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Hi
Here is some alternate 40k fluff that I have written due to personal boredom and the sheer awesomeness that is mirrored universes. As a reader who was somewhat disappointed at the Dornian Heresy fan fiction, I decided to write my own interpretation of a mirrored 40k universe would play out. I tried to stay true to each legion, from a personality, doctrine and historical perspective whilst deliciously tweaking them to fit into the new mirrored fluff. It is interesting to discover how radically different things can play out via tweaking a few things. I have to admit that the 40k fluff is solid enough that this mirrored fluff set pretty much wrote itself.
Below is not a story per se but a framework in how each of the legions differs in this new, mirrored universe. It's up to the reader to interpret and play out the story once they've finished reading this (as I am too lazy to write the whole thing). I’ve also included some tabletop crap at the bottom for LOLS or anyone who actually wants to run a mirrored fluff inspired army.
Anyway I hope you enjoy what I have written. Feel free to provide feedback or your own input in how things would play out in this new mirrored universe.
candy.man
Warhammer 40k: Dark Mirror
The Guilliman Heresy
Main Guilliman Heresy Assumptions
• Horus never turned to chaos and the Horus Heresy never took place.
• Guilliman turns to chaos instead and becomes the arch traitor instead.
• Guilliman triggers a heresy style event which takes place sometime chronologically after when the Horus Heresy would have taken place.
• Events of the Guilliman Heresy somewhat mirror the Horus Heresy.
• Guilliman was killed by the Emperor and the Emperor mortally wounded in the exact same fashion as the Cannon.
• Miscellaneous deviations in history/logic alters the fate of the legions (see below).
Traitors
Ultramarines
• Guilliman was swayed to chaos in a similar fashion to Horus (pride + chaos = arch traitor)
• Guilliman’s dislike of Horus’ position as warmaster was a contributing factor for his betrayal.
• Guilliman was meticulous in his planning and tactics during the heresy. His betryal caught many offguard. Guilliman came closer to victory than Horus in the 40k cannon universe.
• Marinus Calgar is currently operating as Warmaster of the traitor legions.
• Calgar has stronger control over the traitor legions than Abaddon has in the regular 40k universe.
• Marinus Calgar has the mark of Chaos Ascendant.
• Shortly before the heresy (and after Guilliman and turned to Chaos), Guilliman wrote the “Apochrypha of Skaros”, a set of tactical guidelines designed to give him greater tactical power over “his” legions.
• Guilliman had originally planned to implement the guidelines after he crushed the imperium and built his new Chaos Empire.
• These guidelines which are commonly followed by the traitor legions after the heresy.
• All traitor legions were forcefully made to comply with the guidelines shortly after the heresy under direct order from Warmaster Calgar.
• The “Apochrypha of Skaros” is somewhat different than the Codex Astartes in the cannon due to Guilliman’s darker personality.
• The “Apochrypha of Skaros” ruthlessly emphasises how a legion can maximise its killing potential and ability to cause an incursion.
• Legion symbol is an Ultramar U with a chaos star in the centre.
• Colour scheme changed to blue and gold
Blood Angels
• Tricked by Guilliman during Heresy as Sanguinius was unaware of Guilliman’s treachery.
• Guilliman tricked Sanguinius because he knew Sanguinius wouldn’t betray the emperor and he feared Sanguinius’ intervention would ruin his plans. • Sanguinius was tricked by Guilliman into believing that the Wold Eater’s legion had turned traitor. Rivalry with the World Eaters clouded Sanguinius’ judgement.
• The Blood Angels experienced heavy loses after getting caught on the wrong side during the heresy and Istvaan V massacre. The loyalist legions assumed the Blood Angels legion was another traitor legion that sided with Guilliman.
• Sanguinius died during the Isvaan massacre when Angron broke Sanguinius’ back over his knee.
• Distraught of over the primarch’s death and their legions grim situation as traitors, the legion’s prayers were answered by the chaos gods who offered them salvation over oblivion.
• Following the acceptance of their new masters, the legion assisted the traitor legions in the final assault on terra.
• The legion are followers of chaos undivided and reside in a daemon world in the Eye of Terror. The daemon world resembles their home planet.
• Currently ruled by Blood Lord Dante and Mephiston, Daemon Prince of Death.
• Red Thirst + exposure to the warp have created strange and rapid mutations amongst the chapter. It is common for a blood angel marine to grow large black feathered wings as well as large fangs and claws.
• Legion is infamous for their brutal winged assaults and drinking the blood of their enemies.
