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

Warhammer 40,000 in 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 40,000 is the
science fiction companion to the dark fantasy world of Warhammer 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 of Warhammer 40,000 is 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 40,000 rulebook, as well as in several army-specific codexes. The size
and 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
"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 worldwide
campaigns 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 the
game. 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), depending
on 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
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 putty
and 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 40,000 game universe is most readily characterized as a Gothic
science fantasy setting. The central and most popular elements of the Warhammer
40,000 universe 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 all
action 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 sinister Warp
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).
The Gods of Chaos 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 the
sensual. 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 and
the rise and fall of the Roman Empire.
[edit] Armies/Races/Species
Main article: Warhammer 40,000 species The Warhammer 40,000 game, 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, Tyranids Witch Hunters, and the Daemons of Chaos, an army that was the
most recently introduced. Most of these races have variant armies. For example, the
Space 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
 Eldar: Iyanden, Ulthwé, 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 40,000 universe 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
40,000 fictional universe.

 The Emperor of Mankind

 Horus
 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 Golden
Throne of Terra 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.
 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
the Astronomican, making possible faster-than-light Warp travel, which is vital
to Imperial shipping, transportation, commerce and communication. He is said
to guide his race through the Emperor'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 40,000 background story, the Emperor's origin
and history prior to unifying Terra is left mysterious and undetailed. The first
mention of the Emperor in Imperial records is when he unified Terra at the
end of the Age 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 intelligent
beings 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
 good of unifying humanity and protecting it from the manifest predations of
the Warp.
 With the assistance of the Adeptus 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 Crusade
that 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 the
galaxy. 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 Chaplain Erebus 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, the
Primarch 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 of stasis, 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
 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 the
corruptions of Chaos, just as eventually happened to the Eldar. In these
ancient days, all the shamans of Earth 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 daemonic
creatures 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 Emperor
undertook 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 the Emperor. 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.
 

 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 the
gene-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.
 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 of Mars. This crucial military and political
alliance provided the Emperor with much of the technological means and
materiel 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 their
genetic 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
of Warmaster, the Emperor declared that the time had come for his sons to
show him what great leaders they were. Turning his back on direct military
matters, the Emperor then created the Council of Terra, 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 the Emperor's subjects, several of his
Primarch 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
 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 billions
perished 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, the Emperor finally slew Horus, though the struggle left
him 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 to
sustain 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 the Adeptus Custodes. The
Emperor'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.
 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 choir of ten thousand
human 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 their soul-binding to 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 the Adeptus
Astra Telepathica, the Imperial organization responsible for handling humans
who possess the psychic mutation. The selected psykers are, for the most
part, 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
 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 worlds
where 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
 mortal; his genetic heritage is now that of the Emperor himself, and a spark of
the same majesty flows in his veins.
 There are approximately 1,000 Space Marine Chapters active in the Imperium
of Man at any one time since the Second Founding; this number is far from
exact and may fluctuate widely.
Gene-Seed
The gene-seed of an Adeptus Astartes Space Marine is the foreign genetic material
originally engineered using one of the Primarchs' genomes as a foundation that
develops into the special organs that are then implanted into a potential Space
Marine's body. These organs created from the gene-seed are responsible for most
of a Space Marine's physical enhancements over baseline human capability. All
Space Marine gene-seed was originally cultivated by the Emperor himself from the
DNA of the Emperor's 20 genetically-engineered sons (each son being the Primarch
of one of the 20 Space Marine Legions of the First Founding), and is a rare and
precious resource for the Space Marines of the Imperium, even in death. The
biotechnology necessary to create new gene-seed has long been forgotten or lost to
humanity; therefore, it must be cultivated from dead/dying Astartes warriors and
returned to the Chapter's Apothecaries who will oversee the creation of new Astartes
from the Chapter's raw recruits. The gene-seed is the very essence of a Space
Marine Chapter and it carries each of the characteristics that are particularly unique
to a given Chapter, be they mental, physical, spiritual, martial, or cultural.
Unfortunately, Space Marine gene-seed is vulnerable to mutations over time, which
can phenotypically manifest in various ways. In addition, there are various genetic
flaws which have developed in the gene-seed, the majority of which derive from the
particularities of each Primarch's genetic code. Hence the flaws in the Blood Angels'
gene-seed (specifically their susceptibility to the conditions known as the Black
Rage and the Red Thirst), the "Mark of the Wulfen" for the Space Wolves or the
rapidly increasing rate of mutation within the Renegade Soul Drinkers Chapter.
It must also be noted that the presently existing Space Marine Chapters are more
numerous than the original 20 Space Marine Legions, excluding those Legions that
are no longer recorded or were removed from Imperial records. Only the original
Legions that remained loyal to the Emperor during the Horus Heresy produced the
numerous Space Marine Chapters of the Second Founding who share traits with
their founder Chapter, itself the remnant of one of the original Loyalist Legions.
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 requirements
also 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 of Chaos.
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 or Scout 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
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 are
implanted 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 difficult

implant 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 by
unleashing 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
 composition to carry oxygen and nutrients more
efficiently.

 Larraman's Organ - This organ manufactures

Larraman Cells. These serve the same purpose as
the 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 and
DNA 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.
 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 at
full 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.
  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 Armour
 Scout 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
 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 allows
the 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
 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
 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.
 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,
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
 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

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
Roboute the Second Founding they produced the largest number of
Ultramarines Macragge
Guilliman 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.

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
Blood Angels Sanguinius Baal
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.

The Dark Angels refer to themselves and their successors as

the Unforgiven. Tactics are their first two Companies (The
Lion Caliban Deathwing) and (The Ravenwing). Although unknown to most
Dark Angels
El'Jonson (Destroyed) of the Imperium, including the majority of the Chapter, some
of the Dark Angels turned to the service of Chaos during the
Horus Heresy.

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
Space Wolves Leman Russ Fenris
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.

This Chapter is renowned for being siege specialists. They are

Imperial Fists Rogal Dorn Terra also known to have a bitter and eternal feud with the
corrupted Chaos Marines of the Iron Warriors.
 The White Scars have a Mongol-based culture and prefer fast-
Jaghatai Mundus attack operational doctrines. They are also known for being
White Scars
Khan Planus specialists in the use of motorcycles on the battlefield, using
them as mechanical steeds.

The Iron Hands are devotees of the Machine Cult of the

Adeptus Mechanicus. There is an unusually high incidence of
Ferrus voluntary cybernetic modifications to the bodies of Iron Hands
Iron Hands Medusa
Manus 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.

The Salamaders are a technically-adept Chapter with a

Salamanders Vulkan Nocturne preference for short-ranged combat, heat-based weaponry like
melta guns, and energized warhammers.

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

Raven Guard Corax Deliverance 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

Renamed the Sons of Horus after the Emperor honored their

Primarch by making him the Imperium's Warmaster and
Luna Wolves Horus Cthonia leader of the Great Crusade after the Emperor returned to
Terra. After Horus’ death they became known as the Black
Legion.

Konrad
The Night Lords specialize in terror tactics and carrying out
Night Lords Curze/Night Nostramo
atrocities intended to spread fear.
Haunter

The Word Bearers are the only Chaos Legion to still field
Word Chaplains, who are called Dark Apostles and serve as priests of
Lorgar Colchis
Bearers the Ruinous Powers; the Word Bearers are strongly religious
in mindset and beleive deeply in the Chaos Gods.

Alpha Alpharius Unknown Strategic subtlety and the employment of covert operations
Legion Omegon are this Legion's specialty; the Alpha Legion adopted the hydra
 as their symbol.

Emperor's The Emperor's Children Legion are the greatest devotees of

Fulgrim Chemos
Children Slaanesh, the Chaos God of hedonism and dark pleasure.

The Iron Warriors are the dark counterpart to the Imperial

Fists Chapter. Like the Fists, they are specialists in siege and
Iron
Perturabo Olympia trench warfare. They have an ancient rivalry with the Imperial
Warriors
Fists and all of their Successor Chapters going back to the
Horus Heresy.

The World Eaters devolved into mindless bloodthirsty fanatics

World dedicated to the Blood God in the centuries after the Heresy;
Angron Unknown
Eaters today they are the chosen ones of Khorne the Chaos God of
violence and murder.

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

are the horrificly diseased and plague-ridden devotees of
Death
Mortarion Barbarus Nurgle, the Chaos God of disease and decay. They use disease
Guard
and Chaos-infused toxins and chemical weapons in their
attacks.

The Thousand Sons are devoted to Tzeentch, the Chaos God

of dark knowledge and change for its own sake. They are the
Thousand Magnus the
Prospero most adept among the Chaos Marines at wielding the dark
Sons Red
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 or
destroyed, 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
 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


 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 after
battle.
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 Marksman's Honor
 Marksman'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.
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 Imperial Laurel
 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.
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 Terminator Honors
 Terminator Honors
 The 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.
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 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.
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 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
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
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 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.
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 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.

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 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.