+ inload: Notes on finished Epic Salamanders +

+ Battlefield ready +

+ Permission to make planetfall requested. +

+ Phew – over the finish line with a little grace to spare. There are some further refinements that could be done, but I think my Salamanders army is ready to spend the weekend searching for Archaeotech on Nabed-Palae, the Forge-throne of Legio Maximal. +

+++

+ Markings and details +

+ As well as polish off the tanks and transport, I've finished the Thunderhawk and big guns – and spent a few minutes adding some banner detail to this Command stand, too. +

+ Being themed around Armageddon, I took a little inspiration from the boxed game cover [+vizref: below+] and used the shoulder pad on this marine as a prompt for the banner. +

+ Detail from the Battle for Armageddon box set front +

+ It's easy to just go with the most modern reference for a sense of accuracy or canonicity, but early references often include really cool details that have been lost or forgotten over the years as the aesthetic of 40k in general, or a faction in particular has developed. Apart from anything else, moving away from the studio standard is a great way of setting your army apart, while still fitting well into the universe. +

+ The heraldic patterning here is a perfect example – chequers are still 'peak 40k', but the interesting wobbly lines at the bottom ('shallow nebulé' in heraldic terms, so I understand) not only look great, but evoke the patterning of real-world salamanders. The idea of Salamanders  might have moved away from the mythical fire-amphibians towards GIANT VOLCANO DINOSAURS in modern 40k, but they both evoke the period and look fittingly knightly. More importantly, they're fun to paint. +

+++

+ Another old reference here, a couple of friends, online and off, suggested I use the Salamanders markings from an old White Dwarf article [+noosphericinloadlink embedded+]. I have slightly adapted things – Assault squads can no longer go in Rhinos, and I've used the spades suit device rather than hearts, but the yellow on black doors show how effective simple symbols are. Good advice is good advice, even if it's twenty-odd years old. +

+ Of course, a few late nights meant that I wasn't concentrating perhaps as hard as I should have been, and so I've got seven of one icon and nine of the other... If I get a spare minute or two, I'll repaint one of the diamonds to a spade, just to make the niggle in my head go away! +

+++

+ Thunderhawk inbound +

+ Perhaps my favourite bit I polished off last night was the Thunderhawk, which needs a suitable name. The base isn't very visible here, which is a bit of a shame as I was pleased with it. It uses a Maximal Fire crate, as a bit of a nod to the event at which it'll get its blooding. Anyway, I'll get some better pic-captures another time – for the moment, suffice to say that it's a 90 x 52mm oval, rather than the standard 40mm base supplied. This might have some game effects, so I'll keep a spare 'proper' base handy. The reason I went for a bigger base was primarily visual appeal (a bigger base gives a bigger canvas), but also for stability. I glued some tupenny bits to the underside to give some weight, too. +

+ Finishing the Thunderhawk was an exercise in speed against effectiveness. I like the weathered, painterly feel of the rest of the army, but as a focal point, I wanted this to look a little cleaner and take it a little further. Besides, as an aircraft (even a 40k one), the same sort of dusty weathering wasn't as appropriate. This had to be balanced against the time available. +

+ To that end I added some tighter, harder edge highlighting. For panel-laden Space Marine vehicles, I find the challenge is in knowing which edges to highlight. Too many make the model appear to be glowing; while too few, or in the wrong places, simply look odd. +

+ The zenithal basecoating I'd applied helped here – anywhere that had deeper recesses naturally created bigger contrasts, so these prompted me to push them a little more. I also looked at reinforcing the overall 'outline' of the Thunderhawk, so you can see that parts within the form are emphasised less than the leading/trailing edges of the wings, or the pointed prow (is that the right term for the front of a Thunderhawk?). +

+ You'll also spot the marine leaning out of the open hatch. Observing? Preparing for landing? Simply taking in the view? Who knows – but he adds both a little narrative and draws the eye to the Battle Bling open hatch. You can read my review and step-by-step on this upgrade set in this inload [+noosphericinloadlink embedded+]. +

