vizn3r/warhammer40k-lore huggingface dataset:
Swarmlord - Notable Campaigns: Tyran and Thandros (745.M41) - The Swarmlord leads the final assaults against Tyran and Thandros during the Imperium's first contact with the Tyranids.Battle of Macragge (745.M41)At the Battle of Cold Steel Ridge on Macragge the Swarmlord directed Hive Fleet Behemoth to defeat every one of Marneus Calgar's and the Ultramarines' tactics. Calgar himself was almost killed by the Swarmlord, but managed to escape alive with the help of his Honour Guard while the Swarmlord killed the Commander of the Guard Aloyseus.The Swarmlord led the attack on the polar fortresses of Macragge defended by Captain Invictus of the Ultramarines' elite 1st Company. In the end, the entire 1st Company was killed and official Imperial reports listed the Swarmlord as slain at that time.Unknown Date.M41 - Scouring of the Megyre SystemUnknown Date.M41 - Destruction of the Bryynar speciesUnknown Date.M41 - Consumption of the Ork WAAAGH! GorglukBattle of Ichar IV (992.M41) -  The Swarmlord is defeated in a great duel with the Ultramarines Chapter Master Marneus Calgar on Ichar IV during the Second Tyrannic War against Hive Fleet Kraken.Assault on the Holdur Sector (997.M41) - The Swarmlord returned to attack the Imperium, leading the swiftest and greatest planetary invasions of the recently arrived Hive Fleet Leviathan. In the space of four solar months the Swarmlord oversaw the absorption of two dozen worlds including Talon, Chapter planet of the Storm Falcons Space Marines, and Endragiga, the site of a major orbital shipyard of the region. Later Imperial reports indicated that the Swarmlord was leading the Tyranids' assault on the Orks of Octarius.Battle of Kolovan (Unknown Date.M41) - The Imperial Industrial World of Kolovan was attacked by the Tyranids of Hive Fleet Kraken. Despite the heroic stand of the planet's planetary defence forces and then the intervention of the Ultramarines' 3rd and 5th Companies and the aid of Sergeant Remas of the Scythes of the Emperor, the world was swept clean of all life by the Great Devourer, though the Tyranids were ultimately repelled. It was during this conflict that Ortan Cassius of the Ultramarines once more faced and slew the Swarmlord, though the great beast was simply resurrected once more by the Hive Mind on one of its hive ships.Devastation of Baal (ca. 999.M41) - The Swarmlord was spawned anew to lead the forces of Hive Fleet Leviathan that descended on Baal, the homeworld of the Blood Angels Chapter. It was slain in personal combat by Commander Dante, Chapter Master of the Blood Angels.
Swiftdeath Fighter - Swiftdeath Fighter: The Swiftdeath Fighter is a void-capable interceptor of an ancient design that served as the primary attack craft used by the forces of Chaos during the Gothic War in the early 41st Millennium.Like most Chaos starships and other vehicles, the Swiftdeath is usually manufactured within the Eye of Terror by the servants of Abaddon the Despoiler. Though these voidcraft are obsolete when compared to the newer patterns available to the Navis Imperialis, the Swiftdeath is still favoured by the servants of the Ruinous Powers for their ﬂexibility in combat.Fast, agile, and deadly, Swiftdeaths are the eternal nemesis of the Imperial Fury interceptor. However, even as their manoeuvrability gives them an edge against their foe, their comparatively fragile design and smaller armament just as often proves their downfall.The Swiftdeath was used in both an interceptor and fleet escort role during the Gothic War. According to the reports from the fighter wings of the Dictator-class Cruiser Lord Solar Macharius, who often had to compete against Chaos Swiftdeath fighters, the attack craft possessed "a general lethal appearance oozing menace, with the sickle-like wings giving the distinct impression that the fighter was cutting its way through the void. Nimble and fast, its banks of Lascannons made the Swiftdeath a dangerous opponent to face."There are many variants of Swiftdeaths in the galaxy, but the one most commonly found in the Koronus Expanse is referred to as the "Iniquity Pattern" -- although there is no evidence to suggest it originated on that cursed moon of the Expanse. These Swiftdeaths are equipped to operate competently in atmospheres as well as the void, though their performance still degrades planetside. Little else is currently known about this Chaos spacecraft.
Swiftdeath Fighter - Dimensions: Type: Interceptor/Attack CraftLength: UnknownCruising Speed: 2,750 kilometres per hourCrew: Pilot, Co-pilot
Swiftdeath Fighter - Armament: 3 Forward Pilot-operated Focused Plasma Cannons6 Co-pilot-operated Hunter-Killer Missiles
Swiftdeath Fighter - Ordo Malleus Departmento Analyticus Technical Specifications: The technical specifications of the Swiftdeath Fighter are not publicly available.
Swooping Hawks - Swooping Hawks: The Swooping Hawks are the aerial Aspect Warriors of the Craftworld Aeldari. They wear cunningly constructed anti-gravitic wings that enable them to launch high into the air at a moment's notice. They are able to launch lightning-fast aerial assaults against their foes, cutting them down with the deadly energy weapons known as Lasblasters in a blur of colour.The Swooping Hawks take their name from the wild hunting birds of Aeldari Mythology, who symbolise revenge and retribution. Just as these birds of legend contained the former soul of a murdered Aeldari, hovering over their killers as a mark of guilt, so too do the Swooping Hawks fly across the battlefield, dealing swift death as retribution to the enemies of the Asuryani.
