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Hi - so this is where I'm going to blog my build and paint of what I think is the largest Deathwatch army in the Southern Hemisphere. How big? Stick around and see - I think it a full chapter (so to speak) of Deathwatch, each individually made and customised/kit bashed/converted for the cause.

It was started before Codex : Deathwatch was a thing - previously I used it as 'every codex' marines - I could put in Space Wolf flyers if I wanted and bring them out when the army was running as Space Wolves, for instance.

However, after a break from the game, I'm getting back into building and painting my marines. Due to the change to 32mm and my change of mind about basing colours, I will also be posting the 500 odd rebases I have to do for my painted models.

This is where I'll be restarting my Deathwatch blog and showing off my Inquisitorial Astra Militarum as well, to keep me motivated. It was all started off from my involvement as a playtester for the FFG RPG, so the setting is the Jericho Reach.

Please note that due to the size of the army, a fair few chapters will be over-represented because they have awesome marine kits - Space Wolves and Blood Angels especially, however I've made them into successor chapters where possible, including taking some license about where some mentioned but never imaged chapters are concerned.


To start with we have Squad Amaranth - This squad was formed after the initial Tau assault on Watch Station Oertha and has been outfitted for ranged combat suitable to ambushes and raids to stop the local Tau expansion on Oertha.

Please note this picture isn't fantastic - my images should be improving however as I better my setup. Please note also these pictures are also the ones I use to double check for missed mold lines, spaces

Left to Right

Front
Sergeant Ziphozonke - Salamanders
Brother Sagard the Devoted - Black Templars
Specialist Iamblichus - Golden Sons

Middle
Brother Aulus - Ultramarines
Zaboulon Avimael - Griffon Lords
Brother Folc - The Raven Knights
Conte Gabbriello Fiorina - Angels Numinous

Rear
Specialist Broc Dhurgrul - The Radiant Wings
Raimbaut the Defender - Crimson Lancers
Brother Jehanel - Shield of the Oracles




After some quick editing - I will be going for regular sized images, with the full size available from the gallery or via attachment as otherwise it blows up the page.

Looking forward to this project. Trying to put together some deathwatch myself and all inspiration is most welcome.

Sounds like this will be quite the project to watch

I'm in a similar boat, with a Deathwatch detachment from Overkill and whatever-the-box-with-Artemis-in to put together, along with a couple of extra characters.

Looking forward to seeing more

I want to paint Deathwatch just for their sweet, sweet flyer.

IGtR= wrote:Looking forward to this project. Trying to put together some deathwatch myself and all inspiration is most welcome.

Sounds like this will be quite the project to watch

Thanks mate - there is so much stuff if you haven't looked before - the FFG stuff is dirt cheap too as the licence expired a few months ago. Get the RPG books while you can - awesome fluff and stories.

Dysartes wrote:I'm in a similar boat, with a Deathwatch detachment from Overkill and whatever-the-box-with-Artemis-in to put together, along with a couple of extra characters.

I like it - that Overkill box was great. Did anyone say plastic Shrike and Khan as well as Cassius? Heck the BA model is this close to a conversion to Lemartes while you are at it.

Kid_Kyoto wrote:Looking forward to seeing more

There is more :p

John Prins wrote:I want to paint Deathwatch just for their sweet, sweet flyer.

I like it too - I'll be building one this week.



Automatically Appended Next Post:
Next up - Squad Aureolin.

Squad Aureolin has seen combat throughout the Canis sector - having fought the Tau and their human and inhuman allies alike with vigour and strength. Casualties have been few but have required replacement along with two battle brothers who have returned to their chapters. Squad Sergeant Cambus has moulded the squad towards short range firepower which can be turned into melee against the Tau who are rarely known for their close combat prowess. Their recent removal of the ruling class of Argoth who were deemed to be colluding with the Tau Empire was noted for its thoroughness and extreme brutality, with the public defenestration of the former planetary governor and his cabinet during a live ceremony seen across the sector to a combination of shock, terror and suddenly found devotion to the Emperor.

I've got a folder with all of the individuals for the squad in it in my images gallery if anyone wants a close look, through for me this is more for finding mold lines and places to fill before undercoat.

