Forget what you know of darker names and infamous reputations, men who should never have lived, with names such as Erebus or Typhon, have died in the darkness to which they belong, and those who should never have died, such as Temeter or Tarvitz, live now in the Emperor’s light where they were always meant to reside.
Helmed by Terran veterans, the Legions have pushed out into the cosmos, loyal and stalwart. Planets that may have harboured dark import such as Cthonia, Colchis, Barbarus, or Nostramo, have instead been pacified and faded into obscurity, whereas others, such as Baal, Caliban, Macragge, or Fenris have gained the renown they always deserved, albeit on their own merits.
As to the Legions, they recruit far and wide from what they consider to be the best of humanity suited to making war in its name. However, they are all united in upholding the ideals of service to the Emperor and his vision of humanity’s ascendance. Whilst a multitude of temperaments abound it is true, there is no place for the schemer or the glory-hound.
Likewise, where once there may have been bitter rivalries, there is now competitive camaraderie and mutual respect. If any such tension exists it is between those Legions who have earned their names and the so-called ‘Unnamed’ who have yet to find them. However, if you seek to find hidden jealousies in this you will be sorely disappointed, as all you will discover are the aspirations of energetic younger brothers looking to the example set by indomitable older siblings.
I | The Uncrowned Princes | Organised into Hosts, they are credited with setting the template for the other Legions. In this way they are the crucible in which all the cultures of Old Night have been combined with the Emperor’s genetic prowess to create a new and formidable strain of warrior. |
II | -Redacted- | What little information can be gleaned from the secured annals of the early Crusade hints at a terrible fate awaiting two Legions, both alike in dignity, during the Rangdan Xenocides. |
III | The Emperor’s Children | Credited with saving the life of the Emperor, and bearing the Palatine Aquila as their reward, they are famed for leading armies of the Emperor’s lesser troops to victory and setting an example of perfection for others to follow. |
IV | The Fourth Legion | Renowned for their tenacious nature and expertise in siege warfare, they often work closely with the VIIth Legion as their diametric opposites, one unmaking, the other remaking. |
V | The Star Hunters | Pioneers and pathfinders, they often range ahead of the Emperor’s crusade fleets, running worthy foes to ground and marking them for extermination. Headstrong and often heeding none but the Emperor’s voice. |
VI | The Rout | Brutal shock-assault troops, with a reputation as the Emperor’s agents of fear and retribution. Loyal executioners all, they are rightly feared as the final sanction against wayward foes. |
VII | The Seventh Legion | Known for the strength and artifice of their fortifications, they are the pre-eminent defensive builders of the Emperor’s Legions, often working closely with the IVth Legion to bring low and then rebuild. |
VIII | The Eighth Legion | Drawn from amongst the Empire’s myriad prison populations, and given new purpose by the Emperor, they are deliverers of justice and censure. Do not let their origins fool you, their loyalty is absolute. |
IX | The Ninth Legion | The Emperor’s inferno, ravaging and annihilating any foe they are unleashed upon. They often serve as vanguards, waging grand battles and leading audacious raids focusing on murderous close-combat against the most twisted of humanity’s foes, they themselves the pinnacle of the Emperor’s genecraft. |
X | The Storm Walkers | Highly effective against the Xenos and the Mutant, they have become legendary for their efficiency in utilising slow-moving mass firepower to overcome any foe, with a marked affinity for the machines of war. |
XI | -Redacted- | What little information can be gleaned from the secured annals of the early Crusade hints at a terrible fate awaiting two Legions, both alike in dignity, during the Rangdan Xenocides. |
XII | The War Hounds | Often held in reserve in case sudden mishap in Imperial campaigns results in the need for swift reinforcement. They are known for their savage and tenacious demeanour, as well as being the Emperor’s final answer to the spark of rebellion. |
XIII | The War-Born | Recruited from interned refugees and orphaned populations left by savage conflicts against those who bitterly and violently resisted the Imperial Truth, they are renowned for their tenacity and loyalty. |
XIV | The Dusk Raiders | Operating in the role of heavy infantry, they are experts at survival, endurance, and stubborn defence. Known for conducting major ground attacks at twilight when the shift of light confuses an enemy’s watch. |
XV | The Thousand Sons | Famed for their student-aspirants and rumoured to be part of the Emperor’s vision of a glorious future of human ascendance, where psychic potential is tamed to Humanity’s will. |
XVII | The Luna Wolves | Exemplary shock troops, used successfully to both quickly start and finish fights, either as the initial spear tip at the beginning of a campaign, or as the killing blow at the end of one. They are known for their advisory council, the Mournival, which has served the Legion for some 200 years. |
XVIII | The Imperial Heralds | Voice of the Emperor’s ultimatum to non-compliant human realms, delivered by a lone herald in black armour with a skull-faced helmet and a winged mace. Upon defeating such an enemy, condemned works, individuals, and buildings are destroyed by the Heralds in the name of the Imperial Truth. |
XIX | The Dragon Warriors | Deployed when victory must be achieved against impossible odds or battle lines held to the last man. Untold billions endure because the Dragon Warriors’ heroism allowed them to escape the all-consuming fires of war. |
XX | The Ghost Legion | Specialists in assassinations, subterfuge, espionage, sabotage, and the recovery of unknown artifacts. They also abduct important individuals from anti-Imperial groups. Known to bleed enemy forces through black operations and subterfuge before striking from a hundred directions in a mass lightning attack known as ‘The Harrowing’. Sworn enemies of the Cabal. |