Imperial Fists Praetor

With the pending release of HH2.0 there is a bit of a stir the 'A Galaxy in Flames' camp. For me its a review and revamp of my HQ at the moment, magnetising arms and adding a little extra flair.

Even though i feel the VIIth legion is not one to embellish themselves in pomp and finery like the Emperors Children or the Blood Angels, I did decide to add  a cloak to my praetor but kept it demure and simple.

I'm hoping that the Imperial fists still have thier character and bonus for fighting in challenges in the new edition, as this captain with his re-rollable invulnerable save due to his shield and Stone Gauntlet Rite of War will be a potent threat to enemy heros.

 

Templar Bretheren

These guys have been through a few incarnations but here is my finally finished Templar squad. I started out using the full templar upgrade kit but soon found i wasn't happy with it. 

The arm poses were very static and even though the torsos were very intricate i felt they didn't portray the feeling for the templars that i thought they should have. I ended up dropping the upgrade kit and only used the helms , right pauldrons and a few of the combat shields. 

Using green stuff i added tabbards and weapons from a grey knight sprue, gave these guys what i think is a much more martial look. 

I don't use these guys very often as i prefer a more numerous, basic infantry flavour to my lists but putting these guys in a land raider and letting them sow havoc on a flank is pleasing to watch. When pitched against the right targets, these guys perform just as exemplary as every bit of their lore describes them as.

 

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

Returning to the Heresy, dressed in blue.

Hello readers, Felix here! It's been some time since the last update on here hasn't it?

It's been so long in fact, it seems like the dust may have settled over a war-torn and ruined galaxy over the years, at least to me.
My personal hobby drive evaporated at the beginning of 2017 and I honestly barely picked up the brush (both air and bristled) aside from small token forces for other games, my skills dwindling in the process which only served to make me more hesitant to knock up another mighty legion in the service of the Emperor again.
However, I have been amazed with the amazing work being produced by the heresy community as a whole. Amazing conversions, events and a steadily increasing level of amazing paint on armies that has served as a constant reminder of what it is I love about Heresy as both a game and a hobby.
So here, nearly two years after my last heresy game, I want to step back into the community for the game I honestly love so much!

Emperor's Children Glaive.

Hey guys Wadey here. Well I've been away A LOT lately with work but have managed to find time to paint up a Glaive!

Agif Prime: A bit more information

Well it’s been a tad longer between updates than I was expecting, moving house saw to that sadly, but there has been a bit of work getting things underway.

Agif Prime will be set on the Death World of Agif, battling amongst the Hive Capital  and the surrounding jungles where all manner of monsters hunt prey. Prior to compliance the world had worshipped the Primordial Annihilator in all its forms, so it was no surprise when Horus’ rebellion started it declared for him, with the old cults returning once again.

As this is a narrative event we will be encouraging people to bring cool themed lists, so  if you want to bring any of the new units from Burning of Prospero, leaks have surfaced of Custodes rules in the next White Dwarf, these will be fine to use at the event.

There’s also going to be some specific themed missions, so if you have any knights bring them along for special missions, or a list to deal with some of some of the largest warmachines in the heresy.

We will also be allowing Imperial Assassins, these may be used as Agents of Imperium or Warmaster to help. Daemons of Chaos may also be trialled as a primary detachment, though this will be using the age of darkness rules, so no formations allowed at all, but also please remember that this is a narrative event, so bring lists in the spirit of the game, otherwise we may not allow them back again in future.

And finally, tickets are available from the Irresistible Force webstore, allowing a 20% discount for Games Workshop boxes purchased in store on the day, they have also been kind enough to inform us that they will be helping with prize support, more will come regarding that over the next few days……

https://www.irresistibleforce.com.au/collections/product-spotlight/products/agif-prime-a-galaxy-in-flames-ticket-12th-november

Event Page

https://www.facebook.com/events/562741840585337/

 

Agif Prime: A Galaxy In Flames Wargaming Event

Hey everyone,

Wiseman here, with some exciting news, 12th of November will be the first Wargaming Event for the planet AGIF Prime. With the tratiors driven from the Inferno system, many fled to the surrounding systems, including the Hive World of AGIF. What was initially seen as a staunchly loyalist world, Warp Cults appeared from almost nowhere, as the first traitor ships appeared in orbit and within hours the Governor had been executed and the Eye of Horus hung from the Hive Primus. Quickly the planet was plunged into anarchy, as hives turned on each other, and the populations within started fighting street to street.

Pauls’s Thunderhawk from Inferno III

As far as the veue goes, Irresistible Force at Tanah Merah is under new ownership, and have offered to host the event. Instead of going for a set points value for the day, and set round times everyone is encouraged to bring a variety lists, be it 1000 points, 2000 points, 2500 points or a 1000 pt Zone Mortallis list to represent the myriad of battles that go on within the hives themselves.

