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Greetings to you all! I have for many a year been plucking away in the WIP thread, but as most of the things I put there are actually finished by the time I post, I thought it a bit more apt to have a thread here as well - and as there is not far from though to action, thus it is done now. The aim of this thread is for me to post pictures of the various B&C permissable armies that I usually work on and the units belonging to them, which I finish. Currently, I have the following armies in my possession: Dark Angels (1st, 2nd and Battle Company) - about 5000 points total Chaos Space Marines (Death Guard, World Eaters, Black Legion & Fallen Angels) - about 4500 points Chaos Daemons (Tzeentch, Nurgle & Khorne) - about 3000 points Imperial Guard allies (Death Korps of Krieg) - about 400 points Grey Knight allies - about 400 points Tyranids - about 8000 points As you can see, there is plenty of potential for varied things to be shown and displayed here - and I look forward to sharing with you all. Thus, with no further ado, I bid you welcome to my thread of finished works from the forge of Master Ciaphas! Faithfully, Master Ciaphas

Nothing to see here The content is in another castle or just start here http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/222538-another-diy-chapter-blog-for-the-omnissiah-9514/?p=2963992

https://www.warhammer-community.com/2024/02/18/sunday-preview-the-dark-angels-prepare-to-mobilise/ Seems a new Kroot reveal for tomorrow too!

Spied in the new codex elsewhere. Grav captain 10 intercessors 5 hellblasters 3 bladeguard vets. Far more palatable to play against than the current incarnation and much better for a core force IMO. I've no interest in Dark Angels but for collecting and playing against, much improved.

Perhaps I should have started this as a debate topic instead, but even so, this format might spur fruitful debate. I have been curious for some time about the idea of a DA successor who chooses to refrain from the hunt. What sequence of events might lead a chapter toward this decision? Here is one suggestion. [skullheader#276741]The Oath Keepers[/skullheader] (Zealots Echelon) http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/sm/bpe=0A0A0A&bpj=0A0A0A&bp=0A0A0A&bpc=0A0A0A&hdt=0A0A0A&hdm=0A0A0A&hdl=0A0A0A&ey=C41B1B&er=0A0A0A&pi=0A0A0A&nk=0A0A0A&ch=0A0A0A&eg=600D73&sk=600D73&abs=0A0A0A&bt=0A0A0A&cod=0A0A0A&ull=0A0A0A&lk=0A0A0A&lll=0A0A0A&lft=0A0A0A&url=0A0A0A&rk=0A0A0A&lrl=0A0A0A&rft=0A0A0A&slt=600D73&sli=600D73&srt=0A0A0A&sri=0A0A0A&ula=600D73&lel=600D73&lla=600D73&lw=600D73&lh=600D73&ura=0A0A0A&rel=0A0A0A&rla=0A0A0A&rw=0A0A0A&rh=0A0A0A&bg=141542&rb=3B3737&gr=5C5959&wg=true&chps=CC0000&mk6kn=true&blt=000000&/spacemarine.jpg Oath Keepers Tactical Marine Battle Brother (The Chapter does not indicate company colour). http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/sm/bpe=0A0A0A&bpj=0A0A0A&bp=0A0A0A&bpc=0A0A0A&hdt=0A0A0A&hdm=0A0A0A&hdl=0A0A0A&ey=C41B1B&er=0A0A0A&pi=0A0A0A&nk=0A0A0A&ch=0A0A0A&eg=600D73&sk=600D73&abs=0A0A0A&bt=0A0A0A&cod=0A0A0A&ull=0A0A0A&lk=0A0A0A&lll=0A0A0A&lft=0A0A0A&url=0A0A0A&rk=0A0A0A&lrl=0A0A0A&rft=0A0A0A&slt=600D73&sli=600D73&srt=0A0A0A&sri=0A0A0A&ula=600D73&lel=600D73&lla=600D73&lw=600D73&lh=600D73&ura=0A0A0A&rel=0A0A0A&rla=0A0A0A&rw=0A0A0A&rh=0A0A0A&bg=141542&rb=3B3737&gr=5C5959&wg=true&mk6=true&dm2=true&jmp=0A0909&jmph=651978&loin=5C1269&slips=CC0000&mk6kn=true&bpr=000000&pfr=080707&/spacemarine.jpg Oath Keepers Assault Marine Primarch: Lion El'Jonson Founding Chapter: Angels of Absolution Founding: Third Founding Successors: None War cry: For the Imperium! or In the name of the Emperor! Homeworld: Fleet-based chapter until the latter years of M41 Current Grand Master: None - the last was named Timoleon the Stern Number: Less than 100 Speciality: Boarding actions Chapter bade: A gauntleted fist grasping a purity seal [skullheader#276741]Origins[/skullheader] The Oath Keepers were an Adeptus Astartes chapter, hailing from the Third Founding. The gene-seed of this brotherhood was drawn from the venerated stock of the First Legion. Their blood line stems from the Angels of Absolution - Second Founding sons of the Dark Angels. Like their redoubtable parents, the order does not carry the title of Unforgiven. Instead, they consider themselves absolved for the same reasons as the Angels of Absolution. Likewise, they have nevertheless shouldered the burden of delivering retribution to the Fallen. Even so, the order struck out on a uncharted path that has dragged them to the edge of