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Hello there! Planning on attending the 2018 LVO and wanted to start a plog to motivate me to finish my planned army to an acceptable standard. The army of Dark Compliance rules and theme really grabbed me when I first read them, and as a fan of Iron Warrriors and a student of siege warfare throughout history I knew I wanted to make a "forelorn hope" type army. For those who don't know, a forlorn hope is a group of soldiers who have been tasked with being the first troops to attack a breach in the enemies defenses. It was considered both an honor and a death sentence. For the Iron Warriors I felt that in meant you would want some pretty disposable troops (Militia), some good CC that was cheap and easily replaced (contemptor cortus), and you'll want some big guns to pound at the defenses ahead of the assault (Medusas, Tyrant Siege Terminators). Some AA and air support would be nice as well (Deredeo, Thunderbolt). Also need some prepared defenses to assault from, and to protect the stockpiled arms & ammunition that was prepared for the attack (Aegis, and Ammo Dump).

I'll be using this place to post up photos of my progress as well as bits of fluff I'll be working on as well. Feel free to comment and critique as you see fit! For those who may be interested here is the exact army list I'm planning on bringing for 2500 points.

Headquarters:
Jivan (Legion Centurion [Terminator Armor])
+ Siege Breaker
+ Combi-Plasma
+ Chainfist

Khajag (Legion Centurion)
+ Master of Signal
+ Refractor field
+ Melta-bombs
+ Artificer armor

Major Zinaida Portnova (Imperialis Militia Force Commander)
+ The Muster of Worlds
+ Warrior Elite
+ Alchem-Jackers
+ Iron Halo
+ Power Sword
+ Melta-Bombs
+ Digital Lasers
+ Infravisor
+ Cyber-Familiar

Elites:
Unterarzt Detachment (3 Imperialis Militia Medicae Detachment)

Contemptor-Cortus Pattern Talon
• Legion Contemptor-Cortus Dreadnought
+ Dreadnought Close Combat Weapon
+ Graviton Gun
+ Dreadnought Close Combat Weapon
+ Graviton Gun
+ Extra armor
• Legion Contemptor-Cortus Dreadnought
+ Dreadnought Close Combat Weapon
+ Graviton Gun
+ Dreadnought Close Combat Weapon
+ Graviton Gun
+ Extra armor

Troops:
1st Füsilier Squad (Imperialis Militia Infantry Squad)
+ Sergeant
+ Melta Bombs
+ Lascarbines/Autoguns

2nd Füsilier Squad (Imperialis Militia Infantry Squad)
+ Sergeant
+ Melta Bombs
+ Lascarbines/Autoguns

3rd Füsilier Squad (Imperialis Militia Infantry Squad)
+ Sergeant
+ Melta Bombs
+ Lascarbines/Autoguns

1st Jäger Squad (Imperialis Militia Reconnaissance Squad)
+ Sergeant
+ Demolition Charge
+ Sniper Rifles
+ Camoline
+ Infravisor

Heavy Support:
1st Fuss-Artillerie (3 Imperialis Militia Heavy Ordnance Battery)
+ 2× Additional Militia Crew (Gun 1)
+ 2× Additional Militia Crew (Gun 2)
+ 2× Additional Militia Crew (Gun 3)
+ 3× Medusa Siege Cannon
+ 3× Breacher Shells

Pyrosvestíres (10 Tyrant Terminators)
+ Tyrant Siege Master
+ Chain-Fist
+ 3× Chain-Fist

Honored-Brother Zamolxis (Legion Deredeo Pattern Dreadnought)
+ Aiolos Missile Launcher
+ Armored Ceramite

Lord Of War:
Orbital Strike Wing
• Thunderbolt Heavy Fighter
+ Ground Tracking Auguries
+ Flare Shield
+ Battle Servitor Control

Fortifications:
Aegis Defence Lines
+ Ammunition Dump

Anyway enough talk! Onwards to the the photos!

Decided to start with something easy, the Ammo Dump for the Aegis Defence Line.

Also got started on my first squad of 20 Militia Riflemen (and women) + Medic. I am using the splendid Rausenberg Siege Corps models from Victoria Miniatures. Since my Provenances are Warrior Elite and Alchem-Jackers my mortal troops become almost as reliable as my Iron Warriors, ignoring negative leadership penalties in close combat, becoming pinned if they fail a leadership test from shooting and getting a +1 bonus to leadership across the board

Those are some nice sculpts; who's the guy with the sword?

