Kryten's Nihilists

[Beachymike123]

Ruins. All around him, ruins.

General Hiedal Kryten staggered as more rubble crashed around him. He could barely hear anything over the ringing in his ears - a shell had impacted in the cathedral the Zoltorian 38th Regiment 'Warp Rangers' had been using as a command post. His advisors and command entourage were all dead bar one - Sergeant Bruno, who had betrayed them by relaying their co-ordinates to the enemy. Kryten thought he heard muffled screams and looked up. He realised he was right and soon wished he hadn't been, as Bolter fire began to rip through the air. The Iron Warriors were already on them. 

He fell back to a wall as his own men began to open fire. Commissar Dagent levelled his Bolt pistol and fired at the traitor Astartes, and in his swimming vision he saw at least two collapse with holes in their sneering helmets. His senses began to clear slightly as he drew his Plasma Pistol, believed to be a relic from the Age of Apostasy. As he stood up, he drew his sacred power sword, more a symbol of rank that he was now forced to use in the inevitable combat. He fired twice, clipping a rubble pile and scoring a hit on another Iron Warrior. Most of them were now clearly advancing in silence, and firing one shot and killing with each Bolt. Some, however, were screaming to the Ruinous Powers, and Kryten felt the hairs on the back of his neck prickle at the obscene language and tones used. A squad of Scions counter attacked, catching some of the giants off guard, but to no avail. Chainswords ripped through their carapace armour and shells detonated within guts, splattering the metallic ceramite plate with fresh gore.

As the Iron Warriors reached Kryten's position, he fired point blank into a traitor's side torso. Knowing he was outmatched, Kryten fell back, attempting to save himself as more of the twisted Space Marines came. Now he could hear the screams of his men - he saw Commissar Dagent fall with a massive hole in his throat where a Bolt had clipped him and exploded to the side of his neck. As Kryten prepared to get up and run, he realised he needn't have bothered.

A massive hulking figure in a twisted mockery of Terminator armour smashed through the wall. It had a power fist and an ancient combi-flamer. It didn't seem to have spotted the General at first, instead seeming to focus on something more distant. Kryten took his chance and fired his plasma pistol again. A direct hit to the face and sheering orange light was held for a second, the longest second Kryten ever felt. Then his heart sank.

The terminator turned its attention to the mortal. A force field had stopped the shot, not even a smudge blemished the horned helmet. He raised his weapon and fired, but Kryten managed to dodge the shots and hid back in cover, although he knew it wouldn't be long before the cursed enemy was upon him. As he held himself against the wall, feeling his heart smashing against his chest, he cursed to himself. Why wasn't The Emperor helping him? Surely now, a devout servant of the Imperial Creed, would be able call in aid from the master of mankind. But there was no answer. No saviour came that he recognised. Nothing but darkness around him and the screams of the damned. 

The terminator rounded the rubble pile. Kryten again dodged the first shot. He rolled nearer to the corrupted killer, knowing his life was already spent. Realising he spotted a weak point he thrust his sword into the neck joint and drove it further, snapping the blade in the process. Crimson blood splurted up from the wound, and the terminator dropped his firearm in the process. Kryten was about to yell out in victory when the Iron Warrior grabbed Kryten's right arm and activated the power field. The General felt a massive thud as his world turned black. 

Again, he opened his eyes. He wasn't sure if seconds, minutes, hours or days had passed, but there was a certain numbness to his body. Kryten felt as if he was swimming again, and looked at his armour and saw there was only a small amount of superficial damage to it. Nothing the armourers couldn't fix. It was the wreck of his right arm that almost stunned him, and he realised he had lost much colour to his skin from blood loss. He stumbled, not noticing the pain from the numbness, and picked up his sword, or at least what was left of it. He looked down and saw his hand, still clenching his plasma pistol. The wrist was where it ended - the power fist had enveloped the entire arm and disintegrated it on activation. He tucked the sword hilt into his boot, and went to pluck the ancient weapon from his lifeless fingers. As he did so, an iron boot landed in front of him. 