+ The marine is a spare Apothecary left over from sprues. You'll probably end up with a little pile of extra Command models, and adding them to add flavour to focal points in your army is a nice way to make use of them. I trimmed off his sword so he could be gripping the edge of the hatchway. +

+ Visible in this picture is the 'club' symbol of Assault Squads – while I don't want to treat this as a dedicated transport, it seems most likely that it'll be used aggressively to deploy troops. This, along with the black bars and bronze/gold trim, helps to tie it in with the rest of the army, despite the slightly different painting treatment. +

+ The blue plasma glow of the upgraded turbolaser didn't come out as clean as I'd like – and that's down to me putting on blue contrast paint too early. The white hadn't quite dried, which meant I had to start again. The lesson here is 'more haste, less speed'. A few extra seconds waiting would have saved minutes repainting, and given a better result. +

+ The front shows the white flame markings – an attempt to move the model a little away from 80s hot rods – and the lenses of the targetting systems above the cockpit. +

+ I was pleased with how the cockpit glass came out. I used orange, which always works well with green, and painted a very simple landscape on each pane. Two things to remember for this effect:

• The sky is dark at the top and gets lighter towards the horizon, while the land is darkest at the horizon and lightest in the foreground.
• The glass is at different angles, so (unless you've modelled it in a very steep dive!) the front panes won't be reflecting the horizon halfway up the glass, but rather near the bottom. Likewise the top panes of glass won't be reflecting the ground at all, but instead show the darkest tone of the sky across nearly the whole panel. 

+ Ultimately, what is being reflected is a single continuous thing: the surroundings. Each pane of glass is reflecting just a portion of it – so make sure that's all you paint. +

+ If you're unsure, I suggest starting at the panes at the side of the cockpit. Not only are these slightly less obvious if you make a mistake, but they're also near perpendicular to the ground. This will allow you to establish the horizon, and the tones you're using. Treat the other panes as extensions of that – so you can continue the line of the horizon round to the front, for example, or use the tone at the top of the side panel as your starting point for the upper panes. +

+++

+ inload: Three finished Salamanders Space Marines +

+ Brothers in arms +

+++

+ Brother Tarsidemi +

V'reth Tarsidemi

+ Previously known as Man'Ekes Kenndh, he adopted the name V'reth Tarsidemi following his tempering. Noted as 'Melancholy of aspect and pensive by nature', Tarsidemi appeared to regard his promotion to the Battle Companies as part of a great cycle; an inevitable result of his forebear's consumption in the pyres of warfare, rather than as a result of any exceptionalism on his part. +

+ Regarded as over-analytical and tiresome by his previous squadmates in the 6th Company, he was an uneasy fit amongst the Flamehammers. He found a more fitting place within the Defenders of Nocturne, where his stoic aestheticism came to be regarded as a strength. +

+++

+ Brother Numatone +

+ Unequivocal and single-minded from an early age – 'from the cradle,' joked his parents – the boy who was to become Brother Typhak Numatone had the given name of Br'Tra, which meant 'supremacy' in his city's tongue. Whether through destiny, a sense of filial duty, or simple nominative determinism, Br'Tra doggedly purused Ascension, believing it to be the only way to do honour to his family. Such ambition is not infrequent on Nocturne, but Numatone was able to moderate raw drive to avoid pride and become a considered – if impulse-driven –addition to the 2nd Company. + 

+++

+ Brother Nomix Nor'jargan +

+ Promotion from the 5th Reserve Company proved bittersweet to Nomix Nor'jargan, for he had thrived under the Drake Hunters' light-handed command and dispersed nature. Unusually for the Reservists, he was present during the Badab War; one of the few who had been allocated to support the 2nd in combating the Secessionists.  +

+ A void-warfare specialist employed in the Salamanders' fleet, his promotion was advocated by Pellas Mir'san personally. Having lost a great number of valued veterans in the bitter campaign, the Captain of the 2nd wanted staunch, proven warriors – a description that matched the dutiful Nomic Nor'jargan to a tee. +

