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The Kalashnikovan 2nd - An Imperial Guard Blog

Introduction:

Hi all, this is my blog for a made-up Imperial Guard regiment, the Kalashnikovan 2nd. I've been out of the hobby for nearly 8 years now, but I've recently decided to start collecting again. I've always fancied having an Imperial Guard army, but I hate the Catachan models (baby Ogryns) and everyone collects Cadians. I'm not hugely keen on the Vostroyans or Elysians, and collecting Death Korps, Steel Legion, Tallarn or Valhallan would probably be too expensive for me (I'm a recently graduated student who has been left unemployed by this recession - money is not in great supply!). I'm funding my army through selling old warhammer I have lying around on ebay, and buying and selling more of it and putting the profits into this force. So that effectively limits me to the Cadians... The problem is that I want it to be a completely unique force, so here goes!

My favourite Guard models always used to be the Valhallans, and I've always liked the idea of an army based in the frozen tundra. I've been lurking around this forum and several others looking for inspiration and parts I could get to convert the Cadians, and I came across the pig iron separate heads system. I loved the Militia in winter headgear pieces - they look like Valhallans crossed with Steel Legion: just the sort of force I want! I also came across the website 'The Assault Group' who have a myriad of 28mm pieces. They're very expensive, but I thought it was worth it - I opted to buy some backpacks, sleeping bag rolls and some AK47's to convert my guardsmen with (the AK's eventually gave my regiment its name).

I decided early on in the process that I'm going to lavish attention on each individual model, with a wealth of conversions and nice paint jobs for every single man. With my lack of practice with painting in particular, this means I'm probably going to have an army consisting of veterans and not infantry platoons, mainly so that I don't have to paint so many. With these things in mind, I began planning out a small, elite regiment based on an ice world that would need gas masks. Below is some fluff I've written for my fictional planet, Kalashnikova, and its human history:

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Fluff:

Kalashnikova – the Planet:

Kalashnikova is the second moon of the Gas Giant planet Pry, located in the Golgenna Reach sub-sector of Calixis, in the Segmentum Obscura. Kalashnikova is a moon roughly the size of Holy Terra, and has a plentiful supply of valuable ores and minerals. It is suspected by scholars that Kalashnikova was once a planet in its own right, but orbital paths caused it to be drawn into the gravitational pull of Pry many millions of years ago. Its environment is very cold, with only the lands around the equator fully inhabitable, though the air is scarce of oxygen, making surviving for sustained periods very taxing. These areas are primarily mountainous tundra and boreal forest areas, while areas further North and South are vast windswept plains of ice. Few animals are hardy enough to survive the Kalashnikovan conditions away from the equator, so the equatorial regions are densely populated with fauna, including the Kalashnikovan Polar Bear, a mighty creature standing over 15 feet tall; the Kalash Wild Dog, a vicious Wolf-like canine that hunts in large packs, attacking almost anything that it encounters; and the Mikhail Osprey, an enormous bird of prey large enough to carry a man off to his death.

Human history of the planet:

It is unknown for how long Kalashnikova had been settled by the nomadic mountain-men that had dwelled there, but the moon quickly came under the command of the Imperium at around the same time as the rest of the Calixis sector. Almost immediately after being liberated by the Imperial might, mining began to extract the rich natural resources buried beneath the planet’s crust. However, the planet’s new inhabitants found the oxygen-scarce atmosphere of Kalashnikova difficult to cope with, and large underground hive-like dwellings quickly became the living arrangement of choice for the citizens. These hives grew and grew, often expanding into the old mining complexes that had been cleared of all resources by the mass-scale extractions that had been occurring, with the planet’s population reaching the 7 billion mark by the start of the 41st millennium.

By the 41st millennium, almost all of the natural resources of Kalashnikova had been extracted, and the planet was in a state of turmoil and massive political unrest after mass job cuts and benefit detractions. This culminated in an enormous, bloody civil war that tore the planet – almost literally – asunder.

The Kalashnikovan Civil War:

In 968.M41 civil unrest against Kalashnikova’s governor, Oleg Puškin, reached boiling point after several protesters outside the seat of government in the hive city of Muscova were killed by local law enforcement. A full-scale riot ensued, with losses estimated in the tens of thousands on both sides, as Muscova’s enforcers struggled to quell the unrest. Oleg Puškin’s strongest political rival and critic – his estranged younger brother Andrei – was quickly gathering support from political seats and the military as he sensed his opportunity to wrest control of the planet by force. Around half the planet sided with Andrei: a few entire regions went over to the rebel side, while in other areas opinion was divided between remaining loyal to Oleg’s legitimate government and defecting to the revolution. Friend fought friend, brother fought brother as the war continued for almost a decade. Vicious city fights were being waged deep below the planet’s surface as soldiers who had once stood alongside one another were forced to kill their former comrades. Massive battles were fought on the planet’s surface up in the mountains where companies like the loyalist Kalashnikovan 2nd made their name; in the tundra; on the great snow plains as enormous armoured companies waged war; and in the dense boreal forests. Exact losses during the conflict at this point are unknown, but estimates put the number at over three quarters of a billion people.

The Imperium’s unwillingness to intervene in the planet’s issues was symptomatic of its fall from grace due to its now largely worthless status as a spent mining planet. However, the war was taking a horrific toll on the people themselves, and all of Kalashnikova’s citizens were crying out for an end to the conflict: Rebellion leader Andrei Puškin had managed to gain control of the city’s primary planetary defence stations located in the port of Leningrava, and he contemplated the unthinkable: use a massively powerful nuclear salvo on his own planet.

Either Andrei was woefully ignorant of the dire consequences his actions would cause for Kalashnikova, or he had fallen to the dark lure of the Gods of Chaos: he decided, at great length and against the wishes of his advisers, to use the missiles in an attack on Oleg’s main military base, Zakova. The missiles obliterated a huge section of the underground hive regions on the Western side of the planet, killing billions. Worst of all though, the missiles unleashed a reserve of toxic gas that had remained trapped within the planet’s core. This toxin caused the slow and painful death of millions more Kalashnikovans who were on the planet’s surface, slowly suffocating them as it poisoned their lungs (which is why the planet’s soldiers now have their trademark gas masks as part of their standard uniform). Strangely, the gas did not seem to affect non-human life in any way, and it is whispered amongst scholars that the ancient and enigmatic Eldar may have left it there many millennia ago to punish humans if such an atrocity as using nuclear-level warheads on your own planet ever did occur on Kalashnikova.

Andrei had won the war, but at what cost? He installed his government in the ravaged hive of Muscova and began rebuilding the once great world that he now ruled through an iron fist. It has been debated at great length as to whether Andrei was indeed touched by the Gods of Chaos, but a full-scale Imperial Inquisition is as yet unforthcoming. Former governor Oleg Puškin had survived the missile attack, and was locked in the highest tower of Durmstrad – the highest security prison on Kalashnikova, located deep in the mountains on the planet’s surface – and left to rot by his own brother…

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So that fluff gave me some wiggle room for my individual regiment: would I have a possibly chaos-corrupted force fighting for Andrei Puskas' newly installed government, or would I have a small, battle-hardened group still loyal to the legitimate governor, perhaps living in secret on the surface of the planet, conducting daring raids on the Rebellion forces, and trying to muster support to otherthrow the chaotic regime on Kalashnikova... No choice really, I went for the second one!