He looked up, and saw terror incarnate. The terminator before seemed like a saint of legends compared to this beast. Instead of a helmet, this Iron Warrior had his face exposed. The suit of Terminator armour was ancient beyond his reckoning, and his armament seemed to have a malign presence of their own. The sword in particular seemed archaic, as if not from this realm and calling his name. Scars marked his experience, and Kryten felt hope gone. 

"By the Throne! Emperor help me!" the General muttered. And then the Iron Warrior began to make a sound. Gutteral at first, and when his entourage of similar suited Iron Warriors it sounded like a chorus of wolves. It got louder, with the look in the Iron Warrior's eyes becoming even more insane as a grin erupted from his face. Kryten realised it was laughter, and he couldn't help but have a smile himself. More of a nervous smile, and one that would earn a Bolt to the back of the head from the Commissar, but he had given it all up. No one was coming for him. No savior, no Imperial Space Marines, none of the blessed saints he had been raised to believe in. This was it. He threw down his plasma pistol, and drew in a deep breath, then flew his remaining arm. "I don't care anymore. Do your worst. My men are dead, and I have seen the true horror of your capabilities. What is there left? Finish it." He spat at the Iron Warrior leader, the last vestige of defiance. "I give up!" The terminator grabbed Kryten by throat and lifted him up. 

"There may be a use for you yet, Kryten," said the deepest of voices the General had ever heard. "If you wish it, I will end you here, and you will be a name on some bureaucrat's screen for history. But if you join me, renounce the Imperium and their corpse leader, I will show you a life worth living. I will give you armies  of untold power. But most of all, you will have life. Now choose wisely, time is of the essence."

 

Kryten the Iron Dragon looked out across the desert. He often remembered the day he chose life over death. Infamy over ignominy. Chaos over the Imperium. When he left being General Hiedal Kryten and was reborn Kryten the Iron Dragon. And he regretted none of it. One hundred and ninety years before the close of the 41st Millennium, he had been granted the mortal forces of the Siege Makers, to forge anew a ragtag group of traitors and renegades to serve the purposes of the Siege Makers. He had been taken to the Cogs of Madness and set upon by medicae-servitors, having bionic implants installed to replace his right arm. The plasma pistol had been defiled and built in to his bionic arm, becoming a permanent part of him. He had received a new sword, and had steroid glands implanted to enhance his combat potential. He had renamed the mortal army the Nihilists, with the aim of tearing down the authorities when they invaded a world. The fact that he was put into his position by the Warsmith Helslash and undertook missions for him was a small price to pay for his new lease of life. Now, the Nihilists, Siege Makers of Helslash and Dark Mechanicus forces of the Arch-Magos Chaapoza were in position to annihilate the Emperor's Watch chapter on their homeworld. Although the Siege Makers and Chaapoza's forces were to engage the loyalist Marines, Kryten had his sights set on the motor pool of the PDF.

He enjoyed the challenge, and looked forward to bleeding the forces of the false Emperor....

 

Greetings fellow traitors and scum to the thread of my Traitor Guard, Kryten's Nihilists. I hope you enjoyed the intro fluff for Kryten's downfall, I love fluff and this is what keeps me in the hobby. Currently, the Nihilists follow C:AM, and this is how they are configured. However, as soon as I get my mitts on IA13, I'll be looking to reconfigure squad loadouts.

Now without further ado, the main man himself, Kryten the Iron Dragon:

Originally, he was a counts as Straken, but since he is no longer an option he has still performed well. He does need a bit of a paint lift (he was done several years ago now) but I might hold off until I get IA13. That way I can give him all sorts of new gubbins. 

 

Bruno, meltagunner, traitor of the Warp Rangers, Nurgle follower. The idea was when I made the Command Squad each god would have a representative. Whereas the others weren't so obvious, Bruno stood out from the pieces he is made from. To this extent, I expanded his background slightly more and he is the one with the most fluff after Kryten and some of the other units.

