From GregB - XV Legion Master of Signals (5 points)

Master of Signals from the XV Legion Astartes, the Thousand Sons. 

Ah, the mad final dash to score a few more points during AHPC XV has arrived at last! And with this in mind, I present to you...er...a solitary 28mm figure. Kind of underwhelming - but we go with what we've got! This is a Legion Master of Signals, painted in the colours of the XV Legion Astartes, known as the Thousand Sons. This is a multi-part 28mm resin figure, available at one time from GW's Forge World studio.  

Handy bolt pistol, and communications bits...

Everyone hates dropped calls. Purging the galaxy in the name of The Emperor is already hard work, and the task doesn't get any easier when you can't communicate with your battle brothers. Enter the Legion Master of Signals, a specialist command figure who will help your Space Marines get the widest and fastest available 5G+ wireless data speeds even as they empty their bolt guns and flamers into to midst of whatever pack of fools took the fatally foolish decision to stand against the Sons of Magnus. 

There is a lot happening on this power pack! I accidentally cut off one of the cables during my prep work...but it is still fine overall. 

This is an old figure - circa 2014, somewhere around there. I loved it when it first came out. Not only do all of the assorted whacky antennae and communications bits look great, but this figure was, in fact, a quiet little tribute to GW's early Warhammer 40k period, the time of "Rogue Trader" - see "Communications Officer Orinoco".  I love this figure so much that I painted one for my Sons of Horus (obvs) and another for the Imperial Fists. Since I wanted to try and add to my XV Legion during AHPC XV, I thought it would be fun to paint another one for the Thousand Sons.

"Ahriman - can you hear me now?"

The Thousand Sons are known for their mastery of obscure lore and dangerous powers - standard communications doesn't really come to mind when you think of their story. After all, who needs wi-fi when you can just use telepathy to communicate with your buddies. That said, use of warp powers can have, um, lets call it "occasional side effects", so ensuring you have a full suite of standard communications is still really important, even if you are an armoured space wizard.

"Hey, cool! Horus 'liked' my last online post! Also we have jammed the enemy's comms!"

In playing the current edition of the 30k game, I have also found the Master of Signal is ridiculously useful to have around. The game offers all sorts of terrifying means to deploy - drop pod assaults, underground termite assaults, mass teleport assaults etc. The Master of Signals increases the chances that the other player's assault will get a bit jammed up in addition to other benefits. Useful to have around. 

So for scoring...well, it's pretty boring. Just a single 28mm foot figure, so that is good for five points. But wait, there's more! He also has TWO skullz on his armour (one on the vambrace, and the other on his chest plate) - so hopefully a bit more for my skullz tally! 

The brushes are still bending...here's hoping I can squeeze one or two more posts in before we wrap up!

________________________________________________

Fabulous work, Greg! As you can see from my post earlier today you are in good company with quixotic, single figure entries. As any stage producer would say, you gotta tease them with the small acts before you come in with the big closing number.

I love this guy, especially as he's a nod to those heady, wild-and-whacky days of Rogue Trader. The super saturated red and yellow of his armour is ace, and that pose is definitely on-point, 'If I get another busy signal I swear to Horus I'm going to call in a air strike on this f*&$er...' 

Well done dude!

- Curt

From GregB - Legion Cataphractii Command Squad for 30k Thousand Sons (15 points)

Legion Terminator command squad for the XV Legion Astartes. 

Sadly not too much to share painting-wise this week - but at least the figures are rather large chaps! We have a Legion Command Squad wearing terrifying Cataphractii terminator plate and resplendent in the colours of the XV Legion Astartes, the Thousand Sons. These are multi-part plastic 28mm figures from GW's "Age of Darkness" range for gaming the Horus Heresy setting. 

View showing the not-quite-net-zero-compliant power systems of the armour.

Since it is AHPC XV, I am making an effort to get my XV Legion collection to the next level in terms of size/capability. This command squad will help in that regard, bulking out the command element on the table. They accompany their boss (usually a Praetor or Centurion) to battle. I try to have a command squad like this for each Space Marine Legion I collect, because they all feature a silly banner, and I just love the large, silly banners in the Horus Heresy. They really capture the blend of dark-age-war-approach with high-tech-weapons that is a cornerstone of the delightful absurdity that is 30k!

