Nova Terra Interregnum – The Alien Wars

[Brother Heinrich]

Great work man, love the homages to the old artwork.

[apologist]

Ta very much, all :)

 

Fantastic modelling, painting, and narrative.

 

Now if only there was a step-by-step guide on how to paint Orks and Gretchin...

...and now there is!

 

Greenskins are interesting from a colour theory point of view, as green and red are very similar tonally; and as a result, we can use similar techniques – and even colours – as we would use for humans to paint them. This also allows us to create varied 'ethnicities' for orks. In a similar way to human skintones all drawing from various proportions of red, yellow, white and brown; all ork skintones can be made from blue, yellow, white and brown. Swapping the red for blue naturally creates green mixes when combined with yellow. With that said, just as I use hints of blue when painting humans (to mute the orange mix of yellow and red for eye bags, shading etc.), I also use hints of red when painting orks for precisely the same reasons: red is the complementary of green, so it mutes the colour and makes useful mixes for shading.

 

A lot has been made of orks being fungus-based, but I prefer to think of them as basically red-blooded animals (as in the Waaagh! the Orks background), which have a green tinge as a result of a symbiotic fungus; as opposed to literally being mushroom-beings. As a result,I use reds and purples to show thinner parts of the skin, and keep the greens I use relatively muted. Just as humans appear browny-yellowy-pink rather than literally black or white; I see orks as basically having an extremely olive green-tinged human skintone. This also leaves a lot of space open for natural variance, which adds to the naturalism.

 

Anyway, there's a step-by-step of how I painted Hruk's skin on Death of a Rubricist here. 

 

The result is this:

[Pearson73]

The in-depth step by step is a great guide, thanks for putting it together.

[Dosjetka]

Fantastic. Thank you very much for the tutorial. :tu:

[apologist]

Ah, so not Hruk after all... I finished off painting the ork squad leader last night, then went back to do a bit more research. Turns out that the model I based the ork on isn't Hruk at all; just a squad leader. Either way, I've finished painting him up:

 

 

Getting the pseudo WWII feel across was important, so I used a range of muted greys and browns as the basis of the palette, brightening and warming things up with a splash of accent orange, Solar Macharius Orange. A muted palette like this can stand a couple of accents, so I also used a mid blue for the goggles. I like my orks to look a bit grubby, and these colours can all be mixed together in various proportions to produce a great range of subtle hues.

 

I definitely wanted to add some period-appropriate symbols, so decided to add some freehand. The scenario contains some ideas for painting the orks, which I thought would work well – the Rogue Trader symbols have a particular brutal sci-fi aesthetic that is quite distinct from 'modern' orks, and would be perfect for this slightly more militaristic take on the greenskins. In particular, I wanted to incorporate the Luggub's Drop Legion symbol (a knife through a skull in a circle – see below) somewhere.

 

 

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Here's a close-up – there's more on Death of a Rubricist, if you're interested in other angles:

 

 

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The in-depth step by step is a great guide, thanks for putting it together.

 

Fantastic. Thank you very much for the tutorial.

 

My pleasure; hope it's useful to you both :)

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Your Orks are well done.

[apologist]

Ta very much. I've got another on the workbench, and have started painting the one pictured earlier. Here he is alongside a couple of grots, two Sisters of the Order of Solar Ascendant, and some of the dour Legio Sumer; loyal to the Nova Terran separatists.

 

 

All very WIP, of course.

Edited March 6, 2018 by Apologist

[Soldier of Dorn]

Love the retro feel to the Orks, and those Sisters are very tidy conversions. Stupendous work as ever, Apologist.

[apologist]

Thanks, Soldier of Dorn. I've blocked in a further three boyz. Still at an early stage, they'll be getting their greenstuff soon (perhaps tonight).

 

 

The conversion work here is subtle – I've trimmed each one at the hips, and swivelled the waist/groin area upwards to reduce the ape-like silhouette. This has made the orks slightly more upright, which gives a rangier look. Compare the stock model (right) with the others.

 

The alteration to the posture also allows for some other poses; hence my (rather overplayed) 'tactical' posture, with the trigger hand near the cheek, and the nose of the weapon tilting down. While I like the effect, this works less successfully than on marines, mainly because the shootas are huge!

