+ inload: The Alien Wars are declared +

+ The Alien Wars +

Puglius' voice is rich and convincing. He bears a warning. "The Shint. The Confederacy of Muspa. The bone-eating Brachiacy. The Q'orl. The denizens of Angelis." The Chaplain-sabatine looks out across the vast table at the scanty gathering, which represents the voice of the Chapter. Many seats are empty.

"All recorded extinct since the time of Master Concio." Puglius goes on, his gaze level. "All have appeared in scryomantic reports from the Tower of Buto since the Kolonio last changed."

The Exortio leans forward awkwardly in the Siege Recorda, the throne reserved for the representative of the Librarius at Chapter Meetings. "It is no mark of disfavour that such beings return;  my lord – rather it is more likely a mis-classifi-"

He is cut off by a curt bark from the lone librarian still present in the Monastery, a lowly – and clearly resentful – Lexicanium who looms to one side and slightly behind the Exortio's place in the oversized throne.
"That remains to be seen."

The Exortio, a serf representing the Librarius at this Chapter meeting in the absence of the Chief Librarian and his Epistolary lieutenants, is uncomfortable, and poor at masking his turmoil. He squirms in the throne, attempting to address the librarian politely without turning his back on the gathered representatives, his face a mass of tics – and his voice an awkward, blurting mix of indignation, frustration, and no little wariness.
"With respect, Lord -"

"Then grant me that respect; serf, and be silent." The librarian intones. It is clear from his tone that this is a well-worn argument, however new the topic. The Exortio turned back, his face pale and drawn, as the Lexicanium steps forward and addresses Puglius directly. "Xenos are gathering, Chaplain-sabatine, and this is a mark of the Emperor's disfavour-"

"Be silent!" yells Formosus, crashing his fist down on the ancient durwood table. In the hush that follows, Formosus rises to this feet. "This is not a matter of spirituality! This scholastic debate ends here! Now!" His breathing is heavy, his eyes ablaze. "For too long, the Chapter has mired itself in sophism and semantics, shying away from decision and duty."

Tycho of the Third and Abelard, the brevet-Captain of the Fifth, bristle. The Episcopate military-ordinaries who stand in for the eight absent Captains, remain impassive.

Accompanied by a dismissive gesture at the Siege Recorda, whose incumbent shrinks within his robe, Formosus' voice drops to a growl. "On one hand, I am served by withinlookmen, polemicists and navel-gazers." Here, he waves to the librarian, who removes his hands from the table as though it has suddenly become red-hot. "On the other, by intellectual fanatics and firebrands, who would have me turn on the Imperium itself."

The Lexicanium straightens, appears about to speak, but is silenced with a glare as the Chapter Master continues.

"How would you have the Children of Sanguinius serve? That is the question here. That is the only point of relevance. I am not ignorant of the risks and challenges of the twin Imperium; nor am I convinced by either side of the argument. No." His eyes narrow. "We do not shy from risk. We do not avoid challenges. We are the Blood Angels; with a proud history that dates back to the very formation of the Emperor's realms. We stand above these petty arguments; as symbols of something better."

He leans over the table.

"I have reached my decision."

The others, brethren and servants alike, are silent.

"We go to war."

The expressions on the gathered faces are varied; concern, anger, hope.

"I grow not hot with love for the denizens of Terra, nor still Nova Terra – we will not move against them. Nor still do we involve ourselves with the debates of the Ophelian and Terran Churches, however strongly some of you will it one way or the other. No. The place of the Blood Angels is not to determine the path of mankind – neither in spirit nor in body. Our task is to serve. I will not suffer humanity to huddle in its bastions and fastnesses, preparing war against each other; not while the Emperor's realm is cut and torn and raided from outside. Such decisions are not ours to make. Let righteousness lead mankind; and strength gird whichever side is in the right."

Formosus appears poised.

"Our duty is to war against the Alien, as He-on-Earth willed it. We will make a new war; and re-carve the borders of the segmentum. Too long have we fought guardedly, hindered by uncertainty and riven by internal debate. Now we shall fight gloriously."

He glares around the table.

"Such is the will of the Master of the Chapter of the Angels of the Blood; and through him the will of the Old Masters, and the First Angel; and through him alone, the Emperor. If you want an answer to the question of humanity's soul, you will obey me, as we lead by example. We will cast back and darkness and see which Imperium – old or new – and which priests, whether of Terra or Ophelia, follows us in our Emperor-appointed task."

"Thus, I declare, the Alien Wars."

+ inload: Artwork in miniature +

+ Captain of the Blood Angels +

+ My initial plan for the leader of my retro Blood Angels army [+noospheric inloadlink embedded+] was to build an updated version of the Blood Angels Captain model that led the original army from WD (seen centre bottom here: [+noospheric exloadlink embedded+]).

