“They are a sickness that ravages every level of the Imperium. They are the threat within made manifest.”
- Lord Inquisitor Alcides of the Ordo Hereticus
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Introduction:
Hello, Warhammer 40k enthusiasts, Legion Operatives, and Ordo Hereticus investigators and welcome to my Alpha Legion Blog. My name is on a strictly need to know basis, but you can call me Alpharius, Shane, or Darth Bob. I have been involved in this hobby since 2001 with some on an off breaks over the years, and during that time I have jumped around between many armies. I have often been accused of having a case of Army ADD. However, I finally came to the conclusion to start Alpha Legion because, in all honesty, I always wanted to and just never got around to it. The Alpha Legion has always interested me because of the overall methodology and philosophy that surrounds them. They really fit with my views of how I would wage war; striking from within with adept, almost preternatural precision. Dan Abnett's development of their character is a concept that I find refreshing and incredibly intriguing, and with that in mind, it only made sense that I would want to start this army.
I will be using this first page as a reference point for you, the reader, so that I may gather all my thoughts into a condensed and easy-to-access summary. This blog will contain personalized fluff for my army, tutorials, WIP and completed models, as well as the occasional blurb or rant about what goes on through my head (scary, I know). As a preface for the contents of this blog, allow me to address each section in more detail:
Background:
Of all the aspects of Warhammer 40k, the background material is perhaps the most important to me. If it wasn't for the plethora of interesting concepts, engaging lore, and interesting stories that saturate Warhammer 40k, I highly doubt I would have such a strong interest in this hobby. It's one of the core reasons that I've never really been interested in other miniature wargaming systems. One thing, however, that I love more than the official Warhammer 40k fluff, is the ability to make your own. I firmly believe in the importance of narrative, being a frequent practitioner of various RPG systems, and this has lead me to include more-or-less in-depth background stories for my armies. The Warhammer 40k universe is so big, that as long as it doesn't conflict egregiously with the established material, anything is possible!
With that said, it is important to understand that I have a very particular view of how the 40k background "works". I view the sorted background of Warhammer to be told from the perspective of Imperial archivists and historians, as well as other heretical and xenos sources, telling the stories and legends of over 40,000 years of galactic history. Of course, as with the many different historical accounts in the real world, there are discrepancies and differences. I see the many "retcons" and "contradictions" in the officially-provided 40k fluff to be different historical perspectives rather than strict retcons or contradictions. Think about it, the Horus Heresy happened over ten thousand years ago. Surely there must be some discrepancies between what is said to have happened and what actually happened. For example, maybe the Necrons were once viewed as soulless, life-harvesting automatons by Imperial scholars, but as time went on, the true nature of their existence in the universe was better realized and identified.
The 40k universe is so grand and wonderful that it leaves it to you to decide what you want to believe really happened; to pick and choose parts of the fluff that you agree and don't agree with, just like any ancient historian would do. That being said, I would like it to be known that a lot of the fluff that will be in this thread is my own fabrication, and I don't want to upset anyone by "making stuff up". Of course, all that you see will be based and founded heavily on the established material, but I really want to bring my vision of the Warhammer 40k universe to this thread, both in the models and the background. To me, they're both equally important.
Specifically regarding the Alpha Legion, it's important to note that it is not my goal to demystify the intricacies of the Alpha Legion. I think part of the fun of the Alpha Legion is just how nebulous they are; it leaves open so many possibilities for one to imagine. Still, it's fun to speculate, and that is exactly what I'm going to do. The blurbs and fluff you'll see below outline just some of the possibilities and theories regarding the XX Legion. That being said, the actual that I am building is Legion Cell: Iota. They are a powerful and secretive Legion Cell who has been operating and functioning since the Great Crusade. The army I am building specifically, including the many characters within, are those that were a part of Legion Cell: Iota during early M36, around the time of the Age of Apostasy. I like to think of this as a snapshot of their history, when the Cell was at their prime. That's the guiding principle I have with regards to the direction I want to take in the background section of this topic, as well as the direction of the models themselves.
Painting and Modeling:
Gosh, this guy sure does talk a lot about non-hobby stuff in his hobby thread, doesn't he? Yes, well let me talk about that. The general thing to keep in mind with this army is that I'm going to take my time on this project. I want it to be clear that there is no set goal for this army, and it isn't meant to have any sort of deadline. I'm not building this to fit any sort of quota or army list, and this is an ongoing project that I plan to handle with the greatest of care and passion.
If that means spending hours upon hours converting a single, 15 point model then so be it! I want this army to showcase what I am capable of. Not to sound snotty, but I want to inspire people and provide ideas that might help them in all of their tabletop gaming adventures. Second, this army isn't particularly guided by any of the established Codices by Games Workshop. I've never been a huge fan of the Warhammer 40k game itself, and I don't like how the Codices and their various options stifle the many options for creativity that a hobbyist may delve into. There may be things in this thread that don't really serve a purpose game-wise, but I'm not building this army for "gaming". I'm building it because I love the hobby and I love the background; any gaming is just a bonus!
Finally, I want the work I put into each model to represent my commitment to this army. I have jumped around with armies so often that I almost feel bad about abandoning projects. I don’t want to abandon this. I want this to be something that I can be proud of. So without further ado, welcome to the Legion. I am Alpharius.
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Below, you will find an assortment of background information to help you understand who my Alpha Legion are. The section is divided into eight parts; each focusing on a specific aspect of the Alpha Legion. The first section describes the Legion's history. It outlines all events between the Great Crusade and the 41st millennium that shaped the Legion into who they are in the current timeline. The second section outlines the Organization and Leadership of the Alpha Legion and will give some insight into how their system of leadership and organization operates and maintains control of the various subsections of Legion governance. The third section is about the Alpha Legionnaires themselves. This section focuses specifically on the Astartes of the Alpha Legion, giving insight into their personalities, customs, tactics, and equipment. The fourth section outlines their Goals and Motivations. This section is more theoretical than the others, but gives some insight into some of the greatest mysteries surrounding the Legion. The fifth section outlines the Human Auxiliaries that act as close allies with the Legion. This section will explain the workings of this human military, their equipment, and their relationship with the Space Marines of the Alpha Legion. The sixth section describes the sinister and mysterious workings of The Cult of the Hydra; the infamous, Legion-affiliated cult that infests much of the Imperial infrastructure. The seventh section goes into the Alpha Legion's dealings with the traitorous Dark Mechanicus. Finally, the eighth section will reveal much about the Alpha Legion's mysterious and obscure relationship with the malevolent forces of Chaos.*
*Keep in mind that much of the development of this background information is subject to change and is as much part of the army's development as the models.
I
Spoiler:
+++ Pre-Heresy +++
Since the long-forgotten times of the Great Crusade, the XX Legion of the Adeptus Astartes has been a well of secrecy and mystique. Shrouded by plots and discrepancies in their recorded history, the Alpha Legion has been surrounded by unknowns since their inception. The last of the mighty Space Marine Legions to be brought to full fruition, the Alpha Legion was a young and impressionable Legion dedicated to fully adopting the ideals and methodology of its newly-found primarch. It was with this dedication, that the Astartes of the XX Legion became one entity completely united in their purpose and goals. Alpharius taught his loyal Astartes that secrecy, subtlety, and sabotage were the key to fluidity, efficiency, and success on the field of war. With this idealism, the Alpha Legion would operate at the forefront of the more difficult, technical operations of the Great Crusade. Many objectives and campaigns that were widely considered impossible or otherwise extremely difficult were completed with swift, brutal efficiency on the part of the XX Legion. This efficiency and reputation for completing the most difficult of tasks made the Astartes of the Alpha Legion very proud of their capabilities.
Their pride quickly brought the scorn of many of their brother Legions; specifically the Imperial Fists and the Ultramarines. The admonishment Alpharius received from Rogal Dorn and Roboute Guilliman caused him to slowly guide his Legion away from traditional Imperial practices. This manifested in the form of increasingly radical campaigns in an attempt to prove his Legion’s tactical and ideological superiority. The unorthodox tactics employed in these operations were often unconventional to the point of over-complicatedness and tactical inferiority. The most infamous example of this took place during the invasion of Tesstra Prime. Instead of exploiting an opportunity to capture the planetary capital and force the world’s surrender, they allowed the planet to fortify themselves against the assault. Over the course of a week, the Alpha Legion strategically eliminated these defenses using hit and run tactics, sabotage, and brutal ambushes. Ultimately the planet was forced to surrender after their military forces had suffered almost 90% casualties. This action only brought further admonishment for the senseless bloodshed that had been committed, but Alpharius believed that any other course of action would have been ‘too easy’.
The secretive, egocentric, and convoluted nature of the XX Legion caused many in the Imperium to mistrust them. The Alpha Legion consistently avoided any significant interaction with Imperial forces outside their own ranks whenever possible. They conducted themselves almost completely autonomously, only allowing a select number of Imperial auxiliaries to regularly operate alongside them. This alienating nature kept them relatively secluded from the rest of the Imperium. As the Great Crusade progressed, their military actions became more and more obscure to the point of being unknown to even the Warmaster. Towards the end of the Great Crusade, the Alpha Legion had all but cut off contact with the Imperium. It was around this time, roughly two years before the Horus Heresy began, that the Alpha Legion was contacted by a xenos organization known as the Cabal. Having watched the rise of the Imperium over the years, the Cabal determined that the most important of the primarchs were Horus and Alpharius; the eldest and the youngest. They foresaw that Horus would ignite a galactic civil war that would consume the galaxy in the fires of Chaos. The Alpha Legion was in the perfect position to intervene in this conflict and guarantee one of two possible outcomes. The first of these outcomes was a victory for Horus. What was left of Horus’ honor would cause him to feel a sense of self-hatred and loathing for the actions he had committed against his beloved father. This grief would fuel a self-destructive crusade of civil unrest that would eventually lead to a final apocalypse for the human race. With the extinction of humanity, the powers of Chaos would wither and die. The second outcome was a victory for the Emperor. For this outcome to occur, the Emperor would have to give his life to save the Imperium. With the Emperor now a hollow corpse interred in the Golden Throne, the Imperium would devolve into a corrupt regime of stagnation, superstition, and fear. For ten thousand years, Chaos’ influence would steadily grow until it consumed humanity and the galaxy with it. The Alpha Legion was asked to take on its greatest challenge yet. They were to betray the beloved Emperor they had sworn their lives to and defect to the side of Horus to ensure the final destruction of the Dark Gods.
