[WIP] 1905th Solar Auxilia: Rust Scorpions

[Audemus]

The men have to know this is wrong and yet it is a direct order, I am honour bound to fulfill it, thought Lord Marshal Marcalius Audacter of the 1905^th Rust Scorpions.  They had been deployed to hold a position three klicks east of the main battle; defending positions was not a job they were particularly versed at or equipped for. 

 

Marcalius had almost cut the Old Man down when he issued the order out of frustration as his sword, an artifact of the Ash Scorpions, began rattling in what appeared to be a response to his sudden anger.  Ireton MaSade had been a genius in his day and surely some of that strategic edge was still present in that decrepit body torn by countless years; yet apparently the man did not have a tactical bone in his body.  Who deploys soldiers with short ranged assault weaponry to erect defenses and hold what was for all accounts a damn field?

 

Strategos Horav Ultivak looked over at the Lord Marshal his brow furrowing in concern.  Obviously he was aware of the misuse of his men but the Strategos was able to temper his judgment of the order with the mindset that Lord Marshal MaSade simply did not trust them yet.  Who could blame the wily old badger for questioning the motives of a unit derived from another completely wiped out Cohort who arrived at his doorstep hours before his campaign began with a full Knight House in tow and fresh soldiers who moved like veterans.  They may not be as numerous as some of the other cohorts but the steel in their eyes was unquestionable.

 

The entire meeting had almost fallen apart at landfall when Ireton MaSade demanded the Knight Scions dismount from their towering mechanical killing machines.  Marcalius had simply raised his hand and stated, “Ignore that order” and passed the Imperial Charter to Lord Marshal MaSade with what Horav could have sworn was a smirk pulling at the edge of his lips.  The man means to get us killed right here in the landing area and, after a quick look around, every single Rust Scorpion present had eased their hands from the stocks of their guns to the grip. 

 

The tension in the air was electric and Ireton’s instincts must have sent off a warning siren for he looked up, nodded, and simply said “Welcome aboard Lord Marshal, glad to have the 1905^th with us today” before turning on his mechanical heels and walking back into the command tent.  It should not come as a shock that the man had put them out away from the main force to see what they decided to do.

 

“Marcalius, after that absolutely warm welcome, I daresay we should spread the men out as the Old General might very well send some artillery shells flying in our general direction just for good measure.”  Horav chuckled to himself as he surveyed the field and noticed the feral grin on Marcalius’ face.  Marcalius appeared to open his mouth in reply when a flare went up from the opposite side of the clearing and the grin turned into compressed lips as it revealed their position and the individuals who had launched it.

 

“Astartes.  Word Bearers by the looks of them, despite the darkness I could make out red power armor moving through the tall grass.  They aren’t even supposed to be on the damn planet and MaSade sticks us out here to act as a speed bump for them.”  Marcalius slammed his visor shut and reviewed the tactical read outs as information filled his visor, “Seneschal Iurat Jesal, move at all haste to the northern side of the field and then cut back into them on their side.   Do not hold back, we will need your Knights this day if we are to see another.”

 

Queing up the Vox channel for the 1905^th’s lone Stormhammer, Marcalius said with a snarl, “Androctona, please acquaint these Astartes with the standard welcoming of the Rust Scorpions.  Fire and adjust accordingly on the following coordinates.  Do not cease until this field is leveled or I command it.”

 

Horav watched Marcalius barking out general orders and nodded to himself in approval; the man knew when to allow the chain of command to handle the job and, as always, was only sketching the basic battle instructions for his men.  Marcalius trusted the 1905^th to handle themselves and for all intents and purposes he existed only to point them in a general direction.

 

Androctona’s three main cannons shook the earth as they announced their presence to the now running Word Bearer’s crossing the field, lighting the dry grass on fire and silhouetting the Astartes for all the men to see.  Veletaris Delta and Echo Squads had moved to the edge of the hastily erected defenses and Horav gave them the all clear to fire at will, as the first Astartes came into range at an inhuman speed.  The rotor cannon engines spooled up and issued their tell-tale whine then, a moment later, the entire field was filled with a fusillade of fast moving metal slugs that simply did not stop.  The barrels glowing ember red as the men braced themselves and fanned the field like a giant scythe cutting through Plasteel and grass alike.

 

Horav jerked suddenly as he saw one of the Word Bearer’s vault a defensive barricade and rush toward Marcalius.  While Horav had been distracted it was clear the Household Guard assigned with protecting Marcalius certainly had not as they formed a wall of armor and axe blades.  The Astartes sounded as if he was laughing at the men and then he was among them like whirling dervish unleashing gouts of arterial blood from the guard as they moved to intercept him. 

