Where many were, how few remain - A loyalist SoH project

[MrBear]

*Clears away the spider webs and all the dust* 

 

I guess two months pretty much flew by, eh? I should have understood that the 'a couple of week' bit in my last post was doomed to fail considering my workload this semester, but I was optimistic anyway. It remains to be seen if I can be more realistic in the future...

 

Anyway, the support squad is finished now. No 'proper' update yet as I have to write the next piece of Jern Zonalf's recollections first (writing tends to be done much more quickly than painting though), but I figured that I could post one finished guy as proof that things are progressing (albeit slowly). As I still have a week off until work starts again I should (that optimism again! ) be able to do the big update in a day or two.

 

 

 

 

C&C is ofc always welcome. See y'all again soon!

 

Cheers!

Edited August 11, 2017 by MrBear

[MrBear]

Update time!

 

 

 

 

 

”There is no greater sorrow than to recall happiness in times of misery”  - Dantay the Florentian

 

 

Grishal Baar... He and Shinav Tar became my... Friends, strangely enough. You seem confused young one. Have you every seen an Astartes in flesh, or spoken to one? No, I didn't think so...

Unlike some others, I claim no great understanding of them, no mortal lifespan is enough to gain such knowledge. This I know though; do not fool yourself to think them the same as ourself. Yes, they were all born to mortal mothers, just as us. I know the way you think; 'They breathe, they bleed, they even look like us, just drawn upon a larger canvas are they not?'

No, and yes. Wiser men than you have made your mistake, and for all the same reasons. I did them myself at your age so do not feel foolish. It is bound to happen.

 

It was so for me with Grishal Baar until I started to speak with him instead of just listening, then I understood. That beyond the basic similarities that provided the illusion, most Astartes are almost as alien as an Eldar, albeit in different ways. I could discuss the finest intricacies of history with him, on a level most scholars would envy, and then see his face go blank and uncomprehending if I mentioned anything so fundamentally human that a 12 year child would know it. I understood then, that they might be born human, but they lose most of that humanity by being grown instead of growing naturally.

 

That is far from universal though. I've heard of, and even met, Astartes whom had not left their humanity behind. Even Grishal Baar had his human sides, and showed them more than his brothers. I have given it a lot of thought, with an ailing body made into my own, private prison there is little to distract me from it... I think it was his age that did it, his youth. He was young for an Astartes you know, with barely more than a decade of service. A great warriror nonetheless, he would not have held his position otherwise, but all traces of the child he'd once been had not yet faded as his boisterous jokes and laughter showed.

 

Those moments were not always what you or I would find amusing though. Once I mused upon the fact that we were basically the same age, in years if not experiences, and mentioned it to him, naively wondering what youth I would have met, had I ever walked the caverns of Cthonia in the days before his transformation. The grin he gave me then... Just thinking of it chills my blood to these days. It was predatory. Hungry. The feral Cthonian ganger he had been was showing his fangs, just as I imagine a beast would do before it's prey. He informed me, that had one so... ill-suited for Cthonia such as I entered it's mines, that person would have been killed, skinned, and eaten in short time... Though not necessarily in that order. Then he laughed his usual roaring laughter and everything was normal again, or as close as it could be with those images nesting in my mind.

 

In some ways it was much easier to converse with Shinav Tar. He was older, more set in the ways of the Astartes, and more predictable. If that meant that he could be hard for us mortals to understand a times, it also meant that the predator within him was further from the surface. Not that he had ever called Cthonia his home, being recruited on some other semi-feral world during the course of the Crusade. Between the two of them however, I started to gain at least some understanding of the CCXIth, and the Legionaires within it...

 

No, dont bother to excuse your yawnings, I can sense your unrest my boy. You want the battles and heroics don't you? Ah, I was much the same when I was young, no story half as interesting as one with the righteous heroes spilling the blood of the wicked. You will get your wish fulfilled soon...

