The Broken Chains is two different things in Warhammer 40k: a Chaos roleplaying adventure where prisoners seize a shot at damnation, and a Horus Heresy audio drama about a Blackshield’s oath. Both sit squarely in the Chaos corner of the setting, and they’re easy to mix up.
What the broken chains actually is
In print, the name covers a 2011 Black Crusade RPG adventure and a 2019 Horus Heresy audio drama. They share a title and a Chaos theme, but they’re separate releases from different eras.
The RPG book is a 32-page introductory scenario. The audio drama is a 70-minute story by Josh Reynolds. Neither one is a tabletop army or a codex supplement.
The Black Crusade adventure
Broken Chains drops your group into the Chains of Judgement, an Inquisition starship that spent centuries hauling the worst renegades to their executions. Now it’s lost in the warp, and the prisoners have a narrow window to break free.
That escape is the launch pad for a Black Crusade campaign. You’re not playing loyalists fighting Chaos; you’re playing the renegades, and the adventure treats infamy as a resource you build as you go.
It’s split into three parts (Belly of the Beast, Labyrinth of Chains, and A Path to Glory) with sample characters, a rules summary, and an appendix of allies and antagonists. Sam Stewart led development.
- Released 2011, 32 pages
- Introductory adventure for Black Crusade
- Lead developer: Sam Stewart
- Three-part structure plus an appendix
The Horus Heresy audio drama
Blackshields: The Broken Chain came out in 2019 as part of the Horus Heresy series. It follows Endryd Haar, a legendary Blackshield, as he’s hunted by the Sons of Horus.
Haar gets betrayed by his second in command, Erud Vahn, and ends up imprisoned and facing a slow death. He has to gamble everything to escape and keep his oath to kill Horus.
It’s performed by a full cast including Gareth Armstrong and Toby Longworth, and it ties into the wider Blackshields audio line alongside The False War and The Red Fief.
- Author: Josh Reynolds
- Released 2019, 70 minutes
- Part of the Horus Heresy series
- Follows Blackshield Endryd Haar
Why it matters to Chaos fans
The RPG adventure matters because it gives you a rare chance to play the bad guys from the start. Black Crusade is built around renegades and heretics, and Broken Chains is the on-ramp.
The audio drama matters because it fleshes out the Blackshields, Space Marines who cut ties with their Legions during the Heresy. Haar’s story shows what that freedom costs.
If you’ve seen the name in a list and weren’t sure which one someone meant, that’s the usual confusion. Check whether they’re talking about a game book or an audio release.
Key facts
- The Broken Chains refers to two separate Chaos releases: a 2011 Black Crusade RPG adventure and a 2019 Horus Heresy audio drama.
- The RPG adventure is 32 pages, led by developer Sam Stewart, and set aboard the Inquisition ship Chains of Judgement.
- The audio drama is 70 minutes, written by Josh Reynolds, and follows Blackshield Endryd Haar.
- Both are official Chaos-related products, not fan works, despite the shared name.
FAQ
Is the broken chains a book or an audio drama?
Both. There’s a 2011 Black Crusade RPG adventure and a 2019 Horus Heresy audio drama, and they’re separate products.
What is Black Crusade: Broken Chains about?
It’s an introductory adventure where prisoners aboard the lost Inquisition ship Chains of Judgement escape and begin their path toward a Black Crusade.
Who is in Blackshields: The Broken Chain?
It follows Endryd Haar, a Blackshield betrayed by his second in command, Erud Vahn, and hunted by the Sons of Horus.