 

Yet he was alone and even an Astartes cannot weather the repeated blows of the guards Power Axes, with the first one catching the back of his right calf and then another sinking into his lower back.  The Word Bearer managed to still reach out and crush the skull of a wounded man with his armored hand, as if to announce his defiance that something like death could stop him.  Yet despite the gesture the rising and falling of repeated axe blades that finally brought his struggles to an end.

 

Horav confirmed there were no further enemies approaching and muttered under his breath, “…they were only scouting for a larger force...damn you MaSade for sticking us out here to die.”  That’s when he saw him, Marcalius had never moved during the struggle right in front of him; instead he had sat still with that blade drawn as gouts of blood had drenched his armor.  It was clear that Marcalius had been waiting for the Astartes and he almost appeared disappointed that the Household Guard had stopped him.

 

That image of Marcalius, drenched in blood, against the fire light of the burning fields with his red visor glowing ever so slightly would haunt Horav Ultivak’s dreams from that day on.  Marcalius, he thought, if you’re going to go mad either get it over with or lock it down.  We can’t afford to have you come apart on us in the middle of a battle. 

 

Horav cracked his visor open and wiped the sweat off his brow, “It’s going to be a damn long campaign” he muttered, before slamming the visor shut and issuing orders for assessing the fortification for damages and requesting a casualty report.

Edited January 22, 2016 by Audemus

[rdrdrdrd]

Wow, lots of people to reply to thanks to being sick as a dog!  Lets get started...

...

 

Fantastic work, I've been following for a few weeks now but was just able to get an account setup. Your work honestly got me into painting miniatures and now I am hooked!

 

Wow!  That's probably the best compliment an artist can receive!  I am so glad you're enjoying the hobby and please feel free to ask any questions you have; if I can answer them I will!

 

 

Yeah its been a blast since I started. Mostly been painting bones brand resin minis just to see if I can but I have been eyeing death korps and solar auxilia armies. I actually think a great fluffy army would be DKK with dracosans, malacadors, minotaurs, marchius and towed artillery, no russes or chimeras for flavor. However playing it would be nigh imposible I think unless I proxied all the malacadors as russ demolishers with hull mounted las canons and the dracosans as chimeras.

 

I can dream though!

 

Right now I bought a significant amount of The Army Painter paints and brushes (citadel is almost twice as much it seems!) and  I am wondering if you have any experience with them versus citadel and if I should start trying to aquire citadel paints instead of the cheaper ones.

[Audemus]

 

Wow, lots of people to reply to thanks to being sick as a dog!  Lets get started...

...

 

Fantastic work, I've been following for a few weeks now but was just able to get an account setup. Your work honestly got me into painting miniatures and now I am hooked!

 

Wow!  That's probably the best compliment an artist can receive!  I am so glad you're enjoying the hobby and please feel free to ask any questions you have; if I can answer them I will!

 

 

Yeah its been a blast since I started. Mostly been painting bones brand resin minis just to see if I can but I have been eyeing death korps and solar auxilia armies. I actually think a great fluffy army would be DKK with dracosans, malacadors, minotaurs, marchius and towed artillery, no russes or chimeras for flavor. However playing it would be nigh imposible I think unless I proxied all the malacadors as russ demolishers with hull mounted las canons and the dracosans as chimeras.

 

I can dream though!

 

Right now I bought a significant amount of The Army Painter paints and brushes (citadel is almost twice as much it seems!) and  I am wondering if you have any experience with them versus citadel and if I should start trying to aquire citadel paints instead of the cheaper ones.

 

 

I used to use Army Painter primer back in the 90's but I can't say anything for the quality of it now.  I'm pretty much solely using GW paints/primers currently because I know what to expect from them in specific situations when I'm painting and I don't want to run the risk of goofing up a model because I made an assumption about paints that ended up falling through.  If you're comfortable using them though, and the models are coming out fine, then use whatever works for you!

 

==========

 

So, I had a Top Secret ( ) order I've been waiting to arrive from Forge World that I've been a bit reticent to discuss.  The primary reason has been...well I wasn't sure it was going to work and I didn't want to post about it then fail on delivery.  The reason for the Aegis Line Defense I made can now be revealed as the test conversion has been a success and I will hopefully be able to get better as I go.  You'll note I don't use Lasrifle Sections in my army and that's a fluff based decision, so I was trying to find a way using an Aegis Defense Line to put out high volume fire...and I realized that I was going to have to try and create Rotor Cannons Veletaris. 

