Deathwing

"Where they stand, none shall pass."

— Grand Master Belial

The Deathwing is the elite 1^st Company of the Dark Angels Space Marine Chapter. The Dark Angels 1^st Company is entirely made up of Veterans and broken into distinct units: Terminator Squads, specialists and Deathwing Knights. All are elites, and all are outfitted in Terminator Armour, a luxury few Chapters can match.

This specialty formation is also found amongst those Space Marine Chapters who are successors of the original I^st Legion, which are collectively known as the Unforgiven.

Officially known as Tactical Dreadnought Armour, a Terminator Armour suit is the heaviest protection a Dark Angel can wear, short of being entombed within a true Dreadnought. Terminators are sent on the most desperate missions: boarding infested space hulks, crossing no-man's land, or attacking the most horrific enemies -- Greater Daemons, xenos monstrosities and earth-shaking Daemon Engines.

That the Dark Angels can equip all of their Veterans this way speaks volumes of the wealth of relics hidden within The Rock, and is also an indication of how seriously the Chapter takes the Deathwing's true mission: to ruthlessly eliminate the Fallen Angels.

Initiation into the Deathwing is not just an honour for the Chapter's best warriors -- it is a commencement into the first levels of the hidden truths of the Dark Angels' Inner Circle. Upon entering, some of the Chapter's secrets are revealed, and a Dark Angel learns of Luther's betrayal and the hunt for the Fallen Angels.

This epiphany brings full understanding of the Chapter's apocryphal stories taught to Neophytes, and sets out the truth behind the mission to hunt down and destroy the Fallen Dark Angels, no matter how long it takes, or what the cost.

Most Dark Angels strike forces will include a Deathwing Terminator Squad or two, although on occasion the company has deployed en masse -- but this requires a truly cataclysmic event. These warriors are always prepared to carry out those orders from Chapter command that battle-brothers outside of the Inner Circle would find abhorrent.

The hammer of the Inner Circle, the Deathwing is an assault force capable of teleporting straight into the midst of battle, ripping the heart out of the enemy with a well placed strike while withstanding tremendous amounts of return fire.

Renowned as one of the finest fighting forces in the Imperium, the Deathwing are their Chapter's mailed fist. No foe is too great for them to subdue, and no mission is too difficult or dangerous for them to complete. Their reputation is such that the mere sight of their bone-white armour is enough to put many foes to flight.

Only Dark Angels who have shown incredible skill at arms and total loyalty to their Chapter can undergo the exacting rites of initiation required to join the Deathwing. Those who survive the mental, physical and spiritual rigours of this ritual take their place amongst the ranks of their Chapter's elite.

Upon a Dark Angel's ascension to the Deathwing, the truth of what occurred on Caliban in the wake of the Heresy will gradually be imparted to them by ranking members of the Inner Circle. As they learn more and more of these tragic events, the warrior's feelings of shame and contempt for their Fallen brothers grow, and the more of themselves they give over to the tireless quest for vengeance and absolution.

The Deathwing's mission takes precedence over all others assigned to the Chapter, even though they may be called upon to fight a wide range of foes.

In battle this knowledge of the truth makes the Deathwing beacons of righteous fury, leading their brothers to mercilessly destroy any who would oppose them. Every warrior of the company is utterly devoted, following the commands of their superiors without question and willingly performing any act in the name of the hunt.

Those who enter the Deathwing may suppose they have learned all there is to know of the Dark Angels' shadowed past, but they have merely entered the first ring of the clandestine organisation known as the Inner Circle. There remain circles within circles, and veterans of the company have learned still more of their history; these warriors are given the title of Deathwing Knights, and their noble fury in battle and dedication to the Chapter is the stuff of legend.

All members of the Dark Angels 1^st Company, and indeed the 1^st Company of every Unforgiven Chapter, know that the Fallen are the vilest of Heretics and must be persecuted above all others -- no matter the cost to the Emperor's other servants.

History

"They were surrounded. We outnumbered Zambeque's Imperial defenders well over a thousand to one, but I knew the battle was lost the moment I saw the teleportation flare and the pale armour."

—Lord Dharcron, Alpha Legion

Origins

The origins of the Deathwing harken back to the early days of the Great Crusade during the late 30^th Millennium. When the I^st Legion reunified with their missing Primarch Lion El'Jonson upon the verdant Death World of Caliban, he introduced to the largely Terran-born Astartes of the I^st Legion the organisational structure he had learned from The Order on Caliban.

The Lion's tenets of loyalty, discipline and self-efficiency were incorporated into everything the Legion did. Under the Lion's supervision, the I^st Legion was organised into specialised formations known collectively as the Hexagrammaton, and colloquially as the "Six Wings." These specialised formations existed outside the regular chain-of-command and organisation of the Dark Angels Legion.

They were an amalgamation of the later proscribed Terran pre-Principia Belicosa approach and organisation used by the early Legiones Astartes with that of Caliban's knightly orders. Before the creation of the first Space Marine Legions, the Legiones Astartes were organised into a formation known as the "Six Hosts of the Angels of Death," with each of these Hosts having its own specialisation and purpose.

Following the I^st Legion's reunification with their Primarch Lion El'Jonson on Caliban, the Lion incorporated the traditions of both the Six Hosts and The Order. Thus, the Six Wings of the I^st Legion were created. The Order of the Deathwing was a specialised formation of Cataphractii Terminator-armoured elite, who specialised in harrowing actions, shock assaults and strategic decapitation strikes.

The Deathwing was originally formed from the shattered remains of the Host of Crowns, the formation of the early days of the I^st Legion once famed for its line breaker squadrons and marksmen. Those of the inner circle of that host who survived the infamous incident that broke it swore mighty oaths that no member of their wing of the Hexagrammaton would ever leave the field of battle in the hands of the enemy, accepting death over dishonour or retreat.

The Deathwing excelled in special operations alongside other units of the Legion, especially as a counterpart to the more numerous Stormwing, with a multitude of sub-disciplines within its ranks. Most renowned among its specialists were those dedicated to the role of line breakers, elite Veteran infantry that served to shatter the enemy's formations and create openings for other units or wings of the Hexagrammaton, and the lifeguard cadre deployed to protect officers in the Legion who lacked a small force of Deathwing Veterans sworn to give their lives to ensure their safety. Indeed, it was a detachment of the Deathwing that provided a garrison force for the inner citadels on both Caliban and Gramarye, who were charged with the safety of the primarch himself.

Given the stringent requirements for entry into even the outer circles of this wing, its membership remained small but garnered much respect within the ancient Legion, often acting as force commanders in situations where the authority of other factions within the Legion was unclear.

As the Horus Heresy wore on and casualties began to take a toll on the Dark Angels' officer corps, the Veterans of the Deathwing came to assume a greater responsibility over their brethren, slowly taking a dominant position within the Legion's hierarchy and on the Council of Masters.

