++ March of the Legions: III Legion ++

[Slips]

Month 17: The III Legion

If you missed last month's competition, and/or would like to learn the rules for this competition, please read the first post here: http://www.bolterand...gion/?p=3850046

If you dare to accept this challenge, please recite the following oath:

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I, Slipstreams, accept my role in this.

I promise to lead the Children of the Emperor into the zone of war and conduct them to battle.

I will do so no matter the ferocity or ingenuity of the foe and with utter perfection.

I pledge my strength and honor to the III Legion.

On this matter, and by the perfection of the Phoenician, I swear.

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​Have at it Frater!

Edited June 3, 2017 by Slipstreams

[StruManChu]

I, StruManChu, accept my role in this.

I promise to lead the Children of the Emperor into the zone of war and conduct them to battle.

I will do so no matter the ferocity or ingenuity of the foe and with utter perfection.

I pledge my strength and honor to the III Legion.

On this matter, and by the perfection of the Phoenician, I swear.

 

 

Oh, how I HATE the Third Legion. This'll be interesting...

[Semper Fortis]

I, Semper Fortis, accept my role in this.

I promise to lead the Children of the Emperor into the zone of war and conduct them to battle.

I will do so no matter the ferocity or ingenuity of the foe and with utter perfection.

I pledge my strength and honor to the III Legion.

On this matter, and by the perfection of the Phoenician, I swear.

And yeah, what StruManChu said about hate the Third and interesting.

Here's the before:

[Lord Commander Eidolon]

Oooh yeah! I've been waiting for this!!

 

Got a few ideas, namely an Apothecary and/or a converted Palatine Blade Prefector!!

 

I, Eidolon, accept my role in this.

I promise to lead the Children of the Emperor into the zone of war and conduct them to battle.

I will do so no matter the ferocity or ingenuity of the foe and with utter perfection.

 

I pledge my strength and honor to the III Legion.

On this matter, and by the perfection of the Phoenician, I swear.

[StruManChu]

Quick wee WIP from me... Sorry for the terrible phone photo!

[k0nahrik]

I, k0nahrik, accept my role in this.

I promise to lead the Children of the Emperor into the zone of war and conduct them to battle.

I will do so no matter the ferocity or ingenuity of the foe and with utter perfection.

I pledge my strength and honor to the III Legion.

On this matter, and by the perfection of the Phoenician, I swear.

[k0nahrik]

Cooked up a WIP as soon as I saw what this thread was about, regretting how I've only now clocked on! Nevertheless, I've got plans to pledge to this and the next MotL, so we'll see how this goes.

 

First time sculpting any kind of legion icon, I'm pretty darn pleased with how it turned out!

 

And here's my body for the guy, quickly put together but I'm already really happy with how it's going. Just a little bit of tidy up to do on the half-tabard and I need to add a belt because when separating that torso piece from its original body I had to go above the belt and so this model doesn't have one yet.

 

Best of luck to everyone else in the challenge!

Edited July 3, 2017 by k0nahrik

[okonomiyakimarine]

I, okonomiyakimarine, accept my role in this.

I promise to lead the Children of the Emperor into the zone of war and conduct them to battle.

I will do so no matter the ferocity or ingenuity of the foe and with utter perfection.

I pledge my strength and honor to the III Legion.

On this matter, and by the perfection of the Phoenician, I swear.

 

http://i.imgur.com/PL9eTi8.jpg?1

Edited June 9, 2017 by okonomiyakimarine

[Lord Commander Eidolon]

Undercoated and prepped this guy, I reckon i'll use this guy as a pre-heresy Oleander Koh!

 

http://i63.tinypic.com/23rnyx3.jpg

 

Really excited to have him as part of my Apothecarion

[k0nahrik]

Hey all! I've finished the model, now just to paint him and give him a backstory.

 

 

This is Xiomides Condor, 6th Sergeant, 24th Company of the Emperor's Children.

Edited July 3, 2017 by k0nahrik

[k0nahrik]

Xiomides Condor was a legionnaire of the Emperor's Children during the Great Crusade and early Horus Heresy. Condor served as the 4th veteran sergeant of the 24th company, under Captain Arcturus Talmar.

