The Supernovas Rise!

[Wargamer]

Let me start with five important words: I am terrible at painting. In fact, I gave up painting around the time 5th Edition came out, that's how out of practice I am.

 

But long ago in the far away times of 3rd Edition, I invented a Chapter called the Supernovas. I never did anything with them, but over time the Chapter idea grew and evolved and basically took over my writing, to the point where I stopped creating lore for my original homebrew and the pre-heresy Ultramarine army I started back when Horus Rising made everyone want to collect a Legion.

 

But up until now, there has been precisely one Supernovas model built and painted. So, with Calth making me cry tears of joy, I decided it's time to give my beloved Chapter the attention it deserves.

 

Now every WIP thread needs to start somewhere, so let's start in my bitz box.

 

5th Company Novitae:

 

Supernovans do not use Scout Squads. Most Tasalian cultures believe that warrior skills should be passed down along with the tools of the trade; thus, young Tasalians learn the art of gun and sword from their parents, and to be entrusted with a sword of their own is a common sign of ascension to adulthood.

 

The Chapter thus retains this tradition. Scouts, or "Novitae" as the Chapter calls them, are placed within battle squads and serve alongside their full Marine brethren, earning the right to bear a sword, and wear power armour, only after proving themselves as true Supernovans on the field of battle.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y198/Wargamer/Supernovas%202017/DSC_0006_zps0iny9tbl.jpg

 

Yes, I have metal scouts randomly in a bitz box. I have an entire attack bike in there too!

 

The original blue and black colour scheme seemed too dull to me, so I decided to go nuts and paint the fatigues a contrasting shade of green. This, it turned out, looked absolute terrible... so now they're wearing camo fatigues. Why wear camo when your armour is bright blue? Consider this an example of the Supernovan sense of humour.

 

The guns are bright red because in ye olden dayes all guns had to be bright red, or some other bright colour. In fact, I'm pretty sure the old Codex said models whose guns were painted in sensible colours only hit on a 6+. In honour of those vastly superior Editions, they're getting old school bright red guns.

 

Next stop - tidy up the paint on these a bit (I can see fleshtones on that shotgun now I posted the pic! >.<) and start painting some full-fledged Marines.

[Doghouse]

They look good to me mate.

 

If you are a little unsure about getting back into painting the washes like Nuln Oil are really nice ways to bring out the details on models and if you get the chance check out Warhammer TV on youtube for some really nice tutorials that are really simple to follow.

Trick is practice, once you get back into the swing of things and to be perfectly honest what you have here so far is very clean and neat so you are off to a really good start. :tu:

[deathspectersgt7]

What Doghouse said washes are your friend . Like your fluff for your Chapter .

[darknation]

Thirded.

 

I too am returning from the wilderness of yore. I can't express just how much better the new washes are compared to what we used to have to work with. Nuln Oil in particular is so goddamn good that I actually refrained from using it for a while because it felt like cheating.

 

Kids these days have it far too easy.

[Wargamer]

Thanks for the tips. Nuln Oil shall be added to the shopping list. Along with various other paints (you forget how much leather Space Marines have once you start adding the decorative bits on...).

[Wargamer]

5th Company Marine - "Berserker of Qwaythe":

 

Of all the tribes of Tasal, the most respected and feared are the tribes of Qwaythe, who dwell within the deep jungles of the continental interior. They are most well known for the Naked Berserkers; warriors who go to battle sky-clad (and often drugged on local fungi) to prove their fearlessness in battle.

When Aspirants from these tribes become full-fledged Astartes, many choose to honour the warriors of their homeland by going into battle without helmets, staring death in the face where lesser men seek the protection of full armour. This is considered an acceptable compromise between personal beliefs and combat effectiveness, even if it has resulted in more than a few Marines lost to headshots or shrapnel over the centuries.

 

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y198/Wargamer/Supernovas%202017/DSC_0010_zpsg8mxmwch.jpg

 

Here we see our Berserker friend leading the Novitae. The advice about the Nuln Oil seems to have been spot on - I like how it darkens up the models a bit and helps bring out the details.

 

Also, for the Qwaythe Marine, I decided to free-hand the Chapter symbol: a green Triskelion!