Edited March 7, 2018 by Apologist

[Marshal Rohr]

The 249 is a little jarring because it has such a well known shape/silhouette. It’s like a lightsaber, you know? Just my two pieces, I certainly am not busting the balls of the master. Edited March 7, 2018 by Marshal Rohr

[Brother Pheidias]

Loooove the stock on Hruks' Shoota.

[Brother Heinrich]

Rad I like the more upright pose. I made a warband a while back that was all Goff 'Ard Boyz with green-stuffed muscles and Black Orc bits. Orks should be big, imposing, and look like they can smash your head with their bare hands... because they can.

[apologist]

The 249 is a little jarring because it has such a well known shape/silhouette. It’s like a lightsaber, you know? Just my two pieces, I certainly am not busting the balls of the master.

No need to apologise; feedback's what the forum's all about – and it's much appreciated. To be honest, I'm in two minds about it myself. I think I'll get it painted and see if that helps it fit in; or possibly convert it a bit further. Trimming off the muzzle and replacing it with a proppa orky one should go some way to blending the aesthetics. 

 

Loooove the stock on Hruks' Shoota.

Cheers! It was a bit of a last-minute addition, but it seems to have lots of admirers. Must use wood effects more often – this way of doing it was quite quick and simple; I'm sure it could be pushed further.

 

Rad I like the more upright pose. I made a warband a while back that was all Goff 'Ard Boyz with green-stuffed muscles and Black Orc bits. Orks should be big, imposing, and look like they can smash your head with their bare hands... because they can.

Yeah; Skarboyz – basically veteran orks between da ladz and nobz – are a concept that I miss. I had a go at a similar build to yours, using Black Orcs as the base, though they were basically a kitbash; not as involved as yours:

 

 

These are from another warband, da Black Kuttaz. I'm hoping to have enough of my new orks finished in time for my game with Bob Hunk, but da Kuttaz are lurking ready for action in case I need to press some into service to make up numbers. 

 

The Blood Angels are not languishing, either. A sadly abortive experiment has meant the Captain is in bits in the bacta tank (that is, in a jam jar of Fairy Power Spray, being stripped); but I did manage to dig out the heavy bolters generously given to me by Stuntwedge, another PCRC member.

 

Edited March 8, 2018 by Apologist

[Brother Heinrich]

Rad, that's what I'm talking about, big, Dead 'ard, mother fethers.

[Elzender]

About the m249, might I suggest changing the box magazine to either a round box magazine or an ammo belt? Might help break its characteristic shape a bit, and together with the muzzle change you've mentioned would probably give it the right orky vibe (maybe also getting rid of the handle and/or the rear sights, don't think the ork will aim too much with a machine gun going full dakka). Anyways, the painting will sure make it fit just right. Looking forward to more updates, meanwhile I'll catch up on the previous posts, got distracted by the pretty pictures and haven't paid too much attention to the story .

[Grim Dog Studios]

I've been following this thread since the beginning but have yet to post anything. 

I love what you are doing with pretty much everything especially the "updating" of the rogue trader/old 40K miniatures. I wasn't alive back in the Rogue Trader days but I grew up reading classic White Dwarf magazines full of images of the old RT and early 40K stuff and so it is still very nostalgic for me.

I really like the true scaling of the Blood Angels as well, I'm not a fan of Primaris marines but they do make for a great truescale base when you add small details like different helmets/bolters etc.

 

Looking forward to seeing the next update!

[apologist]

Looking forward to more updates, meanwhile I'll catch up on the previous posts, got distracted by the pretty pictures and haven't paid too much attention to the story .

 

Cheers – there's a bit more elucidation on the Nova Terra Interregnum below. Hope you enjoy the story so far; I'm looking forward to seeing where people take things.

 

I've been following this thread since the beginning but have yet to post anything. 

I love what you are doing with pretty much everything especially the "updating" of the rogue trader/old 40K miniatures. I wasn't alive back in the Rogue Trader days but I grew up reading classic White Dwarf magazines full of images of the old RT and early 40K stuff and so it is still very nostalgic for me.

