The ULTRAMARINES Legion in the HORUS HERESY | Legion XIII: Origins & Lore

The Ultramarines were the largest Legion left standing after the Horus Heresy, and because of this they came to define how the Space Marines of Warhammer 40,000 were organised. But it's only their prominence as a Legion, and the resulting sidelining by Horus, that allowed this to happen.
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Copyright: Unless noted in the video, all images © Games Workshop 1987-2022. Title music is 'Black Rainbows' by Karl Casey ‪@WhiteBatAudio‬
#warhammer #horusheresy #ultramarines #guilliman #tabletopgaming #heresy #factions #beginnner #review #warhammer40k #warhammerworld #gamesworkshop #warhammer30k #warhammer40k

[@TamDNB]

I haven't watched this yet, but something tells me the Ultramarines' story begins during the Unification Wars on Terra

[@-Thunder-Warrior-]

"Least it didn't end there."

[@joenewkirk6136]

hah, I see what you did there

[@Dreadelicious]

holy shit

[@ScooterinAB]

Nah. I think it started before them.

[@Shm00ly]

The lores the lore the lore. The videos have to stand alone and yet sit alongside one another. Hard to achieve. In the long run they’ll be watchable by anyone searching for info on each chapterZ

[@ataerus3066]

I unironically love the ultramarines, and I am tired of pretending I do not.

[@benjaminstevens6043]

I'm the same way about cpt america We all have our cross to bear

[@PexDoombringer]

same here even though I hated them in the past. Remember Calth brother

[@LordyT34]

Ultramarines are a lot cooler when we're not being told how cool they are

[@tdnavy1066]

Same

[@Haruki2009]

Good for you, as a iron warrior enjoyer I fully respect and support your opinion.

[@jacksonashworth150]

I seriously don't get why people say Guilimans a traitor for making imperium secondus, he literally did it because he thought the emperor was dead didn't know who to trust and wanted to keep the emperor's dream alive in some form. He didn't even want to be the leader of it...

[@cringyusernamesbsvqq1909]

Really? hmm that sounds like people not fully understanding what Imperium secundas was, of course this is just speculation on my part

[@jacksonashworth150]

@@cringyusernamesbsvqq1909 Ask any fan of the dark Angels and they'll never stop talking about it...

[@cringyusernamesbsvqq1909]

@@jacksonashworth150 i think we can both agree that is a can of worms that for the sake of not causing headaches for both of us should not be opened, before any of them comes in

[@ZerrikanianWiedzimin]

@@jacksonashworth150As a DarkAngels fan, I admit that the Lion could be a real dunce at times and Girlymanmade the right call with Imperium Secundus

[@andrewkennedy9134]

I think many thought it heresy because ultimately Ultramar is a better empire than the Imperium. Better organised, better quality of life, better production of regiments, materiel and more stable than any comparable area of the imperium.

[@mikemarcotte5962]

In one of the Indomitus books Guilliman himself dropped a number that shook me a little. In consultation with the AdMech he learned that ~75% of the active Astartes pre-Indomitus were descended from his geneseed. That's...crazy.

[@HistoritorJimaldus]

Damn, more kids than Boris Johnson

[@anthonyplayter2981]

@@HistoritorJimaldus blue and blue

[@Jack-0-lantern]

I thought it was only 50%. Which book is that number from?

[@mikemarcotte5962]

@@Jack-0-lantern sorry, it took me a minute to find it again. I was off, but not by much. P. 268 of "Avenging Son" by Guy Haley , Guilliman said 'More than seventy percent of the current strength of the Adeptus Astartes present in the galaxy are descended from geneseed derived from myself, though it is hard to reach an exact figure'. I had to stop and kinda digest that for a while.

[@Jack-0-lantern]

@@mikemarcotte5962 thanks

[@Lynch2507]

Maybe its just me, but the Ultramarines being the sort of vanilla, jack-of-all-trades legion and not really having a gimmick is kinds what makes them unique to me. Like, sure, White Scars go fast and that's great, Imperial Fists would be great at Fortnite etc, but Ultramarinss being the workhorses, the old reliables, the ones you can fallback on when you just need some good oul fashioned space marines... idk, I think its worth appreciating if anything. Personally, Alpha Legion are still my personal faves, but Ultramarines are a fairly close second, sometimes you can't go wrong with the classics.

