Siege of Baal
| Conflict | Horus Heresy |
| Date | 008-013.M31[1] |
| Location | Baal |
| | |
| Loyalists | Traitors |
| | |
| Warden Arkhad[2c] Captain Kar'Tor[2b] |
Unknown |
| | |
| 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
- Blood Angels garrison[1]
- Shattered Legion forces (Baal Auxilliary Defense Force)[2b]
- Salamanders, Iron Hands, Raven Guard,[2b] and Imperial Fists[1] contingents
- Imperial Army loyalist contingents[2b]
Traitors
See also
Sources
- 1: White Dwarf 470, pg. 103 — Chronicles of the Horus Heresy
- 2: The Horus Heresy Book Six - Retribution