 

As there is no model for them, I ordered a Veletaris Storm Section and 2 packs of the Legion Rotor Cannons.  The intent is to put 2 Veletaris Rotor Cannon squads in a Tercio with an Aegis Defense Line and an Ammo Crate.  That, combined with their ability to drop behind the Aegis Wall and gain a +2 bonus to the save...which (Thanks Flint for pointing this out) dove tails splendidly with the Reinforced void armour rule which states that the wearer must "...re-roll failed saves against Template and Blast type weapons."  Note it does not state armor save.  So going to ground for the Veletaris would provide a 2+ re-rollable cover save.

 

As to the Rotor Cannons fire power, I am aware that they do not have high strength but with a BS4, ammo dump, and a stationary position the two squads combined will be able to throw 80 shots at 30 inches.  That should saturate just about any troop model it hits considering the re-roll to hit on 1 provided by the ammo dump.  Please note I don't expect these guys to win the game for me, I expect them to fill a very noticeable gap in my lines.  Eventually they will end up supported by Tarantula guns or Rapiers.

 

What good is all this without a workable model?  Well, if you can forgive the use of my phones camera as I didn't want to break out the photo tent just for this, then I will be happy to show you!

 

http://i.imgur.com/x6BR4IJ.png

 

I'm really happy with how he turned out, I just have to take on the entire squad now!  New project initiated!

[Rangaman]

:o

[God-Potato of Mankind]

Sweet Emperor it's beautiful. The conversion is smashing.

 

The Rotor cannon is quite large, but the void armour could well include servo-motors to enhance.

 

How easy was it? I bought a load of rotor cannons back when I was just collecting, and rotor cannoning veletarii would be such a sweet addition to my dakka.

[Audemus]

 

 

Sweet Emperor it's beautiful. The conversion is smashing.

 

The Rotor cannon is quite large, but the void armour could well include servo-motors to enhance.

 

How easy was it? I bought a load of rotor cannons back when I was just collecting, and rotor cannoning veletarii would be such a sweet addition to my dakka.

 

It'll be easier for you, as your rotor cannons probably do not have the Astartes hand in them already.  Cutting the hand out is annoying as hell due to the thin top bracket.

 

I've got 5 more of them soaking right now to be glued together and I can say that the Veletaris with their hands on the stock are the most difficult to prep.  Two of them are done now but taking that small hand and then cutting it away from the gun, followed by using a hobby knife to scoop the resin out from within the hand, is a total pain.  The wrists that are really bent initially will need to be straightened via hot water/blow dryer to allow for them to fit into the brace as well.

 

This is pretty foreign territory for me but that's one of the reasons I wanted to do these guys, I was sure that it was doable and at the same time I wanted to challenge myself so that I could get into modding more.  Not to mention I haven't seen anyone try making the Rotor Cannon Veletaris a reality yet, which added to the my desire to do them!    I will post more pics before I prime them so that the different poses are visible; the kneeling Vox guy is going to be a really interesting challenge due to the ammo belt feed, but I will figure it out.

 

Thanks for the compliments!

[Reyner]

That looks absolutely awesome man, works really well too. The sergeant would look such a bad ass with his rotor cannon and cigar!

[Pearson73]

Nice conversion, nice tactic too; I sure as heck would think twice about marching my men through that many shots.

[Olis]

http://i.imgur.com/x6BR4IJ.png

 

http://thepoliticalcarnival.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/brilliant.jpg

[captainblow]

I've never been very much into SA, but this thread keeps me wanting to maybe at some point try some of my own.

Also the rotor cannon conversion is spot on.

[Audemus]

That looks absolutely awesome man, works really well too. The sergeant would look such a bad ass with his rotor cannon and cigar!

 

Funny you should say that, as the entire first squad will have Aliens/Colonial Marine Corp hints to it.  One of them is going to end up with an Elysian shotgun on his backpack, another with a red bandana (if I can make it work) and finally the sergeant slot has been taken by this fine cigar smoking gentleman!

 

http://i.imgur.com/xW9Zsvv.png?1

 

Nice conversion, nice tactic too; I sure as heck would think twice about marching my men through that many shots.

 

Yeah, it definitely felt like something that has been ignored due to the lasrifle sections but the wall of fire with fewer models (which equates to more models in range of the ammo dump) just sounded like to much fun.  I can't wait to take them out for a spin.

 

 

http://thepoliticalcarnival.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/brilliant.jpg

 

 

 

Why, thank you!

 

I've never been very much into SA, but this thread keeps me wanting to maybe at some point try some of my own.

Also the rotor cannon conversion is spot on.