[@Mabufu381]

personally the reason theyre my favourite is because theyre roman, which is cool and you can do a lot to push the roman thematics if you want to, but its not their entire identity and gimmick like a lot of the other chapters which can feel one note at times. A lot of the other chapters come across as very gimmicky and as a result can kind of feel limiting to play on the tabletop. Yes, ravenguard have devastators but you'll always feel a bit like you're not really playing them how they would probably play in their lore if you're running heavy support in the chapter thats meant to be stealthy guerilla warfare experts. Ultramarines and fists to me are the two chapters that always felt a lot more grounded in a military sense. Almost any army you field as an ultramarines player will not betray their core identity as their identity is tactical flexibility. A lot of people like to claim theyre golden boys too, but I think thats not looking deep enough into their lore, where many a time their mentality as 'tactical geniuses" and the strongest military power has been their downfall, as has been explored in this video but also in how they approached the codex post guilliman, and their pretty big tyranid shaped hole in their 1st company.

[@Lynch2507]

@@Mabufu381 to be fair, i think their reputation as the golden boys is more from a marketing and writing perspective then a gameplay one.

[@livanbard]

they are the "legion legion", the jack of all trades tho were the dark angels.

[@Lynch2507]

@@livanbard idk a ton about the Angels in terms for tabletop, but I've always known them as [REDACTED]

[@OmegaLittleBob]

War is often won by the side that’s more reliable and consistent. I think Boldemort put it best the Ultramarines aren’t the best at winning battles, they’re the best at winning wars.

[@namefinder]

'Know no fear' by Dan Abnett did the impossible, it made me appreciate the Ultramarines ;-) but they suffer a bit from the poster-boy image.

[@DerBomster]

Yeah, absolutely, that book helped the Ultramarines a lot. And their primarch, who might be a bit too full of himself, but at least he's not Rogal "Teacher's Pet" Dorn.

[@proudsaiyanprince2651]

@@DerBomster You mean Rogal “I shouldered the brunt of the heresy and I’m the reason humanity didn’t go extinct” Dorn?

[@nestorgamer9746]

@@proudsaiyanprince2651 nah fam I'm pretty sure he meant Rogal "YOU SHALL NOT PASS" Dorn

[@proudsaiyanprince2651]

@@nestorgamer9746 *FORTIFICATION INTENSIFIES*

[@stevenagelutton4322]

@@proudsaiyanprince2651 His full name is: Rogal "I walked into the single most obvious trap in the universe and refused to admit I made a mistake to the point where my entire legion was 7 guys and half a Thunderhawk, and getting bailed out by the Ultramarines essentially ended any opposition to the Codex Astartes and the fragmenting of the Legions, thus ensuring 10,000 years of doctrinal stagnation and making the Ultramarines the de-facto authority on how Astartes are organized for now and forever" Dorn

[@alexfrost2799]

The Ultramarines would be greater if they weren't the face of the Space Marines. 'Know No Fear', 'Mark of Calth', and 'Unremembered Empire' all do a great job at fleshing them out, giving them actual characteristics and weaknesses. Guilliman himself actually seems to show character development between these books and his appearance in the 42nd millennium, even admitting when he's wrong and doesn't know everything. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to have him reunite with even just one of his long-lost loyal brothers.

[@stevenagelutton4322]

This is something I hear a lot but has never made sense. "They'd be more interesting if they weren't the poster boys?" They're the poster boys because they're mostly vanilla, sure, but by vanilla we mean "doesn't have a one-note gimmick like everything being named after wolves or being played exclusively by people who unironically shout Deus Vult". By being the poster boys for "Space Marine", most Ultramarine stories are about just that, what it means to be a Space Marine, without requiring the author to weave in some intricate and sleep-inducing past lore that defines the chapter so exclusively that you can't tell a story about them without including it.

[@TheSeroOnYoutube]

@@stevenagelutton4322 Eh, a lot of people don't like just painting the box art essentially. You want to have an army be your own, be special to you, and that can be a lot harder when it's also the first thing everyone sees when they look at the game at all. Taking emotional ownership of some ultramarines can just be harder for a lot people. I don't think it goes that much further than that. (There's also a little bit of a distaste for mary-sues or flawless heroes as well mixed in. In some (definitely not all however) depictions of the ultramarines they can presented as "too good", they do everything excellently and never do any wrong. People tend to prefer a dark underbelly to their heroes, and particularly in warhammer.)

