The forces of Freedom, the Defenders of the Liberal Republic of Devos IV

This links to both this, where I extolled the joy lining everything up for review, just to see it all there.   And also quite strongly with this, where I discussed what I thought made a good army picture.

These are elements of the 1st Benq Inf Div, as seen by the Imperial Guard's 17 Korps.

What you see in this picture are elements of 1 Benq Inf Div of the Devos IV PDF (of three regular and one reserve Divisions). 2nd Bde is based around two battalions of the 13th Mech Inf (the Tigers) on the left and elements of 1st Bde, based around two battalions of 99th Line Inf (the Bloodcoats).  All of the Armour is from 79 Armd Regt; the plain green scheme from the Bn supporting 2Bde, the two tone and grey schemes are from the Bn supporting 1Bde.

"Deamon" company of Bloodcoats, showing three Platoons of three squads, Hvy Stubber Squads with the CCS, Fire Support and Mortar Platoons behind, with the Quad Launcher detachment.  The men with radio and DF gear in front of the company are from "Spider" Coy 1/50 Network Support Regt; part of 1 Benq Div's HQ.  The ladies with flagellation devices at the very front are from Chaux Na M'rrsee's political cadre.

Serving alongside the Bloodcoats are the PBS of 2/50 Network Support Regt and two squads from 1/1 SF Regt (Chimera mounted melta vets).  The grey coloured tanks behind are those exported from Acer to Benq just before the Imperial landings at the starport.

A view of the supporting units, also showing the Ogryn auxiliaries 'volunteered' to join the defence force.  They have been outfitted with stim-jectors, controlled by their handler (the officer figure behind them) to overcome their placid nature and make them useful in close combat.  Poor Ogryn.

A view of the Tigers showing the rough riders in front of their veteran squad.

Colonel Blanich of the Tigers, with his squad of flamers and plasma gunners.  He's not much interested in strategy.  He's not really that interested in tactics.  But he is an effective leader.

These pictures were also taken on D-Day, in the sunshine. 

The picture of the whole lot of them at the top is what I was talking about when I was talking about the look of the army; but what we have here is a case of 'too much'; I'll draw you back to Col Corbane's picture:

The reasons that this picture is better are:

1: everything is finished.  I know that at the distance the photos are taken this might not show up much, but if you follow either of these blogs (mine or Col Corbane's) at all then you will know that all of his stuff is finished and despite improvement, some of mine still isn't.  I put it to you that you know this, and even if it's subconscious, it makes a difference. 
2: background.  There is not much you can do with an army shot, but the Corbanian 1st are framed by the buildings around them; war damaged, but not so much that it overshadows the army and despite being nice/good terrain (look at it, it is), does not detract from the army by being more interesting.
3: framing.  The Corbanian picture takes up the whole frame, whereas the Devos IV PDF clearly have a garden chair in the background and boxes for the tanks under the rather obvious trestle table.   At this point I can hear you screaming about cropping pictures, but meh, I'd rather get them right in the first place. 
4: scale.  If I want to produce a picture like Col Corbane's, I'll have to break my armies down into their major units and photograph bits individually.  Where this works with Col Corbane's picture is that you can look at it and identify the elements from the codex army list.  With my counts-as and Vraks list armies, it's still going to need explanation and therefore never quite reach the standard set by this picture, in that my pictures will always need a commentary. 

Mhevan 158.

The strike cruiser "Ragnar's Dagger" ran silent and blacked out from the edge of the system to a high orbit and let slip the Storm Eagle "Grundan's Vengeance" into a major meteorological event, where it fell to the surface only using power to avoid disaster, allowing the Newtonian forces involved to bury it in a polar dust sea.  The wolf scouts would have to spend a long a time digging it out when they wanted to leave, but such are the perils of a covert operation.

The wolf scouts split up and made their way south unseen by the population, some of whom were in rebellion and some who were not.  They saw their mission as secret and kept it so.  They did not find the Word Bearer's Apostles, as they hoped.  Perhaps they were already on their way to another system to cause  more trouble.

A single wolf scout did find Eidolon, a demon prince of she who thirsts, former equerry of Fulgrim. And then, by a freak chance, they were there to witness the so called descent of angels. Part of the Blood Angels 3rd Coy attempted to intercept the demon prince.

A demi squad of Blood Assault Angels head for some desperate cultists.  The Wolf Scouts note that the cultists seem eager to take on the Blood Angels (and indeed, take one down in the second round of combat).

A Blood Razor Back heads for the Noise Marines hidden behind the medical container.  The cultists shoot almost continuously at a demi-tac squad behind the Blood Razor Back, eventually taking one or two of them down.  Two of these cultists (the leader and the HMG gunner) actually survive and are still on the board at the end !

Another squad of noise marines follow a Predator Annihilator towards their enemy.  The Predator begins successfully sniping the devastators off of the chruch roof.

Cultists prove their worth to their dark (or in this case, pink) masters.

A drop pod lands a Dreadnaught with a Multi Blood Melta and a Blood Fist behind a predator, which it immobilized.  But was then assaulted from behind (of course, he's not a Slanneshi Deamon for nothing) By Eidolon for three rounds before finally exploding.

The Noise Marines at the other end of the board feel unthreatened.

But these guys with the Blood Tech Marine were under fire from the cultists and another squad of Noise Marines for almost the whole game.

The Blood Devastators were being thinned out by the predator annihilator.

The Blood Libarian leapt from the Blood Razor Back to witness the final moments of the Noise Marines and the Demi Assault Squad who slew their champion (shot by the immobile dakka pred).

The other Noise Marines consider getting involved.