I'll present some fluff for the 2nd company themselves in the next post I make, and for now I'll tease you all with my proposed paint job and a shot of the first veteran squad I have built!

Proposed Paintjob:

So here is the paintjob I am going for for my army. I resprayed an old plastic cadian I had lying around and painted him up, so ignore the unfiled flush bits please . The bases will obviously be done in snow for the proper army, but I couldn't be chuffed to mix up a batch for one miniature.



The model was basecoated black (error?) and then I built up to white from shadow grey, with about 7 or so highlight layers. He's not perfect, he is the first mini I've painted in 8 years afterall, but I think the colour scheme works well. I tried a lot of combinations for camo, but winter camouflage looks pretty rubbish on 40k miniatures IMO. I was keen on the cityfight camo scheme (remember those cadians GW used to use in WD for the eye of terror campaign, the shadow grey, white and black camo ones?), but it didn't look wintery enough. I searched on google for real winter camo, and a lot of forces use just white, so thats what I went for. I think the black armour offsets it nicely, and the blue works well with the white as a tertiary colour since I built up to white from the 'blue side' (as opposed to building up with highlights from brown or grey). I reckon it will look coherent and impressive over a whole force.

What do you guys think of the paint job? Any suggestions?

A teaser for what's forthcoming...



Thats the veteran squad I've already built. I'll be unveiling each model over the coming posts (I'll do one per day) along with some fluff for each man! As you can see, they're all heavily converted (I'm particularly proud of my use of the injured guardsman model!), and highly individualised.

Whats in the next post?

I'll give you some fluff on the Kalashnikovan 2nd themselves, including their combat doctrine, beliefs and notable conflicts and characters, and I'll unveil the first veteran: Sergeant Boris 'The Bear' Varenkov!

Keep watching this blog!

I'll be watching...

I also like the paintjob, if the prototype minature is anything to go by.

Keep posting and we' ll keep watching...
Nice Fluff BTW

I really like that guy especially the cold steel on his bayonet was that blue effect deliberate?

Lovely, crisp colourscheme. Very striking.

The scheme looks really atm, and im sure it will work when used on a whole army. The individuality of each trooper and the conversions look set to make this
a truly unique force.

Nice work!

Cheers for the feedback guys, appreciate your comments .

Llamahead wrote:I really like that guy especially the cold steel on his bayonet was that blue effect deliberate?

I drybrushed BG metal, and then I mixed a little blue ink into the black ink when I did a wash. Lastly I highlighted with a thin layer of chainmail.

The Kalashnikovan 2nd - An Imperial Guard Blog

Extra fluff:


Thought I'd do a quick fluff update as its going to be rather fluff heavy if I post it all up tomorrow. So without further ado, here is some background on the Imperial Guard regiments of Kalashnikova. The stuff on the Kalash 2nd and Sergeant Boris will be posted up tomorrow.

The Kalashnikovan Imperial Guard Regiments:

With its large population and an assortment of factories and engineering foundries, Kalashnikova was more than able to provide Guard regiments for the Imperium’s cause. The Kalashnikovan regiments followed a similar doctrine to the Tallarn Desert Raider forces, but specialised in winter warfare thanks to their planet’s frozen surface where the military bases were located. No Kalashnikovan women are permitted in their regiments, due to the planet’s rather conservative attitude towards women’s rights. ‘Kalash’ (as they became known throughout the galaxy) regiments were dispatched to many war zones that required a blend of sneak attack mentality and winter warfare specialisation. Kalashnikovan companies fought against Chaos in almost all of Abaddon the Despoilers black crusades, and became well known amongst both allies and enemies alike for their daring assaults – most of which were conducted under the cover of darkness, or better yet under the cover of a raging snow storm.

Kalashnikovan regiments utilise a myriad of weaponry and vehicles constructed in the foundries of their home world. Most notable, perhaps, are the KA47 (Kalash Alpha 47) pattern Lasguns, easily identifiable by their shorter and thicker stocks, and larger power packs. These weapons are especially designed to be even more robust and reliable than normal Lasguns, due to the cold weather in which they are normally used by the Kalashnikovan troops. The shorter, lighter design makes moving and climbing with the weapons much easier than would normally be expected. Kalashnikovans take great pride in the customisation and improvement of their own personal weaponry, and many of their companies relish opportunities to serve on Hive or Factorum Worlds where they might encounter a chance to get the latest gizmo to attach to their weapon.


A typical Kalash trooper. Note the absence of the non-Imperium approved KA47 Lasgun.

Kalashnikovan troops often partake in operations that require them to be out in the wild for as long as months on end, and often in war zones that are too inhospitable or remote for armoured support. As such, most Kalashnikovan troopers carry a large supply bag with them everywhere they go, containing ice climbing equipment; shovels and pickaxes for building shelters in the snow; food; ammo; and other extra survival equipment they might need in conflict. A Kalashnikovan receives his distinctive winter headgear (known as a Kalash Cap) upon his induction into the regiment, and keeps this hat until he retires, is killed or is promoted to the rank of Sergeant or Officer (where he receives a winter officer-cap-style headpiece). Many proud soldiering families on Kalashnikova have passed their Kalash Caps down from father to son through the generations; and losing your Cap is considered a massive dishonour amongst the Kalashnikovan regiment.

Kalashnikovan youths who want to join the armed forces usually join up to youth army groups that begin to teach them many of the winter survival and rapid assault skills that make their full-grown peers so effective as soldiers. Forays out onto the surface of the planet to spend a weekend camping in the ice are common. Once a Kalashnikovan reaches the legal age of 16, he can join up to the Whiteshield (or Moloyozhev) companies. During this time, the recruit undergoes intense training (sometimes in the field of battle itself), before being forced to do a brutal induction: The Kalashnikovan youngster is presented with the task of being dropped in the tundra wilderness of his home world’s surface, and told to find his way back to the nearest military base as quickly as possible. Recruits have no proper equipment with them when they do this, and are forced to use their survival instinct and skills to complete the induction. Most recruits take around a week to arrive back, skilled ones may take as little as 2 days and it has been known for some to take as long as 2 months. There is the added danger of the wildlife on Kalashnikova to deal with too, and there are plenty of cases of recruits being eaten by packs of Kalash Wild Dogs. Once a recruit completes his induction, he is welcomed with open arms into his new company squad, often with a large celebratory party where all the recruits family and friends attend his ‘coming of age’. Kalashnikovan regiments tend to promote Moloyozhev graduates into existing squads rather than combine ones that have sustained losses, owing to the fact that veterans can train up their less experienced comrades.


The Kalashnikovan 58th prepare to leave their home planet to fight for the Imperium against Abaddon.

Kalashnikovan regiments move at remarkable speeds through snowy terrain, often taking death-defying short cuts over and down sheer rock faces. Every Kalashnikovan trooper is trained to abseil, rock climb and ice climb: a speedy, problem-free ascent or descent of a cliff can often mean the difference between success and failure – life and death – on the specialist missions Kalashnikovans undertake. Some companies also make use of Snow Mobiles – these Kalash Rough Riders are renowned for being brave to the point of recklessness, riding their supercharged skidoos into the heart of the enemy’s forces, breaking whole lines of enemy infantry and performing daredevil attacks on enemy armour using melta-bombs.

