# The Blood Angels



## Lord of the Night (Nov 18, 2009)

According to the new codex which I have just gotten the Blood Angels are staring death in the face. Hive Fleet Leviathan is en route to Baal and this is no mere tiny splinter, a very large Tyranid force is coming. And if that were not bad enough an entire army of Daemons is also attacking the Baal system, led by the Blood Angels most ancient foe, Ka'Bandha, the very same Bloodthirster that bested Sanguinius at Signus Prime and was bested by Sanguinius at Terra is returning for revenge against the chapter.

The Blood Angels have called in all of their successor chapters to the fight and all but the Lamenters are on their way, the first to arrive being the entire Flesh Tearers chapter. And even the Knights of Blood, a supposedly Renegade chapter of Space Marines have answered the call, although they aren't fighting on the same battlefields as the others.

Also learned a lot of other interesting stuff like the Gehenna Campaign where Dante and the Third Company fought against the Necron Legions of the Silent King. It was only a Tyranid Hive Fleet entering the system that caused these two enemies to band together and fight the common foe. After the Tyranids were annihilated both forces left Gehenna, too tired to face each other and for the Blood Angels it was too grim a task to fight those they had fought with, even the hated Necrons.

Or the Assault on Zoran where Captain Metraen led parts of the Third and Eight Companies to assault the Alpha Legion under the Daemon Prince Kernax Voldorius. After making the cruel discovery that Voldorius and the Alpha Legions base is in fact an ancient Imperator Titan buried in the ice the Blood Angels plans are ruined. Until the timely intervention of the White Scars Third Company led by none other then Kor'sarro Khan the Master of the Hunt. Teaming up to bring down Voldorius the White Scars attack from underground while the Blood Angels attack from the air ending in the Alpha Legions defeat, but the escape of Voldorius. I hope this will be included in the upcoming novel _The Hunt for Voldorius_, because it sounds like an amazing battle.

Or the Assault on Baal when WAAAGH! Big Skorcha landed on the planet and was met by Venerable Furioso Dreadnought Astramael and all 41 Furiosio Dreadnoughts of the Blood Angels. The battle, which came to be known as the Battle of Iron, was so great that when the Blood Angels set foot on the planets surface after destroying the two Space Hulks in orbit that barely any Orks still lived, and those that did live did not last very long.

New characters and revisions to old characters have been introduced as well. Chaplain Lemartes is no longer the High Chaplain of the Blood Angels. He is now in fact just the Warden of the Death Company and is actually kept in stasis between battles. The Sanguinary Priests predict that eventually his iron-will will falter and he will succumb to the madness.

Corbulo has now been given the gift of foresight, the same as Sanguinius himself possessed. It is through his divinations that the Blood Angels arrived at chapter strength at Armageddon, and how the Blood Angels ambushed and destroyed the Daemonic Fleets of M'kar the Reborn before he could lay waste to Baal.

Dante has not changed except for some new achievements such as slaying the mad Bloodthirster Skarbrand with a single blow, and the destruction of the Ork Horde at Canau, the number of Orks felled growing with each telling of the story. Although now there is a prophecy spoken by Sanguinius himself prior to his death that in the Time of Ending one lone golden warrior will stand between the Emperor and the darkness. Most believe that to be Sanguinius in the Heresy but Dante is not so sure, and is committed to surviving until that day.

The Sanguinor is an interesting character. He is not part of the chapter, and does not answer to the chapter. Rather he is more like the Legion of the Damned, only appearing where he is needed most, where Blood Angels face impossible odds and when all seems lost. The Boarding of the Terrorclaw where the Sanguinor led twelve Battle-brothers into the heart of the Night Lords Battlebarge and slew hundreds of Chaos Marines and the Terrorclaw's captain. Or the Battle of Khartas where the Bloodthirster Ka'Bandha killed Captain Zoraen and when on the verge of ending the lives of the last six Blood Angels left was met by the Sanguinor and bested after an epic duel, ending with Ka'Bandha being dragged into the air by the Sanguinor and dropped thousands of feet until crashing into the planet, the story saying that the impact of Ka'Bandha's crash could be heard all over the planet. 

However nobody knows just who the Sanguinor truly is, some say that he is a manifestation of Sanguinius's nobler side that keeps the Red Thirst in check, some say he is the last survivor of the original Sanguinary Guard, Captain Azkaellon, who was left behind by Sanguinius before his death to preserve the Sanguinary Guard. And some, the Inquisition, say that the Sanguinor is a psychic construct and is proof that the Blood Angels are flawed spiritually as well as physically.

