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    This article is about the tabletop miniature wargame and the fictional universe of

    Warhammer 40,000in which it is set. Warhammer 40,000(informally known as

    Warhammer 40K, WH40K, W40K or just 40K) is a science fantasy tabletop

    miniature wargame, produced by Games Workshop. Warhammer 40,000is the

    science fiction companion to the dark fantasy world ofWarhammer Fantasy, and

    shares many of the same game mechanics. The game depicts combat between the

    armies of the fictional universe of the 41st Millennium using 28 mm scale

    (approximately 1:65) miniature figurines which represent futuristic soldiers, creatures

    and vehicles of war. The universe ofWarhammer 40,000is strongly dystopic, using

    many elements from Gothic, dark fantasy and Lovecraftian literature. There are no

    unambiguously good factions; for example, the Imperium of Man, which most

    players might be expected to sympathise with, is a corrupt, uncaring, and static

    interstellar government tha dominates the Milky Way Galaxy. Humankind is

    xenophobic, fascist and tyrannical at its best in this time, though also for good

    reason considering the sheer hostility of the universe that humanity inhabits. The

    mood of the franchise is concisely summed up in the slogan: "In the grim darkness

    of the far future, there is only war."

    Overview

    Each player assembles an army of metal and plastic miniature figurines (models) -

    each, usually, representing a single military figure from one of the official army lists.

    These armies are constrained by rules contained within the current edition's

    Warhammer 40,000rulebook, as well as in several army-specific codexes. The sizeand power of the army is determined on a points system, with each unit being

    assigned a number of points proportional to its tactical worth on the battlefield.

    Before a game begins, the players agree on how many points will be used as the

    maximum army size and each assemble an army up to that maximum limit.

    Common game sizes are between 400 and 2,000 points, but it is possible to play

    much larger games given time and inclination. In addition, there are more detailed

    rules for many games, using more book-keeping for each individual figure. Games

    generally run from half an hour to several hours in duration depending on the point

    size of the armies.

    Play is divided into turns, with each player choosing specific actions for all of his

    units on his turn (usually some combination of movement, firing, and close combat),

    and using dice to determine the results of those actions. Each battle, at the onset, is

    assigned a set of additional rules and a goal (collectively called a "scenario") specific

    to it. The most common of these is a basic "cleanse" mission (which was the

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    "default" mission in Third Edition), which ends after six turns, the victor being

    declared based on who controls the four quarters of the battlefield; more complex

    goals can include night fights, bunker assaults, and ambushes.

    Some players organize a series of scenarios, called a campaign, where two or more

    players fight against each other in a number of battles. These campaigns may

    feature their own special rules, and are tied together by a storyline set within the

    universe, which might alter according to the results of each scenario when it is

    played. Every few years, a global campaign is held in which people submit the

    results of their games to Games Workshop. These results are collated, and together

    affect the storyline of the game, which is then accounted for in the next rulebook and

    fiction releases. The most recent of these global campaigns was the 2006 The Fall

    of Medusa V campaign which ended in a massive Imperial victory. Unfortunately,

    Games Workshop has indicated that it will not be running any more worldwidecampaigns in the foreseeable future and for now, the in-universe timeline will stop at

    the end of the 41st Millennium.

    [edit] Collecting

    In addition to writing rulebooks for the game, Games Workshop also owns Citadel

    Miniatures and Forge World, two companies which manufacture all the miniatures

    used to play Warhammer 40,000. In addition to the current line of units, Games

    Workshop makes available past model lines as a part of their mail-order-only

    "Classic" series. These are models that have been used for earlier editions of thegame. This is one of many ways to get certain miniatures which have been

    discontinued.

    As of June 2006, new players wishing to start playing should expect to spend at

    least 200 (about $300) but may need to spend much more, for a basic playable

    army with ample room for customization (1,000 points). This figure includes the

    costs for the rulebook, the army's codex, and modeling equipment such as paints

    and glue. Players must also purchase individual units in squads or in boxed sets.

    The cost of boxed sets varies widely (18 to 100, about $30 to $150), dependingon the contents. However, the boxed set may not provide for all available options,

    meaning that players may choose to purchase additional blister packs, each

    containing one to three models. A typical blister pack costs around 7 ($10-$12).

    [edit] Modeling

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    Since the models are all hand-painted and assembled by the player, people are

    encouraged to design their own paint schemes as well as using the pre-designed

    ones displayed in the various books. They are also encouraged to further modify

    their figures and vehicles using parts from other kits and models (known as "bitz" or

    sprues to players), or scratch-built from plasticard (Sheet Styrene), modeling puttyand whatever the modeler has at hand. These conversions are often entered into

    contests at Games Workshop-sponsored tournaments and similar gaming events.

    Terrain is a very important part of play. Although Games Workshop has terrain kits

    available, many hobbyists prefer to make their own elaborate and unique set pieces.

    Common household items like soft drink cans, coffee cups, styrofoam packing

    pieces, and pill bottles can be transformed into ruined cathedrals, alien habitats, or

    terrain with the addition of plasticard, putty, and a bit of patience and skill.

    edit Background Setting

    The Warhammer 40,000game universe is most readily characterized as a Gothic

    science fantasy setting. The central and most popular elements of the Warhammer

    40,000universe are the Space Marines, anachronistic combinations of sci-fi super-

    soldiers and fantasy knights and the finest warriors of the Imperium of Man, the

    dystopian galaxy-spanning human interstellar empire they are sworn to serve and

    defend.

    The physical setting of this story is the material universe or the Materium, with allaction taking place in the Milky Way Galaxy of the far future. Most of this space is

    controlled by the Imperium of Man, though it is not the only power in the galaxy.

    Other intelligent races include the Orks, a green-skinned orc-like race, and the

    Eldar, the elf-like former rulers of a great galactic empire, the anime-inspired Tau

    and the rapacious insect-like aliens called the Tyranids. A dynamic, galaxy-spanning

    story line is possible because of a separate plane of existence, the Immaterium or

    Warp. The Warp is described as a realm of thought and psychic energy, where

    desires and emotions can take physical form, and with currents and eddies that

    make traveling vast interstellar distances difficult, yet possible. As this is a realm of

    thought, a coalescence of extreme emotion often yields the birth of a sinisterWarp

    entity. The strongest of these entities are the Chaos Gods, Khorne (a god of rage,

    bloodshed, and war), Nurgle (a god of despair, decay and pestilent disease),

    Tzeentch (a god of change, deception, scheming, sorcery, and, oddly enough, hope)

    and Slaanesh (a god of pleasure, pain, depravity, pride and decadence).

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    The Gods ofChaos are the result of the strongest impulses in the living souls of the

    universe's sentient inhabitants. Their cults have a dynamic and antagonistic

    relationship. Khorne opposes Slaanesh, while Nurgle opposes Tzeentch. Nurgle is

    the personification of stagnation, while Tzeentch personifies continuing change,

    Khorne personifies duty and rage, and Slaanesh personifies the epicurean or thesensual. These four powers are not the only entities in the Warp, but they are the

    greatest and most powerful. It is said, in the background to Warhammer 40,000, that

    the true nature of the Warp is beyond human comprehension and is truly

    unknowable.

    The background history for the game draws on many previous works of fantasy and

    science fiction, including Games Workshop's previous fantasy tabletop miniature

    game called Warhammer Fantasy, Frank Herbert's Dune series of books and the

    Aliens movies as well as real historical elements such as the two World Wars andthe rise and fall of the Roman Empire.