41st Millennium

The Deathwing is one of two of the original formations (the other being the Ravenwing) of the bygone I^st Legion to have survived into the present era of the late 41^st Millennium. The Veteran warriors of the Dark Angels Chapter serve in the 1^st Company, which is known as the Deathwing.

The Veteran Astartes of this company are arrayed in Terminator Armour or standard power armour as battlefield requirements dictate. However, the Dark Angels are unusual in that they maintain an entire company that is only ever fielded as Terminator Squads.

Following the Horus Heresy, when the Space Marine Legions were divided into Chapters as dictated in the newly authored Codex Astartes by the Ultramarines Primarch Roboute Guilliman, the Legion's Terminator Armour-equipped Assault Company was divided into several units, each composed of 100 Veteran Astartes and assigned to a Successor Chapter formed from the original Legion.

When a Dark Angel or other Unforgiven Space Marine receives the coveted promotion to his Chapter's Deathwing Company, he learns the secret truth of the Chapter and its Successors. The Dark Angels Primarch Lion El'Jonson was betrayed at the end of the Horus Heresy by his second-in-command Luther. Luther slew the Lion in single combat on the Dark Angels' lost homeworld of Caliban before he and those other Dark Angels who had been corrupted by Chaos were transported into the Warp by the will of the Ruinous Powers.

These Traitor Marines are known today as the Fallen Angels, and the Dark Angels and all of their Unforgiven kin are sworn to bring every one of the Fallen to repentance or death before they can receive the Emperor's forgiveness for their actions during the Heresy.

The 1^st Company of the Dark Angels is led by Belial, the current Grand Master of the Deathwing Company. Following a spectacular victory at the world of Piscina IV during the Third War for Armageddon in 999.M41, Belial assumed the mantle of Grand Master of the Deathwing after the violent death of his predecessor aboard the space hulk Charnel Shrine.

Shortly thereafter, Belial was elected to serve as the Grand Master of the Dark Angels' 1^st Company through the unanimous assent of the other Masters and Grand Masters of the Chapter. He swiftly earned the approval of the Chapter'sSupreme Grand Master himself, as well as the admiration and unswerving loyalty of those under his command.

Apocryphal Tales

The Terminators of the Dark Angels originally wore black armour like the Dark Angels Legionaries of the Great Crusade era, but it was painted bone white in honour of a battle fought long ago. Chapter legends claim that millennia ago, a band of Deathwing returned to the recruiting world of their birth, Plain's World, only to find their people enslaved to Genestealer invaders.

The brethren repainted their armour white, which in their culture symbolised death. In this way they made clear that they were now dead men walking. Fighting hordes of Genestealers, they penetrated the alien lair and, though the battle claimed many of the Terminators' lives, ultimately their world was freed. Since that day, the Deathwing have kept their armour white, in remembrance of the sacrifice of their predecessors.

This instructional tale is told by a hooded sergeant to every Dark Angels Scout Marine upon his elevation to the status of a full battle-brother. Other oft-repeated tales in the Dark Angels' lore are "The Fall of House Perivigilium," "The Scouring of the Space Hulk Place of Fears," the "Vengeance of Beleaguerest," "The Lion and the Snake of Caliban," and "Whisper in the Gloom."

All such Dark Angel legends are told at specific points in a brother's progress through the Chapter's ranks. Some tell of heroes returned from war to find their brothers corrupted. Others speak of self-sacrifice or the refusal to accept surrender. No few touch upon those seeking redemption for dishonourable deeds. Such tales instill in every Dark Angel a zealous drive to right wrongs and seek out enemies, no matter where they might hide.

Deathwing and the Deathwatch

On a few, extremely rare occasions, a member of the Deathwing of the Dark Angels or one of their Successor Chapters takes the Apocryphon Oath and joins the Long Watch, serving with the elite Deathwatch, the Chamber Militant of the Ordo Xenos.

In doing so, he sets aside his role as executioner of the Inner Circle, but not entirely, for the Unforgiven never tire in the hunt for the Fallen. The Deathwing battle-brother's oaths to the Inner Circle rarely interfere with his duties to the Deathwatch. In undertaking the Long Watch he is honouring the purpose for which his very Chapter was created -- guarding the Imperium from its enemies.

However, there may be times when the battle-brother receives a sealed, keyed astropathic transmission, or a message is passed to him from another battle-brother of the same Chapter. There may be some task he is expected to undertake, or some enemy he must engage even while his Kill-team's mission is undertaken.

It takes great skill on the part of the Deathwing battle-brother to ensure his responsibilities do not clash, for were that to happen, the Deathwatch's entire mission within their assigned sector of the galaxy would be undermined.

Battle-brothers of the Deathwing are renowned for always taking to the field in their bone-white Terminator Armour. However, the nature of the Deathwatch's vigil influences the tactics and choices of even the most tradition-bound of Astartes, and many Deathwing who have taken the Apocryphon Oath have chosen to set aside their Terminator Armour when its effect upon the mission would be more detrimental than advantageous.

These battle-brothers honour the traditions of the Deathwing by taking the bone heraldry and broken sword emblem of their company upon the right shoulder of their standard power armour in place of the Dark Angels' Chapter badge.

A Deathwing battle-brother of the Deathwatch must choose to wear either his Terminator Armour or his power armour at the start of a mission, and cannot change that choice at any point during the mission.

Pre-Heresy Wing Organisation

Hekatonystika

The Hekatonystika was the hidden counterpart of the Dark Angels Legion's infamous Hexagrammaton, of which the Deathwing was but one of the six wings. Transliterated roughly as "The Hundred Esoteric Arts" in the language of the broken lands of Mykene on Old Earth, the term used to refer to the body of secretive military "orders" embedded within the Legion's formal structure of wings and chapters.

Each order was an autonomous body of warriors dedicated to the protection of one portion of the Legion's hard-won secret lore, most often regarding the weakness of some specific foe or mastery of a certain terrain or weapon.

They were equal parts scholars and warriors, both researchers and practitioners, and as deadly on the field of battle as they were enigmatic in the halls of the Legion. Though rarely gathered all in one place, small cells of these warriors were often assembled prior to battles that would benefit from their skills, forming a temporary unit known within the Dark Angels as a "cenobium" to lead the charge and advise the officers in command. The leaders of an order bore the title of "preceptor."

Order of Shattered Crowns

The Order of Shattered Crowns was one of the oldest orders of the Hekatonystika still active within the I^st Legion during the latter years of the Great Crusade, with its origins to be found during the Unification Wars on ancient Terra. The Shattered Crowns were unparalleled experts in the identification and open execution of the enemy's leaders.

Not assassins or silent killers, but proud champions that sought out the heart of the foe's defiance and cut it from the body of their army. They practised a number of secret duelling arts, once commonplace in Terra's forgotten duelling cults, but now all but vanished. Most were also initiates in the Firewing and Deathwing, whose doctrines meshed well with the order's teachings, though the preceptor of the order was rumoured to also stand in the Inner Circle of the Dreadwing.

