Grimaldus: "Tomorrow they will call me the hero of Helsreach... As if there was only one." Me: *Violently sobs and wails*

I think my favorite most human moment is when Sevatar in The Prince of Crows asks Konrad why he hates his Legion

"I had a headache... but it went away" This made Grimaldus smile.

When butcher nailed Kharne tells his only friend in the universe that he got the nails to be closer to his Primarch, his friend, demon possessed Argel Tal, looks at him and says it didn't work, THAT kind of broke me. Two amazing creatures who could have been anything, reduced to monsters by their fathers, realizing that there was no going back. That was my human Space Marine moment.

I saw Helsreach: The Movie and suddenly I felt the urge to start a crusade like a true son of Dorn.

“The Hero of Helsreach!” The crowd cheered. As if there was only one.

"I have dug my grave in this place, I will either triumph or I will die. No pity, No remorse, NO FEAR!"

This was a truly epic novel and a truly Epic last Stand. As a Veteran the end of this book broke me, man I love these personal movements like these. As well as others, I especially love the part in the Dawn of Fire Series where a Custodian tears off a part of his cloak to wrap a freezing guardsmen up in it to keep her warm and she is in utter disbelief that this Godlike figure would debase his holy cloak just to keep her warm . Little moments in the lore like that make it so much cooler and more enjoyable. Keep up the great work

" i endure this for 9 days.... NINE DAYS" - I Love Grimaldus. As a nightlord player and fanboy this one book made me love the Black Templars

Reclusiarch Grimaldus and Captain Loken gave me so much hope for the potential of future novels.

Even beyond Helsreach, he stood with the Celestial Lions chapter and helped prevent their end. Man just really appreciates a good final stand.

Helsreach was the first 40k novel I read, and it's the reason why I fell in love with the setting. There are so many disparate moments linking a range of emotions and space in that book. Grimaldus' speech on the wall (I have it bookmarked), his grim matter-of-fact tally of who died on what day, the fucking scene of him coordinating bureaucracy for 9 days before the siege..the moment at the beginning when grimaldus almost whines like a child to helbrecht not wanting to lead the token force destined to die on the planet. the book goes so hard. Blood and Fire is the novella that takes place immediately after Helsreach involving Grimaldus and the Celestial Lions. Highly recommend that as well.

The moment Little Horus killed Tarik Torgadden is the moment I realized how much I hated Horus and the traitor faction, that and when Tarvitz and the surviving loyalists died.

Now Grimaldus and Dante Uriel Ventress and Gullimen feel truly human the dread and contemplating against the horde maybe even Lion but he feels older/mature a different feeling in a way

Two of my favourite moments in helreach where the one mentioned when he asks Andrei if he found his love, it slaps so damnably hard but almost immediately afterwards Andrei, beautiful responds when asked by Grimaldus if he was injured at all during the fighting. Andrei replies "Well yes, I had a headache, but then it went away". Grimaldus doesn't speak, but the character says to the reader "This made me smile" Even though they cannot convey each others emotions to one another, Andrei shows he is still himself, he hasn't lost his spirit and ill keep fighting, doing their duty, like the Reclusiarch himself does. Like any soldier of the emperor. Its incredibly humanising for the astartres, who was genuinely surprised but pleased at the strength of this normal human guardsmans ability to make a joke not only after such a battle, or an astartes, but to a black templar reclusiarch, he was genuinely impressed and making any black templar smile is hard enough, especially after he has just lost every battlebrother in his company. I loved the fanmade animations adaption, its spectactular and conveys these scenes so well.

"I will die on this world" is absolutely one of the best, if not THE best, opening line of a novel ever. And then the novel is fantastic, too. Huge thumbs up for this video and you got a new subscriber.

The line that stuck with me the most was, "We will fight and win, or fight and die." There's 100% commitment to the battle regardless of the outcome. As if the outcome doesn't matter, only the fight.

Just found Mr Bones and so far I'm liking this wild ride.