    [edit] Armies/Races/Species

    Main article: Warhammer 40,000 species The Warhammer 40,000game, and

    consequently the fictional universe, is made up of many intelligent races and

    species. The main playable armies in the game are the Chaos Space Marines,

    Daemonhunters, Dark Eldar, Eldar, Imperial Guard, Necrons, Orks, Space Marines,

    Tau, TyranidsWitch Hunters, and the Daemons ofChaos, an army that was the

    most recently introduced. Most of these races have variant armies. For example, theSpace Marines are divided into "Chapters", which sometimes have unique traits or

    even their own rules.

    Examples of variant armies include the following (however, this list is not

    exhaustive):

    Space Marine: Ultramarines, Blood Angels, Space

    Wolves, Dark Angels, Black Templars, Blood

    Ravens, White Scars, Imperial Fists, etc.Imperial Guard: Catachan Jungle Fighters, Mordian

    Iron Guard, Praetorians, Cadian Shock Troopers,

    Valhallans, etc.

    Tau Empire: Kroot Mercenaries, the Farsight

    Enclave

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    Eldar: Iyanden, Ulthw, Alaitoc, Biel-Tan, etc.

    Chaos Space Marine: Death Guard, World Eaters,

    Thousand Sons, Emperor's Children, Iron Warriors,

    etc.

    Orks: Speed Freeks, Feral Orks

    [edit] Notable Characters

    The Warhammer 40,000universe and game are made up of many different

    characters, each important in some way. Some of these characters are more

    important to the universe and game than others. The list below contains a selection

    of the figures and characters that have had the greatest impact on the Warhammer

    40,000fictional universe.

    The Emperor of MankindHorus

    Roboute Guilliman

    Abaddon the Despoiler

    Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka

    Eldrad Ulthran

    The Emperor of Mankind is the leader of the Imperium of Man, and is

    described by the Imperial Ecclesiarchy and the Imperial Cult as the Father,

    Guardian and God of humanity. He has sat immobile within the GoldenThrone ofTerra for over ten thousand years. Although once a living man, his

    shattered body can no longer support life, and it is kept intact only by the

    cybernetic mechanisms of the Golden Throne and a potent mind itself

    sustained by the daily sacrifice of thousands of lives. The Emperor has

    sacrificed his immortal life in the service of Man. To Mankind's countless

    quadrillions across the galaxy-spanning Imperium, he is nothing less than a

    god. Through his Imperium, Mankind is united and remains one of the most

    powerful intelligent races in the Milky Way Galaxy as well as its most

    dominant in terms of both population and territory held. United under one

    government, Mankind is able to survive the myriad numbers of deadly threats

    it faces from aliens, the forces of Chaos and the traitors, heretics and mutants

    within. The Imperium's rule, carried on in the Emperor's behalf by the High

    Lords of Terra and a multitude of Imperial organizations, has been long and

    necessarily harsh. The Emperor is at the very center of the Imperium.

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    Although he is no longer directly involved in the day-to-day running of the

    galactic government, his presence on the Golden Throne is vital to sustaining

    the Imperium, as his mind's presence in the Immaterium maintains and directs

    theAstronomican, making possible faster-than-light Warp travel, which is vital

    to Imperial shipping, transportation, commerce and communication. He is saidto guide his race through theEmperor's Tarot, which select psykers can

    consult to gain a glimpse of the future and the Emperor's will. He is also said

    to constantly battle the Chaos Gods in the Warp and prevent their intrusion

    upon the material universe. He must be at all times vigilant throughout the

    entire Imperium to safeguard the human race.

    Origin 1:

    In the current Warhammer 40,000background story, the Emperor's origin

    and history prior to unifying Terra is left mysterious and undetailed. The firstmention of the Emperor in Imperial records is when he unified Terra at the

    end of theAge of Strife. In Horus Rising, Horus mentions that the Emperor

    lived "in Anatolia, in his own childhood"when talking of his first meeting with

    the Emperor. It is known he had been immortal and ancient even before his

    ascension to the Golden Throne over ten thousand years ago.

    The Emperor is the "New Man", the first and greatest of the race of human

    psykers. He is also the collective reincarnation of the extinct shamans,

    sorcerers and wisemen who had guided primitive humanity since prehistoric

    times. As the Emperor grew older his powers began to manifest themselves

    and he gradually remembered his thousands of past lives.

    For thousands of years before becoming the Emperor, he guided and

    watched humanity develop over the course of its history, assuming the guise

    of a large number of historical personages. He was aware that the extremes

    of human nature were feeding the growth of the Chaos Gods in the Warp,

    and so he sought to promote peace and harmony on Earth and thereby curb

    the growth of the Ruinous Powers' strength. The Chaos Gods themselves

    recognized the Emperor as their greatest enemy among all the intelligentbeings of the galaxy. Only during the Age of Strife did the Emperor emerge

    from obscurity to take a more direct hand in the future of humanity,

    conquering the warring factions of mankind's homeworld and establishing his

    direct rule over the Earth. The Emperor accepted the deaths of innocents that

    resulted from his conquest with great remorse in order to achieve the greater

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    good of unifying humanity and protecting it from the manifest predations of

    the Warp.

    With the assistance of theAdeptus Mechanicus on Mars, the Emperor

    created the first Space Marines and fleets of interstellar starships that would

    carry his armies across galactic space. The objective was a Great Crusadethat would unify all of the planets colonized by man during the Dark Age of

    Technology prior to the Age of Strife into one Imperium of Man, and also

    subdue, destroy, or chase away all alien races from what was to be the

    Imperial Domain, the manifest destiny of Mankind. The Emperor also created

    the Primarchs from whom the Space Marines' gene-seed was later

    developed. The Chaos Gods, however, sought to thwart the Emperor's grand

    plan. The Primarchs were sucked into the Warp even as they developed

    beneath the Imperial Palace, and scattered across the inhabited worlds of thegalaxy. During the Great Crusade all but two of the twenty Primarchs were

    found and united with their Space Marine Legions. As the Emperor traveled

    across the stars, some humans wanted to worship him as a god, however he

    forbade this proclaiming "I am not a god, rather than enslaving humanity I

    want to free them". However, Lorgar, the Primarch of the Word Bearers

    Legion, gave into the constant whispers of the Chaos Gods and, after

    corrupting his Legion to their service, sent his First ChaplainErebus to

    poison the minds of the other Primarchs as well as their Legions. Just as the

    Imperium had reached its apex, the Emperor's most trusted son, thePrimarch Horus of the Luna Wolves Legion (later renamed the Sons of

    Horus), fell to Chaos and betrayed the Emperor, and along with fully half the

    Space Marine Legions, initiated a massive civil war for control of the galaxy.

    This rebellion is known to history as the Horus Heresy. Though the Emperor

    ultimately defeated Horus during the Traitor Marines' siege of Terra, he was

    all but destroyed in the battle; only the life-supporting Golden Throne has

    sustained his living corpse in a kind ofstasis, neither dead nor truly alive.

