Myrmidon's Crazy for Crucius

[Myrmidon]

Hi everyone!

 

Been out a little, real life goes on despite quarantine. I finally settles for Crucius. While normality is slowly going back, I started working on some concepts for my titans. My main goal is to build a Corsair maniple; two main reasons: Reavers and mobility. The versatility of Reavers (and coolness too) plus the mobility of Corsair's maniple trait is really interesting. Plus the chance for Crucius of punishing the reactors a further step. Also waiting for more info on The Defense of Ryza, updated rules for Crucius and some more lore, and maybe those sweet, sweet transfers for the Warmongers.

 

So, the first brainstorming of concepts, Corsair Battle Maniple Hekanthokeires. Long story short, it is and ad-hoc maniple formed during the first phases of the Traitors' assault on Ryza.

 

Hekanthokeires [The Guardian of Tartaros]

 

Princeps Senioris Rae Sydhe

 

Named after the one-hundred giants of the Grekan myths form Old Terra, Hekanthokeires is a venerable and old god-engine dating from previous times to the Great Crusade. Its name came from its role as guardian of the Ryzan forges during the dark times of the Age of Strife. The Titan was on Ryza in the late states of repair during the early stages of the traitor assault. Sydhe’s experience led him to commanding the ad-hoc Corsair maniple from the early survivors from the initial traitor onslaught.

 

 

 

Hidalgo [The Prodigal Son]

 

Princeps Asylla Pheon

 

Second in seniority to Princeps Sydhe, Asylla Pheon was a seasoned veteran from the Great Crusade by the start of the Heresy. Faithful to the creed of the Ryzan Mechanicum and the Legio Crucius code, princeps Pheon was known for her mathematical approach to warfare. Whereas more hot-headed princeps are consumed by the fury of their god-engines in the cradle of battle, Pheon remains always in control of her god-engine lust for battle. Thus, it provides an anchoring point for the maniple: Sydhe can always be sure the Hidalgo will be whenever is needed, doing whatever it has been ordered to do.

 

 

Aries Iracundus [The Furious Ram]

 

Princeps Tomyris Ursa

 

Princeps Tomyris Ursa and her god-engine Aries Iracundus are young, barely experienced in Titan warfare. Like her twin sibling, Aries Iracundus was barely commissioned when the traitors attacked Ryza. Ursa and her machine managed to escape from the rubble that once was their forge-fane, and the scars of the trauma run deeply in both woman and machine: despite the methodical approach to warfare favored by the Warmongers, it is easy for Aries Iracundus to enter a state of savage fury when facing the traitors, focusing more on their utter annihilation than any other concern. This disposition to charging and breaking the enemy line has been the reason for the god-engine name. It says a lot about the skill of princeps Ursa as a pilot, and princeps senioris Sydhe as a maniple leader, that she is still alive and in fighting condition.

 

 

Aurea Flamma [The Burning Heart]

 

Princeps Geoffre Fromix

 

Like her twin god-engine, the paint of Aurea Flamma was still fresh when the traitors hit their forge-fane. The activation sacrament for princeps Fromix and his Titan were not the binary chants and the sacred oils, but the roar of battle and the burns of laser and plasma. Unlike her sibling, the fury of Aurea Flamma and princeps Fromix for the traitors runs deep. Princeps Fromix knows the limits of his machine reactor, when to remain calm, and when to push them to obliterate the traitors from existence in a salvo of high-energy pulses as bright as a new sun risen from the battlefield.

 

 

Morgul [The Ebon Tower]

 

Princeps Doricar Laedes

 

Morgul is an ancient name of obscure origins, dating back to Albyon in Old Terra. Few fragments remain about a black sinister tower watching over the land to bear that name. The god-engine also carries a dark reputation. Princeps Doricar Laedes’ Venator light maniple was obliterated facing Legio Mortis and Magna assault on his forge. Man and machine joined princeps Sydhe to reap their grim vengeance on the traitor forces. He is a veteran like Pheon and Sydhe himself, but he and his god-engine are obsessed with the total obliteration of the enemy. Sometimes they will ignore a more sound tactical retreat for the chance of inflicting as much damage as possible to the traitors.

 

 

The plan for the maniple is simple.   Hekanthokeires  ,  Hidalgo  and Aries Iracundus will for m the mandatory compon ent, and Aurea Flamma and Morgul will be the additional components, due to my intention on their roles.