extinction. Following events circa 500M39 the chapter’s leadership elected to forsake the hunt for the Fallen. The Great Scouring saw the birth and first actions of the Oath Keepers. At first the chapter fought alongside their parents against xenos bastions, seized while the Imperium bled from the Heresy. Soon, however, the Angels of Absolution were petitioned by their brothers from the Angels of Vengeance. Support was needed in actions within the Pacificus, against Chaos factions. Since they could not abandon their current obligations, the Oath Keepers were dispatched instead - honoured with an opportunity to uphold the legacy of their founders. At this time, a subtle (and unacknowledged) degree of ill-feeling still existing between the Unforgiven and those who considered themselves absolved. Fortunately, the selfless devotion and skill of the Oath Keepers eventually gained respect from the Angels of Vengeance (if not from other Unforgiven chapters with whom they had not yet made contact). Fighting alongside three full companies of the Angels of Vengeance, the Oath Keepers formed a task force that ventured deep into the Segmentum Pacificus - there to battle against Chaos tainted hosts of traitor Guardsmen. Here, the brotherhood won renown for their acuity in void warfare and swift boarding actions, destroying or disabling key components of opposing vessels before withdrawing. It was also during these operations that the two brotherhoods captured an orbital Adeptus Mechanicus shipyard. Concealed within a vast asteroid field, this marvel of a past age had floated undisturbed since the Great Crusade. The Mechanicus had abandoned it at the start of the Horus Heresy for reasons unknown. All data banks had been wiped prior to evacuation. Mountains of mysterious equipment had been destroyed within its vast holds. One valuable asset remained. Within its decaying bowers lay a vast battle barge, of a class approaching that of the Eternal Crusader. The Angels of Vengeance agreed that the Oath Keepers should take it as their new flagship. The first Techmarine to enter it, declared that the vessel's machine spirit had named itself The Act of Conscience. Since then the Keepers have remained a fleet-based chapter (that is, until their recent tragedy). As was the case during void combat, planet-side warfare saw the two chapters (the Angels and the Keepers) pooling and deploying their combined resources with a strategic acumen that prevailed over the entrenched resistance of four sectors within half a century. The Keepers continued in this fashion for seven centuries, displaying the trademark resilience of the scions of El’Jonson. Loyally the chapter committed its forces to the hunt for the Fallen. When the time came, the two brotherhoods took leave with mutual admiration. [skullheader#276741]Early endeavours[/skullheader] Being a fleet-based chapter, the Oath Keepers set about securing recruitment rights over a number of suitable worlds, mainly on the borders between the Segmentums Pacificus and Obscurus. The order showed a preference for feral worlds - believing that these would deliver recruits of pure minds and souls, and strengthened by the hardships of a brutal existence. On three such worlds, Techmarines uncovered evidence of ancient human civilisations. The feral inhabitants of each planet possessed no knowledge of these once-great cities, the ruins of which dotted the polar caps, isolated islands or subterranean caverns. Research suggested that the three worlds had once enjoyed contact with each other, and indicated that each of these technologically advanced civilisations pre-dated the Imperium by many millenia. Uncovering three such planets had a dual influence on the Oath Keepers. On one level, it further invigorated a sense of the Imperium's superiority - a line of thought that was zealously preached by the Chaplaincy. Yet the memory of the Scouring and the Heresy remained raw. Thus, the discovery also instilled in the brotherhood a sense that - for all its greatness - the Imperium was clearly vulnerable. It was magnificent but not invincible. That, after all, had been the motive for the creation of the Adeptus Astartes. In the light of subsequent events, it is feasibly that this exerted a prominent influence on the Keepers' chapter cult. It further invigorated a desire to locate and shield the Imperium against any threat. Many of the vast tapestries and murals adorning the great halls and training spaces within the Act of Conscience portrayed approximations of what these ancients civilisations might have looked