X Legion 'Iron Hands': Origins & History (Warhammer & Horus Heresy Lore)

Being a record of the origins and history of the noble and resolute Iron Tenth, the X Legion 'Iron Hands'.
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Image credits:
Gorgon by d1sarmon1a
Pre-Heresy Iron Hands Clan Brannsar by ilqar
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.

[@skywatcheradept]

Horus describes Ferrus as a military genius. On the contrary all Black Library books so far show Ferrus as a rabid teenager who has completely no control of his emotions, and makes very stupid tactical decisions because he is 100% emotions and 0% cold calculated tactics. I would really like to read something that describes Ferrus as a great leader and strategist, not another "Ferrus got pissed and bad things happened to Iron Hands who fell into another trap" book.

[@lesterramos6468]

That's the funny thing about the Horus Heresy books. With perhaps the exception of Angron, I would like to think every single Primarch is viewed as a tactical genius by Horus. I guess when (almost) everyone is a genius, no one is? XD

[@beardfistthegoldenone7273]

I read in a HH book that Ferrus was the guy to call when your standard drop pod/jump pack and chainsword their faces off plan didn't work.

[@skywatcheradept]

Yeah but I would like to have at least ONE BOOK where Ferrus would get Jaghatai Khan treatment = all good things, no bad things, just piling up examples how Khan is awesome. I'm not a Iron Hands player but I think Ferrus deserves it, and unfortunately the new Primarchs book deosn't give Ferrus proper highlights again.

[@forgefathereli8354]

Haha as an Iron Hands Junkie, its just part of the nature of Iron Hands books. The author is afraid of making them look mechanical and emotionless so they tend to overcompensate. Thankfully the 40k novels about the Iron Hands address this very dichotomy within the book, 40k Iron Hands are simply more appealing than 30k Iron hands. IMO obviously

[@skywatcheradept]

Eli Gutman there are a couple of non-Ferrus IH Heresy stories that are very dark and machine-like: "Riven", "The Keys of Hel", "Sons of the Forge". The machine-necromancy is a great theme forThe Iron X. + Meduson looks like a better commander than Ferrus (but he shouldn't be). I got to get into more 40k stuff. I liked "The Calculus of Battle" but don't have an idea where to go next.

[@ScienzaMagia]

Ah, yes, the IRON HANDS legion. Lead by their primarch IRON HANDS, who was famous for his IRON HANDS. The IRON HANDS were so inspired by the IRON HANDS of IRON HANDS that many would get IRON HANDS to better resemble the IRON HANDS of IRON HANDS of the IRON HANDS

[@socialanimalmedia]

This just made me laugh. So true. A lot of the names they came up with back in the day were just so weird/gimmicky like "Lion El'Jonsson" aka Lionel Jonson. But the one that sounds too weird to me is Roboute Guilliman. Over the years I guess I've kinda just gotten used to it, especially since folks seem to mostly just call him "Guillman" or "Girlyman". They SHOULD have just made his last name "Guile" and given him a sweet mohawk but it's really that dang "Roboute" part that just does NOT roll of the tongue like AT ALL I feel like his name should have been something pseudo-Roman based off his schtick but since he is now mr. spiritual liege it's become a "when pigs fly" situation. Maybe just drop a vowel in there somewheres?

[@ScienzaMagia]

Sam Richardson There's nothing wrong with Rowboat Grillmaster

[@EDuarteVillanueva]

Ferrus wasn't exactly the creative type. I mean, he named a flaming sword "Fireblade".

[@JordonVirtue]

"all I heard was wolf wolf wolf wolf wolf wolf wolf wolf wolf wolf wolf"

[@forgefathereli8354]

Kardan Stronos Approves this message. In the hope Iron Hands can laugh without exploding. Worst case scenario we lost the Iron Hands in their entirety, best case we lose the ones without a sense of humor! And even though their my main army Irl im prepared to roll the dice on this one. The results are worth the risk!