[@barklordofthesith2997]

@@TheSeroOnKZbin I don't play the tabletop game or collect the models (nor do i have a desire to do so) but i find the lore fascinating. While this may be an unpopular position, i find the Word-Bearers to be most interesting as they were the catalyst to the entire Horus Heresy & their hatred for the UltraMarines over sacking their most favored city at behest of the Emperor.

[@petrusjnaude7279]

@@barklordofthesith2997 I agree with you about the lore. Strangely I got into the lore after only having read one novel (one of the Ciaphas Cain novels of all things). At the time, Ian wasn't making videos yet, so I watched Luetin's lore videos. I go back and forth about getting into the tabletop game. My main problem is I live in a very small town that doesn't even know what D&D is, let alone Warhammer.

[@barklordofthesith2997]

@@petrusjnaude7279 You wouldn't be playing the tabletop much for sure then. However, (and i could be very wrong here) I think the majority of the hobbyists basically just like to paint the plastic models & the bulk of their time in the hobby is doing that. The running joke is that the 40-K stands for what it costs to play the tabletop game.

[@anthonyplayter2981]

Starts work on 20 mins and there's a 15 min video... Perfect

[@rossbrook5919]

This series is great. Im a relative noob when it comes to 40k. But love what little lore I learn everyday.

[@x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x]

Horus heresy is 30k.

[@rossbrook5919]

@@x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x yes but you know what I mean.

[@jonbaxter2254]

I think this whole 40k juggernaut began when a man in Nottingham spotted a paint colour called "Ultramarine" and thought it would be a cool name for an army...

[@joshanderson3716]

Thanks for this. Every other video I found about Ultramarines included stories about the presenter taking a trip to Europe or weird inside jokes, etc. Your presentation is engaging and comprehensive.

[@magpiejames1440]

I always find it interesting how divisive the ultramarines are. Some people love them because their good at everything, and other people hate them because they lack character. They're the Superman of 40K.

[@Madhattersinjeans]

They tend to be over represented in all media games workshop produce. And a lot of their media is already space marine focused, which a lot of people don't like either. Every new edition comes with reams of new data for space marine chapters of every stripe but the xenos races get pittance. Not to mention their model range is well and truly beyond any representation they have in the lore. You'd think the space marines outnumbered the humans of the imperium if you went purely by what armies are purchased the most.

[@vinnythewebsurfer]

The definition of Order. Everything balanced on a finely tuned and weighed scale. A very dangerous opponent for chaos indeed.

[@maxbrophy8733]

Will you ever do a video on the Imperial Army and Solar Auxilia? They are my favorite as a guard player, but I know very little of their lore and don't want to sit through a 2-hour slideshow to find out. It's ok if not, these legion videos are really professionally done!

[@musicalDrebin]

remember kids, just cause people shout that the Ultramarines are just boy scouts, doesn't mean that's a bad trait in any way ;)

[@SchitzStabber]

this is legit the best 40k channel.

[@duncanself5111]

Your lore videos are always clear, concise, with no extra fluff and I like your legion videos touch on their early years, which most other creators leave out or are just unaware of

[@_A.d.G_]

And... wrong, when not plainly superficial.

[@Mugdorna]

I think part of the reason is that Ian is a 30 year veteran of the hobby. He remembers the lore being developed in the early. 90s. EG. I got into the hobby in 1994 and remember stuff being introduced. I started with 2nd Edition. (One of my mates at the time was already unhappy with the Dark Angels changing from black to green armour between RT and 2nd Edition.

[@_A.d.G_]

@@Mugdorna problem is that more modern lore has been developed on a series of artcles written on White Dwarf (Index Astartes) in which they didn't even know the name of the Legions on Istaan V (they changed multiple times) and from a Collectable Cards Game! I leave to you imagining the the depth and the quality of those sources.

[@Mugdorna]

@@_A.d.G_ Indeed. I can remember when Index Astartes was first introduced into WD. And yes the early lore was very vague. Its impressive how much has been expanded (and ret-conned) over the last 20-25 years.

