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Macharian Crusade

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The Macharian Crusade was a seven year campaign led by Lord Commander Solar Macharius between 40392 and 40399. It took place on the far western edge of the galaxy, within the Segmentum Pacificus and leading into the Halo Worlds. The campaign successfully conquered one thousand worlds.

It all began on Macharia, now a Shrine World. Here Macharius rallied his troops before boarding the waiting transports in orbit above the planet. Then they set off to conquer planets right out to the galactic rim, and even beyond the reach of the Astronomican.

On their conquests, they encountered many races and armies including the Chaos Space Marines and a highly advanced civilization on the planet Adrantis Five. Each of them was systematically wiped out or brought under the dominion of the Imperium, and this control, so violently applied then, is still as strong today.

Macharius was not the only great leader. His trusted second in command, General Sejanus, was always found at the side of Macharius. He was the one to end the crusade, telling Macharius that the crusade could go no further, that the men would not follow him further from their homes. They simply refused to enter the Halo Zone.

Crusade logistics

The crusade forces were broken down into 7 Army Groups which spread out like a maw around the systems Macharius conquered. Each of these were:

First Army Group 
Lord Commander Solar Macharius
Second Army Group 
General Sejanus
Third Army Group 
General Tarka
Fourth Army Group 
General Lysander
Fifth Army Group 
General Crassus
Sixth Army Group 
General Arrian
Seventh Army Group 
General Cyrus

Some of the more famous planets conquered are listed below with the respective armies which conquered it:

First Army Group 
Kallastin
Second Army Group 
Ultima Macharia
Third Army Group 
Adrantis Five
Fourth Army Group 
Jakart
Fifth Army Group 
Unknown
Sixth Army Group 
Thoth
Seventh Army Group 
Jucha

Certainly this was one of the greatest actions since the Great Crusade thousands of years before. It included many Imperial Guard Regiments, primarily Catachan Jungle Fighters and members of the Tallarn Desert Raiders and Mordian Iron Guard.

There were two flagships during the campaign. First the Mars Class Battle Cruiser Pax Imperium, but when that was heavily damaged at the Battle of Charaxdis, Macharius was convinced to move his flagship to the Emperor Class Battleship Lord of Light. Macharius always preferred speed and agility over heavy armour and guns, but his generals would not let him move off the heavier ship. On Macharius' death, the Lord of Light was decommissioned and placed in orbit above Macharia as a tribute in his honour.

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