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Vakrah Jal - Pilgrimage of Lorgar: Argel Tal, commander of the 7th Assault Company of the Serrated Suns Chapter of the Word Bearers Legion, was charged by his primarch to enter the Eye of Terror in search of definitive proof that true divinities exis ted in the universe. Whilst they were in the Eye of Terror, the members of the Serrated Sun Chapter were all killed by a Daemon, only to awaken some time later alive once more.All of the normal Humans on their starship were dead and their vessel had sustained critical damage. During the 7-solar-month-long journey that followed out of the Eye of Terror, many members of the Serrated Sun Chapter killed one another and survived the ordeal by drinking their fallen comrades' blood. When they returned to realspace and their waiting Primarch Lorgar, they were told that they had been gone for only a few moments in subjective time.When the remnants of the Serrated Sun Chapter re-emerged from their sojourn, they brought back the Primordial Truth of the existence of Chaos to their primarch. This truth made Lorgar realise that the Emperor of Mankind's Imperial Truth was the true lie and ultimately converted him and his entire Legion to the worship of the Ruinous Powers of Chaos.The survivors of the harrowing journey into the Eye of Terror were honoured and the Serrated Sun Chapter was renamed the Gal Vorbak, "the Blessed Sons" in the ancient dialect of the Word Bearers' homeworld of Colchis. |
Vakrah Jal - Horus Heresy: Lorgar and the Word Bearers spent the remaining years of the Great Crusade attempting to enlighten Humanity about the true spiritual nature of Creation, ultimately resorting to manipulation and deception to sway nine of the primarchs to the cause of Chaos as their Dark Gods demanded, the most notable being the Warmaster Horus.When it became clear that Mankind could not be enlightened by Chaos without first being forcibly weaned at a great price in blood from the Emperor's false Imperial Truth, Lorgar willingly helped orchestrate the terrible Isstvan III Atrocity and the Drop Site Massacre at Isstvan V as well as the larger interstellar civil war of the Horus Heresy itself.When Horus openly declared his rebellion against the Emperor in the Isstvan System, the Word Bearers were one of the first Space Marine Legions to support him and his cause.The worlds they had conquered since their conversion to Chaos also joined the side of the Traitors, having been secretly corrupted to the worship of the Ruinous Powers in the final years of the Great Crusade. |
Vakrah Jal - Drop Site Massacre: During the Drop Site Massacre on Isstvan V when the Traitor Legions betrayed their Loyalist brethren, the Gal Vorbak underwent their final metamorphosis, one of many that they had endured since the Pilgrimage of Lorgar into the Eye of Terror. At the height of the battle, when Lorgar attacked Corvus Corax, the primarch of the Raven Guard Legion, all of the members of the Gal Vorbak became true Daemons.Their flesh and ceramite fused and warped into a new, bestial form, marking them out as amongst the first of the Possessed Chaos Space Marines. After the battle, the Gal Vorbak resumed the form of normal Heretic Astartes again, though the battle had proven costly. Only 5 of their number, which included Argel Tal, had survived taking on a primarch in battle to continue to fight in the service of Chaos throughout the rest of the Horus Heresy.They were the last of the first Gal Vorbak, the true "Blessed Sons" of Chaos: warriors with Daemons in their hearts because they had willingly mutilated their souls on the first treacherous steps into Hell, unlike the thin-blooded Daemonhosts that Argel Tal bred for Lorgar in the years following Isstvan V.These later incarnations were Gal Vorbak in name and blood, but not in spirit. They had not undertaken the Pilgrimage. They came to their power with no comprehension of what it had cost their brethren to earn it.Argel Tal's Daemon-blooded brethren were as much animals as men. Few of these so-called "Blessed Sons" restrained themselves to the degree shown by their former commander, and most became petty warlords lording it over their own squads and Hosts, ruling in their daemonic form more often than not, issuing commands that originated not with the XVIIth Legion, but from the pantheon of Chaos Undivided. |
Vakrah Jal - Cull of the Word Bearers: As the Horus Heresy unfolded, Lorgar ordered his subordinates Erebus and Kor Phaeron to strike a vital blow against their most hated rivals, the XIIIth Legion, the Ultramarines. Unknown to Erebus or Kor Phaeron, their primarch had a secret objective in mind when he had sent his two most zealous sons to launch a surprise assault on the Ultramarines' world of Calth.Lorgar's most trusted servants were more than willing to gain the chance for vengeance upon the Word Bearers' hated foes, pinning the enemy forces down in the Realm of Ultramar while the main forces of the Traitor Legions advanced on Terra under the command of Horus.After their humiliation at Khur, thousands of Word Bearers within the XVIIth Legion detested the Ultramarines. Lorgar ordered a great gathering of his Legion while their fleet was already en route to Calth.The primarch called for Argel Tal, the leader of the Gal Vorbak, and one other Word Bearer officer. These two loyal sons would eventually become commanders and apostles amongst the elite of the Vakrah Jal. The primarch wanted their counsel on what to do with those amongst their Legion he no longer trusted.The Word Bearers had culled their ranks down through the solar decades, removing such unrepentantly Loyalist elements as the Terran-born warriors of their Legion, but had carried out no purge like the Isstvan III Atrocity that the World Eaters' Primarch Angron was so proud of. Lorgar knew that the loyalty of his own Legion to both him and his vision of Mankind transformed through an embrace of Chaos was never in doubt, but competence was another matter entirely.Lorgar asked what should be done with those warriors of the XVIIth Legion he felt were no longer reliable; those whose hatred burned brighter than their sense. For tens of thousands of them -- whole companies, whole chapters -- their rage was no longer pure.It was decided that these suspect elements of the XVIIth Legion would be gathered into a single host and ordered to undertake the "sacred" mission to Calth to assault the Ultramarines that they had so craved.They were led by Erebus and Kor Phaeron and were expected to martyr themselves in glory. The other Traitor Legions such as the Emperor's Children, Sons of Horus and the World Eaters might have purged their own ranks at Isstvan III, but the Word Bearers proceeded to purge their own during the Battle of Calth.Though the XVIIth Legion achieved a monumental victory of sorts at Calth, it was all a matter of perspective. Piercing the veil of the Warp, Lorgar had heard the whisperings of the Chaos Gods and had witnessed the truth for himself.As expected, Erebus had successfully conjured the great Warp Storm known as the Ruinstorm at Calth which would help prevent the Ultramarines from reinforcing the other Loyalists on Terra as Horus' forces closed on the Throneworld.But ultimately, Erebus and Kor Phaeron had failed to achieve their overall objectives: Roboute Guilliman was still alive, the Word Bearers had lost half their fleet at Calth to an Ultramarines counter-attack, and tens of thousands of Word Bearers, including the Gal Vorbak and the mortal servants amongst their countless allied Chaos Cults, had been abandoned to a useless subterranean Underworld War beneath Calth's irradiated surface while the two Word Bearer commanders had fled.Though Lorgar was somewhat displeased, Erebus had more or less achieved the base level of success required of him; the Ruinstorm had been conjured and the rogue elements of the Word Bearers had been culled. |
Vakrah Jal - Rising From The Ashes: Thousands of the Gal Vorbak were left to die, alone and unsupported, on the surface of the devastated world of Calth when First Chaplain Erebus fled the conflict that the Word Bearers had fought against the Ultramarines on that benighted world. These Word Bearers had been left to die. They would never be reinforced. They would never be recovered.All those Gal Vorbak who spent solar months of their lives fasting, praying, scarring their flesh in preparation for a chance to taste the Divine Blood, were lost. Argel Tal was the sole surviving original member of the Gal Vorbak, having been seconded to the World Eaters Legion for temporary duty before the Word Bearers' assault on Calth.Argel Tal forsook his oaths to the annihilated Serrated Suns Chapter and gained permission from his Primarch Lorgar to form a newly constituted formation, known as the Vakrah Jal, the "Chapter of Consecrated Iron," who rose from the ashes of those Word Bearer companies devastated on the killing fields of Isstvan V. Argel Tal gathered hundreds of leaderless Heretic Astartes and gave them unity and new purpose.Several hundred of the Vakrah Jal were birthed aboard the World Eaters' flagship Conqueror, where they trained for solar months in the World Eaters' gladiator pits, honing their skills to deadly lethality. Each member of the Vakrah Jal was given newly forged-blades in honour of their new status.They went to war behind faceplates of burnished silver, marking them out as the elite amongst the warriors of the XVIIth Legion. The Vakrah Jal were also blessed with the priceless best wargear of the Dark Mechanicum: built-in, wrist-mounted Flamers that spat green alchemical fire. The Vakrah Jal became known as the "Bearers of the Jade Fire," for their use of this telltale weapon.This elite formation would go on to serve Argel Tal with unflinching devotion as well as serving as their primarch's honour guard when duty demanded it.Following the events of the Horus Heresy, it is not known whether or not this elite formation still exists within the ranks of the Word Bearers Traitor Legion in the 41st Millennium. |
Valador - Valador: Valador was an Asuryani Wraithlord of Craftworld Biel-Tan in the service of that craftworld's Autarch Kyre who was slain by the Ork Warlord Gorgutz on the world of Acheron that had long been lost in the Warp. Valador's Spirit Stone was destroyed, and his death had been secretly orchestrated by Kyre's spymaster, the Ranger Ronahn, who sought to stop Kyre from claiming the long-lost artefact known as the Spear of Khaine that could serve as a catastrophic weapon. |
Valadrak - Valadrak: Valadrak is a Warpsmith of Chaos who maintained his soul-forges on the Dark Mechanicus' Daemon World of Temporia in the Eye of Terror, where he was known for being a master craftsman of Daemon Engines. During the Abyssal Crusade of 321.M37 he unleashed specially-crafted Daemon Engines on the Astartes of the Knights Excelsior Space Marine Chapter that had entered the Eye and discovered Temporia.Outgunned, the Knights Excelsior were forced to make a hasty tactical withdrawal, fighting their way back to their dropships. As the Chapter attempted to make good their escape, their orbiting warships were attacked by a strange archeotech device that rendered their technology impotent, leaving the Space Marines at the mercy of Temporia's Daemon Engines. When the Knights Excelsior were last seen, they had been refashioned into the Renegade Magma Hounds.During the 13th Black Crusade in 999.M41, the Forge World of Agripinaa launched its forces against Temporia in an attempt to damage Abaddon the Despoiler's flow of materiel and Daemon Engines. Valadrak led the defence of his Hell-Forge against this assault by the Loyalist Adeptus Mechanicus. |
Valdor Tank Hunter - Valdor Tank Hunter: The Valdor Tank Hunter is an ancient heavy main battle tank of the Astra Militarum that was first developed during the Horus Heresy as a weapon to help counter the Land Raider tanks of the Traitor Legions.The Valdor is based on the Malcador heavy tank chassis, and is named after Captain-General Constantin Valdor of the Legio Custodes, a great hero of the Imperium during the Horus Heresy.The Valdor Tank Hunter is equipped with an ancient and powerful weapon known as a Neutron Laser Projector that is powerful enough to destroy its targets on the molecular level. |
Valdor Tank Hunter - History: The Valdor Tank Hunter is a heavy tank destroyer, named for the legendary Emperor's Legio Custodes commander, Constantin Valdor, which was only just entering service with the Excertus Imperialis in limited numbers and on a trial basis when the Horus Heresy began.Initial production runs were chanelled to the elite Solar Auxilia, in particular those cohorts operating against foes equipped with heavy tanks or in the case of the myriad xenos enemies still infesting the stars, tank analogues. While utilising a familiar chassis on which several other armoured vehicles in the arsenal of the Solar Auxilia were based, the Valdor mounted a devastating Neutron Laser, each a meticulously wrought iteration of a then-recently recovered relic of the Dark Age of Technology.While not yet in common use (at that time), Imperial logisticians had projected that its services were likely to be required in ever greater numbers, especially where Loyalist Solar Auxilia were called upon to fight the Traitor Legiones Astartes and the heavy armoured vehicles they had ready access to.Ancient records found at the Scholastica Bellicose on the planet Mordian show that the Valdor Tank Hunter was most widely used during the Great Scouring after the Heresy, when the Imperium led the great counter-attack against the Traitor Legions, driving them all the way to the Eye of Terror.The Valdor Tank Hunter is considered an ancient relic in the 41st Millennium, with the number of Forge Worlds able to maintain, let alone construct the Valdor dwindling to just a handful. As a result, they are rarely deployed amongst the Imperial Guard's armoured regiments. The 1st Cadian Armoured Regiment, which helped to defend the Imperial Fortress World of Cadia in the Cadian Gate, possesses a total of only 5 Valdor tanks.During the Siege of Vraks the 88th Siege Army's intelligence officers believed that there was no more than 30 Valdor tanks stored inside of Vraks Prime's vast Departmento Munitorum storehouses, and these tanks were not utilised by the Vraksian Traitor Militia until much later in that terrible, grinding conflict.It is believed that a dark magos of the Dark Mechanicum arrived on the planet with the Steel Brethren Chaos Space Marines and helped the Renegades to activate and deploy the Valdor tanks in the Vraksian storehouses. The payment to the Dark Mechanicum for this aid was the provision of a complement of several fully-functional Valdor tanks and what is believed to be a data-core detailing how to construct the Valdor.This means that there is a dreadful possibility that the Valdor Tank Hunter may start appearing in the armies of the forces of Chaos in the near-future. |
Valdor Tank Hunter - Regiments Known To Field The Valdor Tank Hunter: 1st Cadian Armoured Regiment - 5 Valdor Tank Hunter were stationed on Cadia to aid in its defence against the Forces of Chaos attacking the Cadian Gate.Death Korps of Krieg - The 17th and 60th Line Korps of the Death Korps of Krieg fielded several Valdor Tank Hunter in the gruesome war known as the Orphean War, which was fought against the Necrons of the Maynarkh Dynasty. It is unknown if these Tank Hunters were already part of the Death Korps' line of battle, or were requisitioned from Amarah's reserves and pressed into service.Vraksian Traitor Militia - The Valdor Tank Hunter was deployed during the Siege of Vraks by the Traitor forces that sided with the Apostate Cardinal-Astra Xaphan.Imperial Guard - The Imperial Guard fielded a large number of Valdor Heavy Tanks during the Great Scouring of the 31st Millennium, and the Guard still fields a small number of Valdors during the 41st Millennium. |
Valdor Tank Hunter - Armament: The Valdor is armed with an ancient weapon known as a Neutron Laser Projector, which was developed during the Age of Technology and thus very few Forge Worlds are still able to produce or maintain them.The weapon takes up most of the room inside of the tank, and the shielding for its required power generator is not very thick, so any major damage caused by an enemy attack could have disastrous consequences for the crew.If the weapon fails to transfer all of its energy into its target while firing, it could lead to a powerful feedback reaction that can damage the weapon. The Valdor is also equipped with a single sponson-mounted Heavy Flamer, but it can be replaced with a Heavy Stubber, Heavy Bolter, Autocannon, or a Lascannon.The tank can also be equipped with a Hunter-Killer Missile Launcher, a Pintle-mounted Heavy Stubber or Storm Bolter, Extra Armour Plating, a Searchlight, a Dozer Blade, or Smoke Launchers. |
Valdor Tank Hunter - Adeptus Mechanicus Technical Specifications: Mars Pattern Valdor Tank HunterVehicle Name:ValdorMain Armament:Neutron Laser ProjectorForge World of Origin:Mars, Cyraxus II, Lathe-hetSecondary Armament:Heavy FlamerKnown Patterns:I - IITraverse:0 degreesCrew:1 Commander, 1 Driver, 2 Gunners, 1 EngineerElevation:0 to 22 degreesPowerplant:HL330 v12 Multi-FuelMain Ammunition:Unlimited; power drawn from generatorWeight:96 TonnesSecondary Ammunition:8 ShotsLength:11.5 metresArmour:Width:4.95 metresHeight:3.7 metresSuperstructure:180 millimetresGround Clearance:0.65 metresHull:160 millimetresMax Speed On-Road:25 kilometres per hourGun Mantlet:N/AMax Speed Off-Road:18 kilometres per hourVehicle Designation:8600-032-8656-ML038Transport Capacity:N/AFiring Ports:N/AAccess Points:N/ATurret:N/A |
