The correct answer:
In one issue of White Dwarf, in 1993, the Dark Angels and Space Wolves were mentioned by name as almost being at Terra, and part of what pushed Horus to gambit. The Ultramarines were neither included, nor excluded. It is important to note that this is the
only source that recounts it this way.
In every version of the fluff dating back at least to 1995's Codex: Ultramarines, the Ultramarines were also on their way to Terra, but, like the Space Wolves and Dark Angels, missed the battle.
All of the Codex: Chaos books fail to mention
any of the three Chapters, instead opting for the "nobody knows why" version of the story.
The version where the Ultramarines are on the way to Terra is corroborated in all of the relevant Index Astartes articles included
IA: Black Legion.
In Collected Visions, all three Chapters are noted as on their way to Terra and what pushed Horus to gamble..
No, this fluff has nothing to do with Mat Ward. You guys can all get off the hate train. And no, this isn't new. Unless by new, you mean you only played
40K in the late 80s/early 90s, and have been in a coma since then, and just woke up.
Arcsquad12 wrote:Any major engagement of the setting: Ultramarines are conveniently on the other side of the galaxy.
Except for Mcragge, where they got shredded by Tyranids, losing all their 1st Company vets.
Or, you know, stopped an entire Hive Fleet. Either way you want to paint it.
PS, try not to pay attention to Beaviz. He has this bizarre hatred of the Ultramarines due to some kind of wacky association he has between the Ultramarines and a type of European soccer fans referred to as Ultras who are
sometimes associated with racism and extremist behavior. Yeah, it really does make
that little sense. He hates fictional characters because some real world people with a
kind of similar name, are crazy. No. Seriously. Yeah.