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Blood Angels

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The Blood Angels were one of the original Space Marine Legions. Their Primarch is Sanguinius. They are particularly well known for their bloodthirsty nature in battle. They are also one of the most long-lived Chapters, and have a refined aesthetic sense.

Basic Information

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Space Marines Portal
Blood Angels
Bloodangelslogo.png
Legion Number IX
Primarch Sanguinius
Homeworld Baal
Fortress-Monastery Name Unknown
Chapter Master Dante
Colours Blood Red Armor with Black Aquila1
Tactical Helmet: Red4h
Assault Helmet: Yellow4h
Devastator Helmet: Blue4h
Veteran Helmet: Gold 4h
(in older codices the golden helmets were only true for Honour guard)
Specialty Assault, Deep Striking
Strength ~1000 marines
Battle Cry "By the Blood Of Sanguinius!" or "For The Emperor and Sanguinius!"
Successor Chapters:

Angels Encarmine4a, Angels Sanguine4a, Angels Vermillion4a, Blood Drinkers4a, Exsanguinators4a, Flesh Eaters4a, Flesh Tearers4a, Knights of Blood4a, Knights Sanguine4a, Lamenters4a,
Blood Swords5,7,8 (Claimed otherwise in Codex: Blood Angels 5th ed.)4a, Blood Legion9

History

File:PhBloodAngel.jpg
Pre-Heresy Blood Angels Space Marine.

The Blood Angels were created from the genetic material of their Primarch Sanguinius. As with all of the Primarchs, Sanguinius was genetically engineered to be a supreme super-soldier but was cast into the warp during his infancy along with his brothers, and found on the nuclear-blasted moon of Baal Secundus. Sanguinius was affected by the warp, and when he was found by one of the few unmutated human tribes on Baal, he had a pair of angelic wings growing from his back. As he matured quickly, he was able to use his superhuman powers and abilities to unite the humans of Baal against the mutants and become their leader.

When the Emperor found Baal in his search for the twenty Primarchs, Sanguinius immediately recognized him for who he was and bent down on his knee, pledging his service. In this, Sanguinius was one of the few Primarchs who did not challenge the Emperor upon their reunion. The Emperor then took Sanguinius and a number of his best warriors and placed him in command of the Blood Angels Space Marine Legion.1

During the Great Crusade, the Blood Angels became known as being excellent shock assault troops, and formed a rivalry with the similarly assault-oriented World Eaters Legion.4l Sanguinius was reputed to have had some form of psychic powers, principally the gift of foresight.1


The Horus Heresy

During the Horus Heresy, the Blood Angels were one of the few Legions who fought alongside the Emperor during the Battle of Terra. When Horus lowered the shields of his battlebarge, and the Emperor teleported aboard the ship, Sanguinius was with him.

The noble Primarch became separated from the Emperor, and came across Horus alone. The Warmaster tried to sway Sanguinius, to turn him to Chaos, but the Angel-winged warrior refused, and attacked Horus. The Daemonically strengthened Horus slew Sanguinius, as the Primarch knew he would. He had foreseen his death, and yet still engaged the Arch-Heretic, knowing he would die. This has endowed many of the Blood Angel's beliefs with a deeply mystical streak. Sanguinius' violent death left a strong psychic imprint on his Legion, since they partially share his DNA. However, this was a willing sacrifice that was made in order to buy the Emperor time and to give Him a weakness in Horus's armour, which was key in bringing about the traitor's defeat.

After the Heresy, as with all other loyal Legions, the Blood Angels were forced to split into many smaller Chapters.1


Recent History

The Second Battle of Armageddon

As Waaagh! Ghazghkull ravages the hive world of Armageddon, the Blood Angels, as well as their brothers from the Ultramarines and the Salamanders arrive to lend the beleaguered planet aid. Such is Commander Dante's reputation that Tu'shan and Calgar cede overall command of the Space Marine strike force to him. The Blood Angels bear the brunt of the close-quarter fighting, eventually culminating in a massed drop-pod assault into the heart of Ghazghkull's forces that finally broke the back of the ork army4j.

