Warhammer 40K: Five Famous Boarding Actions
The history of 40K is filled with deadly boarding actions. How many of these do you know?
The new Arks of Omens supplements are shedding light on a part of 40K often forgotten. While the most common battlefields on are planets, boarding actions fought on ships and stations are a huge part of the lore. So today lets dig into that background history and take a look at some famous boarding actions. Hopefully reviewing these will get you pumped up to fight your own on the tabletop.
5. The Secoris Tragedy
This infamous boarding action saw the Blood Angels attacking an unknown Space Hulk in the Secoris sector. The Angels were not prepared for the resistance put up by the massive amount of genestealers on the ship. Nearly the entire Chapter was destroyed in the fighting, with a near 50 Angels, including Dante surviving. It has gone down in history as one of the worst defeats the Blood Angels have fought and is legendary. This is the haunting backstory, hinted at in Space Hulk, when centuries later another Space Hulk gave the chapter a chance to redeem their honor.
4. The Battle For The Abyss
Taking place during the early days of the Horus Heresy, the so-called Battle for the Abyss was a series of naval and boarding actions aimed at stopping the battleship Furious Abyss. Commanded by traitor Word Bearers the ship was set on a mission to destroy the Ultramarine homeworld of Macragge. In a series of attacks and boarding actions a group of Ultramarines, Space Wolves, World Eaters and Thousands Sons destroyed the ship from within. It’s generally remembered today as being the subject of what is widely counted as the weakest early Horus Heresy novels.
3. Boarding The Will Of Eternity
The Will of Eternity was an infamous Blackstone Fortress that saw its share of boarding actions. During the Gothic War it was captured by Chaos forces in a boarding action. Centuries later it appears to help spearhead the 13th Black Crusade’s attack on Cadia. The fortress was close to destroying the planet, when Space Marines intervened.
The massive Imperial First fortress Phalanx fought the Will to a near standstill. The Blackstone was then boarding by Space Wolves and in an epic action, they managed to disable and wreck the Blackstone Fortress. Despite destroying the the fortress, Cadia’s defenders were ultimately undone when the ruins of the Will of Eternity were crashed into the planet breaking it.
2. Macragge’s Honour
Another early Heresy action, the battle for Macragge’s Honour is well known. At the start of the Battle of Calth, the Word Bearers revealed their treachery by attacking the Ultramarines. The Ultramarine flagship Macragge’s Honour was both crippled and then boarded. Both Marines and Daemons assaulted the massive vessel. A deadly fight ensued, but ultimately the Ultramarines regained control of the ship. The action is notable for seeing Guilliman blown out into space and then slaughtering his way through traitors to get back into the ship.
1. Sin of Damnation
The fighting on the Sin of Damnation is likely the most famous boarding action in 40K. The actions there were featured in both the Video and board games of Space Hulk. While the video games feature Dark Angels, the Sin of Damnation is most known for the assaults of the Blood Angels. Famously some 80 Blood Angels terminators boarded the hulk and killed around 40,000 genestealers, along with retrieving a Chapter Artifact. While the Sin is sometimes named as the hulk from the Secoris incident (see above) these are in fact likely different vessels.
Let us know about your favorite boarding action, down in the comments!