 

Well, I try to keep people aware of the force as much as I can.  It seems like a lot of times people use them for allies but rarely run them as their primary, so I try to keep things interesting!  Glad to know you're enjoying my posts.

 

====

 

So I have been working my ass off today due to this batch of Veletaris having the mystical magical anti-glue aura.  Keep in mind I've made three squads of these guys without issues but for some bizarre reason, despite 24 hours of soaking and hand brushing just like I always do with resin, the glue just refuses to dry.  This has resulted in my fingers being quite calloused with glue at the moment but I have made head way.

 

A few of the model poses proved absolutely impossible with the base model, so I had to get inventive with my poses and I've probably used more green stuff than I should but I can always cut it away later.  One of the really problematic ones was Veletaris #7 on the sprues, See, he doesn't have arms, as his gun is supposed to hug his chest.  As the Rotor Cannon that high would block out his entire head, I decided to go for a relaxed/cooldown pose with him resting his hand on the top of the gun using a spare arm I had from another squad.  You really don't want to know how long it took to come to that decision but I think the results turned out really well.

 

Oh and I've become a master of ammo belt bending, almost every model requires the belt to be crafted specifically to the pose it's in and I've been using a green stuff cushion with glue on the back and front to ease the contact point of the ammo belt joints.

 

Anyways, below are the currently completed guys, I'm going to take a break on them tonight as I still need to cut three more hands away from the volkite guns and then hollow their grips...that usually results in a few contact cuts because I'm literally only holding the tiny hand and then edging out the block of resin it is holding.

 

http://i.imgur.com/KeRyf2M.png

[exsanguis]

http://www.reactiongifs.com/r/dgib.gif

[Legio Draconis]

Wow, those are some badass grunts. Kudos

[Rangaman]

Game over man, game over!

 

I love the veletaris on the far left, makes the rotor cannon look really weighty.

[Arac]

You know how to entertain your readers. Awesome stuff. Solidifies your position as the best SA project owner in town.

[Flint13]

Dayum son. 

 

Those bros are looking pretty awesome. 

 

I love how the rotor cannons just look so natural with the SA void armor. Great job, man!

[God-Potato of Mankind]

I am seriously considering swapping 10 out of my 40 Veletarii to have rotors just to add volume of fire to the choomspam.

Soooo considering.

 

You fiend :|

[Tyrannicide]

This thread is bad for my health.

[rdrdrdrd]

Wow, great stuff, I bet they would be popular sets. Are there provisions for upgrading to rotor cannons in the codex?

[Audemus]

http://www.reactiongifs.com/r/dgib.gif

 

This made me laugh so hard when I saw it, thank you!  My poor filet'ed fingers are made all the more worth it when someone makes it obvious how much they like what I'm doing. 

 

Wow, those are some badass grunts. Kudos

 

Thank you!  I've never done signficant modding before so this was one hell of a task for me but the models are done, now I just have to paint them!

 

Game over man, game over!

 

I love the veletaris on the far left, makes the rotor cannon look really weighty.

 

What're we going to do now man?  What're we gonna do?!?!

 

Yeah, out of all the models he has the most work done to him in order to make the pose work.  I actually picked up some liquid green to smooth out the jagged putty marks that  were on his arm extension.  Even so, I really like him.

 

You know how to entertain your readers. Awesome stuff. Solidifies your position as the best SA project owner in town.

 

Well that's a hell of a statement, thank you very much for the kind words!

 

Dayum son. 

 

Those bros are looking pretty awesome. 

 

I love how the rotor cannons just look so natural with the SA void armor. Great job, man!

 

Flint is playing modest, as I fielded this idea during one of our strategy discussions.  Once we determined Arvus dropping these guys wasn't going to work, I went back to the drawing board and came up with the Aegis Defense Line strategy and that's when things really took flight.

 

Thanks again Flint!

 

I am seriously considering swapping 10 out of my 40 Veletarii to have rotors just to add volume of fire to the choomspam.

Soooo considering.

 

You fiend :|

 

I am quite devilish, it's true, but I will say this...the conversion, while easy as hell on some of the poses, becomes a monster of a job on other poses.  I still want to make my second squad but it's going to have to wait for the moment if only because the squad, without tax or shipping, is already $97 and I wasn't joking when I said I constantly knicked my fingers trying to hollow out the tiny hands.  I'm going to need to freaking heal before I attempt another one of these squads. lol

 

This thread is bad for my health.

 

Indeed!  I believe the only possibly solution here is to nuke your health from orbit; it's the only way to be sure.

 

Wow, great stuff, I bet they would be popular sets. Are there provisions for upgrading to rotor cannons in the codex?

