u/Kalypso_Blue

*SPOILERS ahead for those that haven’t read the Maelstrom campaign books

About 6 months ago in the Maelstrom campaign book, we got the lore that Guilliman has ended the penitent Crusade for the Mantis Warriors, Lamenters and Executioners, preparing them to go into the Maelstrom to hunt down Huron Blackheart and the Red Corsair. Now 6 months later we get the announcement of a new Huron Blackheart book and I’m over here thinking, oh wow is this it? Is this the awesome story of these chapters going on a redemption Crusade against the Red Corsairs? Nope.

From the article, this is focused on Huron‘s revenge with the White Scars and Tyranids invading his territory, which is cool I guess but could this not have been a 20-30 page Short story or something? Instead skipping over this absolute awesome storyline that they had laid out that had fans overly excited and hyped for more Badab/Maelstrom stories. But instead, we are hit with curve ball.

They could do that storyline in the future, but it’s probably gonna be a while, cause I don’t think GW would do back to back to back Huron Blackheart full novels like that. Which is why to me, this is kind of a waste of release. And it also doesn’t help that Marc Collins is writing it. I’ll admit that the only books that I’ve read of him are Krakenblood, The Martyr's Tomb, and the short story Seasons of woe. In which I’m not gonna lie are mid to bad. His writing style is a bunch of soulless repetitive word salad. So I’m definitely not looking forward to this one and I really hope that they do a novel or something that continues that storyline that they laid out in the Maelstrom campaign book.

I don’t know if this is new, but this is my first time seeing Nemeton on the galaxy map

Saw a post the other day that I’ve seen before of someone wanting the 9th edition symbol for the Black Vipers in SM2. And the same things were said that are usually said. But then I chimed in and I actually came up with a pretty good explanation, that being there has to be a lore reason behind it.

GW only drastically changes a chapter symbols when there’s major shifts, for example from the rogue trader era to the current space Marines, those were drastic changes. But they occasionally have done slight alterations with chapter symbols. For example, the symbol of the Carcharodons in sm2 vs the symbol of them in the actual lore/books, and more famously the Imperial Fist symbol, the symbols looked similar and the changes were only slight, they were nothing dramatic or crazy.

And so, from my knowledge in this modern era, the Black Vipers are the only chapter who’s symbol changed so drastically, it’s literally a completely different symbol, which is more similar to that of the Iron Snakes. The Vipers are mysterious and with their behavior I highly doubt that they are codex compliant, so my theory is that each company has a different symbol. There might be a Company where it’s a symbol of a snake eye or a snake fang or snake tail and so on. We already see the 9th edition symbol, which is the head of a snake and then the 10th edition symbol is the full body.

There’s lore examples that support this theory, with examples of other chapters of who have multiple or alternative symbols. As we see with the Dark Krakens, who actively use and flip-flop different chapter symbols throughout 9th, 10th and 11th edition. The Sons of Medusa, who literally have three different chapter symbols each of special markings for their three specific company purposes. Another chapter that does this, of course it’s a Space Wolves, who have a different symbol for each one of their great companies, but most people only see the Blackmanes symbol as GW uses that for marketing purposes for the overall Space Wolves faction, which is more of a in real life thing vs a in lore thing.

So for all those reasons, my belief is that is the thing behind the Black Vipers, until they finally get some additional lore apart from them being anti-Salamanders, antisocial and being chased by Cawl, those all the hint we got.

I just saw it on National Geographic I thought I’d share

Artwork is by The_SoupSauce03

Sorry for the delay guys. I guess it was my turn as mod to add the contributions of the week in and I forgot.😂 but some fantastic contributions Last week by all, the contributors of the week are

u/speakypoo - https://www.reddit.com/r/crimsonfists/s/rh9KraEx6n

u/mosesdjdj - https://www.reddit.com/r/crimsonfists/s/rwSRLLJeaO

u/Boombastico1337 - https://www.reddit.com/r/crimsonfists/s/sDDQwjHpjC

u/LuN4z97 - https://www.reddit.com/r/crimsonfists/s/Kwni2CSpM7

u/LeSanvich - https://www.reddit.com/r/crimsonfists/s/fIdilcolsY

u/Angry_Goujon - https://www.reddit.com/r/crimsonfists/s/IBY747h9b0

I wanted to do another one of these of an obscure chapter I know of, that being the Flames of Aries. They are an Imperial Fist successor chapter. An extremely reckless crusade fleet based chapter, who jumps from Warzone to Warzone, barely catching a breath before jumping into another. As Primaris torchbearer fleets were sent out to reinforce chapters, the Flames of Aries Primaris must chase down their elusive future chapter battle brothers.

Their heraldry is depicted as “Bright Fiery orange armor, a stylized ram on a field of black”

They are the main focus of the short story “Journeys end” which can be found in white dwarf 452, which I took screenshots of and you can read the story without me spoiling everything. It’s pretty good. If the pages are too blurry, you can find the story in white dwarf 452 online or you can just comment and I just spoil everything in it.

Shout out Bitzbox for the screenshots and the model example is made by Brother Tancred on bolter and chainsword.