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This is the sign-up thread for the "Knives In The Shadows" Kill-Team Painting Challenge. See the announcement thread here: https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/384971-knives-in-the-shadows-kill-team-painting-challenge-2025/#comment-6084280 Please post your Vows in the following format: I, (your name), vow to complete one Kill Team of the (your chosen Faction), to be fully painted and based by the 31st May 2025, and to provide at least minimal fluff/background for them. May (the Emperor or whatever 40k deity you wish to swear by) curse me to darkness and ruination should I fail! Please also edit in either a starting pic or a link to a WIP thread once you have one. (When we get a bit further along, I will start a second thread for people to post their completed entries!) We look forward to seeing what you come up with! Participants by Grand Alliances: Loyal Astartes: Grotsmasha - Angels of Death (Angels of Absolution) COMPLETE! W.A.Rorie - Angels of Death (Exorcists) - started painting 06/01/25, deadline 06/04/25 Lysimachus - Angels of Death (Marines Adamant) Ramell - Phobos (Ultramarines) Brother Tyler - Legionaries (Fire Claws) Grailkeeper - Legionaries (Luna Wolves) Alby the Slayer - Angels of Death (Wolfspear) Sigmundivarson - Angels of Death (Children of Dorn) TheArtilleryman - Angels of Death - started painting 22/02/25, deadline 22/05/25 Boyadventurer - Angels of Death (Deathwatch) Grotsmasha - Angels of Death (Dark Angels Sternguard) Grotsmasha - Phobos (Dark Angels) COMPLETE! Deus Ex Machina - Angels of Death (Iron Hands) Imperials: Dr. Clock - Imperial Breachers Norman Paperman - Veteran Guard (Krieg) COMPLETE! Zulu.tango - Ratlings (Reginard's Irregulars) - started painting 12/01/25, deadline 12/04/25 COMPLETE! Trokair - Admech Thallax Nightwing1511 - Veteran Guard (Catachan) Drakheart - Inquisitorial Agents COMPLETE! Mandragola - Ratlings Starless - Imperial Breachers Gnasher - Veteran Guard (Urdeshi) COMPLETE! Stef Coudou - Inquisitorial Agents Chaos: gaurdian31 - Nemesis Claw (Red Corsairs) Lord Ikka - Legionaries (Word Bearers) COMPLETE! Lord Ikka - Legionaries (Word Bearers) COMPLETE! Dr Ruminahui - Fellgor Ravagers Endtransmission - Nemesis Claw (Word Bearers) Tallarn Commander - Blooded (Blood Pact) Urauloth - Death Guard Chaplain Raeven - Nemesis Claw (Night Lords) Monstra Sumus - Legionaries (Iron Warriors) Mandaloriano - Plague Marines (The Tainted) Xenos: Dr. Clock - Blades of Khaine Lord Marshal - Hernkyn Yaegirs Rusted Boltgun - Vespid Stingwings COMPLETE! Sitnam - Veteran Guard (Gue'vesa) COMPLETE! Bouargh - Void Dancers COMPLETE! Firestorm40k - Hierotek Circle Bro Castiel - Farstalker Kindred Brother Argent - Tau Pathfinders Bob Fossil - Hand of the Archon Bob Fossil - Mandrakes

Kill Team as a separate "game" was originally part of the Warhammer 40,000 rulebook in the 4th edition of the game, published in 2004. That version was based on a special scenario for the 3rd edition of the game in which Gav Thorpe's Last Chancers were featured. The original (WH40K) Kill Team was somewhat different from what we have had for the last three editions of the game, but the Joint Ops Mission Pack in the current edition of the game evokes some of the same concepts. Switching gears, the Space Hulk boardgame was originally published in 1989, introducing players to the Adeptus Astartes Terminators, Genestealers, and space hulks. The game was fantastic, earning the Origins Award for Best Fantasy or Science Fiction Boardgame in 1989, with the Deathwing expansion receiving the same award in 1990. A 2nd edition of the game was published in 1996. The game fell into the limbo of being not supported by Game Workshop, though it remained beloved by fans. Cut to 2005 and Games Workshop catered to fans of the Space Hulk game by presenting the Return to Space Hulk rules/guidelines via the web, using the Kill Team rules as a framework. Players were thrilled. And I had the presence of mind to save everything Games Workshop gave us for this offering since I was worried about it later disappearing (spoiler: it did). Of course, Games Workshop later gave us the fantastic 3rd edition of the Space Hulk game in 2009, followed by a 4th edition in 2014 (I consider it edition 3.5, but that's just me being crotchety). The Space Hulk game hasn't received official support from Games Workshop in the time since, however, so it occurred to me that those hobbyists unfortunate enough to not have access to any edition might enjoy using the latest Kill Team rules to sort of play something kind of but not really like it. And then Games Workshop decided to release the Space Marine Heroes Blood Angels [Terminators] as the made to order Heroes of the First Company. While lacking a Terminator Librarian and the appropriate number of Terminators armed solely with power fists and storm bolters, this offering seemed like a great way for hobbyists to get ten Terminators (they would just need a few more power fist/storm bolter Terminators and a box or two of Genestealers). I have the Rise of the Orks game and a few of these Terminator models are in there, and I think they are great as an entry. Naturally, I forked over my hard-earned money for a set. So I've begun yet another project. It's still very much a work in progress, but I figured I'd leave this here as a teaser... No, nothing on that "card" is final. And no, players won't need to buy the Heroes of the First Company to use these rules (if/when I ever get them finished). I figure that anyone that already has the Space Hulk game doesn't need this, so I'm crafting this around players that don't have the Space Hulk game. I expect to use the Gallowdark terrain (I guess it's a good thing I created the Gallowdark Map Workbook ). This is currently envisioned as a Mission Pack for Kill Team - standard Kill Team rules with a few Space Hulkish things added on to evoke the older game. And for those that have their own Terminator models, I'll probably present image-less datacards for the Terminators so you can substitute your own, just for the cool factor. More to come...

So with March approaching I want to share my WIP killteam for the Knives in the Shadows 2025 painting challenge. I haven't played since 2004 so I'm in this hobby only for collecting and painting. I asked permission to @Lysimachus to create something more of a scenic diorama rather than a ready to play kt squad. I like to have a theme, a schedule and to inspire and be inspired by other people works. With his ok, I started to think what I wanted to do. First I was thinking about the marine Raptors chapter since they fit so well with the city fight theme of the challenge. But then, searching through the chapters I (re)discover Wolfspear, a rare primaris founding from the Space Wolves. I really liked the idea of space wolves more silent, with more hunting tactics if you want and the colour scheme was for me intriguing. With some difficulties and some luck I found the 2 years old white dwarf when they spoke about them and the transfer sheet of the chapter that was with it. I will speak about specifics in the next posts but basically it's an ambush by a Wolfspear killteam to a Necron detachment. The scene is in the center of a ruined Imperial city. I will leave the story for last, for now as usually I do, I prefer to concentrate to painting while I'm thinking about the story. edit: grammatical errors

https://www.warhammer-community.com/2023/12/13/mix-and-match-aspect-warriors-to-create-the-deadliest-blades-of-khaine-kill-team/ This is one of the Asuryani kill teams that I've been waiting for. Short description (for those that haven't read the Warhammer Community article - link above) - you can mix and match Dire Avengers, Howling Banshees, and Striking Scorpions, with one Exarch from one of those shrines, into a single kill team. This is the Craftworlders' "veteran" kill team (I don't count the Anhrathe/Corsairs as "Craftworlders"). All I need now is a Black Guardians kill team and I'll have my Aeldari trifecta.