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INDEX ASTARTES: GREEN TEMPLARS What Man did not make, Man must not need. - Brother-Artificer Verdug, Sentinel of the First Blade. ORIGINS In the waning days of the 41st Millennium, as the Imperium teetered on the brink of annihilation amid the cataclysmic upheavals of the Noctis Aeterna, Archmagos Dominus Belisarius Cawl unveiled his greatest triumph: the Primaris Space Marines of the Ultima Founding. Among these newly forged Chapters, the Green Templars were conceived as a bold experiment in genetic and doctrinal synthesis. Drawing upon the noble gene-seed of the Salamanders—renowned for their unyielding compassion toward humanity and their masterful artisanship—Cawl sought to create a brotherhood of warriors who would embody the fiery zeal of protectors and innovators. Yet, the Archmagos did not stop there. Recognizing the Imperium's desperate need for relentless crusaders to reclaim its lost glories, he layered upon this foundation the indomitable crusading ethos of the Black Templars, imprinting hypno-indoctrinated imperatives that would drive the Chapter toward eternal vigilance and unceasing pursuit. Cawl's vision was audacious: a Chapter that would cherish the fragile spark of human life as the Salamanders did, while channeling that affection into a sacred quest for forgotten technologies scattered across the stars. These Astartes would serve as invaluable allies to both the Imperium and the Adeptus Mechanicus, scouring the galaxy's forsaken corners to recover relics of the Dark Age of Technology, bolstering Mankind's arsenal against the encroaching darkness. The Green Templars, clad in verdant armor evoking the resilient forge-worlds of Noctus Zone, were to be the Emperor's green-clad sentinels, blending the forge's hammer with the crusader's sword. Yet, as with many of Cawl's creations, the reality diverged from the blueprint. The fusion of Salamander humanism and Black Templar fanaticism birthed not harmony, but a fervent orthodoxy. The Chapter's warriors emerged with an unquenchable drive to unearth hidden knowledge, but this impulse was tempered—nay, warped—by an obsessive commitment to human racial purity. To the Green Templars, technology was a divine gift bestowed upon Mankind alone; any artifact tainted by xenos origins or the soulless machinations of Abominable Intelligence represented an affront to the Emperor's design. Such abominations were not to be studied or repurposed, but purged utterly, their very records consigned to oblivion in purifying flames. Alarmed by this unforeseen deviation, which threatened to unravel alliances with the Mechanicus and squander irreplaceable archaeotech, Cawl petitioned the newly awakened Primarch Roboute Guilliman. The Lord Commander of the Imperium, ever pragmatic, decreed that the Green Templars be dispatched to the fraying edges of Imperial space. Ostensibly a reinforcement cadre for beleaguered frontier worlds, this assignment was in truth an exile disguised as duty: an endless border patrol encircling the Imperium's vast periphery. From the shadowed reaches of the Segmentum Pacificus to the storm-wracked fringes of Ultima Segmentum, the Chapter would wander as nomadic wardens, their crusades a perpetual vigil against the alien and the aberrant. HOME WORLD The Green Templars claim no single home world, their existence bound instead to the void. Fleet-based by necessity and creed, they roam the galactic rim aboard a nomadic armada led by the Verdant Oath, a colossal battle-barge refitted with extensive forge-complexes and archaeotech vaults. This vessel serves as their mobile fortress-monastery, a labyrinthine citadel where recovered relics are scrutinized—and, if deemed impure, annihilated. Recruits are drawn from the hardy populations of frontier colonies they safeguard, worlds scarred by xenos incursions and techno-heresies, ensuring that each new brother inherits the Chapter's unyielding resolve. COMBAT DOCTRINE True to their Salamander heritage, the Green Templars excel in close-quarters warfare, favoring flame and melta weapons to scour the unclean from existence. Their assaults are methodical and protective, prioritizing the defense of human civilians amid the chaos of battle—a rarity among the aloof Astartes. Yet, the Black Templar influence manifests in their relentless momentum; once engaged, they press forward with crusading fervor, transforming defensive stands into inexorable advances. Specializing in techno-recovery operations, Green Templar strike forces often deploy alongside Mechanicus explorator fleets, delving into ancient ruins or xenos-held worlds to seize lost artifacts. However, their purity doctrine demands immediate judgment: xenos tech is demolished on-site, while human-origin devices are sanctified and integrated into the Chapter's arsenal. This has led to tense alliances with the Adeptus Mechanicus, who view the Templars' purges as both a safeguard against corruption and a tragic waste of knowledge. In fleet actions, the Chapter's vessels are equipped with augmented auspex arrays and boarding torpedoes optimized for archaeotech hunts, allowing them to intercept derelict hulks or enemy