Swooping Hawks - History: Following the Fall of the Aeldari, Asurmen, the first Phoenix Lord, was the Craftworld Aeldari who led the craftworlds away from the ancient Aeldari Empire's homeworlds at the time of the Fall and it was he who founded the first of the Aspect Shrines, the Shrine of Asur, upon the world of the same name.There Asurmen taught the Exarchs who would go on to found their own Aspect Shrines and become the first group of Phoenix Lords, masters of specialised combat disciplines that they would pass on to all Craftworld Aeldari willing to pursue the Path of the Warrior.Baharroth, whose name means "The Cry of the Wind" in the Aeldari Lexicon, is the founder and Phoenix Lord of the Asuryani Swooping Hawks Aspect Shrine. It is said that he learned the arts of war from Asurmen himself, at the first and greatest Shrine of Asur, when the Fall was still a living memory in the minds of his people. Like all the Phoenix Lords, Baharroth is fated to die at the Rhana Dandra, the Final Battle of the Aeldari species.The Swooping Hawks take their name from the wild hunting birds of Aeldari Mythology of the same name, which are synonymous with vengeance and retribution. In ancient times, the Aeldari believed that the spirit of a murdered member of their species would pass into a hawk and hover above the killer as a mark of guilt. The winged Aspect Warriors who take that hawk as their symbol, however, play a much more active role in their foe's destruction.
Swooping Hawks - Role: The Swooping Hawks are among the most mobile of the Craftworld Aeldari Aspect Warriors as a result of their Swooping Hawk Wings, which allow them to lift off into the air at a moment's notice and fly across the battlefield. Their wings are made from vibrating feather plates and incorporate small, anti-gravitic lifters. When the Hawks fly, these wings vibrate with such speed they turn into a blur of colour.The speed and agility that this technology provides the Swooping Hawks more than makes up for the fact that their Aspect Armour, compared to that worn by the warriors of the other Warrior Aspects, is less thick as a result of their need to keep their weight low and therefore offers less protection from enemy fire. Swooping Hawk Aspect Armour is typically coloured like the sky, a pale shade of blue or grey, with contrasting colours as well, especially on the wings.A Swooping Hawk squad can number anywhere from five to ten warriors, including sometimes an Exarch to lead them. The ritual weapon of the Swooping Hawks is the Lasblaster, a far more efficient energy weapon than the similar lasgun employed by the Astra Militarum forces of the Imperium, and the Swooping Hawk Grenade Pack, two weapons especially suited to their role as highly mobile harassing elements operating ahead of the main Asuryani host.The Grenade Pack in particular can carry a wide variety of fragmentation, armour-piercing and plasma-based grenades, including electromagnetic Haywire Grenades that are lobbed at the ground to disable enemy vehicles and other machinery. Flying over their enemies' heads, the Swooping Hawks rain down explosive death before closing in to press the assault or falling back to cover to use their laser weapons. Though they lack the sheer power of some other Aspect Shrines, the Swooping Hawks' use of harassing attack from above makes them terrible foes.
Swooping Hawks - Notable Swooping Hawks Shrines: Ashen Sky Shrine - The Swooping Hawks of the Ashen Sky Shrine make use of enhanced optics, the better to pierce the battlefield pall from which they prefer to launch their assaults. It is no coincidence, then, that their armour is dark in colouration -- a symbolic reference to the tortured skies in which they do battle.Shimmering Horizon Shrine - To the Swooping Hawks of the Shimmering Horizon Shrine, direction of attack is crucial. Aiming always to have the sun at their backs when they dive from the skies, these Aspect Warriors strike like the hawk of their Aspect's mythological namesake, disengaging their dazzled target before it can return fire.
Swooping Hawks - Swooping Hawks Exarchs: Every Aspect Shrine of the Asuryani is led by an Exarch, a Craftworld Aeldari who has been called permanently to the Path of the Warrior. An Exarch has travelled so far down that Path that they can no longer leave it and so dedicates themself fully as a high priest of Khaine in service to the Aspect of the war god that they represent. Exarchs wear more elaborate and ornate versions of their Aspect Armour which incorporates the souls of their past wearers, granting an Exarch not only wisdom and knowledge stretching across the millennia but a raw pool of potent psychic energy that can be used in combat.This permanent acceptance of the Aeldari's "war mask" provides Exarchs with enhanced skill and dedication to their craft and entitles them to access their Aspect Shrine's oldest and most advanced wargear. The Exarchs' secret knowledge and supernatural abilities allow them to enhance the abilities of the Swooping Hawks squads they lead. Under the guidance of their Exarch, a Swooping Hawks squad can deliver devastating lightning fast fly-by attacks, careening past their foe with devastating blasts from their Lasblasters and then raining grenades down upon them.Swooping Hawk Exarchs often have special skills that they teach to their squads, such as performing skyleaps from battle where the Swooping Hawks launch high into the sky with a great shout before swiftly returning and deploying into a new position, and skills in aerial combat such as disabling enemy skimmers at high speed with their Haywire Grenades.Swooping Hawks Exarchs employ a much more powerful version of the Lasblaster wielded by their squad that is known as the Hawk's Talon. They are also known for employing a potent directed energy weapon known as a Sunrifle, which is powerful enough to slay whole squads with a burst of dazzling laser beams. Sometimes, those Swooping Hawks Exarchs who favour melee combat will also make use of a Power Weapon in any one of the standard Aeldari designs.
