vizn3r/warhammer40k-lore huggingface dataset:
Starship Weapons - Necrons: Star Pulse Generators create a pulse of energy that radiates outwards from the firing ship in all directions, dealing damage to all enemies within its blast radius and instantly incinerating enemy attack craft and torpedoes.Lightning Arcs release stored solar energy as powerful electromagnetic energy tendrils that envelop a target voidship and probe for any weaknesses in their armour to exploit and tear apart.Scarab Swarms are dense, short-ranged clouds of robotic nanites. For nearly a minute this cloud emits from and surrounds the ship in all directions, simultaneously eating away at the hulls of enemy voidships while slowly repairing hull damage to Necron ships within the area.
Starship Weapons - Tyranids: Many Tyranid bio-ships have evolved massive claws and mandibles capable of ripping, chewing, and tearing their way through any voidship unlucky enough to find itself in the Tyranid craft's clutches.The huge tentacles of bio-ships used to "feed" on planetary atmospheres and biomatter pumped into orbit by Tyranid Capillary Towers are also a major threat to enemy voidships in space battles, as they can be used to deposit vast numbers of rampaging Tyranid combat organisms into an enemy voidship.
Starship Weapons - T'au: T'au turrets are extremely sophisticated starship defensive systems, combining a range of kinetic and directed energy weapon types with overlapping fire zones.Gravitic Launchers are massive Railguns where mass drivers trigger the initial acceleration before the T'au starship's gravitic field is pulsed to squeeze the missiles toward the enemy at enormous speed. The missiles are drone-controlled and exceptionally dangerous.
Starstrider Mercantile Confederation - Starstrider Mercantile Confederation: The Starstrider Mercantile Confederation is a large and very powerful mercantile Guild that operates within Greater Thurian League space.
Starweaver - Starweaver: A Starweaver is a specialised anti-gravitic skimmer-transport utilised exclusively by the mysterious Eldar Harlequins. On the battlefield, Starweavers streak across as a storm of shattered light, relying upon a mixture of velocity and misdirection to confound the enemy's aim. Echoing the sky chariots of the ancient Eldar, these swift attack vehicles have a transport platform at their rear capable of bearing a Troupe of Harlequins into battle. Such is the skill of the Harlequins that they can leap over the sides of the Starweaver directly into battle, or vault back onto its platform in a heartbeat should they be needed elsewhere. Even once their passengers have joined the melee, Starweavers remain potent attack craft, spinning and jinking as they pour a storm of firepower into the bewildered foe. Travelling through the Webway is a perilous task, the Harlequins making use of fast-moving Starweavers to get to their destinations. Obscured by holofields, their shattered images only coalesce when they remain stationary. But by then, it's already too late for their foes.
Starweaver - History: Harlequins straddle the line between Craftworld Eldar and their dark kin of Commorragh, residing in that grey area between noble austerity and wicked depravity. As a result, their weapons and wargear often have different origins, some created by craftworld Bonesingers, some manufactured by Dark Eldar artisans and others a deadly combination of the two. The Starweavers and Voidweavers of the Harlequins are a prime example of this technological fusion, the sleek shape of the two craft reminiscent of both the Eldar Vyper and the Dark Eldar Venom. The long nose and rib-like anti-grav plates are similar indesign to the Eldar craft while the crew compartment shares much with the Dark Eldar one, the balustrades very similar to those on the Venom and the Raider. The wings are a combination of Dark Eldar Razorwing engine design and Eldar Hemlock Wraithfighter vanes and aerofoils. The result is two vehicles that, like their pilots and passengers, straddle the line between the darkness and the light. All Eldar and Dark Eldar vehicles feature large curving armour panels, and those of the Harlequins are no exception.The Starweaver is named for the first and greatest son of the Cosmic Serpent. The Cosmic Serpent is a significant totem to the Harlequins, for he is said to have existed in both the material and psychic universes at the same time, and his strange and capricious young acted as occasional allies to Cegorach. Starweaver was the most noble and courageous of his serpentine brood, and swiftly made common cause with the Laughing God. The serpent freely gave his aid to Cegorach and, in tales such as the Humbling of Eldanesh or the Flight from the Grave of Stars, even suffered the Harlequins' deity to ride through danger upon his back. So do the Harlequins mount their Starweaver transports with reverence, for their actions echo those of Cegorach himself.Like all Eldar craft, the Starweaver is long and streamlined, its bird-like appearance reminiscent of the Eldar sky chariots of old. Its forked nose conceals a Shuriken Cannon, which nestles between the anti-grav plates that keep the Starweaver aloft. The rear half of the craft is an open-topped crew compartment that's typically austere, with an internal running board to sit or stand on and a rear stabiliser fin complete with a rappelling line. Starweavers hurtle into battle at breakneck speed. The craft swoop and spiral effortlessly through incoming fire, anti-grav engines screaming as they bear their Harlequin passengers unerringly into the maelstrom of combat. These craft are lightly armoured and incredibly nimble. Further protection is offered by flickering layers of holofields and Mirage-Launchers that reduce the craft to little more than a technicolour blur when on the move. Alongside these cunning countermeasures, the Starweaver packs a hefty punch, mounting multiple shuriken or haywire weapons that provide supporting fire for the Harlequins once they have leapt into the fray.
