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CRUSADE GAME 4 - TAU VS IMPERIAL GUARD Spending a lot of time in close combat in this Crusade... My next game was a rematch, of sorts. Not for the armies so much as for the two most intimidating hulls currently in the Crusade! Yes, Andrew's Rogal Dorn - now a commander - against my Hammerhead, Shi'ur Monat. Oh, and some other things happened, I guess, but the two big tanks having another shooting match was the main thing. At this range it was practically a knife fight. We played the 'go get blackstone from objectives' mission, which seems fine... When you're not doing 500 point games with maybe one character model per side. Andrew only brought his tank commander, so in the end, this worked out the way most casual games do: Whoever still has models on the table wins. Still, we scuffled over some points as we went, with my Piranha scoring an early Sentinel kill, and his Rough Bikers running down my stealth suits... And getting blasted in overwatch by my Breachers. It was a fun, close game! In the end, while I crippled the Dorn with smart missiles, the railgun shot was saved, and my poor Hammerhead destroyed in kind. A loss, but a fun one.

CRUSADE GAME 3 - TAU VS GROTS Fearful symmetry. After a wait, we've now had our second game day for our new Crusade. After a strong start, this was a rough one for the Recon Cadre, but hey, it happens. Regressing to the mean of my gaming by losing horrendously. Game 3 was against Kieran's Waaaagh! Grot-Snicker (or was that Grot-Snikah? Unclear) and a veritable horde of big robots and constructions. Killa Kans built from battlesuits, Grot Tanks built from who knows what, and a warboss built from... Well, a warboss. Messily. It's a fetching little army, and heavily converted, which I always love to see. They fly now. Anyway, this was a total blowout. Kieran stomped me into the dirt, taking minimal casualties. I believe I ended up taking down... 2 Killa Kans. And some grots. Not my proudest showing. Not much else to say, either. This was just a drubbing.

CRUSADE GAME 2 - TAU VS ELDAR Who could have foreseen this? Immediately after successfully fending off an Imperial tank push, the two order-aligned Xenos factions have, inevitably, fallen to their own squabbling. Game 2 for the Crusade saw 500 points of Tau V Eldar on an alarmingly small board. It's fine, neither of us brought much in the way of close combat, which is more than can be said for the Chaos fight that used the board before us. We're probably going to enlarge our standard board size for the rest of these low-points games. Danger close! James brought his guardians and bikes, I brought more infantry and my battlesuit commander with retinue, and at 500 points those elite units really throw their weight around. This one also ended in a victory for my Tau, but a costly one. It seems my stealthsuits crave death, and are granted it gladly, and my ethereal managed to catch a powersword the moment he was done doing his mid-board objective. Both the battlesuits and strike team took a beating, too, though both squads ended up winning things for me by sheer weight of firepower, and a dogged refusal to die. None of these units should be in close combat. Things to take away from this one: massed pulse pistols can, sometimes, make up for the abysmal Tau punching, and I really, REALLY need to make my ethereal a firewarrior bodyguard if I want him to keep doing that 3DP agenda. Don't worry, I have plans. I'll leave you with some shots of James' delightful Ulthwé force, on what turned out to be their final index game! We'll see how it does with a new set of rules and points costs. A commanding presence. Gotta go fast, again.

CRUSADE INTRODUCTION & GAME 1 Mêlée à Two-V-Two Aaaah, it's been too long! Truly, Crusade is the only way to play modern 40K. 10th may not be perfect - far from it - but for largely casual, theme-focused Crusade games? It's a lot of fun. After ending my last Crusade early - you can find how that all ended over on my WIP Thread Post Here - we all took a break to paint something other than Space Marines and Tyranids (and, in one case, to have a child!) before finally getting our act together in January this year to start something fresh. The line up this time is a little more diverse, which is always a good thing. Man cannot live on Marine-Nid matches alone, after all. Here's what everyone is bringing to the party - which may change, we have a few armies that are being tried out, and may be swapped for other options as the Crusade rolls on. - @Agnostic Doggo - The Treachery of Twilight, a Death Guard warband, currently infantry with some vehicle support. - Andrew - Balhaut 23rd Armoured Recon, Imperial Guard with plenty of vehicles. - Heath - The Blood Masons, World Eaters Warband, who may transform into Emperor's Children once those kits get downunder. - James - Craftworld Ulthwé, Infantry with bikes and more to come. - Kieran - WAAAAAAGH Grot-Snicker, a veritable horde of Grot Tanks. - Your Humble Blogsmith - The Ky'Vash Recon Cadre - Disorganised T'au stuff in camo. We're running Pariah Nexus, though I don't believe any of us are that interested in Blackstone, just after a different set of missions to flail at! We're also starting with more evenly painted forces, too! That extra time between Crusades has paid dividends, and we have a minimum of bare plastic, which I just LOVE to see. GAME 1 - TAU & ELDAR VS IMPERIAL GUARD The Engines of Balhaut. The Guns of Ky'Vash. Game one was lightly derailed by a positive COVID test, so we did a mix of 1v1 and 2v1 games, 500+500 against 1,000. Andrew's Guard was most ready to play at that size, so we started with James and I having a team-up. We won, too, with some casualties. My Hammerhead put in some real work, the first casualty of the game - if not for the Crusade as a whole, because by the time we started playing the 1v1 was in full swing - was the unfortunate Chimera it obliterated. It then proceeded to put holes in tanks, and be weirdly hard to hit until finally exploding on turn 4, having sat on top of a building soaked up the attention of both of Andrew's tanks. Poor bugger wasn't lucky with those hit rolls. It was other wise pretty standard. Rough Bikers taking down my Ghostkeel, James' Windriders taking out the other wing, and all our infantry scuffling over the middle objective. My Firewarriors didn't move all game, they just sat on the home objective and blasted away. Love that Fireblade, though he put in WAY more work in game 2. What really matters is that I got to shoot my railgun. Felt good. Balhaut 23rd Armoured Recon - 1,000 points. Craftworld Ulthwé - 500 points.

I've started a new season of Crusades in various groups and for the Custodes, my Crusade is inspired by the Warders of the Vaults of Rython from the Heresy era. Current Roster is: Shield Captain - From the Hall of Armouries Knight-Centura - Raptor Blade Enhancement Custodian Guard Squad (5-man) Allarus Custodian Squad (3-man) Telemon Heavy Dreadnought Vigilator Squad (10 man) Most of the list will be filled out with the rest of the Forge World models that I have, Caladius, Achillus, Galatus, Pallas, Sagittarum, and Venatari. This thread is going to serve two purposes, Army display (I'll get pictures of that I have so far later today), and battle reports through the crusade.

I'm setting up my first Crusade army, and going through the Requisitions, I read Renowned Heroes and had some questions on it. My question is, how does one go about giving enhancements to characters? Is the only way to get them through Renowned Hero? If that's so, then do I not include their normal points cost in a character's Points Value? Or is the Renowned Hero requisition supposed to be in addition to any enhancements we decide to purchase when adding a character to our Crusade Force?

Ok, I promise this will be the last time I update this model! I haven't been happy with my choice of head for this guy, and I wanted something to represent his Serpentine Fangs. The problem is that I couldn't find any models that were doing it for me. So, back to the 3D print solution! This handsome fella's head came from a collection of Vampire Heads by WildMesh, which I digitally kitbashed with some Butcher's Nails by Hellforged Miniatures. (I, erm, paid a lot more money for access to those Butcher's Nails than I'd like to admit...) I thought it turned out pretty well for my second ever digital kitbash! Buuuut you can barely see them in the photos. Ah well. Like the interior of a Rhino, at least I know it's there and that's all that matters... You may also notice his slightly ruddy complexion around the edges of his face. That's not just the lighting, but an intentional effect to demonstrate his Warp-born gifts. As if the scorpion tail wasn't enough... Anyway, I have definitely tinkered with this model enough! Next time will be something new, I promise...