like. Dominating the far right of every scene was the visage of the Emperor. He looked on in dismay, for he carried full knowledge of their shortcomings. And perched on his shoulder was the image of a lion, looking in the same direction, symbolising the Primarch of the Oath Keepers - as yet unborn, and yet always already within the mind of the Emperor. The chapter's first opportunity to incarcerate one of the Fallen arose in M33. A long-planned and carefully nurtured uprising had been nursed by small warbands from what was initially believed to be the Alpha Legion. Entire Imperial Guard regiments had been turned, from the subsector Purgatio. Bribes, threats and other methods of subterfuge had delayed the Administratum from noticing a steady reduction in tithes. When the extent of the treachery was finally revealed, it seemed that the entire subsector had fortified itself against retribution. The Oath Keepers responded. A powerful crusade was dispatched, working in close concert with the Invaders chapter - a successor chapter from the proud lineage of the Imperial Fists, of an uncertain founding. From the beginning the hidden leaders of the uprising sought to avoid set-piece battles. The Oath Keepers and the Invaders divided their forces in order to first quell the worlds at the top of their priority list. But once their combined planetary bombardments lifted from the sprawling fortresses, and the Adepts made planet-fall, it was clear that all static defences only boasted token resistance. Instead, the enemy had withrdrawn to mountains, jungles, swamps and subterranean mines. The conflict became a prolonged and bloody war of attrition, as the two Adeptus Astartes chapters learned to adapt their tactics. When a set battle was eventually forced upon the world of Purgatia, the Oath Keepers' highest ranking officers were met with a chilling surprise. Reconnaissance showed hundreds of traitor Guardsmen bearing great banners depicting the face of Luther. In truth, and as the Keepers eventually learned, none of the Guardsmen had an inkling of the significance of this image. They had been ordered to paint and display it by the agents of one of the Fallen. Similarly, the majority of the Oath Keepers could not fathom this practice either. Most assumed that it was the face of some self-obsessed traitor general. But representatives of the Inner Cirlce were perturbed. The danger of exposure increased when Scouts from the Invaders made the same observations and reported this to their own commanders. A hasty decision was made. Veterans from the Oath Keepers boasted of their prowess to the Invaders, stating that they no longer needed their assistance. The Invaders were outraged. Many demanded an honour dual, but instead a decision was made to immediately withdraw all support from the campaign. The chapters parted company in disgust. Among the lower ranking brothers of the Oath Keepers many silently criticised the dishounrable conduct of their veterans. Nothing was said openly. The Fallen Angel who had been at the heart of the uprising was eventually captured when his last fortress was razed. This would be the first of only three members of the Fallen that the Oath Keepers would ever capture despite their many years of service. Relations between the Oath Keepers and the Invaders were never repaired. [skullheader#276741]History: A growing burden[/skullheader] During the years of M39 the demands of the Hunt, and the recurring sacrifice of other duties to the Imperium began to tell. More than ever before in its illustrious history, this millennium demanded that the Oath Keepers abandon Imperial citizens, Guardsmen, and Imperial Navy fleets to the predations of Orks, Eldar, Dark Eldar and Necrons, in order to pursue whispers of the Fallen. More often than not, these rumours proved insubstantial and worthless. Even when the chapter managed to trap and capture a member of these ancient traitors, they never succeeded in killing or incarcerating more than one at a time. Moreover, the time and resources devoted to the pursuit demanded overlooking immense suffering elsewhere. Entire planetary systems fell to other foes while the Keepers hunted shadows. Space Marine chapters, fighting in the name of other Primarchs, stepped into the breach. And thus the marines of the Oath Keepers felt the burn of shame. Slowly they became aware that they had garnered a reputation as faithless allies among nearly all branches of the Imperial war machine. Operating at the outer edges of the Segmentum Pacificus, the chapter was also isolated from fellow