The Shattered Tenth: An Iron Hands Blog

[Isengrin]

Great job on those commissions. I really like the praetor, most of all his dynamic pose. Have you mentioned what bits you use for your cataphractii somewhere before?

 

 

(...), including more Iron Hands cataphractii, painted immortals, and some unsanctioned monstrosities from the Forge World Wytaar Prime…

Oh yes!

[Luna707]

Thanks man! Here's some insight into the process:

 

 

For the cataphractii I take a normal torso and widen it with plasticard then add completely new green stuff front plating that builds on the original resin. Then I sculpt the stomach and pelvic areas with green stuff and add the legs which are always a toss up! For the most recent praetor I kept the original cataphractii thigh plates but I extended them down to make them longer then covered each with a cataphractii pauldron. I then took the cataphractii shin plates and made them taller and built up the fronts with green stuff to make them look like a huge version of the original legs. The arms are from the gorgon kit (to give them a bit more length) added into hollowed out cataphractii pauldrons. The head and shield are from Alexis polux and the helmet on the back (not sure if you can see it in the pictures) is from the 40k emperor's champion kit.

 

All in all, true scaling cataphractii is a pretty lengthy process but I've been enjoying it immensely (except he legs, I hate the legs). I've got two more to do for my hands then I will be off to trying to figure out how to do Gorgons

[Luna707]

Blood in the Void

I have completed my first two Immortals!

Also another cataphractii, bringing my total to five, it won’t be long before I start painting them for armies on parade…

I have also finished my knight Atropos :o but I’ll post that when I finish the fluff blurb for her!

Thanks for stopping by!

[Soldier of Dorn]

Gawd those are sexy Immortals.

[lionofjudah]

[Sol_Invictus]

Awesome!

[Isengrin]

I was away for the last couple weeks and had almost no Internet access, so seeing two finished Immortals of yours upon logging in made my day. Great, great stuff!

[Soldier of Dorn]

I was away for the last couple weeks and had almost no Internet access, so seeing two finished Immortals of yours upon logging in made my day. Great, great stuff!

 

Lucky you, you missed the forum going down. ;)

[Isengrin]

Yeah, I just saw. Must have been hell. :P

[Luna707]

Forge world Wytaar Primus

Ahab

Much of his life remains unknown. While he may exist in a single form, it is more than likely that Ahab is the culmination of several beings occupying a single body. This idea arises from several remembrancer accounts as well as his own writings which he refers to himself as the “bearer of souls unnumbered.” Unfortunately the true nature of this amalgamation is lost in time due to a self induced memory bank purification in which Ahab lost almost every memory he had previously. Even the name “Ahab” itself is only a placeholder for a genesis long ago erased. What is known is that he was fluently connected with the ether and regularly experienced premonitions of what was yet to come. This being known as Ahab appeared in the Wytaar system about three thousand years before it was discovered by the Great Crusade.

Wytaar Primus

Wytaar Primus is a small forge world orbiting trinary stars near the Istvaan system. As the galaxy plunged into the darkness of the Age of Strife, the Wytaar system was severed from the universe at large by a series of warp storms that threatened to tear its’ planetary bodies asunder. Even as the system emerged from the maelstrom and the chaotic influences dissipated, its effects persisted in the human inhabitants of Wytaar. Many exhibited horrible birth defects and mutation plagued the small world. Never the less, the strong persisted and carried the weak into a future brighter than anything they had yet known. At the helm of this revolution stood Ahab, leading his people out of the perpetual night.

Ahab not only became the savior for the misshapen beings of Wytaar, but encouraged them to disseminate into society and create more of their kind. He wove their flesh into machines of ancient inception, creating new forms and new beings. In time, these creatures came to be informally known as Skin Walkers and Ahab loved them as his own children. Soon there were entire clades of these beings and they expanded out to the very corners of the Wytaar system. Mutant and human alike joined in a single coalition that came to rule Wytaar and its’ neighbors with a benevolent hand. Casting aside the scars of its hellish fate, Wytaar saw a golden age, a Renaissance of art and harmony that came to define its’ inhabitants for generations. As the grandfather and pioneer of this prosperity, Ahab was adored by his people. He had given them an oasis of humanity in the heartless void. As in all things however, decay is inevitable.

