A Holy Work - The Three Hives Rebellion

[deathspectersgt7]

Yes great stuff.

[Cain21]

Truly a fun read.

[Inquisitor Eisenhorn]

Brilliant.

[Argent aquila]

absolutely love this thread.

 

only gets better and better!

[JackDaw]

Evening gents, and thanks for your continued kind words :)

 

@ TheWarmaster - I see my reputation precedes me...Not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing ;) Great to hear you enjoyed the High House Of Chains - that's all done and dusted now, take a look if you haven't already. Hope you enjoy this one again.

 

@ DeathSpectreSgt7 - thanks brother :)

 

@ Antarius - thanks as well :)

 

@ Cain21 - much appreciated Brother, I'm very proud of the background for this army so I hope you enjoy it.

 

@ Inquisitor Eisenhorn - much appreciated :)

 

@ Argent Aquila - hope you enjoy what's to come :)

 

So what is to come? Well, plenty more from the Three Hives Rebellion for a start. After that, it's time for the IXth Legion to defend the walls of Terra...

 

Cheers,

 

Jack

[Marshal Rohr]

Horus Heresy Blood Angels? Made my day.

[JackDaw]

Escalation – the blade unsheathed.

“Sections thirteen to nineteen clear. Count eight heavy armour units, four light units destroyed. Fifty three enemy combatants eliminated. No losses. Ammunition expenditure within tolerance levels. Thyr redeploying to sections twenty through thirty.

Praetor...this is poor sport. There is no glory here”

Intercepted secure-vox transmission believed to have originated from Astartes Veteran, designation unknown.

***Begin Record

 

As with all Astartes Chapters, the Tactical squad forms the solid backbone of the Iron Talon forces. Whilst other Company Blades of the Talons heavily favour Assault Astartes and rely on a minimum of Tactical Astartes as support, the 5th is renowned for the depth and strength of its Tactical Blades – though perhaps unsurprisingly given the genetic and doctrinal inheritance of the White Scars, Iron Talon Tactical Blades are most comfortable operating in lighting quick strikes at point blank range with the enemy. Drop pod and Rhino transports are often used to deliver massed ranks of Astartes into the heart of the enemy, shattering battle lines before they have even formed properly and fracturing combat formations. This is the arena in which the Astartes excel and in which their terrifying post-human nature is their greatest weapon – few indeed are those can remain resolute in the face of the gene-hanced assault of the Astartes.

 

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Shown here deploying across the blasted plains to the north-east of the Namas Highway southern continent roadways, Tactical Blade Thyr prepares to engage Secessionist armour elements alongside Predator support. Led by the Veteran Caanan Dujek, this Tactical Blade sports a terrifying array of firepower from the ever-reliable Godwyn pattern bolter to the Hel-pattern plasma gun and Steelbreaker multi-melta. It is the inclusion of these last two armaments especially that points towards this Tactical Blades particular role on the battlefield – the location and elimination of enemy armour units and elite formations. The Hel-pattern plasma gun has proven to be a very reliable mark, with misfire occurrences in the lower tenth percentile and the power to take apart light vehicles as easily as heavily armoured infantry. This particular example sports heavy carbon scoring across the muzzle and fire-vents, indicating prolonged use – this Astartes would do well to change the muzzle array before further heat build from sustained firing results in warping of the muzzle framework and an unacceptable reduction in accuracy.

 

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The Steelbreaker melta-unit deployed by the central Astartes is an immense weapon system that only the gene-bred bulk of the Astartes could hope to wield to any effect during battle. As with all melta-weaponry, armour is no protection against its unkind attentions, especially at the close ranges that the Iron Talons favour – it is for this reason that the multi-melta is preferred over the more static and range-reliant lascannon by the sons of the Talons. Flanking this Astartes, his brother consults an auspex array, no doubt identifying the next unfortunate target for Thyr to eliminate. To the fore, the closest Astartes can be seen preparing to deploy a fragmentation pattern grenade, his out-stretched bolter clear indication that enemy crews surviving the destruction of their iron mounts will not be at peace for long.

 

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In clear evidence across all ten brothers of Tactical Blade Thyr is the Talons preference for non-standard squad markings and power armour mark combinations. Observers would be hard-pressed to identify a single Astartes clad in a full suit of Mk VII or VI plate. Kill-tokens and trophies adorn the battle-plate of several brothers along with other non-standard modifications to both helms, plate sections and bolters. As referenced before, this borderline barbaric appearance often resulted in Imperial forces viewing the Iron Talons with some suspicion, exacerbated by the fact that when the Talons eventually did join their efforts on Aren Prime with existing Imperial military actions, the idiosyncratic squad designations made it difficult for Imperial commanders to reliably identify what Astartes were fighting alongside them and what role they would perform in the field.

