Forsaken Hammers

The Forsaken Hammers are a group of renegade Space Marines from the Hammer Guard and Solar Wardens Chapters. Originally just a company of Hammer Guard were lost in the warp during their penitent crusade, but their warband continued to grow, and now, they seek revenge on those who have forgotten them and do not see the power of the Great Stars, the Gods of Chaos.

History
After the Hammer Guard’s 2nd Company was lost in the warp during the Chapter’s penitent crusade, they searched and searched, trying to find their lost brethren. Instead they would come upon a Sorcerer, who revealed to them their Chapter had left them behind, telling the 2nd Company that they were 'forsaken Hammers'. He told them they could have their revenge, if they worshiped not the 'Corpse-Emperor', but the most powerful "Stars" as he called them, having seen in a vision the Chapter’s tenet beliefs in the stars. Subtly corrupted by the Sorcerer's false words, they Space Marines' quickly agreed, and soon began fanatically worshiping the Dark Gods of the warp, slipping further and further into madness. After nearly a millennium of worship and war as the lost company continued to raid and grow, they would be reunited with their brothers once again, as their raids lead them to encounter the new incarnation of the 2nd Company of the Hammer Guard, who soon joined them in secret. Later on, following a meeting the Snake Company of their Successor Chapter, the Solar Wardens, they too fell to corrupting influence of the dark powers of Chaos due to their beliefs.

Notable Campaigns

 * The Second battle of Gabarlos (983.M41) - As their brothers in secret revealed themselves, the Forsaken Hammers were summoned by their brothers to aide them in the fight against the Hammer Guard, who had refused to be corrupted, saved by 'That Damned Cybus'. They fought with unbridled fury at the sight of their former Chapter, their hatred beyond comprehension. Eventually the Forsaken Hammers were forced to retreat back to the Warp, but not before making sure they were forgotten no more.

Chaos Lord Kalgor the Devourer
Kalgor was originally the Starpriest of the former 2nd Company that was lost in the Warp, and took command soon after they were separated, after the former Legate died due to mysterious causes. He now wields a Daemon Maul, bludgeoning his foes to death until they are nothing but ground pulp and spilled blood, in fits of eternal rage at being his abandonment. He leads the warband on every mission, destroying all those who stand in opposition of the Dark Gods.

Chaos Sorcerer Anukos Redscream
Anukos Redscream, as he is called now, was the former Sunwraith of the lost company. He found a calling in the worship of Slaanesh, He has a love for torture and pain, using his powers to torture others for days on end until their hearts can't take it anymore. He secretly plans to take over the warband, waiting until Lord Kalgor makes a fatal mistake. He wields a Power Sword and his psychic powers, inflicting huge amounts of pain upon the enemy.

Aspiring Champion Karrova
Formerly the legate of the Hammer Guard 2nd company, Decarde Karrova was critically injured in the second battle of Gabarlos, when his arm was blown apart by Azrael Cybus's Thunder Hammer. Since then, he has fallen to the rank of Aspiring Champion, something he resents, while his arm has been replaced with a bionic arm. On the field of battle he wields a warp-tainted power axe and combat knife, unleashing his hatred for Azrael and his former brothers upon the enemy. He secretly conspires with and against Redscream, waiting for the day he can take power for himself.

Enemies
The Forsaken Hammers have a particular hatred of the Hammer Guard and Solar Wardens, never forgetting their abandonment by their former brethren of these two Chapters. Whenever these Chapters are seen nearby, the warband will pull away from whatever battle they are fighting to engage these foes.

Allies
The Forsaken Hammers have two main allies. Their pledge to aid Abaddon’s Black Crusades has made them allies to the Black Legion and given them a swell of recruits from the slaves the Legion have raided. Their other ally is the Krakens Eclipse, the traitors from the Novus Krakens Chapter, who are allies with the Hammer Guard.

Cult and Culture
The Forsaken Hammers have a daily routine of sacrifices and worship to their individual gods in order to gain their favor. They are fanatical, believing the Dark Gods are the Greatest of the Stars, stronger than Sol and the Corpse-Emperor. They do everything to earn the Gods' favours, in order to achieve Daemonhood and spend eternity as a Prince of Chaos.

Favoured Tactics
The Forsaken Hammers prefer to engage their enemies with ranged assaults, cutting down their foes with bolter fire, slaughtering them to the last in the name of their individual gods. That isn't to say the Forsaken Hammers don't engage in melee, for their Chaos Lord and many Khorne Berserkers rush the enemy in blind rage.

Recruitment
The Forsaken Hammers raid worlds for recruits, taking from worshippers of Chaos and captured civilians to become members of their ranks.

Mutations
Being fanatic worshipers of the Dark Gods, the Forsaken Hammers have acquired three “Gifts” from the Dark Gods. First, they were blessed with the voice of Daemons, talking in deep, growling voices that sound as if the warp is speaking through them. Second, the Forsaken Hammers’s armor have been touched by the warp and have sealed, trapping their wearers inside. Last, their hands grew into claws, their mouths grew fangs and noses flattened, horns grew from their heads with black leathery wings protruding from the armor of some of the Forsaken Hammers’s ranks, making them look like fallen angels of ancient myth.

Organization and Equipment
Kalgor keeps a tight rein on those under his command, and has divided them into 10 companies, though with the loss of 200 of his Forsaken Hammers it is now 8. Each company contains 100 Chaos Space Marines and 100 Cultists, lead by an Aspiring Champion who is loyal to Kalgor, and is threatened with death if he betrays. Each company worships their own "star" with most worshiping all four.

Equipment
The Forsaken Hammers still use many Imperial pieces of equipment, such as the Bolter and Thunderhawk. They also have begun to equip many warp-tainted weapons, mostly melee weapons such as Daemon swords or Daemon mauls.

Fleet
The Warband has gathered a small group of vessels to carry them through the warp, either by trickery or through boarding it. their most notable vessels are the strike cruisers Hammer of Contempt, Shield of Hate, and Wrath of the Stars, which previously belonged to their former brothers, the Hammer Guard.

Homeworld
The Forsaken Hammers have come to claim the daemon world of Diaboluso as their home, walking among the vile Daemons of the warp as if they were daemons themselves.