orders from the Unforgiven. As such, they were bereft of the solace of fellow bearers of the old burden. Tensions between warriors at different levels mounted. Members of the order who were not initiated into its concealed histories found it increasingly burdensome to contain their outrage at permitting xenos, mutants and heretics to go unpunished - with little explanation to salve their indignation. The ever-growing slight to their collective honour, and the weight of betrayed vows to safeguard the Emperor’s once mighty realm ground on the nerves of these brothers. Anger and indignation festered between the first and second companies and the rest of the chapter. The battle companies, in particular, grew restless - for tasks assigned to them would suddenly be given to the first and second whenever the possibility of Fallen presence grew. The spiritual malaise of the brotherhood became even more taxing when they returned to a world named Hecat. One standard year earlier the Oath Keepers had responded to urgent calls for aid against a Chaos-inspired rebellion. But the chapter had abandoned the world in the fruitless pursuit of a Fallen psyker. When its brothers returned to Hecat, the Red Talons chapter (Second Founding successors of the Iron Hands) had already bludgeoned the rebellion into submission. Although undoubtedly efficient, the severe cost in lives, raw materials and industry among the loyal citizens of Hecat appalled the Keepers, adding to extant tensions. Shortly thereafter an opportunity arose to regain the chapter's tarnished honour. A new rebellion had been sparked in a neighbouring sub-sector. Since the Red Talons had already withdrawn, the Oath Keepers were the closest Imperial force of sufficient strength. Again, Chaos instigators were suspected. Since the rebellion threatened a vital ring of Forge and Hive worlds - the loss of which would cripple the sub-sector's production capacity - a powerful response was mounted, and the chapter was eager for the contest. Hardly had the Oath Keepers deployed when news reached them that another Chaos force was also active on the borders of the same region. Initial signs pointed to warbands from the Alpha Legion. The chapter understood that these foes should not be underestimated, but in addition, some evidence hinted at the presence of the Fallen. Again this would require the Oath Keepers to divert attention from their initial objectives. So, the current Grand Master and his council devised a strategy that would honour both duties. Mobilising the entire veteran first company as well as the second company, he struck at the Alpha Legion strongholds, located on the periphery of the sub-sector, hoping to punch hard before the enemy could consolidate their position. At the same time, the remaining three battle companies (at full strength) were tasked with subduing the main cluster of rebellions worlds (all reserve companies barring the 10th were assigned to defence duties against other threats). The battle companies prosecuted the war with commendable fervour and tenacity, bordering on the fanatical as they vented caged frustration and rejoiced as their sacred purpose. Then, from the Librarians assigned to them, the Chaplains received word that the Grand Master had successfully beaten the Alpha Legionnaires. However, his forces had been ambushed by warbands from the Night Lords. Not a single member of the Fallen had been discovered. With their Lord and Master under threat, the Oath Keepers immediately withdrew two battle companies, dispatching them as a relief force. Although five worlds still remained in the Chaos rebels' hands (barring local loyalist resistance movements), the Keepers trusted in the remaining battle company to successfully divide its forces between the opposing armies. However, when the relief force arrived on the borders of the sub-sector, the Grand Master and his entire force had been annihilated by a combined Alpha Legion and Night Lords assault. A fierce battle to regain the chapter's relics erupted. Ownership of the terminator plate of the first company, the equipment of the second company, and many other relics hung in the balance. Although the Oath Keepers eventually prevailed, morale was at an all time low; for once the the battle had been won, word reached them than an Inquisitorial force had ordered the judgement of Exterminatus upon three of the remaining rebellious worlds, despite the protest of the battle company assigned to quell them. To the Oath Keepers, this was tantamount to another failure. For they had intended to preserve