Shield of Baal - Deathstorm

I WARHAMMER 40000ч

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CAMPAIGN SUPPLEMENT

INTRODUCTION Shield of Baal: Deathstorm is the second in stalm en t in the Shield o f Baal series, p resen tin g th e nex t ch a p te r in the gore-soaked story of th e war for th e C ryptus System. T he Tyranids o f Hive Fleet L eviathan have d escended u p o n the system in th e ir trillions, feasting u p o n its worlds an d cities in a relentless tide of carnage an d d eath. T he arm ies o f th e A stra M ilitarum and A depta Sororitas have fought valiantly to hold them back, but they are hopelessly o u tn u m b e re d by th e ir enem ies, an d one by one th e ir defences have fallen. A nd yet th ere is hope. A fter days of fighting, th e Blood Angels have finally broken th ro u g h th e T yranid blockades tb come to the defenders’ aid. A m id th e chaos of this new invasion, an o th er plot is unfolding. In th e ru in s o f Phodia, u p o n the w ar ravaged world o f A sphodex, a pivotal b attle is about to b egin betw een Space M arine a n d Tyranid over th e very fu tu re o f the Blood Angels C hapter.

HOW THIS SUPPLEMENT WORKS Shield of Baal: Deathstorm contains th e following sections: • The Fate of Phodia: The story of the increasingly desperate and violent battle betw een th e Blood Angels Strike Force D eathstorm an d the Tyranid bio-horrors of the P hodian A nnihilation Swarm. It charts the b itter enm ity th at grows betw een 1st Com pany C aptain K arlaen an d the Spawn of Cryptus, as the fate o f bo th Blood Angel an d B roodlord becom e inexorably linked. B ehind th eir duel for survival an d victory lurks a secret th a t could unravel the Blood Angels’ m illennia-old curse, if only K arlaen can reach it before it is devoured by the Hive M ind an d lost for ever. • New Missions: A set of specifically them ed missions th at depict the pivotal engagem ents fought as the Strike Force D eathstorm explore ru in ed Phodia. Using these battles you can enact each of these desperate battles an d retell K arlaen’s vital mission.

WARHAMMER 40,000 SUPPLEMENTS T his b o o k co n tin u es th e narrative b eg u n in Shield of Baal: Leviathan. It tells th e tale o f th e next, bloody c h a p te r o f th a t war, usin g evocative n arrativ e a n d vivid im agery to b rin g to life th e b attle betw een 1st C om pany C ap tain K arlaen a n d the B ro o d lo rd know n as}th e Spawn o f Cryptus. T h e book includes fu ll ru les for u sing all o f th e finely sculpted C itadel m in iatu res fo u n d in this box, along w ith all the m issions a n d d atasheets re q u ire d to refig h t th e ir b ru ta l b attle in th e ru in s o f P hodia.

• Full Gaming Rules: The up-to-date Army List Entries describe K arlaen’s Blood Angels an d the Tyranids of Phodia in detail, including the Spawn o f Cryptus an d the C aptain himself; along with the included w argear rules, they allow you to play games using all of the beautifully d etailed Citadel m iniatures contained w ithin the Shield of Baal: Deathstorm boxed set. U nique Form ation datasheets also allow you to represent the specific strengths of these two gath ered forces on th e tabletop.

THE FATE DF PHDDIfl Hive Fleet Leviathan feasts upon the Cryptus System, its worlds and cities drowning under tides o f void-spawned bio-horrors. Scattered pockets o f Imperial resistance stand grimly against the unimaginable numbers o f the Tyranids. Coming to their aid, the Blood Angels 1st and 2nd Companies descend upon the besieged system.

Karlaen, Captain of the Blood Angels 1st Company, looked down upon the world of Asphodex. Beyond the shifting distortion of the Battle Barge’s void shield he could see the planet’s heavy grey clouds shot through with sickly strands of purple, each one alive with billions of tiny writhing shapes. As he watched, dark shapes drifted past the ship’s massive vista-port, each one a shining bloated mass offlesh that faintly reflected the twin suns of Cryptus. As the bio-ships moved across the upper atmosphere of the planet, Karlaen could see disturbances in the clouds below, like hurricanes viewed from above. The bio-ships were feeding, and soon they would strip Asphodex of all life. The Captain had seen worlds in the grip of the Great Devourer many times before, and they seldom survived once the Hive M ind had wrapped its coils around them. No, this was a doomed planet he looked upon, and there would be nothing but blood and death lurking beneath its clouds. However, his orders were clear, handed down from Commander Dante on the counsel of Sanguinary High Priest Corbulo. Though Karlaen held no enmity for Corbulo, he could not see the wisdom in sending 1st Company Terminators to perform such a task. Already the first waves o f the Blood Angels assault were preparing for their descent into the ruins ofPhodia, Asphodex’s principal city. This side mission felt like a waste of his talents. I f Governor Augustus Flax still lived, it would not be for long. Yet i f it was Karlaen s duty to fin d him, it would be done. His most trusted Brother-Sergeant, Alphaeus, stood beside him. Karlaen acknowledged Alphaeus with a nod, and led him into the Battle Barge's teleportarium. Soon his brothers gathered around them - a score of Terminators formed up on the platform, checking their weapons and intoning oaths as Techmarines and Chapter serfs chanted prayers over the sacred machinery. There were few things that stirred even the shadow of fear in Karlaen’s heart, but he loathed the use of the teleportarium. There was something intrinsically wrong about how it worked. Yet it was a tactical necessity, and countless battles had been won by a sudden Terminator strike. Then there was no more time for thinking, as the field compactors hummed to life and the Techmarines’prayers reached a deafening crescendo. A nd then nothing but the void, and a sensory depravation so complete Karlaen forgot for a second he was a thing of flesh and blood. Then his senses burst back into life in a sudden wave of sound and smell, and as one the Terminators went to war.

THE SHIELD OF BAAL

LEVIATHAN ASCENDANT

As a race, th e voracious Tyranids are relative newcomers to the galaxy. However, even in the sh o rt centuries the Hive M ind has b een assailing th e Im perium , it has grow n into a th re a t on a galactic scale. W orlds an d systems have been scoured clean by th e G reat Devourer, an d despite the Im p eriu m ’s best efforts, th e Tyranids inch ever closer to Holy T erra.

T he C ryptus System lies close to the Baal System, and b o th are considered vital to the defence o f the sector. W hen the bow-wave o f Hive Fleet L eviathan w ashed across the worlds o f C ryptus, th e Im p eriu m rallied to defend them . O n its m any worlds, ranks o f A stra M ilitarum , A depta Sororitas an d Flaxian Dynasty PDF g ath ered b en eath th e twin suns o f C ryptus an d steeled themselves for th e assault to come. T he defenders were con fid en t in b o th th eir n um bers and th e form idable o rbital defences arrayed across th e edges of th e ir system.

O ne such alien assault has clawed its way up from below the galactic plane: Hive Fleet L eviathan. Across an im m easurably vast front, L eviathan has fallen u p o n countless worlds across th e S egm entum s U ltim a, Tem pestus a n d Solar. Now one o f its ten d rils draws close to Baal, hom e world o f the B lood Angels Space M arine C hapter. Should the Tyranids be allowed to reach Baal in stren g th , it would be n o th in g less th a n disastrous. T he th re a t is so d ire th at C om m ander D ante, C h ap ter M aster o f th e Blood Angels, has created a g ra n d alliance o f Space M arine C hapters an d sector lords to defend th eir hom e world. Across the R ed Scar Sector, an area o f th e U ltim a S egm entum b a th e d in th e baleful light o f dying stars an d intense radiatio n , th e B lood Angels fight system by system. Each o f these engagem ents is in ten d ed to buy tim e for th e £ defence of Baal an d to weaken th e Tyranids. T h eir ho p e is ,* th a t the tend rils o f Hive Fleet L eviathan m ight be cut off an d destroyed one by one.

It was n o t enough. Hive Fleet L eviathan sw arm ed across th e system’s o u te r defences, defeating b o th celestial b arriers an d m assed g u n lines w ith th e alien physiology o f th e ir m illions o f bio-ships. W ithin a cycle, spores were d ark en in g th e skies o f C ryptus’ five worlds: T artoros, A sphodex, Lysios, Ixoi an d Aeros. T ho u g h th e defenders o f th e Im p eriu m fought bravely, they faced a foe seem ingly w ithout num ber, an d one by one, each p lan et fell. Into this m aelstrom o f total war, th e Blood Angels and Flesh Tearers C hapters descended in force. Too late to save C ryptus from destru ctio n , D ante o rd ered his w arriors to instead deprive th e L eviathan o f its feast, tearin g ap art th e aliens’ in fra stru ctu re an d denying them th e ir feederorganism s. If this system was lost, they could at least d im inish th e biom ass the Tyranids m ight throw against

Baal. T h u n d erin g out o f the darkness, th e Space M arine fleet carved a p ath towards th e core o f th e system. P ushing th ro u g h the still-burning rem ains of th e C ryptus System’s defence m onitors, the fleet tu rn e d th e ir b o m b ard m en t cannons on the outlying bio-ships th a t stood in th e ir way. However, unknow n even to m any am ongst th e ir own ranks, th e Blood Angels cam e n o t only to stay th e advance o f the Devourer, o r to save the people o f Cryptus. T h e C h a p te r’s S anguinary H igh Priest, C orbulo, sought a cu re for th e Red T h irst - the h ered itary curse th at afflicted his battlebro thers, doom ing them to a blood-frenzy in battle and, eventually, m adness. C orbulo h ad followed shifting visions in the W arp to th e Satys System. T h ere he discovered th e elixir satryx, a p o ten t rejuvenate-infusion ex p o rted th ro u g h o u t th e C ryptus System to shield its people against th e destructive radiation o f th e ir twin red suns. C orbulo believed the secrets w hich m ight cure his C h ap ter were h id d en w ithin the elixir, as Baal too lan g u ish ed u n d e r swollen red suns, its people touched by m utation. A fter Satys fell to the Tyranids, B ro th er C orbulo rejo in ed the Blood Angels fleet. T here, he b ro u g h t his know ledge - and th e suggestion o f a plan - to C o m m an d er D ante. T he C hapter M aster saw the m erit o f C o rb u lo ’s quest, tru stin g in th e p riest’s wisdom in such m atters, an d his know ledge o f the C h ap ter’s genetic legacy. A fter h o u rs of council and discussion, D ante an d his advisors sum m oned C aptain K arlaen. T he 1st Com pany C aptain jo in e d his lord in the arched tacticum -vaults of th e Blade of Vengeance, D an te’s flagship, as they m ade all haste for th e C ryptus System. By the flicking light of th e hololith display, the C h apter M aster inform ed the C aptain th a t he would n o t only have the h o n o u r o f leading th e v an g u ard of th eir assault, b u t also be the b e a re r o f a very special mission.

SECRETS IN BLOOD T he world o f A sphodex was alm ost eternally w reath ed in thick toxic clouds, cast into the firm am en t by th e co n tin en t­ sized city o f Phodia. B eneath skies o f roiling darkness, billions o f souls toiled in m an u facto ru m s an d vapour-farm s u n d e r the lash o f shadowy crim e lords, who held th e bulk of the power on A sphodex. By contrast, P lanetary G overnor A ugustus Flax was seen as little m ore th a n a fig u reh ead , th e aged ru le r overseeing hollow cerem onies a n d pointless p ageantry as the world moved on w ithout him . C orbulo’s research into Satys an d its n eig h b o u rin g systems h ad revealed th a t Flax an d his line c arried a subtle m u tation in th eir genes which m ean t they h ad no n eed for satryx to survive. As the fleet ap p ro ach ed A sphodex, th e S anguinary P riest’s instructio n s to K arlaen were clear: he was to fin d the governor or his ch ild ren an d b rin g them back. If th a t proved im possible, a sam ple o f th e ir blood w ould suffice.

So, as the Blood Angels fleet b eg an its assault u p o n A sphodex, Strike Force D eathstorm telep o rted down to th e ru in e d city o f Phodia. In a flare o f arcing lightning, K arlaen an d fo u r T erm in ato r Squads m aterialised in a vast plaza. T he heavily arm o u red figures stood before th e g u tted rem ains o f the P lanetary G overnor’s palace, th e bu ild in g scarred by days o f ferocious battle. Already, K arlaen could see th e signs of consum ption u p o n th e city. D isturbing alien grow ths coiled aro u n d th e ru in s, while fum e-spew ing spore chim neys h ad replaced m uch o f the Im perial g ra n d e u r o f th e city skyline. A m ong th e rubble, clicking feeder-beasts feasted u p o n th e dead, as manylim bed shadows moved at th e lim its o f K arlaen’s vision. F an n in g o ut across th e plaza, they scan n ed a landscape littered with ro ttin g Im perial G uard corpses a n d th e b u rn in g rem ains o f battle tanks. As the Blood Angels moved, K arlaen checked his su it’s augurs, scan n in g for signs of life. L ong-range auspex-echoes from th e fleet had proved frustratingly vague. M uch o f the d ata the Blood Angels h ad g ath e re d u p o n A sphodex h ad b een relayed from the rem ains o f orbital vox-arrays, its in fo rm atio n days old at best. Even th o u g h th e localised vox-traffic hissed an d crackled with interference from the hive fleet, K arlaen quickly b uilt up a pictu re o f th e T ribune D istrict, at the centre o f which lay th e plaza an d palace. It seem ed from th e panicked orders a n d pleas for aid d riftin g across th e Im p erial voxn et th a t th e battle h ad moved on, th e plaza having been a b a n d o n ed over a day ago. F ighting now seem ed localised tow ard the Fabricae Districts, w here the rem n an ts o f the A stra M ilitarum an d Flaxian Dynasty PDF regim ents were m aking a d esperate last stand. A ctivating th e m agnalenses on his bionic eye, K arlaen could see swarms o f w inged bio-beasts swirling across the h orizon tow ard the m an u facto ru m s like a g reat d ark to rn ad o o f fangs an d claws. These were n o t his concern. W ithin a single day th e re m ain d er o f th e Blood Angels 1st C om pany an d the full stren g th o f th e 2nd - su p p o rted by elem ents o f th eir successors, the Flesh Tearers - would be m aking planetfall, an d th e n th e tru e war o f an n ih ilatio n would begin. K arlaen o rd ered his b ro th ers to spread o u t into th e ruins o f the palace, h o p in g to fin d sign o f A ugustus Flax or a m em ber o f his line. A line o f crim son a rm o u re d giants, the Blood Angels advanced into th e shadow o f P h o d ian Gate, th e vast en tran ce to th e palace. As they clim bed th e steps, each one a h u n d re d yards wide, K arlaen took in th e u tte r devastation. T he A stra M ilitarum h ad m ade a fin al stand here an d the corpses of G uardsm en were p iled ten deep b eh in d blood-soaked sandbag em placem ents. A lien ichor an d ch arre d w eapon-beasts lay w here they h ad fallen, a tangle o f claws an d fangs. K arlaen stepped over th e corpse o f an Im perial G u ard officer, th e dead m an still defiantly grip p in g his bolt pistol, an d led his T erm inators into the d ark en ed in te rio r o f th e palace. Across the plaza, from b en eath the broken rem ains o f a statue o f the Em peror, a p air o f alien eyes w atched the B lood A ngels’ progress. W ith a single fluid m ovem ent, the c reatu re crep t back into the ru in s to g ath e r its bro o d , its long, talo n ed lim bs clicking across th e stone as a wave o f lesser creatures scattered before it.

