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I've been a long time lurker on here (since 2007 I believe) and finally grew some stones and signed up properly. I'm using this thread to document my return to 40k after not touching anything for 17 years. What will follow is my slow progress on my own Astartes chapter; the Ardent Swords. First up will be the chapter master and honour. The chapter master is still waiting for some bits to arrive so he'll probably be postponed to January at this rate. Hope you all enjoy watching my journey back into the grim darkness. First up; the honour guard. These chaps are built on the reiver base with extra bits stuck on. First time doing hand transplants with these guys and was more fiddly than expected.

Hello and welcome to the Neurode Crusade's Keep! This is my second attempt at a WIP thread in this section of the forum. I pronounce the first one dead - all of the images were hosted by Photobucket and many of us know how this turned out. However, technical issues are not the only reason why a fresh thread is justified. My approach to the hobby has changed and I have started doing things with my models. Before that, with few exceptions, the only thing I did was to hoard more models to meet a crusade composition I imagined, but did not control. That is why matters got out of hand quickly and the number of models swelled considerably. The miniatures were tucked into countless scattered boxes. This is no longer! Over the last month and a half, I appointed my Power Armour Marines to squads and/or "functions" and organised my bits. The way ahead of me is long, but I am finally able to see progress and hope. For a good start, I'll leave share this photo of the larger part of my PA Crusaders. In addition to 205 Marines (including 30 jump packs), I have 25 models in scout armour, 49 in TDA,17 bikers, over two dozen vehicles and a Freeblade Imperial Knight. Disclaimer: for the foreseeable future, no Primaris are allowed! And here is a sample of my painting skills. These models represent my current table-top standard (or I should probably add "overall standard," since I'm not able to produce better quality painting factoring in time-per-painted-miniature that I find acceptable). I am going to update this thread as regularly as possible - i.e. every time I manage to do something meaningful, like a completed kitbash/conversion, painted model, finished squad or reasonable progress in a larger project. All and any questions, comments or requests are mostly welcome!

A brotherhood of knights known today as the Neurode Crusade, over the last few decades, underwent a series of changes leading to its present day composition. The changes centre on the figure of Marshall Arthur, the current Marshall of the Crusade. At present, the Neurode crusade's forces are divided. While a pursuit force lead by Marshall Arthur and an accompanying Inquisitor is after a traitor governor who left the Neurode forge world in ruin, the bulk of the Crusade rebuilds its strength in a newly established chapter keep after sustaining considerable loses in a series of violent war campaigns. This thread, as many others of this kind, is a mess. You'll find here successful, suspended and abandoned attempts at converting models and scratch building. You'll find WIP shots and images of painted miniatures. There is also some fluff out there, which hopefully will one day be expanded to form a chronicle of the Neurode Crusade's feats. In order to do something with the mess, I'll be links to important posts here. My approach to painting black - a tutorial; part 1 - general stuff Marshall Arthur, conversion work Black Templars Marshal, Arthur - painted miniature Neurode mechanised Scratchbuilt Neurode-pattern Vindicator Lady Inquisitor WIP and finished model Venerable Dreadnought Neurode Crusaders +++ Below you will find a detailed overview of the Neurode crusade's notable battles. +++PART 1+++ The Otmar Intervention Still a Sword Brother, Arthur was appointed command of a minor, 35-man strong (including a Dreadnought and a 5 TDA Sword Brethren), Black Templar strike force. They were ordered to support Imperial forces on Otmar. Thereon, the safety of a sacred shrine of the Emperor was threatened by an Ork raiding party of unknown size. Planetary radars located an incoming Ork vessel and the local officials sent distress signals. Because of its location and insignificance, Otmar did not have a military force and had little chances of defending against the incoming Orks. The defenders of the planet were but a small, underequipped militia, mustered from the more zealous civilians and local priests. The plea for help was answered by a nearby Black Templar vessel. Arthur’s force landed in time to bolster local defences and, most importantly, secure the safety of the shrine located on a rise in Walhaim, the biggest city of the planet. The Ork shuttle crashed on the surface of Otmar on the outskirts of Walgaim just a few hours after the Black Templars landed. Arthur assigned 10 Initiates, a Dreadnought and some of the local forces to defend the immediate proximity of the shrine. Meanwhile, he lead a pre-emptive attack. Unfortunately, as the Orks need no time to organize, they already managed to brake the militia’s defences of Walhaim. Fighting the scattered Ork forces was tiresome. The greenskins posed no threat, nor were they a worthy challenge for the fearsome Crusaders. However, the crashed vessel was not the only inbound Orkish craft. Somehow two other, larger vessels remained undetected until it was too late. The cumbersome, mutilated chunks of metal entered Otmar’s atmosphere. This time the greenskins were lead by a Warboss. Seeing what was left of the first wave of attackers, the brute became furious. He lead a swift strike on the city, much more organized than the previous formless assault. Orks used their numbers to their advantage and were pushing the defenders back, deeper into the city. Even the might of the Astartes, stretched thin among the kilometres of breaking defence lines, proved to be insufficient. Arthur ordered all his man back to the shrine to prevent desecration of the holy place. The remaining forces of the human militia, at first hesitant to leave their homes to be ravaged by the scattered parties of the green horde, joined the Marines. Eager to fight the finest of the Imperium, the Warboss gathered a significant force of Orks and ordered a brutal onslaught on the defenders’ donjon. The joint Black Templars’ and militia’s forces repelled the initial push and two consecutive ones; yet, the defenders, especially the militia, suffered great losses. However, the Ork’s numbers were greatly diminished. In the third attack on the shrine, the Warbass was slain. The rest of his kin, leaderless, discouraged and broken, scattered. The shrine was secured. Walhaim was ruined, though. The remains of the defenders, assisted by fresh units of militia from other settlements, dealt with the scattered Ork survivors. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ORIGINAL POST: The thread description says it all: this will be my WIP thread in which I'll be posting (hopefully regularly) pictures of my endeavours to expand my Crusade and convert different pieces in my collection. Unfortunately I can't do anything for the ETL competition, because my pledged units aren't where I am. But I can devote myself to my new-found passion: making plasticard models. For the time being, I'm suspending my Thunderhawk project: I just want to make a smaller plasticard model to see whether I'm capable of making a decent looking craft. For starters, my cheap Vindicator (which I'll vow in ETL when I'm done with my rhinos & razorback). Here is a raw overwiew of what I have so far. http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/9049/p1050937zs.jpg And the cannon: http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/1724/p1050933c.jpg How do you like the look of the cannon? I did it according to the templates which I've found, but it is not as wide as in the original model. Does it look okay, or would you advise me to make it wider, more like in the original?

