vizn3r/warhammer40k-lore huggingface dataset:
Assault Cannon - Iliastus Pattern Assault Cannon: This prototype weapon system was designed as a more compact and portable variant of the highly successful Kheres pattern. It was, as can be divined by its pattern designation, first developed on the Iliastus Satellite in the Sol System by the Dyzanique techno-esoteric cult. This was a secretive organisation whose fealty to the Emperor predated His alliance with Mars. Under field testing with the VII (Imperial Fists) and IX (Blood Angels) Legions before the outbreak of the war of the Horus Heresy, the Iliastus Pattern evidenced formidable firepower, but was prone to catastrophic failure under the rare conditions of heavy use.
Assault Cannon - Kheres Pattern Assault Cannon: The Kheres Pattern Assault Cannon is an ancient pattern of the weapon that was commonly deployed on Contemptor Pattern Dreadnoughts during the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy. It maintains a higher rate of fire than the standard pattern Assault Cannons used in the late 41st Millennium.
Assault Cannon - Nomus Pattern Rotor Cannon: The Nomus Pattern Rotor Cannon is the ancient predecessor of the modern Assault Canon. It was commonly used amongst the newly-established Terminator-armoured elite veterans of the various Space Marine Legions during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy eras during the 30th and early 31st Millennia.
Assault Cannon - Punisher Assault Cannon: The Punisher Assault Cannon is a pattern of Assault Cannon specifically developed for deployment on Praetorian Pattern Sentinels as their primary armament. The Praetorian Pattern Sentinel is quite a different beast compared to its brethren. The main differences include the removal of almost the entire canopy and a simpler walking mechanism.The legs of the Praetorian Pattern have one less knee joint compared to other Sentinel patterns and are covered in thick armour plate. This is in accordance with Praetorian Guard combat doctrine, which is heavily focused around lines of infantry, in countless ranks, firing in massed volleys, supported by heavy weapons teams. The Praetorian Pattern Sentinel complements this strategy by acting as a mobile heavy weapon team, rather than a fast attack or reconnaissance vehicle.
Assault Cannon - Sources: Codex: Blood Angels (5th Edition), pp. 56, 59Codex: Space Wolves (5th Edition), pg. 59Warhammer 40,000 Rulebook (6th Edition), pg. 54The Horus Heresy - Book One: Betrayal (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pg. 239The Horus Heresy - Book Two: Massacre (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pg. 104The Horus Heresy - Book Three: Extermination (Imperial Armour), pg. 267Warhammer 40,000: Compendium (2nd Edition), "Terminator - Space Marine Tactical Dreadnought Armour in Warhammer 40,000", by Rick Priestley & Andy Warwick, pp. 12, 15Warhammer 40,000: Rulebook (3rd Edition), pg. 61Warhammer 40,000: Wargear (2nd Edition)White Dwarf 112 (US), "Terminator: Space Marine Tactical Dreadnought Armour in Warhammer 40,000", by Rick Priestley & Andy Warwick, pp. 12, 15Carcharodons: Red Tithe (Novel) by Robbie MacNivenTales of Heresy (Anthology) edited by Nick Kyme and Lindsey Priestley, "Scions of the Storm" by Anthony Reynolds, pg. 207
Assault Drill - Assault Drill: An Assault Drill, also known as a Siege Drill, is a weapon used by Space Marine Siege Dreadnoughts and Centurions to breach fortifications during siege operations.The smaller version of the weapon is known as a Siege Drill when employed by Centurions. An Assault Drill bores through natural rock as easily as it does reinforced ferrocrete, which is the substance of which most Imperial fortifications and other human structures are composed.Once the drill has penetrated the obstruction, a Heavy Flamer built into the device unleashes an inferno inside the bunker, killing everything within. The Assault Drill consists of three spherical drill heads which rotate rapidly to grind away any obstruction.
Assault Intercessor - Assault Intercessor: An Assault Intercessor, who is usually part of an Assault Intercessor Squad, are Primaris Space Marines who are among the most widespread close support units in a Space Marine Chapter's arsenal. Firing their Heavy Bolt Pistols as they close upon the foe, they charge into the fray, where they make short work of their enemies with brutal swings of their chainswords.
