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Aramis' Mentors and bastard geneseed trials


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"They knew the strengths of their gene-cousins, and their preferences. Brotherhood crossed the lines of primarch and gene-seed. Officially, they were designated the Unnumbered Sons of the Primarchs, but they called themselves the Greyshields. They were the new sons of old science, and they had no fraternity but their own."

Dark Imperium, chapter 7

 

A new log for a new era.

 

I've been really taken with the Primaris fluff on the Unnumbered Sons, the Greyshields. Mixed units designed to build understanding between chapters. They were disolved after the Indomitus Crusade, but my strike force was cut off by the Cicatrix Maledictum and continues the fight in the dark.

 

I really wanted to stretch my painting and try all the loyal legions, so the first 9 will cover the loyalist first founding. I'm also interested in how I can keep such a riot of colour looking cohesive. Bone helmets for a start.

 

http://i.imgur.com/ypD1b7G.jpg

 

This is my first unit in progress. Colours and shading done. And they were a lot of fun to paint. In particular the Iron Hand as I tried the forgeworld method with a Stormhost Silver base, swirls of green, purple, and orange, and then layers of black wash, to build up an oily metallic look. I'm really pleased though I've not been able to capture it in photos yet.

 

They need basing, weathering, and unit markings. Which is where it gets interesting.

 

I've not seen any pictures of Greyshields markings, but there are a few descriptions in Dark Imperium novel:

 

"They wore the livery of their founding primarchs, their badges crossed with pale grey chevrons"

 

"When they fought, they did so in a pageant of differing colours, the symbols of their primarchs proud on their shoulders. Only a small number, designating their formation and company, and the grey chevron over their insignia differentiated them from Space Marines already sworn to a particular Chapter."

 

"They wete destined to reinforce the founding Chapter, and the pale grey chevrons partially obscuring their ultimas had been reverently removed."

 

So from that I'm thinking a single grey inverted V on the left shoulder. It says it goes over the chapter symbol but that seems disrespectful so I'll probably run it under the chapter logo.

Then perhaps another grey V on a knee, and squad number on a knee or front of right shoulder and on the backpack.

 

What do you think?

 

If anyone has any artwork of grey shields I'd love to see some other interpretations.

 

 

 

Any suggestion these chevrons might look like a subtle alpha legion symbol is heresy.

Edited by Aramis K
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  • 2 weeks later...

9 loyal legions represented in a 10 man squad. How do I paint and fluff the 10th Primaris in my rainbow squad?

 

I'm looking for something recognisable and understandable to fluff bunnies, with nicely distinct colours to paint. Some ideas:

 

Mentors - marine due for transfer to the chapter which tests new tech and methods, before the strike force was cut off.

 

Minotaurs - allies to the high lords of terra, and possible prototypes of Cawls gene-meddling.

 

Rainbow Warriors - no, not for me. Dull colours.

 

Dark Angel - in black, recruited to the legion and in stasis since before the DA changed to green.

 

Deathwatch - marine due to join the Deathwatch directly as a Blackshield to boost their watch; must not neglect the Xenos threat at this dark time.

 

The II legion - I could invent a missing legion, we know Cawl has tried it.

 

Pre-primarch traitor legion - the war hounds or the dusk raiders seem appealing. Or the ghost legion. Again, we know Cawl has tried creating Primaris from traitor geneseed.

 

Any thoughts?

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If traitor geneseed, i am partial to iron warriors...

 

But you must also do a black templar since you are doing the core, they are the flagship unorthodox 2nd founding chapter. But thats just me...

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Thinking about pre-primarch legions is making me want to do a whole squad of all 9 traitor legions. After all it's the Primarchs that fell.

 

But do we know names and colours for all 9 traitor legions pre-primarch? Anyone got a guide?

Dusk Raiders, Warhounds, Ghost legion, Imperial Heralds, spring to mind as different names,and I think the Thousand Sons also had different colours...

*Runs off to the fluff wikis*

 

@Canadian_F_H Iron Warriors geneseed? Minotaurs then.

 

Black Templars - newfangled 3rd edition chaps, with all that zeal, everything that's wrong with the modern Imperium. Also I'm not keen on painting black.

 

@Eberiois Thanks. The helmets are Bleached Bone highlighted up to Palid Wytch Flesh, and shaded with thinned Agrax Earthshade. Same as the Blackshields I did last (see link I sig)

Edited by Aramis K
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I really wanted to stretch my painting and try all the loyal legions, so the first 9 will cover the loyalist first founding. I'm also interested in how I can keep such a riot of colour looking cohesive. Bone helmets for a start.

 

....

 

They need basing, weathering, and unit markings. Which is where it gets interesting.

 

I've not seen any pictures of Greyshields markings, but there are a few descriptions in Dark Imperium novel:

 

"They wore the livery of their founding primarchs, their badges crossed with pale grey chevrons"

 

"When they fought, they did so in a pageant of differing colours, the symbols of their primarchs proud on their shoulders. Only a small number, designating their formation and company, and the grey chevron over their insignia differentiated them from Space Marines already sworn to a particular Chapter."

