Heretic Astartes (Chaos Space Marines)

Ordo Malleus Traitoris Index — The Nine Traitor Legions & Renegade Chapters

While the Nine Traitor Legions of the Horus Heresy remain the core of the Heretic Astartes, over fifty loyalist Space Marine Chapters have turned renegade or fallen to Chaos in the ten millennia since—most notoriously during the Abyssal Crusade of 321.M37 when thirty Chapters were sent into the Eye of Terror and twenty-nine emerged as Chaos warbands. Deprived of Mars's forges and stable gene-seed vaults, Heretic Astartes warbands rely on Dark Mechanicum Hell-Forges, Warpsmiths who fuse daemons into battle-tanks, and Master of Possession flesh-rites.

Sub-Factions, Secret Orders & Classified Relics

• The Abyssal Crusade Renegades (The Judged) — Including the Vorpal Swords, Claws of Lorek (now the 'Oracle of Change'), and Steel Cobras.
• The Crimson Slaughter (formerly the Crimson Sabres) — Driven mad by a Khorne curse after the Umidia genocide so they hear the voices of their victims unless they kill constantly.
• The Purge, Flawless Host, Brazen Beasts & Scourged — Former Chapters cursed by Nurgle, Slaanesh, Khorne, and Tzeentch (the Scourged hear every lie spoken by any human across the galaxy).