I read that the old Flesh Tearers had an inverted scheme for their Death Company, with the shoulders and helmet being red, while the rest of the body was black. My chapter, the Blood Suns, uses Flesh Tearer similar patterns, but they are normally Black shoulders, head, backpack, and leg greaves, like such. http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8082/8399725341_a452956475_b.jpg The idea is the chapter uses the iconography of a sun/star. They see the Imperium without the Emperor and Sanguinus as being like a red giant star, that has expanded in size and gobbled up it's system, but is at the end of it's life and will soon lose it's heat and collapse on itself, therefore they are named the Blood Suns. Therefore, they see a Marine's life being like a sun that has gone supernova, or turned into a black hole - the Black Rage is a marine's desire to see the end of everything, and destroy it all. So to make it a look like a supernova and a black hole, I'm going for an inverted white and black scheme, but I want some feedback on how this looks, and if it would be striking compared to the above. I'll post some model pictures in the morning when people are awake and I can set some out. But what is everyone's thoughts on this? http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8229/8400814308_0bd0479300_b.jpg White color for the supernova imagery, and the black center for a Black supernova. The Red trim and Red chest eagle sort of keeping the basic Blood Sun third color, seen in the original. I love the alternative scheme for Death Company done in the book with the Angels Encarmine having white Sanguinary Guard as well, but I wondered if people think this would work on an actual model. Last consideration: I have a lot of those 3rd edition death company bodies that I'll be using for them models, and I have (with considerable effort) magnetized the backpacks to make sure they're flexible, so this is why I want to make sure I get the colors right. But if not, they'll strip easily being pewter/lead!

Edit ++ Novemebr 2024 Link to newest chapter. Right now I'm in the process of getting things going again. But maybe not playing First Legion. New Post on page 4 near the bottom. Pre ETL Hello! I painted a test model for the Dark Angels last week. This is what I've come up with. He was a gift from WLK last year that I have only just gotten around too. For a while I wasn't sure I'd ever paint this one. I ordered one BaC set, 3 tac squads and 1 Terminator Squad all from BaC as well as 9 Jet Bikes and some extra weapons to kitt out a few models. The BaC tac marines and set have arrives already, the rest will begin to arrive over the next weeks and into May. So far I've done the test model and textured all the bases for the models that have arrived. (68 bases in all not counting the test model above. It's a little difficult to get excited about so much black but I do think it looks reasonable. I'll be looking for little spots to add some extra colors and details. In total it will only be these 82 models in the first vow. I will put them all into the same group to save me time later. If I have the time and the funds I'd like to complete a second vow but we'll see. I'm also going to do a ETL supper post on my blog filled with most everything I post in this thread as well. I've already started that and plan to publish it at the end of ETL. Thanks for reading. More to come.

Septembers Vow. I Elmo vow to complete 1 Vindicator with Siege Shield, extra armour and pintle mounted Storm Bolter (150 pts.) in the month of September 2012 as redemption for not vowing as much as I had hoped for in the ETL. Or words to this effect.... http://i814.photobucket.com/albums/zz66/jonbrooks_photo/B%20and%20S%20WIP/P9060001.jpg This will be a new build for my line breaker Squadron The Vindi so far. The magnetisation has been completed The model has been primed in Matt Black External surfaces primed in Angels Green http://i814.photobucket.com/albums/zz66/jonbrooks_photo/B%20and%20S%20WIP/P9100013.jpg This weeks plan is to paint the internals and to assemble the main chassis and start work on the Siege Shield icon. More on Friday

Hi all, long-time lurker (to the extent that I legitimately forgot I had an account here and had to get Kurgan the Lurker's help recovering it [thanks man!]) and I thought that, since I'm a responsibleish adult, I felt that I should make a WIP log of my, already sizable collections. Now, my one, true love for factions is the World Eaters/Khorne Daemonkin. Even though it's the smallest of my factions right now, as I managed to luck out with some friends not wanting the Death Guard halves of Dark Imperium, so I got those on the cheap. And the Dark Angels were literally given to me by a friend who said, and I quote "Yeah, they're yours. I don't have the time to play 40k, or the space to store these". So I was just casually given at least 2k points of Dark Angels. So, welcome to my WIP thread. Some pretty pictures: Maulerfiend I'm most happy about how the eyes and legion badge came out Skarbrand Everyone's favorite madman: Khârn the Betrayer Some Daemons and a Spawn Mortarion More to come!

Hello friends of the B&C. So my first thread here is basically going to be the main reason I joined this forum. That is to discuss my ideas for starting an AM army and get advice and criticism on my ideas and work. Recently I've developed a fascination with soviet history and i've always fancied an Imperial guard army as they have the coolest tanks. I realised this after getting a Leman Russ for my space wolf army back when they were allowed to have them. (I still haven't forgiven GW for taking that one cool thing away from me ) This led me to the idea of making my next project a valhallans army based on the WW2 Soviet army. Now here's the thing. Valhallan models are old and expensive. A squad of 10 regualar valhallans is £20.50, that's £2.05 a model for an army that will feature a lot of infantry as would be appropriate for a soviet themed army. I'm not rolling in cash so I decided a more cost effective answer would be to buy ww2 soviet minis since warlord, a company I've been following for some time, sell a box of 40 soviets in winter gear (visually very similar to valhallans) for £30. I can also get heavy weapons teams like mortars, HMGs(heavy bolters) and anti tank guns (autocannons), again visually almost the same as their GW equivalents. It seems to have worked out quite well for me that imperial guard use a lot of WW2 equipment XD (this plan also means I can take up bolt action if I fancy but I realise that's outside the scope of this forum ) What this essentially means is that to keep my army somewhat coherent and also easy to explain to my opponent I'll be taking very few weapons from the 41st millennium on my infantry. No plasma guns, no melta guns, no power weapons. Essentially My infantry will be composed of heavy weapons teams and lasguns for days, possibly a few flamers if i can make the flamethrower models stand out enough. Meaning I can put my infantry on the table and when my opponent starts looking quizzical, i can point at my infantry platoons and simply say "These are all guys with lasguns, these heavy weapon teams are exactly what they look like" As far as armour is concerned I'll be using GW models as usual so chimairas and leman russes painted in the style of soviet armour with iconography and, if i'm feeling brave, slogans in cyrillic. I've already picked up and painted a Captain Chenkov to serve as my warlord since he'll be nice and special. I'd like to know people's thoughts on this as a concept. It would be nice If i could construct an army within these parameters that can at least put up a decent fight. I'm not a tournament player so i'm not worried about it being meta competitive or legal models wise for those kinds of events since i mostly play casually against my friends. Once I have a plan together and get rolling with actual models i'll update this thread with pictures of my progress. If you got this far thank you for reading, I look forward to your thoughts as I'm quite excited about this project.

