Sunday, November 30, 2014

A Little Modeling...

40k has been in a lull at the Castle of late, so I have turned that lack of game time to a little modeling instead.

With the rising prices and GW's ever changing rules, magnets have become a good investment on dual kits (Exocrine/Hausprex) or units with various
weapon load outs (Tau Suits).

First thing I decide to tackle were the Tau stealth suits, as it only has one option, 1 in every 3 suits can take a Fusion Blaster. I used 1/16 magnets for this project. A caveat on magnets this small, they must make flush contact to hold. If contact is flush plenty of holding power, if not flush or not making contact they rapidly lose pull.These little magnets look huge on the suit:
After drilling both guns out I can now swap weapons:


After the success here, I moved on to a bigger a challenge, the Piranha. This was a bit trickier to do as you have to magnetize the turret mount instead of the weapon, also need a bigger magnet so went to 1/8, which has a lot of hold.
As you can see I went with magnetizing the chin cover to hole it all in place and still give me a swiveling gun.

Previously I had done one of the big bugs, the Hausprex/Exocrine dual kit. This guy used a lot of magnets of the 1/8 (arms) and 3/16 (heads) to get good holds.

Exocrine 
Hausprex 
In fact the holds are strong enough on the heads you can carry it around by either one. I learned a few handy tricks doing the heads on this one.

Friday, July 11, 2014

Trader's Remorse

I have really missed my Orkz a whole lot. I traded them awhile ago for Eldar because I wanted to try something new. I should have never done so. The Orkz were probably the funniest army I have ever played. I loved the randomness in the army. For instance, my Shokk attik gun once blew itself and the lootas it was with. The next game, he took out phalanxes of Necrons. 

Don't get me wrong. I still like my Chaos stuff, but they are not orkz. 

So I picked up the new codex (still have some mixed feelings about) and set out a game plan for collecting. 

Right now all I really have is da warlord, da Kernel Kurtz. Inspiration for this army came from watching Apocalypse Now. The warband that Kurtz has is intriguing to me. Translating into Ork Kulture, my Waaagh! will have Blood Axes and Snakebites. 

Here is da Kernel so far:

Here is Da Dead Shiny Shoota

And finally a size comparison


He has Finkin' kap on as well. I have some interesting background for the Aporkalypse Now themed army, which will be posted soon. 

The body is from an Ogre. That is Commissar Yarrick's hat, da dead shiny shoota is made with necron bits, and everything else is from the Nobz box set. 

I plan on doing some painting very soon, and the other warboss in the tribe will be converted from a fantasy savage warboss

Friday, May 30, 2014

Update: Furtive Foxes and Fantasy

I am switching to Dark Elves for Fantasy. Maybe it is because I have been playing dread fleet, but I want to have a dark elf raiding army. Plus, I love their miniature line. 

On to the bigger update, my chief shaman is modeled, and the green stuff is being cured right now. I cannot wait to paint this model. It is one of my favorite conversions I have ever done. Here is the list of kits that was used: space marine librarian, space wolf box set, Fenrisian wolves, chaos aspiring champion, chaos terminator lord. 


Thursday, May 22, 2014

Progress


First, I must begin by saying this is the first time in a long time that I have been excited about putting together an army. I am still working on the background on how the Space Foxes became corrupted by Tzeentch to become the Furtive Foxes, but I have made progress in the hobby aspect of them. 

You might notice a little green stuff on these Chosen from the Dark Vengeanxe box set. I have attempted to turn the tattered cloth into pelts. It was a pretty easy thing to do, and I am pretty happy with the results. This is really my first time working with this much green stuff. I wanted to show how it turned out before I put paint to it. 


This is the cloak to the champion of the chosen. This wasn't terribly difficult to do seeing how it was applying green stuff and sculpting it to look like fur. 


This cloak, however, proved to be a lot more difficult. This is my first entire cloak constructed out of green stuff for one of my sorcerers. It took me a lot of trial and error to get the size down correctly. In the end, it seems worthy enough to trail behind one of my commanders. 

Now here is what I have painted. So far I have only completed one Chosen model that was a test model. He cloth also had green stuff applied to it to make it seem like a fox pelt. 


It's a bit blurry, but it shows the general idea. I really like foxes. They are gorgeous animals, and I mimicked the colors as best as possible. Instead of just orange, I figured out how to do a metallic orange. Gloves, forearms, shins, and boots are painted black, and the ab area is white. Blue was used for gems and eyes to make it pop a little. Weapons are bone white. 

A couple of friends who are big fans of Alabama football have said that they had to be chaos since they were Auburn colors. 


And finally the Helbrute. The color scheme worked well for it as well. Skin was done with Rakarth flesh washed with Fuegan Orange, then again with Rakarth flesh. His abs are also white. 

Although my Eldar was the first army where I came up with my own color scheme, I have a huge love affair with my growing chaos army. In all my years of warhammer, I don't think I have put this much effort into converting and bit bashing an army. Nothing was added to the helbrute, but the pelts on the Chosen take the models a little away from being Crimson Slaughter to my vision. 

I'm really looking forward to fielding completely painted models soon. 

Friday, May 16, 2014

Extremely Hairy Chaos Space Marine Redux

The call of creating my own chapter was just too strong to continue working on my Word Bearers. Currently all models in traitor's red are enjoying a nice mean green bath. 

I love Space Wolves a whole lot, and I love Chaos a lot too. And this new edition coming out has me really excited. Some might gripe about the unbound organization chart, but here are my plans with it. I am going back to the Chaos Space Fox chapter I have came up with. I think I might stick mainly with Tzeentch, detailed background coming soon, but I want Khorne berserkers to be like blood claws, thousand sons to be like grey hunters, and noise marines to be like long fangs. 

