Are Arks of Omen a new step of the 13th Black CRusade or are they a 14th Black Crusade?

[Bouargh]

As long as nothing has been published in terms of Lore, we stay limited to speclations. Considering the following from WarCom I interprete that Arks of Omens might be classified as a 14th Black Crusade.... But what abut you: do you think the Imperial Scholars will see it like this too?

 

These colossal void craft are built around the cavernous bodies of space hulks fished from the warp, heavily weaponised and augmented with the means to steer them through the stars. Each is awarded to a favoured warband – seeded, naturally, with loyal enforcers and informants – and dispatched to claim artefacts of mysterious provenance. What’s the ultimate plan for these vast warships and the artefacts they seek? Abaddon’s not telling.

 

[Casual Heresy]

It's been stated in the background before that each black crusade had a specific goal (smash pylons, thieve Blackstone Fortresses, etc.). We can probably agree that the purpose of the 13th was to break Cadia. The purpose of the Arks sounds similar to Abaddon's previous crusades so I'd consider this the 14th Black Crusade.

[Karhedron]

I think the 13th BC ended with the fall of Cadia and the opening of the Great Rift. That does not necessarily mean this is the 14th BC though. Abaddon is a busy chap and I doubt he spends the time between BCs just polishing his armour. Since the fall of Cadia he has been fighting at Nachmund (and possibly other places too). I think it is too soon to say this is the next BC, it could just be another day inflicting Chaos on the galaxy for Abaddon.

[Doctor Perils]

I thought Abaddon got all the way to Terra in the 13th black Crusade before Guilliman's return could foil him?

[Emperor Ming]

6 minutes ago, Doctor Perils said:

I thought Abaddon got all the way to Terra in the 13th black Crusade before Guilliman's return could foil him?

No he got to Vigilus, where he had to retreat due to the damage suffered to the vengeful spirit

 

Technically he did not even win the battle of cadia he had to tractor the remains of the Blackstone fortress into the planet because he lost the ground offensive

[Orange Knight]

Hmmm

 

Sounds to me like he's coasting off the Chaos Gods twisting events in his favour? A lot of lucky breaks for him to achieve the objectives. 

 

Speaking of Abaddon, how can he claim to be a free agent if everything he does is in the interests of the Ruinous powers, and is according to their plans?

 

Anyways, back to topic, I think this might be a potential 14th Black Crusade. In all truth I am happy to see a focus on Abaddon in the story again.

 

 

 

[jaxom]

I think... no. The Arks of Omen are something new, almost like Abaddon is taking a page from Hive Fleet Leviathan. Rather than attacking along a single front, he's shotgun spreading his forces, like guerrilla warfare applied at a galactic level. I don't think Imperial scholars will recognize what's going on at first, just like they didn't initially recognize Leviathan as a single hive fleet.

 

I've found it harder and harder to parse Abaddon plans (beyond "whatever GW needs at the moment") because he's one of two characters who seem to actually plan long-term over thousands of years. At that time-scale it's really hard to identify the goals of individual actions.

[Karhedron]

1 hour ago, Orange Knight said:

Speaking of Abaddon, how can he claim to be a free agent if everything he does is in the interests of the Ruinous powers, and is according to their plans?

 

Maybe it amuses the Chaos Gods to allow Abaddon his independence (or possibly just the illusion of free will). He is a free agent in as much as he is not pledged to any single god. He has avoided elevation to daemonhood as he knows that would make him an extension of the god who elevated him. He is obsessed with avoiding Horus's mistake (as he sees it) of being consumed by Chaos rather than using it as a tool. The irony is that he has ended up serving Chaos for far longer than Horus.

[Doctor Perils]

6 hours ago, Emperor Ming said:

No he got to Vigilus, where he had to retreat due to the damage suffered to the vengeful spirit

 

Technically he did not even win the battle of cadia he had to tractor the remains of the Blackstone fortress into the planet because he lost the ground offensive

Ah, I thought he was involved in the second siege of terra, apparently that was just Khorne Daemons

[Emperor Ming]

14 hours ago, Casual Heresy said:

It's been stated in the background before that each black crusade had a specific goal (smash pylons, thieve Blackstone Fortresses, etc.). We can probably agree that the purpose of the 13th was to break Cadia. The purpose of the Arks sounds similar to Abaddon's previous crusades so I'd consider this the 14th Black Crusade.

Yep this is called the crimson path. Basically, the dominoes that needed to be pushed over the create the great rift

 

Which is now empowering the Emperors return

 

Maybe the imperium should send him a thankyou hamper or amazon gift card

[WARMASTER_]

22 hours ago, Emperor Ming said:

No he got to Vigilus, where he had to retreat due to the damage suffered to the vengeful spirit

 

Technically he did not even win the battle of cadia he had to tractor the remains of the Blackstone fortress into the planet because he lost the ground offensive

Nah @Doctor Perils is right Abaddon might not have but, The Black Legion got to all the way to Vorlese with huge Blackstone shards nearly knocking out Terra completely from the war as they’d already knocked out the only other 7 Warp Nexus’s out 

 

The Second battle for terra was basically a rouse to keep the throne World busy as they were surrounded and cut off 

Edited November 22, 2022 by WARMASTER_

[Felix Antipodes]

I wish GW’s loremasters would keep track of all these changes.  They seem to forget about them within a month or two before proceeding to the next hotness.

Retaining only one Warp route in/out of Terra would add a real fortress earth feel, not to mention make it harder for Chaos to turn up on the doorstep.

[WARMASTER_]

18 hours ago, Felix Antipodes said:

I wish GW’s loremasters would keep track of all these changes.  They seem to forget about them within a month or two before proceeding to the next hotness.

Retaining only one Warp route in/out of Terra would add a real fortress earth feel, not to mention make it harder for Chaos to turn up on the doorstep.

The issue with that of course is if chaos seize the route or block it off like they nearly did with a Blackstone shard Terra starved within weeks? months? Maybe a year and then the imperium falls, I prefer what they have now with 8 Fortress Worlds guarding the nearest routes so if one or even serval fall at least reinforcements can arrive 

[WARMASTER_]

I should also answer the OP… Yes I believe this would warrant another Black Crusade, “Black Crusade” is an Imperial designation for Abaddon’s cusades though, not his own and as it’s in Imperium Nihilis I doubt Terra even knows it’s happening so it’s Entirely possible won’t be classified as one 

Edited November 23, 2022 by WARMASTER_

[TheWarmaster]

On 11/21/2022 at 12:57 PM, Emperor Ming said:

No he got to Vigilus, where he had to retreat due to the damage suffered to the vengeful spirit

 

Technically he did not even win the battle of cadia he had to tractor the remains of the Blackstone fortress into the planet because he lost the ground offensive

He achieved his goal. 

He split the galaxy in two. 

Cadia got wrekt as a bonus.