Wormwoods' Blood Angel Successor Project - The Sin Eaters

[Firedrake Cordova]

They've definitely got a touch of the Blanche about them  (the slight "roughness" in the lines of the checkerboard may be enhancing this feeling )

[Wormwoods]

19 hours ago, Firedrake Cordova said:

They've definitely got a touch of the Blanche about them  (the slight "roughness" in the lines of the checkerboard may be enhancing this feeling )

Yes, let's just all pretend I'm practicing Blanchitsu, rather than just being... A little loose with my brushwork as I try to fit a little painting into my lunch breaks! 

 

Anyway, the weathering has covered up most of it, I'm working on the rest of the models now. 

[Wormwoods]

BLADEGUARD IMMORTALS - SIN EATERS 1st COMPANY

Immortals of the 1st Company, Champion Regalia.

 

The Codex Astartes promotes a form of operational and individual flexibility in astartes. Their bodies and minds augmented to allow for the mastery of multiple forms of warfare, all marines are expected to devote themselves to training in all fields. Not so for the Immortals. The process of rebirth strips away that which is less central to the forming gestalt, the collected preferences and biases of those minds that went into its creation. A marine may, in death and resurrection through devourment, have a preference for melee become exaggerated, bolstered, until a generalist becomes a specialist.

 

Immortal Geraphon, of the Blade, in Champion's Regalia.

 

In practice, this means that the 1st company is formed of small, tightly knit squads, each dedicated to a particular form of war. These often match Codex designations - Terminator Veterans, Bladeguard Veterans, Sternguard Veterans, and so-on - but hold additional titles and meanings to the Sin Eaters. The Bladeguard, who wear ornamented and combat-specialised equipment known as The Champion's Regalia, are a fine example, marines utterly dedicated to close combat with blade, shield, and standard power armour, rather than the Terminator plate of their more stoic and steady brothers.

 

. 

Immortal Armenas, of the Blade, in Champion's Regalia. Note the SATOR Square, an ancient symbol of protection from pre-Unification Terra.

 

In battle, those of the Blade serve as the personal guard of favoured Company Captains, high-ranking members of the Chapter Reclusium or Librarium, or as the mobile, and deadly core of a close assault. While not as durable as Terminators, their warded plate still turns away most weapon fire, or the blades and claws of all but the fiercest xenos-breed. 

 

 

Immortal-Sergeant Pollux, of the Blade, in Champion's Regalia.

 

Immortal combat squads are led by those among them with a head for leadership, and often, experience as Company Captains in their recent lives. These astartes are often cycled through the lower companies to fill gaps in command, only leading full squads of Immortals when deemed appropriate by them and their brothers. Such beings after often many centuries old, and depending on how one wishes to count, almost certainly among the most long-lived beings of human (or transhuman) stock within the Imperium, though few outside of the Chapter would consider their particular form of Immortality a suitable method to reach such ages. 

 

-

 

Bladeguard were the unit that convinced me I wanted to do a more heraldric Space Marine army after my last go at astartes. I built myself 3 for my old Iron Heralds project, which pre-dates my presence on this site, and adored the image of marines with his big, stupid storm shields. They look great, and I love the mix of old and new in these latter Primaris sculpts. MKX armour looks good with a tabard, I don't know what else to tell you.

 

So, I'm pretty happy with how these came out! None are pure Bladeguard, though the sergeant is closest, only having a head swap and alternate shield. The other two are Leviathan Sternguard with Bladeguard arms and other components, with the same printed shields and helmets. I'm doing this to spread out the even more shiny Bladeguard bodies for squad leaders, and will be doing a Sternguard squad with a sergeant made from the second body in the Bladeguard box. 

 

With this, I am now AGAIN over 1000 points! Nice of GW to keep making Space Marines cheaper, but it is very funny that this is now the third time I've hit 1000 points with this army in about a month. So it goes. 

[Firedrake Cordova]

They look great - the weathering on the shields is very nicely done  

 

Also ... so. much. checkerboard.   

Edited October 11, 2023 by Firedrake Cordova

[Wormwoods]

I cussing love painting checkerboards, apparently. 

[SvenIronhand]

Love me the SATOR square on the shield there.