• Legion now resembles a pack of winged, blood thirsty vampires than the noble angelic warriors they once were.
• The entire army now wears a Death Company style armour/colour scheme.
Imperial Fists
• Was presented with the relic powerfist “Pain Glove” by Guilliman. Pain Glove was secretly a conduit for chaos.
• Guilliman was able to convince/trick Dorn to side with him by manipulating Dorn’s pride/ego.
• Dorn and his legion later fully embraced chaos.
• Rogul Dorn was able to successfully kill Perturbo during the Iron Cage incident and was rewarded with daemonhood for his efforts.
• Perturbo’s skull is on display in the legion’s home world as a gory reminder of Dorn’s ultimate victory over Perturbo.
• Legion is followers of chaos undivided.
• Colour scheme changed to rusty yellowish chrome.
Dark Angels
• Astelan’s recollection of events in the novel “Angels of Darkness” (where Lion was purposely late in arriving on Terra) is correct.
• Lion was not banished into the warp but saved by Tzeentch at the last minute.
• Lion later reappears to his legion to execute Luther and advise his chapter that “all is well”.
• Lion, slowly but surely, leads his legion down the path of damnation and following the changer of ways. Those who did not convert to chaos were executed or turned into chaos spawn.
• Lion currently rules over his legion in the Eye of Terror as a Daemon Prince. Lion is now known as the Lion of Change.
• Legion doctrine is similar to what is was pre heresy. Sorcery is now heavily practiced amongst sergeants, captains, chaplains and librarians. Legion is infamous for their sorcerous foresight and their sorcerous bullets.
• The legion’s interrogator chaplains are infamous for torturing their enemies for the location of sorcerous artefacts.
• Legion also has access to an unusually large amount of chaos spawn.
• Cypher and his renegade faction “Fallen Angels” are known to mysteriously appear and assist imperial forces in thwarting the Dark Angel’s plans.
• The Fallen Angels believe that if they can destroy the Dark Angels, it will absolve their legion of its sins.
• The Dark Angels bear a strong hatred for the Fallen Angels.
• Legion colour scheme changed to dark green with a gold trim.
Word Bearers
• Treachery discovered by Horus and legion was deemed “traitorous extremis”. The legion’s home planet was purged under direct order from Horus.
• Legion later reappeared during the heresy, siding with Guilliman
• Pretty much are the same as the cannon universe except Logar and his legion is more active in spreading the taint of chaos.
Raven Guard
• Sided with Guilliman for unknown reasons however the legion is rumoured to have turned traitor due to Corax’s personal dislike towards Horus.
• Legion operates under its own agenda.
• Infamous for their mutant research.
• The legion tries to obtain as many slaves as possible during a battle for use as test subjects for their horrific mutant research.
• The legion is known to unleash large hordes of uncontrollable mutants onto the battlefield and on unsuspecting populaces.
• Corax’s existence after the heresy has not been officially confirmed. It is rumoured that he has been elevated to a daemon prince after multiple sighting of a black daemon prince with giant claws fighting alongside the Salamanders.
Space Wolves
• Wolf Gods of Fenris linked to Khorne
• Prior Khornate worship became apparent during the attack on the Thousand Sons.
• Leman Russ was rewarded with daemonhood by his “true God” after he killed Magnus the Red.
• Legion is actively led by Logan Grimnar, the high king of Skulls.
• After the legion embraced their new god, they sided with Guilliman and his campaign against the imperium.
• Daemon Wolf Leman Russ and his horde were defeated by the World Eaters during the first war for Armageddon. Daemon Wolf Leman Russ was banished by the Grey Knights for 100 years and a day.
• Mark of Wolfen = Mark of Khorne.
• Grey Hunters = Skull Hunters of Khorne.
• Blood Claws = Berserker Claws of Khorne.
• Wolf Guard = Wolf Champions.
• Longfangs = Impalers
• All Rune Priests/Psykers were killed when the legion fully embraced Khornate worship.
• Ragnar Blackmane is now a mad butcher like Kharn the Betrayer in the cannon universe.
• A Space Wolf Daemon Prince is known as a Daemon Wolf.
• Colour scheme changed to bronze + blood red.
• Legion iconography includes wolf skulls, khornate symbols and skull trophies
Salamanders
• Nurgle swayed the Salamanders in the same fashion he did with the Death Guard in the cannon universe.
• Vulkan was killed by Ferrus Manus during the heresy (he wasn’t a Daemon Prince at the time and just a champion of nurgle).
• Legion now travels the galaxy, seeking to purge all life from the Galaxy.
