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Who are the warriors who are standing around the Emperor in this? They're obviously not Imperial Fists, Blood Angels, or White Scars, and they aren't Custodes. Their armor isn't astartes power armor. Are they Sisters of Silence?

I think it's an artists impression of custodes. Perhaps they didn't want a background guy in gold armour?

Maybe Dark Angels? They fit the picture that at least. Or maybe some Imperial Fists painted their armour black already then? The ones under Sigismund.

EDIT: I checked. I seem to be right. Sigismund already then painted his armour black, so most likely Imperial Fists.

I think they're the Custodes. They look like them apart from the colour of the armour. I don't think they're Imperial Fists because as OP said their armour doesn't look like Space Marine armour, it definitely looks like Custodes armour just the wrong colour.

If you zoom in at the picture at the low right http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/warhammer40k/images/b/ba/Fullview_emperor-horus.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20121007164819 you would notice a small golden cross on the shoulder-pad ofthe gun-toting guy which I take to mean Imperial Fists, and comeon. Sigismund and company painted their armour black so they could very well be the predecessors of the Black Templars if you go by that evidence also the Imperial Fists were the Emperor's praetorians during this time not the Custodians.

The Custodians also went with the Emperor onto the Vengeful Spirit though, I don't know if the Imperial Fists went after. Dorn definitely got there later. The cross hardly means Imperial Fists. Sigismund didnt go to the Vengeful Spirit at all.

They could well be IF, but I don't think it's as obvious as you're making out. I think they're Custodes personally, either black down to artistic license, or just wrong.

 ImAGeek wrote:
The Custodians also went with the Emperor onto the Vengeful Spirit though, I don't know if the Imperial Fists went after. Dorn definitely got there later. The cross hardly means Imperial Fists. Sigismund didnt go to the Vengeful Spirit at all.

Sigismund didn't, he was hand-picked to be the Emperor's Champion and command the ground war while the Primarchs and Emperor were in the ship. That said, doesn't mean Dorn didn't take elements of the First Company with him. Sanguinius took the entire Sanguinary Guard except 1 guy, and the Emperor took his Custodes.

They could be Sons of Horus, members of the 1st Company. TheJustaerin wore black armour (which paved the way for Abaddon naming them the Black Legion) so maybe its them.

Yeah they could be. I did think that but they look a bit too 'imperial'. The ones behind Horus look like they could be SoH.

I always thought they were Sons of Horus.

Custodes I believe. *One* guy does have a cross marking on the front corner of his pad, but the guy above clearly has a completely different emblem in its place, whilst both - and the guy at the bottom - have a golden bird head upon a red shield which clearly mimics the red shield on the Emperor's shoulderpad. Either it's an artistic representation, or this picture was started before they decided to change the colours from black (as Custodes were in RT) to gold.

Those are the oft-overlooked warriors of the XXIII Legion: Faceless Mooks. Post-heresy, they would break up into the Mooks, the Flunkies, the Redshirts, Cannon Fodder, the Horde, and Goon Squad.

 Gashrog wrote:
Custodes I believe. *One* guy does have a cross marking on the front corner of his pad, but the guy above clearly has a completely different emblem in its place, whilst both - and the guy at the bottom - have a golden bird head upon a red shield which clearly mimics the red shield on the Emperor's shoulderpad. Either it's an artistic representation, or this picture was started before they decided to change the colours from black (as Custodes were in RT) to gold.

Oh Custodes used to be black? I definitely think it's them then.

I had always figured that they were Sons of Horus but with black armor. It made the fight seem even more lop-sided in Horus' favor and really gave me the idea that the Emperor was all alone.

Well They are Some Custodes and some Justaerin or they are just SoH that stepped back to watch the fight. I think it is a mix of the 2 because of the difference int their armor IMHO.

I have been wondering this for years now, Ive yet to find an actual answer to the question though.

 ImAGeek wrote:

 Gashrog wrote:
Custodes I believe. *One* guy does have a cross marking on the front corner of his pad, but the guy above clearly has a completely different emblem in its place, whilst both - and the guy at the bottom - have a golden bird head upon a red shield which clearly mimics the red shield on the Emperor's shoulderpad. Either it's an artistic representation, or this picture was started before they decided to change the colours from black (as Custodes were in RT) to gold.

Oh Custodes used to be black? I definitely think it's them then.

Thats incorrect. They wore gold, and then changed it to black after the death of the Emperor.

This is a much bigger pic and zoomable too:



The guys to the left and right of Horus are clearly SoH, you can see Horus' eye on both their armor (the one on the left has it on his right pauldron, the guy on the right has it on his left chest).

The guys beside the Emperor are clearly Loyalists of some sort, they all have some sort of variation of the Aquilla on their armor. I side with them being Custodians since they have no clear Chapter markings at all.
Plus the red hair plumes one of them has clearly matches this

chaos0xomega wrote:
I have been wondering this for years now, Ive yet to find an actual answer to the question though.

 ImAGeek wrote:

 Gashrog wrote:
Custodes I believe. *One* guy does have a cross marking on the front corner of his pad, but the guy above clearly has a completely different emblem in its place, whilst both - and the guy at the bottom - have a golden bird head upon a red shield which clearly mimics the red shield on the Emperor's shoulderpad. Either it's an artistic representation, or this picture was started before they decided to change the colours from black (as Custodes were in RT) to gold.