 

"They wete destined to reinforce the founding Chapter, and the pale grey chevrons partially obscuring their ultimas had been reverently removed."

 

So from that I'm thinking a single grey inverted V on the left shoulder. It says it goes over the chapter symbol but that seems disrespectful so I'll probably run it under the chapter logo.

Then perhaps another grey V on a knee, and squad number on a knee or front of right shoulder and on the backpack.

 

What do you think?

 

If anyone has any artwork of grey shields I'd love to see some other interpretations.

 

 

 

Any suggestion these chevrons might look like a subtle alpha legion symbol is heresy.

 

Quick alternate subjective perspective on the chevrons layered on top of the insignia: the Unnumbered Sons didn't want to presume to wear the official livery of their origin-chapter without being sworn into its ranks by their gene-brothers. The description of the formation and company reminded me of Heresy-era markings. A single triple digit number noted chapter and company; e.g. 223 was 22nd chapter 3rd company. It also led me to thinking about:

 

http://i.imgur.com/5k7nKFyt.png   http://i.imgur.com/Sn0Zt9Yt.png

 

The number could go on corner of the pauldron with the chapter insignia and it states that's the one that differentiates them from normal. Squad level markings could then used as per codex... though that might get odd with Space Wolves primaris. The right image is another option of how to do an insignia "under" a chevron.

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Two additions, a White Scar and a Space Wolf. Happy with the armour on both, though I didn't get quite the blue tone to the wolf I was aiming for. I wanted to try yellow shoulders but went with the legion scheme as he won't have been assigned to a great company.

 

http://i.imgur.com/cuUSXOn.jpg

 

The ultramarine is back with a test grey chevron and... yeah I don't like it. Trying some other options. Maybe a downward chevron.

Any tips on painting clean edged lines on curved shoulders?

 

@jaxom Thanks, that's a really helpful example. I do want to try the numbers in the corner.

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Two more join the Rainbow 9, an angel and a dragon.

 

http://i.imgur.com/pY2IuyQ.jpg

 

Saved these two for last because I love painting deep reds and bright greens.

 

Also grabbed another pic of my Iron Hand to try and capture the oil effect armour. I think the forgeworld look is a really cool scheme and much better than the flat black GW use.

 

http://i.imgur.com/dplow9J.jpg

 

No Greyshield markings yet, but the whole until is nearly ready. Class photo coming soon.

 

Meanwhile, excited to start on some resurected terran legion colours.

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@Canadian_F_H Iron Warriors geneseed? Minotaurs then.

 

Black Templars - newfangled 3rd edition chaps, with all that zeal, everything that's wrong with the modern Imperium. Also I'm not keen on painting black.

 

 

Minotaurs of course... (are they Def iron warriors tho? I guess it's up to the consumer)

 

Regarding templars, "dem's fightin words!" I literally only started playing 40k because of the black templars. And to this day they are still my favorite part (recent fluff changes aside)

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@Canadian_F_H The Minotaurs are unexplained, but my headcanon is to recon them in as a Primaris trial with IW or WE geneseed.

 

I'm thinking a Minotaur for the 10th man and a Mentor for the Lieutenant. Rich bronze and white marble.

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Well now we've seen the codex update for Intercessors we know the Sgt can take a power sword as well as a bolt rifle. So I've bashed one together from a few Primaris bits. Happy with the bolter strap, it's made from the metallic card inside a fruit smoothie pack.

 

http://i.imgur.com/wHGuUmr.jpg

 

Might have a try at a grenade launcher on one of the bolters too, while I've got my knife out.

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Well now we've seen the codex update for Intercessors we know the Sgt can take a power sword as well as a bolt rifle. So I've bashed one together from a few Primaris bits. Happy with the bolter strap, it's made from the metallic card inside a fruit smoothie pack.

 

That´s very cool!

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sergeants pose is good, so happy they get power sword option now, small thing but makes a difference to effectiveness! I really like how you did the bolter strap too, what grip did you use for the bolt rifle?

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Final 10th member of the unit is ready, the Sgt from the Mentor chapter.

 

http://i.imgur.com/Oxjybdq.jpg

 

Simple conversion, pistol arm is from a lieutenant and the right arm bolt rifle replaced with a Deathwatch short powersword, with the rifle on a strap hanging where pouches and holster removed. The bolt rifle handle is from a mk4 combat blade.

 

I've decided my Primaris force will be led by the Mentors.

This chapter of unknown origin has close ties to Mars and is used to test new equipment and strategies. Mentor marines are often seconded to other Imperial forces as leaders and advisors. It appears they've been working with Cawl for a while, leading unity squads of mixed geneseed.

 

http://i.imgur.com/KtlOjZA.jpg

 

I went with the modern eagle chapter symbol rather than the rogue trader era owl symbol because it's more distinct shape, and not brown. Kinda wish I'd invented a more stylised owl now though.

Whole model is shaded with blue ink to try and keep the colours distinct from my whitescar and salamander.

 

Thank you for all the kind comments so far. Always keen for feedback and ideas.

 

Next: Reivers in ancient colours... Hounds and Heralds and Ghosts, oh my.

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