Sigismund Puns

Reading the first book of The siege of Terra now and the quote of Dorn saying you are not my son has come up a few times. Did that occur in pretorian of Dorn? I will probably read that one after the first siege book if that's the case to get more context for the beginning of the black Templars. Please no spoilers for The siege books though!

During the Great Crusade we had Erebus, Cyrius, Qin Xa, Sanakht, Lucius, Jubal, Raldaron, Sevetar, Corswain, Alejos, Sharrowkyn, Sepatus, Akurduana and of course Sigismund as magnificent bladesmen but I'm not sure who the candidates are in the current timeline.

I don't mean just beasts like Kharn or Abaddon, which I assume Marneus and most chapter masters are. I'm talking that crazy Ser Barristan Selmy Astartes type.

Is Dante that guy? Sound off on the pre-eminent 40k swordsmasters please.

The list of suggestions from the comments:

ASTARTES

Cadulon, Iron Knights

Hervald Strom, Iron Knights

Sabrael, Dark Angels

Belial, Dark Angels

Leodegarius, Grey Knights

Castellan Crowe, Grey Knights

Pellas mir'san, Salamanders

Elysius, Salamanders

Vulkan He'Stan, Salamanders

Astorath the Grim, Blood Angels

Captain Lysander, Imperial Fists

Ragnar Blackmane, Space Wolves

Malkaan Feirros, Iron Hands

Arguleon Veq, Word Bearers

Telemachon Lyras, Emperor's Children

Kor'sarro Khan, White Scars

Kayvaan Shrike, Raven Guard

Cato Sicarius, It is I

HONOURABLE MENTIONS (Astartes who are absolute beast warriors but maybe not artists as such)

Gabriel Seth, Flesh Tearers

Moloc, Minotaurs

Tyberos, Carcharodons

Mephiston, Blood Angels

XENOS

Maktlan Kutlakh, Necron

Vanguard Obyron, Necron

Drazhar, Eldar

Lelith Hesperax , Dark Eldar

As the defenses around the core of the Imperial Palace begins to fail, Dorn calls Sigismund to his side. During their conversation, he says something that probably meant more to Sigismund than anything else in the galaxy. It's not forgiveness--Dorn is not the most forgiving of primarchs, and that's saying something--but it's the closest thing to his forgiveness Sigismund is ever likely to get and it's still a very emotional, poignant moment.

Because even after everything that's happened, even though he may never truly forgive Sigismund, Rogal Dorn still loves him.

>‘My lord!’ 
>
>And then, hearing that voice, he remembered. He had already acted. Typical Rogal Dorn, anticipating his own momentary weakness, he had already put the necessary move in place. He had summoned Sigismund here, to Shard Bastion, to speak to him in person, to give him the command, because he could never falter in front of his son, not this son.
>
>He turned, just for a moment, away from the confusion of the command station, and faced him.
>
>Sigismund wore the black of the Templar Brethren. He had come up to the command level with others of his order, a dozen, and they all looked as grim as one another – fatalistic, hammered into a kind of permanent, shell-shocked fury. 
>
>Sigismund’s own expression was wary. He had reason for that – Dorn had run him hard, borne down on him, bathed him in disapproval, ever since Isstvan. The reasons had been sound. Neither of them could have expected any less, given the codes of honour that made them who they were, and Sigismund had never complained. 
>
>But there had always been something else, under all that – not quite a test, but maybe a tempering, like that of the best blades. To see if the steel could withstand the fire, be more hard-wearing for it.
>
>‘This is the end,’ Dorn told him flatly. ‘All that could have been done, has been done. Every delay, every counter-strike, every anticipation. Now, they get in. Mercury will fail imminently, then Exultant, then the others.’
>
>Sigismund’s unwavering expression never flickered. He was a cold one. Almost too good an Imperial Fist. Almost a parody of their entire philosophy.
>
>‘Faster than we might have hoped,’ Dorn said. ‘Not as fast as we might have feared. Soon the shape of the battle will change – we will be like dogs in the rubble, scrapping over every habitation. The reserves are ready. You have their coo

So a lot has been written about the duel between Sigismund and Kharn in Warhawk, some by me, some by others, but it is a fantastic piece of writing by Chris Wraight which shows his recurring themes of losing out on emotions and similar.

But one thought occured to me here. Sigismund, as described in the fight by Kharn, is as close to anathema to Chaos as one can get. And what is truly anathema to Chaos? Apathy.

Sigismund sheds blood, but there is no martial respect in it, there is no exultation at the conquest that Khorne feeds off of. There is no rage, no joy, no thrill. Just rote exercise, devoid of feelings and emotions.

For the same reason, Sigismund is no longer trying to better himself during battle. He's not striving for perfection, and he's fighting not because he wants to win, but simply because he has to win. There is no joy in this for him anymore, and so Slaanesh has no hold on him.

In his actions are no inspiration, no new growth or possibility for new life or betterment, nor is he any more interested in things dying other than a threat being removed. And so Nurgle isn't pleased.

And there is no hope in him. Nothing to look forward to, no reason to change anything around. He has completely accepted his lot in life and goes about it without even a shred of belief in changing it, and so Tzeentch is not interested in him.

What we have is pretty much a clear cut case of someone with a very deep depression. All actions are done simply because they must be done; there is no want in him anymore, nothing brings him joy, or sorrow. He just is at this point, closer to a machine than any Iron Hand.

I can understand why Kharn was so upset by this, because it means that the answer to Chaos is to give up all wants and desires. Complete apathy.

Context: Sigismund has been unleashed by Dorn. Forgiven for his mistakes, and now unburdened, he is told to do what he was made to do: Hurt the enemy.