[Terminatorinhell]

Loving the work here, so much panache. I especially like the servo-archive 

[Wormwoods]

4 hours ago, SvenIronhand said:

Love me the SATOR square on the shield there.

Thanks, I'm probably going to do another, larger, less sloppy one on my second Dread once he's all assembled.

 

3 hours ago, Terminatorinhell said:

Loving the work here, so much panache. I especially like the servo-archive 

Too kind. I'm a little sour on how the Daemonhost and Servitor came out, mostly due to how my conversion work addled my painting, but I think the servo-archive came out great! 

[Firedrake Cordova]

12 hours ago, Wormwoods said:

'm a little sour on how the Daemonhost and Servitor came out, mostly due to how my conversion work addled my painting 

I think you're being a little too hard on yourself, there  

[Wormwoods]

STERNGUARD IMMORTALS - SIN EATERS 1st COMPANY

Immortals of the 1st Company, Champion Regalia.

 

Armoured similarly to the Bladeguard Immortals, those who have instead dedicated their many lives to mastery of one of the ranged weapons favoured by the chapter form Sternguard squads. It is standard practice for each squad to field the same armament (in this case, modified and sanctified bolt rifles) with the addition of a heavier weapon (in this case, a heavy bolter) to allow for tactical focus. Combi-bolters, and in some cases plasma rifles have been fielded by Immortal squads in various fields, with a heavy weapon chosen to match. 

 

Immortal Helgan, of the Bolter, in Champion's Regalia.

 

Immortal-Gunner Roark, of the Bolter, in Champion's Regalia.

 

-

 

Getting my Sternguard together next, and using the two Leviathan boxes I split with a friend to ensure I have all the same weapons. That, and a little light conversion. The thought of splitting by dice up between the boltguns and combi-weapons irks me, so these lads are all bolters. Not bad for a monopose kit, and I didn't feel the need to do much beyond stripping the eagles, and swapping out the heads for the printed helmets I'm using for my immortals. 

 

Must remember to go back and add some mud to those tabards. 

 

 

[Wormwoods]

STERNGUARD IMMORTALS - SIN EATERS 1st COMPANY

Immortal Dromon, of the Bolter, in Champion's Regalia.

 

Immortal Kleon, of the Bolter, in Champion's Regalia.

 

Man, I really need to get a real camera. Two more down, one more heavily kitbashed squad leader (and some general fixing) to go! 

[Wormwoods]

STERNGUARD IMMORTALS - SIN EATERS 1st COMPANY

Immortals of the 1st Company, Champion Regalia.

 

It is a rare thing for more than a small taskforce of Immortals to go into battle at once. Often, a single squad is enough to form the unbreakable core of a force formed otherwise of one of the battle companies. Sometimes, however, a situation demands a sizeable investment of the Chapter's most senior, and valuable warriors, such as the ongoing 4th Tyrannic War. The combined battlefield experience of all Immortals present in the field at once can, at times, prove difficult to manage. Ancient champions, all, the single-minded focus of these reborn soldiers can lead to... Tactical inflexibility not found amongst the battle companies, and it is not always remedied through skill.

 

Still. Few can deny that the First Company of the Sin Eaters is effective when death needs dealing, or a position held against all comers. 

 

Immortal-Sergeant Hess, of the Bolter, in Champion's Regalia.

 

-

 

You know, I've noticed during this squad that the old Bladeguard are slightly shorter than the new Sternguard. Scale creep is as eternal as the Immortals themselves, it seems. No matter. The spiky hat makes up for it. Overall, though, I'm quite happy with these lads! I think the minor kitbashing, along with the attempt to make them similar to the Bladeguard worked well enough.

 

Next up: Something a little more mobile, and a little less veteran. 

[Wormwoods]

DIGRESSION: TACTICAL SQUAD SERO - CAULDRON BORN 2nd COMPANY

Prime Fireteam, led by the Honoured Eynon.

