Mont'sha's Raven Guard 'Showcase' army WIP

[Mont'sha]

Greetings B&C! I'm typically an ATT resident but as I am currently also working on two power armor armies as well I thought I'd join you guys as well. I'm hoping that by keeping the various blogs of my progress of my three WIP armies I can maintain the motivation to get them all finished.

 

***As posted on ATT***

 

Tau are my 'main' army there is no doubt about it. They are the army that got me into 40K and I am unswervingly loyal to the Greater Good. However, sometimes GW produce a model that both catches my eye and give it rules and/or a theme that sound like a fun diversion to normal Tau Tactics. This in turn inspires highly themed ideas of tactics and army list compositions. Add some unhealthy delusions of grandeur (care of positive feedback on my recent Tau modeling projects) and I get the plan of making one, single list to collect, build and paint (hopefully well) as a “Showcase” Army. Competitiveness while a concern is tertiary to both the theme I am aiming for and the models I can afford or already acquired etc.

 

Enter Shadow Captain Kyvaan Shrike, Captain of the Raven Guard 3rd Company. First appearing in the previous Codex: Space Marines, which is when I purchased his model, he returned again in the latest version with some tuning to his rules along with the rest of the space marines.

 

Shrike and the the Raven Guard have been covered fairly extensively in the last two Space Marine codecies. They are strict adherents to the Codex Astartes but their Chapter's history has led them down a different tactical path allowing them to become experts in covert operations, particularly hit and run style raids. Shrike epitomises the Raven Guard's way of doing war. He and the squad he attaches to gain Infiltrate and his Chapter Tactic is Fleet.

 

I have named this army a “Raven Guard Shadowstrike Detachment.” Quite obviously it will be led by Shrike (what would be the point otherwise?) and his “Shrike Wing” veterans and consist entirely of infiltrating, outflanking and deep striking units.

 

Raven Guard Shadowstrike Detachment

“We are coming. Look to the skies for your salvation.” - Kyvaan Shrike

 

1500

 

Kyvaan Shrike – Gives Fleet as chapter tactic. Gives Infiltrate to what ever squad he joins (Which 9 times out of 10 will be the 'Shrike Wing'). Has a nifty pair of master crafted lightning claws with special rules.

 

'Shrike Wing' – Vanguard Assault squad (5) all equipped with lightning claws and jump packs. These guys are expensive when you give them all lightning claws but they are taking the place of the old Shrike's Wing squad in the previous codex and as far as I am concerned have to be in the army. They will be made from a stock standard assault marines and the lightning claws from an assault termie box.

 

10th Company Scouts – A 'sniper' unit of 5 with rifles, heavy bolter and the character sergeant (suitably renamed) and camo cloaks.

 

10th Company Scouts – A 'combat' unit of 10 with mostly combat blades,some shotguns, camo cloaks and beacon. Outflanking, fleet footed scouts that can move through cover, call in Termies and have stealth! What isn't there to like?

 

10th Company Scout Bikers – Biker unit of 5. Sergeant has melta bombs and locator beacon and two scouts have grenade launchers.

 

3rd Company Dreadnought – Multi-melta, Heavy Flamer dread in a drop pod. It is the Black Reach dread which I will convert with a spare sentinel flamer.

 

3rd Company Landspeeder Squadron – Both Tornadoes with Multi-melta/Heavy Flamer configuration. (I have these two from my Broadside/Sentinel conversions)

 

1st Company Terminator Squad – With either Assault Cannon or Cyclone Missile Launcher. Black Reach Termies plus the one that came with the WD a few months back. Converting one to have an assault cannon from my landspeeders and the WD one to have a custom made cyclone setup.

 

1750

 

3rd Company Tactical Squad – 10 with Missile Launcher and Flamer (Black Reach Tac squad) in a fully upgraded drop pod.

 

2000

 

1st Company Sternguard Veterans – 5 with Storm Bolters and Plasma Canon in a fully upgraded drop pod. (I have a box of Grey Knights I will remove the force weapons from to use as my Sternguards – this was a 'what I've got addition' more than anything else)

 

Modeling progress in my next post...

[Mont'sha]

First cab off the rank for my Raven Guard force is my Terminator Squad. Most of the guys are stock standard Black Reach Termies, I have done nothing more than be a bit particular about mold lines etc and just stuck them together as they come. The WD termie conversion is yet to be started as I haven't quite figured out how to do my Cyclone conversion yet, I am mostly down to Tau bits when it comes to missiles and I am trying to figure out how to disguise the fact.

 

The one with Assault Cannon is under way...

 

Storm Bolter removed, Assault canon pinned on underside of gun arm, Imperial Eagle to start the arm coupling glued on.

 

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h70/GothGecko/AssCanTermieWIP1.jpg

 

Green Stuff added for the arm coupling. Green stuff is not finished yet, need to add more tomorrow night and then clean up and square off the edges.

