[WIP] Sons of Horus, 65th Company

[Vykes]

Ah thanks mate, I do appreciate it Marshal Seanisi, sah! Always glad that this is at least some fun or interest to others. :)

Well, bit of an update (and I'll likely have another tomorrow when I finish one or two little things). It ain't much, just waiting on my opponent in the 30K league to get his golden boys all readied for the fray. But I'm just getting a few more things in order. Fully plan on doing a weathering demo when my Predator and breacher squads get here.

Assault Squad, Sons of Tambelon

It's not special but it is 10 more assault troops meant for melta bomb duty. I need it, those storm eagles are slow to show up some days!

“So Nim, what's wrong with him?”

Assault Sergeant Nimarron Kholek knelt in the mud as the rain poured from the rim of his helm over the glowing red lenses and dribbled down the taper of his muzzle. He said nothing as squad relays from elsewhere on Montecard echoed in his ear.

“And now you're acting like that shell-shocked statue.”

It got a few chortles from the intervox link as the rest of the squad kept below the miserable parapet. Their jump packs almost peeked above the ruined duckboard plating fastened to the front of the muddy trench. His legionnaires crouched down, assault troops cowering in a glorified ditch, waiting for the mortals to come to them.

It would have rankled Nimarron if it hadn't smacked of irony. They'd found the defense squads in exactly the same position, and now their shredded entrails and ruined meat swirled in gore slick pools and eddies around their greaves.

It wasn't the wave of mortal army troopers fanning out through the sleet and rain that kept his head down, or the two trundling battle tanks, or even the somewhat vague orders from Captain Kademius to hold the slick heaps of detritus at the cement plant on the city's outskirts. No, it was the squad of black armoured figures with glowing fusils glinting like sapphire lanterns in the gloom.

Plasma squads, even held by mortal auxilia, were dangerous.

Nimarron had listened to the back and forth down the line. The Charnel Hounds had grouped up on the west precinct steps with the captain, Bleak Light wing had taken the mag lev dispatch, and Harrier squad was somewhere to the west at the fyceline refineries with Occulus. Now here he was, holding a poorly sited trenchline dug by 'loyalists' thinking the whole company would meander down the main highway in a few armoured carriers. Even if they did, a missile launcher and a few slug throwers was hardly what he'd call a plan.

It was ludicrous. As ludicrous as ten legionnaires taking cover in a trench line from fifty mortals and two tanks a good backhand from being derelict husks in a scrapyard. Nimarron glanced back to the hulking statuary silhouetted against the lightning flashes. Honoured Brother Zarrek stood tall and motionless, twin barreled cannons and rocket pods silent and motionless.

“He hears you, he doesn't need to answer. Zarrek, it is I, Nimarron. Bring ruin to the foes of the Warmaster. Slay the plasma squad at four-oh-nine distance three-hundred ten meters.” he hated the ritual sometimes required of Zarrek's kind.

For a moment, it seemed as if perhaps Jelmoss was right. And then the servos whined for a moment and all four barrels blazed to life with a thunderous roar and the screech of rockets spat out in arcing darts of destruction. They fell among the carapaced auxilia, enormous rounds shearing bodies to pieces and the rockets throwing up wet plumes of mud and body parts. The squad waffled in shock for a moment, and died the next.

“Shall we hold the line, Sergeant, sah?!” Adar slurred in thick mock Albanese.

“To Tartarus with that,” Nim stood and slammed his boot on the lip of the trench, collapsing it, “Get down there and rip their guts out, Sons of Tambelon!” He thumbed the activation stud of his chainsword and sent a pulse to the ramjet pack.

“No prisoners!”

+++

Contemptor "Zerrak"

gotta admit, I love the autocannons even if they look like they hold 8 rounds each. But they're magged out for Kheres and claws if I want

“How long has it been? How many years has this gone on in the Warmaster's name? I see them now, as through a mirror and past a veil. Others do not think, they rage and they scream, and they kill. They kill and try to feel the joy in it, and find nothing but hollowness. When they finally realize that sensation is out of reach and they will never find that joy, one of two things may happen: they break and rage against the shackles, or they despair and sink into dreamless sleep hoping to pass from among the living. We are not beyond pain, yet we are inured to those other sensations.

We must chart our own course. Though others would help us, would bind us, would goad us like pets. Like beasts. Despite their rituals and empty rhetoric, we are warbeasts to those who wear the laurels of command.

