Mantis Warriors

[NemFX]

I liked the boxy robot face more..

 

You have like.. 4 marine armies now? And stuff left over? You have too much money :P

[Doghouse]

I wish!!! :P

 

All my stuff is either scratch built or recycled old models nowadays, I don't really have the cash for the hobby anymore. :)

[Doghouse]

Update time!!!

 

Here's the first combat squad at about ninety percent finished. I've got two finshed and the other three are nearly there.

 

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b141/Doghouse12/Picture149.jpg

 

Macragge Marines

 

The objective here was to see if a standard Macragge marine would fit in with the conversions that I've done and I'm quietly confident that I've pulled it off. I still have some detailing, washes, weathering, drybrushing on the base and fine highlighting/shading on the lenses but they are nearly done.

Plus there's the news that the new marines are based on the BfM models meaning that I'm a very happy man right now. <_<

 

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b141/Doghouse12/Picture150.jpg

[Pyriel]

<_<

Talk about coincidence, here I am looking for mantis warrior pictures and you deliver tons of them.

I´m currently having a big sculpting project creating stuff like rhino doors, shoulderpads etc etc for all the smaller/obscure chapters out there that are in the books but unfortunately rarely seen on the tabletop.

 

Started with deathwatch: http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/index.p...howtopic=137533

[Doghouse]

Well it's only tabletop standard but I've finished Captain Horton of the fourth company. I've gone for a gold torso in the end to make him stand out a little more from his battle brothers.

 

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b141/Doghouse12/Picture153.jpg

 

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b141/Doghouse12/Picture154.jpg

 

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b141/Doghouse12/Picture155.jpg

 

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b141/Doghouse12/Picture156.jpg

[Pulse]

Looking very nice mate, i know im a bit late in asking but how do you make the skin look so realistic?

 

Also, loving the freehand on the right shoulder and the skulls, looks more unique. Gold torso is a nice touch as well. :lol:

[Terminatorinhell]

I'm loving the BfM marines (good idea I'll do it to mine :D) and the cathedral land raider is also nice. I especially love the crisp green colour and the pre heresy raider and predator! keep it coming!

[snorkle]

Great Marines!!

The captain looks awesome but his eyes aren't looking in the right direction. It's a small thing but it makes him look a little off.

Great painting otherwise!!

[chenley]

Well it's only tabletop standard but I've finished Captain Horton of the fourth company. I've gone for a gold torso in the end to make him stand out a little more from his battle brothers.

 

 

I really hope his first name isn't "Tim." Most Canadians and probably the odd American will get this but probably not anyone else, unless they have been to Canada, or are a hockey fan.

 

 

Great work btw Doghouse

[Doghouse]

Cheers guys! ;)

 

Just to set the scene for the army here is the first part of the background material. The army is set at the begining of the Badab Uprising.

 

Fall from Grace

 

The assault ramp of the Thunder hawk hissed as it lowered slowly to the floor of the flight deck of the Emperor's Blade.

Smoke billowed from the inside of the gun ship’s troop bay as the gargoyle incense burners decontaminated the cargo within.

The weapons of the enemy were great in number but none were as insidious as the threat of orkoid spores or tyranids microbes. To the superhuman bodies of the Astartes they would be little more than an irritant but to the human serfs and sensitive equipment they posed a dire threat that could spread with disastrous consequences throughout the Strike Cruisers air ducts.

 

Veteran Sergeant Tarven stamped down the ramp, the heavy footfalls of his plate armoured boots sounding out his frustration.

 

"Whose damn fool idea was it to withdraw mid-campaign" Tarven gruffly grumbled out loud to no-one in particular. The veteran was not one to keep his thoughts to himself.

 

"That damn fool would be I brother-sergeant." Captain Mathus Horton smiled humourlessly, his smartly pressed dress tunic cleanly shaven scalp a stark contrast to the sergeant's battle scared plate armour and unkempt appearance.

 

"Throne Mathus," The sergeant spoke with a familiarity of brotherly bond forged in the fire of countless battle that exceeded the formalities of rank "the green skins had turned on their heels, without a continued pursuit they will return and in greater number!" He growled but his protests fell on deaf ears as he stormed off.

 

"We have more pressing concerns," Horton began to keep pace with Tarven as he made for an open water container and poured the contents over his head. The soot and dust of battle mingled with bloodstains as it streaked over his face as he ran his hand through the crop of hair that had grown since the campaign had begun.

 

"Lord Huron is here meeting with the Chapter Master" Horton continued, the concern although present in his voice clearly went over the head of the furious sergeant. "There is talk of a rebellion!"

 

"Three more days!" Tarven continued "Three more days and the threat would have been extinguished from Tranquillity for good!"

