The Great Repaintening (Lots of Pics)

[WarriorFish]

Good to see a Dread and Techmarine especially, hope to see them finished soon :tu:

[Brother Casman]

No pictures today, alas, but I've done some reassembly of the current works-in-progress. Instead, I'm gonna lay down some thoughts on how I think the new dudes fit into my Chapter Organization.

 

------------

 

So, the new Vanguard look pretty cool, but their descriptions leave me somewhat confused as to how they fit into a Chapter of Space Marines. It kind of looks like a Primaris Space Marine Chapter consists of the Veteran 1st Company, the "Training" 10th Company, and the remainder are just "Companies", swapping gear as they deploy on missions. The whole thing seems, well, vague at best, and contradicts the established doctrine on company purposes. A wee bit frustrating.

 

Since I intend to integrate the Primaris into my existing Blood Ravens, I've been thinking about ways to fit them into the organization. My initial thought was that, since the Primaris are "new", they'd be part of the various Reserve Companies, so that they can be evaluated and get the chance to interact with the existing forces. Easily done, or so I thought: the Intercessors could be from a Tactical Reserve Company, the Hellblasters could be from the Devastator Reserve, and the Reivers could be from the Assault Reserve. My Chapter Organization would look something like this:

• Veteran Company
• Battle Company
• Battle Company
• Battle Company (my chosen company for my army)
• Battle Company
• Tactical Reserve Company (often deploys on bikes as a rapid strike force)
• Tactical Reserve Company (Intercessors attached here)
• Assault Reserve Company (Inceptors and Reivers)
• Devastator Reserve Company (Hellblasters and Aggressors)
• Scout Company (initial Primaris training also)

The new Vanguard in the Shadowspear box started to make me question that idea, since I didn't think that everyone shown would fit into established Reserve Company doctrine; plus, to be fair, the options in the original Dark Imperium set looked more like a "mini" Battle Company. Fast forward to last Monday (March 4th, 2019), and Jes Goodwin's second interview on the Voxcast Podcast, with all the teases about other possible Primaris dudes and it's clear that my Primaris-as-reservists doesn't quite work (as an aside: I'm hoping for siege/combat engineers with Techmarines and heavy weapons. Should be part and parcel of the Adeptus Astartes way of war, as far as I'm concerned).

 

Anyway, what to do? I like the thought of new Space Marines "graduating" from the Scout Company and working through the Reserve Companies as they master the various ways of warfare, ending up in a Battle Company once they're ready (and a slot opens up). Logically, the Primaris aren't going to remain in the Reserves forever, so perhaps I could designate a Battle Company to be their "destination". The Vanguard Space Marines remind me of elite recon/special forces units (admittedly, that's also what GW calls them), so I had the thought of perhaps moving them into their own company as well. They aren't quite Veteran (not equipped with Terminator Armour, plus we'll leave some space for future veteran Primaris Space Marines), but they also aren't quite a standard Battle Company either. That would suggest an elite company below the 1st, I think. My Chapter Organization now would look something like this:

• Veteran Company
• Vanguard Company (elite/recon; Reivers, Infiltrators, etc)
• Battle Company
• Battle Company (my chosen company for my army; Tactical, Assault, Devastators, etc)
• Primaris Battle Company (Intercessors, Inceptors, Hellblasters, etc)
• Tactical Reserve Company (often deploys on bikes as a rapid strike force)
• Tactical Reserve Company (mixed Tactical and Intercessor)
• Assault Reserve Company (mixed Assault and Inceptors)
• Devastator Reserve Company (mixed Devastators, Hellblasters, and Aggressors)
• Scout Company (initial Primaris training also)

I feel that the Veteran and Vanguard Companies would often attach individual squads to the "fighting companies" but they can also fight as Companies in their own right. Interestingly, the idea of the 2nd Company being a recon company also sounds a bit like the Dark Angels' Ravenwing, a nice little coincidence. I've also tried to leave space for future Adeptus Astartes units - like the rumoured jetbikes; they could theoretically end up in the 6th Company, which could be re-designated as a Battle Company, rather than a Reserve Company. We'll see what the future brings.

 

Of course, now that I've laid this all out, I'm going to end up with a whole Chapter's worth of models, aren't I?

 

And but so, that's how I think I'd organize my Blood Ravens. Thoughts?

[WarriorFish]

I'm not up on the recent changes, but it does sound quite vague enough to have little merit even. I expect this is because GW haven't figured it out either, so it might be best not to devote too much time to it just in case they slap a big retcon on it later? Going for a mix or inspired by normal Chapter organisation seems like a sensible plan to me :)

[Brother Casman]

I honestly won't mind if GW puts in a retcon - I'll either adapt to fit, or ignore it. The 40k universe is big enough that my tiny little contributions will just vanish in the overall story, and that's okay. Any contradictions just serve to highlight the absurdity, really!