Condor was present for many of the most important events of the Great Crusade, witnessing firsthand Horus' coronation as Warmaster on Ullanor. Condor recorded many of these moments using a pict-logger module installed into his helmet's lenses.

Sometime after Ullanor, the 24th company were garrisoned on the mining world of Charys, the resources from which Fulgrim planned to use to fuel Horus' treachery. The whole company was deployed, and as such they were not present at Istvaan.

 

Condor however would not aid in the traitor's cause. Secretly, he had been inducted into a warrior lodge for many years, worshipping the Emperor as a god. As the majority of the 24th company celebrated the success of the betrayal, Condor lead a group of 150 loyal men below the surface of Charys and deep within the mine shafts. Talmar, upon realising this betrayal, flew into a rage and ordered the entire remaining 850 men of his company to chase down the loyalists and slaughter them.

 

The loyalists, spurred on by their faith in the Emperor, none more so than Condor himself, found themselves at a junction, with traitors approaching from all directions. Here they made their last stand, digging in and fortifying, improvising traps and holding the heretics at bay. The two opposing forces ground eachother out, until none stood - save 7 men.

 

Captain Talmar stood, Phoenix Halberd blazing, surrounded by loyalists he had slaughtered himself.

5 of Talmar's honour guard stood with him, their Cataphractii plate humming maliciously. Each had a lightning claw and power axe. All the blades were bloodied.

 

Condor stood alone among the loyalists, his own charnabal sabre casting a pallid green glow across the antechamber they stood in. His archeotech revolver was destroyed earlier in the battle.

 

Condor and the 6 traitors fought fiercely. But faith in the Emperor guided Condor's sword, and traitor fell, and traitor fell again, and again, and again, and again, and again. Condor stood alone then, the last man of the 24th company, as far as he knew the last loyal Emperor's child. The God-Emperor had indeed guided Condor's sword, but the Ruinous Powers guided the blades of the traitors.

 

Wounded, dying, and alone, sat atop a mound of his dead brothers, Xiomides Condor's last words were recorded via his pict-capture module - 'the Emperor Protects'. He died of his wounds shortly thereafter.

 

Edited July 3, 2017 by k0nahrik

[Semper Fortis]

Mini done... check. Base done... check. Fluff done... sigh, nope, still working.

[okonomiyakimarine]

mini done and base colors done. will be some busy days now to finally get it done. for the glory of the III.

[okonomiyakimarine]

sorry plz delete

Edited June 27, 2017 by okonomiyakimarine

[okonomiyakimarine]

III

Emperor's Children Assault Legionary

Legionary Hamilkar, 2nd Assault Squad lead by Sergeant Kadmos

3rd Millenial, 84th Company under Company Captain Sebulon Tertius

Went missing in action during the Battle of the Kalium Gate

 

http://i.imgur.com/1yK0Kfb.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/YyN8FOr.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/2orjwq4.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/VWUCJgZ.png

 

http://i.imgur.com/iHBmmbL.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/r8SGv3o.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/qHLOpfk.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/S6IqfCD.png

 

