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0

Issue 2 – Summer 2012

TTThhheee EEEyyyeee ooofff TTTeeerrrrrrooorrr

Includes

Resources and

Information

on the Occulis

Terribilis

The Nemean

Campaign

With

Index Astartes

Articles for

the Steel

Dogs, the

Lions of Alba,

and the

Heralds of

Light

Painting and

Modelling

Articles

And

An Interview

with Author

Aaron

Dembski-

Bowden

1

Introduction & Contents

This is the second issue of the Legio Imprint, the

B&C’s semi-regular attempt to show the board

members all the stuff they miss by hiding in their

particular corners of the forum – and show off some

new stuff into the bargain.

This issue focuses around the Eye of Terror, the centre

for so many of the events of 40K (especially power-

armoured events). There’s a lot to the Eye of Terror,

and no e-zine could really be up to the task. Still, the

B&C did its best, with fluff articles, modelling

tutorials, painting tutorials, special rules, and a fully

realized campaign with background, scenarios and

advice for adapting it to your needs. There’s also an

exclusive interview with Black Library luminary

Aaron Dembski-Bowden, where he talks about the

inner workings of the Black Library.

The issue is divided into two major sections. First is

the Eye of Terror section, which provides background

information on the Eye and many of its denizens.

There’s an exploration of just what the Eye of Terror

is, overviews of the Black Crusades and the Astartes

Praeses, and a variety of Eye-related modelling

articles. There are also three different sets of special

rules – one for the various Chaos Legions and one each

for the Exorcists and Iron Hands Chapters – both of

whom make their homes near the Eye.

Second is the Nemean Campaign section, which covers

a B&C-created campaign around the Eye of Terror – a

war prompted by honour, pride, and vengeance. Heady

stuff – and all created on the B&C. In addition to the

background articles on the Chapters and the campaign,

there’s also a complete set of scenarios, a battle report,

and a guide to adapting the campaign for your

purposes.

There’s lots of original fluff, original ideas, original

interpretations and original artwork, and even what

you’ve already seen before has been polished and

added to. Hopefully you’ll enjoy reading it as much as

the team enjoyed producing it. Thanks to everyone

who worked so hard on this and to all of you who will

now read it.

Octavulg – Editor

THE EYE OF TERROR

Introduction & Contents 1

Interview: Aaron Dembski-Bowden 2

THE EYE OF TERROR

An Introduction to the Eye of Terror 6

The Black Crusades 12

Beast Marines Tutorials 17

A Guide to Creating Mutations 23

Renegade Chapters 26

Paths of Glory: Chaos Legion Rules 34

The Making of Magmatrax 41

The Astartes Praeses 47

Codex: Exorcists 55

Codex: Iron Hands 60

THE NEMEAN CAMPAIGN

The Steel Dogs 68

The Heralds of Light 79

The Lions of Alba 88

Going on a Lion Hunt:

The Nemean Campaign

97

The Battle of Jamshyd’s World 105

Aftermath 112

Credits & Acknowledgements 115

2

What is the process of

writing and researching a

novel for the Black Library? Um. I'll cover that later. If I do it

now, I'll have to write "See Question

1" about four times.

You’ve mentioned a GW

Archive in the past. Could

you explain it to us? Sure. On a practical level, dealing

with the archive goes a little like this:

To:

[email protected]

From:

[email protected]

Dear whomever gets this email,

I need X information for novel Y. Can

you send everything they have in the

archives about it? Ta.

Then, the very next day you get a

chunky A2-sized envelope with a

whole bunch of colour photocopies

relating to everything you asked for.

I'm usually aware of exactly what I'll

need, so I'll list off specific references

like "I know Slaves to Darkness has

some jazz on the old units Chaos

Marines used in the 80s... Can you

send me a copy of those pages?"

Essentially, the archive is everything

Games Workshop and its subsidiaries

(Black Library and Forge World)

have published. F’rex, for the novel

I'm working on right now, I wanted to

see what Forge World had done on

the Marines Errant –- because there's

a vague subplot where the Night

Lords are essentially hanging out

with the Red Corsairs when Huron

has a crack at killing the Chapter off

[Yes, this interview was a while ago.

Sorry, A D-B – Ed]. A day later,

colour photocopies from Imperial

Armour 9 landed on the doorstep.

It occasionally includes stuff that's not

yet published, though you tend to have

to be in GWHQ to get a look at that.

But I saw the Blood Angels codex ages

before it hit the shelves, for example.

And I saw the photocopied pages of the

next codex release, like, months and

months ago. That's a rarity, but it's nice

to pretend you're as cool as the Design

Studio guys for a few minutes while

you read that stuff.

Are Black Library novels

included in the Archive? Yeah. Though we get all of them for

free, anyway – don't usually need to

ask.

Does the archive give you

access to super-secret

background material no one

else sees? Not so much. It gives you access to

stuff no one has seen in a long time

(Black Legion Chaplains and

Techmarines with Spawngoads...

Dreadnoughts called 'Chuck'...), and it

gives you an occasional glance at

something unreleased if it pertains to

your project.

That said, the Horus Heresy meetings

are the exception that proves (okay,

completely breaks) this rule. In those,

we're sat around a table with Alan

Merrett, the overseer of Games

Workshop's entire intellectual property.

And he's not just the IP manager; this

is also the guy that invented most of

the Horus Heresy's events as we know

them today. So at HH meetings, we're

able to see any relevant new codices

while they're still basically printed

Word.docs, and we're the ones

deciding the Imperium's history.

That's... I mean, Jesus, even typing that

to explain it feels cool. When you're sat

in the room, it's absolutely killer. The

Legio

Imprint

Interview:

Aaron

Dembski-

Bowden

by

Librarium

Staff and

A D-B

One of the Black Library’s most popular authors and one of the

B&C’s most prolific luminaries, A D-B graciously agreed to answer

some questions after the application of sufficiently gratuitous flattery.

His answers are interesting and provide insight into both the Black

Library and Games Workshop.

3

other guys are a bit cooler and more

collected about the whole thing. I can

barely remember my name at the time,

though.

How much older material is

contained in them (like the

Starchild theory, for

example)? Everything, ever.

Though, as I recall from my tender

youth, the Starchild cra– uh, “theory”,

wasn't exactly widespread.

Could you walk us through the

editorial process on a Black

Library novel? The full deal goes like this:

1. Synopsis pitch.

2. First draft.

3. Editor feedback, usually storyline-

based and typo catching.

4. Second draft.

5. Copy editor gets it; catches typos

and stuff.

6. Lore reader gets it; sends back

feedback on any background

discrepancies.

7. Production turn it into a formatted

.pdf file.

8. Final edit, where you check it over

again yourself. The most boring

part. You're usually sick of the sight

of it by now.

9. Print.

Does a negative or positive

reaction to a book get noticed

at the Black Library? Okay, now I need to tread carefully.

Like any career situation, what you

know isn't always what you can safely

say. I'll try to be brief and to the point.

My gut instinct answer is that Yes, it's

noticed, and No, it doesn't really have

that much impact. Online reviews are

often not exactly well-considered or to

the standards once kept by professional

critics. That's not to say they're

worthless – I spend an insane amount

of time reading my own reviews (very

unprofessional of me), and on forums

discussing the (thankfully,

almost always very positive)

reviews I get there. But a lot of

writers really don't much care,

and they're probably right in

feeling that way. Reviews by

your Average Joe can range

from 'insightful' to 'missing the

point by a ball-aching mile', and

all too often, it's the latter.

Again, while I've been more

fortunate than luck should allow,

it's a general thing inherent in

the semi-anonymous and

opinionated nature of online

reviews. Look at any Amazon

review of a TV show, book or

movie that you like. Now check

out all the people that missed the

point by a bajillion miles.

Yeah, exactly. It's not always

sane, let alone valid.

Black Library is like any other

publisher, in that its editors and

staff have opinions of their own.

You've got mass-marketed,

hugely advertised stuff that a lot

of them might think simply

sucks, and you've got lesser

known authors that they really

wish would break out of the pack.

I will say this: in the past, BL haven't

had a great record with heavily

advertising certain authors. In recent

memory, they made a fuss out of a

couple of authors in particular who've

ended up receiving very mediocre

reviews. They do notice that, but they

also know reviews are fleeting. Give

something an amazing cover and a

great blurb, and it'll attract a lot of

interest no matter what previous novels

the author has done. That's just the

nature of the game in any publishing,

but especially licensed fiction. The

fanbase orbits the concepts, not the

authors. At least, that's how it goes at

first.

So, yeah, they notice. But no – like any

other publisher – things sell whether

they're great or just average; it's

marketing that decides as much as

anything. They work hard to ensure

everything is as good as it can be, but

it's not exactly a disaster if it's not.

That has nothing to do with Back

Library's production, really. It's

inherent in all types of media.

You might be reading this and thinking

I'm very sceptical. I'm really not. I'm

just honest.

How detailed a plot/concept

are you given to work with? I assume it's the same for all the other

authors, but I'm never given anything

to work with in that sense. I pitch ideas

and wait for a reply. The notable

exception was Helsreach, when the

first few releases for the Space Marine

Battles series were loosely chosen by

editors. Nick Kyme briefed me on that

by saying "How about a novel focusing

on Helsreach?" and left it at that.

I always choose what I want to do, in

the sense that I'll email my editor Nick

Our subject in both his forms –

DaemonPrinceDargor

4

Kyme and say "I wanna do this", and

he'll always say "Finish what you're

doing first, then send me a synopsis."

Is there any official instruction

for what to do when you run

into really big gaps in the fluff

(like how Chapters are

founded, or what colour Ork

blood is this week)? This is a tough one.

I guess this is different for every

author. I consider myself bound to the

codices, but I don't consider myself

beholden to any other author's work.

Like, it's my choice if I want to

acknowledge their work in mine (and

vice versa), and if I do it, I think it's

because their perception of the setting

matches mine, or they add something

great to the shared universe. But I've

run across a few instances where I

could've referenced another author's

novel and chose not to, because I didn't

like the work, or I felt it wasn't really

in-line with my views on 40K. And

that's something that, to a degree,

everyone involved in the Intellectual

Property will do. In codices, it's called

retconning. The erasing of former

ideas, or simply not mentioning them

again.

What you've got to bear in mind is that

– love it or hate it – Games Workshop's

attitude to the setting really is that

"Everything is true and nothing is

true". When gaps or clashes occur in

the sourcebooks, some people will

consider it lazy, while others will 'get

it' in the sense that a lot of the time,

this is simply how GW want things to

be. My 40K isn't going to be exactly

the same as your 40K, and that's a

statement that every single 40K fan can

say to another fan with absolute,

complete, 100% surety. Some people

consider that a flaw. Others, like GW,

a feature.

Canon doesn't really apply to 40K the

way it does to Star Wars, because the

setting itself is founded to give people

the chance to make their own stories,

battles, crusades, wars, and so on. It's

not canon in that sense, which is why

the imaginary distinction of "Codex

Canon" being a different tier of truth to

"Black Library Canon" and "Forge

World Canon" is a fallacy. GW brass

don't see it like that. It's all just people

telling stories in the setting, whether in

a novel or on the tabletop – the

difference is that the Dev Studio will

often give more of a framework for the

setting as a whole, and the novels offer

more specific, focused frameworks on

certain factions. But canon is... well,

it's not what it is in other licenses.

In my less witty moments, I call it

"loose canon".

Yeah, I'm priceless.

But there's a consensus, of course.

Sometimes, something is established

and shouldn't be conflicted. Something

I'm pretty proud of is the feedback I

tend to get regarding my attitudes to

the established source material. I stick

to it because I love it, and I know it

from 20 years of reading and playing

it, since I was a tiny little goober with a

copy of Space Crusade.

Ultimately, the fans can judge what

they like, and what they consider

"truth". Sometimes it'll be Forge

World's consensus that becomes the

main one; sometimes the Dev Studio's;

sometimes Black Library's. It all

depends on the topic and how it's

presented.

To what extent do the authors

work together? We don't, really. No more than any

other authors all working for the same

publisher. I have nothing but love for

Chris Wraight and Matt Farrer, and we

talk over email, but we don't work

together in the sense that we're always

going over our facts as a pack. Projects

are rarely related enough to make it

necessary, and we're all confident in

our respective grasps of the setting.

The guys I talk to most are Dan Abnett,

Nick Kyme and Jim Swallow, and it's

not usually about work with any of

them. When work comes into it, it's

almost always Horus Heresy related.

We have a pretty active group email

thing going on, too. Though it's usually

just used to congratulate Graham on

whatever award he's won that week.

Does the Black Library

discourage you from exploring

certain themes, such as

religion, romance, or the full

depths of the horror of the 41st

Millennium? We're not allowed to show explicit sex,

obviously. You have to be verrrrrrry

cautious with some aspects of

romance, too, and I once got in trouble

for a daemon saying "My kind will

rape your holy world, mortal", or

something like that.

I'm using 2011 to shop my non-40K

work around (if I can find the time)

and while I'll always love writing for

40K, it's great not to be second-

guessing every scene where something

mature happens. GW has a varied

demographic (which falsely translates

as "BL fans are mostly kids", which is

wrong), and although I hate it,

sometimes BL seems to cater for the

lower age range of that demographic.

That said, legally, they probably have

to. It can feel a bit stifling sometimes,

yeah.

What inspires you to write

about the armies you have? Write what you love. Luckily, I love a

lot.

I try not to write what I play, though.

There's an immensely annoying – and

completely invented – trope where

sometimes authors of licensed fiction

will big up their favourite factions just

to make them look better than X, Y and

Z other factions. It's patently nonsense,

but it makes a great soundbite, and it's

something instinctively childish,

malevolent, and plausible if you have

no respect for the person you're

insulting when you say it. We tend to

think the worst of people we dislike,

after all. So I try to avoid that by

simply not writing about the Black

Legion.

That'll change in time, and I'm sure my

reviews will say "OMG ADB made BL

5

the best when really Failbaddon is a

loser", but whatever. I'd argue that if

you use that many capitals in a

sentence, you need to be punched in

the spine, anyway. And don't put 'Fail'

in anything like that. It's chimpish.

What aspects of the Heresy

would you most like to write

about? I wanted to detail how it all began, and

show a different perception of Lorgar

and the Word Bearers at their lowest

ebb, before they became the

charismatic crusaders of the Heresy. I

was lucky enough to do that when I

pitched The First Heretic. I'd also like

to carry on with that, showing the

Word Bearer Legion really coming into

its own with the assaults on Calth,

Terra, and whatever else they did in the

Age of Darkness. I'd love to do a novel

about the War in the Webway, though

if I ever do, it'll be a million years

away (I'm just saying I like the

concept, not that I have plans). My

next HH novel will almost definitely

be a World Eater novel, and that's

something I've always wanted to get a

hold of. Doing that is almost a dream

come true. It should go without saying,

but I'm saying it anyway, that I'd like

to do a Night Lords novel at some

point. But the series is young. There's

plenty of time.

In less local news, obviously I'd love to

have done something big in the sense

of either one of the big events or the

most popular legions (Blood Angels at

Signus Prime; Space Wolves at

Prospero) but I joined the team very

late, and they were understandably

taken by then. But getting to do a

Blood Angel, Dark Angel or

Ultramarine novel would be absolutely

amazing. I doubt that's specific to me –

it's surely the kind of thing any 40K

fan would say.

What’s your favourite Black

Library book? Why? Legion, by Dan Abnett.

Quite simply, it's brilliant, brilliant sci-

fi. The revelations meant nothing to me

(and really, I think people place too

much importance in them as truth,

when they don't really seem to be at

all), but it was beautifully written, and

I love the characters. It also bled a 30K

feel, rather than a 40K one, and I don't

think it's unfair to say that not all of the

HH series has necessarily nailed that.

It's an important part of the theme, and

one that can end up pretty difficult to

do. The characters were unique and

fascinating, the prose was awesome,

and the storyline was killer. Really,

you're not going to get much better

than that.

Ultimately, I like human characters in

40K, and I love how they contrast to

the Astartes. That's what makes Space

Marines in this setting so rich and

interesting for me: their strange,

awkwardly loyal distance from the

humans they were never given a

chance to be. There wasn't a lot of that

in Legion, but enough to tease and

make for great reading.

Will you be including a Squat

in your next book, or are you

saving it for a special

occasion? This may not be a popular opinion, but

I always thought they were a bit stupid,

anyway. Those trikes, man. Gah.

I miss Genestealer cults, though. Those

were rad.

And on that suspiciously pro-Hive

Mind note, the interview concluded.

My eternal thanks to A D-B for doing

this, and I hope you all enjoyed it. A D-

B’s novel Void Stalker is out now, and

I don’t know why you haven’t bought it

yet.

6

What is the Eye of Terror? The Eye of Terror dominates the

north-west of the galaxy. It is the

heart of Chaos in our universe.

Twenty thousand light years across,1

and visible from ten thousand light

years away,2 it was born in the final

years of the Dark Age of Strife,

heralding the birth of the Imperium,3

brought into being by the Fall of the

Eldar.

The Fall of the Eldar Explanations vary for the Eldar’s fall.

Some sources say they fell into Chaos

worship when they discovered it

through their use of warpgates.4

Others say that they turned to the

worship of Chaos when they grew

complacent and bored in their

supremacy over the galaxy.5

Whatever the reason, across the Eldar

Empire, those who felt the pull of

Chaos in their souls fell dead and their

souls were subsumed into the being

known as Slaanesh.6 This catastrophe

blew the Warp Storms around Earth

away and reshaped the Warp,

allowing humanity to return to the

galaxy.7 Slaanesh, meanwhile,

annihilated the majority of the Eldar

pantheon – Khaine survived as

scattered fragments at the core of

Craftworlds,8 the Laughing God

survived by concealing himself in the

Webway where his Harlequins lurk to

this day,9 and a few sources say Isha,

Goddess of Healing, was taken as a

prisoner and bride by Nurgle, trapped

in his garden forever as a victim of his

various plagues and pathogens.10

1 Codex: Chaos Space Marines, Third

Edition, Mk II 2 Warhammer 40,000, Fourth Edition

3 Realms of Chaos: Slaves to Darkness

4 Ibid

5 Codex: Eldar, Fourth Edition

6 Realms of Chaos: Slaves to Darkness

7 Ibid

8 Codex: Eldar, Fourth Edition

9 Ibid

10 Codex: Chaos Daemons

Geography The Eye of Terror was the result of this

tumult.11

A rupture at its very heart

spews forth raw Warp energy into our

universe,12

and this energy makes the

region violently unstable. Daemons can

safely manifest within the confines of

the Eye,13

and the reality-twisting

effects of the Warp have resulted in

space and time being deformed in alien

and terrifying ways.

There are a variety of different worlds

within the Eye. The Crone Worlds are

the original core worlds of the Eldar

Empire, and the Eldar must still mine

them today in order to build soul

stones.14

They also hold many artefacts

of pre-Fall Eldar Civilization.15

Some,

like Belial IV, are inhabited only by

ghosts.16

Others have become daemon

worlds, where screeching warpspawn

caper through the graveyard of a great

civilization.17

Many of the inhabited worlds within

the Eye of Terror are Daemon Worlds,

found toward the heart of the Eye of

Terror.18

Daemon Worlds have been

corrupted by Chaos, and are now

shaped by the whims of whatever

Chaos power controls them, heedless

of physical laws.19

Worlds with

surfaces of living flesh; flat worlds;

night worlds where no light is ever

seen;20

worlds with fire for skies;

oceans and rivers of blood or where the

moons and stars scream.21

Tales of

11

Codex: Chaos Space Marines, Third Edition, Mk II 12

Renegades, Space Marine Second Edition 13

Codex: Chaos Space Marines, Fourth Edition 14

Codex: Eldar, Fourth Edition 15

Ibid 16

Codex: Eye of Terror 17



Codex: Chaos Daemons 20


Warhammer 40,000, Third Edition

The Eye of

Terror

An

Introduction

to the Eye of

Terror

by

Octavulg

8

these horrors are brought back to the

Imperium by the crews of Inquisitorial

null-ships,22

or dragged from captured

prisoners and tomes by the Ordo

Malleus. Daemon Worlds are as varied

as the powers of Chaos – the only

constant is the insanity behind them.

The Fringe Worlds along the edge of

the Eye lead a precarious existence.

The Eye of Terror is not stable, and so

they may be drawn in or expelled from

it without warning. Worlds closer to

the edge of the Eye may even be

something observers might recognize

as normal, though often they are

simply dead worlds, uninhabited even

by the creatures of Chaos.

Eldar Craftworlds are even known to

be drawn into the eye by physical or

metaphysical forces – Maugan Ra’s

home world of Altansar was drawn

into the Eye itself,23

and Ulthwé is

trapped in its orbit.24

What Lives There? The inhabitants of the Eye are no

better, as twisted and malformed as the

worlds they live on. Billions of mutants

inhabit various daemon worlds,

screaming tormented praises to gods as

mad as their worshippers.25

Perhaps the most infamous of the

Eye’s inhabitants are those who once

served the Imperium. The Eye of

Terror provides a haven for the

treacherous and the black-hearted.

Most prominent of these are the Traitor

Legions, who fled there in the wake of

the Horus Heresy. The twisting

influence of the Warp twists time such

that many of the original Legionaries

still survive to nurse their hatred of the

Imperium.26

Indeed, ships fleeing

Horus’ defeat at Terra still arrive in the

22

Warhammer 40,000, Fourth Edition 23




Codex: Chaos Space Marines, Fourth Edition

Eye to this day.27

They are bolstered by

more recent traitor Space Marines,

formerly of the Adeptus Astartes,28

fallen Imperial Guard regiments and

cultists,29

and the arcane forces of the

Dark Mechanicus and Traitor Titan

Legions.30

But the Eye’s most numerous

inhabitants are Daemons, and to

understand them, one must understand

the Warp.

What is the Warp? The Warp is a parallel reality to our

own – Chaos is the Warp, and the

Warp is Chaos.31

Human ships travel

across the galaxy by entering the Warp,

where the distance to their destination

is shorter, then returning to realspace.32

The natural ebb and flow of the Warp

can make travel easier or more difficult

by speeding or slowing ships.33

Warp

storms are created by these natural

movements and tides, coming together

and breaking apart over time.34

Older

sources suggest that warp storms are

the powers of Chaos, accumulations of

power grown large enough to achieve

sentience.35

As powers grow larger,

they can protect themselves from the

natural flow of the Warp and maintain

their existence.36

Emotions also feed

the powers of Chaos,37

and the use of

psychic powers creates disturbances

and currents in the Warp.38

Indeed,

much of the ebb and flow of the Warp

27




Adeptus Titanicus 31

Realms of Chaos: Slaves to Darkness 32

Warhammer 40,000, Fifth Edition 33

Warhammer 40,000, Third Edition 34


Ibid 36

Ibid 37

Realms of Chaos: Slaves to Darkness, Codex: Chaos Space Marines, Third Edition, Mk II 38

Codex: Chaos Daemons

may be a response to emotions and

actions in our universe.

Daemons are created from the

accumulated energy of a Chaos power

– more capable and larger powers can

thus create more daemons.39

Some

small Chaos powers elect to stabilize

themselves by taking daemonic form,

trading the chance at more power for

the certainty of continued existence.40

Daemons are reflections of the powers

that created them – Khorne’s are

bloodthirsty, Slaanesh’s depraved,

Nurgle’s pestilent, and Tzeentch’s

mercurial.41

The gods’ most favoured

servants will be rewarded with more

and more power – indeed, on some

worlds, Greater Daemons are

worshipped as gods themselves.42

Most of the time, Daemons do not

concern themselves with humanity.

They are occupied participating in wars

between the Chaos powers and other

daemons within the Warp and the Eye

of Terror, wars prompted by obscure,

incomprehensible or even ridiculous

motivations.43

The Chaos powers can

reclaim the energies committed to a

particular daemon at any time,

ensuring the loyalty of their followers

(though, treacherous as such creatures

are, betrayal is still possible).44

Daemons cannot generally manifest

themselves in our universe – the walls

between universes must be weakened

by a warp storm or the beliefs and

rituals of cultists in order to allow a

daemon entrance to our world.45

Alternatively, daemons can possess

mortals, committing a portion of their

power to controlling the mind and

spirit of their host.46

Some mortals

succumb to this willingly, while others

39


Ibid 41



Ibid 44



Ibid

9

are left trapped as witnesses to the

horrors their body commits.47

Talented psykers such as the Librarians

of the Adeptus Astartes can project

their minds into the Warp in the form

of a “subtle body” or “mist flesh”, like

the mirror of a daemon projecting its

psychic existence into our physical

realm. Such a journey is hazardous in

the extreme, for injury to the subtle

body is suffered by the physical body

and to die whilst in the Warp is to be

condemned to damnation and torment

at the claws of daemons.48

Just as daemons struggle to maintain

their physical form in our material

realm, the immaterial realm is

anathema to mortal beings. For an

ordinary man to even look upon the

Warp is to jeopardize his sanity.

Starships are encased in protective

shields known as Gellar fields

generated by ancient engines from the

fabled Dark Age of Technology, and

these fields are all that prevent Warp

creatures from consuming those who

sail the swirling energies of the

Immaterium.49

Even the best Gellar

fields have been known to fail without

explanation, leaving crews to be turned

into gibbering maniacs and devotees of

dark and terrible influences.50

It is only thanks to the mutants known

as Navigators that mankind can travel

the Warp. Navigators possess a third

eye in the centre of their forehead

which enables them to look upon the

Warp.51

Every Navigator perceives the

Warp differently and any attempt to

describe what they see is futile for it

requires colours and shapes beyond

mortal comprehension.52

Navigators

are treated with fear and suspicion for

it is said that to look in a Navigator’s

Warp Eye is to invite madness and

death.53

47

Codex: Chaos Daemons 48 Graham McNeill, A Thousand Sons 49

Warhammer 40,000, Fourth Edition 50


“Space Fleet”, White Dwarf #140 52


“Space Fleet”, White Dwarf 140

Conclusion Thus is the Eye of Terror – a twisted

realm of twisted creatures serving

twisted purposes. It is here that the

death of mankind waits, and here from

which our darkest urges march forth to

destroy us.

Notable Worlds and Sites Agripinaa – An Adeptus Mechanicus

Fortress World located south-east of

Cadia,54

Agripinaa produces munitions

for the Cadian Gate.55

Altansar – This Craftworld is home to

Maugan Ra, Exarch of the Dark

Reapers.56

He guided them in an

escape from the Eye of Terror during

the 13th

Black Crusade, though they are

now mistrusted by other Eldar due to

their lengthy time within the Eye.57

Altansar is now located near Terra.58

The Arx Gap – An alternate exit from

the Eye of Terror in the north-east,59

the Arx Gap is less stable than the

Cadian Gate.60

Abaddon escaped

through here to start the Gothic War.61

Belial IV – A Crone World in the east

of the Eye on which can be found an

Eldar relic – a black crystal sword

forged from the energy of death.62

Belis Corona – A dead world on the

Imperial side of the Cadian Gate which

supports massive naval dockyards.63

The Benighted – A Daemon World in

the western Eye of Terror.64

54




Ibid 58




Battlefleet Gothic 62


Ibid 64

Warhammer 40,000, Fifth Edition

Cadia – The Fortress World that

secures the eponymous Gate. Home to

the famous Cadian regiments, and the

site of much of the action of the 13th

Black Crusade.65

Caliban (Ruins) – The destroyed

former home world of the Dark

Angels,66

on the northern edge of the

Eye.67

Chincare – A rogue system68

where a

creature of Chaos was destroyed by

Inquisitor Eisenhorn.69

Citadels of Flesh – A Daemon World

in the eastern Eye of Terror.70

Cylia – A Daemon World near the

centre of the Eye.71

Dhegh – A Daemon World near the


Eidolon – A world in the northern Eye

of Terror.73

A former Eldar Maiden

World, now the site of constant battles

between the four Chaos powers.74

Fool’s Paradise – An Imperial Guard

world of note,75

but also apparently the

site of Alpha-grade Daemonic

encounters.76

The Forbidden Vault – A Daemon

World in the western Eye of Terror.77

Fulgrim’s World – Daemon World of

the Emperor’s Children Primarch and

65


“The Unforgiven”, Index Astartes I 67


Ibid 69



Ibid 72

Ibid 73


Bloodquest 75

Codex: Imperial Guard, Fifth Edition 76


Ibid

10

the goal of questing Emperor’s

Children. Location unknown.78

Helix – A Daemon World near the

centre of the Eye of Terror.79

Il-Kaithe – A Craftworld near the

south-west of the Eye of Terror.80

Constantly battling against the forces

of Chaos, their colours are purple and

green. They are famous for the talents

of their Bonesingers.81

Infinitum – A Daemon World near the


Kathalon – A Daemon World ruled by

Vangash’hagash the Ever-Bloody, it

takes the form of a burning lake

crossed with bridges of iron and bone,

and is the site of an endless battle

between the forces of Khorne and

Tzeentch.83

78

“Children of the Emperor”, Index Astartes I 79


Ibid 81



Codex: Chaos Daemons

Kdask’s Labyrinth – A Daemon

World in the south-west of the Eye of

Terror.84

L’Oquis – A Crone World in the

western Eye of Terror.85

The Loathsome Orb – A Daemon

World in the southern Eye of Terror.86

Mahr’douk – A Guard world of note

to the south-west of the Eye.87

Medrengard – Home to the Iron

Warriors, Medrengard is a bleak slave

world in the north-east of the Eye88

and

is dominated by physically impossible

fortifications.89

It lies close enough to

the edge of the Eye that it can

sometimes be mapped as outside –

which may just be a product of the

Eye’s unpredictability90

84


Ibid 86

Ibid 87



“Bitter and Twisted”, Index Astartes I 90

Warhammer 40,000, Fourth Edition

Medusa – The home world of the Iron

Hands,91

Medusa lies on the north-west

edge of the Eye.92

Nemesis Tessera – Site of a fortress

built to guard against the denizens of

the Eye of Terror. Nemesis Tessera is

now under the control of the

Inquisition.93

The Perilous Stair – A Daemon

World near the centre of the Eye.94

Plague Planet – The new home of the

Death Guard, it was remade in the

image of Barbarus by Mortarion.95

Sickness and pestilence are the norm,

and the clouds bring death, prompting

the population to pray to Nurgle for

relief.96

Planet of Sorcerers – New home of

the Thousand Sons. Saturated with

magic and volcanically active, it is

91

“The Iron Hands”, Index Astartes III 92




“The Lost and the Damned”, Index Astartes III 96

Codex: Chaos Space Marines, Third Edition, Mk II

The Eye of Terror – Colrouphobic

11

covered in monolithic sorcerer’s

towers, the tallest of which is the

Tower of the Cyclops.97

From the

Tower, Magnus can peer through the

Warp across the Imperium, directing

the raids of his Legion toward targets

which particularly interest him.98

Purgatrex – A Daemon World in the

north of the Eye of Terror.99

Rubicon Straits – An anomaly.100

Scelus – A Dead World in the west of

the Eye, Scelus is the former home of

the Sons of Malice.101

Sentinel Worlds – Anomalous worlds

in the south-west of the Eye,

quarantined due to alien artefacts.102

Sicarus – Daemon world base of

Lorgar and centre of Word Bearer

operations.103

97

“Masters of Forbidden Knowledge”, Index Astartes IV 98




Ibid 102


“The Dark Apostles”, Index Astartes IV

Skalathrax – A freezing daemon

world covered in black cities.104

Site of

the battle of Skalathrax, where Khârn’s

actions shattered the World Eaters and

Emperor’s Children and earned him the

title “The Betrayer”.105

Thracian Primaris – A Hive World of

twenty-two billion with five Ramilies

Star Forts and eight million PDF

defending it.106

Capital of the Helican

sub-sector.107

Titan of Pain – Daemon World near

the centre of the Eye of Terror.108

Tzix – Daemon World in the south of

the Eye of Terror.109

Ulthwé – An Eldar Craftworld that

wears the colours of mourning (black

and yellow) due to being trapped in

orbit around the Eye of Terror.110

Currently located near the western

edge of the Eye.111

104


Ibid 106




Ibid 110



Viest – Plague world in the northern

Eye of Terror.112

Volscar – A Guard world of note,

almost within the southern Eye of

Terror.113

World of Immortal Sorrows – Crone

World ruled by Slaaneshi Daemon

Prince Elyssar’sirath, where daemons

torment the souls of fallen Eldar in a

massive golden forest beside rivers

made from the tears of Eldar

children.114

Xana II – Renegade Forge World.

Produces the Hell Talon, Hell Blade,115

and the Idolator-class escort.116

Yme-Loc – Eldar Craftworld near the

Eye of Terror.117

Known as talented

artists, they frequently make use of

heavy grav-tanks and Titans. Their

colours are grey and orange.118

112




Imperial Armour: Apocalypse 116



Ibid

12

Introduction It is the nature of Chaos that infighting

and rivalry keep the Chaos Space

Marines from permanently uniting.

However, once or twice in a

millennium, a truly great Champion of

Chaos arises in the Eye of Terror.

Through his implacable will and the

favour of the Ruinous Powers, this

Champion welds together an unsteady

alliance between the infernal regions of

the Eye of Terror and sallies forth

against the Imperium.

How the Champion brings such a

‘Black Crusade’ together will depend

on his nature and his patron God. Some

use manipulation, others extortion,

while others dominate or intimidate.

Whatever the method, the Champion

must use all of the considerable powers

at his disposal.

Unsurprisingly for the servants of

Chaos, a Black Crusade can vary

wildly in terms of the size and

composition of Traitor forces.

Depending on the Champion’s goals

and objectives, such a force can range

from a few hundred renegade Astartes

to a dark tide of countless thousands of

Chaos worshippers.

The Black Crusades of Abaddon the

Despoiler are some of the most

momentous events in the history of the

Imperium and yet, other than his two

most recent, relatively little is known

of these cataclysmic wars. Below is a

time line recording the known

Crusades of both Abaddon and several

other mighty chaotic war leaders.

The Death of a Primarch –

c.30.M31

An unnamed Black Crusade that

threatened to engulf Cadia. Before the

Crusade could properly begin, Rogal

Dorn and three companies of Imperial

Fists assaulted the Chaos anchorage in

the Pelenos Belt and did enough

damage to avert the attack, with Dorn

making his last stand on the bridge of

the Chaos Battleship Sword of

Sacrilege.1

If this account refers to a general Black

Crusade, or specifically to one of

Abaddon's Black Crusades is unclear,

but a date is not given other than it was

'soon after' the disappearance of

Corax.2 The Primarch of the Raven

Guard is known to have disappeared

approximately one year after the 2nd

Founding (ca. 21.M31).3 Even if one

allows 50 to 60 years to be 'soon' in

Imperial terms, this would still place

this Black Crusade 700 years before

the date given for Abaddon's First

Black Crusade, suggesting that it must

have been a separate event.

Abaddon’s First Black

Crusade – 781.M314

After years of inactivity following the

Scouring, Abaddon suddenly erupted

back into the Imperium at the head of a

diabolical horde.5 Since the Imperial

defences at the Cadian Gate were not

yet established he was able to easily

rampage around Imperial space.6

During this time Abaddon assaulted the

Tower of Silence on Uralan and, after

being led into the crypts below it by a

golden-skinned stranger, recovered the

daemon sword Drach'nyen.7 Abaddon

was eventually forced to withdraw

after a bitter battle against the

1 “Emperor’s Fist”, Index Astartes

Volume II 2 Ibid.

3 “Claws of the Raven”, Index Astartes

Volume IV 4 Codex: Chaos Space Marines, Third

Edition, Mk II 5 Ibid

6 Codex: Chaos Space Marines, Second

Edition 7 Ibid

The Black Crusades are the fury of Chaos unleashed upon the

Imperium. Led by fell champions, they strike down the

righteous and harry the godly. In this article, Strike Captain

Lysimachus unearths information on known Black Crusades

and provides some thoughts on their general nature.

The Eye of

Terror

The Black

Crusades

by

Strike

Captain

Lysimachus

13

combined strength of several Titan

Legions and Space Marine

Chapters.8

After this the Cadian Gate was

fortified, and the naval port of

Bellis Corona and the fortress on

Nemesis Tessera were created.9

Further to this, the Astartes

Praeses program was begun and

the Liber Astartes, compiled in

M.37, listed twenty Chapters that

were founded over the following

centuries.10

Abaddon’s Second Black


This war lasted only five years,

but was stymied assaulting Cadia,

the path of attack reaching fewer

than 1000 light years from the Eye

of Terror.12

The Host of Tallomin –

Undated13

This apparently took place during

the Age of Apostasy (though the

exact date is unknown) and was

led by a Daemon Prince named

Tallomin. The "Wolf Warriors"

were involved in Tallomin’s

defeat and destruction.14

Abaddon’s Third Black


A longer campaign than

Abaddon’s previous Crusade,

Traitor forces went about three-

quarters of the way from the Eye of

Terror towards Armageddon.16

8 Ibid

9 Ibid

10 Ibid


Edition, Mk II 12

Ibid 13

Liber Chaotica: Khorne. Though undated, the Crusades mentioned in Liber Chaotica are presented in chronological order. 14


Ibid

Abaddon’s Fourth Black

Crusade – The Devastation of

El’Phanor – c.001.M3417

Abaddon attacked and destroyed the

Citadel of Kromarch on El'Phanor.18

The Citadel only had a single gate –

three meters thick and made of

16

Ibid 17

Ibid. The Second Edition and first Third Edition Chaos Codices imply that this occurred during the first Black Crusade, but this source specifically dates it as the fourth. 18

Codex: Chaos Space Marines, Second Edition

adamantium. Impervious to

bombardment, it was destroyed by a

single blow from Drach’nyen when

Abaddon led a charge against it.

Though the Citadel fell in less than a

day, nine-tenths of Abaddon’s forces

were killed in the attack and Abaddon

was repelled by the Imperial

counterattack.19

The Tide of Blood – Undated Led by the Daemon Prince,

Doombreed, this Crusade was basically

a declaration of war against the

Adeptus Astartes.20

The Warhawks and

19

Ibid. 20

Liber Chaotica: Khorne

Black Legionaire – Firenze

14

Venerators Chapters were "lost" as a

result of the Black Crusade, though

Doombreed was defeated.21

Its date is

unknown.

One source does date a “Bloodtide” to

034.M38,22

but this may be a

recurrence of the phenomenon

associated with the Bloodthirster

Ka’jagga’nath,23

and its placement in

the Liber Chaotica would suggest

otherwise.