Imperial lives as a means of absolving past neglect. [skullheader#276741]History: A decision is made[/skullheader] The few surviving members of the Inner Circle instructed the remaining Chaplains to contain the deepening morale problem. At the same time, a chapter summit was called, recalling all companies from current duries. During a series of lengthy and closed conclaves, the Keepers of the ancient secret discovered that they were inclined to share the shame and frustration of the younger warriors. One by one members of the Inner Circle began to voice their consternation, drawing strength from the unexpected accord and fellow-feeling of their brothers. They were, the argument went, allowing cracks to grow and spread across the fraying edges of the Imperium, many of which had broken into far-sweeping catastrophes that were only barely contained by the sacrifice and bloodshed of other Adeptus Astartes chapters and Imperial forces. On the one hand, this negligence had forever marred the chapter’s honour. Yet, despite unanimous agreement, abstaining from the hunt would amount to treachery. These conclaves also occurred during a time when a series of warp storms locked the entire chapter fleet in enforced idleness. Their collective unease grew as they contemplated what might transpire during their absence from the wars beyond. When the Oath Keepers once again exploded into combat, the Inner Cirlce had abandoned the hunt, swearing that as a penance for this choice they would wreak havoc upon all other threats to the Emperor’s demesne. Unleashing a pent-up aggression (and, among the Inner Circle, a nagging sense of betrayal) the chapter exhibited a fervour that enemies from across the Segmentums Pacificus and Obscurus soon learned to dread. During operations in the Halo Stars, three battle and two reserve companies happened upon a crusade by the Black Templars. Finding a likeness in temperament and devotion, the two forces co-operated for many years. At the closure of this joint operation, these companies of the Oath Keepers had adopted a faith in the Emperor as a god - a faith that its Chaplains quickly spread to the remainder. Thus, while the Inner Circle continued to pass the secrets of Caliban and betrayal of Luther on to new generations, they also preached the conviction that Emperor had selected them for a different vocation than the Unforgiven. Brothers outside the circle, of course, remained unaware of the course their leaders had set for them. The Oath Keepers never made an official report of their decisions to the Rock. The failure to respond to demands to join the hunt, however, eventually resulted in the deployment of the Angels of Vengeance to investigate. [skullheader#276741]History: Consequences[/skullheader] Sometime around 800M41, the Oath Keepers intercepted warning signs of an approaching tau fleet in the galactic south of the Segmentum Tempestus. The numbers of this armada, and the skillful manipulation of the water caste that always preceded outright invasion, persuaded the Keeper's leadership to mobilise the entire chapter strength, including their mighty flagship, The Act of Conscience. Although still heavily outnumbered, the order fought mercilessly and with great tactical flexibility. Overall strategy saw them avoiding tau strongholds and punching hard into exposed lines, encircling and destroying elite cadres when circumstances developed in their favour. The tau eventually retreated with heavily losses, bloodied but armed with experience and new wisdom. Reinforcements had already been dispatched and a new fleet was ready within three standard months. The Oath Keepers were waiting with commensurate zeal. However, while the first conflict had raged, another faction had been active. Chaos cultists had spread demonic corruption on nearby worlds, usurping the rebellions patiently prepared by the water caste. Before the tau and Astartes fleets could engage each other, both found their supply lines assaulted by ravening mutants. The numbers arrayed against them were overwhelming. The fleets did not co-operate and did not co-ordinate a mutual defence, and thus were steadily, implacably overcome. Astrophatic choirs sang for succour, but when warriors from the Angels of Vengeance arrived, the Oath Keepers had been annihilated, and the order's flagship floated in ruin among the stars. After months of fighting, the Angels of Vengeance cleansed what remained of the Oath Keepers' battered ships from the still powerful mutant horde. In the process, they recovered the gene-seed, armour and relics, as