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Hour of the Huscarls


apologist

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Erebus gathered his withinlookmen and scryers about him, and channeled the mem-crystals through his consciousness. His vision swam, and a shape coalesced before him – golden-hued and terrible.

 

Stretching before the giant in serried ranks were power-armoured Astartes –Huscarls – bodyguards and holy warriors.

 

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_w52z2ezBXbQ/Sp_DglIZR_I/AAAAAAAABJQ/2dMPmTrfc_Q/s800/Archamus.jpg

The golden-armoured Astarte spoke:

'The galaxy has turned. Even now, our brothers turn against us. The crusade we have prosecuted has turned within. For now, it is time to consolidate, to strike back against these traitors. For now, forget the promise of progress and understanding. There will be no peace amongst the stars, only a time of carnage and slaughter.'

 

A hush fell. Archamus looked down, then raised his helmet and clamped it onto his armour. The vocalisers blared, in a chant that was taken up by the companies of assembled Imperial Fist veterans:

 

'Victory! Victory! All all times victory! Victory! Victory!'

 

This'll be a blog charting the progress of an army I've wanted to make for a long time. I built an Imperial Fist army a long time ago, and being able to recreate the Fists was too great a temptation!

 

I hope you like how they're looking so far – these are WIP Sternguard. I've decided that the red and white helmet device is a good way to pick out the veteran companies of the Imperial Fists, to represent 'the blood and the bone' of the legion; and also to tie them into my (red and white) Mechanicus army.

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_w52z2ezBXbQ/Sp_HnUcnTaI/AAAAAAAABLY/zGbdmTJF39U/s800/Group.jpg

 

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Some upcoming stuff – you can see Sigismund about halfway through painting, along with a Mechanicum Sister of Cydonia, and a couple of extra marines.

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_w52z2ezBXbQ/Sp_GhxcSLtI/AAAAAAAABKM/2EHqkFlOB5o/s800/WIP.jpg

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totally sweet models, but the name? huscarl? a post largely ceremonial and not considered a military but instead an administrative position but, when they were called to fight, highly individual in combat due to the nature of their arms? It seems entirely against the idea of the space marines (who exist only for combat, demand no pay or land or tribute, and retreat from view when the fighting is over) as well as the idea of a regimented force (serried ranks). It's actually not quite the opposite of what you're going for <_<. The one similarity is their loyalty to no lord but the king/emperor, but that's what the custodes are for..?

 

Don't get me wrong, totally boss models. It's just a strange name.

Heh, yeah the name does sound good, and people will have different ideas about things...I just don't see my Knights cooperating easily with a bunch of ignoble tax-collectors. They have churl right in the name!

 

In the distance shot, is that a back torso piece used for a front torso piece? Clever, that.

Thanks for all the feedback, cats; most appreciated! :)

totally sweet models, but the name? huscarl?

It's taken from the Horus Heresy novel series – the Huscarls are Dorn's personal bodyguard. :)

 

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Are those flavour text peices written by you or quoted from a book/audio book?

I write 'em myself – it's one of my favourite bits of the hobby. The particular example above includes a paraphrase of the famous 'In the Grim Grimness of the Grim Future' introduction to 40k from the rulebook.

:)

 

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More Imperial Fists!

 

First Captain Sigismund

My interpretation of this character has him bearing the black and white heraldry of the Huscarl Templars (Dorn's bodyguards), and bearing the Black Sword(ish). After all, if the Fist of Dorn is a hammer and the Spear of Dorn is a stormbolter, it amused me for the Black Sword to be a mace.

 

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_w52z2ezBXbQ/SqYAXQbgMsI/AAAAAAAABMA/4PZTUBs7jek/s800/IMG_0180.JPG

 

Come the Siege of the Emperor's Palace itself, Sigismund will receive a repaint, to give him proper black armour – and a weapon swap, to give him the proper Black Sword. I need to follow canon sometimes!

 

I've added quite a few personal touches to his armour – he is First Captain, after all – including reversed shoulder pads (black on yellow):

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_w52z2ezBXbQ/SqYKaDULr5I/AAAAAAAABMs/PKT_IGWx1A0/s800/IMG_0185.JPG

The Templar Cross on his shoulder...

