Nova Terra Interregnum – The Alien Wars

[apologist]

+ Son of the Soil +

 

The final piece I needed for my Blood Angels captain conversion – the head – arrived in the post yesterday, so I sat down and finished off the sculpting work on the conversion.

 

 

 

Very happy with how he's worked out. The greenstuff work didn't take as long as I'd feared; because of the pose, I was able to do it all in one fell swoop. That said, I did keep the helmet off while I reshaped the brow (to look more serene than the original angry sculpt) and sculpted the hoses/ear pieces etc., then popped it in place once I'd worked on the rest.

 

http://www.kerlin.de/pic/antik_40k/ba_01.jpg

+ Dave Gallagher's inspirational piece; a cover from White Dwarf 133. +

 

I did forget the feet at first – they're not visible in the original artwork, but I wanted to have the stylised toes typical of Blood Angels artificer armour in other artworks, so finished them off late last night. Got a quick snap this morning:

 

Edited August 24, 2017 by Apologist

[Magos Kasen]

As always, your work is inspiring mate.

[The_Stray_Idea]

The retro feel of this log is fantastic. Lovely work mate. The work that's gone into that missile launcher is incredible. Looking forward to seeing how the golds come out on your commanders.

[Bob Hunk]

 

 

The final piece I needed for my Blood Angels captain conversion – the head – arrived in the post yesterday, so I sat down and finished off the sculpting work on the conversion.

 

 

I cannot like this post hard enough!  Excellent work; will you make some of the guys surrounding him so you can recreate the artwork? At least the central section anyway; three Marines and a Terminator. ;)

[Atia]

Awesome work buddy :)

[Gratan]

cant wait to see the other half of that Tactical Squad. I love to see how you do the Veteran Trooper. I really miss being able to Combat Squad our Tactical Squads.

 

And props for recreating that old Blood Angels army. The nostalgia of those pictures... brings a tear to my eye. 

[lionofjudah]

[Atia]

 

 

http://www.kerlin.de/pic/antik_40k/ba_01.jpg

 

Btw, you totally need to do that silver chaplain ;)

[Calyptra]

Wonderful! Your models are lovely, and your perspective on the dystopian nature of the Imperium is basically the same as mine, only expressed infinitely better. I'd never thought about it in terms of Rough Riders before! If/when I get around to working on my Guard again, I'll definitely be thinking about making some of my own.

 

I *love* the cow on the tank. Is it from the Giant kit?

[apologist]

As always, your work is inspiring mate.

Ta very much – glad to have you along for the ride. :)

 

The retro feel of this log is fantastic. Lovely work mate. The work that's gone into that missile launcher is incredible. Looking forward to seeing how the golds come out on your commanders.

Thanks; and while it's a bit intimidating, I think I'll have a crack at non-metallic metal. That seems the most fitting approach, as the original Tycho model was painted in this way. 

 

 

I cannot like this post hard enough!  Excellent work; will you make some of the guys surrounding him so you can recreate the artwork? At least the central section anyway; three Marines and a Terminator.

Well, since you asked so nicely ;)

 

 

cant wait to see the other half of that Tactical Squad. I love to see how you do the Veteran Trooper. I really miss being able to Combat Squad our Tactical Squads.

 

And props for recreating that old Blood Angels army. The nostalgia of those pictures... brings a tear to my eye. 

Regarding the veteran trooper, I'm a bit torn between emulating the old pose and making him stand out a bit more – perhaps with one of the fore-arm mounted scanner thingies from the Intercessor box. 

 

...and very glad to have tweaked your nostalgia node; that's really at the core of this 'love letter' to the 90s.

 

u r a ROKSTÀR!! Great work on the toes;)... which head is that?

Thanks lionofjudah; the head's from Forge World's Raven Guard Mark VI set. I've softened the frown a bit to get an impassive mask-like feel and sculpted on tubes and earpieces to make it clear it's an ornamental helmet, not an organic head.