well as the hulk of the Oath Keepers' ancient flagship. The Libators chapter (Second Founding Ultramarine Successors) also arrived to aid in defeating the mutant plague. When they had finally destroyed the Chaos cult at its heart, the Libators were banned from approaching the wrecked ships of the Oath Keepers. Interpreting this behaviour as a sign of the Angels’ mourning at the loss of so many brothers from the same lineage, the Libators respectfully avoided all material of the Keepers. For a short while, Navigators among the Libators pointed to data which suggested that the Angels of Vengeance had not responded to the Keepers’ call as swiftly as they were able. Such rumours, however, were quickly dismissed. Surely there was some honourable explanation. For the Angels of Vengeance and the Oath Keepers were brothers after all. [skullheader#276741]History: Final fate[/skullheader] A small crew of surviving Oath Keepers, less than 100, had escaped the ruin aboard a damaged sword class Frigate. They arrived on their nearest recruitment world (Redemption Secundus), to discover that forces from the Angels of Vengeance were waiting, having tracked them through psychic means. The future of the chapter is unknown. Doubtless, the Angels have received a full report of the chapter's history. Only a single member of the Oath Keepers' Inner Circle had survived to explain the order's choices. Understandably, the Angels of Vengeance were deeply suspicious. On the one hand, they suspected that the Oath Keepers may have been manipulated by the Fallen. On the other hand, even if their story was true, the Oath Keepers constituted a dire risk to the secrecy of the Unforgiven. The Angels of Vengeance were in a superior position, for they still held all the relics, equipment and gene-seed of the Oath Keepers. Their Chaplains interviewed all the surviving brothers separately, hunting for the truth. Since all these Astartes bore no knowledge of events on Caliban, they could not fathom the suspicion and hostility of their gene-brothers. At some point during the deliberations, elements from the Angels of Absolution arrived. Once they had been appraised of all that had happened, the delegation stepped to the fore, to speak on behalf of their successors. The Angels of Absolution announced that they should take ultimate responsibility for the actions of the Oath Keepers, claiming that their original teachings may have inclined the Keepers to abandon the Hunt. Although barely a feasible argument, it was designed to allow a compromise. Claiming ultimate guilt, the Angels of Absolution proposed to the Angels of Vengeance that they would oversee the rebuilding of the chapter. Moreover, they would insist that from that day onward, a Chaplain from the Angels of Absolution would accompany every task force of the Oath Keepers. Each Chaplain would watch for signs of corruption and treachery. Eventually, it was determined that the Rock should announce the final judgment. Whether the Oath Keepers will be allowed to rebuild has yet to be decided. Ultimately, it was decreed that the brothers from the Oath Keepers would be incorporated into the Angels of Absolution (there to be closely watched). Since all but one were uninitiated in the ancient secrets of Caliban, it was determined that these brothers would simply be told that the Oath Keepers' numbers were too low to make rebuilding possible.

Greetings all! So I am in the process of finishing my "try hard" Dark Angels army. By that I mean putting great bases on them, doing squad and company markings, the whole nine yards. The end goal is to reconstruct the 5th Company with the units that I have. However, I did run across something that puzzled me. The new DA codex has an entire section about the livery of the Dark Angels, providing information on company colors and the location of squad markings, battle honors, etc yet it did not have any information on the livery of the Deathwing. I ran across an article on the 40k Wiki that shows three different types of Deathwing Knight "markings" with three different color schemes that would be featured on the left knee pad. The Wiki did not explain what each of those meant or what they signified. Thus my question in short is, do Deathwing Knights have their own version of company markings to signify different brotherhoods? If so, is this information that is present in previous codexes and just didn't make the transition to 8th ed.? Or is the information on the Wiki accurate? Thanks in advance guys, and I apologize if this has been answered/addressed elsewhere!

