IV Legion 'Iron Warriors': Origins & History (Warhammer & Horus Heresy Lore)

Being a record of the bitter but unbroken sons of Olympia, the metal spine of the Great Crusade, the IV Legion 'Iron Warriors'.
This video is a non-profit fan-made lore discussion. Games Workshop, Forge World, Warhammer 40,000, Warhammer, Space Marine etc are all trademarks of Games Workshop Ltd. Games Workshop does not endorse or support fan-made "lore" videos. All views and opinions expressed in this video belong to Oculus Imperia and in no way reflect the views or opinions of Games Workshop Ltd or it's employees.
All works used in this video belong to their respective authors and corporations. Oculus Imperia holds no claim or propriety interest, either wholly or in part, in any of the work displayed here, with the exception of the audio commentary recorded for this video.

[@SovietWomble]

I am in the process of binge watching this entirely channel. Love it!

[@OculusImperia]

Thank you! How about staring a binge again once you're done? ;)

[@isaaclevack9183]

What the lord and saviour above just said

[@isaaclevack9183]

AND WHERE'S THE NEXT ARMA BULSHITERRY FOR FUCK'S SAKE WOMBLE?!

[@charion1234]

This is one of the more epic warhammer channels out there.

[@wolkenmatsukovich5669]

Didn't know Womble was a 40k fan. This became a great day

[@TmsFin]

'You don't know of the things I dream. No one does. No one ever cared enough to find out.'

[@theeternalchronicler3072]

TmsFin A quote from the Primarch Pertroabo to the primarch Fulgrim

[@CryingZombie666]

@The Eternal Chronicler Perturabo*

[@garysuarez9614]

Spoken as a true middle brother.

[@Dunmerdog]

God he was such a loser

[@korstmahler]

Ten thousand years later, the tactical actions and outlook of the Iron Warriors would make them heroes of the Imperium, were they still loyal. They were miles ahead of the curve (presumably because there's a pillbox around said curve and they're busy throwing bodies at it). They'd be best friends with the Kriegers.

[@Blade40688]

The work horse never gets the praise it deserves, if any other legion tried to do what the 4th did they wouldn't have a legion left to rebuild. Its okay Perturabo I appreciate you, Who else would have a baneblade as a personal command vehicle

[@qiushuang239]

Tormentor is technically a shadow sword.

[@JohnBrown-um2cz]

Commisar Yarrick would!

[@michaellapalme1198]

“Know then, that this is a record...” My body is ready.

[@BlackViperMWG]

I just want a two-hour long documentary narrated by Oculus Imperia.

[@leopoldjenkins]

You know a lore video is good when it makes you rethink your opinion on a topic. Outstanding piece

[@OculusImperia]

Thank you so much. I'd love to know that this led you to rethink!

[@ghostwood9174]

For real. The origin lore for IW is fantastic; a truly tragic legion.

[@nafsiammara]

Perturabo is also the only Primarch who emerged fully aware of everything around him immediately. Part of why he's such a cold bastard.

[@Azaghal1988]

wasn't Magnus aware of his surroundings even before birth, and in contact with the emperor basically from the beginning? Or is that a lie he tells?

[@WordBearer86]

"Tyrants rule through the love of their people, effective ones through fear, but no tyrant ever ruled through indifference."

[@Ideo7Z]

Primarchs of the other legions are more honored and famous with their charisma and ability to work the masses with good P.R. Perturabo lacked those skills. The Iron Warriors should have hired a good PR agency or had more remembrancers.

[@zenoblues7787]

It always surprised me that the Legion with the most advanced and numerous technology, with commanders driven by cold logic refused to commit to any tactics other than attrition and siege warfare. Although based upon this video it seems to have been done out of sheer stubbornness

[@OculusImperia]

Stubbornness appears to have been an almost (or indeed likely) genetic quality within the IV. The effectiveness of the Legions means is readily apparent, but so too is the cost.

[@WordBearer86]

Sadly they actually were incredibly creative and yearned to build and explore. They are the embodiment of tortured, isolated genius, unfulfilled.

[@jeova0sanctus0unus]

wasnt their specialisation in siege warfare more of a result of the Tasks they got assigned to early on.

[@maxhodge7149]

@@OculusImperia Your writing is amazing.