    Origin 2:The Emperor is the collective reincarnation of all the shamans of ancient

    humanity. The foul Warp entities that would became the four Great Powers of

    Chaos had not yet formed when the Emperor was born on Earth during

    prehistoric times, somewhere in ancient central Anatolia (modern Turkey) in

    the eighth millennium B.C. But even before the birth of the Emperor, as

    humanity grew and progressed, the Warp began to become increasingly

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    disturbed, and the shamans began to lose their ability to reincarnate into new

    bodies - instead, upon dying, their souls were being consumed by the

    creatures and daemons of the Warp. Eventually the shamans of humanity,

    unable to reincarnate, would become extinct, and without the shamans and

    their psychic abilities to guide them, humanity would inevitably fall prey to thecorruptions of Chaos, just as eventually happened to the Eldar. In these

    ancient days, all the shamans ofEarth gathered in conclave to decide what

    must be done. In the end they decided to pool their psychic energies by

    reincarnating as a single soul in a single human body. The thousands of

    shamans, as one, took poison, and as one, died. A year later the man who

    would become the Emperor was born. His psychic power was so potent that

    its energies altered his physiology and rendered him immortal so he would no

    longer need to reincarnate and could not be assaulted by the daemoniccreatures of the Immaterium upon his death. As he grew older, his potent

    psychic powers began to manifest. Over many millennia, he traveled among

    the many peoples of mankind, using his ancient wisdom to help where he

    could in the guise of many different legendary, historical and religious

    personages.

    The Rise of the Emperor

    The man who would later become known as the Emperor of Mankind first

    appears in Imperial records as just one of the many warlords struggling for

    control of Terra during the later part of the Age of Strife. The Emperorundertook a series of military campaigns against all the other warlords on the

    planet that would later become known as the Unification Wars. During these

    conflicts the Emperor employed several military formations - such as the

    Geno Five-Two Chiliad - that consisted of using genetically

    altered/engineered warriors to maximize his tactical prowess. These warriors

    played a significant role in his eventual victory over all the other warlords of

    Terra. With this victory, the planet and population of Terra were at last unified

    under a single rule; that of theE

    mperor. With this achievement behind him,the Emperor then set in motion his plans to take his purpose of uniting and

    guarding mankind out into the galaxy, to unify those bastions of humanity

    scattered across the myriad stars. This grand undertaking would become

    known as the Great Crusade.

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    An icon of the Emperor before the Horus Heresy

    The Emperor prepared extensively for the Great Crusade; he created the

    special astro-telepath corps to link his eventual dominion together through

    the use of telepathy, and engineered the creation of the Astronomican, a

    supremely powerful psychic signal device powered by the Emperor's own will

    and psychic abilities that would allow simplified and safer interstellar travel

    through the Warp. Chief amongst his designs, however, was the creation of

    superhuman, genetically-engineered warriors, the logical extension of thegene-troopers already under his command. He had first undertaken the

    Primarch Project, the creation of twenty infants from his own genetic code,

    who were intended to mature into powerful generals for his armies. However,

    this plan went awry with the intervention of the Ruinous Powers. While

    accounts vary as to exactly what happened, the end of the tale is always the

    same; the Primarchs were cast into the Warp from their gestation chambers

    beneath the Himalaya Mountains in the Emperor's gene-labs and thought

    lost. In the aftermath of these events, the Emperor conceived a new plan.

    Using genetic material which had been derived from the Primarchs'

    genomes, he created a caste of warriors who would possess some of the

    same superhuman qualities of the Primarchs and himself. These successors

    to the genetically-altered warriors of the Unification Wars-era were the

    Legiones Astartes, the Space Marines of the First Founding.

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    The Emperor led the twenty Space Marine Legions in the reconquest of the

    Solar System, driving alien slavers from the moons of Saturn and Jupiter and

    most importantly, achieving peace and the eventual integration of Imperial

    Terra with the Cult Mechanicum ofMars. This crucial military and political

    alliance provided the Emperor with much of the technological means andmateriel required to extend his crusade into the stars.

    With the final abatement of the Warp storms caused by the birth-pangs of the

    Chaos God Slaanesh, the Emperor began the Great Crusade. The Emperor's

    forces rediscovered lost human worlds, cast out alien oppressors, and

    claimed new territory for the Imperium across the galaxy. Perhaps most

    importantly, the Emperor, leading his crusade, rediscovered his lost sons, the

    Primarchs. Scattered throughout space, the infants were found one-by-one,

    over a period of many decades, and reunited with their father and theirgenetic kin in the Space Marine Legions. All were placed in command of the

    Astartes Legions created from their respective gene-seed and played their

    part in forging their father's Imperium.

    Foremost amongst the Primarchs was Horus, the first discovered and first

    honoured. Some great length of time into the Great Crusade, the Emperor

    decided to return to Terra to oversee a special project that he intended to cap

    his ambitions for humanity and he placed Horus in charge of the military

    advancement of the Great Crusade in his stead. Granting him the unique title

    ofWarmaster, the Emperor declared that the time had come for his sons toshow him what great leaders they were. Turning his back on direct military

    matters, the Emperor then created the Council ofTerra, the Imperial Tithe,

    and expanded the civil governing bodies of the Imperium, before retiring in

    seclusion beneath the Imperial Palace to begin work upon the Golden Throne

    and his secret plan to invade the Webway of the Eldar and bring it under

    humanity's control.

    The Horus Heresy

    This turn of events did not please all of theE

    mperor's subjects, several of hisPrimarch sons in particular. In the final stages of the Great Crusade, the

    Emperor's most trusted son Horus succumbed to the temptations of Chaos.

    Horus was told in a vision granted by the Ruinous Powers that the reason the

    Emperor had left the Great Crusade was so the he could attempt to reach

    godhood, abandon all his sons and betray one of the central tenets of the

    Great Crusade (to enlighten humanity and free it from the bonds of false

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    gods and organized religion). Horus saw it as his duty to save the Imperium

    of Man from such a fate and turned on his father. Having corrupted fully half

    of the Space Marine Legions to the service of Chaos, Horus led them against

    the Emperor and plunged the fledgling galactic empire into a colossal civil

    war. This conflict became the most terrible in human history, and billionsperished as the Traitor Legions tore apart the empire they had helped to

    forge.

    The last act of this terrible treachery was played out above Terra, as the

    Emperor led a desperate teleport assault against Horus' Chaos-corrupted

    flagship. Though the Emperor was a being of unfathomable psychic and

    physical might, Horus had become mighty indeed, bloated with the powers of

    all four Chaos Gods. After a tragic battle, and though heartbroken at the loss

    of his favored son, theE

    mperor finally slew Horus, though the struggle lefthim close to death. In this state he was found by Rogal Dorn, the Primarch of

    the Imperial Fists Space Marine Legion. The dying Emperor dictated plans

    for the use of the arcane life support machine that would sustain his

    remaining cells in a state between life and true death for over ten thousand

    years, and he was subsequently interred in this altered version of the Golden

    Throne.

    The Emperor's broken body was discovered by the Primarch of the Imperial

    Fists, Rogal Dorn who, following the Emperor's instructions, oversaw the

    Emperor's interrment in the Golden Throne, an arcane device intended tosustain his mind and decaying body. The Emperor has remained in the

    Golden Throne since his 'ascension' to this day, neither fully living nor wholly

    dead. Although certain disputed material states that this was initially

    designed as the hub of the Emperor's secret project to utilize the Eldar

    webway for humanity, the Golden Throne also functions as a complex life

    support device. The Golden Throne itself lies in the Sanctum Imperialis, a

    great hall in the heart of the Imperial Palace guarded by the Emperor's

    Companions, a special bodyguard contingent of theAdeptus Custodes. TheEmperor's decaying physical form is preserved by the vast machinery of the

    Golden Throne, which itself is maintained by Techpriests of the Adeptus

    Mechanicus. His psychic essence is spread out across the whole of the

    galaxy through the Warp, watching over as much of humanity as he can

    manage in his current depleted state, in order to keep the Ruinous Powers at

    bay.

