Word Bearers

[Doghouse]

So with potential games coming up with a couple of mates later this year and getting into the Heresy community it's time to crack on with an army and after much soul searching I decided to go with the Word Bearers. This isn't a Legion I'd normally consider mainly because it's not my play style, although I have dabbled with traitors over the decades I've never gone full chaos preferring the likes of the Iron Warriors and their large guns.

So with this in mind I have chosen survivors of the Graven Star Chapter who were mostly wiped out at the battle of Calth, this is partially for ease of access to decals but also because they are ship boarding specialists and I may team them up with a few survivors from the Unspeaking Chapter and maybe a few other rag tag survivors.

To get the force started I have the boxed set, a Kratos and three Rhnos and I intend to field large twenty man units whereever possible.

Garreck Rhann

This will be the force Praetor. I know that traditionally people tend to opt for the paragon blade but I personally have always seen the powerfist as a badge of office or symbol of rank outside the likes of terminators. 

While I am a sucker for nostalgia of the Mk 6 being used as the basis of the new edition the lore junkie in me craves Mk IV and Mk II so with that in mind I have done a simple conversion to get the best of both worlds taking advantage of the newer sculpts. I've cut the top Mk 6 torso off completely and added the top half of the Mk IV along with the Mk6 back pack. I'm currently adding GS knee pads and an embossed bronze shoulder pad for Rhan. I've not gone too crazy so far with the design because in my mind Rhann is first and foremost a soldier and while not following in the footsteps of his more zealous brothers he sees himself as more of a crusading templar fighting for a just cause. To play around with the scaling a bit I have used a Black Templar Neophyte head because it is far smaller thus making the model seem bigger than he is, it also has the added bonus of actually being able to fit in the helmet of the Mk IV model. 

For the regular marines I am going with the same process but a lot more standard Mk IV with the main goal being a twenty man unit with a Chaplain and an Apothecary. This is going to be my anvil unit but also try to take the fight to the enemy cutting them down with their chainblades.

[Bat33.1]

Nice work Doghouse 

I'm still debating on a legion to start but leaning towards Word Bearers as I already have some painted Gal Vorbak, I enjoy using the FW now GW decals and you can use a lot of script decals on WB. I've got the new box but also a bunch of plastic MkIV, MkIII and a fair amount of unbuilt FW resin marine kits of various marks including a few mkV and some jump packs.

My other options were NL just because of ADB really probably my favourite legion but not sure about painting all that lightning. The other option is AL as mkVI suit them perfectly and I've played around with the paint scheme in the past using the Tamiya clears which looks great but I sold them before committing fully. Choices, choices 

Edited June 26, 2022 by PJ1933
spelling

[Doghouse]

Thanks mate. :)

Yeah I know the feeling, it's really hard to pick a Legion but I'm doing them for pretty much the same reasons you are by the sounds of it. I'm a hard core Iron Warrior at heart but I really want to do something a bit more challenging and explore the more daemonic nature of the traitors.

One nice thing is that the 40k traitors are getting new plastic possessed kits that will be perfect for expanding the Gal Vorbak range.

Yeah Aaron did a really good job on the Night Lords and I must admit I struggle with the lightening myself so you're not alone there. I think one of the things that appeal to me about the Alpha Legion is the deception, I recall a story where they impersonated White Scars and I find that level of infiltration and subterfuge really interesting.

I'm going with two Legions myself, these guys and the Death Guard who will remain unconverted and purely a gaming force if I can't get these finished in time. 

 

 

 

[Son of Sacrifice]

Wonderful start so far, I'll enjoy following your progress. 

[Chaeron]

Looks great so far @Doghouse - not too common a legion either, so excited to see more converted in your style! 

[Torbenos]

Love to see it, I've been planning on trying the same Chapter for my own start for the Horus Heresy! So I look forward to seeing yours.

[batu]

You HAVE to make a true scale version of those guys!

[Doghouse]

Thanks all, I appreciate the encouragement and apologise for the lack of updates. 

 

Reboot

 

So circumstances change, the tides of the warp lead us down paths long since travelled and I find myself once again faced with the Heresy.

 

A lot has changed since I started this way back in June of last year but real life can get on top of you without you knowing and before you know it months have passed. 

After some conversations with people in the Heresy community I've decided I want to get back into gaming badly. I really badly miss the social aspect of this hobby and tend to find myself drifting from idea to inspiration and have little to keep me focused. So this is my stand, my line drawn in the sand to complete an army and get back out into the wargaming world. I've finally gotten a few days off to plan and build and I have decided to revamp this idea of a project using the Mk VI plastics that I got dirt cheap back when the HH2 starter set came out .

 

I have accumulated a ton of stuff, like an insane amount of still sealed plastic miniatures and tanks for an army that never was. I'm not going to be beat myself up about it and am instead going to dive in to his with determination.

