The Void Hawks

[Tyriks]

Alright, I'm a BA and occasional AdMech player, but I've been working on a codex chapter lately.  I foolishly made both my BA and AdMech similar paint schemes so I wanted a change.  I had settled on a color scheme but not a parent chapter, but the more I read into the Raven Guard the more intrigued I am, so here I am.  

 

Before I get into the messy details, here's pics of my first tac squad (and so far only painted unit).  It's really overcast right now which apparently is screwing up my camera so I adjusted the brightness after which isn't the most faithful, but it's close enough.

 

http://i.imgur.com/IFYDB2Rh.jpg

They aren't fully done, but they're good enough to hit the table, so I'll work on the next models until I can field a fully painted force.  I always put off painting before so I'm making myself get down to it by running an escalating narrative campaign that all my models have to be painted for, starting at kill team level and going up.  To save time, instead of edge highlights I just base coated and then dry brushed the whole model with the highlight color and then touched up the base.  It worked, but I think future units will need a slightly lighter highlight color if this is what I'm doing, as this doesn't quite pop as well as I wanted.  But, it saved me hours and it's not so bad I don't want to field them, so I'm glad I tried it!  All the gray still needs highlighted/cleaned up a bit.

 

http://i.imgur.com/dyduZwgh.jpg

Guns/weapons are unpainted because I haven't decided what to paint them.  I might go for the classic metal with black casing, or possibly black with that light gray as a casing, but I think black/metal would be easier to do.  Also uncertain of how I want to paint the banner, and I need to do markings/logos once I come up with a theme.  I also haven't decided how to do the eyes yet, but that's not a huge detail so it can wait for now.  I have some extra bodies from B@C which I think will maybe get heavy weapons and be swapped in and out of squads as needed.  Silver shoulder trim marks out the sergeant.

 

 

 

I'm working my way towards a Pinion Demi Company to start with (though I do have a handful of other vehicles/models already) and I'll expand beyond that when I get there.

 

I'm not sold on a name yet, or a "theme" for the army, but I do have some background settled.  I almost exclusively play against Xenos so I wanted to have that reflected in my fluff.  What I have so far is that they have an error in their brainwashing part of their recruitment (possibly an intentional experiment to ensure loyalty, possibly just a mistake) which leads them to always feel that they must prove themselves.  As a result, they try desperately to get marines into the Deathwatch and to do things that will earn themselves and the chapter acclaim.  Also, I had some DW bits I wasn't going to use...  As a result, many of the chapter's higher leaders have served in or alongside the Deathwatch, and they will gladly send more when the opportunity comes up.

 

I'll devise more backstory once I'm firm on a theme.  I could go for something raptor-inspired but haven't thought of anything catchy and dangerous sounding yet.  I was also (before settling on Raven Guard) toying with taking themes from Greek mythology, which I think at least lends some good grimdark soldier names if not a clear chapter name.  I think Knights of Cronus (which would be their home world if I went with that) was lingering in my mind.  I suppose I could mix the two, and take a taxonomical name for a bird of prey, 40kify it and make that their home world.  I have a lot of unconvincing ideas bouncing around, at the moment.  

 

Feedback welcome, thanks for reading!

Edited April 25, 2017 by Tyriks

[Claws and Effect]

Would look cool with either black or white trim on the shoulder pads. 

 

Azure Hawks?

[Damo1701]

Welcome!  

 

Great start there.

 

As for Chapter name, perhaps the Eagles of the Emperor?

[Race Bannon]

Welcome to the Ravenspire!

 

I dig the Greek mythology thing. Stick with Chronis for a planet name for now. That's a start because everything in a name matters.

 

Speaking of that: Knights Azure

 

^_^

[Tyriks]

Is there a story/book that directly follows Deliverance Lost?  I can't see an obvious one on BL website.

[Claws and Effect]

Mostly in novellas.

 

I believe Corax (the book) compiles them together.

[Claws and Effect]

Interestingly, your fluff in the OP makes them out to be almost exactly the opposite of the Raven Guard.

 

Acclaim and recognition could not get much lower on their list of things that motivate them.