12 August, 2022 Eager to collect as much loot as possible, greenskins have launched an all-out attack on the Cruentes' position in the industrial outskirts of Hive Prime. Our sources tell us that these greenskins call themselves the Death Skulls. This pleases Khorne. Leading the initial defence is Thrax Gorechosen, the Exalted Champion. He is accompanied by the Berzerker squads led by Validon and Dreior, as well as the Helbrute Xarian the Bloody Idiot and Bardûl the Wretched Fool. Lord Kratus is on standby on his flagship, The Eternal Warrior, ready to reinforce if needed. For Agendas, I chose Eye of the Gods to kill enemy characters, and Cull the Hordes because why not. Wary of the enemy's brutish firepower, the Cruentes deploy defensively, hoping to bait the greenskins into a foolhardy charge. With a reverberating Waaaagh!, the Orks fling themselves forwards, led by their Warboss. We are told that this huge brute is not, in fact, the leader of the group, despite their size and aggressiveness. This confuses Khorne. The greenskins with a penchant for pyrotechnics open up on poor Bardûl, who suffers terrible burns and flees the battlefield in mindless panic. Great, it'll take days to find him again... A couple of the greenskins open up on Xarian as well, who - on Kratus's order from orbit - launches a barrage of obscuring smoke. Regardless, one lucky shot does get through and succeeds in causing some significant damage. Grinning with glee, the actual enemy boss - an apparent field mechanic with a very fancy array of weapons - orders a hail of rockets from his large vehicle at Rhino II, knowing that the Cruentes have wasted their chance to screen it with smoke. Many of the shots go wide, but enough punch through the Rhino to disable it. Two Berzerkers are killed in the barrage. Gunning the engine of their truck, the burners hurtle towards Xarian, staggering him with their heavy ram. Despite this, Xarian catches his balance and stops the flimsy vehicle in its tracks, bringing his huge hammer down to wreck the truck's engine. The greenskins pile out, three getting tangled in the wreckage. Here is where Thrax's arrogance began my downfall. Not wanting to commit all his Berzerkers to a single charge, he order them to remain embarked while he and Xarian charged the greenskins in front of them. The Rhino accelerated in first, distracting the pyromaniacs for long enough for the pair to charge unimpeded. Meanwhile, Dreior's Berzerkers threw themselves at the greenskins in the midfield. In a spray of gore, the brutes were dismembered one by one by the frenzied Berzerkers... ...who then piled into the dimunitive greenskin slaves, only for one of the lucky gits to somehow club one of the (unwounded!) Berzerkers to death! Despite the success against the enemies in the midfield (ignoring that one ignoble casualty), Thrax's and Xarian's charge didn't go so well. The Warboss, Grog, dispatches the Helbrute with apparent ease and claims several useful mechanical components for himself. Thrax sweeps aside three greenskins with Gorefather (only a single 6 to wound - with rerolls - and my opponent passed a lot of Waaagh invulnerable saves). Things go from bad to worse: the flamer Orks pass their Morale check with insane bravery and fall back, the rocket-armed Orks blast apart the second Rhino with ease, killing three (!!) more Berzerkers, and Warboss Grog dispatches Thrax without breaking a sweat. The Berzerkers manage to inflict a bunch of wounds on the Warboss (that Fury of Khorne stratagem is gold), but a -1 to wound and a 1+ save makes him very, very difficult to hurt. Over the next turn, Grog would proceed to butcher the rest of the Berzerkers. Meanwhile, Kevdak the mechanic commander blitzes most of the Berzerkers in the middle. The rest were subsequently minced by their monstrous truck. Sensing that things weren't really going well, Kratus decides that now is a great time to finally teleport in. Failing his charge (even with a reroll), he's left facing the guns of every remaining greenskin. It's at this point that my opponent throws me a bone: Kevdak (or "Big Kev") howls a challenge to the Chaos Lord. No Ork is to raise their weapon to impede the challenge. (To be clear: it wasn't just for my benefit. My opponent wanted to force a leadership challenge between Grog and Kevdak.) In a familiar display of luck, Kratus's armour holds against the flurry of blows from the greenskin warlord, but barely. Finally, in my own turn, and with one wound remaining, Kratus cuts apart his opponent's armour to expose the greenskin inside. However, seeing his demise written on the wall, Big Kev unleashes all remaining firepower from his massive armour, with just one shot finding a chink in Kratus's armour. With that, the last World Eater falls. Result: 8-62 Loss Ultimately, this game was lost in my first turn, when I overestimated how much work my Helbrute and Exalted Champion would do. I think I had the right plan to hold one unit of Berzerkers back, but instead of spreading my charge out, I should've thrown the disembarked Berzerkers at the enemies in my backfield. I think they should've had a good chance to kill the Burnas and Warboss on the charge, when accompanied by the Helbrute and Champion. Ah well, lesson learnt. Xarian suffered an Angered Machine Spirit, so cannot benefit from stratagems. On the plus side, Kratus earned two Personal Glory points for killing the enemy warlord, and increased in rank. Khorne saw him fit to bless him with a Scorpion Tail for +1 Attack. Kratus's Personal Glory: 3 -> 4Khorne's Dark God Glory: 6 -> 5Cruentes' Warfleet Glory: 7 -> 7

5 August, 2022 Kratus once again lead a small Combat Patrol against the Death Guard, this time accompanied by his lieutenant, Thrax, Dreior's Berzerkers, and a small mob of Cultists. The mission was to punch through the enemy line to cause as much havoc as possible. For my Agenda, I chose to initiate yet another Blasphemous Ritual to earn some more Glory for Khorne. Unfortunately, I had been painting Kratus's model and completely forgot to bring him along, so a random Terminator will have to be his stand-in. This was my opponent's third ever game of 40k, so it was going to be another relaxed game with minimal pressure. Just throw some dice and have fun! In this mission, my opponent had to deploy his entire army first, and was forced to split it into three parts. I took advantage of this, by putting the bullet catchers highly valuable Cultists in the middle, backed by my Chaos Lord. My main push would be on the left flank, where the Berzerkers and the Exalted Champion Thrax would be able to overwhelm the flank and sweep around to the middle. I won first turn, and moved everything up the field. The Cultists began an Action in the middle of the board to raise some mighty skull piles for Khorne. I was going to use Apoplectic Frenzy on the Berzerkers to yeet them up the field for a first turn charge, but decided against it at the last minute. My opponent was only new to the game, and I didn't want that to be how he found out about such an ability. I told him what I could have done, and against his protestations I continued simply moving the Berzerkers. In his turn, he shuffled some Plague Marines on both flanks to get some shooting off, and left his Blight Hauler in the middle. When all was said and done, a few Berzerkers were slain and most of the Cultists were killed. I forget how many exactly (and didn't take a photo), but I think there were only 1-2 cultists left - but it was enough to keep their Action going. Khorne was evidently pleased with their sacrifice, as the action succeeded and I gained a Dark God Glory point (and a bunch of XP on the Cultists). In my turn, Thrax killed a couple of Plague Marines, continuing his trend of being completely incapable of rolling 6s to wound for Gorefather, even with rerolls. Thankfully, Berzerkers were more than enough to finish the rest. Meanwhile, Kratus bounced off the Blight Hauler. We both dealt just a few wounds to each other - I always forget how tough these damn things are! My opponent continued to string out his Plague Marines on the right and finished off the Cultists. While the Lord of Contagion swept around to take care of Kratus. Unfortunately, Kratus's knack for surviving against the odds abandoned him and he fell to the Manreaper. In my third turn, I declared the centre objective to be the Alpha objective, since I planned to move there anyway. The Berzerkers and Thrax moved up to wrestle the Blight Hauler off the objective...but I foolishly left my squishy Exalted Champion standing directly in front of the Lord of Contagion. This is a theme you'll see me repeat a lot! Wisely, my opponent charged the Champion and Berzerkers, killing the Champion. In return, the Berzerkers carved chunks off the character's armour, reducing him to just a single wound. In my own turn, the Lord of Contagion slew two more Berzerkers, and shrugged off their attacks. At this point, I was slightly ahead on points. Had my opponent just stayed in combat, there was a good chance I could finish the Lord and just hold the Alpha objective until the end of the game, maybe also shuffle over and add to the cultists' pile of skulls. So, weighing his options, my opponent initiated a Hail Mary charge with his last Plague Marines - and he made it. The sons of Mortarion finished the last of my Berzerkers to claim the objective. Result: 25-45 Loss Unfortunately, Kratus gained some wounds that would not heal after the battle, gaining the Deep Scars battle scar (cannot perform Actions, cannot Heroically Intervene). The Cultists also gained a scar, but I ended up just deleting them from my list to make room for other units. Despite losing, I still rolled well for my Chaos Points. Kratus lost a little glory for dying so ingloriously, but Khorne was pleased with the sacrifices and I made sure to keep my Warfleet in Favour. Kratus's Personal Glory: 4 -> 3Khorne's Dark God Glory: 4 -> 6Cruentes' Warfleet Glory: 7 -> 7