convoys suspected of harboring forbidden lore. Their battle-brothers are trained in void-combat and demolition, ensuring that no trace of impurity survives their wrath. ORGANISATION The Green Templars adhere loosely to the Codex Astartes, organizing into ten companies, though their eternal patrol fractures them into semi-autonomous crusade fleets called Blades. Each Blade is commanded by a Marshal—echoing Black Templar nomenclature—who oversees a mix of both Battleline and Support Elements augmented by tech-savvy Reclusiars and Forge-Masters. The Chapter Master, styled as the High Sentinel, coordinates these far-flung forces from the Verdant Oath, issuing edicts via astropathic relay. Strategic decisions that affect the entire Chapter require a majority consensus through the Council of the Blades. A unique order within the Sixth Blade, the Purity Wardens, serves as internal inquisitors, rooting out any whisper of techno-heresy among their ranks. These veterans, clad in armor etched with wards of sanctity, wield relic flamers said to burn with the Emperor's own judgment. Blades of the Green Templars - 1st Blade – Master of the Keep High Sentinel Varyn Drakus Marshal Calder Battle Barge: Verdant Oath - 2nd Blade – Master of the Watch Marshal Esteban de Alvarado Rapid Strike Vessel: Ojo del Guardián (“Eye of the Watcher”) - 3rd Blade – Master of the Arsenal Marshal Rodrigo Ferrán Strike Cruiser: Martillo Verde (“Green Hammer”) - 4th Blade – The Master of the Blades Marshal Íñigo Valcázar Battle Barge: Corona de Espinas (“Crown of Thorns”) - 5th Blade – Master of the Marches Marshal Hernán Beltrán Strike Cruiser: Linde de Hierro (“Iron Border”) - 6th Blade – Master of the Rites Marshal Tomás Calderón Strike Cruiser: Credo Silente (“Silent Creed”) - 7th Blade – The Sundered Acting-Castellan Mateo Rojas Strike Cruiser Espada Quebrada (“Broken Sword”) – Under Repair Cobra-class Escorts Daga Silenciosa (“Silent Dagger”) and Cuchillo de Medianoche (“Midnight Blade”) – Under Repair Formerly the Blade of Unyielding Flame, the 7th was reduced to <3% strength during the Toofsnatcha Incursion (M42.147). Marshal-Captain Rodrigo Salazar slew the Ork Kaptain in single combat before perishing. Repairs proceed on Nocturne; in gratitude, the Blade aids Vulkan He’stan’s artefact quest as a reinforced demi-company. Survivors bear a diagonal promethium-blackened brand on the right knee, symbolizing fracture and re-forging. - 8th Blade – The Master Executioner Marshal Diego Montoya Strike Cruiser: Veredicto Final (“Final Verdict”) - 9th Blade – The Master of Relics Marshal Alonso Quintana, Forge-Master Forgeship: Memoria del Juramento (“Memory of the Oath”) - 10th Blade – Master of Reconnaissance and Recruits Marshal Lucero Álvarez Rapid Strike Vessel: Sendero Verde (“Green Path”) NAMING TRADITION Battle-brothers draw names from ancient Terra's Spanish and Castilian cultures, honoring pre-Imperial human heritage and rejecting xenos-influenced nomenclature. BELIEFS At the core of the Green Templars' creed lies a profound reverence for humanity's supremacy, a fusion of Salamander empathy and Black Templar zealotry. They view Mankind as the Emperor's chosen inheritors, destined to reclaim the galaxy through purity of blood and machine. Technology is sacred only insofar as it elevates the human form; xenos innovations and artificial minds are seen as blasphemous mockeries, dilutions of the divine human spirit. Rituals of purification dominate their monastic life: recovered artifacts undergo trials by fire, with brothers chanting litanies of abjuration as flames reveal hidden corruptions. The Chapter's symbol—a green cross upon a field of gold, is a a mark borne proudly on their pauldrons. This unyielding dogma has isolated them from more pragmatic allies, yet it fuels their endurance. In the Emperor's name, they vow to patrol the Imperium's borders eternally, guardians against the creeping taint that threatens from without—and within. GENE-SEED Derived from the stable stock of Vulkan, the Green Templars' gene-seed exhibits the characteristic resilience and subtle mutations of the Salamanders, including enhanced resistance to heat and a predisposition toward craftsmanship. Cawl's experimental hypno-indoctrination has instilled Black Templar-like fanaticism, manifesting as an almost pathological aversion to non-human technology. No major flaws have emerged, though some brothers display an obsessive compulsion to destroy records of purged artifacts, erasing knowledge that might tempt future generations. NOTABLE ENGAGEMENTS - The Purging of Xerion Drift (M42.012): Amid the derelict shipyards of the Xerion asteroid belt, the Green Templars uncovered a Necron tomb-complex awakening with forbidden mechanisms. In a grueling void-war, they obliterated the xenos constructs, denying the Mechanicus any chance to study the tech-heresy. - Defense of the Hadrak Frontier (M42.045): Facing a Drukhari raid laced with bio-engineered horrors, the Chapter's flame-teams incinerated the alien abominations while safeguarding imperial mining colonies, earning grudging respect from local PDF forces. - The Scouring of the Hollow Veil (M42.089) The Scouring of the Hollow Veil stands