[SanguinaryGuardsman]

Looks good but my only reservation is that if blue is your primary color you run the risk of looking a lot like ultramarines.  When I was thinking about a color scheme for my RG I avoided this by using blue as a highlight color or secondary color for gun casings and other such things.  How about a deep dark purple main color?  If blue is your thing though... looks good and I hope you bring it to life on the table.

 

Since you played BA you going for a more shooty variation of space marines with Raven Guard?  Or are you going to do the deep strike/infiltrate/alpha strike thing we all love?

[Tyriks]

Probably a mix.  The BA are, at the moment, kind of a one trick pony, and that trick is easily avoided.  So I'd like to avoid building another army that is pigeonholed.  I do love jump packs and hard hitting assaults, but I also don't want the same army just in new colors.  I'm starting off by building towards a BDC/PDC and I'll expand from there, so I guess it'll be a relatively snooty-oriented army (at least compared to my BA, which really only have a chance of winning in my meta if I run the all Death Company formation.  But I will still go for at least a few ASM/VV squads just because I love using them.  I don't mind the blue being similar to Ultramarines.  I think especially once I get some chapter logos designed and on them, it'll be different enough.  I also had to brighten those pics for visibility, they're actually Kantor Blue as a base so they're much darker than UM.

 

Interestingly, your fluff in the OP makes them out to be almost exactly the opposite of the Raven Guard.

Acclaim and recognition could not get much lower on their list of things that motivate them.

 

Interesting you should say that.  Deliverance Lost is the only full RG book I've read, but that's actually a strong theme in the book.  Branne feels like he has to prove himself to the legion because he wasn't at Istvaan, Corax (briefly) feels he must prove himself to the Emperor in his loyalty and worth, and later to Horus that he is still a real threat.  Many of the individual legionnaires feel the legion itself has to prove itself to other legions.  So, they definitely aren't hungry for acclaim, but they are trying to prove themselves, it seems.  At least at that point in time (I wouldn't be surprised if that mindset isn't in other books, since Deliverance Lost is right after Istvaan).  My chapter will be like a more extreme version of that mindset, but without an actual reason for it.  Side note, I'm definitely open to book suggestions.  I don't think my library has Corax yet, unfortunately.

[Race Bannon]

One trick pony for now. 8th edition will rewrite a lot of expectations and army lists.

[Tyriks]

Hopefully! That's another reason I want to try to build a fairly diverse force, here.

 

I bought some bots on eBay last weekend and the seller had miscounted some of them, so he didn't have enough. As a result he "upgraded" my order to the Raven Guard model from Kill Team Cassius, which came yesterday. Hopefully I can get him primed and start painting this afternoon! I think he'll be a stand in for Shrike, or a generic captain when I don't want Shrike. He's a very nice model!

[Claws and Effect]

I was referring to modern Raven Guard not feeling the need to prove anything.

 

They KNOW they're the best in the galaxy at stealth warfare. Which sounds arrogant until you look at it and honestly can't find anyone better.

[Tyriks]

That makes sense. The general tactics will be largely the same as Raven Guard, since they pick fights with enemies too big to take down, so they harrass them until they withdraw or get down to manageable size to actually confront.

[Tyriks]

My wife surprised me today with a light box to take better pics of my minis, so I wanted to try it out.  As a result, here's my Land Speeder.  I didn't like the way the multimelta looked (it completely obscured the gunner's sight!) so I used my leftover melts from B@C/BoP.  I couldn't get two to look right on the spindle so I just left it at one.  I used a small block from the sprue to mount it on the "hood" and one of the round center sprue chunks to mount it on the undercarriage.  I think it turned out pretty decently, and the gunner actually looks like he can do his job!

 

http://i.imgur.com/2sgAlePh.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/Fo0oH1Rh.jpg

 

I've also been building a tactical box into 2 5 man tac squads.  I forgot how nice it is to have a heavy flamer option on tacticals!  I really struggled to find a good synergistic load out for a 10 man squad that wasn't all grav like the other one, and gave up to build two 5 man squads since that just makes more sense to me.  Hopefully tomorrow I can finish building them and get them primed, and finish up that razorback I vowed for Talon's Reach.  

[Race Bannon]

That looks pretty cool, very neat idea! I always did think the giant gun was a bit odd too.