Assault Intercessor - Unit Composition: 4-9 Assault Intercessors1 Assault Intercessor Sergeant
Assault Intercessor - Wargear: Mark X Tacticus Power ArmourHeavy Bolt PistolAstartes ChainswordFrag GrenadesKrak GrenadesHand Flamer (As replacement for Assault Intercessor Sergeant's Heavy Bolt Pistol)Plasma Pistol (As replacement for Assault Intercessor Sergeant's Heavy Bolt Pistol)Power Fist (As replacement for Assault Intercessor Sergeant's Astartes Chainsword)Power Sword (As replacement for Assault Intercessor Sergeant's Astartes Chainsword)Thunder Hammer (As replacement for Assault Intercessor Sergeant's Astartes Chainsword)
Assault Marine - Assault Marine: An Assault Marine is a close support Firstborn Space Marine who is equipped with weapons that are specialised towards melee combat at close quarters and serves as part of an Assault Squad. The term Assault Marine refers to Imperial Space Marines equipped in such a manner; Chaos Space Marines have similar units called Chaos Raptors.Assault Marines are powerful melee fighters able to best almost any opponent in the bloody close-quarters melee fighting that is such a common feature of warfare in the late 41st Millennium. Each Assault Squad consists of up to 10 battle-brothers of whom one will be the unit leader with the rank of sergeant.All of the Astartes in the squad excel at close quarters combat, have received additional specialist training and have become highly experienced in melee combat after countless encounters with the Emperor's enemies.Assault Squads excel at close-quarters fighting. Equipped with Jump Packs, they blaze across the battlefield, charging into the foe with little heed for personal danger. With turbo-engine impetus, Assault Squads slam into the enemy, sending foes sprawling from the skull-crunching force of their impact.The Codex Astartes dictates that Assault Squads should be unleashed in the first wave of an attack, to strike hard and fast at weak points in the foe's formation. Opposing infantry are shredded with Chainsword and Bolt Pistol, enemy tanks with Krak Grenades.Such is the way of the Space Marines -- to crush the enemy without mercy before moving on to the next target. Such tactics are far from subtle, but effective nonetheless -- though a foe who perceives this to be the extent of an Assault Squad's capability is woefully mistaken.The Jump Pack is easily as dangerous as any weapon the Assault Marine carries, propelling its bearer into the heart of combat with the force of a hurtling meteorite. More importantly though, with a Jump Pack comes mobility, allowing the Assault Squad to redeploy quickly in a series of hard-hitting attacks, or even perform controlled low-altitude descents from Thunderhawk gunships.Assault Squads draw some of the most brutal of all battle assignments. Often operating ahead of the rest of the Astartes army, Assault Marines are ever in danger of being outflanked, cut off, or simply overwhelmed by the enemy every time they deploy. Even if an Assault Squad is knee-deep in corpses and fighting for their lives, its Sergeant must be aware not only of his current situation, but also any imminent or potential developments that will leave his battle-brothers stranded in a sea of bloodthirsty foes.Should this occur, only raw might and iron resolve will allow the Assault Marines to hack their way clear of the foe and claim victory. Likewise, should an enemy break and flee, it is the Assault Squad that is often tasked with following up and ensuring that none escape the Emperor's Judgement.
Assault Marine - History: Modern Assault Marines can trace their origins to over ten thousand standard years ago during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy eras in the late 30th and early 31st Millennia. Legion Assault Squads were the rapid attack formations of the ancient Space Marine Legions. These Jump Pack-equipped Legion Assault Squads were rapid attack forces whose wargear was optimised towards close-quarters fighting and hit-and-run tactics.The use of Jump Packs allowed Legion Assault Squads to move with greater speed across the battlefield and impact the enemy line with savage force, leaping past intervening terrain and open defences to engage their adversaries in bloody melee. The needs of even such limited flight systems, however, precluded the use of heavy weaponry or extensive munitions supplies.Jump Pack-equipped Assault Squads were not embraced to the same extent by all of the Legions for reasons of combat doctrine, temperament or simple resource difficulties. The Legion Assault Squad was the precursor of the modern Assault Squads of the Adeptus Astartes still utilised in the late 41st Millennium.
Assault Marine - Assault Marines Organisation: The Lord Executioner serves as the officer who is the master of a Chapter's Assault Company. He is a brutal and direct individual, not so much given to glittering heroics and flamboyant challenges as short, bloody and efficient close combats.Clutching his favoured master-crafted melee weapon in his hands, he strides purposely forward in battle, the expression of a stone cold killer writ on his face as he heads towards his grim duty. His Artificer Armour is often impressively detailed with embossed skulls, scrollwork and multiple Purity Seals. Of all the Space Marine Captains within a Chapter, the Lord Executioner is the most menacing.The Sergeant of an Assault Squad is an Astartes who has undergone additional special training in leadership and small unit tactics. He may have fought in enough battles for his Chapter to qualify as a Veteran. Such warriors are often promoted to special command duties or transferred to the elite 1st Company of the Chapter in Codex Astartes-compliant Chapters.Veteran Sergeants are highly-valued by their company captain as they improve the capabilities of the squads under their command. The Assault Sergeant's badge of rank is a red skull displayed on the left shoulder plate of his armour and he is further distinguished by his red helmet. Veteran-status Sergeants don a red helmet with a white stripe in its centre.All the members of the Assault Squad fight with a weapon in each hand. Usually this is a pistol and sword combination but it is not uncommon for them to use mauls, axes, Power Fists and other, more exotic close combat melee weapons. Individual Chapters favour particular weapons for their Assault Squads but the majority stick to the classic pairing of Bolt Pistol and Chainsword. The whole squad will also carry Frag Grenades or Krak Grenades. Other grenade types are occasionally used on special missions but are generally restricted to officers and squad leaders.Some of the Astartes in the squad may have fought in enough battles for their Chapter to earn Veteran status. They may continue to serve with the Assault Squad for a short time but eventually they will be promoted to special duties in a Command Squad or advanced to the 1st Company which is comprised of only Veteran Space Marines. In this way the ranks of the Chapter's most elite company are replenished. In the Ultramarines Chapter, Veterans are distinguished by their white helmets.The Assault Squad's role in combat is to strike hard and fast at vulnerable points in the enemy's formation and overwhelm their opponents in the ensuing melee. Jump Packs give the squad's Astartes incredible speed and maneuverability and the Assault Marines are experts in using them. However, the Assault Squads can also fight as Assault Bike or Land Speeder squadrons or indeed be deployed from just about any of the standard Space Marines transport or armoured vehicles like a a Rhino or a Razorback. This all-around combat proficiency provides an Astartes Force Commander great flexibility in deciding how, when and where to use the awesome fighting power of his Assault Squads.
