The Brazen Minotaurs is a Loyalist, Codex Astartes-compliant Space Marine Chapter of unknown Founding and origin. Its battle-brothers are dedicated to the protection of the Sargassion Reach and the Kandoor System.
Hailing from the Jungle World of Tauron, the Brazen Minotaurs are renowned for their bluntness and direct approach to warfare: for them it is not enough to simply defeat the enemy, they have to eradicate him utterly in order to prevent further attacks.
Like other Chapters, the Brazen Minotaurs are often used as a blunt instrument of force who eschew the more subtle means of warfare for hand-to-hand combat where its warriors can gain much renown.
Chapter History[]
Brazen Minotaurs chapter colour scheme as displayed by a Firstborn Space Marine.
Though little is known about the Brazen Minotaurs in Imperial records, it is fairly known that the Chapter has had close dealings with the Raven Guard on several occasions in recent Imperial history, and despite their obvious differences in mentality, both Chapters seem to have forged bonds of loyalties and mutual support.
Despite their pride and distinguished service, in truth the Brazen Minotaurs are hard-pressed. The Chapter was still recovering from the great sacrifice it had made on Empalion II when the Sargassion Reach came under attack from both the well-known xenos threat of the Orks from WAAAGH! Grakka and sustained incursions of Nurgle-aligned Chaos Space Marine warbands such as the Empyrion's Blight.
Notable Campaigns[]
- Battle for Empalion II (Unknown Date.M41) - When the Raven Guard laid siege to an Iron Warriors fortress on the world of Empalion II the task seemed hopeless, until a force of Brazen Minotaurs arrived to assist their cousins in their hour of need. The Brazen Minotaurs sacrificed an entire company to distract the Iron Warriors as a decoy, allowing the Raven Guard 4th Company to infiltrate the Iron Warriors fortress and destroy it from within.
- Karos Campaign (Unknown Date.M41) - When the Ork forces of Warlord Grakka invaded the Imperial Ice World of Karos, the Brazen Minotaurs' Chief Librarian Theseon accompanied the 3rd Company commanded by Captain Daed to aid it after the Astra Militarum regiment previously sent to Karos was easily defeated by the world's harsh climate and the Orks who were immune to it. Once on Karos, the company learned the tactical situation from Lieutenant Ariseth, the highest ranking officer of the Astra Militarum regiment still left alive. Daed used this information to come up with a plan to attack Grakka's base near several venting towers. The warlord did not know that the towers led to a series of abandoned bastions and that the destruction of one would cause a series of explosions that would destroy the entire base and the Orks along with it. Daed's plan called for the 3rd Company to deploy using Thunderhawks near the base and launch a direct attack on the venting tower that Grakka used as his command post. But the company was unlikely to be able to complete this plan because it was heavily outnumbered by Grakka's Orks. Theseon was deeply troubled by Daed's plan for the company, as he knew that Grakka and Daed had clashed once before on Praxis, a battle in which the warlord had left him severely wounded and the captain had nursed a deep grudge against the Ork ever since. The chief librarian worried that Daed was letting his hatred blind him to the likely defeat of the company if they followed his plan. Once Theseon sensed an Ork Weirdboy present in Grakka's forces, he realized that the assault was even more likely to meet opposition it could not overcome. When the company had met with Lieutenant Ariseth, the Guardsman told them of the trouble his regiment had encountered when attacking Grakka's forces. It had seemed like the Orks knew exactly what attacks the Imperials were planning, no doubt because of the psychic ablities of the Weirdboy. Theseon told Daed of the presence of the Weirdboy and his other concerns about Daed's judgment, but the captain was undeterred and simply stated they needed to launch their attack even sooner with the new information. Realising he could not dissuade Daed from the assault, Theson secretly told a small number of the company's Astartes of a new plan of attack he had devised, which was to be kept secret from Daed. When their Thunderhawks neared the Ork base, Theseon surprised Daed by giving the order for their Thunderhawk to attack the unguarded venting tower the chief librarian sensed contained the Weirdboy, instead of landing near the heavily defended tower that contained Grakka. Once the Thunderhawk's attack collapsed the tower, it began an explosive chain reaction that completely destroyed Grakka and the majority of his forces in the interconnected bastions. Afterwards, Daed angrily accused the chief librarian of disobeying his orders, though the captain relented when Theseon told him it had been necessary. Daed's intense anger had allowed the Weirdboy to easily read the captain's mind and had compromised the attack plan he had devised. Theseon told Daed that with the death of Grakka the psychological scars caused by Grakka could now heal and the captain agreed Theseon had done what was necessary. After the Brazen Minotaurs crushed the remaining Ork forces on Karos, Theseon told Daed of the embattled Sargassion Reach. The 3rd Company next moved to confront the Chaos Lord Gideous Krall and his Nurgle-worshipping warband of Heretic Astartes, Empyrion's Blight.
