Legions Imperialis & Epic hobby chat!

[Pacific81]

Hey folks,

 

Hopefully not jumping the gun here on the official release of the new game but I know a fair few people are busy on the printers, getting proxies or even classic minis for a new Legions Imperialis force. So, like the thread in the Age of Darkness forum, this is a thread for any WIP work or just hobby chat around the game and miniatures - or anything related really!

 

For starters a bit of an off-piste project that is just in embryonic stages as I test various miniature ranges; a Great Crusade-era Craftworld Eldar force, and this is the first Guardian detachment. I've been reading up on some background and may try and go for a Craftworld that is ultimately lost at some point in the millennia leading up to 40k. But for now they have jumped out of the frying pan (escaping the birth of Slaanesh and destruction of their civilisation) and into the fire (directly into the path of the Great Crusade!)

 

Looking forward to seeing what everyone else has in the pipeline!

[nilsh]

I don't have any photos yet as I don't have a good spot for taking them in the new apartment but I've been buying some Titans and Knights that will be used in Legions, also got some 3d-printed infantry to try out.

I haven't finished any Titans or Knights yet but I've made good progress on the Iconoclast, Reaver and two Warhounds. The only thing I've finished is 8 bases of infantry, so 2 Tactical Detachments if the leaks are correct.

 

@Pacific81 are you planning to use the Eldar in Legions or Epic?

Edited September 5, 2023 by nilsh

[Pacific81]

Are you planning on a Legions force @nilshor Imperial Army?

 

I'm building the army with NetEpic/Titan Legions in mind, but will hopefully be able to make it multi-system: there is already a thread in this section of the forum about adapting Xenos rules for LI, so perhaps either use those or I have no doubt that someone in the community will adapt NetEpic or something along those lines.

[nilsh]

8 hours ago, Pacific81 said:

Are you planning on a Legions force @nilshor Imperial Army?

 

I'm building the army with NetEpic/Titan Legions in mind, but will hopefully be able to make it multi-system: there is already a thread in this section of the forum about adapting Xenos rules for LI, so perhaps either use those or I have no doubt that someone in the community will adapt NetEpic or something along those lines.

 

Well that's the big question lol, I know that I'm starting with some Death Guard, but I also want some Sons of Horus or Emperor's Children, and I haven't decided if I'm going to make a Imperial Army yet or sell that part but knowing myself, I'll probably keep them so I have 2 armies so I can lend out one of the Armies and actually get to play the game.

 

I've never played NetEpic or Titan Legions but heard good things about them, I didn't get started with Epic until the end of Epic40k. But in general, I tend to like the games from the 90s better than the newer ones so I hope I'll get to try them sometime.

 

As for Xenos in Legions, I hope someone will make rules for them.

[DuskRaider]

As I posted over in the Titanicus forum, I’ve just finished 2 complete Banners of both Cerastus Acheron and Castigators, giving my House Makabius a good boost. I’m starting on the last of my Knights to round out all of my various Questoris Banners to 6 and adding a third Acastus. While my main army will be Death Guard (as always), the idea is to not only give them some support but also run a dedicated army of House Makabius itself, rules be damned. I’m a little more apprehensive about running full Titan Maniples so I’ll keep those in AT. 

[Pacific81]

It will definitely be interesting to see what the force organisation limits will allow in terms of Titan or Knight-only forces. I remember that you could previously run Titan maniple forces in the Titan Legion game as they switched to allowing them as Company rather than Special cards. But, they were very hard to use as you could get easily out manoeuvred and struggled to claim objectives - so practically you had to really support them with infantry or armour. But, we don't know how LI will resemble the previous game in this regard.

 

The question might also be, even if you could run a Titan-only force, would you want to? While the WarCom article stated the game is going to be based upon SM 2nd edition, what we have seen of the new Titan Legion rules is that Titans have a wound/HP-like tracker, more reminiscent of Armageddon. If this is correct, it means they will essentially be multi-hit gun platforms and with the rules devoid of any of the fun and character (the hit tables and damage charts) that made Titans such a dynamic and cinematic element of those games. I think anyone used to how Titans are represented in AT might find them a bit two-dimensional in LI. Will need to withhold judgement until we have seen the final rules for them of course!

[apologist]

On 9/5/2023 at 3:24 PM, Pacific81 said:

[...]

For starters a bit of an off-piste project that is just in embryonic stages as I test various miniature ranges; a Great Crusade-era Craftworld Eldar force, and this is the first Guardian detachment. I've been reading up on some background and may try and go for a Craftworld that is ultimately lost at some point in the millennia leading up to 40k. But for now they have jumped out of the frying pan (escaping the birth of Slaanesh and destruction of their civilisation) and into the fire (directly into the path of the Great Crusade!)

 

Looking forward to seeing what everyone else has in the pipeline!

 

Awesome idea – and nice to see classic square bases. Are these Vanguard Eloi?

 

If you're still open to ideas for Craftworld, how about one long Forgotten? Would love to see what you could do with Dain Mir, and I think the scheme would translate well to Epic, with punchy contrast with a grey, brown or green base.

