A Badab War Tale of 8 Gamers - the Vega III Incident

[hushrong]

Welcome Thrillhouse! Good to see you supporting a righteous cause! Thanks for the comment too! Don't worry about fluff. Write what you think will be good and if you have any concerns you've got us on this log (and this whole site) that can help out.

Awesome introductory Leviathus! Folks, turn back a page so you do not miss it!

Work is slow going at the moment on my end. I picked up the new codex and have poured over it to double check my list. I would have bought more stuff but my bank account got very light due to someone stealing my card info this last weekend. I was really eye-balling the Solaq box and the other one with the tacticals, a dread, and a captain...as well as the Calth box. However I have started slapping together a Tactical marine to meet my first quota.

Due to wet weather I will be drybrushing some runefang steel on an older mini I built to be a sternguard since I do not dare prime when it is raining. So hopefully I will have my first test dummy up and running with some kind of metallic blue for critique.

Also, I think I have my list: Format is Zone Mortalis Combatant but it can be used as Attacker and Defender as well.

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HQ

Thulsa Kane

Captain- artificer armour, relic blade, jump pack

Elite

Dreadnought- plasma cannon

Sternguard Vet. Sqd.- sergeant w/ melta bombs, power axe/ seven veterans w/ 2x combi-meltas, meltagun

Fast Attack

Assault Sqd.- sergeant w/ melta bombs, power axe/ six marines w/ 2x flamers & whole squad equipped with jump packs.

Troops

Tactical Sqd.- sergeant w/ melta bombs, power axe/ nine marines w/ multi-melta, meltagun

1000 points on the nose. I have no idea how this will play out despite the little strategies playing in my head. I am hoping to test it out soon.

[Stoneheart]

Apologies for the wedge of fluff (click below), hopefully it'll all be worth it come the end of the project!

 

 

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  “Why?” The girl asks. Her sand robes, too large for her tiny frame, trail in the dirt. She carries her sun-hat in one hand and a stripped branch in the other, swiping at nothing in particular. Her mother, if she could see her, would probably admonish her for not wearing her headgear in the midday sun, and the giant she follows feels compelled to tell her so. It is an alien feeling to the giant, whose business is to make war amongst the stars and has never had to consider the art of parenting. In many ways, he is still a child himself, he muses.

   “You should wear your hat, Ne’ra.” He rumbles. He halts within easy walking distance of the girl’s hut, where her family waits.  Behind, the simple structure squats amongst the harsh scrubland, a heard of Sauroch lowing in the near distance. Ahead, the great Ash mountains and beyond them, Themis, the sanctuary-city of the Warrior-Kings. That is where the giant should be – with his kin, his brethren of the 2^nd Company, Salamanders.

War calls and he must answer. But first, he must do this. He doesn’t know what compels him to do so. Perhaps he was born and raised in a hut not unlike Ne’ra’s, and beneath the layers of hypno-conditioning and genetic alteration, he yearns to reconnect with his forgotten roots.

    “You didn’t answer my question, Ko.” Ne’ra admonishes, using the appellation she has made up for him. “Why do you have to go? I thought we were friends.”

    “We are friends, Ne’ra. And you know why I must go.” The giant replies, taking a knee. The girl reluctantly puts her hat on and stares obstinately at him. Her green human eyes stare at his monstrous red orbs without fear. She, like all Nocturneans, knows that the giants are their protectors, and that their mutations are the result of the heritage of their primogenitor, Vulkan, combined with the radiation of Nocturne’s harsh sun.

    “Today I was Ko, the Sauroch-herd. But tomorrow I must become Kor’el, the Salamander. My sacred duty calls. If I did not go, I would be abandoning my brothers, and worse, I would be failing to protect you, your family and your home.”

    Ne’ra does not seem convinced. Her young mind cannot yet comprehend the noble ideals of selflessness and duty. But she, like all her people, is used to hardship and loss. She knows she cannot stop him from leaving, no more than she could stop the harvest being poor last season, her eldest brother being rendered bed-bound by a maddened Sauroch or her father drinking his sorrows away.

    “I made you this, to remember me by.” She eventually says, by way of permission. She hands Kor’el a small wooden charm carved into the shape of a great drake’s head – the symbol of the Salamanders. He does not know what to say at first.  

    “This is a fine gift.” He rumbles eventually. “Thank you, Ne’ra.”

    “It’s not a gift,” Ne’ra corrects him. “I want you to return it when you come back.”