Swooping Hawks - Phoenix Lord: The Phoenix Lord of the Swooping Hawks is Baharroth, the "Cry of the Wind." He is believed to have been the finest pupil of Asurmen, the first Asuryani Phoenix Lord. He is the "Winged Phoenix," the oldest of the Swooping Hawks and the first of the winged Exarchs. Baharroth was the founder of the Aeldari Warrior Path that is represented today by Swooping Hawk Aspect Shrines throughout the craftworlds.It is said that Baharroth learned the arts of war from Asurmen himself, at the first and greatest Shrine of Asur, when the Fall of the Aeldari was still a living memory in the minds of his people.Like all the Phoenix Lords, Baharroth has been reborn many times in the body of a new Exarch. Innumerable battlefields have felt his anger and countless foes have fallen before his might.Baharroth is also known for his speed and is said to be the fastest of all the Aeldari who have ever lived, a claim that would make him formidable indeed. He is a great friend of his fellow Phoenix Lord, Maugan Ra of the Dark Reapers.
Swooping Hawks - Sources: Codex: Eldar (2nd Edition), pp. 23, 36, 41Codex: Eldar (3rd Edition), pp. 14, 40Codex: Eldar (4th Edition), pp. 35, 65Codex: Eldar (6th Edition), pg. 35Rogue Trader: The Koronus Bestiary (RPG), pg. 54White Dwarf 127 (US), "Eldar" by Rick Priestley, Jes Goodwin, William King & Lindsey D. Le Doux Paton, pp. 13-52White Dwarf 173 (US), "Eldar Phoenix Lords", pp. 6-9Wrath & Glory: Aeldari - Inheritance of Embers (RPG), pg. 29Warhammer 40,000 - Eternal Crusade - Rogue Trader Store: Cloudsweeper Swooping Hawk Lasblaster
Sword-class Frigate - Sword-class Frigate: The Sword-class Frigate is an iconic Imperial escort ship. A staple design amongst the various fleets of the Navis Imperialis, Sword-class Frigates have a reputation for being solid, dependable warships, earned over their ten standard millennia of service.Imperial ship masters like Rogue Traders and Chartist Captains are likely to run into Sword-class Frigates often, as they handle many "mundane" duties for the Navis Imperialis, such as convoy escort, pirate-hunting, and void patrols. Swords are versatile voidships, and their tactics should be equally versatile. Those in Battlefleet Koronus and many other battlefleets usually operate in pairs, with one taking point and the other covering the first's stern.In fleet engagements, Swords and cruisers operate in a similar fashion, with the smaller frigate sheltering behind the powerful cruiser while protecting its vulnerable stern. Sword-class Frigates may be the most versatile warships in the Imperial military; they can handle almost any tactics and are sent on almost any assignment.
Sword-class Frigate - Variants: Tempest-class Strike FrigateFirestorm-class Frigate - The Firestorm-class Frigate is a variant of the Sword-class attempting to deal with the latter's range problem. The Firestorm-class replaces the Sword-class' multiple laser batteries with a single, prow-mounted heavy lance, essentially a voidship-sized lascannon.
Sword-class Frigate - Dimensions: Hull: EscortClass: Sword-class FrigateDimensions: Approximately 1.6 kilometres long, 0.3 kilometres abeam at fins.Mass: Approximately 6 megatonnes.Crew: Approximately 26,000 crew.Acceleration: 4.5 gravities maximum sustainable acceleration.
Sword Brethren - Sword Brethren: The Sword Brethren (sing. Sword Brother) are the greatest warriors within a Fighting Company of the Black Templars Space Marine Chapter and are organised as a part of the Crusade's commanding Marshal's Household, thus serving as the equivalent of a Codex Astartes-compliant Chapter's Veteran 1st Company, though Sword Brethren elites exist within each of the companies of the Chapter. These Battle-Brothers are mighty heroes whose legend has become part of the Chapter's long and illustrious history, and it is every Black Templars' ambition to become one of their number.Clad in the finest suits of Power Armour available to the Chapter and bedecked with Crusader seals, the Sword Brethren are the very image of a baroque warrior knight of ancient Terran legend. Upon the death of a Marshal, it is from the Sword Brethren that his replacement will come and only the best and bravest are worthy of receiving this great honour. Those Sword Brethren who aspire to command rank face one another in a series of gruelling ritual combats, during which all who would contest the right to lead the Crusade will battle one another with various weapons as well as pitting their strategic and tactical prowess against their opponent.The exact form of the combat may vary, from unarmed wrestling to feats of endurance that would kill any man other than an Astartes, and many rounds may be fought until a single winner emerges, bloody and victorious. Even then, however, the victor's right to assume the rank of Marshal must be confirmed by the High Marshal (Chapter Master) of the Black Templars himself, although in practice it is most unlikely to be withheld.This tradition, which is codified in Chapter dogma and said to date back to the earliest of times, ensures that only those who truly desire command rank ever attain it, and it also guarantees that the succession to the rank of High Marshal is available only to the very best warriors in the entire Chapter, for it is from the ranks of the Marshals that the Chapter Master is chosen. Upon approval by the High Marshal, the Sword Brethren of the newly inducted Marshal's Fighting Company swear new oaths of loyalty to the winner. Larger Crusades are broken down into a number of Fighting Companies, each led by a Sword Brethren afforded the honorific of "Castellan." In this instance, Castellans are essentially serving as the equivalent of a company Captain in Codex-compliant Chapters.The Marshal’s Household very rarely fights as a single unit, although this has occurred during the most calamitous of wars. Instead, it is far more common for individual squads of Sword Brethren to be dispatched to bolster the forces of a single Fighting Company. The presence of these wise and potent warriors strengthens the resolve of the entire force, the Initiates and Neophytes fighting with all the more zeal knowing that the companions of the High Marshal himself are looking on. In battle, the Sword Brethren lead assaults or form immovable living bulwarks against anything the enemy can throw at the Black Templars lines, fighting with a controlled yet fiery doggedness born of centuries of experience.
