Officia Monstrosa – Iron Warriors

[apologist]

Cheers Luna, much appreciated :)

 

Since this is post 250 of the blog (woo), it's a good excuse to show some general pics:

 

Fog of War 

Mutual suspicion erupts between the Iron Warriors and Night Lords during the Namchi Bizaa Conflict:

 

 

Into battle!

Centurion Cjarn goads his men forward.

 

 

Triumph of the Wormwood King

Perturabo himself accompanies an assault through the hive-complexes of Beta Mundi

 

 

The Crystal Lair

Tunnel fighting in the mines of Ng.

 

 

Leviathan

 

 

Fall of the Contrador

The centre cannot hold.

 

 

Wall of Iron

The 242nd on Parade.

 

 

Land Raider assault

Detail of the Immisericrodia's nameplate.

 

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Love to hear what you think. :)

[Combat_Vet]

Way back when, I followed your Ultra Marine thread, and although I hated everything about the Smurfs you brought them to life.

 

After almost a year away from the hobby I return and changed from Space Wolves to Iron Warriors to get my legs back under me.

 

Imagine my complete delight and anguish to see you also doing the IW. Delight in that I would have a never ending source of inspiration from which to draw, and anguish in that here is a level I cannot hope to achieve,

 

That is OK though, I would far prefer to have these amazing miniatures that you produce to serve as an inspiration to mine and other's hobby, than to worry about mine own ego over said hobby (after all, I still enjoy painting at my level as much as you enjoy painting at yours).

 

TL;DR - thanks again for an amazing thread of ideas and inspiration Apologist, from building, to painting, to background, these threads never fail to satisfy

[Flint13]

Damn dude. That is just spectak.

 

I know its a small detail, but what I love the most is the blue eye lenses. Even when you've got a dozen or more minis in-frame, those bright blue lens just jump out among the swath of worn and grungy armor. 

[DuskRaider]

JE-SUS. You're an animal, Apologist, and this army is insane. Planning on expanding more, I hope?

[apologist]

Way back when, I followed your Ultra Marine thread, and although I hated everything about the Smurfs you brought them to life.

 

After almost a year away from the hobby I return and changed from Space Wolves to Iron Warriors to get my legs back under me.

 

Imagine my complete delight and anguish to see you also doing the IW. Delight in that I would have a never ending source of inspiration from which to draw, and anguish in that here is a level I cannot hope to achieve,

 

That is OK though, I would far prefer to have these amazing miniatures that you produce to serve as an inspiration to mine and other's hobby, than to worry about mine own ego over said hobby (after all, I still enjoy painting at my level as much as you enjoy painting at yours).

 

TL;DR - thanks again for an amazing thread of ideas and inspiration Apologist, from building, to painting, to background, these threads never fail to satisfy

 

That's really very kind! I'd hasten to add that I think of myself very much as a journeyman painter; my old stuff looks quite crude to me now, but 'a little bit better every time' is my aim. Practise makes perfect

Anyway, thanks very much; and I'm glad if my daubings have proven useful to you – please do drop me a message with a link to your Iron Warriors; I'd very much like to see them

 

Damn dude. That is just spectak.

 

I know its a small detail, but what I love the most is the blue eye lenses. Even when you've got a dozen or more minis in-frame, those bright blue lens just jump out among the swath of worn and grungy armor. 

 

Cheers Flint! I struggled to resist adding additional bright elements (like hazard striping etc.), as I risked losing that effect if they had to compete with other bright bits. 

 

JE-SUS. You're an animal, Apologist, and this army is insane. Planning on expanding more, I hope?

 

The army's pretty much where I want it now, though never say never.

 

After all, I have to let Bob Hunk and Team Fisto catch up!

 

Teasing aside, with the exception of my Ultramarines (which will be plodding on for a good long time), I find I work most productively with a project goal to works towards, and I've achieved that now. Any expansion is likely to be at a slightly slower pace, and involve bulking up the various squads to full size. The Heavy Support and Tactical Support squads will go up to ten men each, and the two ten-man squads will probably go up to fifteen or so each. I'd also like to add two Iron Circle members. 

 

Of course, that doesn't preclude a new project...

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...but back to the present:

 

'Sheen Hook Echo', 13th Muster Basilikoi; 242nd Company, IVth Legion.

Edited May 11, 2016 by Apologist

[jimbo13]

These are my favorite yet. Something about the shoulder pads and the masked helmets give the models a certain something.

[Flint13]

 

 

Damn dude. That is just spectak.

 

I know its a small detail, but what I love the most is the blue eye lenses. Even when you've got a dozen or more minis in-frame, those bright blue lens just jump out among the swath of worn and grungy armor. 

