Scouring-Era Army

[NoLats_McGee]

I've decided to do something a bit different, and start a project based during the Scouring Period after the heresy where the Traitors were chased back to the eye. I'll be focusing on both loyalist and traitor legions, and hope to model most of the legions as they would be during that time.

 

If all goes to plan, it should start off as a whole lot of kill teams which eventually grow into decent-sized armies. I'm a hobbyist first and foremost, so rules and such don't bother me nearly as much as the classic rule of cool. 

 

So my question is, how would the different legions be represented during this period? I have no concrete ideas, and GW haven't touched much on the subject as far as I know. You guys are awesome, so I'd love to get some opinions and use them towards making this idea happen. I imagine the traitor legions are beginning to be corrupted (some much more than others, obviously) with chaos icons and mutations appearing on their power armour. Word Bearers were mentioned as having horns on their helms in a HH novel, so they would probably be quite close vanilla 40k CSM. 

 

The traitors would, in my head, be roughly between the 40k CSM and the 30k legionaries; the process of degradation has begun, but isn't complete, and the Legion identity should still be there. I also imagine there would be much more mismatched/scavenged armour during this time.  

 

So yeah guys.. Feed me ideas!

[Molokai]

Well, after terra, the death guard were full blown nurgle, so you could go crazy with a squad of them.

[Vile Siren]

I would think EC, DG and WB would be close to vanilla chaos during that time period from what we know. I personally hope there will be scouring era books after they are done writing the HH novels; like reading about Papa Smurf being the Regent of Terra and putting the imperium back together or the Iron Cage incident(I think that is in the same time period) or Fulgrim fighting Papa Smurf.

 

Back on topic though... Well for the IF maybe their 1st company would resemble BT or something like that.

[Dragonkin Arenis]

Always been curious to see how someone could pull off a Post-Terra Chaos force, so I'm curious to see what you come up with.

 

The Sons of Horus have just lost their Primarch, and Abbadon is not the Big Bad yet, and I think they are largely still a single Legion and haven't adopted the Black of the Justaerin/mourning for Horus, which is the same for the large majority of the Chaos Legions.

The Emperor's Children are equally not divided just yet, as that happened during the Chaos Legions' early days in the Eye of Terror, but from what I gather they are just doing what they do to get their kicks. Think what the Legion did when they got bored during the Siege and started ransacking the civilians on Terra.
The Word Bearers and Iron Warriors would still be fighting together as a Legion, I think, for different reasons, and both would be fighting a "slow retreat". The Word Bearers because they want to screw up as many planets as possible with their "blasphemous faith" and the Iron Warriors because it's in their very nature Look at the Scouring of Olympia, for example.
We know that the Night Lords flee to Tsagula and their Primarch is killed there during the Scouring before being routed by the Ultramarines and their offshoot Chapters, breaking up into their individual warbands after that.

I believe the Thousand Sons retreat to the Eye because they have to, and I think their stay there results in the Rubric being cast.

The Death Guard are an interesting one. I think largely they would be a Legion, but it is possible that some have split off into warbands already on their own agenda. And the World Eaters are so deranged by that point that I'm genuinely surprised that any of them made it off Terra in the first place, but they would most likely be similar to the Death Guard.

The Alpha Legion is just so sneaky and tied up in its cells (and so controversial) that you can do anything with them, even to the extent of certain cells remaining loyalist in order to aid the plans of the Primarch. But I think their major action during the Scouring is the killing of Roboute Guilliman, so you could theme a force around that.

 

However, the thing with a Scouring Era force is that it's so short and confusing that you could literally theme your force on anything. A group of survivors from various legions banding together in order to escape to the Eye because they were abandoned by their respective Legions; a Company-sized force that fights a protracted guerilla war  against the superior forces of a Loyalist Legion that wipes every last Traitor from the face of the planet. A Loyalist group from a Traitor Legion that turns on their fellows and attempts to join the Imperium; or even a group from a Traitor Legion that is so disillusioned by their comrades that they go completely rogue in a universe that hates them. The possibilities are endless!

[NoLats_McGee]

Dragonkin, very well said. You've given me a lot to think about for when I start this project.

 

One thing I think would be quite common, from a modelling perspective, is mismatched marks of armour between squads or even Astartes. Most squads or forces seen would be haphazardly thrown together from survivors - Many squads would be either killed to a man, or left with a small amount of survivors. This would be modelled by loyalist squads containing astartes with all different marks of armour (Mk III, IV and VI in the same squad, for instance), as well as astartes with a mismatch of armour - different marks or varieties on their helms, shoulders etc.

 

As for Chaos, I think using a lot of CSM Bitz is fair game. The corruption will have begun, and the mutations along with it. Not full CSM, but not full loyalist either. Something way cooler ;D

Also, BATTLE DAMAGE +10 on everything. 

[Olis]

As a note - you can get away with Mk VII power armour for a Scouring Era army. The armour saw combat at the Siege of Terra, after all.

[Dragonkin Arenis]

Dragonkin, very well said. You've given me a lot to think about for when I start this project.