Bardûl, the Hand of Khorne Formerly a member of the World Eaters' elite Terminator squads, Bardûl rose to prominence when the former master of the Cruentes, Achaeus, descended irrevocably into madness. Leading his most trusted Terminators against the blood-maddened tyrant, Bardûl attacked Achaeus on his command deck. Despite grievous injuries, Bardûl pushed past his adversary's defences and rammed his chainfist into the Astartes's innards. He was not automatically granted leadership of the Cruentes, however. Seven more challengers claimed the position, and Bardûl dispatched every one of them even in his battle-weary state. He earned the right to command the Cruentes. Claiming his title as the Hand of Khorne, Bardûl claimed to be the mortal who would wield the Blood God's armies as a weapon, to spread bloodshed and violence across the galaxy. In battle, Bardûl is indomitable in his heavy Terminator plate, and actively seeks out the most powerful of the enemy champions to slay them himself. He has the Disciple of Khorne Warlord Trait, but currently has no Relics. Kratus, Terminator Champion Amongst Bardûl's most veteran warriors, Kratus leads his master's elite bodyguard. Kratus and his squad were dispatched to assist another Cruentes warband, led by Xarian Doomgore, where they quickly earned a reputation for brutality and bloody efficiency. When Xarian proved to be an inept commander and warrior, Kratus and his Terminators deposed the failing champion. Since re-integrating with Bardûl's warband, several of Kratus's warriors have been dispatched on missions - ostensibly to track down other Cruentes warbands, though in reality Bardûl is aware that the Terminators together pose a threat to his leadership. Kratus and his four Terminators have the Red Butchers stratagem applied to them, via the Specialist Reinforcements requisition. Validon, Berzerker Champion Validon is one of Bardûl's longest-serving Berzerker Champions, and has been instrumental to the cohesion of the Cruentes as a fighting force. He instituted a gradual change to the Eternal Warrior's fighting pits: instead of individual combat, the pits would focus more on squad-based combat. Through repeated training in this manner over hundreds of years, the instinct to fight in a squad of brothers became so ingrained that even in the deepest frenzy, Berzerkers would know to fight together. Validon leads nine Berzerkers, collectively known as the Bloodthunderers. Dreior, Berzerker Champion A newer member of the Cruentes, Dreior is a vat-grown gift from Fabius Bile's gene clinics. Implanted with false memories, he believes himself to be a veteran of the Long War, and despite his relative youth, he is a consummate fighter. He and his squad are often seen breaking through enemy lines and hunting down specific targets. Dreior leads four Berzerkers known as the Hunters. Gorm, Berzerker Champion Another long-serving member of the Cruentes, Gorm leads the newest inductees into battle. His strict command gives these initiates their first taste at combat, and puts them on the path to becoming fully-fledged Berzerkers of the Cruentes. Gorm's habit of consuming the flesh of the dead, however, often permeates through the ranks of those under his command. As a result, a significant number of Cruentes share his cannibalistic tendencies. Xarian the Bloody Idiot Once the champion of a whole Cruentes warband, Xarian - formerly known also as Doomgore - was deposed of his position after it was apparent that he did not deserve to lead. Originally, he was the lieutenant of a rival World Eaters warband, the control over which he seized through betrayal, before he pledged them to Bardûl. As a reward for bolstering the ranks of the Cruentes, Xarian was gifted with command of his own warband and a rebellious Daemon sword. The sword resisted Xarian's ownership at first, having not been seized through combat. However, after several battles, Xarian appeased the weapon by stabbing it through his own stomach. Amused by this attempt at sacrifice, the sword appeared to capitulate. It soon became apparent that the sword still had not deemed Xarian worthy. Even though its power had been unlocked, it still rebelled at some of the worst moments possible, often leading to Xarian's defeat. Out of frustration, several conspirators - including Kratus and his Terminators - turned on the champion, dismembering his body and burying the Daemon sword deep within the Eternal Warrior. Xarian was kept alive as an amusement, more than anything, and was interred within a dreadnought sarcophagus. Xarian is a Helbrute, armed with a plasma cannon and hammer.

With the Blogs feature unlocked, I have decided to move my previous efforts from the World Eaters subforum to my own little corner of the B&C. Here I plan to catalogue my force's trials and tribulations as we carve our way through our group's own sub-sector of space. War Zone Lalor is entirely a homebrew setting, with the background having been produced over three separate Crusade campaigns that our group has played over the past couple of years. Background The Great Rift It has been at least twelve, gruelling years since the Cicatrix Maledictum, the Great Rift, ripped the galaxy in half. With it, the Imperium was split in twain, designated the Imperium Sanctus and Imperium Nihilus. The Imperium Nihilus, severed from the light of the Astronomican of Terra, has endured a fate unknown. Even the Imperium Sanctus, under the studious protection of Lord Guilliman, is still beset on all fronts by every enemy imaginable. Previous Engagements in War Zone Lalor The Lalor Sub-sector lies within the Imperium Sanctus, in the Galactic North of the Ultima Sector. With the Realm of Ultramar secured by the Indomitus Crusade, elements of the Imperial liberators have been dispatched to the outlying sub-sectors. War for the Twins Breaking through the unstable warp routes to reach the Lalor sub-sector, the Imperial crusaders established a base of operations in the administrative heart of the region, the Geminid binary system. It was not long before the system became the target of a terrible invasion of heretics and xenos. Initially caught in defensive actions all over the system, the Imperial forces enacted a desperate last-minute gambit: a simultaneous trap for an enemy ambush and a counter-ambush crushed the invaders against all odds. With the enemy falling back in disarray, the forces of the Imperium consolidated their hold on their new garrison. Darkness of Rutil Before the dust could settle on the Geminid War, internal conflict arose within the forces of the Emperor. A wave of malaise and suspicion spread through the populace and soldiery, all the way from the bottom to the top. What should have been a great, celebrated victory was instead met with depression and anxiety through all facets of society. Several Imperial commanders separately noticed a psychic anomaly centred in the neighbouring Rutil system. With suspicion rife between the sub-factions of the Imperium, no one communicated this discovery to each other, as they each believed they alone could be trusted to investigate it. Sending small forces to the Rutil system, the Imperial forces each discovered that the warp surrounding the system was eerily quiet. Navigators, unable to detect warp currents, were driven mad. On the primary world of the system, small forces of Necrons, World Eater heretics, and renegade mining colonists were discovered. In the conflict that followed, it was discovered that some kind of warp-dampening technology employed by the enigmatic Necrons was causing the warp to fall dangerously quiet, while the Heretic Astartes were building massive monuments to reignite the empyrean once more. The conflicting effects were causing the unrest in surrounding systems. Setting aside all suspicion and paranoia, the Imperial forces joined for a joint push against the heretics and xenos, however they were successful only in demolishing the fell monuments of Chaos. The battle with the Necrons merely awoke more of the dangerous xenos, who completed the employment of their strange technology. The Imperials were forced to withdraw. The warp-borne malady was cured, though travel through the system was no longer reliable, and so it was quarantined. A Strange Servant With the strange warp-madness subsiding, Imperial forces recommenced the campaign to liberate the whole sub-sector. Responding to several calls for military aid, an Ultramarines strike force discovered a Rogue Trader lost in the void. Their vessel had been crippled and separated from the hulk it was using to transport vast amounts of material wealth. The hulk was known as The Most Dignified Servant and carried trade goods, relics and materiel. The Imperials decided that this materiel would be a great help to the war effort, and so agreed to assist the Rogue Trader in exchange for their materiel contribution. Locating this vast hulk, the Imperials boarded but immediately noticed that not all was as it was laid out by the strange trader. Relics and trade goods were loaded throughout the hulk, however the vessel was certainly not in full control by the trader. Clearly, very little effort had been taken to ensure that the vessel was sanctified, and it had become overrun by Daemons of Chaos, Death Guard heretics and Necrons. The Imperials found themselves surrounded and cut off in numerous sectors of the vessel, and only through the heroic efforts of the Deathwing were the rest of the Space Marines able to escape to safety. This was not before time, for as the last of the Deathwing withdrew, the Servant lurched into the warp, aiming directly for a nearby warp rift. It speared through the rift, opening a corridor to a previously isolated system. The Asturus System The *Servant's* departure left an opening to the Asturas system, which had been thought lost to the warp after the opening of the Great Rift. Dispatching a force from their base of operations in the Geminid system, the Imperials moved in to the Asturias system to assess the tactical situation. They found that the system's most populous world, the hive moon Janus, to be besieged by heretics and xenos over the whole planetoid. The majority of the world's populace resided in two hive cities, with smaller settlements scattered across the surface. Hive Primus was already in heretic control, flying banners featuring the tri-lobe of Nurgle and the skull rune of Khorne, however the fate of Hive Secundus was unknown. No military movements were detected in Secundus, and no vox traffic was coming from the city. Other settlements and fortified positions were barely holding out, some with only a PDF company or two fighting protracted campaigns against heretics, mutants and greenskins.