+ Warriors three of the 8th Squad +

+++

+ Three complete, more to come +

+ All the batch painting has built to a stage where the final details are relatively quick and enjoyable. I've opted for yellow eyes; taking my prompt from the Salamanders shown in Codex: Armageddon. They were painted by painting the lenses Scorched Brown, then blending in Yriel Yellow. +

+ Beyond this, the painting is really limited to developing the gold with a couple of layers of highlights followed by a brown wash; and highlighting the weapon casings, pouches etc. with a mix of black, white and a touch of dark brown. Finally, I used a dilute combinations of Moot Green and Warpstone Glow in various proportions to add some highlighting to the green armour, particular around the head. +

+ They've come together rather nicely, I think – I'm very pleased with the results, and think they fit well with my conversion (at the back). +

+++

+ inload: Dust of Armageddon markings +

+ Salamanders 2nd Company markings +

 

+ Work in progress – it seems a long time since I've been putting paint onto models, but it was a welcome return. +

+++

+ 8th Squad, 2nd Company +

+ As you can (hopefully!) see, the models are getting close to being finished. It's been a very different set of techniques to my usual process. Not sure I'd do everything this way, but it's nice to expand my repertoire. +

+ Although it's been a long time since I started them, the actual painting process has taken very little time indeed – though as always, the devil's in the details, so I won't make any promises on when the final touches will be in. +

+++

+ Combat squad 1 +

+++

+ Combat squad 2 +

+++

+ 4th Squad, 2nd Company; and Lieutenant +

+++

+ Markings +

+ The Salamanders' lore is not always entirely clear. Always a bit more nebulous than other First Founding Chapters, what little there was has been partially overwritten by info from Nick Kyme's Black Library books, which itself has only been partly incorporated into the GW books. This is nothing new – nor is it a problem. While there's some security to be drawn from following a clear set of rules in terms of markings, such rules are always subject to the vagaries of time and chance – what was de facto correct in previous editions can easily be swept away. For that reason, I prefer to regard GW's info on markings as 'correct for a point in time', rather than immutable law. That allows you to nod to existing rules (great if your group lean more towards canonicity and pseudohistorial gaming) while also giving you a bit of freedom of expression. +

+ Ultimately, the lore can change, and your models will likely outlast it! FOr that reason, if nothing else, never compromise on making and painting your models to suit your taste first and foremost. +

+++

+ The vagaries of the Salamanders' background does extend to its markings, but as of the 8th edition Codex supplement, there is at least a big block of info, though a deep dive reveals a few awkward gaps. Despite having quite an unusual structure (seven companies of 120 or so marines each) and a number of practices that are decidedly non-Codex, it's sometimes referred to as a Codex Chapter – although perhaps this is an out-of-universe misunderstanding of the Codex Astartes. +

+ The Codex Astartes is essentially a 40k version of The Art of War – not the rigid list of strictures and dictates in which it's portrayed in memes, but rather an expansive and open treatise that has multiple interpretations. In this way, then, the markings we see below can be seen either as very idiosyncratic to the Chapter – and perhaps providing inspiration to their (thin on the ground) successors; or can be seen as a very clear example of Codex-approved markings. The iconography of the Salamanders, therefore, is very much an example of how you wish to interpret it – and this is what I mean by correct for a point in time. There are a couple of slightly contradictory statements in GW publications about the Salamanders' organisation, but we can square that circle by picking one and saying that this is the one that's true during the  Second Battle for Armageddon. +

+ Basics +

+ In terms of the nuts and bolts of the markings, the squad markings are shown above. These show the eternal flame and the squad number or sigil enclosed in the flame. From left to right above is a marine of the 4th Squad, Second Company; a Lieutenant of the Second Company; and a marine of the 8th Squad, Second Company. +

+ Here we see the deviation from the Ultramarines' Codex structure, as the 8th squad in a Battle Company would usually be a designated Assault Squad. For the Salamanders, it's another Tactical Squad. +

+ The left pauldron bears the Salamanders' Chapter sigil: a head of their namesake. The white icon on a black field is what denotes them as being Second Company – the black field marks them as being part of a Battle company, and the white specifically refers to the Second. +