THE TRIBUNE CHAMBER Captain Karlaen led his squad into the ruins o f the sprawling Flaxian Palace prefecture, seeking out Governor Flax and his kin. In the darkness, the Hive Mind was stirring, its massive consciousness focussing upon the Blood Angels. Meanwhile, an unseen alien presence was following his advance as it planned to strike.

THE UNQUIET DEAD T he in terio r o f th e palace was ju s t as m uch a mess as the plaza outside. As th e T erm inators advanced down shadowy corridors, th e ir stab-lights picked o ut the signs o f ferocious battle. Walls once covered in exquisite artworks were stitched w ith lasgun blasts a n d cratered w ith heavy shellfire. T he flo o r was thick with the dead, b o th Tyranid and h u m an , fo rm in g a c a rp e t o f bloody flesh a n d bone. Everywhere th ere were signs the Hive M ind was startin g its w holesale consum ption o f A sphodex: swarms o f R ippers w orked to devour th e h eap ed corpses a n d vast, bubbling digestion pools awaited the feeder-beasts’ bounty. K arlaen gave th e o rd e r for his T erm in ato r Squads to spread ou t an d look for th e governor’s rem ains, personally taking com m and o f Squad A lphaeus. As each o f th e o th e r squads vanished into th e darkness, th e C aptain led his own T erm inators d ee p er into th e ruins. T he C ap tain p u sh ed his way th ro u g h a heavy bolter em placem ent, the headless g u n n e r still d ra p ed over the gun. K arlaen e n tered w hat m ust have once b een th e governor’s T ribune C ham ber, w here he h eld audience w ith his district lords. Large enough to lan d a sq u ad ro n of Storm ravens, th e ch am b e r was rin g ed by tum b led statues and tw isted ruins, its flo o r littered w ith debris an d th e rem ains o f h u n d re d s o f Im perial citizens lying in g reat gory m ounds. H igh above, th e vast d om ed ceiling was lost in shadow. K arlaen felt a fam iliar p ricking on th e back o f neck: th ere were enem ies approaching, even if his senses h a d n ’t fo u n d th em yet. For a m om ent Squad A lphaeus stood at th e th resh o ld to th e cham ber, scan n in g th e dead w ith augu rs a n d g u n barrels. T h en K arlaen m otioned for the B lood Angels T erm inators to move o u t - som ewhere here they m ight fin d th e rem ains o f Flax.

EYES OF A VENGEFUL GOD T he B roodlord h u n g suspended from a g ird er th irty feet above the Blood Angels as they m oved into the assembly room . Its flat crim son eyes followed th e ir progress am ong the bodies as its psychic will seeped into th e Tyranid creatures th ro u g h o u t th e ru in e d palace. T he B roodlord had lived u p o n A sphodex long before th e com ing o f th e L eviathan. T he people o f P hodia knew it as th e Spawn o f C ryptus, believing it to be th e vengeful son of th e ir solar god, who, unab le to gaze th ro u g h th e w orld’s thick clouds, sent instead his child to visit justice u p o n the wicked. T hough m ost citizens o f P hodia dism issed th e Spawn as a ghost story, told to explain the fate o f those who h ad vanished in th e night, those who h ad crossed its p a th knew better. Sadly, few o f these lived to tell th e ir tales. C rim son to n g u e flick in g out to taste th e air, th e B roodlord crawled down into the cham ber. Its alien thoughts lanced tlirough th e m inds o f nearby Tyranids, and with a g rea t wet

scraping, th e bio-creatures o f th e palace stirred. H eeding th e B ro o d lo rd ’s wordless call, b roods o f m any-lim bed h o rro rs moved w ithin th e rubble, converging upon the T ribune C ham ber. K arlaen reach ed th e first pile o f m angled corpses and pu sh ed aside the n earest bodies, h o ping to ascertain w hether Flax’s m en h ad died here. As th e ir m angled rem ains tu m b led raggedly to th e flo o r th e B lood Angel trig g ered th e b io -augur lens in his bionic eye. T h ro u g h a green haze o f auspex d ata K arlaen w atched a shadowy lifeghost m oving b en eath th e bodies. It was at th a t m om ent th e C ap tain realised w here he stood: su rro u n d ed n o t by piles o f th e dead, b u t by a brood o f h id d e n Genestealers. R oaring o u t a w arning to his bro th ers, K arlaen u n lo ad ed a ro arin g stream o f bo lter fire into th e corpse pile. T he G enestealer th a t b u rst o u t from u n d e r its covering of bodies was to rn a p a rt in a p u rp le mist, b u t o thers soon a p p eared nearby. Over the sound o f th u n d e rin g storm bolters, th e C aptain could see th e m ounds b u rsting a p a rt all a ro u n d him . From th e ir rem ains, ichor-stained G enestealers ch arg ed tow ard th e T erm inators.

BONDS OF BLOOD T h e a ir stan k w ith th e sh arp smell of p ro m eth ium and b u rn in g xenos. T he sq u ad ’s heavy flam er had tu rn e d several G enestealers into pillars o f fire, an d yet the T yranid assault was far from beaten. K arlaen h ad seen no sign of any larg er creatures, b u t th e G enestealers kept leaping out from all a ro u n d them w ith such disreg ard for th eir own lives th a t it could only be th e in fluence o f th e Hive M ind. T he B lood Angels could n o t h o p e to see th e ir mission th ro u g h u n d e r such conditions. T he C aptain o rd ered his m en to fall back to one o f the c h a m b e r’s side tunnels, o u t o f th e T yranids’ trap. As the 1st C om pany veterans withdrew, they filled th e air with b olt rounds, th e storm o f mass-reactive shells blowing ragged chunks o u t o f th e fallen bodies an d b rin g in g down those few scuttling beasts th a t ap p eared . K arlaen tried to signal for th e o th e r T erm in ato r Squads as his brothers retreated . However, as he scan n ed th ro u g h th e frequencies he discovered th e vox drow ned in white noise. For now, it seem ed K arlaen an d his battle-b ro th ers were on th e ir own. T he T erm inators b ulled th e ir way tow ard th e tunnel, but as th e ir guns fell silent, hissing G enestealers d a rte d in and o u t o f th e ir form ation with terrifying speed. T he creatures h u rled them selves at th e B lood Angels, an d th ough som e were cut down by h am m erin g storm bo lter fire or ren t a p a rt by pow er fists, here th e speed o f th e xenos far o u tstrip p ed th e ir opponents. Most d a rte d away before the cum bersom e T erm inators could b rin g th eir w eapons to bear, only to lu n g e in an d strike again.

T h en B rother A phrae fell to a knee as a G enestealer lu n g ed 'Щ u n d e r his g u a rd an d drove a wickedly curved talon th ro u g h the gap betw een his ceram ite leg plates. At th a t sam e m om ent the ro o f cam e alive w ith a cacophony of hissing. W hat the B lood Angels h ad taken for a dom e h id d en in shadow h ad in fact b een m ore G enestealers h id in g am ong the shadows o f th e ancien t glass ceiling. K arlaen tried to fight his way to A p h rae’s side b u t G enestealers were d ro p p in g dow n from above to fill the space betw een them . T he C ap tain could only w atch as the T erm inator was b o rn e down u n d e r th e w eight of xenos horrors. K arlaen spared a last look at w here A phrae h ad fallen and th e n pressed into th e side tu n n el. W ith every second th a t passed, th e G enestealers g ath ered b e h in d him . T he T erm inators took stock as they e n tered th e darkness beyond the arch ed en tran ce way. T h eir a rm o u r was caked in gore, an d m any plates h ad b een cracked or scored by chitinous claws. T h eir storm bolters glowed red -h o t from constant firing, an d the fuel tanks o f B ro th er B artelo’s heavy flam er were dry. K arlaen could h e a r a constant noise now, a cacophony o f hisses, screeches an d clicks an n o u n cin g the Tyranid swarm m assing outside. In m om ents the swarm w ould p in p o in t th e ir location an d the xenos would come crashing down u p o n them , drow ning them in a sea o f claws a n d fangs. K arlaen voxed again hoping to contact th e rest o f his T erm in ato r Squads o r the o th e r forw ard elem ents o f th e B lood Angels invasion force on Pliodia. However, all he could h e a r over th e tran sm itter was the hiss o f static an d alien whispers.

BLOOD ANGELS T h e B lood Angels are one o f th e oldest C h ap ters o f th e A deptus A startes. Fearsom e an d d e te rm in e d in battle, they are outw ardly p arag o n s o f duty to th e E m p e ro r a n d faith in th e Im perium . Each one is akin to a g od m ade flesh, th e p erfe ctio n o f th e ir bodies a n d f th e ir skill at arm s m atch ed only by th e re p u ta tio n for g reatness they bear. F o u n d ed over ten th o u sa n d years ago, th eirs is a C h a p te r ste ep ed in h o n o u r a n d glory. At every g reat event in the Im p e riu m ’s history th e B lood Angels C h a p te r has stood against th e enem ies of th e E m peror, p u re a n d tru e, a n d b ro u g h t only ru in a n d d eath to his m any foes. D u rin g the H o ru s Heresy, it was S anguinius him self, P rim arch o f th e Blood Angels, who gave his life p ro tectin g th e E m peror, an d it is for this fallen fath er th a t th e C h a p te r fights. However, u n d e r th e ir p erfe ct facade th ere is darkness in th e h e a rt o f every Blood Angel. It is a h ered itary flaw, a side-effect o f th e genetic gift from S anguinius th a t g ran ts th em th e ir su p e rh u m an stren g th , speed an d en d u ran ce. T h o u g h they are long-lived an d flawless to look u p o n , every B lood A ngel suffers from two irrevocable genetic im perfections. T h e first exhibits itself as a b attle m adness know n as th e Red T h irst - literally a h u n g e r for blood. T his can com e u p o n a Space M arine in th e h eat o f battle, overw helm ing h im w ith a b |p o d m adness as he struggles to kill his enem iesTT he second is th e Black Rage. T his is an insanity an d sickness o f th e spirit th a t few B lood A ngels ever recover from . W hen it takes them , they are overcom e by m em ories o f th e ir fallen P rim arch an d his dem ise u p o n T erra, filling them w ith a w rath fu l frenzy th a t only ends in d eath .

HUNTERS IN THE DARK The Hive Mind had awoken and Squad Alphaeus soon found itself assaulted from all sides. Driven by the will o f the Spawn o f Cryptus, the Tyranids poured forth from the ruins o f the palace, intent on ripping apart the Blood Angels. However, even as the Blood Angels Terminators face unimaginable odds, Captain Karlean is unrelenting in his duty.

THE BEAST AWAKENS

C rashing into the rem ains o f a palace security hub, K arlaen finally fo u n d w hat he sought. T he rem ains o f a m arble skinned servitor flailed on th e floor, its forehead m arked with th e icon o f th e Flaxian Dynasty. R ipping free the servitor’s h ead, he h u n g it on his belt to investigate iater.

Everywhere th e ru in s crawled, hissed an d scream ed. Lit by the flashes o f explosions on the d istan t horizon, the Tyranids scuttied th ro u g h th e darkness,, blurs o f snapping jaws and sh in in g claws.

Suddenly a crystalline shell streaked o u t o f th e darkness, blasting B ro th er B artelo off his feet. T h ree Tyranid W arriors loom ed o ut o f th e ruins, one levelling a long b io -cannon for a second shot. T he long-legged beasts crashed th ro u g h th e fallen statues an d debris o f the palace, snaking bio-whips an d bone blades lashing out at the Space M arines. T he B lood A ngels’ T erm in ato r a rm o u r was p ro o f against m any blows, b u t n o t all. B ro th er B artelo had only ju s t clim bed to his feet, a sm oking ren t in his arm our, w hen a g o re-d ren ch ed bone sword suddenly e ru p ted from his chest. B rother-S ergeant A lphaeus tu rn e d in tim e to lay the beast low with his pow er sword, b u t it was too late for his bro th er, B artelo falling into the dust to jo in the countless Im p erial dead litterin g the palace. K arlaen could see it plainly now: if they stayed here th e Tyranids would overwhelm them . Wordlessly, th e C aptain pledged his resolve. He would n o t fail C o m m an d er D ante.

K arlaen’s squad h ad fallen back into one o f the processional e n tran ce co rrid o rs ru n n in g off the T ribune C ham ber, to gain som e cover. T he G enestealers moved th ro u g h th e ru in s aro u n d th em like inky shadows, the fluidity o f th e ir m ovem ents terrifying to behold. T he Blood Angels trie d to track them w ith th eir weapons, b u t as often as not the creatu res would d a rt away into cover before the T erm inato rs’ fire could fin d them . It was to be a battle of speed against stren g th , w here only the Blood A ngels’ T erm inato r a rm o u r kept th em alive. W ith th e confines o f th e co rrid o r pressing in from b o th sides, K arlaen led his b ro th ers in a ru n n in g battle away from th e T rib u n e C ham ber an d d ee p er into th e ru in e d palace. At tim es h a lf a dozen G enestealers scuttled o ut of the darkness to snap an d claw at them , while at o thers th e beasts w ould keep th e ir distance, draw ing fire an d w aiting for the T erm inators to ex p en d m ore o f th e ir precious am m unition. However, K arlaen rem ain ed focussed on his mission, an d even as he trie d to guide his b ro th ers th ro u g h the g aun tlet o f alien stalkers, he was still searching for the governor’s w hereabouts.

TYRANIDS T h e T yranids are an alien race o f hyper-evolved p red ato rs fro m beyond th e edge o f th e galaxy. C en tu ries ago, th e first T yranid hive fleets b eg an a p p earin g in th e Im perium , these

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RATTY POINT ALPHA Even as K arlaen fought back th e Tyranid W arrior brood, his m in d was w orking on a way to tu rn th e tables on the xenos. T he p rim al w arrior p a rt o f his m ind focussed on th e swirling m elee, while his tactical b ra in took in th e shadow ed ru in s su rro u n d in g him . T he pred esignated fallback p o in t for his v an g u ard force was th e plaza. If his squad could reach th e plaza, they w ould have a clear area to b rin g th e ir firepow er to bear, an d they m ight also be able to link up with th e o th e r squads. However, to reach the g ran d gates o f th e palace an d th e plaza beyond, they w ould have to retrace th e ir steps th ro u g h th e T rib u n e C ham ber, unless th e C aptain could fin d a n o th e r way.

vast flotillas o f bioships having slept away th e aeons betw een galaxies u n til they sensed new prey to feed u pon. C om prised o f teem in g sw arm s o f bio-horrors, th e arm ies o f the hive fleets exist for a single purpose: to consum e all biological life. T yranids do n o t have individual conciousnesses as h u m an s do, b u t ra th e r are p a rt o f the gestalt know n as th e Hive M ind. T his vast psychic presence crosses light years o f space to guide all o f th e creatu res w ithin each hive fleet, co n n ectin g countless trillio n s o f creatu res on th o u san d s o f worlds. Such is th e m ight o f th e Hive M ind th a t it creates a vast d istu rb an ce know n as th e Shadow in the W arp, which disru p ts th e abilities o f psykers an d m akes W arp travel near-im possible.

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K arlaen p lo tted a straight line from th e ir position to the plaza, o rd erin g his b ro th ers to form up on him . W ith a m ighty yell, th e C aptain ch arg ed tow ard th e wall. At th e last m om ent he b ro u g h t th e H am m er o f Baal down, sm ashing o p en a gaping hole. Room by room , his squad fought an d sm ashed its way th ro u g h th e ruins, the Blood Angels leaving a trail o f broken m asonry an d several m angled Tyranid W arriors. Finally, with a devastating blow o f his ham m er, K arlaen led his squad o u t into the Plaza o f th e E m p ero r A scendant.

As the C aptain em erged, his vox cam e alive once m ore, free o f the interference o f th e palace ruins. C rackling replies cam e from o th e r p arts o f th e b u rn in g city, his squads re p o rtin g in over th e b ark o f gu n fire an d alien screams. K arlaen quickly established th a t th ere would be no im m ediate su p p o rt for Squad A lphaeus; his b attle-brothers were h a rd pressed by th e foe them selves, b u t none h ad yet found sign o f Flax. However th e mission w ould continue, and K arlaen led his m en out into the plaza. In th e open gro u n d , the T erm inators g ath ered before a fallen statue to th e E m peror, fan n in g o u t as th e first G enestealers spilled out o f th e hole K arlaen h ad left in th e palace wall, the creatu res hissing before d a rtin g off into cover an d scuttling forw ard. A ncient m em ories stirred in K arlaen’s m in d at the sight o f th e Sons o f Sanguinius fighting in the shadow o f th e E m p ero r’s statue. P ushing aside the d ark an g er th a t rose w ithin him at th e sight of the fallen E m peror, th e C aptain set ab o u t co m m anding his brothers. Interlocking fire p a tte rn s an d close com bat protocols repelled each alien assault, the B lood Angels now able to hold b o th Tyranid W arriors an d G enestealers at range. Finally th e xenos attack ebbed away, an d an eerie q uiet fell across the plaza. T he Blood Angels used th e m om ent o f respite to reload w eapons an d take stock o f th e fallen. K arlaen took th e tim e to activate the servitor head, plugging power cables from his arm o u r into its d rip p in g neck stum p. T he h ead cam e alive w ith alarm , spou tin g w arnings. Piece by piece, the C aptain unravelled th e tale from th e servitor, w hich it seem ed h ad b een on its way to the governor’s undercity fortress w hen th e Tyranids h ad struck. T he governor was alive, it said, an d it knew w here K arlaen would fin d him .

AN UNNATURAL INTELLIGENCE W hile the B lood Angels p la n n e d th e ir n ext move, the B roodlord w atched from the darkness. R eflected in the c re a tu re ’s shin in g carapace, th e d istan t h orizon was aflam e w ith the fires o f battle. T he fain t boom s o f explosions carried on the n ig h t wind, attesting to th e ferocity o f th e w ar being waged h u n d red s o f miles away as th e Hive M ind threw its forces against th e b a tte re d rem n an ts of P h o d ia’s A stra M ilitarum an d Flaxian Dynasty PDF regim ents. Even from this distance, th e Spawn o f Cryptus could see th a t the T erm inators were p re p arin g to move out again, the line o f crim son w arriors m aking th e ir way once m ore tow ard th e palace ruins. T he B lood A ngels’ m inds were also open to th e creature, th e ir thoughts d riftin g up to it like the scent o f prey c arried u p o n th e n ig h t w ind. C alling to its ch ildren once m ore, the B roodlord crep t closer. It was barely past m id n ig h t w hen th e G enestealer b ro o d struck again. This tim e, however, things were different. K arlaen realised it as soon as he saw th e creatures scuttling th ro u g h the rubble. T h ere was m ore p u rp o se to th eir assault th a n in th e palace, an d they cam e at the T erm inators from all sides. They moved low th ro u g h the cover of th e rubble an d used th e shadows to th e ir greatest effect so th a t only a flash o f ch itin o r sm ooth ro u n d ed head were ever glim psed. Even so, K arlaen gave his orders an d the T erm inators took position to repel th em once m ore.

Ju^t before th e G enestealers broke cover, B rother-S ergeant A lphaeus an d his squad faltered, staggering back from th e line. It was as if an invisible web h ad b een throw n over th e B lood Angels an d they fought against these u n seen bonds to raise th e ir w eapons. T he B rother-S ergeant was scream ing an d m um bling over th e vox, som ething about alien voices. A nd th en K arlaen felt it too. It was in his m ind, a pow erful psychic presence, distinctly xenos, b u t h orrifically h u m a n as well. T he C aptain scan n ed a ro u n d for th e source o f th e m ental assault, his augur-lens p ro b in g th e darkness. T h en he saw it. A B roodlord, larger th a n any he h ad seen in all his decades o f fighting Tyranids. T h e beast was h u n ch ed atop th e statue o f Psylanna, p a tro n o f th e blessed insane. Its psychic presence was horrifically pow erful, an d it took every ounce o f K arlaen’s will to keep it o ut o f his head. As K arlaen raised his storm b o lter to fire, th e B roodlord seem ed to vanish. T he B rother-C aptain cursed. T his was m erely an o th e r psyker’s trick, an d he w ould n o t suffer it. All a ro u n d K arlaen th e Blood Angels were fighting claw an d blade against th e G enestealers. In places the T erm inators p u sh ed back th e ir enem ies; th en , rattlin g bursts o f storm bo lter fire a n d th e ro a r o f th e sq u a d ’s heavy flam er filled th e dark. G enestealers leap t th ro u g h th e darkness to im pale B lood Angels on th e ir talons. Some aliens struck hom e in showers o f b lo o d an d ceram ite, while others were blasted from th e a ir by stream s o f bolter fire. T hose xenos th a t got close fell to crackling power fists, th e ir bodies b u rstin g a p a rt in showers o f viscera. Yet K arlaen’s b ro th ers also fought against the b ru ta l psychic d o m in atio n o f th e B roodlord, a n d this was a b attle they were slowly losing.

STORM OF BLOOD The Spawn o f Cryptus had shown itself, and Karlaen’s company stood surrounded by the beast and its children. The psychic presence o f the creature assailed the Blood Angels, tearing at their minds just as the claws o f its children tore at their flesh. Karlaen hunted for the Broodlord, determined to end its dominion.

WRATH OF THE BROODLORD K arlaen charged into th e darkness tow ard where he h ad last seen the B roodlord. T he c re a tu re ’s psychic trickery still h id it from his sight, th o u g h th e Blood Angels C aptain strained to drow n out th e incessant alien w hispers th a t filled his brain. Fortunately for K arlaen, he d id n o t have to rely u p o n his m ind alone, an d trig g ered the data-cap tu re spirits w ithin his augur-lens. T h ro u g h a haze o f blin k ing after-im ages, the C ap tain saw th e B roodlord leap from the statue, h u rtlin g th ro u g h th e air tow ard him . W ith a flicker of thought, K arlaen slaved his augur-lens to his storm b o lter’s opti-scope and let ou t a long blast of fire. M id-lunge the Spawn o f C ryptus tw isted out o f th e way, rolling th ro u g h the rubble an d com ing up to tower over the Space M arine. A lien muscle struggled against A deptus A startes m ight as K arlaen p a rrie d a series of b lin d in g clawstrikes w ith his ham m er. Even so, such was th e B ro o d lo rd ’s u n n a tu ra l speed th a t m ore th an once its claws tore across his chest plate an d shoulders, leaving long, ragged furrows. Several tim es K arlaen cam e close to lan d in g a telling blow up o n the B roodlord, b u t each tim e th e creatu re rolled out of the way. It leapt from fallen statue to w reckage pile, lan d in g rakin g blows u p o n K arlaen as th e two com batants duelled across the ru in e d plaza. O ne vicious strike at a tim e, the B ro odlord was w earing the Blood A ngel down.

CAPTAIN KARLAEN As C ap tain o f th e 1st Com pany, K arlaen com m ands th e m ight o f th e C h a p te r’s v eterans. H e has served th e Blood A ngels and th e Im p eriu m for h u n d re d s of years, an d D ante h im self was responsible for th e C a p ta in ’s train in g . A n exceptional fighter a n d fearless leader, K arlaen is also a tactical m asterm in d , an d it was this latter q uality th a t p ro m p te d D ante to g ra n t him co m m an d o f th e 1st Com pany, an d th e ho n o rific ‘th e Shield o f B aal’. Known as th e A rchangels, th e 1st C om pany n u m b e r the g reatest h ero es am o n g st a C h a p te r rep lete w ith valorous w arriors, a n d have access to the B lood A ngels’ finest w eapons a n d w argear. A m ong th e m ost p rized articles m ade available to th em are suits o f T erm in ato r arm our, each one a precious relic. C a p ta in K arlaen has led his veterans against th e T yranids in dozens o f g ru ellin g defences an d surgical strikes. H e was responsible for th e d estru ctio n o f th e space hulks Divine Purgatory an d Twilight Aegis, an d was lau d ed for m aste rm in d in g th e D enial o f B alo r’s H ope. T im e a n d again, he has proven to C o m m an d er D ante his ability to keep up w ith th e ch an g in g tactics o f th e Hive M ind. D u rin g th e cam paign ag ain st Hive F leet L ev iath an o n A sphodex, K arlaen would fin d his talents tested to th e ir fullest.

A seco n d ’s m iscalculation was all it took. K arlaen lu nged to counter-attack as th e B roodlord scu rried back tow ard a o f statue o f Psylanna. Too late, he saw his h am m er would strike th e sta tu e’s bullet-scarred legs, an d even as he tu rn e d , it cam e crash in g down u p o n him . T rap p ed u n d e r Psylanna’s massive o u tstretch ed arm s, K arlaen w atched as th e Spawn of C ryptus c rep t tow ard him .

DEATH FROM THE SKY K arlaen could see his reflectio n in the B ro o d lo rd ’s flat red eyes: th e defiance etch ed into his expression m ingled with an ger at bein g bested so. T h en his gaze caught som ething else. Beyond the beast, high up in a sky only now lightening w ith th e first hints o f dawn, he saw d ark shapes falling to earth . At first he th o u g h t they were m ore spores, th e com m encem ent o f an o th e r Tyranid assault. T h en they b eg an to resolve them selves into black arm o u red D rop Pods, a n d w arriors rid in g wings o f flam e. Finally K arlaen could see th em for w hat they were: the D eath Company. J As if plucking th e thoughts from th e C ap tain ’s head, th e B roodlord twisted a ro u n d to w atch th e D eath Com pany descending from above. W ith a b lu r o f m otion, th e creatu re drove a claw into K arlaen’s chest, th e C ap tain g ru n tin g at th e sudden pain. But it d id n o t kill him . Instead, its long to n g u e d a rte d o u t to lick th e blood from its claw, before it vanished into th e pre-daw n gloom. T he G enestealers were now sw arm ing over Squad A lphaeus, an d a desp erate m elee h ad e ru p te d in th e centre o f the plaza. T he savage hisses a n d alien scream s o f the Tyranids were suddenly drow ned o ut by th e sound o f bo lter fire an d the howl o f chainswords. In a storm o f black arm our, th e D eath Com pany jo in e d th e fray, th e b rutality o f the G enestealers p aling in com parison to the fury o f the Blood Angels. A dam antium tee th tore a p art chitin in vivid sprays of p u rp le gore, an d crackling fists an d ham m ers red u ced alien limbs to form less ru in . B rother-S ergeant R aphen led th e D eath Company, his face disto rted by th e Black Rage, his m ind filled with th e holy w rath o f th e P rim arch. R aphen gave no orders, for none were necessary, b u t his b ro th ers form ed up alongside him nonetheless. P art o f R ap h en ’s m in d clung to th e fact th a t he an d his black a rm o u red b re th re n were fighting for th e ir absolution, th o u g h this p a rt was steadily drow ning u n d e r a sea o f ten th o u san d year old m em ories.

MIGHT OF THE IMPERIUM T he D eath C om pany set ab o u t laying waste to th e Tyranids circling the plaza, lan d in g th e ir blows with ind iscrim in ate fury. A second ago the Blood Angels h ad b een set to m ake a last stand, th e ir backs pressed against th e fallen m onum ent to the Em peror. Now it was th e Tyranids th a t were pushed back, as th e D eath C om pany pressed onw ards towards th e palace, sm ashing a p a rt the retre a tin g G enestealers an d hacking at th e spore chim neys th a t p ro tru d e d from the nearby ruins. B rother-Sergeant R aphen soared u p over th e ru in s on his ju m p pack, taking in th e vista below. T h ro u g h his eyes the caved-in rem ains o f the palace took on a differen t cast, a n d as the dull light o f day h it it, th e scene a p p eared as th e E m p ero r’s Gate on T erra. O u t o f th e rubble, T raito r Space M arines seem ed to m aterialise, th e ir skittering m ovem ents an d the wet hiss o f th e ir war cries doing n o th in g to dispel the im age in R ap h en ’s m ind. Snarling o u t a challenge in the nam e o f the E m peror, the B rother-S ergeant attacked. T hen a deafening bellow echoed across the plaza and a h ulking beast th e size o f a R hino crash ed o u t o f the ruins. Levelling a massive b io-cannon at th e closest o f th e D eath Company, the huge w eapon-beast fired a living ro u n d . T he horrific projectile b u rst into a tangle o f constricting th o rn s th a t lashed a ro u n d th e Space M arines, d rag g in g them to the ground. O ne black a rm o u re d w arrio r threw him self at the beast, his chainsw ord g rip p ed in two hands, b u t the air aro u n d the b east’s m o u th b eg an to shim m er an d filled with the low ro ar o f boiling plasm a. In a blazing flash o f superheated fluid, th e Space M arine vanished as he tried to land a blow, in cin erated w here he stood.