Yeah Victoria Miniatures makes some awesome sci-fi human troops (definetly trying to fill a void in GW products for more varied IG regiments).

The soldier with the cavalry type saber is the units sergeant, the one with the chainsword will be the units medic (who will have a white coat instead of grey (suitably daubed with blood from her lifesaving procedures).

Working on my infantry squads. 60 lasmen (and women) and 10 snipers! That’s a lot of resin to clean! Lol. Decided to assemble everything first to facilitate a better production line. Might have to conscript my girlfriend to help get everything done in time!

Got some more work done today. Finished assembling the sniper squad and got some paint on there!

Will be following. I've been a fan of VM sculpts for ages, so it will be nice to see some painted up - and if the terrain is anything to go by, they're gonna look good.

As an aside, could you tell me how the torsos compare with GWs IG range? (size wise)

Thanks.

 TheEldanariPrince wrote:
Will be following. I've been a fan of VM sculpts for ages, so it will be nice to see some painted up - and if the terrain is anything to go by, they're gonna look good.

As an aside, could you tell me how the torsos compare with GWs IG range? (size wise)

Thanks.

Thanks man! I don't have any Chadian torsos at hand, but the male VM torsos seem to be about the same size, just missing the usual body armor. The femal torsos would be must smaller visually.

Also got some more work done, completely assembling all my VM infantry finally, and started on my cortus contemptor talon and Tyrant Siege Terminators. Go to say the conversion to dual CCW on the dread was actually pretty easy to make.

Also finished the second contemptor cortus and the last two medicae for my infantry squads

Now just have to assemble my last 5 Tyrants, thunderbolt, characters, and of course the big guns!!! Still have to paint though!

Decided to do the big guns first! You can see one that I tried to paint a while ago. Going to redo the paint scheme for them. I'm reconsidering the whole thing as far as theme, and will be going with snow bases. That means the guns will be getting more of a winter camo look. Also the artillerists will have black uniforms instead of the grey of the GIs.

Finnally finished the Iron Warrior contingent of my Force! Looking forward to the rest! I got to say I really enjoyed the Tyrant models, both assembling and painting them.

Here's some fluff I wrote a while back for my Ezerum militia regiments:

Inloading>>>> Traitor Formations >>>> Mortal Units >>>> Ezerum Fusilier Regiments...

Complied from the notes of Remembrancer Giden Knowels, circa 015.001.M32

Ezerum Prime was a Gamma-Class world, and capital of a system of six inhabited worlds that had emerged from the Long Night relatively intact, and highly militarized. Rediscovered by the 13th Crusade fleet which was commanded by the Iron Warriors legion, it was made compliant after a grinding campaign of attrition. The grim heroism of the native Ezerum regiments garnered much respect from the Crusade Fleets upper echelons, even from Warsmith Nyctinus who remarked on the remarkable tenacity of the mortal soldiers. Thus, after the Ezerum system had been made compliant, the IVth legion claimed the system as a personal fiefdom and began the integration of the Ezerum soldiery into its own formations as helot levies as well as the Officio Militarus as a whole. The personality of these regiments became shaped by their close association with the Iron Warriors, turning the men and women of the Ezerum Fusiliers into near automatons, as ruthless, fearless and grim as their masters.

Their general tactics on the battlefield reflect the Ezerums close association with the IVth legion. These revolve around massed infantry assaults supported by heavy artillery, and extensive use of field fortifications. Preferably, when an advance is required, heavy artillery bombardments will rain down for hours and in some extensive campaigns even days. While forward artillery will also be used during set piece battles, strategic use focuses on debilitating enemy moral and demolishing any prepared fortifications. Often when the riflemen advance, a creeping barrage will proceed them, harrying any opposition before the general infantry even engage. The bombardiers of the Ezerum units were renowned, most unit commanders having learned their trade from the Iron Warriors themselves, and were in high demand from Crusade Fleets that were going into campaigns against heavily fortified foes. The infantry as well gained a reputation of bravery in the face of enemy fire almost rivaling that of the IVth Legion itself, and it was not uncommon for units to be shot down to a man without having faltered once. Most put this down to foolhardiness or extreme indoctrination while others darkly spoke of chemical inducements that turned Ezerum soldiers into little more than armed servitors.

