Blood Angels
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This article is about the Space Marine Chapter. For other uses of Blood Angels, see Blood Angels (disambiguation). |
The Blood Angels, originally known as the Revenant Legion[44b] were the IX Legion of the original Space Marine Legions under their Primarch 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.[1h]
Contents
Homeworld
The homeworld of the Blood Angels is the planet Baal and its two moons, Baal Primus and Baal Secundus, from which the Blood Angels take their new recruits. The Blood Angels' Primarch, Sanguinius, fell upon Baal Secundus after he and his brother Primarchs were scattered across the galaxy.[4c]
In ancient days Baal and its moons had Terra-like atmospheres. Baal itself was always a world of red rust deserts, but its moons were close to paradises. As the Dark Age of Technology ended in the Age of Strife, civil war erupted between the world and its colonised moons, leading to the nuclear devastation of the planetary system. Baal Secundus has since been a nuclear-blasted desert world with deadly levels of radiation. This forced the world's human tribes to build cumbersome radiation suits in order to survive. Mutants were once rife upon the world, frequently at war with the remaining pure humans for dominance of the planet.[4c]
History
Unification Wars & Great Crusade
Formation
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.[4c]
Originally known as the IXth Legion, the early records of the Legion show a noted absence in many of the key conquests of the Unification Wars. Instead, the Legion acted as the Emperor's inferno, ravaging and annihilating any foe they were unleashed upon. Few in number, they often served as vanguards and waging battles in small and audacious raids focusing on murderous close-combat. They were often deployed to the most dangerous warzones against the most twisted of foes, holding the line alone and out of the spotlight. This was a role fitting for them, as the early IXth Legion recruited from the lost and dispossessed of Terra. Despite often bearing the marks of mutation they were genetically sculpted into tall and fair elegant specimens. However other dark rumors followed the Legion, which soon earned the title of the "Eaters of the Dead" due to their habit of consuming enemy corpses after a battle. This did not prevent the formation of a Cult of the Reborn, followers of the IX hoping to be chosen as aspirants. The mysticism this surrounded the Astartes with earned the movement to be mercilessly slaughtered once the Imperial Truth was edicted.[44b]
As the Unification Wars transitioned into the Great Crusade, the IXth Legion was deployed to hellish backwater warzones such as Neptune. On the moons of Neptune, 12,000 warriors of the IXth disappeared but nonetheless managed to endure and complete their mission. They had largely replenished their numbers taken from the barely human dregs of Neptune's tunnels. Where others may have floundered and fallen, the IXth had risen from the ashes of defeat. This process soon repeated itself again and again, with the IXth being cast into a hellish warzone only to emerge as they had before. This led to Malcador the Sigillite dubbing them the "Revenant Legion". They often found themselves in the company of those Legion's less-favored by the lords of the Imperium, such as the War Hounds and IVth.[44b]
With each new bloody victory, the dire legends that surrounded the IXth grew and spread. They became spectres that haunted the wild places of the Great Crusade, the terrors loosed by the Emperor to clear his path across the stars. The IXth accepted this duty with a grim pride, never shirking in the mantle that they wore. Each campaign was undertaken with a quiet, brooding hunger for blood and death that was as terrifying as it was effective. They fought without mercy and paid no heed to anything other than the destruction of the enemy. Shunned and isolated from the wider Imperium, they began to descend into charnel cults and bloody rituals. Various Red Cults formed as the Legion was broken apart by the widening Crusade, and their brutality attracted censure at places such as Yarant. They began to only maintain line infantry and jump troops, in part due to the reluctance of the Imperium to supply them with more advanced weapons.[44b]
Meanwhile on Baal, Sanguinius was perhaps 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.[1a] 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.[1b] When the Emperor found Baal in his search for the twenty Primarchs, Sanguinius immediately recognized him for who he was and knelt before him, pledging his service in 843.M30. 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 dark and brutal IXth Legion, which he would come to name the Blood Angels.[44b]
The Coming of Sanguinius
Sanguinius spent the first 3 years after his rediscovery with the Luna Wolves, learning the ways of the Imperium from his brother Horus. He first met his then-savage Revenant Legion during the Pacification of Teghar Pentarus, but shocked all assembled by first learning the name of each and every one of his warriors. Giving a speech before his assembled sons, Sanguinius stated that he would swear an oath to his Legion instead of the vice-versa. Sanguinius stated he hoped he could live up to leading his sons, and that he would stand with them whatever may come be it glory or damnation. He declared the IXth Legion to be scattered and broken no longer, and that they alone would conduct the coming campaign without the aid of the Luna Wolves. Sanguinius' humility roused the assembled warriors, who immediately pledged themselves to their Primarch.[42a]
At Teghar Pentarus, Sanguinius gave his blood in the maelstrom of combat and came to understand the true nature of his sons after witnessing their bloodlust and hunger. Sanguinius knew that if this path would continue, one day his Legion would become monsters. Yet, he did not despair. He sought to remake the Blood Angels into a force for nobility by having each company fight alongside a Luna Wolves contingent for the next decade. Besides gaining stature in the eyes of their peers, the nobility and honor displayed by the Luna Wolves began to influence the sons of Sanguinius. Their Primarch was able to instil a sense of pride in them to replace their desire for carnage and bloodshed. At Anaxis XII, the Blood Angels, Luna Wolves, and Imperial Fists under their respective Primarch's fought against a massive Hrud migration that solidified their new status and bonds with the other top Legion's of the Great Crusade. At Kentaurus Beta, they learned from Sanguinius the art of bloodlessly pacifying a planet. Soon enough fury became tempered by wisdom, and Sanguinius succeeded in his quest to reforge the Blood Angels. They soon not only became noble warriors of their own rights, but also icons across the entire Imperium.[44b]