This is going to be a new project I will be working on .Already have some of the shoulder pads made up .Just waiting for some bits and have to get some fresh paint.And will be posting a test fig soon.

Good Day B&C! So, I have come back to my roots so to speak. Some of the older members may remember me from years back when I had an Angels Sanguine army. They were my first real army and when I got dark imperium I couldn't decide what to paint the primaris as... Angels Sanguine won! To that end I then went on ebay as I am an idiot and lo and behold picked up a load of stuff! None of this is my painting but I plan to re base a lot. Then change bits to suit my style. So few highlights. Different shades etc and then get to work on the primaris. http://i.imgur.com/PGIniRA.jpg http://i.imgur.com/Sp17aH4.jpg http://i.imgur.com/cUSGM2w.jpg I will prob have a go at a scout to ease my way back in as I currently have Iron Warriors for 30k and Deathguard and Tau for 40k on the go! So lot's to be doing. Plus I am buying a house! So I will update when I can. On the gaming side I haven't played since 4th I think. But it looks like BA are taking a kicking in 8th... Thoughts? Cheers!

I go to the Texas Open this upcoming weekend, January 16-18, to play in the Warhammer 40,000 Narrative event. 4 games over 2x days. A buddy of mine is taking 120 kroot (and painted it in less than 2 months) and another is taking Orks. It's about 40 minutes away, so we'll be carpooling. My family (wife and kids) are leaving me home alone for 2.5 weeks as they go to visit some family overseas while I hold down the pets, chickens, and work-fort, so I will try to post some updates. I need to finish painting 5 assault terminators, touch up a librarian in terminator armor, and paint some cupola/pintle Multi-melta and stormbolter for the Land Raider I plan to deep strike this upcoming weekend. Here's a progress shot of 3 terminators as I work to finish them this week. More posts on the list, games, and such to follow. Encouragement requested! Picture of 3 Assault Terminators As I went 4+ years without updating the original topic, it has been archived. Link to that for easy reference for me. I typed all that lore about my chapter during Law School, and now that i have money to spend on the hobby as a result of then, I don't want to lose it! lol

So, I recently decided to strip my Ultramarine army and decided to repaint them as Star Phantoms as I like the scheme and their fluff. Their heavy use of Devastators and Land Raiders also fits my playstyle. This is the first test-model. While this one is painted over a black basecoat the army will be painted using a white spray. In the images in IA 10 they only have metallic trims on shoulders that use the Mk3-style raised trim but I just found an all-white model to be too boring.

So, since 8th came out I've been working on a Necron dynasty as a side project, but growing to like it more and more over time. Initially I just wanted to shake things up and work on something non-Imperial. I have played a few games but will be able to play a lot more soon as I finally have enough warriors built to form a solid core and enough other stuff to be able to build a few 2000 point lists with a little variety. The fluff behind the dynasty: I wanted to model my Phaeron after all the worst qualities of Roman Emperors in the way they treated their subjects (but still being a capable military leader). So, I'm saying he has somehow convinced himself that he is the rightful ruler of all Necrons and is hell-bent on proving this. He probably had some tenuous link to the Silent King before biotransference (like a nephew or an in-law or something, like many Roman heirs) and is convinced Szarekh abdicated by not joining the rest in hibernation. I'm in a bit of a dilemma with my color scheme. What I'm going for is the default scheme (for the most part) with purple instead of green. This Doom Scythe is the most complete model I have worked on, though it's still a WIP. It's black with Xereus Purple and Genestealer Pink highlights. The problem I'm encountering is with stuff like computer screens, crystals, resurrection orbs, stuff like that. I tried painting them Nagaroth Night with the same highlights but the Nagaroth is so dark it looks the same as the black under most lighting from across the table. I'm considering changing one or the other to Nagaroth Night / Daemonette Hide highlights instead, but that might turn out a bit less rich than what I want. Any thoughts? Currently, I have about half a box of warriors who need their guns built (I seem to have misplaced my Gauss sprues so I am waiting on replacements to come in), and then just a ton to paint. My to-do list: Priming: 36 warriors 3 tomb blades canoptek spyder Vargard Obyron scarabs everywhere Command barge Primed but unpainted:5 destroyers converted Destroyer Lord 5 lychguard 5 deathmarks Night Scythe Monolith Orikan Nemesor Zandrekh Triarch Stalker Somewhat painted/not done yetLord Overlord Doom Scythe 12 warriors ghost ark 3 wraiths I need to buy at least one more box of immortals (I've been using the death marks as a stand in to fill out the squad) and probably another box or two of everything else just for more options, but I'm feeling pretty good about the lists I can make with this. I'm really excited for our codex to drop, because some point decreases would be very nice.

Greeting B and C! This feels a bit odd... Plonking Xenos down but here we go! I have been working on some Tau. For no real reason other than a change to my usual power armour obsession (iron warriors, angels sanguine, plague marines etc). These were really just a painting army. But I went eBay ad and have quite a lot. I will likely sell a lot though to make some space as a hour move is on the horizon but here is the current state of play. http://i.imgur.com/uXzQank.jpg Terrible, over bright pic. Can't see any highlights but it gives you a good idea at least. First suit and fire warriors complete. http://i.imgur.com/dyMlsiU.jpg?1 Second complete suit. Better pic. Ish! But you can see some highlights at least :) Now the WIP. http://i.imgur.com/ohq6rLO.jpg 5 fire warriors to round out the squad. These are painted differently to first batch and I think I prefer them. Just details really and markings then a dull cote and done. http://i.imgur.com/0bLWOG4.jpg Finally a very early ethereal shot. Lot's to do and better pics to be taken. So the theme is crap pictures and lots of white :) After these I might do 3 stealth drones then a couple more crisis suits and some pathfinders. I also have a devilfish. Another 3 stealth as well. Cheers!

