Antaro Chronus

"The roar of engines, the recoil of cannons. That is where the true joy of battle lies."

- Brother-Sergeatn Chronus - The Spear of Macragge

Brother-Sergeant Antaro Chronus is the most gifted tank commander within all the Ultramarines Space Marine Chapter. His abilities extend to almost any tank in the Chapter's armoury. Few other commanders within the Adeptus Astartes can match his strategic genius and tactical acumen on the battlefield when it comes to armoured warfare. In recognition of his superlative skills as the Chapter's preeminent tank commander, he was awarded the ancient title, 'Spear of Macragge.'

History
Antaro Chronus is the most gifted of all the Ultramarines tank commanders. While most such warriors dedicate themselves to the mastery of a particular vehicle, Chronus' abilities extend to almost any tank in the armoury of the Adeptus Astartes. Few other commanders can match the precision of his bombardments when at the helm of a Whirlwind or Vindicator. No living man can hope to be as coldly precise when unleashing the baleful weaponry of a mighty Predator.

For a Space Marine to be assigned to serve in the armoury is an honour indeed, and to do so is to be entrusted with command of the Chapter's most valuable weapons of war. It is a transition that few Battle-Brothers are able to make, for the crew must suppress their physical self and adopt the adamantium behemoth's form as their own. A crewman must act as decisively and instinctively with the tank as he would with his own limbs. The tank's sensors and viewfinders become the commander's eyes and ears, its weapons are his fists and rage, and its armour his skin. Chronus takes such skill one step further. He knows the capabilities and limits of every weapon system in every tank, and is cognisant of which of those mechanisms can be bypassed or jury-rigged in the event of damage.

So it was that Chronus kept the Predator Rage of Antonius battleworthy during the closing actions of the Damnos Incident, despite suffering several broadside hits from Necrons gauss cannons. That the Rage survived at all was the cause of much wonderment in the Techmarines who repaired the tank's extensive damage at the campaign's end. That Chronus not only managed to complete his mission goal of destroying the Necron phase generator, but also forced the Necron War Cell into full retreat before the Rage of Antonius' systems went into shutdown, was seen as nothing short of miraculous. Such a feat has often been imitated by other Ultramarines tank crews, but never bettered.

For his actions on Damnos and a hundred other worlds, Sergeant Chronus was anointed as the 'Spear of Macragge' - a pre-Heresy title awarded to the Ultramarines' preeminent tank commander. As the Spear, it is Chronus' duty to lead the Chapter's armoured assaults, and his privilege to choose the chariot in which he rides to battle. It is a unique position of authority within the Ultramarines, for it means that although Sergeant Chronus has command over some fifty Brother-Marines, he himself is not subject to the orders of a Captain and answers in all things only to Lord Macragge.