Astral Claws 18th Maniple

[No Foes Remain]

Ever since reading IA 9 and 10, I have always liked the Astral Claws. A Chapter cursed by presumptuous and idiotic humans into fighting their own brothers when they tried to shore up the defences of the Maelstrom by holding onto all resources produced by the Maelstrom Zone. Also their colour scheme is pretty cool, and thanks to Heathens and Nurgling and their respective Astral Claws projects (as linked) it was only really time before I started them.

I have already planned out an army and decided to actualy use and paint the kitbashed chaplain that I made a while ago and a bike squad and bastion that never really got finished when the former was part of my as-of-yet unpainted C:SM army. And I never finished my bastion as I didn't really know what to paint it as.

But enough rambling, here are some boring pics of partialy painted models. Also for the record, I took these pics prior to sorting out mould lines and basecoating them for some reason. But I figure thats probably the best way to start.

I also have a little story planned for this force, so I may end up posting that as well and will probably do it in parts.

Anyway, here are the pics (if any other Astral Claw painters can give me a few tips when it comes to painting it would be greatly appreciated):

Bike Squad Omicron (no idea why the sergeant has red on him, don't remember paining them at all after I sprayed them ages ago):

Chaplain Retrix:

Librarian Gelon (sorry for poor photo, will get a better one tomorrow):

Imperial Bastion:

The Astral Claw shoulder pads you see have been removed and will be having another wash just in case I missed any parts of it, since I don't have any primer (ordered some though) and wanted to be sure I had removed all of the glossy coating stuff.

Anyway, thats it for now. If my primer arrives tomorrow then I'll continue painting before and after work and post pics up later tomorrow, and I may have a little story done as well.

In the Tyrant's Name.

[Vazzy]

Looking forward to this...subscribed

[Captain Semper]

Good luck with your project, looks promising... Excellent poses, and the bastion? :tu:

[No Foes Remain]

Thanks Vazzy.

 

 

@Semper: I was proud of the chaplain pose, but the damn rod broke when working off the Astral Claw shoulder pad to re-wash it. Its fixed and looks similar but it will do. The Bastion I plan to paint in stages (never glued it together fully as I wanted to be able to transport it in its box), so I'll fully paint, add transfers and weather the base of it first, then move on to the middle section then the roof and gun. But I have a plan for that, needless to say a fair few transfers are going to go on there, not too many to make it feel 'busy' but enough to give it some identitiy.

[Vazzy]

Are you going to change up the crozious to a more chaplainy head? Just wondering thats all

[No Foes Remain]

You can't really see it from that angle but I took off the front mace-line thing and added this to the front of it. I'll try to get a better pic of it tomorrow.

[Vazzy]

Hah, That's actually what I was going to suggest, it really does make a good crozious head. I'm assuming you're going to clean up the models before priming? Other than that, excellent work on posing, etc.

[No Foes Remain]

I know, I saw that in my bitz box and put it infront of the mace and boom instant crozious. And I have already cleaned up the models as best as I can, I just took the pics before 'cos I don't have the smarts.

 

When my primer arrives tomorrow I'll prime then re-attach the FW shoulder pads and get the base layer of leadbelcher down and take some pics then, and this time I'll try to get a few different angles.

[Vazzy]

Cool, I was just wondering, mold lines are my bane as I want to Paint Paint Paint, never mind cleanup. Looking forward to see some paint on em. Any plans for background ala Heathens?

[No Foes Remain]

Yeah, I'm working on something. More like a little short story featuring their background as to why they were chosen for the 18th Maniple.

[No Foes Remain]

Primer didn't arrive today, so after work I got working on the Bastion. I just added a single coat of Codex Grey to it, I did take a picture but it didn't look any different so didn't bother uploading it. Hopefully my primer will arrive tomorrow and I can get working on the Astral Claws themsevles.

 

Apart from the Bastion I got this done today, working on another part to it but thats it for now. Feel free to comment and critisise it, never been much of a writer or painter so this thread will be full of reverlations.

 

 

 

 

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The warrior walked through the dark hallways which lead to the throne room. He still had to learn the full layout of the Palace but the routes that he needed to know had already been committed to his edict memory by walking through the corridors and hallways, taking paths and memorising where they went and how long it took to get from one location to another.

 

As he drew near to the massive throne room doors, he noticed two massive figures standing either side. Massive due to the armour that they wore, the two figures were members from the veteran company and their master’s personal guard. Both were known to him as his former comrades.

 

‘Brother Jaris, Brother Orix. Good to see you again.’ The warrior nodded as he approached.
 

‘Brother-Sergeant’ they both said in unison, an edge of humour to their tone suggested a joke that the warrior-sergeant was not privy to. 'The Tyrant permits you to enter.’
 