During the later part of 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.[4a] Throughout the Great Crusade, the Blood Angels became renowned for its 'wars of ultimatum'. These campaigns of open domination against non-Compliant worlds began with Sanguinius or one of his praetors affording a world one opportunity to embrace Unification or face a 'Day of Revelation', in which they would suffer the fury of the Blood Angels unleashed. Many foes confronted by the gathered Blood Angels Legion hosts were overcome with dread and awe, and capitulated without hesitation. Those who did not would see the shining countenance of the Angel Sanguinius transformed into savage fury as blinding destruction was delivered from on high.[33]
However, despite their newfound fame and nobility, the Legion continued to battle with its own demons. The bloodlust that defined the early Legion remained, and Sanguinius desperately sought to both keep it a secret and find any solution he could to elevate it.[44b]
Notable Battles during the Great Crusade
- Conquest of Neptune[44b]
- Melchior Compliance[20a]
- Compliance of Muspel[66]
- The Defense of Helioret and destruction of the Craftworld Magc'Sithraal — Aided by the Ordo Sinister[44a]
- The Praxil Compliance — Waged alongside the Imperial Fists and Emperor's Children Legions[69]
- The Ullanor Crusade alongside several other Legions under Horus[44c]
- War on Murder — Blood angels Marines fought on the planet named One-Forty-Twenty, aka "Murder" against the arachnoid race dubbed "Megarachnids"[67]
The Horus Heresy
Signus Prime
In an attempt to divide those loyalist legions he could not sway to Chaos, Horus dispatched the Blood Angels to the farthest reaches of space, where they unwittingly walked in traps of his and his masters devising. The Blood Angels mission to the Signus Cluster, near to the galactic core in the Ultima Segmentum, was one such venture, where the system of 7 planets and 15 moons had been taken over in bloody slaughter by the daemonic hordes of a Greater Daemon of Slaanesh, Kyriss the Perverse. Thinking that they were arriving to liberate humans from their xeno-overlords, Sanguinius had no reason to suspect that his best friend, the Warmaster Horus, would betray him.[14a]
When the Blood Angels fleet arrived in system, they were assaulted by Chaos energies, ravaging their Navigators and Astropaths, killing many outright, as well sending mad panic through the Legion's ship serfs and auxiliaries, who until then had never felt the effects of Chaos. Most Space Marines were immune to its effects due to their training and iron-will, leaving those few not driven mad to restrain the crazed crew members and erect psychic baffles. The daemon conqueror of Signus, Kyriss, had time however to beam an image of itself to the Legion's Primarch, challenging him to take back Slaanesh's newest conquest. At this Sanguinius gathered his senior officers and organised a counterattack against a foe they had no experience fighting. Sure of their victory, Sanguinius declared This foul creature will know what it is to face my wrath. I shall strike him down, I shall be an Angel of Vengeance![14b]
With Signus Prime covered from pole to pole with the result of daemonic invasion, with millions lying dead in the streets or held in prison camps to await daemonic whims, with cities razed, oceans boiled away and plains burned to cinders, the Blood Angels Legion struck in a furious assault, falling from the skies to engage crazed cultists and packs of hideous daemons upon the Plains of the Damned. Sanguinius swore to personally cast Kyriss down and vanquish him, so hence made for the Cathedral of the Mark, the daemon's lair. However, outside its entrance, Sanguinius was faced with the single greatest foe who would have the greatest effect on his Legion and its descendants down the millennia: Ka'Bandha, Greater Daemon and Bloodthirster of Khorne.[14b]
Confronting the Angel, the Bloodthirster spoke, attempting to sway him to Chaos, Why do you fight us, so called Angel? You may be able to best me, but you cannot hope to defeat Chaos. My Lord Khorne is powerful beyond means you can measure. Your Emperor is weak and foolish, even now he hides from us. Is he afraid to fight? Sanguinius rebuked this, commanding the daemon to get out of his way, to allow him to cast down his master or be destroyed, to which Ka'Bhanda scoffed that his only master is Khorne, that he does not realise the threat which the daemons and Chaos hold for humanity and that their ally Horus has led Sanguinius into a trap whilst moving to lay siege against Terra. Ka'Bhanda further tempts Sanguinius once more, to join the forces of Khorne and destroy Kyriss and rule the Signus Cluster.[14b]
Sanguinius rejected the news that Horus was lying in bed with daemons, claiming it as lies and proclaiming that nothing could entice him to spit on his oath of loyalty to the Emperor, from which he launched himself at the daemon, whilst his finest ten companies of veterans, Dreadnoughts and Terminators charged into the horde of bloodletters, hounds and furies swarming around the Bloodthirster. Plasma fire boiled daemon blood and talons cleaved power armour and gene-enhanced bone whilst the Angel pushed against the Bloodthirster, a flurry of blows from his great sword meeting the daemons axe time and time again, yet still succeeding in driving him back. Seizing the initiative, Sanguinius stabbed Ka'Bhanda through the chest, casting a terrible wound. The daemon replied in pain and anger with a lash of his great whip which caught the Angel's legs and crushed them within its coils before being knocked to the ground be the flat of his foes axe. With the beast towering over him he taunted it, Come at me again, daemon! Feel the lick of my sword a second time if you dare! to which Ka'Bhanda replied I let you live this time, manling. Your legs will heal but this wound will always fester. It was at this moment that the beast let loose a mighty howl and darted across the battlefield, cutting down no less that five hundred sons of Sanguinius. The psychic backlash caused by the loss of so many of his sons cast Sanguinius into unconsciousness.[14b]
With their progenitor cast down the Blood Angels redoubled their efforts, becoming filled with a dark berserker fury which drove them to destroy the daemon horde and cleanse all of Signus Prime. Those daemons who did not fall by their blades fled back into the Immaterium along with their overlord Kyriss. As they came to victory, their rage and fury subsided, whereupon they became aware of their victory, however they had no reason to celebrate with thousands of their brothers lying amongst the daemon dead, their Primarch cast down and the dark shadow of the rage and fury they had so recently possessed looming upon their souls. When their father awoke, his legs were already healing due to his genetic abilities as a Primarch, however nothing could be done for searing anguish he felt for the loss of his sons at the hands of Ka'Bhanda. Within a few days he could manage to walk, but the agony upon his soul would not abate and with this heavy weight, he vowed that whatever the future, whatever the cost, he would rain vengeance down upon the daemon Ka'Bhanda.[14d]