Sergeant Bruno had met up with his fellow conspirators shortly after the shelling had begun. He grabbed a melta gun as he withdrew, but he knew the command section knew he was a traitor. He had been caught voxing co-ordinates to the enemy as to the whereabouts of the Warp Rangers' HQ position. But now, he was in the bosom of fellow heretics. As he greeted them, he coughed uncontrollably, the tumours in his stomach having now spread to his lungs. He was dying, and he didn't like it. He wanted to live. 

A servant of Nurgle had shown him the path of life and decay. He knew if he kept a rigid mind, he could use Nurgle's gifts to his advantage. But he had to make an exchange - his life for the HQ position. He had pondered, but deep down he knew he would damn someone, either himself or his comrades. And so he betrayed those who he had known from a young age, and knew that he would survive. And then he discovered that Kryten himself had defected, and his world seemed to expand. 

When Kryten had arisen as the Iron Dragon, he set upon Bruno with a savage fury. How dare he betray his commander! How dare he defect sides and call in an artillery bombardment! But they were now fellow traitors, and Kryten held back the worst of his new found strength. When he was done asserting his position, he allowed Bruno the use of the melta gun, and the two have formed a dark bond since. Bruno, for the most part, is just glad to be alive, and has proven his loyalty to the Nihilists at every opportunity, as far as traitors go. 

 

And the rest of the Command squad:

Top 2: Icon Bearer. The Chaos Star is made from milliput with zombie bits pushed in. On the opposite side is the symbol of the Siege Makers, a set of bellows (in case anyone was wondering what that strange symbol was repeated across my Chaos Space Marines), which tie them into the larger Chaos army they belong to. I should say now the Icon Bearer is supposd to be a Tzeentch follower, but this is largely now ignored by myself - its a reward to carry the army's standard, not just left to a follower of the Changer of Ways. 

Bottom pic: A vox-caster and Grenade Launcher (Khorne and Slaanesh respectively). Grenade Launchers are one of my favourite weapons as they're extremely cheap and versatile, so I had one in the Command squad so a to keep up on the assault emphasis in case they needed to go in. 

The Command squad is most likely going to change once the arm lists are fully changed over, but it shouldn't be too bad. If anything, more wound shields for Kryten. 

 

Regimental Advisors. Some of these will just be integrated into the Command squad, but the Astropath I might just use as a psyker of some sorts. The Bodyguards are definitely going in - they're not even in the new C:AM as far as I'm aware. I might get a HWT to go in then - bit more oomph firepower that won't go amiss. 

 

Soceror Diagis. Made from an Empire soldier as the base, milliput, Chaos Mutations sprue, zombie bits and a head I think is from the Vampire Counts range. Now he is currently a Sorceror, when I change the army over I might use him as a mutant commander, maybe with a Tzeentch theme, I'm not entirely sure yet. 

There was an air of...something as Kryten walked into the chamber. His cloak, made from scaled leather of some death world beast, billowed and flapped, something not usually expected to happen in the lower depths of a trench network. In the centre, the mage known as Diagis was hunched over a series of runic stones, each baring a sigil of the Dark Gods.

On his left side, a tentacle replaced the mage's arm, although this was known to harden before combat and was ended by an exceptionally sharp tooth. It was often used to perform blood magic or carve symbols onto objects, and sometimes 'enchant' a weapon if the situation demanded it. On his right, two appendages came from his shoulder. The upper one ended in a snapping maw, and was extremely strong. It was known on occasion for the caster to spew fire from the mouth, which led to an air of suspicion among the men. The lower limb was a frail looking arm, clutching a weapon that can only be described as a femur bone at one end and a rune etched sword blade at the other. None knew where the bone came from - some rumour it was a loyalist Astartes, some say an Iron Warrior who crossed the mage, some say something alien altogether. Diagis kept quiet about it, knowing the rumours would do a more effective job than the truth ever could. 

