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From Warhammer 40k - Lexicanum
m
clean up, replaced: honor → honour, Honor → Honour (2), armor → armour
|Battle Cry='''''"Repent! For tomorrow you die!"'''''{{Fn|1}} or '''''"For the Lion!"'''''{{Fn|21b}}
|Chapter Strength=~1000 marines
|Descendants= *[[Dark_AngelsDark Angels#Successors|Successors Below]]
|Colours=
'''Pre-Heresy:''' Black {{Color sample|Black|size=15}}<br>'''Post-Heresy:''' Dark Green {{Color sample|DarkGreen|size=15}}<br>
===Great Crusade===
In the earliest days of the [[Great Crusade]] the First pushed out of the [[Sol System]], cleansing the [[Oort Cloud]] and keeping watch along the Heliopause border for terrors that sought to slip into the Emperor's new realm. They also liberated the outermost edges of the Sol System, recovering whatever few Human survivors could be found. By this point the Legion had become isolated and developed a complex culture of ciphers and rituals alongside the creation of the first specialized [[Orders of the First Legion|Orders]]. Upon their return from the outer Sol System their grey armor armour had been changed to pitch black. Upon their return they mustered at [[Saturn]], where the Emperor gifted them a fleet of ancient but highly advanced warships. In the ensuing Great Crusade across the greater Galaxy the First Legion continued their role as exterminators, using forbidden [[Archaeotech]] such as [[Gene-Phage]]s and [[Rad-Wave]]s to annihilate enemies deemed too terrible to face in open battle. As other Legions and [[Expeditionary Fleet]] oversaw the colonization and compliance of countless worlds The First fought nightmarish creatures and [[Xenos]] without hesitation or complaint. Many of their campaigns have been deemed classified and thus to many the early career of the First Legion seems lacking.{{Fn|50c}}
These trials would face the Legion into a fearsome weapon and its [[Legion Master]] stood as the Left Hand of the Emperor. This role continued even as early [[Primarch]]s such as [[Leman Russ (Primarch)|Leman Russ]] were rediscovered, with the Legion Master being 3rd in the Imperial Court after [[Malcador (Character)|Malcador]] and [[Horus]]. However amid the countless battles the Hosts of the [[Hexagrammaton]], once an ever-shifting body of knowledge that changed to meet each challenge, had become stagnant. The warriors of the First assumed they had reached the apex of skill and could learn no more. Recruitment from outside their enclaves on Terra was minimal and each battle led them further down the path of arrogance. Tradition and ritual became more valued than innovation, and each Order and Host jealously guarded their small fragments of lore. The Legion began to turn in upon itself as other Legions such as the [[Luna Wolves]], [[Ultramarines]], and [[Imperial Fists]] had grown in prestige and number of triumphs. The final blow for the Legion's fragile pride came at [[Canis-Balor]] where the First was overcome by an unknown [[Xenos]] breed and [[Exterminatus]] was enacted at the cost of Grandmaster Thrane's life.{{Fn|50c}}
Caliban was made the [[Adeptus Astartes homeworld|homeworld]] of the Dark Angels and the whole of the Order moved to join the ranks of the [[Astartes]]. Those knights who were still young enough had the Legion's [[gene seed]] implanted within them. Those too old for this process underwent surgery to transform them into elite warriors of the [[Imperium]]. Although they were not full Space Marines, their enhancements granted them special abilities and a lifespan beyond those of normal men. The first to be brought into the Legion in this way was Luther, who became Jonson's second-in-command, just as he always had been within the Order. However, the Dark Angel's contributions to the Great Crusade had barely begun when the Lion sent Luther and a small contingent of Dark Angels back to Caliban, purportedly to garrison the world and increase the speed and quality of the training given to the Legion's recruits. Whatever the reason, the force sent back felt disgraced and rejected.{{Fn|12b}}
[[Image:Descent_of_angels_cleanDescent of angels clean.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Dark Angels Space Marines on Caliban.{{Fn|12c}}]]
The Great Crusade had to go on: there were countless human worlds that were still under the influence of [[Chaos]] or suppressed by the harsh rule of alien races. In an [[Dulan Campaign|infamous episode of the Great Crusade]], the Lion and [[Leman Russ (Primarch)|Leman Russ]], Primarch of the [[Space Wolves]] Legion, came to blows over the latter's action during the siege of the Crimson Fortress. This event began a feud that still continues strong in the 41st millennium, usually taking the form of a ritualistic duel between two elected champions,{{Fn|2b}} although it has been known to manifest itself in a very violent manner.{{Fn|14}} As Jonson's fame spread throughout the galaxy and reports of his great deeds and prowess in battle reached the Legion's homeworld, Luther felt robbed of his share of the glory. He wanted the fame and recognition that he felt he deserved as Jonson's equal. His role as planetary governor of some half-forgotten backwater world seemed more and more to him like an insult. The seed of jealousy and dissension that had been planted within Luther when Jonson was made the Grand Master of the Order now began to grow and rankle within his heart as the Primarch became more and more celebrated and famous.{{Fn|1}}