[@jakobschoning7355]

@@WordBearer86 But that was only Perturabos fault

[@weldonwin]

Perturabo: *I DEMAND TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY!!!* Rogul Dorn: No...

[@bumblingbureaucrat6110]

Is it blasphemy that I like both the Iron Warriors AND Imperial Fists?

[@weldonwin]

@@bumblingbureaucrat6110 Yes, it is very blasphemous, heretical even. Please turn yourself in to your nearest Adeptus Arbites precinct for interrogation, torture and execution by burning at the stake. If you could do this promptly, it would certainly save the Inquisition some considerable time and ordnance that would otherwise have to be spent on condemning your entire planet to Exterminatus... The Inquisition has kind of a twitchy Exterminatus hand

[@PandorasFolly]

Read that in TTS Dorm voice.

[@sonofthewolfguardianofthef1214]

Ferris Manus: I take you seriously. Petarobo: *recoils in surprise* Magnus: hey look at this cool book I found about ancient philosophy by one Plato. Here it’s a gift. Petarobo: *visible confusion* Fulgrim: want to go on an adventure where I totally won’t betray and kill you. Can build me a stage for the debriefing too? Petarobo: fuck yeah!

[@nightlord8756]

@@weldonwin Lol better be an heretic than a slave of a tyrant , And Chaos Power is far stronger than the spoiled man that is the "Emperor " of mankind 😼

[@derekburge5294]

Everything about your presentation, from the tone of narration, cited pictures, background chanting, and extensive information about the subject REALLY helps with immersion. 10/10: would recommend until Ordo Redactus blams narrator.

[@OculusImperia]

They've tried servitor conversion on me, but I got better.

[@garysuarez9614]

Ordo Redactus should oughtta be a thing.

[@garysuarez9614]

@@OculusImperia I cannot like this comment enough!

[@maxhodge7149]

I didn't even really notice the chanting, but I think it is quite good for the background.

[@D2017_]

Poor iron warriors. They weren't sourced from scum of the earth like the blood Angel's or prisoners like the night lords. They were just dudes. Then after being treated like expendable garbage for a long time, they finally get to meet their dad. But its perturabo :(

[@andrewostman3135]

Great video. I found the perterabo novel engrossing. He really was a tragic character. That and angel exterminatus made me actually feel a bit sorry for him.

[@OculusImperia]

He's been one of the real beneficiaries of the Black Library's Heresy-era novels. It's added a tonne of depth to him as a character.

[@andrewostman3135]

Oculus Imperia when his adopted sister puts him in his place, I thought, was a crowning moment in the novel. It perfectly explained the kind of person he is and how he is consumed by the same flaws mortals are.

[@sonofthewolfguardianofthef1214]

I still can’t believe that the singular reason why Petarobo and Manus weren’t a couple of stereotypical school girls on the night before prom is because Ferris gave him a concerned look “with those silver eyes”.

[@geoffjones8808]

Know then that you are my new favorite source of 40k lore.

[@OculusImperia]

Thanks so much. Tell your friends!

[@augustschaeffer7530]

I love the in-universe feel of the series, not to mention the vibe set by the music and voice

[@OculusImperia]

Thank you! Glad to hear it's so well-recieved :)

[@kaiusbellum107]

Exceptional depth, Gracefully narrated and thought provoking another out standing video, 40k lore as an art form

[@OculusImperia]

Thank you so much

[@kaiusbellum107]

Oculus Imperia it is us that are thankful

[@KCCxn]

Easily my favorite warhammer 40k lore channel. Thanks man.

[@OculusImperia]

No, thank YOU!

[@Kettenhund82]

He is the best! He is a remembrancer from House Carpinus.

[@CharlesUrban]

Iron within, iron without, and therefore very stubborn and annoyed at everything. Then again, they should have gotten a break every now and then to shore up morale.

[@garysuarez9614]

You have a vocal style that is what I'd call "graceful and stylistic." Thank you for your work.

[@HaussVonHorne]

Most lore I've ever heard about a Legion that is normally forgotten.

[@LordTelperion]

Well, damn. The Emperor was a fool and begging for rebellion for letting this travesty continue.

