The Idolaters of the Red Angel

[Macbeefin]

+++ ORDO MALLEUS REPORT N0230716X9237 +++

+++ HERETIC ASTARTES WARBAND REGISTRY +++ 

+++ NAME: IDOLATERS OF THE RED ANGEL +++

+++ INQUISITORIAL DESIGNATION: A12993 +++

+++ YEAR: 099.M42 +++

+++ AUTHOR: [REDACTED] +++

 

The Heretic Astartes force A12993 know themselves as the Idolaters of the Red Angel, and are named for their fallen gene-sire, the Primarch Angron. They have come to the attention of the Inquisition in the wake of the 13th Black Crusade, where they have appeared to have been originally a part of the Despoiler's war host. In the time since the Crusade, they have launched attacks throughout the Imperium from an unknown location in the Cicatrix Maledictum. The aim of this report, and its attachments, is to profile the current strength of the Idolaters and document the atrocities committed by the heretics, in the hope that this information may be used to combat these traitors in the future. 

 

The Idolaters of the Red Angel are suggested to be a newly formed warband, having been drawn together from a number of dwindling World Eaters splinter groups, united in their cause by the Chaos Lord Sevrax Drato. Drato is a heretic in the truest sense of the word, being fully devoted to the Chaos God Khorne, and who believes his Primarch Angron to be Khorne’s messiah; the most potent form of his god’s ideals made manifest. He and his warband seek to emulate Angron, so that they too may one day be as close to Khorne as their gene-father. Part of their heretical zealotry is the ritual painting of their traditionally red helms bone-white before battle, to remind each warrior of his duty to the skull throne, and that their own skulls can also be offered as bounty to the Blood God.

 

+++ PERSONNEL FILE +++

+++ PLANET OF ORIGIN: UNKNOWN +++

+++ SERIAL NUMBER: UNKNOWN +++

+++ ALIAS: RAXUS THE UNWORTHY +++

+++ PRIORITY FOR ELIMINATION: PRIORITAS MAGNA +++

 

The heretic known as Raxus is believed to have once been a Company Champion of an unknown World Eaters Echelon. Among the members of his legion, he won great fame during the Horus Heresy on Istvaan V, by defeating the infamous Raven Guard Captain [REDACTED] in single combat. As the Heresy progressed, and the World Eaters became more depraved, Raxus sought the favour of Khorne with increasing fervour. However, despite a number of dark exploits, it would appear Raxus could not draw the attention of his bloody patron. This came to a head during the War on Skalathrax, where Raxus perceived his failings in the war as the impetus for the fracturing of the legion. He sent himself into exile, allegedly vowing not to return to his fellow traitors until Khorne had found him worthy as a vassal.

 

All records of Raxus then cease for ten thousand years. His next appearance was not until M42, where he has been seen leading hosts of berserkers into battle on behalf of the Chaos Lord Sevrax Drato. It is unclear whether Raxus fulfilled his vow, or how he entered Drato’s service. Survivor reports of Raxus in action are rare and unreliable, as he is only observed from afar: presumably, those who witness him up close do not survive his berserker rage. He is said to wield a plasma pistol into battle, accompanied by a large chainaxe, which is rumoured to contain the essence of a foul Daemon. It is the judgement of this Inquisitor that the elimination of Raxus be designated prioritas magna.

 

 

[Copycat Copycat]

I like your introduction a lot. I’m currently catching up on lore so that I can learn enough about the universe to create my own warband’s tale.

 

You didn’t specifically ask for c&c on your model, but I would break the helmet up a bit by painting the mask bronze and the eyes, well, any color but the one they are now. Redoing the edge highlighting on the gauntlets (maybe even a light dry brush of a darker grey) would also bring this guy to the next level. Great start so far and I look forward to the rest of the Idolaters!

[Trevak Dal]

Is that a Khârn count as?

[Macbeefin]

@Copycat - 100% agree, I got a bit excited and couldn't wait to post! Pretty happy with how the model turned out as a whole, with the exception of the eyes and gauntlets as you mentioned. Cheers!

