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Siege of Baal

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Siege of Baal
Conflict Horus Heresy
Date 008-013.M31[1]
Location Baal
Combatants
Loyalists Traitors
Commanders
Warden Arkhad[2c]
Captain Kar'Tor[2b]
Unknown
Strength
See order of battle See order of battle

The Siege of Baal began in 008.M31 during the Horus Heresy, as Warmaster Horus' forces attempted to capture the Blood Angels Legion's Homeworld, Baal.[1]


Prelude

At the start of the Horus Heresy, the majority of the Blood Angels Legion was cut off and besieged, first due to the Signus Campaign and then as a result of the Ruinstorm. Those Blood Angels detachments which had not operated under their Primarch Sanguinius were left isolated and often believed themselves orphans.[2a] The Blood Angels garrison at Baal was left understrength.[2b][2c] However, Baal remained a powerful loyalist stronghold, serving as de facto Fortress World and main base for the Imperium in a region largely dominated by Traitors.[2c]

History

The Blood Angels garrison that was left to defend Baal was bolstered by scattered elements of the Imperial Fists and Shattered Legion survivors, who had fled the Dropsite Massacre.[1] These scattered reinforcements were quickly pressed into service, eventually forming eight "Provisional Battalions", about 8,000 Space Marines strong in total.[2b] In enlisting these forces, the Blood Angels' commander, Warden Arkhad, was unwilling to let loyalist Space Marines leave the world again once they had sought refuge or information there; most notably, he denounced the Salamanders crew of the Cruiser Ebon Drake as traitors after they refused to join the defense of Baal and recruited local Shattered Legion members for their search of the Primarch Vulkan.[2c]

Arrayed against the Loyalists, were the Traitor forces of the Sons of Horus, the Emperor's Children and the Forge World Cyclothrathe's Taghmata. Despite being isolated from the Imperium, Baal's defenders resisted two major attempts by the Traitors to capture the world. While Baal's Siege began in 008.M31, it would not finally end until 013.M31.[1]

Order of battle

Loyalists

Traitors

See also

Sources