If not allowed to use the unbound organization chart, I will be going all Tzeentch with daemons as allies. 

My army has it's paint scheme ready, just need to test it out. It's going to a lot of blitz bashing and converting. I plan on having a daemon with a fox head and fur if my commanders ever get dark apotheosis. 

More to follow soon. 

Sunday, May 11, 2014

A Negative Post About Negativity


I haven't been particularly active playing any games recently. I think my last miniatures game was played over a month ago at this point. The why of this is unimportant for this post, but suffice to say that real life has gotten in the way as of late. This doesn't mean I don't keep up with the goings on of everything. And the current big thing is that 40k will be receiving a new edition. 

I AM HAPPY ABOUT THIS.

But still this post isn't so much directed at the new edition of the game. It is the immediate response I am seeing from many people. Maybe they are trolling, or maybe they are just generally unlikable people (I have my suspicions about various ones), but many people have already come out with the doom and gloom, and the woe is me, and of course the sky is falling. Look, I get it, GW hasn't provided us with a lot of reasons to have hope. But I think it has gone way too far towards condemning things that haven't even been seen yet.

Are there some valid criticisms? Yes. And criticism is a good thing when used properly. Most of what these people are spouting is not criticism but vitriol and hate. It is only worse when it comes from those that you know are actively seeking the destruction of a community and that don't participate in it through games or useful discussion. What is being sought by these people is a shock response or an abeyance of our happiness. So I write this seeking those who read those comments, and to remind them that others out there do enjoy this hobby. Not all are terrible people seeking to ruin the fun of others in our quest to be the biggest dick in the universe. And if possible, try to block them and their useless comments from skewing your views.

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Hobby Excitement: ebbs and flows

I've been out of commission for the past six weeks: first a job interview in Kentucky which didn't pan out, then three academic conferences, one in Tuscaloosa, one in St. Louis, and one in Paris.  In all that time, I haven't picked up a paintbrush or assembled a single model. I did get a few games of Warmahordes in with my Everblight, testing out Rhyas with reach (she's still bad, folks) and Fyanna the Lash (I'm impressed thus far). The state of 40k has me pretty unenthused about my Eldar, as short of adding in a broken Seer Council or Beastpack my army is at the top of its form. My Tenshi-Tachi SM are still waiting for more paint: bikes take so much work! And my Dwarves are, well, dwarves.

There are, however, a few things I'm growing excited about:

40k Escalation is at 750 points for this Saturday, May 3rd. I'll be around the shop on Sunday as well.

Nashcon is Memorial Day weekend, May 23-25th.  Scarecrow, Josh, and I will be going. $35 bucks gets you access to three days of 40k, Fantasy, and Warmahordes. If anyone else is interested in joining us, let me know.

WOOD ELVES. Rumors suggest new stag rider models, and it sounds like I can have the all-cavalry wood elves army I've wanted for the past 2-3 years. Good times. I'll most likely be selling my Dwarves to fund the pointy-eared ones.

This is what life in the hobby is like for me. At times I tire of the routines, and at times my imagination is set ablaze by a new army concept, a new model, or an upcoming event. More to come as I get settled into the summer.

~wraithdrad~

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Gentlemen, I give you more Khorne

Finally got to test out my daemons of chaos on the battlefields of fantasy Saturday. Instead of talking about all my mistakes that I will inevitably learn from, I just want to say my ultimate goal for this army. Right now, I am obsessed with the minions of the Blood God. I have two grand conversion ideas for a bloodthirster and a daemon prince of khorne. Also realized I need a skull cannon. Blood crushers wouldn't be bad either. Maybe more bloodletters too. 

I was a bit disappointed in my Plaguebearers, but that may have to do with my own mistakes as a general. I want to drop the herald of Nurgle for a herald of Tzeentch and stick him in the middle of a big squad of pink horrors. Also did not think I would like any servants of Slaanesh, I want to add more seekers after they were able to hold back a steam tank for several turns. 

I am looking forward to the next game 

Thursday, April 17, 2014

The Crimson Corsair

As Hive Fleet Kraken reached further into the Imperium, a battle raged on the surface of Caladan. The Imperial forces were stretched thin waiting for reinforcement. It was in this maelstrom that The Crimson Corsair's legend blossomed into life. A Freeblade Knight, he stood at the gates of Pavonis and alone held the tide of Tyranids at bay for three days without rest. When finally the enemy overwhelmed his defenses, a swarm of the beasts covered nearly his entire form. It was then that the mighty knight heard the sounds of drop pods landing nearby. The Blood Phoenix had arrived to support the defense of the planet and flamers brushed over The Crimson Corsair, cleansing the beasts from his back. Ever since that day, the knight has owed a debt of allegiance to the Chapter and will answer any call for aid, going so far as to emblazon the Chapter's emblem on his armor.


___________________________________________________________________________________________________


I have had my Imperial Knight model for over a month now. Last Friday I finally started putting my thoughts into action and began the process of assembly. Last night I finished. Below are the steps along the way.

So my idea was to repose the model so that it was either kicking through a wall or stomping down on a bunker. I opted for a combination of the two, where he would be stepping down onto a wall, to peek over the other side.

First, the wall. I wanted to break up the ground somewhat, so added a couple of layers of cork to the base. Next I used some foam for the wall, cutting a divot into the top of the center where the Knight would be stepping. I added some toothpicks for rebar sticking out and some bits of sprue for interior aesthetics, if the interior were still intact. Some random bits of foam were added for broken off pieces of the wall.


Someone suggested that I put some crouching models on the other side of the wall. I looked around a bit, but eventually decided upon some really old metal Guardsmen models I have had lying around for twenty years gathering dust. Pins hold them in place, and if you look closely you will see the dab of green stuff for that extra support for the paper clip pin underneath them.