I really like the true scaling of the Blood Angels as well, I'm not a fan of Primaris marines but they do make for a great truescale base when you add small details like different helmets/bolters etc.

 

Great! Lovely to hear that you're enjoying it, and I'd like to repeat that anyone is more than welcome to join in, if you'd like to help me explore this fascinating period of the game. It's a great excuse to do something a bit different, or explore something that – for one reason or another – doesn't work in M41.

 

If you would like to join in, there's a landing page to get you up to speed here, which includes some of models that others have built for the project. Below is a brief prelude of the period, to (hopefully) spark some ideas.

 

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+ Background to the Nova Terra Interregnum +

In retrospect, the broad history of the Nova Terra Interregnum is one of Imperial ambition, division and decline. The preceding centuries had seen the Ecclesiarchy enjoy a rise in influence, culminating in the recognition of the Emperor as a God; followed by the gradual reassertion of the Administratum. Such tension inevitably led to conflict. Few historians would have realised how massive the convulsions would be, or how radically they would redraw the Imperium's path.

 

The conflict between these two pillars of Imperial power was, of course, complex and multi-layered. Some histories paint the Nova Terra Interregnum as a conflict between the neo-rationalism of Nova Terra against an increasingly theocratic Imperium, while others identify the Ur-Council as the acceptably bureaucratic face of a fundamentally religious movement. The truth probably lies between these poles: the scale of events is simply too vast and complex to summarise neatly. 

 

While later records boldly state that an Imperial Segmentum – Pacificus, to the galactic West – broke off from the Imperium, this is only true in the broadest sense. The immutable borders of Pacificus, established during the Great Crusade itself, may obey human reason; but the galaxy is a messy place. Five thousand years of gradual astral movement have shifted the locations of stars and systems, and new worlds are being re-discovered and lost all the time. 

 

 

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+ Nova Terra +

Certainly the world of Nova Terra became a beacon for visionaries, dissidents, malcontents and dreamers. It was a beautiful and highly influential planet; at the hub of a reliable web of warp-transport and well defended from attack. Nova Terra was well-placed to influence Imperial politics. Five thousand years of wise diplomacy, investment and demonstrations of loyalty ensured that it radiated a sense of Imperial power and certainty that had gradually been lost from Ancient Terra itself amidst fifty centuries of petty power struggles, megalomaniac government and panicky, reactionary rule.

 

The period immediately prior to the Interregnum saw the High Lords of Terra lost in petty internal squabbles that saw the Imperium as a whole stagnate. After a number of assassinations, counter-insurgencies and open warfare on Terra, the Adeptus Custodes declared that the High Lords would have to be represented in absentia in order to ensure the safety of the Emperor's person; and governance of the Imperium became even more bureaucratic, disjointed and delayed than usual.

 

In exasperation, many systems turned to Segmental government; regarding the High Lords as too distant. Nova Terra was an obvious choice of regional government. It was well-regarded and admired by both the Administratum and Ecclesiarchy, and enjoyed considerable support across the sector owing to it acting as a bastion for stability during the War of the False Primarch in M33.

 

 

Nova Terra declared its Ur-Council  as the highest point of authority in the Imperium at some point in M34 – supposedly reluctantly, though it had rapidly and unashamedly gathered support and declarations of loyalty since its formation some two centuries prior. 

 

The Ur-Council of Nova Terra 

The Ur-council was a group of the great and good (or at least powerful and ruthless) of the Segmentum, with many similarities to the High Lords. Present on the Ur-Council were seats for representatives for the Inquisition; Adeptus Ministorum; Administratum; Adeptus Mechanicus and Imperial Navy. Indeed, a number of the figures were ex-High Lords themselves, including the Master of Assassins – who had resigned his seat on Terra in disgust.

 

Events began to spiral quickly after conflicting order from Terra caused elements of Battlefleet Pacificus to variously deploy and disarm; an embarrassing state of affairs that saw a number of oppportunistic worlds rebel in the face of Imperial inaction and equivocation. Hydraphur, the seat of the Segmentum Navy, declared that henceforth it would only obey orders from Terra once they had been ratified by Nova Terra. 