During their battles against [[Daemon]]s in the [[Warp]], the Dark Angels violated the [[Council of Nikea]] on direct orders from The Lion by reestablishing [[Librarian]]s.{{Fn|26}} Due to the [[Warp Storm]]s plaguing the Eastern Fringes the Dark Angels followed the [[Pharos (Device)|Pharos]] and moved to [[Ultramar]] and joined with [[Roboute Guilliman]] and his [[Ultramarines]], helping form the brief [[Imperium Secundus]].{{Fn|25b}} During the Lion's obsessive hunt for Curze, the Dark Angels were used to enforce martial law on [[Macragge]] and the [[Dreadwing]] hunted the Night Haunter across Ultramar.{{Fn|33b}} Meanwhile, another detachment of Dark Angels under Captain [[Ormand]] reinforced the [[Space Wolves]] against the [[Alpha Legion]] at the [[Alaxxes Nebula]]{{Fn|27}} while another under [[Corswain]] was tasked by The Lion with hunting down [[Calas Typhon]] following the [[Battle of Perditus]].{{Fn|33c}}
Ultimately after a number of disasters, clashes between Guilliman, Sanguinius, and [[Lion El'Jonson]], and a vision by Sanguinius that the Emperor was alive, Imperium Secundus was abolished. The three Primarch's led their Legions in an attempt to breach the [[Ruinstorm]] and reach Terra. Through an arduous journey, they eventually reached [[Davin]], the nexus of the Ruinstorm, and [[Second Battle of Davin|engaged a vast Daemonic host]]. After the battle and the destruction of Davin, a way to Terra through the Ruinstorm was clear. However, in their way stood many enemy blockades as Horus had foreseen this route. Sanguinius and the Blood Angels raced directly for Terra, as was their destiny, while Guilliman and Lion El'Jonson led the [[Ultramarines]] and [[Dark Angels]] in diversionary attacks against Horus' blockade.{{Fn|34}}
By the time of the [[Siege of Terra]] the Lion hoped to draw away traitor forces from the Throneworld by striking at their own homeworlds. As a result, the Dark Angels [[Passage of the Angels|destroyed several traitor homeworlds]] such as [[Chemos]], [[Nuceria]],{{Fn|48}} and [[Barbarus]].{{Fn|38a}} Meanwhile [[Corswain]]'s fleet of Dark Angels was able to reach Terra and aid the loyalists.{{Fn|48}} Rendezvousing with [[Admiral]] [[Niora Su-Kassen]] and using the ''[[Imperator Somnium]]'' to break the traitor blockade of Terra, Corswain and his 10,000 Dark Angels were able to land upon the Throneworld's surface and recapture the [[Astronomican]].{{Fn|55}}
The Dark Angels returned to Caliban after the war, but they were fired upon by the planetary defences. They were forced to assault their own homeworld, where they found that their brethren had betrayed them. In a duel which mirrored that of the Emperor and Horus, Luther and Lion El'Jonson fought, resulting in Luther mortally wounding his former friend. Luther went insane upon realizing he had struck down his close friend and was captured. In a fit of rage at being defeated once again, the Chaos Gods opened a warp rift in the planet which scattered the traitorous "[[The Fallen|Fallen Angels]]" throughout the galaxy.{{Fn|1}} Other sources state that the Warp Rift was caused by a [[Wikipedia:Causal loop|causal loop]] in the [[41st Millennium]] after [[Azrael]], [[Cypher]], [[Typhus]], and others attempted to rewrite the history of Caliban with the [[Tuchulcha]] Engine.{{Fn|29c}} Regardless of the truth, one of the "Fallen Angels" who escaped is [[Cypher]], who reportedly took with him the Lion Blade, the sword of El'Jonson, when he was sent through the warp.{{Fn|29b}}
[[Image:Fallen_angels_cleanFallen angels clean.jpg|thumb|250px|right|The Dark Angels Legion{{Fn|13c}}]]
The Dark Angel space fleet also bombarded the planet mercilessly, and this caused the structure of the planet to collapse. The bombardment, combined with the newly formed warp rift, broke the planet up and it is now an asteroid field. This betrayal has tainted their honour in the eyes of the Dark Angels themselves. Given that the event was purely within the Legion itself, and was on a world far from Terra, nobody outside of the Legion knows it occurred. Within the Chapters itself, only the elite veterans are permitted this knowledge - in the modern Dark Angels Chapter, only the [[Deathwing]] and senior officers know this secret. The Chapter leadership will go to great lengths to ensure that this knowledge does not reach the Imperium at large, even at times going so far as to disobey direct orders from [[Inquisitors]] and cause overly curious individuals to "disappear".{{Fn|1}}
