Nova Terra Interregnum – The Alien Wars

[apologist]

+ Anatomy of the Astartes II: Castigators +

 

 

'In memory of their auspicious founding, every fourteen years those companies not currently engaged in battle meet at the Sanctuary. Battle-brothers, comrades and friends are allowed to meet and honour their success together. Great trophies are brought back to the fortress monastery and relics are paraded in front of the assembled marines.'

- Index Astartes: Castigators

 

 

The Castigators were created by Commissar Molotov; who has been working on the Chapter's background in one form or another since 2005. It's clearly a labour of love, and the resulting Chapter has huge amounts of depth and detail, which you can read about here.

 

An embarrassingly long time ago, I agreed to paint up one of the marines of this storied Chapter – and have just got round to making and painting him! I'm very pleased with how he's turned out; and hope the Chapter's creator is equally happy. + 

 

The Castigators are founded right at the end of the period of the Nova Terra Interregnum; so rather than reiterating Commissar Molotov's awesome background, this article looks at some of the practicalities of how a Space Marine Chapter Founding works.

 

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+ The Fourteenth Founding + 

 

Castigators: XIVth Founding

As any scholam-child knows, Space Marine Chapters are established during the great Foundings. The Astartes Foundings are massive ceremonial affairs that serve a number of purposes beyond the purely martial. They offer opportunities for the great edifices of state, such as the Administratum, Navis Nobilitae, Adeptus Mechanicus and so forth, to combine their powers and work for the broader betterment of mankind; forging weapons that will serve to defend humanity.

 

 

At the close of the period of the Nova Terra Interregnum, the Imperium had completed its Fifteenth Founding; and the Chapters established here – perhaps inevitably, owing to the calving-off of Nova Terra from the greater Imperium, and the events of the much whispered-about Dark Founding – bore the marks of reactionary Imperial conservatism. 

 

The Space Marines who were created by the Fourteenth Founding were the product of the Imperial State reasserting itself. Selected from the cream of Chapters eager to demonstrate their loyalty to the Throne of Old Terra, they were soldiers of untrammelled faith and unquestioned purity – and none more so than the Castigators.

 

 

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+ Pre-founding +

As recorded earlier, the bulk of Astartes Chapters distanced themselves from affairs of the Twin Imperium during the Nova Terra Interregnum, instead hunkering down in their fastnesses, or launching independent campaigns through wilderness space. Some, however, saw this period as a crisis that could only be solved through demonstrations of loyalty. High-profile Chapters of ancient provenance, such as the the Patriarchs of Ulixis, the Astral Claws and the Black Consuls declared themselves instruments of Imperium, sending Honour Guards to Ancient Terra. These Chapters were also quick to respond to the High Lords' declaration of a Founding; keen to offer petitioners and aspirants from their ranks.

 

Nevertheless, an Astartes Chapter is not built in a day; and the practicalities of war mean that the Great Foundings are largely ceremonial. While Chapters are officially granted their autonomy, colours and realms at the Founding, their actual origins are as varied as any other aspect of their doctrines, and often considerably less glamorous than the great parades of the Foundings would suggest. The Oblators, for example, are the loyal remnants of a purged Chapter granted a new identity following a penal crusade, while the original Hounds of Demos were a hurriedly marshalled 'mongrel' Chapter sent to act as figureheads of the Indos Crusade. Even the Castigators' brother-Chapter of the Astartes Vocates, the Execrators, were originally earmarked for another purpose before being reassigned to an independent Chapter.

 

Such exceptional cases as those listed are little spoken-about, and a Founding will hide many secrets. With that said, for every Chapter with a clouded beginning, there are a dozen that stride forward with nothing but a clean past and a prideful view to a future. Nevertheless, whatever their Chapter's origins, many of the Astartes that first step out on parade at a Founding will have been serving in some capacity for decades – even centuries, if sufficient political weight is not put behind a Founding. 