 

Conflict with Terra was all but inevitable once the Imperial Commanders of Colcha and Guryan, famed seats of resistance and bywords for loyalty owing to their actions during the Plague of Unbelief, immediately followed suit, drafting a proposal that stated that – while Ancient Terra should be respected as the birthplace of humanity and seat of the God-Emperor – Nova Terra was the obvious choice for temporal power to be focussed; as the Ur-council could provide more stable and clear-sighted leadership than the corrupt and discredited High Lords.

 

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+ Shifting loyalties +

One after another, countless worlds and systems came to declare for Nova Terra. Within a century, fifteen thousand systems had openly rejected the High Lords' rules; and by the time the numbers reached one hundred thousand systems – roughly a third of the Segmentum, with the remainder remaining pointedly neutral, Nova Terra made an official edict that Segmentum Pacificus would dissolve its connection with the rest of the Imperium. This was, of course, couched in diplomatic language, but the intent was clear.

 

The High Lords' response was weak and vacillating; with the bickering chamber unable to come to a united response. A number of small fleets fought isolated actions, but the skirmishes were limited and lacked coherence – not to mention the forces' understandable reluctance to engage supposedly friendly Imperial forces. 

 

None of this is to suggest that Nova Terra's governance was in any way less labyrinthine or complex than Ancient Terra's. The edict had only come to fruition through blackmail, hidden influence and a number of assassinations. As the saying goes; power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

 

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[Major_Gilbear]

I really like your work on these Orks (in fact, I went back to your blog and spent a happy couple of hours catching up and enjoying your works!).

 

A few thoughts:

 

- The more upright poses and the removal of the more spurious detail has given a really nice RT/2E look whilst still keeping the rather brutish Brian Nelson style. I think this re-posing has really given me a different view of these old models now.

 

- The smaller guns (the Goliath stubcannon and the M249) suit the models much better. They are still big by human (or even Space Marine) standards, but also small enough to make the Orks's size seem bigger by contrast. I'd actually look at making the other two Shootas a tad smaller in fact.

 

 - The muted skin colour is fantastic, so much better than the increasingly-lurid Studio scheme. I also like that they could pass for a hybrid of Goff and Blood Axe clans.

 

- The M249 is distinctive, but that's because the details are perhaps a little too faithful to the actual weapon. Then again, most of the Heavy Stubbers I've seen look just like the H2 Browning (with the FW Vraksian Renegades having a version that looks just like a MG42). I think if you changed or removed the carry handle, and swapped out the barrel or ironsights for something similar but slightly different, that would be enough to "40k-ify" it. As for why Orks have 'Oomie gunz... Well, they traded fer 'em, did'ney? ;)

[Naryn]

Love the background, and I can’t overstate how much of an improvement those Orks are over the base models.

[apologist]

Thanks for the considered critique and ideas, Major_Gilbear; always a pleasure to hear from you; and very glad you’re still enjoying the blog. On the weapons in particular, I’ve been keeping an eye out for smaller weapons, but they’re few and far between. That’s not to say I won’t replace those guns, however...

 

Another four boyz get their greenstuff (and a grin) on:

 

 

More work to do on them yet, but I'm pleased with the slightly more upright pose I've got on them. I think it makes them look a little more like the rangy classic orks. The pre-greenstuff image shows it nicely. The part-painted lad is unconverted, the remaining three had their legs trimmed off the groin, then rotated (ouch :shock:)

 

...Oh, and while I'm posting, some proper Oldhammer grots, along with more modern ones. All awaiting paint:

[Chickenleg]

Sweet greenskins.

[Major_Gilbear]

Very nice!

 

On the subject (again) of weapons, I was looking at the Orlock plastic ones, and I think some of them may be a decent fit. Not for every Ork, but scattered here and there like the Goliath one.

 

I also think some of the old plastic GorkaMorka weapons (if you can find them on eBay cheap enough) would be an excellent mid-point between the 2E and 3E Ork guns, and thus suit the feel of your models perfectly. :)

[Grim Dog Studios]

 

 

I've been following this thread since the beginning but have yet to post anything. 

I love what you are doing with pretty much everything especially the "updating" of the rogue trader/old 40K miniatures. I wasn't alive back in the Rogue Trader days but I grew up reading classic White Dwarf magazines full of images of the old RT and early 40K stuff and so it is still very nostalgic for me.

