+ inload: Keeping track of a project +

+ Third Company roll call +

+ If you're anything like me, projects can run away with you. The enthusiasm builds up, and what was intended to be a quick break turns into your main focus for a time. Depending on the space available to you, you may have had to pack away your materials, so that when you come back, you find it hard to find the thread. Alterantively, the time away from a project may have opened up a new angle you want to try. When this happens, it's good to take a little time and take stock before cracking on. +

+ This has happened with the Blood Angels. Starting as a quick way to paint up the new 'Primaris' marines from the Dark Imperium boxed set, I ended up getting carried away with conversions and turning it into a full army; which in turn snowballed into the Alien Wars project – and has ended up with me building a load of loosely-related models like my orks, squats... and a couple of other as-yet unseen bits:

 

+ ...anyway, back to the task at hand. Those who have a continuing import-link to the blog's corestack will know that the Blood Angels army is based on this one, from M2.1991's White Dwarf issue 139:

+ Here's the list, based on the image above and the accompanying army list. It fits into the modern game quite neatly, all things considered:

+ Headquarters +

• Captain with master-crafted auto bolt rifle, bolt pistol, frag and krak grenades 
• Lieutenant with master-crafted auto bolt rifle, bolt pistol, frag and krak grenades 
• Librarian with force sword, bolt pistol, frag and krak grenades] 
• Chaplain with crozius arcanum, plasma pistol [absolvor bolt pistol], frag and krak grenades +unbuilt+
• Five Techmarines 
• Techmarine with power axe, servo arm, bolt pistol [or Thunderfire Cannon?]
• [+4 Primaris/servitors as aspirants/crew?]

+ The HQ section is underway, with the Captain and Lieutenant built but unpainted. The Chaplain's interesting, in that the model used had a plasma pistol, but the army list had a different armament. The path I'm taking is to take my cue from the models – it's easy to get bogged down otherwise. +

Captain

Lieutenant

+ The techmarines are a good illustration of the changes wrought by the various editions. The Rogue Trader list used for the original army stipulated a techmarine for each vehicle (with some exceptions for small ones like bikes and field guns); whereas now techmarines are more like the other characters; fielded as individuals. I'm not quite sure how I'll square that circle – a small group of techmarines and write that into the Nova Terra Interregnum period background? One techmarine and four servitors? Just one techmarine, following the image? – lots of options. +

Ancient

+ The Ancient is an addition not in the original army. Normally I'd have fun free-handing the banner (and I might still do so), but it tickled me that the modern plastic banner is clearly based on the one from the 1991 army. I wanted to include him for that reason, and also because banners and flags were such an important visual part of the game at the time. +

+ Elites +

• Medic with absolvor bolt pistol, reductor pistol, frag and krak grenades]
• Terminator Squad including one chainfist and one assault cannon

+ Aside from thinking that the apothecary (who carried the banner in the original) will probably lose his banner, to give space for the Ancient, there's not much to say here. I haven't started thinking about how I'll tackle the Terminators, though I'm already looking forward to bringing in some nods to images from the contemporary version of Space Hulk. 

+ Troops +

• Tactical Squad I: 1 Intercessor sergeant and 9 Intercessors with bolt rifle, bolt pistol, frag and krak grenades
• Tactical Squad II: 1 Intercessor sergeant and 9 Intercessors with bolt rifle, bolt pistol, frag and krak grenades

+ This is a bit more like it. Squad 1 is completely built and half-painted:

Tactical I; first combat squad 

Tactical I; second combat squad

+ Squad 2 is half complete; with the second combat squad (actually the sergeant's half, on the left-hand side of the image) in planning :

Tactical II; second combat squad. Annoyingly, I don't have a finished shot for these: this part-way through will have to do.

+ I'm toying with the idea of adding red panels to the backpacks of this squad, to echo the caption text of the original army (see image above). +

+ Fast Attack +

• Assault Squad VI: 10 man assault squad with jump packs
• Land Speeder with multimelta
• Bikes (2 in original list) Bike squad

+ Not even bought. I'm waiting for Forge World to release the Land Speeder they previewed recently, as it's ideal. Assault Squad-wise, I've got a parcel of Rogue Trader-era jump packs on its way. I'm intending to use the cool Forge World outriders for the bikes. All are low-priority, as (aside from the Land Speeder), they don't even turn up in the picture. +

+ Heavy Support + 

• Devastator Squad IX: 1 Intercessor sergeant and 5 Intercessors with stalker bolt rifle, bolt pistol, frag and krak grenades; 2 Intercessors with heavy bolters, bolt pistol, frag and krak grenades; 2 Intercessors with missile launchers , bolt pistol, frag and krak grenades
• Thudd Gun: Heavy Quad Launcher Battery 
• Land Raider

+ Half of the Devastator squad is built:

Devastator IX; First combat squad. Note the Mark VI helm on the sergeant, and the presence of holstered bolt pistols and gear as mentioned in the original caption. All very 'rivet-countery', but silly fun!

+ The Thudd Gun is cleaned and ready to be built. Like the bikes and assault squad, the Land Raider is low priority as it's not in the picture. I think I'll probably go for the Forge World Proteus, if I can snag one cheaply second-hand. +

+ Transport +

• Rhino 1
• Rhino 2
• Rhino 3

+ As with the Thudd Gun, one Rhino is cleaned and ready for assembly. I'll probably build it once I've got Tactical I complete, as it's their ride. It'll be a nice waypoint for the army. The other two can wait for the future, as they don't appear in the picture. + 

WIP test of the foot-based Assault squad

+ In addition to those, future plans for the army include a foot-based Assault squad with auto bolt rifles/bolt carbines; and a Scout squad based on the classic Rogue Trader scouts. +

+ There's no great reason for the latter beyond the fact I fancy converting some, and they fit the theme well. As with the Space Hulk nods for the Terminators, I'll likely add some flourishes inspired by Advanced Space Crusade to the Scouts. +

+ inload: Tutorial – Converting squats from Kharadron Arkanauts

+ Step-by-step conversion: Squats +

For the thronghold and the ancestors! To arms!

+ I thought the release of the first new squat for 25 years deserved a bit of fanfare from hobbyists, so I built the squad above using Kharadon Overlords and Genestealer cultist spares. I've documented the process to share, in case you fancy having a go yourself. +

+ What do I need? +

+ As usual, the fun of conversion is getting your own ideas into the figures; so please use this tutorial as a springboard rather than 'holy writ'. Feel free to vary the parts used based on what you have, to embellish and improve on the basic squat I show here. +

+ For this tutorial you will need: 

• Greenstuff putty
• Superglue
• Craft knife and cutting mat
• Polystyrene cement
• A tub of lip balm (or similar lubricant)
• A sculpting tool with a point, edge and smooth end; such as this [+noospheric inloadlink embedded+]
• The body and legs from the Kharadron Arkanaut kit

+++

[VAL-request=OPTIONAL] + If you find this tutorial useful, please consider using this Ko-fi exloadlink to support the blog's free tutorials. + [+exload:GRATITUDESPOOL//+]

+++

+ Part 1 +

I_ Mix up your putty and apply it over the torso, aiming to fill the space between the collar and belt as shown. You don't need a huge amount.

+ Note that I've filled the neck area; that's because I'm using a flat-bottomed head from the Hammerer/Longbeard kit. Depending on which heads you're using, you may or may not need to do this. +

 II_ Use the smooth end of the sculpting tool to spread out the putt evenly over the area, working into the crevices. Leave a fine gap at the edges. If you've added a little too much putty, simply smooth it so that it overflow the area, then use the sharp edge of the sculpting tool to trim it away neatly.

 III_ Use the smooth end of the tool to gently push the surface of the putty towards the middle. This will create a raised hump, which you then gently flatten to create the impression of a strap. Note that the arkanaut bodies vary – some have two straps. You can sculpt them how you wish, but there are buckles on the collars that provide handy guidance on the placement of the straps, and help you to ensure a uniform thickness.

IV_ Use the blade of the sculpting tool to draw diagonal lines. Keep them as evenly-spaced as you can,and avoid the strap.

 V_ Work back the other way, making diagonal lines running in the opposite direction to create the quilted effect.

VI_ Roll a tiny ball of putty and place it on the upper left chest.

VII_ Use small circular motions of the smooth end of the tool to gently flatten out the ball into a circle. This will be the regimental/thronghold badge.

 VIII_ Use the craft knife to trim away the little bobble at the back of the neck (the part where the backpack is intended to attach). Next, lay a small amount of putty between the belt and collar at the back, just like in step I.

 IX_ Repeat the quilting process (steps II–V above) on the back, then add a small ball of putty where you trimmed away the backpack attachment. Smooth it out into a rough rectangle, then use the flat edge of the tool to refine and sharpen the edges.

 X_ Returning to the front, wrap a small amount of putty around the upper legs, just below the belt. Smooth this into a flat tunic. As you can see, I didn't add enough putty initially, so it doesn't wrap all the way round (you can see the unsculpted end on the left of the picture). It's better to work gradually and add a little more at a time; as it's easier to add and smooth in small amounts than trim away excess neatly.

XI_ Once you have laid in the basic shape, repeat the quilting to pattern the bottom of the tunic all the way round the body. Because there's no break between the front and back, you can work round in one go. Try to match the spacing of the squares you're creating to the size of the existing quilting on the front and back. 

XII_ Gently run the blade of the sculpting tool round the edges of the tunic bottom  to create a border. Use the smooth end of the tool to gently erase any overlapping marks to finish.

+END OF SEQUENCE+

+GOTO 10+

+ The finished models +

+ Finishing the models is now relatively quick work, with little sculpting. Once the putty has cured, you can add whatever suitable head, arms and weapons you wish. The example here use heads from the Hammerer/Longbeard and Ironbreaker/Irondrake boxes – the only addition is a simple blast visor made from a rectangle of putty, similar to that added in step IX. +

+ The arms come from a variety of sources – Mantic Forgefathers, genestealer cultists and the Arkanaut box itself. The shoulder pads here are mostly from the Imperial Guard Valkyrie kit, but that's simply because I had them handy. A more economical way would be to use the  more ornate ones from the Ironbreaker/Irondrake box, as shown on the squad leader in the centre. +

+ The weapons are a similar mix, with autoguns and pistols from the genestealer cultist box and suitably-sized boltguns from the Sisters of Silence kit). +

+ I hope the tutorial's useful – if you have a go, please do share what you make. These chaps will be popping up in the Alien Wars soon – why not have a bash at making one of these little bits of history yourself? +

+ inload: Squat Day +

+ Grab bag o'plans +

+ A hint more building for my Blood Angels last night; I bashed a few WIP marines together for the Devastators, based on the image on the right. +

+ These are using the Forgeworld Raven Guard heads for the most part, as the resin allows for undercuts and sharper detail. However, I do have some mark VI heads with bionic bits from the plastic Devastator sprue – I'm planning to use those for the heavy weapon gunners. +

+++

+ Never skip leg day +

+ Just a happy note that the first squat for two decades or so is released from Forge World today. The grumpy little abhumans will be making an appearance in the Alien Wars, and I'll be pre-ordering one with a view to converting some others in the same style. +

+ In the meantime, I thought I'd show off some of my old squat conversions to celebrate the occasion. +

+ Dabnett Unwerth is Converted from an old plastic squat with some spare Elysian arms. The 'bullpup' design – that is, with the rifle's magazine set behind the trigger – means that this sort of setup works nicely with squats. I think it looks a bit more convincing as the sort of weapon they'd find as handy in a tunnel fight as the open field. +

+ The other chap here was intended as a hearthguard. He's a simple hand swap from a Mantic Games' figure – one of their Deathball range. I'm interested to see how the various heights compare between new FW, old GW and the Mantic range. +

+ inload: Blood Angels squad 1, part II +

+ Fools rush in +

+ With all the Alien Wars enthusiasm, I've been jumping all over the place writing, building oddments and – gasp – playing games. That's meant that the orks of Luggub's Drop Legion leapfrogged the Blood Angels third company (M35) in the painting queue. +

+ With the greenskins out of the way for the moment, I've returned to building 'em up. For those that have been following the project, you'll know that I'm basing the army on the army from WD139; right at the tail end of Rogue Trader. +

+ The ten above are completed, but rather dimly, I ended up building the first combat squad from squad 1, and the second combat squad from squad 2. Doesn't make a huge difference, but was rather nagging at me. Last night I cracked on with the second half of squad 1. The originals look like this:

+ My original intention for the project was to emulate the originals as closely as possible, but after building and painting ten models, I've realised just how limiting the three original poses were. It's testament to the 'Eavy Metal team (Tim Prow for these, I think) and photographer that they managed to get them looking as varied as they do. +

+ As a result, I've emulated the figures, rather than directly copied the poses. This has allowed me to loosen up a few poses, and add some dynamics from such simple changes as turning the heads a bit. +

+ If you compare the two images, I think you get the same 'feel' from the figures, but there's a bit more variety, and I'm making more of the modern material. +

+ Porridge: not too hot and not too cold +

+ I couldn't resist the addition of a couple of special bits – the squad leader has a distinguishing helm (from the Devastator kit), and there are some Forge World shoulder pads and packpacks chucked in, too. I am rationing these, as I'm trying to strike a balance between the opulent, baroque styling of M41 marines and the regimented, factory-fresh M31 Legionaries – after all, this army is set right in the middle. +

+ Were I to add too many very distinctive bits (early mark helms, for example), I'd run the risk of taking them too far from the source. Hopefully, the bits I've chosen add a bit of detail without altering the silhouette too much. You can see the result in the painted examples above – a bit of paint goes a long way to blending things like the occasional mark IV helm in. +

+ With that all said, it's easy to get a bit precious about homages like this. I've never felt the need to be obsessive about these things, and will happily go a bit off-piste in the name of fun, or because I've had what I think is a bright idea. One of the things I liked best about Space Marine artwork from 3rd edition onwards was the increased diversity of armour. Not just a mix of the armour patterns within a group, but a literal variety of details within individuals – one-off shoulder pads, Mark IV legs with a Mark VII torso, minor variations in the helm seals etc. +

+ Not only did this greebling add interest and detail, it all suggests age and the reverence with which these suits of armour are held in-universe. It reminded me very much of photographs of soldiers from real conflicts; where equipment, tanks and uniforms were improvised, adapted and jury-rigged. The background and artwork has always suggested that this is the case for Space Marine armour and equipment, but it only really started being represented in models after the period I'm emulating. +

The original army

+ It's for this reason that I won't be duplicating the uniform marks of armour within squads. The original army had Devastator squads decked out purely in Mark VI, and Tactical Squads purely in Mark VII. I'm going to retain a heavy proportion of those armour marks – so the dominant armour in the Devastators will be Mark VI, for example – but I will be adding in the occasional alternative helm or similar detail. This is to help the army as a whole seem cohesive. +

+ Beyond the inspiration +

+ In the short term, I want to build the models from the army in the picture above – helped no little bit by the PCRC's kind gift of a Rhino, Librarian, Medic and Thudd Gun (thanks again!) – but for anyone who knows my preferred style of army, you'll know I love the basic infantry. +

+ I'll mostly be running the army using the modern 8th edition rules, and one of the things that most interested me about the new list was the increased options for small arms within troops. Subtle additions here – three new types of boltgun – give huge opportunity and got my mind turning over. +

+ The original army is based around two Tactical Squads and one Devastator Squad. I'm committed to building the Tacticals with Bolt Rifles, but I've been toying with the idea of building the Devastators with Stalker Bolt Rifles – a better complement to the heavy weapons, more fitting of the battlefield support role, and a bit of welcome variation. In addition, if I ever need to stick to the strict letter of the rules, I can field them as a Primaris squad; using the missile launchers to proxy as grenade launchers, while the rest of the squad remains a valid choice. +

+ So, with two varieties of new boltgun accounted for, I got thinking about the third: Auto Bolt Rifles. I'm not a fan of the Reiver models, but their Bolt Carbines look awesome; I couldn't resist buying some bits and playing about: 

The standard Auto Bolt Rifle, is, rather disappointingly, simply a minor variation of the standard rifle; but the Reiver's guns have a more distinctive silhouette – snub-nosed, with forward handles, they remind me of 80s action movies.

+ I thought I might build a squad of these, but I'm in two minds. Game-wise, they'll be a Primaris squad with Auto Bolt Rifles, but in terms of painting and background, do you think they'd be better as one of the four remaining Tactical Squads, or as a ground-based Assault Squad? The main differences are going to be whether the helms are yellow or red, and the squad markings. I'd love to hear your thoughts. +

+ inload: Origin of an Empire: The Divided Mechanicus +

+ Origin of an Empire: A Divided Mechanicus +

For all their precious logica and supposed rationality, in my experience, the followers of the Machine seem wilfully capable of twisting their orders to suit them. 

[...]

Keep your friends close; and your enemies closer, as the proverb has it. What then, are we to make of the symbiotic dominions of the Emperor and Machine God?

Extract from All Human History – Inquisitrix Barbari Kills, Ordo Xenos

+++

Neomechanicus Adherent Enginseer:
note diagnostic chequers.

+ An Overview of the Adeptus Mechanicus +

Since the Treaty of Mars; or Treaty of Olympus Mons, to give it its Martian title, the Mechanicum – and later the Adeptus Mechanicus – has been an empire within an empire, loyal to the Emperor as a symbol of the Machine God. Operating with a degree of independence from Imperial worlds, the Forge Worlds and their denizens have enjoyed relative autonomy from the Tithe for five millennia; instead being oathbound to supply Imperial forces – Navy, Guard and Astartes – with weapons, armour and supplies.

Even within the Adeptus Mechanicus, individual Forge Worlds – of which there are several hundred thousand, scattered across the galaxy – are sovereign realms, typically under an Archmagos Prime (their equivalent of an Imperial Governor). For much the same reasons as the worlds of the Imperium must look primarily to their own protection (cf. Inquisitrix Kills' earlier notes on Origin of an Empire: Nova Terran Interregnum), the individual Forge Worlds are left to their own devices. Mars insists only upon the submission of Holy Data to the Martian Altar Mechanicus. This comes in many forms; from physical screeds which must be transcribed, to recovered second-generation STC documents, to the physical remains of great Magi, whose mnemo-patterns are inloaded to the Altar.

The popular image of a Forge World is of a world-spanning factory; with great spills of drifting waste, and a dead, desert climate of chemical sands – and such a scene is common; not least amongst the pre-eminent Forge World Mars. However, Forge Worlds are nearly as diverse as any planet on which humanity has settled – both Imperial and the barbarous beyond-worlds.

2nd Regiment of Skitarii: Braun VI designate

+++

+ Internal divisions +

Like any large empire or group, the Adeptus Mechanicus is full of behind-the-scenes factionalism. Most famously, this led to the division that split the Mechanicum during the events of the Horus Rebellion [...]

Now-lost technology: [Unknown designate]

[+Appendnote: Prior to the Inquisition's adoption of the resurgent Ministorum's preferred term in late M35, the Horus Heresy was referred to by many terms – a perhaps inevitable result of the idea being surpressed for so long. The decision of the Ecclesiarchy to promulgate a mythologised and highly redacted version of events as part of the official Imperial Cult cemented the term in its religious nomenclature. My learned predecessor, Barbari Kills, can perhaps be seen chafing at a resurgent Ecclesiarchy at the time of writing.][+Auth: Unfortunus Veck+].

[...]and the subsequent refounding of the faction as the 'tamed' Adeptus Mechanicus, now officially a pillar of the greater Imperium, and guaranteed both responsibilities and rights as part of the High Lords of Terra. Since then, many factions have come and gone.

Officially, the split between the Nova Terra Interregnum did not affect the Adeptus Mechanicus, and the various Forgeworlds continued to supply the local worlds to which they were indentured. Nevertheless, individual Archmagi obeyed blockade instructions between Nova Terra and Ancient Terra, and the movement of materiel. Thus in practice, if not in spirit, the Adeptus Mechanicus became divided during the Nova Terra Interregnum.

+++

+ Domains of the Adeptus Mechanicus +

The splits in the Mechanicus, being spiritually driven and more diverse in concept, meant schismatic Forge Worlds were spread broadly across the galaxy, rather than being concentrated in a single Segmentum.

Foremost amongst the principal factions were:

• Adeptus Mechanicus – sometimes referred to as the 'Adeptus Mechanicus Maior'; this was the largest, most influential and most conservative faction, continuing to serve the greater Imperium under Ancient Terra, and to have a seat on the High Lords. 
• Neomechanicus – Also known as the Adeptus Mechanicus Minor, the preferred title was 'United Neomechanicus forces of Segmentum Pacificus', but it quickly became known simple as the Neomechanicus. This group was supposedly formed as a self-policing independent group of Forge Worlds within the seceding Segmentum Pacificus, in order to ensure compliance with Martian edicts during the crisis. In essence, it was a puppet state, though the Neomechanicus was forced to make a number of difficult compromises and harbour certain individuals that meant a gradual drift away from Martian rule began almost immediately. Outwardly staunchly loyal to Mars, the Neomechanicus' main distinguishing feature from their parent was their strict application of the wording of the Treaty of Olympus Mons, which means that the Archmagi of their Forge Worlds – with varying degrees of eagerness and reluctance – continued to supply the worlds of the Nova Terran Imperium. 
• Praximal Adherents – A small group of Forge Worlds, principally in the Segmentum Solar, rallied around the Forge World Praximal to defend its right to recognise itself as truly independent. In essence, the Praximal Adherents promoted secession not just from the Imperium, but from the broader Imperium itself. That such rebellion was tolerated for so long was a mark both of how stretched Imperial resources were at this time, and the unwillingness of the High Lords to officially recognise – and thus legitimise – a second powerful group of Secessionists. 
• Martian Suprematists – Inspired by the charismatic Prophetech Hos Chu of Vacuna, a number of Forge Worlds openly declared their support for the Ur-council, on the condition that Cult Mechanicus philosophies and laws would be recognised as official across the Nova Terran Imperium. While this was not fully successful, the Suprematists did manage to have Temples to the Machine God erected across many Imperial worlds, much to the disgust of the Adeptus Ministorum. 
• Moirae Schismatics – The most famous group of the period, the Schismatics are fully deserving of an account of their own, which can be found later in this volume. [+noosphericinloadlink inactive+] 
• Ancient Mechanicum of Triplex – Later to be stereotyped as independently-minded, the magi of the frontiers Forge World of Triplex-Phall were amongst the most devout and religiously-minded of all members of the Mechanicus at this point, their society all but indistinguishable from a shrineworld. Many influential Magi from Forge Worlds including Druent, Xibalba and Suzo No Otoko, expressed political sympathy for this divisive regime.

Coven of Praximal Adherents

+++

+ The Adeptus Mechanicus during the Nova Terra Interregnum +

The Nova Terra Interregnum was a time of resurgent Imperial ambition, but the Mechanicus was at its most inward-looking during this period; with co-operation becoming ever more strained, discoveries jealously hidden, and the Prime Archmagi of many worlds forbidding exloading or inloading material from off-world, for fear of sedition, rebellion or worse. As a result, the fruits of research, always few and far between, ground almost completely to a halt across the broader Imperium.

With the physical aspect of the machine – and its concomitant cultural association with duty to the Imperium – losing its appeal for many individual Magi, many turned more to more esoteric or mystical personal researches. Attendance at Cult Mechanicus meetings swelled across the galaxy as the faithful turned from their temporal research to the metaphysical search for the Machine God.

Shrine-servitors – mobile automatons bearing priestly relics and capable of automated blessing, became commonplace during this period as a result of the paucity of trained machine-clerics. [model by j.vandamnit].

Perhaps coincidentally, perhaps in cultural sympathy, the denizens of the Forge Worlds became closely aligned with the broader Imperium in this increased religiosity. With the Emperor officially recognised as the God-Emperor, expressions of faith were already on the rise across the human galaxy as a whole; and for the Forge Worlds, this came to be expressed in a ever-more heightened ritualism.

Long-standing questions regarding the nature of the Emperor, the morality of the Adeptus system and the very meaning of existence were examined from every conceivable angle; and led to many full-scale wars and conflicts. From one angle, this caused stagnation and a rolling-back of understanding not seen since the fell events of the Horus Rebellion. Those crumbs of knowledge re-gathered in the centuries since were sequestered away once more, hidden in datavaults as demands for processing power turned from the physical to the spiritual. As Forge Worlds fell, or Magi were deposed, the knowledge or license to manufacture once-popular weapon systems, such as the Astartes' Sicaran and Sabre tanks, were lost or forbidden.

Conversely, the period also saw huge advancements in metaphysics, machine ethics and cultural understanding between the Twin Imperium and the Empire of Mars. Previously restricted material flooded onto the galactic stage as the Nova Terran Army (and later, in direct response, certain regiments of the Greater Imperial Guard) began to field Rhino transports and Land Raider battle tanks once again.

It is to the Sophist-priests of the Mechanicus that many Imperial archeaohistorians have attributed the continued co-existence and alliance of the Imperium and Mechanicum; their hard-won understanding and knowledge easing rising tensions, and allowing both Imperial Commanders and their Archmagos Prime counterparts greater understanding of one another and the oppression of their respective vulgar masses.

+++

+ Role of the Adeptus Mechanicus during the Alien Wars +

Limited local refusal or personal political statements aside, on a broad scale, adepts of the Mechanicus continued to supply their Imperial charges, regardless of their sympathies to Constantium or Nova Terra. Their own forces swelled as the now-defunct Collegia Iconoclastis gathered religiously-minded forces and led them in holy wars against 'incompatible' Forge Worlds; resulting in the loss of irreplacable knowledge.

Missionary force of Zelb

These forces were to prove essential, as many Forge Worlds were to find themselves under increased threat from xenos sources, primarily owing to the Imperial withdrawal from previously-patrolled routes. The War of Kontol Oltdell saw the triple Forge Worlds of Glim all but destroyed by a combined host of Eldar. Barathrum was besieged by orks; and even Ryza was beset by an upsurge in Ymgarli activity.

Fortunately for the Mechanicus, and the human galaxy as a whole, the spirits of the devout Magi of the time were roused in defence of their empire. Divided as they were, all factions of the Mechanicus stood firmly against the xeno.

+++

Aspirant Techmarine of the Iron Souls Chapter Astartes

Particular note should be made of the Astartes' relationship with the Adeptus Mechanicus at this time. While many Chapters – including luminaries like the Imperial Fists, and almost all the Iron Hands' successors – continued to send aspirant techmarines on a pilgrimage to Mars for their training, other Chapter Masters broke with long-standing tradition in order to avoid appearing to favour the Greater Imperium of the High Lords of Terra. 

Instead, their aspirants were variously apprenticed to existing Techmarines (often grudgingly, owing to the Techmarine's split vows), sent to nearby primary Forge Worlds in lieu of Mars (the Ultramarines pragmatically requested their local Forge Worlds to be sanctified by various Mechanicus factions in order to mollify all sides, then extended an invitation to their successor Chapters to send aspirants for training there), or even inducted through the Chapter cult; resulting in the peculiar creation in some Chapters (such as the Desert Lions) of a generation of techmarines with no official qualification; instead reliant entirely on jury-rigging the famously resilient STC-derived wargear systems. Such actions resulted in warfare between 'heretek' Chapters and the Adeptus Mechanicus on more than one occasion.

+++

+ Post Script +

Understanding the nature of the God-Emperor is as vital to the survival of humanity as a whole, as is oxygen, water or succour to its individual subjects.

I remain, at your service; Inquisitrix Barbari Kills.