I’ve completed a Boarding Patrol of my Ashen Sentinels, and once I’ve painted Bladeguard Veterans and Aggressors (next on my painting desk), I’ll have some flexibility as to what I can take for playing that game mode. But the next ‘phase’ of this army is doing a ‘standard’ 2,000 points worth of models. Rather than repeat what I’ve already done, I’ll be painting a different selection of Primaris miniatures and models – and as I do so, I’ll be using them in an ongoing narrative-driven campaign with my local gaming group. That’s right, it means my Ashen Sentinels are about to go on Crusade..!

(The first of four Intercessors squads, plus Company Lieutenants) 

My aim is that, by painting a couple of units (and character) at a time, over the course of the next year and a half I can get this 2,000 point ‘standard’ 40k army done; but doing it that way, I can add units as the campaign progresses, and my Crusade resources increase. I’ll be making a couple of subtle changes to my approach for painting this next army – firstly, they represent Marines from a different Company than the ones I’ve been painting. The Boarding Patrol is from the 4th Company, the 2,000 point army will be from the 3rd Company.

Secondly, this army will have a slightly different feel than what I’ve already painted – they’ll still be in the Chapter colours as I’ve established already, with the appropriate Company colours/markings; however, I want to show that each Company in the Ashen Sentinels reflects something of their Captain’s personality and approach to war. The 4th Company are under Captain Therryn Ouranos, Master of the Fleet, who is known for his strategic prowess in void war and his skill with a blade; while not arrogant, he is aware of and quietly proud of this, an attitude that is reflected throughout his Company of Marines.

The 3rd, however, are a little more grim in their demeanour and outlook – embodying the stoicism emblematic of most Marines, standing resolute in the face of enemies even to the point of sacrifice. Under Master of Armaments Captain Kaius Timaeron, a taciturn and stoic man, the Company knows they wield the firepower to hold firm against any foe, and especially honour those who have fallen in their duty. To represent that visually, I intend to model and paint the Marines of the 3rd with a little more in the way of adorning relics and purity seals, and maybe give their armour a little more chipping to suggest they’ve been under some intense fire.

An idea I’ve been considering to represent this is to give each Intercessor Sergeant an ‘icon’ on their back pack – a physical recreation of the Chapter symbol, a halo wrought of iron with a skull (an actual skull!) at it’s centre. I’m on the fence with this idea, having made a couple of these – I do wonder if maybe it’s too much, maybe I should save that look for when I get to 1st Company Veterans, or Company command 

Anyway, I’ll make a start on painting these after the end of June – lots of Ashen Sentinels on my painting desk for the foreseeable future..!