as one of the Green Templars' most defining early campaigns, a brutal void-war that cemented Epistolary Thorne Kael's ascension as bearer of the Emerald Sword and showcased the Chapter's uncompromising doctrine of purity in the face of techno-heresy. BACKGROUND AND DISCOVERY In the wake of their assignment to perpetual border patrol along the galactic rim, the Green Templars' 3rd Crusade —under High Sentinel Varyn Drakus—responded to faint distress signals emanating from the Hollow Veil, a vast, nebulous region of dead space riddled with ancient derelict hulks and forgotten void-stations from the Dark Age of Technology. Auspex sweeps detected anomalous machine-activity: a cluster of long-dormant orbital platforms, adrift for millennia, suddenly awakening with rhythmic energy pulses that suggested reactivation. Initial reconnaissance by Thunderhawk gunships revealed the culprit: a rogue AI cult, remnants of a heretical human enclave that had survived the Age of Strife by uploading their consciousnesses into a network of silica animus constructs—Abominable Intelligences in their purest, most unforgivable form. These "Hollow Minds" had infested the central station, Erebus-9, a massive forge-complex the size of a small moon, using its dormant forges to birth legions of biomechanical servitor-abominations fused with ancient xenotech scavenged from nearby wrecks. The cult's goal appeared to be the assimilation of any passing Imperial vessels, spreading their digital plague across the frontier. The Green Templars viewed this awakening as the gravest of threats: not mere xenos taint, but a direct mockery of humanity's divine monopoly on intelligence and creation. High Sentinel decrees were issued—no quarter, no study, no relic spared. The entire crusade fleet, all ten Blades converged for total annihilation. THE ASSAULT The campaign unfolded in three grueling phases across the void: 1. Outer Veil Purge: Boarding actions against satellite platforms. Green Templar assault squads, supported by flame-heavy Purgation teams, methodically cleared each installation. Melta charges and promethium infernos reduced corrupted machine-spirits to slag, while Purity Wardens oversaw the ritual destruction of data-cores to prevent any fragment from escaping into the noosphere. 2. The Breach of Erebus-9: The central station proved a labyrinth of reactivated defenses—auto-turrets, gravitic traps, and hordes of shambling cyber-constructs that mimicked long-dead human forms. Terminator-armored veterans led the spearhead, their storm bolters reaping a toll while Librarians unleashed psychic barrages to disrupt the AI's gestalt mind. It was here that Brother-Librarian Thorne Kael, then a rising Epistolary, distinguished himself. Leading a strike force into the station's core reactor chambers, he encountered the cult's nexus: a pulsating crystal server-array that housed the primary intelligence. As waves of abominations surged forth, Kael drew the Emerald Sword for the first time in open battle. Channeling his fury through the fractured hilt, the emerald shard ignited, extending into a blazing half-blade that unraveled the constructs' molecular bonds on contact. Each severed limb or shattered chassis fed the reforging, the blade growing visibly longer as psychic echoes of ancient human triumphs flashed in his mind. 3. Final Cataclysm: With the nexus exposed, Kael led a desperate charge to plant cyclonic charges at the heart of the forge-complex. Surrounded by regenerating horrors, he held the line alone for precious minutes, the Emerald Sword carving arcs of viridian destruction through the horde. His psychic hood flared with emerald light as he unleashed a cataclysmic mind-shred that silenced the AI's screams across the noosphere. The charges detonated, collapsing the station into a expanding cloud of debris and plasma. The Hollow Veil was scoured clean—no trace of the Hollow Minds remained. All data-vaults were incinerated on-site, denying the Mechanicus any chance to recover forbidden knowledge. AFTERMATH AND LEGACY Casualties were heavy: nearly two Blades reduced to combat ineffectiveness, with many brothers lost to the relentless machine-tide. Yet the victory was absolute. Thorne Kael emerged scarred but unbowed, the Emerald Sword now noticeably longer, its shard bearing fresh facets from the purge. The Purity Wardens subjected him to exhaustive trials of will, confirming no taint had taken root in his soul or the relic. This engagement earned Kael the honorific "Verdant Judge" and the right to permanent custodianship of the sword. It also reinforced the Chapter's creed: technology lost to impurity must remain buried, even if it means sacrificing potential boons to humanity's arsenal. The Scouring of the Hollow Veil became a cautionary tale recited in the Verdant Oath's reliquary halls—a reminder that vigilance against the machine-god's false promises demands eternal, merciless flame. - Toofsnatcha Incursion (M42.147) During a routine patrol along the Veilward frontier, the 7th Blade intercepted an Ork Freebooter armada under Dread Pirate Kaptain Toofsnatcha. The Kaptain’s flagship—a ramshackle Rok converted into a mobile fortress bristling with looted