Valdor Tank Hunter - Sources: Imperial Armour: Apocalypse II, pg. 9Imperial Armour: Apocalypse (2013), pg. 40Imperial Armour Volume Seven - The Siege of Vraks - Part Three, pp. 119-121Imperial Armour Volume One - Imperial Guard (Second Edition), pp. 148-151, 267Imperial Armour Volume Twelve - The Fall of Orpheus, pp. 65, 81The Horus Heresy - Book Four: Conquest (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pg. 282Forge World - Valdor Tank Hunter |
Valedictors - Valedictors: The Valedictors is a Loyalist Space Marine Chapter of unknown Founding and origin. Almost nothing is known about this Chapter in Imperial records, save that it was created some time after the Second Founding. |
Valedictors - Chapter Colours: The Valedictors primarily wear light green Power Armour. The white squad specialty symbol -- Tactical, Devastator, Assault or Veteran -- is located on the right shoulder plate. A black Roman numeral is stenciled in the centre of the squad specialty symbol, indicating squad number. The colour of the Aquila or Imperialis on the chest guard indicates company number in accordance with the Codex Astartes -- i.e. White (1st Company), Yellow (2nd Company), Red (3rd Company), Green (4th Company), etc. |
Valedictors - Chapter Badge: The Valedictors' Chapter badge is a white winged letter "V", on a field light green. |
Valedictors - Canon Conflict: The Valedictors were described in detail in two "Epic" articles in White Dwarf (UK) 126 and 136, ca. 1990-1991. At the time, the Valedictors were originally said to be a First Founding Legion which saw action on the Eastern Fringe of the Imperium against Orks, Eldar, and the Traitor Legions during the Horus Heresy. The status of the Valedictors changed in White Dwarf 235, where they are said to be of a "later Founding", (post-Second Founding). Therefore, the Valedictors are no longer a First Founding Legion. |
Valedictors - Sources: Adeptus Astartes: Successor Chapters (Limited Release Booklet)Chapter Approved 2001 - Second Book of the Astronomican, pg. 117White Dwarf 236 (UK), "Chapter Approved - Later Foundings," by Andy Chambers & Gav Thorpe, pg. 79White Dwarf 136 (UK), "Epic," pp. 9-17White Dwarf 126 (UK), "Space Marine: Epic Space Marines - How to Design Marine Regiments in the Horus Heresy - Sample Marine Regiment," by Andy Chambers, pp. 24-25 |
Valerius (Audio Drama) - Valerius (Audio Drama): Valerius is the forty-first audio drama for The Horus Heresy series that was not originally released as part of an anthology or other release. Valerius was first released as an audio drama in December 2016 as part of the Black Library's 2016 Advent Calendar, on day 16. |
Valerius (Audio Drama) - Official Synopsis: Though he knows such beliefs are forbidden, Vice-Caesari Marcus Valerius of the Therion Cohort is willing to lay down his life in service to the immortal God-Emperor, for the good of all Mankind. Sent by Corax to the great slaughter at Beta-Garmon, every last one of the Imperial Army soldiers under his command knows that the end is nigh -- but can Valerius' holy visions guide them to one final victory over the hordes of the hated Archtraitor? |
Valesnus - Valesnus: Valesnus was a watch master of the Deathwatch Chapter who served as the watch commander of Fort Starshield in the Kadus Sector until it was destroyed by the arrival of the Great WAAAGH! of the Ork Warlord Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka in the sector in the Era Indomitus. In the battle that ensued, the watch fortress and its entire complement of Astartes was destroyed after they put up a heroic defence. |
Valesnus - History: The Watch Companies of Fort Starshield completed several textbook extermination missions against xenos warships that surged into the Kadus Sector from the galactic west. The Deathwatch noted that each battle was made easier by the condition of their foes, whose voidcraft evidenced severe battle damage and whose crews seemed panicked, even frantic. Realising that these invaders must, themselves, be fleeing some other, greater peril, Watch Master Valesnus requested urgent reinforcement.Fort Starshield's astropathic relay was soon after annihilated by a titanic eruption of lurid green ectoplasm. Deep-void auspex buoys went dark one by one; and their picters sent back last, blurry images of Ork warships beyond number filling the starfield. Recognising that his forces were impossibly outmatched, Watch Master Valesnus girded his warriors for a selfless strike against whatever mighty Greenskin warlord ruled this space-borne WAAAGH!. He hoped that, by striking off the beast's head, he might make the sacrifice of his and his battle-brothers' lives a worthy one.Solar months later, the requested Imperial reinforcements finally reached the location of Fort Starshield. They found nothing but drifting wreckage, that of dozens of Ork warships and of Fort Starshield itself. They located the mangled corpses of Watch Master Valesnus and his closest brothers pinned to the starfort's wreckage with huge scrap-metal spikes. Each warrior's chestplate had been torn away, and on their flesh was branded the personal glyph of Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka... |
Valhalla - Valhalla: ValhallaIce WorldAdministratumCivilised WorldUltima SegmentumgalaxyIt is famous across the Imperium of Man as the homeworld of the Valhallan Ice Warriors regiments of the Astra Militarum, who are legendary for their tenaciousness in holding their ground against even the most hopeless odds and their ability to suffer the most appalling casualties without breaking. |
Valhalla - History: The harsh Ice World of Valhalla was originally a verdant Paradise World. No records survive of its colonisation by Humanity, but Valhallan legends recall a world ripe for conquest.Unfortunately, Valhalla was destined for catastrophe. Approximately ten thousand standard years ago, just before the end of the Age of Strife, a rogue comet entered into a collision course with Valhalla.The planet's defence lasers fired at the comet, but only succeeded in breaking it up. Later, it was found that the comet was made of almost pure iron, explaining why the large defence lasers had proved so ineffective.The comet impacted in Valhalla's vast planetary ocean, but a mile-wide fragment struck the northern continent, creating vast plumes of dust which proceeded to cover the planet in a blanket of dirt. To make matters worse, the planet's orbit was altered by the ferocity of the impact, moving it on a course that forced it into a new orbit farther from its sun.This change in the amount of incoming warmth and light altered Valhalla's ecosystem permanently, reshaping the planet into an icy wasteland. The Valhallan people struggled to survive in this new environment, fearing famine due to a lack of viable farmland, until they carved out new homes for themselves in massive subterranean caverns deep beneath the ice.The comet strike had been a castastrophe, but was not to be the end of the Valhallan people's suffering. Not long after the comet strike, a damaged Ork warfleet descended on the world and proceeded to fight the Valhallans for every gram of the precious food they had stored.The Valhallans held out bravely for a long time in their vast hive cities beneath the ice but were ultimately pushed back to the food vats. Eventually they destroyed the Orks by using ice boring machines to strategically strike at the heart of the mob, burning and melting most of the Orks and scattering the rest.Even this Greenskin invasion proved unable to blunt the Valhallans' indomitable spirit. Their grim refusal to surrender, despite overwhelming opposition, had won them a historic, if bloody victory.After destroying the Ork invaders on their own world, Valhallan Planetary Defence Forces regiments, in an act of vengeance, joined with other Astra Militarum armies to cleanse their sector of the hated Greenskin menace.The Imperial Guard proved so impressed with the combat ability of the Valhallans that the Departmento Munitorum soon turned to Valhalla as a prime source of new Astra Militarum regiments. After being raised as Imperial Guardsmen themselves, the Valhallans continued to display the same stoic determination that they had shown in defence of the ice-cities of their own homeworld.To this day, the courage and tenacity of the Valhallans in battle continue to earn them the respect and admiration of other regiments from all over the galaxy.A stubborn and stern people, Valhallans refuse to acknowledge their own hardships. They are all but impervious to harsh conditions and have a casual disregard for Human life.Due to the overcrowded conditions within the subterranean habitats on Valhalla, life is considered cheap. Even the most petty crime carries with it the harshest of sentences: death.Those who do not serve in the local Valhallan military or volunteer to join the Imperial Guard must toil in the dark caverns, cultivating the nutrient slimes that sustain the populace.Valhallan soldiers are expected to carry each and every item they will need to survive. Without their thermally insulated greatcoats and helmets, a Valhallan Guardsman's blood would freeze within seconds on the arctic surface of Valhalla.The armoured battle tanks and artillery units of Valhalla are uniformly camouflaged in a manner suited to the frozen tundra of their world, and each vehicle proudly displays the name of their homeworld on its hull.It is common for regiments of Valhallans to be assigned by the Imperial Guard to planets infested with Orks due to their intimate knowledge of Ork tactics and their dogged determination in the face of defeat, where other armies might run. |
Valhalla - Notable Valhallans: General Jenit Sulla - Jenit Sulla spent her long career with the Valhallan 296th Regiment and its successor regiment, the Valhallan 597th Regiment, under the command of Colonel Regina Kasteen. She also served alongside Commissar Ciaphas Cain in the 597th Regiment and was later promoted to the rank of General.Colonel Regina Kasteen - Colonel Kasteen was the commanding officer of the 597th Valhallan Regiment in the 930s.M41.Commander Kubrik Chenkov - Kubrik Chenkov served as the commander of the Valhallan 18th "Tundra Wolves" Regiment.Gunner Ferik Jurgen - Gunner Jurgen served for decades as Commissar Ciaphas Cain's tireless aide. Originally assigned to the Valhallan 12th Field Artillery Regiment, he would later go on to accompany the famous Commissar throughout the remainder of his career, including his retirement on the world of Perlia. Jurgen proved a competent and capable aide but did possess a fierce body odour which assaulted Cain's and anyone else's senses in his nearby vicinity. Also, unbeknownst to most people, Jurgen possessed the incredibly rare attributes of a psychic Blank, which was instrumental in saving both Commissar Cain and several other people from both daemonic and psychic attack countless times. |
Valhalla - Trivia: The Valhallan Ice Warriors' gear and regalia resemble that of the Soviet Red Army which fought in the harsh winter campaigns of World War II.Despite "Valhalla" being a Scandinavian name and of Scandinavian origin, the inhabitants and culture are akin to those of ancient Russia. |
Valhallan Ice Warriors - Valhallan Ice Warriors: The Valhallan Ice Warriors comprise the famous Militarum Regimentum of the Astra Militarum which hails from the frozen and desolate Ice World of Valhalla located in the Segmentum Ultima. The Valhallan Ice Warriors have a long and glorious history of victories against the Orks and other enemies of the Imperium.Famed as some of the toughest regiments ever deployed by the Imperial Guard, these grim and tenacious troops never retreat and refuse to surrender. They are particularly successful at cold weather combat and are often used by the Imperium when a campaign of attrition must be fought on an Ice World that is similar in climate to their frigid homeworld or when an operation involves combat against Orks.The regiments of Valhalla have a reputation for stoicism and dedication to the Emperor. When attacking, they are renowned for combining massed artillery barrages with infantry assault waves. When defending they show dogged determination, even in the face of defeat.The Valhallans are a stubborn and stern people who refuse to acknowledge their own hardships, and are rarely deterred by the horrors of the battlefield. They are all but impervious to harsh conditions and have a casual disregard for human life, leading to the superstition amongst other Militarum Regimentos that ice runs through their veins, just as it covers their homeworld. |
Valhallan Ice Warriors - Regimental History: The desolate Ice World of Valhalla is the birthplace of the famously valiant Astra Militarum regiments known as the Valhallan Ice Warriors. Located in the Segmentum Ultima, Valhalla was once a verdant Paradise World of temperate forests and broad fertile plains. However, the planet's destiny was a harsh one -- not long before the end of the Age of Strife over 10,000 standard years ago, a rogue comet entered into a collision course with Valhalla's surface.The planet's Defence Lasers fired at the comet, but only succeeded in breaking it up. Later, it was found that the comet was made of almost pure iron, explaining why the powerful Defence Lasers had proved so ineffective. The comet impacted in Valhalla's vast planetary ocean, but a mile-wide fragment impacted the northern continent, creating vast plumes of dust which proceeded to cover the planet in a blanket of dirt.To make matters worse, the planet's orbit was altered by the ferocity of the impact, moving it on a course that forced it into a new orbit farther from its sun. This change in the amount of incoming warmth and light altered Valhalla's ecosystem permanently, reshaping the planet into an icy wasteland.The Valhallan people struggled to survive in this new environment, fearing famine due to a lack of viable farmland, until they carved out new homes for themselves in massive subterranean caverns deep beneath the ice where there was still some modicum of geothermal warmth.Valhalla is now nothing more than an inhospitable orb, its landscape a perpetually frozen wasteland. Though the planet is no longer affluent, the Astra Militarum regiments raised there are famous throughout the Imperium of Man.The comet strike had been a catastrophe, but was not to be the end of the Valhallan people's suffering. Not long after the strike, a damaged Ork warfleet descended on the planet and proceeded to fight the Valhallans for every gram of the precious food they had stored.The Valhallans held out bravely for a long time in their vast hive cities beneath the ice but were ultimately pushed right back to the food vats. Eventually they destroyed the Orks by using ice-boring machines to strategically strike at the heart of the mob, burning and melting most of the Orks and scattering the rest.Even this Greenskin invasion proved unable to blunt the Valhallans' indomitable spirit. Their grim refusal to surrender, despite overwhelming opposition, had won them a historic, if bloody victory. After destroying the Ork invaders on their own world, Valhallan Planetary Defence Force regiments, in an act of vengeance, joined with other Astra Militarum armies to cleanse their sector of the hated Greenskin menace.The Imperial Guard proved so impressed with the combat ability of the Valhallans that the Departmento Munitorum soon turned to Valhalla as a prime source of new Imperial Guard regiments. After being raised as Imperial Guardsmen themselves, the Valhallans continued to display the same stoic determination that they had shown in defence of the ice-cities of their own homeworld.To this day, the courage and tenacity of the Valhallans in battle continue to earn them the respect and admiration of other regiments from all over the galaxy. |