I wanted one to be on his back under the foot of the Knight, reaching one hand up as if to ward off the inevitable. I had to cut one arm from the old model and added some green stuff to mold a new arm and hand.




Next up was to start actually putting the Knight together. Most frustratingly, there is no customization intended with this model. The legs are straight solid pieces and the attaching wires, pistons, etc. are made at a length for the model to be posed in one position. So I cut it up. Just one leg, the one I wanted to be perched atop the wall. Doing so left some big holes in the model that would be visible at the angle needed, so I thought to cover these with green stuff.



 Ultimately, I did not like the look of this, so I cut off the green stuff and added a straw and coffee stirrer to connect the two pieces, so from any angled view it would appear to be wiring.








The legs are still not attached to the base at this point. I needed to gauge how everything fit together first. While the "wiring" was drying, I set about putting the rest of the model together. I am leaving the mask off until the face underneath is painted. You can spot my choice of mask sitting off to the left in the picture below.




Once the straw had dried, I started pinning the feet of the Knight so it would be secure on the base's uneven terrain. I angled a drill in and put some holes inside the feet aimed for the center. Bending the tip of the pin into that hole, and then filling the foot with green stuff, created a fairly secure connection.



Here, the legs are in place and I sit waiting for glue to dry. Okay really I was putting together the rest of the model.




Once everything had dried, it was all put together. I took some time here to magnetize the gun options.





Voila! Complete.


Fee Fi Fo Fum. I smell shite in that guardsman's britches!

I still have some small details to add here and there. Ribbons and seals to the Knight, Chaosing up the guardsmen to show them as recently falling to Chaos, some more damage to the wall maybe... and of course the rest of the basing process.

When I finish all of that, and finish basing my Dark Elves, maybe I will get around to putting some paint on the model.



Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Dropzone Commander


So last week I received my Dropzone Commander starter set. Let me state first, the contents are amazing. You receive two starter armies of around 500 points, and the details on the models are spectacular. This surprised me, as I didn't expect too much detail out of 10 mm scale models. I understand how they get the gorgeous pictures in the main rulebook after seeing the models in person. The rulebook itself looks great, and the rules seem fairly solid. The layout of the rules isn't spectacular but it is functional. I wasn't a huge fan of the fluff, but I think that this could improve after additional fleshing out. Considering the age of the game, I can forgive it. The other contents are fairly top notch. Cardboard counters and templates are included for everything you could need. Other incidentals like dice and a tiny tape measure are also there. But the real winner in my opinion is the scenery. You receive several cardstock skyscrapers of various sizes and two foldout street layouts. This makes for a great gaming surface with quick pretty terrain. You can tell they really thought through how to demo this game with the contents of this box. Further, it really jump starts you into playable situations.
Here is the starter kit laid out by the Beast of War guys
I also managed to get a couple of games in. For those unfamiliar, the starter set comes with two almost identical armies from two separate factions: the UCM and the Scourge. The UCM are essentially the good guys of the setting (not perfect, but definitely better than the Scourge), and they kind of remind me of the Imperial Guard from Warhammer 40k. The tanks are fairly long ranged compared to the Scourge and are more heavily armoured but are significantly slower. The Scourge on the other hand are fast and short ranged and slightly harder to hit when moving. It makes for an interesting balance between the two armies. I think the UCM have a slightly higher learning curve, as you really have to set-up firing lanes and on a congested board that can be difficult. The Scourge are a little bit more forgiving in that re-deploying isn't as difficult with the higher movement rate. And really re-deployment seems to be what the game is about. From my brief experience everything is won or lost through your movement. You can actually move fairly fast as long as you don't mind risking getting your drop ships destroyed. Putting them anywhere near your opponents anti-air appears to be suicidal for flyers. But they are the only reason you can reasonably move around the map, so still 100% necessary.
Whoops, wrong rating system
So how do I rate the system? Two huge thumbs up. The games I played only gave a small taste, but it feels right, it looks great, and it was fun. So if you are considering picking it up, then I suggest you do so.

Sunday, April 6, 2014

Rise of the Machines

For those that don't personally know me, you are probably unaware that I have been disenchanted with Warhammer 40k as of late. But I have recently had my spirits bolstered by going back to my first army, Space Marines. Specifically I have gotten back to playing mechanised Imperial Fists with assault terminators.

Just as terrifying in real life as on the tabletop.

And quite honestly it has made all the difference in my enjoyment of the game. The list has focused on a trio of rhinos, a razorback, and a landraider with Lysander and friends. It has been enjoyable because it has greatly opened up the movement phase and has seen fighting start immediately in my games. Further it has greatly sped up my games, with many of my movement phases lasting only two or three minutes. While the lists themselves are not overpowering nor likely to be successful in a tournament situation, it has been a breath of fresh air in friendly games. 

So here is the real takeaway, if you are experiencing burnout, try a variant on your games. I changed armies, but I also think varying the format and trying things like kill team can help you. It has rejuvenated my game, and hopefully it will rejuvenate yours.

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Saturday 40k, 500 pts

This Saturday, April 5th, will be our second 40k league games day at Crimson Castle. 500 pts, normal FOC, book missions. I won't be there (I have a job interview in Kentucky), but Stephen and Bentley will be around to run things.

That said, I want to share a bit of hobby progress.