[@OmniGSage]

Ironic that the stubborn, callous, and cold calculative mindset that Perturabo seemed to have had, is the very same mentality many people see in the Emperor himself, especially after reading "Master of Mankind".

[@MLaak86]

Definitely a run down that made me look at the Iron Warriors differently.

[@nickbaspaly6239]

Your origin and history vids of the different chapters are the gold standard of lore vids for me! You did such a great job !

[@EazyAdland]

Thank the omnissiah! I needed some Iculus Imperia today. Awesome job as always. Keep up the good work and take your time. Your videos are amazing.

[@OculusImperia]

Thank you!

[@igneous061]

i see you realy like that music in background.....heard it in quite lot of your videos......Pavle Aksentijević is realy amazing singer of church/orthodox stuff....start putting the music in description of your videos :D

[@Cromcruach666]

Nice to hear the voice of an Irish man recounting the 40k lore.. your version is the best of all

[@absolute-focus]

Another brilliant video. Easily the best channel for 40k lore.

[@ianbailey6592]

So I'm wondering, what do you guys love the most about the Iron Warriors? I like their unrelenting system of war and how they serve as the mad scientists and weapon makers of the Traitor legions.

[@OculusImperia]

I appreciate anyone with a massive artillery train.

[@Memento--Mori]

The Iron Warriors are pragmatic, calculated killers. The Legion is not driven by some crazy religion, utopian ideals, etc. The Iron Warriors are just Marines who felt betrayed, having been used as cannon fodder. They watched their brothers die in droves, and wondered what it was all for. Unrelenting war, unending hell drove the Iron Warriors to bitterness and great pain. Whether you are a fan of the Loyalists or CSM, you cannot hate the Iron Warriors, for they only joined the Warmaster because the Imperium effectively betrayed them. Used as nothing but cannon fodder.

[@MR.LMR1996]

@@Memento--Mori Aye. That's why the Iron Warriors are my favorite Traitor Legion. They didn't join Horus because they found a better master in the Ruinous Powers like the other Traitor Legions did, but because they felt The Imperium was becoming a tyrannical influence upon their lives. They hate being refereed to as traitors and their enemies in the Imperium as loyalists due to said feeling of betrayal.

[@bladestormviking]

IW are the epitome of "SOMEBODY gotta go dig these so-an-sos out of that impossible spot", they may do the distasteful job but they're still the best in the galaxy at it. i for one would love to see a loyalist IW contingent hook up with a Krieg regiment. i could see Perturabo reviewing their records and going ".... you're gonna ride with us now".

[@Joawlisdoingfine]

FirstName LastName The Iron Warriors, The Sons of the Emperor and the thousand sons. All could have been saved from the chaos

[@MR.LMR1996]

Can't help but feel sorry for the Iron Warriors to be honest. They did all the shit jobs no one else wanted to do, yet they were barely recognized for their efforts.

[@briankim4920]

Great narration as always. I really admire your work

[@OculusImperia]

And I really appreciate your support

[@muscledad3113]

So happy to see you posting regularly again, looking forward to the 2nd part!

[@OculusImperia]

Second part in two weeks!

[@hellinterface6721]

Would it be correct to assume that these would be the form of the adeptus Astartes counterpart to the Death Korps Krieg of the IG?

[@respnocza6953]

Iron warriors legion is like a Astartes version of Armageddon steel legion(Mechanized warfare) and death korps of kreig(Swarming the enemy with artillery and head on attacks) melded together and given genetic astartes enhancements

[@maxhodge7149]

@@respnocza6953 Good to know.

[@korstmahler]

MOURN THE ARCHAEOLOGIST, THE DESIGNER, THE BUILDER.

[@TheDragonaxe1981]

Great work, once more. If I may be so bold as to suggest a minor addition; to end your videos instead of just going silent, perhaps have a sound (a ringing bell, etc.), to help make the records end feel more natural. Perhaps a mechanical sound as the servitor ends playback. Anyways, please keep up the great work.

[@OculusImperia]

This is an excellent idea, thank you so much. I'm working on options for a good end screen starting with the next one, and I'll absolutely bear this in mind.

[@TastefulGorilla]

I like to imagine that the Emperor's "silencing" of opposition to Perturabo's decimation was something along the lines of "I'd never do anything like that to my loyal servants haha... Unless....." and nobody wanted to press the matter any further.