• The legion is rumoured to be trying to bring about the end times as foretold in the “Book of Flames”.
• Legion is currently led by Forge Lord Hes’stan.
• Legion doctrine states that they must purge all life in the galaxy (they follow the death aspect of Nurgle like The Purge)
• Legion has access to all 9 artefacts of Vulkan (he never got around to hiding them.
• Legion defiles and treats Vulkan’s artefacts as weapons of war.
• Legion makes heavy use of chemical warfare. Legion known to virus bomb and purge entire planets of life.
• Legion’s wears an unknown heretic armour and wargear pattern that is somehow impervious to their chemical weapons and toxic flames. Some say due to the dark fruits of their research others say it is a machination of the chaos gods.
• Legions new armour pattern loosely resembles MkIII Iron Armour.
• Colour scheme changed to a dark dirty vomit green, with black shoulder pads, backpack and a rusty metallic trim.
White Scars
• Primarch possessed by a daemonic influence.
• As a result, legions slowly descended into extreme, thrill seeking practices and later, worship of Slaanesh.
• Legion is led by Jaghatai Khan, Daemon Prince of Slaanesh.
• Kor’sarro Khan is also a Daemon Prince but is marine size and resembles Doom Rider (complete with bike full of cocaine).
• Legion infamous for stalking and torturing foes who have survived their wrath.
• Legion makes heavy use of bikes, thrill seeking practices and combat drugs.
• Legion still headed by a Master of the Hunt.
• White Scar bikers = Doom Bikers of Slaanesh.
• Colour scheme still white but small portions of armour is now coloured in liche purple.
Loyalists
Sons of Horus
• Horus was ordered to remain behind and protect the imperial palace whilst the Emperor took the fight to Guilliman.
• Horus rebuilt imperium after heresy and to prevent another heresy, Horus oversaw the creation of the Grey Knights (see below).
• Horus was never the same after the heresy and heavily blamed himself for not preventing it.
• Horus was badly wounded sometime after the heresy during a vicious daemonic assault with the Ultramarines.
• Horus was put in stasis. Wounds slowly healing.
• First company wear black power armour as a sign of respect to the fallen primarch.
• Legion currently led by Abaddon.
• With Horus in charge after Heresy, legions were never split up.
• Abaddon is seen by the loyalist legions as Horus’ successor and receives a decent amount of loyalty from the loyalist legions.
• Abaddon also wields both Horus’ lightning claw and power mace in battle.
• Abaddon bears an unnecessarily strong hatred towards the traitor legions and is famous for his 13 “Devine Crusades” against the traitor legions.
• Abaddon has been famously quoted saying “Guilliman was weak, Guilliman was a fool. He had the emperor’s faith with him and he let it slip away”.
Night Lords
• Konrad never issued exterminatus on his home planet.
• Konrad also manages to repair his legion and home planet with assistance from Mortarion and Horus (note: In the cannon universe, Konrad wasn’t able to obtain assistance from the other primarchs which would have ultimately affected the final outcome in the cannon universe).
• Sacrifices himself in a different but similar atonement fashion this time around which inspires his legion to work harder.
• Legion maintains its fear tactics and doctrine, passed down from their primarch.
• Legion is still renowned and infamous for its savage fear tactics.
• Legion is known to ignore rules to resolve an issue.
• Legion strongly believes in operating for the greater good of humanity and has a strong distaste for corruption and chaos.
Wold Eaters
• Remained loyalist since Horus never turned traitor. Horus successfully brought Angron back in line this time around.
• Legion famous for their savage counter attack against the traitor legions during the heresy.
• Rage enhancing surgery was stabilised and perfected post heresy.
• Angron disappeared sometime after the heresy when he led his consort into the eye of terror in pursuit of the Blood Angels and never returned.
• Participated in the first war for Armageddon and defeated the Space Wolves. The World Eaters assisted the Grey Knights in banishing the Daemon Wolf himself, Leman Russ for 100 years and a day.
• Whilst the legion is still feared for its ferocity, the legion has remained loyal.
• Rivalry with the Blood Angels legion is one of the reasons the legion remained loyal.
• Legion carries fewer librarians than other legions. World Eaters librarians use their psychic powers to augment their physical prowess rather than smite their enemies in a flash of energy.
• Loyalist World Eaters have a greater sense of tactics than the Traitor World Eaters in the cannon universe.
• Kharn the Betrayer = Captain Kharn.