Here are the WIP pictures of my own attempts at a Thousand Sons force(and other projects). While awaiting parts for the actual troopers I started work on the other bits I had to hand, most of which were donated by folks. Not many pictures here but I do have a few more in my blog, but I couldn't ignore invaluable advice of the B&C army. I'll admit it I love Hellbrutes, mainly because they are basically Dreadnoughts and I always used those as well. http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1I852hC7jdA/VTiuxewBJxI/AAAAAAAABk8/JQBtP1GhLvg/s640/20150421_173902.jpg The blue is an old Ultramarines Blue from GW, pretty sure they don't make anything like it anymore. Really hope it lasts me another little while so. http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-YXUsODlEsvM/VTiu1dGyOQI/AAAAAAAABlM/_kuJlHrkJLg/s640/20150422_171224.jpg I had to improvise for the bone colour here by painting it white and using a brown wash over it, I actually quite like the effect. http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-xxKLqCwiLO4/VTiu3qUUMfI/AAAAAAAABlU/0iic5VTbUfo/s640/20150422_193902.jpg My first bits of skin on the demon prince, didn't go as well as planned but frankly it is hard to tell from these awful picture. I need a lamp to bring some colour to the darkness, also I need to learn how to high light things. http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/---akmNmxPXo/VT6ylLik-VI/AAAAAAAABlk/FnlAM514BVc/s640/20150427_225706.jpg I think you can all see I have more keen for the project than skill, but time will tell.

A brand new 1st Post! if the first replies dont make sense, well its because the whole entirety of this post has changed. This post will now reflect the most current and up to date chapter fluff. lots has changed in these last 3.5 years. thanks for stopping by and please contribute to the conversation! Index Astartes http://bolterandchainsword.com/uploads/gallery/album_11085/med_gallery_86595_11085_107117.jpg http://bolterandchainsword.com/uploads/gallery/album_11085/gallery_86595_11085_178195.jpg Origins The War of the Beats brought large amounts of destruction to the Imperium. Lord Commander of the Imperium Maximus Thane had decreed that the Imperium would raise as many new Chapters as they had gene-seed in the great vaults of Terra to sustain. A Fourth Founding chapter, the Legion of the Iron Lion was created with one goal in mind, to engage with the orks. Invictumos, a world that prides itself in its martial ability, and one that has been fighting the orks since the days before the Imperium, would be the homeworld to such a chapter. As to which of the successors of the First Legion provided its veterans to raise the new chapter, it is not known. Only a legend told to initiates remains, "Just as the red halo engulfed the Flame of Consecration, the consecrated Iron engulfs the Sword of the Lion. And as the wings gave flight to the sword of the Angels, the Angels gave flight to the Legion of the Iron Lion" Homeworld: Invictumos To be fleshed out in the future. The Legion and the Unforgiven http://bolterandchainsword.com/uploads/gallery/album_11085/med_gallery_86595_11085_476195.jpg Circles within circles. Truth within lies. Lies within truth. Each cog has its role to play. Only one Legionnaire is ever truly aware of the treacherous acts of Luther and the Fallen, the Grand Arbiter. Personally trained by the Interrogator Chaplains of the Dark Angels, the Grand Arbiter's purpose is to be an extension of the will of the Unforgiven, and guide his Master of the Legion in the Hunt. Fully indoctrinated into the higher levels of the Inner Circle, more so than the Master of the Legion, the Grand Arbiter is the sole Legionnaire to perform interrogations and deliver Judgement and Redemption. As with the other Unforgiven, many lies exist within the truth that is told to those who have been indoctrinated into the Hunt, but how much is truth, and how much is a lie? Rework in progress. Going for a more traditional relationship. The Wings of Judgement and Redemption The Hunt is omnipresent. In honor of the I Legion, the veterans of the first and second century carry the moniker of Wing. The Lion Wing of Cohort Leonus, their pauldron painted bronze underneath the Sword and Cog of the Legion signifying judgment for traitors of the I Legion, they are the Old Guard of the Hunt. The Iron Wing of Cohort Ferrum, their pauldron painted silver underneath the Sword and Cog of the Legion signifying redemption for the loyalist of the I Legion, they are the New Blood of the Hunt. At inception, the Iron Wing and Lion Wing were mirrors of each other. Every space marine had a suit of terminator plate, cataphractii, tartaros, or indomius, and a bike, speeder, or Unforgiven aircraft assigned to him. The veterans would deploy as the mission dictated. Experts in all aspects of war, the coordination achievable by the Iron and Lion Wings was without peer. Of the 100 Legionnaires assigned the century, 30 are selected to be Iron Guard or Lion Guard. These legionnaires would be issued special equipment, a storm shield and Mace of Absolution (Flail of the Unforgiven for sergeants) for use in terminator armor, and a Corvus Hammer and Plasma Talon for use on their bikes. It is from the Iron Guard and Lion Guard that lieutenants were chosen from. All this changed after the devastation of the Legion. After the much needed primaris reinforcements arrived, it was only a decade before the first primaris legionnaire made it into the severely undermanned Iron Wing. He fought alongside the other legionnaires in gravis armor when they were in terminator armor, and in tacticus armor in a land speeder when part of the fast attack detachment. Soon after, one became two, two became ten, and after decades of attrition, ¾ of a century worth of primaris had been inducted into Iron or Lion Wing. After the reorganization of the Legion, all primaris were consolidated into the Cohort Ferrum, and all space marines into Cohort Leonus. From this point on, the Lion Wing became known as the Old Guard of the Hunt and the Iron Wing as the New Blood of the Hunt. The Lion Wing still fights as it has since its inception, but the Iron Wing deploys almost exclusively in gravis armor, mission dictating aggressor or inceptor pattern. Three squadrons of Nephilim and one of Dark Talons sit in their armory for use when needed. The Iron Guard deploy in gravis armor with specially fitted storm shields, Maces of Absolution (Flails of the Unforgiven for sergeants) and fragstorm grenade launchers or jump pack. As is tradition, all Cohort Ferrum lieutenants are drawn from the Iron Guard. The Iron and the Lion http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/357137-the-iron-and-the-lion-prologue/ In current development. this story is very important to me. its this concept that really set the DIY into motion. Only In Death Does Duty End Under repair rename characters with new established naming conventions check for continuity of lore (its a 3 year old story, much has changed since) http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/353770-legion-of-the-iron-lions/?p=5253154 Siege of Liamane Planned for the future