Starweaver - Unit Composition: 1 Starweaver (Skimmer, Fast, Open-topped, Transport)
Starweaver - Wargear: Two Shuriken Cannons - Shuriken weapons fire lethally sharpened discs at high velocities, cutting their targets to pieces.Holo-Fields - Harnessing kinetic energy to distort the vehicle's silhouette, holo-fields prevent the foe from targeting vulnerable areas.Mirage-Launchers - These pods launch holo-grenades that veil Harlequin vehicles from sight, surrounding them in a confusion of light and colour.
Starweaver - Sources: Codex: Harlequins (7th Edition) (Digital Edition), pp. 12, 43-44, 89-90, 186-187White Dwarf Weekly Magazine #55 (14 Feb 2015), "Starweaver," pp. 4-6
Stasis Bomb - Stasis Bomb: The Stasis Bomb is a deadly archaic weapon only utilised by the Dark Angels Space Marine Chapter and the Successor Chapters of the Unforgiven.The Stasis Bomb is an archaic holdover from the Age of Technology, and is deployed by the deadly and much feared aircraft known as the Ravenwing Dark Talon that is a part of the armoury of the Dark Angels' elite 2nd Company, known as the Ravenwing.In the workshops of The Rock, the Chapter's Techmarines labour lovingly over the construction of each bomb, using a STC template dating back to before the founding of the Imperium of Man that they have repeatedly denied owning to the Adeptus Mechanicus.The blast of a Stasis Bomb causes a degree of damage but, more importantly, will momentarily halt the flow of time.While the actual suspension of the normal flow of the space-time continuum is measured in mere milliseconds, this unnatural disruption to the time stream has lingering effects on those in close proximity to such a blast, causing gut-wrenching disorientation and slowing their reaction times.The victims of a Stasis Bomb attack are then ripe to be finished off by nearby Astartes squads; typically Ravenwing Attack Squadrons or Deathwing Terminators.
Stasis Field - Stasis Field: A stasis field is a name for both an Imperial technological device that suspends the flow of time in a confined area and the effect it causes. This technology is essentially a time-warp generator whose design dates back to Mankind's Age of Technology.Through an unknown means, stasis field generators create quantum breaks in the normal flow of space-time by manipulating gravitons to alter the relativistic flow of time within their area of effect, greatly slowing the progress of causality until the passage of time is undetectable within the field to an outside observer.The closer one is to the centre of the stasis field, the slower time appears to move; a single moment can take so long to play out inside a stasis field that it appears frozen to observers outside the affected area.Because the contents of a stasis field are divorced from the normal passage of time, it is effectively impossible to alter the conditions inside of the field in any way. This makes whatever is caught in the area of effect almost completely frozen and unable to be harmed from the outside.Stasis fields are normally used to contain people and objects in effectively unchanging conditions, for various reasons. Possibly the most famous stasis field in history is the one which enclosed the body of the Ultramarines Primarch Roboute Guilliman, who was interred in a stasis field just before the moment of his death at the Battle of Thessala in 121.M31.Guilliman's body was returned to his homeworld of Macragge to the Temple of Correction where he became a centre of adoration by Imperial Cult pilgrims who came from around the galaxy to pay homage to the primarch for more than 10,000 Terran years.Some even said that his wounds were miraculously healing within the stasis field, even though this is physically impossible. Of course, after Guilliman was resurrected during the events of the Ultramar Campaign of the 13th Black Crusade in 999.M41, the stasis field once present has been deactivated.The Officio Assassinorum's Eversor Assassins are also kept in stasis chambers when not active in the field. The scientific understanding and technology required to manufacture Stasis Field Generators has been largely lost to the Adeptus Mechanicus' Forge Worlds for several standard centuries by the time of the 41st Millennium.
Stasis Field - Notable Stasis Field Devices: Locke-Pattern Stasis Pod - While fabulously rare, the stasis pods produced by the Forge World of Locke are exceedingly well-crafted. Each will preserve one humanoid-sized item in a state of unchanging time for as long as power can be maintained. Though used infrequently given the more widely-available nature of saviour systems, Stasis Pods are ideal for containing dangerous xenos or animal life during transport without the risk of escape or damage. Rogue Traders who specialise in beast hunts may have many dozens of Stasis Pods lining their cargo holds, containing everything from the nightmare creatures of Burnscour to savage Genestealers stolen from drifting space hulks.Null Box - A Null Box is a portable stasis field generator that is used for preserving or safely containing a vital sample or woeful artefact. Null Boxes usually take the shape of small armoured boxes, although some go right up to the size of a large chest or sarcophagus. Inside is a projected Stasis Field, in which all time and motion halts and whatever is trapped inside is effectively frozen and removed from any interaction with reality -- essentially contained in a psychic dead zone. True relics of the Dark Age of Technology, most Null Boxes are extraordinarily resilient and tough (almost supernaturally so, which may be the result of the time-control field within) and once active require no further power unless deactivated and turned on again. For obvious reasons the control mechanisms of most Null Boxes are often hidden and heavily encrypted. Unless breached with enormous force or simply turned off by someone able to do so, a Null Box and its contents can out-sit eternity if needs be.