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    The Golden Throne is also connected to a massive psychic beacon known as

    the Astronomican, which makes faster than light travel possible by generating

    a signal by which the psykers known as Navigators are able to navigate

    through Warp space. The Astronomican signal[1] is originated by the

    Emperor's mind, but is amplified and directed by a choirof ten thousandhuman psykers. These individuals are selected for their psychic prowess,

    their ability to control their power, and are put to the task only after

    undergoing a rigorous process that includes theirsoul-bindingto the

    Emperor. The life force of these psykers is consumed over the course of

    several months, which means that replacements must constantly be found

    and brought to Holy Terra aboard the infamous Black Ships of theAdeptus

    Astra Telepathica, the Imperial organization responsible for handling humans

    who possess the psychic mutation. The selected psykers are, for the mostpart, indoctrinated to accept their fate as their sacred duty, for they are too

    dangerous to those around them to be allowed to live, and that the sacrifice

    of their life is the greatest good that they can do in service to the Emperor.

    Those less willing are sedated and fed to the Golden Throne regardless. The

    Imperium must survive, regardless of the cost in lives.

    The Emperor of Mankind interned in the Golden Throne after the Horus Heresy

    It is said that the Emperor's existence is one of endless pain and suffering,and that it is only his utter devotion to the human race that keeps him from

    accepting death. Should the Emperor die then the Astronomican will become

    useless, and humanity will no longer be able to safely travel through the warp

    (although this may be disputed by the fact that humanity traveled the stars

    before the Emperor sat upon the Golden Throne, during the Dark Age of

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    Technology and the Great Crusade). The Imperium would then become

    fractured and disintegrate into civil war. The reliance on the Emperor's life

    force, and the dedication of his subjects to prevent his death is considered to

    be the basis for the idea of his being worshipped as the "God-Emperor" by

    the Imperial Cult and countless billions of human beings across the galaxy.Only the Space Marine Chapters do not believe the Emperor is divine,

    instead honoring his determination to free mankind from the shackles of

    superstition and organized religion even as they revere him as the founder of

    the Imperium and the greatest human leader in history.

    Foremost amongst the defenders of mankind are the Space Marines of the

    Adeptus Astartes, the greatest of the God-Emperor's soldiers. They are

    barely human at all, but superhuman; having been made superior in all

    respects to a normal man by a harsh regime of genetic modification, psycho-conditioning and rigorous training. Space Marines are untouched by plague or

    any natural disease and can suffer wounds that would kill a lesser being

    several times over, and live to fight again. Clad in Power Armour and wielding

    the most potent weapons known to man, the Space Marines are terrifying

    foes and their devotion to the Emperor and the Imperium of Man is

    unbreakable. They are the God-Emperor's Angels of Death, and they know no

    fear.

    Potential Space Marines are usually, but not always, recruited from the worldswhere a Chapter has established its fortress-monastery, although some

    Chapters are known to recruit from a collection of different worlds in an area

    of space that they protect or frequent. Recruiting methods vary from Chapter

    to Chapter. Some select their cadets from feral tribes roaming the surface of

    inhospitable worlds, while others draw upon eager volunteers who have been

    groomed from birth to become an Astartes. Still others watch and kidnap

    potential warriors, turning them into Astartes whether they will it or not.

    Whatever the method, all Space Marine Chapters will only accept those who

    successfully pass the grueling initiation trials and prove themselves worthy of

    becoming a Space Marine.

    Regardless of how a man becomes a Space Marine is irrelevant: once his

    body has been forged into that of a superhuman Astartes, he must forever

    stand apart from the people to whom he was once kin and who he is now

    sworn to protect. Once a man becomes a Space Marine, he is no longer

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    During the recruitment and enhancement process, some recruits may not survive

    the initial rigours of training and the later medical treatments one must undergo to

    become a full-fledged Battle-Brother. First and foremost, a potential Space Marine

    recruit must be male, as the gene-seed and the developing Space Marine organ

    zygotes are compatible only with male hormones. The three following requirementsalso apply:

    Space Marine recruits must be adolescents or very

    young adults, as the implants must be able to

    coordinate with a human male's natural growth

    hormones during adolescence to stimulate the

    growth and development of the various unique

    physiological features of a Space Marine. In specific

    terms, the recruit must be about 10-16 Terran

    standard years of age.

    Much like a blood transfusion or organ transplant,

    there must be genetic compatibility between the

    recruit and the implants; otherwise organ failure

    may result, causing the recruit to die or simply

    degenerate into a state of madness.

    The mental state of a potential space Marine must

    also be susceptible to the various training and

    psycho-conditioning regimes of the Chapter, and

    cannot be tainted by the Ruinous Powers ofChaos.

    These three main criteria bar all except a minuscule percentage of human males

    within the Imperium of Man from becoming Space Marines. If all the tests prove

    successful, the potential Space Marine becomes a Neophyte orScout Marine,

    depending on the Chapter's individual organization. The recruit is then taken to live

    at the Chapter's fortress-monastery where he is instructed in the ways of battle and

    taught the values and history of the Chapter. At this stage, organ implantation,

    psycho-conditioning, and physical training begin. Each step in this stage has its own

    dangers, ensuring that only the truly worthy recruits become Space Marines. After

    several years of training, conditioning, and implantation surgeries the Neophyte

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    becomes a Space Marine, undergoes his Rites of Fire, and becomes a fully-fledged

    Battle-Brother of his Chapter.

    Implantation

    Nineteen genetically-engineered organs grown from the Chapter's gene-seed areimplanted in a Neophyte's body to further bolster his combat and survival ability

    should he live to become a Brother-Marine. Each implant has a high margin of

    catastrophic failure and physiological rejection and so only a small number of

    Neophytes live to become Initiates. Many Chapters have lost the knowledge needed

    to create some of these implants, and therefore, must ensure these are recovered

    from dead Brother-Marines. Amongst the crucial implants are the Black Carapace

    and the Progenoid Glands, without which, a Chapter would die out fairly quickly.

    Secondary Heart - This is the first and least difficultimplant to install. The Secondary Heart increases

    blood supply and pumping capacity and is capable

    of taking over entirely should the primary heart fail.

    It may also pump steroids into the 1st heart to give

    the Marine an extra "rush" on the battlefield.

    Ossmudula - This implant strengthens the skeleton

    of a Space Marine by inducing the bones to absorb

    a ceramic-based substance administered in a

    Marine's diet. Within two years after the surgery, the

    Marine's skeleton will be larger and exponentially

    stronger than a normal man's; and the rib cage will

    be fused into a solid bone plate.

    Biscopea - Implanted into the chest cavity, this

    implant massively bolsters muscle development

    and fiber density throughout the Marine's body byunleashing a wave of hormones. This is commonly

    implanted at the same time as the Ossmodula.

    Haemastamen - Implanted into a main blood vessel

    like the aorta, femoral artery or vena cava, the

    Haemastamen alters the Marine's blood

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    composition to carry oxygen and nutrients more

    efficiently.

    Larraman's Organ - This organ manufactures

    Larraman Cells. These serve the same purpose asthe baseline human body's platelets, but act faster

    and more effectively. When a Space Marine is

    wounded, Larraman Cells are released, attached to

    his leukocytes. At the site of the injury, they form

    scar tissue in a matter of seconds, effectively

    preventing massive blood loss and infection.

    Catalepsean Node - Implanted into the back of the

    brain, this implant allows a Marine to avoid sleep,

    instead entering an almost comatose trance where

    they "recharge". It also allows the resting of half the

    brain while the other remains alert, thus removing

    the need for total sleep. The longest known record

    of any Space Marine going without rest while on

    active combat duty is 319 hours by a member of the

    Dark Angels.

