Black Crusade

In the fictional Warhammer 40,000 universe a Black Crusade is when the forces of Chaos manage to unite under the leadership of Abaddon the Despoiler, Warmaster of the Black Legion, and launch a massive attack from within the Eye of Terror against the Imperium.

The first Black Crusade occurred in the middle of the 31st millennium. Utilising the region of calm known as the Cadian Gate, Abaddon led the combined forces of the Traitor Legions against scores of worlds, and was responsible for millions of deaths in the first week alone. Multiple worlds were lost before the Imperium could fight back effectively, and although the Black Crusade was defeated, the Imperium was forced to heavily fortify the surrounding Cadian sector.

Over the course of the intervening ten thousand years, Abaddon has launched a further twelve Black Crusades, each one meeting in failure. Millions of other attacks have been made on the worlds of the Cadian Gate by Daemon Princes and lesser Chaos warlords, but the title of Black Crusade is reserved for the times when Abaddon seems to be able to unite all of Chaos in one goal.

The 41st Millennium saw two Black Crusades. The Twelfth Black Crusade, also known as the Gothic War, was Abaddon's attempt to capture the ancient Eldar artifacts known as the Talismans of Vaul, but known to the Imperium as the six Blackstone Fortresses. The Eldar allied themselves with the Imperium to defeat the Chaos forces, and were successful, although Abaddon escaped with two of the Blackstone Fortress.

The Thirteenth Black Crusade began during the 999th year of the 41st millennium, and resulted in the largest mobilisation of both Imperial and Chaotic forces seen since the Horus Heresy. In this campaign at least one of the Blackstone fortresses was destroyed by Necron raiders as the Talismans of Vaul were designed to kill C'tan. The Thirteenth Black Crusade was the background to the world-wide Warhammer 40,000 Eye of Terror campaign, which resulted in a minor victory for the forces of Chaos and gave Abaddon a foothold on the Cadian Gate, though he suffered grevious losses to his fleet. His foothold on the Cadian Gate was later dislodged by a vicious counter-attack led by Admiral Quarren and elements from several chapters of Space Marines.