[@karambiatos]

Iron warriors have the best quotes in the lore. "The iron within, the iron without. Iron everywhere, empires rise and they fall, I have fought the ancient species of the galaxy, and my legiones astartes brothers will fight on meeting new threats in dangers as yet unrealized. We are an Empirum of iron, and iron is forever. When our flesh is long forgotten when the victim to the enemy within or the enemy without, iron will live on. Our hives will crumble and our mighty fleets decay, long after our polished bones, have faded to dust on a gentle breeze, our weapons and armor will remain. Remnants of a warlike race, iron of loyalist and traitor both, In them our story will be told, a cautionary tale to those that follow. Iron cares not for faith or heresy. iron is forever, and as our battle plate, our blades and bolters, rot in the sand on some distant world, they will pit and tarnish, their dull sheen will corrode and crumble, grey will turn to brown and brown to red, in our quietly rusting scrap of our fallen empire, iron will return to its primordial state. Perhaps to be used again by some other foolish race. And though the weakness of my flesh fails me, as the weakness of my brothers flesh will ultimately fail them, our iron shall live on, for iron is eternal. From iron cometh strength, from strength cometh will, from will cometh faith, from faith cometh honor, from honor cometh iron. This is the unbreakable litany, and may it forever be so."

[@Beorn567]

My new favorite channel, love your calmer more atmospheric delivery

[@OculusImperia]

Thanks so much, excellent to have you aboard!

[@LU-nc6oy]

Best 40k lore style hands down. Thanks for a longer video!! I just wish you put out more content.. heck I'd paytron you if you did..

[@OculusImperia]

Watch this space.

[@black651]

Another well done video!! Love it! Thank you for making these!

[@OculusImperia]

And thank YOU for the support!

[@ESO-ONE]

Your videos are amazing your an iterator of our times. Great content even better delivery. You use great artwork with descriptions. You can tell a lot of time effort and goes into these videos. My new favorite channel.

[@OculusImperia]

Thanks so much, wonderful to have you aboard!

[@jackmyers8687]

From Iron Cometh Strength From Strength Cometh Will From Will Cometh Faith From Faith Cometh Honour From Honour Cometh Iron! This Is The Unbreakable Litany And May It Forever Be So!

[@johndalziel4226]

My favourite legion and primarch

[@jonkmeister4717]

Awesome as always!

[@tilted_axis9819]

The iron warriors seem like the embodying of the phrase, “your reward is more work”

[@barrylucas505]

Love your presentation!

[@OculusImperia]

Thank you!

[@jberg1794]

You do an amazing job with this.

[@OculusImperia]

Thank you so much!

[@Thedagda801]

Wonderful as always

[@hope121107]

This was great!

[@v02max75]

I know this comment is a bit late, but thank you for your awesome channel, AND for using "Decimate" correctly. Sooooo many people think that it means "obliterate", but it does not.

[@andrewbuchanan8315]

Beautifully done Remembrancer of Erie.

[@pbr-streetgang]

Thanks for the vid sir.👍🏼👍🏼

[@ThePenumba]

That was the most depressing thing I've watched all week Subscribing immediately

[@OculusImperia]

[@OriginalDecurse]

Another amazing video my man.

[@OculusImperia]

[@ravenstrategist1325]

I love the music in in this video. Can you provide the link please? Thank you! :)

[@razorray8468]

Well done!

[@eliasjoelvaldez5030]

Awesome story telling

[@DaveeBoy]

Great stuff

[@ravenwings666]

Great work again! Please make one on the World Eaters

[@OculusImperia]

Really looking forward to getting to the Bloody XII

[@JoPrair]

BY THE EMPEROR!!! Already time for a new one :D

[@DarkSolace33]

That was fast! Are you a White Scar? :O

[@OculusImperia]

One can but try.

[@robouteguilliman6662]

I heard that the White Scars like to go fast...

[@JeanLucCaptain]

White Unz Go Fasta!

[@BurgiM]

still running on life support i see

[@THE-BUNKEN-DRUM]

@@robouteguilliman6662 : Did your mother tell you that?

[@SirDoc-qd8td]

I know 1 year late but you know what they say better late than never so I just subscribed

[@fournier1411]

Wonderful!