 

http://i894.photobucket.com/albums/ac145/Jackdaw1982/Iron%20Talons%20Adeptus%20Astartes/IMG1370_zps4fd22474.jpg

 

Caanan Dujek has walked the Imperium of Man as an Astartes for close to two hundred and fifty years now, serving as the Veteran of Thyr for the last 30 of those. There is little that this hardened warrior has not seen and his voice was one of the loudest raised in protest at the deployment of the 5th to Aren Prime, his bitterness at his removal from the Blackmaw Subjugation evident to see. Clad in a hybrid battle plate of Mk IV and V pieces, Dujek is an imposing figure and wields a bolter-plasma combi weapon – a rare weapon that only sharpens the bite of Thyr’s firepower. Hidden from view is Dujek’s augmetic left arm, legacy of the encounters with the daemonic infestation of Charbydis-9 by the plague-ridden vassals of [REDACTED]. Disdaining the power weapon variants commonly used by Astartes Veterans, Dujek instead hefts a simple chainsword, albeit one that is wielded with the strength and speed of an Astartes behind it. The reasons behind this choice are unknown, though the older brothers of Tactical Blade Thyr have been known to remark that Dujek has unfortunate luck with powered weapons, citing a higher rate of weapon malfunctions than any other brother of the 5th. The subtle nuances of Astartes humour are sadly lost upon the outside observer.

 

During the Aren Prime Interdiction, Tactical Blade Thyr reaped a fearsome tally amongst the Secessionist armour elements, often deployed via Rhino alongside the Predators of the 5th. Operating on their own recognisance for extended periods, Thyr harried  Secessionist armour units across the length of Namas Highway and its outlying plans and sub-roadways, leaving a broken and burning  trail of metal in their wake. With the escalation of military efforts and the roused wroth of the Iron Talons after Reclamation Action 80/db-3, Tactical Blade Thyr found their fearsome firepower directed at a very different target and suffered a grievous price for their continued butchers tally.
 

***End Record

[JackDaw]

Escalation - cleanse and burn

"We heard that the Astartes had moved north, towards the continental bridges and dockyard ares running off the Namas. Fairs fair - the Secessionists didn't seem to have an answer to the Astartes. They just melted away. Still, can't say I blame them. Got a tac-rep from Seventeenth platoon, Clancer's lot - tough bastards all. Clancer said they'd followed ten Astartes into a township hab-build about seven kliks south-east of the nothern coast. The area was lousy with Secessionists, dug in like ticks on a dogs back. Clancer's tac-rep said that he'd been approached by one of the Astartes, told to wait for one hour before advancing. He gave them thirty minutes and followed in. Now, some of those boys have seen some serious crap, they've seen and done things even I ain't sure of. But what Clancer said he found.......Throne, it doesn't even sound possible, sounds more like something from the pop-pics. Thirty minutes was all it took for those Astartes to break that Secessionist force. Multiple kills, for no losses. The Astartes moved on pretty quick. Clancer said his boys wouldn't have followed them if Sebastian Thor himself had asked him to."

First Captain Morlan Assant, 3rd platoon 131st Malaz Heavy Infantry. Acting field commander following the Namas Highway Incident, Aren Prime Secession.

***Begin image record

 

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Intercepted Secessionist tac-images clearly show Assault elements of the Astartes involved in building to building clearance of the Cogan's Bluff township. Post action investigation reveals no Secessionist forces evaded Astartes engagement during this reclamation action.

 

http://i894.photobucket.com/albums/ac145/Jackdaw1982/Iron%20Talons%20Adeptus%20Astartes/IMG1408_zps4d778b70.jpg

 

Further images recovered from Arbite-installed population surveillance cam-drones show Astartes forces engaged in street-level maneuvers. Imperial tac-logists unable to positively identify third Astartes in line, early armour identification and Astartes heraldry pattern-analysis provide 70% possibility of command level Astartes presence, further 55% possibility of Chaplain designation.

 

***End image record

[deathspectersgt7]

Another Cool up-date Caanan Dujek looks Brutal, like the fact he prefers the Chainsword. Assualt Marines .

[Argent aquila]

ran out of likes.....

loving this even more than valedor, i put the book down mid page when i saw an update for your stuff!

can't wait for more.

[November]

Fantastic stuff - your logs on Warseer were a massive inspiration to work on my own space marines.