+++ The Horus Heresy +++
II
Spoiler:
+++ A Body of One +++
The leadership and organization of the Alpha Legion is one of the most imperceptible details about them. Attempts to pinpoint the exact nature of their infrastructure has proved impossible for all levels of Imperial authority. The difficulty in finding definitive information about their consortium comes not only from their aptitude for secrecy and misdirection, but also because of the large amounts of variance in the Legion’s activities. Whenever information is gathered from one Imperial conflict with the Alpha Legion, further encounters will provide conflicting data that discredits much of what was previously thought to be known. There are many theories regarding how the Alpha Legion’s command structure operates, but unfortunately the information is regarded by most Inquisitorial authorities to be indefinite.
III
Spoiler:
+++ Coming Soon +++
IV
Spoiler:
+++ Secrets and Lies +++
The goals of the Alpha Legion are one of the greatest mysteries that the Inquisition has ever faced. Most renegade factions have rather simplistic or easily ascertained goals; they can include the destruction of the Imperium, the spreading of Chaos’ influence, the creation of cults, the rise to galactic power, and many other heretical objectives. However, the motivations behind the actions of the Alpha Legion are much more obscure. While it can be assumed that their agenda involves the destruction or vast reworking of Imperial rule, their exact endgame is currently unknown. At the forefront of research about the Alpha Legion was Lord Inquisitor Alcides of the Ordo Hereticus. Alcides became the top authority on the subject after Inquisitor Kravin, the former leading scholar on Alpha Legion activity, went missing in 486.M41. After his disappearance, suspicion that he may have been involved with the Alpha Legion quickly began to flourish within the Inquisition. Since much knowledge about the Legion was founded by one accused of heresy, much of the established research was deemed questionable at best and deceptive at worst. As such, most databanks on the subject were purged as falsified and heretical. To help reinforce Inquisitorial knowledge on the subject, Alcides helped to found an Inquisitorial Cabal dedicated to studying, understanding, and combating the Alpha Legion's presence in the galaxy. Alcides was the first to propose a set of theoretical endgames that the Alpha Legion might have for their various plots and schemes. These theories were based on knowledge of their actions in the distant past, interrogated Astartes and human auxiliaries affiliated with the Alpha Legion, and incursions with their forces in the Black Crusades and other events in the recent past.
The first theory proposed by Alcides was the Utopian Theory. This theory held that the Alpha Legion was on a crusade to unite humanity under their banner. By integrating, infiltrating, and destroying the political infrastructure of the Imperium of Man, the Alpha Legion would be able to institute their own political belief system and unite, by force, the various factions of humanity. Over the course of many millennia, the Alpha Legion would hope to turn enough of the human population to usurp the current Imperial rule. The theory affirms that they are attempting to conquer the human-controlled galaxy and institute their own set of laws and leadership. Alcides proposed that the Alpha Legion views the Imperium as a decadent, decaying empire that they want to turn into their own 'utopia'. He believed that, in their own twisted way, the Alpha Legion only wants what they think is best for humanity and will do anything it takes to mold it to fit their views.
The second theory proposed by Alcides was the Extinction Theory. Quite the contrary to the first, the Extinction Theory holds that the Alpha Legion’s actions are an attempt to further the extinction of the human race. Alcides proposed that there are two possible motivations for this theory. The first is that they view humanity as an unworthy race that must be purged so that they can pave the way for the Chaos Gods. By crippling the Imperium, Chaos will be able to overwhelm humanity and consume the galaxy. Thus, they are on a campaign to exterminate as much of the human race as possible so that the primary opposition to the Dark Gods is no more. The second motivation he proposed was that that they are actually trying to destroy Chaos. Alcides brought to bear the radical belief that Chaos is intrinsically connected to humanity. By destroying the human race, the Alpha Legion would subsequently destroy the Dark Gods and save the galaxy from Chaos' malevolent influence. Alcides was censured for proposing such a radical view, so most among the Inquisition only take the first motivation into account when considering this theory.
The final theory, and possibly the most controversial, is the Rebirth Theory. The Rebirth Theory holds that the Alpha Legion’s end game is to destroy the Golden Throne and thus end the Emperor’s life. It is proposed that by doing this, the Emperor’s soul will be reborn in the Warp where he will challenge the Chaos Gods to a final battle for the fate of the galaxy. If the Emperor loses, the Imperium will fall as well. However, if he rose to victory, he would return to his physical splendor and would lead the Imperium into a new golden age. The darkness, heresy, and corruption within the Imperium would be swept away by the Emperor’s light and his true vision for humanity would come to full fruition. This theory brought Alcides much criticism from all branches of the Inquisition. So much so, that he was formally called to answer for his perceived heretical agenda. While he was able to avoid formal punishment by retracting his theory as a legitimate one, many Inquisitors, including himself, still view the Rebirth Theory as one of credible possibility.
Though it is probable that no concrete knowledge of the Alpha Legion’s goals will ever be obtained, Alcides and his Cabal of loyal Inquisitors have remained dedicated to eradicating the Alpha Legion’s influence through knowledge and perseverance. However, the Alpha Legion is notorious for spreading false information and leaving fake trails for the Inquisition to follow. Their influence constantly grows and without much concrete knowledge to be found, it is unknown if there is truly anything the Inquisition can do to completely eradicate them. Without knowing their motivations, it is impossible to plan against them or take preventative measures against their recruitment. It would appear that every time the Inquisition tackles a rise in Alpha Legion presence, two more incursions are destined to take its place.
V
Spoiler:
+++ Coming Soon +++
VI
Spoiler:
+++ Hidden in Plain Sight +++
The Cult of the Hydra is an Imperial designation given to the various heretics and traitors affiliated with the Alpha Legion that have integrated themselves into Imperial society. Hydra Cultists are commonly accepted among Inquisitorial authorities to be the most substantial representation of Legion activity, given their widespread distribution and incredibly high numbers. Conservative estimates hold that almost seven percent of Imperial worlds have some form of Hydra Cult activity on them, though the reality may be far more or less. Regardless of their exact numbers, they represent an ever-present threat to the sociopolitical stability of the worlds that they occupy and, arguably, the Imperium as a whole.
The Cult of the Hydra is considered to be among the most insidious of heretic cults because of the variation in the way they operate. True to the Astartes Legion that they are affiliated with, Hydra Cultist are extremely eclectic in the way that they interact with Imperial societies. On the surface, many Hydra Cults manifest as stereotypical Chaos cults with fanatical heretics that inhabit the depths of Imperial Hive Cities. However, the true nature of the Cult of the Hydra is far more sinister. The true danger of this cult is its tendency to integrate its members into the upper echelons of a world’s governing body and law enforcement. These members, commonly called operatives, are believed to use their seat of political power to direct attention away from the rest of the cult’s activities. This allows the Hydra Cults to spread propaganda and civil unrest without the fear of political intervention or Inquisitorial investigation. These cults will work to turn as many of a world’s citizens to their cause as possible, eliminating dissenters in the political structure and instituting Legion-loyalists in their place. These social takeovers can take years and can be very covert or extremely violent. Regardless, most of these uprisings end with a complete social takeover that will go completely undetected by Imperial authorities. These worlds continue to pay Imperial tithes and keep contact with the Administratum; they appear to all outside factions to be a loyal Imperial world. In fact, even the majority of these planets’ citizens are unaware that they are living under Legion occupation. The fact that the Alpha Legion is capable of subverting these worlds without the Inquisition ever knowing about it is deeply concerning. It could indicate that a vast number of worlds may actually be under the Legion’s influence.
Though the Cult of the Hydra’s primary function is the subversion of Imperial rule, Hydra Cultists have been found in a number of factions throughout the Imperium. These individuals carry out a variety of tasks and operations conducive with their place in the Imperium. Many Hydra Cultists have been found in Imperial Guard regiments all across the galaxy; discretely turning other guardsmen to the Legion’s cause. These sleeper agents in the Imperial Guard are the main source by which the Alpha Legion is able to recruit members for the various human auxiliaries that it employs in military operations. Disturbingly, it is believed that the cult has even reached as far as the Inquisition itself. These turncoat Inquisitors are able to use their authority to cover the Alpha Legion’s tracks and spread false information throughout the Inquisition. The most infamous example of this was Inquisitor Kravin, who was believed to have purposefully misdirected the Inquisition for years under the orders of the Alpha Legion before his disappearance. It is because of this that the Inquisition takes extraordinary measures to root out the Legion’s corruption in its own ranks. Some Inquisitors in the Ordo Hereticus even believe that the Cult of the Hydra may have representatives among the High Lords of Terra. However, with the support of the Alpha Legion and their unprecedented level of discretion, there is no definitive answer for how deep the corruption of the Cult of the Hydra goes.
VII
Spoiler:
+++ Coming Soon +++
VIII
Spoiler:
+++ Coming Soon +++
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In the future, this section will give links throughout the blog to the various squads and individual models contained within the army. This will allow you a quick reference if you want to see particular models in their finished state rather than having to scroll through tons of pages to view a specific model.
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Here are some of the first models for the army! I've got two Legionnaires and a few cultists for you today:
For the marines, I decided that the opportunity to use Dark Elf scale cloaks was just too good to pass up. I really like the way they came out. They're a pain in the ass to shave down and attach just right to the torsos, but the end result is really quite nice looking. I'm especially happy with how Hylas turned out, especially his helmet. It's a head from the champion sprue that I lopped the horns off of. I think it gives the helmet a sleek and sinister look. I'm going to try my best to put the metal GW Alpha Legion pads on all of my marines as I just love the symbol that's on it. They're expensive, though, so I may have to find ways ( ) to get more in an easier manner.
