Welcome to Warhammer 40k - Lexicanum! Log in and join the community.

Space Marine Quotes

From Warhammer 40k - Lexicanum
(Redirected from Quotes Space Marines)
Jump to: navigation, search
A Space Marine[1]

Honor those brave and noble Adeptus Astartes who sacrifice their lives for the Emperor of Mankind. Read quotes from famous Space Marines on this page and ponder the grimdark Imperium of Mankind and the sacrifices it requires.

Attributed

Imperial Tomes and Chapter Mottos

Tome Quote Source
Ritual and Responses, Tome of Truths Foretold, Legiones Astartes, Library Copy

Without the Dark, there can be no Light,
We have purpose
Without the Lie, there can be no Truth,
We have purpose
Without the War, there can be no Victory,
We have purpose
Without the Death, there can be no sacrifice,
We have purpose
Without the Hope there can be no Future,
We have purpose
Without the Loyalty there can be no one chapter,
We have purpose
Without the Emperor, there is nothing,...
And we would have no purpose

Book of the Astronomican,
pg. 71
Adeptus Astartes, The Book of Faith At battle's end, speak the Liturgy in a clear voice. Respect the bravery of the living. Give the Rite of Passage to the fallen. Honour the battle gear of the dead. To do all this with reverence, even when exhausted by battle and weary from the field, is the duty of a Chaplain. It is his burden and satisfaction. Warhammer 40,000 Compendium,
pg. 25
Medic Credo Do not fail your Brothers. Though their bodies die, their spirit must return to the Chapter. That is your charge. Warhammer 40,000 Compendium,
pg. 28
Litany of Devotion

Where there is uncertainty, I shall bring light
Where there is doubt, I shall sow faith
Where there is shame, I shall point atonement
Where there is rage, I shall show its course
My word in the soul shall be as my bolter in the field.

Accursed Eternity (Novella) - Architect of Fate (Anthology), ch. 7, pgs. 100-101
Meditations upon the Fang The Space Wolves revere the Emperor as the greatest warrior of all time, the only being to have ever bested Leman Russ in hand-to-hand combat. When Space Wolves call upon Russ or the Emperor in battle, it is to witness the deeds of men and to judge the fallen. Codex: Space Wolves (5th Edition),
pg. 27
Statement of fact, Second Book of Chantings There is only the Emperor, and he is our Shield and Protector. Warhammer 40,000 Chapter Approved - The Book of the Astronomican,
pg. 78
Inscription upon the Arcus Daemonica, attributed to the Emperor of Mankind One unbreakable shield against the coming darkness

One last blade, forged in defiance of fate
Let them be my legacy to the galaxy I conquered
And my final gift to the species I failed

The Emperor's Gift (Novel),
Prologue,
pg. 13

A

Speaker Quote Source
Abrahim Kobal,
Techmarine of the Salamanders
Nothing survives its touch, nothing escapes its grasp. It is a weapon of unspeakable power and unmatched devastation – a horror from a bygone age.
- about Vortex Grenades
Strategy Cards for Planetary Empires expansion game, card "Vortex Grenade - Minor Stratagem", (saved archive page, dated February 2011, last accessed 5 October 2015)
Librarian Isador Akios of the Blood Ravens Blessed is the mind too small for doubt. Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War
Through the destruction of our enemies do we earn our salvation! Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War
Justicar Alaric of the Grey Knights We do not know what our chances of survival are, so we fight as if they were zero. We do not know what we are facing, so we fight as if it was the dark gods themselves. No one will remember us now and we may never be buried beneath Titan, so we will build our own memorial here. The Chapter might lose us and the Imperium might never know we existed, but the Enemy - the Enemy will know. The Enemy will remember. We will hurt it so badly that it will never forget us until the stars burn out and the Emperor vanquishes it at the end of time. When Chaos is dying, its last thought will be of us. That is our memorial - carved into the heart of Chaos. We cannot lose, Grey Knights. We have already won. Grey Knights (Novel), ch. Twenty
You had to use the whole Trail. Saint Evisser, the cardinals, every single citizen, you had to move them all into position to beat us. Remember that. You put your plan in motion before the Trail even existed, because you knew it would take nothing less. We made you work, daemon. You feared us so much you had to move star systems to make us dance to your tune.
Ancient Tahncred At Lastrati we gathered every Whirlwind in the Crusade and massed them at the gates of Sogoth. At my order, the entire formation opened fire and the night sky blazed as bright as day. Moments later the city was aflame,its defences shattered and its defenders broken. Inly then did Iorder the Assault squads to attack, and then the battle was truly joined. Imperial Armour Volume Two - Second Edition: War Machines of the Adeptus Astartes,
pg. 82
Androcles,
Captain of the Star Phantoms
The lives of millions, and the honour of our Chapter, hang in the balance brothers. Failure is not an option. Strategy Cards for Planetary Empires expansion game, card Vital Mission - Minor Stratagem", (saved archive page, dated February 2011, last accessed 6 October 2015)
Captain Gabriel Angelos,
Blood Ravens
While the enemies of the Emperor still draw breath, there can be no peace. Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War
Chaplain Hauis Argento,
Crimson Fists 2nd Company
If your life is given in service to the Emperor, your death shall not be in vain. Codex: Space Marines (5th Edition),
pg. 58
Commander Argentius,
Silver Skulls
Victory does not always rest with the big guns: but, if we rest in front of them we shall be lost. Codex: Space Marines (5th Edition),
pg. 79
Chaplain-Dreadnought Armand Titus,
Howling Griffons
Here we stand and here shall we die, unbroken and unbowed, though the very hand of death itself come for us, we will spit our defiance to the end!
- The Last Stand on Khymara Ellipsis
Imperial Armour Volume Nine - The Badab War - Part One,
pg. 124
Arn Ironjaw, Wolf Guard Street by street and block by block we’ll sweep them out. There are snipers on the rooftops and the underpass is heavily mined. It’s going to be dangerous, it’s going to be fun.
- at the conquest of Carste
Strategy Cards for Planetary Empires expansion game, card "Cityfight - Major Stratagem", (saved archive page, dated February 2011, last accessed 7 October 2015)
Artor Amhrad,
Chapter Master of the Astral Knights (deceased)
Victory often rests on the correct weaponry being in the right place and at the right time. Even the most destructive weapons of war are worthless if absent from the battle. Codex: Space Marines (5th Edition),
pg. 74
High Chaplain Astorath of the Blood Angels Treat them with honour, my Brothers. Not because they will bring us victory this day, but because their fate will one day be ours.
- on the Death Company
Codex: Blood Angels (5th Edition),
pg. 44
Blood Ravens Devastator Sergeant Avitus Come you aliens, show me what passes for fury amongst your misbegotten kind! Dawn of War 2
We are the Emperor's angels of death, not his angels of mercy. Dawn of War 2
Don't fool yourselves. War is all we are! Killing is all we are good for! The rest is delusion. Dawn of War 2
We are weapons. There is the Emperor, and there is war. Nothing more. Dawn of War 2

B

Speaker Quote Source
Barabel, Praetors of Orpheus Techmarine Offer the incantation of activation, speak forth the litany of retribution and deliver unto the enemy the wrath of the Omnissiah. Strategy Cards for Planetary Empires expansion game, card Special Ammunition - Minor Stratagem", (saved archive page, dated February 2011, last accessed 6 October 2015)
Grand Master Belial of the Dark Angels Fenris breeds heroes like a bar breeds drunks - loud, proud and spoiling for a fight. Codex: Space Wolves (5th Edition),
pg. 21
Bjorn the Fell-Handed,
Venerable Dreadnought of the Space Wolves
I was on Prospero, brothers. I was there when we burned their heresy from the galaxy. I saw Leman Russ lay waste to their cherished places. I saw Traitors weep from corrupted eyes as we turned their pyramids of glass into barren wasteland. That will not happen here. They were made weak by the knowledge of their treachery. We are made strong by the knowledge of our fidelity. Where Tizca fell, the Aett will stand. Though it may cost the lives of us all, the Aett will stand.
- during the Battle of the Fang
Battle of the Fang (Novel), ch. Fourteen, pg. 304
God-Emperor? Calling him a god was how all this mess started. The Emperor's Gift (Novel),
ch. Twenty-Five, pg. 290
Ragnar Blackmane, Wolf Lord of the Space Wolves We may be few, and our enemies many. Yet so long as there remains one of us still fighting, one who still rages in the name of justice and truth, then by the Allfather, the galaxy shall yet know hope. Codex: Space Wolves (5th Edition),
pg. 95
Blood Ravens Librarian saying An open mind is like a fortress with its gates unbarred and unguarded. Dawn of War
Captain Eddan Bourne, Silver Skulls No. 2 Assault Company Show me a fortress and I'll show you a ruin. Warhammer Siege,
pg. 105