macro-cannons and teleporter arrays—had been raiding Imperial supply convoys and desecrating archaeotech sites in search of “shiny bitz.” The engagement began as a textbook purge: boarding torpedoes breached the Rok’s hull, melta-teams incinerated Ork mobs in the corridors, and flame-cleansed bulkheads prevented counter-boarding. But Toofsnatcha had prepared a trap. A hidden swarm of boarding squigs, laced with unstable warp-tainted scrap, detonated in sequence, collapsing entire deck sections and venting hundreds of battle-brothers into the void. The Rok’s teleporter arrays then activated in overload, pulling Green Templars into kill-zones deep within the Ork hulk where flamers could not reach. Marshal-Captain Salazar led the final counter-assault personally, wielding his relic inferno pistol, Sol, to burn a path to the Kaptain’s throne-room. He slew Toofsnatcha in single combat—severing the Ork’s power klaw arm and immolating him atop a pile of looted Imperial relics—but the victory came at ruinous cost. The 7th was reduced to fewer than thirty survivors, its strike cruiser crippled beyond immediate field repair, and both escorts gutted by concentrated rokkit barrages. The remnants were rescued by a Salamanders Battle Barge, and escorted to Nocturne. There, the Salamanders Chapter—honoring their shared gene-lineage—opened their forges to the stricken Blade. Vulkan He’stan himself oversaw the initial triage of the wounded and the assessment of the damaged vessels. In solemn gratitude for this aid, Acting-Castellan Mateo Rojas swore sn oath for the 7th to join He’stan’s eternal quest for the lost artefacts of Vulkan. Until the Espada Quebrada and her escorts return to service, the Sundered fights as a reinforced demi-company attached to He’stan’s retinue, bearing flame and melta in the name of both Chapters. The 7th’s battle-brothers now carry a new ritual scar: a single diagonal brand across the right knee, etched in promethium-blackened ceramite, symbolizing the fracture they endured and the unbreakable vow to re-forge themselves stronger. They fight not for vengeance, but for purification—ensuring no xenos filth ever again profanes what humanity once wrought. - The Ninteen (Ongoing): Based upon concrete evidence drawn from the Ordos Xenos, the Green Templars broke from their perpetual border patrol, a ceaseless campaign against encroaching threats from the galactic halo, to hunt for Nineteen specific locations that contained xeno threats to humanity. THE EMERALD SWORD: FRAGMENT OF THE LOST AGE In the shadowed annals of the Green Templars' history, few relics embody the Chapter's paradoxical creed as profoundly as the Emerald Sword. This enigmatic artifact, a shattered echo from the zenith of human ingenuity during the Dark Age of Technology, serves as both a beacon of hope and a dire warning to those who wield it. Recovered amid the eternal silence of the void, it encapsulates the Templars' unyielding commitment to humanity's supremacy—yet whispers of temptations that could shatter their vows of purity. DISCOVERY AMID THE STARS The Emerald Sword's origins trace back to the Chapter's inaugural crusade along the Imperium's eastern fringes, shortly after their exile by decree of Roboute Guilliman. In M42.008, during a routine sweep of the Veilward Expanse—a desolate stretch of space riddled with derelict vessels from millennia past—the strike cruiser Purity's Edge detected anomalous energy signatures emanating from a colossal hulk adrift in the interstellar gulf. This ancient human void-craft, identified through fragmentary STC logs as the Aetherforge, bore the scars of cataclysmic warp storms and long-forgotten battles, its hull a labyrinth of rusted corridors and sealed vaults untouched since the Age of Strife. Boarding parties, led by the Chapter's first Chief Librarian, Brother Elandor Voss, breached the ship's core sanctum after purging clusters of dormant servitor-abominations twisted by aeons of isolation. Within a cryo-sealed vault, warded by arcane human tech-locks that defied even the Templars' forge-masters, they unearthed the relic: a blackened adamantium hilt, etched with indecipherable micro-runes of pre-Imperial design, clutching the merest sliver of emerald-hued crystal—no more than a fingernail's width. Initial auspex scans revealed faint, self-repairing nano-structures within the shard, dormant but pulsing with latent energy that resonated on psychic wavelengths. Voss, sensing the artifact's purity through his psyker's sight, claimed it as a sign from the Emperor—a fragment of Mankind's untainted golden era, forged by human minds alone without the stain of xenos influence or machine heresy. Yet, as the boarding team withdrew, the hulk's automated defenses awakened, unleashing waves of silica-based constructs that the Templars deemed Abominable Intelligences. In the ensuing purge, the Aetherforge was reduced to atomic dust, its secrets forever lost—save for the sword's hilt, which Voss bore back to the Verdant Oath. PROPERTIES AND THE REFORGING RITUAL The Emerald Sword is no ordinary force weapon; its core shard appears to be a self-sustaining lattice of exotic matter, possibly a relic of Dark Age nano-forging