Deathwatch Lieutenant Tassius Albo.

Mist hung in the air around the chilled room, a figure knelt in meditation loomed large. A sheen of ice crystals reflecting the low lighting coming from the floor.

His armour was not a full flat black, but the blue-black of the midnight sky, contrasted to this was the shining silver pauldron with its gold overlaid Inquisition symbol on his left.

On his right was the proud Ultramarine blue pauldron, ringed in white, to match his helmet.

Lieutenant Albo meditated upon his service within the Deathwatch. It had been an honour matching his elevation to the vaunted first company when he had been selected.

His armour freshly repainted from blue to black and the demi-company of veterans parading for his leave, Chapter Master Calgar and Chief-Librarian Tigurius were present too.

Tigurius' knowing half-smile had hid more mysteries then Albo really wanted to know about.

His service was almost complete. Seventy years service had seen him battle and destroy the profane Xenos who would prey upon mankind, were this order not in place to prevent them.

He thought about the Greenskins, tough, hardy fighters who relied on brawn then skill.

He grudgingly admired their focus and will to keep fighting, even through mortal wounds.

He had faced the Tyranids, their ravenous hunger had once threatened Macragge, his homeworld, before he was born. Master Calgar had led the victory then, and he himself had saught to emulate his master when facing down the tendril of Hive-Fleet Scarabus. There was much honour in his deeds, not least was the destruction of a pair of Carnifex creatures single handedly.

The perfidious Aeldari were at times allies, at others enemies. Swift and deadly they were a different challenge to the riotous numbers of the other Xenos.

Likewise the robotic Necrontyr, a relatively new threat to the Imperium, but more deadly then ever with their firepower which could flay even his cermite armour to atoms.

After a moment's rest and blanking his mind with a calming mantra, Albo turned his thoughts to comrades old and new.

There was Old Ranulf, member of the Fangs of Fenris chapter, just as unruly and wilful as their parent Space Wolves chapter.

Seraphiel, of the noble Blood Angels, constantly battling his own personal battle lust, but more of a mentor to Albo since he joined the Deathwatch then any other marine he had met.

Leonatus of the Minotaurs chapter. As close to a true friend as an Astartes could make, until his untimely death against the Necrontyr not four solar months ago.

He cast his mind to Macragge, homeworld to himself and the Ultramarines chapter.

His service complete at the end of this solar year, he was surprised to find that he was looking forward to standing beneath familiar skies, visiting the Temple of Hera and the huge space which the Lord-Commander of the Imperium had once lain in stasis, wounded unto death.

He even resolved to ask Tigurius about some of the mysteries he had witnessed, which the formidable psyker no-doubt knew about already.

His reverie was disturbed by a distant klaxon wail growing stronger each second. The lighting in the room came on automatically as the door opened.

"Lieutenant Albo, the Inquisitor needs us" Bretheren-Ceallach of the Red Templars announced from the doorway.

"Thank you Bretheren, what is the news?" Tassius Albo asked, raising to his full height, half a head taller then the Astartes stood Infront of him.

"We've received calls for aid from the Imperial Lions chapter. They defend a planet named Attica from invasion by the Swine" Ceallach answered using an ancient term.

"Greenskins, let us be off to the Inquisitor then" Albo said, gathering his helmet under the crook of his arm, "The Emperor's work is never finished".

*****

This model is part of the Warhammer Conquest partwork magazine which Hatchette partworks put out.

The full partwork ran to more then 75 issues.

I only picked up issue 5 so that I could get the exclusive Lieutenant model, unique to the magazine.

Lieutenant Tassius Albo is a member of the Ultramarines chapter, this choice was to make life easy with all the Ultramarines iconography which comes sculpted onto him.

He follows the previously painted Deathwatch Intercessors I finished last month and the same painting scheme.

Abaddon Black, Incubi Darkness and Thunderhawk Blue drybrushes.

The difference here is his shoulder pad, it being a basecoat of Caledor sky, a Nuln Oil wash, then worked up through Caledor Sky and Calgar Blue to get that nice colour going.

His shoulder pad rim and helmet are white denoting him as being a veteran of the 1st company, on loan to the Deathwatch.

He fills out another "Hero" box on the hobby bingo grid:

This brings my total so far up to 220 points, and makes me one box closer to completing a third line!

I'm well underway for my goal of completing two full grids so far.

With these last two posts, I have also completed more models this year then I have bought, which is also great news!