C

Speaker Quote Source
Marneus Calgar, Chapter Master of the Ultramarines We pray for our brethren who pilot the Dreadnoughts. Though they take new form, their souls, and their weapon mounts, remain pure. Warhammer 40,000 Compendium,
pg. 59
Know this, son of Guilliman. The father of our Chapter watches over us always. He knows your soul, your strengths and, aye, even your fears. I share your pain at the loss of Brother-Captain Idaeus, but to dishonour his name with grief is wrong. He gave his life so that his battle-brothers would live and the enemies of the Emperor would be defeated. A warrior can ask for no better death than that. Captain Idaeus was the senior officer, and you were duty bound to follow his orders when they were given. The chain of command must not be broken or we are nothing. Discipline and order are everything on the battlefield and the army that lives by that credo will always triumph.
- to Uriel Ventris, shortly after his promotion to captaincy of the 4th Company
Nightbringer (Novel) - Ultramarines: The Omnibus,
ch. 2, pg. 47
We follow in the footsteps of Guilliman. As it is written in the Codex, so shall it be. Codex: Space Marines (5th Edition),
pg. 16
You all heard Varro's words. The daemon is vulnerable, exposed, and we have one chance to end this. Right here and right now, the fate of Ultramar is in our hands. You are the best and bravest of your Chapter, and though we may die in these mountains, we will die in service to something greater than blood, something greater than land. We fight for what we know is right. I will lead you in that fight, and all I ask is that you fight like the heroes you are!
- rallying the survivors of the Ultramarines 1st Company on Talassar, for a final charge against the Daemon Prince M'kar
The Chapter's Due (Novel),
ch. 23, pg. 307
For Ultramar! CHARGE!
- on Talassar
The Chapter's Due (Novel),
ch. 23, pg. 308
Chaplain Carnak, Imperial Fists 3rd Company Everything has a purpose, Proteus. So the Emperor ordains. Ultramarines - A Warhammer 40,000 Movie
Chaplain Ortan Cassius, Ultramarines Master of Sanctity The blasphemy of the Tyranids is such that only one solution is acceptable. Extermination. There can only be two sides in a fight - choose carefully, lest you and I find ourselves on different sides. Codex: Space Marines (5th Edition),
pg. 87
We give hope. Ever has it been that the Space Marines are too few to conquer every threat. Yet the truth of our existence and the hope of our intervention steels the hearts of lesser warriors and lends strength to their conviction. They hold out against impossible odds and offer up prayers to the Emperor that the Angels of Death will come. They fight harder, knowing that if they do so we might intervene. Mankind believes our Emperor to be a god, and that is both foolish and blind. Yet they also believe the Adeptus Astartes to be the instrument of His will, and that is not so ignorant. I cannot say whether the Emperor answers prayers thrown up in desperation, but I do know that the Ultramarines reply to calls for aid if it is possible. To not answer that cry for help threatens to shatter something far more precious than ore worlds and hive factories: faith in the Space Marines. Catechism of Hate (Novella),
ch. One
What is it to be a Space Marine?

- It is to be death!
What is it to be death?
- It is to be the destroyer, the end of all things.
What is it to end life?
- It is an honour, to be the executioners of the Emperor.
Why do we fight?
- To protect the Imperium and deliver mankind from the evil of the xenos, the mutant and the heretic!
What is the xenos?
- A blight to be purged!
What is the mutant?
- A cancer to be excised!
What is the heretic?
- A shame to be expunged!
What is the bolter, the flamer, the missile?
- The incarnation of destruction, by which we bring about the death of the Emperor's foes!
What is the armour, the helm and the shield?
- The embodiment of our faith, our determination given form.
Who is the primarch?
- Our father, our guide, our king!
Who is the Chapter Master?
- The primarch's regent, to whom we swore oaths, the voice of the Emperor in the mortal world.
What are our oaths?
- The steel that binds our lives to the Emperor.
What did we swear?
- Our lives are as nought in the vision of the Emperor, save that by them we shall destroy all foes.
What is the fate of all foes?
- To perish in the fire of battle and be cleansed from the galaxy.
Who will prevail against the darkness?
- The Ultramarines!
Who are the swords of the Emperor?
- The Ultramarines!
Who are the sons of Magragge?
- The Ultramarines!
For the Emperor and the primarch! Death! Bring death to our foes!
-The Macragge Catechism of Hate

Catechism of Hate (Novella),
ch. Nine
We must scour them from the stars before they do same to us.
- about the Tyranid menace
Consumption, #039 card of the "The Great Devourer", expansion to Conquest Card Game, Fantasy Flight Games (last accessed 11 July 2015)
Sergeant Antaro Chronus, Ultramarines The roar of engines, the recoil of cannons. That is where the true joy of battle lies. Codex: Space Marines (5th Edition),
pg. 89
Let them hide in their fortress. My crew can use the target practice. Codex: Space Marines (5th Edition),
pg. 80
Chaplain Judd Clausel, Ultramarines 4th Company What is the terror of death? That we die with our work incomplete. What is the joy of life? To die knowing our task is done. I stand alongside warriors of honour, and the warrior who acts out of honour cannot fail. His duty is honour itself. Even a warrior's death--if it is honourable--is a reward and can be no failure, for it has come through duty. Seek honour as you act, and you will know no fear. A fortress is a living thing: the commander its brain, the walls its bones, the sensors its eyes and ears, the troops its blood, their weapons its fists. If one organ fails, the whole dies. And if the whole dies, no single organ can survive alone. And above all, remember this... for a warrior the only crime is cowardice. Defenders of Ultramar (Graphic Novel),
ch. 4
Captain Alessio Cortez, Crimson Fists I haven't lost an arm, brother. It's right over there. Rynn's World (Novel),
Part Three, ch. 8
Exchange between a Servitor and Ultramarines Sergeant Crastor Look to your battle gear and it will protect you.

We guard it with our lives.
As your armour guards your life.
As it has my fallen brethren.
Honour the craft of death.
We serve only the Emperor.
Honour the battle gear of the dead.
We ask only to serve.

Ultramarines - A Warhammer 40,000 Movie
Carab Culln of the Red Scorpions As I bear the colours of my Chapter boldly, so too do these glorious machines. Their flankes caryy our Livery with pride and the scream of their jets proclaims the coming for all our foes to hear. Imperial Armour Volume Two - Second Edition: War Machines of the Adeptus Astartes,
pg. 120
If my Marines are ordered to serve alongside these tainted half-animals, they shall do so. But upon their return they shall be quarantined and purified by every means in our Apothecarion.
– on Ogryns
Warhammer 40,000 Compendium,
pg. 52
They are an effective force in their way, and I do not doubt the Emperor's wisdom in allowing tainted subhuman filth to serve Him. But my men shall not be exposed to the corruption of these beasts.
– on Beastmen
Warhammer 40,000 Compendium,
pg. 150
Camouflage is the colour of fear... I have no need to hide from my foes... I have no fear of death. My colours I wear openly, they proclaim louder than any words, "I am proud to live - I am proud to die". Warhammer 40,000 Compendium,
pg. 84
Brother-Captain Cynewolf of the Deathwatch The ethics of booklearning and scholarship I leave to the savants. But for what it's worth, I would have burned it without a second thought.
– on the Necroteuch affair
Xenos (Novel),
ch. Twenty-One