During the early phases of deployment Hamilkar finally realized the apparent replacement of several squads from the ship. The Olympia-Class Strike Cruiser “Ariete Priapos” was a designated Assault striker designed for a specific role within a larger compliance flotilla. While it was capable to operate alone due to its ability for surpressing the enemy defence with blindfire by its heavy barrage weapon during deployment manoeuvers, the heavily modified design used for planetary assault centred operations was normally not meant to be on its own. The damage taken in advance of their last planet fall, a search and destroy operation on a insnigificant desert planet, had just proven this point. Due to the delay for checks before their clearing for warp travel they had missed the legion’s operations in the Istvaan sector only recently catching up with the third millenial of the Emperor’s Children. Yet after the usual quarantine after contact with xeno artefacts a third of their crew had been transferred to other ships, four out of six of their Thunderhawks had been redeployed to other ships and apparently several squads had been replaced with fresh forces from other companies of the third millenial. He had not been aware of such major changes in the structure of squads at all before landing on the set of platform, which was defined as the defensive flank at the nadir of the Kalium Gate. The composition was shifted in favour of tactical and support squads. Ha, so many possibilities, he called out towards his battle brothers on his left flank as he jollily cranked up his jump pack’s turbines and made last equipment checks. His cry was not received with cheers. His battle brothers, most of them bearing many more white marks on their amour against his two white panels on his jump pack, did not give more than a quick glance over their shoulders. He found the idea of a forthcoming new battle experience most thrilling! Almost as interesting as another chance to earn more white panels on his amour or jump pack. Equal brothers, but also fierce competitors and obviously each one more ingenious than the other. On the one hand each and every battle brother would praise himself for superior strategic and tactical understanding. On the other hand they all had little interest in the decisions and grander correlations they could not control. They would focus on their assignment and try to excel, to prove themselves and to stand out – also against their battle brothers. Such competition was instrumental among the astartes of the III including competition in between the companies as well as among squads. The rivalry particularly between specialized units was immense. An angry murmur from a fellow assault marine two or three lines further behind let him realize again just how uncommon the unit composition was that had been fielded in their position for the defence of the Kalium Gate. The different units deployed here allowed a wide range of options for the operation’s commander and sure was unseen within this force specialized on more or less direct assault manoeuvres: At least two squads of veterans grouped in an incoherent way that made it impossible to get a clear understanding of their numbers or organization. Even stranger the type of weaponry, some type of prototypical combi-weapons by the looks of it. Several small heavy support squads, mainly equipped with las-cannons, but also with what appeared to be a new type of heavy bolter. Most uncommon, but then again nothing he would have a word in. The tactical decisions were nothing he would be involved with on a regular bases, so why try it to discuss it now, Hamilkar told to himself as he glanced over the topography of the area in front of their deployment zone. The long arch at the gate’s nadir appeared to have been stabbed and ripped open by giant claws. A large slope at their feat ran down towards a group of bunker-like structure, which were followed by a field of metal slabs that stood high against the black of the space behind. Like sheets of floating ice that were cast unto the structure’s surface, Kalium Gate’s outer panneling and unidentifiable clumps of debris marked the border of the area of bomb craters, the presuming landing site of their foes. Under no circumstances they would fall back behind their current position. The sole Thunderhawk that could return them to their ship was meant to remain here in between the metal cliffs just north of the Gate’s nadir valley. Company Captain Sebulon Tertius had been steaming with anger for the transfer of four of the ships six Thunderhawks. Yet he had not mentioned how different the operation would be designed from the usual assault patterns. Even squad leader Sergeant Kadmos had only uttered tacitunely about the changes being order from the very top and would have retired to his private room to gain focus for the coming battle, had it no been for his senior college, Assault sergeant Tyrian who had stood with him between the utility vault and the armoury for at least two hours, before their sergeant had returned to the squad murmuring something about the perfect plan to destroy their enemy and the apparent need to oblige their codex and follow protocol as well as the command structure. Then the ramp had closed shut, the turbines had been reved up and the deck had rumbled under them too loud to provide any chance for a chat and the chance to find out more until they had deployed at the Kalium Gate.

 

 

(edit: fluff)

Edited June 30, 2017 by okonomiyakimarine

[Semper Fortis]

He had almost missed it. Caught up in trying to understand why Sergeant Aelianus had suddenly become enraged, he had extracted the geneseed whilst focused on the destruction in the passageway around him. Now the progenoid gland lay in the tray under bright lights, its odd coloration reminding him of the virus time. He assessed the strange, swollen musculature of Aelianus' chest on the next table. Had another foe managed to corrupt the geneseed of his brethren? He'd been only an apprentice apothecary in those days, but remembered well the close battle to save his legion. What evil wished to destroy the Emperor's perfect creation?

Apothecary Caecelius Otho turned to the bulkhead comms and called the bridge. He requested that Commander Tarquin come to the Apothecarion Bay at his earliest convenience. They could not send a message to Chief Apothecary Fabius from this becalmed nowhere of the void, but they could take precautions. He would request that the Commander quarantine the legionaries of the party picked up on Laer and he would perform full physicals on each. Perhaps a psychological assessment was also in order. The Sergeant had displayed some odd behaviors since boarding. For that matter, there had been more than a few odd occurrences since the ship had picked up the special team assigned to recover weapons and materiel from Laer.