The Third Battle of Armageddon

Despite the bulk of the Chapter deployed against the threat of Hive Fleet Leviathan, Commander Dante still deploys the 3rd Company led by Captain Tycho to Armageddon when the hive world falls under Warboss Ghazghkull's baleful attention once more. During the ensuing conflict, Captain Tycho succumbs to the Black Rage, finally meeting a valiant end as part of the Death Company upon the walls of Hive Tempestora. Brother-Captain Machiavi succeeds him in command of the Company.4a

The Darkest Hour

In 999.M41 a tendril of Hive Fleet Leviathan is on a direct course for the Blood Angels homeworld, Baal. Exacerbating this already terrible threat is a massive daemon army led by the dread bloodthirster Ka'Bandha, which has already struck at Ammonai, the outermost planet of the Baal system. Facing a possible war on two fronts, Commander Dante sends out a call for all Chapters descended from the Blood Angels to send forces to aid their ancestor Legion; the Flesh Tearers are the first to do so, deploying the entire Chapter for war. Ultimately all but the Lamenters do so, even the renegade Knights of Blood4b.

Gene-seed

The gene-seed of the Blood Angels (and its successors) is still capable of producing all nineteen organ implants that facilitate the transformation of a normal man into a Space Marine. It also has the unique quirk of vastly extending the lifespan of the Space Marines of the gene-line, and it is not unknown for a Blood Angel to live more than a millenia. The gene-line however is also affected by a dreadful flaw, which makes its brethren susceptible to the Black Rage and the Red Thirst4i.

Black Rage

All of the Chapters derived from the Blood Angels still suffer from the psychic imprint left by Sanguinius's death. This can cause them to go insane prior or during a battle, and they believe that they are Sanguinius himself during the Battle of Terra. The condition is irrecoverable (except for one case, where the victim was largely able to control it), and victims are locked away in the "Tower of the Lost" on the Blood Angels' homeworld until they finally die. This insanity is known as the Black Rage.

When a Space Marine is overcome by the Black Rage he is reborn in a world of anger, hatred, fury and nothing else. As well as Sanguinius’s memories, the Blood Angel is touched with a small portion of his unearthly power, boosting his strength and vitality to superhuman levels.

Rather than face a slow, insane death, Blood Angels will form those who have newly succumbed to the Black Rage into a special unit known as the Death Company. They paint their armour black, daubed with red crosses, signifying the wounds of Sanguinius, and are usually led by the few Chapter officers, notably Chaplains, who are able to communicate orders to these lost warriors. They are then sent out to perform the most dangerous assaults, hoping for a quick and honourable death in combat.1

Red Thirst

From the day of their Sanguination to their death on the battlefield the Blood Angels fight not only with countless foes but with a burning urge inside them. It is the Red Thirst, the legacy of their Primarch Sanguinius, that plagues many Blood Angels with visions of death. In battle Blood Angels can harness these visions to evoke a ferocity that gave the Blood Angels Chapter its reputation for unparalleled brutal assaults. Sometimes however the Red Thirst is so overwhelming that the Blood Angels forget their noble heritage and completely lose control over themselves. It is not unheard of that Blood Angels squads abandon advantageous positions to engage the enemy in hand to hand combat. More often than not these assaults turn out to be so devastating that unprepared enemy forces are simply swept away.

The Red Thirst is one of the two genetic flaws in the geneseed of the Blood Angels and their successor Chapters. This causes warriors to suffer an unusual bloodlust, instilling them with a thirst for the blood of their enemies. Those who succumb to the Red Thirst or Black Rage are either formed into the Death Company or locked away in the Tower of the Lost on Baal, until they change completely, going insane. These traits have also been passed on to their successor chapters, such as the Flesh Tearers, Blood Drinkers, and Angels Sanguine. One successor chapter, the Lamenters, managed by unknown means to eliminate the flaws from Sanguinius' gene-seed, but has been stricken by extraordinary bad luck in battle and as such has been nearly annihilated.4

Exsanguinator

The Sanguinary Priest can use the Exsanguinator for medical treatment of wounded Space Marines. But more important the Exsanguinator is a tool for retrieving the gene-seed from the body of a fallen Marine and is vital for the survival of the Chapter. In the veins of every Sanguinary Priest flow a portion of Sanguinius's own blood. That adds to the spiritual significance of the Exsanguinator for the Blood Angels. Usually a Sanguinary Priest uses his influence to calm the Red Thirst of his battle brothers. These priests are the epitome of the noble character of Sanguinius's heirs. But there are some priests that aspire to use the gift of their Primarch.