 

The Cauldron Born field little in the way of specialists, at least at the squad level. Instead, in accordance with their ancient and in places idiosyncratic interpretation of the Codex Astartes, they scatter their anti-vehicle or anti-infantry specialist weaponry through their tactical squads. This practice, while not well suited to the modern codex, as re-made by their distant genesire - despite some claims to the contrary, the records of their direct-line ancestry amongst the scions of Guilliman are extensive, and backed by genetic examination - has left them unusually well-suited to acting as independent kill-squads seconded to other Imperial forces. Favoured by certain Inquisitorial brotherhoods for their... Willingness to complete duties otherwise frowned upon by similarly stable chapters, they are a not-uncommon sight standing beside Ordo Persons of Interest, or at the spear-tip of Inquisitorial Stormtrooper platoons. 

 

Note the archaic, and heavily modified MK-4 plate. These ancient suits are largely surface-layers over more modern, or at least heavily up-augmented internals.

 

Brother Aneirin, his half-helm allowing a fine view of the facial tattoos worn by all Cauldron Born, derived from their adopted homeworld of Tyrn Anog, deep within Segmentum Pacificus.

 

Here the chapter badge of the Honoured Eynon has been transplanted to his Powered Gauntlet, a personal affectation.

 

-

 

Well, it's been a minute! I've been busy with some real-life projects, and also, as you can see, a quick break from my Crusade Army! After finally reaching 1000 points, I wanted to paint something other than red. Meet the Cauldron Born, where I'll be doing my dips into firstborn marine stuff. I have mixed feelings about how this squad is coming together, as the test model ended up looking better than the rest, but that happens. I didn't much like the first few Sin Eaters, either. 

 

Anyway, colours aside, they're my usual mix of drybrushing and freehanding, with minimal manual edge highlighting. Also, aren't those printed MK-4 bodies nice? Very pleasant to paint. 

 

More Sin Eaters soon, I'm most of the way through assembling a jump assault squad. Peace!

[SvenIronhand]

I really like the look of the Cauldron-Born!

[Pearson73]

Loving the heavy layered armour of the Cauldron-Born!

[Wormwoods]

 

STRIKEFORCE CORIOLANUS - SIN EATERS 1st & 3rd COMPANIES

Elements of the Sin Eaters 3rd Company, with attached 1st Company Immortals.

 

Formed to take part in the 4th Tyrannic War, Strikeforce Coriolanus was a combined force of the Sin Eaters 3rd Company with attendant 1st Company Immortals acting in support, seconded to the use of the Ordo Xenos alongside other Imperial forces. Focused on the south-eastern edge of the Hive Fleet incursion, the Strikeforce spent much of the war hunting splinter fleets, though did take part in a number of pivotal battles in the wider war, details of which will be provided elsewhere in this record. Pictured above is a section of the Strikeforce pictured early in the war, and led by Reclusiarch Hanuman and his retinue of Terminator Immortals. 

 

Squad Adra, joined by Lieutenant Monash.

 

Squad Bohr, anti-swarm armaments.

 

Squad Curie.

 

-

 

So, turns out what I really needed to get all my lads together for a photo was... For my garage to flood. Once again, the previous owners left us a wonderful little surprise! This time it was degraded waterproofing in one of the showers, leading to water ingress in the garage. Until we get  a plumber in - And I replace my old wooden desk, which appears to be ruined - my hobby is on hold. 

 

THAT side of the hobby, anyway, because it's finally time to begin the first Crusade of 10th! Me and some friends are doing a marine-v-nid Crusade, probably a shorter one, as a way to learn 10th properly, and an excuse for new armies. That's where the Sin Eaters came from! I'll be sure to take some photographs of the battles coming up next Sunday, where unlike our Crusade in 9th BOTH armies should now be painted. which is nice. 

 

The first 1000-ish points are as follows:

 

Characters

Terminator Chaplain - Crozius & Shield

Chaplain - Crozius & Bolt Pistol.

Lieutenant - Bolter & Power Weapon

 

Battleline

5 Intercessors - Grenade Launcher

5 Intercessors - Grenade Launcher

 

Infantry

5 Infernus Intercessors

5 Sternguard - Bolt Rifles & Heavy Bolter, Power Weapon

3 Bladeguard - Plasma Pistol

5 Terminators - Assault Cannon, Power Weapon

 

Vehicles

Ballistus Dreadnought - Lascannons & Missiles

 

Now, I'm sure you'll notice that this is just a bunch of lads from/converted from Leviathan. Which is correct. Look, the Sin Eaters are here for a good time, not a long time, and I'm expecting to get rinsed by the more competitive members of the Crusade Group. 

