40k Stories: The Blood Ravens

Few Space Marine Chapters are perhaps as mysterious as the Blood Ravens, who hail from a planet and Legion unknown. They have taken centre stage in a few famous campaigns, trying to expand the Imperium's knowledge and boundaries as well as discovering the truth about themselves.
More 40k Stories: • 40k Stories
All art belongs to its respective owner(s), and all stories belong to Games Workshop/Forge World/Black Library/Relic Entertainment. Check out the artists;
Assault, Tactical and Devastator Marine: zestalicious.d...
Astartes with pistol and chainsword: slaine69.devia...
Commander vs Chaos Lord: drd-no.deviant...
Commander with pistol and hammer: luftwaffles.de...
Champion with sword and shield: mr-retro-man.d...
Gabriel Angelos: xraypr.deviant...
Channel Links:
My Twitter: / tacticaimperial
Kieran's Twitter / tac_imp_paints
Our Facebook / 522905414487296

[@GrugSmesh]

The codex astartes names this maneuver "steal reign".

[@HandlesAreStupid2024]

SPEEEHS MAHRINES

[@liberator101]

Battle brothers!

[@deadmanslastwish]

This.. is true

[@CAP198462]

Rumour has it the blood ravens have been around ever since the dawn of war, 😝

[@dkon3491]

thats what they want us to belive but rummors have it that they stole relics from every exsting and destroyed chapters. Gulliman him self owoke and recovered as soon as representative of blood ravens showed up on macrag in fear of them stilling his armor

[@lukejames7931]

Take my like and get out

[@Litany_of_Fury]

As my gate into Warhammer 40k the Blood Ravens will always be my favorite Chapter. Also I think they are from the Thousand Sons.

[@SSVjoker]

Overlord Gaiseric yeah, too many hints in that direction for it to be a coincidence. And yes, even though I have discovered many wonderful chapters, they are my favorite because they are the first I knew of as well. And because they have a perfect color pattern

[@TearDownGenesis]

Nah, I doubt it. They may have a lot of psykers but that isn't a result of the Geneseed but who they recruit. There are no instances of Flesh Change, which was a key issue of the Thousand Sons's Geneseed.

[@SSVjoker]

that's not the thing, though. If it were for the geneseed, then the flesh change would have appeared by now (no one can hide THAT for so long). But when you have the same kind of motivations as Magnus, all chaos marines seem to mock you for not being like them when you should (for no apparent reason) and a friking eldar relates you to Prospero, well....... when a bottle contains a white liquid, and the tag reads "milk", there are only so many chances that the content is something else than milk

[@Litany_of_Fury]

The Blood Ravens were made for a game so their name and history don't matter too much. As for gene seed traits from Magnus himself that can be pushed aside as cured or something from before 37.

[@TearDownGenesis]

But it isn't a tag that reads milk. There is no label at all. That's the point, it isn't explicit like a label.

[@juletid99]

Blood Ravens. Lock the Reliquary.

[@somerandomdude7785]

Sir, they stole the Reliquary!

[@gordonbabrovich3948]

Sr they stole the lock

[@T-74]

“Sir, they stole the fortress monastery!”

[@bellgrand]

My head-canon is that they are successors to the XV Legion (Thousand Sons). They just chose ridiculously confusing iconography and nomenclature in order to obfuscate their origins.

[@spartana1116]

Thats where a lot of theorys point at that there made from the prosperos defence fleet sent to the other side of the galaxy to save them

[@SirAroace]

At this point even the wiki considers it canon.

[@TherealSBlair]

"Hmm. Lock the reliquary."

[@MLGMInecraft09]

"SIR THEY STOLE IT" "I told you to lock the reliquary, what did they steal?" " THEY STOLE THE RELIQUARY!" *Distant techpriest sobbing*

[@Awesomeduud]

Magos of Percussive Maintenance the sobbing is distant because the tech priest was also stolen

[@Powerofriend]

magnificent pun.

[@HaloFTW55]

Thank you for your locks. “Knowledge is Power, Guard it Well.”

[@kingjonstarkgeryan8573]

@@MLGMInecraft09 By the Fang!!!! If those Bloody Magpies want knowledge we'll show them what happened to their Gene sire and their primogeniture legion. Brother get the Flamer, the heavy Flamer!!!!!