Organisation

Chapter Organization

As adherents of the Codex Astartes, the Blood Angels divide their battle brothers among the chapter into Companies. There are 10 companies in the Blood Angels and each one is led by a captain who is guarded by elite veterans known as the Honour Guard.3 The only exceptions to the Codex structure allowed by the Blood Angels and its Succesors are the Sanguinary Guard4f and the Death Company.

The First Company is composed of the Chapter's Space Marine Veterans, warriors with experience forged in countless battles throughout the Imperium and trained in the use of sacred suits of Terminator Armour, while the second to fifth are the Battle Companies who carry the weight of the Chapter's combat duties.4k

The subsequent companies are 'Companies of Reserve', composed of squads with the same designation who often act as support for the Battle Companies, as well as provide replacements for casualties by the line formations: the Sixth and Seventh Companies are composed entirely of Tactical Marines, while the Eight Company is a made up of Assault Marines, and the Ninth Company has a full complement of Devastators. Finally, the Tenth Company is composed of the Chapter's scouts, aspirants who have not yet earned their place as full-fledged Marines of the Chapter.4k

The current leadership of each Company, as well as the Company's designation, are as follows:4c

Each company of the Blood Angels are given a company badge worn on the right shoulder pad4h:

  • 1st company: White Skull
  • 2nd company: Single yellow blood drop
  • 3rd company: Single white blood drop
  • 4th company: Single green blood drop
  • 5th company: Single black blood drop
  • 6th company: Double yellow blood drop
  • 7th company: Double white blood drop
  • 8th company: Double green blood drop
  • 9th company: Double black blood drop
  • 10th company: Single red blood drop on black circle

The Death Company is not a company as such, but the collection of battle brothers who have succumbed to the black rage.3

Finally, the Sanguinary Guard are a separate formation of the Chapter's Veterans, tracing their origins to Sanguinus' personal bodyguard, and is composed of the uttermost elite of the Blood Angels.4f

Company Squads

Each company is divided into 10 squads. Squads are led into battle by a Sergeant or a Veteran Sergeant and consist of four to nine battle brothers. Each squad can be broken down into two 5 man squads called combat squads.1

  • Tactical Squads make up the bulk of a Blood Angels army. The first six squads of the battle companies and the sixth and seventh companies are deployed as tactical squads.1
  • Assault Squads. The whole first company, if not deployed in terminator armour, will be used as assault squads as well as the seventh and eighth squad of the battle companies, also the eighth company squads are deployed as Assault squads.1 Assault Squad helmets are yellow in color.4h
  • Devastator Squads Are deployed in each battle company as the ninth and tenth squad and the ninth reserve company is dedicated to devastator squads.1 Devastator Squad helmets are blue in color.4h
  • Scout Squads are the newly recruited neophytes who are under the ever watchful eye of the Scout Sergeant who is one of the most experienced Space Marines in the chapter.1

Unlike the other chapters of the Astartes, Blood Angels squad markings are not numerals on the shoulder pads but rather symbols worn on the right knee pad of the power armour1:

  • 1st squad: White Skull on a black background
  • 2nd squad: White Skull on a blue background
  • 3rd squad: Red blood drop on a yellow background
  • 4th squad: Red blood drop on a black background
  • 5th squad: White X on a black background
  • 6th squad: White X on a blue background
  • 7th squad: Yellow lightning bolt on a back background
  • 8th squad: Black lightning bolt on a yellow background
  • 9th squad: Yellow angelic wing on a black background
  • 10th squad: Black angelic wing on a yellow background