Sword Brethren - Sword Brethren Terminators: The existence of the elite cadre within the Black Templars Chapter known as the Sword Brethren is an ancient tradition that harkens back to the earliest days of the Chapter. The greatest warriors of a Crusade are inducted into its commanding Marshal's Household. These hardened Astartes receive additional training, particularly in the use of the rare Terminator Armour, and are no longer responsible for the training of Neophytes as is common in the Chapter. All Space Marine Chapters maintain a number of these revered suits of ancient armour.Each suit is a priceless Chapter relic wrought by Master-Artificers in ages past, and given the scattered nature of the Black Templars Chapter, very hard to replace should the wearer fall in battle. When they take to the field equipped with their hulking Terminator Armour, adorned with fluttering Crusader seals and holy script, the Sword Brethren are a truly inspiring sight against which few enemies can stand. Each suit of Terminator Armour is lovingly maintained by the Chapter's Techmarines and each has a special place of honour within the ranks of the Sword Brethren. Selected senior commanders of the Chapter may also enter the Armoury of a Crusade Fleet and don these holy artefacts.To fight in Terminator Armour requires rigorous training and, once he is ready, a Black Templars Terminator is expected to perform above and beyond his brethren, acting as an example to the rest of the Chapter. Squads of Sword Brethren Terminators are most often employed in boarding actions or where the fighting is certain to be close and bloody. Terminators can also be equipped with a varied selection of weaponry that allows them to fight at longer ranges, but it is for brutal close combat assaults that Terminator Armour is primarily designed and for which the Black Templars favour it.
Sword Brethren - Deathwatch Service: On some rare occasions, the Sword Brethren have provided Battle-Brothers to serve in the Deathwatch, for these Veterans are all but peerless in their resolve to face the enemies of the Emperor. Each is a potent warrior and they are as experienced as the 1st Company Veterans of any other Chapter. Their unique combination of zealous rage and cold determination is an example to all they serve alongside, bolstering a Kill-team’s ability to survive and to overcome the horrors it must face in the cold void between the stars.Sword Brothers are veterans of many battles, with the proven ability and accumulated glory that comes only from facing the enemies of the Imperium on countless battlefields under countless alien suns. Through long years of battle and bloodshed, they have acquired a wealth of combat experience and learnt a variety of deaths to inflict upon the mutant, the alien, the heretic, and the daemon. Further, they have the ambition and personal drive to keep striving for martial perfection, unwilling to cease their personal quest to attain victory and glory for themselves, their Chapter, and the Emperor.
Sword Brethren - Wargear: Power ArmourTerminator Armour (Optional)BolterBolt Pistol or optional ranged weaponCrusader Seals - Crusader Seals are waxen or metallic tokens with vows of piety and Chapter blessings inscribed on hanging strips of parchment that are bestowed upon Black Templars Astartes of proven zeal and courage.Storm Bolter (Optional for Terminator Armoured Sword Brethren)Close Combat Weapon (Choice of Power Sword, Chainsword, Lightning Claws, Thunder Hammer, Power Fist; if chosen weapon is one-handed, a Storm Shield may also be used)Frag and Krak Grenades
Sword of Puretide - Sword of Puretide: A Sword of Puretide is a prototype T'au neurochip that served as the predecessor of what would become the Puretide Engram Neurochip. Developed during the midst of the Damocles Gulf Crusade by the Earth Caste at the request of the Ethereals, these experimental neurochip prototypes contained the recorded military strategies of the great T'au military leader Commander Puretide.During the war, these "Swords of Puretide," as they came to be known, were surgically implanted into the minds of many Cadre Fireblades and T'au Commanders, allowing them to function as great military leaders that thought alike and could adapt to nearly any situation.Implanted commanders enjoyed great success when facing off against rank and file Imperial troops, but suffered when the Imperium brought forth its psykers to battle. Once implanted with a Sword of Puretide neurochip, a commander could not draw upon any of their own previous strategic knowledge. This caused many to falter badly in the face of the psyker threat, with the confusion costing hundreds of lives as the minds of the T'au leaders struggled to respond.After the war, all of the Puretide engrams were forcibly removed from the minds of those who had been implanted with them. These invasive procedures left those who were operated on as drooling and pliant simpletons, a sad loss to the T'au Empire, but such was the painful cost of victory in the eyes of the Water Caste.A notable exception to this was Commander Shas'vastos, a close friend of Commander Farsight's, who was hidden away before his scheduled engram removal; thus becoming the sole survivor of the Sword of Puretide program.Whilst the prototype neurochip suffered rapid degeneration quickly thereafter, the commander was secreted away in stasis until the Farsight Enclaves Earth Caste scientist O'Vesa found a cure many decades later by recalibrating the neurochip and allowing the warrior to be safely awoken.