The event is all about dudes looking for dudes to play toy soldiers with.The only requirement for the day is all armies need to be fully painted, but with a variety of points available, there's no excuse not to get a small force painted up for it! To help players create their own theme through the event, most options will be available for people to choose, except the Leviathan force organisation chart and the relics. The Questoris Knight list is available to be used only as an Ally detachment or as Lord of War choices.

Registration on the day will stat at 830am, and rounds will run all day with a break for lunch in the middle of the day, at the end of the day awards will be given out for the coolest dudes on each side, as well as best looking army.

Michael from the Eye of Horus Podcast, and James’ Imperial FIsts brace themselves against the Death Guard and the God Machine behind them at Inferno IIII

Tickets will go live on the Irresistible Force website shortly (https://www.irresistibleforce.com.au/), with space limited to 10 per side. The guys at Irresistible Force have also offered to everyone taking part a 20% discount on GW boxes for the day alone, personally I’m hoping that the leaked pictures of the Custodes and Space Wolves box are out by than…….

Over the next couple weeks the aus30k.com page campaign page will go live, so make sure you check it out and register on there if you haven't already. Otherwise more information will go up in the event and on the blog as we get closer to the event!

Event Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/562741840585337/

Back from the depths

Hey guys,

Keepy here back from my visit to the real world. It has been a long time since I have logged on and published something and I had a spare 5mins to update you all on goings on. The blog has been a bit quiet of late mainly due to, as I have eluded to, real world things that have been taking place in the background.

I left the Army managed to get a new job which I really enjoy, it is however contracted to the Australian Defence Force and have spent a bit of time away from home. I now have another daughter, so time at home has been pretty hectic with two young children. The spare time I do have is spent catching up with my wife and relaxing at home. Things have settled down a bit now so I should be able to bang out a couple 30k projects and get some posts up.

As you are all no doubt aware, MKA was here in Australia and ran a course - I learnt an absolute ton, made a heap of new friends and can't wait to practice my new skills - I will do up a post about it shortly.

I also started my own home business, Norseman Hobby Supplies, which focuses on airbrush components and accessories. It is only new and the range is small but I am looking to develop it and hopefully it takes off. Check it out! www.norsemanhobbysupplies.com

So what else has the crew been up to?

Braden (aka Dice Wizard) and I have been planning and preparing for a beginner's airbrush course in Melbourne which entails all the basics of how to use an airbrush, clean it, maintain it and get some good effects out

of it. It starts on the 16th July so we are off shortly to run that, hopefully he does not expose his wizard's sleeve like he did at MKA.

Wadey has been madly painting his EC and now has a Kakophoni army ready to shred all comers with a wall of noise. He is also working on some sweet objective markers that have daemonettes coming out of portals - can't wait to see what they look like!


Spraggy has been slowly adding more to his already large IF force, and has taken to "subcontracting" hobby jobs for a few people, building custom canopies for fliers, assault cannon gauntlets for BA contemptors and working on a heap of terrain. He is also plotting some good themes for a planned AGIF 30k tournament in Townsville later this year - more on that later.

Felix has just had another baby, so I can imagine he will have his hands full! Felix also has a couple of posts in the works and hopefully they will be out soon.

Wiseman has been very busy planning and plotting for his tournament series, Inferno, held in Brisbane. I have seen a couple of pics of his ever evolving DA army, and it looks wicked.

Dedled has a new job down in Victoria and will be taking some leave from the blog to pursue some career goals. We wish you all the best and hope that you come back soon mate!

Buzz has been busy with another bub as well (what is it with us? Something in the water?) but is still making some progress with his DA army. Spraggy joined him for a game a while ago and it was great to see the new legion rules in effect, man those bolter rounds are fierce.

Well that's it from me, just a quick update to say hello and that we are not all dead yet. Keep an eye out for an overdue wrap up from MKA, the airbrush course wrap up and a post about a proposed tourney in Townsville.

See you soon!

Keepy

Bring the noise!! - Building the 3rd Company Elite.

Greetings all Wadey here! First and foremost I'd like to apologize for the lack of substantial content in the last year or so. We've all been preoccupied for one reason or another but are very keen to get back into things.

Rebuilding a Legion - Part 1 "Starting Fresh"

Howdy all, Felix here with a well overdue post. Not only has it been so long since my last post that I've managed to have another child in the meantime, but a bunch of the other AGIF guys have been flat out in hobby Valhalla the past few months flexing some new found hobby prowess that will, hopefully, start interweb beaming into your eye-holes in the comming days and weeks!

To make up for the lack of content specifically delivered by me however, I figured I'd start a Legion Hobby Journal, something that I had been planning to do on AGIF for well over a year now, chronicling the rise of my collection of painted XIII.
Days, weeks and months rolled on, with many a mini painted but not a single post made!

"So, why not just post some pictures now Felix" I hear you ask?
Well, voice inside my head, that's because the 6000-7000pts of Ultramarines I built up over the past two years or so has moved onto a new owner, so there's not much there to take pictures of!

Well, except a parting image I took. "Goodnight, Sweet Prince..."

My motives for selling the army were pretty straight forward. Despite the army looking pretty good on the table, I had the fortune to hit up the MKA class in Sydney, Australia earlier in the year and it made me really feel like I could do so much more than I had achieved already and, rather than strip and repaint, I opted to start from scratch (a decision I've both relished and regretted over the past few months).

Mandolf's Legacy Chapter One

The boys here at A Galaxy in Flames have been partaking in some DeathWatch Roleplay. The games have been so much fun, and so engaging and cinematic at times that we have often been talking and talking about what happened in each session for days after. Our guest writer, Dean Ferguson has expanded upon our post game chatter to write some fiction depicting what happened during the games. What he wrote was so good that we decided to try keep a running story of the dramatic encounters of Kill Team Praetorus Gamma.

Hope you enjoy.

Dramatis Personae

Astartes of the Deathwatch:

Kahn-Sarro: Squad Sergeant, White Scars Chapter

Rylath: Techmarine, Salamanders Chapter

Ezekiel: Devestator, Dark Angels Chapter

Kayzar Solaro: Tactical Marine, Raven Guard Chapter

Galmech Kaargul: Apothecary, Iron Hands Chapter

Iagos: Apothecary, Lamenters Chapter

Asani: Tactical Marine, Raptors Chapter

Artemis: Librarian, Lamentors Chapter

Members of the Inquisition:

Hurtz: Inquisitor, Ordos Xenos

Sorenzo: Inquisitor, Ordos Hereticus

Crew of the Corvandus:

Alrich Van Drachnolovic: Ship Captain

Argovix 241: Techpriest Engine Seer

Servitor 416: Skiff Pilot

Prologue

“Even Angels must face their own daemons...”

                                                                        -Inquisitor Hurtz

VIIth Legion WIP: Breachers Squad II

If you guys have been following the progress of my Imperial Fists, you'll know that i love these guys. Imperial fist breachers are so good to play with on the table, and so much fun to paint and convert.

The difference good terrain makes to your games and why you need it.

Everyone at some stage, most probably a tournament (well at least here in Oz), has played a game on a table that was, well.....lacking. Terrain was sparse or not painted and the general feel of the game was...meh.

Conversely i would like to hope that gamers have at least at some stage played a game on terrain that was sooooo good and realistic that it just drew you into the fiction you were playing there right on the table. This is the reason i so adamantly believe that terrain is one of the most important parts of a 30k game (any minis game really) for those who are hobby enthusiasts. Not so much for those who play WAAC or the tournament scene as they play predominately strategy and not so much tactics and tactics can be driven very heavily by terrain.

So before this devolves into a rant....let me tell you why i think good terrain is so important.

32mm bases are the ticket...

So i've recently acquired a batch of 32mm bases and have started the process of swapping my 30k stone men over to them. I am more than happy as they have allowed me to really to enhance the theme of the army with extra detail on the bases. 

Collapsed walls, razor wire, reo bars and blown out retaining walls gives these mins the realm look of trudging through shattered concrete defences.

Veteran Tactical Squad

So I've changed tactics and gone for the approach of putting AAALLLLL my 30k stuff together first then painting them rather than assembling and painting a unit at a time. Partly because it means i can put more stuff on the table (though unpainted ....tsk tsk) and partly because i just get an overflow of cool ideas for other units that i just have to make happen.

One of those cool ideas was for a Veteran Tactical squad. Since Imperial Fists are supposed to be so awesome at their bolter skills i took that idea to the next level with the veterans. These guys are armed purely with their bolters and two heavy bolters with suspensor webs. The sergeant of course
has his power fist as by virtue of his rank, but these guys are all about the bolter.





The Veteran special ability i chose was sniper of course. Making these guys hit on 2+, with precise shot, wounding on no less than 4+, with AP2 on 6+ to wound. Makes these guys potentially nasty against a vast range of enemies. On lucky rolls they can end a small power armoured, cripple heavy infantry like terminators or battle automata.......even a primarch.



To give them a little veteran flavour, I've modified the bolters to look more speccy. bigger clips, scopes, targeters and shoulder straps. A few have even got bionic limb replacements to represent these guys have certainly been through the ringer and come out the other side tougher. Kinda keen to get these guys painted and finished soon so hopefully i'll have some finished pics soon.

VIIth Legion WIP: Sigismund

1st Captain of the Seventh Legion.

I love this guy!

....and he owns anything on the table with two legs and a heart beat short of a primarch.