Helsreach is the measuring stick I compare all SM books I read to. I started my SM novel journey with the Blood Angels Omnibus YEARS ago, and i thought to myself that "This is the good shit, Can't get better!" Then i discovered the BTs, did my research and fell in love with the chapter, found out about Helsreach, read it, then read it again. I found all other books SM books i read paled in comparison. Armageddon dropped, picked it up and the epilogue battle where Grimuldus comes to the aid of the Celestial Lions . . . SO. DAMN. GOOD! Also, best scene that makes me smile every time - Grimuldus to Andre: Are you not injured? Andre: I had a headache, but it went away.

"My title is Reculsiarch. Use it." Loved Helsreach and have listened to it multiple times.

"Duty is not always glorious." This is the line from Helsreach that has been burned into my brain since the moment I first heard it. Not often are 40k quotes all that applicable to IRL experiences, but this one has given me an odd sense of purpose a few times in the past with its simplicity. Your mention of betrayal really made me think about how it is so borderline comedic in 40k, but in Helsreach it is a very real sense of betrayal that someone can probably personally relate to, the way Grimaldus felt towards Helbrecht, that he had been betrayed by his superior, when to Helbrecht he was simply doing his job as best he saw fit, even if it meant someone being cheated of the mighty and heroic doom they would like to have, even if this ended up being true in a very different way to how both of them likely expected it.

That is just ADB as a writer in general. He has this knack to take Space Marines esp Chaos Marines and wirte them in a relatable way. I would love to his what he could do writing a Necron story from the Necron's perspective, or even Orks. ADB's Night Lords books are amazing and 1st Heretic is to this day my favorite of the HH series. He was able to do something with Word Bearers and Lorgar, which was make you have emotion for them and see them more than a bunch religious lunatics.

I listened to Helsreach on Audible. It is the only book to make me actively cry. The description of the last stand where all of his brothers start falling always gets to me.

Rinsworld is also one you should check out if you want more *human* space marines. I just find it funny when space marines go against orks, that somehow it makes op humans MORE human. Also, the "lion, son of the forest" does this too, just in a way to clarify the whole fallen dark angels thing.

I read the whole book because of this video. I am floored by the ending.

I don't really think Grimaldus was afraid of death, the 1st time i read the novel i got that idea, but reading more lore and knowing more of Grimaldus, i really believe he didn't want to die on Armageddon and not to the orks. I trully believe Grimaldus wanted for him and his brothers to die fighting on a better planet against a more worthy foe than lowly xenos scum. That and the lost of his mentor, the promotion to a rank he didn't and dosen't feel worthy to have and the self doubt (which started before even the Armaggedon Crusade was declared), all in combine caused this drained and fatalist state of mind for Grimaldus.

My favourite is when Sevatar told Kondrad he only kills because its the easiest way Amber King did an amazing rendition of this scene I also Enjoyed when Alexis Pollux wept over Barbarus Dantioc Very human and very Raw

When Talos tells Octavian that he wanted to be a hero when he was a kid

The docks scene in Helsreach one of my favorite parts besides the last stand itself. Sad that it didn't get animated.

I found Nerovar the Apothecary also a standout character in Helsreach. The handling of his mourning for his brothers and the burden of his task of recovering geneseed made him as human a character as Grimaldus.

The Hero of Helsreach...as if there was only one.

I paused, and went and bought the audiobook. Literally, sold.

If you want a series that gives a lot of personality to factions that generally don't get a fair shake, I would recommend the Priests of Mars books

Boy am I happy to see folks talking about Templars, and my favorite guy from the Templars no less. I wanna say Helsreach was my first delve into the 40k setting, albeit watching the animated film mentioned in the video well before reading the book. Not only did Grimaldus make the Templars my favorite group, but he also served in making me absolutely love Chaplains- their skull-faced aesthetic going hard helped as well. Speaking of which the story itself I found it fascinating to have the main character struggling with duty and leadership be a Chaplain of all things, who are meant to essentially act as the soul of the Chapter's beliefs. Grimaldus having to be left behind and defend a doomed city probably goes against all he knows. While his first speech he gave atop the walls of Helsreach gave me chills, one of his final words in the last stand stuck with me in which he bellows that he had "dug his grave on this spot, and that he shall either succeed or die". To everyone around him, he was likely just rallying their morale before it crumbles like the temple around them, but to me it also represented Grimaldus finally accepting his fate. To die in a futile struggle without the glory every Templar yearns for. Because he is a son of Dorn, and to them duty is everything.

