Space Marines are the best-known warriors in Warhammer 40,000, and they come in a bewildering range of colours. This guide answers one beginner question: what are the main Space Marine Chapters, and how do you tell them apart?
Legions, then Chapters
Space Marines were created by the Emperor of Mankind to conquer the galaxy during the Great Crusade. They were originally organised into twenty huge Legions, each built from the genetic material of one of the Emperor's superhuman sons, the Primarchs. Two of those Legions were later erased from Imperial records, and during the civil war known as the Horus Heresy, nine of the remaining eighteen turned traitor.
After the Heresy, the loyal Legions were broken up into smaller, independent Chapters so that no single commander could ever again wield so much power. This reorganisation, set out in a doctrine called the Codex Astartes, is known as the Second Founding. The Chapters that kept the original Legion names are called the First Founding Chapters, and the new ones carved from them are their successors.
The nine loyal First Founding Chapters
These are the Chapters most people mean when they talk about "the big Space Marine Chapters". The colour column is our own simple painting guide, describing the base colour, the shade and the highlight in plain terms rather than naming specific paints.
| Chapter | Legion | Primarch | Known for | Armour colours (base / shade / highlight) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Angels | I | Lion El'Jonson | Secretive, guarding a shameful ancient past | Deep green / green-black wash / brighter mid-green edges. Elite veterans wear bone-white. |
| White Scars | V | Jaghatai Khan | Lightning-fast attacks, bikes and speed | Off-white / soft grey-brown wash / pure white edges, with red trim |
| Space Wolves | VI | Leman Russ | Fierce independence, sagas and wolf pelts | Blue-grey / dark blue-grey wash / pale grey-blue edges, with yellow and red details |
| Imperial Fists | VII | Rogal Dorn | Siege defence and unbreakable stubbornness | Warm yellow / orange-brown wash / pale yellow edges |
| Blood Angels | IX | Sanguinius | Noble warriors haunted by a genetic curse | Rich red / dark red-brown wash / orange-red edges, with black and gold |
| Iron Hands | X | Ferrus Manus | Bionics and contempt for the weakness of flesh | Black / black wash for depth / grey edges, with silver and white |
| Ultramarines | XIII | Roboute Guilliman | Discipline, the Codex Astartes and Macragge | Mid blue / dark blue wash / light blue edges, with gold and white |
| Salamanders | XVIII | Vulkan | Master smiths who protect ordinary people | Deep green / dark green wash / bright green edges, with black and gold |
| Raven Guard | XIX | Corvus Corax | Stealth, ambushes and striking from the shadows | Black / black wash for depth / blue-grey edges, with white details |
The missing numbers (II and XI) belong to the two lost Legions. The other gaps belong to the nine traitor Legions, which are a story for another guide.
Successor Chapters
Every First Founding Chapter has many descendants, called successors, created in later Foundings from its gene-seed. Successors often share their parent's character but wear their own colours. The Black Templars, for example, are a Second Founding successor of the Imperial Fists, yet they look and behave very differently. You can read their story in our guide to the Black Templars.
How many Chapters are there?
Nobody knows exactly, even within the setting. The number is often estimated at around a thousand, but new Chapters are founded and old ones destroyed all the time, and many Chapters have never been named in any official source. That is good news for hobbyists: if you invent your own Chapter, there is plenty of room for it.
How a Chapter is organised
A Chapter that follows the Codex Astartes traditionally has around a thousand battle-brothers split into ten companies, led by a Chapter Master. The first company holds the veterans and the tenth trains new recruits. Some Chapters, such as the Space Wolves and Black Templars, ignore large parts of the Codex and organise themselves in their own way.
Telling Chapters apart at a glance
- Look at the main armour colour first. Blue, red, yellow, green, white and black cover most of the famous Chapters.
- Then look at the trim and shoulder pads. Two green Chapters (Dark Angels and Salamanders) and two black ones (Iron Hands and Raven Guard) are mainly distinguished by their trim and details.
- Finally, the character. Wolf pelts and runes mean Space Wolves; robes and winged swords suggest Dark Angels; heavy bionics point to Iron Hands.
Picking a Chapter to paint
If you are new to painting, a mid-tone colour such as blue, red or green is the most forgiving, because shading and highlighting both show clearly. Yellow and white look fantastic but need thin coats and patience, while black armour relies on careful edge highlights to stop details disappearing. Whichever you choose, our beginner Space Marine painting guide walks you through the whole process.
Common beginner questions
Are the Space Wolves and Dark Angels 'proper' Codex Chapters?
Not entirely. Both are First Founding Chapters with their own traditions, and both depart from the Codex Astartes in important ways, which is part of why they have their own army rules.
What happened to the traitor Legions?
The nine Legions that sided with Horus became the Traitor Legions. They were never split into Chapters and now fight as Chaos Space Marines.
Can I paint my Space Marines in my own colours?
Yes. With so many unnamed Chapters in the background, a homemade Chapter with its own colours and story is completely in keeping with the setting.
Quick summary
- Space Marines began as twenty Legions; the loyal ones were split into Chapters after the Horus Heresy.
- Nine loyal First Founding Chapters carry the original Legion names.
- Successor Chapters share gene-seed with a founding Chapter but have their own colours and traditions.
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Warhammer 40,000 and the names of all associated armies, characters, races, vehicles, units and places are trademarks of Games Workshop Limited, used here without permission and solely to identify the subject. This is an unofficial fan guide.