Assault Marine - Unit Composition: 1 Space Marine Sergeant or Veteran Sergeant4-9 Space Marines
Assault Marine - Dedicated Transport: If an Assault Squad does not take Jump Packs, it may select one of the following as a dedicated transport:1 Drop Pod1 Rhino Armoured Personnel Carrier1 Razorback
Assault Marine - Wargear: Assault Marines can be equipped with a variety of wargear. Some may carry the weapons with which they most excel, while others carry specialised wargear unique to the mission at hand. Most carry a pistol, either a Bolt Pistol, Plasma Pistol or Grav Pistol, and complement it with a melee weapon such as a Chainsword or Power Sword.
Assault Marine - Assault Squad Wargear: Power ArmourBolt PistolChainswordFrag GrenadesKrak Grenades
Assault Marine - Optional Wargear: Jump Pack2 Space Marines may replace Bolt Pistol with Flamer or Plasma Pistol2 Space Marines may replace Chainsword with an Eviscerator
Assault Marine - Optional Wargear, Sergeant Only: 1 item from Melee Weapons (Including: (Includes: Chainfist, Chainsword, Force Weapon, Lightning Claws, Power Fist, Power Weapon, Relic Blade and Thunder Hammer)Grav-pistolPlasma PistolCombat Shield and/or Melta Bombs
Assault Marine - Sources: Codex Adeptus Astartes - Space Marines (8th Edition), pp. 70, 72, 169Codex: Space Marines (8th Edition), pp. 72, 143Codex: Space Marines (7th Edition) (Digital Edition), pp. 5, 51-53, 69, 84-86, 91, 113, 159, 180, 201, 338-340Codex: Space Marines (5th Edition), pg. 60Insignium Astartes, pg. 20The Horus Heresy - Book One: Betrayal by Alan Bligh, "Legion Assault Squad," pp. 91, 203White Dwarf July 2013 (US), "Warhammer 40,000 Apocalypse," pg. 50
Assault of the Tempest Galleries - Assault of the Tempest Galleries: The Assault of the Tempest Galleries is the rare battle of the ancient Unification Wars that united Ancient Terra under the control of the Emperor of Mankind in the late 30th Millennium that is still recorded in Imperial archives.The Caucasus Wastes was a techno-barbarian state located in the Caucasus Peninsula of the ancient European continent on Old Earth. Its despotic ruler, known as the Ethnarch of the Caucasus Wastes, was defeated by the forces of the Emperor and imprisoned in the maximum security Imperial prison in the Himalazian (Himalayan) Mountains known as Khangba Marwu or The Vault.The primary Imperial force responsible for this outcome was the early XVIII Legion of Space Marines, later known to history as the Salamanders.
Assault on Cephian IV - Assault on Cephian IV: The Assault on Cephian IV was an Imperial military action that took place in the 41st Millennium on the Feral World of Cephian IV, where the Black Templars Space Marine Chapter had maintained a Chapter keep in its northern chain of mountains for over four thousand standard years, following the liberation of this world from the warriors of the Alpha Legion in the early 37th Millennium. This attack was the culmination of a dastardly alliance between the deluded followers of the Ruinous Powers and the depraved xenos known as the Dark Eldar, intent on murder and torture.
Astaramis - Astaramis: Astaramis is an Imperial Hive World that is the third planet of the Konor System in the Realm of Ultramar and the most populated planet in the system. The world came under sustained attack by the Forces of Chaos in service to Nurgle during the Plague Wars of the early 42nd Millennium, but the Imperial forces valiantly rallied to reclaim Astaramis for the Emperor.
Astaramis - Geography: The world of Astaramis possessed several areas of ultimate strategic import for any force seeking to maintain or seize control over the planet during the Plague Wars. These included:Praxima Skyport - When the Chaos forces first launched their assault upon Astaramis, they destroyed all but one of the planet's major transit hubs in a series of orbital strikes. Only the enormous Praxima Skyport still stands, protected by a bristling array of Icarus Lascannons and a formidable Void Shield. Under intense bombardment by Traitor artillery, this vital strategic location was defended with desperate bravery by an outnumbered force of Ultramarines and planetary auxilia. The walls of the rugged octagonal redoubt have been breached many times, and torrents of blood have been spilled within its cavernous docking halls and cramped utility tunnels. If Praxima had fallen, Chaos would have denied the Imperial forces a vital staging post, and severely hampered their ability to land fresh reinforcements on the planet.The Quintus Gate - This towering fortified gateway leads to the inner towers of Hive Hallentia, the largest hive city on Astaramis and the only haven to remain unbreached by Chaos forces during the Plague Wars. Ahead of the gate runs the central thoroughfare, the arterial route into the city. This broad avenue is choked by the rusted carcasses of wrecked main battle tanks and war engines, smouldering alongside the blasted ruins of civilian convoys that were overrun before they could reach the safety of the Quintus Gate. Within this maze of shattered, smoking metal and charred corpses, vicious and prolonged fighting rages. If the gate had fallen, Chaos forces would have spilled into Hallentia unopposed, and the streets run red with the blood of loyal Imperial citizens.Saviour's Landing - This sprawling temple district was built upon the hallowed soil where the blessed Roboute Guilliman first made landfall on Astaramis during the Great Crusade over 10,000 standard years ago. Saviour's Landing was once a maze of white marble walkways, golden shrines and pristine galleries of wondrous statuary depicting the sainted Primarch's many legendary triumphs. During the Plague Wars it became almost unrecognisable, ravaged by the fires of war. Contesting armies fought a multi-level running battle amidst the wreckage of its former grandeur, battling hall by hall, stairway by soaring stairway for the right to control or despoil this potent symbol of Imperial faith.