D

Speaker Quote Source
Dac'tyr, Captain of the Salamanders 4th Company Shields are holding, power at 44%. Let them spend their impotent wrath. Strategy Cards for Planetary Empires expansion game, card Energy Field - Minor Stratagem", (saved archive page, dated February 2011, last accessed 6 October 2015)
Dante, Commander of the Blood Angels Bountiful fate has presented us with the means by which we might repair those wounds upon our souls caused by the weakness of centuries past. It is not only our duty but our right to face the darkness again; to stare into the abyss of the unknown. This time we shall be the cleansing light in the shadow, the burning beacon of righteous war. Restore the honour of the shamed fallen through the death of your foes! White Dwarf September 2016,
Space Hulk - Ductways
For eleven hundred years, I have fought and I have seen the darkness in our galaxy. I have seen the vileness of the alien and the heresy of the mutant. I have witnessed the sin of possession. I have seen all the evil that the galaxy harbours, and I have slain all whose presence defiles the Emperor. I have seen what you will see. I have fought what you must fight, and I have slain what you must slay... so fear not and be proud, for we are the sons of Sanguinius, the protectors of Mankind. Aye, we are indeed the Angels of Death. Codex: Blood Angels (4th Edition),
pg. 6
Reclusiarch Develain of the Black Templars Let the aspirant's first lesson be obedience, for foolishness is bound to his heart. But the Chapter's discipline and the will of the Chaplain shall drive it from him. White Dwarf 313 (UK),
pg. 77
Sergeant D'Kestrel,
Raven Guard 1st Company
We go where we wilt. We slay who we wilt. Let the Emperor judge the righteousness of our deeds. Codex: Space Marines (5th Edition),
pg. 62
Rogal Dorn, Primarch of the Imperial Fists Give me a hundred Space Marines. Or failing that give me a thousand other troops.
- attributed
Codex: Space Marines (4th Edition),
pg. 2 - Introduction
The Emperor has no like, Loken. There are no gods in this hollow universe to keep him company. So he made us, demi-gods, to stand beside him. I have never quite come to terms with my status. Does that surprise you? I see what I am capable of, and what is expected of me, and I shudder. The mere fact of me frightens me sometimes. Horus Rising (Novel),
Part One, ch. 6, pg. 134
Don't be insulted, but there is something very human about you, Loken, for an Astartes. Horus Rising (Novel),
Part One, ch. 6, pg. 136
-If the Warmaster has turned his back on Terra, what are my orders?

Tell him his brother Rogal will have him answer for it.
- to First Captain Sigismund

The Flight of the Eisenstein (Novel),
ch. 14, pg. 348
If there is nobility remaining within Konrad's Legion, then it is hidden deeply beneath too many layers of twisted lusts, deviance, and disobedience. Their ways are foolish, ill-considered and a hindrance to the orderly flow of controlled war. The time is coming when the Night Lords must answer for their behaviour and be brought back into the doctrine of Imperial warfare, lest we lose them to their own deviant hungers. Soul Hunter (Novel),
Part One, ch. 6, pg. 123
There is no enemy. The foe on the battlefield is merely the manifestation of that which we must overcome. He is doubt, and fear, and despair. Every battle is fought within. Conquer the battlefield that lies inside you, and the enemy disappears like the illusion he is.
- attributed
Seventh Retribution (Novel),
K-Day + 11 Days, pg. 158
- No plan survives contact with the enemy.

Then you're not making the right plans.
- attributed, in retort to Lion El'Jonson

I Am Slaughter (Novel),
ch. Six

E

Speaker Quote Source
The Emperor of Mankind They shall be my finest warriors, these men who give of themselves to me. Like clay I shall mould them, and in the furnace of war forge them. They will be of iron will and steely muscle. In great armour shall I clad them and with the mightiest guns will they be armed. They will be untouched by plague or disease, no sickness will blight them. They will have tactics, strategies and machines so that no foe can best them in battle. They are my bulwark against the Terror. They are the Defenders of Humanity. They are my Space Marines and they shall know no fear.
– on the Creation of the Space Marines
The Horus Heresy Book One - Betrayal,
pg. 26

F

Speaker Quote Source
Fafnir Rann, Captain of the Imperial Fists Legion and founder of the Executioners Space Marine Chapter You may cleave to your courage but that will fail you, look to your weapons but you will find them not enough. Run, fight, hide, pray, cry out or cover - it does not matter, for we are come. Imperial Armour Volume Ten - The Badab War - Part Two,
pg. 84
Captain Ferdina, Lord of the Marches of the Tigers Argent We face greenskin invasion rimward, Eldar raiding coreward, rebellion trailing and the tendrils of a Hive Fleet incoming spinward. Situation excellent, attacking on all fronts... Deathwatch: Rites of Battle,
pg. 36

G

Source Quote Notes
Captain Erikon Gaius, Ultramarines 21st Company For Ultramar and for duty,

For past and for future,
For Terra and the Emperor,
No brother falls forgotten.
- Last rites of the Ultramarines

Garro: Oath of Moment (Audio Book),
Track 4: In The Tunnel
Kinsmen, we are being tested. We cannot know what madness has overcome Lorgar, we do not know the fate of our brothers and our primarch. But what we do know is duty. Our duty is to hold this approach to the city, to deny it to the enemy. These were Guilliman's last words to us. Meles gave his life in service of that command, and if called, then so shall we.
- during the Battle of Calth
Garro: Oath of Moment (Audio Book),
Track 4: In The Tunnel
Captain Nathaniel Garro,
Death Guard
My name is Nathaniel Garro, and I am a Legion of One. Garro: Oath of Moment (Audio Book),
Track 3: The Field of Battle
-You court death, Garro, like some ancient Knight-Errant.

-That's as good a title as any, Brother.
- exchange between Tylos Rubio and Garro, after Rubio's Captain demanded Garro's name and rank

Garro: Oath of Moment (Audio Book),
Track 7: Something Approaches
Gerlach, Dreadnought of the Black Templars The Emperor's realm must be cleansed of the taint of the xenos and the heretic. We destroy the former by the sword, we shall destroy the latter through faith and the sword.
- to the warriors of the Donorian Crusade
Saved Archive GW page (dated December 2005, last accessed 13 October 2016)
Gerhart of the Black Templars Yes, I have a damn question... what wars must there be in creation that require warriors like you?
- as Aspirant Raclaw, on his first sight of a Space Marine
Damnation Crusade (Graphic Novel),
ch. One
Sergeant Adar Geronan,
Imperial Fists 4th Company
Raise the flag high. Let those degenerates know who comes to claim their lives this day! Codex: Space Marines (5th Edition),
pg. 55
Chaplain Gonzago Bravery is stronger than Adamantium. One is the stuff of the soul-forges, the other an illusion of safety created by fools. Adamantium walls cannot keep us out! We have the courage of the Emperor! And in the Emperor's name... ATTACK!! ATTACK!! NO PRISONERS!!
– during Operation Carthage (the second pacification of Isstvan V)
Warhammer 40,000 Compendium,
pg. 22,
Warhammer Siege,
pg. 109
Librarian Franz Grenzstein of the Imperial Fists We of the Librarium must be aware of Chaos. Yet we do not ourselves aim to contend with Chaos, unless compelled to. Space Marine (Novel),
ch. Fifteen
Don’t confuse gratitude for a serendipitous event with any cloying compassion towards the author of that event...
True justice is quite simply the will of the Emperor.
The Chaos Power known as Tzeentch conceives plans to alter history schemes which are altogether too devious and far-flung for any human being to hope to comprehend.
Skold Greypelt of the Space Wolves It is the way of Fenris. We stay as long as we can. Fight as hard as we can. Kill as much as we can. Only when we can do no more do we move on.
– on Shadrac
Lone Wolves (Graphic Novel),
pg. 54
You ask a lot of questions, Marlin. You know what I think? I think you need another drink.
– on Shadrac to Sergeant Marlin of the Xth Slavok Regiment
Lone Wolves (Graphic Novel),
pg. 55
Do you ever go into a fight thinking there's no point giving my best, I'll get another chance later? We only ever get one shot, Marlin. Life is one shot. Making it count is all that matters.
– on Shadrac to Sergeant Marlin of the Xth Slavok Regiment
Lone Wolves (Graphic Novel),
pgs. 84-85
Chaplain Grimaldus of the Black Templars, hero of Hive Helsreach Let a wave of repugnance for the enemy wash over you. Let hatred fill you. Hate is good, for our goal is a Human galaxy. We are called by the Emperor with a sacred duty to conquer it in His name.
– at the Sermon of Harnoth
White Dwarf 311 (US),
pg. 25,
Assault on Cephian IV
Logan Grimnar, Great Wolf of the Space Wolves Logan Grimnar, Bloody-Handed Warrior
He piles the skulls of his enemies
He builds a mound of the fallen
His foes weep rivers of blood
Logan Grimnar, strong wolf of the pack
His Sword hungers for red flesh
His guns thirst for battle
He laughs amidst the war-din
Logan Grimnar, father of wolves
His sons haunt his enemies
Slay them where they falter
And bring their pelts to Fenris.