 

     Brother-Sergeant Kor’el opened his eyes.  The sight of twenty nine of his brethren around him brought his maudlin thoughts to an abrupt close. Green armour suits strapped into grav-harnesses, a mixture of patterns from across the millennia of the chapter’s service, were cast in the ruddy glow of the lume-strips that ran the length of the Thunderhawk Dactylon’s troop hold. Eye lenses the colour of blood glowed, betraying the life within each helm. Boltguns, flamers, and heavier weapons jostled in their stowage racks above the Astartes’ heads as the Dactylon manoeuvred.

    Further down the gunship’s hold, towards the forward assault ramp, the enormous shape of a Castraferrum-class Mark 5 Dreadnought was cast in silhouette. Above Venerable Brother Lo’tos, the air rippled with heat churned from the exhaust stacks mounted on the war-walker’s rear. The machine’s semi-living pilot was quiescent for the moment. Kor’el could imagine the old warrior sleeping, and shuddered.

     Suddenly the Dactylon rocked like a skiff caught in a storm. Even through the reinforced hull of the mighty gunship the sound of exploding flakk shells could be heard like a distant bass drumbeat. Soon the assault ramp would open and the thirty one Salamanders would charge without fear into the maelstrom of battle.

    Provided, of course, that they weren’t first shot out of the sky.

   +Taking fire+ The co-pilot’s voice, calm and collected, reaffirmed what his brother marines already could guess. +Brace for evasive manoeuvres+

    The marines, with their extensive array of biological enhancements, were not overly affected, but held on to their harnesses out of instinct. Venerable Brother Lo’tos grumbled incoherently, apparently woken from his slumber as the Dactylon weaved through the incoming anti-aircraft fire. The assault cannon on his right side wined as it powered up, probably a belligerent reaction to being disturbed. Kor’el noticed that some of his more deferent brethren made the sign of the Hammer in reverence to the Ancient awakening.

     +One minute till touchdown. Unto the anvil, brothers+

     As one, the Salamanders unlocked their grav-harnesses and looked to their weapons. Kor’el hefted his bolter from its rack above his head and flicked off the safety before cocking it with relish. By Vulkan, there were fewer things more satisfying than taking Kesarrghoth to war. Named after the great Nocturnean drake of myth, the weapon casing was inscribed with ancient blessings in sigil-dialect and had been favoured with a brace of purity seals by the 2^nd Company’s firebrand Chaplain, Ko’rath.

     By rote the Salamanders, having armed themselves, formed up into three squads of ten behind the Dreadnought, Sergeants and flamer-bearers to the front and heavy weapons in the rear. The hum of power armour reverberated around the hold and joined with the grinding refrain of Lo’tos’ thermic reactor. To an unaugmented human, the noise would have been unbearable. To the Salamanders, immune to such weakness, it was a glorious call to war.

     The gunship lurched and rattled as it went into hover-mode and took small arms fire from the ground. Above the cacophony in the hold, the sound of the aircraft’s point-defence heavy bolters could just be heard engaging the foe, clearing the landing zone of any hostiles that might threaten it and its deadly cargo.

      +Twenty seconds, brothers+ Kor’el’s voice boomed through the vox. +Follow your Sergeant’s leads. Firesweep, building by building, like we were briefed. Bring the wrath of Deathfire herself to these traitorous insects. They thought they could hold this city for months, but they didn’t reckon on the sons of Vulkan+

      Fervent affirmations replied to the senior sergeant. A nimbus of natural light speared into the hold as the forward assault ramp opened slightly, ready to drop the moment the Dactylon landed. With it came the hellish roar of open battle. The battle for Vega III had begun in earnest.

 

 

 

 

Greetings all, I'm Stoneheart and I'm proud to represent the honoured sons of Vulkan in this tale of gamers. My first target will be to complete a 10-man Devastator Squad. I've already done five of them:

 

 

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http://i1382.photobucket.com/albums/ah272/salamander8681/dev%20dem1_zpsikuy4evm.png

 

 

 

Here's the sixth, Brother Ba'shek, hot off the painting bench! When I finish these guys, it will count as 110 pts (5 guys + 2 lascannons) towards my 1000pt goal.

http://i1382.photobucket.com/albums/ah272/salamander8681/Dev%206_zpsj6s3pg9m.jpg

 

Until next week, brothers!

 

Stoneheart

[Leviathus]

Dang, you're one heck of fluff writer Stoneheart! And Ba'shek looks smashing. Can't wait to see more!

[GrandMagnus]

I wish I had half your skill at writting, Stoneheart. That's awesome (and so are the minis, of course ;) )

[Stoneheart]

Thanks guys, really chuffed you like it! I'm looking forward to telling the rest of Kor'el's story, and others! Everyone's fluff so far has been awesome and I can't wait to see how we all interact on this.