 

[Pacific81]

@apologist - I have to ask is that your blog? Absolutely wonderful piece of writing, I thoroughly enjoyed it! Really captured the imagination. Love the 28mm colour scheme and those Eldar ships look beautiful, some great airbrush work by the looks of things to get that sort of finish. And has now made me think I need to extend my collection and this conflict into space 

 

If I hadn't already spent some time picking out colours I would definitely have gone with the Dain Mir as it is a lovely scheme and the background is really evocative. But, I have chosen colours (a dark green, purple and white) and then will find some background to fit the colours I want to paint - currently looking at the Il-Kaithe (I hadn't heard of these, and it looks like a relatively recent addition to the background), the scheme is similar enough and I think the background can be made to fit. https://warhammer40k.fandom.com/wiki/Il-Kaithe 

I quite liked the story in the HH book Fulgrim where the Eldar encountered the Emperor's Children and realised that they were already on the route to being lost to Chaos and attacked. I can imagine the Il-Kaithe perhaps encountering the World Eaters during the Crusade, they might otherwise have been content to move on and let the brutish Mon-Keigh expend themselves in war, but then the Craftworld Farseers get some glimpse of the future and what Khorne has in store for the Legion and decides that they cannot be allowed to continue. Anyway I will give it some more thought and save for my project log!

 

In the meantime - just looking at modelling these old Falcon Grav Tanks so they look like they are floating with a little wire stand on the base, and then realised that there is a little hole underneath for probably just that purpose! I have had dozens of these in my collection and it has taken me 30 years to realise.. 

Edited September 8, 2023 by Pacific81

[DuskRaider]

On 9/7/2023 at 1:57 AM, Pacific81 said:

It will definitely be interesting to see what the force organisation limits will allow in terms of Titan or Knight-only forces. I remember that you could previously run Titan maniple forces in the Titan Legion game as they switched to allowing them as Company rather than Special cards. But, they were very hard to use as you could get easily out manoeuvred and struggled to claim objectives - so practically you had to really support them with infantry or armour. But, we don't know how LI will resemble the previous game in this regard.

 

The question might also be, even if you could run a Titan-only force, would you want to? While the WarCom article stated the game is going to be based upon SM 2nd edition, what we have seen of the new Titan Legion rules is that Titans have a wound/HP-like tracker, more reminiscent of Armageddon. If this is correct, it means they will essentially be multi-hit gun platforms and with the rules devoid of any of the fun and character (the hit tables and damage charts) that made Titans such a dynamic and cinematic element of those games. I think anyone used to how Titans are represented in AT might find them a bit two-dimensional in LI. Will need to withhold judgement until we have seen the final rules for them of course!

Yeah, I’d be apprehensive about running an entire Maniple in LI for various reasons, but mostly as you stated… they’re extremely basic to the point of being essentially just walking gun platforms. I think they’re better represented in Titanicus. 
 

Knights, however, may be quite interesting. Their rules even in AT are pretty basic all things considered, so I can see their port to LI being similar to a point. I think it could be fun playing a 3K House against a tank company or something similar. Likewise, I’d love to play a House v House game with Legion allied support or something, but for the life of me I can’t find anyone else who has a dedicated House in my area. 

[Pacific81]

Just finished up a test unit of Aeldari Guardians and some Falcon transports. These are proxies of the 'Eloi' range from Vanguard miniatures. Scale-wise, they are probably closer to 8mm, but are still quite small so I think would scale well with either classic Epic or Legions Imperialis. 

If you don't recognise the Craftworld colours, that's because they are set just following the fall of the Eldar (Great Crusade-era), and are not still about in the 40k universe :) 

 

 

Very simple paint scheme just using Army Painter absolution green, Contrast Shyish purple for the weapons and white for the helms. The Falcons are just based on little pieces of wire to give the impression that they are floating. 

 

 

Edited September 20, 2023 by Pacific81

[Pacific81]

Is anyone else working on anything at all?

 

Just a couple more photos of some Crusade-era Aeldarri. Firstly some Warp Hunter artillery tanks, these are GW originals in the colours of the Craftworld.

 

Secondly just having some fun with the 30k setting with a new and fabricated Aspect warrior unit, known as the Bleeding Blades. They are comprised of master swordsmen who each try to find formidable opposing warriors with which to test their skills. Their blades have a special wraith-bone construct which allows them to 'absorb' the final moments of those they best in battle, and can re-live these fights afterwards. That I have used some Dark Eldar miniatures to represent them, and they obviously have not survived to the 40k era as an Aspect Warrior house, gives a hint that they may be walking a bit close to the line as far as the fall of the Eldar/Slaanesh is concerned! :)

 

[LameBeard]

On 10/17/2023 at 11:11 AM, Pacific81 said:

Is anyone else working on anything at all?

I think it was Captain Blackadder who said “call me a bluff old traditionalist, but I was always taught to wait for the order to attack before attacking”.

 

I am tempted by some of the proxies you promote, but I am sort of waiting for the official models. I made some glacial progress on my titan if that counts? 

[Pacific81]

Who am I to disagree with a Blackadder quote!

 

Yes I know most people are waiting for Legions as I think it's pretty close now, but perhaps terrain, titans and things of that nature.

