Death Guard Spartan

My Death Guard Spartan is starting to take shape. Spasmodically over the past few weeks I've cut and cleaned the FW sprues, tested fits etc.

Last night I finished glueing the superstructure together and it now all fits flush.

Next stage is to mask then undercoat the various components.

Death Guard Reinforcements Roll In

With Adepticon going to 1850 and with the Phobus Land Raider perennially out of stock, I bit the bullet and purchased a Spartan Assault Tank for my Death Guard.

I arrived home from work yesterday and there was a lovely big parcel waiting on the front step containing the Spartan and also a Demios Vindicator. My copy of "Betrayal" tells me that these were the two most prevalent tracked vehicles in the Death Guard Legion. A lot of tank crews - being of Terran birth - were wiped out on Istvaan III so tanks became scarce in the years after the cleansing.

Well this certainly is a big kit. It is all resin and you can see from the pictures that there are some solid lumps.

The kit comes in three bags - one which contains the main superstructure. Those side pieces are solid resin and over six inches long.

To give an idea of the size I have placed a WIP Legion Tactical Marine in the next shot.

So this model is going to be my main focus over the Xmas break. I'll be working on construction and then painting this beastie.

The intention is that this will be the ride for my Terminator Praetor and the Deathshroud.

Even More Heresy Love

I love Forgeworld. In my wildest dreams I couldn't have expected them to do the Horus Heresy any better than they are currently doing it and with Volume 2: Massacre about to be released they keep releasing great models.

First up are the Ashen Circle. These are a Word Bearers unit that work alongside the Legion's Destroyers. In this case though the target is culture and beliefs.

These guys are brilliant models full of character and menace.

And now the biggies for me. I have been waiting for these models for so long and their release means that my next army is definitely set, if it was ever in doubt.

The first Noise Marines, Emperor's Children Kakophoni. The genesis of these guys was detailed in "Fulgrim" and now we see them in resin.

Their release indicates that "Massacre" will also include at least some new units for the four armies featured in "Betrayal".

Moments Before Death Captured In Ferrus Manus's Eyes

And it just keeps getting better from Forgeworld. This time it is the Loyalist lackey, Ferrus Manus, the first Primarch known to have died at the hands of another. This release captures him moments before his demise at the hands of The Phoenician.



Here are some stills of the model.

It is an awesome model from Forgeworld and demonstrates once again why model-wise, 30k and the Horus Heresy is the best game in town.

Horus Heresy Characters Just Keep Getting Better

Forgeworld have released a video from the Designer of the two new Word Bearer models. Rather than the Primarch Lorgar these are the real architects of the Heresy, Erebus and Kor Phaeron.



These models are truly fantastic and I'd struggle to pick one over the other. Both really capture the insidious nature of these two characters.

Mail Goodies!!!

I love walking out to the mailbox and finding a parcel addressed to me. I especially like it when it is from Forgeworld. With my Contemptors finished I was down to three models - a Praetor and two Apothecaries - so new supplies needed.

So here I have a new Legion Tactical Squad which will satisfy my Troop requirements. After this my next purchase will be a Landraider for my Deathshroud.

Horus Heresy - New Sons Of Horus Releases AND BIG NEWS!!!!!

Forgeworld have announced the release of new Sons of Horus figures - a Command Set and a Contemptor Dreadnaught.

These look great and I must say that currently halfway through my Death Guard Contemptor, you really appreciate the effort they go to with the Legion specific models.

However the really big news is the upcoming release of the second sourcebook - "MASSACRE".

The new book deals with the second key action of the Heresy, the Dropsite Massacre on Istvaan V.

It is too be released at Games Day UK mid-September.

I can't wait!

The Phoenician - Absolutely Staggering

"The mercurial and prideful Fulgrim, the Phoenician, strove to be a paragon of all things. He passed on his values to his Legion, where they became enshrined as a remorseless dedication to perfection in warfare. Such all-consuming ambition came at the price of vainglory and hubris for both the Emperor’s Children Legion and their master, and they were swiftly ensnared in the Warmaster’s conspiracy. 

Modelled in the thick of bloody combat, his arrogance and condescension given way to fratricidal anger and battle-born wrath, this dynamic miniature showcases the full opulence of Fulgrim’s panoply. The miniature comes supplied in a handsome presentation box, and features a large 60mm scenic base, itself packed with detail, into which a 40mm base sits, allowing for both display and gaming use."

Jack sent me through a "Wow" last night and I went searching on the Forgeworld site. He wasn't wrong. This model has to be one of the best single figures I have seen.

If there was any doubt that Heresy-era Emperor's Children would be my next army, there's not now.



Here is an interview with Simon Egan the sculpter of the piece.

More FW Heresy Goodness

Coming on the back of the Outrider Squad that FW released last weekend, there are three new releases for "Betrayal".

MK III Breacher Siege Squad

"The Legion MkIII Breacher Siege Squad is one such unit; clad in augmented power armour based on the Iron pattern and bearing great ablative shields. These squads act as a vanguard in such lethal missions, and are often additionally equipped with powerful breaching charges and lascutters or melta weapons, to destroy strongpoints and forge a path for the force’s main strength to follow."

 MK IV Recon Squad

"Equipped with a variety of specialised wargear including long-range sniper weapons, stealth gear and augmented sensor-auspex devices, the Legion Recon Squad function as scouts, gathering intelligence and mapping enemy movements and strengths."

Mechanicum Thallax Cohort

"The Thallaxii are heavily augmented cyborg shock-troops used by the Mechanicum Ordo Reductor, and they differ from the Skitarii regiments both in purpose and the unique degree of their augmetics. The Lorica Thallax, from which their name derives, was developed from power armour technology, and requires a robust human specimen to enable it to function to its maximum potential. Once integrated, it encloses its bearer’s major organs, nervous system and cerebrum, but entirely replaces their skeletal structure and limbs with armoured bionics powered by an internal reactor core."

So there are lots of opportunities for our "Tale of X Gamers - Heresy Edition" participants to customise their army into something truly unique.

From a Death Guard Legion viewpoint I don't believe that we will bother with such whimsies as a Recon Squad or a Breacher Siege Squad. However there may be an opportunity to include a Mechanicum Cohort at some point.

Shiny Stuff From Forgeworld

This week I got some packages full of shiny stuff from Forgeworld.

The Two Imperial Armour Model Masterclass Volumes

Death Guard Deathshroud Terminators

The Terminators were my Xmas present from the boys so I'm especially looking forward to putting them together, then painting them. They will be my next selection for the Tale of X Gamers.

Ohhh Shinies!

The last 2 days have been happy mail days!

Here are some of the growths for my happy hobby collection that the worlds best postie has delivered recently...

After mucking around with cheaper knock off brushes for the last year, I figured it was time to bite the bullet and get the real deal...

All I will say for now is that I really wish I had gone the whole hog and bought this right away. The difference between this and the knock off I had is vast.

So Pretty... So shiny!

Grumbly Pete will be pleased I have bent the knee and purchased a tactical squad. With it taking so long to arrive however, I'll be cutting it fine for the deadline!

To echo my wife's words from last night, "that is far smaller than I expected!"

Meanwhile, this is huge! A great transfer sheet,  I am tempted to use this over the actual sons of horus shoulder pads.

A long time ago I purchased the first of these books, and it revolutionized how I paint my miniatures. I hope that this has even a fraction of the content of the first, it will be well worth it! Speaking of, one of you fuckers still has my first book, who did I lend it to again?

Last but not least, it's Peters favorite codex! Everyone knows how much he loves this.

Heresy Releases

My Heresy army is pretty much decided with news of the release schedule for Forgeworld. This information is through well-known and reliable source, stickmonkey:

October - early November:
Centurian Shabran Darr (World Eaters)
Rampager Squads upgrade kit  (World Eaters)
Abaddon (Sons of Horus)

The FW guys are very keen on getting this special treatment out for all the featured legions in Betrayal. 
I don't know the exact order of release for the legions, but DG are supposed to be nearing reveal after the finished Abaddon is ready. 

November: 
Mortarion (Death Guard)
Deathshroud (Death Guard)
Death Guard upgrade kits for Mk.II - MK.IV (Death Guard)
Death Guard upgrade kits for Cataphracti Terminators (Death Guard)
Crysos Morturg (Death Guard)
Durak Rask (Death Guard)
Legion Vindicator 

A DG contemptor body is in the works along the lines of the relic body. Pretty much just the same as the relic, but has DG iconography.

So come November I'll be buying Death Guard as they are released. Death Guard are my first Chaos love and I have two NZGT-winning Best Painted Army award-wing Death Guard armies ("Not sure if they are well painted or just messy"). So it seems right to build a Heresy era force over the coming months.

- Got in first, Charlie - Go World Eaters