The Black Crusade of Jihar

the Lacerator – 599.M3624

Jihar the Lacerator was a follower of

Slaanesh whose very presence caused

the Warp to scream, driving those who

heard it insane.25

Jihar slipped through

21

Ibid 22


Codex: Grey Knights 24

Tactica Imperialis 25

Ibid

the Cadian Gate with only a small

retinue,26

but the swarms of mutants on

the worlds he targeted in Adriada’s

Gloom (to the south-west of the Eye)

provided him with many new recruits.

Forty-three Imperial Guard regiments

were involved,27

and the Crusade

ended only when the 13th

Mordant

Regiment slew Jihar in battle – only to

be subject to Exterminatus due to

concerns of Chaotic taint.28

Abaddon’s Fifth Black


This attack reached approximately

15,000 light years from the Eye.30

26

Ibid 27

Ibid 28

Ibid 29


Ibid

Abaddon’s Sixth Black


This Crusade took a similar path to the

Fifth, and came even closer to Fenris.32

Abaddon’s Seventh Black

Crusade – The Ghost War –

811.M3733

Chaos fleets flooded out past Cadia but

then disappeared, giving the Crusade

its name. Raids continued for years,

and Abaddon succeeded in reclaiming

the artefact known as the Hand of

Darkness.34

Imperial records of this Crusade are

somewhat confusing. One star map

shows the attack path going almost due

east from the Eye, out to as far as

20,000 light years away, the furthest

31

Ibid 32

Ibid 33

Ibid. 34

Codex: Chaos Space Marines, Second Edition

Marines Exemplar engage Hellaynnea’s Horde – Lord Tybault

15

from the Eye that Abaddon ever struck,

but this same source includes the Battle

of Mackan, a planet south of the Eye.35

At Mackan, Abaddon led a charge of

Khorne Berzerkers into a heavily

fortified Blood Angels position and

although only a handful of Berzerkers

survived, they overran the position and

the Blood Angels were unable to

recover the bodies of their comrades.36

Abaddon’s Eighth Black


Little is known of this Crusade except

that it only reached about 500 light

years south-southwest of the Eye.38

The Dominion of Fire – Mid-

M3839

Angron led an army of fifty thousand

Berzerkers out of the Eye of Terror and

they rampaged over three dozen star

systems for nearly two hundred years.40

They were followed by numerous other

warbands and it took four Space

Marine Chapters, two Titan Legions

and over 30 Imperial Guard regiments

around seven centuries to cleanse all

the worlds across the 70 Sectors that

fell during this time.41

Abaddon’s Ninth Black

Crusade –573.M3842

The only known engagement of this

Crusade is recorded as taking place in

35


Codex: Chaos Space Marines, Third Edition, Mk I 37


Ibid 39

Codex: Chaos Space Marines, Fourth Edition. This campaign is not specifically titled a Black Crusade, but is significantly larger than the the First War for Armageddon, which is titled as such, suggesting it should be included. 40

Ibid 41

Ibid 42


165.M37,43

when Abaddon ravaged the

world of Antecanis in order to deprive

the Imperial shipyards at Cancephalus

of workers.44

Abaddon’s Tenth Black

Crusade – The Conflict of

Helica – 001.M3945

The tenth Black Crusade flooded out

on the opposite side of the Eye to the

Cadian Gate, attacking Helica and the

capitol world, Thracian Primaris.46

The

Chaos assault was fatally delayed when

the Iron Warriors attacked the Iron

Hands on Medusa.47

Abaddon’s Eleventh Black


This attack headed east of the Eye, but

failed to make it as far as the

Seventh.49

Abaddon’s Twelfth Black

Crusade – The Gothic War –

139-160.M4150

Abaddon and his forces sneaked out of

the Eye of Terror via the Arx Gap,

after a three year campaign of raids to

silence Imperial monitoring stations.51

He then attacked the Gothic Sector

from his flagship, the Planetkiller.52

Using the artefacts the Hand of

Darkness and the Eye of Night,53

he

was able to capture and corrupt

Blackstone Fortresses, of which three

in concert were able to turn the

43

Warhammer 40,000, Fifth Edition. Since it is contradicted by at least one source, which is consistent with several other sources itself, this date may well be in error. 44

Ibid 45


Ibid 47

Ibid 48

Ibid 49

Ibid 50

Ibid 51

Ibid 52


Ibid

Tarantis star nova, destroying the

whole system.54

The Black Crusade ended at

Schindelgeist, although Abaddon fled

with two of the Blackstones.55

It took

eight years to finally cleanse the

Gothic Sector of the last raiders and

traitors.56

The First Armageddon War –

444.M4157

This Crusade was led by Angron and

was repelled only by the combined

efforts of Logan Grimnar of the Space

Wolves58

and a full Company of the

fabled Grey Knights.59

Abaddon’s Thirteenth Black


The most recent of Abaddon’s attacks

on the Imperium opened with an

outbreak of plague zombies spread by

derelict ships launched from the Eye of

Terror.61

These were followed by

Chaos Space Marine raids, growing in

force and coupled with an outbreak of

heretical cults lead by a figure

matching the description of Cypher.62

The full force of the Cadian Regiments

was mustered on Cadia in preparation

for what seemed an inevitable

onslaught. This assembly turned into

open warfare when the Volscani

regiment attacked their brothers, killing

much of the Cadian command

structure.63

When the Chaotic forces finally arrived

in strength, the Imperial Navy fought a

54





Liber Chaotica: Khorne 59



Ibid 62

Ibid 63

Ibid

16

desperate battle which only

delayed the inevitable. The

Chaos forces established

themselves in the Cadian

system, and have yet to be

dislodged.64

The forces of Chaos came

close to breaking the

Cadian Gate and devastated

the surrounding systems,

including the total

destruction of Macharia, a

world in the Cadian system.

This Crusade is still

ongoing, in that the game’s

timeline has not yet

advanced past 999.M41.65

The Black Crusade of

Vulkarth – Undated This crusade evidently

involved the Adeptus

Astartes and multiple

incursions, but beyond that

nothing is known.66

Analysis There are five general

points of interest which can be drawn

from what we know about Black

Crusades (some of which Games

Workshop has been kind enough to

explicitly tell us).

First, and most obvious, is that not all

Black Crusades are led by Abaddon.

Indeed, they do not always seem to be

led by people (or things) of particular

influence or note – sometimes a bunch

of Chaos adherents just decide to go on

a rampage.

Second, the Crusades vary in scale.

The First War for Armageddon and

Abaddon’s Tenth Black Crusade

targeted single systems, while the

Dominion of Fire and several of

64

Ibid 65


Codex: Space Marines, Third Edition

Abaddon’s Black Crusades ravaged

massive tracts of the Imperium.

Third, the Black Crusades vary widely

in type. The Gothic War was chiefly

focused on naval engagements, and

seemed to rely mostly on raiding rather

than attempting to seize territory. The

First War for Armageddon focused on

attacking a single planet on its surface.

And many of the other Black Crusades

were total wars involving planetary and

interplanetary warfare.

Fourth, the Black Crusades can vary in

composition – Angron’s excursions

seem to be dominated by the forces of

Khorne (unsurprisingly), while

Abaddon’s Crusades are more

cosmopolitan.

Finally, the Black Crusades seem to

vary in organization. The Dominion of

Fire was as much an infestation as a

coordinated military campaign.

Meanwhile, the 13th

Black Crusade

was dedicated to pursuing specific

objectives. Even the organized

campaigns have disorganized hangers-

on along for the easy ride out of the

Eye. Of course, this is Chaos.

Organized and under the control of one

leader would defeat the point.

Strike Captain Lysimachus is a much-

noted presence in the Liber Astartes,

and serves as a Lexicanium in the

Librarium.

Achaeus the Kinslayer, Warlord of Khorne – Cheexsta

17

Introduction There are two tutorials in this article. Despite their marked similarities, there are

some notable distinctions, so both have been included. horrain’s tutorial seems to

produce Beastmarines with an emphasis on the ‘marine’ (as befitting his loyalists),

while Firefighter X’s produces ones with an emphasis on ‘beast’ (as befitting his

Khornates). Firefighter X’s uses more tools and parts and is somewhat more

complicated, while horrain’s is simpler. And, of course, it is very possible to blend

both approaches.

Beastmen, for those unfamiliar with them, are genetically-divergent humans who

are fiercely loyal to the Imperium, but due to their appearance are treated

with suspicion. And, of course, there are enough renegade Beastmen to further

confuse matters. Though not very bright, loyalist Beastmen are dedicated and

tough (much like Ogryns), driven to atone for their deformities through service to

the Emperor. They are technically not mutants, since their genetic quirks breed

true, but rather are abhumans like Ogryns or Ratlings. However, they are still more

variable in form than those two subspecies.

Beastmen were originally available as part of Imperial Guard armies, and were

(briefly) available again thanks to a White Dwarf article in third edition that

offered alternate doctrines to represent genetically enhanced (or deviant) Guard

regiments. They also made appearances in the ranks of the Lost and the Damned

(as goat-headed mutants).

As horrain put it: “Basically, these are Beastmen in power armour, but due to the

nature of their existence they have to salvage the majority of their war gear and

thus look pretty beaten-up. Glad we got that clear.”

horrain’s Tutorial For this you will need:

-A complete Beastman model, either a Gor or Bestigor

-A complete Space Marine from the belt up (head, torso halves, arms and

backpack).

-Additional gubbins for added excitement and character

-A razor saw, knife or other cutting implement and plastic cutters

The Eye of

Terror

Beast

Marines

From the

Work of

Horrain

and

Firefighter

X

Beastmen may have fallen into obscurity in modern 40K, but many

older players still remember them, and they still loom large in Fantasy.

In this series of tutorials, horrain and Firefighter X created excellent

techniques for making power-armoured Beastmen – surely some of the

most fearsome denizens of the Eye of Terror.

Horrain’s Beastmarines do their best to look intimidating. And succeed.

18

Step 1: Once you have your sup plies collected, you need to cut

the Beastman in half, just below the nipple (see

picture).

When I do this step I like to use a razor saw, since it lets

me be quite accurate about where I make the cut. If you

use a knife, be careful – the plastic is pretty thick and

you risk doing yourself an injury. [Firefighter X used a

Dremel cutting blade. An effective option, if riskier –

Ed].

Step 2:

Once you

have the

top of the

torso cut

off, you'll

want to remove what remains of its overly-

pronounced shoulders. For this I used a pair of

plastic cutters.

Step 3:

Next you want to start shaping the back of the body

section. The basic goal is to round off the back so

from the model’s belt it goes straight up, and curves

in to meet the front of the model toward the top. The

idea is to make a rounded ball joint similar to that on

the standard Space Marine legs. Leave the front of the model

alone for now.

Step 4:

Next up is to grab a standard marine torso, both front and

back. We need to cut off the belt and the stomach, but leave

the chest. This is because the Beastman model already has a

belt, and two looks weird. [But so stylish – Ed]

The front of the torso should end up looking like

the image to the left. Note that you’ll need to cut

the back torso part as well as the front.

Once you have your torso shaped you can start

trimming the body's front section to match the torso’s

shape. This step is pretty hard to capture in photos –

the process is basically trimming the body until it fits

smoothly with the torso. The end result should look

something like the image to the right.

Step 5:

Now once that's all done you can go ahead and glue

the body to its base and glue the torso together and

then to the body. Because the marine torso

is largely untouched, the standard Marine arms and

backpack should fit with no issue. For this model, I used regular arms from the Space Wolves

sprue, but you can also use arms from either the Gor or Bestigor kits, as the scale between the

two sets of arms is pretty much identical.

Step One: Before (L) and After (R)

Step Two

Step Three

Step Four

Step Four

Step Five

19

Once you have attached your arms and backpack your model should look similar to this.

Step 6:

Now we run into our first problem – you'll notice a large gap between the model’s spine, and the

backpack. We can't leave our Beastmarine in this state, because it’s pretty ugly (and/or comical,

depending on your outlook on life). This is where the extra credit gubbins come in handy.

Personally I like to glue a shield in this gap, as it looks pretty cool, and helps bring them back to

their Fantasy roots. One of my Wolf Guards is

carrying his combi-weapon in this void. You could

also use a variety of pouches or grenades.

In this case I have used a square shield from the WFB

goblin kit.

Step 7:

Now the last stage, here we need to give this guy a

head. On the Gor kit you'll notice a bunch of different

horns, unfortunately using all of them is pretty tricky,

as there are two main types, the straight horns, and

the ones shaped like rounded goat horns.

The problem with the rounded horns is that they are tricky to fit due to the marine

shoulder pads, so I tend to not use them unless the pose allows. You'll more

than likely need to only use the straight horns.

This guy is the leader for my Long Fang squad, so I have used Bestigor parts over

the standard Gor.

You should now have a Beastmarine. Congratulations, and thanks for reading.

horrain maintains a website at www.horrain.com. This was his first tutorial.

Step Six

Step Seven

horrain’s Beastmarines

http://www.horrain.com/

20

Firefighter X’s Tutorial My idea originally came from horrain’s

tutorial. I took his ideas and expanded on

them, changing some things and making

them my own.

Tools:

- Dremel with cutting blade, grinder, &

sander wheel.

-Super glue & Zap Kicker

-double sided file (flat/rounded)

-clippers/cutters (heavy and normal)

-pin vice (for drilling)

-pin rod

-X-Acto knife with new blade

Parts: -Bestigor Champion body (any Bestigor

body will do)

-Bestigor arms & axe haft

-Berzerker torso, shoulder pads,

backpack, & bolt pistol.

-Ork Nob Choppa arm

-Ravenwing Banner flag

-Wooden toothpick (glaive handle)

Step 1: Using the Dremel, saw the

Bestigor body in half, about

1-2 mm above the belt line.

It should end up looking

like this:

Step 2:

Using your clippers, file,

and knife trim down the

rest of the waistline. Be

careful here – get it as close

to the top of the Bestigor's

belt as you can. Also remove any fantasy items from the model that you don't want

(like pouches and weapons that are moulded onto the mini). Pay special attention to

the Bestigor's leg and armour details. You want to preserve them.

Tools

Parts

Step One

Step Two

21

Step 3:

Glue the Berzerker torso together and, using

your knife, remove the entire "belt" from the

model. Leave the round Khorne icon at the

front of the model.

Step 4:

Use the Dremel grinding bit to dig out the

rest of the Bestigor’s waistline and dig a

groove in the front of the belt buckle (to

make room for the Khorne icon you saved

on the Berzerker torso earlier). Follow this

up with the Dremel sander bit. The goal here

is to get the waistline smooth and flat.

Step 5:

You should be left with two halves that look

similar to this after you clean up the mini.

[Firefighter X’s original tutorial suggested

choosing either Marine arms or Beastman

arms. This tutorial assumes you will use

Beastman arms – the procedure for Marine

arms is identical to that in horrain’s tutorial

– Ed.]

Dryfit the Beastman arms to make sure they fit,

then drill out holes in the Bestigor hands and

clip away the axe handle.

Step 6:

Position them on whatever you will be using for

use for the new glaive handle. Use clippers or a

Dremel sanding bit to cut away the shoulder pads to make room for attaching the Berzerker pads. Follow the mould line on

the inside of the Bestigor arm when trimming.

Step Three

Step Four

Step Five (A)

Step Five (B)

Step Six

22

Step 7: At this point use your clippers and remove the ponytail from the Bestigor head.

Step 8: Clip the chainaxe head and pommel away from the hand,

preserving the finger details. Drill out a hole for the

toothpick to slide through the whole hand. Attach the

pommel to the end of the new handle.

Step 9:

Position the axe arm & the bolt pistol arm where you

want them. Glue on the

axe head. Drill the pistol

barrel holes out (it

pleases Khorne, and you

don’t want a cranky

Blood God). If you have

an uneven join between the Berzerker torso and the

Bestigor legs, use some bitz (such as pouches or

holsters) to mask it. Glue the horns to the Bestigor

head, attach the backpack, attach the head, and go

collect some skulls!

Firefighter X is a keen World Eaters player. He

reconciles killing, maiming and burning with

firefighting through a firm separation of his work and

home lives.

Step Seven

Step Eight

Step Nine

Some Other Beastmarines

23

Introduction Blessings of the dark gods or the

stigmata of the damned; many and

varied are the ‘gifts’ that those in the

service of Chaos may find bestowed

upon them, either as a result of

exposure to the Warp in places such as

the Eye of Terror, or more directly as a

sign of their patron god’s favour.

Dangerous are the roads these men

walk, for while the gifts of the gods

may seem bountiful, the denizens of

the Immaterium ultimately care not for

their mortal playthings. One mutation

often leads to more, and they are often

as random as they are beneficial.

Countless aspiring champions of Chaos

have ended their existence as one of

the pitiful, mewling messes of flesh

known as Chaos Spawn, their bodies

overcome by the changes wrought

upon by their patron.

Nevertheless mutations are signs of

favour and promise, and for the most

part are welcomed. To the servants of

the Emperor of Mankind, however,

there is no clearer indication of how far

a man has fallen from His light than

the mark of the mutant.

Gifts of the Gods Mutations are generally purely

cosmetic in current editions of 40K,

and so with a few exceptions they will

have no influence on the way

miniatures are used in game. However

they are still a great way to

individualise the miniatures in your

army as well as allowing you to let

your imagination, converting and

painting skills shine.

For those looking for the quickest and

easiest ways to model mutations, kit-

bashing and cut-and-paste converting

are probably the best ways to go.

Quick and easy should not be

interpreted as less impressive, though,

as it is now quite easy to combine kits

from various armies in both the 40K

and Fantasy ranges produced by

Games Workshop. For example; the

Chaos Mutations sprue, the Possessed

Chaos Space Marine sprues and even

parts from the Chaos Spawn kit can be

used to bestow heads, arms, tentacles

and even legs and torsos touched by

the Warp upon your models with

minimal effort.

Some ‘cool’ mutations garnered from a

variety of sources are described below,

as an indication of how easy they will

be to create; they have been given

difficulty ratings using the following

scale:

Easy: These mutations are generally

quick and easy to create and require

little modelling skill to achieve.

Intermediate: These mutations require

a little more time and patience to

produce, generally due to the

involvement of green stuff or painting

techniques. As with all hobby

techniques, using green stuff may take

a little practice to get ‘right’.

Advanced: These mutations are likely

to be the most labour intensive or

complicated ones, although that

shouldn’t dissuade you from giving

them a try.

Safety Note: Creating many of these

mutations require the use of a hobby

knife, sculpting tool, razor saw or

hobby drill. Care should be taken when

using sharp tools of this nature and all

cuts should be made on a stable,

protected and level surface, away from

the body.

‘Crusty’ Armour

Easy – often associated with the

followers of Nurgle, even ceramite

plating is not immune to the corrosive

The Eye of

Terror

Mutatis

Mutandis:

A Guide to

Creating

Mutations

by

Pig of

Sparta

Mutations are the gifts and curses of the Chaos Gods. However,

the infinite variety and twisted imagination of daemonically

inspired physical deformity can be somewhat tricky for mere

mortals to accurately portray. Pig of Sparta takes on this

challenge with a collection of mutation tutorials and some

discussion of inspiration for great mutations.

24

and decaying effects of his virulent

contagions.

This is a very easy mutation to show:

apply small amounts of super glue to

the miniature in a random pattern,

before dipping it in some modelling

sand. Tap off the excess sand and

allow the glue to dry before

undercoating.

Horned Armour

Easy – Many a Champion of Chaos has

been pleased to find bestial horns

emerging from his body.

To recreate this mutation on your

miniatures, take the part of the

miniature you desire to have a horn

burst forth from and drill a hole in it

using a pin vice. Score the edges of the

hole using a modelling knife, before

inserting a trimmed down horn of your

choice.

Skull Head

Easy – disturbing to say the least. This

warrior’s flesh has peeled from his face

and head, leaving nought but a

grinning skull exposed. All the better

to terrify his enemies.

A very easy mutation to effect, simply

select a skull you like the look of and

using guitar string, green stuff, parts

from the Tomb Kings or Undead

fantasy ranges or even scrap sprue,

create a spinal column ‘neck’ to join

the skull to the torso of your miniature.

Alternatively you could use green stuff

to sculpt a hood or cowl to allow the

skull to float disconcertingly in mid-

air. You could also use small balls of

green stuff to add eyeballs for a truly

disturbing look. If you’re confident

with green stuff you could try sculpting

flames coming from the eye sockets or

even the whole head.

Boils and Sores

Intermediate – those who are infected

by Nurgle’s plagues often exhibit

symptoms of their maladies in the form

of weeping sores and boils.

Both of these mutations begin as small

balls of green stuff, placed on the area

of the miniature that you wish them to

erupt from, but they are made using

different methods.

For boils, use a sculpting tool to divide

the ball of green stuff into three parts.

Then blend the edges of the green stuff

into the surface below, before using a

paper clip or other thin, pointed object

to poke a small hole in roughly the

centre of each boil. You can even

‘burst’ some or all of the boils by using

the paper clip to open them up from the

hole in the centre.

To make sores, smooth the green stuff

onto the surface below before using the

paper clip to make uneven holes in it.

Soul Armour

Intermediate – while not strictly a

mutation, suits of armour worn by the

followers of the dark gods have been

observed to contain what appear to be

the bound souls of those slain by the

wearer, allowing him to enjoy their

torment for as long as he lives.

To ‘bind’ souls into a suit of armour,

begin by smoothing a layer of green

stuff onto the areas you wish them to

be visible. Once you have done this,

use a pointed sculpting tool, paper clip

or the tip of a hobby knife to create a

pair of eyes, followed by a mouth in

suitable tortured expressions. Simply

repeat until the whole of the area is

filled with tortured souls.

Daemonic Visage

Intermediate – either through

possession or exposure to the warping

nature of Chaos, the faces of many

warriors take on aspects, features and

skin tones of their patron’s daemons.

This mutation can be achieved either

using a head from one of the various

types of daemon miniatures

(Bloodletters or Daemonettes will be

Skull Head – GooseDaMoose

Skull Head – Pig of Sparta

Sores – Fallout1983

Boils – Fallout1983

25

the easiest to use) or using the heads

from the Possessed Marine sprue.

Alternatively you could use one of the

many helmetless Space Marine or

Chaos Space Marine heads, or possibly

even those from the Warriors of Chaos

or Chaos Marauder frames. Simply

paint the desired head to reflect the

miniature's allegiance. For example red

tones would signify Khorne, pallid

tones Slaanesh, rotting greens for

Nurgle and blue/grey tones for

Tzeentch.

Bejewelled Armour/Flesh

Intermediate – most commonly

associated with the followers of

Slaanesh, dazzling gemstones emerge

from armour plates and flesh.

Place a small ball of green stuff in the

place where you want the gem to be.

Then, using a sculpting tool; smooth

the edges of the ball into the surface

beneath to create a ‘bump’.

Next, using the tip of a sharp hobby

knife, ‘draw’ the shape of the gem into

the green stuff. Hold the knife at an

angle from the centre of the gem

outwards so that you push the

surrounding armour up slightly, this

also helps to produce a rounder shape

to the gem as well.

Finally, use the knife to make some

cuts into the armour or flesh to make it

look as though the gemstone is

bursting through it.

Beast Marines

Occasionally the body of a Chaos

worshipper may be completely

reformed by his patron god, taking on a

twisted parody of both beast and man.

horrain’s Beast Marines have been

discussed elsewhere in this issue, but

they aren’t the limit of the possible

mutations available.

The Fantasy Skaven range holds some

interesting possibilities – Stormvermin

and Rat Ogres both have potential.

Likewise, the Lizardmen range has

Sauruses, Kroxigors and Salamanders.

The Ork and Goblin range can provide

deformed and twisted arms by the

score, and the various Undead ranges

can provide lots and lots of rot and

putrefaction.

In 40K, the Dark Eldar range is also

adding more strange and twisted

creatures to serve the Haemonculi, and

those could serve equally well as

mutated servants of Chaos. Kroot are

sufficiently alien, and Vespids even

more so – both would provide good

mutation fodder, especially the Vespids

with their insectoid features. The

Tyranid range also offers possibilities

(especially older Tyranids).

Sources of Inspiration

The above examples are but a tiny

fraction of ways you can personalise

your Chaos Space Marines with

mutations. Further inspiration can be

found in a variety of places: from the

novels of the Black Library, to the

Warhammer 40,000 Rogue Trader

Rulebook (with its notorious random

mutation tables); from the hallowed

halls of the Bolter and Chainsword to

an internet image search.

Many feel that for sheer alien

twistedness there has been little to

match the models of the Rogue Trader

era. While they can be hard to come by

in these times, the Stuff of Legends

website provides pictures from old GW

catalogues that can provide inspiration.

Old White Dwarfs are also a good

source of ideas.

One thing to remember is that

mutations don’t have to be big – no-

eyes is just as effective a mutation as a

giant daemon head or a tail. Another is

that mutations don’t just have to be

organic – becoming living metal or

stone is still weird and chaotic. A

remarkable amount can be done with

colours alone – bright yellow people

simply aren’t normal.

Keep your mind open and you’ll be

amazed at how much you can do with

simple concepts, skills, and tools.

Ultimately, by its very nature Chaos is

random but inspired. The only real

limit to mutating models is your

imagination.

Pig of Sparta is a noted modeller and

painter on the B&C. He lives in the

UK, and enjoys long walks on the edge

of the abyss in which the Devourer of

Worlds dwells.

Bejewelled Armour – John Thompson

Daemonic Visage – Pig of Sparta

26

Introduction In the wake of the successes of the

Great Crusade the Imperium of Man

was born. It seemed like an age of new

hope, and yet it very nearly died in its

infancy as it was torn apart by the civil

war that would become known as the

Horus Heresy. Under Warmaster Horus

fully half of the Adeptus Astartes, the

Emperor’s champions of mankind, fell

to Chaos. In the aftermath of the

almighty siege of Terra the battered

remnants of the Traitor Legions fled to

the great Warp storm known as the Eye

of Terror.

Seven years after the death of Horus, in

accordance with the Ultramarine

Primarch Roboute Guilliman’s

teachings in the Codex Astartes, the

old Legions were broken into Chapters.

Each would be limited to one thousand

marines and would be completely

autonomous. Even if an individual

Chapter was corrupted, any internecine

struggle would be weighted in favour

of the Imperium since the vast majority

of Space Marines would be untainted.1

The galaxy is a vast place and the

lumbering mechanisms of the Adeptus

Administratum have been known to

misplace records of entire armies and

planets for years or even centuries. For

many in the Imperium the notion that

an entire Chapter of the celebrated and

heroic Space Marines could renege on

their oaths of allegiance is virtually

unthinkable. When it does happen, no

doubt the Inquisition and other Space

Marine Chapters swiftly limit the

spread of information. For this reason

no complete records exist, but secret

Inquisitorial archives suggest fully 50

Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes have

1 Codex: Space Marines, Fifth Edition

succumbed to Chaos since the Heresy.2

This suggests that almost five per cent

of marine Chapters have turned

renegade. Whilst this is a huge

improvement on the Heresy, it still

seems surprisingly high. Given that

Marines are meant to be heavily

indoctrinated, the resources invested in

their creation and the threat that they

pose if they turn renegade, it may seem

surprising to some that the Imperium

continues to support the existence of

Space Marines when approximately

one Chapter in twenty will rebel.

Enemies Within What must be borne in mind is the

extent of the threat of Chaos and its

corrupting influence. We have no solid

figures but, given their far lower level

of indoctrination and discipline plus

their wider experience of vices, it

seems reasonable to assume that the

level of betrayal in the Imperial Guard,

Imperial Navy and other branches of

the Imperium must be even higher than

that of the Adeptus Astartes. The

Imperium operates on a vast scale. If it

is necessary to create twenty Chapters

and expect that one will rebel and three

of the others be required to exterminate

the rogue Chapter in order to obtain the

net gain of the fighting strength of

sixteen Chapters then the High Lords

of Terra may very well consider this an

acceptable loss.

Another factor to consider is that the

Imperium itself is draconian in its

compliance standards. Whilst many

renegade Chapters ultimately end up in

the service of Chaos it is likely rare for

a loyal Chapter to abruptly abandon its

duties. Often the Imperium itself

rejects them. The Steel Cobras were

declared renegade because their

2 Codex: Space Marines, Fourth Edition

The Eye of

Terror

Threats

to the

Imperium:

Renegade

Chapters

by

Inquisitor

Kravin

The Horus Heresy was the single most significant event in the

history of the human race, and the Legions who betrayed their

oaths of allegiance to The Emperor acquired an infamy that

shall never fade. But do not be fooled into thinking that all the

descendants of those who remained loyal have done so

themselves. Here you shall learn of the renegade Chapters and

rogue Astartes that plague those they were created to protect.

27

veneration of the Emperor as a snake

god was deemed too deviant from the

Ecclesiarchy’s orthodoxy. The Sons of

Malice were forced to fight Adeptus

Sororitas forces in self-defence after an

Inquisitor deemed their victory rituals

heretical.3

Imperial politics are ruthless and a

Chapter Master must be wise for the

sake of his Chapter. Whilst the

Chapters of the Unforgiven have

earned the ire of would be allies as a

result of their tendency to abandon

their commitments in pursuit of their

own agenda, and the Space Wolves’

clashes with the Inquisition have seen

them called mutants and heretics, the

First Founding Chapters have so far

had the strength of reputation and

influence to stand up to their enemies.

On the other hand, after Captain Saul

of the Celestial Lions attempted to

prevent the extermination of the

population of Khattar by the forces of

Inquisitor Apollyon a succession of

3 “Rogue Sons”, Index Astartes IV

“misfortunes” plagued the Chapter,

resulting in the deaths of most of the

Chapter’s senior officers (including all

of its Apothecaries) and leaving fewer

than a hundred marines alive. To their

credit, the survivors have resolved to

die with honour, but in such dire

circumstances and knowing that they

had been betrayed by forces of the

Imperium they could have turned

renegade and sought refuge in the dark

corners of the galaxy.4

Of the 50 lost chapters, we are told that

a dozen have been exterminated and

erased from all records.5 Whether their

erasure from all records is indicative of

particularly extreme heresy is unclear.

The reasons may well be more

pragmatic – so long as a Chapter is at

large, Imperial authorities need access

to information on the potential threat,

once the threat is exterminated the

erasure of all records is the final step in

the extermination. Given the

Imperium’s ruthlessness it is highly

4 “Emperor’s Shield”, White Dwarf

249; Armageddon Website Material 5 “Rogue Sons”, Index Astartes IV

probable that this erasure of records

will include the elimination of loyal

Imperial personnel involved in the

extermination process.

Other sources record that as of the 26th

Founding a total of 63

Chapters have been “lost”.

13 have been lost in the

Warp, 21 have suffered

irrevocable battle losses, 9

have suffered gene-seed

failure, 4 Inquisitorial purge,

and 16 have been lost in

“other circumstances”.6

How

these numbers relate to the

50 Chapters mentioned

above is unclear. Some of

those believed lost in the

Warp may have in fact

turned renegade, while the

fact that only four are listed

as being subject to

Inquisitorial purge suggests

that some may have fallen

victim to other forces such as

those of the Ecclesiarchy or

other Space Marine Chapters

keen to be seen as hard on

renegades.

At the end of the forty-first

millennium there are at least

a dozen traitor Chapters at

large in the galaxy. Notable known

Chaos Chapters include the following:

Sons of Malice – Founded to guard the

Imperium against the denizens of the

Eye of Terror, they became a

significant force in Abaddon’s 13th

Black Crusade.7

Violators – Followers of Slaanesh, the

Violators are active in both the Eye of

Terror and the Maelstrom.8

Extinction Angels – Allies of the

Black Legion in the Eye of Terror.9

6 Codex: Space Marines, Third Edition

7 Codex: Eye of Terror


Edition, Mk II; Codex: Eye of Terror; Daemon World 9 Codex: Eye of Terror

Squad Bhagat of GooseDaMoose’s Sons of Malice engage Orks

28

Warp Ghosts – Allies of Abaddon the

Despoiler’s forces.10

Steel Cobras – Driven into exile for

religious unorthodoxy.11

Blood Gorgons – A Cursed Founding

Chapter who continue to act as

guardians of the Bastion Sector. They

have been known to instigate

insurrections to destabilize Imperial

worlds. 12

Angels of Ecstasy – Formerly the Sons

of Ulthunas,13

they are likely followers

of Slaanesh.

Angels of Flame – During a lengthy

campaign in the region of the Ghoul

Stars, they became the most recent

Chapter to turn traitor.14

Skulltakers – Formerly the Berserkers

of Charadon. The Skulltakers polish

their armour with the powdered bones

of their enemies.15

Company of the Shadow – Formerly

the Death Falcons. The Death Falcons

were turned to Chaos by an ancient

beast that rose from the depths of the

primary hive on their recruiting world

of Bastonbeil.16

Thunder Barons – Infamous

“madmen”. 17

Terror Lords – On the Hive World of

Fulcrum three marines of the Chapter

slew almost an entire PDF company. 18

Of the rest, some like the Silver Guards

and Sons of Vengeance have splintered

10

Ibid 11

“Rogue Sons”, Index Astartes IV 12

Emperor’s Mercy; Flesh and Iron; Blood Gorgons 13


Ibid 15

Ibid 16

Ibid 17

Soul Drinkers Omnibus; Daemon World 18

Battle Missions

into numerous warbands;19

and others

have been absorbed by the Traitor

Legions. For example many of the

surviving members of the Emperor’s

Swords have been adopted by the

Alpha Legion.20

Mutation alone can eradicate a

Chapter, such as in the case of the

Flame Falcons. The mutation itself did

not harm the marines, but it prompted

the Chapter’s destruction by the Grey

Knights. Chaos makes many enemies

for itself and sometimes the Imperium

is saved the trouble of hunting its own

wayward forces – the renegade Steel

Hearts were destroyed in battle by the

forces of the Eldar Craftworld of

Lugganath in 801.M41.21

The fate of many renegades is simply

unknown. The vast expanse of the

galaxy and the many dangers it

contains mean that a large number of

forces, both renegade and loyalist, will

fight and die with no witnesses to

record their fate.

Renegade Beliefs and Motives In the eyes of the Imperium

“renegade”, “Chaos” and “daemon

worshipper” are just different labels for

those who must be purged, but there

are as many different ideologies as

there are renegade forces. Examples of

the different ideologies include:

Full Chaos Worship – Many

Chapters, of course, have fallen into

the worship of major or minor powers

of Chaos.

The Sons of Malice believe in a patron

being called Malice. While this

presumably originates from their

primitive native culture the entity

which now answers to the name Malice

is a chaos god/daemonic entity.22

Hakanor’s Reavers are led by their

former Chapter Master who is now a

19


Ibid 21

Battle Missions 22

“Rogue Sons”, Index Astartes IV

Daemon Prince23 (

a status virtually

exclusive to dedicated worshippers of

Chaos) and the Violators are known to

be dedicated to the worship of

Slaanesh. Huron Blackheart has

pledged the services of his followers,

the Red Corsairs, to the Dark Powers

in return for unspeakable rewards. The

Beasts of Annihilation have gone so far

as to welcome widespread daemonic

possession, an extreme practice even

for renegade marines.24

Mercenaries – Some renegade

Chapters apparently hire their services

in battle to those who can pay. The

Damned Company of Lord Caustos

was declared traitorous by the Ordo

Xenos on flimsy circumstantial

evidence. They now survive as soldiers

of fortune. 25

Reavers – Without the support of

Imperial resources traitor marines must

either enter into pacts to obtain

supplies from industrial worlds within

Chaos controlled regions, trade with

other renegades and xenos, or steal

what was once granted freely to them

by the Imperium. Many choose the

latter option and become reavers and

pirates preying upon Imperial shipping

lanes.

Despite their considerable resources

within the Maelstrom the Red Corsairs

are a major threat to Imperial shipping

and supply depots which they raid as

much for the pleasure of wanton

destruction as for plunder.26

Other

renegades known to engage in piracy

are Adharon's Reavers27

and the

Brotherhood of Darkness.28

Unorthodox Imperials – Renegade

status is not completely incompatible

with worship of the God-Emperor. The

Blood Angels successor Chapter the

23


Ibid 25


Ibid 27

Imperial Armour VII: Siege of Vraks Volume III 28

Battle Missions

29

Knights of Blood continue to fight

against Hive Fleet Leviathan and

assisted in the defence of the Baal

system against the daemon armies of

Ka’Bandha, despite being declared

renegade as a result of their actions

whilst subject to a reckless battle

frenzy.29

The Soul Drinkers believe

themselves to be true loyalists

betrayed by a corrupt Imperium;

encounters with a Tzeentchian

Daemon Prince mean that their actual

loyalty is probably more complex

than even they realise.30

Xenos Corruption – Although the

most pervasive corrupting influence

in the Imperium is the lure of the

Chaos Gods the Inquisition must also

be on alert for the malign influence of

the other races of the material galaxy.

The Cell-kin of the Technetium Rift

reproduce by infecting other creatures

with their own DNA causing the

hosts to mutate into new Cell-kin. The

enhanced physiology of the Space

Marines grants them some resistance

but the Cell-kin were still able to

corrupt members of a Subjugators

strike force. Most of the afflicted were

granted the Emperor’s Mercy but some

of the corrupted marines escaped and

are still at large.31

The C’Tan known as “The Deceiver”

and Eldar Farseers habitually

manipulate other factions in the galaxy

to their own ends and might engineer

events so that a loyal Chapter is

declared Renegade.

Own Agenda – The autonomy of the

Space Marines and the lengthy history

of many Chapters means that it is not

uncommon for Chapters to have

developed their own agendas. The

desire or necessity to recover lost

relics, apprehend wayward battle

brothers or honour obligations to other

Imperial organisations such as the

Navigator houses can bring a Chapter

into conflict with other Imperial forces.

29

Codex: Blood Angels, Fifth Edition 30

Soul Drinkers Omnibus 31

“Rogue Sons”, Index Astartes IV

The Relictors, originally named the

Fire Claws, were founded as part of the

Astartes Praeses. When Librarian

Decario slew the Tzeentchian

Champion known as The Excoriator

with his own Daemon weapon the

Relictors saw the potential power that

could be harnessed from the artefacts

of the enemy. The planets on the

fringes of the Eye of Terror were good

hunting grounds for forbidden

knowledge and relics but inevitably the

Relictors became the subject of

Inquisitorial scrutiny.

Although the Relictors were forced to

surrender their precious relics and their

ally the radical Inquisitor De Marche

was executed as a heretic the Chapter

escaped Excommunication. They were

sentenced to a century long penitent

crusade. The entire Chapter was

deployed in the 3rd War for

Armageddon and might have been able

to restore its prestige in the eyes of the

Imperium.