Sword of Secrets - Sword of Secrets: The Sword of Secrets is a revered artefact of the Dark Angels Space Marine Chapter. This sword is a master-crafted Power Sword of formidable potency created soon after the disappearance of Primarch Lion El'Jonson during the Fall of Caliban. It is the mightiest of the so-called Heavenfall Blades, the swords cut from a block of jet-black obsidian that struck the Dark Angels' mobile fortress-monastery known as The Rock whilst in orbit around the Feral World of Al Baradad.The blade of the Sword of Secrets is so incredibly well-crafted from a single block of the Heavenfall obsidian that it has not chipped nor lost its keen, razor-sharp edge over its many millennia of bloody use. This relic is borne by every successive Supreme Grand Master of the Dark Angels and is currently in the possession of Azrael. Only the Supreme Grand Master knows that it is also the only device that allows access to the deepest known dungeon in The Rock. Fitting the blade into a cleft in the wall unlocks the iron gate leading to a dark tunnel and the rune-protected cell in which the Arch-Heretic Luther is imprisoned.
Sword of Silence - Sword of Silence: The Sword of Silence is a revered artefact of the Dark Angels Space Marine Chapter, and in times of need, Belial, the current Grand Master of the Deathwing (1st) Company, wields this famous master-crafted Power Sword.This sword is one of a quadrumvirate of legendary swords collectively known as the Heavenfall Blades, and these formidable weapons are only carried by the highest-ranking members of the Inner Circle of the Dark Angels.The Chapter's lore states that these blades were forged from the core of a meteorite that struck their mobile fortress-monastery, known as the The Rock, in orbit around the Feral World of Al Baradad. The mightiest of these blades is the Sword of Secrets, carried by the Supreme Grand Master of the Chapter, and the current wielder of that sword is Azrael.The blades wielded by the Grand Master of the Deathwing, the Master of the Ravenwing, and the Master of the Dark Angels' 5th Company also utilise small amounts of the obsidian taken from the meteorite in their working.It is also said that a small portion of this meteoric substance was despatched to each of the Dark Angels' Successor Chapters, so that the senior members of the Unforgiven's own Inner Circles would also bear the same heritage forged in steel as those borne by the Masters of the Dark Angels.The Sword of Silence has traditionally been gifted to the most lethal close-quarters combatant in the Dark Angels.The Sword of Silence seems to swallow nearby light and sound, absorbing them into its glowing obsidian blade.
Swordfish - Swordfish: The Swordfish gunship is a T'au vehicle that is a relatively new addition to the Fire Caste's armed forces. Its design is based on the familiar chassis of the Hammerhead and Devilfish.The Swordfish's defining feature is the huge, twin-linked Railgun mounted on its turret, which makes it extremely effective at eliminating enemy armour at great range. It was for this explicit role that the vehicle was originally developed by the T'au, after the sometimes painful encounters by the Fire Caste with Imperial armour and heavy armour during the Damocles Gulf Crusade.The Swordfish was not designed as a replacement for the Hammerhead gunship, but instead as an addition to the T'au gravitic vehicle arsenal that could take on exceptionally well-armoured, super-heavy targets. However, the Swordfish design is not yet fully developed and the vehicle does suffer from several minor deficiencies, especially during extended campaigns. This is because the Swordfish requires an extensive amount of maintenance and repair or refit after each engagement. However, its impressive fighting capabilities make up for this drawback.
Swordfish - Armament: As standard, a Swordfish is armed with:Turret-mounted Twin-linked Railguns - Railguns are linear accelerators that use superconductive electrodes to fire projectiles at hyper-velocity speeds. The vast kinetic energy generated by the weapon's round on impact often has devastating effects, and is effective against heavily armoured vehicles even at long range. A Swordfish’s Railguns can also fire submunition rounds that consist of a sophisticated bundle of smaller projectiles that provide suppressive fire against soft targets such as enemy infantry.Twin-linked Missile Pods – A Missile Pod is a simple and effective delivery system for multiple, high-strength explosive missiles at long range.Chin-mounted Burst Cannon - Burst Cannons provide rapid-firing suppressive anti-infantry fire, acting as a self-defence weapon that can also be used to complement the fire of supporting infantry squads.
Swordfish - Optional Weapons: Seeker Missile – Swordfish gunships can optionally add up to two Seeker Missiles to their primary and secondary armaments. Each Seeker Missile is most effective when fired and guided by Marker Lights.
Swordfish - Ordo Xenos Departmento Analyticus Technical Specifications: Technical specifications for this T'au vehicle are not yet available from the Ordo Xenos.
Swords of Epiphany - Swords of Epiphany: The Swords of Epiphany were a warband of Chaos Space Marines comprised of Daemon-possessed former neophytes of the Exorcists Chapter who escaped into the Warp from the Exorcists homeworld of Banish with the aid of the Chaos-corrupted Ecclesiarchy Cardinal Rodrigo Nessun. They were eventually hunted down and destroyed by Exorcists Captain Veyon Armadel, who led what was known as "Armadel's Purge" against them.
