Even among the many Chapters of Space Marines, a handful of elite companies stand out as the very best of the best. These are the 1st Companies, veterans of centuries of warfare who do battle with the finest armour and equipment available in the Imperium. They are now charged with taking the fight to the new Tyranid menace of Hive Fleet Leviathan.
These 1st Companies are all heroes of thousands of decisive actions and seemingly impossible victories, but there are some who are particularly notable.
Ultramarines 1st Company – Warriors of Ultramar
There are many tales of glory associated with this band of warriors, yet tragedy is also in their history. When it comes to battling the Tyranids, no other 1st Company has quite such a legendary rivalry with this foe as the Warriors of Ultramar, whose Terminators were once found dead to a man at the Polar Fortress on Macragge, having fought to the bitter end to protect their home world in the First Tyrannic War.
Dark Angels 1st Company – The Deathwing
With their Primarch returned from his 10,000-year sabbatical, the Deathwing has found itself thrust into a renewed fight against Abaddon the Despoiler and Vashtorr the Arkifane.
Though certain members – including the Bladeguard – choose to take the field in power armour, the Deathwing owns enough Terminator armour to outfit the entire company, a luxury few Chapters can match. This speaks volumes about the wealth of relics stashed deep within the Rock, though it also indicates how seriously the Chapter takes its true mission: to ruthlessly pursue and hunt down the Fallen.
Blood Angels 1st Company – The Archangels
Like the Ultramarines, the Blood Angels have serious beef with the Tyranids, particularly Hive Fleet Leviathan. Those honoured with a place in the 1st Company – known as the Archangels – are seasoned veterans, the bloody speartip of Lord Commander Dante's armies. They are led by First Captain Arenos Karlaen – whom many consider the greatest battle leader of the Blood Angels, save only for the Lord Commander himself.
Imperial Fists 1st Company – The Fists of Dorn
Under the tenure of Captain Lysander, the Fists of Dorn have been moulded into a more flexible tool depending on the needs of the wider Chapter.
Unlike in other Chapters, these warriors also bear a number of ceremonial duties away from the battlefield. Notably, each of the arenas aboard the Imperial Fists’ mobile fortress-monastery, the Phalanx, is watched over and maintained by a Veteran Sergeant and his squad. This is a role taken most seriously, to the point that they take new names based on the battle honours displayed on the walls of the arena.
While Terminator plate is most often associated with 1st Companies, other Chapters choose not to organise themselves in this manner – notably the Space Wolves Wolf Guard, who join other packs in their Great Companies or act as lone wolves, and the Paladin Squads of the Grey Knights.
Will you be painting your Warhammer 40,000: Leviathan Terminators in the heraldry of one of these legendary 1st Companies, or do you have an alternative Chapter in mind? Let us know on social media using #WarhammerCommunity and #New40K.