As for the cultists, a friend of mine who was abandoning his Iron Warriors sold a huge lot of them (total of around 80) to me mostly assembled and all unpainted. The challenge goes to me to take all of them and emblazon them with enough Alpha Legion flair and uniqueness to make each and every one stand out since there's only around 20 variations among them. I decided that weapon swaps, the addition of green stuff hoods, and the addition of patches of scales on their robes would help to break up the monotony. Variance in the color schemes of identical models will also help to break them up when viewed in a group. I'm looking for names for the cultists, so I'm welcome to suggestion! There's a lot of names to sort out, haha! As for these cultists in particular, I love the way Shiv came out with his hand-blade and bionic eye. Durge's stubby stubber was actually a modification from the friend that sold me the cultists and I absolutely love it. I'm also really happy with how the collar and scaly shoulder pad turned out. The unnamed Leader hasn't had much done to him except for the scales. I've got four of this particular figure and he's probably going to be the one that stays close-to unmodified.
Brother Ires
Brother Hylas
Cultist Leader #1 "????"
Cultist #1 "Shiv"
Cultist #2 "Durge"
Enjoy!
Thanks go to my wonderful girlfriend for making all of the brilliant banners that adorn this thread!
Thanks, guys, I hope the thread ends up meeting your expectations! I got a cultist done this morning. Nothing much added to this guy but a few patches of scales. I might add another on the hood when the GS dries.
Cultist #3 "????"
Again, guys, always open for names for the unnamed cultists!
Conversions so far look great... but strangely I am drawn to your presentation. I feel like I may steal your idea when I unleash my Dark Eldar blog upon Dakka. I'm just painting a unit first to give people something to look at instead of boring unconverted evil space elves .
In any case, I will definitely be checking back to see this unfold! Keep it up!
Thanks everyone, I really appreciate all the praise.
RiTides wrote: Your green stuffing is quite good! When do you plan to test a paint scheme?
I'm not sure just yet. Probably sooner than later, but at this point I have a ton of models that are waiting to be built. I kind of want to minimally get the building and modelling done on all the models I've got waiting assembly, before I jump on painting. Additionally, the recent winter caused an unfortunate occurrence where I left my window open while I was on a trip and the cold breeze coagulated all of my paints, leaving me needing to buy some more. But I am thinking pretty hard about it. At this point, I'm thinking that a color scheme that's closer to the pre-heresy scheme is probably what I want to go with. I love the green and blue look of the Alpha Legion, but I feel that it's done so much that this army would blend in with the crowd. I want to emphasize dark blue/indigo and muted metal colors with just enough accents of green so as to identify them as Alpha Legion.
anticitizen013 wrote: Conversions so far look great... but strangely I am drawn to your presentation. I feel like I may steal your idea when I unleash my Dark Eldar blog upon Dakka. I'm just painting a unit first to give people something to look at instead of boring unconverted evil space elves .
In any case, I will definitely be checking back to see this unfold! Keep it up!
Hey, dude, I specifically said in my first post that I wanted to inspire people. If this has inspired you to make a Dark Eldar blog in a similar style, than I encourage you to do so. Just let me know when you post it so I can take a look.
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Alright, guys, one last model for the day. I finished the modelling for another cultist and this one, I think, is my best one yet! At any rate, he's definitely my favorite. I hope you guys like cultists because if not, you're going to learn to by the end of this.
Cultist #4 "Shade"
P.S. A topic of conversation! I want to invest in a solid camera to take nice closeups of the models for this thread. I don't want to spend a ton of money but I'd be willing to drop around $150 on one. Does anyone have some brand/specific model recommendations for cameras that are ideal for taking pictures of models?
Cheers Bob! I've got to go to work but I was looking for a tutorial/tips about miniature photography. I found this thread. I know there's a more in depth tutorial somewhere but I don't really have the time to search just yet.
I had a bit of a chuckle because the first thing the dude in the video said was a comment about using ones cell phone to take pictures... which is what I do (you can check my gallery to see how that turns out). On that note, I have pretty good lighting and I find that helps tremendously. It's just a fluorescent room light with another as a desk lamp. Both are white so don't give off the annoying yellowish tinge of some other kinds.
anticitizen013 wrote: Cheers Bob! I've got to go to work but I was looking for a tutorial/tips about miniature photography. I found this thread. I know there's a more in depth tutorial somewhere but I don't really have the time to search just yet.
I had a bit of a chuckle because the first thing the dude in the video said was a comment about using ones cell phone to take pictures... which is what I do (you can check my gallery to see how that turns out). On that note, I have pretty good lighting and I find that helps tremendously. It's just a fluorescent room light with another as a desk lamp. Both are white so don't give off the annoying yellowish tinge of some other kinds.
Anyway, hope that helps at least a little!
Thanks for the video. I'll look into it.
So, no big update today. Had a busy day taking my cat to the vet. Found out she has a crystal stone in her bladder that she needs to get surgically removed. Poor kitty. :( However, I managed to play around with some of my Cataphractii Terminators. What's that? Cataphractii Terminators? Yes, Cataphractii Terminators; fifteen of them to be exact with three sets of special weapons. Unfortunately, a cataclysm befell my bag of Cataphractii bits in the form of the aforementioned fuzzy monstrosity. The damage was minimal but unfortunately a left-shoulder pad was lost in the struggle; of which there are no extras and I have yet to find a replacement on any bits sites that are in stock. If anyone has an extra left shoulderpad, contact me; I'd be willing to pay or trade bits for one. Anyways, I wanted to have a bare head for my sergeants to further distinguish them from the rest but, seeing as they are all bald, I couldn't use the head that was provided. The idea struck me to butcher the awful vampire head from the old Berzerkers set, shaving it down to the upper lip and sanding off the butcher's nails on their heads. I want to smooth these areas with greenstuff, but I think the head looks pretty good:
So I cranked out a couple of Cultists this morning. The first one I'm really proud of. The second, I feel, is pretty simplistic and I'm contemplating adding a hood. What does Dakka think?
I figured you'd be back at it with your Alienids, completely forgot you were Alpharius.
Am... am I Alpharius too? I don't know what's real anymore.
Anyway, everything's looking good so far. Can't wait to see some paint on these guys. And a Bane marine, that's important.
As for miniature photography, I haven't bought a new camera in years, so I can't be of any help there. Honestly, looks to me like your camera is fine for what you're doing, but I'd definitely suggest getting some kind of plain, white (or at least light) backdrop and a good light source. When half the photo is desk clutter your eye kind of has to figure out where the miniature is. It only takes milliseconds but it's enough to be kind of annoying, plus you're getting shadows cast on the mini from all kinds of directions. I used a plain sheet of paper laid against my wall with a couple desk lamps aimed at (one on either side and one above or in front) for the longest time, but you can get lightboxes complete with lamps for cheap on Amazon and such, probably for less than the cost of buying a bunch of desk lamps. Either way, it's a smaller investment than buying a whole camera and it'll improve your photography quite a bit by itself.
Of course my photos are always either too dark or too light and half the time they're out of focus, but that's more of me being an idiot with my camera settings and then being too lazy to do a reshoot when I've realized what I've done wrong.
RazakelXIII wrote: I figured you'd be back at it with your Alienids, completely forgot you were Alpharius.
Am... am I Alpharius too? I don't know what's real anymore.
Anyway, everything's looking good so far. Can't wait to see some paint on these guys. And a Bane marine, that's important.
As for miniature photography, I haven't bought a new camera in years, so I can't be of any help there. Honestly, looks to me like your camera is fine for what you're doing, but I'd definitely suggest getting some kind of plain, white (or at least light) backdrop and a good light source. When half the photo is desk clutter your eye kind of has to figure out where the miniature is. It only takes milliseconds but it's enough to be kind of annoying, plus you're getting shadows cast on the mini from all kinds of directions. I used a plain sheet of paper laid against my wall with a couple desk lamps aimed at (one on either side and one above or in front) for the longest time, but you can get lightboxes complete with lamps for cheap on Amazon and such, probably for less than the cost of buying a bunch of desk lamps. Either way, it's a smaller investment than buying a whole camera and it'll improve your photography quite a bit by itself.
Of course my photos are always either too dark or too light and half the time they're out of focus, but that's more of me being an idiot with my camera settings and then being too lazy to do a reshoot when I've realized what I've done wrong.
Everyone is Alpharius. Most people just don't know it yet.
I'll definitely look into getting a lamp to photograph the my models from now on, as shadow control would be a lot of help in getting the pictures to be more focused. I hear you on the solid background as well. I'll try to have less busy backgrounds in the future. Also, a Bane marine is, of course going to happen.
Thanks a lot. Considering your Alpha Legion stuff serves as some of my primary inspiration, that means a lot coming from you.
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Anyways, I pumped out another pair of Cultists. This time it's Willem Dafoe and a gas mask guy. I'm really happy with how the latter turned out, but the new Cultist leader will probably be like the first in that I don't change him from his out-of-the-box look all that much. The future variations of this model will have more things to differentiate them; head swaps, weapon swaps, etc.
Alrighty, guys. I thought that I'd break up the monotony and not force you guys to suffer another GS'd Cultist, so I thought I'd finish up a Legionnaire. Today, it's Brother Calix with his glorious plasma gun. I gave him one of the Forge World Mk. IV heads; I really like the way it looks with the plasma gun. He's got a cape like the others, and I think the flow of the cape adds some much needed movement when the pose is the monotonous "standing here aiming a gun with legs splayed apart" pose. I also took RazakelXIII's advice and worked on my photography. It looks a lot better, so thanks for that.
Hey guys, got another Legionnaire today. This one ended up being a huge freaking pain in the ass. For some reason, I was having a really hard time attaching the cape and backpack. It worked out though. He's a Standard Bolter Marine, but I gave him one of the Dark Angels hooded helmet heads. I really like the way it looks. Next update will probably be another Cultist or (maybe) a Cataphractii Terminator. I've got to buy some more paperclips to pin him.
gianlucafiorentini123 wrote: Like the use of the FW stuff really helps to add character to legion based CSM.
What are the patches of GS on the cultists robs?
They're scales. They don't show up very well in the pics, but they should show up better when the models are painted.
