The rough draft of the Liber Article for this force.. Some places will obviously need to be fleshed out. I also need help designing a BFG list. ^.^
The Sentarus and the Helljumpers
Overview: The basis of this army is a former Adeptus Mechanicus Tech-Guard Regiment. They themselves are a balanced force, as I envision the Adeptus Mechanicus to be. However, because they are still ran by Tech-Priests, any Sentarus attachment could, forseeably,. Include almost anything. This is because they were and still are equipped as a major forge world, and coupled with the Adpetus Mechanicus thirst for knowledge-perfection, could and would come to the field with an army designed to surgically tear the enemy to bits. So, as an overview, there is no real set organization to the Sentarus, it is up to the mind of the modeler themselves!
(Note: This army was originally created as a way for me to have a titan with my force, and has evolved in what is apparently a very 'Erus-y' fashion).
Origins: The Sentarus were formerly the Tech-Guard of the Sentarus Prime Forgeworld. However, with the coming of the Black Sainta Adeptus Astartes, and the Chapter taking up residence on Sentarus after the destruction of the corrupt Arch-Magi, the Sentarus have changed to represent the former, standard Adeptus Mechanicus troops, and the newer trainees, called the Helljumpers, elite praetorian class Skitarii trained in the use of valkyries and drilled as drop troops of devastating power and stealth, owing to the bizzare deviancy in STC technology that allows the Helljumper class 'Acheron' valkyries to use a limited range suspensor field and swoop in on the target in near total silence.
History: The main recorded battle of the Sentarus, and where they began to make history, was really the battle for their own homeworld itself, and the events thereafter. After the return of the Arch Magos Isolde, and the recovery of an astonishing STC for perhaps what was possibly the most devastating weapon anyone could wield, something to this day is kept locked in the deepest vaults of the planets bowels.
This discovery, this STC was tainted, and some recognized it from the start. What began as paranoise turned into an all out planetary blood bath. Weapons best left to humanitys darkest hours before the Emperor's coming were unleashed, and the planet itself was on the verge of destruction, before a group of saviors miraculous heard the few remaining loyalists defense forces pleas for help.
The Planetary Defense Force of Sentarus was, before the Chapter came, actually made up of Skitarri and Tech Guard who served the Tech-Priests on the Sentarus Forgeworld. Sentarus was famous for both exotic weapons (needle weapons, STC variant tanks, etc..) as well as a ruthless fighting force well above the normal strength for a Forgeworld, even one so large as it. Not much beyond the exotic war-machine and weaponry capabilities are known of Sentarus, or it's regiments.
As the Black Saints were fleeing the destruction of the home world from the Chapter War (with roughly the 1st and 10th company intact, and smatterings of others), they came through the Sentarus system and caught the distress signals from the Planet..
The Chapter was already sorely in need of repairs, but along with their duty to help the Imperium, they realized if they could free this planet, they would be able to be re-supplied and armed, and be able to lick their wounds. For what better world is there to recover on than a world of martial pride boasting the largest Tech Guard and Skitarii regiments uin the sub-sector?
They sent the full might of the First Company in after exhausting their bombardment supplies and eliminating several key points of the enemy's strength. All told they lost nearly a fourth of the First Company, but liberated the planet in less than a day total. Though rumors tell that the marines themselves saw little action, and it was the horrific terrors from Old Night that the Sentarus unleashed that won the day.
Gratefully, the Tech-Priesthood pledged to re-supply the Chapter, though the Chapter Master Adonis thought their oath to only be for supplies, he found a full regiment of freshly recruited Tech-Guard at his command the next day, commissioned to be trained and made into Marines, scouts, serfs, or whatever he saw fit.
The notice with them also stated most of them had received minimal wetware implants, and were only fifteen years old standard, though intense genetic manipulation, physical augmentation, and hypno-indoctrination would make them the ideal soldiers for the Chapter.
So it was the 10th company was promoted and the skeletal structure of the Chapter began to rise from the ashes. Each decade the Tech-Priests sent a cull of the brightest children form Sentarus to the Chapter, and in return the Chapter sent tech-aspirants to be immersed in the ways of the Machine-God. So it were to continue, until the two organizations were so intertwined, they were as one mail-clad fist, fully ready to bring the Emperor and the Machine-Gods wrath down upon all those they faced.
