The Thracian Crusade : Gather the brethren !

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Well said.

[Ciler]

Realised I never posted a finished shot of my contemptor :

[Ciler]

I have (eventually) resumed work on my land raider. Also if anyone wondered what was in the five remaining stasis pods in my earlier narratve, here's a hint !

 

http://reho.st/self/67fb17c5a91a64e66ac796dd837eba5794729295.jpg

[Ciler]

WIP !

http://reho.st/self/e35d92d0ae74409a1de845a16d87d8f145a008ca.jpg

 

What do you think ? That much gold and no black, I will admit I was outside of my comfort zone.

[Brother Christopher]

They're coming along nicely. Especially the blue parts of the power swords (or whatever they're armed with) are something I like.

[SWORD BROTHER RYAN]

By the Emperors Throne! Your work is AMAZING! Sisters of Silence definitely fit the BT vibe. Very nice addition, and great back story also!

[Ciler]

So, based on the remarks I made on Marshals getting 3 weapons (including a mandatory bolt pistol) in the new codex, here's my next project :

 

Marshal in relic armour with power sword/relic sword/burning blade, plasma and bolt pistol :

http://reho.st/self/a51af122cab109ed43751b0b5e48edaca32b0267.jpg

 

I'll try and scrape of the wings on the sword hilt and "hide" the skeleton on the chest by leaving the whole thing matte black. There's not much I can do about the face, I got the model second hand and pre-assembled. I intend to insert some crosses as decals on the left pauldron and the cape.

 

This'll be more a display than a gaming piece, what do ye think ? Can it be made to look like a veteran black templar, that presumably has spent some time in the warp, but return to exert revenge.

[Aegir_Einarsson]

Where did you get This sword!!!!????

 

i'm looking for some epic swords, And also for epic thunder hammer ( i love, love the forge world model of blood raven chapter master And his deamon hammer....)

[Ciler]

That's Cypher from the Gathering Storm III triumvirate.

http://reho.st/thumb/https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/catalog/product/600x620/99120101177_TriumvirateofthePrimarchCypher360.jpg

[Aegir_Einarsson]

Is This sword separate And plama pistol Also?

 

I'll buy This model just for those two bits

[Ciler]

They are not. Here's a picture of the sprue :

http://reho.st/https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/catalog/product/600x620/99120101177_TriumvirateofthePrimarch13.jpg

as well as the link to the GW website : https://www.games-workshop.com/fr-FR/Gathering-Storm-Triumvirate-of-the-primarch

[TheOneTrueZon]

First thing I would do, if you are comfortable with a little GS scuplting... is getting rid of the head entirely and give the model a proper Templar helm. You can probably bash out something interesting out of that Plasma "Archeo-whatevertheycallit" too!

[Ciler]

So, took some time to finish of most of my ongoing projects :

 

http://reho.st/self/f2f2f2e1ac49ab008dc7c8f5b21221ffe5197d9d.jpg

 

http://reho.st/self/ce655e03830504a85a3bc541b47f9ea9a6d4873c.jpg

[Ciler]

And look who turned up in the mail, this must be my lucky day !

http://reho.st/self/28812ae5674049b9e7b9cf067d9c035629109d3c.jpg

 

I'm concerned about the sword hand though, which as you can see is quite badly bent out of line. I assume that it can be straightened by applying low but consistent force and being careful not to snap it.

[Brother Christopher]

Nice purchase. Don't worry about the sword - that's the Sword of The High Marshal, it won't snap! That's metal, as the Emperor intended, and not some flimsy resin.

 

The real problem is the hand itself - I found it difficult to glue it to the rest of the model on a permanent basis. That is why, I'm planning to add a little rod in between the hand and the wrist, that should do the job. And, if I may, I recommend doing the same.

[Ciler]

I'll magnetise it, actually. There's two reasons for that :

• this way there's no pressure on the sword during storage.
• I have sourced at a discount price a second metal helbrecth without sword, which I will convert a la firepower to replace it's head by a helm, paint black, and maybe fix it's arm. This way, I can use the one sword for both models.

[Brother Christopher]

I now feel silly for not having thought of that. This is probably the route I'll take as well - good idea.

[Ciler]

How about this ?

http://reho.st/self/f8452e3e2a81ce90c7bde797c6c4cc779a9918bc.jpg

[Aegir_Einarsson]

Personally i think that cypher is one of the best model to make EC, or even Helbrecht himself. Swap plasma with combi melta rip off the DA iconography And Probably change helmet like on This photo. Great model in my opinion.

[Ciler]

WIP

http://reho.st/self/9ea47d05d86e95b63e625ffaba503776fb816361.jpg

 

Advice, opinions ?

[Ciler]

And the finished model :
http://reho.st/self/f88325c9f331b2c27aa4d938698a807b7a7b653a.jpg

And the relevant fluff.

+++Transmission received+++
+++Status: Fragmentary+++
+++No priority flag+++
High Marshal,
... Warp storm receeding ... Orthez system's third planet ... received distress call ... chapter keep ...
Orthez third ... recruitment world ... all contact lost ... Noctis Aeterna ...
... landing team ...
Marshal Remus - Thracian Crusade
+++Message Ends+++

They are waiting for us in the reclusiam. Nine life signs, if the auspex readings are correct, when they should be twenty five astartes at least. All the defense systems in the keep are primed, but they have aknowledged our non-target status.

As we walk into the reclusiam, I can see them : seven astrates, a neophyte, and a mortal. All of them are kneeling in front of the standard of the Emperor victorious. Four initate battle plates, one with the white narthecium of apothcaries, one skull helmet of the chaplains, and one of the brethren. Their armours are in good repair, but show the scars of too many battles without the ministrations of an artificier. And the sword, the blade as tall as I am, surely, sheathed on the brethren's back.