 

One thing I think would be quite common, from a modelling perspective, is mismatched marks of armour between squads or even Astartes. Most squads or forces seen would be haphazardly thrown together from survivors - Many squads would be either killed to a man, or left with a small amount of survivors. This would be modelled by loyalist squads containing astartes with all different marks of armour (Mk III, IV and VI in the same squad, for instance), as well as astartes with a mismatch of armour - different marks or varieties on their helms, shoulders etc.

 

As for Chaos, I think using a lot of CSM Bitz is fair game. The corruption will have begun, and the mutations along with it. Not full CSM, but not full loyalist either. Something way cooler ;D

 

Also, BATTLE DAMAGE +10 on everything. 

 

Using mixed plate is an excellent idea. Personally, I'm planning on having lots of mixed armour marks on the Scouring-Era "Renegade" Emperor's Children that I'm planning. It helps to emphasise how broken and confusing the period was, with most Legions trying to recover from the catastrophic losses they have just suffered (bar the Ultramarines and Space Wolves, of course) and trying to reorganise themselves into an effective fighting force. This can be reflected by having a Breacher marine (sans shield) in a Tactical Squad because the rest of his unit was wiped out, or even including members from Heavy Support or Tactical Support Squads to maximise the punch individual squads can bring to the field.

There is literally anything you can do with a Scouring-Era force.

 

Battle Damage +25 is far better...

 

What rules were you thinking of using for the force(s)?

[NoLats_McGee]

 

Dragonkin, very well said. You've given me a lot to think about for when I start this project.

 

One thing I think would be quite common, from a modelling perspective, is mismatched marks of armour between squads or even Astartes. Most squads or forces seen would be haphazardly thrown together from survivors - Many squads would be either killed to a man, or left with a small amount of survivors. This would be modelled by loyalist squads containing astartes with all different marks of armour (Mk III, IV and VI in the same squad, for instance), as well as astartes with a mismatch of armour - different marks or varieties on their helms, shoulders etc.

 

As for Chaos, I think using a lot of CSM Bitz is fair game. The corruption will have begun, and the mutations along with it. Not full CSM, but not full loyalist either. Something way cooler ;D

 

Also, BATTLE DAMAGE +10 on everything. 

 

Using mixed plate is an excellent idea. Personally, I'm planning on having lots of mixed armour marks on the Scouring-Era "Renegade" Emperor's Children that I'm planning. It helps to emphasise how broken and confusing the period was, with most Legions trying to recover from the catastrophic losses they have just suffered (bar the Ultramarines and Space Wolves, of course) and trying to reorganise themselves into an effective fighting force. This can be reflected by having a Breacher marine (sans shield) in a Tactical Squad because the rest of his unit was wiped out, or even including members from Heavy Support or Tactical Support Squads to maximise the punch individual squads can bring to the field.

There is literally anything you can do with a Scouring-Era force.

 

Battle Damage +25 is far better...

 

What rules were you thinking of using for the force(s)?

 

I was actually never thinking about rules, haha. I always go by what is cool first, and then figure out how to play it second. I'm a hobbyist first, and I'm mostly into the heresy for the artistic side of it. The heresy just looked so rad :O

 

As for your idea with the breacher marine in the tactical squad, that's exactly the kind of thing I wanted to go for. Tactical squads being a mismatch of units due to the desparation of the situation. No time for orderly units with the same modus operandi- just chase the traitors! The same goes for the traitor legions of course. I would love to see World Eaters semi-sane tactical marines in a squad with batcuss crazy berserkers.

 

I'd also love to make forces comprised of piecemeal istvaan survivors like we see in the books. A squad of Sallies, Iron Hands and Raven Guard together would be very interesting. Not to mention fun to paint :D 

 

As a note - you can get away with Mk VII power armour for a Scouring Era army. The armour saw combat at the Siege of Terra, after all.

 

I was thinking that. I actually thought it could be cool to use Mk VII armour on sergeants or high-ranking loyal legionaries only, showing that it's just come out of production and is the 'new fancy shiny' in the Imperium. 

 

One idea I absolutely love is modelling the traitors, with their new mindset. They're not fuelled by glorious ambition to seize the Imperium anymore. It's all over for them, Horus' grand dream is dead and buried. It's no longer about a 'righteous' war, or a glorious rebellion. It's about survival, and running away. 

[Honda]

I think from a Loyalist perspective, you'll also be able to mix Fists and Ultramarines, in sort of a crusade looking army. Also it's very likely that the proto-Templars could get mixed in.

 

I too, think that this could be a very interesting time period from a modeling perspective. One of the "themes" I'll be exploring is a blending  of warriors from various legions to get an army. So, it seems very likely that I could have Fists, proto-Templars, Blood Angels, and Ultramarines all represented.

 

What's not clear to me during this time is where the Wolves and the DA are? Also, at what point do the DA change from their black livery?

 

I think you're really going to enjoy the possibilities.

[Leif Bearclaw]

It

helps to emphasise how broken and confusing the period was, with most

Legions trying to recover from the catastrophic losses they have just

suffered (bar the Ultramarines and Space Wolves, of course) and trying

to reorganise themselves into an effective fighting force.

