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Astra Militarum - Imperial Honours: Imperial Honours are commendations that are recognised, in one form or another, throughout the Imperium. There are many different commendation systems that vary by segmentum, sector, crusade, campaign, regiment, and company, some with traditions dating back thousands of years, however, the honours presented in this section are some of the most commonly used and widely recognized throughout the Imperium:Medallion Crimson - The Medallion Crimson is awarded to Imperial Guardsmen who continue fighting even after sustaining grievous injury.Ribbon Intrinsic - The Ribbon Intrinsic is awarded to a unit as a whole for being the lynchpin in a large battle, for having held the line and turned defeat into victory by determination alone.Triple Skull - The Triple Skull is awarded to the units who have taken massive casualties in a single action. Its sister honour, the Golden Skull, is awarded posthumously to those who have fallen in battle.Winged Skull- The Winged Skull is an ancient commendation awarded to officers who have shown extraordinary and inspirational leadership.Macharian Cross - The Macharian Cross is rewarded for successful and intelligent application of the Tactica Imperialis. Bearers of this medal are often recruited into the general staff of future crusades or campaigns, and their tactical advice is given a great deal of merit by field commanders purely by virtue of having been awarded it.Honorifica Imperialis - The Honorifica Imperialis is a broad class of gallantry medals. The medal is titled according to the sector it was awarded, so a Guardsman awarded this honour on the Eastern Fringe would receive an Ultima Honorifica. Such awards are sometimes further subdivided into specialities, such as the Honorifica Imperialis Armourum, so a Tank Commander who was receiving this medal for valour in the field within the Calixis Sector would receive the Obscurus Honorifica Armourum.
Astra Militarum - Regimental Awards: There are countless medals pinned to the uniforms of Imperial Guardsmen across the galaxy, and the examples here do not even begin to scratch the surface. Many honours are created for specific Crusades and engagements. These unique awards created based on the engagements in which the individual trooper fought. Below is an example of an award created for a specific engagement:The Shield of Sacrous - The Shield of Sacrous is a regimental award for the 19th Brontian Longknives for having seen service on the planet Sacrous. The award looks like a shield with a planet etched in its centre. It was awarded for victory in a major engagement on the planet Sacrous.
Astra Militarum - Campaign Honours: The Astra Militarum is unimaginably vast, and many awards and citations are unique to a given region of space or a given crusade or campaign.The following are just a sampling of Campaign Honours used in the campaigns and crusades of the Spinward Front in the Calixis Sector:Trenchman's Long Service Medal - The Trenchman's Long Service Medal was a commendation first given to veterans of the Third Burgs' War, a conflict that saw vicious trench fighting and lasted for over 150 years. Only the hardiest and most tenacious Guardsmen survived that conflict for any length of time. As many Burgs' War veterans became commanders in their own right, these medals eventually saw widespread usage throughout the sub-sector. These award appeared as two crossed spades, hanging from a triangular grey ribbon. It was awarded for participating in a single trench deployment lasting two months or more.The Order of St. Kark - This is a Commissariat Commendation, awarded for maintaining discipline above and beyond the call of duty. This medal honours St. Kark, a particularly brutal and effective Commissar of the Angevin Crusade, venerated throughout the Calixis Sector. This award appears as a brass medal in the shape of a bolter shell hanging from a crimson ribbon, and was awarded for unhesitating dedication to the maintenance of discipline. This commendation is awarded to Commissars for field executing two or more members of the unit to prevent a rout while engaged with the enemy.Drusian Laurels - Drusian Laurels are awarded for defending high-ranking members of the Ecclesiarchy of the Calixis Sector, or participating in actions to protect particularly valuable or venerated shrines or artefacts. This award appears as a gold-etched Aquila flanked by laurels. Awarded for defending the personnel and property of the Adeptus Ministorum.Cog of Het - The Cog of Het is an example of one of the very rare Calixis Sector Adeptus Mechanicus commendations, given by representatives of the masters of the Lathe Worlds for properly venerating the machine spirits of vehicles and equipment being used on the field of battle. This award appears as a Mechanicus Cog, with three circles worked into the design above the skull. Awarded for the effective supplication under fire. This commendation is awarded for successfully for repairing a vehicle or equipment that was vital to the success of the unit later in the conflict.