Astaramis - Fate of Konor Summer Campaign: The Konor System was the location for the 2017 worldwide Fate of Konor Summer Campaign, conducted by Games Workshop to herald the arrival of the 8th Edition of the Warhammer 40,000 tabletop war game. Each week, players at officially-recognised locations around the world, such as various game and hobby stores, would play a series of campaigns set on each world of the Konor System, representing either the Imperial defenders or the attackers of Chaos. Each battle's outcome was then logged with Games Workshop's Warhammer 40,000 website. The collective outcome of all those battles determined which force ultimately won canonical control of each planet in the system during the Plague Wars.
Astartes Grenade Launcher - Astartes Grenade Launcher: An Astartes Grenade Launcher is an Imperial Grenade Launcher utilised by the Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes. Astartes Scout Bikers can employ Astartes Grenade Launchers outfitted with adaptive targeters to compensate for the high speeds at which they hurl themselves at the enemy.The Astartes Grenade Launcher is usually armed with Frag and Krak Grenades, depending on the biker's tactical need, though any pattern of Imperial grenade can be fired from the launcher.
Astartes Praeses - Astartes Praeses: The Astartes Praeses are a group of twenty Loyalist Space Marine Chapters whose sole purpose is to guard the Eye of Terror in the Segmentum Obscurus. The ancient tome known as the Mythos Angelica Mortis makes a single reference to 20 Space Marine Chapters created from the unique gene-seed of those primarchs who did not fall to Chaos during the Horus Heresy and who were charged with protecting the Imperial sectors surrounding the Eye of Terror and supporting Cadia and the Inquisition as needed.Although the brotherhood of Space Marines included in the Astartes Praeses originally included 20 Chapters, one has been destroyed by the forces of Chaos and two other Chapters, the Relictors and the Sons of Malice, were declared Excommunicate Traitoris by the High Lords of Terra. It should be noted, however, that the latter Chapter is only suspected of being one of the original 20 Chapters mentioned in the Mythos Angelica Mortis.The Astartes Praeses were evidently founded anew rather than assembled from the remnants of the Space Marine Legions, like many of the other Second Founding Chapters, to reduce the possibility of corruption by Veteran Marines who had been exposed to Chaos during the fighting of the Horus Heresy.Note: The following is a partial list of the Imperial military strength forming the containment force around the Ocularis Terribus. The identity of seven other Chapters that were or are a part of the Astartes Praeses has been lost due to data corruption.Communications difficulties and the secrecy of some Adeptus Astartes Chapters means that this list should be considered little more than conjecture. Though no comprehensive list has ever been assembled, the current known and past members of the Astartes Praeses are believed to include:NameProgenitorFoundingFounding DateAngels EradicantUnknownUnknownUnknownBlack ConsulsUltramarinesSecond Founding31st MillenniumBrothers PenitentUnknownUnknownUnknownCrimson ScythesUnknownUnknownUnknownExcoriatorsImperial FistsSecond Founding31st MillenniumIron TalonsWhite ScarsUnknownUnknownKnights UnyieldingUnknownUnknownUnknownMarines ExemplarUnknownUnknownUnknownNight WatchUnknownUnknownUnknownRelictors (declared Excommunicate Traitoris)Unknown (Presumed to be the Ultramarines and the Dark Angels)UnknownUnknownSons of Malice (declared Excommunicate Traitoris)UnknownUnknownUnknownSubjugatorsImperial Fists23rd Founding or 24th Founding41st MillenniumViper LegionUnknownUnknownUnknownWhite ConsulsUltramarinesSecond Founding31st Millennium
Asterion Moloc - Asterion Moloc: Asterion Moloc, known as the "Master of the Minotaurs," "Satrap of the Daedelos Krata," "Bringer of Wrath," "The Brazen Warlord" and "Spear of Judgement," is the current Chapter Master of the fearsome and brutal Minotaurs Space Marine Chapter.This paranoid and bloody-handed Astartes commander revels in his dark reputation and his name is a byword for death and mayhem carried out in the name of the benevolent Emperor of Mankind.Asterion Moloc is a brutal tactician and enjoys the utter destruction of his foes, but has little patience for councils or strategic planning when forced by circumstance to work with other Imperial forces. Instead he chooses to remain aloof, as is his Chapter's nature, often sending his Reclusiarch Ivanus Enkomi as his Chapter's emissary and his personal representative in such matters.During the conflict known as the Badab War there was no record of Asterion Moloc ever being present for a war council of the Loyalist Astartes Chapters involved in the campaign. The only record of his presence in the war came from pict-footage recovered from battle scans and fearful stories spread by the few Secessionist survivors of the Minotaurs' brutal attacks.Later, Moloc would lead his Chapter to the Orpheus Sector of the Segmentum Tempestus to assist the Imperial defence of that region from the Necrons of the resurgent Maynarkh Dynasty.