 

@Trevak Dal - I've been running Raxus as an Exalted Champ with Axe of Blind Fury and Plasma Pistol, but he could definitely cut it as a counts-as Khârn. 

 

Thanks for the interest from everyone, I'm hoping to use this thread as a way to document my lore and army-building progress. 

[Soulhunter1995]

Liking the look of Raxus Macbeefin :) I`ll definitely be keeping an eye on your thread

[Macbeefin]

+++ INTELLIGENCE FILE +++

+++ ORGANISATION OF WARBAND +++

+++ THE CULT OF RHOMPHAI +++
 

Intelligence reports that the Idolaters of the Red Angel have divided themselves into cults of worship, revolving around their Chaotic deity Khorne, and their Primarch Angron. The largest among these cults is the Cult of Rhomphai, who’s members seek to emulate the aspect of Khorne that is synonymous with rage. The size of this cult within the World Eaters may come as no surprise to the learned reader, given the effect of the aptly named Butcher’s Nails on the remnants of the Legion. The word Rhomphai itself comes from the Nagrakali verb to destroy. Its members often display their dedication to the aspect of rage through the large helmet crests that World Eaters Legion berserkers typically march to war in. The Rhomphai often unleash the bestial rage of Khorne through close combat, favouring the chain-blade and chain-axe to carry out the will of their dark patron.

 

Notable Members: Raxus, the Unworthy

 

Identifying features: Helmets with a large crest that is reminiscent of two ‘horns’

 

Pict Attachment: Raxus, the Unworthy stands at the forefront of fellow members of the Rhomphai. Note the shape of the helmet crests that denote allegiance to this particular cult.

 

Edited August 26, 2018 by Macbeefin

[Macbeefin]

+++ PERSONNEL FILE +++

+++ PLANET OF ORIGIN: UNKNOWN +++

+++ SERIAL NUMBER: UNKNOWN +++

+++ ALIAS: GORROM THE CRAZED +++

+++ PRIORITY FOR ELIMINATION: PRIORITAS MAGNA +++

 

It is believed that none in the Idolaters know the origins of Gorrom; only that he must have once been a great hero of the World Eaters to be interred within the chassis of a Contemptor Dreadnought. Indeed, only his name is known by way of its engraving upon his damaged armour. Discovered by Drato’s warband in a state of supreme disrepair, and abandoned for what may have been millennia, Gorrom has descended into the madness that many Hellforged Contemptors seem to escape. Nonetheless, Gorrom has been in the service of Drato for the best part of a century, and is an opponent that any Imperial commander should treat as prioritas magna on the battlefield.

 

 

 

[Macbeefin]

+++ AFTER ACTION REPORT +++

+++ IDOLATERS ATTACK MECHANICUS OUTPOST AT AGRIPINAA +++

 

Skitarii divisions from the Forge World Agripinaa, close to the Eye of Terror, have reported landfall by a World Eaters force that appears to match descriptions of the Idolaters. The current motivations behind this attack are unknown, save for those common to all servants of Khorne – mindless bloodshed.

 

+++ IDOLATERS FORCES +++

World Eaters Patrol Detachment

Raxus the Unworthy, Exalted Champion of Khorne – plasma pistol and Axe of Blind Fury.

10x Khorne Berzerkers – chainaxes and bolt pistols, Champion with plasma pistol.

10x Khorne Berzerkers – chainaxes and bolt pistols, Champion with plasma pistol.

3x Chaos Bikers – chainswords, Champion with power axe.

Gorrom the Crazed, World Eaters Helbrute – twin heavy bolter, combi-bolter and Helbrute fist.