[hushrong]

Nice marines and I love the fluff! After reading that bit I need Kor'el to live through this. Please do not George R. R. Martin him!

[Leviathus]

Okidoki! Here's my army list guys. I'm still toying around with some of the weapon upgrades but the units are final. It's a pretty hefty list model count wise (those human auxilia are almost as cheap as orks!) so I will probably batch paint all those humans. But all in all, I'm actually pretty happy with the list. It's pretty fluffy with the meat shields in the front and big guns in the back. Waddaya guys think?

Hidden Content

HQ
Tyrant's Legion Centurion
power sword, melta bombs, combi-melta

Elites
Legion Retaliator Squad
4x marines; bolt pistols, close combat weapons, combat shield, melta bombs, 1x veteran sergeant; power axe, bolt pistol, combat shield, melta bombs

Troops
Auxilia Armsmen Cadre
8x armsmen; lasgun, 1x missile launcher team, master-at-arms; close combat weapon, laspistol

Legion Auxilia
17x auxiliary; lasgun, 2x auxiliary with flamer, prefect; close combat weapon, laspistol

Legion Space Marine Cohort
8x space marine; bolter, 1x spacemarine with meltagun, veteran sergeant; power sword, plasma pistol

Fast Attack
Legion Iron Hunter Squadron
3x space marine biker, 1x space marine biker with grav-gun, huntmaster

Heavy Support
Auxilia Battle Tank Squadron
2x leman russ annihilator; twin-linked lascannon, heavy bolters

So, already started to put some fellas together. Count as Auxilia Armsmen Cadre!

http://i.imgur.com/5WgrzF7.jpg

[Stoneheart]

  On 11/28/2015 at 3:15 PM, hushrong said:

Nice marines and I love the fluff! After reading that bit I need Kor'el to live through this. Please do not George R. R. Martin him!

Thanks hushrong...ahh but that's the key to dramatic tension...you never know if he's going to make it!

Awesome army list Leviathus, 1000pt lists are always nice to see...don't know why but it reminds me of playing games at my local GW, you were only allowed a limit of 1000pts back then!

What are your plans for a colour scheme for your meatshield goons tyrants legion?

[Dosjetka]

There's some excellent stuff here. Keep it going chaps and chapettes! You're doing great :tu:

[Leviathus]

@Stoneheart The armsmen cadre comes from Badab Primaris in the fluff so the main colours will be urban grey and black with a blue spot colour to tie em in with the astral claws. The legion auxilia (the people of Vega) will have a simular colour scheme just to get a consistent look.

[corvus.calvariam]

I really need to step up my fluff game to keep up with you guys.

@Stoneheart Is there anything significant about that guy's flaming hand? A veteran marking or accolade or some such maybe?

Managed to finish my special weapons bikers and my attack bike over the weekend.

Unfortunately I have finals next week, so I'm going to have to focus on those, but I will try to work on some stuff during my study breaks. I was also working on a final army list, but I will have that finalized later. Keep up the good work everyone, and I'll try to match it next week!

edit: Oh wow the mold lines look terrible in this light. I swear it's not so noticeable in person.

[GrandMagnus]

Leviathus, I'm looking forward to seeing the scheme you will do for those guardsmen.

 

Raeho, brother, those are some niiiice looking exorcist bikers! Love the red, black and ESPECIALLY that chapter badge.

 

My first minis should arrive tomorrow or wednesday. I'm really looking forward to jumping into this, in the name of the Gorgon.

[Leviathus]

Dude raeho! The biker look fantastic! Nice work brother.

[Thrillhouse]

Looking really good you guys! Im still working on naming my characters and writing fluff. To give you an idea of where im heading I wanted to post my army list, I realized a couple of problems, so its still subject to change.

 

Captain (120p)

Inferno pistol, Power sword

 

Sanguinary priest (90p)

Jump pack, power sword, bolt pistol

 

Furioso Dreadnought (135p)

Blood talons, magna grapple

 

(10) Tactical Squad (230p)

Heavy flamer, Plastma gun

Veteran sergeant; storm bolter, chainsword, meltabomb

Rhino

 

(5) Tactical squad (165p)

Flamer

Veteran sergeant; bolt pistol, Combi-plastma, meltabombs

Razorback; Twin-linked heavy flamer

 

(7) Assault squad (164p)

Flamer, meltagun

Veteran sergeant; bolt pistol, powersword, melta bomb

 

Predator (95p)

Autocannon, heavy bolter sponsons

 

Amazing fluff and models everyone! Really inspiring.

