Warhammer+ is on its way soon. Alongside animations, Battle Reports, painting masterclasses, and much more, there's the Warhammer Vault – a treasure trove of rich lore drawn from Warhammer history. One such example is the Gathering Storm series that first introduced the seismic events that preceded the Era Indomitus – the destruction of Cadia, the fracture of Craftworld Biel-Tan, and the resurrection of Roboute Gulliman. With that in mind, we thought we’d take a quick look at some of the greatest feats performed by the mighty Ultramarines Primarch since his return.
No Time to Rest
After waking up from a deep sleep, most people would want to take it easy, maybe sink a cup or two of recaf, and chill out for a bit before getting ready for work. Not so Roboute Guilliman, who awoke from more than 10 millennia of stasis to find that, rather than dying from a mortal wound inflicted upon him by his brother Fulgrim, thanks to the combined intervention of Belisarius Cawl and Yvraine of the Ynnari, he was very much alive. Not only that, but the Temple of Correction on Macragge, in which he had timelessly slumbered for so long, was under direct attack by the Black Legion.
This, it’s fair to say, made the newly resurrected Primarch somewhat irate. After venting his initial fury on the Traitor forces arrayed against them, Guilliman took command of the planet’s defence and drove back the invaders with all the strategic brilliance for which he was renowned. Inspired and masterminded by the return of the legendary Primarch, the Ultramar Campaign was soon won, with the resurgent Imperial forces all but ridding the 500 worlds of Ultramar of foes in less than seven solar months.
Easy as 1, 2, 3?
Ok, so ‘easy’ in this case may be a little bit of an understatement, but during the Terran Crusade, as Guilliman fought his way from Macragge to commune with his father, the Emperor, he encountered – and bested – two of the mightiest adversaries it’s possible to face in the 41st Millennium, Skarbrand and Magnus the Red.
First up was Skarbrand, undoubtedly the most apocalyptically violent being in existence. So violent, in fact, that he struck Khorne himself and was… let’s just say ‘severely punished’ for it, but that’s another story. The fact is that Skrabrand was unleashed upon Roboute Gulliman, and the Avenging Son emerged victorious.*
Next up was Magnus the Red, who sought to prevent Guilliman from reaching Holy Terra by assailing the Primarch and his surviving warriors with a vast army of Thousands Sons and Daemons of Tzeentch as they emerged through a Webway Gate onto the surface of Luna. After being somewhat inconvenienced by the unearthly power of Magnus’ psychic abilities,** the Avenging Son proved himself the better brother by striking Magnus such a terrible blow with the Emperor’s Sword that the wounded Daemon Primarch was forced to fall back into the webway portal.
So, who did Guilliman defeat in round 3? Well, that came to a head a bit later, when Mortarion and his Death Guard began their Plague War upon the Ultramar System. As before, when the Black Legion had come to play, Guilliman was less than impressed with this turn of events. He returned to his 500-world empire with all haste to confront his erstwhile brother and…
…Well, we don’t want to spoil the epic climax to Guy Hayley’s Plague War series, Godblight, as it’s only very recently hit the shelves, but suffice it to say that Guilliman and Mortarion faced each other in mortal combat. I mean, it’s no secret – the proof is all over the cover art.
Well, we haven’t heard Terra’s Bell of Lost Souls solemnly toll to announce Guilliman’s passing, so we can only presume the Avenging Son has gone three for three.***
The Great Crusade 2.0
When the Cicatrix Maledictum tore across the galaxy in the wake of Cadia’s destruction, many thousands of worlds became dangerously isolated from the guiding light of the Astronomicon. Mankind’s myriad enemies from without and within took ruthless advantage, and the Imperium was left reeling in the wake of daemonic outbreaks, xenos invasion, and more.
Thankfully, a certain newly returned Lord Commander of the Imperium was on the case. His solution? The biggest gathering of might in more than 10 millennia – the Indomitus Crusade. Like his father before him, Guilliman knew that the best way to save the embattled worlds of Mankind was to unite under a common cause – namely, sticking it to the bad guys, wherever they could be found. Is it working this time around, though? Well, so far, so good…
So there you have it. Roboute Guilliman really is the man the Primarch. The action-packed lore from the Gathering Storm series will be yours to read within the Warhammer Vault once Warhammer+ kicks off on Wednesday the 25th of August. To make sure you’re up to speed, remember to sign up for our special Warhammer+ newsletter for all the latest information.
* Some claim it was the wound inflicted upon Skarbrand by the Black Sword of Marius Amalrich before his noble sacrifice that gave Guilliman the edge he needed to win, much like Sanguinius did against Horus before the Arch-Traitor was struck down by the Emperor. A fanciful tale – we all know Guilliman would’ve won anyway, right?
** The arrival of the Sisters of Silence MAY have helped in this regard, but we’re sure Guilliman had it covered.
*** The Godblight is a fell bacteriophage created by Ku'Gath the Plaguefather, who claimed it to be so lethal it could kill even one so mighty as a Primarch. But considering that Guilliman has recently just walked off a 10,000-year-old poisoned wound, we’re sure he’ll be fine.