Stasis Grenade - Stasis Grenade: A Stasis Grenade is an unusual Imperial weapon that can create a stasis field effect. Developed by the Adeptus Mechanicus, Stasis Grenades are extremely rare and expensive to acquire. This and their specialised nature means their issue is limited to only special agents of the Imperium rather than common soldiers of the Astra Militarum or even the Adeptus Astartes.On activation, the grenade emits a stasis-loop field around itself. Everything within the field exists in the same moment of space-time repeated over and over. Eventually the grenade's power source is expended and the field collapses. As the grenade's power source is small, the stasis field caused by an activated Stasis Grenade does not normally last for a long period of objective time, though the duration is long enough to cause a significant amount of battlefield disruption for those caught within the projected stasis field.Since they are rather bulky and possess delicate internal mechanisms, it is not possible to fire a Stasis Grenade from a Grenade Launcher. Instead, they are typically deployed in a manner similar to Melta Bombs.
Stasis Grenade - Game History: Stasis Grenades were originally made available during the 1st Edition of Warhammer 40,000, but they are not a current wargear option for any Imperial faction. They are used in some in-universe fiction, however.
Stasis Missile - Stasis Missile: A Stasis Missile was a type of missile originally developed for use by Imperial Titans during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy that once detonated could enclose a given area within the time-stopping effects of a stasis field. Like other Titan support missiles the Stasis Missile takes up one carapace point on the Titan that used it and is usually fitted to the walker before a battle.Rather than a traditional high-explosive warhead, the Stasis Missile carries a Stasis Field Generator (SFG) which, upon impact, will literally freeze the passage of time within an area of space. Anything which is caught within this stasis field or moves into it will become utterly stuck in time, unable to move or take any other actions for as long as the field persists.While effective at keeping a target or targets trapped in place, the stasis field also unfortunately prevents any attacks from succeeding against the affected units. The stasis field is also liable to dissipate or even shift its position at random.If a Stasis Missile is damaged or destroyed while still mounted on a Titan, its SFG warhead may prematurely detonate, affecting the Titan.Another variant of the Stasis Missile, much reduced in size, was designed for infantry use by the Astartes of the Space Marine Legions, especially the Dark Angels, during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy. When detonated it produced a stasis field just like that of its Titan-grade variant, but affected a smaller area.
Steed of Slaanesh - Steed of Slaanesh: A Steed of Slaanesh, also called a "Tongue Lasher" and a "Degraded One," is a Daemonic Beast of  Slaanesh, the Chaos God of amoral pleasure, that appears in the form of a creature that can be used as a Daemonic Steed by Daemonettes or those rare mortal Champions of Slaanesh able to secure one within the Dark Prince's Realm.Steeds of Slaanesh are the favoured mounts ridden by the Daemonette cavalry known as Seekers.
Steed of Slaanesh - Role: Steeds of Slaanesh are swift and powerful Daemonic beasts, capable of running for eternity without ever tiring. They are often used as mounts by the mortal and Daemonic champions of Slaanesh.A Steed has a serpentine body propelled on two long, muscular legs. Its head is extremely narrow, little more than a slender snout with eyes, from which a toxin-coated tongue several metres long flicks and darts and can taste the desire of mortals.Steeds are vicious when roused, their tongues lashing like whips, their clawed feet kicking and eviscerating. They are incarnations of Slaanesh's free spirit, insatiably curious and, like all Daemons of Slaanesh, always crave experience.When they go for the kill, the Steeds' long, toxin-coated tongues dart out to ensnare their victims, shuddering in delight as they taste the delicious desires present in the mortals' souls. Sometimes, those who stand in the path of the Seekers are spared destruction and are allowed to join the armies of the Dark Prince, if they show the proper appreciation and desire.Within Slaanesh's realm in the Immaterium are great, idyllic meadows of gold and silver.Here roam the herds of Steeds, hundreds of them roaming freely, like birds on the wing, allowed to flit and run where they please, shifting colour from soft blues to pastel purples and gentle ochres.Daemonettes sometimes venture into these pastures to capture and ride Steeds as the Seekers of Slaanesh.
Steel Brethren - Steel Brethren: Steel BrethrenSteel BrotherhoodChaos Space MarinesIron WarriorsTraitor LegionChaos UndividedDrop PodsThe Steel Brethren, like all warbands of the Iron Warriors, possess extraordinary skill and experience in siege warfare. The Steel Brethren, when away from the Iron Warriors' Daemon World of Medrengard, operate from the Chaos Cruiser identified as the Ferrum Invictus.
Steel Brethren - Notable Campaigns: The Dispute of Iron (c.600-730.M34) - Its cause hidden to the eyes of the Imperium, a vast civil war erupts on the Daemon World of Medrengard and rapidly spreads to the other domains of the Iron Warriors. Ancient pacts of fealty and alliance are called upon and scores of Chaos Space Marine warbands, Daemons and Traitor Titan Legions are drawn into the maelstrom of relentless battle. This bitter feud is accredited at creating several sub-factions of Iron Warriors still active to the present day, such as the Steel Brethren, while utterly destroying others such as the Shattered Tower. As abruptly as it was begun the war suddenly ended, leading some to believe that the official conflict had been carried out according to the Daemon-Primarch Perturabo's design in order to weed out the weak and the unworthy from his scions.The Siege of Vraks (813-830.M41) - The Steel Brethren were one of the 11 warbands of Chaos Space Marines who heeded the Alpha Legion Chaos Lord Arkos the Faithless' call to the Imperial Armoury World of Vraks Prime to take part in the slaughter and mayhem that marked the 17-year-long Siege of Vraks by Imperial forces. Their experience in counter-siege warfare made for a powerful addition to the Traitors’ forces, most notoriously holding back two attacks in the tank ditch protecting the entry into Vrak’s large underground storage bunkers prior to the fall of the citadel. Their extensive knowledge of techno-arcana is believed to be the reason for the (re)appearance of several of the venerable and powerful Valdor Tank Hunters which had until then laid slumbering in Vraks’ armouries. The warband is believed to have claimed several of these mighty vehicles for their own needs and perhaps having even shipped some models offworld. It is however unclear if the Steel Brethren proceeded to flee alongside their Khornate allies through the Immaterium or were trapped and subsequently destroyed with the fall of the citadel as the Ferrum Invictus was not seen in the Vraks-system before the end of the Siege.
