Valhallan progress.

My final ten metal GW Valhallans.

 They are the same colours as all the others; and incidentally the scheme from which PVP worked out the colourscheme for the DKK.  I had at one point envisaged the whole army homogeneously completed in the same colourscheme.  I still like the idea of this, but have strayed.  Oh well.

 To be particular about these guys in particular, they are done to a slightly higher standard than most of the rest of them; the faces are better (don't laugh !) and I may go back and cover the goggles and field dressing on helmets.

 I like the way they've turned out.  As small squads and individual models they look good.  As a massed army, the realistic army colours mean the whole lot become an amorphous muddy mob.  Which, when you think about, is exactly the idea.

 Obviously I could go back and and highlight the lasguns, or put a different colour on the straps around the blanket rolls.  But there are over a hundred of them and I've got more pressing things to do; these guys are good enough (bar the bases).

 I like the sculpts - they make a basecoat and wash (Khemris Brown and Deluvian Mud) paint job look good.   They still look good, are in varied enough poses and headgear to not look staid or just plain rubbish and in a nod to the Commissar Caine books, some have comm-beads.   Although having said that. I'm not sure which came first.

 I do still have pig iron winter guard heads and wargames factory bodies so with a few more specialised cadian arms, that'll be it for 540th Valhallan (Kado) Regiment of the Imperial Guard.

Servitor Progress

 These fellows are the servitors for my Guard army's two Enginseers.  They each have two HB servitors and two Tech servitors each - if you're ever going to deploy an Enginseer, he needs all the help you can give him.

 They sat half done for years and you may have seen them on the table with grey undercoat skin and boots.  Indeed, I did want them to have sort of sallow and greyish skin anyway, but these guys have ended up with 'normal' skin (as I do it...)  Which perhaps actually makes these servitors (lobotomised cyborgs) perhaps a bit more creepy.

The dark patches on them are fenris grey (which is prussian blue [?]) over their shadow grey jump suits; this is supposed to be wet patches; biological fluids or mineral oils seeping out of them.  It looks ok in the flesh. 

 There is a bit in the Word Bearer's omnibus where the Ad Mech persuades the Iggy general that dead and dying guardsmen could be buried with honour, but that they could continue to serve if they were handed over to the Ad Mech as a resource.

 "Only in death does duty end."  So, if like the Dread Pirate Roberts you happen to find yourself 'mostly dead' whilst in the Imperial Guard, then you may well end up as a servitor.

 Fluftastically, the armies on Devos IV are led by a coterie of Vostroyans, who have strong ties with the Ad Mech, so if your named character gets wounded on Devos IV, watch out...

All eight of them.  Basing in the future, when whole loads of people will be based at once. 

Uh-oh

Progress so far.

So, the DKK are started.

I have also done some stuff: ten new Valhallans, that just now need basing.  There's eight servitors who have been half done for years who are now good for the tabletop.  And there's the little prize for Admiral Drax who did fourteen posts over the Christmas holidays.  Just decals, basing and so on for that one.

The Valhallan contingent are in the house (Oooooooh !).  Of all of my figures they are the ones who need the most TLC.  So they will get a touch up and so on.  I also took the opportunity earlier to go around their bases with a black marker pen; I've done this before for others and it looks fine from two feet away.

My purchasing strategy for the year will be to see what comes out in the proposed new iggy codex.

On various benches.

All over the place.  And in boxes under benches and on top of the beer fridge too.

Going in the garage to put Christmas stuff in the freezer and I was just musing about architecture in general.  So I had a look around the garage at some possible resources; I have the bits of my ol' GW Imperial City Sector, the Gothic Maki kickstarter bits are due sometime, there is some polystyrene and a large piece of MDF as a base and 4 Ply for an intermediate floor as well as roof sections.   What does that sound like to you ?

Humm, not what I had in mind, but then, you always were a little bit 'out there'.  I might get my dad over when the weather warms up a bit (he's past retirement age, so I don't want to keep him in the garage too long, just in case he wants it heated).  And have some 'father and son time', with me telling him what to do and him cutting straight lines (something I cannot do, unfortunately).  "Hey dad, come over and help me build a 1/56th scale Cathedral."  Not something every son is going to utter, but I'll give it a punt.