It was then that the message from Rogal Dorn of the Imperial Fists was received, calling them back to Terra. The Blood Angels did not need to be informed of the severity of the situation facing them and thus they set about evacuating all personnel from Signus back to the fleet, stowing the corpses of the fallen to be buried later on the slopes of Mount Seraph. Sanguinius ordered that no trace of the Legion remain in the Signus system and that the few surviving inhabitants be transported to nearby systems. Lastly warning beacons were stationed at the warp-jump points to ward off the unwary from visiting any of the planets or moons. Signus was to be left lifeless and rotting.[20f] Meanwhile, the Blood Angels' homeworld of Baal endured an extended siege by traitor forces.[65]
Imperium Secundus
After the battle in the Signus Cluster, the Blood Angels were able to link up with Ultramar and under the watchful eyes of Roboute Guilliman Sanguinius was eventually crowned Emperor of Imperium Secundus.[31]
Ultimately after a number of disasters, clashes between Guilliman, Sanguinius, and Lion El'Jonson, and a vision by Sanguinius that the Emperor was alive, Imperium Secundus was abolished. The three Primarchs led their Legions in an attempt to breach the Ruinstorm and reach Terra. Through an arduous journey, they eventually reached Davin, the nexus of the Ruinstorm, and engaged a vast Daemonic host. After the battle and the destruction of Davin, a way to Terra through the Ruinstorm was clear. However in their way stood many enemy blockades as Horus had foreseen this route. Sanguinius and the Blood Angels raced directly for Terra, as was their destiny, while Guilliman and Lion El'Jonson led the Ultramarines and Dark Angels in diversionary attacks against Horus's blockade.[39]
Siege of Terra
The Blood Angels were one of the few Legions who fought alongside the Emperor during the Battle of Terra. Led by Sanguinius, the Blood Angels fought with particular renown at the Eternity Gate. During the clash, Sanguinius banished first Ka'Bandha and then Angron back to the Warp.[42b] Later, both Sanguinius and Raldoron led a Blood Angels contingent as the Emperor launched a boarding action of Horus' flagship Vengeful Spirit. Separated from his sons, it was here that Sanguinius finally faced his destiny battling the traitorous Warmaster, dying in the process.[6]
The death of Sanguinius caused the Black Rage to suddenly fall upon the Blood Angels, both on the Vengeful Spirit and Terra. Bombarded by horrific visions of their gene-father's murder, the Blood Angels rampaged across the battlefield and butchered both loyalist and traitor alike.[59a] The madness eventually passed and the Emperor victorious in striking down Horus, and in the aftermath of the siege Raldoron, Azkaellon, Nassir Amit, and 500 other surviving Blood Angels held a funeral service for Sanguinius.[59b]
Post-Heresy
After the Heresy, Raldoron became the new master of the Blood Angels as the Black Rage began to manifest regularly.[7a] It fell to the Sanguinary Priests of the Chapter to try and control those suffering from the Black Rage. Yet in the countless generations since the Heresy, genetic deteriorations in the Blood Angels gene-seed have seen an increase in this flaw.[4c]
During the Second Founding of 021.M31, as with all other loyal Legions, the Blood Angels were forced to split into many smaller Chapters.[68a]
Hive Fleet Leviathan & Dark Imperium
Towards the end of the 41st Millennium a tendril of Hive Fleet Leviathan went 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 Blood.[4f] The Blood Angels attempted to slow the Tyranid advance during the Cryptus Campaign.[40c]
Following the Thirteenth Black Crusade and the resurrection of Roboute Guilliman, the Great Rift divides the Imperium in two. Baal and the bulk of the Blood Angels are left stranded in the Dark Imperium and must face the Tyranids alone.[35] In the subsequent Devastation of Baal Dante leads a desperate defense alongside several Successor Chapters but all seems lost until the arrival of Guilliman's Indomitus Crusade. Hive Fleet Leviathan is largely destroyed, ironically thanks to Daemonic hordes that formed as a result of the Great Rift.[38] In the aftermath of the battle Belisarius Cawl and the Zar-Quaesitor arrives along with thousands of new Primaris Space Marine recruits to rebuild the shattered chapter. Brother Corbulo becomes fascinated with the Primaris Marines as a potential source for a cure to the Blood Angels flaw, and follows them into battle whenever he can. Meanwhile Dante is made Regent of Imperium Nihilus by Guilliman.[40c] However it has since become apparent that Primaris Marines are still vulnerable to the Black Rage and Primaris too have since been placed into the Death Company.[49]
Baal has become a nexus within the Dark Imperium for the war effort to reclaim the region. At Baal's Skyfall Orbital Dock, Dante is gathering the Fleet Nihilus.[57c]
Other Battles
Timeline
- 544.M32: The War of the Beast — The Blood Angels and Novamarines manage to destroy an Ork Attack Moon. Later a force under Captain Valefor arrived at Terra to aid the throneworld on the push to Ullanor.[34]
- 996.M40: Secoris Tragedy — A boarding of an unknown Space Hulk infested with Genestealers met with disaster. The entire Chapter was nearly wiped out; only 50 Blood Angels survived.[32]
- 589.M41: Seeking revenge for the Brothers who died in the Secoris Tragedy in 996.M40, over eighty members of the Blood Angels First Company under the command of Captain Michaelus Raphael boarded the Space Hulk Sin of Damnation and utterly destroyed the aliens.[8b]
- 742.M41: First Tyrannic War — Dante sends 3 companies of Blood Angels to aid the Ultramarines against Hive Fleet Behemoth.[4d]
- 798.M41: Assault on Baal — The Blood Angels' homeworld of Baal came under attack from the Orks of Waaagh! Big Skorcha. Though two of the three invading Ork space hulks were destroyed in orbit by the Blood Angels fleet and boarding parties, a third landed on the surface and disgorged thousands of Orks. The defences of the Blood Angels' fortress-monastery would have fallen if not for forty-one Dreadnoughts led by Furioso Astramael, who managed to hold off the Orks long enough for reinforcements to arrive from orbit and mop up the remaining Ork forces.[4d]
- 941.M41: Second War for 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 was Commander Dante's reputation that Tu'shan and Calgar ceded overall command of the Space Marine strike force to him.[4e]
- ~900s.M41: The Arkio Insurrection — A civil war erupts among the Blood Angels. Eventually, Arkio is exposed as being part of a plan to tempt the chapter to Chaos and his insurrection is defeated.[5b]
- 998.M41: The Cryptus Campaign — Commander Dante leads much of the Blood Angels and their successors against the Tyranids of Hive Fleet Leviathan, which have massed in such force that Baal itself is threatened.[36b]
- 998.M41: The Third War for Armageddon — Despite the bulk of the Chapter being 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.[4l][9]
- 999.M41: Thirteenth Black Crusade — The Blood Angels contribute four companies to battle against Abaddon the Despoiler's 13th Black Crusade. They are deployed to push back Chaos forces advancing on Agripinaa and seek out their leader.[19] In addition, Astorath and other Captains commanded the defence of the Diamor System in the Diamor Campaign.[36b]