[LameBeard]

Terrain! That’s a good idea - I bought some 3rd party stuff but I was a little disappointed, so again just trying to justify the expensive GW stuff or taking the plunge on something home-made.
 

Your Eldar are looking beautiful though - very tempting.

[Pacific81]

Thanks man! Always wanted to do Eldar back in the day, but never got around to it and had to put up with being constantly mauled by windrider hosts and annoying holo-field titans! :)

 

Can I ask what terrain you have tried? I have found the quality can vary a lot and did get some dodgy resin ones from ebay. I went for a mix of the GW AT kits, some stuff from Vanguard and even the classic GW cardboard buildings in the end (which I think still look alright!)

I am not a fan of the idea of each individual building having its own stat lines in LI (I guess that's a way to try and get people to buy official stuff), so that one is getting house-ruled immediately :D

[apologist]

I was dismissive of the cardboard ones from Epic: Space Marine and so forth, but having seen some that have been properly based, with a bit of rubble and the plastic tops painted, I’ve changed my mind – they look proper spiffy.

[LameBeard]

It was some Troublemaker games sprues. I really was impressed that a company had invested in plastic moulding. I just totally misjudged the size - I was expecting little things I could use to add detail and instead got quite big things where the detail looks correspondingly less. I am still thinking about how I might use them. I think they are quite good value, I was just unrealistic to think I would get Civitas Imperialis for less than half the price.

[Deus_Ex_Machina]

On 10/17/2023 at 12:11 PM, Pacific81 said:

Is anyone else working on anything at all?

 

Just a couple more photos of some Crusade-era Aeldarri. Firstly some Warp Hunter artillery tanks, these are GW originals in the colours of the Craftworld.

 

Secondly just having some fun with the 30k setting with a new and fabricated Aspect warrior unit, known as the Bleeding Blades. They are comprised of master swordsmen who each try to find formidable opposing warriors with which to test their skills. Their blades have a special wraith-bone construct which allows them to 'absorb' the final moments of those they best in battle, and can re-live these fights afterwards. That I have used some Dark Eldar miniatures to represent them, and they obviously have not survived to the 40k era as an Aspect Warrior house, gives a hint that they may be walking a bit close to the line as far as the fall of the Eldar/Slaanesh is concerned! :)

 

I had those Warp Hunters back in the 90s. then my stupid teenage self sold all Epic stuff with a few exceptions. :(

[Deus_Ex_Machina]

During a podcast this week on Youtube the topic of LI came up and I boasted to still have Mortarion and a GUO from that era. Everybody demanded pictures so I did a photo shoot. When LI finally arrives I maybe give Mortarion a repaint and separate them again. Anyway, here is the pic:

 

 https://ibb.co/album/7QDBBD

[vadersson]

I really want to print some 3D terrain, but until I have some LI miniatures I am worried about scale.  The files I can find are generally for old epic so are 6mm.  I can scale them to 8 mm but you never know till you have some minis to compare too.

 

If anyone has some good STL file suggestions I am all ears.

[malika666]

On 10/19/2023 at 10:19 PM, vadersson said:

I really want to print some 3D terrain, but until I have some LI miniatures I am worried about scale.  The files I can find are generally for old epic so are 6mm.  I can scale them to 8 mm but you never know till you have some minis to compare too.

 

If anyone has some good STL file suggestions I am all ears.

 

https://cults3d.com/en/users/BitsBlitzDesigns/3d-models

 

https://grimdarkterrain.com/

 

 

[Cleon]

On 10/17/2023 at 11:11 AM, Pacific81 said:

Is anyone else working on anything at all?

 

 

I've been chewing through my backlog of Titanicus Knights, in the knowledge that they will probably get no more attention once anything more useable is out until/unless they get a 'core' list option.

 

6 Questoris, 2 Lancers and now working on a pair of Acastus

[LameBeard]

On 10/17/2023 at 11:11 AM, Pacific81 said:

Is anyone else working on anything at all?

I did some work on the base for my Warlord - does that count?

 

I’d like to put on record that I haven’t been moaning about the delays to Legion Imperialis. I’ve been waiting more than 30 years to play Epic, I’m sure I can wait another year. But as you can see, there’s a trench there that would really be enhanced by a few 6mm - 8mm scale models. If only the maker of the world’s finest toy soldiers could sell me some! (Yes I know, @Pacific81, Vanguard etc …)

Edited November 7, 2023 by LameBeard

[Pacific81]

You have answered already for me @LameBeard, but I will say if you just get a few Orbital Knights from Etsy for £3-4 for that base, God will not judge you for it 

 

+EDIT+ Or just let me know your address and I'll pop a few marines in the post, that infantry-less base is upsetting the balance of the universe at this point

Edited November 8, 2023 by Pacific81

[LameBeard]

Wow you have opened my eyes to a treasure trove - lots of terrain ideas came up in the search too!

 

And thanks for the offer, but I think we are still at the advice stage. Is the trench going to be allies, ready to advance once the titan steps over them, or enemies making a futile last gesture of defiance, or dead enemies, already burned and blasted?