The Burden of Duty: The End of the Beginning

[Soldier of Dorn]

Apologies for the double post, but I had something I wanted to share with you guys and I'm not real good at this whole "patience" thing.

 

As quite a few of you guys may have realized by now, I *love* older minis. , I love the weight of the metal they're made of, I love the odd not-quite-natural poses some of them have that give them that je ne sais pas that they have, I love the historical significance they bear regarding our beloved hobby. It's not just older models, actually, I love metal models. I have this strange love of metal models, where I prefer them for no reason over resin or plastic. It's the reason Trooper Eyen in my last update has a metal heavy bolter, despite the fact that I have the plastic version of that same style heavy bolter lying around: I just like how it feels. Obviously, once it's painted, no one except me will notice, but that's okay. I still love 'em. I dinnae know why, but I love them.

 

Anyways, one of my favorite metal models (I can't exactly call it old, seeing as it was available 8 years ago, which isn't really that long ago) is the 2008 Games Day Captain with Thunder Hammer. No particular reason for it, but I love it. That's all. I love the model, have since the moment I first saw it. Unfortunately, due to its limited nature, I never had much hope in acquiring one.

 

Thus, it wasn't until a couple months ago, when I first started bidding for things on Ebay, that I realized it was entirely within the realm of possibility that I could get my hands on one. Most of the sellers, though, were selling the model MISB (well, not box, but you get the idea) and the prices were a bit higher than what I was willing to pay. So I waited. And then, a couple of weeks ago, I see this listing, for a painted one, with a min bid of less than half the price the other sellers are demanding, and no bids. Sure, I'll have to strip him, but that's a small price to pay. So I wait a few days, until the auction is almost over, and still no bids. Twenty minutes before it ends, I throw in the min bid. I figure if I get him, I get him. If someone wants to snipe it off me, they can go right ahead. I can wait for another auction to come up.

 

But I ended up winning the auction, and on Monday I got him in the mail. I tossed him in the Simple Green and I just pulled him out today. At first, I thought that I might include him in the 284th, but I'm having second thoughts, especially since he's wearing Mk 8 leg armor (which, to be honest, doesn't look too out of place if I'm already using Mk 7. This whole thing is actually slightly ironic given the nature of my last post.) In any event, since I don't know if he'll be joining this army or not, I wanted to show him to you guys. I'm really excited to paint this guy up, though. Very much so.

 

http://i.imgur.com/yqd1kIV.jpg

[marine7312000]

I still love that model. I also love the older Sicarius model that was limited release.

[Brother Pheidias]

That's the single best Thunderhammerer GW ever did.

I share your fondness for metal models, even if they're a complete PITA to put together and maintain in a painted state sometimes. Concerning the Mk. VII, I think it's fine for a Siege of Terra-era force. My own White Scars are post Ullanor, so I'm sneaking in quite a few Mk. VI's, even if they'd mostly be available to Raven Guard and Alpha Legion at that point, and not in general usage until right before the Siege...

[Soldier of Dorn]

I still love that model. I also love the older Sicarius model that was limited release.

 

The one with the lightning claws? That's a pretty awesome sculpt, too. Another one I keep an eye out at a reasonable price.

 

That's the single best Thunderhammerer GW ever did.

 

I share your fondness for metal models, even if they're a complete PITA to put together and maintain in a painted state sometimes. Concerning the Mk. VII, I think it's fine for a Siege of Terra-era force. My own White Scars are post Ullanor, so I'm sneaking in quite a few Mk. VI's, even if they'd mostly be available to Raven Guard and Alpha Legion at that point, and not in general usage until right before the Siege...

 

Indeed it is the best! Completely agree with you on the Mk VII issue, too. Your White Scars are awesome, by the way. If I ever do Scars I'll keep your force in mind for inspiration.

 

Anyways, went up to the store today and made a bit of an impulse buy.

 

http://i.imgur.com/0lXaz4g.jpg

 

Two more copies of Betrayal at Calth. My store was giving out one of the Ltd. Ed. Captain Centos models for every hundred dollars spent, so I ended up getting three initially. Then, after they sold out (in about 40 minutes, if anyone's wondering,) one of my friends showed up and since he had wanted to pick the model up, I ended up gifting one of mine to him. So, I've got two now. I'm definitely going to keep at least one and build and paint it, but as for the other, I don't quite know yet. I haven't opened the packaging yet, and I might keep it that way, but I also know of at least a couple other people in other parts of the world who might want it. So, as of yet, I'm undecided what to do with it. I'm going to probably keep it about a week or two, and then decide what to do with it.

[Soldier of Dorn]

All right, Sunday morning update, got to be quick.

 

http://i.imgur.com/63UDJTr.jpg

 

Got the 100 Store Captain cleaned up and assembled. I'd like to point out that despite the fact that it's resin, it's a different style than Finecast, much denser and solid. No air bubbles in my first cast, a bit of flash, but that was easily taken care of. Overall, it's a nice model. The sprues were pretty nicely laid out, and it even came with an optional bare head, which looks really cool and will definitely be saved for a special model in my army. Don't know if this guy will become part of the 284th Battalion or a simple display piece, so leaving him here just in case.

And now onto some actual creative stuff:

 

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

 

Converted a Calth Contemptor last night. He's still a bit WIP, the Cataphractii head's just a stand in until I can get something better (hopefully one from the DG or WE Contemptors,) since I unfortunately completely destroyed the original when taking it off. He'll probably have some sort of additional plasticard armoring, to represent extra armor. The close combat weapon, by the way, counts as a chainfist with inbuilt heavy flamer. Here's another look at it.

 

http://i.imgur.com/LiG8t0x.jpg

 

Basically just converted from a B@C close combat arm, a Centurion siege drill, and two combi-flamer barrels. Not a hugely complex conversion, but I'm happy with him. He looks a hell of a lot more dynamic than the original B@C Contemptor, at any rate. I'm thinking that my next one will probably be a Kheres Mortis, since it's a pretty good loadout.

 

Thanks for looking.

[Brother Pheidias]

Good job on that awful plastic Contemptor, I couldn't bring myself to use it, so sold it off.

[Soldier of Dorn]

"We are the Breakers of Walls. Occasionally we must rise to defend them."

 

 

http://i.imgur.com/tiQAl8o.jpg?2

 

 

[pict-capture of an unidentified Legionnaire, taken from the cam-footage of a wrecked Sons of Horus Spartan transport, post-Siege. Pict is blurred due to data corruption, but recognizable as a veteran equipped in Cataphractii Terminator armour. As it is believed this individual was a member of the unit that destroyed the vehicle, it can be assumed that the Legionnaire in question was a loyalist. Furthermore, as Terminator assets were rare among the V and IX Legios, though of course not unheard of,  during the Siege and the fact that the VII was well known for their supply, it can be ascertained that most likely he was a member of the Imperial Fists. Further information, however, is required, and will be uploaded to this database as soon as it comes into the archivist's possession.]

[Soldier of Dorn]

http://i.imgur.com/PXlgAnf.jpg?2

 

 

I Wallbreaker, CCLXXXIV Storm Battalion

 

"We can't go through. They've fortified the road"

"Yes, they did. Their mistake."

 

In war, when the Grenadier squads were the ones to lead the 284^th Storm Battalion into battle, the Wallbreakers were its beating heart. Formed independently of the five companies that made up the bulk of the Battalion’s strength, the Wallbreaker cohort was made up of some of the finest veterans that the Battalion had to offer. Clad universally in heavy Terminator plate and possessing a marked preference towards chainfists, melta and flamer weaponry, the Wallbreakers did exactly what their title may have indicated – they broke the wall, and brought down the fortresses of the enemy upon their own heads. Led to war by the indomitable First Lieutenant Rael Donovan, and supported by a dedicated cadre of Dreadnoughts, they conducted this solemn duty with due honor and diligence to their craft.

 

By the time of the Siege of Terra, I Wallbreaker was the best known of these warriors, much lauded for their actions even prior to that final battle of the Heresy. Commanded by Veteran Sergeant Garred Marvex, a much decorated soldier of the VII Legion, who had served with dignity since before the Fall of Roma and the Unification of Sol, they bore the weaponry archetypical to the cohort – chainfists, combi-meltas and -flamers, and a pair of heavy flamers. Supported by Justici Zahn, a Contemptor Dreadnought who had served with the VII nearly as long as Marvex himself had, they were unbreakable during the Siege. A bastion, a rallying point and living bivouac for the troopers of the 284^th when all other points of tactical withdrawal were gone, they enabled the men of the Storm Battalion to fight on, when all hope seemed lost in the war.

 

It was not till the very last days of the war, in the last push to board the Vengeful Spirit that I Wallbreaker would finally fall, one month after the majority of the 284^th had been devastated in the combat that ended the Storm Battalion. These unconquerable warriors died when their ammunition ran out, chambers of bolters clicking empty and flamers running dry, fighting on with chainfist and blunt force, until they finally were overwhelmed by a tide of Daemonflesh sweeping over them. Their bodies were not recovered.

 

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

 

[pict-capture ZX/4218-21-03: Veteran Sergeant Garred Marvex, I Wallbreaker, 284. Storm Battalion]

 

http://i.imgur.com/Sc9Xq4V.jpg

 

[pict-capture ZX/4218-21-04: Wallbreaker Euwan, I Wallbreaker, 284. Storm Battalion]

 

http://i.imgur.com/BZF1cqm.jpg

 

[pict-capture ZX/4218-21-05: Wallbreaker Ives, I Wallbreaker, 284. Storm Battalion]

 

http://i.imgur.com/JnbS25b.jpg

 

[pict-capture ZX/4218-21-06:Wallbreaker Calloway, I Wallbreaker, 284. Storm Battalion]

 

http://i.imgur.com/7dvadhA.jpg

 

[pict-capture ZX/4218-21-07: Wallbreaker Moran, I Wallbreaker, 284. Storm Battalion]

 

http://i.imgur.com/w2kxkIX.jpg

 

[pict-capture ZX/4218-21-08: Fireteam A, I Wallbreaker, 284. Storm Battalion]

Edited June 8, 2016 by The Psycho

[Brother Pheidias]

Looking marvellous, certainly a characterful bunch!

[jimbo13]

Great looking terminators brother. Like how you crafted the writing as well.

[Soldier of Dorn]

Thanks guys, always appreciate the comments. Keeps me going strong!

 

Anyways, today I ended up writing... something, and I thought I might share it with you. I guess it's sorta like a victory song for the VII Legion Veterans of the Siege of Terra (sorta like what The Rains of Castamere is for House Lannister, if you're a ASOIAF or Game of Thrones fan,) or something like that? I don't really know, but I wanted to know what you guys thought of it anyway. It's poetry, though, sorta, and I like writing poetry. I'd like to think I'm pretty good at it, too. Anyways, tell me what you think. I'm always eager to hear criticism or critique on my art, no matter the medium!

 

Stand Your Ground O Sons of Dorn

 

Stand your ground O Sons of Dorn,

And brace against the storm.

This night of battle is nearly done

O come expectant morn.

 

The ashes rose on Terra's face,

her beauty fore'er scarred.

The treachery of a beloved son

Had worn away her skin.

Bombardments rained on that day

And thunder broke the skies.

But from the Wall a war-cry rose,

And rallied against our foes.

 

O stand your ground ye Sons of Dorn,

And brace against the storm.

This night of battle is nearly done

We soon shall see the morn.

 

The stalwart VII, the mighty Fists,

The unflinching Sons of Dorn.

They met the fury armed with shield

And matched it with their own.

Bolter crack'd and chainblade rung

Against such adamant will

And the only sound that was heard from the line,

Was the song of the Sons of Dorn.

 

O stand your ground all Sons of Dorn,

And brace against the storm.

This night of battle is nearly done

For we shall bring the morn.

 

For fifty days and fifty nights,

They stood against the tide.

Against daemon, man, and Space Marine

They always did survive.

And in the end they brought the day

Against the unholy ones.

The traitors were routed, the victory was won,

And with it He ascended

To the glorious Golden Throne.

 

We stood our ground, we Sons of Dorn,

Upon us broke the storm.

The night of Horus is broken

Our armor is the morn.

Edited June 13, 2016 by The Psycho

[Servant of Dante]

I especially like the ending!

[jimbo13]

Dang. I like it!!!

 

Check this guy out gang!!! We got a warrior poet over here.

[Soldier of Dorn]

I especially like the ending!

 

Thanks! I'm afraid I do have a great fondness for the various uses of repetition in writing, both poetically and in literature, so it has a tendency to exhibit itself in a lot of my poetry and writing (though obviously not all!) I am quite proud of this one, though.

 

 

Dang. I like it!!!

 

Check this guy out gang!!! We got a warrior poet over here.

 

Thanks bud! I do enjoy writing poetry, and I'm fairly prolific, though my poems usually tend towards the more existential side of things. I'm glad the muse moved me to write about the Fists, as I do like this one quite a bit.

 

Anyways, today I was fooling around with some plastic bits, specifically the Terminator Captain from Betrayal at Calth, and managed to get something together. I think I improved pretty well over the base model, but let me know your thoughts!

 

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

 

Thanks for looking!

[Brother Pheidias]

That's looking damn solid. Nice work on him!

[Dagoth Ur]

Awesome stuff mate! The Captain has been massively improved.

[Runefyre]

That is definitely one of my all time favorite B@C Praetor conversions! It isn't one of the easiest models to convert imo.

 

Though I wonder, would an IF upgrade helm fit in lieu of a bare head?

[Soldier of Dorn]

That's looking damn solid. Nice work on him!

 

Thanks mate! Solid's pretty much what I was gunning for, so thanks!

 

Awesome stuff mate! The Captain has been massively improved.

 

Thanks buddy! Considering I had three of him, I felt I had to put at least one to some good use, so this is what I came up with.

 

That is definitely one of my all time favorite B@C Praetor conversions! It isn't one of the easiest models to convert imo.

 

Though I wonder, would an IF upgrade helm fit in lieu of a bare head?

 

Aww, thanks man. It certainly is not, but I'm pretty happy with how mine turned out. Regarding the upgrade helm, maybe? I don't actually own any, so I couldn't say for certain, but it'd probably take some jiggery-pokery to get it in there, considering that the bare head barely fits. It'd wouldn't be too much more work to do so, though.

 

Anyways, thought I'd at least give you something today. The first Tactical Section (I refuse to call a group of 15 men a squad, no matter what FW or GW might say) has just been undercoated. Just basic Mk IV Marines, nothing special to them. I'll explain why later on when they're painted up, but there is a reason they're not kitbashed as extensively as the rest of my army.

 

 

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

 

Apologies for the blurry picture, but still, thanks for looking!

Edited June 14, 2016 by The Psycho

[Soldier of Dorn]

http://i.imgur.com/tWOXK36.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/LuAE6y2.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/CxOgwIJ.jpg

 

[pict-capture ZX/0214-88-57: Unidentified officer of the Imperial Fists 284. Storm Battalion, Siege of Terra]

[Brother Pheidias]

Good job disguising the joint!

Edit, that came out odd, I mean the seam on the right arm, under the shoulder plate... No cannabis in sight 

Edited June 15, 2016 by Brother Pheidias

[MithrilForge]

 

 

 

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

 

[pict-capture ZX/4218-21-03: Veteran Sergeant Garred Marvex, I Wallbreaker, 284. Storm Battalion]

 

http://i.imgur.com/Sc9Xq4V.jpg

 

[pict-capture ZX/4218-21-04: Wallbreaker Euwan, I Wallbreaker, 284. Storm Battalion]

 

http://i.imgur.com/BZF1cqm.jpg

 

[pict-capture ZX/4218-21-05: Wallbreaker Ives, I Wallbreaker, 284. Storm Battalion]

 

http://i.imgur.com/JnbS25b.jpg

 

[pict-capture ZX/4218-21-06:Wallbreaker Calloway, I Wallbreaker, 284. Storm Battalion]

 

http://i.imgur.com/7dvadhA.jpg

 

[pict-capture ZX/4218-21-07: Wallbreaker Moran, I Wallbreaker, 284. Storm Battalion]

 

http://i.imgur.com/w2kxkIX.jpg

 

 They look awesome...except the heads are way too high   you should have scooped out the inner neck area if you wanted to keep the heads full or with unmodified interiors then simply trimmed them just below the nose...great idea...just poor execution    .I only say this because you do great work and this looks like you took the easy way out on em...

 

Mithril 

 

P.S. where are Calloway's and Marvex's heads from 

Edited June 16, 2016 by mithrilforge

[Soldier of Dorn]

 

Good job disguising the joint!

Edit, that came out odd, I mean the seam on the right arm, under the shoulder plate... No cannabis in sight 

 

 

Thanks mate! Got what you meant the first time! 'Course, there's not much need for hiding the other kind much anymore, not here in Washington anymore.

 

 

 

 

 They look awesome...except the heads are way too high   you should have scooped out the inner neck area if you wanted to keep the heads full or with unmodified interiors then simply trimmed them just below the nose...great idea...just poor execution    .I only say this because you do great work and this looks like you took the easy way out on em...

Mithril 

 

P.S. where are Calloway's and Marvex's heads from 

 

 

 

Thanks for your honesty, bud! I see where you're coming from, but I actually quite like how they look. Maybe I'm just weird (well, really there's no maybe about that ) but they look good to me. However, I am working on a few more and so I'll keep your advice in mind.  Calloway's head is from the Space Marine Assault Squad, whilst Marvex gets his head from that Ltd Ed Captain with the power fist and boltgun that was available here in 'Murica a few weeks ago.

Edited June 16, 2016 by The Psycho

[Dosjetka]

Are you sure it's not the other way round with Calloway's and Marvex's heads? Calloway's looks nothing like the head from the Assault Squad unless you've done some facial reconstruction and hair implants.

 

It might be the lighting but that combi-bolter that the Sergeant has looks very bright, which is a bit weird when you look at how worn and beaten the rest of him is.

 

Lastly, the bases are a bit of a disappointment. You've got large bases, begging to have some detail added to them... and they're empty. If you're like me and have no clue how to make cool basing, just experiment a bit and see what works. You're represnting Fists from during the Horus Heresy (Siege of Terra?) so there should be skulls, helmets, barbed/razor wire, masonry, debris, ammunition cases, blood, mud, cracked earth, etc. While painting them, use various colours, drybrush stuff, use weathering powders/pigments, technical paints, etc. Anything to create something interesting to look at AND fun to paint. Just remember that, when basing, less is more so make sure you spread stuff out across the whole squad instead of piling stuff up on one base.

 

tl;dr: let your bases help you tell the story you want to tell.

[Soldier of Dorn]

Well, I'm not entirely certain about the source of Calloway's head, but I'm pretty sure it's the one in this picture of the new Assault Squad. Marvex's head is deffo from the new Captain, tho.

 

I'll take another look at his combi-bolter, darken it down a bit. It's partly the lighting, but it does look a bit bright in real life. Thanks for pointing that out, man.

 

Ah, bases. Yeah. I was wondering if anyone would bring that up. I'll be straight with all y'all: I've never done basing really on my models before. When I started this project, I wanted to do some basing that was simple enough for me to replicate across the army, so I used GW's grey texture paint and a wash of Nuln Oil. and, I mean, I think it looks okay. But "okay" isn't good enough, right? Not for me, at least. There is so much there that I could do with bases that I'm missing. So that's something I'll go back and do.

 

TL; DR: I'll work on the bases.

 

Thanks for the criticism, mate. I really appreciate it.

Edited June 16, 2016 by The Psycho

[Dosjetka]

Derp. My mistake. I was thinking of the one from the Vanguard Veteran kit and was mixing up the two kits. :rolleyes: But yeah, that's definitely the head from the Assault Squad. Looks different because most of the hair is hidden.

 

Re: basing -> please don't take this as a "me me me" comment, but I totally get you. You've seen my stuff before; until very recently, no basing whatsoever. Then Forté kept bugging me about it. And then I looked at some projects and thought "m'yeah, I should do some kind of basing" beforr experimenting like heck (and often failing). Finally I've found something that's quick and easy to do using two of the GW Technical Paints (Stirland Mud and Agrellan Earth) and a few extra bits and pieces. Since you mentioned that you liked the base that the Astral Claw has, I could do a quick tutorial on how I did mine if it can help you with yours. Just let me know. :)

 

Oh, and I am soooooo stealing that Contemptor siege drill conversion. :D