Now that Captain Titus has been ordained as Master of the Watch and made responsible for the defence of Ultramar, he’s got his work cut out for him. Protecting even a handful of worlds from Tyranid swarms, Chaos invasions, and everything else that’s horrible in the 41st Millennium is hard enough, and now there are 500 of them to worry about? Yeesh.
In times like these you need a really solid band of compadres to help carry the load, and being the pragmatic soul that he is, Titus is only happy to surround himself with exceptional individuals from all walks of life. Meet the Wardens of Ultramar.
We had a small glance at who they were when we revealed the miniatures, but with their release only a short way away, it’s time we learned more about them. We’ll start with a pair of familiar faces.
Veteran Sergeant Metaurus
As one of the oldest Ultramarines in active service, Veteran Sergeant Metaurus has served in hundreds of campaigns and is a source of boundless wisdom. It was he who recruited a young Demetrian Titus on the agri world of Tarentus centuries ago and presided over much of his training, becoming an indispensable mentor who met the accusations against his former student with open scorn.
The pair were reunited on a supposedly suicidal mission to the planet of Zsah’uj, where a small team of elite warriors were tasked with destroying a cult stronghold that could not be reached by conventional means, forcing them to slaughter their way in on foot.* As his commanders should probably have foreseen, Titus refused to let the mission claim him, and dragged a heavily wounded Metaurus out before the site was annihilated by orbital bombardment.
Now, Metaurus is a voice of measured experience among the Wardens of Ultramar, always keeping an eye on his protégé – lest he get the urge to charge headfirst into the enemy once again.
Ancient Gadriel
Gadriel was a young but capable Sergeant in the Ultramarines Second Company before the command of his squad was transferred to then-Lieutenant Titus during the Tyranid invasion of the Recidious System. There was, let’s say, a bit of friction between the two, as Titus was unwilling to discuss his past and Gadriel chafed under a commander who couldn’t help but look suspicious as all sin.**
Both managed to grow and tighten their bond over the campaign, however, and Gadriel left the system with ironclad belief in Titus forged in the toughest battles of his life. Later, during the defence of Hive Mordica, Gadriel rallied a battered Astra Militarum line with rousing speeches and strengthened their resolve against an overwhelming Tyranid attack, saving a critical gate and earning Titus’ personal recommendation that he carry the Second Company’s battle standard after the loss of their previous Ancient.
Though one of the youngest to hold that honour, Gadriel has shown himself to be every bit as skilled and courageous as his forebears – valued as much for his plain-spoken advice as his martial might.
Astropath Dainal Kornelius
Having served as an Astropath in the Ultramarines’ fortress monastery for over a century before coming under the command of Captain Titus, Dainal has developed a mastery over his order’s unique skills that is second to none. He is able to send and receive interstellar messages with the utmost clarity and never shies from danger when the tides of the Warp are rougher than usual – which is some serious bravery, given how a spontaneous head explosion is one of the kindest outcomes you could expect from a mishap.
It will come as no surprise that this constant proximity to horrible death has given Dainal something of an abrasive personality, and there are few even among his own kind who can stand to be around him, despite the undeniable value of his skills. Luckily, Titus has had to put up with more than his fair share of uncooperative grumblers, and can forge past the Astropath’s prickly exterior when the defence of Ultramar requires the very best of his Chapter’s personnel.
Plenipotentiary Lucia Vestha
Time to learn a new word: plenipotentiary – a name for a diplomat or envoy who acts with the full authority and confidence of their master. Just knowing that a Space Marine Chapter is willing to place their affairs in the hands of a human dignitary says everything you need to know about Lucia Vestha, whose incredible negotiating skills and famously silver tongue have brought dozens of worlds back into the fold without a single drop of blood being spilled.
The same abilities she uses in diplomacy are also priceless in the many, many war councils Titus now finds himself holding, as the slightest falsehood or hesitance will be uncovered before it has the chance to cause damage. Her diligent service and exemplary track record have earned Lucia great respect from across the Second Company, and with the looming threat of an Ultramarines fleet at her back, she finds the job of cowing rebellious worlds a lot easier.
Gaius Silva
Space Marines alone cannot bring the entire realm of Ultramar back into line, and great fleets of Imperial ships are needed to ferry men and materiel between distant stars. Massive flotillas carrying hundreds of thousands of souls must all be checked and accounted for, and when they flood out towards the next embattled world, it is Gaius Silva who commands them from the bridge of his Emperor-class battleship, Magnificence Enthroned.
Gaius has ample experience leading Imperial war fleets in battles great and small, and is legendary for his utterly unflappable calm during even the most hair-raising emergencies. But more important is his ability to navigate the often-tense relations between Space Marines and their human crews, as even the most well-meaning of the Emperor’s angels tend to disregard Humanity’s relative frailty when making demands for more speed, more firepower, and more discipline.
Aemelia Minervas
When the Ultramarines go to war inside their own realm, they are joined by vast armies of the Ultramar Defence Auxilia – a well trained and well equipped force of human soldiers who stand a cut above the regular regiments of the Astra Militarum. Aemelia Minervas commands the 30th Macragge Defence Auxilia – a particularly renowned and respected regiment attached to Titus’ fleet – and acts as the Wardens’ liaison to their human soldiery, leading its forces fearlessly from the front.
As a dedicated scion of Macragge, Aemelia can quote the Codex Astartes front to back, and holds it in regard matching the most pious of Ultramarines. Where others see it as a set of immovable rules, however, Legatus Minervas has built upon the work of generations of forebears and adapted many of its guidelines and principles for use in her Auxilia, memorising them with perfect clarity and using them to great effect on the battlefield.
These six exceptional warriors will be available to pre-order alongside the newly promoted Captain Titus this Saturday, when the hotly anticipated 500 Worlds: Titus hits the Warhammer webstore like a big blue comet. It’s an unmissable addition to your Warhammer collection even if you don’t command a force of Space Marines or Necrons, with a whole new narrative campaign to play through and expansions to the ever-popular Boarding Actions game mode.
* In case you haven’t guessed yet, that’s the one seen in the Secret Level animation.
** We know Titus wouldn't ever turn traitor, but let’s be honest, he did himself no favours.