+ Variation +

+ When working on an army, you'll often find some models that – for one reason or another – just don't work with the decisions you've made. Happily, 40k background often owes as much to mediaeval pageantry as modern military strictures, so you can happily play it by ear. Try to ignore the nagging voice that says 'this marking should be in this place' and picture yourself being attacked by the model – does what you see announce your attacker as belonging to a particular group? If so, job done. +

+ You can be as consistent or varied as you like. Personally I like consistency in a Chapters like Ultramarines, but for the Salamanders, who have a proud tradition of making their own personal wargear and armour, there's a good argument for variation for variations sake. +

+ Here, this sergeant has a studded left pauldron, leaving no space for the Chapter icon. As a result, it's been moved to the right pauldron, booting the eternal flame symbol to the lower right greave – my thinking being that this allows friendly forces to still identify who the marine is. +

+ Since the squad number would often be unclear, I kept it on the pauldron – you can just see a small white numeral at the front of the pauldron. This is a good example of making a virtue of seemingly contradictory information, for this approach is that presented in the Badab War Imperial Armour books. +

+ This in turn offers a nice narrative twist – we might say that this marine is a veteran of the Badab War campaign, recently promoted to lead his own squad; and granted leave to retain a previous campaign's iconography as a mark of respect to fallen brethren. The Codex, after all, suggests changing markings between conflicts to confuse the enemy... and so it all ties off nicely. +

+++

+ inload: Silver Stars markings and honorifics +

+ inload: Silver Stars Legionary markings +

+ We covered the basics of the Silver Stars paint scheme in this inload [+noosphericinloadlink embedded+], but it doesn't really touch on the markings and so forth. Since I've had a couple of people asking about them – and very pleasingly, have seen some examples painted up by other hobbyists – I thought I'd scribble down my notes on the various sigils and markings. +

+++

+ Esoterica +

+ Before anything else, it's worth making the point that the Silver Stars are (out-of-universe) intentionally slightly unclear, and this has been intentionally built into their marking scheme. They are, after all, supposedly the returned Legion of a lost or forgotten Primarch; or possibly a renegade Chapter masquerading as such behind an abomination; or perhaps the time- or dimensionally-displaced results of some Other event. +

+[identquery: unresoved – all records REDACTED]+

+ I think a big part of the appeal of the lost and forgotten Primarchs and Legions is that we don't know who or what they were, what happened to them, or why. Giving definite answers to those questions misses the point. The key to their presence in the project, therefore, is to provoke curiosity – to cause viewers to think 'I want to know', rather than to answer said question. At root, I'm far more interested in creating a space for others to explore the Chapters of the Partisans and Pentarchy and the myriad groups of Imperial forces, both orthodox and secessionist, that are about in M33, than I am in the Silver Stars. They are effectively a plot device, rather than characters. In short, the qeustion of whether they are a lost Legion or something else entirely is more important than the answer. +

+ The downside to that, of course, is that it makes it difficult to give guidance or answers on markings and colour schemes – after all, if you're going to explore the space, you have to have some answers to create a sense of verisimilitude and believability – after all, even picking a name and colours is in some way pinning things down. To that end, I have framed my own answers to the various questions about the true nature of Volnoscere and his Silver Stars, but they will remain obscured. Is this scheme the scheme of one of the Lost Legions? If so, has it changed since Unification? Who can say? +

+++

+ The basics +

+ With that important proviso out of the way, let's get stuck in. Here's Legionary [REDACTED]. The basics of the scheme are armour as white as bone, as green as the ocean, as rose as coral; and with gold accents. In terms of placement, the helm and upper torso is turquoise (Citadel Hawk Turquoise), the remainder white (Army Painter Mummy Robes covered with Citadel Apothecary White, and highlighted with Valljo Off-white). +

+ The placements of accents varies according to armour mark and rank, but banding – on the shoulder pad rims and collar – is usually a muted gold. I'm afraid I'm a bit crap on metallics: I've usually stuck with my comfort zone of Boltgun Metal and Chainmail, and never learned the new paint names. Suffice to say it's a mid gold that's knocked back with a layer of Seraphim Sepia wash and Leviathan Purple added to recesses wet-in-wet. +