[@studentjohn]

It strikes me that the 500 worlds are something like the Mechanicum: An empire within the Imperium, that has proven it can stand on its own if the Imperium fell. And, perhaps, a more worthy successor civilisation to the galactic federation of the dark/golden age of technology than the Imperium.

[@Evohunter7]

Know No Fear is still my #1 book of the Heresy series, and the Ultramarines are 1/3rd of my Legion love triangle between them, the Iron Hands and the White Scars. Which is why all my marines are still grey plastic…

[@pjvish]

The illustration at 6:38 looks like Mark Strong, and It’s weird because I think he could play a lot of different Primarchs, based on his face, accent, and different roles he has played in films, from a Alpharius type in Sherlock Holmes, to a Guilliman as Merlin in Kingsman, and I think he could play a good Kurze or Lorgar as well

[@regalgiant1597]

The Imperial Fists also joined in the conquest of Luna, as was a plot point in Praetorian of Dorn.

[@steweygrrr]

While Guillimans name is very much inspired by _a_ French person (the jury is out on just which one because I've seen at least 3 different attributions) the planet he grew up on was Greco-Roman so the novel version is the correct version. It also seems that in the new rulebook the brief overview of the War Born has them actively taking part in the tail end of the Unifications Wars.

[@ArbitorIan]

Yeah, I think the grey area there is that the conquest of the Solar System is sometimes counted as part of the Unification Wars and sometimes it's own thing, with the Crusade counting as 'leaving the solar system'. There's a bit of leeway there for either to fit!

[@steweygrrr]

@@ArbitorIan Aye I like that explanation too, all of the lore entries in the new books are written in the past tense as if it's a historical record from some indeterminate point in the future so they can't say for certain what is apocryphal, myth or fact.

[@alejandrochalco6893]

Glory to the thirteen!!! glory to the last primarch!!! Glory to the 500 worlds!!! Glory to HE, Cato Sicarius is the Captain of the 2nd company of the Ultramarines, Master of the Watch, Knight Champion of Macragge, Grand Duke of Talassar, and High Suzerain of Ultramar, and as such no foul xeno could ever hope to outmatch his legendary swordsman skill.

[@evanfish4505]

There is only one captain of the 2nd Company, his name is Titus

[@_A.d.G_]

@@evanfish4505 Lieutenant. Also, if you read well the history of the Ultramarines, Captaincy could be granted also to others than Company Commanders. As you should know, during Behemoth invasion of Macragge, Captain Invictus was Commander of the First Company. But another First Company Captain fought and fell in those days: Captain Adrastia.

[@petrusjnaude7279]

After reading the Black Library novel "Know No Fear" I really grew to appreciate the Ultramarines. Great video as always.

[@TheMrFishnDucks]

Fantastic video. Filled many gaps in my knowledge especially when it comes to early parts of the Crusade and also I had no idea about the Unification Wars history. Looking forward to the next video. Keep up the good work.

[@theteejaygee2771]

Probably the first time I’ve watched one of these and not come away wanting to play the subject legion. Probably more due to the poster bit image than anything in the video.

[@ArbitorIan]

They're WAY more interesting in the heresy.

[@theteejaygee2771]

Yeah. Working my way through the back log of Hersey books between Siege of Terra releases. Sounds like “Know No Fear” should be next.

[@_A.d.G_]

@@ArbitorIan actually the Heresy books are all wrong. Black-haired Sanguinius? Really?

[@Yacovo]

Thanks for the video. Ultramarines are always a welcome sight. Unless their name is Cato, then you are doomed.

[@johnhammond6225]

This video series is dope af. Keep it up my dude. I cant wait for Salamanders.

[@theemperorschosen7607]

Coming out just when I'm painting my Heresy UM Termies

[@kingsleywray6632]

Thanks Ian. Another great summary. Loving this series and looking forward to the rest. Thanks fo4 sharing.

[@dmeep]

Rogal Dorn makes Roboutte Guilliman seem like a carefree funloving guy - Corvax , Leman Russ or one of the others

[@WozWozEre]

Knocking these videos out of the park, looking forward to the rest 👍

[@bobbytank4947]

It was after watching this video 10+ times I realised how much I like the ultramarines.