Banner bearer, ready to inspire his brother Marines.

Closer look at the banner bearer.

The Legion Command squads are supposed to wear similar armour to the commander they accompany. As my Thousand Sons have gone to battle so far under the leadership of a Praetor in Cataphractii Terminator armour, his command flunkies would need to have the same kit. I have plenty of plastic Terminators sitting around in the shelves, and the banner was an easy swap in from the standard Space Marine command accessory sprue. The excellent Thousand Sons decal sheet from Forge World had a handy large-sized transfer that fit the big silly banner perfectly, and I'm pleased with how it all turned out.

I love this pose. "Hey, over there - someone shoot that guy!"

The Cataphractii Terminator armour is one of those systems that reads as terrifying in the lore and the stories but never matches up to that sort of experience when you actually deploy them on the table in the game. In a game system where "points" are used to create balance, the Terminators cost far too many points relative to what they manage to achieve in a given game. That said, they look super cool - the Cataphractii armour variant in particular is just delightful in its air of slab-sided menace. 

Another dramatic pose - figured a drama-adjacent sort like this fellow should be in the command squad...

The big, dramatic banner provides some morale and associated buffs for fellow Thousand Sons Space Marines on the table. The chap carrying it has a nice big power sword to smack people with, while the other two - "chosen" - act as general bodyguards, with combi-bolters to and power fists to deal with matters arising on the battlefields of the grim and dark far future.

Some great waterslide transfers do the heavy-lifting on the big, silly banner...

An additional advantage for these sorts of units in the Thousand Sons is that nearly all of the members of the Legion have spooky psychic powers, which they use despite the serious risks involved in messing with the warp with no problems at all everything always works out just fine...it provides these chaps with an extra edge in the battle, particularly in the company of their scary boss. Terminators can already be a handful, but Terminators with spooky powers? Whatever happens on the table, rest assured it will be dramatic!

A photo with the boss! The Praetor was not painted as part of the Painting Challenge, but still fun to pose him with his brand-new set of command flunkies!

Scoring-wise, we have three 28mm infantry models. Chunky models perhaps, but 28mm infantry all the same, and so we have 15 points! That's it for this week...I'm hoping, as all Challengers hope, to be making a last big splash prior to the end of AHPC XV...but real life may not agree, so we'll see. But thanks for reading, and keep those brushes going!

----------

From GregB - 30k Sicaran Battle Tank (30 Points)

Space Marine "Sicaran" tank for the Horus Heresy - 28mm multi-part resin model from Forge World. 

Greetings all! Not too much to share this week. Here we have a Sicaran tank from GW's Horus Heresy range. These days one can acquire this model in beautiful, multi-part plastic, but this is NOT that kit. It is, rather, an old veteran of Forge World's resin 30k range. It is painted in the colours of the XVI Legion Astartes, the Warmaster's own Sons of Horus.

Lovely lines AND lots of guns - perfect for Space Marines looking for that "sporting ride" in war time...

Space Marines have soooooo many tanks they can use to crush their enemies. There is a kind of spectrum in their designs, ranging from compact and brutal-looking, up toward medium-sized and brutal-looking, and on from their toward really-really-large and brutal-looking. Sure, some the speeders and jet bikes are sleek-looking things, but when it comes to tanks and troop carriers, the Space Marines want everything to look like it is coming to crush you - because, well, that is what is going to happen.

Auto cannons that are widely feared on Age of Darkness gaming tables.

But the Sicaran design stands somewhat apart...like the designers' brief said something along the lines of "killer Space Marine tank, but, you know, with a 'BMW' vibe...make it more of a sports-car-tank." And so, out with the troop compartment! Let's lower that silhouette a touch! And maybe not quite SO much slab-style armour? Guns, well, OBVIOUSLY, but, you know, a cool turret with rapid-firing auto cannons!