Steel Brethren - Warband Colours: The Steel Brethren wear primarily metallic, steel-coloured Power Armour, with black on the inset of the shoulder plates, essentially a minor variation of the standard colour scheme employed by the Iron Warriors.
Steel Brethren - Warband Badge: The Steel Brethren's warband badge is two red Iron Halos that are interlinked on a black background.
Steel Brethren - Sources: Codex: Chaos Space Marines (4th Edition), pg. 24Imperial Armour Volume Six - The Siege of Vraks - Part TwoImperial Armour Volume Seven - The Siege of Vraks - Part Three, pp. 137, 172Imperial Armour Volume Thirteen - War Machines of the Lost & The Damned by Andy Hoare with additional material by Alan Bligh & Neil Wylie, pp. 22, 30, 51
Steel Cobras - Steel Cobras: The Steel Cobras are a Renegade Chapter of Chaos Space Marines of unknown origin.The warband was originally raised as a Chapter of the Space Marines some time during the 23rd Founding in the latter part of the 37th Millennium.
Steel Cobras - Warband History: The Steel Cobras were a formerly Loyalist Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes whose blasphemous worship of the Emperor of Mankind as an animal totem prompted a puritanical Crusade against them by the Ecclesiarchy, led by a particularly bombastic cardinal.Faced with such an assault by the Imperium, the Steel Cobras turned to the service of Chaos to gain the power needed to defend themselves. They are known to have established a base of operations deep beneath the ammonia seas of the frigid Ice World of Tukaroe VII.Although the Imperium is aware of these Renegades' existence, nothing short of an invasion by an entire Loyalist Space Marine Chapter is considered likely to dislodge them from their fortified seabed bunkers.The only other option is to perform an Exterminatus on the planet, a fate that may still befall Tukaroe VII should the Adeptus Astartes refuse to assault their wayward kin.
Steel Cobras - Warband Colours: The Steel Cobras wear bronze power armour with dark green trim.
Steel Cobras - Warband Badge: The Steel Cobras do not have their own Chapter badge since they left the service of the Emperor. Instead they wear the usual blasphemous iconography and fetishes associated with the Dark Gods.
Steel Cobras - Canon Conflict: In the September 2019 issue of White Dwarf magazine the Children of Blain Chaos Space Marine warband was showcased, described by its creator Alexandre Dumillard, a Games Workshop miniatures designer, as the former Steel Cobras Chapter.That warband turned to Chaos, specifically the service of Nurgle, also on the Ice World of Tukaroe VII and later became a component warband of the Death Guard.While it is not clearly stated that the Children of Blain are the same as the Steel Cobras outlined here, they are most likely one and the same.
Steel Confessors - Steel Confessors: The Steel Confessors is a Loyalist Space Marine Chapter.They have been referred to as the "crippled Steel Confessors Chapter."It is known that the Night Lords Heretic Astartes Talos Valcoran had taken a replacement ceramite plate for the thigh of his damaged power armour from a suit of battle-plate that had belonged to an Astartes of the Steel Confessors.It should be noted that much of the information on this page is considered unverifiable as canon due to unusual circumstances given below.The Chapter may have been secretly founded during the 36th Millennium by the Adeptus Mechanicus for its own use from the gene-seed of the Iron Hands.After their discovery by the Inquisition, the Steel Confessors were forced to become an independent Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes, but they still maintain unusually close ties with the Mechanicus of Mars.They recently successfully defended their homeworld, the Forge World of Kalevala, from an attack by the Tyranid Hive Fleet Leviathan, though at great cost to the Chapter.
Steel Confessors - Chapter Organisation: The organisation of the Chapter follows the Codex Astartes quite closely, mainly due to the agreement between the Mechanicus and the High Lords of Terra. The 1st Company is composed entirely of Terminators and rarely deploys in standard power armour.The 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th Companies are all standard Battle Companies, the 6th and 7th are Tactical Companies, the 8th is an Assault Company, the 9th is a Devastator Company and the 10th is a standard Scout Company.Unlike the Iron Hands where it is known for the clan companies to fight amongst themselves on occasion, the Steel Confessors work together and there are close ties between the companies.Indeed it is common for Steel Confessor Astartes to move between companies (with the exception of the 1st and 10th, respectively), in order to learn from different commanders and to allow them to build up a wealth of experience. This results in a high level of autonomy whatever the rank of the battle-brother.The Chapter Master makes all the major decisions for the Chapter, but he gathers the opinions of the other company commanders in Chapter council sessions, prior to making those decisions.The position of Chapter Master is voted for by each company commander, Chaplain, Librarian and Dreadnought. In the unlikely case of a tie, the five longest-serving Veteran sergeants vote.
