Crimson Tusks WiP Successor Chapter

[Father Mehman]

Hey, everyone! It is I, Mehman. It's been a while since I've been on the B&C, but I figured it was time to do something new. This thread is for my Imperial Fists Successor Primaris Chapter, the Crimson Tusks. We'll see how it gets on.

Basic information first, I suppose. The Chapter was formed during the Ultima Founding to protect the Aeschylus Sector, an area located to the galactic northwest of Hydraphur, from the insidious threat of Chaos incursions into the Segmentum Pacificus from the Gulf of Orestes. They oversee the sector from their Fortress-Monastery, Mount Hekatos, on their Chapter Homeworld of Meleager.

Thousands of years ago, Meleager was an Imperial colony in unknown space. The people seemed to thrive well enough and eventually settled on the separate continents of the planet. A warpstorm or some other celestial phenomena engulfed the world and the settlers began to die. At the end of the event, the population was devastated and the people banded together into city-states.

These tribes lost the ability to protect themselves from the many monsters that were birthed during the Trying Times. Normal animals, both domesticated and indigenous, became things that haunted the night. No sane person would travel the roads between the fortified towns alone after the sun went down and the sky turned black. The view of the world from space would look much like a star map, the realms of humanity tiny dots against the vastness of the once-tamed forests.

Most ferocious amongst the creatures transformed during those days was the Meleager Boar, a giant, feral, Warp-spawned evolution of the once-domesticated pig. Gone were the days of mankind culling the animal from pen or forest. Where once the hunt was an exhilarating pastime for noble and commoner alike, the population now feared the prey-turned-predator. Grey in colouration and possessed with great cunning and strength, the average man was no match against one of the hulking terrors. Many tales were told by the hunting parties of these animals which claim they proudly bore the marks, and errant spears, of their battles with previous humans. If there was any reduction in combat prowess by these war wounds, the survivors couldn't say.

Well, that's that. As you can see, I'm drawing heavily on Ancient Greek myth. I'd like to add a Persian influence, too, but I'm still trying to decide how to go about that. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Livery and Chapter Symbol

Here's a computer-painted example of the Crimson Tusks' livery. (Their weapon cowling is white.)

Crimson Tusk armour is the same grey as the ever-present Meleager Boar. The fact that the colour aids the Marines in city and rocky theatres hasn't escaped notice. Every brother bears a red faceplate symbolizing the blood that these animals can, and do, spill. Rank and position amongst the Chapter are denoted in the following ways:

Rank

Battle-brother - Dark grey helmet

Sergeant - Black helmet, right knee guard, and reactor cover; bronze skull

Veteran - Dark grey helmet with white stripe

Veteran Sergeant - Black helmet with white stripe, black right knee guard and reactor cover, bronze skull

Lieutenant - Dark grey helmet with black stripe inside white stripe, black right knee guard and reactor cover, silver skull

Captain - Dark grey helmet, black right knee guard and reactor cover, gold skull

Position

Company Colour - Vertical stripe on the left knee guard

Battlefield Role - As per the Codex Astartes; found on the right pauldron

Squad Number - As per the Codex Astartes; found within Battlefield Role icon

The visage of the Crimson Tusks' totem can most readily be found emblazoned in white upon their left pauldrons as their Chapter symbol: the head of a Meleager Boar. This dread icon imparts in an instant what these warriors are about without a word spoken: strength, cunning, defense, power. Whether they stand upon ramparts letting loose their Bolt Rifles' explosive payloads or smash aside the enemy's paltry defenses and attack with knife and stealth, their Chapter symbol echoes the Crimson Tusks' myriad battlefield strategies.

Works in Progress

There are two honoured brothers being painted as of this moment: a Primaris Ancient and a Primaris Lieutenant.

Thank you for taking the time to look at my new endeavour!

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Your LT model looks good. I'm surprised there's no crimson in your Chapter symbol- shouldn't the Meleager boar's tusks be crimson, to match the Chapter name?

I also have to ask where the Chapter planet's inhabitants are getting proteins for their diet, now that most domesticated animals have mutated into maneating monsters. Do people still domesticate pigs- maybe a smaller breed, comparable to a regular pigs the way a Chihuahua is to the German Shepherd- in the fortress cities they were forced into after Cadia fell? Or do they grow soybeans and other high protein plants for consumption?

Will Crimson Tusks Scouts/Neophytes be required to hunt down a Meleager boar and take its tusks, to be recognized as full Battle-brothers? How will they wear the trophies- will the tusks be mounted around the helmet grill to make the Marine look as menacing as a wild boar, will the tusks made into a belt buckle so all may see evidence of the Marine's hunting skills, will the tusks be carved into earrings or other body modification accessories, etc.?

[Father Mehman]

I didn't know what to do with the Chapter symbol. At first, their tusks were crimson, but it didn't look right to me. Then I thought about painting the whole symbol red, but that wouldn't work out. In the end, white won out. Their faceplates being red tries to get their name across.

 

Not all the planet's domesticated and wild animals were tainted when the Trying Times happened. Remember, it's been a few thousand years since that warp storm did its thing, so there are pig farmers and ranchers again.