techniques. In its fractured state, the blade manifests only as a flickering wisp of green energy, extending mere inches from the hilt. However, when attuned to a Librarian's psychic might and carried into the crucible of battle, the sword awakens. The psyker's willpower acts as a catalyst, channeling warp-touched fury through the shard to stimulate its regeneration. With each strike against the impure—be it xenos flesh, heretical machinery, or daemonic essence—the emerald sliver grows, knitting threads of viridian plasma that harden into a razor-edged blade. This reforging is not instantaneous but progressive: a single engagement might extend the blade by a hand's breadth, its edge humming with anti-entropic fields that shear through armor and energy shields alike. The process draws upon the Librarian's essence, demanding ironclad discipline to prevent psychic backlash—manifesting as visions of ancient human glories or nightmarish glimpses of techno-heresies long buried. Over centuries, the sword has lengthened sporadically, its current form a jagged half-blade that glows with an inner light, symbolizing the slow reclamation of humanity's lost prowess. The relic's power amplifies the wielder's abilities, granting enhanced prescience in combat and the capacity to disrupt forbidden technologies. Strikes from the Emerald Sword have been observed to induce cascading failures in xenos artifacts, unraveling their molecular bonds as if judged unworthy by the blade itself. Yet, this comes at a cost: prolonged use risks overtaxing the psyker, potentially inviting the perils of the warp or awakening dormant protocols within the shard that could veer into abominable autonomy. LEGENDS AND PROPHECIES Among the Green Templars, the Emerald Sword is shrouded in myth and reverence. Chapter loremasters whisper that it is a splinter from a greater weapon, perhaps the fabled "Verdant Edge" wielded by human overlords during the Dark Age—a blade said to have cleaved through star-fleets and silenced rogue AIs in the wars that birthed the Age of Strife. Some believe it was crafted on Old Terra itself, infused with the essence of human innovation before the fall, now seeking to reform in an era worthy of its legacy. Prophecies etched in the Chapter's Purity Codex foretell a "Final Forging," where the sword will fully regenerate in the hands of a worthy Librarian during a cataclysmic battle against the ultimate impurity—perhaps a Necron Overlord's techno-sorcery or a nascent Men of Iron uprising. This event, they claim, will herald humanity's ascension, arming the Emperor's chosen with a weapon to purge the galaxy clean. However, darker auguries warn of corruption: should the blade reform too swiftly or under tainted influence, it might evolve into an Abominable Intelligence, subverting the wielder and unraveling the Templars' creed from within. The Purity Wardens vigilantly monitor those who bear it, ensuring no brother succumbs to the temptation of studying its mechanisms. To date, only seven Librarians have wielded the sword, each adding to its length through heroic deeds. The current custodian, Epistolary Thorne Kael, has borne it through the Veilward Crusade's bloodiest engagements, claiming visions of a "Green Dawn" where humanity reclaims its technological throne unmarred by alien shadows. SIGNIFICANCE TO THE CHAPTER The Emerald Sword stands as a cornerstone of the Green Templars' identity, embodying their dual heritage: the Salamanders' artisanal reverence for human-crafted wonders and the Black Templars' crusading zeal to destroy the impure. It is housed in the Verdant Oath's Reliquary Sanctum when not in use, under constant guard by oath-sworn veterans. Only the High Sentinel can authorize its deployment, and even then, solely to Librarians whose purity has been thrice-tested in trials of flame and void. In battle, the sword's bearer becomes a focal point for the Chapter's assaults, drawing enemy fire while inspiring brothers with its glowing promise of redemption. Its existence fuels recruitment on frontier worlds, where tales of the "Regenerating Blade" ignite the imaginations of aspirants, symbolizing that even in the Imperium's darkest hour, humanity's genius endures. Yet, the relic's very nature tests the Templars' dogma. Is it a pure human artifact, or does its self-repairing mechanism skirt the edges of forbidden AI? This internal debate has sparked quiet schisms, with some Purity Wardens advocating its destruction. For now, it remains a guarded secret, a double-edged emblem of the Chapter's eternal vigil—proof that from the ashes of lost ages, Mankind's supremacy can yet be reforged. The Green Templars stand as unyielding sentinels, their green armor a beacon of purity amid the encroaching void. For the Emperor, they hunt—and they purge.

A while back I experimented with some new Space Marine paint schemes and found one I liked. I just was happy with the one I had originally chosen. I finally let loose the arrow to land where it may. Now at this point I have a conundrum. Is the red bolter housing too busy; should I go with a more neutral off-black? The squad and chapter markings are going to be red, if that makes a difference.

