Marneus Calgar
Marneus Augustus Calgar serves as the Chapter Master of the Ultramarines, holding the titles of Lord Defender of Greater Ultramar and Lord of Macragge, the capital of Ultramar in the galaxy's Eastern Fringes. He is recognized as the first known Firstborn Space Marine to undergo the transformation into the more powerful Primaris Space Marine.
Opening
Welcome, lore-lovers, to Liandrug! Today, we dive into the legendary exploits of Marneus Calgar, the unyielding Chapter Master of the Ultramarines, who led his forces through epic battles against relentless foes in the Warhammer 40K universe. Join me as we uncover tales of courage, sacrifice, and unwavering loyalty to the Imperium. Settle in, because this journey is just beginning!
The Chronicle
As a paragon of Ultramarine nobility, Marneus Calgar was utterly fearless, his courage unshakable even in the heat of battle. While others might scramble for cover under enemy fire, Calgar would first assess the situation with tactical precision, choosing to take cover only when no viable alternative remained. His extraordinary feats are chronicled across 28 volumes, preserved in a secure vault within the Fortress of Hera on Macragge. Only the deeds of Roboute Guilliman, the Ultramarines' Primarch, surpass these records in both number and impact.
Among Calgar's storied achievements were his leading role in breaching the Tyranid Hive Ship Behemoth Primus, his solitary defense of the gate against a relentless Ork horde during the Siege of Zalathrax, and his legendary single combat against an Eldar Avatar of Khaine at the Battle for Orar's Sepulchre, where his victory turned the tide against the Eldar forces. He also reclaimed the star fort Indomitable from the daemonic legions of M'kar the Reborn, casting the daemon back into the Warp with aid from the Inquisition. Yet, M'kar was not truly defeated, merely imprisoned within the star fort, biding time until he would return to challenge Calgar once again.
When Hive Fleet Behemoth descended upon the Eastern Fringe in 754.M41, it presented the greatest threat to Ultramar since the Horus Heresy. On the ancient Ultramarine homeworld of Macragge, the fate of the sector hung in balance. Calgar, learning of the impending Tyranid onslaught, commanded that Macragge's defenses be fortified and its formidable fleet readied for battle. The population of Macragge steeled itself, preparing to face the alien menace that soon came in waves, breaking through the Ultramarines' blockade to unleash destruction upon the world below.
In response, Calgar combined his ground forces into three divisions. The first and second task forces fortified the polar bastions, while Calgar himself led a third contingent in daring rearguard maneuvers, striving to delay the Tyranid advance.
Amid Macragge's frozen mountains, Calgar employed the landscape as a weapon. He lured the alien swarms into narrow valleys and across fragile ice bridges where their numbers offered little advantage. Ultramarine gunlines held firm against the Tyranid waves, while long-range artillery rained death from afar. Tactical Squads executed audacious strikes to distract the Tyranid masses, allowing Assault Marines to target key synaptic creatures, and Battle-Brothers in armored transports flanked the horde. Scouts and Bike Squadrons feigned retreats, luring the largest beasts into carefully prepared kill zones where tanks lay in wait.
However, at Cold Steel Ridge, the tide turned against the Space Marines. Here, the Tyranid horde was led by a Hive Tyrant unlike any seen before--the "Swarmlord." With an uncanny grasp of warfare, it countered the Ultramarines' strategies, and its psychic dominion drove the Tyranids into a frenzy that overwhelmed the Space Marine defenses. Seeing the dire situation, Calgar ordered his forces to evacuate, but as they prepared to board Thunderhawk gunships, the Swarmlord struck with a horde of elite warriors, cutting through the Ultramarines' ranks with ruthless efficiency.
Calgar met the Swarmlord head-on, cleaving through the xenos in a desperate fight. Though grievously wounded, he held his ground. In a final clash, Calgar and the Swarmlord engaged in a brutal duel, each blow echoing like the clash of titans. Calgar, exhausted and near death, fell before the Swarmlord's might, yet even then he refused to surrender.
Before the Swarmlord could deal the killing blow, Calgar's Honour Guard intervened, forming a barrier of flesh and steel around their fallen leader. Their Bolters roared, and their blades glinted as they pushed the Swarmlord back, buying precious time for the Thunderhawks to arrive. As they carried Calgar to safety, Brother Aloysius made the ultimate sacrifice, falling to the Swarmlord's deadly Bonesabres as the Thunderhawk lifted off. Though Cold Steel Ridge was lost, the bravery of Aloysius and his brothers ensured that Marneus Calgar would live to fight another day.
