The Burden of Duty: The End of the Beginning

[lionofjudah]

[Soldier of Dorn]

[+++inload begins+++]

"If there is truly fire on the mountain, we shall weather to the ash."

[pict capture: Breacher Sergeant Mathuin Mac Cnahmin, I Breacher, Breacher Company, 284 Storm Battalion, VII Legion. ]

A veteran of the VII Legion, Sergeant Mac Cnahmin had fought with them since the last days of Terran Unification and in the wars of the Solar Conquests. Serving a long term of undistinguished service throughout the rest of the Great Crusade, he would lead his squad and several others to glories unremembered in the black days of Terra. His final fate is unknown, but armor plates recognizable as belonging to him have been alleged to have been seen adorning the armor of Amath Arn, a Champion of the Iron Warriors Traitor Legion who served as a Master of Signals during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy, during later Black Crusades.

...

...

284-BTN ORDER OF WAR

The ranks of the Legiones Astartes during the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy, prior to the establishment of the XIII Primarch's Codex Astartes, were fluid in their precise composition and formation, the organization of most being dictated by individual detachment commanders. Though this was not true for every Legion, it certainly held true within the ranks of the VII.

While the Storm Battalion, in theory, was a set and established structure laid out early on in the Great Crusade in the VII Legion addenda to the Belicosa Principia, in practice the structure varied substantially, adapted by individual Battalion commanders over the many decades of the Great Crusade to account for newly developed Legiones Astartes war materiels. By the time the Heresy erupted, many Storm Battalions were nearly unrecognizable from their initial construction, though some still held to the old structure. Regardless of their organization, every one held to the tactica that gave the Storm Battalions their name -- that of self-contained shock infantry detachments, predominantly outfitted to excel in urban and zone mortalis environs.

The core of the 284 Storm Battalion was built around three line companies, each one named for the unit configuration that held preeminence within its ranks -- Tactical, Breacher, and Assault (though they did not exclusively consist of the units whose name they bore.) Each one fluctuated in size, but an approximate estimate of VII Legion assets present at the Siege of Terra puts them at about 120 Marines each, with an additional 100 Marines assigned to specialist formations within the Battalion, putting the full strength of the Battalion at about 460 Marines.

Due to the 284's tendency to fight as a single detachment in a given warzone, these line companies were a more nominal formation than they might else have been, and it was not uncommon to see mixed forces of units from all three companies fighting side by side, their bonds of brotherhood strong despite the organizational barriers between them.

[end inload]

+++

Welp, built the first of my Breachers. Been meaning to build some since this army's inception, so it feels good to actually get one built. Need to build a few more now... (Also need to fix the warping in the chainsword and the shield... I'll get to it at some point.) It's... different having one in non-Mark 3, but I rather like how distinctive he looks. Paintwise, I'm planning to paint him as the image I have as my avatar, something to represent myself in my army. Does need a few more pouches, grenades, and a purity seal before he's ready for paint, though.

Those rifles look great with the older armour marks, especially on the Sergeant.

Thank you, brother. Quite happy with how they came out myself, they feel reminiscent of Rogue Trader (for obvious reasons) and certain pieces of art from the Horus Heresy CCG. Might shave off the bayonets, tho -- doesn't really make sense for snipers, as I'm fluffing them as, to have bayonets that much. Not sure about it.

[Vazzy]

Fantastic posing again my dude. He looks legit!

[Dosjetka]

He looks fantastic, brother. :tu:

[Vairocanum]

Fantastic work, that newest breacher looks amazing, as does the guy with the mk5 head. That anime graffiti made me chuckle. Cool to know anime made it into the the grimdark future of 40k, and Blend S no less . This hobby streak thing has been great seeing as we get so many updates from  you! Looking forward to seeing more!

[sockwithaticket]

You clearly have a keen eye or posing, these Fists look good.

[Aeternus]

Very impressive, keep at it!

[hushrong]

That breacher sergeant is awesome. I love the pose and movement!

[Soldier of Dorn]

Fantastic posing again my dude. He looks legit!