- ???.M42: The Angel's Halo campaign against the remnants of Hive Fleet Leviathan[50]
- ???.M42: The Battle of Idolatros during the Arks of Omen Campaign. Dante leads a massive Blood Angels force alongside the Imperial Navy to relieve the Unforgiven under Azrael from the forces of Chaos.[26]
- ???.M42: The Fourth Tyrannic War including the Battle of Bastior[10]
Gene-seed
The sons of Sanguinius are known to have handsome and noble features, mimicking that of their Primarch.[55a] They also have retractable fangs that are dubbed the Angel's Teeth.[55c]
The Flaw
The Blood Angels and all their successors suffer from a psychological need to drink human blood. They call this "the Red Thirst". They have no real nutritional need for blood, but when they abstain from drinking it for a long time, they grow weaker and even age. Chapter Master Dante abstained from drinking blood for centuries, and he eventually developed wrinkled skin and white hair like on old man and likewise felt psychologically worn out. When Baal was attacked by Tyranids in 999.M41, Dante was too emotionally and physically exhausted to lead the defence, but then he drank the blood of one of his servants, killing the servant in the process, and he was rejuvenated both physically and mentally. On the other hand, if a Blood Angel does not resist the Red Thirst at all, he will eventually mutate into a monstrous form with fangs and a bat-like face, and walk on all fours like a gorilla.[55]
The Blood Angels regularly drink bottled blood which is usually donated willingly by their serfs. They often mix this blood with wine, which they call "karash". However, blood is much more satisfying when taken directly from the body of a living person. It's even better if the victim dies in the process. The Blood Drinkers, a successor chapter of the Blood Angels, have a rite called the Rite of Holos wherein they start by drinking blood donated by their serfs but end with eating a prisoner alive. The death of that one prisoner is more satisfying than blood from a hundred serfs. The Blood Angels themselves have occasionally lost control and attacked and killed their own allies to have their blood even when they had plenty of bottled blood on hand.[1]
All Blood Angels and their successors may one day suffer the Black Rage. When they succumb to this, typically in the heat of battle, they think they are their Primarch Sanguinius in battle with Horus. In the Black Rage, the sufferer struggles to distinguish friend from foe. He might even attack his own brothers, something with usually doesn't happen with the Red Thirst. The Black Rage is incurable, and so difficult to manage that those who succumb are relegated to either the Tower of the Lost on Baal or transferred to the Death Company. In the Death Company, they seek to find a quick honourable death on the field of battle.[1]
The origins of the Red Thirst and Black Rage is hotly debated by the Blood Angels and their successors. Some blame the process of Insanguination, others in deep rooted Chaos corruption in Sanguinius as he was transported to Baal. The Mechanicum has observed that Blood Angels have an overactive Omophagea, and this combined with their blood rituals may have caused them to become more strongly effected by past memories than others. Others discuss the impact of Baal Secundus's strange cocktail of chemical toxins and radiation, as well as past evidence of mutation among the populace.[57b]
The Blood Angels consider the Red Thirst to be shameful and keep it a secret from the rest of the Imperium, although by the end of the 41st millennium it has become an open secret, with many Imperials including Roboute Guilliman being aware of it.[54] The Black Rage is also something of an open secret, though outsiders cannot distinguish it from the Red Thirst. The Blood Angels stave off the Red Thirst and Black Rage in part by practicing fine art as a hobby, such as painting or sculpting. Somehow this has a soothing effect on the inhuman beast inside all of them. The successor chapter Angels Penitent used to do the same but gave it up, and since then they suffer the Red Thirst and Black Rage at a much increased rate.[1]
The Red Thirst has been with the Blood Angels since before the Horus Heresy and even Sanguinius suffered from it, albeit in a mild form.[20g] The Black Rage has been with the Blood Angels since the death of Sanguinius. The Primaris line of Blood Angels are more resistant to both the Red Thirst and the Black Rage, though not immune, so the Blood Angels must still have a Death Company.[49] When he created the Primaris Blood Angels, Belisarius Cawl decided that the Emperor deliberately gave the Blood Angels the Red Thirst for whatever reason, and so did not try to remove it completely.[54]
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.[12a]
Successors
The Blood Angels Legion is known to have sired at least five Second Founding Chapters, but as a Chapter they sired two more; many have come and gone in the millennia. Their successors, like them, are afflicted with the Black Rage and Red Thirst, and a sense of loss and grief for their fallen primarch and have visions of his death.[1e] Although some chapters suffer from it more than others, the Successors that were founded in later centuries are more harshly affected by the flaw. Some founding’s teeter on the border of full-blown insanity, causing them to be on the verge of destruction, even though the Chapter council thought the flaw was eradicated from the gene-stocks for a while. Due to this the Space Marines of the most recent foundings can lapse into psychosis with the slightest provocation. The Blood Angels and their successors share a special bond due to the death of their Primarch being a very real memory that threatens them when in great stress or danger, rather than being a myth of legend unlike other chapters, due to this bond an attack on a chapter is considered an attack on all Sons of Sanguinius.[4m][16]
The Blood Angels maintain close ties with their Successor Chapters, particularly after the Devastation of Baal. Great Conclaves of the Sanguinary Brotherhood are held to decide certain actions of Successor Chapters.[57d]
Culture
Sanguinius did much to establish the culture and beliefs of the Chapter. He transformed the Blood Angels from an army of killers into a Legion of noble warriors that were also well-versed in art and poetry.[44b] There is a mystical streak in many of the Blood Angels and a strong belief that things can be changed for the better. This belief can be seen in everything they do: they strive for perfection be it in their works of art, martial discipline, or military doctrine. Due to their extended lifespans, Blood Angels have time to perfect their techniques in art as well as war.[1h]
Today the Blood Angels are known for both their savagery and grace. They seek to maintain ten defining commandments that they feel best exemplify their Chapter's soul. Through meditation, they maintain the Five Angelic Graces of Honour, Humility, Mercy, Restraint, and Forgiveness. In opposition to these are the five Warrior Virtues of Strength, Savagery, Abandon, Rage, and Detachment. Thus are the Blood Angels frenzied killers one moment, while becoming stoic monks who appreciate arts and music the next.[12b]