I find Dante’s vision of the sanguinor and sanguinius to an incredibly powerful scene. I know “oh Dante this Dante that” but I love his character. Maybe I just find myself having a similar view these days but it’s just such a powerful emotion that I feel connected to. Wanting to stop not necessarily die but to see the epilogue of the story and being utterly incapable of quitting.

I don't know how often I repeated Helsreach on Audible already but I relisten regularly. It is really well written but the voice is what carries it. Jonathan Keeble just rocked the story.

God emperor I love it when stories get me emotional

The Helsreach fanmovie even got me into playing space maries. Hell it completely sold me on the Chaplains. The only reason I don't have Grimaldus his figure, is because I'm waiting on a new version.

The Helsreach movie is the first thing that got me into 40k, it was a bad time in life. But it has brought me so much joy

Helsreach was rad! Andre made me get the feels at the end. Definitely one of the best 40k novels.

Literally had me almost cry my brains out listening to that line from Andre again. Why did you have to do that to me on a Tuesday.

My favorite Space Marine so far is Saul Tarvitz. His bravery to go down and warn the other loyalists on Istvaan 3 was incredible. His shock at seeing Horus and Fulgrim’s betrayal, and finally his acceptance that he was going to die. -he also sent Lucius running with his tail between his legs, which is always based.

I watched Richard Boylan's adaptation, I cried. I read the Aaron Dembski-Bowden book, I cried. The life and humanity Aaron gives the Space Marines in his books - Talos Valcoran for example - makes my love for the3 setting grow even stronger

"The hero of Hellsreach, they call. As if there is only one." Has hit me harder tbh

I love writing like this it's stuff like this is why I love Sanguinius. I wish they'd write spacemarines more like this

The emphasis on the humanity of Grimaldus, as suppressed and stunted as it is, is what makes Helsreach. Even the greatest of His warriors is ultimately human, and need human things, as much as they’d deny it.

I firmly believe that Helsreach, and The Devastation of Baal have been the best at showing space marines having emotion. Between Grimaldice's frustration and moment of admitting how far removed from being human it shows that there's a sense of loss in most marines for they aren't human anymore. Along with Dante's grief and almost hatred of living and serving for as long as he has. These moments are what keeps me coming back

I love the Vulcan Primarch novel for this reason. The vast majority of it is Vulcans internal struggles, and it makes him remarkably human.

Aww! Also I liked this story, its really really good. Grimaldus is a beast, Andre is a beast. Poor Andre. I want to hug him.

I would love to see a follow up book with that lucky SOB Andre and see how far he came in his military career

Finally he gets round to gushing Helsreach! I haven’t read it myself but have been catching your mentions in previous videos. Keep up the good work Arthur!

The Black Templars was one of my first armies, and when I listened to Helsreach for the first time, Grimaldi instantly became one of my favorite characters. Most space marines would look down on humans, but his speech, where he calls the Steel Legion his brothers, hit me really hard, and his interactions with Andre are great. It made me get a Steel Legion army and even though I sold both armies, I still kept and will always keep my Grimaldi model and my Steel Legion kill team.

For me, it was' Pharos: Dying of the Light'...and the fan-fiction 'No Good Deed'

My favorite character in all of 40k is forge father fierros of the Iron Hands as he is human despite being more machine than man but he’s humorous and likable, even his haters on the Iron council admit that when he dies so will an era. Man that hits hard. I love the Iron Hands. . .

This was great! Thanks for the rad video and shining a light on this aspect of 40k. Good stuff.

I love your intro, it always makes me excited when i click a random 40k video and Im like "OH HELL YEAH, ITS ARTHUR"

Sounds like quality character portrayals in a setting of books I've heard mixed reviews on. You seem to have a similar perspective on reading as I do, so now I'm actually interested in hitting the books!

However in Hellsreach we also have Grimaldus witnessing a human kiss, saying: "Humans. They are a mystery to me."

A space marine that made me feel a variety of emotions, yet at some point halfway through-ish I understood him and I just felt pity, empathy, and understanding. I just want to give Grimaldus a hug, I feel *so* bad for the guy, and despite the things he said and did, I still love him and he's one of my favorite 40K characters. The start of the book had me flipping between disdain, anger, awe, admiration, and so many until that scene where he's talking to Zaha and threatening to do something to Oberon. That scene changed everything about him for me, and then the following scenes made me love him even more.

