Palatine Blades

The Brotherhood of the Palatine Blades, simply known as the Palatine Blades, was a warrior fraternity of the Emperor's Children Legion during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy eras during the 30th and early 31st Millennia. Drawn from the finest swordmens of the Legion, they were perhaps the most famous example of Emperor's Children specialist troops whose renown spread outside their own Legion. The Palatine Blades existed outside the rigid formations of the III Legion's military order. They were a duelling society to whose ranks many aspired and on whom Primarch Fulgrim looked with particular favour. At the discretion of the lords of the Legion, members of the Palatine Blades without their own command fought together in battle as well, serving as a shining example to their battle-brothers of excellence and perfection in the arts of war, often seeking out the finest enemy warriors in the field against which to prove their superiority.

These units were not permanent formations, but were formed for particular battles against foes deemed worthy, and whose membership existed outside of the usual rigid rank structure that characterised the III Legion. When such an enemy was encountered the senior commanders would draw together the finest swordsmen from amongst the forces present, a selection made easier by the relentless sparring and duelling that took place between battles to hone the Legion's skills. Armed with duelling blades, sabres and trophy weapons, the Brotherhoods would then seek out the finest warriors amongst the enemy on the field of battle. The number and quality of such squads depended on how many of the Emperor's Children were present in a given warzone and the quality of their foe. When twenty Millennials of the Legion came together under Fulgrim to destroy the Golden Kings of the Moraeb Drifts, over a hundred of the Blade Brotherhood took to the field. Amongst them were warriors who had already writ a legend among their Legion; Lucius, Akurduana, Irmandus and Fulgrim himself led them against the bodyguards of the Heretek kings.

Composition

 * 4 Palatine Warriors (Squad Members)
 * 1 Palatine Prefector (Squad Leader)

Wargear

 * Power Armour
 * Artificer Armour
 * Bolt Pistol
 * Charnabal Sabre - These elegant and deadly melee weapons relied on speed and dexterity rather than brute force for its lethality. These specially-forged blades were favoured by certain Space Marine Legion officers, most notably the elite Palatine Blades of the Emperor's Children Legion, who preferred these superbly crafted swords over the more "clumsy" Power Weapons.
 * [Frag Grenade]]s
 * Krak Grenades

Optional Wargear (Palatine Squad)

 * Power Sword
 * Power Lance
 * Sonic Shriekers
 * Jump Packs

Optional Wargear (Palatine Prefector)

 * Melta Bombs