Armed with a new purpose, and gifted with a new sword by order of the Emperor himself, Sigismund has been ordered to rally the reserves and the defences for as long as possible.

A rumour spills out between both sides of a single being offering the only true resistance: The Black Sword. Forces from both sides flock towards where he is fighting to both support or to slay, as where ever the Black Sword is, traitor champions fall.

Archeta is Captain of the 3rd Company of the Sons of Horus. He has driven his forces towards where the Black Sword is fighting.

>For all its ferocity, the defenders were too thin-spread now, unable to sustain this pitch of combat for long enough, out-gunned and out-equipped. Archeta and his honour guard fought their way up to the terminus approaches, the secondary squads not far behind. His static-fuzzed tactical display showed hundreds more of his troops racing into position, filtering up through the buildings around, flushing out the last resistance as they came.
>
>He reached the foot of metal stairs leading up to what had been the terminus command tower, flanked on either side by heavy rockcrete piers. The terrain around him was cluttered with machine parts - axles, wheels, tank tracks - all piled up like some conqueror's heap of skulls. Infernal winds raced overhead, blowing the dust into ever taller pillars, the howl of it masking the ongoing clamour of combat.
>
>But then, just before it happened, he realised what he had done. He got the warning tingle, like an electric field across his back - the old ganger instincts that had been with him long before his ascension. Before he could call out a warning, the heaps of machine parts were thrust aside and sent sailing down the slope, bounding and thudding. Dozens of loyalists erupted from underneath them. Some were Blood Angels by their pauldron marks, some were Imperial Fists, but the grime had made them all as black as soot, set into stark relief by the flares of their disruptors.
>
>Then the fighting really started. Archeta needed to give no orders - his vanguard hurled themselves at the enemy, pivoting instantly to take them on. Those corning on behind redoubled their efforts to reach the terminus, knowing that this was now in the balance.
>
>He despatched the first enemy to reach

I know it’s from one of the first three books as I’m currently reading Saturine. It has Sigismund and his number one homie fighting SOH on a shit. Sigismund is 99.9% sure he is going to die and thinks to him self that Keeler was wrong when she told him he had some great roll to play. But he decided if he’s going to die he’s going to take as many sons of Horus with him.

Any ideas what book that was?

Like it says in the title, in Warhawk we finally get large doses of Sigismund kicking ass and being awesome during the siege so here's a somewhat all-inclusive list of many of the moments of him being awesome we get. I'm sure some of these parts have probably already been posted but I just wanted to make a big post with all of Sigi's awesomeness. I've included which chapters each part is from to give an easier idea of how far in the book each one is and make it easier for you to find those parts if you wanted too.

Sorry in advance for the wall of text

Chapter Three - The leash comes off

So he searched, as Rogal Dorn always did, for something to do, some way to fight back. The klaxons were going off around him, wild and loud. Men and women were running, their discipline failing. They were trying to shut down the plasma reserves in the foundation interiors, drain them, prevent the penetration cascades that would critically weaken the Mercury Wall’s substructure. Even as they ran, shouting, tripping over one another, the Titans were there – unwrapping their drills and energy-hammers, powering up forbidden drive-weapons augmented with daemon-essences, clawing, scraping down the outer skin like rats.

‘My lord!’

And then, hearing that voice, he remembered. He had already acted. Typical Rogal Dorn, anticipating his own momentary weakness, he had already put the necessary move in place. He had summoned Sigismund here, to Shard Bastion, to speak to him in person, to give him the command, because he could never falter in front of his son, not this son. He turned, just for a moment, away from the confusion of the command station, and faced him. Sigismund wore the black of the Templar Brethren. He had come up to the command level with others of his order, a dozen, and they all looked as grim as one another – fatalistic, hammered into a kind of permanent, shell-shocked fury.

Sigismund’s own expression was wary. He had reason for that – Dorn had run him hard, borne down on him, bathed him in disapproval, ever since Isstvan. The reasons had been sound. Neither of them could have expected any less, given the codes of honour that made them who they were, and Sigismund had never complained. But there had always been something else, under all that – not quite a test, but maybe a tempering, like that of the best blades. To see if the steel could withstand the fire, be more hard-wearing for it.

‘This is the e

Ever?

Heir of Sigismund is a strat for giving your Black Templars Warlord an additional Warlord trait. The option to add this to the warlord is in the app, however when I actually try and add another warlord trait (so, two warlord traits) it comes up with an error. Is this a glitch or have I missed something?

Fight occurs in the same place where Atriox defeated Red team.

Round 1: Both unarmed, Atriox has knowledge of Sigismund's location but not vice versa.

Round 2: Atriox has Chainbreaker, Sigismund is unarmed. Atriox has knowledge of Sigismund's location but not vice versa.

Round 3: Atriox has Chainbreaker, Sigismund has his black sword. Both are aware of the other's wheareabouts.

Bonus: How many Banished soldiers could Sigismund defeat before he goes down?

Dorn basically disowned Sigismund once he learned of Sigismund's new found faith.

Then, throughout the rest of the Heresy, Dorn basically treated Sigismund like shit.

Then, in Warhawk, Dorn unleashes Sigismund on the traitors as he says:

>'No, I set you free, my beloved, my best, son," said Rogal Dorn, never taking his eyes off his First Captain. 'Do now what you were made to do'
>
>He smiled a second time, the expression as icy as the despair that gripped his hearts.
>
>'Hurt them.'

Was that forgiveness from Dorn? Or as close as we're going to see from Dorn?

Which book is Sigismund told about how he would die alone and forgotten or be remembered alongside his father if I remember correctly? Been trying to learn more about Sigismund and any books about him would be much appreciated!