Knights of Vindication

[Rizara]

Greetings brothers/sisters.

This is a motivation blog for me to try to stay focused. Before 8th started I was going to work on an AoV army, and while I started it, I gave up almost as quickly on it. Then 8th was announced, and those new shiny marine kits were released. I was going to do a full on primaris army but decided to create a fist army and with the starter box I did. However I wasn't thrilled with it as it was, but not the primaris I simply love the new sculpts, the size, it is more of the lack of well options they have right now. I was also getting back into the hobby, and 8th was starting and so here I am, half a year later, I am going to do a new Primaris army, but returning to the Rock in the form of a Dark Angel Successors. This time around, It will be a primaris focused army, but not every unit I am fielding will be exactly primaris only. For example, I am planning to take a techmarine and convert a primaris techmarine. I am also looking at fielding some tanks like a predator and sicaran but they are not converted. Fluff wise I will simply say their cockpits have been modified to be piloted by primaris.

At this point I would like to include some background, but honestly, this blog will partially be discussing the background to flesh it out more. I will make a second post to include update to date background info on my chapter as I work on it. This will make it easier to just update the front page for those who are interested in reading my armies fluff as I have refined it. So i will include the fluff as well as painting the army in question. The painting part of it will be a slow process. I will try to keep this initial post up to date with army shots as I finish painting units, so the first page will always showcase the most uptodate army shot, but individual characters and units will be in the thread.

So this is my initial color scheme concept. This was done very crudely using Clip art studios, I was just trying to knock out a proof of concept to use as a guide. I dabbled in Dawn of war (1 and 2) to try out colors that I liked and to figure out how much of a secondary color to use. I have since changed the army symbol or refined it. I will have to get a new shot of the sketch up at some point, as well as worked out a better system for painting the helmets, but still similar to the one here. Unit markings are a different slightly but till use the bone color to add more bone across the color scheme.

As stated, they are a dark angel successor, so they will incorporate some dark angel markings if just in a different color scheme, however they are also going to be organized more like knights and less like a monastery of monks. This means that I will be including tabards for my veterans and characters, but not robes. I will be adding shields to sergeants and I am keeping my unit markings more abstract and knightly looking. I will also be using some naming conventions that are more knight inspired.

[Rizara]

So a little bit of background so far. 

 

Basically they are not a true ultima founding chapter persay, as My primaris are not going to be a successor given to the dark angels upon the arrival of a primarch.     I am leaning towards my chapter being created after the rock was invaded and the events of the mission prisoner. (mentioned in the current codex fluff).     The chapter master for my chapter will be a former deathwing knight leader from the Angels of Vengeance, who was there when the events happened.   He was selected by Azrael to lead this special founding and was tasked with creating a special chapter who's purpose is tracking down the where abouts of Luther, and the Fallen who was behind freeing him.   While the task at hand is still the same goal of all forgiven, he was tasked with creating a crusading and agressive force to keep on the heels of the fallen.   So a selection of primaris and non primaris were picked out, seeking out those primaris that were trusted from current service and filling in the ranks with newly created primaris.   The chapter still has a first and second company comprised of veterans, and these veterans were formed from existing death wing and raven wing from other successors.  All of these members were presented with the opportunity to undergo the primaris transformation so that the chapter would feel like equals amongst the rest of the primaris.   

 

(as of right now, i am still working on how to field my first and second company in primaris fashion, for now my ravenwing company is mostly going to be comprised of nephilim fighter squadrons, but I am thinking of converting some jet bike riding primaris with the custode jet bikes, though these may be fielding more like land speeders than actual bikers.  My deathwing primaris I was thinking of converting some agressors into deathwing knights/teminators but again I am still debating it.   I am already looking at vehicles being modified to fit primaris but also converting some existing units into primaris count as versions.) 

 

Again this is a very crude fluff idea, but something I want to refine.    So I am open to ideas, because writing is not my strong point, short stories and brief ideas/concepts I am good at, but depth detail fluff pieces not so much.   As an artist I stick to the art side more anyways. 

[Rizara]

so now time for a few Work in Progress. These are all primed at this point and the bases are painted. I have yet to work on the marines yet, so this will be a slow paint blog, as lately time has been in short supply.

Primaris Hell Blasters. 3 units, 2 with assault incinerators, 1 with heavy incinerators. (to be honest, after a team tourney this weekend, the assault variants were sorely targeted after my opponents saw how effective they were against infantry....and mobile. It also gave my heavy ones more opportunities to blast away at a distance).