Snrub wrote: He's also pretty cool looking. Have you thought about GSing some scales onto the hood? That'd look good.
livanbard wrote: Yes because scales. at the first he looks like a fallen angel.
I looked over it and decided to try out sculpting some scales on the hood. Unfortunately, after several attempts I wasn't able to get it to look as good as I'd like it to be. It came off as clunky and off-putting, so I removed them. I'll stick with the plain hood for now; maybe I'll try again on another Legionnaire or try it again on a cultist and come back to it.
liquidjoshi wrote: Turns out Blogs are quickly becoming one of my favourite parts of Dakka.
Nice job making unique looking cultists - will you be working with other elements of the DV set?
Looking forward to the next update.
I definitely plan to. Unfortunately, though, I never bought Dark Vengeance. These cultists were all bought second-hand from a friend. I also have no interest in the Dark Angels or the Hellbrute (cool model, but I'd rather just buy the new kit for the extra bits). Only reason I'd buy the full set is if I could get someone to split the costs with me that wants the DA stuff. I'll probably just buy the Chosen and the Lord separately at a later time and implement them into the Legion.
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So, a quick update. I know I said another Cultist or possible Cataphractii was on the way but I've been having a lot of fun building Legionnaires and I just had to finish this one when the idea for the pose struck me in the shower this morning. He has the prestigious honor of being the first Beaky Marine for the Legion.
Brother Axios
P.S. In case you're wondering, the patch of greenstuff on his head is just there to fill a hole that was there when I clipped it from the sprue.
Darth Bob wrote: Unfortunately, after several attempts I wasn't able to get it to look as good as I'd like it to be. It came off as clunky and off-putting, so I removed them. I'll stick with the plain hood for now; maybe I'll try again on another Legionnaire or try it again on a cultist and come back to it.
So, a quick update. I know I said another Cultist or possible Cataphractii was on the way but I've been having a lot of fun building Legionnaires and I just had to finish this one when the idea for the pose struck me in the shower this morning. He has the prestigious honor of being the first Beaky Marine for the Legion.
Brother Axios
Another excellent looking traitor*. You keep hitting a really good ratio of loyalist and traitor parts.
*Any one Alpha Legionnaire may or may not be a traitor in any given circumstance. And you yourself may or may not be Alpharius
Another excellent looking traitor*. You keep hitting a really good ratio of loyalist and traitor parts.
Thanks a lot! That's what I've been going for so I'm glad to hear I'm doing a good job at it.
Little update today! Here's one of those cultists I promised, this time with a flamer. I added a collar from one of the leftover Corsair capes, a skull & chain, and a little bit of scaling on his gauntlet. I added a detail picture of the scales since I couldn't quite photograph them just right in the normal front and back pics.
Cultist #8 "????"
P.S. I noticed the little gap between the collar and his body after the took the pics. It has since been greenstuffed.
Pandlers wrote: I'm really digging the collar on that cultist. c:
Thank you!
I did a quick little blurb in the Organization and Leadership section of the background information on the main page. It's not much of an update, but it's something! I'm certainly not done with that section yet but I still have to work on the semantics of an actual Legion organization tree a la the one seen in the first Horus Heresy book from Forge World. Maybe I'll even draw up an actual picture/graph thing. That'd be cool.
I'm seriously gonna have to take a closer look at the Black Ark Corsair kit. Figured it was mostly only useful for Alpha Legion types, so I never paid it much mind, but that collar would really spice up a WB cultist... Looks just fine on #8, though. Nicely done.
By the way, the photos are definitely better with the plain background but you might still want to play with exposure if your phone has that option, and maybe fiddle with contrast and brightness in whatever photomanipulation program you prefer (AutoCorrect is wrong more often than it's right, in my experience) - in some cases (Cultist #8) the photos seem a bit dim overall, and in others (Axios/Malcates) the white is overpowering while the mini is very shadowy.
Sorry if I'm being pedantic about the photos, I'm hardly an expert... Anyway, the minis are still great!
RazakelXIII wrote: I'm seriously gonna have to take a closer look at the Black Ark Corsair kit. Figured it was mostly only useful for Alpha Legion types, so I never paid it much mind, but that collar would really spice up a WB cultist... Looks just fine on #8, though. Nicely done.
By the way, the photos are definitely better with the plain background but you might still want to play with exposure if your phone has that option, and maybe fiddle with contrast and brightness in whatever photomanipulation program you prefer (AutoCorrect is wrong more often than it's right, in my experience) - in some cases (Cultist #8) the photos seem a bit dim overall, and in others (Axios/Malcates) the white is overpowering while the mini is very shadowy.
Sorry if I'm being pedantic about the photos, I'm hardly an expert... Anyway, the minis are still great!
You totally should, man. It's a really great kit. I totally get what you're saying about the contrast, especially in the last pic. I'm still working on getting a proper hobby lamp both for modelling and photography so hopefully that will help when I get one.
Anyways, a quick question for you guys because I need an opinion. My first thought for basing and setting for these models was to do an urban rubble/cities of death theme centered around the narrative that the Legion is bringing a hive city on an Imperial world into compliance. However, though I'm pretty sold on the idea, I'm totally open to other ideas for how to theme my bases. Desert? Swamp? Snow? Mars-y red sands? What ideas do you guys have? Right now all the models have plain bases so I'm pretty much open to anything.
I think an urban setting is the way to go.... you've already got some really cool models and you could hack some apart for some more dynamic poses on rubble and cover and such. Plus it goes along with your vision that they are taking over an Imperial world.
Go ahead on the urban look, can't really go too wrong with that.
I mean you can also add in desert dust, red martian ashes or whatever building up in the recesses of the rubble to add some colour to what otherwise would be quite a lot of greys, oily browns and black.
I do like the idea of the Alpha Legion's final victory-giving attack on an Imperial hive. The phase of patient long-game infiltration and breaking it down from within has ended, and the Legionnaires and agents have risen up to claim what deserves to be theirs!
I don't know if you've considered scraps of Imperial propaganda littered around, perhaps a wall desecrated by Alpha Legion symbology and slogans here, a torn-down pro-Imperium poster there? Something like that to add to the "liberated city" feeling I'm getting from what you've said?
@Insane Smile, thanks for the link. There's some really nice stuff on there! Gives me some good ideas....
@Mister Feral, not bad ideas at all! I really like the idea of Imperial propaganda litter and the Legion graffiti. I'm definitely going to look into that.
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I definitely think that, given the response, urban is the way to go! Just a quick update for today, but I've started on the Cataphractii Terminators. I've gotta say, these are really cool models but they are deceptively difficult to put together. The limbs are quite heavy and the base connections are rather thin, so I've pinned this one (and likely all the rest) to all hell (arms, waist, feet-to-base); he shouldn't come apart any time soon. I also did a nifty little ruined urban path on his base, just to try my hand at some urban basing. With Mister Feral's idea, I may add a little ripped up poster to it at a later time but, regardless, the base isn't done. He's getting an autocannon and I still need to glue his head on, but I'm not sure which head I want to use.
In other news, I did some minor work on some of the cultists that I already posted. Cultist #1 "Shiv" got a few more strands of green stuff rope around his arm to make the blade and the arm blend more seamlessly. Cultist #3 got another little patch of scales on his back. Finally, Cultist Leader #1 had an unfortunate accident. I dropped him while moving a group of them and he landed on his claws, bending them to all hell. I clipped his hand off and gave him a hand with an autopistol. I actually prefer the way it looks. I also drilled out all the gun barrels on the cultists you've seen so far. Anyways, that's all for today!
Pandlers wrote: I really like the weathering on the base, any chance of getting a close up of the details?
Ask and you shall receive!
I also started working on another Cataphractii Terminator. I used the shaved-down Berzerker head and a pair of lightning claws (these things are ludicrously fragile). I really like the way he looks. I still gotta make him a fancy base and pop on a grenade launcher for his back.
So, a quick update today about something I've been pondering after having a PM discussion with RazakelXIII.
When I first went into this thread, it was my intention with the fluff to demystify a Legion that was purposefully mysterious and unknown. I thought that by doing this, it would help readers and myself to give a defined character to a faction of Space Marines whose background was left intentionally nebulous by their creators. I now realize, while I do have faith in my ability to write really cool background information with lots of breakdowns of the various aspects of their inner workings, that by doing this I am kind of spoiling what makes the Alpha Legion so great. They are a Legion dedicated to the idea of secrecy and discretion, misdirection and mystique. By giving them a defined character, I am eliminating the very thing that makes them such a brilliant faction in the first place as well as the main thing that drew me to wanting to collect them. So I have decided, with RazakelXIII's advice, I will be writing and rewriting the majority of the fluff blurbs in this thread with less definitive material than I have been. Each section will be a collection of theories and vague subjective references about the subject rather than definitive information about it. I think that this will allow you, the reader, to formulate your own view of who the Legion is rather than being forced to accept my view of what they're all about. The only exception to this rule will possibly be the History section, which I do want to cover in a fairly substantiated manner.
Hello, fellow agents of the Legion. I come today with a fairly substantial update for today. The first two Cataphractii Terminators, Alessar and Raskus, are finished and ready to be painted up (eventually...). I really, really, really love the way the bases come out. I tell you what, it may be expensive but that urban basing kit from Games Workshop is actually really nice. Also, you can't tell but that's a little broken I-beam sticking out of Raskus' base. I'm really happy with the way that little detail ended up. So without further ado, here they are:
l0k1 wrote: Very nice work. I love the scale cloaks on the basic marines. Were those just cut up from the Dark Elf Corsairs?
Yep! They come with the back part of the elf torso attached, so you have to file and cut that part out and try to cut it so it fits fairly flush with the torso. You also have to clip and file off the part where the backpack attaches from the SM torso.
l0k1 wrote: Ah I see that! Were you able to find those backs separately (and where)or did you buy a couple boxes of dark elf corsairs?
Generally speaking, the bits are kind of expensive; like $2.00 to $2.50 per cape. So to get enough for a box of ten marines, you have to spend $20 to $25 to get capes for all of them plus shipping. At that rate, it's more bang for your buck to just buy the set of Corsairs since the box set is only $25 from GW. You get lots of nice bits for almost the same price as it would cost to get ten of just the capes.