As if by speaking the words alone, the giant doors opened. The warrior-sergeant entered and the door was closed behind him with an echoing boom. It was dark and barely lit, only due to his gene-enhanced eye sight was he able to pierce the blackness.
 

‘Brother-Sergeant Lukas...’ The voice was young and deep, echoing around the large chamber but the warrior-sergeant was able to trace its origin to the opposite side where he saw a figure seated upon a large throne. ‘It is good to see you, brother.’

 

‘My lord-’ Lukas, the warrior-sergeant, began to kneel but was stopped mid-way.
 

‘No, Lukas. You need never to kneel to me.’ The figure rose and walked towards him.
 

Even when they were squad-brothers, the figure had always been slightly taller than the rest of his brothers and here in his masterly crafted Tactical Dreadnought Armour he was even taller. The figure had forgone his back-banner and his heavy flamer which was usually situated on his left arm, but still carried his Ghost Razors equipped to his right gauntlet.
 

‘Understood, my Tyrant.’ Lukas rose and looked at his Commander.

 

‘Call me Huron, Lukas.’
 

At that moment, Lukas swore that he could see the slight beginnings of a smile at the edge of the Tyrant of Badab’s lips. But it was gone as soon as he saw it.
 

‘Yes, Huron. I must confess I didn’t want to expect such familiarity with you, standards of decorum and all.’ Lukas relaxed his posture, going from ram-rod straight to off centre with his arms crossed.
 

‘In public, yes. But since it’s just us here I thought it would be appropriate.’ Huron turned and with a flick of his claw, suggested that Lukas were to follow.

 

‘I take it that you want to know how my investigation went?’ If anyone outside the Tyrant’s inner-circle were to hear them talk with such a relaxed attitude, they would think that they were listening to one person such was the similarity in their voices. The only difference was that the Tyrant's had an edge of authority to it, where as Lukas' was more of one who was used to following orders rather than giving them.

 

Years of Huron serving as Lukas’ second in command when he lead a Tactical Squad in the Third Company, prior to Lukas being promoted to the First Company, lead them being very close brothers and often knowing what the other was thinking. That latter fact was still eminent between them, to a certain extent.

 

‘Yes, though you being here alone suggests that you couldn’t find who attacked us?’ The Tyrant turned back to Lukas just before his throne, curiosity rather than anger in his eyes.
 

Lukas sighed, he had been assigned by Huron to investigate who attacked them, at what was known to the Invaders as the Betrayal at Grief, and disrupted the potential cease-fire between both sides of the conflict.

 

‘No, as far as I can find out it was a band of pirates operating in the Maelstrom itself who can benefit from the war carrying on by raiding worlds without fear of reprisals. Since we’re too busy killing each other.’ Lukas muttered the last sentence out, knowing the Tyrant would know of his distaste of fighting other Imperial Forces but was openly hostile about them invading their holdings at the behest of strung up, fat, decadent, wastes of human skin.

 

‘I suspected as much. Needless to say they must be stopped.’ Huron handed Lukas a data-slate that he took from the arm of his throne. ‘They seem to be targeting Soris, resources from which, we will need if the war is to continue.’

 

‘So send a small contingent of Astral Claws to base themselves on the world and secure it.’ Lukas said, memorising all the information on the data-slate before handing it back to Huron.
 

‘I am. You are hereby promoted to Centurion and ordered to assemble a force, a handful no more than a demi-company, and put an end to these raids.’ The Tyrant declared, anyone else would have been humbled yet Lukas just took it in his stride.
 

‘Understood, I have an idea of who to pick for it.’ Lukas shifted, not knowing whether to voice his thoughts. Screw it, ‘Why me
though? Why promote me to deal with this and not anyone else?’

 

‘Simple, because if you handed been so damn stubborn you would have been a Company Captain by now. And I trust you, brother.’
 

Lukas laughed, ‘I thought you once said that trust was a commodity that we couldn’t afford anymore?’
 

Huron smiled, ‘I did, but never-the-less I trust you. You opened the way for me to become Captain of the Third and managed to talk around two Captains to support my promotion to the role of Chapter Master. If anything, I owe it to you.’
 

‘You owe me nothing, Lufgt. I saw the potential in you to become a great commander, I just removed the one thing in the way of that. Me.’ Anyone else would have assumed that Lukas had snapped at his Chapter Master, but it was an argument they’ve had many times before.
 

‘Regardless, Centurion, assemble your force and take the Strike Cruiser Justicia and set out for Soris as soon as possible. The invaders
aren’t aware of its location as of yet, but that doesn’t mean that they won’t learn of it in time and send an investigation force.’ The Tyrant turned and returned to his throne.
 

‘Understood, my Tyrant.’ Lukas bowed and turned to leave.

 

He was a few steps from the door when he heard a whisper.
 

