Exercitus Imperialis

(The Imperial Host)

Exercitus Imperialis armorial with Chapter iconography.

Exercitus Imperialis Intercessor

The ***Exercitus Imperialis***, commonly known by their Low Gothic name, the '**Imperial Host**', are a 26th Founding Successor Chapter, created from the lineage of the stalwart and heroic Ultramarines. Adopting combat styles perfected by their predecessors of the Silver Centurions, they excel in phalanx infantry formations covered with overlapping fields of fire from their tactical and devastator squads with armoured support from their formations of Astartes Battle Tanks. They have defended the western borders of Segmentum Ultima since their inception, becoming experts in breaching operations and open field warfare in the process.

## Chapter History

### Golgotha

Shortly after garrisoning their newly constructed fortress-monastery Castra Albus, the Imperial Host receives orders to march on Golgotha, home to an Ork empire, from the High Lords of Terra demanding an end to the Ork threat once and for all. The newly established Imperial Host Chapter obeys the order and moves on Golgotha without delay. There they suffer grievous losses and are forced to withdraw from the campaign. Several influential military commanders view the Chapter as ineffective as a result and the Imperial Host garners an unwarranted reputation as a result. This cultivates extreme distrust towards the leaders of the Imperium.

### Damocles Crusade (742.M41-745.M41)

The 2nd Cohort of the Imperial Host is deployed to combat the T’au during the Damocles Crusade.

### First Tyrannic War (745.M41)

During the first tyranid invasion by Hive Fleet Behemoth, the Imperial Host deployed themselves at the western edge of Ultramar under Chapter Master Marneus Calgar’s request should Ultramar fall and the xenos threat pass further into the Imperium.

### Second Tyrannic War (990.M41-993.M41

As with the First Tyrannic War, the Chapter is deployed as a shield against the greater Imperium should Hive Fleet Kraken breach the outer defenses. Forward deployed patrols encounter tyranid forces for the first time. Due to their inexperience against the xenos threat, heavy casualties are sustained. As a result of this, Legatus Avorian creates the Venator Squads to serve with the Deathwatch of the Ordro Xenos to gain better understanding of the tyranid threat.

### 13th Black Crusade (999.M41-000.M42)

The 1st and 3rd Cohorts are deployed to Cadia to aid in its defense against Abaddon the Despoiler. With Cadia’s destruction and the formation of the Great Rift, the 1st and 3rd Cohorts are ordered to return home to Alysium in preparation for war with the Ork Empire of Golgotha.

### Third Tyrannic War (997.M41-999.M41)

With experienced Venator Squads and a better understanding of the tyranid species, Legatus Avorian deploys the 2nd and 4th Cohorts to aid in the destruction of Hive Fleet Leviathan. After the Imperial victory at Tarsis Ultra and the subsequent excommunication of Inquisitor Kryptman, the Imperial Host permanently stations the 5th Cohort and the majority of their Venator Squads as guardians of the Octarius System to reinforce the Imperial presence in the area, ready to act should either the Orks or the tendril of Hive Fleet Leviathan attempt to break containment.

### Indomitus Crusade (999.M41-111.M42)

During the Indomitus Crusade, much of the 5th Cohort is destroyed by orks of WAAAGH! Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka reinforcing the Octarius System. On their route home to Alysium, they are destroyed by the Aeldari of the Biel-Tan attempting to balance the power of forces within the area. Word reaches the orks of Golgotha that Warlord Ghazghkull is creating a truly massive WAAAGH!. They are worked into a frenzy and begin invading neighboring systems and sub sectors. Alysium garners its strength and sends word to the Imperial Host Cohorts to return home. All of the Cohorts return home in anticipation of the ork invasion. Reinforcements arrive in the form of Primaris Marines sent by Primarch Roboute Guilliman to bolster the defences of the western front of Segmentum Ultima. These reinforcements are formed into the newly formed 5th Cohort comprised of Primaris only squads. Another call for aid is recieved by Alysium from distant Ardialan trying to defend itself from Traitor Astartes of the Iron Warriors Legion. The 2nd Cohort is the only aid that the Imperial Host is able to send.

### Kaladin Campaign (111.M42-Ongoing)

With the threat of the Golgothan Orks looming, only the 2nd Cohort can be dispatched to aid Ardialan against the Iron Warriors. The Void Walkers Chapter currently defends Kaladin with the Chogorian Outriders assumed to be arriving soon before the Imperial Host’s 2nd Cohort. The remainder of the Chapter garrisons Alysium in preparation for their own defense.

