LG's Master Plan: The Long Slog to a Heresy Force

[LongGone]

http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y303/zsdyer/Horus%20Heresy%20Inspiration/MK5_HeresyArmor_WorldEaters2-5f5986_zpscpekidn2.jpg

 

 

Thirteenth Heavy Assault Echelon,

XII Legion Astartes

 

 

With practiced ease, Andrastus drew the curved edge of the strigil across the skin of his torso. The daily ritual, using the small blade to scrape oil, sweat and hair off his body, was somewhat cathartic to the warrior given his current situation. After his body, he'd move to the hair on his head. Andrastus had learned early on during his many bouts inside the Legion's fighting pits that it paid to rob his opponents of every advantage possible. His shorn scalp was one less thing they could grab hold of.

 

Looking up, Andrastus caught sight of his scarred reflection in the dingy and cracked mirror of his ablution station. It also didn't hurt to show his opponents the many scars he had earned in service to the XII Legion, both on and off the field of battle. The red, puckered marks across his over-muscled body were testament to his status as a veteran of over a century of campaigning across the galaxy. 

 

His fingers idly traced the ragged line of scar tissue that bisected his torso from shoulder to hip. Almost the death of him, that one. 

 

He shook his head to clear his thoughts. It did him no good to linger on the events of the past. Spilled milk, ancient Terrans had called it, although he didn't understand the reference. Exhaling a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, Andrastus turned his thoughts back to the task at hand, once more dragging the blade of the strigil across his skin.

 

Andrastus held his own gaze as he pulled taut the skin on the side of his head. The blade moved from his temple to the back of his skull in one long pass. He paused, fingers resting on denuded skin. The cybernetic device known as the Butcher's Nails was conspicuous in its absence. Its absence set him apart from the majority of his brothers in the Legion. In a way, its absence had also led to his current predicament - trapped within the confines of this prison cell. 

 

No, not a prison. There were no chains, and he was not on trial. They made sure to emphasize those points when he had asked. He was merely confined because of security concerns. It was for his welfare, they assured him. For their safety, more like, but Andrastus saw nothing to gain from arguing with them.

 

Not a prisoner then, but definitely not trusted. 

 

***

 

Excerpt from Inquisition Log: XV345CI

"The commander made it known early on that no warrior under his charge would wear the nails. Any who submitted themselves to the apothecaries for implantation were put down like dogs upon their return to the ranks. Always at the hands of Ammon himself. He challenged them, sanguis extremis of course, and then slowly took them apart in the pits. Soon the message was clear - you didn't need the Nails to make you a killer."

-Andrastus, Centurion, XII Legion Astartes

 

Some time later, Andrastus was sitting on the cold stone of the floor when the man he had come to think of as his warden came for him. He heard movement outside, and the door opened to reveal a single warrior standing in the entrance. 

 

On instinct, Andrastus took measure of the man in front of him, sizing him up before immediately banishing any thought of trying to overpower him. Any attempt to escape would only be detrimental to his cause.  Plus, the genehanced warrior was fully armed and armored.  Clad only in rough-spun robes, Andrastus would be better served hacking at his wrists with his shaving blade - the end result would be the same. He'd be dead, only now any suspicions his goalers had, correct or not, would be confirmed.

 

Andrastus noticed the warrior's grip on the haft of his weapon tighten fractionally, as if he could sense the World Eaters' passing scrutiny or read his thoughts. He could feel the beginnings of a smile tug at the corners of his mouth. Good. His keepers may know no fear, but they at least had enough respect for his abilities to be wary. 

 

"Ah, Valerius," Andrastus smiled to break the tension. "I trust your morning has been as exciting as mine. I tell you, I'll never tire of these four walls."

 

"Come," said the Custodes, not bothering to respond to Andrastus' goading. "The High Lords await." 

 

 

 

 

[LongGone]

I can already hear the gnashing of teeth and the rending of garments. 

 

'Why the deuce would you post something without pictures? - Said every frater, everywhere

 

Be at ease, bros and lady bros, this is not just a WIP log, but the culmination of literally two years of thinking and planning. And writing. And more thinking and planning. 

 

As it stands, I have just over two months left in my tour overseas, and I will spend the majority of that in a steel bathtub somewhere in the Pacific. I've spend the last two years thinking about the Heresy army that I would build upon my return to the states, where my single status would no longer see me confined to the barracks. And quite frankly, if I hold the last 24 months of plans/ruminations/musings in my head any longer, I might just lose it. That, or perhaps just lose interest in it altogether. And that, dear frater, is a fate worse than death.

 

The biggest hurdle in boarding the Heresy Train has already been jumped over and left in the dust. I know which legion I'm building. The World Eaters. I can already breathe easier than some of the other posters here. Phew.

 

And I've already settled on  a theme and play style: Assault. I'm talking ALL of the things assaulty. Go figure, right? A World Eaters army that wants to assault? Say it ain't so!

 

But it is so, brothers!

 

I know, their rules might not be the strongest. And assault is a tough sell in the current edition. And :cuss, is white hard to paint. Winning anything on the tabletop is going to be a challenge, but who doesn't love a challenge?Besides, the point isn't to win. The point is to finally complete a friggin' army. I haven't played a game in years anyway. Hell, I don't even know if I remember how to play. There's some kinda dice involved, right?

 

Moving this ramble right along, I know what I want my guys to look like. They're loyalists, so less BLOOD FO' DA BLUHD GOD, and more just dirty and gritty. I'd love to mix marks of armor for each Astartes, but fiscally that won't work. And that hurts. Because the ever talented BCK has shown me time and again how awesome mixed mark suits of armor really are. 

 

http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y303/zsdyer/Horus%20Heresy%20Inspiration/mix%20n%20match%202_zpsrz75vdpb.png

 

I mean, that's sexy, right? Damn sexy. But alas, ain't nobody got time (or money) for an army full o' dat. So it'll be a straight up Mk IV force. It'll give the army a unifying aesthetic, and it's my favorite mark of armor. So there. The army will be chock full of Mk IV despoilers (with extra axe goodness), Tartaros termies and a contemptor dread or two. I've even got a Praetor conversion in mind. The only thing I don't really have is a list, and I'm not too concerned about that. See above comment about playing games.

 

Also, I'm taking the dive into using an airbrush for the first time ever. And I've settled on a recipe for the white, only instead of the warmer shade used it'll be neutral or cool, with varying shades of gray or a blue as my shade colors. I figure this will tie it into the blue shoulder pads and backpack a little more. 

 

Anyways, long-winded ramble over. I may go radio silent over the next few weeks as I deploy to do amphibious warrior type things, but trust that I'm writing/thinking/planning about my army. And I hope you look forward to seeing my plans come to fruition as much as I look forward to putting them into motion.  

[Brother Dallo]

First off, well done on the fluff. I really liked it, I wasn't expecting the slight twist at the end.

 

Regarding the mix of armour marks, is there any reason you can't just buy several different Mk sets, as opposed to lots of Mk IV? Up to you. I'm looking forward to seeing what you have planned in store for us. I have a great deal of respect for those in the hobby who can model, paint and write. I think it makes the hobby more complete.

 

Keep up the good work, and all the best with your deployment.

 

Dallo

[Corswain]

Nice start! Nice little piece of fluff and I look forward to more.

 

Also on the mixed armour - personally I'm waiting for a B@C follow up. I'm betting there will be one and I'm betting it will feature plastic MKIII. That will make mixed armour much more affordable.

 

Until then, just keep an eye out for FW bundles and try to get things at a slight discount.

[LongGone]

Glad you like the fluff, gents. As a journalist I'm writing stuff for work all the time, and I'm glad I can put that skill to use for something other than news features.

 

As for mixing armour marks, there's only a certain combination of parts from Mk III and Mk IV that I really like. So I couldn't buy 5 and 5 to make 10. It would just make 5, with a lot of spare parts. Because of that, it was either all Mk III or all Mk IV. With Mk IV, all of the models, from Tartaros termies to the contemptor dread, have a similar look that... I dunno, I just like it.

 

And there's something about the BaC set that just doesn't do it for me. I recognize that it's a screaming deal for a lot of tabletop generals looking to get into 30k, but I don't really like how the models look. Part of it is the GW squatting pose. And the other part is... I dunno.

 

Maybe eventually I'll branch out into mixed marks, but alas and alack, that will not be the case at the beginning.