Steel Confessors - Chapter Combat Doctrine: Like their forefathers the Iron Hands, the Steel Confessors have an uncompromising hatred of weakness in any form, though particularly perceived physical infirmities. Also given their ties with the Adeptus Mechanicus, bionic enhancement is the norm. All the Astartes in the Chapter have a degree of affinity with machinery and this is a characteristic also sought out in potential recruits.With bionics to replace weakened limbs and organs, the Chapter's Astartes also undergo regular testing to ensure their minds remain strong. All Steel Confessors are required to go through a period of training and indoctrination on Medusa under an Iron Hands clan company, as part of the agreement between the Iron Hands and the magi of the Adeptus Mechanicus that created the Steel Confessors.It is during this training that they learn the history of the Iron Hands. Unlike their progenitor Chapter, the Steel Confessors keep the role of Chaplain and Techmarine separate, not having Iron Fathers among their ranks.Instead every company captain is trained in the ways of the Techmarine and artificer and fulfils both roles as proof of that he has received the blessing of the Omnissiah.The Chapter's Chaplains are there to extol the virtues of constant struggle and intolerance for weakness, whilst ensuring the teachings of the Mechanicus are followed and due reverence is paid to the divine trinity of Machine God, Emperor of Mankind, and Ferrus Manus.Chaplains are chosen for their ability to inspire their brethren through acts of divine courage and overcoming impossible odds.Like the Iron Hands, the Steel Confessors advance relentlessly, giving their enemies no time to reorganise as they throw themselves into almost berserk combat.The Steel Confessors have a full complement of Terminator Armour suits that are maintained by both the Chapter and Adeptus Mechanicus magi that are seconded to the Chapter. These Terminator Armour suits are seen at the forefront of most Steel Confessor engagements to provide inspiration for the rest of the Chapter and as a display of devotion to never-ending struggle.With the Chapter having to evacuate its original homeworld, much of its armoured support has been heavily damaged or destroyed. Even with the Mechanicus as an ally the Chapter has been so far unable to replace all of these losses, and as a result vehicles will only be deployed in the direst of circumstances.
Steel Confessors - Chapter Beliefs: The Chapter has very strict beliefs and follows the idea of a divine trinity. This trinity consists of the Machine God, the spirit that provides succour and strength to all things, whilst rewarding the quest for knowledge and improvement.Then there is the Emperor of Mankind, who is the physical embodiment of the Machine God as the Omnissiah, there to crush the weak and provide an embodiment of knowledge incarnate; His ascendance to the Golden Throne is seen as His final step in achieving omnipotence.The final part of this trinity is Ferrus Manus, primarch of the Iron Hands, who is believed by the Steel Confessors to be the messenger of the Omnissiah and the bringer of light. He is seen as the closest that a mortal can get to the Omnissiah and provides an example and inspiration to the Astartes of the Chapter.Like the Iron Hands, the Steel Confessors have an unreasoning hatred of weakness, especially any weakness of the physical form, and will not tolerate weakness of any kind from any allies they may have.Indeed, several Imperial forces have refused to take to the field with the Steel Confessors after the Chapter fired upon them for a perceived weakness. The Chapter is currently undergoing Inquisitorial investigation after the destruction of the 54th Tallarn Desert Raiders Regiment for "failure to achieve objectives."The link that the Steel Confessors have with the Adeptus Mechanicus is closer than that of the Iron Hands, and at any given time each company is accompanied by three magi to oversee the upkeep of their wargear and ensure the blessings of the Omnissiah.
Steel Confessors - Notable Steel Confessors: Chapter Master Protonus - Chapter Master Protonus was killed during the valiant defence of Kracsis IV from the Tyranid Hive Fleet Behemoth in 745.M41. He would later be buried on Kalevala alongside the Steel Confessors' first Chapter Master, Avonis.Chapter Master Avonis - Avonis was the first Chapter Master of the Steel Confessors, chosen by the magi of the Adeptus Mechanicus to lead the new Space Marines when they covertly created the Chapter in the 36th Millennium. Avonis was buried on the Chapter's now devastated original homeworld of Kracsis IV, though his remains were later returned by the Chapter to its new homeworld of Kalevala where Avonis was laid to rest beside Chapter Master Protonus who was slain defending Kracsis IV from the assault by Hive Fleet Behemoth that ultimately drove the Steel Confessors from that world. Chapter legends maintain that Avonis never died but is only in stasis until such time as his Chapter needs him once more.
Steel Confessors - Chapter Colours: The Steel Confessors primarily wear metallic silver power armour. The shoulder plate trim is dark green. The inset of the shoulder plates as well as the knee guards are bone white.The Aquila or Imperialis on the chest guard is metallic silver. The black squad specialty symbol -- battleline, close support, fire support, Veteran or command -- is located on the right shoulder plate.A black High Gothic numeral is stenciled on the inside of the shoulder plate, next to the squad specialty symbol, indicating squad number.
Steel Confessors - Chapter Badge: The Steel Confessors' Chapter badge consists of a black cross crosslet. A white lightning bolt surmounts it in the middle of a red oval. The cross crosslet is centred on a field of bone white.
Steel Confessors - Canon Conflict: The Chapter gained notoriety at the Games Day & Golden Demon event at the NEC in Birmingham, England, in 2005, when they were featured in the Warhammer 40,000 mega-battle, the "Battle for Kalevala"; also displayed was a life-sized statue of a Steel Confessor Tactical Marine, a Steel Confessors' Terminator's helmet and a bolter.You will find most of the information here reproduced from the complete Index Astartes: Steel Confessors handout on the Chapter which was distributed that day. The source for this information was Index Astartes: Steel Confessors which claimed to reproduce the text of that handout in its entirety.While this website claims to be a faithful recreation of the text of the original 2005 hand-out, this could not be verified as no original copy of the hand-out has yet been found. Thus, much of the information on this page must be taken with that understanding that its canonicity is unverifiable.
