The release of 8th edition is only a few days away and we’re getting another dose of fluff. Come take a look at the latest on Warzone Ultramar.
The latest fluff was spotted over on Bolter & Chainsword. Caius Tadius posted the latest fluff on the Warzone Ultramar, and he had a lot to add to what we already know.
+++++ Caution Spoiler Alert ++++++
Having read through the Warzone: Ultramar fluff section in the 8th Edition Codex more clearly this time, I thought I’d post the plot of Nurgle’s invasion of Ultramar. I posted spoilers for it in an earlier post but now I’ve gotten to read the whole thing, there are more details I thought I’d add and more things to clarify. I made this post in 1d4chan and I thought I’dd add it here as well. There were several bits of lore about the wider conflict found in Dark Imperium which I’ve included here to fill in the gaps here and there.
In M42, Ultramar’s formerly idyllic existence was shattered by a Death Guard invasion led by Mortarian himself. Three systems to the galactic north of Ultramar were corrupted by influence of Nurgle and its planets are turned into staging grounds for the invasion of Guilliman’s mini-Empire. This had apparently begun a few decades prior to the conclusion of the Indomitus Crusade. Surprisingly, Guilliman did not end the crusade upon hearing about the invasion of Ultramar. He wishes to remain in command of the Imperium at large and knows he can do more good that way. He therefore leaves it to his sons to hold the line until his return.Invasion: The Plague Lord ComesMortarian’s already large invasion force, bolstered by mutants and cultists from the Scourge Stars, was accompanied of Typhus and his Plague Fleet alongside a Great Unclean One named Ku’Gath who lead a host of 7 Greater Daemons of Nurgle called the “Plague Guard”. Their strategy seemingly had them concentrate their on taking few major planets such as Iax, Espandor and Konor. They only launching raiding attacks on the less defended ones, withdrawing before Astartes were deployed.The Espandor system was badly sieged. All planets in the system besides the main planet were taken; the Ultramarines bitterly contested Espandor Prime and would do so until they were later relieved. One of the Plague Guard would lead this attack, a greater daemon named Qaramas. The partial conquest of Iax opened up the gateway for the rest of the invasion fleet to surge into Ultramar.Iax was overrun by daemons of Nurgle after being converted into a hospital world due to a convoluted scheme involving Guardsmen infected with Nurgle bugs. This would be the base of operations for the entire invasion and conquest of Ultramar and the bulk of the Death Guard would gather here.Macragge suffered bouts of Chaos-induced unrest as Mortarian led probing attacks on the Ultramarines homeworld. While this did not lead to any widespread destruction or damage to critical facilities, these incidents caused a drop in civilian morale and wasted Calgar’s precious time on peacekeeping missions and displays of force to shore up confidence amongst Maccrage’s civilians.Typhus and the Plague fleet had overrun and taken one of Ultramar’s star forts. He was later directed by Mortarian to attack the Ultramarines training world of Parmenio.Konor would come under attack as well by the forces of the Death Guard, their aim being to take the crucial system and use it as a launching pad for an attack on Maccrage itself.
Counterattack: Ultramar ResurgentGuilliman eventually returns to Ultramar from his Indomitus Crusade. Firstly, he cleanses the Hive World of Ardium in the Maccrage system from the Death Guard. There he discovers that Mortarian was using the Hand of Darkness to craft engines that were re-animating the dead and turning them into Plague Zombies. He destroys the engine on Ardium and frees the world from the influence of Nurgle.He then lands on Maccrage, bringing with him thousands of Primaris Marine reinforcements and other allies. After taking stock of the situation, he sets the Ultramarines and their auxilia in a large-scale counterattack against the invaders. Several loyalist Ultramarine successors also joined the fight, their fleets engaging the Death Guard and doing their best to keep Ultramar’s shipping lanes safe.He first sets his eyes on Espandor System, which serves as the main supply line for the Death Guard invasion. He retakes each of the lost worlds and destroys the engines that were creating plague zombies on each of the planets, freeing them from the influence of chaos and destroying the source of the plague zombies. After a ferocious battle in which the Ultramarines Chapter found themselves fighting side by side with their Primaris brethren for the first time, the forces of Nurgle were routed from the planet, Guilliman decisively ending the battle by killing the greater daemon, Qaramas with the Emperor’s Sword and destroying the last plague engine in the system. The Espandor system was now essentially cleansed and the forces of Nurgle were cut off from the Scourge Stars.The next great battle took place on Parmenio which saw the largest armored clash between the traitor and loyalist forces during the war. The largest star fort in Ultramar, Galatan, attempted to provide support but was engaged by the Plague Fleet and was boarded by traitor marines, leading to the death of the Novamarines Chapter Master. However, Guilliman kills Ku’Gath’s lieutenant, Septicus and shatters his Plague Guard, giving the loyalists the upper hand and causing them to make major gains against the archenemy.
Endgame: ReunionGuilliman then finally lead the relief force to Iax. Not finding Mortarion in either Parmenio or Espandor, he was determined to hunt down his brother once and for all.The final battle of the war takes place here, with Guilliman and Mortarion fighting each other to a standstill amongst the ruins of Iax. Eventually, Mortarian and the Death Guard are summoned back to the Scourge Stars which had come under threat from the War in the Rift. They withdraw from Iax under the cover of a virus bomb and the forces of Nurgle withdraw from Ultramar.*The daemon’s name is Qaramar not Qaramas.
The Warzone Ultramar fluff is really starting to develop nicely. With the return of Guilliman and his Primaris Space Marines, Mortarion and the Death Guard would be summoned back to the Scourge Stars without a victory. Fighting to a stand still, something tells us this won’t be the last time Guilliman and Mortarion go head to head. But who will win? Will Ultramar eventually fall to Chaos? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