Within hours of the first Tyranid assault, the full force of the Hive Fleet descended upon Macragge. Despite his wounds, Marneus Calgar quickly resumed command, coordinating the polar fortress defenses and his fleet to obliterate wave after wave of Tyranid vessels. However, hundreds continued to descend, launching Mycetic Spores before retreating. Leaving his Ultramarines to defend key fortresses, Calgar pursued the fleet, determined to prevent further havoc.
On the ground, the Ultramarines fought fiercely, with the 1st Company veterans launching bold counterattacks, retreating to trenches and walls as necessary. Towering Titans from Legio Praetor unleashed devastating blasts, carving through the swarm, but the Tyranids relentlessly advanced. At the northern fortress, their dead piled so high that even Titans fell under the horde's weight. Ammunition ran low, but the Ultramarines held firm against seemingly certain defeat.
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Above, Calgar pursued the Tyranid fleet to Circe, where reinforcements from Battlefleet Bakka joined him. Together, they destroyed the xenos with a costly maneuver: the Emperor-class battleship Dominus Astra detonated its Warp Drive, consuming the Hive Fleet. Victorious but battered, Calgar's fleet returned to Macragge.
Captain Fabian and Chaplain Cassius led the 3rd Company to the northern pole, finding a field of carnage. Tyranids struck, but Devastator Squads held them back until gunships arrived. The Ultramarines then entered the fortress, passing corridors lined with the fallen, and reached the lower generatorium, where the 1st Company had made their final stand. Among piles of dead Tyranids lay the bodies of Ultramarines who had held the line until the end.
The Battle of Macragge stands as a testament to the Ultramarines' sacrifice. Though Hive Fleet Behemoth was vanquished, the Chapter suffered great losses, and it took years to replenish their numbers. Calgar honored the survivors by forming them into elite Tyrannic War Veterans, the reconstituted 1st Company, trained to confront the Tyranids anew.
Years later, in 762.M41, Calgar led his Chapter in reclaiming Thrax, a daemon-corrupted Forge World, issuing an Exterminatus to cleanse it. At the Siege of Zalathras in 797.M41, he alone held the city gates against an Ork horde until reinforcements arrived. In 888.M41, Calgar defended the Sceptre of Galaxian against the Eldar, defeating a mighty Avatar of Khaine in single combat. He then moved the Sceptre to Macragge for safer keeping. Through these battles, Calgar and his Ultramarines have proven their unmatched tenacity, securing their legacy among the stars.
The Darkhold Ambush and M'kar's Rise
In 921.M41, Chapter Master Marneus Calgar of the Ultramarines was ambushed by Night Lords Chaos Marines on the feudal planet Barathred. Rallying the local population, Calgar led a courageous defense and repelled the invaders. Decades later, M'kar the Thrice-Born, a former Chaplain of the Word Bearers, reemerged as a Daemon Prince, leading Chaos pirates in an assault on Ultramar. Although initially thwarted by Ultramarines Captain Cato Sicarius, M'kar was ultimately defeated by Calgar, who bound him within a star fort's core to prevent further incursions.
The Tyranid Invasion and Calgar's Triumph
In 993.M41, Calgar and the Ultramarines faced Hive Fleet Kraken, defending the industrial world of Ichar IV from Tyranid swarms. A brutal battle against the Swarmlord ensued, where Calgar triumphed and crippled the Tyranid forces. Despite the Ultramarines' victory, Ichar IV was left in ruins, and the Tyranid consciousness absorbed their defeat, vowing to return stronger.
The Resurrection of Roboute Guilliman
Years later, as Chaos forces besieged Macragge, Calgar encountered survivors from Cadia, including Eldar allies. They brought technology to revive the Primarch Roboute Guilliman, entombed in stasis since the Horus Heresy. Despite opposition from First Captain Agemman, Calgar allowed the ritual, leading to Guilliman's resurrection. In a climactic battle, Guilliman reclaimed the Fortress of Hera, wielding unmatched strategic skill to purge Chaos forces from Ultramar.
The Primarch's Return and Ultramar's Defense
After securing Macragge, Guilliman formally resumed command, with Calgar and his lieutenants swearing fealty. Guilliman led the Ultramarines in reclaiming their stronghold, demonstrating superhuman command abilities. As the newly reborn Lord of Ultramar, Guilliman prepared to reunite with the Emperor on Terra, leaving his Chapter with renewed purpose amidst the encroaching darkness threatening the Imperium.
Closing Words
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