Well my Ravenwing is back to its old shenanigans. Now with Crusade rules. Talonmaster Tornado Squadron 1 - 3 AC, 2 HB, 1 MM Tornado Squadron 2 - 3 AC, 2 HB, 1 MM Typhoon Squadron - 3 TML, 3 HB 50 power. I haven't picked up the new points book yet, so I don't know the current points. First game was against Tau. He said it was a Farsight faction. Coldstar Commander + Drone 1 Breacher Team - 10 + Big Drone 1 Pathfinder Team - 10 w/ 3 Rail Rifles 3 Broadsides Hammerhead Tidewall - Shieldline & Defense Platform It was nice to see the shield wall in action, I think it is such a cool feature of the Tau to have a relatively large amount of terrain for a non-imperial army. And their terrain actually moves and is useful to the army. It was also nice to see at Tau army that wasn't 3 Commanders, an F-Ton of Drones, and the minimum amount of Fire Warriors to make the army legal. His Coldstar was in kept in Reserves, everything else deployed, the Pathfinders in the Defense Platform. I deployed everything. I went first. Wiped his Broadsides out, had enough shots left over to damage the Hammerhead. His turn, the hammer head kills a speeder from the first Tornado squadron. Second Turn, the Hammerhead and Breacher team are destroyed. His turn, the Coldstar comes in, he does some damage with both units but not enough to kill a speeder. Third Turn, Coldstar dies, and destroyed the Shieldline, the unit with the damaged speeder flew off to work on the objective. His turn, the speeder unit he damaged in the previous turn is now out of range, so the little damage he is able to do is to full health speeders, and not enough to see one off. Fourth turn, the Defense Platform and the Pathfinder Team are killed. Fifth Turn, the damaged speeder unit completes the mission and I win on VP. THOUGHTS - I think he should have put both infantry units in the Tidewall, since they are treated as embarked on an open-topped transport, they can shoot me, but I can't shoot them until I destroy the Tidewall. The mission was I had to leave his side of the table and he had to leave mine. Units that fly and vehicles require 2 turns to complete the action, everything else can do it in one. So both of his infantry units could do it in 1 turn, but his commander and everything I had required 2 turns. His commander was the only unit that got close, but he also parked his commander next to my Typhoon Squadron. I think if he booked it up the board with his Tidewall and used everything else to run defense. He could have made it difficult for me to deal with everything pushing forward together. Also with the Tidewall advancing every turn, 2 units of Breachers would have made more sense than the pathfinders, because with assault weapons he could still be shooting. The only rule I remembered to use was JINK. I completely forgot to use any of my other rules, including doctrines turn 1. So I went home and made a cheat sheet, for Game 2.