Unfortunately they would or could not

abandon their hunt for relics. They

eventually abandoned Armageddon

and took their Ramilies Star Fort deep

into the Eye of Terror.

The Relictors raided the Diamedes

Archive, killing the Inquisition

garrison and stealing a powerful chaos

artefact. This incident and subsequent

conflict with Inquisition forces during

the 13th Black Crusade led to them

being declared Excommunicate

Traitoris. A Grey Knights force

purged the Relictors Chapter star fort.

The few hundred surviving Relictors

escaped further Imperial retribution by

fleeing into the Eye of Terror.

Whether they have now succumbed to

the taint of Chaos or still pursue their

own agenda in defence of mankind is

unknown.32

Renegade Locations

The Eye of Terror – The heart of

Chaos activity in the galaxy is the Eye

of Terror, the vast warp storm which

has dominated Segmentum Obscurus

since the time of the Great Crusade.

Whilst it offers sanctuary to all

enemies of the Imperium it is

dominated by the fallen Legions and

daemonic entities making it difficult

for a renegade Chapter to retain its

distinctive identity and autonomy.

Nonetheless there are renegade

Chapters operating in and around the

Eye of Terror.

The Violators are worshippers of

Slaanesh and followers of Abaddon the

Despoiler. During the 13th

Black

Crusade they landed on the Cadian

military prison world of Saint

Josmane’s Hope. Although they were

initially greeted as liberators they

proceeded to enslave the inmate

population. Some inmates were

reportedly taken as recruits; the fate of

the rest is probably best left unknown.

The Imperial forces subsequently

destroyed St Josmane’s Hope to

prevent the planet’s further use as a

staging area.33

Abaddon’s 13th Black Crusade

invasion of the Cadian Sector gave the

32

“Chapter Approved: Relictors”, White Dwarf 295 33

“Death by a Thousand Cuts”, White Dwarf 287; Codex: Eye of Terror

Relictor by -JK-

30

Sons of Malice an opportunity to

reclaim their lost home world of

Scelus. When a Space Marine Chapter

rebels and abandons its home world it

is usually those unfortunates left

behind who bear the brunt of the initial

punishment. Following the

excommunication of the Sons of

Malice, the Inquisition determined that

the barbaric cannibalistic practices and

blood rituals that had led to the

excommunication stemmed from the

grisly rites of the feral natives of

Scelus. In a planet-wide campaign of

genocide the Cadian 331st almost

completely exterminated the native

population.34

Such action not only

serves as a warning to any who might

consider deviating from their divinely

ordained duty but severs a Chapter’s

link with its logistical, cultural and

spiritual roots, eradicating any doubts

as to the terribleness of their crime.

That the Sons of Malice fought

towards their home world despite the

fact that it had for all practical

purposes been obliterated shows the

powerful symbolic significance of a

Chapter’s home world. 35

34


Ibid

During the 13th Black Crusade the

Extinction Angels attacked the

Adeptus Mechanicus stronghold of

Demios Binary alongside Abaddon’s

Black Legion. They overwhelmed the

defending Skitarii forces allowing the

forces of Chaos to defile the sacred

forges of the Mechanicus. Although

the Black Templars subsequently

liberated Demios Binary the Extinction

Angels are believed to still be active in

the depths of the planet. 36

Imperial command received

unconfirmed reports of the Warp

Ghosts fighting Imperial forces in the

Agripinaa sector during the 13th Black

Crusade. Clues including similarities

in livery suggest that the Chapter has

subsequently fragmented into several

warbands, including the Death

Mongers, the Bleak Brotherhood and

the Apocalypse Company. 37

The Maelstrom – It is not solely out

of vanity that Huron Blackheart calls

himself the “Lord of the Maelstrom”.

The Red Corsairs have built a

significant empire within the

Maelstrom. From the world of New

Badab the Tyrant commands an army

of traitor marines, human reavers and

xenos mercenaries said to be equal in

power to the Traitor Legions of old. 38

Here he hosts the Skull Harvest, a

tournament which attracts many

warbands and ambitious aspiring

warlords.39

The Tyrant jealously

guards his power and does not tolerate

rivals.

When the Company of the Shadow

attacked the planet Mortain, the Tyrant

ordered his ships to bombard the planet

and eradicate his rivals. Unbeknown to

him the Company of the Shadow had

already been forced to retreat to their

home world of Bastonbeil by the

intervention of the Grey Knights and

so instead of eliminating his rivals the

36

“Death by a Thousand Cuts”, White Dwarf 287 37

Codex: Chaos Space Marines, Fourth Edition; Codex: Eye of Terror 38


Heroes of the Space Marines

bombing earned him a formidable new

enemy in Grand Master Mordrak of the

Grey Knights.40

After the Primarch Lorgar’s Daemon

World of Sicarus in the Eye of Terror

the Word Bearers’s most important

base is the factory world of Ghalmek

within the Maelstrom.41

The Alpha

Legion also have a significant presence

within the Maelstrom, but their modus

operandi means that they are less

interested in overt power struggles.

The Violators maintained a four

hundred strong garrison on Torvendis,

a Daemon World in the Maelstrom.

Their harvest of potential recruits on St

Josmane’s Hope may have been

necessary to replace casualties suffered

when their stronghold on Torvendis

was assaulted by the forces of the

Khornate Daemon Prince Ss'll

Sh'Karr.42

Lesser Warp Storms – There are

many less infamous warp storms which

offer sanctuary to those willing to

traffic with the followers of Chaos. To

the galactic south, in the Segmentum

Tempestus, lie the Storms of

Judgement and the Vortex of Despair.

On the Eastern Fringe the Ultima

Segmentum is plagued by the denizens

of the Perfidian Gap, Heart of

Darkness, The Dark Maw and Van

Grothe’s Rapidity.43

Realspace – The warp is not the only

place where the servants of the

Emperor are loathe to tread. The

enhanced physiology of Space Marines

enables them to survive in a wide

variety of environments that would be

inimical to normal human life such as

asteroid belts and death worlds. The

Steel Cobras are now based beneath

the ammonia seas of Tukaroe VII. The

Imperium is aware of their presence,

but believes that anything less than a

full Chapter of Space Marines will be

insufficient to drive the Steel Cobras

40


Dark Creed 42

Daemon World 43

Codex: Daemons

One of Hakanor’s Reavers by Muskie

31

from their fortified bunkers on the

seabed.44

Finally, many renegades become

nomads, roaming the space lanes

using either the space fleets granted

to them by the Imperium or one of

the many space hulks that litter the

galaxy. With the loss of their home

world of Scelus the Sons of Malice

now use the ancient vessel named

the Labyrinth as their meeting place

and venue for their sacred rituals.

The Unholy Harbinger is one of the

most notorious space hulks and has

been home to traitor marines from

numerous factions including the

Black Legion, Death Guard, Sons of

Vengeance and the Pyre. Having

been encountered in the Gothic War

it was most recently reported in the

Cadian sector during the 13th Black

Crusade.45

The Nurgle- worshipping

Lords of Decay operate from the

space hulk Monolith of Woe, last

sighted in the Mentieth Sector46

and

the Brokenback is home to the Soul

Drinkers.47

Renegade Organisation Legion – The Alpha Legion may well

still be operating as a cohesive force

although the secretive nature of their

chain of command makes this

uncertain. Many Word Bearers and

Iron Warriors still owe ultimate

allegiance to their daemon Primarchs

and operate on a large scale under their

Dark Apostles/Warsmiths, and

Abaddon long ago reunited the bulk of

the Black Legion. Most Legions,

however, have fragmented due to a

combination of internal political power

struggles and mutation and madness

amongst their members – which does

not prevent their cooperation on

matters of mutual concern.

Chapter – As noted above, at the end

of the forty-first millennium there are

44



Ibid 47

Soul Drinkers Omnibus

believed to be a dozen Space Marine

Chapters which have reneged on their

oaths of allegiance to the Emperor but

still operate at the Chapter level.

Warbands – Whilst a few Legions and

Chapters have the discipline or strength

of purpose to operate cohesively most

eventually fragment. Warband is a

catch all term for the ad-hoc

formations in which these renegade

marines operate.

Khârn’s “betrayal” on Skalathrax

tipped the World Eaters over the

precipice into anarchy and the legion

was irretrievably divided into hundreds

of warbands. 5

Gene-seed markers

indicate that the Flawless Host is a

splinter group of the Emperor’s

Children.6 Individual Dark Apostles of

the Word Bearers may adopt

distinctive names or variations of

heraldry for their personal hosts, with

the Apostles of Minthras6 being a

possible example, and in some cases

these forces may split entirely from

their parent legion – The Sanctified are

a band of former Word Bearers who

have abandoned the worship of the

Chaos pantheon as a whole in order to

dedicate themselves entirely to

Khorne.48

Just as a Chapter is divided into

companies and strike forces warbands

can operate on several levels. The Red

Corsairs consist of a core warband

built around the remnants of the Astral

Claws with additional forces drawn

from other renegade forces and their

own splinter groups such as the Claws

of Lorek.49

Space Marine companies are fiercely

loyal to their captains and trust them

implicitly, so it is not unheard of for a

full company to break with the rest of

48

Imperial Armour VI: Siege of Vraks Volume II; Imperial Armour VII: Siege of Vraks Volume III 49

Codex: Chaos Space Marines, Fourth Edition

DrudgeDreadnought’s Flawless Host

32

its Chapter and turn renegade. The

Blood Disciples are the former 8th

Company of the Emperor’s Wolves

who, after being believed to be lost in

the Warp, returned to real space as a

chaos warband.50

Warbands are often more fragile than

traditional Chapters or Legions, since

they are often bound together only by a

mix of ambition and intimidation,

rather than ties of brotherhood. Whilst

a loyalist Marine will only ever serve

one Chapter, a renegade may fight in a

succession of warbands, going

wherever the rewards are greatest. The

Black Brethren of Eyreas was a Black

Legion warband, but during the Siege

of Vraks it was absorbed into the

World Eaters warband the Skulltakers

when its leaders were killed by Lord

Zhufor of the Skulltakers, himself a

former sergeant of the Storm Lords

Chapter.51

Individuals or Squads – Marines are

conditioned to function as part of the

Chapter organisation. Isolated from the

attention of Chaplains and contact with

their brethren, individuals or squads on

long tours of duty can succumb to

doubts about the rewards that they

receive for a lifetime of duty and

service.

Such was the case with Sergeant

Constantinius of the Sons of

Guilliman. Left to oversee the planet of

Nova Terra he eventually overthrew

the planetary government, which had

become tainted by a Genestealer cult,

and seized power. Renaming the planet

Constantinium, he renounced his

allegiance to his Chapter and slew any

who opposed him, including members

of his own squad. Nova Terra plunged

into an age of anarchy. Although he

was eventually slain by Imperial

forces, his followers still hold out in

50

Ibid 51

Imperial Armour VI: Siege of Vraks Volume II; Imperial Armour VII: Siege of Vraks Volume III

isolated parts of the planet three

hundred years after his death.52

Whilst a Marine may lack the strength

to rise to power amongst his fellows,

even the weakest is more than a match

for unaugmented humans. Many

Marines thus find their way into the

ranks of the Lost and the Damned,

becoming leaders amongst the hordes

of mutants and heretics.53

The Evolution of Traitor

Marines in the History of

Warhammer 40,000 The current background material for

Traitor Space Marines has evolved in a

series of jumps approximately

corresponding to the editions of the

Warhammer 40,000 game. The key

stages can be described as follows.

1987–1993: Rogue Trader/Slaves to

Darkness/The Lost and the Damned In 1987 Games Workshop released

Rogue Trader, the book that was the

seed of what was to become the now

vast Warhammer 40,000 universe. It

described Space Marines and many of

their alien enemies, but made no

mention of traitor Marines. Indeed,

with all its talk of psycho-

indoctrination a reader might assume

that there was no such thing as a traitor

Space Marine.

1988 saw Games Workshop launch

Adeptus Titanicus, a game based on

combat between Imperial Titans.

Although the principal focus of this

game was not Space Marines and

Games Workshop’s commercial aim

was apparently to counter the threat

from the rival game Battletech it was to

prove one of the most significant steps

in the history of Traitor Marines.

Rather than develop a standalone

background universe they decided that

this new game could be fitted into the

existing universe established in Rogue

Trader. In order to justify the

52


Codex: Eye of Terror

development of only a single model

range for the core game it was

necessary to establish some kind of

internal conflict that could account for

Imperial titans fighting one another and

so the Horus Heresy was born.

Realms of Chaos: Slaves to Darkness

expanded on the premise of Adeptus

Titanicus with the first detailed account

of the key events of the Horus Heresy

and introduced the forces of Khorne

and Slaanesh.

Realms of Chaos: The Lost and the

Damned completed the official Chaos

pantheon with details of the followers

of Nurgle and Tzeentch.

1993–1998 Codex Imperialis &

Codex: Chaos, Second Edition The second edition of Warhammer

40,000 contained three books:

Rulebook, Wargear and Codex

Imperialis. The latter was a book

purely of background material

establishing for new players the key

features of the game’s setting. Second

Edition was the first to feature a

dedicated codex for each army.

Codex: Chaos established the character

of the key Chaos Legions. It took the

original four Legions from the Realm

of Chaos books and expanded the

background to the Horus Heresy

narrative of half of the known legions

turning to Chaos. It also introduced a

cast who were to become long-running

villains including Abaddon the

Despoiler, Khârn the Betrayer,

Ahriman and Huron Blackheart.

Interestingly, in the Designer’s Notes

Andy Chambers acknowledged that

“Chaos” included a very broad range

of forces. For that codex they had

decided to focus on Chaos Space

Marine Legion raiding forces of the

kind that would sally from the Eye of

Terror. In addition to the Traitor

Legion forces an army that included

Huron Blackheart had special rules

allowing it access to loyalist Space

Marine wargear to represent the fact

that the Tyrant’s forces were

comprised of recently turned Space

Marines instead of the ancient

legionnaires from the time of the

33

Heresy. The book also included

appendices with Chaos Cult and

Daemon Army lists.

1998–2004 Codex: Chaos Space

Marines, Third Edition, Mk I and

the Index Astartes articles. Third Edition marked a reboot of the

entire rules system and introduced a

new streamlined philosophy aimed at a

younger target market. The first Chaos

codex under this regime cut away

much of the material from the previous

book in favour of traitor Space

Marines.

Codex: Eye of Terror, released to

support the 2003 summer campaign,

re-introduced the idea of Chaos as a

broader mix of forces with its army list

for “The Lost and the Damned” – a

mix of mutants, traitor guardsmen and

chaos marines whilst the forces listings

for the 13th

Black Crusade contained a

mix of traitor Legions, Chapters,

Warbands, Imperial Guard, Titan

Legions, Navy fleets etc. These

renegade Chapters were fleshed out the

White Dwarf article Index Astartes:

Rogue Sons.

2004–2007 Codex: Chaos Space

Marines, Third Edition, Mk II

This was the first true Legion codex,

with special background material and

rules for each of the nine traitor

legions. Although Huron Blackheart

did not make an appearance the Red

Corsairs were featured in the colour

section – modern day reavers drawn

from multiple Chapters.

2007–Present Codex: Chaos Space

Marines, Fourth Edition Like Chaos itself, the focus of Codex

Chaos Space Marines is always

unpredictable and always changing.

Whilst the core rules contained the

classic cult Marines such as Berzerkers

and Plague Marines the background

material was focused very much upon

the introduction of many post-Heresy

renegade Chapters and warbands and

the introduction of Chaos icons

enabled players to create squads

dedicated to a particular god without

being full cult Marines. Many existing

players were disappointed by the loss

of the Legion specific rules and the

sudden emergence of a large number

of renegade forces not previously

featured in the game background.

Question Everything The number of diverse sources which

contribute to the ever growing

Warhammer 40,000 universe mean

that apparent contradictions are

commonplace. Sometimes, such as

with the introduction of new unit types

in the game, these are clearly retcons –

the latest Codex Blood Angels

introduced the Sanguinary Guard, and

despite being new in a real-world

sense the in-universe history of this

unit can be traced all the way back to

the time of the Primarch and thus it

has now always been.

On other occasions, such as with the

relatively young Tau Empire a new

codex may represent a small but

significant step forward of the in-

universe timeline and so include fresh

additions to that faction’s armed

forces. Often Games Workshop does

not clarify what is and is not now

“official” and instead cites the fact that

these represent in-universe

perspectives.

Despite the already published account

of the Relictors’ excommunication and

purging in their Chapter Approved

article, Games Workshop included the

Relictors in Codex: Space Marines

(5th edition) as an example of a

loyalist Chapter; albeit one that is

noted as being under scrutiny from the

Inquisition.

For the purposes of this article I

decided that the account of the

Relictors’ excommunication was too

good to omit so I have assumed that

the listing in the latest Space Marines

codex represents either their status in

the 41st millennium just prior to the

events of the Chapter Approved article

or the fact that not everyone in the

Imperium is aware yet of their

excommunication.

Inquisitor Kravin is not Batman. He

can just pass for him in a dim light.

Nor is he the pro-Alpha Legion

Inquisitor whose current whereabouts

are unknown. Certainly not.

Brother of Darkness by Muskie

34

Introduction The Paths of Glory Project, or “Codex

Excommunicatus” as we called it, was

part of the larger Codex Levelling

Project. The goal with the larger

project was to bring a number of

codices in line with Codex: Space

Marines, including the various Space

Marine codices (Black Templars,

Blood Angels PDF, Dark Angels, and

Space Wolves), Codex: Chaos Space

Marines, and both of the Inquisition

codices (Daemonhunters and Witch

Hunters). As far as the Chaos Space

Marines codex was concerned, many

players perceived the codex as being

weak in a number of areas. One of the

areas that players tended to dislike was

the inability to represent the various

Legions. Where

the previous two

editions had

allowed players

to represent

each of the

Legions, the

latest codex had

shifted to a

warband

concept. While

the Chapter

Tactics concept

used in Codex:

Space Marines

was viewed as

imperfect by

many players,

we decided that

it provided a

decent model

that could be

adapted to the

Chaos Space

Marines.

The result was

the Paths of Glory, the Chaos

equivalent to the Chapter Tactics. A

notable difference between the Paths of

Glory and the Chapter Tactics was the

lack of a rule that the Paths of Glory

would replace. The Chapter Tactics

rule allows Space Marine players to

lose the Combat Tactics rule, replacing

it with the Chapter Tactics rule of

whatever special character they include

in their army. The Chaos Space

Marines had no such mechanism. In

place of a rule to be replaced by the

Path of Glory, we decided that the

Chaos Space Marine Legions would

see limitations on the units and

wargear they could and could not take.

On that note, enjoy the rules.

The Eye of

Terror

Paths of

Glory:

Chaos

Legion

Rules

By

Brother

Tyler and

B&C

Members

As some may already be aware, the most recent Chaos Space Marines

codex was not entirely loved. The Paths of Glory project is a B&C

attempt to add back some of what people missed most – the lack of

legion-specific rules and characters. In this article are three characters

and nine sets of special rules to help players better represent their

favourite legions on the tabletop.

Daemon Prince – Greyall

35

SPECIAL RULES

THE EMPEROR’S CHILDREN Path of Glory: The only units that may be taken in an Emperor's Children army are those that have or can take the Mark or

Icon of Slaanesh, and all units must take a Mark or Icon of Slaanesh. The only Icons available in an Emperor's Children army

are the Personal Icon and the Icon of Slaanesh. Any model may exchange its lascannon for a blastmaster for +20 pts. Any

model may exchange its heavy bolter for a sonic blaster for +5 pts. Note that twin-linked lascannons and heavy bolters are

exchanged for twin-linked blastmasters and twin-linked sonic blasters. If more than one character in your army has the Path

of Glory special rule, you must choose which version will apply.

LUCIUS THE ETERNAL FULGRIM’S CHAMPION, THE SOULTHIEF, SCION OF CHEMOS

Refer to Codex: Chaos Space Marines, with the addition of the Emperor’s Children Path of Glory special rule.

THE IRON WARRIORS Path of Glory: Any Chaos Lord and Aspiring Champion that is not equipped with Terminator Armour or a Jump

Pack/Wings may take a servo-arm for +15 points. The servo-arm grants the model one power fist attack in assault. No unit

may take a Mark of Chaos. The only Icon available to Iron Warriors units is the Icon of Chaos Glory. Khorne Berserkers,

Plague Marines, Thousand Sons, and Noise Marines may not be taken in an Iron Warriors army. The Iron Warriors player

may select one ruins terrain piece on the table and apply the Bolster Defences rule to it (see Codex: Space Marines, page 71).

All Iron Warriors infantry models add +1 to their armour penetration rolls whenever they hit a building (both at range and in

close combat). If more than one character in your army has the Path of Glory special rule, you must choose which version

will apply.

GRATION KEHRAK IRON BREAKER, WARSMITH OF THE TENTH GRAND COMPANY

During the Great Crusade Kehrak was known as Graius and served the Fourth Legion as a Techmarine. He coupled his

training in technoarcana with the siege warfare at which his legion excelled, and by the time of the Horus Heresy was a senior

member of his order. When the Warmaster was defeated by the Emperor of Mankind, Graius fled into the Eye of Terror with

the rest of his legion.

In the years that followed he subjected himself to the attentions of the Dark Mechanicus, and the results of their experiments

in coupling the power of the Warp with technology are evident in his physiology. As his Warp-forged enhancement

progressed, he emerged as a champion of his legion, assuming the name Gration Kehrak. He participated in Abaddon’s Tenth

Black Crusade, joining the rest of the Iron Warriors in their ill-fated attack on the Iron Hands’ home world of Medusa.

Though the attack and the Black Crusade ultimately failed, Kehrak slew Venerable Warleader Memnos of the Raukann Clan

Company in single combat, gaining the sobriquet “Iron Breaker”. The Raukann have sworn vengeance upon Kehrak.

Kehrak later defeated his Warsmith, Thoon, in battle on Medrengard, becoming the new leader of the Tenth Grand Company.

He immediately embarked upon a series of raids against Imperial holdings, focusing his efforts on several secret Adeptus

Mechanicus fortresses and stealing whatever weapons and experiments he could. Kehrak’s flagship was an Infidel-class

raider he arrogantly christened the Iron Breaker. The vessel has since been fitted with a number of weapons that appear to be

unique, either the result of Dark Mechanicus archaeotech, stolen Adeptus Mechanicus experiments, or some combination of

the two.

A number of Iron Warrior Techmarines have exhibited a limited ability to form their limbs into weapons, much like the

dreaded Traitor sub-cult known as Obliterators. Kehrak may be the foremost of these, and his body has been correspondingly

enhanced with Warp-forged augmetics. Though not as physically formidable as the more common Obliterators, his cunning

and leadership, as well as his expertise at siege warfare, make Warsmith Kehrak a fearsome opponent.

Only one image of Warsmith Kehrak exists, taken during the Black Crusade engagement against the Iron Hands. It shows

Warleader Memnos striking a mighty blow that knocks Kehrak back and sunders his helmet. The destruction of his helmet

36

reveals a face and head with few or no organic components remaining. Whether Kehrak has yet become wholly machine is a

matter of speculation.

Path of Glory: Kehrak

uses the Iron Warriors

Path of Glory special

rule.

Warp-forged Augmetics: Formerly a Techmarine

during the Great Crusade,

Warsmith Kehrak has

subjected himself to

extensive modification at

the hands of the adepts of

the Dark Mechanicus.

Enhanced by arcane

means, Kehrak has the

Feel No Pain ability. In addition, at the start of each game turn he can morph his body to be equipped with one of the

following: power fist, lascannon, multi-melta, plasma cannon, combi-bolter. Further to this, Warsmith Kehrak has a 5+

invulnerable save.

Bolster Defences: See Codex: Space Marines, page 71.

Blessing of the Dark Mechanicus: If Kehrak is in base contact with a damaged vehicle during the Shooting phase, he can

attempt to repair it instead of firing. Roll a D6. If the result is 5 or more, then either a Weapon Destroyed result or

Immobilised result (owning player’s choice) will be repaired. If a Weapon Destroyed result is repaired, that weapon can be

fired in the following Shooting phase. Kehrak cannot repair if gone to ground or falling back.

THE NIGHT LORDS Path of Glory: A Night Lords army may not include any Marks of Chaos, Plague Marines, Noise Marines, Khorne

Berzerkers, or Thousand Sons. The only Icon available in a Night Lords army is the Icon of Chaos Glory. Raptors may be

taken as a Troops choice in a Night

Lords army. All infantry and jump

infantry units in your army gain the

ability to outflank. If more than one

character in your army has the Path

of Glory special rule, you must

choose which version will apply.

LORD-CAPTAIN GORSAMETH RAPTOR LORD, TERROR OF KHAI-ZAN, EXALTED CHAMPION OF CHAOS

Gorsameth achieved infamy during

the Khai-Zhan Uprising in 968.M41.

When the agri-world of Khai-Zhan

erupted in rebellion, the Chaos

rebels were supported by a force of

Night Lords Space Marines led by

Exalted Champion Gorsameth.

Though only a small number of the

traitor Space Marines took part in

the fighting, the effect of their presence was out of all proportion to their numbers. These warriors capitalized on the fear their

Kehrak WS BS S T W I A Ld Sv 200 pts 6 5 4 4 3 5 3 10 2+

Unit Composition: • 1 (Unique) Unit Type: • Infantry

Wargear: • Artificer armour • Power weapon • Frag and krak

grenades

Special Rules: • Path of Glory • Fearless • Warp-forged Augmetics • Independent Character • Bolster Defences

• Blessing of the Dark Mechanicus

Night Lords – Firenze

37

presence engendered in the loyalist forces, striking from the shadows and disappearing rapidly, leaving the dismembered

bodies of the defenders to terrify the remaining Imperial troops.

The Night Lords fought in small groups to bolster the effectiveness of their cultist allies. Gorsameth focused his efforts in the

capitol city of Vogen, leading the force of Night Lords Space Marines that landed in the palace courtyard and secured the

city. As the fighting in the battle focused around the Arbites precinct house, Exalted Champion Gorsameth led the surprise

counter-assault that held up Imperial forces. When the Imperial Fists 5th and 9th companies arrived on Khai-Zhan, however,

Gorsameth fought some delaying actions and then withdrew his forces. Throughout the Khai-Zhan Uprising Exalted

Champion Gorsameth was a source of fear for the Imperial forces. Swooping out of the darkness on his raptor wings and

joined by similarly equipped warriors, his powered claws cut a bloody swathe in the brave defenders. His nightmarish visage

and coruscating armour were the last things seen by scores of Imperial Guardsmen and Planetary Defence Force troopers.

Later evaluation of the Khai-Zhan Uprising determined that the involvement of the Night Lords was intended to divert

Imperial forces from elsewhere, with other Night Lords forces taking advantage of the disruption to attack the neglected

worlds.

Imperial chroniclers are uncertain about the role Gorsameth plays within what remains of the Night Lords – though he was

referred to as Exalted Champion by the forces on Khai-Zhan, a Lord-Captain Gorsameth was noted in Imperial dispatches for

his ferocious raids against Imperial holdings during the thirty-fifth millennium. Whether Gorsameth has lost his rank as the

ferocity so typical of Raptors becomes more pronounced or if he has simply chosen to restrain himself for some unknowable

dark purpose is uncertain.

Path of Glory: Gorsameth

uses the Night Lords Path

of Glory special rule.

Terror Attack: Gorsameth

revels in terrorizing his foe

before launching an attack

from an unexpected quarter

and then fading back into

the shadows. Gorsameth

and any unit he joins may

Hit and Run and may

Outflank. Any enemy unit

within 12" of him when he

appears on the table must take a Pinning Test at -1 Ld. In addition, any unit he charges suffers a -1 Ld modifier for the

duration of the assault. These modifiers are not cumulative.

Lords of the Night: Gorsameth and any unit he joins are Fearless as the universal special rule.

Nightmare Talons: Lord-Captain Gorsameth is equipped with the Nightmare Talons, a pair of ancient claws from the days

of the Great Crusade. The Nightmare Talons count as a pair of master-crafted lighting claws (bonus attack included in profile

above).

THE WORLD EATERS Path of Glory: Sorcerers, Thousand Sons, Plague Marines, and Noise Marines may not be taken in a World Eaters army. All

units in a World Eaters army must have or take a Mark or Icon of Khorne. The only Icons that may be taken are the Icon of

Khorne and Personal Icons. All non-vehicle models have the Furious Charge universal special rule. If more than one

character in your army has the Path of Glory special rule, you must choose which version will apply.

KHÂRN THE BETRAYER BLESSED OF THE BLOOD-GOD, BETRAYER OF SKALATHRAX

Refer to Codex: Chaos Space Marines, with the addition of the World Eaters Path of Glory special rule.

Gorsameth WS BS S T W I A Ld Sv 165 pts 6 5 4 4 3 5 4 10 3+

Unit Composition:

• 1 (Unique) Unit Type: • Jump Infantry

Wargear:

• Power armour • Nightmare Talons • Frag and krak

grenades • Jump pack

Special Rules:

• Path of Glory • Fearless • 5+ Invulnerable Save • Independent Character • Lords of the Night • Terror Attack

38

THE DEATH GUARD Path of Glory: A Death Guard army may not include any Chaos Space Marines, Noise Marines, Khorne Berzerkers,

Thousand Sons, Chaos Bikers, Chaos Raptors, or Obliterators. Independent characters may only be included if they take the

Mark of Nurgle. The only Icon available in a Death Guard army is the Icon of Nurgle, and all units that can take it must do

so. Chosen Chaos Space Marines, Chaos Terminators, Possessed Chaos Space Marines and Chaos Havocs must be upgraded

to Plague Marine units for +50 points per squad. These units all become Fearless and benefit from Feel No Pain. If more than

one character in your army has the Path of Glory special rule, you must choose which version will apply.

TYPHUS HERALD OF NURGLE, HOST OF THE DESTROYER HIVE

Refer to Codex: Chaos Space Marines, with the addition of the Death Guard Path of Glory special rule.

THE THOUSAND SONS Path of Glory: A Thousand Sons army may not include any Chaos Lords, Chosen Chaos Space Marines, Possessed Chaos

Space Marines, Chaos Space Marines, Plague Marines, Noise Marines, Khorne Berzerkers, Chaos Bikers, Chaos Raptors,

Obliterator Cults, or independent characters without the Mark of Tzeentch. All units in the army that may take the Mark of

Tzeentch must take that mark.

Chaos Terminators and Chaos Havocs must be upgraded to Thousand Sons Cult units for +40 points per squad. Terminator

Champions and Aspiring Champions in these squads may be upgraded to Aspiring Sorcerers for +25 points, replacing their

close combat weapon/power weapon with force weapons. Aspiring Champions must be given one of the Psychic powers

listed for Aspiring Champions in the Thousand Sons entry. Thousand Sons Chaos Terminators and Chaos Havocs have the

Mark of Tzeentch, a 4+ Invulnerable save (including the Mark of Tzeentch), are Fearless, Slow and Purposeful, have Inferno

Bolts, and suffer from the Sorcerer Commands special rules in the same way as Thousand Sons squads.

Sorcerers may use up to two Psychic powers per player turn. Any Sorcerer may be upgraded to a Sorcerer Lord for +25

points. Sorcerer Lords are Fearless and may choose an additional Psychic power. Sorcerer Lords may use up to three Psychic

powers per player turn. The only Icon available in a Thousand Sons army is the Icon of Tzeentch (though none of the units

that may take that icon need it due to the Rubric upgrade). If more than one character in your army has the Path of Glory

special rule, you must choose which version will apply.

AHRIMAN EXILE OF THE THOUSAND SONS, MASTER OF SORCERY

Refer to Codex: Chaos Space Marines, with the addition of the Thousand Sons Path of Glory special rule.

THE BLACK LEGION The Black Legion embraces all aspects of Chaos and a flexible approach to warfare. A Black Legion army uses the standard

Chaos Space Marine codex rules and army list without modification.

ABADDON THE DESPOILER WARMASTER OF CHAOS, THE ABANDONED ONE

Refer to Codex: Chaos Space Marines, with the addition of the Warmaster special rule.

Warmaster: Abaddon is seen as the successor to Horus and is Warmaster of the Chaos Space Marine Legions. If Abaddon is

in your army, then the standard Codex: Chaos Space Marine rules and army list are used without modification – no Path of

Glory may be chosen.

39

THE WORD BEARERS Path of Glory: A Word Bearers army may include a Dark Apostle. No unit may

take a Mark of Chaos as an option (units that have a Mark of Chaos listed in their

special rules may be taken). All units in the army that do not have the Fearless

special rule are Stubborn. If more than one character in your army has the Path

of Glory special rule, you must choose which version will apply.

DARK APOSTLES HIGH PRIESTS OF CHAOS, FAVORED OF THE GODS

Dark Apostles are the fallen Chaplains of the Word Bearers, the only such to

remain within the Traitor Legions. The leaders of the Word Bearers, it is by the

will of the Dark Apostles that the hordes of Lorgar’s fallen Legion march forth to

war, and by their will alone that such a war shall cease.

Word Bearer armies are shaped by the whims of their Apostles, and it is not uncommon for Word Bearer forces to adopt

formations, armaments, and strategies that seem insane to the outside observer. Sometimes these whims prove prescient and

provide the faithful hordes with victory, while at other times they lead only to destruction.

The political machinations of the Dark Apostles have been known to pit Word Bearer against Word Bearer, but far more

often they are united against the Imperium of Man, working to tear down the faith that was once theirs. The swarming

multitudes of cultists and daemons that accompany any force of Word Bearers are given impetus by the blasphemies of the

Dark Apostles, and the fanaticism they provide to their followers make them some of the Imperium’s most dangerous

enemies.

Accursed Crozius: An Accursed Crozius is a power weapon and personal icon. The Accursed Crozius may have a daemon

bound within for 15 pts. A Daemon-Bound Accursed Crozius is a daemon weapon that also acts as a personal icon.

Favoured of the Gods: The Dark Apostle has a

4+ invulnerable save.

Path of Glory: A Dark

Apostle uses the Word

Bearers Path of Glory

special rule.

Demagogue: All Word

Bearers within 6" of the

Dark Apostle gain the

Fearless special rule.

Litanies of Hate: On a player turn in which he assaults, a Dark Apostle and all members of any squad he has joined can re-

roll failed rolls to hit.

Options:

May replace bolt pistol with a plasma pistol for 15 pts

May take one of the following: Twin-linked bolter for 5 pts, Combi-weapon for 10 pts.

May take Melta Bombs for 5 pts

May instead replace all wargear with Terminator armour, Accursed Crozius, and a twin-linked bolter for 15 pts, or a combi-

weapon for 20 pts

THE ALPHA LEGION Path of Glory: An Alpha Legion army may not include any Plague Marines, Noise Marines, Khorne Berzerkers, or

Thousand Sons. No Marks or Icons may be taken except for the Icon of Chaos Glory. All Chaos Lord, Chaos Sorcerer, Chaos

Space Marine, and Chaos Havoc units gain the Infiltrate ability (except those in Terminator armour or for which a Dedicated

Dark Apostle WS BS S T W I A Ld Sv 145 pts 6 5 4 4 3 5 3 10 3+

Unit Composition:

• 1 (Unique) Unit Type: • Infantry

Wargear:

• Accursed Crozius • Power armour • Bolt pistol • Frag and krak grenades

Special Rules:

• Path of Glory • Fearless • Favored of the Gods • Independent Character • Demagogue • Litanies of Hate

Dark Apostle – madscuzzy

40

Transport has been purchased). If more than one character in your army has the Path of Glory special rule, you must choose

which version will apply.

THE HYDRA THE ENEMY UNKNOWN

In the aftermath of countless uprisings fomented across the millennia by the traitorous Alpha Legion, agents of the Inquisition

have again and again discovered the shadowy hand of a powerful and cunning enemy. Whispered of by cultists, traitors and

heretics alike, this foe is known only as the Hydra.

Despite the efforts of many Imperial investigators, nothing more has ever been uncovered of this warrior’s identity beyond

that he is a Space Marine clad in the dark blue armour of the twentieth Legion; and any descriptions given by those few

witnesses who claim to have seen him on the battlefield are vague and contrary. Nameless, faceless, and ever hidden in the

darkness; the Hydra’s weapons are subterfuge and deception, his armour guile and misdirection.

So widely spread across the breadth and history of the Imperium are the hints and clues of the Hydra’s machinations that

some Inquisitors have suggested that he cannot be one individual, that there must be many Hydras, and perhaps even that the

title is in fact part of the hidden rank structure of the Alpha Legion Command. Whatever the truth may be, when bloodshed,

heresy and rebellion bubble forth from the dark underbelly of the realm of Man, all too often it is the shadowy hand of the

Hydra that guides them.

Path of Glory: The

Hydra uses the Alpha

Legion Path of Glory

special rule.

Fortunate Son: The

Hydra has eluded death

or Imperial capture on

numerous occasions

where it seemed

impossible. He has a 5+

invulnerable save.

Hidden in Plain Sight: The cunning leaders of the Alpha Legion are notoriously difficult to

identify. On many occasions Imperial warriors have thought an

enemy officer eliminated, only to discover too late that they have

made a grave mistake. The Hydra gains the ‘Retinue’ rule when he

joins any unit of Chosen Chaos Space Marines, Chaos Space

Marines, or Chaos Havocs.

From the Darkness: If the Hydra (and any unit he has joined in

reserve) choose to outflank, roll a dice when he enters play to see

where he may be deployed. On a roll of 1 the Hydra and his unit

enter play from the short table edge to the owning player’s left, on a

2 they enter play from the short table edge on the owning player’s

right, and on a 3-6 they enter play from any table edge the Alpha

Legion player wishes. This may even be his opponent’s table edge.

Surprise Attack!: An army that includes the Hydra can re-roll the

dice when attempting to seize the initiative.

Brother Tyler would like to thank the many B&C members who

helped create these rules.

The Hydra WS BS S T W I A Ld Sv 145 pts 6 5 4 4 3 5 3 10 3+

Unit Composition:

• 1 (Unique)

Unit Type: • Infantry

Wargear:

• Power weapon • Power armour

• Bolt pistol • Frag and krak grenades

Special Rules:

• Path of Glory • Fearless

• Fortunate Son • Surprise Attack! • Hidden in Plain Sight • From the Darkness

Alpha Legionnaire – Apologist

41

Introduction I promised when I started this

project that should my Juggernaut

project prove successful at the

Golden Demons, it would be worth

writing a tutorial about it. Little did I

know this project would eat over 400

hours in 14 weeks. Most of these

hours were spent looking at the

model, adjusting the pose, revisiting

the colour scheme, and learning how

to paint each element, taking two or

three attempts for each new thing. I

did not take many step-by-step

pictures on how to paint each

element as I was walking in the dark

myself, trying to nail the effect I

wanted. And when I did, it was

already painted...