T he T erm inators fo rm ed up, ready to receive th e cre a tu re ’s charge, b u t at th a t m om ent a n o th e r co m b atan t jo in e d the fray. T he D eath C om pany D read n o u g h t Cassor lu m b ered out o f th e ruins, sm ashing aside ru b b le a n d xenos corpses with consum m ate ease. T he C arnifex tu rn e d to face this new arrival, lettin g o u t an in h u m a n scream before b arrellin g across th e plaza. K arlaen w atched as m achine an d beast duelled am ong th e rubble, th e c re a tu re ’s huge claws rip p in g at th e D read n o u g h t’s a rm o u r while in tu rn it im paled th e m onster w ith its crackling blood talons. T h en th e C arnifex drove a long curved claw deep into the D readnought, p in n in g it in place. Slowly th e m onster o p en ed its maw, th e glow o f b oiling plasm a spilling o ut from w ithin. However, before th e m o n ster could disgorge its bile, the D read n o u g h t b ro u g h t up its w rist-m ounted m eltagun. W ith a dull hiss, th e back o f th e b e a st’s head vanished in a cloud o f sm oking fluid. W ith th e d eath o f th e C arnifex, th e fighting finally ebbed. T he gore-spattered survivors o f th e D eath Company, having cleared the plaza, e n tered th e palace ruins. Cassor m arch ed forw ard after them , th e w ar m a ch in e’s weighty footsteps fra c tu rin g th e stone slabs o f th e plaza. K arlaen, having freed him self, pau sed an d took stock. Several battle-b ro th ers h ad b een slain a n d several m ore were severely w ounded. However, K arlaen’s jo b was n o t yet com plete, an d tim e was swiftly ru n n in g out. Soon the Hive M ind would b rin g th e full force o f its swarms down u p o n th e reinforced Strike Force D eathstorm , a n d n o t even th e D eath Com pany w ould be able to save them from d estruction. If he was to locate G overner Flax an d m ake his b ro th e rs’ deaths m eaningful, it would have to be soon. ЖЛ

CLAWS OF CRYPTUS His forces supplemented by the arrival o f the Death Company, Karlaen headed for the undercity in his search for Planetary Governor Flax. However, the Captain was not alone in seeking out the missing governor, and what he discovered beneath Phodia’s streets led him to question if his mission was worth his brothers’ many sacrifices.

LABYRINTH OF SHADOWS U sing the in form atio n he h ad gleaned from th e servitor head, C aptain K arlaen set off into th e ru in s o f the G overnor’s Palace to fin d th e e n tran ce to th e undercity. At his side g ath ered th e survivors of Squad A lphaeus, reinforced with the rem n an ts o f o th e r T erm in ato r Squads as they re tu rn e d from th e ruins. As they advanced into th e ruins, th e T erm inators could see th e handiw ork o f th e D eath Company; fresh alien corpses lay reeking in the dust. E n terin g th e T ribune C ham ber once m ore, the C aptain cam e face to face with B rotherSergeant R aphen an d th e D eath Com pany D read n o u g h t Cassor. T he survivors o f the D eath Com pany stood knee deep in the h u m an an d Tyranid dead, th eir black arm o u r spattered in d rip p in g alien viscera. For a m o m en t K arlaen m et R ap h en ’s gaze, seeing the insanity an d rage dan cin g b e h in d the serg ean t’s cold blue eyes. T h ro u g h a haze o f m adness, R aphen recognised the T erm inator C aptain, th o u g h he could n o t say from where. Maybe they h ad fought to g eth er on th e walls o f th e E m p ero r’s Palace, o r p erh ap s they were abo u t to em bark u p o n the assault o f th e A rch -traito r’s B attle Barge. In eith er case, w hen the C aptain o rd ered him to lead th e advance

into th e enem ies’ lair, R aphen d id n o t hesitate. T he C aptain keyed th e h id d e n crypt-lock in th e centre o f th e ch am b er an d a section o f the flo o r irised open, trig g ering a b rie f avalanche o f dism em bered bodies. W eapons raised, th e strike force d escended into the darkness below. For over an hour, th e Blood Angels trekked th ro u g h the undercity, a mass o f ru in s, canals an d tunnels, all d rip p in g with w ater from above. Every so often they cam e u p o n a heavy plasteel blast d o o r covered by tu rre te d autocannons. At each such ju n c tu re K arlaen held up th e severed servitor head, th e re-coded creatu re babbling in bin ary w hispers to th e gateway’s m achine spirits an d allowing them to pass. Finally, th e Blood Angels stepped th ro u g h a vast vacuum lock, th e cog-toothed blast d o o r rolling aside to reveal P lanetary G overnor F lax’s undercity fortress. A fter th e gloom o f th e sub-city, it took K arlaen’s autosenses a m om ent to adjust to th e gothic splen d o u r o f w hat he saw. O utside, th e city was a rain-soaked ru in h u n ch ed u n d e r spore-choked clouds an d thick with T yranid infestation, b u t h ere th ere was no sign o f th e aliens. L ong-neglected buildings lin ed empty, broken streets, while overhead a dull glow illu m in ated th e su b terra n e a n ru in s as if a golden T erran sun h u n g overhead. K arlaen p aid th e faded g ra n d e u r o f th e cru m b lin g city little m ind, an d set ab o u t fin d in g A ugustus Flax.

LOST SONS OF CRYPTUS T he Blood Angels stalked forw ard th ro u g h th e stale air, th eir bolters scan n in g for targets, th e ir senses alert for danger. It was th en th a t K arlaen h ea rd th e strains o f music d riftin g th ro u g h th e still air, a h au n tin g melody extolling th e glories o f th e Flaxian Dynasty. Following th e sound, the C aptain cam e u p o n a huge central g ard en filled with wilted alien flowers, form in g a rio t o f strange, cloying scents and faded colours. In th e centre o f this garden, su rro u n d e d by p o rcelain-skinned slave-servitors, an ancien t m an reclin ed on a flo atin g b ed o f silks an d cushions. K arlaen m otio n ed for his b ro th ers to hold th e ir g ro u n d , an d taking only B rother-S ergeant A lphaeus, strode forw ard to m eet P lanetary G overnor A ugustus Flax. It was only w hen K arlaen reach ed Flax’s side th a t he saw th a t he stood n o t in a g arden, b u t th e rem ains of a d ecad en t feast. Everywhere, noble m en a n d wom en lay senseless am ong the grass, bottles o f rare intoxicants an d billow ing obscura censers scattered a ro u n d them . As the golden-haired g ian t loom ed over Flax, th e m a n ’s eyes slowly focused u p o n K arlaen. A fleetin g m om ent o f te rro r reflected there, quickly chased away by som ething else. T h e B lood Angel w asted no tim e, an d w ith only th e bare m in im u m o f deference to Flax’s position, asked him to accom pany his b ro th ers back to th e plaza an d from thence

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to the evacuation fleet. T he governor shook his h ead an d sighed. H e could n o t escape this place, for a beast held the keys to his freedom an d would b rook no one in terferin g w ith its prize. A nd so it was th a t th e sordid tale o f the Spawn of C ryptus cam e to light. Many decades ago, Flax’s p aren ts h ad travelled to Satys on a trad e mission, an d when they re tu rn e d his m o th er was carrying a child, w hich they told A ugustus was his brother. Sadly, it was like no child th e governor h ad ever seen before, and th ough his paren ts d o ted u p o n the h orror, Flax could not. For decades th e m onstrous child was h id d en below the palace, an d ru m o u rs were rife am ong th e palace servants o f crim inals an d dissidents bein g led dow n into the dungeons, never to re tu rn . O n th e day th a t Flax’s fath er died an d A ugustus ascended to control o f A sphodex, the newly ap p o in ted governor went to th e sub-levels to kill his brother, b u t discovered he was gone - vanished into th e u ndercity of Phodia. T hus was b o rn the Spawn o f C ryptus. As th e tale drew to a close Flax told th em th a t his ‘b ro th e r’ had only spared him to see him suffer an d if he tried to leave, his life was surely forfeit. K arlaen h ad no tim e for this. G athering up the old m an, th e strike force p re p a red to d ep art. At th a t m om ent, th e slave-servitors b eg an a cacophony o f w arnings. T h eir impassive p earl faces related security breaches in flat tones: void-gate epsilon open - voidgate gamma open - western defence grid: offline. A nd th en the lights went out.

DEATH COMPANY age is a fate th a t awaits alm ost all B lood A ngels should they live long enough. H id d en w ithin th e ir genetic h eritag e are the m em ories o f th e ir P rim arch , S anguinius, an d his fin al bloody h o u rs d u rin g th e Siege o f T erra. It was here th a t th e P rim arch fell d efen d in g th e E m p e ro r from th e tra ito r H orus. W hen the Black Rage afflicts a B lood A ngel he relives this terrib le tim e, a n d is com pletely overcom e by m em ories of te rro r a n d blood. T h ere is no com ing back from this m adness, an d only in d e a th can his soul b e cleansed. T his is th e fo u n d atio n o f th e D eath C om pany - a gro u p form ed o f those B lood A ngels consum ed by th e Black Rage, a n d sent in to battle to die. T hey are always given th e m ost d angerou s m issions a n d foes, as it is considered a blessing should they fall in th e service o f th e E m peror. O nce a b a ttle-b ro th er is in d u cted into the D eath C om pany’s ranks, th e re is no re tu rn . A b a ttle-b ro th er in th e grip of th e Black Rage is a tru e h o rro r to behold, th e B lood A ngel sh ru g g in g o ff m o rtal w ounds an d falling u p o n his foes w ith a b o undless ferocity. S hould a Blood A ngel survive to th e com pletion o f his m ission he will eith er succum b to his injuries, or accept th e E m p e ro r’s m ercy from A storath, the R edeem er o f th e Lost, whose task it is to g ra n t th e fin al peace o f d eath to th o le taken by th e Black Rage.

T h eir stab-lights d an cin g wildly as they lu m b ered th ro u g h the ru in e d buildings, th e T erm inators w ithdrew tow ard the gate they had e n tered by, Flax shielded betw een them . W hen a G enestealer scu rried into view, th u n d ero u s volleys o f storm b o lter fire drove it back. Yard by yard the T erm inators withdrew, K arlaen d ete rm in e d to get the governor back to Corbulo. T h en g reat sewer sluice gates which ran from th e city above g ro u n d open, u n leash in g b o th alien invaders an d a to rre n t o f w ater onto the b attle below.

K arlaen flicked a th erm al lens down across his bionic eye, and suddenly the darkness was filled with glowing images. B eyond the w arm blaze o f th e nobles an d Blood Angels, the C aptain could see cold m ulti-lim bed shapes moving th ro u g h the streets o f the district. K arlaen issued a quick series of orders to his b ro th ers - th e D eath Com pany would hold the G enestealer b ro o d at bay while th e T erm inators m ade for the tu n n e l back to th e plaza with Flax in tow.

W aterfalls o f dark rain cam e crash in g down as gloomy daylight illu m in ated th e gore-soaked g arden. A m id th e dow npour, a hu lk in g siege-beast, its h ead discoloured w here new flesh h ad h ealed over a ru in o u s w ound, advanced into the ranks o f the D eath Company. From the edges o f th e ruins, T yranid W arriors ap p eared , th e ir rainslicked blades gleam ing in th e light. T he D read n o u g h t C assor held the line against these larg er beasts, its talons pulverising th e first xenos to reach it. O nce again, D read n o u g h t an d C arnifex were soon locked in a d eath grip, m etallic talons tra d in g blows w ith razor claws.

In the darkness, th e sky h id d en by th e fo u n d atio n s of th e city above, the D eath C om pany ch arg ed forw ard to engage the invaders. They were h u n g ry to w het th e ir blades again, an d th eir reckless fury would buy tim e for K arlaen an d his squad to re tre a t an d ultim ately com plete th e ir mission. R aphen plunged into th e tangle o f Im p erial buildings, laying about him self with his crackling th u n d e r ham m er. Every G enestealer th e D eath C om pany killed was one less th a t could m ake it to th e T erm inators an d th e p a th back to the surface. Even so, some o f th e creatu res slipped th ro u g h the line of black arm o u red Space M arines, an d soon the scream s of dying nobles jo in e d the d in o f battle.

Seeing a G enestealer slip past th e D eath C om pany’s line, K arlaen sent A lphaeus w ith Flax to reach the gate, while the C aptain moved to block th e alien ’s p ath. Bolter rounds streaked across th e shadow ed street, th e beast rolling out o f th e way as it closed with b lin d in g speed. M om ents before th e creatu re struck, one o f K arlaen’s shells hit hom e an d it exploded into gore. However, in th a t instant, the Spawn o f Cyptus descended u p o n A lphaeus an d Flax. K arlaen tu rn e d in tim e to see the B roodlord h u rl the B rother-S ergeant aside an d scoop up th e scream ing governor. T h e C aptain ch arg ed tow ard the gate as th e Spawn vanished inside, and ju s t before it closed, he followed th e alien into th e dark.

THE NIGHTMARE RETURNS

A BLOODY RECKONING Captain Karlaen stalks the Spawn o f Cryptus through the darkened tunnels under the palace. Alone, the Captain hunts down the Broodlord and Augustus Flax, the spectre o f past failure burning in his memory. In the darkness, the Children o f Cryptus gather, and before long the hunter becomes the hunted.

CAPTAIN OF THE FIRST It h ad n o t been by m ere chance th a t K arlaen h ad b een chosen to lead the m ission to recover A ugustus Flax. W hile C om m ander D ante h ad decided to hold m ost of the 1st C om pany in reserve to reinforce th e Blood Angels landings, it h ad been S ang u in ary H igh Priest C orbulo who suggested the squads sent to fin d th e governor be led by the 1st C om pany C aptain. T he priest was well aware o f K arlaen’s tactical genius a n d p ragm atic approach to war. However, it was K arlaen’s history th a t in terested C orbulo more. O nce, long ago, K arlaen’s leadership h ad led his bro th ers into a m assacre, th e C aptain alone em erging alive. D ante h ad forgiven the failure, b u t C orbulo knew K arlaen h ad never truly forgiven him self. It was this m em ory th a t drove K arlaen on as he m arch ed alone into the labyrinth in e tu n n els u n d e r the palace, th e shadowy foundations rising u p a ro u n d him like a second city, reflected from the one above. Som ew here below, w ater ru sh in g th ro u g h th e sewers o f P hodia could be heard, while everywhere rain d rip p e d down from above. Keying off his stab-light, th e C aptain h u n te d using his augur-lens alone. At th e edges of his vision, ghostly blue

shapes d an ced in th e darkness, flittin g from one ru in e d fo u n d atio n to th e next. T hese were th e B ro o d lo rd ’s children, a n d this was th e ir dom ain. C hecking his storm bo lter he n o ted less th a n h a lf a clip rem ained; he would have to use th e w eapon sparingly. Instead he h efted his th u n d e r ham m er, th e b ru ta l w eapon m ore th a n capable o f pulverising a G enestealer. Two creatu res cam e at h im as he reach ed the first genelock. S currying out o f th e d ark they trie d to attack from b o th sides at once. W ith precise movem ents K arlaen p a rrie d th e first with his h am m er a n d let the o th e r w rap its claws aro u n d his free h an d . In th a t sam e m om ent, as th e two Tyranids enveloped him , he trig g ered the h a m m e r’s pow er field a n d ram m ed his free h a n d tow ard th e bulk h ead . T h e first G enestealer exploded in a shower o f sm oking gore as the field caught it, while th e second was p in n e d against th e wall. T u rn in g his atten tio n to th e tra p p e d beast, K arlaen w rap p ed servo assisted fingers a ro u n d its neck an d squeezed. For a long m om ent th e beast hissed an d snap p ed at h im until, with a wet cru n ch , it went lim p in his grip. C asting th e rem ains to th e gro u n d , the B lood Angels C aptain trig g ere d th e door.