Skaven yet?

Grimaldus is a fantastic portration of how the countless years of experience they bring to a situation. A space marine is so much more then the armor and the weapon. The fact that they Are so evolved, yet still willingly sacrifice themselves for something Even greater, is so fantastic.

You mad lad. I have listened to Helsreach so many times over. Now I have to commit another ten hours listening to that glorious audiobook again.

This book had me weeping so many times.

Amazing book. I've listened to it four or five times, and now I want to listen to it again.

Hells reach was definatly a differant kind of book, but one i found that i loved. great vid, thank you for sharing, now im going to relisten to the audio book video

The best line, I had a headache ….but then it went away.

"Primus. You are the last Emperor's Champion of the Helsreach Crusade. Now recover your blade." is a moment that lives in my head rent free. Shit goes so unbelievably hard. Literally the reason I made my Emperor's Champion model dual wielding swords.

i too instantly bought a model of Grimaldus the same day i finished the book. SO damn good from start to finish.

Grimaldus is THE reason why The Black Templars are my favorite, he is the reason for my interest in the tabletop and why black templars will be my first foray into the game, and how the sisters of battle became my second love. I cant wait to obtain my first figurines to paint and you know my boy will be among them as i build my very first army

I have never reminded an audiobook to listen to a segment 5 times not because I didn’t hear it but because I needed to hear it again and again because it was so perfect until grimaldus’ speech on the northern wall

I started 40k with TTS like many people, and that led me to getting the Eisenhorn trilogy. After that I saw part one of Helsreach and immediately got the book on audible, and it’s the only 40k book to have really given me the feels. Helsreach will always have a special place in my heart because of how even when it’s grimdark and punching you in the feels it still has these immense bright spots of compassion and raw humanity in beings that from coming out of Eisenhorn are very other and inhuman.

This was the first audiobook I bought and I listen to parts of it almost every day. If you have audible get this book.

The scene that hit the hardest for me in the fan film was at the end when Grimaldus re-enters the drop ship mirroring the opening scene introducing the other astartes and it's completely empty. I started bawling

More than anything.... im amazed that a few seconds of Donnie being Donnie suddenly brought back every memory I had of the wild thornberries .... like I had a hard time focusing on everything after.... wrf brain

That line between Grimaldus and Andre at the end made me fucking cry and I haven't even read the book. That poor guy.

One of the passages I remember most is the description given of the city. The preparations are being made and he's looking at the map and describes it as being indefensible, that it is lined like a spine that is broken. I'm paraphrasing of course, but he realizes that despite his best efforts, he can not overcome the obvious weakness of the lay out of the city itself. I have to say, of the novels that grabbed hold of me, Helsreach is one of the ones I keep going back to for no other reason than it is just such a damn good read. I enjoyed the space marine battles series, I had rynn's world and damnos ready to read, but then life happened...my library got kinda lost, but I'm there with you in sentiment. There's some novels that just take hold of you and you think of constantly. I always think of 15 hours by Mitchell Scanlon, if you haven't read it, I highly recommend it. Desert Raiders is another one I recommend. Granted, they're guard stories, but they're fun...well...interesting at any rate.

I feel bad for Bobby G, missing his father Konor and how ashamed he feels of himself thinking how quickly he would have abandoned Konor if the Emperor had found him while Konor was still alive. He's so frustrade with the imperium and the emperor, outright disowning E money in favor of the man that raised him

I do not remember the book but there is a line that goes "we shall know no fear, yet i have known fear" or something along the lines that gets me

What I absolutely love grimaldus is yeah he's conditioned to be a hyper zealous emotionally stunted super soldier, BUT he knows more and sees more than he realizes which has helped him interact better w non astartes and function as a chaplain. He sees the bigger picture of what it means to be truly human, but he's so far removed he can't full understand what he's looking at

Great book. Great animation. Great setup for the continuing story of Grimaldus and his new Novitiate.

That was the first 40k audiobook i listened to. Made me get into 40k. But also set the bar pretty high on books

Great video. I personally enjoy when they show the human side of chaos space marines. Cursed people , who went down a terrible path trying to live with thier choices.

