Iron Knights Atrapos

There was a Legend on Ancient Medusa, of a coterie of warriors bid to protect the Vanadium Vault. Who bound them to this task and what they protect is subject to dark legend. These are cold, inert monsters from a lost age tasked never to awaken until the apocalypse of Old Night falls over mankind once more. The coming of Ferrus Manus brought about the reactivation of the Knights and they strode once more across the planet in vengeance. 

Paints used: Vallejo, Reaper Master Series, Games Workshop Washes, Com Art Medea Airbrush Airbrush: Iwata Hi-Line HP-CH Airbrush Paint Brushes: Rosemary & Co. Raphael 8040, Broken Toad Brushes, Windsor and Newton Series 7

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Iron Knights The Brothers Grimm Knight Ma Megaera and Styrix

There was a Legend on Ancient Medusa, of a coterie of warriors bid to protect the Vanadium Vault. Who bound them to this task and what they protect is subject to dark legend. These are cold, inert monsters from a lost age tasked never to awaken until the apocalypse of Old Night falls over mankind once more. The coming of Ferrus Manus brought about the reactivation of the Knights and they strode once more across the planet in vengeance. 

Paints used: Vallejo, Reaper Master Series, Games Workshop Washes, Com Art Medea Airbrush Airbrush: Iwata Hi-Line HP-CH Airbrush Paint Brushes: Rosemary & Co. Raphael 8040, Broken Toad Brushes, Windsor and Newton Series 7

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Iron Knights Acheron Commission

There was a Legend on Ancient Medusa, of a coterie of warriors bid to protect the Vanadium Vault. Who bound them to this task and what they protect is subject to dark legend. These are cold, inert monsters from a lost age tasked never to awaken until the apocalypse of Old Night falls over mankind once more. The coming of Ferrus Manus brought about the reactivation of the Knights and they strode once more across the planet in vengeance. 

Of all the Forgeworld Knights I think this is my favourite. The long barrel of the flamer is a nice balance to the chainglaive. 

Paints used: Vallejo, Reaper Master Series, Games Workshop Washes, Com Art Medea Airbrush Airbrush: Iwata Hi-Line HP-CH Airbrush Paint Brushes: Rosemary & Co. Raphael 8040, Broken Toad Brushes, Windsor and Newton Series 7

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Iron Knights Iron Hands Knight Lancer Commission

There was a Legend on Ancient Medusa, of a coterie of warriors bid to protect the Vanadium Vault. Who bound them to this task and what they protect is subject to dark legend. These are cold, inert monsters from a lost age tasked never to awaken until the apocalypse of Old Night falls over mankind once more. The coming of Ferrus Manus brought about the reactivation of the Knights and they strode once more across the planet in vengeance. 

This is the first part of a full Knight House painted to be a part of the Iron X. The client specifically wanted a dark monotone paint job with battle damage and the signs of wear and tear. I went with a a red weathering powder add interest to the armour. 

Paints used: Vallejo, Reaper Master Series, Games Workshop Washes, Com Art Medea Airbrush Airbrush: Iwata Hi-Line HP-CH Airbrush Paint Brushes: Rosemary & Co. Raphael 8040, Broken Toad Brushes, Windsor and Newton Series 7

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Iron Knights of Medusa Cerastus Knight Castigator

There was a Legend on Ancient Medusa, of a coterie of warriors bid to protect the Vanadium Vault. Who bound them to this task and what they protect is subject to dark legend. These are cold, inert monsters from a lost age tasked never to awaken until the apocalypse of Old Night falls over mankind once more. The coming of Ferrus Manus brought about the reactivation of the Knights and they strode once more across the planet in vengeance. 

Paints used: Vallejo, Reaper Master Series, Games Workshop Washes, Com Art Medea Airbrush Airbrush: Iwata Hi-Line HP-CH Airbrush Paint Brushes: Rosemary & Co. Raphael 8040, Broken Toad Brushes, Windsor and Newton Series 7

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Perturabo Primarch of the Iron Warriors Commission

"Tell them ruin has come to their world, death, despair and red war...

