Painted Heresy-era Salamanders: Librarian and Chapter Serf

Greetings once again InterWebs!!! It seems I am on fire with the updates recently! Well all I can say is that I have been painting a fair bit recently (every day for a bit since Xmas) and I thought I would share with you all. Paint....Paint.....Paint.....it is everywhere these days and all I can think about! I think my fingers are started to get a black-green tint to them. The recent push to get 3000 points painted by the 16th leads me to show you my Salamanders Librarian and his Chapter Serf Shield Bearer.

Librarian:

Glowing runes of power on his leg armor:

Inferno Pistol. I did not want to say it was in his holster, something as nasty as an inferno pistol should be modeled and shown to your opponent (in my opinion):

Banner pole topper which I am pleased with how it all turned out. I really like how it is looking out over the soon to be added banner.

I use red drake scale cloaks for the general troopers but I thought it would be a nice touch to have a different color for the characters; I went with a blue drake skin for the Librarian which also helps show that he different then the rest.

Force axe (missing some paint it seems.....doh!), Librarian shoulder pad, and fetish ropes!

The Librarian is also equipped with a Storm Shield but I really didn't want him holding it which left hanging on his back which was not going to happen (cloak and banner pole). I decided that I would go with a native of Nocturne (Chapter Serf) who happens to follow the Librarian unto the anvil. I will always laugh at the horror this little guy will get exposed to during his gaming career while following the Librarian.

Shield Bearer Chapter Serf with native Nocturne skin tone as opposed to the Onyx/Midnight skin tone of the Legionaries:

Librarian's Storm Shield:

Scale shot of the duo which I think shows the height difference between a normal human and a post-human Space Marine:

Well, that was a nice enough little break from the painting. I am going to try and get some of this ink of my fingers before going back to the paint desk. I am getting closer by the day to having it all painted, now if the weather would warm up enough so I can seal these guys that would be awesome! Thanks for stopping by and taking a look! Take care!

Heresy-Era Salamanders: Librarian and Apothecary WiP

Greetings once again InterWebs!!!! It has been a bitterly cold time here in the Rocky Mountains (we have not gotten above freezing in days) so I have been unable to spray anything so it was more build time for me. I am getting very close to having 3000pts of Heresy Salamanders all built. I decided to finish up the last two 'infantry' models for the army: a Librarian and a Apothecary. I love these models and the fact that they are wearing Mk IV power armor (like everyone else in the army) was just the icing on the cake!

I would like to present to you Librarian U'uka Obataiye:

I have him equipped with an inferno pistol. I did not want to just say 'it's in his holster' which is lame so I went ahead and used a wrist-mounted version. I think it is a little bulky but it will work. You can also see the drake standard topper which I really like. All of my characters will have cloth standards to help set them apart from everyone else.

MaxMini drake scale cloak which require a fair amount of work to actually get them to sit correctly.

Another look at the standard top along with a look at some fetish/trophy ropes:

Since character models in the Salamander Legion can take proto-Storm Shields I knew I had to include one with the Librarian. I did not want have him holding it, I liked the FW model as it came, I did not want to hang it off his back either, so that led to........Chapter Serf Nambewa:

His Master's Storm Shield:

A scale shot of the two together:

The last infantry model to build was an Apothecary. This was a fairly straightforward build process with only a couple of additions to the standard model. Here is Apothecary Ki'zza Daktari:

I added an 'augury scanner' to his belt, this seems like a must have piece of equipment in the Heresy-era.

Use of a GW Dark Elf Corsair cloak, which I find really easy to use, although the cloaks all flow the same way:

Even the medics can't get away from the fetish/trophy ropes!

That is it for now, I am working on some 'heavy hitters' for the Legio next. Thanks for stopping by and taking a look! Take care!

Battle Report: Blood Angels versus Imperial Guard with a twist

Greetings once again InterWebs!!!! Last Monday saw a Holiday in the US, it was Labor Day, and Mordian 7th and I had the day off. We decided to celebrate with a little 1250 point battle in the morning. Instead of being a normal battle we both decided to play each other's list; so instead of my usual Transhuman Killing Machines I got to play with some normal guys with flashlights. It was actually a whole lot of fun! On to the pictures and some reporting........

My force for the day, a bunch of guardsmen, a Vanquisher, a Thudd Gun, and a couple of Sentinels:

Led by Ciaphas Cain Hero of the Imperium!

Mordian 7th had some rules he found which we both agreed represented Ciaphas Cain and his bodyguard Jurgen very well. It was a blast to use him and have him trying to save his own life during the game.

The board setup which was surprisingly not a city fight:

The guard went second and deployed hunkered down in the the defense line. The guard needed all the help they could get!

The Blood Angels setup, ready to sweep the Guard off the table. This is not a sight I am used to seeing as I am usually on the controlling side of the Blood Angels:

The Blood Angels went first and swept forwards rapidly. The Baal Predator unleashed on the Guard Command Squad in an effort to 'cut the head off the snake' but only managed to kill poor Lt Schilling:

Having first-hand experience with how devastating a Baal Predator can be I had to knock it out quickly. Oh looky, I have a Vanquisher:

At this point the Blood Angels are down 1 Baal Predator and the Guard 1 Lt Schilling, I would call that a very good trade off for the Guard. The second turn saw no reinforcements showing up and a lot of maneuvering by the armies and vain attempts by the Imperial Guard to blunt the Blood Angel Assault Squad's upcoming charge:

Turn 3 and the Blood Angel Stormraven Gunship shows up:

Turn 3 also saw the first (of many) Imperial Guard casualties. Here the Blood Angel Assault Squad (having lost its Melta gunner and was suffering from the 'Red Thirst') forgoes the Chimera troop transport to charge into a hapless squad of Imperial Guard. Oh the humanity! Flashlights (lasguns) do not work so well against power armor:

Yeppers, it went about how I figured it would:

The Blood Angels begin lining up for their next targets:

Turn 3 for the Imperial Guard did have a couple of highlights amongst all the screaming and dismemberment. First off Ciaphas Cain's personal driver Jurgen (who has robust driving style as a rule) decided to get the Hero of the Imperium away from the crazy (and thirsty) Blood Angels ripping apart the Guardsmen behind him. If you have ever read any of the Ciaphas Cain novels you will understand that this is perfectly normal for the Hero of the Imperium! Jurgen cleared the far defensive line with ease but I wanted an 'action' shot:

The other highlight for the Imperial Guard was again the Vanquisher which I had been taunting Mordian 7th with all morning, telling him "I will snap shot the Stormraven out of the air"! Well, I got darn close. 6 to hit, 14 total armor penetration, but only blew the Multi-Meltas  off of it:

The end of turn 3 with the Blood Angels pushing the advance on the Imperial Guard line (and the Guard's Objective):

Blood Angel Assault Troops loose in the backfield is a terrifying problem to have:

Turn 4 was the make it or break it turn it seemed. The second Blood Angel Assault Squad (with Librarian) finally got tired of the movie being shown in the Thunderhawk Transport and decided to show up to confront Ciaphas Cain the Hero of the Imperium. Unfortunately they did not stick their landing all that well:

The Stormraven Gunship (carrying a Sanguinary Priest and a Combat Squad of Assault Marines) felt it was time to get away from the Vanquisher and its brutally effective gunner. As it was zooming towards my table edge it unloaded its payload of Transhuman Killing Machines deep in my lines:

Turn 4 for the Imperial Guard showed a glimmer of hope against the onrushing Red tide of Blood Angel Assault Marines. First off, Jurgen decided to Tank Shock the Blood Angels in front of him forcing them out of Squad Coherence:

The final unit of the Imperial Guard show up (just in time!) to deal with the 6 new Blood Angel Assault Marines recently deployed from the departed Stormraven Gunship. Rough Riders......Charge!!!!!

The Rough Riders gutted a bunch of Assault Marines with their Power Lances, however I am not sure it was enough of them. The 2 nasty ones are still left standing, the Sanguinary Priest and the Sergeant with a Power Sword:

Turn 5 and it would be the final turn saw the Blood Angels trying to secure both objectives while denying the Imperial Guard any chance to secure them. The Blood Angel Librarian and his squad finally assaulted and blew up the Hero of the Imperium's Chimera:

Having butchered the rest of the Imperial Guard Command Squad last turn the one surviving member of the first Blood Angel Assault Squad to hit the lines decided he need to kill the Imperial Guard Squad holding the Objective which he did! Here you can see the Guard breaking a fleeing:

Turn 5 for the Imperial Guard held a lot of surprises! First off the Rough Riders (not shown) managed to slay the Sanguinary Priest and not all die to the Sergeant with his power sword. The fleeing Guard Squad regrouped just as the team of 3 Lascannons blew away the Blood Angel Assault Marine holding the Guard's Objective:

The now ride-less Ciaphas Cain Hero of the Imperium and his penal squad scurry into the woods and seize the Blood Angel Objective.

That is were the game ended with the Imperial Guard winning 3-0. I must say it I had a bunch of fun playing the Imperial Guard against my normal army (the Blood Angels) and I hope Mordian 7th enjoyed his time playing the Transhuman Killing Machines. Thanks for stopping by taking a look! Take care!