 

"EMPEROR'S TEETH SAUL!" The usually calm visage of the Captain gave way to impatient rage and his blasphemous outburst that caused all on the flight deck to stop mid-track "Lord Huron brings news of the Adeptus Mechanicus imposing sanctions that threaten the sovereignty of the Astartes themselves!"

 

Tarven was dumbstruck by the Captain's outburst.

 

"We are going to war brother" Horton said solemnly "the Astral Claws have already been fired upon by vessels of the Fire Hawks, you will get your chance to return to Tranquillity but this time the fight will be with our brother Astartes!"

 

Tarven stared at his brother in disbelief.

 

"Prepare your men brother; you leave for Tranquillity within the hour!"

[Pulse]

Nice little story there matey. :lol:

[NemFX]

So I'm guessing that the Mantis Warriors are like the Lamenters in that they accidentally picked the wrong side on that one?

[rednekkboss]

Ahh, fluff based on the "old Testament"..Rogue Trader is worth its weight in gold. Makes me teary eyed and sniffly (I miss my vortex and plasma grenades) ;)

 

As always Doghouse, you have some great looking stuff. Love the old school scouts. Its always nice to see an army with a background theme.

[Doghouse]

Thanks guys!

 

Pulse: I've got a few more little stories planned to describe the major characters of the army. It helps me build the theme and hopefully makes the log a little more interesting.

 

NemFX: Yeah, they chose rather poorly. It was never explained why they joined the war on the side of the rebels but as they were granted the Emperor's forgiveness and had to undergo a hundred year penitent crusade it's appears that they were free from the taint of chaos.

My personal theory is that it had to do with the Adeptus Mechanicus and Huron's refusal to submit geneseed to them. It's possible that as some of the chapters involved in the uprising were from the twenty first founding that it could have been to do with flawed geneseed.

My take in the story I'm building around the Mantis Warriors is that Huron managed to persuade them that the Adeptus Mechanicus had threatened the independence of the Astartes. Given the autonomy that chapters have such a percieved threat might be enough for them to make a stand alongside the rebels especially if they had strong ties with the Astral Claws.

The Mantis Warriors were engaged by the Fire Hawks as they attacked imperial shipping lanes. It's possible that a campaign also took place between them on the world of Tranquillity.

 

rednekkboss: Thanks mate, I'm an old school fan of RT myself and definately agree. I want my conversion beamers back...

[NemFX]

Well I'm making a small Lamenters army, if your interested, maybe we could do some kinda collab? Though mine are more in the humourous style of your CSK(od) they do start off seriously, and then it's a fairly steep decline into absurdity..

[LoneWolven]

What did you use to create the weathered look on your marines? I assume some sort of wash but was just wondering what your formula was.

[Doghouse]

The weathering was pretty simple, I just used watered down Scorched Brown and applied it to the joints to make a stain, then went over it again when it was dry. :)

 

Update: Armour Variant

 

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b141/Doghouse12/Picture157.jpg

 

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b141/Doghouse12/Picture158.jpg

 

I've got nowhere near as much done today as I'd hoped but here's a quick update to keep the thread alive.

I've removed the knee pads and replaced them with older Mk II style version and I've also modified the torso to resemble the Mk III.

It's a simple enough conversion but should add some variation to the Astartes and make them look more gothic.

[Doghouse]

I've highlighted and shaded him now and have begun the weathering before moving onto the detailing, eyes and metallics.

The second model is done in the same style but I've just drybrushed him before completing the basecoat.

 

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b141/Doghouse12/Picture162.jpg

 

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b141/Doghouse12/Picture161.jpg

[Doghouse]

The Tranquillity Campaign

 

Heavy bolter fire raked the street as the enemy Landspeeder made a long low pass over Tarven's Sternguard Squad blowing sizable chunks from the road surface and showering his men in dirt and debris.

Unlike many of his fellow Mantis Warriors Brother Sergeant Tarven had no problem with the thought of fighting fellow Astartes.

This was not to say that he was a callous or evil hearted man by any means but was more attributed to the strength of his character and conviction. He saw the Fire Hawks as an enemy that threatened the survival of his Chapter that would take the lives of his battle brothers without a second thought.

Many of the others had questioned the validity and legality of their actions, whether or not they had entered into a conflict that could very well threaten the stability of the Imperium itself.

The Lamenters had now joined on the side of the Astral Claws in other theatres of war and word was spreading that the Executioners would soon be joining them.

Tarven had paid little attention to the rumours instead focusing on the job at hand. After the Fire Hawks had established a beach head it had not taken long for the fighting to spread from the dense jungles of the southern continent to the cities that were sporadically dotted across the planet surface.