 

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+ The Castigators during the Nova Terra Interregnum +

+ Engagement on Rihad +

 

By ancient law, Astartes Chapters are restricted to 1,000 men. Those that are regularly able to exceed this limit occasionally volunteer – or are earmarked by the Administratum or Inquisition – to have their excess aspirants or veterans form the kernel of a new Chapter. Gradually operating more and more independently, the growing group will be monitored as they expand and carve our their own identity. The Castigators are a good example of such practise. Prior to the Castigators' official recognition during the Fourteenth Founding, the growing cadre of red-armoured warriors were shadowed, supervised and supported by their sponsors: the hardline Codex-adherents, the Black Consuls.

 

The parent Chapter continued to closely – obsessively – monitor the purity of the Castigators until the Chapter was established enough to be self-maintaining. The Purge of Rihad in M35.985 – ten years after the official end of the Nova Terra Interregnum – is the date of the Castigators' earliest battle honour; won alongside the Black Consuls, but many amongst the eager new Astartes that fought here already bore decades of experience. Already clad in their distinctive crimson armour, the initial one hundred and fifty warriors fought under the supervision of Master Barathus, late of the Black Consuls (later to become the Castigators' first Chapter Master) and the Inquisitorial Conclave of Nishal.

 

The then-nameless warriors are known to have fought alongside the Black Consuls against the orks of Gozer's Star, a resurgent threat near the Obscurus Fleet's naval base of Cypra Mundi; and are rumoured to have been involved in the Cataclysm of Un, intended as an extinction-level purge of the Ryssith species. 

 

By the close of the Nova Terra Interregnum, the Castigators were preparing for their official recognition at the Fourteenth Founding; and looking forward to beginning their existence as a fleet-based Chapter. Their zealous anti-xenos actions during the dying years of the Interregnum served as a symbol of the reunited Imperium's ability to find common ground through purgation of outsiders.

 

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Edited May 8, 2019 by Apologist

[Dosjetka]

Fantastic work on the Castigator. Reminds me that I have one to paint, too! :sweat:

[Tyrannicide]

That was a sweet little read on one of the more profound DIY Chapters. Well done on the model, too. I really like the small personalized identifiers you’ve included.

[apologist]

Fantastic work on the Castigator. Reminds me that I have one to paint, too!

 

Thank you – would love to see your take on the Chapter.

 

That was a sweet little read on one of the more profound DIY Chapters. Well done on the model, too. I really like the small personalized identifiers you’ve included.

 

Cheers Tyrannicide, I always find it fun to work around someone's existing vision – nice way to get some inspiration, and to practise working with a few guidelines/restrictions. This works both ways: sometimes I paint or build things off-the-cuff, and use that to help suggest some background; while other times – like here – pre-existing background helps to suggest or inspire an idea for a design.

 

A good example is the Black Consul's symbol on the kneepad of the Castigator (see below) – without context, it's just a bit of freehand. With context, it adds to the depth of character and suggests the figure's place in-universe. At its extreme, you could build an entire campaign around a tiny hint like this. :)

 

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+ Building and painting the Castigator +

[spoolbreak: addendum]

+ The following musings on the colour scheme are largely taken from Commissar Molotov's extensive uniform notes, which proved fun to follow – and the red-on-red proved challenging. Any in italics are his; any in roman are my commentary. +

[interimfeed re-established]

 

 

'The Castigators' primarily wear vivid dark red coloured power, said to symbolise the blood sacrificed by the Emperor for the sake of Humanity. [The Imperialis or Aquila on the chest guard is also dark red in colour.] The trim of the shoulder pauldron is coloured black.'

 

Fairly straightforward, but trying to get the red chest eagle to 'read' against red was a challenge. I ended up using a similar scheme to my Blood Angels on the chest eagle, and Vallejo's Black Red for the basis of the rest of the armour.

 

[+APPENDEDIT: I've since been informed the red chest eagle is a copypaste error on the Wiki; and that it should be dark grey or black – the servitors have since been scourged!]

 

I've nodded to this marines' origins as a Black Consul aspirant with the honorific on his knee. I also painted the wax of his purity seals with blue-black. Not only does this stand out better against the red, I thought it was a fun way of further hinting at the Consuls' and Castigators' relationship.

 

 

 

'The Castigators' Chapter badge is a white coloured muscular arm holding a coiled scourge. This potent symbol represents the punishment inflicted upon the enemies of the Imperium, but also shows how the warriors of the Chapter drive themselves on relentlessly.'