 

 

Btw, you totally need to do that silver chaplain

 

Yes, very much so :)

 

Wonderful! Your models are lovely, and your perspective on the dystopian nature of the Imperium is basically the same as mine, only expressed infinitely better. I'd never thought about it in terms of Rough Riders before! If/when I get around to working on my Guard again, I'll definitely be thinking about making some of my own.

 

I *love* the cow on the tank. Is it from the Giant kit?

Rough Riders are the business. Always loved 'em, suspect I always will – I'm a bit sad I sold my original RT-era ones a few years back, but such is life.

 

The cow is indeed from the giant kit; a gift from Lord Blood the Hungry, another friend from the PCRC :)

[apologist]

+ Battle report: Outskirts of the Plains of Tethys, Arcturus Theatre +

 

 

New Bartle was the last sinktown before the open plains, an exposed and inward-looking frontier settlement, but important as the only reliable source of fresh water for the South-western flats beyond it. It was inevitable that the invaders would strike here – particularly given the warlord Og Throatchoppa's demands for a solid supply line to support a second front in his assault on the coastal cities.
 

Unseasonal storms – that some claimed were caused by the atmospheric displacement of the wallowing, hovering starcraft of the green-skinned aliens, and others put down to the Emperor's wrath – had battered the town, but the Arcturan planetary defence forces were dug in around the sink, with ranging patrols exploring the outskirts. 
 

Hot, heavy rain was lashing one such patrol when the orks emerged from the murk...

 

+++

 

A game using lists of 50 power; Bob Hunk's orks take on my guard in the Patrol Narrative play mission

 

+ Part I: Opening moves +

 

Ork boyz and a mob of killa kans advance alongside a big mek. The rain fizzed and boiled in a crackling half-dome over the creature's strange generator, indicating some sort of force field.

 

The orks close on a temporary command post, defended lightly by a company commander and his retinue, an infantry squad and some ratlings, all sheltering from the rain. +

 

The orks close the gap quickly, racing forward to engage the defenders. Blurted reports from both sides draw in reinforcements – including the fabled Space Marines.

 

Bolstered by the presence of humanity's champions, the guard turn the street into a killing ground, the central mob being shot to pieces, and one of the killa kans detonating with a dull thump.

 

...But there are plenty more where they came from! A mob of orks arrive on the eastern flank, and the big mek jogs to meet them – diving over a hedge to do so.

 

+++

[To be continued]

Edited August 25, 2017 by Apologist

[brettfp]

That blood angel is spot on to the illustration, Well done!!

[apologist]

+ The battle escalates +

 

As more guardsmen pour in, the killa kans advance on their power-armoured counterparts. As the Astartes and walkers trade fire, a gout of blood is torn from one of the Blood Angels. Grimacing, he gets back to his feet, continuing to fire. 

 

Throatchoppa himself arrives on the field, yelling angrily through the rain for his boyz to 'urry up!'

 

The guard grenadiers meet the ork charge, but even these elite humans are no match for the raw power and ferocity of the aliens – they are swiftly overwhelmed.

 

The orks allow the Imperials no space. Desperate screams are heard from the eastern flank, and the central street has turned into a brutal close-in brawl.

 

The Astartes struggle with the killa kanz. At last, Brothers Barbarigo and Engel manage to barge one of the clanking behemoths over, pinning it for long enough for Farnese to unload a full magazine into a weak point. Thick, murky blood sobs from the rents in the kan's armour and it falls limp.

 

The melee in the east continues to rage, bodies steaming in the humid air. More Imperial Guard reinforcements arrive and are drawn in – but the press favours the orks and the squad and their platoon commander are torn apart.

 

The final killa kan batters aside the Astartes and turns his spiteful attention on Commander Burton-Gogh, seizing him in a wicked claw. The Commander struggles free, bleeding and injured.

 

+++
[To be continued]

Edited August 25, 2017 by Apologist

[Dosjetka]

Lovely work on the Captain, can't wait to see him painted up. Also really enjoying the battle report. :tu:

[apologist]

+ Closing stages +

As the remaining Imperial forces drive into the centre, Throatchoppa reveals his ace in the hole – a mob of kommandos on the west.

