Contemptor Centurion - Body & Head Complete

[Candleshoes]

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p113/Darkbeastman/Mentors_zpse64b380c.png



A Tutor's Duty
The ochre and onyx statue stood unmoving near the entrance of the small office. Tanned old wounds gave way to fresh scar tissue, sending an involuntary twitch and faint tremor down the sculpture's cheek, to the grill that now served as its mouth. Granite eyes narrowed, knowing that the man behind the desk would not relent without an answer.

When the Imperial Fist spoke, it was the bark of a harsh machine snarl, amplified by the confined space and a third lung.

'Of the Mentor Legion, your questions are a waste of time. Only rumor and speculation surround them, nothing more. My bloodline deals in absolutes and certainties. In my two centuries of service, I have encountered only one of their kind.'

'Seventy years ago on the swamp-world of Keeyask II, I was part of the demi-company sent to break the back of the IV Legion who made planetfall. Keeyask's great underground prometheum reserves were defended by a garrison force of six regiments of Imperial Guard. Among the garrison was the Catachan LXII, fresh from scouring Gillam's Hope of greenskins, and a single Mentor Legionnaire.'

'The first improbability we found was that he did not command the defense, but deferred to the garrison commander. He never sought the counsel of my brothers as we took the field. The first two weeks we saw him fight only alongside the men of Catachan. His appearance was near indistinguishable from that of the jungle fighters, with every inch of his sacred warplate covered in the swamp's fetid, reed infested, brick coloured grime, save for a single inscription on his shoulder that read, Moudrost.'

The man behind the desk stopped scribbling in his parchment and looked up, eyebrow raised. His mouth furrowed as if to give sound to a question, but went back to his work.

'Even as the victory in orbit was secured and the sky itself rained down broken void-craft, he was not present at council, choosing a Catachan proxy in his stead. When my Captain asked why the Mentor fought with the jungle fighters instead of his brothers, the Catachan responded, “He only keeps company from those he can learn from.”'

'It wasn't until the final strike on the IV Legion trenchworks that I saw him fight. Heraldry obscured, he never broke rank from the Catachans, but kept pace and supported their advance. He killed the Archenemy's mortal thralls with nothing but precise blows from his fists, palms, and fingers. He wasted no shells or bladework on them. No flourish or needless motion was present, just ruthless efficiency.'

'Three Iron Warriors held the brookway that naturally channeled the Catachans. He seemed to know exactly how much damage the punishing bolter fire would cause his armour, for he waded directly into the firestorm, allowing the Catachans to move around the trench unharmed. The Mentor offered up no fury and I heard no war cry. A single lightning fast strike took the first traitor in the soft armour under the armpit, his combat blade cutting through the arteries of both hearts. The Mentor held the dying traitor long enough to move him into the path of the next Iron Warrior, and raise his own bolter.'

'He fired a single point blank shot into the traitor's knee joint, shearing the limb off into the mud, before withdrawing immediately to the brookway. The Catachans had used their time to prime satchels of demolition charges and throw them deep into the trench, where the remaining Iron Warrior fled.'

'This certainty is all I know of the Mentor Legion. To give breath to the rumors of others, I might say that some records show they are the kin of Guilliman, that recently it has been assured by the Inquisition that they share the blood of Dorn, that some even say they harbour the geneseed of a traitor legion. I have heard that they have sold their loyalty to the Mechanicum, that they harbour techno-witch devices that can alter the flow of time and reality, and they possess a great arsenal of both ancient and experimental weaponry.'

'I have listened to a Blood Angel claim that they are guilty of legion building, that their numbers swell to near three thousand. That they hide their numbers by sending out only one brother, or ten, to every conflict.’

‘The Dark Angels have claimed that they as a whole are traitors and renegades, and I have heard reports of armed conflict on no less than seven worlds. I have heard that Marneus Calgar himself placed the laurels of victory on their banner at Cour’Dab VII.'

'The most audacious statement I have heard was from a White Scar, who said that their Chapter Master Nisk Ran-Thawll has had audience with the Emperor himself… poetic mythmakers the Chogorians... for they also said he is one of the most powerful and formidable astartes commanders they have ever fought alongside.'

'Me… I say they are nothing but barbarians. Make of it what you will'

And with that, the ochre and onyx statue left the room.

[Disruptor_fe404]

Okay, this is all awesome except for one thing. And it's so glaring that it kinda ruins the rest for me.

You spelt 'tutor' wrong.