[@mensrea1974]

Ultramarines are one of the few "core" chapters that didn't become kind of cartoonish in 40K. Its too bad they get kind of written off as generic.

[@patrickking3124]

Thanks for covering this. Theres just not enough lore available about the ultramarines :p

[@baitbait65]

Very interesting. Thanks for this. I'm most interested in the Luna Wolves. I feel like they and Horus are just outlines. I look forward to you fleshing them out a bit. Cheers.

[@MikeSpicyWinner]

I loved the Luna Wolves in the first heresy books. The bromance between Loken and Torgaddon is great lol.

[@volkarve]

Always informative and engaging. Great work! We are eager for you to finish all 18 (20)

[@blaholtzen]

Ian always out here with the great patterned shirts

[@GoldenKaos]

Ultramarines Ho! I love my blue Jack-of-All-Trades, Master-of-None bois.

[@GBGSK]

Blue shirt.. blue lights.. looks like we having Ultramarines on the menu today :)!

[@GatGabit]

I'm sure this makes me unpopular, but the whole thing with the Word Bearers always put the Ultramarines in a special place for me. I always liked the legion. I think the practical/pragmatic approach they take to everything combined with the desire to avoid collateral damage always made me view them as the legion you wanted on your side. The "get crap done" legion. That betrayal had to cut deep though. You not only lost your brothers, but an entire world.

[@_A.d.G_]

Calth never happened, according to the lore.

[@axelNodvon2047]

@@_A.d.G_ what

[@axelNodvon2047]

The avoid collateral damage can also be applied to the raven guards, word bearers, imperial fists, thousand sons, and even the emperor’s children

[@_A.d.G_]

@@axelNodvon2047 Great Scouring: Ultramarines played a crucial role because being at full strength they could do much more than all the other Legions, crippled by the battles of the Heresy. It seems clear that Abnett didn't do his homeworks before penning down "Know No Fear".

[@axelNodvon2047]

@@_A.d.G_ Ok now I get what you're hinting at, it's just the horus heresy being written by many different authors. If there is an explanation, it's that the ultramarines were so numerous that even after all their losses they are still the largest loyalist legion after the main war is over.

[@bastodon]

See I never minded the Ultramarines, I just didn't find them that interesting. But there is allot to appreciate here, nice one 👍

[@vishalvarma712]

I just love his content ultramarines my favourite I was waiting for this video

[@GoldenKaos]

@@alfieingrouille1528 Yes.

[@DRKrust492]

Nothing about the rumors that the size of the 13th was due to its acclimating 2nd and 11th legionaires when those two primarchs were censored.

[@reddemon8916]

LOL the day he uploads a new video, a new Votann article drops.

[@ArbitorIan]

Every time!

[@joesmith3510]

I love the series and this video made my day!!!! It will be sad when the series is finished.

[@andrewkennedy9134]

Ultramarines.....the best before, during and after the heresy. The best in 40k. Simply superb! Good video too by the way 😅

[@patinho5589]

Your framed art on the wall is lovely! Some of the truly most evocative / nostalgia pieces out there ! Tyrion and Teclis > classic! Orknmega gargant! > awesome. Hero quest expansion.. witch king something.. > charming Rogue Trader cover > iconic Predator Box Art > really going back! Harlequins Box art > super nostalgia and feeling from those days of the hobby!

[@Capt.DanInJapan]

Minor nitpick: The Nemesis chapter is the 22nd, not the 12th. Other than that, love the videos!

[@thylacinepunic5582]

Honestly I REALLY like the ultramarines pre Horus heresy mostly on a PURELY aesthetic point because goddamn that Roman style is **french kiss**. And even the the legion itself it’s pretty alright pre codex! TLDR: Love the Ultramarine Legion. HATE the chapter.

[@sashav6847]

the candle in the background kills me Ian

[@Spectre_-qe9bp]

Heresy Era XIII were my favorite legion, and guilliman is my favorite loyalist primarch

[@eak125]

Ooh! The one I've been waiting for!

[@charlesquigley4383]

30k and 40ks vanilla ice cream...the Ultramarines

[@timothyharnedy4495]

The Ultramarines have always come across to me as the boring goody two-shoes of the Space Marines, but this video makes me appreciate their character a lot more.

[@Scufflegrit]

I always read it as “Ruh-booT Gee-uh-men.” Mind you, I’m an American from Atlanta, so my vernacular phonetic spelling may not lead to us saying the same thing. 🤣

[@Epicawes]

The intro music is so underrated. I always bop my head...

[@tharkwarrior]

Thanks Ian for filling in the gaps.

[@chrishughes8102]

Also great if you ever need some help with a spreadsheet!

[@mikkelsen_mads7406]

Amazing video man

[@michaelhowell2326]

Since I started watching this channel, when I'm reading the name "Robute Guilliman", I say it my mind like gee-a-man, but if I say it out loud I say gill-a-man.

[@vontheunknown7982]

I'm mostly think Ultamarine have the two lost legions that is why they're so big, what do you guys think?

[@archmageeldran2567]

I personally think that the Legions size is both due to large recruitment pool and because of their flexibility they can change tactics easily to more effective ones and thus avoid casualties that the tactics of legions like the Luna Wolves might incur. Malcador likely took the missing legions legionaries and used them for stuff he either didn’t want a primarch to know about or would consider beneath them. Such as testing new weapons and equipment to see if it could survive Astartes war zones. Remember the original rumour was made by a Word Bearer as an insult and in later novels Malcador only said he would find use for them. This is just how I understand the situation though.

[@GoldenKaos]

Not unlikely, but the simpler explanation is that Roboute "God of Logistics" Guilliman just made an extremely effective recruitment program from the numerous worlds he had to draw from, and also conducted warfare in a way to minimise losses.

[@ArbitorIan]

Like others have said, the gene seed, recruitment pool, and organisation easily justify a legion that big. I think you're probably right that there are SOME lost legionnaires in there, but given the hints I doubt it's that many. They seem to have been the survivors of some big calamity, and similarly unfortunate legions who suffered great defeats (like, say, the Raven Guard after the dropsite massacre) had fewer than 10k marines left!

[@_A.d.G_]

@@ArbitorIan They have been sent in the Webway on a secret mission on behalf of the Emperor. That's why the secrecy, that's why they were expunged from records. Also, during the Heresy they fought for Horus (Codex Ultramarines, Second Edition). Maybe the attack at the Webway portal in the Imperial Palace? Old lore stated that many of the Horus allies came to their senses as soon as he fell, and turned savagely on Chaos forces. The Lost Legions may have done the same and disappeared in the Webway chasing the Chaos hordes. Remember: there are ancient Astartes fighting in baroque armours in the arenas of Comorragh. Connect the dots.

[@hexaquras9374]

8:34 that Ultramarine banner be looking like this U_U

[@dansmith4077]

Good video thank you.

[@2Based23]

Ian: Robut Giiiman GW: Robute Guilliman Me: Rowboat Girlyman

[@ArbitorIan]

GW is like ROBOOTAY GULLY MAN I couldn't even bring myself to do it that way in the vid!

[@alpharius4434]

Three quarter of the legion ? It seems quite a lot. I don't remember thos number in the FW book. Anyway, it's a Good video, as always.

[@_A.d.G_]

Impossible. Just read about the Great Scouring and the Second Founding.

[@JK-pp9uz]

cant wait till this series is done so I can show them all to my friend just getting into WH40K!

[@ayami123]

Ultramarines had their own God Emperor, MATT WARD!!!!

[@RonaldoLuizPedroso]

As Alpharius I wait eagerly for my legion to show up.

[@Crushanator1]

It kind of makes sense they have a restrained mentality and Roman Legion aesthetic now, they were literally made to do a war, and then recruit the children of the conquered. Makes sense why they're concerned with the populace they're subjugating

[@LesStewartLPS]

Am I the only one that didn't connect the 'Luna Wolves' with...the moon before? I dunno, I've been playing Eldar since I was a kid and didn't realize they look at humans and snarkily deride them as "monke (mon'keigh)" for ages either

[@phildman132]

Even Ian seemed to find it difficult to find a hook. Every other space marine legion seems to have some sort of flaw or quirk that makes them unique. For the Ultramarines their quirk is that they are a target because they are just too good?