Asterion Moloc - Wargear: The following numbers all correlate to the image of Asterion Moloc displayed above:Tartaros Pattern Artificer Terminator Armour - Moloc's customary panoply of war is a highly modified suit of Artificer Tactical Dreadnought Armour, considered to be based upon the Tartaros Pattern Terminator Armour design. The Tartaros Pattern itself is a relic design among its kind, developed in the latter stages of the Great Crusade in the late 30th Millennium, and is marked for being lighter and more streamlined in its construction without reduction in its phenomenal durability.Heraldic Storm Shield - Further improving his armour's already formidable defences, Moloc carries as part of his wargear a Storm Shield which generates a defensive energy shield capable of annulling tremendous kinetic impacts and electromagnetic energy attacks. The shield bears the heraldry of the Minotaurs Chapter and as part of this heraldry, archaic Terran Helac (Greek) glyphs can be seen which find common use in the Chapter. However, these do not translate directly into High or Low Gothic as expected and are likely once again to reflect some arcane and idiosyncratic use by this highly secretive Chapter.The Black Spear - The Black Spear is an ancient artefact that is steeped in blood and said to have once been used by the Legio Custodes. A truly deadly relic-weapon of unknown provenance, the Black Spear is similar in some regards to the sacred arms used by the present-era Adeptus Custodes. The spear is a Power Weapon of remarkable potency, able in Moloc's hands to pierce even Terminator battle plate. Its incorporated single-shot laser weapon is sufficiently potent to be used as an anti-tank weapon if needed.
Asterion Moloc - Trivia: The etymology of the name Asterion Moloc hails from ancient Greece. "Asterion" (Ancient Greek: Ἀστερίων) or Asterius (Ἀστέριος) was the legendary minotaur of Crete, born to King Minos and his wife Pasiphaë and locked away in a labyrinth."Moloc" (also known as Moloch, Molock, Molok, Molekh, Molek or Molech) hails from ancient origins, being the name of an ancient Ammonite god worshipped by the Canaanites, Phoenicians and related Semitic cultures in North Africa and the Levant.Moloc is described as being close in physical appearance to that of the Greek minotaur; the head of a bull and the body of a Human.
Astorath the Grim - Astorath the Grim: Astorath the Grim, called the "Redeemer of the Lost," is the High Chaplain of the Blood Angels Space Marine Chapter. He is tasked with granting the Emperor's Peace to all those of his fellow Astartes who bear the gene-seed of the Primarch Sanguinius and have been overcome by the genetic Flaw known as the Black Rage.There is no station within the Blood Angels Chapter more greatly honoured or more deeply loathed: honoured for the burden the Redeemer of the Lost bears as he carries out his difficult but necessary duties; loathed because that duty is stained forever with the blood of his fellow battle-brothers. In battle, Astorath is a true angel of death, a sombre, axe-wielding figure who shepherds the madmen at his side to a final, meaningful end.
Astorath the Grim - History: Astorath has the sacred calling to seek out those amongst the Scions of Sanguinius whose souls have been claimed by the terrible genetic Flaw known as the Black Rage, and whose mental degeneration has become so severe that even an honourable death in battle is no longer possible. His quarry found, Astorath ends his lost Battle-Brother's life with a single mighty blow to the neck, severing his head to thwart the fiendish endurance granted by the Black Rage. This is without doubt an act of mercy, a gift to the accursed. Nonetheless, no Battle-Brother can ever feel entirely comfortable in Astorath's presence, for they know that the bite of his forbidding axe might one day be the last thing that they feel.Whilst officially bound to the Blood Angels, Astorath's duties carry him far and wide amongst the Chapter's Successors. It was long ago considered that these terrible duties were best borne by a single Astartes of Sanguinius' line, and, thus far at least, a single brother has been equal to the task at hand. So does Astorath tread the stars, hacking apart those enemies who would prevent him from bestowing his gift of oblivion.To an observer, it might seem that Astorath's presence fans the destructive fires of the Black Rage. Certainly it is more prevalent wherever he treads, and even those Blood Angels who remain sane are unmistakably wilder in the Redeemer's presence. However, the truth is entirely the opposite.Astorath can sense the Black Rage's degenerative onset before it becomes apparent to any other soul -- including its victim. Individual afflictions echo through his mind in the form of doom-laden chords, and grow ever stronger as other Battle-Brothers fall into the Black Rage's clutches. No separation of distance can serve to mute this dolorous symphony. Whether the victims are fighting on Armageddon or in Ultramar, Astorath can sense their plight -- and he must go to them as his duty requires.So it is that the Redeemer of the Lost has become a true Angel of Death, a legend of destruction amongst the Blood Angels, their Successor Chapters and their foes alike. Wherever Astorath the Grim treads, the enemy face not only his fury, but the onslaught of Space Marines caught in the twilight shadows of the Black Rage. Astorath's sorrow for his doomed Battle-Brothers serves only to fuel a determination that they shall pass into death having known one last great victory. In this cause he fights like a man possessed, resolute that his twin gifts of death and redemption shall not be denied.
Astorath the Grim - Guardians of the High Chaplain: The Erelim are comprised of a choir of five Blood Angels Chaplains. They vigilantly stand in the shadows, charged with protecting the hidden reclusiam of Astorath the Grim on Baal, whose location is only known to the Chapter Masters of the Blood Angels and their Successor Chapters. Stripped of all insignia and adornment save their Chapter's symbol emblazoned upon their shoulder plates, they are as dark mirrors to the Sanguinary Guard that stand in the light of Commander Dante. Even their skull helms have been daubed death-black and their Jump Packs have been framed by halos of darkest feather. Nothing but the glow of their crimson-coloured optics betray them in the half-light.