I really like the true scaling of the Blood Angels as well, I'm not a fan of Primaris marines but they do make for a great truescale base when you add small details like different helmets/bolters etc.

 

Great! Lovely to hear that you're enjoying it, and I'd like to repeat that anyone is more than welcome to join in, if you'd like to help me explore this fascinating period of the game. It's a great excuse to do something a bit different, or explore something that – for one reason or another – doesn't work in M41.

 

If you would like to join in, there's a landing page to get you up to speed here, which includes some of models that others have built for the project. Below is a brief prelude of the period, to (hopefully) spark some ideas.

 

 

 

I might just take you up on that! I've been thinking about making a MK VI Kill team with Umbra bolters in the style of one of the RT chapters for a while now just for a bit of nostalgia, so this would be the perfect excuse to do so. However seeing your true scaling with the Primaris marines I might have to go for something similar and attempt some true scale MK VI marines.

[apologist]

Centurion Jay – lovely; would be pleased to have you on-board with the #alienwars. If it helps, there's the first article in a series up today on Death of a Rubricist, detailing the orks during the Nova Terra Interregnum. The interaction between the greenskins and the space marines might spark an idea or two?

 

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+ Orks during the Nova Terra Interregnum +

Across such a timescale – the Nova Terra Interregnum now entering its fourth century – and span of the whole Imperium, it is impossible to do more than touch upon the broadest generalities of the ork encroachment on previously safe Imperial space.

 

Whatever their origin, orks have infested the whole known galaxy. Rogue Traders, explorators and pioneers almost always inevitably meet with greenskin pirates or isolated ork settlements when travelling known routes – it seems orks are drawn to shipping, whether Imperial or otherwise. The species as a whole is nomadic, always seeking to expand and move on; though individual warlords are known to settle a particular system or region and fortify it as an empire. Such empires include Jagga, Charion and Charadon in the galactic east; the Calverna dominion which straddles Segementum Solar and Tempestus; and Gathrog and Dredruk in the north of Imperial territory. The two latter empires are most familiar to Imperial scholars, being unusually willing to trade with, and for a few isolated and celebrated periods, to have allowed cultural exchanges by Imperial observers. For this reason, the guttural dialect here is most familiar to the Imperium.

 

Nor is Nova Terra immune. The secessionists must contend with the Cromart empire in their northern marches, while the orks of Mastag Prime sit on the borders between the Western Imperium and Prime Imperium. These long-established empires are the exception, rather than the rule. While belligerent and aggressive, these empires are largely predictable [+appendnote auth. Unfortunus Veck – This complacency was to be rewarded with the near destruction of the Chapter Astartes Crimson Fists and the devastation of Rynn's World in later years, so perhaps the learned Inquisitrix's advice must be taken cum grano salis, as a product of her time.+] and mostly concerned with internal affairs. 

 

With the Imperium split, many sub-chieftains and hitherto unknown ork forces seem to have taken the opportunity to begin raiding. Where once they would have been swiftly countered, the Imperial Navy and Guard were largely concerned with internal patrols, leaving border regions and wilderness space unpatrolled. Fortunately, most Imperial Commanders proved capable of directing their own forces to counter most small-scale raids, though many dozens of border worlds were undoubtedly lost to the greenskins as a direct consequence of the Imperial division. 

 

 

+ Orks, Space Marines and The Alien Wars+ 

Nevertheless, disrupted and aggressive greenskin tribes are a sizeable threat, and no world could afford to be isolated. The Interregnum might have proven disastrous – even an existential threat to united humanity – had a purely defensive, inward-looking strategy been pursued by the Twin Imperium against species exemplified by the orks. It is fortunate, then, that the bulk of the Adeptus Astartes proved willing to begin prosecuting attacks and intercessary assaults on alien species in wilderness space.  

 

Novamarines struggle against orks of the Dregrak Dominions own elite power-armoured units during the defence of Cypra Mundi.

 

As a whole, the Astartes stood aloof from the underlying events of the Secession – most Chapter Masters were either philosophically unwilling to be drawn into Imperial politicking, or recognised that the increasingly religious fervour of the Imperium made direct interference potentially deadly; inviting suppression of the arguably heretical Chapter Cults. 