The Space Marines are not very "hip", but to the extent any hipsters survive the genetic conditioning process necessary to create Space Marines in the year 30,000 I'm sure they will all want to crew the Sicaran tank squadrons. These tanks race around the battlefield, they look cool doing it, and the weapons they bring to bear are effective against a wide assortment of targets, from protestors to xenos troublemakers to deluded "loyalist" Space Marines. While the standard turret mounting the auto cannons as seen here is the general favorite, there are all sorts of whacky alternate turret weapon mounts available too for hipster crews that wish to slay in a more unique, if still stylish, fashion.

Horus for hope!

As noted above this an old resin model from Forge World, and this is a re-paint, part of an ongoing campaign to bring a consistent look to the green armour for all of the Sons of Horus troops and vehicles in my collection. Such conformity stills my inner hobby OCD brain monkey...for a time, at least, until I must turn to the next batch of troops and vehicles who require a similar update.

Scoring-wise, we have a single 28mm vehicle, which should be good for 20 points. That's all for this week - thanks for reading! 

---------

Another great addition to your Legion Greg, I'm sure the additional ranged firepower will come in quite handy.

I know (from looking down the barrels of Reilly's Sicarian) that this is quiet a beast of a model so I'm awarding an additional 10 points for its sheer mass!

- Paul

From GregB - Thousand Sons Automata & Apothecary (65 points)

"No need to worry - they're with me..."

For my first submission today we have some more kit from GW's "Horus Heresy" setting. There are three Castellax-Achea Automata and an Apothecary, all wearing the colours of the XV Legion Astartes, the Thousand Sons. These are all multi-part resin models from GW/Forge World. 

Castellax-Achea Automata

Achean-Force claws, Mauler-pattern Bolt Cannon...ready for all kinds of automated fun!

GW's Space Marines are so conditioned for battle in the name of The Emperor that they come across as if they are nearly soulless killing machines. Note that descriptor - "nearly". The individual Space Marines is still a human, in a sense. But don't worry. When all-the-way-soulless-killing is called for, the Space Marines send in the Automata.

Designed and built by the various Mechanicum Forge Worlds, Automata come in all manner of shapes and sizes. Automata attached to the various Space Marine Legions are employed by their commanders either to augment otherwise limited numbers of troops or for use in combat situations considered too extreme even for the fabled Space Marines themselves. 

View of the guts on the reverse side of the armoured plates...and a glowing little crystal to help with warp-energy control...I'm sure that won't cause any problems...

The Thousand Sons applied their own little twist to the whole Automata phenomenon. Their Primarch, Magnus the Red, pitched some Mechanicum types on Automata systems that made use of psychic energy. Usually the Mechanicum Forge Lord types reject any idea which they didn't devise themselves as heretical, but in this case Magnus found a particular - and apparently isolated - Forge World that heard him out and said "hey, sounds great, we'll work that up for up for you." Behold the Castellax-Achea pattern Automata.

"WHO WANTS A HUG?"

These are essentially killer robots, with the advantage that they can be guided by their controllers using psychic means rather than more standard communications protocols. What could possible go wrong? With Automata like these around, the Thousand Sons can spend a bit of extra time reading forbidden books while the robots handle some of the tedious fighting for them.

Apothecary

Apothecary in Mk VI power armour - with handy chain sword. Of course.

Not a whole lot to say about this fellow. The Apothecaries are Legion specialists charged with ensuring the physical health of their battle brothers. In practice, this seems to work out to about 20% healing/80% recovering critical bits from seriously wounded brethren for use in creating future replacement Space Marines. 

All the tools of the trade mounted on his left arm, with lamps and sensors on the power unit on the back.

I love the "beakie" Space Marines, and when GW released a new Horus Heresy Apothecary figure wearing the Mark VI "beakie" power armour I naturally over-supplied on the models. Since I was doing some Thousand Sons Automata, I thought I might as well get this fellow painted while I was at it. 

Safety fluids galore!