Culling of Wytaar

No matter how beautiful it was, Ahab knew his Renaissance was just as transient as the dark ages that came before it. Soon whispers of descent gained pace and threaten the stability of the system. Nobles conspired and instilled a litany of xenophobia and fascist ideology within the minds of the impoverished of Primus. This plague was seductive to the natural born of Wytaar and it spread beyond Primus to become an undercurrent in all planets under the forge world’s influence. Then came the unthinkable, outsiders from a galaxy away found tiny Wytaar and judged its’ people as unworthy of the Emperor’s light.

Horrified by the monstrous forms of the Skin Walkers, The Imperium of Man and its’ so called Warmaster sought to expunge Ahab’s influence over the forge world. Proficient in ancient martial arts, The Skin Walker clades met aggression with war yet their strength was nothing in the face of Terra’s capacity for violence. Soon the forces of Wytaar crumbled and the natural born of Primus became subjects of the greater Imperium. Exiled and alone, Ahab wandered the twisted catacombs of Primus for years, lamenting the fate of children lost. Now the Skin Walkers of old are all but gone, their numbers dwindling on the brink of annihilation. The system is no longer recognizable as the utopia it once was and the once cherished Ahab is despised by Wytaar.

House Daenatross

There are several knight houses indigenous to Wytaar Primus, many of which find their origin long before the system’s golden age. Serving as the marital combination of two such ancient houses, House Daenatross came into being when two of the system’s largest households, House Daendron and House Albatross, were unified shortly after the Culling. Historically, The knights of house Daendron cultivated a solitary and nomadic culture that reduced the household to a loosely correlated band of freeblades who frequently murdered one another in seemingly inessential duels. Their heraldry, the uprooted tree, and mantra, “Bellum Omnium Contra Omnes” (“war of all against all” in high gothic), both reinforce this unique ideology. Due to their flippant attitude towards the resources of the forge world and refusal to adhere to any form of unity even after the merger with Albatross, the tech priests of Wytaar loathed Daendron and plotted its’ demise. Through force and fraud, the knights of Albatross descent answered the call and conspired against their Daendron cousins, covertly eliminated every member of the lineage until only one remained: Tallous Daendron.

Tallous Daendron

Tallous was orphaned at a young age and inherited the deeds to all that House Daendron had once ruled. Holding the titles to several knight titans and many valuable frigates, the young Tallous became the sole target of House Daenatross’ ethnic cleansing, however her innocence earned her a powerful ally. Ahab’s strength had grown in the shadows since the Culling, and he worked behind the scenes to block every attempt at her assassination. He raised her through others he sent in his stead and provided her with a home safe from the malevolent world he had once called home. Although never seen, Ahab and the Skin Walkers were never far from her side.

In the guise of an old priest, Ahab talked with Tallous regularly and the two became close friends. Ahab watched her grow and experienced her life as a father would; rejoicing in her triumphs and weeping in her despair. Moreover, when she took her first steps as a knight pilot at the helm of the “Bellicose Soul”, it was the happiest day he could remember. In a life marked by suffering, raising Tallous was a uniquely joyous part, a bright spot in the eons of darkness. He taught her to be strong and embody the spirit of her House long ago destroyed. Despite her circumstance, Tallous became a warrior, one worthy of not only the Mantle of House Daendron but also the power inside the Bellicose Soul.