Valhallan Ice Warriors - World of Ice: A stubborn and stern people, Valhallans refuse to acknowledge their hardships, but their world is not a forgiving one. In the wake of the comet strike and the subsequent Ork invasion, life on the planet of Valhalla has only flourished underground. The population of Valhalla exists entirely in vast subterranean caverns carved out from the rock and ice beneath the planet's surface, warmed by the planetary core.These underground habitats are woefully overcrowded, packed with citizens so thickly that human life on Valhalla is considered inconsequential and cheap. To alleviate the peoples' hunger, nutrient slime is cultivated on the cavern walls by generations of ceaseless toil and sacrifice.Even the most petty crime carries with it the harshest of sentences: death. Only those citizens who volunteer for the Astra Militarum escape such an existence, but such service is considered an honour.The Valhallans have a long and proud history as a prime source of providing regiments for the Departmento Munitorum, and many regiments of Valhallan Ice Warriors have earned considerable renown for their heroism and steadfast refusal to given in when lesser soldiers would surrender and lesser regiments would collapse beneath the weight of their impending doom.Over the millennia, the Guardsmen of Valhalla have fought for the Emperor across thousands of worlds. Their steadfast valour and casual disregard for their own lives has built a legend that inspires countless citizens across the Imperium. Stern and uncompromising, the Valhallan Ice Warriors are valued and admired by many Imperial Guard officers in need of reliable troops.Often, the Valhallan Ice Warriors are deployed in warzones infested with Orks in order to take advantage of the regiments' intimate knowledge of Ork tactics and to channel the troopers' undying hatred for the Greenskins who invaded their homeworld so long ago. Similarly, Valhallans are commonly positioned where their dogged resolve can bolster surrounding allies and hold the line where other armies might fall back when faced with certain death.Due to the overcrowded conditions within the subterranean habitats on Valhalla, life is considered cheap. Even the most petty crime carries with it the harshest of sentences -- execution. Those that do not serve in the Valhallan armoured, artillery or famed Ice Warriors infantry regiments must toil in the dark caverns that comprise the icy world's hive cities, cultivating the nutrient slimes that sustain the populace.Valhallan soldiers are expected to carry each and every item they will need to survive. Without their thermally insulated greatcoats and helmets, a Valhallan Guardsman's blood would freeze within seconds on the arctic surface of Valhalla. The armoured battle tanks and artillery units of Valhalla are uniformly camouflaged in a manner suited to the frozen tundra of their world, and each vehicle proudly displays the name of their homeworld on its hull. |
Valhallan Ice Warriors - The Spinward Front: Valhallan regiments on the Spinward Front of the Calixis Sector's Periphery Sub-sector are commonly placed into warzones where their experience fighting Orks can be best employed. Additionally, Lord Marshal Ghanzorik seems to favour the Valhallans' fighting style, and the Ice Warriors have often been deployed into battlefields with the harshest environmental conditions.The Ice Warriors have made planetstrikes on Maesa and have suppressed a mutant uprising on Sisk, but many of the Valhallan senior officers believe that Ghanzorik's future plans for the regiment involve a direct strike at Avitohol, the homeworld of the Ork menace now ravaging the sub-sector.Given the failure of the last Imperial assault on that world, it is very likely that the Valhallans will simply be one part of a much larger attack force, but there is a sense of quiet pride amongst the Valhallan Ice Warriors that they would be considered for the honour of taking the fight to the Ork Warlord Grimtoof himself.These formations are generally concentrated into large batteries of heavy artillery -- usually Basilisks and Manticores -- supported and defended by robust infantry forces. Several Adeptus Ministorum Preachers from the Calixian Synod have joined with the Valhallan order of battle, and the Ice Warriors consider themselves blessed to face the Orks and the Secessionists of the Severan Dominate well supported by the servants of the Imperial Creed. |
Valhallan Ice Warriors - Noctis Aeterna: The indomitable grit of the Valhallans allowed them to weather the horrors of the Noctis Aeterna, a period when the Astronomican was lost within roiling Warp Storms after the birth of the Great Rift in 999.M41. Without it, supply fleets were flung far off-course or lost to the Warp entirely, and many worlds fell to famine and despair.This created the ideal conditions for the minions of the Dark Gods, and Chaos Cults arose amongst crowded and terrified populations across the sector. Not so on Valhalla. The planet had survived calamity before, and it would do so again. The Valhallans kept their vigil and, despite stringent food and heat rations, continued to recruit and train as they had always done.Valhallans deployed throughout the Imperium Nihilus also fared better than many other Imperial forces. With long-range communications silenced, the lumbering military machine of the Astra Militarum ground to a shuddering halt. Infantry platoons marched hopelessly into war zones without armoured support, and companies scouring planets of xenos were obliterated by the orbital bombardments of allied fleets who were unaware of the ground presence.The Valhallans hunkered down wherever they were stationed, and followed the last orders that had come crackling over comm-links before all had fallen quiet. Their glacial advances continued, driven on in the absence of central command by their inexorable obstinacy. |
Valhallan Ice Warriors - Notable Campaigns: Defence of Valhalla (Unknown Date.M31) - When the Orks invaded the frozen world of Valhalla, the 222nd Valhallan Regiment was quickly formed and soon proved instrumental in the valiant defence of their homeworld. It has remained in continuous service for almost 10,000 standard years, providing it one of the deepest regimental cultures and histories in the entire Imperial Guard.Soldane Campaign (Unknown Date.M38) - The 93rd Valhallan Regiment fought in the Imperial campaign on the world of Soldane sometime during the 38th millennium.Defence of Corania (931.M41) – The Tyranids attacked the Imperial world of Corania without warning, forcing every Astra Militarum regiment on the planet to resist ferociously for nearly a year before a fleet from the Imperial Navy, the Valhallan 296th and 301st Regiments and several companies drawn from both the Swords of the Emperor and the Reclaimers Space Marine Chapters turned the tide. The remnants of both Valhallan regiments were later merged to form the 597th Valhallan Regiment by the famed Commissar Ciaphas Cain.Defence of Cressida (Unknown Date.M41) - The 319th Valhallan Regiment was part of the Imperial force that responded to the invasion of the Imperial world of Cressida by the Forces of Chaos. They formed the rearguard when the planet was evacuated prior to being virus-bombed.Eastlight Nebula Wars (Unknown Date.M41) - The 1212th Valhallan Regiment, the "Cold Bloods" was raised for service during the Eastlight Nebula Wars, but the regiment's first battle was amongst its last. With their supply and logistics lines overstretched, only one in every three Guardsmen in the 1212th were issued a Lasgun. Their first mission saw a forced-march across the frozen and toxic wastelands of Triox against a larger force of Traitors. Despite their cold-weather survival skills, only half the Ice Warriors made it across the plains to assault the Traitors' flank. Once again displaying the sheer tenacity of the Ice Warriors, many of the Valhallan Guardsmen recovered weapons from the fallen and in the end decisively defeated the enemy forces.Sallan's World Campaign (Unknown Date.M41) - The 8th Valhallan Armoured Regiment is known to have fought in the Imperial campaign on Sallan's World.Gravalax Incident (Unknown Date.M41) - The 597th Valhallan and 14th Valhallan Armoured Regiments took part in the Gravalax Incident under the command of Lord General Zyvan.Adhara Campaign - Retreat to the Auriga Parallel (Unknown Date.M41) - The 28th Valhallan Armoured Regiment is known to have taken part in the Retreat to the Auriga Parallel during the Imperial campaign on the Ice World of Adhara.Defence of Canaan's World (Unknown Date.M41) - The 193rd Valahallan Armoured Regiment took part in the Imperial campaign during the Defence of Canaan's World.Siege of Kotrax (Unknown Date.M41) - The dour and obstinate Commander Kubrik Chenkov's actions during the year-long Siege of Korax bring about a swift, if bloody, end to the conflict when he assumes command of an Imperial battle group and orders the Imperial Guard regiments to storm a heavily defended citadel without armoured support or dedicated siege weapons. The conflict cost ten million Imperial Guardsmen their lives but Chenkov received the High Merit of the High Lords for his achievements in liberating Kotrax in such a short span of time.Battle of Goyan Valley (996.M41) - Under their stern taskmaster Commander Chenkov, the Valhallan 18th Regiment, the "Tundra Wolves," wipe out the vanguard of Hive Fleet Jormungandr at Goyan Valley. The swarms of the Tyranids are crushed under the metal treads of Chenkov's armoured brigades and the thundering boots of over a million Guardsmen, driven into the xenos horde by ruthless Commissars.Defence of M'khan (997.M41) - The Valhallan 812th Regiment defended the Imperial Forge World of M'khan from the siege of the Iron Warriors Traitor Legion. Though they sustained heavy casualties, they ultimately achieved an Imperial victory.Emrah Campaign (997.M41) - During the campaign on the world of Emrah, the mysterious Emrah battle-fortress is reactivated by forces unknown. Under Commander Chenkov's command, platoons of Valhallan Guardsmen were ordered to draw enemy fire, to prevent the valued demolition crews attempting to breach the Emrah battle-fortress from being discovered. However, the 1st Army Group's wave is ultimately annihilated. Cadian super-heavy detachments are recalled from the Vidar System to lead the second wave and engage the threat.Ksatella Campaign (997.M41) - The infamous Valhallan Commander Chenkov orders the flushing out of the Chaos Renegades that infest the Fortress World of Ksatella. He eventually secures victory only after the bodies of the millions of men he has sent to their death clog up the River Vitus, poisoning the planet's principal water supply.13th Black Crusade (999.M41) - When Abaddon the Despoiler and his Forces of Chaos launched the 13th Black Crusade in 999.M41, the 54th Valhallan Regiment answered the call to arms to defend the Cadian Gate from the massive Chaos incursion. |
Valhallan Ice Warriors - Regimental Organisation: Through combating Orks in the defence of their homeworld, the Valhallans have become adept at fighting Greenskins, and are often deployed to fight those Imperial conflicts where this talent for killing Orks can be best put to use. The Ice Warriors are stoic and unwavering when on the defensive, resolutely holding their ground against fearful odds when most other human troops would consider it a good idea to flee. Enemies have often found that Valhallan defending forces need to be completely destroyed to capture the held ground.Valhallans are trained to fight in dense formations to support their morale. When on the offensive, Valhallans combine massed artillery barrages with follow-on infantry wave assaults. The morale of regiments is often backed up by attached Adeptus Ministorum priests.All Valhallans are equipped with standard-issue Imperial Guard Lasguns and Flak Armour but certain Guardsmen in the Valhallan Regiments are armed with special or heavy weapons. The uniforms of the Valhallan Ice Warriors are made to endure the rigours of colder climates, and include heavy great coats as part of the ensemble. Valhallan infantrymen favour the use of Flamers and Mortars in combat. |
Valhallan Ice Warriors - Training: On the attack, Valhallan regiments often combine furious barrages of artillery with wave after wave of stoically advancing infantry. Many Valhallan officers, such as the famous Commander Chenkov, have expertly used these tactics to grind the enemy down and wrest victory from even the most hardened of objectives.In defence, Ice Warrior regiments are known for stubbornly fighting to the last man. Many Valhallan regiments incorporate Ministorum priests into their order of battle, relying upon pre-combat blessings and exhortations of valour in the God-Emperor's name to bolster their righteous hatred of the foe. |
Valhallan Ice Warriors - Wargear: The Ice Warriors regiments are renowned for their ability to survive and fight even in harsh extremes of climate. Each Valhallan warrior is issued a thermally-insulated greatcoat and helmet, gear that is absolutely necessary to survive the harsh arctic surface of their homeworld.From canteens to extra articles of clothing (such as socks and scarves), the Valhallan Guardsman is expected to carry into battle every last item they may need to survive. The Departmento Munitorum has kept the Valhallan Ice Warriors regiments well-supplied with such wargear, and it is very rare for Valhallan troops to face an environment for which they are not at least marginally prepared.Additionally, Valhallan battle tanks and artillery units commonly use camouflage patterns suited to the frozen tundra of their home planet to paint the hulls of their vehicles.The Valhallan regiments' pride does not end there, either -- the name of their homeworld is placed reverently onto the surface of each vehicle to identify its origin.The following is the standard regimental kit carried by troopers of the Valhallan Ice Warriors:M36 Lasgun - The Lasgun can be produced in a multitude of different styles and patterns and can be found on almost every world of the Imperium. The M36 Pattern is one of the most ubiquitous variants of the Lasgun in use by the Imperial Guard across the galaxy. The Valhallans' weapons are adapted to extreme cold weather conditions.4 Charge Packs - Charge Packs are powerful capacitor batteries used almost exclusively by Imperial laser weapons. The Charge Pack's size and make varies depending on the class of the weapon. In all cases, it provides shots equal to the weapon's full clip value and can be recharged when emptied.2 Frag Grenades - Frag Grenades use a combustible charge and special fillers of shrapnel fragments which make them potent anti-personnel weapons. Imperial Frag Grenades are roughly the size of a clenched fist and covered with a heavily notched shell, both to increase the shrapnel produced and provide a more secure grip for throwing.2 Krak Grenades - Krak Grenades have powerful concentrated explosives designed to punch holes in armoured targets such as vehicles or bunkers. While stronger than Frag Grenades, Krak Grenade detonations do not produce a blast effect and their more focused explosion makes them less practical for use as anti-personnel weapons.Flak Armour - The most common type of armour used by Imperial Guard forces is Flak Armour, and it is standard-issue combat gear to the countless millions of Imperial Guardsmen who fight on the Emperor's behalf across the galaxy. Many layers of ablative and impact absorbent material go into making each suit, enough to deflect or negate most low-level attacks such as small arms, shrapnel, and proximity blasts. Solid hits from high impact weapons can generally negate it, but given that it is relatively lightweight, cheap to produce, and dependable in most combat situations, many veterans keep using it even when offered something better.Combat Knife - This one-handed melee implement is the ubiquitous back-up weapon for warriors all across the Imperium, be they lowly hive scum or the elite soldiers of a Planetary Governor. Some, such as the Catachan Fighting Knife, are designed for a specific purpose, whilst others are more generic in nature.Valhallan Ice Warriors Imperial Guard Uniform - Each Guardsman raised from Valhalla is equipped with a thermally-insulated greatcoat and helmet. Their greatcoats are often worn buckled up to the neck, and a similarly thermally-insulated helmet with flaps is secured to protect the soldier's neck and ears from the environment. Additional fatigues include a basic set of trousers and an undershirt, although specifics vary between regiments. These items are signature kit for the Ice Warriors regiments, and a Valhallan would go to great lengths to secure his greatcoat and helmet rather than go without. Given the harsh environment of their homeworld, it is likely that Ice Warriors consider losing either item as an eventual sentence of death. The thermal insulants for both items render the wearer nearly immune to the elements commonly encountered by Imperial Guardsmen.Respirator - A simple breathing mask that covers the nose and mouth or entire face, these offer much better protection than filtration plugs and are used by the troops of the Ice Warriors in toxic environments or during attacks by chemical or even biological weapons.Poor Weather GearRucksackBasic ToolkitMess Kit & Water Canteen2 week's RationsBlanket & Sleeping BagRechargeable Lamp Pack - Sturdy and reliable, glow-globes illuminate many an Imperial paveway and cathedral. Most portable ones are roughly the size of a clenched fist and can shine strong, yellowish light a dozen or so metres in width, lasting roughly five hours before their power pack needs recharging or replacing.Grooming KitDog TagsImperial Infantryman's Uplifting Primer - A standard-issue Imperial text that covers a vast variety of topics, this book is possessed by all members of the Imperial Guard as part of their standard-issue equipment. The Primer is a basic guide that details everything a Guardsman needs to know: principles and regulations of the Imperial Guard, issued arms, attire, apparatus, and equipment, basic battlefield policy and Imperial Guard organisation and structure, elementary battlefield medical instructions, and a detailed guide on the foes of the Imperium. No Guardsman should ever be found without possession of a copy of the Uplifting Primer for the punishment is severe. |
