Warhammer 40K – The Origins of Blood Angels’ Captain Tycho
The doomed Captain Tycho of the Blood Angels once strutted proudly around the tabletops of early 40K, but is no more. Here’s what really happened.
Today we know the tale of doomed Captain Tycho. How he fell long ago to the Black Rage, after mutilation by Orks. His angelic face mutilated, and hidden behind a golden mask. Like Macharius, he is one of the “historical” figures still in the game, long dead according to the lore. In 10th Edition, we even got him in two versions – in the Index, before being swept away after decades of service in the latest Codex: Blood Angels!
Today, we will head back to the earliest days of the game to learn where doom, and now lost Erasmus Tycho really came from.
Welcome to Rogue Trader Captain Tycho
Rogue Trader kicked off the Grimdark in 1987, and White Dwarf was an early powerhouse of a magazine, expanding the game leaps and bounds each month. One of the beloved regular features was the long-form written battle reports. Many of these early battle reports would be integrated into the lore of the game, and randomly named miniatures would grow into powerful heroes and villains down through the ages. This is how the mighty Ghaz was born, from the humble beginning as a converted Warboss.
Erasmus Tycho is no different. Way back in July 1991, we got White Dwarf 139. In it, we saw a showcase article on the Blood Angels, featuring Andy Chambers’ own creation. This was a typical everything-but-the-kitchen-sink Rogue Trader style list with some Tacticals and one of everything else. This is over thirty years ago and well before the honed, point-optmized, meta-smashing armylists of today. It was a simpler, more innocent time for the game.
It had all the classic old-school minis, and a combination of the plastic RTB-01 and early metal Mk.VII (then brand spanking new) minis. It was also led by someone you might recognize. A certain Captain Tycho, leading the 3rd Company. He used the Blood Angels Captain mini from Rogue Trader, with a banner-backpack and a custom banner you could print out and paint yourself. You will note he is the very model of a fit and healthy Space Marine officer.
Hello 2nd Edition – Captain Tycho’s Ultimate Test
Fast forward two years, and we hit 1993. In particular, we hit October 1993 with White Dwarf 166. This issue coincided with the launch of 40k’s second edition, and of course, that meant we needed a bit fancy battle report. The issue did not disappoint with a fancy and exhaustive Blood Angels vs Orks write-up. The combatants were Andy Chambers with his Blood Angels versus crafty Jervis Johnson, fielding what I can say is a very snazzy-looking Ork army.
So to follow along, note that Erasmus Tycho is back with his same golden mini. His banner is spectacular and he is ready to slay greenskins for the Emperor. It was time to deploy armies, and it was here that Tycho, erm… Andy made a fateful decision.
Tycho is deployed on the left flank in between two Tactical Squads and nestled behind the Furioso Dreadnought. However, directly across the frontlines, the Captain was facing down an Ork Weirdboy and his two minders. Nothing to worry about. Nothing at all. Space Marine Captains are tough as nails and have Ld:10 after all. The battle began, and the Blood Angels moved out. Some Blood Angel turn-one shooting thinned the Orks out a little. Then it was the bottom of turn one and Jervis pulled out his lucky dice. I’ll just let him take up the narrative of what happened next.
That’s rough, and we’ve all been there. But can you ever really keep a Blood Angel down? We would have to wait four years to get the answer.
New Codex, New Tycho Mini
Fast forward to 1996, and the 2nd Edition Angels of Death Codex arrived. It covered both the Dark Angels and Blood Angels. In the Blood Angels character section, we got a new miniature with a familiar backstory. Brother Captain Tycho clocked in at 104 points (plus wargear cards) and had an all-new miniature. Well, it was kind of new. Note that the updated Tycho mini (still in use to this day), is built atop the aesthetic design of the ancient Rogue Trader Blood Angel Captain mini, which was originally used for Tycho. Pretty cool right?
Next, we get to Tycho’s background in the codex. Note the second paragraph. “Early in the combat, which the Blood Angels eventually won, Tycho was the victim of a deadly psychic attack by an Ork Weirdboy and was left for dead.” Ring any bells? Over the next two decades, Tycho’s story would be embellished and the details of his hatred towards the Orks and his final Army of Death death in a blaze of glory added to the game. But that is where it all began – borne out of a the narrative of a single battle report that kicked off 40K 2nd Edition!
Fast forward 28 years to 2024 and the new Codex: Blood Angels. Erasmus Tycho may be gone, but he’s certainly not forgotten.
And now you know…the rest of the story.
