Sword Bearers and the Unforgiven (Updated 1/07/23: Angels Redeemed)

[Othniel's Blade]

You continue to amaze. It's refreshing to see someone integrating Primaris while keeping a balance in their lore, between the Reivers and 2coy, and the 10coy para speaking to the genetic takeover: you seem to strike the balance that the most outspoken on B&C are missing.

 

The crisp painting doesn't hurt, either!

[Spaced Hulk]

@ deathspectersrg7: Cheers brother. My posts are pretty infrequent these days (for obvious reasons), so they're easy to miss!

@ Othniel's Blade: Thanks mate! To be honest, it's been pretty easy to integrate the Primaris into the Sword Bearers, because right from the start I envisioned them as dying Chapter (a bit like an Unforgiven version of the Scythe's of the Emperor). The Reivers in particular are a perfect addition to the ranks of the Revenants.

I personally really like the new Primaris models, and their fluff doesn't offend me the way it does a lot of people (although I can understand why it does). For me, the golden era for 40K fluff was Second Edition, but I also have a real soft spot for the original Rogue Trader background even though much of it is now completely changed and retconned. Perhaps that's made it easier for me to accept the advancing story line, as I'm quite used to 40K changing now, and the new stuff doesn't affect my enjoyment of what's gone before.

From the point of view of creating my own Chapter, the addition of the Primaris just adds another level of bitterness and conflict. I've always tried to portray the Sword Bearers as a fractured brotherhood riven by rivalry and mistrust, whose faults are ultimately the cause of their own (near) destruction. I originally intended the loss of their homeworld to be the catalyst for their reformation and reunion, but the arrival of the Primaris just means that the cycle will begin again. As the Sword Bearers are also meant to be a mirror for all the flaws and sundering of the First Legion, the idea that history just keeps repeating itself is quite appealing .

So time for another update. I'm currently taking a break from my 30K DA so the Sons of Mire will hopefully be getting a bit more attention again. Here's the latest addition:

Knight-Captain Mordred, the Lord Revenant, Master of the Sword Bearer's Second Company

Thanks for looking

Edited June 13, 2018 by Spaced Hulk

[Interrogator Stobz]

He seems cute menacing

 

Edited February 7, 2018 by Interrogator Stobz

[Rizara]

ok, so you sealed the deal for me.   I was debating on adding some of the angel banner tops to the backpack of some of my characters, and I decided against it as it may have been too dark angel looking, but yeah, that really enhances the character so going to have to at least go back and add it to my Lieutenant and some of my other characters.   

 

I really like the hooded skull helm, he feels more chaplain like than master but at any rate, he has a presence of fear about him.   I too used that sword arm for a character for primaris, it just looks imposing to be leaning on a sword.   

[Wrath of Bruinen]

Great job Spaced Hulk, the Lord Revenant looks awesome, the chaplain head makes him super menacing

[sneakybamsen]

He's looking damn mean!

 

Great work!

[Spaced Hulk]

Thanks for the kind words brothers, glad you like him 

 

A little bit of progress to report. Here are first three completed Reivers of the Sword Bearer's reborn Second Company (also known as the Revenants). This squad will eventually be 8 strong.

 

 

 

[Greenz]

Oh wow, I’ve missed a couple updates! Hulk, brother, you are absolutely rocking these Primaris models! Such a terrific job mixing the Primaris kits with DA parts, youve really created such a unique army. Guys like you and GRC for example have totally swayed my opinion of these new guys, at least mode wise

 

Also, I love how you’ve updated the fluff of your Chapter to incorporate these guys, in particular the Penitent becoming the Ashen Blades. Love it! It makes me wonder if some of our old friends we used to know have made it through the Cataclysm...

[Spaced Hulk]

Cheers mate, glad you like the fluff, and the Primaris marines Edited April 16, 2018 by Spaced Hulk

[deathspectersgt7]

ALDOUS !!!!!!

[Greenz]

Yes, I’ve come around to them the last few months. The fluff behind them is still a bit sketchy to me, and GW needs to figure out how they’ll integrate with DA and the inner circle, but the models are really nice. I might even get a few painted for the ETL

 

I’ll be waiting patiently for those updates :D

[Spaced Hulk]

Currently painting the second Primaris Lieutenant from Dark Imperium and Interrogator Chaplain Zadkiel. However, here's the latest model I've built for the army:

Balian, Keeper of the Shards, Lord of Mire, Grand Master of the Sword Bearers

Like every Grand Master in the Chapter's history, Balian is the keeper of the ancestral relic blades that originally gave the Sword Bearers their name. However, both of these ancient power swords were shattered into dozens of pieces during the Battle of the Fenspire. Recovered by a mortally wounded Scout Sergeant before the fortress monastery was destroyed, the remaining shards were reforged into a simple powered long sword by the Chapter's few surviving Techmarines. Thus the legacy of the Sword Bearers continues to this day, albeit in a far humbler and less ostentatious form.

Mounted beneath Lord Balian's Iron Halo is the skull of his predecessor, Ivan Orbec, slain during the Mire Cataclysm and whose mortal remains were recovered alongside the Shards of Redemption. Dishonored by his failure to defend the Fenspire or to protect the relics that were entrusted to him, it was decreed that Orbec's bleached skull must now watch over his surviving brethren for eternity.