 

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h70/GothGecko/AssCanTermieWIP2.jpg

 

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h70/GothGecko/AssCanTermieWIP3.jpg

 

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h70/GothGecko/AssCanTermieWIP4a.jpg

 

The back end of the AssCan is currently just cleaned up slightly from where I cut it. I am uncertain of how to shape/finish it off and the pictures I have seen of AssCan Termies don't normally show the back clearly if at all. If anyone has an AssCan wielding Termie they could take a picture showing the rear end of the cannon would be much appreciated?

 

Also, I love saying AssCan.... -_-

[Focslain]

The back is normally the ammo crate. If you have a small ammo bit from the DA sprue or just use a box (actually with extra Tau piece you might beable to use the canister from the BS flamer)

[Mont'sha]

Thanks for the idea Focslain. I kind of used it though perhaps not how you had envisioned with the suggestion.

 

I have made a bit more progress on getting models assembled.

 

The AssCan Termie is pretty much finished modeling.

 

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h70/GothGecko/AssCanTermieWIPA.png

 

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h70/GothGecko/AssCanTermieWIPB.png

 

I used the back of an XV8 burst cannon to finish off the rear of the AssCan and an XV8 flamer canister as an ammo box. I am fairly happy with the results I achieved with an AOBR termie and spare Landspeeder AssCan.

 

The Cyclone equipped termie is proving far more of a challenge as it is hard to disguise the Tau'ishness of my spare Tau missile pods.

 

Also worked on recently is my AOBR Dreadnought.

 

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h70/GothGecko/DreadnoughtWIPA.png

 

I added searchlights taken from my scout bikers' spare weapon cowlings and the heavy flamer was taken from my sentinel as planned.

 

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h70/GothGecko/Lights.png

 

I have not yet managed a fuel hose connection I am happy with though so that part remains unfinished.

 

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h70/GothGecko/Flamer.png

 

Aside from that it is basically finished the modeling stage.

 

I assembled one of the Landspeeders. Nothing particularly special about it, it comes with all the parts I needed/wanted. The only thing missing is Raven Guard icons but I'm more inclined to just paint those on then try to model something.

 

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h70/GothGecko/Landspeeder.png

 

Lastly (that I have pictures for a present) are two scout bikers assembled. I just can't seem to get these guys sitting in their saddles properly so their feet actually reach the foot rests... is there some special trick I am missing???

 

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h70/GothGecko/ScoutBikers.png

 

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h70/GothGecko/ScoutBikerWIP2.png

 

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h70/GothGecko/BikerWIP1.png

 

Aside from that I am taking care to correctly model all weapons they are equipped with... scout bikers have a prodigious amount of gear they carry... Bolt pistol, shotgun AND combat blade, normal scouts have to choose one to carry, these guys get it all. Hence I am paying particular attention to small details like if they are holding their shotgun, the holster will be empty while their blade is sheathed and their pistol is holstered and vice-versa etc, etc

 

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h70/GothGecko/PistolHolster.png

 

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h70/GothGecko/ShotgunHolster.png

 

That is all I have pictures of for now. I am currently working on the sniper scout squad and the special upgrade sergeant but am still in the, "Hmmm, I wonder what would look interesting?" stage hence no pics just yet.

[Brother Icipher]

The back is normally the ammo crate.

 

Its not a 'crate'. Its called an ammo hopper.

[Xavier Targhost]

Hey nice done mate ^_^ like the idea of gear in use on your scouts :) i use the same idea though i add boltgun clipps to the holsters so they seem more boltpistol.. ;) hehe have it on all my holsters... btw where did you get the underslung flamer for your landspeeder ?

[Kayesh]

i had the same prob with my scout bikers - guess the bikes arent made for short arse scouts !

[Mont'sha]

btw where did you get the underslung flamer for your landspeeder ?

 

The new landspeeder kits come with top mounted Heavy Bolter and Multi-Melta options and underslung Heavy Flamer and AssCan. Oh, and do you have any pictures of your holsters so I can see what you mean? The grip in my holster is actually of a las pistol from in IG vehicle sprue :D

 

Thanks for all the comments and support so far. Question to you guys though, aside from the chapter symbol/colours when painting is there anything else inherently Raven Guard that I should consider adding during the modeling phase to make them instantly identifiable as Raven Guard?

[Xavier Targhost]

Hi :) ahh cool have to get one or two of them then :S hehe

humm sadly i havent any pics here sofar.. though i should maby start soon as im a fan of converting and have a :cussload of models by now :S hehe

 

on the boltgun clipps i cut the magasin of above the magedjektor or how that spells :/ and then glue it on the holdster and i by that you get a holdsterd boltpistol ;) insted of a autopistol.. hehe :tu: on chars i often cut in a boltgun clipp to insted of the normal boltpistol clipp :) looks more special that way.. hope i can get starting in posting some photos myself soon too... :S hehe

 

love to see more of your work :)

 

humm on the point of Ravenguard identifiabuls id say loots of corvus helmets... more then that i dont know :S

[Kikunosuke]

Nice kitbashed AssCan :tu:.

 

Agreed with Targhost. Raven Guard aren't known for their flashiness due to their combat style...

 

And beakie helmets are reserved more to distinguish their veterans (especially assault squads it would seem).