The Death Strike is a Codex Astartes-compliant Loyalist Space Marine Chapter of unknown Founding that is a Successor Chapter of the Imperial Fists. The Chapter's fortress-monastery is located on its homeworld of Nihilas.
This Chapter is one of several tied to the genetic legacy of Rogal Dorn that competes in the Feast of Blades.
The Death Strike is very similar in appearance to the controversial Rainbow Warriors Chapter first revealed in the original 1st Edition Warhammer 40,000 rule book Rogue Trader. The main difference is that the Rainbow Warriors' Chapter badge is white, and their helmet stripe is multicoloured like a rainbow instead of being yellow.
Chapter History[]
Death Strike Chapter Colour Scheme as displayed by a Firstborn Space Marine.
Notable Campaigns[]
- Assault on Fort Moros (364.M39) - When the lynchpin bastion of Fort Moros fell to a Chaos-inspired rebellion, the 23rd Elysian Drop Troops Regiment was tasked with recapturing it. Deploying by Grav-Chute directly into the sprawling fortification, the Elysians discovered that the fort was the domain of madmen and fiends, and an immediate astro-telepathic call for aid had been transmitted. The 5th Company of the Death Strike Chapter answered the call, diverting from its current mission to relieve the beleaguered Drop Troops and crush the heart of the uprising.
- Verdan Wars (930.M41) - The Death Strike Chapter's 3rd Company was badly mauled fighting an overwhelming number of recidivists during the Verdan II Counter-strike. The 3rd Company was saved from total destruction when three more full-strength companies were deployed to relieve its beleaguered squads during the subsequent Verdan II Extraction. Having completed the extraction, the Chapter Master of the Death Strike Fleet ordered Verdan devastated from orbit, unleashing a mass yield orbital bombardment which left nothing living on the world below.
- Cleansing of the Ulik Sector (997.M41) - In 997.M41 a series of Exterminatus missions were carried out across the Ulik Sector by Space Marines of the Death Strike, the Flame Falcons and the Iron Hands Chapters. The Iron Hands performed a series of destructive missions on those worlds in the Ulik Sector not yet consumed by Hive Fleet Leviathan, in order to prevent the Tyranid Hive Mind from gaining momentum and further fuelling itself on precious bio-resources.
- 13th Black Crusade (999.M41) - The Death Strike Chapter also participated in the 13th Black Crusade, where three companies of Death Strike Space Marines were lost during the fighting on Cadia against the forces of Chaos.
Chapter Appearance[]
Chapter Colours[]
The Death Strike Chapter primarily wears dark blue power armour. The Aquila or Imperialis on the chest is silver.
The yellow, open-faced squad specialty symbol -- battleline, close support, fire support, Veteran or command -- is indicated on the right shoulder plate.
The yellow High Gothic numeral on the right knee guard as well as the colour of the helmet stripe, indicate company number in accordance with the Codex Astartes -- i.e. white (1st Company), yellow (2nd Company), red (3rd Company), etc.
Chapter Badge[]
The Death Strike's Chapter badge is a yellow, winged lightning bolt on a field of dark blue.
Sources[]
- Adeptus Astartes: Successor Chapters (Limited Release Booklet), pg. 34
- Codex: Space Marines (6th Edition), pg. 70
- Codex: Tyranids (5th Edition), pg. 29
- How to Paint Space Marines (2004), pg. 88
- Imperial Armour Volume Two - Space Marines and Forces of the Inquisition, pp. 52, 137, 150
- Imperial Armour Volume Two (Second Edition) - War Machines of the Adeptus Astartes, pp. 18, 22
- Insignium Astartes: The Uniforms and Regalia of the Space Marines, pg. 52
- Rogue Trader (1st Edition), pg. 168
- Legion of the Damned (Novel) by Rob Sanders, pg. 79
Gallery[]