## Chapter Homeworld

Alysium, fortress world and capital of the Sinistral-Ultima Sector in the Segmentum Ultima, stands vigilant against the western border of the Segmentum Ultima. When the Imperial Host was founded, the High Lords of Terra gifted them defense of Segmentum Ultima's western border to alleviate the pressure of the Segmentum's many responsibilities including increasing raids by orks, a newly discovered race of sentient beings in the T'au, the emergent Tyranid threat, and the constant Chaos incursions of distant star systems. Alysium is a temperate world, dotted by massive fortifications and anti-orbital batteries, but in the distant north of the planet, the Imperial Host reside within the Castra Albus, their fortress-monastery.

### Fortress-Monastery

Castra Albus, a fortress stylized from the ancient Romanae castles of old on distant Terra, houses the Imperial Host Chapter. Designed by expert artisans of the Adeptus Mechanicus and overseen by members of the Ultramarines Chapter, it is a fortress that so rightly deserves its name of Warden of the West being built with strong walls of adamantium and constructed among the northern peaks of the Alpreggian Mountains.

### Chapter Recruitment

The Imperial Host has a curious recruitment style of its aspirants. All members of the Chapter are recruited in squads of ten. They are then tasked with surviving upon the surface of Alysium with no aid of any kind, without clothing at the start of the trial, without supplies, for one year. If one of the aspirants does not pass the Trials of Survival, then none of the aspirants pass and they are given the choice of Chapter Serf or rejection of service with the Chapter. If they survive the Trials, they are then assigned a squad speciality, given to them by the Reclusiarch, based upon their aptitudes decided during the Selection process.

## Chapter Organisation

### Officer Ranks

* **Legatus:** Chapter Master
* **Praetor:** Force Commander
* **Centurion:** Company Captain
* **Dominar:** Senior Lieutenant
* **Optio:** Junior Lieutenant

### Specialist Ranks

* **Magus:** Chief Librarian
* **Magistor Primus:** Master of Sanctity
* **Medicae Primus:** Chief Apothecary
* **Artificor Primus:** Master of the Forge
* **Lord Admiral:** Master of the Fleet
* **Evocator:** Captain of the Evocati
* **Praetor:** Chapter Champion, Captain of the Honour Guard
* **Aquillor:** Chapter Ancient
* **Vexillary:** Company Ancient
* **Venator:** Veteran Legionary of the Deathwatch

### Line Ranks

* **Legionary:** Batlle-Brother
* **Acolyte:** Initiate of the Reclusiam
* **Apprentice:** Initiate of the Armourium
* **Aspirant**

### Specialist Formations

* **Triarii:** The most experienced legionaries of the Chapter aside from the members of the Evocati. They are a melee oriented formation equipped with breacher shields and their famous Auric Spears. Reinforced power armour gifts them the ability to withstand punishing assaults on the frontlines, only being surpassed by the Evocati's Tactical Dreadnought Armour. They are organized into ten man squads and are attached to all existing cohort squads providing every unit with a dedicated melee capabilities.
* **Praetorian Order:** The Imperial Host's dedicated Honour Guard. Formed in echo of their progenitor's own Honour Guard, they are numbered at one hundred members dispersed among the Cohorts in squads of twenty.
* **Evocati:** Veteran legionaries awarded with the Crux Terminatus.

### Order of Battle

The Imperial Host is mobilized by Cohort, a company sized element of 200-300 Astartes with the bulk belonging to the Triarii Close Combat Squads. Each Cohort is led by a Centurion with a Dominar and an Optio serving as his junior officers. The Cohorts are also given five specialists from each one of the disciplines of the Chapter including: Artificors, Medicaes, Librarians, Magistors, and a squad of Honour Guard from the Praetorian Order. Evocati Terminator Squads are also dispersed throughout the Chapter with the bulk of them remaining in the 1st Cohort as per the *Codex Astartes*. Each Cohort is further reinforced with an armour and light vehicle element maintained by the Artificors of the Chapter and a scout element whether they be of original gene-stock or that of a Primaris equivalent.