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_w52z2ezBXbQ/SqYKa02zpGI/AAAAAAAABM0/kL3km_RW91Q/s800/IMG_0187.JPG

...and torso:

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_w52z2ezBXbQ/SqYKbDLAV0I/AAAAAAAABM4/fZV2MB8bUCQ/s800/IMG_0188.JPG

 

To further emphasise the Teutonic feel, I gave him blue eye-lenses:

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_w52z2ezBXbQ/SqYKbR-mTbI/AAAAAAAABM8/r8cc7fmxybQ/s800/IMG_0189.JPG

...which contrast with the softer but more alien purple of the rest:

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_w52z2ezBXbQ/SqYKbnvRDvI/AAAAAAAABNA/s0QaoRo_Elw/s400/IMG_0190.JPG

Note also the Captain badge on his helmet, which I poached from Rogue Trader.

 

The creepy cherubs are a great favourite of mine, and being able to stick 'em in this army helps to tie the Fists to the Mechanicum, as well as making them suitably Baroque. You'll note that I've painted the parchments black, with white writing. This contrasts far better with the white, and I think it presages the Black Templars nicely.

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_w52z2ezBXbQ/SqYAYQjQcFI/AAAAAAAABMI/wdcWMJAE9yo/s800/IMG_0183.JPG

 

This antique feel is heightened by the use of turquoise around the metallics. Note also that the cherub's wings helps to create the impression that Sigismund himself is an avenging angel – very suited to the chap!

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_w52z2ezBXbQ/SqYKZwcggpI/AAAAAAAABMo/HiGFoMoMrCo/s800/IMG_0184.JPG

 

Hope you like him – he was a lot of fun to make and paint. :)

I love him!

 

However, although I like the mace, I'm not a fan of the idea. Seeing as the Emperor's Champions all have swords, I would have thought that would have been more fitting for the Emperor's Champion, but it's your army, and your take on what you want him to look like. Well done!

Great to see you at work on more Marines, Apologist, and not only that - they're Fists!

 

Again, I really like what I see here. All the personal touches and that certain 'mood' (if it can be called that) of your models make your work a great sight to behold. But my favorite part of your posts is the history and background segments you provide, so hopefully you continue that with this new force as you did with your Heresy-era Ultramarines. Definitely looking forward to what the future has in store for us, and good luck on completing a force of Imperial Fists. That yellow armor can be a pain sometimes. B)

totally sweet models, but the name? huscarl? a post largely ceremonial and not considered a military but instead an administrative position but, when they were called to fight, highly individual in combat due to the nature of their arms? It seems entirely against the idea of the space marines (who exist only for combat, demand no pay or land or tribute, and retreat from view when the fighting is over) as well as the idea of a regimented force (serried ranks). It's actually not quite the opposite of what you're going for :lol:. The one similarity is their loyalty to no lord but the king/emperor, but that's what the custodes are for..?

 

Don't get me wrong, totally boss models. It's just a strange name.

 

Huscarl (or Housecarl) were the Scandinavian equivalent of personal bodyguards or Household troops. Huscarls were often the only professional soldiers in a Viking (later Anglo-Saxon) army, the rest of the army was made up of a citizen levy (also known as the Fyrd). So, Huscarl is a perfect name for the personal bodyguard of a Primarch.

 

See, a little knowledge goes a long way (apparently to the 31st millenium.......).

 

Speaking of the 31st Millenium, those are some excellent Imperial Fists. And the little details like Sigismund's armour, the deed scroll and Black Mace(y Sword) all add to an already unique force. Keep up the amazing work.

Don't rely on wikipedia, get a BA in European History <_<. Huscarls or House Churls are recruited from the lowest ranks of free men, are paid administrative assistants given menial tasks and while sometimes called upon to fight, their prowess was more based on the fact that they were heavily armed, not well trained, and fighting peasant militia. A huscarl are by definition of ceorl/karl/churl not of noble birth, and cannot become a vassal (þegn). A king's personal bodyguard was not a huscarl but a þegn where they were available and foreign mercenaries (with the occasional exception of english kings, whose huscarls were sometimes in fact those same foreign mercenaries).

The key distinctions are that while they had professional equipment, they are not regimented like a true army, their duties are those of ministers not of soldiers (especially in later times with the rise of proper feudalism), they are not noble, they are not related to their lord, and they are in it for pay.

 

now this is totally OT, was meant originally to be an offhanded remark >.<

I never use wikipedia, its a subjective site. I used a book detailing viking culture.

 

Just used that because there is such a thing as making a post and not offering anything to the OP that is either useful or helpful. Remember, people post on sites like this for help, not a history lesson. Thats my peace.

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