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From Warhammer 40k - Lexicanum
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The Council of Masters, however, became anxious at the news, with some worried what their Primarch would think regarding the state of the Legion and others remaining prideful. However The Lion granted new purpose and vision for the fractured Legion, his first act being to merge the many teachings of Caliban with the First Legion's [[Hexagrammaton]]. He combined both to create something new and more refined. Alongside his [[Xana]] allies the Lion then took a newly mustered host of 20,000 Legionaries - a third of the Legion - and embarked on a Crusade of his own. He sought out the scattered Companies of Dark Angels across the Great Crusade. Each Company encountered accepted their Primarch with dour allegiance and each had their Captain tested in battle by The Lion. The Lion demonstrated his worth by actions and skill rather than words and vague promises, allowing those that might doubt him to match their blades against his in honest combat. Within a few short years The Lion had gathered 100,000 Legionnaires to his side and mustered them at the Legion's ancient stronghold at [[Gramarye]].{{Fn|50c}}
At Gramarye another Legion Council was held and this time The Lion dueled the ceremonial Council Champion [[Pyrhus Calagat]], master of the [[Host of Fire]]. In an hour long legendary duel the Primarch won the trial and accepted the titles of Grandmaster of the First Legion and the six [[Wing]]s of the Hexagrammaton: the [[Deathwing]], [[Ravenwing]], [[Dreadwing]], [[Firewing]], [[Ironwing]], and [[Stormwing]]. Before his Legion the Lion took a final oath before his sons, and they in turn swore oaths of their own to their Primarch. His oath sworn, the Lion placed new masters over each Wing and formalized the various informal Orders in the style of Caliban's Knightly Orders. By this time the new recruits from Caliban were ready and The Lion swiftly incorporated them into The Legion. The Lion's first act was to move on [[Karkasarn]], which had since rose in rebellion against its [[Ultramarines]] garrison. The reorganized reorganised Dark Angels under The Lion fought brilliantly, sweeping aside any memories of their earlier humbling on the world and saving their Ultramarines allies from being overwhelmed.{{Fn|50c}}
As though to answer The Lion's call the [[Rangda]] renewed their invasion of the Imperium. The [[Rangdan Xenocides]] waged on, this time with The Lion leading his Legion alongside his brother [[Leman Russ (Primarch)|Leman Russ]].{{Fn|50c}} As the first of the Astartes Legions, the Dark Angels were quite large during the early to mid Great Crusade. However, during the Rangdan Xenocides the First Legion lost 50,000 Battle-Brothers saving the northern Imperium, a steep cost they would never truly recover from. This contributed to the Dark Angels eventually losing their status as the most powerful Space Marine Legion, a title that would ultimately be claimed by the [[Ultramarines]].{{Fn|64}}
[[Image:DarkAngelsVsNecrons.jpg|thumb|right|350px|Dark Angels battle [[Necron]]s]]
*'''~999.[[M41]] — Present:''' The [[Indomitus Crusade]]
*'''Date Unknown:''' The [[Massacre at Darkmor]] — Six Unforgiven chapters are devastated in an ambush orchestrated by [[Cypher]]. In the aftermath of the disaster [[Azrael]] organizes organises a summit of all Unforgiven Chapters Supreme Grand Masters at The Rock. During the summit, [[Roboute Guilliman]] and his new [[Indomitus Crusade]] docks at The Rock and delivers much-needed [[Primaris Space Marine]] reinforcements. Relieved that Guilliman apparently did not know or at least did not care about the truth of [[The Fallen]], Azrael pledges his forces to the new Crusade.{{Fn|35d}}
*'''Date Unknown:''' [[Invasion of the Stygius Sector]]
*'''Date Unknown:''' [[Hundred Day War]]
*{{Main|Known Formations of the Dark Angels}}
Initially during the [[Unification Wars]] and Early [[Great Crusade]] the Dark Angels Legion was divided into a number of [[Hosts of the First Legion|Hosts]] and [[Orders of the First Legion|Orders of Battle]]. Most of these Hosts were later reorganized reorganised by [[Lion El'Jonson]] into the [[Hexagrammaton]], although the [[Orders of the Hekatonystika]] endured all the way into the [[Great Crusade]] and [[Horus Heresy]].{{Fn|50}}
Members of the Heresy-era Dark Angels often had allegiance to three different bodies: That of their Order, that of their Hexagrammaton host, and that of their Chapter and Company. It was only through superb skill, familiarity, and long-term indoctrination that the Dark Angels were able to avoid chaos with such a system and indeed used it to their full potential.{{Fn|50d}} Those formations which followed the [[Principia Bellicosa]] within the Dark Angels were known as the '''Corpus Nobilis'''.{{Fn|50d}}
===Post Heresy-era===
To outside observers, the Dark Angels seem to follow the standard [[Codex Astartes]] organization organisation - comprising 10 companies of roughly 100 Marines plus Headquarters Staff, however, they do have several organisational differences which are unique to them and their Successor Chapters -
*[[Inner Circle]]: It is in the organization organisation of the Dark Angels' higher levels that the chapter deviates from the dictates of the [[Codex Astartes]]. At the highest level of the Chapter is the Inner Circle, which consists of a number of officers who stand apart from the company organizationorganisation, and include the Chapter's Librarians and Interrogator-Chaplains. Companies are each led by a Master, who is part of the Inner Circle.{{Fn|24b}}
The first two companies are also uniquely organizedorganised{{Fn|24b}}:
*The [[First Company]] is called the [[Deathwing]], which often fights in [[Terminator armour]].
*The Second Company is the [[Ravenwing]], which is a formation consisting entirely of fast and highly mobile units such as [[Space Marine Bike|bike]] and [[Land Speeder]] squadrons.
The remainder of the Chapter is organized organised along Codex lines, though they are not deployed as such. Rather than being deployed on the Company level, the Dark Angels frequently deploy as '''Strike Forces''' based around the lore of [[Caliban]] such as the heavy assault ''Beastslayer Strike Force'' and ''Scourge of Caliban'' many-pronged assault force. The most frequently used type of strike force is the '''Lion's Blade''', a demi-company formation supported by elements of Deathwing and Ravenwing. It is often strengthened by drawing squads from the 10th Company as well as [[Scout]]s.{{Fn|24a}}
===Chapter Disposition===
