Wormwoods' Blood Angel Successor Project - The Sin Eaters

[Wormwoods]

UPDATE

 

$40 AUD for a table and chair! Not bad.

 

Finally, I can get back to work! I'm looking for a set of drawers to store the paints and loose sprues, but that can come after Christmas. Meanwhile, I can finally finish getting those assault marines together, just as soon as I remind myself what the planned equipment set was for those guys. Two plasma pistols and a power weapon, I think? 

 

Watch this space.

[YannTheMad]

So clean :-O

 

I'm looking forward to those assault marines. I'm sure they'll be great.

[Wormwoods]

JUMP INTERCESSORS - WIP

 

Like most people, apparently, I wasn't in love with the jump intercessor sculpts, so I'm just slapping some printed jump packs on regular assault intercessors, along with some other minor kitbashes. I've taken to doing backpacks and heads before anything else for these 5-man squads, so we'll see how I like the mostly metal/grey look on these larger packs when slapped onto the finished models. I can always add some extra red later if it needs it. 

 

Went with two plasma pistols and a power fist for the squad. Was tempted by the flamer pistol, but I try to keep the different guns within a squad to a minimum for the sake of simplicity. They're just decoration anyway, not like a single shot pistol will do much compared to the chainswords and mortal wounds on charge. 

 

I've also blutac-fit a Chaplain to go with them, meaning I'll have a foot, jump, and terminator variant in the army! We'll see if they make a Gravis Chaplain one day. Also, where would I be without all the Cities of Death bits filling my bitsbox? Turns a Deathwatch thunder hammer into a suitably chunky Crozius. 

 

 

Finished models soon! And maybe some non-Crusade battle pics, if my holiday plans play out...

 

 

[Firedrake Cordova]

They look good. I like the heraldry on the disc in the middle 

[YannTheMad]

I love the two handed crozius. 

As Firedrake said, the disc are really inspired ^^

[Wormwoods]

INTERCESSOR SQUAD DRAKE (JUMP ASSAULT) - SIN EATERS 3rd COMPANY

 

Partial Fireteam of Squad Drake - Jump Assault Configuration.

 

Similar to those Intercessor squads armed with flamers or plasma incinerators for specific engagements, it is common for the Sin Eaters to field squads using jump packs, and close-assault equipment for those missions demanding assault-recon, or shock melee support. These marines are given the same mixed training-indoctrination as all standard Battle Brothers, only their equipment differentiating them from their bolt-rifle armed fellows. 

 

Battle Brother Serjan, standard Jump Assault equipment.

 

 

-

 

It's good to be back! Glad I started with something basic, as I feel like my brushwork has suffered a little. Oh well, nothing that wont recover with time. I'm happy with how the posing has come out for these first few troops, they look suitably aggressive  without being so... Dancey. We're not looking to remake that one Rogue Trader joke, at least not for THIS project. 

 

That said, I'm not in love with the how the backpacks have come out, largely because my sloppy drybrushing hasn't played well with the panels of the printed, and thus somewhat rough packs. What do we think, should I add a panel of red to the packs to cover up those gritty looking sections above the jets? Maybe allow for just a little more freehanding work on top of all the rest? I could, I'm sure, fit some more checkerboarding... 

[Firedrake Cordova]

Nice work - the checker-boarding and the heraldry really does give them a John Blanche feel

 

With regards to the jump packs, could you glaze some of the base coat over them just to tone the colour down? Hopefully it would leave the area with some colour variation, but also not be obvious?

[Wormwoods]

17 minutes ago, Firedrake Cordova said:

With regards to the jump packs, could you glaze some of the base coat over them just to tone the colour down? Hopefully it would leave the area with some colour variation, but also not be obvious?

 

Not a bad idea, though that wouldn't solve the OTHER issue, which is that I feel like that's too much grey up top. I think I'll play around with the remaining jump packs, and see what alternatives I can gin up.

[YannTheMad]

My god you work fast :-O

I wouln't have the concentration to make checker board motif like that.

I agree with Firedrake, a thin glaze might "unify" the color.

For the "greyness" issue, maybe sponge just a little battle damage to break the general texture ? 

[Wormwoods]

INTERCESSOR SQUAD DRAKE (JUMP ASSAULT) - SIN EATERS 3rd COMPANY - Continued

Intercessor Squad Drake - Jump Assault Configuration.