"You have something for me," said Kryten as he came to a stop at the edge of the room. 

"I do, master Kryten," came the rasp from beneath his gold plated helmet, fashioned into a reptile of some description. Only a handful of medicae-servitors had seen what was beneath that helmet, and both Diagis and Kryten were happy to keep it that way. As long as he did his job, the Iron Dragon cared not for looks. Maybe, he thought sometimes, that was the result of being with the Iron Warriors for too long. "The gods demand payment by your hand, Iron Dragon. Though your guns are great and your tolls heavy, this campaign is not bestowing you favours from some of them."

"You have for me....riddles!" Kryten clenched his fist, and flexed his bionic arm, then sighed.He was used to Diagis's speeches, one so Warp touched was bound to have a looser grip on reality. "Fine. Is there a specific area? Kill totals..."

"You know as I do there are no specifics, my liege. There are but merely...signs. I see a hall, and I see the sun swallowed by a dragon. But I also see your victory to be in the void, not here on the ground. Do this, Iron Dragon, and you shall receive a reward like no other!"

 

That's it for tonight folks. I'll post some more up in the next day or so. Hope you like it so far. C&C is always welcome. 

Death to the False Emperor!

 

 

   

[Beachymike123]

I'll start tonight with a unit(s) I almost always include - the Platoon of the Eternal Gods. A while back me and my brother ran a campaign, my Traitor Guard against his Necrons, the Austik Vien Relic Campaign that I shared on here. They did well in most games, sometimes holding out for themselves, other times being sacrificed to carve the way to glory. The idea is that each squad is dedicated to a Chaos God or is part of the Undivided philosophy stemming from the Siege Makers. To that end, here are some pics in all their dark glory. 

 

Jarager's Command squad - at present they're a PCS, but I'll be adding to them soon. Their banner is made from milliput and the guy has to have a 2p coin to balance him. One thing I love about Traitor Guard is that they can have banners, and I loved reading about the Blood Pact in the Gaunt's Ghosts series when they marched to war. 

Assembled before him was a ragtag group of Chaos worshippers. Some were only recently turned, their equipment still largely intact save for the defilement of Imperial allegiance. Others had been in service to the Dark Gods for longer, and begun to sport their blessings. Jarager was a broad man, and he knew he would have to assert his leadership over these misfits. He sported a power fist and plasma pistol, rewards from Kryten's masters for a job well done. Power, they all knew, was something to be fought for and closely guarded. 

Clasping a small necklace of an eight pointed star, he felt conviction that he was the one to lead these traitors. Let the other Platoon Commanders lead how they saw fit, worship whom they must. He had the Platoon of the Eternal Gods, the oldest of Kryten's established line formations. And he would use them to carve his way to dark glory, or be lost to the mad seas of the Warp. Balefire glowed in his eyes, and he began to see the potential of the future. 

 

Nurgle Infantry squad, armed with a melta gun, autocannon and vox-unit. Champ has a Bolt pistol and Power sword. Built from a combination of mostly Catachan and zombie bits, they've usually done well and survived till the later ends of a game. 

Bruno saw the followers of the Lord of Decay shambling into position. Some were only recently initiated, their skin turning pallid and boils beginning to erupt. Others were beginning to lose their grip on reality, and had discarded their ranged weapons in favour of heavy melee weapons.

Sergeant-Champion Deciam formed them up, his withered features surveying his men. In his frail looking arms that belied a great reserve of strength, he carried an ornate Bolt pistol, believed recovered from a fallen Space Marine, while the other hand sported a filthy slightly curved blade. Whereas some in the squad were beginning to become irrational due to their brain decaying, Deciam seemed to have sense of rationality to him, something Bruno had seen only in himself as mortal followers. The blessings of the Plague Lord were upon them, and Bruno hoped to receive more. If Deciam began to get more favours, however, that would be something he would have to deal with in good time. 