Tell them their hopes and pride have come to nothing.
Tell them their empty whispers fall upon deaf ears - their gods are dead, human logic has killed them.
Tell them the Angels of Death have come.
Tell them that nothing can save them now."

Paints used: Vallejo, Reaper Master Series, Games Workshop Washes, Com Art Medea Airbrush Airbrush: Iwata Hi-Line HP-CH Airbrush Paint Brushes: Rosemary & Co. Raphael 8040, Broken Toad Brushes, Windsor and Newton Series 7

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In the Shadow of Mighty Wings; The Chaplain Dilemma

It's come to the point in my collection where I've started to write out some lists. The Horus Heresy books offer a dearth of knowledge, back history, colour plates and interest for the fluff gamer. But it also offer rules which are by all accounts excellent. I feel that I delve into the history and the painting side, but I'm missing out on the gaming aspect. 

All the lists I've written so far include a Chaplain. It's a fantastic consul choice for small games and augments units in larger games. But what does a 30K chaplain look like? What is his function within the legion? Did they exist as an organisation before the council of Nikaea?

There are few facts concerning this organisation. In the Word Bearers section of the Forgeworld book we learn that they had a corps of Imperial Heralds who would travel to newly discovered worlds and iterate the teachings of the Imperial Truth, welcoming that lost branch of humanity back in to the fold of the Imperium. Unsurprisingly there was a high attrition rate with the Heralds. It is unclear whether this role was prevalent in other legions or was unique to the XVII. Another thing we learn is that there Heralds were garbed in black to signify that they are under the direct order of the Emperor himself (as an aside banner bearers were garbed in imperial purple, a colour later adopted by the Emperor's Children). These Heralds would be given a sigil of office, a Crozuis topped with the Imperial Aquila. 

Although Forgeworld have not released a model for the chaplain the plastic Word Bearer fro the Battle at Calth boxed set gives us some insight into how the 30K predecessor differed from his 40K counterpart. For one there is little in the way of iconography embellished in the armour. In 40K we see a recurring motif of Death's head, skeletons and the such, motif's prevalent in Medieval art reminding us of our mortality and salvation in the next life. This iconography can be construed as Chaplin embedding the heart and soul of the Chapter - the bare bones if you pardon the pun - that underpins the ideology by which the chapter functions. 

We do have descriptions of Chaplains bearing the death's head helmet. In Fear to Tread the Warden has such a helmet, his role within the Legion to uphold the edict of Nikaea and morale (perversely he seems to have the opposite effect on his brothers, badgering them over the most minor lapses in protocol). 

So what we know:

1) Chaplains wear black (although this is not a universal factor. Parts of their armour may be painted black)
2) They bear a Crozius (a badge of office, normally topped or adorned in some manner with the Imperial Aquila).
3) They embody the tenets of the Legion, recalling it's history and maintaining morale. In some cases they act as heralds to newly found human worlds. In effect they are part of the council that decides whether new worlds are suitable for compliancy (if their genetic stain is to divergent from main stream humanity, or if their ideologies are to far removed to join humanity).

From here we can start sourcing some suitable models. The Battle of Catlh boxed set is an excellent model but is unsuitable for my needs as he will be armed with a jump pack, and we can't have that pretty cape going up in flames now can we?

The second choice is simply buying a chaplain model. Again I don't see this as a suitable fit as the ornamentation on the armour is to much for the stripped back functional legions.

A conversion it is then. There are some excellent examples of Chaplain conversion out there, but nothing that quite scratches the itch for me. Then I remembered this:

The Games Day event only Forgeworld Boarding Marine. I wasn't fortunate enough to buy one first time around but this model is just perfect for how I envision my Chaplain working within the force. My expedition is a Vanguard fleet at the edge of the known galaxy in the latter days of the Great Crusade. The heat and fury of the Imperium's forging has begun to cool. This Chaplain acts as a herald, announcing the Imperial Truth to human civilisations on the rim of the Galaxy. He has a big beefy Storm Shield with a teleport homer to help him escape those court who do not like his declaration. 