Kalash regiments also make extensive use of explosives, utilising all types of grenades, claymore-style mines and large anti-armour devices. Most Kalashnikovan squads have at least one demolitions expert in their midst to allow them to perform Commando-style sabotage missions and surprise attacks on the enemy.

The sight of a Kalashnikovan armoured company is a remarkable one: very often these tanks have been specialised to the point of being unrecognisable from their standardised Imperial Guard counterparts. These tanks are often centuries old, due to many of the armoured companies having only seen conflict sporadically when they were dispatched to other war zones (though Kalashnikova’s reputation as a provider of winter warfare specialists meant that most conflicts had little need for the planet’s armoured might).


The Kalashnikovan 1st Armoured Company waging war against the forces of chaos

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Well, hope you enjoy that little fluff article - there'll be more stuff up tomorrow (some miniatures I should add!).

I have to say that I am enjoying the fluff behind your army. Looking good so far too

Fluff is great and the paintjob has potential. I can't wait to see some of those models painted up.

The Kalashnikovan 2nd - An Imperial Guard Blog

Fluff:

The Kalashnikovan 2nd:

The Kalashnikovan 2nd are possibly the most renowned company within the Kalash Imperial Guard. Prior to the Kalashnikovan civil war, the company was based in the region of Bratasiva, to the North of the equator and West of the planet capital, Muscova. The region is a microcosm of the planet’s variation in terrain, with a large mountain range, a thick boreal forest, some dense tundra and a sprawling ice plain all on display. The 2nd company were equipped with an ideal training ground for winter warfare, and their recruits were always taken from the Bratasiva region to ensure that they would already have winter survival skills that were more rounded than recruits from other areas. The company’s broad skill in winter warfare meant that they were one of the most sought after forces when Kalashnikova was required to send armies to aid the Imperium in warfare.

Urgalla, 145.M41:

One such time was during Abaddon the Despoiler’s 12th Crusade, when the Chaos Warlord came forth from the Eye of Terror and attempted to take control of the Blackstone Fortresses in the Gothic Sector. One particularly hard-fought battle between the Imperium and Abaddon was for the planet of Urgalla, in 145.M41. Abaddon had sent the Alpha Legion to wrest control of the planet on the surface, but the world was trapped in the midst of one of the worst winters in its history. Traitor Space Marine and Urgallan Imperial Guardsmen alike were perishing in the hellish snowstorms and bitter winds that blew through the mountains and cities of the planet’s Northern regions like barbed whips. Urgallas’ Governor sent a desperate plea for help to the Imperium, asking for some winter specialist troops who could disrupt the Alpha Legion while they sheltered from the harsh winter. The Governor knew that his world would not last long once the winter had passed and the Chaos Marines could bring their superior firepower, skill and equipment to bear, and that time was therefore of the essence for his planet’s survival.

The Governor had been expecting a chapter of the Adeptus Astartes, perhaps the Space Wolves, to come to his aid, and was most displeased when a single company of Kalashnikovan Imperial Guardsmen touched down on Urgalla. Without even a word of what they were doing, the Kalashnikovans immediately set off into the winter wilderness, towards where the Alpha Legion were taking stock of their position and waiting out the winter at the base of an enormous mountain range.

Little is known of exactly what happened out in the frozen tundra of Urgalla, but one thing is for certain: the entire armoured support and bombardment guns of the Alpha Legion’s occupying force on Urgalla was simultaneously destroyed by a deliberate sabotage attack, and the Traitor Space Marines were forced to abandon their attempts to take control of the planet. The Kalashnikovan 2nd refused to tell Urgalla’s Governor of how they had achieved this remarkable victory, not wanting to jeopardise future missions if word of how they operated got out. The Governor ordered further investigations into the Kalashnikova 2nd’s operation, but the only conclusion Urgallan military analysts could come to was that they had somehow avoided detection long enough to loop round behind the Alpha Legion, navigate the treacherous mountain range behind where the Traitors had made their base, and then descend down an enormous cliff face right into the heart of the Alpha Legion’s forces, before escaping again undetected. Still mystified as to how mere men could manage such a treacherous mission, the Governor decided that there was little point in him knowing the full facts anyway: the only way a company could be trained to fulfil a mission such as that one, and in conditions like that terrible winter on Urgalla, was if each and every soldier had been used to living in those circumstances his entire life. The Kalashnikovan 2nd are still held in the highest esteem on the planet of Urgalla, where an enormous statue was erected in the planet’s capital city to acknowledge their contribution to the World’s history.


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Veteran Squad Alpha: Sergeant Boris 'The Bear' Varenkov:

Here is the Sergeant of my first veterans squad, and a little backstory about him. He is made from the following parts:

Legs: Colonel Shaefer
Torso: Tank commander
Left arm: Cadian Sergeant
Right arm: Heavy weapons squad set
Head: Pig iron kolony militia officers
Backpack: Assault group US vietnam light backpack, and Vietnamese camping roll
Accesories: Space marines pistol holster, forgeworld veterans knife

I'm really happy with how this guy came out. I was aiming to give him a real sense of motion, which is why I chose Schaefers legs. I wanted it to look like he was willing his squad forward into the fray, and the pointing arm adds to this. The torso was a bit of a nightmare to use because it was very short once cut from the tank commander legs, so I had to use greenstuff. I think I used a little too much though, because this combined with Schaefer's abnormally long legs means that Boris is nearly a head taller than most guardsmen. Still, that fact lends itself nicely to a bit of backstory, and IMO its good to have a few interesting physicalilities in the force. My next sergeant is going to be a huge fat bloke with his arms crossed and a lackey possibly carrying his bags .



Sergeant Boris 'The Bear' Varenkov:

Boris Varenkov was born in the Bratasiva region of Kalashnikova to a family of farmers. Raised on the farm, Boris stood out from an early age due to his abnormal size and strength for such a young boy. Indeed, by the age of 11 he was already the strongest man in the small town in which he grew up. He was extremely well-liked amongst all of the local populace, due to his gentle and generous nature. 'Big Boris', as he was known in those days, was always willing to lend a hand to other farmers and townspeople, and was something of a local celebrity due to his immense height. As a teenager Boris had little time for school, preferring to spend time on the farm and doing physical labour. Though certainly not unintelligent, academia never appealed to the young Varenkov.

Boris' mother was concerned that he spent too much time helping his father on the farm and not enough time socialising with other boys of his age, and felt that he should partake in some sort of sport or youth group activities to broaden his horizons. Reluctantly at first, Boris joined the Kalashnikovan military youth group in the area. Though at first he was shy and unassertive, Boris' strength of physicality and strength of spirit quickly endeared him to not only his comrades, but the youth leaders as well. He was promoted to squadron leader and began to grow into his new leadership role. The Kalashnikovan 2nd were keen for Boris to sign up to the Moloyozhev (Whiteshield) companies when he reached the required age, but Boris wished to return to his family farm and follow in his father's footsteps.