Now, I must have driven the Astartes half mad with all my questions of their campaigns, and my requests to accompany them into battle, citing my mission as a Rememberancer as if any writings that could come from my pen were of the highest importance to the Crusade. Ah, how they must have laughed at me behind my back, the mortal staff of the fleet at least, the Astartes would have laughed me in the face if they had been human enough to see the humour of my hybris. If not for fate I think that my pestering would have given me nothing but a reprimand in the end, but by chance an opportunity presented itself...

 

There was a... 'revolt' , of a kind on Asan II, a planet that had been brought into compliance mere months before, surrendering before the might of the Imperium without a shot being fired. It seemed like certain parts of the population questioned the wisdom of their leaders, especially when the very gods they had worshiped were forbidden. No proper fighting had yet begun, but armed men and women had barricaded themselves in holy places across the world. This would normally have been the work of the local garrison, but as Asan II had surrendered peacfully someone had decided that no outside forces were needed, and reorganized the local armies into a new global defence force instead, totally useless in this situation. Even though the planet's goverment remaind loyal, and most of the armed forces aswell, they dared not send them against their friends, neighbours and former priests, fearing the fallout of such conflicting loyalties. So with our Expedition Fleet but a few weeks travel away it was decided that we were to give the Asans a demonstration.

 

I'm actually ashamed of how excited I was when we arrived, like a child the night before his birthday, barely able to contain myself at the thought of seeing the Astartes in 'war'.

No one wnated me any nearer the danger than I needed to be, so I was placed with 'The Burning Spears', a support squad commanded by Sgt. Cyrgon. They were to strike our first blow, the attack on the main temple of Azhur, the Asans' god of war and fire. It was thought that such an action would erode the moral of the rebels.

 

It is strange what one remembers... I could not for the life of me tell you what I ate the day before yesterday, but the events of that day stays fresh within my mind. The shaking of the Stormbird as we descended, the silence of the Astartes, the glow of their Volkite weaponry casting an eerie, red light on us all. I cannot swear upon it, but I think that is why they were chosen for the attack on Azhur's temple. There is an undeniable symbolism in using such weapons upon the worshippers of a god of fire, and it should have been obvious to ones more versed in war than I aswell.

 

The temple grounds were... fair actually, much fairer than I had expected. Statues aplenty of course, depciting what I guess was brave warriors doing battle, but also fountains, and a few trees even.

I could hear birdsong, and the whole situation felt so unreal. A diplomat who had accompanied us walked to the doors of the temple to demand the rebels' surrender, one last chance for them. She looked regal as she crossed the open ground, and if she ever spared a thought for the weapons that surely were pointed at her it didn't show. A priest met her on the steps to the temple, and they discussed for a short while.

As I were to be kept safe, I was to far away to hear them, though I was later told that the priest had spat at the ground before her and told her that we must leave, lest he'd call upon Azhur's flames to devour all unbelievers. What I could see though, was how she shook her head as she walked back to us, a signal as good as any for Sgt. Cyrgon. Without a sound, he and the rest of the 'Burning Spears' started to cross the temple ground.

 

It was an eerie sight with these silent titans slowly marching towards the temple, ignoring the gunfire as the rebels opened fire upon them, driving home to me once again how 'unhuman' the Astartes truly are. I actually held my breath without noticing it until they stopped in the middle of the temple ground. Sgt. Cyrgon pointed towards the temple with his arm, and his men shouldered their weapons and fired them.

Volkites...Volkites are frightening weapons I tell you. Blinding you with you brightness, and that sound... It blocked my hearing at first, but then I heard the other sounds... Know this my boy, whatever notions of battles you've got, you must remember what I learned that day. That there is nothing heroic about the screams of men and women burning to death...

 

 

 

'The Burning Spears' were heroes one and all, though not always at first glance. They held fire not only in their hands, but in their hearts aswell. When the hour came, they kept their oaths, and they cared not about the price they would have to pay for loyalty, they payed it willingly.