[Race Bannon]

THIS is a great idea and can be easy modeled for other Codex Chapters.  Naturally, there can be tweaks here and there ;)

 

For example, as we have seen, Primaris are being included in Battle Companies and extending the size beyond 10 Squads (iirc this is revealed in the SM Codex for the Ultramarines 2nd Company …).  So. it seems to me the 5th Co wouldn't have to be a strict Primaris Co and could retain it's "Battle Company" formation.

 

Unless you wanted it the way listed above :P

[Brother Casman]

Yeah, the 5th Coy being a Primaris Battle Company is just an example really; I'd imagine that the level of integration in the existing Companies would vary quite a bit from Chapter to Chapter.

 

I'm also drawing on some old Blood Ravens lore: the Fifth Company is known as the "Fated Fifth" as the whole company has been lost in the past (turned to Chaos, I think?). I'm debating losing the 5th Coy (again, poor gents) in the opening of the Great Rift, and the Chapter Command deciding to rebuild it as all Primaris.

[Race Bannon]

Ohhhhh. Well now that makes beautiful sense ^_^

 

I'm still going to copy this idea :yes:

[Brother Casman]

Today... today I bring pictures.

I've finished a Devastator Squad equipped with Lascannons, and a Techmarine in full servo-harness.

The Great Repaintening continues!

[Dusktiger]

i always enjoy seeing the updates to this army, Cas.  a friend had a blood raven army and i always loved seeing it on the table; its such a nice aesthetic when its all painted up.

 

the only thing that nags at me though, are your bases.  2 things about them:

1. I've seen a few of them show signs that you didn't fully scrape clean the edges where you removed them from the sprues.  it really stands out on those bases due to your color palette choice, so i'd suggest making sure you give them the same care as you'd do the models themselves.
2. the grey lip trim seems like you did it too thick and gooped it onto the bases.especially that techmarine.  Again, its mostly cause you chose such a light grey, it makes it more obvious  than other colors would have.  But if that's cause you converted the bases and the lines are actually your greenstuff, then simply going back to point 1 and taking the time to smooth the edges more would fix that.

otherwise, your metals and your red armour plating is very nice, and is two of my favorite things about your reworked stuff.

[Brother Casman]

Thanks for the suggestions, DT. The various character bases are resin ones from Dragon Forge Designs, and the edges do have some texture to them, which I think is picked up by the bright lights in the photo box. The other bases are scraped clean after I snip them from their sprues, I just use a xacto knife to do it, which is likely taking a bit too much off the contact point, leaving it flatter than the rest of the rim. I'll try to keep an eye on base rims, though, and try to remember to thin my grey down a little more.

[WarriorFish]

Coming along nicely, those lascannons will do good work (and no doubt roll well thanks to their new coat of paint). Special bonus points for the Techmarine of course :D

[Brother Casman]

Thanks, WF. That techmarine model is probably my favourite in the whole range. I'm really drawn to the various "engineers" in 40k: the tech-priests, the techmarines, even the Ork mek-boys. The mix of secret knowledge, mysticism, and scientific principles, in varying levels, is really cool to me.

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Excellent paint jobs.

[War Angel]

This is awesome! I am looking forward to slowly following your progress.

[WarriorFish]

Thanks, WF. That techmarine model is probably my favourite in the whole range. I'm really drawn to the various "engineers" in 40k: the tech-priests, the techmarines, even the Ork mek-boys. The mix of secret knowledge, mysticism, and scientific principles, in varying levels, is really cool to me.

Preaching to the choir brother! Sure you don't want to join us Iron Hands/counts-as? Seeing yours makes me want to get round to the old school model I have that needs paint, especially as I'm finally back to my loyalists again :)

[Brother Casman]

Well, today I have some thoughts on the make-up of the Havenesse Spiral. At some point, I intend to draw a pic of what the sub-sector looks like, too.

-----------

++++Sub-sector Description++++

The Havenesse Spiral: a sub-sector of the Charadon Sector, located in the Ultima Segmentum. The primary system is the Meneter system, a convergence point for a few stable Warp Routes, and thus a waystation for Imperial shipping traveling along the Scutum-Centaurus Arm between Balor and Schindleghiest; this is the Gateway to the rest of the Spiral. Following the Spiral brings the traveller to the Xundaenia 4P7 system, hosting a minor Forge World (aligned with Metalica) tasked with keeping the Spiral supplied. Continuing along the Spiral takes the traveller to the Utis system, site of an apparent planetary cataclysm, as indicated by a vast asteroid field in the habitable zone. The last inhabited system of the Spiral is the Ipra system, recently colonized by the Imperium, drawing settlers from Meneter and Xundaenia 4P7. The only other notable location in the sub-sector is the Lomia system, in close proximity to Xundaenia 4P7. Lomia would ordinarily be ignored by the Imperium and the Adeptus Mechanicus alike, but for the presence of the Space Hulk Spire of Desolation.