Astra Militarum - Notable Imperial Guardsmen: Lord Commander Solar MachariusCaptain Al'rahem of the Tallarn Desert RaidersSergeant Lukas BastonneCommissar Ciaphas CainCommander Kubrik Chenkov of the Valhallan Ice WarriorsLord Castellan Ursarkar E. CreedMogul Kamir of the Rough Riders of AttilaNork DeddogColonel-Commissar Ibram GauntCommissar HarkGunnery Sergeant "Stonetooth" Harker of the Catachan Jungle FightersMajor Pious Korren of the Armageddon Steel LegionSergeant Poul MarlinKnight Commander PaskColonel Schaeffer (and his Last Chancers)Colonel "Iron Hand" Straken of the Catachan Jungle FightersCommissar Yarrick
Astra Militarum Awards and Honours - Astra Militarum Awards and Honours: Astra Militarum Awards and Honours are awarded for all manner of heroic deeds or worthy actions by the Astra Militarum. These awards are given for acts of heroism and bravery, and there are three broad types. There are Imperial Honours, which are found throughout the Imperial Guard; Campaign Honours, which are given out for meritorious action in a given Imperial Crusade or planetary action; and Regimental Awards, which are unique to each regiment and are often awarded for specific engagements. As might be imagined, there are a great many honours and medals of merit available to the Imperial Guardsman throughout the galaxy. Many are specific to particular worlds or campaigns, while others are Imperium-wide.Given that the galaxy of the late 41st Millennium is riven with war, and that the Astra Militarum is embroiled in a constant state of conflict, ribbons, medals and other honours are often awarded to recognise the conduct which might raise an individual trooper above his fellows so that he comes to be recognised, by his comrades and by his superiors, as a leader of soldiers. Having been hailed as an archetype for others to follow, the individual might be rewarded for his deeds with all manner of medals, citations, and awards, but in truth many, often the most worthy care the least for such things.Most true leaders act in the way they do out of duty to their comrades and faith in the Emperor, often uncaring or even resentful of the multitudinous layers in between. While the exemplar might know his regiment's commanding officer by name he is unlikely to have spoken to him before, until the mantle of leadership is conferred, formally or otherwise. Then the unwilling hero might find himself required to attend parades where he must carry the regimental banner at the head of rank upon rank of his fellow troopers. He might be expected to attend the officer's mess as a guest of honour, to dine upon delicacies the likes of which he has never tasted and to sip wines so rare he could never hope to purchase a single bottle.They are decorated with glittering medals and flowing ribbons, most of which they were unaware of before earning them and have no wish to wear in front of their comrades. In short, most such heroes are unwilling ones, their status often used to the advantage of the commanding officers as just another tool to manipulate the troops' morale. Only in those regiments drawn from cultures where matters of class and status are entirely irrelevant are these leaders allowed to continue their existence as before, and such regiments are often few and far between.
Astra Militarum Awards and Honours - Regimental Awards and Honours: There are countless medals pinned to the uniforms of Imperial Guardsmen across the galaxy, and the examples presented here do not even begin to scratch the surface. Many unique awards are created to recognise the engagements in which a specific regiment has fought. In the Cadian Shock Trooper regiments, individuals granted heroic status are notable by the medals they wear, for Cadia is a supremely militaristic culture and maintains decorations for countless deeds. By way of contrast, the Catachan Jungle Fighters both value and reward those who exhibit archetypical heroic qualities, but at the same time they rarely accept any official honours that might be bestowed upon them. Thus, a mighty and charismatic leader who has won many victories, slaughtered many foes, or rescued many of his comrades might decline every promotion offered to him, remaining with his unit where he himself believes he can best serve.The amount of commendations, accolades, and medals garnered by the Scintillan Fusiliers regiment is, while certainly impressive, not commensurate with the amount of actual combat the regiment has seen. Though the soldiers of the regiment are quite competent, their training extends only to what is laid down in the Uplifting Primer. Further, their training consists mostly of deep-underhive hunts targetting the wretched creatures in the depths of Scintilla's forgotten pits, and their experience has largely been in low-intensity conflicts where the regiment could bathe themselves in the greatest amount of glory for the least amount of risk. This has led many in the Spinward Front to look askance at the so-called achievements of the Scintillian Fusiliers 17th, Commander-General Pailus' pet regiment.The warriors of the Death Korps of Krieg are notorious for their lack of individual identity, and this carries forward the regard they show to those that in any other regiment would be regarded as born leaders of their fellow soldiers. It is left to the ranks to recognise and reward their own. Even if the officers refuse to recognise their deeds, the troopers themselves certainly do, honouring with stoic dignity those in their midst who have performed great service to the regiment and to the Emperor.
Astra Militarum Awards and Honours - Notable Spinward Front Regimental Honours: Each front of the Imperial war effort has its own, unique command structure, its own battlefield conditions and foes to fight. To reflect this, each Strategic High Command has been authorized to award campaign and sector-specific awards for Imperial Guard troopers of particular skill, heroism, or stubborn tenacity. These medals and honours are a tradition of the Periphery Sub-sector of the Calixis Sector, and represent meritorious service against the main foes of the Spinward Front: the arrayed forces of the Severan Dominate, the Ork horde of WAAAGH! Grimtoof, the Dark Eldar Cabals operating in the area, those Chaos warbands that call the Spinward Front their home, and the Kroot mercenary Kindred active in the area. Additionally, there are informal awards, marks of reputation rather than formal commendation, given by regimental command. These honours are recognised by a given regimental commander to acknowledge a squad's skill and history fighting one of Mankind's many foes.Included below are those Regimental Honours unique to the Spinward Front:Name of AwardDetailsDesignKill Markers (Informal Regimental Awards)For many Guardsmen, each victory is accompanied by a simple ritual: a notch on a weapon or a chalk tally on the side of a tank, a mark for every enemy killed in service to the Imperium of Mankind. These simple marks add up over time, to eventually become a full-fledged part of the soldier's identity, fully incorporated in a squad's heraldry or regimental markings. As the squad moves through the ranks, their reputations as favoured fighters of a given enemy grows, eventually adding to the fearsome reputation of the regiment as a whole. These markings are collectively known as Kill Markers. These are informal honours, which means that most regiments will not award the squad a medal or perform a ceremony when they reach a new threshold. Kill Markers are a part of the reputation of a squad, and are more a measure of the squad's respect and status, both within the Imperium and among its enemies, than an adornment for a Guardsman's uniform. Each regiment records their Kill Markers differently. Markers may be stencilled onto tanks, painted onto a helmet, notched into weapons, represented with elaborate body scars or tattoos, or displayed as a myriad of trophies hanging from banners, vehicles, or armour.Pict-file not found.The Shield of SacrousThe Shield of Sacrous is a regimental award for the 19th Brontonian Longknives for having seen service on the planet Sacrous. It was awarded to all Brontonian ranks, though officers received a gold version. This is the most basic award a Guardsman could be awarded and has little intrinsic value.Pict-file not found.