Edited April 21, 2018 by Spaced Hulk

[Pearson73]

Fantastic pose, the simple clenched fist really adds to the weight and the facial expression of the face is a perfect fit. Liking the added meaning and background to the sword and skull too.

[MaxB]

Awesome conversion! I've never liked the DV Chaplain model - but this is makes it soo much better

[Greenz]

You know, I just realized something. It’s funny how my conversions, as you know, involve tons of greenstuff. Your kitbashes on the other hand use none, or next to none if there is any. And it blows me away every time I look at your models, and see how seemlessly you make all the different elements come together. I have a very hard tome wrapping my head around how well you do it!

 

I love what you’ve done with Balian. The sense of purpose and power in his movement fits a Chapter Master perfectly. And I absolutely love what you’ve done with Orbec’s skull! What a truly fantastic detail!!! I’m trying to remember back here, was Orbec slowly dying from the Dark Eldar poison?

[Spaced Hulk]

@ Pearson73: Thanks mate! The head was actually a last minute change, as I'd originally planned on using a Mark 2 helm. In the end I decided that a Chapter Master warranted a bare head, and the expression (and scar) on that particular Primaris head seemed perfect.

@ MaxB: Cheers mate! I've always thought that the DV Chaplain is a bit of an odd miniature, in that I like almost every individual element of it but not collectively. For example, I've always thought the skull helm was perfect (and I've actually used it on two other scratch built Chaplains for that reason), but it sits so low on the chest that it doesn't look right. Likewise I love the detail and pose of the torso/legs, but the position of the crozius arm seems wrong to me. So I decided a long time ago that I was going to use the different parts for other projects (rather than build him stock). I've been working on Balian on and off for months, and I'm really pleased with the finished model.

@ Greenz: Cheers brother! You're right of course, I don't tend to use much green stuff. A bit of gap filling, and the occasional repair, and that's it. Truthfully I have very little aptitude for sculpting, and I'm always very impressed with the level of skill and patience some hobbyists (such as yourself) display when working with with the material. It's much more creative really than my own efforts, which are basically just putting together tiny 3D jigsaws until they fit!

In answer to your question, no it was Talyn (Orbec's predecessor) that was slowly dying from the Eldar poisen. The chronology is basically this:

Talyn, the most renowned of the Sword Bearer's Grand Masters, leads the Chapter for many years but eventually becomes more and more reclusive, hiding the fact that he is very slowly dying from an Eldar toxin that causes his body to decay whilst he is still alive, his own enhanced physiology actually prolonging his suffering. He finally dies during the Siege of the Necropolis, the same battle where Balian is inducted into the Penitent First Company and Aldous, the Fallen Hunter, is captured by one of the Fallen Angels he seeks.

Leadership of the Chapter then passes to Ivan Orbec - young, successful but arrogant, who vows to lead the Sword Bearers to even greater glories. Unfortunately his reign is blighted with extreme misfortune, culminating in the destruction of the Fenspire, their ancient fortress monastery, and the loss of at least three quarters of the Chapter's fighting strength and their entire gene-seed depository.

The survivors then elect Balian, Captain of the Eighth Company by this point, as their new Chapter Master. Against all odds he manages to lead them back from the brink of destruction, and eventually they are reinforced by a large contingent of Primaris Marines from the Ultima Crusade, allowing the chapter to begin the long process of rebuilding in a galaxy now aflame with war.

Obviously there are quite a few stories I either haven't told or haven't finished. At the moment I'm trying to decide on the best approach to writing them. An Index Astartes article would probably be the simplest, but I've always wanted that to be the very last thing I do to complete the army. Some flash back stories are the option I'm currently favouring, probably as a certain somebody wakes from stasis inside his shiny new Dreadnought sarcophogus...

On a completely unrelated note, this arrived today:

I've wanted this model ever since it was released, and for once I'll be building it straight out of the box. I'm planning on painting it in the original Rogue Trader Dark Angel colour scheme, and will probably enter it as a small ETL vow.

[Interrogator Stobz]

Nice!

Mine is still in the box... I had the same goal, to do it straight away, but I slacked instead :lol:

[Master Avoghai]

Your last captain is simply amazing and nearly made me regret to paint my DA primaris as Star Phantoms. :lol:

 

Keep up the good job :)

[Spaced Hulk]

Cheers brothers!

Minor update today as my second DI Lieutenant is almost finished.

Just want to add a couple of extra highlights and free hand the Chapter symbol and some personal heraldry on his shoulder pads. Then I'll get started properly on my ETL vow:

From left to right, the Captains/Masters of the Sword Bearer's First, Second & Third Companies.

Edited May 7, 2018 by Spaced Hulk

[deathspectersgt7]

Looking Good Brother.

[Greenz]

Can’t wait to see these guys painted up! Just don’t forget to drill out the 2nd captains barrel :)

[Charlo]

Positively great conversions and colours!

[Wrath of Bruinen]

Great work Spaced Hulk - those are some mighty fine looking Masters

[Punk possum]

Dude sweet! I particularly like the master of the 1st  

[Burias-Drak'shal]

Good work on the masters