The Burden of Duty: The End of the Beginning

[Soldier of Dorn]

My entry for this month's March of the Legions, copied here for posterity's sake:
 
 

 

Gladiatori Officium

 

http://i.imgur.com/x6I5gKS.jpg

 

Despite its preferred method of war by bolter, the 284^th Storm Battalion of the VII Legion had many skilled duelists among its ranks. Master Sergeant Slade of I Grenadier was one, as was Shield-Commandant Eilings himself, but there was one who stood head and shoulders above the rest.

 

http://i.imgur.com/84qNm1V.jpg

 

Jarra was the best of us. Nominally ranked as a sergeant equivalent to those commanding the grenadier veteran squads of the line companies, in practice Jarra operated independently of any specific squad within the battalion, fulfilling a role similar to the champions of other companies within the Legion, issuing forth challenges to high ranking officers of the traitor Legions in the Shield-Commandant’s stead.

 

http://i.imgur.com/QZ7gXRA.jpg

 

Jarra was not without his flaws. No man is. In Jarra, this manifested as pride, as great as that of any Emperor’s Child. He desired glory first and foremost, contrary to the ideals of the battalion championing duty above all else. Eilings only ever tolerated him because he saw something in him. I know not what, but it must have been something.

 

http://i.imgur.com/203sK1x.jpg
 

 

Jarra died when the Storm Battalion died, a month before the Siege’s end, embroiled in combat against the Iron Warriors. He died an inglorious death, erased, body and soul by the blast of a Dreadhammer shell fired from a Typhon. I never liked Jarra in life, but I pitied the way he died. His vainglory was against what it means to be a soldier of the 284^th, but no one deserves to die in such a way contrary to what is in their heart.

 

http://i.imgur.com/58nd8Dy.jpg

 

There is no dignity in death, but there should not be dishonor. Jarra died with dishonor, and I cannot help but wish that he had not, for his sake, and for those who we will wreak his vengeance upon.

 

Edited April 6, 2016 by The Psycho

[jimbo13]

I'm sad at his inglorious death. The Red Devils shall mark his passing.

[Slips]

His name shall be inscribed within the Temple of Oaths upon the Phalanx!

[Dagoth Ur]

Very beautiful, sad to see such a noble son die such a death :)

[Soldier of Dorn]

Thanks for the comments, guys. This consistent feedback and enthusiasm really means a lot to me. :tu:

 

@jimbo: Thanks man, it's what I was going for. I've been pretty straightforward about saying that I try to emulate In Memoriam, emotionally speaking, in most of my 30k and 40k writing, and I feel that Jarra's story captures the sense of hopelessness and sorrow present in that work better than any of the fiction I've written in the past.

 

@Slips: Well, he was going to be a Black Templar back when I originally bought him, so that's rather apropos. Thanks!

 

@Observer: Thank you, mate! Exactly what I was trying for! Of course, it goes without saying that your work is just as good, if not far better!

 

I've updated the pictures in the last post. While they may not be any better technically, I think that the new pictures capture the feeling of the paint job I've given Jarra a lot better than the old ones ever did.

[Lord Blackwood]

well thanks for ripping my heart out  T n T that man deserved better 

[jimbo13]

Thanks for the comments, guys. This consistent feedback and enthusiasm really means a lot to me.

 

@jimbo: Thanks man, it's what I was going for. I've been pretty straightforward about saying that I try to emulate In Memoriam, emotionally speaking, in most of my 30k and 40k writing, and I feel that Jarra's story captures the sense of hopelessness and sorrow present in that work better than any of the fiction I've written in the past.

 

I've updated the pictures in the last post. While they may not be any better technically, I think that the new pictures capture the feeling of the paint job I've given Jarra a lot better than the old ones ever did.

You certainly captured that feeling well. It will take practice. Plus I find you have to love the characters you are writing about.

 

New pictures are Ace. Show the paint job a lot better.

[Soldier of Dorn]

‘Duty. Honour. Vigilance.’

- Motto of I Grenadier, Company A

 284^th Storm Battalion, VII Legion

 

 

 

http://i.imgur.com/9n67vtu.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/kQ4Hxyp.jpg

[Pict-capture ZX/5793-37-04, set B] Master Sergeant Arno Slade, I Grenadier, Company A (Line)

 

The long-serving Senior NCO of the Storm Battalion, Master Sergeant Arno Slade was known for his harsh and uncompromising demeanor, as was the case with many of his fellow Inwit born troopers. Within his assigned unit of I Grenadier and the various other squads he nominally had superiority over, he held no tolerance for failure or disobedience. When he did encounter such occurrences, punishment was swift and absolutely inescapable. In the rare event that he found a failure deserving of execution, something that is recorded to have only happened twice during the entirety of his service with the Legion, he carried out the sentence himself.

 

Despite all of this, he was beloved by the men under his command. It was true that Master Sergeant Slade was indeed a harsh disciplinarian, even by the standards of the self-flagellating Imperial Fists, but he was just in his decisions, and his brothers loved him for that. For what it was worth, he too cared for his troops, ensuring that they were well stocked and supplied beyond normal Imperial standards during the long and grueling wars of attrition that the Storm Battalion favored. This surplus of quality equipment and arms is in part why the 284^th had one of the highest survival rates among the loyalists at an astonishing total of 11%.

 

Master Sergeant Slade survived the Siege, though the rest of his squad, I Grenadier, did not. He went on to a new command during the subsequent Scouring as commander of the 8^th  Terran Veteran Company and won many well deserved accolades and honors. Tragically, he would be among those of the Legion to fall at the Siege of Sebastus IV, a battle which, by the end of the 41^st millennium, would eventually become known as the Iron Cage.

Edited April 8, 2016 by The Psycho

[Soldier of Dorn]

Replies!

 

@Bladewolf: Thanks, man. That's exactly what I was trying for. And yeah, he did deserve better. Most people who get killed in combat do.

@jimbo: Well, practice does make perfect, and a' tha', so... yeah! More practice.

 

Well, then! Two finished minis in the week! That's a new record for me!

 

...

 

Yeah. I know sad, isn't it.

Edited April 8, 2016 by The Psycho

[jimbo13]

I like him. Executions though...? What happened to taking a dude out back and giving him a whooping.

[Soldier of Dorn]

I like him. Executions though...? What happened to taking a dude out back and giving him a whooping.

 

Yeah, I tried to write it out to be a extremely rare occurrence in the Legions, but I'm not certain I conveyed that message across well, though.

 

 

Anyways, here's a mini-related update. I managed to find an unpainted Dreadnought model laying around in my bedroom, built back when I was first starting in the hobby a couple years back, in desperate need of some TLC. Originally I had built the power fist and assault cannon as its main loadout, with the lascannon and missile launcher built both hastily and somewhat badly as backup loadouts. However, somewhere along the line I had somehow managed to misplace both the power fist and ac and so I dug out the lascannon and missile launcher, spent about 45 minutes on fixing the misaligned las barrels and other stuff, and so this is what I wound up with:

 

http://i.imgur.com/VM5i9oe.jpg?1

http://i.imgur.com/UBM8qny.jpg?1

 

I've become rather fond of shortening weapons barrels, which in my opinion balances out this model quite well.Not entirely sure about the top-mounted havoc launcher, which is why I've only blutacked it here. I'm curious to know other people's opinions on it, though. Yay or nay to the havoc launcher?

 

That's my brief update for the night, but I don't have class tomorrow, so with any hope I'll get some work done on I Grenadier.

Edited April 15, 2016 by The Psycho

[Brother Pheidias]

It looks a little funny that the auxillary weapon-system of the Havoc Launcher is that much beefier than the actual, "normal" Missile Launcher. If it'd been a Mortis dread with two Lascannons, it wouldn't have sat as weird with me, but currently it looks a little off.

[Soldier of Dorn]

Yeah, I think I'll just leave it off. I was considering trying to track down the bits that grand_master85 used on his Tyrant Siege Terminators but it'll work fine without.

[Elzender]

Yeah, I think I'll just leave it off. I was considering trying to track down the bits that grand_master85 used on his Tyrant Siege Terminators but it'll work fine without.

 

Here you have them, if you're interested:

 

http://puppetswar.com/product.php?id_product=301

 

I recognized them, puppetswar have a nice range of bits, and their prices are quite good.

[Lord Blackwood]

i like the stubby barrels on the dread , makes him look like he would be better at close range while still firing a very powerful weapon

[Soldier of Dorn]

i like the stubby barrels on the dread , makes him look like he would be better at close range while still firing a very powerful weapon

Exactly what I was going for. Though not close combat specialists exactly, in concept the 284th have dedicated themselves to close order firefights, trench warfare, and to some extent other Zone Mortalis operations, and the shortened barrels I'm putting on a lot of things (like flamers and such) are supposed to make it so they can manoeuvre more easily in those sort of confined spaces without major damage to their equipment. I'll admit that it doesn't make a great deal of sense to do the same to a Dreadnought or other vehicle designed for a fire support role as they would have difficulty operating in those environments as it stands, but I did it for two reasons. One, because it was much easier to cut off most of the barrel before realigning the screwed up sides of the lascannons, and two, because the model looks better and more symmetrical, dammit, and I like symmetry.

[Lord Blackwood]

a las cannon carbine  would be sick 18 inch   Str 8 ap 3 Rending   assault 1 

[Soldier of Dorn]

a las cannon carbine  would be sick 18 inch   Str 8 ap 3 Rending   assault 1 

 

Quite probably. I honestly don't pay attention to rules at all until I actually start playing. I've got a fairly tight grasp of what should be used for what purpose and when, and generally an idea of what the points costs of most things are, but I'm far more focused on having cool and thematic looking models than anything else. I don't even know if my Dreadnought's a legal loadout for 30k or not, really. Can they replace their power fists with missile launchers?

 

I'm actually painting him right now, and have got the first couple of coats of yellow drying now. Hopefully I'll be able to do more on him today, if something doesn't crop up.

[Cry Wolf]

after saying abot your night lords stumbled on this today! Looking really good mate, the dread looks stable rather than forward heavy so youve saved the GW model :p

[Soldier of Dorn]

after saying abot your night lords stumbled on this today! Looking really good mate, the dread looks stable rather than forward heavy so youve saved the GW model

 

Thanks, man. Honestly I have no problems with the standard Dreadnought's weaponry, but I unfortunately misassembled the lascannon when I first got the model and it was easier to realign the tips without the bother of the rest of the weapon getting in the way, so yeah, it was the easy way out and it looks *damn* good, in my opinion.

 

Anyways, not really an update tonight (though I have painted a few things since last night, I just want to save them for later) but I wanted to show you something I managed to get my hands on today.

 

http://i.imgur.com/jodSjLd.jpg

 

Yeah. Got the 30th Anniversary Space Marine for my Fists, and so he's gonna join them as a Vigilator. I don't know about you, but I happen to think the model looks absolutely killer, and so when the images first leaked I knew I just had to have him.

[Cry Wolf]

its a good model but hes a leftie so obviously a devil child

[Soldier of Dorn]

its a good model but hes a leftie so obviously a devil child

 

Well, of course! He's very sinister, isn't he. :P

 

Not much of an update again as the weekends are by far the most busy time of week for me, but I did have just enough time to track down my clippers and some blutac white poster tack and put him together.

 

http://i.imgur.com/KmIuuHc.jpg

 

I've gotta say, I really like this model. I *really* like this model, and I look forward to being able to paint him. Fluff is already being crafted in my mind. No name or rank decided as of right now, but I've got some idea of what I want to do.

 

Also, though it's not really pertinent, I really want to be able to give this guy the best treatment I can, and so I was wondering if anyone had a single extra Mk VI Imperial Fists pad they might be willing to let me have for him. I'm more than willing to send bits in exchange for it.

[Dagoth Ur]

Nice work, mate! :) Can't wait to see your Imperial Space Marine. I think I have somewhere one Mk IV Imperial Fists pad from FW, I'd be happy to send it to you if I manage to find it. Shaving the rim off should be easy enough. :)

[jimbo13]

I got one!!! The Red Devils can send you the needed supplies!!!

[Aeternus]

Nice work, both the fluff and models :) I look forward to seeing what you do with the Vigilator