 

Brother Sergeant Coltan, His Second Rebirth

 

-

Squad Drake - If it's not clear, I'm naming the basic squads alphabetically - is done! Quick turnaround thanks to some proper free time over the Christmas period, and the success I've found in batch-painting backpacks, heads, and shoulders before painting each body in pairs. Not sure why that works for me, but it does! I'm quite happy with Sgt Coltan, the pose came together well. I feel like anybody with a Power Fist needs to look a little lumbering, a little hand-heavy, and the lightly scraped Black Templars fist is at a nice angle for it. 

 

Need to clean up the goblet on his shield, though, the middle line is pretty sloppy. Otherwise, though, I'm happy with these guys! 

 

Apologies for not following the various grey-friendly suggestions offered above, once I thought about painting them red I wasn't going to be stopped. I really like painting red. I've also done a pack with additional decoration for the upcoming Chaplain, which I think looks neat, but will avoid adding to the basic jump marines to keep them looking appropriately in-line with the regular intercessors. I'm a fan of treating all the basic MKX marines are the same pool of intercessors, just with different gear for missions. 

 

Mostly because 'Hellblasters' sounds silly, and doesn't fit the naming convention anyway. That's just an intercessor squad with plasma guns from the armoury. I'll probably paint some of them soon, too, because I like how the green is looking on the pistols!

 

1 hour ago, YannTheMad said:

For the "greyness" issue, maybe sponge just a little battle damage to break the general texture ? 

I'm a little leery about getting into too much battle damage for this army. My focus is on freehand heraldry and symbols, so I want to keep them sharp and poppy, with the exception of certain larger plates like the Bladeguard shields and on the Dread. 

 

...And the bases, I guess, those have been weathered pretty consistently. I dunno, it's like 1AM, I need to get some sleep. 

[Firedrake Cordova]

They look great. I really like the posing of the sergeant - looks like there's a lot of latent power there  

 

The red on the jump packs seems fitting (I suppose there's an argument for embracing your inner ork, cos red wunz go fasta ).  

[Wormwoods]

4 minutes ago, Firedrake Cordova said:

(I suppose there's an argument for embracing your inner ork, cos red wunz go fasta )

 

I've had a few comments from the Crusade group about the checkerboards looking a bit Ork-y, too, which is fair enough. In modern 40K it's really just a Goffs thing. Whatever, I like 'em! 

[Wormwoods]

CHAPLAIN MORGRAIN - SIN EATERS 3rd COMPANY

Morgrain, his 4th Rebirth

 

As is common for the bloodline of Sanguinius, the Sin Eaters field a higher number of chaplains as compared to other chapters, both for training and purposes and on the battlefield. This has been bolstered further for Strikeforce Coriolanus, likely due to the dangers unique to extended combat against the Tyranids. Truthfully or not, the Sin Eaters believe that their hunger for the flesh and blood of their foes is managed by their ritual consumption of their own dead, but no scions of the Angel are fully free of the risk of losing themselves to bloodlust in the heat of combat. 

 

Difficult enough when facing mortal foes, renegade human soldiers, and most xenos races. The Tyranids, however, have proven to be hazardous meal even for the transhuman innards of a Space Marine. While the hyper-active Omophagea of the chapter is capable of managing small quantities of Tyranid nerve tissue for the purpose of information gathering, a brother who loses himself to the hunger, and gorges himself on large quantities of xenos tissue will likely perish from the poisons and acids intentionally brewed within the warrior-drones of the hive. 

 

It is the task of the Reclusium to hold a tight reign on their brothers, and ensure that those dedicated to close combat are particularly aware of the dangers, both physical and spiritual, of giving in to their hungers.

 

Note the retained Deathwatch armour modification, evidence of service in the Ordo Xenos chamber militant in this, or a previous life.

 

 

-

 

Well, would you look at that, I managed one more finished model before 2024! It's been a good year, all-up. Despite a puppy, a new house, and extensive water damage getting between me and the hobby I've still managed to paint up 98 models this year, most of them Sin Eaters for the now started Crusade. 

 

Plus 21 of my Not!GSC, 10 Battle Sisters, and 10 Cauldron Born, of course. 

 

I now have a primed, converted apothecary to paint, and one of those spiffy new Command Squads my little brother gave me for Christmas! I'll be working on those, and some other troops for the Sin Eaters going into next year, including a second Dread and some more intercessors, before refocusing on something new once they're comfortably in the 2000-2500 point range. Current front-runner is a stealthy Tau force, which would likely end up as its own thread. 