 

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y198/Wargamer/Supernovas%202017/DSC_0008_zpswus5hmrj.jpg

 

It is important to note that the Supernovas Chapter traditionally wear their Chapter heraldry on the right shoulder. Whether this is due to the large number of "studded" shoulder pads worn on the left shoulder, or some internal tradition is unclear.

[Wargamer]

Finally! [Half a] squad complete!

Supernovas 5th Company Marines - Squad Oxor:
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y198/Wargamer/Supernovas%202017/DSC_0011_zpsvlypraxd.jpg

 

Supernovan's official heraldry is blue with black trim. However, in practice very few Marines stick to this heraldry. Honorifics, shown via customisation of the armour's colours are a common and important part of the Chapter Cult. The most common being the wearing of black helmets in honour of the former Chapter Master, Ximo.

 

The 5th currently employ green honour markings throughout their squads, although at present Imperial scholars have yet to determine the significance.

 

 

And an almost finished model rescued from the dreaded Bitz Box - just need to tidy up a bit then give it a go-over with Nuln Oil and he's about done!

 

1st Company Terminator Librarian:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y198/Wargamer/Supernovas%202017/DSC_0014_zpstmgcxrho.jpghttp://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y198/Wargamer/Supernovas%202017/DSC_0012_zpsajngrg06.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y198/Wargamer/Supernovas%202017/DSC_0013_zpso5kuecae.jpg

[Wargamer]

It's been bloody ages since I updated this. In the downtime you'd think I'd have done a lot. Well, I've built all... err... most of my Marines. I would have built them all, but I got a bit excited over the contents of my Bitz Box. So, after ordering some parts (and fetching some towels) I have added some new faces to my lineup!

Behold, the Ironforged!

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y198/Wargamer/Supernovas%202017/DSC_0025_zps8ffmsddr.jpg

 

Ironforged Sergeant:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y198/Wargamer/Supernovas%202017/DSC_0022_zps3knckokx.jpg

This Marine is equipped almost entirely with Mk V "Heresy" armour. This particular sub-variant of Mk V is believed to have originated from Triplex-Phall, although exact records are unclear. The armour represents a minor improvement over Mk III "Iron" armour, and the smaller pauldrons allow greater flexibility in combat. The Bolter is a rare variant of unknown origin, possibly designed and manufactured by the Chapter itself.

 

The parts for this guy mostly come from Anvil Industry's Exo-Lords range. The Power Fist is actually from a Tartaros Terminator (yes, I had that in my bitz box!).

 

Bolter Marines:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y198/Wargamer/Supernovas%202017/DSC_0023_zps47qrj0ag.jpg

 

Ironforged, being siege troops, favour Mk III and other heavy armour variants as they find the increased protection more valuable than speed or agility. However, in a firefight the more basic auto-senses of a Mk III helm can be detrimental. This Marine favours an enhanced Mk VII helm, sacrificing some protection for a powerful optical system.

 

The Marine on the right is armed with a Chain-Bolter, an unusual variant of the boltgun that has been sporadically adopted in recent years. Normally chain-fed as the name implies, this weapon has an increased rate of fire and an elongated barrel to improve ranged accuracy. When loaded with specialist ammunition such as Kraken Penetrator rounds, these weapons can pose a formidable threat to all but the heaviest enemy infantry.

 

Nice and straightforward these boys, although the parts come from everywhere. Between them I've used Anvil's bits, parts from a 2004 vintage Tac Squad, a metal shoulder pad that I think came from the 2nd/3rd Edition Death Company, a tiny piece of a Calth flamer,and Forgeworld's Mk III Marines. The helm came from the same place as the toys below...

 

Special Weapon Marines:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y198/Wargamer/Supernovas%202017/DSC_0024_zpsqupgouoz.jpg

 

Ironforged favour lascutters over the more common meltagun for breaking into enemy positions. They are far more precise instruments, which conversely makes them harder to use in the chaos of battle. Conversely, that precision in the hands of a skilled veteran makes these tools the bane of tanks and defenders alike. There is only one defence against an Ironforged armed with a lascutter; get out of range!

 

Guns and helms were courtesy of the Boarding Assault Upgrade Kit. The rest of the kit went toward a friend's birthday / Christmas present. Used a few bits from the Calth box set as well.

 

And because I had quite a few parts left over...

 

Chapter Master Dyus Ironforged:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y198/Wargamer/Supernovas%202017/DSC_0021_zpspucbaepj.jpg

 

Dyus Ironforged spent most of his career fighting as a heavy weapon specialist; something of a rarity within the Chapter. As an Ironforged, he adopted a compact heavy bolter as his preferred weapon. The lighter model was less accurate at longer ranges, but its reduced length and weight made it more efficient in trench fighting and other close-quarter situations.

 

Upon becoming Chapter Master, Dyus was gifted the traditional weapons of the post. It is understood he approves of them greatly; they look most impressive on the weapon racks of his counsel chamber.

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Good job.

[Wargamer]

The more I look at these guys, the more I feel like I've painted them as Alpha Legion...

 

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y198/Wargamer/Supernovas%202017/InfPainted_zps24sbwgpt.jpg

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Excellent work.

[Wargamer]

Thanks. I just wish I had a decent camera to use instead of my phone. :P

[Wargamer]

It's only taken me six months, but Squad Oxor is finally painted!

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y198/Wargamer/Supernovas%202017/DSC_0019_zpsrrtgush1.jpg

It's not obvious from this pic, but there's a noticeable difference in wash thickness between the first half and second half of the squad. I think my initial attempts spread the wash too thinly, but after that I've been applying it too thickly in places. Still, I kind of like the dirty look it causes so I won't lose any sleep over it... for now. Maybe I'll go back and repaint later.

[Wargamer]

It's been a while since I updated this, so I thought I'd present what I have so far. This is the fully painted and built collection - there's quite a bit more in various stages of production. Apologies for the tiny pics, but with B&C's upload size limit I overcompensated a little.

 

The Supernovas thus far! Originally meant as a 5th Company project, this is rapidly turning into a Chapter-wide affair; we've got representatives from the 5th, 8th and 1st Companies on parade here!

 

The veteran taskforce: the 8th Company's elite "Ironforged" siege troops, counting as Sternguard on the table. Behind them is Ancient Laerta (often mistakenly called "Ancient Lata" due to a linguistic shift in the Tasalian culture), whose Company is unknown, but probably 1st given his Contemptor suit.

 

Squad Oxor of the 5th, who we've seen previously.

 

The commanders of the strike force, whose precise ranks are a bit up in the air. Lorewise, we have Sergeant Tiber, Captain Cyda and Librarian Hoxra, with two of the Chapter's Novitae hiding behind them.

 

Next on the list is Squad Cyda... although if Captain Cyda is actually going to fill her Captain role on the table I will need to make a new sergeant model for the squad. Time to return to the Bitz Box methinks...

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Again, good job.

[Wargamer]

So I decided to experiment with stripping models, and I'm fairly happy with the results!

The plastics didn't clean up as well as I'd like, but the metal came out shiny and new! I've prepped two of my favourite Sternguard models ever made, and a really old model I got back in 3rd Edition. I'm pretty sure it was a Devastator Sergeant.

Sternguard assembled! I'm going to use these as Lieutenants as I already have a converted Sternguard squad.

I also took the opportunity to built Squad Sigir. These guys are led by the most glory-hungry sergeant in the 5th Company, and given the difficulty of maintaining Mk IV armour I thought it'd be fun to kitbash these guys a bit. There's quite a few Mk 6 and 7 parts mixed in here.

Finally, I took that old sergeant and decided to give him a new gun. A slight modification to a Mk IV arm and an Anvil Industries pistol hand allowed this guy to sport a combi-melta. Given his history, I think he'll become a Devastator sergeant when I get around to building that squad.

To the right is an Apothecary, who apparently takes after Squad Sigir! His Corvus plate incorporates Maximus chest and pauldrons, and the distinctive Mk II / III bulkier backpack. The saw on his arm is from an Anvil upgrade sprue, as is the medical device / weapon on his hip. Looking closely, you can probably tell that saw-arm began life as an old grenade arm from the sprues GW released in the early to mid 2000s.


Between Tiber and these new guys, plus Chapter Master Dyus, it seems the pointyness of one's helmet is an indicator of rank within the Chapter! Luckily, I still have two more recovered Corvus helms for some lucky officers to wear.

[Wargamer]

More updates.

Master Dyus 2.0:

As fun as it is to have a Chapter Master sporting a heavy bolter, sometimes you need a HQ who can smack people over the head in close combat, so here is the assault-orientated incarnation of Dyus Ironforged, armed with the Primarch's Wrath relic and a Relic Blade.