This is a very awesome blog so far, I'm definitely looking forwards to seeing what you do next.
The Corsair cloaks look very cool, I've been thinking about using them with some of my characters and those pics might just give me the inspiration to go and do so.
Also you keep asking for names for the cultists and I'm quite surprised nobody has come out with the suggestion of "Bob, Agent of Hydra." I thought it was quite an apt and clichéd suggestion but might just work.
@ShenloanneMade: Thank you, I'm definitely playing around with some color schemes in my head. I do love to paint models but I am notoriously slow about it. On top of my recent accident with all my paints, it's put a bit of a stifle on actual paint going on these guys. It's coming though, hold tight.
@Adamski Alders: Hahahaha, I'm a huge Marvel comics reader. However, I cannot stand Deadpool and related characters, so Bob, Agent of Hydra is definitely out.
@legolooney & ghostmaker: Thank you very much!
I've been slow going the past couple of days. Went to some bars with a bunch of friends and had Easter festivities over the weekend, so I didn't really get much done. I did, however, base some of the guys you've seen in the thread. I'm trying to change the bases up so they don't look too uniform but still have a unifying look. This week's pretty busy but I'm going to try to cobble another Power Armor or Cataphractii Legionnaire before it's done.
Really awesome blog! I feel exactly the same as you do about the Alpha Legion, and the nebulous nature of their allegiance(s). So I love the background section, and I think that having "spoiler" there will allow people who don't want any demystification to avoid it. At the same time, I like the thought of collecting vague suspicions and rumours as well. I think it would fit with the Hydra ethos.
Anyway, I too am looking forward to some paint.
I would also be really interested to hear what other units you are considering running with this force, given what you said about the multi-pronged attack, misdirection, attack from within mentality.
Scouts make sense (and would be cool to model), as do Bikers. What about Warp Talons/Raptors--descending from above? Can Chaos armies run Land Speeders?
@angelofvengeance: Thanks so much. I like the way he came out as well. The base adds a bit of extra flair that really makes him look like he's scanning the streets for stragglers; weak-minded fools who will not turn to the Legion's leadership!
@Yggdrasil: I swear to the Chaos Gods (or the Emperor?) if I hear one more person ask for painted models I'm going to color them with sharpies! The models that is (though if it escalates I may have to take the sharpies to the perpetrators). Seriously, though, thanks for the compliment and I'm glad you like my stuff. The painting will come, I promise. I just have so many unpainted models that need assembly and conversions that I'm kind of in 'model-now-paint-eventually' mode. I do love painting, but modelling, GS work, and conversions are my real passion. I want to get every figure just the way I want it before I delve into painting. Not to mention, I have no model paints after what happened, which requires money. Something that I don't have a lot of right now.
@pantherlegionnaire: Thanks for the compliment. I'm glad that you like my approach to the Alpha Legion. As for what I'm considering, I can't really say anything other than all the things. Seriously, there's really no set ideology for what is going to be in this army. As far as I'm concerned, the sky (or my wallet...) is the limit. As I mentioned in the introduction, I'm not limiting this to a Codex because I find the Codices to be too limiting on my creative potential. I don't want to have to build my models and create a force that has to adhere to the strictures of rules for a game I'm not really all that fond of. For me, this hobby is more about the hobby and the rich back story. The game is just a bonus. If I can use this force in a friendly game every once in a while, great. But I don't want to mold my army to fit any Codex; if anything I'll do the reverse. Also, are they really Chaos? Or is that just what they want you to think?
That being said, Scouts are at the top of my list as far as Astartes go. I'm eager for the Horus Heresy Weekender to see what juicy stuff Forge World is releasing for the Alpha Legion. I'm hoping for some Lernaean Terminators and maybe the Efreet Stealth Squad. Landspeeders, Raptors/Assault Marines, Havocs/Devastators, and Drop Pods are at the top of my list for potential inclusions. There's a very nice and quite large Forge World model staring at me from the cabinet but that's a story for another day. Overall, though, I think that once I've built all the Space Marine models I have in my possession right now, I'm going to turn my attention to the other parts of the Alpha Legion; the human auxiliaries, the Dark Mechanicus, and the various other representatives of the Cult of the Hydra. But don't you worry, the army will be very eclectic and rather all-inclusive with what's in it. Like I said in the intro post, this is very much an ongoing thing. I don't really have a plan. I'm like the Joker. I just do (buy) things.
Looking good so far Mr Bob. I really like your thoughts on doing the hobby first and fit the army to the rules if needed, should lead to a very interesting project of which I shall be following.
Awesome. I really like your attitude, man. The hobby I think has GOT to be part of it, and in your case it's obviously a very big part. I, too, tend to be a little ADD and have trouble finishing projects, but never any trouble getting new ones going. I've got too many armies, all unfinished, but I think that makes it vital, you know? Like a living language...always growing.
I do think that I like to paint armies, though, and to thanks for answering my question. I do like the "whole army" concept too, and not only the Codex models. Definitely go with the "not Chaos Codex compliant" strategy--that's awesome. Forge world is definitely a great source of models for this, and that's great that you're going to a Heresy Weekender. I'm going to be in the UK this summer, and plan to do some pilgrimages to Nottingham as well.
As for "the sky or my wallet," I feel you. Go for it!
Automatically Appended Next Post: Also, I'm sorry, but how does one subscribe to a thread? I'd love to keep following this, but I can't figure it out.
@Malika2: You know, I hadn't thought of that, to be perfectly honest. But I'd be lying if I said it didn't interest me. Thanks for the idea!
@GiraffeX: Thanks a lot! I hope you enjoy the thread's contents.
@pantheralegionnaire: I totally get what you're saying and I'm totally in the same boat. This army is definitely going to be an ever-evolving thing.
@Gitsplitta: Thanks for the sub! Your Mantis Warriors blog was one of the primary inspirations for this thread, actually. The love and effort you put into the Mantis Warriors is really inspiring and exemplifies the hobby as a whole for me. Hope you enjoy my efforts!
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Alright, I got another Cataphractii done yesterday, but I forgot to post it! I did something a little different with his base. I gave him a mount of rubble and earth made from green stuff and white glue and added piece of sheet metal from the urban basing kit. I'm quite happy with how he turned out:
@Sasa0mg: You really should pick some up for your Minotaurs. I think they'd look quite awesome in your scheme!
@Gitsplitta: No problem!
@lipsdapips: Welcome aboard! Hope you enjoy the thread.
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So I figure it's time to chime in with that "big model" I mentioned in a previous post. This one certainly has an interesting story to it. All I can say is: ALL THE DREADNOUGHTS!
So, a few years ago I made an order to Forge World for one of the flying Hive Tyrants and a couple of the Renegade Psykers. When I got them, I received double what I ordered; two Tyrants and two sets of Psykers. What confounded me more was the fact that Forge World charged me three times. After contacting FW, they chalked it up to the fact that they were switching over the old site to the new one, they refunded me, and let me keep the extra resin. Now, it is 2014 and it has happened yet again. But this time with a twist. This time, I ordered one Alpha Legion Dreadnought, one Chaos Dreadnought Autocannon, and one Chaos Dreadnought Missile Launcher. I received three of each. I don't know what's going on with this love affair between Forge World and me, but if it ends up like this more often I'm good with it, because I was only charged once this time. With good conscience, I contacted Forge World and let them know what happened. They told me it must have been a hiccup in their system and once again I could keep the extra stuff. So, long story short I got three Alpha Legion Dreadnoughts with arms for the price of one. I'll probably end up selling off the other two but I still thought it was awesome.
You know what you must do. Wait another year or two and then order a Reaver w/weapons and one of the big fire dragons. If the trend holds, you'll end up with four sets of each.
But you should totally keep all 3 dreads. Paint them all up in slightly different ways and have a really cool looking set of ancients.
For sure! What's up with this good luck? Why can't stuff like that happen to me?
I agree with @Snrub, though. Keep them, at least for a little while, in case you decide you want a squadron. It would look awesome thematically in any case, and you never know what you might decide to do with them. So, don't be hasty...
As for the "Big Thing," it wasn't a Reaver Titan, which is what I thought it was, but that's awesome, and I look forward to seeing what you come up with.
Yeah, I've been thinking about keeping them but honestly it's more a matter of not wanting three Dreadnoughts that look completely identical; not just the bodies, but also the loadouts. I'd rather sell off the extra two to fund a purchase of something I could use more. Maybe a Land Raider, some IG for the Legion auxiliaries, or some stuff to get started on the Mechanicus allies. As for a Reaver Titan, I can spoil your hopes and dreams and let you know that there's no Titans in the near future for this thread. One day, I will get a Titan. It's one of those things I have to get before I kick the bucket. As far as giant Forge World models go, though, the Thunderhawk Gunship is at the top of my list. I definitely want one of those more than anything else at Forge World but they're terribly expensive and I have to focus on the little guys before I move on to something that big.
Yeah, I saw them. Not really fond, to be honest. The details look too soft and play-doh-ey. I think I'll stick to the metal pads.
Finished up another Cataphractii. I wanted to make him an anti-armor guy, so I gave him a combi-melta and a chainfist. I'm pretty happy with the posing, even if it is a little comedic. It has a very "come at me, bro!" look to it, I guess. I added a piece of sheet metal to his base that looks like it has a melted hole in it. It took a bit of trial and error but, with a recommendation of some people on this fantastic site, I was able to use a soldering iron to make it convincing. It's hard to tell, but the edges of the hole look appropriately melted like it's been blasted by a meltagun. I may paint it to look like the edges are still hot. Anyways, here he is!
Darth Bob wrote: Yeah, I've been thinking about keeping them but honestly it's more a matter of not wanting three Dreadnoughts that look completely identical; not just the bodies, but also the loadouts. I'd rather sell off the extra two to fund a purchase of something I could use more. Maybe a Land Raider, some IG for the Legion auxiliaries, or some stuff to get started on the Mechanicus allies. As for a Reaver Titan, I can spoil your hopes and dreams and let you know that there's no Titans in the near future for this thread. One day, I will get a Titan. It's one of those things I have to get before I kick the bucket. As far as giant Forge World models go, though, the Thunderhawk Gunship is at the top of my list. I definitely want one of those more than anything else at Forge World but they're terribly expensive and I have to focus on the little guys before I move on to something that big.