 

A cool Chapter symbol goes a long way; and this has all the best elements of an icon. I had been slightly dreading painting such an intricate logo, but it was actually pretty painless. The artwork and models I've seen has the orientation of the symbol vary – I chose to have the fist of the arm pointing forwards, which seemed to suggest scourging the enemy.

 

 

 

'Unlike other Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes, the Castigators designate what company a Battle-Brother belongs to, by utilising Company markings that comprise a single symbol worn on the left poleyn (knee guard) of their Power Armour.'

 

This white stripe on blue marks the marine out as part of third company. The chainsword is cased in bare steel, decorated only with a little manufactory warning symbol. Adding a touch of freehand like this can help to make it clear that the decision is a conscious one. In this case, I didn't want to distract from the red, black and white scheme. It's already quite muted and toned-down, and flashy details like a contrasting chainsword case would draw too much attention from the rest of the model.

 

 

 

The model is based on a Primaris marine, lightly converted to look more appropriate to the M35/36 era. The helm is replaced with a modern Mark VII, and the backpack is a classic 2nd edition one – a bit of a wry nod to how long it's taken me to build him! More subtly, I've squared-off and filled in the ankles to remove the Mk X ankle bits.

 

 

 

'A white coloured squad specialty symbol (Tactical, Assault, Devastator and Veteran) is indicated on the right shoulder pauldron.'

 

The markings were fun to do, and the clarity of the notes meant I could simply follow the instructions. As usual when painting white, I mixed a little paint in to dirty it (in this case, Prussian blue to add a cool grey quality). Note the chain holding the boltgun up in place of a strap. It suggests a certain Spartan quality that goes beyond self-discipline without being out-and-out self-flagellation. Details like this can hint at character without Flanderizing it.

 

 

 

Note the plain steel casing for the boltgun and boltpistol. Like the chainsword mentioned above, I wanted this marine's equipment to look 'out of the box'; as though freshly issued. Commissar Molotov's background has lots of info on relics and honoured equipment, which adds depth and interest to the Chapter. I wanted to instead suggest the rawness of a newly-founded force, with a destiny to fulfil and a history to write.

Edited May 9, 2019 by Apologist

[hushrong]

The marine looks fantastic! The pose, modeling, and paint show a hard as nails marine.

[apologist]

Thanks hushrong; he was a lot of fun to work on.

 

Building and painting someone else's Chapter got me thinking, so I've been writing some stuff on how I go about creating a 'homebrew' faction. Essentially, it's a short series of how-to guides on making a bespoke 'homebrew'. It'll focus on Marines (as they're so popular), but will have concrete examples of other factions.

 

I'm hoping a few of you will join in; should be a fun (and affordable!) break from the norm – and a good quick way to get involved in the Nova Terra Interregnum. :)

[Xenith]

Great stuff! Got any more photos of those Scarlet Blade Astartes?

[apologist]

Great stuff! Got any more photos of those Scarlet Blade Astartes?

There’s an inload on the blog here that details Arcimboldo. Since the Chapter is all but extinct in M41 (destroyed in the Genyx Landings in the Scallop Stars); it might be interesting to see what they’re up to in during the Nova Terra Interregnum.

[Isengrin]

That's a lovely shade of red, wouldn't have guessed that it's similar to your Blood Angels recipe. So...maybe, if I ever find the time, I'll come up with a chapter for the Interregnum. Other than my Night Lords and Iron Hands, I want to let a couple of freshly minted factions participate. A guide would come in handy. 

[apologist]

+ Creating your own army: a how-to guide +

 

 

I've started explaining my methods for creating your own forces – from background to models to paint schemes. The first article is up on Death of a Rubricist here.

 

It uses explanation, examples and simple exercises to walk you through generating a name, creating a 'culture seed', and building your first model.

 

While the principles can be applied to any setting, I hope it makes joining in with the events of the Alien Wars and Nova Terra Interregnum a bit easier. If you choose to join in, I'd love to see the cool things you talented souls come up with here

Edited May 10, 2019 by Apologist

[Soulhunter1995]

This might give me the boost I need to get my own chapter going as I have never been brave enough to take that step  Many thanks for the guide Apologist 

[Dosjetka]

Fantastic guide, Apologist. :tu:

 

May I suggest that you post a link to this down in the Liber subforum? It's bound to be useful for the folks there, too!