Swords of Epiphany - Warband History: The secret initiation process of the Exorcists Chapter, in which each of its neophytes must first be possessed by a summoned Daemon for several solar days before it is banished, has always had its failures. Although most of these unfortunates die during their ordeal -- or worse, become "Broken Ones" -- one dark episode in the Chapter's early history demonstrated how dangerous these fallen souls could be.The initiative came from Cardinal Rodrigo Nessun, a trusted agent of the Ecclesiarchy attached to the Radical Ordo Malleus sect known as the Plutonians on Banish. When Nessun witnessed the changes that came over those who had succumbed to possession, he experienced a revelation: to his mind, these beings were a higher breed of warrior who could take Humanity forward, not dangerous sources of potential Chaos corruption who should be executed or locked away. Unwittingly guided by the whispers of the Dark Gods, Nessun gathered up a contingent of these condemned initiates before they could be destroyed, and he escaped with them into the Warp, baptising his foul host the "Swords of Epiphany" and swearing them to the service of Chaos.The existence of this warband of Heretic Astartes could not be tolerated by the Exorcists. More than staining the Chapter's honour, the Heretics might have retained memories of the hellish practices carried out in the Basilica Malefex and spread damning rumours through the wider Imperium. Thus began the campaign known as "Armadel's Purge," led by Captain Veyon Armadel, which hounded the Swords of Epiphany wherever they were sighted until at last the twisted cabal was declared extinct.
Swords of Khargoth - Swords of Khargoth: Swords of KhargothChaos Space MarinesAstartesSwords of PraesiumChapterChaos UndividedDescended from two once-loyal companies of those Space Marines, these Astartes turned to the service of Chaos out of desperation after being trapped on the world of Acropolis Vega within a Warp Storm for 70 Terran years.
Swords of Khargoth - Warband History: Sometime during the 41st Millennium the forces of Chaos attacked the Imperial world of Acropolis Vega. Two companies from the Swords of Praesium Chapter were sent in response to aid the beleaguered planet. Shortly after making planetfall, a Warp Storm of great magnitude engulfed the entire star system, effectively cutting off the Loyalist Astartes from the rest of the galaxy for nearly seven solar decades.Records of what transpired on Acropolis Vega during this period of time were lost. It is not known how long the two companies of Swords of Praesium Astartes fought against the minions of Chaos on the Warp-tainted world, but eventually they succumbed to the dark allure of power offered by the Dark Gods.Isolated and outnumbered, the Loyalist forces were evidently overwhelmed by the forces of Chaos, for when they finally emerged from the star system after the Warp Storm dissipated, several squads had sworn their fealty to Chaos in return for their own survival.When an Imperial Reclamation Fleet arrived in the system to investigate whether the lost Imperial planet could be restored to the light of the Emperor, it was the newly-anointed Swords of Khargoth Heretic Astartes who led the initial assault upon their former allies.Despite the success of the Imperium in retaking Acropolis Vega, it was a pyrrhic victory at best, as the Swords of Khargoth had escaped the Emperor's wrath. Since then, the Swords of Khargoth have become known as bloody reavers of Imperial commerce across that sector of Imperial space -- exalting in the mayhem and bloody slaughter of small outposts and vicious boarding actions against Imperial vessels.
Swords of Khargoth - Notable Campaigns: War of Ashes (Unknown Date.M41) - It was in the closing days of the War of Ashes, against the Swords of Khargoth warband, that the Imperial Knights of House Terryn's Honourable Company turned Freeblade. The Renegades had been fighting a war of scorched earth against the Imperium, falling back across the Laimean System, burning worlds in their wake and throwing armies of mutants, Chaos Cultists and worse against the crusaders. Khargoth, the warlord of the Traitor armies, had noted the prowess of the Knights and had singled them out for retribution. Khargoth's daemonic assassins infiltrated the Imperium's forward camp and murdered one of the House of Terryn nobles while he slept in his pavilion, dissecting his body and laying it out in pieces for his lance-brothers to find. Not only was this perceived as a vile act of treachery by the nobles; it was also a terrible insult. For a member of the house to die outside his Knight suit was to dishonour him in the most fundamental of ways, a slight that could not be ignored. As one, the other nobles vowed to slay Khargoth and destroy his warband at any cost. In the final battles of the war, the company strove to hunt down the Renegade Space Marine, often placing themselves or their allies in great danger. When the Swords of Khargoth escaped from the system the Knights followed, choosing the path of the Freeblade in order to fulfil their vow, and set off into the void after their hated quarry.
Swords of Khargoth - Warband Colours: The Swords of Khargoth wear black power armour with red trim and red, lava-like imagery on the leg plates of their armour.
Swords of Khargoth - Warband Badge: The Swords of Khargoth's badge is the face of a bone white, horned-skull centred on a field of black. They are also known to wear the usual blasphemous iconography and fetishes associated with the worship of Chaos.
Swords of Khargoth - Notable Swords of Khargoth: Khargoth - Khargoth was a captain of the Swords of Praesium Chapter who served as the Force Commander for the 2 companies of Astartes sent on the original mission to Acropolis Vega. He is now the Chaos Lord who leads the Swords of Khargoth warband.
Swords of Praesium - Swords of Praesium: The Swords of Praesium is a Loyalist Space Marine Chapter of unknown Founding and origin. Almost nothing is known about this Chapter in the Imperial records, save for the fact that a number of its Battle-Brothers turned Renegade after being isolated for 70 standard years upon the world of Acropolis Vega by a Warp Storm during the 41st Millenium. This Renegade warband became known as the Swords of Khargoth.