[hushrong]

Stoneheart, He may be on the wrong side of the war but I am rooting for that Salamander!

Leviathus, Good to see the Tyrant's Legion! That list also looks fun too with the Leman Russ squadron.

Raeho, those bikes look awesome!

GrandMagnus, really curious to see what you are getting tomorrow. Going to look back at previous posts and see if I missed a mention.

Thrillhouse, I saw the list on your other thread. I like the look of it although I have a hatred for furioso dreads. My buddy had one that always seemed to crash through walls and tear up my troops hiding in the ruins like an evil kool-aid man.

---

Now for a minor update on the Executioner's war front. F1 season is over and I caught up on some Football from this past weekend. With that out of the way I made a teensy bit of progress in the building and painting process.

http://i1350.photobucket.com/albums/p779/theironwithin/Mobile%20Uploads/886D017D-68C5-45C0-9CFE-D81FBB6B15A9_zpss5exnlds.jpg

I rearmed my assault marine. Even though I am not following WYSIWYG too strictly I want to keep close enough to it. So I removed the power axe as only my Sergeants are equipped with with them in my list. This also helps to differentiate them from the troops they lead on the table. In the center is a re-purposed member of a former obliterator weapon-team. He had the chops and I think he deserved a second chance at glory so I gave him a new bolter and mission. Lastly is a tactical marine peering enviously at the sweet flesh cape his axe-brother has.

So not a lot but I have started a marine from each of my infantry squads.

Also, I sat down with some paint trying to figure out how I will paint their armor. I am going to need help in this department:

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http://i1350.photobucket.com/albums/p779/theironwithin/Mobile%20Uploads/687368AE-CC4E-43C4-9A59-BC6DB9C1E41E_zps1snbwrde.jpg

On the left is a marine I drybrushed with runefang steel and gave two washes of drakenhof nightshade. *I stopped at that point. I wasn't too big of a fan of how it was looking. He simply looked dirty. I do not know if I should water down my washes more to avoid pooling and the strange patch it dries into or if I should give it another drybrush on top of this.

On the right I mixed runefang steel and kantor blue (roughly 50-50), which made a nice metallic blue paint on my wet pallete. I applied a drybrush of that and it looked like a shiny Space Wolf blue. I then did a wash of drakenhof nightshade over that and it came out flat and glittery. *I really do not know how I can make this work. It doesn't seem to achieve the metallic blue sheen that I see on the FW artwork of the Executioners.

What I am wonder now is if I should try the first process with leadbelcher instead of runefang along with watered down washes. Also, looking through several logs online I really like how B&C's own Lorenzen painted a test mini of an Executioner. However, he used an airbrush to apply the drakenhof. This has me wondering if I should delve into buying one (and learning EVERYTHING about it) to copy his style.

Not going to lie: I am getting desperate here

[Naryn]

Hoo boy, lots of stuff to talk about!  I'm just waiting on some more grass tufts to finish up my bikers, and then I'll post them up with some additional fluff.  

 

Leviathus, great piece there.  Your army has a lot of character already!  And I can tell those Annihilators are going to be vicious.

 

Hush, that list looks pretty solid!  I've been meaning to come up with a ZM detachment for my Mantis Warriors; maybe I'll throw something together in the next few days.  I like the look of those Executioners, especially the one with the bionic legs.  As for the painting, I think you ought to try either Leadbelcher or Ironbreaker, highlighted with Runefang, and then put the washes down.  Alternately, pure Runefang, wash, drybrush more Runefang, and another wash might have an interesting effect.  I have a ton of spare Marines kicking around; I'll do some tests.

 

Stoneheart, awesome writing and painting both.  Those Salamanders look very clean!

 

Raeho, those bikes look great.  Really cleanly painted.  Are those custom decals or freehands on them?

 

Thrillhouse, I like the list.  I have a special place in my heart for Sanguinary Priests, so I'm particularly excited to see that guy.  

 

 

Fantastic and inspirational work from all of you.  I'm excited to share my progress soon!

[Leviathus]

@hush try to mix your washes with Lahmian Medium instead of water. It will preserve the wash better. And if you want to prevent the wash from pooling too much, soak it up with a dry brush.

 

Perhaps you can try this: basecoat them with Leadbelcher (or perhaps Iron Breaker), glaze them with a mix of Lahmian Medium and Kantor Blue (two or three parts lahmian, one part kantor). Or you could use the glaze Guilliman Blue. And lastly dry brush with Runefang Steel. If you want more shade, wash the recesses with Nuln Oil or Drakenhof Nightshade.