Left to right

Front -
Spharobais - Mentors
Hasiak Bouldercleaver - Sable Brotherhood
Hradmenst - Sanguine Host

Middle
Sp Qoribuqa - White Scars
Cleandros the Shrouded - Minotaurs
Specialist Sev Gallou - Sons of Antaeus
Cardinale Bronzino - Blood Angels

Back-
Br Kaihan - Repentant Brotherhood
Sgt Cambus - Iron Hands
Skjold Gatebreaker - Space Wolves

Ok, so next up I've been building something which is a little heresy but a lot of fun.

In response to the rise of the Stigmatus, the counter-Crusade of Chaos in the Jericho reac, the Ordo Xenos called for aid from the other arms of the inquisition more suited towards dealing with the various heresies, cults and demonic occurences of the Reach.

However, reinforcements were slow in arrival and often ineffective when they came - Witch Hunters were very good at dealing with cults, madmen and rogue psykers but not as useful against massed armies of the Lost and the Damned.

After the mass demonic summoning in the Blood Trinity and the casualties caused first by the demons and incipient madness, and then subsequently the purges in the ranks required to keep such heretical occurences secret, a radical idea was formed.

Using a combination of Deathwatch Librarians in charge of squads of normal marines linked with psychically resonating wraithbone, the unit could take the fight to the Daemon and the Witch on more equal terms. Field tests showed the dispersed psychic power disrupted demonic footholds on the mortal realm, and could

Of course many of the Adeptus Astartes were resistant to such a plan, and a schism threatened the Deathwatch and indeed the sector Ordo's until the efficacy of the project came to light on Midael. A solitary Kill Team held back a daemonic tide for over a day at a breach in the capital hive, allowing millions of local forces and non-combatants to escape. Even after the Librarian leading the squad was wounded, the psychic wraithbone empowered the units weapons, allowing the bindings of the daemons to be more easily severed.

While there are still significant doubts among many of the Inquisitors about the potential for corruption of the warp, or the heretical effects of using forbidden technology, Project Whisper as it became to be known was sanctioned.

However such heresy in the eyes of the Monodominants and other Orthodox or Puritan Inquisitors has brought a shadow over the Deathwatch in the Jericho reach, and even within the Deathwatch itself.

To try and distance the Deathwatch from what was a problematic but extremely effective force, the Master of Vigilance ordered the Kill Teams from Project Whisper to leave Watch Fortress Erioch until a High Council of Inquisitors could be formed to judge the matter. Subsequently the squads have become fleet based amongs a series of grand cruisers and frigates in the Acheros sector, fighting the foes of the Imperium and occasionally zealous agents of the Inquisition.

Next up - I've been working on this squad for a little while - Squad Glaucous.

Created originally in M40 to serve the Lord Inquisitor Phaedran as she investigated the increasing regularity of tomb world awakenings, Squad Glaucous has had many personnel changes over the past millennia. Some Brothers served for an investigation or a campaign, while others served for decades. In one case, a Brother served in the squad for over two centuries when his fleet bound chapter was considered lost in the warp, only to be reunited with the ragged remnants of the chapter after their fleets were shattered in a warp storm.

Currently the squad acts on behalf of the successor of the successor of Lord Inquisitor Phaedra - her grandaughter, Inquisitor Phaedras. Phaedras has a roving commission as most Inquisitors do, but she has centered herself on the emergence of the Necrontyr in the Jericho reach and the technology surrounding the Well of Night. They are armed with weapons designed to cripple the heaviest of the Necron vehicles of war and infantry alike, and are often armed with what would normally be considered excessive supplies of ammunition to overwhelm the regenerative capacities of their foes.





Front

Cir Beyazit - Lords of Melek
Sarpegan - Accipiters
Brother Zussame - Honoured Sons

Middle

Dighynth the Oathkeeper - Silver Eagles
Brother Nkemdilim - Skull Bearers
Brother Diellor - Grief Bringers
Brother Ichabod - Blood Swords

Back

Skamadir Twinhanded - Space Wolves
Oeagnus - Taurans
Sgt Tuudor Valk - Brazen Wolves Chapter

Next- Squad Sinopia



Squad Sinopia has had a chequered history in the annals of the Deathwatch in the Jericho Reach. While the squad in various iterations has had major successes in combating the Tau, the forces of the Archenemy and various xenos species, a serious failure to complete a mission on the Space Hulk called the Mortis Thule left half the squad dead at the hands of marines from the Alpha Legion and their allies, and two other rescue teams ambushed when trying to extract the squad. Since then, Sergeant Geirthjof was promoted, and has set the sights of the squad in chasing down information regarding the whereabouts of Alpha Legion activity within the sector.

