Legion XII · traitors

World Eaters

Primarch: Angron

Homeworld: Nuceria · Segmentum Ultima

The XII Legion, formerly the War Hounds, was remade by Angron into the most ferocious butchers. Their primarch Angron, “the Red Angel”, was a former slave-gladiator whose skull was tormented by the archeotech implants known as the Butcher’s Nails, which instilled eternal pain and a thirst for violence; he implanted them into the entire Legion. He hated the Emperor for the comrades abandoned on Nuceria and joined Horus early. In the Shadow Crusade he and Lorgar butchered dozens of worlds of Ultramar, and on Nuceria itself Lorgar raised him up to become the first daemon primarch of Khorne.

Side in the Heresy: traitors Betrayed early — out of Angron’s long-standing hatred of the Emperor, who had teleported him off Nuceria, leaving his fellow gladiators to die. One of Horus’s original four traitors; they butchered their own loyalists on Isstvan III (005.M31).

Number: XII (12)
Side: Traitors
Events in the chronicle: 24 events
Strength: Roughly 150,000 (a large Legion). In the Shadow Crusade Angron personally led some 70,000 warriors. An estimate, disputed.

Fate

On Nuceria Lorgar sacrificed Angron to Khorne — and he became a daemon prince of Khorne, the first of the primarchs ascended by that god. The Butcher’s Nails and the fury of Khorne tore the Legion apart into frenzied berserker warbands that fled into the Eye of Terror.

Speciality

Unrivalled carnage in close combat (on a par with the Space Wolves), spurred on by the Butcher’s Nails implants; assault shock warfare of annihilation.

Tactics

Pod landings into the very heart of the defence to tear it apart from within; advancing under dangerously close bombardment and Titan cover. After the fall — the berserker fury of Khorne; the Red Butchers, Rampagers and Triarii.

What the Legion is known for

The Butcher’s Nails and eternal pain; Angron, the first daemon primarch of Khorne; the Shadow Crusade; the slaughter on Skalathrax that split the Legion; the fighting pits and the gladiatorial code.

Wargear

Chain-axes, the psycho-surgical Butcher’s Nails implants; Red Butcher Terminators, Rampager assault troops and Triarii; Angron’s paired chain-axes (Gorefather and Gorechild).

Notable warriors

Khârncaptain of the 8th Company, equerry of Angron
Angron’s equerry, appointed as the “cool head” beside the raging primarch; at the Siege of Terra he stormed the Lion’s Gate spaceport. Later the “Betrayer” who split the Legion on Skalathrax.
Events: Shadow Crusade, The Siege of Terra, Battle of Skalathrax
Lotara Sarrinflag captain of the Conqueror
Fleet mistress of the Gloriana-class battleship Conqueror, the Legion’s flagship; calculating and daring, one of the few mortals trusted by Angron and Khârn.
Events: Shadow Crusade, Battle of Nuceria · ascension of Angron, The Siege of Terra
Lhorkeformer master of the Legion, Dreadnought
The old master of the War Hounds, entombed in a Contemptor Dreadnought; the “conscience” and living memory of the Legion, who perished in the Shadow Crusade.
Events: Battle of Armatura, Battle of Nuceria · ascension of Angron
Macer Varrencaptain of the 12th Company (loyalist)
A captain who remained loyal to the Emperor; fled the Isstvan system and was recruited by Garro into the Knights-Errant.
Events: Drop Site Massacre on Isstvan V, Knights-Errant Founded
Delvaruscenturion of the Triarii
A centurion and renowned duellist, champion of the World Eaters’ Triarii.
Events: Battle of Armatura