Swords of Praesium - Notable Campaigns: Assault on Acropolis Vega (Unknown Date.M41) - When the Forces of Chaos attacked the world of Acropolis Vega, two Companies from the Swords of Praesium Chapter launched a counterattack. Not long after they made planetfall, a Warp Storm engulfed the system, cutting off Acropolis Vega from the outside for nearly 70 Terran years. No records survived attesting to how long the Space Marines fought against the warriors of the Dark Gods, but eventually they succumbed. Isolated and almost certainly overwhelmed by their opposition, several squads evidently swore their loyalty to Chaos in return for their survival. When the Warp Storm abated, it was the Swords of Khargoth who led the attack upon the Imperial reclamation fleet. Ever since, the Swords of Khargoth have been known as bloody reavers who delight in the slaughter of boarding actions. Though the armies of the Emperor eventually retook Acropolis Vega, the Swords of Khargoth escaped destruction and their Strike Cruisers now menace Imperial shipping and small outposts in the area.
Swords of Praesium - Chapter Colours: The Swords of Praesium's Chapter colours are not listed in current Imperial records.
Swords of Praesium - Chapter Badge: The Swords of Praesium's Chapter badge is not listed in current Imperial records.
Swords of the Emperor - Swords of the Emperor: Swords of the EmperorCodex AstartesSpace MarineChapterFoundingImperial
Swords of the Emperor - Notable Campaigns: Defence of Corania (Unknown Date.M41) – The Tyranids attacked the Imperial world of Corania without warning, forcing every Imperial Guard regiment on the planet to resist ferociously for nearly a year before a fleet from the Imperial Navy and several companies drawn from both the Swords of the Emperor and the Reclaimers Chapters turned the tide.
Swords of the Emperor - Chapter Colours: The Swords of the Emperor's Chapter colours are not listed in current Imperial records.
Swords of the Emperor - Chapter Badge: The Swords of the Emperor's Chapter badge is not listed in current Imperial records.
Swordstorm - Swordstorm: The Swordstorm was a Gloriana-class Battleship that served as the flagship of the Primarch Jaghatai Khan and his White Scars Space Marine Legion during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy eras of the late 30th and early 31st Millennia.
Swordstorm - History: The Swordstorm was the fastest of the Gloriana-class Battleships built by the Mechanicum for the Emperor's Great Crusade. Its Plasma Reactor and drives had been heavily modified by the White Scars' Techmarines to allow for much more rapid acceleration in realspace than the starships of the base class.During the Chondax Campaign in 007.M31 early in the Horus Heresy, the Swordstorm led the White Scars' breakout from the Chondax System after the V Legion was unexpectedly attacked by elements of the Alpha Legion's fleet.In his determination to discover exactly who had betrayed the Emperor to initiate the Horus Heresy, the White Scars fleet first arrived at Prospero, the former homeworld of the Thousand Sons Legion that had recently been assaulted by an Imperial Censure Host led by Leman Russ of the Space Wolves Legion.There the Swordstorm and its fleet briefly engaged the fleet of the Death Guard Legion under the command of the Primarch Mortarion during the Second Battle of Prospero. This naval battle unfolded after the failure of a coup to take control of the White Scars by Hasik Noyan-Khan in an attempt to force the Legion to side with Horus while Jaghatai was down on the surface of Prospero.The Swordstorm was ultimately destroyed during the Battle of Catallus in 011.M31 where it was used as a trap in an attempt to kill Mortarion. After the Death Lord boarded the battleship in search of his brother Jaghatai, who had already evacuated to the battleship Lance of Heaven, the great vessel's Void Shields were reactivated by a force of suicidal Sagyar Mazan, White Scars Astartes who sought atonement for their participation in the coup led by Hasik Noyan-Khan against Jaghatai.Mortarion was unable to get off the Swordstorm while its Void Shields remained active, at the same time that the ship's Plasma Reactor had been set to overload and self-destruct.Mortarion was forced to fight his way through the ambush by the Sagyar Mazan while ordering his Death Guard fleet to open fire on the Swordstorm and take down its Void Shields the hard way.The Death Guard fleet succeeded at this task with only moments to spare before the Swordstorm was consumed in a massive explosion, allowing Mortarion to teleport off the doomed vessel to safety.In the wake of the Battle of Catallus, the Lance of Heaven became the new flagship of Jaghatai Khan and the White Scars Legion.
Sydonian Dragoon - Sydonian Dragoon: Sydonian Dragoons are tried and tested Skitarii warriors of the Adeptus Mechanicus who are given the honour of riding to war atop venerated, stilt-legged Ironstrider Engines. When these mighty contraptions burst from their shrouding fogs, they strike like a spear cast by the Machine God Himself. These fearless cavaliers thunder through enemy fire to plunge lance-first into the thick of the enemy's ranks, the pent-up energies of their taser weaponry blasting the foe back in a blazing storm of sparks. Those foolish enough to mount a counter-assault are kicked across the battlefield or stamped unceremoniously into the dirt by the Ironstrider Engine the Dragoon rides to war. Shouting praise to the Omnissiah, the mechanical knight kicks away the blackened corpses of his victims, already wheeling his steed in search of fresh prey.