To start I am going to try and do this blog to track my hobby progress better for the duration of the narrative Crusade league I am participating in. This Crusade is being run by Slowfuse one of the owner operators of Monument Hobbies and Pro Acryl paints. It is as much a narrative campaign as it is anything else and he is GMing the league while each person is recording their crusade points and writing a story to coincide with the league. I want to post the blog here to stay motivated to complete this project. I have wanted to do a sisters of battle army for a long time as I had a idea for one but kept putting it off. The crusade league offered me the perfect chance to start and hopefully finish this project. To preface this is the most custom army I have ever done. Normally I pick a GW army because I already like the models so I do not convert much, I personally hate building stuff and much prefer to just paint it. I am also trying to really push my limits as a painter and do the best job I can with this project. Anyhow Ill post the story so far then set a separate post for my goals and a third post to have all the images of the models as I complete them. With a final post discussing the different league games I have played so far and how then went. Edit - looks like I typed Drusilla with some Dyslexia letter swapping. I think I got them all but if not let me know. I changed the color on the forum page so I hope that makes everything more readable on a smart phone. Also I should preface that all of the Transmissions are the GMs story to the players in the campaign. the writing and story that is mine is everything else. I wanted to include the transmissions from the GM so you could all know what I know and see the campaign map we are using. In the bottom most map I am the only sister of battle icon so you should be able to see where my HQ and Strike force is at on the map. Currently we are trying to discover just what is going on with this world and gathering supplies to buy clues and other things later in the campaign. Right now my force as some minerals and gas to spend later but we as players do not know how to spend it yet. After each game we move our forces on the map and roll to explore the world and also pick what actions we are taking. So far I have just been all out exploring. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Aboard the Inquisitorial Class Strike Cruiser Ure Sata Haereticus - Jailum lightly knocked at the door to Inquisitor Drusilla’s private chambers. “Lord Inquisitor a low priority message has just been received by our astropaths.” No noise came from inside the chambers in response to Jailums statement or knocks. After more then thirty minutes passed by He began to fidget with his uniform and had to wipe away the sweat that was building on his forehead. He, like any same person, feared the Lord inquisitor. Her sometimes bizarre orders that could change from one nano second to the next were sometimes followed by odd dry spells where the crew would not see her for days as she cloistered herself in her chambers. All that could be overlooked, It was no stranger then any of the other ship captains or admirals he had served under in his career for the imperial Navy. As a void born he was used to eccentricity when it came to those in command. No, what he feared was the palpable power that rolled off her. Alpha class psyker was just a word to him before he was requisitioned to Serve on this ship. Standing in her presence was like having someone look through you and see every sin you had ever committed. It didn't matter where in the room you were standing from her, that power surrounded you and went through you. It did not help that the Inquisitor was tasked with finding and routing out the Heretic. Every bad thing you ever did being on display all the time to one of the Emperors hunting hounds would drive any man to bouts of nerves. Let alone also being aboard a ship that carried a full complement of Adeptus Sororitas who were dispatched to work with the inquisitor. Everywhere you turned aboard this ship you were under someone's watchful gaze lest chaos wurm its way on board somehow. Now he was tasked with delivering a communication to the Lord Inquisitor. Jailum was expected to stand outside the door and knock every half hour until the Inquisitor answered. If more messages came while someone was waiting outside the door they were to memorize them all and wait until they could all be delivered in the order they came in. Jailum had personally waited outside the door for twelve hours once but had heard of someone that waited for three days. Wiping the sweat from his brows one more time he knocked again. “I hate to disturb your meditations Lord Inquisitor, but you said to bring you anything that seemed… unusual.” The door opened and Lord Inquisitor Drusilla stood before him. She was fully armored in her inquisitorial power armor that hummed slightly out of sync with the rest of the ship's noises. It was perfectly maintained and spotless shining in the dull red orange glow of the corridor lights. Although she cut an intimidating figure, what truly set the Lord apart was that she was always blindfolded and always knew where to “Look” when she was listening or addressing someone. She held out her hand and waited. Jailum jumped and handed over the recorded message. She thumbed the pad and it played the message for her. +++ Magos Notation - Sector Detection - 110.M42 +++ +++ Priority Low +++ Notable fluctuations in Warp Rift cataloged as Hadex Anomaly. Extension of rift into Galactic Northeastern section detected by listening apparatus Cognix Virtus 183.00100 3 months sidereal past. Visual confirmation logged. Extended space toward void area - no system presence. Augur detection of Anomaly retraction or immediately upon reaching area 14h 28.6m, 24.031° (J2000) hereby designated Hadex De Duobus. Reaction defined as flaring of anomaly extension. Systems offline for approximately 1.0295 seconds due to influx of warp interference. Reaction noted as “pain” by local Astropathic Choir. No discernable data to quantify. Anomaly confirmed as retracting to original spacial dimensions immediately after reaction. Long Range Auspex scan by Cognis Virtus 183.00100 2.5 months sidereal past denotes new Celestial Entity of planetary and/or star disposition in Hadex De Duobus not previously noted on any chart or Augur sweeps. Confirmation data inconclusive. Entity or Entities not confirmed on all subsequent sweeps. Both or sometimes one body seem(s) to read at random intervals, with Cognis Virus 183.00100 systems in question. No return to normal up to current time. [3:09 PM] Observation - Hadex Anomaly confirmed to have “grown” at noted time. Subsequent flaring of warp rift at location noted confirmed on all systems. Resulting area of space showing undefined activity since. Area is under heavy influence of Arch-Enemy forces as activity surrounding the current Ultima Segmentum conflict continues to increase. No known enemy disposition or translations in the affected area. Query - Does Anomaly intrusion and retraction from this noted area of space have probability of altering realspace bodies? Response: Anomaly known to disgorge previously engulfed system bodies, but never in new locations. Observation - Area designated Hadex De Duobus noted as void on all historic charts. No celestial bodies on record. Query - Could noted area harbor celestial bodies not previously discovered? Response: Area traveled previously with no detections. Existence of undefined system not probable. Theorem - Listening Station Cognis Virtus 183.00100 malfunctioning after flaring of Anomaly. Warp interference caused minor system fluctuations that have disturbed proper ongoing operations. Action - Investigate / replace systems in Cognis Virtus 183.00100 to restore proper operations. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ As the message finished playing the inquisitor tilted her head towards the bulkhead and hummed softly to herself. Jailum had to blink his eyes several times as the beads of sweat dripped down into his eyes while he stood and waited for her to dismiss him. “Tell the captain and navigators to make all due haste to the system, Hadex Du Duobus, We will investigate.” Without waiting to hear a yes sir the door closed and Jailum was alone in the corridor again trying to remember how to breathe. It took some time before he turned and ran down the corridors to deliver the Inquisitors Orders. He was never betting duty shifts with the other bridge crew ever again. +++ Magos Notation - Detection Amendment - 111.M42 +++ +++ Priority Low +++ Support flotilla dispatched to restore operability to Cognis Virtus 183.00100 approximately 35 days sidereal past. Listening apparatus found operating at peak efficiency. No confirmed damage or tests out of norm for device. Upon reaching area, flotilla astropaths note fluctuations in the warp that match the coordinates of Cognis Virtus 183.00100 readings of celestial body appearance. Flotilla augurs / auspex readings confirmed existence of noted bodies and verified composition of one star and one planet. Reading taken approximately 2 days after Flotilla on station. Both bodies ceased to exist 12m 32s post scan verification. According to Flotilla Command, “They just disappeared”. During phenomenon, “whispers” of unidentified origin and content reported by Astropaths across the flotilla. This interference ended abruptly upon dissolution of planetary bodies. After 5d 14h 51s on station, Flotilla Command reported scan confirmation of both star and planet again and were able to notate probable celestial attitudes / locations / orbital definition of both. Again, whispers reported. Both ceased to exist approximately 4h 32m 15s post verification. Flotilla dispatched to area of note in order to obtain further information regarding this unknown system and what is causing this temporal instability. Data transferal of complete system information and recordings of “whispers” en route Observation - No scanning equipment shows any verification of this phenomenon, other than those local to the area in question. Query - What is the quality of Hadex De Duobus, such that entire celestial bodies may be unregistered from even the strongest of probes? Response : No previous recorded information can be found to match this irregularity. Observation - Should this system be found to exist in our material space, but not be visible to scan, we should bring it to the Arch Magos’ attention, as this could mark the existence of technology of the highest order. Action - Await Flotilla confirmation / exploration of anomalous area and review of inbound data. +++ Magos Notification - Alert Priority Delta - Requisition Inbound +++ Amendment to prior Dispatch - Contact with Flotilla lost as of 2 days 14 hours sidereal past. This occurred within 3m 32s of Cognis Virtus 183.00100 again reporting scan confirmation of system in Hadex De Duobus. No further contact has been made. Whisper data received. Encrypted report and source included with this transmission. Identified as incoming broadcast signals, but after initial review, no point of origin is verifiable. Data carrier similar to Holy Machine Code, but slightly altered or out of phase. Further investigation of noted recordings required. Small force gathered local for departure to Hadex De Duobus. I shall be leading this journey, as I am best suited for any updates or alterations to Cognis Virtus 183.00100 recording subsystems necessary for better interpretation of incoming signals. I do this without command authority on the basis of what can only be stated as dire need. The existence of any possible Holy Machine outside the known boundaries of Mechanicus influence must not be taken lightly. Escalating priority to Delta and notifying Tigrus Majoris. Broadcasting on wider channels, as without further data, no priority dispatch of forces may be obtained without Arch-Magos approval. I can only hope that other Imperial forces may heed this call. Query - Presume communication disruption due to anomaly. Yet… listening station broadcasts have not ceased. Perplexing. Could local disturbance prevent one and not the other? Response: Data insufficient. Action - Requisition of forces to be sent to Hadex De Duobus for clarification / examination of anomaly and securing flotilla and further data in support of my current journey. May the Omnissiah guide our hands. Inquisitor Drusilla marched down the corridors that led to the Ure Sata Haereticus on board cathedral. The Servitors and crew rushing to make way for her as her boots thudded to announce her coming. Her ornate power armor made every foot fall hit the deck with a resounding almost musical drum. All of the Sisters of battle on board wore their power armor unless it was being maintained or they were observing some holy rite that necessitated it to not be worn. Although they had the same armor It was the silence from the ship's crew at her passing that made her footfalls echo through the corridors with such force. With her comings and goings on the ship so observed she was not surprised to find the Canoness Waiting for her in full battle regalia in the ships cathedral. Natalia Roar was the head of the ships compliment of battle sisters. A full strike force from the Order of the Venomous Heart. A offshoot of the Order of the Valorous heart formed after warpstorms cut a Hiveworld off from the imperium. They were only found again after the Universe split in twain after the Arch traitor destroyed the Cadia gate. The storms around their world cleared only to find that half the imperium was cut off. She was sent to observe the Order and to see if any signs of chaos taint had crept into the order after so many thousands of years had cut it off. What she found was a Order that outwardly Looked divergent but inwardly their faith could not be questioned. In the two thousand years their world was cut off from the Imperium their order was the only thing that kept their small system of hive worlds from falling to the ever present threat of Chaos. Natalia Wore a veil that covered her face with a headdress made of talismans and trophies from her battles. When Drusilla approached she made the sign of the Aquila. Drusilla could see the faith of this sister as a Tangible thing in her warp presence. Like a golden light emanating from her. In battle she knew it would shine and fill the other members of the Order with the power to fight well past the limits of a normal human. “Canoness Roar, We will be arriving in the Hadex system shortly. You and a select company of your cohort will accompany me to the planet's surface. I have read the tarot and I expect the landing to be a harsh one. I expect you will be able to plan accordingly.” “How much resistance do you expect to find Lord Inquisitor?” “The Magos that sent the transmission had no details on that. But from my own premonitions and from what the ships Navigators have told me of the warp turbulence I expect to find we will not be the only ones interested in this world. The secrets that are there may be nothing and I hope that's true. Still I do not feel as though it will turn out that way.” “Very well I shall gather my forces and will be prepared to make planet fall on your order. If you will excuse me Lord Inquisitor I shall see to that now.” Drusilla nodded and turned on her heal ignoring the Canoness as she made the Aquila again. Things were starting to move quickly and although she was no navigator even she could feel the warp turbulence around them. If Drusilla’s reading were correct this may be a one way trip. The Ure Sata Haereticus Came into system and rushed for the world known as Hadex de Duobus, Or at least that is what the Magos of the Adeptus Mechanicus called it. From his Transmissions Natalia Roar picked a landing zone for her initial strike force and the Lord Inquisitor to investigate from. It was made clear to her from the Navigators that Other ships were in system but they could not be identified or seen in real space. Something about the flickering warp in this area was keeping the ships from seeing each other in all but a echo in the warp. Natalia had prayed to the God Emperor and felt him pull her to the planets surface, much like the Inquisitors own readings. He wanted them to go to Hadex. With that in mind as soon as the ship reached an orbit that would allow their force to make a landing they rushed to the surface. Before her force left they were planing to land in what looked like a ruined hive city from her eyes. But it was hard to tell as the transmission was missing key data packets and could not make a clear image. All they had to go on was the crazed rambling transmissions from the lost Magos. That was not a lot of information to go on, especially when the lives of her sisters were on the line. However the Emperor and Inquisitor both needed her Order to be on this planet and she would go. It was no surprise to Natalia when the Plant blinked out of existence as their landing ship hit the upper atmosphere. With all the strangeness it was not a surprise but it was jarring as the landing craft rolled and shook. Warring claxons and red lights flashes as the pilots fought to right the ship before it slammed into the planets surface. Her power armour’s boots auto mag locked themselves to the ships floor as soon as the craft started the first roll. Saving her from slamming into the opposite bulkhead of the craft. She Looked left and right checking on the rest of the sisters in the craft. All of them were strapped in to their Harnesses, their powered armor also locking them down as the ship yawed to the left. Somewhere through the noise of the Claxons and engines whining she heard the Orders Dogmata start a Hymn, within second all the sisters were reciting it in time with her. As soon as Natalia Joined her voice to the choir the ship began to level itself off. The claxons were still firing but they were no longer rolling or pulling to one side or another. The pilot sent a vox message to her letting her know that they had to land the ship and that they were off course. They would not be able to land in the city as planned. The ship landed and although it was a crash it was not a bad one. At least in that there was no loss of life or equipment, Only the ship itself seemed to bear any scars of the perilous flight to the Surface of Hadex de Duobos. Natalia finished the Hymn with the rest of her force unlocked her boots mag lock and got up looking her sisters in the eye. “We are of course but our faith is strong. We will endure and push through this set back. Ready your holy weapons and set up our forward base here. Sister Jett, Lora, Cindy and Susan Ready your squads we will perform recon” ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ Natalia was moving south east around the outskirts of the ruined city. Her company had spotted movement from the east as they left their impromptu base camp. From a distance it looked like a force of Adeptus Mechanicus was also in the area. She could not reach them and had no sign of any vox in the area. This world had already been playing some strange tricks on their gear so it was possible they were simply unable to receive or send a transmission from the section of ridgeline they were in. Still She had a bad feeling and ordered her force to approach with caution. As Lora Lead her Paragon Warsuits over the rise to finally get the Admech into clear view she was glad she was so cautious. As soon as the suits rose above the ridge line the lights and sounds of the Mechanicus guns sounded out. The Warsuits paid no head to the suppressing fire but moved behind a building while laying down covering fire so Natalia and Squad Alpha could move into position. Natalia ordered Cindy to lead her squad of Zephyrim and Susan's squad of Seraphim in a outflanking maneuver while the rest of her small force distracted the admech. It still unclear what forge world this force was from but they would know soon enough. After Cindy voxed in that her squad was in position and ready Natalia tried one last time to signal the Mecanicus force in the hopes that they would stand down. With no response she gave the order and performed a attack from both fronts as she and the warsuits charged the lines. Cindy dropped from the heavens Glowing power swords crackling and pistols firing. They hit the lines of enemies at almost the same time. What Natalia discovered when her blessed blade ran through the first enemies she found was nothing but a shadow given form by the warp.The shadowy figures assaulted her and the sisters with weapons that were real enough but when her blades and those of the Zephyrim passed through the phantasms they fell to nothing. The injuries these phantoms could inflict were real enough but they were no match for her and her sisters faith. Soon all of the warp shadows were banished and she could see to the wounds that were inflicted on her troops. She would have to report back to Lord Inquisitor Drusilla. With all haste, Things were even more troubling on Hadex then she thought. Perhaps these shadows were the lost Magos? Or some other long forgotten force stuck between this world and the warp. She would pray and try to find answers in her faith. +++ Incoming Tranmission - Priority Alpha - Secure Channel +++ Sir! Anomalous readings are off the charts! The ######anet seems to be ####appearing from spac### Communi##### spotty. Wait! Helm! Full aft thru#### +++ End Transmission - Cut from Source +++(edited) +++ Intercepted Transmission - Source not identified +++ Contact with the fleet is still impossible. We were set upon by damn Xenos in the night. Enemy force repelled, suffered light losses, including one of our transports being "swallowed" by a mountain that appeared out of nowhere! What is happening here? The men are getting anxious, and I'm not sure how long we can keep morale if these issues with equipment and the psychic oddities continue much longer. We have dug in and set up base camp, but the landscape seems unstable. We may need to move eventually, but right now the focus is on finding as much fuel and other resources as possible, as we have no idea when or if the fleet will be able to resupply. Multiple enemy forces picked up on Scout Auspex. Movement erratic. Recommend further investigation, as we have received data showing signs of technology in remote locations across the polar region. Including latest map returns here. Scans don't show it, but these must be the source of all this craziness. If you are receiving, please keep an open channel active at this frequency. The Emperor protects! +++ End Transmission +++ Natalia had spent a week so far on Hadex the world pulsed and shifted. One other time after that first day they fought shadows but nothing with the substance of that first fight. Still no transmissions were coming to them from the Ure Sata Haereticus. As far as they knew they were cut off. They were resigned to scavenging for resources and looking for ways to repair their landing craft. Natalia and her Sisters were no strangers to this coming from a Hive City her order recruited almost exclusively from the gangs of the underhives. Like herself most if not all of her sisters were former Gangers forced to scavenge and scrape to get by while the city pumped out the necessary materials to keep the Order and the City's guard in the wargear they needed to fight off the tides of mutants and chaos that assailed their homeworld before the storm broke. The Sisters of the Venomus Heart made regular Pilgrimages to the underhive to test those that were faithful enough to join their ranks. Natalia was no stranger to picking through the wastes and junk heaps looking for food or scrap to live one more day. Here it was different here they were fully trained and tested warriors of the faith. They worked as a trusted Order for the God Emperor and so every task no matter how small was in his name. They were able to gather Ore and Fuel in short order. It was on one of the many recon Missions that they came across the Xenos force of Necrons. It looked like they too were searching the planet for necessary resources. Natalia did not hesitate to give her force the order to engage.They were able to strike them in a low land marsh set about with ruined and crumbling buildings. As they moved in the planet shifted and blinked separating her forces and putting them out of position from one another. Quickly Natalia read the battlefield to assess the new landscape after the planet realigned to realspace. She gave her orders and moved out with a prayer on her lips. The Multimeltas From Loras Warsuits made the opening remarks. Felling several of the large tripodal monstrosities. Squad Alpha moved to a forward position to try and grab the resources that were scattered around the battlefield. The Necron’s must have sensed her intention because as soon as they arrived at the resources they were surrounded by a swarm of metal clicking scarabs and In a tide of shadow that ripped a hole through space and allowed the large multi armed Lord to moved from one side of the engagement zone to the other in a blink of an eye. Natalia knew she had to think fast. The remaining tripod creatures were still rushing at her and the Warsuits. She ordered squad alpha to stay strong and had Cindy’s Zephyrim Redeploy too aid Squad Alpha. Once again Cidy showed the power of her faith as in moments they were across the field covering the distance in seconds. Their swords struck out and the Xenos fell.The Zephyrim Swords were not the only ones to find the enemies of the emperor however as Lora Led her Paragon Warsuits into a charge that left no room to question the power and skill of her squad. Soon the Necrons were little more then scrap with all but a few still on the field. Just as Natalia was going to give the order to Finish this fight the Necrons phased out as if they were never there. Natalia Took stock of the field, making sure there were no remaining Xenos lurking around. She ordered the remaining resources gathered and headed back to the Temporary field base to report what they had found. This world seemed to have enemies around every corner and she wanted her fellow Sisters and the Lord Inquisitor to be informed. ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Inquisitors Dracos of the Ordos Astartes reporting on the Warhawks most recent activity. As you requested, the strike cruiser Void Raven has taken Indomitus Lieutenant Khalen Kol and the 3rd Company to the Argovon System. As his core, he takes with him Indomitus Veterans extensively trained in gravis armor. Besides a strong presense of members of the Shadow Council, the strike cruiser carries units of if lesser experienced, no less adept Inceptors and Eradicators. Accompanying him is Phobos Librarian Orlos Shaevac and multiple teams of phobos armor specialist. Unlike standard Astartes Chapters, the Warhawks deploy very little armor, even in the largest of planetary assaults. For this reason, and a source as yet unknown, cruisers like the Void Raven have been reconfigured to carry a strong contigent of Xiphon Interceptors and Whispercutters. Raven Guard Aggressors are just so good for the points in small games. I really looked hard at Bladeguard and likely will add a six man squad later. I’ve never played Crusade so likely making mistakes. Looking at the Beyond the Veil book, Investigation Points seemed very important for campaign growth and psychic actions were heavily tied into collecting those points so while the Phobos Librarian isn’t something I’d take in competitive match play, here he’s begging coach to get on the field.

