Horus Heresy · atlas

Campaign · Beta-Garmon Cluster · Segmentum Solar · 010.M31 — 013.M31

The Battle of Beta-Garmon

The threshold of Terra. Years of escalation (from Nyrcon to “Titandeath”) grind down the Titan Legions of both sides. Whoever has lost the field has no right to meet Sol in open space — only at the walls.

Outcome A traitor victory at the cost of a Titan clash. The loyalists fall back to Sol without a field force of god-machines.

Commanders

Loyalists

Commanders

Traitors

Commanders

Theatre
Beta-Garmon Cluster · Segmentum Solar
Period
010.M31 — 013.M31
Legions
Systems

Analysis

Beta-Garmon is not a day but a campaign cluster: 010.M31 is already Nyrcon, the culmination is 013.M31. Dorn deliberately feeds this cluster with reserves so as not to let Horus reach Sol “on the move”. Horus deliberately accepts the meat grinder, because without Beta-Garmon the Solar War begins under the blows of loyalist Titans. Titandeath records that god-machines die here on a scale that the Siege will not repeat. The Astartes of the VII and IX pay dearly; so do the traitor IV and XVI Legions and the allied Legio formations. The forces of the loyalist and traitor musters are drawn together into a single point ahead of the dash on Mars and Terra. The lesson: this is the last field battle of the Heresy in the “old style”. After it come Sol as a fortress and the Palace as the last wall. The traitor victory is operational: the way is open. The loyalist victory is Pyrrhic: they spent what they could have used to meet Horus farther from the Throne.

Order of battle

Loyalists: considerable forces of the VII, contingents of the IX and others, many Titan Legions (Ignatum and others), knights, the Excertus. Traitors: the XVI as the core, the IV as the crowbar, the III/XII/XIV as they muster, Legio Mortis and the Dark Mechanicum. The number of Titans matters more than the number of Astartes.

Turning points

  1. 010.M31 Nyrcon — Battle of Nyrcon · Beta-Garmon

    The campaign is already under way while the novels still keep their heroes in the east.

  2. 013.M31 Titandeath — Battle of Beta-Garmon · Titandeath

    The culmination. The loyalist god-machines are ground down. The way to Sol is open.

  3. 013.M31 The Muster at Ullanor — Battle of Beta-Garmon · Titandeath

    The traitors regroup. After this — only the system of Terra.

Events of the campaign

  1. 010.M31 Battle of Nyrcon · Beta-Garmon Loyalist victory

    On Dorn’s instruction a Salamanders battle group, 30 regiments of the Imperialis Auxilia and Legio Astorum (the “Warp Runners”) struck by surprise at a Millennial of the Emperor’s Children…

  2. 012.M31 Scouring of the Ollanz Cluster Loyalist victory

    Loyalist Legio Astorum and the Iron Hands defeated the traitor Legio Fureans and the Emperor’s Children in the Ollanz Cluster.

  3. 013.M31 Battle of Beta-Garmon · Titandeath Traitor victory

    At the Beta-Garmon cluster, the “gateway to Terra”, both sides assembled titanic forces. More than a thousand Titans fought on irradiated Beta-Garmon II — the greatest Titan battle in history.

Significance

Terra’s last shield “in the field”. After Beta-Garmon the Siege is inevitable as a form of war, not as a risk.

How to look in the atlas
  • Time slider 10.1…13.4: a campaign cluster, not a day. Nyrcon goes on while the novels keep the heroes in the east.
  • The routes of the loyalist and traitor musters in this window converge on a single point ahead of the dash on Mars and Terra.

Show on the map

Open in the atlas

Sources

  1. Titandeath (G. Haley)
  2. Slaves to Darkness (J. French)
Russian source notes (1) RU
  1. Forge World / сопутствующие сводки Бета-Гармона
Open in the atlas

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