It was not long after Boris' 16th birthday that disaster struck: Boris' father had travelled to Muscova to partake in the peaceful protests against the job cuts and benefit retractions that Governor Oleg Puskas had brought in, due to the planet's economic downturn. However, Boris' father had lost heart that what he was doing was right when the protesters started to become violent. Eventually, the Governor's Arbitrators intervened, and the situation escalated to the point where violent confrontations were taking place throughout Muscova between the Arbites and the protesters. Boris' father was trying to stop the protesters from fighting back, attempting to prevent further violence, when he was punched in the back of the head by one particularly fiercesome protester. Boris' father crashed to the concrete ground and was trampled by protesters as the throng marched through the streets, looting and burning as they went.

Mr Varenkov was left in a coma by the events and it was as he lay in his vegetative state that his son came to visit him. The sight of his father lying in a coma in the hospital seemed to bring about a strange and slightly frightening change in Boris' nature. Where he was once kind-natured and shy, he became aggressive and assertive - a thoroughly intimidating character when his enormous size (which was now approaching 7 feet) was taken into account.

Despite his mother's desperate pleas for him to stay at home, Boris joined up to the Moloyozhev afterall, and earned a name for himself through feats of immense bravery in the early years of the Kalashnikovan civil war. When it came time to do his induction to the main Kalasnikovan regiment, it took Boris just a day and a half to hike his way back to base camp - a new record. What was even more remarkable was that he had encountered a Kalashnikovan Polar Bear, and slain the mighty beast with his bare hands. This is how Boris earned his nickname, 'The Bear', a monicker he carries to this day.

As a guardsman in the Kalashnikovan 2nd throughout the remaining years of the civil war, Boris excelled in every aspect of soldiering life - and was duly promoted to Sergeant at the end of the conflict. He has held the position of Sergeant ever since, despite offers to promote to the rank of Leftenant. He is fiercely loyal to his men, and would gladly lay down his own life to save one of theirs. His troops know this, and he commands their unswerving loyalty and respect as a result. Though not a great tactition, Sergeant Varenkov is adept at calling orders on the battle field and knowing how his own squad's actions could help the army as a whole.

Whats in the next post?

I'll give a bit more fluff on the 2nd company, them fighting in the civil war, and I'll introduce the next veteran, Vox specialist Corporal Feliks Chubai.

This shows promise dude. I'm looking forward to seeing more.

Big up to old metal guard models too.

These are looking good, it's nice to see truly unique guard regiments; especially ones with detailed backgrounds

How do the rifles match up in terms of scale? I've been tempted to use the SA80s, LAWs and entrenching tools on my guys

Thanks, I'm a big fan of your work too . Yeah, the guns just about work. I cut off the lasguns from the arms, but leave the stock (and then alter the AK's accordingly). It takes a bit of fiddling around to get the positions right, and obviously need the left arms with the hands still attached (got 80 of those on order from apocabitz now in the US). On one of the models I've made so far, the gun is a little bit wonky at the join between the lasgun stock and the AK, but its not too noticeable. The other ones are find though. Obviously I can't speak for other weapons, but I'd imagine they would work ok.

If you have a pin vice you can separate the left hands from lasguns pretty easily. As you're chopping the things up anyway a bit more damage shouldn't matter.

If you chop the lasgun just in front of and behind the hand you can drill down in between the thumb and other fingers. You can then easily slice the rest of the lasgun away leaving an open hand.

If you use a couple of sizes of bit you end up with a nice curved surface that you can trim to suit your needs. It is a bit fiddly, but its certainly a lot cheaper then ordering a whole bunch of extra arms.

Lol I've already ordered the extra hands . They were 10 cents per piece though, so its not a huge outlay - tbh I think the money I spent on them is worth less than the time it would take to drill them away.

I hope all your characters get as interesting a back story and conversion as "The Bear".

Looking forward to seeing him painted.

I think there are times when it's easier to just stump up some cash rather than spending hours carefully converting millions of the same thing. This seems like one of those times

I'm loving these right now. Rarely see guard armies themed like this.



This guy is just reeking of awesome body odour!

Have you seen the Russian heads from West Wind? Might be something to look at for ideas.

I looked at the west wind heads, but they didn't have pics of the russian ones so I didn't bother with them. Do you have links to any examples of them used?

Bad news on the arms with hands front though - apocabitz got in touch with me last night and apparently they only have 7 in stock (TBH I though 80 might be pushing it a bit...). I'm doing the order anyway and they'll contact me when they have more in.

Does anyone know of any more bitz sites, preferably uk based (though I'd settle for US based if they have the parts I need)? Bitzbarn or bitzbox have naff all in stock, before anyone suggests them.

I've just had an order through from bitsandkits.co.uk; the order came through very quickly and actually had everything in it that I ordered, unlike bitzbox. Never did get the crows I ordered from them, despite many emails...

The Kalashnikovan 2nd - An Imperial Guard Blog

Hey guys, another update for you. First up is some fluff that follows on directly from the last lot about the Kalashnikovan 2nd. This bit is them in the Kalash civil war.

Fluff:

The 2nd company in the Kalashnikovan Civil War:

As civil war erupted on the planet of Kalashnikova, the 2nd company were among those who pledged their allegiance to the legitimate Governor, Oleg Puškin. Though many historical accounts of the planet’s history chose to ignore some details of Oleg’s reign and present him as a fool instead, he had actually worked nothing less than a minor miracle keeping Kalashnikova’s economy stable for so long prior to the Civil War starting. The 2nd company’s commanders recognised this, particularly as Oleg Puškin himself had briefly served as an Officer in the 2nd before moving into politics. The 2nd company was almost unique amongst Kalashnikovan companies, in that all of its troops chose to side with just one cause: most other companies had divisions right the way through them, as ambitious young officers saw a chance to make a name for themselves fighting for Andrei Puškin’s Rebellion.

As the war began in earnest, the 2nd quickly abandoned their base on the surface in Bratasiva and retreated deep into the mountains. Company Commander, Colonel Grigor Blodniek, had predicted that overcoming the 2nd before they could get into the wilderness would be one of the major military priorities for the Rebellion. And sure enough, Rebel forces descended on the newly deserted military base almost immediately after open conflict began. Upon finding out that the 2nd company had gone to ground in the wilderness they knew so well, Andrei Puškas was said to be in a towering rage: he knew that military operations in and around the Bratasiva region were likely to be severely compromised by the threat of sudden attacks from the 2nd, their deadly soldiers setting traps and explosives, or streaming down from the mountain tops to attack unwary Rebels during snowstorms.

Colonel Blodniek’s Vox Specialist had rigged up a coder and radio unit that allowed the 2nd company to communicate with the Loyalist military high command in Muscova, and take orders for specialist missions to help disrupt the rebellion. One such mission occurred in the autumn of 973.M41, when information reached the Loyalist high command that a Rebel supply line was moving eastwards through the Bratasiva Mountains to provide support to Andre’s troops fighting in siege of Muscova. A large contingent of the 2nd company was camped up in the mountains, lying low in caves to avoid detection from the skies, and they were desperate for some action. The 2nd company knew that the supply line was likely to be well protected, but that their window to strike was very small: it wouldn’t take long for the supply line – in the knowledge that they might come under attack from the 2nd company, who were long rumoured to be in the area – to pass through the mountain range and into relative safety.