 

+++ AGRIPINAA FORCES +++

Agripinaa Battalion Detachment

2x Tech Priest Dominus

4x5 Skitarii Rangers

2x Onager Dunecrawlers, 1 with Icarus Array, 1 with Neutron Laser

2x Kastelan Robots with Phosphor Blasters

 

 

The landing party of World Eaters had appeared to initially catch the Mechanicus forces off guard, and looked set to make the first move. However, by the grace of the Omnissiah, the Skitarii seized the initiative, and began to fire upon the World Eaters just as they had barely deployed. The opening volley from the Dunecrawlers annihilated the bikers before they had even moved from their dropzone.

 

The Idolaters seemed undeterred by this early display of firepower, surging forward and advancing as quickly as possible. The Rangers, who had deployed in the safety of the battlefield’s backline, bravely moved forward, in an attempt to screen the more valuable war machines behind them. At the rate of the heretics’ advance, the Skitarii would only have one more opportunity to thin them down with shooting before the tide of crazed Astartes smashed into their lines. Unfortunately, despite their manic desire to come within arm’s reach of the Skitarii, the World Eaters made good use of the ruined cityscape, and only took a few casualties to the incoming fusillade. With that, the Idolaters were upon them.

 

One squad, directed by Raxus himself, scaled the central building, which housed a squad of Rangers making use of the high ground. The other hurdled the barricades behind which another squad were taking cover. Both were slaughtered to a man within seconds. The berserkers on the ground quickly consolidated into another close by squad of Rangers, ready to cut down the stalwart soldiers as quickly as they had their comrades.

 

 

The surviving squad of Rangers managed to break out of combat with the World Eaters, falling back to a firing position close to the Dunecrawlers, and leaving the berserkers exposed. One of the Dunecrawlers made good use of this fact, and whittled the berserkers squad down to 2 Astartes. The berserkers in the central building were dealt a similar blow at the hands of the Robots, and Gorrom, who had, in his bloodlust, advanced into the line of sight of the second Dunecrawler, was wrecked by a neutron laser pulse.

 

 

Despite the superior firepower of Forge World Agripinaa, the World Eaters would not be deterred. The remaining berserkers on the ground charged headlong into the Rangers near the Dunecrawler, killing them all before consolidating into the mobile firebase. The remnants of the berserkers in the central building sighted one of the Tech Priests from the ruins, and hurdled over piles of both World Eaters and Skitarii corpses to meet the Mechanicus leader in close combat. Despite the horrifying frenzy of attacks thrown at him, the Tech Priest’s faith in the Omnissiah held firm, and the berserkers’ chainaxes were turned aside by his bionic form.

 

At this point in the battle, the Idolaters were all but broken. The Dunecrawler and the Tech Priest retreated from combat, leaving the Robots and the other Dunecrawler to make quick work of the remaining berserkers. With his entire landing party obliterated by the blessed heavy weapons of the Adeptus Mechanicus, Raxus saw no other choice but to retreat from the engagement, likely to rethink his strategy for the future…

 

[Macbeefin]

+++ PERSONNEL FILE +++

+++ PLANET OF ORIGIN: TERRA +++

+++ SERIAL NUMBER: TWE1934 +++

+++ ALIAS: SEVRAX DRATO +++

+++ PRIORITY FOR ELIMINATION: PRIORITAS MAXIMA +++

Sevrax Drato is the liege lord of the Idolaters. He goes by the titles of Archcultist, the Herald of the Red Angel, and the Flayed Priest, amongst others. It was under his fanaticism that the remnants of World Eater warbands were bound together after the 13^th Black Crusade, and it is his continuing devotion to Khorne that keeps the Idolaters fighting to this day.

 

Drato’s personal history has never been a secret, as he uses his background heavily to inspire a cult of personality within his legion and on the worlds they conquer. In the days of the Great Crusade, Drato served as a Sergeant in the 10^th Echelon, and quickly gained a reputation for his inspiring rhetoric. This, in combination with his empathetic approach to command, made other World Eaters view him as rather eccentric. However, those who had served under the Sergeant swore to the efficiency of his methods, and as a result, Drato commanded some of the most loyal World Eaters in the legion. When the Word Bearers introduced the role of their spiritual leaders to other legions, Drato immediately saw the benefit to incorporating such a practise within the World Eaters, and undertook training to become one of the first Chaplains in the XII Legion.

