Dan Abnett, Horus Heresy and the Battle of Calth

[Lord_Starscream]

We know Kor and his boys end up in the Maelstrom, arguably the tied for first place in terms of military Chaos forces in the region. What interests me is if the Word Bearers actually inflict real damage on the Ultramarines.

 

To me, its always almost seemed that the Ultramarines just kinda went "We win Calth. Now for the rest of you!", I wanna know how they were set back as well. Every victory has a cost.

[Captain Idaho]

You are wrong actually. It's a common misconception of Ultramarine background material that every assumes the Ultramarines just win all the time because they are the best, but the Battle for Calth was always described as a desparate battle the Ultramarines won by the skin of their pants. Entire planets were depopulated in the attack (there were 3 other planets in the Calth system I believe).

 

;)

[Legatus]

I remember having read somewhere that the Ultramarines had lost about a third of their forces in the Battle for Calth. A third of their forces would have been about 80,000 men, which would have been enough casualties to destroy any other Legion. However, they would have been left with about 160.000 men, so still more than another full strength Legion.

I don't remember where I had read that, though. Perhaps it was just on a forum.

[Ubermensch Commander]

@Legatus

I do not recall any specific numbers regarding the losses and thought it was described in more general language, detailing it as a brutal, hardfought battle but not giving particular numbers. Huzzah for D. Abnetts upcoming book then, I suppose.