Valhallan Ice Warriors - Infantry Regiments: 18th Valhallan Regiment, "Tundra Wolves" - At its founding strength, the 18th Valhallan "Tundra Wolves" Regiment consisted of over 120,000 Guardsmen.23rd Valhallan Regiment - The 23rd Valhallan are known to wear steppe fatigues and are often deployed to service on worlds characterised by large swathes of grasslands and other steppe terrain.28th Valhallan Regiment - Formerly commanded by the brilliant Colonel Scheja, the 28th Valhallan was seconded to the famous Inquisitor Hector Rex during the Judgement of Hellanus, an operation which made Colonel Scheja's reputation and catapulted him from a mere prospect as the regimental commander of the Valhallan 28th into the upper ranks of the Imperial Guard's overall command structure.54th Valhallan Regiment - The 54th Valhallan Regiment is known to have fought against the Forces of Chaos during the 13th Black Crusade in 999.M41.93rd Valhallan Regiment - The 93rd Valhallan Regiment fought in the Soldane Campaign in the 38th Millennium.222nd Valhallan Regiment - The 222nd Valhallan Regiment was first formed during the Ork invasion of Valhalla and proved instrumental in the valiant defence of their homeworld. It has remained in continuous service for almost 10,000 standard years, providing it one of the deepest regimental cultures and histories in the entire Imperial Guard.296th/301st Valhallan Regiment - The Valhallan 296th and 301st Regiments both fought with the Reclaimers and the Swords of the Emperor Space Marine Chapters against the Tyranids at Corania and later merged to form the 597th Valhallan Regiment.319th Valhallan Regiment - The 319th Valhallan Regiment was part of the Imperial force that responded to the invasion of the Imperial world of Cressida by the Forces of Chaos. They formed the rearguard when the planet was evacuated prior to being virus-bombed.442nd Valhallan Regiment - The Valhallan 442nd is a relatively fresh arrival in the Spinward Front, having fought with distinction alongside numerous other Imperial Guard forces during the final liberation of the planet Volistadt from Ork invaders. As hardened veterans of the bitter combat on Volistadt, it was expected that the Valhallans would be assigned to a reserve force rather than being thrown immediately back into the front lines. However, the outbreak of WAAAGH! Grimtoof heralded a new requirement for Imperial Guardsmen, and so the 442nd Ice Warriors were assigned to spearhead an assault on the world of Maesa. The Valhallans' objective was to secure vital strategic locations and relieve other forces badly needed in other warzones. Unfortunately, the Ice Warriors suffered a number of setbacks during their first assault, as organisation failed at nearly every level. The Valhallans were forced to fall back in confusion until their higher officers could restore proper discipline and order. A shocking revelation uncovered the reason behind these incidents: it was soon discovered that several squads in the regiment had been infiltrated by shapechanging aliens of unknown origin. The xenos shapeshifters had succeeded at assassinating numerous senior officers and squad leaders, afterwards assuming the identities of the slain and using their authority to cause as much havoc as possible. Only the discipline of the Valhallans kept unit cohesion and morale at acceptable levels, preventing disaster during these disruptions. The regimental Commissars immediately put into action a purge to rid the Ice Warriors of the alien threat, and the ongoing operations on Maesa were conducted with the Valhallans' customary zeal and precision. After this narrowly-averted catastrophe, the Valhallan 442nd found a chance to redeem itself on the Ork-infested Space Hulk Death's Door, a massive mining station pulled into the Warp and fused with the hulls of lost vessels from across the Koronus Expanse and beyond. When the Space Hulk appeared near the world of Ceprysk, the Valhallan 442nd were sent to purge it of the Greenskins who had taken up residence there before they could threaten the main hive city of Garhive. The Valhallans relished the opportunity to spill the blood of their ancient foes, but the bloody reunion was cut short when several marauding pirate vessels disabled the transports used to deliver the Valhallans. Without immediate extraction available, the Valhallans dug in to weather the storm of both Chaos pirates and Orks. To the credit of their commanders, when several Imperial Navy frigates arrived to dispatch the Renegades and search for any survivors, they found the Valhallan forces largely intact, slowly but surely grinding away at their enemies through the artificial trenches and corridors of Death's Door. Somewhat reluctantly, Colonel Rusk agreed to abandon the defensive position they had established and have his forces extracted that they might serve the God-Emperor elsewhere on the Spinward Front.597th Valhallan Regiment - The Valhallan 597th Regiment was formed from the merger of the 296th and 301st Valhallan Regiments in 931.M41, and was famous for being the home regiment of the notable Commissar Ciaphas Cain for many standard years. This regiment was also one of the few "mixed" regiments containing both male and female Guardsmen among the Valhallan Ice Warriors. Additionally, the 597th is a rare Valhallan mechanised infantry unit, making use of both Chimeras and Sentinels to enhance their mobility and provide fire support rather than relying solely on their standard role as heavy infantry.1212th Valhallan Regiment, "Cold Bloods" - The "Cold Bloods" were raised for service during the Eastlight Nebula Wars, but their first battle was among their last. The logistics train of the army in which the 1212th were serving was woefully overstretched,the result of which being that only one in three of the Ice Warriors could actually be issued with a Lasgun. Their first mission saw a forced-march across the frozen and toxic phosgene wastelands of Triox against a larger force of Traitors. Despite their hardy constitution and specialist wilderness survival skills, only half of the Ice Warriors made it across the flats to assault the Traitors' flank. But many of these heroic individuals had recovered the weapons of the fallen and were determined to put them to use. The survivors of the march proved to be the very best Valhalla had to offer, and the enemy was defeated in short order. |
Valhallan Ice Warriors - Armoured Regiments: 8th Valhallan Armoured Regiment - The 8th Valhallan Armoured Regiment is known to include Leman Russ Demolishers and fought on Sallan's World. The regiment also possessed a Leman Russ Executioner which fought in the advance on Sallan's Point. The 8th Armoured Regiment also includes a Destroyer Tank Hunter which was put on sentry duty defending a fuel or ammunition dump during the Sallan's World campaign and a rare Baneblade super-heavy tank that was lost during the same campaign.14th Valhallan Armoured Regiment - The 14th Valhallan Armoured Regiment took part in the Gravalax Incident under the command of Lord General Zyvan.28th Valhallan Armoured Regiment - The 28th Valahallan Armoured Regiment is a highly honoured unit amongst Imperial Guard armoured regiments, and is allowed to display a red Aquila symbol. It includes at least one Leman Russ Vanquisher which is the second vehicle of the first squadron of the 1st Company. The 28th Armoured also includes a Leman Russ Exterminator as the third tank, fourth squadron, 4th Company. Also, the regiment possesses a Leman Russ Conqueror which has subtle camouflaging unlike the other tanks in its company or squadron. The 28th Armoured is known to have taken part in the Retreat to the Auriga Parallel on the Ice World of Adhara. The Valhallan 1st Heavy Tank Company is attached to the 28th Armoured.58th Valhallan Armoured Regiment - There is little recorded information on this armoured regiment in current Imperial records.193rd Valhallan Armoured Regiment - The Valhallan 193rd Armoured Regiment includes a Stygies VIII Pattern Leman Russ Vanquisher and took part in the Defence of Canaan's World.425th Valhallan Armoured Regiment - The 425th Valhallan Armoured Regiment took part in the Adumbria Incident under the command of Lord General Zyvan and was stationed within the planetary capital.1st Valhallan Heavy Tank Company - The 1st Valhallan Heavy Tank Company includes a Mars Pattern Shadowsword super-heavy battle tank, which is the third vehicle of the company. The company is normally attached to the 28th Valhallan Armoured Regiment. |
Valhallan Ice Warriors - Artillery Regiments: Valhallan 12th Field Artillery - Notable as the debut assignment for Commissar Ciaphas Cain. Cain claimed to regimental commander Colonel Mostrue to have been assigned as a way of easing him into service after a lackluster performance at the Schola Progenium, but in fact Cain had requested it in the (vain) hope of a relatively safe duty post. Later in Cain's career the 12th frequently worked alongside the 597th Regiment. |
Valhallan Ice Warriors - Notable Valhallan Ice Warriors: Lord High Commander Otto Ivan Gustavus - Lord High Commander Gustavus was granted supreme command of the Taros Campaign to take back the desert Mining World of Taros from the ever-expanding Tau Empire. He had a long and steady rise through the upper ranks of the Imperial Guard. In his youth, Gustavus first served as a Lieutenant commanding an Armoured Fist platoon, eventually rising to command his regiment, and then being promoted beyond field command into the ranks of the Imperial Guard High Command staff. Wounded in action several times, and still proudly bearing the scars, his personal experience and bravery is undoubted. Gustavus was the supreme commander of the Tau Campaign. Though he commanded no actual forces in the field, he had the power to sanction or veto any plans his staff made. Gustavus' rotund appearance and loud, bellicose manner hides a razor-keen political mind. These were the skills he drew heavily upon during the invasion of Taros.Lady General Jenit Sulla - Jenit Sulla spent her long career with the Valhallan 296th Regiment and its successor regiment, the Valhallan 597th Regiment, under the command of Colonel Regina Kasteen. She also served alongside Commissar Ciaphas Cain in the 597th Regiment and eventually became the first woman in Imperial history to reach the rank of Lord General.Colonel Regina Kasteen - Acting commanding officer of the Valhallan 296th Regiment, Kasteen was promoted to Colonel after the Corania campaign in 931.M41 and served as the commanding officer of the 597th Valhallan Regiment in the 930s.M41.Major Ruput Broklaw - Acting commanding officer of the Valhallan 301st Regiment, Broklaw was passed over for promotion to colonel and command of the amalgamated 296th/301st in favor of Regina Kasteen due to a three-day difference in seniority. Following the creation of the 597th Regiment, he ostensibly served as executive officer under Kasteen in the 930s.M41, though in practice the two officers came to regard each other as equals.Staff Colonel Scheja - The brilliant Colonel Scheja was seconded from his regiment, the Valhallan 28th, to act as the top intelligence officer in Lord High Commander Gustavus' High Command staff for the Taros Campaign. He utilised his own staff officers to study and collate information from all sources; Imperial Guard regiments in the field, Imperial Navy reports, scouting Titans, any and every source the Imperium had at its disposal. With this available information, Scheja had an overview of the wider strategic situation, not just the fighting on the ground on Taros. He was Gustavus' spy-master, a secretive individual operating in the shadows, with a greater degree of independence than other Imperial commanders involved in the campaign. Scheja had previously worked with the famous Inquisitor Hector Rex, as part of his personal retinue during the Judgement of Hellanus, an operation which made the Colonel's reputation and catapulted him from a mere prospect as the regimental commander of the Valhallan 28th into the upper ranks of the Imperial Guard's overall command structure, despite still bearing only the rank of Colonel.Commander Kubrik Chenkov - Kubrik Chenkov served as the commander of the Valhallan 18th "Tundra Wolves" Regiment.Gunner Ferik Jurgen - Gunner Jurgen served for decades as Commissar Ciaphas Cain's tireless aide. Originally assigned to the Valhallan 12th Field Artillery Regiment, he would later go on to accompany the famous Commissar throughout the remainder of his career, including his retirement on the world of Perlia. Jurgen proved a competent and capable aide but did possess a fierce body odour which assaulted Cain's and anyone else's senses in his nearby vicinity. In truth, Ferik Jurgen was a Pariah, which accounted both for his abominable social skills but also served as a shield against the powers of psykers that saved his patron's life on more than one occasion. |
Valhallan Ice Warriors - Trivia: The Valhallan Ice Warriors are based on the appearance and tactics of the Soviet Red Army during the frigid winter campaigns of the Eastern Front during World War II. |
Valhallan Ice Warriors - Sources: Codex: Astra Militarum (8th Edition), pg. 24Codex: Astra Militarum (6th Edition) (Digital Edition), "Regiments of Distinction - Valhallan Ice Warriors"Codex: Imperial Guard (5th Edition), pp. 20, 24, 27, 65, 82Codex: Imperial Guard (3rd Edition, 2nd Codex), pp. 30, 58Codex: Imperial Guard (3rd Edition, 1st Codex), pp. 6, 28, 38Codex: Imperial Guard (2nd Edition), pp. 12-13, 35, 48, 70, 76, 88Imperial Armour - Imperial Vehicles for Warhammer 40,000, pg. 33Only War: Hammer of the Emperor (RPG), pp. 32-35The Thirteenth Black Crusade (Sourcebook)Warhammer 40,000: Planetstrike (5th Edition), pg. 57White Dwarf 183 (UK), "Ice Warriors of Valhalla" by Rick Priestley, pp. 6-11Caves of Ice (Novel) by Sandy MitchellFor The Emperor (Novel) by Sandy Mitchell"Fight or Flight" (Short Story) by Sandy MitchellIce Guard (Novel) by Steve Lyons |
Valiant Blades - Valiant Blades: The Valiant Blades is a Chapter of Primaris Space Marines raised during the Ultima Founding of an unknown origin. Little else is known about the Chapter in current Imperial records. |
Valiant Blades - Notable Campaigns: Debts Long Owed (Unknown Date.M42) - Already stretched dangerously thin, House Hawkshroud found itself in deadly peril as the Orks of WAAAGH! Zagsmasha descended upon their homeworld of Krastellan. Cries for help were sent, debts long owed called in at last from the many allies that Hawkshroud had so selflessly aided over the millennia. Most fell upon deaf ears, but on Baal, Valhalla and Dragon's End, relief forces began to muster, while in the empyrean, the Primaris Space Marines of the Valiant Blades turned their ships' helms towards Krastellan. Whether these reinforcements will arrive before the homeworld of House Hawkshroud is overrun remains to be seen. |
Valiant Blades - Chapter Badge: The Valiant Blades' Chapter badge is not listed in Imperial records. |
Valiant Blades - Chapter Appearance: The Valiant Blades' Chapter colours are not listed in Imperial records. |
Valkyrie - Valkyrie: The Valkyrie is a Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) airborne assault carrier used primarily by the troops of the Imperium's Astra Militarum as both a ground support gunship and a transport for airborne combat regiments like Tempestus Scion squads and the Elysian Drop Troops. Despite serving the tactical needs of the Imperial Guard, a Valkyrie and its crew are usually composed of pilots and armsmen drawn from the Navis Imperialis's Aeronautica Imperialis and are provided to the Astra Militarum on an as-needed basis.The Valkyrie assault carrier is a manoeuvrable, well-armed, twin-engine attack craft. The durable armour and versatile payload of the Valkyrie chassis combined with the aircraft's powerful engines and stable handling make it a popular choice for a broad spectrum of battlefield roles. These attack craft use atmospherically-sealed cockpits and omni-combustible promethium in their vector-turbojets, allowing them to be deployed against enemy flyers in the upper atmosphere and against ground forces on even the most environmentally hostile worlds.Sporting a troop transport capacity on par with the ubiquitous Chimera, the Valkyrie is often used to swiftly redeploy squads of infantry. Strikes at key targets by cadres of Tempestus Scions, reinforcement of buckling battle lines by grim-faced bands of Veteran guardsmen, even hasty transportation for ranking officers -- all of these and more are the duty of the Valkyrie.With a few notable exceptions, most Astra Militarum formations will have small numbers of Valkyries attached to them on a temporary basis; such aircraft are, first and foremost, the property of the Aeronautica Imperialis. During extended ground operations, however, they are usually repainted to match their assigned regiment, and their pilots report directly to that regiment's senior officer regardless of the difference in service.With vectored engines permitting vertical take-off and landing, these versatile aircraft can twist and turn through the rigours of low-altitude dogfights, or hover while troops rappel from their holds. In addition, every Valkyrie is equipped with sufficient Grav-Chutes for all passengers, allowing expedient, if hazardous, high-speed deployment into the thick of combat.To burst from the steel cocoon of a Valkyrie's transport bay into the icy air above packed ranks of enemies can be jarring, even by the standards of the Astra Militarum. As the chuted infantry descend towards the seething mass of foes they are peppered with fire. Those grav-troopers who manage to touch down may find themselves within feeding range of some mutated xenos monstrosity, or set alight by gouts of Daemonic flame.But for all this, the shock of a Valkyrie drop is even more terrifying to the enemy, who find themselves fighting on new and unexpected fronts with no warning, other than the roar of an overflying Valkyrie. Carefully orchestrated offensives are thrown into utter disarray as lasgun-wielding infantry are disgorged to assail the flanks and rear of the assaulting army. Artillery and enemy psykers unleashing their destruction far from the front lines are surrounded and brought down by the massed fire of the descending troopers.Valkyries have a storied history of service alongside Imperial infantry and armour regiments, and are sometimes referred to by Imperial Guardsmen as the "Wings of the Emperor." Certainly those guardsmen who have seen a ravening Carnifex blasted apart from on high by a Valkyrie's Hellstrike Missiles, or been lifted from the path of an onrushing Ork horde in the tight confines of the transport bay, have nothing but respect for these exceptional aircraft. |