[@leopoldjenkins]

Blessed be the lore tellers, for they do His work and is it glorious in our eyes

[@ewanrodger8067]

That ending is just perfect. Your narration fits the Horus Hersey lore PERFECTLY (in my opinion). You nail the grandeur and the sorrow the the setting evokes, the pride and hopefulness of the Imperium Pre Horus's fall, and the deep heartache brought by the needless loss of so many innocents and bright guiding lights of Humanity and the death of the Emperor's dream. I may not be able to handle your, eventual, video on the Blood Angels.

[@EDuarteVillanueva]

RIP Ferrus Manus. Killed by Not Griffith.

[@beardfistthegoldenone7273]

Eloi Duarte Villanueva I see what you did there...

[@EDuarteVillanueva]

Beardfist TheGoldenOne Also Ferrus in most depictions kinda looks like Guts, so Istvaan was basically The Eclipse but, instead of losing an arm, Guts lost his head.

[@sinclair6555]

And instead of losing almost all of his friends/family. He lost a majority of his sons. And his life.

[@venerablebrothergoriate5844]

I know I’m late as all hell, but apparently our Irondad has a gig with the Legion of the Damned, essentially as their primarch. All the betrayed dead legionaries of Istvaan V now fight for the Emperor, their rage at betrayal transforming their dislodged souls into warp entities. The Master of Mankind book shows them returning at the behest of the Emperor to slaughter millions of daemons at the height of the War in the Webway

[@wavepool4501]

I get the impression Ferrus would approve of the quote by William Sherman, “War is cruelty, you cannot refine it.”

[@TherealSBlair]

Know then, that even we of the fell powers gather around with interest when a new record is issued.

[@williammiller4768]

So glad I found your channel. As a new fan to 40k, the Iron Hands have become a massive favorite of mine. Even their models are utterly distinct from other Chapters. The Hands are a Legion that have just become more deadly over the centuries. They’ve survived events that would’ve collapsed any Legion or Chapter. Ferrus himself is a misunderstood Primarch. His Book lets you see what made him tick. I hold a hope that he will return as the Primarch of the Legion of The Damned. I can’t see any other way for him to return.

[@michaelkean5969]

i know how you destroy the chaos gods and all the Xenos races in the universe you simply blast Hyper loud Live broadcast of Ferrus Manus and Rogal Dorn having a conversation across the galaxy and every enemy of the imperium would die of boredom.

[@TOUGHEYES]

Voxicide ad infinitum

[@leakycheese]

Beautifully produced and read video, thank you 👍🏻 As a fan of the Iron Tenth I think this meets the exacting stands of The Gorgon. Just one small thing I noticed, the superheavy tanks are Glaives as opposed to Falchions. Interesting listening to part of the lore and noting that the Iron Hands despised the Alpha Legion, elsewhere and I can’t remember where another bit of background noted the two legions effectively fought on campaign together despite Legio XX’s penchant for Byzantine strategy and tactics. I guess that’s 30K lore for us, not always in agreement with itself like real history.

[@forgefathereli8354]

They didn't like the alpha legion because they had TWO X's instead of just 1. THUS The alpha legion as in the XXth legion is twice as good as the Iron Xth lol This is feminist joke if that helps for context.

[@DarkSolace33]

Ah! ONE OF THE DAUNTLESS FEW! By the way your voice is cut off at the beginning. :-)

[@Kettenhund82]

Your Excellency, I greet thee.

[@forgefathereli8354]

Sup BRO =)

[@TheSeanoops]

Your comment has 69 likes and I’m not spoiling that.

[@daralinn]

Best 40k, or 30k videos around!

[@markgrehan3726]

Blimey, all the Adeptus Astartes are seemingly just a nudge away from becoming Chaos Legions.

[@ultramarinescaptain3840]

They all were back then. Any traitor Legion could have been loyalist, and any loyal legion could have been traitors. Just depends on the sequence of events.

[@TheVoltage2]

@@ultramarinescaptain3840 Not the Iron Hands. Ferrus Manus was staunchly loyal. Even the only brother he loved, his best friend, couldn't turn him. Without massive shifts in timeline and lore, Iron Hands were impossible to turn.