As most of you know by now, Photobucket has decided to block the picture of its users if they don't pay the ridiculous ransom of 400$/month. I should be happy they did this when I'm fairly new with my Consecrators, so I can do the rest of my log with the B&C-Gallery without losing too much progress. I won't bother to salvage my log about my Green Dark Angels, that one is lost forever. Good thing I'm not that proud about those models. So here are the models that are currently finished. Further project will surely follow. Tactical Squad with Plasma Tactical Squad with Melta Tactical Squad with Flamer Cataphractii Terminator with Lightning Claws Contemptor Dreadnought Leviathan Siege Dreadnought

I am getting a decent Dark Angels army together (Still need a few more transports and drop pods) I play them against a Chaos Space Marines army I am just starting to flesh out. Cathie (My Girlfriend) fell in love with a filthy xenos army. (Harlequins) We will be using two Death Masque sets to start her army out. She is going to add some Eldar to it as she goes. We will probably get her up to around 1850 to 2000 points this year, and then just slowly add on as she falls in love with new units and paint jobs. This will increase the competitive possibilities within the household as the Harlequins will be a third army that will work well against both chaos and Dark Angels. Our first plan was to ebay off the rules, spare parts and the Deathwatch stuff from the Death Masque sets. I am wondering if this might be a bad idea. We will, after all, need some extra help containing the aliens that will be living on the table. Those things need to be kept in check! (Still ging to sell off the redundant rules and stuff) Would the Dark Angels work well with the Deathwatch? Would the pieces from the two sets of Death Masque be a decent starting point for a small army or a small force that could combine with the Angels for the greater good? Any plans for a new army will have to wait until after the Holidays. I have my hands full finishing up my Dark Angels and building a Chaos army to compete with them. Add that to the fact that only half of the small table has painted terrain, and I won't be painting a new army for a while. I also have to consider building a Space Marine army at some point, as my Daughters have all given me a bunch of kits to get me back into gaming. They all secretly discussed buying me an army, and they bought things locally to themselves. I think they got mixed up when a store owner directed one of them to buy some Space Marines kits that could be done up as Dark Angels. (Scouts and venerable Dreadnought) Now, I have ended up with several Space Marine kits that can't be built as Dark Angels models and aren't even available in the codex. I have Stormtalons, Hunters (Which I might try to convert into a chaos Rhino) and other Marine only units. I was thinking of someday using that stuff and doing a small space marine army with it. (Something less seen than the Ultramarines, though, like Templars, or Imperial Fists or White Scars) In this case, the Deathwatch would be a perfect match to almost any Space Marine unit. If all else fails, the Deathwatch are just Space Marines themselves, and the kits could be built as any chapter. It won't take much space to hang on to them, and I can always sell them off later if I change my mind. I am already looking to branch out from the whole Marines thing, as the Dark Angels are Space Marines, the Chaos guys are crooked Space Marines and this would give me even more Space Marines. At least the Harlequins can function as bad guys. (Not that the Imperium is above reproach) Should I keep them? should I grab something else to stash away with them? Cathie wonders if we should augment them with a Deathwatch Overkill box set, but that would just mean another faction waiting to live on the shelf. (I have the gut feeling we will never actually sell off the "Other" half of a boxed set, but every different box set we buy for one army will beget another new army down the road.) I think we should hang on to them until we decide whether to build a Space Marines army, and then either build them as regular marines, or as Deathwatch to augment our other forces when the Harlequins come out to play. It wouldn't make sense to have them battling Dark Angels or Space Marines on a regular basis, and even Chaos wouldn't really be their thing. I don't see myself getting Orks, 'nids or Tau in the near future, so their role would be a touch limited. All of this thinking is mostly to prevent myself from selling off the Deathwatch figures only to end up wishing I still had them down the road. If I wont ever use them, I might as well sell them and buy some more cool stuff. Cathie thinks her Harlequins are sooooo cute, she can't see why anybody would want a force dedicated to wiping them off of the map. That's all the more reason for me to keep them. As you can see, we are already having some fun with the rivalry, so it might be another point in favor of keeping them. Thanks for any input on this. I am not going to get the codex right away, or anything like that. Anything I do with them will be mid Winter at the earliest. I still have too much other stuff on my plate right now!. I am just debating whether or not there are enough fun possibilities to make it worth hanging on to them.

