Siege of Terra; IX Legion, 83rd Company "Crimson Thorns"

[OakRiver]

37th Cohort of the Beatific Choir, 83rd Company, IX Legion

 

Veteran Sergeant Battaglia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Legionnaire Mosso

[Archivist's Note: Subject appears to have sustained damage to the right ocular system of his helm]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Legionnaire Coda

[Archivist's Note: Subject is wearing MKVI armor, a rarity among the 83rd. This was most commonly deployed for recon units]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Legionnaire Sforzando

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Legionnaire Sordun

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Archivist's Note: many of the subjects for this pict-cap log appear to have additional armor added to their pauldrons. These modifications appear to be bare metal and lack the ornamentation typical for the IX Legion. It is unclear whether this is a deliberate choice, or one forced by necessity]

 

"Among the 83rd some of our naming conventions may seem incomprehensible to outsiders. While a chore for the Remembrancers accompanying our fleet, and recording the conquests we performed in the name of The Emperor, it was a boon when facing the Traitors. For the sake of posterity, the "choirs" were our various heavy support elements, whose sweet singing would cover our advance to whichever foe we were tasked with putting to the sword.

 

Veteran Sergeant Battaglia and his warriors have been a stalwart and steady force within our Company for many long years. Armed with their Telerac pattern Volkite Culverins these Legionnaires were adept at cutting down swathes of enemy infantry: whether we were securing our beach head on Murder, or defending critical supply lines on Amaranthe, Battaglia and his men could always be depended on. Their individual honorifics were well earned, and worn with pride.

 

Mosso, Sforzando, and Sordun were had served with Battaglia for many decades, and the unspoken coordination between each of these Brothers was almost preternatural. 

 

Coda was folded into Battaglia's unit during the march to Terra. He was a veteran of the choir, and had served with a small unit of Legionnaires who worked closely with our recon elements, with the objective of setting their lascannons in the perfect spot to cover our advance and harass enemy armor.

 

On Terra, as we faced the Arch Traitor's forces Battaglia's cohort were part of our second line, and the covering fire these Brothers provided is indisputably the reason that many of us lived through that first day." - Veteran Sergeant Alessio

 

 

For this squad we don't have individual legends, merely as a convenience. For the others I could provide updates as I completed each mini, but with these being assembled and completed together in stages it made more sense to present them in this manner. As I'm sure the eagle eyed among you have noticed, Battaglia does not have the cable attached to his weapon. Sadly that piece broke in transit, and I didn't have a good replacement. I have some ideas what to do, but that requires more skill and material than I currently have at my disposal.

 

These are not the only members of the 83rd completed recently. I have one other member to share, but I am still fleshing out some details, and I don't want to rush.

 

 

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Excellent work on the Devastators.

[Zebulon]

Well, I must say... I like all of this! Very much! Keep up the great work!

[Pearson73]

Heavy support squad is looking good. As ever, the mix of armour marks contributes a heavy dose of personality and integrates them into the setting of the siege. The metallics and heat stains are well painted, but I can't help but feel that a glow effect would also have been nice to see and make the weapons pop a bit more.

[OakRiver]

Heavy support squad is looking good. As ever, the mix of armour marks contributes a heavy dose of personality and integrates them into the setting of the siege. The metallics and heat stains are well painted, but I can't help but feel that a glow effect would also have been nice to see and make the weapons pop a bit more.

 

I'd looked at a lot of other volkite weapons for inspiration, because I wasn't sure how they operated, other than Martian Death Ray. I ended up following my Captain's volkite weapon, that was painted much earlier, for some cohesion among the Company. Glow effects are still a little outside my comfort zone, but that might be something that I have to push myself on, I just have to find the right subject/weapon to practice on.

[OakRiver]

Honored Brother Lorenzo,

Emissary of the 83rd Company,

Beacon of Sanctuary,

Herald of Thorns.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Archivist's Note: subject bears a replica of the Numisma Sanguinis on his right pauldron, along with other honorific devices]

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Our Company standard centers on the depiction the Numisma Sanguinis, a gift from our Primarch to our founding Captain, a symbol of the trust and love of our father, and the responsibility and duty that came with leading us. Since our creation this device has been borne by each Captain, whether it adored the armor of each Captain, and was worn proudly into battle, or apart from war plate as a symbol of office. The red cross symbolizes both the blood that ties our Legion together, regardless of whichever planet we originally hailed from, and the red sands of Baal. The golden field behind the cross was to symbolize the dawn of a new era for Mankind and a new era for our Legion under our gene-sire. A replica of this device was gifted to the Company's standard bearer.