Since then, there have been two more ambushes and one attempt at sabotage, but the increased caution and security surrounding the activities of Squad Sinope has ensured that they have come out on top subsequently. Soon a mission will be carried out to the Mortis Thule, once the space hulk has been sighted.

Front

Xan Vazquez - Dark Hands
Brother Dharambir - Angels of Retribution
Sgt Geirthjof Rainwraith - Emperors Wolves

Middle

Egzon Ziberi - Chorus of Elatin
Br Dalorsoc - Halo Bretheren
Br Calvisius - Ultramarines
Fredenandus - Knights of Caliban

Rear

Khajigin - White Scars
Brother Artthamnos - Nova Wings
Ximon Quexada - Blood Drinkers

As always, a blizzard more pictures in my gallery.

Next up is some inquisitorial Astra Militarum, along with a special squad of Deathwatch all from the Space Wolves chapter.

Today's update - some Inquisitorial ground forces. A heavy weapons team and a regular trooper. These units are all made from a combination of Cadians and Scions. Expensive, difficult, but I like it.

Still working on a colour scheme that isn't crimson and black though. I can't for the life of me figure out what.

Next up - some melta gunners converted up for my Inquisitorial guardsmen. I prefer the arms much more from the Scions kit to the IG ones, so I've been converting up some multi meltas. I think I may add some more detail to up them to scratch, plus reposition the arms as in the photos they look a bit too far back. Unfortunately there is sometimes only so much you can do with reclaimed models , due to people overzealously glueing the arms on, especially when they glue the arms to the front of the chestplate.





As always, C&C welcome.

So todays effort is a heavy weapons team. Lots of fun to do - I get to do what I want with these guys as the bases don't care what is on them, it is just the weapon that counts.

From my WIP table - some more Inquisitorial Storm Troopers I am looking to take to NOVA Open this year. These are just prior to cleanup/checkup - I really like using macro images as it allows me to find the places I have to fix up/fill/file. This is especially the case as most of the batch so far have been second hand models which I have had to take apart and reconnect together, and often there is a fair bit of glue overspill where people have gone a bit wild, or places they haven't completely matched up arms/legs torsos.

These will be my Inquisitorial Astra Militarum for the tournament - I think its more fitting to the lore for 'conscripts' to be the equivalent of an average guardsmen, with the elites being a typical guardsmen status, and then exceptional forces as the Militarum Tempestus/Veterans statline.

I've had about a week off setting up a new PC and sorting out my armies. I've come to realise that WHFB is not coming back, and 9th age is a bit of a mess, and I've got all my new 40k items in 32mm for Deathwatch, and all of my older items are in 25mm. So its rebasing time. Counting out the 1200 or so extra bases I will need was a bit of a pain, and its sad all the magnetisation I did for the WHFB armies will go. But still, times change, I'll change with them. And it gives me an opportunity to lighten up the bases, as darkish watery mud doesn't really pop the black models on top at all.

In the meantime, I've been taking some photos of what I've got currently to see what I need to do, what models need touch ups or I did a poor job when I rushed them for a tournament etc.

Here is the first lot - my painted bikers - often run in 6th as Ravenwing or White Scars. The Dreadnoughts all have multiple arm options, but I keep those all together in a case for when I need them.









In the meantime, I'm also working on my Inquisitorial AM that I'm planning to take to NOVA Open. I'm not sure whether to take 7 tanks and lots of Tempestus Scions, or 11 tanks and just a screen of troops - the first is more effective but the second will be easier to transport. I guess only time will tell.

Next up - Inquisitorial Astra Militarum.

Instead of a traditional black, which comes out a bit washy on cloth on metal, I went for a mid grey and blue steel look.

I think it turned out well.

I still have the bases and boots to do, which will come as a batch at the end.

Apologies, I didn't realise how washed out some of the pictures are, but hopefully you get an impression.