WRATH OF CRYPTUS T he C hildren o f C ryptus attacked K arlaen several m ore tim es as he m ade his way th ro u g h th e ru in e d foundations. Each tim e they cam e in twos an d threes, lun g in g o u t of the darkness o r d ro p p in g down from above. Each tim e K arlaen’s augur-lens allowed him to track th e ir approach an d ready his ham m er. Yet th e xenos attacks were w earing him down, one bloody am bush at a tim e. Blood flowed from a h a lf dozen rents in his arm our, an d K arlaen felt the Red T h irst stirrin g deep down w ithin him . His an g er an d rage were pushing th eir way to th e surface. Focussing his m ind, the B lood A ngel C aptain ch an n elled this h u n g er into his desire to fin d the B roodlord, an d tea r it into bloody pieces.

as it trie d futilely to get into his m ind. All this passed in the space o f h a lf a dozen h eartb eats, b u t as soon as the B ro o d lo rd ’s psychic assault failed, its b ro o d m ates sw arm ed up to rip K arlaen ap art. T he B lood A ngel fought w ith a focussed fury, lettin g his an g er flow from him , b u t trying to keep th e R ed T h irst in check. G enestealers leapt onto th e bridge only to be sm ashed aside by th e C ap tain ’s m ighty ham m er, th e ir m angled rem ains tu m b lin g away in to th e darkness below. Two G enestealers scuttled up th e sides o f th e bridge, one falling to his ham m er, th e o th e r cu t down m id b o u n d by his th u n d e rin g storm bolter, b u t th e sm oking w eapon clicked em pty even as th e creatu re spiralled raggedly away into th e ru sh in g w ater below. Leaving b e h in d th e p ro n e body of Flax, the B roodlord leapt forw ard to m eet the C aptain on th e bridge.

HAMMER AND CLAW

As w ith the city above, th e streets below were slowly succum bing to th e influence o f th e alien invaders. Sewer channels th at once c arried filthy rainw ater from th e streets above were now choked w ith strange b arb e d weeds and th eir waters w rithed w ith half-seen creatures. T he crum bling buildings th a t were once th e fo u n d atio n s o f the city on the surface were now coiled w ith new an d distu rb in g xenos growths. T hese were th e h u n g ry flesh-tubes o f th e hive fleet, digging deep into th e e a rth to feast u p o n th e very blood of A sphodex.

Space M arine an d Tyranid duelled h a m m e r against claw. K arlaen fought like an arm o u re d ju g g ern a u t, th e B roodlord tw isting away from his blows b u t u n ab le to pierce th e Space M arin e’s a rm o u r in re tu rn . R estricted by the close confines o f th e bridge, K arlaen h ad no room to deliver a p ro p e r attack o r th e killing stroke he strived for. Soon beast an d m an grappled, K arlaen’s two arm s against the B ro o d lo rd ’s four, vainly trying to h old the beast at bay. W ith terrib le finality, th e T y ran id ’s h o rrific stren g th slowly forced th e Blood Angels C aptain to one knee. K arlaen g ritted his teeth , an d snarled in to th e B ro o d lo rd ’s face. Inches away, th e c re a tu re ’s flat crim son eyes showed n o th in g o f w hat lurked in its alien b rain , a n d w ith p ain fu l slowness th e Spawn o p en ed its maw. D rawing u p o n a reserve o f strength, K arlaen d ro p p e d his grapple, ig n oring the terrib le claws as he sm ashed his em pty storm bo lter upw ards into th e b e a st’s gaping jaw.

M ore th a n once, swarms of R ippers spilled ou t from th e ruins, draw n by th e scent o f K arlaen’s passing. Each tim e the B lood Angels C aptain dissuaded them from th e ir m eal w ith his h am m er an d heavy ceram ite boots. Finally, K arlaen staggered o u t into a crossroads betw een tow ering foundations. H ere fo u r bridges crossed a gap in th e darkness; above lay the ru in e d rem ains o f th e palace, below, the th u n d ero u s ro ar o f P h o d ia’s sewers. S tanding w here the bridges m et, the Spawn o f C ryptus h u n ch ed over an unconscious A ugustus Flax, stroking th e old m a n ’s blood-m atted h a ir w ith its claws. K arlaen could see o th e r shapes lurking in the su rro u n d in g ru in s a n d h an g in g u n d e r the bridges’ spans - m ore C h ild ren o f Cryptus. If he took a shot at the B roodlord, K arlaen w ould risk destroying the platform w here th e bridges in tersec ted a n d thus losing the P lanetary G overnor to th e void, an d so he advanced slowly tow ard it, h am m er ready at his side. As he walked onto th e co n n ectin g bridge th e B roodlord snapped its gaze in his d irectio n a n d u n leash ed a b ru tal telepathic assault. This tim e K arlaen was ready. Despite his wounds, his will was u n d im in ish ed , an d th e Blood A ngel fought back th e flood o f alien whispers. H e fixed his eyes u p o n the beast, an d the Space M arine stared it down

T he m o m en t’s d istractio n broke th e B ro o d lo rd ’s grip, and K arlaen was able to p ush it away, raising his h am m er once m ore. This tim e, however, he aim ed his blow n o t at th e Tyranid b u t th e bridge b e n e a th its claws. In a shower of twisted m etal, th e th u n d e r h am m er o b literated p a rt o f the gantry. W ith a scream o f to rtu re d steel, a g reat section of th e bridge gave way, sending th e B ro odlord tum b lin g into th e darkness below. It was silent as it fell, its lim bs grasping m echanically at n othingness, b u t it cra n e d its neck to stare back u p at K arlaen before it v anished into th e ru sh in g to rre n t o f th e sewers. For a m om ent the Space M arine paused, his h earts h am m erin g in his chest, an d blood ru n n in g down his arm our. T hen, he edged aro u n d th e gaping hole in th e bridge to reach Flax’s com atose body an d lifted th e old m an onto his shoulder.

SHADOW OF THE BEAST The Hive Mind finally unleashed its might upon the Blood Angels in a tide o f ravening bio-horrors. Karlaen and his surviving battle-brothers faced their final challenge; to protect Planetary Governor Augustus Flax against all odds until reinforcements could come to their aid.

THE TRIBUNE’S LAST STAND C ap tain K arlaen em erg ed into th e ru in s o f th e palace an d b eh eld a vision o f c arn ag e. Fire w ashed across th e city, filling the ru in s w ith towers o f d an c in g flam e an d waves o f billow ing smoke. T yranid organism s hissed an d scream ed as they b u rn e d , fleein g before th e risin g in fern o . In th e distance K arlaen could see sh u d d erin g m ushroom clouds a n d flashes in th e sky as th e g ro u n d shook b e n e a th his feet. T h e C ap tain d id n ’t n e e d to listen to his vox-net to know w hat this m eant: th e B lood A ngels fleet h ad b e g u n its p re lim in a ry b o m b a rd m e n t o f P hodia, an d soon th e first lan d in g s o f D a n te ’s m ain force w ould com m ence. W itho ut m en or au to m a ted systems to stop them , th e fires from th e b arra g e were sp read in g o u t of con tro l th ro u g h o u t the devastated city, in c in e ra tin g Im p eria l d efen d er a n d xenos invader alike. S hielding Flax from the flam es, K arlaen forged a p a th tow ard th e Plaza o f th e E m p ero r A scendant. Everywhere T yranids w ere spilling o u t o f th e sm oke-filled ru in s, a n d those th a t strayed too close o r trie d to b a r K arlaen ’s p ath soon felt the h a rd face o f his h am m er. As yet, th e T yranid swarm s were u n c o o rd in a te d , b u t this w ould n o t last. Soon th e Hive M ind w ould e x ert its will u p o n its swarms, a n d th e n th e real attack w ould beg in .

By th e tim e K arlaen reach ed th e plaza he could see broods of G aunts an d flights o f Gargoyles circling in the smoke. However, o f his b ro th ers th ere was no sign. H iding Flax u n d e r th e E m p ero r’s fallen statue, K arlaen sought out an A deptus A startes signal. B eam ed from high above, he fo u n d the ch an n el he sought, an d th ro u g h a link cracking with static relayed his situation. Several tense m om ents d ragged by, u n til a response cam e back giving the o rd er to hold u n til th e ex tractio n plan could be executed. H efting his ham m er, K arlaen scanned th e sea o f smoke for foes. B ehind the veil o f grey cloud d ark shapes were moving, larg er outlines in d istin ct b eh in d swarms o f sm aller ones. T hen, from o u t o f the haze, a lone G enestealer m aterialised, h u rlin g itself at th e C aptain. His storm bolter still spent, K arlaen sw ung his h am m er aro u n d his h ead in a b ru tal blow th a t sm ashed th e creatu re to th e gore-spattered g ro u n d . At th e sam e tim e he could see o th e r m ulti-arm ed shapes em erging into th e plaza in ever increasing num bers. It would n o t be long before these Tyranids tu rn e d from a trickle into a tidal wave o f claws an d fangs.

EDGE OF OBLIVION TERMINATORS T e rm in a to r arm o u r, also know n as T actical D re a d n o u g h t A rm our, is th e zen ith o f th e Im p e riu m ’s p erso n al defensive technology. T h e peerless p ro tectio n affo rd ed a Space M arine by T erm in ato r a rm o u r m akes u nits o f T erm in ato rs ideal for b o a rd in g actions a n d v an g u ard assaults, w here they can bull th e ir way th ro u g h enem y defences a n d to rre n ts o f sm all arm s fire. T h e size an d stre n g th o f T erm in ato r a rm o u r also allows th em to carry heav ier w eapons, stabilised by th e su it’s in teg ral targ etin g au g u rs a n d suspensor systems. T his allows th e ir w earers to lay dow n a w ithering storm o f fire as they m arch rem orselessly tow ard th e ir foes. However, suits o f T e rm in a to r a rm o u r are ra re an d precious artefacts, even w ithin th e ran k s o f th e A deptus A startes, an d as a resu lt are alm ost always reserved for C om m anders, C ap tain s a n d th e V eterans o f th e 1st Com pany. D u rin g th e fig h tin g o n P h o d ia, u n its o f veteran Space M arines w earing T erm in ato r a rm o u r w ere deployed d u rin g th e initial landings to secu re seco n d ary objectives. B rother-C aptain K arlaen led on e such fo rm atio n , Strike Force D eathstorm , th o u g h it was later rein fo rced by his p o w er-arm oured b re th re n . D u rin g th e fighting, th e C ap tain w ould com e to rely o n his a rm o u r tim e an d again, its p ro tectio n fen d in g o ff th e w orst o f th e T yranids’ attacks an d saving h im from th e blows o f th e Spawn o f C ryptus.

Long, bloody m inutes d rag g ed past, an d K arlaen soon stood in a circle o f m angled T yranid corpses. T he smoke h ad thickened, cu ttin g vision down to less th a n a h u n d re d yards. W hat little sunlight th ere was h ad now b een alm ost com pletely obscured. T h e weariness o f battle h ad also b ro u g h t w ith it a new danger, an d K arlaen could feel th e rage th a t he h ad so long suppressed fighting to free itself. T h ro u g h th e p ain o f his w ounds an d th e thick grey clouds cloaking th e plaza, K arlaen observed his enem ies m assing once m ore. From am ong th e smoke an d falling em bers a m align shape em erged from th e gloom, an d K arlaen w atched w ith a grim resignation as the Spawn o f C ryptus c rep t into view. Even th o u g h its carapace was cracked an d covered in filth, it still m oved with a fluid grace an d terrib le strength. In its shadow, a b ro o d o f G enestealers skulked, slowly spreading o u t to su rro u n d th e C aptain. K arlaen raised his h am m er a n d p re p a red for th e final battle. At th a t m om ent, fire engulfed th e rearm o st G enestealers as th e air cam e alive with th e crack o f bo lter rounds. Like vengeful dem igods, Squad Z achreal em erged from th e ru in s of the palace, firin g into th e swarm. In th e ir wake, Cassor th u n d e re d forw ard, its m ighty a rm o u r freshly scarred. From above, tu rb in es howled as R aphen an d the surviving D eath C om pany descended on trails o f flam e. Still, th e B lood Angels n u m b e re d b u t a h a n d fu l against the L Tyranid horde, which grew w ith each passing second.

From th e su rro u n d in g city b io-horrors p o u re d into th e plaza, the Blood Angels fighting th em in a ragged line aro u n d the E m p ero r’s fallen statue. A m id th e m elee K arlaen sought o u t th e B roodlord, scream ing o u t a challenge as he b attered his way into th e swarm. B ounding down from th e ruins, the Spawn o f Cryptus answ ered this call, tearin g into K arlaen b o th physically an d psychically, with fury unlike e ith er o f th eir two previous encounters. In the space o f a few seconds the B lood Angel was driven back, his T erm inato r a rm o u r barely w arding off the B ro o d lo rd ’s m ighty blows. All o f K arlaen’s control was focussed on trying to fend off th e c re a tu re ’s claws an d keep it from his m ind, so m uch so th a t his grip u p o n his own em otions was slipping. T he R ed T h irst surged up w ithin K arlaen and all his rage an d h a tre d boiled to th e surface. W ith an in co h eren t cry th e C aptain felt his reason slip away an d rage take him .