- Mission to Kasharat (Unknown Date.M41) - During the war for the Sargassion Reach the Brazen Minotaurs Chief Librarian Theseon was captured by the forces of the Empyrion's Blight Chaos Space Marine warband and brought to the corrupted Mortuary World of Kasharat to be broken. A small team of Brazen Minotaurs mounted a rescue mission but would likely have failed without the intervention and assistance of a squad of Raven Guard Astartes led by Shadow Captain Aremis Koryn who deployed to the surface of the Mortuary World in advance of the Brazen Minotaurs' rescue mission and cleared the way for them. Though both Chapters suffered casualties, the mission was ultimately successful and a debt between the two Loyalist Chapters was repaid.
- Battle for Fortane's World (Unknown Date.M41) - The Sargassion Reach was on the brink of destruction at the hands of the foul Nurglite Heretic Astartes warband known as Empyrion's Blight when the Fortress World of Fortane's World fell to the machinations of the Archenemy. Rather than having fallen to strength of arms the bastion fell to corruption from within. Even worse, the eccentric orbit of Fortane's World would bring it within a matter of days within the outer limits of the densely populated neighboring star system of Kandoor. Unwilling to allow the sickening plague of the Traitor Legions to infest another star system, the Brazen Minotaurs' 3rd and 5th Companies laid siege to the bastion of Fortane's World, determined to cleanse it of the Traitors before they could stage an invasion of the Kandoor System and doom billions to plague and death. With time running out and the siege protracted, the enemy was able to swamp the Brazen Minotaurs with endless hordes of corrupted Imperial Guardsmen, delaying them until the planet's orbit reached its zenith and entered its neighboring system. Determined to aid their fellow Chapter, a strike force from the Raven Guard's 4th Company led by Shadow Captain Aremis Koryn came to the Brazen Minotaurs' aid. Three squads made planetfall and though they suffered significant casualties, the Raven Guard was ultimately able to infiltrate the bastion and open it for bombardment from orbit, destroying a massive Chaos army and protecting the colonists of the Kandoor System.
Chapter Combat Doctrine[]
The Brazen Minotaurs are only concerned with the destruction of their foes in as quick and as clean a way as possible. They prefer to meet their enemies head-on, looking them in the eyes before taking their lives. The Chapter's strategies are not subtle. They do not need to understand their enemy since such knowledge is unnecessary in order to strike him down.
The Chapter possesses an unwavering and unquestioning approach to battle as it storms its way to victory after victory in the name of the Emperor. The Brazen Minotaurs always act as a fist of iron driven into the very heart of the enemy.
Chapter Beliefs[]
Brazen Minotaurs believe in fighting on to the bitter end, until the very last of them have fallen, despite the fact that their cause might be futile or lost. They believe that such actions are the duty of a Space Marine and are required to maintain the honour of the Brazen Minotaurs.
All Brazen Minotaurs desire only to bring swift death to the enemies of the Imperium, but they have a particular relish for defeating the forces of Chaos and those who have betrayed the Emperor's trust by turning to the service of the Ruinous Powers.
Brazen Minotaurs believe in facing all obstacles with unflinching determination no matter the cost, and a death earned in honest combat with the foes of the Emperor is a death to be relished.
Notable Brazen Minotaurs[]
- Captain Lumeous (KIA) - Former captain of the Brazen Minotaurs' 5th Company who died on Fortane's World while fighting a Chaos war-engine known as a Defiler.