Valkyrie - Armament: Airborne assaults play a crucial role in the battle plans of many Imperial commanders. Due to the high risk of such manoeuvres, and the high reward of eliminating key enemy assets, it is common for Valkyries to be loaded with the best troops available -- Astra Militarum Veterans or Tempestus Scions. However, certain pragmatic officers have achieved decisive victories by using Valkyries to distribute rank-and-file soldiers across large swathes of the battlefield.One such Company Commander -- Jetta Bacchi of the Athonian 992nd "Vagrant Blades" -- has used Valkyries in multiple city fights across the Imperium to seed the battlefield with his Tunnel Rats before engaging the enemy. Once deployed, each Infantry Squad sets up choke points and ambushes across the zone of battle. The foe then faces an unenviable decision -- either move at a crawl trying not to stumble into the infantry's traps, or barrel ahead full pace to outrun the deadly rain of aerial fire unleashed by the Valkyries.Even when troop transport is not required, or when the battlefield conditions make such actions impossible, Valkyries are still an invaluable aerial asset. Their armaments allow them to carry out hit-and-run strikes and strafing runs on ground forces whilst swatting enemy flyers from the sky. Though certain xenos attack craft are certainly faster, few boast the balance of offensive and defensive capabilities that make the Valkyrie so resilient and versatile.The Valkyrie's primary armament is a Multi-Laser that is mounted just to the side of the cockpit and two Hellstrike Missiles carried under its wings. The Valkyrie is also equipped with two door-mounted Heavy Bolters that are each manned by one gunner. This weapons configuration allows the Valkyrie, when using its VTOL capabilities, to stay on station once its troops have been dropped and provide air support or covering support fire during a difficult insertion.The Valkyrie can replace its Multi-Laser with a Lascannon, and can also replace its Hellstrike Missiles with 2 extra external fuel tanks for extended range operations or 2 Multiple Rocket Pods. The aircraft can also be equipped with ejector seats, Extra Armour Plating for the cockpit, flare or chaff launchers, infra-red targeting systems, and illumination flares.When a Valkyrie is expected to be assigned to the Astra Militarum for a long-duration assignment, usually to provide combat air support and transport, the Aeronautica Imperialis modifies the aircraft by adding more heavily reinforced armour to better protect it in close firefights with enemy forces. The reinforced armour reduces the Valkyrie's maximum altitude and range due to the increased use of promethium fuel, but it makes the Valkyrie a far more robust combat platform when it is carrying out its VTOL transport and gunship roles.The Valkyrie is capable of carrying 12 guardsmen, but cannot carry large groups of Ogryns. Valkyries also possess the cargo capacity to carry modified Drop Sentinels, Cyclops Demolition Vehicles or Sentry Guns instead of a complement of guardsmen, but the added weight requires that they also carry two additional external fuel tanks. |
Valkyrie - Valkyrie Variants: There are several variants of the Valkyrie in use by the Imperium's Aeronautica Imperialis, including the following:Vendetta - The Vendetta is a Valkyrie modified to carry 3 Twin-linked Lascannons which allow it to operate in the role of a dedicated tank buster and anti-armour asset while still mounting the two Heavy Bolters at its doors. Some variants also replace 2 of the Twin-linked Lascannons placed on its wings with 2 Hellfury Missiles instead that are specifically designed to destroy armoured vehicles by unleashing an incendiary fury that cooks the vehicle's crew within its armoured shell or can be used to drive enemy troops from cover in lieu of their wing-mounted Lascannons.Vulture - The Vulture is a gunship of the Imperial Navy's Aeronautica Imperialis that is capable of vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL). It is used to provide heavy air support for Astra Militarum ground units and the Valkyrie transport. The Vulture is very similar in appearance to the Valkyrie, but with a drastically different role on the battlefield. The Vulture is capable of carrying a large variety of weapons and is able to engage both infantry and armoured units, and is also able to effectively attack fortified enemy structures and bunkers. The Vulture is an attack gunship, and its main role is the support of Valkyrie assault carriers while in flight and while their Imperial Guard troops are disembarking. The Vulture will often stay at the drop zone after the Valkyries have left in order to provide heavy air support to the infantry on the ground.Valkyrie Sky Talon - The Sky Talon is a stripped-down Valkyrie modified to carry light vehicles instead of troops. The troop compartment is replaced with magnetic lifting clamps that allow the aircraft to latch-on to light vehicles, such as the Tauros or Drop Sentinels, and drop them from a very low altitude right into the heart of battle. |
Valkyrie - Notable Users of the Valkyrie: Aeronautica Imperialis (Navis Imperialis) - All military aircraft or attack craft in the Imperium fall under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Navy's Aeronautica Imperialis, though they are also provided to the Astra Militarum on an as-needed basis. All Valkyries are flown by experienced Aeronautica Imperialis pilots and crews.Astra Militarum - The Astra Militarum are the primary users of the Valkyrie. The Imperial Navy provides Valkyries to Imperial Guard regiments when they are needed, and many Guard regiments make use of Valkyries. Some regiments, such as those of the Elysian Drop Troops, have Valkyries that are permanently provided to them by attached Aeronautica Imperialis squadrons.Inquisition - The Inquisition's Acolytes and agents have the ability to requisition any equipment or vehicles they need while on the battlefield from any arm of the Imperial military. Many Inquisitors use Valkyries as personal transports during missions, and the Inquisition has their own permanent Valkyries and pilots that are used to deploy their Inquisitorial Storm Troopers into battle. |
Valkyrie - Notable Regimental Users of the Valkyrie: 2nd Imperial Navy Tactical Wing - Fought in the defence of Cadia during the 13th Black Crusade of Abaddon the Despoiler.22nd Elysian Drop Troop Regiment - Fought during the Yarant III Campaign.64th Elysian Drop Troop Regiment - Took part in the ill-fated Fifth Ymgarl Insertion.123rd Imperial Navy Tactical Wing - Part of "Pursuit Force Fidelis," during the Battle of Kovalic 479.99th Elysian Drop Troop Regiment, D Company Veterans - Fought against the Tyranids that escaped from a secret Adeptus Mechanicus research facility on Anphelion IV.184th Imperial Navy Tactical Wing - Transported Storm Troopers during Operation Comet, part of the Taros Campaign against the T'au.71st Imperial Navy Tactical Wing - Participated in Operation Deathblow during the Taros Campaign and during the Helion V Campaign.23rd Elysian Drop Troop Regiment - Fought during the Taros Campaign against the T'au.181st Elysian Drop Troop Regiment - Served during the Raid on Kastorel-Novem.5136th Imperial Navy Wing - Supplied 80 Valkyries to aid in the Raid on Kastorel-Novem.226th Elysian Drop Troops Regiment - Fought during the defence of Betalis III against the Eldar of Craftworld Mymeara.Athonian 992nd "Vagrant Blades" - Commanded by Jetta Bacchi, known for innovative use of the Valykrie in delivering infantry troops to urban battlefields (see above).205th Imperial Navy Tactical Wing - Inducted into Inquisitorial service by Inquisitor Gruberman during the Tyrama Secondus Campaign.Ordo Hereticus Inquisitor Tyrus - Used to transport Storm Troopers during the Purging of Gladrinus VI.Ordo Malleus Inquisitor Hector Rex - Used to transport Storm Troopers during the Judgement of Hellanus. |
Valkyrie - Adeptus Mechanicus Technical Specifications: Valkyrie Airborne Assault CarrierTypeAssault CarrierOperational Ceiling13,000 MetresVehicle NameValkyrieMax Speed1100 kilometres per hourForge World of OriginMars, Voss, Artemia, Estaban VIIRange2000 kilometres in atmosphereKnown PatternsI - XMain ArmamentHull-Mounted Multi-Laser, 2 Door-mounted Heavy BoltersCrew1 Pilot, 1 Navigator, 2 Door GunnersSecondary Armament2 Hellstrike Missiles or 2 Multiple Rocket PodsPowerplant2 F75-MV Afterburning Vector-TurbofansMain Ammunition150 Shots From Power PackWeight13.0 Tonnes EmptySecondary Ammunition1000 RoundsLength18.5 MetresArmourWingspan16.9 MetresSuperstructure75 millimetresHeight4.8 MetresHull75 millimetres |
Valkyrie - Sources: Codex: Astra Militarum (6th Edition), "Valkyries & Vendetta Gunships," "Fast Attack-Valkyrie Squadron"Codex: Astra Militarum (8th Edition), pp. 63, 117Codex: Imperial Guard (5th Edition), pp. 56, 101Imperial Armour Volume One - Imperial Guard and Imperial Navy, pp. 241-248Imperial Armour Volume Two - Space Marines and Forces of the Inquisition, pp. 202-205Imperial Armour Volume Three - The Taros Campaign, pp. 106, 107, 110, 111, 124, 125, 126, 143, 149, 269, 271, 273, 310Imperial Armour Volume Four - The Anphelion Project, pp. 58, 62, 63Imperial Armour Volume Eight - The Raid on Kastorel-Novem, pp. 21, 24, 25, 37, 45Imperial Armour Volume Eleven - The Doom of Mymeara, pp. 102, 104Imperial Armour Apocalypse, pg. 39Imperial Armour Apocalypse (2nd Edition), pg. 38Warhammer 40,000: Apocalypse (6th Edition) (Digital Edition), pg. 316Aeronautica Imperialis (Rulebook), pg. 22Only War: Core Rulebook (RPG), pg. 288Death From the Skies (6th Edition), pp. 58, 69Dark Heresy: Core Rulebook (RPG), pg. 132Dawn of War - Winter Assault (PC Game)Dawn of War - Dark Crusade (PC Game)Dawn of War - Soulstorm (PC Game)Dawn of War II (PC Game)Dawn of War II - Chaos Rising (PC Game)Dawn of War II - Retribution (PC Game)Space Marine (Video Game)Warhammer 40,000: Darktide (Video Game)The Regimental Standard - On Wings of Victory |
Valkyrie Sky Talon - Valkyrie Sky Talon: The Valkyrie Sky Talon is a variant of the Aeronautica Imperialis' Valkyrie Airborne Assault Carrier, and is used as a support aircraft intended to provide combat airlifts of light vehicles and cargo for the Astra Militarum. The Valkyrie Sky Talon, also known simply as the Sky Talon, is used for the transportation of light armoured vehicles, whereas the standard Valkyrie transports the air mobile infantrymen of the Imperial Guard into battle.On the Sky Talon, the troop compartment of the standard Valkyrie has been replaced with large magnetic lifting clamps, allowing the aircraft to latch onto light Imperial Guard vehicles such as the Tauros and light combat walkers like the Drop Sentinel. The Sky Talon can also carry a large supply pod that can be dropped off for drop forces to re-supply when behind enemy lines, as more heavily armoured ground vehicles may not be able to reach such troops.The Sky Talon's main tactical role is the safe and efficient delivery of its cargo into combat zones. Once its airlift duties have been completed the Sky Talon will withdraw to a safe distance and await orders to extract the vehicles or other cargo from the field. |
Valkyrie Sky Talon - Armament: The Sky Talon is crewed by only a single crewman, its pilot, who operates the aircraft's few weapons. The aircraft is only equipped with a single nose-mounted Heavy Bolter for self-defence and to assist in the clearing of any active drop zones.The Sky Talon can also be equipped with two Hellstrike Missiles for anti-armour support and these can be switched out for multi-rocket pods as the mission requires. The Sky Talon can also be outfitted with ejector seats, extra armour for the cockpit, flare or chaff launchers, infra-red targeting systems, and illumination flares. |
Valkyrie Sky Talon - Known Users of the Sky Talon: Elysian Drop Troop Regiments - The Imperial Guard regiments from Elysia rely on fast airborne insertion and extraction, and thus rarely field heavy armoured vehicles. In order to deploy their relatively light vehicles to the battlefield the Elysian Drop Troop Regiments use Sky Talons to deliver Tauros assault vehicles and Drop Sentinels to the battlefield to serve as their heavy fire support.181st Elysian Drop Troop Regiment - The 181st Elysians used the Sky Talon to deploy heavy support vehicles during the Raid on Kastorel-Novem against the Orks.226th Elysian Drop Troop Regiment - The 226th Elysians made extensive use of their Sky Talons to deploy heavy support vehicles during the defence of Betalis III against the Eldar of Craftworld Mymeara. |
Valkyrie Sky Talon - Adeptus Mechanicus Technical Specifications: Valkyrie Sky TalonTypeAirborne LifterOperational Ceiling12,000 MetresVehicle NameSky TalonMax Speed1,100 kilometres per hourForge World of OriginVoss, Artemia, Trethagar, Agripinaa, LuciusRange2,000 kilometres in atmosphereKnown PatternsII - VIMain ArmamentNose-Mounted Heavy BolterCrew1 PilotSecondary Armament2 Hellstrike MissilesPowerplant2 x F75-MV Afterburing Vector-TurbofansMain Ammunition1000 RoundsWeight12.0 Tonnes UnladenSecondary Ammunition2 MissilesLength18.5 MetresArmourWingspan16.9 MetresSuperstructure75 millimetresHeight4.8 MetresHull75 millimetres |
Valkyrie Sky Talon - Sources: Imperial Armour Volume Eight - The Raid on Kastorel-Novem, pp. 85-87Imperial Armour Volume Eleven - The Doom of Mymeara, pp. 98-99Imperial Armour Aeronautica, pg. 16Imperial Armour Apocalypse (2nd Edition), pg. 39 |
Vallia - Vallia: ValliaJericho ReachT'au Empire |
Vallia - History: Vallia is, were it under Imperial classification, a Death World, given the abnormally aggressive nature of its flora and fauna. It has been declared out of bounds to all but those with the very highest level of authority.The T'au however have far less experience with such worlds, and have yet to fully appreciate the extremes of malevolence that worlds like Vallia can exhibit. The Explorators and Rogue Traders of the Imperium know that Death Worlds are more than just dangerous environments, a fact that the T'au are only just beginning to understand.Vallia is almost entirely swathed in jungle, the flora extending to every corner of the surface and every crack below it. Even the seas are choked with carnivorous plant life, as are the lightless caverns deep beneath the ground.In fact, Earth Caste scientists have come to believe that the world's plant life is dominated by one single organism, its roots extending deep into the world's crust. In places, roots that must be hundreds of metres in circumference have destabilised the underlying tectonic processes, causing hundreds of volcanoes to erupt across the surface.Numerous T'au expeditions to Vallia have ended in disaster as the plant life as well as animal life has reacted in concert to expel the invaders. The first three expeditions were completely annihilated, but not before the discovery of unique and highly desirable natural resources in the form of compounds excreted by the carnivorous flora.A fourth expedition was dispatched to confirm these findings, this time accompanied by a Fire Caste battle cadre entirely equipped with Battlesuits configured to hold the predatory flora and fauna at bay. Although dozens of Fire Warriors died in this mission, samples were recovered and shipped back to Tsua'Malor for analysis.What was discovered during that analysis caused a paradigm shift in the way many Earth Caste xeno-biologists view the evolution of complex symbiotic biospheres, a view which has yet to be accepted by those who have not seen the evidence with their own eyes.The Earth Caste scientists of Tsua'Malor have discovered that every life form on Vallia is interconnected. This symbiosis goes far beyond the conventional interconnection seen in many life forms, and extends to an amalgamation of will and a form of gestalt intelligence.Though they have yet to fully accept their own findings, the T'au have discovered that the Death World of Vallia is in fact sentient, ruled over by a single, utterly malevolent intelligence that can mobilise every single living cell on the planet to repel any who would set foot in its domains.As if this realisation were not shocking enough to the Earth Caste's world view, some amongst their number have advanced the notion that this planetary sentience can be somehow reasoned with, perhaps even convinced of the primacy of the Greater Good.Initial Fire Caste estimates have placed a high possibility on any T'au contact force being completely wiped out, and the Water Caste can see no way in which meaningful discourse could be established. Nonetheless, research continues and a future contact mission is a distinct possibility. |