 - Lewis

Adeptus Mechanicus Skitarii and Ruststalkers.

 

The Mechanicus convoy marched unceasingly through the ruined throughfare ahead. The clanking of robotic joints echoing from the enclosing buildings to each side, occasionally punctuated by the bark of a stubbgun firing at some unseen target ahead.

Flashes of binaric communication flitted along the troops as orders were passed back and forth, each on sounding like a swarm of hornets flying past.

Skitarii Marshal Lau consulted the noospheric link to ascertain that his forces were exactly as he had laid out in the briefing plan. Each unit's Alpha had a copy of the plan and their units instructions to follow, along with a list of contingency plans.

Satisfied with their deployment, Lau took his place back in the convoy and they marched onwards towards the heretic's positions.

How the heretical cult forces had been allowed to gain a foothold upon the blessed soil of Curium, a minor forge but belonging to the Omnissiah regardless, was a query to be answered at a later date.

Right now, the Skitarii maniples had been deployed to crush the enemy and resanctify the world around the forge.

Two missiles corkscrewed from a building ahead, one bouncing off one of the Onager Tanks to explode harmlessly above another building. The second impacted the lead Onager Tank with a loud clang.

Lau allowed himself a microsecond of smugness as in waiting for the Skitarii to approach to a range where they couldn't miss, the enemy they hadn't given the weapons spirit time to activate and it had bounced off.

+++Plan Ceti-5 enact+++

Both Onagers turned and traversed their weapons to the building the shots had come from. A blinding flash of laser light exploded the frontage inwards with a roar of explosive force and debris and dust billowed into the warzone.

The loping, long legged silhouettes of Lau's Ruststalker unit disappeared into the murk and the muted sounds of rapid automatic gunfire were heard.

Below in the road the Skitarii vanguard units were fanning out to cover any possible counter attack. The lead unit firing their irradiated ammunition at targets towards the next junction.

Lau's attention was pulled back to the ruins as a long drawn out scream signalled a heretic being thrown from the third floor of the building.

The Ruststalkers had attuned their disruption weapons to maximum as even with Lau's enhanced augmetic sensors, the trooper which had cast the enemy from the ruins was a flickering blur of static to him.

He turned away as the gunfire down the road picked up. One of the Onager's sending thumping energy shots into the ruins, as it's supporting unit of Skitarii rattled firepower into the ranks of traitors.

Skitarii Marshal Lau recalled his forces and proceeded with a secondary plan to storm the junction ahead.

"In the name of the Omnissiah, praise the Motive Force" he vocalised.

"Praise the Motive Force" his troops vocalised in reply and charged forwards.

*****

With "Mechanicus March" nearly being over, I thought it time to post up the newly finished Adeptus Mechanicus forces so far.

Some of you may remember me mentioning this army which belongs to my friend, who can never be bothered finishing painting his own gear.

I volunteered after our game (over a year ago) and am now getting somewhere with it, the pandemic, work, life has gotten in the way.

But I digress...

To begin with here are the main troops, all thirty of the Skitarii:

Three separate units of ten infantry, each unit has an alpha to lead them and a selection of special weapons.

They are painted using this tutorial from Warhammer TV.

The bases are basic cityfight with a little rubble and some cat litter painted to match the ruined buildings I started and haven't finished.

Secondly are a unit of five Ruststalkers:

Again they follow the previous tutorial and basing scheme.

I didn't want the bases to be too flashy to detract from the miniatures themselves, so they're very basic but get the idea across.

This unit was painted entirely from  scratch this past week, whereas the Skitarii above have been half painted for several months.

Finally, arrayed for war with two of their supporting tanks:

March forth for the Machine God!

Hobby wise they tick off two separate"Any Model" boxes on my grid.

I counted the Ruststalkers as one box being painted fresh, and all thirty Skitarii as a box together as they've been finished off, rather then fully painted.

So with the two boxes and another line completed this added 70 points to my total.

Now bringing me up to 210 points total.

I'm going to work on something different to the Mechanicus for a couple of weeks to refresh the palette of endless swathes of Red.

But there are the leaders of this army and six Kataphron Destroyers to be painted yet.

If I can ever get then off of him, a few Armiger knights to accompany his original Imperial Knight I painted way back when.

 - Lewis

Battle Sisters and the Living Saint.