Unbroken Vows

"Death took many forms during the Age of Darkness, flying on silent wings or roaring with its raw, red maw. Its horrors did not make me quail, until the morn death came as an angel of grim determination, clad in darkness and bone. That day courage and I both fled, and I alone of my brethren lived to tell the tale."

— Testament of Veltrani, survivor of Kerro-Val

Duty weighed heavily upon the oath-bound warriors of the Deathwing. Once sworn to a task they would let no obstacle bar them from its completion. On the battlefield not even death would stay their advance and where others would retreat in the face of annihilation, the Deathwing stood unmoved. When war dictated that the impossible must be achieved, it was the warriors of the Deathwing to which the I^st Legion turned.

Deathwing Companion Detachment

"I stand among the honoured dead,
Beyond the reach of doubt and uncertainty,
Beyond the frailties of flesh and honour,
Where only duty remains."

— Opening stanza of The Last Oath, from the initiatory rites of the Deathwing Companions

The finest warriors and longest-serving Veterans among the Deathwing formed the ranks of the Deathwing Companions, each such Deathwing Companion Detachment sworn by the most stringent of oaths to ensure the survival of those officers placed under their charge. Most famous among the Companions were those that had taken a death-blow meant for their charge and survived. Such warriors were granted the right to wear bone-white armour in recognition of their selfless devotion to the Legion.

Unit Composition

• 4-9 Deathwing Companions
• 1 Deathwing Oathbearer

Wargear

• Artificer Armour

• Terranic Greatsword or Calibanite Warblade

• Bolter

• Bolt Pistol

• Frag Grenades

• Krak Grenades

• Refractor Field (Oathbearer only)

Optional Wargear

• Melta Bombs

• Power Fist (As replacement for Terranic Greatsword or Calibanite Warblade)

Any member of the unit may exchange their bolter for one of the following:

• Combi-Weapon

• Plasma Pistol

• Cytheron Pattern Aegis - The Cytheon Pattern Aegis was a relic force field generator that was a creation of the long-lost city of Cytheron on the world of Mercury in the Sol System during the Age of Technology, and the generator was based upon the same force field technology that had once been used by the people of Cytheron to hold at bay the ferocity of Sol itself so that they could live upon the scalding surface of Mercury.

Deathwing Retinue

A Deathwing Companion Detachment may only be chosen as retinue for a Praetor or one of the Legion's heroes. Once deployed, the Legion Praetor, or Legion special character, may not voluntarily leave the Deathwing Companion Detachment.

Special Option

If a Dark Angels Legion Praetor is part of the Deathwing Companion Detachment's force organisation he may select Terminator Armour of any type. The squad may exchange their wargear for a set of Terminator Armour of the same type. If the squad is upgraded with Terminator Armour then every member of the squad must be upgraded in the same way and has access to the following options rather than those shown previously:

• Terminator Armour (Any variety)

• Combi-bolter

• Calibanite Warblade

Any Companion may exchange their Combi-bolter for one of the following:

• Combi-plasma or Combi-melta

• Combi-Grenade Launcher (with stasis, frag and krak shells)

Any Companion may upgrade their Calibanite Warbalde for one of the following:

• Terranic Greatsword

• Power Fist

• Thunder Hammer

Any Companion may exchange both their combi-bolter and Calibanite Warbalde for:

• 2 Lightning Claws

The Deathwing Oathbeaer may take the following:

• Grenade Harness

Dedicated Transport

A Deathwing Companion Detachment may take a Rhino armoured personnel carrier or Land Raider Proteus as a dedicated transport. A Deathwing Terminator Companion Detachment numbering five Companions or less may take a Land Raider Proteus as a dedicated transport, but may not take a Rhino.

If a Dark Angels Praetor is part of the Deathwing Companion Detachment, he may also with equipped with a Jump Pack, however if this option is taken the squad may longer select a dedicated transport and every member of the squad must also upgrade to a jump pack.

Post-Heresy Company Organisation

In the 41st Millennium, the Deathwing is composed entirely of Veteran Astartes who serve as the Chapter's Terminators. They are tasked with a mission that takes precedence over all others, even though they may be called upon to fight a wide range of foes.

The Deathwing are responsible for crushing all foes of the Unforgiven, and there are no greater enemies than the Fallen. Like the 2^nd Company of the Dark Angels and other Unforgiven Chapters, which is known as the Ravenwing and concentrates on mobile warfare using Bike Squads and Land Speeders, the Deathwing does not comply with the organisation of Space Marine Chapters as outlined by the Codex Astartes, though all of the other companies in Unforgiven Chapters generally do so.

The organisational structure for the Deathwing Company is as follows:

Deathwing Structure

Deathwing Command
Grand Master (Captain) of the Deathwing Belial, Grand Master of the Deathwing, Bearer of the Sword of Silence
Librarians	Reclusium	Deathwing Knights	Deathwing Knights	Deathwing Knights
Librarians	Interrogator-Chaplains	Apothecary Standard Bearer Undisclosed number of Deathwing Knights	Undisclosed number of Deathwing Knights	Undisclosed number of Deathwing Knights

Deathwing Terminator Squadrons
1st Squadron		2nd Squadron	3rd Squadron	4th Squadron	5th Squadron
Deathwing Terminator Squad		Deathwing Terminator Squad	Deathwing Terminator Squad	Deathwing Terminator Squad	Deathwing Terminator Squad
6th Squadron		7th Squadron	8th Squadron	9th Squadron	10th Squadron
Deathwing Terminator Squad		Deathwing Terminator Squad	Deathwing Terminator Squad	Deathwing Terminator Squad	Deathwing Terminator Squad
11th Squadron		12th Squadron	13th Squadron	14th Squadron	15th Squadron
Deathwing Terminator Squad		Deathwing Terminator Squad	Deathwing Terminator Squad	Deathwing Terminator Squad	Deathwing Terminator Squad
16th Squadron		17th Squadron	18th Squadron	19th Squadron	20th Squadron
Deathwing Terminator Squad		Deathwing Terminator Squad	Deathwing Terminator Squad	Deathwing Terminator Squad	Deathwing Terminator Squad

Deathwing Terminator Squads

The battle-brothers of the Deathwing take no pride in their exceptional reputation. Their absolute devotion to the Chapter leaves no room for anything but a cold and steely fanaticism, and they would advance willingly into the very maw of the Warp itself were they ordered to do so.

Whether fighting in a Deathwing Terminator Squad, or advancing at the side of a Chapter hero as part of his Deathwing Command Squad, these warriors are amongst the greatest in the Imperium.

In battle, these indefatigable Astartes blast apart their enemies with Storm Bolters whilst advancing into melee assault range. Deathwing Terminators feature a mix of weaponry, for both long-ranged and close combat oriented roles. While the hallmark armaments of the Terminators are Power Fists and Storm Bolters, it is typical for one warrior in the squad to carry a heavy ranged weapon such as a Plasma Cannon or a Heavy Flamer.