 

At the risk of a knock back, I love the Talons and their scheme, would you have any problems with me working on a Blade of my own?

[deathspectersgt7]

Would like to see that was thinking the same thing. What pad is the one you use on the left?

[Seathal]

Very cool and entertaining way of presenting your chapter. Please do go on!

[TGrizzly]

Awesome work, I hope you don't mind if I steal this format for a WIP thread I want to do soon?

[Montuhotep]

Would like to see that was thinking the same thing. What pad is the one you use on the left?

Almost looks like Emperor's Children to me.

[JackDaw]

Evening all, hope things are good.

 

@ Marshal2Crusaders - ha, yeah, people do seem to be excited by that prospect. Just hope I don't let anyone down.

 

@ Deathspectresgt7 - thanks man, much appreciated. Dujek is one of my favourite conversions in the army, he's got a nice solid look to him. And the Chapter symbol pads are indeed the Emperors Children pads, with the studs filed down.

 

@ Argent Aquila - haha too many likes. Awesome. Loads more to come, so don't use all your Likes at once ;)

 

@ November - ah thanks very much fella. It'd be great to see another Talons Blade out there - when you fancy doing it, drop me a PM and I can give you a quick outline of how they are organised, the Chapter 'personality' and the things they have and have not.

 

@ Seathal - thanks fella, pretty much every hobby-project I do gets this level of fluff and thought behind it.

 

@ TGrizzly - course not mate, feel free to use the same format. I doubt I'm the first to think it up :)

 

@ Paladin7221 - spot on fella.

 

So, few more posts to come from me tonight, showing off more of the 5th Blade. Also managed to get my first 10 man HH Tactical squad for the IXth Legion assembled, barring a little gs-work. A buddy and I are just working out a few details in regards to some linked background and fluff, but that project should be kicking off soon I guess. Be cool to have you all along for the ride on that one as well.

 

Cheers all

Jack

[JackDaw]

Escalation – a blade first amongst equals

“Yeah we captured some good pics, real stirring prop-lit stuff – the Astartes against the skyline, entering the township, that sorta thing. What? Did they know we were there? How the frak should I know? Ask them. Anyway, Hansen had the great idea of following them in, getting some real meat you know? The glorious Astartes in action against the heathen Secessionists. Frak me, there was nothing glorious  about what we saw in there. “

Excerpt from Inquisitorial interrogation of Peitrs Viller, war-rep journalist for Skyfall news-affiliate. Image recordings sequestered for later destruction.

***Begin Record

 

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For any Astartes force, the Tactical Squad is the finest weapon available. Unstoppable in advance, resolute in defence and flexible enough to react to any threat, there is little that can stand before a full Tactical Squad of Astartes in their righteous fury. The Iron Talons are no exception – we have already noted the emphasis that the 5th Company Blade placed upon Tactical Astartes, contrary to their Assault-heavy brother companies, and amongst the 5th, Tactical Blade Rashan holds a unique position as the first amongst equals. Often deployed in the vanguard of any assault or defence, Rashan are renowned for their accuracy under fire, their dependability and their willingness to adapt to the fluidity of the battlefield. Many times Rashan has formed the steel spine around which the rest of the Talons force moves, their solid reassuring presence in the battleline an ironclad promise that none shall face them and live. The casual observer may find this reputation somewhat contradictory with the appearance of Rashan themselves – they bear no heavy weaponry of note, no devastating combat blades, no warriors of legend walk amongst them – they are as they appear, simply ten Tactical Astartes wielding the holy bolter. However, it is this very simplicity that is Rashan’s greatest strength and their clarity of purpose that is their greatest weapon. Tactical Blade Rashan are killers, pure and simple. Their role is the extermination of any foe that sullies the realm of the Imperium with its presence and that threatens their brothers – Rashan know their place in the order of battle and knowing that their brothers will eliminate armoured threats or enemy psykers allows Rashan to focus their murderous skills on the reaping of enemy lives, something they excel at in all theatres.