What has changed since yesterday? Nothing. But what was yesterday? A day, a month, a year. All are meaningless when we have no direction. Even the rain pelting down and the winds whipping around my ankles means nothing. That is why others yet endure.

I see them now, slinking in the muck and mire. I hear the voices from ages past whisper to me, to urge me to spit venom and turn them to rags. To my shame, I do. I see them again, their pieces strewn across churned morasses as the mud falls like hail. Once alive, so alive, now so very still.

We were there once, I was there once. I felt as they felt, I lay as they lay. I saw the sky through fading eyes. I pity them. I feel no rage. I feel cold. I feel my fangs, but I have no claws.

Maybe tomorrow I will feel the winds, and the rain.

Maybe tomorrow.”

+++

Edited April 4, 2019 by Vykes

[Pearson73]

Sounds like you're up against Custodes next in your league then?

 

I like the chains and skull trophies hanging from Zerrak, are they part of the sculpt or added? Seeing the Sons' Contemptor in a paler green has completely changed my opionion on it; I've only seen it in the much darker sea green with black or gold detailing and never liked it, as it seemed overwrought, however in your colours with a more utilitarian gun-metal, it's a much more attractive proposition. 

[Phatsquirre1]

Dude, the fluff for Zerrak is absolutely sick. Great job. 

Edited April 4, 2019 by Phatsquirre1

[Hungry Nostraman Lizard]

I gotta know, how do you edit the images onto the right like that? It makes your posts feel very professional and highly pleasant to read them. 

[Vykes]

Aye Pearson, mate! All against them Custodes from what I've seen. The mission, this time, massively favors me so I'm gonna feel a bit weird about it. On the plus side, Long March Relentless makes Support Squad Volkite Calivers a whole lot nicer. That actually seems like a decent way to nip their tough boy jetbikes. As to those chains and skulls, nah that's par for the course, Pearson. They have a fair number of chains and mirror coins which are pretty nice. And yeah, The Sons of Horus Contemptors are really kinda artisan stuff that look pretty out there, but I like the more corroded and subdued look. I'm still not sure why it has flames on the front like a Salamander, but given that the armour has this weird bolted on 'after market used Dodge' feel, it almost feels appropriate that it has flames, spikes, and chains. I'll admit I love it and the wedge-head even if it can get wildly over the top with ornamentation if that was blingy gold or something.

Thanks Phatsquirre1, dude! I figured not all Dreadnoughts are Meme machines or just ragey sorts. Rylenor and Lhorke just seemed like fun, so when I was looking through the angsty angry brethren, I figured I'd make the 'dumb' mute one a little more philosophical.

Ahhhh, Hungry Nostraman Lizard, tis a secret.... 'kay, not really. It's one of the BBC codes. The one I like using is the sidebox. In this case, when you make a post you type in:

*bracket* rightsidebar = typeytext stuff here *closebracket* Insert picture direct link here *bracket* /rightsidebar *closebracket*

It autosizes the pictures, too.

Alriiiiight, as for new stuff, I got a few things:

Lieutenant Yorris “The Brier Shrike”

I didn't realize he still had the same cloak I gave the mounted centurion. I'm okay with it being an 'alt' figure.

“They're just trying to kill you, so kill them back! Just do it better, and no excuses!”

The Cataphractii plate clacked and whined at every thunderous step he took, feeling as restrictive and ponderous as wading through cold motor oil. Yorris twisted his combi-flamer towards the mortals scrambling up the steps and let loose.

The crackle of licking flames sang with the cacophony of combi bolters, punctuated by the Reaper cannon's thunderclap.

Yorris wrinkled his nose, ears filtering out the shrill screams as blustering tongues of flame consumed still living flesh. It was a wretched stink, and the intermittent rains felt like they slicked the petrolium fumes to his armour rather than washed it off. It was miserable.

With a repressed snarl, the lieutenant lashed out with Heliotrex. The thunderhammer connected with a mortal clutching his face and writhing from the scaling promethium jet. He was swiftly reduced to the constitution of freshly shucked hetlefish. The soupy mixture sizzled off the sapphire head in dripping globs as the lieutenant grimaced at the sight.

"If I was on my mount I'd be ten kilometers away by now.”

