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The Black Guard is a Loyalist Space Marine Chapter and a rare Raven Guard Successor Chapter of the Second Founding. This Chapter believes in the timely application of overwhelming firepower to defeat their foes. Master of careful ambush, the Black Guard deploys massed batteries of Thunderfire Cannons and Vindicators to annihilate its enemies in an instant. Much of this Chapter's history has been lost to the passage of time.

Chapter History

Black Guard Colour Scheme

Black Guard Chapter Colour Scheme

Following the Warmaster Horus' defeat at the end of the Horus Heresy, the Raven Guard Primarch Corvus Corax welcomed the decision to split the Space Marine Legions into Chapters, for he knew that the Ultramarines Primarch Roboute Guilliman's vision for protecting the future of the Imperium was necessary. It was a future the Raven Guard would face alone, however, for Corax disappeared, consumed by the tragic deeds he had committed to save his Legion. When the Raven Guard Legion was partitioned at the end of the Heresy, three new Chapters were created. These were the Black Guard, the Revilers and the Raptors. A handful of centuries after Corax' disappearance, the gene-seed of the Raven Guard began to deteriorate, perhaps a side effect of accelerated gene-harvesting techniques employed in ages past. Several organs unique to Space Marines no longer functioned as they should, and the Apothecaries' endeavours to compensate for the genetic damage met only with failure.

Notable Campaigns

  • Doom Gorge (990.M41) - The Black Guard's 3rd Company defended the world of Doom Gorge against a splinter fleet of the Tyranid Hive Fleet Kraken. The Tyranids were wiped out by the massed battery of the Chapter's Thunderfire Cannons, under the command of the Black Guard's Master of the Forge Germanicus. Under his expert control the battery annihilated three successive waves of Tyranid bio-creatures as they attempted to force their way through the narrow gorge. Once the Tyranid attack had been broken, the battery provided supporting fire for the Black Guard's counter-attack, leading to the complete destruction of the Tyranid battle force. Black Guard casualties were minimal.

Chapter Combat Doctrine

The Black Guard believes in the timely application of overwhelming firepower to defeat its foes. Master of the careful ambush, the Black Guard deploys massed batteries of Thunderfire Cannons and Vindicators to annihilate its enemies in an instant.

Notable Black Guards

  • Master of the Forge Germanicus - Germanicus is the Black Guard's Master of the Forge who led the successful defence of the world of Doom Gorge from an attack by a splinter fleet of Hive Fleet Kraken.

Chapter Appearance

Chapter Colours

The Black Guard primarily wears white Power Armour. The helmet, shoulder guards and arms are black. The Aquila or Imperialis on the chest guard is red. The red squad specialty symbol on the right shoulder guard designates operational specialty -- Tactical, Devastator, Assault or Veteran. A white Gothic numeral is stenciled on the centre of the squad specialty symbol which indicates squad number. The colour of the right knee guard indicates what Company an individual Battle-Brother belongs to, in accordance with the dictates of the Codex Astartes -- i.e. White (1st Company), Yellow (2nd Company), Red (3rd Company), Green (4th Company), etc.

Chapter Badge

The Black Guard's Chapter badge is a white circle outlining a red roundlet, bisected diagonally by a white lightning bolt. This is centred on a field of black.

Sources

  • Adeptus Astartes: Successor Chapters (Limited Release Booklet)
  • Codex: Space Marines (7th Edition) (Digital Edition), pg. 138
  • Codex: Space Marines (6th Edition), pp. 8, 149
  • Codex: Space Marines (5th Edition), pg. 8
  • Codex: Space Marines (3rd Edition), pg. 47
  • Codex: Tyranids (5th Edition), pg. 22
  • Codex: Ultramarines (2nd Edition), pg. 9
  • Imperial Armour Eight - Raid on Kastorel-Novem, pg. 104
  • Games Workshop Liber Apocalyptica - Forces of the Space Marines (Article) (Dead Link)

Gallery

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