No matter Ahab’s influence, the knights of Albatross were relentless and he knew he couldn’t protect her forever. In an unpredictable act of brazen aggression, the sovereign of House Daenatross, Tiberius Vetaroch, attempted to murder her himself on the marble steps of Daendron’s ancient sanctum. His draw proved to be far too sluggish however and Tallous buried her ceremonial saber deep in his chest. Fearing retaliation from Albatross, Tallous fled to seek help from Ahab. Having already foreseen these events, Ahab shepherded her off planet in an effort to escape the Wytaar system. With their frigates and the Skin Walkers in toe, Ahab tore through the void yet the knights of Albatross were quick to follow. In an event orchestrated by Ahab himself, the pursuit of Tiberius’ murderer had drawn enough resources away from Wytaar that a rival household on one of Primus’ moons, Wytaar Tertius, took this chance to enact a devastating strike on the undefended fortress of House Daenatross. The emergency recalled all Albatross pursuers save for Tallous’ distant relative Aetius Vetaroch.

For weeks Aetius pursued their convoy, until Tallous met him in open battle on the frozen planes of Kregaar Primus at the edge of the Wytaar system. Tallous handily defeated Aetius in his knight lancer, yet instead of killing her cousin she offered him a place in her cohort. Seeing the devastation engulfing Wytaar as the many rival households clashed, he begrudgingly agreed. From there they took flight, leaving the Wytaar system never to return.

The Horus Heresy

At the outset of the atrocity on Istvaan V, Tallous and her retinue used the confusion of war to pirate across the galaxy, killing wicked and treacherous knight pilots regardless of their side in the conflict. One such sojourn led Tallous to gain yet another unlikely ally, an Astartes named Adox Ra and his roving band “Immortals”…

Pict capture of Tallous piloting the Bellicose Soul on the surface of Du’leen

[Luna707]

Gawd those are sexy Immortals.

 

 

!!! YES!!!

 

 

Awesome!

 

 

I was away for the last couple weeks and had almost no Internet access, so seeing two finished Immortals of yours upon logging in made my day. Great, great stuff!

 

 

 

Thanks for the comments everyone, I really Appreciate it! I have three more immortals that are nearing completion, then it's off to painting the cataphractii!

[Soldier of Dorn]

That's a lot of text. It's late. I'm sorry, I promise I'll read it tomorrow, but for now I'll just go and say what I'm sure most people's first thought would be: that's a DAMN pretty Knight. Man, what a sight to behold.

[Sol_Invictus]

That Atrapos looks amazing! Loving the fluff too. :)

[Brother Dallo]

That knight is gorgeous, and that's not a word I use lightly. Love the true-scale dudes too. Any more Solar Aux stuff in the works?

 

Keep up the good work.

 

Dallo

[Isengrin]

I love how you've managed to paint the knight in the same style as your brutal, worn-down looking infantry. I'm sure he fits nicely into your army.

[Gorgoff]

What can I say?

Awesome stuff, brother.

[Luna707]

Hey guys and gals! I had a wonderful time with Armies On Parade today, here's the display I brought:

I think the board turned out fantastic, I spent all of yesterday hunched over painting the damn thing to get it ready for today.

I'm very happy to inform you all that my Iron Tenth were chosen to receive the first place award at my local store!

A couple cataphractii I managed to finish in time (I'll take some better solo pictures when the weather clears up):

Some Immortals and that dready I posted a while back

I am in the process of painting Varan Rakor and my spartan is currently taking a bath so stay tuned for more Iron Hands.

Thanks to everyone at the Lake Crest Village Games Workshop, I had a great time today, you all are awesome!

That's a lot of text. It's late. I'm sorry, I promise I'll read it tomorrow, but for now I'll just go and say what I'm sure most people's first thought would be: that's a DAMN pretty Knight. Man, what a sight to behold.

Thanks man!

That Atrapos looks amazing! Loving the fluff too.

I'm glad you like it! Thank you!

That knight is gorgeous, and that's not a word I use lightly. Love the true-scale dudes too. Any more Solar Aux stuff in the works?

Keep up the good work.

Dallo

Thanks Brother! Unfortunately the lady who I was making the auxilia for and I have broken up so I won't be touching those again for some time.

I love how you've managed to paint the knight in the same style as your brutal, worn-down looking infantry. I'm sure he fits nicely into your army.

