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Blood Angels

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Template:BASMPort 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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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 world 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.

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. Sanguinius was said to have had psychic powers, notably the gift of foresight.

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.

Geneseed

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.

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.

Red Thirst

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.

Organisation

The 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......

Company Disposition

Like all Codex chapters, Blood Angels are divided into ten Companies. Each Company is led by a hero of the Chapter, who - in addition to his Company command - is in charge of a particular aspect of the Chapter's logistics. The current Company commanders are as follows:

Headquarters: Commander Dante

  • First Company: Veteran Company.
  • Second Company: Battle company.
  • Third Company: Battle company.
  • Fourth Company: Battle company.
  • Fifth Company: Battle company.
  • Sixth Company: Reserve company - Tactical
  • Seventh Company: Reserve company - Tactical.
  • Eighth Company: Reserve company - Fast attack.
  • Ninth Company: Reserve company - Heavy Support.
  • Tenth Company: Scout/Recruitment company
  • (Death Company)
  • Note: It is stated in the 3rd Edition Codex:Blood Angels that the scouts of the Chapter are not formed from the new recruits, but instead are taken from the most aggressive of the Blood Angels, and as such, are much more geared towards closing with the enemy to engage in close combat.

Fleet Disposition

Notable Blood Angels

Sources

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