 

Drato’s predisposition towards compassion often left him sympathetic of the Primarch Angron, and resentful of the Emperor, due to the cruel way He had denied his son’s honourable death on Nuceria. As such, he was one of the legion’s first to turn traitor. His fall to Khorne came not long after the atrocities committed on Istvaan III. Drato himself attests that he was sought out by Khorne, claiming that the Lord of Skulls saw value in his ability to draw followers to Khorne’s worship. In his story, he says that he was made aware of his special nature by what he calls “the Gift of Humility”. The “Gift” he refers to is no gift at all, but a foul mutation, caused by his heretical dabbling with the Ruinous Powers. All skin and muscle has been sloughed from his face, leaving only a bleached skull in its place. Drato states that this “Gift” is a constant reminder that all skulls will belong to the Lord of Blood eventually, no matter the prowess of the warrior. It is for this reason that Drato is often called “the Flayed Priest”.

 

Drato is an oddity among World Eaters – where most have descended into the mindless savagery that accompanies their psychosurgery, Drato has managed retain his intellect and penchant for spoken word. However, when in the field of battle, Drato has been seen to match even the most ferocious of fighters in his warband. The strength of will required to stave off the influence of the Nails in this manner is astounding, and admittedly impressive [Ave Imperator!]. Because of this, the author wonders how long the duality of Drato’s existence can last. Fighting the Nails as Drato does has been shown to increase the rate at which the brain deteriorates. Bar intervention from his bloody deity, Drato will soon be little more than a power armoured servitor.

 

 

[RobWrath]

Love this. Your mind seems to work the same way as mine as this is exactly the same approach I've used for my own homebrew Khorne warband - conversions, backstory fluff, even the white helmets!

 

Keep the models and the stories coming!

[Macbeefin]

Hi everyone, 

 

First update in ages. After feeling unsatisfied with my old work I've decided to completely reboot my World Eaters by giving them a much grittier colour scheme. I'm pleased to say that with the new CSM releases and with this new scheme I am much happier with how these first set of guys look. I basically tried to achieve the "grittier" feel by darkening everything - bright red berserker armour has become a more subdued maroon, and the armour trim has become a much darker bronze. I also figured that the Idolaters wouldn't often concern themselves with armour maintenance and cleaning - hence I've added little bits of rust and oxidation, particularly to the brass parts of their armour. I think that it adds some much needed brightness and contrast to the models. 

 

At any rate, here are the first *NEW and IMPROVED* members of the Idolaters.

 

+++ 

 

The Idolaters of the Red Angel - Istvaan Veterans

 

Often times, those members of the Idolaters who were there at the birth of the Heresy find themselves banding together in combat units. They share a bond forged by treachery that transcends that of their younger brethren. To the Istvaan veterans, being a World Eater means to carry the burden of the slain War Hounds on their shoulders. Those who do not are merely pretenders. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Macbeefin]

+++

 

The Herald of the Red Sun

 

The cult of the Red Sun is one of the most pervasive cults of worship inside the Idolaters. Its practitioners believe the stars themselves to be material embodiments of Khorne. A successful day's bloodshed is always marked by the setting of a red sun at dusk, brought about by the refractory haze of battle-smoke and burning corpses.

 

The night before a battle, a follower of the cult might receive a vision of carnage and slaughter from the Blood God Himself. This warrior is given the title of Herald of the Red Sun, and is sent into battle alone, his natural furiosity amplified by Khorne's blessing. There is only one outcome on the battlefield for such a warrior. It is his Holy duty to die in glorious combat, after proving his worth to Khorne in a display of unparalleled destruction.