 

See you all in 2024. 

[Firedrake Cordova]

They look great.  

 

Hopefully we'll get a "family photo" when the army is "done"?  

[Wormwoods]

1 hour ago, Firedrake Cordova said:

Hopefully we'll get a "family photo" when the army is "done"?  

 

Ahh, you know how it is. No army is ever finished, only abandoned. But I'll be doing some more group shots for the next Crusade day! I still have one of the three Nid armies to get wrecked by, after all, and this one is a horde! 

[Wormwoods]

PRIMUS MEDICAE MALCOS - SIN EATERS 1st COMPANY

Primus Medicae Malcos, Assigned to the 1st Company

 

Like all chapters of the Adeptus Astartes the Sin Eaters maintain an Apothecarion, a core of medics and geneticists recruited from the battle companies and trained to support the health of their fellows, and retrieve the geneseed of the fallen. Unlike most other chapters, however, the Sin Eaters expect their apothecaries to retrieve more than just the progenoid glands of the fallen. Rebirth requires the most preserved tissue possible, and while whole corpses may be retrieved later, the heads of fallen brothers are often retrieved and hurried to medicae servitors that accompany the strikeforce.

 

Note the simplified Prime Helix, and minimal (for a Sin Eater) personal heraldry

 

Those assigned to the First Company, The Immortals, are particularly honoured for their role in continuing the lives - and afterlives - of the most valued members of the Chapter. These Apothecaries are named Primus Medicae, a term retained from the days of the Legion, and wear modified suits of armour in-line with other veterans, the Champion's Regalia, and the golden helms of the Immortals.

 

Note the inclusion of a full Narthecium within the cybernetic limb replacement

 

-

 

My first model of 2024 is one that's been on my desk for the last two weeks as I messed around with camo! I've never been a fan of the full white (or full blue, or full black) armour on apothecaries, so wanted to make it clear what the model is without going all-in on eye searing white. Should be plenty of helixes (helices?) and other markers to get the point across. 

 

Malcos here is built from a Sternguard sergeant, bits from the Gravis Apothecary, and a 20-something year old bit of metal servitor I found in my bits box which looked suitably narthecium-y. Otherwise a pretty quick and easy paint job! Glad I can churn out character models for the army, given the way 10th works. I now have 6 in 1300 points! Wild.

 

Going into 2024, I have a decision to make. My projects for the year are to continue this army to at least 2000 points, probably a bit more for the Crusade, and to start a smaller Tau force to scratch a Xenos itch. The question is: should I cover that all in one thread, renamed to be more generally about my ongoing projects, or should I start a second for the Tau? Eager to know what you all think on that. 

 

Expect Tau models within the next few weeks.

[Firedrake Cordova]

Nice kitbash for the Apothecary.  Hopefully my memory isn't playing tricks on me, but I seem to remember that some Chapters used to have Apothecaries with only part of their armour being white (I want to say Salamanders did this?), so this fits in well with my memory of that  

 

Also, I like the base.  

[drakheart]

Nice. I have done a similar thing with the apothecaries in my home brew chapter, keeping the white to just the shoulder pads and their tabards and rest matching the standard chapter color scheme.

[Terminatorinhell]

Great stuff as usual. I'm a fan of the apothecary 

[YannTheMad]

I just love the usage of a servitor arm narthecium, it's really inspired.

I'll be honest, I don't get why the apothecaries are white anyway. It's like "Look at me! I'm a perfect target from afar!". So I really like that yours just have some hint of white, like a real field medic use to.

[Wormwoods]

1 hour ago, YannTheMad said:

I'll be honest, I don't get why the apothecaries are white anyway.

 

Funny to imagine someone in 40K going 'well, if we make it clear which soldiers are actually medics, maybe the enemy won't shoot them?'

 

14 hours ago, Firedrake Cordova said:

Also, I like the base.  

 

At this point I can churn out these industrial bases while the layers are drying on whatever model I'm working on. They've been fun to do, but I'm planning to go for something less brainless in my upcoming Tau project. Much like the freehanding, I want to keep pushing through the easy options (in this case, using pre-made bases I can just paint) and do something more involved. 