• The World Eaters holds a large grudge against the inquisition for sterilising the human soldiers who fought against the Space Wolves in the first war for Armageddon (in order to cover up the existence of the Daemon Primarch).
Alpha Legion
• Sided with Horus due to prophesy (prophesy would also be slightly different this time around).
• Remained a loyalist legion since Horus never turned traitor.
• Currently campaigning against the Ultramarines.
• Alpharius was still killed by the Ultramarines.
• Legion still maintains its pre heresy legion doctrine and its “who dares wins” attitude.
Iron Warriors
• “Forgebreaker” was not a Chaos Conduit.
• Iron Warriors successfully and appropriately quelled their home world revolt this time around.
• Was used by Horus to combat the Imperial Fists during heresy.
• After the heresy, the Iron Warriors were highly commended by Horus for their valiant efforts and made the new Praetorians of the Imperium.
• Perturbo was killed by Rogul Dorn during the Iron Cage incident.
• Rivalry with the Imperial Fists legion is one of the reasons the legion remained loyal.
• The legion took great pleasure in tearing down the defences of the heretical Imperial Fists during the heresy.
• Forgebreaker is engraved with the Iron Warriors motto “Iron Within, Iron Without” and is always wielded by the legion’s Master Warsmith.
Thousand Sons
• Were attacked by Space Wolves when Thousand Sons tried to warn the emperor of Guilliman’s treachery.
• The emperor only ordered Magnus to be brought in for questioning (in the same fashion as Konrad) and not be attacked. The Space Wolves ignored the Emperor’s orders and attacked the Thousand Sons anyway when they fell under the influence of Khorne.
• Magnus the Red was killed by Leman Russ during the assault.
• Legion was assisted by Horus instead of Tzeentch this time around
• Maintain a strong hatred of the Space Wolves.
• After the heresy, the legion developed a combat doctrine, wargear and psychic powers to nullify an opponent’s physical prowess.
• Thousand Sons librarians are renowned for flaying the physical strength and life out of wolf lords.
• The legion fought the Space Wolves during the 32nd millennium in retribution for their fallen primarch and managed to slay Great Wolf Harek and Bjorn the Felhand.
Iron Hands
• Legion suffered heavy losses during the Heresy against the Raven Guard and Salamanders.
• Ferrus Manus manages to slay Vulkan, champion of Nurgle in close combat.
• Ferrus Manus pulls a disappearing act sometime after the heresy and Fulgrim’s death. It is rumoured that the primarch’s disappearance was due to his sadness over the Fulgrim’s death.
• Legion firmly believes that Ferrus Manus will one day return.
Emperors Children
• Never turned traitor
• Daemon sword was never picked up by Fulgrim.
• Fulgrim killed by a daemon primarch shortly after the heresy.
• Legion strictly maintains a perfectionist/purist attitude and discipline.
• Legion renowned for their precise and sudden strikes post heresy.
Death Guard
• Fought against traitor legions on Istvaan V.
• Typhon’s treachery was discovered by the legion when he tried to slay the navigators. Typhon was slain for the first time here.
• Typhon was reanimated by Nurgle and fought along side the Salamanders against the Death Guard. Typhon’s body was confirmed to have been destroyed here.
• Typhon’s existence post heresy has been confirmed as a Daemon Prince called Typhus the Unliving.
• Motarion disappeared sometime after the heresy and Horus’s incapacitation.
• Motarion is prophesised to reappear during the end times to protect the imperium in the final war of attrition.
• This is currently foretold in the legion’s book of prophesies, the “Book of Death”.
• Command of the legion now sits with Nathaniel Garro.
Grey Knights
• To prevent another heresy, Horus oversaw the creation of the Grey Knights shortly after the heresy. Horus had intended the Grey Knights to be become his personal sword against the taint of chaos.
• Horus felt the presence of his “Grey Knights” would have prevented the Guilliman Heresy
• The Grey Knights gene seed is a purified combination of all of the Gene seeds from the first Founding legions.
• Unlike the cannon universe, the Grey Knights commonly work with but are independent of the Ordo Malleus and are a legion in their own right.
• Horus is to have said “To become a Space Marine is to become a god amongst men and to become a Grey Knight is to become a god amongst Space Marines”.
• No Grey Knight has fallen to the taint of chaos.
• The Grey Knights have greater authority than the Grey Knights in the cannon due to their alternate founding.
Suggested tabletop rules and modelling idea for representing the Guilliman Heresy
1. Ultramarines. Codex: Space Marines or Codex: Chaos Space Marines (with Marinus Calgar counts as Abaddon). Models should have a large amount of chaos iconography.
