u/Guythatexistsornot

Before i get to the lore dump i do have a quick clarification, as you see the captain helmet is blank, that is because their helmet color is based on the company colors, also Reddit changes the color of the armor on mobile sadly so the image isn’t entirely acurate if your reading on a phone. anyways onto the lore dump

The Shields of the Stars are a 21st cursed founding chapter hailing from the Iron hands, due to the adeptus mechanicus tampering with gene-seed during this founding entire chapters had imperfect gene-seed causing mutations. for the shields of the stars this mutation is know as the "Red shedding" (ill go into more detail about this later) after their founding the chapter was a mess and the organisation was just as messy, this is mostly due to them coping with their Gene-mutation. over the next 500 years the chapter was disorganized and had much political infighting, Until the 3rd ever chapter master, Araqiel Soctus.

Araqiel Soctus was the 3rd ever chapter master serving in the chapter for over 200 hundred years before being apointed the role, his predecessors were wiped from the chapter archives so no one knows the circumstances behind his apointment but he has become a hero because of his deeds. Araqiel was a political genius and was the one to establish the chapters relations to the Adeptus mechanicus, this alliance was nessary due to the Red Shedding which caused the chapter to need a supply of Prostetics that they did not have at the time. Araqiel forged an alliance with the mechanicus of a nearby forge world (now named Vernistor Prime) supplying the chapter with a steady supply of prostecics, in return the chapter became steadfast protectors of their mechanicus allys. This pact has been sustained for over 4,000 years now and over time has joined the shields and the local mechanicus to each other.

In the 41st Millenium the chapter has changed greatly from the time of their founding, going from an unorganized mess to a highly refined and effiecent chapter. The current chapter master, Astovadion Ceastanen, has been a great aid to this. Just like his predecessors he is a political and tatical mastermind that has led the chapter threw some of the most vicious battles in their history. currently he stays on their home planet, Vernistor IV, and rarely is seen in battle and is instead usally in his command throne strategising for their next battle. Not only has the Chapters masters changed but the battle brothers of the chapter have changed greatly too, during their founding they were much more human then they are now, this is due from the excessive emplantation of prostetics and agmentics into their body, this is done out of nessicity and tradition, the nessicity comes from the effects of the red shedding and the tradition comes from the fact it has been dont for over 4,000 years. None the less this has caused the chapter to lose almost all of their humanity and become robotic, though this is more common in the battle companys and the veteran company rather than the reserve companys due to experience, it is typically seen that the Shields of the Stars grow more robotic and inhuman as their time in the chapter grows and as more of their body is replaced by machine.

Now im gonna cover some extra topics, notably the Red sheding thats been mentioned alot and their homeworld of vernister IV

The Red Shedding is The shields of the stars most notable Gene-mutations caused by the 21st founding. The Red shedding is heavily reviled by the chapter and every battle brother would be elated if it disapeared. The effects of the Red Shedding are numerous but mainly the effects are Rejection of the skin, Rejection of the organs, Rashes, Boils, skin and flesh sloghing off the marine, etc. In many marines the Red Shedding effects the whole body, others have one limb uneffected, some have multiple un-efected regions (though thats extremly rare). But one thing is constant, It has never once touched the Brain of any effected marine, this is seen as a blessing from the emperor by the chapter and is the only "good" part of the Gene-mutation

Finnaly will cover their home world, Vernistor IV. The world of Vernistor IV is extremly hostile being classified as a death world, the only respute from the hostility of this world is in the chapters fortress monastary in the peaks of a large mountain range. Vernistor IV is Located in the Vernistor system which has 9 other planets, they are all named Vernistor + Numeric designation. The System is loacted in the Priam Sector in the Segmentum Obscurus in the imperium Nihlus, this has caused their home system to experience many chaos attacks notably from the death guard and their related warbands (which is considered the chapters main enemy)

that is all the general lore for the chapter, i could write alot more but i need to "be productive" so i dont have to much time to write lol. tell me what you guys think and ask as many questions as you want cause id love to answere them! LOGIC ABOVE FLESH!!!

It took forever but it’s finnaly finished!

How is the skin on the termagant looking? Just finsined and I’m pretty proud of it!

What regiment should I paint next?

I intend for the assimilator to have the “synaptopressence” upgrade to give him a 4+ invulnrable, but the point cost for that isn’t available so the 40 empty points is just a buffer for that upgrade, tell me what you think I could change, or any good strategies I could use!

I finally painted my first death guard*!!! I used to heavily dislike death guard due to how I painted a previous model, it caused me to not want to paint any of the death guard. but recently I decided to give them another chance in a more typical color scheme and ive absolutely loved the process and now I’m considering getting a death guard army started! Let me know what i can improve

*I’ve painted one previously though I disliked it and striped the paint, so this model is my only finished death guard at this moment