- from The Saga Of The Old Wolf
(excerpt)
Codex: Space Wolves (5th Edition),
pg. 58
Follow me, Sons of Russ! This night our enemies shall feel the fangs of the Wolf!
– during the Assault on Fort Damnation
Codex: Space Wolves (5th Edition),
Back Cover
Primarch Roboute Guilliman of the Ultramarines Whatever the Emperor's will is, be sure it will find you out.
- attributed
Nightbringer (Novel),
ch. Eleven
Let them bestride the galaxy like the gods of old, sheltering Mankind from destruction at the hands of an uncaring universe.
- from the teachings of Guilliman, as laid down in the Apocrypha of Skaros, on the Space Marines
Codex: Space Marines (5th Edition),
pg. 31
It is the great irony of the Legiones Astartes: engineered to kill to achieve a victory of peace that they can then be no part of.
- shortly before the Battle of Calth
Know No Fear (Novel),
Target//Acquisition,
ch. 3, pg. 30
Space Marines excel at warfare because they were designed to excel at everything. Each of you will become a leader, a ruler, the master of your world and, because there is no more fighting to be done, you will bend your transhuman talents to governance and culture.
- shortly before the Battle of Calth
Know No Fear (Novel),
Target//Acquisition,
ch. 3, pg. 30
Never wish for danger. Danger needs no help. There is no such thing as fate that can be tempted, but morale is never improved by an active lust for war.
- Remark 56.xxi
Know No Fear (Novel),
Target//Acquisition,
ch. 3, pg. 40
Two things to note there, Sergeant. One is that there is no such thing as a minor detail. Information is victory. One cannot and should not dismiss any data until one is in a position to evaluate its significance, and that only comes with hindsight. So all detail is important until circumstances render it redundant. Know No Fear (Novel),
Target//Acquisition,
ch. 8, pg. 94
My brother, hear me. Warriors of the XVII Legion, hear me. This violence is against the code of the Legiones Astartes and against the will of our father, the Emperor. In the name of the Five Hundred Worlds of Ultramar, I implore you to cease fire and stand down. Open communication with me. Let us speak. Let us settle this. This action is an error of the most tragic kind. Cease fire. I, Roboute Guilliman, give you my solemn pledge that we will deal with each other frankly and fairly if these hostilities can be suspended. I urge you to respond.
- vox transmission, Battle of Calth, Mark 0.00.01
Know No Fear (Novel),
System//Kill,
ch. 1, pg. 167
Lorgar of Colchis. You may consider the following. One: I entirely withdraw my previous offer of solemn ceasefire. It is cancelled, and will not be made again, to you or to any other of your motherless bastards. Two: you are no longer any brother of mine. I will find you, I will kill you, and I will hurl your toxic corpse into hell's mouth.
- vox transmission, Battle of Calth, Mark 1.57.42
Know No Fear (Novel),
System//Kill,
ch. 3, pg. 195
What does not kill me... is not trying hard enough.[Note 1] Know No Fear (Novel),
Ushkul//Thu,
ch. Two, pg. 348
They shall be pure of heart and strong of body, untainted by doubt and unsullied by self-aggrandisement. They will be bright stars on the firmament of battle, Angels of Death whose shining wings bring swift annihilation to the enemies of Man. So it shall be for a thousand times for a thousand years, unto the very end of eternity and the extinction of mortal flesh.
Codex Astartes opening
Codex: Space Marines (6th Edition) (e-book),
pg. 246
I am the fist, clenched tight in ceramite, smashing with the force of a Legion. I am the blade, awaiting my foe’s flesh, as keen as the Emperor could make me. I am the bolt, fired from afar – fleet and true, an end to all who stand before the Imperium of Man.
- reference to raise the combat confusion with clarity, to banish doubt and reinforce a legionary’s purpose
The Honoured (Novella),
ch. Two
For the Emperor stands behind his sons as the primarchs behind their captains. It is a captain’s duty to place legionary lives in harm’s way before his own. There is too little glory in the galaxy to go around and officers must be generous in the trust they place in others – for one day such brothers must be captains too.
- about the promotion of the newly assigned Space Marines
The Honoured (Novella),
ch. Five
Oath of the Grey Knights Seventh Brotherhood, attributed to its first Grand Master We die, though our war is eternal,
We are doomed, but we walk in darkness,
We are forgotten, yet the future is our gift to humanity.'
Crucible (Short Story)

H

Source Quote Notes
Haegr
of the Space Wolves
- It's funny. That time when you saved old Adrian from those fanatics I thought I heard him offer you your heart's desire. He would have sent you home if you asked. Instead you asked for a meat pie.

-...It was a big pie.
- with Torin the Wayfarer

Wolfblade (Novel),
ch. Six
Colonel Hassar,
Cadian 7th
Fenrisians are taught to value comradeship and loyalty to their tribes from birth. Within the Space Wolves, their loyalty is given to their Wolf Lord and the Company of his followers. As warrior-barbarians they set great store by personal bravery and great deeds, having little but contempt for authority that is bestowed rather than earned through the proven virtues of combat. Codex: Space Wolves (5th Edition),
pg. 33
High Marshal Helbrecht of the Black Templars Where the Neophyte sees only the difficulties and the Initiate only the advantages in any great enterprise, the hero sees both. White Dwarf 313 (UK),
pg. 79
Balthazar von Heppel, Ministorum Adept The Space Wolves have already proven their ability to stave off the most determined attacks on their realm, so overt action is out of the question. However, I believe that it is imperative that they are closely monitored for signs of abomination. Codex: Space Wolves (5th Edition),
pg. 30
Of all the Primarchs, the end of Leman Russ is the most mysterious, for he is accounted to have vanished ten thousand years ago. One of the most fundamental of the Space Wolves' tenets is the belief that their Primarch will eventually return for the final battle at the end of the universe. Codex: Space Wolves (5th Edition),
pg. 9
Ancient Helveticus,
Ultramarines Honour Guard
A foe without honour is a foe already beaten. Codex: Space Marines (5th Edition),
pg. 53
Ulfric Hoodclaw of the Space Wolves Guard your tongue, whelp, lest I cut it out. I care not for your moon-touched ramblings, nor for the tales of your grandmother. Mark this well - of the 13th Company we do not speak. Codex: Space Wolves (5th Edition),
pg. 17
Hyperion of the Grey Knights The Wolves aren't animals. No beast is bound by honour, nor does it sacrifice itself for others outside its pack. The Emperor's Gift (Novel),
ch. Twenty-Four, pg. 284

I

Speaker Quote Source
Sergeant Daegon Incursa,
Invaders 1st Company
The deeds of one bold warrior can alter the course of a battle. I have four such men under my command and our every deed changes the shape of the galaxy. Codex: Space Marines (5th Edition),
pg. 63
Saul Invictus,
First Captain of the Ultramarines
Praise the sun that brings the dawn of our final doom.
- from The Lament of the First, purported last words
The Chapter's Due (Novel),
ch. Twenty-Three
Credo of the Iron Hands So it was in the beginning; so ever it shall be. Warhammer 40,000 Compendium,
pg. 129
Principle Lessons of the Iron Hands Only the spirit is pure.
The mind may be swayed, the body may fail.
Only the soul cradles vengeance purely.
Become the weapon of the soul.

Where the mind hesitates, overcome it.
Where the body fails, replace it.
Aspire to the condition of the Primarch.
Emulate his union with steel.

Never waver.
Never retreat.
Never doubt.