I went back and forth on which models to use for my HQs, and I finally just decided (for the sake of creativity and cost) to kit bash my own. The bike on the far left will be my DA librarian. I used a Warp Talon head to act as an oni/samurai helmet: Tenshi-Tachi psykers learned some unorthodox methods from their Crusade to the Eye of Terror. The bike in the middle will be Khan (name TBA). The Tenshi-Tachi continues to be supported by the Watchers of the Cabal who have been arming the chapter with xenos technology and tactics. You can see the Dark Eldar bits on Khan. Eldar pirates share the Tenshi-Tachi's hatred of chaos and their preference for hit and run tactics, and the two forces have operated in concert upon occasion, usually on a mission orchestrated by the Cabal. And finally, you can see my scout sniper squad: head swaps, bushido banners, and daisho make a nice change.

Friday, March 28, 2014

Dark Vengeance vs Black Reach

I just picked up the Dark Vengeance box set to help jump start my chaos army. This is the third box set I got from games workshop. The second 40k one. 

Let me start off by saying that the dark vengeance kit really blows the black reach set out of the water. Everything snapped together a lot better. I still glued everything down anyways. The only thing that had to be glued was two cultists and the sword arm of the chaos lord. I have no opinion of the good guy side of it because I don't plan on keeping them. The details in this kit is also substantially better. The chaos chosen look excellent, with the exception of both the bolter carrying ones looking the exact same. I am contemplating using the chosen as aspiring champions. 

Here are my gripes. Every box set I have bought seemed desperately one sided. I have yet to play a strictly dark vengeance game, but I think that the dark angels could roll over the crimson slaughter. As with the Orkz from the Black Reach set, games workshop has yet to release some follow up box sets. Granted, they did release a plastic helbrute after a long time. The deffkoptas never got a kit and the chosen haven't either. It is unfortunate because I think they are fantastic models. A box set of cultist really needs to come out as well. 

My final verdict is that the box sets are a great way to build an army even for a seasoned player. Games workshop seems to keep upping their game with each new box set they release. I can't believe it took games workshop this long to release a helbrute kit, I wonder how much longer it will be before I see a chosen box set or even a cultist set. These models will make a nice addition to my growing Word Bearers army. 

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Index Astartes: Blood Phoenix (part 4) - FIN

Notable Characters of the Blood Phoenix Command Structure


Grand Lord Falgiard Ariakase

Titles: Protector of Larys, Master of Benu, Defender of the Nest, Wolf Brother
Chapter Master
Specialty: All
Counts as: Calgar or generic Chapter Master

The 32nd Chapter Master of the Blood Phoenix. When riding a bike into battle, he may be accompanied by an honour guard of Space Wolf Grey Hunters and Rune Priests, presented to him by Njal Stormcaller in payment of a life debt when Ariakase came to the aid of the famous Rune Priest in the Battle of Orla III.

Lord High Captain Alrik Cairn

Titles: Master of the Rites, Lord of Blood, Hero of Magnus IV
Responsibilities:  Upholds traditions and ceremonies
First Company
Company Specialty: Blood Angels
Counts as: Commander Dante or generic Captain

Lord High Captain Demetrius Truhn

Titles: Master of the Watch, Lord of the Fist, Regent of the Nest
Responsibilities:  Defender of homeworld and patrols borders
Second Company
Company Specialty: Imperial Fists
Counts as: Darnath Lysander, Pedro Kantor, or generic Captain

Lord High Captain Markus Kordan

Titles: Master of Unity, Lord of the Book, Hero of Korel VII
Responsibilities:  Oversees diplomatic engagements
Third Company
Company Specialty: Ultramarines
Counts as: Cato Sicarius or generic Captain

Lord Captain Kiernan Aherne

Titles: Master of the Marches, Lord of the Scar, Fist of the Phoenix
Responsibilities:  Oversees deployments
Fourth Company
Company Specialty: White Scars
Counts as: Kor'sarro Khan or generic Captain

Lord Captain Burke Braonan

Titles: Master of Relics, Lord of Iron, the Undying
Responsibilities:  Oversees the relics of the Chapter
Fifth Company
Company Specialty: Iron Hands
Counts as: Kardan Stronos or generic Captain

Lord Captain Caleb Delaney

Titles: Master of the Fleet, Lord of Flight
Responsibilities:  Maintains the fleet
Sixth Company
Company Specialty: Raven Guard
Counts as: Kayvaan Shrike or generic Captain

Lord Captain Dolan Slaine

Titles: Master of Chronicles, Lord of the Fang
Responsibilities:  Maintains the history of the Chapter
Seventh Company
Company Specialty: Space Wolves
Counts as: Logan Grimnar, Ragnar Blackmane, or generic Captain

Lord Captain Ghaill Donagh

Titles: Master of Victuals, Lord of Fire
Responsibilities:  Quartermaster
Eighth Company
Company Specialty: Salamanders
Counts as: Kardan Stronos or generic Captain

Lord Captain Gerard Cathain

Titles: Master of Secrets, Lord of the Sword
Responsibilities:  Oversees all intelligence gathering
Ninth Company
Company Specialty: Dark Angels
Counts as: Azrael, Belial, Sammael or generic Captain

Lord Captain Aluain Callaigh

Titles: Master of Training, Master of Recruits, Lord of the Cross, Hand of the Phoenix
Responsibilities:  Oversees recruiting and training
Tenth Company
Company Specialty: Black Templars
Counts as: Helbrecht or generic Captain


High Maester Alric Khanduras

Chief Librarian
Titles: Master of Knowledge, Keeper of the Flame
Responsibilities:  Maintains the Librarium and oversees all Librarians

High Shepherd Cathal Ossian

Head Chaplain
Titles: Master of Sanctity
Responsibilities:  Maintains the Reclusiam and oversees all Chaplains

Techmaster Jeremiah Vesk

Chief Techmarine
Titles: Master of the Forge
Responsibilities:  Maintains the arms, armour, and technology of the Chapter

High Healer Dian Cecht

Chief Apothecary
Titles: Master of the Apothecarion
Responsibilities:  Maintains the Apothecarion and oversees all Apothecaries


Domina Ignis Kaelynn Sanguis

Titles: Mistress of the Elutus Conjugatas, The Red Mistress, Blood Mother
Responsibilities:  Oversees the semiphyte system for recruitment

Born Kaelynn Elryan, the Domina Ignis always takes the surname of the original captain for which the Chapter is named to show the undivided dedication between the Chapter and her Order. 

