The Legion For You: Part Two, Electric Boogaloo!

[Oatboy]

Hey folks, 

I'm looking to start a 30k army primarily as a hobby side. I've been reading the HH novels (Just finishing up A Thousand Sons right now) I'm picking up my first airbrush and want to dive headfirst into the 30k hobby as the scene seems to be more fluff driven than competitive.

I guess there are a couple factors for which legion I am trying to pick. I am wanting to challenge myself a little bit as far as painting goes, and I know that some legions lend themselves to airbrush style painting.

I want the ability to throw in whatever units so a mixed arms fighting style might be best, but I want to focus on termies and tanks if possible.

Lastly, I'm not a fan of spindly bits, nothing demotivates me faster than having something break beyond repair. so hammers and bulky things would be best. 

any insight is appreciated 

Thanks folks!

Edited September 28, 2017 by Oatboy

[1ncarnadine]

Every Legion scheme can be accomplished via airbrush, so that's not necessarily too helpful in narrowing things down! Even black. So that's really down to what scheme appeals to you and how far you want to push airbrushing. Definitely recommend watching videos on getting your pressure and paint consistencies down, and then on pre-shading and light sources.

 

Both the Iron Warrior and Imperial Fist range are pretty solidly constructed, so might be good ways to go. From experience, the Word Bearer characters are incredibly delicate, as are the Legatine Axes on Invictarus Suzerain and the spikes on Death Guard heads. So maybe don't go with those Legions, or just don't use those kits.

 

The Alpha Legion will lend itself pretty well to a well-rounded force and is a fun scheme to do by airbrush. Iron Warriors and Iron Hands are great for Terminators and tank heavy forces. With the Iron Warriors in particular, you'd gain lots of experience with masking if you chose to do the hazard stripes (although any Legion can have hazard stripes on some things - I've seen great use in Dark Angels, Blood Angels and Sons of Horus armies on this very board).

[carlisimo]

Alpha Legion, Thousand Sons (lots of spindly bits - but they did like Land Raiders), and sometimes Word Bearers (also lots of spindly bits) are often painted in 'candy coat' schemes that work best with an airbrush.  So listen to LetsYouDown and go Alpha Legion.  Their assault on Paramar in Book 3 was tank-heavy.  The other particularly tank-heavy legions are Dark Angels (Ironwing), Iron Warriors, and Iron Hands.  Not quite as interesting from a painting perspective, though Forge World does paint their Iron Hands with several coats of transparent black, yellow, purple, and green over a dark metallic gray.  Salamanders could be a good fit, fluffwise (vehicles and hammers), but I can see them needing a lot of brushwork.

[Charlo]

Fists or AL will suit you pretty well. Iron Hands could also do a pretty nice core or maybe even Salamanders?

[UtariOnzo]

I'm looking to get into 30k with a B@C box set. I'm into mostly fluffy style armies, not gamey or competative, and I'd like a gunline/infantry heavy legion Loyalist. I'd be especially interested in a fluffy way of playing a loyalist split of a traitor legion in that frame. Any suggestions and/or characters to build a force around?

[Charlo]

I'm looking to get into 30k with a B@C box set. I'm into mostly fluffy style armies, not gamey or competative, and I'd like a gunline/infantry heavy legion Loyalist. I'd be especially interested in a fluffy way of playing a loyalist split of a traitor legion in that frame. Any suggestions and/or characters to build a force around?

 

Seems like your perfect choice is Iron Warriors with Kyr Vhalen as the leader!

 

He's a loyalist special character that is just overall very strong in a gunline, letting you buff a single fortification (either +1AV value or re-roll cover saves of 1) and a single unit in your army to re-roll hits of one when shooting from your deployment zone, not to mention being a total bad ass himself with an extra Wound over a normal Preator, 6+ Feel no Pain, Cortex Controller, Servo Arm and being both a Warsmith and Master of the Legion.

 

To summarise:

1. Iron Havocs in a bunker
2. Buff said Bunker
3. Buff said Havocs
4. ????
5. *Traitor corpses litter the area*

[UtariOnzo]

Now that sounds a lot like my kinda bag and doable from B@C boxset too, thanks a bunch!

[Charlo]

No worries matey, stars have aligned for you ;)

 

Plus it's a strong force to boot!

 

Run the Hammer of Olympia rite of war for those sweet, sweet 4 Heavy Support Choices.

[Zond]

I come again seeking guidance for my next project.

 

First disclaimer is I suck at actually playing the game. I make a few models for homebrew or skirmish games and then fade away. So I'm resolved this time to do an army.

 

Second thing is character and playstyle. I enjoy Legions that preserve and seek out knowledge. I also enjoy participating in all phases of the game so psykers it is. I'm just not a fan of the Nikaean Decree. I'm also looking to make fluffy yet still somewhat competitive armies (I enjoy the story but don't enjoy getting obliterated off the board) and I'd like to do a Legion known for it's close links with other Imperial or Mechanicum forces. I know they all had backup but something that really allows me to get the juices going and do a lot with the average human in the crusade, something I often overlook.

 

I already have Thousand Sons and Alpha Legion warbands. My next thought is Word Bearers (just finished Betrayer) but I would like to fly my flag not under the Warmaster for a while. Even if I did pick two of the more dubiously alligned Legions.

 

I think when it comes to Loyalists that fit the bill (really going with their stances at Nikaea to a large degree) I've got Ultramarines, Blood Angels, Salamanders, White Scars and maybe if I squint hard Dark Angels and Raven Guard depending in text interpretation. Quite a lot to initally choose from. Ultramarines whipped out the psykers again very pragmatically, and did have strong Imperial Army support. White Scars have a deep culture and sense of freedom but being literal outriders the ties they had were limited. Raven Guard I'm led to believe have a cool insurgency style list with regular human support but I don't necessarily want to sacrifice fluff for game rules.

 

Any thoughts?

[carlisimo]

If you’re looking for a legion that was pro-psyker from the start the obvious choices are the Blood Angels and White Scars, since their primarchs and Magnus set up the Librarius project together. The Blood Angels work a little better in terms of Army or Mechanicum support, but you already have a red legion…

 

But it’s not hopeless with the White Scars. 30k armies are small enough that an allied Militia detachment could simply be White Scars’ ship crews arming themselves for boarding actions or small supporting operations, like holding ground that the legionnaires have just taken. Large fleets would have some Mechanicum presence with them, or they have found a small loyalist forge world during their four years behind enemy lines. And as with the Blood Angels, once they make it back to Terra they’ll be able to choose from a wide range of support.

 

The Scars that initially sided with Horus but repented, the Sagyar Mazan, fought as shattered legions in enemy-held territory, often with other legions but probably with other types of forces as well. Join them up with some Salamanders and Mechanicum if you want a potpourri. The Salamanders are the non-Librarius legion that I would probably choose. They have a psyker special character so they can get more dice than most loyalist legion armies. Just set them a little later in the Heresy.

[Schlitzaf]

So to ask a question, which Legion would best compare with the Black Templars? No I don’t mean melee focused/preferenced persay (through that is also a functional requirement I’ll be honest). But one that like the Black Templars has the ad hoc Squad level ‘disorganization’ like Space Wolves persay more like Crusader Squads. Where we have units that are made up of different ‘models’ that gives the appearance of disorganization.

[Slips]

Space Wolves would really be the only ones unless you run Rites that allow you to take Tactical Vets as troops since theyre the only ones who would be able to freely mix n match CC and Shooty in the same squad.

 

Even then, Tac Vets are only limited to 10 man squads.

[Hellrender]

Maybe not the right place to ask, but to those that have atleast 1 Horus heresy army done.

 

Do you prefer to make 1 army for X amount of points and then move on to the next?

 

Or rather keep on building and collecting for that one army so you can make all sorts of lists? If so how do you deal with all the new shiniest?? :)

[Chaeron]

I suppose for me, it’s less of having an army ‘completely done’, but thinking about what might supplement it further down the line - and diversifying options as you’ve suggested.

 

My Death Guard have been foremost in the Heresy, and more recently I’ve been focusing on adding things so I could run other Rites of War (e.g. Orbital Assault or the Reaping), which would in turn be able to contribute to the builds I tend to run by providing more options. The Mechanicum were to then complement that, as allies and as a standalone option (that’s very different in both play style and colour scheme for variety). I’ve now started a Sons of Horus force, and made a conscious decision to try to choose units I wouldn’t use with my DG in a more narrative sense, so it feels like a completely fresh take on building and painting an army. Benefit again, would be the allies option if needed!

 

Of the three, I would think I would keep adding to the Death Guard over time with more frequency, but I’ve aimed for synergy between armies as well as new challenges - and I think I’ve found a happy medium!

[Vykes]

Well Hellrender, I tend to have a really bad case of organizational OCD in which I want to make functional 'narrative' units which mean thematic units.  If I set out to make a squad, it'll number as a squad, if I want to have a platoon then it'll be a platoon, if I want to make a company it'll be a company (you have no idea how much this 'Sons of Horus have no upper organizational structure and their companies have no set number, average, rhyme nor reason'   with my mind!) 

 

I'd say that most of my 'completed' armies average around 5-6K and have consistently through my experience in WFB, 40K, and 30K.  It offers a lot of flexibility for list building and tends to look bloody great on the tabletop. The newest shinies will get ignored unless they specifically fit my theme.  

 

Chaeron's point about using different units so the armies feel different is also one I'd agree with wholeheartedly*.  It really does keep power armour feeling really different and you get a nice sense that if you want to play assaulty, shooty, heavy armour, etc, you have your own mindset about it.  And more over, it'll probably still play different from an opponent who has a similar armoured force from another legion.  So if you go for orbital assault in one legion force, try going heavy armour or recon in another. Build a theme and enjoy it! 

 

*I'll admit that -was- also how I built it up until this week with my Sons of Horus vs. Blood Angels.  My IXth legion have no tanks, no armour, it's legion squads in Storm Eagles, backed up by prowling Xiphons, and a command Hawk all to support the 40-some odd jump pack troopers and jetbikes.  My Sons of Horus have a squadron of Land Raiders, Spartan, Glaive, Mastodon, and a few Rhinos.  Buuuuut they now also have a flight of Storm Eagles and a Fire Raptor as well and I'm not sure how I feel about that.  I do love my aircraft but I feel like it's muddied things more than I'd like. 

[TheStatusJoe]

So, I've got three armies in 40k and one in 30k. I'm in the middle of a massive push to paint everything that I own and get it ready for the table; a task that has see me paint over 100 Ork Boys in the past week and a half. 

 

Realistically, you'll never be "finished" with an army until you sell it. You'll typically almost always get a piece here or a piece there and keep building up your armies over time. When I finally get everything painted up, I'll be at the stage in my collection where I will be buying one "thing" and then painting that "thing" before buying the next one. I'm probably going to be building Ultramarines, Custodian Guard and Orks forever. That being said, I may be adding Alpha Legion into the mix in a few months time.

 

If anything else take this from me: Paint what you have before you buy more, even if you can't field an army yet. Otherwise you'll be in my situation with piles of grey plastic staring at you from all sides. 

[Breakthrough]

Heyha guys 

 

 

 

I need ya help its about my future in the Heresy.

 

 

 

What I actual dont want to play is:

 

UM / IW / WE / SoH all these Legions are already present at our gaming club .

 

 

 

First of all what I have:

 

Actual I own 1 of Both Heresy Boxes ( but without that Contemptor) a Leviathan Pattern Dreadnought, an Deredeo Dread, 2 Laser Vindicator and 1 normal, and tada 2 Rhinos

 

 

 

Second:

 

I am a really bad painter, what i can do best is painting primary colours and then finishing with army painter dark shade 

 

 

 

What I like,:

 

Model and Fluffwise i like the most of the stuff  , I like the style of Breacher Squads, the Fluff of Destroyers, I like Cybots and Contemptors, the heavy armoury especially the style of the Vindicator ( Laser array  )

The Tartaros Pattern Terminators

 

 

 

So guys you see its not easy with me, and the friends in our gaming club are near an mental breakdown because I cant decide 

 

 

 

I hope you can help me to give me a push in the right side 

 

 

 

Additionally I would prefer an traitor legion, because I always was the bad guy in 40k ( first World eaters - then Iron Warriors - then Word bearers )

 

 

 

Best regards

[Mackenzie]

Deathguard. Paint wise you can base coat white, wash with sepia, drybrush with wrack white. Any mistakes you make turn into battle damage. They love destroyer type weapons, terminators, tanks and their dread is amazing looking.

[Gorgoff]

 

 

I am a really bad painter, what i can do best is painting primary colours and then finishing with army painter dark shade

 

Play Iron Warriors and start with Death Guard once you became a better painter.

[Vykes]

hmmm... Alright if IW are off the table completely, I'll agree with Gorgoff and Mackenzie with one caveat: if you feel you can paint white, then do Death Guard.  White is the sticking point, it's a difficult colour to do well but there is a few little cheats to get it working pretty decently.  If you don't mind my meandering, here's a quick and dirty way to do white if you have access to a few colours*.  Deathguard fit what feels like your 'theme', they look good in mk. III and IV plate, Tartaros fits terrific they got destroyers and rapiers and good armour. so Breachers, destroyers, las-vindies are all good under the XIV. Otherwise... maybe word bearers?  

 

*Easy way to do white: glue your models without the pauldrons (or with for a few, a lot of Death Guard are all white) and then use 2 colour sprays, not just one.  Fully coat the model in a grey, grey-blue, grey-green, or tan colour (like Army painter necrotic flesh or wolf grey).  After that, spray matte white straight down on the very top of the model (at best, sweep it from front to back a little but always keep it from the very top down.  And don't invert the spray can: put the model on a stick or something and do it like that).    If you're confident, you can attempt the metal trim just by dragging the edge of a paintbrush over the edge of the pauldrons and the boltgun.  

 

From there, let it fully dry and if you're doing death guard green pauldrons, attach them now..  Then, hit it all with a really thinned down ink with water: something like P3 armour wash, even Minitaire oil discharge at a 4:1 ish ratio so that it's gonna reaaaaaally thin the ink.  Lets put it like this, you'll know when you put it on the model.  It'll just flow into the recesses and not settle on the higher plates.  It's not hard, it doesn't require a lot of some mythic talent, it'll do ya.  You'll be pretty close to 'done' if you choose by that point.  Other stuff like weathering using a piece of torn sponge on the edges, or a bit of weathering powder work on them: it's all easier than you think.  .... man that last bit sounded like a car commercial. 

Edited December 23, 2018 by Vykes

[TheStatusJoe]

Heyha guys

I need ya help its about my future in the Heresy.

What I actual dont want to play is:

UM / IW / WE / SoH all these Legions are already present at our gaming club .

First of all what I have:

Actual I own 1 of Both Heresy Boxes ( but without that Contemptor) a Leviathan Pattern Dreadnought, an Deredeo Dread, 2 Laser Vindicator and 1 normal, and tada 2 Rhinos

Second:

I am a really bad painter, what i can do best is painting primary colours and then finishing with army painter dark shade

What I like,:

Model and Fluffwise i like the most of the stuff , I like the style of Breacher Squads, the Fluff of Destroyers, I like Cybots and Contemptors, the heavy armoury especially the style of the Vindicator ( Laser array )

The Tartaros Pattern Terminators

So guys you see its not easy with me, and the friends in our gaming club are near an mental breakdown because I cant decide

I hope you can help me to give me a push in the right side

Additionally I would prefer an traitor legion, because I always was the bad guy in 40k ( first World eaters - then Iron Warriors - then Word bearers )

Best regards

So, I grabbed a test marine and tried to mock up some Death Guard based on the techniques you are familiar with: Blocking in colors and shading. There's zero edge highlighting or drybrushing, and fittingly, you will need 7 colors for this.

Paint the entire miniature white with the primer, shoulder pad interiors with castellan green, belts, bolter casing and hoses with abbadon black, then mechanical parts, exhausts, and bolter with leadbelcher. paint the holster with Doombull Brown. let all of those paints dry for 10-15 minutes, then apply dryad bark gently with a piece of foam for dirt and chipped armor. Once that is dry, wash over the entire model with Seraphim Sepia.

Is it going to win you an award? Probably not, but if you can get all of your infantry to this point, you can go back later and add in contrast highlights etc as you learn more techniques and get better.

hmmm... Alright if IW are off the table completely, I'll agree with Gorgoff and Mackenzie with one caveat: if you feel you can paint white, then do Death Guard. White is the sticking point, it's a difficult colour to do well but there is a few little cheats to get it working pretty decently. If you don't mind my meandering, here's a quick and dirty way to do white if you have access to a few colours*. Deathguard fit what feels like your 'theme', they look good in mk. III and IV plate, Tartaros fits terrific they got destroyers and rapiers and good armour. so Breachers, destroyers, las-vindies are all good under the XIV. Otherwise... maybe word bearers?

*Easy way to do white: glue your models without the pauldrons (or with for a few, a lot of Death Guard are all white) and then use 2 colour sprays, not just one. Fully coat the model in a grey, grey-blue, grey-green, or tan colour (like Army painter necrotic flesh or wolf grey). After that, spray matte white straight down on the very top of the model (at best, sweep it from front to back a little but always keep it from the very top down. And don't invert the spray can: put the model on a stick or something and do it like that). If you're confident, you can attempt the metal trim just by dragging the edge of a paintbrush over the edge of the pauldrons and the boltgun.

From there, let it fully dry and if you're doing death guard green pauldrons, attach them now.. Then, hit it all with a really thinned down ink with water: something like P3 armour wash, even Minitaire oil discharge at a 4:1 ish ratio so that it's gonna reaaaaaally thin the ink. Lets put it like this, you'll know when you put it on the model. It'll just flow into the recesses and not settle on the higher plates. It's not hard, it doesn't require a lot of some mythic talent, it'll do ya. You'll be pretty close to 'done' if you choose by that point. Other stuff like weathering using a piece of torn sponge on the edges, or a bit of weathering powder work on them: it's all easier than you think. .... man that last bit sounded like a car commercial.

Oh, and this guy here, if you ever need to know about weathering powders, Vykes has forgotten more about using them than I will ever know. He's one of the better painters I've met, and will do you right if you have any questions. Same goes for me, but... game recognizes game.

[Daemon Prince Marbas]

Which Traitor Legion is the most stealthy, uses psykers, and doesn't have a problem with using vehicles?

[TheStatusJoe]

Which Traitor Legion is the most stealthy, uses psykers, and doesn't have a problem with using vehicles?

 

There's about one thousand of them.

[Daemon Prince Marbas]

Thousand Sons are stealthy?

[Slips]

Thousand Sons are stealthy?

When you can paychically manipulate people into not even being able to see you, a lot can be done :p