Occulus, Backlash, Harrier, even Squad Tambelon would have been more suitable. Instead, that insufferable Kademius stuck him with the terminator platoon and gave him the honour of wearing the slowest and most cumbersome armour they could find. It was enraging.

One of his swifter Tartaros clad brethren threw his shoulder up in front of Yorris as a staccato fusillade of autocannon shells clattered and blunted themselves on the impregnable armour.

“Head in the clouds again, sir?”

Pulling the terminator down, he braced the combi-weapon on his battle brother's shoulder and emptied the drum magazine at the line of scrambling indentured menials. It sliced through them like a buzzsaw, and the cramped and blood clotted streets fell silent again as yet another wave broke against the line of terminators.

“Not another word Tannis. Not another damned word. Today can't get any worse.”

Maloghurst had once said that there was no hell except in the mind that made it. Yorris was quite sure he was in hell.

+++

Moritat Grolgor Sedek

Gonna go work up something for him quick sooooo I'll come back to this as soon as I get those plasma feeds shaped.

I'm also working on a Maloghurst proxy, still trying to decide if I give him a helmet or a bare face.

[MegaVolt87]

Have you seen the Eye of Horus banner/icon in the new CSM box? would be perfect for Maloghurst. You can see it well in the kit bash CSM article. 

 

https://www.warhammer-community.com/2019/04/03/kit-bash-chaos-space-marines/

[Pearson73]

Aye, the flames never really made sense to me, the burning eye seems more appropiate for the Thousand Sons, but there you go.

 

Relentless heavy support squads sounds filthy, how restrictive is the rite, does it compensate? Culverins and plasma cannons would be sure to make a mess of even the Golden Legion, especially with hassle free movement.

 

Nice work on the Moritat, the torso is interesting with all those extra details. Good choice of base model for Mal, I would vote for having him bare-headed.

 

Yorris is certainly well painted, but I feel his pose is off; he looks rather unbalanced and the posing of the arms seem a little wild. Perhaps this is a matter of viewing angle?

[Varyn]

There are almost no meaningful restrictions on The Long March, it's a great Rite of War, however relentless is only in your own deployment zone (still ideal for heavy support squads). I think you can't take allies, fortifications or models with slow and purposeful. The re-rolling 1's to hit with shooting on turn 1 is very useful too.

 

Plasma cannons and culverins will be very useful against custodes, interested to hear how you get on, particularly with the new points values.

 

Really like the moritat and the Maloghurst conversion is coming along nicely. I was rather lazy and used the chap with the banner from the SoH command squad!

 

Assault squad looks good; gritty and dirty just like they should be!

[Cadmus Tyro]

Plasma cannons and custodes, given their rules for extended spacing between models, realistically you are only ever going to hit one with a small blast. Which, IMHO, is not worth the investment in points.

 

Culverins, might do some work, but vs 2+ armour (and wounding on 3+ given T5) you won’t be doing too many wounds.

 

Custodes are frustratingly brutal to play against, and it will be interesting to see how the FAQ updates have affected things. In my experience, you throw everything you have at them, and you slowly whittle them down over time, if luck is on your side.

 

Plasma seekers, leviathans and primarchs have really been the only successful units vs custodes for me. Standard tacticals and assault marines just seem evaporate without giving much in return.

 

Cadmus

[Vykes]

I'll admit I totally love the Chaos icon in that unit BannerVolt and I thiink I recall either telling or hearing from a mate of mine that it would be perfect for Maloghurst.  But theeeen I realized this is Maloghurst prior to 63-19, so without 'The Twisted' physical injuries and that also brings into question if he'd still have the same kind of banner.  

 

So it leads to a question: We know that the Eye of Terra (Later the Eye of Horus) was in common enough usage, but would it be better to have that staked out behind him (He's going on a 40mm base), or a legion banner? 

 

Aye Pearson, I definitely thought the 'flames' aesthetic was a little wonky and more suited to Word Bearers and Thousand Sons as well.  So I kinda tried to mitigate it a bit as I still don't get why it's there over more ribbing or the likes.  Aaah the Long March, I've found I like it more than I want to admit: If anything because it gives me a reroll for 1's to hit on Turn 1, which is huge when your dice rolling is as poor as mine.  It's shockingly not restrictive at all: No slow and Purposeful, Fortifications, or Allies, Varyn nailed it.  And it gives you terminators as non compulsory troops. Aaah Yorris, you know, I'll admit one thing here... I got the head wrong.  I was dabbing down the superglue and had the head in a pair of tweezers when it slipped and couldn't recover.  Words were said.  And every time I tried to take a picture it always looked like he was on a debate show looking at the wrong camera. -sighs- admittedly that pose is weirdly common on the FW terminator HQ Models, the Alpha Legion Cataphractii has almost exactly the same unmitigatable stance, too. It's 'dynamic' and also kinda totally awkward. 