[apologist]

+ Part II: Picking – and applying – your colours +

 

The second in a series of articles on how to create your own army is up on my blog; and we get to see a closer look at the Gatebreakers.

 

This Chapter's one I'm using as an illustration and example of how to create a (hopefully) compelling, interesting and well-rounded force. 

 

If you'd like to join in, please feel free. The advice applies to all armies.

 

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Fantastic guide, Apologist.

May I suggest that you post a link to this down in the Liber subforum? It's bound to be useful for the folks there, too!

 

Thanks – didn't want to crowd things, but if you reckon it'd be helpful, I'll see what I can do.

[Dosjetka]

Aye, I reckon it would be helpful. Any method that helps to get people working on DIYs is worth sharing in the Liber. :tu:

[apologist]

 

A bit murky, but you can see a WIP of reinforcements for my Lamb's World Guardsmen. These have been lurking for literally years (decades in some cases!), and an upcoming game with Lucifer216's Bezoan Skitarii prompted me to dig 'em out.

 

As with the existing Lamb's Worlders, these will be a combination of Elysian sculpts with various other bits and bobs.

[apologist]

+ Tensions over Neues Treno – part 1 + 

 

+ Belligerents: Bezoan Skitarii (Lucifer216); Lamb's World Imperial Guard (Apologist) +

+ Limitations of conflict: 150 Power Level +

+ Battle site: Snakepit Plains, Neues Tremo, a frontiersworld in the Magyar system, Sector Antona Australis. +

 

 

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+ Overview and background of the conflict +

The keen and hidden ears of the Bezoan Magi hear much – and while little of the morass of information their informants gather stirs the lords and ladies of the isolated world to direct action, reports that machines produced on the world have been altered by other Imperial forces is one such.

 

Such are the rumours that swirl around the Lamb's World 18th: that their attendant Enginseers; scions of Forgeworld Slav Nasr, have altered – or worse – investigated Holy Script from the regiment's artillery and support vehicles. To the Bezoans, this is provocation that justifies warfare. 

 

 

A whisper here, a rumour planted there. Agents Provocateur begin to move amongst the inhabitants of the nearby frontiersworld of Neues Tremo – populous, rich in mineral wealth, but politically remote and naïve in the ways of the Adeptus Mechanicus; and the world descends into international war. A bribe here; a secret promised to be protected there – and the Lamb's World 18th are tasked with restoring peace.

 

So the stage is set; and the players enter ...

 

[+ noosphericinloadlink to the illustrated battle report here +]

[hushrong]

Battle report was great and I am looking forward to seeing it continued.

 

And am I reading this right? Mechanicum fighting Imperial Guard over changes in schematics? If so, very grimdark and metal!

[Reyner]

Wow that Castigator is great and I really like the Gatebreakers scheme :D great work man

[apologist]

Battle report was great and I am looking forward to seeing it continued.

 

And am I reading this right? Mechanicum fighting Imperial Guard over changes in schematics? If so, very grimdark and metal!

Thanks - rest of it should go up today or the weekend.

 

You are right: clearly the Bezoans don’t want others investigating their techcode. perhaps Bezoa has something to hide..?

[Nomus Sardauk]

Throne, that Castigator is gorgeous, all the little details and conversions really make the model a visual treat to examine.

 

Your Gatebreaker also looks very promising, the Gold-and-Emerald scheme is lovely (not to mention criminally underused/appreciated) and Mk.III armour is always a winner, especially paired with the brutality of Mk.V helm.

Out of curiousity, have you designed a symbol for them yet? If not, may I suggest a simple Portcullis split by a Lightning Bolt?

[apologist]

+ Car-Cemish Campaigns +

 

The Car-Cemish Campaigns were a brutal, dirty war that broke out towards the end of the Nova Terra Interregnum, when the so-called 'Alien Wars' had reached a third peak in activity. It saw the Ironstave League – an abhuman Imperial Dominate in the Galactic East – defending their holds against the orks of Maggrod's Marauders, whose expansionist attacks were becoming increasingly daring and successful following the withdrawal of Battlefleet Potemkin from the region.