He rises, and turns to face us. none of the others move.

"Welcome, brothers, to the Orthez keep" he says, "we thank you for coming to our aid."
"I am Marshal Remus, of the Thracian crusade. Name yourself, astartes" I reply.
"I am Nadau ; Marshal of the Orthezian crusade". His voice is faint, yet authoritative.
"We have received your communication during our approach, there is no record of the Orthezian crusade, or of your appointment as Marshal."
"My brothers appointed me," he says, gesturing toward the kneeling figures "we prosecute our own crusade. Will you hear our story, brother Marshal ?"

I unsheath my sword, and in one sweeping arc places it point an inch away from his helmet, the power field humming to life. He doesn't move, doesn't recoil.

"I will hear your story, astartes, and then I will decide if you are - as you claim - our brother. But be wary, one false word and your life ends."
"I am Nadau, of the Sword Brethren of Marshall Otto's third company, under Castellan Troy," he breathes. "About a terran year before the assault on Cadia, the High Marshal tasked Castellan Troy with a recruitment round in this sector. I was part of the Castellan's command squad, along with two squads of knights. This was to be a routine mission. We made planetfall and immediately started investigating the tribes for suitable recruits. We had thirty applicants in the early stages when the distress call came from Cadia. Then they came..." He pauses. "Two ships of the Word Bearers, coming out of the warp in system, they took down our cruiser before we could even detect their entry. We thought they would come for us, but instead they took the tribes. One after the other, sacrificed or corrupted, they fell. We made a few sorties, and delayed them, but they took the planet in weeks. And then they turned to the chapter keep. Wave after wave of corrupted tribesmen were cut down by our sentry guns. Then traitors. Not one of them set foot in this keep..." another pause.

His breath is ragged now, I can nearly smell the choler.

"So they left, after a few months, but it didn't matter. The warp storms had reached the planet by now, and daemons started stalking the plains. They did not need to breach the gates, eventually they started manifesting inside the keep. That is when the Castellan died. One by one, they picked us of. They started with the recruits, the menials, then the knights. So we retreated here in the empror's sanctum, where no daemon would spawn, my remaining brothers named me their Marshal and we called for the Orthezian crusade, to safeguard the last remaining recruit and return to the Eternal Crusader with our duty done."

Seconds tick away. He waits. The voice clicks, it is Lucent, my chaplain :

"He does not lie, Marshal. I can hear the truth of his word. These knights have been trapped on this world since the Darkness fell, but they have not fallen to it. They are our brothers". Another vox transmission : "All readings are nominal, short range gene-scanning reveals no mutations, even in the mortal".

I lower my sword, deactivating the power field, but I do not release my battle stance.

"My chaplain and my apothecary tell me you are indeed our brothers, and that every word you have said is true", I say, "be at peace, brother, we will assist you in completing your duty. Yet..."

He tenses, the move is barley noticeable, aven to astartes eyes, but the shift in his stance shows he's ready to fight.

"Yet, you claim the rank of Marshal of the Black Templars, a rank which can only be bestowed by the High Marshal himself, or a council of peers. Of this title, you must prove you are worthy, so draw your blade, brother. If you can hold yourself against me, I will acknowledge you as my equal, a true Marshal of the Black Templars."
"I will not."
"You will not fight me ?" I raise my sword, engaging the power field again.
"I will not draw this blade," he says, pointing at the massive sword over his shoulder, "for it is not mine to draw."

"This is the greatsword Erugrim, given to Castellan Troy by the High marshal himself from the armouries of the Crusader. And although I will use it in battle should my knights be threatened, it is not... for me... to draw."

Then there's the faint hiss of venting plasma, and I realise that in the fraction of a second I looked at the guard of the greatsword, he had drawn one of the pistols at his belt.

We both look at each other, and as our weapons depower, I say "Welcome back to the crusade, brother Marshal. We have a ship, and if there is an opening in this rift we will find it, and by the Emperor, we will see your duty completed."

The whole thing is a bit pompous, and reeks of a poor imitation of ADB's style. But I needed a reason to justify a crusade with two different Marshal models and two different command squads... What do ye think ? 
 

[Aegir_Einarsson]

I like cape very much:). Nice smooth transitions on red And grey/white.

 

Personally i like glowing effect and one think that I would like to improve are eyes and plasma glow.

 

Nice higlights on skulls:).

 

Can you post a photo from another side of a model (back).

 

I think he can be emperors champion as well.(just swap plasma hand for another hand with a head of a deamon from grey knights setup:) )

[Ciler]

So, a quick shot of what's on my desk at the moment :

http://reho.st/self/4a132f426505e02cd200774673cc691f6a2c2bf4.jpg

 

Yes, why that's 2 metal Helbrechts indeed. I scored the second one for dirt cheap without a sword, so I decided to go for some conversions. There's also a biker standard bearer and a cenobyte servitor carrying a relic sword, can ye see what I did there.

 

And a close up of the converted big H. As you can see he's getting is arm back.

http://reho.st/self/7f2da01e6469a0fe4dd02e38a6febe4ef8cbe350.jpg

 

Oh, and I'm working on a chaplain on bike, how's that for a crozius ? I mean it's not Mordred's but I think it'll feel painful enough in someone's face just the same.

 

Opinions, comments ?

[Sword Brother Adelard]

Feel free to call it a cenobyte all you want. We all know it's a dirty little xenos.  

[Ciler]

How does this look to you ? I can still move the helmet to some extent.

http://reho.st/self/a87292244fc0861c92fd45381ff9b4b117f86f03.jpg