Paladin Castiel (Lieutenant)

Sentinel Kaelen (Company Champion)

The company champion is a count as model, as the stats for that unit they are not primaris, so instead of putting him on a larger base, I kept him on the 32 MM base to separate him from the HQ characters of the army. I really love the unit and see the potential plus I mainly play locally and not in many tournaments. This is a hobby for me, as I don't get to play as often as I would like, and I wanted an army with conversions in it. He has since gained his tabard, and I am finishing up a second company champion. I am decided to give the champions a rank in my background fluff, as each company will hold a unit of veterans that act as the old command squads. This will consiste of 1 apothecary attached to the company, an ancient, and 2-5 company champions that I call Sentinels. They are the protectors and bodyguard of the Master and paladins (my Lieutenants) of each company.

I am also working on a primaris conversion for my techmarine, using a primaris body with techmarine servo harness and at least the power axe arm. I am slowly working on sculpting up the chest plate and maybe leg greaves to look more techmarine like. Also in the planning stage is a Primaris Azrael for my army, which will be my chapter master. I am stuck on figuring out what to do for the watcher who carriers the helm. I could go with the plastic watcher which I have the bit for, and add a helm, but I am thinking about some more interesting ideas like using a cherub or flying winged watcher perhaps. Trying to honestly figure out a way to add the watcher to the same base as the primaris marine since they will be on the larger base. I would rather not do a separate model simply because, rules wise, once azrael is removed the watcher is too, so the watcher should really be apart of the model now.

I also have a Sicaran in route, always loved that tank and figured, its about time I get one. Outside of the units I talked about so far and have shown, I am still debating on what to add to my army as I am working towards a 2500 point list, which seems to be the current cap and average game my local group plays. they can play less but most of them like to play at 2500 points.

[Interrogator Stobz]

Welcome Brother,

Your minis, story and scheme look very promising!

Due to the inclusion of the Primaris marines a suspicion is raised as to the purity and purpose of your force.

As their leader you will be held responsible and as such you are to submit to some gentle assessments in Chamber 42. Set aside a week, but prepare for an extended stay should things not go so well.

 

;)

[Wrath of Bruinen]

Really nice work, I especially like your paladin

[Pearson73]

Really liking the Lieutenant, it'll be interesting to see them painted up in that scheme too.

[Rizara]

one really has to wonder just how big chamber 42 really is.  It sounds like a small cell, maybe just big enough for a cot and toilet, but with as many people that are sent there, it must be a huge room, or its like a facility itself.    Maybe its just a really sweet Dark Angel resort in the most luxurious part of the Rock where we can spend time killing simulated heretics, practice are bolter cleaning skills, polishing our chainswords and power swords, do crafts like building new robes and relics to adorn our armor with.   It may not be as torturouse as the name suggests. 

 

Anyways, as I said most of the primaris like any battle brother are kept in the dark, the ones who know the secrets were selected from already established deathwing/ravenwings and inducted into the new chapter so as to monitor the other primaris, but they underwent the process of becoming primaris themselves so as to keep the suspiscion of the rest of the chapter to a minimum since most primaris already feel as though they are not given the same respect as other marines in the unforgiven.  

 

Thanks guys for the warm words, i am trying to get some time to really paint these guys, but work has been rough the past several months, and family life is a bit hectic as well.  

[sneakybamsen]

That company champion is modelled awesomely. Really digging the stance!

 

Pure inspiration for the one I'm going to have to assemble soon (non-primaris though).

[Rizara]

thank you.  I wanted a very defensive stance for him and the shield was for coolness, marines are strong why would they need a smaller buckler shield.  The other one I am modeling has a bit more aggressive stance, but he is waiting for a sword.  Wanted a second one of those but can't seem to find one up on ebay and I don't want to pay for an entire box just to get it.  

[Rizara]

no update yet on painted models.   Mostly because I have been contemplating the scheme as a whole.   I think in the end I have decided to adjust it.  Basically I am going to replace the black armor with Bronze.  I keep thinking I need something a little brighter than a black army, but I want a knightly feel too, so a metallic will add to that knightly feel, but I am going to give it a darker bronze with some patina.   The bone greaves will now become black, and the shoulder pads will remain black, with bone markings.  I will relegate the bone color to an accent color instead of secondary color.  This also allows me to use black or bone for robes instead of blue for the robes.    I am debating the helm colors though, whether to keep black or go with bronze.  Still thinking of keeping the blue for the sergeants maybe I will keep the bronze helmets for basics, blue stripe for squad leaders (in 10 man strong units only), blue for sergeant, black helm for veterans, and use bone to signify some inner circle status on lieutenants and masters.   