I have only posted a few things but I am a serial lurker - like the Raven Guard version of a forum user... I thought I would post some of my army. I chose to use the Dark Eagles - who are briefly mentioned in Imperial Armour as potentially being a successor of the Raven Guard. They are meant to wear dark green, but as I already had some green marines (Dark Angels), I decided to use grey. This fit with my regular gaming table - a city scape. I made the lore decision that they would (being RG successors) be happy to repaint in order to fit their environs. Hence they repainted themselves to be grey. The red trim denotes them as being third company and there are other codex markings (squad designation/number etc) on them. One lore based divergence is the marking for a sergeant - they wear something red. It could be an elbow pad, a gauntlet etc. I have a bunch of notes about background for them but I will add those later by editing it into this post... Now I know my painting isn't the best and the photos make them look worse *sigh* but I wanted to get something up to motivate me to do more... Edit: Inquisitorial Report: Clearance codified as Alpha - Titan - Sigma 234: Astropath signal received clearly. The Chapter known as the Dark Eagles are, allegedly, scions of the vaunted Raven Guard chapter. They appear to be compliant with the Codex Astartes and are willing to cooperate with Inquisitorial presence. However, they have only given me limited access to their records and limited presence amongst their fleet. I have been following the 3rd Company of this Chapter for 6 Terran months and I can attest to their battlefield acumen. I have not been granted access to their armouries or the sites of battle - instead being given time to observe training and battle rites. In battle they appear to talk in some form of battle cant - a dialect they refer to as 'Hraafn'. It seems to be based on the language of their home planet - Mororium. Their combat doctrine follows that of many of the Astartes - balanced combat groups that are supported by specialists. Following their claims to be related to the Raven Guard, their focus is on rapid deployment and stealth assaults - jump infantry supported by scouts and fast moving recon units. According to their own records, their genetic make-up is that of Corvus Corax, but research has revealed that they lack many of the impurities linked to that Chapter - as a result there is some debate as to the specific origin of their gene-seed. This is further compounded by their recruitment - although my questioning of this was completely dismissed. The Marines of the Dark Eagles are shorter, squatter than those of other chapter and seem to be built to be more compact. This, when coupled with the fact that I have not been given access to their recruitment information, raises more questions regarding their lineage. The 3rd Company refer to themselves as the 'Driifan' which translates loosely into the 'Hunt'. Their specialism seems to be urban warfare and close assault - they prefer to insert away from a battlefield and infiltrate before assaulting - exchewing the typical Drop Pod tactics of other Chapters. Their colouration is also a feature of note - having been repainted grey, despite their Chapter's colours as being listed as green. When pressed about this, the only answer I received was a shrug and the brief response of 'Cities and their shadows are grey. So are we.' This seemed to cause great mirth amongst the other Marines present and I did not continue the line of inquiry. They appear a very pragmatic group - willing to withdraw to avoid losses if needed, to strike at a later date. In my time with them, I have noted an interesting camaraderie amongst the Marines. They are quiet and calm, but they seem to have an unshakeable bond with one another and a fervent belief that they are the protectors of humanity. Each marine, when not in combat or training, is also tasked with completing a civilian task - be it artistic, lingusitic or musical. When I asked about this, the answer was profound. 'How can we defend humanity, if we do not see as they do?' It appears that behind the training and genetic alterations there are some secrets I need to investigate more. I will report further. Inquisitor P.A. Dreag ------- Captain (I play with Relic Blade and Shield Eternal, but I built him before that option...if anyone whinges about WYSIWYG, I blutack a shield on...) http://i970.photobucket.com/albums/ae184/CordovaBiconis/DSCF1379.jpg First Tactical Squad and their Razorback http://i970.photobucket.com/albums/ae184/CordovaBiconis/DSCF1358.jpg Second Tactical Squad and their Razorback (called Contempt - purely as I brought it second hand in an awful state and contempt sums up how I felt about it as I tried to fix it). http://i970.photobucket.com/albums/ae184/CordovaBiconis/DSCF1363.jpg Third Tactical Squad and their Razorback http://i970.photobucket.com/albums/ae184/CordovaBiconis/DSCF1362.jpg 1st Devastator Squad and their Razorback http://i970.photobucket.com/albums/ae184/CordovaBiconis/DSCF1364.jpg 1st Assault Squad http://i970.photobucket.com/albums/ae184/CordovaBiconis/DSCF1365_2.jpg There will be more, but that is the Demi-Company as it stands.