+ Legion markings +

+ Silver Stars bear what appear to be Legion symbols both on their left pauldron (as typical for Space Marines), and on the centre of their torso. The marking is a white, four-pointed star made up of four small, unconnected right-angled triangles. They typically appears to be rotating anti-clockwise on the pauldron and clockwise on the torso (both suggesting forward movement); but occasionally run in the opposite direction, which indicates a form of intra-Legion specialism or honorific termed Manawa. +

+ Whatever the direction of travel, and wherever it appears, the Silver Star symbol is near-universally rendered in white (that is, heraldic silver). This necessitates rose banding (Citadel Screamer Pink, for those painting their own) on the pauldrons in the form of an heraldic pale (a vertical stripe). +

+ Pauldrons are occasionally completely rose, or the rose band is a fess (a horizontal stripe) or a bend (a diagonal stripe from top left to bottom right). The colour also often appears on the belt buckle in a bend, and on the helm. Many Silver Stars wear plumes or headdress; any fabric or organic material is dyed coral-rose; and in their absence, a pale is applied on the top of the helmet, occasionally continuing over the faceplate. +

+ The right pauldron bears squad designations. Some appear to be alchemic symbols, commonly – but far from exclusively – those for Tin/Jupiter (♃), Gold/Sol (☉), and Bismuth (🜘). Others are more esoteric or unidentified, such as the example above. +

+ Besides the squad markings, the Legionaries frequently bear symbols on other areas, usually over the additional Astartes organs (symbolically, if not literally) – most frequently the secondary heart (right of the torso), and the sus-an membrane and catalepsean node (both on the helm). These are again alchemical symbols – occasionally modified – including that for calcination/Aries (♈︎), colgination/Taurus (♉︎) and scruple (℈) alongside the squad designation markings listed above. Considered unlikely to be personal honorifics owing to their frequent repetitions within groups (though this could equally demonstrate a close kinship or bond), these patterns may serve as markings to indicate larger formations, such as Company, Millennial or Wing. Equally, they may instead have a ritual, apotropaic function within the Legion. +

+ In addition to these markings are wedge-shaped numerals that usually appear within the belt buckle in black, but occasionally elsewhere, including on the front of the pauldron (as in the example above), on the helm, or on the rear of the backpack. These numerals are almost always identical, so do not seem to indicate squad, company etc. markings. Finally, the left knee appears to occasionally be decorated; seemingly according to purely personal preference. +

+ Notably, the Silver Stars rarely, if ever, seem to use numerals besides the aforementioned cuneiform. Similarly, script of any kind is notable by its absence. +

+++

+ Over to you +

+ I hope that's given a bit of clarity on how to go about painting and detailing your Silver Stars without giving too much away. If you do paint one up (or indeed any of the Partisan Chapters), I'd love to see and share it here – please post it on Instagram with the tags #somethingsarebestleftforgotten and/or #warofthefalseprimarch, or on the + Death of a Rubricist + Facebook group. +

+ inload: Gnostic and Gatebreaker infantry +

+ Endworlds: Landfall +

+COMPILERCOMPILERCOMPILERCOMPILERCOMPILERCOMPILER+

+Chronostamp:ABSENTIA+

+SPOOLING transmission.+

+–re you picking this up? Respond. All channels occup–+

+–that infernal noise? Sounds like... like clockw–+

+++

According to the Gnostic's masterpiece auspex-organ, nothing was coming back from the gate. Quite literally. Not even static. The background radiation was utterly absent; a literal zero. Doubtless this accounted for the chill.

Kills shivered. In her heated, sealed, stuffy atmosphere suit, it was quite unnecessary. However, like coughing to break a silence, it felt somehow humanising; as though introducing some measure of useless movement, of entropy, would break the hex of this perfect, disquieting order. 

Though his vox-clicks were muffled by the dead air, the Gnostic was busy. At his words, the Strikeforce coiled back in, ghosting back towards Kills and her team.

