Iron Hands
Allegiance
loyalist
Pre-Heresy Ranks
- Legionary / Veteran
- Sergeant / Veteran Sergeant
- Centurion
- Captain and First Captain
- Praetor
- Iron Father combining Techmarine and Chaplain roles
- Iron Lord as clan ruler
- Morlock as Ferrus Manus' Terminator honour guard
- Ironwrought as tech-focused veteran.
Post-Heresy Ranks
- Scout
- Battle-Brother
- veteran and Terminator veteran in the Morlock tradition
- Sergeant / Veteran Sergeant
- Lieutenant
- Captain or Iron Captain
- de facto chapter master from the Iron Council
- Iron Father as key rank
- Iron Chaplain
- Techmarine
- Master of the Forge
- Apothecary and Chief Apothecary
- Librarian and Chief Librarian.
Companies & Units
- Companies as clan companies such as Raukaan and Avernii
- each clan also being a company
- the Iron Council as the chapter council
- squad level with standard squads and Morlock Terminator units.
Homeworld(s)
Medusa, a harsh post‑industrial waste/Death World near the Eye of Terror, with mobile clan‑fortresses (‘Land Behemoths’) rather than a single monastery. Early recruitment from Terra, later almost exclusively from Medusa and its clans.
Combat Doctrine(s)
- Heavily mechanised warfare built around armoured spearheads, heavy firepower, bionics and an unusually high proportion of Techmarines. Official core specialty: ‘Bionics, Armoured Assault’
- psychic powers are viewed as tools rather than objects of cultic reverence.
Epochs & Role
In the Great Crusade deployed as a logical, efficient assault Legion (e.g. the destruction of the Diasporex). In the Heresy they are nearly destroyed and lose Ferrus Manus at Isstvan V, then fight the Bitter War against the Word Bearers. In the Scouring they undergo the Second Founding, creating Red Talons and Brazen Claws while the Iron Hands remain as the parent Chapter. In M41/M42 they endure internal crises such as the Moirae Schism, see the creation of the Sons of Medusa and defend the Medusan subsector against Chaos.
Successor Chapters / Warbands (Overview)
- 2nd Founding: Red Talons, Brazen Claws. Later significant successors: Sons of Medusa (born of the Moirae Schism), Iron Lords, Iron Fists, Steel Confessors, Star Dragons, Guardians of the Abyss, Knights of Byzantium, Rust Oxen.