 

The League's mineral-rich Mining Worlds made them a target too tempting for the bloody-handed Maggrod, who invaded Lugnum and the recently-colonised Ichtar VIII in a twin-pronged attack. The squat's calls for aid initially fell on deaf ears from the nearby Imperial Commanders, but as the threat escalated, elements of three Chapters – all freshly drawn from the recent 10th Founding – moved to the support of the embattled abhumans.

 

Led by the bulk of the gallant Protean Sons; the Astral Claws and Hammers of the Emperor also deployed in Company strength. The campaign was a bitterly-fought affair, with the greenskins forced to assault wherever possible in order to avoid being trapped on the brutally-hostile surfaces of the squat's worlds.

 

+ Astral Claws desperately engage an ork of the Marauder's specialised Torgox Skwadron, The three pictured battle-brothers were all killed; their remains unable to be retrieved. +

 

While Maggrod himself was killed relatively early in the war, and the orks largely driven back, one of his lieutenants – the infamous Skakhanak Mad-dagga – was able to rally his reeling forces and defeat the Protean Sons in the the Bald Badlands Massacre. With the death of three of their senior officers, the newly-founded Chapter were forced to withdraw from the war, sweating bitter emnity against the newly-renamed Mad-dagga's Marauders.

 

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[Spaced Hulk]

Alway glad to see this project updated

[apologist]

Throne, that Castigator is gorgeous, all the little details and conversions really make the model a visual treat to examine.

 

Your Gatebreaker also looks very promising, the Gold-and-Emerald scheme is lovely (not to mention criminally underused/appreciated) and Mk.III armour is always a winner, especially paired with the brutality of Mk.V helm.

Out of curiousity, have you designed a symbol for them yet? If not, may I suggest a simple Portcullis split by a Lightning Bolt?

 

Always lovely to be invited to explore someone else's Chapter – the depth of the Castigators' background makes them a treat to paint up.

Thanks for the kind words on the Gatebreaker; your idea for a symbol sounds brill. I was going to simply have a sundered portcullis, but the addition of a bolt of lightning would knock it up a notch. Thanks!

 

 

Alway glad to see this project updated . You consistently manage to combine nostalgia with innovative use of modern kits. The background material you produce is fantastic as well.

I also heartily recommend everyone to check out 'Death of a Rubricist'. Easily my favourite 40k blog.

Keep up the good work buddy!

 

Aw, shucks. Thank you!

 

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+ (W)ork in progress +

 

The modern Deff Dread – or ork Dreadnought – model is one of those kits that I loved from the moment it was released, but never quite had a good enough excuse to buy. Eventually, I had a spare bit of scratch and took the plunge. So far, I've just been working on the underlying metals; using a mix of browns, black and silvers to give a lovely varied finish. The plan is to paint the metal plates, then add scrapes, knocks and bumps by using a sponge and back of a paintbrush to remove it while the paint remains wet.

 

It's one of those rare kits that I just wanted to build stock, and I was very tempted to use the cool ork 'mask'. In the end, I decided on the vision slit. This is so I can stick with the Alien Wars core concept of 'what would old models look like if they were made now?' and do an homage to the cardboard dreadnought stand-in from 2nd edition.

 

 

+ RARR! *mechanical grinding noises* +

 

You can see I've started by painting in that very 90s bright red front panel. It'll be an interesting balancing act to get it to both be recognisable as the artwork above, and also fit in with my grimy RT-themed ork force.

 

Even just looking over these, I can see it'll be tricky – I think I'll end up using Charadon Granite (the core grey colour of the palette I used for these orks) as the basis for the black.

 

 

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 ...and for those faithful few, those noble sons of the Homeworlds, I promise I'll be getting round to painting up the squats that I've been saving up. The Car-Cemish Campaign seems a perfect excuse.

 

[Gederas]

SQUAAAAAAAAAAATS!

I was wondering when they'd show up properly. I like how the models look, even unpainted :tu:

[Bjorn Firewalker]

The Deff Dread looks most promising.