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The Angels Porphyr is a Loyalist Space Marine Chapter that was founded in the 31st Millennium, though their specific Founding and genetic origin remain unknown.

Chapter History

Angels Porphyr Firstborn Astartes

Angels Porphyr Chapter colour scheme as displayed by a Firstborn Space Marine

Notable Campaigns

  • Death of the Witching Moon (013.M41) - The Forge Moon of Keziah, in the strategically vital Agathon System, fell into an unnatural eclipse during which its population was driven to murder and madness in an endless night of horror. The dread forces of the Tenebrae and the Company of Misery reigned as dark kings amid the nightmare, and the baleful light of the "Witching Moon" that Keziah had become spread calamity and warp-tainted phenomena wherever it now fell, threatening the entire star system. The first Imperial attacks by the Astra Militarum, squadrons from Battlefleet Ultima and the Inquisition were hurled back in tatters by the madness of the black light and the warp-fuelled savagery of the defenders. It was only by the unexpected arrival of the Charnel Guard Chapter, accompanied by a sacred band of the Adepta Sororitas' Order of the Black Sepulchre bearing the holy relic known as the Book of Tears before them, that the imminent loss of tens of billions of lives on Agathon Prime was prevented, and the insanity-inducing radiance of the Witching Moon was held back. The Charnel Guard led a fresh assault as further Adeptus Astartes, including the Angels Porphyr, Storm Lords and Iron Hands as well as Adeptus Mechanicus reinforcements arrive, fighting a brutal battle of tank and gunship clashes across the soaring metal canyons which razed the moon's surface and chamber-by-chamber Zone Mortalis actions were purging Keziah of the shadow that had befallen it. The Heretic Astartes inflicted fearful losses on their besiegers before they were driven into the deeper darkness of the Warp. In the wake of their retreat, all life was purged from Keziah before it was given back to the hands of the Machine Cult for tech-exorcism and eventual reclamation.
  • Third War for Armageddon (998.M41) - In 998.M41 the Angels Porphyr Chapter deployed 8 companies in the Third War for Armageddon. When the Ork Warlord Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka led a second unsuccessful WAAAGH! against that strategic hive world, Dreadnought Brother Damos led the defence of Ghattana, Armageddon's main water processing plant. He and seven other Dreadnoughts of the Angels Porphyr stood their ground against over one hundred Ork war machines. They prevailed with the help of nine other Dreadnoughts from other Space Marine Chapters and successfully defended the plant from Ork attacks. Of the seventeen Dreadnoughts, nine were destroyed and along with them over 9,000 cumulative years of combat experience.

Notable Angels Porphyr

  • Damos (Dreadnought) - Brother Damos commanded the 9th Company of the Angels Porphyr, a stalwart Veteran of three standard centuries of battle. His Devastator Squads were the very model of efficient fire support. Wherever his men fought, the armoured might of the enemy would be wary. It was during the Scouring of Hume as he led his men in the defence of Hill 236 that a surprise attack on the Space Marines' position by rebel Marauder bombers caught him in the open as he moved between his linked bunkers. By all rights the bombardment should have killed Damos, but when the attack was over, his brother Space Marines found that the bloody shreds of his body still drew breath. He demanded the chance to fight on, and thus his remains were placed in stasis and transported back to the Chapter's fortress-monastery where he was implanted within the armoured sarcophagus of a Dreadnought. For 3,000 Terran years he has remained entombed within his armoured body and, as he did in life, Damos provides a solid anchor of fire support for his battle-brothers, guiding the deployment and firing of the Chapter's Devastators. During the Third War for Armageddon, Damos led the valiant defence of the Ghattana Bay Water Processing Plant during the Battle of Gate IX. Leading eight other Chapter Dreadnoughts in support, they faced over 100 Ork Dreadnoughts and Killa Kans. Despite the dire circumstances, Damos had faced a hundred such situations before and prevailed. Fitted with far superior long-range weaponry, the Imperial Dreadnoughts held their ground. The Orks' initial advance cost them 17 Dreadnoughts. Pulling back, the Imperial Dreadnoughts goaded the Orks into attacking Gate IX. Behind the gate, led by Brother Weylands of the Omega Marines, were nine more Dreadnoughts armed with Power Claws and a mixture of shorter-ranged Assault Cannons, Multi-Meltas and Heavy Bolters. Behind them, Brother Damos and his Dreadnoughts stood on ramparts of earth and sundered rockcrete. Both ranks opened fire simultaneously into the tightly packed mass of Ork war machines. Then the front ranks ceased fire and thundered into close combat. The Ork force was entangled, caught in a bottleneck, and the Space Marine Dreadnoughts cut into them. Unsupported and caught at a complete disadvantage, the Ork war machines were utterly devastated and the Imperium provided victorious in the battle for the water processing plant and Gate IX.

Chapter Appearance

The Angels Porphyr are known to often incorporate Skull icons into their armour.

Chapter Colours

The Angels Porphyr wear power armour that has halved blue and white heraldry, with a yellow Imperialis or Aquila symbol on the chest.

The white squad specialty symbol -- battleline, close support, fire support, Veteran or command -- is indicated on the right shoulder pauldron.

A black Low Gothic numeral is centred in the middle of the squad specialty symbol, which indicates squad number.

The right knee plate indicates company number in accordance with the Codex Astartes -- i.e., white (1st Company), yellow (2nd Company), red (3rd Company), etc.

Chapter Badge

The Angels Porphyr's Chapter badge is the profile of a blue winged skull displayed with a side profile (rather than the Imperialis, where the skull is face-forwards) on a field of white.

Controversy

The Angels Porphyr Chapter appears almost identical to the Eagle Warriors Chapter, the only differences being the Chapter badge (the Eagle Warriors have only a blue wing).

This leads many Warhammer 40,000 fans to believe that the Angels Porphyr and Eagle Warriors are the same Chapter. However, both Chapters appear separately in How to Paint Space Marines, which should probably settle the matter as to whether the two are actually separate Chapters.

Sources

  • Adeptus Astartes: Successor Chapters (Limited Release Booklet), pg. 11
  • Codex: Armageddon (3rd Edition), pg. 18
  • How to Paint Space Marines
  • Imperial Armour Volume Thirteen - War Machines of the Lost & The Damned, pg. 23
  • Index Astartes I, ""Warriors of Old - Space Marine Dreadnoughts", pg. 55
  • Index Astartes Volume One (Digital Edition), "Index Astartes - Dreadnoughts", pg. 212
  • White Dwarf 249 (UK), "Index Astartes - Emperor's Shield"
  • White Dwarf 255 (UK), "Index Astartes: Warriors of Old, Space Marine Dreadnoughts" by Graham McNeill, Pete Haines and Andy Chambers, pg. 13
  • White Dwarf 301 (UK), "Space Marine Heroes" by Graham McNeill, pg. 58
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