Approximate distances: 45,000 light-years from Holy Terra, 15,000 ly from Macragge, 7,500 ly from Metalica

 

+++System Information+++

++Meneter system++ (UL/CHA/HS/995/505/+29) (G class/yellow dwarf star) (The Gateway)

+Planets and other astral phenomena+ (starting from the innermost)

• Thuyephus (ringed gas giant/Saturnine)
• Cholvarth (terrestrial Fortress World/High Imperial) - Evis (asteroid moon)
• Crolla Waystation (enormous orbital station/shipyard)
• Zore's Light (comet/outbound)
• Zetrov (terrestrial Death World[Arctic]/Penal Colony) - population suitable for Adeptus Astartes recruitment - Dao (space station/monitor)

++Xundaenia 4P7 system++ (UL/CHA/HS/931/537/+15) (M class/red dwarf star) (The Forge)

+Planets and other astral phenomena+

• Dust Clouds
• Brinda MW (gas giant/Neptunian) - Phion XO (habitable moon/Forge World)
• Ulmorix CBQ (terrestrial Mining World/Mid Imperial) - Coth TGR (large moon)
• Drillon 04B (orbital station/supply point)

++Utis system++ (UL/CHA/HS/910/513/-25) (M class/red dwarf star) (The Shattered)

+Planets and other astral phenomena+

• Halvao (gas giant/Neptunian) - several asteroid moons
• Thociumia (gas giant/Neptunian) - Achayama (habitable moon/Feral World) - population suitable for Adeptus Astartes recruitment
• Dust Clouds
• Asteroid Fields (ancient Phion XO records [dating to before the Great Crusade] indicate that a terrestrial planet used to be found in this region)
• Seunia (ringed gas giant/super-Jovian)
• Korus (ringed gas giant/super-Jovian)

++Ipra system++ (UL/CHA/HS/927/481/-38) (B class/blue star) (The Young)

+Planets and other astral phenomena+

• Dust Clouds
• Acorix (comet/inbound sungrazer?)
• Asteroid Fields
• Imotania (dwarf terrestrial Forbidden [Garden] World) - under extreme astroid bombardment, it is unknown if this former colony has any inhabitants left
• Razoth (comet/inbound)
• Asteroid Fields - belt cities colonized by the Adeptus Mechanicus; main city is Lov 5CWU
• Bageshan (terrestrial Developing Agri-World) - new Imperial colony

++Lomia system++ (UL/CHA/HS/937/527/+11) (T class/brown dwarf star) (The Inner Dark)

+Planets and other astral phenomena+

• Spire of Desolation (Space Hulk) - Occasionally, brave (or foolhardy) souls attempt to explore the hulk, but almost none return.
• Unnamed comet (outbound)
• Dust Clouds

[Brother Casman]

So, I'm supposed to be working on my servitors to go with my techmarine, but I got distracted and ended up painting a new captain instead.

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Excellent work on the thunder hammer-wielding CAPT. I like the dynamic pose.

[Brother Casman]

Got my quartet of servitors done tonight:

[Bjorn Firewalker]

The servitors are well-painted.

[Brother Casman]

Hey all, I've finally completed a classic Dreadnought. He's got a couple of weapons - a lascannon and an assault cannon. I've also added a little icon to the left shoulder, much like my power-armoured marines.

[WarriorFish]

Can never go wrong with a Dreadnought :tu: Looks good in the red :)

[Lord Raven 19]

This is an incredibly brave undertaking. Keep going. Looks great.

[Brother Casman]

I've finally completed the Company Ancient. I need more practice with the decal paper I purchased (I should invest in some micro-sol and micro-set), but I mostly like how it has turned out.

This is the "fighting" standard of the Fourth Company - the Company Number, Chapter Icon, and Company Motto are all present. The motto for the company is "Nostris Teneamus" - which I've done in a sort of Carolingian Minuscule script to evoke a more medieval feel.

The Company Ancient is escorted by the Company Champion (who's been done for a while, I needed a few attempts to lay out the standard to a level I was pleased with).

[Bjorn Firewalker]

The Champion and the Ancient are well done.