The battle-brothers of those Deathwing Terminator Squads equipped for close combat roles as Assault Terminators might instead be armed with Thunder Hammers and Storm Shields, or pairs of vicious Lightning Claws.

Terminators typically begin engagements aboard an orbiting voidship, teleporting to the battlefield at a prearranged time, often homing in on a signal from ranging Ravenwing units. By the time foes see the flash signifying the arrival of the Deathwing's Terminators, it is already too late. The Deathwing appear in a blazing hail of gunfire, as if they had begun firing while en route. They live up to their name, arriving like a sword stroke to deliver the deathblow.

The constant regime of ritual, contemplation and self-denial undergone by the Deathwing scours their souls clean of impurities. They are mentally and spiritually armoured against the temptations of the Daemon and the Heretic, deaf to their lies and blandishments just as they are to pleas of innocence or cries for mercy.

The battle-brothers of the Deathwing -- whether indoctrinated into the Inner Circle or not -- fight in the full knowledge that they are weapons, extensions of their masters' will, and indeed the Imperium has few weapons greater; the 1^st Company of the I^st Legion might not bask in their terrifying, glorious reputation, but they always live up to it.

The battle-brothers of the Deathwing pay no heed to their exceptional reputation, nor do they take pride in the respect they command from allies and enemies alike. They know that their physical and mental fortitude is merely what is necessary to discharge their duties, for they prize humble monastic asceticism and selflessness above arrogance and false platitudes.

On battlefields across the galaxy, the veteran warriors of the Deathwing continue to march unflinching into the fires of war. They feel no compassion, no remorse, and no fear. Their absolute devotion to their Chapter and its secret cause leaves room for nothing else, and in wars beyond count, it has proven enough.

It took only three squads of Deathwing Terminators to break the back of the Pontus rebellion, cleansing an entire hive city in the process. While hundreds of thousands of soldiers from the Astra Militarum and dozens of other Space Marine Chapters had tried and failed to breach the iron-ringed defences of the rebel tyrant of Dominus Prime, it took the Deathwing under a single solar hour to end the war that had lasted over five long and bloody Terran years.

Contaminated hive cities and entire rebellious planets have fallen before them, and them alone.

Cataphractii Terminators

A relic of the Great Crusade, Cataphractii Terminator Armour is an even heavier variant of the standard Indomitus Pattern Tactical Dreadnought Armour. Layered reactive plates absorb punishing kinetic assaults, while the suit's additional shield generators ward away concentrated energy blasts.

The cost of such significant protection, however, is a lack of mobility -- warriors wearing Cataphractii Terminator Armour are slower than their brothers, and cannot react as quickly on the battlefield. In the days when they were still a Space Marine Legion, the Dark Angels fielded large formations of Cataphractii Terminators.

With the losses arising from the Horus Heresy and the destruction of Caliban, it was widely believed that the majority of these ancient suits had been lost, but it has since become apparent that the Deathwing still has an unknown quantity of these artefacts.

There is speculation that these were recovered from some lost battle site, or if perhaps they were found deep within the armouries of The Rock. Of this, as with many things, the Dark Angels will not speak.

Tartaros Terminators

Tartaros Pattern Terminator Armour is a later, more mobile mark of Tactical Dreadnought Armour. Developed at the close of the Great Crusade, the Tartaros Pattern was perhaps the most advanced of all such warsuits, providing greater mobility than the Cataphractii variant while offering slightly less protection.

In the Dark Angels Chapter, Tartaros Pattern suits are the exclusive property of the Deathwing, and on the rare occasions when such relics are brought forth from the armouries of The Rock, they have proven to still be brutally effective.

Deathwing Command Squad

The highest-ranking members of the Inner Circle are sometimes accompanied by a Command Squad from the 1^st Company. Such a hand-picked formation of the most veteran Deathwing Terminators makes a formidable unit, ideal for a bodyguard or to be assigned special duties by a Librarian or Interrogator-Chaplain.

They can be equipped for any role and often include specialists such as Standard Bearers, Apothecaries or even the 1^st Company Champion. Belial, the Grand Master of the Deathwing, has personally led many a Command Squad straight into the heart of battle, forging a breach in enemy lines and crushing opposing leaders.

Deathwing Knights

A Deathwing Knight is a fell-handed warrior of the Dark Angels, a member of the already elite 1^st Company whose glorious deeds on the field of battle are matched only by his unflinching devotion to the Chapter. Deathwing Knights are a truly imposing sight, for in them lives on some semblance of Lion El'Jonson himself.

They embody silent strength and a veiled, yet still palpable nobility. In the stratified Chapter organisation of the Dark Angels and the other Unforgiven, the Deathwing Knights represent the true elite -- only the Masters and Grand Masters of the Chapter rank higher, and they are only chosen from among the company of the Deathwing Knights, who are also members of the Chapter's Inner Circle.

None but the most fell-handed of warriors from the 1^st Company are promoted into the Inner Circle of the Deathwing, and displaying skill in battle is not enough to receive the honour of knighthood. A warrior must be wholly dedicated to the Chapter, and must display an obsessive need to carry on the Chapter's secret crusade to hunt down the remaining Fallen.

When a member of the Deathwing is deemed worthy of the honour, he is brought into the Chamber of Judgments in The Rock to face a series of challenges, each of which has been individualised to test the candidate's strength, resolve and loyalty to the Chapter past any breaking point he may possess.

Should the Astartes prevail in these tests, the warrior is granted the title of Knight and passes beneath the shadowed arch at the heart of the Chamber of Judgement. The Watchers in the Dark present to him a Mace of Absolution and a Storm Shield -- both priceless heirlooms from the time of the Great Crusade in the late 30th Millennium that sing with barely suppressed power beyond even the potency of the Astartes who will bear them.

It is from amongst the Deathwing Knights that new Company Masters are selected, for there is no finer proving ground than this august brotherhood. The Knights are utterly devoted to the hunt for the Fallen, and it is in the pursuance of this quest that they truly learn its cost.

By the time a Deathwing Knight is promoted to the rank of Master, he understands implicitly that no life -- even his own -- is more important than the Dark Angels' never-ending quest for forgiveness.

In battle, the Deathwing Knights are used as a heavy shock force -- they teleport into the fight with Storm Shields locked. With incoming fire ricocheting off them, the Knights march forward to assault the greatest threat with impunity, first slamming into the foe with their Storm Shields before laying into them with their Power Maces and Flails.

In the presence of a Heretic, the Knights of the Deathwing power up their ancient weapons to deliver a killing blow of earth-shattering force. The most skilled and veteran of Deathwing Knights are known as "Deathwing Knight Masters." They wield an even more potent ancient Power Weapon known as a Flail of the Unforgiven.

Deathwing Specialists

Like other companies, the Deathwing can call upon additional assets. Deathwing Apothecaries are those most veteran of medics whose valorous deeds and loyalty earned them a place within the Inner Circle. Clad in Terminator Armour, they stride through volleys of gunfire and vicious melees to aid their wounded brothers, and recover the Progenoid Glands of those that cannot be saved.

A Deathwing Ancient has earned the honour of carrying one of the treasured company banners, while a Deathwing Champion has proven to be the most formidable of close-quarters fighters, and is gifted an ancient Power Weapon known as a Halberd of Caliban with which to seek out worthy opponents.

These specialists are sometimes formed into a guard of honour to accompany high-ranking members of the Inner Circle, such as Librarians or Interrogator-Chaplains. Together, they will often lead their brothers straight into the heart of battle, where their skills are most needed.

Deathwing Vehicles and Wargear

Venerable Dreadnoughts

With their armoured hulls decorated by the Chapter's finest artisans, the Venerable Dreadnoughts of the Dark Angels exude sombre nobility. All were once members of the Deathwing, and their hulls are still painted in the ritual bone white borne by those elite warriors.

The Venerable Dreadnoughts of the Dark Angels have fought for many Terran centuries and sometimes longer in their Chapter's name. They are, without exception, oath-sworn members of the Inner Circle. It is rare, but not unknown, for a battle-brother to learn the dread secrets of his Chapter only after his interment in a Dreadnought sarcophagus, and the sorrow and wrath of such enlightened revenants is terrible to behold.

The dedication of the Dark Angels' Venerable Dreadnoughts to the hunt for the Fallen is fervent in the extreme. After all, where a typical battle-brother may live to see a handful of the Fallen brought to justice, with their exceptionally long lifespans the Venerable Dreadnoughts see hundreds hunted down and captured.

Furthermore, over time, the pilots of the Venerable Dreadnoughts accumulate a wealth of wisdom concerning the Fallen -- their habits, their ploys, and the best ways to hunt them. Thus do the leaders of the Chapter come to these Ancients for advice on such matters, and perfect the art of the hunt under their guidance.

It is difficult to rouse the eldest of these ancient cyborgs, and many legends slumber in The Rock's Halls of Silence, powered down between actions and awoken only in dire need.

Wardens in White

Below The Rock's vaulted galleries, beyond the Corridors of Shadows and the Portal of Penumbral Sorrow, is the Chamber of Passageways. It is to this domed and mysterious space that each prospective Supreme Grand Master of the Dark Angels Chapter is led by the Keeper of the Keys.

As the greatest heroes of the Chapter perform the rituals to send the aspirant on into darkness alone, they are watched over by a pair of silent, ancient guardians. These are the "Wardens in White," the two eldest Venerable Dreadnought brothers of the Deathwing.

The sarcophagi of these timeless gatekeepers are heavy with oath papers and ornate decoration, and their power plants rumble softly as they loom motionless in the dark. The identities and names they possessed in life are now completely subsumed by secrets.

Were any foe to penetrate The Rock's countless defences, it would be the duty of the Wardens in White to form the last line, and to destroy him without hesitation. For this reason, these Dreadnoughts are only taken to war in the very greatest need, and even then only one may leave his post and his duty at any given time.

Deathwing Vehicles

Like great hunting beasts, the Land Raiders of the Deathwing bear down upon their prey with lethal intent. Painted in white and bearing the insignia of the Deathwing upon their armoured flanks, these mighty tanks are elite specialists in their own right.

Only the eldest Land Raiders are selected to serve the Deathwing, vehicles with indefatigable Machine Spirits that detest the works of Traitors and Heretics. So potent are these mechanised presences that they can effect rudimentary repairs upon their own structures as battle proceeds, shrugging off damage and rerouting power around compromised systems.

In this way, enemies who see their shots strike home against weapons or motive units have their cries of triumph cut short as the Land Raider rolls from the blast, scorched but undaunted and with its offensive capabilities still intact. The Deathwing make full use of both the Crusader and Redeemer variant marks of Land Raider, and benefit enormously from the specialist abilities of these armoured behemoths.

The Dark Angels' annals are full of accounts of Deathwing Squads delivered into the heart of the foe by thundering Land Raider Crusaders, or supported against overwhelming hordes of xenos or Heretics by the sweeping firestorms of the Land Raider Redeemers. Whoever the foe, the Land Raiders of the Deathwing face them with murderous determination.

Deathwing Unique Weapons

• Mace of Absolution - Bespiked, glowing with power and emanating an eerie mist from their vents, these ominous weapons are employed by the Deathwing Knights in their endless hunt for the Fallen. In the presence of the most accursed Heretics, their power is amplified to awe-inspiring magnitude.

• Flail of the Unforgiven - The leaders of the Deathwing Knights eschew the Power Maces of their fellows in favour of brutal flails. These archaic weapons are carried as a badge of office, and are a reminder to all the Fallen of their ultimate fate at the hands of the Dark Angels.

• Halberd of Caliban - The Company Champion of the Deathwing traditionally carries this massive Power Weapon, reforged from a Blade of Caliban shattered in battle long ago, and incorporating the same grim technologies that power the weapons of the Deathwing Knights.

Deathwing Relics

• Foe-Smiter - This ornate Storm Bolter was wrought by Fedorovich the Great, amongst the foremost weaponsmiths of Mars during the age when the Tech-priests joined with the Emperor's forces to equip His armies for the Great Crusade. It was he who forged so many of the master-crafted weapons still prized by the Imperium today, but even then, the weapon known as Foe-Smiter was considered special. It was presented with honour to the I^st Legion of the Space Marines, where it was used to great effect by Brother Bartholomew -- the first Grand Master of the Deathwing. To this day, Foe-Smiter can still lay down a cavalcade of fire, and is highly prized by the Dark Angels and by the current Grand Master of the Deathwing, who always wields it.

• Mace of Redemption - The Mace of Redemption is perhaps the greatest of the weapons forged by the Dark Angels to hunt their traitorous comrades. Blessed with incantations of vengeance, the hollow centre of this sacred Power Mace flares white-hot when it smites a foe. It is said that, with the mace in hand, Supreme Grand Master Raphael struck down the Daemon Prince ruler of the blasphemous world of New Caliban, allowing the Arch-Heretic to be captured. Of all the Dark Angels who have ever hunted the Fallen, none has bested this heroic deed.

• Monster Slayer of Caliban - This ancient weapon was traditionally bestowed upon the most honourable Knight of The Order before the onset of a long quest into the wilds of Caliban. Its well-honed blade is empowered by a gravitic force generator of magnificent strength; however, over the ages, it has grown somewhat temperamental, and the know-how to fix such ancient technology is now beyond the Techmarines of the Dark Angels. It is believed that as long as its owner stays pure of mind, the Monster Slayer of Caliban will strike down even the greatest of foes.