Brothers and Sisters of Dorn, the time has come for me to finally share my crusade. After many years of purging xenos, witches and heretics my boys in black need to see the world wide web. ++ Background on me ++ I've been playing 40k since 2003 and I started by playing chaos and then white scars briefly as I wanted glorious melee units but I wanted them to be loyalists. I bought my first Black Templar box circa 2008 and found quickly that i lacked the discipline to paint a whole army. For years my models lay sidelined and I occassionally came back to the hobby to add new lumps of gray plastic. Now I've returned with many evenings where I'm enjoying winding down by painting or reading new rules and fluff. ++ Background on my force ++ Motivated initially by a dislike of painting white shoulder pads, I wanted to have a force of entirely Veteran Black Templars, painted as per the 5th edition codex. I speculated on having a small crusade made up of only the Marshall's best. Whatever fluff based reason, the main force of my army is painted as veterans, with the exception of some vehicle pilots. My army also includes a small number of marines and other units who specialise in shooting, and to justify this I've painted their right hands crimson to signify respect for the devastating way CF use the holy bolter as many members of the crusade spent time deployed to support a nearby crippled company of Crimson Fists and have been inspired to adopt their fighting style, bringing depth and character to the way my crusade does battle. Currently my force consists of the following. - 30 Marines with Close combat equipment, 3 meltas, 3 powerfists and 5 with bolters. - 5 magnetised Castellan/Marshall/Sgt equivalents, who can be armed and equipped in any way. - 1 fixed bolter Castellan. - 1 Jumppack Chaplain - 1 Rhino - 1 LRC - 1 StormTalon - 1 Techmarine - 1 Ironclad Dreadnought - 1 Drop Pod. Currently about 40% of the force is totally painted and the rest remains at various stages of completion. Here's an image directory of my painted forces, with a focus on 4 recently completed models. Old army shot (I used 3D printed 32mm base extenders and added a lot more to the basing since this shot) https://gdurl.com/rByAH Techmarine & dred https://gdurl.com/8YHb https://gdurl.com/wCl5 Chaplain https://gdurl.com/16ud https://gdurl.com/ECg7 Bolter Marshall https://gdurl.com/DR6j https://gdurl.com/4XMd Slash Marshall https://gdurl.com/mJjEc https://gdurl.com/Doj2 New army photos https://gdurl.com/gia43 https://gdurl.com/CpUL https://gdurl.com/wLge Sword brother from aobr https://gdurl.com/xnA0 Stormtalon https://gdurl.com/2Hss https://gdurl.com//NiLZ I'm going to try and use image links to keep loading times and bandwidth low, but I can embed if it's neccesary. I will come back to this main thread and add some additional image links to ensure people are able to preview all my various models as they are painted and completed. I also want your feedback, so please tell me if you'd like to see any of the following. - Detail on how I paint my models - Full background and fluff on my Crusade - Battlereps Thanks all, hope you like my models!

