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I have been working on my BEAR CLAW Chapter.


The inspiration of this Chapter is North American Indian Culture, (Like Deathwing) but with the Element of Bears i can take from Space Wolf pelts and furs and so develop the Identity further with Deathwing Feathers, Bear Pelts, totems etc. I have some miniatures from the US on the way with American Indian Heads for my Sergeants and special characters.

I have finally done my 1st Test miniature and I have deviated from the Image above. I like the colour scheme below but i need to develop a better counter point to the neutral and earthy colours. With the Test model below I will aim to have a much brighter Green on Weapons and a bright red for the eyes.


It is just a basic marine from WH40K 4th edition which i have tested. The real tactical squads will have pelts, fur, feathers, tomahawks etc.

I have been developing this for ages in my head but got fed up with just the test miniature so Built one my Character Models last night and did a basic paint job thus far.

This model today has motivated me massively, I am desperate to get cracking on the rest of the Army. As the Chief Librarian I think he gives off the Old Man Shaman Vibe quite well and the paint job is Workman like ( I will give him a better wash at the later date and some extra fine detailing).

My Chapter Master Great Silver Tip is taking Shape, he'll have a 28mm Scale Grizzly on a Chain as well as his Terminator armour. The Bear i have ordered is this one.
http://www.jeffvalentstudios.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=10_21&products_id=129

I will also get around to doing BEAR CLAW Transfers on my printer when i have some spare time.

Your Feed back and criticism is, as ever, appreciated.

Can't see the pics, I'm afraid.

Sorted it...

Pics are working for me.

Looks good I like the whole idea.

To be honest, I clicked in here hoping for a picture of you making donuts, but it was not to be.

I like the concept though, I'd like to see a regular marine that is all done up in feathers and all that other fun stuff.

Maybe it's just your camera, but the highlights don't seem very noticeable on the armor. Is that intentional, or just bad lighting?

Regardless, keep up the good work!

Yeah i used my Daylight bulb on the model and then i think i photo'd it with the flash so it all looks wrong, my drybrush highlights don't show and i did try some extreme highlighting but it doesn't show very well. I'm going back to the Model at some point but i'm squinting like a Japanese Sniper after hours painting so i'm having a break for 24 hours. I think i might have to revisit the highlights and or possibly do another more robust wash then hightlight again..

I like the idea, and your painting looks good so far.
Is this using Space Wolves rules? Grizzly=Thunderwolf?
I think it might be cooler if the bear is just standing next to the Marine rather than on a chain.
I think that would give more of the fanciful Native American "one with nature" vibe.

No i'm going to be a Codex Chapter with different names and extra bits. The Bear could be a MC but it would not fit in a codex chapter, i think it will be on a chain because it is a crazed bezerk animal. Yeah the one with Nature thing appeals, same with Eagles and other animals.

My BEAR CLAWS Chapter are a North American Indian Chapter inspired by the story of DEATHWING. For my models I have taken some elements from the Space Wolves Chapter and the White Scar Chapter and some elements of DEATHWING such as Feathers or Charms. On top of this they are a Codex Chapter, with CHAPLAINS known as SPIRIT FATHERS, LIBRARIANS as SPIRIT SHAMANS and techmarines known as TECH SHAMANS. The Captains are known as TRIBAL CHIEFS and each company is a Warrior Lodge Tribe. The 1st COMPANY is known as the VENERABLE CLAWS and the 10th COMPANY "Young Braves or Cubs). Assualt Marines are known as FURIOUS CLAWS. The Chapter Master is GREAT SILVERTIP with his faithful companion URSUS (GIANT BEAR!) and the Chief Librarian is OLD MOON. The Chief Chaplain is known as SPIRIT GUIDE OF THE ALL FATHER and is BLACK EAGLE.

This should give you some extra fluff that i have been working on. The one with Nature thing is something i need to consider, i just think that a Terminator reining in a Huge Bear is a brilliant mental image, Grizzly's are absolutely huge and a terminator yanking them round like a dog just appeals to the caveman in me..

I was thinking it would be this:


But am pleasantly surprised! Like the color scheme and the fluff behind them. Definitely better than my buddy's "Space Bears" idea...lol

Yeah....Space Bears....Sounds like some kind of San Francisco based Space Club . Bear Claws is far more straight up and hetero not that it really matters, everyone deserves loving & who am i to judge where and how!

Why don't you use the Space wolves codex? Since the chapter and codex are more shamanistic then the SM codex. Plus you could fit in the bears easier by running them as fenrisian wolves. I know that space wolves are kind of crazy in their rules but it does fit easier then the SM codex. Hell maybe even running it using the chaos codex could work for you. Use lesser deamons as summoned spirits. Juggernauts as bears. Just model them as loyalist. I have seen plenty of chaos armies built using the SM codices why not switch it. You can run the marks similar to the SW sagas. The only thing is they dont have chaplains or tech priests. Deamon weapons as spirit weapons, thousands sons as summoned ancestors, etc.

Well thats just my $.02

First i'd like to say that this is a cool idea and i approve

Fallenbourne wrote:Why don't you use the Space wolves codex? Since the chapter and codex are more shamanistic then the SM codex. Plus you could fit in the bears easier by running them as fenrisian wolves. I know that space wolves are kind of crazy in their rules but it does fit easier then the SM codex. Hell maybe even running it using the chaos codex could work for you. Use lesser deamons as summoned spirits. Juggernauts as bears. Just model them as loyalist. I have seen plenty of chaos armies built using the SM codices why not switch it. You can run the marks similar to the SW sagas. The only thing is they dont have chaplains or tech priests. Deamon weapons as spirit weapons, thousands sons as summoned ancestors, etc.