+ However, that model has already been updated – it formed the explicit inspiration for the current Captain Tycho model, still available (I believe) from GW. I could do my own interpretation of that, but I got thinking about the core conceit of my Alien Wars project, which was to draw inspiration more freely and creatively. Secondly, in background terms, I wanted to make it clear (if possible) that my Captain is not the M41 Captain Erasmus Tycho, who later turns up on Armageddon. There's obviously a common thread of inspiration, but I want my take on the Blood Angels to lead me somewhere else. +

+ For these reasons, my mind hopped back to a fairly famous GW image from the early 90s. Dave Gallagher's artwork of Blood Angels was used for a cover of White Dwarf, the White Dwarf compilation, and sundry other bits. For good reason – it's awesome! +

+ The gold-armoured Captain stands amidst his men, his artificer-made facemask impassive, as the Blood Angels lay into the genestealer menace. This has long been a favourite piece of mine – it's such a striking image – and what better opportunity to do an homage than with the army fighting the Alien Wars? +

+ I'm not certain which came first – the model or the artwork – but either way it's in a great dynamic pose. The image below shows the basic building blocks of the conversion. I need to build up the waist with greenstuff – it's currently a spare carved-down chunk of plastic shoulder(!) that happened to be roughly the right shape – and the head's a placeholder, but I'm pleased with the general feel. +

+ I've departed from the halo being attached to the head (though it may go back once I've got the proper piece), but have tried to follow the inspiration fairly closely. Of particular note is the heraldry – a wing with three blood drops – which was fun to make.

+ inload: Furiel 8:04 +

+ Sergeant Raphael completed +

+ Of the Third Hour; ascended under the auspices of Veguaniel. Fourth of the name Furiel in the Eighth Cycle. +

+ Well, that's one marine off the bench and ready for action. I hope he's recognisable as an update of the Sergeant from the first squad of the original army. There are obvious differences in detail – the tilt plate is an obvious one – and working out how to paint the intricate details of the modern plastic against the softer, cleaner lead model was quite fun. +

+ I toyed with yellow bolter casings, but decided in the end to stay as close as possible to the original inspiration with this squad. One little detail I really like on the new Primaris models is the little box for automatically blessing bolt shells – that, in a nutshell, is 40k for me. +

+ The shoulderpad on sergeants is reversed – red rim, black field – and this is something that has followed through right to the present day in the Blood Angels paint scheme. In fact, this article appeared in White Dwarf around the time that the lead models were transitioning from Mark VI beakies to the new Mark VII marines (late 120s to 130s):

+ At this formative point, we can see that it's only the left pad that's changed for Blood Angel sergeants – I suspect that Tim Prow decided a bit of balance looked better when he came to paint the models for the army. +

+ As an aside, this has been a very influential picture for me, as it has spawned not only these Blood Angels, but was one of the core images that inspired my Ultramarines many years ago. You'll notice that some of the captions under the pictures have little bits of colour text – brief little blurbs about special formations, campaigns, replacement armour plates and so forth. These really stuck with me, inspiring most of the drivel this blog is clogged up with! What I like best about this image is that it was very inclusive. There were notes that suggested the Space Marines fought in simpler and more complex schemes – many don't have the eagle painted, for example – making an 'historically-accurate' scheme achievable whatever your level of painting ability. +

+ The freehand Chapter symbol was fun (certainly more fun than the damn Iron Warriors' symbol!) to do, too. This shot also shows the basing – I've tried to create a slightly varied desert waste using various sandy browns. The intention is practical: being generic enough to serve as Baal or Armageddon, while fitting in nicely  +

+ The black areas, as usual, were not quite black – I've mixed in a hint of Flash Gitz Yellow and Charadon Granite to stop it being completely dead, and to give me some 'tonal room' to shade with. 

+ One change I did make was to the backpacks, rendering them completely in metal – a nod to older models. Rather than deadening black, I washed them with Leviathan Purple and Seraphim Sepia. These mixed on the surface to form interesting neutrals. Because I also used these washes on the red armour, it helps to tie the piece together. +

+ Note also the helmet on the belt. I wanted to hint at the Blood Angels' fondness for artistry, so this sergeant has been honoured with a slightly modified helm. While Raphael needed to be bare-headed (to follow the inspiration), I had to make the decision of what type to use across the army here, as squad 2 has a helmed sergeant. An elaborate haloed style would probably be too much – it would look over the top on the other sergeant, not to mention faintly ridiculous on the belt... +

+ The rght pad is an example of where I've gone off-piste a bit. The original simply has a white blood drop to indicate the third company. I decided that I'd add a supplementary small blood drop on either side of it, and a nameplate below, just to make this more personal to me. + 

+ So, there's Furiel 8:04. Hope you've enjoyed the ramblings – or at least the pictures! +

+ Theoretical: trying a new style +

+ I finish some models, with a flourish; the last brushstrokes being touched on with finality, and held up for inspection with a grin. This... was not one of them. Here, the painting trailed off – not through lack of enthusiasm, but simply because I felt I had lost my way a bit and was at risk of spoiling what I'd done. +