The flesh is weak.
The weak shall be purged.
What remains is strength.
Wrath of Iron (Novel),
ch. 12
Issad, Brother-Captain of the Grey Knights As my battle-brothers are clad in armour of Truesilver, so shall they ride to war in gleaming chariots, protected against all harm until the moment of battle is come.
- at the Inquisitorial Conclave of Coriolanthe
Imperial Armour Volume Two (Second Edition),
pg. 204

J

Source Quote Notes/Context
Commander Mad Chainsaw Johnson of the White Scars Problems? Problems? There is no problem I cannot solve with this...
– attributed
White Dwarf 93 (UK),
pg. 40,
Warhammer 40,000

K

Speaker Quote Source
Pedro Kantor,
Chapter Master of the Crimson Fists
We have been wounded sorely. Yet still we stand, with fire in our eyes and valour in our hearts. Let them think us beaten. We shall teach them otherwise. Codex: Space Marines (5th Edition),
pg. 29
Euphrati Keeler,
Remembrancer
-Why do you weep? Is it for us?
-For him, Nathaniel, because he can't. Today you and I have broken a brother's heart, and nothing will ever mend it.
- after showing proof of Horus's treachery on Isstvan III to Rogal Dorn
The Flight of the Eisenstein (Novel),
ch. Fourteen, pg. 341
Khyron, First Grand Master of the Eighth Brotherhood Already, you exalt me for my triumphs,

When I ask only that you remember me for my treacheries

Victory is nothing more than survival.

It carries no weight of honour or worth beyond what we ascribe to it.

If you wish to grow wise, learn why brothers betray brothers.

The Emperor's Gift (Novel),
ch. Twelve, pg. 153
Captain Kor'sarro Khan,
White Scars 3rd Company, Master of the Hunt
Surround yourself with the greatest warriors at your command, or cower in the deepest and darkest hole you can find. It matters not. I shall take your head for the Great Khan and for the Emperor. Codex: Space Marines (5th Edition),
pg. 94
Ancient Kryll, Dreadnought of the Space Wolves Yes, my lord, you could order the Long Fangs to engage the Orks from that ridge. That's what we did at Karnax 17, and it cost the lives of three entire packs. I advise a direct, frontal assault by the Dreadnoughts, followed by the second wave of the Great Company's kin. If that doesn't smash these greenskins back to the stinking pits of Octavius then I'll answer to the Allfather in person. Imperial Armour Volume Two - Second Edition: War Machines of the Adeptus Astartes,
pg. 164
Major Goff Kurtane,
9th Radial Sarpoy Regiment
I, for one, was bloody glad to see the Snakes power in. Beautiful bastards, they are. I owe them my life and my soul.
– after the battle of Ambold Eleven
The Sabbat Worlds Crusade (Background Book),
pg. 24

L

Speaker Quote Source
Captain Leitz of the Exorcists 'We shall never rest while a single renegade draws breath. Let them fear our names.' Codex: Space Marines (5th Edition),
pg. 31
Captain Garviel Loken of the Luna Wolves Brother... kinsman... every time the death comes closer, but still I am rejected. Do you know why? Will you not tell me? Death took you! Why not me? WHY NOT ME?!
- on Isstvan III
Garro: Legion of One (Audio Book),
Track: Cerberus Alone
Captain Darnath Lysander,
Imperial Fists 1st Company
I have travelled far and seen much. Yet nothing warms my heart so much as the sight of a gun so massive that its fury makes the very world tremble.
- attributed
Codex: Space Marines (5th Edition),
pg. 73
My kind were created to feel no fear, but we understand it. We were all once men who felt fear as does anyone else, and we must know it because it is a weapon we wield. Malodrax (Novel),
ch. Ten, pg. 229
Sergeant Pasanius Lysane,
Ultramarines 4th Company
- That's why you summoned us here. To know where we came from is to know where we are and where we are going.
- You do not say much, Pasanius Lysane, but when you speak, it is worthwhile to listen.
- I'm a sergeant, my lord. It's what I do.
- to Chief Librarian Varro Tigurius
Courage and Honour (Novel),
ch. Three

M

Speaker Quote Source
Lord Solar Macharius If they are so eager to die, and they will not heed the advice of their superiors, then let them rush headlong into the jaws of the lion. We can only hope some of them get caught in its throat.
- on the Space Wolves
Codex: Space Wolves (5th Edition),
pg. 32
Malcador the Sigillite But without a purpose, an Astartes is nothing. A warrior without a war is no warrior at all.
- to Battle-Captain Garro
Garro: Oath of Moment (Audio Book),
Track 5: Flashback
Ferrus Manus,
Primarch of the Iron Hands
They are not my hands.

This fact is forgotten by my brothers - inexplicably, it has always seemed to me. The hands are strong, to be sure, and have created great things for us all, but they are not mine. And that counts for something.They forget that the silver on my arms comes from a beast that I vanquished. It is the mark of a great evil that I ended, and yet it persists within me... I would struggle to remove it now... I will not remove the silver from my flesh because I have learned to depend on it. The fault is with my mind. I rely on the augmentation given to me by my metal gauntlets, so much so that the flesh beneath them is now little more than a distant memory...

A day will come when I will strip it from me, lest I lose the power to master myself forever. Already my Legion's warriors replace their shield hands with metal in my honour, and so they too are learning to doubt the natural strength of their bodies. They must be weaned off this practice before it becomes a mania for them. Hatred of what is natural, of what is human, is the first and greatest of the corruptions. So I record it here: when the time comes, I will strip my hands of their unnatural silver. I will instruct my Legion to recant their distrust of the flesh. I will turn then away from the gifts of the machine and bid them relearn the mysteries of flesh, bone and blood. When my father's Crusade is over, this shall be my sacred task. When the fighting is done, I shall cure my Legion and myself. For if fighting is all there is, if we may never pause to reflect on what such devotion to strength is doing to us, then our compulsion will only grow. Already I see the madness that path leads to, and so I shall excise the silver from my hands. In doing so I shall weaken myself and my sons, but nonetheless it must be done. The hands are strong, and have created great things, but they are not mine.

- The Neimerel Scrolls, attributed
Wrath of Iron (Novel),
Preface, pgs. 7-8
Make war and move on, and again, and again, until nothing breathes which stands against us. All else is sophistry and pretty lies.
- on his Legion's role in the Great Crusade
The Horus Heresy Book Two - Massacre,
pg. 68
Surgeon-Commander Grigor Markhava The duty of the Medic, my Brethren, is a sacred one. We embody the Emperor's divine will and his holy purpose. We bring death and we bring life. Let those true to Humanity's cause give thanks for our work. Let the impure bow down before our swords!
– attributed to Markhava, distributed as an exemplary text after he died during the storming of the Bourne slave pits (2150982 M41)
Warhammer 40,000 Compendium,
pg. 28
Master of the Apothecarion Aslon Marr Pain and death are illusions of the weak mind. While his gene-seed returns to the Chapter, a Marine cannot die. Without death, pain loses its relevance.