 

Khorne Infantry squad, armed with Grenade Launcher, Heavy Bolter and vox-unit. Champ has a plasma pistol and power axe. Almost completely made from Catachans, everyone in this squad has a bladed weapon of some sort (most are holding knives but the HB has a sword on his back and GL has a sheathed knife). They tend to go for higher priority targets and are generally ones to either fulfill their mission or die horribly. 

Sergeant-Champion Horsum was the latest to achieve the position within the platoon. As a follower of the Blood God, he had been awarded the previous champion's weapons through martial skill and a show of arms. He felt the weight of the axe in his hand, the way it sliced through the air with relative ease. Its markings had been remade - the previous wielder had been blown apart and some of its details lost. Horsum hadn't exactly had the transition handed to him, though. 

As a champion of Khorne, he'd had to fight off three other individuals. Parts of their skulls were now embedded in his dog-tags, a symbol to any who would dare challenge his position. As he stood before his squad, he could see the blood lust in their eyes. Each of them were becoming stronger, their muscles bulging. He would ensure their thirst was slaked soon, lest they become frothing madmen and turn upon each other. 

"Soon," he muttered to them, "Soon, we shall spill blood for the Blood God!"

 

A Special Weapon squad aligned to Tzeentch. I armed them with flamers as I had an abundance of them in one form or another, and I think, thanks to the daemons, flamers are iconic of the Changer of Ways. To be fair, they haven't had a huge deal of success, but when they do manage to get in range they'll typically earn their points back. 

Sabian saw his fellow traitor scream as the mutations ravaged his body. In place of an arm, as sucking maw was now present. Sabian placed a flamer at the sucking stump, and the newly devoted of Tzeentch merged the weapon with his rapidly transforming body. Sabian didn't know the soldier's name, he had come to disregard such things. He knew some followers of the Great Changer had greater success, but he rarely saw them. The only reason Sabian knew his name was the fact he had a cogitator built into his cranium. At times he pondered even this, as the last 'leader' of the small team had also been implanted with the same cybernetics. Then his mind began to wonder, and visions of madness flooded his remaining eye. 

 

A Heavy Weapon squad, with X2 autocannons and a missile launcher. They're just straight out of the box, aquillas removed. The idea is that they are Undivided and form a sort of training element to the them - practicing with heavier weapons before moving onto a more specialised section. As such they don't have any fluff, and perform as expected. 

 

C&C welcome guys. Hope you enjoyed. 

[Uprising]

First, I love the fluff and is a prime example of chaos story/fluff done well. 

 

Model wise, please base them and a wash of delvin model(agrax earth shade) will make those models look even better.  Keep it up!

[Beachymike123]

Thanks Uprising. I try and make the fluff for my armies as interesting as possible as its what keeps me interested in the hobby. 

 

I do agree though, and its a shaming point for me - my bases are lackluster to say the least (and I see so many great ones out there that really look fantastic). I'm not sure what to do though, as I want to do my Siege Makers and Nihilists in the same base effect so as to tie them together. And don't worry, once I finish tinkering once I get IA13 I'll do a final wash/coat (not sure whether to keep Kryten's right or left arm, or to even swap them at all, decisions decisions). 

I have been looking at these though as a source of ideas to tie both armies together, just deciding which one: http://www.games-workshop.com/en-GB/Painting-Modelling?N=102299+4294966596&Nu=product.repositoryId&qty=12&sorting=phl

 

Thanks for the input though, always appreciated. 

[Castellan Cato]

This is some great stuff.

 

In regards to bases, you seem like a fluff driven player.  What tactical objectives would an Iron Warriors aligned meat shield go after?  Bombed out mechanicum structures? Manufactorums?  A Space Hulk?  Let that be the unifying theme.

 

I HIGHLY recommend Eons of Battle on Youtube.  Very simple basing ideas done right.

[Uprising]

Well here are fantastic tutorials I have seen for basing, both I use personally.  They are both extremely easy.

 

Says Desert base, but can be make into urban rumble with grey paints(black primer, Caradon granite base, administratum grey dry brush, and mud wash= rubble bases)

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/272185-making-simple-desert-bases/

 

This one is awesome for trench basing, get some bard wire/bitz and your golden

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/298076-trench-warfaremuddy-bases/

[Beachymike123]

Nice one guys. I still have some pics to post up that were taken recently, but with these basing ideas I may have to do some after pics too. 

 

@Castellan Cato: I get where you're coming from, and I am too indecisive to choose. However, you are right in that they are more often than not thrown into industrial zones where they have to achieve their objective or die trying. To this end, I'm thinking industrial wasteland. In fact, thats not a bad idea at all as then it can tie in with the majority of my scenery. And so the plot thickens...

 

Cheers guys. 

[Vesper]

I like it a lot. You'll be pleased when you'll get your hands on IA13.

 

And I have to echo Uprising, the fluff is really cool. Keep it up, buddy !

[Beachymike123]

Thanks for the kind words Vesper. I try and make it as fluffy as possible, as I've said before this is what drives me. I'm not as fused as some when it comes to building a list - as long as I can have fun when building and using it, I'm happy. I've ordered IA13, its just a waiting game now. I have a feeling some restructuring will occur, but its all part of the challenge. 

 

Now speaking of fun builds, I'll bring in an update with Bashra's Blessed Brethren.

Originally, they were one of my first units I built for the army and took their role from Storm Troopers/Militarum Tempestus Scions (or whatever they're known as these days). They have Grenade Launchers as they've always been assault weapons that are (imho) very versatile and haven't changed since 3rd edition. In games, they've either been in reserve and deep struck to be a thorn in the enemy's side, or infiltrated forward so as to try and engage the enemy as soon as possible. Although armed with GLs, they're armed for close combat so as to tie down enemy units. The mutations were purely for show, although I'm hoping might mean something when I get IA13. 

He could feel the Warp overtaking him, coursing through his body as he stared into that ocean of emotions. Bashra was slightly more gifted than most humans - though not strictly a psyker, he had a connection with the Warp that allowed him to feel spiritual presences. Many believed it was due to a genetic mutation, either an evolutionary trait or the mingling of blood between a normal human and psyker at some point in his bloodline. Bashra, however, knew different. 

Born and raised on the world Freshtez, a world close to the Eye of Terror, he had known of the True Gods from a young age, and felt their pull. His settlement followed  them in equal measure, although some districts worshiped one more than others. As the son of a military trader between the districts, Bashra had come to see the values of each of the gods, despite the animosity between some of their worshipers. In time, however, was had come to Freshtez from an outside source - a splinter group of the Deathmongers, previously the Brothers of the Anvil before the Abyssal Crusade, set upon the world with blood lust and wanton destruction. Many were killed, but Bashra was able to rally a defense and many flocked to his banner. The Deathmongers were eventually repelled, but at a steep cost. Thus, Bashra took to the stars with a few followers, determined to bring war to the Imperium. His father had pointed out that the Imperium had spawned these creatures, and that all Space Marines were of Imperial origin at some point or another, whether they were traitors to a Chapter or owed their existence through design. The population of Freshtez, however, were born to Chaos, it was their birthright to obtain the eyes of the Gods more than the upstart Astartes. 

Since then, Bashra had gained some gifts of the Gods, some useful, others not so. His strength was his greatest trait, followed by his strong horse shaped legs and hooves. His vision, however, had changed - he no longer saw in colour, but in greens and blues instead, although he could see better in the dark slightly. He had travelled for several years as a mercenary, recruiting when he could, wherever he could. Originally he'd wanted to track down the Deathmongers and exact revenge on them, but this had become a secondary objective - now, he wanted more power from the Dark Gods. As more of his men had been killed, and his mind began to sink more into the Warp, he had joined the Nihilists, under Kryten the Iron Dragon's banner. Although many in the force were afflicted by gifts from the Gods, some had been able to harness it and control it. To this end, Kryten ordered them to form a shock attack unit, led by Bashra.

