Obituary: Blood Angel Captain Erasmus Tycho (1991-2000)

The life and times of Captain Tycho, RIP.

Captain Tycho was born to Andy Chambers and Tim Prow in 1991. Tycho was grievously wounded two years later but returned to duty. The captain took the infamous blood oath of the Blood Angels during the third battle for Armageddon where he was killed in action. At time of death he was 9 years old.

White Dwarf 139 (1991)

Captain Tycho was invented as part of an exercise in choosing and painting a Space Marine army. Andy Chambers picked the list and Tim Prow painted it.

Something does not add up with Tycho's profile. He was 100pts.

Tycho was a Major Hero, base 94pts. Tycho was given three digital weapons. Captains could not generate three close combat weapons. You could allow that they used the Lieutenant Commander profile that got three rolls on the chart at 3pts per roll, but it was improbable three identical weapons could be generated from a D100 chart. A bolter was an additional roll on another chart for 2pts. In the end 5pts off doesn't matter, but it is odd this guy gets a round number when the Chaplain is 71pts.

For the armour I wanted to get a really right golden yellow colour that could almost be taken for a metallic gold.

-Tim Prow

The model was given a Tanned Leather, Blood Angel Orange & Bad Moon Yellow mix base. Highlights were applied with varying mixes of Bad Moon Yellow & Skull White.

White Dwarf 141 (1991)

Tycho participated in a battle report against the Eldar. The only mention of him in the report is hanging back with a Devastator squad. Jokaero digital weapons granted an extra attack each and could be fired as well as other weapons so this was a waste.

White Dwarf 166 (1993)

The same model was used in a 2nd edition battle report where he was fielded by Andy Chambers against Jervis Johnson's Orks.

As the Death Skulls broke into a rousing chorus of "two-nill, two-nill, two-nill, two-nill", the Weirdboy turned his Destroy Mind power on the Space Marine commander. ...

With an agonised groan (echoed by Andy himself), the Space Marine commander fell to the ground, as dead as a doornail.

I won't spoil the battle report by telling you who won.

We all know who won.

Poor Brother-Captain Erasmus Tycho suffered the worst luck of all, failing a 2D6 roll when all he needed to score was a 10 or less. The Apothecaries assure me that with extensive psycho-surgery he will fight again...

-Andy Chambers

Codex Angels of Death (1996)

Tycho was the victim of a dealy psychic attack by an Ork Weirdboy and was left for dead.

2nd edition is where Tycho gets a dedicated miniature and a bigger gun. Tycho's digi-lasers are useful but less potent than the Rogue Trader weapons.

Codex Blood Angels (1998)

In the 3rd edition codex Tycho is embittered and must move towards the enemy every turn. He also has special rules for hating Orks.

Third War for Armageddon (2000)

Codex Armageddon was announced in the summer of the year 2000 in White Dwarf 247. This was the second 40K global campaign where players could help determine the outcome. WD248 explained how it worked & updates continued through to the conclusion in WD251.

If you can't get to a store, it doesn't matter - simply send us the results of your games whether they're played at games club, at home or even in your officer's mess (and we know it happens!)

-Paul Sawyer, White Dwarf 248

Games could be played using the 40K, Epic and Battlefleet Gothic systems.

There was a website (www.armageddon3.com) but it is long gone. You can find remnants in the archives ^↗ . It contained loads of information on various factions and included Death Company rules for Tycho.

Brother Captain Tycho at Tempestora Hive

	Points/Model	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld	Sv
Tycho	120	5	5	4	4	2	5	3	9	2+

In order to use Tycho at Temperstora Hive you must select Tycho as an HQ choice without any Honour Guard and with no alterations to the wargear specified below. You must also include a Chaplain. Tycho will fight as one of the Death Company and does not follow any of the independent character rules. Opponents may of course designate him as the target for melee attacks subject to the normal rules.

Wargear: Combi-bolter-melta, artificier armour, bolt pistol, frag and krak grenades, bionics, purity seals, digi-lasers. These items are described in Codex Space Marines and Blood Angels.

Special Rules

Embittered: If Tycho has joined the Death Company, they are subject to the Black Rage every turn. They still roll the distance moved however.

Hates Orks: In hand-to-hand combat, hits Orks on 3+ regardless of WS.

The Red Thirst: If a Death Company contains Tychi then it must move directly toward the nearest enemy as fast as possible and must make an assault if it can do so. This applies even if a Chaplain or a Sanguinary High Priest leads the Death Company.

Fearless: As with other Death Company, Tycho automatically passes any Leadership test he is required to make and ignores the effects that would make him fall back automatically.

Ignore Injury: Whenever Tycho loses a wound he has a 4+ save. This does not apply when shot by weapons of STR 8 or more (which would kill him outright) or struck in melee by attacks that negate armour saves.

Transport: A Death Company inlcuding Tycho may not use jump packs and must be mounted in a Rhino. If there are more than 10 Death Company (including the Chaplain and Tycho) then they may not use the Rhino and must march into battle on foot instead.

White Dwarf 248 & 249 (2000)

Alan Merrett led a small Blood Angel force in the one of several Armageddon battle reports. Andy Chambers and Gary James commanded the Orks. The Death Company were overcome by overwhelming Ork numbers. Tycho's presence is not mentioned.

White Dwarf 251 (2000)

Lemartes watched the small group of Space Marines as they bore their Captain on their shoulders towards the Imperial lines.

WD251 rounded up the events of the campaign. As had been the case for the 2nd Tyranid Invasion planetary locations were associated with geographic regions.

The magazine included the rules for Tycho's Death Company incarnation and a vague account of his death.

Who Killed Tycho?

Tycho died defending the hive city of Tempestora. GW HQ and Warhammer World ^↗ are located in Nottingham ^↗ .

The aftermath article is uncredited and is perhaps a group effort. Tycho's killer is not named in prose either.

Tycho's Ghost

Despite being dead, Tycho continued to fight for the Imperium in a few more codices.

This wasn't unprecedented. Lord Solar Macharius was already dead when introduced in 2nd edition's Codex Imperial Guard.