Steel Heart - Steel Heart: The Steel Heart is a Chaos Space Marine Renegade Chapter that was wiped out in 801.M41 when the Aeldari Craftworld Lugganath attacked their stronghold. This headquarters is known to have been located somewhere north of the Halo Stars in the Segmentum Obscurus. Nothing else is currently known about this Renegade Chapter in Imperial records.
Steel Heart - Warband Colours: The Steel Heart's warband colours are not currently described in Imperial records.
Steel Heart - Warband Badge: The Steel Heart's warband badge is not currently described in Imperial records.
Steel Rain - Steel Rain: The term "Steel Rain" refers to one of the many tactics penned by the Ultramarines' Primarch Roboute Guilliman in his Codex Astartes in answer to a specific tactical need.This manoeuvre capitalises on the speedy (re-)deployment of forces through the use of Drop Pods to prevent being bogged down or being forced to commit valuable Space Marine battle-brothers to man a static defense line needlessly.
Steel Rain - History: After the dark days of the Horus Heresy, Roboute Guilliman, the primarch of the Ultramarines Legion, required the surviving Loyalist Space Marine Legions to be divided into Chapters one thousand Space Marines strong.This downsizing brought forth a whole host of tactical problems, for the limited number of Space Marines could no longer grind down an opponent through mass and attrition. Guilliman's reform prompted the Adeptus Astartes' modus operandi to evolve toward quick, overwhelming strikes intended to rapidly crush the head or heart of any opposition immediately, and avoid prolonged operations and grinding attrition wherever possible.The "Steel Rain" manoeuvre is such a tactic, intended  for use on those occasions where a vital objective needs to be defended. Instead of sending part of the battle-brothers to defend the objective directly, those Astartes are kept in reserve on board a Strike Cruiser or Battle Barge.The objective itself is monitored, either by automated sensors or by other Imperial forces present, and if it becomes threatened, or if the already deployed Space Marines manage to bring the battle to the enemy, the reserves are quickly deployed where they are necessary via a concerted Drop Pod assault.Once the situation is over, both the Space Marines and their Drop Pods are quickly brought back to the orbiting starship, and readied for the next instance where their assistance is necessary.The focus on using multiple Drop Pods at once has given the tactic the moniker "Steel Rain" or "Rain of Steel," with each Drop Pod serving as one drop of this metaphorical rain.
Steel Rain - Notable Users: Captain Indrick Boreale of the Blood Ravens - The "Steel Rain" was Captain Boreale's favoured tactic, allowing him to quickly deploy his Astartes wherever their presence was required. Unfortunately for him and the Blood Ravens, the tactic did not prove efficient enough to deliver victory in the Kaurava System, and Captain Boreale paid for his over-reliance on quick redeployments with his life.
Steeltalon Hawk - Steeltalon Hawk: A Steeltalon Hawk is a type of cybernetic animal construct in the form of a Terran hawk used by the warriors of the Sisters of Silence, particularly their Pursuer cadres. Pursuers served as the cyber beast-handlers and hunters of that order, called upon to track down a fleeing quarry such as a Rogue Psyker and either flush them out of hiding for capture or destroy them on sight as needed.In this pursuit each Pursuer holds command over a single Cyber-jackal, Cyber-mastiff, Steeltalon Hawks or other cybernetic Pursuer Beast, and through programmed tap-codes broadcast from a wristpiece, the beasts are directed and their sight and hearing relayed back and displayed so the Pursuers can quickly identify potential signs of refuge or ambush and alert their comrades. The cyber-beasts, as part of their creation, are suited to nearly any urban terrain and are often deployed based on the potential utility of their systems.Steeltalon Hawks are frequently designated for use in urban environments with tall hab-blocks, narrow streets and wide stretches of terrain impassable by foot, extending the visual range of the Silent Sisterhood's hunting cadres far beyond mere Human ability.
Stefan Hemelschot - Stefan Hemelschot: Stefan Hemelschot is a Commodore of the Imperial Navy operating as part of the Achilus Crusade within the Jericho Reach.