 

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Tactical Blade Rashan are shown here deployed in full strength across the plains north-west of Namas Highway junction Zeta-98, moving in support of assault and armour elements of the Iron Talons in one of the largest engagements fought by the Astartes prior to the events of Reclamation Action 82/db-3. Imperial forces in the area were caught unawares by the sudden deployment of the Astartes and  their rapid engagement of a large Secessionist force containing combined heavy and light infantry units and light armour support.  Suffice to say, the Secessionist numbers counted for little in the face of the Astartes assault and the enemy were routed for no fatal losses on the part of the Talons. Rashan can be clearly seen bring the full weight of their firepower against an enemy formation, the thunderous crash of bolters echoed by the heavier fire of the large-bore heavy-bolter variant hefted by one brother. The bolter is the perfect anti-personnel weapon, mass-reactive rounds ensuring that even a minor hit causes catastrophic organic damage and retaining enough power to chew through all but the heaviest armour. In the hands of Astartes the bolter is especially deadly, their preternatural accuracy only enhanced by the kill-tags and targeting matrices employed by the machine spirits of their battle-plate. Thus, even moving at pace, an Astartes can keep up a fearsome hit/kill ratio and a full unit firing in concert can break the foe in seconds. Underpinning all of this is the psychological aspects of Astartes firepower – one bolter is a loud weapon, ten fired in a sustained manner in unison is a thunderous cacophony of destruction, as though the God-Emperor himself roared in fury.

 

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We have already detailed the role played in the early stages of the Aren Prime Reclamation Action by Tactical Blade Rashan and early pic-caps relating to their near savage appearance can be found in earlier reports submitted for this record. Suffice to say, Rashan typifies the somewhat lax approach taken to Codex-dictated appearance by the Iron Talons, power amour hybrids of several marks each painted in a bone lacquer and each brother bearing the red right arm prescribed by the almost barbaric initiation traditions of the Talons (ref ‘The Letting’). It is pertinent to note that encounters with Tactical Blade Rashan were the first recorded by the Imperial military presence on Aren Prime, the consequences of fleeting meetings with the assured calculating killers of Rashan no doubt colouring further Imperial opinions of the Iron Talons. The particularly observant may have noted one Astartes, seen in the fore of the bottom left quadrant of the second pic-cap who does not bear the red right arm displayed so prominently by his brethren and whose armour displays a further degree of ornamentation compared to his peers. Partially identified by post-mortem tissue analysis, this Astartes has been tentatively named by Imperial savants as Brother Trevant Arasc, and investigation of the remains of his battle plate indicate that he had begun training as an Astartes Chaplain before his death at the hands of Secessionist [REDACTED]. Closer inspection of this warriors power armour shows that he bears the Imperial Laurels on his left kneepad, a rare example of a traditional Codex Astartes honour marking and clear evidence that Brother Arasc was a warrior to be reckoned with. The reinforced left shoulder plating and box magazine fitted to his bolter would lead the informed observer to assume that Brother Arasc was particularly proficient at close quarters work, possibly with building clearance in mind. Moreover, one can infer that Brother Arasc was an especially pious Astartes, therefore well suited to the doctrinal rigours of the Chaplaincy. It should be noted that piety to this extent is rare amongst the ranks of the Iron Talons who venerate the Emperor as a mighty warrior rather than a God. In any case, Imperial representatives found that when eventually brought to the table, Iron Talons Astartes displayed an often disinterested attitude to worship, one that some whispered bordered on near-heretical agnostic leanings.

 

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Tactical Blade Rashan has been led for the last three-score years by the Veteran Astartes Kalas Juvens, known as the Ironback by the brothers of the 5th for his unyielding stance in battle. Juvens wears a reconditioned suit of MkVII plate, bearing increased reinforcement around the gorget and additional bracing along the thigh and lower calf armour sections. Of particular note is the left shoulder pad – instead of the standard Chapter symbol displayed prominently, Juvens instead sports a simple plain pad mounted with a tattered remnant of banner. As a Veteran of the 5th, Juvens has earned the right to display heraldry or markings of a personal nature rather than the Chapter symbol and in place of the iron winged talon, Juvens bears the ragged remnants of an Astartes banner, tentatively identified through heraldry recognition programs as belonging to the Argent Crucifers Chapter. Perusal of the military records of both the Iron Talons and Argent Crucifers show that both Chapters were deployed in the cleansing of Charybdis-9, a hard fought crusade against the daemonic legions of [REDACTED] that forged an unlikely bond between the Crucifers and the Talons, two Chapters that could not be more different in personality. Somewhat atypically for an Astartes Veteran, Juvens bears only a standard Godwyn-pattern bolter holding an increased capacity box magazine and does not appear to carry any combat weapons of note. The reasons for this are simple – Juvens leads his warriors from the front, bolter in hand, as an equal. Born a killer and perfected in this art by his Astartes enhancements, Juvens has no need of fancy weaponry to ply his deadly trade and instead faces his enemies armed only with his bolter, his brothers of Rashan and the withering mordant wit that has become his hallmark.

