From within the Eye of Terror and other dark sanctuaries of evil, the vile legions of Chaos spill forth in a frenzy of wanton bloodletting and desecration. The dread forces of the Chaos Space Marine Legions - traitorous Space Marines who now fight for the glory of the dark gods, make Chaos armies one of the most fearsome opponents that any Commander could ever hope to face on the battlefields of the 41st millenium.
Long ago, when the Imperium was young and the Emperor still walked the earth, Horus, the Emperor's Warmaster and closest friend, was seduced by the dark gods of Chaos. Horus led nearly half the Space Marine Legions in a revolt against the Emperor, a bloody civil war which practically destroyed the fledgling Imperium.
In the aftermath, the Imperium still stood and Horus was destroyed, but the Emperor was mortally wounded and the remnants of the traitorous Space Marine Legions fled. They retreated to the Eye of Terror, a sector where warp space and real space collide, forming a truly nightmarish realm where the laws of nature have been twisted and corrupted.
From the Eye of Terror, the Chaos Space Marines launch their devastating Black Crusades against the Imperium. Over the years, these vile traitors and heretics have been mutated and changed by the warping influence of the Chaos powers, but they still carry on their ten thousand year old war against the Imperium!
CHAOS SPACE MARINES
When they were forced to retreat, the rebel Space
Marine Legions fully threw in their lot with the dark
gods of Chaos. It was at this point that their fates
were truly sealed. The Chaos Space Marines began
their dark service to the evil lords, in return for the
power and opportunity to crush their enemies and
punish those that had driven them to their current
state. This terrible bargain makes each rebel Space
Marine something more evil and powerful than they
once were.
BLACK CRUSADES
To this day, the Chaos Space Marines still raid the Imperium. Striking from the
Eye of Terror, they cause as much destruction and terror as they possibly can
before retreating back to the safety of warp space. Occassionally, a powerful
warlord will gather the many different Chaos Space Marine Legions to his cause
and begin a massive invasion of the Imperium. These Black Crusades have
destroyed world after world in the past, but they have always been stopped.
Some say the Chaos Space Marines will never stop, that their raids and Black
Crusades are merely testing the Imperium's defenses, waiting for the day when
they can gather enough strength to smash the Imperium asunder.
CHAOS SPACE MARINE
ARMY
The various Black Crusades and constant raids are
carried out by Chaos Space Marine Lords. These
vengeful warriors are brutal and cunning, having led
hundreds of such incursions before. They are
completely without mercy or remorse, gunning
down innocents and prisoners with equal abandon.
The Aspiring Chaos Champion or Lord commands some of the toughest and depraved troops imaginable. Each Chaos Space Marine Lord is formidable by himself, but there are those that have been truly "blessed" by the Chaos gods, giving them terrible power and strength.
CHAOS SPACE MARINES
The Chaos Space Marines are cruel mockeries of the true defenders of
humanity - the Space Marines, but every bit as powerful and determined. Some
of the Chaos Space Marines have devoted themselves entirely to their
Primarchs and their new dark masters. In return, these Chaos Space Marines
have become much more than they once were.
Khorne Berzerkers
Chaos Space Marines who have devoted themselves to
Khorne, the Chaos god of War, become Khorne Bezerkers.
Their sole purpose is to get into grisly close combat and gather
more blood and skulls for the throne of Khorne! The most
infamous devotees are the Chaos Space Marines of the
Worldeaters Chapter. They have become so crazed that they
are uncontrollable, more like savage beasts than anything else!
Thousand Sons
The Thousand Sons became disciples of Tzeentch -
the Chaos god of magic and change. Most of the
Thousand Sons are psychic in some way, the more
powerful of them are granted a boon from Tzeentch
and become Chaos Sorcerers. Long ago, the
Thousand Sons' bodies were disintigrated by a vicious
spell that also sealed their souls in their armour. As a
result, the only way to defeat these Chaos Space Marines is to totally destroy
their armour, freeing their bodiless souls.
Plague Marines
Nurgle is the Chaos god of decay and pestilence. Chaos
Space Marines who worship this foul lord have sworn to
spread his grotesque plagues everywhere. Because of this,
the Chaos Space Marines are themselves infected with all
sorts of horrible wasting diseases. The illnesses slowly start
to cause them to decay, deadening them to pain. Unfeeling, they ignore the
wounds they suffer on the battlefields, carrying on as if nothing had happened.
Noise Marines
The Noise Marines are former Chaos Space Marines who
have succumbed to the promises of Slaanesh - the Chaos
god of sensual pleasure. An eternity of experience has
made it so that only the most hideous cacaphony of
screams and moans of the dying can release them from
their otherwise emotionless state. Noise Marines are
armed with a bizarre mix of aural weaponry, along with the
Chaos Space Marine Havocs (Chaos Space Marine heavy weapon wielding
psychos), they form most of the heavy support for the Chaos Space Marine
force.
TWISTED METAL
When the Chaos Space Marine Legions fled to the Eye of Terror, they took all
their equipment with them, including their Terminator Armour, vehicles and
dreadnoughts. Of course, the strange warping effects of the region affect
vehicles as well as men.
CHAOS TERMINATORS
Chaos Space Marines with Terminator armour are the most
loathsome of all the Chaos Space Marines. Having fought
their way to positions of power within the Chaos Lord's
retinue, these Chaos Space Marines are equipped with the
most destructive weapons available. These nearly
invulnerable Chaos Terminators stride across the battlefield,
crushing all those who dare to confront them!
CHAOS VEHICLES
When the Chaos Space Marine Legions
fled, they took everything they could with
them. They have been forced over the
centuries to repair and modify their
equipment. Now, they little resemble the
vehicles and machinery they once where.
Chaos Bikers
Chaos Space Marine Bikers have all the advantages of their Space Marine
counterparts, except they revel in being able to attack without warning, causing
as much destruction as possible before they retreat.
CHAOS
DREADNOUGHT
The Chaos Space Marines have
access to most of the equipment,
vehicles, and tanks that you might
see in a Space Marine army today,
but changed and mutated as well.
There are Chaos Rhino transports,
Chaos Predator Tanks and Chaos
Land Raiders, but the most
changed is the Chaos
Dreadnought.
Dreadnoughts are incredible machines of destruction. They carry the most potent of weaponry and their armoured bodies are practically impenetrable. The Chaos Dreadnought houses the crippled body of a Chaos Champion, one of those destined for greatness. When they find themselves trapped in the metal tomb of the dreadnought, many go insane with rage and grief at being confined to slowly rot throughout all eternity.
THE CREATURES OF THE WARP
The Chaos Space Marines aren't the only inhabitants of the Eye of Terror.
Daemons, denizens of the Warp, can also manifest themselves here. These are
the servants of the Chaos gods, though they vary in shape and size, their only
purpose is the complete destruction of everything in their path. For instance, the
Bloodthirster of Khorne is a greater daemon, capable of crushing a tank in its
bare hands, while the nurglings, tiny daemons of Nurgle, attempt to overwhelm
their foes with vast numbers.
These are forces best not tampered with, but those seeking quick ways to power often call upon their aid, never realizing the price until it is much to late. However, the daemons of the Chaos gods are allies, often aiding the Chaos Space Marines in their battles against the Imperium.