# How are Astartes 'made'?



## Cyleune (Nov 10, 2010)

It was always my understanding that they were grown from a cell or something like that in some kind of tank,

BUT

after reading some of the 40K novels it now seems to me that they are mortals, taken from wherever, put through a life-threatening test, and then if they pass the test are 'enhanced' to become Astartes.

Would anybody like to clear this up for me?


----------



## Malus Darkblade (Jan 8, 2010)

They are taken as kids/teenagers and implanted with the gene-seed of a certain chapter/Primarch.

As the seed matures, they undergo training, psycho-indoctrination and are implanted with hormones and chemicals and their growth is accelerated.

^ a rough explanation of the overall process.


----------



## Codex Todd (Mar 22, 2009)

Normal humans enhanced mate  though different chapters have diferent methods of creating Space Marines


----------



## Malus Darkblade (Jan 8, 2010)

There is no different process to creating a Space Marine for that would be heresy and impossible due to so much knowledge being lost by the Imperium but each gene-seed differs as well as the training/culture.


----------



## Cyleune (Nov 10, 2010)

So are Astartes in 40K made the same way as those made in, say, 30K, or during the unification wars?


----------



## Digg40k (Sep 7, 2008)

Cyleune said:


> So are Astartes in 40K made the same way as those made in, say, 30K, or during the unification wars?


Yes but no. They still undergo the same procedures and have the same implants given to them but the whole ritual of growth from initiate to full blown Marine differs to the point of uniqueness within each Chapter these days.

Consider it this way, you buy two blocks of cheese. One you keep in the fridge, one you keep on the kitchen bench. After a week they're still, broadly speaking, cheese but they look very different.


----------



## Codex Todd (Mar 22, 2009)

Same in 30k, just alot faster to cope with demand, expansion of imperial borders, lose of battle brothers. Unification wars, was the Thunder warriors, i believe was slightly different, they werethe fore runners to Space Marines


----------



## JAMOB (Dec 30, 2010)

Only a couple of people tried creating space marines from nothing, but none went at all well. For example, when the blood angels tried it the marines when horribly wrong and fought tooth and nail for blood, even taking the sacred blood of Sanguineus.


----------



## Codex Todd (Mar 22, 2009)

JAMOB said:


> For example, when the blood angels tried it the marines when horribly wrong and fought tooth and nail for blood, even taking the sacred blood of Sanguineus.


Didn't Fabius have a hand in that? From what i remember he's close to unlocking the secrets of genes seed? could be wrong with that (wouldn't be the first time)


----------



## Rems (Jun 20, 2011)

The Astartes are created from 'normal' humans. They take the best of the best, though the aspirants have to be of a young age- about 12, for all the implants to work and be accepted into the aspirants body. 

Over a period of several years 18 different organs are implanted into the recruits aswell as undergoing a regime of chemical and hypnotherapy. These turn the recruits into the post human space marines. The last few implants are the progenoids (the actual gene-seed) and the black carapace- what enables the marines to interface with power armour like a second skin. They are then placed into the scout company for x years until they are deemed worthy to become a battle brother and receive their first suit of power armour. 

Here's link on the process in more depth. It's a fairly accurate summary of what was in _Index Astartes_ http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Creation_of_a_Space_Marine

It was done exactly the same in 30k (though there doesn't seem to have been any scout company's) though at a faster rate to cope with the increased demands of the legions. 

Some chapters have a slightly different process. The Blood Angels for example inject a small amount of Sanguinius blood into each aspirant and place them inside these special 'coffins' to augment their aspirants. It's not clear however if this is done before or after the organ implantation. I would assume before.

The Space Wolves, with their canis helix also have a slightly different process, with some of their members turning into the wulfen (think werewolfs). They have to learn to control their inner beast or be put down. 

@Codex Todd, yes Fabius did have a hand in that. However even before he got on the scene the attempted creations were still bestial abominations.


----------



## Over Two Meters Tall! (Nov 1, 2010)

I've always been confused about the Astares created prior to the Primarchs being rediscovered. I've had the impression the initial batches of Astares were vat-grown as were the Thunder Warriors and therefore had a relatively longer life span, death and destruction aside, which is the reason for their geen-seed's stability. I've also heard that Terra served as the initial recruiting pool for the 'created' Astares before the Primarchs were found and their home planets turned into the recruiting pools.


----------



## Ferrous (Aug 21, 2011)

The Thunder Warriors are referred to as almost servitor like in a few stories, so more mechanical upgrades rather than genetic, and they had a used by date. But the geneseed for the original Marines was meant to be grown from left over tissue samples taken from the Primarchs before they were "stolen". Or at least that is how I read it.


----------



## Rems (Jun 20, 2011)

The Thunder Warriors were enhanced humans rather than true astartes. They were likely stronger and faster than normal men but didn't have all the organs or gene seed (or likely the hypno conditioning) that Astartes did.

And yes obviously before the Primarchs home planets were discovered the recruits would have had to come from Terra (and possibly other close systems). But they is no evidence they were vat grown aspirants (plus you can't vat grow full space marines as all the implants are just that- implanted, their dna doesn't suddenly change)


----------



## Cyleune (Nov 10, 2010)

So Astartes are pretty much made, but what about the primarchs?

As far as I know, they were legitly grown from a sample of the Emperor's DNA.


----------



## kwak76 (Nov 29, 2010)

Primarchs are test tube babies more or less. Before the full fruition was complete for the Primarch they were scattered by the power chaos. I'm not sure but I think the Emperor had to use some of the chaos power to help create the primarchs. 