As already noted, Tactical Blade Rashan were the first Iron Talon unit to deploy to Aren Prime planetside and the first to engage Secessionist forces. This infamy amongst enemy forces marked them from an early stage and sadly it was Rashan that would feel the weight of the retribution of Secessionist reprisals once the Aren Prime Reclamation escalated into something more than a simple compliance action.
 

***End Record

[Argent aquila]

Love the character of the squad!

Very we'll executed in paint and background.

[JackDaw]

  Escalation – the tools of war

“Rhino is a fitting name. I’ve seen them driven through walls and still keep rolling on the other side. Couple more main arms wouldn’t go amiss but I guess when you carry ten Astartes you don’t need much else....”

Personal recollections of Sgt Tovin Marx, Armoured Section of 131st Malaz Heavy Infantry, commander of the Strontium Dog Hellhound pattern armour unit.

***Begin Record

The Rhino armoured transport, and its cousin the Razorback, have been a mainstay of Astartes forces since the time of the Great Crusades. Rugged and hard-wearing, the stalwart Rhino chassis has proven itself to be one of the most durable armoured unit patterns in existence, and one well suited to the rigours of Astartes warfare. Able to transport a full ten-strong unit of Astartes both safely and swiftly into the heart of battle, with adequate space for additional ammunition stores and increased vox-contact capabilities, a Rhino armoured transport is commonly attached to every Tactical and Devastator squad in an Astartes company, with a further reserve pool utilised for ad-hoc transport missions. In this at least, the Iron Talons are in agreement with the Codex Astartes, with each Tactical Blade having a dedicated Rhino transport and each smaller Devastator Blade usually accompanied by heavily armed Razorback variant. The mobility afforded to the Talons by the use of such transports sits perfectly within their combat doctrine – the swift powerful strike aimed at severing the enemies head from its shoulders. Clearly inherited from the practices of their Primogenitors, the fleet based nature of the Talons means that the preferred warbike mount of the White Scars is eschewed in favour of drop-pods and Rhino transports, but the  essential rapid close-range nature of their style of warfare remains similar.

 

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Pictured here at station are three such workhorse transports of the Iron Talons. From left to right, we can see Shield-3 – the Rhino transport attached to Tactical Blade Thyr, Shield-2 – a support Razorback pattern transport utilised by the under-strength Tactical Blade Meanas and Shield 7 – a reserve Rhino currently attached to Tactical Blade Rashan. It is pertinent to note the designations applied to each transport and their somewhat generic nature. Standard Astartes tradition is to provide each armoured unit in their arsenal with a proud name, to honour the machine-spirit residing within. The Iron Talons have dispensed with such tradition for purely pragmatic reasons – the nature of their warfare results in a high loss rate of transport vehicles, either through enemy action or the extreme conditions to which they are pushed. Thus, the Talons rely on simple designations for armoured units – transports are Shields, battle tanks such as Predators and Vindicators are Lances, and the heavy transport Land Raiders are referred to as Broadswords. It is rare for an armoured unit to bear an official name though some examples exist, such as the venerable Land Raider Iron Bride that bears Praetor Varras and the Assail to war. The Iron Talons are not alone amongst newer Chapters in making use of advances in servitor technology to crew their war machines – due to their smaller number of Astartes, the Talons feel that dedicated vehicle crew are a luxury that cannot be afforded. Thus their vehicles are often crewed by slaved servitors and dedicated hardwired thralls, usually Aspirants that unable or unwilling to complete the transformation to full Astartes brotherhood, acting in concert with the vehicles machine-spirit. As an example, Rhino and Razorback pattern transports have a hardwired thrall responsible for operation of any weaponry and defensive systems while transporting a Tactical Blade – during this time the Rhino will be driven by a member of the embarked unit. Once the passengers have been deployed, fire-evasion and area denial sub-routines will be performed by the hardwired thrall and machine-spirit, though it has been remarked that the combat performance of such a Rhino lacks the innate flair and skill of an Astartes driver.

 

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Shield-3 is the sole unit-dependent transport shown here, permanently attached to Tactical Blade Thyr. As a frontline combat transport Shield-3 bears a full complement of tactical gear, from the heavy stormbolter mounted on the top copula, to the additional smoke launchers positioned either side of the main chassis. Firing a mix of blind grenades and tinsel, these launchers are intended to confuse both organic and machine optics, ensuring that Shield-3 can protect its valuable cargo for as long as it takes to deliver them into the heart of the enemy. Note that Shield-3 is the sole transport pictured that bears the squad markings adopted by its parent unit – displayed prominently on the right access hatch and top-hatch. This specific Rhino transport has served as Thyr’s combat mount for close to 50 years, with only minor repairs due to attrition and engine-degradation needed in that time.

