The Iron Saints | Homebrew WIP Blog

[solid snake drive]

The Anunnaki lifted up the torches,

setting the land ablaze with their flare....,

and turned to blackness all that had been light.

The... land shattered like a... pot.

All day long the South Wind blew ...,

blowing fast, submerging the mountain in water,

overwhelming the people like an attack.

No one could see his fellow,

they could not recognize each other in the torrent.

The gods were frightened by the Flood...,

The gods were cowering like dogs, crouching by the outer wall.

-Epic of Gilgamesh

 

 

Hello and thank you for taking a look.

Here you will find a work in progress blog on the development of my homebrew chapter:

 

The Iron Saints

 

The blog will fulfill two roles: a way to record progress and development of the miniature side and serve as a test bed for background lore/development.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Some Context

I actually used to be quite a frequent poster on B&C back in the ancient days of 2005-2011, when I was but a young teen and had all the time in the world. Though most of my posts were in the unsanctioned and deleted RP subforum (which seems to have returned in some form now that I check!). I never fully left the hobby but put aside the models for the lore and remained in that capacity until just last year. I actually returned to the hobby, like many people, as the pandemic looked to be something that would be staying for the long run. Couped up at home with not much going on, my thoughts traveled back to Warhammer as a hobby. I never left the lore side of the universe, having been reading the horus heresy series and the great novels by Dan Abnett and ADB for years. Reading seemed much easier and healthier for my wallet than the miniature side of things, but I did feel an itch to get creative. So I took the plunge and visited my FLGS, which resulted in me leaving with a graciously free intercessor and a starter kit of paint. Last time I had picked up a brush was when I was still in 7th grade with nary a clue on how to paint or model. With this intercessor painted up, I hadn't had such engaging fun in a long while, and I knew I wanted to get back into the hobby with a more serious mindset.

Things have been progressing at a nice pace, though not as rapidly as it was the tail end of 2021. I may have dove too deep and devoted too much time to the hobby, neglecting other things, so now I've found a good pace at which to work on things and not burn out.

 

1. One of the first models I ever painted, for a different homebrew chapter. Check my display name. 2. A test scheme using an ancient Assault on Black Reach pushfit marine. 3 & 4. Intercessors applying alternate trim and some freehand patterns on the shoulder pads, as well as weathering and scratches practice. Completed a full 10 man squad of Intercessors in this scheme.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Idea

The Iron Saints are an old idea that has been kicking around in my head in some form or another for the last decade. The earliest versions of the Iron Saints were just Night Lords (but loyalist!) rip-offs, and while I had great fun with that idea it inevitably grew stale over a decade of stagnation. I decided to keep the name, because it's cool as heck, but try a subtler approach and distill core philosophies into an independent and internally consistent entity.

I've so far narrowed down the themes I want to explore into a few core essentials:

Cosmic Dread
The Emperor as Divine
Cycles & Rhythm
Mesopotamian Mythos
 

The chapter resides far out Imperial space, I'm not sure exactly where, but on the periphery of known and mapped regions. Wholly voidborne, the chapter would serve both as sworn vanguard for Explorator fleets that blindly grope against the edge of the Milky Way for signs of life and riches, and a sort of "caravan escort" for resources that are ferried back to the nearest central port for distribution. For much of their existence, the warriors exist in the darkness of space, upon ships and voidcraft encased in plasteel and ceramite. As such there is darkness, both without in the form of xenos and other "things" that cannot be explained and within the minds of these isolated warriors. The number of warriors are kept low in part due to the lack of resources to upkeep a larger codex compliant force, but also because aspirants themselves are few and far in between. Most humans found out in the depths of space not sound of mind, though in times of desperation, such considerations are a luxury...

 

They cling to the idea of the Emperor's divinity as their only saving grace, the dim light of the Astronomicon but a smear against the void. So far from the Imperium proper do these warriors reside, beyond the edge of known space, it is inevitable that ancient beliefs morph and change to deal with the terrors that lurk just beyond the edge of night. In some fashion, beliefs return to the cradle of mankind's mythos, shorn down to their barest essentials: to know the touch of solid ground; the preciousness of water; security in both mind and body. In a realm where nothing is certain, to know stability is to know the Emperor's grace. As such, the chapter sees psykers differently from the rest of the Imperium. Indescribably rare blessings and a hint of the Emperor's divine favor.

