Sunday 31 March 2013







Amended_Notes: Altered battlesuit design designated 'Acuity'. Enlarged fuel capacity allows for greater field operation time. Acuity is primarily used as a scouting vehicle commonly deployed with automated intelligences. [see: Tau_Drone///file:Ordos_Xenos_Tau_Tech///] 



Further_Notation: Due to the inclement weather of Traus 77.14, fire warriors have been issued with Hostile Environs Capes. Made of unknown fibres, this cape is a dense, heavy and hardwearing cloth that is completely waterproof. The cape can be wrapped around the warrior completely, only leaving the head and shoulder guard exposed, and is quite warm, ideal for the harsh winters on Traus (Personal_Note:Curse this cloak, may all Xenos freeze to death and save us the munitions). Closer examination of the cape, reveals that when stationary, it will discolor, mimicking the local environment. If let alone for 30.02 minutes, the cloak becomes indistinguishable from it's locale.

This curiosity may explain why the Tau are so efficient at holding 
++CLASSIFIED++ and rolling advancements. 

Why then leave the head and shoulder exposed?


AMMENDED_NOTES:The Traus 77.14 conflict, as I understand it, has had little military imperial involvement. Traus is a despicably cold planet with little value beyond the meagre mineral wealth rogue trader's can mine from it(PLANETARY_TITHE///TERTIARY.///?///-SEE_HTuPPx). It came as a great surprise then, that a Tau War fleet was discovered in system. What little pict evidence we have, came as courtesy of mining servitors, or servo skulls abandoned by the populace. 



AMMENDED_NOTES: This mystery is further complicated by the fact that we have been unable to identify who the tau are engaged with. It would be bizarre to think this to be an elaborate training exercise (see battle damage of scouting forces. Strong indication of live fire and heavy conflict). Such reasons do not matter. An imperial world has been attacked, and a response is called for. My master tells me that the Knights Solar, an order of the most Holy Adeptus Astrates, have accepted a petition to exterminate Xeno forces on Traus. My only hope is that there will be a (live) specimen left to study once the Astrates have routed the foe.


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This is my Tau Disaster Relief Force. These guys are sent in to scout dangerous area's and rescue high priority targets. They're all about low pay, high action and bucket loads of firepower. 

This seemed like an auspicious time to show them off with the new Tau just around the corner. Hope you enjoy! 

As seen on White Dwarf Daily


Tuesday 19 March 2013






















“Men in rage strike those that wish them best.” 

Of the two characters I sympathise with Abaddon the most. Loken’s idealistic jockeying is at odds with an organisation that must cleanse the universe of all life save humanity. If we consider how fragile our eco system is on earth today, how the extinction of any one species impacts all life on our planet, imagine how unbalancing the act of xenos cleansing would have on a system as grandiose and complex as the milky way?

Dress up your murder however you wish to help you sleep at night, but by any standard sense of morality we have today the astartes are monsters. Abaddon’s actions, although with hindsight are much worse, has cleaner intentions. He kills on the behest of Horus but he enjoys it because he’s good at it.. The murder of civilisations and worlds help drench out whatever human conscience he may have had. In this sense he’s more machine than man, an automaton robbed of independent will. And once his Primarch is dead, Abaddon’s personality will boil away with rage. The mad broken figure he will become is in bud here as he prepares to slay a man he once embraced as a brother.

I really wish the first three books of the Horus Heresy series had some text from Abaddon’s point of view. He’s a fascinating character at this point in history and I find his loyalty to Lupercal above all other enduring.

I painted Abaddon with warm tones to reflect is furious choleric temper. The red under-lighting foreshadows the being he will become; a twisted being fuelled by hatred and loyalty to a long dead master. 

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Another clumsy gif but i'm proud of the little sod.

For tomorrow's blog I'll be writing an overview of the diorama, why i've quoted what I have and a reflection on the piece.

Until next time!





Friday 15 March 2013










"Evil will prevail when good men do nothing."

And what to say of Loken? He’s a starch arse, yes. He’s loyal to the throne, weighing the minutiae of his actions against the principles of the Great Crusade and the emerging ethical systems of the time. He’s a thinker and paid the price of such civility against the savagery of ambitious men.

I used cool colour tones to underpin the character in opposition to Abaddon’s warm tone. I felt the cool tones highlighted Loken’s measured, logical manner as opposed to Abaddon’s unrestrained rage.
Simon has sculpted a curious expression on Loken’s face, it’s unlike anything I’ve had from a games workshop product. It’s pained and furious at the same time. It’s a face of a man who has to summon ambiguous emotions to overthrow a man who represents the treachery of his legion.

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First off, the response has been overwhelming. Thank you so much everyone and I apologise that I won't be able to respond to everyone who has taken the time to leave me a message via the forums, facebook or e-mail. I've been flooded with kind wishes and comments and I cannot thank you enough for taking an interest in my small corner of the net. 

Below is my very clumsy attempt at a G.I.F animation to show you multiple angels of the model. 

If you have any thoughts please let me know.






Thursday 14 March 2013




















"For all you know is a heap of broken images."




These are the final photographs of the Abaddon Vs. Loken Diorama sculpted by Simon Egan for Forge World.

This model was an absolute joy to paint throughout the process and I can tell the sculptor enjoyed the subject. Both models are fantastic examples of the figure sculptor’s art and together produce a scene full of energy, drive and movement. I can see that both characters are reacting to one another; it’s like watching the scene in the movie Heat where Al Pacino and Robert De Nero are sitting having a coffee. Both actors react to the slight subtleties of each other, moving, sliding, manipulating. I see the same thing here, Abaddon bracing himself for Loken’s charge and Loken his face to full of hurt.
   
The scene is very specific moment in Horus Heresy history, echoing the larger themes of the conflict that will engulf the universe. Loyalty, to one’s Primarch, to one’s Emperor and to oneself must be appreciated here, as the meaning behind the word will become a treacherous thing in the coming era. Loken is loyal to the Emperor and the ideals of the Great Crusade: Humanity’s expansion into the stars that birthed the Astartes and the only way of life he has ever known. Abaddon is loyal to his genesire, the man directly responsible for his anima and the only father he has known. Both men must betray something to stay loyal to an ideal, or a man they deem of greater import within their universe. 

Tomorrow's post will see the spotlight thrown on Loken. 

Myles