Hall of Honour - The Declates Crusade

The Declate Crusade has been a big source of inspiration for my own Black Templar crusade. So in an attempt to save the information on the off chance the GW article disappears off their website like lots of other great resources in the past I will be copy'n'pasting it here. I actually had to type this out since their website was c-blocking every attempt I made to copy the content...

When the Declates System got in the way of Waaagh! Gitzmott, entire worlds fell overnight. The Crimson Fists were dispatched quickly to stem the bleeding and deal with the Ork threat. Upon arrival, the venerable Chapter at first scored victory upon victory with hit-and-run attacks. However, the Crimson Fists began to lose ground as the immense Ork invasion brought its full weight to bear. It became apparent that help was needed, and fast. The massive Ork incursion was definitely heading in-system towards the valuable Forgeworld Declates IV and the densely populated hives of Declates V. The Imperium could not let these centers fall.

Nearby Black Templars heeded the call to arms, and soon the campaign was brought back to a sort of balance. It was on Declates VII that the fate of the system was determined. Gitzmott was located and slain on the barren plains of the planet by an Emperor's Champion. Leaderless, Gitzmott's forces lost focus and abandoned the field of battle. From there, it was a simple matter of mopping up the scattered alien forces. Hideous losses were incurred by both Chapters as the numbers were often 5 to 1. Despite these difficulties, both Chapters earned battlefield renown and are forever heroes of the Declates System.

Symbolic Crimson Fist
As a symbol of solidarity against what seemed to be an innumerable foe, Astartes from both Chapters "exchanged" iconography and often fought in mixed squads. Black Templars painted their left hands red, and Crimson fists painted a Templar cross onto their right knee. This unusual gesture of unity helped establish a tight bond that steeled the resolve of the brave warriors involved.

Crusade Veteran
Brother Atheon is a seasoned veteran of the Declates Crusade. He participated in several major operations geared to halt the greenskin menace. During this Crusade, right knee pads were reserved for Veteran designation. A plain white pad denoted 6 months service, with a red stripe added after the 1st complete year of service in the Crusade. Each 6 month period beyond a year would be represented with yet another red stripe.

Squad Designation (Knee)
Though it is slightly unusual for Black Templars to use numerical squad markings, this practice became necessary in this Crusade. Once heavy losses began piling up, ad-hoc squads became the norm, often with Chapters mixing together out of need. A quick number designation on the left knee helped commanders keep track of squad movements on the battlefield.

Chapter Unity Symbol
Another instance of Battle Brothers cementing their unity in the face of almost certain death was that of the red-and-black Templar cross. Adding a red sliver to each of the four spokes of the Chapter symbol visually conveyed this bond. Shown here, Sergeant Atheon was awarded a special Crusader Squad decoration for surviving injuries he received during the Eteron Push.

Squad Designation (Shoulder)
Shoulder pads were enumerated in the same fashion as the left knee pad to help keep squads straight. However, this number denotes the squad from which the Initiate originally came. In this case, Sergeant Atheon part of the 7th Crusader Squad and is consequently the only surviving member.

Ork Boss Kill Count
It is not uncommon for troopers to keep unofficial track of their kills or major accomplishments. This is seen as a good motivational tool by higher-ups, as Initiates seek to outdo one another on the field of battle. In this case, each white checker represents a particularly large or important Ork slain during the crusade.

Distinguished Combat Service
Sergeant Atheon displays not one, but two awards for Distinguished Combat Service. A golden elbow plate coupled with the Templar cross signifies that this is one Black Templar to heed when he speaks. Sword Brethren status can't be very far off for this devout servant of the Emperor.

Declates Crusade Badge
As is the case in nearly every Crusade, a unique badge is designated to signal in what actions a particular Initiate is currently involved. This badge helps identify who's who when diplomatic or other duties call a warrior from the battlezone. In this case, a thick red stripe through a white shield icon on the right leg signifies Atheon is currently involved in the Declates Crusade.

Previous Crusade Badge
The scraped remnants of a previous Crusade badge (possibly The Burning of Hemoria IV) decorate the inside of Atheon's left leg. It's not uncommon for warriors to continue to display earlier Crusade badges on their armor, though these old badges are normally shown with smaller markings elsewhere on the armor so as to avoid confusion on the current battlefield.

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