The upside to this, is that means when I do get around to converting up some jetbike riding primaris for my raven guard, I can make the bikes themselves all black with bronze accents to showcase my ravenwing still using more traditional coloring at least on the vehicles.    I think this will be more fun to paint than the solid black armor, especially when I take in my vehicles.   

Since I am under the weather I will see if i can't get a little painting in this weekend in between some rest.  I will however work on some modeling as I got a few more kits coming in and I some bits to finish up some models.

 

As for my planned list, i am building towards a 2500 point list.  My local group likes to play at these levels, but anything less.  After I get this 2500 points painted (or mostly painted), i will probably expand out to try some other options or to build towards a company. 

 

This is my planned list.   All non primaris will be converted to primaris models but will stand apart easily enough.

 

Vangard/spearhead/outrider detachments will be fielded, here is the combined list

Azrael 

Primaris Lietenant with plasma pistol and sword

2x company champions 

Techmarine

Primaris Librarian

Primaris Ancient

Black knight champion

Black Knights (4 strong)

Inceptors x3 w/ assault bolters

Inceptors x3 w/ assault plasmas

Hell blasters x6 w/ heavy incenerators

Hell blasters x7 w/ assault incenerators

Hell blasters x7 w/ assault incenrators

Relic Sicaran Battle tank w/ autocannons and lascannon turrets

Predator w/ autocannon and lascannon turrets

Redemptor Dread with Macro plasma

 

Outside of that list, I also have 6 inceptors with stalker rifles i can field.    I still have to work on getting the rest of the parts needed to build the jet bikes, the techmarines kit to use parts from, and the base body for my azrael will be in early next week.  My sicaran should arrive in the next week or two, hopefully this week.  The dreadnought I am still owed but that could be end of month or next month before I get it.  I may get one before hand, and just end up using the one I am owed as a second one.   I am still debating on what to use for the watcher, i have a watcher bit from the deathwing knights, but I am wanting something more interesting and different, but will probably go with that watcher since its simpler and I already have it to make a helmet bearer.    Tomorrows main kits that I am getting and will be working on is another 5 hell blasters to finish my 3 squads, the plasma inceptors, the bolter inceptors, and the predator.  I also got the ancient to assemble and got my sword bit in to finish my second champion.    Now time to go get some rest and hope I feel better in the morning to actually work on some hobby stuff. 

[Rizara]

told you it would be a slow blog. Anyways, I bring you a few updates. I really need to get an army shot of what I have so far.

Anyways, I managed to get a tiny bit of painting done, not much, just worked out some base coats on most of my hellblasters, and a few characters, and my inceptors. I decided to change the color scheme, and drop the bone knee pads. I am instead going with a color scheme layout similar to the flesh tearers, so black/possibly turquoise helm/shoulderpads/back pack instead, and going with most of the armor in an ancient bronze. The metallic armor feels more knight like, but I have spent more time assembling and converting up the army, so I can field 2500 points soon when I can get some time to play.

Here is the inceptors done in bronze to give you an idea on the bronze feel. Again I am still debating on the helm/shoulder/backpack color, as I was thinking black but the more I look at it, it may be too dark. That isn't a bad thing, its just it may be a bit dark. If I go black, then sergeants will have blue helms and the chest eagles will be blue, and squad markings will be in bone, as is the chapter icon. It also means what little cloth I have on characters will be done in blue. If I decide to go blue then I will swap the colors around while still using a bone/white for markings.

I managed to get the rest of my characters for my list converted up. In the pic below it includes from left to right, my primaris Ancient, my primaris count as Azrael, and then my techmarine. I still have to put together the helmet bearer for Azrael, been toying around with ideas, trying to think of something that could work other than the watcher but I am drawing blanks on what I could use. Would be cool to use a servitor or squire but not sure what model would work best to carry a helmet and easy enough to convert. Also the banner has been primed black and I will be painting that part separate from the ancient so I can add the detail work of the banner more effectively.

Also here are my two tanks, nothing fancy, just a predator and sicaran. Managed to get them assembled too.