Good points for sure. Yeah, identical loadouts doesn't really help and the other options you describe are definitely appealing. In terms of Legion Auxiliaries, would you consider going with the Chaos Cultists from the Dark Vengeance boxed set (like in the recent Warhammer Visions) or would you want "loyalist" (or at least APPEARING so) troops? Either way, that's pretty cool, and it might be possible to work in some of those new shoulder pads from Forgeworld with some of the Scions--the models look pretty much the same size as most Space Marines now.
Otherwise, the Thunderhawk is definitely awesome...but I like this better.
In any case, I love what you're doing, and the "open concept" you're embracing. Thanks for continuing to share great pics of WIP, and I look forward to seeing the army continue to evolve.
@pantheralegionnaire: In my mind, the Cultist and auxiliary forces are separate but intrinsically connected entities. While the Cult of the Hydra and the military auxiliaries intersect some, the actual activities and functions that they perform are quite different. The cultists are a less militant branch of the Alpha Legion's non-Astartes allies. Where the actual human auxiliaries are individuals who are turncoats from various Imperial Guard regiments/recruited secretly from Legion worlds, a cultist could be anyone affiliated with the Alpha Legion; a crazed fanatic with a gun, a civilian knowingly living under Legion leadership, or turncoat politician. The Hydra Cultists don't usually deal in dedicated military engagements in the same way that the human auxiliaries do. That being said, the cultists you've seen so far are just that; cultists. They aren't members of the military auxiliaries, but rather citizens who have taken up arms against the Imperium in the name of the Legion.
Most of the human auxiliaries will look more or less like traitor Imperial Guard. Some of them may maintain Imperial iconography, some may adopt symbols of Chaos, some may bear no marks of allegiance at all. In the same way that the Alpha Legionnaires are visually deceptive in their affiliations, so too are the militant auxiliaries. As I will be working off the idea that these are individuals, battalions, and sometimes entire regiments of Imperial Guard that have turned to the Alpha Legion, there will be a lot of variety among them. Some may be Tallarn, Vostroyans, Mordians, Kriegsman, Cadians, or guardsmen from any number of worlds. Regardless of where they come from, they are unified under the will of the Hydra; whatever its will may be.
I definitely dig the Fire Raptor, but I will say there is no reason it has to be mutually exclusive from the Thunderhawk. Hint: I want both!
alpha legion operatives are behind the scenes at FW sending reinforcements to their brethren while shorting both loyalists and traitor marines like . If you kept all three dreads (I know you don't want to since they are the same load out), you could change each one just slightly with markings and play them as alpharius hiding in dreadnought armor , and really mess with people when they declare shots at the dreadnought and say "well that would have penetrated its armor had it actually been a dreadnought, too bad it was alpharius.....oh wait its actually omegon man even I get them confused"
Sorry, I pick on alpha legion guys, just check out my signature.
@Darth Bob, I love the reasoning and planning behind these human units. I think it's going to be fun to model them up, and I really love the idea of "no clear markings" on some. "Who do you work for?" I can't say...
Fantastic, and such a great "blank slate" the way you're going about assembling the force. Being a big fan of "army painting" (as opposed to single miniatures) myself, I love it too that this seems like a project that can go on...indefinitely. Fire Raptor, Thunderhawk...why stop there?
Alpharius (or is it Omegon?) in a Dreadnought suit is also amusing...
Looking forward to seeing the project continue to grow and evolve.
I did a Legionnaire in power armor over the weekend. I picked up a box of the new(ish) loyalist Tactical Squad. I figure I would incorporate more loyalist bits into the next few Legionnaires in power armor since the last ones have been more heavy-handed with the Chaos bits. I really like how this guy came out. I imagine him to be the "tech" guy of the squad so I gave him an auspex and a bolt pistol to imply that, while he is a battle-hardened Astartes, his true talents lie in his abilities to disable machinery, read various auspex signals, and hack into an assortment of technologies. Rather than have him prone and ready to engage the enemy, I have him looking own at his auspex while his pistol is in a resting position. I imagine the rest of the squad shooting out from cover while he's ducked behind shouting off the signals to the rest of the squad. Anyways, here he is:
Looking good! I think having "at rest" poses in the midst of aggressive "attack" poses in a squad really looks good. More realistic--they're not ALL charging forward, shooting madly. The auspex is also just a nice piece to incorporate into a model.
I've been super busy for the past couple months since my last post. Engrossed with real life (boring, I know) and the pursuit of other interests. But the models have been calling me, so I think it's time that I dust off this blog and get it going again. So for you today, I've got a (mostly) assembled Dreadnought. Other than the basing, he's ready to be painted. The arms and head are just blue-tacked right now because I want them to be separate for painting. Otherwise, he's been pinned to all hell. It seems that the multiple Dreadnoughts thing was both a gift and a curse, as they all had a significant amount of flash and resin deformities. I picked out the parts to make the best one. I had to build up some stuff with green stuff since I had to sand down deformities that resulted in scraping off some small details. On the bright side, it's mostly on the back of the model and areas that will be covered up by the guns arms so I don't count it as a huge loss. It should look fine and relatively unnoticeable when it's all painted up. Anyways, here he is!
Hooray! I had been checking in, but it's been a long time since May! Good stuff, man--look forward to seeing how you progress. Shame about the deformities and other failings of the resin, though--it sucks to pay premium price for a beautiful model and then get it and not have it live up to your (justifiable) expectations.
Paint is actually looking like it could be happening soon. I've been getting the itch to paint some of these guys up and I have some spare cash to put down on some paints. Thanks for sticking around during my absence. Hope I can keep bringing on the same quality stuff for you guys!
Indeed I had seen that brilliant Dreadnought! Boy is he beautiful! I'd be ashamed of myself if I didn't consider adding him to my Legion. He's probably going to be in my next order from Forge World; whenever that may be.
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Finished up the basing on Pythos over Christmas. Hope everyone had a lovely one, by the way! I added a Secret Weapon Miniatures ruined pillar to his base, adding a few bullet holes to give it a bit of modern/40k flair. It's hard to tell that it's not just a random piece of plastic, but I also added a plasticard I beam that I added some stress damage to to make it look more beaten up. Otherwise, it's the same basing style as the rest of the guys. There's a few spaces where I might add a little more ballast but, otherwise, he's ready for painting (eventually ).
Hey guys, so I just uploaded an intro video to my YouTube channel that I had been wanting to use as a vlog for my hobbying/40k/roleplaying stuff. Nothing really new in it, but you do get a closer look at each of the models you've seen so far. Hope you guys enjoy!
P.S. Don't worry, I'll still be doing normal updates as I have been doing, since I'm sure not everyone wants to watch a video to see what's new! However, if you do like hearing my sultry voice, you will have that option as well. I'm going to try to do a video for every update from now on!
After seeing the new Blood Angels release, I've had an itching temptation in the back of my head. A temptation that turned into a plan, which has then turned into a reality. With only six Power Armored Astartes, I've decided that I'm going to re-base them and pop them on the new 32mm bases. Why? A few reasons. First, because they look so much better than the crammed, feet-half-hanging-off, no-room-for-detail, 25mm bases. Second, I think they make the models look larger, which is nice since I'm not true-scaling them. Third, I realized that by gluing them to their bases I was making a nightmarish scenario when it came to painting the backs of their legs and the insides of their capes, so I needed them to be separated from their bases, regardless. So began the arduous (and nerve-wracking) task of peeling/cutting/sanding the models off their bases. Luckily, I was able to cleanly remove them without any damage being done to the models. That being said, all Power Armor Astartes from now on will be on the 32mm bases. Now, if the Chicken Little rumors are true and 32mm is completely replacing 25mm bases, then feth that. I'm not re-basing any of my models on 25mm bases, nor will I base anyone on a 32mm beyond Power Armored Legionnaires and models that fit particularly well on them. Cultists and other normal human models look perfectly fine/better on the 25mm bases.
Anyways, here's the first of the re-based Astartes, Brother Calix. As you can see, I was able to do a lot more detail on his base and I'm really happy with the way it turned out. It looks a tad messy now, but I still have to go in and peel off some stray glue on the edges and the paint should make it look much nicer. The blank spots between his feet and the basing material (mostly seen on the inside of his right foot) will be filled in with some last minute ballast after the finicky bits are painted and the model is glued on. If you couldn't already tell, he's just pinned to the base right now. I may try to keep all of my models separate from their bases until painting from now on, but it will probably be saved for models that have finicky parts. The foot-pinning is a bit time consuming.
Interesting. I've seen a lot of debate about the 32mm bases, but no one commenting that they've chosen them for the reasons you have. Bravo! I'm sure they'll work out great for you based on the example above.
Gitsplitta wrote: Interesting. I've seen a lot of debate about the 32mm bases, but no one commenting that they've chosen them for the reasons you have. Bravo! I'm sure they'll work out great for you based on the example above.
The way I figure, my army's still early in its creation and I love the look of the new bases, so I might as well just start now before I get too far into it and not want to go back and re-base a ton of models. As mentioned before, I'm not really big on 40k as a game, so rule lawyering with the base sizes didn't have any impact on my decision to change the PA Marines' base sizes. It's purely an artistic and aesthetic choice. Glad you like the look!
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Managed to crank one last Legionnaire out before bed. Here's Brother Hylas all re-based. I love these ruined pillars from Secret Weapon. Without the new bases, I never could have had them on the PA guys' bases. The base looks a lot cooler in person, but without a bunch of photos it's hard to get the full scope. Once these six guys are re-based I'm gonna do an update video on my channel so you guys can get a full 360 look at them on their new, shiny bases.
Everything is looking great! Thanks for the updates!
I am excited about the new bases, too, though I haven't been able to get my hands on any here in Southeast Asia (I've tried). Do we know for sure that this is going to be a standard option going forward, or do we not have any real, clear announcement yet from GW about these new bases?
