The Burden of Duty: The End of the Beginning

[Soldier of Dorn]

Here's a pretty last minute completion for the Imperial Fists Expansion.

Been painting literally all night. Listening to the Praetorian of Dorn audio book. Rather enjoying it, actually.

[lionofjudah]

Fantastic man!! I've been ssssslllllooooowwwwwlllllyyyyy plodding through my dudes and am grateful to see more yellow as inspiration

[Seneschal of the Seventh]

I'm pretty late to the party - but that seeker sergeant is amazing! Digging the B&W photography too - adds a gritty realism to the minis.

 

But seriously - that sergeant... that post just works. It's one that's so natural, yet subtly different from what I'm used to seeing in pistol-wielders that it just screams "I am unnaturally skilled in the art of death, and I'm about to paint a masterpiece. A shame you won't be around to see it."

[Soldier of Dorn]

​...seeking confirmation...

...

...

...

...confirmation received...

...inload begins...

​"O'er The Ramparts we Watch."

​The war-horns sound. The klaxons blare.

​The drumbeat of war in our step.

To the darkness we bring light. To the ignorant we bring wisdom.

To the defenseless, we are their shield.

We serve and we protect.

We are the Watchtower.

Marble, for we are a fortress.

Gold for the right to rule.

Iron, for we are, at the end, warriors, no matter our circumstance of glory.

For Dorn and the Seventh Legion.

For Terra, and its Emperor.

For the Imperium of Mankind.

O'er Its Ramparts We Watch.

[pict-capture: A knight of House Watchtower, oathbound to the VII Legion. Depicted as it was at the Nehvra Kaelix sump-fields, Siege of Terra.]

... attached index...

Requisition form - Loyalty and Treachery, the Third Offensive [siege of Terra] - Battlegroup Nehvra under Shield-Commandant Eilings

an incomplete manifest

Of the VII Legion, 284th Storm Battalion, various companies:

Lieutenant Rael Donovan, Wallbreaker [Command Officer]

Judiciary Isayah Xayle [Chaplain/Judiciary Protocol]

Behn Ashkai, Librarius

Commander Sam'yel de Carnelyn [Master of Signals]

I Tactical, Company A

II Tactical, Company A

I Seeker, Hunter Division

III Wallbreaker [Tartaros]

Skyfall Squadron [Vindicator]

Of the IX Legion, Azra'il Company:

Edura'el First Tactical

Fear No Evil [Legion Corvid-pattern Storm Eagle]

Ma'rel Third Assault

Of the Imperial Army:

20 infantrymen of the 3rd T'lantic Rifles

10 infantrymen of the 170th Trans-Solar Imperial Engineers

Of House Watchtower, Knightly House oathbound to the VII Legion:

Desmond of the Watchtower [Knight-Crusader]

Of the Pale Sorrows Cadre, Sorositas Inconcessus

[sCRAPSHUNTERRORABORT]

Numbers unknown, datafile corruption

Of the Legio Custodes

[sCRAPSHUNTERRORABORT]

Numbers unknown, datafile corruption

...inload ends...

Edited January 6, 2017 by The Psycho

[Monstra Sumus]

The watcher on the wall! 

 

Looking good, Psycho. Your golden boys are really shining. I like the army composition too. 

[Soldier of Dorn]

Fantastic man!! I've been ssssslllllooooowwwwwlllllyyyyy plodding through my dudes and am grateful to see more yellow as inspiration

 

Yeah, can't say I'm too quick about it either. :P Been in quite the slump lately, even with the Tale of Hobbyists and whatnot, I have not been successful in finding motivation... that being said, rather excited for Loyalty and Treachery... got quite a few plans for the event. ;) This plog is just one of many things that have been neglected, hence why I'm only responding to this ​now, ​but trying to get my life back in some form of order in this new, exciting year. :)

 

 

I'm pretty late to the party - but that seeker sergeant is amazing! Digging the B&W photography too - adds a gritty realism to the minis.