Astra Militarum Awards and Honours - Campaign Honours: The Imperial Guard is unimaginably vast, and many awards and citations are unique to a given region of space or a given Imperial Crusade or campaign. Distinguished Service Medals are gallantry medals awarded by Campaign Command for service to the Imperial Guard "above and beyond the call of duty." Considering how much Strategic Command often expects out of the average Guardsman, receipt of one of these commendations is a rare honour, indeed. These medals are considered very important, and their titles are long-winded. For example, the full title of the Cannonade Breachman's Medal would be, "For Distinguished Service, Against the Severan Rebellion, Cannonade Breachman's Medal." Distinguished Service Medals are usually very large and ostentatious, though there is considerable variance in this regard. Receipt of these medals does not go unnoticed by the common soldiery. Distinguished Service Medals are always awarded for specific feats of bravery and skill; each one is accompanied by a scar and a story. Their fellow Guardsmen will often ask the bearers to recount their tales of bygone battles, partly out of curiosity and a sense of camaraderie, but also in the hopes that they might pick up a few helpful pointers along the way.
Astra Militarum Awards and Honours - Notable Spinward Front Campaign Honours: The following are a sampling of Imperial Guard Honours used in the campaigns and Crusades of the Spinward Front:Name of AwardDetailsDesignTrenchman's Long Service MedalDescribed as two crossed spades, hanging from a triangular grey ribbon, the Trenchman's Long Service Medal was a commendation first given to veterans of the Third Burgs' War, a conflict that saw vicious trench fighting and lasted for over 150 standard years. Only the hardiest and most tenacious Guardsmen survived that conflict for any length of time. As many Burgs' War veterans became commanders in their own right, these medals eventually saw widespread usage throughout the sub-sector.Pict-file not found.The Order of St. KarkA brass medal in the shape of a Bolter shell hanging from a crimson ribbon, this is a Commissariat Commendation, awarded for maintaining discipline above and beyond the call of duty. This medal honours St. Kark, a particularly brutal and effective Commissar of the Angevin Crusade, venerated throughout the Calixis Sector.Pict-file not found.Drusian LaurelsDescribed as a gold-etched Aquila flanked by laurels, Drusian Laurels are awarded for defending high-ranking members of the Ecclesiarchy of the Calixis Sector, or participating in actions to protect particularly valuable or venerated shrines or artefacts.Pict-file not found.Cog of HetThis award appears in the form of a Cog Mechanicum, with three circles worked into the design above the skull. The Cog of Het is an example of one of the very rare Calixis Sector Adeptus Mechanicus commendations, given by representatives of the masters of the Lathe Worlds for properly venerating the Machine Spirits of vehicles and equipment being used on the field of battle.Pict-file not found.
Astra Militarum Awards and Honours - Against the Severan Rebellion: These commendations are newly minted, appearing only after the conflict with the Severan Dominate began in force. Campaign commanders award these honours to Guardsmen who have proved themselves lynchpins in the battle against the Severan Dominate. There are those within the Periphery Sub-sector High Command who believe that the fight against the Severan Dominate is the most crucial in the Sub-sector; that without the resources gained by bringing the Dominate back into Compliance with Imperial mandate, the rest of the battlefronts of the Periphery Sub-sector are doomed to failure. These commanders hold honourees of these medals in the highest esteem. These awards include the following:Name of AwardDetailsDesignCannonade Breachman's MedalA silver medallion with a bronze circle stamped in its centre, the Cannonade Breachman's Medal is an honour given to those heroes of the Imperium who have made their way past enemy lines and into the true heart of Dominate formations to take out one of their most fearsome and devastating weapons—lined artillery formations. A Guardsman showing this medal can expect respect and appreciation from the ground infantry in a campaign, as they are usually the most affected by massed artillery barrages.Pict-file not found.Commandant's CommendationA bronze star, inlaid with a teardrop-shaped ruby, this Distinguished Service Medal is awarded for spearheading an operation to capture or kill one of the heads of the Dominate's armies. Dominate Generals are heavily relied upon by the Dominate rank-and-file, and their loss is a devastating blow to the enemy.Pict-file not found.