The monolithic structures were straight, and clean. Again, disquietingly so. These were not straight in an ordinary, everyday architectural way, but suffused with an unsettling purity of geometry; as though the walls and corners themselves were manifested mathematics; avataric emblems of some unaccountably Other reality.

Absently, she brushed her hand against the Inquisitorial seal, concealed beneath her cloak. It felt like wax, and vellum, and familiarity. For a symbol powerful enough to end worlds, she thought, with a grin, you feel positively wholesome.


+++

+ Painting +

+ Besides the Chapter markings, gunsights and tufts on the bases, the next batch of Gatebreakers are complete (hurrah). +




+ Two are on assignation to Inquisitrix Barbari Kills, one's the Strikeforce's Gnostic (a sort of non-psychic Librarian/Lieutenant hybrid, in charge of battlefield organisation and record-keeping). The remaining four are more Intercessors to bulk out the squads. +




+ I'll hold off background and names until they are genuinely finished (looking at the Gnostic above, a bit of battle damage needs further refining), but I wanted to show 'em off! +







+ Member-Ordinary with boltgun +






+ Member-Ordinary with boltrifle and auxiliary grenade launcher. +






+ Member-Ordinary with bolt rifle +




+ Coriolanus, specialist +






+ Septival, specialist +


We looked at these two a bit more closely in the last inload [+noosphericinloadlink embedded+], and they've received only minor updates. Still, it's sometimes surprising what a difference basing can make. +




+ I haven't yet added their Chapter markings (or the black purity seals that will mark them as seconded to the Ordo Propter), but I did add a specialist symbol in place of the usual Tactical/Devastator/Assault/Fire Support/Close Support symbol. I took this crescent moon device from an early edition of Epic. It's a nice clear symbol, with some mystical associations. +

+ inload: Gatebreakers heraldry +

+ Gatebreakers heraldry +

"Do I look like I give a–?" his last words were mercifully cut off by another cacophonous round of firing that took the front of the building opposite out in an enormous plume of white smoke. Barbari's acolytes both ducked further into cover. The pulverised rock was in the air; laying a shroud over everything. Halm didn't much like that image. As the tense moment stretched, she tried to hear past the ringing in her ears. No movement – but Halm knew better than to trust her eyes and ears in this place. Dust hissed down outside, an occasional large ping marking a larger piece of rubble coming to rest.

Half-crouching, she scuttled over to Brunski, her companion's face screwed up in an almost comically intense stare as he tried to spot enemies – or anything – through the thick cloud. She reached out to tap him on the arm, and he looked at her. God-Emperor, she thought, suppressing an hysterical snigger, we look like albino lapids. Both the acolytes were covered in the white dust of the alien city, their eyes pink and sore. She pinched her nose, noisily snorting out the dirt.

"Look," she started, "let's just get back to the Gatebreakers." Brunski opened his mouth to reply just as another doppler-shifted whooping broke the silence. She saw his eyes crease as he tensed just as the impact came. Closer this time. The entire road surface rippled, the fabric of it turning fluid under the sudden strike.

Even from this distance, the two were thrown to the floor. Halm's wrist struck a piece of furniture on the way down, and she lost her grip on her pistol. Cursing, she peeped over the improvised cover, then froze as she saw silhouettes emerging from the weird white gloom. 

Shit. Stalker-forms.

Long-limbed, pallid, and inhumanly tall and thin, the Sabactes were clothed in a semi-transparent sheen. Their multiple backwards-jointed limbs picked through the rubble carefully, whisper-rifles sweeping back and forth like a hunting-snake's head. One carried some form of fluted, ribbed contraption hinged over its curling back – Halm presumed that had been the source of the whooping barrage. 

The lead Sabact's flat, adze-like muzzle turned, and it stooped to peer under the partially-collapsed awning. Halm dearly wished she hadn't dropped her pistol. For a moment, the thick white stonedust making her still more statue-like. Her eyes flicked left, to the shadows, where Brunski was easing his rifle to his shoulder, slowly.

Ever. 

So. 

Slowly.