Within a year of starting the hobby, I

went from "applying paint" to

converting and painting a model that

would win the 2004 Canadian Slayer

Sword. I wasn't half the painter I am

now before I started this project. It

was a very long process, but as Jason

Richards himself (an amazing Artist

and Gentleman) told me at Toronto

Games Day 2004, once you know

how to paint certain things, you just

do it, and it's much faster. This

article is therefore meant to be more

of a walkthrough of my endeavours

into making a Golden Demon-class

model. It is a long read, but true to

my form as I wanted it to be

thorough.

My wish is that this will serve as a

source of inspiration to everyone, to

demystify the whole Golden Demon

elite painting thing. I am not a long-

time great artist. I wish to inspire

others into believing that with a little

bit of talent and a LOT of hard work

and dedication, it can be achieved.

Just undertake a project that's much

higher than your current skill level.

That's the best way to learn and

improve. Frankly, the Juggernaut was

way over my skills. Had I seen the end

result beforehand, I would not have

believed I could ever paint that. But

with frequent questions asked to the

resident painters at the Bolter &

Chainsword and my favourite artists at

Cool Mini or Not, I improved my

skills, and there is no reason you

cannot do so yourself.

Try hard, repaint it as much as you

need to get it right, don't just finish

your model and hope to improve on the

next one. If you really are serious

about painting a terrific model, step it

up! You won't learn much by doing

your next rank and file trooper which

you've already done before. Challenge

yourself! I have no background in art,

so if I did it, you certainly can elevate

your skills to the next level too. I'm not

a big time Golden Demon artist, I'm

the underdog who worked really hard.

Magmatrax, Champion of Khorne is

the result of 25% talent, 75% hard

work. Skill, I believe anyone can

improve. The online community helped

me learn, now I'm returning the favour.

The Concept I wanted to make a Golden Demon-

winning model. How? What to do? So

I went online, and since I started the

hobby I've been collecting pictures of

fantastic miniatures. What made a

winning model? Is there a recipe to

winning a Golden Demon? Yes and no.

Through reading articles by my

favourite artists such as Cyril Abati,

Victor Hardy and Allan C, chatting

with multiple-GD winners like Mark

Mosler (Anthraxus) and even the

judges at Games Day, I determined

what vague guidelines I was going to

adhere to.

The Eye of

Terror

The Making

of

Magmatrax

By

Boltman

When I first became a Lexicanium, Vincent Hudon’s Magmatrax

tutorial was being saved for a B&C e-zine. This would appear to be

one, and so its time has definitely come. Magmatrax was an

impressive model, though I’m still unsure whether Magmatrax is

the rider or the mount. Boltman’s tutorial on creating Magmatrax

offers valuable insight into the process that goes into making a

Golden Demon winning model, and we thank him for it.

42

The most valuable thing I discovered is

that your entry must be original. Sad to

say, your interpretation of a Green

Typhus model will have a hard time

scoring well, even if it's magnificently

painted, simply because there have

been so many submitted already. Don't

go for the usual GW colour scheme,

and/or convert it to make it a new,

never seen model. I wanted my model

to stand out, make it something new

and different, though clearly

identifiable. As Mark Mosler said,

"You see Magmatrax and the model

punches you right in the face!" You

don't need flashiness, but an attention-

grabber was what I wanted, I wanted

people to remember my piece.

Not all models are created equal.

Though it is true a simple model can

win the judges over with the purity of

its lines, I feel it's a toss-up when it

comes to appeal to the judges. A

Termagant, for instance, has less

potential than a Tyranid Warrior. Not

because bigger is better, but because,

in my opinion, the warrior has more

potential for you to "show off". Of

course, you want to make something

you like, not what you think the judges

will like. However, I'm a fan of the

safer tactic, the "in your face big flashy

thingy" models that draw attention.

This is not to suggest this is the only

way, but if your model is impressive

Magmatrax in all his glory

43

and draws attention with the

conversion, it's that much less you

have to rely on your painting to pull

off.

Conversion: Make your model your

own, make it unique. It doesn't have to

be completely redone like my

Juggernaut, but the more different the

better.

Freehand: Incorporate some freehand

painting, something to show you can

paint without lines and borders. This

helps make the model your own, and

shows you've spent effort on it.

Magmatrax is not just a Juggernaut, it's

the one with the magma scales effect

on its armour. Freehand further

personalizes your model.

Flawless: I've heard that sometimes

models are very close and often given

1st, 2nd or 3rd based on which has the

fewest mistakes. This can be a big time

sink, but if you can have someone else

scrutinize your model for flaws you

might have missed, you're that much

closer.

Realistic Expectations: Ditch that. If

you cannot reach higher than you aim,

you'd better aim very high. Think of a

great idea, then think about how you

would redo it if you had already done it

once. Think of other good ideas, then

pick your favourite. Make sure it's

ambitious. If you don't win, you'll have

learned a heck of a lot at least, and end

up a much better painter in the end.

A friend to consult with goes a long

way. Preferably, one who knows

painting miniatures. For painting tips

and opinions, and support on those

long weeks where I was getting a little

discouraged, my gratitude goes to

Mark Mosler, multiple Golden Demon

winner. Watch out for this guy, I smell

a sword in his future too.

The Model I wanted to paint a Juggernaut. I

thought the model had a lot of

potential, though let down by a very

static pose and being a difficult sculpt

to modify. I thought the rider was just

boring, and could be spiced up too. I

wanted to use certain

nice bits I had seen, and

I had a vision of

Archaon's chest piece as

a rider on a more

dynamic Juggernaut, in

a more prowling

posture. This was my

basic concept.

I bought some Blu-tac

(the blue gum used to

hang poster), browsed

for various suitable bitz

and ordered them. Since

my skills in sculpting

were limited, I was

going to use bitz as

much as I could before having to resort

to sculpting my own. I then discovered

that Blu-tac was a dream come true to

temporarily hold pieces while you

work on the posture, so I used plenty of

it to get the feel of the model, and see

how the parts could be matched.

Conversion The list of bitz I used:

Juggernaut model

Archaon’s Torso

Grimgor’s left arm (WHFB

Orc Warboss)

Obliterator legs (the walking

version)

Berserker head, shoulder pads

Skull belt buckle from a

regular Chaos marine torso

Chaos Champion backpack

Ork Choppa arms

Marneus Calgar’s right Power

Fist

$8 Wal-Mart Jewellery chain

Old guitar strings

A few skulls from the Undead

sprue

Round Toothpicks

Tools I used:

Modelling vice

Jeweller’s saws

Two-part epoxy

Superglue

Various files, hobby knives,

and sculpting tools

A Dremel

Green stuff

Paper clips

I had never seen much work done with

Juggernauts in GD competitions, and

now I know why. Though I felt the

model had a lot of potential, I realized

that the sculpt was horrible, with

asymmetric parts, and badly sculpted

finer features. I spend many hours just

filing away excess and sculpting minor

add-ons to try and make the model

symmetrical. Even so, some things I

couldn't pull off, like how the

Juggernaut's neck collar has 3 spikes

which are not evenly spaced. The

collar wasn't actually straight, but that I

fixed with GS. The model was not a

simple case of cleaning the mould

lines, but throughout it all, I still loved

the look of the sculpt.

Archaon's chest turned out a perfect fit,

the cape having a curve that married

itself with the Juggernaut's rear right

leg perfectly. The Rider was going to

be bigger, but I wanted him to look like

he was leaning on the Juggernaut a bit,

reeling for the impending jump of the

Beast unto its prey. To accomplish

that, the Juggernaut's body had to be

much lower than usually mounted on

its legs, to keep the Rider low. The

front left leg would have to be cut and

a joint added to fit the prowling pose,

and complement the cape flowing on

the other side. I decided to have the

legs angled in a triangular fashion,

wider at the base, to help accentuate

the feel of the model being grounded

and ready to jump. This also made the

juggernaut wider and more imposing.

The head had to become horizontal to

keep with my concept, and at that point

44

I found two horns that were just

perfectly curved to make the

Juggernaut look meaner.

So piece by piece, I would convert a

part and return to the Blu-tac master

assembly to check for fit. Needless to

say I had to rebuild the Blue-tac

assembly numerous times as it was

sagging with each fit check. I started

with the legs, first drilling multiple

holes in the legs and body, and

inserting half a dozen paper clip rods

on each of the shoulder joint. With a

gob of Green Stuff, I would stick a

completed leg to the body, press to

give the right angle, and use lots of

Blue-tac to hold the position while the

GS cured. The front left leg was sawed

above the claw, then each part was

drilled, a continuous brass rod inserted

on each side of the new gap, and glued

with epoxy. I could then slightly bend

the rod to position the claw, having

checked rod length before gluing. Once

happy, I made a rubber joint-type

connection with GS where there was

now a new gap, just like the leg joints

on a regular Marine model.

The three remaining legs would simply

need to be positioned with paper clips

like I did the first one, each time

checking that the Obliterator legs I was

going to use would fit well in between.

This left me with a big ugly surface

between the front legs and a gap at the

head of the Jugger, between the legs.

The front and rear legs were also

farther apart that the original model. I

came up with the idea of adding fur to

cover these areas, which would also tie

in with the pelt on Archaon's body.

Thanks to Nexus's green stuff fur

tutorial. I practiced on spare green

stuff, and then sculpted fur on the

Juggernaut model – it was a handy

filler which did not need to be a

symmetrical feature, and it was easy to

cover large areas.

The rider had to be holding onto the

Juggernaut, so I glued in each end of a

jewellery chain, which each had a

bigger link. I then green stuffed a link

to the Juggernaut's collar. A strand of

the chain would be glued on the fur

and the Power Fist would then be glued

on top, but the other end was left loose,

as I wanted it glued

inside the clutched

fist, to make it look

like the rider was

holding the chain.

The head was a lot of

work, mainly because

the Stock Juggernaut

model doesn't have a

neck. I cut the neck

off, saving the neck

collar with three

spikes to glue back on

the body. I then

drilled a hole in the

body in the middle of

the collar, and one at

the back of the head underneath the

Collar of Khorne on the head. I then

used a brass rod (well mine was iron

wire) cut to proper size to join head

and body.

I actually positioned the head lower

than the body, to emphasize the

prowling pose of the Juggernaut.

Again, I would refer to the Blue-Tac

master assembly time and time again to

adjust the position. I epoxy glued the

rod in the head, then once dry, made

final adjustments and glued the other

end of the rod in the body. Next was

time to make a neck. I made a few

sketches, tried on

spare green stuff, and

then put a gob on the

neck, working from

under the model.

I sculpted wires and

such, continuing what

little was suggested

by that very small part

of a neck provided

with the model. Once

dry, I bent guitar

strings to a proper

shape, guitar strings

being very stiff, I did

not have to worry

about losing the

shape, and I used

green stuff to tack

them to the head and

the body. I made sure to give the guitar

strings a different bend, being more

curved on the left side of the Jugger,

since that leg was leaning forward, the

cables close by were of same length,

but restricted in a smaller space.

It's all in the little details. I'll mention it

here, but through the painting process

when it became time for the eyes I

decided the stock models were too

small. I therefore cut myself a piece of

plastic sprue, drilled only 2 mm

through an end and bevelled the plastic

around it, like this picture shows. The

slightly spherical tip of the drill bit

would make a perfect rivet-type stamp

to make bigger eyes out of GS, which I

then stuck over the tiny original

Juggernaut eyes.

Checking with the Obliterator legs, the

original saddle was much too small and

deep. I simply filled the original gap

with GS, and texture the surface like a

Boltman’s Juggernaut Eye-Stamp (Patent Pending)

45

leather seat, with a diamond-shaped

pattern on the sides. I glued on tiny

metallic studs made out of cylindrical

pewter flash from another model. I

made sure to round the surface with a

file before each cut was made in the

pewter flash rod, to make a better

painting surface later on.

The Base I wanted the Juggernaut standing atop

the battlefield, looking at the puny

mortals soon to be crushed. I found a

natural rock, whose size and shape

suited my model well. It had a

cleavage cut, too, from which I could

exploit the recess underneath to show

off my previously acquired glowing

lava-effect. I had to pin the juggernaut

to the rock somehow though, for

solidity. I couldn't drill through the

rock, but I figured I could add features

with Milliput, a two part putty which is

more like clay, whereas green stuff is

more plastic.

I added gobs of Milliput on the rock to

improve its features and make it match

the Juggernaut's pose better. I needed

an outcrop for the front left leg to stand

on. I also needed a little extra thickness

for some legs to be able to place pins in

the base for solidity between model

and base. I did so for both right legs, as

the rock was thinner on that side. I

pinned the Juggernaut paws, and

pressed it in the wet Milliput to leave

an imprint, but removed the model,

which was going to be painted

separately. On the extra putty features,

I used a broken piece

of cork to press on the

putty and make

texture to work with

in the painting stage.

Later, when the

Juggernaut was

finished and it was

time to paint the base,

I went back with some

putty to exploit a

recess in the rock to

make a little pool of

lava emptying itself a

little lower (back right

side). I also added A

few skulls to tie in

with Khorne and fill an otherwise

simple base. The area I had left

untouched in the alcove for lava felt

like it could be improved. I decided to

simulate bubbling, thick lava, and

found that the little ball on the back of

a SM where you glue on a backpack

was just right for the task. I also used a

round plastic ball on a leftover sprue

for a bigger bubble, and some rigs cut

from a smoke launcher nozzle. The

smallest burst bubbles were made with

a grenade clip, cut in half thickness-

wise. Very small, be sure to hold them

down when you cut them, or you’ll

have them bounce out of your sight and

lose them.

The Rider The Champion is where I realized how

handy it is to carefully select bitz. I cut

off the obliterator legs, and quickly

realized that it was a perfect match. On

the left side the leg was open outwards,

which worked well with my

Champion's pose, turned to the left side

and holding that huge axe. The spacing

between the obliterator legs was also a

very good fit for the Juggernaut width

and required no bending. I simply filed

off the fleshy bits from the legs, using

once again my mighty rotary tool to

grind away. I also sculpted treads

underneath the boots, in case the GD

judges would look.

Now this is where countless checks

with blue-tac took place to assert the

pose of the champion as each element

was gradually glued in. I used the

rotary tool to grind away Archaon's

shoulder armour, peeping from under

the pelt. Starting with the Right

shoulder, this was a very long grind

and check procedure, until I could fit a

complete Berserker shoulder pad.

Remember to use a mask, pewter

particles are bad for you! I then cut off

an Orc arm at the elbow, pinned it in

the Torso, and pinned the other end to

Marneus' power fist, previously drilled

between the thumb and fingers to insert

the chain form the Juggernaut s neck. I

also had to cut off the ammo clip from

the bolter that was in the way of my

Juggernaut's right leg. Nothing was

glued at this step, just using blue-tac

whenever necessary for the parts to

hold while I fit them. I went back to

the torso and legs, drilling each, and

pinning with a piece of rod, cut to

The Base

46

length, then glued, and finally bent to

appropriate angle. I also drilled a hole

in the obliterator legs and glued a paper

clip in the saddle. This pin and hole

would allow me to pit the champion on

the juggernaut at the same place every

time I put it on for fit.

Torso and legs now being one, I could

glue the right arm onto the torso

underneath the shoulder pad with

epoxy, and let dry overnight, champion

on the juggernaut. Then I worked on

sculpting a midsection between torso

and legs, and came up with GS trims

with studs made in the same fashion as

the Juggernaut s eyes, to keep them the

exact same size.

The left arm was trickier. I knew it was

going to be something the viewer looks

at instinctively, so it had to be suitably

impressive. I oversized the weapon

with an Orc knife as the main blade

extension, and reversed part of an Orc

axe to complete the other side. Since

the plastics were thicker than Grimgor

s axe, I used green stuff to ease the

transition. Filing down the plastic knife

and axe would have lost the facets of

the weapons. I added a toothpick tip on

top for good spiky measure, and

another knife blade at the bottom of the

axe handle, to make it a handier

weapon for a rider to wield. I finally

super glued one end of a cheap

jewellery chain on the axe head,

wrapped it around and brought it down

to the bottom of the pole for looks.

Now I had chains and fur on both the

rider and mount, which helped

emphasize the cohesion of the model.

Next was the left shoulder pad. Since

there was going to be too much

grinding involved, I tried a new

approach: only adding the visible part

of the shoulder pad. It proved tricky to

match to the fur, and in the end, I only

used a little bit of a pad, stuck in there

with GS which I sculpted the missing

parts to smooth the pad with the fur

line. I drilled underneath again for a

pin to attach the axe arm with. Once

the arm was glued (using epoxy and a

profusion of Blu-tac to hold in place

while it dried,) I finished the

connection with the body with GS.

The backpack was then stamped on a

gob of GS stuck on the back fur, and

removed for the GS to dry. A paperclip

was used as a pin, but the backpack

kept separate for painting.

Finally the head, another focal point. I

really liked the Berserker head I used,

and didn’t feel major conversion was

in order. I simply added a few

toothpick spikes on the head for a little

more cohesion with the Juggernaut s

spikes. I glued the head in a forward

position, and then sculpted a collar our

of GS with stamped studs, and that was

it! To this point the complete

conversion took about 50 hours.

Vincent Hudon (AKA Boltman) won the

2004 Slayer Sword with Magmatrax,

and has won a number of Golden

Demon’s since (deserving every one,

too). Our publication of his tutorial is

long overdue.

47

Introduction The Eye of Terror is a dark and hellish

place; full with heretics, traitors and

madmen. Many Space Marines who

have spat on their oaths to the Emperor

have made their home here, along with

legions of mortal soldiers and Titans of

the Dark Mechanicus. Each of these

factions owes their allegiance to the

Warmaster Abaddon, gene-son of the

arch-traitor Horus.

To counter this threat, over the many

millennia since the Horus Heresy, the

Imperium has founded various

Chapters with the specific purpose of

guarding the space around the Eye;

and, when necessary, destroying any

threat that emerges from its hellish

depths. Collectively these Chapters are

known as the Astartes Praeses.

Records, as patchy as they are, indicate

twenty such Chapters, though they are

not all named. It must be noted that one

Chapter is known to have been

destroyed by the forces of Chaos,

whilst another has been branded

Excommunicate Traitoris; leaving the

total count of the Praeses Chapters at

18 at the time of the 13th Black

Crusade.1 Presented below is what is

known of the Chapters of the Astartes

Praeses.

Relictors2

The Relictors are perhaps the most

famous of the Astartes Praeses – they

are certainly the ones we know the

most about. They were created in the

Twenty-First Founding, and are thus a

Cursed Founding Chapter (their Curse

seems unknown – their gene-seed is

believed to be mixed between the Dark

Angels and the Ultramarines, but to

what purpose is unclear).

1 Anthony Reynolds, Dark Creed, 74

2 IA: Relictors; Codex: Eye of Terror

The Chapter was based on the world of

Torva Minoris3 (though other sources

give their home world as Neutra,

south-west of the Eye of Terror),4 and

they were until recently known as the

Fire Claws. They served loyally until

on a Chaos-hunting mission under

Inquisitor DeMarche, where one of

their Librarians defeated a prince of

Chaos with his own daemon weapon.

This use of Chaos to so successfully

destroy Chaos and the honeyed words

of the Librarian and Inquisitor

DeMarche convinced the Fire Claws’

Chapter Master that the tools of Chaos

could still be put to uses that would

serve the Imperium.5

Under the guidance of DeMarche, the

Fire Claws sought Chaos relics – and

found them. It was in this time that

they became known as the Relictors.

Soon enough, other Chapters came to

know of their methods, and the

Relictors were forced to submit by four

Space Marine Chapters, a group of

Inquisitors, and an Imperial Battleship.

De Marche was executed, and the

Relictors sent on a century of penitent

crusading.6

Even on that Crusade and during the

War for Armageddon, the Relictors

still seized every opportunity to

retrieve Chaotic weaponry.7 The

Relictors remained firm in their belief

that Chaos could be used for good

purposes, and calamity loomed over

their heads.8 It eventually struck when

they attacked an Inquisitorial force

protecting a powerful weapon in the

Diamedes Archive. This and other

conflicts caused the Inquisition to

3 Ibid


5 IA: Relictors

6 Ibid

7 Ibid

8 Ibid

The Eye of

Terror

The

Astartes

Praeses

by

Octavulg

and

Ferrus

Manus

The Astartes Praeses stand on the border of the Eye of Terror,

protecting it from the foul monsters that lurk in the Warp and their

servants who wait for any opportunity to crush the worlds of man.

This article summarizes the information we know about them – scant

though it may be.

48

declare them excommunicate, and the

Grey Knights purged their Fortress-

Monastery, forcing the remains of the

Chapter into flight.

Codex: Space Marines, Fifth Edition,

however, says only that the Inquisition

was suspicious that the Relictors were

developing “an unhealthy fascination

with tainted artefacts”.9 Whether this is

a retcon or simply an example of in-

universe ignorance is undetermined.

Likewise, it is unclear if the Relictors

are the excommunicate Chapter

mentioned in Dark Creed, or whether

that refers to some other, unknown

Chapter.

White Consuls10

The White Consuls are a Second

Founding successor of the

Ultramarines – they are thus the oldest

known Chapter of the Astartes

Praeses.11

They are organised

according to the Codex Astartes,

except for a few minor details.

Similarly to their parent Chapter, the

Ultramarines, the White Consuls have

influence over a cluster of planets close


10 Codex: Eye of Terror


to their home world of

Sabatine,12

which is located in

the east of the Segmentum

Pacificus.13

The Consuls have an unusual

Chapter structure,

maintaining two Chapter

Masters rather than one.14

One master leads campaigns,

while the other coordinates

the defence of their home

world and the Eye of Terror.15

This structure is duplicated in

principle elsewhere in

the Chapter – the

Consuls place two

Space Marines in

command of each

world; known as the

Proconsul and the

Coadjutor. Proconsuls

are veteran warriors who are

being prepared for the rank of

Captain. Only a warrior who

has served as a Proconsul may

rise to command a company of

Space Marines. Coadjutors are

warriors recently raised to the

rank of Battle-Brother, sent out

to understand the people the

Consuls are sworn to protect.16

This has led to the Consuls

commanding armies of regular

troops when defending their

local region.17

The current masters are Cymar Xydias

and Titus Valens.18

The Chapter was

involved in the 12th19

and 13th Black

Crusades,20

and was severely hurt by

battles against the Word Bearers and

Necrons.21

12

Anthony Reynolds, Dark Creed, 34 13

Codex: Space Marines, Fifth Edition 14

Deathwatch: Rites of Battle 15

Ibid 16




Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 20


Anthony Reynolds, Dark Creed

Marines Exemplar22

The Marines Exemplar were heavily

involved in the 13th Black Crusade,

deploying nine companies.23

They first

served under the overall command of

Logan Grimnar, but after the loss of

their Chapter Master in combat they

withdrew from Grimnar's command.24

Their home world is Necris,25

and the

Chapter has served under the command

of Captain Raoul since Chapter Master

Maxim Absolon went missing.26

Necris

is located in the extreme south-east of

the Segmentum Tempestus, a position

which raises questions about how they

maintain their duties to the Astartes

Praeses.27

Subjugators28

The Subjugators are thought to belong

to the Twenty-Third or Twenty-Fourth

Founding.29

They are direct and

zealous in their prosecution of the

22


Ibid 24

White Dwarf 283 25


White Dwarf 283 27



Deathwatch: Rites of Battle

White Consul by Apologist

Relictor on Snowscape by Artekus

49

enemy, routinely wiping out enemies

root and branch.30

They were relatively uninvolved in the

13th Black Crusade, fielding only three

companies.31

They have a number of

other recorded engagements – they

were involved (along with the Sons of

Antaeus) in fighting against Eldar

pirates in the Third Inter-Guild Wars of

the Inca Sector,32

and were victims of

an alien race known as the Cell-Kin,

who slowly turn infected creatures into

other Cell-Kin.33

The infection was

purged, but some twenty Marines are

still at large.34

Their home world is

Xenax, located in the east of the

Segmentum Solar,35

and they divide

most of their efforts between that

region and the Eye of Terror.36

Excoriators37

30

Ibid 31


IA: Cursed Founding 33


Ibid 35



Codex: Eye of Terror

The Excoriators deployed eight

companies in the 13th

Black Crusade.38

Night Watch39

They deployed eleven companies to the

13th

Black Crusade, suggesting they are

not Codex-adherent.40

Their home

world is Silence, to the north of the

Eye of Terror.41

They were one of the

Chapters that contributed forces to the

Zeist Campaign at the request of

Marneus Calgar.42

Iron Talons43

Assisted the White Consuls against the

Word Bearers.44

Others45

The Crimson Scythes, Brothers

Penitent, and Knights Unyielding are

all listed in the novel Dark Creed as

38

Ibid 39


Ibid 41


Ibid 43


Ibid, 31 45

Ibid, 75

members of the Astartes Praeses.

General Observations The most evident thing about the

Astartes Praeses is that they appear to

have been created over time – the

Relictors and Subjugators are both

products of later Foundings, and it is

unlikely they were the only ones. It

seems likely that Imperial defences

around the Eye have gotten stronger

over time.

Second, we can note two things – first,

that being close to the Eye does not

make you a member of the Astartes

Praeses (the Iron Hands, for example,

do not seem to be). Nor does being far

away seem to preclude membership

(the Marines Exemplar are on the other

side of the Imperium, though that may

be error as opposed to intent).

Finally, we can note that dedication is

evidently not required – only some of

the Astartes Praeses committed forces

to fight against the 13th

Black Crusade,

and of those the Subjugators only

committed three companies. This

seems more than a little odd, and

explanations are hard to conceive of –

it’s possible the missing Astartes

Praeses Chapters were engaged, but

were some of the many who slipped

through the cracks; or that they were

deployed on the other side of the Eye;

or fighting some other Chaotic threat.

Still, their absence is notable.

Octavulg and Ferrus Manus are

Lexicanii and Liberites, who were

depressed to discover that the Astartes

Praeses are evidently publicity-shy.

Marines Exemplar by Lord Tybault

50

Step 1

Basecoat the armoured areas Adeptus

Battlegrey. Wash the whole thing with a

heavy wash of Badab Black.

Step 2

Overbrush the armour with Adeptus Battlegrey. Overbrushing is essentially drybrushing, but with a wet brush. Quick

highlights with Codex Grey – highlight everything except the darkest areas.

Apply fine highlights to the top edges with Fortress Grey. Basically, anything at the top of the figure – top of helmet, top of

shoulder pads, toes etc.

How to Paint

Relictors

by Midian

Step 1

Step 2

51

Step 3

Glaze the whole lot with Badab Black, watered down until it is

virtually see through. Before painting it on, gently dab the brush on

a piece of tissue (use the stuff you get for the kitchen, not toilet

tissue) to take out the excess water out of the brush.

If it takes more than a few seconds to dry on the figure, you've got

too much watered paint on the brush. Hit the tissue again and carry

on.

At this stage I painted everything else Chaos Black and gave the

moulded tactical arrow a coat of Fortress Grey.

Step 4

Basecoat Boltgun Metal, highlight with Chainmail, edge highlight Mithril Silver, wash with Badab Black.

Step 5

Basecoat Scorched Brown. Layer a 60/40 mix of Scorched Brown/Dark Flesh, leaving Scorched Brown in the recesses.

Edge highlight with thinned Dark Flesh.

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

52

Step 6

These two are the same process except for the base colour. Basecoat the skulls with Dheneb Stone and the parchment with

Bleached Bone. Wash with Devlan Mud.

Highlight the skulls with Dheneb Stone and the parchment with Bleached Bone. Add Skull White to Dheneb Stone to

highlight the skulls, add Skull White to Bleached Bone to highlight the parchment.

Using thinned down Chaos Black, paint thin lines on the parchment to represent text.

Step 7

Basecoat Red Gore. Layer

Blood Red over the top,

leaving Red Gore in the

recesses. c

On the lenses, leave some

Red Gore showing at the

back. Add a tiny spot of Skull

White at the back of each

lens for reflection points.

Step 6

Step 7

53

Step 8

Edge highlight the black areas with a 50/50 mix of Chaos

Black/Adeptus Battlegrey.

Step 9

Paint a circle and square with thinned Fortress Grey (see picture

1b), then fill in. Go over the grey with thinned Skull White.

You'll probably need 3 or 4 thin layers to get it smooth.

Tidy up the shape with thinned Chaos Black and add the eye,

nose and teeth.

Step 10

Water down Scorched Brown

(approx 10/1 water/Scorched

Brown) and glaze around

panel lines, joints and

anywhere else dirt would

collect.

Do the same with Catachan

Green, then with Bestial

Brown. Overall, there are

around 15 layers of colour

glazed on.

Step 8

Step 9

Step 10

54

Step 11

Base – I've washed

the sand with

Brown Ink then

drybrushed it with

Khemri Brown

then Kommando

Khaki.

Paint the rim

Scorched Brown

and add static grass

to taste.

Midian is most

well known for his

DIY army, the

Sword Bearers.

His only

distractions from

his Chapter are the

Black Legion and

occasionally some

Dark Angels. We

still haven’t

figured out why he

did a Relictors

tutorial, but it

certainly is a nice

one.

Step 11

55

History The Exorcists were created in the 13th

(Dark) Founding. The gene-seed used

to create them is unknown, classified

by a special Bull Absolute issued by an

Inquisitorial representative at the time

of the Chapter’s founding. Despite this

secrecy, there are rumours that the

gene-seed of the Exorcists can be

traced back to the Grey Knights,

though there is no known evidence to

corroborate this.

The Chapter’s creation was supervised

by elements of the Ordo Malleus and

included the ritual binding of minor

daemonic creatures to the recruits,

followed by their exorcism. While

some subjects died or required

termination due to the damage suffered

in the possession, the majority survived

the procedure. Reconstructive surgery

was required for those who suffered

damage or mutation, and corrective

psychotherapy for those who suffered

psychological damage. Those that

survived the daemonic possession

therapy were then trained in the use of

the 666 verses of the Liber Exorcismus

(Book of Exorcisms) and the methods

of combating the daemons of Chaos.

After the Chapter performed

successfully in field tests against

Daemons, it was developed to a full

Chapter and granted at least limited

autonomy. The level of the Chapter’s

autonomy and its current relationship

with the Ordo Malleus remain

unknown, though several facilities of

the Ordo Malleus are known to exist on

the Exorcists’ home world of Banish.

The Chapter’s fortress monastery is

known as the Basilica Malefex, though

the majority of the Chapter is on

continuous active service throughout

the whole of the Imperium.

To this day, the daemonic possession

therapy continues to be a central aspect

of the Chapter’s process in

transforming aspirants into full battle-

brothers. Due to the rigors of this

procedure, the Chapter maintains two

extra companies of Scouts, for a total

number of twelve companies in the

Chapter.

The Exorcists are largely a “Codex”

Chapter, adhering closely to the

dictates of the Codex Astartes written

by the Ultramarines Primarch, Roboute

Guilliman. The primary exceptions to

this are the Chapter’s organization into

twelve companies versus the normal

ten and the Chapter’s proficiency at

combating the daemons of Chaos,

excelling at this over other Chapters.

The Chapter has often demonstrated

tactical flexibility and adaptability

exemplifying the teachings of the

Codex Astartes.

One other notable aspect of the

Exorcists Chapter is the presence of

Orisons, or sub-cults, within the

Chapter. Each of these Orisons is adept

at a certain specialty, and Exorcists

battle-brothers may be members of

multiple Orisons. Each Orison

maintains a book of lore in which the

specialized knowledge of the Orison is

preserved and taught; and membership

in an Orison is not a prerequisite to

access the Orison’s book of lore – any

battle-brother of the Chapter may

consult any Orison’s book of lore.

Membership in one or more Orisons is

considered to be a high honour within

the Chapter. Known Orisons include

the Enochian Guard, many of the

members belonging to the 1st

Company; the Obelisk Thelemus, to

which many of the Chapter’s

Devastators and Techmarines belong;

and the Broken Tower, which is

composed almost entirely of members

of the Chapter’s Librarium.

If the Grey Knights are the Imperium’s premier daemon hunters, the

Exorcists are a close second. Through possession and exorcism they

strengthen themselves, all so they can destroy the horrific creatures

that spill forth from the Warp across the Imperium. Here, Exorcists

player Brother Tyler presents expanded Fifth Edition rules for the

Exorcists Chapter.

The Eye of

Terror

Codex:

Exorcists

By

Brother

Tyler

and the

Members

of the

B&C

56

Campaigns of the Exorcists

• The Aschen War (The Vanquishing

of the Horned God) [307.M40] (3rd

Company known to have participated,

possibly entire Chapter)

• The Twelfth Black Crusade of

Abaddon the Despoiler (The Gothic

War) [151.M41]

• The Relief of Stonekraal [740.M41]

(3rd Company)

• The Badab War [908-912.M41] (2nd,

3rd, 5th, 6th, 11th Companies, half of

1st Company, under command of

Captain Silas Alberec of the 3rd

Company)

• The Third War for Armageddon

[999.M41] (entire Chapter)

• The Thirteenth Black Crusade of

Abaddon the Despoiler [999.M41]

(ten companies)

Exorcists Fleet

The Exorcists have an extensive long-

range Chapter fleet, including three

battle barges, which is considered to

be an unusually high number of such

vessels for a Chapter of the Adeptus

Astartes. This large fleet provides the

Chapter with great mobility in its

continuous actions, the Chapter

operating throughout the breadth of

the Imperium instead of being

confined to a specific area.

• Punisher (Battle Barge)

• Redeemer (Battle Barge)

• Captain Augusta (Strike Cruiser)

• Eternal Defiance (Strike Cruiser)

• Hand of Glory (Strike Cruiser)

• Hunter (Strike Cruiser)

Exorcists Battle-Brothers

Though popular, the Exorcists haven’t

received much attention from Games

Workshop. Despite this, a number of

members of the Chapter have been

named in various sources, including

Battlefleet Gothic, the Badab War,

and a Black Library anthology.

• Enoch Trismegistus (first Chapter

Master according to Chapter legend)

• Captain Leitz (participated in the

Gothic War)

• Captain Silas Alberec (Captain of

the 3rd Company during the Badab

War)

• Venerable Sybra (dreadnought, died

in the Aschen War)

• Malachite (librarian, killed the

Horned God in the Aschen War)

• Castor Machen (librarian,

participated in the Relief of

Stonekraal)

• Idris (Sergeant, participated in the

Badab War)

• Kahl (Veteran Sergeant and Initiate

of the Enochian Guard, participated

in the Badab War)

• Rabelias (Terminator assigned to the

bodyguard of Silas Alberec,

participated in the Badab War)

• Karsweltus (Apothecary,

participated in the Badab War)

• Avasi (participated in the Badab

War)

• Baeliastus (participated in the Badab

War)

• Belloch (killed in the Battle of

Shavra, the Badab War)

• Gebruah (possibly killed in the

Battle of Shavra, the Badab War)

• Rauth (“Watcher”, seconded to

Deathwatch)

Titles

It is worth noting that some of the

Exorcists battle-brothers displayed in

Imperial Armour Volume Ten: The

Badab War – Part Two bear titles that

don’t appear to be standard to the

Adeptus Astartes, and others have titles

that are variations on typical titles,

none of which are explained. For

example, Veteran Sergeant Kahl bears

the title of “Inceptus”, Terminator

Rabelias bears the title of “Lector”, and

both Idris and Karsweltus have the title

of “Almoner”.

Appearance

When first presented in the original

Index Astartes article on the Badab

War, the Chapter had a yellow scheme.

The Third War for Armageddon re-

imagined the Chapter in a dark red

scheme. A few minor changes have

occurred since then, though the basic

scheme is shown below. The shoulder

pad rims appear to be black regardless

of company affiliation.

Daemon Hunters

The relationship between the

Exorcists and the Grey Knights

has been the subject of much

debate.

Some players have speculated that

the Chapter is like the Grey

Knights and is composed entirely

of psykers. Included in this

speculation is the use of Nemesis

Force Weapons, the signature

weapon of the Grey Knights, by

the Exorcists. The Chapter’s

inclusion in Codex: Space Marines

and the rules provided for Silas

Alberec in the Badab War book

contradict this.

The relationship between the

Exorcists and the Grey Knights is

unclear. While the short story

“Headhunted” indicates that the

Exorcists were created using the

gene-seed of the Grey Knights and

that they have very similar

training, the Badab War book says

only that the gene-seed of the

Exorcists is a closely guarded

secret. The Exorcists are one of

the few Chapters that is allowed to

retain some knowledge of the Grey

Knights as Codex: Grey Knights

describes how the Exorcists are

known to send some of their

aspirants to Titan. How

widespread the knowledge of the

Grey Knights is within the

Exorcists Chapter is unknown.

57

Special Characters

You must use one of the following special characters in order to use these rules in your games of Warhammer 40,000.

Chapter Tactics

If your army includes an Exorcists character, all units in your army lose the Combat Tactics special rule. Instead, when

facing Daemons (Daemon Princes, Possessed Chaos Space Marines, Obliterators, any vehicle with Daemonic Possession,

summoned greater or lesser Daemons, Daemonhosts, Mandrakes, Kheradruakh the Decapitator, the Avatar, and all units from

Codex: Chaos Daemons), all of these units except Scout and Scout Bike squads benefit from the Furious Charge USR when

charging Daemon models and are Fearless when engaged in Assault with any Daemon models. Any of these units that start

their Movement phase within 12” of a Daemon model must pass a Ld test or suffer from the Rage USR. If more than one

character in your army has the Chapter Tactics special rule, you must choose which version will apply.

CAPTAIN SILAS ALBEREC COMMANDER OF THE THIRD COMPANY, WIELDER OF THE HELLSLAYER, KEEPER OF VIGILS Use Silas Alberec as he is presented in Imperial Armour Volume Ten: The Badab War – Part Two (page 179), adding the

Chapter Tactics included in this article.

DIETRICH LEONHART OUTER GUARDIAN OF THE LIBRARIUM The psykers of the Librarium serve a pivotal role in the Exorcists Chapter. In addition to screening aspirants for psychic

potential, the Librarians of the Exorcists are responsible for conducting the daemonic possession therapy and training against

the daemonic that set the Exorcists apart from other Chapters. The Chapter depends upon its Librarians in order to ensure that

no corruption survives within the battle-brothers.

