Black Dragons; organisation, tactics, discussion and pics

[Guardian of the Rage]

Hi All,

 

Shortly before the latest in the Space Marine Battles series, The Death of Antagonis, I began to read up on the subject Chapter; the unmistakeable Black Dragons. When the faeit 212 blog produced some art before release my mind was made up, I was going to have an army from this chapter.

 

As luck would have it, I had just begun preparing to re-enter the gaming side of the hobby, and I hastily ditched all my previous ideas and went straight into planning the army, the modelling aesthetic and the painting scheme. I went straight into a tester model, and I was fairly please with the first result, so i decided to stick with it. I will post this stuff and the first models later

 

Before I go into too much detail on my own work, I was hoping other players, whether you have been playing them since the old chapter approved days or not, could talk about how they see the chapter and really turn this thread into a show case for the cool models, conversion ideas, campaign performance or anything else that comes to mind.

 

- How they represent the chapter on the table

- How they model the mutations of the chapter

- How they interpret what we know (tDoA will be a prime source) about the chapter and extrapolate it in fluff and on the table

- or just generally why the Black Dragons are such an awesome looking chapter

 

Cheers,

 

GotR

Edited February 20, 2013 by Guardian of the Rage

[The Yak]

This one was painted by GORMAN over on Warseer. Unfortunately its the only one he did but I think this would be a great basis for the normal tactical marines.

He did state that he was aware that the chapter insignia is incorrect, yet wanted to use the pads he had.

 

http://i1103.photobucket.com/albums/g473/Adavers/DSCN2223_zps3c74796c.jpg

 

I would love to see some Black Dragon armies. For such a cool chapter they are incredibly under represented in the gaming community.

[gmaleron]

Glad to see another Black Dragon player! I too am looking at starting a Space Marine army (long time Imperial Guard player here) and the Black Dragons have always been one I have wanted to do. As far as I can tell for army lists I am looking at two options:

 

Codex Space Marines: Tac Squads with Flamer and Multi-Melta in Drop Pods with Vulkan backed by some vanguard vets. Basically in regards to the fluff it is speculated that the Black Dragons are a Salamanders Successor chapter, thus a vulkan drop pod army would fit the bill. To represent their elite close combat unit of Dragon Claws I would use the Vanguard vets.

 

Codex Blood Angels: Using either death company or vanguard vets to represent the dragon claws while the rest of the army will follow some of the same guidelines as the Space Marines variant. However I am thinking of using this codex as due to their mutations, the Black Dragons may have developed some un-codex astartes type of fighting styles and rules and this book would show that.

 

Both are however still a work in progress as I have had some issues creating a list that is both fluffy and one that I feel would be decently competitive. In regards to the modeling side I am going to be utilizing Tyranid guant bits to represent their bone growths and/or potentially using lizardmen horns and such to represent these.

 

 

I am still trying to work out the many little kinks I have but I cannot wait to read the book, it will give me a chance to see their fighting style, what weapons they prefer and how they carry themselves as a chapter. At least, I hope he goes into detail about those things!

Edited February 19, 2013 by gmaleron

[Guardian of the Rage]

All,

 

I am reading the Death of Antagonis currently (approximately 3/4 of the way through), so on the subject of chapter specific info, this is what i have gleaned so far. I will not reveal any plot lines etc, just organisational and tactical observations.

 

organisation/form

 

1. The first squad in the company is the command squad and its sergeant is the company 2 i/c. in addition, this command/first squad is obviously more than 5 men strong as it appears to break into combat squads at one point.

 

2. Terminator armour is worn by some members of that first squad, they are most certainly not cited as members of the first company.

 

3. Squads are not named after the Sergeant in charge, rather they have specific and set names

 

4. Those with mutation develop the horn growths on head and arm as is already known, however, some also experience mutation of parts of the skin towards scales. Those with a higher degree of mutation seem to have this.

 

5. in addition, the horn growths on the arms are retractable in some cases and not in others and some dragons do not have any mutation what so ever; it is speculated that it these warriors that provide the geneseed tithes

 

6. A form of 'over mutation' is some times experienced. It is implied that this has an effect on sanity as well. Certainly these marines are held captive away from the rest of the company in a way similar to the death company; indeed they are specifically compare to the death company. These are NOT THE DRAGON CLAWS and it is implied they are sometimes released in times of great need to die in the emperor's service

 

7. The Dragon Claws are made up of those dragons with forearms and wrist growths of a sufficient size to be of use in battle. in addition they seem to have the scale skin mutations on a regular basis. They are never mentioned as being 'elite' and seem to take the position of assault squads within the standard battle company; with no rank above that of other astartes.

 

Tactics

 

1. no specific mention is made of any favouritism in weapons or tactics. however, marines seemed to be armed with flamers on a regular basis; bolters are also heavily utilised

 

2. It is explicitly stated that the number of vehicles available to the company is few, while it is not clear that this applies to the whole chapter, that is way that i read it. It is not stated that the Dragons shy away from using them, indeed one passage explains why they are not using them in a specific engagement

 

3. Drop pods are in extensive use during almost all engagements

 

4. Dragon Claws are explicitly compared to assault squads in one passage and whilst it explains a slightly different tactical use for them, they are very much in that mould. In addition, it appears that some have bolters, but never is one of them cited as using the chainsword. Also, there has yet to be any engagement where they did not use jump packs.

 

5. 'The talon' tactic is specifically cited, which seems to be a sort of MSU style approach using combat squads, speed of advance and multiple simultaneous angles of attack to overwhelm foes.