 

You know, Varyn, I'm definitely curious on how it'll do.  I don't use Calivers much so I'm hoping they'll be of some use with their high strength, decent shots, and the fact that they're scoring plus being nestled right next to some 20 strong legion/Breacher squads who have to be shifted as well.  But, to add to my problems, while the FAQ was accepted, the campaign isn't using the revised Book 8 points values so the traitors are still matched up agianst 2 Custodes forces before their rebalance. And thankies, I'm pretty happy with how the Moritat is coming (not done, gonna do a bit of work on the plasma coils just to differentiate it, using a light ink along the pistol frame in particular.  Man, I don't blame ya: Wasn't the standard and the head from that set actually supposed to be Maloghurst in the first place?  It fits perfect, I just need to think about pre-Crippled Mal to make Orbital Drop Wolves a thing.  Aaah Assault troops... I do lvoe them, now I just need 10 more with Combat Shields, blame Cadmus for that one :P  I just need to find a decent Sons of Horus'y looking combat shield. 

 

I do have a bit of a question that seems more vague than I'd like: Moritat and chain fire with plasmas.  Now that it only ttriggers Gets Hot on 1, it still says it ends the chain fire, and they may fire 2 pistols.  Does the 1 to hit end the chain on both weapons, or just the one firing?  Thus, as the wording is 'rolling for each weapon' Having 2 plasma pistols means essentially 'has 1 plasma pistol anyway'.  Just... kinda wonky and I'd rather like to use him to get a few shots at vehicle rear armour or Custodes.

 

Aye, Cadmus Tyro, mate, I was definitely was worried about the plasma cannon vs. Custodes spacing issue which is why I have some in reserve but haven't brought them up yet.  It feels like Sons of Horus Plasma support squads, Combi-Plasma seekers, and massed bolter fire are the ways to deal with it.  I know I'll likely get tossed a half dozen jetbikes too which brings up a very unlikely and awkward unit: Breachers*.  Breachers defensive grenades robs the charge bonus, so it makes the power lances AP4, combined with an apothecary and a Praetor with a Thunder Hammer, maybe even around a Pavaise Deredeo.  It feels like that might be a decent unit for trying to hold a central objective point despite the ludicrous points cost.  That said, while I get to use the FAQ, no new points balances from book 8.... My poor dice rolling luck is kinda notorious here.  I'm hoping for a win, but not expecting one as it's about holding one central objective and VP is based on an end of turn by turn basis. 

 

*Today in the life of Vykes, he done learn'd something: after reading the orbital battle in Vengeful Spirit, it became clear that Sons of Horus don't use Breacher units like other legions do and certainly aren't how they're depicted in our beloved Age of Darkness.  While Iron Warriors (Slaves to Darkness) and Word Bearers (Purge) use Breachers exactly like you'd expect in large bulwark formations, Sons of Horus have them in very small groups just as barriers in front of larger rolling formations at the company level: small breacher units weren't made for holding formation in choke points, but for rushing choke points, with only a few shield warriors constantly advancing and bounding with little in the ways of shooting.  It was there to shield the despoiler/tactical squads behind it that would pick up the shields of the downed Breachers, or split off down less protected avenues to double back and hit chokepoints from other directions.  Also Terminator Breachers in the Justarian are a thing... hmmph. 

[Pacific81]

What an absolutely stunning blog. Don't know where to start with it really, so will just say "great work" and "please keep it coming!" 

[Pearson73]

Though that back banner does seem like it'd fit perfectly, it just doesn't seem to work with the model you're using as a base, so maybe a standard bearing the eye is the way to go.

 

Perhaps the flames are a nod to the warrior lodges? By the descriptions I've read so far, the banners seem to bear devices that are strongly linked to the imagery of the four Gods; a flaming eye is certainly Tzeentchian.

 

That certainly sounds a very powerful rite, I can see why you'd like it!

 

I certainly hope to see some breacher Justaerin, now that you've brought it up...

[hushrong]

Catching up and loving every bit of it.