    Preomnor- The Preomnor is a decontamination

    chamber inside the chest cavity. It is capable of

    chemically analyzing ingested materials and

    neutralizing most known toxins. The Preomnor

    enables the Marine to eat normally inedible

    substances and resist poisons.

    Omophagea - Implanted into the upper spinal cord,

    this organ is designed to absorb information andDNA related to experience or memory. This enables

    the Marine to gain information, in a survival or

    tactical sense, simply by eating an animal

    indigenous to an alien world.

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    Multi-lung - The multi-lung is a third lung, able to

    absorb oxygen from environments usually too poor

    in oxygen to allow normal human functioning.

    Breathing is accomplished through a sphincter in

    the trachea, allowing all three lungs to be used atfull capacity. In toxic environments, a similar muscle

    closes off the normal lungs, thus oxygen is

    absorbed exclusively by the multi-lung which filters

    out poisonous elements.

    Occulobe - Essentially, this organ enhances a

    Marine's eyesight, granting him exceptional vision

    and the ability to see normally in a low-light

    environment.

    Lyman's Ear- This implant renders a Marine

    immune to dizziness and nausea(seeCochlea), and

    enables a Marine to consciously filter out "white

    noise".

    Sus-an Membrane - This implant allows a Marine to

    enter a catatonic or "suspended animation" state. It

    can allow a mortally wounded Space Marine to

    survive his injuries, and bring the metabolism to a

    standstill. The longest recorded period of this state

    was with Brother Silas Err of the Dark Angels for

    567 years.

    Melanochrome - Linked to pigment cells in the skin,

    this allows the Marine's skin to shield him from

    otherwise dangerous levels of radiation and heat.

    Oolitic Kidney - This organ works in conjunction

    with the Preomnor, filtering the blood to remove

    toxins.

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    Neuroglottis - This organ implanted in the mouth

    allows a Marine to assess a wide variety of things

    simply by taste. From poisons to chemicals to

    animals, a Marine can even track his quarry by

    taste alone.

    Mucranoid - Altering the Marine's sweat glands, this

    organ causes the secretion of an oily substance

    that coats the skin when necessary, protecting it

    from extreme temperatures and to some extent,

    even vacuum environments.

    Betcher's Gland - Implanted into multiple locations

    inside a Marine's mouth, these glands transform a

    Marine's saliva into corrosive, blinding acid when

    triggered. A Marine trapped behind iron bars would

    be able to chew his way out given a few hours.

    Progenoid Glands - Implanted into both the neck

    and chest cavity, these glands serve to collect and

    cultivate the gene-seed from a Space Marine's

    body, and to safeguard it for the continuity of a

    Chapter. The neck gland is removed upon 5 years,

    and the chest gland upon 10 years; both are then

    used to create new organs for new Space Marines.

    The Black Carapace - The last and possibly most

    important of all implants, this neuroreactive material

    is implanted directly under the skin in the chest

    area. Invasive fibre bundles then grow inward and

    interlink with the Marine's own nervous system.Points pre-cut into the Carapace are effectively

    connection points, allowing a Marine to directly

    interface with his suit of Power ArmourScout Armour

    This type of armour is usually only worn by Scout Marines. Given that their Black Carapace has

    yet to mature, they are still unable to interface with Space Marine power armour, so are

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    instead allowed to wear a suit consisting of carbon-titanium composite plates. This is still

    capable of stopping the majority of small-arms fire. In times of relative peace, full Battle

    Brothers of certain Chapters may take to wearing Scout Armour during periods outside of

    battle. In games of Warhammer 40,000, scout armour confers a saving throw of 4+, making

    scouts a fairly resilient unit. Scout armour is a carapace-built heavy armour that is also worn by

    Kaskrin Stormtroopers and Vostroyans.

    Power Armour

    A Space Marine of the Black Templars Chapter, defending the crusade banner.

    Possibly the most prominent feature of the Space Marines is their power armour which is a

    synthesis of many technologies that pre-date even the Age of Strife, stretching back into the

    Dark Age of Technology. The suit is comprised of multiple custom-crafted ceramite plates with

    armored fiber bundles and servos that replicate the wearer's movements and enhances a Space

    Marine's already superhuman strength, as well as allowing them to easily withstand brutal

    attacks that would rip a normal human apart. The armor itself can also act as a self-containing

    environment for the suit's owner, protecting the Space Marine from anything in the

    environment, including the dark vacuum of deep space and the most toxic planetary

    environments that the universe can provide. The armor interacts with the Space Marine

    through the Black Carapace, a subcutaneous membrane grown from the gene-seed that allowsthe Marine's internal organs and nervous system to interface directly with the suit of power

    armor, making the armor in essence an extension of the wearer's body. The most current Space

    Marine power armor model is the Mark VII or Aquila pattern and remains the most mainstream

    suit of power armor in use by the Space Marine Chapters. However, it is not uncommon for

    parts of older armor models to be used to replace damaged areas of a Mark VII suit as this

    saves precious resources. An example of this type of retrofitting is that some Marines are

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    known to have rivets on certain parts of their power armor. These pieces are from the Crusade

    pattern armor that dates back to the time of the Great Crusade ten millenia ago. These patched

    suits of power armor protect their wearers just as well as their updated counterparts since the

    only real change in power armor models are the auxiliary systems. What few know is that each

    Space Marine's suit of power armor is so specific to its wearer that it cannot be worn by 2

    different Marines. So precious is his armor that each Space Marine swears solemn oaths to

    honor and maintain its individual machine spirit.

    Terminator Armour

    Tactical Dreadnought ("Terminator") Armour is one of the strongest forms of personal power

    armor in existence and it is the heaviest and most resilient model the Imperium has to offer. It

    was developed for a mid-range of uses between dreadnought armor and standard power

    armor. It is composed of a ceramite plasteel alloy as an exoskeleton with servo-assisted

    interfaces with the user's own neurological and muscular systems to enhance movement. It is

    able to withstand tremendous punishment, and serves as a solid heavy-weapons platform in

    open-field combat. Due to its size, it is best deployed in close quarters such as the corridors of a

    starship, where the standard-issue storm bolter can be most effective. The First Company of

    each Space Marine Chapter uses Terminator Armor, and only those Marines who earn the

    "Crux Terminatus" are permitted to wear this precious and rare model of power armor. In

    games of Warhammer 40,000, Terminator Armor confers a 2+ armor save and a 5+ invulnerable

    save.

    Artificer Armour

    Artificer Armour is the name given to individualized and heavily modified suits of power armor

    provided only to Space Marines who have proven themselves worthy of the honor. Artificer

    Armor is a masterpiece of craftsmanship, offering its wearer nearly as much protection as

    Terminator Armor. In game terms, it gives its wearer 2+ save, but a model in Artificer Armor

    cannot use weapons as powerful as a model in Terminator Armor.

    Vehicles

    The Adeptus Astartes have access to some of the most powerful and rarest vehicles in the

    Imperium. They are all treated as holy relics, and lovingly maintained by the Chapter's

    Techpriests. Many vehicles are ancient STC designs, barely understood by the current Adeptus

    Mechanicus.