He that may fight, heal him
He that may fight no more, give him peace
He that is dead, take from him the Chapter's due.
– attributed

Warhammer 40,000 Compendium,
pg. 29
Iron Thane Mazos Dhule of the Sons of Medusa I trust these automata-weapons far more than any mortal ally. Their machine spirits have served our Chapter faithfully for centuries, and are sure to stand where mortal hearts succumb to fear. Just like us, they know no fear. Imperial Armour Volume Two - Second Edition,
pg. 198
Chaplain Mikelus of the Blood Ravens Faith is purest when it is unquestioning. Dawn of War
Pain now! Reward in the afterlife. Dawn of War

N

Speaker Quote Source
Interrogator-Chaplain Boreas of the Dark Angels I ask myself what it means to be one of the Dark Angels. Is it to hunt the Fallen, chasing shadows through the dark places of the galaxy? Is it to pursue our quest at any expense, forgoing all other oaths and duties? Is it to lie, to hide and to plot so that others will never know of our shame? Is it to keep our own brethren unacquainted with the truth of our past, the legacy we all share in? Or ist it to be a Space Marine? Is it to follow the path laid down by the Emperor and Lion El'Johnson at the founding of this great Imperium of man? To protect mankind, to purge the alien, cleanse the unclean? Ravenwing (Novel),
Two - Brother Boreas Speaks
Chaplain Fergas Nils As our bodies are armoured with Adamantium, our souls are protected with our loyalty. As our bolters are charged with death for the Emperor's enemies, our thoughts are charged with his wisdom. As our ranks advance, so does our devotion, for are we not Marines? Are we not the chosen of the Emperor, his loyal servants unto death?
– an address to the defenders of Portrein
Warhammer 40,000 Compendium,
pg. 21;
Warhammer 40,000 5th Edition Rulebook,
pg. 20

O

Speaker Quote Source
Mersadie Oliton, Remembrancer If you know no fear, do you also not know awe? Surprise? Majesty? Have you not seen things so bizarre they left you speechless? Shocked you? Unnerved you even?
- to Garviel Loken
Horus Rising (Novel),
Part Two, ch. Nine, pg. 172

P

Speaker Quote Source
Priad
of the Iron Snakes
One warrior usually suffices.
- to Perdet Suiton Antoni, on Baal Solock
Brothers of the Snake (Novel),
Part One - XII
"Mingle"? What in the Emperor's name does that mean?
- after he and Damocles Squad were invited to enjoy themselves at a diplomatic reception on Iorgu
Brothers of the Snake (Novel),
Part Six - II, pg. 171
Brother Proteus, Ultramarines 2nd Company Everything has a purpose. The Emperor ordains it so. You may corrupt the souls of men. But I am steel! I am doom! I march for Macragge, and I know no fear! Ultramarines - A Warhammer 40,000 Movie
Apothecary Pythol, Ultramarines 2nd Company Oh, Proteus. You novices are all alike. And I'm the one who has to put you back together. It isn't combat I resent, Brother. It's the thirst for glory that gets men cut to ribbons.
Death will find you soon enough. War is not about glory. War is about victory!
May the Emperor bless and protect this sacred legacy, so that the strength of these brave warriors may live on in Ultramarines yet unborn, for the abiding honour of our fortress home, Macragge, in the name of the Chapter and the Primarch, to whom we owe all.
-while applying his Reductor to fallen Marines
Brother Proteus and Apothecary Pythol, Ultramarines 2nd Company -The Emperor protects.
-And having a loaded bolter never hurt, either.
Pugilis, Commander of the Iron Knights We attack without warning, mercy or hesitation. Let the enemies of Mankind know that we will purge every last one of them, and let them shake in fear. Imperial Armour Volume Two - Second Edition: War Machines of the Adeptus Astartes,
pg. 10

Q

Speaker Quote Source
Captain Iacton Qruze of the Luna Wolves I'll not be known as a Son of Horus again, mark that well, lad.
- to Nathaniel Garro
The Flight of the Eisenstein (Novel),
ch. Nine, pg. 229

R

Speaker Quote Source
Sergeant Rafen of the Blood Angels This place was built to destroy something precious to us, something each of us shares, no matter which Primarch or Chapter we call our own. I speak of brotherhood. Bile has isolated us, severed all but the most cursory of contacts. He sows distrust and suspicion, wears you down with the slow grind of mindless days and tormented nights. The bastard wants you to believe you are forgotten. He lies. I am here to tell you that he lies and lies! Look within yourselves, brothers, and you will understand. You have been waiting for this day, even if you did not know it. This day, when you are reminded of who you are. My purpose here is the same as yours, to serve the God-Emperor and Holy Terra! Know that each of you is the harbinger of your own freedom! I say to you all that this day, we are not Blood Angels, Doom Eagles, Space Wolves, Taurans, Salamanders, Crimson Fists... We are one great legion, one heart and one mind! We are the Adeptus Astartes, the Space Marines, the war gods and terrible swift sword of our Emperor! We are His will, and we have always been so! Black Tide (Novel),
ch. Twelve
Initiate Rammius of the Black Templars It is the duty of the Initiate to pass on what he has learned of the craft of death and thus pave the way for the heroes of the future. White Dwarf 313 (UK),
pg. 78
Rhetoricus of the Imperial Fists The Emperor commands us. Dorn guides us. Honour shields us.
Fear our name, for it is vengeance.
Codex: Space Marines (5th Edition),
pg. 27
Arjac Rockfist of the Space Wolves As the mountain is Arjac
A snow-capped peak
His rage overshadows the wounded bear.
The Rockfist endures when all seems lost.

- from The Saga of Arjac Rockfist
Codex: Space Wolves (5th Edition),
pg. 64
Tylos Rubio,
Ultramarines 21st Company
-No, NO! You would have me leave the side of my sworn battle-brothers in their darkest hour? I refuse!

-It is The Sigillite's command. His word is the Emperor's word.

-...The Sigillite's command be damned. You give me no recourse, Garro. And so, on my honour as a son of Macragge, I choose to defy it. Even if it means I will perish here, even if you colour me a rebel like Lorgar's turncoats, I defy it!
- Rubio and Nathaniel Garro, during the Battle of Calth

Garro: Oath of Moment (Audio Book),
Track 11: Vantage Point
Primarch Leman Russ of the Space Wolves Listen closely Brothers, for my life's breath is all but spent. There shall come a time far from now when our chapter itself is dying, even as I am now dying. Then my children, I shall list'n for your call from whatever realms of death hold me, and come I shall no-matter what laws of life and death forbid. At the end I will be there. For the final battle. For the Wolftime.
– before his final departure into the Eye of Terror
Book of the Astronomican,
pg. 8
Only in the Space Marines of the Legiones Astartes are courage and expertise perfectly blended. In other troops they are present in varying degrees and proportions, and many scholars have debated their relative merits.

For my own part, I come down on the side of courage. For courage can sometimes make a virtue of inexperience. I myself have commanded Imperial Guard troops whose probitor units have achieved great things, because they were too inexperienced to realise that their goal was impossible.
De Natura Belli, Book XIV

Warhammer 40,000 Compendium,
pg. 45
You strive for victory. That is obvious. What may be less obvious is the nature of victory. There are circumstances in which you can destroy the enemy utterly, without loss to your own forces, and yet the victory may be his. In all situations, you must first decide on the nature of victory, and then take steps to secure it. Avoid the instinct of fight first and think later.
– attributed, Meditations, Book VI
Adeptus Titanicus Rulebook,
pg. 40
A fortress circumvented ceases to be an obstacle. A fortress destroyed ceases to be a threat. Do not forget the difference.
– attributed
Warhammer Siege,
pg. 108
A fortress is built with blood and toil. Only by blood and toil may it be taken.
– attributed
Warhammer Siege,
pg. 106
Beat your thoughts to the mould of your will.
– attributed
Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, pg. 76
There are those who undervalue the Penal Battalions. But they should consider this: should a man who has wronged the Emperor be allowed to wrong Him further? For each man executed is a man who can no longer serve, and to fail in service to the Emperor is the greatest of sins
Meditations on Imperial Command, Book XXI
Warhammer 40,000 Compendium,
pg. 148
Do not underestimate the Squats. They survived for millennia cut off from the Imperium and assailed from all sides. Their determination and resilience is an example to all.
Meditations on Imperial Command, Book XVI
Warhammer 40,000 Compendium,
pg. 167
Harden your soul against decadence. But do not despise it, for the soft appearance of the decadent may be deceptive. One need only consider the Harlequin dancers of the Eldar to see the truth of this proposition.
A Book of Admonitions for the Legiones Astartes
Warhammer 40,000 Compendium,
pg. 194
Here I am and here shall I die.
– attributed to Russ at the Battle of Rising Fell
Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader,
pg. 34
Arm the bastards and they might win a few bloody worlds for us in between verses.
– attributed, grousing about the Remembrancers sent to the front lines during the Great Crusade
Horus Rising (Novel),
Part One, ch. 3, pg. 46
No man nor beast could best the Wolf-King,
No tribe could stand against his armies.
Within Russ' kingdom a truce
Existed between man and wolf,
His court was attended by the fiercest of
Warlords and the most beautiful of maidens.