I am also working on 6 jetbikes that I am building into primaris jetbikes to field as Sammael, a black knight champion, and 4 man black knight squad with the plasma talons and corvus hammers. I got the bikes built, just got to work on adding the riders.

Only things I am missing from my list in the last post is the 3 incessors with assault bolters, and the dreadnought. Sammael is just going to be extra, as I figured I might as well build him since I have the extra jet bike. Outside of the list, I have a 6 man stalker rifle intercessors squad and will have a five man autobolt rifle squad as well. After I get the bikes assembled I will get back to working on the painting part again. At least till i get the missing units, then I will assemble them and then back to painting. Its slow, its just finding time and energy these days.

[sneakybamsen]

thank you.  I wanted a very defensive stance for him and the shield was for coolness, marines are strong why would they need a smaller buckler shield.  The other one I am modeling has a bit more aggressive stance, but he is waiting for a sword.  Wanted a second one of those but can't seem to find one up on ebay and I don't want to pay for an entire box just to get it.  

 

I liked it so much I tried my best to emulate the stance for my own champion. I'll post a shot on my own plog soon. He's nowhere near as cool as yours, but I did my best with the bits I had and a bit of greenstuff.

[Rizara]

ok, I said it would be a slow update. Well I have looked and I can't find any current photos of my marine infantry models. I will have to remedy this asap. i still haven't finished a single infantry model, in fact the only model I have finished is my Sicaran. I have my entire army for the most part given the first layer of tinny bitz, and then most given the aged bronze to the armor. As mentioned I decided to change the color scheme. Basically now the armor is brass, with the head/shoulderpads/back pack done in black, and the chest eagles in red. The eyes are turquoise as is the plasma glows. The squad markings are done in bone white and red. All my tabards/cloth is done in red.

The idea for the army is that they are a successor chapter made up orginally from angels of vengeance and concecrators. So they kept some of the black armor pieces, but went for a metallic scheme to stand out somewhat from their primary target, the fallen. So I am keeping some of that color. Anyways, here is the Sicaran, and I will get some more updates as I finish up some marines. I started heavily painting at the first of the month for an escalation league at my local store. Most of my initial list is base coated, but nothing is fully finished. I am trying to work on that. The sicaran was knocked out in a single evening, as I just got motivated to paint it.

[Interrogator Stobz]

Lovin it!!! The bronze and black looks fantastic

 

Part of what I do like is the lack of the sky blue that you favor in your original planned scheme (glow notwithstanding, that looks great), sky blue as a spot colour doesn't seem Dark Angelish enough for me. I bet it was eating your soul too, that's why you really haven't painted any infantry yet

Red and black would be cooler in my mind and there a plenty of ways to lift black if you think the helmets will look too dark; red, white, silver or bronze stripes is a great start for example. As is the bright glowing eyes you mention.

 

My 2c

Stobz

 

Edit: stupid skim reading :P

[Rizara]

I didn't lose my soul on the blue, I tried it out, and it just didn't look right.  It reminded me too much of celestial lions, and I tried a cool metallic dual tone color that was teal and violet.  It was neat, but against the bronze it was too much metallic and didn't feel like a true dark angel successor.   So, I went back to the coloring board in this case, and decided.   I wanted to avoid to much red so they didn't look like minotaurs, but I also wanted to avoid green, because well my AOS army (steam punk dwarves), is gold and the lupercal green, so didn't want to have so many metal and green armies.   So I decided to keep the black but give it more of a traditional feel.  This in the end worked out best, because I get to keep the bronze for a different looking army but yet still have my army feel like a true dark angel successor.   Granted successors can choose the colors they want, but most blood angels tend to go with red, and most of the dark angels tend to go with the primarily 4 colors, Green, black, bone, or red, with the latter being often used as a highlight, accent, or robe color.     I still wouldn't mind using that teal or turquoise color, but I decided to go with the plasma glow for it, because I was also struggling to come up with a good color to make my plasma weapons if I stuck to the turquoise.  

[MaxB]

Loving the colour scheme! Nice freehand too.

[Rizara]

here is my ETL vow. I am also working the champion who is partially painted, even though he doesn't count towards my vow. I have assembled many models but never got around to finishing the jetbike conversions till last friday. They are basically my count as models because I am fielding a primaris army, and want to still use the non primaris units so I am converting stuff up, like my champions, and now the jetbikes. They are might imposing against my other infantry models. This is also most of my 750 points list that i am fielding for the next few weeks in an escalation league, minus one jet bike from the squad, and swapping the predator out for a sicaran. I will get to showcase my color scheme on these guys, and will update as often as I can in my thread here. The riders are wearing robes (in red), armor is bronze, but the jetbikes will still be black with bronze eagles, instead of bronze bikes. They are ravenwing after all and they are showcasing that in their bikes and vehicles rather than their armor.