Astorath the Grim - Wargear: Artificer Armour - Astorath is clad in master-crafted, crimson-coloured Artificer Armour that has the appearance of exposed, striated muscles. The pauldrons and knee plates show a field of skulls.Winged Jump Pack - Astorath wears a modified version of the standard Astartes Jump Pack that is designed to emulate Sanguinius' own angelic wings, but instead of being angelic white, they are a dark mirror of the Sanguinary Guard's own Jump Packs, framing the Redeemer of the Lost by a halo of darkest feather. When leaping down from above, it is as if the grim executioner has taken flight on broad angelic wings like an avenging angel of legend, thus striking fear into his foes.Bolt PistolFrag GrenadesKrak GrenadesRosariusThe Executioner's Axe - Astorath's axe is crafted to deliver the perfect killing blow. This mighty two-handed master-crafted Power Axe is so keen it can even slice through power fields. Many consider the blade to be cursed, for it is steeped beyond cleansing in the blood of Sanguinius' sons. Yet it is a peerless weapon of mercy and of war, its cutting edge coated with void-diamond and sharpened to a monomolecular finish. The haft resembles a Human spine.Eminence Sanguis - This vessel is the personal transport of the high chaplain of the Blood Angels Chapter. Within, it contains a chamber for Astorath's sarcophagus.
Astoren Korr - Astoren Korr: Astoren Korr is a watch master of the Deathwatch Chapter who serves as the watch commander of Fort Obsidus, a watch fortress located in the Segmentum Solar.Following the admittance of Primaris Marines into the Deathwatch following the Ultimaris Decree in the Era Indomitus, he has proven especially adept in the deployment of Repulsor battle tanks. This skill has led to the defeat of the Speed Kults of WAAAGH! Wazdakka, as well as several other recent Ork attacks in the region.
Astorgius - Astorgius: Astorgius was an Imperial Cardinal World that was the primary inhabited planet of the Thaxaril System in the Chalnath Expanse of the nothern Ultima Segmentum in the Imperium Nihilus. It was one of the worlds of that region that was caught up in the multi-sided conflict between the Imperium and various xenos powers that was known as the Chalnath Expanse Campaign.Astorgius was celebrated across the sector for its magnificent architecture, incredible wealth and priceless Adeptus Ministorum relics.The world was devastated by the invasion of the forces of the T'au Empire's Fifth Sphere Expansion into the Thaxaril System under the leadership of Commander Shadowsun. Even as the forces of the Imperium and the T'au waged their war for control of the planet, neither realised that Astorgius was also home to a large Genestealer Cult infestation, which had yet to make its presence known.
Astra Militarum - Genos and the Wars of Unification: During the turbulent era known as the Age of Strife, the Sol System and the nearby star systems that had been colonised by Humanity during the Age of Technology were effectively cut off from interstellar travel or communication with each other due to the massive Warp storms that swept the galaxy. Little remained of the once sophisticated civilisation of Old Earth's glorious past as the centre of a growing Human interstellar civilisation marked by advanced science, high culture and wondrous technologies.Techno-barbarian warlords and their warrior hordes continuously fought over Humanity's home planet, which had become little more than a massive battleground for their wars of attrition. They made use of chemical, biological and even thermonuclear weapons of mass destruction, and slowly transformed the cradle of Mankind into a battered, post-apocalyptic wasteland across most of its scarred surface.It was against this backdrop of oppression, violence and casual brutality that the Emperor of Mankind first revealed Himself to the people of Terra. In secret, He had been planning for this moment in history for millennia, ever since the Age of Strife had fractured what remained of the ancient Human federation which had once stretched across a part of the galaxy. The Emperor moved to create the military organisations he would need to begin the reunification of Mankind, and He used the raw materials at hand after millennia of savage conflict between the techno-barbarian nation-states of Old Earth.Formed during the savage continental wars that had engulfed Terra in the Age of Strife, the genetically-enhanced warriors known as "Genos" comprised the first units of the force that would become the Imperial Army and would serve as the prototypes for the later development of the proto-Space Marines called the Thunder Warriors. Among the most well-known of the regiments composed of Genos were the so-called Strife Epoch regiments raised by the Emperor to initiate the Unification Wars intended to reunite all the warring peoples of Terra beneath His benevolent rule.The genetically-enhanced Strife Epoch regiments came to form the nucleus of the armed forces that would later support the even more genetically advanced Space Marine Legions during their reconquest of the Human-settled galaxy. The Emperor began His conquest of Terra with the intent to reunite the warring techno-barbarian nations into a unified planetary government and then use Terra as the springboard from which to begin His reconquest of the galaxy under the aegis of an Imperium of Man dedicated to the Imperial Truth of progress and reason.
Astra Militarum - Birth of the Astra Militarum: In the wake of the resultant bloodshed of the Horus Heresy, during the reformation of the Imperium by the Primarch and Imperial Regent Roboute Guilliman in the Time of Rebirth of the early 31st Millennium, measures were implemented to ensure treason on such a scale could never again occur. The Imperial Army ceased to exist and the link between the fleet of the Armada Imperialis and the army it had served was permanently severed. War in the depth of space would be the responsibility of the Navis Imperialis -- the Imperial Navy -- now a separate force with its own hierarchy and political agenda, while any and all operations conducted on planetary surfaces would fall to the Imperial Guard.Commissars of the Officio Prefectus  were introduced: men and women who were trained and indoctrinated as incorruptible watchdogs, arbiters of Imperial authority who would ensure the swift and public execution of cowards and malcontents.Shorn of their autonomy and watched closely for disloyalty, the newly renamed Astra Militarum -- the "Imperial Guard" in Low Gothic -- were now a codependent organisation. Operations, structure and command were brutally compartmentalised. Trust and flexibility were sacrificed for the sake of increased loyalty and internal security. Rebellions and insurrections against Imperial authority might still be inevitable, but now they would be isolated, fragmented, and swiftly crushed.