[@kingbaldwiniv5409]

Well done, especially considering that this is basically a video game chapter that I'm not sure got all of GW'S planning and consideration in its genesis. I I think that there is very little doubt that there is a tie to the 15th Legion. When stool found the origin, he destroyed it. There would be no reason to destroy it if they were sons of Dorn, or the Lion, Corax, Sanguinius , Etc. This is the remnant of the Corvidae. They were repurposed by the Sigilite and concealed until their appearance would not raise suspicion. The Emperor and Malcador had ways to shod against the flesh change, perhaps because the change was essentially just a honey-trap for Magnus, he being ensnared by Tzeench, and the purpose of the ploy brought to fruition. I do hope that GW plays out the Blood Ravens origin more fully, it is an intriguing story.

[@nazothecrusader]

I think its implied that Gabriel Angelos also knows the secret of Kronus. When you first encounter Thule as a Dreadnought in Dawn of War 2 he states: "Is that you Gabriel? The secrets of Kronus will not pass my lips..." It seems to me at least that Thule had told Gabriel what he had found on Kronus and sworn a vow of secrecy and remembered his vow in his confusion/disorientation as a newly interned Dreadnought.

[@crashers5]

I know this is late and you might have new knowledge of it but he was talking about cyrene while Davian was actually discovered the artifacts in kronus as davian says that the secrets of cyrene die with him Edit: never mind it was kronus but davian was the one to discover it

[@herodotus63]

My money's on The Thousand Sons.

[@spartana1116]

So is mine

[@JacatackLP]

As is my bow

[@EungsuLee]

Highly unlikely. Blood Ravens don't suffer from neither Flesh Change nor the Rubric of Ahriman.

[@endlesswaffles6504]

The Blood Ravens stole my money

[@petbone777]

@@JacatackLP and my power axe

[@dokiewokie1956]

Records showed that every SM chapters, not limited to the Custodes and the CSM, are not on good terms with the Blood Ravens, even the Mechanicus stays away from them after Martellus's case. Hmmm... I wonder why?

[@Litany_of_Fury]

Well the Knights seem to like them and by extension the Mechanicus.

[@spyro563]

Well one of the main reasons is that they actually plan what they will do before going in to battle, relying on information and prediction of enemy movements and strategies, instead of dropping head first into a battle. This has given them some gripe from other SM chapter thinking the Blood Ravens are weak and cowards. In Martellus' case he created a suit of armor during his time on Mars and after that the Mechanicus started going bat-shit crazy about it. Most likely he used something innovative that he learned during his time in the chapter and helped him create it. As you know the AdMech at large don't like innovation or progress so they considered it a affront to the Machine-God (As long as they don't benefit them). However Blood Ravens accompany Mechanicus Explorator Missions in their quest to find new technologies or knowledge lost so yeah it goes both ways.

[@dokiewokie1956]

Really? I thought Martellus nicked a power armor with him after finishing his training on mars, showing just how good the magpies we know and love Search 'Gift of mars' ; really weighted on the word 'Gifted'

[@spyro563]

Honestly the Down of War 2 inventory is crazier than most things in the Warhammer Universe.

[@internetzenmaster8952]

Blood Ravens?! Quickly, bolt down everything and seal the relic vault! In fact, bury the whole damn vault! That'll keep the Bloody Magpies from stealing our relics... I hope.

[@anonanon9535]

Internet Zen Master sir! We have a problem. They stole the reliquary and the dirt around it. They also stole the bolts!

[@carlopamin5025]

Its not stealing they call it unrecorded “gifting”

[@geta6863]

Bloody Magpies xd

[@bloodraven7237]

No it won't we have ways

[@bgcvetan]

Blood Ravens: -the sons of Trazyn-

[@yogsothoth7594]

I think you miss spelled bloody magpies :-)

[@CrimsonUltrafox]

Maybe it's just a gameplay thing, but Blood Ravens lose hundreds of brothers every campaign, *cough* Boreale *cough* yet they seem to function fine at remaining intact as a chapter and replenishing their numbers. I'm wholly convinced they're pulling a Black Templar move and had more than a thousand battle brothers. Maybe something like 1500 or 2000. As you've said, they're not exactly Codex compliant, and are pretty shady. Plus it would explain how they're still around and functionally able to crusade. I doubt we'll ever know, but that's my headcanon on the matter.

