My thanks to everyone who has given useful input in my other threads. ^_^
There were several comments that the captain I made really should be a squad sergeant, and that line of thinking lead me to realize theat a banner is a great way to distinguish the squad leaders and looks really cool. So, that captain model is now sergeant of the second squad, and here is the sergeant of the third squad. I'm planning on placing space marine honor badges (The ones you get on the space marine commander sprues) onto the banners as trophies the squad has taken from the marines they have killed.


There were several comments that the heavy weapon needs to be held in two hands, and I think that was a good idea. So, here's the squad's heavy weapon trooper. I'm very happy with the way it turned out.


And, here's some more of the squad. The quick among you may notice that the special weapons trooper used to be the squad sergeant for the second squad, but, with the new look for the sergeants, she's been relagated to special weapons work.


For those of you just joining the progress, I've made a quick and helpful FAQ for you. ^_^
Q: What are the bits you have used?
A: Here's the bitz breakdown:
Head: Wood Elf Archers
Torso and legs: Dark Elf Warrior
Arms: Space Marine Scout
Backpack: Forgeworld Elysian Grav Chute
Pistols: Plasma Pistols with Bitz from Robotech Missiles
Heavy Weapon: Bit from 1/144th scale Robotech Toy with grip added from boltgun and space marine sight.
Special Weapon: Plasma Pistols with Bits from Pintle Mounted Stubbers
Q: When are you going to paint them and what colors are you going to use?
A: I always assemble everything before I paint. This is because I have, in the past, had to tear apart painted models when I decided to convert something differently half-way through the project. As far as colors, I haven't really decided yet. Right now, I'm leaning towards jade tunics with lavender armor.
Q: I thought the fluff said Female Space Marines were impossible?
A: It doesn't say it is 'impossible.' The current fluff says that the geneseed used by the Imperium only works in males. I am, in no way contradicting that. Why? Because it does not say that, anciently, there was not any other kinds of geneseed. It only says that the known geneseed only works in males.
I am simply filling that void by saying that, anciently, there were other kinds of geneseed, and I am giving what I believe to be a reasonable historical reason for why it dissapeared and no one but a few knew of its existence, and why it has now reappeared.
I am not attempting to alter the fluff. I am attempting to fill in voids that GW has intentionally built into the fluff for the express purpose of players creating their own fluff.
Actually I quite like the idea of female primarchs that were later betrayed and purged by Guilleman's new Imperium. It makes sense, to me, why their records no longer exist, especially when the records of traitor legions still exist. I mean, what can you do that's worse then going over to chaos that would cause the records to be expunged? Well, the Imperium covering up for one of it's greatest acts of treachery against two of their own loyal legions is a reasonable reason for that for me.
It also explains why individuals like Bjorn the fell handed will not speak of the subject when questioned. He would rather that the young ones not know that the Imperium was birthed in the betrayal of those who fought for it.
Above all else, I want people to understand that I am creating this army and it's fluff out of a love for 40K fluff, not in disregard of it. ^_^
Q: Are they really supposed to be Space Marines or are they just something that uses the space marine rules?
A: The Valkyries of the Omnissiah are Space Marines. They are not a joke army. Their fluff cleanly into the 40K background just like any other DIY chapter. They are modified from regular human females using geneseed just like other chapters, except that their geneseed only works on females.
Q: How come they don't look like those freaky female body builders?
A: Female Space Marines have a muscle tissue vastly different then that of a normal astartes. During the development of geneseed prior to the great crusade, it was found that the simultaneous muscle twitch fiber that had been developed would deteriorate when exposed to the hormone balance in a male astartes, so that part of the project was abandoned, and male astartes were modified to have larger muscles instead. The simultaneous twitch fibers, however, could be sustained in a female astartes hormone balance, and their geneseed still contains this powerful modification. Subsequently, female astartes have comparable strength to their male counterparts, but do not require a large musclebound physique.
Q: How come their armor doesn't look thicker?
A: Their Mark XI power armor utilizes newer materials developed from STC fragments unearthed in the catecombs beneath Diab. Consequently the armor is thinner and lighter then bulky ceremite plates, but provides nearly identicle ballistic and energy weapon protection.
Also, the legs and arms are armored beneath the dress and sleeves. The kerasteel chainmail skirt provides extra protection, but is not the only armor on their legs.
Q: How come they don't use boltguns?
