with his identity. Ethnically Polish, he took a deep and keen interest in the history of the homeland of his birth parents. And as a result, I often endured many a lecture learning this or that piece of trivia.

Here was my inspiration -- the Polish hussars, Europe's premier heavy calvary for decades, until the advent of reliable firearms. Making a rare order from a Games Workshop catalog, I used my pocket money to purchase 20-winged banners from the Kisvelite range. These would become my prototype space marines, and the progenitors for the future Steel Hussars. 

I didn't settle on the metallic armor initially. Being the '90s, and red being THE paint to use, I initially painted my first squad with full Blood Red armor. The job was a good 'un and I moved on to work on other chapters for my burgeoning crusade -- the Void Masters, Kadath Swords and more that I've forgotten in the decades since. 

When the Steel Hussars Arrived

After spending many happy years gaming with my space marines and other Warhammer armies, the 2000s began. And I hence discovered that girls are actually pretty cool. By this time, I had turned 18, and being the young shitheel that I was, struck out to start my life and try to figure things out for myself. As a result, Warhammer and other hobbies were hung up for a while as I stumbled through young adulthood. 

By 2008, at the encouragement of my wife, I got back into Warhammer after being away for close to a decade (and most of fourth edition). I picked up the fourth edition starter, and a few months later the newly available fifth edition of Warhammer:40,000. With the start to a small army, I started up my renegade space marine chapter, the Forgotten Sons. But after some eBay purchases, I was ready to start a loyalist army too. 

My thoughts drifted as I tried to decide which direction I wanted to head -- should I resurrect one of my earlier ideas? At this time, I was also reconciling with my father after being estranged throughout my late teens and early 20s. I thought it would be fun to do something to honor our recommitment to being father and son. This made me think back to the Red Lancers; while I liked the concept, I wanted something that might be easier to paint. And this is when the Steel Hussars arrived. 

When it comes to space marines, my main influence is the classic novel "Space Marine" by Ian Watson. It and "Deathwing" were very influential to how I have interpreted the culture of the Adeptus Astartes ever since. It made me start to think hard about what I wanted my space marines to be like. 

I knew I didn't want to slap people in the face with obvious influences (and don't get me started on the Big Four these days!), so I started giving thought to what an updated color scheme would look like. Preserving red was important as a nod to their "parent" chapter, but I settled on steel as an easy color to paint (made even easier with today's tools). A chapter badge would eventually come, especially once Forge World released their initial Raven Guard transfer sheet. 

The color scheme has updated over time. A lot of that is dictated by my personal tastes and what I find fun to paint. The core red and steel has remained, but since then I've added gold trim and accents, as well as checkers -- which I just find incredibly fun to paint! 

Steel Hussars Battle Brother, 4th Company

Lore of the Steel Hussars

Lore, on the other hand, has been slow to develop. For me, it's something that reveals itself to me as I work on a project like this. One thing I like about Warhammer lore is that it evolves, and you can never quite trust what you read or see or hear, as it's all propaganda or told from a particular point of view. Some things just start to fall into place and then the logic of the situation just seems to "click" and you form your own interpretation of events. And that's how it's been with the Steel Hussars. 

I'm unsure of the founding. They are probably pretty old, since I collect a lot of various marks of armor. But they aren't as old as the Second Founding, and neither the Third. The Steel Hussars were probably founded after the Fifth Founding, or even later. Records are inconclusive. 

I do know that personal heraldry is very important to the chapter, as it is a living record of the individual deeds of its brothers. When veterans are promoted to the First Company, they take on the name of their predecessor, with most dating back to the original founding of the chapter. At this point, veterans can and do proudly display their heraldry, the meaning of which is lost among outside observers. 

In addition, veterans cannot wear the traditional Codex Approved white helmet of a veteran until they are assigned to their first mission in Tactical Dreadnought Armor. When the honor does come, the Veteran Battle Brother recuses himself to the Reclusiasm, where under the guidance of the chapter's Chaplains they ritually paint their helmet white, while reciting the many deeds performed by their predecessors with whom they share their name. Amongst the Steel Hussars, this practice is known as "Taking the White," and is the highest honor most Veteran Space Marines will hope to achieve during their service.

Which legion do the Steel Hussars initially hail from? That is unknown. Many speculate that they are descendants of the Horde of Jaghatai, though I am unsure. I personally believe they are related to the Imperial Fists, especially as the "Space Marine" novel really inspired me as to how I think about their traditions. In their battle practice, the Steel Hussars don't favor any form of warfare over another, instead choosing a method which will end the conflict most quickly while completing their assigned objectives. 

Company markings are often simplified and stylized versions of the commanding Captain's personal heraldry. As a result, company markings across every company -- especially Battle Companies -- can change over time. These markings are often worn on the left kneepad. 

Field camouflage is frequently employed, especially among chapter "recon squads." For unknown reasons, the Steel Hussars recruit fewer scouts when compared to most space marine chapters. Due to this, Tactical Squads within Battle Companies, as well as the Reserve Companies of the sixth and seventh, as sometimes deployed in reconnaissance duties. Depending on the circumstances, these recon squads will utilize field camo suited to the fighting theater in which they find themselves, choosing from the many Chapter Approved options found within the Codex Astartes.