Warhammer 40K: Know Your Legion Consuls
Today we delve deep into the Astartes Legion Consuls, in their myriad forms – now lost to the mists of time.
Legion Consul
Consuls were a rank bestowed to Space Marines during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy. They came in a variety of roles and types.
Known types of Consuls used by the 20 Legions of the Great Crusade included:
Warmonger Consul
These Centurions were hardened commanders who were much respected for their willingness to heroically throw themselves and their men into the toughest resistance, and are entrusted to prosecute shock assaults which crush the foe in a single action. To these warriors, the informal title of ‘Warmonger’ is attributed.
Armistos Consul
These officers were charged with maintaining, categorizing, requisitioning, and dispensing the vast arsenals of a Space Marine Legion. Beyond this, they worked to improve the weaponry of the Legion and ran simulations and field augmented tests. The skill required of an Armistos was much sought after by the Master of the Arsenal, and the most prized candidates were those of level temperament who are not apt to charge into the fray but are capable of supporting and supplying their Battle-Brothers without desire for aggrandizement.
Primus Nullificator Consul
These warriors were pioneers of early attempts by the Legiones Astartes to counter the Daemonic once the spawn of the Warp began to appear in number during the Heresy. They sanctioned research into esoteric artifacts and weapons and openly sought prohibited lore in the hope that it would provide wisdom capable of combating the Daemonic. These commanders, who were first among the Nullificators, forged an example and encouraged those serving under them to also seek out by any means necessary the answers to the arcane threat.
Mortificator Consuls
These specialized Techmarines were responsible for the Legion‘s Dreadnoughts. They showed a near-fanatical devotion to their charge of managing the Legion’s honored dead, and in some cases went so far as to contravene the tenets of the Cult Mechanicus adopted by the Masters of the Forge. A Mortificators primary duties included the protection during slumber and rousing during war of the Legion’s Dreadnoughts, and when necessary, extends to the controlling of those Dreadnoughts too asleep or too choleric to be considered wholly sane.
Champion Consuls
The Legions‘s greatest duelists were chosen for the rank and were responsible for reaping a fierce toll against enemy commanders. By pairing the Champions’ mastery of swordsmanship with finely forged Greatblades, they could clash with the mightiest opposing Praetors and emerge victorious. This made them an invaluable asset for armies whose commanders kept their eye on a battle’s bigger picture.
Delegatus Consuls
The Delegatus was a type of Space Marine medium-level command rank such as Centurion used during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy. These officers were tasked with specific missions by a Legion’s high command, allowing them to act with full authority. As such, they could mobilize the Legion’s resources, deploy assets independently, and perform vital strategic missions.
Consul-Opsequiari
This was a type of Space Marine rank used by the Space Wolves and other Legions during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy. These officers oversaw the Legion’s disciplinary corps, maintaining order in the ranks.
In the years prior to the finding of Leman Russ, the VIth Legion exhibited fierce aggression and little of the control they later possessed. The Molorian Revolt demonstrated a need for improved discipline. As a consequence, the Legion organized a large number of disciplinary troops. These disciplinary troops served to maintain order in the ranks and make sure that Space Wolves packs strictly adhered to orders. The Consul-Opsequiaris were chosen from the most stable veterans of the Space Wolves and were granted the power to execute Battle-Brothers with impunity if need be. Space Wolves Consul-Opsequiari’s wore the Raptor Imperialis on their armor as symbols of their authority.
Consul Praevian
Trained on Mars by the Mechanicum these commanders were the keeper of the Legion‘s robots, including Battle-Automata given honorary induction into the Legion’s ranks. On the field of battle they marched at the forefront of Battle-Automata forces, guiding them through the engagement. They were often chosen from Veterans whose injuries required extensive Bionics. Known to be solitary individuals, they rarely advanced up the chain of command. Some Legions used the rank as a dumping ground for warriors seen as unfit for other duty. However in the Iron Hands and Salamanders, the rank was seen as a great honor.
Primusus Medicae
Primuses Medicae were high-ranking Apothecaries of the Legiones Astartes during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy. These officers held the onerous duty of overseeing the battle-readiness of their Battle-Brothers and above all else protecting the Legion’s Gene-Seed.
Moritat
Moritats were specialized Space Marine warriors during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy. The individual assigned to this duty were often cold-blooded murderers who fought with a suicidal fervor. They were normally given missions from which they would not be expected to return.
The Moritat had their origin in Raven Guard Ash Blind (also known as Sable Blind on Deliverance). These black-eyed warriors were veterans who were known to forsake all pretense of self-preservation, fighting with a terrifying determination before succumbing to their foes. The survivors of these suicidal incidents were sometimes recovered and in future battles would often descend into the same suicidal fervor that befell them before. The Raven Guard under Corax would organize these warriors into units of assassins and shock troops and they proved highly effective.
Their primary armament was two Volkite Serpentae or two plasma pistols, connected to their jump packs via plasma feed cables and capable of launching a continuous barrage of incredible amounts of firepower.
Learn More of the Marine Legions