Vampire - Vampire: A Vampire, Vampyre or Vampyr, also known as Wahmpuryi in ancient Cthonian folklore, is a member of an intelligent species of Warp entities that have the ability to appear to others in any form they choose within realspace. |
Vampire - History: The ancient legends of Old Earth concerning Vampires were for long ages discredited as invention, folk-lore and myth. The reality, however, was to prove far more disturbing. Vampires are polymorphic Warp entities able to radically alter their metabolism in order to resemble the creatures amongst whom they dwell.By shape changing, they are able to assume the form of any familiar Human-sized creature, and thus gain physical abilities associated with it, such as being able to fly, swim, hover, etc. Their natural shape (if such it can be called) is bat-like, although still approximately humanoid and the size of a man.Vampires exist within the societies of most of the established intelligent species of the galaxy, and often assume positions of authority. They naturally crave power amongst other peoples, regarding even fellow Vampires as threatening rivals. They have no known homeworld. Where they evolved and why they have come to occupy a parasitic position within alien societies is unknown.Vampires live amongst their chosen species after the manner of that people, and cannot easily be singled out. They have psychic powers of a level comparable to that of Humans who posses the psyker mutation. Vampires maintain their lives by absorbing the life-force of other creatures, achieved by prolonged physical contact. Fortunately, Vampires can derive some sustenance by normal eating and drinking, and so only require a little stolen vitality to survive.Nevertheless, they do need to drain at least a bit of life-force from a living host every day -- otherwise they will lapse into a catatonic state and can only be revived by the sacrifice of a member of the host species conducted over their sleeping form.If a victim is drained of his or her life-force they can be revived as a Zombie, a will-less servant completely under the Vampire's thrall. Zombies are undead corpses animated by the power of the Warp, and will slowly rot and decay until their usefulness becomes somewhat limited. Creating a Zombie is not something casually undertaken.Before the Horus Heresy, Vampires were mentioned in legends from Terran, Barbaran and Cthonian folklore as blood-drinking Daemons.At an unknown date, a Vampire under the alias of "Darran Marvil" took command of a fortress on the Feudal World of Horthn IV. In an attempt to topple the evil alien, Imperial Assassins encouraged a popular revolt. Whilst the local troops assaulted the fortress with ladders and grapples, the Assassins attempted to reach the Vampire and slay him and his Zombies.At some point in the 41st Millennium, a Warp-spawned Vampire rose to power on the Imperial Hive World of Cephian IV. The Black Templars Chapter of Space Marines is known to have battled the creature, with the future High Marshal Helbrecht slaying the entity, and through this act earning induction into the ranks of the Sword Brethren.Thorian Inquisitors of the Ordo Xenos are known to research Vampires, among other alien creatures that are neither mortal nor daemonic. Investigation of these aliens is not as alluring as the study of the daemonic, but the methods by which they can influence and breach the barriers between Warpspace and realspace are an obvious source of knowledge for the Thorians.Enslavers, Psychneuein, Vampires and other Warp creatures are able to extend their will into the real universe, and many of them are capable of transgressing the boundaries that separate the two. If only to avoid intrusion by these creatures on a potential psychic Divine Vessel who could serve as a new body for the Emperor, some Thorians have dedicated their lives to a greater understanding of these hideous creatures.Wards and technology that prevent psychic infection are under constant research by the Ordo Xenos, amongst their many other fields of study. If reliable and portable containment fields or other technology can be constructed that could protect a Divine Vessel from Vampiric corruption or enslavement, then the chances of the Emperor-Incarnate manifesting are greatly increased. Or so say the Thorians. |
Vanaheim - Vanaheim: VanaheimImperialForge WorldAdeptus MechanicusSalamander Command VehicleBasiliskCentaurGriffonMedusa |
Vanaheim - History: The early history of this Forge World has been lost down the long millennia. When the galaxy-wide civil war known as the Horus Heresy began, Vanaheim remained loyal to Terra. Later, it was invaded by Traitor Legion forces during a Dark Compliance action.During the subsequent drop assault by Traitor forces, the populations of three hive cities were slaughtered as a warning against further resistance, yet still the defenders of Vanaheim fought on until the last man.Vanaheim was cleansed of Heretic forces during the Great Scouring and would go on to be a loyal and industrious Forge World of the Imperium. |
Vanaheim - Manufactoria Capabilities: Vanaheim is notable for producing numerous patterns of various combat support and armoured vehicles. This includes the Vanaheim Pattern Centaur (Patterns II-XIV) as well as the Vanaheim Pattern Centaur Grenadier variant.Vanaheim also manufactures the Vanaheim Pattern Salamander Command Vehicle (Patterns II-XXII). The driver of this variant is also provided with a multi-spectral auspex surveyor, fitted as part of the overhead hatch. This is an advanced piece of technology, providing the vehicle with magnification, tracking and night vision capabilities.The Vanaheim Salamander Command Vehicle is also outfitted with a Vanaheim Pattern Heavy Flamer.This Forge World also produces the Vanaheim Pattern Salamander Scout reconnaissance armoured vehicle (Patterns I-XIXX), which is used as a highly mobile yet effective fire support platform for units engaged in forward reconnaissance.Finally, Vanaheim is the source of the Griffon Heavy Mortar Carrier (Patterns I-VIII), which is a medium-range artillery vehicle based on the Chimera chassis and equipped with a Heavy Mortar Cannon. |
Vance Stubbs - Vance Stubbs: Vance Stubbs was a general of the Astra Militarum and the senior Imperial General Staff officer placed in overall command of the Astra Militarum forces stationed in the Kaurava System. Stubbs had barely arrived at his new posting when an unexpected Warp Storm opened on Kaurava IV, wiping out the 253rd Kauravan Regiment, while sudden attacks from Alpha Legion Chaos Space Marines caught much of the 252nd Kauravan Regiment unprepared, decimating it.More losses, including the regiment's former commander, were taken in a battle against the forces of the T'au Empire. This left General Stubbs with barely a quarter of the Imperial Guard troops originally stationed in the star system under his effective command.Hoping to reclaim the Kaurava System for the Imperium, Stubbs opened a campaign to reclaim the system from the myriad enemies of the Imperium assaulting it with the 252nd Kauravan Conservator Regiment; but the situation spiralled out of control upon the arrival of the Blood Ravens Space Marines and the Sisters of Battle of the Order of the Sacred Rose.The Blood Ravens had arrived in force to investigate a potential lead to the creation of their enigmatic Chapter, landing with five full companies of Astartes under the command of Force Commander Indrick Boreale, who wanted no witnesses.The Order of the Sacred Rose suspected the Imperial Guard present in the system to have been corrupted by the Warp Storm from the very start or even to have been responsible for summoning it.General Stubbs' stubborn refusal to bow down or submit to Inquisitorial reconditioning quickly escalated the situation into open conflict with his theoretical allies from the Imperium as well as the various xenos and Chaos forces seeking to take control of the Kaurava System for their own purposes. |
Vance Stubbs - Kauravan Conflict: The outcome of the Kaurava Conflict depends on which faction wins the game Dawn of War - Soulstorm. If the Imperial Guard is defeated in their stronghold at Dussala Precinct on Kaurava I, Stubbs escaped on a Valkyrie as his bodyguards were being cut down covering his retreat, remarking that, "Though my army lies in ruins today, I have not yet done fighting, and I will remember who my enemies are."If the Blood Ravens Chapter is the victor, any surviving Imperial Guardsmen are treated as comrades-in-arms and given safe return to Segmentum Command, where only a few were likely to survive the inevitable debrief to be carried out by the agents of the Inquisition's Ordo Hereticus.The manufactoria and munitions are then used by the Blood Ravens, who proceed to successfully reclaim the system and the relics of their own past that it holds. However, the events of Dawn of War II reveal that this ending is non-canonical and that in fact the Blood Ravens suffered heavy losses, were driven from the system and their commander, Indrick Boreale, was slain.If the Imperial Guard is victorious over all the other factions, General Stubbs and his troops are declared heroes by the people of the Kaurava System and Stubbs is named the governor-general of Kaurava. The star system begins to thrive again thanks to the immense reconstruction, mining and terraforming projects initiated by the Imperium. The large number of military academies established in the system as a result of its martial reputation proceed to train superior Imperial Guardsmen of the Kauravan Conservator Regiments who are second in quality only to the Kasrkin of Cadia.Only Kaurava III was left largely barren in this outcome, due to having been a former Necron Tomb World. General Stubbs' ability to organise and reform the long-neglected Kauravan regiments of the Imperial Guard did not go unnoticed by Segmentum Command, and Stubbs was assured that his rise in the Imperial hierarchy would not stop with the planetary governorship of a relatively small, backwards Imperial world.Unfortunately, Gorgutz 'Ead Hunter and his Ork klans were the ultimate victors in the Kaurava System in the canonical ending, forcing General Stubbs and the Astra Militarum forces under his command to withdraw from the system. |
Vance Stubbs - Wargear: During the Kaurava Conflict, General Stubbs was known to have been outfitted with the following weapons and wargear:Lightning Claws - Stubbs wields a pair of Lightning Claws for close quarters melee combat. These weapons were later upgraded to a pair of master-crafted Lightning Claws that were even more effective at slaying the foes of the Emperor.Wrist-Mounted Bolter - Stubbs made use of a custom-designed wrist-mounted Bolter sized for the use of a normal human as his primary ranged weapon. This was later upgraded to a Storm Bolter that was also sized to fit on a normal human arm.Plasma Pistol - Later in the Kaurava Conflict, Stubbs acquired a Plasma Pistol to use alongside his Storm Bolter.Laspistol - Stubbs possessed an ornate and finely made antique Laspistol strapped in a holster on his left hip, but he only used this weapon when he wished to unleash a killing headshot against an already defeated enemy.Carapace Armour - Stubbs wore a suit of Imperial Carapace Armour for added protection. This armour was outfitted with a number of devices such as an optical targeting array intended to enhance Stubbs' ranged weapon accuracy in combat.Imperial Honours - Stubbs had been awared several of the Imperial Guard's highest honours, including the Macharian Cross and Ibram's Vestment, which entitled him to maintain elite Cadian Kasrkin as a personal honour guard amongst the troops of his command squad. |
Vance Theren - Vance Theren: Vance Theren is an unusually compassionate Lord Commissar serving with the Achilus Crusade to retake the Jericho Reach in the Ultima Segmentum for the Imperium.Theren is currently the head of the so-called "Triumvirate" comprised of himself, General Derian Arkelius, and Lord Admiral Anastasia Arkelius that has taken command of the Orpheus Salient of the crusade in the wake of the death of General Mikal Curas.He is also the mastermind of the "Great Deception" the three have perpetrated to not let any of the men and women fighting in the Orpheus Salient know that Curas was killed by the Tyranids until his replacement can arrive from the crusade's High Command. |
Vance Theren - History: Educated at the Schola Progenium on Veneris, Vance Theren has faithfully served the Commissariat for the past sixty-five solar years.The most senior Commissar in the Orpheus Salient, Theren has presided over matters of military discipline since the first day of the salient's foundation. A veteran of many conflicts, Theren has served both on the ground alongside the Astra Militarum, and as a Fleet Commissar with the Imperial Navy, giving him valuable experience in a variety of theatres of war, and making him an ideal choice for such high authority.His oversight of all Astra Militarum and Imperial Navy activities within the salient is carried out through the means of thousands of lesser Commissars stationed aboard starships and deployed within Astra Militarum regiments.He was assigned to the Achilus Crusade from the outset and was attached as a liaison to General Mikal Curas' staff. A dutiful and honourable man, Theren does not suffer the wasteful use of the Emperor's armed forces, regarding the lives of the Emperor's servants as something not to be expended frivolously or rashly. Indeed, quite at odds with the archetypal image of the Commissar, Theren cares about the soldiers under his authority.This has caused him to clash with the generals under his jurisdiction on several occasions, even going so far as to veto the battle plans of General Derian Arkelius more than once, and having executed several senior Astra Militarum officers for negligence over the years of the Achilus Crusade.Further, he has reprimanded several of his subordinate Commissars for being overzealous in their punishments. The lives of the Emperor's servants are valuable and it is the responsibility of their leaders to ensure that the dutiful efforts of even the least of men are employed wisely, as Theren is swift to point out to his subordinates.In spite of this atypical outlook, Theren is a stern disciplinarian, having established a collection of penal companies in order to deal with those who step out of line, and commandeering a special battalion of veteran troops to serve as military police, as he has found that squads of exceptionally disciplined troops, unbound by regimental loyalty, make effective enforcers.Theren's respect for the lives of his troops became apparent to the other two members of the governing Triumvirate of the Orpheus Salient when he rewrote the defence plan for Treyan upon seeing General Arkelius had called for over one million Imperial Guardsmen to be sacrificed as bait to bring the Tyranids of Hive Fleet Dagon into a specified kill zone.Part of the Achilus Crusade from the very start, Theren served closely with General Curas, and he held the general in high regard almost from the outset.The death of General Curas at the hands of the Tyranids hit Theren hard. While they could not be considered friends, the two men had a mutual respect for one another and General Curas would often take Theren into his confidence about private command matters. Curas' death was an emotional blow to Theren, though his stern demeanour will not allow his acute sense of loss to show.In the wake of Curas' death, Theren was the source of the plan designed to replace Curas in command of the Orpheus Salient without news of his death becoming public in such a way that it would demoralise the crusaders.Theren's plan, later called the "Great Deception," was to inform the other salient commanders of General Curas' death at the hands of the Tyranids, but with communication blackouts he knew that it could take Terran years for such a message to be received and years beyond that for a response to be sent back.During this period no one beyond Theren, the Arkelius siblings and the crusade's High Command was to know of the death of General Curas until a replacement had been sent. In the meantime, and to keep the discipline and morale of the Orpheus Salient at workable levels, Theren proposed that a "Triumvirate" be formed to command the salient.General Arkelius would be in command of all ground operations, Admiral Arkelius would be in command of all naval actions, and Lord Commissar Theren would play the mediator, as well as having final say over any disagreements that cropped up.Now commanding from the flagship of Battlegroup Cerberus, Lord Commissar Theren is able to effectively deceive the rest of the ranking members of the Astra Militarum and Imperial Navy by combining his authority with that of either one of the Arkelius siblings. The word of a lord commissar backed up by either a lord admiral or a general is something no lower-ranking officer would dare question.As the orchestrator of the Great Deception, Lord Commissar Theren is constantly on the lookout for signs that one of the two Arkelius siblings is plotting his downfall.Without his iron discipline keeping the rank and file in line, the Orpheus Salient would be lost. His relationship with the Deathwatch is strong since, as a commissar, he always appreciates when a walking morale booster shows up on the field of battle. |