    Dreadnought

    The greatest of Marines who fall in battle with grievous and often life-threatening wounds are

    placed into a cybernetic Dreadnought that allows the pilot to live through a sophisticated array

    of life support machines. The pilot of the Dreadnought is hooked straight into the

    Dreadnought's systems to preserve him and allows the Marine to control the Dreadnought as if

    it were his own body. It is a great honor to be deemed worthy enough to enter a Dreadnought

    and keep fighting in the Emperor's name for many more millenia, as the knowledge to create

    new Dreadnoughts has been lost over the long centuries. Some Marines that have been placed

    in the great Dreadnoughts have been around since the Emperor himself still walked among his

    people during the Great Crusade. When the Dreadnoughts are not needed by the Chapter, they

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    are placed back into the Chapter's chapel to sleep away the centuries until they are needed

    once more.

    Rhino

    A fast troop transport, a Rhino APC (Armored Personnel Carrier) can hold up to ten Space

    Marines, not including the two crew members who drive and operate it. The chassis of the

    Rhino is very versatile, and serves as the basis for some of the other Space Marine vehicles. The

    Rhino can have pintle-mounted weapons.

    Razorback

    A Razorback is a variant of the Rhino chassis that sacrifices some troop capacity for additional

    firepower. Razorbacks are commonly mounted with twin-linked heavy bolters or twin-linked

    lascannons on a single turret on the chassis, and are excellent for firepower to smaller squads.

    They can, however, also utilize Assault Cannons, or Multi-Meltas. With the addition of the

    turret, troop capacity is limited to six Marines.

    Predator

    The Predator is a heavily-armored Rhino variant that is used as a light tank by Space Marine

    Chapters. With the added weapons it offers there is no space remaining for troop transport.

    Armed with either an autocannon or twin-linked lascannons on its main turret, it can also have

    heavy bolters or lascannons mounted on sponsoons to either side as well. The Blood Angels

    Company is one exception in that they have been known to field a 'Baal' variant of the

    Predator. The Baal Predator is equipped with a twin-linked Assault Cannon on its main turret

    and single Heavy Flamers or Heavy Bolter mounted to either side on sponsoons as well.

    Whirlwind

    Being a mobile force, the Space Marines have little need for artillery. However, when it is called

    for, they can utilize the Whirlwind, which is another Rhino variant armed with a long-range

    missile pod, and can bombard enemy positions in preparation for attack. Whirlwinds offer two

    types of ammunition in the forms of Frag and Krak missiles, depending on the threat they will

    engage. As with the Predator, there is no room left inside these tanks for troop transportation,

    after they are outfitted.

    Vindicator

    When attacking fortified positions, Space Marines use a Vindicator, another Rhino variant,

    which fills nearly the entire Rhino chassis with the massive, snub-nosed "Demolisher Cannon",

    capable of blasting through the thickest walls. This weapon has proven so effective that the

    Iron Warriors Traitor Legion makes it a point to scavenge these for their own use whenever

    possible.

    Land Speeder

    Incredibly fast, the double-seated Land Speeder ground-effect vehicle is used to attack enemy

    fortifications and heavy weapons from the air. Although it is well-armed, it has little armor and

    relies on speed and rapid strikes for protection.

    Its other variants include:

    The Tornado: The Tornado pattern Land Speeder mounts twice as many heavy weapons as the

    basic Land Speeder and can also choose from a wider variety of weapons, able to mount an

    assault cannon or a heavy flamer.

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    The Typhoon:The Land Speeder Typhoon, is extraordinary at anti-personnel actions on the

    battlefield. The Typhoon mounts a twin-linked Typhoon Missile Launcher. The Typhoon missile

    inflicts a hard hit with the Blast template at long range and rarely misses since it is twin-linked.

    The Typhoon variant's only real drawback is its lack of versatility - the Typhoon missile launcher

    is excellent at destroying infantry or light vehicles, but almost useless against even medium

    armour such as the Eldar Falcon or Tau Devilfish.

    The Tempest: Sporting better armour, an assault cannon, and a twin-linked missile launcher,

    the Tempest is among the most feared versions of the Land Speeder. The Tempest has a

    difficult combination of weapons - the assault cannon has a medium range while the missile

    launcher fires out to a decently long range in comparison. Better frontal armour means that the

    Tempest can usually get in close to enemy troops without much worry. Also, Tempests are not

    upgrade variants like the Tornado and Typhoon. Instead, the Tempest is a separate Fast Attack

    vehicle option, and normally are only fielded in squadrons of one model. This means a

    maximum of only three Tempests are fielded in a standard Space Marine army. However, the

    twin-linked firepower of the Tempest's missile launcher and its increased armour make the

    Tempest a force to be reckoned with, used regularly for an open Fast Attack choice. The

    Tempest is no longer available as an option in the most recent Space Marine Codex.

    The Storm: The latest of the Landspeeder variants to be introduced into the game, the Storm is

    a transport vehicle for the exclusive use of the Space Marine Scouts. It sports a larger cargo

    compartment for the accommodation of five of the aforementioned Scouts, as well as a

    Jamming Beacon and a Cerberus Launcher. As a trade-off, it can only take one weapon, rather

    than the usual two, and has fewer choices as to which weapon it will take.

    Land Raider

    The Land Raider is one of the most powerful main battle tanks at the Imperium's disposal, and

    also one of the rarest. A Chapter is lucky to have more than five at its disposal. It can transport

    troops into battle, carries enough weapons to blast its way though nearly any defense, and has

    armor thick enough to withstand massive amounts of firepower.

    The normal Land Raider pattern is called the Phobos. It carries a hull-mounted, twin-linked

    heavy bolter able to turn light infantry into sludge. It also carries two twin-linked "Godhammer"

    pattern Lascannons in its two side sponsoons, making the Land Raider an extremely formidable

    foe for armored vehicles, able to stand up for itself in any fight against another vehicle, and

    come out victorious almost all of the time.

    Land Raiders are also equipped with a "Machine Spirit", an Artificial Intelligence crafted by the

    Adeptus Mechanicus. The Machine Spirit is smart enough to move the tank and fight even

    without a crew. It enables the tank to move even when the crew has been stunned, and is able

    to operate one weapon of the player's choice, to shoot at a target. However, the artificial

    intelligence of the machine spirit is nothing compared to the battle-hardened Space Marine

    crew of the Land Raider, and as a result, accuracy suffers considerably.

    Land Raiders were once used by all branches of the Imperium's armed forces. During the Horus

    Heresy, the Emperor ordered that their use be restricted to the Space Marines, as they were at

    the forefront of that terrible civil war. The popularity of this mighty war engine was so great,

    that a whole Forge World, Anvilus 9, was entirely turned over to Land Raider production. But,

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    at the beginning of the Horus Heresy, Anvilus 9 was overrun by Chaos-corrupted techpriests.

    Other Forge Worlds of the Imperium also ceased to function, either suffering the same fate as

    Anvilus 9, or became neutral, leaving only a small number of Loyalist Forge Worlds behind, and

    Land Raider production suddenly slowed to a trickle.

    With Horus' forces threatening to overrun Terra, the very heart of the Imperium, the Emperor

    decreed that all Land Raiders still on the Loyalist side were to be for the exclusive use of the

    Space Marines, who were always at the forefront of the Imperium's cause. Once the Horus

    Heresy had been crushed with the sacrifice of the Emperor, the decree of exclusive use of the

    Land Raiders by the Adeptus Astartes remained in place, as none dared to revoke his most holy

    commandments. Thus, the decree has remained in place for the last ten thousand years.

    Land Raider Crusader

    The Land Raider Crusader is nearly identical to the standard Land Raider, but is armed to

    provide short-ranged, anti-infantry support. The Crusader was originally developed by the Black

    Templars Chapter, but was eventually authorized for use by other Chapters (who, it should be

    noted, had already been using them for some time beforehand.) All Chapters are now only

    allowed to have 1 in their army, except the Black Templars.