Blood Angels also have a habit of sleeping whenever possible in the sarcophagi used to create them. They apparently believe that it is in this slumber that they are one step closer to Sanguinius and seek to gain insight into the psyche of their forefather.[1h]
The Blood Angels will spare no effort to attain the material needed to create the Chapter's art and have even fought wars to obtain them. This includes Bloodstone gems, from the deep caves of the Cruor Mountain on Baal and the larvae of the Spinewyrm fauna. Bloodthirsty sand clams are also needed, as the white pigment used to paint the Chapter's angel wings, can only be obtained by crushing clams' shells.[57a]
Tactics
The Blood Angels are for the most part a Codex Chapter, though formations such as the Death Company defy the edicts of Roboute Guilliman. In battle, they are known to favour Jumpack-equipped Infantry, close combat, and direct assault. The infamous Gunship and Drop Pod-borne planetary assaults of the Blood Angels are both beautiful and savage to behold. They depart as quickly as they strike, rarely staying behind to oversee a worlds reconstruction and administration unlike the likes of the Imperial Fists.[12b]
Despite their melee-emphasized method of war, the Blood Angels maintain a larger then average pool of armored vehicles, including some of unique Design. Most notable of these is the Baal Predator.[12b]
Organisation
Legion Organization
During the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy, the Blood Angels were a Space Marine Legion numbering roughly 120,000 warriors. The structure of the Blood Angels was to change with the return of Sanguinius. The winged Primarch was to bring a sense of order to the often fractious Legion, stamping a new structure onto it in the hopes of containing its hunger. Though in essence this new order would seem to be in accord with the Principia Bellicosa, the schema by which the other Legions were organised, in actuality it also varied a great deal from the standard pattern. It retained the basic structure of companies, initially forming the Legion into 200 companies of approximately 300 warriors each, although by the last years of the Great Crusade this would have increased to 300 companies each of 500 warriors. However, past this basic structure there were many discrepancies, each chosen by the Great Angel to serve a purpose in his plans. These companies were grouped into Hosts for campaigns requiring greater force of numbers than that possessed of a single company, though each Host was a temporary creature broken and made as need required.[44b] Sanguinius created three Spheres to encompass his Hosts, three chambers by which he would give order and purpose to the warriors of the Legion. Each was separate and distinct from the Three Hundred Companies and the strictures of the Principia Bellicosa, forming a distinct strata of organisation that allowed the warriors of the IXth Legion to focus their hunger and rage towards a single end and to conquer it. Yet it was not merely a blunt tool, but an elegant and artful plan designed to promote the finer qualities of the Legion while providing an outlet for the more base. It was the Great Angel's masterwork, the fulfilment of an oath and the salvation of his children.[44b]
The outermost of the three Spheres would encompass the rank and file of the Legion, the warriors that plied blade and bolter on the battlefield. Known within the Legion as the Malak, these warriors had but one duty to fight at the order of their captains. They obeyed, they killed and they practised the arts granted them by the Primarch, and by these simple disciplines and the endless focus of their post-human minds they staved off the depredations of their hunger. Within this sphere there were but few distinctions, simple titles and orders for those who excelled in specific arts of war and peace, exemplars of their tasks and angels of small actions. These were the marksmen, poets and duellists of the Legion, its strong right hand and beating heart, and though these were but small honours, they were held dear by those who won them.[44b]
The Second Sphere was composed of the commanders and leaders of the Legion, the powers and dominions that stood at the side of Sanguinius. To them fell the duty of command, of the execution of Sanguinius' wishes with alacrity and sound judgement. Unlike those who fought at their command, they bore the burden of free will, of time to think and ponder as they would while the curse stalked them. They were the planners and strategists of the crimson host, they directed battles and wars as lesser men directed symphonies, utilising each instrument at their command to its utmost. As the rank and file found peace in their studies, so too did each of the mighty become a master of many disciplines, those of the pen and brush as well as those of the blade and gun. Though they were not the single- minded fanatics of Legions such as Angron's red reapers or Guilliman's famed tacticians, there were few who could match them in the arts of war taken as a whole.[44b]
The First Sphere, the final demarcation of Sanguinius' new Legion, comprised the ranks of the Immortals. These warriors stood within the presence of the Primarch; they did not operate within one of the Three Hundred Companies but as the guards and servants of the Great Angel himself. Each, when inducted into the ranks of the First Sphere, gave up his common name to take on another and gave up his identity to do the work of the Primarch without guilt or regret. They were Sanguinius' wrath, his stern resolve and his watchful eyes each given form and purpose. Upon these warriors he depended for the most dangerous of tasks, to fight upon those battlefields and to act upon those errands that would tarnish the soul and bring the hunger roaring to the fore. By the armour of the names and persona that the warriors of the First Sphere wore like their own, they put off the toll of their actions and emerged from their service untarnished, to take their places in the ranks once again.[44b] Formations of the First Sphere included the Sanguinary Guard, Crimson Paladins, Burning Eyes, and Angel's Tears.[44b]
The lords of Sanguinius' crimson hosts bore many similarities to the strictures of the Principia Bellicosa, but with a number of differences both large and small. Authority was strictly divided across the three Spheres of the Legion, with each officer operating within his own place in the manner given him by the Primarch himself. This strict, overlapping system of authority was less flexible than some Legions, but it afforded a solid line of responsibility and control that limited the effect of the Blood Angels' ever- present hunger and sudden rage. To mitigate the possibility of any breakdown of authority, the Blood Angels maintained a large number of junior officers, lieutenants and sergeants of varying types, all quickly able to take the place of the slain in the heat of battle.[44b]