Devastator's eye view of the battlefield.

The Blood Assault demi squad who defeated the cultists step through the door way to find Eidolon waiting for them. This was only going to end one way.

To the sound of much wailing and gnashing of teeth, the Blood Devastator's first shot at the zappa pred blows it up.

Eidolon finishes off the last of the Blood Assault Squad as the Blood Librarian and his Blood Angels get out of their Blood Razor Back.  He tries to cast Blood Lance but fails.   Eidolon challenges the Librarian, who accepts and is pulped.

The Wolf Scout slips silent away, unseen by the Blood Angels, and undetected by the scion of She Who Thirsts, to make his report.

"And you're sure that you were undetected ?"

"I cannot say, farseer, those wolf scouts are canny trackers and more at ease in the ruins of their own cities than I and my rangers."

This was my first game 6th Ed, Zzzzz (Emperor's Children) vs PVP (Blood Angels), 1000 points.  Played on D-Day in the sunshine.

17 Korps on Parade.

This being the occasion of the Medal Ceremony;  Gen Tolstoy is making a point here; none of the Death Korps are here, they are holding the line whilst elements of other units are pulled back for the parade.  The Palladians, largely rouled back out of the front lines (as per 4* Gen Zhukov's instructions), are mostly on guard duty in the rear areas.

Zhukov has his own point to make, namely the representatives of the Legio Astoria being guests of honour; The whole episode around capturing enemy combatant witches was to allow the Ordo Hereticus to further legitimise the conflict, drawing in more resources.

Each of the Warhounds is further protected by Knights of the Legio's leige-houses.  Their task, militarily, is to head off and neutralise threats to the Warhounds in situations such as Urban warfare, where the Titans might otherwise be vulnerable.

Behind the titans are three Platoons of C Coy of the (Valhallan) Kado 540th  These men have previously been fighting around the high ground to the NNW of Randstadt.  You can also see their attached Vostroyan Divisional liaison team (and their las cannon team, which is a bonus for the lightly armed 540th).

Here you can see a detachment of the Armageddon 22nd Armoured Regt with their attached ASL infantry screen, some of the remaining specalists of the Cadian 144th Long Range Recce Regt and at the front, Storm Troopers of D-66, actually a specialised Plague Zombie hunter unit from Agripinna itself. Once again, nestled in front of the Cadian Wolverine Annihilator Scout Cars, you can see the Vostroyan Divisional Liaison Team.

Here is Colonel-General Von Kreed of the Saranian Light Infantry, with some of his "Wolf Brigade" Gebirgsjeagers in their distinctive camouflage.

Another Platoon of Saranians, directly in front of Capt Aelious, of the Palladian Divisional Liaison Team.

Another platoon of Saranians, in front of Lt Col Brisingstoke, of the Cadian 24th.  Shouting and drinking tea in a soldier like manner, in all probability.

General Tolstoy and his command team, directly behind their meat shield penal detachment and bolt magnets Sanctioned Psyker Battle Squad.  Although they are out of focus in this shot, the gentlemen in black dress uniforms directly behind Gen Tolstoy are Lord Commissar General Harris and nine of his stoutest proteges.  Which must be a comfort.

Here we can see the brave uber commandos of D-66.  All set to hunt down the foulest beget of the Great enemy.  Rather them than me.  Which is why they are there, and I'm watching this from orbit.  The newly breveted Captain Severous will pass along in front of the representitves of the Korps and receive his medal from the Lady Inquistrix whilst the Platoon is awarded the Aqilla Mundanis by 4* Zhukov.  

This was all done on D-Day during the glorious weather, when PVP brought the Warhounds up.  

Inquisitorial vehicle fleet - second post of the week !

Ok, so you remember this, the =I= Land Raider.

A serious =I= force of course has many Inqusitor's, their retinues, any impressed Imperial units or Ecclesiastical add-ons and is often led by a Lord Inquisitor.  So one Land Raider, whilst OK for a Lord Inquisitor, is not enough for decent purge.

 Three views of the Land Raider in its final trim.

The Aqilla Rhino, again three views.  This one is not expected to change that much before it gets coloured in.

The Basilica Rhino; this one will be getting books (from the Flagellant kit) to hang from the eagle posts at the rear of the vehicle.

The idea is that these vehicles are old and have done much in the service of the Emperor, much of it with the Inquisition.   In similar news, with the increase in INQ28, a select number of Inquisitors and their retinues have traveled to PVP to be outfitted for their next purge.  Happy Days !

This weeks offering.

A lot of painting has happened this week, but it has been mostly garden fence.  However, on the chance that you remember this, I offer you these:

Twelve tanks, all lined up. I havn't given them any sponsons, as you can see, they wouldn't fit across the short edge of a standard table...  Actually the sides are very pretty; they are nice looking mini bitz and tanks without sponsons are cheaper in terms of points.  You can see the puppetswar big moma (with sponsons) backing them up.  I'm imagining that it drives around with the gun to the rear and reverses into a firing position.

The unpainted forces of the Ordo Hereticus at the other end of the table look a bit vulnerable.

I asked these guys what to do next (they were on their way to the garage).  The shouty bloke in the red beret  gave me a huge ear bashing about never painting anything and then stood there drinking tea and watching.  Under the scrutiny of a small plastic Cadian Welshman from Devon, I did this:

So you can see, from a pile of spares a few weeks ago to a basecoated and shaded armoured formation;  Even in this unfinished state, they look quite good, from a 'having an army that looks good' point of view.  Anyway, as I write this, the Piratical Viking Painter is due to drop around tomorrow, so I'm quite excited to see what he brings !