A: Valkyries are designed to hunt male astartes. One of the major drawbacks of marine equipment is their reliance on ammunition resupply. Even their energy weapons have componants that must be replaced every few dozen shots. Valkyrie weapons are universally energy-based, with fission cores designed to sustain fire for years without replacement. This allows Valkyries to continually attack marine formations, forcing them to engage in lengthy and ammunition-guzzling firefights that they normally try to avoid. Resupply and redeployment are further denied by Thundervina fighters, designed for a single purpose, to hunt thunderhawks. When marine formations are depleted of ammunition, the Valkyries move in for the killing blow. Special radiation charges are placed on marine corpses, forever destroying any opportunity to recover their geneseed.
Q: What is their background and where did their geneseed come from?
A: The Background for them is that the two missing legions and their primarchs were female during the great crusade. During the Heresy, they remained loyal to the Emperor, but were nearly destroyed during the conflict.
Rouberte Guilleman was many things. A brilliant tactical commander, a keen administrator, and an immovable chauvinist. With his unique position of power following the heresy, he had an opportunity to reshape the Imperium as he saw fit. There would be no place for female astartes in his new empire, and the survivors from the two female legions were killed, their names expunged from all records, and their remaining geneseed stocks ordered destroyed.
It was only after this display of ruthlessness that the remaining primarchs consented to have their legions broken up into chapters. They could see that Guilleman would go to any length to see his plans implemented.
The story might have ended there, but the Adpetus Mechanicus of Mars have always followed their own agenda. Guilleman ordered all geneseed stocks on mars moved to terra, in order to limit the power of the mechanicus, and commanded any remaining female geneseed destroyed. Under the threat of war, the Fabricator General handed over the remaining stocks of male geneseed, but sealed sealed away the stocks of female geneseed instead of destroying them, into endless vaults of the red planet.
Ten millenia later, The Adeptus Mechanicus of Mars has determined that the Imperium is too weak to survive, and has begun a military build up that will culminate in the destruction of the Adeptus of Terra.
As the determined date approaches, the vaults of mars have been unsealed, and the geneseed of the lost legions is being used, in secret, to create genetically modified warriors that can match the Adeptus Astartes in the coming war.
The Valkyries of the Omnissiah are a shadow force that answer only to the Fabricator General of Mars. Only those highest in the Machine Cult hierarchy even know of it's existence. It's deployment is always preceded by a communications blockout that masks their involvement and limits the possibility of exposure. Nevertheless, rumors have circulated from time to time, and the fear of their discovery prematurely triggering the inevitable war between mars and terra means that they are deployed only under the most dire of circumstances.
Q: What is the personality of the Valkyries? Do they have their own agenda?
A:Valkyrie initiates are recruited from a small cluster of planets controlled by the mechanicus known as Eden's belt. A cluster of formerly lush forested worlds that were all reduced to barren wastelands during the Badab Uprising, in which both loyalist and seperatist Space Marine factions used atomic and viral weapons repeatedly with little regard for the native populations.
Consequently, the descendants of the survivors of the Eden's belt have an unrelenting hatred for the Adeptus Astartes that is drilled into them at a very young age as they are shown holo-vids of the beautiful worlds they once lived on.
Those young girls who are selected to become Valkyries see themselves as holy warriors, personally chosen by the machine god to right the wrongs done to their people.
Consequently, the Valkyries are known to look for any excuse they can to pursue and destroy Space Marine forces whenever they are deployed, which has nearly lead, on several occasions, to their exposure.
They deeply admire the Cult of the Machine, and consider it to be the perfect reflecion of human acheivement and the ultimate alter to worship. The Imperial Cult, in contrast, they believe has infected the pure science of humanity with the worship of witchcraft and the adoration of psykers, both of which they ascribe as xenos influences and not of human origin.
The clans of the Eden's belt have a simple oath which is sworn to the mechanicus. In trade for their firstborn daughters, the worlds of the Eden's belt are slowly being terraformed by ancient and costly devices, a process that will take centuries.
It is believed among the Valkyries that every marine they kill will speed this process along, the death of the final marine completing the process.
So, they are loyal to the Mechanicus, partly out of worship, but mostly because it gives them what they want the most, which is a chance to strike back at the demons who arruined their homelands, and return their worlds to the beauty they once had.
They consider their own transformation into genetically-enhanced warriors to be a necessary evil, but the guilt of becoming so near to that which they hate so much often causes them deep psycological scarring. There have been unconfirmed reports of Valkyries cutting themselves open to remove the extra organs in thier bodies. Spiritually, they are uncertain what their ultimate fate will be, if their sacrifice on behalf of their clans is enough to cleanse their bodies, or if nothing can redeem them from what they have become.
Enjoy 