 

Cheers Flint! I struggled to resist adding additional bright elements (like hazard striping etc.), as I risked losing that effect if they had to compete with other bright bits. 

 

 

I'm pretty sure that's why it seems to work so well.

 

True scale Astartes' helms can occasionally get lost since they're proportionally a lot smaller compared to the original scaling. 

 

Those bright blue eyes draw attention directly to the top center details of the model, which might have been over looked if they were a tamer shade or competing with hazard striping that wasn't grubby and battle worn. 

 

It works the exact same way in something like physique modeling. It's always a good idea to draw attention to your athlete's face and upper torso with something eye-catching, or everyone is just going to pay attention to your thighs and butt :D

[Bob Hunk]

The army's pretty much where I want it now, though never say never.

 

After all, I have to let Bob Hunk and Team Fisto catch up!

 

*Appears wheezing and puffing over the distant rear horizon*

 

Wait...wait-up! *puff*

 

;)

[Luna707]

Soooooooo I just so happened to see on your other blog that you are going with the glorious Iron Tenth next : ))))))) Edited May 11, 2016 by Luna707

[Xenith]

This is very much Neil Robertsons artwork in model form. Extrememly well done

 

[apologist]

This is very much Neil Robertsons artwork in model form. Extrememly well done

 

Thanks! If you like that, you might like these!

 

 

 

I quite fancy having a go at the Fists and Iron Warriors on the cover of Crimson Fist at some point. I quite enjoyed painting my Fists, but don't really want a whole army.

 

 

Luna707, on 11 May 2016 - 5:44 PM, said:

Soooooooo I just so happened to see on your other blog that you are going with the glorious Iron Tenth next : )))))))

 

I can't say.

Edited May 13, 2016 by Apologist

[DuskRaider]

I think you should do a true-scale Terminator ZM force for the XIVth. I'd love to see you do the Legion justice.

[Commissar Molotov]

A slightly belated post to say that I'm loving all the work you've put into these. They are looking fantastic. 

 

I would've liked to have seen you take on Blood Angels as your next project, as you could've linked them to Terra and the Imperium Secundus (so they could go alongside your Ultramarines!) 

 

I've been idly fiddling around with making a (very) small heresy-era White Scars force...

[apologist]

I think you should do a true-scale Terminator ZM force for the XIVth. I'd love to see you do the Legion justice.

Alas, had I but time! Death Guard have a particular appeal – I'm actually surprised the grinding, enduring infantry-heavy force doesn't appeal more to me, but they've never leapt out, to be honest. Perhaps one day. 

 

 

A slightly belated post to say that I'm loving all the work you've put into these. They are looking fantastic. 

 

I would've liked to have seen you take on Blood Angels as your next project, as you could've linked them to Terra and the Imperium Secundus (so they could go alongside your Ultramarines!) 

 

I've been idly fiddling around with making a (very) small heresy-era White Scars force...

Thanks very much. I have been tempted to do a Blood Angel or two – much like my Fists – and since the Iron Hands will be themed around Dwell, some V might pop up too (I'd love to give Hibou Khan a try), so I'd be interested to see your take on the Scars. :)

 

All this is for the future, though. In the meantime...

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Transfers

This army marks the first time I've used transfers on my models since... well, ever! I think I did try once (on the old Space Ork box), but quickly turned to freehand for details, as I found the transfers crude, flat and distractingly shiny. They never looked like part of the model to me.

 

However, I certainly didn't fancy trying to freehand the Iron Warriors' complex legion symbol on thirty or so marines. The new Forge World transfers have gone some way to changing my mind.

To avoid the shiny borders and buckling, I cut very closely to the edge of the symbols and trimmed darts into the sides to help them fit on the curved armour plates. This took a little time, but nowhere near what it would have taken to freehand them. I also painted pure acrylic medium (essentially a clear paint) over the whole area, removing the gloss. 

 

Of course, the nature of the design means that I had to be a bit careful with the lighting; some of the designs are fully rendered (i.e. coloured with light and shade), and so would only work if the area was posed to coincide with the design.

 

It was important to me that the transfers didn't 'overtake' the rest of the paintwork and become the dominant feature, so I used weathering to incorporate the transfers into the overall scheme and – perhaps more pertinently – simply didn't use very many. The example above shows a pair of overlaid transfers sitting on top of a piece of brass etching (the subtle skull shape), which has itself been integrated through paint to just hint at the detail. This keeps the eye from being caught, but provides something interesting if you have a closer look at the model.

 

Of course, I couldn't resist a bit of freehand, so I added the tank's name (Immesericördia) in blackletter script; which was fun challenge.

[Bob Hunk]

 

Transfers

This army marks the first time I've used transfers on my models since... well, ever! I think I did try once (on the old Space Ork box), but quickly turned to freehand for details, as I found the transfers crude, flat and distractingly shiny. They never looked like part of the model to me.

 

However, I certainly didn't fancy trying to freehand the Iron Warriors' complex legion symbol on thirty or so marines. The new Forge World transfers have gone some way to changing my mind.

 

Interesting! I've never cared for transfers either, but the ones on your Iron Warriors look fantastic. I may give them a whirl for my next project. :)

[apologist]

Yeah, I must confess to being a bit sniffy about them before. Like a lot of these things, they tend to get a bad rap because they seem deceptively simple – almost cheating! Ultimately they're just another tool, so I'm glad I did go back to give them another chance. :)

[Xenith]

Like yourself, I went off transfers a long time ago. I had a salamders army, and the GW chapter transfers would never sit on.

 

I have bought a FW sheet, however, and want to give them another go!

[STC Logisengine]

This is Beautiful, all of it, MOAR!!!

The key to transfers in my experience is 1.) Decal Softener Liquid, tou apply some in the surface of the model, apply the transfer, then carefully add some on top with a brush so it 'melts' a Little and conform to the shape of the model better. 2.) when dry, gloss varnish to hide the edges and seal the transfer.

 

3.) weather the transfer, it makes it look 100000% better, sponge some paint on in the same colour as the base on the model for chipping, streak it with some watered down arth-tones (very watery) in thin layers with a fine pointed brush. Etc Etc.

A Quick question: where did you find the shoulderpads on the latest models with volkite chargers? WHo makes those?

 

I need them.. for a thing..
 

[apologist]

The Basilikoi Corps

Basilikos: An officer in the service of the tyrant. Such was the Olympian definition of Basilikos; and the term was adopted into the Legion both as a shibboleth and as homage to the homeworld of the Primarch and the growing majority of the Iron Warriors themselves. The Basilikoi formed a corps of proven Iron Warriors; not necessarily more effective or elite, but favoured by their officers as exemplars of what it meant to be an Iron Warrior.

 

Early in the Crusade, most companies maintained their Basilikoi in a dedicated First Muster, following the Imperial Army's pattern of having a senior sergeant leading proven line troops. The Basilikoi's official rank remained as a Legion Tactical line infantry, albeit a group from which were drawn most Command Squad members. To be 'amongst the Basilikoi' was to have demonstrated your martial ability along with humility and patience.

 

In this way, the unit operated both as proving ground and as a moderating valve for promotion. Since most leaders, elite or specialist troops were tested through their membership, the Basilikoi, while unofficial, quickly became an influential force in the Legion.  Since all Astartes aspired to the First Muster, it was almost inevitable that traditions, tests and superstitions developed – albeit unofficially. It was another route through which the Lodges infiltrated the Iron Warriors.

 

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Astartes honorifics and equipment modification

As the Great Crusade progressed the Space Marines became less uniform. Supply lines grew longer, new equipment patterns and marks were distributed increasingly unevenly, and the various Legions' character developed. Some Legions – notably the  VIIIth and VIth – showed an early predisposition to marking themselves apart, and many Primarchs allowed leeway or even encouraged variation in their sons' uniform. 

 

By the centenary of the Unification Wars, the once-uniform Space Marines were as diverse as any other human force, the Legions having built up their own dress codes, honorifics and distinct visual identifiers that set them apart from their colleagues. This happened to a greater or lesser extent in the different Legions; the XIIIth and XVIIth remaining relatively anonymous (at least until the recovery of their respective Primarchs), and the IIIrd and IXth vying for additions and alterations that were often viewed as ars bellorum.

 

As could perhaps have been predicted, the IVth were amongst the less flamboyant, but alterations did come. Armour modification, at first frowned upon by the uniform-minded officer corps, became overlooked, and then subsumed into official doctrine. Curiously, where other Legions troops often sought to mark out their veterans as individual, the Basilikoi corps looked inwards to Legion tradition. As a result, while their armour became ornate and different from the Line troops, it showed a remarkable uniformity within the Basilikoi itself.

 

The unit's battlefield role also shifted as the corps became more official favoured, and by the time of the Isstvan V Drop Site Massacre, the Basilikoi were an out-and-out veteran force, with a distinctive appearance and access to the best equipment. 

 

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Basilikos Baboaglu

This detail highlights an unusual personal honorific – the Wolf emblem moulded into the forearm bracer. The forward-facing Wolf was the emblem of the XVIth Legion prior to their renaming as the Sons of Horus, and it marks the bearer as having fought alongside the Luna Wolves. Whatever the particulars, it is likely to be Lodge related – elite forces like the Basilikoi or Justaerin were commonly chosen to work alongside other Legions; either as honour guard or simply on temporary transfer, where they could learn and disseminate the lessons of the other Legions. While guests, they were often invited to lodge meetings, where they could mingle unofficially. Unfortunately, no details of the origin of this particular honorific or the campaign from which it was drawn are known.

 

Triston Baboaglu is a typical member of the Basilikos, equipped with hybrid Armorum Ferrum/Maximus plate. Like most Basilikoi, his armour is a statement of intent: a defensive and aggressive fortress covered with spikes and reinforcement. All weakness has been purged. His distinctive artificer faceplate is – paradoxically – a mask of anonymity; his inidviduality subsumed into the Basilikoi identity, his personal face moulded into the mask of hte Iron Warriors. As a mark of the IVth Legion's priorities, it is noticeable that, in addition to simply looking different, it also reinforces the armour's resistance to damage and covers the traditional vulnerability of the Mark II helm on which it was based. Effectiveness always trumped ornamentation in the IVth.

 

He bears a Mars-pattern Volkite Charger, the preferred weapon of the Basilikoi Musters, as they were tasked – and honoured – with being deployed aggressively as siegebreakers or defensively as counter-assault. Both were roles in which raw destructive power was valued over accuracy or range in equipment and weaponry. The Volkite Charger was growing increasingly rare even at this point in the Heresy, as the few forge worlds capable of manufacturing the weapon were disrupted, besieged or focussing their energies elsewhere. 

 

The distinctive Master-Crafted pauldrons are modified Mark III. It is typical of the Iron Warriors that their honorifics are practical as well as ornamental; adding additional protection through molecular bonding. The Basilikoi were issued such pauldrons as a mark of favour, and many officers retained the spiked pads as a mark of their ability once they were elevated into the ranks. 

 

Baboaglu's rear facing proves every bit as well-armoured as his front; the improved materials and structure of the Mark IV leg and torso armour providing protection equal to the best of Mark III with none of the additional bulk or structural weakness of Armorum Ferrum's stripped-back rear facings. At the time these pict-captures were taken, Maximus armour was spread widely throughout the Iron Warriors; a mark both of Perturabo's discerning eye for logistics and the Warmaster's favour. 

 

Basilikoi were often armed to the teeth. In addition to his assault gun, Baboaglu carries an additional holstered bolt pistol to use in concert with his sheathed combat blade (visible in the previous pict-capture). This is in addition to the fact his very bulk and structure is a weapon, thanks to the pyramidal bonding studs which the Iron Warriors favoured over the more common rounded studs. The spiked versions provided an immediately distinctive intimidating appearance and were incidentally useful in close-quarters warfare, turning the pauldron into a very effective melée weapon.

 

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A Quick question: where did you find the shoulderpads on the latest models with volkite chargers? WHo makes those?

They're from the ever-awesome Master-Crafted Miniatures. Tell 'em I sent you :D

Edited May 20, 2016 by Apologist

[lionofjudah]

Such a great backstory!!

And now, of course there's a company doing TS shoulder pads

[apologist]

Ooh, I'd love to see some more Wolves from you, lionofjudah – one of the PCRC (our gaming group) was musing over the idea of doing one of the watchpacks as a self-contained project. 

 

The helmet's from the FW Iron Warriors pack, by the way. I like that one!

Edited May 23, 2016 by Apologist

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Great job on the models.

[Charlo]

Every post makes me feel like I'm looking at a new Iron Maiden Album cover or the like.

 

Awesome awesome brutal awesome.

[apologist]

+ Battle of Miticas (M31) +

 

Miticas is a planet with roiling clouds that spill from horizon to horizon. The light of the nearby star, Gorgidas, occasionally breaks through for glorious moments of golden sunlight. The planet contains the Ecclesiarchical Palace of the Antona Australis Sectorial Representative, and is considered an important pilgrimage site.

 

A wild, loyal and, at times, beautiful planet. What remains to be said of the shrine world? Merely that its name may have been uttered with very different words, were it not for the swift assault of the Imperial Fists' 211th Company during the galaxy-burning events of the first great Heresy.

 

+++

A 2,000pt battle using the Age of Darkness rules, we fought the Tide of Carnage battle, which tasks the belligerents to capture the three areas of the board – their own deployment zone, No-man's Land, and the opposing force's deployment zone. These give escalating victory points (i.e. capturing the opponent's zone is the most rewarding, holding your own the least).

 

In addition, vehicles with the Tank type are scoring – useful for both Bob Hunk (the Fists' commander) and myself, as we'd both invested heavily in armoured vehicles.

+++

 

 

Full report through this noospheric inloadlink (as it'd take an age to get all the images up here!)

[lionofjudah]

I get a blank page on my mobile... Looks like a good rematch with ceramite laden AFVs