Critical Threat - Possibly a mid war sighting of Chaux Na M'rrsee

 Well, it was amongst a series of picts from an Imperial spy within Xyphonica, but unfortunately was supplied without context.

Paint by Mr Lee.

Critical Threat Eidolon of the Emperor's Children; ten thousand years of experience.

Because of course the Chosen of Khorne are not being allowed to direct the closing stages of the siege of Xyphonica in their own fashion without challenge.
 

Painted by PVP

Blogger feck up

 This post is here:

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Cheers blogger. 

Helghan WIPs

So they have been mostly coloured in and I thought you might be interested, especially if you've ever played KillZone.

There is a plan to improve the lenses.  A pin head of white in the orange lens and then a final wash of yellow ink should make them look like the ones in the artwork.

Guys with Elysian rifles are possibly the most Helghan.

And these guys are CESFAW as well.

I'm looking forward to getting these finished.  A slightly lighter finish to the rubble for all of them and some tidying up on any bits I've missed and that's another detachment ready for the frontlines of Devos IV. 

And these are EoT era bulkytroopers with the same paint job.  I think they look Helghan enough.

 

A few more grenadiers

 

These are the last of the Grenadier models from the ebay purchase a few years ago.  These guys needed a little more kit to be CESFAW (carrying enough stuff for a war), so that was added and they were repainted to match the existing. 

 

There are fifteen individuals, which will add to the existing DKK genadiers and at some point, when the weather improves, I'll need to have a muster outside to see where I'm at in terms of ORBAT and vehicles.  

 

Another job lot of Hellguns, two heavy stubbers, a melta gun and a Heavy Flamer team, what's not to like ? 

 

And the Wachtmiester has a plasma pistol.  Which is nice.

These are the men Col Commandant Welbhann is holding as his fist to smash the schwerpunkt when he finds it, or failing that, a very convincing counter punch should he find his own lines pressured.

 

Oktoberfest lovin' men whose loyalty is beyond question. 

A friend of mine is selling an army whose loyalty is not so clear cut.  He's UK based.  If you're further afield, that might not be a be a blocker.  There are close to 150 models and only two sub units require any more work.  If it sparks your interest, pm me and I'll put you in touch.

Keeping the Iggies mobile.

Techpriest Enginseers providing leadership and technical expertise to the second line repair workforce.

And also to direct the first line tech support.
 

DKK Standard. For the Grenadier Platoon

 

 

I felt the grenadier platoon deserved an effigy type standard to go along with the flag type.  And this spectral lady thingy appeared to fit the bill.  He is a 'normal' DKK soldier rather than a grenadier but I'll just to have lump it.  I had a kneeling fella with a Death Rider arm and had ordered the extra spooky lady specifically for this purpose.  No stopping now.

  

This is slightly clearer view of Scary Mary. I'm pretty sure that its an Andrew May sculpt of a Black Crab artwork.  You may recall some of the weirder looking members of The Tree of Man ecclesiastical group; they'd be from the same source.  I can imagine that Krieg folklore is chock full of Baba Yaga types, so that's who Scary Mary here is; a bogeywoman from Krieg's dark past.  

And here she is from the back. 

And the bearer is equipped for a war, which is important.  Scary Mary is resin, but so is the bearer.  If he was metal, he'd probably be man enough to hold her up without falling over, as it is, he isn't.  So the fix is a piece of roofing lead donated by my old man. 

The Umbrella Factory Part 1

 

3422 Army Group invested Xyphonica from the east. With the KCC as the framework organisation, coordination across 3422 AG was possibly more effective and efficient than across 72 AG, where a much smaller number of Vostroyan Infantry units had been repurposed as an ersatz co-ordinating element. Where the various elements of the KCC were able to give up suitable subunits to be retrained and suitably equipped for their liaison role, the Vostroyans would not have been able to change their mindset to match the aspiration of the Plenipotentiate for War, even if they could have been suitably re-equipped.

In the XXXXIV Corps tactical area of responsibility, 569 Div would take the northernmost sector, immediately to the south 785 Div, built around a core of Gudrun infantry and Cadian armoured unit made similar progress in the same way. South of XXXXIV Corps, VI Corps closed in on the outer suburbs and with most of their infantry fighting power supplied by militias largely from the Redemptionist and Cawdor factions. The one actual Imperial Guard infantry regiment in each of VI Corps three divisions was spread thin coordinating and supporting the militias.

On the western side of the river, 72 Army Group was similarly beginning it’s advance in to the city. The plenipotentiary for war, General Muntenfor, had dictated a slow and steady but relentless pace; the aim was to maintain a steady level of pressure around the entire circumference of the city and for everyone to move towards the centre at the same slow and steady pace. One unit being held up made only a small difference to the overall picture and as time progressed, these envelopments would be more easily overwhelmed as the frontage each unit would have to cover would diminish.

By flattering the ego of the Brothers of Lostwithial and the Sisters of Casa Bonetti of the Order of the Sacred Rose by encouraging Inquisitor Hallas Blingnor to think that it was his initative, these knots of resistance were framed as worthy adversaries for the Adepts Astartes or Sorortias. Assault by powered armoured religiously inspired warrior cults in support of the Imperial Guard are often portrayed as some sort of forlorn hope. With the Aeronautica Imperialis on call and the full weight of the Imperial Guard’s Divisions, arrayed for deliberate attack, in support, the casualties amongst the Astartes and Sororitas casualties are light and rarely fatal.