 

Absolutely, Veletaris can upgrade their Volkite Chargers to Rotor Cannons for absolutely no point increase.  The only way the rotor cannons are going to work for you though is in stationary defenses, as otherwise Assault 2/Str 5 Volkite is going to win out in a moving battle.

 

=======

 

Alright, so I've finished the guys and you're going to notice a little more green stuff on them.  That's intentional, as I bought some liquid green to allow for me to smooth out the putty green stuff and fill in gaps I missed, it should result in a much cleaner paint job...or so I hope.

 

I separated the Sergeant...I mean Prime...out for you guys to take a look at him.  I'm really happy with how he turned out; please note the base is just one of my painting bases, the models are just barely secured on to it so I can easily pop them free and move them to painted resin bases once I finish them.

 

http://i.imgur.com/CfTpHNZ.png

 

 

...and the rest of the USS Sulaco Colonial Marine Corp themed Rotor Cannon squad.  I've enhanced the contrast some to make the features stand out.

 

http://i.imgur.com/W3E9Xv2.png

 

They'll get primed probably tomorrow night as their brothers in arms are going down to the GW Store tomorrow looking for a fight during the day.  I've worked out the paint scheme for the Rotor Cannons already though so hopefully they should come together quickly.

 

Anyone think I should send them off to Forgeworld to see if I can't spur them to make the official model? 

 

Edit:

 

To avoid an absolutely enormous image, I'm going to link this one rather than embed it.

 

High Resolution of each model from 4 angles, hopefully this will help anyone trying to do the conversion for themselves in the future!

 

Click Here

Edited February 6, 2016 by Audemus

[Arac]

Do it. God wills it.

[God-Potato of Mankind]

God wills it! 

[jeremy1391]

Those rotor cannon guys look amazing!!!

[Flint13]

 

 

I am seriously considering swapping 10 out of my 40 Veletarii to have rotors just to add volume of fire to the choomspam.

Soooo considering.

 

You fiend :|

 

I am quite devilish, it's true, but I will say this...the conversion, while easy as hell on some of the poses, becomes a monster of a job on other poses.  I still want to make my second squad but it's going to have to wait for the moment if only because the squad, without tax or shipping, is already $97 and I wasn't joking when I said I constantly knicked my fingers trying to hollow out the tiny hands.  I'm going to need to freaking heal before I attempt another one of these squads. lol

 

 

Dude, I feel you. The amount of manicures I have jacked up trying to shave down a conversion bit just so... my nail tech hates me a little. But I prolly put one of her kids through college, so I suppose it balances out. 

 

Always remember, the Dark Gods of resin ask not for your soul or your loyalty... 

 

just your finger tips and your credit card info.

Edited February 6, 2016 by Flint13

[Audemus]

Do it. God wills it.

 

I did it, I've sent the unpainted version to them and will send the full painted squad to them as well.  I've finished half the squad so far, see pics below!

 

God wills it! 

 

If the God-Potato of Mankind states it must be done, who am I to argue?

 

Those rotor cannon guys look amazing!!!

 

Thank you very much for the compliment!

 

 

 

 

I am seriously considering swapping 10 out of my 40 Veletarii to have rotors just to add volume of fire to the choomspam.

Soooo considering.

 

You fiend :|

 

I am quite devilish, it's true, but I will say this...the conversion, while easy as hell on some of the poses, becomes a monster of a job on other poses.  I still want to make my second squad but it's going to have to wait for the moment if only because the squad, without tax or shipping, is already $97 and I wasn't joking when I said I constantly knicked my fingers trying to hollow out the tiny hands.  I'm going to need to freaking heal before I attempt another one of these squads. lol

 

 

Dude, I feel you. The amount of manicures I have jacked up trying to shave down a conversion bit just so... my nail tech hates me a little. But I prolly put one of her kids through college, so I suppose it balances out. 

 

Always remember, the Dark Gods of resin ask not for your soul or your loyalty... 

 

just your finger tips and your credit card info.

 

 

Yeah no kidding but the work paid off, as rough as the green stuff may have looked before being painted...below you will find the first half of the squad looking quite stylish.

 

 

===

 

Alright, I did half the squad first because quite frankly I was testing some color schemes and testing across 10 men is insane when you have to change something mid-assembly line.  So I downsized the assembly line and increased the speed at which I could test things.  I'm really happy with how the paint covered almost all of the green stuff, the models came out looking like they were intended to be put together with the rotor cannons...which is what I was going for.

 

1905th 'Rust Scorpions' - Veletaris Rotor Cannon Half-Section

 

http://i.imgur.com/LblE8aD.png