• The Sword of Silence - In times of need, Grand Master Belial wields the famous master-crafted Power Sword known as the Sword of Silence. This sword is one of a triumvirate of legendary swords collectively known as the Heavenfall Blades. These formidable weapons are only carried by the highest-ranking members of the Inner Circle of the Dark Angels. The Chapter's lore states that these blades were forged from the core of a meteorite that struck The Rock in orbit around the Feral World of Al Baradad. The mightiest of these blades is the Sword of Secrets, carried by the Supreme Grand Master of the Chapter, and the current wielder of that sword is Azrael. The blades wielded by the Grand Master of the Deathwing and the Grand Master of the Ravenwing also utilise small amounts of the obsidian taken from that meteorite in their working. It is also said that a small portion of this meteoric substance was despatched to each of the Dark Angels' Successor Chapters, so that the senior members of the Unforgiven's own Inner Circles would also bear the same heritage forged in steel as those borne by the Masters of the Dark Angels.

Company Combat Doctrine

The Dark Angels are known for their stoic and intractable manner, unflinching against even the mightiest of foes. The Deathwing are paragons of stoicism, unwilling to take even a single step away from the enemy when battle is joined, their prowess honed across countless battlefields so that they can weather any attack.

The Deathwing favour rapid teleport attacks, appearing literally from nowhere (often collaborating with the more mobile Ravenwing squadrons on reconnaissance missions to ensure the precision of their teleportation coordinates) to deliver overwhelming force against an unprepared enemy. Teleportation is the easiest way to strike from nowhere in Terminator Armour, but other methods work as effectively for a veteran of countless wars.

Once the Ravenwing has located the enemy, the Deathwing are deployed to destroy them so utterly that not a single trace remains. In the case of the Fallen Angels, the Deathwing cast down all of their works and grind them to dust beneath their Ceramite boots, so that none may ever know of the stain cast upon the Unforgiven's honour by their very existence.

The fortunate are destroyed in the unstoppable maelstrom that is a Deathwing assault; the unfortunate are dragged away to the dungeons of The Rock, to suffer the attentions of the Interrogator-Chaplains and to confess their sins in the vain hope of a merciful end.

Notable Deathwing Members

Pre-Heresy

• Holguin - One of the few Terran-born members of the I^st Legion to hold a place in the Council of Masters of the Hexagrammaton, Holguin was a key member of Lion El'Jonson's council. During the long years of the Great Crusade, he was renowned for his unwavering loyalty and determination in battle. This grim resolve saw him survive confrontations that few others could, and he was one of a handful of Space Marines that could claim to have fought in all three Rangdan Xenocides and lived. In the later years of the Horus Heresy, the actions of his own primarch and the sins of the Traitors would bring a dark aspect to his demeanour, leaving him prone to a bitter fury. Once Holguin stood at the forefront of the Legion's battles, however, with the coming of the Lion and the great changes wrought within the I^st Legion he had become more withdrawn. It was only with the outbreak of the Horus Heresy and the perfidy of those that would spurn their oaths of loyalty to the Emperor that he had once again thrown himself into the front lines. Some among his brethren called his nearly-rekindled zeal self-destructive, but few could deny that the fury he directed at the Traitors was a blessing for the Loyalist cause.

• Knight-Praetor Kordray Mordred - Kordray Mordred served as commander of the 51^st Chapter of the Dark Angels, the Sable Griffons, during the Great Crusade and the early years of the Horus Heresy. This Chapter was comprised of approximately 1,500 Legionaries. Following the end of the Rangdan Xenocides, little remained within the Rangda System, save Advex-Mors, believed to be the homeworld of the xenos species known as the Rangda, upon which a chantry station of the Order of Broken Claws was erected. One of the smallest of the Orders Militant of the Hekatonystika, this cadre of warriors held the only full and complete accounting of that war and the the Rangda and, in the wake of that xenos strain's destruction, these knights were charged with guarding the spoils of those victories. The Order of the Broken Claws were charged to act as watchmen over the remains of the Rangdan home and to stand sentinel over the far reaches of the Emperor's domain. In 006.M31, a Sons of Horus Heavy Cruiser Conqueror's Pride translated in-system and hailed the Dark Angels garrison on Advex-Mors, indicating that they needed to resupply. Unaware of the treachery that had occurred on Isstvan III, there was no immediate cause for alarm. Queries from the Dark Angels requesting their destination and intent were ignored, and when Knight-Praetor Kordray Mordred demanded to speak with the Sons of Horus commander, his only answer was a sudden and indiscriminate barrage launched by the cruiser in orbit. Though the barrage left little of the fortifications on the surface, the Order of the Broken Claws' chantry below the surface only sustained minor damage. The Sons of Horus launched an entire Chapter's worth of Legionaries upon the surface, including a formation of elite Justaerin Terminators. Within the stygian darkness of the corridors of the Broken Claws chantry, the warriors of the I^st Legion broke the pride of the Sons of Horus, inflicting heavy casualites upon their foes. When the Traitors finally managed to breach the inner chambers they were greeted with the sight of a slew of corpses of their own warriors, with very few Dark Angels bodies amongst them. With their honour besmirched, the Sons of Horus launched a series of successive assaults. But these only resulted in more of their warriors being slain by the stubborn Dark Angels defenders. Finally, with only one surviving defender, the Sons of Horus sent their Destroyer squads to finish off the stubborn Dark Angels once and for all. With the death of the final defender, the Sons of Horus broke into the stasis vault that contained the forbidden Rangda weaponary and proceeded to plunder a number of pre-determined weapons and fled for the surface. However, one of the grounded Traitor Stormbird gunships was captured and the relics it bore lost to a daring assault by Knight-Praetor Mordred and his Deathwing lifeguard, while another was shot down and destroyed by Ravenwing Xiphon Interceptors. However, despite their efforts, the surviving Sable Griffons were unable to halt the Traitors' exodus from the surface. Though the remainder of the Dark Angels defenders were trapped beneath the surface, the Sons of Horus were unable to take their revenge and were forced to flee due to the arrival of Dark Angels reinforcements in the form of the Promethean-class Cruiser Invidious. Though the Sons of Horus had achieved their primary objective and managed to acquire some of the Rangdan weapons, they were unable to break the will of the fiercely Loyalist Dark Angels, achieving only a phyrric victory at best. Ultimately however, the potency of these forbidden weapons would help turn the tide of the Horus Heresy in the Traitors' favour.

• Knight-Sergeant Indravain Mors - Knight-Sergeant Mors was a Seneschal of the Deathwing, assigned to the 23^rd Order, "The Shattered Mantle", during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy. Indravain was inducted into the inner circle of the Deathwing after the battle on Mykana, where he took a Mykanan phase-lock musket shot meant for his commander, leaving him on the brink of death once victory was secured. His armour bore a number of elements of the unique heraldry used by the Dark Angels, often considered indecipherable by their brethren in the other Legions. Knight-Sergeant Mors would fall again on the fields of Sheol IX, once again shielding the knight-praetor of the Shattered Mantle, though this time from the vengeful talons of the Night Haunter himself. His shattered body was recovered from the field of battle and interred in a cybernetic Dreadnought sarcophagus in honour of his sacrifice.

