Order of the Scourged Heart, ETL2 Updates

[Rizara]

Ok. So I decided to start a Blog for my sisters army. Basically sort of a motivation to keep me focused, even if just slightly, and a place to post pics once I get some.

So to start off, My order is the Order of the Wounded Heart. The army image is a red heart wrapped in black thorns (like an X shape around the heart).
I went with an official order minoris, who's only bit of official fluff is the mention of the name and that they fought against the 13th Black Crusade. Other than that, nothing else on this order, not even a color scheme. The name seemed to fit my planned army icon, so it works. If others are using this order's name, sorry to offend anyone, but till GW releases an official color scheme, its up for grabs right hehehe.

I don't plan to build this army up to big, for now just 1000 points, to lay down the ground work for the hopeful future that is an updated sisters army list, and plastic sisters. If they happen to come out this year as some rumors suggest, oh well, I at least have a base to build my army up afterwords. IF they are still several years off, then I still have a sisters army to play around with from time to time, and I may expand it after the initial 1000 points is painted.

For now, here is my planned list.

Canoness with power weapon/rosarius
Dominions x5, vet sis with combi melta, 2x meltaguns
Immolator with TL multimelta

Battle sisters x10 2x stormbolters
Battle sisters x10, flamer, heavy flamer
Battle sisters x10, Flamer, Multimelta

Retributors x6, 4x Heavy bolters
Immolator w/ TL heavy bolters w/ Inferon Bolts

Exorcist

Its pretty basic and comes up to 998 points. It makes use of the models I already had, and gave me a starting point. It wasn't my first list, but the list I ended up going with. I basically figured it would give me three solid troop choices, a basic character, two solid heavy support choices, and one fast attack choice, plus a few vehicles. A pretty good base for expanding the army later.

As far as expansion goes, Well I would like to add some seraphims, probably a second exorcist, definitely get my hands on Celistine, and looking through my bitz box, i have 3 sister of sigmar models which would make great priest conversion. I have ideas on some expansion stuff, but as mentioned, nothing is really planned. I am just hoping that maybe the rumors are true and they release some plastic sister kits later this year, but I am not holding my breath, never can tell with GW, they aren't known for making everyone happy.

Anyways, Hopefully i can add some pictures later this week/weekend. I already have base coats applied to my exorcist and my canoness's armor. I also have my first batch of sisters in from the realm of ebay, with some more on the way, and the first 24 sisters are getting a nice relaxing simple green bath, before I reassemble them and prime them. The first two sister superiors are getting conversions to boot, one because it already came with a crappy axe conversion in place of the power mace the stock model had, the other because I need to convert up a combi melta. I have already removed the one hand that was holding the power axe, and she is getting a bolt pistol from the canoness model in place. Since I have 4 of those spare bolt pistol arms in my bitz box, figured I might as well give this one a pistol to go along with her bolter/grenade launcher. She still will be WYSIWYG, since they come standard with a bolter and pistol. The combi bolter is based on the sister superior who has one hand clutched around her necklace, the other with a bolter arm straight out. Well I removed the bolter and happened to yank a combi melta off a scrapped forgeworld terminator. Since that old model was just scrapped and tossed in my random spare bitz box, figured I would make use of the weapon at least.

As those sisters soak and get prepared, this leaves me to my other challenge that I need to get started on. Bases. Lots and lots of bases. Trying to get some basing ideas. I don't want to go with the same standard basing I used on my angels of vengeance, they are sisters, and would like their bases to stand out, but not sure which way to go. Thought about sculpting some bases, to save money, it only eats up time. I am however town, should I go with some temple design, maybe some random tiles with the occasional sisters emblem, or should I go with lava bases. They do tend to hunt down heretics, and where ever chaos lies, sometimes the world suffers from the taint. The lava bases are pretty easy, but just torn. At least the lava bases would add some color to the already limited green/white/metal color scheme I got planned, and would make the army sort of stick out, but it might not look as natural. I could also go with some alien world and instead of lava, have it become viens of magic or something else exotic looking, like purple or blue. Just a few ideas popping in my head. If you have any suggestions, I would like to hear it. For the time being, i am going to try to finish painting up my canoness who isn't glued to her base, and the exorcist, along with one tactical squad and a converted Predator Executioner for my AoV army while I got some time off from school. The sisters will really begin after I figure out the bases. I can at least work on all my infantry at once, since the only models I still have to invest in are the Immolators.

