The Legion of The Damned in Warhammer 40K Darktide is an incredibly mysterious and elusive faction. Little is known about them and how they operate. These mystical legends are incredibly interesting and should be known by all players who are experiencing the franchise or this title.
Key Highlights
- The Legion of the Damned has a lot of myths and legends on them, causing them to be feared.
- They were created as a result of a space marine force being corrupted by the chaos of The Warp.
- They are incredibly strong, able to lay waste to armies by themselves.
- They have cemented themselves in history through their battles.
Myths And Legends Of The Legion Of The Damned
The Legion of the Damned in Warhammer 40K Darktide, is a legendary space marine force of the Imperium allegedly serving The God Emperor. Their origins and motives are completely shrouded in mystery. They appear out of thin air to aid their fellow Astartes or Imperial Forces in battle. Their most common occurrence is when a battle is all but lost. It is then they appear to turn the tides of battle towards victory.
- These spectral legionaries wear space marine armor which is emboldened by flames of the Purgatory or so it is said. It is unknown whether the armor is corporeal or if it is just a spiritual manifestation.
- Their armor is decorated with human skulls and is darker than the blackest of nights, said to even halt the spread of light.
- They are heavily resistant to all sorts of damage. Bullets and the like seem to phase right through them as if they were never there. If heavy artillery does find its mark upon these ghostly soldiers, no matter how potent, they always shrug the damage off as if struck by a water pistol.
- The spectral legionaries are completely emotionless. Their one and only concern are to burn, kill and maim the enemy through any and every means necessary.
- They do not care if the enemy is surrendering, fleeing, or heavily armed. All who dare oppose these soldiers are burned to ashes, riddled with holes, and torn to shreds with chainsaw blades, with the army being helped by these legionaries watching in utter shock.
- After their brutal onslaught, they seemingly vanish, leaving behind a mess of blood and corpses.
It is said that anyone who witnesses these legionaries in action will lose their mind out of sheer terror.
In Warhammer 40K Darktide, The exact origins of the Legion of the Damned are still shrouded in mystery. There are multiple theories as to who they might be.
The Fire Hawks
It is wildly believed that the Legion of the Damned consists of the surviving members of The Fire Hawks. The Fire Hawks were one of the Space Marine forces created during the Cursed 21st Founding, in the 36th Millenium. The Fire Hawks, in the year 963.M41, were on their way to the Crow‘s World Sub-sector. They never made it to their destination. Their fortress and multiple ships were lost to the Realm of Chaos known as The Warp. The casualties numbered a total of 2800 people stranded in the Warp.
- The realm of chaos corrupted these poor soldiers. This corruption led to them losing their sanity and having their bodies slowly decay in exchange for immense power.
- They gained the ability to travel from the Warp to the real world. Their sightings were common in the areas where the barrier between the Warp and the world was weak.
- Combat fastens the corruption, leading to a complete loss of sanity replaced with only a desire to kill. However, their loyalty to their Emperor is much stronger than the Warp’s corruption.
- For this reason, they strive for their Emperor and aid him in losing battles. Even when they were doomed to a fate worse than death, they never forsook their loyalty.
Reasons
Here is why The Fire Hawks are believed to be the Legion of the Damned.
- The Fire Hawks fought with an aggressively brutal style, seeking to crush their enemies with an all-out assault.
- Their armor is eerily similar to the Legion of the Damned, sporting the same flame-decorated gear.
- They are fiercely loyal to the God Emperor, and they crush every threat to the Emperor.
Hallucinations Manifested
It is believed by some individuals among the Librarius that man possesses abilities and powers that he cannot comprehend. When he is faced with imminent death and his desire to live is strong enough, something clicks in his mind and he is able to manifest his hopes. That is how the Legion only appears in battles where defeat is imminent, and they manage to turn the tide of battle around.
Some also believe the God Emperor gives his believers this dormant power, which is why the Legion only aids the Imperial Forces. It is said that these legionaries share the shards of the Emperor’s soul, making them in line with Daemons who are created by the Dark Gods of Chaos from their own souls. So this disproves their ghostly myth, making them more of simulacrums created from the Emperor’s soul.
That is why they are able to appear seemingly out of thin air during critical moments in a battle without any means of travel.
Time Travellers
It is believed that the Legionaries are time travelers. They traveled from an alternate timeline to the current timeline to steer humanity’s future on the right path. Many reject this theory due to its sheer absurdness because the flow of time is locked, once it is past it can never be turned back.
The Most Plausible Theory
The strongest theory about their origin is the Fire Hawks theory. From their similar armor design, brutal approach to combat, and fierce loyalty to the God Emperor, It makes sense that the Fire Hawks were warped by Chaos and turned into the Legion of the Damned.
Conquests And Sightings Of The Legion
The Legion of the Damned has been sighted in many locations during different historical events.
The Noctis Aeterna In M42
Noctis Aeterna was a calamity that struck the Imperium. It took place because of the opening of the Great Rift. The Great Rift is a tear in reality that allowed the creatures of the Warp to travel to the world of man. After the opening of the Great Rift, The Imperium was in complete chaos. The Legion of the Damned appeared to fight the armies of Chaos.
Rescuing Gloriam In 990.M41
The Ork Warlord Nobgrok wanted to loot the finest weapons of the Imperium. To fulfill this purpose, he invaded the Forge World of planet Gloriam in the year 990.M41. Nobgrok and his forces were met with success and managed to capture the planet.