And it has been a hundred years hence, with the Marines training and recruiting a full company from the world, and engaging in several small suppression and purge actions throughout the sector. Current fluff takes place as the Chapter finally sets off on it's first Crusade since the Sundering (Chapter war). A mission taken to track down and slaughter every last traitor from the Chapter
Homeworld: Sentarus Prime was at first a culture from Old Night, an original shard of humanity that harked back to ancient empires. Their basis was military, and martial pride, and only through a freak warp storm that was almost constant about the system were they stranded on what was to them just the latest planet in a string on bloody conquests. When the Tech-Priests of Mars first sent out fleets, one managed to get to Sentarus Prime, though it was damaged badly enough in transit it was stranded, and without communications means. Thus began the missive of Mars to the planet, and the long, millenia long evolution and melding of two distinct cultures.
By the time the Mechanicum recovered Sentarus, it had became such a blend of cultures, one could not notice where the separate stocks had been. And indeed, they boasted the largest Tech-Guard numbers ever heard of, and the weaponry and training routine of those men was said to be taken as the basis for the fame Cadian Karskin.
Overall, Sentarus prime is ruled by a Roman style Senate, with a Unique over-seer couincil. Called a Triumvirate, it consists of the Fabricator General of Sentarus, the Chapter Master of the Black Saints, and the head of the Helljumpers, who has styled himself the Phoenician (in reference to the Helljumpers return to the original fighting tactics and strength of the first settlers of the planet).
Fleet: Numbers and exact strength are un-known, but they have at least the might of a Forgeworlds shipyard, and a Marine Chapter fleet, as well as the equivalent of a standard Imperial Navy fleet, though thes Navy and Marine ships are in ill repair from a recent Crusade.
Characters: None Yet. Check back soon! (i'm researching titles, etc..)
Gameplay: This force offers the player a chance to make a unique and powerful army!
This is because the list for the Sentarus is designed for Apocalypse 40k, and goes like this:
The Sentarus (Imperial Guard with Doctrines):
Skill and Drills: Sharpshooters- This is taken to represent the basic wetware targeting implants all Sentarus males receive at the age of 5 or earlier).
Restricted Troops: Eginseers- This should be fairly basic.. the typical Sentarus Army should see atleast double digits in tanks or light armor, etc..)
Special Equipment: Carapace Armor- Such a highly advanced world, and one formerly Adeptus Mechanicus controlled, offers it's troops the best equipment it can.)
Special Equipment: Cyber-Enhancement- The latent bionics and implants all Sentarus undergo when drafted into the service of the Chapter and Homeworld)
Alternate Organization: Mechanized- This can be used as per regular Codex, and be mounted in Chimeras, to represent the fluid philosophy of the Chapters striking influencing the Sentarus regiment you are portraying. Alternately, Forgeworld rules can be used to let the Chimera be replaced by a Valkyrie, to represent aspirant Helljumpers or Marines. Yet another acceptable 5th doctrine would be Restricted Troops: Hardened Veterans or Heavy Weapon squads, to represent the more infantry reliant heavy weapon oriented companies of the Sentarus)
*The Sentarus must take 1 Eginseer per Infantry Platoon, unless that number exceeds three, then they must take one as well as an Eginseer in the Command Platoon. The Helljumpers (Daemonhunters w/ Deathwatch Allies): Phoenician Commander: Counts as an Inquisitor Lord (head of the regiment). Must always take a Valkyrie as a transport, as per rules detailed in Imperial Armor I: Imperial Guard and Inquisition. Must take at least 1 servitor in his retinue.
Helljumpers: Inquisitorial Stormtroopers mounted in a Valkyrie, as per IA: I.
Phoenica Praetor: Deathwatch Marines. May be armed anyway, Deathwatch Captain may NOT be upgraded to Librarian unless a Phoenician Commander is included as well as the army itself totaling over 4,000 points. In fluff terms, a Librarian would count as a Mortales Phoenicia, one of the rare few Tech-Priests to see the corrupt STC from ages ago and still maintain purity of purpose, though they are tainted by the warp in such a way they are placed in the front lines of battle so they might find peace by the Emperors side at last.
More will come as I develop the army further, but there's the start of it! Marcus, if you are still looking for a fluff basis for your Project: Iron Cog, look no further!