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Hey folks!

I've been trying to figure out another wicked lorebased army to build. I've made pre heresy Luna Wolves, Custodes, Iron Hands, and Iron Warriors. I'm sure most hardcore 40k players are fimilar with the picture of Horus facing off against the emperor with Sanguinius dead at his feet. The Sons of Horus stand behind him, but another army stands behind the Emperor and they do not appear to be custodes. I've done extensive research, however nothing ever comes up. If someone could identify them that would be awesome.

Forgeworld makes preheresy Death Guard heads that look kinda like that..

Anyone..... anyone at all......... anyone.

I think they're Black Consuls... Black armour and eagle head chapter badge.

 Flippa wrote:
I think they're Black Consuls... Black armour and eagle head chapter badge.

That's interesting. I'll look into that, though I think I've researched the Black Consuls before.

I doubt it'll be Black Consuls as they're a 2nd Founding Chapter of the Ultramarines. However, this picture indicates the duel on the Vengeful Spirit before the Emperor was killed and the Legions split in accordance with Guilliman's Codex Astartes. I would say that in the case of this picture, the black armoured Astartes behind the Emperor are purely artistic licence. On the Loyalist side of the Horus Heresy, the only two Legions with Black armour were the Iron Hands and the Raven Guard - both of which had suffered terribly in the Battle of Isstvan V and so played more of a harassing role throughout the rest of the Heresy as they simply couldn't deploy large-scale due to losses. During the Siege of Terra, the only Loyalists Legions present were the Imperial Fists (Yellow/Gold), Blood Angels (Red) and White Scars (White/Red). Of these Legions, only the Imperial Fists and Blood Angels teleported onto the Vengeful Spirit alongside the Primarchs Dorn and Sanguinius. Hence, no black armoured Astartes were present.

So if you are dead-set on the Warriors behind the Emperor, your best bet is either a Blood Angel or and Imperial Fists army.

I'm fairly sure he's just a luna wolf that's had a bit of artistic licence because he looks fairly similar to toes behind Horus

What about Malcador's Knights Errant?

@Desert Raider - It wouldn't be a Luna Wolf as by this point they have been renamed the Sons of Horus. Similarly, the Sons of Horus were sea green, not black (or the White-Grey of the Luna Wolves). The only Sons of Horus troops who wore black were the elite 1st Company (Who wore Terminator Armour, which these Astartes don't) or the Reavers (Who did wear power armour, but were most likely engaged in combat with the bulk of the traitor forces below on Terra).

@Adamski Alders - That's a possible, but I've never heard any mention of the Knights-Errant being present at the Battle of Terra, much less aboard the Vengeful Spirit. Whilst that's not to say they weren't, I'm not sure these Astartes look like the Knights-Errant, who were all prodigious psykers and for the most part, renowned warriors. Of course I'd hardly discount that theory, but I doubt there's much evidence for or against.

So far, I'm lead to believe they must have been drawn up strictly for this picture. None of those chapters resemble them, apart from the Consuls sharing the Eagle symbol, which I think was on most first founding chapters. I'm pretty sure it's left over from the Age of Strife and the Thunder Warriors.

Those are most likely emperors children. Keep in mind that until after the heresy no one else was allowed to wear the aquila and these guys are decked out in them. Not to mentionn that both the palatine blades and terminators f the third legion hve been known to have dark, almost black platinum armour pieces to denote that they fall outside of the legions normal structures.

edit: also on zooming in on the marines chest in the lower right corner, you can make out what could be a III in the middle of his chest aquila.

Despite objections by Rogal Dorn, the Emperor decided to willingly fall into Horus' trap knowing all to well what awaited him. Leaving management of the Golden Throne to his trusted subordinate Malcador, the Emperor, Dorn, Sanguinius, as well as an elite force of Space Marine Terminators and Adeptus Custodes teleported directly into the Vengeful Spirit.

thats horus heresy fluff. so i guess those marines design could be called artistic freedom