Founded during the 9th founding, the War Fists Space Marines are an Imperial Fists successor chapter. The chapter spent a lot of their early life in the defence of the Dovarin Sector, where a Choas Incursion threatened to topple Imperial rule. Alongside the Heralds of Athea and Golden Hands chapters, the War Fists stalwartly defended the sector. The chapter was mobilised to recapture the Capranocai system, a long war of attrition that eventually reached a stalemate. The systems dying sun meant that every planet was trapped in almost perpetual darkness, and so the War Fists' tactics were altered to accomodate for the unusual light levels. Bolters were modified with long barrels and scopes, and the battle brothers draped long camo cloaks from their armour.

After 15 years of fighting, almost two thirds of the War Fists were sent to capture Capranocai II, an incredibly important strategic position, and host to an abundance of natural resources. Split into companies, the chapter and its Imperial Guard support made planet fall far from each of the planet's capitals, and begun the long journey towards the enemy. During transit, a number of Space Marine captains and sergeants were assasinated, and several of the Rhino Transports were destroyed with demolition charges. The Chapter Master ordered every company and their support to a halt, but just as they did so, the Guardsmen turned their lasguns on the Space Marines. Out of the forests surrounding the columns marched hundreds of cultists, cloaked in camoflage gear. Sniper fire rained down from the treetops, and the Imperial Guard battle tanks annihilated the Space Marine vehicles.

The surviving Space Marines retreated back to the fleet, and the remenants of the chapter traveled out to loyalist space. The chapter had had their own tactics of stealth and secrecy turned against them, and to devastating effect. The Chapter Master addressed his men, making a vow never to partake in such treacherous and dishonourable tactics again. The long barreled bolters were discarded, and for a year the chapter retrained with Bolt Pistols and Chainswords.

The War Fists returned to Capranocai II the following year, and supported by Space Marines of the the Heralds of Athea, they assaulted the capitals via drop pod, annihilating the defences. Each War Fist marine had repainted his armour, replacing the old, dark black, with bright white and polished gold. The assault on the capitals was an immediate success, and the Imperial Forces went on to reclaim the Capranocai system.

Fortissia, the War Fists' homeworld, is located in Segmentum Tempestus.

Fortissia is a desert world, with shallow seas breaking up the seemingly endless plains of sand. Out of the sands rise enormous palaces of white marble, whos many spires rise high above the clouds. These palaces contain sprawling cities, ruled by enigmatic Kings and Queens. The cities lie within the palace walls, protected from the devastating sand storms that wrack the planet by ancient shield generators. At the centre of each palace is a temple to the Holy God-Emperor, a testament to the fealty and faith of the desert dwelling people.

The War Fists' fortress lies deep in the Equatorial Deserts, each generation a Space Marine travels out to each of the planets capitals, as an Emissary of the chapter. Each Space Marine selects the bravest and strongest warriors from the City he visits, and these hopefuls then begin the terrible and deadly march towards the fortress. Those who survive are recruited to the chapter.

During the war for the Capranocai system, the War Fists began to use covert tactics, striking their enemies without being seen, and spreading dissent and confusion amongst the ranks of the enemy before crippling their defences.

After the massacre on Capranocai II however, the chapter swore to never again use such treacherous tactics. Each Battle Brother was rearmed with a Bolt Pistol and Chainsword, and are trained to bring swift and dignified deaths to all of the Emperor's foes. During the retraining after the massacre, the Chapter Master began to enforce the dueling practiced by the Imperial Fists, as part of the chapter's training.

The chapter's doctrines now teach chivalry above all, every enemy should be allowed the honour of one-on-one combat before a swift death. The chapter's devastator squads were all retrained as either assault marines, or split as tactical units among the other companies.

The chapter also refuses to use Terminators, arguing that they give the wearer unfair advantage over their enemies, and also that the decreased mobility prevents the marines from exercising their sword skills to full effect.

All of these changes have led to quite radical changes to the chapter's organisation

ARMOURY

HEADQUARTERS STAFF

LIBRARIUS

Techmarines

Master of the Chapter

Chief Librarian

Servitors

Senior Officers

Epistolaries

Administrative Staff

Codiciers

Support Personnel

Lexicanums

BATTLE COMPANIES

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

5th

COMPANY

COMPANY

COMPANY

COMPANY

COMPANY

Captain

Captain

Captain

Captain

Captain

Chaplain

Chaplain

Chaplain

Chaplain

Chaplain

Apothecary

Apothecary

Apothecary

Apothecary

Apothecary

Standard Bearer

Standard Bearer

Standard Bearer

Standard Bearer

Standard Bearer

Squads:

Squads:

Squads:

Squads:

Squads:

6 Tactical

6 Tactical

6 Tactical

6 Tactical

6 Tactical

3 Assault

3 Assault

3 Assault

3 Assault

3 Assault

1 Veteran

1 Veteran

1 Veteran

1 Veteran

1 Veteran

Support

Support

Support

Support

Support

Dreadnoughts

Dreadnoughts

Dreadnoughts

Dreadnoughts

Dreadnoughts

Rhinos

Rhinos

Rhinos

Rhinos

Rhinos

Land Raiders

Land Raiders

Land Raiders

Land Raiders

Land Raiders

RESERVE COMPANIES

6th

7th

8th

9th

10th

COMPANY

COMPANY

COMPANY

COMPANY

COMPANY

Captain

Captain

Captain

Captain

Captain

Chaplain

Chaplain

Chaplain

Chaplain

Chaplain

Apothecary

Apothecary

Apothecary

Apothecary

Apothecary

Standard Bearer

Standard Bearer

Standard Bearer

Standard Bearer

Standard Bearer

Squads:

Squads:

Squads:

Squads:

Squads:

10 Tactical

10 Tactical

10 Tactical

10 Assault

10 Assault

Support

Support

Support

Support

Support

Dreadnoughts

Dreadnoughts

Dreadnoughts

Dreadnoughts

Dreadnoughts

Rhinos

Rhinos

Rhinos

Rhinos

Rhinos

Bikes

Land Speeders

Landspeeders

Lanspeeders

Bikes

Bikes

The War Fists chapter is split into 10 Companies, just like any other Chapter. Where the War Fists chapter differs is when you look closer at the designation of each of the Companies, there are 5 Battle Conpanies, and no Veteran Company. Instead, there is one Veteran Squad for each company. This way, entire companies can be mobilised without borrowning squads from the 1st company. Every Battle Company has the same organisation: 6 Tactical Squads, 3 Assault Squads, and 1 Veteran Squad.

The other 5 Companies are Reserve Companies, either Tactical reserves, or Assault reserves. After the massacre on Capranocai II, the Scout Company was replaced by a fifth Reserve Companies, and there are no Scouts in the chapter at all. Initiates are recruited into each of the Reserve companies, where they will either train as Tactical Marines, or Assault Marines.

The chapter also no longer contains any Devastator Marines, the Chapter Master judging there method of fighting as dishonourable.

The War Fists have quite orthodox beliefs about the Emperor, praising Him as the greatest and most honourable warrior in the universe, and revering Him as their Father.

The only oddity to their beliefs is that they beleive that every enemy of the Emperor, no matter how vile or obscene, has the right to a swift and honourable death by the sword. They detest weapons such as flamers, and live by the sword. They believe that true honour can only be reached by living life by the blade, and the face of every War Fist Space Marine is riddled with dueling scars. 

The War Fists chapter have very pure geneseed, but have in the past been investigated due to their extremely unorthodox organisation. Every investigation concludes that there are no flaws in the geneseed whatsoever.