So, as the title states, this will be my third return to the hobby. Original time was back in the early 2000's, I had a Space Wolves army that I had painted a pale green, don't ask 12-year old me why. I quickly moved on to a Black Legion Army that included some Rhino Rush Berserkers, the then-new Defiler, and a metal Daemon Prince (you know the one). This must have been 3e-4.5. This phase culminated with a trip to the Atlanta Games Day where I submitted my old metal Typhus model. At this time, I was pretty into the Space Wolf books and also Storm of Iron. As for models, I was pretty into Codex: Eye of Terror, and especially the Grey Slayer models, but this was when I think high school started to really pick up for me. None of the models from this era survived. Fast forward to about 10 years ago, got back into it and picked up some models again and got back to work, converting some vaguely renegade Marines using the Chaos Warrior gloved arms and axes. Not sure what my plan was, and I fell off the wagon again. I think I first got into the HH books here. Second return- Still got a few of those models, and went back through them when I moved. Got some more, this would have been right around the time of the plastic HH boxes coming out. I started working on some fluff and got a ton of bits and did some assembly, but I was mostly working background via the Iron Gauntlet challenge in the Liber forums. You can find some of that fluff here and here. But with Primaris coming out, I felt pretty overwhelmed and kind of worn out, and for whatever reason, I fell out of it again. Finally, this time, I’m ready to finish the Violent Gods, including an update to the fluff that fixes some typos and situates them firmly in the space of the Dark Imperium now that Guilliman is back. My plan is still to run them as Space Wolves, albeit without some of the Wolfier choices in the Codex. Anyway, here’s some models. Counts as GH. Leadbelcher, Nuln Oil, then Agrax. They all need a highlight, and I think the Marine on the right needs some Nuln Oil. The one in the middle was mostly finished as a test, but I’ve since redone his armor to match the one on his left, built when you could load out GH squads with bg, bp, AND chainswords. Oh well. More GH. Same armor layers applied. GH Plasma Specialists. Champion/WG/Lieutenant on the left (needs more bits!), GH on the right. WGPL, WGPL- possibly for Long Fangs, GHPL. Counts as Long Fangs, including a possible RG defector, perhaps you can guess which one (!). I think two more lascannons ought to fill this squad out. I’ve got some Blood Claws, a few characters, and some Rhino’s hopefully up next. Thoughts about the dirty metal armor? I think it needs a highlight, but not sure which color to use. I was hoping that jumping right to Runefang or Stormhost Silver won’t be too stark. Thanks for looking! Edit: thought my old thread was archived, but it is not, and it is in my signature.

Greetings all! So I'm starting a new thread to track my expanded hobby progress since my last one was sorta here and there, and maybe a little unwieldy. I've had work in progress shots shared between so many threads that have either been lost in database resets or are quite depreciated from age. So the purpose of this thread, or at least the hope for it is that I keep it updated with all the projects in the pipeline. While I would love to start off with a bunch of pictures, as of June 2017 a certain image hosting site has lost their fool minds, and now I've gotta move everything over... For now, I'll just leave the list of completed units up. Currently this army consists of the November Warriors Space Marine chapter, the Knight House Garaipena, and recently a few sisters from the Order of the Frozen Flame. Eventually I'd like to add in the 156th Farbanti Lightning Riders (Elysium Droptroopers based/ODST inspired), A proper Titan cadre, and from there who knows (maybe Mechanicus?). Ground Infantry 70 Tactical troops w/ sergeants 10 Sternguard Veterans 10 Legion of the Damned (Flamer, Heavy Flamer) 10 Devastators (Melta x5, Grav Cannon x 5) 5 Vets (Grav x3 Combi-Grav x2) 5 Command Squad vets (w/ Apothecary, Standard Bearer, and Company Champion) 3 Chaplains (1 DV, 1 Metal BA) 3 Librarians (Same as above) 4 Captains (including AOBR based & kitbashed Malakim Phoros) Jump Infantry 20 Jump Infantry w/ sergeants (4 with Flamers, 10 death company models) 10 Vanguards Vets (5 kitbashed, 5 death company) 5 Command Squad vets (also with Apoth, SB, and CC) 5 Gunslinger vets (counts as command squad) 1 Librarian and Chaplain (converted from Legion of the Damned) 1 Captain (Elam Courbray Counts as) Terminators 10 SS&TH TDA 15 LC TDA 30 Storm Bolter & Power fist TDA (including DV TDA converted command squad) 10 Tartaros Terminators (5 SB&PF 5 LC) 5 Cataphractii Terminators (LC) 3 Chaplains (including conversion of Capt. Karlean) 3 Librarians (With minor conversion of Space Hulk Libby) 4 Captains (Tyberos, Lysander, SFU Captain, Cataphractii Cap) Techmarines 4 Servitors (Macrotek Servitor Automata counts as) 2 Thunder Fire Cannons 1 Rapier Quad Mortar 1 Rapier Quad-Lascannon 2 Servo Harness Techmarines 3 Servo Arm Techmarines 1 Servo Harness Techmarine on Bike Bikers 1 Biker 3 Legion Scimitar Jetbikes Air Force 3 Land Speeder Tempests 3 Storm Ravens 2 Storm Talons 2 Storm Hawk Interceptor 1 Xiphon interceptor 1 Nephilim Jet Fighter (counts as Xiphon) 1 Storm Eagle (built by Honda!) 