Oh Custodes used to be black? I definitely think it's them then.

Thats incorrect. They wore gold, and then changed it to black after the death of the Emperor.

Do you have a canon source for that?

The theory's been floating around but when it first appeared it was fan theory based solely on the RT post-heresy colour being black with the modern pre-Heresy colour being Gold (the original theory also claimed that they discarded their pre-heresy powered armour and replaced it with the leather armour they had in RT.. even tho the black & white art of the Golden Throne in 2e had it being guarded by armoured Custodes.).

The gold-to-black thing as been associated with the Custodes for quite some time now... I wanna say Codex Imperialis?

From what I read, it's red to black.

They have a huge prussian vibe going on, too bad they are Custodes. I would love a Prussian chapter of Marines.

 Stormwall wrote:
They have a huge prussian vibe going on, too bad they are Custodes. I would love a Prussian chapter of Marines.

Thats actually the Imperial Fists. With their Junker-culture and everything. Prussians in space are the Imperial Fists. They are like Imperial Germany in so many ways.

The more I look the more sure I am they're probably Custodes. The SoH on the other side have proper space marine armour where as theirs isn't much like it. And the Custodes did go with the Emperor, they're in the newer version of the picture too, the Neil Roberts one: and if Custodes were black in Rogue Trader it might explain the black.

Changing to black makes sense. Black in media connotes numerous things. Luxury, power, wealth for one. It can also connote vengeance, mourning, death. The Gold armour can also connote power and wealth.

So basically, they were originally gold to show their power, wealth. Gold can also be symbolic of divinity which is why the Emperor is always depicted as wearing gold and having a golden skin (see Lorgar), and the Custodes wear the same colour to show their relationship. After the Heresy they instead adopted black, which connotes the same power and status, whilst also showing that they are in mourning, that they are vengeful.

 ImAGeek wrote:
The more I look the more sure I am they're probably Custodes. The SoH on the other side have proper space marine armour where as theirs isn't much like it. And the Custodes did go with the Emperor, they're in the newer version of the picture too, the Neil Roberts one:

Spoiler:

and if Custodes were black in Rogue Trader it might explain the black.

You tend to be wrong about a lot of stuff, they are almost certainly the Imperial Fists. The ones under Sigismund colored their armour black during the Battle for Terra, they are the Imperial German chapter/legion, the iron-cross is even present. Whats left is personal interpretation. And even there fluff lends to my side. The Imperial Fists were Empy's praetorians and never left his side. So its like 99% certainly they are Imperial Fists.

The Custodes were literally the emperors bodyguard. The IF were the Praetorians of Terra. Got a source for the IF under Sigi being black at Terra? I know he was, but all I can find is 'Sigismund's heraldry had been changed to black to show that he served the Emperor directly, as did the Reclusiarch and his fellow Chaplains.' and then 'The Chapter took upon themselves the black and white panoply of Sigismund's personal heraldry. ' when the Black Templars were formed. The cross could just be personal heraldry for that Custode or something, it's not exactly definitive proof.

 ImAGeek wrote:
The Custodes were literally the emperors bodyguard. The IF were the Praetorians of Terra.

Not back then. The Imperial Fists were his bodygoard. The Custodians were more his supervisors of anything as he had them spread around the legions. After he was attacked by Horus he was interred on the Golden Throne and they might have painted it black or something. But here he is still alive and kicking and surrounded by the mountain of my evidence, which is the Imperial Fists. I mean they even wear pickelhaubes. Thats Imperial Germany as it comes.

He didn't have the Custodes 'spread around the legions', he had what, 20? With the Word Bearers after Monarchia. The IF we're recalled to Terra to garrison Terra, not to specifically be the Emperors bodyguard.

Even confronted with a mountain of evidence you argue your case? The Imperial Fists were the Emperor's praetorians. Thats fluff. They were recalled to be his bodyguard, just use a dictionary and stop arguing because you want things to be a certain way. Argue the truth instead.

You haven't given me one counter-argument other than what I take to be your personal opinion, come in with some evidence, not just what you want. I have given you very good points to why they are Imperial Fists. You haven't given me one argument for them being Custodes. Except they might have colored their armour black AFTER Empy's death.

Yes I have, you just aren't reading it. I might well be wrong, but it's not as cut and dry as you're making it out to be because they have a bloody cross on one of them. Anyway if you read my edited post:

 ImAGeek wrote:
The Custodes were literally the emperors bodyguard. The IF were the Praetorians of Terra. Got a source for the IF under Sigi being black at Terra? I know he was, but all I can find is 'Sigismund's heraldry had been changed to black to show that he served the Emperor directly, as did the Reclusiarch and his fellow Chaplains.' and then 'The Chapter took upon themselves the black and white panoply of Sigismund's personal heraldry. ' when the Black Templars were formed. The cross could just be personal heraldry for that Custode or something, it's not exactly definitive proof.

And seriously, stop being so rude. Absolutely no need for it at all.

I've always thought that the ones backing the Emperor were Custodes. I've always known the ones backing Horus were SoH.