THE FINAL BLOW Blood A ngel an d B roodlord tore at each other, th e c re a tu re ’s u n re stra in e d fury m atch ed by the C ap tain ’s reckless hate. K arlaen’s a rm o u r was pierced in a dozen places b u t he paid it no heed, striking at th e T yranid with h am m er and fist. U nseen by the C aptain, the D eath C om pany sold th eir lives to destroy th e xenos, a n d the rem n an ts o f his squad held back the ceaseless waves o f Tyranids. R aphen saw only endless ranks o f frenzied traitors ch arg in g at him out o f the smoke. W ith each h a m m er blow he scream ed out his P rim a rc h ’s nam e, sending his enem ies crum bling to the g ro u n d am ong the drifts a n d piles o f th e dead. R eaching the centre o f the plaza, th e form er B rotherSergeant gazed u p o n the fallen form of th e E m p ero r’s statue an d wept openly th a t th e M aster o f M ankind h ad b een defiled so. T u rn in g his d eep en in g sorrow into rage, R aphen stood before th e statue w ith his bro th ers, w ielding his u n d im in ish ed fury like a w eapon. A b ro o d o f hulk in g Tyranid W arriors stalked tow ards them , an d R aphen sm ashed the leg o f th e first before lau n ch in g him self over its body to strike at another. As he swung his h am m er twoh an d ed to pulp th e alien ’s d ro o lin g b io-cannon, a wickedly curved bone sword slipped b e n e a th his g u ard a n d bisected his hearts. For a second R aphen lived on, an d before th e darkness took him , the Blood A ngel saw his killers for what they really were, th e ir alien maws an d rip p in g claws covered in his blood. H igh above the m elee, a Storm raven G unship tore down th ro u g h the atm osphere, th e b u rn in g city o f P hodia spread out b en ea th it like a vision o f hell. T h ro u g h eddies and whirlwinds in the clouds, th e pilot saw H arpies an d Gargoyles rising up to m eet him . Voxing a quick message to the Blood A ngels T erm inators fighting below, the Storm raven tipped its b lu n t nose tow ard the p lan et and scream ed down into th e Tyranids w ith guns blazing. M eanwhile the battle raged on below. T he D read n o u g h t C assor now stood alone against h u lk in g bio-beasts spilling out from the flam e-shrouded ru in s, th e g ro u n d littered w ith the ragged rem ains o f D eath C om pany an d xenos alike. T h ro u g h the m adness o f th e Black Rage, Cassor saw K arlaen b o rn e down to the g ro u n d u n d e r th e b ulk of th e

B roodlord. T h u n d e rin g across th e plaza, th e w ar m achine slashed one of its blood talons across th e c re a tu re ’s back, th e force o f the blow flin g in g th e beast aside. However, in th a t m om ent o f fury, Cassor was u n d o n e. T he C arnifex, still b earin g the scars o f its previous encounters, tore into Cassor from beh in d . From the g ro u n d K arlaen w atched as alien claws plu n g ed th ro u g h th e D readnought. T he C aptain, still b u rn in g with m indless rage, p ulled h im self to his feet, and, failing to fin d trace o f the B roodlord, tu rn e d u p o n the C arnifex still tearin g at Cassor. His first th u n d e r h am m er blow stu n n ed th e creatu re before it could ex tract its claws from th e ru in ed D readnought, while his second, th ird an d fo u rth tu rn e d its sn arling head to a m angled gory stum p. T u rn in g to seek out m ore prey, K arlaen saw th e shadow o f a Storm raven descend th ro u g h th e smoke, at th e sam e tim e as he saw the w ounded Spawn o f Cryptus lim ping back tow ard the ruins o f the palace. For a m om ent K arlaen tu rn e d to give chase to his h ate d foe, b u t th en som ething w ithin h im stayed his hand. He could n o t save Flax a n d kill th e B roodlord both. W ith th a t th ought, th e Red T h irst died w ithin him , and his duty becam e clear. W ith a final look at th e cu rsed creatu re, th e C aptain retreated to Flax’s h id in g place a n d his surviving battlebrothers. A ro u n d them , a roiling sea o f xenos flesh closed in. H u rry in g the P lanetary G overnor into th e w aiting gunship, K arlaen a n d his m en ch arg ed aboard. T he last th in g th e Blood Angels C ap tain saw before the ram p closed an d the Storm raven took to th e sky were two red eyes glaring at him th ro u g h th e smoke.

Captain Karlaen stepped down the Stormraven’s assault ramp and onto the landing platform at Port Helos, a fog of engine fumes coiling around his ceramite boots. To Karlaen s surprise, the golden figure of his Chapter Master stood before him, and refexively the Captain fell to a knee. ‘R ise and report, Captain,’Dante commanded, his tone revealing nothing of the man that lurked behind the gold death mask. In short, precise sentences Karlaen explained what had transpired within the ruins, even as Chapter serfs led the bewildered Flax away for transport into orbit where the fleet were waiting. Only once or twice did Dante interrupt to ask questions about the strange Broodlord. Even so, Karlaen could tell other things were weighing on his lord’s mind, and though the Captain wanted to ask for permission to hunt down this aberrant beast, he held his tongue. ‘You have done well, Captain. Corbulo will be pleased you have secured his prize. ’Dante paused, looking out beyond the port walls to the burning city beyond. ‘I wish I could offer you some respite, but I have need of you once more. ’ Karlaen bowed his head in respect as he replied, ‘Speak your will, my lord, and I will see it done. ’

1st C om pany C ap tain K arlaen bears th e blood d ro p symbol o f his C h ap ter in m any places on his arm o u r an d w eapons. T his crim son teard ro p reflects th e dedication o f the Blood A ngels’ artificers a n d gives the im pression th a t K arlaen’s w argear is p a rt o f th e arsenal reserved for th e C h ap ter’s veterans.

T he T erm inators o f Squad A lphaeus each wear th e C ru x T erm inatus u p o n th e ir left shoulder pads, identifying them as veterans of the 1st Company. Each b attle-b ro th er also has a scroll or b a n n e r u p o n th e ir a rm o u r b earin g th eir nam e, a g reat h o n o u r given the rarity o f T erm in ato r arm our.

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A lphaeus, shown here, has his nam e u p o n his rig h t shoulder pad u n d e r th e w inged ^ icon o f the C hapter. T he S ergeant is also b a reh ead ed so we can see his d eterm in ed ** expression an d the service stud above his rig h t eye.

T he D eath C om pany ad o rn th e ir a rm o u r w ith red saltires as a symbol of th e ir succum bing to th e Black Rage. These crosses ap p ear on helm ets, shoulder pads an d weapons.

T ho ug h th eir a rm o u r has b een p a in ted black, th e D eath Com pany retain m any com m on icons o f th e B lood Angels, in cluding w inged b lood drops an d th e chalice.

Cassor th e D am n ed bears m any of th e sam e icons as his sm aller D eath C om pany b re th re n . In addition, he sports scrolls w ith th e nam es of battles in which he has fought, such as th e cam paign u p o n th e broken world o f Enosh, im m ortalised u n d e r th e sigil o f th e golden chalice a n d halo ed blood drop.

Squad R aphen is n am ed for its B rother-S ergeant, seen h ere w ielding a deadly th u n d e r ham m er. R aphen has extensive detail u p o n his arm our, inclu d in g clusters o f purity seals an d a flap p in g scroll affixed before battle.

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T he Beast o f P hodia has a worn, p itted looking carapace, th e result o f days of fighting before th e arrival o f the Blood Angels. T he creatu re also has th e distinctive yellow stripe m arkings of th e P h o d ian A n n ih ilatio n Swarm, w hich typified th e organism s fighting in th e ru in s of the once-great city of Phodia.

I T hese G enestealers, th e C h ild ren o f C ryptus, are all posed to give a dynam ic sense o f movem ent. Talons raised an d legs coiled u n d e r them , they look as if they are leaping an d b o u n d in g th ro u g h the ru in s of Phodia, h u n tin g the Blood Angels th ro u g h % «£ the d ark en ed streets an d tunnels, e- aw aiting the m om ent to strike.

T he Spawn o f C ryptus is an impressive m odel - posed atop a spiny T yranid grow th it is ready to pou n ce u p o n its n ex t victim. Distinctive details o f th e B roodlord include its rows o f n e e d le ­ like teeth and long b arb e d tongue, which appears to have a m ind o f its own as it w rithes o u t o f the c re a tu re ’s open m outh, seeking out prey to feed u pon. T he B ro o d lo rd ’s eyes are also indicative o f its alien nature; squ in tin g from above its oversized maw, they convey a h in t o f th e p o te n t psychic will the beast projects u p o n its foes.

Each o f the P ho d ian Tyranid W arriors carries an impressive array o f b io ­ w eapons. This w arrior is arm ed w ith a bonesw ord an d lash whip, w hich we can see coiling out ready to strike or snare its prey. T he creatu re also has toxin sacs attach ed to its sword arm , th e vile grow th covered in shining g reen blisters, h in tin g at th e caustic fluids co n tain ed w ithin.

GAME RULES & MISSIONS O n the following pages you will fin d all of th e rules an d inform ation th a t you n eed in o rd e r to use th e C itadel m iniatures from Shield of Baal: Deathstorm in gam es of W arham m er 40,000. We have also included a selection of new missions based on th e events th a t took place in th e Flaxian Palace on A sphodex, an d w hich can be fought using the C itadel m in iatu res inclu d ed with Shield of Baal: Deathstorm. This m eans th at, as long as you have Warhammer 40,000: The Rules, you can sta rt playing as soon as you get the m iniatures assembled!

Faction: T he u n it’s Faction will be shown w ith a symbol. T he symbols for these Factions are d efin ed in Warhammer 40,000: The Rules. T h e u n its describ ed in this book have eith e r th e Blood A ngels o r Tyranids Faction. B attlefield Role: T he u n it’s B attlefield Role is shown w ith a symbol. T h e symbols for these battlefield roles are d efin ed in Warhammer 40,000: The Rules. U nit Name: At th e sta rt o f each Army List E ntry you will fin d th e nam e o f th e u n it alongside th e po in ts cost o f th e u nit.

MISSIONS This book includes several W arham m er 40,000 missions inspired by the pivotal battles fought as K arlaen’s Blood Angels en co u n tered th e Tyranids. All o f the missions can be fought using ju s t th e m in iatu res provided w ith Shield of Baal: Deathstorm, o r can be ex p an d ed to use ad d itio n al C itadel m iniatures from your collection if you wish. T here are several ways in w hich you can use th e missions. T he first is simply to select a p a rticu lar mission you are excited about and fight it o u t using th e C itadel m in iatu res provided w ith Shield of Baal: Deathstorm. T he A rm ies section o f each m ission provides g u id an ce on th e forces p resen t so th a t you can replay th e battles using th e units, characters and Form ations describ ed in th e b ack g ro u n d section o f this book.

Unit Profile: T his section will show th e p rofile o f any m odels th e u n it can include. Unit Type: T his refers to th e u n it type rules in Warhammer 40,000: The Rules. For exam ple, a u n it may be classed as In fa n try o r Vehicle, w hich will subject it to a n u m b e r o f rules re g a rd in g m ovem ent, shooting, assaulting etc. U nit Composition: T his will show th e n u m b e r an d type o f m odels th a t m ake u p th e u n it. If th e U nit C om position includes th e w ord ‘U n iq u e’, th e n you may only include one o f this u n it in your army. W argear/W eapons 8c Biomorphs: T his details the w eapons, eq u ip m en t a n d u p g rad es th e m odels in th e u n it are a rm ed with. T he cost for all these m odels an d th e ir e q u ip m en t is in clu d ed in th e points cost listed n ex t to the u n it nam e. Warlord Traits: If a c h a ra c te r has a specific W arlord T rait, it will be listed on its datash eet. Relic o f Baal: Any u n iq u e item o f w argear th e m odel has will be d etailed on its datasheet.

A n o th er way to use these missions is to play a cam paign. You can do this by simply playing th ro u g h the missions sequentially. If you do so, keep a note o f your cum ulative V ictory Points, an d th e w in n er o f th e cam paign is th e player w ith the highest score. If you are playing a cam paign, we suggest you m ain tain the sam e side (the Blood Angels or the Tyranids) th ro u g h o u t the course o f th e cam paign, b u t u p o n its com pletion swap roles an d see how m uch b e tte r (or worse) you fare w hen fighting for th e o th e r side.

DATASHEETS T he D atasheets section includes b ack g ro u n d a n d rules in fo rm atio n th a t describe the forces used by the Blood Angels and Tyranids d u rin g th e P h o d ian cam paign - th eir w arriors, th e ir vehicles o r m onsters, a n d th e characters th a t lead them to battle. Each u n it o f m odels in cluded with Shield of Baal: Deathstorm has a datasheet. Each d atash eet contains a detailed descrip tio n o f th e u n it along w ith all th e following rules in fo rm atio n to use it in your gam es of W arham m er 40,000:

Special Rules: Any special rules th a t apply to th e m odels in th e u n it are listed on its datasheet. W ith th e exception o f Synapse C reatu re, Shadow in th e W arp, Instinctive B ehaviour a n d T yranid psychic powers, w hich are describ ed on page 39, a special ru le th a t is n o t ex p lained on th e d a tash eet will be ex p lain ed in th e Special Rules section o f Warhammer 40,000: The Rules.

D e a t h s t o r m F o r m a t io n s T his boo k includes two new Form ations th a t you can use in any o f your gam es o f W arh am m er 40,000. T hese are d e n o ted by th e icon shown here. W a r g e a r , W e a p o n s & B io m o r p h s T he w eapons a n d w argear used by th e Blood A ngels an d T yranid forces in clu d ed w ith Shield of Baal: Deathstorm can be fo u n d after th e d atash eets in th e ir respective sections. If an item o f w argear is n o t ex p lain ed in eith e r th e Blood Angels or T yranid w argear sections, its rules will be fo und in Warhammer 40,000: The Rules.

HUNTERS IN THE DARK —

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Whilst searching the ruins o f the Flaxian Palace to find the Planetary Governor, Captain Karlaen and Squad Alphaeus are ambushed by a swarm o f Genestealers. If the Blood Angels are to achieve their mission they will have to fight their way through a great shadow-haunted corridor, into which Genestealers flood through with every second that passes whilst yet others descend from their hiding places concealed in the ceiling above.

THE ARMIES

GAME LENGTH

O ne player com m ands th e B lood Angels, th e o th e r the Tyranids. Each player takes th e following models:

T he gam e continues u n til C ap tain K arlaen is eith er rem oved as a casualty or exits th e battlefield.

B l o o d A n g e l s A rm y C aptain K arlaen Squad A lphaeus

VICTORY CONDITIONS

T y r a n id s A rm y T he C hildren o f C ryptus (Do not take th e Spawn o f C ryptus in this mission. T he T yranids arm y does n o t have a W arlord in this mission).

At the end o f the game, the Blood A ngels player scores 5 Victory Points if Captain Karlaen has exited the battlefield (see below), and the Tyranid player scores 1 Victory Point for every B lood A ngels m odel that was removed as a casualty. T he player who has scored th e m ost V ictory Points is th e w inner. If b o th players have th e sam e n u m b er o f Victory Points, th e gam e is a draw.

THE BATTLEFIELD Use the deploym ent m ap inclu d ed with this mission. Set up te rra in as described in Warhammer 40,000: The Rules.

DEPLOYMENT T he Blood Angels player deploys first. He m ust deploy all his units w ithin 6" o f th e B lood Angels table edge. In this mission, th e m odels in Squad A lphaeus are all individual units, an d so move, shoot, charge etc. independently. No u n it can be placed in Reserve. T he Tyranids player deploys second. He deploys his units anywhere th a t is m ore th a n 18" away from any Blood Angels m odel. In this mission, th e m odels in the C hildren o f C ryptus are also individual units.

FIRST TURN T he Tyranids player goes first unless the Blood Angels player can Seize the Initiative (see Warhammer 40,000: The Rules).

MISSION SPECIAL RULES H idden in Shadow: T he m axim um ran g e for any line of sight in this m ission is 18". Out o f the Darkness: If C aptain K arlaen starts his M ovem ent phase w ithin 6" o f th e table edge labelled ‘Exit P o in t’, he can exit the battlefield. Surrounded and Outnumbered: Each tim e a G enestealer is rem oved as a casualty, an identical rep lacem en t is placed into O n going Reserves, which will arrive in the Tyranid player’s n ex t tu rn . W henever a G enestealer arrives from O ngoing Reserves, roll a D6: O n a 1-2 th a t G enestealer arrives from th e Blood Angels table edge, on a 3-4 it arrives from th e table edge labelled ‘Exit P o in t’ an d on a 5-6 it arrives using th e rules for D eep Strike.

STORM OF BLOOD

шшшшшшшшшшшшшшяяяшшшпшяшшшшшшшшияняшяшшшшшшяяшшшашаяшшшшшшшшшшяшшшшяшшяшяшшшшшшшшиишш Whilst engaged in a desperate duel, Captain Karlaen has become trapped beneath a fallen Ecclesiarchal statue. Though Squad Alphaeus stand guard near their fallen lord, their minds are still reeling from a brutal psychic onslaught, leaving Karlaen dangerously vulnerable in the face o f the approaching Tyranid broods. Unless aid arrives soon, the Blood Angels Terminators will be overrun and tom to pieces.