 

 

 

+++ 

 

I like to run this guy as Chaos Lord w/ Jump Pack and Thunderhammer. I generally give him the Talisman of Burning Blood for the Advance + charge combo, and then activate the Apoplectic Fury stratagem before the game starts to give a 9" pre game move. With that combo he is generally successful with making first turn charges!

 

The lore behind this guy was inspired by what happens during games with him - once he makes his charge, in my opponent's next turn he is usually wiped off the face of the board with shooting attacks. I didn't like the idea of a named character of mine dying every game, thus the idea of the Herald being a title, bestowable upon any Astartes, was born. 

[battle captain corpus]

Very original and great work Macbeefin!

 

BCC

[Macbeefin]

+++

 

Caedis Valkov, Dark Apostle of the Idolaters

 

The Chaplaincy remains an important pillar of the Idolaters, and preachers such as Valkov are a common sight on the battlefield. Astartes who show an advanced understanding of the faith are inducted into the ranks of the Chaplaincy and given the title of 'Caedis'. They take the visage of their liege lord, the Flayed Priest Drato, and fashion their helms into the shapes of skulls. The irony of this parallel with their loyalist cousins is not lost on Caedis Valkov. 

 

 

+++

 

Even a World Eaters Chaplain is a crazed warrior, in my opinion. Hence the two mauls.

 

I had a fever dream once. In the dream I ran a Dark Apostle as my warlord, and gave him the Helm of Furore as a Relic. His warlord trait was Arch Slaughterer, for D3 extra attacks when outnumbered. He had the Omen of Potency as his prayer, to get three extra attacks at -4 AP. When he charges, he ends up with a maximum of 11 S7 AP-4 attacks when outnumbered by enemy models, essentially making him a 70 point Daemon Prince. Its madness, and requires a lot of things going right to work (i.e. the prayer going off, and rolling a 5 or 6 for his D3 extra attacks), but its exactly the kind of madness that the World Eaters embrace. The only thing that would make this perfect would be if I could extract another point of strength from this build to make him S8 - but as far as I can see, it just isn't possible. 

Edited May 31, 2020 by Macbeefin

[Tallarn Commander]

Brilliant lore, conversions, painting, and, especially, paint scheme.

 

You could run the Dark Apostle as a Word Bearer. Then take the "Exalted Possession" warlord trait frim Faith & Fury which grants you the "Daemon" keyword. Then support your Dark Apostle with a Bloodmaster or Greater Possessed for their +1 strength buff.

 

Fluffwise you could say your Dark Apostle was a Word Bearer who counts as a World Eater for some reason. However, Khorne might be displeased by such blasphemy. :)

[Macbeefin]

Cheers for the kind words Tallarn!

 

Giving him Word Bearer rules could definitely work... in my current lore the Idolaters are working with some aspects of the Word Bearers in a force known as the Grand Alliance of Khorne... but maybe I’ll include more on that in another post

[Macbeefin]

+++

 

The Vat-Born

 

In the days of the Heresy, the apothecaries of the XII experimented with creating flash-grown Astartes on the muster-world of Bodt. These warriors were renown, even amongst the World Eaters, for their insanity and bloodlust. Thought extinct with the planet's destruction, this practice has resurfaced in the Idolaters, and has allowed Lord Drato to amass a formidable horde in short time.

 

 

 

 

+++

 

Another squad of berzerkers for the Idolaters! I want each squad of berzerkers in my army to be unique - these guys were a mix of the AOS Blood Warriors and the OG Khorne Berzerker kit - I chopped off the leather boots and replaced them with the power armoured boots from the Berzerker kit. It led to a bunch of interesting poses not all of which were intended. I think they turned out pretty well though. 

 

I also have a shot of everything I've fully painted to date:

 

 

16 Berzerkers, 2 Rhinos, and 3 characters. From left to right: Raxus, the Unworthy; Caedis Valkov; and the Herald of the Red Sun. Got some more Berzerkers and some Red Butchers in the pipeline!

[Tallarn Commander]

These guys look great. I especially like the Oxide weathering.

 

I like the backstory too. RIP Bodt