Thanks mate, very pleased with how he turned out. :)

He looks fantastic, brother.

Thanks bro! Always glad to hear your approval.

Fantastic work, that newest breacher looks amazing, as does the guy with the mk5 head. That anime graffiti made me chuckle. Cool to know anime made it into the the grimdark future of 40k, and Blend S no less . This hobby streak thing has been great seeing as we get so many updates from you! Looking forward to seeing more!

Haha, yeah! It's funny how that image came about... but suffice it to say, Blend S is one of my favorite anime right now, and having that image (which I've been using as a profile picture most places) combining two of my primary interests... it's nice. Appreciate the kind words - afraid I've fell a bit off of my streak, but trying to get back on it ASAP. Hopefully it works out xD.

You clearly have a keen eye or posing, these Fists look good.

Thanks sock! Your own posing is pretty damn precise itself, so the complement means a lot! :D

Very impressive, keep at it!

Thanks mate, and I'll do my best!

That breacher sergeant is awesome. I love the pose and movement!

Thanks man, I've really been putting in a bit of effort into each model recently, and I think it's paying off.

Haven't really updated in a few days, so playing a bit of catch up. Nothing much, but I do have a trio of essentially completed kitbashes to show.

First off... we have this guy. Not quite sure what his place is within the 284 Storm Battalion yet, though I suspect he will become the Sergeant of II Grenadier (a Veteran Tactical Squad.) Quite a simple kitbash, in all honesty, but it feels... right. He also looks very similar in pose to Captain Tycho of the Blood Angels, a matter of pure coincidence, I may assure you! Whomever he shares the pose with, it's a good stance in its own right, and I'm very satisfied with the result.

Next up we have the Leviathan. Still can't find the base for him, but I took the time to add some Imperial Fists iconography to him, and though previously I had said that I'd like a clean Leviathan, the way that he looks with a touch of VII Legion ostentation is... quite pleasing to me. I'll write something up for him soon, and hopefully track down where the power cables for his arms got to, as I can't seem to find where they went.

Finally... a mere sketch. Been trying to figure out a design for Warwrought Terminators, made in such a way that they go with my conceptualizations for the power armored Warwrought, and... I don't think this is it. I do like the Gorgon Terminator legs, but the full suite (as I was intending to do some Indomitus for them) seems... wrong. I'm not sure yet. I'll need to figure some things out as I go.

In any regard, that's pretty much it for tonight. I've got a couple more Breachers for I Breacher that I built just now, but I haven't had the chance to photograph them yet, so I'll post them another time. Possibly even complete the squad... who knows? In any event, I'm looking forward to it. I have a great love for the ancient Boarding Shield upgrades over the newer shields in the MkIII Breachers... the simple brutality and pragmatism evoked in them is something that I prefer over the *slightly* more ornate MkIII shields, though even they are fairly simple in their design.

Thank you for your kind comments and praise! Always appreciate it! :D

[hushrong]

I have to concur that the effort you are putting into each marine is definitely paying off. When a model shows serious attitude before paints even applied then you know it's doing the right thing.

 

The leviathan is looking right and proper with all the trimmings letting you know you are standing against a veteran who will not die...and is now interred in a walking tank. The possible sergeant is also sweet. That is a great pose and the scowling grimace behind a gorget is top notch. As for the terminator the head looks big (where is it that bit from?) but it is the shoulder pads that put me off. I think it is the cog work of the trim that kinda makes me think more in line of a techmarine. 

[OakRiver]

For the Terminator I think you have the right concept, but the visual signifiers are off. The cog tooth pattern would indicate either Iron Hands or Techmarine rather than Imperial Fist, and the lightening claw is too delicate and refined compared to the raw mass of the armor, as well as pointing at something in the opposite from the movement of the head and body.

[Vairocanum]

Well the image certainly brings together the best of both worlds haha. Will wait for the day that we get a 40k reference in anime like in the new South Park game. Seen the new stuff you posted over on instagram already, really nice kitbashes! As for the terminator warwrought, I think the problem is that it looks too similar to the Gorgons as it is. The terminator looks quite "whole" in comparison to the rebuilt and augmented feel of your other two warwrought (almost like their armor is their life support unit). Looking forward to seeing what you come up with!