 

“Magir, Fuad gahesh drowk” a burly tattooed cultist shouted, bruised skin inked with unholy runes.

“Shet atraga gorae” one of the teeming mass shouted in response, his robes flowing wildly in the wind as they charged forwards en-mass.

“Voi shet, Magir!” the horde rose their voices in unholy unison, simultaneously praising their leader and the dark powers they worshipped. Loathsome icons bearing the sigils of Chaos undivided swayed and lurched as their bearers were forced forwards through the press of bodies.

Staccato boltgun fire sounded all down the line as the defenders opened fire from the hastily erected defences, plumes of flames from flamer weapons flashed out and began incinerating the lead elements. Above all the gunfire, shouting and general rumble of battle a hymn of the emperor could be heard, driving those against it into a rage and fortifying the souls of the defenders against the corruption which roiled in waves from the host.

Battle sister Marianne glanced around as she reloaded her boltgun. All around her were her squad, their black power armour shining in the lights of the battlefield. She witnessed sister superior Cecilia calling out firing patterns and communicating on the command vox with Canoness Erzsebet receiving orders.

Marianne heaved herself up above the firing step and opened fire in unison with her fellow boltgun bearing battle sister Germaine. They fired calmly, aiming for each cultists chest before firing and moving onto the next. The mass-reactive shells bursting their un-armoured enemies apart like ripe fruit.

“Sisters, witness the fires of the Emperor's wrath” Sister Helene voxed, and the two other battle sisters stepped aside whilst maintaining their fire rate.

Helene's flamer roared into life and a gout of ignited promethium tore through the space to the cultists and ignited them from head to toe. In their jerky flailing death-throws they managed to ignite several more cultist's robes, these stooped to extinguish the flames, thus lessening the pressure upon the Imperial's line but for a moment as more cultists threw themselves forwards into the gap.

The cultists spat and swore, screaming foul dedications to their gods as they came on. Occasionally over the top of the horde the battle sisters would report sightings of a traitor Astartes, iconography of the Iron Gorgons writ large for all to see. One in particular was approaching close to Cecilia's units location, ghostly winds picking up and howling through with an unearthly screech.

“Bring him down sisters, concentrate fire” Cecilia cried, as her squad found their range and fired bolt after bolt at the hulking traitor. The shells seemed to stop short, rocket trails still glowing with forces and then exploded in a dome around the Space Marine.

“Sister Clarisse, train your Multi-Melta upon the target”, before she could react however, to all the battle sisters horror several of the cultists attacking their neighbouring squad exploded, showering all present with blood and offal.

Moving like a pict out of sync, the daemons which had been summoned launched into close combat and began murdering all the Imperials they could see. Prayers and faith to the Emperor were screamed as carnage descended upon the defences.

Clarisse trained her massive anti-tank weapons upon the nearest figure, blasting it back into the warp in a cloud of super-heated sulphur. It's tainted sword falling towards the floor before being caught up by one of the other daemons which leapt through the cloud and over the atomising line of the Multi-Melta's fire.

Sister Clarisse tried to turn away but wasn't fast enough with the heavy weapon, the daemon pounced and stabbed both swords through her torso sending her collapsing to the ground. This had happened in the span of a few seconds and the other battle sisters were just beginning to react to the daemonic presence in their midst as Sisters Germaine and Helene were hacked down. The chaos blades slicing through their armour and painting the defences with loyalist blood this time.

Loyalist blood which began to boil when it touched the cultists blood from earlier. Even the blood of their faithful was a weapon against the corrupt and tainted.

Superior Cecilia and Sister Marianne retreated shoulder to shoulder from the daemons, firing boltshells into their foes as they came. Each one punching through flesh and bone to explode within the horned fiends as they came. Where one of these rounds would outright kill a mortal human, these daemons seemed to take seven or eight. Behind them the cultists swarmed over the abandoned defences in droves, the Astartes sorceror following in the midst, even as to her horror, Cecilia realised that she could no longer hear the Hymn of the Emperor's Benediction being sung behind her.

Firing her last boltshell, Sister Superior Cecilia engaged her chainsword and stepped forwards to meet the enemy. She swung catching the unearthly creature across the chest and staggering it backwards into the following troops.

It screamed loudly and began thrashing, flakes of flesh peeling off into the air from the wound. As she watched the following daemons also began to flake and discorporate. Momentarily confused she held her guard but didn't advance.