 

With the exception of a few Chapters – notably the Imperial Fists and Chapter Castellan, who openly arrayed themselves with Terra; and the Consecrators, high profile successors of the mercurial Dark Angels, who declared open warfare on Nova Terra for reasons unknown – few notable Chapters openly declared in favour of Terra or Constantium (as Nova Terra was then known); instead prevaricating, citing constitutional technicalities that prevented them from interfering with Imperial policies, or simply withdrawing. To the common man, it would have made little difference, but to the Imperial nobility, the Space Marines' reduced communication must have seemed like the withdrawal of a protective aegis. 

 

Iron Hands Clan Trago fight the orks of da Shooty Boyz

Fortunately for humanity, the Space Marines were not sitting idle. They were, in many ways, more active than they had been in years; taking up the slack of patrolling the wilderness regions, and launching isolated, preventative assaults on xenos strongholds to degrade their ability to launch assaults on humanity. 

 

These wars were fought galaxy-wide, and were often unnoted beyond the individual Chapters' own records. The patchy histories of these largely unsung wars were later gathered into the period known as the Alien Wars, the name drawn from an early campaign launched by the Blood Angels Chapter Master of the early period, Formosus. Despite the name, the xenocidal campaigns of the Alien Wars lacked a unity of focus; most Astartes Chapters understandably wary of associating even with their closest cousin-Chapters, for fear of being honour-drawn into later censure, should their allies later decide to declare for Constantium or Terra.

 

An overview, then, tells of a thousand separate wars fought in isolation; of the Astartes fighting a leaderless crusade against the foes of humanity, largely free of favour or political affiliation. The Alien Wars tell of glorious victories and horrible defeats, but as the saying goes, for every battle honour, a hundred heroes die alone, unsung and unremembered. 

 

While these wars were fought against hundreds of species – the Q'orl, Shint, Eldar, Krell, Janii, and Muspella to name but a few – the wars against the orks were undoubtedly the most numerous. The struggle between ork and space marine on long-forgotten worlds, far beyond the borders of human space proper, has thus become entrenched as the enduring and iconic image of the Alien Wars.

 

+ The orkoid mind +

The 'deep instinct' of their inherited knowledge is perhaps the most alien part of these creatures' mindsets to humans; and what sets them apart in success and longevity than so many other species, who are similar or superior in physical stature and cultural nuance. Despite their outward actions mirroring the most base level of feral primitive or hive scum criminal; it is dangerous to think of them as inherently inferior. Their mental actions and processes are direct and uncomplicated, in their uniquely alien manner, but this is not to suggest uncomplex. 

 

While typically robust rather than innovative, ork technology is often surprisingly complex. Ork field technology, in particular, is of a level far in advance of modern Imperial ability to replicate. Some xeno-archeologists suggest it is in advance of such species as the Uive and Eldar. GIven their obvious technical prowess, why assume the orkoid mind is any less capable of extremes?

 

It is almost impossible to imagine how an ork's brain develops in cognitive terms, and it is arguable that an ork has no 'mind' as a human would perceive it. Perhaps the closest one an Imperial citizen might come to understanding it is through the relatively familiar concepts of hypno-indoctrination and injected learning: methods through which a human mind may become familiar with a language, skillset or set of knowledge. 

 

However, this is a very crude metaphor. The human mind is a blank canvas for such additions, whereas an ork seems to have nothing beyond such blocks. To extend the painting metaphor, while a human mind builds sedimentary layers of paint to inform his personality, the ork's mind is a series of interacting layers of paint, constantly swirling and bubbling; ever in motion. Even this does little justice to the nature of the greenskin, for far from being mental blanks or unthinking drones (like the drifting, locust-like biomechanical hive-mind creatures newly-discovered near Ultramar), each greenskin evinces personality, individuality, and a uniquely complex series of drives that propels him forward. 

 

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I won't post the whole thing here, as it's quite discursive, but the whole article's up here, if this has piqued your interest.

[DuskRaider]

Great lore, frater. I love the fair and balanced observations of the Orkoid species. When was said author accused of heresy and purged?