First up is the model I'll be using for Chief Librarian Azhek Ahriman. In the TF codex, early on in the Heresy Ahriman is represented by a less-obviously-chaos-influenced statline, and I built a new model to represent him at the onset of the Great Crusade. Armed with a Force Staff and Plasma Pistol, and wearing Artificer Armor, I also modeled him with a floating book and a blue cape to reinforce his status as a psyker. Had to add in a sneaky nod to the Thousand Sons' eventual fall to Chaos with the symbol of Tzeentch on one of the pages of the book... Heh.
Next is the second unit of Terminators for the army (though I'll only be taking the one pictured above to the event). These will represent the Sekhmet, bodyguards to Ahriman. While the other squad (Squad Ankhet) is armed with a prodigious amount of wargear and weaponry, I went with a much more basic wargear load out with the Sekhmet (combi-bolters and power weapons) to keep the points more reasonable.
After that were the remaining 9 Tactical marines and Sergeant Hesyre. In the codex, Hesyre grants the unit to which he is attached specialist ammunition, giving the squad an Inferno Bolts analogue which I felt was appropriate for the Sons of Magnus. He also comes with a rule called "Vulnerable to the Change" which means that if he suffers a perils of the warp check, his unit is far more susceptible to the Flesh Change. In order to represent this, I modeled him with a power fist from the Possessed sprue, and had him looking at the warping fist as if he's thinking "Oh, crap."
Finally are the three objective markers I've built for the army, representing a trio of marines who have succumbed (or are in the process of succumbing) to the Flesh Change. Seemed appropriate! At this point all that remains is the final detail work on the Predator and Whirlwind, followed by the tough decision - do I attempt to create some transfers for the shoulder pads on all the marines, or do I buckle down and free-hand all the insignia? Either one presents its own set of unique challenges, though at the moment I'm leaning towards just painting them, though I'll admit I'm a bit apprehensive about painting 30+ little nova bursts...
Tremendous. The details are awesome -the book in particular is stunning; however, I am absolutely floored by the character, the thought, and the narrative elements that make this army so incredibly compelling. Brilliantly conceived. Brilliantly executed.
ReplyDeleteGreat work as always! I love the dreadnought carapace, I may have to 'borrow' that one ;)
ReplyDeleteVery nice work on these. The colour choices work well together.
ReplyDeleteOh come on! That middle 'objective' is way too cool to only be used as such!
ReplyDeleteThanks folks!
ReplyDelete@Brian - Aw, shucks! They've been a blast to build and paint, thanks for the very kind words!
@Musings of a Smurf - Aye, I borrowed the idea from a true-scale marine that I'd run across, figured it would be a good way to represent the artificer armor, as well as help Ahriman stand out as a character model!
@Lee Hadley - I appreciate it! Definitely like how the crimson/white/gold worked out. It's gotten me thinking about doing a small Blood Ravens army now - it's intimated that they may be a successor chapter of the Thousand Sons, and they certainly seem to wear the Sons' original colors!
@Da Masta Cheef - Heheh, indeed. Chances are good that he may be the nucleus of a late-heresy version of the Sons during the Scouring, after they have been transported to the Planet of the Sorcerers but before the Rubric of Ahriman...
A Thousand Sons is probably my favorite title in the Horus Heresy series. That's saying a lot, I think, considering how many great books are in the HH series.
ReplyDeleteThe models as you have created them look EXACTLY like I imagined them to look in the book. That alone speaks to your skill and imagination.
Well done!
Looks like you had your Sunday Best on when you published this post. Hope you don't mind me throwing you a shout-out on my weekly themed top x. Cheers and thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteLooking awesome as always!
ReplyDeleteSO close to finished...sooo close...
Thanks very much!
ReplyDelete@Itchy - likewise, literally after finishing it when it first came out, I jumped online and started looking for conversion bits to do an army of 'em!
@HOTpanda - glad you liked them, and thanks for the nod!
@LuckyNo.5 - Verrrry close. Spent some time over the weekend painting the insignia on all the shoulder pads on the Tac marines. While the 2000 point army for the event in March is close to finished, there's still another 2500 points in various stages of completion lurking in the Closet of Doom! Oy.
Wonderfully done models!!:D
ReplyDeleteWhere did you get the heads for the marines??:)
Thanks! The heads are from MaxMini, and are one of the "Steam Knight" line. I had emailed them prior to making the order to ask if I could get all of the heads in my order to be that specific one (as opposed to the mix of heads in the set), and they were nice enough to let me order up a whole bunch of that particular head!
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