Anyway,  this got me thinking about the other projects sitting around places.  At this time of year it is customary to list all of the things achieved last year (armies finished, golden deamons and tournaments won etc).  I thought I'd spare you all of that and be a little more aspirational and whet your appetite for the future.

We can look forward to:

More DKK (a Siege Regt)
DKK Infantry (sent away somewhere)
DKK Fd Arty (in a box)
DKK Cavalry (in a bigger box)
Void Dragons (Some already here, others on their way back)
Half a dozen Inquisitorial Warbands (sent somewhere different)
Corbanian 2nd Regt (built and in a KR case [whooooo] possibly painted this year)
Small AT AT command vehicle (needs rebuilding and Vostroyan paint scheme)
Additional Officers (Imperial - sent away)
Additional Officers (Not Imperial - just a pile of parts at the mo')
"Word Bearers" er, um, tbc.
T-Hawk.  Just needs paint.
DKK Salamanders - need finishing off.
Leviathan Mortis' - need construction, conversion & paint.
Additional Heavy Weapons - need paint
DKK Engr Chimera - needs assembly (needs Chimera !  hahahahha)
DKK Grenadiers (lost children of another army....you guessed it, in a box.)
Valhallans (need paint)
3rd Thunderer Conversion.  (Then all three would be ready for paint)
Full Size ATAT fleet (need assembly, conversion and painting)
DKK Hydrae (need Chimerae, assembly and painting)
Devos IV "Fen Guard" unit (already sent away, hope to see them this year)
Thunderbolts...Clone wars Vendetta conversions....World Eaters Land Raider...Meridian Infantry....TGG Kickstarter girls....And then a trawl of what's left in the boxes.

Oh brother.

The Brothers of the Lostwithial

The Ordo Hereticus and High Lords representatives at Sub Sector Command are not the only ones watching the spaces between the Cadian Gate and Sabat Worlds.  Tipped off by someone else, possibly another body within the Inquisition, the Black Templars of Fighting Company Brodeep, embarked on a flotilla of ships with the Strike Cruiser Lostwithial as it's flagship have appeared in the skies above Mheuven 158.

Of course, all the action on Mheuven 158 took place some months ago, with the Blood Angels trying in vain to apprehend Eidolon (now a Deamon Prince of Slannesh) and the Space Wolves of Brian Redmaw's Great Hunt pursuing a pair of Word Bearer demagogues.

Black Templars of the Poor Knights of the Order of the Cross

 Nonetheless, the Black Templars, firm in their faith in the Emperor, would scour the planet for sign of rebellion, heresy, dissent or loose speech. None would be exempt from the Emperor's justice.

Castellian Brodeep - the Butcher of Mmenniwe Hive

 Under the inspiring leadership of Castellian Brodeep, they had recently put Mmenniwe Hive, a population of over four and half million to death by fire and sword at the suggestion that there was deep rooted and fundamental heresy there that could not be expunged by any other means.

Tactical Squad Ignis

Castellian Brodeep is well aware that ideas are the strongest weapon.  And that he does not have to be loved as a protector from outside threats if inside threats are greater.  The Emperor is his witness and he answers only to the High Marshal.  The Imperial Guard and other Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes fight Xenos and massed armies of foes.  With total surety born of his own belief in the cause, Castellian Brodeep's jihad is against heresy in its more insidious forms; where it is hidden within the population of the Empire of Man itself. 

Tactical Squad Timere

As a son of Rogal Dorn (albeit adopted), he knows only too well that sons grow to follow their fathers, either directly or perhaps with the intention of avenging them. The parable of Inego De Mantoya is not lost in the grim darkness of the far future.  Therefore the Brothers of Lostwithial only count a victory if there will be no sons of the vanquished.

Sword Brethren Squad Fame, led by Brother Moon 

Brother Moon is a worth inheritor of Sigismund's mantle.  The Emperor's Champion of the Brothers of Lostwithial constantly mutters the litanies of hate under his breath.  He is the first to remind the brothers that there can be no tolerance of xenos, heretic or witch.  "There is only the Emperor, he is our shield and protector."

Tactical Squad Bello

"To the darkness I bring fire, to the ignorant I bring faith.  Those who welcome my gifts may live, but I will visit death and eternal damnation on all who refuse them".  Catchy, isn't it ?