The average Ezerum rifleman was equipped with a locally manufactured lascarbine that was similar in reliability and firepower to Officio Militarus standards. Knee length flak jackets in standard-grey provided some protection from small arms fire. Most soldiers were expected to be prepared for bivouacking at the front-lines so in addition to grenades, additional ammunition, and other sundries, most soldiers went into battle with their iconic packs and neatly folded sleeping equipment. Headgear was almost always a simple red dress cap or beret type design, the regiments generally eschewing helmets except for the elite grenadier formations. Preferred infantry support weapons were the heavy bolter and light-mortars, both locally produced patterns. Field artillery was also unique local patterns that had obviously been modified from medusa and earthshaker STC designs. After compliance, these patterns were formalized and approved in trials by the IVth and became a staple in Ezerum regiments often incorporated directly at the company level in regimental rosters. While most Ezerum regiments had an emphasis on massed artillery and infantry tactics, armored formations did exist, and were noted for their daring and line-breaking charges. During the Crusade the forces of Ezerum achieved many victories, and were even present at some of the most important conflicts of the period such as the destruction of the Ork empire at Ullanor. However, for every victory badge added to their regimental honor roll, a new rumor or criticism of their forces emerged. Indeed, such was their reputation for an almost inhuman tolerance for the suffering of their own soldiers and those of other regiments, as well as their willingness to throw whole companies of troops in to devastating but effective frontal assaults, that often other Imperial Army units that were assigned to fight under the command of Ezerum generals would see a rise in desertion rates. This is perhaps hardly surprising considering the Ezerum officer corps tutelage at the hands of Iron Warriors Legionnaires, who many mortal units were loath to serve under as well.

During the Horus Heresy, and with the benefit of hindsight it seems inevitable, nearly all Ezerum Regiments joined the Warmasters cause. The few regiments that have no defection record also disappeared during or after the Heresy, suggesting that they were either traitors culled by nearby loyalist forces or loyalists who were isolated, or destroyed by the traitor formations they were usually attached to. The Ezerum system itself was overrun by triumphant loyalist forces during the period now known as the Scouring. Iron Warriors and Fusilier regiments fought side by side, defending the six planets-turned-fortresses, incurring great loss on the attacking forces. At the end, surrounded and with no way out the citadels of Ezerum Prime launched their final payloads and overcharged their reactors as a final symbol of defiance. Though their system was laid waste and quarantined, some Ezerum regiments did escape the Scouring alongside the Iron Warriors, and joined their masters on Medrengard in the Eye of Terror where they still serve to this day alongside the cursed legions.

Also here are some finished pics of the first of 3 artillery carriages with medusa siege guns!

Here's a shot of my Army at LVO. Managed to finish that's to my helpful girlfriend and I staying up all night Thursday in our Las Vegas hotel room painting! Lol. Didn't win the painting competition but the force looked good on the table top! Traitors won the mega battle on Friday, and my Army won 2 games (including the team game on Sunday) vs Iron hands with ferrus manus, and a combined blood angels Mechanicum force. Two ties vs Imperial Fists with sigismund, and Thousand Sons with Magnus the Red. Also one loss vs Mechanicum and well. Had a blast! Awesome people with awesome armies. More pics to follow!

Day one of the LVO, 30k Mega battle. On my side, two night lords and alpha legion, facing Custodes, Imperial Fists, Solar Auxilia, and Iron Hands!

Photos from Game 1 of the 30k Narrative Event, Iron Hands vs my Dark Compliance

So I’ll be changing gears with this log and focusing more on the Militia element, I have some eBay and Dakka Swap Shop purchases that have helped immensely. Suffice it to say that my Milita will get getting some armored support! Details to follow!

Update:

My militia are getting some super-heavy support the form of some Macharius Pattern vehicles (counting as locally produced tanks). Experimenting with my first attempt at a splinter camo-type design. We have a Macharius Omega for anti-2+, and a Macharius Vulcan for clearing mobs of marines or even whittling down mechanicum monstrous-creatures! What do you think?

Great stuff. Iron Warrior cataphracts look like they're ready to stand on someone's head.

 TheEldanariPrince wrote:
Great stuff. Iron Warrior cataphracts look like they're ready to stand on someone's head.

Thanks! I appreciate it! I wanted them to look like the iron backbone that the militia must obey willingly or not! lol

Also some hobby progress, got to work on that Thunderbolt as well. This is an earlier version of the same camo-scheme I'm using on the Macharius tanks. Still got to weather it, and been trying to find some missiles to stick under it as well.

Also some photos from a game I played recently. 4000 a side, my militia were allied to a buddies Iron Warriors and we faced off against some Talons of the Emperor. Was a pretty intense fight! The Vulcan didn't do much besides strip the void shields off the Warhound (good job buddy!) I love militia, swarms of warm bodies with some big old guns is a great change up from the typical 30k game.

I don't know why you don't get more comments, your blog is super cool, with loads of nice minis (and rare VM scultps), a good paint scheme, good battle reports and it is 30k !
Really like the medusa batteries !
May I ask you a close up of some painted guards ? Just a few, to see them close and well ?
Your siege breaker is sharp !

Ooh, nice army! I really like the strong theme. They look good when defending a siege line!

godardc wrote:I don't know why you don't get more comments, your blog is super cool, with loads of nice minis (and rare VM scultps), a good paint scheme, good battle reports and it is 30k !
Really like the medusa batteries !
May I ask you a close up of some painted guards ? Just a few, to see them close and well ?
Your siege breaker is sharp !

Thanks man! Appreciate that! I've taken some close ups of 1st Squad (the Bluebloods) for you. Like it says above most of my infantry was assembly line painted the night before LVO 2018 so they are far from my best, but I plan on revisiting them at some point. Each squad has a vexilia, and an attached medic (in white). The Victoria Miniatures kits are great fun, and pretty customizable, been thinking about looking at some other variations of thier kits to include as a second force allied to my Ezerum regiment.

Haighus wrote:Ooh, nice army! I really like the strong theme. They look good when defending a siege line!

Thank you! They are great fun to play!

So since I'm expanding my militia and Rifle squads are dirt cheap points-wise (lasguns are an upgrade ) I'm looking for expensive options to fill in points. One part of that is getting a hold of a squad of Vanquishers for cracking enemy armor (especially spartans), but something I'm looking into is Ogryns. A squad of 5 with power axes, rage, and carapace armor hits like a ton of bricks (30 attacks on the charge) and eats up over 300 points. Unfortunately I hate the sculpts so I'm thinking outside the box for what to use to represent them.

I've narrowed down my options to two things, either mercenary ork nobz (using Ironjaw Brutes from AoS as a base), or converting a unit of Thallax. I'm leaning toward the Thallax option since I've found a ton while going through my old modeling supplies.

So what idea do you guys have for converting up my thallax into CC monsters with power axes? I'm thinking about leaving off the lightning gun arm and attaching the half of the weapon to the little bulb of the wrist. any other ideas?

This is a great army, I really enjoyed seeing the shots from in game too.

Thallax would look considerably more high-tech, which is more 30k to me.

Cap'n Facebeard wrote:This is a great army, I really enjoyed seeing the shots from in game too.

Thanks! I've found more photos of older battles so I'll be posting them up soon as well.

Haighus wrote:Thallax would look considerably more high-tech, which is more 30k to me.

yeah I agree, and I really like the thallax as well. I've ordered some Justaerin axe bits for their Power Axe, and I'll probably attempt to construct a chainblade/combat shield as their CCW. More to follow on that front.

In addition I got my hands on some pintle-multi-melta bits to use for my Sentinels. I love Sentinels and I plan on having two units of three in my final 2500 point list, all to be armed with multi-meltas and hunter-killer missiles. I'll probably spring to magnetize them as well for some variety of parts, (like that sweet-sweet chainblade). I envision these walkers sweeping up along the flanks as the main force bogs down the enemy with a frontal assault, the Sentinels pouncing on unsuspecting tank crews behind the front line and slagging them. Got some WIP photos atm, along with my cast bases (the originals are by Dragonforge). Do you think the Legion Multi-Melta is too small?

Great looking army! I love the bases and the weathering on them all

The multimelta looks great!