On the field of battle, the line of authority was always drawn clearly for the Blood Angels and followed absolutely. To disobey or question orders was a grave sin, undertaken only in the most serious of situations and warranting the harshest of punishments, even if proven correct. Their duty was only to obey, the individual warrior worried not for anything but action, putting the hunger to the back of his mind while those appointed over him worried over consequences. In the Blood Angels, all authority stemmed directly from Sanguinius and flowed down from him, first to the lord commanders then to his captains and beyond in an unbroken and inviolable line. This fact kept his Legion centred and focused, each word from a sergeant in the heat of battle was the word of Sanguinius himself, each nod from a captain a tilt of the Primarch's head itself.[44b]
The Blood Angels also differed in small ways, as with many of the Legions they had their own titles and names for authority and a host of lesser divisions to suit their style. Those who held command over Hosts and had authority over lesser captains were known as Archeins rather than the old title of Praetor, and also held the title of Dominion for a company. Within a company were a number of junior officers, the Powers who commanded the ranks of the company at war and the Virtues who stood as its exemplars in other endeavours. Many were known by the focus of their devotion, Archeins of Wisdom and Powers of the Blade, such distinctions a mark of respect as much as a tactical designation in a Legion whose Primarch urged them to be more than simple weapons.[44b]
The Legion's fleet assets were similarly impressive, boasting over 300 capital class ships, many of them heavy cruisers or even battleships of various classes. Many of these craft were outfitted to serve as orbital assault craft, mounting either banks of heavy linear cannon for use as bombardment weapons, launch rails for swarms of drop pods or vast hangar bays from which the large Stormbird or Thunderhawk dropships could operate. Few among their brother Legions could match such a fleet for sheer firepower or mass, for the weakness of the Blood Angels fleet lay in its single-minded obsession with a single stratagem. In terms of support craft, the fleet was less amply supplied, with less than 600 sub-capital craft, mostly slower escort gunboats with little in the way of fast strike craft. This was another side effect of the Legion's singular focus, for such craft were rarely needed for their preferred strategy and speciality, save as screening assets for the larger cruisers.[44b]
Chapter Organization
Today, 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.[4k] The only exceptions to the Codex structure allowed by the Blood Angels and its Successors are the Sanguinary Guard and the Death Company.[4p]
The First Company is composed of the Chapter's 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.[4b]
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 Company is made up of Battleline Squads, while the Seventh and Eighth Companies are a made up of Close Support Squads, and the Ninth Company has a full compliment of Fire Support Squads.[40b] 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.[4q] They also have recently come to include Vanguard Space Marine troops.[40b]
The Blood Angels Chapter has two ruling bodies, the Red Council and the Council of Blood (sometimes referred to as the Council of Bone and Blood).[21] The latter is made up of senior Chaplains and Sanguinary Priests and is responsible for spiritual and physical work to constrain the Red Thirst and the Black Rage. The Red Council meanwhile consists of the chapter's most senior officers oversees all aspects of waging war and nominates a new Chapter Master when the previous one inevitably dies. As such, the Red Council is the more senior of the two bodies.[55b]
Headquarters
The current headquarters staff following the Devastation of Baal is as follows:[40b][71a]
| Chapter Command | |||
 Blood Angels' Chapter Banner |
Chapter Master | Reclusiam | Sanguinary Priesthood |
 |
 |
 | |
|
Commander Dante, |
Astorath the Grim,
|
||
| Librarius | Sanguinary Guard | Armoury | Fleet Command | Logisticiam |
 |
 |
 |
||
|
Brother Daeanatos, |
Brother Incarael,
|
Brother Amadeno,
|
Warden of the Gates
|
Companies
The current Companies and their Captains post-Devastation of Baal is as follows.[40b][71a]
| Veteran Company | Battle Companies | |||
| 1st Company | 2nd Company | 3rd Company | 4th Company | 5th Company |
 "Archangels" |
 "The Blooded" |
 "Ironhelms" |
 "Knights of Baal" |
 "Daemonbanes" |
|
Captain Karlaen, |
Captain Aphael,
|
Captain Antargo,
|
Captain Raphaen,
|
Captain Sendini,
|
| Reserve Companies | Scout Company | |||
| 6th Company | 7th Company | 8th Company | 9th Company | 10th Company |
 "Eternals" |
 "Unconquerables" |
 "Bloodblades" |
 "Sunderers" |
 "Redeemers" |
|
Captain Tybahlt,
|
Captain Phaeton,
|
Captain Matarno,
|
Captain Latarnes,
|
Captain Borgio,
|
Company Disposition
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.[68b]
- Veteran Squads consist of Sanguinary Guard, The Death Company, Sternguard Veterans, Vanguard Veterans, Veteran Intercessors, Company Veterans, and Terminator Squads.[40b]
- Battleline Squads consist of Tactical Squads, Intercessor Squads, Heavy Intercessor Squads, Death Company Squads, and Infiltrator Squads.[40b]
- Close Support Squads consist of Assault Squads, Assault Intercessor Squads, Inceptor Squads, Reiver Squads, and Incursor Squads.[40b]
- Fire Support Squads consist of Devastator Squads, Aggressor Squads, Hellblaster Squads, Eliminator Squads, Suppressor Squads, Eradicator Squads, and Centurion Warsuits.[40b]
- Scout Squads are the newly recruited neophytes serving under the ever watchful eye of the Scout Sergeant, who is one of the most experienced Space Marines in the chapter.[68b]
The Blood Angels show squad belonging with symbols worn on the right kneepad of the power armour.[3a]
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 duel with Horus. Infrequently, this 'race memory' may be triggered by circumstances, often on the eve of battle, but it is likely to be the death of 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 intrude upon his mind, and dire events ten millennia old flood into the present.[1d]
To outside observers, the Astartes overcome with the Black Rage appears half mad with fury, believing the past to be the present, and unable to recognize his comrades. He may thinks himself the Primarch upon the eve of his fall, and the bloody battles of the Horus Heresy are raging all around him. As well as the memories of the Primarch, the Marine is imbued with a small portion of Sanguinius's unearthly power, boosting his already prodigious strength and vitality to superhuman levels.[1d]
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 walk amongst their brethren, blessing each in turn and noting those whose eyes may appear a little glazed, 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 mastering it, wrestling it down into the depths of his 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. These join the ranks of a special unit called the Death Company.[1d]
