In the Shadow of Mighty Wings: Chaplain Aquilante Faustino

Chaplain Aquilante Fasutino 

The Taking of 'Seperbia Dei' Void Boarding action.

9th Company, 18th Chapter

Aquilante, here pictured leading a boarding party into the Seperbia Dei (III Legion classification 09. M31), was part of a new generation of Legionnaire whose primary experience of war was fighting in the Heresy, rather than the expansionist ideal of the Great Crusade. 

The Chaplain's armour presents us a problem in dating. The MKIII boarding plate was largely a relic by the time Faustino took his position, replaced en masse by MKIV within the Blood Angel Legion. Cross reference reveals this armour had the honour of being in the presence of the Emperor at the Triumph of Ullanor and held a ceremonial value within the IXth. With elements of the 18th being sent independently into the void, its numbers swelled by new recruits from Baal, this armour become a physical link to Terra.

Chaplain Veraggio, the previous incumbent of the armour, whilst bringing the joyous message of reunification to the peoples of 42.27, was most basely lain low by the ignorance of those people later brought to wrath. Whilst the bulk of the blackened armour was salvaged, the helmet was lost and now bears the artifice of a Baalite Deathmask.  

This model was very much an excerise in how to paint black armour effectively. I used an airbrush to put the basic tones in place, then I gave the entire piece a filter of turquoise. With a brush I reinforced the shadows and highlights. The Legion iconography is absent as I wait for the Blood Angels decal sheet to be released by Forgeworld. I'd still like to add freehand to this piece, the right pauldron looks like an especially tempting area to add something nice. 

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; Belarius Blood Angel Legion Praetor

"Angels are agents of wrath, or revelation."

Unknown. 

Belarius

The Encarmine Blade. Praetor Tertius of the 405th

"Charting the histories of the legions after the Fall of the Arch Traitor is a problematic endeavour. In an era rife with misinformation, falsifications, mass purging of data repositories and the reformation of Adiministratum, clear, concise scholarship concerning this era is a messy affair. However is it the burden of this humble servant...[text goes into a lengthy essay about the role of the scholar - edited for brevity]

Praetor Tertius Belarius, named the Encarmine Blade, served aboard the Starfall [Lunar Class Cruiser] scouting the Perditia Veil in the latter part of the Great Crusade. He is logged as having served in the scouring of Mandax and is commended by his superior [Praetor Primus Anchious Obirex] for decimation actions against Third Legion warships. 

Belarius is known to have been at the defence of Terra but in what capacity and whether he survived is unknown. However, amongst the ranks of the Blood Angels there exists a legend concerning a Chapter relic [cross reference the Encarmine Blade, Sword of Belarius] was gifted to the Praetor by Primarch Sanguinius himself. It is unclear whether the blade was given to Belarius before the Siege or during the assaults against the walls. It is also unclear whether the blade was named or whether it later adopted the epithet in honour of the Legion hero. 

  Further references to Belarius are scattered throughout the annals of second founding mythology (one cannot call such reorganisation anything other than a mythos). Several documents note  Belarius as the first Chapter Master of the Blood Angels, contradicting the documented history of Raldoron ascending to this position. If this Praetor survived he would have been one of the Legion's highest ranking and most experienced military assets, eligible for reassignment as Chapter Master of a second founding chapter."

- Myths of the Second Founding; Chapter IXX - The Hosts of Baal, Children with Earthly feet. 

By Adept Historomancer Belquin Levi

I was privileged enough to have been in the hobby when Warhammer Monthly started. As a child I devoured the stories and spent the proceeding month contemplating the story. The episodic nature of the stories made the tales feel epic. Waiting month to month to find out if Leonatos was successful in his quest has left an impression on me. From the very first comic strip printed in White Dwarf I was intrigued as to who Belarius was. All we know of him was that he was a mighty hero of the Legion who was gifted a sword by Sanguinius himself and went on to become the first Chapter Master. 

I knew from the very outset that I didn't want the Praetor's feet to touch the ground, and that his countenance should be angelic. I have a theory that while the gene therapy of other Astartes makes them look bulbous and overly muscled, for the Blood Angels their inhumanity take the shape of otherworldly beauty. I also wanted a larger scenic base for him to stand on, akin to other personalities in Forgeworld's Character series. 

The base is made from the Abaddon and Loken diorama, cut up and repositioned. It is also fully magnetised.  The central fallen cathedral nave made the perfect base to attach Astorath's jump pack to. The model is them converted from Sanguinary Guard parts and the Sanguinor. Because this is a Heresy era piece I didn't feel non metallic metal to be appropriate (it has a slightly cartoony feel, at least when I do it, that is at odds with hyper realistic dirt and weathering look of the Heresy). The metals I used are a combination or Forgeworld's excellent gold paints and Vallejo's airbrush metallic paints. I shaded the metallics with inks for tonal variation and oil paints for the very deepest recesses. 

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 Land Raider Proteus Astrophel

My Land Raider Proteus Astrophel. This was a big project incorporating many advanced weathering techniques that I have been experimenting with one the past couple of years. I know from the outset that my Blood Angels would be ornate and decorated with freehand. With lots of open flat surfaces, this gave me the opportunity to practice a little freehand then break it up with battle damage. Having now seen the Forgeworld colour plate I have a few ideas of what I'd how I'd like to paint my next vehicle.

Paints used: Vallejo, Reaper Master Series, Games Workshop Washes, Com Art Medea Airbrush Airbrush: Sparmax MAX- 4 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: Terminator Sgt. Eremiel Showcase

Sgt. Eremiel leads the vaunted Dynameis Terminator Squad earning battlefield promotion during the ill fated Varidonne cleanings. Hailing from the Southern Urals of Terra, Eremiel is a rare example of amongst the Legions of a second generation of recruitment from the Home World after the founding of Baal as the IX base of operations. Baal's barren climate has made for a notoriously meagre crop of recruits, despite the high conversion rate into Astartes. 

No mention is made of Sgt. Eremiel beyond the Siege of Terra (where he is listed in the Honour Roll), however the Blood Angel's custom of changing their name when they attain a greater rank within the Legion makes his ultimate fate unknown. 

I had just watched Guardians of the Galaxy and I was flicking through IMBD's trivia pages when I came across this:

Dijon Hounsou took the role of Korath for the sake of his son: "I have a son who loves superheroes from Spider-Man to Iron Man to Batman. One day he looks at me and says 'Dad, I want to be light-skinned so I could be Spider-Man. Spider-Man has light skin.'

How tragic is that? I can't quite articulate why it disturbs me so much, or how I feel it connects to my own work. All I can say for certain is that I had this in my head when I started my Blood Angel project. I feel that I, in my small way in a niche hobby, am contributing to this problem. I want to represent the broad spectrum of ethnic groups that must be out there in the 31st millennium. So I will be painting many more skin tones than the traditional caucasian.

And so I present to you Eremiel Honsou.

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

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In the Shadow of Mighty Wings: Nassir Amit the Flesh Tearer Champion of the Legion

I created this model as a mock up for a space marine legion. I love the champion of the legion command set. The mis matched armour fit perfectly into my image of a Blood Angel Force squaring down the Traitors at the siege of Terra. 

Although some won't see this as the redoubtable Flesh Tearer (I understand when people read the novels they form a distinctive image in their mind of what the character shall be and any other rendition is dismissed out of hand) I created this model with him in mind. Perhaps it would be fairer to say that this model is inspired by Amit. 

As with all the models to date there are no unit identification markings or legion symbols. I'm waiting for Forge World to release a decal set to ensure a constant result across my collection. I can also add a bit more weathering a chipping techniques to make the armour more battle worn. 

Oh and the sword is from Maximini I believe. I bought it so long ago I can't remember where exactly it came from. He has a touch of Final Fantasy triumphalism about him. 

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

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In the Shadow of Mighty Wings: Sgt's update

This post will be light on the philosophy and is more of a catch up of where we are. Painting is in full swing. 18 marines have had the airbrush layers put on and will be pushed into the brush stage. 

I've completed the squad Sgt. as a tester for the rest and I'm very pleased with the result. 

I've added a decal of the Legion symbol but I won't be adding any more as I'm not sure if Forge World will change it to a more nostalgic version. I won't be adding much in the way of detail to the models either - again waiting for Forge World to release a few colour plates so I have a feel of the secondary colours used and the patterns.

Dynameis - Literally translates as Powers but has connotations of Strength, miracles, but more strongly expressed as exceptional miracles (Renweal Theology: Systematic Theology from a Charismatic Perspective pg 156). Strange that miracles have a hierarchy - what would a mundane miracle be? 

The Dynameis are my terminator unit. The first creation was a terminator with parts from the Sanguinary Guard, Phoenix Terminators and the Cataphractii kit. In battle I imagine these guys are dropped like an anchor from which the Blood Angel support elements can build or face from. These guys are the back bone of a dynamic assault. Like all Blood Angels their armour is individually decorated and crafted with an eye to aesthetic beauty - an echo from Baalite culture.  

The second unit had to be 20 Tactical Legionnaires. Unlike their 40K descendants, Tactical marines could be taken in swathes. The silhouette of a 40K marine army is different to a 30K one, the Sicarans, Contemptors, Primarchs and Superheavies all make a distinct impression on the field. 

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In the Shadow of Mighty Wings: Blood Angel Horus Heresy post 4

On collecting Legion Blood Angels

I like typing up a design brief before I start each project. This mission brie helps me refine my initial inspiration for the project, allowing me to review it over the years and stay on track. Here are my design notes for Legion Blood Angels. 

1) No Saltires. “The Death Company is arrayed in black armour upon which are painted red saltires, crosses of blood red which symbolise the sacrifice of Sanguinius.” 

Some artists have done a fantastic job putting the saltire in a different context, but this image is so closely intertwined the Death Company and the 41st millennium that I can’t bring myself to incorporate it in the Heresy era force. 

2) Angelic over barbaric. I have a fan theory why Blood Angels drink blood and it has to do with the little talked of ability of a space marine’s ability to absorb surface memories by eating flesh. 

Why do they drink blood? 

"It’s invigorating. We absorb memories, and those memories are…intoxicating. As Astartes we have to kill our humanity in order to ascend to the Host. I have felt the fear of a thousand men, tasted the last panicked moments of their existence. I have experienced their love, lust and those few precious moments of hope granted in a life time. I’m not ashamed to admit that the death I taste is as sweet as the memory of life. 

By imbibing blood we are able to partake in the humanity that has been denied us.

Our brothers in the medicae purify our Blood between compliances. Although rarely discussed the mode of our transubstantiation must be constantly monitored; our bodies purified. Some would call this a flaw in our genetic make up, but what machine was ever so constructed to endure such hardships as we that didn’t need repair? We are all born base, our bodies marked by Baal but we are transformed like no other Legion by the grace of the Angel. The living Blood of Sanguinius sustains us in more than a spiritual sense."

Remberances of Terra. Collected Visions. attributed to Sgt. Raphaeno, 3rd company. Blood Angels. 

The sanguinary priesthood post heresy are injected with the blood of Sanguinius to keep it vital and living, to be injected into other blood angels. I believe that more than a way of triggering the geneseed that this process actually helped smooth out the underlining flaws of the IX genetic make up. While Sanguinius was alive he was able to mitigate the worst of this flaw with his own blood, or merely his presence was enough to some how psychically smooth over the black rage. 

I always liked the idea of the Black rage being a form of racial post traumatic stress disorder suffered by the Blood Angels in the wake of the Horus Heresy. But this idea was put to rest in Fear to Tread. The flaw was present before the Heresy. 

3) Chalices & tear drops. 

A chalice is used in Fear to Tread to denote fraternity. Squads of marines drink the blood of their brothers from a chalice. Putting aside the sanitary concerns of such an act for the moment, the Chalice is a potent symbol within the Blood Angel legion; it is a metaphorical link between brothers, and to their Primarch. A chalice would make an excellent Legion Vexilla. 

The tear drop motif was first seen in the aftermath of Murder when Sanguinius marks his face with a single tear drop. This melancholic symbol could represent many things within the symbolic language of the Blood Angels but is no doubt a potent and easily recognisable symbol. 

4)  New-school BAs - Red, Bone, Green. Old-school BAs - Red, Black, Yellow 

5) Red armour should have a shine on the surface, not towards the edges, so effectively gloss, as opposed to matte.

6) Blood drops & gems blue + Purple. 

7) Black details, contrasting black armour plates, black flame details.

8) Latin & Italian Names - still frequently seen in BA armies, but things these days are usually trending towards the greek, and even then more common in ultramarine armies.

9) Be mindful of painting Powerfists & Gun casings in yellow - like the second edition box cover. 

10) Detailed personal heraldry & squad markings

11) All blood angels hair BONE WHITE, not blonde, and Black.”

Although it is fair to say that the latest incarnation of the Blood Angels really indulges the romanesque aspects of their character, I would argue that their initial, and strongest, influence comes from renaissance art.

I've been rooting around for a apt summarisation of the Renaissance movement, this is the best I could find:

"The Italian Renaissance had placed human beings once more in the centre of life's stage and infused thought and art with humanistic values. In time the stimulating ideas current in Italy spread to other areas and combined with indigenous developments to produce a French Renaissance, an English Renaissance, and so on.

The term Renaissance, literally means "rebirth" and is the period in European civilisation immediately following the Middle Ages, conventionally held to have been characterised by a surge of interest in classical learning and values. The Renaissance also witnessed the discovery and exploration of new continents, the substitution of the Copernican for the Ptolemaic system of astronomy, the decline of the feudal system and the growth of commerce, and the invention or application of such potentially powerful innovations as paper, printing, the mariner's compass, and gunpowder. To the scholars and thinkers of the day, however, it was primarily a time of the revival of classical learning and wisdom after a long period of cultural decline and stagnation."

Dante, the Chapter master and writer of the Inferno, Erasmus (possibly inspired by Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus, a Dutch Renaissance humanist) Tycho (possibly Tycho Brahe, astronomer), and supporting fluff that claims the Blood Angels armour is amongst the most finely crafted pieces in the universe; all these details reflect enlightenment ideals. In fluff terms, the Blood Angels still embody some of the humanistic principles, and optimism of the Great Crusade. To boil it right down, you have to be a bit of a romantic to play Blood Angels and enjoy painting red. 

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Project update. The test model has gone well and I have my red. Painting en masse has begun. The next article will focus in on how I painted this red with step by step pictures. 

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