30k Dark Angels

[Tomgar]

Not according to the Codex. It states they diverted to Caliban during the Scouring, after the Battle for Terra because Warp storms had engulfed the planet. The DA fleet actually arrived at Terra but the battle was over already. They then drove out the traitors in the scouring, discovering Luther's betrayal sometime during this period.

EDIT: it's on pages 8 and 9 of the Codex btw. And as far as I'm aware, the reason they missed the battle for Terra was because they were engaged in a campaign against the Night Lords who constanly harried and delayed them.

[DarkChaplain]

In Tales of Heresy's "The Call of the Lion", Merir Astelan does not know about the Ravenwing, btw.

‘What’s that?’ Astelan asked, pointing to a heraldic symbol on Belath’s right shoulder plate, where normally a Space Marine’s organisational and rank markings would be painted. It was decorated with a quartered shield, white and blue, emblazoned with a sword held in the grip of a taloned foot.
‘That is the symbol of my order,’ replied Belath, somewhat taken aback. ‘The Order of the Raven’s Wing.’
Astelan turned an inquiring look to Galedan.
‘One of the knightly orders,’ the captain said. ‘A Calibanite rank badge.’
‘And that?’ said Astelan, redirecting his accusing finger to Belath’s other shoulder pad, which was painted a dark green beneath the Dark Angels symbol.
‘The glorious Lion El’Jonson has decreed that Calibanite warriors are to wear the green of our home world’s forests,’ said Belath with no small hint of defiance. ‘It is to act as a remembrance of the battles fought to tame Caliban under the leadership of the Lion.’

The quoted section is set, of course, before the outbreak of the Heresy and before Astelan got sent back - it seems like the events in the story are the reason Astelan was sent to Caliban. It also doesn't seem to imply that there's anything special about the Ravenwing yet, apart from them bearing their old Order's iconography as a constant reminder of the old days.
So it seems that the Wings weren't around right from the start, at least not as a special strikeforce.
Astelan was sent back to Caliban after the first wave, with Luther and co. So it wouldn't surprise me if the Calibanite Dark Angels were unaware of the new structure of the Legion, considering how rarely the Lion bothered to reply to Luther.


Apparently Dan Abnett's next HH novel will be about Dark Angels and is titled "Dreadwing" - but who the hell knows when that's even going to happen, considering he's busy with other projects this year, still hasn't wrapped up The Warmaster and no word has been given about Penitent in forever....

[Darren Richardson]

Not according to the Codex. It states they diverted to Caliban during the Scouring, after the Battle for Terra because Warp storms had engulfed the planet. The DA fleet actually arrived at Terra but the battle was over already. They then drove out the traitors in the scouring, discovering Luther's betrayal sometime during this period.

EDIT: it's on pages 8 and 9 of the Codex btw. And as far as I'm aware, the reason they missed the battle for Terra was because they were engaged in a campaign against the Night Lords who constanly harried and delayed them.

Oh so they retconned their history yet again huh (don't have the DA codex's), sorry, I was sure it USED to be before, not after, oh well thats GW for ya

[Brother Sutek]

I'm just hoping that they don't make the Lion a potential traitor waiting to see who wins on Terra. Gav has heavily hinted at this in every book he's written on the DAs. Mind you they also gloss over the fact that other than Horus no chapter had more victories...

[Tomgar]

Eh, at least it's not as bad as Eldrad and Captain Tycho being dead yet somehow able to still kick *** on the table because GW LOGIC

And yeah, I've never liked that interpretation, Brother Sutek. I've always viewed the Dark Angels as fiercely, fanatically loyal. Their actions are as much driven by shame at their betrayal as they are by fear of retribution. To me, they'll always be among the staunchest loyalists in the Imperium, only with a dark stain on them, kind of like the Blood Angels.

[Brother Sutek]

Agreed. The 2nd edition book made them dark but noble and showed their fanatical desperation to gain redemption for their failures. Sadly now they are a pack of paranoid almost chaos marines who are barely loyal... Mind you the changes to Cypher that seems to suggest that he is trying get to Terra and do "something" has been good.

[Andrew Thomas]

@Andrew
Pretty much what I was thinking, we start with Isstavan where loyalist are purged, but now the shoe is on the other foot where Traitors are being purged, and probably any allies as well, being that Dark Angels want to hide that info.

Having just finished Scars, I could see this becoming a theme, especially if they put the White Scars and DA in the same book.