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[Kierdale]

For starters, the feudal shrineworld's background (skip it if you just want to see minis).

History
Kierdale’s World is a shrineworld located in the galactic west, the nearest other Imperial settlement being the Adeptus Mechanicus-claimed world of Alceforge. Settled long ago during the Great Crusade with a name now long-forgotten, the colony was cut off from the Imperium for many millennia by warp storms during the centuries following the Horus Heresy and, starved of communication and trade, civilization reverted to a feudal state. This regression was far from smooth: noble houses who had once sworn loyalty to the planetary Imperial governor waged war against one another. None but the Ecclesiarchy were safe. The members of the priesthood shrewdly chose to side with whoever was in power at the time. These civil wars seemed fated to continue endlessly until one of the priesthood’s friars returned to the head temple professing to have witnessed a vision of the end of days.
This priest was brother Kierdale.
It was Kierdale’s great charisma and oratory skill which managed firstly to convince his superiors of the veracity of his claims and secondly to unite most of the noble houses. Those that refused to believe soon changed their minds when a Greenskin hulk was spotted entering orbit above the planet. Those who did not flock to Kierdale and the ecclisiarchy’s banner found themselves butchered by the first Greenskin assaults. Friar Kierdale himself refused to remain at the head temple and instead returned to his wandering ways, accompanied by a chosen band of comrades, lending aid where he could. It was during one of the first clashes with the Xenos that Kierdale lost his left arm, hacked off by one of the foul beings and later replaced with a cybernetic prosthetic.
Under friar Kierdale and the priesthood’s leadership the Greenskins were first driven back and finally wiped out, the climactic battle taking place upon the plains were the Orks hulk had crashlanded. Friar Kierdale fell in combat that day and Lord Burnett, leader of the majority of the household troops who took part in the action and slayer of the Ork warboss himself, chose to rename the planet in honour of the prophet. He also proclaimed that all future ruling lords of the Burnett house would bear the title Lord Kierdale.
The plains where the final battle occurred were named the Kierdale Downs and, after the taint of the Xenos had been removed, a statue of friar Kierdale was erected upon the site.
When Kierdale’s World was finally reunited with the greater Imperium, lord Kierdale was recognized as and instated as the Imperial governor. While Adeptus Mechanicus representatives from Alceforge attempt to replace the planet’s aged technology with that more equal to the majority of the Imperium, this has permeated little further than the garrison itself: the Kierdale’s Worlders on the whole clung to their old ways. While the garrison's guardsmen are armed akin to those in countless regiments across the Imperium it is a common sight to see Kierdale’s World conscripts wielding antique-looking lasguns with wooden stocks, cables connecting them to bulky powerpacks at their belts.

Abhumans
Another noted aspect of Kierdale’s World is the presence of abhumans. While the cult of the Emperor is strong, so is the taint of Chaos ever-present. Household slaves who worked the mines on the planet’s two high-gravity moons Gog and Magog developed large, overly-muscled bodies while their brains became stunted. These muscular brutes too saw combat against that Greenskin onslaught, defending their homeland and earning many laurels, such that Gogmagogs (kindred to homo sapiens gigantus) now in the 41st millennium serve in the planet’s military.
The taint of chaos was most commonly seen in offspring identified as homo sapiens variatus. Initially destroyed upon the orders of the ecclisiarchy in bloody pogroms, these mutants came to gain recognition thanks again to the actions of friar Kierdale. It was his disputes with his superiors in the church on the mutant-issue which saw him `granted` friar-status and sent out to preach across the planet, and his choosing of a `beastman` bodyguard during the wars against the Greenskins that saw them gain, if not recognition, a chance for redemption in the eyes of the Emperor. Hence the formation of penal legionnaire units lead by minor members of the priesthood. Indeed a beastman named Mister Tumnos earned his freedom (and subsequent immediate conscription into the Kierdale’s World garrison) and redemption in saving the life of the current Lord Kierdale. Mister Tumnos now serves in the lord’s command squad.
In recent years Kierdale’s Shrineworld has become home to a small band of homo sapiens rotundus refugees who were conducting offworld trade when their homeworld was consumed by the Great Devourer. These exiles are too few to form a genetically viable continuation of their species and, while they staunchly eschew the Imperial Cult (a fact which the populace of the Shrineworld take an exceedingly dim view of) they have sworn to sell their lives in the defence of their new home, earning a modicum of protection via the Adeptus Mechanicus' representatives on the planet (and the hunger those engineers have for access to the exiles' technology).

The Garrison
Following tradition, the garrison of Kierdale’s World is manned by household troops of the planet’s various noble houses, overseen by the ecclisiarchy. Guardsmen take pride in their uniforms which, while being of a fashion non-native to Kierdale's World (it is in the majority most similar to that worn by the Iron Guard of Mordia), they see as a sign of their having been chosen for service in the Emperor's own Hammer. While the vast majority of homes on Kierdale's World have las-muskets which are heirlooms, passed down and lovingly cared for since the days of friar Kierdale, the garrison itself is armed with standard-pattern lasrifles. When a conscript gives up his family's weapon (often passing it on to a son or daughter) and takes up one of the garrison's own weapons it symbolises he is no longer merely to protect his homeworld but rather the Imperium itself.
When war comes to the sector which Kierdale’s World calls home (an all too often, if not continuous, occurrence), the garrison is called upon to dispatch forces. In dire occasions the majority of Kierdale’s World garrison can be dispatched to fight on foreign soil, and Fraternis Militia (conscripts) units can be raised. The nomadic trader tribes of the World’s equatorial desert regions can also be pressed into combat, their gaudy silk-clad yet ferocious warriors in stark contrast to the pristine household guardsmen.

Markings
While most household troops go to war in their pristine uniforms, some (usually those who have seen regular combat) often don more battle-worthy armour and fatigues. Nevertheless, a unit’s battlefield role is indicated by coloured markings upon their armour and uniform in a manner akin to that of Arcadian regiments (c.f. the Arcadian 5th):
Units fulfilling a command role such as company command squads display yellow markings.
Units in a support role have blue markings. Examples include heavy weapon squads and dedicated transports.
Assault units such as cavalry and many veteran units are marked with green.
Infantry squads and other such line/tactical units are indicated by red markings.
White indicates conscripts.
Black indicates penitents.
Infantry display these colours on hat bands, trouser stripes and epaulets (in the case of those wearing `soft` armour) or as a vertical stripe over the helmet and the front, back and lower side trim of shoulder pads (in the case of those wearing `hard` armour). Should an officer wear an aiguillette, the primary colour will be that of his unit type, with yellow or gold tips indicating his command position. Dual roles are indicated by combining two colours in these locations.


This medic (white crescent trim) is assigned to a company command squad (yellow epaulets and hat band). Were he assigned to a platoon command squad he would have white trim on red epaulets.

This veteran is a member of a company command squad, hence his yellow markings.

This lieutenant commands a platoon command squad, hence his yellow hat band and the fact that his epaulets are yellow trimmed with red and his aiguillette is yellow tipped with red. Note that while platoons may include support and/or assault elements (heavy and special weapon squads) their colours are not indicated on the markings of the platoon command squad.

This sergeant commands an infantry squad, hence his red hat band and the fact that his epaulets are red trimmed with yellow and his aiguillette is red tipped with yellow.

This guardsman belongs to an infantry squad, hence his red markings.

This sharpshooter belongs to a special weapons squad, hence his blue markings.

His squad leader here too has a blue stripe and blue trim. As he is not a sergeant he lacks yellow markings (which would be a single yellow stripe along the top trim of the shoulder pads).

This guardsman is a member of a veteran unit assigned to a close-assault role (tank-hunting, specifically) and so has green markings. Note that many veteran units dirty up their unit markings in the field to reduce their visibility.

His sergeant: green trim and yellow command additions, weathered.

This unit of homo sapiens variatus has a non-regulation standard in black, indicating their penitent status. Their custodian, a junior priest, has black trim upon his armour to indicate their role and his acceptance of leading the flock to their retribution.

Ground vehicles primarily display these colours upon heraldic shields (mounted on the right side of any turret present), and occasionally other locations.

This Medusa fulfills a support role and so its shield has a blue background.

This is the shield of a Chimera transport assigned to a command squad, thus it displays both blue and yellow, with added red to reflect the squad’s role in commanding line units. The golden wreath indicates the high rank of the officer aboard.


Additional markings
One common marking seen upon infantry is a skull on the shoulder pad.



This indicates a heroic action by the individual. It is coloured as per the individual’s role and/or unit type. The above image shows a master of ordnance’s shoulder armour, then that of a special weapon squad leader and a penitent squad custodian’s.

Edited by Kierdale, 11 October 2018 - 11:24 PM.

[Kierdale]

The veterans are finally complete!
Squad One
All ten


First five (from Cadian kit)


Second five (converted from push-fits)


Rear shot of four of those five showing additions

Chain on a skull-tipped hook/peg, folded entrenching tool, bloody bandage, looped line from SM scout kit.

Squad Two
All ten


First five (Cadians kit)


Second five (converted from push-fits)


Bloody-leg guard


And lastly I really like how this guy came out. Posed him as if he's checking the squad's rear, and gave him a cig too as if he thinks at the back the sarge' isn't going to notice. The slacker of the squad, perhaps.

Have since bought some better grass which I'll be adding to their bases. Squad marking to come once I'm settled on something I like.

[Kierdale]

Damnatio Ad Bestias
Perhaps not everyone's cup of tea, but here's my penal squad, lead by father William (Arbite-sanctioned to lead the squad of penitent mutants, as shown by the scales on his purity seal).


Father William himself.
Robes and colours inspired by a priest image in Dark Heresy. Though he has the most prominent Aquila (hanging from his armour, in addition to the one on the front of his hammer-lectern), some of the ungors also have very small etched brass Aquila icons.



One of my favourites.

The barcode on his left upper arm looks a bit uneven there but it's not so bad IRL.

All of the beastmen homo sapiens variatus have bombs surgically implanted into their spines. The good father William has a little red button next to his book in case any step out of line...





And finally, perhaps went a little over the top with this one...
as the Necromongers like to say, You Keep What You Kill.



The severed ork head, stolen blade and Bad Moon head atop the standard are there as one of my regular opponents has a Bad Moon army

[Kierdale]

And WIP of my Medusa, Chimera and Russ... The Russ' turret is not glued at all, so I can switch out the main gun as necessary. Sponsons are held in place with strong magnets. Sponson and hull weapons are not glued in, nor are HK missiles, dozer blades or heavy stubbers. All are removable (I doubt I'll be using the heavy stubber, missile or dozer on the Medusa much!).


Bases for my Company Command Squad. Six bases as I'm making a baseline squad and an optional medic. I also have plenty more of the thick card used so I can add more in the future (other weapon options, a standard, etc).



And here is the CCS, painting-in-progress. The officer, you can see, is pretty much complete. He just needs a purity seal on his scabbard, and the armourer-servitor skull doing. That'll be wrapping a bit snake-like round his base.

[Tanksie]

That is some Really cool stuff. Your painting and modeling skills are booth very nice, not sure about the idea of PL mutants, but they are well done and its your army!

[elmo]

Nice to see these again - but you know from Boot Camp that you are impressing me

[Kierdale]

Thanks, Tanksie and Elmo.
Way back in the first edition of 40k there were beastman units in IG armies but back then I couldn't afford an IG army. Now I'm an adult I really wanted to have some in my army and, while they're no longer in the Codex, Penal Legion seemed the most appropriate.
Also gives me a good fluff reason to fight other Imperium armies, in a way.

Should have the Company Command Squad finished in a week or so!

[Nicodemus Doloroso]

Very nicely done. I really like your conversions. I was a but skeptical about the beast men when I first saw them, but after reading the fluff and recalling there were beast men in 2nd edition, I really like them. Be interested to see how the rest turn out ... Given its a feudal world, will your Mordians be painted in the livery colors of different households?

[Kierdale]

Thank you, Nicodemus.
Firstly I'd better say that I'm modelling to a deadline: my first child (a son!) will be born in April and so I'm expecting all gaming and modelling time to vanish after that (at least for a fair few months), so I'm not likely to be expanding my IG beyond what I already have to build (though there is a fair bit of that, I am sorely tempted to get some Empire Outriders which I'll be converting to rough riders. They'll fit the CCS officer's image too).
I do in the future hope to expand with some more platoons and at that point (captain Al'Rahem, for example) I might give the new platoon a different look to represent a different house, but the current models are going to be from House Kierdale and so share a similar colour scheme (namely green).
My conscripts are going to be done up in browns and tans, generally make them look like the peasants they are, which should add some more colour to the army.

One other thing is that I've ordered some WHFB Empire shields: each tank/AFV will have one as heraldry.

Edited by Kierdale, 14 January 2013 - 01:43 AM.

[Nicodemus Doloroso]

Yes, you're likely right about the evaporation of 40K time when your son is born. I have four children myself and have found, in general, that pretty much the first 6 months to a year is a "write off" depending on the child. Good luck!

[*Furyou Miko]

Those look awesome.

For priests, have you considered some Sororitas Sabine? They're like Missionaries.

[Kierdale]

Thank you, Miko.
I might consider an allied detachment of SoB I the future but I honestly don't know much about the army or what it offers game-wise. Fluff-wise I think it would be a nice addition though I don't know how SoB would react to mutants abhumans in the army...?

One thing I forgot to note above is that I'm going with the old RT-era unit markings of yellow for command (you can just make out the yellow epaulets on the Medusa commander in an above photo), red for infantry squads and blue for support elements (heavy weapon squads, for example).
Currently doing the yellow on my command squad (for the Mordian models that's leg stripes, epaulets and hatbands).

[Kierdale]

Though there is one (optional) extra member, a beastman, he isn't quite finished yet.

Two more angles of Major Kierdale himself. Mini is the WHFB Empire duelist, with added Forgeworld etched brass aquila on his chestplate (reminiscent of those worn by Rogue Trader-era IG officers). Servoskull armourer is made from a Tomb Kings skull and guitar wire. Weapon is exchangeable.

And the medic. Got a bit of claret on his uniform and hands, it seems...


Feel like getting back to my armour before doing any more groundpounders...

[*Furyou Miko]

I just meant using a Sabine as a Priest, rather than allying in a whole detachment of them.

As far as using actual Sisters allies is concerned, they aren't too fond of abhumans but it's not within their remit under the Decree Passive to actively purge or hunt them. Using them isn't quite heretical, just disgusting. So the Sisters will probably ignore the beastmen, ogryns, and ratlings to the point of leaving them to die, but they're not going to go smitey just for showing their faces.

[Kierdale]

Completed my first chimera!
My first time at using a sponge for weathering (hence it's probably a bit OTT), and I used a sponge to rough up the edges of my camo. I think it came out quite nicely, so I'll use the same method for my Medusa (which I plan to work on next).



Only after painting the glass areas did I see Elmo's own chimera with his great deep/dark red glass. Jealous Perhaps a future repaint.
 
I was torn between doing the mug as this `I [heart] IG` one or putting a Starbucks label on it, but I wasn't confident I could paint the emblem well enough at that size. I like how it came out anyway.

Showing the shield on the side of the turret. All my AFV will have them. I know the muzzles of the lasguns are still metal. I noticed this while taking the photos and have since blacked them.

Finally one showing it with the dozer from the front.

[elmo]

I need to raid my Empire State troops too! Great idea to use one for Major Kierdale.

 

I think the sponge effect worked well - you might want to put a sponge base of black on first then to the silver over the top to make it look like the vehicle undercoat is showing through. Try washing the silver in devlin mud to make it look a little bit more aged/rusty.

 

The vision blocks turned out good too - the deep red on mine is just a matter of taste for me

 

Quick "how to"...

 

Scab red

Black ink

Scab red on L shape in bottom corner

Blood red over the edge of the L shape

Blazing orange on the outer edge of the L

Wash in watered down Black ink to bring the colours together

Small dab of white in opposite top corner of the L

Gloss varnish

Done....

 

It does not take as long as you would think but looks great against the green (blue is a bit too bright for me)

 

If you want to stay with blue try it with

Regal blue

UM blue

Ice blue

and use the same method - I use this on some of my other amies and it looks ok.

[Kierdale]

Thanks, Elmo. If I get time for a repaint in the future, I'll give it a go.

 

I had forgotten to use weathering powders on the dozer blade. Now done.

 

 

And finished my medusa.

 

Should have my platoon command squad and the two infantry squad's heavy weapon teams done in a few days. Then on to the other members of the infantry squads (got to convert the two sergeant so I don't have three guys with the same pose!) and my Leman Russ. Once all those are done I figure my baby'll be born and I'll only be an observer on these boards for quite some time...

[Kierdale]

First up: please pardon the bleached photos. Bad conditions today.

Finished my platoon command squad. A bare squad as I'm making my army to a 500-point list initially, then will put in options later (a quad-flamer PCS is very tempting). As my CCS has stone bases I gave the PCS half stone, half-dirt ones, to represent their position between the grunts and the top brass.

I like how the captain came out, though if I do more of this model (and keep the sword) then I think I'll file it down to a better edge.

 

And I finished the two HWTs for my infantry squads. Red decoration for infantry squads as opposed to the `Hey Mr.Sniper, here I am!` yellow the command squads have.

Edited by Kierdale, 11 February 2013 - 12:30 PM.

[*Furyou Miko]

What? No "Oh, Shoot me now!" uniforms? What kind of a Mordian are you?!

 

I tease. They look really good. The clublike nature of some of the older GW swords kind of bugs me too sometimes.

[The Mad Hermit]

Great stuff! I like it a lot.

 

Kind of envious, actually.

[elmo]

Fast work and good too - likk the little extra touches on the bases

[Kierdale]

Thank you!
The tall green grass on the bases of these last models is some I got from a model train shop. Could be real hair for all I know (in fact it feels a lot like it: comes in lengths of three inches or so and I cut it down to useable sizes. Feels very hairlike when cutting it). I like how it has turned out so I went back to my two veteran squads...since they just had sponge-like flock on their bases, which frankly looked more like moss than grass, I've added some clumps/thickets of this tall grass now and I think their bases look much better.
Will post photos soon.
Have also started cleaning up the remaining 16 infantry and have converted one to a flamer already. Their bases will be similar to those of the HWTs though I wonder what other features I can add? Some small craters, perhaps...broken tree...
I'm open to suggestions too. I figure nothing too urban as firstly that wouldn't match the attached HWTs and secondly I do want to do an urban-combat vet squad in the future (and save appropriate basing ideas for them).

[*Furyou Miko]

Aquarium gravel is a godsend for making alien terrain bases. It comes in natural rock shapes, but all kinds of weird and wacky colours!

[Kierdale]

I added some long grass to my veterans. I think it makes their bases look much better than just the low moss-like flock.





...and some work on my remaining 16 infantry for my two squads.
One sergeant converted from the original mini. he pistol replaced with an auspex and his right arm has been bent so he seems to be looking at it. Yes there's a fair bit of superglue on there.
Would. Not. Hold. Together.
Will need some Green Stuff to clean up the auspex.
His holstered pistol also gives me the opportunity to claim it as a plasma pistol or whatever other option should I ever see the need (unlikely, but...).
Oh, and I cut the sword so it's got an edge on it.


And the other sergeant. Removing the sword is taking a long time and is not finished, but mid way I thought I'd take a shot for fun with the other sergeant's removed pistol fitted in place. Not codex-legal, but looked nice.
When the job's done he'll have a pistol in his left hand, and the one in his right hand will be replaced with a CCW. A different design of sword, probably.


And one of two guys converted to have flamers. Chose this mini as I think his facial expression is perfect for someone with a flamethrower.

Edited by Kierdale, 14 February 2013 - 02:06 PM.

[Kierdale]

Some WIP shots. First up the non-HWT infantry squad members.
Squad one. Sergeant had his pistol replaced with an auspex.


Squad two. Sergeant took a bit more work: replaced the sword with the pistol from the other hand, and gave him a Warhammer from the Empire handgunners, with the wax part of a purity seal added where there was already some parchment attached to the hammer's haft.



And a quick image of my Russ' turret. Main weapon is interchangeable. Have ordered a IG tank accessories sprue for a heavy stubber and HK missile, and ordered Pask.


Hopefully I can get the guardsmen undercoated tonight.