 

Despite the isolation, the Imperium still holds interests in far flung regions, for the Imperial war machine is insatiable, and grows ever outwards to fulfil its need to feed the industries of death. The warriors of the Iron Saints spread forth in largely independent Grand Hosts that each serve a particular role in ensuring that the edge of Imperial space remains well-guarded against the predations of enemies both external and internal. Many independent interests reside in the outer reaches, and the chapter has maintained obligations to many of them, foremost of which are the explorator fleets of the Adeptus Mechanicus. The Iron Saints maintain a strict cycle of pilgrimage to the various outposts, mining operations, and Ark Mechanicus with which they have established centuries old pacts of mutual exchange and aid, sadly amounting to paltry scraps of the already meager possessions of such isolated contingents of the Mechanicus.

 

Existing in these conditions hearkens back to an age where Humanity itself was small and isolated upon Terra, only taking it's fledgling steps into civilization. The various warlike polities of pre-history such as the Akkadians, Sumerians, Babylonians, Assyrians, who existed in a constant state of conflict over the precious streams and farmland of the Tigris and Euphrates then serve as a wellspring of cultural influence I found to align with the above characteristics.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Models


Metal Vanguard Veterans from years ago. Still need to complete the fella on the right as well as assemble and paint the sergeant who wields a power sword two handed.

 

Brethren of Iz-Dubar.

First airbrushed unit, and first time using airbrush for the main armor. One can see that th

Edited June 25, 2022 by White Crusader

[Pearson73]

That's a really nice paint scheme and very well executed.

[Brother Dallo]

That’s a lovely green.

 

Mind sharing the recipe?

 

Dallo

[Tyrannicide]

Very intriguing concepts and the models look terrific! What’s the significance behind the chapter symbol?

[solid snake drive]

That's a really nice paint scheme and very well executed.

 

Thank you! Been very rewarding learning from all the great resources on instagram and youtube. It's astounding how many great painters there are sharing techniques

 

That’s a lovely green.

 

Mind sharing the recipe?

 

Dallo

 

The main color is Scalecolor's Boreal Green highlighted with increasing amounts of Vallejo Light flesh over a base coat of GW Lupercal Green.

 

Very intriguing concepts and the models look terrific! What’s the significance behind the chapter symbol?

 

Thanks for taking the time to read!

 

The symbol, I think, is an abstract representation of the dim light of the Astronomicon which acts as the sole reminder of the Emperor's divinity. It also represents the edges of the Imperium and how mankind seeks to pierce beyond. Also a literal nod to saintly halos. The hands serve as both a representation of the role of the Astartes as defenders against the dark both within and without the boundaries of the Imperium, as well as obeisance to the Emperor, hands pointed to the center of the Imperial realm of Terra.

Edited March 22, 2022 by White Crusader

[Valkia the Bloody]

Well thought up and great execution.

I love to read background ideas for other people‘s armies. Curious what else you come up with.

Plus, fantastic paint work.

I also like the use of the old and characterful models. Brings back memories.

[solid snake drive]

"In life; Damnation, but in death; Absolution. Until then do I sin willingly."

- Reverend Cambyses of the 4th Grand Host

 

 

There have always existed those amongst humanity who have ventured forth to push the boundaries, entering the darkness beyond in search of discovery and wonder. Indeed, it was these characteristics that led to mankind’s first steps beyond its singular cradle of civilization. What is oft left unsaid however, is of what follows in the wake of such expeditions, unglamorous and thankless though it may be. The trail that has been blazed would just as soon wither, and can only be sustained by its subsequent use and guardianship, to be a living record of mankind’s dominion borne aloft within the hulls of each starship plying those fragile astral corridors. For what use is there of trails but to ferry precious resources and raw materiel, so often the hushed and unspoken impetus for mankind’s expansion. 
 
The age of discovery has long passed, and humanity has grown wiser now; the legacy of mankind’s folly scattered across the galaxy and in the genetic memories of each and every human being. The penchant for expansion is left to those scant few who lean more towards madness than sanity. But as always, humanity’s hunger persists and in some ways dwarfs the needs of yesteryear, as the titanic struggle to slow the Imperium’s millennia long decline demands ever more sacrifice.
 
Ancient trails of old, threading out from Holy Terra to the very edges of the galaxy established in byegone eras by humanity’s thrice damned ancestors, require continual vigilance. For dark things grow where no feet tread, and if left to fester, threaten the very fabric of the Imperium itself. Few within the Imperium can be trusted to venture forth and face such darkness, and but for the ironshod boots of the Adeptus Astartes, that essential lifeblood of the Imperium which manifests itself within each cargo hold and ancient charter of trade, within each hunk of ore and bullet molded from its steel, within each grain of wheat and belly sated, would have ceased to flow millennia ago. Know then, that this is a record of the origins, history, tactics and organization of the Canticle of Ending, the Eternal Procession, the Void-Sung: the Iron Saints.