 

The orks on the Eastern flank start to flounder as they advance into the centre. Their numbers are thinned by disciplined fire from the guard and Astartes.

 

Throatchoppa's reinforcements finally arrive, but too late – he grunts dismissively and waves forward his kommandos, who leap on and butcher the Rough Riders.

 

With Burton-Gogh gravely wounded, Sergeant Raphael rallies the guard. Splitting the forces in the centre, he directs the guard to drive off the mob advancing from the east, while his warriors turn to confront Throatchoppa and his kommandos.

 

With booming bolt and scything laser, the lightly-armoured kommandos are cut down. Seeing how the wind is blowing, Throatchoppa scowls and shakes a threatening fist at the scarlet-armoured champions of humanity before loping off into the rain.

 

 

+++

+ Imperial Victory +
The orks have been driven off – this time – but doubtless they'll be back, and in greater numbers... [/Obi Wan]

 

Well, that was quite an intro to 8th edition! Regular inloaders will recognise Bob Hunk's awesome Blood Axes, who have clearly been plaguing the Imperium for millennia. It was great fun to get the Lamb's World back on the table – orks and guard are a classic match-up; and it was fun to have a new pairing of enemies in place of Nuzzgrond and Dresden.

 

Og Throatchoppa and Maxim Burton-Gogh give each other the stink-eye.

 

While it ended with a victory for the Imperium, I think that was down as much to luck as anything. Had Throatchoppa's boyz arrived more evenly – rather than half right at the start, and the rest dribbling in on the final turn – or the central mob had held back a bit to draw the Lamb's Worlders in earlier, I wonder if things would have been different.

 

Stars of the match for me were Burton-Gogh himself – the rules now allow Guard commanders to be a bit braver – and, of course, the Blood Angels. They were critical to the victory; holding and eventually destroying the killa kanz, who would likely have rampaged through the guard.

[Aarik]

The great work continues!  The rest of the Blood Angels tactical squad is looking great!  Sprinkling in helmets and backpacks from the regular marines helps tie the Primaris aesthetic more to that of the normal marines, and improves the look a lot, IMO.  Can't wait to see more, and read more of your fluff too.  Is what you've written about the Nova Terra Interregnum being based on differences in theological views canon, or is that your own interpretation?  I like that angle a lot, as well as what you've written about the Space Marine chapters becoming less interested in the affairs of the Imperium.  I think that fits the idea of this galaxy-spanning, fragmented bureaucracy and empire very well.

 

Thank you also for your notes and picture re how you do your red shading!  It's much appreciated.

[KBA]

Awesome modelling! I really like the fluff too, great reading :)

[apologist]

The great work continues!  The rest of the Blood Angels tactical squad is looking great!  Sprinkling in helmets and backpacks from the regular marines helps tie the Primaris aesthetic more to that of the normal marines, and improves the look a lot, IMO.  Can't wait to see more, and read more of your fluff too.  Is what you've written about the Nova Terra Interregnum being based on differences in theological views canon, or is that your own interpretation?  I like that angle a lot, as well as what you've written about the Space Marine chapters becoming less interested in the affairs of the Imperium.  I think that fits the idea of this galaxy-spanning, fragmented bureaucracy and empire very well.

 

Thank you also for your notes and picture re how you do your red shading!  It's much appreciated.

Thanks Aarik – much appreciated. The background of the Nova Terra Interregnum is very vague; I've essentially inferred it from the other things going on in the Imperium at the time – in short, there seems to be an upsurge in religiosity:

• The Imperial Cult was made mandatory ca.M34 (I'm saying fairly on; beyond living memory for all but the longest lived Blood Angels);
• The Ecclesiarchy's power waned at the start of the millennium, but is currently active and growing: it will move from Terra to Ophelia VII in M35.200, nine years  from the start of my 'Alien Wars' campaign (M35.191);
• The Church itself itself is torn – there are arguments between Cardinals and the Ecclesiarchs;
• The veil between the materium and immaterium is thinner (Echoes of Old Night); 
• The Moirae Schism – a sort of Cult Mechanicus split, starts around this time, echoing the divisions in the Imperium.

