Warmaster
| This article is about the Imperial military rank; for the other uses, see Warmaster (disambiguation). |
Warmaster,[4] also known as Lord Solar, or just Solar[Conflicting Sources] is a special military rank of the Imperium and the Imperial Guard.[3]
Contents
Overview
Historically, Warmaster was the title bestowed upon the most favoured Primarch, Horus of the Luna Wolves Space Marine Legion, by the Emperor. The granting of this title was to recognise that Horus was to act as the Emperor's proxy during the latter part of the Great Crusade. Eventually, the Luna Wolves were renamed the Sons of Horus to better reflect the prestige of the Warmaster's title.[4] Now, it stands as the one of the most powerful ranks in the Imperial Guard, second only to the rank of Lord Commander Militant of the Imperial Guard.[3]
Warmasters are created when a Crusade is being planned and resources from multiple sectors are needed. Supreme overall command is necessary as internal strife and corruption might make assembling the material required and co-operating in the field difficult for members of the same rank. The rank is not available unless granted by the High Lords of Terra and such an individual is said to be given the powers by the Emperor himself. There is rarely more than one Warmaster operating within the Imperium at any one time, due to the extreme powers given to them.[Needs Citation]
Other names for this rank of Lord Solar, or just Solar are by many considered more preferable — coming from the title held by Macharius in his crusade at the beginning of the 41st millennium. Some consider 'Warmaster' a cursed title because of the ties to Horus and the Horus Heresy, which tore the Imperium in two. In this light, 'Lord Solar' is considered a more prestigious and desirable title, but fundamentally, the two ranks are interchangeable.[2]
Notable Warmasters
M31
- Horus — Commander of the Great Crusade
M35
- Kiodrus — One of the commanders of Saint Sabbat's original crusade.[8]
M36
- Terfuek — Commanded the Imperial forces during the Pacificus War.[7]
M38
- Demetrius — Warmaster of the Salonika Crusade (733.M38).[1a]
M41
- Macharius — Lord Solar. Commander of the Macharian Crusade[1c]
- Solon — Successor to Macharius. Warmaster during the Macharian Heresy.
- Slaydo — Commander of the Sabbat Worlds Crusade.[1b]
- Macaroth — Slaydo's successor.[1b]
- Tiber Achilus — Former warmaster of the Achilus Crusade in the Jericho Reach.[6]
- Ingenus — Kidnapped by Dark Eldar pirates in 845.M41. Fate afterwards is unknown. Thereafter all Warmasters were issued bodyguards.[1b]
- Brabastis — achieved a triumph in 931.M41.[11]
- Ryse
- Katask — Fought in the 13th Black Crusade
Other/Unsorted
Trivia
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Conflicting Sources - Warmaster and Lord Solar
- Codex: Imperial Guard (3rd Edition, 2nd Codex), released in 2003, states that Lord Solar is a title interchangeable with that of Warmaster (pg. 9). It is again stated in Codex: Astra Militarum (8th Edition), pg. 7. However, this was rescinded in a Warhammer Community article from 16/12/22, which states that the Lord Solar is just the Lord Commander of the Segmentum Solar, and not the Warmaster.[12]
Sources
- 1: Codex: Imperial Guard (5th Edition):
- 2: Codex: Imperial Guard (3rd Edition, 2nd Codex) [Needs Citation]
- 3: Codex Imperialis (Background Book) [Needs Citation]
- 4: False Gods (Novel) [Needs Citation]
- 5: 13th Legion (Novel) — The Last Chancers (Omnibus), Interlude after Chapter Four, pg. 147
- 6: Deathwatch: The Achilus Assault, pg. 21
- 7: Hereticus (Novel), Chapter 15
- 8: Honour Guard (Novel) — The Saint (Omnibus), Chapter Sixteen
- 9: Baneblade (Novel), Interstitial between Chapters 4 & 5, pg. 69
- 10: Pestilence (Short Story)
- 11: Codex: Astra Militarum (6th Edition), pg. 23 — Dark Millennium
- 12: Warhammer Community : Just What Is a Lord Solar Anyway – A Guardsman’s Primer to the Hierarchy of the Astra Militarum (16/12/22) (saved archive)