    The Land Raider Crusader is armed with a hull-mounted twin-linked Assault Cannon turret, and

    sponsoon-mounted Hurricane Bolters (essentially six bolters linked together). It is also

    equipped with a Multi-Melta to burn through armored walls, and its front is studded with

    fragmentation launchers to assist the troops disembarking from its front ramp. The removal of

    the lascannon sponsoons allows for greater troop capacity. The Crusader may transport 8

    Marines in Terminator Armor, or 15 Marines in standard Mark VII power armor.

    Land Raider Redeemer

    The Land Raider Redeemer is an evolution of the Crusader, created by the Salamanders

    Chapter. The Redeemer retains the assault cannon and frag launchers of the Crusader, but

    replaces the Hurricane Bolter sponsoons with flame projectors. These Flamestorm Cannons are

    able to purge even a well-defended bunker complex in seconds.

    Land Raider Terminus Ultra

    Released in the Apocalypse series, the Land Raider Terminus Ultra Pattern is one of the

    Imperium's best tanks. It is a Land Raider with 2 side-mounted twin-Linked lascannons, 2 side-

    mounted single-linked lascannons, and a twin-linked lascannon on the roof. The only downside

    to this vehicle is that it can't carry troops, yet its sheer fire power fully makes up for it.

    Space Marine Chapters

    First Founding

    The Space Marines were originally divided into 20 large Legions, each Legion filled with Space

    Marines whose gene-seed was based on genetic material from one of the original Primarchs.

    When 18 of the Primarchs were rediscovered during the Great Crusade, they became the

    leaders of the Legion genetically related to them. During the Horus Heresy half of the Legions

    turned traitor to the Imperium and swore themselves to the Ruinous Powers of Chaos.

    Loyalists

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    Those Legions that remained loyal to the Emperor during the Horus Heresy were known as

    Loyalists. They were subsequently each split up into smaller Chapters of only 1,000 Space

    Marines each, one of which retained the name of the original Space Marine Legion.

    Name Primarch Homeworld Comments

    UltramarinesRoboute

    GuillimanMacragge

    The Ultramarines Chapter is known as the model for all Space

    Marines due to their exemplary discipline and loyalty to the

    God-Emperor of Mankind. As the largest Legion at the time of

    the Second Founding they produced the largest number of

    Second Founding Chapters. This Chapter's first company was

    wiped out by the Tyranids during the legendary Battle for

    Macragge; it has taken a century to fully reconstitute that

    company.

    Blood Angels Sanguinius Baal

    The Blood Angels suffer from the Black Rage and the Red

    Thirst, those that succumb to the Red Thirst are put into the

    specially-created Death Company as the crazed Battle-Brother

    sees only the last moments of his Primarch's death at the

    hands of Horus and enters a killing frenzy. The Blood Angels

    prefer the usage of jump packs and close combat.

    Dark Angels

    Lion

    El'Jonson

    Caliban

    (Destroyed)

    The Dark Angels refer to themselves and their successors as

    the Unforgiven. Tactics are their first two Companies (The

    Deathwing) and (The Ravenwing). Although unknown to most

    of the Imperium, including the majority of the Chapter, some

    of the Dark Angels turned to the service of Chaos during the

    Horus Heresy.

    Space

    WolvesLeman Russ Fenris

    This particular Chapter is known for following its own path

    and being highly unorthodox in organization and tactics -

    often contrary to the Codex Astartes. They are feral in

    appearance and are often adorned with wolf pelts and wolf

    tooth necklaces. They are the only Space Marines who do not

    follow the rules set out in the Codex.

    Imperial

    FistsRogal Dorn Terra

    This Chapter is renowned for being siege specialists. They are

    also known to have a bitter and eternal feud with the

    corrupted Chaos Marines of the Iron Warriors.

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    White ScarsJaghatai

    Khan

    Mundus

    Planus

    The White Scars have a Mongol-based culture and prefer fast-

    attack operational doctrines. They are also known for being

    specialists in the use of motorcycles on the battlefield, using

    them as mechanical steeds.

    Iron HandsFerrus

    ManusMedusa

    The Iron Hands are devotees of the Machine Cult of the

    Adeptus Mechanicus. There is an unusually high incidence of

    voluntary cybernetic modifications to the bodies of Iron Hands

    Marines as a result of the devotion to the Omnissiah. All new

    trainees of the Chapter have their left hand removed and

    replaced with a cybernetic model.

    Salamanders Vulkan Nocturne

    The Salamaders are a technically-adept Chapter with a

    preference for short-ranged combat, heat-based weaponry

    like melta guns, and energized warhammers.

    Raven Guard Corax Deliverance

    The Raven Guard specializes in hit-and-run assaults, and they

    prefer the use of jump packs and lightning claws. They most

    commonly deploy into battle from orbit using drop pods.

    Traitor Legions

    These Space Marine Legions sided with Horus and the forces of Chaos in the Horus Heresy.

    After their defeat they fled into the Eye of Terror and became the Chaos Space Marines.

    Name Primarch Homeworld Comments

    Luna

    WolvesHorus Cthonia

    Renamed the Sons of Horus after the Emperor honored their

    Primarch by making him the Imperium's Warmaster and

    leader of the Great Crusade after the Emperor returned to

    Terra. After Horus death they became known as the Black

    Legion.

    Night Lords

    Konrad

    Curze/Night

    Haunter

    NostramoThe Night Lords specialize in terror tactics and carrying out

    atrocities intended to spread fear.

    Word

    BearersLorgar Colchis

    The Word Bearers are the only Chaos Legion to still field

    Chaplains, who are called Dark Apostles and serve as priests

    of the Ruinous Powers; the Word Bearers are strongly

    religious in mindset and beleive deeply in the Chaos Gods.

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    Alpha

    Legion

    Alpharius

    OmegonUnknown

    Strategic subtlety and the employment of covert operations

    are this Legion's specialty; the Alpha Legion adopted the

    hydra as their symbol.

    Emperor's

    Children Fulgrim ChemosThe Emperor's Children Legion are the greatest devotees of

    Slaanesh, the Chaos God of hedonism and dark pleasure.

    Iron

    WarriorsPerturabo Olympia

    The Iron Warriors are the dark counterpart to the Imperial

    Fists Chapter. Like the Fists, they are specialists in siege and

    trench warfare. They have an ancient rivalry with the

    Imperial Fists and all of their Successor Chapters going back

    to the Horus Heresy.

    WorldEaters

    Angron Unknown

    The World Eaters devolved into mindless bloodthirsty

    fanatics dedicated to the Blood God in the centuries after theHeresy; today they are the chosen ones of Khorne the Chaos

    God of violence and murder.

    Death

    GuardMortarion Barbarus

    The Death Guard, better known today as the Plague Marines,

    are the horrificly diseased and plague-ridden devotees of

    Nurgle, the Chaos God of disease and decay. They use

    disease and Chaos-infused toxins and chemical weapons in

    their attacks.

    Thousand

    Sons

    Magnus the

    RedProspero

    The Thousand Sons are devoted to Tzeentch, the Chaos Godof dark knowledge and change for its own sake. They are the

    most adept among the Chaos Marines at wielding the dark

    powers of the Warp and have a large number of Chaos

    sorcerers among their number.

    Note - the Traitor Legions' homeworlds were later destroyed, with the exception of the Alpha

    Legion's homeworld which was never discovered.

    Unknown

    There are two other First Founding Legions whose names and histories are totally unknown.

    Following the Horus Heresy all historical records mentioning these Legions were revised ordestroyed, in order to erase them from Imperial history. Given the authoritarian nature of the

    Imperium, it seems likely these Legions were completely removed from all historical records for

    some sort of castrophe such as mass mutation which couldn't be controlled, turning to the

    worship of the Chaos Gods, etc.

    Later Foundings

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    After the Horus Heresy, it was determined that the Legions were too powerful and dangerous

    to the stability of the Imperium to be controlled by any one man. In what is known as the

    Second Founding, the remaining Loyalist Legions were broken up into the separate 1,000-man

    Chapters which remain the primary organization of the Adeptus Astartes to this day.

    In the multiple subsequent Successor Foundings that have occurred since, the Imperium has

    created many new Chapters of Space Marines, using gene-seed sampled by the Adeptus

    Mechanicus from the existing ones. Many of these Successor Chapters still keep the memory of

    their progenitor Legion or Chapter alive in their rituals and regalia, and maintain the same

    methods of operation and battle, as well as their overall defining cultural and genetic traits.

    Examples of Successor Space Marine Chapters include:

    Astral Claws: A Chapter led into service to Chaos by their traitorous Chapter Master, igniting

    the Badab War. They currently form a group of rebel Traitor Marines known as the Red

    Corsairs, who ruthlessly attack supply lines in the name of Chaos.

    Black Templars

    Crimson Fists

    Doom Eagles

    Executioners

    Fire Hawks

    Flesh Tearers

    Howling Griffons

    Lamenters: An unfortunate Chapter who fought on the losing side in the Badab War, before

    being devastated by the Tyranids.

    Mantis Legion

    Marines Errant

    Marines Malevolent

    Raptors: Successors of the Raven Guard who specialize in jungle warfare.

    Relictors: A radical Chapter that utilises the weapons of Chaos to destroy the minions of Chaos

    themselves. This brings them into conflict with the Puritan members of the Inquisition but

    ironically also finds them favour with Radical Inquisitors.

    Scythes of the Emperor: A Chapter of Space Marines who were all but destroyed by the

    Tyranids. Their armour was black and yellow, with a yellow scythe symbol on the shoulder

    panels.

    Sons of Guilliman: A Chapter that originally was a part of the Ultramarines.

    Soul Drinkers : A Chapter loyal to the Emperor, but not to the Imperium which they view as

    unalterably corrupt; the Chapter is afflicted with mutating gene-seed.

    Subjugators

    White Consuls

    Iron Snakes: A newer Chapter of Space Marines created by novelist Dan Abnett

    For a list of all the known Space Marine Chapters see List of Space Marine Chapters.

    Honors and Badges

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    Purity Seal

    Purity Seal

    The Purity Seal is often awarded to Marines who show themselves to be "morally pure" by their

    words and deeds. Also, before a campaign, the Chapter's Chaplains will mark certain individuals

    with litanies. Each seal has a different blessing or invocation from one of the Chapter's

    Chaplains and is often replaced with a more permanent electrum casting of the seal afterbattle.

    Marksman's HonorMarksman's Honor

    This device is the Marksman's Honor. Acts of remarkably accurate shooting or consistent

    performance with targeting are honored with this award. The Codex Astartes insists that those

    warriors who prove their accuracy in combat should be singled out so that their skill may be

    instantly commanded when necessary. The badges themselves are believed to have been

    constructed by taking gold bolter shells cases, fired in battle from the boltgun of Roboute

    Guilliman himself, and encasing them in the award.

    Imperial Laurel

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    Imperial Laurel

    The Imperial Laurel denotes Veteran status and is awarded to Space Marines who perform

    "acts of valor leading to great victory" or "an act of extreme bravery". It is often sculpted onto

    the helmet or worn as a crown; the Wreathed Skull is another common design variation. The

    Codex Astartes states that all Company Standards be carried into battle by warriors who have

    proven themselves, so all bearers must first wear the Laurels.

    Terminator Honors

    Terminator HonorsThe Crux Terminatus, or Terminator Honor Badge is given to Marines who have been trained in

    the use of Terminator Armor. Sergeants and officers wear variations of the badge to signify

    their rank. It is said that each of these badges has a fragment of the Emperor's own power

    armor within it.

    Skull and Motto

    Skull and Motto

    In Imperial iconography, the skull is incorporated into many devices, representing the

    Emperor's sacrifice for humanity. The Skull and Motto is one example. It is used when the other

    specified honor badges would be inappropriate, and often the motto is simply one word. The

    badge can be found on shoulder pads, banners, leg armor, and even vehicles.

    Imperialis

    Imperialis

    The Imperialis was originally the campaign badge used by the Loyalist Space Marine Legions

    during the Horus Heresy. Over time it has evolved into the "honor of righteous victory" and is

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    awarded to any Space Marines who has participated in an honoured victory for his Chapter.

    Instead of being presented as a medal or badge, it is most commonly carved into the deserving

    Space Marine's chest armor, replacing the armour's standard Imperial Aquila symbol. It can also

    be seen engraved on the weapons of Marines who have earned the badge, but can also be

    found on banners or atop their heraldry finnials. It is intended to represent both the Imperium

    as a whole with the wings of the Aquila and the Emperor's sacrifice for humanity, which is

    embodied in the skull icon

    Iron Skull

    Iron Skull

    The Iron Skull is the Codex Astartes insignia for the Sergeants who command Space Marine

    squads, and is displayed on the helmet and/or shoulder pad of the Marine as a sign of his rank.

    Generally accepted convention is that a red skull device is used to represent it. It is awarded for

    the display of true leadership.

    Iron Halo

    Iron Halo

    The Iron Halo is awarded to Marines that show "exceptional initiative". It is the Codex Astartes

    insignia for Squad leaders, and is displayed on the helmet and/or shoulder pad of the Marine as

    a sign of rank.

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    Prime Helix

    Prime Helix

    The Prime Helix is the symbol of the Apothecarion, worn by Marine Medics. The design

    represents the Gene-seed DNA, and the scarlet color of the Helix represents the ultimate

    sacrifice that every Marine is willing to make.

    Machina Opus

    This is the mark of a Tech-priest Adept. It is awarded to each Techmarine as he completes his

    mysterious training with the Adeptus Mechanicus on Mars. Bearers of the Machina Opus are

    accorded great respect by the Tech-priests and are alloweed free passage through the Ring of

    Iron and into the great workshops of the Martian Hive. Only a Chapter's Techmarines and their

    equipment are permitted to display this sacred icon of the Machine Cult.

    The Machina Opus

    Service Studs

    These are small metal rivets that are attached directly to the Marine' cranium to record his

    years of service to his Chapter. A single stud records 10, 50 or 100 standard Terran years of

    service depending on its design and the Chapter's traditions. The awarding of service studs is

    described in the Codex Astartes but is not set out as an official requirement or regulation of the

    Chapter. In rcent centuries the awarding of service studs has been on the decline as a tradition

    and fewer Chapters continue the practice.

    Tattoos

    Tattoos are not official Chapter honours but traditional markings derived from the Chapter's

    ancient practices. Some tattoos may even be vestiges of of pre-Space Marine tribal markings or

    hive city gang affiliations. Space Marines are recruited from hundreds of different human

    cultures across the galaxy so it is no surprise to see this diversity reflected in some Marines

    retaining the tattoos, scarification or warpaint of their homeworld.