The Foresworn are a World Eaters warband, and by most accounts the biggest one left. They’re led by Kossolax the Foresworn, a Chaos Lord who’s been building this thing since the Horus Heresy. If you’re reading about the World Eaters after the Heresy, you’ll run into them sooner or later.
Who they are
The Foresworn started with Kossolax, back when he was just Sergeant Solax of the World Eaters 3rd Assault Company. After Horus died, Solax was stranded on Terra. He pulled together a retreat with his brothers and turned it into a warband. Ruthlessness and brains did the rest.
By the Dark Imperium era, they weren’t just absorbing World Eaters. They’d subordinated Night Lords, Death Guard, and traitors from plenty of other Chapters too. Their strength is listed as at least 6,000 World Eaters, plus all those subordinate warbands.
- Origin: World Eaters Legion, 3rd Assault Company
- Leader: Kossolax the Foresworn
- Chaos dedication: Khorne
- Strength: at least 6,000 World Eaters plus many subordinate warbands
- Top lieutenants: The Four, Kossolax’s four greatest warriors
What they’ve done
They’ve been busy. The Foresworn fought in the First War for Armageddon in 444.M41 and the Third War for Armageddon in 999.M41. That second one included the Battle at the Warp Gate, where a contingent left behind from the First War opened a portal into the future, fought Orks, Black Templars, and Relictors, then got wiped out when the Loyalists closed the gate.
They also showed up in the 13th Black Crusade and the Battle of the Agripinaa System. Later, in M42, they hit the Nachmund Rift War and helped destroy over a billion Imperial soldiers and 2,000 warships at Kalkin’s Tribune.
Kossolax and Angron
Before Kalkin’s Tribune, Angron suddenly reappeared on the command deck of the Conqueror and killed Kossolax’s four chief lieutenants. Kossolax was furious at first, then realized he could use his father as a symbol to reunify the whole World Eaters Legion.
That plan ran into trouble at the Battle of Hyades. Angron led a massive World Eaters and daemonic army to the surface and massacred the Astropathic Station, but it was a Grey Knights trap. A psychic beacon destroyed the planet and much of The Foresworn. Kossolax and his inner circle escaped by teleportation, and Angron was only wounded.
How they fit into Chaos
The Foresworn matter because they’re the closest thing the World Eaters have to a unified Legion after the Heresy. Most World Eaters warbands are small and fractured. The Foresworn swallowed other warbands and kept growing.
They’re also a good example of how Chaos warbands work: one strong leader, a core of veterans, and a web of subordinate groups that might not get along but answer to the boss. Kossolax’s gamble on Angron shows both the ambition and the danger of that setup.
Key facts
- The Foresworn are a World Eaters warband dedicated to Khorne.
- They’re believed to be the largest warband of the broken Legion.
- Kossolax the Foresworn has led them since the aftermath of the Horus Heresy.
- They’ve absorbed Night Lords, Death Guard, and other traitor warbands.
- They fought at both the First and Third Wars for Armageddon.
- In M42, Angron’s return shook up their leadership and led to the disastrous Battle of Hyades.
FAQ
Who leads The Foresworn?
Kossolax the Foresworn, a Chaos Lord who started as Sergeant Solax of the World Eaters 3rd Assault Company during the Horus Heresy. His four chief lieutenants are known as The Four.
Are The Foresworn the same as the Word Bearers warband?
No. There’s a separate Word Bearers warband also called The Foresworn. This article covers the World Eaters one.
What happened at the Battle of Hyades?
Angron led a huge World Eaters force to the surface and slaughtered the Astropathic Station, but the Grey Knights sprang a trap. A psychic beacon destroyed the planet and much of The Foresworn. Kossolax and his inner circle teleported out, and Angron was only wounded.