He led them with glee, knowing his howls were answered by the Great Four. One day, he thought to himself, the Nihilists would be his to command. There was just the problem of the Iron Warrior Warsmith above Kryten that was the problem...

 

Hope you liked it guys. As always, C&C is welcome. 

[Beachymike123]

By the Dark Gods, the 4th of January was my last update! My apologies fellow heretics. For a start, now have IA13. Fantastic book, and to me the Renegades and Heretics list is fantastic. The ability to now field a fluffy army of mortals who follow the Dark Gods (with Covenants and such niceties) is beyond priceless. One drawback is I'm going to have to remodel a few of my Veteran Squads (they can't take heavy weapons, whats that all about?) but such is life. That said, I do like the options that Veterans now have - they can be a unit of Demo-charge wielding psychopaths, or deep strike and be a small nuisance. To me I can see why some don't view them as point effective, but as a fluff player I love their customisation possibilities. I warn you though, the following pictures were taken a while ago, so they still have their heavy weapons, plasma pistols on the champions and an extra special weapon more than they're allowed, but these shall be rectified in due course. So I present my Veteran squads, hope you like them (even if they aren't based in the photos ).

As an additional note, my Arch-Demagogue Kryten the Iron Dragon takes the Bloody Handed Reaver trait to reflect his history as a former Imperial Guard General. I have some other models that I can use as stand ins, such as my former Tech-priest Engineseer, who when fielded is now a Heretik and has his own Command Squad.

Nicholai's Dragoons - Veteran squad, +5 Veterans, Renegade Grenadiers, Carapace Armour, X2 Grenade Launchers. Nicholai has a Bolt Pistol, Power Sword and Meltabombs. In their IG role they were veterans that had Lukas Bastionne (sp?) as an upgrade to their sergeant.

Strayev Nicholai was once a decorated Sergeant in the Cadian front, who looked to have a promising career if he would have stayed on that path. Such events spiralled out of control when he faced the foul Orks on Chasidus VI. Expecting to face the greenskins on his terms and meet them with las-volleys as they charged into his him, he was taken aback when they actually flanked his position. What he didn't expect was a Tzeentch Sorceror among their ranks, directing the savage xenos with brutal efficiency. As his squad was gunned down from both ethereal bolts and crude Shootas, he found he became quicker when he just sought the will to live. His pistol expended, and his sword hissing with xeno blood on it's energised edge, he stood poised to give his life for the Emperor. That was when the visions started - his corpse upon pile of broken bodies, his flesh food for the flies as his glory hung in tatters, unremembered by the people he sought to protect. As he blinked reality flooded back, and found his loyalty to the Golden Throne broken - why should he have to spill his blood so others may claim his glory. The Sorceror seemed to smile, although the four horned ornate helmet made it truly impossible to tell. The Orks following the caster surged around Nicholai, and he embarked upon a new journey of survival.

As a former member of the Kasrkin, Nicholai's recruitment into the Nihilists resulted in him adorning some of the best wargear and armour available, coming directly from the forges of a Dark Mechanicus Forge World under the protection of a detachment of Iron Warriors. His squad is made up of those who know how to use such equipment, those of a slightly higher intellect than the average Imperial soldier. The grey fatigues worn mark their allegiance to the Cogs of Madness, further embellished by the bellows upon their shoulder. Primarily on the field they are expected to face a plethora of foes, and take Grenade Launchers to adapt to any challenge they may face.

I shall post post up a couple more tomorrow, it's been a long work week is all I will say.

[Beachymike123]

So continuing with my old pre-R&H pics, I'll post up my other two Veteran squads. 

 

Karan's Desecrators - Veteran squad, +5 Veterans, Tank Hunters, X2 Meltaguns. Karan has a Bolt Pistol and Power Fist. In their IG days they had the doctrine that allowed them to take demo-charges (honestly can't think of it's name, Demolition Experts I think?) and were essentially tank hunters, a trait I wanted to continue with them. I wasn't fussed about the demo-charge, that can go to another unit if I want it back in the future.