Dispatched to protect the supply line was the Rebel Kalashnikovan 1st Company, troops that were based in Muscova itself and usually limited themselves to fighting in boreal forest areas. The 1st company had always been jealous of the military exploits of the more renowned 2nd, and felt that, as the first company, they should have been getting more of these ‘juicy’ mission assignments around the galaxy rather than being stuck defending Muscova. It was with relish then, that the 1st were guarding the supply line through the Bratasivan Mountains, many impetuous young troops among their ranks hoping and praying that their archrivals from the 2nd company might launch an attack.

Colonel Blodniek knew that the 1st were the ones guarding the supply train, and devised his strategy accordingly. He knew that he didn’t have the man-power to take the 1st on in a straight fight, and he knew that blowing up the supply line would not only be an expected move, but would take away valuable supplies that his own troops sorely needed after years camped in the mountains, living off the land and drinking nothing but home-brewed vodka. One specialist troop type that Blodniek had available to him were a unit of Kalash Rough Riders, crazed skidoo riders that would like nothing better than to zoom headlong into a fight. When the 2nd abandoned their military base, the snowmobiles had been broken down into their constituent parts and taken in packs up into the mountains, just in case they were ever needed. Now seemed like as good a time as any to reassemble the machines…


... And you'll have to wait until tomorrow for the next part of this particular story .

---------------------------

Veteran Squad Alpha: Corporal Feliks Chubai:

Vox specialist from my first vets squad.

Legs: Cadian heavy weapons team
Torso: Standard Cadian torso
Left arm: Heavy weapons 'binoculars' arm, hand repositioned
Right arm: Cadian arm with laspistol, pistol cut off, hand repositioned
Head: Pig iron kolony militia in winter headgear
Backpack: Standard Cadian vox backpack
Accesories: SM devastators parchment, SM pistol holster, SM scanner cut down to make phone piece

I like the pose of this guy, but I'm not 100% happy with how I executed it. I would have liked him to be holding the map a little bit neater (my greenstuffing skills really are terrible, though I am improving a bit now), and in retrospect it might have been nice to make his phone piece a little large and more visible. There'll be a wire between the phone piece and the packpack when the mini is painted up, btw. I think he does look quite dynamic though, so quite satisfied overall. Your verdict?



Corporal Feliks Chubai:

Corporal Feliks Chubai is the vox specialist for the Kalashnikovan 2nd company, veteran squad alpha. Corporal Chubai was born in the Kalash capital of Muscova to a wealthy stock broker father and his model wife. Chubai was given the best education money could buy, but his own inbuilt thirst for knowledge was what truly made him such an exceptional student. He won prizes in almost every subject at his prep school before attending St. Padasburg University, studying for a batchelors degree in engineering and physics.

Chubai's somewhat bookish demeanor had meant that he had not really participated in youth activities to do with the Kalashnikovan military, instead choosing to fraternise with his fellow nerds in places like the regicide club. This was not to say that Chubai was athletically challenged though: he was an excellent middle distance runner and participated in competition regularly for his university.

After graduating from St. Padasburg 1st in class, Chubai's lecturers expected him to continue his education and earn a doctorate, or go into his father's stockbroking consortium where great things were expected of the intellectually gifted young man. However, Feliks suprised them all by opting to travel the wider Calixis sector for a year to broaden his cultural horizons. Feliks asked a space trader for a quick bit of work, and he boarded his ship bound for the hive world Merov.

The labour was intense - not quite what Feliks had been expecting - and by the time the ship had docked at Merov he was glad to bid the trader farewell and make his own way around the planet. He decided to visit all the popular destinations, from the great trade market of Barsa to the Golgorothan palace, deep towards the core of the hive world. It was as he was contemplating leaving the planet and going to another destination - possibly Scintilla, the sector's capital - that he ran afoul of a group of hive gangers in a sleazy bar he had wandered into. Feliks had shuffled over to the bar - it was almost empty except for four large men sat grouped in a corner, deep in conversation, and one man who was hidden partially in the shadows, looking like he had passed out from over indulgence. No sooner had he sat at the bar and started to order a drink than one of the enormous, thuggish men sidled up to him:
---"Are you Stubby's new girlfriend? You look like Stubby's new girlfriend! Don't he look like Stubby's new girlfriend, lads?". Three more of the brutes came over, grunting with vindictive mirth:
---"What's Stubby's girlfriend doing in a place like this? We better take her home, keep her safe, ya know!".

Chubai was surrounded by the gangers, their broad shoulders side by side as they closed in around him. Fighting to maintain his composure, Feliks tried to politely explain that he wasn't 'Stubby's new girlfriend', and that he did in fact had an appointment he was late for, and needed to get to it thank-you-very-much. It was as Feliks stood up and made to move out of the enclosing circle that he felt the mood change subtley: where it had been one of vindictive bullying, it became one of life-threatening danger. The first ganger who had spoken to Feliks drew out a blade 6 inches in length, and held it to Chubai's throat.
---"We know who you are, young 'un!" said one, "Your daddy would give plenty of ransom money to keep his prescious little boy from losing any body parts, wouldn't you agree? Or do you think we should send him an arm over to Kalashnikova to let him know we mean business?" The Thugs laughed evilly.

Unseen by the gangers, the man in the corner had stirred from his alcohol induced slumber at the mention of the word 'Kalashnikova', and was squinting over at the group, a wary expression on his pasty face. The thugs were now herding Feliks out of the bar into the busy street outside: the mysterious man slid off his chair, swayed uneasily for a second or two, and followed the throng outside. The group rounded a corner into an alley, and went through a back door into a delapidated old building. The mystery man followed: Reaching the alleyway, he scratched his stubbly beard for a while as he looked around at the buildings: above him was a metal staircase leading up to an emergency exit. The man belched richly, patted his paunch stomach, and climbed up the stairs to the door above.

Creaking open the door to peer inside the building, the man could see that he would come out on a metal walkway above a run-down, dimly lit warehouse-like complex with a number of partially-rusted barrels scattered around. He couldn't see where the gangers had taken the Kalashnikovan boy, but knew he must be nearby. He pulled a bottle of vodka out of his grubby jacket's pocket and took a swig - he would need some serious courage for what he was about to attempt: stuffing the neck of the vodka bottle with an old handkerchief, he got his lighter out and put it next to it, ready. Casting around him for something to throw and draw the gangers into the open area below, he spied another old glass bottle. The man picked it up and threw it hard at the floor below.

The sound of shattering glass had caused a ruckus in a room off to the side, and sure enough, the four thugs came running out into the open, bellowing for any intruders to show themselves. The mystery man, moving with suprising agility for someone so inebriated, picked up his home-made petrol bomb and lit the handkerchief with his lighter. He stood up, looked down to where the gangers were still stood amongst a few of the old barrels, and hurled the projectile straight towards them. The result was better than he could possibly have planned: the vodka bomb ignited immediately as it smashed amid the gangers, and the flames quickly spread towards one of the old barrels. With an almighty explosion, the ancient cannister sent burning fluid in all directions, setting off more of the old barrels in turn. The thugs were screaming and writhing in agony as the white-hot liquid covered them, burning them alive.