Post-Heresy

• Belial - Belial is the current Grand Master of the Deathwing. Under his leadership the Deathwing have fought in scores of mighty battles, distinguishing themselves in the fighting around the Eye of Terror during Abaddon's 13th Black Crusade.

• Gabriel - Gabriel, known by his tribal name Broken Knife, was a former Grand Master of the Deathwing many millennia ago. He was sent to find Captain Ezekiel and his fellow Deathwing warriors when they did not return from the Dark Angels recruitment world of Totem. On finding Ezekiel the lone survivor, Gabriel discovered the fate of his brothers. Gabriel returned to his Chapter and started the new Deathwing Company anew using his own badge, a broken sword mixed with the angelic wings of the Chapter badge, and kept the bone-white colour in honour of his fallen brothers. He was killed on the space hulk Charnel Shrine. He was succeeded as grand master by Belial.

• Ezekiel - Ezekiel was a former Grand Master of the Deathwing. Ezekiel was the leader of the legendary Deathwing recruiting party which millennia ago discovered the Genestealer infection of their own homeworld. Realising that they faced a potential suicide mission, the Dark Angels reverted to their tribal names, and painted their armour death-white. Ezekiel became the warrior Cloudrunner once again, and fought alongside Weasel-Fierce, Bloody Moon, and the Librarian Lucius, known as Two Heads Talking. Stopping the Genestealer threat, the surviving Dark Angels decided to live amongst their people and to reeducate them in their ancient traditions and ways. A standard century later, Gabriel, grand master of the Deathwing, came to the planet to seek out the fate of Ezekiel and his warriors. After learning of their actions, he decided to leave things as they were, but not before obtaining the much needed suits of missing Terminator Armour. As a favour to former Captain Ezekiel, Gabriel would leave the Terminator Armour in the traditional bone-white colour of the Deathwing, which would later be adopted by the entirety of the 1^st Company.

• Lanval - Lanval was a former Grand Master of the Deathwing who served under current Supreme Grand Master Azrael in 939.M41. He took part in the excoriation campaign against the vile Night Lords Traitor Legion when they instigated a rebellion on the Imperial world of Rhamiel. However, during the campaign then-Supreme Grand Master Naberius was killed. Azrael would succeed Naberius as Supreme Grand Master, and as one of his first acts, he promoted Lanval as his successor as Grand Master of the Deathwing.

• Azrael - Azrael is the current Supreme Grand Master of the Dark Angels Chapter. He was a former Grand Master of the Deathwing until 939.M41, following the death of his predecessor Naberius, when he was killed upon the world of Rhamiel while engaging the Night Lords Traitor Legion. After assuming the position of Supreme Grand Master Azrael appointed his chosen successor, Lanval, as the next Grand Master of the Deathwing.

• Sachael - Sachael was a former Grand Master of the Deathwing who served in 532.M32, when the Imperium was beset by the ravaging Ork WAAAGH! of the mysterious Warboss known as The Beast during the War of the Beast. He later commanded the battle barge Reprisal, leading the Chapter in battle against the Orks after invading the asteroid field known as the Astorias Cloud. During the battle, he attempted to fire upon an Ork Attack Moon, but unable to navigate the asteroid field successfully, he soon found himself surrounded by the Greenskins and required assistance. Company Master Adnachiel attempted to come to his aid and was prepared to launch a counter-assault, however, Sachael suddenly ordered him to abort his current mission. Sachael had received word that a large Imperial joint-strike force was being assembled on Terra to attack the world of Ullanor, which had been discovered to be the point of origin for The Beast's invasion force. Adnachiel had been chosen to take part in this vital mission and Sachael impressed upon the younger officer this mission's vital importance. Before departing, Sachael promised Adnachiel he had no intention of dying within the asteroid field.

• Bartholomew - Bartholomew was supposedly the first Grand Master of the Deathwing. However, the accuracy of such claims can no longer be verified.

• Apharan - Apharan is the first Primaris Space Marine to be inducted into the ranks of the Deathwing, despite the misgivings of many within the Inner Circle, who felt that the Primaris were not to be trusted to learn the full history of the Fallen and were against seeing them serve within the Inner Circle at all. However, the with the Dark Angels' numbers depleted through attrition in the subsequent battles of the Indomitus Crusade, it was only a matter of time before one of the Primaris were to be inducted into their ranks. Supreme Grand Master Azrael personally oversaw Apharan's trials, and his later success at passing these trials ended the debate for good. While some of the Chapter Masters of the Dark Angels' Unforgiven successors still remain skeptical, their loyalty and trust in the Supreme Grand Master outweighs their doubts.

Company Appearance

Company Badge

The original Deathwing badge consisted of a pair of crossed Calibanite swords, with the points of the swords pointed downwards, centred within an eight-pointed Iron Halo icon.

The current Deathwing company badge is a variant of the ancient icon of The Order, the knightly order of lost Caliban that served as a precursor to the Dark Angels Legion. It is a down-turned broken blade on a red roundel, which symbolises the schism within the Dark Angels Legion that occurred due to Luther's uprising on Caliban during the closing days of the Horus Heresy.

Company Colours

Prior to the Horus Heresy, during the Great Crusade, the power armour of the Dark Angels Legion was coloured jet-black. After the Heresy, the bulk of the Chapter began to appear in dark green armour, whilst the 1^st and 2^nd Companies' panoply remained jet-black in honour of the original Legion colours.

The Deathwing Company's Astartes later painted their Terminator Armour in a bone-white colour scheme to remember the lone squad of Dark Angels Terminators who defended a Dark Angels recruitment planet known as Plain's World from a Tyranid Genestealer invasion.

These Terminators painted their armour white, the colour of death, as they believed that they would never survive the confrontation. Surprisingly, these Terminators proved successful in reclaiming the world and in doing so saved a crucial part of the Dark Angels' cultural heritage and the genetic diversity of the Chapter. Amongst the Unforgiven Successor Chapters of the 41st Millennium, only the Dark Angels' Deathwing Company Terminators actually continue this tradition.

The Deathwing are both the most stubborn and most resilient of the Astartes of the Dark Angels and Unforgiven Chapters, and will often refuse to leave a battlefield even in the face of overwhelming odds, citing the tradition of the Terminators who saved the Dark Angels' recruitment world.

Space Hulk Expansion

Deathwing is also the name of the first expansion produced for the Games Workshop PC game Space Hulk. The expansion is named after the Dark Angels' Deathwing Company. It features rules for solo play of Space Hulk.

