Hydra Imperious - Loyalist Alpha Legion/Shattered Legion

[Balthamal]

http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag78/chud395/AL_Vet_Tact._Legionary_zpsaeredy1d.jpg

 

Our name is Legion

Our name is our own

Our name is power

Power giveth strength

Strength belongs to the deserving

You deserve not our name

To give you our name is death

You are not us

We are apart from you

For we are Legion

We are Death

 

Axiom of Ruinam or "The Downfall"

​The Unification Wars

 

Greetings one and all. Since inspiration for my Night Lords is completely dead and with A Tale of 18 Hobbyists kicking off/News on Shattered Legions/Plastic tactical marines I've decided to plough ahead with my next project. Originally I was going to shoot for the Alpha Legion but with the bits and pieces of rumour concerning the forthcoming Vol VI containing a Shattered Legon list I've increased my scope - I want to model/paint/write about more than one Legion and I like the idea of a Shattered Legion outside of the usual Iron Hands/Salamanders/Raven Guard theme. And after doing Night Lords loyalists were the order of the day for me. So here I shall log my struggles to do more painting/modelling than actual writing and bring my ideas forth. I want to say at the start that Hyaenidae and BCK's Unification Wars/Early Great Crusade stuff has inspired most of the ideas for this. And apologies in advance to the Princess of Crows Flint. As my usual sounding board she's going to be listening to a lot of from me.

 

OK to business. As I'm still awaiting my FW order first up is some fluff, what I'm looking to do is shed some light on our varied protagonists and just why they'd consider something as drastic as following a Harrowmaster of the least trustworthy Legion. Enjoy.

 

 

 

Triton, Satellite of Neptune – Sol System – 1043 Days after the Istvaan V Dropsite Massacre

 

 

Ishamael Julvar had consigned himself to a lonely death. He had seen nor heard anyone for the past seventeen days. Even by the standards of his cell that was an uncommonly long period of time where none of his jailors had seen fit to check if he still lived. He had made a point of counting how long they were wont to abandon him previously, and that had never extended beyond five days. The VII Legion were nothing if not meticulous in their duty.

 

 

But this long silence obviously meant that events were afoot. Over two standard Terran weeks was bordering on dereliction of duty in any other case. The riveted bands of silver around his bare wrists and ankles prevented him from simply pushing his sixth sense out into the prison complex. Indeed he was no longer sure his powers would manifest at his behest, he had never gone so long without calling upon them in some way though he had heard tell in his gutted Legion that psychic powers were known to atrophy quickly. Julvar supressed a sigh of regret. The XV Legion were dead, the third Legion to have their names and deeds burnt from Imperial history, the crimes of the Crimson King against his father the Emperor, too great for simple censure.

 

 

The abrupt clacking of the door seals retracting snapped his attention back to the present. He lacked the strength to stand and face his captors so was forced to settle slumped against the wall opposed the entrance, his feet almost reaching the metal in the confined space. Three Astartes stood outside, the rich yellow of their armour identifying them immediately. One held a dataslate in his fist, the others merely kept their bolters held at ease across their chests. Interestingly, none had anything to denote rank.

 

 

The warrior with the dataslate stepped to the threshold of the cell and glanced at the device once before speaking.

 

 

“Ishamael Julvar. By order of Rogal Dorn, Lord of the VII Legion and Praetorian of the Imperium, you are to be transferred from this facility to Terra immediately”

 

 

He motioned for the two warriors accompanying him to lift the stricken Thousand Son from the cell. As both entered, Ishamael caught the distinctive scent of oil and hot ceramite tinged with the unmistakable aroma of fycelene – smoke from the propellant in bolt shells. As he gained his feet he looked straight at the Astartes who had addressed him.

 

 

“My bindings cousin,” he said, raising his arms to show his wrists.

 

 

The Imperial Fist didn’t hesitate; “Of course kinsman” and he simply ripped away the silver in his gauntlets. Ishamael felt the Warp trickle back into him but ignored it to focus on his deliverer.

 

 

“You are not of the VII Legion.” It was less than a question.

 

 

Again no hesitation, “No cousin we are not.”

 

 

“Then who are you! You are in a prison posing as members of Dorn’s Legion and he-“

 

 

The false Imperial Fist’s laughter stopped Ishamael short. Of everything, laughter was the last thing he expected.