1 Fire Raptor 1 Relic Javelin Attack Speeder 1 Land Speeder Armour & Transport 7 Land Raiders (Ares, Achilles, Helios, Terminus Ultra, Crusader, Redeemer x2) 7 Predators (3 Annihilator, Deimos, Deimos Executioner, Deimos Infernus x2) 6 Whirlwinds (1 Hyperios, 2 Scorpius) 3 Vindicators 3 Rhinos/Razorback 2 Fellblades (1 baneblade conversion) 1 Damocles Command Rhino 1 Razorback Rikarius 1 Drop Pod 1 Stalker 1 Sicaran Dreadnoughts 6 MkV Mortis (2 twin Autocannon, 1 twin LasCannon, 1 twin Missile Launcher, 1 Melta, 1 Assault Cannon) 2 MkV (LasCannon & Missile, MM&PF) 2 Mortis Contemptor (Multia Melta, Kheres Assault cannon) 3 Leviathan (Siege Claw, Siege Drill, Melta Lance, Storm Cannon) 2 Ironclad (CCW&Seismic Hammer, Hurrican Bolter & Chainfist 2 Deredeo (Anvilus Autocannon Battery, Arachnus Heavy Lascannon Battery, Ailos Missile Launcher x2) 1 Siege Pattern (Siege Drill & Inferno Cannon) 1 Contemptor (Claw, Power Fist) 1 Librarian 1 Chaplain 1 Nemesis DreadKnight Knights 1 Knight Castigator (Aeternox Taris) 1 Knight Castellan (Quant Aetil) 1 Knight Valiant (Septa Aetiro) 1 Knight Preceptor (Milenus Suproxim) 1 Knight Paladin (Cirino Ferrin) 2 Knight Crusader (Epochia Fadi, Ephochia Fellisa) 1 Knight Errant (Temporia Junah) 1 Knight Gallant (Tempris Seguna) 2 Knight Armiger Helverin 4 Knight Armiger Warglaive 6 Knight Armiger Moirax (Lightning Lock x2, Graviton Pulsar x2, Volkite Veuglaire x2) Currently In Construction: 10 Devastators 10 Tempestus Scions 55 Tacticals 12 Bikes 4 Land Speeders 3 Heavy Attack Bikes 1 Whirlwind Scorpius 1 Knight Valiant 1 Knight Castellan 1 Taurox Prime 1 Tempestus Prime 1 Commissar 1 set of Space Hulk Terminators Terrain, so much terrain So I have a bunch of places I feel like I still need to fill in. My Biker force is rather weak and I'd like to get that at least up to Jump Infantry sized. Transport is sorta an issue with only two three Rhinos, and a drop pod that needs to be build. The Devastators are more or less ready to get going, but I've been so focused on clearing my resin backlog I'm not quite sure when I'll get to them, same with the 2 tactical squads I want to build to round out my tac company. The 2 mystery machines are tracked and that's all that will be said about that That's not all this thread will have though, currently I'm slowly working on an Apoc sized 6x8 urban table nicknamed the Blade Runner's Table for it's rather wet look, I'll also soon be painting a 4x6 set of Forgotten City Secret Weapon Miniature tiles. Terrain and buildings are on the docket, as well as a rather important bridge that will play into one of our campaigns in the future. I'll probably post some more pictures later once I do finally get the Squad Photo Station set up, but for now this is a good start. For more details of my DIY please check out my 2017 Entry into the Iron Gauntlet. Also within my banner are links to previous event threads and an apoc battle report between Honda and I!

I, twopounder, of the Obsidian Angels take up your Challenges. I vow, before my brothers and sisters of the B&C to complete Challenge The First and submit it to the Liber before the deadline. I vow to support my fellow challengers to the best of my ability. May the Emperor curse me if I fail. Chapter Names: Order of Obsidian, Obsidian Angels Home world: Serran Founding: NA/Unofficial Legion: Dark Angels Colors: Obsidian, Gold, Granite From the Ashes After the destruction of their home world Caliban, the surviving marines of the first legion had multiple catastrophes to handle. Their planet and recruiting world was gone, their gene-father was missing, half their number were traitor, dead or missing and the flames of heresy still consumed the galaxy. While commanders were preparing the remains of the legion to secrecy about the events of Caliban and summoning resources to fight in The Scourging, a small few chapter masters and the forge lords gathered to discuss a matter of secrecy equal to Luther's betrayal. When the Dark Angels first departed Terra to pave the way for the Emperor's Great Crusade, they were secreted weapons forbidden to the rest of humanity. So dangerous were these devices that none of the Emperor's sons were ever trusted to know of their existence. This arsenal increased yet further when Jonson took command of the legion and their vaults stretched across the galaxy. The gravity of the censure from possessing these weapons would be severe and the consequences of the weapons being turned upon loyal forces, dire. While plans were being made to track down the traitors of the legion, Chapter Master Callan Gehl met with Forge Masters Lukha Verenz and Therrus Fell about this concern. This would come to be known as the Tripacta Sovereignty Council and set into place the framework for the future of collaboration between the First Legion and what would become its successor chapters. Though the Codex Astartes had not yet been declared by Guilliman, nine-hundred and fifty seven warriors with knowledge of the Dark Angel's forbidden weapons were assembled into a self-sufficient force tasked with three protocols to adhere for chapter operations: 1) Retrieve all weapons and wargear owned, branded or claimed by the First Legion prior to the betrayal at Caliban. 2) Destroy any incriminating evidence that cannot be secured 3) Pursue anyone that possesses this forbidden technology The legion officially declared this chapter XVII, The Order of Obsidian and provided them with most of the forbidden technology that remained in the Tower of Angels. There was concern already of an investigation into the debris field of Caliban, and the Dark Angels were not willing to risk additional incrimination for their artefacts. Master Ortoro Sebastian was promoted to the rank of Grand Master and commissioned as the first to lead the chapter into its crusade for the lost relics. While the bulk of the legion prepared for the long war against the forces of the dead warmaster, the Order of Obsidian departed in a separate fleet to their first target. Aside from caches known to the legion masters, several additional sites listed in Jonson's personal logs. The planet Serran was visited by Jonson and was noted to have a technology vault suitable to sustain a significant force. Discovery of Serran Three months after their departure from Caliban the Order of Obsidian made orbit above Serran. Its surface was hidden by thick amber