[@LordyT34]

I agree they're definitely Mary Sueish, but if I had to pick something I think their 'flaw' would be how closely they stick to the system and rules. No room for imagination or flex, would he interesting seeing authors play with that

[@odeegrotsniffer4166]

They aren't mary sues really, they're Jacks of all trades. They only thing they are really good at is keeping order. They don't have anything that makes them stand out by design. They're the bassist.

[@DerBomster]

@@odeegrotsniffer4166 Bootsy Collins would like to have a word with you!

[@GoldenKaos]

The Ultramarines don't have a massive unique flaw, but neither do they have a massive unique strength either. They're probably the best at logistics and strategy, but the Imperial Fists will always beat them in siege tactics, the Blood Angels and Space Wolves will always beat them in close combat, the Raven Guard will always beat them in stealth etc. Their main flaw later on is that they become dogmatic around their Primarch's teachings, and less able to respond to unexpected battlefield situations. Their strength is that they are planners, and their flaw is that the principle of "no plan survives first contact with the enemy" tends to hit them hard when it does hit them. They will eventually reorganise and create a new plan, but they can lose the battle outright before that happens.

[@nekrataali]

@@LordyT34 There was a whole White Dwarf Index Astartes article on the Alpha Legion back in WD 277. It's "no longer canon" (which doesn't really mean anything in 40k lol), but it's a great insight into how the Ultramarines and Alpha Legion functioned. The gist of the story is Alpharius has always tried to undermine Guilliman because of Guilliman's adherence to Codex Astartes. Alpharius disagrees with Guilliman and prefers sabotage, attacking from multiple angles, and sometimes not even using his marines at all (allowing civil unrest and damage to infrastructure to do planets in). This gets put to the test on Eskrador, where the Alpha Legion has been tasked with delaying the Ultramarines from being able to reach Terra. Alpharius reads Guilliman like a book. Things turn into a game of cat and mouse as the Ultramarines try to catch the Alpha Legionnaires, who carry out hit-and-run attacks and guerrilla warfare. Even though Guilliman has superior numbers and firepower, what should have been a simple head-on attack turns into a grueling campaign. Guilliman realizes Alpharius has achieved his goal of delaying the Ultramarines and begins considering a withdrawal. However, Alpharius' location is found and Guilliman tracks down the younger primarch and kills him in a duel. To Guilliman's surprise, it changes nothing as the Alpha Legion continues its guerrilla campaign to strain the Ultramarines of resources and manpower. Despite having inflicted more casualties on the Alpha Legion and killing their primarch, Guilliman goes through with the withdrawal and leaves Eskrador to continue his journey to Terra. While the Ultramarines are the clear victors of the battle, Guilliman is shook. He begins to wonder if he even killed the real Alpharius, or just an imposter. He also realizes the Alpha Legion is fully functional and will be a problem in the future, primarch or not. Really wish they had kept this in the Horus Heresy novels and expanded it from a short story to a full novel. The Alpha Legion feels like they actually know what they're doing with their plans upon plans upon plans. The Ultramarines are still the poster child of ideal space marines and Guilliman is still a master tactician, statesman, and scholar, but the whole thing leaves him with some doubts. The reason they changed the story, however, is because they wanted the Alpha Legion to have access to demons and such. Part of their old fluff was they operated outside the Eye of Terror on extended campaigns, so they rarely (if ever) had anything other than a few psykers to tie them to the warp. edit: Fixed the spelling.

[@davydatwood3158]

Watching these all in sequence, it's hard not to parse the Ultramarines as "the Emperor decides to shake it up a little and not be an absolute dick to his "son" when he finds Guillieman, and the result is an efficient and effective military force controlling a stable and prosperous territory." In other words, even a satirical critique of religion and authoritarianism needs something approximating "good" guys.

[@declanaland1998]

Hi Ian, how did you hang up those old white dwarf magazines?

[@ralphthefanboy]

Heck yeah! Space Romans!!!

[@ZaKRo-bx7lp]

You could say they're the lucky number 13, both in terms of geneseed success, discipline and Primarch leadership

[@robertjrenard]

Ian throwing shade at BL's audio pronunciation...After "Cairn the Betrayer", methinks this is rather the Raven Guard calling the Iron Hands black.

[@Btk4813]

This made my day...

[@repthe21st66]

Hell yeah! Blue boys get it done!