THE ARMIES O ne player com m ands th e Blood Angels, th e o th e r the Tyranids. Each player takes th e following models: B l o o d A n g e l s A rmy Squad A lphaeus R ap h en ’s D eath Com pany Cassor the D am ned

Reserve. Cassor th e D am ned starts the gam e in Reserve. T he Tyranids player deploys second. H e deploys his units anyw here w ithin 6" o f th e Tyranids table edge. T he Beast o f P hodia starts th e gam e in Reserve.

FIRST TURN T he Blood Angels player goes first.

T y r a n id s A rm y T he Beast o f P hodia P hodian Hive W arriors T he C hildren o f C ryptus (Do n o t take the Spawn o f C ryptus in this mission. T he Tyranids arm y does n o t have a W arlord in this mission).

GAME LENGTH This m ission uses V ariable G ame L en g th (see Warhammer 40,000: The Rules).

VICTORY CONDITIONS THE BATTLEFIELD Use the deploym ent m ap included with this mission. Set up te rra in as described in Warhammer 40,000: The Rules. O b je c t iv e M ar kers A fter setting up terra in , place a single Objective M arker in the centre o f th e table.

DEPLOYMENT T he Blood A ngels player deploys first. He m ust deploy Squad A lphaeus w ithin 6" o f th e centre o f th e table. R aphen’s D eath C om pany sta rt th e gam e in D eep Strike

At the end o f the game, the player that controls the Objective Marker scores 5 Victory Points and wins the game.

MISSION SPECIAL RULES Psychic Horror: U ntil th e start o f th e ir second tu rn , Squad A lphaeus are P inned. Crash through the Ruins: W hen Cassor th e D am ned an d the Beast o f P hodia arrive from Reserve, they may move on from any table edge.

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Captain Karlaen and the survivors o f his strike force have rescued Governor Flax and fought their way back to the world’s surface. Now they must hold out against the waves o f Tyranids long enough for the Chapter’s Stormravens to arrive from orbit and extract them and their prize. The Spawn o f Cryptus has sensed its prey’s attempt to flee, and has urged every Tyranid under its command to attack, intent that its quarry will not escape.

THE ARMIES

GAME LENGTH

O ne player com m ands the Blood Angels, th e o th er the Tyranids. Each player takes th e following form ations:

T his m ission uses Variable Gam e L en g th (see Warhammer 40,000: The Rules).

B l o o d A n g e l s A rmy Strike Force D eathstorm

VICTORY CONDITIONS

T yr an id s A rm y Phodian A nnihilatio n Swarm

THE BATTLEFIELD Use the deploym ent m ap inclu d ed with this mission. Set up terrain as described in Warhammer 40,000: The Rules.

At the end o f the game, the B lood Angels player scores 3 Victory Points if Captain Karlaen is still alive and 1 Victory Point for each other Blood Angels unit that is still alive. The Tyranid player scores 3 Victory Points if Captain Karlaen was removed as a casualty’ and 1 Victory Point for each other Blood Angels unit that was com pletely destroyed. T he player who has scored the m ost V ictory Points is th e w inner. If b o th players have the sam e n u m b e r o f Victory Points, the gam e is a draw.

DEPLOYMENT T he Tyranids player deploys first. He m ust deploy his units w ithin 3" o f any table edge. T he C h ild ren of C ryptus can deploy using th e ir In filtrate special rule. T he Blood Angels player deploys second. H e m ust deploy all his units w ithin 6" o f th e centre o f th e b oard. N either player can place any un its in Reserve.

MISSION SPECIAL RULES The Edge o f Oblivion: Each tim e a T yranid u n it is com pletely destroyed you can im m ediately place a new u n it into O ngoing Reserve th a t is identical in term s of the o riginal n u m b er of m odels, w eapons an d upg rad es to the u n it th a t was ju s t destroyed. T he only exception is th e Spawn of C ryptus who, if slain, will n o t re tu rn (although its G enestealers will). Tyranid units arriving from O ngoing Reserves en te r play from any table edge.

FIRST TURN T he Tyranids player goes first unless the Blood Angels player can Seize the Initiative (see Warhammer 40,000: The Rules).

The Red Thirst Rises: In this m ission C aptain K arlaen has the Rage special rule.

Tyranids Table Edge

3"

Tyranids Deployment Zone

3n

Blood Angels Deployment Zone

CAPTAIN KARLAEN T h e S h ie l d o f B aal

Captain Karlaen commands the 1st Company of the Blood Angels and has earned a reputation as a formidable warrior and brilliant tactician over centuries of service. Trained by Commander Dante himself, Karlaen has distinguished himself time and again in the two centuries he has held the rank of Captain within the Blood Angels. A t the battle of Forlorn Falls, it was Karlaen’s Terminators that led the counter-attack that broke through the fortifications of the Iron Warriors. On Ivald X II Karlaen held the line against the Orks of the Shattered Fang tribe, foiling their attacks one after another. Karlaen has also fought the creatures of the hive fleets many times before, having personally led a dozen missions to destroy infested space hulks. For all these reasons Karlaen was chosen by Corbulo for the mission to Phodia. The Sanguinary High Priest has complete confidence in the Captain’s strategic acumen and his utter dedication to duty.

Unit Type Infantry (Character)

Captain Karlaen

WARGEAR:

WARLORD TRAIT:

• Terminator armour (pg 31) • Storm bolter • Iron halo (pg 31)

Strategic Genius: This Warlord possesses a natural gift for planning and executing wars, his knowledge of military strategy second to none.

SPECIAL RULES: • And They Shall Know No Fear • Counter-attack • Furious Charge • Independent Character

You add +1 to any Seize th e Initiative roll. In addition, whilst your W arlord is alive, you can re-roll any Reserve Rolls (failed o r successful).

Unit Composition 1 (Unique)

RELIC OF BAAL

^

The Ham mer o f Baal: This exquisite weapon was forged by master-artisans several millennia ago. It was entrusted by Dante himself into Karlaen’s custody when he took up the mantle of Captain of the 1st Company. Since that day it has been the doom of traitors and aliens beyond counting. Range Melee, Concussive, Master-crafted, Specialist W eapon, Unwieldy

kMi SQUAD ALPHAEUS

215 PO IN TS

Brother-Sergeant Alphaeus is an old comrade of Captain Karlaen, and has served at his side on many hundreds of missions. However, this is not the only reason the Captain chose Alphaeus and his squad to accompany him to Phodia. Alphaeus has a well-earned reputation fighting the creatures of the Hive Mind. In his time aboard space hulks and upon the xenos ravaged battlefields of the Imperium, the Brother-Sergeant has mastered the methods of killing even the largest Tyranid bio-beasts, and for this reason favours arming his squad with a heavy flamer; this is the ideal weapon for thinning out the ranks of a Tyranid swarm. On Phodia, Alphaeus and his squad would prove their worth, surviving against the brutality of the xenos where countless others were destroyed. WS BS S T W T e rm in a to r A lp h a e u s

4 4

4 4

4 4

4 4

1 1

I

A Ld Sv

4 4

2 2

9 9

2+ 2+

Unit Type

Unit Composition

I n fa n tr y In fa n tr y (C h a ra c te r)

4 T e rm in a to rs 1 (U n iq u e)

WARGEAR:

SPECIAL RULES:

• All models have Terminator armour (p g 31). • Alphaeus has a storm bolter and power sword. • 1 Terminator has a heavy flamer and power fist. • 1 Terminator has a storm bolter and chainfist. • 2 Terminators each have a storm bolter and power fist.

• And They Shall Know No Fear • Furious Charge • Preferred Enemy (Tyranids) (A lp h aeu s only)

ш

RAPHEN’S DEATH COMPANY

Before every battle a few amongst the Blood Angels will inevitably succumb to the Black Rage, the inescapable madness that can only be cured in death. With such a large proportion of Chapter fighting on Phodia, it was only to be expected that many more battle-brothers would fall prey to the Black Rage. Among these were Raphen and his brothers, sent down from the heavens by Dante to support Karlaen’s force in their mission. In battle the Death Company are completely consumed by the visions and ancient memories that tear at their mind, often confusing past and present or perceiving foes that have long since been vanquished. For all their madness, though, they are deadly fighters that can only be defeated in death. WS BS D e a th C o m p a n y M a rin e R aphen

4 4

4 4

A Ld Sv 2 8 3+ 3 9 3+

WARGEAR: • All models have power armour (pg 31), jump pack (pg 31), frag and krak grenades. • Raphen has a bolt pistol and thunder hammer. • 1 Death Company Marine has a bolt pistol and power fist. • 1 Death Company Marine has a bolt pistol and power sword. • 1 Death Company Marine has an inferno pistol # and chainsword. • 1 Death Company Marine has a bolt pistol and chainsword.

Unit Type

Unit Composition

J u m p I n fa n tr y

4 D e a th C o m p a n y M a rin e s

J u m p I n fa n tr y (C h a ra c te r)

1 (U n iq u e)

SPECIAL RULES: • • • • •

Fearless Feel No Pain Furious Charge Rage Relentless

CASSOR THE DAMNED

PO IN TS

Sometimes even Blood Angels Dreadnoughts succumb to the Black Rage, their minds infected with the same spiritual sickness that can afflict their mortal brethren. Cassor the Damned is one such tragic individual: having served for almost three centuries within the hull of his war machine, his mind was finally broken during the battle of Lowfang. Those that saw Cassors fall from sanity say it was the wings of the Sanguinary Guard as they passed overhead, blotting out the sun, that triggered the rage. Since that day the sound of beating wings is the only way to rouse the Dreadnought from his madness long enough for a Death Company Chaplain to direct him at his foes. When so released, however, his battle-fury is terrifying to behold, and countless foes have fallen to his razor-sharp blood talons. ГArmour 1 WS BS F S R I C a sso r th e D a m n e d

4

4

1212

10

4

A HP

Unit Type

Unit Composition

3

V ehicle (W alker, C h a ra c te r)

1 (U n iq u e)

3

WARGEAR:

SPECIAL RULES:

• One blood talon (pg 31) with built-in meltagun • One blood talon (pg 31) with built-in storm bolter • Magna-grapple (pg 31) • Searchlight

• Furious Charge • Rage N one Can Stay My Wrath: Cassor th e D am ned ignores the effects of Crew Shaken o r Crew S tu n n ed dam age results (but still loses a H ull Point).

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STRIKE FORCE DEATHSTORM

ф

Ф

As Commander Dante’s Blood Angels fleet reached high orbit above Asphodex, he sent down forward assault squads to secure key resources, clear vital landing zones and assess the size and strength of the ground swarm. Among these were squads of the 1st Company and elements of the Death Company. Karlaen led one of his Terminator Squads into the heart of the ruined Governor’s Palace to complete the mission bestowed upon him by Corbulo, and, in the course of the fighting, battle-brothers of the Death Company and even the Dreadnought Cassor the Damned would come to Karlaen’s aid when his own command was hopelessly overrun. Together Strike Force Deathstorm would take a bloody toll upon the Tyranids, and help the 1st Company Captain to return with Corbulo’s prize intact.

SPECIAL RULES: FORMATION: • • • •

Captain Karlaen (pg 26) Squad Alphaeus (pg 27) Raphen’s Death Company (pg 28) Cassor the Damned (pg 29)

RESTRICTIONS: None.

Against all Odds: All un its in this Form ation have the Fearless special rule. M odels th a t already have th e Fearless special ru le instead gain th e C ounter-attack special rule. Bloody Toll: O nce p e r gam e, at the sta rt o f any A ssault phase, C aptain K arlaen can call for a Bloody Toll. O n the tu rn he does so, all un its in this F orm ation re-roll all failed To W ound rolls u n til th e end of th a t phase.

BLOOD ANGELS WARGEAR M elee W eapon s

S p e c ia l I s su e W a r g e a r

P rofiles for the follow ing M elee weapons are listed in the R eference (pg 40). Their full rules can be found in Warhammer 40,000: The Rules:

Frag grenades* K rak g renades

C hainfist Chainsw ord Power fist Power sword T h u n d e r ham m er

* See assault grenades

B lood T alon The blood talon echoes the Space Marine lightning claw writ large. Where power armour or Terminator armour can mount a set of foot-long powered blades, each blood talon boasts claws as long as a Blood Angel’s arm. Forged from adamantium, energised using reserves from the Dreadnought’s power plant, and blessed by both the Techmarines and Chaplains of the Chapter, these weapons are truly lethal. With a single swipe of a blood talon, a Blood Angels Dreadnought can scythe down a whole swathe of foes, cutting through the thickest armour as though it were parchment. Equipped with a pair of these weapons, a Dreadnought can plough through the ranks of the foe, leaving nothing but red mist and butchered corpses in its wake. Range

Rules for the follow ing wargear can be found in Warhammer 40,000: The Rules:

AP x2

т УРе

I ron H alo Echoing the flickering war-halo of the Primarch himself, the iron halo projects a protective energy field around its honoured bearer. A n iron halo confers a 4+ in vulnerable save. J u m p Pa c k Jump packs allow the wearer to leap through the air in short, controlled bursts of flight, a deployment method particularly beloved of Sanguinius’ sons. M odels eq u ip p ed with ju m p packs gain th e Ju m p u n it type as described in Warhammer 40,000: The Rules.

V e h ic l e E q u ip m e n t

Melee, S hred, S pecialist W eapon

R anged W eapons

R ules for the follow ing vehicle equipm ent can be found in Warhammer 40,000: The Rules: Searchlight

Profiles for the follow ing ranged weapons are listed in the R eference (pg 40). Their full rules can be found in Warhammer 40,000: The Rules: Bolt pistol Heavy flam er In fern o pistol M eltagun Storm bolter

M agna-g r a pple Consisting o f a potent gravitic magnet and a spooled length of adamantium chain, a magna-grapple can clamp onto vehicular hulls before hauling the Dreadnought towards its target at speed. A m odel e q u ip p ed with a m agna-grapple has th e Move T h ro u g h Cover special rule. In addition, a u n it co n tain in g a m odel w ith a m agna-grapple can re-roll failed charges w hen attem p tin g to charge a vehicle.

A rm our P ow er A rm o ur Made from thick ceramite plates and electrically motivated fibre bundles that enhance the movement of the wearer, power armour is the standard protection for Space Marines.

T e r m in a t o r A r m o u r Terminator armour is the best protection a Space Marine can be equipped with. Its reinforced plates can withstand almost any blow, providing the wearer with the resilience of a walking tank.

Power arm o u r confers a 3+ A rm o u r Save.

T erm in ato r a rm o u r confers a 2+ A rm o u r Save a n d a 5+ invulnerable save. F u rth erm o re, m odels in T erm in ato r a rm o u r have th e Bulky, D eep Strike an d Relentless special rules, an d may n o t m ake Sweeping Advances.

