Why didn't Horus exterminatus Terra?

Why didn't Horus exterminatus Terra?

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Because he wanted to keep it. He wanted the whole enchilada, not the smouldering ruins of an Empire.

So even after what was supposed to be a massacre of the Emperor's forces on Terra turned into a long siege and after the other legions began arriving he still lacked any amount of pragmatism?

Because his goal wasn't "exterminate humanity" or some shit like that.

He literally just wanted the Imperium for himself. He wished to take the Emperor's place.

So he had no ambition to create his own Empire that would show up Big E, he was dead set on getting his daddy's sloppy seconds?

>he was dead set on getting his daddy's sloppy seconds?
From his point of view him and his brothers built the Imperium. He saw the Emperor as using what they'd built for his own gain, and handing pieces of it off to undeserving humans.

>he still lacked any amount of pragmatism?

He wanted to be Emperor, not kill everybody.

Killing everybody and destroying the planet would not have made him Emperor, therefore he did not do it.

>daddy's sloppy seconds?

If a galaxy-spanning empire that ruled billions of worlds and trillions of human souls is "sloppy seconds," sign me up.

>Killing everybody and destroying the planet would not have made him Emperor
Yes it would probably would have, especially if he hadn't bogged the majority of his forces down trying to take the planet he could have focused on the mop up of the remaining scattered legions.

No Terra, no Imperium.

Terra and rulership over it is the symbol of legitimacy of the Imperium. If you don't have Terra, you don't have the Imperium, because every other somewhat-important planet suddenly feels that THEY'RE worthy of being the capital of the Imperium and decide to start a bunch of secession wars about it, each with varying claims of legitimacy.

His goal was always, from the start, conquest of the galaxy, not utter obliteration. The two are very much not the same thing.

Because Terra was aa fortress world by the time he got there. It like asking why they don't exterminatus Krieg? You don't as its already been fucked by one ( not a full crack the plates watch all life die in lava) he probably tried and did wipe out massive civilan populations via orbital exterminatus weapons. The military would of been sitting in Dark angel equavilent void shields. Even if you destroyed the planet the palace is now a floating fortress in a asteroid field. Smaller defensive structures and the core of the primary spires might survive also.

Too much loot to loose by doing that

>every other somewhat-important planet suddenly feels that THEY'RE worthy of being the capital

I would think that although they may feel that way they would not have the ability to attempt to match Horus' forces.

Horus should be able to maintain most of the Imperium through fear and military might. I imagine he would make his homeworld the new capital and who would do anything more than argue? He would only lose control of the most outlying planets that his forces did not have enough manpower to cover, or the mobility to reach.

Cause that would have destroyed the Astronomincon. Thus destroying any means of reliable FTL travel.

A major part of Horus' strategy involved getting a sneak attack at Terra and becoming the Emperor before most of the Imperium can mobilize to deal with the threat. Once he's won the war, many (though not all) of his loyalist adversaries would kneel to their new leader. Some of them didn't have any real loyalty to the Imperial Creed, but instead to humanity anyway.

If Horus doesn't actually take the Imperium, if he only destroys its central government, then the Ultramarines are going to come in to take him out as soon as they've finished with all the distractions or at least realize that they are just distractions.

Horus needed a real victory

Daemon pacts could solve ftl

>Ultramarines are going to come in to take him out
>Ultramarines
>after Calth
>doing anything
Topkeks.

You make it sound as if inheriting an established empire is a bad thing. Everything's already in place, no need to necessarily change things - if Horus weren't so Chaos-focused, he probably could just tweak little bits of Imperial doctrine to legitimize his rule. Praise the Emperor as the precursor to himself, Horus, and slowly drop the Emperor out of the picture. Do some rad Roman propaganda shit.

>Roman propaganda shit
>Ultramarines still loyalists.
That shit would be heretical under Horus.

Horus also wanted to do what he saw as best for Humanity, as well as the Space Marines.

He didn't want to destroy the Empire, he wanted to save it.

Hold up though, even though ya'll are saying that Horus wanted to rule the Imperium and do what he felt was best for Humanity, wasn't the guy, by the time he reached Terra, completely corrupted by Chaos and probably wanted it all in the name of the Chaos Gods?

He still wanted to rule, not "kill all humans". Only few Chaos warbands have this approach to humanity, generally what they want, and what Horus wanted, is and evil empire ruled by them. The"evil" part is sometimes subjective, like with Horus who thought he coulc use the powers of Chaos to establish himself better as the Emperor, to full on daemonic empire like the Word Bearers have wet dreams about.

The fuck is that thing next to Fulgrim and Arryman

Because it makes for a boring story when you can just blow up anything that's in any way crucial, instead of actually fighting for it.

More in character, because he did want control over the Imperium and to replace the Emperor. If he tried just building his own empire from scratch, it'd look like a petty copy, and it would take too long to establish enough for him to conquer the rest of the galaxy anyway.

She was Lorgar's guide during his pilgrimage, killed couple of guys and became Daemon Prince.

Even after Calth they were one of the largest and most powerful Legions. It's canon that Horus decided to lower his flagship's shields since a prolonged siege would mean the Ultramarines, Space Wolves, White Scars, etc. would have time to arrive and win the war.

I guess they just threw them out at anyone in the early days

Because the setting imported parts of Dune without including all of the reasons behind them.

And more importantly this:
>Because it makes for a boring story when you can just blow up anything that's in any way crucial, instead of actually fighting for it.

White scars were already on terra.
They were one of the three defending legions.

>bike legion
>stationed on terra
What were they thinking?

Something like:

'Really should have gone with a killswitch in each Primarch after all.'

Funny thing is, she "dies" at the end of Lorgar's pilgrimage. Says some last words and dissolves right before he fights the Avatar if I remember correctly. As she was supposed to only serve this one purpose, I wonder how did they get her on the Vangeful Spirit during the Heresy.

Dorn's super duper fortifications probably protected it from exterminators.

Also,
> logic
> 4th
Pick one.

>Not wanting to ride gloriously down the Imperial ramparts, war-cries mixing with the roar of engines as you ride full throttle to meet the heretical traitors head-on

Jaghatai lives.

youtube.com/watch?v=hXV8eALykN0
>"ARISE, RIDERS OF JAGHATAI!
RIDE NOW! RIDE NOW FOR THE EMPEROR!"
>100.000 sword-swinging spehss-mongols on bikes ride down the ramps to the Imperial Palace to kick everyones shit in
You know you want it.


Emperor confirmed for J.R.R. Tolkien/Peter Jackson fan?

user, stop, my penis can only get so erect.

They wanted to give the White Scars at least a little importance in the lore, before they only ever used them in Tau battles.

Speaking of Dorn, he specifically requested the White Scars presence on Terra. Personally, I believe he built bike-based shenanigans into the palace, just for this scenario.

archiveofourown.org/works/1117424

horse was a gud boi