The Cursed Founding space marines are the Chapters created in the 21st Founding, an M35 experiment that went catastrophically wrong. Instead of producing fresh defenders of the Imperium, it produced mutation, madness and disaster, which is why the whole founding earned its grim nickname.
What the Cursed Founding actually was
The 21st Founding took place in M35, and it’s widely believed a Magos Biologis tampered with the gene-seed used to build its Chapters. The goal was probably to improve on the Emperor’s original work. The result was the opposite.
Many of the Chapters that came out of it suffered from mutations, unstable gene-seed and plain bad luck. The name stuck because so few of them escaped some kind of curse.
The Abominations
The worst-off battle-brothers in a cursed Chapter get separated from the main body of Space Marines. They’re called Abominations. They’re physically mutated, often insane, and they don’t care whether they live or die.
In battle they’re fielded together in squads, so that if their curse takes over they’ll at least drag some of the enemy down with them. The curse can trigger mid-fight as an uncontrolled mutation that can kill the marine outright, twisting his body and lashing out with fast-growing protoplasmic appendages that strangle anyone nearby, friend or foe.
Because of that risk, Chapters don’t deploy Abominations when they’re fighting alongside Imperial allies.
- Segregated from the Chapter’s regular battle-brothers.
- Often mutated and driven past the point of sanity.
- Show no regard for their own survival.
- Fielded in squads, never alongside Imperial allies.
Why it matters
The Cursed Founding is the Imperium’s cautionary tale about messing with gene-seed. It’s also a neat explanation for why some Chapters are just wrong, and it gives players a lore-friendly excuse for mutant marines on the tabletop.
The lore comes from White Dwarf 260 (UK) and Chapter Approved 2004, and different sources describe the founding’s details a little differently, so treat the specifics as in-universe speculation.
Key facts
- The Cursed Founding is the 21st Founding, dated to M35.
- A Magos Biologis is believed to have manipulated its gene-seed.
- Many of its Chapters suffered mutations and ill fortune.
- The worst-affected marines are called Abominations.
- Abominations are kept apart from the Chapter and never fight beside Imperial allies.
- Sources include White Dwarf 260 (UK) and Chapter Approved 2004.
FAQ
What was the Cursed Founding?
It’s the 21st Founding, in M35. A Magos Biologis is believed to have meddled with its gene-seed, and the Chapters it produced were plagued by mutation and misfortune.
What are the Abominations?
They’re the worst-affected battle-brothers of a cursed Chapter, segregated from the rest. They’re mutated, often insane, and thrown into battle in squads where their self-destructive curse can take enemies with them.
Why don’t Abominations fight with Imperial allies?
Because their curse can trigger without warning, turning them into a violent, mutating threat to anyone nearby, including their own side.