 

I'm just dropping some ideas here, so I don't now if it will get you the desired result. Anyways, hope this will help you! ^^

[Dosjetka]

Hushrong: What exactly is it that makes you unhappy with the left Marine? I think it looks pretty good. But yeah, I'd definitely sticking with Drakenhof Nightshade and whatever metallics you like.

[GrandMagnus]

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GrandMagnus, really curious to see what you are getting tomorrow. Going to look back at previous posts and see if I missed a mention.

No, I hadn't mentioned it yet. It's going to be terminators. By the way here is my army list (unbound, for reasons), I'm not going for a competitive list since I won't be playing anytime soon.

 

 HEADQUARTERS:

 

Space marine captain. Pts: 140

Wargear: Terminator armour, chainfist, combi-plasma.

 

Techmarine. Pts: 95

Wargear: Plasma pistol, power axe, servo-harness.

 

ELITES:

 

Terminator squad. Pts: 410

10 terminators.

Wargear: chainfist (x3), assault cannon, cyclone missile launcher.

 

Dreadnought. Pts: 120

Wargear: Power fist with storm bolter, searchlight, smoke launchers, assault cannon, extra amour.

 

TROOPS:

 

Tactical squad. Pts: 105

10 marines.

Wargear: power axe, veteran sergeant, plasmagun, multi-melta, melta bombs.

 

HEAVY SUPPORT:

 

Devastator squad. Pts: 130

5 marines.

Wargear: heavy bolter (2), las cannon, plasma cannon.

 

TOTAL: 1000

[Stoneheart]

Those bikers look awesome Raeho, really neat paint job. The freehand is great too...makes me think you could add some anti-daemonic text to your bike hulls ;) 

 

@Hushrong, I echo Dosjetka's comments regarding the left hand marine, but I suppose the picture might be hiding the flaws you speak of. I guess my approach to the Executioners would be to paint them as one might an iron warrior, (leadbealcher, nuln oil, then dry brush runefang steel) but then give them a couple of coats of nightshade/guilliman blue to give them the blue tint. Great kitbashes on the unpainted guys by the way. 

 

 

Regarding my own efforts, I've just realised that, shock horror, just realised I've ran out of Salamander shoulder pads....argh! Why did I decide to use those....

[Dosjetka]

I wouldn't suggest Guilliman Blue as the blue is very strong and un-Executioner-y. Stick to Drakenhof Nightshade.

[deathspectersgt7]

I watered down with my brush before I applied.

                                          

[sockwithaticket]

Really cool to see another Badab thread around. If it means we get to see more of your Sallies, Stoneheart, then all the better. Your flame free hand is superlative.

[hushrong]

Thank you all for the support and painting suggestions. I'm going to need it haha.

 

Dosjetka, Frankly, trying my best to apply the way and spread it the end result just seems sloppy to me. SOme patches are more blue, some are flat, and some are just right. I think controlling the initial layers of wash is what is killing me.

 

Naryn, Zone Mortalis is probably my favorite thing after kill team. Hostile, close quarters combat and lists with unique limitations is just a fun/suspenseful combo. So seeing more of it would put a smile on my face. I hate to see you divert your efforts from the Mantis Warriors but if you find the miracle recipe know that I will pester you for help. :)

 

Leviathus, I have never used Lahmian medium. I asked about it at the GW store but didn't think too much on it. I'll have to go see if there is a youtube video on it. I will also glad take any suggestions. I still have plenty of time to paint a whole force but I want to bunker down with a recipe sooner rather than later.

 

GrandMagnus, looking forward to seeing the Sons of Medusa! I find the techmarine and the dread very fitting for some reason.

 

Stoneheart, Wherever there is a recess I hate how the wash dries out, like around the trim of his shoulder pads. Your suggestion will definitely be applied with the next batch of test dummies.

 

I hope you figure out the shoulder pads for the Salamanders. Honestly though, seeing your current work, I do not doubt you could free hand some sweet wart work on some bare ones.

 

Deathspecter, In your pic the Executioner has the kind of coverage I want. Even and no dried pools. What do you mean by you "watered down with my brush"? Did you dip you brush, with wash on the bristles, into the water then onto the mini? I do like what you've got though I would like to go a shade darker on the blue.

[Dosjetka]

I would suggest you take a healthy amount of wash from the pot with your brush, put it on whatever surface you're using as a palette, then after removing most of the wash and cleaning your brush, add about the same amount of Lahmian Medium and see how it works for you. You can also experiment by adding different quantities of water and/or mixing Lahmian Medium and water together. I'm sure you'll find something to suit your needs eventually :)