===Successors===
The Dark Angels and their successor chapters are collectively known as the "[[Unforgiven]]" and generally maintain close links with each other. The Chapter Masters of each chapter belong to the Inner Circle and also carry the honorific honourific of "Grand Master of the Inner Circle". The [[Dark Angels Grand Master|Dark Angels Chapter Master]] is also the Inner Circle supreme leader and every member of the circle answer to him when it comes to the hunt for the Fallen.{{Fn|15}}
Dark Angel's Successor Chapters, much like themselves, will abandon everything for the hunt of the Fallen. It's known that the Dark Angels Legion sired at least three Second Founding chapters, although several others are also thought to hail from this Founding.{{Fn|15}}
In the same vein as their father Lion El'Jonson, Dark Angels officers are expert tacticians and specialists and have been quick to capitalize on the skills of [[Primaris Space Marine]]s and the particular varieties of their squad types. New specialized formations have been developed alongside ancient patterns such as the '''Hammer of Caliban''' and '''Scout Recon Stalker Strike'''. '''Caliban's Reach''' is but one example, which combines the firepower of [[Hellblaster]]s and [[Devastator]]s with [[Centurion]]s to devastating effect. The advanced infiltration and reconnaissance skills all Primaris Space Marines learn as part of their [[Vanguard Space Marine|Vanguard]] training is of great value to a chapter seeking hidden foes. The [[Omniscrambler]]s of [[Infiltrator Squad]]s can severely disrupt enemy communications, allowing [[Ravenwing]] squadrons to strike without their quarry being warned. The Divinator-class [[Auspex]]es of the [[Incursor]]s collect data from battlefields that previously would have been almost impossible to extract. This yields new information to the [[Inner Circle]] to act upon without Vanguard Space Marine's knowledge.{{Fn|41}}
In addition, the Dark Angels are known to have access to a disproportionate amount of [[Plasma Weaponry]].{{Fn|4b}} During the time of the [[Great Crusade]], complementing the concentration of skill and hard-won knowledge of the Dark Angels [[Hexagrammaton]], theirs was one of the most deadly arsenals in the entire Imperium. Much of the technology routinely deployed by the Dark Angels was of an order of complexity beyond that available to the younger Legions and on par with those of the [[Adeptus Custodes|Legio Custodes]], produced in dedicated manufactoria on [[Terra]] and elsewhere such as the Legion Fiefdoms of [[Gramarye]], and [[Caliban]]{{Fn|50c}}{{Fn|50d}} to the specifications of the Dark Angels learned forge masters to designs dating back millennia. Exotic plasma weaponry, munitions of archaic and unstable design as well as variants of armoured vehicles and void craft based on unique technologies, all were the sole province of the First Legion.{{Fn|50d}} Indeed, it is noted that the Legion holds in its armoured reserves war machines rarely fielded since the earliest days of the Unification Wars, and others which, much to the chagrin of the Mechanicum, are of entirely unknown provenance.{{Fn|68}} This proved a potent force multiplier on the battlefield, amplifying the superior skills of the Dark Angels and allowing them to prevail against foes that lesser technology could not defeat. As well as those advanced weapons and designs they used openly, the Dark Angels also maintained large stocks of weapons of a darker renown. Within the sealed vaults of Caliban and Gramarye, as well as a number of secret caches scattered across the Imperium and guarded by dedicated Orders, were vast stores of weaponry long since proscribed to the other military arms of the Imperium. [[Gene-phage|Gene-phages]] s capable of annihilating all life upon a planetary body in mere hours, core-breaching [[Magna-Torpedo|magna munitions]] that could tear a planet apart from within, stockpiles of ancient [[Silica-virae]] - the dreaded scourge of the nanite pronounced the ultimate heresy by the adepts of Mars--all Mars—all could be found within the armouries of the Dark Angels. Such weapons could not be unleashed lightly, for they served only a single purpose - the utter destruction of life. They were of no use to conquerors, only to destroyers, and they served as the ultimate sanction for those enemies deserving of only annihilation.{{Fn|50d}}