[@ultramarinescaptain3840]

@@TheVoltage2 When I said any, I meant it, what if Ferrus became a Perturabo, a massive douche with narcissism and egotism, mixed with inferiority, it is highly possible.

[@robertbrown3064]

Dude your lore videos are the best on youtube, keep it up. I can't listen to angry politics or people just (badly) reading the wikis. I get enough of those things at family holidays and when I'm pooping, respectively.

[@forgefathereli8354]

lol angry politics= arch warhammer "badly reading wikis" = OneMindSyndicate hahah well said.

[@gabesteinberg6244]

@Eli Gutman - Arch is a treasure, but so is Oculus and Alfabusa.

[@Matihood1]

Eli Gutman But... Arch's actual lore videos very rarely contain political stuff... He more often makes weird sexual jokes than talks about politics when discussing lore.

[@rgnightscore3407]

Best lore channel + best voice & pronouncing. Great work all in all.

[@adamfox3526]

Ahhhh...i ALWAYS look forward to your new offerings! Thanks so much for posting/ doing a great job & the accuracy and depth of info is wonderful. Thanks

[@sethrhodes7107]

Still my favorite lore channel. Nice new intro btw!

[@rosicroix777]

This is my 2nd time watching your video Remembrancer , & your style always sets the right mood when contemplating Warhammer Lore . TY again.

[@andrewclissold3685]

Just rewatched this (currently reading Fulgrim). Excellent work, one of OI's early one I think? Keep it up :)

[@notabotpromise5654]

Best lore videos, I really like the way you go about your videos. Only think I wish you had more of them

[@Mwakinificent]

I love your videos dude! The thought and effort really shines through!

[@OculusImperia]

Thank you, and thanks for taking the time to support the channel, it means the world to me :)

[@TheTurbanatore]

Love your videos bro, keep them up!

[@jackel792666]

digging the new intro graphic! keep up the great work!

[@Daimon-X]

Iron X. Thought cookies.

[@frankk9152]

Same of the best video's I've seen keep it up

[@hope121107]

You do amazing work. Thank you

[@steventcunliffe]

Fantastic lore video!

[@michaellapalme1198]

Thank you for another one. And as always, the best 40k multimedia in human history.

[@snowgodlordofchimps345]

Favorite lure Channel

[@orrion67]

as always a great video

[@6Stevo]

Awesome stuff as always. 😊

[@forgefathereli8354]

Why are you everywhere...

[@6Stevo]

Eli Gutman why are you stalking me?! 😳

[@forgefathereli8354]

touche sir

[@utchiaRaven]

Best lore video on 40k the opening is always epic from fanatic lore fan of 40k and Rip Ferrus manus

[@thomashawkins6154]

Honestly pre near every video brings me to tears.

[@keithrimer8415]

Great video again!! Can’t wait for the “Iron Hands Tactics and Structure” video! Can’t wait for you to do DEATH GUARD!!!

[@OculusImperia]

Out next week!

[@CallofWar5]

You do the Emperor's work. Ave Imperator!

[@eugenehardy5298]

my fav legion, thank you,

[@antimuppet]

Hooray! Love the Iron Hands!

[@buttz47]

Love the new intro!

[@OculusImperia]

Thank you!

[@papanurgle8393]

Shame the Legion could just never stay a-HEAD. I'll leave now.

[@legionofthedamned157]

well you know ferrus could not keep HIS HEAD

[@waspoptic]

Papa Nurgle Cease immediately

[@Joawlisdoingfine]

@@waspoptic Whats the matter? Does the pun give u a HEADache?

[@Deridus]

@@Joawlisdoingfine He's not able to charge HEAD long into a fray...

[@forgefathereli8354]

Fantastic channel. Thanks for doing my Chapter of 21 years of 40k gaming. I'm only 29 too. =)

[@OculusImperia]

Same here man! We've been in the hobby almost the exact same amount of time.

