These monstrosities often drop in and out of the Warp, threatening to carry Chaos Space Marines, Orks or Genestealers that have entered stasis who can launch attacks upon the unsuspecting planets of the Imperium. As the Warp jump of space hulks is essentially made in a random direction, this gives them the advantage of surprise over Imperial or Asuryani forces. The Orks, the Genestealers, and even Heretic Astartes Renegades use them occasionally to invade other worlds. Space hulks have many times been used as a means of transport by certain unsophisticated factions. Since the hulks often exit and re-enter the Warp seemingly at random, searching or traveling within them is dangerous in the extreme. Many times they are so huge that they have their own atmosphere and gravity. Excerpt from De Xenos Maleficorum, Inquisitorial tome of the Ordo XenosĪ Blood Angels battle barge approaches the space hulk Sin of Damnation.Ī space hulk is the term given by the Imperium of Man to the wreckage of a starship or a mangled twist of various starships and artificial debris found drifting through the vacuum of the Milky Way Galaxy without apparent direction. Where such strength is lacking, the hulk must regrettably fall to the guns of the fleet, for to permit their entry to the inner spheres is to permit invasion on a nigh unstoppable scale.' Wherein the hulk is found to be in the hands of the brutal Orks, these beasts have been found to swarm in such numbers that victory can only be won with the might of entire Space Marine Chapters. Where such means are at hand, the hulk must be boarded, cleansed of dread taint of the alien and rendered to the auspices of the Adeptus Mechanicus to allow proper study. But, as the lowest sea creature may subsist on the filth and detritus of the ocean bed and yet carry pearls of incomparable worth, so these harbingers of terror carry ancient secrets of worth beyond measure. These gigantic craft may bear heretics and deviants of the worst kinds: Genestealers, renegades, pirates, Orks and worse. Flotsam of ages past returned to contaminate the holy spheres of Man with all manner of alien foulness. For the board game, see Space Hulk (game)įor the video games, see Space Hulk (Video Game) and Space Hulk: Tactics

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