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Index Astartes: Blood Phoenix (part 3) - narrative insert

Hunt for Vengeance


Energy crackled along the power sword's length, briefly lighting the passage. With his thumb, Sergeant Kael Morrigan touched the activation stud and the darkness again embraced him. Thirty meters to the western passage ahead.

It had been nearly twelve hours since he first tracked the beast into these caverns. Two days his Chapter had been on planet battling these Tyranid monsters. His squad was providing fire support from a nearby hill when a gigantic beast had barreled into their backs. His men were torn to shreds by the scythe-like claws that split the air around them. He had barely dodged to the side himself, losing a chunk of his vambrace as the claws ripped through the ceramite as if it were wet paper. His trusty power sword had saved him, tearing into the beast's limb and bloodying it. The creature let loose a high pitched scream as it turned away and ran. Kael had since tracked it to this labyrinth of caverns.

He had lost contact with the rest of the Blood Phoenix force when a Lictor caught him by surprise just inside the entrance to the caverns. With the light at his back and the natural camouflage of the foe, he only managed to avoid decapitation by a breath before ending the creature. He grimaced as he imagined the stern expression on Techmaster Vesk's face, his hand straying to the broken helmet attached to his hip. He felt the jagged split, regretting the loss of the fragile vox mechanisms destroyed beyond his knowledge of repair.

The part of his brain that was counting reached thirty. Kael stopped and turned to his left, letting his senses seek the prey. Drops of water could be heard in the distance, their echoes making it impossible to determine from what direction they came. He smelled the air and detected the familiar scent of blood mixed with alien ichor. He again lit the darkness for a brief moment and turned to the western passage. He started counting again.

His mind wandered back to the field of battle he had left. It appeared his brother marines were making headway, as he remembered squads of flamers burning through the overgrowth and drawing out the smaller of the foe taking refuge within. His squad had broken the enemy lines with heavy fire, while the captain and his personal guard fell upon the rest. With surgical precision they had meted out the Emperor's justice to the foul xenos.

What then went wrong? How did they miss the beasts to their back? Scouts had been sent to watch their flanks, yet Kael had seen no remnants of them while tracking his quarry to the caverns. When he returned to the battle, he would broach this with command and search parties would find them, or what was left of them. 

Again, he stopped and powered his sword to get his bearings. The passage continued straight ahead, with no sign of deviation. The stench of blood had grown stronger. Kael smothered his memories for the moment and set his mind and senses to full alert. Dropping into a crouch, he idled ahead slowly, trailing one wall of the passage with his gauntleted hand. 

When the floor fell out beneath him, Kael instinctively pulled himself into a ball to lessen the impact and tightened his grip on the sword. Whatever else, he would not find himself weaponless. His armor banged against rock and the echoes made him cringe. Wherever he landed, anyone or anything nearby knew he was there.

Kael rolled to his left and came up into a crouch, his sword brandished before him. He had not activated the weapon as yet, not wanting to disclose his precise location if an enemy was nearby. He stayed there, crouched and ready, for a full twenty heartbeats, listening, smelling, and tasting the air. Finally convinced nothing was about to strike, Kael touched the activation stud. What he saw brought bile to his throat.

Pieces of flesh littered the floor, viscera intermingled and painted the very walls. Intestines hung from the ceiling like decorations for a festival, still wet with the fluids of life. The stench of death lay about him like a heavy blanket, nearly overpowering all his senses. How he did not immediately notice it was beyond his comprehension. Bits and pieces of barely recognizable human forms lay scattered, like a puzzle that had been strewn about by a child. His eyes finally rested upon a broken pauldron covered in blood, the wings of a golden phoenix protruding from the gory coat. He had found the scout squad.

Anger rose within him, his breath becoming ragged as he quieted the growl seeking to escape his lips. Purpose was renewed. This was the work of his prey and he would take retribution for his brothers. More names were added to the tally of this beast's transgressions and Kael swore he would exact the vengeance so justly deserved. Rising to his feet he sought the exit, quickly spotting a side passage with a steep incline.

Ahead he heard the sounds of battle. He could not recall how long he had been running from the site of carnage below. He had one focus, one goal ahead of him, and he was closing the gap. His eyes were beginning to detect a shape to the walls and he realized there must be light ahead for his occulobe to grasp onto. As the darkness slowly turned into a mild dusk, he finally recognized the sounds ahead as boltguns. 

A sharp turn in the passage hid the opening he expected. Bursting out of the cavern without missing a step, he saw a battlefield before him. Blood Phoenix marines were advancing on a nest of the bugs ahead, his captain leading the charge. What he saw that his captain did not was the overgrown beast bearing down on their flank. Kael loosed his anger in a guttural howl as he charged down the hill in pursuit.

Stealth was forgotten. He ran as if the lava worms of his home were after him. His sword bristled with power as he leapt into the air. Grasping the blade in both hands, it led the way as he landed upon the creature's back. Death had arrived and its name was Kael Morrigan. 





Hearing a commotion to his left, Captain Markus Kordan paused in his assault and sought out the cause. What he saw stopped him in his tracks, as an enormous beast bore down upon his flank, not twenty meters away.