 

But seriously - that sergeant... that post just works. It's one that's so natural, yet subtly different from what I'm used to seeing in pistol-wielders that it just screams "I am unnaturally skilled in the art of death, and I'm about to paint a masterpiece. A shame you won't be around to see it."

 

Cheers mate! Yeah, that's sort of what I wanted to convey. Another part of it was that I have deliberately built the Seekers to be light on gear to a degree: wanted them to look quick and compact, not weighed down by tonnes of materiel and supplies (and I fully realize how silly that is, logically, when talking about power armor.) The pose accentuated that in a way that holding the pistol any other way would not have. Glad to hear that it's popular.

 

 

The watcher on the wall! 

 

Looking good, Psycho. Your golden boys are really shining. I like the army composition too. 

 

The shield that guards the Realms of Men. ;)

 

Oh, and regarding that list, that's not my army. That's just what I'm thinking about painting for Loyalty and Treachery (or at least, ​attempting to) and it's not even complete yet... ;) 

[Monstra Sumus]

 

 

The watcher on the wall! 

 

Looking good, Psycho. Your golden boys are really shining. I like the army composition too. 

 

The shield that guards the Realms of Men.

 

Oh, and regarding that list, that's not my army. That's just what I'm thinking about painting for Loyalty and Treachery (or at least, ​attempting to) and it's not even complete yet...

 

 

You mad man! I love it! 

[Soldier of Dorn]

There is a reason I named myself ​the Psycho, ​after all. :P

[jimbo13]

Glad to see this still plugging along. Especially the knight. What colors are you thinking?

[Soldier of Dorn]

The plan is for white marble armor, with a weathered gold trim. Probably a little bit outside my skill set, but I would like to challenge myself. Have to get better somehow. :) Edited January 6, 2017 by The Psycho

[jimbo13]

GW's has a killer marble tutorial. By none other than Duncan.

 

By the way I've been keeping an eye on the thread and your painting is progressing quite nicely.

[Soldier of Dorn]

I've never claimed to be a particularly fast painter, so here's the product of tonight's painting session. It's not much, but it's something, and painted to a degree where it won't need more work. It's more a warm-up than anything else, to get back into the swing of painting models and to see if I was happy with the gold (I am.)

[Soldier of Dorn]

Well. I honestly wasn't sure if I was going to post this or not, but here goes.

Right now, I'm in one of the biggest hobby slumps of my life. Normally, when such a slump occurs, it's due to lack of inspiration: my current project fails to drive my creative processes in the way I require, and I lose motivation as a result. Such is not the case here. I have plenty of ideas. I have the skill, I believe, to execute those ideas wrought in plastic and resin. I just... can't bring myself to sit down, glue, paint, and do all of that.

But that's besides the point. There are things I'd like to say.

I love the Imperial Fists, specifically my men of the 284th. I love them because they're "objectively" the coolest Legion. Because they don't give in, give up. 284-BTN in its ideals is a reflection of myself, or myself as I would like to be: unwavering in duty and loyalty, regardless of honor or shame. This is something of an exaggeration in the case of the Storm Battalion, but I still idealize duty and loyalty and all that to a great degree myself. I've, somewhat seriously, put my heart and my soul into these miniatures and their story, and while I obviously can't see for certain if that carries to my audience (i.e., you guys) I it does to some degree.

Last week, this plog, the Burden of Duty, turned one year old. I don't regard myself as a particularly prideful or vain man, but I am proud of that fact. I've stuck with this plog, this army, for more than a year, and when I consider that prior to this I was the very definition of a butterfly hobbyist (I don't believe I stuck with a single army idea for more than 3/4 months a piece ever before) that seems to be an accomplishment. This army, on the other hand, feels like something I will always come back to. I feel a great passion for their story and what I imagine to be their great tragedy, and even if I take a brief hiatus to work on other models, I feel I will always come back to this one. It is a passion that continually grows. I could never tire of the yellow power armor.