[Soldier of Dorn]

[+++inload begins+++]

"In striking be as fire, in fortitude as the mountain."

[pict capture: Sergeant Ebrahim Ylan, Tactical Company, 284 Storm Battalion, VII Legion. ]

...

I have to concur that the effort you are putting into each marine is definitely paying off. When a model shows serious attitude before paints even applied then you know it's doing the right thing.

The leviathan is looking right and proper with all the trimmings letting you know you are standing against a veteran who will not die...and is now interred in a walking tank. The possible sergeant is also sweet. That is a great pose and the scowling grimace behind a gorget is top notch. As for the terminator the head looks big (where is it that bit from?) but it is the shoulder pads that put me off. I think it is the cog work of the trim that kinda makes me think more in line of a techmarine.

I'm glad the effort is perceptible! Yeah, the cogtooth trim is a big no-no, I see that now. Quite the common criticism. I'll revisit him and try shaving those down, but I think it might be better to scrap the modified Gorgon idea and try something from scratch. Oh, and the head is from the Templar Brethren, I believe. Not quite sure as I just pulled it out of my bits box, but I think that's the source.

For the Terminator I think you have the right concept, but the visual signifiers are off. The cog tooth pattern would indicate either Iron Hands or Techmarine rather than Imperial Fist, and the lightening claw is too delicate and refined compared to the raw mass of the armor, as well as pointing at something in the opposite from the movement of the head and body.

Thanks for the comment! Yeah, definitely going to try shaving off the cogtooth trim and might try replacing the lightning claw with a power fist or chainfist. I chose that lightning claw because it was evocative of the Cataphractii ones, and I associate that with massive, impeccable brutality, and the curled claws were to suggest a crippled, broken monstrous thing, but I don't think either feeling was adequately conveyed through my bits choice. But thank you for the illuminating criticism: I greatly appreciate it.

Well the image certainly brings together the best of both worlds haha. Will wait for the day that we get a 40k reference in anime like in the new South Park game. Seen the new stuff you posted over on instagram already, really nice kitbashes! As for the terminator warwrought, I think the problem is that it looks too similar to the Gorgons as it is. The terminator looks quite "whole" in comparison to the rebuilt and augmented feel of your other two warwrought (almost like their armor is their life support unit). Looking forward to seeing what you come up with!

Thanks for the commentary, mate. And yeah, definitely too close to the basic Gorgons. Thinking about an idea simply using the legs from the Gorgons and possibly Cataphractii parts... not quite sure how it'll take form, but rolling some ideas around in my mind. Need to gather up a few bits before that'll result in anything tho.

Anyways, right o. Been a long week -- had to finish up several assignments prior to the national holiday yesterday, and that took slightly more time then I had anticipated, so hadn't really had much time to work on my miniatures quite as much as I might have hoped. I did have some Breachers that I haven't posted here, but I wasn't quite happy with one of them, so they're relegated to the side at the moment. Did spend much of last night and today working on a new conversion, though, and I am quite chuffed with how he came out. I do need to start working on getting this army into a state where I can actually field it as a legal force (which I can sorta do at present by fielding it as Pride of the Legion, but my plan was always to do a force with no Rite) so that means focusing down and actually getting some line marines assembled -- tacticals and breachers first and foremost.

Thank you to everyone who commented as ever: I do greatly appreciate the criticism (though the praise never goes amiss either :D ) and thanks to everyone who takes the time to check out my little projects!

Edited November 25, 2017 by Soldier of Dorn

[hushrong]

Ylan is pretty sweet! As usual a great use of bits and I love seeing that hammer! As for the terminator I wonder if you could cut the neck down so the head is sunken in more? A personal preference but I like when the armor looks bulky. Not a huge deal but a random thought that came up looking at the mini again. I also do think a change of shoulder pads he'd be right as rain. Or maybe just green stuff between the cogs tooth to make a whole trim?