Stefan Hemelschot - History: In 786.M41 at the so-called "Council of Ashes," the Achilus Crusade's new Lord Militant, Solomon Tetrarchus, reorganised the command structure of the crusade to match his own preferences. At that time, he made clear that he desired a sturdy and competent commander to prosecute an aggressive void campaign in the Acheros Salient of the Achilus Crusade.Solar Admiral Ram Thoen grudgingly appointed Commodore Stefan Hemelschot as commander of a considerable Imperial Navy flotilla in the region in order to do just that.The commodore fought a series of bitter engagements with Heretic fleets across the Cellebos Warzone, most notably in the First Battle of Vanity and the Accursed Blockade. To the solar admiral's surprise, Hemelschot proved himself a most able fleet commander.It is largely due to the commodore's efforts that the majority of the ships under his command remain intact after a punishing series of battles fought in the Acheros Salient.Hemelschot himself arose from humble beginnings in the Imperial Navy, having been merely an ensign when an Ork boarding assault slaughtered many of the senior officers aboard his first voidship. Then-Ensign Hemelschot rallied the survivors and led a surprise attack upon the greenskins in order to reclaim the vessel in the Emperor's name.Fast-tracked for command since that time, Hemelschot has always made a habit of working closely with the fleet Commissars assigned to his vessels, and he demands nothing but the very best from both his ship and his voidsmen. Morale amongst the commodore's fleet is generally very high, and he is well known as one of the strongest supporters of Lord General Magratha von Karlack.Commodore Hemelschot silenced even his most virulent critics at the Second Battle of Vanity in 811.M41. The commodore's fleet encountered a strong presence of Stigmartus-crewed vessels, including a pair of heavy cruisers.The commodore flanked the Heretic ships with a squadron of Dauntless-class light cruisers, while he sent his main cruiser line in a slingshot manoeuvre around one of Vanity's larger moons. The two forces caught the Stigmartus voidships in a deadly crossfire of torpedoes, followed by heavy bomber wings.These strikes kept the enemy damaged and off-balance until the Imperial warships broke the line and blasted the Heretic vessels into scrap with close-range broadsides.The commodore has recently had some dealings with the mysterious Aeldari Ranger known as Shanyr the Traveller, and there have been some scattered reports of Aeldari starships shadowing the movements of Hemelschot's fleet in the Cellebos Warzone.This has drawn the attention of Ordo Xenos Inquisitors throughout the salient, concerned that alien involvement in the already unstable Cellebos Warzone could only further weaken the crusade's hold in the area.
Stelanictite - Stelanictite: Stelanictite is a hyperdense mineral used by the Brôkhyr artificers of the Leagues of Votann in the crafting of certain very rare devices.For instance, the blind Brôkhyr  Aktôl Vatyk the relic Armour Crest called Aktôl's Fortress using this mineral. Crafted using conflicting harmonic abrasion fields rather than hammer blows, and shot through with a core of hyperdense stelanictite, this Armour Crest crest projects a complex gravitic repulsion field that can be directed by the bearer against their foes. Bludgeoned and restrained by the clashing grav-waves, the enemy is held at bay long enough for the crest's bearer and their comrades to press forward and lay them low.
Sternguard Veteran - Sternguard Veteran: A Sternguard Veteran, usually part of a Sternguard Veteran Squad, is a Veteran Firstborn or Primaris Space Marine of the elite 1st Company of his Chapter who deploys wherever the battle lines are most vulnerable, facing down the most impossible odds with icy calm and precise bursts of bolter fire. A Sternguard Veteran is the very image of what every Space Marine aspires to become, and the pinnacle of any Chapter's fighting force.In contrast to the 1st Company's Vanguard Veteran Squads, Sternguard Veterans draw upon the Chapter Armoury's ranged weaponry. Better and more efficient to slay the foe at range, they argue, than to get bogged down in a close-quarters battle.Most Sternguard Veterans carry boltguns or combi-bolters with meticulously crafted sights and modified scopes. Heavier weapons are also available for tank-hunting or infantry-eradication roles as the specific foes and mission dictates, but these are normally eschewed for the more portable bolter.Any potential shortfall in firepower is compensated for by the versatility of wielding Combi-weapons and the range of specialist bolter ammunition Sternguard Veterans carry into battle.It takes a master Artificer many Terran years of painstaking work to produce even a handful of these rare bolt-shells. They are, therefore, reserved for the Veterans of a Chapter's 1st Company, entrusted to those Space Marines with a proven record of making every single shot count.
Sternguard Veteran - Role: Sternguard Veterans are primarily ranged weapon specialists. A Sternguard Squad's sergeant will sometimes wield a specialised melee weapon, but this is the furthest extent to which a Sternguard Squad will employ close combat weaponry.Most Sternguard Veterans carry boltguns, though heavier weapons are also available, such as a Missile Launcher and Lascannon, but these are normally eschewed for the more portable bolter. Any potential shortfall in firepower is compensated for by the range of specialist bolt ammunition a Sternguard Veteran can carry into battle, including unstable flux core Vengeance Rounds for heavily armoured targets, propellant-rich Kraken Bolts for extended-range engagements and the acidic fury of Hellfire Bolts for bringing down even the angriest Greenskin or Tyranid monstrosity.In most Codex Astartes-compliant Chapters there is a rivalry of sorts between the Vanguard and Sternguard halves of the Veteran 1st Company. These factions compete endlessly for honours and hazardous combat duties -- the glories and shames of their adherents celebrated and atoned for by all. Despite this innate rivalry, Vanguard and Sternguard Veterans remain battle-brothers above all else, and fight unto the death for one another.The role of the Sternguard Vetrans is flexible and they are usually sent to where they are needed most in any battle, be that capturing and defending a vital objective deep in enemy lines after deploying by Drop Pod or smiting their foes at range using Kraken Bolts.There are not many situations where a Sternguard Veteran Squad would not suffice to meet the tactical objectives as they are more flexible than a standard Tactical Squad in their battlefield role.