 

Yes! The Neophytes hunt down a Meleager Boar and kill it in whatever fashion they can. The hopefuls are sent out with only a tunic and sandals at their disposal. When they slay one of the monsters and take the tusks, they are then used as necklaces, earrings, etc, after they have been scrimshawed. The thing about the Crimson Tusks is that they don't scrimshaw the bones of their dead, but of savage creatures they have killed.

 

See, this is why I love the B&C. Fraters and Sorors want to help, and I gladly accept all the help I can get. I want this Chapter to be the best it can be, and that means community input.

 

Cheers, Bjorn !

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Maybe you can use a special Chapter symbol- red boar's head in a white background- to identify your Chapter's elites, e.g., Vanguard and Sternguard veterans, the Honor Guards promoted from those units, the Lieutenants and Captains promoted from those units in turn.

 

As for the tusks, I think they present great opportunities for customizing your models. For vehicle models, plasticard tusks that count as dozer blades in-game should work (see World War II "rhino tanks" and the hedgerow cutters fitted to their bows).

[Bjorn Firewalker]

I remember seeing pictures of warriors with boar's tusk helmets in history books. Here is what the Wikipedia article has to say on them:

Helmets using ivory from boar's tusks were known in the Mycenaean world from the 17th century BC... to the 10th century BC... The helmet was made through the use of slivers of boar tusks which were attached to a leather base, padded with felt, in rows. A description of a boar's tusk helmet appears in book ten of Homer's Iliad, as Odysseus is armed for a night raid to be conducted against the Trojans.

A boar's tusk helmet should help identify Crimson Tusks Chaplains. (A boar skull helmet will be more appropriate- see the wolf skull helmet a Space Wolves Wolf Priest wears- but I understand such helmets will be difficult to make. Putting a green stuff cone atop a regular helmet, and then sculpting crescent shapes into the cone, is probably easier.)

 

Incidentally, do the Crimson Tusks train Meleager boars to serve as attack animals, the way Space Wolves train Fenrisian wolves? Or are the beasts too mutated (Chaos-tainted) to trust in battle?

[Father Mehman]

@Bjorn - I was thinking of using the boar as a totem throughout the Chapter, but I've settled on just using the Chapter Symbol. I don't want to sledgehammer everyone with the image of a boar the way Space Wolves use the wolf. In my opinion, it cheapens the totem animal and looks like a gimmick. If they were a more savage Chapter, I'd have little problem putting some bones and such here and there, but, for now, I'm going to keep that imagery to the fluff.

 

Also, yeah, the Meleager Boar are way too tainted to do anything with but kill.

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Well said.

[Father Mehman]

Hey, everyone! Sorry for the long absence.

Here's a story: When we moved to this house two years ago, all of my Iron Hands bits were lost in warp translation. There were around 12 Iron Hands Tactical Squad Upgrade Packs... gone. Anyway, I finally broke down and bought out the webstore last month to start again. It's funny (not really), but the motivation to continue that force was lost when those pieces went AWOL. Anyway, those new packs, along with a shiny new Land Raider with Forge World Iron Hands doors and Extra Armour, are mending that wound. Wait a second. We're not here to talk about the Iron Hands. On with the Crimson Tusks!

Sadly to say, nothing has really happened hobby-wise with the Tusks as of late. The Ancient got primed and has the basecoat for his armour basically done (still need to basecoat the helmet), and the Lieutenant inched closer to being completed, but there should be a lot more to show. When life gives you a genetic condition with chronic severe pain, sometimes it's best if you just float along. Le sigh. Here are the update pictures:

Ancient

Lieutenant

The fluffy backstory stalled, as well. I'm not sure whether to merge another culture into the Tusks so that they're not pulling from pure Ancient Greece or leave them as they be. I asked a group of friends about it and we came up with one combination I sort of like - well, that I could live with. I just don't want these guys to be a Minotaurs copy. Actually, I don't really know anything about the Minotaurs other than they're Greek and wear bronze armour.

Anywho, I suspect thing will be picking up for the Tusks as the year progresses.

Thanks for looking !

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Here's a story: When we moved to this house two years ago, all of my Iron Hands bits were lost in warp translation. There were around 12 Iron Hands Tactical Squad Upgrade Packs... gone.

My condolences.

Lieutenant

He looks most promising. Add the Chapter symbol, some bloodstains- maybe soot around the bolt pistol muzzle- to show he's currently engaged in combat, decorate the base appropriately, and he'll be ready to wow us.

I'm not sure whether to merge another culture into the Tusks so that they're not pulling from pure Ancient Greece or leave them as they be.

I think it's appropriate to include nomadic tribes to Meleager, e.g., a Scythian-like culture that survived by fleeing the Chaos-taint spreading across the land. The tricky part is how the planet's dominant, Greek-like culture- and the Marines recruited from this culture- interact with the "barbarians." War is to be expected, but will the Greek-like peoples living in the cities, and the nomadic tribes living ouside them, also engage in trade- including instances where the cities employ nomads as mercenaries, leading to alliances that may be sealed by marriages between the city and nomad leaders' children?