– from The Saga of the Wolf-King
Codex: Space Wolves (5th Edition),
pg. 8

S

Speaker Quote Source
Battle-cry of the Salamanders Into the fires of battle!
Unto the anvil of war!
Codex: Space Marines (5th Edition),
pg. 26
Sanguinius, Primarch of the Blood Angels Legion My son... step back, if you can. Step back from the abyss and return to us. I will save you. This is my fault. I am to blame. But I will amend this, if you help me. Will you help me, Alotros? Fear to Tread (Novel),
Prologue: Melchior,
pg. 37
It cries out for blood. And there is never enough.

- to Horus, admitting the existence of the Red Thirst

Fear to Tread (Novel),
Prologue: Melchior,
pg. 42
-Hear me, creature. Let Meros hear this. Your gambit has failed. Whatever these powers are that you call master, whatever irrational choice my brother Horus has made to seek a pact with them, you stand defeated upon the cusp of victory. Do you understand the reason why?
-This one. An exemplar of your kind. You were underestimated. The Thirst would have taken you--
-But it did not. Because as long as one single Blood Angel lives, he will be master of his spirit. He will not let the abyss that lies in the hearts of us all take him into darkness. That is the truth you do not understand, the truth that Horus has forgotten. It is not the descent toward the shadow nor the rise toward the light that makes us superior. It is the endless struggle between the two that greatness of character lies. We are tested, and we do not break. We will never fall! Take that to my brother and tell him!

- to the Red Angel on resisting the Red Thirst

Fear to Tread (Novel),
ch. 19, pg. 482
I made a vow, Kano. I will see it to its bloody end. There may come a day, and sooner than we might wish, when you...when my sons will have to go on without me.

- to Mkani Kano on his dreams

Fear to Tread (Novel),
ch. 20, pg. 500
There are more things in the darkness than man can ever count. Space Hulk (Novella),
00.06.99
Gabriel Seth,
Chapter Master of the Flesh Tearers
We are disorder, that is true. But that is what we were made to be. The wild and the random. If each Successor embodies the traits of The Great Angel, then that is what the Flesh Tearers are, just as the Blood Swords are his martial prowess, the Sanguine his secrecy, the Flesh Eaters his carnivore's fangs! But the Blood Angels are the melding of all of those things, and that is why I will always envy you, cousin. Red Fury (Novel),
ch. Thirteen
For he today that sheds his blood with me shall be my battle-brother eternal.
- from the initiation rites for Neophyte Flesh Tearers[Note 2]
Red Fury (Novel),
Epilogue
Kayvaan Shrike, Shadow Captain of the Raven Guard 3rd Company In the darkness all men are equal, save those that embrace it. Codex: Space Marines (5th Edition),
pg. 25
We are coming. Look to the skies for your salvation.
- to Commissar Lent prior to the Blindhope planetstrike
Codex: Space Marines (5th Edition),
pg. 69
Wherever you tread, tread lightly. We are closer than you think, and our blades are sharp. Codex: Space Marines (5th Edition),
pg. 92
Cato Sicarius, Captain of the Ultramarines 2nd Company We are the slayers of kings, the destroyers of worlds, bringers of ruination and death in all its forms. These things we do in the name of the Emperor and in the defense of Mankind. Let none stay our wrath. Codex: Space Marines (5th Edition),
pg. 19
Brothers! War calls you. Will you answer? Codex: Space Marines (5th Edition),
pg. 85
Slay the beast and the horde will die. The Chapter's Due (Novel),
ch. 7, pg. 91
Sigismund,
First Captain of the Imperial Fists Legion and first High Marshal of the Black Templars
The more we spread the more we find. World after world. New worlds to conquer. Space is limitless, and so is our appetite to master it.
- during the Great Crusade
Horus Rising (Novel),
Part One, ch. 6, pg. 131
We will spend our lives fighting to secure this Imperium, and then I fear we will spend the rest of our days fighting to keep it intact. There is such involving darkness amongst the stars. Even when the Imperium is complete, there will be no peace. We will be obliged to fight on to preserve what we have fought to establish. Peace is a vain wish. Our crusade may one day adopt another name, but it will never truly end. In the far future, there will be only war.
- during the Great Crusade
Horus Rising (Novel),
Part One, ch. 6, pg. 132
- Do you really think you'd have a hope? Honestly? Your yellow ragamuffins against the best of the best?

-Whatever helps you sleep, Tarik. Terra bless us all it is a paradigm that will never be tested.
- during the Great Crusade

Horus Rising (Novel),
Part One, ch. 6, pg. 133
Nothing worthwhile is done without challenge, best to overcome it before plans are enacted. Throneworld (Novel),
ch. 12
Techmarine Simagus of the Black Templars Many great legends lived before Brother Rammius, but most are unmourned and are consigned to unremembered history. Such shall not be the Rammius' fate, for he lives on in glory and, with our ministrations, shall do so for a thousand years and more. White Dwarf 313 (UK),
pg. 80
Battle Litany of the Space Wolves

We are the wolf that stalks
The stars in the sky

And swallows the star-fire

We hide amongst the night
When light is gone

The Light is within us

We run the ruin of Fire
In the darkness

Foes burn in our passing

Book of the Astronomican,
pg. 22
Spiccare,
Sergeant of the Blood Angels 1st Company
We ride upon the wings of storm. What hope of escape can our foes have? Imperial Armour Volume Two - Second Edition,
pg. 26
Kardan Stronos,
Chapter Master of the Iron Hands
I believe in three tenets of battle - firepower, firepower, and more firepower. Should the Omnissiah have wished otherwise, he would not have provided me with such a mighty tool as the Razorback. I long for the day in which my entire Chapter can ride to war in transports such as these, vehicles whose rage can be given voice through their sanctified armament. Codex: Space Marines (5th Edition),
pg. 77

T

Speaker Quote Source
Brother-Captain Telamon, Crimson Fists Those of the xenos that our Predators do not crush beheanth their armoured tread, we shall strike down ourselves with avenging bolt and righteous blade. Onward Crimson Fists, ever onward!
- at the Thule Intervention
Imperial Armour Volume Two - Second Edition: War Machines of the Adeptus Astartes,
pg. 60
Sergeant Torias Telion, Ultramarines 10th Company Forget all your preconceptions of war, of battle-lines clashing in the churned ground. Your mission is to attack before the foe even realises that the war has begun, to strike hard at those vital weaknesses that all armies possess, but that no commander will admit to. Under my tutelage you will learn how to seek out such fragilities and smite them with every weapon at your disposal. Master these duties and I will have nothing more to teach, and you will truly be a Space Marine. Codex: Space Marines (5th Edition),
pg. 75
Sergeant Aeonid Thiel, Ultramarines 13th Chapter, 135th Company If he wasn't my brother, he'd be a political embarrassment and an impediment to the effective rule of the Imperium. I know what I'd do with him.
I'm sure I could demonstrate how, lord.
Was that a joke, sergeant?
I may have just made a very unfortunate attempt at humour, lord.
It was actually quite funny.
- Roboute Guilliman and Thiel, shortly before the Battle of Calth
Know No Fear (Novel),
Target//Acquisition,
ch. Eight, pg. 95
- Aeonid Thiel. 135th Company.
Marked for censure?
- Today started in a different place, Sir.
- Thiel and Marius Gage, during the Battle of Calth
Know No Fear (Novel),
Target//Engagement,
ch. Four, pg. 244
- Their advantage is shock and surprise. Our counter-advantage must be a lack of convention.
- Expand.
- They know what we are, for they are us. They know the attributes of our armour and our weapons. They also know our tactics and formulae of war, for our beloved primarch has made his codifications available to all his brothers. We never thought we would need to conceal our combat methods from our own kind. Today, we have been disabused of that notion. So we must fight them in ways that they do not expect from us. We must use the unconventional, the improvised and the makeshift. In order to properly honour the combat teachings of Roboute Guilliman, we must cast his rules aside for the day.
- Thiel and Marius Gage, during the Battle of Calth
Know No Fear (Novel),
Target//Engagement,
ch. Four, pgs. 246-247
Librarian Secundus Thryn of the Doom Eagles All of creation suffers, young ones. Only in accepting our own mortality can we make a difference. Only in bearing the burden of our failures can we find the strength to go on. Only in detachment from glory, or honour, or jealousy... from life itself can we hope to spare others from grief.