Sydonian Dragoon - Role: Sydonian Dragoons stride battlefields like graven idols given life, charging from clouds of sacred incense to slam crackling Taser Lances into scattering foes. In their wake they leave ragged trails of corpses that stretch to the horizon and beyond. Mounted on the marvel of science that is the Ironstrider Engine, Sydonian Dragoons know not the concepts of doubt nor rest. Theirs is the power of endless motion put to the purpose of death.The first Sydonians settled a vast cratered area of Mars swathed in dense acidic mist. In the schisms that haunted Mars' past, those with stilt-augmetics could stalk these mists and yet live, their elevation allowing them to escape the worst effects of the acidic fog whilst remaining hidden from the enemy. The Sydonian Dragoons echo the tactics of these past warrior-explorers. Using incense exhausts, they march through an ochre cloud redolent of ancient Sydonia. Many a foe has been confounded by this mist long enough for the Dragoons to mount a deadly charge.Though the monotask Servitor that steers each Ironstrider Engine towards the foe is all but mindless, its rider is a tried and tested Skitarii warrior. Once the Dragoon has spotted his quarry, he will mark it with a bullet from his Phosphor Serpenta or Radium Jezzail. The glow from the impact guides his unit's next charge even in the fog of war. Within moments, one so marked is assailed by a stampede of titanium-hard feet and high-yield taser weaponry.
Sydonian Dragoon - The Ironstrider Engine: Taking his inspiration from the stilt-legged seekers of the Sydonian Mask, the Tech-priest Aldebrac Vingh perfected the Ironstrider Engine in the early 33rd Millennium. His achievement was profound indeed. The strange bipedal apparatus he invented is as close to a perpetual motion machine as the Adeptus Mechanicus have ever seen, its efficiency near to perfection. Acting as a dynamo as the Ironstrider walks, the miraculous design essentially powers itself. There are prototype models still circumnavigating the equator of Mars today. Sadly Vingh, never the most politically astute of his Tech-priest kin, was all but ostracised by his jealous colleagues, and never reaped any reward for his breakthrough invention.After his mysterious death the design secrets behind the Ironstrider Engine were lost, and the concept of perpetual motion was abandoned. So it is that the Ironstriders of today are never switched off, lest their relentless Machine Spirit fade away forever. Thousands are put to use as mounts in the Skitarii cohorts, their riders lowered into the saddles of ever-circling 'striders by articulated cranes that overlook the Iron Stables. Others are guided onto industrial treadmills and cog-steps where they pound away in their hundreds, used to power inefficient but far deadlier machineries of destruction. Such is the way of the Tech-priest; to turn a work of genius into a weapon, to forge from an exquisite design something that is no longer understood, yet can be replicated and put to use in the Mechanicus' never-ending war effort.
Sydonian Dragoon - Notable Formations: Ironstrider Cavalier - A Skitarii Legion's Ironstriders will often be mindlinked to to one another, their slave-servitor crewmen instinctively bound together in the manner of stallions in a galloping herd. Their purpose is not like that of traditional cavalry, whose thunderous charges can roll over an enemy's flank or turn the tide of a battle with a determined forward assault. Instead, Ironstrider Cavaliers are implanted with the identity of a specific individual, usually a commander, psyker or other such leader figure, and driven to slay their target no matter the cost. Such is the density of their mental link that the Cavalier formation's Sydonian Dragoons will stalk around each other even in the midst of combat to allow their Ballistarii brethren a clear shot. Glory is of no concern -- only the utter destruction of the foe they have been sent to slay. An Ironstrider Cavalier formation typically consists of two units of Sydonian Dragoons working in conjunction with a single unit of Ironstrider Ballistarii.
Sydonian Dragoon - Unit Composition: 1-6 Sydonian Dragoons
Sydonian Dragoon - Wargear: As standard, all Sydnonian Dragoons are armed with:Taser Lance - Powered by hyperdynamo capacitors, Taser Weapons store an incredible amount of potential energy. A solid impact will cause this energy to be discharged in a scorching blast, only to be harnessed once more by the electrothief prongs at the weapon's tip.Broad Spectrum Data-Tether - Seen as the mouthpieces of the Tech-Priests, who in turn are the prophets of the Machine God himself, those honoured with bearing data-tethers are obeyed without hesitation by their reverent Skitarii comrades. The vehicle-mounted Broad Spectrum version projects a Tech-Priest's binaric bursts with such clarity that it seems he is amongst the ranks of the Skitarii himself. Imperatives delivered via such information relays are more potent and reliable than any other.Searchlight - Searchlights are often fitted to vehicles so that the foe cannot use darkness as an ally.Any Sydnonian Dragoon can replace their Taser Lance with:Radium Jezzail - Radium Weapons are so volatile that they eventually kill their wielders. Their baroque beauty belies a singularly vile function -- not only to strike, but to render the battlefield as deadly as the rad-wastes of Mars. Each weapon's bullet cylinder is so thoroughly bathed in radium that a volley can cause a localised rad-storm. Those inside such a storm soon find their flesh blackening and sloughing away.Any Sydonian Dragoon may be additionally armed with:Phosphor Serpenta - Though the crawling horror of ancient Phosphex Weaponry is all but forgotten in the Imperium, the blinding white fire of Phosphor Weaponry is still utilised by Skitarii to mark out high-priority targets amongst the battlefield murk. If those struck by the burning spheres fired by these weapons are not killed by the initial trauma, they are soon felled by the light-guided volleys that follow.
Sydonian Dragoon - Sources: Codex: Adeptus Mechanicus (8th Edition), pp. 52, 81Codex Adeptus Mechancius - Skitarii (7th Edition) (Digital Edition), pp. 30, 33, 36, 61, 67
Sylas Skor - Sylas Skor: Sylas Skor is a captain of the Imperial Navy who commands Adamant Station on the world of Pyrathas in the Jericho Reach.