 

I'll have the most freehanding, though. That's the moral victory. 

[Firedrake Cordova]

They look great assembled as a force

 

Sorry to hear about your flooding problems  Hope they get sorted out soon  

[Wormwoods]

3 minutes ago, Firedrake Cordova said:

Sorry to hear about your flooding problems  Hope they get sorted out soon  

 

You and me both. I have a half-finished squad burning a hole through my... Quickly arranged box.

[firestorm40k]

Sorry to hear about your flooding issues, I hope it's sorted out soon and you can get back to hobbying quickly! 

 

Your army looks fantastic - giving each individual Marine freehand heraldry is an inspiring act of hobby heroism  As I tend to batch paint my armies, I'm not brave enough to give that a try myself 

[Wormwoods]

35 minutes ago, firestorm40k said:

Your army looks fantastic - giving each individual Marine freehand heraldry is an inspiring act of hobby heroism  As I tend to batch paint my armies, I'm not brave enough to give that a try myself 

 

Thanks! That was kind of the whole point, this is my freehanding bootcamp!

[Torbenos]

They've become a force with a lot of character! And lovely to see them gathered together, if only by unfortunate circumstance. I will look forward to seeing the photos and reports from actual play! Having all sides painted and a proper battlefield to set it upon truly does elevate the play, I think especially if you care about the narrative part of it as much as the gaming.

[YannTheMad]

This is awesome ^^

 

I'm especially a fan of your ordo xenos retinue. The primaris marines are great too, I really like the more smooth, golden helmets. The checkerboards are a nice touch too ^^ 

[Wormwoods]

TRANSMISSIONS FROM THE 4th TYRANIC WAR

 

 

Even crippled by Fallen Ennius' twin lascannons the Tyrant-beast was a threat to the entire left flank of the Sin Eaters assault. With the body of the strike force engaged with the vanguard organisms and their hulking Broodlord officers it had fallen to Chaplain Vradekar, joined by Immortals of the Blade who had served as his guard during the desperate attempt to relay their position to the ships in orbit to fend the flying monster off. His crozius still soaked in black-ish gore from the parasite-thing he had opened from thorax to mandibles, the chaplain emptied the last of his bolt rounds into the thing before meeting it as it descended. 

 

It took mere moments for his guardians to reach the melee, but by then it was too late. His plate split, and the genehanced meat within pulped by tyrant's slashing claws Vradekar hit the crushed stone of the ruined hab-complex, not dead, but out of action. Three power blades finished what he had started, taking the creature apart in a shower of sizzling gore, before the Immortals took their place around their fallen charge, ready to hold the position until he could be retrieved - living or dead.

 

Chaplain Vradekar of the 3rd Company would not be the only hero to fall that day.

 

GAME 1 - SCREAMING INTO THE VOID

 

Deployment

 

My first game of the Crusade - not to mention 10th edition - was a great one. We have three marine players - Myself, Dark Angels, and another weird successor the 'Blooded Unicorns' (don't ask) are facing three tyranid swarms, the first of which was Splinter Fleet Basilisk, a Vanguard-themed swarm of genestealers and lictors with a fetching blue-ring octopus themed scheme run by my friend Michael. 

 

Lovely shade of blue on these guys, and nice to see the new Stealers in the flesh. Plastic. You know what I mean.

 

This was an incredibly close one. On the final turn of the game only Ennius, my Dreadnought, remained on the field to send the signal that won me the minimum possible victory for the match. Said Dreadnought had a grand total of one would left. Bit of a nail-biter, that. He also killed a grand total of 6 genestealers, two broodlords, and 2 lictors over the course of the game, so he left his first outing thoroughly blooded with the help of the signal XP. MVP of the whole day, really. 

 

I didn't get many overwatches with the Infernus marines, but the one that did pop was effective!

 

Very sneaky.