“Superior Cecilia, back into the battle if you please, the Emperor has blessed us this day” Canoness Erzsabet said as she strode up to the two battle sisters with a calm smile upon her face, effortlessly executing a traitor with her plasma pistol, “Look to the skies sisters”.

A radiant aura seemed to be filling the remaining battle sisters with renewed vigour and energy. Looking over the Canoness' shoulder, Marianne glimpsed a miracle, descending from the heavens through bruise coloured clouds was an Imperial Saint made flesh. Her silvered armour flawless, her mighty wings unfurled in full. One hand outstretched to the faithful still fighting, the other clutching an ancient power sword polished to mirror sheen and crackling with barely suppressed killing energy, where she passed the clouds turned purest white. Her very presence anathema to the warp spawned madness they were fighting.

“Saint Eugenie, praise be the Emperor” Marianne whispered.

“Praise be the Emperor” Cecilia echoed, realising that the Hymn which had all but dissipated from her hearing was now louder then ever, drowning out the keening wails of the daemons before her. Powering up her chainsword to full, she launched herself into the mass of enemy before her.

Swings of her chainsword carving through the dissolving daemon unit which had killed her squad. Marianne reloaded her boltgun again and set off after her superior, all the aches of the fighting so far banished from her frame.

Astoundingly, as they beat back the cultists at their former defensive position, their fallen battle sisters stood up and began fighting alongside them, the aura of the saint resurrecting the dead sisters and healing their wounds even as they began to fight once more.

The saint soared overhead, cultists shrieking in fear and recoiling from her presence, only the sorceror stood defiant and unmoving. He reached out a hand and fired dirty orange lightning out at the living saint.

Smoke clouded the vision of the saint for the troops on the ground for a moment. A great cheer went up as she swept on and into combat with the Astartes warrior before her. Blades moving too fast for the eye to see as the two combatants fought with everything they had. In a matter of seconds the fight was over as the saint whirled and tore one of the Astartes arms free with her blade, itself carving through the armoured ceramite as easily as cutting flesh.

The warrior ducked the riposte stroke and retreated from the holy warrior, firing from his bolt pistol as we went. Rather then follow the wounded commander, the saint turned into the horde, flying low she bowled cultist troopers into the air, killing with each strike of her sword or dip of her wings. Each time easing the pressure upon her embattled sisterhood.

“Truly the Emperor is with us this day” Superior Cecilia said to her Canoness, who only nodded in response.

*****

 

Some new things which i have finished, but which have been sitting on the paint table for a fair while are these Sororitas warriors.

 

I still don't think anyone actually believed it when GW announced that they were going to re-sculpt the entire Sisters of Battle range into modern plastic models, after they'd left them to lie in the dust for nearly twenty three years without a proper update from third edition.

 

 

But battle sister squad Cecilia I picked up off of eBay just before the first UK lockdown began, they were built but unpainted, I have no idea why someone was selling them off so soon after their release. So a quick go around with a sanding stick got the remants of the cleanup out of the way. 

 

They were primed with grey spray primer, their armour is Black Templar contrast as I wanted to try it out on a smoother armour source then I had previously used it on.

Details are Leadbelcher and Retributor Armour for the silver and gold respectively. Again, like a lot of my models, I tried to keep the gold to a minimum for decoration.

Weapons are Khorne Red highlighted with Mephiston Red, the same scheme I used for my Deathwatch Killteam I previously finished. I like this "old school" look, expesically when placed against the dark, black armour of the models.

Vestments are Ulthuan Grey, washed with Oil and highlighted with Corax White, whilst the undersidesare Tallarn Sand washed with Earthshade.

I am going to use them as the Order of the Ebon Chalice as thats the closest colour scheme, just that the interior of the vestments should be red, not tan as I have done. I wanted the weapons and the rosary beads to really stand out on the models though, thus limited the use of red.

Onto the Living Saint. I have had this model since she was released as part of the Triumvate of the Imperium box when GW were running the "Primarch Awakens" series in the run up to the change from 7th edition to 8th edition.

Saint Celestine, to give her her proper name, came as part of a box including Inqusitor Greyfax and the Arch-Techpriest Bellisarius Cawl. She also comes with two battle sister bodyguards, her Geminae-Superior, who are around somewhere, but I want to repaint to match my current style with the Saint(as I did them in GW Gold scheme...)