As the Commander entered the bay, Caelcelius turned and greeted him as befitted his rank. He explained his concerns and showed Tarquin his findings. Tarquin seemed unconcerned, saying "The Primarch himself informed me that there may be some unusual effects from unshielded weapons on Laer and assured me that there will be no lasting damage from this." Tarquin turned to leave, then paused and turned back with a hard look. "Caecelius, you have done superlative work. I shall recommend to the Primarch that you be made Senior Apothecary in the upcoming action on Istvan III."

edited because autocorrect hates me :facepalm:

Edited June 27, 2017 by Semper Fortis

[Kizzdougs]

Hey dudes, I did my own 'March of the Legions' last year and BCK said that I could add my legionaries to the relevant 'March' threads.

 

My question is do I need to make a pledge or can I just add my entry?

[Slips]

Nah, you can just add your entry once the completions thread is up.

[Kizzdougs]

Nah, you can just add your entry once the completions thread is up.

Sounds good! I've got all of the pictures and fluff ready to go :tu:

[StruManChu]

"You know the reason why people say Hastur Sejanus is the finest figure in Mk IV plate? Because Nico Carpathian is no longer with us. I fought alongside the Third on a dozen worlds, including Terra, and never in all my days have I born witness to a Legionnaire his equal. He could kill and make it look like a dance. We fought Eldar who didn't have the match of his grace.

It was on Jora. Jora, about eighty years ago. He was an assault sergeant then, before he got properly promoted. I was only a line captain myself. It was only months before the Phoenician rejoined the Crusade. We were campaigning against the Xurthi. Big, ugly avian things. The matriarchs were the size of a pre-fab command post, if you can believe that! Anyway, we made a mess of a nesting site on the Northern continent; Hesketh, or whatever they named it. We were on top of this enormous plateau and the matriarchs were swarming, spitting some corrosive muck everywhere. My men had no cover, and the Legionnaires weren't doing much better in the old Mk II suits, but we were making a good go of it, when suddenly Carpathian...

As I live and breathe, I still don't have the words for it. Eighty years on. Remarkable. Somehow, all of a sudden, everyone; all the Xurthi, our army troopers, even the Astartes, could sense that something singular was about to happen. The fighting didn't stop, obviously, but it slowed as this most regal of men - you can't really call him a man, obviously, but you know - he just drew his sword, walked forward...

And he just stepped off the side of the cliff edge. I heard gasps as we feared he'd fall. But he didn't fall. He flew up, up and up, the very image of the old Catheric angels. Showing us the very, very best example of what humanity might someday become. His sword outstretched in front of him, he decapitated the biggest matriarch there. I don't think she even flinched. Truth is, I like to think part of her was grateful to be ended by something so beautiful. As she fell, the others simply retreated, and we took the world in days after that. It took him a single stroke of his blade, but it was all he needed to show this xenos filth that we, humanity, deserved our birthright.

I'm sorry. My old mind isn't what it used to be - I simply don't know what else I can say to impress upon you the importance; the singular significance of that moment. It was like we were watching the future of the entire human race take flight. It was somehow symbolic and prophetic at the same time. And look at what we've accomplished since! The Great Crusade goes from glory to glory! There are so many tales of heroes and sacrifice and victory that I just cannot let this one be forgotten. I don't know what you need, I doubt there's many left that could corroborate this story, but it simply must not be forgotten."

Attributed to General Maxim Borathus, Planetary Governor of Sudecca IV, Segmentum Solar.

Well, this is what I get for going on holiday and forgetting to take all my painting stuff with me. I got back yesterday afternoon, so painting was a bit of a rush job (which is why I'm 12 minutes late posting this, according to GMT ), as was the photography - Spoiler tags because big, unedited pictures. As I said upthread, I just don't like the III, so I wanted to do something a bit different to keep myself interested, but I had to smash this out much quicker than I would have done anyway.

I still hate the III.