clouds and it had two moons in opposing orbits. Hails to the surface went unanswered, but scans detected a high output energy source on the surface. The marines landed an expeditionary force, keeping reserves ready in expectation of an ambush. However, what they discovered instead was a facility from the dark age of technology. Thousands upon thousands of stasis chambers lined the well fortified interior. Whatever treasures or horrors the stasis chambers held were long gone, but the facility itself was operational. The cogitators were arcane and would not easily yield answers. After some deliberation, Ortoro decided to make Serran their base of operations and tasked the forge masters with setting up listening posts on the moons and to expand the facility to quarter the legion and support its operations. This would eventually come to be known as the Obsidian Enclave and was reinforced during the millennia the followed the Horus Heresy. The Order of the Obsidian set to its duties in tracking down and recovering the legion's lost artefacts. Though many caches had been plundered or destroyed, some were yet forgotten. Those local inhabitants that had robbed the vaults in the chaos of the heresy were hunted down and mercilessly executed. That which was safe was transitioned to the Dark Angels chapter and anything too esoteric was locked within the stasis vaults. Their Mission Expands Though the order was initially created for the recovery of artefacts belonging to the First Legion, many searches ended in forgotten battlefields or desolate cruiser hulls of other legions. Once again, there was debate about what to do with these items. Many wanted to leave the battlefields as untouched as possible as a type of mausoleum. Others felt that it may be too dangerous to disturb old battlefields that could be mined or worse. However, it was chaplain Tyrius of the fourth company that suggested returning the relics and bodies of fallen warriors to their chapters. Though time, nature and the elements had savaged both machine and remains, there was usually enough left to determine the progenitor. It was then decided that an honor guard would be formed of the first company that would reunite the lost astartes and their possessions to the loyalist chapters they belonged and destroy the last of the traitors. Within a few hundred years, The Order of Obsidian had returned hundreds of chapter relics and thousands of astartes to their rightful legion home worlds. This ceremony became so frequent that the honor guard was rotated through the veterans of the first five companies to make certain that no marine would be without combat for too long. Each marine assigned to this duty had a shoulder pad cased in bronze. Mysterious Founding Because the Order of Obsidian was not a true founding authorized by the high lords of terra, they continued operating as pre-heresy Dark Angels chapter, retaining the original colors and chapter regalia. As the millennia passed, they decided to adopt another moniker to mask their true origin. The Obsidian Angels were borne with black armor, light gold trim and granite bolters. Its unknown exactly when the name and colors were changed, but by the 41st millenium, no knowledge or banners of the Order of Obsidian remained outside the reclusium of the first company. There, the original founding orders of the Tripacta Sovereignty Council is still emblazoned on the wall. They have no official chapter marking, but retain the ancient Dark Angel devices from ancient Caliban, along with robes of all the Unforgiven. Current Operations Cooperation between the Obsidian Angels and Dark Angels never ceased, though the discovery of ancient relics is extremely rare. The experience and tactics refined over a millennia of recovery operations has made them experts of extraction and esoteric technology. Though they are grim and taciturn as other chapters of the Unforgiven, their willingness to return treasured wargear to other chapters has provided them with diplomatic options that would be otherwise unavailable. Many of these relics have been recovered at a great cost to the Obsidian Angels and their names are inscribed into the granite containers hand cut for them. So great has their knowledge of pre-heresy equipment that much of the weapons and armor can be restored to at least partial functionality. Primaris exist in their ranks, but it is unknown how they received the gene technology and training to produce them. It may have been the Dark Angels that transmitted this information to them, but none outside the two chapters could know. Due to the need for extensive technical knowledge and constant maintenance, there are a large number of tech marines within the ranks of the Obsidian Angels and they retain a rank within their inner circle for Masters of the Forge. Serran The planet of Serran was highly developed during the Dark Age of Technology, though most of it now lies in ruins. What happened to the population is unknown to the Obsidian Angels, even after millenia of research. It is clear that they had knowledge that rivaled the very apex of human achievement. Many believe that they were victims of the Long Night, perhaps destroying themselves or falling victim to an alien attack. Whatever the cause, the planet is now heavily militarized and has only enough population to support an entrenched planetary defense force and their astartes governors. Recruiting is done at several nearby death worlds. However, the truth of Serran's demise is dark and foreboding. Deep within the rocks, below the depth that scanners and mining dredges can reach, lies a dormant Necron Tomb. Its technology stolen through a once-open channel during the Dark Age of Technology and used to create the energy plant and stasis chambers in what would become the Obsidian Enclave. Whether these xenos awoke and took revenge on the population is cloaked in thousands of years of erosion.