 

Looking forward to seeing your take on the twisted before he earned the nickname. And I need to reread vengeful spirit. I totally don’t remember the use of breathers and their shields. And yes, Justaerin breathers would be sweet. I remember seeing some old piece of artwork with justaerin using shields and boy does that look nasty. Like a big mean tank with a plow in front.

[MegaVolt87]

Is that base on Maloghurst set, or is it a temp one? I think you would have the space for a banner icon driven into the ground with a 40mm base. 

[Vykes]

Thanks a ton Pacific81, dude! I'll definitely try to get some more stuff up too! Still got a little ways to go before I can call the 65th close to 'complete' in its Sons of Horus incarnation. Luna Wolf, ooooh dear, I have a lot to consider there.

Aye Pearson, I definitely agree there. I mean, the back banner is a little too informal for someone of his statue and even as a full fledged banner I wonder if it feels too spikey and 'eeeevil' for the era. A banner may well be an option, or perhaps one of the Roman-esque Vexilia like the Ultramarines have? No cloth, just the banner and icons. The other option is having him with a second Luna wolf as a banner bearer behind him on a 40mm (might be tight) or a 50mm. Hmmm, good thought on the dread and the flames, that actually sounds pretty plausible. I like it, even if I like the secular Horisians.Man, you know breachers for justarian to take away charge bonuses would be something I'd do. Heh, Long March, it proved its worth to me, today as well!

Glad you're still liking it Hushrong, mate! I'm definitely gonna try to keep this rolling. Hmm, sounds like I'm gonna need to look up some termie artwork soon, eh? Aye, Vengeful Spirit has 2 instances of them being used and both are pretty similar just in different 'scales'. Noctua's 25th company breaching was interesting, and then the somewhat dumb "We wanted an Omaha Beach" scene.

Nay MegaVolt, no worries. It's just a 25mm cork I stuck Mally on so I could airbrush him. He'll be on likely a 40mm base like most of my heroes, or maybe a 50 if he needs a second standard bearer/bodyguard. That said, it is a 25mm, so it's crazy that not long ago they were all on those bases... actually even that model came with a 25mm slotta base. Man it looks wonky now that I'm used to 32mm being small.

Well, I do have a bit of an update (after my earlier reply got deleted and had to write it all back up). There's a minor battle report thing that gets to go down. Not super detailed (because I was helping out a New Player and I'm kinda still new enough to have to refer to stuff. But there's a bit, and if all goes well, might be another tomorrow.)

+++

Sector 581:

fun stuff, objective was take and hold the bunker and score 1 VP at the end of each turn

Ashram Kademius took a breath of the heavily ironized air. It stank of factories, of contamination, of industry. He loathed it. As on Terra, now on Montecard, on Cthonia, even on Caliban. Once upon a time he'd listened to the ramblings of a Dark Angel on his ancient homeworld. Something sounded glorious, primal, and real. Perhaps, once this was all over, he could find a world just like it.

The thoughts whisked Kademius away for a moment, and his eyes settled on something in the distance. It glinted and glittered, but his auspex didn't recognize it.

“Sergeant Talthus? Do you see that?” The Praetor stretched a hand out, and immediately his second peered over the parapet. Setting a foot on the rockrete bulwark of the ancient mechanicum vault sunk deep into the bedrock, the sergeant held a breth.

“Lupercal's oath, Telemons!”

Sure enough, the glinting host came at them more silently than anything their size aught too. The gold and crimson war engines fluidly stepped forward with a grace of the living. Spears of golden light sparkled amid the firelight of the shelled slums that couched the mechanicum vault. Jetbikes flitted by in flocks, and something else seemed to slink in the shadows.

“Akrodyne, Gorro.” he listened for the maddened snarl from his two Dreadnoughts. They loped forward, bestial, halting, mechanicual stomps shaking the earth. “push forward, tear them to pieces like the wolves you are.” With a whirr of barely contained automantic reactors, they raced forward, stationed sentries and seekers relaying blind-point pings distorted by the auspect scrubbers.

Kademius stood on the ramparts, hefting his shield and opening up his vox link. “Taciton battlegroup, rally to vault two-four-zeta. Bring up all reserves, and see if Sedek deems it advisable to show his face today.”

....