Vance Theren - Personality: A devout servant of the Emperor, Theren cannot help but regard the Space Marines with due reverence, and long years of service within the Jericho Reach, interacting with Space Marine commanders, has given him a deep respect for their abilities, and the morale-bolstering effect their presence can have.Given the current state of the Orpheus Salient, he is ever willing to stand in support of the Space Marines and to accept their aid in fighting back against the Tyranids.He has begun to doubt the teachings that have defined his life in the face of an enemy unlike any he has ever faced. In spite of this, Theren is one of the few individuals holding the Orpheus Salient together, his discipline and sense of duty maintaining order in the most terrible of circumstances.The deception maintaining the illusion of General Curas' continued service was Theren's idea, and he maintains control over it, mediating between the Arkelius siblings who form the rest of the Triumvirate, and providing overall command in spite of their familial rivalry.Amidst all this, he liaises with Space Marine forces within the salient, cooperates with the Deathwatch, and handles much of the inter-organisational politics that so frequently blights Imperial operations, wrangling with the demands of the Administratum, Adeptus Arbites, Adeptus Ministorum, and Adeptus Mechanicus, while endeavouring to win an extremely costly war.In short, it is Theren's iron will that is the greatest factor in both the deception that General Curas still lives, and rallying the crusade forces that the general once commanded.It should come as little surprise that Theren seems withered and exhausted to those who meet him in person. The cost of the Orpheus Salient's seemingly inexorable collapse weighs heavily on any man, and like his compatriots in the Triumvirate, the strain is taking a toll.Amidst this pressure, Theren is gladdened by the increased Space Marine presence within the salient, and the more widespread deployment of Deathwatch Kill-teams, for every Space Marine who stands beside the mortal guardsmen and shipsmen of the Orpheus Salient lessens the weight upon his shoulders and those of every officer under his command. |
Vandred Anrathi - Vandred Anrathi: Vandred Anrathi, "The Exalted", was a former sergeant of the Night Lords Traitor Legion, commanding the 1st Claw (Squad) of the 10th Company up until the Siege of Terra in 014.M31.By the time of the late 41st Millennium, Anrathi had allowed himself to be possessed by a Daemon and he had mutated into a Possessed Chaos Space Marine dedicated to the service of the Chaos God Tzeentch.The Daemon's influence twisted his physical form until he only resembled a shadow of his former self. |
Vandred Anrathi - History: Beginning as a sergeant of the Night Lords Legion, Vandred Anrathi commanded the 1st Claw up until the Traitor assault on the Imperial Palace during the Siege of Terra. Following Captain Malcharion's entombment within a Chaos Dreadnought, Vandred succeeded him as the commander of the Night Lords' 10th Company; under his leadership, the company degenerated into a Chaos Space Marine warband that survived by piracy.Anrathi thus disregarded the vision of the Night Lords' Primarch Konrad Curze, which proved to be a major point of contention with Talos. Allying himself with Abaddon the Despoiler, he allowed himself to be possessed by a Daemon.Before accepting the Daemon which would come to dominate him, Vandred was an honored warrior, but his true forte was void combat. A shadow of his former self, it soon became apparent that "The Exalted" was the title of the Daemon which possessed him, and it used his memories and knowledge to further its pursuit of power.After his change into "The Exalted," he became even more focussed on void combat. He was a true master of it, understanding all the nuances of his ship's speed, mass, maneuverability and weaponry, and therefore willing to throw his vessel, the Covenant of Blood, into seemingly suicidal maneuvers.Allying himself with Abaddon during the Crythe campaign, The Exalted eventually grew tired of Abbadon's behaviour and his use of the 10th Company as fodder for the Despoiler's schemes. Eventually First Claw was betrayed upon the Industrial World of Crythe by Abaddon's Black Legion.Talos decided that The Exalted was no longer fit to command. Vandred's disgust towards Abaddon and the Black Legion helped him to temporarily overcome the Daemon within him and reassert his personality.Refusing to allow his warriors to fall to the whims of Abaddon, Vandred rescued his forces on Crythe and escaped the vengeful Blood Angels Chapter.When Vandred had his ship dock at Hell's Iris in order to repair and refit the battle-damaged vessel, First Claw sent ambassadors from their warband to meet with the station's commanding Chaos Lord, Huron Blackheart.Blackheart agreed to have the Night Lords' vessel repaired on the condition that The Exalted's warband would owe him a debt to be paid by accompanying the lord of the Red Corsairs on a military campaign on the Imperial world of Vilamus, serving as the Red Corsairs' vanguard force.Vandred agreed, but for motives of his own, as the Night Lords recognised that one of the Red Corsairs' warships was the ancient vessel Echo of Damnation, the sister-ship to their own vessel, the Covenant. The Exalted plotted and succeeded in stealing the former Night Lords vessel back from the Red Corsairs right after the Fall of Vilamus.The Red Corsairs immediately pursued the stolen warship, their fleet striking out after the Night Lords in overwhelming numbers. Vandred, in his prison of a body, immediately recognized that the fight was unwinnable for the Covenant, but that the Covenant's sacrifice would allow Talos Valcoran to escape with the Echo of Damnation.With a surge of willpower, Vandred took control of his body again, and commanded the Covenant in a fleet action that destroyed a half-dozen or so vessels of the Red Corsair fleet with a daring series of suicide maneuvers.Right before the Red Corsairs were about to make the kill, Vandred completely relinquished control, letting The Exalted's furious struggles burn Vandred away for good--intentionally so, because it meant The Exalted, shortly thereafter, experienced the death-pain of its body alone and was banished back to the Warp. |
Vangash'hagash - Vangash'hagash: Vangash'hagash the Ever-Bloody is a Bloodthirster, a Greater Daemon of the Blood God Khorne. Within the benighted realms of the Eye of Terror this daemon lord holds sway over the Daemon World of Kathalon. His nightmare planet is a great burning lake criss-crossed with arching bridges of brass and bone, where the daemonic legions of Khorne and Tzeentch have fought each other for aeons. |
Vanguard Cruiser - Vanguard Cruiser: A Vanguard Cruiser, also called a Vanguard-class Light Cruiser, is a variant of the standard Adeptus Astartes Strike Cruiser that has been refit for long-range operations without the benefit of Escorts or other naval support.This is a variant that is primarily used by fleet-based Chapters of Space Marines that often need to send detachments of Astartes on long-duration missions far from the main Chapter fleet.They have improved thrusters and defensive turrets, but this comes at the expense of weaker offensive weaponry.As a result, Vanguard Light Cruisers are less capable of undertaking planetary assaults like normal Strike Cruisers because their weapons profile has been optimised for ship-to-ship combat, planetary exploration, reconnaissance and boarding operations.Vanguards are thus used as scouting vessels operating independently or as heavy escorts as part of a large Space Marine fleet. |
Vanguard Cruiser - Patterns: The Vanguard-class Light Cruiser comes in three main patterns:Mark I - Armed with Torpedo launchers, Macrocannons, and launch bays for attack craft.Mark II - Armed with Lances, Macrocannons, and attack craft launch bays.Mark III - Armed with a single Bombardment Cannon, Macrocannons, and attack craft launch bays. |
Vanguard Cruiser - Notable Vanguard Cruisers: Red Harbinger (Fire Hawks Chapter) - The Red Harbinger was at first disabled and then captured by the Mantis Warriors Chapter in 350.904.M41, an incident that helped to initiate the internecine conflict between Space Marine Chapters of the Imperium known as the Badab War.Obsidia (Salamanders Chapter) - In 838.912.M41, during the Badab War, the Executioners Chapter Cruiser Night Hag and the Executioners Battle Barge Phaeton's Wrath were hunting a pair of damaged Sons of Medusa Strike Cruisers in an asteroid field on the edge of the Eridayn Cataract when the Salamanders Vanguard Cruiser Obsidia suddenly interposed between the two sides and requested a ceasefire. After a tense stand-off, the Sons of Medusa withdrew and the Executioners agreed to parley with the Loyalist command. This action led to the eventual withdrawal of the Executioners from the conflict on the side of the Secessionists and their restoration to the Emperor's grace.Mitrah - A Vanguard-class Light Cruiser of the Mentors Chapter. |
Vanguard Drone Ship - Vanguard Drone Ship: A Vanguard Drone Ship is an escort-analogue bio-ship found in Tyranid Hive Fleets. |
Vanguard Drone Ship - Sources: Battlefleet Gothic Armada 2 (PC Game) |
Vanguard Eliminator - Vanguard Eliminator: A Vanguard Eliminator is a type of Vanguard Space Marine who is usually part of an Eliminator Squad.Dedicated marksmen, these fire support Primaris Marines haunt the shadows of the battlefield, seeking out high-value targets and bringing them down with pinpoint volleys of bolt rounds. |
Vanguard Eliminator - Role: Eliminator Squads utilise a particularly stripped down version of Mark X Phobos Power Armour. This allows them to operate with maximum discretion as they stalk their prey.Their primary armament is the Mark III Shrike Pattern Bolt Sniper Rifle. The optical sights of this weapon can be tailored for any situation, from thermoscopic vision to precision auspex scans that can penetrate several metres through solid matter. Once marked, there is nowhere for an Eliminator's prey to hide, and no amount of protective armour that can stop the killing shot.Each member of an Eliminator Squad carries spare magazines filled with special issue ammunition, tailored for every tactical eventuality and variety of target.Hyperfrag rounds detonate in a shower of shrapnel, sending out a cloud of lacerating shards that devastates closely-packed infantry.Executioner rounds, by comparison, are sophisticated self-guiding missiles slaved to a miniaturised cogitator that can seek their target behind cover, even changing direction mid-flight with tiny bursts of ballistic propellant.Mortis bolts, meanwhile, spew self-replicating mutagenic toxins into the flesh of the target, causing the rapid and complete collapse of all vital biological systems while making for a horrifying spectacle into the bargain.When fighting amongst Vanguard Marine forces, Eliminator Squads are expected to fulfil a wide variety of roles as the situation demands, switching quickly from knocking out artillery crews and enemy communications specialists, to mowing down massed foes moving to reinforce the battleline, to picking off the foe's own elite marksmen in vicious sniper-duels.When serving as 9th Company assets attached to a more traditional Adeptus Astartes strike force, Eliminators instead inhabit the specialised niche of silent assassins -- an Eliminator Squad may be tasked with the death of a specific enemy leader, threading like the spectre of death through the mayhem of battle to line up their perfect kill-shots.Alternatively, their pinpoint fire may be put to use covering spearhead assaults or swiftly cutting the legs out from under sudden enemy counterattacks. |
Vanguard Eliminator - Unit Composition: 2 Eliminators1 Eliminator Sergeant |
Vanguard Eliminator - Wargear: Mark X Phobos Power Armour (Modified)Bolt PistolMark III Shrike Pattern Bolt Sniper RifleFrag GrenadesKrak GrenadesCamo CloakInstigator Bolt Carbine (As replacement for Bolt Sniper Rifle for Eliminator Sergeant only)Las Fusil (As replacement for Bolt Sniper Rifle) |
Vanguard Infiltrator - Vanguard Infiltrator: A Vanguard Infiltrator is a type of Vanguard Space Marine who is usually part of an Infiltrator Squad. Vanguard Infiltrators are Primaris Space Marines who are responsible for disrupting enemy communications and sabotaging targets of opportunity.Infiltrator Squads are considered battleline squads. The most numerous and strategically versatile warriors in a Codex Astartes-compliant Chapter form battleline squads.They are flexible enough to press home an attack, or hold a position with withering firepower. Whatever the strategic challenge, battleline squads are usually equal to the task. |
Vanguard Infiltrator - Role: Clad in Mark X Phobos Power Armour, the first the enemy sees of Infiltrators is a cascade of choking smog as they hurl a barrage of Smoke Grenades, masking their advance. As the foe peers into the swirling cloud, the Space Marines bring their targets down with disciplined bursts of fire, the augur-scopes of their marksman Bolt Carbines lighting each victim up for the kill.Aside from their weaponry, the most important tool at the Infiltrators' disposal is the Omni-Scrambler. This portable, back-mounted device intercepts wave signals across a broad spectrum, scrambling frequencies and diverting holo-broadcasts to ensure that enemy communiques never reach their intended recipients.Infiltrators are drilled in self-sufficiency and survival techniques, and some squads have their own medicae specialists to perform the sacred duty of recovering the gene-seed of fallen brothers.Known as Helix Adepts, these warriors receive additional training from the Apothecarion, and stand ready to ascend to the rank of full Primaris Apothecary should a tragic loss occur.Meanwhile, they practise their craft in the Vanguard formations, utilising the Helix Gauntlet -- a scaled-down version of an Apothecary's Narthecium tool -- to carry out their duties. |
Vanguard Infiltrator - Unit Composition: 5-9 Infiltrators1 Helix Adept (As replacement for 1 Infiltrator)1 Infiltrator Sergeant |
Vanguard Infiltrator - Wargear: Mark X Phobos Power ArmourBolt PistolMarksman Bolt CarbineFrag GrenadesKrak GrenadesSmoke GrenadesOmni-Scrambler |
Vanguard Infiltrator - Sources: Codex: Space Marines (8th Edition) (Revised Codex), pp. 69, 122Codex: Vanguard Space Marines (8th Edition), pp. 6, 8-9Warhammer Community - Shadowspear Vanguard Units |
Vanguard Librarian - Vanguard Librarian: A Vanguard Librarian is a Primaris Librarian chosen for Vanguard Space Marine service. Vanguard Librarians have mastered unique battle-disciplines that focus on obscuring the passage of their comrades and wrong-footing the opponent with illusions and hallucinations.Shaping psychic energy about themselves like a cloak of shadow, these psykers guide their Battle-Brothers through enemy territory to their destination without raising so much as a flicker of suspicion from watchful foes.They are cowled in hooded Cameleoline Cloaks to keep their identity -- and the formidable psychic potential at their disposal -- concealed from prying eyes. |
Vanguard Librarian - Obscuration Discipline: Vanguard Librarians are trained in the psychic arts of obscuration and illusion. They weave impenetrable cloaks of Warp energy around their Battle-Brothers, conjure haunting visions to distract and terrify their foes, and ease the Vanguard formations' passage through enemy territory. The Obscuration Discipline is available to Vanguard Librarians in addition to whatever other disciplines they may have learned within their Chapter.Shrouding - The psyker uses his mastery of the Warp to fog the minds of his enemies, clouding their senses so that his allies appear as nothing more than indistinct shadows.Soul Sight - The psyker shares his Warp-sight with his brethren, causing their eyes to glow with an ethereal light. So empowered, no foe can escape their omniscient gaze; the souls of their targets flare like flaming beacons in the dark.Mind Raid - The psyker peers into the mind of the foe, raiding their thoughts for secret codes, battleplans, the location of hidden forces and any other tactical information that might be useful. Such brute psychic interrogation doubtless inflicts severe cerebral trauma on its victim.Hallucination - The psyker instils terror and panic within his foes by conjuring images out of their memories -- from past allies seemingly returned from the dead, to apparitions wrought from nightmares.Tenebrous Curse - As the psyker twists his hand, a psychic bolt lances through the minds of his enemies. As they reel from the assault, their own shadows seemingly come to life, pulling their casters to the ground with frenzied determination.Temporal Corridor - The psyker creates an invisible corridor in which the passage of time is altered, allowing his allies to traverse the battlefield with supernatural swiftness. |
Vanguard Librarian - Wargear: Mark X Phobos Power ArmourPsychic HoodBolt PistolForce SwordFrag GrenadesKrak GrenadesCamo Cloak |
Vanguard Lieutenant - Vanguard Lieutenant: A Vanguard Lieutenant is a Primaris Space Marine Lieutenant who leads a formation of Vanguard Space Marines. Primaris Lieutenants of the Vanguard formations provide support and tactical flexibility for their Captain.Often, when a strike team is engaged in a complex, multi-faceted operation, a Lieutenant will be assigned to oversee one or more critical aspects. In addition to their leadership qualities, Lieutenants are skilled bladesmen with Combat Knives and dead-eye shots with their Occulus Bolt Carbines. |
Vanguard Lieutenant - Wargear: Mark X Phobos Power ArmourBolt PistolMaster-Crafted Occulus Bolt CarbinePaired Combat BladesFrag GrenadesKrak GrenadesGrav-Chute |
Vanguard Space Marine - Vanguard Space Marine: A Vanguard Space Marine is a Primaris Space Marine who serves as a covert operator. These Primaris Astartes are ruthless killers, trained to operate behind enemy lines as saboteurs, assassins and infiltrators.Vanguard Space Marines are not a single unit, but several different types of squads who perform different tactical roles for an overall Vanguard force.The entire Vanguard Marine force of a Codex Astartes-compliant Space Marine Chapter is normally contained within the 10th Company and is commanded by the captain who bears the title of Master of Reconnaissance.All Primaris Space Marines are trained in the tactics of Vanguard Space Marines. Additionally, all Space Marines are fully trained in the use of the Vanguard variants of Mark X Power Armour and weapons during their time in their Chapter's Scout Company.The primary squads found among the Vanguard Space Marines include Vanguard Infiltrators, Vanguard Suppressors and Vanguard Eliminators. |
Vanguard Space Marine - History: First deployed en masse during the Indomitus Crusade after the formation of the Great Rift, Vanguard strike forces proved fearsomely effective at their tasks of reconnaissance-in-force, infiltration and sabotage. As Primarch Roboute Guilliman's forces pushed ever further into Chaos-infested space, the Vanguard Space Marines fought ahead of the advance, dismantling the foe's ability to resist the Imperial war machine.The Khornate warlord Ul Ghresk fell victim to a volley of precision bolt rounds at the Battle of Eight Pillars, sending his Fleshreavers into a self-destructive frenzy. The corrupted spaceports at Braxar Tertia were destroyed when a series of detonations broke apart their grav-locked moorings, causing the entire structure to smash down upon a Chaos mustering ground.Upon the Heretic-held Forge World of Drianturn, the Chaos Titan Degradator was drowned in burning promethium when a series of sump dams mysteriously malfunctioned. Across contested space, countless similar acts of covert destruction were carried out with peerless skill.Such was the disorder caused by these strikes that several internecine conflicts were ignited between rival Chaos factions who blamed one another for the baffling attacks that were crippling their forces. Terror and confusion, two of the greatest weapons of the Dark Gods' followers, were now being employed against them, and the results were devastatingly effective.As the Indomitus Crusade delved deeper into enemy territory and was struck by multiple Chaos counter-assaults, the Vanguard Space Marines seamlessly fell back to support their Battle-Brothers, launching flanking assaults and withering the foe's forward units with unrelenting sniper fire.Finally, the enemy came face-to-face with the hidden menace that had haunted them for so many solar months. Reiver Squads burst from the shadows, Vox-augmented masks howling blood-curdling battle cries as they fell upon the foe with Heavy Bolt Pistols and Combat Knives. Eliminators stalked the shadows, every shot from their silenced Bolt Sniper Rifles a kill.Vanguard Space Marines proved no less devastating when fighting in concert with battle line troops than they had been while carrying out aggressive reconnaissance actions.Indeed, so impressed was Guilliman with the performance of his Vanguard formations that he made a number of amendments to the Codex Astartes -- his legendary thesis on warfare -- in order to better accommodate them into the Space Marines' overall tactical doctrine.In the years since, Vanguard Space Marines have continued to perform a vital role in the defence of the Imperium. With violent Warp Storms covering almost half the known galaxy in a veil of darkness and fear, dedicated reconnaissance forces have proven vital for the Adeptus Astartes.Vanguard strike forces delve into the deadliest reaches of space, clearing the path for crusades of reconquest and retribution, harrying the forces of the Dark Gods wherever they are found. |
Vanguard Space Marine - Role: Elite killers, saboteurs and terror troops who spread fear and ruin throughout the enemy's domain -- these are the Vanguard Space Marines, the first into battle and the last sight their enemies will ever see.Precision and ruthless efficiency are the watchwords of the Vanguard Space Marines, and the silence of death is all that they leave in their wake. Performing duties ahead of the main battle line, these forward operatives sow discord and panic throughout the enemy force.Key personnel are assassinated in sudden, devastatingly accurate salvoes of Bolter fire, communications outposts obliterated with macro-explosive charges. As the enemy reels, the Vanguard Space Marines slip away into the shadows, already seeking their next kill.Vanguard Space Marines are reconnaissance and infiltration experts, equipped to operate alone in enemy territory for extended periods of time, and intensively trained in shadow warfare tactics and sabotage techniques. Vanguard strike forces are tasked with achieving full spectrum superiority over the enemy.Every facet of the opposition's war machine must be dismantled, from supply routes and infrastructure to communications and logistics. Morale must be utterly sapped through non- stop harassment by terror troops and precision sabotage.The ultimate goal of this relentless campaign is to leave the foe crippled and helpless before the advance of the main Space Marine battle line. Should they need to engage the enemy head-on, however, Vanguard formations are perfectly capable of doing so -- they are warriors of the Adeptus Astartes after all, armed and equipped with some of the deadliest wargear available to the Imperium.No matter their current squad role, all Primaris Space Marines are trained and indoctrinated in Vanguard tactics, able to don patterns of Mark X Power Armour unique to the reconnaissance detachments as and when they are called upon. In addition, during their time in a Chapter's Scout Company, all Space Marines are fully trained in the use of Vanguard armour variants and associated wargear, in preparation for potential deployment behind enemy lines.Battle-Brothers from a Chapter's Reserve Companies may be temporarily seconded to the foremost Battle Companies as Vanguard Space Marines, taking on the colours and markings of their new company for the duration of their service.In accordance with those recent amendments to the Codex Astartes, the 10th Company of each Chapter should maintain a permanent complement of one hundred Vanguard Space Marines under the command of a Captain -- known as the Master of Reconnaissance -- and supported by two Lieutenants well-versed in reconnaissance-in-force and other special forces missions.This standing force consists of hard-bitten Veterans who have displayed particular aptitude for forward reconnaissance-in-force warfare over the course of countless operations. It is their responsibility to ensure that when the Chapter enters battle it does so equipped with all relevant strategic data gathered from their covertscouting missions.Even with this duty complete, the Vanguard Space Marines must stand ready at all time to reinforce or supplement the Battle Companies. Even those Chapters who are not Codex compliant and possess no dedicated Scout Company -- such as the Space Wolves or the Black Templars -- ensure that there is always a standing formation of Vanguard Battle-Brothers ready to carry out covert missions. |
Vanguard Space Marine - Mark X Phobos and Omnis Armour: The Mark X Power Armour worn by Primaris Marines is a marvel in design -- a modular, adaptable system of ceramite plating that can be adjusted for multiple tactical roles, from the Phobos Pattern designed for scouting and reconnaissance and used by Vanguard Marines all the way up to the heavy Gravis Pattern variant worn by Aggressor Squads. However, the Phobos Pattern eschews a certain amount of ablative covering in favour of agility and speed.Regardless of its pattern, Mark X Power Armour is designed to attach to a special undersuit worn by each Primaris Marine, enabling it to be fitted in different configurations according to need.Amongst the Vanguard formations, there is no standard power armour style, though Mark X Phobos Power Armour patterns are most common due to the nature of their combat doctrine. However, each squad bears its own unique composition, tailored to its particular need. The Phobos armour adopted by Vanguard Infiltrators and Reivers, in particular, is this lighter variation of the standard Mark X pattern that offers increased manoeuvrability and quieter, almost silent movement because of lighter armour plating and servo-motors that run almost completely silent.Eliminator Squads utilise an even more stripped down version of the same Phobos armour pattern, allowing them to operate with maximum stealth as they stalk their prey.On the other end of the scale are the Suppressor Squads, fire support warriors clad in Mark X Omnis Power Armour -- a fourth variant of the Mark X that is a blend of the heavier Gravis configuration and the lighter Mark X Phobos versions favoured by other Vanguard Space Marine units. |
Vanguard Space Marine - Vanguard Space Marine Units: Vanguard Infiltrators - Vanguard Infiltrators are battleline squad units responsible for disrupting enemy communications and sabotaging targets of opportunity. Their back-mounted Omni-Scramblers intercept signals across a broad spectrum, scrambling frequencies and shutting down enemy communications. When the time comes for the Infiltrators to fight directly, they emerge from their hiding places under cover of Smoke Grenades and cut down their foes with disciplined volleys from their marksman Bolt Carbines.Vanguard Suppressors - Vanguard Suppressors are fire support units that specialise in rapid responses to heavily armoured enemy threats, entering battle either by dropping directly into the action via Grav-Chutes or in long, bounding leaps with the built-in Jump Packs of their Mark X Omnis Power Armour. As soon as a target is sighted, the Suppressors engage their shock-absorbing servo plates and let fly with their Accelerator Autocannons. The brutal ferocity of the foot-long, armour-piercing shells they unleash will blast apart anyone caught in their path and force even the most stoic enemies to seek shelter from the murderous firestorm.Vanguard Eliminators - Dedicated marksmen, these fire support warriors haunt the shadows of the battlefield, seeking out high-value targets and bringing them down with pinpoint volleys. The optical sights of their Bolt Sniper Rifles can be tailored for any situation, from thermoscopic vision to precision auspex scans that can penetrate several metres through solid matter. Each member of a Vanguard Eliminator Squad carries spare magazines filled with special issue ammunition for every tactical eventuality and variety of target.Vanguard Helix Adept - A Helix Adept is a medicae specialist who accompanies squads of Vanguard Marines. Due to the sheer length of time Vanguard Space Marines typically spend behind enemy lines, it was found effective for them to utilize a specialised corps of medical adepts permanently assigned to their formations. Known as Helix Adepts, these warriors are trained by the Chapter's Apothecarion but are not fully-fledged Primaris Apothecaries.Vanguard Lieutenant - Primaris Lieutenants of the Vanguard formations provide support and tactical flexibility for their captain. Often, when a strike team is engaged in a complex, multi-faceted operation, a Lieutenant will be assigned to oversee one or more critical aspects. In addition to their leadership qualities, Lieutenants are skilled bladesmen and dead-eye shots with their Occulus Bolt Carbines.Vanguard Captain - Some Primaris Space Marine captains, including the 10th Company officer who serves as both the Master of Recruits and the Master of Reconnaissance in Codex Astartes-compliant Chapters, wear Mark X Phobos Power Armour and use Vanguard weapons such as the Instigator Bolt Carbine.Vanguard Librarian - Librarians chosen for Vanguard service have mastered unique battle-disciplines that focus on obscuring the passage of their comrades and wrong-footing the opponent with illusions and hallucinations. Shaping psychic energy about themselves like a cloak of shadow, these psykers guide their Battle-Brothers through enemy territory to their destination without raising so much as a flicker of suspicion from watchful foes. They are cowled in hooded Cameleoline Cloaks to keep their identity -- and the formidable psychic potential at their disposal -- concealed from prying eyes.Impulsor - The Impulsor is an anti-gravitic armoured personnel carrier often used by Vanguard Space Marine units.Invictor Tactical Warsuit - The Invictor is a lightly armoured combat walker often found fighting alongside Vanguard Space Marines on reconnaissance missions. It is designed with sound-dampening materials, enabling the warsuit to move at great speed with minimal noise output in support of the pilot's Vanguard brethren. |
Vanguard Space Marine - Sources: Codex: Space Marines (8th Edition) (Revised Codex), pp. 16-17, 81, 87-88Codex: Vanguard Space Marines (8th Edition), pp. 2-8Warhammer Community - Shadowspear Vanguard Units |
Vanguard Suppressor - Vanguard Suppressor: A Vanguard Suppressor is a type of fire support Vanguard Space Marine and usually a member of a Suppressor Squad.Vanguard Suppressors are Primaris Space Marines who specialise in rapid responses to heavily armoured enemy threats, entering battle either by dropping directly into the action via Grav-Chutes or in long leaps using their Jump Packs.As soon as a target is sighted, the Suppressors engage their shock-absorbing servo plates and let fly with their portable Accelerator Autocannons.The brutal ferocity of the foot-long, armour-piercing shells they unleash will blast apart anyone caught in their path and force even the most stoic enemies to seek shelter from the murderous firestorm. |
Vanguard Suppressor - Role: Suppressors specialise in rapid response to heavily armoured enemy threats. They go to battle clad in Mark X Omnis Power Armour, which is created by blending elements of the heavier Gravis Pattern and the lighter Phobos Pattern over the standard Mark X armour exoskeleton. The result is a comparatively lightweight but extremely durable suit of power armour that can easily tolerate the extreme stresses of grav-drops, jump insertion operations and the thunderous recoil of portable heavy weaponry. This is well, as the role of the Suppressors requires all three of these things.Suppressor Squads enter battle either by dropping directly into the action on the whispering vanes of their Grav-Chutes, or else in long, bounding leaps with their jump packs roaring. In either case, their duty is to rapidly and aggressively occupy dominant firing positions and then watch for developing threats to the Space Marines' advance.Once a target is in range, the Suppressors engage their shock-absorbing servo-plates and open fire with their powerful, man-portable version of the Accelerator Autocannon.Though lightweight enough to be borne across the battlefield in powered leaps and even fired mid-jump by more experienced Suppressors, these potent weapons hammer foot-long, armour-piercing shells into the enemy at a ferocious rate.Enemy infantry are forced to dive for cover, their advance grinding to a halt lest they be blasted limb-from-limb. Even armoured fighting vehicles are swiftly wrecked as the concentrated hail of shots blows out motive systems, fills crew compartments with lethal spall and touches off fuel and ammunition in catastrophic detonations.By the time the bodies and wreckage hit the ground the Suppressors are already gone, leaping away on blazing rocket-trails to take up their next firing position and slaughter the foe anew. |
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