Holy Terra. The Throneworld. The birthplace of Humanity. And now, as is revealed in Shadow Throne, the epicentre of a Genestealer Cult infestation!
Even though Terra is the most heavily fortified planet in the million or more worlds of the Imperium, it has almost fallen on numerous occasions. We thought it would be fun to relive the top three deadliest wars for Terra – complete with a Doom-o-meter to judge how close Mankind came to disaster on each occasion – and compare them to the insidious threat posed by the Cult of the Pauper Princes that’s taken root deep below the northern polar arcologies.
3. The Age of Apostasy
During Goge Vandire’s ‘Reign of Blood’, civil war was rife across the galaxy. Vandire’s usurpation of the High Lords of Terra had been largely concealed by his shrewd manipulation of the Imperium’s glacial bureaucracy, so few were aware of the extent of his tyranny. Only when a Black Templars fleet returned to Segmentum Solar for resupply did they chance upon the gravity of Vandire’s actions.
Outraged that such treachery had been allowed to unfold unchallenged, High Marshal Sigenandus declared a Crusade against Holy Terra itself, and the corrupt tyrant at its heart. Other Chapters rallied to their cause, including the Imperial Fists, as well as Ecclessiarch Sebastian Thor’s Confederation of Light, and together they set foot on the Throneworld, though not as protectors but invaders.
The fighting was bloody, and dragged on for many months. The deadlock was eventually broken when Alicia Dominica, head of Vandire’s bodyguard, was granted an audience before the Golden Throne by a Companion of the Adeptus Custodes. She learned the truth of her master’s heresy, and beheaded Vandire shortly after, bringing an end to the internecine conflict.
2. Battle of Lion's Gate
When the Cicatrix Maledictum tore open across the galaxy, the daemonic forces of Chaos were able to breach the fabric of reality with greater ease than ever before. With the light of the Astronomican dimmed by the psychic fallout of this interstellar catastrophe, not even Holy Terra was immune.
Seeking to prove his superiority over the other Dark Gods, the Blood God Khorne unleashed his legions to test the strength of the now-vulnerable Throneworld, sending forth 88 daemonic cohorts to tear their way across the planet’s surface. The Lion’s Gate Spaceport was all but overrun, with even a combined force of Grey Knights and Custodian Guard unable to stem the tide. Only the timely arrival of Roboute Guilliman and his battle-hardened reinforcements prevented the loss of the Emperor’s Palace itself.
1. The Horus Heresy
As anyone who’s been reading Black Library’s climactic Siege of Terra series will know, Horus’ invasion was apocalyptic to say the least. The Warmaster sought nothing less than the annihilation of Terra’s defenders and to replace his father as the Master of Mankind.
Three of his brother Primarchs – Sanguinius, Rogal Dorn, and Jaghatai Khan – opposed Horus with their Legions, standing in defence of the Emperor’s Palace alongside hundreds of Titans and countless billions of Imperial soldiers.
Terra has never been so close to falling, before or since. Horus may have been defeated, but victory for the loyalist defenders came at a terrible cost – Sanguinius lay dead, and the Emperor Himself was mortally wounded, consigned evermore to the Golden Throne.
Shadow Throne
So, how do these seismic conflicts compare to a Genestealer Cult taking root below Terra’s surface? Well, the threat comes not from the uprising itself, but the fact that the Patriarch – known to its followers as the Begetor – is a psychic homing beacon for the Tyranid Hive Fleets whose tendrils are slowly, inexorably encircling the galaxy. That’s right – the Hive Mind now knows where we live!
You can learn more about the Talonhunt – the deadly quest undertaken by an elite strike team of Adeptus Custodes and Sisters of Silence to capture the Begator alive – next month, when Warhammer 40,000: Shadow Throne hits the shelves. And, of course, you’ll also get two armies, including the shiny new Blade Champion and Reductus Saboteur miniatures that are exclusive to the battlebox at time of launch, all in time for Christmas.
A heads-up on codex release dates
While we previously expected the Adeptus Custodes and Genestealer Cults codexes to arrive alongside Shadow Throne, it's fair to say that the process of shipping things around the world is still not without its challenges.
Despite the Herculean efforts of the teams that work to get new Warhammer into stores and homes every week, these codexes are now expected to land early next year. In the meantime, though, we're going to reveal a bunch of cool stuff from both books while we wait, so stay tuned to Warhammer Community for regular updates.