[@forgefathereli8354]

The real question these days is did you get GW stock back in the 90's because of how much its gone up. My dad loved the whole 40k thing, it forced you to work with your hands instead of "just playing mario all day" lol, how old are you btw? It forced you to read, back in the 90's to write, and to do math. Like haha do this very day i make my lists with a notebook by hand. The people at my store look at me like I've got an abacus LOL. Im sorry im just laughing very hard right now. Buts its so true. And then of course they make fun of me being kinda retro yet playing IRON HANDS!? The Admech ally Legion/ then chapter!? the irony pervades.

[@forgefathereli8354]

Also im a big "patron of the youtube arts" I don't give to many channels but i give a solid amount to the ones i really like. And depending on how good you are at responding to my comments and how good the second Iron Hands video will be I will probably sign up. I see this channel rising to great heights there's a lot of 40k "upwind" to catch. Which is why my advice is to do one 40k episodes about whatever you like. I'd focus on the races that don't get any mention until the year 40k. Just my idea/perspective. I purposely don't read older lore because i know a channel like yours or Arch Warhammer will cover it. and I much prefer to take in my information via audio for whatever reason. More enjoyable i guess? *shrugs* I think of reading as something "assigned". Academia ruined written fiction for me : / . The point im a laboriously trying to make is I think you should do maybe a few videos not necessarily a 1:1 ratio. But yea at least a few on stuff that happened pretty much after the imperium defeated "The Beast" in M32 so M33-M41 Because telling the whole story in order works great for imperial fanboys n girls but not so much necrons, nids, Tau, Genestealer cult, and Dark Eldar fans. The first 4 were sleeping, traveling hear, evolving, and more traveling! But Even though the Dark eldar were around back then they are as we know them in m41 because of Asdrubael Vect's rule which didn't begin until m33 and he didn't seize full control until m35. Although so far as i know the "Aeldari" craftworlds were already boppin around like the space elf hobos they are. Talk to you soon hopefully and I promise I'll become a 20 dollar a month patron you have my Word As a Iron Father Of Clan Company Raukaan. ; ) Also apologies if you ever respond and I don't notice i try my best (this is my real name i don't like talking under my youtube channel moniker i find it to be cheap cheezy shilling for oneself...)

[@Orical001]

Thank you

[@spineywarpigs3196]

Has anyone noticed the titanic set of junk on the titan at 19.00??

[@WAcrobat19]

Yah. Legionary upgrade kits are almost gone though. Rip.

[@forgefathereli8354]

haha because 30k is dead, more people play AOS which is just a shitter version of 40k at this point... Look up the stock values of these companies, you may not agree with what i just said but the financial markets do.

[@DeadJack75]

Your videos are amazing. Have you given any thought to doing the Exemplary Battles from the Black Books?

[@OculusImperia]

Plenty! I just need to learn how to animate. I'd love to give them the care and attention they deserve.

[@bluebuda8170]

please do some grey knight videos please

[@lukecage209]

The iron 10th

[@w.arthurbuchananii6051]

I don't know if anyone has said anything, but at the very beginning their seems to be a miss edit where your very first words are cut off. You may want to go back and reupload with a fixed version, especially since the Iron Hands are the best legion.

[@MarqFJA87]

Hey, there appears to be a cut-off at 0:13. An issue with the recording?

[@Shadlezz]

Nice new intro :) only problem is it cut part of your actual recording lol. Apart from that, stellar video as always!

[@OculusImperia]

The voice cutting off the top of the video was a symbolic tribute to Fulgrim cutting off the top of the X Legion primarch.

[@Shadlezz]

Oculus Imperia ah yes, I see, very astute historical homage 😂 seriously man, keep up the good stuff, I've pointed more than a few people towards your channel due to it being awesome and better than most lore channels.

[@lifebreacher7629]

I do... wish to carry out my studies.

[@TheSenorAwesome]

Necrons am I right?

[@chriskoon5620]

So why hasn't there been episodes on the VI LEGION. Needs more vlka frenryka

[@slymarbo152]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!