Honour Guard

Among the Chapter, it is customary of the mighty Blood Angels leaders to be accompanied by an Honour Guard of dedicated warriors. Its members are often distinguished individuals or the most accomplished veteran marines of the Chapter; warriors with full access to the armoury of the Blood Angels. As a result, the Honour Guard are normally very-well equipped and ably transported. Sanguinary Priests and Techmarines may be found within an Honour Guard, as can standard-bearers. When operating as Honour Guard for a Company Commander, one member of the Guard may be nominated as Company Champion.3

The Sanguinary Guard

Even among the vaunted Veterans of the Chapter, there are warriors that stand above their brothers in might of arms and sheer skill. These are the Sanguinary Guard, an order that traces its origins to the days of the Great Crusade, where they served as their Primarch's personal bodyguard, and even accompanied Sanguinius when he, the Emperor, and Rogal Dorn confronted Horus in the arch-traitor's battle barge. Clad in golden Artificer Armour and armed with wrist-mounted Angelus Bolters, they wade into battle wielding Glaives Encarmine, ancient power weapons of terrible power.4f

All Chapters descended from the Blood Angels maintain units of Sanguinary Guard as a legacy of their parent Legion, and all follow the same color scheme except for the Angels Encarmine, whose Sanguinary Guard wear alabaster-white colored armor instead.4g

The Death Company

A Chaplain directing his Death Company.

Blood Angels are unique in that deeply engrained in their gene-seed is the encoded experience of Sanguinius, and most deeply imprinted of all is the memory of his final battle with Horus. Sometimes an event or circumstance will trigger this 'race memory'. This happens only rarely, often on the eve of battle, but it is likely to be a fatal experience for the warrior whose mind is suddenly wrenched into the distant past. What has become known as the Black Rage overcomes him, the memories and consciousness of Sanguinius intrudes upon his mind, and dire events ten thousand years old flood into the present.

To others a Marine overcome with the Black Rage appears half mad with fury: he is unable to distinguish past from present and does not recognise his comrades. He may believe he is Sanguinius upon the eve of his destruction, and the bloody battles of the Horus Heresy are raging all around him. As well as the memories of the Primarch, the Marine is also imbued with a small portion of Sanguinius' unearthly power, boosting the warrior's already prodigious strength and vitality to superhuman levels.

In order to keep the Black Rage in check, on the eve of battle the Blood Angels bend their thoughts to prayer and to the sacrifice of their Primarch so many centuries ago. Chaplains move from man to man, blessing each in turn and noting those amongst the brotherhood whose eyes may appear a little glazed, or whose speech is slurred or over excited. Some, almost all, overcome this ancient intrusion into their minds. All of a warrior's training is directed at controlling it, beating it down into the depths of their being. But for some the imprint of Sanguinius is too strong, the memories too loud and demanding. As the Chaplains chant the moripatris, the mass of doom, the chosen ones fall into the arms of their priests, and are taken away. The afflicted are formed into a special unit called the Death Company.

Suffused with the dying memories of Sanguinus, the warriors of the Death Company seek only one thing: death in battle fighting against the enemies of the Emperor. The Death Company is arrayed in black armour upon which are painted red saltires, crosses of blood red which symbolise the sacrifice of Sanguinius. The company is led into battle and directed towards the foe by the Chapters Chaplains. The warriors fight with the certainty of death and are completely fearless, ignoring wounds that would fell a normal man. Should they survive the battle they will probably die of their wounds afterwards, once the frenzied slaughter is past. It is better this way, for those who do survive almost always fall victim to the Red Thirst, turning into creatures no better than wild beasts craving flesh and blood. Better by far to die cleanly and quickly in battle than to suffer such a fate.1

Even those in a Dreadnought cannot escape the grasp of the Black Rage when it strikes, turning the machine into a raging Death Company Dreadnought4m

Recruitment

The Blood Angels recruit their Aspirants from the chapters home planet of Baal and its moons.1

Fleet Disposition

The Blood Angels currently maintain a fleet composed of two Battle Barges (named Blade of Vengeance and Bloodcaller), seven Strike Cruisers, and sixteen Rapid Strike Vessels.4c

Notable Blood Angels

External links

Sources

See also