Videos

Warhammer 40,000 Grim Dark Lore Part 34 – Interregnum

See Also

• Dreadwing
• Ravenwing
• Firewing
• Ironwing
• Stormwing

Sources

• Codex Adeptus Astartes - Dark Angels (8th Edition), pp. 12-17, 20-23, 26, 28, 30, 34, 42, 45, 48-52, 60, 63, 66-67, 72-73, 77, 86, 95-100
• Chapter Approved 2003 - Third Book of the Astronomican, "Dark Angels Update", pg. 100
• Citadel Journal 37, "Tacticus Dark Angels", pp. 78-85
• Codex: Dark Angels (3rd Edition), pp. 10, 12-13
• Codex: Dark Angels (4th Edition), pg. 16
• Codex: Dark Angels (6th Edition), pp. 12, 14, 16, 19-21, 23, 26, 30, 40, 43-45, 56, 62, 64, 66-67, 78-81, 99
• Codex: Dark Angels (7th Edition) (Digital Edition), pp. 3, 10-11, 13-15, 29, 33-34, 36, 40, 42, 52-54, 65, 93 , 109-111m 113-115, 117-120, 142-145, 150-154, 173, 177-178, 190-191, 193-194, 196-200, 213, 215-217, 255-263, 303-306, 312-313, 322
• Codex: Angels of Death (2nd Edition), pp. 30, 37, 40, 73
• Codex Supplement: Dark Angels (9th Edition), pp. 18-19, 68-71
• Deathwatch: Core Rulebook (RPG), pp. 45-46
• Deathwatch: First Founding (RPG), pg. 50-53
• Deathwing (Anthology), "Deathwing" by Bryan Ansell & William King
• Deathwing: Rules & Mission (1st Edition)
• Fallen Angel (Novel) by Mike Lee
• Space Hulk: Campaigns (1st Edition)
• Space Hulk: Death Angel - Deathwing Space Marine Pack (CCG)
• Space Hulk: Mission Book (2nd Edition)
• Space Hulk: Rulebook (2nd Edition)
• The Horus Heresy Book Six: Retribution (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pg. 73
• The Horus Heresy Book Nine: Crusade (Forge World Series), pp. 35, 43, 104, 107, 112, 115, 124, 126, 158, 161, 164-165, 173
• Warhammer: Monthly (Promotional), "Deathwing"
• White Dwarf 470, "Chronicles of the Horus Heresy", pg. 101
• White Dwarf 303 (US), "Index Astartes: Deep Strike", pg. 18
• White Dwarf 161 (US), "Deathwing Terminators", pp. 4-7
• White Dwarf 137 (US), "The Last Stand: Space Hulk Campaign", pp. 42-50
• White Dwarf 133 (US), "Space Hulk: Genestealer Invasion"
• White Dwarf 112 (US), "Terminator: Space Marine Tactical Dreadnought Armour"
• The Unremembered Empire (Novel) by Dan Abnett
• Angels of Caliban (Novel) by Gav Thorpe
• Ruinstorm (Novel) by David Annandale
• Dreadwing (Novella) by David Guymer
• Angels of Darkness (Novel) by Gav Thorpe
• Azrael (Novel) by Gav Thorpe
• The Eye of Ezekiel (Novel) by C.Z. Dunn
• Horus Heresy Legions Card Game - Angels of Caliban Expansion

Gallery

I^st Legion standard with Hexagrammaton symbol utilised in conjunction with the winged sword emblem used by the Deathwing.

The ancient crossed blades icon of the Order of the Deathwing, the Dark Angels Legion's elite Astartes; the star of the Hexagrammaton, centred behind the swords, was one of the more arcane and little understood of the I^st Legion's core heraldic forms to outsiders.

An ancient example of a Cataphractii Terminator shoulder pauldron; note the Artificer-constructed Legion icon/Ablative Armour.

An Inner Circle Knight Cenobite of the Deathwing arrayed in Cataphractii Pattern Terminator Armour and armed with a rare and deadly wrist-mounted Plasma Caster.

An ancient example of a Mark III Iron Power Armour shoulder pauldron which bears the crossed swords of the Deathwing on a field of bone-white, marking a warrior that has survived a mortal wound.

The Deathwing company insignia.

Dark Angels Deathwing Terminator Colour Scheme with Deathwing iconography and Crux Terminatus honours displayed.

Roundels indicating the 1^st and 7^th vehicles of the Deathwing company.

Deathwing heraldic devices

Grand MasterEzekiel, Deathwing commander

Brother Depheros, Deathwing Terminator

Brother Depheros' shoulder guards -- the left shoulder guard bears the Crux Terminatus, while the right shows the broken-sword insignia of the Deathwing.

Deathwing Terminator Sergeant Isiah.

Deathwing Terminator Sergeant Isiah's shoulder guards -- both shoulder guards are embellished with devotional scrolls, while his left knee carries a heraldic device to identify his squad.

Brother Nephoros, Deathwing Knight.

Brother Nephoros, Deathwing Knight; the left shoulder guard bears the Crux Terminatus, while the right shows an icon of the Deathwing Knights.

Deathwing Knight Master Achrabael.

Deathwing Knight Master Achrabael's shoulder guards -- both shoulder guards feature the green trim that distinguishes Deathwing Knights from standard Terminator Squads.

Deathwing Apothecary Vandriel.

Deathwing Apothecary Vandriel's shoulder guards; he bears the Prime Helix of the Apothecarion upon the Crux Terminatus.

Deathwing Venerable Dreadnought Rakaziel; the inscriptions on Rakaziel's hull list some of the many campaigns he has fought in over the millennia.

Deathwing Venerable Dreadnought Hammael; Hammael bears a number of devotional scrolls and personal honour badges on the hull of his Venerable Dreadnought.

Deathwing Land Raider Indefatigable, identified as the 5^th tank of the 1^st Company.

Deathwing Land Raider Crusader Final Sanction; instead of conventional numbering, this vehicle displays the heraldic device adopted by its passengers.

Deathwing Battle-Brothers perform the dangerous duty of clearing a derelict Space Hulk.

The Deathwing fighting the menace of the Tyranid Genestealers aboard a Space Hulk.

The Astartes of the Deathwing in battle.

A Deathwing Interrogator-Chaplain leads a squad of fellow Deathwing Veterans.

Deathwing Battle-Brothers wearing their bone-coloured Terminator Armour.

Ancient vid-log pict of Deathwing brethren on their homeworld searching for the truth of why the population has gone missing.

Deathwing Veteran clearing a derelict Space Hulk of a Genestealers infestation.

A pair of Deathwing Terminators cleansing a Genestealer with righteous fire.

A Deathwing commander leading his brethren into the unknown aboard a Space Hulk.

A squad of Deathwing Terminators taking the fight to the enemy.

Deathwing Terminator armed with a Power Sword and Storm Bolter.

A Deathwing Terminator stands ready for battle.

Deathwing Terminators making a valiant last stand against the enemies of Mankind.