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So, after originally posting my musings on the General Discussions board, a friendly neighbourhood polar bear suggested turning my ramblings into a blog of modelling goodness.
I have never done a blog, but after reading said polar bears blog (which can be found here - http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/538944.page) I was inspired to attempt it.
　
　
　
But first things first –

Hello! 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
　
　
Welcome to my blog and thank you for daring to take a peek into this world of bad grammar, superglue, paint and irritating prose.
　
　
I started WH40k only a few years ago.
The first army I decided upon collecting were Orkz.
Fun to play and fun to paint, right up until I hit the "green wall".
Seriously, after purchasing around 3000 points of unpainted boyz, wagons, AOBR and Meganobz I began to feel a little daunted about painting all those fun-guys (fungi…get it….I’m sorry!).
So, after painting the majority of the greenskinz (Deathskullz) I became a little tired of them. I’d played a few games with them, and as much as they were a good laugh to play, I felt they didn’t quite fit my play style.
So, I sold them.
　
　
　
After this I began my way through a rather worrying phase of buying, trading, swapping and collecting different armies. It was rather a strange introduction to the hobby, rather than collecting an army piecemeal, learning to paint and play. I acquired a force, played it a bit, then swapped it. Painting some of it as I went, and then proceeding to get bored, peruse eBay/swap shops/facebook groups, and then convince myself I would trade my army "One last time".
　
　
　
Well, that phase saw me go through the following factions –
Imperial Guard (Painted very few of these plucky blighters)

Tau (Painted about 500 points worth)

Nurgle CSM (Painted the majority of a 1750 force)

Deathwing (All base coated then I promptly said my goodbyes)

Necrons (built and then sold)

3 Helbrute Formations (some were converted but none saw past the priming stage)

Finally I started to put together a flying circus of the Nurgle variety (something about low model count seemed to appeal to me at this stage).

　
　
　
It was about this time that GW came out with the legendary statement of how their customer base considers buying the models the main aspect of the hobby (or at least something to that effect)….Must admit, I felt a little queasy at this. This perhaps strengthened my resolve to stop being so fickle with my armies and at least try and keep one for over 6 months!
　
With the Nurgle Flying Circus, I found an army I thought I’d love.
For some reason I really enjoyed painting Nurgle (even after all those Orkz and all those CSM). I amassed a decent sized army and managed to paint every single model to a level I was happy with.
From customising a FW Greater Daemon Mamon to a unique GUO to painting a Blight Drone.
But alas, I broke and ended up acquiring more.
"Insatiable Tradermania" I believe is the official term for this.
I ended up adding a Khorne element to my Nurgle and after doing the mandatory army photograph of my new "pride and joy", I looked at what I had to paint and thought – "Idiot!"
So what did I do?
Did I break the monotonous chain and actually finish this army?
Did I melt down all that plastic and craft a ceremonial hat to wear through the town whilst shouting wibble from the top of my lungs?
Did I buggery!
I did what I knew. I went straight to a rather handy group on Facebook and began scouring through the posts.
I found a beautifully painted Eldar army. It really was stunningly painted. Much better than anything I had ever achieved. And after "umming and aaahing" for about an hour, I convinced myself (yet again) to trade them for my Daemons.
Thankfully, that was a number of months ago. I still have the Eldar (yay me!), and thanks to the services of a talented and local commission painter, my Eldar army is fully painted to a great standard. It’s far from a "cheese" list, not a scatter laser nor Wraithknight in sight, but it’s painted. I could rest easy and not get all weird and anxious over the fact I had stuff left to finish (weird a hobby can make me feel that way I guess).
So, painted, fin, voila, whats next?
Well, I’m not adding to an Eldar force that I can field up to and beyond 2000 points, there would be little point in my Meta/Community.
I started to think about which factions I hadn’t owned, and my eyes were drawn to the Space Marines. I had read several black library novels (nothing like a little "Bolter Erotica" to send you off for a good nights sleep) and I hadn’t really a favourite chapter/legion (loyalist by the way, Death Guard are by far my favourite traitor legion).
　
After one evening reading through Lexicanum (must say the guys/girls at Lexicanum are awesome for what they do –FLUFF FOR THE FLUFF GOD indeed) I came upon a chapter that I really liked the sound of……
　
Drum Roll please…….(I hope you’re hitting your desk/table rhythmically whilst reading this, otherwise, you know, you’re not helping forge the narrative here)
　
　
The Star Phantoms!


Ah Star Phantoms, the true heroes of the Badab war. Slight inconsistencies of their founding date aside, the Star Phantoms are shrouded in mystery. Who is their Founding Chapter? Is it the Dark Angels? A traitor legion, hence the secrecy? Nobody knows. What we do know is the Star Phantoms really like Drop Pods. In fact, they love drop pods. Orbital Assault is truly for the win.
　
　
　
….FLUFF INCOMING….


Known traits of the chapter include; Lots of Drop Pods (Not sure if I mentioned this), a love for Devastator Squads (each company tending to have 3 rather than the usual 2), lots of Melta and Plasma weaponry, preference of long ranged bombardment with heavy weaponry (hello devastator squads!) over close combat and because of all this, they are known for lots and lots of collateral damage (‘Lord Solar Macharius himself is said to have stated that the Chapter was "Unsuitable for tactical close support of other Imperial Units"’, quoted from Lexicanum)

Their original home world, Haakonath, was destroyed by a Hrud migration in 120.M40. Making the chapter one of the only known forces to survive such an event. Leading up to the Badab war, the Phantoms were fleet based, plying the Space Lanes of Segementum Obscurus. Then in 912.M41, the Star Phantoms arrived in in strength (all 10 companies) to help their imperial allies in bringing the tyrant Lufgt Huron to justice. It was in fact a blast from Captain Zhrukal Androcles’s own Combi-Melta that delivered the killing blow to Huron before Androcles succumbed to his own wounds and died. As reward for their heroic actions in the bloody campaign, the Star Phantoms were given dominion over the shattered remains of the Badab sector. Taking its pick of the planets, it settled on the ice moon of Jahga, where they chose to bring down the heavily-damaged Memento Mori, and use the ancient warship as the base of their new Fortress-Monastery (again, thank you Lexicanum).