Greetings Brothers. So I've been working on my Crusade for a long time now and i thought it was about time i shared some of the results with my fellow crusading brothers. I've been lurking on this forum for ages now but have never had the confidence to post my work i haven't really came up with a back ground for them unfortunately but i hope you guys like what I've done so far this isn't all of my Crusade i have about 5000 points or more in different stages of being painted and about another 10000 or so not built. my army so far: about 4 Emperors Champions Chaplain Grimaldus High Marshall Helbrecht 3 Marshalls 3 Chaplains 4 Castilians/Lieutenants 1 tech marine 1 set of Command tanks 6 venerable dreadnoughts 3 ironclad dreadnoughts 2 sword brethren with jumpacks/vanguard veteran squads 4 contemptor dreadnoughts 12 Crusader squads 6 stabby 6 shooty (20 shooty neophytes) 2 assault squads 2 devastator squads sadly only 1 land raider crusader 1 las plas predator ( the forge world one but not actually ) 2 drop pods 2 rhinos probably several things I've forgotten and about a million other things that are WiP. i will aim to keep this up to date as regularly as i can with WiP photos and finished projects i hope you guys will help keep me motivated.

I got back into the hobby at the start of this year - my mental health was deteriorating, so I figured some sort of art project would be good to focus the mind and block out the stress of work. As as kid, I'd collected Dark Angels, and still being drawn to the more knightly chapters, but wanting a change, I started collecting Black Templars. I've posted some earlier WIP photos, but with reaching the goal I've had for the force, I wanted to give the fighting company a name. Hence, this thread, and so, without any further ado... Photos Marshal's Household Marshal Friedrich was one of the first characters I painted; Chaplain Luther was one of the most recent. At some point I'll have to strip and repaint Friedrich up to the same standard as Luther. Friedrich, as with all my Gravis-armoured troops, has a Grey Knights Paladin helm. Luther is converted from a spare Captain body I had from the Apocalypse bundle, with a Crozius made from two of the Black Templars upgrade sprue axes. Note the Reiver helmet tucked away on his belt - a Chaplain has to have a skull helm, after all. R to L, top to bottom - Sword Brother Thorias, the Emperor's Champion; Sword Brother Richard, Ancient; Apothecary Garrus; Castellan Cador; Castellan Angard; Castellan Ludolphus. I was loathe to pay the full price for a Primaris Apothecary. Garrus is one of my leftover Hellblaster bodies, with Grey Knight Paladin parts. He does, of course, have two pistols holstered on his hips, representing his absolver bolt pistol and reductor pistol. Thorias, my Primaris-scale Emperor's Champion, has arms from the old Black Templars upgrade sprue. His body is, again, a leftover Hellblaster. Battle Line Intercessor Squad One, led by Sword Brother Vanrich, the first of four squads with basic bolt rifles and two auxiliary grenade launchers. It took a whole lot of cutting, but the old upgrade sprue tabards have been spliced onto some of the initiates. There's also an assortment of Grey Knight parts dotted through, and pouches/seals/relics from the old upgrade sprue - this is repeated on the other Intercessor squads. I got into 40k as a kid, when back banners were very much a thing - I had to give all my Intercessor sergeants banners. Models from Dark Imperium are also divided across the first four squads. Intercessor Squad Two, led by Sword Brother Heinrich. Intercessor Squad Three, led by Sword Brother Jost. Intercessor Squad Four, led by Sword Brother Halrik. Intercessor Squad Five, led by Sword Brother Geraint. Squad five is the first of two with auto bolt rifles, and plenty of close combat knives, blood spatter etc. Geraint carrys a power sword. Intercessor Squad Six, led by Sword Brother Halrik, who has a power fist and hand flamer. Close Support Reiver Squad One, led by Sword Brother Gorthis. To me, only Chaplains should have skull helms - instead, MkIII Iron Armour helmets and studded shoulder pads (of course with plenty of blood spatter too) seemed suitably menacing to warrant their "Terror Troops" special rules. Inceptor Squad One, led by Sword Brother Jarold. those flying stands. Ranged Support Hellblaster Squad One, led by Sword Brother Gert (top) and Hellblaster Squad Two, led by Sword Brother Siegfried (bottom). Good as they are, any more than ten Hellblasters didn't seem very Templar-y. Aggressor Squad One, led by Sword Brother Werner. These guys currently act as Marshall Friedrich's bodyguard, and travel along with Castellan Cador in a Repulsor. Armoury Repulsor "Light of Sigismund" Invictor "Dorn's Fury" Redemptor One, piloted by Sword Brother Ulrich. There's a big metal pin in the one leg contacting the ground. Redemptor Two, piloted by Sword Brother Erias.