The Apothecaries are great fun to employ in 30k games, almost invariably driving your opponent bonkers by sparing Space Marines who otherwise would have been obliterated. You can deploy a little pack of them to roam among your detachments and I have found them to be fun and useful in all sorts of ways. This is a second Apothecary for my Thousand Sons - so now the medical experts can do consults.  

The armour details did not leave a lot of room for Legion symbols, but I managed to get to pseudo-heiroglyph symbols on the leg greave.

For scoring, these models are much heftier than the standard 28mm Space Marines, but still not as big as the Dreadnoughts (which have counted as "vehicles"), so I'll propose to count the Automata as 54mm foot figures. 

3 x 54mm infantry = 30 points

1 x 28mm infantry = 5 points

Total= 35 points

Bonus - the Apothecary has four skullz!!

Thanks for reading - I have one more post still to come for today - stay tuned for that!

-----------

Fab additions to your Legion Greg! The Automata are excellent - such a thematic element to break up all those Astartes. I've been meaning to add some to my World Eaters, where their high casualty rates mean that their Legion relies on some less berserk (ie reliable) firepower. 

The Apothecary is a lovely addition too. True, they seem to spend more time in the fiction harvesting organs in a non-consensual kind of way from their enemies, but then again all bleeding stopes eventually. One way or another.

Given the intricacies of the Automata, I've counted them as vehicles. Great entry!

- Paul

From GregB - Sons of Horus Devastators (25 points)

Sons of Horus Devastator Marines - classic resin figures from GW. 

As we settle in to our regular weekly posting pace, I am trying to focus on clearing out some projects from the old "I am going to finish that project, no really, I am" pile. This little palette-cleanser comes from that pile. This is a group of Devastator Marines (i.e. carrying heavy weapons) painted in the stirring colours of the XVI Legion Astartes, the Warmaster's own Sons of Horus. These are multi-part resin figures from GW's Forge World subsidiary/division/whatever it is called now.

View of a couple of the Marines, showing the weapon and the embossed legion crest on the shoulder.

In the "Age of Darkness" there are a lot of scary things! Things that will trouble even the superhuman Space Marine warriors! Fortunately there are all sorts of scary heavy weapons for them to carry around. And no need to spread them out or anything...better to have them running around in groups. Right? I mean, if shooting one thing with a big laser cannon is good, then shooting it with five must be better - much wiser to be certain you will cook what needs to be cooked...

This fellow looks to be tracking a higher target...given all of the terrifying stuff stalking the battlefields of the 30k universe, I'm sure he won't be short of targets...

These heavy-weapon-toting Marines are known as "Devastators" in the game, and these particular ones are carrying las cannons, so they are focused on wrecking vehicles and heavily armoured gribblies to be found in the 30k setting. These guys will augment a five-man squad that is already in my collection, bringing it to 10 Marines (all with the consistent green on the armour, soothing the OCD monkey in my head), ready to really wreck some sh*t in the name of The Warmaster!

This guy looks to be appreciating the after effects of one of his shots...you can also see the spare energy cell for the weapon hanging from the back pack - a nice touch on these classic Forge World sculpts.

"Take aim lads...for The Warmaster!"

These particular Marines are wearing Mark III plate, probably the best design that GW ever came up with for the Horus Heresy setting. These kits have since been re-issued as multi-part plastic kits - twice - and the plastics are pretty nice, but can't match the grim, cold, merciless air of this mark of power armour. They look even more terrifying with the lascannons. 

For scoring purposes, we have five 28mm figures, which should account for 25 points. And there are two skullz in there on the chest plates too!

Thanks for reading! 

 --------

Lovely addition to your growing Legion Greg, and they will bring some serious POW to your force! I do like the baroque Mk III armour styles, and the classic Lascannon. My own World Eaters tend to just bash their opponents over the head with said Lascannons instead of shooting them though, which is highly amusing and much more fun, even though it must do nothing for the fragile targeting alignment. Still, Blood for the Blood God and all that!

-Paul

From GregB - Sons of Horus Whirlwind Artillery Tank (20 Points)

Here comes some more hope! A Whirlwind Scorpius, ready to fire in support of The Warmaster's noble Space Marines...

I've been away from the Challenge for a couple of weeks now, owing to the disruptions caused by a move to a new house. I'm thankful to report the relocation to Toronto is mostly complete - or, at least, the macro-parts of it are, in that I am now in Toronto, and my stuff is also in Toronto, mostly at the same location. Still a lot of unpacking etc. to go through, but I am desperate to get some hobby stuff in so here we go. This is a Scorpius-variant Whirlwind artillery tank, a 28mm multi-part resin-and plastic model once sold by Forge World, another re-paint project for my Sons of Horus collection from GW's "Horus Heresy" setting.  

Assorted lenses and scanners - no doubt the turret is equipped with the latest in 5G tech - to ensure the rockets arrive on time and on target.

We all know the kind and benevolent Horus Lupercal, Warmaster and last of hope of humanity for liberation from the yoke of tyranny beneath the so-called "Emperor", is a figure of hope. But, you know, sometimes "hope" needs to be backed up with "high-explosives", and whenever that combination is called for the Marines in his legion can count on vehicles like this.

It would have been smart to put a decal of some kind on that rear hatch...but I have no idea where my decals are right now...

Wall-hugging tools like Rogal Dorn and his VII Legion might run around building this-and-that, but the Whirlwind Scorpius ensures none of these walls are too much of a barrier, raining a steady stream of high-explosive guided munitions down on the heads of the fools dumb enough to simultaneously reject the obvious majesty of The Warmaster AND wear bright yellow to a battle. Backed by this sort of artillery, we can count on the XVI Legion Astartes to keep hope on the march through the galaxy at a brisk pace.

Ready to fire!

This vehicle is a mix of resin and plastic model components, but as with so many models in my collection, this vehicle is now available from GW as a full stand-alone plastic kit. Naturally, my response is to finally be provoked into painting and/or re-painting my pre-existing models, but I do expect I'll paint up one of the newer all-plastic models at some point. Maybe for the lonely losers on the loyalist side of the equation? Can't have them pouting, after all...

Another properly re-painted model to sooth the screaming hobby monkey...

Scoring-wise, this is a 28mm vehicle, and it counts for 20 points. Is it ROMANTIC to imagine the steady rain of high explosive rockets raining down on the heads of the Imperial Fists and other loyalist schlubs? I mean, it would certainly look pretty...but we have only 20 points nonetheless :)

Now I completely understand the trials and tribulations of moving house, but is that a reason to go absolutely ballistic? Of course it is, and I am very glad you did, Greg. Now that is some great gear to teach those misguided miscreants an explosive lesson. A fabulous model once more. Good that you and your stuff are mostly together again, but it's a pity about the decal... Seriously, a very fine piece of work, albeit only for a measly 20 points. That's what it is, but glorious points they are and those who are of the true conviction don't care about the cost, no? Well done!

Martijn

From GregB - ...and finish with a BIG FRIGGING TANK (30 points)

Here comes "Hope" - you had best be prepared for it...Fellblade for the XVI Legion.

For my second submission today we will remain in the same setting, but switch scale rather dramatically, moving on from very small models of light Space Marine vehicles to this one very big model of a very, very heavy piece of Space Marine armour. This is a Fellblade super-heavy tank painted (no surprise) in the colours of the XVI Legion Astartes. This is a Forge World model, and like my Contemptor Dreadnought last week, it is a re-paint project, part of my ongoing OCD-brain-monkey-management efforts to ensure important parts of kit in my collection have the same shade of green.

Motivational poster for the year 30,000. My thanks to Kevin H for making this image for me many years ago...it is always fun...

Who could be against "Hope"? Why, no reasonable being could be against such a sentiment...but sadly, it seems, the universe of the year 30,000 is full of unreasonable people, and thus "Hope" must be delivered rather directly at times. One must choose to believe in the hope represented by Horus Lupercal, because those who foolishly stand against him no hope at all...

 

Horus for hope!