[Wormwoods]

MINOR UPDATE

 

Putting together some additional Intercessors to fill out one of my squads, and remembered that I never actually painted my teleport homer! Which is important, because I can't very-well use RAPID INGRESS without one, can I? I refuse to field any bare plastic, and apparently that extends to my tokens. 

 

 

I'm also doing some batch painting for the less compelling bits of these Intercessors. I really enjoy painting space marines... Except for the backpacks. Getting them all done together seems to help me get squads done! I'll begin on the bodies and arms tomorrow, but my next post on here is most likely to be a battle report or two for next Sunday, when we have our first Crusade day of 2024. 

 

I'm gonna get swarmed. 

[Firedrake Cordova]

Nice work on the teleport homer  

 

The backpacks look good. I like that the pattern on the "roundel" is different on them. 

[Wormwoods]

TRANSMISSIONS FROM THE 4th TYRANIC WAR

 

Reclusiarch Hanuman thrashed within the too-empty deck of the Thunderhawk, his scored Terminator plate giving his wild and violent movements undesired force. He had fatally damaged at least two of the medicae servitors that held him in place, and even wounded one of the trainee apothecaries with an open-handed strike that had sent the him clattering to the deck. Hanuman did not care. Hanuman, half-blinded and burning within his malfunctioning adamantine shell was still on the surface of the dying world below, his ancient mind locked in combat with itself. 

 

Brother Malcos, Primus Medicae, administers a third dose of anaesthetic, punched into a section of acid-scorched flesh they had been able to exposed as the remaining servitors continued to disassemble the terminator plate around the gravely wounded Chaplain. Perhaps that would be enough, when previous doses had failed to quiet the... Fervour of his charge. He had no fear for the life of the Chaplain. He was Immortal. He had suffered worse, though perhaps not in his current body. The bio-acid was weaker than some of what Malcos had seen, though strong enough to burn much of the way to Hanuman's black carapace in places once it had breached his claw-damaged armour. The smell was atrocious, but promising, for it spoke of wounds that could be healed, in time, or replaced with augmetics. 

 

"DISASTER! DISASTER!," the old Chaplain croaked, many lifetimes of oration letting his acid-scorched throat still fill the hold, as thunderous as the atmospherics outside. Disaster. A bad star. It was, of course. A failure. Strikeforce Coriolanus, and their allies amongst the other Astartes in-volume had been unable to hold the nameless border world, its biosphere already devoured, and only scant few artefacts stolen from the vaults. Some success had been found, of course, moments of heroism and triumph, but not enough. Not nearly enough. 

 

Brothers had been lost. Immortals had been lost. Fallen Ennius, as ancient as any, hung comatose within his sarcophagus, rendered insensate and distant by the destruction of his Dreadnought chassis. Lexicanum Silus sat motionless, his dented plate helping to hold broken bones in place for repair back at the Strike Cruiser as he focused his mind on clouding the Thudnerhawk and those that flew with it through the swarm that waited in low orbit. 

 

"DISASTER... Dis... Disaster..."

 

The Reclusiarch slept, finally. He would keep, and Malcos had others to attend to. 

 

He would need new servitors, of course, but that would come soon enough. He hoped, sourly, that the raw materials would come from those mortals among the Sector Militarum who had allowed matters to collapse so completely even before the Sin Eaters had arrived. 

 

Army for Games 3 & 4.

 

Well, that was brutal. After two quite close games in our first Crusade Day back at the end of 2023, I've returned to my usual sort of success. Which is to say very little. Still, was a fun day, and worth recording. 

 

GAME 3 - EMPTY THE VAULTS

 

Game 3 was against Kieran's Hive Frost Bjorn, the PURPLE to the BLUE and GREEN gribblies I've already faced. With a cluster of big, nasty beasts he's reminded me of my need to paint up a second Dread by taking out poor Ennius immediately with a crushing 19-damage Tyranofex shot on turn 1. It was a bit of a done thing from then on, though I did manage to clear out the venomthropes, and cut back the numbers on some other middle-sized monsters.

A heavily converted (read: built from parts, as it should be) Tyranofex which ruined my day!

 

Babies!

 

Empty the Vaults seems cool, despite me getting shown the door. Always nice to have a reason to shift things around and adjust plans. The terminators did some good work, however, earning them and Hanuman blooded, and some fun upgrades. 

 

GAME 4 - ROUTED PREY

..Will be next time!

 

 

[Firedrake Cordova]

Oof. That sounds like quite an unfortunate start to a game!