Greetings crusaders! I've recently gotten back to the hobby after a hiatus of 10+ years and is there a better way than launching a new crusade? I'm still very much in the beginning stages but I was thinking that maybe starting a log would give me more motivation to actually get stuff done. The progress won't probably be too fast as I never did and sadly still haven't played a game(don't know a single other player ) so I'm not in much of a rush to finish everything but the backlog is getting frighteningly long. But on to the actual topic First up there's the Gravis Captain from Dark Imperium: He's still very much in progress, basically only highlights on the armor and some other base colors so far. Then there's the two Castellans from DI as well: Naturally Templar veterans such as them need some cloaks, tabards and chains. The cloaks actually came out a quite uneven but well.. room for improvement. There's also some others in progress but don't really have good pictures of them for now This is it for now but will update when there's progress.

Someone suggested elsewhere the idea of a Holy Crusade army - with a small core of SoB leading a regiment of Imperial Guard. This idea really appealed to me but I'm looking for some advice with regard to implementing it: Firstly, which SoB units to use as the leaders of the crusade. I was thinking St. Celestine and maybe some Priests, but are there any other units I should consider? Second, any suggestions regarding the IG part of the army? I'd like to use primarily infantry but I'm wondering how best to kit them out to represent their being led by SoB. Should I use Meltas and Flamers? Also, should the sergeants have melee weapons or such? Any specific IG units you think would work for this theme? Finally, any other advice or suggestions for this theme? (I've posted this on the SoB section as well, hopefully that's okay.)

Someone suggested elsewhere the idea of a Holy Crusade army - with a small core of SoB leading a regiment of Imperial Guard. This idea really appealed to me but I'm looking for some advice with regard to implementing it: Firstly, which SoB units to use as the leaders of the crusade. I was thinking St. Celestine and maybe some Priests, but are there any other units I should consider? Second, any suggestions regarding the IG part of the army? I'd like to use primarily infantry but I'm wondering how best to kit them out to represent their being led by SoB. Should I use Meltas and Flamers? Also, should the sergeants have melee weapons or such? Any specific IG units you think would work for this theme? Finally, any other advice or suggestions for this theme? (I might post this on the IG section as well.)

+++ incoming transmission +++ This is Marshal Ricard of the Memoria Crusade. Brothers, the is attempt 853 to reestablish contact with the fleet. We have been adrift in the void for longer than I can recount. However, I report our mission successful. We recovered several relics from the tomb world. Once we reconvene with the blessed High Marshal our crusade will continue anew. +++ transmission end +++

After what I learned in post like this one(https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/380780-tactical-squads-10-or-20-members/#comment-5994700), I continue making list for my SoH, adding more infantry and taking away tanks like Predators (Nice tanks but a bit fragile even in squadrons). This and of course, I'll be happy with any comments and advices: ++ Crusade Force Organisation Chart (LA - XVI: Sons of Horus) [2,999Pts] ++ + Expanded Army Lists + Expanded Army List Profiles:: Exemplary Units On, Legacy Units On + Allegiance: + Allegiance: Traitor XVI: Sons of Horus + Rite of War: + Rite of War: The Long March (SoH) + HQ: + Centurion [95Pts] . Master of Signals: Artificer Armour . . Bolt Pistol . . Chainsword: Chainsword . Master of Signals (HSS) Centurion [105Pts]: Librarian, Psychic Discipline: Biomancy . Librarian: Artificer Armour . . Bolt Pistol . . Force Weapon: Force Sword Praetor [344Pts]: Chosen by Dark Gods (Traitor only), Warlord . Command Squad . . Legion Chosen: Bolter . . . Bolt Pistol . . . Power Weapon: Carsoran Power Tabar . . Legion Chosen: Bolter . . . Bolt Pistol . . . Power Weapon: Carsoran Power Tabar . . Legion Chosen: Bolter, Pair of Lightning Claws . . Legion Chosen: Bolter, Pair of Lightning Claws . . Legion Chosen: Bolter, Pair of Lightning Claws . . Legion Standard Bearer: Bolt Pistol, Power Fist . Legion Praetor: Artificer Armour, Bolt Pistol, Paragon Blade + Elites: + Apothecarion Detachment [185Pts] . Apothecary: Artificer Armour, Bolt Pistol . . Power Weapon: Power Sword (Tactical) . Apothecary: Artificer Armour, Bolt Pistol . . Power Weapon: Power Sword(Tactical) . Apothecary: Artificer Armour, Bolt Pistol . . Chainsword: Chainsword (HSS) Contemptor Dreadnought Talon [570Pts] . Contemptor Dreadnought: Combi-Bolter, Gravis Melta Cannon, Gravis Power Fist with in-built ranged weapon . Contemptor Dreadnought: Combi-Bolter, Gravis Lascannon, Gravis Power Fist with in-built ranged weapon . Contemptor Dreadnought: Combi-Bolter, Gravis Lascannon, Gravis Power Fist with in-built ranged weapon + Troops: + Despoiler Squad [164Pts]: Inductii . Despoiler w/ Options: Bolt Pistol, Power Maul . Despoiler w/ Options: Bolt Pistol, Power Maul . Despoiler w/ Options: Bolt Pistol, Chainaxe, Legion Vexilla . 8x Despoilers (collective): 8x Bolt Pistol, 8x Chainaxe . Legion Despoiler Sergeant: Bolt Pistol, Power Armour, Power Fist Tactical Squad [213Pts] . Legion Tactical Sergeant: Artificer Armour, Bolt Pistol, Bolter, Power Fist . 13x Legionaries (collective): 13x Bolt Pistol, 13x Bolter, 13x Chain Bayonet . Legionary w/ Options:: Bolt Pistol, Bolter, Chain Bayonet, Legion Vexilla Tactical Squad [213Pts] . Legion Tactical Sergeant: Artificer Armour, Bolt Pistol, Bolter, Power Fist . 13x Legionaries (collective): 13x Bolt Pistol, 13x Bolter, 13x Chain Bayonet . Legionary w/ Options:: Bolt Pistol, Bolter, Chain Bayonet, Legion Vexilla Terminator Cataphractii Squad [315Pts]: Legion Vexilla . Cataphractii: Chainfist, Combi-Bolter . Cataphractii: Chainfist, Combi-Bolter . Cataphractii: Combi-Bolter . . Power Weapon: Power Sword . Cataphractii: Combi-Bolter . . Power Weapon: Power Maul . Cataphractii: Combi-Bolter . . Power Weapon: Power Sword . Cataphractii Sergeant: Combi-Bolter, Grenade Harness, Thunder Hammer . Cataphractii w/Heavy Weapon (1 in 5): Plasma Blaster, Power Fist Terminator Tartaros Squad [250Pts]: Legion Vexilla . Tartaros Sergeant w/Lightning Claws: Grenade Harness, Pair of Lightning Claws . 5x Tartaros w/Lightning Claws: 5x Pair of Lightning Claws + Fast Attack: + Sky-Hunter Squadron [150Pts] . Legion Sky-Hunter: Bolt Pistol, Chainsword, Multi-Melta . Legion Sky-Hunter: Bolt Pistol, Chainsword, Multi-Melta . Legion Sky-Hunter Sergeant: Bolt Pistol, Multi-Melta . . Chainsword: Chainsword Sky-Hunter Squadron [150Pts] . Legion Sky-Hunter: Bolt Pistol, Chainsword, Multi-Melta . Legion Sky-Hunter: Bolt Pistol, Chainsword, Multi-Melta . Legion Sky-Hunter Sergeant: Bolt Pistol, Multi-Melta . . Chainsword: Chainsword + Heavy Support: + Heavy Support Squad [245Pts]: Lascannon . Legion Support Sergeant: Bolt Pistol, Power Armour . 5x Legionaries (collective): 5x Bolt Pistol . Legionary w/ Options: Bolt Pistol, Legion Vexilla . Legionary w/ Options:Nuncio Vox, Bolt Pistol ++ Total: [2,999Pts] ++ Created with BattleScribe Thanks in advance.