Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Hi, I've just started reading the Horus Heresy series of books so wouldn't know if there is any information in them. What I would like to know is if there are any accounts of an orbial battle above earth before the traitor legions landed? Ship numbers, orbital platforms anything like that?

If anyone can either answer some of these or even provide a reference that would be great.

Happy Christmas all.

So far IIRC correctly, there hasn't been any referrences to the orbital battles over Terra. In one of the books, the was just a minor snippet even hinting at the defenses of Terra being overhauled to meet the new threat.

Ahh I see. So was there no Navy present in the Sol system to counter Horus's betrayal or did he completely catch the Emperor off guard?

This is an area of the storyline that has never been truly fleshed out. We know there was a battle in orbit over Terra and the loyalists lost. That is all.

Darrian

If memory serves me right, in the Horus Heresy Graphic Novels there's a passing mention of an imperial navy speed bumping the traitor ships. No detailed description of the battle though.

I also believe that the access Horus had to imperial navy ships was one reasons that Guard and Navy were seperated post-heresy.

Horus I think,When he initially attacked Sol he sent his Speartip to and beat the crap out of the Lunar defenses and its fleet. Then got into position for the attack.

TBH I think it'll be the basis for a future book or two.

Cheers for the input folks. I just have one more quick question...Are Space Marine battle barges a post heresy thing or did chapters have them before or during the heresy?

The reason I ask all this is that me and a bunch of guys at our gaming club are playing a campaign where we fight a BFG battle above Terra to determine how many troops land on Earth. Following that we will use epic models and build scenery for the palace to recreate the seige.

Craig

The Battle Barge predates the Heresy and probably goes back to the Golden Age of Technology. It was on Horus' own Battle Barge that the Emperor attacked him.

Brownie210 wrote:The Battle Barge predates the Heresy and probably goes back to the Golden Age of Technology. It was on Horus' own Battle Barge that the Emperor attacked him.

Horus's Ship was never described as a Battle Barge. I recall in the Flight of the Eisenstein the mention of Battle Barges in the Imperial Fist fleet, but I always got the impression of Horus's ship being a Grand Cruiser.

If they do decide to do an indepth description of the battle, I honestly hope that they put some research into how naval battle is fought. GW story writers have been known to make some pretty big gaffs in the past... *coughs* Land Raiders armor only being as good as a T-34's armor *coughs*

Actually, in the fluff that does describe the final battle for Terra and the death of Horus, Horus is indeed on his "battle barge."

The current Horus Heresy novels have made no mention of Horus' battle barge yet.

Darrian

Darrian13 wrote:Actually, in the fluff that does describe the final battle for Terra and the death of Horus, Horus is indeed on his "battle barge."

The current Horus Heresy novels have made no mention of Horus' battle barge yet.

Darrian

True, guess I should have clarified that I was referencing the current line of novels.

Beg to pardon, but the Horus Heresy books do mention that Horus' flagship is the Vengeful Spirit, a Battle Barge.

Besides, I'd hardly expect the second most powerful man in the entire Imperium to go about on anything less.

I think you might be right on that. Without finding my copy of the novels, I will take your word for it. My bad.

Darrian

Brownie210 wrote:Beg to pardon, but the Horus Heresy books do mention that Horus' flagship is the Vengeful Spirit, a Battle Barge.

Besides, I'd hardly expect the second most powerful man in the entire Imperium to go about on anything less.

Could you tell me which book? I'm a bit of a BFG nut, and it's one of the things I look for when reading these books.

Horus Heresy novels. Horus Rising is the first one and I am sure that, if it is mentioned, it probably is in that one. Also, Galaxy in Flames and False Gods feature Horus very prominantly so the barge will probably be mentioned there too.

Hope this helps,

Darrian

djones520 wrote:

Could you tell me which book? I'm a bit of a BFG nut, and it's one of the things I look for when reading these books.

The Vengeful Spirit is noted in Horus Rising and False Gods as being Horus' flagship for the entire 63rd Expedition, and it remained as it up until his erasing from existence.