So this is something I want to discuss with the community at large. And it stems from a common complaint amongst Chaos Space Marine players, namely that they just don't have the same spangly toys their non-heretical brothers get to play with.

From the outset, I shall lay my personal bias clear - I feel that this is the correct state of affairs. As such, please do not consider my following rationale to be unbiased. If you disagree, then join in.

To kick off, let's start at the beginning (always an appropriate place).....

A Space Marine Chapter is considerably more than just 1,000ish genhanced combat nutters in really hard armour with lots of dakka. It's also it's base of operations, and untold Chapter Serfs, Servitors, and in some cases entire worlds of potential recruits. Other Chapters, most notably the Ultramarines are responsible for entire systems.

They are also involved with (in wildly varying degrees) the Adeptus Mechanicus, PDFs, The Inquisition etc, which we can probably very roughly lump together under 'the rest of the Imperium'. These links provide raw materials, recruits, ammo, food, drink, fuel, Serfs and Emperor knows what else in the way of support.

In short, they are independent in action, but very much part of the extended web of the Imperium. And it's this web of co-support that allows them to continue to function, including repairs, replacement war materials etc.


So, very rough outlining of how any given Chapter fits into the larger Imperium.

Then of course, we have renegades of varying stripes. I'll begin with the Traitor Legions.

Well, what were they? Bloody enormous is the first port of call. The FW HH books make that abundantly clear. They were so numerous, and so well equipped they fought their wars in a style more commonly seen with the Imperial Guard.

And they went Heretic.

And they took horrendous losses. From the outset of Istvaan, past their defeat at Terra, to the scourging that followed, their cohesive strengths were shattered. Not only in (super)man power, but also their War Machines. During their flight into the Eye of Terror, they were harried all the way, preventing any chances for concentrated repair efforts.

Now, when faced with an ongoing, fighting retreat, what makes the most sense? Salvage and repair the most shootykillbang stuff, or putting your resources into maintaining the easier, more robust stuff? Like Land Raiders and common Rhino variants? After all, you could spend (numbers out my bottom here, for lack of decent reference) three days repairing that Land Speeder's anti-grav unit, or three days patching up three Rhinos? Which is more critical to keeping your forces fighting?

Then comes the aftermath. The Legions dissolved (barring the Thousand Sons, but then they had much bigger issues), fought amongst their own Legion and each other, adding to their losses, and removing what little formal organisation would have survived. They didn't exactly have time to nip back to their Home Worlds to empty out their armouries either.

All in all, not the fearsome fighting forces they once were. Suitable recruits are likely difficult to come by if they are concerned with avoiding geneseed degeneration (they may not be, to my memory, exactly how CSM recruit new members, outside of fresh renegades is fairly unclear). As for replacement weapons, vehicles and ammo? They no doubt have some capacity within the Warband, but likely nothing too fancy. The real armourers are the Dark Mechanicus, who have their price. Again, expediency comes to the fore here. Do you cough up to have a couple of Land Speeders patched up, or use the same currency (slaves and that I'd imagine) to get your Land Raider repaired, along with a Predator or two, on account they're more robust, and overall a lot easier to repair?

And now, now for recent Renegades.

For the most part, it's apparently fairly rare that an entire Chapter goes rogue. More common for such things to happen at individual, squad or company level. Whilst there are the odd exception (oh hi, Astral Claws and Chums!), this means renegade Space Marines head off without any kind of established supply routes or logistical support. They'll have a ship, probably a Strike Cruiser, occasionally a Battle Barge, but not the entirety of their Chapter's armoury.

And where do they go? Well, wherever they want I guess. That's a huge part of going rogue isn't it? Freedom of choice. Yet sooner or later, they'll need resupply. Stuff taken in battle is all well and good, but doesn't provide safe harbour or repairs, just materials and ammo etc. One alternative would be to plunge into the Eye of Terror or the Maelstrom, seeking fellow renegades. Except, those fellow renegades aren't exactly shy about just taking all your cool stuff.

The stuff they took with them? Should have some kind of repair capability on board their ships, but again, like the Traitor Legions before them, there's genuine choices to be made. Do you continually maintain stuff even the Ad Mech don't really understand all that well (anti-grav plating, for instance), or that which by it's nature wears out quickly (Assault Cannon. Massive ammo requirement, fresh set of barrels after each engagements, constant maintenance of the motor assembly), or do you instead choose to focus on your more robust bits of equipment, things which can be readily scavenged following any strike against Imperial forces?

As for ATSKNF? Well, that's all well and good, when you're still 'benefiting' from your psycho-indoctrination. But once you've gone rogue, you've broken your indoctrination. Where once, like a good little Marine, you put The Imperium of Man before yourself, and would readily give your life if it meant victory over Witch/Heretic/Xenos (delete as applicable). But now....it's one for me, and me for myself. Suddenly, you're back to the average human viewpoint of 'sod dying for you matey, I'm offski'. In short, CSM are not as stupid as Loyalist Marines. Their greater independence of thought brings with it a heightened concern for self preservation. What's the point in a glorious last stand if it doesn't achieve anything? Where is the point in victory if you're not around to share in the spoils of war?

In short?

CSM, whether Legionnaires or Brother Baz running off to join the Creepy Circus on his own are very different from Loyalist Marines by their very nature. They don't have the same resources, so maintain different equipment. They've broken their 'Imperial Conditioning', gaining self motivation. The two forces cannot be readily compared in the majority of situation.

Yes, some cases are very different, such as the aforementioned Astral Claws. The Astral Claws should have some kind of mix of chaos and imperial armoury, to represent their more cohesive organisation (Tyrants list from FW is pretty cool!). But the majority? It's a simple matter of expediency. CSM don't have the luxury of stable supply routes and agreements their loyalist brothers do, and would, logically, maintain only that which they absolutely need.
http://www.lounge.belloflostsouls.net/showthread.php?42240-Chaos-V-Loyalist-Supply-V-Demand-and-a-discussion-thereof