‘Good luck, brother...’
 

‘Luck is for the weak, I rely on skill alone.’ The newly promoted Centurion whispered back.

[Vazzy]

I like it man, Lukas sounds like a bad ass. 

[No Foes Remain]

Never meant to, but now as I re-read it he does doesn't he...

 

Primer didn't arrive today, damnit. Guess I'll continue painting my bastion and working on the rest of the story, should have another part up later and maybe the bastion if I'm happy with the grey, and it shows up in the pictures, and if I have time to get some of the metal parts painted.

[Vazzy]

What Primer are you using? A vallejo one?

[Hyaenidae]

More Astral Claws! About damn time, lol. The story is pretty cool, and I'm digging that Chaplain.

 

Keep 'em coming!

[No Foes Remain]

What Primer are you using? A vallejo one?

I was going to get that, but the online store I order my paints and stuff from had it sold out so I got the GW one at just about half-price-ish. Which has arrived today so I'm going to get priming the shoulder pads then get painting.

 

More Astral Claws! About damn time, lol. The story is pretty cool, and I'm digging that Chaplain.

 

Keep 'em coming!

You have no idea how much that means, once I've primed the shoulder pads then I'll put one the first coat of paint and get some more pics of them.

[No Foes Remain]

Damn resin shoulder pads. Only one out of the seven I have attached to the bikers, chappy and lib will let the primer set on it. The rest it continues to run as if it was heavily watered down, looks like I need to wash them a third time. I hope the third time is the charm. If not, tempers will be lost.

[Vazzy]

How are you washing them? Just soapy water?

[Hyaenidae]

I've had this same problem. Solution? Paint it the best you can and as thin as you can, wait until the scattered paint dries, then do it again. And again. And again.

 

Scout's honor. I've had to do this with almost every FW piece for both my Astral Claws and my MM's. Still come out great.

[Vazzy]

I've had this same problem. Solution? Paint it the best you can and as thin as you can, wait until the scattered paint dries, then do it again. And again. And again.

 

Scout's honor. I've had to do this with almost every FW piece for both my Astral Claws and my MM's. Still come out great.

That's interesting, I've never had that issue with any of my FW stuff and I've bought a ton of it, (For an 18 year old in any case)

[No Foes Remain]

@Vazzy: Yep, warm soapy water.

 

@Heathens: Thanks for the tip, thats exactly what I did. I think the last wash got most of the stuff off and with a fair bit of cursing and swearing (that would make one of your MM flinch) I managed to coat the whole thing in primer, a few of them need touch-ups so I'll be doing that soon and then putting on the base metal layer.

 

So expect pics later today, and maybe another part of the story if I get round to it.

[Hyaenidae]

@Heathens: Thanks for the tip, thats exactly what I did. I think the last wash got most of the stuff off and with a fair bit of cursing and swearing (that would make one of your MM flinch) I managed to coat the whole thing in primer, a few of them need touch-ups so I'll be doing that soon and then putting on the base metal layer.

 

After my cussin' fit at the Vindicator, I highly doubt it, lol.

 

Glad it worked, man. Pictures or it didn't happen.

[No Foes Remain]

Funny you say that Heathens....

Sergeant L'ten, of Omicron bike squad:

Didn't take a pic of it, but the back of the bike has a blue strip the same as the front. 'Cos it looked boring all silver.

Chaplain Retrix:

^Thats the last thing your murdering bastard-sharks are going to see, Vazzy.

Pic of the front of his Crozius.

The Tyrant's Claw and all the fancy parchment he has on him.

Librarian Gelon (better pics):

Swapped his GK head for a standard SM one, since he looked too GK to me. Also he just came back from the Deathwatch prior to the Badab War, lucky him.

Brother Metri, Omicron Squad:

And the three other dudes who I haven't made- I mean created names for yet.

But thats the base layer done for almost all of them, just need a few touch ups here and there but I like them so far. Silver is much nicer and easier to paint than grey, which most of my chapters have been. Once I've finished the formentioned touch ups and the other two dudes they're all getting a light coat of Nuln oil, just to tone down the silver a bit..

Not a clue how to do the blue, so far I've done Macragge Blue and that seems to be ok. The only thing would be highlights, never done them before due to my stupid shakey hands when it comes to something careful and detailed, and the only other blues I have are Ultramarines blue, Space Wolf Grey, and Fenris Grey. Might do a light Ultra blue as thats a touch lighter than the Macragge blue.

Also, I am not getting any more bikes for this army. They are a pain to paint.

[Vazzy]

Challenge Accepted, Brother Captain... Challenge Accepted....

[Knight of the Raven]

That's the first time I've seen Astral Claws bikes. I like them. Promising start.

I can't advise you on painting, but you might want to remove those nasty mold lines on Mecri and the other bikers.