In short, it's clearly a time of great upheaval for the Imperium – there's struggles within and between the Ecclesiarchy, the Holy Synod, the Administratum, and secessionist elements; and also between Terra, Ophelia VII and Nova Terra. This sounded very similar to the period of the decline and fall of Rome to me; with rival rulers and priests in Rome and Constantinople claiming legitimacy and arguing minutiae, while 'barbarians' gathered at the gates.

 

Unusually, there doesn't seem to be a great existential threat for the Imperium from xenos at this point, and the mentions of Astartes are fairly thin – it all seemed to fit nicely together. 

 

Of course, it's all tying together threads that may or may not exist, but the vagueness of this period is what makes it appeal to me, as it lets me create my own stories.

 

Just remember – everything you have been told is a lie! :)

 

 

Awesome modelling! I really like the fluff too, great reading

Thanks very much. I've been working on a few projects and a commission lately (you can see 'em on Death of a Rubricist if you're interested in my other stuff), but have started on the Devastators:

 

Annoyingly, I couldn't find the metal shoulder-mounted heavy bolters, so I'm going to have to have another dig.

[Bob Hunk]

Awesome, looking forward to seeing the Devastators! I assume you'll be faithfully recreating the blue helmeted scheme? 

[OakRiver]

What about the ForgeWorld shoulder mounted heavy bolters?

 

 

They look similar to one of the RT heavy bolters;

http://i43.tinypic.com/2ztkpjc.jpg

[Charlo]

 

+ Son of the Soil +

 

UHHHHM.

 

HOLY  !

 

      

[Markus_]

Great work on the Captain! Very true to the artwork. Lovely start on that mk6 aswell. How do you find working with the Primaris models? They seem like a good base for future conversions, but I'm not entirely sure. Took a gander in your blog while browsing, the water filtration district is a great bit of scenery. Something me and my mate have been talking about alot is adding levels to gaming battlefields to make them more interesting.

[apologist]

Awesome, looking forward to seeing the Devastators! I assume you'll be faithfully recreating the blue helmeted scheme? 

You betcha. :)

 

What about the ForgeWorld shoulder mounted heavy bolters?

 

 

They look similar to one of the RT heavy bolters;

Good thinking!

 

Great work on the Captain! Very true to the artwork. Lovely start on that mk6 aswell. How do you find working with the Primaris models? They seem like a good base for future conversions, but I'm not entirely sure. Took a gander in your blog while browsing, the water filtration district is a great bit of scenery. Something me and my mate have been talking about alot is adding levels to gaming battlefields to make them more interesting.

Ta very much. Coming from the dark days of converting metal, all plastic's a bit of a dream to convert! :D

The Primaris certainly seem to work well; like all armoured figures, there's obvious places to cut to hide joins, and they share a lot of compatibility with the older marine models – heads, hand and weapon swaps, for example, are nearly as simple as kitbashing.

 

Thanks for the feedback on the terrain; it was very enjoyable. Hopefully the Alien Wars will take us to some urban districts...

 

For those of you who haven't seen the terrain Markus is talking about, here are some pictures:

 

 

 

This is a set of scenery for use in Necromunda and 40k (and any other suitable sci-fi, to be honest), built by myself, and fellow PCRC members Stuntwedge and Warmtamale. There's more info on the build on Death of a Rubricist here.

[apologist]

Minor stirring – the Alien Wars require some xenos, so I've dug my orks out of hypersleep and got a bit of paint on some gretchin; a mix of classic Kev Adams sculpts and more modern Brian Nelson ones.

[Dosjetka]

Is there anywhere I can find your recipes for Ork and Gretchin skin?