Terminator Squad Injustus

"Suffer not the unclean to live, abhor the witch, destroy the witch."  Conversations with the Black Templars are usually stilted and awkward, as concepts beyond bile and vitriol (like military plans, organising a crusade etc)  are peppered with chanting and litanies.  Arranging a sweeping advance with air and artillery aspects that crosses several terrain types and one or more major obstacles (rivers etc) involves a stop for specific prayer for every aspect.  There are reasons that the Black Templars usually work alone, and they are not all to do with their fearsome reputation. 

903 Inf Div

Before the Imperial Guard deployed to Devos IV, the Departmento Munitorium, always with a weather eye to the consumption of resources, looked at the units already in system.

The Preatorian 5th Regiment were deployed to the system to guard the System Defence Network; A reinforced company at the Astropath station on the fringes of the system and two Battalions spread amongst the moons and planetoids where the missile silos waited for intruders.  And best of all, one battalion planetside, with proper air, farms, water and cities; rotated on an annual basis, the 'lucky battalion' would spend it's deployment ether exercising with the PDF or on R&R.

One Battalion was stationed on Devos IV.  The regiment had been sent to the Devos system to recover after eighteen years on campaign.  There was always the intention to send more draughts of recruits to Devos IV to join their new regiment; with a well regarded PDF to exercise with, there was a clear plan in place to bring the regiment back up to six battalions and ready to once more take to the stars.  By the time the rebellion happens, each Battalion has had three years planetside, being well looked after.

Collaboration with the PDF and settled, quiet deployment for seven years, witnessing and becoming involved with a grateful population had an effect on the Preatorian 5th; when the call came, they chose to defend their adoptive home.

The Cadian 144th Long Range Recce Regt is a trail unit, formed from remnants of other specialist units, principally Kasarkin and Airborne Regiments.  Having worked quite well, the 144th was enroute from Hydraphur to Cadia following active service.  The half strength experimental unit, believed to be at just about battalion strength, was diverted to Devos IV in response to a request for a show of strength by the Ordo Hereticus.

By the time the survivors join 17 Korps, they are down to company strength.  Gen Tolstoy tends to use them as a Korps Recce Asset, despite them being nominally a part of 903 Div.

The 2nd Devos IV Regiment of Foot was counted by the Departmento Munitorium as a Guard unit, rather than PDF as it was due to form the backbone of another founding for a Devos IV Imperial Guard Regiment.  Although this process had begun in administrative terms, it  had yet to have any effect outside of Klestor Subsector Command on Agripinna.  Certainly the 2nd Regt (Gardia Presedentiale) weren't aware.

The Arcomet 887th, like the Cadian 144th were en route to their homeworld to be reinforced and refitted.  4* Gen Zhukov wanted Armour and Air Mobile units and Comptroller Bellormus was able to secure the 887th for 72AG; resistance to his indent for resources was overcome largely due to other bidders trying for full strength units.  The 887th found themselves turning around a week into their homeward journey to deploy in the vanguard of 72AG.  The two remaining Battalions of the 887th, one armoured and one air mobile, are generally used by Gen Zhukov as his immediate reserve or QRF.

The Valhallan (Kado) 540th is an experienced, recently rebuilt and retrained (in the Cadian pattern), well led (not something common for Valhallan regiments) and above all professional infantry regiment of six battalions.  Which has proved fortuitous, as they are, effectively, 903 Div.

903 Inf Div was supposed to be led by Maj Gen Marcus Firth, a former Cadian Officer appointed as Planetary Governor eighteen years ago, was an obvious choice for the Departmento Munitorium.  He is an experienced officer of the General Staff, with command experience and furthermore has extensive local knowledge.  However, at the point at which the insurrection began he was abducted or gave himself up to persons unknown.  He is now in Ordo Hereticus custody and command of 903 Inf Div has passed to his CoS, Gen Gelu (Pardus).  Gen Gelu has been a staff officer for almost his entire career.  He hasn't been in a command appointment since he was a subaltern, some sixty two years ago.

What this means for 17 Korps is that 903 Inf Div effectively does not exist.  This means that the other Divisions within the Korps will be stretched, juggled and run around by Korps HQ in order to fulfill orders from Army Group HQ.