 

Other devices on our banner include the ever present halo'ed blood drop, the Raptor Imperialis, and the chalice icon. After the chalice icon was damaged during the Signus campaign against the Neverborn it was decided to let that mark remain, so that none may forget what happened there.

 

Our banner is further decorated with numerous parchments and seals detailing notable actions by the 83rd, along with oaths of moment undertaken alongside other Legiones Astartes, and two scrolls with the names of those who have previously borne the standard of the 83rd. The chalice and halo icon atop the banner is the same as the device that decorated Eco's iron form. As we spent so long fighting apart from the rest of our Legion, an amethyst blood drop was added to the standard each time it was carried into battle in the presence of The Angel.

 

Honored Brother Lorenzo was given the singular honor of bearing our standard into battle. Among the 83rd, the role of standard bearer was not merely a convenient title, given for political reasons. Instead it was a calling. 

 

Lorenzo was the youngest in our Company's history to be chosen. It was before my time, but I have heard on good authority the tale of how Lorenzo came to bear our standard. Not long after we were reunited with our gene-sire, and our reputation as a Revenant Legion was being shed, our Legion had the rare honor to take to the field of battle alongside the Emperor himself and his warriors of the Legio Custodes to reclaim a sector from the Greenskins. During the penultimate battle Brother Domenico, our previous standard bearer, and a small force of our Company, including Lorenzo's squad had been separated, and was in danger of being overwhelmed. Domenico was cut down by the Ork Warboss, and before the cloth could hit the blood soaked soil it was in Lorenzo's hand. In his other hand his sword sang out to drive back any xenos who would attempt to defile it. 

 

Much like Mikhail, Lorenzo was respected throughout our Company. Outside of combat be was a humble and often quiet Brother with an unmistakable aura of calm, he had a genuine warmth, and his counsel was frequently sought by others. During the Siege, Captain Ennius had given command of our second line and support elements to Lorenzo, the sight of our banner a welcome sanctuary to fall back to." - Veteran Sergeant Alessio

 

 

[Archivist's Note: Captain Ennius, during the Siege of Terra. Note the Numisma Sanguinis affixed to his Cataphractii armor with an honorific braid.]

 

[Archivist's Note: Captain Eco's iron form. Note the chalice and halo icon, which is identical to the device atop the standard of the 83rd. As previously noted, his Contemptor chassis has other devices used throughout the Legion and Company.]

 

When I started this project, it was intended to be much more limited in scale, using only the contents of the 'Betrayal at Calth' and some bitz. There were never any plans to include a standard bearer, and like many other members of the 83rd, Lorenzo came together almost by accident. The last time I painted a Space Marine standard bearer it was the Space Wolf one from 2nd Edition, but in Blood Angel's colors, and with a terribly converted combi-plasma (it was just a plasma pistol stuck on the side of a bolter). I have certainly never painted a banner that was not a color-between-the-lines photocopy from a codex or army book.

 

Lorenzo's torso came from the cupola version of the Ultramarine special character Sergeant Chronus, the standing version was used previously for as Constantin. I only had two banners to play with: the 1st Company banner and the banner from the Sanguinary Guard. The Sanguinary Guard one just didn't look right for the 83rd, so I used the 1st Company banner and added more details to it to obscure the '1' and also make it more ornate. The keys, purity seals, and Raptor Imperialis were all press mold pieces. The black of the banner was highlighted with Incubi Darkness, and increasing amounts of Fenrisian Grey to make it distinct from the other black colors in the army.

 

I would like to say that I was more deliberate with tying the banner to my previous models, like Eco and Ennius, through careful and deliberate selection of parts to establish a clear theme, but that was more happenstance than a deliberate choice.

 

When he was originally assembled he had no left arm, and the pose suggested either directing troops forward, or casting a psychic power. Overall, I am very happy with the decision to make Lorenzo a standard bearer as he is a very definite focal point for the force. Once I better understand how Librarians came to be a thing again I might add one to the force. I'm sure The Sable Brotherhood will be delighted by that addition.

 

I'm also happy that I was finally able to get some pictures that better show the real armor color and better show the battle damage.

Edited August 16, 2020 by OakRiver

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Excellent works. I especially like the Ancient and his standard.

[BadgersinHills]

Incredible stuff, lore makes these lovely models so much better. :) 

[OakRiver]

Incredible stuff, lore makes these lovely models so much better.

 

Thanks. The lore for the 83rd goes hand in hand with the converting and painting for me, especially as the 30K setting has more room for creativity. 

[Pearson73]

 

Heavy support squad is looking good. As ever, the mix of armour marks contributes a heavy dose of personality and integrates them into the setting of the siege. The metallics and heat stains are well painted, but I can't help but feel that a glow effect would also have been nice to see and make the weapons pop a bit more.

 

I'd looked at a lot of other volkite weapons for inspiration, because I wasn't sure how they operated, other than Martian Death Ray. I ended up following my Captain's volkite weapon, that was painted much earlier, for some cohesion among the Company. Glow effects are still a little outside my comfort zone, but that might be something that I have to push myself on, I just have to find the right subject/weapon to practice on.

 

 

I know how you feel there, I found the power coils of the volkite chargers quite pronounced, presenting a fairly forgiving canvas for a first attempt. 

 

Cracking work on Honoured Brother Lorenzo, an evocative pose and a solid bit of work painting the face.

[OakRiver]

 

I know how you feel there, I found the power coils of the volkite chargers quite pronounced, presenting a fairly forgiving canvas for a first attempt. 

 

Cracking work on Honoured Brother Lorenzo, an evocative pose and a solid bit of work painting the face.

 

For the volkite chargers too, maybe it was just the casts I got, but some of the detail, while not soft, could have been better defined - especially the cable and ridged detail. I seemed that just an undercoat and basecoat filled in enough detail to make washes less than optimal.

 

I'm particularly pleased with his face, especially as I don't have a skin recipe down yet. Just highlight in brown, and mix in various flesh tones for each successive layer. It also helps give a nice variety through the army, and it is a nice progression from the old Bronzed Flesh, fleshwash, Elf Flesh schme.

[Majkhel]

Great work! Fantastic read to match fantastic models
I really like the modifications you did to the banner.

Edited August 17, 2020 by Majkhel

[OakRiver]

Great work! Fantastic read to match fantastic models

I really like the modifications you did to the banner.

 

Thank you. With the banner I just started adding a few details to make it different from the original, and it just took on a life of its own. If I'm being completely honest, the thought of actually painting the banner terrified me. I've always hated painting yellow, and with some of the finer details, especially the text, I was concerned that I would ruin the mini.

 

Instead it turned out better than I could have hoped.

Edited August 17, 2020 by OakRiver

[OakRiver]

So, it's been a while, but I did manage to find some time to paint, and I decided to do a random mini to warm up.

 

Brother Sergeant Lykomedius, Minotaur Chapter, V Company, III Squad

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[BadgersinHills]

Great stuff, nice to see you back! 

[OakRiver]

Tribune Cristafano, 83rd Company, IX Legion - Seconded to 1114th Compliance Fleet

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Following our encounter with the Night Lords, we continued on our journey back to Terra to regroup and prepare for the Traitor's push into the birthplace of Humanity. We repaired our vessels and equipment as best as we could, salvaging anything of value.

