Strongest Chaos Space Marine Warbands in Warhammer 40k Lore

Summary

Chaos Space Marines, led by corrupted Primarchs, pose a major existential threat to humanity and the Imperium.
Various Chaos legions, fractured after the Heresy, now wreak havoc through Black Crusades and terrorize populations.
The Emperor's Children, Night Lords, Alpha Legion, Thousand Sons, and Death Guard are among the most dangerous factions.

During the great Horus Heresy, nine legions of the Adeptus Astarte went into open rebellion against the Emperor of Mankind. These legions, led by their Primarchs, would turn to the dark powers of Chaos and dedicate themselves to the destruction of humanity and the Imperium. Chaos Space Marines are some of the most dangerous warriors in the galaxy. Genetically enhanced by the Emperor and transformed by Chaos, they are nightmares made flesh.

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By Andy Chapman

After the Horus Heresy ended and the traitor legions were pushed back into the Eye of Terror, they became a fractured and disorganized faction. Many formed smaller warbands that would raid into real space and terrorize populations. This would change with Abaddon The Despoiler, who partially reunited the Chaos factions under his banner and began the Black Crusades. Chaos warbands litter the galaxy, bringing death and destruction wherever they go. They present a huge existential threat to the ongoing survival of humanity and ensure that in the grimdark far future, there is only war.

10 The Emperor’s Children

Seeking Perfection In All Things

Notable Warbands: Flickering Blades, Cohors Nasicae
Primarch/Leader: Fulgrim (Daemon Primarch)
Allegiance: Slaanesh

The Emperor’s Children were obsessed with perfection. They were some of the most skilled and deadly warriors in the Imperium and embraced everything from art to music. This obsession, along with the corruption of their gene father Fulgrim, would lead them to worship Slaanesh, the chaos god of excess. They would become some of the most deformed and depraved of the traitor legions, seeking out new and horrific sensory experiences.

Within the current setting, the Emperor’s Children are one of the least active factions in the galaxy. With fewer warbands roaming real space, they pose a lesser threat than many other factions on this list. Although rumors have been circulating, Fulgrim has been seen outside the warp. If the Daemon Primarch calls his legion to arms again, The Emperor’s Children would pose a serious threat to humanity.

9 The Night Lords

Waging A Campaign Of Fear Against Humanity

Notable Warbands: Kreig Acerbus's Warband, The Bleeding Eye, The Exalted
Primarch/Leader: Konrad Curze (Deceased)
Allegiance: Many Follow No Faith, Some Follow Chaos Undivided

Renowned for their brutal and excessive actions in war, the Night Lords use fear as their primary weapon. Originally led by their Primarch, Konrad Curze, The Night Lords were the Imperium’s weapon against rebellion. Many worlds would instantly fall back into line upon hearing the Night Lord’s name, such was their reputation.

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With the Horus Heresy, The Night Lords would join the traitors, as Konrad Curze fell more into madness. Their Primarch was plagued with visions of the future. He saw what would become of the Imperium and even saw his own death, and it drove him to insanity. Konrad would eventually be killed by the assassin M’Shen. With the death of their Primarch, the Night Lords fractured, with no single leader able to unite the legion. They now scour the galaxy as roaming warbands, bringing terror and fear to all they meet.

8 The Alpha Legion

Waging The Secret War

Notable Warbands: The Shadowed Ones
Primarch/Leader: Alpharius/Omegon (Deceased)
Allegiance: Chaos Undivided

The Alpha Legion is the most mysterious and unknown of all the traitor space marine factions. Specializing in covert espionage, they work from the shadows, infiltrating their enemies with agents, who only reveal themselves at the most opportune moment. Their sleeper agents are embedded in space marine chapters throughout the Imperium.

After the Horus Heresy, the legion broke into smaller warbands, who now work to spread the influence of chaos throughout the Imperium. Although independent of each other, each warband is dedicated to the Alpha Legion’s unknown greater cause. Unlike most Chaos Marines, the Alpha Legion do not base themselves within the Eye of Terror and have escaped many of the mutating effects from the warp. They now work tirelessly, helping chaos cultist uprisings throughout the Imperium, which pave the way for larger chaos attacks.

7 The Thousand Sons

Masters Of Warp Sorcery

Notable Warbands: Brotherhood of Dust, Thralls Of Magnus, The Tizcan Host
Primarch/Leader: Magnus The Red (Daemon Primarch)
Allegiance: Tzeentch

Cursed with an unstable gene seed that caused terrible mutations in the ranks, the Thousand Sons sorcerer, Ahzek Ahriman, performed a ritual to try and save his brothers. What became known as the Rubric of Ahriman would fail and turn all non-psykers in the legion to dust, their souls becoming infused with their armor. Now, they are nothing more than mindless automatons to the powers of Tzeentch and their Daemon Primarch, Magnus The Red.

The Thousand Sons are an extremely dangerous faction within Chaos, capable of performing terrible feats of magic. Magnus is one of the most powerful psykers in the galaxy. Luckily for humanity, they have few warbands actively engaged in war. The Thousand Son’s main goal is the pursuit of knowledge and a deeper understanding of the Warp. Ahriman works tirelessly to try and undo the effects of his magic and save the souls of the battle brothers.

6 Death Guard

Spreading The Gifts Of Nurgle Throughout The Galaxy.