[@Litany_of_Fury]

They seem to be pretty successful in recruitment in Sub Sector of Aurelia even getting numerous recruites from harsh worlds like Calderis.

[@musafawundu6718]

That is probably indeed the case.

[@thefirstprimariscatosicari6870]

To my understanding they have recruitment centres all over their Sub-Sector. Which also explains why they have next to no native guardsmen regiment, side everybody wants to be a Space Marine.

[@CallMeCatalin]

They ste- Er are gifted serfs and stuff very often probably to try and get them to stop loo- Er acquiring artifacts

[@blaster23456]

'A weapon called Rogal's Fist even though it is a Mace.' I would've believed it if Rogal had a hand that is a mace. Papa Dorn must have a hammer on him at all times and hands are extremely inefficient at driving down nails.

[@gilde915]

arent the blood ravens caretakers of something like a backup or amplifier for the astronomicon on one of their chapter ships....?

[@kingjonstarkgeryan8573]

Knowing the Blood Ravend they probably stole it.

[@bloodraven7237]

Your not supposed to know about that

[@Maxibon2007]

The Emp’s plan is to get Sly Marbo to beat the very Chaos out of the 1000 sons so that they’ll all wake up with a massive hangover with an urge to (re)paint their armour red (re)join up with those charming magpie chaps. After all they’ll get to continue to nick Things from Robot GirlyMans fanboys and kill perverts from Slaanesh.

[@christopherchung5377]

My bro haha hondo p my bro bloodravens all the way

[@BluesifulWave]

I'd like to imagine them being a successor chapter to the Thousand Sons. I do wonder how Guilliman will react upon conversing and interacting with them. Then again, he did send them Primaris Marines, didn't he? Or "gifting" might be another possible word for it as well I guess.

[@Zakiriel]

Due to official artwork, it seems the under strength Blood Ravens have been reinforced with Primaris Marines in the recent new Gulliman era.

[@gmull79]

if that's true then what geneseed are they using?

[@Zakiriel]

That has not been stated. If I were Robute, giving the Blood Ravens Primarus reinforcements from the Unnumbered Sons, I'd try to make it from Ultramarines gene stock just for loyalty sake. Bellasarius Cawl could have pulled a fast one however and slipped them some from a "mislabeled" batch, from a group he wasn't supposed to have made from?

[@H240909]

I don't want to be that guy but Cyrene is pronounced "cyreen" not "cyreeny"

[@peterquint3816]

Not in the audiobooks produced by Black Library. In The First Heretic it's cyreeny. In fact, I think ADB said himself it's cyreeny.

[@Litany_of_Fury]

The Blood Ravens themselves pronounce it Cyreen.

[@RJS88999]

In the game it’s Cyreen but typical GW and their inconsistency lol

[@corvusalbus7276]

Given that the Blood Ravens were pretty much created for the first Dawn of War, Cyrene along with them, and the planet's first ever mention is in the campaign, I think it's supposed to be "Cyreen" and not "Cyreeny". All characters in over a decade throughout the games pronounced it "Cyreen"(both in the English and German version). This was actually the first time I've ever heard anyone pronounce it "Cyreeny".

[@danmilton4508]

I came here just to find this comment, I'm glad I'm not the only one that noticed this lol

[@ZombieX13]

Nothing happened after Aurelia. They all went on vacation!

[@clonetf141]

Damn blood rav *realizes they stole my everythinf*

[@saladman3008]

I like the theory that they aren't 1k Sons but actually Word Bearers

[@CrimsonUltrafox]

That's a possibility as Lorgar is a strong Psyker too. Plus Eliphas and his boys seem to have a special disdain for the Blood Ravens and their loyalty to the Emperor.

[@Archon3960]

Mountain Fox Yet, they aren't genetically loyal to Lorgar.

[@NegiTaiMetal011]

Yay, Blood Ravens are among my favorites. I recently got into Dawn of War games, usually DOW2. DOW3, not so much but only little.

[@spyro563]

Get Dawn of War 1, either Dark Crusade or Soulstorm, there are mods that allow you to play the Campaign of vanilla DoW and Winter Assault. After that get whatever mod you want personally recomend Ultimate Apocalypse for Soulstorm and you will have a great deal of fun for a lot of time.

[@musafawundu6718]

Great.

[@SHDW-nf2ki]

The fact you never mention force comander hair gel is a great insult.

[@MrGeneralissimus]

Best Chapter Ever.

[@nightside100]

"Rogal Dorn, in the case of the Blood Ravens, the test concludes: You are not the father!"

[@Alex-qn4hz]

Through they did steal your stuff, Dorn, you might want to talk to them about it.

[@spartana1116]

Loyal sons of magnus spared from the wolfs across the stars

[@Menhtrol]

Unknown Blood Raven: Hippity hoppity where the fuck is my probity?

[@kash8220]

It’d be cool if they were actually from one of the two lost primarch’s legions. They were absorbed into other legions

[@TheCorrodedMan]

(Word Bearers burst in with rage burning in their eyes) *WHO STOLE OUR FUCKING PRIMARCH?!?*

[@AutismIsUnstoppable]

bloody power armoured space Pikies.

[@leonvalenzuela4096]

Wow... Librarians of khorne... why do we not have a book on this??!!

[@Litany_of_Fury]

Well the daemon used in the games has a blood debt to the Blood Ravens.

[@ravenshotred]

I find it interesting that the lore and stories elude to heavy usage of psykers, but the games seem to suggest otherwise. From the top of my head, I know of two major psykers. One was a badass ally, the other turned traitor.

[@lifesabeach7]

My guess is that they are tied to the word bearers. Similar colour scheme, recruiting from a system (I would guess by the place names and the rate of compliances after Monarchia during the great crusade) were conquered by word bearers, the chapters hidden disgraces, and the chapters veneration of the emperor. that plus whatever Thule found on Kronos and its subsequent destruction. Makes me think what could be more shocking and damming than to find out that your chapter is descendent from the Primarch who set the galaxy aflame to begin with.

[@teroslarone1171]

I think angelos knows what thule found if I understands thule dreadnought line right

[@mannofdober873]

You forgot someone important... BATTUL BRUVAS! SPHESS MARIHENS!

[@spartana1116]

Blood ravens in a nutshell: endless thievery

[@salahberjawi3945]

No mention of Father Librarian Rahmah? Thought he would at least get an honourable mention for his actions aboard the Litany of fury when he saved the chapters geneseed almost single handed.

[@Doomseer]

I always feel bad cause the Blood ravens are such an awesome and interesting chapter and yet the main thing I think of when it comes to their chapter is the famous line "brother I am pinned here!"

[@Erebdai]

I really love the blood ravens. Ever since playing the first Dawn of war I have loved this chapter. I love that they are descendants of Magnus and have remained loyal. I truly believe the thousand sons would have stayed loyal if Leeman Russ had not exterminated most of them. I hope GW gives them a codex and write in some lore that Belisarius Cawl finds their genesee match. (Magnus.) And Robert Girlyman has to deal with it.

[@angelgris001]

Quick, loock the relicarium now... ok enogh of tje memes this chapter is awesome

[@forgefathereli8354]

dude their a joke to those of us who've been playing since before the internet was a common means of communication. Relax, breath in from your inhaler, and sit in front of your computer in your parents house and appreciate they at least are taking you in. Granted they fucked the economy in the first place its the least they can do im just saying a lot of young people have shitty parents...

[@Dknightxs]

Gabriel anglos... one of my fav 40k characters.

[@louismaurer5884]

Great video mate! I used to hate the BR but they damn sure have a great lore.

[@troopergio]

I personally like to think that they are A: a successor chapter of the blood angels (made in the 21st founding) Or B: The second or eleventh legion

[@musafawundu6718]

They do not show any signs of the Red Mist or Black Rage. As for their longevity, it is not mentioned that they have anything out of the ordinary.

[@kharnthebetrayer1985]

Great video. Loved the first two DoW games. PLEASE DO THE CARCHARADONS!!! THEY ARE THE BEST!!!

[@AJZulu]

The hammer was "Gifted"

[@dantecote6763]

it was the Sorcerer of the Alpha Legion that ascended to Deamon Prince not the Chaos Lord

[@axaldusteliora2956]

The Blood Ravens are on my Watch list, I must investigate more maybe I will uncover heresy

[@TheCorrodedMan]

MidNight 11 You would have,had they not just stolen all of your evidence.

[@CallMeCatalin]

They also stole the watchlist

[@TearDownGenesis]

I believe there have been two instances of Chaos corruption. One in each of the Dawn of War games (3 doesn't count b/c its crap). In DoW2 it was the Chapter Master himself.

[@TeutonicKnight92]

The Bloody Magpies

[@SchazmenRassir]

Very well-done. However, I would like to point out that the Blood Ravens were defeated on Kaurava by the Imperial Guard (as pointed out by the team in Dawn of War 2, and is the main reason for Avitus's canonical corruption in Chaos Rising), despite the whole conflict being canonically won by Gorgutz, stated by Dawn of War 3.

[@HaloFTW55]

I remember the Blood Ravens won in Dark Crusade and lost in Soulstorm. Avitus was at Victory Bay when the Guard was defeated and Tarkus lost an arm when he shoved a grenade into a Necron during that Tomb Bombing.

[@musafawundu6718]

What has really happened to the Dawn of War 2 and Chaos Rising Force Commander Aramus and Sergeant Thaddeus? It seems certain that he did not join the Black Legion in the cannon and it would be very disappointing if he was executed by Angelos for excessive corruption. He may have been promoted to be the Captain of the 4th? - I think - Company, but the most compelling storyline would be if he and Thaddeus were part of a force send on a crusade of absolution. Suppose the return successfully with it and actually come back having rescued persons trapped in the warp and even having converted some Chaos Space Marines back into loyalist Marines. A whole compelling storyline could be made in relation to this.

[@HaloFTW55]

They were sent on a Penance Crusade, expect them back in 100 years.

[@InvisibleYogurt]

THIEVING MAGPIES

[@willrogers3793]

I freely admit I’m at best a dabbler in 40k, but even so, the Blood Ravens are one of my favorite “little name” chapters. (As opposed to the “big name” chapters like the Space Wolves or Salamanders.)

[@musafawundu6718]

Because of Dawn of War 2, the Blood Ravens have become one of the most well known Chapters of the Warhammer 40k franchise. A good and compelling real time strategy and tactical video game series that features them as the heroes is one the best ways to increase the profile of any chapter, especially a previously obscure Chapter. In the Dawn of War video games there is little feature or even mention of any other loyalist Space Marine Chapter with the exception of the Ultramarines, of course.

[@musafawundu6718]

Big Dark Angel fan here. But my next favourite Chapters are the Black Templars, Ultramarines, Relictors, and of course the Blood Ravens.

[@IDICBeer]

Great story

[@zelfris2958]

Actually Davian Thule is still alive. Blood Ravens deployed a portion of their forces in defence of cadia during the 13th black crusade. Thule and the 4th company particularly distinguished themselves during the Campaign

[@TacticaImperialis]

Was that Dreadnought Thule though? I remember reading about that incident, but I thought it was before Kronus or at least before Thule became a Dreadnought.

[@zelfris2958]

I did my research and im shamed :C that is human davian thule if he was a dreadnought he wouldn't be a captain anymore. For example bjorn the fellhanded was once a chapter master of the space wolves however he was later put in a dreadnought he gets respect yes but now he is more of a machine than person. In other words if Davian thule was a dreadnought during the 13th black crusade he wouldn't be much in command anymore and is treated differently. Most of the space marines wouldn't follow dreadnoughts command then shame T_T

[@Archon3960]

Since the Blood Ravens novels were non-cannon, would the Ravens still have been on Lorn V ?

[@Matt-md5yt]

they might have taken something of mine before, not sure. I should check to make sure.

[@Nyctophora]

I got the wrong Cyrene. Sorry.

[@jasonpatrignani4717]

Just send Guilliman, Dante, and Mephiston over to give them a good solid once over.... And once their heresy is exposed unleash the wolves!!!!

[@peterquint3816]

If they are descended from Magnus makes you wonder why he doesn't just tell them that. They might turn traitor and join him or if they stay loyal they will have a dark secret - kind of win win for chaos.

[@Litany_of_Fury]

Maybe he doesn't know.

[@spyro563]

He doesn't know. He sent his fleet away before the attack of Leman Russ and his puppies so he doesn't really know what happened to them it was never determined what happened. But it would be funny that at some time the Blood Ravens would pop out of the Warp with a Gloriana-class Battleship.

[@Halogodzilla12343]

I subbed like an hour before this video came out. Wf

[@corvusalbus7276]

Nice little summary of their history, but one thing: Can we all just agree that the Goto DoW-novels never happened or at least that they are non-canon? Because they literally don't fit into 40k. Not just given the sheer amount of astartes-eldar cooperation alone(while perhaps not completely impossible is weird), but back then Goto didn't know anything about the lore, especially that of the eldar...some of which worship Slaanesh according to him, their tanks can be taken out by kids with stick & rocks, Dark Reapers have ships and spirit pools. Taldeer(the Ulthwé Farseer from Dark Crusade), in his version is a young seer from Biel-Tan, who dies after many pages of torture and much more nonsense; I mean did anyone from GW or BL proofread this? Or perhaps my question should be, why didn't anyone proofread this? So anything, including whatever he's written in them about Angelos or the Blood Ravens in general I believe should be disregarded as well, or it should be mentioned that the validity is questionable at best.

[@DeathSithe92]

Wait when did Gabriel fight arhiman, I NEVER remember this o.-?

[@giclee101]

Their home world is Aurelia?

[@MG-yc6jr]

May be one of the lost primarch

[@jj_see_film]

Shiny! Shiny like a diamond in the rough

[@Sol_Invictus510]

Hippity Hoppity, your geneseed is now my property.

[@bigbangrafa8435]

Beware the Alien. The Mutant. The Heretic.

[@Daimon-X]

SPESS MEHREENS of the Blood Ravens Chapter, For the Emprah! - Indrick Boreale Davian Thule knows the truth about Blood Ravens, The truth is out there...

[@aldrixlevy228]

You know it's shitty writing on part of whoever made those bloody magpies if their entire history's related to many "questionable" decisions made by other factions who normally wouldn't do said decisions at all.

[@Archon3960]

Ok. Since when were the Goto books truthful with the lore ? We should consider them non-canon, since Taldeer lived past Winter Assault (same for Macha) and the 412th Cadian added a black ribbon to their banner for losing the Dominatus Imperator Titan. And also, the DoW 3 part still sounds stupidly silly, despite you trying your best to explain it ! X)

[@TheDanskrobut]

my guess is they have elements of all legions

[@khartog01]

Cyrene is two syllables not three.

[@TacticaImperialis]

I've heard it pronounced with three syllables before, it sounds (to my mind) more like the Greek/Latin nomenclature we have in the Imperium (same as why I say Legiones as "leg-ee-oh-nes")

[@khartog01]

I'm going off how it's said in the games.

[@TacticaImperialis]

Oh I know, I haven't played them personally so I just go with preference.

[@khartog01]

Gabriel could be wrong.

[@uglyweirdo1389]

"Just because"

[@nafisfaiaz3993]

Freaking Magpies

[@scottlidstone1902]

All I know is their Primarch certainly never did anything wrong.

[@aprendizdefegelein]

Battle Brothas

[@SSVjoker]

That DoW3 story sounds even dumber than I expected

[@bluebuda8170]

there word bearers

[@chrisbennett6236]

Nothing wrong with the Blood Ravens. You all should be happy they aren't the Alpha Legion otherwise they'd steal everyone's shit and there'd be no record of anything they stole or that they stole anything

[@REgamesplayer]

You speak of loyalty when Blood Ravens are traitor chapter to begin with.

[@Slycarlo]

What if they are alpha legion descendants

[@Litany_of_Fury]

Why would they fight the Alpha Legion then?

[@Zaprozhan]

@@Litany_of_Fury The Blood Ravens seem pretty loyal, so they'd fight the Alpha Legion. If they are truly loyal, revealing a blood tie to the Alpha Legion might make the Ravens fight harder to redeem themselves.

[@Litany_of_Fury]

@@Zaprozhan You could make that assumption for an legion.

[@edwardlane2534]

Rules of blood ravens Empra Steal shit

[@jared1932]

_This video has been stolen_

[@musafawundu6718]

More tired and lame jokes about the Blood Ravens and theft...

[@Zaprozhan]

Bloody Magpies! They stole your punchline!