Hello folks - I just finished my initial base for a Codex Demiurg for 9th. Based on the lore and references from the HH and 40k sources. So to be clear these aren't squats but a xenos race with a similar sci-fi/fantasy trope. Right now its mostly expanded lore, units and weapon profiles with point and power ratings. I think after I get some feedback I'll then think about the next phases for Stratagems, Warlord Traits, Relics and then the later work on Crusade rules (which revolve around the whole mining, technocratic and mercantile ideas planted here). Any thoughts please fire away. Presently no artwork so don't take that against me! LIBER XENOS HORRIFICUS CODEX DEMIURG The Demiurg are an ancient race of miners and techno-artisans who reside on the far Eastern Fringe of the Milky Way Galaxy and the Ultima Segmentum. Once the Brotherhoods of the Demiurg operated an almost galactic wide commerce network with many other xenos civilizations and empires. However, after the genocidal campaigns made by the Imperium of Mankind during the Great Crusade, many of their client species were wiped out of existence. Though they will freely trade with human worlds, the commerce fleets of the Demiurg are still an uncommon sight in the Imperium, despite the number of sightings of them having increased over recent centuries. They are an almost purely space-borne in their massive and majestic commerce vessels. Though prone to avoid unnecessary conflict, the Demiurg are capable of aggressive actions when protecting their fleets, mining operations, and production quotas. This document contains all of the rules and additional datasheets that you will need in order to fight battles as the forces of the Demiurg Botherhoods. This is intended to serve as a fan-made Codex to compliment those rules presented in the 9th Edition Warhammer 40,000 Core Book and supplements. Where and if such overlap occurs those parent rules & datasheets will be found in that parent volume instead of being republished here, except in those circumstances where such reproduction is of benefit to the completeness of the Codex. In such instances the rules common to those described below are referenced in the Warhammer 40,000 Core Book as well as in any of the unique datasheets presented here. THE LIBER XENOS HORRIFICUS: CODEX DEMIURG XENOS HORRIFICUS PROFILE: HISTORY The Demiurg reside on the far Eastern Fringe of the Milky Way Galaxy and within the Ultima Segmentum hinterlands. Once more wide spread throughout the Milky Way, their trading networks with numerous other xenos civilizations and isolated human colony worlds collapsed with the arrival of the expeditionary fleets of the Great Crusade. The Demiurg were still until recently an uncommon sight outside of the Galactic East and the Imperium, though sightings of their Commerce Fleets within Imperium Nihilus have increased since the Waning of the Imperium’s influence and the arrival of the Great Rift. The Demiurg are an almost purely space-borne race, traversing the void in their massive and majestic commerce vessels. Known to readily establish trading agreements and commerce rights with numerous other civilizations, they have most recently made alliances with the T'au. Serving as economic allies of that newfound races’ Empire, they were initially introduced to the T'au via their mutual relations with the Kroot xenos. From the Demiurg Brotherhoods of Srry'Tok the T’au gained the knowledge of Ion Cannon technology, which is now used heavily by the T'au in their armies and fleets. The Brotherhood of Thurm is known to have joined the T'au Empire outright in exchange for numerous Asteroid mining rights and fabrication contracts, whilst being provided T’au military support for the protection of such operations in hostile neighbouring Imperial space. The history of the Demiurg, known in the T’au Lexicon as the "Bentu'sin" or "wise-gifted ones", is long and sometimes cryptic. Hailing from an unknown area, likely within the Eastern Fringe, the Demiurg were a technologically mid-level civilizations beginning to explore the void immediately close to their Homeworld. However, this changed with the arrival of an advanced fleet of elegant starships led by the entity the Demiurg would later refer to as Thawl’l, as well as by the other titles of ‘the Great Maker’, ‘the Teacher’, and ‘the First Artisan’. According to the Demiurg, who by nature of their unique silicon-based physiology have an almost eidetic race memory, Thawl’l came to the worlds surrounding the Demiurg’s cradle for resources to begin the Great Imperative, and nurtured the ancient Demiurg in the means by which to harvest and shape the extensive ‘Nightstone’ deposits of which their worlds were plentiful. The Demiurg, in awe of such great scientific and artistry gladly began to assist Thawl’l and his kind in the Great Imperative, craving up their home world’s resources, and those in the neighbouring system, loading the precious Nightstone cargo into the great vessels and transportation gateways of Thawl’ls fleet. However, only shortly after the initial completion of the Demiurg’s efforts, Thawl’l and the fleets of his kind vanished, leaving the Demiurg alone and without a stable homeworld. Seemingly abandoned by Thawl’l and their servitor races, the people of Demiurg decided to follow their teachers’ example and reach out into the wider galaxy. Shouldering the mantle of Great Imperative that they were handed the Demiurg built enormous interstellar Strongholds, robust void craft from which the newly founded Brotherhoods could survive. From these fleets, comprising all the necessary forges, factories and processing plants, and required, the Demiurg and their Ghola mining machines would seek to harvest the resources of the galaxy, and turn those raw materials into marvels with which to trade with the other races they encountered. Where possible the Brotherhoods would teach the knowledge to other species and civilizations in the ways to harvest their own resources and continue to ways of building and craftmanship. And so Thawl’ls Great Imperative would continue until completed. BIOLOGY The Demiurg are a race of short stocky humanoids, with an unusual biochemistry. Evolving on a long-forgotten world of great mineral wealth, the Demiurg have a silicon-based biology meaning that they are composed of a diversity micro-crystalline blockcells and quasi-neural networks. When replicated under certain electromagnetic conditions these crystals can form complex organo-fabricated structures which perpetuate in a mutualistic manner similar to the various cells and organ types in bio-organic lifeforms. The manner by which such silicon-based species and lifeforms evolve are poorly understood by the carbon-centric lifeforms of the universe. However, other such species have been well documented by Imperial scholars, including the parasitic xenos Nekulli Necro-worms and the titanic Void Kraken monstrosities which plague multiple sectors of space. The Demiurg, for example, are known to be exceptional robust in their biology owing to this geo-organic evolution, and appear to be practically immune to many of the poisons, toxins, radiation types that prove exceptionally deadly to bio-organic matter. In fact, it appears that the exposure to certain types of radiation and electromagnetic forces is a necessary component to the life history and reproduction (or more appropriately replication) of the Demiurg species. The Demiurg are a genderless species, in that they reproduce using geo-organic replication of their tissue-like crystalline blockcells and neural structures. Usually, events which require a Brotherhood to replicate further descendants from their original lineages, meaning that reproduction to the Demiurg is never unplanned but a facet of their unending schedule of ore extraction efficiency and the meeting of production quotas. Such events include the loss of multiple Brotherhood commerce clans, such as via mining accidents or armed conflicts, or when a new mining operation of immense size is required that needs new Demiurg Brotherhood clan groups to oversee and operate. However, such replication used by the Demiurg is not cloning however, as the resulting Demiurg produced by the electromagnetic excitation of its progenitors crystalline ‘cuttings’ is never a complete identical copy. As the Geo-organic structures grow and weave together, a number of influences factors be they radiological, electromagnetic or even gravitic can lead to micro changes in the growth of any single Demiurg’s mass, composition and even its silico-crystal neural complex or ‘brain’ in organic terminology. In particular it is the brains of the Demiurg which are very unique even by Silicon-based life-form standards. As the Demiurg reproduce through