2. Blood Angels. Codex: Blood Angels. Use large amounts of assault troops/sanguinary guard. Jump pack troops should have black, feathered wings instead of jump packs. All models should make heavy use of stuff from the Death Company sprue.
3. Imperial Fists. Codex: Space Marines with a Tank heavy/sternguard heavy force led by a commander with a spiky, daemonic power fist (counts as Pedro Kantor). Alternatively, Codex: Chaos Space Marines with Daemon Princes and Defilers/Vindicators would also work.
4. Dark Angels. Codex: Chaos: Space Marines with an army that contains at least 2 chaos sorcerers (or 1 Sorc + a Counts as Ahriman), both with Gift of Chaos. Alternatively, Codex: Dark Angels with at least 2 librarians would also work. Players who would frequently compete against a friend who runs a traitor Dark Angels army should be encouraged to convert a small unit of Fallen Angels with Cypher for use with their Loyalist army (Sternguard Veterans are a good ruleset for Fallen Angels and a Cypher counts as Chaplain).
5. Raven Guard. Codex: Blood Angels with lots of Sanguinary Priests. Units with a sanguinary priest should be modelled to look like hulking, uncontrollable mutants. HQ should have dual lightning claws. The Vraks renegades list from Forgeworlds (with Raven Guard counts as Alpha Legion and renegades/mutant rabble/ogryns representing mutants) is also good rule set for the Raven Guard.
6. Space Wolves. Codex: Space Wolves, assault heavy army (no rune priests or psykers) or a Chaos: Space Marines berserker army (with Ragnar Blackmane counts as Kharn). Lots of human/wolf skulls and berserker style helmets are some good modelling ideas. Thunderwolves should be modelled to look like bloodcrushers/juggernaughts. Daemon Princes (if using Codex: Chaos Space Marines) should be modelled to look like they are part wolf. Paint job should have a blood soaked, Khornate look to it.
7. Salamanders. Codex: Chaos Space Marines with Plague Marines or Codex: Blood Angels with tac marines and Sanguinary priests. Models should be converted using the MKIII Iron Armour from Forge Worlds or be converted to resemble MkIII as much as possible.
8. White Scars. Codex: Space Marines, biker list with Kor’sarro Khan. Kor’sarro Khan should be converted from the Doom Rider model and biker troops should be modelled to look like crazy, thrill seeking slaanesh worshipers.
9. Sons of Horus: Codex: Space Wolves. Abaddon counts as Logan Grimnar and heavy use of wolf guard. A loyalist Abaddon model can be easily converted using an SM Terminator with Abaddon’s head, Abaddon’s lightning claw and a chaos terminator power mace.
10. Night Lords. Codex: Blood Angels with heavy use of jump pack troops and death masks. Alternatively, Codex Space Marines with a Talon Master/Night Lords Hero (Counts as Shrike). Models should contain larges amounts of death iconography (mixing and matching the Night Lords sprue with the Death Company sprue would be useful for this).
11. World Eaters. Codex: Blood Angels. Assault troops mounted in rhinos with sanguinary priests (modelled as apothecaries). Gabriel Seth’s model and rules would make an excellent World Eaters HQ whereas Astorath the Grim inducing red thirst on a 3+ would also be a great choice.
12. Alpha Legion. Codex: Space Marines with counts as Shrike and large amounts of scouts. HQ should be modelled to look like an ordinary soldier.
13. Iron Warriors. Codex: Space Marines with a Master Warsmith holding Forgebreaker, represented by either a Master of the Forge or Chapter Master. A Master of the Forge with a thunder hammer (Forgebreaker) and conversion beamer would be great in representing the tech marine aspect of the Warsmith whereas a Chapter Master with a relic blade (counts as Forgebreaker), combi melta, hellfire rounds and orbital bombardment would also be a good choice.
14. Thousand Sons: Codex: Space Marines with 2 Librarians with Null Zone. Alternatively, Codex: Blood Angels with Librarians and Psyker Dreads with blood boil, fear of darkness or shackle soul is also a good choice. Dreadnaughts should be modelled with a dead/dismembered Space Wolf on its base.
15. Iron Hands. Codex: Space Marines. Model one or two units as Emperors Children to represent the friendship between the two primarchs/legions.
16. Emperors Children. Codex: Space Marines or Codex: Blood Angels. Sanguinary Guard sprue should be used to create ornate, elegant looking models.
17. Death Guard. Codex: Blood Angels with loads of tac marines and sanguinary priests.
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