One possibility I considered, is Meleager having nomadic AdMech tech-priests who brave the tainted lands outside its fortified cities to recover archeotech and other useful devices abandoned or otherwise lost during the Trying Times. As AdMech tech-priests, they will be more welcome to the cities than a typical nomadic tribe, but will still be viewed with some suspicion. Their culture will also be apart from the Greek-like city dwellers the Crimson Tusks recruit from, giving you distinct allies while sparing you the trouble of integrating two different cultures into one Chapter.

Actually, I don't really know anything about the Minotaurs other than they're Greek and wear bronze armour.

The Minotaurs serve the High Lords of Terra by purging Space Marine Chapters whose loyalties are questionable- they had "Preferred Enemy: Space Marines" as a Special Rule in previous editions, INSTEAD OF "Preferred Enemy: Chaos Space Marines". They're of the 21st "Cursed" Founding, but display no obvious mutations or other gene-seed flaws. Other board members suspect the Chapter was founded with the gene-seed of the Iron Warriors Traitor Legion, whose Legion planet also had a Greek-like culture. More details can be found in their Lexicanum and 1d4chan articles.

[Father Mehman]

Lieutenant

He looks most promising. Add the Chapter symbol, some bloodstains- maybe soot around the bolt pistol muzzle- to show he's currently engaged in combat, decorate the base appropriately, and he'll be ready to wow us.

Thanks for the feedback, Bjorn! The soot will come after the gun gets a thin brown glaze to dirty it up. As it is, the weapon doesn't look as weather-worn as it could. The bloodstains, however, I hadn't thought of. I'm sure I'll find something suitable.

I think it's appropriate to include nomadic tribes to Meleager, e.g., a Scythian-like culture that survived by fleeing the Chaos-taint spreading across the land. The tricky part is how the planet's dominant, Greek-like culture- and the Marines recruited from this culture- interact with the "barbarians." War is to be expected, but will the Greek-like peoples living in the cities, and the nomadic tribes living ouside them, also engage in trade- including instances where the cities employ nomads as mercenaries, leading to alliances that may be sealed by marriages between the city and nomad leaders' children?

One possibility I considered, is Meleager having nomadic AdMech tech-priests who brave the tainted lands outside its fortified cities to recover archeotech and other useful devices abandoned or otherwise lost during the Trying Times. As AdMech tech-priests, they will be more welcome to the cities than a typical nomadic tribe, but will still be viewed with some suspicion. Their culture will also be apart from the Greek-like city dwellers the Crimson Tusks recruit from, giving you distinct allies while sparing you the trouble of integrating two different cultures into one Chapter.

Are we the same person? I was thinking something Scythian-like for another culture, but then quickly dismissed it as a fever dream. I'm going to think on this tonight and see what happens. If anything, it'll be an interesting thought exercise.

The Minotaurs serve the High Lords of Terra by purging Space Marine Chapters whose loyalties are questionable- they had "Preferred Enemy: Space Marines" as a Special Rule in previous editions, INSTEAD OF "Preferred Enemy: Chaos Space Marines". They're of the 21st "Cursed" Founding, but display no obvious mutations or other gene-seed flaws. Other board members suspect the Chapter was founded with the gene-seed of the Iron Warriors Traitor Legion, whose Legion planet also had a Greek-like culture. More details can be found in their Lexicanum and 1d4chan articles.

I'll give them a look after I've got some more fluff down as I don't want any more information about them in my head, lest the Tusks become them.

Thank you for your great ideas, Bjorn! Lots of things to mull over.

[Father Mehman]

Hey, everyone. Sorry this hasn't gotten the attention it deserves. I've been (and currently am) going through some health stuff that seems to be taking top priority at the moment. I'll try to update on a more regular basis, but, to be honest, I haven't touched a brush since early February. A new Lieutenant - the one from the Wake the Dead box - finally got built. That only took a few days. Baby steps, I suppose.

 

Hopefully I'll have at least some fluffy goodness up by Friday. We'll see.

 

Thanks for looking !

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Get well soon!

[MithrilForge]

heya Mehman... i always seem to find your threads when i'm searching around the B&C   i always know its you even with the name change cause of the snake sword symbol we thought up 

i see you have a new project which looks very promising !! the fluff seems very solid so far  they kinda remind me of the dark angels home world of caliban except instead of being german/english knightly orders we have a middle eastern/greek influence instead(very nice) 

your colours are good in the sense of them being nice and bold without being a chore to paint en mass 

with the weathering on white , try out the weathering technique  with a sponge of dryad bark for paint chipping...it will look wonderful on your white area's...

it's very simple to do and adds heaps to the model.

you should maybe look at fantasy AoS orks orrucks   for some parts for boars and such or horns... i could envision a Crimson tusk champion having chest horns sorta like  primarch magnus the red has on him   

 

anyways great stuff so far and keep plugging away...even if its one model a month it's still an army getting done 

 

Cheers, Mithril