 

Hekanthokeires will be my Princeps Senioris of choice, and usually suited for long range combat (The Black Banner trait). Hidalgo will be the jack-of-all-trades, most probably with the standard, cheap and useful suport equipment of turbolaser, gatling blaster and AMP. Aries Iracundus will be the heavy hitter: if some chainfist, powerfist or melta is needed, Aries Iracundus will fullfill this role. Aurea Flamma will be my second jack-of-all-trades, whereas Morgul will be my second long-range support choice if needed. For a little bit of roleplay, when playing with Warhounds, maybe a Venator, Morgul will be the chosen one, to represent its former and now lost maniple.

 

I've tried to represent their backstory with their heraldry. Hekanthokeires and Hidalgo were part of the same maniple before the assault, and their heradlry is based on halved pieces: if you look closely, both caparce, head and left knee pad are halved in with and black. Aries Iracundus and Aurea Flamma were forged in the same fane, thus being "siblings". They share the quartered left knee pad. Morgul is and ousider and this is reflected in their heraldry, which is nothing comparable to the rest. I will paint my Warhounds maintaining this heraldry: mainly black with a lone white stripe.

 

So, first fase of planning done and on its way. Now I just only need to work on some concepts for my Warhounds. Does anyone know of a nice blank picture of a Warhound for playing with heraldry?

[Fajita Fan]

You are going to be doing a lot of masking 

[splayedpaintbrush]

I like people's creativity when it comes to naming and creating back story for their titans. I like how you've continued this into the paint scheme linking titans together in the maniple.

 

Crikey... I can't even come up with a name

Edited June 8, 2020 by splayedpaintbrush

[Mandragola]

This is an interesting start. Personally I'd grab some other kind of titan too, because I think I'd get a bit bored painting five reavers in a row!

 

I look forward to seeing the results. Good luck.

[schoon]

First of all, lovely work on the maniple coloring and background fluff - it's one of my favorite parts of the game for my own Titans.

 

Second, Mandragola has a point. While Reavers are excellent all-around Titans, they can suffer from being Jack of all Trades but master of none. Having at least a few Warhounds to potentially flank (prevent you from being flanked) adds a bit of flexibility. 

[splayedpaintbrush]

Now I just only need to work on some concepts for my Warhounds. Does anyone know of a nice blank picture of a Warhound for playing with heraldry?

I thought i'd seen one but turns out i've seen just about every AT model except the Warhound. I had a go at creating one from a picture of the Warhound schematic from the AT rulebook. Its a bit crap, but maybe better than nothing??

[Brother Dallo]

The other advantage to branching out to other classes of Titans is having to deal with building Reaver legs less. This is a good thing.

 

Liking the enthusiasm and looking forward to seeing what you come up with.

 

Dallo

[Mandragola]

The other advantage to branching out to other classes of Titans is having to deal with building Reaver legs less. This is a good thing.

 

Liking the enthusiasm and looking forward to seeing what you come up with.

 

Dallo

Nah. The good thing about having lots of Reavers is that you'll probably get most of them right, even though you'll almost certainly mess up the first.

[Fajita Fan]

I need more Reavers but won’t build them after doing six; I had three I took back to GW for more Warhounds.

[Myrmidon]

Finally got the starter! And looks like The defence of Ryza couldn't be closer, so it is almost like a perfect timing! Luckily I just have two Reavers (at least for now), so I still some room until I get so fed up with their legs like Fajita Fan. Next purchase on my plan is another Reaver and a Sunfury Warlord (botrh the helmet is cool as hell and plasma and Crucius are BFFs forever).

 

Still waiting for the updated rules for Crucius, but I'm starting to make a plan. Turbolaser, plasma and volcano will be my main friends. I think they are quite versatile, but most of all, fluffy as hell. For dropping shields, AML for Reavers and Warlords, megabolters for Warhounds.

 

Last but not least, I have a question. The starter comes with two nice Cerastus Knight Lancers (my favourite model of knight too. This box is so amazing, maybe I'll purchase a second one ). On the fluf I haven't found many info about Knight houses allied to the Warmongers or vassals of Ryza. Still waiting for the suplement to give some light on this area but... do you have some info in regards to this? I've been thinking about the House of the Order of Hermetika; though they are vassals to Mezoa, they have a nice scheme based on red with black and white decorations which I think perfectly matches and compliments the Warmongers scheme, like an inversion of it. Also, not so clear, but from the leaked front cover of The Defence of Ryza, looks like Hermetika were also part of the battle.

[Mandragola]

For knight households with Crucius you have a lot of options. Crucius were on Molech, so there's a whole book full of options there. The Ryza book will presumably tell us about knights that were at Ryza, with Crucius, so you should have a few more.

 

Very few of the Knight Households we've seen in AT are the ones we have in 40k. Terryn and Taranis are the main exceptions that I know of.