 

6. Use of terrain in a dynamic sense (blowing things up to cause further destruction from result/ trapping for tactical advantage is used a couple of times

 

Outlook

 

1. The Chapter takes heed of civilian casualties in its operations and takes care to avoid them if possible, however it will ignore this is situation demands

 

2. They view their mutation as a constant reminder of the need for purity of action; the standard transcendence of physical through deed.

 

3. They are fully aware of the inquisition's focus on them, and of the ordo malleus; they are not supposed to know any of this.

 

4. They have a nemesis (and are the nemesis in turn) for a band of renegades known as the Swords of Epiphany. can't say more without becoming embroiled in the plot

 

I will post some conclusions on this shortly, but for now, i leave it for others to mull over.

 

Cheers,

Edited February 20, 2013 by Guardian of the Rage

[gmaleron]

Thank you Rage! This really does help and gives me a basis/idea on how to maybe start putting an army list together. Out of curiosity any mention in regards to Air Support? Also are all of them wearing power armor or are there any mentions of scouts?

 

Besides that from what you have told me I think a drop pod themed army would work well for these guys. I posted a list themed after a "Raptors" Space Marine army that with a few tweaks could probably work.

Edited February 19, 2013 by gmaleron

[Guardian of the Rage]

Hi Gmaleron,

 

The only airsupport mentioned is that of the thunderhawks, they are inserted during one engagement and it supports in another.

 

Apart from the Terminator armour i mentioned above, all characters wore power armour.  Scouts are not mentioned, but like all points above, the only company described is that of the 2nd company.

 

Cheers,

[Guardian of the Rage]

All,

 

This was my tester model; a tactical squad sergeant.

 

The horns are simply bits from the Hormagaunt and the Dragon Prince sprues. I went for single colour on the marines and have assumed that company badges and squad badges exist on the knee pads.

 

 

Cheers,

[Guardian of the Rage]

as an update, those battle brothers that are so heavily mutated that it seems to have had an effect upon their sanity are;

 

- referred to as 'the Blessed', however this is only one reference and it is clearly not an official name

- led by a sergeant, though it is not clear if he is one of 'them'

- 'unarmed' as there is no reference to them having any ranged weapons

- resistant to damage one sentence implies that they were able to shrug off bolter fire almost entirely

 

Cheers,

[Kurgan the Lurker]

I haven't read DoA yet but this was the info I had on the master list up to that point:

 

Black Dragons:

• 9 Companies deployed to Armageddon, 3rd War.

• Corrupted Ossmodula zygote – leads to blade like growths of bone along the elbows and forearms and boney crests along the head.

• Suspected Salamander Successor. WD247 pg.28-34

• Founded just prior to the Age of Apostasy: http://web.archive.org/web/20060824154450/www.armageddon3.com/English/Campaign/Troops/bdragons.html

• 2 Companies remain on Armageddon, 3rd War, after the Season of Fire: EPIC Armageddon V5 rules page 70.

• Battle Barge: Ebon Flame. Battle fleet Gothic: Armada, pg. 133.

• Founding 21: The Cursed Founding Chapters - http://uk.games-workshop.com/spacemarines/cursed/1/

• Battle of Phoenix Island, 3rd War for Armageddon. V4 rulebook. Pg. 250

• Picture, C:A pg 18

• 9 Companies, 3rd War for Armageddon. C:A pg. 32

• Mutated Ossmodula implant leads to boney growths from the head and the forearms and elbows. Marines who suffer from this are put into special units known as Dragon Claws. Rites of Initiation, Index Astartes I pg. 7-8, Chapter Approved 2004 pg. 6

• Dark Angels and Marines Malevolent have refused to fight alongside the Black Dragons due to their mutation. Chapter Approved 2004 pg. 6

• Chapter somehow manages to pass all genetic testing done as part of its regular schedule of tithe. Adeptus Mechanicus believes they may be culling genetic material from other unknown sources. Chapter Approved 2004 pg. 6

• How to Paint Space Marines pg. 77

• How to Paint Space Marines pg. 86

• Use Victorinius Spaceport as an operations base to launch Thunderhawk strikes against ork roks on Phoenix Island. The Battle for Armageddon pg. 17

• The Colors of War. GW Catalog and Hobby Reference 2004-05 pg. 339

• Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes poster (out of print). Art of Warhammer 40k pg. 70-71

• Space Marines of the Armageddon War. Millenia date is possible Founding? M40. WD248 pg. 77

• Ushorak, former Captain, turns renegade and joins the Dragon Warrior Traitor Marines. Killed on Moribar by the Salmanders. Firedrake pg. 132

• Zartath, encountered by Salamanders in the Dark Eldar city of Volgorrah Reef. He had been trapped there for 6 years. His bone blades can be retracted into his flesh. Firedrake pg. 263

• Brother Kor’be, also with Zartath in Volgorrah Reef. Had his tongue cut out and his bone blades removed by the Dark Eldar that captured them. Killed by the traitor Salamander Iagon. Firedrake pg. 290

• Brother Teiras, 2nd Co., seconded to the Deathwatch. Wrist spikes and a single horn spike growth on his forehead. Xenos Hunters, The Vorago Fastness

• Brother Volos, 2nd Co. Dragon Claw. Xenos Hunters, The Vorago Fastness

• Suggestion that the 2nd Co. is about to come under the investigation of an Inquisitor Lettinger and the Sister of Battle. Xenos Hunters, The Vorago Fastness

[ANamelessFire]

Kurgan, you could also add:

 

Brother Erkine, former Black Dragon, now Dragon Warrior in the retinue of Nihilan, has retractable ossific blades. Tome of Fire, Fires of War, p183 &  Firedrake, p63

 

The Black Dragons also get a mention in Tactica Aeronautica, p 93, in a brief blurb about the battle for Phoenix Island.

 

Cheers, 

ANF