 

http://i894.photobucket.com/albums/ac145/Jackdaw1982/Iron%20Talons%20Adeptus%20Astartes/IMG1430_zps5539666c.jpg

 

During the Blackmaw subjugation, the dedicated Rhino transport attached to Tactical Blade Rashan was lost to Ork wreckers and deemed unrecoverable before the extraction of the Talons from the crusade theatre. As a result, Shield-7 was attached to Rashan from the reserve pool for the duration of the Aren Prime Reclamation. As a reserve unit most often used for materiel deployment and second/third line transport missions, Shield-7 lacks the stormbolter armament and smoke launcher defensive systems sported by its peer Shield-3 and mounts only a high-gain spotlight and vid-cap array. Under normal circumstances, a refit to a combat ready state would be essential before this armoured unit was considered for front-line operations, however the Talons attitude towards the Aren Prime Reclamation resulted in a somewhat lax approach to combat-readiness and it was deemed that Shield-7 was suitable for use by Tactical Blade Rashan. For their part, while wry comments were made about the lack of teeth to their mount, Rashan found that the spotlight array was useful, especially in the urban pacification and search-and-destroy missions that they commonly undertook. It is then perhaps unsurprising that after the Talons left the immediate environs of Aren Prime, a petition was submitted by the surviving members of Rashan for the permanent attachment of Shield-7 to their unit.

 

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http://i894.photobucket.com/albums/ac145/Jackdaw1982/Iron%20Talons%20Adeptus%20Astartes/IMG1432_zps5fdacfe4.jpg

 

The Razorback variant armoured unit is a hybrid of personnel transport and fire-support unit, providing heavy weapon support for the cost of some transport capacity. Aggressive and rugged, the Razorback is a favoured mount of the Iron Talons, usually attached to the  smaller Devastator Blades as a means of increasing their firepower without increasing squad size. Shield-2 mounts a particularly fearsome armament in the form of twin-linked assault cannons, a weapon option capable of unleashing a torrent of accurate armour-piercing rounds that excels in both anti-personnel and anti-armour use. This particular load-out, mounted to the modular style turret manufactured on several newer Forgeworlds such as Sindon-theta and Port Talmmot, is a favourite of the Iron Talons and means that the under-strength Tactical Blade Meanas can feel confident in dealing Secessionist infantry and armour alike. Shield-2 has served the warriors of the 5th for several hundred years, and while it has been brought close to armour-death on several occasions, no enemy has been able to inflict system-death on the belligerent machine-spirit bound within its metal hide. Unofficially and superstitiously referred to as ‘Hound’' by the Astartes of the 5th, the machine-spirit of Shield-2 has a reputation for its aggressive and eager nature and it has been noted by the Tech-adepts of the Talons that this armoured unit does report a higher than standard burn-out rate on its hardwired thralls and servitors.
 

***End Record

[JackDaw]

Blades Unsheathed - the Assail enter the fray

"Three weeks into clearing Raseen District hab-levels and we were getting nowhere. Secessionist forces had dug into hab-blocks around the Tempelum buildings and were not moving, holding off everything we threw at them. After the ninth day, the Astartes came. We had been expecting more, but only five of them came. Konnar asked where the rest were - one of the Astartes made a grating sound and said they were it. Five Astartes against maybe a hundred mixed Secessionist infantry and their support weapons. Frak me, the Secessionists didn't stand a chance. Those Astartes tore them apart in as much time as it took to think it. Some kind of hi-ex round took out walls, emplacements, heavy armour. Incendiary rounds broke apart fire-teams in bursts of flame, scouring the ruins. Four hours later, Konnar and his boys were securing the Tempelum sector and the Astartes had gone. Throne, I never want to see anything like that again. The worse part? We realised after that the grating sound had been laughter."

Field report of fire-team leader Calin Droost, recon section, 131st Malaz Heavy Infantry Raseen Commercia District, reclamation action 59/Mh-7

***Begin Image Record

 

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Secessionist pic-cam emplacements capture images of Astartes forces engaged in building clearance during several actions in Raseen Commercia District. Non-standard armour marks and ornamentation imply the presence of elite Astartes forces (ref 'The Assail'). Note presence of heavily tech-augmented Astartes on upper level, Imperial tech-savants tentatively identify individual as bearing high-gain vox and auspex tech and possibly being responsible for heavy interference and info-flow sabotage on both Imperial and Secessionist data-flows.