 

 

“Cousin. Dorn has had you locked here for four years. Given the other things on his mind you are a very minor detail.”

 

 

“There is no such thing as a minor detail.”

 

 

Again, laughter. “No doubt Gulliman would agree with you. He however is not here, we are. And you are coming with us.”

 

 

Still Ishamael hesitated. If he were being smuggled from the prison, why? And by whom? Were his brothers being freed too?

 

 

The questions ceased running through his mind as he looked down the corridor and saw another Astartes start down the cramped space. This one wore ornate warplate, it’s surfaces chased with scales, silver serpents and undecipherable text written in a score of languages, most of them dead. Alpha Legion. It could be no other, which would explain the false Fists and the gun smoke. He decided to try one more time.

 

 

“I’m grateful cousins, truly. Now who are you? And what of Dorn?”

 

 

The Alpha Legionnaire stopped forty paces shy of him, his helm, surprisingly was wrought in such a way that the faceplate represented the unfurled pinions of the Imperial Eagle. He’d never have expected to see such a thing.

 

 

“Cousin,” he said, making the Aquila before his chest. “We must see you safely from here. In approximately thirteen minutes every alarm in this rock will sound and the guns of a hundred brothers will be pointed directly at us. Haste is essential. And as for Dorn, Bane told you truly. He has far greater concerns on his mind at present. Like trying to reign in the aggressive impulses of the Wolf King and co-ordinate the invasion of Paramar V.

 

 

Ishamael’s head spun with these revelations. Paramar V invaded? Leman Russ on Terra? Who was fighting who? Had the Warmaster lost all control over the Legions?

 

 

“Who are you? And why is all of this taking place? My Legion’s sins I can at least bear witness to but Paramar is the domain of the Mechanicum and has Russ slipped beyond the Warmaster’s-“

 

 

“Enough brother. Answers will come with time. Time and distance between us and Triton. We cannot bide. And the Warmaster is why we have come. Your services are needed.”

 

 

“Yes, yes, yes I will come. But for the final time kinsman, your name.”

 

 

The eagle helm could have been boring a hole through his skull or been utterly lost in contemplation for all the movement and expression it presented. Finally, completely without emotion or inflection, a single word emerged from the vox-grill

 

 

“Ruin”

Edited September 7, 2015 by Balthamal

[Larkyn]

 

“Ruin”

 

 

 

That, that right that got you a Follow. I'll be looking forward to seeing more, sad to hear about the Night Lords falling through, though.

[marine7312000]

What he said ^.

[Soldier of Dorn]

Ditto.

 

Can't wait to see the minis.

[powwow]

Generally I don't enjoy the fan made fluff in plogs but this is an exception 

 

I wait with bated breath for the next installment.

[Nakuth]

I just got a little chill at that last line.

[Balthamal]

And the first model is in: Ishamael Julvar, Medicae Practus, Flag Captain of the Magisterx Luminia

 

 

http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag78/chud395/20150928_213947_zpsodpiydwr.jpg

 

 

 

http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag78/chud395/20150928_214006_zpstwp9ap0d.jpg

 

 

 

http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag78/chud395/20150928_213937_zpscdviopxn.jpg

[Balthamal]

And I'm back in the game, again.

 

 

Strike Cruiser Paragon of Duty - 17 Light Hours from Antares - 9 Days before the Istvaan V Dropsite Massacre  

 

The brotherhood dragged themselves to their feet as another shuddering impact pounded the ship. The stead thump thump of the weapons batteries returning fire drowned out by the superior volume of fire raking the hull. The chase was finally over, all that remained, defiance, and the chance to spite those once held dearest of kin.

 

Asyaleyn, herald and champion to the ship’s lord stood to attention before his master’s throne, even as the rest of his blade circle were upended around him. Still the commander remained silent, his practised eyes taking in all the data of the unfolding void battle. He was as good as any within the Legion with a ship and a competent crew but even he accepted that the six hunters circling him now could not be denied their prize. His champion’s voice took his focus away from the beating his ship was taking.

 

“Lord Commander, what are your orders?” No inflection, no anger, nothing except the bare minimum of what was required. Good. He had trained this one well indeed

 

Ilcoria Drummard, last loyal Lord Commander of the III Legiones Astartes, rose slowly, his armour’s servos compensating for the pitch of the cruiser.

