While blasting through the forces of chaos in Warhammer 40,000 Space Marine 2, players will quickly notice that most of the imposing Chaos Rubric Marines spew colorful dust rather than blood. This strange phenomenon is even referenced by Titus and his Ultramarines, noting their displeasure at beating enemies without a physical form. After slaying a Rubric Marine, they simply fall apart into a pile of armor as the rainbow particles within fly away, leaving many players confused about what they're truly fighting in Space Marine 2.

[Warning: This article contains slight spoilers for the story of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2]

Despite their lack of physical form, each Rubric Marine is very much alive, but with a soul that's tied to their armor and dust within it. Thankfully, for the revenge-hungry Ultramarines, not every one of these traitorous enemies is filled with the same kind of confetti, as the Chaos Sorcerers are still flesh and blood. Players will face even more Chaos threats in their crusade to cleanse the system of heresy, but the Rubric Marines stand apart from the crowd thanks to their sparkling demise.

A Spell Gone Wrong 10,000 Years Ago

The Unintentional Source Of This Enemy's Immortality

The Thousand Sons themselves were once a legion of Space Marines dedicated to serving the Imperium on a lifelong quest for knowledge, which ultimately led them to succumb to the influence of the Chaos Gods. Each member of the Thousand Sons legion had a genetic defect built into their DNA, resulting in a great affinity for warp-controlled sorcery at the cost of heavily mutating their bodies. These mutations were known as the Flesh-Change, a ravaging disease that caused horrific deformations to the point of turning the host into a shambling mutant abomination if left unchecked.

The Thousand Sons Legion got its name from the number of surviving who remained when they became officially formed under their leader, Primarch Magnus the Red.

Spending years attempting to undo this genetic curse, sorcerers within the legion thought they finally found a cure by conducting a ritual known as the Rubric of Ahriman, which would ultimately seal their fate. of the legion with a weaker connection to the warp were instantly turned to ash after being struck by the newly unleashed spell, whilst powerful sorcerers had their bodies fused to their armor, strengthening their abilities more than ever before.

Despite being turned to colorful dust, the armor of the fallen Space Marines becomes infused with their life force, allowing them to live on as mindless automatons of destruction, forever serving the scheming Chaos God Tzeentch.

The Current State Of The Thousand Sons Legion

An Endless Crusade For Knowledge And Death

Having turned their backs on the Imperium in favor of the limitless knowledge and power promised to them by the Chaos God Tzeentch, the Thousand Legion search for new ways to sow Chaos across the Imperium. Despite their current state, the Thousand Sons once had the best intentions for the Imperium in the past, attempting to bring humanity into the future with their psychic abilities.

Ultimately, the downfall of the legion was a result of Tzeentch and his endless schemes, manipulating the loyalist Space Marines much like they did the Adeptus Mechanicus in Space Marine 2's campaign.

Thriving off their enhanced sorcery, these Chaos Marines rely on powerful magic and illusions to defeat their enemies, inflicting players with hallucinations and specters to distract them in battle. Taking advantage of the Rubric Marines' formless bodies, Rubric Sorcerers will revive their fallen comrades in an attempt to overwhelm players, making them high-value targets in combat. While fans of Space Marine 2 will have to wait and see what else the craft traitor legion has in store for future Operation DLC, there are plenty of weapons to freshen up the endless slaughter of Space Marine 2.