+ + + The Thirteenth of Secundus, 30,014, the bombardment began. From orbit the Warmaster's ships laid down an unrelenting barrage of missiles and deadly energy beams. The aim was to cripple the defence's around the Emperor's Palace and make possible a massive invasion of Earth. The Lunar bases had already fallen and the defending fleets scattered. On Mars, as across the entire Imperium, bitter civil war raged + + +
*****
In amongst the big pile of classic White Dwarf magazines I picked up for a donation over the summer, there was this gem of a two page spread...
One of the classic GW Mega-Display boards which they put on every year at Games Day (the far better precursor to the modern 'Warhammer Day').
There was a series of displays with a new one each year featuring hundreds of miniatures locked in combat across a highly detailed board.
There were classics such as The Assault on Magnir's Crag, which featured Hive Fleet Behemoth assaulting a Space Wolf fortress high up in the snowy mountain peaks.
Da Massacre at Big Roof River, where an Imperial Guard army was surrounded and wiped out by the Orks (WAAAGH!) and featured the first appearance of the Praetorian Guardsmen regiments.
This though, was the pinnacle of achievement back then, the climax of the Horus Heresy, The Siege of the Emperor's Palace.
From the blurb at the side of the article, the walls were near of six feet high, and had miniatures fighting on nearly all levels, culminating with Sanguinius and a Bloodthirster punching each other at the top of the Ultimate Gate there.
I believe this was the first time that Warlord Titan's had been properly created in 40k scale rather than Epic, and looked like the Lucius pattern which was the standard Epic model of the time (I'm not a fan of the Mars pattern which FW offer at the moment).
Alongside this there were hundreds of space marines duking it out beneath the Titanic warmachines'. Artillery pieces, siege towers, a scratch built drilling machine, converted Primarch's, you name it.
All inspiration to your 15 year old author back then...and 23 years later, still as much of an inspiration, and now an aspiration to recreate!
I'll let the photo's of the article, and some culled from the "way back machine" which I managed to find. Alongside these I'll add excerpts from the old version of the lore for the siege.
+ + + The Emperor himself oversaw the defences of his Fortress-Palace, personally commanding the Adeptus-Custodes, his elite guard. He was accompanied by Sanguinius, white pinioned Primarch of the Blood Angels and his legion of Space Marines. Beneath their Fortress-Monastery grim faced Royal Dorn led the Imperial Fists in their final prayers. In the rubble of burnt out Hab-Areas, Jaghatai Khan mustered the White Scars, the legion of Space Marines he had personally instructed in the art of lightning warfare. Outside the palace, three full Titan-Legions stood ready to defend their Emperor + + +
+ + + Within the Emperor's halls even the Space Marines shuddered, knowing that they would soon confront their lost and damned brethren. The terrifying prospect of facing those corrupt Primarch's who had sold their souls to Chaos filled every man's mind with indescribable horror and dread + + +
+ + + Pods touched the ground and from these did erupt the mightiest champions of Chaos, the renegade Space Marines of the lost legions. No longer were these the finest examples of human warriors from legend, but instead were twisted creatures. Bodies warped by the power of chaos, their minds corrupted by the devotion to dark powers.
Mighty ships descended from orbit, hoping to overwhelm the defenders with sheer weight of numbers. Unlike the drop pods, these presented fine targets for the guns of the defender's. And this did the battle for Earth begin in earnest + + +
+ + + More and more intricately wrought dropships descended from orbit, they towered over the battlegrounds like nightmare skyscrapers. The dark runes on their sides glowed evilly in the gloom. Hundred meter tall doors opened in their kilometre long sides. From their red depths, Titan's ten times the size of a man emerged. They were warped giants, the armour of their carapace's fused and moulded into new shapes by the power of Chaos. Some of the Chaos Titans had strange and potent weapons, metal tentacles lashed, spiked tails whipped back and forth, engines roared like angry beast's. Banners fluttering, the Titan's of the Storm Lord's and Flaming Skulls legions marched forth + + +
+ + + Reinforced by this fresh wave of troops the hordes of Horus swept on, driving through the exhausted and demoralised Imperial defenders to the very walls of the Emperor's Palace.
Brave men on the walls knew there was no way out. Here they must stand and die, there would be no mercy from those below. The was a war where there could be no honourable peace. It was destroy or be destroyed + + +
+ + + Chaos Titan's blazed away at the walls, specially constructed missiles ripping great chunks from the masonry. The Titan's of the Fire Wasps answered with Volcano Cannon fire of their own + + +
+ + + Every loyal warrior knew that he was already dead. There was no way he could survive the onslaught of the Daemonic army + + +
+ + + Despite taking tremendous losses, the great Warlord Titan's broke through the wall, and the horde of the Warmaster flooded into the palace grounds + + +
+ + + The World Eaters built a pyramid of scorched skulls sixty feet high in Temple Square + + +
+ + + Sanguinius was forced to retreat to within the palace wall itself. Personally holding the ultimate gate as the last of his wounded men were carried through. Just as the great Ceremite gate was about to close, a Bloodthirster of Khorne leapt upon him. The Daemon's huge talons closed around his throat, and Sanguinius took to the air. Angel and Daemon wrestled above the warring armies, both sides taking a moment to watch the Titanic duel. In a conflict rarely seen, two beings of tremendous power wrestled in a battle which mirrored the bloody struggle taking place across the entire Imperium + + +
+ + + Transmission Terminated + + +
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