Unlike other Chapter neophytes, those who possess psychic potential are not subjected to the daemonic possession therapy,

for the threat of possessing an untrained psyker with a daemonic entity is too great. Instead, these aspirants are taken into the

Librarium for testing and training. Those that survive become Lexicanii, the most junior grade of Librarian.

The Librarians also work closely with the Apothecaries of the Chapter to screen battle-brothers against the threat of re-

possession by daemonic entities. All battle-brothers are thoroughly tested upon returning from any engagements with the

daemonic, and those that are found to harbour some taint are ritually cleansed and purified – or terminated.

Epistolary Leonhart was recruited from a feral world six decades ago. Quickly demonstrating his potential as a psyker and

being taken into the Librarium, he survived the rigors of the psykana rituals and has since proven himself as a potent mystic

warrior within the Chapter. He currently serves as the Outer Guardian of the Librarium, protecting Chapter rituals from

daemonic incursion

through his skill at

detecting and banishing

Daemons.

Destroy Daemon: This

psychic power may be

used at the beginning of

any Assault phase. If the

test is passed, any to hit

or to wound rolls made

by Leonhart against

Daemons may be re-

rolled for the rest of the

turn. You must accept

the result of the second

roll.

Dietrich Leonhart WS BS S T W I A Ld Sv 190 pts 5 4 4 4 2 4 2 10 2+

Unit Composition: • 1 (Unique) Unit Type: • Infantry Wargear:

• Terminator armour • Force weapon • Storm shield

Psychic Powers: • Destroy daemon • Any one of the following powers: Smite, Force Dome, Machine Curse, Quickening, Null Zone,

The Avenger, Might of Ancients, The Gate of Infinity, Vortex of

Doom

Special Rules: • And They Shall Know

No Fear • Combat Tactics • Chapter Tactics • Independent Character • Psyker

• Epistolary

58

ACTON IDOMENES SWORD BEARER, CHAPTER CHAMPION OF THE EXORCISTS Sergeant Idomenes has served the Chapter for almost a century, earning numerous honours for his valour. In the Cleansing of

Anruil in 982.M41, he selflessly threw himself between his injured Chapter Master and a greater daemon. Though the

creature removed Idomenes’ right arm with a stroke of his hell-forged axe, Idomenes’ action allowed the Chapter Master time

to recover and re-enter the fray, resulting in the destruction of the daemon. In recognition for his valour, Idomenes was

appointed the Sword Bearer and granted the privilege of bearing the Blade of Enoch, an ancient weapon recovered from the

Eye of Terror by the Exorcists’ first Chapter Master, Enoch Trismegistus.

As the Sword Bearer, it is Idomenes’ responsibility to serve as the Exorcists Chapter Champion and to represent the Chapter

Master’s interests with the Captains of the Exorcists Chapter, often joining their companies in battle and leading squads. He

has performed these duties with distinction for almost two decades.

If an Honour Guard is included in the army, then the Chapter Champion must be replaced with Sergeant Idomenes for +30

points. If there is no Honour Guard, then one Tactical squad in the army may replace its Space Marine Sergeant with Sergeant

Idomenes for +67 points.

Blade of Enoch: The Blade of Enoch counts as a relic blade. In addition, the blade is inscribed with runes inimical to

Daemons and will always wound Daemons on a roll of 4+, unless Idomenes would normally roll better. Against possessed

vehicles the weapon

confers 2D6 +Strength

for armour penetration.

Exemplar: The Sword

Bearer is an exemplar

of the Chapter’s warrior

cult and is an

inspiration to his battle-

brothers. Idomenes and

any unit he has joined

always re-roll failed

Morale and Pinning

Tests.

Collecting an Exorcists Army The Exorcists follow the teachings of the Codex Astartes; and they demonstrate tactical flexibility and adaptability. As such,

don’t feel constrained to any particular army composition when collecting an Exorcists army. Any army that you can create

with Codex: Space Marines is justifiable. The Chapter has two additional Scout companies, so Scouts in an Exorcists army

would not be inappropriate, but this isn’t a requirement by any stretch of the imagination.

Designer’s Notes

Previously, there were a number of issues with the Exorcists Chapter due to inconsistencies between various sources, but

these issues are largely reconciled in Imperial Armour Volume Ten: The Badab War – Part Two. This article considers the

Badab War information on the Exorcists canon. Players desiring to learn more about the Chapter should read that book.

I was largely satisfied with the background given for the Chapter in the Badab War book, and I’m a fan of the Exorcists

special character, Silas Alberec and his rules. There was, however, one area in which I was dissatisfied, and that was the rules

for the Exorcists Chapter, or rather, the lack thereof. The known background information provides an ability that no other

Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes has, and that is excellence at fighting the daemons of Chaos. We’re not just talking about the

Exorcists being marginally better than other Chapters – they are remarkable in comparison to other Space Marines when it

comes to killing Daemons (though not as good as Grey Knights). Alberec confers a special rule to the army, but that rule is

based on him and is not necessarily an “Exorcists” rule in the way that Chapter Tactics would be considered to be rules for

the Chapter. More importantly, that rule isn’t about daemons. The rules and characters presented herein are intended to fill

the gap between what the background material supports and representation of that background material on the table top.

Acton Idomenes WS BS S T W I A Ld Sv

+30/+67 5 4 4 4 1 4 3 10 2+

Unit Composition:

• 1 (Unique)


Wargear:

• Artificer armour • Combat shield

• Blade of Enoch • Boltgun • Frag and krak

grenades

Special Rules:

• And They Shall Know No Fear

• Combat Tactics • Chapter Tactics • Honour or Death • Exemplar

59

Going back to the Third War for Armageddon fluff we have several important elements. First is the Chapter's training in the

tools of the exorcist; second is the heightened levels of aggression Exorcists Space Marines exhibited; and third is the

Chapter's alignment with the Ordo Malleus and the Grey Knights.

With regard to the training in/with the tools of the exorcist, I've basically combined that with the aggression described above

in the selection of Chapter Tactics that utilize universal special rules representative of the effects described for the Exorcists

in combat with daemons. In addition, the Exorcists characters presented in this article have weapons and abilities drawn from

Codex: Daemonhunters (which is now obsolete due to the release of Codex: Grey Knights).

The previous version of this article included rules for Chapter Master Leopoldus Kane (who I made up without any source

material). However, the imagery of Kane was too close to that of Silas Alberec, the official Exorcists character that is

presented in Imperial Armour Volume Ten: The Badab War – Part Two. So I’ve removed Kane from these rules and

recommend that fans of the Exorcists buy the Badab War book.

Leonhart represents a typical Epistolary within the Exorcists Chapter, focused more on combating the daemonic threat than

his counterparts in other Chapters. The Destroy Daemon librarian psyker power is from Codex: Daemonhunters. It replaces

one of the other psyker powers normally available to librarians. Other than that, he is a standard Epistolary in Terminator

armour. For players desiring to represent any other Exorcists librarian with the Destroy Daemon psyker power, I recommend

discussing the matter with your opponent. Simply replacing one of the normal librarian psyker powers with Destroy Daemon

doesn’t have much of an impact unless you’re

facing a Chaos Daemons army, so most players

will agree. If you’re facing a Chaos Daemons

army, you might offer to compensate through

+5 or +10 points.

Idomenes represents one of the premier Veteran

Sergeants within the Chapter. He also fulfils a

dual role as the Chapter Champion, somewhat

similar to the Emperor’s Champion of the Black

Templars. The Blade of Enoch combines a relic

blade with an anointed weapon from Codex:

Daemonhunters. I looked at the Daemonbane

ability of Nemesis force weapons as well as the

Daemonic Feud result for daemonblades (both

found in Codex: Grey Knights), but decided that

both of those were too potent. Also, I didn’t

want to infringe too much on the Grey Knights

and Ordo Malleus, despite the relationships that

the Exorcists have with both of those

organizations. Idomenes provides a low-cost

upgrade character that will enable players to use

the Exorcists’ Chapter Tactics.

The rules in this article follow the Codex: Space

Marines convention of tying the Chapter

Tactics to characters, but you might get

permission to use the special rules for the

Exorcists without taking any of the special

characters (if you’re lucky). Discuss the matter

with your opponents to see what they will

allow.

Brother Tyler is an Administrator, an Exorcists

player, and a DIY rules creator. He also has

been known to talk to females and occasionally

get outside and see the sun, despite scurrilous

rumours to the contrary regarding the

administrative staff of the B&C.

Exorcist – Colrouphobic

60

History Following the Massacre at Istvaan V,

the Iron Hands vowed never again to

fail in their duty due to any physical or

mental shortcoming. This has

developed into a hatred (and some

might whisper fear) of weakness of any

kind. Whether this is due to a flaw in

their gene seed or by some other cause

is unknown. It is controlled in part by

frequent bionic enhancement. As an

Iron Hands Space Marine ages, he

continually undergoes procedures to

replace the weak, hated flesh with the

pure strength of metal. This process

begins early, as the initiate has his left

hand removed and replaced with a

bionic one upon induction into the

Chapter. The ultimate goal of any Iron

Hands Space Marine is to become a

Dreadnought – combining the resolute

mind of the Iron Hands Space Marine

with the ultimate mechanical body.

This hatred has further developed into

a near fanatical worship of the

mechanical that rivals that of the

Adeptus Mechanicus. Indeed, the close

relationship between the Iron Hands

and the Cult Mechanicus is frowned

upon by more Codex Chapters and is

alarming to the Ministorum – who see

these beliefs as a direct threat to their

own authority. This has led to a

number of conflicts between the

Ecclesiarchy and the Iron Hands that

have resulted in bloodshed on more

than one occasion. Consequently, the

Chapter is frequently the subject of

Inquisitorial investigation. The Iron

Hands endure the situation with barely

controlled disdain.

Despite these flaws, the Inquisition has

never acted against the Iron Hands. It

is speculated that they do not see this

flaw as a threat to the Imperium, but as

a useful tool. The Iron Hands’ quelling

of the Contqual Subsector has

demonstrated the brutal effectiveness

of this Chapter’s tactics and Contqual

remains one of the most loyal and

vigilant systems in the Imperium

today. During this campaign, the Iron

Hands were subjected to the

unimaginable influences of Chaos, yet

not a single Iron Hands Space Marine

failed in his duty due to mental

weakness – a testament to their skill

and resolve.

Details of the Iron Hands

The Librarium’s Comprehensive

History of the Iron Hands maintains

lists of Chapter members, ships, and

battles too long to reproduce here.

Titles

The Iron Hands are one of the more

unusual Chapters in organization. Iron

Fathers combine the role of Chaplain

and Techmarine, and hold an influence

greater than either. The Chapter

Council directs the Chapter, steering it

through events (though some, possibly

conflicting, sources, suggest that the

Iron Hands have Chapter Masters).

And, of course, each Clan Company is

an independent formation of roughly

equivalent strength to a Battle

Company.

Appearance

The Iron Hands have a black scheme

with an insignia of a white clawed

hand. Their armour often includes

metal, bionics, or Mechanicus insignia.

The Eye of

Terror

Codex:

Iron

Hands

By

Bannus

and the

Members

of the

B&C

Known for their hatred of weakness, the Iron Hands have stood

faithfully against the enemies of the Imperium for centuries. Whether

from within or without, they have shown no mercy to those who would

bring destruction to mankind. As a Chapter, the Iron Hands

continually strengthen and improve themselves mentally and

physically. They see only frailties in their own genetically modified

bodies and increasingly mechanize them to become the perfect

warrior. Blending man and machine, they combine the unyielding

body with the unyielding mind.

61

Special Characters

These Iron Hands Special Characters are intended only for use in Iron Hands armies. You may not combine these special

characters or Chapter Tactics with any of the special characters or Chapter Tactics in Codex: Space Marines.

Chapter Tactics

If your army includes an Iron Hands character, all units in your army lose the Combat Tactics special rule. Instead, because

of the extensive bionics employed by the Chapter, all units have a 6+ invulnerable save and all independent characters benefit

from the Feel No Pain universal special rule.

WARLEADER BANNUS MEMBER OF THE CHAPTER COUNCIL, LEADER OF THE KAARGUL CLAN COMPANY Bannus served as captain of his clan company for many centuries, nearly losing his life on the industrial world of Kaladrone,

he was saved by the legendary Iron Father Paullian Blantar. Eventually Bannus was interred within an ancient dreadnaught

sarcophagus and now serves as one of the most respected figures in the Iron Hands Chapter, a voice of great wisdom on the

Great Council and a war leader of supreme skill.

Bannus is an HQ

selection.

Refractor Field: This

power field generator

provides Bannus with a

5+ invulnerable save.

Venerable: Bannus is a

Venerable Dreadnought

and benefits from the

Venerable special rule

(see Codex: Space

Marines for details).

Old and Wise: An army that includes Warleader Bannus may re-roll the dice when attempting to seize the initiative (see

“Surprise Attack!” in Codex: Space Marines for details).

Dedicated Transport: Warleader Bannus may select a drop pod as a dedicated transport.

Kheres Assault Cannon: Warleader Bannus is equipped with one of the rare Kheres assault cannons. The Kheres assault

cannon uses the following profile:

Range Str. AP Type

24” 6 4 Heavy 6, Rending

Bannus WS BS S Front Side Rear I A 225 points 6 5 6 13 12 10 4 2

Unit Composition: • 1 (Unique)

Unit Type: • Vehicle (Walker)

Wargear: • Kheres assault cannon • Master-crafted

chainfist with built-in storm bolter

• Refractor field • Searchlight • Smoke launchers

Special Rules: • Chapter Tactics • Old and Wise

• Venerable

The room had filled with smoke following the exchange of fire. The sulfur was stinging her eyes and making it difficult to

breath. The wound in her side made it impossible to walk – much less stand, so she clawed her way across the floor to her

Godwyn-Deaz patterned bolter. It lay just out of reach, wrested from her grip by the first rounds impacting her body. The

rest of her squad and the Emissary were dead, so the Sister of Battle could count on no one else – she was all alone now. As

she felt the comforting feel of the grip in her hand, a heavy, black boot pinned her weapon to the floor. She looked up to see

the cold, mechanical face of the Iron-Father looking down at her and she could see the disgust in his expression. “Such

weakness.” he said. “I...” He was interrupted by another Iron Hands Space Marine entering the room. If he was surprised

by the carnage, he did not show it. “The Council demands a report on the negotiations with the Ministorum.”

“Tell them...” he looked back down at the Sister struggling to free her weapon. “Tell them it went as well as expected.”

Then he raised his bolt pistol....

62

IRON-COMMANDER KARDAN STRONOS LORD OF MEDUSA, PALADIN OF THE MACHINE-GOD

Kardan Stronos is an HQ

selection.

Iron Gauntlet: The Iron

Gauntlet is a power fist with

a built in auxiliary grenade

launcher.

Special Issue Ammunition: Kardan Stronos has access to

Special Issue Ammunition

(see Codex: Space Marines

for details).

Rites of Battle: Kardan

Stronos benefits from the

Rites of Battle special rules

(see Codex: Space Marines

for details).

Command Squad: Kardan Stronos counts as a Captain and you may select a Command Squad in the normal manner.

IRON FATHER SARLOCK ARCHITECT OF PURITY

Sarlock is an HQ selection.

Axe Mechanicus: The

Axe Mechanicus is a

master-crafted power

weapon.

Blessing of the

Omnissiah: Iron-Father

Sarlock benefits from the

Blessing of the Omnissiah

special rule, except that he

needs a 6+ instead of a 5+

to make a successful repair

(see Codex: Space

Marines for details).

Mechanicus Protectiva: This gift from the Adeptus

Mechanicus provides Iron-Father Sarlock with a 4+ invulnerable save.

Liturgies of Iron: Iron-Father Sarlock benefits from the Liturgies of Battle special rules (see Codex: Space Marines for

details).

Scion of Mars: If you include Iron-Father Sarlock in the army, then Techmarines selected for your army do not count against

your Elites allowance and Servitors (including Combat Servitors) count as scoring units.

Servitors: Any unit of Servitors joined by Sarlock does not have to test for Mind Lock (see Codex: Space Marines for

details).

Kardon Stronos WS BS S T W I A Ld Sv 175 points 6 5 4 4 3 5 3 10 3+



Wargear: • Power armour • Iron Halo

• Iron Gauntlet • Power weapon

• Bolter • Special Issue

Ammunition • Frag and Krak

grenades


No Fear

• Combat Tactics • Chapter Tactics

• Independent Character • Rites of Battle

Sarlock WS BS S T W I A Ld Sv 135 points 5 5 4 4 3 5 3 10 3+

Combat Servitor WS BS S T W I A Ld Sv 10 points each 4 3 3 4 1 3 1 8 4+

Unit Composition: • 1 Sarlock (Unique) • 0-4 Combat Servitors

Unit Type:

• Infantry

Wargear: • Power armour • Mechanicus Protectiva

• Servo-arm • Axe Mechanicus

• Bolt Pistol • Frag and Krak

grenades


No Fear

• Combat Tactics • Chapter Tactics

• Independent Character • Blessing of the

Omnissiah • Liturgies of Iron • Scion of Mars

63

Combat Servitors: Iron-Father Sarlock may select up to four Combat Servitors at 10 points each as a retinue, and these

Combat Servitors do not prevent him from joining other units. Each Servitor takes up one space in a transport and is armed

with close combat implants (counts as a power weapon). If Iron-Father Sarlock is killed, then his Combat Servitors will

deactivate and are also removed from play.

Dedicated Transport: Iron-Father Sarlock may select a Rhino, Razorback or Drop Pod as a dedicated Transport.

LIBRARIAN MADEUS SCRIPTOR FERRIC

Madeus is an HQ

selection.

Mechanicum Psykanus: In addition to functioning

as a psychic hood, the

Mechanicum Psykanus has

the unique ability of

allowing a psyker to

commune with the

Machine Spirit of any

vehicle in the army. This

special ability is activated

at the beginning of the

player's turn and requires a successful Psychic Test. This ability also counts as one of his powers for the game turn. Any

single Iron Hands vehicle within line-of-sight may be affected (including Speeders and Dreadnoughts). The effect of this

ability varies depending on the vehicle:

If the vehicle does not have the Machine Spirit ability, then it gains the ability until the beginning of your next

turn.

If the vehicle has the Machine Spirit ability, then the vehicle may ignore Crew Shaken/Stunned damage results

until the beginning of your next turn.

Epistolary: Madeus is an Epistolary (see Codex: Space Marines for details).

Psychic Powers: Smite, Machine Curse, Might of the Ancients (see Codex: Space Marines for details).

IRON-MASTER MENESTUS MASTER OF THE FORGE, ARCHON OF THE MACHINE-GOD

Menestus is an HQ

selection.

Auspex: No enemy

infiltrators may set up

within 24" of Menestus.

Likewise, enemy scouts

using their pre-game

moves may not come

within 24" of Menestus.

Conversion Field: The

conversion field is a

rare technological

artefact that provides

Menestus with a 3+

invulnerable save.

Menestus WS BS S T W I A Ld Sv 180 points 4 5 4 4 2 4 2 10 2+

Unit Composition: • 1 (Unique) Unit Type:

• Infantry

Wargear: • Artificer armour • Servo-harness • Conversion field

• Signum • Bolt Pistol Digital weapons • Auspex • Frag and krak

grenades


No Fear • Combat Tactics

• Chapter Tactics • Apostle of the

Omnissiah • Bolster Defences • Independent Character

• Lord of the Armory • Orbital Strike

Madeus WS BS S T W I A Ld Sv 195 points 5 4 4 4 2 4 2 10 2+



Wargear: • Terminator armor • Mechanicum Psykanus

• Force weapon • Storm shield


No Fear

• Combat Tactics • Chapter Tactics • Independent Character • Epistolary

64

Apostle of the Omnissiah: Menestus benefits from the Blessing of the Omnissiah special rule (see Codex: Space Marines for

details) and may re-roll one failed repair roll per turn.

Orbital Strike: Menestus may call down an orbital bombardment once per game (see Codex: Space Marines for details).

BROTHER GAUMECH PRIEST OF THUNDER AND FLAME

One Thunderfire Cannon

may replace its Techmarine

Gunner with Brother

Gaumech.

Krak Munitions: Brother

Gaumech has access to

special anti-tank munitions

for his Thunderfire Cannon

(in addition to the normal

rounds). When firing this

type of ammunition, the

Thunderfire Cannon has the

following profile:

Range Str. AP Type

60” 8 2 Heavy 1+D3

BROTHER SERGEANT TELAMON EXEMPLAR OF STEEL

One Tactical Squad may

replace its Sergeant with

Telamon.

Bonded: Brother Telamon

has been bonded to his suit

of Terminator Armour.

This armour so inspires his

squad that they always

benefit from the Preferred

Enemy USR. Because he

is permanently bonded to

his Terminator Armour,

Telamon is capable of

making a Sweeping

Advance when required.

Gaumech WS BS S T W I A Ld Sv 70 points 4 5 4 4 3 4 3 10 2+

Unit Composition:

• 1 Gaumech (Unique) • 1 Thunderfire Cannon Unit Type: • Artillery

Wargear:

• Artificer armour • Servo-harness • Conversion field • Signum • Bolt Pistol • Auspex • Frag and Krak

grenades

Special Rules:

• And They Shall Know No Fear

• Combat Tactics • Chapter Tactics • Blessing of the

Omnissiah • Bolster Defences

Telamon WS BS S T W I A Ld Sv +50 points 5 4 4 4 1 4 3 9 2+



Wargear: • Terminator armor • Power weapon

• Storm bolter


No Fear

• Combat Tactics Chapter Tactics

• Bonded • Feel No Pain

65

Iron Hands Optional Rules While special characters can provide a lot of variation for a Space Marine army,

they have their limitations. These optional rules are available to better represent

the Clan Companies of the Iron Hands

An Iron Hands army abides by the advantages and limitations of the The Flesh

is Weak and Clans of Medusa special rules.

The Flesh is Weak: The Iron Hands venerate the mechanical over the flesh and

treat Dreadnoughts and Terminator armour differently than other Chapters. The

Iron Hands prefer to distribute this equipment throughout the Chapter –

believing it provides greater inspiration to the Space Marines around them.

Venerable Dreadnoughts may only be chosen as HQ selections. Any

unit with at least one model within 12" of a Venerable Dreadnought

may re-roll any Morale or Pinning Checks.

Iron Hands Dreadnoughts and Venerable Dreadnoughts may never

replace their DCCW with another weapon, but may upgrade the storm

bolter if desired.

Any Sergeant equipped with a storm bolter and either a power weapon

or a power fist may exchange his power armour and grenades for

Terminator armour at no cost. Because the armour is distributed this

way, Iron Hands armies may not select any Terminator Squads or

Terminator Assault Squads.

Any unit equipped with one or more suits of Terminator armour (or

joined by an independent character in Terminator armour) benefits from

the Stubborn Universal Special Rule as described in the Universal

Special Rules of the main rule book. Units that include or are joined by

any models in Terminator armour may not make a Sweeping Advance

(but may Consolidate), Infiltrate or Move through Cover even if the

majority of models in the unit would normally be able to do so.

Clans of Medusa: Over time, the Iron Hands have moved away from the

standard Codex doctrine and now have more in common with the native clans

that they recruit from. Instead of the normal Codex organization, the Iron Hands

are organized into clan companies.

An Iron Hands army may not select Chaplains, but may select Iron-

Fathers (see below).

As a precaution against weakness and corruption, detachments are often

led by two officers. Armies of 1000 points or more must include two

HQ selections.

The Iron Hands have far more Techmarines than normal for a Space

Marine Chapter. You may take up to three Techmarines for each Elite

selection in your army.

Since each Clan Company determines its own hierarchy, you may

select a Command Squad for any HQ (including Venerable

Dreadnoughts) – not just Captains.

An army using these rules still uses the Iron Hands Chapter Tactics.

Refractor Field Any Dreadnought, Venerable

Dreadnought or Ironclad

Dreadnought may be equipped

with a refractor field that provides

a 5+ invulnerable save for +20

points.

Master-Crafting Any Dreadnought, Venerable

Dreadnought or Ironclad

Dreadnought may master-craft its

close combat weapon(s) for +5

points. This includes seismic

hammers and chainfists.

Orbital Bombardment Any Venerable Dreadnought may

select Orbital Bombardment for

+25 points (see page 52 of Codex:

Space Marines for details).

Thunder Hammer Any Sergeant may replace his

bolter and/or his bolt pistol with a

thunder hammer for +30 points.

Digital Weapons Any Techmarine or Sergeant may

be equipped with digital weapons

for +10 points.

Auxiliary Grenade Launcher Any Iron-Father, Techmarine or

Master of the Forge may select an

auxiliary grenade launcher for

+15 points.

Power of the Machine Spirit Any Iron Hands Predator may

benefit from the Power of the

Machine Spirit special rule for

+25 points (see page 81 of Codex:

Space Marines for details).

Conversion Beamer

Any Iron Hands Techmarine may

replace his servo-harness and

bolter with a conversion beamer

for +20 points.

66

New Units

IRON-FATHER

The Iron Hands differ from other Chapters in the complete lack of Chaplains. They have been replaced in part by the Iron-

Fathers, who combine some of the attributes of a Chaplain with those of an elite Techmarine. They exhort against the dangers

of weakness and corruption, fuelling their battle-brothers' hatred and directing it against the enemy. Like all Techmarines,

Iron-Fathers are trained in the secrets of the mechanical on Mars and pay homage to the Machine God. Because of this, the

Ecclesiarchy refuses to gift the Iron-Fathers with the Rosarius. Instead, the Iron-Fathers are provided with the Mechanicus

Protectiva – a powerful

artefact from the Cult

Mechanicus. The Iron-

Fathers are also masters

in bionic enhancement,

and without them it

would be impossible to

perform the routine

bionic upgrades that are a

hallmark of this Chapter,

or even to maintain them.

Iron-Fathers lead by

example and will be

found at the forefront of

any fighting. Like the

Chaplains of other

Chapters, they are among

the most skilled of

warriors. For this reason,

it is not unusual for an

Iron-Father to be accompanied by a bodyguard of Combat Servitors mono-tasked with his protection.

Options:

May replace his power weapon with a thunder hammer or relic blade for +15 points

May replace his bolter or bolt pistol with

o a storm bolter for +3 points

o a combi-flamer, -melta, or -plasma for +10 points

o a plasma pistol for +15 points.

May take digital weapons for +10 points

May take 0-4 Combat Servitors at +10 points each

May take up to 4 Combat Servitors for +10 points each

The Iron-Father is an HQ selection.

Mechanicus Protectiva: This gift from the Adeptus Mechanicus provides the Iron-Father with a 4+ invulnerable save.

Blessing of the Omnissiah: The Iron-Father benefits from the Blessing of the Omnissiah special rules, except that he needs a

6+ instead of a 5+ to make a successful repair (see Codex: Space Marines for details).

Liturgies of Iron: The Iron-Father benefits from the Liturgies of Battle special rule (see Codex: Space Marines for details).

Dedicated Transport: The Iron-Father may select a Rhino, Razorback or Drop Pod as a dedicated Transport.

Servitors: Any unit of Servitors joined by an Iron-Father does not have to test for Mind lock (see Codex: Space Marines for

details).

Combat Servitors: An Iron-Father may select up to four Combat Servitors as a retinue, and these Combat Servitors do not

Iron-Father WS BS S T W I A Ld Sv

100 points 5 4 4 4 2 4 2 10 3+

Combat Servitor WS BS S T W I A Ld Sv 10 points each 4 3 3 4 1 3 1 8 4+

Unit Composition: • 1 Iron-Father • 0-4 Combat Servitors Unit Type:

• Infantry

Wargear: • Power armor • Mechanicus Protectiva • Servo-arm • Power weapon

• Bolter or bolt pistol • Frag and krak

grenades


No Fear • Independent

Character

• Liturgies of Iron Blessings of the

Omnissiah • Combat Tactics • Chapter Tactics

67

prevent him from joining other units. Each Servitor takes up one space in a transport and is armed with close combat implants

(counts as a power weapon). If the Iron-Father is killed, then his Combat Servitors will deactivate and are also removed from

play.

Designer’s Notes

When Anthony Reynolds wrote the original Index Astartes article on the Iron Hands a decade ago, he captured the

imaginations of many Warhammer 40,000 players the world over.

This article was among the best ever written and inspired me (like

so many others) to build and play Iron Hands armies ever since.

Today, players still flock to the banner of the Iron Hands and many

of these players wish to recapture the character that Mr. Reynolds

established for the Chapter two editions ago. These alternate rules

are the final product of the passions and efforts of those fans.

Throughout the entire project, we tried to remain as faithful to the

background material as possible. This was not an easy task, given

that a lot of conflicting information has been published since the

original article. To give credit where credit is due, we used names

from many of these sources for the special characters in this project.

This seemed a fitting salute and tribute to the writers who helped

give the Iron Hands the depth and character that they enjoy today.

You will notice that these rules are in two distinct parts. The first

half of these rules is designed to function within the limitations of

the Space Marine codex in much the same manner as for other

Chapters – i.e. special characters and Chapter Tactics. Although

there are limitations, much of the character that the Iron Hands had

in 3rd edition can be represented with the special characters alone.

The rules provided in the first section also make it possible to field

the Iron Hands as a largely Codex force – since more recent material

seems to imply that this Chapter is now more Codex in organization

than in previous editions. So players wishing to represent an Iron

Hands army including Terminator Squads (for example) may do so

if desired. The second section or optional rules are provided to

represent the more divergent and unique character that the Iron

Hands enjoyed in the original Index Astartes article. The Iron-Father

is an icon of the Iron Hands and no set of rules would be complete without him. Additional rules were also included to better

imply the close relationship that the Iron Hands have with the Adeptus Mechanicus – something that was consistently absent

in the official rules sets.

The new codices for the Space Marines, Blood Angels and Space Wolves have all introduced new and unique units for their

respective armies, so it seemed appropriate that the Iron Hands' optional rules were given similar treatment. A number of

units were discussed and developed, but only one made the final cut. Such is the price when developing unofficial rules.

Throughout this project, special attention was given to ensure that the rules remained very conservative. The reasons were

many, but the most significant reason was keeping the rules 'opponent-friendly'. Introducing unofficial rules to your friends or

to other players in pickup games can be met with some scepticism. Whenever possible, rules were 'borrowed' from other

sources – even if they were less than ideal. This way, opponents can quickly glance at the rules and have a reasonable grasp

of them before deciding whether or not to play against them. I strongly encourage using these rules – with the special

characters alone and with the optional rules also. While we cannot assure that they are perfect, we did strive to make them as

balanced as possible.

As I noted earlier, this project is the culmination of three years of effort and would not have been possible without the

contributions of many Iron Hands fans. They are too numerous to name, but they know who they are and a heartfelt thanks

goes out to all of them.

Bannus is a Moderator and Iron Hands player, who can most often be found in the Index Astartes sub-forum.

Iron Hand by madscuzzy

68

CHAPTER NAME………………. STEEL

DOGS

FOUNDING……………………… 8TH

CHAPTER WORLD………….. KELL

FORTRESS MONASTERY......... CAVES OF

CANEM

GENE SEED (PREDECESSOR). IMPERIAL

FISTS

KNOWN DESCENDANTS……... NONE

We are the Emperor’s hounds, to lie at the

Emperor’s feet – Commander Simeon Ward, On

Fealty

We are the Emperor’s hounds, to lie at the Emperor’s feet – Commander Simeon Ward, On Fealty

The Steel Dogs were created in the

Eighth Founding to serve as part of the

Astartes Praeses on the northern border

of the Eye of Terror. Greatly honoured

by such an important responsibility, the

fledgling Chapter took their duties as a

sacred charge from the Emperor. They

saw their mission and even their home

world as sanctified by Him on Earth –

the Emperor had shown them the way

and given them the tools to carry out

His word, and they worked ceaselessly

to be worthy of such an honour. Over

the centuries and millennia following

the Chapter's founding, reports

returned to Terra of pirate bands

hunted down, heretical covens rooted

out, and Chaos raids driven off in

ferocious space battles. On dozens of

worlds, the Steel Dogs died so that the

people of the Imperium might live in

safety, each of them thanking the

Emperor for the opportunity to fall in

His service and that of humanity. They

dedicated themselves to serving the

Imperium and its people, and their

dedication was rewarded with victories

and accolades.

The Chapter's home world of Kell was

their particular pride. Though many

Chapters would have remade the world

in their own image, the Steel Dogs

recognized that the planet had endured

the corrupting forces of Chaos for

millennia without ill effect. Any world

which could do so when the Eye of

Terror loomed in its sky should not be

meddled with. Indeed, being entrusted

with such a prize was an honour to the

Chapter as much as to the planet. The

Steel Dogs thus trusted that the

Emperor's benevolence would guide

Kell, as in the centuries before they

arrived. They founded their Fortress-

Monastery in tunnels on Kell's moon,

Avren, and interacted with the planet

only in emergencies or when

recruiting.

The Astartes Praeses are the watchmen

on the walls of the Imperium, and the

Steel Dogs were ever-conscious of the

responsibilities of their position. Other

Chapters have the freedom to pursue

glory, to seek out enemies, and to

embrace the challenge of the fight, but

the Astartes Praeses have no such

luxury – at least, not in the minds of

the Steel Dogs. The proper place of a

Steel Dog was to die defending the

Imperium from those who would do it

harm, not to win glory and honour and

a place in history. This belief was

reflected in the Chapter's recruitment,

and where other Chapters took the

greatest warriors from their home

worlds, the Steel Dogs took those

whose strength lay in their humility

and dedication to duty.

While these policies served the Chapter

well for many centuries, the Steel Dogs

eventually noticed that their

recruitment intake was declining.

Where once they might have taken a

hundred aspirants, they would now

take fifty – and those numbers were

sinking ever lower. It soon became

clear that while the recruits were as

physically strong and capable as

before, their spiritual strength was

lacking. The tests of character and

morality which ensured that only the

The

Nemean

Campaign

The Steel

Dogs

by

Octavulg

69

worthy and the pure became Space

Marines of the Emperor were as

effective as ever – it was the people

who had changed. These weaknesses

did not stem from the tendrils of Chaos

– the people of Kell had not abandoned

the Emperor. The population had

simply turned away from the self-

sacrifice, humility, and strength of

spirit the Chapter demanded. Boys

longed to be Space Marines so that

they could earn glory and be mighty

warriors, not so they could serve the

Emperor and protect Mankind. They

wished to be masters, not servants.

The Chapter was disturbed by this. The

people of Kell had seemingly

abandoned the Emperor-sanctified

ideals by which the Chapter lived.

Debate raged over what to do. To

intervene in the lives of the population

was unthinkable – morality imposed

would be no morality at all. It was

impossible to abandon their home

world for another – it would be a stain

on their honour, a violation of the duty

with which the Emperor had charged

them. To reward weakness by taking

those not worthy of being Space

Marines would be an even greater

stain. But something had to be done.

With heavy hearts, the Steel Dogs

resolved that if the weakness of the

people was all there was, then that was

what they would use.

In the Chapter's next recruitment cycle

things were different. The tests of

morality and purity were gone. All

those who were strong enough, quick

enough and deadly enough were

welcomed into the Scout Company.

The Chapter took more recruits in one

cycle than they had in the previous

three. The successful aspirants were

rewarded with feasts and celebration

lasting almost a month, before

beginning the process of becoming a

Space Marine.

A full five years later, the Tenth

Company’s Strike Cruiser slipped into

orbit above a small, feudal world

whose name has since been lost to

time. Battle-hardened, the Scouts

aboard were now stronger, faster, and

more deadly than any normal man.

They were proud of the victories they

had won, and confident of their

strength as only the young can be. That

evening, the Captain of the Tenth

assembled them in the hold of their

Strike Cruiser, where he exhorted them

with tales of their victories and told

them of the glories that awaited them

as the Emperor’s finest. He

told them of the importance of

the Adeptus Astartes to the

Imperium, of their superiority

to the mortal defenders of

humanity. He spoke of the

Great Crusade, when Marines

had lead, and mortals had

followed. And when their

souls were full of pride, he

told them that as a sign of the

Emperor’s trust in them, the

planet below would be theirs

for the next month, for it had

been lax in its service to the

Imperium. It was up to the

new Steel Dogs to return the

population to the path of

righteousness, using whatever

methods they thought fit. The

Scouts would receive the final

surgeries to activate their

Black Carapaces over the next

three days, and on the fourth

day they would descend to the

world below to show the

people what it meant to be a

Space Marine.

That night, as each Marine lay

on the cold tables of the ship’s

Apothecarion, he dreamed.

Guided by the gentle psychic

touch of Chapter Librarians,

each Scout dreamed of his life

as a Space Marine. Some

Steel Dogs – Greyall

70

dreamed of training and meditation,

some of honour and the accumulation

of glory, and all too many of violence

and dominion by force. Only a few

dreamed of service and dying in the

defence of Man those who cannot

defend themselves.

When the new Space Marines woke

from their surgeries, they were

irrevocably divided into two groups.

Those few who dreamed of defending

the people rose as normal Space

Marines, the Angels of Death who are

humanity's most capable guardians.

Many were not so blessed. They found

that their will was no longer their own

– arcane devices buried within their

skulls and the strictest of chemical

conditioning now kept them firmly

under the control of their officers. For

their sins, they were to be condemned

to an eternity trapped within their own

minds, released only to fight the

enemies of the Imperium. They would

never ascend the ranks, only serve and

die for the Chapter and Mankind,

faceless giants in power armour bound

to the will of their commanders. Such

was the punishment for those who

sought power for themselves, and not

for the service of the Emperor and his

people. Such is the punishment today.

Organisation

A true son of the Emperor does not

need to be told to do what is right – he

knows. And those who do not must be

punished for their ignorance.

–Captain Thaddeus Fetladral

Though the Steel Dogs' new

recruitment methods granted them an

influx of new soldiers, it required

adjustments in their methods.

Originally, the Chapter favoured

relatively subtle battle plans, relying on

deception, surprise and any manner of

other dishonourable tactics to counter

the often superior numbers of Chaotic

forces. The Steel Dogs were less

concerned with immediate glory than

with the greater duty of defending the

Imperium and containing the forces of

Chaos within the Eye of Terror.

The damnati, as those who fail the final

test are known, are mistrusted and

viewed with contempt.

Since they are not

promoted (or even seen

as competent by some

commanders), the

Chapter thus has a

correspondingly smaller

pool from which to

draw its specialists and

officers. The Steel Dogs

have modified their

tactics to compensate.