Assailed by the dying memories of Sanguinius, the warriors of the Death Company seek but one thing: death in battle fighting against the enemies of the Emperor. The Death Company is arrayed in black armour upon which are painted blood-red saltires, crosses symbolizing the Angel's sacrifice. Led into battle and directed towards the foe by the Chapter's Chaplains, the warriors fight knowing death is at hand, making them utterly fearless, and they can shrug off injuries that would stop even other Astartes. Should they survive the battle, their wounds will probably kill them afterwards, once the frenzy and the slaughter are over. Blood Angels are thought to find this the preferable end, 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 a quick and clean death in battle than to lose oneself in the curse of the Flaw.[1d]
Even those in a Dreadnought cannot escape the grasp of the Black Rage when it strikes, turning the machine into a raging Death Company Dreadnought[4g]
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 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 Blood Champion.[4l] Honour Guard wear gold helmets.[1b]
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.[4k]
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 armour instead.[4o]
Deathstorm Strike Force
The Blood Angels are also able to field a highly specialized force against overwhelming infantry known as a Deathstorm Strike Force and it is only deployed in the most dire of situations.[13]
Recruitment
The Blood Angels recruit their Aspirants from the chapter's home planet of Baal and its two moons.[1c] The time of choosing is known as the Duplus Lunaris, a centennial alignment of Baal and its moons. During this time, members of the Chapter visit each tribe of the Baal System to encourage participation in the selection process. The subsequent trials differ, with ritual combat being typical on Baal Primus. On Baal Secundus meanwhile they travel to Angel's Fall (the place where Sangunius was found as an infant) must reach the Place of Challenge by journeying through a vast, hostile desert, and a series of canyons, infested with Fire Scorpions and Thirstwater. While the trial claims many, those that succeed come before the Blood Angels, who winnow out those that are genetically incompatible with their Gene-Seed. All are permitted to return home, though the most promising rejects are elevated to the status of Chapter Serf. After nine days of games at the Place of Challenge, their numbers are reduced even further. Those that remain are elevated to Aspirant. These Aspirants are then force-marched to the next Place of Challenge, where they are split into smaller units. Any aspirant who fails at this point is doomed to never leave the facility, and will either die in the trials or remain there as a guard.[12b]
After all these trials, victors (often numbering less than a few score[12b]) are finally chosen. They are taken in the Thunderhawks to the stronghold of the Blood Angels on the Baal itself, the Arx Angelicum. However, they haven't completed their trials yet, as they must observe a vigil for 72 hours without rest. Those that fail and fall asleep are taken away by the Blood-Servitors; no-one knows what happens to them.[1c]
At the end of the vigil, the remaining aspirants are offered a chalice (rumoured to contain a small portion of Sangunius's own blood) by the Sanguinary Priests. After partaking it, they fall into a coma and are entombed by the Blood-Servitors inside the caskets of the Hall of the Sacrophagi. They remain there for a full year, in full care of the casket's life-support systems, while they are injected with blood of the Sanguinius. Many die, incapable of bearing the vast changes wrought upon them by the gene-seed; others wake up too early and grow insane from their dark and claustrophobic existence. The ones who completely adapt, however, become the newest additions to the chapter.[11]
Equipment
- See — Space Marine Armoury for generic Space Marine weapons, vehicles and equipment
- See — Blood Angels Armoury for Blood Angels-specific items
As travel to Mars has become quite perilous since the formation of the Great Rift, most new Blood Angels Techmarines are trained on the Forge World of Unverrdt IX.[40b]
Noted Elements of the Blood Angels
Chapter Fleet
Prior to the Devastation of Baal, the Blood Angels maintained a fleet composed of two Battle Barges, seven Strike Cruisers, and sixteen Rapid Strike Vessels.[4c] Among its ranks are Azkaellon Class Frigates. The Blood Angels fleet is said to be exceptionally powerful and is commanded almost entirely by members of the Chapter itself as opposed to Thralls.[12b]
Known Vessels
- Absolution's Ire — Battle Barge and present flagship[26]
- Baal's Fury — Battle Barge.[40b]
- Blade of Vengeance — Battle Barge.[4c]
- Bloodcaller — Battle Barge.[4c]
- Covenant of Baal — Battleship (Heresy-era).[20d]
- The Crimson Spectre — Battle Barge (Heresy-era).
- Eclipse of Hope — Battle Barge. Lost in the 5th Black Crusade.[52]
- Eminence Sanguis[43]
- Red Tear — Gloriana Class Battleship, the flagship of Sanguinius during the Great Crusade until it crashed on Signus Prime. Later recovered and repaired.[20b][20f]
- Sword of Baal — Strike Cruiser, assigned to the Indomitus Crusade.[47]
Armoury
Relics and Artifacts
- Axe Mortalis[4l]
- Death Mask of Sanguinius[63a]
- Perdition Pistol[3b]
- Red Grail[4l]
- Shroud of Sanguinius[63b]
- Spear of Telesto[5a]
Aircraft and Vehicles
Notable Members
Great Crusade / Heresy
- Sanguinius — Primarch of the Blood Angels.[1a]
- Raldoron — First Captain and Chapter Master of the Protectors,[15] later Chapter Master of the Blood Angels.[20a]
- Azkaellon — Herald of the Sanguinary Guard during the Horus Heresy, supervised the division of the Blood Angels Legion into Chapters.[4k][20a]
- Dahka Berus — High Warden of the Blood Angels.[20e]
- Nassir Amit — Captain of the Fifth Company, later founder and first Chapter Master of the Flesh Tearers.[20c]
- Zephon - Exarch of the High Host and first Chapter Master of the Charnel Guard[42d]
Post-Heresy
- Dante — Current Chapter Master of the Blood Angels.[1a]
- Raldoron - First Chapter Master after the Heresy.[7a]
- Mephiston — Current Chief Librarian of the Blood Angels.[51]
- Corbulo — Sanguinary High Priest and Bearer of the Red Grail.[40b]
- Astorath the Grim — High Chaplain and Redeemer of the Lost.[4j]
- Lemartes — Chaplain and Guardian of The Lost.[40b]
- Karlaen - Captain, 1st Company[40b]
- Erasmus Tycho — Captain, 3rd Company (KIA).[4i]
- The Sanguinor — A mysterious and myth-enshrouded figure that appears to aid the Blood Angels during times of need.[4l]
- Morleo Moriar — Death Company Furioso Dreadnought. Former Captain, fell at the Battle of Clamorga.[2]
- Rafen — Decorated Brother Sergeant held in high esteem by Mephiston.[5a]
- Leonatos — Exiled Captain (KIA).[60]
Exclusive Units and Vehicles
Great Crusade / Heresy
- Angel's Tears[45c]
- Burning Eyes[45c]
- Contemptor-Incaendius Class Dreadnought[45c]
- Crimson Paladins[45c]
- Dawnbreakers[45c]
- High Host[37]
Post-Heresy
These may also be used by successor chapters.