Sternguard Veteran - Unit Composition: 4-9 Veteran Space Marines or Veteran Primaris Space Marines1 Veteran Sergeant or Veteran Primaris Sergeant
Sternguard Veteran - Dedicated Transport: May select one of the following for a dedicated transport:Drop PodRhino Armoured Personnel CarrierRazorback
Sternguard Veteran - Wargear: Power Armour (Any Firstborn pattern)Mark X Tacticus Power Armour (If Primaris Marine)Master-crafted Bolter or Bolt PistolMaster-crafted Bolt Rifle (If Primaris Marine)Special Issue Bolter Ammunition - All Sternguard Veterans have been equipped with special forms of bolter ammunition]] which include the following:Dragonfire Bolts - Dragonfire Bolts are hollow-shelled bolts that explode with a gout of superheated gas that can eliminate the value of cover for enemy troops.Hellfire Bolts - Hellfire Bolts are designed for use against organic targets, specifically the Tyranids. The core and tip are replaced with a vial of mutagenic acid and thousands of needles. When the round enters the target's body, the vial shatters and the needles pierce the victim's flesh, pumping the acid into the target.Kraken Penetrator Rounds - Kraken Penetrator Rounds are potent, more power armour-piercing rounds than the standard bolt. The uranium core is replaced by a solid Adamantium core and uses a heavier main charge. Upon impact, the outer casing peels away and the high-velocity Adamantium needle accelerates into the victim, where the larger detonator propels shards of super-hardened metal further into the wound. These are effective against heavily-armoured infantry.Vengeance Rounds - Vengeance Round bolts were created using unstable flux core technology that makes them hazardous to use but extremely potent at penetrating through heavily armoured targets. As their name implies, these bolts were developed by the Imperium specifically to target the Chaos Space Marines of the Traitor Legions.Frag GrenadesKrak Grenades
Sternguard Veteran - Optional Wargear Upgrades: Close Combat Weapon (Chainsword, Power Weapon, Lightning Claws, Plasma Pistol, or Power Fist)Melta BombStorm BolterCombi-melta, Combi-flamer, or Combi-plasmaFlamerMeltagunAuto Bolt Rifle (If Primaris Marine)Heavy BolterMulti-MeltaMissile LauncherPlasma GunPlasma CannonHeavy FlamerLascannonGrav-GunGrav-cannon
Sternguard Veteran - Notable Sternguard Veterans: Malum Caedo - Caedo was a Sternguard Veteran of the Ultramarines Chapter's 1st Company. Several standard years after the events of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine on the vital Forge World of Graia, Malum Caedo and several of his 1st Company brethren were sent by the Inquisition back to Graia on a mission of great importance. Since the Ork and Chaos invasions of Graia that had been unleashed upon the Forge World by the machinations of the Chaos Sorcerer Nemeroth several standard years before, the Inquisition had kept Graia closely watched for the emergence of further threats. Inquisitor Seibel of the Ordo Malleus revealed that rogue Tech-priests of Graia had experimented with the remains of the late Inquisitor Drogan's unstable and unique power source -- a small cylinder wreathed in potent blue energies -- and the experiments had resulted in the opening of a Warp rift that allowed the forces of Chaos to once more invade the Forge World. Malum Caedo and his Sternguard Veteran Squad were tasked with retrieving the power source with the aid of a Servo-skull that had once belonged to Drogan. When the Ultramarines make planetfall, their Drop Pod was severely damaged during the descent and crash-landed on the planet's surface, leaving Malum Caedo as the sole survivor. As Caedo valiantly fought his way single-handedly through the Chaos forces, including Chaos Cultists, Heretic Astartes and Daemons, it was discovered that the Chaos incursion's leader, a Chaos Sorcerer named Tumulus Samael, sought the power source for his own nefarious plans to transform Graia into a Daemon World under his control. The sorcerer had already managed to learn the location of the power source fragment and Caedo raced to stop him. When Caedo reached the Adeptus Mechanicus vault containing the power source, Samael appeared and gloated that he had already taken the power source. The sorcerer and his minions attacked the orbital void station above Graia and used the power source to enlarge the Warp rift that threatened to engulf Graia and the entire sector. Malum fought his way through the void station before finally reaching Samael, and after a grueling fight, the Sternguard Veteran managed to slay the sorcerer. Inquisitor Seibel arrived at the void station soon after and retrieved the power source for the Inquisition. Without the power source, the Warp rift began to close, but Seibel warned that there were still many Chaos forces left active on Graia, and Malum Caedo prepared for the trials he had yet to face.
Sternhammer - Sternhammer: Sternhammer, also known as the 'Warden of the Lost', was a Wolf Priest of the Space Wolves Chapter. Known only by his name to the defenders of the Cadian Gate, he came to represent all the actions of the lost 13th Great Company during Abaddon the Despoiler's 13th Black Crusade in 999.M41. He fell upon the Forces of Chaos mercilessly and then withdrew before any Imperial force could make successful contact. Sternhammer was reported to have been in a great many different war zones light years apart from each other, leading a band of bestial warriors that he would unleash like giant hunting hounds upon the foe. He was reported to have saved the 143rd Cadian Regiment at Cadmus Binary.Fighting alongside an unidentified and powerful Wolf Lord, his Wulfen guard slew the Night Lords Chaos Lord Sinax. Only a few solar days later and five light years away, Sternhammer was reportedly sighted once more, leading a boarding action aboard an Imperial Navy vessel that resulted in the scuttling of the Light of Fatidicus, so that the enemy would not capture it. More than a hundred victories were attributed to Wolf Priest Sternhammer and his warbands during the 13th Black Crusade. Whether they were the same band, or many, and whether Sternhammer led them all himself is unknown, but the defenders of the Cadian Gate remain both heartened and terrified at the memory of the mournful howls of the Wulfen he led into combat.
Steve Parker - Steve Parker: Steve Parker is an author for Games Workshop's Black Library imprint.