The Flesh Tearers are a brutal and feared successor chapter of the Blood Angels, known for their ferocity in battle and the dark curse that haunts their lineage. Founded during the Second Founding, the Flesh Tearers inherited not only the martial prowess of their parent Chapter but also the genetic flaws that afflict all sons of Sanguinius: the Red Thirst and the Black Rage. These afflictions have become particularly pronounced within the Flesh Tearers, shaping their culture and tactics into something more savage and primal than even the Blood Angels themselves. Their name alone strikes fear into the hearts of their enemies—and unease among their allies.
On the battlefield, the Flesh Tearers embody unrelenting aggression, favoring close-quarters combat where their berserk fury can be unleashed to devastating effect. Chainswords, power weapons, and bolt pistols are their tools of carnage, and they are known for their shocking brutality and disregard for collateral damage. Their assaults are often described as a blood-drenched storm, where the enemy is not just defeated but utterly annihilated. This feral approach to warfare has earned them a dark reputation even among other Space Marine Chapters, some of whom view the Flesh Tearers as dangerously unstable and untrustworthy.
The Red Thirst and Black Rage loom large over the Flesh Tearers, more so than any other Blood Angels successor. The Red Thirst drives them into a near-uncontrollable bloodlust, an insatiable hunger for violence and destruction that pushes them to the edge of sanity. The Black Rage, meanwhile, condemns those afflicted to relive the death of their Primarch, Sanguinius, at the hands of Horus during the Siege of Terra. These cursed brothers are gathered into the Chapter’s Death Company, where they fight as living embodiments of vengeance until they fall in battle. The high incidence of these flaws among the Flesh Tearers has led to whispers that their Chapter teeters on the brink of total self-destruction.
The Flesh Tearers are led by Chapter Master Gabriel Seth, a warrior as unyielding and fierce as the Chapter he commands. Seth is a figure of great controversy, known for his brutal honesty and refusal to shy away from the harsh realities of his Chapter’s condition. Under his leadership, the Flesh Tearers have managed to maintain a fragile balance between their feral instincts and their duty to the Imperium. Seth is deeply aware of the mistrust his Chapter faces, but he remains steadfast in his commitment to the Emperor, fighting not only for the survival of the Imperium but also for the redemption of his beleaguered brethren.
Despite their grim reputation and the shadow of their flaws, the Flesh Tearers continue to fight with the fervor of true sons of Sanguinius. They are a testament to the Imperium’s desperate need for warriors, no matter how flawed or dangerous they may be. In every battle, the Flesh Tearers walk a fine line between glory and damnation, their existence a tragic reminder of the legacy of their Primarch and the heavy burden borne by his gene-sons. Whether the Flesh Tearers will endure or succumb to the darkness within them remains uncertain, but for now, they stand as one of the Imperium’s most ferocious defenders, willing to spill oceans of blood in the Emperor’s name.