Marauder Blackshields Pt I

Honour and pride. Honour and pride had filled Artuas' heart the day he had been selected from the mass of noviates stationed in the training camps on Terra, to be elevated to full Astartes. Honour and pride at being chosen to take part in the Great Crusade to bring all the lost worlds of humanity back under the Emperors fold, whilst wearing the colours of the famed Luna Wolves. And when Artuas thought his hearts could not be any more full of pride, the day came when he, and all his Terran brothers were reunited with their genetic father, the primarch Horus Lupercal. 

Not long after, the legion was renamed The Sons of Horus and an influx of cthonian recruits swelled the legions ranks. Victory upon victory was had by the legion until the greatest victory of them all happened. 

Ullanor was finally secured and by the hand of Lupercal and his legion. Artuas could not be any more honoured by the achievements of his primarch and legion as Horus was named Warmaster and give command of the Emperors armies.

Brother Artuas

It wasn't until many years later that Artuas began to notice a change within his beloved legion. A distinct cultural rift could be felt widening between the cthonian and terran legionnaires, which became more pronounced after an operation in the Davin system. The terran brothers were getting less and less and a sense of exclusion was beginning to feel pronounced. Artuas put aside his concerns as petty though, as the great crusade was at its zenith and overshadowed anything so trivial.

Though trivial matters became more of a concern in later years as Artuas noticed the rise of warrior lodges within the legion. He couldn't quite place his finger on it, but a sense of wrongness seemed to hide just under ordered and calm exterior of the legion. Legion practices and protocols were changing ever so subtlety. discipline and respect seemed to be waning and any mention of such occurrences brought scorn and a swift reprimand.

Brother Abbas

It was many months later, as the legion was moving in system in the Istvaan system that Artuas felt something was truly amiss. He could not say what it was this feeling he had, and it angered him as this feeling flew in the face of all the honour and pride he had felt since his induction into his beloved legion, but it filled him with a sense of foreboding that drove him act.

Feigning homage to warrior lodge and secreting an attendance, Artuas's fears were soon realised. A schism had formed within the legion and a "purge" was soon to occur and purify the Sons of Horus.

Gathering the only two remaining terran brothers Artuas knew, Khol and Abbas, the trio bluffed thier way onto a mechanicum service frieghter to work their way towards the outer vessels of the fleet. Once there a warp capable shuttle was stolen and the trio made a run for it.

Brother Khol

With neither truly comprehending the rashness of their decision, or the reason for acting on it, they spent almost 16 months Terran standard, jumping from system to system to reach terra. It was there as they entered Sol system again for the first time in decades that they were not greeted with the majesty of the Throneworld but by a juggernaut of war and fortification. 

The VIIth legion was making its mark upon Sol and upon announcing thier arrival to the system monitors, Artuas and his brothers were quickly boarded and detained. Marked as traitors and held captive within the bowels of the Phalanx, the three legionaries were subjected to many long months of scrutiny and interrogation. Though confessing to abandoning their legion they never renounced their vows to the Emperor, claiming they only wanted to continue the great crusade for his glory.

But there was also another reason. Revenge. Honour and pride had been all but stolen from him and Artuas wanted revenge for the wound he felt to himself and to the Imperium. After being granted clemency, Artuas and his brothers would soon find the chance for revenge along side the warriors of the VIIth legion.

These guys are simply the first three of my blackshields marauder allies for my fists. A feel good hobby project of mine where i just wanted to paint some of the other legions, quickly turned into a fully blown Blackshields ally force. I wanted to model these guys to look like a small pack of fast moving hunters. each has his own weapon and style but together they form a tight pack of efficient killers. 

Raven Guard Volkite Support Squad

Another Squad finished, this time a Volkite support squad.

I'm really pleased with the brass used on the weapons. To my eye it gives them a bit more of a steampunk/grimdark look.

Raven Guard Plasma Support Squad

I am building a small centurion style Raven Guard force and these guys are the first squad completed. 

Different painting style, different basing and a new look from the Fists i usually paint. My first try at glow effects on the plasma coils too.

Imperial Fists Librarian

I have always loved the psyker aspect of GW games. The other worldly space wizard aspect is amazing for creating wonder and horror in a grimdark setting.

Now unfortunately, the VIIth legion did not field its members of the librarius after the edict of Nikea was introduced. They weren't even reintroduced into the rank and file. Instead, Dorn mandated that they should be confined to barracks upon the Phalanx until further notice. Now they weren't imprisoned but they were effectively quarantined. Whether Dorn did this over concerns and mistrust of his gifted sons, or if the primarch could perceive some other purpose for them remains to be fleshed out. Personally i think it was a little of both.

So as i am a super adherent to the fluff, ive not converted a librarian because of this.......but now things have changed. With the timeline creeping closer to the siege of Terra, and a time when all legions used anything they had on hand (including witchy mind bullets) to fight the enemy, i felt a little more at peace with building and using a librarian, mind you only for games set close to the siege of Terra time.

This particular librarian i've converted with the vision of a senior librarian prior to the edict of Nikea being enforced, stripped of position and rank, confined to barracks on the phalanx but then re-instated when everything sideways with Horus's assault on Sol. He has legion command insignia, with Terra unification honours. I modelled him no other weapons other than his force staff to try give the feel his powers are what he has come to rely upon. The pose was intended to not be one indicating direct fighting as i have a preference for the divination powers and i wanted to showing him acting in a support role because of his powers. 

 And the final touch i wanted to portray was the eagle topped staff and book on his waist, little signs of the Lectitio Divinatus creeping into the legions, almost as a direct opposite to the taint of the warrior lodges. Being a Terran born fist i felt he would be more susceptible to the teachings that the Emperor was indeed a god, even though it being contrary to the Imperial Truth.

Rekindling the Flame

its been a while. A long while for all of us here at AGIF. Life has a way of keeping things moving and changing and it's taken me away from talking about, working on and playing the hobby i love so much.....but here i am, returned and keen again to immerse myself in the Horus Heresy anew.

In the time that has passed, I've tinkered away with my beloved VIIth legion, but a few other projects have snuck thier way onto the radar.

First my collection of black shields. An ad hoc collection of astartes from the traitor legions who have remained loyal, Istvaan V survivors, emissaries and forgotten soldiers who have been picked up.

And second, a small centurion style Raven Guard force.

I will show more of these projects in the coming weeks as well as delve more into the discussions and thoughts of the Horusy Heresy as book 8 gets released.

~ Spraggy