[march10k]

MOAR pics! 

[Greenz]

Wicked cool colour scheme! I’m really digging that bronze combo. It feels weird saying this, but I’m really enjoying those primaris so far

[Rizara]

i understand the flak from the primaris, but I have played the game since Second edition, and when I started I remember seeing those squat looking rogue trader marines.   I remember when the new rhino kit came out, it was larger and way more detailed than the old RT rhino, same with the land raider.  So to me the primaris are just new and improved models.  Right now however its an uphill battle playing purely primaris because they lack options.  I play casual and for fun, and I wanted an army I could do conversions in.  I wish my green stuff sculpting skills were stronger, but they are what they are.   Because as an artist, I have so many wild ideas, but I lack the skill set to pull them off.    The army is being painted mostly for table top, but my table top standard is a bit higher than just 3 color minimum.  That being said, I am digging the way the bronze is working out.   The original scheme Idea while cool, just wasn't a fast army.   The building up of bone to get the right shade would have taken its toll on my time, and the bronze is easy as I use a wet/dry brush method.  The hard part is getting the detailing done, and right now, I am not liking my army icon, it just feels to basic for my taste and simply not cool enough. 

 

Since I am going with a knight theme, I am going with tabards and not robes, and rules wise, i am loving the cheap champion.  It would be nice if I could upgrade that combat shield however to a storm shield, as I would gladly pay like 15-20 points for that upgrade.    That being said, I have opted to convert some units into primaris to keep a primaris only army, and vehicles I can justify and say the have modified the cockpit and drivers seat.   What may have housed 3-4 drivers/gunners/ammo loaders in a predator or sicaran, maybe now only has 1-2 primaris marines in it instead.  Or...they are still being manned by a techmarine and servitors.   Once I saw a conversion though on the jet bikes I had to do that to get me some ravenwing in the list, since a full primaris army lacks some of the dark angels special units.   I am still contemplating converting some Agressors into death wing knights, but I may hold on those for now since game play wise, the deathwing isn't as strong as the ravenwing units, at least if you only take one unit of them.  

 

I just have to find more time for painting between work and family life, yet alone more time for gaming.  

[Rizara]

well I have been working on my guys for my Vow all week, but also because they are to take the field this saturday. This week is 750 points in our escalation league, but we can change the lists up, so its really not a true build up towards list. So I decided to get use to playing with the ravenwing.

So here is my 750 points list I am fielding, but in it you can see the WIP shots of most of my vow (minus one jet bike and the predator). Right now I was pushing all of them up to 3 colors minimum just so they look better on the field of battle. I am probably going to work on the unit of intercessors first just to get them done, then pick up the character bikes and then the squad. Part of my slower progress is I have been dealing with a back injury from last week till early this week, its finally easing off so I can paint again. I was also trying to work out a better chapter badge. I really wasn't enjoying the shield with the red V bar and flame motif. So today I went back to the drawing board and did some sketches after looking at different chapter badges. I wanted them to feel more attached with their lineage but still feel like knights. I decided that they would be the shields of the chapter, as their mission like all is to hunt the fallen, but they are now trying to shield the rest of the imperium from the truth that is now out there since the escape of Luther. They are vindicating the truth, and they are on a personal quest to specifically track down luther's whereabouts more so than any other fallen. I think this badge works, even if it is a little wobbly looking. I may need to just get some decals made and replace the hand painted symbols as my brushes can't seem to hold a good point and it seems as I have aged my hands are getting wobbly. Sigh, not looking forward to the old age symptons.

[Rizara]

Small update. Finished the Interecessor squad that is part of the vow. Finished for now, as I still need to highlight the black but until I can scrounge up some extra cash to get some decals made and apply the decals they wont be highlighted. Also the bases are finished till i have a large amount of the marines finished to apply the snow I plan to add to the mars like ground, that stuff is messy and want to do a large batch at once. They are however finished up to that point and good enough for this competition. Now to work on the predator this week and start the bikes. The last few weeks have been crazy at work, this week wont be much less crazy, but way less than the last few weeks when I didn't have energy or time from work and real life.