"Squad! Contact left! Carnifex!" he yelled into the vox even as his arm lifted the plasma pistol from his side. Then he saw it, a misstep. The creature stumbled in its run. Then again he saw the creature's pace slow and a leg dragged the ground. In a mere second, the danger to his flank collapsed to the ground, throwing up a curtain of dust as it slid to a stop a few feet away. 

As the dust cleared, he saw the distinct outline of a Blood Phoenix marine straddling the creature's back like some Attilan Rough Rider. The marine slowly drew a power sword from the beast's back and leapt to the ground.

Without a word, the captain removed his left gauntlet. Reaching for his combat knife, he drew the blade across his palm. Using his own blood, Kordan drew an impromptu Crux Terminatus over the sergeant's Devastator squad marking.

"Welcome back to the battle, brother."

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Luther's Dark Host

       The background for the Word Bearers/ Daemon army I am working on
Rise
After Horus' demise, the lowly battle-brother known as Luther began his rise to power. Luther felt the pantheon of Chaos within himself, and it was his duty to spread the word of his new Dark Masters across the galaxy. Luther slayed Isaac's current acolyte and seized the newly opened spot. Isaac was not zealous enough for Luther. He felt contempt for his weak leader and was eagerly awaiting the Dark Council to make their decision to give Luther his very own host. Knowing it would be a long time coming, Luther pleaded with Isaac to begin his quest to seek favors from each of the Gods. Isaac thought this would kill Luther, so he let him begin his Dark Pilgrimage.


With the help of the Sorcerer Jacob, Luther began to wander the depths of the warp. He first arrived at the Palace of Pleasure. To please the Dark Prince, he indulged in every depravity that was presented to him. At the same time, he slew any lesser daemons that attempted to offer up his soul to their master. The Dark Prince was pleased. Next, Jacob guided Luther to Khorne's domain. There, he fought his way to the gates of the Brass Palace. He waded his way through blood and gore to the very steps of Khorne's throne. He offered a challenge to anyone. Angron in his Daemon Prince form answered. They battled for 888 years. It still ended in a stalemate. Khorne struck them both down. Luther returned to issue another challenge the next morning. Khorne granted Luther his mark for his tenacity and desire for murder. Then he visited Nurgle's garden. He waded through the rotted marshes and was greeted by Grandfather Nurgle with a boisterous laugh. Luther watched the Dark God create diseases and volunteered himself as a body to experiment upon. Luther endured the concoctions for an untold amount of time. Nurgle blessed him with his mark. The final leg of his journey was about to begin. He arrived at the door of Tzeentch's Crystal Palace. He walked the halls of the palace for 999 years. He followed the fate lines of all his battle brothers. He followed his. Tzeentch tempted Luther with the fate lines of Isaac. He studied each one. He clipped every line except one. This line led to the encounter between him and his master. Tzeentch was pleased.



To complete his pilgrimage, Luther searched for years for the black mace. It took another 1000 years, but it was worth it. With his newly acquired dark truths, he was ready to destroy his master. He singled him out upon his return in front of the Dark Council. He toyed with him, dodging his blows with ease. Luther became bored. With the snap of his fingers, a Herald of each Dark God encircled the duel. Isaac was shocked by the way Luther commanded the servants of the Dark Gods. In this moment of hesitation, Luther struck one fatal blow. The council granted Luther command of his own host.

Dark Host's Composition
Luther's Dark Host is truly a gruesome sight to behold. It is here that a cultist gets to see the fruit of their labors and march alongside the minions of the Dark Gods. Luther has communed with each Dark God and earned their marks. He knows he has no real command of the Daemon hordes that march alongside his host, but they are an invaluable ally. When first laying out a plan for attack, he asks the Dark Gods for advice. With his Chosen, Luther devises a plan of action using the "advice" of each God.

Under the watchful eye of the Sorcerer Jacob, psykers of all kinds are sacrificed to make sure the warp rifts stay accessible. Warp storms rage around him as he struggles to maintain to keep the thin veil open. The Dark Host's goal is to rip apart a target world with an unimaginable amount of heresies. They convert each conquered world into Daemon Worlds. The Dark Host does not claim any planet for any particular god. It is not their business to meddle in the affairs of their masters. 

Luther is the supreme commander of the Dark Host. Next in command is the Sorcerer Jacob. They do not try to command the daemon hordes; how can one control chaos itself? The third in command is usually Luther's acolyte, which seem to meet an unfortunate end when they become too powerful.
The abundant presence of cultist serve as a perfect meatshield and sacrifice to the Dark Host. The brothers of the Word Bearers fight were the fighting is the thickest. They chant heresies to their enemies to make them feel the presence of Chaos. Only when it is too late, the enemies of the Dark Host realize their folly. Daemons appear out of nowhere and rip men and xenos apart. 

Sunday, March 16, 2014

Index Astartes: The Ravening (Part 1)