So, yeah. Anniversary. Pretty special for me. I'll confess I haven't really been prolific this year, yet I still painted more models then ever before for a single army and it feels as though it's been productive. Pretty neat.

Of course, none of this mentions the numerous people who I've talked with, developed fluff with, traded bits/models with, et cetera, from this forum. It's been a singular honor to talk to some of the people I've talked to, and... well, y'all awesomely supportive here. Or just plain Satan awesome. Don't understand how those two words are even connected.

Anyways, I'm extraordinarily tired, yet nonetheless wanted to get that out. Excited to continue on with this force in the future. Hopefully I'll have a better prepared post for this time next year.

In any event, it feels weird to make a post in this thread with pure text and not include some picture of a recent model. Unfortunately, due to the aforementioned hobby slump, I really have no such thing to post, not even on my L&T vow. However, to tide you over, here's a 30k Blood Angel Tactical Sergeant built a couple of days ago.

Edited February 25, 2017 by The Psycho

[Kizzdougs]

Happy anniversary! 

 

Hopefully you'll get over your hobby slump soon :tu:

[Honda]

We all experience up and down times with our armies. One of the best things you can do is not force it, but try a small side effort as a distraction. It  might be one figure, a piece of terrain, or an objective marker...it might even be something way out there like an enemy figure or squad.

 

The idea is to just give your creative juices an avenue where they can leak out.

 

Another possibility...you're in Seattle correct? Vitamin D or some sunshine might be in need.

 

Walls fail. Fists DO NOT!

Edited February 25, 2017 by Honda

[Soldier of Dorn]

Happy anniversary! 

 

Hopefully you'll get over your hobby slump soon

 

Thanks mate. Think I'm starting to get over it. Looking forward to getting back into the swing of things.

 

 

We all experience up and down times with our armies. One of the best things you can do is not force it, but try a small side effort as a distraction. It  might be one figure, a piece of terrain, or an objective marker...it might even be something way out there like an enemy figure or squad.

 

The idea is to just give your creative juices an avenue where they can leak out.

 

Another possibility...you're in Seattle correct? Vitamin D or some sunshine might be in need.

 

Walls fail. Fists DO NOT!

 

All of those are great ideas- I have plans for terrain and objective markers, and I've half done some Iron Warriors too. Might be a good idea to finish those up, or at least try. Anything to get the river flowing again.

 

And yeah... sunshine would be a good idea. Been playing a lot of PC games, haven't really been outside in a while.

 

Ne'er a backwards step.

[Draakur]

Good luck to you. People putting very real parts of themselves into this hobby is what makes it great, in my opinion, and it's where the most inspiring efforts come from. Been a pleasure to be an observer of the journey thus far :)

[hushrong]

Nice! Did I really miss this thread?! Just went through the whole thing and love seeing where it started to where it is now. That's my favorite bit about finding these gems in the forum.

 

And happy birthday to the 284th! My Emperor's Children redo army just turned a year old awhile back too. That's the longest I stuck to something. Celebrations all around! However you got much further than myself. I always hit slumps and bumps and even totally jump ship to other game systems. Or I spend most of my free time on Battlefield. The whole time I keep of thinking of fluff and conversions and when I find that spark I go back to work happy.

 

Looking forward to what your fists bring next.

[Canadian_F_H]

Love this plog!

[Soldier of Dorn]

[pict-capture: Command officer, Azra'il Company, IX Legion.]

My entry for the Great Baalite Bake-off. Still a bit rough, but the model is starting to take form. Considering a cape, but need to figure out how to go about it. There are still quite a few bits that I'm not quite satisfied with.

Thank y'all for the lovely responses. Very encouraging to my progress.

Draakur: It is, totally! I mean, I hesitate to call it an art, this hobby of ours, but it is an art, in some respects, and in my opinion, the best art always comes from within, instead of from without.

hushrong: Thanks mate, and congrats! Your EC are brilliant themselves. And regarding the spark and a' tha', that's exactly how I feel.

