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Legions of the Horus Heresy – The Sons of Horus Are the Real First Legion

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We’ve had the rest, and now it’s time for the best – a Legion once led by the Emperor himself, whose Primarch spent decades as his one and only son. It’s the personal warriors of the Warmaster, the most celebrated Legion of the entire Great Crusade – the Luna Wolves! Er, wait, hold on… the Sons of Horus!*

As we near the end of our incisive and impartial Legion Day articles, we can finally stop pretending to be impressed by the petty magic shows of the Thousand Sons and settle in for some real hard truths about the greatest of the Legiones Astartes. You’ve waited long enough – it’s time to extol the limitless virtues of the XVI Legion. 

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The first recruits of the XVI Legion were plucked from hunter-clans and harsh slums across Terra, places that bred a ruthless and independent spirit – just what the Emperor needed for building his corps of go-anywhere-kill-anyone shock troops. They made their name – literally – by claiming Luna for the nascent Imperium, striking with such decisive savagery that the Selenite Clans begged the Emperor to “call off his wolves”.**

Soon after, the Emperor discovered Horus Lupercal. The first of the Primarchs to be found was placed in charge of the newly-named Luna Wolves, and with the help of Luna’s gene-forges, his Legion’s numbers grew massively – bolstered by ferocious gang fighters taken from Horus’ home planet of Cthonia.

For decades, the Luna Wolves fought under the watchful eyes of both Horus and his father, developing a reputation for sniffing out weakness and going for the throat. Whenever the Emperor was busy in shadowy cloisters of Terra, Horus kept claiming glory on the frontlines, overshadowing his most competitive brothers and even commanding Legions who’d yet to find their Primarchs, like the Pioneer Companies of the V Legion.

Unlike certain other Primarchs who recruited from criminal hell-worlds, Horus had a firm grasp on his Legion. The XVI Legion were pragmatic and informal, favouring small, highly flexible formations over a stiff and rigid order of battle – Guilliman would throw a fit – but they were utterly devoted to Horus. What’s wrong with a few Cthonian gang markings when you’re busily smashing Orks to bits during the Ullanor Crusade? Who could truly label xenocide “criminal”?***

Despite an unbroken string of stunning victories, despite receiving the title of Warmaster, despite the love of his brothers and sons, something frustrated Horus – did he truly have the respect he deserved? Sanguinius offered an answer – take up the Emperor’s offer to rename his Legion once more. And so the Luna Wolves traded their lupine logo for the glaring Eye of Horus, swapped their white armour for sea-green ceramite, and were reborn as the Sons of Horus.

Humility runs in the family, it seems.

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The Sons of Horus are close-up killers who enjoy a good charge as much as any frothing World Eater or exsanguinating Blood Angel. Unlike them, however, the XVI Legion don’t succumb to the red mist of battle – these Merciless Fighters strike fast and often, overwhelming their opponent at their weakest points with an opportunistic blitz.

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The Sons of Horus are masters of war – as you’d expect from the Warmaster’s Legion – with an instinct for independent operation and a knack for sudden violence. While the stolid Imperial Fists hole up behind their walls, these consummate Death Dealers anticipate and retaliate quicker than anyone. 

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Like all of his brothers, Horus Lupercal was shot into space as a mere babe – but he didn’t go far. The future Warmaster landed near the Sol System, on Cthonia – a thoroughly unpleasant and entirely lawless world, riddled with abandoned mining tunnels and endless, bloody gang warfare. If you think Necromunda’s bad, trust us – it’s got nothing on Cthonia.

Horus was taken in by the gang overlord Khaggedon, who dubbed him Nergüi – which literally means “no name”. Like most things on Cthonia, you had to earn your own name through murder. Nergüi didn’t have to wait long – soon enough, the lost Primarch was tracked down by Mechanicum Tech-Priests, one of whom he promptly killed. 

On his return, the boy was scolded by Khaggedon for not slaughtering them all like a proper ganger – and as snooping mechadendrites approached their stronghold, his doomed father offered Horus a way to truly earn a fancy new kill-name. He asked the young warrior to kill him. Nergüi obliged, catalysing his transformation into a true Primarch – and Horus was born. Talk about foreshadowing.

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Reunited with the Emperor, his genetic father, Horus claimed his birthright as a legendary hero of the Imperium. The two palled about the galaxy for decades, forging a relationship that went deeper than father and son – they were friends, and trusted each other with their lives. When the time came for the Emperor to get to work on his secret project, he bestowed Horus with the title of Warmaster – an honour he clearly deserved more than any of his rivals

As Warmaster, Horus had the green light to boss around his other brothers – a fact he put to use when choosing who got the worst jobs. Not that he needed the title – charismatic to a fault, Horus could win over anyone with his disarming charm and a voice like honeyed steel, bonding with even the least hygienic of his brothers. With his Imperium in the hands of its greatest warrior, tactician, and diplomat, what could go wrong for the Emperor now?

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It is called the Horus Heresy, after all. The Warmaster’s ultimate betrayal was rooted in pride, fear, and ambition – helped along by the machinations of the Dark Gods.

On the rebellious world of Davin, Horus was struck down by a tainted blade of tremendous power. The Apothecaries were stumped, but Erebus, First Chaplain of the Word Bearers, knew just where to get such a nasty wound looked at – the local Serpent Lodge. Before anyone could even ask to see a medical license, the healing ritual got underway – and Horus bore witness to a ruinous vision. 

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In the guise of a fallen friend, Erebus showed Horus visions of the past and future alike. A distant age where the Emperor ruled as a god, having cast aside his Primarchs and Space Marines just as he’d done to the Thunder Warriors before them – and the secret history of his own creation, forged with the same warp magic the Emperor had hypocritically forbidden to all others.

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According to Erebus, the Chaos Gods were concerned only with the immaterium – a realm the Emperor planned to conquer and annihilate as he’d done all else. Hadn’t Horus protested the formation of the Council of Terra, mere mortals rather than the Astartes who deserved to rule? He’d help foil his father’s dastardly plans, and in exchange they’d save his life, give him power, and fulfil his wildest dreams. 

Thus, a rebellion was born. Through honeyed words, sworn oaths, and brute intimidation, Horus recruited seven of his brothers, half of the Mechanicum, and countless others, from Titan Legios to regiments of the Excertus Imperialis. The rest… is history.

Specifically, the history of a galactic civil war that engulfed the entire galaxy and came to a rather sticky end for everyone involved.****

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There’s no better way to learn more about Horus and his inner circle the Mournival than by reading the trio of tomes that kicked off Black Library’s entire Horus Heresy series. Horus Rising, False Gods, and Galaxy in Flames – these novels tell the tale of Horus’s fall… or rise, depending on who you’re asking.

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After being nicked by a dirty plague sword, getting involved in a Chaos ritual, and starting the largest insurrection in human history, even Horus needed a break. He returned in Vengeful Spirit, where the Warmaster launches an attack on the well-fortified knight world of Molech – for reasons beyond the ken of his allies.

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Want to throw yourself before the might of the Warmaster? Discover Your Legion on the Warhammer: The Horus Heresy website and find out if you measure up. If Horus truly is the one for you, the Warhammer painting team have created a video that shows you how to paint his sons.

Our impartial review of the Legiones Astartes is nearly complete – with the Warmaster’s legendary Legion covered, it’s all downhill from here. Join us next week as we explore the final four on the Warhammer Community website.

* None of this new-fangled Black Legion rubbish from you, Ezekyle

** It’s true – the so-called Space Wolves are latecomers to the lupine game.

*** Other than the xenos, who obviously don’t count.

**** The moral of the story: don’t punch your dad!