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Ok, so some context first. This is just a tiny snippet of something that wouldn't leave me alone. The idea that all the Primarchs are taken in by the humans that find them. They fall from the sky and come from somewhere else and they're taken in as blessings and such. So an idea formed . . . Bright. The child closes his eyes, an instinctual behaviour he has come to realise stops the pain in his eyes. He wanders, feeling the grit beneath his bare feet. He has only recently mastered the art of walking, his small frame toddling along in the wilderness, but he has travelled far. It is something no normal child could achieve, but he does not know that. Instead he continues to walk, searching, yearning. He follows the black shape before him on the ground, the thing that moves as the brightness in the sky circles over him. There is something wrong, he can feel it. He is alone, but he should not be. He searches for that connection, to belong. There must be someone somewhere. Noises come from behind him. Like many things moving at once. The small child turns around, his eyes squinting against the brightness. Shapes appear, big ones. A noise instinctively tries to come from the boy’s throat, but it is a new and untested act, one that hurts his dry throat and cracks his dry lips. ‘That must be him.’ The boy cannot know the sounds the shapes make are words, he has never heard them before, but a meaning starts to form in his mind, an implication of what it is meant. ‘A child? I don’t think a child could’ve come from that pod.’ ‘But sire, look at how he walks in the wastes, no child would survive a second out here, never mind weeks. We almost lost Barsha just tracking this thing. Look at his skin, it looks like its covered in oil or wax. He is no child.’ The shapes coalesce into focus. The boy has never seen himself properly, just what he can see whenever he looks down at himself, but he knows their shape. His mind instinctively feels recognition as the shapes continue to make noises, continue to talk. They are like him. They are his kind. Finally come to take him away and protect him. He feels that connection begin to bud, a link to another being through virtue of being the same. He belongs. Family, the word echoes in his mind. He toddles towards the shapes, his small legs shaking with the effort. Hands reaching out to the men before him, almost begging to be embraced and comforted. One of the men strides towards him, he is coming to take the child home. The bright hurts the boy’s eyes, he cannot see properly. He desperately reaches out for salvation, for something. He doesn’t want to be alone anymore. The boy is so close to the man now, tears roll down the child’s face. Home. That is when the spear punched through his chest. The boy is savagely rammed onto the ground, the spear tip buried in his small chest. The cold metal stings as it slices through the child’s chest and he finally finds his voice, wailing in agony as he writhes on the ground, pinned in place by the spear skewering him. ‘Die, filthy abomination.’ The man’s voice is laced with anger, with disgust, concepts the boy doesn’t fully grasp but he understands the intent. He is hated. He does not know why. He only wanted to be loved. To not be alone. The spear twists. The child screams. Then with a savage yank, the spear is ripped free, splashing the child’s skin with the hot sting of his own blood. The shape moves away, leaving the boy behind. ‘Are you leaving it alive sire?’ ‘I have pierced the things heart, it will die soon enough. I do not want to wait in this heat to watch its last breath, it has taken enough of our time already.’ The boy cannot see the shapes anymore, his chest hurts too much to move. But he can hear them move away. He can hear them abandon him. The boy lies there, his heart pumping his blood through the wound. He can feel the warmth of his blood spread over the coldness growing in his chest, it is almost comforting. He does not know of death, but his mind somehow understands this is the end. He will die, he will stop being here. The child struggles, he can’t die. He is alone, he cannot die alone. Where are the ones who love him? Are there any who love him? He is alone. He will die alone. The brightness begins to fade, his eyes closing as a creeping weakness begins to take him. It is an embrace that promises him comfort. He can feel his heart slow, the pumping in his chest is weaker now. The tears still roll down his cheeks. He is hated. He is alone. He is dying. He does not know why. That is when he feels something else begin to pump within his tiny chest, something strong and ready. A second heart. It begins to pump with a strength the boy can feel resonate deep within him. He can feel his blood become sticky as it stops flowing freely. The pain lessens, strength returns. He will not die. He does not know how, but he knows he will not die. He is hated. He is alone. But he will not die. He rises. And the life of the Primarch begins. This Primarch goes on to hate humanity, he knows he is different. He knows he is faster, stronger and smarter than the weak race that once tried to kill him. He has no mercy in his hearts for them. He goes on to kill many of the humans on his homeworld, becoming the ruler of a terrified and subservient peoples. When the Empeoror arrives the Primarch explains his hate for these people, and the Emperor understands. He spirits his son away, leaving behind a force with orders to wipe out the world that nearly cost him one of his precious Primarchs, for while the Emperor expects beasts and nature to test his sons, he did not expect humanity to. The Primarch ends up developing the view that Astartes are superior to mankind, and makes it clear wherever he is that no human may dictate or command him or his Legion. Depending on whether this Primarch exists within the Horus Heresy as a Missing Primarch or another Alternative Universe will dictate how this attitude will affect him and how his story ends.