The Mantis Warriors had the advantage of not only knowing the lay of the land but had used the greenskins to their advantage by leading their enemies into the midst of the fragment Ork forces.

On more than one occation the Fire Hawks had given chase after isolated Mantis Warrior squads only to be lead into the path of a marauding greenskin warband. Sniper teams picked off officers and Nobz during the following chaos that took place as the two forces clashed weakening their command structures.

It was not an honourable strategy by any stretch of the imagination but it was effective.

 

Tarven watched the Landspeeder pass over his head and climb into the sky in a high arc of ascent. He lost sight of it as it passed in front of the twin suns of Traquillity but he knew only too well that it was positioning itself for another attack run.

The remaining seven men of his squad had taken up positions on either side of the street making difficult targets as they sheltered in the ruined hab-blocks. Tarven stood defiantly in the middle of the road.

 

The sunlight glinted off the yellow hull of the landspeeder as it turned steeply diving into a steady decline. Tarven knelt as he placed his boltgun slowly on the floor beside him, never taking his eyes off the approaching skimmer.

The crack of heavy bolter fire could be heard in the distance as the shells began to whine past him smashing into fallen masonary and blowing apart several small walls and weakening the foundations of the ruins either side of the long since abandoned street.

His squad began to sporadically return fire, their bolter shells distracting the speeder's gunner enough to ensure that his shots went wild. Tarven remained motionless as he knelt in the debris, patiently awaiting the moment as he listened to sound of the shells leaving the heavy bolter's barrel. Whilst to lesser troops the pop and crack of heavy bolter shells was something to be rightly feared, the mass reactive shells capable of tearing his mighty superhuman frame apart should a round hit him squarely. The sounds of the speeder spoke to him like no other might understand. The whine of the engine, the time difference between the shot leaving the barrel and the time it took to pass him by, the click of afterburners all called out to him telling exactly how far the speeder was away from his position.

Without warning he reached into the rubble and grabbed the melta-bomb he'd placed there earlier. With startling speed he rose to his feet and began running at full pace towards the approaching skimmer.

The pilot realised too late what the sergeant had intended all along as he tried to climb but it was too late. Tarven sprinted up the side of a fallen wall and vaulted into the air. What seemed like a lifetime passed before his free arm hooked around the speeder's lower sensor array and wrenched him backwards as the speeder lurched drunkenly from the impact. His legs trailing as the pilot increased speed so as not to come crashing down Tarven activated the melta-bomb and slammed it onto the bottom of the vehicle. It's mono-molecular bonding clamp fixed firmly to his target Tarven released his grip slamming into the ground at speed before deftly rolling into a controled fall and slammed into the rubble below.

He quickly scrambled to his feet as he watched the doomed speeder climb sharply before blossoming into a ball of fire as the melt-bomb tore it's frame apart.

He did not stop to congratulate himself as he steadied himself and headed off back to his squad. He felt no remorse for his actions he had simply proven himself the better soldier, there was no seed of hatred taking root in his heart, no internal struggle within his soul. This was his enemy and he would treat them with the respect they deserved and kill them like any other.

This fight might have been won but the war was just begining.

[Pulse]

Now that i loved! I pictured the whole event in my mind, from the expression on Tarvens face as he watched the speeder speed towards him, to his squad firing well aimed shots at the speeder to distract the gunner and then to Tarven running up the wall. I heard the noise of the engines and the noise of the melta bomb being attached to the speeder with a crump.

 

Most of all i loved the fact Tarven wasn't full of hate for his fellow Astartes but treated them just as an enemy.

 

Great work. :)

[NemFX]

I'm tempted to make a very lost looking Mantis Warrior for my Lamenters force :)

[Doghouse]

Pulse: Thanks mate! ;) There should be more to follow as the units are finished.

 

Nemfx: Sounds good mate! :)

 

Quick update.

 

Still pluggin away at these guys and they're gettting there. Shouldn't be long before the first tactical squad is finished and I can start on the second.

 

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b141/Doghouse12/Picture163.jpg

 

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b141/Doghouse12/Picture164.jpg

 

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b141/Doghouse12/Picture165.jpg

[Pulse]

Looking good, glad to see your still slowly chipping away at these models and that the cosmic bunch haven't taken up all of your time. ;)

[Montuhotep]

I too loved that piece of fluff, I can just picture that sergeant standing alone.

'Come on, come on, you know you want to....'

 

Almost as good as these mini's but not quite! :)

[Marshall Costello]

I can't say enough good things about this project!

 

I'm in awe.

 

Might I ask you, something I don't think I recall seeing anyone else ask so far, how did you do the treads on the predator? I think it's exactly the effect I'm looking for, but have no clear idea how to acheive it.

 

Thanks in advance, and keep up the good work.