- Captain Daed - Captain of the Brazen Minotaurs' 3rd Company. The shoulders of his shimmering golden power armour are draped by the pelt of one of the hulking black lions that roam the forests of Tauron, the Brazen Minotaurs' homeworld. Daed carries a Bolt Pistol and a Tauronic Power Axe, its head finely etched with Tauronic runes and artistic flourishes. He led his company in battle against the Empyrion's Blight warband of Heretic Astartes in the Sargassion Reach, allied with a company of Raven Guard Astartes commanded by Shadow Captain Aremis Koryn.
- Chief Librarian Theseon - Theseon is the Brazen Minotaurs' chief librarian. He served alongside Captain Daed and the 3rd Company during the Karos Campaign and later in the Brazen Minotaurs' defence of the Sargassion Reach from the Heretic Astartes of the Empyrion's Blight.
- Sergeant Bardos - Bardos is a Veteran Sergeant of the 3rd Company.
- Targos - Targos is a Devastator Marine of the 3rd Company. He carries a Heavy Bolter into battle.
- Throl - A Battle-Brother of the 3rd Company.
- Ancient Archeos - Ancient Archeos was a Venerable Dreadnought of ancient origin, older even than the Brazen Minotaurs' current Chapter Master, a living embodiment of their link to their glorious past. Equipped with a Power Fist and the somewhat unorthodox Heavy Flamer, Ancient Archeos died on Fortane's World, surrounded by enemy casualties he had inflicted.
- Techmarine Archeval Zaeus - Archeval Zaeus was a Techmarine of the Deathwatch, originally hailing from the Brazen Minotaurs Chapter. Zaeus was part of a Kill-team led by Captain Polino that was sent to a Desert World contested between the Imperium and the T'au Empire. The Kill-team found that the Kroot reinforcing the T'au soliders on the planet had developed traits indicating that they had undergone hybridisation with Tyranid genes; in an engagement with the hybrids, Polino was severely injured and Festaron was killed. Making their way back to their Thunderhawk to make a stand in a defenceable position, the Kill-team was surrounded and attacked by the hybrids. Zaeus' brethren entrenched themselves in the canyon sheltering the gunship while he investigated an Adeptus Astartes signal emanating from nearby with hopes of bringing reinforcements. During the fighting, Polino succumbed to a Sus-an Membrane coma, while Ar'gan and Vortan holed up inside the Thunderhawk. Although the outpost was no longer manned, Zaeus was able to return with a small army of servitors that cleared out the majority of the hybrids with missile strikes. The surviving members of the Kill-team were able to repair the Thunderhawk and escape to report to Inquisitor Vaskiel, expecting that her response would be to subject the planet to an Exterminatus.
Chapter Fleet[]
- Pride of Tauron (Battle Barge) - Vessel attached to the 3rd Company under the command of Captain Daed.
Chapter Appearance[]
Chapter Colours[]
The Brazen Minotaurs' power armour is bronze with white painted onto the inset of the shoulder plates. The Aquila or Imperialis on the chest is also bronze.
The black squad specialty symbol -- battleline, close support, fire support, Veteran or command -- is indicated on the right shoulder plate.
A white Low Gothic numeral centred on the squad specialty symbol indicates squad number.
The colour of the left knee guard indicates company number in accordance with the Codex Astartes -- i.e. White (1st Company), Yellow (2nd Company), Red (3rd Company), etc.
Chapter Badge[]
The Brazen Minotaurs' Chapter badge is a black bull's head on a white background.
Canon Conflict[]
Some of the more recent sources indicate that the Chapter's badge is a blue bull's head on a white background rather than black.
It is unclear if this is just a variant, a mistake or a true change in the standard Chapter badge colour.
Sources[]
- Adeptus Astartes: Successor Chapters (Limited Release Booklet), pg. 21
- Art of Warhammer 40,000, pp. 70-71
- By Artifice, Alone (Short Story) by George Mann
- How To Paint Space Marines, "Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes Poster" (Out of Print), pp. 77, 89
- Labyrinth of Sorrows (Audio Book) by George Mann
- The Unkindness of Ravens (Novella) by George Mann
- Old Scars (Short Story) by George Mann