Outflank and positioning came into play and I had to rush the infantry over... didn't help when the seekers lost their Rhino to a jetbike squadron and they had to hoof it

'Kasrek, move to grid four-five and stand ready to repulse an imminent assault on the vault.'

“Done!” The sergeant hissed in his voxlink, already sending blink clicked commands to the Rhino's driver to pick up the pace. As Marshal Ahazaar had mentioned, the enemy had come. The faint glitter and threat warnings on his auspex read faint traces, but he could detect thermal washes of destroyer fire and energy weapons crackling in the distance. Whatever digital masking and techno-sorcery was attempting to conceal from them was good, but not perfect. It left a black mark of nothing when even the thin manufactorum venting plumes and Kademius's other armoured vehicles should have been seen as a dull ruddy glow. This was a conspicuous nothingness. They had made a mistake.

The rhino's forward augury fed into his display. The long highway terminated at the twisting Sarabdon slums in the Mechanicus's Tercius Factorum works. It was an innocuous space, a little ways from the factorums belching stacks and chilling towers. Sunk into the heart of a slum for factorum menials, the reinforced bulwark of rockrete and adamantine reinforced plasteel squatted among the smoking hovels like an enormous skull faced toad.

Sergeant Kasrek glanced through the Rhino's augery's as a second pair of eyes, spotting the slithering black shape slip between the buildings like a shadow. Lithe figures in golden scales and black bodygloves advanced across a debris spattered road running alongside the vault. A garrison squad stood sentry around the stronghold, unaware of the sudden approach. The flurry of mass reactives struck them like a sledgehammer. Several were driven to cover, one astartes staggered backwards as a ricochet struck his plastron and deflected down, bursting at his hip and carving out hunks of pulverized bone and pulped meat.

“Out, out!”

Kasrek slammed the door open with a powerfist, leading the way as the Rhino lurched to a stop and skidded across the disintegrating ferrocrete. His squad fanned out in front of the advancing combat team, momentarily halting their advance. The hesitation lasted barely a moment as the astartes formed a firing line.

...

“Kill her, Kassy!” Astoph heckled his sergeant as the two combatants circled one another.

A snapped off blade jutting from under Kasrek's pauldron and pinned the servos of his power fist in place. The sergeant bit back a snarl as his legionnaires formed a ring around him and the crouching woman. She darted back, steely grey eyes ignoring the other Sons of Horus and fixiating on him. Kasrek flexed his power fist, the same one that should have turned her into a slurry of meat mass on the first overhand strike. But she'd nimbly darted away at every turn. He couldn't read her. The Soulless witchbane was impossible to predict. He lunged, sending her nimbly skipping to the side and earning a harsh crack across his cheek were her bolter struck him like a maul, cracking the armourglas lens. His energized gauntlet skipped across her battered pauldron in a backhand swipe that she shoved away at the elbow.

3 full combat rounds in a challenge, and between no hits and no real wounds, game ended before they did

Righting herself and taking a step back, both parted again. It rankled the sergeant that none of his squad had intervened, but it infuriated him when the loathsome woman merely rolled her shoulder and swivelled her neck. He knew it was his imagination, the witchbane never showed any hint of real human expression; but he swore he could feel a smirk beneath her rebreather as she flexed her fingers around the ruined boltgun barrel the way a sportsmen gripped a bat.

Damn the blazing dreadnoughts in the distance, the scream of jetbikes, the static discharge from the orbital strike that nearly robbed him of his eyesight, and corpusant glow from the Destroyer's guns. Kasrek ignored the copper stink of sparks and scorched ozone from the Calidus's flare shield... that golden coffin having appeared as if from some lunatic warp-delver's back pocket.

No, this miscreant woman occupied every thought as he dodged a feinted attack and sidestepped her wild swing. He turned, angling for a punch, then stepping further and grasping down on her forearm. It should have been all over as the vambrace buckled and tore into ragged scraps... but she'd loosened it enough to tug her limb free. The energy field tore the plating away in a shower of auramite shards, only for him to be bucked back by a an armoured foot slamming into his thigh.

Kasrek howled, reaching for his bolt pistol as the sister of silence leveled the mangled bolter up and under his guard.

“Hold!” The order came rasping but monstrously loud, halting the legionnaire in his track.

A cloaked form slowly rose from the top of the vaults battlements, leaning heavily on a thunderhammer to steady himself. Attendant apothecaries buzzed around Ashram Kademius like crows on a corpse. “Hold your fire... I would have a word with this one.”