So it hit me that the Primarchs all have some pretty famous wargear, but that many of these weapons actually go unused in the world of 40k. Sure Abaddon got the talon, and Khârn got Gorechild. But other than that (and I suppose the Lion sword) most of these weapons are I guess lost with their Primarch. EXCEPT for the weapons of Ferrus Manus and Sanguinius! Apparently the Iron Hands somehow got Forgebreaker back, as did the Blood Angels for the Blade Encarmine and Spear of Tolesto. So my question is... if you were a Space Marine, would you want to break these weapons out and put them to use? Or do you think they are better suited locked up for reverence? If I was an Iron Hand I would definitely take that hammer and smash some skulls. Side-note, how does Azrael wear the Lion Helm? Does he have a big head?

Alright, so I’ve painted up a fair bit of Heresy stuff over the last few years but never actually posted it - time to fix that. I have a few Primarchs done and over the last 18 months I’ve painted up 2000 points of Night Lords and 2000 points of Iron Warriors based around Betrayal at Calth and Burning of Prospero respectively. Instead of just photo dumping, I might just drip feed these out. First up - Angron. First Primarch I painted. http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/gallery/image/221590-angron/ Edit: Thanks to Kizzdougs on the assist with the photos. See below, should have this sorted from now on.:)

The Xian Guardians A legion of highly disciplined warriors proficient in the hand to hand combat and diplomacy. They dedicate their lives to protect any innocent living beings, using their diplomatic talents they have been able to save millions of lives from the suffering of war. Their home world is covered in mountains each one home to different temples dedicated to the "Xian", a belief that through the respect of all things, you leave behind a legacy of peace and prosperity. Here's my first rough idea for the 2nd missing legion. A legion based on Shaolin monks and Chinese Mythology. The legions kind and overly optimistic attitude towards others has allowed them to be very successful diplomats. This is defiantly going to extend towards peaceful xenos and results in them denouncing the imperium for their genocide against any thing not human or those who don't aline with the imperial truth. (New Colour Scheme) (Old Scheme) The colour scheme for these guys is based around Shaolin temples rather than the monks. I felt the orange and black of the robes would be to obvious. Though I may integrate these colours into legion units. The original colour scheme had to much green on it and it clashed with red to much, by simply adding some gold to it to replace some of the jade it's really improved it. Rather than use the standard roman numerals I decided to use Chinese symbols. The 2 lines meaning 2.

I experiment with my miniatures. Every model is just a new test subject to me now. Some are successful. Many are not. All provide useful data (even if it's just never do THIS again). Having incurred the costs in money & time, sweat & gears, I share my findings with you freely now. Disclaimer: I actually play Iron Hands, so this project isn't meant to disparage the Shattered Xth, as I share in their suffering. +++ Overview +++ Today's experiment: bringing Ferrus Manus, the dead Iron Hands Primarch, into the 41st millennium as a ghost Edit (April 9, 2020) - wow, just over 2 years after the initial post, I've implemented the suggested change of adding a neck stump to the mini. My only hope for my Primarch's return is if necromancy becomes a thing in 40k Whereas everyone is excitedly waiting for their Primarch's return in 40k (in the wake of Magnus and, most recently, Roboute Guilliman in Gathering Storm III), I don't reckon I can share in that enthusiasm. My Primarch, Ferrus Manus, died on Istvaan V. beheaded by his best friend. So I painted him up as a ghost, "glowing" like a spectre, and with no head. +++ Methodology +++ The technique is one I learned from the Warhammer Fantasy range for speed-painting undead, specifically for Skeletons. Basecoat with a good matt white. Wash thoroughly with GW's Nihiakh Oxide ink. Then drybrush white. The effect is two-fold. 1st, it gives a miniature this eerie "glow"; it's not true fluorescence, just the same effect as like the Dead Men of Dunharrow from Lord of the Rings III. 2nd, it gives it this ancient bronze age look with that teal patina; if you've seen Bronze Age tools or weapons in a museum, the colour has this sense of antiquity. As a ghost of 30k, I thought it was appropriate. A nice surprise was the chains from his belt. Gives him a Christmas Carol ghost vibe. I did not attach all the servo-arms and his other chains due to transport purposes. I do plan on using this in my 40k game and had to leave the bits off, because even though the resin was quite sturdy, I don't think they'll survive multiple trips to my gaming club. I am thinking of using Ferrus's head as an Objective Marker. +++ Conclusions +++ I totally do NOT advise wasting a premium Forgeworld Character Series model for a visual gag. However, I think this can be applied to Legion of the Damned models, making them appear as the spectres on the battlefield that they are. Consider if you will taking some spare Mark II to VII models, drilling some bullet holes into their armour, perhaps kitbashing them with skulls for heads, painted with this Nihiakh Oxide-based method. I'm just importing a method from the Warhammer Fantasy side into 40k, where I think there are some uses.

Ok, so I’ve been thinking about loyalist Primarchs and how they are to return. GW likely to make as many Primarchs return as they can, simply because they’ll sell and make more $. Knowing this, I’ve been thinking about Dorn, and how if he were to return, how he could do so in a way that was plausible, interesting and not still following the previous lore. He’s already been hinted at as alive in the Beast Arises series, though I have struggled to find a way to meet the above metrics. My favorite theory had been that Dorn faked his death so he could return to the Imperial Palace, take the place of the Custodian General and never leave the side of his father. This though falls flat now that Guilliman has entered the throne room, as he would have caught his cosplaying brother. So here’s my best attempt at a Dorn return. Dorn intends to die. He has watched his father die. He has been humiliated by his fallen brother. His legion has been broken. The dream for humanity is forever lost. All that remains is an honorable death, one to end his pain and leave a memory for his gene-sons to strive over. The Primarch fights a tide of traitor Astartes in the midst of a boarding action. His gene-sons are dead. Only Dorn lives, and with the wild abandon of a man who no longer wants to breathe. The endless foes wear him down. He has been cut in dozens of places. His armor is broken and battered. Dorn watches an axe take his hand, and doesn’t care. Dorn watches the final blow come, and is happy. Finally, release. But it never lands. For the Emperor’s light breaks into Dorn’s mind, the very voice of his father commanding him to fight, that Dorn’s role is not yet fulfilled in the Master of Mankind’s plan. The Emperor unlocks the shackles within Dorn’s mind, releasing the psychic potential within. Dorn awakens. The traitors assaulting him are all dead, the dozens of bodies smoking like burnt meat. Dorn can feel his brain tingling, can feel the warp like a shadow, a presence he did not truly notice before. But more importantly, the memory of his father’s voice lingers. The Primarch flees the battle, leaving his dismembered hand. The Imperium and traitors will think him dead, and Dorn wants it so. For Dorn knows he is now a psyker, perhaps rivaling in strength of Lorgar during the Heresy. His brothers might think him mad or corrupted, his own sons such as Sigismund would be horrified. Dorn arrives at his homeworld of Inwit, and enters his abandoned palace. There on this world will Dorn explore his new abilities. He wanders the frozen wastes of this world, where he cannot attract attention. He summons daemons and slays them. He peers into the past, from Old Night to the Eldar Empire to the war between Necrontyr and Old Ones. He reaches into the warp to talk to his deceased brothers’ souls. He hurls fire and lightning from his hands, forms beautiful sculptures out of light. He rages at his father’s immense warp presence for answers that never come. Every time the Primarch’s mind is exhausted, he retreats back to his palace, and his Pain Glove. There he receives penance and solace, in thought-ending pain. Sometimes he will remain there for years at a time. Millennia pass. Dorn leaves his palace and looks to the sky. The Great Rift stretches across the galaxy. The Archangel of the Imperium is ready for his destiny. PHEW. Ok, that’s my best shot. If you can do one better, please do, I’m not entirely satisfied with this (can anyone really spend 10,000 years torturing themselves and training magic?) So please, flush any ideas you got here, even completely different ones. One more thing. If you’re tempted to simply reply with “Dorn shouldn’t return,” try to resist that urge. I totally get it, from a narrative perspective it really makes more sense if he just died. But I’m trying see if there is a way for Dorn to return without it being really dumb, as GW’s probably going to jump the shark with it.

Dear Brothers of the Lost, This thread is dedicated to visualize our Primarchs. As their are only pictures of Gwalchavad, Icarion, Raktra and Alexandros, I want to see pictures from the rest. Either you could paint one or you find a prominent lookalike of your primarch. So guys, GO FOR IT. PICS FOR THE BOARD GODS!!!!

Howdy Yáll. I recently finished painting up Forge World´s Fulgrim. It was a huge learning experience for me and was NOT an easy model to paint or build! The filigree near killed me! Not 100% happy with ALL of it, but I fought with it as long as my sanity would allow. Hope you enjoy! Fulgrim-5 by Stuart Barker, on Flickr Fulgrim-4 by Stuart Barker, on Flickr Fulgrim-3 by Stuart Barker, on Flickr Fulgrim-2 by Stuart Barker, on Flickr Fulgrim by Stuart Barker, on Flickr

The Terran Conclave When the last member of the War Council arrived on the surface of the Throneworld, the long awaited event began. Around 2,000 individuals would now collectively decide the fate of, not only of the Imperium, but of the galaxy. Due to the vagaries of Warp travel, a great deal had already been discussed by earlier arrivals. As such, while Malcador attempted to present each member of the War Council with equal standing, it did not take long to deduce that it wasn’t the case. In fact, it was doubtful it could ever be the case. Malcador, while more of an administrator than a warrior, benefited greatly from his close relationship with the Emperor. The fact that he opened the conclave and managed its proceedings were both subtle signs of his authority. The Questions Should we choose a replacement Emperor? If not, should we choose a regent? If not a single regent, should we establish a permanent ruling body? Any strategic change in regards to the Great Crusade? Should a new office be created to oversee the Imperial military separate from the potential regent? Any major changes to Imperial law/structure beneath the highest political office? The Factions Malcador - Although more concerned with the Emperor's absence, he will be a vocal voice for a proper bureaucratic system to replace the current ad hoc system. He himself does not want to become a regent, preferring to be the power behind the throne. However, if he cannot find a satisfactory replacement for the Emperor, he might reluctantly support a ruling council. Otherwise, he might feel he has to become regent to protect the Emperor's vision. Regardless, he supports the Great Crusade continuing as is. Kelbor-Hal and the Mechanicum Supremacists - This faction wants nothing less than to see Mars rise in prominence in the double-headed eagle empire. Unfortunately, they understand they have no hope of replacing the Emperor with Kelbor-Hal. Instead, they seek to prevent any one individual from replacing the Emperor, desiring a ruling council with Hal assured a position. Additionally, they want to re-open forbidden technological avenues and rewrite Imperial law to more favor the Mechanicum. Lord Militant Elveen and the Human Supremacists - Although accepting the Emperor's initial authority, this body wishes to replace the Primarchs and Malcador with mortal men, to shift power away from the immortals toward themselves. A number of dissenters and potential rebels hide within this faction. They would be happy with a ruling council that could weaken or outright exclude their political opponents. Should they come away unsatisfied from the Conclave, treachery will not be far behind. The Torch-Bearers - This faction has convinced themselves the Emperor will soon return. As such, they oppose any and all changes to the Imperium. Without the Emperor's guidance, they warn, only folly can ensue. The Successors - This faction believes it is necessary to appoint a regent to lead the Imperium until the Emperor's return. Outside of this one answer, their members range everywhere in regards to the Great Crusade's strategy and changes to Imperial law. This is one of the largest factions attending the Terran Conclave. The Council-Men - Believing no one individual, even a Primarch, could hope to match the Emperor's wisdom and power, this faction advocates the distribution of power among a group. This can range from simple, dual leadership all the way to turning each and every member of the War Council into a proper ruler. Many members of the Mechanicum can be found here who don't share Hal's zeal for Martian ascendancy. The Consolidators - While they could care less about who rules the Imperium, they are greatly concerned about the aims of the Great Crusade. They fear the loss of the Emperor's might might have crippled Imperial potential. They advocate all offensive operations be temporarily frozen to concentrate on holding the Imperium together through this time of transition. The Crusaders - Opposing the Consolidators, the Crusaders believed maintaining the Great Crusade's momentum was as important as it had ever been. They feared any pause would destroy humanity's one chance to make the galaxy safe for humanity. The loss of the Emperor was not crippling, they believed, since the Imperium could call upon the Primarchs to continue leading the war effort. The Primarchs Araphel - The First-Found claimed that as the eldest of the Primarchs, it was his right to become Regent and to continue leading the Great Crusade until the Emperor's return. It is with some irony that much of his priorities overlapped with Malcador's. However, the latter viewed Araphel as Regent with no small amount of apprehension. Romulus - Long a firm advocate of all things Imperial, Romulus was one of the more conservative members of his brotherhood. He was an emphatic voice for both Regent and to continue the Great Crusade as before. Little should change, in his opinion, other than who temporarily occupied the Emperor’s throne. Absalom - A controversial figure as ever, Absalom unsurprisingly argued for Regent and placed himself squarely in that position, as the natural choice he assured the others. He promised he would lead the Imperium to new greater heights for both crusade and empire. Theoderaf - Theoderaf was primarily concerned with diverting units to find the Emperor. Until the Emperor's return, he did not care what temporarily held power, even offering himself as a regent. On the Great Crusade, the Primarch was split, believing it practical to freeze offensive operations but wishing to continue them. Alexandros - Above all else, Alexandros' primary goal is to promote stability within the Imperium. Acutely aware of the weakness lurking beneath the surface, Alexandros does not care what form that stability comes in, so long as it does come. The Ash-Blooded - One of the rare voices advocating for a brand new emperor, the Ash-Blooded defended himself by warning that the Imperium had no means of knowing when (if) the Emperor would return. As such, it should prepare itself for the long-term instead of crafting a short-term plan. He was also one of the unapologetic supporters of the Legions. He believed it that the warriors who had sacrificed so much deserved to be more than a simple arm of the Imperial war machine. Finally, he feared the widespread chaos would allow further disturbances of the ethereal variety. He pushed for additional forces to contain what he deemed the 'psyker threat' and proposed additional restrictions upon pyskers of all stripes. Tenzin - Long known for his idealism, Tenzin would soon become a quick supporter of both Council and to benefit the citizens of the Imperium. He feared the consolidation of power into one individual and believed a ruling council would be more apt to command with wisdom. In regards to the citizenship, Tenzin had always been personally disgusted by the Feral Worlds and how many planets within the Imperium had been denied a chance to advance their technology. It was this oversight he sought to fix. Koschei - Long having marked himself an idealist, Koschei was perhaps the loudest voice of change within the Imperium. While others aimed to increase their own power, Koschei lead a push to limit the ad hoc aristocracy, declaring it necessary to enact reforms for the common people to enjoy. It was this viewpoint that lead him to arguing against emperor and regent. The only acceptable alternative in his mind was a ruling council without permanent members. He was also a strong proponent to halting the Great Crusade until the New Order was properly established. It was these views that made him an ally to the Consolidators and, surprisingly, of the Human Supremacists & the Mechanicum Supremacists. Lukas - The fiery Primarch of the Obsidian Guard became one of the loudest members of the Crusaders. Any attempt to halt Crusade operations he viewed as a betrayal. To facilitate this, he proposed, the Primarchs with representatives of other Imperial Institutions, should form a council to chart the course of the Imperium. The number of Councilors should always be an odd number to avoid stalemates with abstainment prohibited. All other matters could not grab his attention, making him a key opponent against both the Martian and Human Supremacists. He would also become a strong supporter of Malcador's proposed bureaucracy. The Horned One - Already a noted defender of the forgotten members of the Imperium, the Horned One did not allow the opportunity to fight on their behalf pass him. A vocal Councilman and reformist, he fought for the abhuman population among the Imperium even as he agreed to Hal's requests for additional respect and power be granted to the Mechanicum. However, he would not countenance Hal's arguments for previously banned technological branches, fearing the dangers within. Niklaas - Never a political animal, the Lord of the Fire Keepers watched the proceedings with frustration but ultimately did not establish any stances other than declaring the importance of establishing Imperial Juris throughout the galaxy. Aato - Resentful of being pulled away from campaign, Aato refused any and all factions. Cursing the politicking before his eyes, he was a neutral force in the Terran Conclave. Azus - The Ghost of the Sands seeks to replace the Emperor with a single individual of transhuman nature. In regards to the Great Crusade, he is in favor of consolidation and cares little for Imperial law. To the surprise of Kelbor-Hal, Azus would soon become known as a friend to the Mechanicum. Morrigar - The Lord of the Fifteenth was a vitriolic opponent to investing any one individual with the power of emperor or even a shadow of it. He would become an ally of Kelbor-Hal to a degree as he supported granting the Mechanicum additional power and undoing restrictions on research. Finally, he too recommended the Great Crusade be halted to focus on the empire's interior. Chui - Believing no individual was suited to replacing the Emperor, Chui instead fell back to the traditions of his homeworld. When deprived of a great leader, a council was summoned to serve. Thus, Chui supported the Councilmen. The Jade General - More of an observer for the initial stages of the Terran Conclave, he did push his support toward a council. [?] Caelum - Strong member of the Successors, though he had no personal desire to fill the office himself. Believing the Emperor's discovery to be of higher import, he saw regency as only a temporary office. Because of his belief that a great portion of the Imperial military needed to be re-tasked to find the Emperor, he advocated the Great Crusade continue but far less aggressively than before. Gustave - The consummate doctor, Gustave cared extremely little for the Conclave and even resented being pulled away from his work. His sole interest was in Koschei's popular reforms.

I am going to pick one less considered to start the discussion. I think I’d like to see Corax and he has been officially mentioned fighting the forces of Chaos.