The Successor Chapters also have some more detail. The Angels Encarmine are said to be one of the most active Space Marine chapters, but their Death Company has never been below thirty members which implies an increasing instability in their gene-seed. The Lamenters, supposed saviours of the Sanguinius bloodline, have returned but sadly the chapter has undergone degeneration since then which raises questions as whether or not they are truly cured. The Knights of Blood are a crazed chapter that has been declared Renegade by the High Lords of Terra yet they still fight for the Imperium although any world that accepts their aid runs the risk of Inquisitorial investigation. And the Angels Sanguine who still hide themselves from others, and now talk of a secret series of catacombs beneath their fortress-monastery that hold a dark secret about the chapter.


This new codex is truly a triumph of epic proportions, once again cementing the Sons of Sanguinius as my favourite defenders of the Imperium and true champions of mankind. The sheer amount of fluff is amazing and this is truly a great addition to the halls of 40k fluff. What do you all think about all this new fluff?.


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## ClassyRaptor (Apr 7, 2010)

I have the new Codex as well, gift from my mate who wors at my GW, and the amount of good quality fluff in it is amazing. I might one day even make a BA army, but I will definately be getting the Sanguinor and the Sanguinary Guard.


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## Cruor99 (Mar 11, 2009)

I would not mention the Gehenna campaign as one of the good pieces of fluff. 
It is just to improbable, and is just plainly wrong... It is as you put it, the necrons and blood angels banding together to fight a common enemy and the blood angels not wanting to fight such a 'friend'.

Not really the best moment of the codex.


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## Khorne's Fist (Jul 18, 2008)

Cruor99 said:


> I would not mention the Gehenna campaign as one of the good pieces of fluff.
> It is just to improbable, and is just plainly wrong... It is as you put it, the necrons and blood angels banding together to fight a common enemy and the blood angels not wanting to fight such a 'friend'.
> 
> Not really the best moment of the codex.


I completely agree. I can't see a marine chapter banding with something as inhuman as necrons, and the necrons would fight the whole lot of them. Also, the nid fluff says that the hive fleets avoid tomb worlds and necros in general. I'm surprised that bit of bullshit got through the editorial net.


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## Medic Marine (Jun 28, 2009)

With the obvious acceptions of the necrons and nids the new codex put out all seem to have more and "Better" fluff, imho.


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## Tuck3r (Apr 9, 2010)

I agree though i was hoping for more detail on the final conflict between the Great Angel and horus. /sigh as for more ruly stuff does anyone know where i can find a picture of the "stormhawk/raven" can't remember which bird. that is in the rulebook i was hoping that i could find a basis for my model but i can't find any pictures anywhere.


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## Ordo Xeno Commander (Jan 17, 2007)

That would be because there isn't one as far as I know. We only know what it can do and then adapt an already existing model to fit this, like a small thunderhawk or a large Valk.


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## revenant13 (Feb 15, 2008)

ive got a question about the whole necron/BA thing. i dont have the codex so, does it actually say they allied up? or was it more of "oh shit, bigger problems over there" and they changed their attentions to the tyranids (not an alliance, but they arent focusing on eachother rather)?

if they allied up then yes, that is very stupid.


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## elkhantar (Nov 14, 2008)

Can they ever communicate to begin with? I reeeally have to read the codex, but even if written there, I will disregard it as canon, and consider it just some fanfic


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## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

It seemed to end with Dante and the Necron King simply walking away from each other without a word. This does suggest some kind of silent agreement between them.

Does not fit the _current_ fluff but as we know fluff changes. If Necs are in the works, maybe this is a small sign of what`s coming? Necrons not so faceless after all. It wouldn`t be too much of a stretch, every race gets built upon with each review, and the necs are pretty one dimensional at the moment.
Hell, even the nids have a recurring nemesis or two now, so why not a necron? And don`t just say 'what about the c`tan' because as I said, NECRON.


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## Cruor99 (Mar 11, 2009)

revenant13 said:


> ive got a question about the whole necron/BA thing. i dont have the codex so, does it actually say they allied up? or was it more of "oh shit, bigger problems over there" and they changed their attentions to the tyranids (not an alliance, but they arent focusing on eachother rather)?
> 
> if they allied up then yes, that is very stupid.





"The Stalemate is broken only when Tyranid splinter fleet enters orbit, forcing the two armies to break off hostilities to fight the common foe. The impromptou alliance proves to be the tyranids undoing..."