ш

ьЭБл THE CHILDREN OF CRYPTUS

The Spawn of Cryptus and his brood have haunted the Phodian undercity for decades, preying upon the lost and the unwary. Raised in the heart of the governor’s palace, the Broodlord is a terrifying and cunning foe that knows the city of Phodia like a true native. This knowledge allows the Children of Cryptus and their progenitor to move about the city unseen, slipping away from battle or springing sudden ambushes. The Spawn of Cryptus is an especially vile specimen of the Tyranid Broodlord genus. Its unique telepathic power, combined with its genetic ancestry, grants the beast a disturbing understanding of the human mind; this was something the Blood Angels would discover when first the Broodlord was revealed. s

Genestealer Spawn of Cryptus

WEAPONS 8c BIOMORPHS: • Rending claws (pg 38) • Scything talons (Genestealer only) (pg 38)

4

T W 4 1

5

5

I

A Ld Sv

6 7

2 10 5+ 4 10 4+

Unit Type Infantry Infantry (Character)

Unit Composition 8 Genestealers 1 (Unique)

WARLORD TRAIT:

SPECIAL RULES:

PSYKER:

Innate Understanding (Spawn o f Cryptus only): This Warlord has been engineered so that it instinctively knows the best methods of defeating its enemies.

• Bulky (Spawn of Cryptus only) • Fleet • Infiltrate • Move Through Cover • Psyker (Mastery Level 1) (Spawn of Cryptus only) • Stealth

T he Spawn of C ryptus knows The Horror an d Dominion psychic powers (pg 39).

3

T his W arlord has the P referred Enemy special rule.

PHODIAN HIVE WARRIORS

PO IN TS

Swarms of Tyranid weapon-beasts infest the city of Phodia, crowding its streets and crawling through its ruins. Among these lesser beasts stride the Phodian Hive Warriors, generals and shock troops of the Hive Mind. Armed with an impressive range of bio-weaponry, each Tyranid Warrior is a formidable opponent. These bio-warriors were common in the ruins of the Palace District, stalking among the lesser Tyranid creatures as they sought out specific prey. Perhaps the most terrible aspect of the Phodian Hive Warriors was their connection to the Hive Mind, allowing them to influence the broods around them. On Phodia this extended to the very ruins themselves, which were overgrown with Tyranid bio-organisms. WS BS S T W P h o d ia n H ive W a rrio r

5

3 4 4

3

I

A Ld Sv

Unit Type

Unit Composition

4

3

In fa n tr y

3 P h o d ia n H ive W a rrio rs (U n iq u e)

10 4+

WEAPONS 8c BIOMORPHS:

SPECIAL RULES:

• All models in the unit have toxin sacs and adrenal glands (pg 38). • One model is equipped with a pair of scything talons and a venom cannon (pg 38). • One model is equipped with a pair of scything talons and a pair of boneswords (pg 38). • One model is equipped with a pair of rending claws and a lash whip and bonesword (pg 38).

• Shadow in the Warp (pg 39) • Synapse Creature (pg 39) • Very Bulky Infested Ruins: P hodian Hive W arriors do n o t suffer th e p enalty to th e ir Initiative for ch arg in g th ro u g h ru in s b u t fight at th e ir no rm al Initiative. F u rth erm o re,

m odels w ithout th e Tyranids Faction tre a t all ru ins te rra in w ithin 12" of a P h o d ian Hive W arrior as d an g ero u s terrain .

THE BEAST OF PHODIA

170 PO IN T S

It is unclear whether or not the Beast of Phodia, as the defenders knew it, was a single Carnifex or many. Certainly, during the course of Captain Karlaen’s mission he would report the creature returning many times, in each encounter the scars of its previous demise readily apparent. Whether this is the result of rapid regeneration or some other altogether more alien means of resurrection, the Beast proved to be practically unkillable. Armed with razor-sharp talons and a massive bio-cannon, few foes could stand against the Beast and live for long. Against those who did, the Beast would spew forth vile torrents of burning plasma from its toxic innards, able to bum through flesh and armour with equal ease. WS BS S T W T h e B e ast o f P h o d ia

WEAPONS & BIOMORPHS: Bio-plasma (pg 38) Stranglethorn cannon (pg 38) Scything talons (pg 38)

3

3

9

6

4

2

I

A Ld Sv

Unit Type

Unit Composition

3 7

M o n s tro u s C r e a tu r e

1 (U n iq u e)

3+

SPECIAL RULES: • Fearless • Instinctive Behaviour (Feed) (pg 39) • I t Will Not Die Living Battering Ram: W hen this m odel charges, it inflicts D3 H am m er o f W rath Attacks, ra th e r th a n ju s t 1.

j

When the Blood Angels descended upon Phodia, its defences had all but been overrun. The Hive M ind had turned from conquest to consumption, and the ruins thronged with swarms of digestion organisms. However, broods of Tyranids still remained, hunting down and devouring the remaining survivors. The Blood Angels classified these beasts as the Phodian Annihilation Swarm, and it was these bio-horrors that gathered to repel their invasion. In the shadow of the ruined Planetary Governor’s Palace, the Annihilation Swarm consisted mainly of the Children of Cryptus and those larger bio-creatures that stalked the rubble. When the Blood Angels 1st Company Terminators arrived, these deadly swarm-beasts crawled from the shadows to tear them to pieces.

SPECIAL RULES: FORMATION: ► The Children of Cryptus (pg 34) ► Phodian Hive Warriors (pg 35) *The Beast of Phodia (pg 36)

RESTRICTIONS: None.

Crawl from the Shadows: All m odels in this Form ation have th e Stealth special rule. M odels th a t already have th e Stealth special rule also have th e S h ro u d ed Special rule. Unnatural Intelligence: W hilst th e Spawn o f C ryptus is alive, all units in this F orm ation have th e P referred Enemy special rule.

TYRANID WEAPONS & BIOMORPHS M elee W eapons

R anged W eapons

D esigner’s Note: Tyranid Melee weapons come as pairs. For game purposes, each pair is treated as a single Melee weapon. This means that Tyranid models must fight with two pairs of any Tyranid Melee weapons to gain a bonus Attack in close combat for fighting with two weapons. For example, a Carnifex armed with a single pair of scything talons does not gain a bonus Attack, but a Genestealer with a pair of rending claws and a pair of scything talons does.

BONESWORDS Boneswords are living monomolecular blades that can drain the I force of their victims. Range

AP U ser

т УРе Melee, Life Drain

Life Drain: Any To W ound roll o f a 6 m ade by this w eapon has th e In stan t D eath special rule.

B i o -pla sm a Some Camifexes can generate a roaring ball of bio-plasma within their bodies and vomit forth the resultant energy as an incandescent gobbet of fire. Range

Range

AP User

Type Melee, Life Drain, Swifts trike

Type Assault 1, Blast

Str a n g leth o rn C an n o n These weapons fire seed pods that grow to maturity in seconds, spreading out hooked tendrils in all directions. Range 36"

AP

т УРе Assault 1, Large Blast, Pinning

V enom C an no n These powerful bio-weapons fire salvoes of corrosive crystals at tremendous velocities which shatter on impact to shred the foe. Range 36"

L a s h w h ip a n d B o n e s w o r d Some Tyranid creatures wield a bonesword in a deadly symbiotic combination with a lash whip; a cord of muscle that moves at lightning speeds to slash their prey.

AP

12 "

AP

Type Assault 1, Blast

B io m o r p h U p g r a d e s A drenal G lands Adrenal glands saturate their host’s body with chemicals that boost the creature’s metabolism to a hyperactive state of frenzy.

Swiftstrike: A m odel attacking w ith this w eapon has a +3 bonus to its Initiative d u rin g th e Fight sub-phase.

A m odel with th e ad re n al glands b iom o rp h has the Fleet an d F urious C harge special rules.

R e n d in g C la w s The diamond-hard tips of these claws can tear through thick armour with frightening ease.

T o x in S acs These parasitic glands secrete vile fluids, coating the Tyranid’s claws, fangs and talons with a lethal variety of alien poisons.

Range

AP User

Type Melee, R ending

S c y t h in g T a l o n s Scything talons are long, razor-edged claws of serrated chitin.

Type Melee

If a m odel has th e toxin sacs biom orph, its close com bat attacks have th e Poisoned special rule.

TYRANID SPECIAL RULES AND PSYCHIC POWERS SYNAPSE CREATURE

TYRANID PSYCHIC POWERS

Some Tyranids serve as synaptic conduits or nodal relays through which a portion of the Hive M in d ’s iron will flows, overriding the natural instincts of the swarm.

Many Tyranids are also Psykers. They do n o t draw power from the W arp in any fathom able way, b u t ra th e r they harness a fractio n o f th e Hive M in d ’s gestalt will. This makes no difference for gam e p u rp o ses an d these m odels follow all th e n o rm al rules for Psykers - a Perils o f the W arp attack they suffer instead represents massive cerebral trau m a or synaptic feedback. Tyranid Psykers use th e Powers o f th e Hive M ind, which is tre a te d as a psychic discipline for all rules purposes.

Models w ith the Synapse C reatu re special ru le have a synapse range of 12". Friendly m odels w ith th e Tyranids Faction w ithin this synapse range, inclu d in g th e Synapse C reatures themselves, have th e Fearless special rule. If a u n it w ith the Tyranids Faction is falling back an d at least one o f the u n it’s m odels is w ithin a friendly Synapse C reatu re’s synapse range before th e u n it moves, th e u n it autom atically Regroups.

SHADOW IN THE WARP The unfathomable presence of the Hive M ind radiates out from its synapse creatures, smothering the ability of the psykers who stand before them to draw upon their mystic powers. All enem y units and m odels with th e Psyker, Psychic Pilot or B ro th erh o o d of Psykers special rules suffer a -3 penalty to th e ir L eadership whilst they are w ithin 12" o f one or m ore m odels with the Shadow in th e W arp special rule.

INSTINCTIVE BEHAVIOUR (FEED) Unless controlled or coordinated by the domineering will of the Hive Mind, Tyranid organisms will revert to their baser instincts. At th e b eg in n in g of each of your tu rn s, if th e Beast of Phodia is outside o f the synapse ran g e o f any friendly Synapse C reatures (see above), it m ust take a L eadership test unless it is engaged in com bat or has arrived from Reserve this tu rn . If the test is passed, th e Beast o f P hodia acts norm ally d u rin g this tu rn . If the test is failed, th e Beast of Phodia m ust roll a D6 on th e Instinctive B ehaviour (Feed) table below. T he effects of th e result rolled last u n til the b eg in n in g o f your next tu rn .

IN S T IN C T IV E B EH A V IO U R (FEED) D6 1-5

6

FEED RESU LT D evour: Driven by its instincts, the Beast of Phodia hurls itself at the closest prey it can find. In the Shooting phase, th e Beast o f P hodia can n o t shoot or Run. In the Assault phase, if th e Beast o f P hodia is able to declare a charge, it m ust do so against the closest viable enem y u nit. If the Beast o f Phodia c an n o t declare a charge, it does n o th in g in the Assault phase. Kill: The Beast of Phodia’s ravenous hunger sends it into a murderous frenzy. This follows all the rules for D evour (above). In addition, the Beast of P hodia gains the Rage special rule.

D o m in io n W arp C harge 1 The Tyranid uses its prodigious psychic strength to channel and amplify the will of the Hive Mind. Dominion is a b lessing th a t targets the Psyker. W hilst this pow er is in effect the Psyker adds 6" to its synapse range. If th e Psyker does n o t have th e Synapse C reatu re special rule, it gains it for th e d u ratio n o f this pow er a n d has a synapse ran g e o f 6". T h e H o r r o r .............................................. W a r p C h a r g e 1 The terrifying psychic presence of the Hive M ind radiates from the synapse creature, flooding the minds of the Tyranids’ enemies and causing them to quail and panic. The Horror is a m aled ictio n th a t targets a single enem y u n it w ithin 24". T he targ et m ust im m ediately take a P in n in g test (as described for th e P in n in g special ru le in Warhammer 40,000: The Rules) with a -2 m o d ifier to th e ir Leadership.

REFERENCE SPECIAL ISSUE WARGEAR Range

RANGED WEAPONS

- A ssault F rag g ren ad e

S

AP

8"

6

4

8"

6 3

4 -

Type A ssault 1 A ssault 1, Blast

I ro n H alo An iron halo confers a 4+ invulnerable save.

Range

S

AP

12" 24"

4 4

5

Pistol

Heavy flam er In fern o pistol M eltagun

T em plate 6" 12-

R apid Fire Assault 1

1 1

Pistol, M elta A ssault 1, M elta

S torm b o lter

24"

5 8 8 4

5 4

5

A ssault 2

Bolt pistol B oltgun

K rak g ren ad e - S hooting

Type__________ J um p P ack Models eq u ip p ed with ju m p packs gain the Ju m p u n it type as described in Warhammer 40,000: The Rules.

MELEE WEAPONS Range

S

Blood talo n

-

x2

M elee, S hred, S pecial W eapon

Chainfist

-

x2

C hainsw ord

-

U ser

M elee, A rm o u rb an e, S pecialist W eapon, Unwieldy M elee

Power fist

-

x2

Power sword T h u n d e r h a m m er

-

Melee, Specialist W eapon, Unwieldy M elee Melee, Concussive,

User x2

S pecialist W eapon, Unwieldy

RANGED WEAPONS AP

т УРе A ssault 1, Blast A ssault 1,

12"

L arge Blast, P in n in g Venom can n o n

36"

A ssault 1, Blast

MELEE WEAPONS Range

%

^

S

Bonesw ord

U ser

R en d in g claws Lash w hip and

U ser U ser

Bonesword

e - S cything talons

P ow er A rm o u r Power a rm o u r confers a 3+ A rm o u r Save. T e r m in a t o r A r m o u r T erm in ato r a rm o u r confers a 2+ A rm o u r Save a n d a 5+ invulnerable save. F u rth erm o re, m odels in T erm inator a rm o u r have th e Bulky, D eep Strike a n d Relentless special rules, a n d may n o t m ake Sweeping Advances.

BIOMORPH UPGRADES

Range Bio-plasm a S tra n g le th o rn

ARMOUR

U ser

AP

A d rena l G lands A m odel with th e a d ren al glands bio m o rp h has the F leet a n d Furious C harge special rules. T o x in S acs If a m odel has th e toxin sacs biom orph, its close com bat attacks have the Poisoned special rule.

WARHAMMER 40,000v

T he ruined city o f P h od ia burns in the fires o f war as the H ive M ind devours the world o f A sp h od ex. Into this cauldron o f alien horror, B lood A ngels C aptain Karlaen leads Strike Force D eathstorm up on a m ission which cou ld potentially be the salvation o f h is Chapter: the rescue o f A sp h o d ex ’s P lanetary Governor, A ugustus Flax. However, Karlaen is not the only one hunting the governor, and from the shadow s o f the P hodian undercity an ancient evil has stirred, awoken by the com ing o f the hive fleet. A supplement for

ISBN 603-101990203

You will need a copy of Warhammer 40,000: The Rules in order to use the contents of this book

ENGLISH LANGUAGE

Icmroia

60310199020

Printed by: C&C in China

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