Black Legion Terminators

[Max Power]

Hey all,

 

I have a slight obsession with terminators. I have a rather large deathwing army, and I'm looking to add another terminator based army to my collection. I had considered space wolves, but I just can't get myself into their fluff. That brought me to the awesome chaos terminator kit.

 

I'm trying to figure out which legion has the most terminators in present time 40k. After reading the Horus Heresy series, I know Abaddon was captain of the first company. Granted, that was 10,000 years ago. Now, with the Black Legion's return to prominence, how many suits of the armor would you think they have?

 

Any information for this terminator addict is appreciated.

 

Max

[Dammeron]

There's no official statement as to which legion has the most Terminators in its service, but considering the sheer size and number of the various sub-chapters, companies and warbands under Abaddon's control, it isn't out of the bounds of speculation to assume The Black Legion can bring the most to bear. The background also suggests that Terminators have been a key part of the legion's tactics since long before their descent into heresy, so one can quite safely assume they maintain a significant force of Terminator armoured warriors.

 

As for others that quite likely make significant use of Terminator armour, given their penchant for technology and siege warfare, I'd say the Iron Warriors probably maintain a notable number as well. Of all the legions, they not only have the penchant and know how, but also the facilities to produce and maintain the armour.

[Lord_Caerolion]

I'd definitely say the Black Legion as well, as they probably had the largest amount of suits other than maybe the Iron Hands, Iron Warriors and Dark Angels during the Crusade, and since then they've been both the organiser of some of the biggest raids/invasions, as well as the #1 choice for traitor Astartes ever since to join, adding their own suits to the existing Black Legion suits.

[minigun762]

Black Legion would also by my assumption, simply because they're the biggest (semi)organized force in the Eye of Terror so they're naturally going to have the lion's share of equipment.

 

From the Word Bearers novels, we see that they maintain a sizable quantity of suits as well. I forget the exact numbers but something in the area of 200 and that is only for a portion of the force under a single Dark Apostle.

[Max Power]

Thanks for the information, everyone.

 

minigun762 - that is the best thing you could have told me. I've been in love with the Word Bearers since reading the first heretic. I'm waiting for the omnibus to come out so I can pick that up.

[Drudge Dreadnought]

Thanks for the information, everyone.

 

minigun762 - that is the best thing you could have told me. I've been in love with the Word Bearers since reading the first heretic. I'm waiting for the omnibus to come out so I can pick that up.

 

There is a part in the 3rd Word Bearers book where they have a large amount of terminator suits, but I don't take it very seriously.

 

Minor Spoiler:

 

One of the supposedly 'big' twists is that the bedraggled Word Bearer forces suddenly pull 100 suits of terminator armor (and marines to go inside them) almost entirely out of slaanesh's ass. It's a horrible 'twist' that pretty much reduces the entire book into one massive plot hole, as if they'd had all those suits (which were just sitting around in their ship) from the start, they'd never have ended up so badly off in the first place. It was poor writing imo (although other parts of the book are good) and struck me as the author just trying to impress the reader with the sheer scale of them.

 

 

I wouldn't count this, as it is really counter to the general feel of rarity we get from other, more cannon sources.

 

I don't think you should worry too much though. Black Legion almost certainly has the most, probably followed by Iron Warriors. Word Bearers and Thousand sons should both have a decent amount. It's only really the fractured cult legions that I would say don't have many, and perhaps Alpha Legion as they aren't really their style. However, I think ANY legion could put together enough suits for a special taskforce of terminators, so you can pretty much do anything you want.

 

I think a better question to ask, is which Legion is most likely to actually run a taskforce of terminators (I assume you intend at least 20-30 of them.) I think most Legions, and even some renegades, will have a decent proportion of terminators to normal marines, but since they are generally scattered into smaller forces, you'll never see that many terminator suits in one place. The impression I've always gotten is that Renegade and Traitor forces have maybe 5 of every 100 marines in terminator armor, plus a lord or sorc. But since most warbands are only a couple hundred marines at all, it's unlikely that you'll see 20-30 terminators in one place, operating as one unit. I think that the forces most likely to use a consolidated terminator force are the ones doing large scale warfare. So, Black Legion, Iron Warriors, Word Bearers, and Red Corsairs would be my top candidates.

 

Remember also that the terminator kit doesn't fit all legions. The box set is most appropriate for Black Legion and Red Corsairs, and sort of works for Iron Warriors and Word bearers (minor conversion only.) If you want to do anyone else, it's gonna take a lot of conversion work to look proper (there are also Death Guard and World Eater kits from Forgeworld, but then you're getting expensive.)

[hushrong]

Well, the Black Legion has at least fifty. This was from the story on page 28 of the current CSM codex where those 50 were sent as part of a strike force so I would say its safe to assume there are more.

 

I'd like to do a SH set of terminators from the Black Legion one day. Those Justaerins seem too cool to pass up.

[AekoldHelbrass]

I'd say that any Legion/Warband may have enough TDA suits to fill all possible Terminator slots of current codex. IA almost openly mentions that there are TDA facilities in the Eye, so even World Eaters can trade them.

[the jeske]

AL was the first legion to use terminator armored squads in bigger formations and not as support for single squads [single leader in terminator armor rest dudes in power armor] or as single squads supporting bigger power armored formations .

the number of AL terminator armor is unknown . But according to what we know from the HH series , the sons of horuse were always getting the most and the best gear of all legions [unless those legions were able to produce said gear without outside help. like iron hand/salamanders still being able to produce terminator armor etc] , also abadon has this whole huge group of bodyguards who are terminator armor and its a very big unit .+ considering he doesnt get angry at cypher after he plasma smoke one of them [which he should if the armor were rare for BL] , there has to be a lot of those in the BL.