My main army is Blood Angels, and since they are the first ones with these new bases, I am wondering.
The good news is that my Reaper Paints have arrived and I think I already have a formula for the color scheme down. You should see a painted model very, very soon. The bad news is that the Alpha Legion has lost a brother. Pythos the Dreadnought, who has been renamed Alphailius the Bane of Primer, has suffered from a casting defect I had not noticed before. A few spots on him were un-paintable because of the cast, as the primer simply slid off in areas. Alas, even several post-discovery soap and water scrub downs could not save what was obviously not release agent and simply a problem with the resin. The scrub down caused his basing to fall apart and at that point I decided to just let him go. And so, our fallen brother became a very expensive test model, as I tried out various schemes on the parts where the primer took hold. Rest in peace, Alphailius, your original name will be given to a future Dreadnought and the schemes you helped to test will be seen on models for years to come.
But I'm not letting this get me down, even if it does suck! I'm too excited to let it! The scheme I've worked out is looking really nice. It's dark and gritty, which is exactly what I had in mind when I started this army. The scheme takes some inspiration from RazakelXIII's Word Bearers, while having my own personal flair to it. I'm excited to show you guys what I've come up with and hoping it will be worth the four pages you guys have waited for painted models.
Whalemusic is correct. FW will replace the defective cast without any hassle. You will probably have to email them a few pics of the model showing the problem and they will send the new part asap. I had a similar problem with 2 of my Zone Mortalis tiles and FW replaced them.
The issue is that I've had this model for a very long time. Almost two years now. Without the order information or the batch number, I doubt they'd be willing to replace it, but I've sent them an email just in case.
You should be able to see all your past orders if you were the one that ordered (I can see back to '11). Even if not I've had them replace things that weren't even their fault. Good CS, so I'd say you have a chance.
whalemusic360 wrote: You should be able to see all your past orders if you were the one that ordered (I can see back to '11). Even if not I've had them replace things that weren't even their fault. Good CS, so I'd say you have a chance.
I do see the order on the website, thanks for the heads up. I'm hoping for an email reply. Phoning them from the states is pretty expensive.
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In other news, something unprecedented has happened!
*gasp*
Paint?! In this thread?! Who'd have thought any of us would see it before we were old and gray? I'll be honest, I didn't.
Decided to start on one of the Cataphractii; Raskus in particular. After the Alfailius fiasco I was left with an unquenched desire to do a Forge World model, so one of the Cataphractii seemed like the obvious choice. I figured since he was the first one I worked on, he'd be the perfect candidate! I'm quickly seeing that the tests scheme I came up with isn't going to work out the way I thought it would. I tried to do the classic indigo and silver look but the first tests were too purple and the bluer tests look too much like Ultramarines. I had to go back to the drawing board on schemes but my idea for this new one should look pretty sweet. It's a new (AFAIK) spin on an old classic. Stay tuned for more and enjoy this early WIP shot.
Hello! Very exciting update today to mark the occasion of my 22nd birthday! I've got for you today, the first finished model for my Alpha Legion project! I'm super proud of how he's turned out. I've never been the best painter, but considering I haven't picked up a brush in almost four years, I think I've done a pretty good job. The original plan was to go for the classic indigo/silver scheme but, as mentioned in the last post, color mixing didn't work out as I had hoped. I settled on a scheme I tried to keep close to the Forge World Horus Heresy scheme while still having elements of my original ideas. The blue is a ridiculous mix of varying shades of blue and purple, and I think the slightly purple hue does look better than a pure blue. I decided to go for the "green highlight" look that many people do, despite my desire to avoid it in order to differentiate my army. However, I realized early on that there wasn't going to be enough green for my liking and solid green areas looked fairly strange. So rather than doing brushed-on highlights, I decided to use a light green wash over all the blue, which was then touched up with the blue's highlight color. I think it gives a really nice, subtle fading effect from blue to green, and I'm really pleased with the look. I'm happy with how the red ammo box on the canon turned out, as I think it adds some nice contrasts to the model. Furthermore, I added some extra contrast by painting the tassels, which were originally a less-than-desirable deep brown, in a nice ivory color. I think I'm going to continue with this theme by doing the cloaks on the Power Armored guys, and the other cloth bits on my Legionnaires, in the ivory as well. It also may be hard to tell in the pictures, but the eyes are indeed picked out in the old "white dot reflection" style. They're red, which contrasts nicely with the other colors.
Anyways, I hope the first painted model at least somewhat was worth the wait. I'm quite proud of it, and he signals the imminent coming of more! Here he is, the first of many!
Raskus, Heavy Weapons Specialist of the Pythian Terminators, Alpha Legionnaire of Legion Cell: Iota
Congratulations, man! Great to see your long-term project come to fruition with its first painted model! Hopefully you can build some momentum and feel that satisfaction that results from seeing a painted army emerge.
Thanks guys, I appreciate the feedback. The more and more I look at the photos, though, the more I'm unhappy with them. I really need to learn the ins and outs of miniature photography. I don't feel that these photos properly portray the way the model looks in person. A lot of the depth has gotten washed out, unfortunately.
I may try and re-photograph him in some better light. Or maybe I'll pick up a light box with some of my birthday money.
I go into more elaborated detail in the video, but for those who just want to read or can't view the video, here's the main points:
I) Went over all the stuff I hadn't covered since the last vlog entry; 32mm overlords, Alphailius, Raskus, etc.
II) After staring at the pictures and the model itself for a long while, I've decided that I'm not happy with how Raskus has turned out. It's not so much that I don't like the color scheme, because I do. However, when I first started this army, I wanted a scheme that was going to portray the dark, brooding, and Gothic nature of 40k. While this is a great Alpha Legion scheme, it just doesn't portray that vibe, and the vibe my army exudes is very important to me; critical, in fact. So I'm probably going to end up stripping Raskus and re-painting him in the new scheme I'm working on. The new scheme is going to be a dark metallic scheme based partly off Forge World's Alpha Legion and this model I saw on Blood of Kittens, which has really inspired me:
Spoiler:
I've done a brief test with the (unfortunate) remains of our dear Brother Alphailius. Notice how his chest is bare? That entire area wouldn't prime. But enough of that. The blue is very thickly slathered on because I did it over other test schemes, so ignore the thickness and brushstrokes. It was essentially done with successive coats and highlights of different shades of silver, followed by several thin washes of Army Painter's Blue Tone Ink Wash and a subtle wash of MSP Viper Green. I think, combined with the contrast from the brighter silver trim, it looks quite nice. I've already built a test model (shown in the vlog entry) to try out the scheme, but I'm honestly not happy with Reaper's metallics. They're not bad, but I don't know if I'd make them my go-to set of metallic paints. I've ordered a (almost) full set of Vallejo's Model Air metallics because I hear nothing but good things about how smooth and shiny they are. Waiting for them to arrive before trying the test scheme. Stay tuned for that!
III) I also started building/converting up an Apothecary for my Power Armor squad. I imagine individual Legion squads being fairly self-reliant and able to operate independent of the larger forces in dedicated missions, and every team needs an Apothecary to keep the Legionnaires healthy and recover the precious geneseed of their "dead" Primarch. He's almost done but, as mentioned in the vlog, I'm not sure which head to go with. It's down to one of these three because I need a bit of Chaos on him, what with all the loyalist parts on him. Thoughts?
IV) Finally, I've started picking up bits and bobs for the other non-Astartes stuff. Ordered one of the female Raging Heroes not-IG commanders as a general for the Legion Auxilliaries, Hoping nothing happened in the mailing, because she's taking a while to get here. It'll be two weeks today, but I'm still optimistic! Picked up a box of Tempestus Scions and some Vostroyan Snipers, as well. Also got an old OOP Rackham Confrontation Aberration Prime off eBay for a steal; $30 for one new in box! I'm planning on making him some kind of Mechanicus technomonstrosity, and with all those tasty optional bits I should be able to get a lot of use out of the kit. I'm getting excited as we seem to be getting closer to finally seeing the fruits of our pledges from the Creature Caster Kickstarter, so I'm hoping to get those fantastic models in the next month or two. Furthermore, I'm actually thinking about doing three separate blogs for this army. This one, for Alpha Legion and Auxiliaries, another for the Mechanicus stuff, and a final ones for the Daemons; which I have big plans for. I'm one to like things to be organized and not too jumbled, and I think keeping the three entities separate but equal will be the way to go; for my sanity and yours.
Thanks for the feedback, guys, it looks like the first head was the most popular and it was also the one I was leaning towards the most. Here's the finished model. I haven't drilled out the gun barrel yet because I can't for the life of me find my pin vice.
Curses, I've missed out on a whole page of updates.
Vidlogs are good. Nice to be able to hear straight from the horses mouth. One piece of advice, staring at a black table for a minute and a half is boring. Put some models there or something. Something for us to look at while you do your intro.
Raskus is bloody amazing looking painted up like that. Although I do like the alternate scheme you did on the dreadnoughts leg armour. That also looks really good. An army done in either scheme would be fantastic looking,
I also think you made the right choice with the Apothecaries head too. Looks far more medical then the other two.
@King Pariah and Gitsplitta: Thanks guys! Appreciate the kind words!
@Snrub: I was wondering where you'd gone! Yeah, I'm still getting the hang of doing videos that aren't super boring, but I did take your advice in this most recent video. Glad you like how Raskus turned out. He's sitting right across from me and he does look nice the more I look at him, but I've just got this itching in my brain that I want to repaint him, so I'm probably going to do it. Tests of the metallic blue didn't work out so well on smaller models (my method doesn't really work on a smaller surface). I'm still testing schemes but I might move on to painting up the Cultists until I can find something I like. Playing with some turquoise schemes right now based on a scheme I saw on B&C. I've decided that I may try to achieve the gritty scheme through the use of battle damage, since it's something I've never really done before and will lend to that sense of realism.
