My 30k Journey-I Legiones Astartes, and more!

[Calibanite Knight Angel]

Hey everyone!
I've been reading the forums here for a while, but decided to finally sign up to the site in order to share my journey with 30k and keep me motivated (I need it).
 

As such, let me present: The Dark Angels!

 

 

Although these are the only four I have properly painted ATM (save for a few final details, waiting for Crusade to provide details on markings/iconography), I've actually been working on this army since 2015! I have a small collection of them now, most unassembled, and even more unpainted. I'm hoping that being able to chronicle my progress here will help me properly get back into 30k and finally make some REAL progress on my army!

Here are some photos of individual Astartes:

 

I'll try and get more pics of my unpainted models up tomorrow, but I am very excited about sharing my stuff here and joining the Bolter and Chainsword community! I'm getting super positive vibes already, so I'll just mention that the 1st Legion isn't my only 30k project. I've also made a start on a small group of Red-Marked (Aeonid Thiel's group of rogue-but-heroic Ultramarines), and a conversion of Captain Remus Ventanus. I hope to eventually expand these into properly collecting an Ultramarines army. Apart from this, I also have started collecting pieces to recreate the various members of the Knights Errant (I'm thinking of theming a lot of them around the events of the novel "Vengeful Spirit").

Anyway guys, thanks for reading, and I look forward to our adventure together!

[Marshal Rohr]

Nice start! Welcome to the Crew!

[Unknown Legionnaire]

Excellent. Welcome to the Heresy !

[Hungry Nostraman Lizard]

Welcome to the Age of Darkness, son of the Lion!

[Calibanite Knight Angel]

I just wanted to say thankyou for all the kind words welcoming me! It means a lot.

 

Anyway, time for a quick update!

I have found all my assembled (or partially assembled) 1st Legion models. Many of them are (Either partially, mostly, or fully) undercoated. However, that was not a good day, as I completely messed up undercoating them, leaving them with this horrific cracked texture. I was filled with so much despair, that I actually haven't even looked at them since then (I was very sad). But now I plan to strip the paint from them, and undercoat them PROPERLY this time, before proceeding to paint them. As such, here they are!

 

At the back we have a Sicaran Venator (completely unpainted, and still missing it's sponsons), five Tactical Support Marines with Meltaguns, and a Deimos Pattern Rhino. 

In the middle, we have the rest of my first Tactical Squad (I still need to pin the Vexilla to that particular Marine, so it's just sitting on his base). The Sergeant is carrying a Power Sword (to be run as a Calibanite War Blade) and Bolt Pistol. Might be hard to see from the photo, but another Legionnaire has a Nuncio Vox. My Master of Signals is accompanying them.

In the front, we have the first four members of my Despoiler Squad. I think these are absolutely fantastic models, as they came with very dynamic poses, which really convey a sense of action. The Sergeant is carrying a Power Axe, Bolt Pistol, and Melta Bombs. I plan to eventually run these guys in conjunction with a Heavy Support Squad armed with Stasis Shells rocket launchers, as, if done properly, this could mean that the Despoiler Squad (except for the Sergeant with his axe) could be hitting even WS 5 enemies on a 3+, thanks to the Legion's "Mastery of the Blade" special rule.

Really looking forward to salvaging (and then painting these models), as I think Forge World did a great job with them.

I'll just leave you guys with some mock-ups I've made (thanks to Microsoft Paint) of a potential Legion Champion conversion that I'm considering. It is based on the Power/Artificer Armoured White Scars Praetor, and would make use of the Sword from existing Legion Champion. I would also erase any White Scars insignia (as well as probably those things at the waist, though I didn't do that in the pictures below). The plan is also to sculpt a cloak for him, before giving him a Forge World Dark Angels head. I'm not sure which head yet, but it will either be the unhelmeted one, or the helmeted one shown below. It's also possible that, if I do give him a helmet, that I might put some wings on it.

 

Possibility 1: Unhelmeted

 

 

Possibility 2: Helmeted

 

Possibility 3: Helmeted, with wings

 

Edit:
Sorry, I forgot to mention what I have sitting in reserve, currently awaiting assembly!
It is as follows:
-Deimos Pattern Predator Executioner
-Storm Eagle Assault Gunship
-10-man Legion Reconnaissance Squad
-5 more Tactical Support Marines with Melta Guns
-6 more Despoilers

-5 plastic Cataphractii Terminators (though I intend to eventually have a squad of 10, and plan to get a couple of weapons from Forge World before I assemble them)

Anyway, thanks

[sockwithaticket]

Helmet without wings for sure.

[Hungry Nostraman Lizard]

Helmeted without wings, me thinks. 

[battle captain corpus]

I quite like helmet with wings to be honest!

 

BCC

[MegaVolt87]

I quite like helmet with wings to be honest!

 

BCC

 

+1 for winged helmet, they look boss. 

[Calibanite Knight Angel]

Hey everyone!

Not a huge update to the 1st Legion, but here is a first look at another (brand new) aspect of 30k that I am working on.

 

Whilst these Astartes might LOOK like your friends, they are not. These men are traitors of the XVI Legion!

I have decided to start on a project that I have long wanted to tackle: The Battle of Isstvan III, where Horus' treachery was revealed. I aim to paint forces of all four Legions involved (Sons of Horus, Emperor's Children, World Eaters, Death Guard). The models themselves can swap between representing loyalists and traitors from game to game, though the characters (Loken, Tarvitz, etc) will be specific to one side, as will certain units. This project also gives me an excuse to collect and convert a whole heap of characters, as well as get some cool terrain. I don't aim to get the armies TOO big though, and probably won't have too many really heavy units, as the loyalists didn't even go into the battle with any tanks!

I'm starting with the Sons of Horus first, as collecting them alongside my Dark Angels allows me to recreate parts of the Battle of Diamat (from the novel "Fallen Angels"). As such, I'm also hoping to collect some terrain representative of a Forge World, as well as a couple of Mechanicum/Skitarii and Imperial Army units, though this isn't prioritized as highly as getting my Isstvan III collection together. I also am planning to collect a force of Night Lords for my Dark Angels to fight against once the next Forge World Black Book comes out, so there's that to look forward to.

Lastly, I wanted to discuss battlefield objectives and terrain. As seen in the photo above, I found the Teleport Homer from the Space Marine Assault Terminators plastic box. This is a fantastic little piece that will be an awesome battlefield objective, and which really fits with the 30k theme. I also found one of the hatches from the Imperial Bastion kit. This is also great. I actually plan to get some new Bastions and Battlefield defenses, ruins, etc. I also wanted to ask you guys for suggestions of gaming mats, as that is far more within my price range than the Realm of Battle game boards (as nice as they are). I guess mats that represent a planet that has been virus bombed, as well as mats that represent a 30k Urban Battlefield, are what I am most looking for right now, but I appreciate any suggestions.

Thanks for reading!