I went with a silver armour scheme based off of this Cosplay:

Her Armour is Leadbelcher, washed with Oil, then drybrushed back up through Leadbelcher, Ironbreaker and finally Stormhost Silver.

Various details such as the verstments and gold details as the sae as the Battle Sisters above.

Her sword is the same scheme as her armour, but the power nub has been painted carefully around with Nihilakh Oxide to give a glowing effect.

The doves, even though it dosen't show up in the photos, are Ulthuan Grey, washed with Nihilakh Oxide, then drybrushed gently with Ulthuan Grey and Corax White.

The roses are Ulthuan Grey washed twice with Crimson, then drybrushed slightly with Mephiston Red and finally Corax White.

Finally, her hair...originally it was Black with some white highlights, however this was pointed out to me over internet conversatiosn with friends that it blended in with her armour and wings too much.

Instead a suggestion was for a dirty brown/ginger type using a mixture of Troll Slayer Orange and Rhinox Hide, lightening the mixture until it was more orange then brown. 

The effect works well I think.

Her base, because I didn't like the springy bits of parchment she is meant to sit on, was constructed from some very old Cities of Death spares I have. Carefully cut so that I could get a good bond between her foot and the rubble when I glued her down. This was painted in Stormvermin Fur for the stone and Retributor Armour for the metal details.

Washed with Earthshade and then drybrushed up through Baneblade Brown and Ushabti Bone, matching my basing scheme for all my various miniatures.

Hobby wise, these two give me another two boxes ticked off and Twenty points, making me the first of us playing to reach One Hundred points:

However, The Living Saint also clears off the bottom line of the grid, netting me another Fifty points in the process!

Not bad, not bad at all.

I'm working on finishing off some Martian Adeptus Mechanicus stuff I've had lying around since my last Apocalypse Game all the way back in Jauary 2020, before the world went mad.

So, Until next time...

 - Lewis

More Chainrasp Reinforcements.

 

Liberator Prime Hammerborn stood in the front rank of his units, Warhammer held high to draw the attention of his troops.

"This is where we stand, this is where they are banished, we will hold the enemy here" his voice sang out above the clamour of the battlleline being drawn together, "Do I make myself clear?"

The Stormcast Eternals reply was loud and bellicose in response as they slammed sigmarite shields together forming a wall against the charging enemy.

And what enemy, the unquiet dead never seemed to give up in their quest to occupy this area.

None of the knights, neither Exorcists, Incantors or Arcanum had managed to dredge up any knowledge, either through mundane or magical means, about why the Nighthaunt were so focused upon this series of ridges south of Ancestors' Fyrd.

The massing, shrieking horde of Nighthaunt Chainrasps swarmed up the hillside. Their spectral locomotion moving them faster then any physical being could have over the rough ground.

"Brace yourselves!" Hammerborn shouted. A quick glance told him that the twenty Liberators under his command were drawn up together into a solid shieldwall. The five Paladins holding behind them to deal with any undead which managed to make it past the blockade.

The roiling spectral mass seemed to animate faster and covered the ground with shocking speed.

And faded away into nothingness as they were about to make contact with the line of stern warriors holding position.

"What is this prime? Some sort of trick?" One of the Liberators asked.

"I don't know, be on your guard" the unsure leader could only reply.

 -----

"You did what?" Vornos Ravenhold cried, the loudest noise he had uttered since he started regaining his strength.

"I recalled some of the forces from Ghur to bolster your troops here in Shyish" Kheldol the Soulweaver replied. His form floating just like Ravenholds' did, he matched the Knight of Shrouds in rank, if not in stature and authority within the Nighthaunt ranks.

"Lord Nagash will not be pleased with interruptions to his scheming" Ravenhold mused, "We may have to start to move earlier then planned".

The Soulweaver said nothing, his grinning skull nodded in satisfaction.

*****

More Chainrasp reinforcements for Lord Ravenholds' army have been finished.

This is a unit of twenty models all told, the previous ten already finished can be fielded as a separate unit or added to a previously finished unit of ten models to give the army two units of twenty.

This unit however must be fielded as twenty models.

I started work on this unit last October time, before they got moved aside for Orktober.

They follow my tried and true Nighthaunt scheme so far. I am just waiting for grass tufts to become available from a reliable seller (my last supplier was trying to use the pandemic as an excuse for not sending items, three weeks after purchase!).

Once I can add some tufts to their bases they'll truly be finished, but that's a minor detail to add later, this unit is complete and off the paint table.