+ Don't get me wrong: I'm happy with the result, but the process did bring up a couple of errors in my planning. Firstly, there's a natural conflict between emulating a particular way of painting and updating it – it's a bit like updating a car while keeping the classic appeal. Here, I consciously tried to keep things clean and crisp which, in all honesty, I found dreadfully boring. +

+ Secondly, I think every artist has a natural style of painting, and unless they're extremely talented, that's going to show through. I don't think this is a typical 'Apologist' style paintjob, but I'm definitely not good enough of a painter to hide my style entirely! +

+ On the bright side, while I found the process of painting like this a bit mechanical and repetitive, it was useful in that it's helped me practise something I don't usually do – and that's the only way I'm going to improve. +

+ inload: Baal; the beginning of the Alien Wars +

+ Baal, 191.M35 +

Look closely. Through the storms. A mountain range. Closer. Closer. There.

The Chapterhouse of Bibelo is one amongst dozens in the Otranto wing. Like much else of the fortress-monastery, most are closed, their statuary draped with cloth, their doors bolted and windows shuttered.

Periodically, nomadically, the Chapter moves from one Chapterhouse to another, like aristocrats in a too-large manse. The last in the cycle is closed, reverently, its treasures covered and boxed; even as the next is opened.

The serfs, servitors and aspirants go in advance, bearing incense-suffused candela-torches; brooms, brushes, and rad-gear. Dust is chased from the Chapterhouse, cloth is beaten jealously, tarnished metal made to shine once more. All is restored as best the staff are able. Masterworks – paintings, sculptures, tapestries – are cycled from shadow to shadow to preserve them. Those locked in place – the frescos, the carvings – must bear the pernicious sun with naught but dustcloth to preserve them.

It is a battle against entropy itself. 

A serf carefully lifts aside a cloth of fine cottovellum, and grimaces. The painting – an angular rendering of the fourth Prince of the Existon – made a mere decade ago, reveals varnish that is already yellowing in Baal's hard atmosphere. It is a scene repeated across the Chapterhouse, hundreds of swathed men, women and children hesitantly revealing what has failed since last the Chapter stood here.

A handful of the oldest works in the Chapterhouse were made mere centuries after the Division. These are little more than mustard-brown smears, the images beneath all but lost. The wood carvings are bleached. Stone has endured better, but forty-five centuries of accidents – even if only once in a generation – means that rare here is the statue that stands unblemished by time.

Still, the Chapterhouse of Bibelo is one amongst dozens in the complex. Tucked in a nook of the monastery, nestling between the mountainside and the Chamber Cordaline, it has survived better than most. Some, shamefully, have fallen into mandated disuse; rad-rot having penetrated too deeply, the roofing collapsing, walls slumping, or general disrepair overcoming the staff's ability to hang on, 

A series of Masters – Malapapa, the two Leos, Amareo – made reforms to the monastery; even extended it. Strateia were scattered about the whole extent. In the time of Locasto, it was common for the whole brotherhood to be stationed here, but even then, how could a thousand hope to fill a space made for legion? It was, and remains, an echoing place.

Today, as the Imperium bears another period of extended conflict, the Fortress Monastery of the Blood Angels is owl-haunted, its garrison positively skeletal.

...And yet....

...And yet they stand.

+++

Today, the Chapter assembles in the Chapterhouse of Bibelo – at least, those brethren present. Two members of the Chaplaincy stand in the centre of the alongside Martan, the Sanguinarian, and Master Formosus, heir of Sanguinius. 

The current Kolonio garrison company – the honoured Erelim, the third Strateia – enters, heads up, white honour-stoles across broad shoulders. Ancient Nonesuch heads the parade, the Prince Dahavauron (or Erasmus Tycho, to give him his atroatican name) a humble step behind. Montefeltro, Tycho's lieutenant, follows in turn; and behind him the Wards of Erelim.

A handful of ascendant scouts are next, bearing banners, honours, and golden images of the Emperor on long nalwood staves. Trailing these are scores of retainers, plenitentaries and honoured indents, led by the Master Internuncio. 

Finally, the scarlet-armoured veterans of another war march in, to take up their role as Kolonio in turn. These are the fifth Strateia, the Oertha, commanded by Prince Ofaniel Glorioso. Only they are not. Not any more. Ofaniel is borne in an adamantium casket by four of his charges. One limps, favouring his right leg. One is missing an arm. The eye takes in barely eighty brethren; and some of them are marked with the heraldry of the reserves. It has clearly been a hard war.

Warriors take their places in the gleaming Chapterhouse, standing or seating themselves rigidly on the pews as per their duty. Serfs scuttle about, namato-putti flit to the rafters. Marching falls to shuffling, then to silence. 

'Who commands?' The rich voice calls out, across a room barely a quarter filled, but once more resplendant and vital. The Chaplain-Sabatine, Puglius, is an imposing figure, but as Master Formosus – scarred and pitted – steps forward, even he is thrown into shade.

'I speak for Ofaniel. I speak for the dead.' The Chaplain-Sabatine bows and steps back.

Time passes, as the honorifics are played out according to ritual. Montefeltro has heard the change of Kolonio many times, but it is an anchor to him, as Baal is an anchor to the soul of the Chapter. This is an age of change and challenge, and the rituals are reassuring to him.

+++

Montefeltro has lived the lifetime of four men, and yet does not remember a time before the Twin Imperium. He knows, half-unconsciously, that it began in the time of Amareo, or Master Falstaff, or Conccio; and the Blood Angels aligned themselves with Terra; or Nova Terra; or were studiedly neutral. What does it matter to him?

In these enlightened times, the chronicling of antiquities is dead. There is little enough time for the present. Why look backwards into the past? What of relevance can it teach him? What could it hold up to the verities of the Ecclesiarchy?

...And yet...

...And yet Master Formosus is pushing the Chapter towards renaissance. Not for him the comforting certainties of divinity. To become a Chapter Master is to become an Imperial Commander. To be an Imperial Commander is to achieve that rarest of duties, that rarest of rights; that right and duty to question.

+ inload: Painting Blood Angels +

+ Red +

+ The dread colour red. I've always found it a bugger to paint. The human eye's very sensitive to red (hence why it's so effective and eye-catching), so any slight mistake or variance in tone is immediately obvious. Couple that with red paints often having poor coverage (owing to cheap pigments) or very expensive, and you end with double trouble. +

+ Of course, practising, making mistakes, evaluating them and fixing them, is how we get better – and it wouldn't be much of a retro Blood Angels army if I avoided red, would it? +

+ The following recipe's as much an aide memoir to myself as advice – I'm certainly no authority on painting red. +

+++

+ Practical: Painting retro Blood Angels Red +

_1 Prime using Halford's red primer. Good coverage with this warm primer will help to disguise any later mishaps – having small gaps here and there will reveal red areas, which will take fewer layers to cover – important for a clean finish.

_2 I toyed with the idea of a zenithal spray (i.e. spraying just from certain angles), but in the end decided to go for as even a finish as I could get. I used GW's Mephiston Red spray; a first for me. Because mistakes are so obvious in red, I wanted to get as even and consistent a red as possible, and one as close to the paint colour I would be using. The difference between the priming and basecoat here is not immediately obvious in the pictures, but is clearer to see in person.

_3 Once dry, paint the base using Rhinox Hide. I do this early on for two reasons. Firstly, to provide some contrast, and secondly, if I accidentally get some paint on the feet, it's easier to clean up as we come to paint the armour. Once the base is dry, wash the recesses of the armour (note, not the whole model, just the recesses) with Gryphonne/Seraphim Sepia, allow to dry, then pick out the metal/black areas with Chaos/Abaddon black.

_4 Mix Mephiston Red and Vermillion (Vallejo model colours) and repaint the red areas. In addition to strengthening the colours, it adds a layer over the base coat and alters the texture, making sure everything's consistent. This mix is slightly orange – in the past, my reds have always been quite cold and blue-tinted, so I wanted to try a yellow-tinted red here.

_5 Initial highlights start to go on now, with the addition of Flash Gitz Yellow to the mix (a mistake; I should have used a warmer yellow like Golden Yellow). These are built up slowly, paying attention to the direction of the light. The image here shows the early stages; and they're not particularly visible. The marine's right gauntlet shows it most clearly, but you'll get a better idea if you skip ahead ot the next stage, where the highlights are more obvious.

_6 With the highlights in place, I decided to use a glaze to blend things together. I'd usually use an ink (Winsor & Newton inks are good), but in the spirit of experiementation – and a desire to avoid a glossy finish in the recesses – I used GW's Bloodletter Glaze. A glaze will soften transitions, but the depth it gives to the red makes it well worth it.

_7 With the glaze completely dry, it's time to turn up the contrast. Because we want to keep the impression red, we can't over-emphasise the highlights, or it'll risk turning the impression orange. Instead, we concentrate on the shadows. Building the tone up here increases the contrast and further emphasises the red. I used a watery mix of Liche Purple, sepia ink and flow enhancer to get a rich tone, then built up the shading with both washes; in deep recesses and areas of strong texture like the soft undersuit, and glazes; in large rounded areas, like the insides of the legs and on the knees. 

This essentially completes the basic red armour. If necessary, you can reinstate highlights or further develop the shadows until you achieve the correct tonal balance. Remember, what's 'correct' is what looks right to you. If you're unsure, put the figure down, walk away for a few minutes and come back to it later, with fresh eyes.

+++

+ Other bits +

+ The hour was getting late (I found painting red very time-consuming), so didn't want to go much further. I did spend a few minutes painting Sergeant Raphael's face, though. It's still a bit wet here, but that was the only vaguely in-focus shot I got:

+ The usual skintones I use for my models are intended to make the figure look like he or she belongs in a world of horror and terror, but I wanted to get the Blood Angel looking a bit heartier and healthier to get their angelic appearance across. +

+ The challenge here, then, is getting that fresh-faced look without completely removing the sense of place and peril. Usually, I add blues or greys to the mix for stubble and bags under the eyes, but the skin here is almost entirely done with yellow, red and white. There's a little purple glazing added in the eye sockets, but that's the extent of it. +

+ The hair was done with tiny textural marks, built up from a yellow-brown base to a creamy light tone. When painting blonds, try to avoid using pure yellow – it looks very artificial. Instead, think of the colour as very light brown; the yellow tint is almost irrelevant. +

+ inload: The Alien Wars +

+ It is the 35th Millennium +

The Imperium is in turmoil. Faith wars with with rationality as the Ecclesiarchy and Administratum tussle for power.

In disgust, the Ur-council of Nova Terra has led a fifth part of the Imperium into secession, striking out to form a new Imperium of their own. 

Seers speak hauntingly of the half-remembered terrors of Old Night, as warpstorm activity increases across the galaxy. The veil grows thin.

Against a galaxy in flames, as mankind falls on itself, the Blood Angels stand as bulwark in the east. 

Even as the eyes of man turns inwards, the Angels strike out at the gathering horrors of the galaxy.

The Alien Wars begin.

+++

+ Squad Raphael, Third Company + 

+ Or, in the mannered language of 191.M35 Baal, 'The Wards of Furiel under Lord Dahavauron, Prince of the Erelim, 3rd Strateia of the Host of Angels.' +

+ Sinistro e Dexter: Brother Donato (Duhael 4:12), Brother Malatesta (Durbael 2:17), Sergeant Raphael (Furiel 8:04), Brother Farnese (Shemhamphorae 1:20), Brother Barbarigo (Durbael 4:11)+

+ Sinistro e Dexter:  Brother Lucian (Abacyel 3:12), Brother El-Aster (Ambriel 1:01), Brother Mephisto (Rashin Rast 2:05), Brother Thaddeus (Saditel 4:04, called the lost), Brother Engel (Narieal 4:10)+

The poses of the new combat squad (led by Brother Mephisto), is based on the poses of the second half of the 2nd squad (right of the image here). I had to fudge things a bit to tally the WD138 organisation with the Armageddon booklet.

+ Wait, what? +

+ A lot of the above likely sounds like gibberish! The naming scheme above is a development of one I made up for my May You Live Forever project, the details of which can be seen here [+noospheric inloadlink embedded+]. Of course, that's a Horus Heresy-era scheme, and even given the slow rate of change in the Imperium and the Blood Angels' longevity, it's altered during the intervening 4,000 years.  +

+ As you can see, I'm having a lot of fun with this project already. It's letting me delve into a distant and murky period in the game's in-universe history, which neatly dovetails into the more open and exploratory nature of RT/2nd ed. 40k. I picked 191 as a reference to 1991, the year the original army appeared in White Dwarf. +

+ The 'Low-Gothic' names (Farnese, Malatesta etc.) are mostly taken from the Renaissance-era kingdoms of what is now Italy – though Sergeant Raphael and Brother Mephisto (squad leader of the second combat squad) take their names from the Armageddon campaign book, bundled into second edition:

+ This campaign, along with the wars against the Eldar in White Dwarf, were the inspiration for the Alien Wars concept – Eldar, Space Marines and Orks were the core trinity of 40k for me as a nipper, so I wanted to explore that. +

+ Of course, wouldn't it be great to see a force of themed Goff Orks, Alaitoc Eldar (or another period-appropriate themed army) in combat with the 3rd Company? If anyone would like to join me in this project, let me know in the comments – I'd love to try a collaborative project. +

+ inload: WD138 Blood Angels +

+ Gather the Host! +

+ The release of Dark Imperium – or 8th edition 40k – saw me start to plan a new project [+noospheric inloadlink embedded+] based around the Blood Angels of yesteryear. +

+ The Games Workshop studio's Blood Angels army was featured in the White Dwarf just around the time when I started the hobby (I think White Dwarf 136 was the first I read); in the latter years of Rogue Trader and a little while before the 2nd edition of the game hit. We saw the army planned, painted and used in battles – which eventually stretched into Epic, too. +

+ This force must have launched a thousand armies. Blood Angels became a sort of default chapter following this army, and were very popular around that period. This army also marked a transition within White Dwarf between the more varied Rogue Trader style and the 'red period', with the painting sections of White Dwarf looking less at technique and personalisation on individual models and more concentrating on getting a uniform result and painting for effect. +

+ That's not intended as a 'doom-and-gloom' comment, by the way, and no criticism is intended. As with everything, variety is the key to learning, and there are fashions in model painting just as much as anything else. Looking back over this period, we start to see the White Dwarf team really getting into teaching how to paint armies, which is a very different (and worthwhile) discipline to painting models. It certainly came as something of a revelation to me – these weren't the heroes of the stories and cartoons I'd read and watched, but something depersonalised and uniform. It certainly felt a bit more grown-up, an aesthetic which clearly appealed to me! +

+ Anyway, that's why this army – along with the Eldar that preceded them, and the orks of Waaagh da Orks! – have stuck with me. Rebuying the White Dwarf to see the army made it clear how much it affected my vision of what a Space Marine army should look like: lots of basic infantry, a fairly stripped-down hero, and guns over speed. Almost all the Space Marine armies I've built since have had this army reflected in them. +

+ Theoretical: Building the army +

+ As mentioned in my earlier inload, I want to evoke the army rather than recreate it. Andy Chambers' and Tim Prow's notes on choosing and painting the army infers that there were practical reasons behind a lot of the decisions – the non-existence of a particular model or weapon at the time; a desire to spend points on men rather than gear; the relative difficulty of conversions, and so forth. While there's no hint that there was a marketing angle, I get the impression that someone wanted the then-new metal Mark VII marines to feature – but that's likely to be because they were cool kick-ass models! +

+ Here's the first combat squad from the original army:

A big part of the appeal for me is that uniform look; but how to update it sympathetically?

+ It's probably clear from the purple prose that the army is, to me at least, fairly iconic.  However, that's no reason not to look at things critically, and to learn from development in the years since. The original army divided the older Mk VI plastic models from the newer Mk VII lead models, with the Devastators being the older models and the Tactical squads the newer. +

+ Looking back now, I wonder whether this was a background or aesthetic decision – just like the new Mark X Primaris marines look very odd next to the older Mark VII (etc.) marines, the two types looked very different. The background has also been expanded to imply that it's rare for a squad to all be in one mark of power armour. + 

+ That puts me in a quandary. I like the uniformity, but suspect that the spirit of the original army would be to introduce some variety. Certainly the accompanying text mentions in-universe personalisation and honours, but that's balanced against the painting approach to make them work well as game pieces. +

+ Practical +

+ For these reasons, then, I've decided that I'll include a bit more variety in the armour marks, but to try and evoke the 'feel' of the division by emphasising Mark VII in the Tacticals, and Mark VI for the Devastators, without that literally meaning uniformity within the squads. +

+ Here, then, is the first 'updated' squad, which I hope hits the marks I've identified, and is readable both as homage to the original, and a fond extension of the concept:

+ A rundown on some important details +

Comparing the image above to the originals, you'll (hopefully) spot enough similarities that the reference is clear. Here are some bits I'm particularly pleased with:

• Posing: I've aimed to use similar poses, but made use of the greater dynamism modern materials allows me. Compare the sergeants between the squads, in particular. I think the new 'guns up' pose is what the originals would have been posed as, had the available bits made it feasible.
• Detailing: The banner and head on the sergeant are particularly important details in helping him 'read' as homage; as was the choice of the Rogue Trader-style missile launcher.
• Armour marks: As elucidated above, I've been careful to keep the majority of the models as Mark VII. There is a Mark IV helm (and backpack) in there as a nod to modern continuity, and to break things up a bit.
• Era-appropriateness: The plastic missile launcher models in second edition post-date this army a little, but I think they'll be familiar to most viewers who are looking for references within in the army. These had a cool detail, which was a hand-held trigger device. I converted this from an auspex.

+ Vive la difference +

+ I didn't want to make a slavish copy, but rather get the spirit of the force across. For that reason, there are nods to later developments in the background, and personal bits like the tilt shields on the sergeant (this is continued on the squad leader, which you'll see in a bit). +

+ While RT/2nd ed. marine models looked quite stripped-back and sci-fi, the more modern aesthetic has become slightly gothic and punk-grotesque. I wanted to strike a balance between the two, and so the conversion work has involved reshaping the ankles (to look more like Mark VI/VII armour) and also removing the chest eagles. The reason is towfold: I want to have a go at freehand on certain models; and I want to get that striking 'all-red' feel of the originals on others. +

+ What else? +

+ I build as enthusiasm takes me, so while putting these five together, I've also built a few others:

+ In the centre is the combat squad leader from squad 1 (the other half of the squad we've been talking about above). The banner marks him out, as in the original army, but I've also taken the opportunity to give him a tilt shield, some purity seals and a special backpack to mark him as veteran, without compromising the Mark VII silhouette and pose. +

+ The other two marines are the Mark VI Devastators I alluded to earlier. As you can see, they fit in alongside the Mark VII conversion well (not surprising, the only difference is the head). +

+ At the time, the army list included things that didn't, for one reason or another, get models for this issue. It's noted that some things didn't get painted (I know that feeling), and I suspect other things – like the five techmarines mandated by the way the army list worked at the time – were simply victims of lack of enthusiasm. I'll have to work out how I'll tackle that – lots of techmarines, or go with the spirit of the idea and have lots of maintenance serfs, or something? A challenge for another day.

+ One thing that was included, but didn't have a model at this point was the Lieutenant. This was a compulsory choice, but (as far as I'm aware) never got painted for this army. He turns up in a later battle report as a gunner in a land speeder – a clever way to deal with the lack of a model! +

+ However, I wanted to build a Lieutenant, as they're now a legal choice again – the opportunity was too good to miss. Here's the result:

+ Taking inspiration from the Captain, I've included a halo (though not the death mask; that'll be reserved for Captain Tycho). He has a banner – as these were very popular at the time – and a loincloth similar to the Blood Angels Captain model used for Tycho. +

+ Modern details include the wrist-mounted control pad thingie (which seemed suitable for a commander), while old background came back in the use of the skull-headed eagle pauldron and leg decoration. +

+ I didn't want him wielding two weapons, so he's carrying a scroll case (doubtless of some religious or spiritual quality), though I might try and replace that with some prayer beads. +

+++

+ Finally, I also added a banner bearer. The original army had a medic with the banner, but since I have quite a thing for painting banner-bearers, I decided I'd split the concept into two separate models. +

+ Anyway, I'd love to hear what you think – hit that inload commentary submission form below. +

+ inload: When not to paint +

+ Painting Dernledger and Threack +

+ Painting this pair of 'fine, upstanding' soldiers has proven more of a challenge than I was expecting, but is a good example of the importance of tone over colour – and why sometimes it's better to stop than carry on. +

+ Comparing the two WIP figures below, you can see that Threack (the ogryn) fairly effective tonal contrast – his light trousers against the dark gloves and base, for example, help the figure to 'read'. Dernledger, meanwhile, is a demonstration of PPP, or 'piss-poor planning'. +

+ As mentioned in the previous inload, the aim was to evoke a Napoleonic-era military uniform to the model – which, on the surface, should have worked, as the figure has a coat, breeches, boots and straps – in other words, all the main features I needed. However, in diving in, I ran into problems – the legs are all-but-covered at the front with heavy armour plates. In painting these silver, I immediately lost the 'white breeches' feel. +

+ Working on the fly, I decided that the armour plates on his top half would have to be red to get the redcoat impression: they simply cover too much of the surface of the fabric to work otherwise. However, this raised another problem, in that the figure's become very monotone. It also created one of my pet peeves about painting – using the exact same hue on different materials. It's very unlikely (to my mind, at least) that the red used for the armour panels and the red dye used for the coat fabric would match exactly. +

+ So, what to do? Well, when I reach a point like this, I stop – it's far too easy to [+SCRAPSHUNTERRORABORT+] up some perfectly good paintwork by trying to fix things on the fly. Instead, I put the figures down and wander off for a cup of recaff, then come back later to look at them with fresh eyes. +

+ Tweaks to Dernledger +

+ My current plans are as follows: to repaint the straps with the same white as his breeches, and to create a different weathered white to use on his kneeplates, the armour on the back of his hands, and the scabbard on his knife (on his leg). This'll bring some more white to the figure to bring back the Napoleonic look without losing the feel of high black boots, and will help to break up the large monotone areas of red. Secondly, I'll brighten the white on the collar to help frame the face. Thirdly, while I will leave the torso and shoulders red, I'll probably add a little freehand to add detail. +

+ Tweaks to Threack +

+ Threack seemed to work a bit better owing to the less-cluttered sculpt, so for him, I think I'll concentrate on cleaning up the white a bit and finding a muted midtone for his boots and gloves. The gloves in particular are too large to look good in white, I reckon. + 

+ inload: Dernledger and Threack +

+ A brace of cards: the Eight of Cups and Four of Suns +

+ Painting Dernledger and Threack +

+ Still WIP, the plan is for these two to represent the citizenry of the regiments roaming around the burning city. I thought a messenger would be interesting – a bit more derring-do than a typical soldier of Cepheus, and making him an officer gives him a little clout. +

+ Starting from a fairly chocolate-box image of a redcoat, I've dirtied and bloodied him up. His hair is unkempt, his headdress missing; but he's kept the starched collar. Details like this hopefully make it clear that Cepheus is more than a little anachronistic. Dernledger is a man of the dark ages, equipped with a space-age ray gun and dressed in a modern-day tech update of a Napoleonic uniform. New Romantic/Punk make-up should help him settle into the grim 80s darkness of the far future, too. +

+ I couldn't bear to alter Threack, as the Bob Olley ogryns/ogres are some of my all-time favourite models. I'd love to get hold of the other club-wielding version sometime, to add to the group. +

Between the wellborne and the masses, stand the aspirant couthclass. Tradesmen successful enough to need work no more, kirkmen and women of the Ecclesiarchy, those whom fortune has propelled to wealth or influence, and the officer classes of the wellbornes' throngs.

Dernledger, Estafett of the Bekenner's Muster is chasing desperately after such status. Loyal to the Throne above the King (and as such, happy to have transferred his oath from the Cyng-in-exile to Sciriusc) and to the House of Bekenner, his regiment's sponsor and commander, below that; he is ultimately pragmatic in his pursuit of respectability.

The Bekenners, a formerly influential wellborne house with close ties to the Ecclesiarchy and dotted Cephean Missions, have found much of their base of power shifted as the Domiciler's Quarter suffered a collapse – both economic and literal – in the eighth month of the war. The Sun King was gracious in extending his patronage to the Muster, feeding and arming the impoverished soldiers before desertion wracked the Regiment. Of course, this 'generous' action is little more than an exertion of power. By subtly humiliating the House of Bekenner, the Sun King strengthens his own hand and binds yet more of the City's wellborne and their militia to his service...

+++

Dernledger himself is a typical couthclassman, a second son who has achieved a minor role – a posting as a petty officer with little true command – and jealous of losing what little influence he has amassed, and paranoid of the surly conscript messengers under his command. He carries a precious and rare laspistol, handed down within the Muster for decades, though the war in the City has meant this has had more use in the past year than in the previous ten.

Like his men, the Estafett finds himself daily poorer, grubbier and more unhealthy as the war drags on. Tasked with delivering orders and news through the roughest areas of the city, he and his men have become experienced urban fighters, able to work mounted or unmounted, and utterly ruthless. His experience is typical of those without independent means, and unwilling to accept that he has hit the doldrums.

His discovery of the fact that the majority of the messages and missives are simply scrawled notifications of deaths amongst the muster has done little to soften his saturnine demeanour.

+++

Dernledger is usually accompanied by his Necessary, Threack – the name is a Cephean diminutive meaning 'force'. Unusually, his service tattoos indicate he is an ex-guardsman auxiliary from the Somatos system [+noospheric inloadlink embedded+] – likely one of the many Regiments Brachyllas has produced over the centuries. How he has ended up in the City is anyone's guess, but it is likely he was an indentured gift given to the House of Bekenner by a visiting General or local Priest. Despite tribes roaming the distant Cold Flattes, ogryns remain rare and popular novelties amongst the masses of the City, and having one 'on staff' is a feather in the cap of the Bekenner Muster.

+++

+ inload: Meanwhile, on Cepheus +

+ This inload continues the Court of the Sun King project. If you're a newcomer, or want a refresher, this is probably the best inload to read to get an idea of the atmosphere [+noospheric inloadlink embedded+]; but please do follow along on the dedicated blog on the Ammobunker forum [+noospheric inloadlink embedded+] +

+ Childeric is continuing his investigation into the identity of Sciriusc the Sun King, bearer of the false Cephean Warrant of Imperial Commandery and Planetary Governance. The underscribe Ferlinghetti, one of his companions, takes up the story: 

Childeric and Ferlinghetti arrive on the scipping-rigge.

We had reached the scipping-rigge three months previously, after a long coach-trip took us out of the City. The coachman was... convinced not to sell our whereabouts; but in any case Childeric had altered our plans immediately on reaching the coast. We spent a shivering three days clambering over and picking our way through the coastal ruins, before buying our way onto an unlicensed fishing boat and bullying the ship's master to dropping us, via an awkward wrecker's route, on Mastermann's Islet; an abandoned and storm-tossed outpost. We laid low in the shadow of the Blac-lichthus for a week before finding ourselves, as Northgrass had suspected, not alone. 

The Sun King's agents were predictable only in their perseverance. Unexpectedly – at least to me – the Owlingmanne had not come himself. It is unbecoming to eavesdrop, but such is my wont. In situations such as that in which we found ourselves, manners leave men like me dead. It was the – tacit – opinion of Northgrass and Childeric that the Owlingmanne was not under the King's influence at all. That raised unpleasant implications for me. At best a second party was interested in confronting Childeric; at worst the Inquisitor's identity was already unfurled, and one of the few advantages I had been counting upon was lost.

Our pursuers slipped. They were little more than distant, scuttling silhouettes on the foreshore as Northgrass lit up their location. The wildlife did the rest.

So we continued. An occasionally gruelling, but mainly reassuringly dull voyage on a cash-in-hand hauler took us to the rig overseen by the Mechanicus.

Manderghast, as is typical of the priesthood of Mars, had played his cards close to his chest. Wisely; for no Inquisitor can truly be said to have friends in any real sense; and the Magos knew the power of leverage. Still, once his manhound was down; and with all of us nursing bruises, Manderghast and Childeric reached an agreement. No Inquisitor can have friends, but Childeric could certainly have confidantes. 

...And thus we discovered the identity of Sciriusc, the Sun King. Little did we know that, back in the City, Sciriusc knew our names too...

+++

A champion of the Cyng-in-exile confronts Orphan Arcimboldo, the King of Collars. The meeting is brief!