 

 

 

Made a bit of progress on the next squad of assault(?) marines/intercessors. Whatever these fellas are I want them to look menacing and eclectic. A set of individuals true to the lore of the Astartes as peerless and storied warriors all.

 

You'll notice each member of the squad have different helmet patterns and a hodgepodge of components. Existing so far out on the galactic edge, I view the Iron Saints as using outdated equipment from byegone eras, tenuously held together with brutal riveted plate and ad-hoc repairs done to the best of the chapter's abilities. For anything more involved, the chapter trades technological trinkets or oaths of protection for what paltry repairs the few Mechanicus explorator fleets out there can provide.

 

I've always felt spears have gotten an unfair shake at things in the 41st millenium. The weapon of choice for much of human history, at least until firearms came around, and even in those early days of shot and powder, the pike rules supreme. Well I intend to make sure the spear gets some much needed representation around here beyond the glaives and halberds you see the golden boys tout around!

 

As for the vehicle behind them...

 

 

 

 

I've painted the control panel on the interior of the Razorback and attached Zinge Industry's very nice Razorback Upgrade Kit, which consists of the handrails you see along the sides of the model, and a pair of penants, which I've left off for now. I also noticed I forgot to glue on the tank treads on the last post's images. I had bought Blood and Skulls Industry's Oppressor treads but I had a very hard time getting them to fit properly along the tank and especially up into the track covers. Maybe next tank I'll have the patience to shave down the resin parts, but not this day. Standard treads it is.

 

I really like the idea of a more "mechanized" chapter, one whose warriors act independently overall, and assigned dedicated transports that they learn to upkeep. Perhaps the vehicle is etched with the names and deeds of all who have ridden within it's hull, developing a warrior culture in which beautiful calligraphic inscription is a prized skill, one favored as much as proficiency with a blade or bolter.

 

Next steps are to add some greenstuff sculpting and bitz to each of the marines to make them feel even more like individual warriors, and then prime the tank.

 

Until next time.

Edited April 6, 2022 by White Crusader

[Valkia the Bloody]

What are the components you use for the main bodies/ legs?

This Heresy type armor?

It is not Forgeworld, is it?

[solid snake drive]

What are the components you use for the main bodies/ legs?

This Heresy type armor?

It is not Forgeworld, is it?

 

All the bodies are from Tortuga Bay Studios! Probably the pre-eminent 3rd party bitz company for true-scale marine bodies. Sadly they were based in Ukraine and due to the current situation I'm not sure if they're able to fulfill orders right now. Link to their storefront below if you'd like to check them out! Any support they can get would be incredibly helpful.

 

https://tortuga-gamestable.top/index.php?route=product/category&path=223_244

Edited March 24, 2022 by White Crusader

[Valkia the Bloody]

 

What are the components you use for the main bodies/ legs?

This Heresy type armor?

It is not Forgeworld, is it?

 

All the bodies are from Tortuga Bay Studios! Probably the pre-eminent 3rd party bitz company for true-scale marine bodies. Sadly they were based in Ukraine and due to the current situation I'm not sure if they're able to fulfill orders right now. Link to their storefront below if you'd like to check them out! Any support they can get would be incredibly helpful.

 

https://tortuga-gamestable.top/index.php?route=product/category&path=223_244

 

Thanks for sharing.

No idea how these guys have so far passed me by!

Great for conversions!

Tempted to support them.... just because.

[DaBoiKyknos]

I really like the "legion as a chapter" theme, If you could call it that.

Other than the Carcharodons, these marines seem to be more explorers, which I like.

With all these "astartes" running around in 40k, it makes sense that some are mesopotamian-inspired, I think. (Astarte ~ Ishtar, you know?)

Are those conversion world Spears?

Models look cool aswell!

[solid snake drive]

I really like the "legion as a chapter" theme, If you could call it that.

Other than the Carcharodons, these marines seem to be more explorers, which I like.

With all these "astartes" running around in 40k, it makes sense that some are mesopotamian-inspired, I think. (Astarte ~ Ishtar, you know?)

Are those conversion world Spears?

Models look cool aswell!

Thank you for the kind words! Could you expand on the "legion as a chapter" theme? Not sure what that means but it sounds intrigueing.

 

And yes! Converison world spears, which reminds me I should order some more along with their poseable hands.