The next moments stayed with Halm for a long time. Rows of small, puckered pits in the creature's muzzle flared in a peristaltic ripple, and it emitted a thin screech that ran right through Halm's spine. A fraction of a second later, Brunski's lasbolt caught it in one shoulder, sending it staggering and its own shot wild. Halm leapt forward, grasping desperately for her lost pistol as the other Sabactes whipped round with barking, breathless yelps. Brunski was yelling, his modified rifle shouldered and burping fire. The air still hung with white dust.

Then it moved. From the dust emerged massive figures – shorter than the Sabactes, but many times broader. The warriors toted thick, black, brutal-looking boltguns, but they weren't firing them. More howling doppler-shrieks echoed in the near distance, but the Gatebreakers were intent. Pushing through and into the Stalker-forms, arm-long blades came up, slitting and scattering alien limbs. Great gauntlets closed on gelid flesh, puncturing and holding while more sweeping, disembowelling bladestrokes swept in.

It was over in less than four seconds. Perfect. The Sabact's yellow-and-purple ichor was vivid against the pervasive white dust, painted in great arcs across a startlingly wide area. 

Halm remained sprawled, chest down in the rubble. Dumbfounded, petrified, she only realised she hadn't reached the pistol when one of the marines stepped forward and nudged it towards her with his boot. His head was bare, one bloodshot eye puckered up in a livid bruise that was obvious despite the deep tone of his skin. Their eyes met for a moment, then he looked back to his squadmates. Odd static, on the edge of hearing, pattered back and forth. She closed her mouth, forcing herself to calm. Comm-clicks, that's all.

Brunski stepped forward, his lasrifle pointedly aimed to the ground. He was as wide-eyed as Halm, He hooked his free hand under her armpit and helped her up. The marine turned back, and gestured with three fingers.

"Extraction awaits rearwards, Adepts. Three hundred yards." 

Another marine loomed behind him. Slightly shorter, slighter – but still head and shoulders above Brunski, a powerfully-built man – Halm wondered whether the other was Astartes or Primaris? Was there even a meaningful difference now? 

Whatever he was, the Primaris' helm was grilled and pugnacious. His armour was battered, but all the damage was old. Where the Primaris was covered in scrapes and dings and Sabact-ichor, the only thing that made it clear the other marines had been fighting was the same shroud of dust as his comrade.

"To put it another way, adept," his strange accent garbled the word – or else the honorific was intentionally being mocked – "Your presence here is no longer welcome."

+++ 

+ Barbari Kill's Notes – Markings of the Gatebreakers +

+ The Chapter symbol is a mace, with five points. It's a figurative representation of the Chapter's intentions – a brutal, direct weapon of war. The points symbolise the Chapter's multiple companies and ability to work more independently. Further, the handle contains an orb above the weapon's grip. This symbolises Terra, and the God-Emperor – it is he that directs the Chapter. The ball of the mace, figuratively distant from Terra, represents Andocrine. +

+ The Gatebreake's Chapter symbol, on Eo Daur's pauldron. +

+ It's a blunt image, and one that it quite at odds with both the Chapter that I have found here on Andocrine and their would-be Primaris successors. Despite the ready access to the warrior-monks and the extensive material I have gathered on the ephemera of the Chapter, our research has revealed little of value on the Chapter's capabilties or intentions. +

+ Member-Ordinary Blessings-be Miriode shows a typical left pauldron. +

+ It's not even as though things are consistently different. On consultation with my Primaris warders, some things are straight from the book – the Codex Astartes, that is. Tactical markings are scribed on the rear shoulder pad as one might find on a hundred Chapters across the Imperium – but they're accompanied by odd weapon badges. Halm assures me that such markings aren't without precedent; but her digging is going further and further into the past without revealing anything relevant. If it is a known Astartes marking, it hasn't been used in Millennia. +

+ Member-Ordinary Tening Gyal bears a IX strikeforce plate on his forearm +

+ Other markings hint at a organisation unlike that of their Primaris support. Scipius' men are organised in strict squads and companies; you can tick them off like toy soldiers, each one in the right place. +

+ Sho's forces, meanwhile, seem quite bemused by this – their fluid approach appears to revolve around temporary Strikeforces, with very little integral formal organisation beyond that. These strikeforces are gathered by officers – though on whose authority or by what agency I do not yet know. + 

+ I have many questions for Sho – and for Scipius, too. And yet, I understand that this is a fraught and strained moment of meeting for the two Chapters. I have no desire to prevent an alliance – an alloying – from forming, and delicacy must therefore, for now, be my watchword. +

+ [ADDENDA][APPENDNOTE:] No word yet from Taiwo. Has the man received my missive? +

+++

+ inload: Squad Mephisto and detailing +

+ Squad Mephisto +

+ A decent push last night has landed me with another three finished figures, along with two casualties. I also took to opportunity to refine the bases and details on the others in the army, to help tighten up the consistency. +

+ Tactical Squad 1 +

+ Made up of the two combat Squads Raphael and Mephisto, Tactical 1 is pretty much the archetype of Space Marines; with a loadout that would fit in every edition of the game. I'm pleaed to see that the change in colours (from a mix of Mephiston Red and Vallejo Vermillion to a pure Vallejo Flat Red) isn't really visible. +

SQUAD MEPHISTO Sinistro e Dexter: 
Brother Thaddeus (Saditel 4:04, called the lost)
Brother El-Aster (Ambriel 1:01), 

Brother Mephisto (Rashin Rast 2:05), 

Brother Engel (Narieal 4:10) [Not pictured]

Brother Lucian (Abacyel 3:12) [Not pictured]

+ I'm pleased with how they came out, but it's so hard not to get carried away with freehand and detailing. I have to keep reminding myself that they're meant to be simple, to reflect the inspiration and keep things rooted in the M35 period. I think I'm going to have to make some Veterans or something, just to let myself get carried away! +

+ The originals, by Tim Prow from White Dwarf 139. The three homages I've just painted represent the following: second from left (El-Aster – note the pose); centre (Mephisto – again, note the knife); and second from right (Thaddeus; with flamer).  +

+ There are, inevitably, a few little additions and ornaments, but I think I've been pretty restrained. Thaddeus (the flamer specialist) has a little honorific on his knee. Mephisto, the squad leader, is starting to show a bit of the ornamentation that will become more common later in the Imperium's history. He has an artificer pauldron, an autoshrine (for in-field ammunition blessing) hanging from his belt, and a targeter integrated with his helm. These little additions only stand out because the others in the squad are restrained. +

+ The other thing which jumps out is the banner. I initially painted the field a plain red, which matched the other combat squad veteran. This more closely followed the WD139 inspiration, but I found the fact they were identical a bit dull; so I added a yellow stripe. Simple, but helps to distinguish the figures on the board (and, in-universe, helps the marines on the battlefield to quickly identify who's who). +

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+ Vive la différence! Squad Cleon +

+ Having said I was struggling not to cover Mephisto in freehand detail, I did then turn back to Squad Cleon, who we've seen before. +

SQUAD CLEON Sinistro e Dexter: 

Brother Simnal (Saditel 2:02)

Brother Ornaghi (Utchael 3:04) 

Brother Cleon (Sanael 1:02)

Brother Pappacordo (Zether 1:09)

Brother Zoma (Caraniel 9:01)

+ While I want the army to look uniform, the originals were differentiated from each other in order to make gameplay easier:

+ You can see above, the captions highlight the differences. I didn't want to copy the backpack differentiation, as it just didn't feel right to me; but I liked the honour badges on the kneepads:

+ Of course, it being eleven at night when I had the bright idea to start them, I ended up painting them on the wrong knees [+SCRAPSHUTNERRORABORT+] After a brief pause for cursing, I started again in the correct place. I'm pleased with the end result, and along with the veteran banner (vertical stripe for Tactical 2), think it works nicely to mark out the different squads. The lesson is 'keep your source material close to hand'. +

+++

+ Medic! +

+ Finally for today, here are the casualties:

+ Painted in exactly the same way as the others, these were a bit quicker – mainly by dint of there being less of them! I've added a little bit more weathering than the others, but not a huge amount. +