Shocked by the damage he had caused, the mystery man supposed that he had better go and get the kid now... He had only intended to wind up the gangers a bit, maybe cause a flesh wound or three - now he was faced with the prospect of having murdered four possibly high-ranking hive gang members in one of their secret hideouts. That thought seemed to jar the man into action, and he sprinted down the walkways until he reached the warehouse floor, the flames growing ever higher and hotter with each passing second. The young man must be in one of these office rooms on the side... But which one?!

Feliks could feel himself almost passing out as the acrid smoke billowed into the office where he was tied to a chair. He had no idea what was going on outside, or why the fire had started, but he knew that he had no way of saving himself. He was doomed. He cried out at the top of his lungs for someone to save him, in the vain hope that somebody might hear from the street outside. A few seconds later, a man came bursting through the door and hurried towards him, a pocket knife brandished menacingly. Feliks braced himself: was this a rival gang member come to claim him for his own ends, to earn himself a bit of money through the ransom Feliks would surely command?
---"Hold still, kid!" grunted the man, his breath reaking of booze. "Let me untie you!"
---Feliks couldn't believe it - he was being saved by what appeared to be a tramp. The pair of them sprinted out through the office door again, and looked for an exit. The flames had blocked off all means of escape on this floor, so they were left with no choice but to run back up to the walkway and try and use that exit. As they sprinted the warehouse was collapsing behind them. They had only just made it out, slamming the door behind them, as the walkway on which they had stood barely seconds before crashed down to the ground floor of the warehouse. Panting, they hurried down to the alleyway and lay there for a few minutes ghasping for fresh air: the exertion looked like it might have finished the poor tramp off:
---"Thank you so much... Are you ok, Sir?" asked Feliks, prodding the man cautiously. The man coughed and turned his soot-blackened face towards Chubai:
---"Never better, kid. Dunno what you were doing though, walking into a dingy bar like that on a planet like this! What did you expect would happen?!"
---"You were in the bar?" asked Feliks, surprised. "Oh, you must have been the man in the shadowy corner. Why did you rescue me, if you don't mind me asking?"
---"Overheard you were from Kalashnikova. I'm from there me'self, actually. Used to serve in the 2nd company Guard regiment before I got kicked off the planet." The man stared ruefully into the distance for a few seconds. "My name's Ivan, by the way. Ivan Safin".

.... Aaaand, you'll have to wait until the next veteran's blurb to find out how this one ends too. I keep you all on tenterhooks don't I?

Whats in the next post?

Continuation on the 2nd company fluff, and I'll introduce the squads flamer specialist, Private Ivan Safin.

Argh, the hooks dig into my flesh and keep me in this thread! How cruel!

Haha, thats my intention .

Had some cyber dogs I ordered off ebay come through in the post this morning, they look awesome. Two of them fit my description of Kalash wild dogs, and I'll have my army commander with them in his squad, and two are mastiffs that look like they could belong to a policeman or something. Maybe I'll make use of them in a penal squad at some point.

Here's what they look like anyway, but god knows what game system they're from (the man is there for size comparison):

Not going to use them as explosives dogs for taking out tanks are you?

Or rescue dogs for the snowy mountain passes?

I think your arny has a lot of character, which is fantastic. There is so much scope of customisation. I am thinking or redoing some of my IG fluff after seeing your army (and the large sections of background you have for your troops), as mine is quite sterile and boring.

So you kept me busy all yesterday while I was sick writing some new and updated fluff for my IG for when I get round to redoing the army to bring it up to date

Nice project and some great conversions. That sarge is really dynamic and looks brilliant. Can't wait to see some paint on him!

Will you have any armour in this force?

Oh and top marks for the Arnie inspired name, "Get to the CHOPPER!!!"

Haha, you're the first one to realise the Arnie reference.

Yeah, I'm having some heavily converted armour in the force - a Wolverine Scout vehicle, a Ragnorok and a 'super' Leman Russ, all scratchbuilt. I'd love to take the credit for building them, but I bought them on ebay, they're on their way to me now hopefully. I wouldn't be surprised if the guy who made them posted on this forum actually, they look like very expertly done jobs. I doubt you'd get that good at scratchbuilding if you didn't use internet sites and blogs to hone your skills.

The Kalashnikovan 2nd - An Imperial Guard Blog

Here is another up date for you all. The first part of fluff follows on from yesterday's update, and the veteran blurb bit also follows on from yesterdays. Basically, if you're reading the fluff in these posts you need to read all the fluff from the beginning for it to make sense!

Fluff:

The Battle of Staringlav Pass, 973.M41:

As night descended over the mountaintops and some gentle snow began to fall, the Rebel supply train continued moving steadily along a highway at the bottom of a deep, sheer valley, known to the locals as Staringlav Pass. The Rebel Company assigned to defend the supply train, the Kalashnikovan 1st, had divided its forces, with around half of the troops at the front of the supply train, and half at the back. This was done with the knowledge that if any attack was to come from the 2nd company, then they could effectively perform a pincer movement on them. Private Lev Zhirkov was one of the troops stationed at the rear of the supply line:
---‘I don’t like this, Ustin, the second are going to have to attack soon. Something doesn’t feel right tonight.’
---‘Something doesn’t feel right tonight?’ said the trooper named Ustin, ‘You’re acting like you don’t want to fight! Personally, I’d love the chance to get one over on the 2nd company! Don’t you remember all those youth camps when we were kids, when those little inbred runts from Bratasiva were acting all superior just because they would get to join the 2nd when they came of age?’
---Ustin grimaced, as if this memory would give him strength to fight the 2nd company if they did come out of the mountains tonight. Lev, though, looked straight ahead, his eyes focusing on the Kalash Cap of the man in front, rather than contemplating a battle in this spooky valley.
---‘There’s definitely something not right in the air tonight’ thought Lev, ‘Whatever Ustin says, I don’t fancy fighting the 2nd company in their own backyard’.

No sooner had those thoughts crossed Lev’s mind, than he heard shouting from ahead: Men were charging around, orders being bellowed by Sergeants to their squads. Lev could see his own Sergeant, Valeri Yankov, hurtling towards them.
---‘Sergeant, what’s happening’ asked Ustin.
---Puffing and panting as he slid to a halt on the icy road, Sergeant Yankov looked around him to see if his whole squad were still nearby:
---‘2nd company, on Skidoos! Up at the front of the supply train!’ Said Yankov, breathing heavily and looking harassed.
---‘Orders haven’t come through from Platoon command, so HOLD YOUR POSITIONS!’ He shouted the last words, as at the mention of first company a few members of the squad had made as if to run to the front and join the fracas.
---‘Yankov, what’s the word from Platoon command? What’s happening?’ shouted another sergeant, further back in the formation. Yankov hurried off to tell him the bad news.
---‘Second Company! Here! Now!’ exclaimed Ustin, a look of manic glee on his face.
---‘Sergeant Yankov said to hold our pos-’
---‘I say we should fight! Fight the Loyalist scum!’ Shouted Ustin, to general approval.
---‘Lets go! Lets go to the front! Lets fight! We might not get another chance!’ With these words several guardsmen around Ustin cheered.
---‘With me!’
---And just like that, Ustin charged off towards the front of the supply train. As he ran forward, more and more guardsmen fell in line behind him, and before long half the army stationed at the rear of the supply train was racing off towards the front to fight the 2nd company Kalash Rough Riders.