We are Doom Eagles. And we are dead already.

On Mournful Wings (Short Story)
Varro Tigurius,
Chief Librarian of the Ultramarines
Each path must be chosen with care,
Lest disaster swallow us whole.
Codex: Space Marines (5th Edition),
pg. 86
Never before or since have I seen fighting such as I witnessed when that host fell upon the Orks. Seizing the moment, I regrouped my Company and led them once more into the fray, yet there was little work for us, for the greenskins lacked stomach for the fight. Soon we secured the great bastion once more and without further loss. Of the dark brotherhood there was no sign.
- on the Legion of the Damned
Codex: Space Marines (5th Edition),
pg. 95
It cannot be considered a gift, to peer into the Warp and unravel the possibilities of the future that are, that might be, and that must be prevented. Nor can the burden of a weapon, that each of my brothers looks upon with girded revulsion, be called a gift. No, Master, I do not think my psychic prowess a gift... but a tool. Whether by a quirk of fate, or the will of the Emperor, I possess a weapon the like of which can turn the tide, not just in a battle but in the course of history. To withhold it, to flinch from its use or deny it would not just be counter-productive, it would be heresy. But if it is a gift, it is a cruel one.
- from the journal of Marneus Calgar, quoting Tigurius, 991.M41
Warlords of the Dark Millennium: Tigurius (Background Book),
pg. 3
Captain Tarik Torgaddon, Luna Wolves 2nd Company The answer, always, is the Wolves of Fenris, because they are clinically insane.
- during a friendly debate with Imperial Fists Captain Sigismund, about which Space Marine Legion is toughest
Horus Rising (Novel),
Part One, ch. 6, pg. 132
- You are a base-born cur!
- Just so you know, you'll have to do an awful lot better than that. I'm a base-born cur, and proud of it.
- to Lord Commander Eidolon of the Emperor's Children
Horus Rising (Novel),
Part Two, ch. 6, pg. 297
Captain Nico Trevellias of the White Consuls They believe they are too good for the Codex Astartes, these... these wolf-men? Too good for ten millennia of tested and refined battle wisdom? Then let them fight as savages, I say. Let them fight and die.
- on the Space Wolves
Codex: Space Wolves (5th Edition),
pg. 16
Marine Psyker Troos, presumably White Scars Arm yourselves, fools, the enemy are within us!
– last statement, FivesEye Campaign
Book of the Astronomican,
pg. 66
Tu'shan,
Chapter Master of the Salamanders
My sword is at the Emperor's command. I answer to no other man, living or dead. Codex: Space Marines (5th Edition),
pg. 52

U

Speaker Quote Source
Ultramarines Battle-chant We march for Macragge!

And we shall know no fear!

Ultramarines - A Warhammer 40,000 Movie
Ultramarines: His Proud Sons From Ancient Terra the Emperor commands His Proud Sons.

From revered Blood-stock these Warriors are made His Proud sons

No fear they shall know as Adeptus Astartes, His Proud Sons

Humanity's foes they defend against all, His Proud Sons

Warrior Elite, Unbreakable spirit, Astartes

Supreme Defenders, Unchallenged in Battle Astartes

Warrior Elite, Unbreakable spirit, Astartes

Courage and honour, Emperor and Primarch, Astartes!

Ultramarines - A Warhammer 40,000 Movie,
(1:10:34) End Credits Song
Popular Ultramarines Aphorism To take a town, send a legionary. To take a city, send a squad. To take a world, send a company. To take a culture, send a Chapter. Know No Fear (Novel),
Target//Acquisition,
ch. 3, pg. 40

V

Speaker Quote Source
Chaplain Varnus of the Ultramarines Come all you Xeno scum and fallen heretics! Come face the one true might of the universe and wither under the Golden Throne's gaze! Dawn of War: Winter Assault
Macer Varren, Loyalist Captain of the World Eaters Hell? There is no such thing, Garro! It's a figment of old idolatry, nothing more. We have no need for a place of horrors beyond death. Horus makes it for us, here, in the real!
- on Isstvan III
Garro: Legion of One (Audio Book),
Track 4: The Battlefield
Garro, heed me. We have lost so many of our brethren to this schism, this damned bloody war! A traitor I will kill without hesitation, but we do not speak of a traitor! Our kinsman is lost. Garro: Legion of One (Audio Book),
Track 7: Aftermath
I was not cut out to lead like this, Garro. I am a killer, a meat cutter, not a brood mare struggling to protect a brood of weak and feeble runts! I lead warriors, not common folk! Garro: Sword of Truth (Audio Book),
Disc 2, Track 2: The Daggerline
Chief Librarian Vel'cona of the Salamanders I can pulp your flesh and snap your bones in less than a second, and without so much as lifting a finger. What is the power of technology compared to that? Codex: Space Marines (5th Edition),
pg. 56
Ultramarines Captain Uriel Ventris - But if you fail, Pavonis will die. By my hand or that of de Valtos.
- We will not fail. We are the Ultramarines.
- to Inquisitor Ario Barzano
Nightbringer (Novel),
ch. 16
I have seen my share of death, both honourable and despicable, and yes, I know that war is a brutal, bloody business capable of bringing out the best and the worst in men. This is a harsh, dangerous galaxy, with untold terrors lurking in the dark to devour us, but the minute we turn on our own kind and murder them, we might as well take a blade to our throats. The Killing Ground (Novel),
ch. Eighteen, pg. 277
Without the Codex Astartes, the Imperium wouldn't have survived the aftermath of the Great Heresy. It binds every one of the thousand Chapters of Space Marines together, and gives us a common cause, a connection to the past and to one another. Every Chapter, whether they acknowledge it or not, owes its very existence to the Codex Astartes. Courage and Honour (Novel),
ch. 3
- And you are wrong.
- About what?
- About the life of a single individual being irrelevant. Every life is vital, no matter how seemingly insignificant. If we forget that, we are no better than the scum out there.
- to Inquisitor Namira Suzaku
The Chapter's Due (Novel),
ch. 11, pg. 217

W

Speaker Quote Source
White Scars Walls of stone and walls of iron,

Fall down all the same.

They may delay but don't prevent

The hail of death and pain.
- Assault battle-hymn

Warhammer Siege,
pg. 93
If you can see us, we are dangerous indeed. But that is nothing to the peril you face if you cannot see us, and all you can hear is our laughter.
- Proverb
Codex: Space Marines (5th Edition),
pg. 28
Thar Ariak Hraldir, "Wyrmblade,"
Wolf Priest of the Space Wolves
It was the Allfather who created Leman Russ, the primogenitor of the Vlka Fenryka, and the Allfather who fashioned the Legion that served under his name. For every Legion he created, there was a purpose. Some were blessed with the power to build, or the skill to administer, or the capacity for stealth. Our gift was different. We were made to destroy. Our whole being is destruction. Such was the will of the Allfather. He made us not to construct empires, but to murder them. We were bred to perform the tasks that no other Legion could, to fight with such extravagance that even our brother warriors would shrink from treachery in the knowledge of what we, the Rout, would do to them. Battle of the Fang (Novel),
ch. Nineteen, pgs. 418-419

Unattributed

Quote Notes/Context Source
A fortress won't stop the Marines. But it may slow them down. Proverb Warhammer Siege,
pg. 96
Consider the Predator. Let your soul be armoured with Faith, driven on the tracks of obedience which overcomes all obstacles, and armed with the three great guns of Zeal, Duty and Purity. Anonymous Warhammer 40,000 Compendium,
pg. 85
By thy colour will he know thee,

By thy banners will he fear thee,

By thy standard will he dread thee,

Cry Marine, and let slip the weapons of war.

Unknown Warhammer 40,000 Compendium,
pg. 137
Forget nothing - forgive no-one. Motto White Dwarf 96 (UK),
pg. 56
Let the repentant enjoy a merciful end. Proverb White Dwarf 96 (UK),
pg. 55

Trivia

Note 1

Possible reference to What does not kill me makes me stronger by Friedrich Nietzsche.

Note 2

Possible reference to "For he today who sheds his blood with me shall be my brother.", a line from Shakespeare's play Henry V.

Sources