Edited April 9, 2019 by Vykes

[Pearson73]

 

 

Aye Pearson, I definitely agree there.  I mean, the back banner is a little too informal for someone of his statue and even as a full fledged banner I wonder if it feels too spikey and 'eeeevil' for the era.  A banner may well be an option, or perhaps one of the Roman-esque Vexilia like the Ultramarines have?  No cloth, just the banner and icons. The other option is having him with a second Luna wolf as a banner bearer behind him on a 40mm (might be tight) or a 50mm. Hmmm, good thought on the dread and the flames, that actually sounds pretty plausible.  I like it, even if I like the secular Horisians.Man, you know breachers for justarian to take away charge bonuses would be something I'd do.  Heh, Long March, it proved its worth to me, today as well! 

 

 

 

Indeed, from what I understand, the brutal Cthonic nature only pushed to the fore after the legion's renaming and turn from the Emperor, in the era where Mal was twisted in name alone, the legion was noble but savage. I think the Vexilia idea could work really well, perhaps with wolf pelts or some such to recall the legion's name and nature? Having the standard either planted in the ground or held by another legionnaire would work well, for although Mal is Horus' equerry and representative in all things and bearing Lupercal's personal colours is a great honour, he himself is an honoured personage and I don't know if I can reoncile that image with him physically bearing the standard. Having a planted standard also has a very symbolic nature, similar to what we see with Haarken planting his spear in the Vigilus lore.

[hushrong]

I'll have to reread that book but you won't see me complain about that. :) I barely remember Noctua's breachers and the "taking the beach" bit. I remember something about tanks and that's about it. Getting old I guess.

 

And I swear I came across some older art work, maybe fan art, of justaerins with shields. Thought it would be cool to try out when I was going to build an all terminator army.

 

The battle report was also a good read.

[Vykes]

Aye Pearson, point in fact Vengeful Spirit really seems to be a good meter as the Cthonic and fetishistic nature of the legion was coming back and Aximand noticed it surging back to the forefront (with more than mild distaste). I definitley like the idea of wolf pelts, even the mirror coins may still make an appearance, and the larger name plaques all beneath the luna wolves legion icon. Definitely the right call on the planted standard being symbolic in nature. Aye, I think I'll do exactly that. Great thoughts mate

hushrong, I certainly don't think you could be faulted for that, it's only there for just part of a chapter when the Lupercii are first seen in action. There was a few things about tanks... some that were very, um, 'odd' for a smart legion. hey, I'm willing to take good fanart as just good inspiration any day! It's all great.

Well, I guess after sobering up some (and thus looking through some books) I'll put up a quick thing.

+++

Kaledonnes surveyed the ruins of the smoking habs. The artillery had done its job and all that was left was a ghost town of crackling embers and powdered masonry. Nothing stirred.

“Captain?”

Kaledonnes wordlessly turned to the speaker.

“Repeated hails have been rejected.” One of his line troopers pointed at the horizon where the beetle-backed giants stalked the ruins. They bobbed like lumbering toddlers above the shattered remnants of enormous colonnades and their very footstep reduced others to cinders and heaps of rubble.

The captain looked out, his garrison platoon merely keeping containment zones. “They're on the hunt. Standard operational procedures is to maintain vox silence. Blame their Sacristan orders, the damned wretches were always tight fisted with their secrets.”

“But seeker units have gone off the grid-”

it was silenced with an enduring sigh. “They're seekers. Tell me, Taslarr, what do Seekers do?”

“Locate and destroy enemy resources, root out hotspots, and provide advanced information on potential threats that slipped past fleet auspice.”

“And how do they accomplish this if the throne worshiping hypocrites can hear them chatting about every little thing like some geriatric remembrancer with a faulty memory coil?”

Suitably chastened, the legionnaire nodded and took a few retreating steps back into the shadows.

“Ignorant whelp.”

Kaledonnes muttered to himself and exhaled deeply. The enormous figures lumbered closer, forming into a long line of war machines as they combed through the ruins. He even waved as the warhorns blared in greeting...

And the first bolt cannon round stitched at shoulder height across the crumbling ruins.

Top of 2 Rounds later

Some more pictures but it all tells the same story.

Not much you can do when they seize initiative. Always remember Pen+D3 wounds for explosion NOT D3. Ugh, knights.

