The Lupercal's Eyes - Black Legion Havoc Squad.

The Lupercal's Eyes

The assault was going well.

That was the first thought Varek Saul had as he stepped over the corpse of a hab-worker and onto the roof.

Below him, the Black Legion forces flowed through the ruined streets in black and gold waves. Cultists surged ahead of them, shrieking and firing wildly into windows and doorways, while packs of horned beastmen bounded through the rubble on cloven hooves. Behind them came the Legionaries, disciplined and deliberate, advancing through the chaos they had created.

Saul looked back across the three adjoining city blocks his men had taken in their advance.

They had chosen their position well.

The building formed a natural firing platform above the surrounding streets, the upper floors overlooking the avenues from three directions. The Havocs had stripped away the last defenders within minutes. Saul moved through the darkened rooms behind them, putting down anything that still moved while his men hauled their equipment upward.

Now the roof belonged to them.

Four massive lascannons stood at its edge.

Each was connected by thick cabling to the powerplants mounted across the Havocs' backs, the conduits pulsing faintly beneath their armour as the weapons drew upon their reserves. The ancient systems hummed with barely contained power.

Saul watched one of them fire.

The beam crossed the street in an instant.

A Chimera vanished beneath it.

The vehicle's forward armour turned white-hot before the entire front third of the machine erupted, throwing burning wreckage across the road. The vehicle behind it slammed on its brakes, trapping itself in the narrow avenue.

Three more lascannons traversed.

Three beams struck.

The Imperial column disappeared beneath a succession of concussive explosions.

Saul watched through the smoke.

"Good."

Another vehicle attempted to reverse.

The four weapons tracked it independently.

The first shot crippled it.

The second killed it.

The third and fourth struck vehicles further back in the column.

There was no cheering from the Havocs.

There never was.

They simply moved to their next targets.

*****

Hopefully I have a game of 5th edition arranged for a few weeks time. 

Why a few weeks? 

I hear you ask.

Well, life is busy, also I don't live close to anyone whom I know (and importantly like enough to invite to my house) who plays wargames, and there is only so my solo planning i can do*.

*old wives tales say thay if you play by yourself too much you'll go blind!

So with that thought in mind, I decided to finish off a few things, and then a couple of nights before decide what army I am taking to Element Games Stockport.

Be that my Orks, Tyranids, Death Korps or perhaps some Chaos Legionaries!

We'll see...

Importantly though I have gotten this particular unit finished and off the painting table.

Varek Saul and the Lupercal's Eyes are a veteran unit of Lascannon toting Havocs**.

**I would like to take this moment to point out that they are completely illegal to play in any modern format of the game. Given that every unit GW makes is now "Box Locked" to whatever weapons or combination it comes with on the sprue...grumble grumble.

So anyway, Saul here pulls double duty until.i can build another champion.

He is normally my Aspiring Champion for the force, hence his ragged cape, made from.a chopped up Nighthaunt Chainrasp.

His banner, a remnant of the 16th Legion, was 3D Printed, and I painted it in that classic 2nd/3rd edition art style where the eight pointed stars would be yellow, not gold***.

***this also makes sense from a painting perspective, as the gold we use is far too metallic to represent gold thread.

The four Havocs of his unit were a rescue purchase from Mirfield Miniatures for a bargain, but definitely needed some.TLC to bring them up to snuff.

The crimson panels across the unit match my Chaos Lord for the force whom i painted a while ago.

Maybe I should have gone for Sons of Horus Green instead, but I like the contrast of the red, giving very 2nd edition vibes.

The Lupercal's Eyes aren't simply another Havoc squad. They're one of the oldest surviving elements of Zhal's warband, veterans of the XVI Legion who have followed him from the end of the Heresy and into the Eye.

They're the sort of unit I imagine Zhal deploying when something absolutely, positively needs to stop moving, we'll see how they perform**** on the tabletop when/if I manage to get my game.

****Hopefully they don't suffer from Freshly Painted Model Syndrome. Not that I'm superstitious or anything but Freshly Painted models ALWAYS tend to perform badly on their first outing.

The same as new dice, which often end up in Dice Jail.

Next is a five man unit of Chosen and the last Marines to bring my two Chaos Marine units up to ten men each.

*****

Saul turned away from the slaughter and walked the perimeter.

He carried no lascannon himself. His armour was instead configured for command, communications and close combat, leaving his four warriors to operate their weapons without interruption. The enormous power cables snaking from their backpacks made the arrangement cumbersome, but these men had been doing this for longer than most Imperial worlds had possessed their current names.

Saul had learned long ago that his place was not behind the gun.

It was behind his men.

He reached the western parapet and looked down.

Something moved between the buildings.

Then another.

Then dozens.

Imperial infantry.

They were gathering in the streets below, emerging from alleys and shattered hab-blocks. More were arriving from the rear, filling the avenues until the mass became impossible to mistake.

Saul watched them for several seconds.

A counterattack.

He turned towards the nearest Havoc.

"Keep firing."

The warrior didn't acknowledge him, he didn't need to.

Saul activated his vox.

Static crackled in his ear, followed by the distant roar of battle.

"Vhal."

A pause.

Then the reply.

"Saul."

"Enemy infantry massing on my western flank. Close to a hundred souls, perhaps more. They're forming for an assault."

He watched the Imperial soldiers begin advancing through the ruins.

"They've seen us."

Another lascannon fired behind him.

The beam punched through the distant street, catching an Imperial command vehicle as it attempted to move into position. It detonated beneath the impact.

Saul smiled faintly.

"Correction," he said into the vox.

"They've seen me."

Vhal's reply came through the static.

"Can you hold?"

Saul looked across the roof.

Four ancient Sons of Horus veterans stood behind their weapons, the old power systems humming and the remnants of the Lupercal's banner snapping from its pole.

Beyond them, an Imperial force was coming.

Saul licked his lips and drew his sword.

"Of course."

He paused.

Then glanced towards the vox.

"But I'd appreciate some company."

*****

As always, have nice day...