Well thats it for now, hope to have some pictures later this week.

[Bulweih]

Hail cousin,

don't want to spoil the show, but BL fleshed out that chapter recently in Chris Wraight's "Blood of Asaheim" a little. They seem to be wearing ebony coloured armor, trimmed with red and gold if I remember correctly.

Just so you know.

 

Anyways I wish you a lot of fun in the project cousin.

[Rizara]

Ok, no prob, haven't read that book, so thank you for the feedback.  No prob, i can easily rename them.   Figures, someone in black library will pick a named but never fleshed out chapter and flesh it out a little in a novel instead of other more known orders.   Ebony...well heck most of the sister orders wear Ebony or black armor, black white and red are pretty common if not overcommon colors.   Oh well, time to ponder on a new name.  

[CommissarHarris]

Bases wise, I went with fantascape's ruined gothic temple bases. They go nicely with the highly gothic nature of the sisters, and have a lot of mounting options while still remaining detailed and varied.

[Hanska]

Ok, no prob, haven't read that book, so thank you for the feedback.  No prob, i can easily rename them.   Figures, someone in black library will pick a named but never fleshed out chapter and flesh it out a little in a novel instead of other more known orders.   Ebony...well heck most of the sister orders wear Ebony or black armor, black white and red are pretty common if not overcommon colors.   Oh well, time to ponder on a new name.  

2nd ed. Codex: Sisters of Battle says: "The orders militant make use of three main colors in the desing of their uniforms; black, white and red."

That's why they are so common in color schemes, and that's why I as a puritan use these as a base for all my schemes.

Though I don't think it's wrong in anyway to do green, blue or whatever on schemes.

 

If I recall correctly you are going for green armor? How about Order of the jade(ed) heart?

[Rizara]

thanks, but the word jaded doesn't fit a militant order. Jaded means basically bored, weary, tired. That might work for one of them Order Famulous or Dialogous, but a mititant order it does not suit.

 

As for possible new names go. Here are a few of my options.

 

Sacred Heart

Maimed Heart (less likely because people see it as hurt or injured, not to make imperfect as its other definition would imply)

Hallowed Heart

Consecrated Heart

Venerable Heart

Scourged Heat

 

Sacred sounds to plain, looking at synonyms of it, I came up with the other 3. Venerable makes them sound old, and ancient. Hallowed Heart has a nice ring to it, but not sure if it really fits the imagery. Concecrated sounds painful but was added as another option, but again doesn't fit the imagery of a heart with thorns around it. Scourged Heart is taken from the idea of the thorns wrapped around the heart, causing pain.

 

Anyways, i will try to get a wip snapshot of my exorcist conversion tonight, at least to try to show off the Icon and basic color scheme. Its at the point where the green/white is highlighted, but I still have to finish detailing it, weathering it, and finishing the metal tracks.

 

I might look into those bases. Those are some of the best bases I have found, just they aren't easily attainable here in the states, no one seems to carry them in stock, so I would have to try to order directly.

[Rizara]

Well after working today and giving the name a lot of thought I decided on the Order of the Scourged Heart. It just had a nice ring to me and fit my icon that I already used on my exorcist. Sadly I can,t get a photo today cause my wife has our camera and won't get in till late so maybe tomorrow. I also decided on some bases and put them on order. Decided to get some of the urban rubble bases from secret weapons miniatures.

 

Maybe next week I can start getting serious on the sisters, got my heavy bolter sisters in and went to work filing off mold lines and flash, cleaning, and started prepping them for priming, while the sisters in the green bath are still soaking, and awaiting the other 10 sisters to arrive so they can join in the green bath. All in all 42 sisters to work on for the army, and three tanks. Sadly those two immolators will have to wait to be bought till I have the rest painted, or at least till I am working on the final squad.

[Fibonacci]

That's a good name. 

 

I think the Sisters of Battle are some of the best metal models they made.  Even the moulds seemed to have held up well because the new cast models are still just as sharp as they have ever been.  Once painted you wont be able to tell the new ones from the old.

 

But I don't envy you the basing.  I broke a lot of bits drilling holes for pinning due to my lack of patience. 