 

“Ensure that the entire crew are prepared to repel boarders should it become necessary. I believe our former brothers would enjoy the chance to grind our noses in their evident superiority." The last word escaped with a sneer, the Lord Commander’s contempt dripping from every syllable.

 

“Have the secondary decks cleared and choke points established. The heaviest weaponry the human crew can wield should be focused on the thoroughfares through the dorsal and ventral corridors. Where ever they come aboard, I want the Legion ready for them.”

 

Asyaleyn bowed his head low, “And where are we to be my Lord?”

 

Drummard allowed some of his anticipation to reach his eyes, “We will go to the primary hanger deck and meet the strongest assault. There we shall show them the perfection of death in the name of the Emperor.” A smile, subtle but vicious, flashed briefly across his face.

 

“Asyaleyn, they’re going to wish they’d never caught us”

 

 

 

http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag78/chud395/20160305_210634-1_zpsqaseyjwy.jpg

 

 

Ilcoria Drummard, Lord Commander in Exile of the III Legion

[Balthamal]

Finally managed to get some priming done, off to a less than auspicious start with the III Legion however....

 

 

http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag78/chud395/20160313_183711_001_zpsj5ufboob.jpg

 

 

That is, in a word, :cuss

 

 

On a more positive spin, got a nice colour for the actual Alpha Legion models at the very least

 

 

http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag78/chud395/20160313_183705_zpsa3wr9aiv.jpg

 

 

Bit more practice with the coverage of the airbrush needed though since that's a lot darker than I'd have liked

[Rangaman]

Love the little write-up, and the Alpha looks sick...but, what happened to the IIIrd Legionairre?

[AfroCampbell]

Finally managed to get some priming done, off to a less than auspicious start with the III Legion however....

 

 

http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag78/chud395/20160313_183711_001_zpsj5ufboob.jpg

 

 

That is, in a word,

 

 

On a more positive spin, got a nice colour for the actual Alpha Legion models at the very least

 

 

http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag78/chud395/20160313_183705_zpsa3wr9aiv.jpg

 

 

Bit more practice with the coverage of the airbrush needed though since that's a lot darker than I'd have liked

How did you get that colour for the Alpha?

Edited March 14, 2016 by Slipstreams
Avoid Shorthand Spellings of words a la internet style such as U (you), Y (Why) etc. as its against board rules.

[Balthamal]

 

Finally managed to get some priming done, off to a less than auspicious start with the III Legion however....

 

 

http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag78/chud395/20160313_183711_001_zpsj5ufboob.jpg

 

 

That is, in a word,

 

 

On a more positive spin, got a nice colour for the actual Alpha Legion models at the very least

 

 

http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag78/chud395/20160313_183705_zpsa3wr9aiv.jpg

 

 

Bit more practice with the coverage of the airbrush needed though since that's a lot darker than I'd have liked

 

How did you get that colour for the Alpha?

 

 

Primed army painter chainmail then several thin coats of the Calth Blue from Forgeworld

 

 

Love the little write-up, and the Alpha looks sick...but, what happened to the IIIrd Legionairre?

 

Poor mix on the paint more than anything. Gave it 2 thin coats and it barely changed shade so upped the paint content and whilst the first coat came out as expected another one on top was much too thick. Need some more experimentation on the clear purple compared to the blue it seems

Edited March 14, 2016 by Balthamal

[Dantay VI]

I always thought that metallic always had a hard time taking a wash or glaze tc on top, because they have a much smoother surface than matte paints, which tend to be rougher.

 

Maybe a coat of vanish before the clear paint might have helped the purple adhere to the model better?

[Balthamal]

I always thought that metallic always had a hard time taking a wash or glaze tc on top, because they have a much smoother surface than matte paints, which tend to be rougher.

 

Maybe a coat of vanish before the clear paint might have helped the purple adhere to the model better?

 

Quite possibly. Well worth giving a go. Could be down to the difference between resin and plastic. Much more experimentation needed I think so will see how it turns out on the weekend

[Flint13]

Oh, that's no big the paint just receded as it dried. That's the FW purple clear deal, right?

 

So try this: basecoat either silver or a bright off-white (I use Vallejo glacier blue), then hit the model with a super thin coat of matte varnish. Doesn't matter if it's the rattle can kind or the air-brush kind.