[Chronotonic]

Well done...if your modeling and painting are as close to your writing...this will be some good work

[Candleshoes]

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p113/Darkbeastman/9be5bee8-b8eb-47a8-a473-a4f834c6d07f_zps2a0520fe.jpg

 

Just wanted to post up a photo of a WIP of the new Librarian plastic. Very crisp detail GW managed to get on this mini.

[deathspectersgt7]

Very cool Brother,Always liked this chapter considered followed.

[Candleshoes]

Thanks! The Mentors have always caught my eye since I saw the old colour compendium fold out of a Marine being dressed in his armour. I have got my hands on quite a few of the new plastics, and thought what better way to make them, than paint them up in a scheme I have always had an eye for.

 

I worked out some background for the Librarian, and I hope to start on a test marine this evening.

 

Loremaster Ucenost, Starcaller of the Mentor Legion's III Fellowship

Since the Mentor's founding in 738,41M Loremaster Ucenost has served Chapter 888 since its very inception, with nearly 260 years worth knowledge. For such a young Chapter, its reach is many times that of its peers, with warriors being seconded to some of the most vaunted forces within the Imperium. For Ucenost, this has seen him become cadre brothers over his decades with the Stormseers of the White Scars, the Knight-Magi of the Howling Griffons, and the Prognosticators of the Silver Skulls. It is with such valuable experience that he and his company have been sent by Master Nisk Ran Thawll to Cadia, in anticipation of the black wars to come.

 

[Candleshoes]

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p113/Darkbeastman/MentorsMarine_zps496e63ec.jpg

 

First test marine on the block, still work in progress, but I thought I would share anyway. Still need to remove the Blood Angel icon from the leg, but other than that, it should be ready for paint. I also penned out some more story, hopefully explaining a bit on why he looks the way he does.

 

 

Moudrost

 

Brother Moudrost, Tutor of the V Cadre, Mentor Legion III Fellowship

 

First among equals in the Mentor Legion is the Din'Nastere, the surviving 16 astartes present at the founding of Chapter 888 in 738,41M. Within the Din'Nastere lay knowledge incalculable, bringing together the collective tactical experience of mankind's wars against xenos, traitors and warpborn, as well as the tactics employed by the Emperor's own. It is from this resource that the intensive training regimes of the Mentors were born and it is from this ever expanding resource that the regimes evolve.

 

After the destruction of the Mentor's predecessor (Star Scorpions) shortly after the 25th Founding, the High Lords of Terra made several provisions for the reformed Chapter 888. Chief among these was to draft and pass the Cercetator Decree. As a Mentor, to claim Cercetator amongst peers, is to enact sanctuary: '...in the name of the Emperor of Mankind, and his representatives on Holy Terra, let none bar he who seeks wisdom...'

 

It is through Cercetator that Ucenost and Moudrost have spent decades in service and by doing so, strengthen the Mentor Legion. The last century alone has seen Moudrost fight side by side with regiments of the Imperial Guard; ranging from the jungle-fighters of Catachan, to the trench experts of Genswick, the line infantry of the Drookian Fenguard, and the convict-gangers of the Savlar Chem-Dogs. Moudrost's last active Cercetator led to the entirety of the seventeen year campaign in the Minaker Cluster, by the honoured sons of Corax, the Black Guard.

 

It is rare for the Mentor Legion to fight in large actions, and rarer still to fight with the might of more than 10 astartes. Since Master Nisk Ran Thawll called for assembly in the black war engulfing distant Cadia, Moudrost now travels with the I, II and III Fellowships in the biggest show of force the Mentors have ever taken place in. Near three hundred Tutors and among them 34 of the elite Cadre. The muster brings the entirety of the Mentor Legion to bear, save the few on their home world, to whom are responsible to train the future of the Chapter.

 

Moudrost wears the traditional robes of the Din'Nastere, as is his right and honour. The Tutor carries a heavily modified mono-filament combat blade, lengthened to over four feet and weighted with mercury. His time with the Catachan LXII had shown the humans had a preternatural ability with the blades they called 'Devil's Claws' and he had grown accustomed to the incredible versatility of the close quarters weapon. The ancient Phobos pattern bolter was given to him upon his ascendance to the ranks of the chapter's Cadre, an elite formation recognized within the Mentors. After losing his eye to shrapnel in a specialist action with a Genswick sapper unit, Moudrost's bionic replacement provides an improvement to his visual spectrum and enables him to view heat patterns within his targets.