 

No one said the path of Chaos was easy.

 

I have sat watching battle reports and lore videos mindlessly assembling Astartes. I have built 60 in total so far and now I have the chore of drilling out all the bolters. Many, many years ago there was a time when I would knock out a Warhammer Fantasy Battles army easily in a week. I was renown for the speed and conversions I could do in limited amounts of time and the key was production lining them. It wasn't always fun but it meant I had tons of armies that I could use and more importantly let my friends to use so we could spend out summer holidays gaming and running campaigns with Mighty Empires.

 

The key here was I had a goal, something to aim for each week, a reason to build an army. As my little gaming group of friends went their separate I would later discover the internet my focus began to shift to working with people on cool conversions and sharing ideas with people. It was amazing but over time as I got to express my creative side more and more in what was pretty much a new frontier for hobbyists. But without out the need to focus on a gaming army I lost direction but still the ideas come thick and fast which has become a bit of a curse for me to be honest.

 

So this is a few evenings work this week, in addition to this I have built a Proteus Land Raider, a Rhino and two Leviathans. Sixty marines with a no frills Praetor.

 

 

 

 

 The paints I am using are not going to be here till next week so in the meantime I am ploughing through these kits like a whirlwind.

Sarabando on here has spoken to me about a game at some point because we live near each other and a couple of guys I've known for about a decade want to do the same and have connections within the Heresy community .

 

My starting army list of an eventual 2500pts is:

 

Legion Praetor - Paragon blade and Warp Fire pistol with Burning Lore upgrade.

 

20 corrupted Tactical squad with an Apothecary

 

20 corrupted Tactical squad with an Apothecary

 

10 marines with rhino

 

10 marines with rhino

 

6 Scimitars with multi-melta

 

2 stock Predators

 

1 Leviathan with two storm cannons and volkites along with missile launcher thing.

 

Land Raider Proteus with heavy bolter

 

Contemptor with Gravis lascannon

 

This is just the rough draft to give me a goal and will probably shift around a bit as it's a rough draft. I have two of the Scorpius whirlwinds, a Kratos, two more Leviathans and a spare Rhino I can swap in an out if need be.

 

I've found most of the vehicles to be a pain in the backside the first time I have made them but as I make a second I can do so without the instructions. Like I say it will be no frills so don't expect any amazing paint jobs. 

 

My Praetor though I have plans for and will be making him with three models representing the different stages of his corruption by the ruinious powers so the army can double for forty kay as well.

 

[batu]

Sounds good to me!

[WrathOfTheLion]

Looks like a good start! Word Bearers are really a lot of fun to paint.

 

If you don't have the decal sheet yet, it's got some really nice stuff, with lots of Colchisian runes and ritual markings to put on things.

[tinpact]

Oh yeah, the tiny writing is really great and surprisingly versatile. I have a bunch from CSM kits I've been using as 'Baalite Blood Script' for my Blood Angels.

[Doghouse]

Batu: Thanks mate, so far it's really fun.

 

Wraithofthelion: Thanks mate, yeah I have a couple of the FW ones along with some others so tons of stuff I can use for that.

 

tinpact: The one that came with the ninth edition 40k set had some nice ones as well.

 

Well I am now well into one hundred and twenty MK 6 Marines so obviously I have enough models now for a couple of armies. So while I wait for my Word Bearer parts for the praetor and the paint to arrive and to take a break from just making stuff I decided to turn my hand to some sculpting for a Loyalist Emperor's Children Delegatus. I find marine heads often oversized so have used the Sergeant's head from the Imperial Navy Breachers kill team as it feels more proportionate to me.

 

 

 

[Pearson73]

Really nicely done, I like how he still looks quite understated (a true solid line officer) but still has the finery of his legion.

[Doghouse]

Thanks  

 

I'm glad that came across, Ill probably let the colours do the talking with  with whites and golds accenting his armour. I quite like the chainsword because it is more of a cavalry sword which suggests his former role in the Legion. I'll probably be using my jet bikes and Land Raiders for these guys. I want this guy leading a 20 man tactical squad all armed with chainswords in a Spartan. Not very points effective and will probably be a bullet magnet but still very cool but the idea of them making their way across the battlefield then the assault ramp drops and they come storming out is too cool not to do.

[BadgersinHills]

Lovely work. Glad to see your stuff again:)

[Doghouse]

Thanks I appreciate it. 

 

So not too much to report on but wanted to show some progress so I have started to paint the first sixty guys. I am using Gal Vorbek red as the base coat then will be layering this with mephiston red. Nothing fancy but it's getting there.

 

[Marshal Mittens]

Great progress! I love the chap with the chainswords pose! 

[batu]

The EC looks ace! Nice use of the head. Great to see that big amount of progress. Keep them coming!