Paints used: Vallejo, Reaper Master Series, Games Workshop Washes, Com Art Medea Airbrush Airbrush: Iwata Hi-Line HP-CH Airbrush Paint Brushes: Rosemary & Co. Raphael 8040, Broken Toad Brushes, Windsor and Newton Series 7

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Mortarion the Reaper, Scion of Barbarus Commission

The shadowed and sinister Mortarion was Primarch and Commander of the Death Guard Legion. Raised upon a nightmare world of fell secrets and necromantic horror where humans were hunted like animals, the darkness that surrounded him seeped into his soul and would never leave him. 

Fiercely driven and relentless, the reaper-Primarch led his Legion to become wrathful liberators, spectres of death and judgment to whom no battlefield was insurmountable and no foe too terrible to face. With lies and half-truths did Horus sway Mortarion to his cause, and the price that he and his Legion would pay for their role in the Heresy would be nightmarish beyond imagining.

Paints used: Vallejo, Reaper Master Series, Games Workshop Washes, Com Art Medea Airbrush Airbrush: Iwata Hi-Line HP-CH Airbrush Paint Brushes: Rosemary & Co. Raphael 8040, Broken Toad Brushes, Windsor and Newton Series 7

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Deathguard Land Raider Proteus "Danse Macbre" commission

The Deathguard allow us the opportunity to really push the weathering techniques. If you'd like to know how to create the rust effect check out this tutorial. When layered with oil washes and weathering powers you can build up some fantastic effects.


Paints used: Vallejo, Reaper Master Series, Games Workshop Washes, Com Art Medea Airbrush Airbrush: Iwata Hi-Line HP-CH Airbrush Paint Brushes: Rosemary & Co. Raphael 8040, Broken Toad Brushes, Windsor and Newton Series 7

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Corvus Corax The Raven Lord, Primarch of the Ravenguard

"The First Axiom of Victory is to be other than where the enemy desire you to be. The First Axiom of Stealth is to be other than where the enemy believes you to be. The First Axiom of Freedom is that justice without force is powerless; force without justice is tyranny."

— Corvus Corax, Axioms of the Legiones Astartes, Raven Guard Legion

The master of stealth and rapid strikes, Corvus Corax wields the XIXth Legion with precision and guile. The Primarch of the Raven Guard presents a striking countenance with his alabaster skin and stark, black eyes. His sable armour is edged with fine, golden filigree and upon his back is mounted a jet pack formed into a pair of articulated pinions that he wields as a murderous, bloody-edged cutting weapon.

Like most of the Primarchs, Corax is blessed of an extensive armoury of artificer-wrought weapons but those he most often bears to war are a pair of metre-long lightning claws and a coiled whip at his belt. Though few even amongst his sons know of it, Corax is blessed with the ability to pass unnoticed should he will it, this preternatural ability allowing him to slip from the perception of his enemies even when standing in plain view.

Whenever a new Primarch is released I delve into the source material surrounding them. The thing that struck me most about the Ravenguard wasn't their stealth, but rather how creepy they are. They aren't too dissimilar in outlook to the Night Lords, both operationally and in demeanour. The pale white skin was painted with an undertone of blue to give an otherworldly pallor with jet black eyes.

The Forge World team did such a wonderful job painting the official version I wanted to copy it as much as I could. The blue/purple wings I thought was an especially nice touch, remincient of the sheen of a Raven's wings.

If you would like to purchase a Corax please follow this link

Paints used: Vallejo, Reaper Master Series, Games Workshop Washes, Com Art Medea Airbrush Airbrush: Iwata Hi-Line HP-CH Airbrush Paint Brushes: Rosemary & Co. Raphael 8040, Broken Toad Brushes, Windsor and Newton Series 7

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Deathguard Knight Titan Gallant Commission

The third knight Titan in a collection painted for a Deathguard army. These titans have been bonded with the legion, their pilots replaced with more loyal subjects and later more malignant entities. The freehand is remincient of the themes of the Deathguard - the inevitability of decay, time, death, all weighty subjects.

The weathering effects were created using this tutorial with a picture of enamel and oil washes.

Paints used: Vallejo, Reaper Master Series, Games Workshop Washes, Com Art Medea Airbrush Airbrush: Iwata Hi-Line HP-CH Airbrush Paint Brushes: Rosemary & Co. Raphael 8040, Broken Toad Brushes, Windsor and Newton Series 7

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