DIY Project - Black Manticores +Third Sons of Badab+

[Paradigm]

A quick test model for a new DIY Chapter project. Part of an upcoming campaign with some friends. A little fluff Below for those interested. If I decide to keep building the chapter, I may turn the post into a log. C&C is very welcome. Thinking about what more I'd like to do to the base, if anything. Going for a toxic world where the highest native form of life is a world spanning auto-cannibalizing slime mold. A scum world. I'm thinking I went a bit heavy on the gore, and I suck at weathering silver as well so any tips there would be great. Paint looks really thick in the photos but I'm not exactly sure why, it's much smoother looking in person.

General Idea is that these guys are remnants of the Star Tigers chapter, and fabled Third Sons of Badab, successors of the Astral Claws long before the Badab War. The Chapter gets into a bit of trouble at the edge of the galaxy, far from resupply and loses almost the entire chapter fighting depraved xenos, and nearly go renegade. A few squads limp back alive and still loyal. They're rescued by House Orhlacc. Eventually a torchbearer fleet shows up etc. etc, chapter renames themselves and starts rebuilding from the ashes of their past. Currently fighting allied to their patron knight household against the Night Lords and their allies.






The Black Manticores Chapter:

When crusading in the galactic north, the Star Tigers chapter found itself flung far beyond the realm of man and outside the light of the astronomicon due to the twisted nature of the warp. Encountering only the rare world habitable by human life, and constantly under siege by ancient advanced races and xenos empires peopled by species so alien as to be nearly unrecognizable as sentient beings. Lost for a half millennia, the chapter withered, supplies depleting, resupply rare, the fleet slowly broken on warptides. The navigators made only half-blind leaps, both of faith and in remote memory of the emperor's light. Each jump into empyrean drew them no closer to salvation, and oblivion beckoned.

After hundreds years it was only the death of Cadia that gave the chapter some waypoint, though it was not the one asked for. In desperation the sole living navigator launched their barge at the faint light. The newly born Great Rift, the only visible landmark in her third eye.

As months turned to years of transit, insanity began to seep into the hearts and minds within the remaining ship. Strings of foul murders among the serfs, horned mutants borne of mothers lost to madness.

Even atartes were not immune. The first company attempted mutiny, and were brutally put down by a wild-eyed epistolary who was more machine than man. He in turn was slain by a blood-mad chaplain along with the entire librarius. The brothers of the apothecarius watched as one by one stores of geneseed died to an unknown contagion, until it afflicted the brothers themselves. They sealed themselves in their own apothecarion and purged themselves with fire and promethium to contain the outbreak, knowing the chapter was doomed.

It was discovered, by chance, the ship's Gellar Field had been failing for decades, dragging the chapter slowly into the horrors of chaos. After slaying the tainted navigator and forcibly dragging the ship into realspace. The lone brother who discovered the malfunction rigged the ship to self destruct, gathered a few remaining trusted astartes and fled the ship in a thunder hawk. The detonation shook them like a prayer.

Twenty-odd marines in a lone thunderhawk, were now the entirety of the Star Tigers Chapter. The marines had no choice but to enter suspended animation as the vessel shot the void, lightyears from the nearest star.

Dumb luck or the Emperor's Grace found these failing brothers however. Just a few decades in suspension the lone thunderhawk was recovered by fleet elements of the Imperial Knight House Orhlacc. Ever a pragmatic house the marines were meticulously tested by Sacristans and found entriely and perhaps miraculously untainted.

Brought first to the Orhlacc fief of Wychval then on the Dark Haven. The Marines were given purpose as headhunters and retainers, even drill masters. The High Seneschal favored them greatly, and put his skilled sacristans at work in an attempt to save the chapter in exchange for their service.

Eventually a Torchbearer fleet bound for Hasciar passed within astropathic range. While initially suspicious of the astartes survivors, the word of House Orhlacc's sacristans was above scrutiny. While there could be no mistaking the uncertainty of the Star Tiger's future, it was determined that if this chapter were to succeed it would not be viable without primaris technology. Lacking an apothecarion or the chapter's future was entrusted to the sacristans of House Orhlacc. Live or die, the chapter was now doubly in debt of the knight household.

After nearly a century of rebuilding, the chapter has grown to a near company of marines. Renamed in honor of the House of Orhlacc, The Black Manticores forge a new future for themselves. With oaths of alliance and service to their new patrons, and dreams of glory in the Emperors name, a chapter takes root for a second time.

Edited December 27, 2021 by Paradigm

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Impressive work. Do the red spots on the model represent bloodstains left when his enemies attempted to count coup with bloody fingers? And will you further decorate the base?

[Kythnos]

Simple, yet well-executed color scheme. I quite like the marine's look and also the outline of the chapter's backstory. Keep it Up!

[Paradigm]

@Bjorn: That’s not a bad idea, but it’s really just an unfortunate splatter effect outcome. My camera is acting strange lately, and made the reds look a lot more prominent than they are in person, so the three similar sized dots really stand out. Might try a light box and see if it give a better photo.

 

I don’t want to overdo the gore, but I might have to splatter more on with a different brush so it isn’t so uniform looking.

 

Really want to do a little more with the base, thinking about some black or pink static grass, or maybe some primitive alien looking plants. Really want to lean into the scum-covered death world, suggestions are certainly welcome.

 

@Kythnos: Thanks! I’m a big fan of the more simple schemes, I might paint a squad and see if I still enjoy the silver after getting the hang of it.