One thing I think I missed is some tidying up of the models when I started them. They were a cheap bargain from eBay, and the seller hadn't cleaned several of the less noticeable mold lines, unless your painting the model.

If I had the chance I would have gone back and tidied them up fully, I think I was in a bit of a rush when I started them and didn't notice the little imperfections which had been left.

Oh well...

In hobby news, this fills in another "Unit of 10+ mods" box on my hobby bingo grid.

With no local painting challenge going on at the moment, these ghosts will only count for bingo use.

Until next time...

 - Lewis.

Chainrasp reinforcemens.

Vornos Ravenhold watched impassively as all manner of ghosts, revenats, gheists and wraiths approached down the hall of his mausoleum.

It had been months since his defeat at the hands of the Stormcast Eternals and been banished back to Shyish. His most loyal retainers had followed his soulfire and converged upon this place and he held counsel until his forces, and strength, were regained.

Callas, a fellow Knight of Shrouds, organised the newcomers, ensuring that the growing army had a semblance of order.

Garkorr, his faithful Bladegheist, loomed from one shadow to the next, always on the watch for threats to his master. Garkorr had been the champion of Vornos personal bodyguard in life, a role it seemed the God Nagash had given him in undeath as well.

Vornos watched as Garkorr ceased his flitting between shadows and stared at the banshee floating at the foot of his throne for a moment.

Amondrizel, Vornos thought, there is one to watch. She had aproached one day claiming to have been sent by the Mortach, Lady Olynder, and sworn to his service as a reward for expanding the influence of the Nighthaunt within Nagash's grand court. His victories in battle had brought much favour to the ghostly undead, much to the chargrin of the Vampiric nobles who considered themselves much better then all the other undead.

No, Vornos Ravenhold knew the truth about Amondrizel, or rather 'Mistress Amondrizel' to give her the full titled she was bestowed by his sister. The Briar Queen had her spies within his court, as did he.

He knew that the banshee had sent amessage to his sister, that she was gathering information against him and his planned move against the Mortarch.

He moved his head slightly to gain Garkorr's attention, then shook it slightly and the Bladeghiest moved on. 

He would have to watch himself around Amondrizel, feed her misinformation and deal with her when the time was right. 

 

For now he contented himself with simply watching the arrival of the newest chainrasps to join his army and waited...

*****

Another unit of chainrasps finished up in these past few days.

They follow the standard scheme I've been using for my Nighthaunt so far.

They are for the Knight of Shrouds forces as I progress, so I continued on with the black overcloak and then drybrush up from there.

I'm thinking of using a white overcloak on the Briar Queen's forces to differentiate between the two, but also be close enough to work together in a much larger army.

I only have another sixty of these to go...

These fill another box on my Hobby Bingo grid:

I could have finished off the first column, but I am trying to save the "any model" squares for a part finished project I have which just needs basing to finish. I'm not going to try to claim 10+ model squares for stuff which just needs bases to finish off.

For the local Challenge, these Nighthaunt provide me with an additional 10 points to my score, as they were part painted before we began, they are only worth half points.

Until next time...

 - Lewis

Dunecrawler Squadron Tai-Ceti/81-Alpha.

The fighting to reclaim the Forge-World of Urdesh had began with a monumental Imperial victory. The massed ranks of the Astra Militarum had landed upon the hallowed soil to turn back the traitor, the mutant and the heretic. They were filled with the rightous blessing of the Emperor and his light now extended back onto the Forge-World, bringing the fallen planet back into Imperial Fold.

Guardsmen Imani didn't feel the Emperor's Blessing like the Commissar's were saying Guardswoman Safaa mused. Well, not since his head had been ventilated by a traitor sniper.

Her unit, the 3rd Thawanan Light, had landed in the second wave and followed into the cityscapes to root out any remaining pockets of the enemy. 

Unfortunately, the enemy had bedded down and allowed the first wave of Militarum troops to pass and then simply came out of hiding to retake the ground lost. Killing with more efficiancy then high command expected.

Since then they had been fighting a slow slogging urban war. 

Block by block. 

Street by street. 

Building by building.

They had bled, lost friends in some cases family. The Commissars were everywhere maintaining "morale" and the latest news was even worse.

The Adeptus Mechanicus were taking charge of the warzone personally, the Militarum were causing unacceptable amounts of damage to the infrastructure and were endangering the precious forges.