(Something I forgot to mention about Nicholai's Dragoons was that they took the Grenadiers Doctrine that gave them Carapace Armour, which is why they've taken Renegade Grenadiers in their new update.)

Many in the Nihilists and indeed ranks of mortal Chaos followers follow their leaders blindly, bowing to their every word and not truly thinking for themselves. Essentially, they have swapped one tyrant for another. There are some, however, who know that Chaos offers a sandbox for life, that you can be your own master. One such individual is Andre Karan. He follows a strict moral code that he enforces to those who serve beneath him. In his mind he is doing the right thing, tearing down the icons of the Emperor and unshackling the masses from the Ecclesiarchy. He believes that only through the destruction of this false idol (whom he believe is only a fictional entity to control the masses) will mankind truly rise to it's true potential. 

On the field, Karan leads a force of like-minded people. Although his ultimate targets are shrines and churches built for veneration of the Emperor, he is happy to hunt down tanks, particularly those revered as holy objects. His greatest ability lies in the fact he is able to disable a tank before gaining entry and killing the crew if they don't renounce their former allegiance. His power fist named 'Lilith' is often deactivated for this, so as it acts like a club and is visually more brutal than with the energy field active.

 

Darmen's Reavers- Veterans, +5 Veterans, Scouts, X2 Plasma guns. Darmen has a Bolt Pistol, Power Sword and Meltabombs. In their IG set up, they took the Forward Sentries Docrtine. 

Alarin Darmen was never the most confrontational of people before he joined the Nihilists. He was once a maintenance operator aboard a space station, the Delias Orbiter, before a Chaos invasion took him along with most of the crew. He had remembered being part of a train of people, shackled and forced into a dark holding cell. It was while he was down here that he decided he wanted to fight and control his fate. He murdered a security officer and set himself free along with several others. As the group began to overwhelm their captors, Darmen managed to blend into the shadows. The sound of shotguns blasting his former team mates made him think of a new strategy - he stole a dead officers uniform and joined in the slaughter. Once the mutiny was put down, he attempted to blend in with the rest of the Chaos crew, but was discovered. He was admired for his audacity, but his attempt to escape couldn't go unpunished. He was placed into the line squads of a recently founded Traitor Guard unit, the Wasps of Vendis, where he began to earn a reputation for stealth tactics. The Wasps were destroyed during a campaign against the Sisters of Battle, where the Wasps were on operations with the Nihilists. In the aftermath, any remaining Wasps were given the opportunity to join the Nihilists, so as to boost their numbers. 

On the field, Darmen leads a ragtag group of survivors who know how to use the local terrain to great effect. In a sense, they form a vanguard, their plasma guns able to knock out most targets and distract from the heavier hitting Nihilist units. That said, they also know when to stalk the field and come in at later moments of the battle, often flanking their opponents and taking out counter attacks. The power sword he uses, named Fangbite, was taken from a Catachan officer after a botched mission. Although the Reavers were driven back, the Command Squad was eradicated, and Fangbite taken as a trophy of war. 

[Beachymike123]

Just over 5 months without an update! Man, I really need to update this at some point. Luckily the Call of Chaos has started, and I'm entering renegades this year, so it should start a trickle effect. For the Nihilists I'm entering the following:

20 Renegades (these will actually be divided up into a Veteran squad and a Slaanesh based Infantry squad, but that will be once they are finished and actually have heads - does anyone know of any good bits or kits suppliers for heads btw?)

5 Disciples (these will be added to my small Disciple squad already, bringing them up to a 10 man squad)

An enforcer (made from a broken down Yarrick model

A Chimera

and a Leman Russ Battle Tank

I'll edit in the picture of the Chimera later (I forgot to take the picture when I was doing the rest - yeah, I'm a special kind of special )

edit:

Chimera added as promised.