Edited April 11, 2019 by Vykes

[Pearson73]

Glad to be able to brainstorm something useful re the standard. You're definitely right regarding the Vengeful Spirit, even at the onset of the civil war, the bridge undergoes massive changes.

 

That game looks a little onesided, so many Knights must be a bugger to try put down.

[Pacific81]

That battle report... that must have been painful. Always think, if you want to see big robots fighting that badly? Perhaps go and watch Pacific Rim - Leave them away from a 28mm scale tabletop.. (they're about 22mm too large as far as I'm concerned ;) )

[Vykes]

You definitely nailed it, Pearson, mate.  I seem to recall a bit in the beginning of Vengeful Spirit where they talked about a recent refit tearing down all the Imperial Eagles and replacing them with the 'Eye of Horus'.  So even the Spirit seems to really go hard into some aesthetic changes in tandem with the legion personality.  And aye, I'm definitely thinking a roman vexilia style standard would play out well.  Hmm, wonder how personal Oaths of Moment are (we know they're made by individuals, but I wonder if they could apply to units or battle groups).  Might be fun to see if I can find some space wolf pelt bits and maybe use the streamers from the Custodes standards. 

 

Pearson, Pacific, dudes you aren't wrong.  Even harsher when you have close-in weapons to take down knights and they get first turn (Failing a 4" charge at one point also hurt).  I cut down 1 knight out of 6 for a full wipe... squadrons of Land Raiders should do more than that but are pretty vulnerable to an Acheron as they're a single unit. 

 

Heh, Pacific, dead on: watch some Pacific rim then paint up some Adeptus Titanicus, or go right to Epic where they fit in oh so gloriously well.  And to think, Contemptors used to be biggish, then Leviathans, now even Telemons look small.  I better watch out or ya might get me into some 6mm army trouble too!  

[Pearson73]

Indeed, also the addition of the Lupercal's Court marked Horus' transition from noble leader of Astartes and men to a bloody tyrant, scornful of mortal men. The old Chaos Marauder kit from fantasy has a load of small and medium pelts that could be handy, if you have any in the bits box? From what I recall, captains took oaths on behalf of their companies and many notable characters retain their oath papers even after the event, so it wouldn't be unreasonable for oaths from the most challenging theatres or missions to be displayed, much like the names of prominent campaigns undertaken by a company/legion. Coupled with the fact that we're considering Horus' personal standard here, it seems even more likely that this is a ceremonial, symbolic piece that serves to exalt the Warmaster and as such will proclaim his glories and most hard fought victories.

[Vykes]

Pearson, I'd say that's a very very insightful reading into the nature of the 16th in general. A personal standard of the warmaster wasn't always the biggest or most elaborate piece but they did seem to be very much personalized based on Horus and his key commanders.  I recall that his personal land Raider in Vengeful Spirit had rather simple white wolf pennants on both of the track guards. Nothing incredibly ornamented, but they were most definitely there. 

 

Likewise, absolutely right if the oaths of moment were either from Horus's direct compliance's and deeds it feels like it would definitely be on display as heraldry on an icon of that nature.  Hmm, I never collected chaos marauders but I definitely now a half dozen people that did.  Veeeery good call, mate.  Very good call.  

[Pearson73]

I really need to pick up Vengeful Spirit, I'm only a little way through the series, but am making a push this year to read all the main storyline books, I'll be going back to fill in the gaps from audio and novellas as and when. The Luna Wolves/Sons of Horus are probably my favourite legion that I've encountered in the novels, so I'm keen to follow their descent post-Isstvan.

[Vykes]

It's a pretty good read, Pearson... okay, like, the first half was good the battle of Moloch bits have been a bit wonky in parts for me. On the plus side, there's a minor but cool notation that Luna Wolves Scout Auxillia had Pistol Masters, which worked like scout Moritats. It's still probably worth a read despite some oddities here and there, but I do think that the whole thing catalogues the decent pretty well from the eyes of a character who's rapidly become one of my favourites.

Well, bit of work, I got my pred in letting it soak and I'll either wait till the first bit of ETL or just do it up in the meantime, but that means there will be that weathering tutorial out some time. As for new stuff, I wanted to make a Marr equivalent, so I'm about 90% done with that. Just gotta pin him to the base so it doesn't 'float' with the blade, and do some of the metal edged chipping.

Probably just give him the 'Kantaar the Unbowed' name I've tossed around, some.