Warhammer 40K: The Many Wings Of The Dark Angels
The Dark Angels have six rare formations; some of them unused in millennia. How many of the Wings of the Dark Angels do you know?
The Dark Angels were the first, original Astartes Legion deployed by the Emperor of Mankind. Over the Great Crusade, and down through the centuries they have taken to the battlefield in many rare formations – some unseen since the Horus Heresy. Some are well known while others are almost legend. This is what is known.
The Dark Angels fielded six specialized formations called Wings of the Space Marine Legion during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy.
Ravenwing
The Ravenwing is a highly specialized formation where speed is more important than heavy firepower. To this end, all of the marines in the company ride into battle on Bikes or Land Speeders on land, including specialized vehicles such as the Land Speeder Vengeance and Darkshroud. In the air, the Ravenwing employs Dark Talons and Nephilim Jetfighters. The Ravenwing’s hidden role within the chapter is that of mobile hunters. They are eternally prowling for their traitorous ancestors, The Fallen. Instead of the usual dark green panoply of the rest of the chapter, the Ravenwing’s armor and vehicles are painted jet black, echoing the original colors of the Dark Angels Legion. The Ravenwing also contains specialized sub-formations, such as Ravenwing Command Squads and Ravenwing Black Knights. The latter are the most hardened veterans of the Ravenwing with access to the 2nd Company’s Inner Circle. Ravenwing Squads come in two primary varieties, attack or support.
The origin of the Ravenwing dates back to pre-Imperial times; originating from a mounted cavalry section of The Order who rode black horses and “could survive alone in the deadly forests of Caliban, heroic figures in matt black armour and winged helms.” While its title originates from Caliban, its role was designed by the Emperor during the Unification Wars as part of the Hexagrammaton.
Deathwing
The Deathwing is unique among the Space Marine chapters in that the entire Dark Angel’s First Company fights exclusively in Terminator armor. The company’s armor is a bone white color, rather than the dark green of the majority of the Chapter, or the black of the original Legion . This alteration of the color scheme applies only to the Dark Angels, not to their successor Chapters. The Deathwing’s insignia is a variation of winged sword worn by the rest of the Chapter. The blade of the sword is depicted as being broken in Deathwing iconography. More so even than the regular Dark Angels, the Deathwing are notoriously stubborn and resistant, refusing to buckle under extreme pressure from enemy advances, even when it would be more advantageous to retreat.
The Deathwing is not solely a tactical formation. Promotion to the Deathwing means that an individual is bestowed many of the darkest secrets of the Chapter. The most closely guarded of these secrets is that of the betrayal of Luther and the Fallen, and the subsequent fate of their Primarch, Lion El’Jonson.
The Deathwing itself contains multiple specialized sub-formations such as Deathwing Command Squads and the dreaded Deathwing Knights. These comprise the elite of this already veteran Company.
Ironwing
The Ironwing was developed by the Emperor himself in the Unification Wars for the purpose of exterminating threats to mankind too dire to be allowed to endanger the coming Great Crusade. Ironwing was equipped with heavily armored vehicles for their missions. These include Land Raiders and Dreadnoughts.
Here is a card from EPIC showing three of these formations. The Land Raider Company below was named “Ironwing” when used by the Dark Angels.
Dreadwing
The specialty of Dreadwing was total warfare. The voted-lieutenant bearing title Dreadbringer used Destroyer Marine Squads supported by other types of squads to bring total anihilation of a foe on specific battlefield. The Dreadwing utilized mass armored assaults of Land Raiders, Spartan Assault Carriers, Mastodons and Fellglaives with advanced weaponry. They were also known to employ sinister and shunned weapons of mass destruction such as Phosphex Rad and Vortex Weapons. As of M41, the organization no longer exists.
Stormwing
A Great Crusade era formation, consisting of Assault Squads with Boarding Shields. The Stormwing specialized in naval boarding operations. As of M41, the organization no longer exists.
Firewing
The Firewing was one of the six “wings” of the Hexagrammaton during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy. Its purpose is not known, lost to the mists of time. Like all Dark Angels wings save the Deathwing and Ravenwing it did not endure into the 41st Millennium. There are, however, heraldic links between the Firewing and the Consecrators, a Successor Chapter of the Dark Angels.
~Secrets within Secrets. How many of these did you know of?