By the last years of the Great Crusade, shortly before the outbreak of the Horus Heresy, the Dark Angels claimed a strength of approximately 180,000 to 200,000{{Fn|50e}} warriors, while other accounts claimed they had raised as many as a quarter of a million from the world of Caliban alone.{{Fn|33e}} In terms of sheer size this placed them in the upper tier of the Legiones Astartes, alongside such Legions as the Ultramarines and Sons of Horus, and despite the rise of the younger Legions to rival their glory, they still remained one of the single most powerful military forces in the Imperium. Additional records from the period have noted a much lower field strength for the Dark Angels, sometimes as low as 50,000. These reports are likely due to the confusion that the Dark Angels' organisational procedures and heraldry caused for most unfamiliar observers.{{Fn|50d}} The dense nature of the ciphers they used and the secretive nature of many of its sub-formations often led to some amount of bewilderment for outsiders, especially when combined with the fluid and shifting nature of authority and command within the Legion, sometimes even to the degree that it led to military setbacks when working alongside other Imperium forces. Surprisingly, the Dark Angels have made little attempt to remedy this situation, indeed some of their commanders, especially the older veterans of the Great Crusade, seem to take a quiet pride in the confusion it occasions among the least disciplined of their allies. In particular, a common practice by some Dark Angels forces is to arrive without announcing to their allies who commanded the First Legion contingent, leaving their counterparts to determine whom to greet as warlord by the heraldry they display. Those few who make the correct choice, or who are wary enough to make no judgement, are treated with respect and those who choose poorly watched carefully for further lapses in judgement. Such tests of worth are commonplace among the Dark Angels, both for their own initiates and for those that would fight alongside them, for the sons of the Lion judge the worth of no warrior on rumour and hearsay alone.{{Fn|50d}}
Supreme authority of the Legion rested with its Primarch, Lion El'Jonson. Before this, a [[Legion Master|Grandmaster]] ruled but, after two successive deaths of these figures during the [[Great Crusade]], the '''Council of Masters''' (consisting of the six heads of the [[Hexagrammaton]]) took over strategic operations of the Legion. Even after Lion El'Jonson's arrival, the Council of Masters continued to play an important role. Below these were the '''Conclave of Preceptors''' from the various Orders. The Preceptors took on a strategic leadership role only when their specialist skills were demanded by the conflict at hand. This created a flexible chain of command that allowed for a multitude of simultaneous deployments rather than massing in a single warzone. It played to the strengths of The Lion, who had little interest in micro-managing his Legion's strategies and instead excelled in direct battlefield command.{{Fn|50d}}
During the earlier years of the Great Crusade the First legion possessed a war fleet numbering several hundred warships.{{Fn|66c}} However, by the time of the Horus Heresy In order to support the widely spread web of independent Companies and Chapters the Dark Angels maintained perhaps the greatest fleet of all the Legiones Astartes, both in terms of sheer number of capital class vessels and in the impressive firepower of those craft. With the third of the legion placed with the Lion{{Fn|50e}} being able to muster at least 900 warships, 300 capital and 600 smaller ships, during the [[Thramas Crusade]].{{Fn|50f}} The First Legion were also granted the honour of a tithe of those few remaining [[Terra|Terran]] n vessels found by the Emperor. These ancient craft almost all dated back to the [[Dark Age of Technology|years before]] [[Age of Strife|Old Night]], relics of forgotten technologies and lost aspirations of grandeur. Among these were to be found fleets of massive [[Gloriana Class Battleship|Gloriana Class Battleships]]s, [[Promethean Class Cruiser|Promethean Class Cruisers]]s, and [[Tiamat Class Destroyer|Tiamat Class Destroyers]]s, all far surpassing more modern designs in potency and made available to few other than the [[Adeptus Custodes|Emperor's own guards]].{{Fn|50c}} Among these relic ships were unique and murderous killing engines such as the ''[[Dark Sovereign]]''.{{Fn|67}}
Just as with the many disparate Companies of the Legion, the fleet was also widely spread, most often operating either as a support flotilla attached to a Chapter or as one of the rarer deep range patrol squadrons. Support flotilla were comprised of the heaviest ships available, with the core of many being a [[Glorianna Class Battleship]] or other first-rate warship supported by one or more squadrons of cruisers. Support flotilla were intended to provide transport for the attached Chapters, allowing them to breach heavily-defended systems without support and assault a specified target without the need for extensive auxiliary forces.{{Fn|50e}}
*6 [[Space Marine Bike|Attack Squadron]]s
*4 [[Space Marine Bike|Support Squadron]]s
*[[Land Speeders]] (Including<br>:[[Land Speeder Vengeance|Vengeance Patterns]]<br>
:and [[Darkshroud]]s).
*[[Dark Talon]]s and [[Nephilim Jetfighter]]s.