[@terrorcop101]

So the Iron Warriors were the guys who figured "it's just a job, let's not make a big deal out of it." Doesn't account for their complete and utter lack of unchanging inflexibility, though. Edit: They're like the Death Korps of Space Marines.

[@immortallvulture]

Strangely though they (or at least perturabo) do show a lot of imagination during the siege of terra. Using fire ships and retrofitting space hulks to shield his fleet and win the space battle. then during the siege using infiltrators, orbital assaults, tunnellers and even asking the other legions to use warp powers, something he still knew little about.

[@terrorcop101]

@@immortallvulture Sounds like WWI. Edit: With space tech and alien Hell powers.

[@JordonVirtue]

Hell yeah the new ones' out!

[@bigdaddy_bo6741]

Hey bro, do you write these scripts yourself? You're blessed with literary talent. Thoroughly enjoy the perspective of your channel. Gives it that extra Sazon compared to other channels!

[@BogdanF14]

Love your work! Can you please tell me The name of The song you've used in this one?

[@heresyinsider]

Death guard next please

[@Tortle-Man]

Coming back to this post 2022 is wild. Bit if a weird comparison now during the war in Ukraine, but seeing two semi modern militaries using modernized siege and trench warfare tactics in the 21st century, I can’t help but see these iron warriors. Like even with futuristic weapons and armor, when facing an entrenched foe, you just gotta go block by block, trench by trench again and again.

[@randomcenturion7264]

The equipment might advance, but the old ways rarely disappear entirely.

[@fergusshaw7133]

Love it, the 1st next?

[@OculusImperia]

I'd really love to do the 1st but to give them the same detail the others have gotten I kinda need to wait until Forge World publish Angelus :/

[@warriorfire8103]

14:43 not sure the message was "failure isn't an option" so much as "now you have another enemy to worry about from overhead"

[@kelborhal2576]

Know then, that this a record of my like and subscribe.

[@fedupN]

Rewatching this it becomes further self evident how much the IVths issues were self inflicted. From resenting the success of their cousin Legions, nursing imaginary grudges with the Vth and VIth simply for not praising them enough, to butchering their own Legion and allies. I mean, the XIIth looked at garrsion duty as recruitment drives, the Ist took losses as part of their duty. Perturabo and the IVth dug their own hole and, refusing to use that supppsed big brain, kept on digging. Its the embodiment of side show bob stepping on rakes or that meme of the guy ramming a stick into his own bike spokes.

[@Axe-of-Boniface]

Please provide links to the music used in the videos.

[@jesseberg3271]

It just occurred to me years later and after many watch throughs, how funny it is for Third Legion recruitment stock to be repurposed for the Fourth Legion. So haughty little aristocrats who had been raised from birth to think they would become the Emperor's purple clad symbols of nobility and grace were told, "Nope! You're Corpse Grinders now. Get in those trenches and we'll talk to any of you who survive your first engagement!"

[@daemonofdecay]

still amazing

[@harrisonrobb5252]

This one might need to be re-recorded... The sound is a bit echoey. Otherwise, amazing work as always.

[@Kettenhund82]

I can‘t wait to listen to this! But let me hit the Like Button first.

[@OculusImperia]

Always happy to get a like!

[@209cgrant]

I loved the IVth before, but damn, this has cemented my unwavering loyalty to them.

[@WulfPriest]

"Fuck Perturabo!" - the VII

[@or6397]

Thing is, they had remembrancers on their fleet whose sole job was to worship the ground they walked on and produce flattering propaganda. Plus we see statues of Iron Warriors and Perturabo being torn down during the Heresy implying they were honoured. So, my head canon is this was all in the heads of the Iron Warriors that they were being slighted. Especially when it’s mentioned in passing in Angel Exterminatus that they killed all their remembrancers. Have they done a book that actually explores and elaborates on the rivalry between Dorn and Perturabo?

[@UncleMikeDrop]

I often wonder what would have happened if Perturabo had landed on Auretia..

[@Cromcruach666]

Please do the Lamenters or the word bearers

[@Biervampir92]

The picture at 16:43 is from the battle of Tallarn, not a mutiny

[@OculusImperia]

I'm aware, but owing to the lack of artwork for the Iron Warriors I was forced to take liberties.