 

The matte varnish is really porous and so the wash/paint will cling to it and stain instead of receding into the recesses (like what has happened on the gauntlets) so it will stay where you put it. And when in doubt with the the purple, three super thin layers will *always* be a better idea then one thick, drippy coat.

Edited March 15, 2016 by Flint13

[Balthamal]

Yeah it's the Eidolon clear. Strange really since the Calth blue clear is fine to work with but hey ho all part of the learning curve.

 

I'll certainly give the matte varnish trick a shot though. Will hopefully pick some up later and it'll be in time for the ghost paints I ordered to arrive

[Balthamal]

Ok after taking Flint's advice and getting hold of the Minitaire Ghost paints, I've given them a go and the results are below. The first is three thin coats of blue over a silver primer layer and the second is a play on Betrayer41's Alpha Scheme (Basecoat of purple with three thin coats of blue on top of that) I'm leaning towards the second but any feedback will be mightily appreciated

 

 

 

http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag78/chud395/20160328_155853_001_zpsoypl3uyz.jpg

 

 

 

http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag78/chud395/20160328_155902_zps1rezk33g.jpg

 

 

 

http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag78/chud395/20160328_155910_zpsoqakbfzm.jpg

[Brother Pheidias]

Nr. 2 looks the part, nr. 1 is just a little too light if you ask me. If he got a green sheen, then I'd vote for nr. 1.

[Balthamal]

I'll probably give him a quick blast of green just to highlight. 

 

 

 

Here's the second one completed though.

 

 

 

http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag78/chud395/20160328_185242_zpsd9oynx84.jpg

 

 

 

And here's the first one with a Bobby G glaze to darken him a touch

 

 

 

http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag78/chud395/20160328_185301_zpsejiaerty.jpg

[betrayer41]

I had similar results originally, it looks like it you could be spraying too much with too much pressure. Definitely on the right track. What type of blue are you wanting to get? Your finished model looks good and would be nearly perfect for a smurf haha 

[Greyedout]

I'm using ghost tints on my Alphas as well, specifically blue and plasma fluid.  Here's the result:

 

http://i.imgur.com/K5EmFxq.jpg?1

 

 

And a "formal" light box pic:

 

http://i.imgur.com/jekd2P4.jpg?1

 

 

 

I airbrush GW Leadbelcher over black Vallejo primer, and then do blue from the bottom portions up, then plasma fluid from the top down.  I've noticed that sometimes I do accidentally go a bit heavy, so I'm still working on that, but I like the result.  The ghost tints seem to dry with quite a shine, which I think works for (my own personal)Alpha Legion.  

[Balthamal]

I haven't tried the plasma yet but it's next on my list of colour experiments. I'm.torn between the rich green/blue metallic and Betrayer's crisp blue sheen

[betrayer41]

I'm using ghost tints on my Alphas as well, specifically blue and plasma fluid.  Here's the result:

 

http://i.imgur.com/K5EmFxq.jpg?1

 

 

And a "formal" light box pic:

 

http://i.imgur.com/jekd2P4.jpg?1

 

 

 

I airbrush GW Leadbelcher over black Vallejo primer, and then do blue from the bottom portions up, then plasma fluid from the top down.  I've noticed that sometimes I do accidentally go a bit heavy, so I'm still working on that, but I like the result.  The ghost tints seem to dry with quite a shine, which I think works for (my own personal)Alpha Legion.  

Wow are those the same models?

 

If so what a difference lighting makes. They look very different. That's great about the multicolor alpha schemes it's like candy paint. ha great work!

[Greyedout]

@betrayer - Yep, same squad.  :)  The ghost tints look totally different depending on the lighting conditions - if I'm taking WIP pictures, everything comes out looking super dark blue.  It's hard to get an idea of what the final thing looks like until you get it in the lightbox or in more natural light, and I think it also has just a bit to do with my iPhone camera.  I've noticed that blues/purples and certain reds give it some trouble.

[Balthamal]

I used to get the same problem with my the camera on my old iphone too. No such issue with my current one, think it's like a 12Mpi or thereabouts so the quality is crisp.

 

I used Gulliman Glaze on one of the models last night and that took the shine off the model completely so might see about doing the glaze first then a coat of blue. Hopefully getting my replacement airbrush parts tomorrow (yeah newbie mistake, split the tip) so will be looking to have a crack at it.