The Tenshi-tachi Ronin is a Dark Angels successor chapter from the Second Founding. Originally known as the Ravening, an outrider company of the First Legion composed of Terran-born Dark Angels, the Tenshi-tachi Ronin trace their lineage back to the Unification Wars of Terra and the Samurai warrior lodges of Imperial Asia. As such, the company was largely removed from Lord Luther's influence on Caliban and the traditions of the Calibanite knightly orders. During the Great Crusade the Ravening was isolated from the larger conquests of the Legion, scouting ahead of the main Dark Angels force to make first contact with lost human worlds and xenos forces. These engagements led the Ravening to excel at stealth, hit and run tactics, and reconnaissance, in part assisted by the presence of the Librarius among their ranks. During the Horus Heresy, their Primarch Lion El'Johnson tasked the company with ascertaining the movements of Horus's fleets, and the bulk of their efforts were spent against the spies of the Alpha Legion and the scouts of the former Luna Wolves.
The Dark Angels arrived too late to the Siege of Terra, breaking system only after the Emperor had been mortally wounded by Horus. This left the Dark Angels at full strength, but dishonored by the loss of the Imperium's lord. The morale of the Terran companies, like the Ravening, was worst hit. Fearing that the Traitor Legions had weakened the Emperor's defenses against the Immaterium, and advised by one of the Watchers in the Dark, Lion El'Johnson ordered the Ravening to scout along the border of the Eye of Terror to number the forces of Chaos. Meanwhile, the remainder of the Dark Angels returned to Caliban to regroup and plan the Imperium's defense.
Though their reconnaissance mission was a success, the Ravening returned to find Caliban shattered by Lord Luther's treachery. Lion El'Johnson was lost or dead, and the First Legion was burdened with a terrible purpose: to hunt down the Fallen Angels that turned upon their brothers. In the coming Second Founding, the Ravening requested independence as a separate chapter, styling themselves as the Tenshi-tachi Ronin, the Masterless Angels. Their request was granted, and the new chapter relocated to the rogue planet Kimon, the Demon Gate, near the Eye of Terror, where they took up the task of hunting down the Fallen. They preserved the iconography of the Dark Angels, but they marked their right pauldrons with the kanji for 'ravenous' as a sign of their hunger for revenge. 
Inquisitorial files on the chapter are twofold. Officially, the Imperium has honored the chapter for zealously hunting down heretics, including commendations for their vanguard tactics during the Raid on Nova Terra (257.M35), the Red Heresy (290-310.M36), the Abyssal Crusade (321.M37), and the Hundred Planet Rebellion (518.M39). However, the Ravening was censured by Saint Basillius the Elder in 321.M37 for disregard for the Emperor's subjects, collusion with unnamed xenos organizations, and Sed Infidelitas. The Ravening was one of the thirty Space Marine chapters that embarked on the penitential Abyssal Crusade, and they returned to Imperial space in 112.M38 as forward reconnaissance for the Vorpal Swords. Bypassing the Inquisitorial checks that waylaid the returning Abyssal Crusaders, the Ravening gathered evidence proving that Saint Basillius was actually a Herald of the Dark Gods, evidence that Vorpal Swords Chapter Master Konvak Lann then used to overthrow Basillius and prosecute his execution in the Inquisitorial courts. Basillius's charges against the Ravening were dropped, but the chapter was never officially cleared by the Inquisition.

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Index Astartes: Blood Phoenix (part 2)

Homeworld

Benu was once only sparsely populated due to the fact that its surface is primarily rock. Mountains rise high above the surface of the planet which is devoid of any water. If not for the numerous caverns which honeycomb the mountains and the streams hidden within, life would be near impossible. These caverns were where the survivors of the warp storm lived during the horrors of the Millennium of Isolation. Now the valleys between mountain ranges hold the majority of the planet’s civilization, deep wells dug to access the underground rivers below.


The Blood Phoenix maintain their fortress monastery built into the largest volcano mountain in the northern hemisphere. The remnant of the original Blood Angels strike cruiser, the Fire of Vengeance, provides the foundation and backbone of this mighty edifice. Thousands of servants walk the hallways and intermingle with the population in the nearby capitol of Kross’s Shield. The government is maintained by the civilian population, reporting to the Chapter Master and his staff. The ruling senate is decided upon by a vote of the population, with the Primary Judge being selected by senatorial vote. The Primary Judge oversees the senatorial meetings and reports to the Chapter’s Administratum Prefect, a civilian Chapter serf of high standing.

 Whilst isolated from the rest of the Imperium, the people of Benu did not fall lax in their education or industrial development. Scientists have made several notable advances in the interim, the greatest being added insight for the chapter's apothecaries in genetics. Also of importance to the system was the revelation of pressure stable bio-spheres that enabled them to re-populate Oraxys's oceans.

Combat Doctrine

The Blood Phoenix are successors of the Blood Angels, Ultramarines, and the Imperial Fists. As such, they train in every aspect of warfare as dictated by the Codex Astartes. The first Chapter Master recognized an advantage in sharing doctrines from all three Chapters and initiated good relations with their parent Chapters and all other Chapters as well. The result is a very customizable force, with each company specializing in the tactics inherent from a founding Chapter of marines. For Captains, it is required that they first serve with the Deathwatch to learn from their brothers the tactics of the other Chapters. Upon their return to the Blood Phoenix and promotion to Captain, they implement the specialties of one for their company.

The necessity for survival was paramount when cut off from the rest of humanity during the Millennium of Isolation and as such they have become masters at moving from cover to cover whilst laying down suppression fire. Preservation of ammunition was also important and therefore a Blood Phoenix initiate is always armed with a combat knife and is trained to master it in battle before he is ever issued a boltgun.

Organization

Ever since the founding of the Blood Phoenix, the Chapter has adhered to the tenets and doctrines of the Codex Astartes in most things. Having had to use their only ship as a land based defensive structure, they were at first bereft of a fleet. Their parent Chapters provided them some initial support with strike cruisers, the first of which they rechristened Resurrection. Over the following years they slowly built their fleet. Currently the Chapter maintains two Battle Barges, six Strike Cruisers, ten rapid strike vessels and a number of smaller warp capable ships.

The only main variance from the Codex Astartes organization is slight. No color variation is shown to depict company. Any markings are minimal, such as a number on the left knee pad or inclusion with the squad markings. For the most part, the company is not shown on the marine’s armor as it is rare that more than a single company is sent to the same theatre of war. Special theatre badges are denoted on the marine’s right knee pad, or in decoration medals attached directly to the armor in various locations.

