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+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ “When you are beset on all sides, and hope sieves through your fingers, look to the skies. During these hours of darkness storms will gather to blanket the Emperor’s realm, and from them, he will cast down lances of lightning upon the unrighteous. Look to the skies, from there comes salvation.” -16th Canto, the Saga of the Tempest +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Welcome to the beginning of a new Saga. This blog will be a record of my ongoing project to create my own little corner of the Warhammer 40,000 universe; The Storm Lancers chapter of Adeptus Astartes. It will be a repository for the lore and writings I've come up with in support of this hobby project, as well as actual progress pictures of self-same project. The goal is to eventually create a full Battle Company of the Storm Lancers, specifically the 2nd Company, led by Captain Olyndicus. I'm hoping that posting this stuff, both pictures and fiction, will help keep me motivated to actually finish it, as I have a terrible habit of leaving my projects half-finished, both in this hobby and in other creative pursuits. The original inspiration for this project comes from a deep love of one of the core features of the setting: the existence of feral and low-tech worlds. It is one of the ideas that just drips with the grim-darkness that the setting is built on; that in a vast interstellar empire the lives of any great mass of it's citizens are so unimportant that they will allow entire planets to live in ignorance of such wonders of technology as gunpowder or sanitation, while others are granted access to life extending wonder drugs and other science fiction miracles. And to top it all off, apparently the genetically engineered super soldiers that help safeguard this horrible institution prefer to recruit from these places? It boggles the mind! It's such a ridiculous concept that it has been lampshaded in-universe, notably by the returned primarch Roboute Guilliman. So of course I have wanted to do something with this concept since roughly 4th edition. And this is what I have come up with: The Storm Lancers, Eternal Guardians of Taloth and Megiddo An Ultima refounding of a chapter wholly lost in the defense of the Imperium centuries ago, who now stand guard on the far side of the Cicatrix Maledictum against the ravages of the encroaching night. They seek glory, the currency of heroes, in order to work themselves into the never ending Saga as the galaxy burns around them. Those that benefit from their salvation would care little for the motivations of these Angels of Death, nor would they know the enormous cost of such martial zeal. Not since the crusade fleets of Indomitus deposited the Storm Lancers on the fortress-moon of Andunor has the chapter been at full strength, and the urge to take the fight to the enemies of mankind threatens to undo every strategy undertaken by the chapter. So far, I have completed a fair number of the core of the battle company, the Intercessor squads. I am waiting on some custom transfers that I have had commissioned, so none of these models have any transfers or markings on them yet. There are also quite a few details that need to be finished, as only one of the Sergeant's Thunderspears are fully painted. Due to the curious nature of the chapter’s history, the culture of the Storm Lancers is one that owes much to the world from which it recruits it’s warriors. The original chapter did have a culture that reflected the founding progenitor it hailed from and millennia of service, but that has been almost entirely lost. The primaris marines who formed the initial core of the refounded chapter were similarly only barely affiliated with the culture of the White Scars from whose gene-seed they were forged, being that they had been created in the gene-foundries of Belisarius Cawl on holy Mars. And once removed from the fleets of the Indomitus Crusade, that influence was gone. The only one left was that of Taloth, and the determined aspirants and later astartes that once called that world home. Now, almost two hundred years since the end of the crusade and the refounding of the Storm Lancers, this cultural shift has taken many forms, and has reshaped much of the chapter. New forms and rituals are undertaken in addition to the rites laid down in the Codex Astartes. New battle formations and honorifics have been devised and bestowed based on ones common to the proud warriors of their native world. The most obvious examples of this change are the chapter’s approach to warfare, the importance of records and rituals, and the spiritual links between tribe and chapter. On Taloth, war is mostly waged through the use of cavalry and chariots. Most warriors are deployed at least initially on the backs of beasts of burden, with even infantry using mounts to redeploy rapidly in the manner of ancient dragoons from cultures on old Terra. Large six legged creatures serve as fast moving support platforms for all this cavalry, with large howdah perched on the back crewed by multiple warriors. When these natives became aspirants and eventually astartes, they brought with them this love of mounted warfare. They descend into war like a thunderstorm. Fire support obliterates enemy emplacements and pins the foe in place, allowing grav-transports to surge forward and rapidly deploy squads into the deadliest portions of the assault. Their eager cargo then surge forth and put the gene-wrought might of the adeptus astartes to singular use by tearing out the heart of the enemy in brutal close combat. And all the while, this brutal charge is carried forth by the sheer martial joy exuded from these ceramite giants. Songs carried by gene-enhanced lungs, great booming bursts of laughter and prose, all of this sounds as a clarion trumpet while the astartes of the Storm Lancers set about their righteous butchery. In addition to the intercessors, here are some models that I love the look of, but sincerely wished had better rules in game: Mythology and superstition even shapes how the marines view certain duties. On Taloth, spirits and creatures are said to haunt the world. Some of them serve Dyeus Pahter, serving as his servants and equerries, while others act in their own interests, both malevolent and benign. Of these, the most dreaded and feared are the furious dead, the Ve'co Marvos. Tales describe them akin to flocks of screaming razors, spirits stalking the dark and lonely places of Taloth searching for those who would be made dead, or are about to die. Their frightful keening and fury heralds the final end for anyone unfortunate enough to come across them, and it is said that those who hear the cries of the Ve'co Marvos while in the wilderness are marked for death. Wards and charms are worn by those who travel between the tribes to keep them away, while specific runes are carved and stones are raised to draw them to the places where the dead should dwell, like cairns and barrows. Now, when Storm Lancers dawn the armor and death masks of Reiver squads, instead of wearing their normal livery, they have come to paint their armor black, and cover themselves in the runes and hexes of death. They call to themselves all the spirits of death and fear that they knew when they were merely frightful children on Taloth, for they have become fear; They are the Ve'co Marvos, and their vox-screams of rage mark the bloody end for any enemies of mankind unlucky enough to hear them. Thank you very much for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it, for there will be more to come!

For the Indomitus Crusade! Please enjoy my revamped Ultramarine blog/thread. Guilliman has awoken to a lot of change, and most of it isn't good.... We take on this challenge with the invention of the Primaris units, and the awakening of the Primarch. Chaos pushes us back, but yet we will prevail. This revamped blog turns the page into a new era, of painting, Primaris, battle reports and general Ultra coverage. Thank you for checking it out.... NEW Ultramarine Battle Reports for 8th Edition Codex (typically in order of newest to oldest): Prot's 3rd Ultramarine army is SOLD in 2019... .. and Reclaimed in 2020! (see new links below for 9th edition work:) +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Ultramarines Miniatures / WIP / Finished work: 9th Edition work: From newest to oldest + Eradicators (Indomitus boxed set). As I anticipate the arrival of my Ultra army, I decide to prep some units from a boxset me and a friend split. +LINK+ + Intercessors. You can never have enough, right? Well these are just some dudes I wanted to finish since I had spare parts laying around! +LINK+ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 8th Edition is below this point: Painting and Wip's of Ultramarines for 8th Edition (the list below is in order of newest-to-oldest): + New Ltd Edition Primaris Captain with Plasma Pistol and Fist: I finally finished this fig and it's one of my favourite Primaris sculpts.+LINK+ + Primaris Phase 1 Completed! Entered in GW Konor Painting Competition: At the end of the Konor Campaign I entered the painting competition so this post has a few finished shots of the units featured individually below. There is one or two shots of the Primaris project as I finished it for the competition: +LINK+ + Primaris: The Project is nearing completion: The enemy thinks they have us on our back foot... but Guilliman pushes us outwards and onwards, to greater heights For Konor, for the Primarch, for the 500!!!. Posts for specific units: 1. Aggressors (Yes I know this is a repeat, I just want to put all the better pics in one spot) +LINK+ 2. Ancient: I like how the banner turned out! +LINK+ 3. Redemptors: I love these guys. Fun to paint. +LINK+ 4. Repulsor: A BEAST of a model. check it out: +LINK+ + Primaris Aggressors: Completed: LINK + Some Primaris in game, and Guilliman: LINK Contents: ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Ultra-Fiction: + Macragge's Honour: By Dan Abnett and Neil Roberts. I do a quick run down and 'show off' my limited print! LINK + Strategem: A short audio story by Nick Kyme. Released during the Black Library Christmas Calendar Event. My review: LINK Strategic / Tactics / Unit Discussion: + The Kauyon Campaign Book released in Fall 2015 features Tau (bleh), Ravenguard and White Scars. Here's a tactical discussion, and testing thread on how we can apply these to our Ultramarines. Are they worth including in your army? LINK +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ARCHIVED Painting for 7th Edition: +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ + The bottom of this first post includes my first new finished piece; the Stormtalon. + WIP Tactical squad #1: LINK + Tactical Squad #1 COMPLETE!: LINK + A generic Captain, and Librarian (for the Conclave!) are completed: LINK + The 7th Edition Ultramarines Assault Squad is complete: LINK + My take on the Armour of Faith character - Chaplain Sentina: LINK + I refinish a favorite model - Captain Proteus: LINK + WIP shots from a game of my Gladius Battle Company Transport vehicles. About 75% done!: LINK + FINISHED the above WIP project! Transports + Anti Air Defense Force for my Battle Co!: LINK + Finished a pile of Tacticals and an attack bike, plus an Ironclad for my Battle Co: LINK + A long time coming... The Landraider Inexōrābilis Ultramar is finally completed! LINK + My homage to the Horus Heresy Character: Aeonid Theil in a 40K setting, with more pictures of the Landraider Inexorabilis Ultramar. LINK + Finally I paint up the 10th Company Auxiliary Formation. LINK + A second Stormtalon is now completed for my Stormwing Formation (or Raptorwing!). LINK + Two Vanguard Veteran Squads are complete! LINK + Stormraven completed!!! Plus pictures of the completed Stormwing formation. LINK + Multiple characters now finished including Tigurius, Sicarius, and Telion. LINK + A new Imperial Knight which is magnetized to be a Paladin or Errant. Please meet: Divinus Veridian a noble house from the early days of Horus' treachery. LINK + The 2015 Boxing Day 24 Hour Challenge: I put up an unassembled Venerable Dreadnought and put myself to the test: LINK + I just managed to finish 13 new Tacticals (32mm bases) and magnetize some part for them to go with the Dreadnought above: LINK + 30th Anniversary Space Marine shwag! I got my ID Imperial Marine, did you? Also bought stuff for Sky Hammer too: LINK +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Thanks for looking.