 

It was during this period that our klaxons sounded, and a new fleet of vessels registered on our scanners. With severe damage being done to the systems on our vessels we could tell that we were faced with warships of the Legiones Astartes and Imperial Army. The new vessels could be in similar circumstances to us, and any change in our posture could have precipitated a needless conflict. Or, they could be Traitors or opportunists biding their time, closing the distance until they were ready to strike. With our fleet on alert Captain Ennius observed the new comers as best as he could, hoping to divine their intentions. When the other vessels finally came within range he hailed them,

"This is Brother Captain Ennius. Commander of the 83rd Company of the IX Legiones Astartes. State your intentions and approach as a friend, or you will be fired upon"

The reply came

"Captain Ennius? My congratulations on your promotion my Brother, but I fear that such good news must also be tinged by sadness. The Ambassador to the 1114th has returned to his companions. Requesting permission to approach and join your fleet"

 

Tribune Cristafano had been a Brother of note in our Company, rising through the ranks swiftly. Not only skilled with a blade, but also blessed with a tongue of silver. As his stock rose within the 83rd, Captain Eco saw his potential, but realized that our Brother needed to learn more than the art of war so that he could best serve Humanity. With the increase in worlds undergoing compliance, and the new edicts from Terra, new fleets were formed. These Compliance Fleets, comprised of units of Astartes, Imperial Army, Mechanicum, and representatives of various administrative bodies could remain in system to transition new worlds into the Imperial fold, and allow the Expeditionary Fleets to continue pushing ever onwards. It was a glorious opportunity for those serving in such a capacity to learn how to manage this sprawling web relationships between not only the Imperial factions, but also with the planatary governments, in addition to learning when it was appropriate to leverage diplomacy or the gun. 

 

Now serving with the 1114th Compliance Fleet, Cristafano was given an opportunity to not only develop his leadership beyond his squad, but also work with our cousins from other Legions, representatives from Mars, and to take command of units of the Imperial Army. Perhaps most burdensome of all, he would be dealing with the new army of bureaucrats that Terra was sending in the wake of our Great Crusade.

 

For those serving with the 1114th, they had been fortunate enough to be spared the events of Signus Prime. Although they would later share that the events at that cursed place had reached across the galaxy to touch them.

 

Prior to departing our fleet, Eco had the best artisans of our company decorate and engrave Cristafano's Tartaros armor. It would be made clear to anyone thinking of reneging on their new loyalty to the Imperium that Cristafano and our Brothers were a mailed fist in a velvet glove.

 

As Cristafano and our long distant Brothers stepped aboard our flagship there was much rejoicing, in spite of everything which had befallen our Company. I would even swear upon the sands of Baal that I witnessed a smile crease the features of Ennius.

 

Not all those who joined us from the 1114th were as welcome though." - Veteran Sergeant Alessio

[Pearson73]

Really solid work on the Tribune, the shading on the red looks really good.

[Majkhel]

Good job on the Tribune and a very nice read! Reminds I also have one of those to paint :)

[OakRiver]

Great stuff, nice to see you back! 

 

Thank you. One password reset and it is great to be back 

 

 

Really solid work on the Tribune, the shading on the red looks really good.

Thank you. Mephiston Red, Agrax Earthshade, and some highlights make getting decent results pretty easy

 

 

Good job on the Tribune and a very nice read! Reminds I also have one of those to paint 

 

Thank you. It is a really beautiful model, with a lot of great detail. Now Captain Ennius looks like Plain Jane beside his returned brother. Then again I can't see the curmudgeon wearing such ornate armor   My figure did have a slight mis-cast on the right leg, but, as you can see in the 3rd picture from the bottom, it comes across nicely as a long scar in the armor. I also found the connecting tabs had too much play, so I ended up pinning everything so he wouldn't come apart.

 

 

Thinking of next steps for the 83rd, I have a Rhino to paint, but I'm still researching good weathering techniques, and a lot of them involve oil paints. I'm leaning towards getting at least a squad of Tartaros Terminators, with the tentative moniker of 'The Sinners' as a play off 'The Saints, as one of the units who accompanied the Tribune. The introduction of Cristafano gives me the opportunity to add some more flavor, and opens up the possibility for units from other forces, and those who the 83rd were less happy to see.

 

I also saw a fantastic Dark Angels project, where the owner had converted up each type of Praetor, and that gave me some ideas, including who I would like to include as a Librarian, possibly using an older Warpsmith as a Legion Previan with a little converting, and possibly remaking Vizioso as a Warmonger (essentially with the same armament, but a better figure). 

Edited April 2, 2021 by OakRiver

[Sagentus]

absolutely stunning work!!

[OakRiver]

absolutely stunning work!!

Thank you