 

 

I took the Firestorm Detachment for both games, and it served me pretty well. Being able to advance the whole army while still shooting was a lot of fun after being largely stationary in 9th. In my rush to threaten the two instant-win buttons I probably over-extended, letting Mike lock my entire army into close combat more-or-less instantly after one turn of shooting. Oh well. Worked out in the end, with Ennius stomping his way to the most pyrrhic victory possible. Other highlights include the Bladeguard killing the Tyrant, and a messy rolling melee with the Terminators and genestealers. Very Space Hulk.

 

Lictors are good, by the way. They took a lot of characters off the field. All of them, actually. 

 

GAME 2 - AGAINST THE SWARM

..Will be next time!

 

 

Edited December 4, 2023 by Wormwoods

[Wormwoods]

TRANSMISSIONS FROM THE 4th TYRANIC WAR

 

Squad Curie, led by Sergeant Rolant, had been left at the abandoned fort the Sin Eaters had claimed as a staging ground alongside a number of backup units. They, too, had received the signal Fallen Ennius had transmitted to orbit, though none on the surface knew that it had not made it through the roiling, shadow-touched sky. They had prepared regardless, and watched in mounting concern as the survivors of the excursion had returned, their armour claw-scored and acid-burned, walking wounded and the remains of the dead.

 

Those of the First had lived up to their name, having fared the best of the survivors. Ancient and reinforced plate had saved the immortals within, though few had survived unscathed. Only Ennius himself seemed to have retained his vigour, striding ahead of the column on ground-cracking feet, wasting no time in ascending the armoured tower at the head of the fort, and turning his weapon-mounts back the way they had came.

 

There was time enough to prepare for the next wave. Time to patch wounds and mount backup plates of Tacticus armour, even gather around the recovering - barely - Chaplain Vradekar, a high dosage of combat and medical stims adding a wild fervour to his calls for vengeance for the brothers they had been forced to leave on the field, only their geneseed recovered, rather than the bodies that would allow them a chance at rebirth. 

 

He was still ranting when the first green carapace burst from the smoke, and Ennius began to fire. Squad Curie, and all those deemed fit enough to re-join the fight within the ruined fort joined him, ready to hold as long as they were able, be that till the Thunderhawks made it through the storm, or the last bolt was spent.

 

Either would do. 

 

GAME 2 - AGAINST THE SWARM

Deployment.

 

Despite my incredibly close victory in game one, my fellow Marine players were less lucky, and it was decided that the single signal had been insufficient to make it through the psychic and spore-based disturbance of the planet's atmosphere. The next round would be a retreat to a hard point, ideally to hold against the retaliation of the swarm, or last long enough to evacuate. This one was close, too, lost in the penultimate turn when the third point was taken before my remaining third of an army was able to finish cleaning up the surviving Tyranids. I've chosen to read that as the defensive point being rendered non-viable, forcing the survivors to retreat, defeated. 

 

Too close for comfort.

 

My opponent was Andrew, and his eye-catching swarm of Hive Fleet Typhon. The green carapace looked incredible in the light, and photographs very well. Our Nid players did a great job of putting together armies that look good as, well, armies! They're very compelling all lined up, or drowning my poor, doomed marines in chittering bodies. 

 

Fury of the First.

 

I was dubious about the blue brains against the bright green when Andrew first shared his WIPs in our group chat, but the end result was stunning. Consider me told. My moment of the match was at the hands - well, weapon pods - of Ennius, who managed to instant-kill the Tyrant before it could swoop in and assist its fellow monsters against the Terminators with a pair of Krak missiles, only for it to explode, killing the powerfirst-wounded Malaceptor, which ALSO exploded! Thanks to the Reclusiarch's defence against mortal wounds only a single terminator was hurt by all this, and not mortally!

 

True, they were then cooked by the Neurotyrant over the next two turns, but still. Great moment. Ennius earned that Blooded rank-up.

 

A fine day all around. I quite like 10th so far, despite a few odd choices. I'm certainly glad I built an army fresh for the edition, adjusting an older one seems like it would be a little more rough. I'm looking forward to more, and to growing my roster once I have a new painting table. Jump Assault Intercessors, yes, but I also have a second Ballistus to assemble, along with more Intercessors, and a scratch-built Apothecary bubbling away in the back of my mind. 

[Firedrake Cordova]

Sounds like everyone had fun

 

As you say, that green is very striking