Astra Militarum Awards and Honours - Against the Ork Menace: These commendations are awarded for exemplary service against the green tide that threatens to engulf the Spinward Front. Awards given for service in fighting against WAAAGH! Grimtoof are seen as some of the Periphery Sub-sector's most prestigious, as many in Strategic Command consider the Ork menace the truest threat in the Spinward Front. These awards include the following:Name of AwardDetailsDesignFrontsman's HonoursA gold medallion, inlaid with iron, the Frontsman's Honour badge is a great credit to the will of those Guardsmen who have earned it. This particular Distinguished Service Medal is awarded to those who have held a pass, fortification, or entrenchment against an Ork horde of at least 100 for 24 solar hours or longer. The vast majority of fortifications in the way of WAAAGH! Grimtoof have been definitively overrun. This honour shows that these soldiers defend their battle line no matter the costs, as they held their ground in the face of the great Ork horde and lived to tell the tale.Pict-file not found.Champion's CommendationA silver star with gold inlay, held by a green ribbon, the Champion's Commendation is awarded for eliminating one of the leaders of the WAAAGH! The Warbosses of Grimtoof are the fuel that keeps the fires of the Ork horde moving. Without a Warboss driving them forward, the Ork menace becomes disorganised and loses its momentum.Pict-file not found.
Astra Militarum Awards and Honours - Against Xenos Designate Eldar: Officially, there is no distinction in the commendations awarded for fighting any type of Eldar. Veterans might notice some differences between Dark Eldar and their Craftworld cousins if they have the misfortune of fighting both, but in the eyes of the Imperial Guard as a body, all Eldar are the same. These awards include the following:Name of AwardDetailsDesignLiberator's HonouriumA platinum medallion encrusted with gemstones, this Distinguished Service Medal is awarded for saving an important Imperial official, cleric, or noble from the clutches of the Dark Eldar. The Dark Eldar are endlessly cruel, and falling into their clutches is a terrible fate indeed. This medal came about after the rescue of a particularly influential sector noble, who personally funded the creation of the honour to thank his rescuers.Pict-file not found.Warden's CommendationA platinum cross with gold inlay, this award is given for vanquishing one of the Dark Eldar's most elite warriors such as an Archon, Succubus, Haemonculus, or Incubus Klaivex in melee combat. Those who receive this medal have beaten the odds and survived such a deathmatch, acquiring their victory through tenacity, stubbornness, or self-sacrifice.Pict-file not found.
Astra Militarum Awards and Honours - Against Xenos Designate Kroot: These commendations are slightly rarer than the other types of Distinguished Service Medals common in the Spinward Front, as the Kroot are usually not considered as pressing a threat as the other enemies of the Imperium active in the Periphery Sub-sector. There are a few campaign commanders, however, who have, for whatever reason, taken a particular dislike to the Kroot. These commanders have created service medals for victory over Kroot forces, and a few other campaign commanders have followed suit. These awards include the following:Name of AwardDetailsDesignStar of VigilanceA bronze star with silver filigree, this Distinguished Service Medal is awarded for destroying a group of Kroot infiltrating into Imperial territory. Kroot are known to operate under the Imperial radar, and many times a commander will not be aware of their presence until they have already taken out a valuable Imperial target. This medal was created in the hopes that Guardsmen in service even in theatres where Kroot were not known to be operating would keep an eye out for their threat.Pict-file not found.Vanguard's CommendationA square silver medal, embossed with bronze, the Vanguard's Commendation is awarded for killing a Kroot Shaper. Many Imperial rumours surround the Kroot Shaper. It is believed by numerous frontline soldiers and officers alike that Kroot Shapers wield dark magics, and many Adeptus Ministorum priests and Imperial Commissars alike have found it difficult to suppress such superstitions, even if they border on heresy. This medal is meant to remind all who see it that these creatures are mortal, and can be slain with discipline, righteousness, and copious gunfire.Pict-file not found.
Astra Militarum Weapon Specialist - Astra Militarum Weapon Specialist: A Weapon Specialist is a trooper of the Astra Militarum who focuses solely on perfecting his combat abilities, and represents the standard Imperial Guard infantryman in most regiments. Not simply limited to the ubiquitous Lasgun, a Weapon Specialist could be a Catachan Jungle Fighter using his Shotgun and knife to stalk his prey, a Vostroyan Firstborn cracking enemy vehicles with a Meltagun, or a Cadian daring enough to carry a Plasma Gun onto the battlefield.Whatever their weapon of choice, these Guardsmen make up the backbone of the "Hammer of the Emperor," and are a force to be reckoned with. In the Imperial Guard, all specialists play an important role, whether it be to lead, to heal, to pilot various vehicles and war machines, or to lay down suppressive fire with massive weapons, all are vital to the success of the Imperial Guard. But despite their important role, all specialists only exist to support and supplement the true power of the Imperial Guard -- the endless ranks of the Lasgun-toting Guardsmen.The men and women who make up these ranks of Guardsmen are not distracted by the burdens of leadership, or the difficulties of dealing with strange technology. Instead, they are able to focus all their attention on being the best soldiers they can be, and fighting their righteous war in the name of the God-Emperor. This singular focus allows these individuals to quickly become masters of the Lasgun, focusing all their attention on the task of bringing death to the enemies of the Imperium.
Astra Militarum Weapon Specialist - Wargear: Standard Imperial Guard Regimental KitLasgun - Lasguns are the most numerous weapons found in the Imperium. Based on reliable technology, they are cheap to manufacture and easy to maintain. Las Weapons work by emitting short, sharp pulses of laser energy from high-storage fast-discharge capacitors with a flash of light and a distinctive snap like the cracking of a whip.Flamer (Optional) - Flamer weapons project fire upon their foes and generally use a fuel referred to as Promethium, though it can also be a homemade concoction or other chemical brew depending on the local level of technology.Shotgun (Optional) - Shotguns are low-technology basic ballistic weapons produced in great quantities, and their ability to hit several targets with a single shot make shotguns appealing to those with little actual skill in shooting. Their relatively short range and low shot velocity makes them appealing for shipboard use as well.Regimental Favoured Basic Weapon4 Frag Grenades - Frag Grenades use a combustible charge and special fillers of shrapnel fragments to fill a given circumference with deadly shards that prove to be a potent anti-personnel weapon. Imperial Frag Grenades are roughly the size of a clenched fist and covered with a heavily notched shell, both to increase the shrapnel produced and provide a more secure grip for throwing.4 Krak Grenades (Optional) - Krak Grenades contain powerful concentrated explosives that have been shaped to punch holes in armoured targets such as vehicles or bunkers. While stronger than Frag Grenades, Krak detonations do not produce a blast effect and their more focused explosion makes them less practical for use as an anti-personnel weapon.
Astraeos - Astraeos: Astraeos was a Librarian of an unknown Space Marine Chapter that in the late 32nd or early 33rd Millennium was targeted for elimination by the Grey Knights under the orders of the Inquisitor Lord Castus Izdubar, following the loss of the Athenaeum of Kallimakus at Apollonia. Astraeos would eventually go on to become a Chaos Space Marine and a potent Chaos Sorcerer as a pupil of the Thousand Sons Exalted Sorcerer Ahzek Ahriman -- and eventually one of Ahriman's greatest foes.
Astraeus - Astraeus: The Astraeus, formally the Astraeus Super-Heavy Tank, is a massive, super-heavy grav-tank utilised exclusively by the Primaris Space Marines. Just as these new transhuman warriors represent the pinnacle of the Adeptus Astartes' capabilities, the Astraeus super-heavy tank embodies the apex of Imperial engineering, a devastating war machine that serves as the perfect accompaniment for any Primaris Astartes force.The Astraeus uses similar anti-grav plate technology as the Repulsor transport also used by the Primaris Space Marines, but on a far grander scale. The enhanced repulsor plates of the Astraeus provide a stable firing platform for the tank's temperamental weapons, which also allow the vehicle to advance inexorably over hostile terrain.The vehicles' thick armour and additional protection from its on-board layered Void Shields allow it to shrug off even the most devastating of weapon strikes. The Astraeus is a symbol of the Imperium's might, unbowed by the dawning of a bloody new millennium and unbroken by the onslaught of its foes.
Astraeus - History: For millennia Mankind had lost the secrets to constructing anti-gravity devices, which only a few relics from the Dark Age of Technology remaining. It was the discovery of an ancient STC by the famed Arkhan Land that led to a breakthrough in rediscovering and restoring this potent technology to the Imperium during the Great Crusade.The ancient Mechanicum and its Adeptus Mechanicus successor was able to once more produce anti-gravitic generators and impeller units that -- while nowhere near as elegant or refined as those heretical technologies used by certain xenos species like the Aeldari -- were robust, reliable and could be adapted for use on a variety of hulls, from light reconnaissance craft like the Land Speeder right up to the Astraeus super-heavy grav tank.After the opening of the Great Rift, with the direct sanction of both Roboute Guilliman as Lord Commander of the Imperium and the Fabricator-General of Mars, a select handful of chosen Tech-priests like Archmagos Dominus Belisarius Cawl continued research and development into new gravitic battle tanks with which to bolster the battle lines of the Adeptus Astartes.The Astraeus Super-Heavy Tank was developed for use by the Primaris Space Marines, however, the vehicle's design does not originate directly from the work of Archmagos Dominus Belisarius Cawl's Repulsor transport, but instead blends his innovations with Standard Template Construct (STC) technology already in possession by the Imperium.The STC technology in question was allegedly recovered by the Minotaurs Chapter during the so-called Perun Cross Incident, a battle whose records are sealed to all but the highest echelons of the Inquisition. As such, the production of the Astraeus is focused among the more distant Forge Worlds, primarily the fortress-forge of Mezoa, where the gaze of Mars cannot so easily pry.
Astraeus - Armament: The Astraeus possesses an enormous hull which mounts a devastating range of defensive and offensive systems. The main weapons of the Astraeus super-heavy tank are a set of turret-mounted twin-linked Macro-Accelerator Cannons, coupled with sponson-mounted Las-Rippers or Plasma Eradicators. The Macro-Accelerator Cannons are particularly powerful, but the tank also possesses a co-axial, turret-mounted Ironhail Heavy Stubber and a set of hull-mounted, twin-linked Heavy Bolters or Lascannons positioned on the front of the vehicle.The Astraeus is protected by layered Void Shields and is held aloft by powerful anti-gravitic generators, which are powerful deterrents to enemy assault units. Unlike its smaller counterpart, the Repulsor, the Astraeus does not have any Astartes transport capacity -- instead, this colossal machine is dedicated to destruction alone.While there are few targets that can stand up to one of the Astraeus super-heavy tank's furious fusillades, it particularly excels at shooting down aircraft. This war machine can fire on the move, or even when locked in close combat, making it a surprisingly flexible and mobile unit despite its great size. The Astraeus is also outfitted with a pintle-mounted Storm Bolter, which can be replaced with an additional Ironhail Heavy Stubber atop the vehicle's turret.
Astraeus - Unit Composition: 1 Astraeus Super-Heavy Tank
Astraeus - Wargear: A standard Astraeus Super-Heavy Tank is armed and equipped with:Twin-linked Macro-Accelerator Cannons (Main turret)Twin-linked Heavy Bolters (Hull-mounted)Ironhail Heavy Stubber (Co-axial turret-mounted)2 Las-Rippers (Sponson-mounted)Storm Bolter (Pintle-mounted)2 Void Shield GeneratorsMachine Spirit (Artifical Intelligence)Enhanced Repulsor Field - The Enhanced Repulsor Field of the Astraeus Super-Heavy Tank not only keeps the vehicle aloft, but provides a nigh-impassable barrier to enemy infantry trying to assault the vehicle.An Astraeus may replace its hull-mounted twin-linked Heavy Bolters with:Twin-linked LascannonsAn Astraeus may replace its 2 sponson-mounted Las-Rippers with:2 Plasma EradicatorsAn Astraeus may replace its Pintle-mounted Storm Bolter with:Ironhail Heavy Stubber
Astraeus - Formations: Astraeus Super-Heavy Detachment - The Astraeus Super-Heavy Detachment is a Primaris Space Marine battle formation consisting of three Astraeus Super-Heavy Tanks.
Astraeus - Adeptus Mechanicus Technical Specifications: The technical specifications of the Astraeus Super-Heavy Tank have not yet been made available by the Adeptus Mechanicus.
Astraeus - Sources: Codex: Space Marines (8th Edition) (Revised Codex), pg. 87Forge World Webstore - Astraeus Super-Heavy TankForge World Webstore - Astraeus Super-Heavy DetachmentForge World Webstore - Astraeus Super-Heavy Tank Experimental Rules (PDF)Warhammer 40,000 Community (12 Oct 2017) - Forge World Preview: The First Ever Primaris Super-HeavyPrimaris Space Marine ForcesCommandPrimaris Captain • Primaris Lieutenant • Vanguard Lieutenant • Primaris AncientSpecialistsPrimaris Apothecary (Helix Adept • Apothecary Biologis) • Primaris Librarian • Vanguard Librarian • Primaris Chaplain (Judiciar) • Primaris TechmarineVeteransBladeguard Veteran • Veteran • Veteran Intercessor • Veteran Assault Intercessor • Sternguard Veteran • Terminator (Assault Terminator)BattlelineIntercessor (Heavy Intercessor) • Vanguard InfiltratorClose SupportInceptor • Reiver • Incursor • Assault Intercessor • Jump Pack Intercessor • OutriderFire SupportAggressor • Desolation Squad • Eradicator • Hellblaster • Vanguard Eliminator • Vanguard Suppressor • Infernus Squad • Firestrike Servo-turret • Hammerfall BunkerCombat Walkers and VehiclesAstraeus • Redemptor Dreadnought (Brutalis Dreadnought • Ballistus Dreadnought) • Repulsor • Repulsor Executioner •  Impulsor • Gladiator (Gladiator Reaper • Gladiator Valiant • Gladiator Lancer) • Raider Pattern Combat Bike • Invader ATV • Invictor Tactical Warsuit • Storm Speeder (Storm Speeder Hailstrike • Storm Speeder Hammerstrike • Storm Speeder Thunderstrike)AircraftOverlord • Drop Pod
Astral Bears - Astral Bears: The Astral Bears are a Loyalist Space Marine Chapter of the Ultima Founding composed entirely of Primaris Space Marines.Despite being a relatively new Chapter they have already won many honours in their Primarch Jaghatai Khan's memory.
Astral Bears - Chapter Colours: The Astral Bears' Chapter colours are not currently listed in Imperial records.
Astral Bears - Chapter Badge: The Astral Bears' Chapter badge is not currently listed in Imperial records.
Astral Blades - Astral Blades: The Astral Blades were a formerly Loyalist Space Marine Chapter of unknown Founding and genetic origin. In 121.M37, they were led down the path to Chaos by their prideful Chapter Master, who had been possessed by the Daemon Etherak the Unrepentant. The Daemon's servants used sorcery to possess almost every battle-brother within the Chapter's subterranean fortress-monastery one by one, slaughtering those strong enough to resist.As the blood of the last of the fallen was still cooling, the possessed Space Marines plundered the Chapter's gene-seed stores and set off for the Eye of Terror. However, when their battle barge, Sword of Stars, reached high orbit, the Grey Knights were waiting for them. In the furious battle that ensued, Grey Knights Terminators teleported onto the bridge of the battle barge and banished Etherak back into the Warp in the midst of a furious melee.Broken in body and spirit, the Chapter Master of the Astral Blades accepted the Emperor's Mercy delivered at the hands of his "saviours".
Astral Blades - Warband Colours: The Astral Blades' Chapter colours are not listed in current Imperial records.
Astral Blades - Warband Badge: The Astral Blades' Chapter badge is not listed in current Imperial records.
Astral Claws - The Maelstrom Warders: It was in recognition of their service that the High Lords of Terra named the Astral Claws to the Maelstrom Warders and entrusted them with the overall leadership of the force.During this time at Badab Primaris, the Chapter thrived, taking to the overlordship of the Badab Sector with skill and diligence.They used their new homeworld's production capacity and connection to the isolated Forge World of Angstrom to further augment their abilities and increase their capacity to wage war.