self-replication they are able to manipulate the silico-crystal matrices that constitute their species memories. As such the Demiurg as a race have a shared also eidetic memory of their past, or at least the past of the particular Brotherhood lineage they are replicated from. Ever focused on the practical over the emotional, the Demiurg have removed information deemed ‘necessary’ from their race memory where it holds no useful place in serving Thawl’ls Great Imperative. Though the Demiurg can remember the past quota schedules and mining acquisition tithes to almost perfect recall from their ancestors, they have forgotten basic historic facts. Such as the location of their home sector, the fact that they previously had more genders which they evolved away from, and the way of life that the Demiurg pursued before the coming Thawl’l and the Great Maker’s Fleet. The Demiurg appear as short solid humanoids with grey ‘skin’, reflective gold-amber eyes and outcrops of bluish fine hair-like crystals that form around their temples. As a Demiurg ages, these outgrowths of crystalize further forming clumped together nodules which steadily crown the head of the individual in a mass of prismatic callosities. Capable of living, if a rock can live, for periods of time measured on the geological rather than organic temporal scale, those Demiurg Overseers, Grandees and Arch-patricians often appear to be unable to stand or walk correctly due to the weight of these massed crystal callosities which serve as a mark of the individuals great age and wisdom. As their bodies are shaped by the silicon-based processes began on their long lost homeworld, the Demiurg mindset is also greatly affected by the same traits of their geo-organic forms as well. Individual Demiurg think more pragmatically than empathically, and will carry on with their decided and planned course of action in the face of other logic forms presented by other species. Many a world has been mined-hollow by the well-intentioned Demiurg Commerce Fleet even in the face of that planets population’s outcry to stop. The concept that any civilized race or culture not wanting to completely harness a planets mineral wealth to further Thawl’ls Great Imperative is completely alien and somewhat beyond a Demiurg’s comprehension. It is also this reason that the Demiurg are particularly resistant to the influence and corrupting power of the Warp and outward Psychic manipulation. This is not by the fact that they actively resist it but are ill-equipped to even perceive it correctly in their rigid stone-like logic. How Thawl’l was able to convince such an innately stubborn and mentally rigid species as the Demiurg towards the Great Imperative is a complete mystery. However, it may have been exactly this quality that made the Demiurg exceptionally suitable for mining the large Noctilith or ‘Nightstone’ deposits required during the ‘War in the Heavens’, which necessitated the start of the Great Imperative in the first place. SOCIETY Currently, it is unknown how many of the Demiurg’s commerce fleets and attending Brotherhoods are full members of the T'au Empire. Either in the capacity of allies, mercenaries or advisors. What is known is that they are involved heavily in commercial and economic relations of the T'au and in particular those relating to the extraction of resources and mass manufacture of technology. The Demiurg have abandoned almost all need for terrestrial interactions in favour of the use of their immense spacecraft. They are known to avoid Imperial space unless invited in by a sector governing body, or an opportunistic Rogue Trader, making them an uncommon sight beyond the edges of the Imperium. Often described as defensively-hostile and non-militaristic, the Demiurg view armed conflict as a necessary facet of the Great Imperatives undertaking. Though the Demiurg will undertake all efforts to establish contact and mutual understanding with other cultures and species, it is the case that there will always be certain factions which misunderstand the ways of the Great Imperative. When conflict does erupt, and a fleets Brotherhoods see the abandonment of their intended mining-resource deemed unacceptable they will turn their immense arsenal of mining machines and automated Ghola constructs upon their enemies with brutal if not workman efficiency. The Demiurg have organized their society based on the structure of related lineages, known by the term "Brotherhoods", which share a heritage with the first Demiurg explorers who set out from their home system countless millennia ago. Each of the surviving Brotherhood lineages represents the skills and specializations, that have been retained via the unique eidetic race memory of the Demiurg, from one of the first explorers. Therefore, these Brotherhoods themselves will be specialists in a given area of the Demiurg’s array of scientific and operational knowledge. For example, the Brotherhood of Srry’Tok trace their lineage back to ‘Srry’Tok the Spirited Armourer’ who was expert in the crafting of Ion technologies, whilst the Brotherhood of Vozlok trace their lineage back to ‘Vozlok the Wise Operator’ who was expert in the crafting and use of Ghola Automatons. There are many such Brotherhood which have survived to the present era due to the fact that the Brotherhoods spread their members out across the Demiurg Commerce Fleets, their members taking up the mantle required for the smooth running of the mining and manufacturing operations required for the Great Imperative. Though there are a variety of Demiurg vessel types, commonly the Bastion-Class and larger Stronghold-Class vessels are the most regularly used, each holding a number of Brotherhood Clan Groups required to undertake that vessels primary tasks. Usually only one Brotherhood is typically present upon a given Bastion-class Commerce Vessel as these usually only undertake one specialist activity if required, whilst two to three specialist Brotherhood Clan Groups are present on the larger Stronghold-class Commerce Vessel. It is usual that these larger Stronghold vessels undertake multiple types of operation, from deep-space asteroid mining to the whole scale manufacturing of new machines, weapons and merchandise for their willing trade partners. When new Commerce Vessel or Fleet production is agreed amongst the Demiurg Brotherhoods for undertaking new opportunities in opening sectors, whole new Clan Groups are produced via their replication technologies from the necessary Brotherhood lineages to maintain, operate and oversee those new vessels. The Head of a Brotherhood, known as the Arch-Patrician, is the oldest surviving member of his Brotherhoods lineage. These greatly encrusted ancient individuals are often unable to move of their own ability, the marked callosities of their age making them like statues of glowing crystalline growth. However, their minds have the oldest intact silicon-matrices and so have the most complete memory architectures dating back to the beginning of the Thawl’ls Great Imperative. They may have also seen first-hand the likely galactic events of Mankind’s first ascent to the stars and its war with their own failed attempts to create artificial servants, as well as the Fall of the Eldar race. Under the Arch-Patrician there are numerous Grandees who are the eldest member of their past Clan, they and their Brother Grandees now the heads of dispersed Brotherhood Clan Groups and their operations. The Grandees too of great age, are often unable to walk of their own ability, so often use hovering Thrones kept aloft by electromagnetic manipulator fields as they inspect the work of their descendants in the Clan Group. The Clan Group is further divided into smaller tasked work groups, kept in check by the directly replicated brothers of the Clans Grandee, known as overseers, as they undertake the various roles of miner, manufacturer, artisan, planner, administrator, prospector, operator and astrotechnician. Though the Demiurg are very capable of defending their interests, be they a deep-space mining operation or a planet-based extraction colony, through the weaponizing of their standard (and exceptional potent) mining machines and cutting beams, they will often seek the martial services of other races and mercenaries to protect their endeavours. This is due to the fact that sometimes when dealing with hostile biological organisms, one needs an allied biological organism to be effective in their dealings. Whereas the Demiurg mind is rigid in the pursuit of furthering the Great Imperative, the Brotherhoods often perceive organic carbon-based lifeforms as often more erratic in its emotions and actions, so gaining advice and council from trusted intermediaries can be of great benefit in avoiding