[@vallytine]

17:30 yo what the fuck is happening to those auxilliares at the bottom right

[@Allhailthesith]

DAMN! This is tragic

[@TheKsalad]

This channel is much better than Arch Warhammer and OMS

[@OculusImperia]

Thank you so much. Please let anyone who watches said channels know that!

[@margar9021]

I mean sure, but I like all 3 of you, dont see why any channel needs to be considered objectively better.

[@TheKsalad]

Objectively, Oculus Imperia keeps everything contained in the 40k world, no referring to real life and adding their own side-comments on the writing of 40k. He also speaks in a way that isn't the equivalent of going through the slowest lobotomy of all time.

[@clonetf141]

TheKsalad yeah he the grim dark narrator vaults of terra micheal (forgot his name for his channel) and remleiz are the vest way of learning 40k lore

[@Memento--Mori]

Saying someone is better than OMS isn't that special.

[@burialgoods]

Part two coming soon?

[@OculusImperia]

Be back in here two weeks,

[@burialgoods]

You're the man.

[@BlackViperMWG]

Awesome as always, blessed historian. Very nice for mentioning the Rangdan Xenocides too! Just few things; your pronunciation of Roboute Guilliman seems weird, try to use official one, from this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z5DaiXZ4ec5_e6Mm25s in cca 16:42, there is picture from Battle of Tallarn, so your caption of that picture is wrong wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Battle_of_Tallarn

[@OculusImperia]

Well spotted. I took liberties with that last one on account of there being very little Iron Warriors artwork out there.

[@TheGreatThicc]

You and Arch Warhammer should attempt to do something like together. You, with your great story telling, Arch with his "skilled" humor, it has potential.

[@garank4971]

@Cactus sad gasmask noises.....

[@darkhighwayman1757]

Perturabo was a lunatic.

[@respnocza6953]

Guy was crazy but he gets the job done one way or another

[@igneous061]

Music in background is Pavle Aksentijević.....not sure wich song he sings.....shame you didnt mention it

[@davebowman9000]

IRON!! IRON WITHIN!! IRON WITHOUT!!!

[@hobbitsis2102]

Gonna do an army on them

[@michaelkean5969]

Pertorabo the Tywin Lannister of the 30k/40k universe cold ruthless uncaring and brutal.

[@theeternalchronicler3072]

The primarch was not uncaring. He cared for his brother's but never let it show. He openly hated Dorn and saw him as his rival, and in his own way Purterabo did care for his sons outside the battlefield.

[@michaelkean5969]

@@theeternalchronicler3072 even tywin lannister cared to a certain extent doesn't mean he's a caring guy same goes for perturabo.

[@chrishopkins209]

Absolute stubbornness? Must have been from Yorkshire!

[@nerag7459]

Perturabo: "In the interest of efficiency 10% of you must die." Sergeant: "uh huh." *draws volkite pistol* Investigator: "So as I understand the six of you tripped, fell and your firearms accidentally discharged into Perturabo's back 148 times." Sergeant: "Yes Investigator." Investigator: "And then Perturabo stumbled out of his command post where a land raider accidentally ran him over 23 times." Sergeant: "Yes, they thought they had hit an animal so they reversed to take a look." Investigator: "And your account is absolutely identical to the other 5 officers in the command post, and I also have accounts mailed in to me by other Iron Warriors who back up your account word for word despite the fact they weren't even there." Sergeant: "I suspect we have a high incidence of Librarians in our ranks sir..."

[@MrHorncity]

Perturabo digs....holes *laughs*

[@shawnradcliffe3514]

Ooooff one statement in this did not age well. While, yes the other Primarchs weren't exactly friendly to Perty, he and Magnus actually shared a very unique bond as illustrated in the book "Magnus: Master of Prospero". Though to be fair that book was published after this video was made, and I wish we'd get more stories of the Iron Warriors and the Thousand Sons collaborating with each other. Their Primarchs seem to enjoy each others company as well as their Legionaries, imo. It is the most unlikely synergy I have ever seen but it w o r k s when you sit down and actually think about it.

[@stephenpichurski5985]

Alpha Legion next

[@bentaylor809]

Got your wish eventually aha