That was actually a main concern of mine. I was really unsure if the knight would look too foreign standing next to the Iron Hands Metallic scheme, but it all seems to have worked out. Thanks man!

What can I say?
Awesome stuff, brother.

Thank you brother!

Thanks for stopping by everyone!

[Cadmus Tyro]

A well deserved win Luna, the army looks amazing together on that board, you have really captured that realistic battle worn look! The true scaling adds to the realism.

 

Awesome!

[Isengrin]

Nice, I'm really digging the board. Congrats for a well deserved first place.

[foamy248]

Congratulations on your Parade win! You definitely deserved it  The gritty, weathered style of your IH's looks awesome. Quick question though - how did you do your basing/weathering? It looks fantastics! Keep up the good work!

[Memento Of Prospero]

Rock Solid.

[Luna707]

The Flesh is Weak!

I've finally figured out how to make true scaled Gorgons! It's much easier than my cataphractii method which is really nice hahaha. I've completed the build on three and I have seven to go!

A well deserved win Luna, the army looks amazing together on that board, you have really captured that realistic battle worn look! The true scaling adds to the realism.

Awesome!

Nice, I'm really digging the board. Congrats for a well deserved first place.

Thanks guys! I really appreciate it! :)

Congratulations on your Parade win! You definitely deserved it The gritty, weathered style of your IH's looks awesome. Quick question though - how did you do your basing/weathering? It looks fantastics! Keep up the good work!

Thanks! I usually base with pretty irregular sand then I prime black and do a heavy dry brush with Dryad Bark. Then I do a lighter dry brush with Kislev Flesh (I think, I'm not sure which paint it is). After the paint dries I add tons of the Dark Earth, Terracotta Earth, and Clay Brown Secret Weapon Pigments until it looks good. I have found that the key to realistic earth is irregularity, so I vary the amounts of each pigment greatly in different areas.

Rock Solid.

Thanks man!

[foamy248]

 

 

 

 

Congratulations on your Parade win! You definitely deserved it  The gritty, weathered style of your IH's looks awesome. Quick question though - how did you do your basing/weathering? It looks fantastics! Keep up the good work!

 

 

Thanks! I usually base with pretty irregular sand then I prime black and do a heavy dry brush with Dryad Bark. Then I do a lighter dry brush with Kislev Flesh (I think, I'm not sure which paint it is). After the paint dries I add tons of the Dark Earth, Terracotta Earth, and Clay Brown Secret Weapon Pigments until it looks good. I have found that the key to realistic earth is irregularity, so I vary the amounts of each pigment greatly in different areas.

 

 

 

 

 

Ah, thanks for that! It sounds like I'm gonna have to get me some Secret Weapon Pigments.  Until then, do you know I could use anything else to get a similar effect? 

 

The Gorgons are looking amazing (as always!) 

[Luna707]

 

 

 

 

 

Congratulations on your Parade win! You definitely deserved it  The gritty, weathered style of your IH's looks awesome. Quick question though - how did you do your basing/weathering? It looks fantastics! Keep up the good work!

 

 

Thanks! I usually base with pretty irregular sand then I prime black and do a heavy dry brush with Dryad Bark. Then I do a lighter dry brush with Kislev Flesh (I think, I'm not sure which paint it is). After the paint dries I add tons of the Dark Earth, Terracotta Earth, and Clay Brown Secret Weapon Pigments until it looks good. I have found that the key to realistic earth is irregularity, so I vary the amounts of each pigment greatly in different areas.

 

 

 

 

 

Ah, thanks for that! It sounds like I'm gonna have to get me some Secret Weapon Pigments.  Until then, do you know I could use anything else to get a similar effect? 

 

The Gorgons are looking amazing (as always!) 

 

 

 

Thanks! I honestly have no idea, I only know how to produce that effect with the help of pigments. They are just such a useful tool in recreating realistic soil color and texture, I wouldn't even look anywhere else. You could experiment with different dry brushing colors but unfortunately I don't know enough about that technique to be of any help.

[foamy248]

All good. And thanks for the advice