Lev stood frozen to the spot, looking wildly around him. Everywhere he turned, he was being jostled and bumped into by 1st company guardsmen who were running to the front. Sergeant Yankov was roaring at the troopers to hold their positions, but he was fighting a losing battle. Before long, even officers were joining the race to the front of the supply line. The Sergeant who had shouted to Yankov earlier fell foul of a Commissar, and received a bullet to the face for disobeying direct orders. Not even this could stop the flood of troops to the front though.

Colonel Grigor Blodniek of the Kalashnikovan 2nd company watched with satisfaction as the chaos unfolded in the valley below: his plan had worked perfectly. He had observed through his binoculars as his Kalash Rough Riders had sped down the steep sides of the valley at the Rebels stationed at the front of the column. Not expecting skidoo riders to be involved in any attack, the Rebels had been taken completely by surprise by the speed of the assault. The snowmobiles had come crashing into the lines of infantry before they could even open fire, scattering them as they attempted to muster any form of defence. Rather than fighting against massive numbers of guardsmen in close combat though, the Rough Riders instead retreated out to the opposite side of the valley and prepared to charge down once more. The snowmobile riders wheeled round on the valley face, revved their supercharged engines, and rocketed back down towards the assembled first company soldiers. This time though, they had lost the element of surprise, and almost half of the Rough Riders were killed by Lasgun fire before they got to the lines of troops. Again though, the infantry line folded under the speedy assault, and the Skidoo-men zoomed back to the sheltered woodland they had attacked from originally.

Blodniek was saddened that so many Kalash Rough Riders had been lost on the second assault, but was satisfied to see that their sacrifice was not in vain: Eager to enter the fray, a huge swathe of troops from the back had rushed forward to fight the snowmobiles. Now it was time for part B of Colonel Blodniek’s plan…

... Tune in tomorrow for the final part!

---------------------------

Veteran Squad Alpha: Private Ivan Safin:

Guardsman armed with a (heavy?) Flamer.

Legs: Standard Cadian
Torso: Standard Cadian
Left arm: Standard Troops flamer
Right arm: Standard Troops flamer
Weapon: Nose cut off and replaced with parts from a Tau heavy weapon, and a Tau aerial type bit.
Head: Pig iron kolony militia in winter headgear
Backpack: Normal flamer backpack with top cut off for the bottom half. The top half is a SM devastators pack, not sure which one, think it might be plasma cannon. The cable is a plasma cannon one, attached at the top with the weird wires grouping it has on it (can't really see that in the pics unfortunately). The bulbous bit on the cable is a SM melta bomb. Another bit from the SM devastators back pack is glued on the side, with various accessories I had in my box on top as aerials. The little handle bits will be painted as if they are glowing, like they are providing resistance to create electric heat or something. The nipple bit you can see on the front is part of what I cut off the flamer pack. The flamer pack is greenstuffed in to make it transition better to the SM backpack.
Accesories: Cadian knife and ammo pack.

Did I go over the top with the flamer backpack? Sometimes I love it, other times I just think it looks silly that big. I'm counting him as having a heavy flamer now that vets seem to be allowed them in the codex (thank god for the codex having vets at troops too, means I don't have to paint so many guardsmen to get my two troops choices filled out!). Still not allowed real snipers though, you have to have pissing ratlings . The vets have 3 people armed with them I think, but you need ten men in a squad, so it doesn't do you much good really.



Private Ivan Safin:

Ivan Safin was born into a family of soldiers, in Bratasiva on Kalashnikova. His father had been a soldier, his grandfather had been a soldier - in fact, every man in his family, right the way back thousands of years, had served in the Kalash Imperial Guard regiments. Safin's father had been a highly decorated Leftenant in the Kalashnikovan 2nd company, and having retired, expected his son and only child, Ivan, to follow in his footsteps. Ivan looked destined for a military career every bit as successful as his dad's, showing an uncanny knack for maintaining and upgrading weaponry in particular. When he came of age and inherited his father's Kalash Cap, Ivan immediately became a soldier in the 2nd company. He was a popular and effective member of the squad, generally using his assault weapon of choice, the flamer. It was as the second company was dispatched on tour to the Cadian Gate to guard against a possible Chaos attack that Safin's whole life began to unravel...

During a routine exercise in a Wolverine Scout Vehicle, Safin's transport was hit by a missile from a rogue Chaos Cultist that had been lurking in a nearby outcrop. The vehicle was flipped upside down, its gunner killed almost immediately. Safin was in the passenger seat and miraculously emerged completely unscathed. The sight of the driver's fate, however, would haunt Ivan for the rest of his days: The driver's hands had somehow become coated in highly flammable fuel, perhaps when he was carrying out some running repairs on the Wolverine earlier in the day, and when the missile hit the truck they had burst into flame. The driver was screaming in agony as his hands burnt off, Ivan watching in sheer horror at the sight. The most disturbing thing for Ivan though was not the burning itself, but how the driver acted afterwards:
---"He was just sat there, laughing... Saying things like 'Look mum, no hands!'", Ivan confided to a psychiatric therapist many years later. Those images and words haunted Ivan's dreams for years, as did a survivor's guilt complex. After returning from Tour in Cadia, he began to drink heavily. Every night, Ivan would be the first man in the bar, not leaving until he had drunken himself into a stupor. His behaviour was garnering attention from his senior officers who were concerned by his behaviour.

The real turning point came during an excercise when Ivan's squad were showing some Moloyozhev (Whiteshield) lads some combat formations, and then shooting targets with them afterwards. Ivan, still a little drunk from the night before, had swaggered over with his Flame gun, and had planned to burn down all the targets to show off for the youngsters. However, in his inebriated state he had not performed vital checks on his flamer backpack equipment: the gun was set to full power, and there was an enormous backlog of built-up pressure in the unit's pipes. As he pulled the trigger to fire off a burst of flame, the pipework burst between his gun and his backpack and flames shot back up the pipe, spewing flames at all angles as the tubing whipped around like a cartoon hose. Two Moloyozhev boys and a member of Ivan's squad were severely injured in the incident, and another lad had to tragically have his legs amputated as a result of his wounds.

Ivan was courtmarshalled, and once it had emerged that he was drunk at the time, the military authorities threw the book at him. He was thrown unceremoniously from the Imperial Guard, and ordered to do 90 hours of community service to boot. This was nothing, though, compared to the reaction of Ivan's father: The proud ex-soldier had been disgraced by his own son - and he renounced him. In his shame, Ivan fled to the nearby hive world of Merov where he earned a meagre living doing odd-jobs, predominantly fixing up and maintaining weaponry. He kept up this existence for almost a decade, getting drunk out of his skull most nights to forget his shame, until a chance led him to come into contact with a Kalashnikovan youth by the name Feliks Chubai...

"Ivan, my father will reward you for what you did to save me. He's a fair man, and I'll bet he can probably use some of his political muscle to get you out of whatever it was you aren't allowed on Kalashnikova for!"
---"I doubt that, kid." said Ivan quietly.
---"I can at least try! I'll contact him now!"
---"No!" said Ivan, suddenly angry, "I will never return to Kalashnikova... I bid you farewell, Feliks Chubai, good luck". And like that Ivan turned to leave Feliks, barely hours after he had saved him from the thuggish hive gangers on Merov.
---"Where are you going?" shouted Feliks after him, pretty sure he knew the answer to that question already.