Well thats just my $.02

But i must agree that the CSM would be a very awesome way to play these guy. Make them loyal to the empire just use the choices.

hmmm...Maybe i have a bit of a hard-on for the Guilliman, i'm not sure I want my chapter to be Wolves in Bears Clothing (pardon the pun). You do make good points but I may be able to just go with the SM Codex and just have the Bear as Visual element and not a fighting MC. If i went the Space Wolf Codex way, i think everyone would accuse me of being just space wolfs painted Brown, plus I don't give two hoots about Prospero which is more than i can say for a Space Wolf.

Your points all remain valid and i could use the SW or CSM Codex, however I really don't want to because I want a unique Chapter Identity not SW painted Brown. Sorry.

Thats kool just posting my $.02. What you could do with the bears if you go with the SM codex is run them as termis with a pair of lightning claws or TH/SS. Just make a squad of 5 and then attach your Captain to it.

name your HQ Thorbjorn, its nordic for thundering bear or bear of thor

Well this is pretty cool and no mistake

Maybe you could get some ratskins incorperated into here somehow? they really have the indian vibe.

Oh and where are you getting those north indian heads from? i really wanted some for a project....which i cant completely remeber now.

Lawls just posted my army idea and saw yours with the same idea of using the native American culture.

from artist to artist where did you get the miniatures with the native American heads, I'm very interested because that is an element in my army that I would like to emulate.

Really like the way you when about it too, using the Dark angles Deathwing as inspiration.

I'm looking forward to seeing more.

LOL, just as I get going on my sabretooth marines, which are also american indian themed, I find your blog.

I'll be watching with interest and maybe stealing the odd idea

BTW I'd love to know where you are getting your native american heads as well

mwnciboo wrote:

Where did you get the space marine template, I've been trying to find that for a while now, and I know GW had it up on their main site a long while back but I can't find it now.

SlaveToDorkness wrote:I was thinking it would be this:


But am pleasantly surprised! Like the color scheme and the fluff behind them. Definitely better than my buddy's "Space Bears" idea...lol

LOL

SlaveToDorkness wrote:I was thinking it would be this:


But am pleasantly surprised! Like the color scheme and the fluff behind them. Definitely better than my buddy's "Space Bears" idea...lol

I look at these and see pastry versions of Cthulhu's head.

fox-light713 wrote:Where did you get the space marine template, I've been trying to find that for a while now, and I know GW had it up on their main site a long while back but I can't find it now.

Bolter and Chainsword forum have that nifty little online painter program. If you do a google search for "space marine painter" it should come right up as the first result. I think they're up to version 5.sumthin now

sweet thanks

wow Guys some nice feedback.

On the Marine issue i designed it the bolter and Chainsword Site and then downloaded the JPEG.

On the other issue, the American Indians are available from the Following...
http://www.conquestminiatures.com/500-113.htm

Happy Hunting, some more Bear Claws to come soon, i Promise

I went to the zoo the other day and was thinking it would be cool to do a bear or lion theamed army. Good luck with your bears.

Great idea, I can't wait to see more.

First ever models I painted was a couple of Space marines, and I thought a Native American theme would be pretty awesome looking. Specifically a Pacific North West type of look, with totems relating to different aspects of the chapter. Tac Marines would be related to wolves, Terminators would be Bears or maybe turtles, and Assualt marines Eagles. Or something like that anyway, I think I'm going to do up a kill team some time based on this idea. Anyway, keep up the good work! Subscribed!

Dear all, I am quite humbled by your Responses. My main aim this weekend is to crack on with more Tactical Marines in the same Paint scheme and see the results. I am also working on vehicle conversions using fur pelts etc. More to Follow.

I don't know how concerned you are with the fluff for your Chapter, but I thought I would point something out. You stated that each company is a "warrior lodge tribe."

The concept of Warrior Lodges within the Space Marines is generally frowned upon. Warrior Lodges are what led directly to the Horus Heresy. As such, they are generally considered breeding grounds for treachery, betrayal, and mutiny.

If your Chapter is a loyalist chapter, that's cool. I just think it would be realistic to think that other Space Marines (and the Inquisition) would be looking askance at your guys. (Of course, that gives you a totally legitimate justification for battles against other Space Marine players.)

All that aside, I like the color scheme. Brown is often overlooked. What's more, I have always thought that there needed to be an Indian themed army. And, as a totem animal, the fact that the bear has not before seen some facetime on Space Marine banners and chapter insignias is just criminal.

I really enjoyed looking at your stuff, hope to see more.

Totally agreed with your points above. I'm approaching the Codex Lodge thing from an Alternative Name for a Company Rather than a small organisation that existed inside a Space Marine Legion across the varying Chapters of one particular legion. I don't think that it is a reason to suspect them of heresy, well, no more than say the Space Wolves with their Unorthodox make up and doctrine.

I could see it rankling with the likes of the Black Templars, Imperial Fists or Iron hands. Infact (New Fluff alert) how about their Adversaries are naturally the Black Templars and they will not fight alongside them as Allies due to their Warrior Lodge Structure (hmmm abit Dark Angels vs Space Wolves) Or possibly the Iron Hands due to the Bear Claws natural affinity for Living creatures and Iron Hands hate of Living Flesh over Machines???

Could work either Way, bottom line they follow CODEX strictures just with alternative Names, they are Loyal to the End. Good points and all relevant to the Fluff. I will make a PDF Fluff file one day....

FIRMA URSUS