 

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Further images captured of potential Astartes command elements by Secessionist gun-cams and recovered by Inquisitorial tech-agents. Imperial Military Intelligence concerned by appearance of Astartes on far left of Iron Talons Praetor - no markings common to the Iron Talons Astartes are present, indicating the presence of a second Astartes Chapter on Aren Prime, unknown to Imperial Command. Efforts are ongoing to cross reference heraldry markings with armour pattern to identify this particular Astartes.

 

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[marine7312000]

Great looking updates, can't wait to see more.

[deathspectersgt7]

Ran out of likes So far this was my favorite update( realised the grating sound was laughter ) love it.

[JackDaw]

Lords of War – Epistolary Lucio Ilm, Bone-caster, the Seer of Ends.

 

“He may bear the bone of the Talons and the crimson of the Letting, but Ilm is not of the 5th. He is a bone-caster, a mind-breaker. A wych-kind. We do not trust him and we do not like him. Ilm stands with us, yet apart from us and brings no glory to the 5th.”
Edge Veteran Alyx Tarsus of the Assail, 5th Blade of the Iron Talons.

“They curse me and mark themselves with wards against my talents and not one of them will acknowledge the feats I perform in service of the Emperor. None of them understand my endless war against the temptations of the aether and none of them will try to understand. When I look at my brothers, I see the manner of their deaths in their eyes. Is it any wonder that we keep this distance between us?”
Epistolary Lucio Ilm of the Librarium, Iron Talons Adeptus Astartes.


***Begin Record

As rare as the Astartes are, those carrying the pskyer gene are rarer still. Amongst the thousands of aspirants selected for the Chapters of the Astartes, only a handful survive both the physical trials of Astartes enhancements and the rigours of the mental tests performed upon potential psykers. A Librarian is the culmination of physical and mental training, the perfect blend of mind and body in one warrior. They are also the most dangerous of Astartes, a conduit to the ruinous powers of the Warp that requires an iron will to control and a weapon that can cut both ways. For the Iron Talons, an aspirant bearing the psyker gene is rarer still. Lacking a homeworld, the nomadic fleets of the Talons instead must recruit from whatever appropriate planets they can locate. The chances of finding a un-mutated youth of appropriate age for Astartes augmentation are already slim, and the chances of finding a nascent psychic youth not already claimed by the Black Ships of the Inquisition slimmer still. Thus it is unsurprising that Librarians are a rare sight amongst the ranks of the Iron Talons, with only a half dozen or so in active service at any time. Secretive to the point of obscurity, even for the already reticent Talons, the Librarians are seen as outsiders amongst the Blades and are regarded with a great deal of mistrust, regardless of the fact that they bear the crimson and bone of the Talons themselves. The brothers of the Librarium are also regarded poorly due to their role in the creation and punishment of Penitents – for a Talon, the loss of memory and personality is as horrific a punishment as internment in a Dreadnought sarcophagus, and the association of the Librarium with this mind-wipe process is one that colours relations between the brother Astartes. This mistrust has oft-times boiled over into outright dislike, resulting in the derogatory nickname of ‘Bone-caster’ often being used to refer to Librarians. The implication that their skills and talents extend purely to throwing runes and bones like some savage backwater shaman is a barely disguised insult and one that few Talons would voice to a Librarians face.
 

Hailing from the pre-industrial agri-world of Daruj, Ilm was selected for Astartes augmentation almost two centuries ago, making him one of the youngest Librarians currently serving the Iron Talons. Despite this apparent youth, Ilm resembles an Astartes closer to three times his age, the strain of controlling his warp-borne powers ravaging his augmented body. Whilst others amongst the Librarium can bend their minds to immense acts of telekinesis or are able to reshape flame and flesh to their desires, Ilm is one of the few who can unlock the secrets of telepathy and divination, able to raze the minds of his enemies and read their intentions before they know them themselves. While his power is a brutish thing compared to the divinatory powers of xenos breeds such as the Eldar, it is possessed of a certain raw power and many Talons have been saved from certain death by Ilm’s insights and warnings. This gift is a blade that cuts both ways however – Ilm is cursed with the foresight of his brother’s deaths, able to see the manner of their ending in their eyes and yet unable to prevent them in any way. As such, Ilm is particularly ill-regarded by his brother Astartes and is darkly referred to as the Seer of Ends, regardless of the victories his talents have wrought. Rising to the rank of Epistolary, Ilm has become one of the premier Librarians of the Talons, his talents in demand as much as they are derided. However, the continued and extended use of his powers has resulted in the premature aging affecting his gene-hanced body and it surely cannot be long before the entropy of the Warp takes its toll.