After Ivan had left, most likely for the nearest bar, Feliks did indeed contact his father. After he left his father with the man's name and the fact he used to serve in the second, Mr Chubai got back to his son nearly an hour later with all the information about what had become of Ivan on Kalashnikova.
---"Wow, sounds like he's had a pretty tough life in the army." said Feliks sadly. "Still, there's got to be something you can do, father? The man saved my life afterall... Perhaps you could talk to Ivan's dad, try and reconcile them or something?"
---"Didn't I tell you you shouldn't have gone on this foolish travelling escapade, Feliks" said Mr Chubai irratably, "The danger of it. The amount of trouble you have got yourself into... I am thankful, though, that this man saved you, whatever his history. I will repay our family's debt to him - I will contact his father. Good bye son."

Feliks hung around on the hive world Merov for the next day or two, making sure to keep a low profile and avoiding dingy bars and backstreets. Eventually his father contacted him again, but the news was not good:
---"I called him several times, but at the mention of his son he just kept saying 'I have no son! I have no son!'. Eventually he got pretty angry."
---"Oh no..."
---"Maybe if I could meet this Ivan character, and take him to see his father they could work things out?"
---"I doubt Ivan would want to, father. It'd be no use. Is there nothing we can do?
---"Well, he needs to come to Kalash to collect his bronze heart for bravery and services to Kalashnikova. He'll have to come to Muscova to do that"
---"He has a bronze heart?! Just for saving me?" said Feliks, surprised.
---"Yes, well, I-um, had to use my connections to wangle that one a bit, but I think the man deserves something for his troubles."
---"Yes, I guess so" said Feliks, "I'll let him know. Goodbye father".

After Feliks had told him the news (Ivan had been passed out in a local tavern, naturally), Ivan had been shocked that he was to receive the special award for bravery, and was also surprisingly receptive to the idea of travelling to Kalashnikova to receive it.
---"It'll be nice to see the snow and the forests again, even if it is just for a day or two" he had said.

Feliks and his dad had put in motion a plan to get Ivan's father to attend the bronze heart ceremony. The old man agreed, but he was unaware that it had anything to do with his son, thinking instead that he was invited merely as a military veteran - he attended a lot of these sorts of events. On the day of the ceremony, the recount of Ivan's heroics on Merov was retold before he was unveiled to the guests, and before his name was even mentioned. Mr Safin could be seen clapping loudly in the audience, raving about what a true Kalashnikovan this man must have been to defeat four hive gangers single handedly with no weapons immediately to hand. He was still loudly applauding when his son's name was mentioned, and Ivan shuffled awkwardly out onto the stage.
---"But... No... Surely not" Mr Safin uttered disbelievingly, and he stood up to walk out. Ivan was just about to start his acceptance speech when he noticed his father leaving. He turned to Feliks and Mr Chubai, who were both sat to the side of the stage,
---"You brought him here?! How did you get him to come?! What- Whats he doing?!" Ivan blustered.
---"Mr Safin, I'm afraid I can't allow you to leave" said a security man, blocking Ivan's father's exit.

The two men, father and son, were locked in a room together for what seemed like hours. Eventually they emerged, still looking moody. But then they hugged, like only a father and son could. Cheers erupted. Feliks and Mr Chubai ran over to congratulate the newly reunited Safin's.
---"How can I ever repay you? You have brought my son back to me!" said Mr Safin to Feliks' dad, tears welling in his eyes.
---"You can consider us even now I think, after what your brave son did to save mine".

For years afterwards, Feliks and Ivan remained great friends, Ivan working as a trader specialising in weaponry upgrades - and doing a roaring trade in his premises in Muscova, Bratasiva City and St Padasburg due to the Kalashnikovan military's fondness for weapon maintenance - and Feliks earning a living as a stock broker in his father's company. Ivan's father, a 2nd company old boy like the Governor himself, was very pro-Oleg Puskin - and, naturally, disgusted by the political pressure he was coming under. Feliks' family too were very pro-Oleg, mainly because Feliks' father stood to lose his entire business stock broking empire should Oleg's government fall. It came as no surprise, then, that both the Chubai's and the Safin's sided against the rebellion. Ivan had built up a network of military contacts thanks to his successful weapons business, and since he had been pardoned already on receipt of his bronze heart, was welcomed with open arms back into the second company once the Kalashnikovan Civil War began. Feliks Chubai also joined the second company - a rarity due to him not hailing from Bratasiva. The 2nd's brass recognised his abilities as a technical expert and negotiator though, and Feliks was pressed into service as a diplomat/comms expert in the background of the fighting.

However, eventually Feliks was forced to take a more active role in the conflict as the second company's numbers dwindled through losses in battle, and Feliks grew into his role as a soldier brilliantly. Under the tutelage of his best friend Ivan, he became one of the most effective Guardsmen in his squad. After the Civil War, Sergeant Boris 'The Bear' Varenkov promoted Feliks to be his Corporal after recognising the excellent work he had done in the conflict. Ivan had served throughout the conflict as an assault weapon specialist, using his preferred flamer. Ivan had upgraded the weapon to the point where it was unrecognisable from a standard issue flame thrower, and had the power and range of most heavy flamers. The two of them continue to fight side by side in the Veteran Squad Alpha, each having saved the other's life more times than they care to remember. Ivan maintains that he is winning 14 times to 13, but Feliks is convinced it is level. Feliks' status as the squad's Vox expert makes his job on the battlefield a very important one, and The Bear often deligates tactical decisions to Feliks. Ivan's expertise with his heavy flamer is well known, and he can always be counted on to take a few enemies down with a healthy blast of noxious fire.



Whats in the next post?

The second part of the Battle of Staringlav Pass, and I'll introduce three (yes THREE!) more veterans: The Rascalov brothers!

The brothers grim?

Can't wait

RE the flamer - the weapon itself looks good, but the back pack is far too big.

If it were slimmer it could stand to be that tall (like a scuba tank - some early flamers used that design). Or if it were that wide and shorter.

I would advise a smaller thank in all directions, though keep the technical look.

I like the flamer tube, though the melta bit does not look like it is centred properly on the tube from the flamer in the top right hand pic... that may just be the picture though.

Keep the machine thing on the left hand side of the pack (the right as you look at the model, the left from the model's POV), that looks good. Keep the tube and melta bit and the gun.

Just cut down the backpack as a whole.

My thoughts on the matter anyway

SilverMK2 wrote:The brothers grim?

Can't wait

RE the flamer - the weapon itself looks good, but the back pack is far too big.

If it were slimmer it could stand to be that tall (like a scuba tank - some early flamers used that design). Or if it were that wide and shorter.

I would advise a smaller thank in all directions, though keep the technical look.

I've left it a little late now, he's almost fully painted . Maybe I'll replace him when I have time with a guy with a more sensibly proportioned pack.

SilverMK2 wrote:I like the flamer tube, though the melta bit does not look like it is centred properly on the tube from the flamer in the top right hand pic... that may just be the picture though.

It wasn't quite when I took those pics, but I corrected it afterwards - the front half of tubing was a bit too curved, so I just cut a chunk out the middle and glued it back together.

Cheers for the feedback .