#### Chapter Command

**Legatus Avorian**
**Chapter Master of the Exercitus Imperialis**
**Praetorian Order**
**Evocati**
**Vexillarium**

#### Cohorts

10 **Hastati Squads**
2 **Tactical Squads**
1 **Assault Squad**
2 **Devastator Squads**
**Cohort Scout Squads**

10 **Hastati Squads**
3 **Tactical Squads**
3 **Assault Squads**
1 **Devastator Squad**
**Cohort Scout Squads**

10 **Hastati Squads**
2 **Tactical Squads**
1 **Intercessor Squad**
1 **Reiver Squad**
3 **Devastator Squads**
**Cohort Scout Squads**

10 **Hastati Squads**
2 **Tactical Squads**
2 **Intercessor Squads**
2 **Reiver Squads**
1 **Hellblaster Squad**
1 **Devastator Squad**
1 **Infiltrator Squad** |   **Praetor Marcus** **Centurion Venatus****Dominar****Optio**  1 **Terminator Squad**
10 **Hastati Squads**
2 **Intercessor Squads**
2 **Intercessor Squads**
2 **Reiver Squads**
2 **Hellblaster Squads**
1 **Infiltrator Squad**

## Chapter Beliefs

Unity is the Exercitus Imperialis Chapter’s founding principle, creating in its belief one of the most cohesive Adeptus Astartes Chapters in the Imperium. Their ties of brotherhood between battle-brothers are created during their induction into the Chapter in the Trials of Survival in which ten aspirants are chosen by the current Magistor Primus to be released on the surface of Alysium without clothing, supplies, or aid of any kind from the populace of Alysium for the duration of one year. Most of these aspirants are formed into squads least likely to succeed to further challenge the aspirants. The only way for an Aspirant Squad to pass the Trials is for all members to survive. They are further tested during the Year of Unity by the Magistor Primus with assistance of the Chapter’s Librarius influencing the minds of the aspirants into discord and foolish decisions. Raids from roving bandits and attacks from the planet’s ursine predators are a constant. If they succeed, a bond as strong as adamantium is formed between the now battle-brothers who are then organized into squads that serve as the Chapter’s scouts.

The Emperor of Mankind is revered as the saviour of humanity amongst the legionaries of the Exercitus Imperialis though he is not considered a deity. They honour him through deeds and oaths for he is held as the epitome of self-sacrifice and honoured as a peerless warrior whom Lord Guilliman owes his creation for what would the Imperial Host be without their Primarch from whom they were created?

## Combat Doctrine

Being a Successor Chapter of the Ultramarines, the Exercitus Imperialis follows the edicts of the Codex Astartes in regard to combat decisions and doctrines in all but one regard. After witnessing the effective tactics of the Silver Centurions Chapter while serving as a sergeant of the Ultramarines, the current Chapter Master, Legatus Avorian, adapted the idea of a phalanx melee formation upon his bestowment of Chapter Master at the founding of the Exercitus Imperialis. When word reached the Silver Centurions of the ideal he was to form within his Chapter, they honoured Legatus Avorian with one hundred shields and spears for his phalanx formations that became known as the Triarii Squads. Thus unity became the founding tenant of the Chapter for the phalanx formation relies in trust of each legionary for his brothers with the phalanx only being as strong as its weakest link.

## Chapter Gene-Seed

Since the Exercitus Imperialis Chapter hails from Ultramarine lineage, corruption or genetic flaw with gene-seed samples is an extreme rarity. The Trials of Survival also help to weed out any aspirants whose individuality or personal feelings could or would harm their fellow aspirants. The unfortunate side effect of this being that those who would be worthy are denied the chance of becoming an Astartes due to one individual's actions or mindset. This consequence of action further explains the Chapter's ethos that one individual affects the entire whole of the Chapter whether he intends to or not, no matter his motivations.

### Primarch's Curse: (Honour the *Codex*)

The Exercitus Imperialis heavily rely upon the *Codex Astartes* for most of their combat decisions even though they are a Divergent Chapter. They organize themselves a little differently and approach combat in a slightly different manner but most of their engagement decisions are based upon the *Codex.* They do not, however, regard the Codex Astartes as a holy text as some Ultramarines Successors tend to do. They instead use it as a gauge on how to treat other Chapters of the Imperium, in the process giving themselves an air of superiority for being an Ultramarine descendant. The return of Primarch Roboute Guilliman has only further exacerbated this problem.