Astra Militarum - Notable Events: The Astra Militarum have fought the Emperor's wars for ten thousand standard years, and for every hero immortalised upon a marble plinth, a million have died unmarked and unmourned. Yet still the soldiers of Humanity muster for war across the galaxy, ready to stand against the most terrible foes it has to offer, for the Emperor and for Holy Terra. Never have they been needed more...
Astra Militarum - M31-M32, The Age of Rebirth: The Imperium is rebuilt from the ashes of the Horus Heresy. Doctrines such as the Codex Astartes and Tactica Imperium are drawn up and implemented to ensure that large-scale military rebellion will never again be possible.ca. 014-021.M31 The Great Scouring - A campaign of vengeance is launched in which those Traitors who survived the fall of Horus are driven into the Eye of Terror. The nearby planet of Cadia is bolstered until its defences are second only to Holy Terra itself, forming the anchor-point of the Cadian Gate. For a short time the Imperium knows peace from the corrupted followers of the Dark Gods.ca.M31 The Reformation and Restructuring of the Imperial Army - The massive and singular Imperial Army is divided into many autonomous but interrelated parts. Among them is the Astra Militarum, leadership of which is distributed amongst the various Militarum Regimentos.781.M31 1st Black Crusade - Abaddon the Despoiler, the Warmaster of Chaos, leads the Black Legion out of the Eye of Terror to lay waste to the Imperium. His assault falls upon Cadia. His forces are driven back into the Warp by Cadian Shock Troops, the Adeptus Astartes and the Legio Titanicus.
Astra Militarum - M32-M35, The Forging: The Adeptus Terra begins an ambitious project to bring the most important star systems in the Imperium under its direct control. At the forefront of this conquest are the Adeptus Astartes and the massive armies of the Astra Militarum. As the advance continues, astropathic choirs are established on Armageddon, Bakka, Macragge and thousands of other worlds. Long-lost Standard Template Constructs are unearthed amid the ruins of the Cana System, slowing the decline of Imperial technology.The borders of the Imperium expand to a point almost on par with the success of the Great Crusade. Chaos Renegades and xenos are purged from the galaxy in phenomenal numbers, and countless rebel systems are brought to heel.Unknown Date.M32 Shock and Awe - As more and more star systems are brought into the Imperial fold, the Cadian Shock Troops are tasked with imparting their discipline and military doctrine to the leaders of newly colonised worlds. Countless Planetary Defence Forces and Militarum Regimentos are raised based on Cadian principles of warfare.909.M32 3rd Black Crusade - The Despoiler unleashes the Daemon Prince Tallomin in a bloody frontal assault against the Cadian Gate. Millions of Imperial Guardsmen die to the daemonic horde that flows in Tallomin's wake, but the soldiers of Cadia hold out against the onslaught. They give no quarter, and make the invaders pay in blood for every Terran inch of Cadian soil lost. Their defiance buys time for Imperial reinforcements to arrive, and Tallomin is eventually hurled howling back into the Warp.265-285.M33 Lost Voyages of Admiral Usurs - In repudiation of the Tactica Imperium, Admiral Usurs forms a powerful military bloc comprising his Imperial fleet as well as armour and infantry regiments of the Astra Militarum. The High Lords of Terra cannot allow such a concentration of forces, but know that assassinating the Admiral could lead to a costly civil war. Usurs is instead sent on an exploratory mission deep into the intergalactic gulf. For two solar decades, reports reach Terra detailing the conquering of new systems for the glory of the Emperor, then the communiqués cease. Contact is never attempted with the systems mentioned in Usurs' reports.
Astra Militarum - M36-M38, The Age of Apostasy: Zeal eclipses reason, and misrule reigns supreme. The word of the Emperor is subverted by corrupt ideologues, and the strong prey upon the weak like jackals.ca. Early M36 The Reign of Blood - Goge Vandire is made Master of the Administratum. He immediately sets about admonishing the massively corrupt Ecclesiarchy, which sparks off a seven-decades-long civil war. Though Vandire's motive to eradicate the rampant corruption within the Imperium appears pure, his own reign brings about nightmarish levels of destruction. By his command entire populations of Imperial worlds are butchered or carpeted with Virus Bombs. Regiments of the Astra Militarum are put to violent use enforcing his tyranny. Only when Loyalist regiments and the Adeptus Astartes rally under the banner of the preacher Sebastian Thor is the strife ended.Date Unknown.M36 The Great Cull - The High Lords of Terra begin a systematic purging of Imperial command. Every sphere of the Imperium is affected, and many commanders of the Astra Militarum are put to the torch publicly or assassinated in silence.ca. M37 The Redemption Crusades - The sins of apostasy are purged in blood and tears. Amongst the regiments of the Astra Militarum, as elsewhere, the Imperial Cult grows greatly in power. As billions of Heretics are burnt at the pyre, crusade after crusade is launched to re-establish the authority of the Imperium. This rapid outpouring of force leaves many planets all but undefended, their regiments engaged in long and gruelling campaigns across the vast expanse of the galaxy. The Tallarn Desert Raiders earn a fearsome reputation for their ability to rapidly redeploy, conducting simultaneous offensive and defensive manoeuvres that span entire sub-sectors.