Astral Claws - The Tiger Claws: In 680.M41, far distant from the Maelstrom Zone, a sequence of events was later to prove to have dreadful ramifications for the Astral Claws Chapter. The Bakasurra, a Strike Cruiser belonging to the Tiger Claws, reappeared on the edge of the Segmentum Pacificus, containing over a hundred Battle-Brothers of a Chapter declared destroyed over fourteen Terran centuries before.The ship appeared to have been subject to severe time distortion in the Warp, and for those on board no more than a few solar months had elapsed. After making contact with the Storm Wings Space Marine strike force and aiding them in battle against Aeldari slavers, the Tiger Claws were resupplied and made their way back to the location of their fortress-monastery on Krodha.There they found that in their long absence their ancient sun had expanded and rendered their world a lifeless, irradiated husk, and that their Chapter was nothing more than an all-but-forgotten legend.Captain Vetala of the Tiger Claws, now the de facto master of what was effectively a dead Chapter, travelled to Terra to petition for the release of the Chapter's gene-seed and the right and title to rebuild the Tiger Claws.Captain Vetala disappeared without a trace while awaiting his petition's hearing and as a result his suit was summarily dismissed.Rumours in Inquisitorial circles darkly hinted that the lost Chapter was considered tainted by some, and was part of the so-called "Cursed Founding" better left dead. The Bakasurra, last seen conducting operations in the region of their Chapter's dead homeworld, could not be located by ships sent to the area to track them down.Centuries later, the Astral Claws' hubris resulted in their Chapter secretly absorbing the remnants of their long-lost Successor Chapter, the Tiger Claws, into their ranks and ultimately led to Lufgt Huron's dreams of expanding his Chapter into a force with the strength of one of the Space Marine Legions of antiquity, in order to pacify the Maelstrom permanently and crush Mankind's enemies.Some Imperial scholars contend that when the last remaining Tiger Claws survivors were taken into the Astral Claws midst, these once-loyal brothers grasped a poisonous viper to their hearts, thus causing them to eventually fall from grace.
Astral Claws - Chapter Organisation: While still a crusading Chapter, and during the opening centuries of their Chapter's deployment to the Maelstrom Zone, the Astral Claws maintained an organisational structure very close to that of the Codex Astartes with its standard division of ten companies, Chapter command, Apothecarion and forge armouries.Lufgt Huron, as newly appointed Chapter Master, started a significant re-organisation and shift of focus for the Chapter that would eventually lead to outright heresy.First, he fully exploited the economic power of the Badab Sector to his Chapter's advantage, massively increasing the Astral Claws' stockpiles of arms and equipment far beyond the possible operational needs of a single Space Marine Chapter.Badab's advanced manufacturing capacity enabled the Astral Claws to easily fabricate less exotic materials such as Rhino STC pattern vehicles and bolt weapons. As a result, such things became almost disposable to the Chapter, and were distributed to the other Warder Chapters, further binding them to Huron's debt.Though thankfully, they were unable to readily produce some items of wargear such as Terminator Armour or Land Raiders because of the meticulous requirements of certain rare resources and lost techno-arcane arts.As the Badab Schism worsened in the lead-up to the war, and later as the secession gathered pace, the Astral Claws Chapter changed, expanding dramatically beyond the limits set down within the Codex Astartes.Slowly but with gathering speed they became something more akin in structure to an ancient Space Marine Legion. As part of this transformation an entire additional Chapter-sized force of battle companies was raised, with a heavy emphasis on the use of concentrated firepower and fighting close boarding action inherent in their makeup, and seeded throughout the Chapter fleet.
Astral Claws - The Tyrant's Legion: Further to this, another force, totaling well over a thousand additional Battle-Brothers, was dispersed widely throughout what was known as the Tyrant's Legion.This force was a series of mixed armies comprising human Defence Auxilia troops (along the lines of the Astra Militarum) formed around a specialised core of Astral Claws Space Marines, whose task it was to secure the Badab Sector from any who would dare to invade.It was the creation of the Tyrant's Legion that was the most egregious offence against the Emperor committed by Lufgt Huron, let alone his massive expansion in the ranks of the Space Marines he commanded in violation of the Codex Astartes.The Tyrant's Legion specialised in using their mortal "inferiors" as disposable cannon fodder and as living shields to maximise their own effectiveness in battle.The Tyrant's Legion was also created to be a force that Huron could trust to be loyal above all else, and while it relied on the military nobility of the Badab Sector for its field officers, it was always the Astral Claws themselves who had absolute final authority, and any Tyrant's Legion detachment of any real size in the war was assigned its own "Centurion."Each Centurion was an Astral Claws Veteran who could be entrusted with both tactical command and to make bloody examples to shirkers, cowards and those that failed their masters. To the human ranks below them, these armoured giants were literally seen as Angels of Death, and were figures both of holy awe and terror.