Andrej was such an awesome character too. When you're a guardsman so exhausted with everything that you look at the 8-9 foot tall murder machine in power armor and go "Fire a couple more rounds from that bolter. I need to light my cigarette." you have Andrej.

Ever since I was really little I'd always sit on my dad's lap while he played Dawn of war but I didn't really understand what I was looking at just a cool ass video game. It wasn't until he sat me down and said watch this and I watched the animated series on KZfaq that I truly got a grasp of what Warhammer was and it still is one of my favorite stories and he still is my favorite character in the setting all these years later

Beautiful work 👏👏🫡

The final word of the techmarine carried more than one meaning as God-Slayer fell away: "Engine Kill"

Yes, legitimately my favorite 40k character and a big reason why I collect BT's.

Helsreach is the reason I started with Black Templars five/six months ago as my first army, and it's the reason I'll be repainting Grimaldus and kitbashing him heavily to look like a cross of the fanfilm and book descriptions later this week.

I remember when my friend started to introduce me to the grim dark world of 40k years ago with the warhammer 40k space marine game. I remember checkin out the helsreach short film the next day and let's just say that it solidified my interest in the setting and the black templars as one of my favorite chapters of space marines!

One of my most favorite stories and character in all of Warhammer! this is the guy that made me fall in love with Black Templars

Hearing of this, it really reminds me of my own experiences as a military brat, it's very common for everyone to never talk about your problems. It's very closed off, but still a lot of silent understanding and suffering. It also strongly reminds me of when researching the Polish experiences in WW2, like in the Battle of Wizna. Calling it Poland's Thermopylae, truth be told it many Thermopylae battles. It specifically calls to mind an experience where a Polish captain, Wladyslas Raginis at the battle of Wizna took on 40:1 odds. 40 Germans for every Polish soldier in his command. Despite this, he pledged "I will not leave this Valley alive." He kept his promise to the very end, when threatened by the Nazi Germans that the captured would be executed unless surrendered, he gave his order to surrender where he committed suicide via hand grenade while still in the last pill ox/bunker. The combination of all these reminds me so, so much of it all, the silent understanding, the quiet suffering, and knowing you have to keep going. There's work to be done, there's a war going on, count and remember the dead, keep fighting for the living.

You know what? I'm pausing this video right here, and heading off to buy this book. I already had it on my wishlist, but you convinced me. I will be back when I've listened to all 12 hours.

I just recently started “Helsreach” and something I think is really helping to humanize Gimaldus is that Helsreach is his first command as Reclusiarch. He gets frustrated with Helbrecht assigning him and a group of Sword Brethren to reinforce the Steel Legion because he doesn’t yet understand for a Space Marine commander you have to be a leader not another cog in the apocalypse. I also think that being Mordred’s sort of apprentice and the youngest Sword Brother ever implies he’s inexperienced and somewhat naive about being a commander before Helbrecht pretty much throws him to the wolves. We’ve all felt these feelings before in some capacity, slighted about an assignment, nervous about the first time you took up a new role, the feeling of fear when you’re trapped in a place that you can’t run from despite every mental alarm saying to do so.

I also like the way they write Helbrecht in this. He has so much respect and love for his battle Brother, but also knows this is the only thing that will temper him to the conflicts to come. He will either die or become the man He has to be and it's the hardest decision that leaders have to make.

i always thought that Grimaldus judging by his model and the name that he was just as mad as asmodai but it turns out hes probably the most awe inspiring and loving as a chaplain can be to both space marines and loyalist humans

Thank you for introducing me to Helsreach

My favorite moment of humanity for a space marine is in "The First Heretic" when Argel Tal is leading the Word Bearers on Istvaan V. He thinks of his mother and sisters, the last time he saw them, their gravesites on Colchis. He whispers "I'm sorry" to a Raven Guard captain before issuing the order: "All word bearers, open fire!"

“I have dug my grave in this place and I will triumph or I will die! NO PITY! NO REMORSE! NO FEAR!” -Merek Grimaldus

Your gonna love the Grimaldus, Celestial Lions Saga, heartbreaking but makes him even better…

the space marine who made me care? garviel loken…