"Hope" here will deliver using a variety of tools...let's see, checking over the spec sheet we have the "Turret Mounted Fellblade Accelerator Cannon" that will help ensure a level playing field in every community. There is the "Hull Mounted Demolisher Cannon" which can help any community reach net-zero goals by eliminating the emissions of residents, particularly loyalist ones. There are two "Sponson Mounted Lascannon Arrays" providing high doses of "green energy" to assorted deserving targets. There is also a "Twin Linked Heavy Bolter" on the front to ensure community safety. 

So many big guns!

You'll need whisky if this thing comes at you...

Quad laser cannons too...because quad laser cannons!

"Drive closer, I'll finish them off personally..."

And if all of those weapons are not enough, we have the tank commander brandishing his bolt pistol. Because Space Marines. Sometime "Hope" requires a personal touch, and this crew is ready to accommodate that!

 

Not exactly low emissions for this vehicle, but just as in our time, in the future it's OK to cause emissions as long as you are a "green".

This is a fairly old model, one which I could not assemble myself and only have thanks to the resin-model-building talents of occasional Challenge participant Steve B of Winnipeg.

View of the gunner, complete with targeter mounted on his helmet.

As you can surely surmise from this bonkers weapons assortment, the Fellblade lies at the very, very heavy end of the armoured vehicle selection for the Space Marine Legions. The weapon loadout is daunting and will dominate in any small game, so unless one is staging a rather large battle (on a rather large table to boot) it is best used in niche-scenarios. For example, we deployed it one time as a knocked-out objective...which unfortunately for the loyalists, still had working main weapons in the turret, as they learned to their hilarious disappointment... 

Another view of the turret.

Who has just ONE big gun, when you can have TWO?

It is great to have this re-painted now to match my preferred shade of green, as this monster has pride of place on the shelf, and the hobby-OCD-monkey will be soothed as it notes how the tank "fits" colour-wise with other pieces of the collection. 

Let's roll!!

In terms of points...well, this is a 28mm vehicle. A big frigging 28mm vehicle. But still one 28mm vehicle...so that's another 20 points, plus 2.5 points per crew member, so perhaps together they would count for five points, for a total of 25 points.

Hold out hope for Horus! Because you have no hope if you hold out!

What a tanker! Good to see ole' JD still being around in the 31st Millennium, although by that time "old" might no longer be the best word to describe it. Such a nice little detail, Greg. A smashing job on this grossly over-armed monstrosity. The Challenge Scoring System being what it is, it is what it is, even if your tank occupies half your standard 6x4 table. May it be some small solace that if  there ever was a 28mm vehicle in the Challenge, this is it.  However, methinks it  definitely qualifies for a Completely  Ridiculously Oversized Bonus of 5 points. Thus, great job and 30 points.

Martijn

From DaveD - last of the Derr-Flingers - Necromunda (25 pts)

 Hey it’s yet more green guys . Here are some additions to my Necromunda Van Saar gang, the “Derr-Flingers” . I picked up a few of the ridiculously expensive Forgeworld resin pieces to finish off the gang. .A  leader, champions and dodgy looking spider thing Arachnids with sharp bits . I have continued them in my trademark green theme . Lizard Green Vallejo Xpress paint with a smidgen of highlights has seen them knocked out this week . 

 

For the price I think there is some serious pi@@ taking going on . I don’t think the resin was that well cast either . GW get very little of my hubby money so hey ho -it is what it is 

 

So here is the full gang 

 

Overall I am very pleased with the end result.

JamesM and I are meeting up tomorrow to give these lads and one of his other new gangs a run out . What could possibly go wrong - will anyone hit anything I ask . Anyway it has to be done to get it out of the way. MartinC set a very low (or is it high?) bar of how badly a new gang could do last time we fought . I am looking forward to getting a game in as temporarily rejoining the world of work is a pain.

So 5 x 28mm = 25 points . I may be in touching distance of doubling my target by challenge end - we shall see . I have also posted something every week which is a little challenge Martin and I set each other . 

Good luck with your game tomorrow - always a risk using newly painted figures!

Tamsin