Now their positions were being passed by ranks of Skitarii, the mechanically enhanced soldiers marching in lockstep, stange buzzing commincations filling the air.

They didn't stop or either acknowledge the guardsmen as they approached the building Safaa and her unit were sheltering in.

Her unit sergeant caught sight of what he thought was the Mechanicus commander and sent a comminucation request.

"Skitarii-Alpha Mars/874, state your unit and rank designations" the terse mechanical voice came through the vox speakers.

"3rd Thawanan Light, Sergeant Arikaan, you are marching your troops into a known sniper nest, advise you take cover" the sergeant sent. Safaa noted that the Skitarii voice sounded like a swarm of bees buzzing in the summer back home.

"Negative, Forge-World Mars will see to this, Skitarii out" and they cut the line. Further attempts to cummincate were met with static bursts.

"Charming sort aren't they?" Sergeant Arikaan mused to his unit.

-----

In the street the maniple of Skitarii continued to advance.

Alpha Mars/874 overlaid the schemata of the city and buildings over his enhanced optic units, allowing his vision to process varying information such as the structural integrity and importance to the forge.

At the front of his column of troops, gunfire rang out as the snipers opened fire again. Bullets sparked from the leading Skitarii and one went down into the rubble, sparks flying from his head.

Alpha Mars/874 took to the Adeptus Mechanicus Binaric comms-net to order his troops and contact the Tech-Priest masters.

+++All Skitarii open fire, target upper window, third unit, right, Onager support requested, reading sixty enemy heat signitures inside buildings+++

As one the Skitrarii troops moved forward to advantagous firing positions, their own augmetics giving them enhanced range and firing data to make their shots with. 

A deluge of firepower greeted them in turn. It seemd the readings were off and the maniple was facing worse almost a company of enemy troopers.

 

Of the fourty  Skitarii Alpha Mars/874 had started with, almost a quarter were down, expired or wounded in some way, the alpha took to the Binaric comms-net again.

 

+++Onager support as priority, progress halted due to enemy numbers, 25% forces unnavailbe+++

 

+Nature of buildings in location+

 

+++Hab Dormitories, non-essential+++

 

+Onager support inbound, arrive in six seconds, fire for effect+

 

++Affirmative++

 

Four seconds later the front of the building exploded. Massed fire from three Neutron Lasers which burned holes through entire floors of the building.

Ash and rubble cascaded down into the street, the dust billowing and covering the Skitarii maniple sheltering there.

 

They rythmic drumming of the walking tanks legs and the whine of the charging lasers were the only sounds as the Dunecrawler Onager tanks rounded the corner of the intersection and opened fire again.

There would be no heretic bodies or remains in the ruins as the lasers burnt all organic material to ash and scattered it with the shockwaves of further explosions.

Another three seconds of continued fire brought the building down and destroyed the enemy within.

 

-----

 

"Well, if that dosen't beat everything" Sergeant Arikaan began, "We get censured for damaging the city and they casually tear down a hab block"

 

"They're not even gathering their wounded or dead, look!" Guardswoman Safaa said pointing.

 

The gathered guardsmen watched as the maniple of Skitarii stood up and marched off in lockstep as if they hadn't just been ambushed. The tanks turning on the spot and following the infantry.

 

"I don't know what's worse, the enemy or out allies, give me the creeps" Safaa said.

 

"Don't let the Commissars hear you say that" Sergeant Arikaan warned her.

*****

In my last post about the chainrasps I mentioned that I had a project which mainly needed basing to complete.

This is the start of that project being finished and being posted on here properly.

Fraser, one of my friends from the other side of the Pennines (some would say the wrong side), gave me this Adeptus Mechanicus army to paint up for him before the plague-times happened.

And I made good progress on it too, I really did. It's just the world kind of had a way of stamping down on things and whilst many hobbyists out there might have managed to get swathes of hobby completed throughout the various lockdowns, being a "Key-Worker" I've been at work throughout the entire pandemic.

So for me it's pretty much been shiftwork as usual.

As a last ditch effort to grab some points for our local painting challenge here, I dragged these three Dunecrawler Onager tanks out to get finished.

He wanted the army to be from Forge World Mars, and originally wanted them based like they were on the red planet.

I obejcted to this by pointing out that our cityfight terrain would be the perfect basing for them, the red of their armour would really look great on urban rubble bases.

He agreed and this is the final result.