 

And a very nice gift from the better half (because they always are, right?) :tu:

[NiceGuyAdi]

Good thinking to get around that gunner's weapon. I agree, they remind me of that occasion when you pass a car on the road and all you can see is a pair of hands on the steering wheel and the little old lady's hair.

 

By the way, you know Tactical Marines can't take Heavy Flamers? they can take regular ones, though.

[Tyriks]

Yeah, I'm saying I wish I could double flamer like my BA can. It's easy to take that for granted!

 

I have my lazorback mostly done now, just needs weathering and I think some details. Also base coated my Stormtalon, which I bought when I first got back into the hobby not knowing BA couldn't take it, so I've been itching to field it for over a year. Should be able to get pictures of both up by the weekend!

[Tyriks]

Also, I'm considering Void Hawks for a chapter name. It's short and sweet, nothing exceptional (much like my chapter) and it sounds shadowy and raptory so all my bases are covered pretty well, it seems to me!

[Claws and Effect]

I dig Void Hawks for a name.

 

You could even recycle one of the existing Chapter symbols if you want. GW does it enough, I doubt anyone will look askance at you for doing so.

[Race Bannon]

I dig Void Hawks for a name.

You could even recycle one of the existing Chapter symbols if you want. GW does it enough, I doubt anyone will look askance at you for doing so.

This is Corax Approved.

[Tyriks]

I've been working on the fluff some since I haven't had time to paint.  Going with the ancient Greek theme, I have names for the ten companies.  These are derived from the names of ancient Greek dialects:  Arcadoc, Etrusic, Thessalic, Kypric, Achaeic, Ettic, Ionic, Humeric, Doric, Aeolic. Arcadoc is 1st company but I haven't assigned the others yet.

 

Also, I was considering having the chapter treat scouts somewhat aberrantly.  I think the tenth company will be permanent scouts, while recruits will be divided up amongst each company (except the first).  So, 3rd Company would have their normal ten squads plus one to two squads of scout trainees.  The 10th Co would be guys who really excel and thrive in their role as a scout more than they do in other roles.  There are a couple reasons for this: first, it promotes company autonomy more, as each one can handle their own recruitment and replacement and wouldn't be as dependent on support from other companies.  Second, if the chapter utilizes scouts more frequently and more broadly, it would make sense to want to have more actual specialists in that role and not just new recruits.  Third, their drive to prove themselves would mean biting off more than they can chew with some regularity, so having a larger recruitment pool going all the time would help minimize their losses.  To appear codex compliant, they just don't advertise that the recruit scouts aren't tenth company, or something.  They wouldn't be hugely over codex strength anyway, so it probably wouldn't get noticed unless someone actually looks into it, which is unlikely because no one will have heard of them.

[Damo1701]

Kind of like a merge between Raven Guard and Black Templars?

 

Interesting idea though.

[Tyriks]

Yes, but nowhere near that scale.  The chapter would be at around 1100-1200 at most (assuming a good batch of recruits just came in and no major losses recently), with many of those extra 200 being just barely combat ready, not like BT who I've heard are probably in the thousands over capacity most of the time.  

[Race Bannon]

Interesting idea! How would company assignment work here, such as company color or squad number for the scouts squads in the Battle Companies?

[Tyriks]

I think I would just paint them with the same markings as the official 10th company, though maybe some small details would be different.  The kind they would know to look for but an outsider wouldn't.  Not sure what that might be, and since I don't even have my regular chapter markings come up with yet, I probably should sort that first...

 

So, I am leaning towards not using color to mark company.  I think it works well for some color schemes, like that of the Raven Guard proper, but for mine I think I wouldn't like the way it looks.  My scheme is kind of muted and earthy so I think adding contrasting colors wouldn't suit my tastes.  So, I like the idea of using a Roman numeral to denote company, either on a shoulder or kneecap.  Shoulders can get pretty busy so at the moment I'm leaning towards kneecap.  

 

So, I thought I had a solution for scouts until I remembered they are wearing pants, not power armor.  So, what I'm thinking now is a false campaign badge on a shoulder, maybe?  So, for example, there would be two squads marked as Xth Co 1st Squad, but one would have a campaign badge to mark that they're actually trainees (or the other way around).  Definitely not set on this and I'm welcome to suggestions.  Maybe the trainees just don't have company markings?