Now that would be an interesting story to write.


----------



## Rems (Jun 20, 2011)

Yes the Primarchs were made from scratch, using not just science but the warp- explaining their supernatural abilities. They may or may not have been made with the Emperor's DNA. That's never been confirmed.


----------



## Aramoro (Oct 7, 2009)

Rems said:


> Yes the Primarchs were made from scratch, using not just science but the warp- explaining their supernatural abilities. They may or may not have been made with the Emperor's DNA. That's never been confirmed.


As i understand it the Primarchs were made purely by the Emperors mad science skills. The unique abilities seem to be as a result of the mutation of the Warp when the children were spirited away, so not intentional. I don't think the Emperor ever intended Sangiunius to have wings etc.

The Blood Angels process is this. Once a generation youths from the major tribes of Baal fight their way through a series of challenges,trials and games for the right to fight each other at Angel Falls which is a giant statue of Sangiunius. The Blood Angels tell everyone about the challenges on big flying chariot things, telling all the tribes. The contestants then have to get to Angel Falls, the Rad desert killing a bunch of them. They then compete for the 50 or so places in the Chapter, the sky chariots whisk the chosen away leaving the rest to guard the place of testing or go home. 

The aspirants are then taken to the Fortress Monastery where they will see a Blood Angels face for the first time. It's worth saying most of the aspirants will be short, cancerous, malnutritioned wrecks. They then drink the Blood of Sanguinius, they fall asleep from this and then the Gene Seed is implanted. They are then place into the golden sarcophagi for a year, fed through tubes. A lot of the aspirants will die during this time. It seems the extra organs either grow or are implanted during this year in the sarcophagus. When they come out they are fully grown Space Marines. Perhaps just slightly mental after a year of dreams about Sanguinius.


----------



## Rems (Jun 20, 2011)

Given that the Emperor was a supreme psycher as well as a brilliant scientist i would think that it makes sense for him to use the warp to further develop/empower the primarchs. It's just one more tool to use. It also handily explains their supernatural feats which would otherwise be biologically impossible. I'd agree though that their trip through the warp probably had all sorts of side effects- Sanguinius wings and Magnus' eye being examples of that. Given the evidence the primarchs certainly seem warp empowered. All are capable of supernatural feats and seem to display latent (or active) psychic powers/abilities. 

Spot on about the Blood Angels though. It's never really been clarified when their organs get implanted and how that relates to the sarcophagi. Perhaps it's all just a process to prepare/ enable them to receive the implants, geneseed etc.


----------



## eyescrossed (Mar 31, 2011)

Aramoro said:


> As i understand it the Primarchs were made purely by the Emperors mad science skills. The unique abilities seem to be as a result of the mutation of the Warp when the children were spirited away, so not intentional. I don't think the Emperor ever intended Sangiunius to have wings etc.


Horus Heresy series. Unless 

Erebus
 was bullshitting, along with a few other people, 

the Emperor did use power loaned to him by the Chaos Gods and didn't repay them like he'd promised, which is why they got pissed at him.


Although Sanguinius' wings, Magnus having one eye, etc do seem to be by-products of them being flung through the Warp.


----------



## MEQinc (Dec 12, 2010)

eyescrossed said:


> Magnus having one eye, etc do seem to be by-products of them being flung through the Warp.


Magnus actually lost his eye in a deal with Tzeentch to save his chapter. Or at least this was heavily implied in _A Thousand Sons_.


----------



## MontytheMighty (Jul 21, 2009)

Cyleune said:


> *It was always my understanding that they were grown from a cell or something like that in some kind of tank,*
> BUT
> after reading some of the 40K novels it now seems to me that they are mortals, taken from wherever, put through a life-threatening test, and then if they pass the test are 'enhanced' to become Astartes.
> Would anybody like to clear this up for me?


Primarchs and I'm pretty sure Custodes are grown that way

Astartes are referred to sometimes as "post-humans" or "once-humans"
they're usually taken as youths (early to mid teens), pass a trial by fire, and are then enhanced
after a few decades/centuries, they tend to lose touch with "mortal" humanity


----------



## sethgabriel1990 (Sep 21, 2010)

with a pich of salt... and just a smidgeon of tarragon.


----------



## Digg40k (Sep 7, 2008)

sethgabriel1990 said:


> with a pich of salt... and just a smidgeon of tarragon.


Mmm Tarragon Marines.


----------



## Deadeye776 (May 26, 2011)

I just thought of something interesting. By the standards of law and order of present Imperium the Emperor should actually be put to death. If you take even the most rogue pyskers and inquisitors they will never approach what he's actually done. He imprisoned the C'tan Void Dragon to give the Adeptus Mechanicus something to worship and learn from placing them and the Imperium in danger should it ever escape.It's been hinted and almost stated he's trafficed with the actual Chaos Gods to create his primarchs from which the Astartes were created from. That's just what we know. If the true creation of the primarchs was learned.......would they be forced to reevaluate his position?


----------



## eyescrossed (Mar 31, 2011)

MEQinc said:


> Magnus actually lost his eye in a deal with Tzeentch to save his chapter. Or at least this was heavily implied in _A Thousand Sons_.


Somehow, I didn't pick that up.

...probably shouldn't have read the book in hospital.


----------



## Tebok (Apr 25, 2008)

> How are Astartes 'made'?


With sugar and spice and everything nice..

No wait.. that is how you make Sisters of Battle. Never mind.


----------