".., Dante and the Silent King go their seperate was. Both forces now too battleworn..." 

Necrons can now get battleworn, appearently.


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## Katie Drake (Nov 28, 2007)

Necrons can get "tired" in a way, sure. Physically I doubt they feel fatigue or much of anything in the same way as living creatures do, but after battling against the Blood Angels and then the Tyranids, it's quite possible that the Necron forces were too battered to carry on fighting. As for the Blood Angels, Dante was already struggling to keep up with the Silent King's tactics and had probably lost a _lot_ of men. To continue fighting the Necrons probably would've placed his entire force at risk, which he'd understandably be hesitant about. Don't worry about it though, the Codex is *not* suggesting that the Blood Angels and Necrons are now buddies or anything of the sort. Theirs was simply an alliance of convenience and done entirely for the sake of survival.


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## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

elkhantar said:


> Can they ever communicate to begin with? I reeeally have to read the codex, but even if written there, I will disregard it as canon, and consider it just some fanfic


Nothing in the codex suggests that necrons can talk.

In DoW Dark Crusade, a pariah speaks. In Soulstorm, the Necron Lord speaks.

In Xenology, a necron claims that he and others like him have infiltrated the Inquisition. (so I`ve heard. ??? not sure, haven`t checked myself)

In one of the Apoc books (reload I think) there is a quote from a Necron Lord. He says:

"We are not creatures of flesh and emotion, but of circuit and reason. We are the machine, and the machine will not be denied!"

So yes, I believe necs can commune, if they ever want to...

Necron "characters" have been appearing more frequently these past few years in fluff and stories, which I find refreshing because the faceless army of death scenario gets old fast.
I eagerly anticipate the new nec codex, and I hope they will be greatly expanded.

So I do not think it too much of a stretch that a necron might have some glimmer of respect, some faint remnant of recognition in an erstwhile ally... Call me crazy, but I say why not?


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## Alexious (Apr 13, 2009)

I liked the new Codex and the themes it presented. It was loyal to the BA idea and thematical enough to capture the new 40k and continue the traditions that go back with the BA to even RT days.

That said, I dislike the entire brinksmanship idea that is appearing in the codex system of fluff. Ultramarines are being recalled home.... lets do the same with the BA.... lets put another foe lurking amongst the SW.... Its all great ideas, but even against such enemies and foes, parts of the Imperium still thrive. I dont think it would kill GW to write fluff where a chapter actually is doing really well! You can have them overcome a huge enemy etc etc or fight a great campaign and still have them win and be ready for a new set of challenges, it doesnt have to be always the fight of their life looming right around the next corner...unless they are about to advance the fluff in a cycle and actually change something drastic. But I dont see that happening anytime soon.

What is curious is the lack of detail they paid to the successor chapters. I totally get the entire BA feel. I like it personally. But they did not do enough fluff about successor chapters and the characters. Even a story or two would have been cool to do on the Flesh tearers, or Blood Drinkers. Chapters that have survived since the RT era... deserve their place in the fluff and should get at least half a page entry each with something about their character etc. Yes they did put in some stuff and thats cool, but its stuff we all already knew.... its not... and now the Blood Drinkers have recently been despatched to Urik IV to deal with the ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, etc. Which would have been good with a name or two of a unit or character. Just small stuff.


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## Phoebus (Apr 17, 2010)

Eh, isn't it kind of a double-edged sword?

A lot of people like injecting their own feel, characters and storyline to their armies. Successor Chapters allow you to do this. You get some basics (colors, basic character, a couple of characters) and then the rest is up to you to come up with. It's more justification for your choices on how a Company is arrayed, or how its Captain is equipped, etc.

On the other hand, you have people like me... who just like the stories and computer games set in the setting. I wouldn't mind at all if they did up a bunch of fluff for otherwise unknown Chapters, since it's not really restricting me or my reading habits in any way.


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## Stephen_Newman (Jul 14, 2009)

I thought that out of the 2 tendrils of leviathan that one was destroyed at tarsis ultra by the ultrasmurfs, mortificators and other guard things and the other tendril is currently engaging a never ending war with the orks of octavious or however it is spelt.


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## Baron Spikey (Mar 26, 2008)

There's more than 2 tendrils- Hive Fleet Leviathan has split into a large number of, relatively, smaller splinter fleets, one of which is what was taken down on Tarsis Ultra.


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