[DaBoiKyknos]

I meant that they kind of act like a legion in semi-autonomous hosts and discovering uncharted territory, like in the times of the Great Crusade, so the Iron Saints feel more like a legion than a chapter to me.

[solid snake drive]

Finally have made some progress on the Deimos Rhino/Razorback. Airbrushed with a basecoat of Scale75 Decayed Metal then gloss varnished before spraying chipping medium and the main armor color.

 

I love chipping vehicles! It's such a relaxing process poking and prodding away. Sometimes though I get so in the zone that I weather a bit too much! 

 

Also debating whether to paint the top portion of the front glacis (the portion right behind the two front viewports) in copper for contrast later on or leave it as the main green color. Any thoughts?

 

Next up is chipping the top of the tank as well as all of the razorback accessories, and the tedious process of freehand/decals and oil-washes.

 

 

 

[YoungWolf7]

Looks ace so far. It could use a contrasting color. Oxidized copper would tie it back into the main color easily.

[solid snake drive]

Hello all. Some more progress on the Rhino/Razorback and some greenstuff adventures. 

 

I've blocked off the base metallics and basecoated the rest of the tank as well as sealed everything in a layer of VMS HD gloss varnish. I'm not sure I'd use this product again next time for the sealant step as it requires quite a thick application to create a smooth surface, and any non-smooth spray results in rough not so glossy areas. This was all in preparation for the decal stage so a smooth gloss surface was priority.

 

Admittedly I have very little experience with decals so I did plenty of test applications on throwaway models beforehand. Still waiting on a few more decal sheets to be delivered. Afterwards it'll be on to the pinwashing and details stage.

 

 

One question I have is this photo below. I'm not sure if this would be considered "silvering" and whether I have to reapply this decal. Been looking at example photos online and it seems most cases are more severe than this. I wonder if the silvering would disappear after a coat of gloss varnish and matte varnish and I'm just jumping the gun with assumptions. If not, how would I go about removing the decal? Maybe a layer of microset and a gentle application of a hobby knife?

 

 

 

Some other things was trying to create chainmail veils with greenstuff on marine heads. Greenstuff sculpting is also something I have very little experience with and every attempt is sort of met with frustration. Greenstuff is quite the devil to work with and it seems timing is everything. I may have bitten off more than I can chew trying such a small scale and intricate detail for my first go. First attempt to third attempt from left to right. It gets better I think! but still along way away from what I'm envisioning. Will need to keep practicing and adjusting timing.

 

[Pearson73]

The Rhino is shaping up very nicely, the transfers are really cool. The chain mail is coming on well too, should soon be spot on!

[space wolf]

great stuff.  That rhino paint job is amazing!

[Dosjetka]

Damn, that's a very nice green. For what it's worth, I also think that the third chainmail attempt looked pretty good. As Pearson mentioned, you're probably not too far off a result you'll be satisfied with. :)

 

With regards to decals, I'm not very experienced either but perhaps an extra layer of microsol (or is it set?) to "melt" the decal a bit more before varnishing? Another thing I would suggest, for next time, is to remove more of the transparent film around the decal to avoid such large areas of visible film.

 

Anyway, I hope you find a satisfactory solution and keep up the good work! :tu:

[solid snake drive]

Highlights and basic weathering complete for the most part. Probably still have a few scratches and dings to paint on the razorback turret (not shown). Tracks will need to be more heavily weathered with powders and texture paints. :)

 

[Khornestar]

Absolutely awesome. Everything about them is creative and well executed, nice green and weathering too. I’m going to look back at your series on weathering the rhino, as I’m trying to envision that process with my own army as I work toward that stage. Edited May 3, 2022 by Khornestar

[Monstra Sumus]

Lovely stuff! 

I feel they are a good mirror to my own Voidborn homebrew of The Lacunae. Maybe they've crossed paths once or twice out there in the Great Beyond. 

[solid snake drive]

Lovely stuff! 

 

I feel they are a good mirror to my own Voidborn homebrew of The Lacunae. Maybe they've crossed paths once or twice out there in the Great Beyond. 

 

I just took a gander at the lore for your Lacunae and I’ve gotta say it’s so neat to see a familiar foundational premise share certain similarities but also vastly unique ideas! Also your models have such character and mood to them :)

[Monstra Sumus]

As do yours! This will be an absolutely stellar force to see on the table top.

[Doghouse]

I'm a big fan of this army. Fantastic painting and really loving the GS work on the helmets, keep at it and it will get a lot easier. :tu: