From GregB - Sons of Horus Tactical Squad (100 points)

Sons of Horus Tactical Squad, plastic figures from GW.

For today's submissions, I return once more to GW's "Horus Heresy" setting, generally referred to by its fans as "Warhammer 30k". Back in the summer of last year, GW issued a brand-new box set for this setting, together with a second edition of the rules - the "Age of Darkness" - which is saying something, considering how "dark" the whole overall broad setting seems to be, but I digress. This box set was quite the big deal for fans like me - not only did we get new models (yay!) and new rules (shrug) but they were in plastic! And better than that...the plastic "beakie" Marines had returned!! 

A view of some of the standard poses for the plastic kit.

 

Rear detail on the plastics.

If you are indifferent to GW or to 30k/40k (and that's fine, no worries) this means nothing...but if you are an old-time Rogue Trader-era grognard and fan like me...well...it's like GW went into my head, scanned my notion of which box set they should issue, and then did so! I LOVE "beakie" Space Marines, and I LOVE the Horus Heresy setting...and they were finally together! In a box set! And in plastic! Not the loathsome Forge Resin, but plastic, the kind that normal hobby humans can work with! So yeah...when this box set was issued, let's just say I "oversupplied". 

The Sergeant, leading the advance.

Always keep your scrolls right next to your grenades. Right?

So it stands to reason that my body of work for AHPC XIII would include a fair bit of this stuff...and here is the first batch - a 20-man tactical squad, painted in the fine seafoam green of the XVI Legion Astartes, the Sons of Horus, the Warmaster's own Legion. If you are a dork for the setting, like I am, you will note they are all clad in "Mark VI" armour - the "beakie" Mark! These are all multi-part plastic figures from GW.

Chain-sword-bayonet...peak Space Marine. I love it.

There was heated discussion in the 30k fan community when news of these figures officially broke last year. Concerns were raised over a "re-sizing" of the figures, and GW didn't help by remaining absolutely silent about it and/or talking around it in such a way as to cause people to suspect the worst. In the end, things were fine (at least in my view - YMMV). These Marines are little taller than the others, but not scandalously so. They are more fiddly to assemble than other plastic Marines from the 30k setting, as clearly some artiste-type was allowed to design the plastic frames (two-piece studded shoulder pads???? WTF??? WHY???) but man, on balance, I LOVE them!

Communications specialist on the left, "Vexillary" on the right. While, in general, there are not too many "skullz" on GW's 30k stuff, there are still a few - presumably the skull on the comms array helps ensure good 5G wireless coverage?

The "Age of Darkness" is chock full of assorted and very specialized troop types - nearly all of which are fun - but these basic "tactical" Marines are not only plenty useful on the table, they make for a great game. For me, the heavy nostalgia hit of these figures triggers memories not only of the original Rogue Trader game, but of the original "Space Marine" game, with it's small 6mm Space Marines. Those original ones were "beakie" Marines too! 

Anyway, all this to say that I have a LOT of these to paint, and I'm looking forward to all of it :)

This submission contains 20 figures, all in 28mm scale, which should be good for 100 points. We also get two skullz for the skull duel! Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for more! 

The new Mk.VI kits are really something, aren't they. Aside from the two part shoulder pad, I agree that they are a great release. You weren't the only one who 'oversupplied', Greg, I have quite a few of these guys in my to do pile. The height difference is a small price to pay for chain bayonets and hordes of beakies. 

You have done a wonderful job with the seafoam green colour on the armour, and the highlighting really makes the models pop. I like the little shield plate on the sergeant too, though I'm not sure it'll do much against the righteous vengeance of the loyalist legions. Awesome work, and I am looking forward to seeing more of these dastardly traitors.