Astral Claws - Irregular Forces: The Tyrant of Badab kept his use of outside and irregular forces a secret even from his closest allies right up until the end of the war.Displaying a highly unusual grasp and even enjoyment of intrigue and espionage for a Space Marine Chapter Master, Huron had long cultivated contacts and agents amongst those Imperial recidivists, outsiders and Renegades in the Maelstrom Zone that it was both his sworn duty and passion to hunt and kill.It was intelligence gathered from these channels that contributed to many of the Maelstrom Warders' successes before the Badab War, and as the conflict worsened for the Secessionists, Huron turned to many of his erstwhile agents and through a mixture of fear, blackmail and bribery brought them to fight directly in aid of his cause, although they seldom did so willingly.
Astral Claws - Chapter Combat Doctrines: When the Astral Claws were still a Crusading Chapter, they maintained a strong fleet and favored rapid strike missions and boarding actions, and as such fielded strong additional auxiliary contingents of assault bikers and Dreadnoughts in its armouries.Rapid speed and relentless attack were the cornerstones of the Astral Claws' combat tactics, although their pride in their prowess occasionally led them into overconfidence, and to assaulting superior forces or failing to retreat when a more rationally governed Space Marine Chapter might have otherwise regrouped or withdrawn.The Astral Claws themselves saw no folly in this - there was no foe they would not challenge, and they were proud to fight and proud to die if needs be in the Imperium's great cause, and the graver the odds the greater the chance for glory.
Astral Claws - Chapter Beliefs: When Lufgt Huron took over mastery of the Chapter, the Astral Claws' grip on the Badab Sector grew measurably and rapidly tighter.As the sector's direct rulers and defenders, this very much fed into the existing psychology of the Chapter, who had always been proud and imperious, much enamoured of martial glory and the veneration of the heroes of the past.They saw themselves as the inheritors of the Emperor's will and sworn to His task of reuniting all of Humanity under the Space Marines' protection. While it cannot be doubted that in the past they saw themselves as the first and foremost of Mankind's defenders, they also believed transhuman Space Marines to be set above those they ruled and defended and worthy of subservience, even reverence by the common citizenry.Under Lufgt Huron's command, the fervour and degree in which this belief was held strengthened greatly, as did their Chapter's conviction in their own superiority over other agencies of power within the Imperium, along with a growing resentment of what they saw as outside interference in the Chapter's holy mission.To Huron and the Astral Claws, Humanity was to be preserved at all costs, believing that individual human lives mattered little. As far as the daily lives of those that toiled in the Maelstrom Zone was concerned, the authority of sacrificing millions, even billions of lives was not invested in the Tyrant of Badab's hands but in the hands of the High Lords of Terra -- a fact he soon came to resent.It was such presumptions as these, embraced by the Astral Claws Chapter as they were, that lay at the heart of the secession and the Badab War.
Astral Claws - Chapter Gene-seed: The source of the Astral Claws' gene-seed remains suppressed, and speculation has it that its provenance ranges from basic Ultramarines stock, to that of the Dark Angels, pointing to the supposed un-degraded quality of their gene-seed as well as certain factors of temperament and style of warfare that were common between the two Chapters.Some have made far more outlandish claims, from the use of forbidden sources at their inception, to xenos or Warp contamination as the cause for the Astral Claws' eventual turn to Chaos.But due to the Edict of Obliteration passed by the High Lords of Terra during the Badab War which called for the eradication of all records related to the Chapter and the Astral Claws' own systematic destruction of their archives by their own hands during the final bitter battles of the siege of Badab Primaris, no records or personnel now survive who know the full story of their arrogance and sin.The truth of whom their genetic forebears were will more than likely never be known.
Astral Claws - Deathwatch Service: While in service to the Deathwatch before the outbreak of the Badab War, the Battle-Brothers of the Astral Claws always possessed about them an air of superiority bordering on the disdainful, an attitude that often extended even to members of other Adeptus Astartes Chapters.This demeanour might be the main reason the Chapter only rarely submitted brethren to stand the Long Vigil.Perhaps another reason lay in the fact that service in the Deathwatch was likely to bring a battle-brother into close contact with senior members of the Inquisition, perhaps precipitating the asking of questions the Chapter had no desire to see answered.
Astral Claws - Chapter Relics: Chimeric Talons - This set of Lightning Claws is as old as the Astral Claws Chapter itself, a work of forgotten forgecraft beyond the reach of more recent artisans. The power fields incorporate a unique phase disruption envelope designed to tear apart protective fields, making a mockery of even the most advanced defences. It is told how neither psychic fields, relics of technology, or even the unnatural flesh of daemons can resist the Chimeric Talons.Ghost Razors - Ghost Razors is the name given to a heavily armoured gauntlet that housed a number of articulated blades. Fragmentary evidence suggests the relic was gifted to Chapter Master Lufgt Huron by the remnants of the Tiger Claws Chapter in gratitude to their saviour. In close combat, the Ghost Razors were an all but unmatched weapon, the unidentified phase-frequency disruption fields imparted to their cutting edges proved able to slice though solid matter at a sub-molecular level, parting ceramite and adamantine plate effortlessly and sundering any energy fields or force barriers they encountered. The Ghost Razors were destroyed during the Fall of Badab when they were struck by a melta-blast. The device exploded catastrophically, incinerating Lugft Huron's right arm and most of his right side. The remains of the Ghost Razors became the core of a new bionic arm and power fist crafted by Armenneus Valthex for Huron Blackheart in his capacity as the Tyrant of Badab's personal armourer and weaponsmith.