Astra Militarum - M38-M41, The Waning: The armies of the Imperium are stretched near to breaking point after the Redemption Crusades. Innumerable worlds fall to xenos invasions, Chaos insurgency and internal strife. As entire star systems are consumed by anarchy, the Mordian Iron Guard implement stringent and merciless rule throughout their home system, eradicating nine separate uprisings of Tzeentchian Chaos Cults.537.M38 The 9th Black Crusade - Abaddon leads his 9th Black Crusade against the Hive World of Antecanis. The Black Legionaries launch a harrowing assault on the Monarchive, slaughtering the Planetary Defence Forces garrisoned in the capital. When reinforcements arrive from Cancephalus to bolster the surviving Guardsmen, Abaddon's forces withdraw and launch dozens of Cyclonic Torpedoes from orbit. A seventeen-year war ensues, and despite the tenacity of the Antecanian and Cancephalian regiments, the Despoiler is not brought to heel.392.M41 - 399.M41 Macharian Conquests - Lord Commander Solar Macharius musters the greatest Astra Militarum army the galaxy has ever seen. A thousand worlds are conquered on the western fringe of the Imperium, and worlds that had never seen the Emperor's light are brought into the fold. However, upon Macharius' death the territories gained are quickly embroiled in internecine wars.
Astra Militarum - Strategic Command: In theory, the Lord Commander of a Segmentum gives orders to various Sector officers, who in turn relay commands to the individual Militarum Regimentos. In this way the wishes of the High Lords of Terra are enacted by the Departmento Munitorum. In practice, the immense distances and delays in communication between worlds often makes a mockery of such procedures and the sheer scale of the Imperium prevents any meaningful central governance. Operational control of an army group is therefore assumed by a high-ranking Militarum Regimentum officer, such as a General, "High Marshal" or even "Lord Hetman," who assumes responsibility for the completion of their given duties. This might be the initiation of a solar-decade-long conflict to cleanse a star system of savage Greenskins, or it could involve the protection of adamantium mines or Promethium refineries from pirate raids. Just as common are military recolonisations of planets lost from the Imperium's fold. Whatever the task, the commander of an army group is responsible for the deployment and application of all resources at their disposal -- innumerable waves of infantry companies, ranks of battle tanks, batteries of artillery weapons, and a host of other tools of war.Some commanders are hungry for glory and honour, establishing front-line headquarters and personally leading their men in battle. Banners and pennants proclaiming the officer’s many deeds are carried by his entourage, emboldening his troops and filling his enemies with trepidation. Others consider their abilities far too important and valuable to be exposed to front-line conflicts. Surrounded by a host of advisors, data-globes and parchment-bearing Servo-skulls, they direct their forces from the relative safety of an orbiting starship, a Proteus-class battle bunker or a lumbering armoured command vehicle.
Astra Militarum - Adeptus Ministorum and the Astra Militarum: The essential remit of the great and glorious Adeptus Ministorum is the furtherance of the Emperor's veneration. Nowhere is this mission more important than in ministering to the faith of the vast ranks of the Emperor's armies. Many men of faith gravitate toward the Imperial Guard, where their presence is sorely needed both on and off the bloody field of war. Horrors untold bedevil the soldiers of the Imperial Guard, many of whom will barely have made peace with the concept of spaceflight before they are faced by the unspeakable heresy of the alien or the Traitor. Mutation and abomination proliferate while men are slain in graphic and grisly fashion before the eyes of their horrified comrades. Often, the soldiers of the Imperial Guard must do their duty upon battlefields the mere spectacle of which may be so apocalyptic as to shake the reason of the bravest individual. In such circumstances, blind faith can prove to be potent armour for a man's soul.For this reason, the Ministorum, also known colloquially as the Ecclesiarchy, maintains a considerable presence amongst the ranks of the Imperial Guard. Whether orating from the laudhailer-laden pulpit of a shrine-deck, or from atop piled ration crates in a hastily cleared corner of the soldiers' mess, Ministorum clergy have a huge impact upon the confidence and courage of their allotted flock. At the commencement of a campaign, most Guardsmen have been marched amongst thousands into the close-packed hold of a starship, surrounded by strange and of ten frightening sights and sounds. Their destination a tangle of mystery and rumour, their homes and families never to be seen again, such men find a refuge in the familiarity of Imperial scripture. Many newly founded regiments will cling to their religion like a drowning man clings to driftwood; it is the duty of the Ministorum to shape this fervour into something that high command can use.If Guardsmen have questions or doubts, the Ministorum must bolster these unfortunates' shield of ignorance before they stray into the wilds of dangerous speculation. Should the slightest sign of Warp-taint or heresy present itself -- either within the ranks of the Imperial Guard or without -- it is the role of the Ministorum to ensure this is swiftly dealt with. Nothing restores a soldier's faith faster than watching accused seditionists or mutants from amongst another regiment's ranks lashed to stakes and set ablaze for their sins. While such measures are doubtless draconian, none can question the Ministorum priesthood's flair for grand and faith-affirming spectacles, nor its value to the morale of the Imperial Guard.