The Chapter's battle

plans still use their

original tactics where

possible, but they are

often forced to rely on

the massed infantry of

the damnati and use

subtler stratagems to

that hammer blow.

Methods of utilising the

damnati on the

battlefield often bear a

marked resemblance to

the older combat styles

of the Space Marine

Legions, some of which

are still preserved

within the Codex

Astartes. Where modern

Marines rely on

extremes of skill and

precision, the ancient

Legions relied as much

on weight of numbers

and overwhelming

firepower. It is these

tactics the Steel Dogs

have been forced to

embrace.

Supplementing direct

confrontation with their

subtler strategies has

allowed the Steel Dogs

to continue to engage

larger Traitor

formations, but the

Battle Companies are almost

constantly reinforced by elements from

the Reserve Companies in order to

provide the necessary numbers to

support such frontal engagements. This

has spread the Chapter thin across their

areas of responsibility, and they now

endure a frenetic pace attempting to

deal with the increasing number of

threats with correspondingly reduced

resources.

Meanwhile, the command staff of the

Steel Dogs has become relatively

inexperienced due to the smaller cadre

from which they can be drawn. The

Chapter does its best to ensure that all

Captain Esca Blackblood is unique among the Steel

Dogs. As leader of the Second Company, his service

has been exemplary. But it is his origin that makes

him singular – Esca is the only officer in the Chapter

who failed the test of morals at the end of his tenure

as a Scout.

For seven years, Esca served as a damnati in Josen’s

Squad of the Second Company. When holding an

isolated village outpost during the campaign on

Garibaldi’s World Sergeant Josen and his deputy,

Brother Shepherd, were both killed by Eldar raiders.

Conventional wisdom in the Chapter would have it

that a squad of damnati left leaderless should be

forced to follow their last orders until finally relieved

– Josen’s Squad should have been annihilated.

Instead, Esca took command. Seizing his dead

Sergeant’s comm array, Blackblood coordinated the

defines of the village and its people, then lead a

counterstrike against the raider base in the nearby

wastelands. Though many of the Eldar escaped into

the Webway, the destruction of the Webway gate left

Garibaldi’s World safe from the Eldar, and

concluded the campaign successfully.

Victory was sweet, but the dilemma of the victorious

Esca Blackblood was a difficult one for the Chapter.

Though skill at arms is no sign of the moral capacity

to be a true servant of the Emperor, Blackblood had

gone out of his way to ensure that the village under

his squad’s protection was exposed to as little danger

as possible. Furthermore, it became evident upon

inspection that his various control implants had all

become almost completely non-functional. Esca had

done what his duty to the Emperor demanded without

compulsion.

In light of these circumstances, Esca was reluctantly

confirmed as a sergeant. Despite the nervous view

taken of him by the Chapter command staff, casualties

among his superiors and skill at command saw the

young sergeant rise to captain soon enough.

Blackblood’s skill and frequently demonstrated

dedication to the good of the Imperium have caused

some in the Chapter to whisper concerns that the

Chapter’s methods of selection may be prone to error.

However, none have yet dared to air these concerns

publicly. In the mean time, the Second Company and

its captain serve the Emperor with strength and purity

equal to that of any other company of the Steel Dogs.

71

The Steel Dogs enter the Bunker – slaine69

72

receive superlative instruction to

compensate for this, and much of that

education involves the specialized art

of commanding the damnati. One of

the first things Steel Dog officers learn

is how to phrase orders so the damnati

do what the officer intends – and,

perhaps more importantly, so they do

not do what the officer does not intend.

There have been several occasions in

the Chapter’s history where poorly

phrased orders have granted the

damnati license to turn their weapons

on their officers – and the damnati

have done so.

The presence of the damnati has also

provoked several formal organisational

changes from the Chapter's prior

methods. First, the damnati are not

granted the formal rank of Brother –

instead, they are simply Marines, and

are only addressed as such. Second, the

Chapter's First Company now serves as

Field Police, with a squad seconded to

each Captain of the Chapter at all

times. They serve as bodyguards,

watch over the damnati and provide

each Company with a contingent of

reliable and capable soldiers to execute

difficult missions. This has resulted in

the First Company no longer fighting

as a cohesive formation – its banner

has hung furled in the Fortress-

Monastery for centuries, and its

various ceremonial posts are rarely

filled.

Second, the Chapter's Scout Company

remains quite separate from the Battle

Companies. Scouts do not speak to full

Marines other than their officers, and

the company rarely deploys alongside

other Chapter forces. This is intended

to keep the Scouts from becoming

aware of the moral test which lies

ahead of them, and so far has proved

successful. Instead of supporting other

companies, the Scouts serve to deal

with situations that are not worth the

commitment of full Marines, deploying

in a fashion and circumstances similar

to that of the regular companies. Where

other Scout companies receive

intensive instruction in the morals of

their Chapter, the Steel Dogs prefer to

have the Scout Company officers lead

by example – a recruit should not need

to be told what is right.

Finally, the Chapter's rank structure

now includes several deputies and

redundancies, such as the resurrection

of the position of Lieutenant, which

attempts to alleviate some of the

difficulties inherent in the Chapter's

officers' relative lack of experience.

The Chapter's Cult has evolved greatly

over time. Initially dedicated to the

Emperor as creator of the Imperium

and of the Space Marines, the ever-

present threat of Chaos has clarified in

the Chapter's mind the perfection of

what the Emperor wrought. Equally,

the tendrils of the Great Enemy have

warned the Chapter of the dangers of

even seemingly-innocent changes to

doctrine. Within a few centuries of

their founding, the Chapter had

become firmly convinced of two things

– the perfection of the Emperor and

that which He had sanctified with His

approval, and the danger of change,

which all too often serves as first

innocuous entrance of Chaos. Many

Dornian successors are conservative by

nature, and many fervent in their

devotion to the Emperor, but the Steel

Dogs have become unusually so,

especially as the lights of the Imperium

grow ever dimmer and more twisted

dark forces spill forth from the Eye of

Terror.

The damnati have, if anything, driven

the Chapter further in this direction, as

the changes they force triggers an

instinctive defines of the Chapter's

other doctrines. Some Imperial

observers have expressed surprise that

the Chapter chose to create the damnati

rather than die with honour, but this

overlooks the third principle which

drives the Steel Dogs – their dedication

to their duty as part of the Astartes

Praeses. The Chapter sees that duty as

a personal charge from the Emperor,

and as time has gone by and their

fervency grown, so has their

willingness to do anything, sacrifice

anything, destroy anything, so long as

their duty is fulfilled and the Imperium

kept safe. The damnati do not represent

an abandonment of the Chapter's

beliefs – only demonstrate the extent to

which the Chapter will compromise

those things they hold dear to protect

that which is even more important.

SELECTED BATTLES "My strength is as the strength of ten,

for my heart is pure. My strength is as

the strength of a hundred, because they

did not see me coming. It is better to

sacrifice personal honour and win,

than sacrifice the honour of the

Chapter by losing."

– Captain Esca Blackblood

The Etherway Engagement

[274.M37]

The Dark Eldar are one of the most

vicious enemies humanity has ever

faced. Though others match them for

capability, few match them for sadism.

When their presence was reported in

the Arc-Royal system but no raiding

took place upon the system's planets,

the Steel Dogs' Fourth Company was

sent to investigate. Though it took

several weeks, eventually a Chapter

scout ship discovered what had drawn

the Dark Eldar forces to the area.

The system's cometary cloud held a

Dark Age of Technology colony ship,

the Etherway, almost impenetrably

armoured and still inhabited. Even

barely functional, these ships are still

valued prizes for the Adeptus

Mechanicus, and their inhabitants often

make excellent recruits for the Imperial

Guard, Marine Chapters, or, if nothing

else, the ranks of a local Forge World's

servitors. The Dark Eldar were still

searching for a way in when the Steel

Dogs came upon them. Though the

Chapter managed to drive off the

raider's ships, many Dark Eldar

remained on the hull of the massive

vessel.

The Chapter was not yet experienced

in the use of the damnati, and so the

operation's commander ordered his

Marines into a prolonged hunt across

the surface of the structure. Its baroque

design and the lack of gravity made the

preternaturally quick and subtle Dark

Eldar even more dangerous than usual.

Though the damnati served the Chapter

well in the battle across the Etherway's

surface, standing firm where even

other Space Marines might have

hesitated, their tenacity was tempered

by inflexibility. The damnati could

beat the Dark Eldar – until their

73

officers fell, when they would be

surrounded, outmaneuvered, and

destroyed.

Eventually, they were ordered to open

areas on the Etherway's hull. The

Strike Cruisers then raked remainder of

the colony ship's surface with their

point defence systems. Though not

dangerous to full warships, these

weapons were more than sufficient to

eliminate the remaining Dark Eldar.

Though the Dark Eldar were

annihilated, many of the damnati and

their officers lay dead. The Chapter's

high command took stock of this, and

the Steel Dogs' tactical principles were

revised, trying to balance the need to

face dangerous and subtle enemies

with the inflexibility of the damnati. In

many ways, each battle the Chapter has

faced since has reflected this – where

the commander finds this balance, the

Steel Dogs triumph. Where he fails, so

do they.

The Battle of Thrycross [698.M38]

Triumphs are rare in the histories of the

Astartes Praeses. Far more common

are pyrrhic victories, desperate last

stands, and the crushing of rebellions

which flare up again as soon as the

Space Marines have departed. Though

it is the Black Crusades which

draw the attention of Imperial

historians and responses from

across the Imperium, the raids

and isolated attempts at

conquest of various Chaos

warbands are a constant thorn

in the side of the Imperial

forces that defend the Eye of

Terror. One of these conquest

attempts involved the warband

of Khulloth Von Strang, a

Slaaneshi prince who had

marauded, debauched and

depopulated his way through

half the outer worlds of the

Thrycross system before the

Steel Dogs' Fifth Company

arrived.

The two forces met in battle

on Thrycross itself, a maze of

chasms and caverns, and a

running battle raged through

them. The Fifth Company had

begun the battle under-

strength and without their

usual supporting elements,

and the deceptive wiles of the

Slaaneshi adherents proved

capable of overcoming even

the powerful conditioning of

the damnati. A handful even

attempted to turn their

weapons on their officers,

though most simply collapsed

into catatonia or robotically

followed their last orders.

Still, the confusion this

engendered in the ranks

proved fatal to the

coordination of the various

elements of the Steel Dogs’

assault. Though they dealt

fearsome casualties to the

Chaotic warband, they were

driven back toward Thycross'

Esca Blackblood – slaine69

74

capital.

Finally, Lieutenant Takeshi St. Veir,

the senior surviving officer, ordered

the remainder of the company to retreat

to the capital, remaining behind to

challenge the members of the warband

to single combat in a large canyon.

The Lieutenant was slightly surprised

when six of the Chaotic champions

accepted his challenge. Though he

defeated the first three, the poison of

their weapons slowly broke his

strength, and the blade of the fourth

separated his head from his shoulders.

However, even before his lifeless body

had slumped into the dust, the walls of

the canyon erupted in fire and smoke,

and avalanches buried all but a few

members of the warband. The

remainder of the PDF had planted

charges throughout the canyon while

the Steel Dogs fought the warband, and

the death of St. Veir triggered them,

annihilating Von Strang's forces –

including Von Strang himself. The

surviving Chaotic warriors were easy

pickings for the PDF and the remainder

of the Fifth Company. Though it cost

them greatly, the Steel Dogs had

discharged their duty.

The Battle of Port David [143.M40]

The world of Port David lies near the

edge of the Eye of Terror, and assaults

upon it were frequent. When the Steel

Dogs' Third Company responded to a

distress call from Port David, they

were expecting something unusual, as

Chaos so often provides, and they were

not disappointed.

Most assaults on Port David came from

offworld, but the most recent assault

had been coupled with several of the

planet's nation-states siding with

Chaos. While some strife between the

various constituent nations of the

planet was not uncommon, this was

unprecedented. Equally odd were the

tactics and methods of their opponent –

Grand Captain Inquis Longtooth, who

led a force of surprisingly well-trained

and equipped Beastmen reinforced by

elite Chaos Space Marines.

The battles at Port David were studied

by the Chapter for a thousand years

afterward. Captain Phelan Aeacid of

the Third was perhaps the brightest

tactical mind the Chapter had seen, and

Longtooth a canny opponent.

Longtooth’s forces outnumbered the

Marines by hundreds to one, and

massed ground attacks should have

been suicidal. But Aeacid moved his

forces as though they were ghosts,

using his air superiority to move his

troops from deployment to

deployment, always striking where the

enemy was weakest. Enemy

maneuvering encountered minefields

and booby-traps. Small squads

mimicked conventional Space Marine

tactics while larger forces massed

elsewhere. If the enemy was foolish

enough to respond, the massed force

struck the remaining enemy troops and

broke them. Though not as flexible as

other marines, the superior forces the

Steel Dogs could bring to bear meant

that wherever they struck they were

victorious.

Longtooth’s forces bled, but so did

Aeacid’s. Each battle cost soldiers that

could not be replaced, and the Port

David PDF was virtually useless,

fractured with suspicion and mistrust in

the wake of the initial uprisings.

Indeed, Imperial analysts have since

questioned whether Chaos corruption

was not responsible for much of this

intransigence. Regardless of its cause,

the result was that the Steel Dogs were

poorly supported against a much larger

force, whose numbers seemed to be

eternally swelled by traitorous locals

eager to win plunder.

Though they managed to drive

Longtooth's forces back into their

friendly cities, Aeacid decided that the

only solution to their dilemma was to

strike those enemy cities that lacked

effective garrisons, in hopes of

sparking rebellion and discord within

the enemy's ranks, and (if nothing else

could be done) depriving the enemy of

their base of support by destroying city

infrastructure and forcing Longtooth to

either lose support or dedicate

resources to maintaining them. In the

confusion that would result, the Steel

Dogs might be able to get the upper

hand. Likewise, a strike against their

former allies would revitalize the PDF.

Unfortunately, things proceeded badly.

Aeacid was killed by a sniper almost

immediately upon entering the city.

Most of the PDF was slaughtered, and

those who were not either surrendered

or switched sides. The remaining Steel

Dogs quickly realized that the situation

was untenable, and withdrew, but

several squads of damnati were left

behind in the city. Local intelligence

sources later reported seeing two of

those same damnati serving as

lieutenants in Longtooth's forces.

Though the Third Company did its best

to salvage the situation, all but one of

the cities surrendered to Longtooth,

most without even a token fight. The

Third oversaw the evacuation of the

last city's population off planet, then

withdrew themselves, leaving Port

David in the hands of Longtooth and

Chaos.

75

Step 1

The model is primed with Krylon Grey Primer. This is

then followed with a dusting of GW Skull White Primer.

The model is basecoated with a 50/50 mix of GW Catachan Green and GW Fortress Grey.

Step 2

Progress amounts of GW Skull White are added to my GW Catachan Green/GW Fortress Grey mix to highlight the model (I

went up 3 steps on this model).

Once the highlights were dry, I then mixed a 50//25/25 mix of GW Devlan Mud, GW Catachan Green and GW Fortress Grey,

and diluted this as a wash to shade in the crevices/cracks and where armour plates met.

How to Paint Steel

Dogs

by DV8

Step 1

Step 2

76

Step 3

The grey shoulder pads and elbow guards are basecoated with GW Codex Grey. This is then highlighted with GW Fortress

Grey and given a wash of GW Devlan Mud.

Step 4

Basecoat the joints, chest eagles, and any other silver areas with GW Boltgun Metal. This is then highlighted with Vallejo Air

Chrome. The pouches and the purity seal are basecoated with P3 Beast Hide. The base is painted with GW Scorched Brown.

The pouches, purity seal, and any metallic areas are then given a wash of Badab Black.

Step 3

Step 4

77

Step 5

The purity seal and pouches are touched up with P3 Beast Hide. The purity seal wax is basecoated with GW Dark Flesh and

then given a highlight of GW Blood Red.

The base is given a drybrush of GW Snakebite Leather, followed by a drybrush of 50/50 GW Snakebite Leather and GW

Bleached Bone. The edge is painted with GW Chaos Black.

The Boltgun is glued onto the model, and any black areas are given a thin edge highlight with GW Codex Grey.

Step 6

The helmet lenses are painted with GW Chaos Black. This is then basecoated with Dark Flesh and highlighted with Blood

Red and Blazing Orange.

Step 5

Step 6

78

Step 7

The purity seal is highlighted up with GW Bleached Bone, and then GW Skull White. This is followed with a GW Devlan

Mud wash. Thin lines to represent script are then painted on with a 50/50 mix of GW Scorched Brown and GW Dark Flesh.

Step 8

Voila! A completed Steel Dogs Space Marine.

DV8’s impressive miniatures and drawings can be found all across the Bolter and Chainsword. His homepage can be found

at www.spacewithinspace.net, and he can be found in the Space Wolves forum (among many other places).

Step 7

Step 8 Step 8

http://www.spacewithinspace.net/

79

CHAPTER NAME………………. HERALDS

OF LIGHT

FOUNDING……………………… 8TH

CHAPTER WORLD………….. LUXIA

FORTRESS MONASTERY......... THE

WATCH

TOWER

GENE SEED (PREDECESSOR). IMPERIAL

FISTS

KNOWN DESCENDANTS……... NONE

We are the Emperor’s hounds, to lie at the

Emperor’s feet – Commander Simeon Ward, On

Fealty

'We fight the battles others cannot win, we suffer the pain others cannot endure, we face the horrors

others cannot withstand.

For we are Astartes; this is our duty and we embrace it. – Reclusiarch Sacrifice

On the first day of the thirty-second

millennium, the historic Third

Founding was initiated. The Heresy

was over, but the Imperium was still

struggling, as Abaddon the Despoiler

had recently launched his first Black

Crusade from the Eye of Terror. And

so for the first time in history, the High

Lords of Terra decreed the founding of

completely new Chapters, created with

the genetic material of the old Legions.

At least one of these Chapters was to

be drafted into the Astartes Praeses,

tasked with reinforcing Imperial

control in the troubled space of

Segmentum Obscurus and protecting

the Imperium from further chaos

invasions from the Eye of Terror.

Chosen because of his Legion's

unflinching bravery during the defence

of Terra and to honour the supreme

sacrifice he made for the Imperium, the

Chapter was formed from the gene-

seed of Rogal Dorn's Imperial Fists.

A small cadre of veterans and

specialists from the Imperial Fists were

given the responsibility of training and

leadership, and quickly began

moulding the first young members of

the Chapter into the ultimate defenders

of humanity. They were named the

Heralds of Light, for they would bring

the Emperor's illumination to the

darkest corners of the galaxy. Gifted

with the mighty Battle Barge

Imperatorae Tonitrus and several

Strike Cruisers from the forges of

Mars, the Heralds set sail towards the

Segmentum Obscurus, slaying

countless foes on their way. After two

centuries, their initial crusade came to

an end with the First Defence of Luxia.

This battle saw the entire Chapter

deployed on and above Luxia, a planet

cut off from the rest of the Imperium

during the Horus Heresy and now

under assault by a large warband of

Word Bearers. Although they took

grievous losses, the Heralds were

victorious and were recognized as

heroes and saviours by the Luxian

people. The Luxians had fought

bravely, despite their inferior

equipment, and they had been fearless

in the face of the traitors. Impressed,

the Heralds decided that Luxia would

become the Chapter's home world.

Since that time the Heralds have made

their name in the fight against Chaos,

participating in several operations

against emerging Chaos cults,

including the five year-long campaign

against the Breakers of Chains. During

the Age of Apostasy, the Heralds were

nearly wiped out fighting the traitor

hordes taking advantage of the internal

power struggle. The Chapter was

spread thin during the Gothic War

trying to contain the invading forces,

hunting down bands of Raiders who

managed to slip through the Cadian

Gate. For nearly nine millennia the

Heralds of Light have fought the

enemies of the Emperor, and Luxia has

been a bulwark in the defence of the

Imperium. Thirteen of Abaddon’s

Black Crusades have poured out from

the Eye of Terror and every time the

The

Nemean

Campaign

The

Heralds

of Light

By

Codex

Grey

80

Heralds have defiantly stood their

ground. They are as unyielding as a

lighthouse; a symbol of humanity in a

dark tempest. They have felt the full

brunt of many attacks, suffered

horrible losses and their morale has

been pushed to the limit. But the

Heralds of Light still stand guard, for

they know that they are all that stands

between the darkness of the Eye and

the billions of defenceless Imperial

citizens.

The cult of the Heralds places great

emphasis on humility, self-sacrifice,

and loyalty. They see themselves as

servants of the Emperor and therefore

protectors of humanity. All who live

under the light of the Emperor are

worthy of their protection, and the

Heralds are known for their tolerance

of both ordinary humans and even

abhumans. Unlike the majority of

Chapters, the Heralds are not

exceedingly proud or self-absorbed,

but humble and reserved. They exist to

serve mankind, not the other way

around. The Heralds value the splitting

of power in the empire as absolutely

necessary, but they also strongly

believe that if mankind is to be

victorious, the forces of the Imperium

must work together. Their humbleness

and willingness to collaborate has

earned them many allies within the

Adeptus Astartes and other Imperial

organizations.

During their existence, the Heralds

have developed a conviction that the

Emperor will one day rise from the

Golden Throne, and unite humanity

against Chaos. This is due to the

beliefs of the Luxian people, which

over the years have been absorbed by

the Heralds own belief system. Their

duty is to keep the Imperium safe, until

the Emperor returns and leads them in

a second Great Crusade. The Chapter

also venerate the Emperor not as a

God, but as the greatest man the

Galaxy has ever seen. Due to their

beliefs, the Chapter has a strained

relationship with the Ecclesiarchy. But

this is typically ignored due to their

cordial relations with other Imperial

organizations, and because of their

unquestionable loyalty to the Emperor.

The Heralds of Light bear an intense

hatred for Chaos in all its forms, and it

is abhorred for its corrupting touch.

Too often has the influence of chaos,

manipulating the minds of men, been

witnessed by the Heralds, and often is

the corruption of one man enough to

throw an entire planet in devastation.

Falling to the Dark Gods is the

greatest betrayal to the Emperor and

cannot be tolerated. The Ruinous

Powers is considered to be the

ultimate threat to the human empire,

and the Heralds show no mercy when

it comes to the annihilation of Chaos.

They have been especially vigorous

during the various Black Crusades

over the millennia, and this in turn has

earned them the hatred of many Chaos

worshippers. To them, Luxia is an

intolerable provocation, a torch

burning with the flame of the False

Emperor.

Organisation

As members of the Astartes Praeses,

the duties of the Heralds require them

to frequently fight alongside other

Imperial organizations. They have

gained a reputation for throwing

themselves into combat to support

their allies, occasionally forgoing

comprehensive planning in favour of

providing aid as fast as possible. As a

consequence, the Heralds do not

always fight on their own terms,

having participated in numerous

defensive operations as well as other

tasks that are not common for an

Adeptus Astartes Chapter. This

approach to combat has proven to be

very strenuous on the Heralds and the

number of casualties has at times been

dangerously high. The Heralds

themselves believe that it is their

responsibility as Adeptus Astartes to

fight the battles others cannot, no

matter how punishing.

Whilst they have been known for their

lack of planning, it is in the heat of

battle the Heralds have gained their

renown. The Heralds have always been

a flexible fighting force, able to

quickly react to an ever-changing

combat situation and have become

famous for their ability to adapt and

improvise. Alcaeus was a devoted

follower of the Codex Astartes and

instilled his men with the same degree

of devotion. Yet, he recognized that to

be truly flexible one has to be flexible

towards the Codex as well, a belief

which has served the Chapter well over

the years. Cooperation with allied

organizations has always been

important to the Heralds, and to

effectively work together with another

fighting force, one must be able to take

advantage of each other’s strengths.

They have therefore not specialized

themselves in a single aspect of

warfare, but strive to excel in all areas

so that they may better support their

Herald of Light – Aerion the Faithful

81

allies. Their reliability and willingness

to cooperate is viewed favourably by

both Imperial commanders and citizens

alike.

In addition to their parent Chapter's

adherence to the Codex Astartes, the

Imperial Fists reluctance to accept the

possibility of defeat has also been

inherited by the Heralds. This can

sometimes blind the Heralds to risk,

resulting in them fighting on where

other Chapters would fall back or

retreat. The Heralds themselves view it

as absolutely necessary for a servant of

the Emperor to be willing to die in

battle, and the Chaplains constantly

preach of self-sacrifice. Only by the

supreme sacrifice of some of the

greatest Imperial heroes, like Rogal

Dorn or the Emperor himself, does the

Imperium still stand. It is their resolute

nature that keeps them fighting on

where others would give up.

The Heralds are organized along the

lines the Codex sets out. Aside from

the headquarters staff and support

personnel, the Chapter is divided into

ten companies each with its own

heraldry and name, often representing

the duties of the Company Captains.

This includes the ‘Guardians of the

Flame’ of the Second and the ‘Shield

Bearers’ of the Fifth. The First is like

in most Chapters the Veteran

Company. The 'Blades of Dorn', as

they are called, are the most

experienced and skilled warriors the

Chapter has to offer. Rarely operating

as a whole company, the Blades are

typically spread throughout the

Chapter, where their wisdom can be

imparted to the more inexperienced

battle-brothers. The second through

fifth are the Battle Companies,

while the sixth through ninth are the

Reserve Companies. The Reserve

Companies are currently under-

strength due to the ravages of war,

and as the Heralds have vowed to

never leave Luxia unguarded, they

always leave at least one of these

companies on Luxia. The tenth is

the Scout Company, containing the

newly inducted recruits of the

Chapter. Like the veterans, they are

spread throughout the Chapter,

fighting alongside their older

brethren.

The Imperatorae Tonitrus is the

flagship of the Chapter’s fleet, and

has been ever since the Chapter was

created. This old and venerable

Battle Barge bears the scars of

countless battles, and it is one of

their most valued assets. It is also

the only Battle Barge they possess,

and it is only used when needed the

most. Instead, the smaller Strike

Cruisers are more frequently used

as their extra speed is preferred, and

there are as many as nine Strike

Cruisers in the Chapter’s fleet.

These vessels are largely crewed by

the naval serfs, men who are

fanatically loyal to the Chapter and

under the command of only a

handful of Adeptus Astartes these

men are more than capable of both

maintaining and defending the fleet.

Unlike many other Chapters, where

Serfs are nothing more than

servants or slaves, the Heralds

acknowledge their Serfs with

respect, and to join the Chapter as a

Serf is the greatest honour, aside

Heralds of Light Emperor’s Champion – Greyall

82

from becoming one of the Adeptus

Astartes. The Heralds have been

known to draw their Serfs from both

the people of Luxia and volunteers

from nearby systems.

SELECTED BATTLES The Flame of Hope [435.M36]

The Age of Apostasy was a time of

uproar for the Imperium, and all too

many cries for aid were lost in a chorus

of such pleas. The Governor of

Juggernauth thus counted himself

fortunate when his distress call was

answered by the Fourth Company of

the Heralds of Light, who arrived to

find Juggernauth shrouded in an

unnatural darkness which obscured

their sensor sweeps. Despite the risks

of descending blind, the Heralds

boarded their Thunderhawk gunships

and made immediate planetfall using

ancient survey maps from

Juggernauth's entry into the Imperium.

Landing at the capital, Maganlall, they

found the planet in disarray – forty

days of perpetual night had begun to

drive many of the inhabitants insane.

Some had lost faith in the Emperor and

numerous heretical cults had sprung

into existence, causing the planet to fall

into anarchy. The Heralds saw it was

up to them to restore the Emperor's

light. Chaplain Parthenius himself

ceremonially relit the holy flames in

the Temple of the Emperor as

Lightbringer in the capital using a

torch lit from a brazier in the chapel

aboard the Strike Cruiser which had

itself been lit from the Flame of the

Emperor atop the Watchtower on

Luxia.

Herald of Light – Chronophague

83

The Heralds lit their own torches from

the rekindled flames, and marched

through the streets of Maganlall

spreading the sacred flame and singing

praises to the Emperor. Those who had

fallen to the taint of heresy were

purged with sacred fire, while behind

the Space Marines an army grew.

Drawn by the light, the Imperial

faithful emerged from their refuges and

marched behind the marines,

fashioning torches of their own.

When Maganlall shone with the

Emperor's light once again, Captain

Icelus despatched these faithful

citizens as messengers, each bearing a

torch lit from the sacred flames.

Though many fell victim to renegade

militias, many more reached pro-

Imperial enclaves and over the next

three months the Heralds of Light

spearheaded a crusade which swept the

planet clean of the darkness of Chaos.

With each victory won by the crusade,

the skies above brightened, and when

the Heralds of Light departed

Juggernath had been restored to safety

and the light of the Emperor.

The Chirayathan Controversy

[546.M39]

It is unknown how long it took the

Alpha Legion to raise the Chirayath

system in revolt, but when the

Chirayans rose, they did so with a

violence that shocked all observers.

The Heralds of Light responded in

force to the uprising, committing

several companies, and battle raged

across the planets for months.

Throughout the campaign, the Heralds

of Light showed a reluctance to

cooperate that was unusual for them.

Historians have speculated that they

were concerned about possible Alpha

Legion infiltration of the loyalist

forces. Whatever the reason, the

Chapter brought its own support

forces, using Chapter serfs and Luxian

PDF in the field on several occasions.

They also relieved several officers of

the Kurapcan Hussars, and replaced

local PDF general staff with Luxian

officers on seven distinct occasions.

While the campaign was successful,

aggrieved parties within the allied

forces and the local PDF filed several

complaints with the Administratum

and the Inquisition. An investigation

was launched to determine whether the

Heralds of Light had exceeded their

mandate by making use of non-

Adeptus Astartes forces under their

direct command, and whether they had

unjustifiably interfered with the

Imperial Guard chain of command.

The investigation took five years, and

its full findings are on file at the

Library of Sycorax (section XIV sub

CLIX, volumes I to CCCLIX). Suffice

to say that it was concluded that the

Heralds of Light had not overstepped

their authority – many of the officers

relieved of command were indeed

tainted by Chaos, and on this occasion

the actions of the Heralds had averted

potential calamity. Nonetheless,

Chapter Master Quizion was invited to

discuss the findings further with select

members of the Inquisition, and it was

only through his patience and humility

that catastrophe was averted for the

Chapter.

The Massacre at Bhein Morr

[148.M41]

During the darkest years of the Gothic

War, the Heralds of Light Strike

Cruiser Beacon of Strength received a

distress signal from a deep space

trading post in the Bhein Morr sub-

sector, reporting an attack by pirates.

Upon arriving at the post the Beacon of

Strength was immediately engaged by

a cruiser-sized vessel of unknown class

and origin. By the time the Heralds

realized that the attackers were in fact

Fra’al raiders, the Fra’al vessel’s ether

cannon had crippled the Strike Cruiser.

Despite the severe damage to their

vessel and the overwhelming forces

encountered aboard the trading post,

the Heralds of Light refused to

disengage and instead fought to the last

man. The only Imperial forces to

survive were the serf crew of one

Hunter-class escort which, having

expended its full load of torpedoes,

was ordered to return news of the

incident to Luxia.

The loss of the trading post devastated

the regional economy for decades to

come, and local authorities have

expressed concern that the Fra’al may

be planning some expansion in the

region, emboldened by their successes

against the Adeptus Astartes.

84

Step 1

The model is primed with Krylon

Grey Primer. This is then followed

with a dusting of GW Skull White

Primer.

A 50/50 mix of Astronomicon Grey

and Devlan Mud is applied as a

wash (you'll probably want to dilute

heavily for this step), followed by

Badab Black in the crevices, joints,

and where armour plates meet to black line the model. Finally, the armour is feathered back up with GW Skull White.

Step 2

The kneepad and shoulder pads are basecoated with GW Chaos Black. This is then blended up with a mix of GW Charadon

Granite and a touch of Codex Grey.

How to Paint Heralds of Light

By DV8

Step 1

Step 2

85

Step 3

The joints and any silver areas are basecoated with GW Boltgun Metal. Any gold areas are basecoated with GW Iyanden

Darksun. Pouches, straps and purity seals are given a coat of P3 Beast Hide. The Purity Seal Wax is basecoated with GW

Dark Flesh.

The gold surfaces are then given another basecoat, this time with GW Burnished Gold; this is highlighted with a 50/50 mix of

GW Burnished Gold and Vallejo Air Chrome. All silver areas are given a highlight with Vallejo Air Chrome.

The purity seals, pouches, straps, and silver areas are given a wash of GW Badab Black. The gold areas are given a wash of

GW Devlan Mud. While waiting for this to dry, the base was basecoated with GW Scorched Brown.

Step 4

Touch up any messy areas

from the wash (mainly the

white armour). Any over-

paint from the metallics

(such as on the Shoulder

Pads) should be corrected.

The purity seal, gun strap,

and pouches are touched up

with P3 Beast Hide. The

purity seal wax is given a

highlight of GW Blood Red.

Any gold areas are given a

final highlight with Vallejo

Air Chrome.

With the chest area

complete, the Boltgun

(which should be painted

beforehand using the same

colour mixes for the silver

and black) is glued on. Any

black areas are given a

highlight of GW Codex Grey. The base is given a drybrush of Snakebite Leather, followed by a drybrush of 50/50 Snakebite

Leather and Bleached Bone. The edge is painted with Chaos Black.

Step 3

Step 4

86

Step 5

The purity seal was highlighted up with Bleached Bone, and then Skull White. This was followed with a Devlan Mud wash.

Thin lines to represent script were then painted on with a 50/50 mix of Scorched Brown and Dark Flesh.

Step 6

The helmet lenses are painted Chaos Black. A basecoat of P3 Trollblood Base is applied, and is highlighted up by adding

Skull White.

Step 7

To paint the "star" on the kneepad, first begin by painting two "crosses" with diluted Skull White. A large cross is painted

first, and then a smaller one at a 45 degree angle. This will form a guideline, at which point we can fill in the triangles to form

the star. Then take diluted Chaos Black to paint the circle in the centre.

Step 5

Step 6

Step 7

87

Step 8

To paint the Chapter iconography, the same kind of principle as the kneepad is applied, blocking in first the geometric shapes

and working the detail in. In this instance, the overall shape of the tower is painted first with Codex Grey. The flames are

outlined in with P3 Trollblood Base. The grey is then highlighted up to Fortress Grey, and the flames are highlighted up to

Skull White. Once these shapes are blocked in, diluted Chaos Black is then taken to touch up any overpaints or messy areas.

To define the stones, lines are painted in with Chaos Black, first horizontally to represent the layers, and then vertically to

represent the individual bricks and window.

Step 9

Voila! A completed Herald of Light Space Marine.



Step 8

Step 9


88

Origins Too much stock laid we in our past

glories; and in the end, they are but

ashes in the march of time.

- The Champion (The Lions' Fall, Act

I, Scene IV)

The Lions of Alba are a relatively

young Chapter, that contradictory

records date to both the 23rd and 24th

Founding. Successors to the gene-seed

of the noble Rogal Dorn, they made

their home in the galactic northeast, at

the edge of the region known as the

Eye of Terror.

In their youth, the Chapter spearheaded

a crusade to reclaim systems lost to

Chaos several centuries before. Amidst

these conquered worlds, they

discovered one that had refused to bow

down to its oppressors. The people of

Alba, despite possessing no technology

more sophisticated than steel blades

and stone walls, had courageously

waged a war of resistance against the

forces of Chaos, but were finally on the

verge of being wiped out. Impressed

with the tenacity of the locals, the

Marines intervened, destroying a vast

force of traitors in open battle. Days

later, after conducting the necessary

purity checks on the populace, the

Chapter declared the world as its own

through right of conquest.

Alba became the location of the

Chapter's Fortress Monastery as well

as the primary source of their recruits.

As a mark of respect to the great

bravery shown by the common people

of their new home, the Marines took

the name Lions of Alba. Over the

following centuries, Alba and its

surrounding systems prospered as

never before under the Chapter’s

watchful eye.

But all golden ages must end...

The Old Master and his Three

Captains ...And 'tis our fast intent. To shake all

cares and business from our age;

Conferring them on younger strengths,

while we, unburden'd crawl toward our

death.

- Chapter Master Leyr (The Lions' Fall,

Act I, Scene I)

By the beginning of the 40th

Millennium, the Lions of Alba had

settled into their role protecting the

outlying sectors around the northern

rim of the Eye of Terror. They had

been led for nearly five centuries by

Chapter Master Leyr, a venerable

warrior of campaigns and victories

beyond counting. Respected though he

was, Leyr had reached an age of more

than nine hundred years and had

decided that it was time for another,

more vigorous warrior to lead the

Lions into battle. On Alba, amongst the

feudal Lords that ruled over the

populace, succession had ever been a

convoluted affair, riddled with

politicking, contention and even

occasional bloodletting; and many of

these ‘traditions’ had become part of

the Chapter’s own ways.

Brother-Captain Cordell of the 2nd

Company, a proud but capable soldier,

was held by many (including himself)

as the natural and obvious choice to

succeed Leyr. However, he had spent

long years away on campaign, and in

his absence Gorinel of the 3rd

Company and Rygen of the 4th had

worked to sour the relationship

between Cordell and the elderly Leyr.

Convinced by the words of his two

subordinates, the ancient Master

declared that a Chapter Conclave

would be held to ratify his choice of

successor. On hearing of this, Cordell

The

Nemean

Campaign

Pride’s

Fall:

The Lions

of Alba

by

Members

of the

Liber

Astartes

Through the long history of the Imperium of Man there have been

those who have chosen to stand against their mastersmaster. Many are

corrupted by their own greed for power, knowledge, wealth or glory.

But most dangerous are those turned to darkness by misplaced pride

and honour. Traitors motivated by selfishness will falter to save their

contemptible lives, but those secure in their own righteousness will

fight with all the fury and resolve with which they once supported the

Emperor. Among such fallen exemplars stand the Lions of Alba.

89

returned with all speed to Alba, sure

that his time to reign had finally come.

When he arrived and discovered his

brother Captains’ scheming, the

conclave was riven by arguments and

recriminations. The entire Chapter was

divided and Leyr was once again

placed at an impasse. Finally, Rygen,

who had a reputation for cunning,

stepped forward and declared that he

would willingly share the mastery of

the Chapter with his brother Gorinel

and thus heal the schism. While

Cordell scoffed at the suggestion, Leyr

was tired and eager to find any solution

to his problem, even one that was less

than perfect. He accepted Rygen’s

proposal, quietly stating that the two

Captains would rule jointly when he

stepped down.