[@Xune2000]

Could do without the blooping and bleeping intro. Your old one was far better. Also, what happend to the beginning? Sounded like you were mid-sentence when the audio cut in.

[@axelNodvon2047]

Xune I agree, I really miss his old one. Fits the theme much better

[@Youngimperialist]

Hmm is it just me or does it seem like the first bit of dialogue is cut off.

[@SpoonieMcspoonington]

Ah yes the IronHands the legion that obsessed over weeding out the weak and who saw those lost as weak for only the strong survive, Ironic then that their Primarch was the first to fall in battle in the dark days of the Horus Heresy.

[@dahl7817]

Many of the legion viewed themselves as failures as being too weak to save their Primarch. While others thought of Ferrus falling because of the weakness of his emotions. That's where they go a lot further down the rabbit hole; "The Flesh is Weak". Still got to hand it to them in the wake of his death, pretty much all the survivors in there rage and hatred of the traitors swore vengeance even at the annihilation of the legion as a whole. A group of survivors lead by the Iron Hand's even attempted to kill Fulgrim on more the one occasion.

[@KingChinny]

ButtStuffKaiju?

[@OculusImperia]

And how!

[@Bigslam1993]

I am kinda interested in how you got the twitter-handle "ButtstuffKaiju". I really am.

[@OculusImperia]

Well I really like kaiju, aaaaaaaaaaaand...

[@Bigslam1993]

Weeeeell, that is a more obvious answer than I expected.

[@SledTillDead]

Isn't iron a bit old tech?

[@Yujifanik]

Indeed, but without the old tech, as a foundation, the new tech wouldn't be attainable, if at all possible.

[@forgefathereli8354]

you're killin me here are you on vacation or something? Ive been (im)patiently waiting......!!!!!!!! Oooo i said it on the right day too! Thats that Iron 10th calculating mind working for me. Or A tzeentch daemon lodged in my massive primarch size r$%^@m! Either way history will remember that the gorgan demanding a movie about him and he received!!! And eventually it will become a religion and eventually videos will release themselves independent of whether the internet is connected or anyone is even watching...cuz *warp*

[@philipclay8531]

18 people clearly need some Tau "reeducation"

[@paranoidhawklet]

If you don't do the Emperor's Children after this, I'm gonna be dissapointed in you.

[@OculusImperia]

Well way to guess what's happening after the X Legion Tactics video...

[@nicholasleon7819]

Those were glaives not falchions

[@OculusImperia]

Well, shit.

[@nicholasleon7819]

Oculus Imperia your position as a history scribe within the administratum imperialis is under review. Expect a competency evaluation to be forwarded to any next of kin in about 75 years.

[@patricksmith9700]

Does any one like the alpha legion XX

[@norbertwrinklesberg3325]

Angron did nothing wrong

[@Razzusamadesu]

The most irrelevant yet awesome legion

[@regolaseden9232]

YOU ARE WEEEEAK

[@forgefathereli8354]

Irrelevant to the Horus heresy? Wasn't that the Ultramarines? Maybe white scars depends on your opinion. I mean the Iron Hands didn't do much but thats cuz of istvaan 5, none of the legions their went on do be all that relevant to the defence of terra but not to the Heresy itself. And if you talking about the Pre horus heresy period... Ferrus was the 4th primarch to be found. the first being horus, than leman russ, than *DELETED*, than Ferrus. He had A LOT to do with the great crusade.

[@exactinmidget92]

not a fan of the Iron Hands. just started reading Wrath of Iron and the dudes as straight up assholes. Necrons show more emotion.

[@TheVoltage2]

I know this comment is old, but that's the point of the chapter and the necrons. Necrons are robots that wish to be mortal again. Iron Hands are mortals who wish to be robots. They're supposed to be cold and calculating. Emotions only getting them harm as seen by Ferrus' last moments. I understand why someone wouldn't enjoy them. Kind of a unique taste.

[@TheKsalad]

Not a fan of the bleeps and bloops at the start