All the weapons are magnetised to give all the options from the codex. Each has a Cognis-Stubber, even though only two commanders are firing them. 

They are painted using the Warhammer TV battle Ready Skitarii tutorial, which gives a nice, quick scheme to paint without too much hard work. 

I took a chance to try the scheme on these vehicles, as usually I find that vehicles don't follow the same techniques as infantry when painting, but these turn out great following it with the same few steps. 

I took the time to add some paint chipping effect with part of a torn sponge and Leadbelcher paint.

(I don't think it shows up well in these photo's however).

I just wish that we could add banners like in this animated gif I found:

Here are some closer photo's of the finished tanks:

I went with a quick, paintable scheme from Warhammer TV which I think looks great.

The only addition I have made was to add some paint chipping using a torn sponge and some Leadbelcher paint.

I am going to go back and just add some dust around the vehicles feet to tie them into the bases a little.

Speaking of the bases:

This was the original idea for the bases. I used some modelling compound to sculpt some rough hill shapes which I was going to cover with rubble, like the buildings I started to make.

I changed my mind to make the flat bases after one of the tanks fell off it's perch on those bases 

I think they look more acceptable now and are less likely to break off their bases mid-game.

Now onto the hobby upkeep. 

For Hobby Bingo these three together fill a "Behemoth/Lord of War box, being three tanks which are equivalent in size to a Leman Russ.

Finally for our local Challenge (and this will be my last entry for this) these tanks give me an additional 24 points.

As the local challenge has now finished, I'll post up a run-down in the next couple of days.

Until next time...

 - Lewii 

Local Painting Challenge - the aftermath.

In a Previous post about a month ago, myself and two friends started a friendly painting competition to get stuff finished and off the hobby table.

We started on the 6th of February and the final date was the 6th of March.

Well that was yesterday, here the aftermath:

The Scoreboard:

Duncan: 111 points.

Grant: 106 points.

Lewis: 71 points.

Lots of stuff painted, but whilst the other two focused upon super-heavy and behemoth type stuff, most of which wasn't painted to begin with, I was trying to get stuff finished which was started and then not finished.

If I'd have had the time I'd have finished another 20 chainrasps, but it was not meant to be.

So congratulations are in order to Duncan, he's added to his swathe of Super-heavy models (seriously he has an entire shelving unit just for Imperial Knights).

Well done to Grant, carrying on with his gribbly Tyranids (I think he has something like 20,000 points or so).

I'm personally pleased with the amount I finished, which is the point of all this to be honest.

Onto the photos.

Duncan, group shot:

You can see the big stuff at the back surrounded by Adeptus Mechanicus models. The surprise was his final sprint pushing those Necrons through.

*****

Grant's collection (he had packed things away before the group photo):

Again, lots of bigger models in there, the Stegadon was for the 420 minute painting challenge for our local GW store (Grant is the manager there). Again the surprise entries were on the last day when he painted the Barbed Hierodule and two Harpies complete before the finishing deadline.

*****

Finally, my own group finished photo:

Lots more basic infantry models here then those two.  It it's been good to see progress and see stuff getting finished.

On the last day I pushed the three Dunecrawler Onager Tanks through to completion, making those the biggest models I've completed this year.

It's been enjoyable, even if it's been a struggle to fit quantity painting around my work and family life.

Will we do this again?

Probably, but not for a month or two as there is a house move for one of us on the horizon soon.

Maybe in the summer, but definitely again.

Until next time...

 - Lewis.

Hobby Bingo - February 2021 recap.

 

So a much more productive month from me and Chris, not as much from David, but the scores have all caught up to one another.

Currently the scoreboard looks like this;

Lewis - 60 points with Deathwatch Killteam, The Briar Queen (and friends), Gryph-hounds and Temur Khan.

Chris - 50 points with Farmer Maggot, Magister Coldheart, The Throne and Dunbarr Torok.

David - 50 points with Galmoy's Regiment, O'Brien's Regiment, and Dorrington's Regiment.

So, after a dismal start in January, I've managed to get stuff finished and pull just ahead into the lead...for now. 

I'm sure both Chris and David has things planned and near completion.

Two months in and my personal goal of completing two grids this year seems doable, I've just got to try not to get stuck slogging through a unit which feels like it will never end*.

Well, until next time...

 - Lewis

* Which I currently am doing and painting other stuff around it so I don't loose all motivation. Le sigh.