 

Looking forward to the next batch you'll present!

[Soldier of Dorn]

[+++inload begins+++]

No cost too great.
No voice left, to cry suffering.
Our blinding light shall redeem the dream.
Forlorn vessels we are.
Hollow warriors we are.
Filled by the memory of what was lost.

No more to heroes.
No more to glory.
No more to shame.
Hold nothing back.
If we do we will be left with nothing.
I will not allow it.

[pict-capture: ???_datashunt_xxERRORxx_abort_]

Unknown subject outfitted in VII Legion panoply, equipped as a member of the Destroyer Cadres (Command)... further investigation is required.

[inload ends]

hushrong: Thanks bro! Perhaps... I'll have to take a look at him again. Dunno if I like the whole modified Gorgon look now that I've actually built one, but we'll see how things go. I do want a squad of Indomitus in my army in some form tho, just for the sake of appearances, since it's such an iconic look.

[hushrong]

That marine looks  ing bad ass! I sincerely want to copy everything about that guy. If I played HH I'd love to see him as a moritat and he makes the FW moritat looks like a wuss.

 

As for the terminator armor I say keep at it. You'll find something to make it work.

[Dagoth Ur]

Ah, he's a beauty, isn't he? My rad-loving heart just skipped a beat

[Ceiling_matt]

where's the torso from?

[Son of Carnelian]

Rockin' man! I love the brutal look of him.

[Dosjetka]

where's the torso from?

FW Templar upgrade set.

[sockwithaticket]

Bad. Ass.


For the Warwrought, I agree with some of the other comments. getting rid of the cogs would go a long way to making it less clearly IH based. Have you thought about using a regular Indomitus helmet? The bare head looks oddly sized in that cavity.

[Soldier of Dorn]

[paint in progress]

That marine looks ing bad ass! I sincerely want to copy everything about that guy. If I played HH I'd love to see him as a moritat and he makes the FW moritat looks like a wuss.

As for the terminator armor I say keep at it. You'll find something to make it work.

Thanks mate! Yeah, he's gonna be a Moritat. Not my original intent to include Destroyers when I first started working on this force... but as time's worn on, my designs for the 284th have... changed, I suppose. I do like the FW Moritat model, to be honest, so bits of him will more than likely find their way into my army at some point. But this nasty fellow will serve as mine.

Gathering bits as I type this for another terminator idea. Hoping this works out better this time.

Ah, he's a beauty, isn't he? My rad-loving heart just skipped a beat

Thanks brother. It's time that the 284th salted a bit of the earth.

where's the torso from?

As Dosjetka indicated, it's from the Templar Brethren, just with a few cuts done to it.

Rockin' man! I love the brutal look of him.

Thanks bro! Measured brutality is, indeed, the word of the day when it comes to Destroyers. The FW ones are nice, but MkIV feels too sleek for them for me. So figuring something else out.

where's the torso from?

FW Templar upgrade set.

Thanks for covering me, Dos. ;)

Bad. Ass.


For the Warwrought, I agree with some of the other comments. getting rid of the cogs would go a long way to making it less clearly IH based. Have you thought about using a regular Indomitus helmet? The bare head looks oddly sized in that cavity.

Thanks man. Yeah, definitely gonna try and be rid of the cogs. Might try using a regular indomitus head, but I suspect that the gorget would mess with that a bit. I could be rid of the gorget, but I feel the better path is to simply use another torso entirely. So that's vaguely what I intend upon trying.

[Vazzy]

Well done! Your yellow seems to improve with each model!

[Soldier of Dorn]

Well done! Your yellow seems to improve with each model!

 

I know, right? It's at once greatly satisfying and immensely disappointing. Satisfying because, well, improvement! But man, oh, man, I'd like to have a consistent force, hence... slight disappointment. I'm fairly certain I can replicate this particular yellow across the rest of the army, though. I think. I hope I can, at any rate.

[Dosjetka]

He looks fantastic. Stick with this yellow for the rest of your models if you can. :tu: