Upon Our Shoulders: A Log of the VII Legion

[Seneschal of the Seventh]

We stand upon the last known bulwark of Humanity, silent wardens against an evil beyond true comprehension. Of our brothers, we have no word; perhaps they live still, drawing blood from the traitor. Perhaps they too have fallen, another casualty of trust misplaced. Of our enemies, we know with certainty that they draw nearer every day. Their agents upon the Throneworld grow bolder as our once-brothers draw closer.

And so it falls to us, my brothers, to stand against this darkness. We are the last warriors of the Crusade, the Praetorians of Terra, and the sons of Rogal Dorn. Upon our shoulders rests the future of the Imperium, and we will shoulder this burden, for there are no others who can.

Centurion-Delegatus Cyril Torvald, Lord Militant of Terra by Word of Rogal Dorn

Address to the Legion following the return of the Retribution Fleet

We began in ignorance, fighting a war that we did not understand against weapons we had never dreamt existed. We were unready, we were vulnerable, we were weak. But in those first moments our enemies gave us strength. The strength to live, to rise from the bloody fields, to march on but not to fall: all this is ours now, and was not before.

First Captain Sigismund, Master of Templars

Spoken to the Templars at the First Gate to Terra

Go. Seek them out and bleed them. Remind Horus and his lapdogs that we remain.

Lord Rogal Dorn, Praetorian of Terra

Command to Sigismund following the return of the Retribution Fleet

Unidentified Legionnaire, VII Legion - Presumed Legion or Company Champion

Unidentified Legionnaire, VII Legion - Presumed Company- or Battalion-Level Siege Commander

VII Legion Assault Craft - Unidentified Vessel assigned to the Blade of Perdition

Markings Indicate Re-Assignment to First Captain Sigismund following the return from Phall

VII Legion Heavy Armor - Tentatively Identified as the Oath of Stone

Legion-Variant Fellblade modified for Urban/Close-Support Actions

[Luna707]

Looking great! Love the weathering!

[MakoBoy88]

I absolutely love that Phalanx Warder model.

[Graymane]

Some very nice work there. How do you do that weathering? :)

[Seneschal of the Seventh]

The Law of the Imperium is simple: the Word of the Emperor is Law. This cannot be disputed. Lord Dorn is the Master of Terra by word of the Emperor, and I am Lord Militant by word of Lord Dorn. You will submit to my authority, or perish by my hand for your treason. Now is not the time for discourse and decorum. Now is the time for war, and victory demands absolute authority.

Centurion-Delegatus Cyril Torvald, Lord Militant of Terra by Word of Rogal Dorn

Statement at the Dissolution of the Europan Senate, Three Days Following Lord Dorn's Proclamation of Martial Law

Pict-Capture: Lord Militant Cyril Torval

[WIP]

I believe that none other than those of the Apothecarion truly appreciate the deep resilience of our Legion. I have fought alongside many of our cousins: the VI, the VIII, the IV, the XVI, and I have noticed a commonality amongst their practice of battlefield medicine. Within the other Legions, the Apothecarion is a walking field-hospital; the wounded are sought out and treated, often even removed from the front line for recuperation. Those of the Helix are healers first. I need not point out the obvious difference, but for sake of argument, I shall. Within the VII, we of the Helix are warriors, avatars of death whose presence grants hope and peace to the dying, and a warrior's support to the living. We are not healers, for the glove inures our brothers to the agonies of battle. A Legionary of the VII will not notice the loss of a limb, for what is that pain next to the glove - the glove to which he submits voluntarily and frequently? Nothing. Our brothers fight on, without need of comfort, leaving us to provide the only support a Son of Dorn requires - knowledge that the Apothecarion will avenge him, and ensure his line lives on.

And this, my Brothers of the Helix, is why the Legion must not abandon the glove. It is a gift from the Primarch, the lifeblood of the Legion, and to abandon it would be to abandon our very character.

Primus-Medicae Tyris Moloc, Third Lord of the Helix

Statement During the Debate of the Pain Glove

Pict-Capture: Primus-Medicae Tyris Moloc

Thanks for your kind comments, friends. I am quite proud of the weathering - especially given all the (failed!) methods I tried before settling on this. For Graymane, here's the weathering method:

-Over the yellow basecoat, apply a careful wash made of a roughly 50:1:1:4 mix of Future Floor Polish : Mournfang Brown : Rhinox Hide : Agrax Earthshade. You can see the result of this well on the legs of the Champion in the first post. It works wonders for shading and lining, as well as providing a nice filter over the sometimes-inconsistent yellow. The floor polish also provides a strong seal, and a glossy, level surface for decaling.

-Heavy, but careful and directed sponging of Rhinox Hide. I use a ~6mm diameter sponge brush for vehicles, and a cosmetics sponge brush for infantry.

-Lighter sponging of Leadbelcher, trying to keep within the existing Rhinox sponging.

And that's it! I feel like I'm cheating with how easy it is once you get the hang of it.

Because I had too much fun in the photo editor: a teaser for my next unit...

I can't describe it, my Lord. It was like watching a myth about the gods of old come to life. Even the Astartes could not stand before them. Who? The giants in gold, my Lord. They exploded in and killed them all. I think their leader saluted the Astartes with his blade before it began, but it was so fast, I cannot be sure.

Statement by Watch-Sergeant Bartholomew Williams

Recorded by an Imperial Army Investigation into the Razing of the Lunar Fortress held by Loyalist Elements of the Word Bearers Legion

[Soldier of Dorn]

Nice! I quite like what you've done with the Primus Medicae, though I can't help but think a Mark II or III helmet might be more suitable.

 

In any event, I'm eager to see the next update. Storm shield Terminators? Killing Loyalist Word Bearers? Color me intrigued...

[Kizzdougs]

Great work, dude! The weathering on the yellow armour is spot on :tu:

My only critique is the Primus Medicae's helmet. It just doesn't look right and doesn't seem to fit properly. Then again, I'm sure I'll be proven wrong once he gets an awesome paint job.

 

Looking forward to seeing some more :)

[Seneschal of the Seventh]

Thanks for the compliments, brothers!

 

I know what you mean about the MkIV on the Primus - I go between loving it (mainly for the crest, I think), and hating it. It almost looks like it's just floating there, since it doesn't really mate with the collar like you'd expect. I've got some MkIIIs on the way, I'll take your advice and try one of them.

 

I've also got some of the 40k breacher heads on the way - what do you think about one of those?

[Seneschal of the Seventh]

If the Warmaster has turned his back on Terra, what are my orders?

Tell him his brother Rogal will have him answer for it.

In the name of Rogal Dorn, for the glory of the VII Legion, and in eternal fealty to Him on Earth, I, Seneschal of the Seventh, vow to complete the following miniatures, to the total of 1762 points.

Do not look to us for kindness. Do not look to us for hope. We are not the kind children of this new age. We are the rocks of its foundation. If you wish hope, then look to what we make. If you wish kindness, then look to those who will come after us.

Rogal Dorn, Primarch of the Imperial Fists, The Vigilant, The Blade of the Emperor, Praetorian of Terra, The Unyielding One

Address to the Three Hundred Magistrates of Terra

Pict-Capture: Rogal Dorn [WIP]

The more we spread, the more we find. World after world. New worlds to conquer. Space is limitless, and so is our appetite to master it.

First-Captain Sigismund of the Imperial Fists, Martial Champion of Rogal Dorn, Kingsbane, The Master of Templars

Commentary on the Great Crusade

Pict-Capture: Sigismund [WIP]

Leave the glory counting to our brothers. Leave the vainglorious artistry of the blade to the Lion's princelings. Leave the polished decorations to the Thirteenth. Chain your blade and bolter tight, set your eye forward, and let your offering of loyalty be the splash of traitor blood upon the ground. Ours is the path of the soldier, not the warrior. We are the mortar in the wall. Let our brothers ensure the flags fly. We shall ensure the wall stands.

First Champion Soltor Keyek, Templar of the VII Legion

Address to the Defenders of the Callistan Keep, 16 Days Prior to the First Traitor Landings on Terra

Pict-Capture: First Champion Soltor Keyek [WIP]

When we last left Terra, we departed as an army of unification, seeking to bring our long-lost brothers into the warm embrace of the Imperium. We leave today with a very different purpose. Out there, among the stars, cower entire worlds which bear responsibility for the fall of our brothers, our sisters, and our Emperor. We shall not offer terms as we once did. No opportunity for assimilation will be provided. We will fall upon these traitors as a vengeful storm, and we will only destroy. There will be no mercy. There will be no remorse. We will purge the taint of their existence from the galaxy, and in doing so, redress some small measure of our failure here.

Lord-Praetor Kelmann Kohl, XII Captain of the VII Legion, Siege Master of the Golden Host

Orders to the XII Company upon departing Terra, 8 Days Following the Fall of the Emperor

Pict-Capture: XII Captain Kelmann Kohl

[jimbo13]

Can we get more angles on Dorn!?!? That's a beautiful conversion. Needs pork chop side burns though

[Soldier of Dorn]

Dorn looks awesome! Never would have thought to use Polux as a base for Dad, but it works really well. Could we possibly get a size comparison to a normal marine?

 

The Praetor conversion is pretty cool, too! Nice use of the Skitarii helm. If I had just one thing to say, it's that the angle of the head is slightly wonky (a bit too far forward in my opinion) but it still looks lovely.

 

Did you ever try out some different heads on the Primus Medicae?

[jeremy1391]

Wow! Just wow! I love the fluff tidbits, and your conversions are amazing!

[Seneschal of the Seventh]

Wow - thanks for the kind comments, brothers.

As requested, here are more images of the Primarch, as well as some size comparisons. I've spoilered both, as there are quite a few images and no text. I'm debating the odds of successfully modifying the haircut with some putty, but my sculpting skills are not that great, so I may end up being conservative and sticking with the mohawk.

Additional Shots of Dorn

Size Comparisons

I think the size is about right; even without the height of the custom base, his chin is about the height of a terminator's forehead, and he's just over a head taller than a power/artificer-armored marine. On his base, his neck sits right at the torso ridge on a contemptor.

Psycho - I did try out a few other heads on the Medicae, but none of them sat quite right. I think I was a big hasty in trimming off the gorget the stock model has, because now there's nothing to hide the neck joint. The MkIV hangs over the joint a bit, which makes it look more natural than anything else I tried. It still looks a bit big, though, as if he'd have to crane his neck forward all the time. Oh well...

[Seneschal of the Seventh]

So my ETL vow is failed... quite spectacularly. Not even a single model fully finished. Bad weather and a busy job... sigh.

And I even forgot to drill the barrels...

Hopefully I can finish these guys over the next couple of weeks.

[Brother Pheidias]

They're looking really good, so I hope you get more done soon :D

[Tyrannicide]

What's your recipe for yellow? In the past I was having trouble with getting a consistent look from model to model, but yours is on point.

[Seneschal of the Seventh]

What's your recipe for yellow? In the past I was having trouble with getting a consistent look from model to model, but yours is on point.

Thanks, brother! I consider that high praise, given my respect for your work in the In Memoriam thread! My method is pretty simple, but I think the airbrush and homemade wash recipe below are the keys.

 

-Prime white, I like Vallejo's white airbrush primer, but I'm not sure that the specifics of this step matter much, so long as the base is thin and provides full coverage. Yellow can easily show a greenish tint under certain lighting if any grey is left peeking through.

 

-Apply 3-4 coats of old GW Golden Yellow or Vallejo Gold Yellow (they're nearly identical) via airbrush, allowing each coat to dry fully before the application of the next. I keep coating until the next coat doesn't' change the color. Under natural light, these yellows are very rich and almost orange, that's when I know to stop.

 

-Over the yellow basecoat, apply a careful wash made of a roughly 50:1:1:4 mix of Future Floor Polish : Mournfang Brown : Rhinox Hide : Agrax Earthshade. You can see the result of this well on the legs of the Champion in the first post. It works wonders for shading and lining, as well as providing a nice filter over the sometimes-inconsistent yellow. The floor polish also provides a strong seal, and a glossy, level surface for decaling. I think this step is really the key to my method, it ties everything together and really makes the yellow consistent across batches and under different lighting conditions.

 

-Heavy, but careful and directed sponging of Rhinox Hide. I use a ~6mm diameter sponge brush for vehicles, and a cosmetics sponge brush for infantry.

 

-Lighter sponging of Leadbelcher, trying to keep within the existing Rhinox sponging.

 

They're looking really good, so I hope you get more done.

Thanks! Working on the last details of the first 5 terminators now!

[Seneschal of the Seventh]

New contact: Legion column at zero-five-two degrees.

I see them, Sergeant.

Light weapons and take the two Spartans.

Are you sure, Sergeant? Those are our brothers! I served w...

They are our brothers no longer. Light weapons and take them. Accelerator and starboard destroyer.

Affirmative, Sergeant. Accelerator cycling to firing capacity.

Accelerator discharging.

Starboard destroyer array engaging.

Auspex returns two complete kills. Light drives and pursue.

Weapons free.

Datalog Entry: Recovery crews operating in the ruins of the Petitioner's City have located the wreck of what appears to be a modified Legion Fellblade. Tentative identification based on limited available cross-reference suggests this chassis is VII Legion asset LFB.07.193.2.3.433. Informally termed the Oath of Stone, this chassis was laid down in the tankworks of the Magma City prior to the departure of the VII Legion from the Sol System. Chassis displays significant modifications from original fabrication, which was already heavily modified for close-support action in urban and other confined areas.

Datalog of Unknown Mechanicum Adept

Presumed Slain by Splinter Legion Assets, Datalog Retrieved 122 Days Following the Fall of the Emperor

It is an unsubtle beast, not meant for anything but the complete and total destruction of a target by overwhelming force. Such is not our way, but it is a sight to behold.

Attributed to Unknown V Legionnaire

I have never thought subtlety one of my bloodline's strengths.

Attributed to Lord-Praetor Kelmann Kohl, XII Captain of the VII Legion

Let the thunder of our guns be the cry of our devotion, the blood of our enemies our offering of fealty. We will all die here, if not this day, then the next, for there can be no terms with those who have deserted Terra. Treachery demands death, and we shall deliver.

Sergeant Vor Tyrall, Commander of the Oath of Stone

Address to Squadron VII-1-4, The Oathstones, 12 Minutes Prior to Traitor Planetfall on Terra

Addendum to Datalog: Analysis of the recovered chassis indicates critical damage to all systems from a wide variety of sources. It appears that secondary weapon systems were brought offline by a combination of rapid overuse resulting in thermal decay of the composite powercells, and repeated weapon strikes from Astartes-portable heavy las weaponry. Drive systems were terminally damaged by incendiaries, and compartment access hatches were forced or blown open. Primary armament was destroyed, along with much of the hull, by an apparent turbolaser blast to the upper starboard armor section. Analysis of surrounding areas suggests that LFB.07.193.2.3.433 destroyed a partial company of IV Legion medium tanks and two companies of IV Legion mechanized infantry prior to drive loss. The crew appears to have successfully resisted at least one attempt at boarding by IV Legion infantry prior to vehicle destruction by passing titan-class weaponry. Angle of turbolaser strike suggests Reaver-class engine or greater.

Datalog of Unknown Mechanicum Adept

Presumed Slain by Splinter Legion Assets, Datalog Retrieved 122 Days Following the Fall of the Emperor

[Soldier of Dorn]

Nice tank, mate! I particularly like the short main guns, they look absolutely brutal!

P.S. Any chance you might consider participating in the Imperial Fists Expansion, in any small way? We'd love to have you in the fight against the Iron Warriors!

[Charlo]

Love this, everything looks so boss and its always nice to see a fellow Caestus owner :D We are a rare breed!

 

That SH is also incredible, especially the lascannons!

 

My only teeny tiny gripe is that Dorn needs a chainsword ;)

[Seneschal of the Seventh]

Our cousins in the IVth speak often of the raw calculus of war, of casualty counts and munition ratio, as if war can be distilled down to a few critical metrics, the ownership of which will ensure victory. Make no mistake, there is merit to this approach, and we will soon feel the full weight of its application. But heed my words, Brothers, war is not a simple calculation. Certainly, a dry bolter is of little use, but those hands that hold the bolter are ever deadly. We are the mailed fist of the Praetorian, and upon our shoulders rests the future of humanity. Against those of such noble purpose, what chance does our enemy have?

Centurion Brahim Polk, XIIth Siege Master of the VII Legion

Final Words to the Legion

Pict-Capture: Centurion Brahim Polk

It is a wonder to me how Lord Kohl has survived this long. At the head of an army of post-human soldiers, armed and armored with the finest tools of war our machine-worshiping friends on the Red Planet can provide, he chooses to bludgeon the enemies of humanity to death with a rock chained to a stick. His war-making would be a humorous sight were it not so brutally effective.

Unknown Centurion of the IX Legion

Comments to the Standard-Bearer of the XII Company, VII Legion Prior to the Second Petitioner's City Counter-Assault

Pict-Capture: Lord Kelmann Kohl

Love this, everything looks so boss and its always nice to see a fellow Caestus owner We are a rare breed!

That SH is also incredible, especially the lascannons!

My only teeny tiny gripe is that Dorn needs a chainsword

Thanks for the complements Brother! I do enjoy the Caestus, I just wish flying transports were a bit more reliable on the tabletop. I feel like they are so incredibly fluffy for the VII.

I've been looking for a good chainsword for Dorn, but nothing's been both big and ornate enough. I've been toying around with scratching one up, but in all honesty, haven't had the patience to see it through. The partially-painted minis on the desk are quite the distraction!

[Brother Pheidias]

What colours did you use for the Choom? It's almost neon-orangey-pink...

[Seneschal of the Seventh]

 

 

What colors did you use for the Choom? It's almost neon-orangey-pink...

 

It's actually just a single heavy wash of GW Bloodletter glaze over a solid undercoat (maybe 2 or 3 coats) of whatever the GW white layer paint is. I'll get a pic with the gun in focus tonight if that would help.

[Brother Pheidias]

Nah, thanks, that sounds like the way to go :D

[Seneschal of the Seventh]

Glory is nothing. Victory is fleeting. Loyalty is eternal.

Unknown Officer of the VII Legion

Prior to Execution by Traitor Legion Captors, 3rd Battle of the Altuk Approach

Pict-Capture: Unknown VII Legion Officer, Presumed Centurion or Praetor Rank

And some additional pics of Mr. Terminator Volkite:

I've also put the finishing touches on the first 10 Phalanx Warders, but I forgot to get a photo of them while the light was good. I'll probably put something up this weekend.