I'm a fairly behind on the HH novels at this point, but doesn't the XIII take an almighty pasting at Calth (I've seen 100,000+ marines lost bandied about)? While they undoubtedly could absorb such losses and remain pretty combat effective, I'm pretty sure 40% of the Legion's strength (unless they've been upped in number from approx 250,000) can count as catastrophic, and they'd be as battered looking as any other Legion by the Scouring. Wolves, I don't know, depends on how badly the Sons bled them on Prospero (which certainly wouldn't be as bad as what happened to the Istvaan Legions, but probably still was a decent butcher's bill), coupled with engagements in the run up to Terra (like the showdown with the Alpha Legion in one of the more recent books?).

 

Overall, I'd say all the Legions post heresy would be a somewhat ramshackle affair of composite units and varied armour marks.

 

What's not clear to me during this time is where the Wolves and the DA are? Also, at what point do the DA change from their black livery?

As far as I'm aware, the Wolves throw themselves whole hog into driving the Traitors out of the galaxy. This is also the period of the Fall of Caliban (unless that's been retconned), so recovering from that probably took the DAs some time. I also think it was after the loss of Caliban that they changed their armnour to green.

 

Edited to fix formatting.

[Dragonkin Arenis]

It helps to emphasise how broken and confusing the period was, with most

Legions trying to recover from the catastrophic losses they have just

suffered (bar the Ultramarines and Space Wolves, of course) and trying

to reorganise themselves into an effective fighting force.

I'm a fairly behind on the HH novels at this point, but doesn't the XIII take an almighty pasting at Calth (I've seen 100,000+ marines lost bandied about)? While they undoubtedly could absorb such losses and remain pretty combat effective, I'm pretty sure 40% of the Legion's strength (unless they've been upped in number from approx 250,000) can count as catastrophic, and they'd be as battered looking as any other Legion by the Scouring. Wolves, I don't know, depends on how badly the Sons bled them on Prospero (which certainly wouldn't be as bad as what happened to the Istvaan Legions, but probably still was a decent butcher's bill), coupled with engagements in the run up to Terra (like the showdown with the Alpha Legion in one of the more recent books?).

I haven't read anything since 'Mechanicum', so I'm pretty far behind myself.

If my fluff is correct, even though the Ultras took a battering at Calth, etc., they still have more manpower than the other Legions after the Heresy, but until we see the FW book with the Ultramarines in, we won't get a definitive answer for the number of losses they suffered at Calth. Besides, they had enough survivors to endure the Scouring and create many Successor Chapters during the Second Founding. And I agree that they would still look as battered and beaten as any other Legion after the Heresy, but it's still possible that Ultramar is pumping out enough weapons and armour to rearm the Legion with new, "parade ground" armour during the Scouring.

Because the Ultra's are vain like that

As for the Wolves, The only fight I am aware of them taking part in is Prospero, but I'm probably wrong in that assumption.

[jeremy1391]

The wolves and dark angels also undertook a campaign to get to the battle of terra liberating imperial worlds along the way.

[Relict]

It helps to emphasise how broken and confusing the period was, with most

Legions trying to recover from the catastrophic losses they have just

suffered (bar the Ultramarines and Space Wolves, of course) and trying

to reorganise themselves into an effective fighting force.

I'm a fairly behind on the HH novels at this point, but doesn't the XIII take an almighty pasting at Calth (I've seen 100,000+ marines lost bandied about)? While they undoubtedly could absorb such losses and remain pretty combat effective, I'm pretty sure 40% of the Legion's strength (unless they've been upped in number from approx 250,000) can count as catastrophic, and they'd be as battered looking as any other Legion by the Scouring. Wolves, I don't know, depends on how badly the Sons bled them on Prospero (which certainly wouldn't be as bad as what happened to the Istvaan Legions, but probably still was a decent butcher's bill), coupled with engagements in the run up to Terra (like the showdown with the Alpha Legion in one of the more recent books?).

I haven't read anything since 'Mechanicum', so I'm pretty far behind myself.

If my fluff is correct, even though the Ultras took a battering at Calth, etc., they still have more manpower than the other Legions after the Heresy, but until we see the FW book with the Ultramarines in, we won't get a definitive answer for the number of losses they suffered at Calth. Besides, they had enough survivors to endure the Scouring and create many Successor Chapters during the Second Founding. And I agree that they would still look as battered and beaten as any other Legion after the Heresy, but it's still possible that Ultramar is pumping out enough weapons and armour to rearm the Legion with new, "parade ground" armour during the Scouring.

Because the Ultra's are vain like that

As for the Wolves, The only fight I am aware of them taking part in is Prospero, but I'm probably wrong in that assumption.

The Calth muster represented a significant portion of the UMs, but by no means all. There were still plenty of well-equipped UM formations left on garrison duty in Ultramar. Judging by the way FW has been retconning the number of legionaries that each legion contained, I wouldn't be surprised to see the UMs has having a strength of 400,000 when the book on Calth rolls out.

The SWs also fought a fleet action against the AL, suffering heavy losses in the process.