At this time the Star Phantoms were thought to have less than 400 Battle Brothers remaining…….
　
　


So, that’s the fluff. Pinch of mystery, sprinkles of suicide, lashings of fire power and a dollop of "easy DIY customisation".

For those reasons, I have picked the Star Phantoms. Who doesn’t like the idea of going big or going home with a Drop Pod Assault? And as the majority of the chapter was decimated during the Badab wars, it’s easy to put your own spin on your own Battle company whilst still staying true to the chapters doctrine and ethos.

So lets talk companies. We’ll ignore the 1st, I’m steering away from Veterans and after previously owning a Deathwing army, terminators are out too. We shall also ignore the 9th company, Forgeworld did a good job with the 9th, Devastator squads galore. So, wanting to have a little bit of a mixture, not wanting to be a reserve company, not wanting scouts, and also wanting to shoehorn some Centurions in there, that leaves me with the 3rd, 4th or 5th……

For the sake of Argument, lets say the 4th….
This blog, therefore, will be about my adventure into the construction of the Star Phantoms 4th Battle Company.
　
Thanks to the wonders of the internet and the mystery of the courier services, I already have the following "goodies" on their way to me –
　
1 x Space Marine Captain
2 x Venerable Dreadnoughts
2 x Boxes of Tactical Marines
1 x Centurion Devastator Squad
6 x Drop Pods
1 x ADL with Quad Gun
　
The above makes a rather fun 1500 point list (playable in 6th and 7th of course), I did do some play-testing with proxies and I found it enjoyable with mixed results.
　
　
　
A "typical" 4th battle company looks something along the lines of –
　
- Captain
- Chaplain
- Apothecary
- Standard Bearer
- 6 x Tactical
- 2 x Assault
- 2 x Devastator
- Then the usual Dreadnoughts, Rhinos, Land Speeders and Bikes in Support


But after I’ve built and painted my first ‘batch’ (I must mention I am a slow painter) where to go next for my Battle Company?
　
With wanting to keep the possibility of Apoc formations and the like open, expanding the existing 5 man Tactical Squads to 10 a piece seems a good place to start.
But what else?
Loaded up Devastator squads, what a silly question - of course!
A Command squad, most certainly.
2 Assault Squads, tricky one, do I take the - "The Chapter also seemed to prefer long-ranged bombardment using heavy weaponry over the chaos of melee combat, though it is capable of the latter when it is tactically expedient to do so."(I owe you yet again Lexicanum), to mean they don’t use assault squads, but rather when they run out of Bolt Shells or ammunition the Tac marines simply beat the enemy senseless with the butt of their rifles? Or rather that yes they do have assault squads but they just jetpack around lazily looking bored whilst their brothers shoot the life out of the foe?
Land Speeders loaded up with Meltas?
I’m not sold on bikes, my interpretation of the Star Phantoms is flying into the enemy sans wheels. Land Speeders I can sort of get, bikes not so much.
Tank wise? Vindicators? Whirlwinds?


In my weird and wonderful head I have the image of a scenarios similar to the Badab war:-

A castled up foe. Bunched up together in a well defended and fortified position.
The skies screech with the sound of drop pods plummeting to terra firma.
Mud, rock and earth erupting under the crashing weight of a mobile command base being air lifted just outside of the range of the fortresses booming guns, allowing a commanding view of the battle field.
Metallic shuttles also depositing tracked war machines such as Vindicators and Whirlwinds to provide a frontal assault onto the enemy’s reinforced walls.
The field base, beyond the reach of the opposition, houses the companies captain and command squad. Correlating intelligence and barking orders over Vox communication systems to the front line.
A bodyguard of Centurion Devastators surround the command, blasting foe to ruin if they dare come within range.
Devastators occupy vantage points surrounding the enemy, laying down masses of destructive fire power on the traitor or the Xenos.
Venerable Dreadnoughts in the midst of battle alongside their tactical brethren, cleansing the heretic with flame, plasma and Melta.
Specialists in shock and awe, throw enough fire power and cut of the escape with walls of bolter shell and plasma charge (admittedly it could also be read as the musings of a mad man).
　
On this blog, my future updates will include the building and painting of the start of the Company and also the additions I make from there on.　
　
　
(I do solemnly swear that there will no longer be walls of texts in my future updates. I’m quite certain my fingers have a mind of their own when in front of a keyboard)
　
　
So, join me on my journey to building, painting and playing the Star Phantoms 4th Battle Company.
　
Oh, and thanks for reading.

Sounds cool so far. I was also interested in a star phantom army but the lore of the fire hawks sucked me in haha Anyways subscribed and looking forward to see what you do.

Looking forward to seeing what you put together.

On the topic of command squads, they are a great place to get some shooting in. Because you can take special weapons on all of them (maybe not the apothecary, that’s be debated) you can spam plasma or melta. While not long range fire, having 4-5 plasma guns (plus maybe a combi on the captain) step out of a drop pod and vaporize something sounds right up your ally.

Thanks for the plug
Good luck!

Good luck sir swapaholic

Will keep an eye on your blog, always enjoy seeing hordes of minis in progress!