 

 

 

 

Cyrgon was like a father to his men, the veteran raising each and everyone of them as they joined his squad. Without knowing it he gave them a shadow of the families they had lost with their transformation. He had fought upon countless battlefields as a Luna Wolf, and still carried the Legion's old colours upon his face-plate, unable to completely let them go. The ideals of the Great Crusade were deep in his bones, and he never hesitated over his choice. His 'sons' followed him in his steps.

 

Nashan was his second in command, taciturn and dour. Difficult to get to speak, but what words he spoke were filled with wisdom. Always at Cyrgon's side in battle, always watching his back, being prepared to give his life to save his Sergeant's.

 

 

 

 

Kurek was young and headstrong, the newest of Cyrgon's 'sons', having but a handful of engagements under his belt. If there were enemies ahead he wanted nothing less than to charge at them, killing them as quickly as possible. He had not yet adapted to his new life, still thinking like a Cthonian ganger. Cyrgon could have changed that, he had done such things before, but alas...

 

Tanis... I know but little of him, having spoken with him only a few short times. What I can say is that he showed more tolerance to a mere mortal than most other Astartes, he never acted as if we were insignificant. I regret that I did not speak more with him.

 

 

 

 

Jorsan always smiled the times I saw him without his helmet, he treated life as if it was a joke, playing 'pranks' with his brothers whenever he got a chance. They gladly let him do this though, they knew he would give his life for them if needed, with that same smile still upon his lips as he died.

 

I sensed much anger in Akros, it was as if he had a volcano burning inside of him. He was terrible to behold in battle, barely restraining himself from losing control over his actions. I must say that he frightened me more than once.

 

 

 

 

Lycien was a Son of Horus through and through. Cthonian to his heart, his face wearing Horus' likeness. Proud and regal in his manners, but he would nearly break when faced with conflicting loyalties, the choice turning him bitter and hateful.

 

All Astartes are master marksmen, but Emban could put most of them to shame. Some would say that he was 'wasted' in a support squad, that he would serve better as a scout or as a Vigilator even. For what I know they might be right, but I also know that Emban was humble for a Son of Horus, and that his watchful eyes kept his brothers safe through many a battle. Surely such protection was not a 'waste'?

 

 

 

 

Raden was an idealist. The Long Night had shattered humanity, the Great Crusade, and the Imperium would forge it anew. Never would a world be left to wither, and slowly die as Cthonia had once been. For this he was willing to fight, and die.

 

There were whispers among the mortal crew aboard ship about Mahkra, that he had 'witch-blood' in his veins, and that 'things happened' in his favour more often than not in battle. I cannot say if this is true or not, he was a brooding soul that seldom spoke, but I know that his brothers treated him in no way differently than any other in the squad.

 

 

 

 

So, one monster of an update done! Time to figure out what to do next. It's going to be another troop choice, but I need to think a little bit about which one... In the meantime C&C is as welcome as always. 

 

Cheers!

Edited August 11, 2017 by MrBear

[MrBear]

It didn't take too much thinking to decide the next troop choice, I reckon I at least have to start working with my last order before giving FW some more of my money.

 

 

 

It seems to me that in the 31st millennium, the future's so bright, you gotta wear sh...ields. 

Edited August 11, 2017 by MrBear

[Calas Typhon]

Looking good, and a nice scheme you have going. and loving the small details around the models such as the kill tallies.

[MrBear]

Looking good, and a nice scheme you have going. and loving the small details around the models such as the kill tallies.

 

Thanks man! I take it you're a fellow fan of the Sons of Horus given your name? I stumbled across the scheme as I was trying to copy a (vaguely described) scheme from an army in a WD, but I couldn't get consistently good results with it and adapted it a bit. Not exactly sea green but not so far off that they can be mistaken for another legion. When it comes to the markings... Well, I'm the kind of guy that can't stop myself from giving each model at least a little individuality, and the Sons of Horus weren't exactly known for their regimented look. So every guy has tactical symbols, legion number and company number scrambled around, not to mention a few kill tallies and Cthonian glyphs/symbols in different places. 

 

As these guys aren't part of Horus' main fleet most of them are showing a little less Cthonian influences than the tropps under his personal command, but different squads will show varying degrees of it, for example depending on how freshly recruited they are, or the whims of their commanders.

 

Speaking about different squads though, these guys are next in line:

 

 

Perhaps not the most typcial choice for a SoH-army I guess, but it was what I fancied to build/paint. I won't give any estimates on when I think these will be done though, I almost never manage to guess correctly anyway, and I start working again in a couple of days. The start of a semester might not be as demanding as the end of one, but they aren't a walk in the park either.

 

Cheers!

Edited August 11, 2017 by MrBear

[Calas Typhon]

 

Looking good, and a nice scheme you have going. and loving the small details around the models such as the kill tallies.

 

Thanks man! I take it you're a fellow fan of the Sons of Horus given your name? I stumbled across the scheme as I was trying to copy a (vaguely described) scheme from an army in a WD, but I couldn't get consistently good results with it and adapted it a bit. Not exactly sea green but not so far off that they can be mistaken for another legion. When it comes to the markings... Well, I'm the kind of guy that can't stop myself from giving each model at least a little individuality, and the Sons of Horus weren't exactly known for their regimented look. So every guy has tactical symbols, legion number and company number scrambled around, not to mention a few kill tallies and Cthonian glyphs/symbols in different places. 

 

As these guys aren't part of Horus' main fleet most of them are showing a little less Cthonian influences than the tropps under his personal command, but different squads will show varying degrees of it, for example depending on how freshly recruited they are, or the whims of their commanders.

 

Yeah, they are easily up there on legion favourites for me with the Night Lords and Death Guard and easily the coolest looking with the most customisation when it comes to those looks. 

 

Have you thought about implementing some home-made chieftain sigils, gang tattoo's and pelts? I think that is the one thing that I really believe really makes the legion stand out from a fluff point compared to some of the other Legions, like the Ultramarines is the myriad use of backgrounds different Legionaries and Chapters come from. For example, I have gangs called the Scalp Takers, Blood Hounds, Disciples of Vehgir, all with their own gang marks, fluff and combat styles. I have a pile of SoH stuff waiting for the right moment to be painted and put this stuff to use.

 

Breachers are always good.

Edited January 7, 2017 by Cthonia

[deathspectersgt7]

Kick ass MrB.

[Tyrannicide]

I'm really digging the shade of green you went with. Very unique to see on the XVI.

[MrBear]

Not much to report on the hobby front, the breachers have been given a base coat though, and a couple of shields have got some brass legion marks attatched to them. May do a little bit more tonight, but with the first day of work after 19 days off tomorrow I might just steel myself for that.

 

 

 

Yeah, they are easily up there on legion favourites for me with the Night Lords and Death Guard and easily the coolest looking with the most customisation when it comes to those looks. 

 

 

Have you thought about implementing some home-made chieftain sigils, gang tattoo's and pelts? I think that is the one thing that I really believe really makes the legion stand out from a fluff point compared to some of the other Legions, like the Ultramarines is the myriad use of backgrounds different Legionaries and Chapters come from. For example, I have gangs called the Scalp Takers, Blood Hounds, Disciples of Vehgir, all with their own gang marks, fluff and combat styles. I have a pile of SoH stuff waiting for the right moment to be painted and put this stuff to use.

 

Breachers are always good.

 

 

I'm a fan of the Night Lords myself, and have an army of sorts for 40k (built following the rule of cool rather than what would make a 'strong' army) where every single guy is converted and painted to look different from the others.

 

There will most likely be a few 'proper'  Cthonian gangs in the future, not always whole squads, but at the very least large parts of them (with a few 'outsiders' facing grim prospects when we reach the inevitable infighting after this fleet gets word of the heresy...). Some future guys are going to sport warrior lodge markings, and we'll see a few chieftains aswell (I have a pretty interesting conversion planned). I'd love to add a few pelts here and there, but they are very popular at bits sites it seems so those will have to wait until I  can get  hold of them.

 

 

Kick ass MrB.

 

Thanks buddy! The 'reenactment' force keeps growing 

 

I'm really digging the shade of green you went with. Very unique to see on the XVI.

 

Thanks man, glad you like it! I first painted a tester mini that was much closer to the traditional scheme, but I could replicate the result in a consistent way so I tried a bottle of 'Vallejo US Dark Green' as a way trying to salvage my second tester, and with some grey highlights and some weathering that scheme looks pretty neat. Not standard XVIth colouring but there is bound to be some variations between different fleets, and I can imagine the following scene:

 

A distant Crusade Fleet is receiving new orders.

 

Luna Wolves Captain: "So, Master of Signals. What news from the Warmaster?"

 

Master of Signals: "Well Captain... apparently we are now the 'Sons of Horus', and we are also supposed to re-paint our armour sea-green."

 

Confused Sons of Horus Captain: "Sea-green eh? I don't suppose he mentioned if we should use FS:34172,  FS:34092, FS:34226, or even FS:34095?"

 

Confused Master of Signals: "Afraid not Captain..."

 

Resigned Sons of Horus Captain: All right... Go talk to the Mechanicum Adepts, we'll use whatever shade they have the most of in their stocks." 

 

 

 

Cheers!

[BrotherCaptainArkhan]

I like the very drab, washed-out look you have for the Sons of Horus green on these guys. I don't know if it was intentional but the 'tired' look of the paint scheme suits a band of exhausted, weary, war-worn Sons of Horus bitterly fighting to regain the honour lost to them by their kin.

[MrBear]

Minimum painting done this week with the start of a new semester and all, but things are hopefully going to be a bit easier  at work in the near future. What I have done though, is to play around a little with a conversion as I remembered that I've had a Deathwatch Cassius lying in my bitsbox for a while, and that he could make a pretty good Consul Chaplain. I'm a bit torn between how to arm him though...

 

 

OR

 

 

OR

 

 

 

So any suggestions? I'm a bit partial to some kind of power fist-variant (Rule of Cool), but if anyone thinks other options are much better I'm all ears.

 

 

 

I like the very drab, washed-out look you have for the Sons of Horus green on these guys. I don't know if it was intentional but the 'tired' look of the paint scheme suits a band of exhausted, weary, war-worn Sons of Horus bitterly fighting to regain the honour lost to them by their kin.

 

Thanks man, much appreciated! It wasn't the original intention to be honest, it rather 'settled in' as I was painting my tester minis. War-worn they are going to be the whole bunch of them, and they will fight bitterly,  though some of them will fight for the Emperor, some for Horus. As the army grows, the story will progress in time, and we're going to get closer and closer to the breaking point for the company...

 

 

Cheers!
 

Edited August 11, 2017 by MrBear

[Brother Dallo]

Well if he's a chaplain, you've already paid for a power weapon, so not much point giving him a power axe if you plan on giving him a powerfist. Perhaps give him a (power) sword sheath, a powerfist and call it a day?

 

Dallo

[Chandrian]

Option 2, The Power Fist, looks pretty good! Especially with the head you are using and the closed fist.  lol makes him look pissed off!

Edited January 13, 2017 by Lord Haelim Lev

[MrBear]

Painting is... progressing, albeit slowly. It's not something worth taking any pictures of at the moment. There are other types of progress though, and I have made another character conversion. This time of a Consul Delegatus:

 

 

I got the idea when I was reading through a bunch of old WD's last week, and ordered a Master of the Marches to try it out. I will probably do some more minor things with him, but he's a bit down in my painting queue so don't expect to see any major progress with him anytime soon.

