Grail Company

[Disruptor_fe404]

Grail Company, Part 3

 

Weber pivoted the bulk of his shell and raked a long beam of energy across the charging Tyranid Warriors as he advanced toward them. His firepower was mirrored immediately by Alaric's Zeal, the twin beams cutting down a beast completely. A few of the other control beasts in the brood had already fallen, but the will that controlled them dragged them back to their feat despite their grievous wounds.

 

"Zeal and valour! We end it now, brothers!"

 

Had he not been encased and immortalised in his sacred shell, Weber would have taken a deep breath at those words as he braced himself for what was to come. The dreadnought crushed into the Warrior brood with a thunderous boom, scattering them and sending the beasts reeling. They recovered with inhuman quickness.

 

They were upon him, and Weber's assault drill whirred loudly as it crunched through hardened chitin and shell. His viewport was darkened by alien shadows and ichorous blood, illuminated intermittently by point-blank fire from his lascannons. His storm bolter was beginning to overheat from constant firing into the melee.

 

Unnaturally sharp claws tore gouges into the sacred shell of his body, and Weber's sensors were screaming alerts at him. He could not see, but he did not need to. The massive strength of the dreadnought would crush foul Xenos wherever he struck. Weber smiled in his sarcophagus as his sensors detected the barely audible battle-cry that told him that his brothers were surging forward.

 

***

 

Venerable-Paladin Weber, the Relentless

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v515/Disruptor_fe404/Warhammer%2040K/Grail%20Part%203/01_Weber_front.jpg

 

Weber was once a Champion of Grail Company, and is Paladin Latham's immediate predecessor. When he was mortally wounded by a daemonic Prince of a renegade Chapter, Alaric ordered Weber's body be interred into a sarcophagus, so that he may continue to serve the Emperor and fight alongside his battle-brothers.

 

Weber bears a simple banner into battle, one incorporating his personal heraldry and various passages extracted from the Litanies of Hate.

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v515/Disruptor_fe404/Warhammer%2040K/Grail%20Part%203/02_Weber_right.jpg

 

Such was the reverence for Weber that instead of passing his sword and shield on to his successor, they were instead affixed to Weber's shell, that he may be close to his weapons of war even in death.

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v515/Disruptor_fe404/Warhammer%2040K/Grail%20Part%203/03_Weber_left.jpg

 

In combat, Weber performs fire-support and close combat duties where the fighting is thickest, as befits a warrior as implacable and capable as him. His twin-linked lascannon has accounted for many a vehicle, and the assault drill he wields has shattered many a bunker.

[Skanwy]

I really like the paintjob, clean and neat.

 

I enjoyed reading the short narrative as well, and it really added a lot of character to your mini. By the end i was looking at Weber with renewed respect :)

 

Great job man!

[faol]

Again superb painting and a great little story. I love the free hand and the whites are Clorox bright ;)

[Disruptor_fe404]

Post-amble!

 

Since no one wanted to post in my WiP thread about my Land Raider Crusader (admittedly, that post was sparse and unexciting at best), I decided to throw Weber at the tender mercies of the Internet. Primarily because I'm actually happy with him as he is, and less importantly because he's actually been like this for at least six months now.

 

A bit of history (history, not fluff!) with regards to the model itself; this was the first model I ever painted when I started this hobby in 2002. Actually, it might have been 2003. Regardless, it was the first model I painted, and was, amusingly, bought second-hand from EnigmaShadow, and I'm pretty sure it was the first model he had painted too. I did not strip the model, I just sprayed it black and got to work.

 

This of course means that his paint is super thick in places. So when he confirmed his place in my Templar list, and proved to be brutal on the tabletop, I decided it was time to revisit his model. The reason he has so much stuff on him is to cover up all that. His original twin-linked lascannon and close combat arm are pretty much devoid of detail from the layers of zomg!paint, so I replaced them. All in all, I think I managed a great job of facelifting him and obscuring the mighty unsightly thick paint everywhere.

 

This marks the end of Grail Company (kudos and much thanks to anyone who was there for the first Hall of Honor post!), at least until I can afford to buy more vehicles so that my Razorbacks and Rhinos don't pull double- or triple-duty in multiple army lists. When that happens, I'll revisit Grail and do up a Company-specific Razorback for Alaric and his Sword Brethren.

[faol]

No more tales of the Grail Company :) say it aint so :D

For being the first model you ever painted it must hold a special place for you and I'll be waiting for more of your work and tales of your army

 

Battle on my Brother! :salutes:

[Disruptor_fe404]

Next up (within two weeks) is the first entry of Sword Company. It may or may not contain another Dreadnought. It will be a small entry though.

[Myxx]

I look forward to seeing you expand your army. Your models are stunning and the amount of detail (both painted and written) is an inspiration for a shabby (but improving) painter as myself.