The Hrossy Yeomanry had pushed into the north western reaches of Xyphonica in emphatic style: the Chimerae mounted platoons would drive onto their objective, the squads would dismount with their autocannon and the Chimerae would move off to a distance where they and the dismounted infantry could mutually support each other. By choosing locations where they were in range of the sporadic heretic defenders, the platoons could then use their grenade launchers and autocannon, along with the multilaster, heavy bolter and pintel mounted heavy stubber of the Chimerae to suppress the defenders whilst the infantry closed with the enemy and press home their attack in the best traditions of the infantry, with lasgun and bayonet.

Each company group was assigned a pair of tanks from the armoured or engineer group for intimate fire support. Company commanders are careful to assess their targets and use the sentinel recce screen. 569 Division’s Hrossy and Hjaltland Battalions made progress through the North East of the city, with the Hjaltlanders moving down the river, the northern boundary and also on the Division’s southern boundary as well. The Hjaltlander’s light infantry platoons were supported by individual tanks from the Hellier tank regiment.

Sticking to the plan, they would only move when they had air cover; ‘Cab ranks’ of on call fighter bombers and roaming interdiction flights of medium bombers loitering for targets, coupled with the intimate tank support meant that the block by block advance went ahead as planned. Where the thin crust of resistance remained, it was bombed, rocketed and then hit with artillery before the infantry would move up to close under the covering fire of their own mortars and the direct fire support from the attached tanks.

76 Bombardment Group, well organised and supported itself, was able to provide indirect fire support almost at the whim of sub unit commanders on the ground; although this obviously meant various combat teams only being allowed to move according to the preplanned sequence, in order to ensure that there were enough resources on hand to cover the offensive operations and any defensive fire which may be required.

By measured, incremental steps, 569 Div made steady, planned progress into the city: sometimes blocks were bypassed to be assaulted by 3422 Army Group’s auxillaries; the co-opted militias and eccelesticarchal frateris when time allowed. Other areas of the city, sometimes quite large areas, were pounded to dust by air and artillery power. The northwest of the city had previously had a larger number of commercial and industrial districts, allowing just enough open space for the mechanised assault to be viable.

After two weeks, the Division was noticeably further in than any other part of either army. It was decided that the formation would go firm and pause, conducting a replenishment in place (RIP) and getting ready to be the ready threat keeping the rebels at bay whilst the rest of 3422 AG (at least) caught up.

1294 Hrossy Yeomany (a mechanised infantry battalion) lagered in the shell of an umbrella factory complex. The outer walls were intact and there was a large amount of open space, both open and covered. It seemed ideal, there was enough space for all four rifle companies and their HQ company on the one footprint. The deposition of the Division was designed to be mutually supporting with other units and subunits given the manoeuvre space to fall back if attacked. The umbrella factory was to be the strongpoint, the hardened lynchpin of any defence, by dint of its intact walls.

As the 24hour resupply operation progressed, the logistic assets who were forward would themselves reorganise in what had been the steel yard, go out to the other Division units to carry out their replenishment and then return to the umbrella factory’s steel yard to rest for a few hours before returning to the rear echelon.

Agents of the Inquisition 15 - Small but beautifully formed.

Inquisitor Hexen has a raft of health issues.  A bionic right arm, Crohn's disease and various cancers.  All of which lead him to behave in a rash and some might say, unpredictable manner.  He is a gamma level psyker, which sometimes helps, but equally, sometimes gets him into more bother.  He has a long time pilot retainer, who is enhanced to help her piloting abilities and is supportive and insightful in his decision making process.  The servo skull, somewhat narcissistically, is to record his deeds, not as reconnaissance device.

His quartet of Loups Garous are all top tier operatives personally selected by Hexen from grenadier, kasarkin and scion type units.  Hexen uses his contacts to ensure that where ever possible, they enter a situation with tailored ammunition designed to take down their principal target.  

They have names, but Inquisitor Hexen finds it amusing to refer to them as Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private.  No one knows why and the Loup Garous just accept it as an inquisitorial foible.  Incidently his own right arm was the victim of a previous plasma pistol misfire.  Obviously the inquisitor believes that the firepower is worth the risk.

Hexen was painted by PVP and the Loups Garous by Mr Lee. 
 

Agents of the Inquisition 14 - Inquisitor

Inquisitor Torrag of the Ordos Hereticus.  A man of great faith, what we see here is his warband arrayed for an actual war.  He's in Terminator armour.

And he's backed up by four crusaders and two 'moody hammers' who've grown themselves to Ogryn size.

These guys are heavily tattooed after the manner of their clan.  Considering the amount of work they have had done, fibre bundle muscles, enhanced reflexes and so on it is certain that this includes a certain of amount of sub dermal armour as well as stim glands to enable them to shrug off damage.

All of these figures were painted by Jeff at PVP

The four crusaders are a homogenous bunch all from the same population, all armed with power weapons and storm shields.  It has taken the Inquisitor a number of years to train and persuade these men from a relatively low tech warrior culture to exhibit some degree of prudence and tactical acumen.  From the sixteen he started with, the four who are left are capable and careful, right up to the point the first blow is struck.

There is no wanting of zeal here.  There is a lot of faith here. Four practised warriors with power weapons, carapace armour, storm shields and an inquisitorial mandate, backed up by the two moody hammers give their master a huge punch in toe to toe encounters.