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So I got some stuff in the mail that I ordered with some of my birthday money. Lady Hilda von Stroheim came in from France (finally), so this video review is of her. On the whole, she's a great model, though one of my bits ended up being miscast/broken in the packaging. Might contact them about it. In a way, I kind of wish I got the metal version to avoid the chance of this happening, but oh well. Also got my Aberration Prime, which will be getting its own review video when I get around to it. This is probably the last you'll see of him in this thread, save the review, since I'm almost 100% sure I want to do the Dark Mechanicus stuff in a separate thread. I also got one of the Alpha Legion mugs from the HH Weekender off of eBay. With it, I can drink super secret cocktails while I hobby.
In other news, receiving the Raging Heroes model got me thinking about schemes for the human auxiliaries/Traitor Guard. I knew right away that I didn't want these guys to look like straight up Alpha Legion. I don't want them to have completely separate colors from the Legion, but having the same proportions of the same colors would make them too similar. Plus, I don't want to paint the same, exact colors across the board. Part of the reason I like the idea of auxiliaries is it lets me try different paints/colors from my Alpha Legion, allowing me a break from blues, greens, and silvers.
So this is what I've come up with! It's looking like turquoise is going to be the main color on my Alpha Legion so i kept that in mind on these tests. Let me know which one/s you guys like the most. Right now, I'm most leaning towards #1 and using #4 for Stormtroopers and the like. Tanks would be mostly off-white with turquoise accents. But I'm open to other ideas! Feel free to play around with the B&C Guardsman painter and post a scheme you think would look cool.
#1: Off-white fatigues, turquoise armor, white accents, gold metals.
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#2: Bone fatigues, turquoise armor, white accents, gold metals.
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#3: Medium gray fatigues, turquoise armor, white accents, gold metals.
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#4: Charcoal fatigues, turquoise armor, white accents, gold metals.
You know Bob, I would go a completely different direction with the Aux troopers and paint them up in a completely different colour scheme.
Something markedly different from the Alpha Legion. But then add little subtle hints of green/blue or silver to them somewhere. Something that says "No no, we're totally not Alpha Legionnaire Auxiliary troops. No... totally not...". Rather then something that says "We might be, but maybe possibly aren't Alpha Legionnaire Auxiliary troops even if we sort of closely match up to their Legion colours... Maybe."
Go all out and do something properly Alpha Legionish.
Snrub wrote: You know Bob, I would go a completely different direction with the Aux troopers and paint them up in a completely different colour scheme.
Something markedly different from the Alpha Legion. But then add little subtle hints of green/blue or silver to them somewhere. Something that says "No no, we're totally not Alpha Legionnaire Auxiliary troops. No... totally not...". Rather then something that says "We might be, but maybe possibly aren't Alpha Legionnaire Auxiliary troops even if we sort of closely match up to their Legion colours... Maybe."
Go all out and do something properly Alpha Legionish.
A very commendable thought, Snrub, and after reviewing your comments and thinking about it, I agree! I've come up with some schemes that break away from traditional Alpha Legion colors but leave room for hints of Legion flair. The current plan is to take the color on the helmet stripe and to use it for serpentine patterns and motifs on their armor. No Hydras or anything obvious like that, but snaking tendrils, serpents, and the like. The thought came from the HYDRA symbol from Marvel Comics, with its many arms. As for snakes and serpents, well, they are loosely associated with the Alpha Legion, but not intrinsically so. There are many loyalist entities whom use the serpent as a motif, so I doubt it would raise suspicion. So here they are. I'm leaning most towards #6 because it lets me get the turquoise in there without it being a really front and center color. I'm less keen on the green. I can't really decide if I like it enough for a whole army, but I thought it was obligatory to try a scheme incorporating green.
#6: Dark gray fatigues, off-white armor, turquoise accents, silver metals.
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#7: Charcoal fatigues, green armor, black accents, silver metals.
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#8: Medium gray fatigues, bone armor, turquoise accents, silver metals.
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#9: Medium gray fatigues, red armor, white accents, gold metals.
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#10: Off-white fatigues, charcoal armor, white accents, silver metals.
I like the green and charcoal as well, but I'm afraid it'll end up making them look like any other variation of a khaki green guardsman out there. I think these guys should be pretty unique.
I think you should go with the light colored set (medium grey with bone). But save the turquoise for lenses and optics. Have it be really subtle. The silver is fine for the metals though. If anything think of the color scheme being the underbelly of the snake/hydra. It also will make a nice contrast to the legion armor.
Theophony wrote: I think you should go with the light colored set (medium grey with bone). But save the turquoise for lenses and optics. Have it be really subtle. The silver is fine for the metals though. If anything think of the color scheme being the underbelly of the snake/hydra. It also will make a nice contrast to the legion armor.
I like that idea, but I'd take the colour scheme number 8.
It would look better, and differenciate them from standard cadians that people would actualy look at them and notice the discreet AL colours.
@Papaskittels: Steal away! The Legion is everywhere.
@Gitsplitta: I'm of the same opinion. I feel like green is such a standard color for military entities that it doesn't really stand out enough for my liking. The turquoise has, perhaps, the opposite effect in that it's very much a specialized color associated with specific entities (like the Alpha Legion). I think the more neutral colors like off-whites, grays, and bones, with hints of Legion colors and subtle iconography, will be the right balance between too generic and too specialized.
@Theophany and Talon of Anathrax: This scheme was probably my second choice and I like the idea of it being the underbelly of a snake or hydra. But Theophany, I have to disagree on keeping the turquoise relegated only to the lenses and optics. I feel like that would have the scheme tread too closely to the generic military uniform, as I mentioned before. Obviously, the tendrils and snake iconography wouldn't be completely covering every surface of their armor. It would be minimal, but it would be there. I think the subtle hints of turquoise would break up the neutral colors just enough.
That said, I tried to blend #6 and #8. I like this look a lot and think I'll go with it. It maintains the bone armor, but has the darker gray fatigues. I lightened up the bone to more of a polished ivory because I didn't like how dark the bone was. Thanks for all your comments, guys, I appreciate your involvement in my creative process; means a lot!
#11 Dark gray fatigues, ivory armor, turquoise details, silver metals.
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Oh, also, I bought Autilon Skorr, the Alpha Legion exclusive from the Horus Heresy weekender. I've been seeing lots of people post him in the We Are Alpharius Facebook group, and I decided that I had to get it. Got him for a pretty reasonable deal, too. I'll probably be replacing the mask, though that may depend on how it looks in person.
They're cultists/renegades. Their collective middle name is redshirt. Their purpose in life is to be a redshirt and they are by their nature redshirts. In their own way they are legion. Just like.....
Shoot, it's been a while hasn't it? I've been away on super secret Alpha Legion business, but I have not been completely without any progress.
First, I just want to point out that I've redone a bit of the front page, since the direction of this army has changed a little bit. For my own sanity, and for that of my readers, I've reduced the size of some of the walls of texts and made the grammar a bit more well-presented. The overall direction of this army has changed a bit philosophically, and I wanted the change in the intro to reflect that. As for painting and modeling, I haven't done much with the exception of what I'm really good at, which is buying more stuff to sit in my cabinets, awaiting their day to be assembled and painted. I have, however, done some work in regards to conceptualization and testing. I figured out a paint scheme that goes back to my initial repaint plans of doing metallic blues, and developed some concepts for different characters for the army as well.
This is a dry fit concept for Hydalion the Imperishable, Serpent Lord of Legion Cell: Iota. He's the overall leader of my Legion Cell; think Chapter Master, if you will. I knew right off the bat that I wanted to use Autilon Skorr, the exclusive Forge World Alpha Legion model, for this character. However, after dry fitting the included parts (including the admittedly awesome axe and the command baton) I realized that he lacked a certain distinctiveness from the base model. This is my centerpiece model for the army, so he has to be distinct. So, in the end, the only part from Skorr that is actually being used on this model is the body/leg combo.
I changed out the head for one of the new Alpha Legion upgrade heads from Forge World, and decided that the old Chaos Sorcerer backpack would be perfect for him. I love the illusion of 3 heads that the backpack gives; two on his backpack, plus his actual head. As for the weapon, I immediately knew that a spear would be his weapon of choice. With Alpharius being iconic for carrying one, and spears being my favorite form of ancient/medieval weaponry, it seemed the obvious choice. And what flashier spear is there than that from Asterion Moloc of the Minotaurs? I carefully cut the spear from his hands and applied it to that of a Grey Knight's, and after a bit of posing I found one that I really like. I think it echoes the final speech/charge scene from 300, where the blind guy is leading all the Greeks across the fields of Plataea. As for the ranged weapon, I decided on a pistol, but it's getting changed out for something flashier than; specifically an infernus pistol.
Next up is an attempt at a concept that is something I really want to touch on with this new vision for the army, which is an extensions of both ideas I had for my Alpha Legion and of established fluff. This is a currently unnamed sniper character who, as you can see, is wielding a pretty unique rifle. I'm pretty sure I've said it before, but my view of the Alpha Legion is that they are very indiscriminate in the methods by which they achieve their goals. They will do what they have to and use what they have to in order to get the job done. With that in mind, I was especially intrigued by the little hints of fluff in the third Horus Heresy book that listed several pieces of equipment that the Legion utilizes rumored to be of Xenos origins. Frankly, I find this fantastic and very characterful, as its a niche that no other Space Marine chapter (loyalist or Chaos) really touches on. With that in mind, I decided I'd try to outfit a character with one of those awesome Synaptic Disintegrators from the Necron Deathmarks.
Spoiler:
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I tried to make it look like it was still definitively of Xenos origin, but like it had been modified for use with a Space Marine; like it was a Necron weapon that the Dark Mechanicum got a hold of and "improved", later falling into this guy's hands. It's still heavy work in progress, but let me know that you think!
In other news, somewhat related, I've started the Daemons that the Alpha Legion may or may not call upon to aid them in their long war. The link to the blog is in my signature, so if you're interested in seeing some neat Chaos Daemons done up all grimdark, please take a look! Otherwise, that's all I've got for you today. Keep on being awesome, Dakka.
) to get more in an easier manner.
.
man even I get them confused" 
. Rather then something that says "We might be, but maybe possibly aren't Alpha Legionnaire Auxiliary troops even if we sort of closely match up to their Legion colours... Maybe."
