The Medusa System is an Imperial star system in the Ultima Segmentum, and it’s not the home of the Iron Hands (that’s the Sthenelus System, confusingly). It matters because it was the setting for Games Workshop’s 2006 global campaign, The Fall of Medusa V, and its worlds range from dead husks to a destroyed planet.
What and where it is
The Medusa System sits in Imperial space within the Ultima Segmentum. Its exact location isn’t spelled out in the sources, but the Warp Storm Van Grothe’s Rapidity is placed in that segmentum in the 8th edition Chaos Daemons codex, so it’s reasonable to assume the system is there too.
Don’t mix it up with Medusa IV, the Iron Hands’ homeworld. That planet is in the Sthenelus System, a completely different place.
The worlds of the system
The system has ten numbered planets, plus Archon III on the outer rim. Most are just listed by number, but a few have notable details.
Medusa IV is a Dead World and a former Hive World. Medusa V was a Mining and Industrial World before it was destroyed. Medusa VII is a Dead World and Xenos World. Archon III is a Mineral World.
| World | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Archon III | Mineral World | Outer rim |
| Medusa I, II, III, VI, VIII, IX, X | Unspecified | Listed by number only |
| Medusa IV | Dead World | Former Hive World |
| Medusa V | Destroyed | Former Mining/Industrial World |
| Medusa VII | Dead World / Xenos World |
Other objects and phenomena
The Van Grothe’s Rapidity is a Warp Storm in the system. There’s also Chigrin 1, one of three Crimeon Class Space Docks in orbit above Medusa V.
Chigrin 1 carries around 2,922 Adeptus Mechanicus personnel and roughly 5,000 Imperial Navy security staff. It’s armed with laser defence batteries and 16 torpedo tubes, protected by a Class 9 Void Shield, and boosted by a Philemon Paradox class enhanced auspex array that can scan a huge area of space.
The Fall of Medusa V
The system was the setting for the 2006 global campaign, The Fall of Medusa V. That event put Medusa V in the spotlight and drew in players worldwide.
The campaign booklet says the Warp storm would destroy the world if the Emperor’s enemies didn’t get there first. But it’s not clear whether Medusa V was actually destroyed or met some other fate. The sources leave that hanging.
Key facts
- The Medusa System is an Imperial star system in the Ultima Segmentum.
- It contains ten numbered planets plus Archon III on the outer rim.
- Medusa IV is a Dead World and former Hive World.
- Medusa V was destroyed; it was formerly a Mining and Industrial World.
- The system hosted the 2006 global campaign The Fall of Medusa V.
- It’s not the Iron Hands’ home system, that’s Sthenelus.
FAQ
Is the Medusa System the same as the Iron Hands’ homeworld?
No. The Iron Hands homeworld is Medusa IV, which is in the Sthenelus System. The Medusa System is a separate star system in the Ultima Segmentum.
What happened to Medusa V?
Medusa V was destroyed. It used to be a Mining World and Industrial World. The Fall of Medusa V campaign booklet warned it would be destroyed by a Warp storm or the Emperor’s enemies, and later sources list it as Destroyed.
Where is the Medusa System located?
It’s in the Ultima Segmentum. The exact location isn’t stated directly, but the Warp Storm Van Grothe’s Rapidity is placed there in the 8th edition Chaos Daemons codex, so the system is likely in the same region.