 

 

Well if he's a chaplain, you've already paid for a power weapon, so not much point giving him a power axe if you plan on giving him a powerfist. Perhaps give him a (power) sword sheath, a powerfist and call it a day?

 

Dallo

 

Yeah, the already paid for power weapon is the main reason for hesitating about the power fist, at least regarding how efficient he'd be regarding points spent. Not a major concern but I'll see what I'll do about it, the idea about the sword sheat is a pretty good one though.

 

 

Option 2, The Power Fist, looks pretty good! Especially with the head you are using and the closed fist.  lol makes him look pissed off!

 

It does make him look rather angry, doesn't it?  Quite fitting for a Chaplain to have that look aswell so that's a pretty good argument for the fist.

 

 

Ah, well... Time to try to get some more paint on the Breachers so that they won't have to spend an eternity in painting limbo.

 

Cheers!

Edited August 11, 2017 by MrBear

[Brother Dallo]

Your Delegatus looks somewhat posh and fancy with his walking stick.I'd never thought that Sons of Horus could be posh before now. :p

 

On a slightly more serious note, what is the purpose of your delegatus in your lists? From WYSIWIG he's either naked, or you could possibly argue he has a power maul. Is that what you were going for?  Or is he just for modelling? Some more pictures from different angles would be appreciated.

 

Keep up the good work.

 

Dallo

[MrBear]

Your Delegatus looks somewhat posh and fancy with his walking stick.I'd never thought that Sons of Horus could be posh before now.

 

On a slightly more serious note, what is the purpose of your delegatus in your lists? From WYSIWIG he's either naked, or you could possibly argue he has a power maul. Is that what you were going for?  Or is he just for modelling? Some more pictures from different angles would be appreciated.

 

Keep up the good work.

 

Dallo

 

Thanks buddy! He's a bit posh alright, pretty much goes with that cane. I figure that even the Sons of Horus got to have their share of dandies though, can't let the Emperor's Children have all the swag.  

 

At the moment he mostly serves a narrative use, for my (semi)planned story line I need someone that is sent from the main part of the Legion, and who when he arrives at the crusade fleet triggers a few future events. For gaming purposes though... As with my Night Lords I'm not operating from a planned list or anything, but I can imagine using him as an alternative commander in smaller games as his rules seems quite alright as far as I can see. The lack of any (obvious weapon) is a bit of a problem of course, but as you said, the cane could argueably be counted as some sort of ccw, and there's also the possibilty to attach some kind of weapon to his right thigh. As he's got a holster on his other side, I don't think that any casual player would object to me claiming that he uses any sort of reasonable pistol though so that problem shouldn't arise.

 

As for other angles:

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers!

Edited August 11, 2017 by MrBear

[MrBear]

Work, work, work... There never seems to be enough time to make any great leaps forward when it comes to painting, but even glacial progress is something I guess.

 

 

At least I'm beginning to get to the point where it's starting to be possible to see what legion they will belong to...

 

There are more interesting things that the guy above though. A while ago I convinced myself that since I had some spare money that wasn't needed for anything special, and I had a 'Free Shipping Voucher' for FW orders, I might aswell give myself a little treat.

 

 

 

These are going to have to wait in line for a while when it comes to painting, so I didn't exactly have to buy them now. But hey, free shipping means I have more money to use for even more stuff later right? 

Edited August 11, 2017 by MrBear

[Brother Dallo]

Hey man, any painting is good painting.

 

Keep up the good work.

 

Dallo

[deathspectersgt7]

A couple of Great up dates MrB  . ​Where's the fluff !!!?   

[MrBear]

Nothing new to report that's worth taking any pictures of, I was hoping that I would have anything new to show by now, but getting a minor case of the flu from a few of Father Nurgle's younger cultists (a.k.a. my students) slowed things down a bit. Trying to catch up now, both at work and with the painting, but I ain't going to guess when I'll finish these guys, I always fail such predictions anyway! 

 

 

Hey man, any painting is good painting.

Keep up the good work.

Dallo

 

Thanks mate, any painting is good as you say, but I can always wish that I was speedier anyway. 

 

 

A couple of Great up dates MrB  . ​Where's the fluff !!!?   

 

Thanks buddy! Fluff you say?   Well, I'm working on some ideas, but I mostly write things down after I finished a unit so there's some waiting to do still...  

Ah, well... Off to paint some shields!

[MrBear]

Time flies fast, and MrBear is a slow painter... It's pretty much been two months since I started working on the Breachers, but they are finally finished. 

 

However, I haven't finished their background yet. I had hopes to be able to do it today, but it seems that hangovers aren't the best ways to get creative writing done. Due to work (writing mid term reports etc.)  I'd say that it will probably take a day or two until I can do a 'proper' update, but I figured that I can at least post a teaser just to remind people of the fact that this thread still lives. 

 

 

 

Two anonymous Breachers in a phaded picture for you to behold while I try to get at least some writing done today.

 

 

Cheers!

Edited August 12, 2017 by MrBear

[deathspectersgt7]

Thought you Swedes could handle your drink  . Was sitting here with my mid-morning coffee looking for some fluff . Breachers are looking GOOD there. 

[MrBear]

Two days I said, and two days it took! Pretty much a first of me actually being able to correctly guess how much time something would take, I guess miracles can happen... Anway, time for the update:

 

 

 

 

 

”The first virtue in a soldier is endurance of fatigue; courage is only the second virtue.” Napoljohn Frank warlord late M.02

 

 

I haven't scared you child? No? Good, a Rememberancer cannot shed away from what he sees, no matter how terrible it is, and neither can you if you wish to follow in my footsteps...

That day at the temple did not end with those terrible screams, however much I wished for it to do so at the time. *sigh* Faith can burn as hot as any flame, even hotter sometimes, and make those gripped by it's fire ignore all else. Those that were felled by the volkites were replaced by others within seconds as hundreds had gathered in the inner temple, and no matter the power of The Burning Spears' weapons, they did little damage to such a massive building. The rebels had chosen the ground for their stand well, and even though Sgt. Cyrgon and his squad could have cleansed the temple on their own, they would have been at a severe disadvantage in such cramped quarters. I do not for one moment think that the rebels could have held their ground, but the Burning Spears would have had to pay in blood for their victory had they stood alone. As luck had it, they were not the only sons of the XVIth there though...

 

I had spotted them from a distance several times onboard our ship, always in their armour, never uttering any words that I could hear. They were like walking enigmas, and naturally they caught my attention. Not that there was much for me to learn, none of the mortal crew knew even their names, they just muttered what sounded like superstition or nonsense in my ears. If I were to belive what I was told, they were either 'undead', and therefore unkillable, or they were Mechanicum constructs in the shape of Astartes that were used to soak up enemy fire in assaults. I don't remember any more which of those options I found most redicilous, but I decided to ask my newfound friends for information. In retrospect, I guess I could have asked Grishal Baar at better time than I did.

 

The training cages would usually have been the best place to talk with him, he was often more open when he honed his already considerable skills. This time he was in a foul mood though, as he had lost three times in a row to Shinav Tar, and not knowing that, I asked him like the young fool I was. For a few seconds I almost thought he had not heard my question, despite his enhanced hearing making such a thing impossible. Then I heard him 'mutter', insofar an Astartes can merly 'mutter', the phrase: ”Damn Parok and his Mikkan 'Faceless' nonsense”. He seemed to understand that it made me no wiser, and he told me in a brusque voice about how some gangs in the Mikkan sub-hives clad those who had taken on tasks that was all but certain death with blank masks, calling them 'Faceless'. If they then somehow survived it had been seen as favor from above, and they kept their masks as a mark of honor, only ever taking them off in the company of their peers or at their deaths. I must admit that I cannot be certain, but I interpeted his tone of voice as if he saw his brothers' use of that tradition as... stupid. Though I should have known better, it did not stop me from asking in my ignorant way if he had seen this tradition with his own eyes at Cthonia. He then looked at me with a look in his face as if it was the most stupid question he had ever heard before leaving the room, shaking his head as he went. I stood there, wondering what I had said wrong when Shinav Tar informed me that not only had that tradition been dead for over a century before Grishal Baar's birth, but the Mikkan sub-hives was on the opposite end of the world from where my friend had been born. As he left himself, he displayed a level of sarcasm I would not have thought him capable of, asking me if I had seen with my own eyes how Narthan Dume surrendered the rule of the Pan-Pacific Empire to the Emperor?

 

That day at the temple I got to see the 'Faceless' in action though, gunfire hitting their shields as they pressed on towards the massive doors to the inner temple. Those doors must have stood there for centuries, looking solid enough to stop the shells from battle tanks. Their long dead architect would have wept though, had he known that it was their own mass that would prove their undoing. ”How so?” I hear you ask... Oh, my boy. The 'Faceless' carried weapons even more arcance than volkites, they had graviton guns, and when they fired those, the gates were crushed by nothing else than their own mass, and the breachers entered the temple.

It took them but a quarter of an hour to 'cleanse' it, leaving it a 'charnel house of horrors' as I heard one of the observers whisper to one of the crew of the 'Glorious Burden'. That I did not see with my own eyes, but after seeing the Astartes returning from their work I can very well belive it. Never before had I seen such a grisly sight...

 

 

 

The 'Faceless' as they they were deployed that day at Asan II. I wish that I could tell you their names, but for their Sergeant I cannot say for certain who they were that fought that day..

 

 

 

Another tradition among the 'Faceless' was the fact that they had little interest in distinguishing rank among themselves. Even Parok, their Sergeant, seldom wore what weapons and armour he had the right to wear, instead he fought in the same way as his brothers. Here he stands in the middle, with two weapon specialists at his side.

 

 

 

 

The markings of the breachers were as erratic as the rest of the company, with not pattern that I could discern.

 

 

 

 

 

It was among the 'Faceless' that I first saw the markings that I would later learn belonged to the 'warrior lodges'. Markings that would lead to divided loyalties and brother spilling the blood of brother...

 

 

Well here they are; The Faceless of the CCXIth company, with their background story. C&C is as welcome as always. 

 

 

 

Thought you Swedes could handle your drink  . Was sitting here with my mid-morning coffee looking for some fluff . Breachers are looking GOOD there.

 

Well buddy... Normally we do, but going on a bender with the valkyries I work with while having a cold can have 'hazardous' effects , not a severe hangover in any way but enough to leave me feeling a bit weak the day after. Hope you'll enjoy the fluff and proper pictures despite them running late though.    

 

 

Cheers!

Edited August 12, 2017 by MrBear

[deathspectersgt7]

A Big like!!!! Now you need to do some NL Breachers.

[MrBear]

Having quite a bit to do at work, and having a minor cold = not much time/energy for hobby stuff I'm afraid. Starting to plan the next unit though, a regular Tactical squad so I'll have a legal army at last. I've only begun with the Sergeant so far, and I thought that I'd ask for some input regarding him. Basically which head that people think feels most 'right'

 

 

A)  

 

 

 

 

 

OR

 

 

 

 

 

So grumpy Sternguard head or a more barbaric CSM head?

 

 

 

 

A Big like!!!! Now you need to do some NL Breachers.

 

Thanks man, glad you liked them! Night Lord Breachers is an interesting idea, they would have to wait for a while though as I want to paint up some more Sons of Horus first, but I can definitely imagine your suggestion resulting in some pretty nice conversions in the future. 

Edited August 12, 2017 by MrBear