[@TheKordhel]

Can’t wait to see the salamanders one

[@joenewkirk6136]

STOKEDD

[@LinkieNecronLore]

I feel as though the reason the Word Bearers lost so bad at Calth, despite doing lots of damage, was ultimately because they played their hand too soon. If they had, say, gotten the Ultramarines out of the Calth system, into the void once all troops where on their vesicles, then all the Word Bearers would have to do is the kamikaze strikes, and fight the Ultralads in Navel battle which, mind you, the Ultramarines where never particularly good at. THEN they summon the Ruinstorm. This would have made more casualties, on both sides, sure. But the Ultramarines would've been been taken down to more than just the 3 quarters of their original strength. As usual, I blame Eribus.

[@James__V]

Courage and Honour.

[@randombencounter263]

For all of their Roman influences, out of real historical figures the Ultramarines remind me most of Bruce Lee of all people. He set out to develop a generalist system of fighting that can adapt and deal with most situations, and the lineages of trainers who still teach jeet kun do pretend that that's what they're doing, but what you're really getting is the same ~30 parrying and striking sequences + some lip-service to basic boxing principles that Bruce Lee taught in the 70s.

[@alexmacdonald1998]

Bravo. Mad respect to you for not only understanding what Bruce Lee intended with jkd, but relating it in a coherent manner. Your awesomeness has awe!

[@Wheres_the_money_lebowski]

Anybody who is willing to fight whilst having a toilet seat on their shoulder is worthy of respect.

[@bruhfunnies3441]

Honestly. Used to think UM's were kinda boring and dumb mascots. After reading a lot of their lore and especially Heresy lore for them, while getting over the tired memes about them which are founded on a few certain bits of bad writing... They're really awesome and are probably gonna be my starting Heresy Legion.

[@GooglyEyedSkull]

Wowzers, you made the Ultradull sound interesting... ;)

[@ardabayer8625]

Sire, When is the planned release of Word Bearers video?

[@stevenagelutton4322]

he's working through the legions from I-XX at a rate of about 1 a week, Legion XIII has just been released, so Legion XVII will be in about 4 weeks.

[@cyanideinmycereal1077]

mm. my Favorit primarch. Robert.

[@robertstrong6798]

Maybe 🤔 this is exactly why Papa Smurf had the skill set he did. Big E did this incase he died to give humanity a chance

[@Inquisdrknss]

Fairly certain the correct pronunciation is Robbyert Gooolimern

[@icedancer2370]

As an 1000 sons main, i have no business being here.

[@cadian122]

They poisoned the sun?? What?? Lmao

[@captain-hooked]

What happened to Guilliman? I don't follow 40k but wasn't he missing for 10k years between the heresy and current lore and has only just returned?

[@BookieHeretic]

He was stabbed by a chaos blade which would have killed him. He was placed in a stasis field for many years so he didn't actually die. Then cawl some other heretics freed him from stasis using xenos tech and witch craft to heal his wound. For him it's been no time at all, for everyone else ten thousand years have passed...

[@_A.d.G_]

@@BookieHeretic wrong. He was stabbed in the neck by an Athame by Kor Phaeron, but he survived and almost disemboweled the Traitor, but it was Fulgrim to almost kill him. Strange enough, Fulgrim hit Guilliman exactly in the same place where he was hit on Calth. But Calth never happened.

[@sugarface88]

Great Video Ian! love me to tank people

[@jorallan]

Is anything known about the xenos who attacked the Ultramarines above Septus XII?

[@ArbitorIan]

It says the ships were cylindrical, and there's a xenos species called the Jorgall the Imperium fight who also have ships like that but no explicit link

[@jorallan]

@@ArbitorIanso basically "no" then :) Thanks for the reply.

[@archmageeldran2567]

I believe that in the HH book that covered the Ultrmarines Guilliman by analysing that race came to the conclusion that they like the Eldar were a nomadic race with a small population. Later he fights them again and kills something referred to as a king and kills it. It is implied that fight basically wiped them out.

[@DarrinSK]

who was the unknown xenos threat, you reckon?

[@cacarey01]

Word Bearers next?

[@Omnissiah92]

I’ve always liked the Ultramarines.

[@gromosawsavjanin1511]

Finally about the G man boys ☺️