To satisfy his ego, he wished to carve his name on the moon of Gloriam. At this moment, the Legion of the Damned appeared and mercilessly massacred Nobgrok and his minions with ease, allowing the defenders to take back their planet and facility.
Defending the Autoarchive In M41
The Legion of the Damned appeared to aid in a military operation in the Astral docks of Luna, freeing the Salamanders team from the Renegade Draco Clan. This allowed the Imperial Forces to capture an air shuttle that was programmed to explode on contact with the Imperium’s Autoarchive. The Imperium’s military communications would’ve been compromised for over a hundred years if the Imperium’s Autoarchive was destroyed.
The Doom Of Idharae In 852.M41
The Legionaries appeared to aid the invading forces of the Imperium as they invaded the Asuryani Craftworld called Idharae. They fought the Asuryani God’s simulacrum under a great dome. The ghostly soldiers’ fire-emboldened attacks did little to harm the mighty God. So they attacked the great dome they were fighting under and destroyed it, massacring everyone in the process, friend and foe alike.
The Timeaon Deliverance In 940.M41
A part of the Imperium forces known as the Iron Snakes were assaulted during the Timeaon Planetstrike. They were saved from their otherwise guaranteed death by the Legion of the Damned.
The Battle Of The Phalanx In 999.M41
The Phalanx is a colossal vessel used as a fortress by the Imperium. It was invaded by the Iron Warriors Warsmith Shon’tu and his daemon allies. The Imperial soldiers fought back but were eventually overwhelmed by the Daemon Prince Be’lakor.
Shon’tu wished to annihilate the Imperial Palace with the fortress’ strong artillery. He was unable to accomplish this endeavor due to the arrival of the Legion of the Damned. The legionaries massacred the daemonic forces, allowing the Imperial soldiers to re-capture the Phalanx.
The Battle Of Andraxas In 922.M41
Varro Tigurius, the Chief Librarian of the Ultramarines Force, led a task force with the purpose to rescue tech priests during the Ork invasion of the world of Andraxas. Using a colossal fortress called the Bastion, this task force struck the enemy with great precision and determination.
The Orks possessed great aerial numbers and with their reinforcements, They managed to gather up and greatly outnumber Varros Tigurius and his men. They had accepted their fates and were remembering the God Emperor during what seemed to be their last few seconds alive. The Legion of the Damned spawned and brought down the Orks in great numbers. They annihilated the Ork’s aerial forces and completely turned the tide of battle.
13th Black Crusade In 999.M41
The 13th Black Crusade is the greatest war fought between the Imperium and the forces of Chaos. Sven Bloodhowl and his firehowlers let an assault on a Fortress used by the forces of Chaos. The Legion appeared to provide their aid to Sven.
They managed to severely damage the Fortress however the Chaotic forces responded by crashing the dying spaceship into the surface of planet Cadia.
Fighting The Blood God In 996.M41
The Blood God Khorne and his minions, which included daemons and those who betrayed the Imperium, launched an assault on the Cemetery world of Certus Minor. The Imperium gathered many of its finest forces to combat this threat however, they failed to prove any match for these chaotic forces.
The God Khorne embodied a crimson comet with his will, which caused his minions to celebrate and indulge in bloodshed and slaughter. As death seemed inevitable for the Imperial soldiers, they let out a prayer for the God Emperor. Shortly after this, The Legion of the Damned appeared and annihilated the comet and the chaotic forces.
Fighting The Hive Fleet Moloch In 343.M41
The Hive Fleet Moloch invaded one of the Imperium’s planets called Ghodba. The Imperial soldiers tried their hardest to fight back but were swatted like flies, their grounds soon littered with corpses of their brethren. Any attempt at backup was foiled as they were destroyed before they could reach the planet by the Hive Fleet.
After a while, only 1 squadron called the Swords of Ghodba remained. These soldiers gathered up their belief in the Emperor and prepared for a suicide march but then suddenly, they were surrounded by dark-aflame legionaries. These legionaries fought with such brutality that they drove the invading hive to extinction.
Who Is Sergeant Attica Centurius
There is a unique exception among the Legion of the Damned in Warhammer 40K Darktide. A legionary who was known as Sergeant Attica Centurius. While the Legion shows no semblance of rank or status, Centurius appears to act like a commander. He may have been a Sergeant of the Fire Hawks during their prime.
Centurius possesses a human skull that emits light from its hollow eye-sockets when it is activated. It allows him to leech the soul of a person and use it as fuel to resurrect a fallen legionary. So the legion of the damned can continue to fight even if they fall in battle, which is very rare.
Summary
Warhammer 40K Darktide is the latest game released by Fatshark on November 30th-,2022. It is not just a horde-killing action game. It also has a vast universe with deep and rich lore involving sci-fi and space combat, with a mythological and divine coat of paint.
The Legion of the Damned has been a topic of discussion among the community for a long time. We hope you learned more about the hellish warriors of the God-Emperor in our Warhammer 40K Darktide Legion of the Damned lore guide.
NOTE: All artwork used in this guide is official.
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- Warhammer 40K Darktide: Zealot’s Best Feats
- Warhammer 40K Darktide: Staff Types
- Warhammer 40k Darktide: Scripture Locations
- Warhammer 40K Darktide Homeworld Choices
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