- Baal Predator[4h]
- Death Company[40b]
- Death Company Chaplain[40b]
- Death Company Dreadnought[40b]
- Furioso Dreadnought[40b]
- Land Raider Angel Infernus[56]
- Librarian Dreadnought[40b]
- Quorum Empyrric[51]
- Sanguinary Guard[40b]
- Sanguinary Priest[40b]
Additional Resources
Alternative colour schemes
Commander in camouflage scheme[45a]
Land Raider, desert camouflage, Assault on Bantax[45b]
Camouflage scheme in a desert conflict[46]
Videos
See also
- Loyal Space Marine Chapters (List)
- Space Marine Forces (List)
- Sin of Damnation (Novella)
- The Fury (Short Story)
- Bellisario
- Blood Gruel
- Cult Sanguinius
Sources
- 1: Index Astartes II: Blood Angels
- 2: Codex: Blood Angels (3rd Edition), pg. 21
- 3: Codex: Blood Angels (4th Edition):
- 4: Codex: Blood Angels (5th Edition):
- 5: Deus Encarmine (Novel)
- 6: The End and the Death: Volume III (Novel) - 8:xxiii
- 7: Red Fury (Novel)
- 8: Codex: Blood Angels (7th Edition):
- 9: Codex: Armageddon (3rd Edition), pg. 32
- 10: Leviathan (Box) Rulebook, pgs. 247-253
- 11: White Dwarf 262 (AU), pgs. 104–105
- 12: First Founding (Background Book):
- 13: Liber Apocalyptica - Blood Angels Deathstorm Strike Force (saved archive page, dated 04 March 2011, last accessed 28 July 2024, original link: http://www.games-workshop.com/MEDIA_CustomProductCatalog/m1700034a_NEW_Blood_Angels_-_Deathstorm_Strike_Force.pdf])
- 14: Horus Heresy: Collected Visions:
- 15: A Thousand Sons (Novel), Chapter 18
- 16: Deathwatch: Rites of Battle, pg. 62
- 17: [Replace citation] http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/catalog/productDetail.jsp?prodId=prod1100022 Games Workshop (site no longer online, no archive found, last accessed 28 July 2024)
- 18: Deathwatch: The Achilus Assault, pg. 54
- 19: White Dwarf 286 (UK), pg. 66
- 20: Fear to Tread (Novel):
- 21: Death of Integrity (Novel), Chapter 11, pg. 109
- 22: Index Astartes: Death Company, pg. 7
- 23: The Crown of Thorns (Short Story)
- 24: Imperial Armour Volume Two - Second Edition, pg. 135
- 25: White Dwarf 45 (2014), pg. 28
- 26: Arks of Omen: The Lion, pg. 27
- 27: Trial by Blood (Anthology), The Trial of Gabriel Seth, Act I
- 28: The Lion: Son of the Forest (Novel), Chapter 6
- 30: Angron: The Red Angel (Novel), Chapter 18
- 31: The Unremembered Empire (Novel), Chapter 24
- 32: Space Hulk Mission Book (3rd Edition), pgs. 3–33
- 33: The Horus Heresy Book Six - Retribution, pg. 258-260
- 34: The Hunt for Vulkan (Novel), Chapter 4
- 35: Warhammer Community: New Warhammer 40,000: The Indomitus Crusade & the Dark Imperium (originally posted 16/05/2017) (saved archived page, dated 25 May 2024, last accessed 28 July 2024, original link: www.warhammer-community.com)
- 36: Dante (Novel):
- 37: Liber Astartes, pgs. 264-265
- 38: Warhammer 40,000 8th Edition Rulebook, pgs. 52–53
- 39: Ruinstorm (Novel) – Chapter 18
- 40: Codex: Blood Angels (8th Edition):
- 41: Mephiston: Revenant Crusade (Novel), Chapter 7
- 42: Echoes of Eternity (Novel)
- 43: Eminence Sanguis (Short Story)
- 44: The Horus Heresy Book Eight - Malevolence:
- 45: Warhammer 40,000 Compendium:
- 46: White Dwarf 110 (UK), pg. 6
- 47: Warhammer Community: Breaking News: Sisters, Psykers and Skeletons (Posted on 29/08/2019) (saved archive page, dated 24 March 2024, last accessed 28 July 2024, original link: https://www.warhammer-community.com/2019/08/29/breaking-news-sisters-psykers-and-skeletonsgw-homepage-post-4/)
- 48: It Bleeds (Short Story)
- 49: Warhammer Community: Blood of Baal Chapter Focus: The Blood Angels (Posted November 25 2019) (saved archive page, dated 15 May 2023,last accessed 28 July 2024, original link: https://www.warhammer-community.com/2019/11/25/blood-of-baal-chapter-focus-the-blood-angelsgw-homepage-post-2/)
- 50: Psychic Awakening: Blood of Baal, pg. 9
- 51: Mephiston: City of Light (Novel), Chapter 1
- 52: Eclipse of Hope (Short Story)
- 53: White Dwarf 395 (UK), pg. 86 — Kit Bash
- 54: Dark Imperium (Novel), Chapter 12
- 55: The Devastation of Baal (Novel):
- 56: Chapter Approved 2017, pg. 27 — Land Raiders
- 57: Codex Supplement: Blood Angels (9th Edition):
- 58: Warhammer Youtube page: The Warhammer Community Podcast: Episode 28 – Sons of Sanguinius (published 13.01.2021) (Last accessed on 2 February 2021): 00h:37m:38s
- 59: The End and the Death: Volume III (Novel):
- 60: Bloodquest (Graphic Novel Series) – Book 1
- 61: White Dwarf 454, pgs. 42-43
- 62: The Warhammer Community Podcast (saved archive page, dated 17 July 2024, last accessed 28 July 2024, original link: https://www.warhammer-community.com/warhammer-community-podcast/) - Episode 12 – Space Marine Successor Chapters
- 63: Warhammer 40,000: Wargear (2nd Edition):
- 64: Warhammer Community: Thunderhawks From 12 Chapters Rule The Skies in This Epic Aeronautica Imperialis Showcase (Posted on 18/10/2021) (saved archive page, dated 11 May 2024, last accessed 28 May 2024, original link: https://www.warhammer-community.com/2021/10/18/thunderhawks-from-12-chapters-rule-the-skies-in-this-epic-aeronautica-imperialis-showcase/)
- 65: White Dwarf 470, pg. 103
- 66: Lion El'Jonson: Lord of the First (Novel), Part 11
- 67: Horus Rising (Novel), Part Two, Chapter Seven
- 68: Index Astartes I:
- 69: The Horus Heresy Book One - Betrayal, pgs. 118-119
- 70: Chapter Approved 2001 – Death Company
- 71: Codex Supplement: Blood Angels (10th Edition) - Cover
- 72: Wrath & Glory: Vow of Absolution, pg. 5 - Murky Origins
Uncited
 |
| Loyalist | I - Dark Angels · V - White Scars · VI- Space Wolves · VII- Imperial Fists · IX- Blood Angels X- Iron Hands · XIII- Ultramarines · XVIII- Salamanders · XIX- Raven Guard |
|---|---|
| Traitor | III- Emperor's Children · IV- Iron Warriors · VIII- Night Lords · XII- World Eaters · XIV- Death Guard XV- Thousand Sons · XVI- Luna Wolves/Sons of Horus · XVII- Word Bearers · XX- Alpha Legion |
