Laying Down The Lore: 40K

In our Warhammer 40K lore dive episode 66, we explore the Second War for Armageddon, the colossal Ork invasion that transformed the hive world into one of the bloodiest battlefields in Imperial history. The story begins with the rise of Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka, whose near-fatal head wound and bionic reconstruction on the world of Urk sparked his belief that he was chosen by Gork and Mork to lead a galaxy-spanning Waaagh!. After uniting the tribes of his dying world and surviving a hellish Warp journey aboard a space hulk, Ghazghkull crashes into Armageddon and unleashes a planetary war of staggering scale. As the incompetent Governor Herman von Strab bungles the defence through arrogance and denial, Commissar Sebastian Yarrick emerges as the heart of Imperial resistance, leading the desperate defence of Hive Hades against endless Ork assaults, Gargants, and siege warfare. From doomed Titan charges and the fall of Hive Helsreach to the dramatic arrival of the Blood Angels, Ultramarines, and Salamanders under Commander Dante, the episode traces a brutal campaign of attrition, heroism, and urban warfare that culminates in the collapse of the Ork invasion. Yet even after Imperial victory is declared, Ghazghkull survives, the fighting drags on for years, and Armageddon itself is left permanently scarred—cementing both Yarrick and Ghazghkull as legendary enemies whose war is far from over. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Merchandise⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Quartermaster ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen Ad-Free⁠ SHOW IMAGES0 - MAP - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16 - 17 - 18 - 19 - 20Theme Music: Military March Adventure by Antracto

Cover art by Modyer, big love xIn our final episode on the Star Badgers, for the time being, we look at the changes wrought on the chapter during their reforging and the suspiciously high number of Star Badgers who survived the Rubicon Primaris. We explore the structure of the reborn chapter and their Clawpacks (companies) by focusing on two of the five full strength Clawpacks they currently have. The Ashmoon Clawpack is led by the Great Claw-Master (Chaptermaster) and his advisors, all of whom were with the chapter when they “landed” Luna’s Vigil on the planet. We then dive into the Ironfang Clawpack and call out the different types of squad and their leaders, finally revealing the Identities of Cral’s and Dhar’s proxies (as well as Scott’s, Hi Scott!). We will be rejoining the Star Badgers in due course… We have a lot of plans for our chapter…⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Merchandise⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Quartermaster ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen Ad-Free⁠SHOW IMAGESThe Fortress Monastery of the Star BadgersStar Badgers reforgedGuilliman returns

This episode we dive into the Meles Astorum – better known as the Star Badgers – a fleet-based Chapter first whispered about during the early millennia of the Imperium. We track their rise from brutal boarding specialists in the Jarnhost Reaving, through their reputation for tunnel warfare at Gaulus Red, to the infamous Howling Iron Pact that nearly broke them with questions of purity and trust. Along the way, we highlight their odd blend of feral assault doctrine and proto-Space Wolf ritualism, plus some of the darker moments like the Fangblood trials. All of it builds to their doomed final stand during the Fall of Uras’drekh in M39, when they gambled everything to crush a Necron dynasty before it could awaken fully – and paid the ultimate price. It’s a tale of ferocity, stubborn survival, and a Chapter remembered more for how it fell than how it lived.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Merchandise⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Quartermaster ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen Ad-Free⁠SHOW IMAGESMeles Astorum Tactical MarineMeles Astarum Tactical Sergeant Space Marine Battlebarge (Ultramarine Chapter)Exorcist Grand Cruiser (Luna’s Vigil)

In episode three of our deep-dive into the structure of a Space Marine Chapter we turn the auspex squarely on its commanders. We start off with the Chapter Master, an Avatar of the chapter's spirit and master of its terrifying resources, before turning to the Captains who direct entire companies with the aid of their Lieutenants We then shift to the Librarians, Psykers who wield the immaterium as both weapon and shield. Both lads coo with excitement as Chaplains stride across the field as voices of unshakable faith, while the Apothecaries provide the genetic lifeblood to ensure the Chapter’s survival from battle to battle. Rounding things out, we tinker with the role of the Techmarines, the iron-handed link between the machine cult and the sons of the Emperor. Chat with us on Discord⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Merchandise⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Quartermaster ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen Ad-Free⁠SHOW IMAGESCommandersCaptainsLieutenantsAncients LibrariansChaplainsApothecariesTechmarines

In this nose-bleed-inducing episode we take a look at all of the squad types found in a codex compliant space marine chapter. Working our way from Newly minted scout we track the path a marine takes through the chapter. Starting with the scouts and their vehicles we move to a marine’s true ascension to becoming a Devastator marine. Once they have mastered the heavier weapons of the chapter they progress to the role of an Assault marine mastering not only melee combat but also the fast assault vehicles such as bikes and landspeeders. We progress forward with a look at the all-rounder role of the Tactical marine, a role that dominates the chapter, and their dedicated transports. We close out the episode with a look at the Veteran and terminator squads that comprise the 1st company. Phew… that's a lot of images for an audio medium.⁠Chat with us on Discord⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Merchandise⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Quartermaster ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen Ad-Free⁠⁠SHOW IMAGES⁠Space Marine Scout Squads⁠⁠Devastator Squad⁠⁠Assault Squads⁠⁠Tactical Squad⁠⁠Dedicated Transport Vehicles⁠⁠Command and Veteran Squads⁠⁠Terminator Squads

In this episode we take a look at the meticulously structured process for Space Marine recruitment. We look at how Chapters select recruits from specific homeworlds or regions, seeking individuals who demonstrate exceptional strength and unwavering loyalty. We explore preferred recruitment worlds such as Feral and Hive Worlds, known for producing robust and aggressive candidates. We look at the mythic aura around the various types of selection trials, from the straight-forward mass duels to the death to the psychically induced acid trip of the more esoteric chapters. We close out with what it means to fail in the trials together with cultural impacts for those societies who produce a worthy candidate.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Chat with us on DiscordPatreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Merchandise⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Quartermaster ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen Ad-Free⁠SHOW IMAGES: NONE