Beliefs

The Blood Phoenix venerate the Emperor as the ultimate gene-father of the Adeptus Astartes but do not worship him as the god that the Imperium holds. They recognize Sanguinius, Roboute Guilliman, and Rogal Dorn as their primogenitors and Primarchs, but mostly give honor to Marlin Sanguis as the savior of Benu. The Chapter maintains a strict schedule of holy days, the most important being The Day of Sacrifice and The Day of Rediscovery. For The Day of Sacrifice all recruits and any brothers currently in system gather to hear again their histories from the time of isolation. They recount every battle, whether a victory or defeat, for something can be learned from each. The day culminates in the recounting of Marlin Sanguis’s defeat of Ax’horra in that climactic duel. During The Day of Rediscovery, a great feast is held for all brothers, a shadow of the feast given in their honor by the Chapter Masters so long ago. But the Chapter does not recognize this day alone, for the general population of the planet also celebrates and the Blood Phoenix participate by throwing a parade through the streets of Kross’s Shield before nightfall, ending in an aerial display by a contingent of Thunderhawks, Stormravens and Stormtalons.

Gene Seed

The Blood Phoenix recruits from all populated planets in the Larys system. Though the civilization on Benu is rather advanced, youths interested in the martial life will still participate in grueling games of stamina and strength. As the final rite of passage to manhood, these boys will enter the deepest caverns in the volcanic mountains and hunt down the dangerous lava worms which thrive there. They are allowed no weapons other than a combat knife. Many do not return, but of those that do, they are then tested by the Blood Phoenix to determine if they would make suitable marines. Those that do not meet the high standards of the Chapter are enlisted in the planetary defense force. Both Oraxys and Kiln have similar practices, the final rite of hunting being the man-eating razorfish on Oraxys and the territorial plainstrider on Kiln.

The Blood Phoenix gene-seed comes from the Primarchs Sanguinius, Roboute Guilliman, and Rogal Dorn. Somehow, due to their isolation by the warp storm perhaps, no flaws have yet surfaced among the Chapter, despite any inherent to their parent Chapters. Thanks to breakthroughs in genetics, due in part to the civilian population’s relationship with the Chapter, the Apothecaries were able to further stabilize their sample. As such, the life-span of the Blood Phoenix marines is especially long and resilient.

Finally, there is a very high rate of both genetic matching and a steady influx of possible neophytes due to a fundamental change in the Blood Phoenix Chapter’s approach to recruitment. During the Millennium of Isolation, their numbers began to dwindle quickly. The two remaining Apothecaries consulted with the leading geneticists of Benu, a science that had been researched there prior to the warp storm’s appearance.

Together they mastered implantation procedures to such a degree that they could delay the process until two years after the onset of puberty. Where the implantation process and conditioning that neophytes undergo still deprive the brothers of natural reproduction once they have been fully inducted into the Chapter, the first two years of a recruit’s life are now spent as a semiphyte.

The Apothecaries are better able to determine whether an aspirant is a genetic match prior to the implantation process. Once an aspirant has been cleared as a match and undergone their trial in the caverns, they are given the first oath of dedication and then named semiphyte, dedicating their time to procreating and continuing their genetic line to increase the chances of future aspirants also being genetically suited to the gene-seed of the chapter. After two years as a semiphyte, the implantation process and hypnotherapies begin in earnest. The neophyte never knows his possible children as such.

The Chapter has the normal contingency of serfs, but in addition they also have the Elutus Conjugatas, a dedicated sorority of women who have volunteered to be midwives to future Blood Phoenix aspirants. Amongst the people of the Larys system, it is an unequaled honor to serve as one of the many mistresses to the semiphytes.

The Elutus Conjugatas is an order in its own right, headed by a special addition to the customary Administrative staff of the Chapter, the Domina Ignis, who is at equal rank with the individual company captains. The Blood Phoenix are one of the few space marine chapters that have a female member of the Administrative staff, let alone one with such a high standing within the leadership.

The War of Reclamation

The marines of the Blood Phoenix Chapter did not rest once they had been rediscovered and welcomed back into the Imperium. In 377.M32, just two years after being organized into a new chapter, they began a decade long campaign to reclaim the other worlds in the Larys system. Usually, if left unchecked, a warp storm would have detrimental effects on a planet's entire ecosystem. Librarians of the new Chapter surmised that by condensing resistance to a single planet, they had managed to lessen this effect on the other planets in the system.

While Risa was indeed devoured in such a way, Kiln was still salvageable. Its forests were gone, now only vast grasslands of short stubble, but life still existed. The Blood Phoenix took heart and set upon a relentless campaign to rid the world of any chaos trace that remained. Imperial advisers from the Ordo Hereticus had been on the verge of declaring exterminatus, but Chapter Master Jansen was able to convince them to give his chapter a chance to save the planet.

Nearly five hundred Blood Phoenix landed on the surface of Kiln, while the remainder of their force was sent on crusades alongside their brother Chapters or left on Benu for defense. For the first year, they were joined by a retinue each from the Blood Angels, Imperial Fists and Ultramarines as further tribute to their honor. Within the first week they had established a beachhead at one of the old mega-factories and over the following years used this as their base of operations on the planet's surface. Every year another victory was achieved until finally, after nine years of constant battle, the last vestige of taint was eradicated and representatives of the Ordo Hereticus declared the planet cleansed of all heresy.

Next the force moved on to Oraxys, which had only a minor presence of chaos due to the drastic change to its ecosystem that resulted in the once lush planet becoming an ocean planet. Ninety eight percent of the planet was now covered in water. Hunting down what taint remained on the surface was much simpler and the Blood Phoenix undertook this action with a smaller force. Once Oraxys was clear, the Larys system was once again free of taint and under the control of the Blood Phoenix.