unnecessary conflict and reducing impact on important production quotas. It is not uncommon to see all manner of other xenos species, as well as occasional Imperial renegade bands and non-Imperial humans, within their fleets as advisers, guards and mercenary soldiers. For example, the Kroot seem to have acted as a long-term associate race to the Demiurg and facilitated their meeting and trade negotiations with the growing T’au Empire. Other less commonly recognizable xenos races to even the most experienced Rogue Trader and Ordo Xenos Inquisitor including the mercenary packs of the Tarellian Dog-Soldiers, Piscean Warrior Cohorts, Morrallian Deathsworn, Nekulli Corpse-Harvester Clans, and Scythian Kill-Squads. Most blessed to the Demiurg are those Brotherhoods who boast to have drawn the attention of Thawl’ls own children, the ingenious techno-nomads of the Jokaero of whom the Demiurg hold great honour and praise, which is even more surprising to other non-Demiurg onlookers who have likely never seen a Demiurg quite as animated before then. TECHNOLOGY When the Demiurg abandoned their homeworld, after stripping it bare of all resources to build their initial exploration fleet, they created and invested a high level of technology in their majestic vessels since they are required to perform a number of tasks; Stronghold-class vessels, for instance are often used as the base of a particular endeavour, containing vast factories facilities and processing units, whereas Bastion-class starships are more often configured for use in prospecting for resources, direct asteroid mining, and searching for prospective trading partners. The direction of these fleets’ actions is most likely driven by the opportunities for commerce generated by manufacturing items on-location in the starships is very lucrative when dealing with multiple client species and for resupplying their mining operations with fresh supplies of mining machines and equipment. Of the technology developed, adopted and utilized by the Brotherhoods, three key areas are most unique to the Demiurg race. These include the use of devices which can control and manipulate electromagnetic forces; the manufacture of ranged mining beams and rays which can be turned into effective weapons when the needs arise; and finally, the semi-sentient automatons and mining machines known as ‘Ghola’ which they employ in truly vast numbers across all sectors of the Demiurg’s operations and way of life. When first setting out from their home sector of space, most likely in the Galactic East of the Milky Way Galaxy, the original Demiurg Brotherhood explorers were both thrilled and overwhelmed at the diversity and extent of the resources the wider Galaxy had to offer them in the pursuit of meeting Thawl’ls Great Imperative. Knowing full well that they, a long-lived and slowly replicating species, would likely be unable to undertake the task purely of their own manual power despite the technological advances they had made since the visitation by the First Artisan and the Old Kind. Again, taking guidance from Thawl’l example the Demiurg would create their own servitor race of semi-sentient machines, much like the biological servitor races employed by Thawl’ls own empire. However, the production of such bio-organic lifeforms was beyond the understanding, and even comprehension, of the early Brotherhoods, so instead used their own unique crysto-cerebral neurology to create synthetic minds similar to their own. Thus, the Ghola were first created and have faithfully served the Demiurg since those earliest of times. Though sharing a common synthetic neural-architecture to the Demiurg themselves, comprising great lattices or complex crystalline matrices, the outward appearance of these robots vary to a staggering degree. This is due to a combination of the Brotherhoods personal preferences, the precise operational environment to which the machines are designed to operate within most optimally, and the material resources most available to the Brotherhoods in charge of that Ghola Clades manufacture. From giant hulking multi-limbed monstrosities to small hovering drones, clinker-shelled, comprised of reflective precious metals. Those Ghola most associated to Asteroid Mining and low gravity environments have the appearance of large bulbous arachnids, equipped with multiple stiletto legs, powerful pulverizing jaws and cutting beams of high intensity. However, other designs and models can appear vastly different, from hunched stomping mockeries of early Terran primates glad in golden carapace, to tentacled squig-like cylinders moving on cushions of electromagnetic force composed of clear diamond hard synth-crystal. Usually, these Ghola are not directly controlled by the Demiurg themselves, and operate in a practically automatous manner. This is likely due to the relatively few Demiurg in a given Clan Group’s population in comparison to the huge Ghola workforce they oversee and direct. Furthermore, through great techno-artistry, the Demiurg will often install a workforce of Ghola into an Asteroid or rogue Planetoid to work completely in isolation away from the Commerce Vessel. Ingenious use of Electromagnetic ‘Shunt’ Networks and Conveyor Stations, operated by similar Command-Ghola constructs, propelling these resource-rich interplanetary bodies from prospecting fields to their intended destinations. Sometimes these operations take hundreds of years, a blink in the eye to many Demiurg, but by the time the asteroid arrives in-system the automated mining machines have excavated and processed the arranged shipment of mineral-resources. Though armed specifically to undertake their intended tasks if attacked, and the intended shipment was in danger, these Ghola will activate automatous logic engines and respond in kind. These machines use a territorial logic when left to operate in such extended periods of operation, possessing a territorial logic to protect their masters prospecting rights and acquired resources. The Demiurg are true masters of the development of various forms of energetic manipulation and control. In particular related to the use of high-intensity laser, radiation and microwave-fusion technologies used to excavate their sort after resources to fuel the Great Imperative. However, it is their masterful use of devices for the manipulation of Electromagnetic forces, one of the principle governing forces of the universe, in which they have truly excelled compared to other races and civilizations. From handled manipulators to their largely automated Demiurg vessels, these devices can be used to delicately move matter and energy in precise surgical ways, or brutally force such matter to travel at great speeds. The large commerce vessels of the Demiurg often use such giant Electromagnetic Field Manipulators or ‘E-Mag’ drives to scoop up interstellar hydrogen, which is then compressed inside the vessel and ejected towards the rear, creating a form of fusion ram-jet engine. The engines of Demiurg starships are relatively slow in comparison to Imperial starship technology, however a combination of the robust geo-organic bodies of the Demiurg and the complex shielding systems required to maintain these insitu E-Mag field generators allow the vessels to travel at truly fast levels of acceleration when engaged, compared to Imperial sub-warp engines, that would normally pulverize purely bio-organic lifeforms. Therefore, Commerce Fleets are relatively slow compared to the vessels of other races, lacking any technologies or psykers to utilize any form of effective warp-travel. However, the Demiurg concept of time is greatly different to that of short-lived species, such as humans, and as such this slower yet more purposely accurate form of propulsion more than adequate to the Demiurg’s requirements. Another key piece of technologies developed by the Brotherhoods of the Demiurg is the creation of Ionic Shielding and weaponry. Though to be one of the Demiurg’s earliest technological achievements, these devices are wholly used for the personal defence and armament of the Demiurg’s fighting forces when required. Such technologies, though effective over larger ranges than most of the Brotherhoods arsenal of mining technologies, can still be unstable if used ineffectively, especially by soft-bodied organic lifeforms. As such these are commonly employed by expendable Ghola soldiers manufactured in bulk as required but also traded to other races and civilizations in exchange of aid and potential mining and manufacturing rights. As already shown in recent times, the Demiurg are only too willing to share their Ionic-based technologies to other developing races, such as the T’au, in order to garner allies in their pursuit of Thawl’ls great imperative.

I don't have a progress log so thought I'd start 1 I was going to do some pledge stuff but got sidetracked anyways this is the start of my current project which is a Veterans / Command unit magnetized pimped and eventually painted, the last of the plastics arrived the other day and the Company master is the 1st I've a Chaplain on a bike so the Chaplain 1/2 of the double Lion will have to wait (small matter of transports as well) The question is how pimp do you want the guy to be I don't like the sticky up wings but you have to make him stand out, so far he's mean and moody but could do with extra bling. Grav pistol and Mace of Redemption at the moment, could go for the combi-grav and Relic blade but given every arm in all these units is likely to be magnet job then choices choices

​A start of my40k Custodes. So hyped about the models.

Hi there! It has been a long time since I registered here but now I think it is time to start posting at last. I'm starting a tournament DW army and a small blog here. First of all, a roster: I am trying to make a "pure"(well, almost) DW army with a minimum of allies and first WiP's of bolter and chainsword armed Veterans(more will follow soon):

Hi all So I started a WIP thread on my Mordians in the Forge section because it was being swamped by those over zealous pompous astartes. http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/317558-mordian-painting-project/ Someone suggested I post here too. To avoid double posting I thought I would focus more on the tourament I will be entering with it with just the occasion shout out when I've updated the original thread. Quick background started with Mordians back in 3rd before taking a long (15yr) break. Had about 30 odd mordians and some praetorians. Since then I have picked up another 30-40 odd. I've stripped off my 3rd ed paints and the paint from the models I bought and will be updating their scheme to fit with 7th ed. The tournament is only 750pt single allied detachment FOC (no formations). So I am using it as an excuse to get all my mordians done even though I wont use them all. The tournament will be 3 games and scoring consists of primary marker objectives, secondary [bRB] malestrom and tertiary points based on kill point differential as well as the usual 3 suspects from the main rule book. The list I have in mind is Lord Commissar w/ m. bombs Primaris Psyker ML2 1 PCS w/ heavy flamer 3x Infantry squad w/ lascannons and GL (1x sgt w/ m. bombs, 2x dedicated taruox) Vendetta Wyvren That puts me at 750pts on the nose. The tournament is meant to be somewhat friendly. The TO has already stated they will turn down any cheesy/OP lists (scatterbike spam, 2++/2++, 2+ FNP deathstars etc). My goal with the list was to try and exploit IGs ability to spam somewhat useful troops at low points, whilst still having some mobility. I'm hoping for a 4+ on the IG/AM WL trait list to either gain orders or relentless. Also of note as allied detachment was designed not to be a primary detachment you do not receive the ideal mission commander rule. I'm also hoping will ML2 I have a better chance of picking up that 4++ on the divination table. 30 relentless guardsmen w/ lascannons and 4++ sounds like fun :-) Ill most likely be blobbing the guard unless I can see a reason not to do that for any particular game. The taurox with their built in dozer blades and obsec will be running around grabbing objectives until they meet their demise (quite promptly I imagine). The pcs will chill in the vendetta to grab end of game objectives and the vendetta line breaker. I'm sure the wyvren needs no explanation ;-) The tournament is end of January so I have a couple more weeks to get my models painted. Hopefully I'll be able to get a couple of practice games in too before then.

Today I began working on the first marines for my black templars who will be working with my Space Wolves great Company I purchased enough stuff to make my inital skyhammer formation and im waiting on a few things to come through so I can move forward with a combined arms detachment as well as the skyhammer. In the meantime heres what the first three hours produced.

So after a break I have decided to start a Black Templar army. I painted up a 500 point force for a small Fate of Konor tournament and fell in love with how the models looked on the battlefield. The time spent researching the fluff a couple weeks before the tourney was the most fun and obsessive thing I have had with 40k in several years. So, every good story needs a starting point, here is my crusades story. (bit rough, still fleshing out the details) The Ventros Crusade, led by Marshall Alderic Jamil Ventros is a rogue inquisitor responsible for the Cartalu VII massacre. A backwater world, Cartalu VII's population was massacred over the course of two weeks in an attempt by Ventros to gain favor with the Chaos gods. It was by happenstance that Marshall Alderic's ship received a faint distress signal and investigated. After receiving no word from planetary defense forces a small force of 50 crusaders was deployed to the planet surface. The force was decimated, tortured, and sacrificed to the Chaos gods. One initiate was able to escape and send word back to Alderic, before succumbing to his wounds. Alderic immediately moved to engage Ventros' ship. After a brief firefight Ventros was able to escape into the warp without Alderic's forces able to pursue. Alderic then declared that the Ventros Crusade would bring vengence to this rogue inquisitor. Due to Ventros' willingness to sell many Imperial secrets and his psychic ability for prescience he has evaded the Crusade for several years and never seems to find a lack of soldier be it foul xenos or heretics. Marshall Alderic is closing in though, and vows that he will slay this enemy of the Emperor and show that heresy will never escape justice.