 

 

 

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p113/Darkbeastman/MentorsCenturion1_zps40f7d559.jpg

 

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p113/Darkbeastman/MentorsCenturion2_zps5c7d18c3.jpg

 

 

Here are some WIP shots of the first Centurion Devastator I am building. I have opted to go the conversion route, and am hell bent on making the models look more like mini contemptors than what they actually look like from the box build. I have skinned down the leg armour and shaped the foot to look more like a marine boot, rather than the dreadnought look it had previous. More to come.

[deathspectersgt7]

Moudrost looks good.like the fluff and I wish I had the patience to do what your doing on the Centurian.

[Disruptor_fe404]

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p113/Darkbeastman/MentorsMarine_zps496e63ec.jpg

 

First test marine on the block, still work in progress, but I thought I would share anyway. Still need to remove the Blood Angel icon from the leg, but other than that, it should be ready for paint. I also penned out some more story, hopefully explaining a bit on why he looks the way he does.

 

 

Moudrost

 

Brother Moudrost, Tutor of the V Cadre, Mentor Legion III Fellowship

 

First among equals in the Mentor Legion is the Din'Nastere, the surviving 93 astartes present at the founding of Chapter 888 in 738,41M. Within the Din'Nastere lay knowledge incalculable, bringing together the collective tactical experience of mankind's wars against xenos, traitors and warpborn, as well as the tactics employed by the Emperor's own. It is from this resource that the intensive training regimes of the Mentors were born and it is from this ever expanding resource that the regimes evolve.

 

After the destruction of the Mentor's predecessor (Star Scorpions) shortly after the 25th Founding, the High Lords of Terra made several provisions for the reformed Chapter 888. Chief among these was to draft and pass the Cercetator Decree. As a Mentor, to claim Cercetator amongst peers, is to enact sanctuary: '...in the name of the Emperor of Mankind, and his representatives on Holy Terra, let none bar he who seeks wisdom...'

 

It is through Cercetator that Ucenost and Moudrost have spent decades in service and by doing so, strengthen the Mentor Legion. The last century alone has seen Moudrost fight side by side with regiments of the Imperial Guard; ranging from the jungle-fighters of Catachan, to the trench experts of Genswick, the line infantry of the Drookian Fenguard, and the convict-gangers of the Savlar Chem-Dogs. Moudrost's last active Cercetator led to the entirety of the seventeen year campaign in the Minaker Cluster, by the honoured sons of Corax, the Black Guard.

 

It is rare for the Mentor Legion to fight in large actions, and rarer still to fight with the might of more than a dozen squads. Since Master Nisk Ran Thawll called for assembly in the black war engulfing distant Cadia, Moudrost now travels with the I, III, and V companies in the biggest show of force the Mentors have ever taken place in. Over three hundred Tutors, and more than a hundred elite Cadre are counted amongst them.

 

Moudrost wears the traditional robes of the Din'Nastere, as is his right and honour. The Tutor carries a heavily modified mono-filament combat blade, lengthened to over four feet and weighted with mercury. His time with the Catachan LXII had shown the humans had a preternatural ability with the blades they called 'Devil's Claws' and he had grown accustomed to the incredible versatility of the close quarters weapon. The ancient Phobos pattern bolter was given to him upon his ascendance to the ranks of the chapter's Cadre, an elite formation recognized within the Mentors. After losing his eye to shrapnel in a specialist action with a Genswick sapper unit, Moudrost's bionic replacement provides an improvement to his visual spectrum and enables him to view heat patterns within his targets.

 

This guy is pure badass.

[Spaced Hulk]

Been meaning to reply to this for a couple of days. Quite simply, this is awesome work, and a very well written reworking of the old Rogue Trader Mentor Legion fluff. You've managed to take the original, quite dated background, and bring it in line with current feel of 40k. Very cool, and very 'grim dark'. Well done!

Being a B&C addict and possessing a Space Marine-like eidetic memory, I remember you've started a number of really promising projects over the last few years. Angels of Redemption, Executioners and most recently the Sons of Antaeus. If you don't mind me saying (and I apologise now if I cause any offence), I really hope you persevere with the Mentors, because based on what you've already posted, I think you can create something really unique and interesting with this.

Good luck!

[Candleshoes]

@Disruptor

Thanks!

 

@Spaced Hulk

Really appreciate it - I am hoping to commit to this in a way that just didn't really click with the others.

 

 

Some more work on the heavy Centurion conversion - removed the side chest bolters completely, greenstuffed them in for connection to the arms, built up and raised the waist and lower chest of the torso, and made a new and smaller crotchplate. Waiting for things to cure before moving on to building up the smoke stacks and the neck harness.

 

I am suprised more people haven't been posting up conversions, it hasn't been to bad so far, but I am still wary of how the arms should be set up (either as pure gun arms, or, converted full arms with hands and guns either housed inside or beside. Low quality photo, but thats what I get for taking it at night.

 

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p113/Darkbeastman/MentorsCenturion3_zpsc842d986.jpg

[Bryan Blaire]

Candleshoes, loving what I'm seeing going on here. The Marines are great (as usual), and you are pretty much spot on what I was thinking to do with the Centurions (although I will definitely be going "gun arms" for the Dev version), if I ever want to get Allies for my Stoneburners. Fantastic work, keep it up!

[Studio Silvernale]

I want some of those but wow 80$ for three is too much for me right now T_T

[Terminatorinhell]

I havent logged on in months but I had to in order to say this: I freaking love what you're doing with the centurion!

[Dosjetka]

That Centurion looks rad. If ever my friends want to troll me and buy me a box of these chaps, I'll just inspire myself with your excellent work :tu:

[The_Chaplain]

Brother candleshoes, when/if you get a chance could you post a picture of one of the helmetless heads on a space marine torso? I just want to see the size difference if there is one.

 

I have to say this heavy centurion conversion is off to a good start!

[Candleshoes]

@Byran

Thanks Byran - your Stoneburners are always a good source of inspiration, some centurions would look amazing in their colour scheme.

 

@The_Chaplain

Sure, here is a helmetless centurion head, on a new tactical marine body (not glued just sitting). Proportions look good, once you add shoulders and a pack to bulk it out a bit.

 

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p113/Darkbeastman/CenturionHead_zps215165d7.jpg

 

 

*** ONE ITEM OF WARNING, the scale of this conversion goes out the door for bare heads on the Centurion - They only look proportionate with a fully helmeted head. I think for the extra height and size added, it would only make sense that the marine's whole upper torso, arms and head are within the chest unit, and that the head and arms on the Centurion itself are both automized. See for yourself. I will be going with helmets on all 3, I haven't decided if it should be regular marine helms or the actual Centurion helms. Also, I picked up quite a bit of electronic cableing for detail work around the lower abdomen, so if it looks a little bare at the moment, there are plans to bulk it out.***

 

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p113/Darkbeastman/MentorsCenturion4_zps48c006cc.jpg

[The_Chaplain]

Cheers brother, those bare heads might be worth picking up off a bits site at some point then- always in the need of more variety for heads.

[Volfen]

Like everyone else who has seen them I will follow your progress on the Centurion mod very closely.  It looks outstanding so far!

 

Do you plan to mount the chest weapons on the shoulders?

[Candleshoes]

@Volfen

Yes, shoulder mounts are a deffinite inclusion for the secondary weapons.

 

 

Managed to get some more work done, placed a scaled down version of the shoulder harness in, brought the shoulder pad in signifigantly more, stripped down the arm and added a proper fingered hand, added a greenstuff armpit ball-joint and am stepping to see the proportions before work on the gun arm. Also, really liking the idea of raising the head out of the cavity, as it looks a little too sunken with the new proportions.

 

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p113/Darkbeastman/MentorsCenturion5_zps242b71e2.jpg

[ephrael]

Your conversion is making me consides buying a centurion myself instead of making fun of the way they look "off the shelf." The arm looks great with a proper hand instead of a giant mitten. Have you considered using the helmet from a contemptor dread instead of one of the kit versions?

[IamJacksUserName]

WOW!

I had my doubts about whether the centurions could be salvaged with some decent conversion work. You, sir, have convinced me that there is potential in that ugly hunk of plastic GW sells. That is a fantastic model and am looking forward to updates on your work.

[Dosjetka]

Aye, I have also been converted. I may actually ask for one of these kits for my upcoming birthday or buy it myself (most likely :P)! Keep up the excellent work!

[Greyall]

While I am a fan of the basic Centurion kit (though could be more dynamic), it's undeniable that you've bettered it, brother. Extreme kudos. Will be watching closely.

[WarriorFish]

I came into this topic because I like the Mentor Legion but instead I find a great conversion project for Centurions! Would it be possible for you to break down the conversion a bit more to see how/what you've done? Maybe best to create another topic for it so it doesn't derail this and so others can find it easier as I know I'm not the only brother interesting in converting them.

That aside, great stuff so far I'm itching to see some paint on them