Cover art by Modyer, inspired by the original Rogue Trader artwork.In this episode we pick up the story of the Meles Astorum after their supposed destruction at Uras’drekh. Far from gone, the Star Badgers dragged the wreck of Luna’s Vigil to the surface of their death world, Samarkand, and went underground – literally. For centuries they became a whisper, sustained only by scraps of relic-tech and a trickle of recruits from the planet’s cavern tribes and the return of their Deathwatch Heroes. We explore Samarkand and its inhabitants and what life looked like for the shadow-chapter: no more than two hundred warriors at a time, most little more than scouts, fighting xenos incursions and tribal wars with the tenacity of predators in the dark. This is the Badgers at their most mythic – isolationist, secretive, and driven by survival, their culture hardening into ritual silence and devotion.PatreonMerchandiseQuartermaster Listen Ad-FreeSHOW IMAGESSurface of SamarkandStar Badger Scout
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50: Intro to Meles Astorum | Warhammer 40K Lore
This episode we dive into the Meles Astorum – better known as the Star Badgers – a fleet-based Chapter first whispered about during the early millennia of the Imperium. We track their rise from brutal boarding specialists in the Jarnhost Reaving, through their reputation for tunnel warfare at Gaulus Red, to the infamous Howling Iron Pact that nearly broke them with questions of purity and trust. Along the way, we highlight their odd blend of feral assault doctrine and proto-Space Wolf ritualism, plus some of the darker moments like the Fangblood trials. All of it builds to their doomed final stand during the Fall of Uras’drekh in M39, when they gambled everything to crush a Necron dynasty before it could awaken fully – and paid the ultimate price. It’s a tale of ferocity, stubborn survival, and a Chapter remembered more for how it fell than how it lived.PatreonMerchandiseQuartermaster Listen Ad-FreeSHOW IMAGESMeles Astorum Tactical MarineMeles Astarum Tactical Sergeant Space Marine Battlebarge (Ultramarine Chapter)Exorcist Grand Cruiser (Luna’s Vigil)
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49: Adeptus Astartes: Vehicles | Warhammer 40K Lore
Our final image heavy episode on the breakdown of a chapter rumbles forward as we turn our attention to the armoured fist of the Adeptus Astartes: their vehicles. We open with the towering Dreadnoughts, half-hero, half-sarcophagus, entombing fallen warriors who continue the fight in adamantium shells. From there, the heavy rumble of tanks follows, with predators, vindicators, and their brutal kin forming the iron heart of an armoured column. Taking to the skies, we explore the Chapter’s formidable aircraft, both gunships and transports, before bombarding the enemy lines with dedicated support and artillery pieces. We close by winding back to the Horus Heresy, tracing how these machines of war have devolved from the Age of Darkness to the current Imperium highlighting that the technological echoes of a golden era that has long since rusted away.Chat with us on DiscordPatreonMerchandiseQuartermaster Listen Ad-FreeSHOW IMAGESWarsuitsDreadnoughtsRhino VariantsLand Raider VariantsFlyersPrimaris VariantsSupport WeaponsHeresy DreadnoughtsHeresy Vehicles
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48: Adeptus Astartes: Command | Warhammer 40K Lore
In episode three of our deep-dive into the structure of a Space Marine Chapter we turn the auspex squarely on its commanders. We start off with the Chapter Master, an Avatar of the chapter's spirit and master of its terrifying resources, before turning to the Captains who direct entire companies with the aid of their Lieutenants We then shift to the Librarians, Psykers who wield the immaterium as both weapon and shield. Both lads coo with excitement as Chaplains stride across the field as voices of unshakable faith, while the Apothecaries provide the genetic lifeblood to ensure the Chapter’s survival from battle to battle. Rounding things out, we tinker with the role of the Techmarines, the iron-handed link between the machine cult and the sons of the Emperor. Chat with us on DiscordPatreonMerchandiseQuartermaster Listen Ad-FreeSHOW IMAGESCommandersCaptainsLieutenantsAncients LibrariansChaplainsApothecariesTechmarines
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47: Adeptus Astartes: Primaris Squads | Warhammer 40K Lore
Part two in our "Give Cral and Aneurysm” series sees us taking a look at the ridiculous number of squads one can field as part of a Primaris Chapter. We start with a brief look at the Ultima Founding that leads to the Indomitus Crusade, a mission to reunite the fractured Imperium of Man. We note the distinct changes in the revised Codex Astartes, mostly all squad members use the same type of weapon and the 10th company is now a Vanguard company that is now also a scout company. We look at both the numerous Fire support and close support options together with associated Primaris versions of bikes and Landspeeder. We pause briefly to admire the Mario Kart Invader before closing out the episode with a look at the options available for both Battleline and Veteran Primaris squads.Chat with us on DiscordPatreonMerchandiseQuartermaster Listen Ad-FreeSHOW IMAGESScouts and Vanguard SquadsFire Support SquadsClose Support SquadsClose Support VehiclesBattleline SquadsVeteran Squads
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