Cordell’s reaction was immediate and

furious. He decried Leyr’s decision as

the weakness of an old man and

demanded that the Chapter name a

single successor. Though still bowed

by age, Leyr responded angrily, his

pride enflamed by the insult his officer

had delivered. Incensed, he ordered in

a suddenly thunderous voice that if

Cordell would not respect his wishes,

the Captain and his men would be

punished, banished from Alba to

wander the stars for a hundred years.

An angry curse died on Cordell’s lips,

quashed by his master’s ire. With his

head bowed, Cordell silently left the

great hall, followed by his men and

Gorinel and Rygen’s satisfied stares.

Chapter War For the good of us all? If so, I cannot

see it.

- Brother-Captain Cordell (The Lions'

Fall, Act III, Scene II)

The 2nd Company left Alba with

heavy hearts, each one sure that they

would not see their world again for

many years. Strangely though, it would

be only a matter of weeks before they

would look upon Alba’s green fields

once again. Only seventeen days after

the conclusion of the conclave, Gorinel

and Rygen’s patience with the vagaries

of Leyr’s great age worn thin, and the

two took control of the Chapter,

forcing the venerable leader to

announce his formal

retirement. While Leyr

outwardly accepted his fate,

the canny old warrior quietly

used his influence among the

Chapter’s support staff to

have a message sent to the

2nd Company, in which he

apologized for his

foolishness in alienating

Cordell and revealed the

treachery of the other two

Captains. Cordell, ever

headstrong, set course for

Alba at once.

Even as the Strike Cruiser of

the 2nd Company raced

towards home, Leyr’s

duplicity had been

uncovered. Gorinel, enraged at his

predecessor’s betrayal and the

perceived slight against his own

honour, reacted rashly. He stormed to

Leyr’s quarters, drawing his sidearm.

With a single bolt shell, Gorinel

angrily executed the Marine who had

once been his mentor. As his rage

slowly subsided, Gorinel realized that

his impulsive action had killed all hope

of reconciliation between himself and

Cordell. On hearing of his brother’s

actions, Rygen immediately insisted

that the Chapter be mobilized for

battle, ready to face down the returning

2nd Company.

As Cordell’s Strike Cruiser arrived in

orbit above Alba, the rest of the Lions’

Fleet moved to encircle the lone vessel.

Cordell stubbornly insisted that he be

allowed to speak to Leyr, and Gorinel

and Rygen flatly refused. Prideful

words and heated recriminations were

exchanged, followed by challenges and

insults. Who among the gathered

Adeptus Astartes fired first is

unknown, but the results were

inevitable. For a matter of minutes the

skies of Alba were lit as if by a second

sun as the Chapter turned upon itself.

Though Cordell ranked among the

greatest commanders the Lions had

ever known, his fate would surely have

been sealed were it not for the

commanders of several of the

Chapter’s smaller escort vessels.

Horrified by the murder of Leyr, they

rebelliously opened a hole in the

blockade around Alba and fled with

Cordell from the ambush. Together,

they fought their way to the edge of the

system and escaped into the Warp.

Gorinel and Rygen immediately

launched a pursuit, declaring Cordell

and all his followers to be renegades. A

series of running battles followed,

burning across several systems, as the

two Masters led their forces against

Cordell’s. The war between brothers

raged for several months but eventually

played itself out to its only possible

conclusion. On Dardelio IV, Cordell

and his outnumbered forces were

cornered and butchered to the last man.

The Imperium

We have seen the worst of our time:

machinations, hollowness, treachery—

all ruinous disorders. They follow us

disquietly to our graves.

- Lord-Governor Glawster (The Lions’

Fall, Act I, Scene II)

However, the ponderous weight of the

Imperium had already begun to move.

Imperial authorities were alarmed by

the reports of what had happened at

Alba and by the violence spreading

across the sub-sector. Lord-

Commander Glawster of the Imperial

Navy, an old friend of Leyr, had

mobilized a task force to investigate

further. Even as the first salvoes were

fired at Dardelio IV, Glawster’s ships

Written by the dramatheurge Myrlow and based on

eyewitness accounts of scribes and soldiers attached

to Lord Glawster's task force, the play entitled The

Lions' Fall remains surprisingly popular among the

worlds surrounding the Alba system, and is still

performed regularly in festivals or feasts.

Despite its controversial subject matter, it has

escaped censure by local Administratum officials

and the Ecclesiarchy due to its focus on the heroism

of Captain Cordell and his doomed Company rather

than on the fall of his Chapter.

When the Lions of Alba first tried to reclaim their

planet, its forces made it a point to first visit

Myrlow's home world of Sachsen and systematically

exterminated all of the dramatheurge's descendants

and relatives for the slander done on their Chapter's

honour.

90

were quickly closing in. While Gorinel

stolidly ignored the long range hails

from the Imperial Navy as an

unwanted and unwarranted intrusion

into Chapter affairs, Cordell sent a last,

desperate message revealing what he

saw as his brothers’ treachery to their

Master, their Chapter and the

Imperium. Though Gorinel was able to

enjoy the momentary satisfaction of

seeing his former rival’s broken corpse

brought before him, his ignorant and

proud refusal to respond to Glawster

would bring ruin to his Chapter. With

no reason to believe otherwise, the

Lord-Commander accepted Cordell’s

message as genuine; and when the

ships of his Fleet arrived, it was with

shields up and weapons armed.

Even as Gorinel and his forces boarded

their vessels, the Adeptus Astartes

ships came under crippling long range

fire from the Navy Fleet. Gorinel’s

response to this new treachery was to

fight back, but Rygen insisted that the

Lions, weakened by their war against

their former brothers, must retreat.

After a moment when it seemed that

even more of the Chapter’s blood must

be spilt, Gorinel acquiesced to his

brother’s demands and the Lions

limped away, hiding themselves in a

nearby nebula. Though Glawster’s

ships could not prevent the Lions’

escape, the Lord-Commander did not

rest. Messages were sent across the

breadth of the sector, appealing for

help to hunt the traitors down.

Days later, after completing temporary

repairs to their vessels, the Lions

quietly made their way back towards

Alba, to find that their home, once a

beautiful jewel in the blackness of

space, had been reduced to nothing

more than a lifeless rock. The

interrogation of the crew of a captured

Navy patrol escort revealed that

Imperial forces, including three

companies of the Heralds of Light

Chapter, had responded to Glawster’s

warning, fallen on the Lions’ world,

killed the few impenitent defenders and

plundered the Fortress Monastery.

Before leaving orbit the Heralds had

delivered the final blow, a pair of

cyclonic torpedoes that had reduced all

living things on Alba’s surface to ash.

Broken-hearted, the Chapter lamented

the loss of its home, but there proved to

be little time for grief. The fleet’s long

range augurs picked up no less than

four separate groups of Imperial ships,

each approaching at high speed.

Gorinel and Rygen argued again as to

whether they should fight or flee, but

once more Rygen prevailed. Even the

impetuous Gorinel was forced to see

that there was no chance of victory or

revenge here. With a voice filled with

bitter hatred, Gorinel cursed the vile

Imperium and swore that to the very

last breath of the very last warrior, the

Lions would bring bloody vengeance

and damnation upon it for its

treachery. With a final howl of grief

and denied rage, he turned the

Chapter’s fleet to the only heading left

open to it – deep into the vast chaotic

realm known as the Eye of Terror.

Beliefs Wretched betrayer! Are you bored as

you sit upon your golden throne...

That you have us crushed like ants?

Do you take joy in watching your sons

weep?

- Brother-Captain Gorinel (The Lions’

Fall, Act IV, Scene III)

More than five hundred years have

passed since Alba was cleansed and

the Lions were declared renegade, yet

in some ways the Chapter has changed

very little. The Lions are still

characterised by the qualities one

would expect of Adeptus Astartes

born of the genetic lineage of Rogal

Dorn, driven by their uncompromising

sense of pride and honour, and

grounded by their stubborn

determination to endure and

persevere. Sadly, such fine qualities

have been twisted against the

Imperium. The Lions believe

themselves betrayed, turned against

Lions of Alba – nurgling6688

91

without reason by those who should

have been their staunchest allies, and

they hate the Imperium and the

Emperor with all the dedication that

their heritage gives them. This all-

consuming hate influences the

thoughts and motivations of every

member of the Chapter, each now

willing to commit all manner of

heinous actions that they would once

have considered unthinkable, if it will

bring their goal of vengeance even

one step closer.

Although the Chapter as a whole still

fervently believes in Master Gorinel’s

oath of retribution against the

Imperium, there is a growing

realization among many Marines that

such a goal will never be attained.

They know that the Chapter is already

lost and that all its actions since the

destruction of Alba are nothing more

than the death throes of a wild beast.

With every battle, they see more

brethren lost, yet the Imperium of

Man continues on unhindered. Such

hopeless warriors, often led by Master

Rygen, fight on because that is all that

is left to them. They are utterly

professional, cold where their brothers

are zealous, determined that when

their inevitable death comes they will

have taken the highest possible toll of

blood from their betrayers.

The Chapter still clings to many of its

traditions and various special days are

remembered; of particular note is the

Day of the Betrayal, commemorating

their 'exile' from Alba, and it is on this

day all battle-brothers retake their oath

to bring vengeance on the Imperium.

The Chapter has tried twice to invade

and 'reclaim' the now barren Alba

system, but has thus far been repulsed.

Combat Doctrine What you have charged me with, that

have I done; And more, much more.

- Brother-Captain Rygen (The Lions'

Fall, Act V, Scene III)

Now based on a handful of ships and

escort vessels that are all that remain of

the Chapter’s fleet, the Lions survive

by raiding systems around the borders

of the Eye of Terror. While their sense

of honour prevents them from

engaging in the wanton pillage and

slaughter of civilians so common

among renegade Adeptus Astartes,

they will attack Imperial worlds for

supplies, war material and potential

converts to their cause. Such assaults

are never hidden with subterfuge, but

are committed openly for all to see the

rightful stand taken by the defiant

Lions.

Although the Chapter are considered

traitors by the Imperium at large, they

have not succumbed to the warband

structure favoured by most renegades

and still cling tenaciously to an ad-hoc

Codex structure, adapted for their

much-reduced numbers. The Lions

maintain several Battle Companies and

although these formations are typically

far smaller than in a loyalist Chapter,

each still has a comparable proportion

of Tactical, Assault and Devastator

units. As the Chapter has lost most of

its vehicles in the years since it was

pursued from the Alba system, it has

become necessary to use non-

mechanized stratagems to accomplish

its goals. The reduction of the battle

brethren’s numbers has also forced the

Chapter to allow its sergeants a greater

level of autonomy, and missions often

have to be executed on a squad by

The agonizing fire in Brother Boras’ secondary heart had increased to an inferno. The

last blow must have cracked the Black Carapace within his chest and driven shards of it

into the flesh beneath. Given enough time, Boras could recover from even such grievous

wounds, but time he did not have. Even as the Herald of Light rose to a painful crouch,

his opponent stepped through the gaping hole in the thick plascrete wall that had been

created moments before by Boras’ heavy form being hurled through the air.

The renegade was clad in powered armour quartered in yellow and white and carried a

long, heavy blade. Though both sword and armour had seen better days, the quality of

their manufacture was clearly evident. A name was written across one shoulder, half

obscured by dirt and battle damage, but Boras could make out that it ended ‘…GEN’. The

traitor spoke softly, continuing an argument that had raged even as had their combat.

“Brother, will you not see it? He has betrayed you, just as surely as He did me.”

Boras snarled under his helmet, but could not reply for his voxcaster had been damaged.

Angrily he tore the malfunctioning armour from his head and spat scornfully on the floor

before his foe. While no acid bubbled in the liquid, thick blood reddened it.

“You are the betrayer, heretic! You turned from the light and so He turned from you!”

The renegade paused, lowering his blade, and casually reached up to remove his own

helm, hanging it carefully on his belt. Beneath it, Boras was surprised to see not a warp-

corrupted horror, but rather the face of an Astartes little different in aspect from any of

his own brethren. The traitor’s face was stern and proud, yet was marred by an air of

weary bitterness. A faint smile crossed his lips at Boras’ words.

“Indeed. Then tell me, brother, how does that explain your current predicament?”

Boras growled angrily and with the last of his strength hurled himself suddenly forward,

combat blade outstretched. Almost effortlessly, the renegade stepped aside and lashed out

with a booted foot, sending Boras tumbling excruciatingly back to the floor.

“I have no time left for this, brother,” said the traitor coldly, raising his long sword.

“Will you not renounce Him? There can be no doubt that He has betrayed you.”

Boras replied, his voice a pained whisper, “The Emperor… protects.”

The renegade stood above him, reversing his blade and raising it for the killing strike.

The last thing Boras would ever hear was the quiet reply, given in a voice tinged with a

mixture of hate, sorrow and hopelessness.

“No… he does not.”

92

squad basis.

In battle, the Lions are zealous

warriors, full of bitter pride and

determination. Marines of the Chapter

never voluntarily retreat, and while this

has occasionally snatched victory from

defeat, all too often the Chapter has

suffered instead. The Lions lack the

resources needed to maintain their

assaults and their refusal to cut and run

has often resulted in losses that they

can ill afford.

In recent years, as casualties have

mounted, the Lions have gone so far as

to make temporary alliances with other

warbands. While for the most part

these have taken the form of pacts of

non-aggression or trade, the Chapter’s

marines have actually fought beside

their renegade brethren on a handful of

occasion. The Lions view any

agreement with such contemptible

traitors as distasteful in the extreme;

but these pacts are countenanced for

the opportunities they bring to strike

against the hated Imperium.

Gene-seed It is the Emperor who weeps; he

cannot save us from ourselves.

- The Champion (The Lion's Fall, Act

IV, Scene III)

The Lions of Alba trace their

genetic lineage to the Primarch

Rogal Dorn their Apothecaries

had a reputation for fastidious

precision in the care of the

Chapter’s precious gene-seed.

Such exacting standards appear

to have been continued even

since the loss of Alba, as even

now more than five centuries

later the Lions seem largely

untroubled by the countless

deviances that plague those

Adeptus Astartes who turn from

the Emperor’s light.

This is not to say that the Lions

are entirely unaffected by the

warping properties of the

Chaotic region that they have

been forced to call home, as

some few battle brethren have

been cursed by the blighted

hand of mutation. Such changes,

be they scaled skin, weeping

sores or, in a handful of extreme

cases, additional eyes or

mouths, are viewed with utter

disgust and as a sign of deep

shame to any warrior

unfortunate enough to be so

disfigured.

While those Lions who have

been affected endure their

shame with stoic dignity, they

will at the same time attempt to

limit and conceal their corruption by

sealing themselves within their power

armour, thereby attempting to protect

their brethren from its insidious taint.

The effectiveness of such efforts is

open to speculation.

Battle-cry “For Alba! For vengeance!”

Strike Captain Lysimachus, Espada

Azul, Grey Hunter Ydalir, Ace

Debonair, and Brother-Captain Alecto

all contributed to the Lions of Alba.

Lion of Alba – Greyall

93

Step 1A

The model is primed with Krylon Grey

Primer. This is then followed with a

dusting of GW Skull White Primer.

Quartered schemes are always a little

trickier, because a precision is required

at all stages, and care must be taken that

all highlights and shadows make sense,

particularly if you have a combination

of both warm and cool colours. Here,

the Lions of Alba feature a quartered

white and mustard yellow colour scheme. Both of these colours are a little cooler so what we're going to do is first block in

our colours, and then work on the shading and highlighting.

All the yellow areas are blocked in with GW Iyanden Darksun. A 50/50 mix of GW Astronomicon Grey and GW Devlan

Mud is applied as a wash (you'll probably want to dilute heavily for this step) over both the white and yellow parts.

Step 1B

A second wash of

Charadon Granite

is applied over

both the white

and yellow parts,

focusing solely

where armour

plates meet, and

where there will

be the darkest

shadows. This

also acts are our

"Black Lining"

stage, as we can

hit up the

crevices and

joints as well.

How to Paint

Lions of Alba

by DV8

Step 1A

Step 1B

94

Step 2

The yellow armour plates are feathered with GW

Iyanden Darksun. This is then highlighted by mixing

progressively more GW Skull White into Iyanden

Darksun, with a final highlight of about 75/25 GW

SKull White to Iyanden Darksun.

The white armour plates are feathered up with GW

Skull White.

Step 2

95

Step 3

Basecoat the joints, chest

eagles, and any other silver

areas with GW Boltgun

Metal. This is then

highlighted with Vallejo

Air Chrome. The pouches

and the purity seal are

basecoated with P3 Beast

Hide. The base is painted

with GW Scorched Brown.

The pouches, purity seal,

and any metallic areas are

then given a wash of Badab

Black.

Step 4

The purity seal, gun strap,

and pouches are touched up

with P3 Beast Hide. The

purity seal wax is

basecoated with GW Dark Flesh and then given a highlight of GW Blood Red. The base is given a drybrush of GW Snakebite

Leather, followed by a drybrush of 50/50 GW Snakebite Leather and GW Bleached Bone. The edge is painted with GW

Chaos Black.

The Boltgun is glued onto the model, and any black areas are given a thin edge highlight with GW Codex Grey.

The helmet lenses are painted with GW Chaos Black. A basecoat of P3 Trollblood Base is applied, and is highlighted up by

adding GW Skull White.

Step 4

Step 3

96

Step 5

The purity seal was highlighted up with GW Bleached Bone, and then GW Skull White. This was followed with a GW

Devlan Mud wash. Thin lines to represent script were then painted on with a 50/50 mix of GW Scorched Brown and GW

Dark Flesh.

Step 6

Voila! A completed Lions of Alba Space Marine. Decals for the Lions of Alba have been created by the very talented Dracul,

and can be found (along with many other excellent decals) at the Bolter and Chainsword.



The deceit and dishonour of the Lions of Alba was an affront to the

Steel Dogs and Heralds of Light from the day the Chapter fled into the

Eye of Terror. Together, the two loyalist Chapters decided to end the

traitors' perfidy by luring the Lions into a trap on the world of Nemea

and destroying them. But nothing is ever as simple as it first seems...

DV8’s impressive miniatures and drawings can be found all across the

Bolter and Chainsword. His homepage can be found at

www.spacewithinspace.net, and he can be found in the Space Wolves

forum (among many other places).

Step 5

Step 6



97

Brother Against Brother Relationships between Space Marine

Chapters are always complicated.

Chapters from the same geneline can

nonetheless be divided by petty

resentments a thousand years gone, and

Chapters with every reason to despise

each other can be bound together by

debts and obligations just as ancient.

As members of the Astartes Praeses

and sons of Dorn, the Heralds of Light

and Steel Dogs were already closer

than most Space Marine Chapters.

Over the millennia since their

foundings, their duties had brought

them into contact on a variety of

occasions. The Steel Dogs rescued the

Heralds at the Battle of the Tiku Drift,

while the Heralds broke a blockade

around the Steel Dogs’ Outpost 241

during the infamous Ranavalona War,

(which needs no further explanation).

When Black Crusades erupted from the

Eye, both Chapters were at the

forefront of the defence. Each Chapter

admired the other’s dedication to

serving the Emperor and to putting the

needs of the Imperium before their

personal glory. The two even

cooperated on some tentative punitive

missions into the Eye in late M35,

though the Age of Apostasy brought an

end to such excursions amid the furore

of greater concerns.

Relations between the two Chapters

and the Lions of Alba were more

complicated. Though all were sons of

Dorn, the Lions’ relationship to their

heritage was different than that of the

Steel Dogs and the Heralds of Light.

Where the Dogs and Heralds embraced

Dorn’s ideals of sacrifice, throwing

themselves into the breach time and

again in order to preserve the

Imperium, the Lions inherited Dorn’s

pride and his stubbornness. Where the

Dogs and Heralds were members of the

Astartes Praeses, sworn to the

opposition of Chaos in all things, the

Lions concerned themselves with

matters involving Alba and its regions.

Though this meant they faced many of

the same enemies as their brothers, the

other two Chapters still saw themselves

as separate from (and even superior to)

the Lions of Alba, by reason of their

more ancient lineages and greater

responsibilities.

When the Lions were excommunicated

and cast from the Imperium, the

Heralds of Light were foremost among

those who drove them forth. The Steel

Dogs, while they did not take action

against the Lions, rejected requests for

aid and sanctuary as the Lions fled.

With that, dislike crystallized into

hatred on both sides. The elder

Chapters despised the Lions for

bringing disrepute on the name of

Dorn, while the Lions despised their

elders for the destruction of Alba and

their denial of aid. Over the next

centuries, as the Lions raided into the

Imperium to sustain themselves and

began to work ever more closely with

the forces of the Betrayer, this hatred

only deepened on both sides. It was

cemented at the Second Battle of Alba,

where the Lions' attempt to reclaim

their former home world was driven

back by a combined force of five

Chapters, the Heralds of Light and the

Steel Dogs among them.

Opportunity Knocks Hatred always seeks an outlet, and in

the waning years of the 41st

millennium, the Steel Dogs and

Heralds of Light agreed that the Lions

of Alba should be destroyed. Each

Chapter committed over a company of

forces to the task – the Steel Dogs

committed their Second Company,

under the newly-promoted Captain

Esca Blackblood, while the Heralds

sent their Fourth Company under

Captain Skaron Cinereal. Both

companies were reinforced by reserve

elements, producing a powerful force

more than capable of dealing with a

few companies of renegade Space

Marines. Together, the two Captains

began planning the destruction of their

enemy.

Cinereal and Blackblood did not

entirely see eye-to-eye. Where

Blackblood tempered his honour with

subterfuge and deceit, Cinereal

preferred somewhat more direct

methods, trusting to tenacity and

firepower to carry the day. Still, after

much debate, he came to recognize the

The

Nemean

Campaign

Going on a

Lion Hunt:

The

Nemean

Campaign

by Grey

Mage,

Allerka

and

Octavulg

98

wisdom of a conceiving a plan that

would lure the Lions of Alba into the

open and bring them to their

destruction. After all, even the brave

hunter must sometimes lie in wait. So

through various contacts with traders

and garrisons, rumours were spread,

creating a story which varied in the

details but that always took one

familiar shape.

The rumours told that an ancient

Heresy-era supply depot had been

found on Jamshyd's World, in the

Nemea system. Since disputes had

arisen over whether the depot should

belong to the Adeptus Mechanicus or

to the Space Marines that found it, no

action had been taken to secure it, each

side having sworn to destroy any force

that moved to do so. The Lions of

Alba, despite their isolation in the Eye

of Terror, were careful to maintain

contact with the region surrounding

their former home, and so the two

Captains were confident that they

would not have long to wait before the

Lions left their den. The Lions could

not afford to pass up an opportunity to

acquire such wealth, and the

knowledge that they would be seizing

it from under the noses of former

comrades would make it even more

tempting. The only question was when

the traitors would attack.

Execution The two Captains used the time in

which the rumour spread to prepare for

the eventual onslaught. The plan was

simple enough. A fake supply depot

would be constructed on the southern

continent of Jamshyd's World, at some

distance from the nearest population

centres. A few Chapter serfs and

servitors would give the illusion of a

mostly-abandoned dig site. The

complex, meanwhile, would be filled

with traps and secret entrances –

though it would appear defensible and

secure, it would be anything but.

With the exception of the false

complex, Jamshyd's World was a

simple agri-world, with little to tempt

invaders. That simplicity, reasoned the

Captains, would protect the planet

from any but the most minimal

depredations, and half a company of

Heralds of Light would be stationed in

the planetary capital with their

Thunderhawks in case that reasoning

was incorrect.

The Steel Dogs would conceal their

Strike Cruiser, the Catulus, on Bahram,

the first moon of the planet. The

moon's minimal gravity would not

inconvenience the great ship, but

would provide sufficient cover to

prevent detection by invaders.

Meanwhile, the Heralds of Light would

keep their Sacrifice in a far orbit

around the planet, accompanied by a

squadron of escorts from each Chapter.

Once invaders had appeared and

landed their forces on the planet, the

Sacrifice and its attendant ships, under

the command of Captain Cinereal,

would move to engage the enemy and

Boarding Action – nurgling6688

99

Mission 1: Crushing Fist

The Steel Dogs and Heralds spring the trap, dropping from orbit to rapidly encircle and eradicate their foe. Taking down a renegade

warband is never an easy task however, and the cost in lives may leave a bitter aftertaste.

Suggested Forces: 1500pts.

The Loyalist forces are sending in their finest troops to eradicate the enemy, and as such only require a single HQ for this mission and may

field up to six Elites. However, they are restricted in their heavy armour due to the quick drop and so may only use a single Heavy Support

choice. Be sure to set up a single building in the middle of a table quarter, this is the entrance to the equipment cache.

Deployment: If you have access to it, play Planetstrike scenario one with a single bastion. Otherwise, deploy as per the Spearhead rules from the core

book. The Lions will automatically receive the table quarter with the building as their deployment zone, and the loyalist forces must take

the one opposite of that. The renegades must deploy first, and the loyalists will receive first turn on a 2+. While not required, loyalist

deployment via Drop Pod assault is encouraged.

Objectives: The loyalists must kill as many traitor marines as possible, and so receive standard Kill Points for this mission. The Lions receive a single

Kill Point for each unit they have alive at the end of the battle and an additional 3 Kill Points if they have a surviving unit inside the

building.

If the Loyalists win continue on to scenario 2A, if the Renegades win continue onto scenario 2B. The victor in this scenario scores 2

Victory Points (whoever has the most victory points at the conclusion of the campaign wins).

prevent their escape, while the Catulus

dropped its forces to harry the enemy

on the surface. Once the Steel Dogs

had landed, under the command of

Captain Blackblood, the Catulus would

assist the Sacrifice in destroying any

remaining enemy ships, at which point

the task force could turn its attention to

destroying any forces on the planet.

With the details agreed upon, the two

Captains made their preparations, then

steeled themselves for a wait that

might not end for months. However,

they did not have nearly so long to

wait.

Crushing Fist When two Lions of Alba Strike

Cruisers appeared in system some four

months after the initiation of the plan,

both Captains were surprised. Even the

most audacious of the storehouse

rumours had not mentioned enough

spoils to be worth the Lions risking

such a large portion of their strength.

Still, the loyalist forces possessed a

sufficient edge in firepower to be

confident of victory. The Lions moved

in-system, stopping occasionally to

annihilate a mining station or extort

supplies from a freighter, and the Steel

Dogs and the Heralds of Light watched

them come.

When the traitors entered orbit,

however, events took another

unexpected turn. Instead of landing

only at the false supply depot, the

traitor forces had landed the majority

of their forces at another location, near

the tip of the southern continent.

Planetary surveys had shown nothing

of interest at that location, but any

delay to determine what was going on

risked the forces at the false storehouse

realizing their mistake. There was no

choice but to strike now, and determine

the enemy's reasons later. With a few

simple words from Captain Cinereal,

the two ships sprang into action.

While the Sacrifice and its squadrons

struck at the two traitor cruisers, the

Catulus launched the Second Company

toward the surface in its drop pods.

The Steel Dogs landed almost on top of

the enemy, and were swiftly locked in

deadly hand-to-hand fighting. Though

the Lions were tenacious, the Steel

Dogs had the weight of numbers and

the implacability of the damnati on

their side. The Lions retreated within

the false storehouse to lick their

wounds, and the Dogs quickly

entrenched outside the entrances.

In orbit, the Catulus and Sacrifice were

battered, but had succeeded in driving

away the enemy Strike Cruisers, now

identified as the White Lion and the

Pride of Alba away from the planet.

Unfortunately, they had been unable to

destroy either vessel, though both

escort squadrons remained unscathed.

Though the traitors had certainly had

the worst of the engagement, there was

no doubt they would return.

It did not take long before the Lions in

the false storehouse discovered the

absence of their orbital support, and it

took them even less time before they

discovered that it was empty of

valuables (later inspection revealed

that the Lions lost a full squad to the

various traps within). Grimly

determined, they charged the Steel

Dogs' entrenchments, desperate to

break out and reach their fellows

elsewhere on the continent.

Unfortunately for them, the Steel Dogs

were secure, and had been reinforced

by elements of the Heralds of Light.

When two Tactical Squads of Heralds

used secret entrances to outflank the

Lions, it only hastened the inevitable.

Of the sixty Lions who dropped to

seize the storehouse, only three

survived to be taken prisoner.

Contact What those three revealed, however,

was disturbing. The loyalists'

fabrications had, unknown to them,

contained an element of truth – there

100

Mission 2A: Breakout

The Lions, having been forced back into the false storehouse, attempt to break out and reach their fellows to the south.


The loyalists have had the opportunity to land further forces, but both sides have taken losses. Many of the elite troops are now needed for

the battle in orbit. Play this battle with normal Force Organization requirements.

Terrain: Woods, small ruins, and a broken road leading to the ancient storehouse are all great ways to reflect the rural and weathered

area this battle was fought in.

Deployment: Deploy as per the Spearhead rules. The large building from the first scenario should be placed in the Lion’s deployment zone

as close to the Lion’s corner of the field as possible. The Lions will deploy first. Either player may place up to half their forces in reserve.

Objectives: The Lions have only one objective- survival. They place one objective in the centre of the loyalist deployment zone, another in

the middle of their deployment zone and a third in the back corner of their deployment zone- which should be represented by the large

building from Scenario 1.

In addition any HQ units on the board count as objectives. If an HQ unit is still alive, it counts as held by the controlling player- if they are

slain leave them on the table to be captured as a normal objective. The player who controls the most objectives at the end of the game wins.

If the Lion player moves any of his HQs off the loyalist board edge, they count as two objectives. The victor in this scenario scores 2

Victory Points.

First Turn and Game Length: The players roll off for first turn once all units have been deployed. The game will normally last 5 turns. At

the end of turn 5 roll a d6- on a 5+ continue playing for another turn. Continue rolling at the end of each game turn until a 4 or lower is

rolled.

Special Rules:

Tactical Retreat! All non-vehicle Lion of Alba units have the hit and run special rule.

Stubborn Containment. All non-vehicle loyalist units receive the counter-attack special rule.

Mission 2B: Pursuit

The loyalists try to run down the escaping enemy before they can reach their fellows to the south.


The loyalists have had the opportunity to land further forces, but both sides have taken losses. Many of the elite troops are now needed for

the battle in orbit. Play this battle with normal Force Organization requirements.

Terrain: A broken road, hills, and sparse woods all make perfect terrain to run for your life in.

Deployment: The Lions of Alba deploy first, within 6" of the tables centre-line and at least 18" from the short table edges. The Loyalists then deploy

their forces within 9" of the long board edges. Any units unable to deploy in this area may be placed in reserves, but will come in from a

random board edge- nominate a board edge as '1' and roll a d6, moving counter clockwise for 2, 3, and 4. A result of 5 allows the unit to

come in from the board edge of the Lion player’s choice, while a 6 forces them to come in on the edge of the loyalist player’s choice.

Objectives: In this bitter fighting there can be only death. This scenario uses the kill point scenario rules. In addition any heavy support options from

the Lions of Alba count as two kill points, as do any loyalist elite units. Finally, any Lion of Alba unit that reaches the short table edge may

be removed from play, counting as 0 kill points for either side. The victor in this scenario scores 2 Campaign Victory Points.

was a lost Heresy-era depot on

Jamshyd's World, one larger than even

the rumors had suggested. The Lions

had investigated the rumours much

more thoroughly than anticipated,

using resources the prisoners refused to

divulge, and their investigations had

confirmed the presence of such a site.

The smaller force had been sent to

secure the smaller site – nearly a

hundred and fifty Lions were busy

locating and entering the much larger

site to the south.

To say that the Captains were

concerned would be an understatement.

The absurdity of the situation belied

the possible consequences of the Lions

of Alba gaining powerful weapons

from the dawn of the Imperium. The

Imperial plan had lured out the Lions

of Alba, but now it risked enriching

and empowering the traitors, rather

than destroying them. Harsh words

were exchanged before it was agreed

that, whatever the cost, the Lions could

not be allowed to flee the planet with

the ancient technologies which no

doubt lurked within the storehouse.

The Steel Dogs and Heralds quickly

boarded their Thunderhawks to make

the flight to the real storehouse. In

101

Mission 3: Meeting Engagement

The loyalists engage the forces at the real storehouse, hoping to wipe them out before they can gain entrance.


Both sides have their best and brightest forces available – each may field an additional Elites choice beyond the usual Force Organization

chart.

Terrain:

Sloping hills or a large building should occupy the centre of the Lions’ deployment zone. Other than some small ruins the loyalist

deployment zone should be fairly barren.

Deployment: Deploy both forces as for a pitched battle. Either player may place units in reserve.

Objectives: Place one objective in the middle of the Lions deployment zone. The loyalists place a single objective anywhere within their deployment

zone. The victor in this scenario scores 3 Campaign Victory Points.

First Turn and Game Length:

Roll for first turn. At the end of the fifth turn, roll a d6. On a 4+ play another turn, otherwise the game ends immediately.

Special Rules: Orbital Bombardment: The loyalist player rolls a d6 for each Lion of Alba unit on the field, on the roll of a 6 they may resolve the

following shooting attack on that unit:

S9, AP 2, Ordnance Barrage, Large Blast. This attack scatters 3d6" and even on a hit will scatter d6".

Any shots placed should be represented by a crater, treated as difficult 5+ area terrain for the rest of the game.

Mission 4: Infiltration

The Steel Dogs and Heralds of Light are attempting to infiltrate the storehouse and probe its defences, while the Lions of Alba are

attempting to prevent them from relaying information back to their allies.

Suggested Forces: Special

The Attacker (Lions of Alba) uses a list of no more than 1000 points. The Defender (Steel Dogs and Heralds) use a list of no more than 500

points, and are limited to HQ, Elites, and Troops.

Terrain:

Congested industrial terrain would be appropriate, as would ruins and rocky ground.

Deployment: The Defender sets up his entire army in the centre of the table, anywhere that is more than 18" from any table edges, and at least 24" from

the table edge from which they will be trying to escape. At least half the Attacker's units, rounding up, must be placed in Reserves. Attacker

units arriving from Reserves may enter the table from either long edge or the Attacker’s short edge.

Objectives: The Defender is attempting to escape the pursuing Attacker forces and reach safety, along with conveying vital information on the defences

of the Attacker. The Attacker, of course, is attempting to prevent this. The Defender must get as many models as it can to the departure

point. If the Attacker destroys all Defender units before they reach the departure point, the Attacker automatically wins. The departure

point is placed on the Defender's short board edge. Victory in this scenario is decided using victory points, and each model that reaches

the departure point scores 100 victory points for the defender. The victor in this scenario scores 1 Campaign Victory Point.



orbit, servitors and serfs desperately

prepared tanks and speeders whose use

had not been expected, even as sensors

detected the White Lion and Pride of

Alba approaching again. The forces

already on planet and their newly

prepared supporting elements

assembled some distance from the

storehouse and prepared to attack, even

as battle was joined again in orbit.

With their aerial elements committed

to the battle in orbit, the strike force

launched their attack on the Lions. The

Lions had prepared defensive positions

while attempting to gain entrance to

the storehouse, but they were still

surprised by the loyalist attack. The

battle was brief, but violent, with

neither side really gaining the upper

hand. The Lions retreated into the

storehouse when it became clear

victory was unlikely, but they did so in

good order, and the Dogs and Heralds

102

Mission 5: Undermining

Having acquired valuable knowledge of weak points in the Lions of Albas’ defences, the Steel Dogs and Heralds of Light launch an

opening raid designed to weaken the Lions’ position and leave them vulnerable to a larger attack.

Suggested Forces: 2000pts

Both sides use the normal Force Organization chart. `

Terrain:

Use a terrain setup similar to that from the previous mission.

Deployment: This mission uses the Dawn of War deployment. The Steel Dogs and Heralds of Light (Attacker) may deploy their entire army at the start of

the game, though the Lions of Alba (Defender) must abide by the normal limit of 1 HQ and 2 Troop choices.

Additionally, the Defender has deployed minefields to protect his position. He may place D3+3 minefields anywhere within his deployment

zone. For each minefield, place a small marker (40mm base is ideal). The mines extend 3” in all directions from the marker. This area

counts as both difficult and dangerous terrain, and any units suffering casualties from them must test for Pinning. If the Attacker won the

previous mission, he may remove D3 minefields after they are deployed, to represent the attacking forces knowing of the vulnerabilities in

the defences.

Fleeing units will flee as normal towards their respective long board edges.

Objectives: Kill Points are used in this mission. Additionally, place a single objective marker anywhere in the Defender’s deployment zone to represent

a communication uplink, ammo store, or other objective. Whoever controls this objective at the end gains an additional 3 Kill Points. If the

number of Kill Points are tied between both players, then whoever controls the objective wins. If neither side holds the objective, Victory

Points are used to break the tie. The victor in this scenario receives 3 Campaign Victory Points.



Special Rules:

Reserves, Random Game Length, Seize the Initiative, Night Fighting (Turn 1 only), Cities of Death (optional)

were forced to remain outside,

preparing themselves for any eventual

counterattack.

Undermining

The loyalists began preparing their

own defences, modifying those the

Lions had built and creating new ones

into the bargain. Even as they did so,

several kill-teams were dispatched with

instructions to locate any weaknesses

in the storehouse's defences. With

frequent reference to ancient plans of

other Imperial storehouses in the

Codex Astartes, the kill-teams were

able to penetrate the outer level of the

fortress' defences.

Most of those sent into the fortress did

not return, cut down in running battles

with traitor sentries or caught by

defensive traps in the fortress'

architecture. Those who did, however,

had discovered several weak spots in

the storehouse defences – most

notably, the power generators for the

storehouse void shields and primary

weapons arrays had been exposed by

an ancient earthquake, allowing an

enterprising assault to destroy them –

provided that assault could penetrate

the outer level of defences in sufficient

force.

Even as the assault was planned, the

Lions in orbit broke off their attack

once again, having suffered severe

damage. Captain Cinereal, who had

been commanding the space battle

from the bridge of the Sacrifice,

ordered a pursuit, hoping to destroy the

Lions' only possible route of escape

from the system. After all, their

possible capture of the storehouse

would be immaterial if their ships

could be destroyed. While a defensible

strategic choice, this left a shocked

Esca Blackblood without air support or

the possibility of further

reinforcements beyond his own men

and the few Heralds of Light seconded

to his command.

Even without orbital support, it was

imperative that the assault on the

storehouse proceed. To leave the Lions

too long undisturbed was to give them

the opportunity of unlocking some

powerful secret that might secure their

victory. With twinges of concern in his

hearts, Esca ordered his forces into

battle.