## Notable Members

* **Legatus Avorian:** Chapter Master
* **Praetor Atticus:** Commander of Battlegroup Capris
* **Praetor Titus:** Commander of Battlegroup Aqros
* **Praetor Cassandor:** Commander of Battlegroup Leonius
* **Praetor Marcus:**Commander of Battlegroup Taros
* **Centurion Romarius:** 2nd Cohort
* **Centurion Decius:** 4th Cohort
* **Centurion Venatus:** 5th Cohort
* **Sergeant Felix:** 2nd Cohort
* **Evocatus Orphion:** 2nd Cohort

## Chapter Fleet

**Battlegroup Capris:** 1st Cohort

* ***Capris*:** Strike Cruiser
* 4 Lunar Class Cruisers
* 5 Gladius Class Frigates
* 2 Hunter Class Destroyers

**Battlegroup Aqros:** 2nd Cohort

* ***Aqros*:** Strike Cruiser
* 3 Lunar Class Cruisers
* 1 Vanguard Class Light Cruiser
* 8 Gladius Class Frigates

**Battlegroup Prises:** 3rd Cohort

* ***Prises*:** Strike Cruiser

**Battlegroup Leonius:** 4th Cohort

* ***Leonius*:** Strike Cruiser
* 2 Lunar Class Cruisers
* 2 Vanguard Class Light Cruisers
* 5 Gladius Class Frigates
* 2 Hunter Class Destroyers

**Battlegroup Taros**: 5th Cohort

* ***Taros*:** Strike Cruiser

## Chapter Relics

The Exercitus Imperialis maintains several relics gifted to them by allies within the Imperium, most notably the Ultramarines Chapter as well as the Silver Centurions. From the Ultramarines they received fifty suits of Cataphractii Tactical Dreadnought Armour for their Evocati formations and from the Silver Centurions they were awarded one hundred shields and spears for their Triarii formations. Upon the Exercitus Imperialis Chapter’s founding day they were given five Sicarian Battle Tanks. One for each Cohort within the Chapter to have, awarded by the Adeptus Mechanicus contingent upon Macragge.

## Chapter Appearance

### Chapter Colours

The Exercitus Imperialis primarily wears silver coloured power armour with the exception of both backpack vents, shoulder pauldron trims and poleyns (knee guards) being light gold in colour. The Aquila or Imperialis worn on the plastron (chest guard) is also gold in a colour. A white coloured squad specialty symbol (Tactical, Devastator, Assault or Veteran) stenciled upon the right shoulder pauldron or right poleyn, indicates an individual battle-brother's assigned squad specialty. A small white coloured roman numeral stenciled next to the squad specialty symbol indicates squad assignment, while the larger white coloured roman numeral stenciled upon the left poleyn indicates company assignment.

### Chapter Badge

The Exercitus Imperialis' chapter icon consists of a stylised black skull centered within a white circlet surrounded by a black border, which is enclosed within a gold coloured, ancient Grecian-style border. The skull has a small white 'Ultra' symbol centered upon its forehead, indicating the Chapter's heritage from the Ultramarines. Three black spears are centered behind the central symbol.

## Relations

### Allies

* Ultramarines
* Silver Centurions
* Void Walkers
* Chogorian Outriders

### Enemies

* Black Legion
* Death Guard
* World Eaters
* Iron Warriors
* Hive Fleet Behemoth
* Hive Fleet Kraken
* Hive Fleet Leviathan
* T'au Empire
* Orks of Golgotha

## Notable Quotes

### About:

[Source]

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 Space Wolves Successors
 Imperial Fists Successors
 Blood Angels Successors
 Iron Hands Successors
 Ultramarines Successors
 Salamanders Successors
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 Unknown Lineage

[Source]

## Gallery

Exercitus Imperialis ArmourialImperial Host Primaris Intercessor of the 4th Cohort, 2nd Battleline Squad.Sicarian Battle Tank of the 4th CohortCastra Albus, Fortess-Monastery of the Imperial Host.Exercitus Imperialis Evocatus Sergeant of the 1st Cohort wearing relic Cataphractii Terminator Armour.Exercitus Imperialis Evocatus of the 1st Cohort wearing Indomitus Pattern Terminator Armour.Exercitus Imperialis Triarii of the 2nd Cohort.Exercitus Imperialis Battle-Brother of the 3rd Cohort, 8th Close Support Squad.