Aurellian Crusade

[Crovan]

So, I've been posting more regularly since around the release of 6th, and I've been taking my largely unassembled BT army and getting it (literally) put together. When I moved to Alaska, I sold my Nids and my Dark Angels after choosing the Templar as my favorites for fluff and flavor.

 

Watching the ETL thread has inspired me to get rolling on actually fleshing out and starting to paint my marines, even though games will be few and far between a lot of the time (rural Alaska ftw).

 

Thus, I present the Aurellian Crusade (name subject to change).

 

The general idea for the Crusade is that it was declared in the wake of Abaddon's beginning of the 13th Black Crusade. I realized that nothing was more likely to get the Templar all hot and bothered about smashing some heads. However, as noted during the campaign at the time, the Templar aren't really in the area. There is some mention of the pursuit of Ghazkull, but that's about all I can recall. With that being the case, they would be tripping over themselves to stamp out this mockery of the Great Crusade.

 

Since they are coming toward the Cadian Gate from other parts of the galaxy (yet undecided), they would be meeting the leading edge of the Alpha Legion and Word Bearer type cults and infiltration. I think they would go on a somewhat counter-missionary campaign themselves, having fought the Word Bearers earlier in M41 and knowing how insidious their cults are. I imagine them confronting Dark Apostles and Daemons in increasing numbers as they strive toward the epicentre of the fighting. As such, I want to have a purity seal/scripture heavy visual theme, which will be a not insignificant challenge for me, but I see them really stepping up their zeal game in the face of the Bearers.

 

The Crusade will have grown as it hits up various chapter keeps, and I want to leave the door open down the road for some IG/Inquisitorial ST type allies from a Guard regiment on a world that was overrun by Chaos, yet these Guardsmen remained loyal, conducted guerilla war, etc. etc. and begged to join the Crusade when the Templar came to liberate the world. I don't plan on this any time soon, but I want to leave the door open.

 

There will be more fluff forthcoming, but this is a rough sketch to get me started. If anything is too glaringly un-canon, then feel free to call it out and I'll decide if I'm willing to commit fluff heresy or not :D.

 

To go along with this intro post is a sort of test model, an assault marine that I whipped up since I wanted to try a "cooling jets" effect on his jump pack. He still has some details to be done, a little cleanup on my black highlights, and I'm debating with myself over the color of his sword, but there's enough there to slap him on the tabletop if need be.

 

http://i.imgur.com/E7Aea.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/flabG.jpg

[Honda]

Well first off, welcome to the Eternal Crusade, brother.

 

I like your crusade outline and think it's worth developing. Oddly enough, when it came to creating my own chapter in the wake of Abaddon's 13th Crusade, I used some of the very same reasoning and postulated that the AL and WB were going to be the most likely antagonists. I am still a neophyte regarding all BT fluff, but am working on getting myself up to speed as quickly as I can.

 

Regarding your test mini, I think you've got a winner there. I'm looking forward to seeing many more.

 

Cheers,

 

BTW, only a Templar would move to rural Alaska. It's no place for wimps. :)

[Crovan]

Thanks, Honda. I would be fairly surprised if GW didn't develop some fluff in the next Templar codex about going after Dear Abby. After all, the numbers at Armageddon still leave tons of available initiates. Helbrecht is still chasing Ghazkull, but still...

 

On the mini, I realized that the pic doesnt illustrate that it has a MkVI head. I promise I painted his eyes :). For the chainsword, I am considering Red Gore (still kicking it old school with paints) for the housing. I think much more Blood Red than the shoulder trim would look somewhat garis.