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Following the break-up of the Imperial Fists legion into several chapters, one chapter was created out of the most devoted Imperial fists. These marines painted their armor black and called themselves the Black Templars. The Templars were unique in the way that they didn’t have a home world. Instead they based their marines on crusade fleets. The story of the Imperial Crusaders starts there.

Marshal Ambroas led his crusade fleet with a passion and ferocity that was expected by a Black Templar Marshal. He constantly purged worlds of Xenos and heretics in the name of the Emperor and their high marshal. Ambroas was regarded as the front runner for the position of high marshal when the time arose. He was a fierce leader who cared deeply for his warriors and loved nothing more than the sight of his enemies retreating before the might of his marines. However a fateful meeting with a small chaos band would alter this crusade fleet forever.

On a small world just outside the imperial sector the crusade fleet encountered a band of night lords, striking at settlements and raiding their supplies. Ambroas ordered twenty of his best marines onto the planet to deal with the chaos marines while the crusade fleet sat in orbit. The marines dealt a swift death to the traitors but, a problem with their transport ships arose ( suspected Night Lords sabotage) which meant they were marooned on the planet for a few weeks. In that time the astropaths aboard the flagship of the crusade fleet, the Heroic Intervention reported a disturbance in the warp. Ambroas waited for the marines on the planet to return to the ship before he left, a decision that cost him greatly and his marines greatly.

Suddenly the warp storm appeared out of nowhere and sucked the fleet in before they had time to react. The fleet was dumped into an unknown system clearly tainted by chaos. Ambroas thought his fleet would be confined to this chaos system for the rest of their lives so, ordered his fleet to purge the system world by world in the name of the Emperor. If he was going to die, he was going to die doing what he swore to do, purging aliens in the name of the Emperor. Slowly the system began to fall to the might of the Black Templars but, something was wrong. After years in the unknown system the Black Templars thought that they had failed their brothers and after a long vote it was decided that they did not deserve to wear the colors of the Templars. The marines painted their armor red and grey (red because it was the color of blood they were shedding for their cause and grey because it was as close to black as they could get and it symbolized that they still had a small connection to their brethren.) The new chapter needed a name and Ambroas decided upon the Imperial Crusaders. Shortly after this another warp storm appeared and sucked up the remaining ships and dumped them back in Imperial space.

Ambroas, shocked that his men were now back in the eyes of the Emperor, ordered his ships to find the nearest Black Templar crusade fleet and try to make contact. Soon the Crusaders were brought aboard a crusade ship which was led by Marshal Brant, who was taking his crusade fleet to Armageddon. Brant sent one of his smaller ships to Helbrecht the High Marshal. The small Templar vessel lead the Imperial Crusader fleet to the High Marshal’s location.

Ambroas, along with his most trusted officers personally talked to Helbrecht, and after long hours of discussion the High Marshal was willing to allow the new chapter to thrive only after each member passed rigorous tests to prove they were free from the taints of the warp. Finally after years of testing, each member or the Imperial Crusaders was deemed free of taint and they were named an independent chapter but, not before Ambroas pledged that whenever the Black Templars needed aid, the Imperial Crusaders would be there with no hesitation and fight with limitless ferocity to help their brothers.

So that day a mighty chapter was officially created, the Imperial Crusaders. These marines shared the Black Templars affinity for close combat and quickly proved that they could wield a chainsword as good as the Sword Brethren. Ambroas however, placed a new importance on ranged combat because he wanted his chapter to be a balanced fighting force.

The chapter set up a home world on the outer fringes of the Segmentum Tempestus, on the very edge of imperial space. There they recruited from feral worlds and quickly grew their numbers to become a full-strength chapter. The Imperial Crusaders however maintained a vast fleet of ships and often left their home world
To go on crusades (long campaigns where the Crusaders would assist other chapters in combat or fight alone against the horrors of space.)

However, during a crusade to the Eye of Terror, Chapter Master Ambroas was killed by a combined chaos marine force that almost wiped out the second and fourth companies. The chapter deeply mourned the loss of their commander but, felt the best way to honor him was to continue fighting. Quickly the First company captain, named Tanguy was elevated to the rank of Chapter Master. He, knowing the second and fourth companies couldn’t continue the fight, ordered the entire crusade to withdrawal from the eye and return to their home world where they could rebuild their decimated companies.

Tanguy quickly set about molding the chapter into the most feared force in the entire segmentum. His first company would be known as “The Honored” and would consist the fiercest close combat warriors in the entire chapter. The Second Company would be known as “The Chosen” and these warriors were proven in ranged combat and were allowed access to the most advanced weaponry in the chapter. The third company was made up of the warriors in the chapter who excelled at defense and they were known as “Dorn’s own” which paid homage to their connection to Imperial Fists.

The fourth and Fifth companies were the designated battle companies, while the sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth companies were the reserve companies. The tenth company was the scout company which is standard in most astartes chapters.
These and many other changes had changed the Imperial Crusaders from a regular astartes chapter into a fighting force capable systematically and mercilessly destroying any opponent they were up against.

Only the Emperor knows what is in store for this chapter but, whatever it is the might of the Imperial Crusaders ensures their history will be etched with swords and bathed in blood.


“Brothers, what we do on the battlefield is not just for our chapter but, for the entire Imperium. Every Xenos that falls by our hands will be a testament to our unwavering duty to the Emperor. Every heretic that is crushed under our feet will be a testament to our undying loyalty to the citizens of Imperial Space. We will baptize ourselves in fire and emerge as the most steadfast defenders of humanity.” - Ambroas