[Draakur]

Yep, right with you on the art form :)

[Vairocanum]

That captain looks fantastic, love the choice of bits! The cape from the deathwing terminator sets might work with the tartaros armor.

[Canadian_F_H]

That captain looks fantastic, love the choice of bits! The cape from the deathwing terminator sets might work with the tartaros armor.

Hmmm... I have that bit. I shall check.

[Soldier of Dorn]

That captain looks fantastic, love the choice of bits! The cape from the deathwing terminator sets might work with the tartaros armor.

Welp.

Not a perfect fit, no. But it's damn good in size and shape. Can sculpt the tiny bit necessary to meld it in with the armor, I think... maybe. Probably not. But I'll damn well try.

Thank you!

[Soldier of Dorn]

[++inload++]

Wallbreaker Prime

“There are two sides to everything. All things begun are one day ended, all born surely die. We call ourselves the keepers of the Walls, we are the builders – upon our shoulders rest the Imperium’s foundation. So also, are we the destroyers of our enemies’ walls. We will break them. That is why I am Wallbreaker. There is no difference between the two identities.”

Born to a common family of Terra, the child known as Rael Donovan would only gain his second name after his induction into the Seventh Legion and the Siege of Roma – that of Wallbreaker, Fist of the Emperor, for actions undertaken during that engagement.

Part of the earliest intake of recruits for the VII Legion, Donovan was a member of the same training unit as Heinrich Eilings, and served with him through the fires of late Unification and the Conquest of Sol, and served as second to him for many decades. When Eilings was first given the order from Legion Command to first raise the 284^th Storm Battalion during the Jovian Campaign, Donovan unsurprising was among the core of Veterans that formed the Battalion’s rock-steady heart.

Given the rank of First Lieutenant, Donovan formed the Battalion’s primary specialist Terminator Cadre, a unit that would be come to be known after its commander as the Wallbreakers. They formed an iron hammer against the Battalion’s foes, crushing any that the rest of the Battalion could not defeat.

At the Siege of Terra, Lieutenant Donovan commanded one of several detachments of the Loyalist Battlegroup Nehvra, under the over-arching command of Shield-Commandant Eilings. In the battles of the Nevhra Caelix sub-district of the Palace, he fought not with mere fury or anger, but with stalwart will. He died as he lived, standing, bound by the weight of his Terminator armor, pierced by a thousand wounds caused by the Emperor’s enemies.

[pict-capture: First Lieutenant Rael Donovan, Wallbreaker Prime, Commander of Wallbreaker Cadre, VII-284BTN.]

[+++inload end+++]

*blows dust off thread*

Well then. Been a while. Been even longer since I worked on my Fists.

Various reasons have to do with that. School's been a bit hectic the past couple quarters, and I've honestly just not had the motivation to do much for a while. Today though, I sat down with my tools and decided to kitbash something. This was the result. Some of you might recall this fellow from a couple pages back, Rael Donovan, my Terminator Praetor/Centurion. While I liked him... there was always something missing. Something I couldn't quite figure out. He just didn't look different enough from an ordinary Terminator to be set apart. So, using him as a jumping off point, I decided to build a new version. Not perfect, no. But I am very satisfied with him. For the first time in a while, I'm actually looking forward to painting something again, which is good. He's also probably the most complex kitbash/conversion I've ever done, interestingly enough.

This post is also a bit special to me since it's my 3000th post on the B&C. As much as I realize that post count is, ultimately, meaningless here, it's still a neat milestone to hit, and it fills me with a little satisfaction. Got a bit of other stuff in the works right now for both my Fists and my Cruel Angels and was planning on saving this post for that... but as mile-markers go, I think I'd rather mark it with a single model I'm really happy with then a bunch of them I might not be. And of course, it would be waiting to post for a while, taking into consideration how slowly I work on my models. But anyways, it's been a good 3000 posts and a good few years on the B&C. I never cease to be amazed by the quality of both the community on this forum and the work we produce. Very much looking forward to whatever the future might hold here.

Thanks for looking!

Edited April 25, 2017 by The Psycho