Legio Ignatum

The Legio Ignatum (Fire Wasps) is a Loyalist Titan Legion of the Collegia Titanica, one of the military arms of the Adeptus Mechanicus. There is very little information in Imperial records about this Titan Legion's founding, though it is believed that they were founded before the Age of the Imperium, during the Age of Strife. The home of the Legio Ignatum is none other than Mars in the Segmentum Solar, the centre of the Cult Mechanicus and seat of its ruling Fabricator General. Mars is also the homeworld of two other unnamed Titan Legions whose existence has remained classified.

Legion History
The Legio Ignatum is one of the oldest and most esteemed Legions within the Collegia Titanica. Originating in the pre-Imperial Age of Strife they were, according to the legends of the Martian Lexmechanics, one of the "Triad Ferrum Morgulus" - the three originating Titan Legions created by the besieged Cult Mechanicum during the bloody wars to take bake the Red Planet from the degenerate hordes of Cy-Carnivora and mutant scavers that had overwhelmed Mars after the fall. They had a long standing rivalry with their fellow members of the Triad Ferrum Morgulus, most notably the Legio Mortis. The Legion fought throughout the Great Crusade and still retains a number of Titans blessed by the Emperor of Mankind himself at that time. Later, the Legion fought throughout the darkest days of the Horus Heresy, defending the Imperial Palace during the Battle of Terra against the insurmountable hordes of daemons and Traitors that the Warmaster Horus had brought to bear. Innumerable tales of personal heroism and individual sacrifice survive from that time and the Fire Wasps have more than their share. To this day the Legio Ignatum is the only Titan Legion granted the singular honour of guarding the Emperor’s Throne Room, where the Master of Mankind is interred within upon the sacred Golden Throne.

After the siege of the Imperial Palace was broken the Legio Ignatum went on to fight in most of the major campaigns of the Great Scouring, cleansing Imperial worlds of the Chaotic taint of the Traitors. The Legion fought in the mighty conflicts on Paramar V and in the Tallarn System as it strove to drive the Traitor Titan Legions back. In these long and bloody campaigns the Princeps of the Fire Wasps came to know and hate with an abiding passion the Legio Mortis, old rivals which had now turned to dark heresy and foul worship of the Chaos Gods. It was the Legio Mortis who breached the walls of the Emperor’s Imperial Palace, and it was the Deaths Heads Scout Titans who had terrorised and systematically destroyed the populations of a dozen hive cities on Paramar and Tallarn. The flames of hatred still burn hot and bright in the hearts of the Legio Ignatum – and one day a reckoning will be made against the remaining Titan Legions amongst the Forces of Chaos.

Notable Campaigns

 * Sarosh (Unknown Date.M31) - Sarosh was a planet initially conquered and subdued by the Dark Angels Legion of the 4th Expeditionary Fleet during the Great Crusade. A demi-Legion of Titans from the Fire Wasps was sent to Sarosh to crush any last pockets of resistance, thereby ensuring compliance of the planet.
 * Schism of Mars (ca. 205.M31) - When civil war erupted on Mars during the opening days of the Horus Heresy in the Athabasca Valles, the war machines of the Legio Ignatum and the Burning Stars fought in bloody close quarters through the teardrop landforms caused by catastrophic flooding in an earlier, ancient age of the Red Planet. Neither force could gain the advantage, nor could either claim victory, so after a night’s undignified scrapping, both withdrew to lick their wounds.
 * Third War for Armageddon (998.M41) - Ork Warlord Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka launched a second and even more massive Ork WAAAGH! to conquer the Imperial world of Armageddon in 998.M41, initiating the campaign known as the Third War for Armageddon. As the battles raged on the planet, Ghazghkull unleashed another of his carefully prepared surprises. Incredibly, dozens of Ork Roks (asteroid fortresses) began to descend from orbit. The Roks made landings in the verdant equatorial jungles of the world and across the continents of Armageddon Primus and Secundus. Many were lost to ground fire or accidents but each one that survived became a bastion for the Orks, a rallying point and a ready-made fortress. Besides their formidable armaments, the Roks contained giant teleport arrays. These were employed to teleport down Ork reinforcements, including Gargants and heavy artillery, in an endless stream. Commissar Yarrick personally led attacks by Regiments of Cadian Shock Troops supported by the Titans of the Legio Ignatum and Legio Metalica which destroyed several of these fortresses.
 * 13th Black Crusade (999.M41) - When Abaddon the Despoiler and his Forces of Chaos assaulted the world of Cadia during the 13th Black Crusade in 999.M41, the Legio Ignatum was one of the Loyalist Titan Legions of the Collegia Titanica to help in the defence of that beleaguered Imperial Fortress World by providing the Titans of the entire Legion to help throw back the hordes of Chaotic fanatics.
 * Siege of Hydra Cordatus (999.M41) - During the 13th Black Crusade, an unnamed Iron Warriors Warsmith laid siege to the world of Hydra Cordatus in an attempt to steal samples of Imperial Fists gene-seed from the Adeptus Mechanicus fortress located on the planet. This Warsmith's warband of Iron Warriors was supported by a battlegroup of Chaos Titans from the Legio Mortis, including the infamous Imperator-class Titan Dies Irae. Three Loyalist Warlords, two Reavers and two Warhound-class Titans drawn from the Legio Ignatum were stationed on the planet to provide support for the Mechanicus garrison forces. The Imperial defenders fought back bravely and many of the Traitor Titans, including the Dies Irae, were destroyed with the support of the Legio Ignatum 's God-Machines. Unfortunately, the Warsmith eventually conquered the world and captured the gene-seed, which would be used to create new generations of Iron Warriors Chaos Space Marines, a victory for which this Warsmith was raised by the Ruinous Powers to become a Daemon Prince.

Notable Titans

 * Imperious Prima - A Warmonger-class Titan dating from before the foundation of the Imperium. The Imperious Prima was involved in the valiant defence of the Imperial Palace during the Battle of Terra.
 * Imperator Bellum - A Warlord-class Titan that fought on Hydra Cordatus against elements of the Legio Mortis. The Imperator Bellum charged into melee with the Dies Irae and died fighting it, but managed to rip a hole in the armour covering its primary plasma reactor. The Imperator Bellum's partner, the Clavis Regni, later managed to destroy the enemy Titan by crushing its reactor in its battle claw.
 * Clavis Regni - The Clavis Regni was the Warlord-class Titan that succeeded in finally destroying the infamous Imperator-class Titan Dies Irae at the Battle of Hydra Cordatus when it crushed the ancient Traitor Titan's primary plasma reactor with its battle claw by exploiting the hole opened in the massive war engine's torso armour. This hole had been created by its partner the Imperator Bellum at the cost of that Titan's life.

Notable Personnel

 * Fierach - Fierach was the Princeps of the Warlord-class Titan Imperator Bellum that sacrificed itself to destroy the Dies Irae and many of the Legio Mortis elements that assaulted Hydra Cordatus.
 * Daekian - Fierach was the Princeps of the Warlord-class Titan Clavis Regni that finally destroyed the Dies Irae and many of the other Legio Mortis elements that assaulted Hydra Cordatus.

Legion Colours
The Legio Ignatum's colours are red and black; decoration is done in yellow and black, usually flame patterns or stripes.

Legion Badge
The Legio Ignatum's badge is a wasp centered on a white delta (triangle), outlined in blue. Behind it is a field of red outlined in yellow. Below the central symbol are rows of skulls.

Gallery
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