Notable Warbands: Lords of Silence, The Pallid Hand, Harbingers, Bringers Of Decay
Primarch/Leader: Mortarion (Daemon Primarch)
Allegiance: Nurgle

The Death Guard is one of the more active chaos factions in the current setting. During the Horus Heresy, First Captain of the Death Guard, Typhus would betray his brothers, trapping them in the warp and leading them into the embrace of Nurgle, the Chaos god of disease and decay.

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By Andy Chapman

The Death Guard became deformed parodies of their former selves. Their only goal now is to spread disease and death in the name of Grandfather Nurgle. Death Guard warbands make up large sections of Abaddon’s Black Crusades, but all the Death Guard still owe allegiance to their Primarch Mortarion, who can unite the old legion to war. After the failed campaign against the Ultramarines and Roboute Guilliman, which resulted in the partial burning of Nurgle’s Garden, Mortarion has fallen out of favor with his god.

5 Iron Warriors

Masters Of Siege Warfare

Notable Warbands: Dark Castellans, Shatter Corps, Steel Brethren
Primarch/Leader: Perturabo (Daemon Primarch)
Allegiance: Chaos Undivided

The Iron Warriors, with their Primarch Perturabo, are some of the most dangerous warriors in the galaxy. They are known for summoning daemons, which they trap in their brutal war machines, creating engines of devastating power. During the siege of Terra, it was Perturabo who led the main forces of chaos against the Imperium, coming very close to victory.

In the current setting, the Iron Warrior warbands make up large sections of Abaddon's Black Crusades. Their dogged warlike nature is a perfect fit for the long war against humanity. They are also the main source of war engines for the Warmaster’s conflict, giving the Iron Warriors and Perturabo a lot of influence within the Chaos factions. Perturabo himself rarely ventures away from the Chaos world, Medrengard. With his superior understanding of technology and an artisan's mind, he creates new engines of war for the dark gods.

4 The Word Bearers

Devout Followers Of Chaos

Notable Warbands: The Flayed Hand, The Unspeaking Chapter, The Blessed
Primarch/Leader: Lorgar (Daemon Primarch)
Allegiance: Chaos Undivided

The Word Bearers legion was the first of the Adeptus Astartes to fall to Chaos. They began as loyal followers of the Emperor, believing him a god. This devotion would turn to hate when the Emperor, angered by their faith, burned their holy city to the ground.

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Lost and feeling betrayed, it wasn’t long before their devotion led them to the gods of Chaos, who were more than happy to receive their worship. Word Bearer warbands are some of the most dangerous Chaos factions in the setting. They’re constantly working to undermine the Imperium’s faith in the Emperor, turning whole populations to Chaos worship. They are skilled psykers and powerful warriors.

3 Renegade Chapters

Chaos Continues To Spread Through The Astartes

Notable Warbands: Red Corsairs, Astral Blades, Bloodborn, Crimson Slaughter
Primarch/Leader: Various Chaos Lords
Allegiance: Chaos Undivided, Individual Chaos Gods

While many of the most notorious chaos warbands can trace their lineage to one of the original Space Marine legions, there are just as many warbands that have emerged long after the end of the Horus Heresy. Forming from chapters throughout the Imperium, these warbands spread death and destruction throughout the galaxy.

Often being led by Chaos Lords of immense strength, notorious warbands such as the Red Corsairs strike fear into humanity and wage endless wars in the name of Chaos. These warbands owe allegiance to no Primarch but will often join forces to form larger armies. Many have followed the call of Abaddon for his Black Crusades.

2 The World Eaters

Blood For The Blood God, Skulls For The Skull Throne

Notable Warbands: Foresworn, Karagar’s Rampagers, 66th Armoured Company
Primarch/Leader: Angron (Daemon Primarch)
Allegiance: Khorne

The World Eaters’ sole purpose is to spread death and war for their dark god. With the return of the Daemon Primarch Angron to the setting, the World Eaters have grown in strength and ferocity. Consumed with an ever-present rage, the World Eaters are Chaos incarnate, spilling blood wherever they go.

Angron, The Red Angel, is a near-unstoppable force in battle, wielding two huge chain axes. His speed and strength are unmatched. After performing a terrible chaos ritual, Angron unleashed a Murder Curse on an indomitus fleet. The curse infected almost every mortal in the region of space, turning them all into rage-filled berzerkers. This curse corrupted thousands, bolstering the followers of Khorne and World Eater warbands.

1 The Black Legion

The United Forces Of Chaos Fighting The Long War

Notable Warbands: Bringers Of Decay, Hounds Of Abaddon, The Tormented
Primarch/Leader: Horus Lupercal (Deceased), Abaddon The Despoiler
Allegiance: Chaos Undivided.

Of all the many Chaos factions, the warbands of the Black Legion are the most dangerous. Led by Warmaster Abaddon the Despoiler, the Black Legion is at the forefront of the Black Crusades, spreading out into the galaxy and burning everything in their path.

Originally led by the arch-traitor Horus, the Black Legion fled into the Eye of Terror after their Primarch was defeated. Thousands of years later, emerging once again with Abaddon at their helm. Within the recent setting, Abaddon has achieved great victories. The defeat of Cadia caused the opening of the great rift, while his work with the Daemon Vashtorr has led him to possess a mysterious weapon that could turn the tide of the long war against the Imperium. Through his Black Crusades, he can call forth all the forces of chaos and unite them under his banner.

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