 

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Lucio Ilm can be seen here clad in his heavily augmented suit of MkVI power armour, painted in the traditional bone and red of the Talons. Unlike the Librarians of other more Codex-adherent Chapters, Ilm and his brothers do not wear the blue armour identifying them as psykers, instead armouring themselves in the same colours as their blunt brethren. In this way, Ilm shows that he is a Talon first and Librarian second, despite the less than fraternal attitudes of his brothers. The eschewing of the Codex-dictated blue armour also shows the pragmatism of the Iron Talons - why should Ilm advertise the fact that he is anything other than a standard Astartes warrior and make it easier for his enemies to mark him? Nevertheless, Ilm's armour bears heavy augmentation suited to his role as battle-psyker. Finding that a standard helm impaired his abilities, Ilm instead walks bare-headed, his psychic hood integrated into his armour and forming a protective halo around his head. Incorporated into the honour-marking ornamentation on his greaves and right shoulder pad are numerous wards and protective sigils, designed to protect Ilm against the attentions of enemy psykers, while the Chapter symbol of the Talons is shown proudly on his left pad. His plate is also liberally decorated with purity seals and scrolls, evidence that Ilm has passed every trial and test set before him by the Chapters Shield-Fathers and that his soul remains pure.

 

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Although Ilm and his brothers do not wear the traditional blue of the Librarium, they do pay a lip-service to the strictures of the Codex in the formal robes that are sometimes worn, as seen here. The unlearned observer may believe the optical unit covering Ilm's right eye to be a crude bionic unit, however they would be mistaken. While Ilm's flesh bears the grey pallor of the slowly dying, his eyesight remains a sharp as ever. The device is in fact an Occularis, a seeing-glass used by psykers to seek out and identify other warp-touched individuals, allowing Ilm to bend his formidable mind-breaking powers to their end. As is usual for a battle-psyker, Ilm wields a carefully crafted force weapon. While his more destructively-minded brothers favour heavy axes and broad blades, the subtler powers used by Ilm and a few others require more of a focus point rather than a outlet for their power. Mounted by a facsimile of his own skull crafted from a psyko-reactive crystal, the force stave acts as an anchor for Ilm's aetheric self and a repository for the warp-power surging through his body. While it may not seem the most potent of weapons, remember that it is wielded by an Astartes, with all the speed and strength of his gene-hanced frame behind it. Ilm is easily capable of breaking a standard human in half with his stave and only the heaviest armour can stand unbroken before it.

For reasons unknown to Imperial observers, Lucio Ilm played no part in the ground war on Aren Prime and seemed instead to confine his presence to the Strike Cruiser Kiss the Blade. Whether this was due to orders from Praetor Varras, the general ill-feeling towards Ilm from the Astartes of the 5th, or for some other hidden reason that Imperial savants are unable to fathom is still under investigation, however it should be noted that several orbital-station crew and in-system frigate staff show evidence of mind-scarring and are unable to recount their actions during the Aren Prime Reclamation.

***End Record

[JackDaw]

Escalation - the war of information

 

“...close-orbit scans and tech auguries indicate recent increase in power output [unknown/signal corruption] personnel movements in previously abandoned research stations [unknown/signal corruption] sectors 1190-G to 395-T. Orbital pic-caps unavailable [unknown/signal corruption] signals interference of previously unknown levels. Recommend infiltration by [unknown/signal corruption] Transmission anomaly detected, possible intrusion. Counteractive measures beginning. Ending transmission [signal connection lost]”

Excerpt of intercepted Astartes communications between Strike Cruiser designated Kiss The Blade and unknown ground forces. Imperial Military Intelligence report loss of info-sys drone assets in immediate near-orbit volume of Astartes Strike Cruiser within 1.3 standard hours.

 

 

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Images recovered from Secessionist perimeter surveillance of Research Station Alpha-9, located on the extreme northern coastline of Korel, Aren Prime’s northern landmass, showing apparent Astartes reconnaissance units engaged in seek-and-clear actions. Further investigation by Inquisitorial agencies three months after date of recorded images provide confirmation that the structural damage appeared not to have been caused by conventional Astartes or Imperial weaponry and had been inflicted approximately four months before initial Imperial and Astartes investigations began. Additionally, survey-scans and atmospheric analysis indicated presence of extreme radioactive substances, plasma-fusion fallout particles and organic trace elements similar to those found in Forge World equivalent biologis/genetor laboratoria. All Secessionist records pertaining to the time period before this installation was abandoned appear to have been destroyed and the mind-state of the installations surveillance manchine-spirit reset to factory-birth status.

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[Argent aquila]

love the practicality and the style your army has with it. the execution on these guys is spot on!