[Rizara]

yeah, thats the painful part, all that drilling.  I had to order a new pin vice, i have misplaced my old one, so I still have some bolters on my Angels of Vengeance that needs drilling.  I also have a ton of bolters to drill out on the sisters as well.  Why doesn't GW just go ahead and make new molds with already drilled bolters, would save us all some headaches. 

[*Furyou Miko]

Because it's basically impossible in metal. *Shrugs*

 

I don't bother with a pin vice if it's just drilling bolters. I just hold the model, usually while I'm talking to someone or watching something and use a hobby drill.

[Rizara]

lol I meant hobby drill, I don't know why I call it a pin vice, its not a vice I am refering too, just the drill.  Sigh.  

 

Anyways, i managed to snag a pic this morning, just now getting it uploaded.    Here is a shot of the Exorcist conversion (used a whirlwind missle turret, not difficult on the back of a immolator chassis).  The Canoness just has her green armor based coated, it looks sloppy in the photo, but then again it probably is, but wont look that bad once she is all finished.

http://i1307.photobucket.com/albums/s585/Jason_Mullis/Order%20of%20the%20Scourged%20Heart/SistersWIP1_zpsd16958e5.jpg

 

  I have since made some progress this evening, both have a worn metal look (stippled metal over the armor, using pieces of foam), and the tank has some extra weathering and a wash applied on the metal and the missles basecoated in a dark red.   The canonness, i have given a coat of black to everything that isn't her armor, finished her cloth sections, and started her face/purity seals and book, and gave her the icon on the back of her cape. To break up the white robes, I made the underside of her cape in red.   I will be using red as minor color, because of the icon, and the weapon casing's will be done in black.   For the canoness I think all the armor trim such as the little fleurs de lys will be gold, just debating on my normal battle sisters if I should go white, or gold as well on the little armor ornamentation.  Maybe I can do them in silver instead of white, and have the veteran sisters be in gold.  

As for power weapons, since the only power weapon in the army so far is on the Canoness, I will probably do them in a black built up to fiery orange.  I prefer colored power weapons with normal metal for ordinary weapons or normal close combat ones.   I am trying to keep the color scheme fairly simple, and use unifying colors.   That means my glass pieces on the tank will probably be done in a red to pink style.   I also decided to make my purity seals a little on the pink side since the red of the cloak is more blood red in color.  

 

I decided that I wont be getting any of my AoV marines dones this weekend, so I will postpone working on them till later or till I get a little burned out on the sisters.  Motivated to work on the girls, so will push them as long as that motivation lasts.  Maybe I can get a squad or two done in the upcoming weeks.  I got the rest of the sisters assembled (minus the bases), and will probably go ahead and prime them this weekend.  I can at least start basecoating the armor while I await the bases, but once the bases and new drill arive, I will have to get cracking on drilling all the girls, and the bases, and then probably have a giant base painting fit, so i can get the colors of the ground done so I can finish weathering the vehicle.   Its alot of work, but in the end, it will be nice to have a sisters army again.    

 

I also have a spare rhino on sprue, it was going to go to the Angels of Vengeance, but I might just use it for the sister's army instead.

[*Furyou Miko]

Orange will clash horribly with that shade of green. >> It's a lovely shade, though.

 

Are you aware of the colour wheel? Adjancent colours are complimentary, but opposite colours are contrasting... if you go a little too  far off either side though, you end up with a clashing colour.

[Rizara]

Well I say orange, but its just the edge highlights.  My swords will basically done in black, a black mixed with red gore shade, then red gore, then blood red, then fiery orange only on the edges.  It will essentially be orange only to pop the edge of the blade.  Yes I am aware of the color wheel, its amazing how many times these forums bring it up, especially when I am an illustration student, and have been doing art off and on for the last 20 years of my life, but its amazing how dedicated to it miniature painters are of late.  Color wheel is more of a guide, you can break the mold, as long as its subtle and doesn't clash.  Since I will have some elements of red-orange due to the flame on her backpack, having the power sword this way will work out well as it brings some of that color to another part of the model.  Also This isn't my first time playing around with this shade of green, in fact it will be my 3rd attempt with these exact paints (sold one of the armies, and stripped the other attempt).   It will basically create a firebrand look for the power weapon.  

 

 I also don't want to add any other colors to the mix, as blue would be to bright and look out of place, a turquoise blue might not be bad but again will be out of place.   A purple works nice, but its too subtle with the green and white, and going with magenta would be nice, but might be too pink a color.   Going straight red would just blend with all the other red, but going with red and bring it up just a highlight or two more, will make it pop and stand out enough for a power weapon, and it wont be spread completely through the army since I don't have a lot of power weapons at this point, just the one.  Guess I need to just finish the canoness now to get her posted. 

[*Furyou Miko]

Well, if you know what you're doing, you know what you're doing. I just saw you suggesting flaming orange swords and sea green armour and cringed.

 

I mean, what could I possible know? I've only worked with various art students for five years and am due to marry an artist in October.

[Rizara]

Had these models up to this stage since monday just haven't had a chance to get them photo'd and upload this week.   I got my bases finally in so I have started working on that part, but my primer can clogged up before I could prime the first unit of sisters that has been attached to their bases, so now the project is on hold awaiting me to get to the store and get some primer this week.  

 

These models aren't finished, I still have to finish the weathering on the bottom of the tank, mostly the dust weathering of the urban jungle it will be tromping through.   I also have to finish the base on the canoness and mount her to it, and then seal both.  I am still up in the air to give the tanks some unit markings, if I do add numbers, should I go with roman numerals or more ornate fancy numbers like the ones used on dark angel vehicles. 

 

http://i1307.photobucket.com/albums/s585/Jason_Mullis/Order%20of%20the%20Scourged%20Heart/SistersWIP2_zps7043f36b.jpg

http://i1307.photobucket.com/albums/s585/Jason_Mullis/Order%20of%20the%20Scourged%20Heart/SistersWIP3_zps699f0520.jpg

 

As you can see I added the army symbol to the exorcist conversion (which I am thinking after all I really don't like the missle turret, feels to marine like, so may need to do a conversion). I also added the army icon to her cape.   The sword didn't come out exactly as i was hoping, so might rework that later this week.  it looks better in Real life than it does in the image, but just thinking, That red power weapons are just adding way to much red, so might have to go with purple or blue after all.   Still not sure I like the red glass panels on the tank either.    Suggestions and feedback are always welcomed.   So far the tank has weathering as far as chipped and wind/battle chipping, but needs the dust of the battle field added to the track area. 

[CommissarHarris]

Nice Free hand on the symbol, and I quite like the color scheme

[Rizara]

I Midnight Angel answer the call of E TENEBRAE LUX and vow to complete 3 battle sisterrs squads (at 10 strong, 2 flamers, 2 storm bolters, heavy flamer and multimelta, plus sister superiors), 1 retributor squad(6 strong, 4 heavy bolters and sis superior), 1 dominion squad (6 strong, 2 meltaguns, one sisters superior with combi melta), and 2 immolators (one with heavy bolters, one with multi meltas) from Codex Sisters of Battle (white dwarf) of total value 778 points on or before August 15th. Success will bring eternal glory to The Order of the Scourged Heart and fellow battle sisters everywhere and failure will doom me to bear the Badge of Shame until the year-end.

 

That is what I have decided to contribute to my vow, now that I have all the models, and bases finally in.   I have been avoiding working on them at all over the past week, due to this painting challenge.  Figured I can get some points for this forums at the same time as getting them finish.  If I can get them done sooner, i will probably add more stuff to my army.   Planned additions will probably be rhinos, a second exorcist, celistine, a unit of seraphim, and maybe an aegis Defense line since I could use one of them anyways, and might need anti flyer support as I expand the army.  But that expansion will wait.  

For now, time to paint these girls up.  I will be also finishing up the exorcist's weathering and details, plus the canoness's base work. 

 

 

http://i1307.photobucket.com/albums/s585/Jason_Mullis/Order%20of%20the%20Scourged%20Heart/Sisters_armyshot1_zps24b7daf9.jpg

[WarriorFish]

Great work, I love the colours! White and green go well together and that is a particularly nice shade of green. Excellent work on the freehand too, and I'm glad you didn't slap a load of orange on as well

I think the red works well, but blue would also look good if you preferred. Keep up the good work on your vow :)

[Rizara]

Thanks.   I like that shade of green myself.  it is Vallejo's Game Color, Scurvy Green.   The highlights are done with a mix of scurvy and jade, then jade, then chainmail silver for weathering.

 

Anyways, I have a dilemma, I am trying to think of a good way to instantly recognize my different units on the table.   Trying to think of a way to add some form of marking.   I figured I could add the heart icon to a sleeve, and maybe a number to the other.   I also thought about just given each unit its own hair color, but that sort of makes them seem not so realistic.   What have you guys done to make telling one unit from another a little easier.  

[WarriorFish]

I don't have any trouble identifying which model belongs in which squad during a battle, I'm not sure why. Probably my fastidious attention to what my units are up to during a game. It also means I don't need squad markings so there can be transfers between squads between battles without fuss

I have seen some good ways of defining squads though. Robe trims is a nice subtle method but depends on the colour scheme as to how many colours can work as the trim. Different colours on the pauldron details is handy as it is easily seen during a game but not too big a difference. What about a hair streak colour? That could be the sisters bonding their squad together through a common hair dye.

Alternatively you can put some form of marking on the bases but I've never liked that method as it seems clumsy and detracts from the model too much.

[*Furyou Miko]

You could also try colour-coordinating the vents on their backpacks. The little orby bits on the top, different squads have different colours on varying sides perhaps?

[Rizara]

So got my first game in with the sisters yesterday.   I played 1010 points against a tau army.  

My army was pretty much the list above +1 extra sister added to one of the battle sister units.

 

The tau army had a riptide with big nasty cannon, not the ion cannon, the other gun.

He also had 12 kroot, 1 squad of 12 fire warriors with 4 marker drones, and a fireblade.

He had a commander with 2 drones, attached to a drone squad, all the drones were marker drones.

3 stealthsuits, with 1 melta in the unit.

And a piranah (not sure what gun it had on it cause I blew it up fast).

 

We only went 4 turn, and I can't really remember a play by play.  The terrain was alot of buildings on the edges, but a river that sort of went down the middle with a bridge over it on the center of the board.  Open terrain prety much around the river and center.  It was a kill point mission.    At the end of turn 4 we just called it, we didn't bother rolling for extended turns.  All he had left was the riptide with 2 wounds left.   I only lost my exorcist, my dominion squad and canoness, and the dominion immolator was weaponless.   I had 3 sisters squads in rapid fire range, my immolator with heavy bolters in range, and my retributors closing distance on his riptide.   It would have cause some more pain if the turns went on, but ultimately I would have tabled him.     

 

It was a fun game, and the riptide was a burden, but only because I just couldn't get enough wounds on him.  I basically whittled down everything else that I could, and the fire warrior unit was whittled down to half squad + fireblade and 4 drones with my dominon squad in combat(3 sisters, 3 rounds of combat), when I got up close enough to bring 3 flamers to bear and wipe the unit out in one round of fire.   The whole time they were behind a building enjoying the cover. 

 

All in all it was fun, and my exorcist only got one round of shooting, but it removed the shield drones from the riptide and gained its wrath, especially since no one at the local store plays or really has seen a sisters army, the opening round of 6 exorcist missles was scary after he found out it was 6 str 8 ap1 shots flying at him.  

 

Rending heavy bolters were just nasty when I did get to use them.  

 

Either way, it was great fun and motivation to play.   Second game was a larger battle of 5 players, wasn't much fun, or much use.  I did proxy an avenger fighter, and fielded my first flyer, just to say, i hate the flyers movement rules, on round of shooting with it, 2-3 rounds just to turn it back around to fire again since the enemy was hugging the table edge.   That game ended in a draw, and was just long and drawn out, and my units were dealing with difficult terrian, so only the flyer and exorcist really saw any action in the 4 turns we did manage to get in.   

[WarriorFish]

Great job! That will teach those upstart xenos a lesson. I expect your Exo will get a lot more attention next game :P As long as you can get to grips with the Tau quickly enough you'll normally have a good shot at victory. Otherwise if you're too exhausted when you arrive then it'll be a a difficult struggle.

 

Fortunately Sisters are used to closing with the enemy as quickly as possible so it doesn't break our step :)

[Rizara]

yeah, i also suspect that next time, he will use an ion cannon against me on his riptide lol.  Not sure why really, but the tau meta at the local store favors crap tons of marker lights.  I understand the benefits of marker lights, but they are favoring them so heavily that they are losing out on actual shots that could have done damage to start with.  Seems like a waste for 1/3 of their army to be shooting marker lights at these smaller points levels, when they could get more firepower to start with.  

[Vigrid Of Asgaror]

I hope your vow is doing well, you have a really interesting colour scheme. I look forward to the next update.