The assault targeted the northern wall

of the storehouse, planning to smash a

direct route through to the generators'

primary distribution nodes. Their

destruction would prevent the

generators' use for the time being while

still allowing for repair in the future.

The loyalist forces had assembled as

much firepower as they could, though

Blackblood was concerned that they

might be unable to so much as scratch

the Heresy-era armor which covered

the structure. Fortunately, millennia of

neglect and a lack of proper blessings

had caused the ancient armor to

degrade, and the scouting efforts of the

103

kill-teams ensured that the loyalist

guns found the most vulnerable targets.

Soon, the outer wall was breached, and

Steel Dogs poured into the storehouse,

roaring cries to the Emperor and

calling on the traitors to come and

fight.

Fight they did. The ferocity of the Steel

Dogs' onslaught was matched by that

of the traitor counterattack, and a

bloody stalemate soon ensued. In the

end, only a flanking maneuver by

Esca's bodyguards (carrying an

improbable quantity of meltabombs)

ensured the destruction of the

distribution nodes. Both Chapters fell

back, licking their wounds.

An uneasy peace reigned over the field

for a full week. The Lions did not

attempt to break out, and the loyalists

lacked the strength to break in without

the powerful orbital guns of their

Strike Cruisers (though their remaining

Rapid Strike Vessels were enough of a

threat to discourage sallies). Any

assault would be ruinous. Minor raids

crept back and forth across the no-

man's land in front of the storehouse,

costing little and achieving less.

Eventually, the battle in space forced

events to a head on the ground.

On the fourth day of battle, Esca

received word from his forces in space.

The Lions had managed to

outmaneuver them, and both sides

were now racing back to the planet as

swiftly as they could. Though the

loyalist forces might arrive in time to

prevent the Lions from escaping with

the contents of the storehouse, it was

not certain.

Final Strike

There was only one course open – take

the storehouse before the Lions' ships

reached orbit, bombarded the Steel

Dogs into nothing, and escaped with

their troops and incalculable quantities

of munitions and technology. Many

might die in the resulting battle, but

many more would die should the Lions

escape.

Esca massed his forces, and prepared

the final assault. But even as the first

Steel Dog stepped out of the

earthworks, the gates of the storehouse

began to open. Lions of Alba poured

out, taking up defensive positions amid

the rubble surrounding the fortress.

And behind them, most terrifying of

all, walked a God-Machine – a Reaver

Titan…

Battle – Greyall

104

Scenario 6: Final Strike. The loyalists have prepared to launch a final strike on the heart of the Lions

of Alba- the ancient cache of imperial technology. This fighting was the

most bitter of the war, and drug on for several days before the full weight of

their forces came to clash.

Suggested Forces: 3500+pts Choose forces as per the Apocalypse rules up to a maximum value agreed

on by both players. No additional strategic assets may be purchased, and

the only super-heavy vehicles that may be purchased are Thunderhawks.

Deployment: The player who rolls highest on a d6 may choose to begin deploying first or

second. Each player then alternates placing units until all forces have been

deployed. For every 4 units in their army, rounding up, a player may place

one unit in reserve (which counts as a deployment). They will enter play

using the normal reserve rules, rather than the rules from Apocalypse.

Terrain: The Lions receive the Bunkers and Obstacles strategic assets for free. Place

these bunkers, razorwire, and traps on the field before deployment.

Otherwise the battlefield should be littered with ruins, craters, and a broken

roadway leading into the heart of the renegade‘s deployment area.

Objectives: Choose a single bunker or ruin in the Lions of Alba deployment zone- this is

the one and only objective in the game. Holding it counts as 9 Kill Points.

Otherwise, follow the normal rules for Kill Points. The victor in this

scenario gains 6 Campaign Victory points. Whoever has the most

Campaign Victory points in total at the end of this scenario wins the

campaign.

First Turn and Game Length: On the roll of a 3+, after deployment, the loyalists will take first turn. The

game lasts five turns of hard bitter fighting. At the end of turn five, roll a d6

– on a 5+ play a sixth and final turn.

Special Rules: Resources of Old: The Lions have the Vortex Grenade asset for free and

may choose an additional Front Line or Space Marine asset for free. This

represents the plundered relics and ancient caches they’ve brought back to

the world of the forty-first millennium. Additionally, the Lions of Alba

player may field a single super-heavy of three structure points or less from

the imperial or chaos datasheets.

If the Lion player wishes, The Lion player may sacrifice up to five campaign

victory points to field correspondingly larger super-heavies (for example,

sacrificing three would allow the player to field a single super-heavy of up

to six structure points).

Fury of the Righteous: The Steel Dogs and Heralds of Light are bringing

the full weight of their forces to bear in a final push to destroy the Lions of

Alba. To represent this they may make use of the Orbital Strike Strategic

Asset each turn, and in addition may select one additional Support or Space

Marine Strategic Asset.

Heralds of Light – Aerion the Faithful

105

Introduction Well, the Imprint needed a battle report

to be complete, and I was drafted.

Since I already had an Epic Steel Dogs

force underway, I decided to add some

Lions and Heralds and do an Epic

report.

A quick run-down of how Epic:

Armageddon works, for those

unfamiliar with it.

Epic: Armageddon is the small-scale

version of 40K. Tiny models, more of

them. It doesn’t work much like 40K,

however – players alternate actions

each turn, activating units with dice

rolls against their initiative (which, in

Epic, represents their strategic

abilities). Each activated formation can

choose to take different actions which

allow them to do different

combinations of moving, shooting, and

special actions.

Blast markers, which represent

confusion and attrition, are a big deal

in Epic. Shooting, screw ups and losses

all produce blast markers, and a

formation that takes too many Blast

Markers is in serious trouble – it

breaks, and is a lot more vulnerable.

Epic shooting is relatively sparse –

only heavy weapons get to shoot

outside of assaults, and the battlefield’s

a lot bigger proportionally.

Epic Assaults are remarkably similar to

40K, only you can shoot as well as hit

people in the face. Almost everyone

gets only one attack, which is based on

their Firefight or Close Combat stats,

depending on whether or not they’re in

base-to-base contact. Nearby

formations can use their Firefight stats

to support assaults that are close

enough to them.

Victory is decided first and foremost

by achieving goals, which depend on

the scenario. The winner must achieve

at least two goals, and achieve more

goals than their opponent. If no one

has enough goals to win, the tie is

broken by Victory Points based on the

number of enemy formations

destroyed and broken.

I’ll explain more as the battle report

progresses.

I had to adapt the 40K scenario to Epic,

but that was simple enough. I used

NetEA (the major international Epic

organization) lists, using the

Apocrypha of Skaros to represent the

infantry-heavy tactics of the Steel

Dogs, and the Imperial Fists defensive

siege list to represent the Lions.

Objectives were de-emphasized

compared to the usual Epic game, to

represent that this was a battle to the

death.

The Scenario Introduction: The Lions are sallying

forth to try and wipe out the Loyalists.

Their new Titan and tanks will be

harder to bring to bear should the

Imperials gain entrance to the restricted

confines of the storehouse, and so the

Lions disperse and destroy the

Loyalists now before retreating back

into the storehouse to await rescue.

The Steel Dogs and Heralds of Light,

meanwhile, are trying to break the

Lions and gain entry to the storehouse,

thus securing the treasures inside and

gaining a safe position to wait for their

ships’ return.

Scenario: All Steel Dog formations are

set up within 15cm of their table edge.

All Lion formations are set up within

30cm of the storehouse entrance

(which is set up along the Lions’ table

edge).

There are only two objectives on the

board, since everything else has been

flattened. This is a war of annihilation

as much as a battle of maneuver, and

both sides know it. The possible goals

in this scenario are as follows:

Blitzkrieg: The Lions achieve this by

capturing the Steel Dogs'

communications uplink. The Steel

Dogs achieve this by capturing the

storehouse entrance.

Take and Hold: This is achieved by

capturing both the uplink and the gate.

Break Their Spirit: This is achieved

by destroying the enemy’s most

valuable formation.

They Shall Not Pass: Either side

achieves this if there are no unbroken

enemy formations in their half of the

table.

Players check for victory at the end of

the third and fourth turns. The game

ends at the end of the fourth turn.

The Forces I planned both forces long in advance,

since I had to paint them.

The Steel Dogs got Esca’s battle

company, and the Heralds were

represented by another half-company.

Since this was a siege, I also took some

Whirlwinds and Vindicators. Finally, I

took a formation of Land Speeders,

since the rest of the army was pretty

unmaneuverable.

I figured the Lions should be short on

numbers but long on shiny equipment

after looting the storehouse, so I gave

them just under a Battle Company in

infantry and loaded the rest of the list

down with vehicles, a Titan, and some

fortifications for spice. The Dogs

might have more troops, but the Land

Raiders and Titan would be tough nuts

to crack. This would help whoever I

found to general, since they weren’t

going to get to choose their forces.

The Battle of

Jamshyd’s

World

by

Octavulg

106

The Steel Dogs and Heralds of Light:

Esca Blackblood’s Demi-Company

Tactical Formation with Demi-

Company, Supreme Commander,

Armoured Support – 625 pts

Lieutenant Kovacs’ Demi-Company


Company – 425 pts

Whirlwinds – 300 pts

Veteran Land Speeders

Land Speeder Formation with two

Land Speeder Typhoons – 250 pts

Reserve Captain Rhadamanthus’

Demi-Company


Company, Commander – 475 pts

Vindicators – 225 pts

Total: 2300

The Lions of Alba:

Master Gorinel’s Retinue

Tactical Formation with Commander –

350 pts

Captain Osric’s Retinue

Devastator Formation with

Commander – 225

Tactical Formation

– 250

Land Raider

Formation – 325

Land Raider

Formation – 325

Assault Formation

– 150

Lucem Ferre of

the Legio Mortis

Reaver Titan –

650

Fortifications – 50

Total: 2325

The Steel Dogs’ Second Company assembled on Avren

Elements of the Sixth and Fourth Companies under Rhadamanthus assembled on Jamshyd’s World

The Lions of Alba in column on the third moon of Astra Majoris

107

The Battle I commanded the

Imperials. My opponent

was Mike, who among

other things is one of the

minds behind Astronomi-

con. He’s a gentleman and

lots of fun to game with.

It was his first real Epic

game (which is why he

got the Titan). It didn’t

slow him down that much,

though…

Since Epic’s turn structure

isn’t divided into ‘one

player’s turn, other player’s turn’ like

40K, it can be a bit confusing to keep

track of who’s moving and acting. As a

rule in this battle report, each new

paragraph is a different player.

Deployment The Lions deploy around the gate. The

Steel Dogs and Heralds are spread

along their edge – the Heralds have the

middle, the Whirlwinds are on a rise to

the east, while the Land Speeders are

behind the river to the west. Mike set

his mines up in a line along the eastern

side of the field, effectively blocking

off the route up to the storehouse gate.

Turn 1 The Steel Dogs win the roll to go first

this turn. Esca's formation uses a

March action1 to seize the abandoned

fortification below the gate.

The Lions activate one of their Land

Raider formations, which charges

toward the Steel Dogs’ Whirlwinds,

heedless of possible danger. The Lions

retain the initiative,2 and the Reaver

1 A March action lets a formation

make three moves (how far that can be depends on the units involved). 2 Normally, in Epic, activations

alternate from player to player – however, you can try to take two actions in a row by taking a penalty to your activation roll.

Advances3, raking Esca’s formation

with fire and destroying a Devastator

unit and a Tactical unit. Due to the

vagaries of time, however, its fire was

not as effective as could be hoped –

even the workings of the Mechanicus

degrade after ten thousand years

underground. [At this point, both of us

being tired, we got confused over how

many Turbolaser shots the Reaver got,

and decided it should get half as many

as it was entitled to. We apologize to

the crew of the Reaver and to the brave

men who died because the Reaver

could not help them enough. I

apologize to Mike, who I suspect would

have dismantled me with a full-strength

Reaver. – Ed]

3 An Advance allows the formation to

make one move and fire once.

The Dogs’ Whirlwinds launch a

barrage at the Land Raiders charging

toward them, managing to destroy one.

The Loyalists retain, and Kovac’s

Demi-Company moves forward and

engages the Land Raiders in assault.

Almost all of the formation is out of

range, but the Assault units can reach,

and do their best to disable the Land

Raiders close up. Neither side managed

to destroy the enemy directly, but the

Assault Resolution roll favored the

Steel Dogs, especially when combined

with the blast markers the Land

Raiders had already taken, and the

Land Raiders were wiped out as they

attempted to withdraw.4

4 A formation takes damage when it

loses an assault, and the Land Raiders lost the assault by a lot.

The Field of Engagement

Kovacs’ men engage the Land Raiders. Note how my Assault Marines are blatantly out of

coherency (since I could have just moved my Rhinos forward a little more and it would

have been fine, I’ve managed to not feel too bad about it).

108

The Lions of Alba seek vengeance –

the second Land Raider formation

Doubles5 forward, firing on Kovacs’

Tacticals, who lose three Rhinos. The

Lions retain and move their Assault

formation forward, behind the Land

Raider.

The Heralds’ Vindicators Double

forward, firing at the Land Raiders.

One of the Land Raiders succumbs to

5 A Double allows the formation to

move twice, then shoot with a -1 penalty.

the heavy Demolisher shells, but the

rest shrug it off.

Master Gorinel and his Tactical

formation move forward toward the

cliff edge, opening up on Esca’s troops

in their battered fortification. The

Lions’ then retain, and their second

Tactical Formation does the same as

the first, but between the two only one

Tactical unit is destroyed.

Captain Rhadamanthus springs into

action. His men Double toward the

minefield, firing on the Assault

formation. One Assault unit is

destroyed.

The Lions’ Devastators

Double forward into

ruins, firing at the

Reserve Captain’s

formation with no result.

The Steel Dogs Land

Speeders March forward

into the crater at the east

edge of the board.

Turn 2 The Lions win the roll,

and opt to go first. The

Land Raiders Sustain

Fire6 at the Whirlwinds,

annihilating the lighter

tanks. Retaining, the

Lucem Ferre moves

forward, firing at the

Reserve Captain’s

formation. The Heralds

lose three Tactical units

and two Rhinos to the

punishing barrage.

The Vindicators Advance,

blasting at the Land

Raiders. Despite high

hopes, when the smoke

clears, the Land Raiders

survive. [Mike failed all

his saves. Then he

succeeded on all his

rerolls. Stupid Land

Raiders. – Ed]

The Devastators Sustain

Fire at Kovacs’ Demi-

Company, wiping out the

skirmishing Assault units. Retaining,

Master Regan Sustains Fire at the

Speeders, two of whom are lost despite

the cover of the crater.

Kovacs’ Demi-Company Sustains at

the Land Raiders, whose armor is once

again impervious. Retaining,

Rhadamanthus’ men follow suit, with

the same result.

6 A Sustain Fire action means the

formation can fire once with a +1 bonus (though it can do nothing else)

The battlefield, just after the Assault Marines moved up. Esca is in the fortification in the lower right,

Kovacs is in the upper right, and the Whirlwinds are in the upper centre.

The Heralds and Lions face off over the minefield.

109

The Lions' Assault formation jumps

back toward the gate to secure it from

enemy attack.

The Land Speeders Double forward to

a point between the Assault formation

and the Tacticals, attempting to force

the enemy out of position.7

They shoot at the Reaver, but succeed

only in knocking down a Void Shield.

Finally, Esca's Demi-Company moves

its Predators forward and fires at

Master Regan’s formation. With the

Land Speeders behind them, the Lions

are caught in a lethal crossfire, and

four of their units are lost.8 The

Master’s formation breaks.

In the end phase, Master Regan’s

formation attempts to flee, but are

trapped against the cliff by the Land

Speeders. They are cut down and

dispersed. Unfortunately, Esca is

unable to reassert control over his

formation – they fail to regroup, and

do not remove any blast markers.9

Turn 3

The Steel Dogs win the roll and go

first. The Land Speeders Sustain Fire

at the Lions’ remaining Tactical unit,

killing one. Retaining, Esca

concentrates his formation’s fire

against the same target, killing four

and breaking the remaining few

Marines.

7 Units in Epic have a “zone of

control”. Other units cannot enter this, except when assaulting. Land Speeders have a doubled zone of control and so can force other units to move away (or assault them) by moving next to those units. 8 If there are friendly units on the

other side of a target when you shoot at that target, the target gets a -1 penalty to its save against any hits. 9 In the End Phase, broken units

attempt to rally and units with blast markers attempt to remove them. I’ve only noted when these things DON’T happen.

The Lions’ Assault formation attacks

the Land Speeders, looking for

vengeance (and because it was that or

move away from the Speeders’ zone of

control). The Reaver provides heavy

supporting fire, but it is mostly

ineffective – each side destroys one

enemy unit. The Assault resolution is

very close, but the Land Speeders win

by one, which is enough to kill another

Assault unit. The last remaining

Assault unit in the formation breaks.

The Lions, angered, retain. The Reaver

moves forward and annihilates the

Land Speeders in a blaze of

destruction.

Kovacs Sustains Fire at the Land

Raiders, and the punishing fusillade

finally manages to penetrate the

Mechanicus’ finest armour (ten

thousand year guarantee, or your

money back). That loss is enough to

break the Land Raiders, who retreat

toward the safety of the storehouse.

The Vindicators Advance through the

minefield, losing one tank despite their

Siege Shields10

[Double 1. Of course. –

Ed.]. Firing at the Devastators, they

inflict no appreciable losses.

The Devastator's responding Sustained

Fire has an equally negligible effect.

The Heralds of Light move wide

around the minefield, unwilling to risk

losses in exchange for minimally

effective fire against the Devastators.

10

Whatever the GW game, dangerous terrain is dangerous terrain.

Esca’s Demi-Company and the Land Speeders destroy Gorinel’s Retinue

110

In the end phase, the Assault and

Tactical formations remain broken,

though the Land Raiders recover. The

Vindicators fail to regroup.

No one had achieved two goals, so the

game continued.

Turn 4

The Lions go first. The Land Raiders

move forward and fire at

Rhadamanthus and his men, crippling a

Rhino. Retaining, the Lucem fires at

the same target, killing two Tacticals

and another Rhino.

The Vindicators Advance and fire at

the Devastators. Retaining, and despite

the confusion among his men,

Rhadamanthus pushes forward in an

assault on the Devastators. Locked in

hand to hand, battered by Demolisher

shells, and overwhelmed in numbers,

the Devastators are annihilated.

Captain Osric is slain, and his Artificer

Armour taken as a prize by

Rhadamanthus.

Further efforts by the Steel Dogs were

considered likely to be ineffective. The

Space Marines slowly pulled back,

unsure whether to make another assault

or to avoid further losses and trust in

the hope of their coming support.

Results, or Lack Thereof Mike and I both agreed that Esca was

unlikely to blast apart the Reaver in

the moments that remained. We

called the game, and determined who

had won. The Dogs and Heralds had

achieved one objective, having kept

their half of the table clear of

enemies, but otherwise no goals were

achieved. That meant we had to

calculate Victory Points.

The Lions were rather battered – the

Reaver was at full strength, and the

Land Raiders were at half. The

Assaults and Tacticals rallied, but

were also below half. Everything else

was destroyed. The Steel Dogs thus

gained 1313 VP.

The Steel Dogs and Heralds, while

mauled and walking a lot more than

they were used to, fared somewhat

better. The Vindicators were still

above half and unbroken, as were the

Steel Dogs' demi-companies.

Rhadamanthus’ formation was below

half, but unbroken. The Lions of

Alba gained 763 VP.

The Steel Dogs won by 550 VP. The

Lions fled back into the storehouse,

and the

Loyalists

survived.

However,

with the

storehouse

still in Lion

hands (to

say nothing of

the fully

functional

Reaver), this

isn't exactly a

strategic victory.

Calamity averted. Problem unsolved.

Simon's Thoughts Just to be clear: we knew going in this

might well turn into a bloodbath

decided by who killed the most. Those

are the vagaries of a 4'x4' table and a

shortage of plausible objectives for a

scenario. At least it was thematically

appropriate. That said, I had a lot of

fun, and Mike has been gracious

Rhadamanthus’ battered forces engage Osric’s Devastators

Simon

111

enough to claim he did too. Pyrrhic

victories where little was gained are

my favorite.

So: post-battle assessment. I was very

pleased with all my units, actually.

Almost all of them performed when

they needed to. More Land Speeders

are definitely planned, as are more

Whirlwinds and some Predators (in a

normal game, I’d likely cut the Heralds

and replace them with the

aforementioned, but this was a co-

operative effort).

The major problems for me were the

minefields and the Reaver. Mike put

those minefields where it made the

most sense, and it certainly worked for

him. They're not THAT lethal, but they

only have to be dangerous once or

twice to cause problems.

As to the Reaver, even up on the

mountaintop it did a number on

whatever it looked at funny. If Mike

had brought it down to help take apart

the larger formations, I might have had

some serious problems. On the other

hand, up there

he had little

or no risk of

losing it. And

since killing

it would have

given me an

objective, I

think he made

the right

choice.

Indeed, even

with it up on the hill it could have done

a lot of damage if we’d played its

Turbolasers properly.

Mike’s Thoughts

My thoughts on the game – or "No

really don't stupidly overextend

yourself!"

My first mistake was throwing away

the Land Raider unit on a March.

Having seen how effective a platoon of

Whirlwinds could be, I really wanted

these dead. Having already lost the

bunker to Simon's early march move, I

decided to 'go for them' full bore. This

was a mistake as the nearby demi-

company of

infantry was

able to

manage a

shallow

assault on

them and

butcher

them in hack

downs. It

helped a lot

that Simon

rolled

boxcars, but

even so!

[Skill. All

skill. –Ed.]

The correct

choice

would have

been a

double move

out and long

range

lascannon

fire. That

wouldn't

have

exposed

them to

assault. I'd

have taken

some fire, of course, but it would have

been worth it and then I could have

moved up some infantry to support.

While I was able to hold the gate, I

needed to be more careful about

keeping my zones of control tight. As

it was the Land Speeders were able to

exploit a tiny slot between the ZoC of

the assault guys guarding the gate and

the infantry to the front. The resulting

crossfire effect got my infantry at the

front of the escarpment shot to rags by

Blackblood's demi company in the

bunker.

On the upside, I was able to blunt the

attack on the gate, despite being

outnumbered, and I placed the

minefields fairly well. The galaxy's

toughest Land Raiders helped quite a

lot here and this time they were

properly supported by assault and

devastator forces. While they folded in

the end, they lasted long enough to

keep the attackers off the hill and so

the enemy weren't able to capitalize on

their very effective shooting which

greatly reduced the defensive forces by

the gate.

Simon thinks I underused the Titan by

keeping it back at the gate. He may be

right. It provided amazing fire support

but marching it down the hill where its

six dice of Firefight support could have

played a role might have been really

useful. Next

time I'll

experiment with

being more

aggressive with

it.

All in all a fun

game though,

and fairly fast

despite

recording so

much of it. Definitely have to dig up

Simon

Mike

The generals engage in an impromptu smug-off.

112

my old Desolation Angels and see

what I've got...

Licking Their Wounds It took several hours for the Steel Dogs

and Heralds to regroup. At that point,

they launched another assault on the

storehouse. This time, they

encountered no resistance – the Lions

were gone, leaving behind only a

fraction of the treasures the storehouse

should have held.

Dedicated investigation discovered a

hastily-concealed secret exit. The Dogs

and Heralds followed it as quickly as

they dared, emerging miles away just

as the White Lion slipped into orbit.

The Lions had taken all that they could

carry, and their hastily assembled

supply dump was poorly defended. In

a lightning raid, the Dogs and Heralds

annihilated the dump, pulling back to

the safety of the storehouse just ahead

of the Lions’ orbital bombardment.

The Lions fled out system, just ahead

of the pursuing Imperial Strike

Cruisers.

The Nemean Campaign was over.

The Lions retreated to the relative

security of the Eye of Terror. Though

they had gained valuable resources,

they had lost equally valuable Space

Marines, and ensured only that the

Steel Dogs and Heralds of Light

would hunt them wherever possible.

The Steel Dogs and Heralds,

meanwhile, though they had secured

a valuable trove for the Imperium,

were taunted by the possibility of the

victory that might have been. Men

were dead, valuable ancient

weaponry lost, and the Lions had

escaped. Possession of the field was

not victory, and both Chapters knew

it. Esca and Skaron quarrelled over

where the blame lay for the Lions’

escape – indeed, it was only the

intercession of Rhadamanthus that

kept his fellow Captains from each

other’s throats. Though relations

between the Chapters were not

harmed (if only because of

Rhadamanthus’ even-handed report),

the relationship between the Captains

certainly was. Their eventual

discharge of this enmity in a duel on

Phyrenios III during the Eighth Ring

War is, of course, familiar to the

educated reader.

All in all, the Lions lost much, but so

did the Steel Dogs and Heralds of

Light. In the end, the Nemean

Campaign accomplished little besides

ensuring that the feud between the

Lions and their still-loyal brothers

burns brighter than ever.

Adapting the Campaign There are a number of possible options

available for adapting the campaign –

those mentioned here are by no means

the limit. The only limit is your

imagination. And your opponent’s

willingness to put up with your

imagination, of course.

Persistent Units

There are several methods of using

persistent units. The first is to simply

make use of the unit experience rules

Master Gorinel of the Lions of Alba

rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed.

As a Space Marine, he had the stamina

and energy of a dozen men.

Unfortunately, that was not sufficient

against the troubles of a hundred.

His protégé was dead, as were many of

his best men. The paltry store of

equipment recovered was slightly more

than that expended in the operations on

Jamshyd’s World, but ‘slightly’ would not

restore the Lions to Alba.

So now the Lions would retreat into the

Eye of Terror yet again, where their

numbers would slowly dwindle, worn

away by battles against warbands, the

harsh mutations of the Warp, by the

ravages of time, and most damning of all

by the simple fact that Alba was gone,

and would not return, and being a

champion of a dead world was not the

lure one might expect.

And, of course, now the Chapter was

indebted to the Dark Mechanicus. They

had been eager to recover the Reaver –

perhaps too eager. They might know

something the Lions did not. And even if

they didn’t, owing favours to

technological monsters who had been

twisted even further by powers beyond

human comprehension sounded like a

circumstance one might wish to avoid, all

other things considered.

Of course, all the debts in the world did

not matter. The Chapter mattered. Alba

mattered. And whatever was needed to

save them both was whatever would be

done.

One day, Gorinel knew, Alba would be

theirs once more. And on that day, he

could rest.

He was looking forward to it.

Aftermath

Esca Blackblood resisted the temptation to

strangle Captain Skaron Cinereal,

Commander of the Most Glorious Fourth

Company of the Heralds of Light, Holder

of the Sacred Chalice of New Ryxx,

Scourge of Zebediah III, and infinitely

pious bastard.

It would not do to be impolite to an ally.

Cinereal had been outmaneuvered (albeit

barely). He’d been outwitted (as had they

all). He had failed in his most important

task of ensuring the Lions could not and

did not escape. And now he was berating

himself accordingly for his failures – and

those of Esca and Rhadamanthus.

Not that Esca was so arrogant as to think

himself without fault. But he was fairly sure

that Skaron Cinereal was not the one to

judge him for it.

It was a small consolation that Captain

Rhadamanthus, Commander of the Most

Stalwart Sixth Company of the Heralds of

Light, Sword of the Morning and Lord of

the Inward Territories seemed to be almost

as tired of Cinereal as Esca was.

As Cinereal held forth again on the

unworthiness of these, the Emperor’s

humble servants, Esca eyed him,

wondering if a pact with the Chaos gods

would be worthwhile if it gave him the

power to annihilate Cinereal’s brain.

Damnation surely couldn’t be this bad.

113

in the main rulebook (page 263).

Simply allow surviving units in each

scenario to pick the appropriate rules

accordingly.

The second is more involved – create

an initial pool of units for each player

to draw on (somewhere around 4000-

5000 points should suffice). Then

choose units from that pool for each

mission. Each successive scenario a

unit survives gives it access to another

veteran skill. However, losses are

permanent – models which suffer

Instant Death are gone for the rest of

the campaign, and other models which

are killed in—game must roll against

their toughness – if they fail, then they

are gone for the rest of the campaign as

well.

Adding Battlefleet Gothic

Large parts of the campaign take place

in space, and playing out those is very

possible. The first and last

engagements of the campaign would

both work well with a space

component. The fleets involved would

be relatively small (more than 1000

points a side would definitely expand

the scope of the campaign!) but it adds

another dimension. Battlefleet Gothic

already contains good advice on

integrating with planetary assaults and

ground campaigns, which I will not

duplicate here (the rules are available

free on GW’s website, should you be

interested).

You could even run two separate

parallel campaigns – the initial meeting

engagement, several pursuits, perhaps

an ambush or two in the rings of a gas

giant. Even if one player is winning on

the ground, will he be able to get out

again afterward…

Victory Effects

Another option is to provide persistent

effects based on what player wins

which scenarios. The trick here is not

to unbalance things so much that the

winner keeps on winning. One option

is to just have the victories affect the

final scenario – for example, victory in

Scenario 2 could give the Lions more

troops in Scenario 6. Or allow players

to cash in Campaign Victory Points for

more troops or other advantages.

Replacing Campaign Victory Points

Yet another option is to ignore

Campaign Victory Points altogether,

combining persistent units and victory

effects and determining the winner of

the campaign only by victory in the

final scenario. This has the potential to

keep things tense right up to the final

minutes – even with an overwhelming

advantage, a few lucky rolls and good

decisions can allow even the most

battered army to triumph.

Adapting for Other Forces

Although the B&C is a power

armoured forum, we recognize that

sometimes our members want to shoot

other people. Thus, we include some

suggestions for how the campaign

could work for other races.

It isn’t difficult. It’s remarkable how

duplicitous and violent the inhabitants

of the 41st millennium are.

Chaos Space Marines

Adapting this campaign for Chaos

Space Marines is simple enough –

warbands and legions have plenty of

reasons to hate each other, and are

more than willing to perpetrate

convoluted schemes against each other.

Likewise, the confusion of the Heresy

and Scouring make it a certainty that

ancient supply dumps remain

undiscovered. Chaos Space Marines

could easily fill the role of either side

in this campaign.

Eldar

Like Chaos Space Marines, the Eldar

love to scheme. The Eldar work very

well as the side that lays the trap.

Likewise, since so many Maiden

Worlds now lie under Imperial control,

it is very possible for Eldar to attack an

Imperial world but to be seeking

something far different than what their

initial strike would suggest, or even for

the treacherous mon-keigh to lure the

Eldar into a trap by intentionally

offending their sensibilities.

Tau

The Tau are certainly canny enough to

use Imperial greed against them. As to

luring the Tau into a trap: captured

Ethereal. Real prison. Simple enough.

Inquisition

I’m sure no Inquisitor has ever

perpetrated a sneaky plot to trap a foe.

Likewise, I’m certain no Inquisitor has

double bluffed an opponent by

pretending to fall for a trap (or fallen

for a trap but escaped due to knowing

something his enemy didn’t). Anyone

who says otherwise is a heretic.

Dark Eldar

While complicated plans to lure in

dangerous foes are not necessarily the

Dark Eldar’s style (why lure when you

could be back at his house, eating his

family’s souls?), the possibility of

another force attempting to lure them

with a false prize is very real. Replace

the fake storehouse with “fake refugee

camps” and the real storehouse with

“unknown entrance to nearby hive

city” and things work just fine.

Tyranids

Tyranids, unfortunately, are difficult to

trick – and when you lure them

somewhere, they ALL show up. It

might, be possible to do something

with a Genestealer Cult. The concept

would be similar to that involved with

the Dark Eldar – trying to lure out a

threat that cannot be struck at

otherwise. Of course, it requires that

your opponent have enough

Genestealers.

Adapting for Other Games Not all our readers play 40K, of course.

Some play other games instead (or

additionally). To them, we offer

suggestions on adapting the campaign

for different games.

Kill Team

This works well if you want to play

through the campaign but don’t want to

or can’t paint up entire appropriate

armies. It’s remarkably easy to adapt

the campaign for Kill Team in concept

– simply cast one side as the Brutes

and proceed from there. The first

several scenarios can be easily adapted

114

– instead of playing the whole battle,

play a part.

For example, in the first mission the

Kill Team must take out an enemy

commander during the Drop Pod

assault. Perhaps friendly drop pods

land and engage enemy Brute Squads?

In the final mission, rather than engage

the entire enemy army, the Kill Team

must find and take out the enemy

commander – even as Titans and other

such units roam the battlefield. In the

pursuit mission, the Kill Team must

immobilize or destroy several vehicles.

Alternately, use the framework of the

campaign to come up with entirely new

scenarios, and play those. The

cinematic nature of Kill Team lends

itself well to acting out blood feuds

between angry Space Marines, so the

results should be more than

appropriate.

Epic: Armageddon

Adapting the campaign for Epic is

easy. Simply ensure the players deploy

in the appropriate fashion, tailor the

objectives accordingly, and make sure

the final battle is appropriately grand.

The scenario in the battle report will

hopefully provide a good example, but

as a further demonstration – in the

Pursuit scenario, as an example, the

Dogs should have several objectives

related to destroying enemy

formations, while the Lions have

objectives related to making it to the

other side of the board. Since Marching

allows units to really get around, it

might make sense to have Lions units

achieve an objective if they’re

unbroken and within 15cm of the

appropriate board edge – that gives the

loyalists a decent chance to stop them.

Alternatively, perhaps they get an

objective for moving a certain number

of points off the board – and dead units

don’t count.

If playing the entire campaign in Epic,

all point values should be doubled

(approximately), but otherwise

adapting the scenarios should be fairly

simple. Since this is a war of

annihilation (at least for one side),

slightly limiting the number of

objectives placed on the board in order

to encourage more destruction might

be a good idea (especially in the battle

scenarios.

Battlefleet Gothic

Adapting the campaign for Battlefleet

Gothic is also remarkably easy.

Supplies can be stored in space as

easily as on a planet, so the basic

concepts and most of the objectives

still work.

As an example, the Infiltration scenario

can be adapted to work with a few

squadrons of Rapid Strike Vessels. The

table is the area covered by the

storehouse sensor net, and once outside

the net the scout force can safely

disengage and slip away. Or as another

example, the breakout scenario can

involve running a blockade out of

several planetary gravity wells (using

the rules for those in BFG) through a

network of asteroid emplacements.

Conclusion Hopefully we’ve provided you with

some helpful ideas to make the

Nemean Campaign work for you. I

hope you’ve enjoyed these articles, and

the Legio Imprint. Thanks for reading.

Octavulg is a Lexicanium, Liberite, law

student, and man about town. He also

(apparently) edited this Imprint.

115

The Bolter & Chainsword would

like to state that this electronic

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and in no way endorsed by Games

Workshop Limited.

Adeptus Astartes, Blood Angels,

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the Chaos devices, Cityfight, the

Chaos logo, Citadel, Citadel

Device, Codex, Daemonhunters,

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devices, Eye of Terror, Fire

Warrior, Forge World, Games

Workshop, Games Workshop

logo, Genestealer, Golden

Demon, Gorkamorka, Great

Unclean One, Inquisitor, the

Inquisitor logo, the Inquisitor

device, Inquisitor: Conspiracies,

Keeper of Secrets, Khorne, Kroot,

Lord of Change, Necron, Nurgle,

Ork, Ork skull devices, Sisters of

Battle, Slaanesh, Space Hulk,

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logos, Tau, the Tau caste

designations, Tyranid, Tyrannid,

Tzeentch, Ultramarines,

Warhammer, Warhammer 40k

Device, White Dwarf, the White

Dwarf logo, and all associated

marks, names, races, race

insignia, characters, vehicles,

locations, units, illustrations and

images from the Warhammer

40,000 universe are either ®, TM

and/or © Copyright Games

Workshop Ltd 2000-2012,

variably registered in the UK and

other countries around the world.

Used without permission. No

challenge to their status intended.

All Rights Reserved to their

respective owners.

Finally – A quick ‘Hello and we

did follow all the rules!’ to GW

Legal if they ever read this.

Artists:

Colrouphobic (Cover, pages 7, 10, and 59)

http://www.freewebs.com/studiocolrouphobia/

Greyall – (pages 34, 69, 81, 92, 103)

http://greyall.deviantart.com/

Firenze – (pages 13, and 36)

http://lazarus-firenze.deviantart.com/

slaine69 – (pages 71 and 73)

http://slaine69.deviantart.com/

Chronophague – (page 82)

http://chronophague.deviantart.com/

nurgling6688 – (pages 90 and 98)

http://mengelminiatures.blogspot.com/ & http://mengelart.wordpress.com/

Aerion the Faithful – (pages 80 and 104)

http://aerion-the-faithful.deviantart.com/

madscuzzy – (pages 39, 65, and 67)

http://www.scuzworks.com/

Miniatures:

DV8, Cigar_of_Nurgle, GooseDaMoose, -JK-, Apologist, Lord Tybault,

DaemonPrinceDargor, Cheexsta, Muskie, DrudgeDreadnought, John Thompson, Pig

of Sparta, Fallout1983, and Artekus.

Production:

Octavulg, Inquisitor Kravin, Brother Tyler, Strike Captain Lysimachus, Sigismund

Himself, Aurelius Rex and Brother Argos.

Acknowledgements:

To all the authors and artists, who did sterling work. To Grey Mage and Allerka for

their work on scenarios. To Greyall, Colrouphobic, madscuzzy and Chronophague,

for last-minute illustrations that don’t look last-minute. To Aurelius Rex, Strike

Captain Lysimachus, Inquisitor Kravin and Sigismund Himself for invaluable

feedback and proofreading. To Inquisitor Kravin for fearlessly charging ahead in all

circumstances. Finally, thanks to Brother Tyler and Inquisitor Kravin, whose

assistance at the eleventh hour helped ensure you’d actually read this.

...And thanks to the future Mrs. Octavulg, too.

Produced by The Bolter & Chainsword.

Copyright © The Bolter & Chainsword 2012. All Rights Reserved.

The Bolter & Chainsword Skull emblem are © The Bolter & Chainsword 2012.

Credits

http://www.freewebs.com/studiocolrouphobia/

http://greyall.deviantart.com/

http://lazarus-firenze.deviantart.com/

http://slaine69.deviantart.com/

http://chronophague.deviantart.com/

http://mengelminiatures.blogspot.com/

http://mengelart.wordpress.com/

http://aerion-the-faithful.deviantart.com/

http://www.scuzworks.com/

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